Chapter 10

Aw you guys are too sweet with your reviews. I only got two but straight away I wanted to give you this new chapter. Hopefully it is better and longer! Sorry for lying to you about this chapter guys! I honestly thought it would be longer. But, to make up I will be updating the next chapter in a couple of hours.

I was content. For the first time since Bel-flinch-la, I could see the future properly. Nothing was blurred and nothing was black and white. It was clear. My ever-lasting headache was gone. And hopefully forever.

Not that I was seeing anything useful. Really only random bits of acquaintances I had met in my repeats of the mandatory high school education. Luckily nobody from the Forks era. I don't know if I would have been able to stand that.

I was strong, but not that strong.

But something that I didn't need to know the future for was what I was getting prepared to do this morning.

I was going to observe Anna in her natural habitat and ponder over the impossible.

That Annabella was my best friend and past sister Isabella Swan.

I don't know when I actually began considering it.

Maybe it was when Edward started to double over in pain from the suppressed memories of Bella that came tumbling right out of its tight wall when Anna was first introduced to the family. Maybe it was because I felt so comfortable with her. Maybe it was because I could tell her anything.

Who knows?

All I know is that there is a chance –if slight- that she is Bella.

And god knew that all I wished was for that to be true.

But if it was then why wouldn't she tell us. Or at least met with us before.

I knew the answer to that but I didn't want to admit it to myself.

I was thinking of telling Anna about Bella today. See her reaction. But I didn't know what my reaction would be.

Would I cry? Would I break down in mad laughter? Would I lose my sanity and become a shell of the person I am now? Would I become trapped by my despair and guilt?

I didn't know any of the answers but those were the questions repeating through my head.

But as I thought through the pros and cons of telling Anna, something in my sub-conscious decided for me.

I would tell her.

Whatever the consequences.

Because despite the evidence, that I myself had bared witness to, I still held onto the hope that Bella was still alive.

Maybe an old grandmother, maybe a vampire.

I didn't care, just as long as her sole being was left on this planet.

So I carried on with getting changed into my outfit: a black and white, one sleeved shirt and black jeans accsesorised with a white handbag and white heels.

Once I was finished I gave Jazz a goodbye hug and kiss, "See you soon Jazz."

"Bye darl'. Have fun," he said sarcastically.

I didn't bother to say anything as I blew him a kiss and walked out swaying my hips seductively to get my revenge. I heard the groan but suppressed the smile as I got to Rose's room. I could hear Emmett yelling at the TV as he played some x-box game that I had no interest of. I didn't have to knock as Rose heard me and came out, shutting the door behind her silently.

"You ready to go?" she asked excitedly. She had every reason to; we hardly ever went shopping anymore.

"Yeah!"

We chattered pleasantly until we got to the owners' suite. Otherwise known as Anna's room.

Once again I didn't have to knock but this time it was because Anna was already out of her room waiting for us.

She smiled softly and walked to us.

"Just so you know. I am not really a shopper. I enjoy it from time to time but I used to have a very annoying friend that I loved dearly who would throw me from dressing room to dressing room with hardly a minute in between."

I put that down as one of my observations: hates shopping with hectic people.

Playfully I pouted, "Don't spoil my fun Anna. It's been a long time since I've had a Barbie doll."

All of a sudden my playful banter had spoiled our mood 100%.

Rose blinked and looked to the ground, I had widened my eyes in shock at what I had just said and Anna sighed unhappily and whispered, almost unheard, "It's been a long time since I was a Barbie doll."

I didn't want our day to be ruined so I clapped my hands together joyfully and said, "Well in that case Anna, it should be fun for you to be a Barbie again. It is one of my favorite hobbies!"

Anna laughed and eventually Rose and I did too.

Mission accomplished!

As we drove to the mall (in a very stylish red 1950's vintage Cadillac), we planned which stores to go to.

I insisted that we buy everything for her but she said, "Don't be ridiculous! You are my guests and I would like to treat you."

I think I might have continued arguing before I was sucked into a vision.

Anna was in tight shackles that every time she tried to break electrocuted her. I saw myself on the other side of the field yelling out to Anna but I was electrocuted by the leader who was taunting her. I cried out to my family but they continued to glare at Anna and I could see hurt in their expressions.

I saw a red haired, female vampire who walked over to me and said, "It is too late for Anna. We knew this was going to happen sooner or later and she has to do this. Leave!"

But I began struggling to get over to her but there was this huge, invisible shield that was keeping me away from Anna.

The red head put a hand on my shoulder to restrain me from going any further.

"Stop! You are only hurting Anna by trying to get across. We have to leave. It is too late for her!"

I began yelling for Anna once more before I felt a freezing sensation coming over me. I was frozen in ice…

"ALICE!"

I was shaken out of the vision by Rose yelling at me.

"Oh finally! We thought we lost you there," smirked Anna.

I poked a tongue out at her and pushed back the vision until I was alone.

We continued on deciding where we were going and before I knew it, we were there at the Mall, in all of its superb shopping glory.

I sighed happily; I was home at last.

Rose and Anna smirked at my obvious content of being back at the one true haven, but I didn't care. It didn't matter to me.

We walked from shop to shop, trying on and buying outfit after outfit.

After a while we each had a dozen bags and we were nowhere near stopping.

As we were walking to the outdoors area to have a break from the constant blood lust we came across the girl from our vision.

She was a vampire, and a human drinker.

I shuddered at the cool red eyes that stared back at us.

Then she burst out laughing. I wondered why for a moment before I saw Anna hugging her.

They were obviously friends.

The red head was surreally gorgeous though nothing like Victoria our other red head friend.

She didn't look like a wild animal, but instead a super model.

Her red hair was smooth and silky and she wore fine, designer clothes.

Anna said happily but with a sad note underlying it, "I thought you were dead!"

The red head said back, "You just can't get rid of me. But rumor in the Volturi says that you are dead."

"Well here I am. Josh helped me," Anna said with a meaning that I could never understand.

The red head nodded before teasing Anna, "I can't believe you of all people are to be found at the mall. With a dozen bags no less," she clucked her tongue and then continued, "You always told me you hated shopping. Now it is obvious that you have loved it all along and just hated me." She pouted playfully and Anna caught in on the act.

"I didn't hate shopping! Well not completely anyway. But the way you shop is like a homeless person eating for the first time in months!"

Then something clicked, "Oh! Is this the maniac shopper friend you were talking about Anna? You know the one that you said used to play Barbie on you."

If I expected casual laughter and a nod I was clearly mistaken, Anna's mood completely turned 180, "No. Audrey isn't her."

Audrey who I was guessing was the Audrey-Rose from Anna's story suddenly turned to look at us, as if just realizing we were there and her mood also turned sour.

"Um. Would I be able to talk to you? In private?"

Anna shook her head almost unnoticeably, if it wasn't for the fact that, that was how Edward and I used to talk I wouldn't have even known.

"Not now Audrey! Maybe we could meet up after my gig tonight. You know where to go right?" she said friendly, but I could tell that stress and urgency were laced underneath it.

Audrey nodded once, quickly hugged her and then walked away.

So we finished our shopping and Rosalie said that she needed to hunt and so we put all our bags in Anna's car and watched as Rose ran to the forest. I hopped into the front, Anna following suit.

I was fidgeting as I wondered how I was going to bring up the subject on Bel-flinch-la.

Finally I decided on starting it with how much I hoped we would be friends, "Hey Anna, I really hope we can be good friends."

Anna took an unnecessary deep breath, "Why? I mean, you don't even know me. How do you know that you want to be friends with me? For all you know I could be secretly relaying every single message we have to the Volturi."

I thought about it for a moment, why did I like her so much? She hadn't told me anything or showed me anything that could make me like her. So why?

I shrugged it off, I just felt like I had known her for years.

"I don't know. I can just tell."

She nodded and said, "Well if it means anything to you, I hope we can be friends as well."

I beamed at her before remembering the purpose of this discussion. I swallowed unnecessarily and stuttered out, "Look, there's a reason that my family don't really trust you."

Anna stopped short of what she was about to say and vigilantly asked, "There is?"

I nodded, "Yes, there is. You see, half a century ago we lived in a small Washington town."

Anna swallowed, "Is that supposed to mean anything?" she asked unnecessarily harsh.

I nodded and then felt like I was a broken record. I stopped nodding immediately, "No, not really. Well to you it won't but to us it means everything."

Anna didn't say anything but looked determinedly out the front as we evacuated the parking lot.

I continued on, "See, we were all alone for a while. Then I started having visions of a girl from Phoenix moving to Forks. She was nothing special, nobody out of the ordinary and yet she was the most extraordinary person ever. Edward fell in love with her. And the more amazing part of it was that she fell in love with him! In spite of the fact that her blood attracted him more than any other humans did. Our family adored her. Even Rosalie though she hid it very well."

Anna swallowed before hesitantly asking, "What was her name?"

I felt my mind turn back 50 years ago to the first vision. She was never Isabella. She was only ever Bella. I flinched as I thought of it but I kept my face indifferent as I said, "Bella. Isabella Swan."

Anna nodded slowly before turning to the window once again. From there she asked, "And what happened to her. You talk in past tense."

"We-we left her," I said brokenheartedly. I had never talked about this out in the open before. It was killing me to continue on.

"Why?" Anna said sharply.

"On her 18th birthday she got a paper cut. Everything would have been fine if this was a human birthday party but it was her and 7 vampires. Jasper lost control, after all he had only been 'vegetarian' for a few years," I said, defending my husband.

Anna nodded understandingly. I continued, "Edward never told us what he said to her to say goodbye but I got a vision that made me want to sprint to her the moment he left her in that forest. He told her that he didn't want her but that was the most absurd thing I ever heard because any of my family could see that he was 10x a better man after meeting her than he was before! But poor Bella didn't realize that. She didn't realize how special she was to us."

"But didn't you go back to her? I mean, if she meant that much to you why didn't you go back?"

I sighed and said sadly, "Edward didn't want her to be in anymore danger so he forbade us from going back to her. But after half of a year I couldn't take it anymore and I left to find her. By the time I got to Forks she was- she was- DEAD!" I screamed out and then fell into a sobbing fit.

Anna pulled us over and she hugged me tight, whispering words of comfort, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Eventually I stopped sobbing and she asked softly, "Does Jasper feel guilty?"

I nodded sadly and she said, "Well I was just thinking of it and you can't really hold him responsible for attempting to harm Bella."

I flinched at the name but said sadly, "I have told him that but he will never forgive himself. I don't even think her coming back from the grave and telling him she had forgiven him would save him from his grief."

Anna said, "Yeah, but think about it. Jasper is empathic and blood thirst is an emotion. Piece it together!"

I thought about it for a moment before my mouth dropped open. Why hadn't I thought of that?

"You-you're right! I mean, what you are saying makes perfect sense. No wonder Jasper has always had the most trouble even though he has been vegetarian for over 70 years.

I beamed and thought about how I would tell Jasper that all these years he has been feeling guilty for nothing. WOW! This is brilliant, I thought to myself.

We didn't talk after that but it wasn't uncomfortable. I was thinking happily of Jasper and she was thinking of- well I'm not really sure. Whatever it is that Anna usually thinks about. I suppose it was about the story I just told her.

When we finally got back to the resort I was almost jumping to get to Jazz but I had to wait. Calm yourself Alice, I thought reprimanding myself.

"Thank you so much for the great day out and for all the clothes. And you know, for listening to me."

Anna smiled and said, "Thank you for being such an excellent friend to me. You don't know how much that means to me."

"I don't suppose I'll be seeing you since you're gonna talk to Audrey tonight."

Anna smirked, "I don't suppose I'll be seeing you tonight since you have some news to tell Jasper that might lead to one thing or another."

If I could blush, I'd be as red as Audrey's eyes. I asked her instead, "Do you think I'll be seeing you sometime soon."

"I'd like that."

"Do you have any gigs coming up soon?"

"Er… I don't think I have any for the rest of the week so how about we meet up sometime tomorrow?"

"Sounds brilliant!"

"Then I'll see you then!"

"Yeah."

We hugged each other and went our separate ways. Her, to get ready for her gig and me to spend a lovely evening with Jazz.

I wonder if the walls are soundproof?

Oh well, Jazz and I'll find out tonight!