Disclaimer: Written under the derivative fan works act. All rights reserved to the original creator, Stephanie Meyer.

Title: The Darkest Part of the Night

Rating: M for graphic violence, blood play, vampire feeding, sexual situations, lemons, hot steamy angsty vampire lovin', underage drinking, smoking, drug use and overall bad behavior.

Premise: Edward left Carlisle to live the vampire lifestyle but he didn't leave his family behind. They left with him, feeding off the dregs of human society. What will happen when they finally meet a certain human girl? No Vegetarians Allowed AU OOC ExB Lemons

Alternate Universe: This story uses more traditional vampire canon as opposed to Twilight sparklepires. Canon pairings eventually although Edward and company get a lot of play in this story until things settle down in later chapters (Obviously Bella won't be in the story until after she's born), pretty much OOC, ExB of course.

POV: EPOV (Edward) Edward tells this story. Any commentary from Rosalie, Alice or Bella will be posted as outtakes in a separate story.

– – – –

Author Notes:

Please note that this story is rated M for a reason, if you'd prefer not to deal with mature themes, please do not read this story.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Chapter 10 Alice

Alice was standing in the living room talking on the telephone when I walked out of the bedroom. She looked adorable wearing my dress shirt and nothing else. The shirt hung almost to her knees and she had the sleeves pushed up to her elbows. She set the receiver back on the cradle as she hung up the phone and turned to me with a smile on her face.

I was wearing the trousers from my tuxedo with the suspenders over my bare shoulders to hold up my pants. I'd put on my shoes and socks, but obviously I hadn't been able to find my shirt.

"You can have your shirt back as soon as the courier from the store gets here. I called one of the women's boutiques I shop at regularly, and they should be delivering my selections shortly. I suppose I could put my gown back on, but I'd prefer not to take that particular walk of shame if it's all the same to you."

I walked over to Alice and draped my arms around her waist, pulling her body against mine. I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. She hugged me back, and then turned her face up for a proper kiss.

Alice broke the kiss and laid her head on my chest as I held her. "No shame, Alice, besides the shirt looks good on you. I could have simply had Rose find something for you…"

She stepped away and twirled out of my arms, catching my hand and pulling me over to the sofa. She sat down, and pulled me down to sit beside her.

"No offense, Edward, but nothing she owns would come close to fitting me, and I shop at several women's stores here. They're familiar with my requests; they have my size and measurements on file. Most of them stock apparel in my size now. I'm a good customer. They'll miss me when we leave."

"Ok… So what's on the agenda for this evening?"

"Once I'm more appropriately attired, you can introduce me to Rose and Emmett properly. They aren't going to be as accepting of me as you were, but I'll grow on them. Rose is going to be outright suspicious of my motives and possible agenda. She'll grow to accept me in time, and eventually we'll be as close as sisters, but that's going to take years. Just remind her she's the one that suggested that it would be nice to have another girl around to talk to."

"Ok, and then?"

"Well, I'll need to run by my flat and pick up a couple of things. We can stay in which ever suite you prefer. After that we can do whatever you like. This is supposed to be your vacation. We can hunt, go dancing, gamble some more, stay in and see what comes up, whatever you like, Edward."

"Check the mail? You know what we're going to do and what's going to happen, Alice, so why don't you just come out and tell me what we have planned?"

"The same reason you ask Rose for her opinion and what she's thinking when you already know perfectly well exactly what she's thinking. Because it's polite, and you'd rather have her tell you what she thinks instead of picking it out of her head."

"I suppose that's true…"

"There are very few surprises in my life, Edward. The only time it happens is when people make snap decisions without thinking about them, or accidents that simply happen without conscious thought."

"I'm asking you what you want to do because I value your opinion and I want to know why you've made the decisions that lead to your actions. Simply because I know what you're going to do and what's going to happen doesn't take away your ability to make your own decisions and determine the path of your life. I honestly don't try to interfere if I can avoid it…"

"So what about what you told me last night? That seems like a pretty serious degree of interference. You've changed the path of all of our lives…"

"Would you prefer the alternative? Neither of us wants to be part of the Volturi Guard. I did what I had to do…"

"By involving all of us, Alice! Aro wanted you. I saw the futures you showed me."

"Your time would have come. He already knows about you. The only reason he hasn't sent for you yet is because of his friendship with Carlisle, but it would have happened eventually. By working together now, both of us can avoid it. Aro is going to need us, but it's more to his advantage to not have us in his guard."

"I can't really say I like the alternative much either."

"That's your decision. I'll stand behind whatever you decide, but I think this path is the lesser of two evils."

"I don't like that you maneuvered this situation so I only have one decision I can make. I don't like not having options, Alice."

"You don't like not being in charge and running the show. You think that I'll take your power away because I know what's going to happen. That isn't going to happen, Edward. I'm here to support you. I don't want to be in charge of anything. If I manipulate anything, it's to set things up to make my life easier. You said we were all selfish. I don't dispute that. I'm not sorry I dragged all of you into this, but I do believe it is the best path for both you and me."

"I don't want power. I don't want to rule anything or run anyone's life but my own…"

"Yes you do, Edward. It's why you left Carlisle. You just don't want a lot of power. You're happy with the status quo, and you aren't the sort that wants ultimate power, but you want enough power to control your circumstances and dictate to those in your immediate circle of influence. You like being in charge, but you don't want to rule the world. We can work with that to our advantage."

"I'm not like that, Alice…" I thought about it, though, and the more I thought about my life, the more what she said made sense. I had never thought of myself as controlling or manipulative. I simply considered myself to be decisive and ambitious, but I had always channeled those tendencies into my business affairs. I hadn't considered that they might color my dealings with others on a more personal level.

"I'm not going to argue with you about it, Edward. I accept you as you are."

"Thank you, Alice… Your clothes are here. Would you like to step into the other room while I get the door?"

"That won't be necessary. I'll need to sign for the purchase…"

"Partners, remember? I'll get this. You aren't dressed."

"Neither are you, but thank you, Edward."

I nodded and went to the couch to retrieve my tuxedo jacket from last night. I slipped it on and buttoned it as I walked to the door. Alice went into the bedroom, and a minute later, there was a knock at the door. I went to the door and opened it. There was a sales girl from the shop waiting in the hall with a bellman with a luggage cart. The cart was stacked with a pile of several boxes from the women's clothing boutique.

"Delivery for Miss Alice Brandon…?"

"I'll take care of this for Miss Brandon. Do you have an invoice?"

"Yes, Sir…" The girl stammered, and handed me the paperwork. I looked it over, signed it and wrote down my room number.

"Please come in. You can stack the packages by the bedroom door. Let me call downstairs to make arrangements for this."

I picked up the phone and called the concierge. I instructed them to pay the invoice, and charge it to the line of credit for my suite, and then handed the paperwork back to the girl.

"Take this to the front desk, and they'll bill it to my suite to cover the invoice."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Do you always work this late?" I asked the sales girl.

"No, Sir. I was off the clock, but my manager asked me if I'd be willing to make this delivery for Miss Brandon on my way home for the evening. She's one of our best customers."

I reached for my wallet, and tipped the sales girl and the bellman for assisting with the packages. The girl was beaming as she went out the door. The tip I gave her for this service was more than a day's wages for her.

Alice waited until the front door closed and then came out of the bedroom. She started opening the boxes and picking out clothes to wear.

"How much did you buy, Alice? I thought you were just going to get a dress and some shoes so we could go to your flat?"

"I did, but they had some of the cutest things that just came in on their last shipment, and I knew they were my size. Besides, I've never ridden on a motorcycle or worn pants. They had some new sports wear I just couldn't resist, so I had them send it over too."

"Fine, well get dressed, and I'll introduce you to Rose and Emmett. I'll need to change before we go out."

Alice nodded, and took her selections into the bedroom and laid the dress and a shoe box on the bed. She collected a smaller box that I assumed contained lingerie and walked into the bathroom. I heard the shower run, and walked to the bar to fix a drink while she dressed. At least she was practical enough to use the shower instead of lounging in the bath tub like Rose.

We might not sweat like humans, or have a need to expel fecal matter as solid waste, but our bodies still had secretions unique to our species. We might not stink to humans, but daily cleanliness wasn't something we could easily forego while living amongst our own kind. It would be noticeable to another vampire. We had the same necessity as humans as far as sanitary requirements went. We were still flesh and bone, only a different sort from humans.

I was looking out the windows at the view out over the city when Alice walked out of the bedroom to join me. She was wearing a two-piece summer frock in light blue linen with orange and green embroidery on the top in a floral pattern. The three-quarter length sleeves ended above the elbow. The shoulders weren't exactly square or puffed, but they were full and still gave the broad shouldered look. Underneath she wore a white cashmere vest, she was holding broad brimmed green straw hat and of course a wrist length pair of white gloves completed the outfit.

The top of her head barely came to my shoulder with her standing in her very high heels. She handed me my shirt.

"I didn't know if you wanted to put this back on, or if you'd just wear your jacket."

"You look beautiful, Alice. I'll just wear the jacket. We're just walking across the hall. No sense putting it back on just to take it back off."

We both knew that was what I was going to do before she even asked me. I'd seen her ask me before she did in her head, and heard my response, but we played the game to be polite. Ours would be a very quiet relationship if we didn't give voice to our questions or respond verbally. I could see where this would be a very curious sort of relationship as we got to know one another better. Or maybe that was all on me now. Alice already knew me. I was the one playing catch up to find out what she liked and what she was like.

"We better be going, Edward. Rose and Emmet are going to be worried about you."

"They are a bit antsy, but they know where I am. They caught my scent last night. I'm sure they caught yours as well. They were going to go looking for me when they rose from the sleep tonight, but they know we're still here. They're anxious to find out who I've met and how long you'll be around. Neither of them has ever met another vampire outside of our family yet."

I opened the door, and Alice put on her hat before stepping out into the hallway.

"Well, that's going to change in a hurry." Alice commented as we walked down the short hallway past the elevator and up to the door of the suite I shared with Rose and Emmett.

I had my key in my hand to open the door, but it opened before I could insert the key. Rose was in the doorway holding the door open while Emmett stood behind her looking over her shoulder with a look of curiosity plastered on his face with a huge smile.

"Edward! We were so worried about you!" Rose said as she stepped out of the way to let us walk in. I could tell she was curious too, to meet my new companion.

I had my hand on Alice's waist, and I ushered her into the suite as we walked in. "I'm alright, Rose. I knew you knew where I was. We were a bit indisposed last night. I trust you two had an interesting evening?"

"It was fun, but apparently not as interesting as your night. Are you going to introduce us to your friend?"

I nodded. "Alice, I'd like you to meet Rosalie Hale and her mate Emmett McCarty. Rosalie, Emmett, this is Alice Brandon. She's currently residing here in Atlantic City. I met her in the Casino last night."

"Please, call me Rose," Rose said as she reached out and took Alice's hands in hers. She pulled her close and kissed her on the cheek.

"Ok, Rose it is then. It's pleasure to meet you, Rose." Alice said with a huge smile on her face.

Rose stepped back and Emmett extended his huge paw-like hand. It almost completely engulfed Alice's tiny hand as they shook. She had to look up to look him in the eye as he towered over her petite frame "It's a real pleasure to meet you, Alice" Emmett said.

"It nice to meet you too, Emmett," Alice said.

"Well, you and Edward seem to have hit it off from the get go last night. Will we be seeing a lot of you while we're here in town?" Emmett asked.

"Yes, I think we'll be seeing quite a lot of each other…" Alice said.

"Edward, she isn't your mate…Is she?" Rose asked. "You too seem awfully close for just having met…"

"No, Rose… Alice isn't my mate, but we do share a special relationship. Our abilities complement each others. Alice is gifted too, and it makes it seem like we've been together for years."

"Really?" Emmett asked. "What can you do, Alice? You don't read minds too, do you? It's hard enough having to deal with Edward sometimes."

"Umm… No, I don't read minds, but I know what you're going to say. I can see visions of the future. I usually know what's going to happen before it does."

"Sweet! That is so cool! You must clean up in the casinos here, but you knew I was going to say that, didn't you."

"Yes, I did, but it's alright. I try not to let it show too much when I can help it."

"You said we'll be seeing a lot of each other, but the way you said it seemed to imply something more than while we're in town in Atlantic City." Rose commented. "What exactly does that mean?"

Alice turned to look at me somewhat expectantly. I suppose she was leaving it up to me to explain.

"Alice is going to be traveling with us when we leave Atlantic City, Rose. I suppose you could say she'll be my new traveling companion. If we we're humans I guess she'd be my girlfriend although what we share as vampires is more than that." Alice smiled at me and reached for my hand to give it gentle squeeze.

"Hey congratulations, you two," Emmett enthused.

"Oh…" Rose seemed shocked by the sudden turn of events. "You say you share a special relationship, but she's not your mate…"

"Alice has known she was going to be joining us for years now because of her gift, but she's been waiting for the right time to approach us to introduce herself to me and the two of you. I can see the visions she's had about us because of my gift. It really does feel like we've been together for years from what I can see in her mind."

"So the two of you are ok with this? What if one of you finds your mate? Are you prepared for that?"

Rose didn't want to be judgmental. She had been in this same position before, but she knew what she had gone through when she found Emmett, and although everything had worked out, she still felt guilty about what she had done to me. She was happy for us, but she knew what it would be like when we couldn't be together anymore, and she didn't want to see me be hurt again.

"I understand what you're saying, Rose. I know what happened when you found Emmett. Edward and I have talked about what will happen when I find my mate. I've seen him in visions, but I know we won't find each other for at least another ten years, probably much longer. Edward won't find his mate until near the end of this century or the early years of the next century. Until then we can be happy together."

"You can see all of that? That's amazing, and kind of scary… Is our future already written, and we're just living it out? I've never been overly fatalistic. I don't like thinking I don't have some control over my destiny."

"No, the future isn't set in stone. We can control our destinies, but I can see the result of the decisions people make. If somebody changes their mind, the future changes, but most of the time the future follows the path its set on. It's constantly in motion, but long term trends are fairly static. Things like the weather or casino games are easy to predict. When people know what's going to happen it makes it more difficult, because they start making different decisions to try and change things."

"I'm going to go get dressed so we can leave." I said. "I'll be back in a minute. In the mean time, you can all chat and get to know each other."

"You're going out?" Rose asked as I walked away.

"Alice can bring you up to speed. We need to go by her flat and pick up some things…" I closed the bedroom door while Alice, Rose and Emmett talked in the other room.

I quickly stripped out of last nights evening wear and went into the bathroom to run a shower. I showered and cleaned up. Not having to shave was a perk I enjoyed about being a vampire. I'd often thought about growing a mustache like Clark Gable, but growing hair was too big an aggravation to seriously contemplate.

Most people considered us frozen in the state we'd existed in when we were turned, and for the most part that was true. We were effectively immortal, and our physical cellular memory would regenerate us to the optimum physical condition for our bodies at the time we were turned, but that only pertained to living cells. Hair and nails didn't normally die when a human died. They would continue growing for years after a human died. The cuticle and follicle were independent living cells, but the actual nail and strand of hair were dead tissue and didn't regenerate. We could cut and style our hair, but it didn't grow like a humans. Growing hair or nails took conscious effort, and was an extremely tedious affair.

A mustache could take months and months of tedious conscious effort to grow and it simply wasn't worth the effort for the sake of vanity. Perhaps if I was caught in a fire and burned my hair off, I would go to the effort of re-growing it, but many would simply shave off what remained and wear a wig.

I could understand why Alice's hair was so short. It would take years of conscious effort to grow it longer. Unfortunately, very short hair for girls was coming into style when she was turned and became a vampire. Then again, if she was a resident in a mental hospital before she was turned, they probably kept it short for sanitary purposes.

I went into the walk-in closet and got a linen suit off the rack and walked back into the bedroom to change. It was summer so the light summer suit would help me fit in. If it was fall or winter, I would have worn a heavier wool suit. Some of the more modern fabrics used synthetic blends to produce all weather fabrics for suits, but I couldn't stomach the stench of the modern synthetic fabrics. Rayon was popular for women's dresses, and was used in some blended fabrics, but I knew it would never catch on in the vampire community because of the way it smelled.

Alice had complained about my undershirt last night, so I didn't bother with one tonight. Clean silk boxers and black dress socks were enough for undergarments.

I put on a long sleeved button down dress shirt, buttoning the cuffs and the buttons from chin down, and then pulled on my slacks, tucked in the shirt and buttoned the fly. I pulled the suspenders up over my shoulders to hold up my pants.

I didn't need to look in the mirror to tie my tie. I checked the shine on my shoes and buffed them with a polishing cloth before putting them on and tying the laces. I slipped into my double breasted jacket with wide lapels, and started to clean out my pockets and transfer the necessary items to the pockets in the jacket. Men's fashion sported shoulder pads too, they squared off the silhouette of the suit giving it the popular broad shouldered look.

I ran a comb through my hair, but I knew it was a wasted effort, and slipped the comb into my back pocket. Keys, wallet, my trusty Zippo lighter, a folding knife, some pocket change, and I was good to go. I grabbed my hat off the hook on the hat stand as I opened the door and walked back out into the living room.

Hats were a fact of life. They always had been, and I couldn't say I saw a time when they wouldn't be. Maybe Alice would correct me, but hats were mandatory for the well dressed man and a matter of comfort and survival for the lower classes. Hats weren't typically worn indoors, unless mandated by professional requirement. It was polite and considered good manners for men to take off their hats when they entered a building. It was more situational for women.

In the past, I had worn an aviator style leather cap when I rode my motorcycle cross country and a simple Gatsby cap for tooling around town. Lately I had taken to wearing a leather peaked cap style motorcycle cap when I was on the road. Emmett normally wore a Gatsby cap when he went out in working mans attire, although he was partial to a bowler style derby hat when we were in town.

Tonight I had my 'in town' hat, a felt fedora with a silk hatband. I didn't go in for the straw hat version of the fedora, even though we were moving into the summer months. They were just too casual for my tastes, and I preferred a felt hat year round. I didn't go in for the wide brims favored by a lot of entertainers and jazz musicians, but a narrow brim was too conservative for my tastes. I didn't want a floppy hat that made me look like a cowboy, or a conservative hat that made me look like an accountant. A medium flamboyant fedora like John Dillinger or Clark Gable fit my temperament and sense of vanity. I'd killed more men than Dillinger and I was prettier than Gable so the hat fit me and my personality.

Rose had gotten her hat, and had a light jacket slung over the crook of her arm. She looked impatient in her evening dress and heels, tapping her toe while she waited on me. Emmett had put on his jacket and adjusted his tie. He was standing twirling his bowler hat while the ladies chatted.

"So I suppose this means you're going with us…" I said as they looked up when I stepped out of the bedroom.

"Jeez, Edward, shake a leg pally, we're burning moonlight." Emmett chuckled. "We don't have all night."

"I'm curious to see what Alice has been doing with herself here in Atlantic City," Rose said. "Besides, if she's moving out of her flat, she'll probably need some help moving everything."

More to the point…, if you think I buy this story for one second…, you got another think coming… For all I know…, she some grifter or gold digger out to swindle you out of your fortune... She's not telling us everything… I know that much… She seems like a sweet girl, but I don't trust her…

"Ok, so we're going to your flat first?"

"Sure, unless you like to step out for a bite to eat …"

"Isn't it a little early for dinner, Alice?"

We walked to the door and went out into the hall. Rose locked the door behind us, and we chatted as we walked to the elevator.

"Atlantic City never sleeps. There are always humans around somewhere. If we're leaving town, then I know who I want for dinner."

"Have some scores to settle?" Rose asked in a conversational tone but I knew she was pressing for information.

"I follow the same dietary restrictions as all of you. I don't eat innocents, and help cull the criminal population to satisfy my thirst. Let's just say there are some less than savory characters this town will be better off without, but I never touched them before because I had to live here and I didn't want to kick up a ruckus."

"I can see that," Emmett said with a grin. "So, is there enough to go around? You know, me Ma' always said it's impolite not to bring enough for everyone to share…"

"Emmett! We fed you three days ago before we came to the coast." Rose chided. "Don't get greedy or you can sleep on the couch!"

The elevator doors opened, and we stepped inside. "Lobby, please," I instructed the operator.

"Yes, Sir," and he operated the controls to close the doors and then started us down through the hotel tower.

Alice leaned into my side, and whispered, "So will that work with you?"

I chuckled, and then leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Not a chance. If you're a bad girl, I might have to cut you off, too."

"Oh heaven forbid… I thought you liked me when I'm naughty?" Alice whispered back, laughing as the elevator got to the main floor, and the operator opened the doors.

I tipped the operator, and we walked out into the lobby.

"How far do we need to go, Alice?" I asked. "Are we talking walking distance, or should I have the bellman call a cab?"

"Call a cab. We could walk there, but we'll need a car to bring back my bags and some odds and ends."

"How much do you need to pick up?" Rose asked. "We travel pretty light…"

"I just need to pick up a few personal things and pack some clothes. I'll make arrangements to have the rest put in storage, and we can have it shipped to Chicago."

I went up to the bellman on duty in the lobby, and asked him to hail us a cab. He said it would be a minute and stepped outside to see what was available. I saw him on the phone a minute later, and knew we'd have a short wait.

-~*TDPotN*~-

Alice's flat was nicely decorated in a building in a fashionable upper class neighborhood. It seemed like an ordinary enough upscale three room and bath apartment for a well to do socialite that you'd find in any big city in America in 1938.

The living room was elegantly appointed with new furniture, and everything was spotlessly clean. There was a large console radio, and sofa and arm chair group with a coffee table between them. There was a side boy and well stocked bar. The artwork wasn't too flamboyant with a couple of impressionist pieces and a portrait in oil in an ornate frame. There were cut flowers in vases on the table and side boy, but they were a couple of days old now.

The bedroom had a queen size bed, a couple of large dressers and a vanity. The walk-in closet was almost as big as the bedroom, and there appeared to be no space to add any more clothing to the overstuffed racks.

The bathroom was connected to the bedroom, and was large by 1938 standards. The shower was in the tub, but it had doors instead of the more common curtain.

The only thing that might have stood out and been out of the ordinary was the heavy velvet draperies and curtains. They were voluminous but elegantly cut to easily cover all of the windows and effectively block out the sun. The bathroom was centrally located and had no windows. The door was heavily constructed, reinforced, and locked from the inside with a heavy lock that would be more at home on as security door or small bank vault. I suppose, in a pinch, the bathroom could be a safe room in an emergency.

The bedroom and bathroom were both neatly organized and clean, but they looked lived in. It was obvious that this was a woman's apartment from the clothing items and toiletries. It smelled like a woman's apartment with traces of scented soap, bath oils, perfume, the fabrics and lace of lingerie and cut flowers.

The apartment in general was permeated by the faint scent of tobacco smoke although the ashtrays were as spotless as the rest of the flat.

There was the scent of alcohol, but that was to be expected wherever you found vampires. Not whiskey, but a more exotic scent I was less familiar with. I followed the scent to the bar and examined the bottles. Tequila... I'd heard of it, and I knew it was available in the Hispanic quarters in most big cities. It was a Mexican and Central American liquor, similar to whiskey produced from the blue agave cactus plant. It was popular in the American Southwest and Spain too, but I assumed the overseas export market had been seriously curtailed due the Spanish Civil War raging through Spain at the moment.

Surprisingly, the kitchen was fully functional and contained all the implements, paraphernalia and equipment that would be required to prepare human food. It was even well stocked with staples, but contained no perishable items. It was apparent that one would be able to use it to cook a meal with a simple trip to the grocer to pick up a few things.

Otherwise, there were no human scents in the flat at all. No lingering scent of bad breath, body odor or blood. It was obvious that Alice didn't entertain here and most certainly didn't take her meals here.

Rose walked around the flat with a mildly awed look of surprise on her face. She was almost in shock that the apartment looked so ordinary and lived in. It was stylish and elegant and fit Alice's personality from the little I learned about her so far.

"How long have you lived here?" Rose asked again. She couldn't quite disguise the sound of wonder and amazement that crept into her voice.

"Almost three years now," Alice said. "It'll be three years in July. I moved in over Independence Day weekend. I had to sleep in the bathroom for the first two weeks until my new draperies were delivered."

"That had to be uncomfortable," Emmett commented.

"Not really. I'm not as big as you… The bathtub was actually kind of cozy with a couple of blankets as a cushion, Not nearly as uncomfortable as a coffin."

"You've slept in a coffin?" Rose asked. "Why would you want to?"

"Sometimes you just do what you have to do. They're effective at shutting out the light, and when dawn is creeping up on you fast they make for secure shelter in a pinch. They're also a good cheap secure way to travel long distances too, as long as you don't mind waking up in a box. You can just ship yourself where you need to go."

"Umm… Where would you find a coffin in a hurry to take shelter from the sun…?"

"In a graveyard, Rose."

"Oh… but wouldn't they…"

"Yeah, they come with a body in them. I doubt they minded me borrowing their coffin. They were already dead, and I was in a hurry to avoid that particular circumstance myself. I prefer this life to an existence as a pile of ash."

Rose shuddered. "Ok… you've got a point. And here I thought taking cover under a canvas tarp to hide from the sun was as bad as it got…"

"What can we pack for you Alice," I asked.

"There's a case of tequila under the bar. It's difficult to get around here and a hassle to come by unless there's a large Hispanic community in a city. Take that, and whatever else you want from the bar. The rest of this can go into storage. Rose, want to give me a hand packing some clothes?" Alice asked.

"Sure, Alice," and the girls walked back into the bedroom.

I went to the bar and poured Emmett and myself a drink while we started looking over the bottles to decide what to take.

"So you've lived here for three years?" Rose asked. "How have you managed that without attracting attention?"

"I'm discrete when I hunt, and I pick my targets carefully. There's a lot of traffic through Atlantic City, and I avoid locals for the most part. I can pick out criminals almost as easily as Edward can, and it's easy to predict their movements to catch them unawares."

"What do you mean? How do you know they're criminals? I mean, I can pick out the bad guys now, but I don't really know what they've done. You know they're wrong?"

"Edward sees what they've already done. I see what they're going to do if I don't stop them."

"I suppose that makes sense. Um… What do you do with the bodies, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I use all the same tricks Edward has taught you. There's a whole ocean out there to toss them into. Usually the bodies sink, but it helps if there's an offshore current to carry them away. In a pinch, you can always tear them into discrete chunks and drop them down storm drains around the city. The rats will take care of the rest."

"Yeah… I guess that would work. This is just so amazing to me… We've always lived on the road and moved around a lot. The longest we've ever stayed in one place was three or four weeks. Sometimes we'd go back to the same hotel and stay in the same room, but weeks or months later. I never thought it was possible for us to have any kind of permanent home. It's so dangerous to attract attention… Between the hunters and the Volturi's rules, it always just seemed safer to keep traveling and moving around."

"I suppose my ability helps out with that. I've never had any trouble with either hunters or the Volturi. I don't attract the attention of the first, and I've never done anything to break the rules."

"That's true, I guess. I'd just be so afraid of hunters tracking down a place like this. It scares me to think of them coming for us during the day when we're helpless. Moving around always seemed safer to me."

"Hunters look for innocent victims from sloppy vampires. They watch for spikes in murder rates and reports of missing persons. They interview grieving families for clues and track police reports of violent deaths. Dead criminals don't stand out nearly so much as innocent upstanding citizens do. If you hide the bodies well, the criminals are as likely to cover up the disappearances as we are. They don't file police reports or report missing persons. They consider a certain amount of violence and turn over in personnel to be part of the price of doing business as long as you don't start eating bosses."

"I guess somebody with your ability would make something like this possible…"

"Better watch out, Emmett," I commented to him quietly. "Next thing you know, Rose is going to want a house somewhere with a white picket fence and a rose garden…"

Emmett grinned. "That'll be the day… And I suppose I'll sit on the porch and smoke my cigar while she putters around cleaning and sewing."

Emmett laughed and I chuckled at the image of Rose in an apron, being domestic and keeping house. It was just so incongruous with either her normally polished lethality, or the girl that traveled the countryside with us on the back of Emmett's motorcycle.

Rose came storming out of the bedroom. "And just what is so wrong with that picture! Alice manages to live like a civilized person and has nice things of her own! Is it so terrible to want a place to call our own where we actually own the things we keep around to decorate our house? Sure, we might stay in nice hotels sometimes, and I don't mind traveling, but is it so bad to want more that the clothes on my back and a place to call home at the end of the trip?"

"You want a home, Rose?" I asked, surprised. "I still own my parents house in Chicago, but I haven't been there in twenty years. I felt no burning desire to return there."

"I've always wanted a home to call my own, Edward. It was what I wanted when I was human. I just always expected it to be filled with children… I'd still like someplace where we could be together as a family… I like traveling, but it would be nice to have someplace to be traveling to. A place where we could keep things, instead of shipping them to some warehouse… god, I don't even bother buying things I like anymore!"

"We can get a house someplace if you like, Rosie." Emmett said. "Someplace you can call home and fix up however you like. You know I'll do whatever makes you happy."

"I'd like that, but you know we can't stay in one place too long, or we'll attract attention. It would be nice though…"

"If I might make a suggestion," Alice said, "How about several houses in different parts of the country where you need to travel to? We could set up a house to use near where we have investments, and still spend quite a bit of time on the road to keep Edward and Emmett happy. We'd have a destination to travel to so Rose is happy. Then you could stay in your own house at the end of the journey to decorate however you like and have a place to keep your personal belongings."

"We could do something like that I suppose." I said. "I always thought hotels were more convenient because they come with a staff to clean up the room and grounds keepers and managers to maintain them, but I suppose we could maintain private residences if you'd prefer something like this, Rose."

"Thank you, Edward," Rose enthused. "I think I'd like to give it a try if you all want to. What do you think, Emmett?"

"I'm for it as long as we can hire somebody to cut the lawn. I don't want to piss off the neighbors going out at midnight to run the mower and trim the bushes. Cigar on the porch at twilight, I can handle, but we gotta hire a gardener."

"Not a problem. Now grab those boxes of liquor and haul them out to the cab, the meters still running. Do you have your bags packed, Alice?"

"Sure, you can take out the first load, and I should have the rest ready by the time you and Emmett get back."

I looked into the bedroom, and there were four large bags by the door and several more laid out on the bed.

"You know we travel light, right? I thought you said you were going to put the rest in storage?"

"This is light. Don't worry, I'll only take a couple of changes of travel clothes when we leave town. I'll ship the rest to the hotel in New York."

"I should have rented a truck, not a cab…" I muttered as I grabbed the bags to haul downstairs.

"New York?" Rose asked as she stopped folding clothes and looked up. "I thought we were heading back west to Chicago and then back south to Tennessee after we were done vacationing here." She glanced at Alice suspiciously.

"That's the plan for now, Rose, and I have no intention of changing those plans." I said as I looked up at Alice.

"I only call it as I see it. I'll tell you as much as I can without changing how this future plays out, but don't hold your breath for Chicago," Alice said, "At least not anytime for the rest of this year."

"New York, Huh? New York as in New York City?" Rose asked. Alice nodded before Rose asked her next question. "Ok, Then where?"

"How do you feel about traveling abroad? I here Tuscany is beautiful this time of year…"

-~*TDPotN*~-

We were crouched on the rooftop overlooking the backdoor of the bar.

"I can't believe you told Rose we're going to Italy. I haven't even gotten an invitation yet."

"I didn't tell her why we're going to Italy. She didn't seem opposed to the change in plans. You know, she's always dreamed to traveling overseas. She wanted Royce to take her to France for her honeymoon."

"She's only been a vampire for five years, Alice, Emmett for only three. Hell, to the Volturi, you and I are nothing but wet behind the ears newborns that have barely proven we're stable enough to be out on our own. I can see them wanting to take us under their wing to gain control of our gifts, but do you honestly think they're going to trust us with any kind of responsibility?"

"They will if Carlisle vouches for us. Aro is willing to trust him, and Carlisle has absolutely no desire for any kind of power at all. It's a perfect job for him. He can ignore it and concentrate on his research while he lets us do the dirty work. You know he'll do what he has to for you if you ask him. Hell, once we explain the situation to him, you won't even have to ask him. He'll do it for you and Rose and Emmett."

"And of course you get what you want out of the deal because you're with us now. Nice. Why is it that I don't mind being used by you, Alice?"

"Because you like me, I'm just as kinky as you are, and you benefit from my devious streak because by saving myself, I'm also saving you too."

"That's true. I'm actually starting to hope your plan works. Then I don't have to kill you."

"Don't worry, Edward, it'll work. Besides, the Volturi wouldn't let you kill me even if you really wanted too. One way or another I'll end up working for them. I like this plan the best. Besides, it's necessary for both of our long term futures."

I looked down at the door of the bar. It would be any minute now. I could hear the mind of the man Alice had shown me approaching.

He was a small time thug I probably wouldn't have bothered with if I was hunting for myself. He was a low level button man that killed when he was ordered to, and reported to bigger fish, but he was moving up the ranks. He ran the protection racket for the neighborhood Alice lived in, and she had caught him shaking down her landlady for protection money and ran him off. She hadn't killed him because she knew there would be reprisals in the neighborhood, and somebody would just take his place. She had paid the protection shake down herself to keep him away, but now that she was leaving she had another plan, and it was time for him to die.

I was more interested in his friend. He was my sort of main course. Your typical tough as nails hired killer who enjoyed his work and would have taken most of the contracts he did for free, only he wasn't going to tell his clients that. He enjoyed the money too much and enjoyed maintaining the lifestyle he led. In 1938, a torpedo like him made more in a year than a doctor and twice what an Engineer took home. He could live like a railroad executive, but the hours were better and the workload lighter. The downside was being discrete to avoid the law and avoiding making enemies, like the friends and associates of the people he killed.

Unfortunately for him, I was about to ruin his night. The door opened and they stepped out into the alley to walk down to where the button man's car was parked.

"Dinner is served, Madame." I said as I gestured with a flourish into the alley. "And it appears to be dinner for two, after you, Alice."

"You're so sweet, Edward. C'mon, let's go."

She stepped off the rooftop into the alley, landing silently on the balls of her feet and ghosted through the shadows towards her prey. I was right behind her. She waited until we were close and then stopped in the shadows and spoke his name.

Personally I would have preferred to simply grab them and end them before they even knew what was happening, but Alice had a score to settle. She'd been paying off this thug for three years, and wanted him to suffer a little. I don't know why I kept ending up with girls with a vindictive streak and a score to settle, but I suppose it was worth it. At least the sex was good.

They stopped and spun around, looking for who had spoken. The torpedo was reaching into his coat for his gun when Alice stepped out of the shadows.

He took his empty hand out of his coat, while a grin spread across his face, and his thoughts turned to similar situations in the past where he'd run across defenseless girls that he'd victimized. It was a fatal mistake and now there were even more reasons he should die.

"Alice?" the thug said. "What are you doing here? You know this isn't a safe neighborhood. You don't owe me 'til next week, but maybe we can barter for what you owe me. I'm willing to take it out in trade…"

"I wanted to look you up to let you know I'm leaving town, Jimmy. I'm done paying you off. It's time to set up a new deal for Mrs. Larson."

"You're leaving? I don't think so toots. You're one sweet little twist. I went easy on you before because you're easy on the eyes, and it was easy money, letting you pay for that old broad. Ain't no way I'm lettin' you walk without getting' a taste."

"You know, I was thinking the same thing…"

"Yeah…? So's you want it right here in the alley, or maybe we could go someplace more comfortable"

"Jeez, you talk to fuckin' much, Jimmy," the torpedo said. "I'm getting' me a piece of this broad right now. You can have whatever's left. C'mon little girl, let me show you a good time, and I'll try not to make you scream…" He said with a smirk and took a step toward Alice. That was my cue to step in.

I stepped out of the shadows and grabbed the hand he had extended to reach for Alice. He was startled, but I moved faster than he could react. I spun him around, twisting his arm behind his back to immobilize it and slammed his body against the brick wall. The blade of my hand punched between his shoulder blades, dislodging the vertebra and severing the spinal column. He was still conscious but dazed and unable to move as he hung limply while I held him pressed against the wall.

"What the fuck…" Jimmy mumbled, startled. He was shocked by my sudden appearance and the fact that I had so easily overpowered his friend. Regardless, his hand started to reach into his coat for his gun.

Alice stepped in front of jimmy and grabbed his hand before it could close on the pistol. She twisted his wrist painfully as she extracted his arm from the coat, and squeezed until he dropped to his knees from the pain. She reached into his coat and pulled out the pistol, and pressed the muzzle against his forehead as he stared at her.

"You misunderstood my meaning. I'm going to have a little taste, not you. Edward, go ahead." She instructed me.

I looked at Jimmy and smiled, and my fangs extended to their full length, dripping with venom. His eyes bulged and I could smell his fear. I turned back to the hitman, and wrenched his head back by the hair.

I heard Jimmy gasp and whimper when I plunged my fangs into my victim's throat. Securing him in my grasp and immobilizing him with my venom as the euphoric stupor clouded his thought, the poison dulled the pain of the bite. My razor sharp teeth sheared through the flesh, severing the carotid artery, and hot blood flooded into my mouth.

I gloried in the act of feeding as the blood flowed and gushed in a pulsing stream that matched the frenzied beat of his heart. The fiery burn in my throat was instantly extinguished as the euphoric sensation of the blood rushing into me brought on the intensely pleasurable rush of satisfaction that spread through my body. It was a blissful radiance that was equaled only by the rush of orgasm during sex.

I luxuriated in the act of feeding, the unparalleled exhilaration and pure wanton gratification that it induced. Unfortunately it was over all too soon. The sensations faded and reality overtook my senses again as I found myself back in the alley holding a corpse. I let the body drop at my feet and turned back to Alice and her victim as he simpered in abject horror. She didn't need the gun anymore and tossed it aside.

"Was that good for you, baby?" Alice asked.

"Yes it was. What are you waiting for? Finish him off, and we can dispose of the bodies."

"I need you to help me. I need his body when I'm done. I can't bite him. I need you to restrain him."

"Alright, but if you don't bite him and inject your venom, he'll feel everything. He'll be conscious and aware of what's happening."

"I suppose that's a bonus. I would have been conscious and aware of everything if he was raping me tonight like he thought he was going to. Isn't turn about fair play?"

"Fine, but don't let Rose hear you talk like that, or you'll give her ideas."

"Alright. Come hold him so I can get this over with. This might be a little messy at first. Try not to get any on you."

I nodded. I saw what Alice wanted me to do in her vision and I grabbed the thug by the arms as she moved to stand behind him. She reached into her purse and removed her straight razor.

"Please… Let me go… I promise I won't say anything… I'll do whatever you say…"

"Save it for Saint Peter, or more likely Lucifer in your case. We are retribution incarnate, and you go to meet your maker."

Alice leaned in close like she was going to kiss him on the neck or bite him like I had with my victim.

"Goodbye, Jimmy. I've wanted to do this for a long time…"

The razor flashed across his throat, and bright crimson blood fountained in red spurts. Then Alice's lips were locked on the wound as she drank to satiate her thirst.

Alice drank until the corpse ran dry, and then pulled away. It took a second for the euphoria to fade, but she stayed sufficiently in control throughout the experience to prevent herself from biting and sinking her fangs into his flesh. The corpse was pristine and appeared to have died from the slashed throat.

"Why couldn't you bite him? You missed the first splash of blood and lost almost half a pint."

"I need the body and I didn't want to mutilate him afterwards or leave traces of venom in his system."

"Ok, that makes sense. What do you need the body for?"

"We'll drop it on his syndicate's turf. They'll dispose of it for us, and it'll send the message that his jobs and responsibilities are up for grabs. I'm planning to buy the protection contract for my previous neighborhood. This was the only way it would go back on the market. I'll pay it up in advance, and Mrs. Larson should be set until she passes away from natural causes."

"What if somebody else tries to move in on the action because nobody's actually collecting from the locals?"

"Then I'll know about it and they'll die."

"Alright, sounds like a plan. Get his keys, and let's get these bodies in the trunk."

Alice nodded and fished Jimmy's keys out of his pocket and went to get the car while I dragged the bodies down the alley toward the street. Alice had the trunk open and I tossed in the hired killer's body. Alice closed the trunk, and opened the backseat door. I tossed Jimmy's body in and arranged it on the seat.

Alice got in the passenger seat, and I walked around and opened the driver door and got in. I started the car and started to drive away. I pulled away from the curb and merged into the traffic lane.

"What do you want to do with the hit man's body?" I asked. This was Alice's turf, and she'd know best how to dispose of it.

"Head up Atlantic to Vermont, and turn right. Keep going until you come to the boardwalk, and we'll pitch it into the ocean off the end of the breakwater. The current should carry it out to sea when the tide goes out. When we're done, we can head up Pacific and dump this car in the garage at the Chelsea hotel. His boys will find the body in the back seat, and the rest is history as the saying goes. It's kind of fun seeing history before it happens."

"Sounds like a plan. How are Rose and Emmett doing?"

"None of my visions have changed, so they must be following the plan. It shouldn't have been difficult for them to pull off."

"Ok, just checking."

"They'll be fine. The guys I sent them to deal with are all wrong, mostly small time bagmen and shakedown artists. There shouldn't be any surprises and Emmett was spoilin for a fight. The main guy in charge is Rose's sort of pervert. Exactly the kind of rapist she loves to take out. They'll have fun."

"You are one twisted little psychopath, Alice. You knew Rose wouldn't say no when you told them what this gang does."

"If I'm leaving town, then it's time to clean house. Did you want me to leave a gang of white slavers and pedophiles loose running the streets preying on children to sell into prostitution? You know most of them don't survive more than a couple of days with the bastards that buy them, and the ones that do are scarred for life."

"I know. I would have ended them myself and considered justice served. Let's just hurry up and dump these bodies. I have plans for you tonight."

"I like how your mind works, Edward. Are you sure you want to gamble first? We could just go upstairs when we get back…"

"Be patient, Alice. People need to see us together in the casino, and you have money to lose. We'll have plenty of time to play tonight."

"Fine then, just stop making plans about what you want to do. It's getting me turned on, and I'm going to ruin this dress."

"Good, then you won't mind when I tear it off of you…"

"Edward! That's so not fair! Just drive the damn car!"

I laughed as we drove off into the darkest part of the night.

Author's note:

I'm trying something new with this story. Anyone who reviews will receive a teaser for the next chapter, so please let me know what you think.