Cat and Mouse

I'm not dead, I swear! Thank you for whoever is still reading this. I greatly appreciate it.
Disclaimer: See previous chapter. I hate writing it because we all know that no one here owns anything. If I owned Twilight, I wouldn't be sitting here.

Now... ROLL THE CLIP!

Chapter Nine: Breaking the Habit (is never easy to do but it's always worth a shot)

"Where were you just now?!" Alice shrieked when she walked through the door. "And how did you get back so fast?"

"Nowhere special. Why?"

"You were gone for like an hour and you say that was nowhere special?" She scoffed.

"What's an hour to you? You're a vampire."

"You were gone, that's what matters. I couldn't see you… at all."

"That's the way it should be."

"What the hell does that mean?!"

Jasper snorted.

"You wouldn't know Hell if it smacked you in the face."

"And you would?"

"We all would, to some extent. Save for Emmett, who's pretty much in heaven."

"Why are you talking in riddles?!" She demanded. Rosalie caught on though.

"The only ones I can't see going through hell are Em, Edward and Alice. Em because he's happy enough for all of us, even when he's not. I think I take him for granted."

"Where is he anyway?"

"He went hunting a few minutes before you got back. Said he needed to clear his thoughts."

"I'm sure he would appreciate your company."

"How do you know? All I've been was a bitch to him. I bet he's tired of taking it."

"Go after him and you'll see."

"I think I will." Rosalie mused. "Will you and your sister be okay?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine. Emmett needs you more than we do. Thank you, Rosalie." Bella dipped her head to the blonde woman, who nodded in return and disappeared.

"That's new. Esme murmured. "Rose never takes to anyone outside of us."

Jasper shrugged.

"Bella's as different as they come. Rose would take a shine to her."

"You sound like you would know." Alice sneered.

"Maybe. Where's your lover-boy, Darlin'" He smirked. Alice would have paled if she could have.

"You really shouldn't address yourself in third person, Son." Esme snickered.

"So, Alice, where's Edward?" He purred dangerously.

"I don't know why you're asking." She scoffed. "Edward is wherever he wants to be."

Yeah, holed up with some human. James snickered.

Shut up! I do not need that image!

"He's asking a rhetorical question, Alice." Carlisle hissed. "I, however, demand to know where Edward is."

"I don't know and I don't care."

"Probably roaming somewhere around Seattle. He never did shake his old habits." Bella shivered at the thought of what her ex-fiancé could be up to.

"How do you know?" Alice growled.

"Jealous are we?" Jasper snorted. "You shouldn't be. He's using you, y'know? And has been for a while now. I think it started after we reached the Cullens. He was using you to fit in easier, and you were covering up for him all this time." The blonde soldier snickered.

"Poor Alice, you don't even know who Isabella Swan is to him, do you?"

"He obviously loves her!"

"Sure, we'll go with that."

Questions, comments, flames rants about how Alice is delusional and everyone has issues? Review!