Ok i couldn't resist putting in a chapter with Alice shopping! However i also jope it sheds a little light on Lucy as well.

I only own Lucy and the plot. the rest belongs to Stephenie Meyer

Chapter 9 – The Full Alice Treatment

Lucy's POV

I returned the next morning, shortly after daybreak. Everyone except Bella and Edward, who I learned had a house not far away in the woods, and Nessie who was still asleep were waiting for me. Jacob and his dogs weren't there either, but I reasoned they would need their sleep as well.

Alice met me at the door with an arrested look on her face.

"How come you're wearing the same clothes as yesterday? They're filthy, as are you!"

"When you're traversing oceans and continents you don't get much chance to go clothes shopping!" I snapped.

"Well then, we are going shopping. Today. Go and have a shower then I'll see if I can find something of Rosalie's for you to wear. You two are about the same size." She declared, pushing me towards the stairs and ultimately the shower.

"But I don't have any money," I protested feebly, whereas inside my spirits lifted hugely. I loved shopping.

"Pooh!" she exclaimed, "We'll pay for everything. You're practically part of the family by now so you don't even need to feel bad about it!"

"P-part of the family?" I stuttered incredulously, "But I've only known you for all of half a day! Even on human terms that's no time at all."

"Time is irrelevant when it comes to feelings. And everyone, even Rosalie feels like you are already part of the family. Therefore you are. Now get in that shower or we won't have time to get everything!"

Ten minutes later we were in a yellow Porsche on the motorway, speeding towards Seattle and I was able to ask Alice a question that had been bothering me as I thought about and sorted out everything I'd learnt and may accidentally given away through my thoughts and emotions.

"How come you saw everyone congratulating me after the –" I wrinkled my nose slightly, "dogs and Renesmee left, but it didn't actually happen?"

"Simple. Seth imprinted. As soon as that happened the rest of the day vanished and I knew the pack and Nessie would be there all evening. The future is subject to change, Lucy. It depends on people's decisions. If someone changes their mind, the future changes as well."

"But from what you told me, the wolves can't choose who they imprint on."

"No, but once Seth had imprinted he made up his mind that he would stay all evening. So, the evening disappeared."

I nodded. It all made sense now.

"Can I ask you something?" she said, interrupting my musings about the future and why Seth was so I happy I was to come before I was changed. I suspected it meant he could have imprinted on me more easily/happily, although I'm not sure I would have given. He is still five years younger than me and girls are supposed to be more mature than boys. Five years is a large age gap and with Seth being younger… well we would never know as that had never happened.

"Sure, what?"

"Edward and Jasper are quite annoyed at you. Edward says you keep blocking him by focusing entirely on different subjects when you realise your thoughts can be heard. He doesn't like it that you are so good at keeping things from him."

"Tough. Thoughts are meant to be private. If I wanted him to know what I was thinking I would say it out loud. Some things I want to keep private in here!"

"Alright," she said, looking thoughtful, "no need to shout. That brings me on to Jasper's point. Your emotions are very changeable, almost fragile, he said. And that it's very hard for him to cope with the constant unpredictable flux of them. Do you know why this is?"

"I was fifteen! Middle of puberty, the years where mood swings are natural. However, even as a baby they were very quick and erratic changes between moods. Mum took me to the doctors to check I wasn't manic depressive! Happy now?"

"Happier." She corrected with a smile, "Anyway, we're here!"

"Where to first?" I asked, glad to change the subject.

"Wherever you want. But before we start, you do realise we are likely to be here all day. You're not going to get bored are you?"

"Are you joking? I love shopping! When I was human it was my second favourite thing after chocolate!"

Alice visibly brightened. "Thank the Lord; a normal person! Bella hates shopping and Rose is more interested in herself than shopping. Esme will come with me but even she gets bored after a few hours. Jasper will do it if I make him but he puts on a martyred air, even though he's just happy to be with me!"

I laughed, "So I'm your new bff then?"

"Bff?"

"You don't know what that means? It stands for best friend forever. You know, because I love shopping.

"Yeah, forever would be right," she chuckled, "Now let's get going. We have a lot to do!"

While we had been chatting, she had been steering me to the nearest clothes shop and now started pulling clothes off the shelves and started throwing them into my arms.

It was strange at first, having to do everything at human speed when we could go so much faster. But up until six months ago I had basically been living as a human, so I soon slipped back into my old ways.

After about two hours and several hundreds of dollars we moved onto lingerie and after discussing favourite places to shop and designers we had settled into a comfortable silence, punctuated occasionally by "I like that" or "Ugh, who would wear something like this?" I was thrilled to discover that she had similar tastes to me and so the stuff she had been picking out was exactly what I would have chosen, when Alice Suddenly and unexpectedly said

"Why were you going to move to Forks?"

"Mum was pregnant again, and dad was offered a transfer to Seattle and they decided it would be better to move somewhere quieter than the big city, even though that's what we were used to in London. Dad didn't mind the commute so they decided Forks was perfect."

"Perfect?" she replied sceptically, "What about the rain?"

"We lived in England, holidayed in Wales. Trust me we were used to the rain and anyway we didn't really like too much heat. My entire family was red headed with pale skin and freckles. We fried in the sun. The dark skinned ones of our family were rare rather than well done, roasting wise!"

Alice laughed and I allowed myself a grin. She was right about my mood swings.

"How come your Mom was pregnant again? She must have been late thirties at the very least."

"Thirty eight. We were Irish Catholics. They don't believe in sex before marriage or contraception. We were very religious. Now though, I'm not so much. How can I be if I only exist as hells worst monster? I'm damned to hell anyway, just for being like this."

"Monster? Damned to hell? You sound like Edward. He believes that we don't have souls and so there is no afterlife for us!"

"Yeah, well he knows how I feel then." I muttered.

I wasn't comfortable with discussing my religion, or what was left of it. I had believed very strongly in God, Heaven, hell and everything in between, but becoming a member of the undead had altered my priorities. A lot. Now I wasn't really sure what I believed. Even though I'd had ten years to reorganise them, what I'd become was so intrinsically evil that although I basically still felt like myself, except for that never thirst, I honestly didn't know what to believe. This lack of faith disturbed me, as it had once been so solid. Hence why I didn't like talking about it.

Fortunately, Alice seemed to recognise my reluctance to expand on the subject and therefore changed it.

"If, you're Irish, when did you move to London?" she asked.

"When Mum was pregnant with Sophie. They didn't want to give us Irish names either, because they are so hard to spell and pronounce. Spelling was especially difficult for Mum and then me. We're both dyslexic. Well I was.

"So you lived in Ireland for a while?" she sounded confused.

"No. John's the oldest so he did. He was eighteen when I … Sophie was sixteen, then me. Lauren was fourteen and Ben was twelve. Only the twins would still live at home. And the baby."

A wave of despair washed over me. I would never know what she… it looked like; never get to know its personality. I didn't actually know its sex but I'd always suspected it was a girl.

Alice lumped all the bras and pants (knickers) she was carrying into one arm and gave me an awkward one armed hug.

"I know how you fell. A few years ago I found out that I had a niece but I can't go and see her either. It's incredibly frustrating isn't it?"

I nodded, then with a huge effort, pulled myself together.

"Let's carry on with the shopping. I think I have enough underwear to last a lifetime!"

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