I was so happy to be writing this fic that you guys get a new chapter quickly! Thank you to all you loyal reviewers, and please please keep telling me your thoughts! They mean the world to me!

I knew that Alec had used his gift on me and that I wasn't sleeping. I wanted to fight it, but it was hopeless. Instead, I just let myself be taken by the mist. My chest hurt. It felt like I was being buried alive. I was in some confined space I couldn't escape.

If only Alec's gift could remove my emotions, too.

The darkness that surrounded me turned grey, and eventually I was lying on Alec's bed again. I turned my head slowly, fearfully. Alec was perched on the bed beside me with an apathetic expression.

"Emma," I whimpered, although I hadn't meant to. I sounded like a little girl, my voice timid and afraid. That wasn't who I was, that wasn't who I wanted to be. Alec's mouth straightened into a thin line. I shook my head. She wasn't dead. She couldn't be dead.

I held out my hand to Alec. He took it warily. I replayed my thoughts in my head; of the attack, of Emma and me sitting on her bedroom floor, of her giving me a ride to school. Tears began to well in my eyes as Alec's expression shared a glance of the pain. He was emotionless in the next second.

"I know you cared about her," Alec stated. His words were spoken carefully, as if one wrong thing might set off a bomb. I shook my head harder this time.

"I care about her!" I snapped, "This can't be happening. She isn't dead. She can't be."

"Renesmee." Alec said sharply. I glared in response, "Emma is dead. It had to be done. She saw me drinking your blood."

"It's your fault!" I yelled as I stood up from the bed. I ran to the door and down the stairs. I was disgusted. I had stood by while my friend was brutally murdered by them. I hated Alec. I hated Jane. I hated Lucy and Zachary, I hated my parents, I hated everyone. I hated myself for being so stupid.

I was walking down the driveway by the time Alec caught up with me, blocking my path. I hissed and pushed as hard as I could against his chest, to which he stumbled back slightly. I felt a sense of triumph at that, as I stepped around the stunned vampire.

"It's not my fault," he growled, now keeping pace with me. I laughed, surprising myself by how bitter it sounded.

"Yes it is. If it wasn't for you attending my school, Emma would be alive. I wouldn't have kissed you. I would have still hated your guts." I retorted, and Alec's eyes widened.

"But you don't 'hate my guts' now." He noted before continuing, "we had to kill her, Renesmee. We had no choice."

"Yes you do!" I screamed as I turned to face him. The tears streaming down my face ruined my malicious look. "You had the choice to talk to her! Explain what was happening! You keep secretaries, my mother knew! Why can't I have a human friend that knows, huh? I mean, Jane is banging one as we speak I bet!"

Alec flinched and his eyes darkened. I took a step back and hoped he didn't sense the terror I felt. His eyes only seemed to grow into a deeper pitch black as he hissed.

"The Volturi do not offer second chances to any. The secretaries are toys, Zachary is a toy. Your mother-"

I'd never slapped a vampire before. It hurt my hand.

"Don't ever speak about my mother that way ever again! You don't know what she's like! You don't even know what a family is! My father loves my mother and she is not a toy!" I shrieked as I stomped to the end of the driveway.

Alec stopped me once more and I had never felt so violent in my life. Before I could scream at him to get out of my way, he spoke in a soft and urgent voice.

"We'll give her a proper burial. I swear on my eternal life. Lucy hasn't burned the body yet and I can take it. We can bury her."

Alec's eyes were steady on mine, wide and genuine. My brow furrowed as I felt the anger is replaced by the anvil on my chest once more. I swallowed hard, my eyes downcast.

"Yes," I whispered softly, "let's bury her now. Right now."

I caught Alec's expression when he thought I wasn't looking. He was sad, I could tell. But he didn't know Emma, and he didn't care about humans. I didn't know what he could be sad about.

"Stay here," he hissed as he disappeared. There was shuffling in the house before I saw the door open and Alec come out carrying a body in a white sheet. I avoided looking at him or the sheet as he approached, instead focusing on the spiral pattern I was drawing with my foot in the dirt. I took deep breaths as I let him pass me before turning to follow him. We moved towards the woods, which seemed scarier than before. Now instead of beautiful green leaves, I could only see giants hiding dark secrets between each other. They would hide my best friend's body.

"I shouldn't have told her I thought you were a legend she read to me. I should have told her something more mundane," I mumbled as I concentrated on my sneakers. I didn't care if Alec was listening or not, honestly. "I should have told her I was pregnant, or something. Not that you were the Witch Twins."

Alec's shoulders tensed at the name but he showed no other response to my pseudo-monologue.

We walked deep into the woods. We were so far out, in fact, I couldn't recognize anything around me. Alec stopped in front of a giant tree trunk, gently placing Emma's body before it. He opened the sheet and I averted my gaze as he pulled out a shovel. Alec moved before the tree and dug the classic six-feet-under grave before handing me the shovel and wrapping the body back up again. He then jumped down and placed the body in the manmade hole before taking my hand to go see it. I finally took the courage to look down at my friend's body.

"I'm going to miss her," I cried and Alec wrapped his arm around my shoulders, bringing me into an awkward half-hug. We stood like that for hours, neither of us getting too tired to sit down. Eventually, the sun rose and Alec moved from our embrace to cover Emma with dirt. The grave was fresh, and I prayed no one would come out this far to find it.

As we left I had the feeling someone was watching me once more. When I turned my head, I could have sworn I saw a blonde girl about my age standing over Emma's grave.

I blinked. She was gone.

XxXxX

We arrived back at the house with minimal dirt on our bodies. It was a quiet walk back, and I knew if we didn't hurry that we'd be late for school.

I didn't want to go to school. Not without Emma.

"Then don't," Alec murmured. I moved my hand from his.

"But my parents- They'll know."

"Not if I have anything to do with it. I'll make sure Lucy uses her gift to hide you. We'll leave."

"You mean, run away together?" I gasped. That certainly wasn't the Cullen thing to do. Alec laughed and I felt a bit relieved to hear something lighthearted again.

"Maybe we should just stay in Seattle for a bit. I know us vampires are getting quite sick of bagged blood." He replied sincerely. I flinched. I didn't want to think of Lucy or Jane feeding from anyone. Not after what I saw.

"Cara," the vampire spoke again and I stepped away.

"I'll go to Seattle with you for the weekend. I want to be back by Monday." I told him firmly. I wasn't going to negotiate this.

"Fine. We'll stay in Seattle for the weekend. Will your overnight bag be enough?"

Probably not, I thought to myself. I didn't want to have to sneak into my house and get more clothes, though. Instead I just nodded. Maybe Lucy or Jane would have some goth clothing to spare.

"We should get going then," Alec said as we reached the doorstep. He held the door for me- a rather kind gesture.

Alec told the rest of his party the plan for the weekend. Lucy was unhappy to hear I was tagging along, and Jane just quietly agreed. Strange. I didn't see Zachary around, either. The group packed their weekend bags and we were leaving faster than I had ever succeeded with my family. Jane and Alec sat in front of their luxury car, while I was left in the back with another glaring hybrid. I was curious, though, as Lucy was the only other hybrid I'd met besides Nahuel. Plus, she was part of the Volturi. She seemed interesting. I felt another pang in my chest as I remembered how sadistic she had been killing my friend.

I pressed myself to the car door in an effort to put as much space between Lucy and me as possible. A shaky sigh left my lips as we drove through the morning to finally reach the recognizable city. I'd been here before plenty of times. Aunt Alice took me on many shopping trips here as she insisted the clothes were best here.

Alec reserved two rooms for us at a fancy hotel. Any other time I would have been excited to stay in such an elegant place, especially since the rooms we were staying in were suites. But the wound of Emma's death was fresh, and I couldn't shake it from my conscience. We took our bags and went upstairs to the rooms, and I dreaded having to share a room with Lucy. At least, I'd assumed I would be staying with Lucy. I was surprised and a little flushed when Alec pulled me into the room he'd claimed as his, realizing I would be spending in entire weekend with him. I took out my single change of clothes and went to the bathroom to shower. I blushed when I heard Alec follow.

"I need to shower, Alec. I'd like some privacy." I told him as I focused on finding a fit temperature for the water. Alec's arm snaked its way around my waist.

"We are in private, cara. No one else is in this suite but us." He replied smoothly. My heart skipped a few beats and Alec chuckled at the sound.

"Alec…" I mumbled. It was no use. He tilted his head forward and I felt his teeth raking against my ear. I held in a whimper. His lips moved down, and I felt the pressure of his teeth right above my jugular. I pushed him firmly away.

"Ren!" Alec protested, his arms still around my hips. I glared.

"I want to take a shower and wallow in my grief, thank you." I responded sharply. I pointed to the door, "you know the way out."

"You don't want me to leave," he insisted in a suave tone. He had done this before, and I narrowed my eyes.

"I want to take a shower in peace." I stated. Truthfully, I wouldn't mind showering with Alec. I still felt horrible, though, and I wasn't in the mood, "I've had a friend die, so I want to take some time to myself."

I saw confusion, hurt, and then- a surprise- understanding. He untangled himself from me and disappeared out the door. I frowned. Since when has he ever respected boundaries? Was I seeing a new side to the most dangerous vampire in the world?

XxXxX

I was contemplating whether or not to spend the time to blow dry my hair when I heard the phone ring. At first, I waited for Alec to pick it up and see who was calling. After five rings, I poked my head out the door to see no one in the suite. Holding the towel tightly around me, I picked up the ancient-looking receiver.

"Hello?"

"Ness?" was the rough reply. I froze. Jacob.

"What? Jacob! How did you know where I was?!" I asked, panic evident in my voice. If he had told my family they'd be here in moments.

"I followed that car you were in. Then I asked for your hotel number. Why are you in Seattle, Nessie? Where did you get the money to stay in a place like this? Who were you with? I couldn't see their faces."

I shut my eyes in frustration as I tried to think of what to say next. Before I could reply, the phone was ripped out of my hands. I pulled my towel tightly around me once more at the sight of Alec.

"She's fine, Jacob. I just offered a weekend getaway," Alec replied in a voice that sounded oddly familiar. He smiled and winked at me. I listened for the response on the phone.

"Who are you? What are you doing with Ness in a hotel like this? She isn't yours to play with!" Jacob's voice was angry, and I felt angry too. I wasn't Alec's to play with, I was Jacob's.

Alec's grin widened as he continued with his act, "relax, babe! We're just working on a project together. Chemistry… or was it anatomy?"

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped at that. He was imitating Zachary. I put a hand over my mouth to stifle the giggles as Jacob yelled over the phone. Before I could hear his reply, Alec hung up.

"You came out in only a towel," Alec noted in his normal voice. I blushed.

"I was only answering the phone since you weren't here."

Alec chuckled as he traced my collarbone. My stomach started doing flips and I stuttered, which only added to Alec's amusement.

"Calm down, cara…It's only me." He whispered and I gulped.

"'Only you'?" I repeated, although it sounded like a question. Alec nodded as he stepped forward, and my back pressed to the wall. His lips barely touched mine and my heart began to beat even faster. Lifting the hand that wasn't holding my towel, I pulled him closer by the collar to deepen the kiss. I could feel Alec smiling as he wrapped an arm around me, lifting my body to arch into his.

I wasn't thinking straight. My mind was a bunch of fireworks and bright colors as I kissed the vampire. This shouldn't have felt so right. It was amazing. My free hand moved down from his collar to the hem of his shirt, which I tugged. Now I was in the mood. Nothing else seemed as important to me as having Alec at that moment. I heard a vibration in Alec's chest as I attempted to lift his shirt, and he stopped kissing me.

"Wha-?" I whined in confusion, I was clearly upset at my fireworks display being cut short so abruptly. Alec's eyes held caution and I began to feel worried.

"Someone's at the door," Alec whispered as he let me go. I twisted my head towards the entrance of the suite. I listened closely, but found that I didn't need to. I caught the scent of something I had become so used to from being around them so often.

"Hide!" I hissed before rushing to the bathroom to get changed. Jacob was right outside, I knew it. Why am I always being stalked? I would call the police if it wasn't for the fact that I would have to explain this soap opera of a life I have.

There was harsh knocking on the door as I pulled on my underwear. I opened my mouth to tell him 'just a minute' but the door was being knocked down before I had the chance. I screamed and jumped back, hugging my shirt to my body in an attempt to cover myself up.

Alec was by my side in moments, and I looked at him like he was crazy. Which, he had to have been. I told you to hide! I thought as I held his hand, so he could hear it. He merely rolled his eyes. Jacob was at the doorway, a look of shock and disgust evident on his face. I stepped back, trying to hide my half naked body behind Alec.

"Step away from her," Jacob warned Alec. I clung to my vampire's shirt sleeve.

"Jacob, stop. I'm here of my own volition," I insisted before Alec had the chance to make him angrier. Jacob looked skeptical and I quickly pulled on my shirt and stepped out from behind Alec. Alec made a move to stop me and I shot him a stern look.

"I'm serious, Jacob. I want to be here, and you can't tell anyone. You weren't even supposed to follow me!" I tried to look as strong as I possibly could, "I'm not a little kid. I've been mentally an adult for ten years and I can make my own decisions! You have to trust me, Jake! You have to let me make my own mistakes-"

"I'll let you make mistakes but not this one! It will kill you, Nessie! I'm supposed to protect you!" Jacob interrupted and I shook my head. I heard a hiss come from Alec and I shot another glare over my shoulder.

"You're supposed to support me, too. You haven't done that. If Alec had been a human, would you have accepted that I was in love with someone else? You pushed it so far not knowing who I was seeing, and now you're using Alec as an excuse to be an asshole."

Alec looked smug while Jacob was at loss for words. I felt a little sad. I still had my great memories of Jake and I playing games or cliff diving, but after this I don't think I could go back to just having him as a friend. I needed to let him go.

"Let go, Jake. I'm not your soulmate. I'm not your lover. You have to let go," I told him. He opened his mouth to protest and I held a hand up to stop him, "you have to trust me to make my own mistakes. Please."

"Nessie, don't do this. I can't lose you too." Before I knew it I was in his bone-crushing embrace. I couldn't help but hug back; I was going to miss the simplicity of being friends with Jacob. I was going to miss the utter devotion of my family. I would definitely miss the dreams and ideas of Emma.

But I had to move on.

"Bye, Jake," I whispered.

"I love you, Ness," he whispered back.

I untangled myself from the hug and grabbed my jeans to pull them on, embarrassed. I turned to face Jacob with a sad smile on my face, only to recognize his expression. His brow was furrowed and his lips formed a pout, a definite sign that he was going to tell my parents. I couldn't stop him, either. I sighed. Might as well come totally clean.

"Tell some repair guy to come fix the door while you're at it, why don't you?" I teased lightly as he walked through the doorway. Jacob nodded curtly before going down the hall to the elevator. I stepped back in the room when I knew he was gone, and bent over to prop up the door. It disappeared as Alec set it up and quickly grabbed me, tossing me on the bed. I gasped.

"I think I liked you better without the clothes, cara," Alec said with a grin. I bit my lip to keep from smiling, too.

"Too bad. This is all you're going to get," I replied as I sat up. Alec pushed me down again, this time pinning my arms above my head and kissing my neck.

"Then you won't get to see under my shirt, either." Alec agreed between kisses. I tried to not make a sound.

"The repairman, Alec…" I sighed as I wove my fingers through his hair.

"Let him walk in. It is not like we are doing anything inappropriate." He replied as he moved down to my stomach, lifting the shirt to kiss the bare skin underneath. I pushed him away hesitantly.

"Yes we are and I am not supposed to trust you, remember?" I pointed out as I finally freed myself from his grip and walked to the other side of the room. I crossed my arms as Alec looked exasperated.

"Then what was that speech to your dog? A lie?" He asked, rather offended. I coughed awkwardly.

"Well, no. That doesn't mean I'm going to have sex with you, though. Besides, what if I get pregnant?" I knew my argument was weak, but I was nervous. I wasn't ready. The expression on Alec's face made me even more anxious; as it was one of thought- I'd hoped it would be something less suspicious.

"Fine. I need to hunt. You can get to know Lucy," Alec replied quickly as he left the room. I felt a little miserable. I knew I was falling for him, but wasn't he falling for me? Did he just want me for thrill?

The next part of Alec's words finally left me stunned. I did not want to know Lucy. I didn't want to be near her. She killed my friend! I couldn't trust someone like her!

This was going to be a rough night.

I hope this wasn't too boring for all of you, as I am preparing for the next chapter involving Lucy spilling a lot of secrets. Another thing I wish to note: I don't hate Jacob. I know he seems like a bad guy in this fic but he has been rejected twice now by a mother and daughter. Talk about rough. I believe he deserves a lot better than to chase around seemingly "perfect" vamps, and that Alec and Ren have the sassy drama to make them a good couple! Thanks again for reading and each review I get will be one step closer to having a happy ending! ;)