A/N: NEWWW CHAPTERRRR! Yay (: I decided not to fuck with anything... yet. Instead, some serious Bellice progression ;D Enjoy!

The counter in the kitchen was covered with at least a dozen sandwiches, all of a different sort. I tucked in with glee, all the while trying to answer some of Esme's polite questions. How was I coping, how did I feel, what did I think of this new life and what not. When I finished eating, I was surprised to look out the window and see the sun was setting. I was confused until I remembered that I hadn't woken up until two in the afternoon. I smiled and thank Esme for the food. She tried to usher me back out into the living room but I insisted on helping her with the dishes, partially to be nice and partially because those impulses still scared me. When all was said and done the sunset was in full swing. The clouds had broken up enough to let the perfect amount of light shine through, turning the sky a blazing pink, orange, ruby, and purple hue. Out in the living room I walked up to a large bay window and gazed out and up.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Jasper asked with a smile noting my interest.

I looked back at him and smiled. "Yeah. These sunsets are so rare, I always like to spend some time watching them when I can."

"Well lets go then!" Alice said, jumping up from the couch.

"Huh?" I asked, confused.

"Come on, there's this super awesome meadow nearby, it'll have a great view." She bolted past me out the front door.

I gave her gathered family a withering glance, albeit still smiling, against their amused grins. I followed at my own pace, only to find Alice bouncing on the balls of her feet at the edge of the woods back behind the house.

"Could you be any slower?" She asked, in a manor I interpreted as rhetorical. Barging in she said, "Wolf out already or we're gonna miss it!"

I chuckled and figured I might as well not bother arguing with a psychic. I pulled my wolf skin over me, bounding forward a few paces from the momentum. I was in the guise of a large gray wolf this time, just to try new things. My eyes matched the exact shade of Alice's gold, a fact that I'm sure was not lost on her, seeing as our gazes were locked.

She held my gaze for a moment longer before sighing and saying, "That is so cool."

"Well, yeah," I chuckled, shivering at my own sultry voice. If I wasn't mistaken, Alice shivered too. "So are we going or not?"

Alice beamed and said, "Follow me, if you can keep up, that is." She dashed off into the forest and I laughed heartily, dashing after her.

"Oh please, I was born to run," I said as I flew past her.

"Hey now! You don't even know where you're going!" She called out, giggling at my enthusiasm.

I sighed in a sort of agreement and slowed until I kept pace with her.

"Stronger than Emmett, faster than Edward, more beautiful than Rosalie. If we don't watch out you're going to outshine every single one of us!"

I laughed and said, "Well I can't paint or cook, so you and Esme don't have anything to worry about." I paused for a moment to further analyze her words before allowing a broad, slightly snarky grin to spread across my wolfy face. "You think I'm more beautiful than Rosalie?" I wondered if she had slipped up or if it was a planned compliment. Either way I had hoped to catch her off guard.

I noticed Alice bite her lip from the corner of my eye. She seemed to be debating, then, "Well you are, so yes. And I'm starting to think Lycanthropy has made you rather cocky, Isabella."

I chuckled and said, "I've always been cocky, only now I have the badassery to back it up! Thank you, though. I've never been called beautiful before." Alice slowed to a halt and it took me a few paces to react. I skidded to a halt and turned around to face her, one brow cocked in question.

"Really?" Alice asked, disbelieving.

I shrugged my large shoulders and said. "Yeah, well. It's no biggie."

Alice just shook her head and slowly walked past me. I could smell the meadow grass up in front of us and could see specks of colored sky through the canopy. I shifted back to my human form and followed in Alice's footsteps. She pushed through the edge of the woods and through a dense wall of shrubbery, which spilled out into a beautiful, secluded prairie. I gasped at the smells and colors of it. The sky was a blazing conflagration of ruby and tangerine and violet, with a few pin prick stars beginning to shine through. Wispy, puffy clouds were dyed yellow and pink and blood orange, drifting lazily on a warm breeze. The meadow smelled of baked grass and thousands of flowers. Blue and yellow and white dotted across the grasses. A small flock of songbirds burst from cover at our arrival.

"Wow," I sighed. "Now that is beautiful. Alice this is amazing!"

"Yeah, it's my favorite place to visit. You know, I've never hunted here. I mean I guess it's kind of silly but it almost seems sacrilegious in a place like this. I don't want to sully it."

"No, I totally get it," I said, smiling over at her. She took my breath away. Her skin was awash in a golden light; she seemed almost to be glowing. It complimented her eyes and they stood out to me, glowing like small topaz embers. Her black hair fluttered in the breeze, and when her scent mixed with the meadows I couldn't help but take a deep, shuddering breath. My head filled with a delightful buzzing sort of dizziness. What was happening to me?

Alice seemed no less affected. All at once neither of us could breath, not that she had to, but the effect was the same. We were frozen, locked in each others gaze. All at once, every memory I had ever had of her, from the moment we had met all the way up to this instant flashed behind my eyes, even vague recollections of her gently carrying me from my house to her car when I was sick with the early stages of my transformation. Every tender caress she had hoped I wouldn't remember. The wolf in me was savagely battering my restraint, wanting nothing more than to pounce on this small vampire and make her mine. Hell, I wanted it too but I barely knew her and of course I had no idea where this was coming from. They way she had gasped out my name less than an hour ago pounded through my head again and again, and my breathing began to speed up.

All at once, we moved towards once another, magnetized.

Our lips crashed together with a frenzy that left my stomach in knots, my knees weak, and my body tingling. My mind exploded with a vibrant joy I had never experienced before that instant. Without commanding them to do so, my hands wrapped around her back and pulled her smaller body flush against mine. Every bit of her that touched me set my skin alight. I gasped into her mouth as her cool lips began to press and work against mine. Her scent filled my nose and I thought fleetingly that I had never been so overwhelmed and simultaneously that I hadn't even really been alive until that earth shattering moment. Alice moaned into my mouth and I clung to her all the more desperately. My knees shuddered traitorously and I quickly backed us up against one of the outlying trees, broad enough to support my weight. The moment my back hit the bark Alice leaned her whole weight against me and I spent less time worrying about my balance and more about the sensation or her mouth on mine.

I don't know how long we were lost in that world of touch and feel, only that when we finally pulled away from one another, panting, it took a moment for our brain to kick start back into action. Alice, standing on her tip toes, rested her head in the crook of my neck and I clung to her like a lifeline, trying to regain my breath. Alice was the first to speak, letting out a breathy, "Holy shit..."

"Mhmm..." was all I could manage in response.

"I- I... Should I apologize?" Her words were slowly and deliberate, as if she were having as much trouble with coherency as I was.

"God no," I said then took a deep, steadying breath. Then, "Shit, that was..." I couldn't complete my thought, so I just stood there shaking my head in disbelief.

"I know." She paused for a moment then asked, "Bella, I'm gonna tell you something crazy, okay?"

"Go for it," I said.

"Well, a lot of the time supernatural creatures, or immortals anyways-"

"Am I immortal?" I interrupted, feeling it was an important question to ask.

"What?" Alice asked, seeming caught off guard, then went on, "Oh, yes. You are. Didn't you know?"

I laughed and said, "Sorry, it wasn't in the pamphlet. Cool though," I said with a smile. "Keep going."

Alice lifted her head off my chest and gave me a questioning glance, as if to ask if I were really taking news like that so smoothly. I was, so she went on with, "Well, immortals a lot of the time have mates. Like soulmates, and... I think you're mine." Guilt flashed behind her eyes, though I couldn't imagine why.

I pondered that for a moment. Under that context, the weird magnetism I'd felt for her all day today suddenly made more sense. Still I asked, "Why do you feel that way?"

"Well..." she began. "Whenever I tried to look for my soulmate, I wouldn't get a vision but I also wouldn't get blocked out. It was a sort of fuzzy in between with undertones that made it specific. Like scents or feelings, almost. And when I have visions of you it's the same. Beyond that it's just... a feeling I guess." She looked down at her feet, clearly embarrassed and worried.

"I feel it too," I said softly and she looked up quicker than a human would have been able to track, searching my eyes for truth. I brought a hand up to brush her pale, porcelain cheek. "I guess it really is my lucky day." I watched her expression and then laughed. "Why do you look so surprised?"

She shrugged helplessly, her eyes wide. "I just... I guess I'm surprised you're so okay with it. I mean, I don't want you to feel limited or any of that. If you don't want to be with me I'd-"

"Shush," I said, moving my hand so that a finger rested over her lips. "Alice ever since I met you I haven't been able to stop thinking about you and now I know why. Honestly, I would be honored if you thought of me that way. We don't know much about one another but time will remedy that, I'm sure. I already think you're amazing, and I think for now that's good enough. How about we take it slow and see where things go from there?"

Alice processed my words for just an instant before beaming up at me. "Deal. Great. That sounds wonderful Bella, I'm so happy you're not mad at me."

I scoffed and said, "How on earth could I be mad at you? You just blew my mind with a kiss, nothing could bring me down from this high," I said with a smiled. I lowered my hand yet again to gently hold her chin, bringing out faces together again. If our last kiss was a jarring explosion of sensation, this was a slow burning ember of newly kindled passion and wonderment. It filled my body with a comfortable heat. Alice smiled against my mouth and I pulled away once more. "So what will your family think?" I asked after we separated.

Alice chuckled and said, "Edward read my mind when I had my first vision of meeting you, back in Alaska-"

"Alaska?" I interrupted yet again.

"Yeah, it was very short but I knew then that you were meant for me even if I didn't know exactly who you were. All I saw was the hospital room and then your father, but the bed beside him was pretty indistinguishable but it was the clearest one I had ever had. When we came to Forks I felt you here, but because you spent so much time down on the Reservation I could never meet you. Anyways, they already know, sort of. The boys have a bet about it."

"Who's going to win?" I asked with a smile.

"Edward," she grinned back. "He bet we'd be together within a week. Jasper bet a month, and Emmett bet I'd never get around to it."

I laughed again and said, "He didn't have much faith in you, I take it."

Alice rolled her eyes and said, "He likes to tease, even if it means losing out on a few hundred bucks. Speaking of which, Emmett's taunts will be relentless, but I'm sure your backbone is strong enough for that."

"Hmm," I said, considering. "I'm sure I'll think of something." I cast a glance up at the sky. The sunset had passed it's peak and the woods were turning a dark, dusky blue color even though the sky still held onto its last vestiges of color.

"We should probably get going," Alice said quietly.

I knew she was right, but I sighed all the same. This moment was too uniquely wonderful, I never wanted to leave. I wanted to stay wrapped up in these infinite feelings forever. "Yeah, alright." An idea struck me like a light bulb flashing into luminance and I grinned.

"What?" Alice asked.

"Let's go back my way," I said with a wicked smirk. "I want you to see how fast I can go." I stepped away from her and pulled the forest into me, expanding it through my muscles and veins until I stood on all fours as a long legged dusky gray wolf, wearing for the moment emerald green eyes. "Hop on my back."

Alice looked like a kid in a candy store. She lithely vaulted onto my back and settled just behind my shoulder blades. She grabbed two fist fulls of my neck ruff and adjusted her balance. "Does this hurt at all? The fur, I mean?"

I rolled my shoulders, smiling as she giggled. "No, it's fine. There's not a lot of feeling there. I figure it's kind of loose so if it's grabbed in a fight it doesn't hurt."

"Nifty!" Alice said with a chuckle.

I smiled and stretched each limb individually before leaning back, preparing to rocket forward. I felt Alice tense her legs and chuckled, then I was off. I heard Alice gasp and clench tighter, ducking down to streamline herself and so she could better adjust to the rhythm of my gait. I laughed with glee, the impact of these past twenty four hours finally hitting me full on. I was a freaking werewolf, I had just made out with Alice freaking Cullen, who happened to be my soul mate and maybe girlfriend. While I wasn't sure about the technicalities of the last bit, it was still enough to make me beam. The blast of energy went straight to my legs, a bountiful energy that had me laughing aloud as we hurdled through the forest. The world blurred, even to my eyes, but my body had no difficulty knowing where my paws needed to go.

All too quickly we were back at the Cullen mansion, both winded from exhilaration. To my delight my body still felt ready to go another hundred miles, the coursing energy still poured through my veins. Alice lay flush against my neck, laughing a high and giddy laugh of our shared adrenaline rush. She buried her hands deep into my ruff, running her fingers through it, making me hum in delight. I saw her family walk out onto the front porch and smile at us as I padded slowly from the forest, step by step.

"Bella, that was amazing! How do you even move that fast?" She asked in wonderment.

I chuckled and said, "How do you expect me to know? I only shifted for the first time not even a full day ago!"

Alice sighed and said, "Sorry, I keep forgetting. You must just give off an aura of knowing what you're doing."

"Hmm, that must be it," I joked along with her. In a flash I pulled my wolf form inward, so suddenly that for a moment Alice was left hanging in mid air. As she fell I recovered and held my arms outward, catching her bridal style before she could hit the ground. "Or maybe I'm just suave like that."

After regaining her bearings she punched me lightly in the shoulder and said, "So about that arrogance thing we were discussing."

"Arrogance? What arrogance," I said in mock astonishment. "It's not arrogance if you can back it up, you know." I flipped her around to piggy back position once again, but this time instead of complaining she settled in and rested her head on my shoulder. I looked up at the faces on the porch, hopeful, uncertain smiles on each and every one. I chuckled and said, "Edward won the bet, by the way."

While Esme and Carlisle broke out into broad smiles, two boys groaned and Edward cheered, and Rosalie looked impassive yet thoughtful. Jasper dug out a wad of cash and handed it over, then turned immediately to congratulate us both.

"I always knew the day would come eventually. I know you'll treat her right, Bella." Jasper was all smiles, he even shook my hand.

Esme was next but she bypassed the hand shaking and went straight to hugging, wrapping me in her arms and by extension, Alice. "I'm so happy, thank you so much Bella. Our family's final piece."

"Easy there Esme, don't want to scare her off this early in the game," Emmett said, walking up behind her. He gave me a once over before gently moving Esme away, gently pulling Alice from my back, then wrapping his arms around me and not so gently spinning me around in circles, squeezing all the while.

"Emmett, for every one of my ribs you crack so help me, I will remove a limb!" I threatened with all the breath I had in my lungs.

Emmett guffawed and dropped me. I landed lightly on my feet, then punched him in the chest. To his evident surprise, he actually stumbled back a few paces. Alice grinned and came up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist. "Don't mess with my girl, Em, she'll mess you up!"

Between Alice calling me her girl and Emmett attempting to defend himself, none of us really noticed Carlisle's cell phone ring until he said, "Hello Sam. How can I help you?"

We all froze and turned to look at Carlisle, faces strained and eyebrows drawn in suspicion or eyes narrowed in anger.

"I see..." Carlisle said with a sigh.

Edward flashed over to us and said, "Sam wants permission to come onto our land and check for a rogue wolf he claims is a danger to his pack or the townsfolk."

I burst out laughing. "That's completely idiotic, him coming after me so soon. What do they expect will happen?"

Carlisle talked on. "Interesting. May I have a moment to discuss this with my family?... Thank you." Instead of asking the other Cullens Carlisle looked straight at me and whispered, "What do you think, Bella?"

I thought for a moment, considering all the possible outcomes, but in the end I grinned broadly and replied, "Well, I did swear to kill them if I ever saw them again, but that was mostly bravado. Besides, I want to see their jaws drop when they realize I'm the wolf, and I'd hate to deny the rest of you that pleasure as well."

"What if they see our alliance with Bella as a risk to their pack and try to attack anyways?" Jasper offered up, frowning.

"They know that would be suicide," I replied. "I don't think we need to worry about that. I'm not sure why they think tonight will be any different than last night, but more power to them."

Jasper shrugged then turned to nod at Carlisle. Carlisle raised the phone back to ear and said, "As long as we can agree that the treaty's other points will remain in effect. I wouldn't like your pack mates to attack my family, as I'm sure you wouldn't like my family to attack yours."

I heard Sam's muted agreement from the other side of the line.

"I'm glad to hear that. Well, in that case I would recommend beginning your search at our home. I believe we would be able to assist you." I also heard Sam's laughter and stark refusal. Carlisle smiled and said, "Very well! I wish you all the best in your hunt."

The moments Carlisle ended the call Emmett burst out into laughter. "What idiots. They're going to end up here anyways."

"Sam's always been stubborn," I said, rolling my eyes. "Prideful too. He'll never accept help from you."

"You sound like you know him fairly well," Jasper said with and easy grin.

I shrugged. "I got a glimpse into their minds last night, it was surprisingly comprehensive. It's not hard to guess their motives and actions when you've sampled how they think."

"But wouldn't they have the same advantage over you?" Edward asked, clearly intrigued.

I wavered, then, "You know, I don't think so. It was selective when I heard them and when they heard me. I don't think I let them into my mind or else they would know who I was."

Edward nodded slowly, considering this information.

"So now all we do is wait," Emmett said, sitting on the porch and leaning back with an easy grin.

For the first time, Rosalie spoke. "I'm not okay with this," she said, blunt.

Alice's eyes narrowed but Emmett just frowned, leaned back to more properly look at her and asked, "How come, babe?"

"I mean, she's practically one of them! And Carlisle, you just invited their entire pack over the treaty line."

"Are you suggesting that Bella is working with the pack?" Alice asked, her voice mute with restrained anger. "After she nearly killed them less than twenty four hours ago?"

"I'm suggesting that we don't know the situation and that it's very dangerous to us all."

I turned around and looked Rosalie square in the eye, gaze and tone level. "Rosalie, I'm no danger to your family. If the Quilleutes try to attack, I swear on my father's life that I'll be on your side of it. They abandoned me for their pack and while I understand now, I can't forgive them. They're no friends of mine. The only thing I hope to gain from this encounter is the chance to finally and completely rub their mistake in their grimy, mangy muzzles."

Rosalie held my gaze as well then finally sighed. "For Alice's sake, I suppose I believe you." She looked away with a slight grimace still on her face, but I took it anyways.

Alice smiled, a surprised light in her eyes, then walked to her sister's side and lay a hand on her arm. "Thanks Rose, that really means a lot to me."

Rosalie smiled a small amount but the worry didn't leave her eyes.

Edward nudged me and said, "They're getting close. You better shift, or they'll see you. Don't want to ruin the surprise, do we?" He asked with a grin.

"Of course not," I said with a smile. As easily as slipping into a pool of warm water, I pulled my wolf shape over me, the same they had seen last night. Tall, imposing, coal black fur and ruby eyes . I wondered what they looked like in the glowing darkness. The moment that form had completely settled I rolled my shoulders and flexed my neck. I stretched and paced a few steps. "Oh, I do love this body," I said in my sultry lupess voice. "It feels so limitless." I noticed Alice eying my appreciatively. I turned to her and smirked.

"This is the biggest I've ever seen you, I think. Is that as big as you can go?" She asked.

I weighed that for a moment, taking a quick mental inventory. "Maybe a bit larger." I focused and my legs morphed another few inches, and my body lengthened the same. Like an alarm flag raised behind my eyes, I knew the wolves drew close, I could feel it in my gut. I stiffened, eyes darting to where they would appear. "Looks like our guests have just about arrived."

The moment the words left my muzzle, I noticed a pair of glinting amber eyes just beyond the tree line. My mind reached out and felt for the presence. I chuckled and called out, "Come out, come out wherever you are! Did you all miss me that much?"

A/N: SUCCESS! Bellice is a thing. Tentative, but a thing nonetheless. Neither Bella nor Alice have really put a label to it yet though, so it's not like BAM they are dating. They're still gonna work a few things out. And, pardon the cliffhanger, but the pack isn't done just yet!

AS FOR LEAH'S LOVER! The total came to Irina: 4, Tanya: 20, Kate: 22, Angela: 1! You guys voted like crazy which filled my heart with joy! Tanya and Kate really had a Battle Royale there, but Kate fans pulled through! Congrats, guys! The Denalis will pop up here soon enough (:

SHOUTOUTS! Only one this time, looks like I'm clearing things up for you all, slowly but surely!

UNIHAR: I'm sorry you feel like this is so similar to other fics. The sad reality of it is that to set up a deviation from the main story line, basic steps need to be taken. Altering these things mean that I, like every other supernatural writer, still needs to introduce the characters, bond Bella to the Cullens, and set up a dynamic that is similar enough to the original saga that people still want to read it. Luckily I have achieved these things as of this chapter which means I finally get to have my fun (: I hope you'll stick around and give it more time?

Next Chapter: More Pack frolicking and an unexpected visitor. Any guesses who? See you next update, I love you all!