CULLEN FAMILY: Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett. Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Rated: T.

Author: xPaige Turnerx

Summary: COMPLETED AND WAITING TO POST. "Trust me, dating a vampire and having a wolf for a brother are the LEAST complicated aspects of my life. Every now and then my nose reenacts the elevator scene from The Shining, and I randomly wake up in the woods. Normal was shot to Hell a long time ago."

"At the center of your being

you have the answer;

you know who you are

you know what you want."

-Lao Tzu

The next morning Bella awoke rather violently, decidedly luminous yellow eyes popping open wide as she sprung up into a sitting position. Her chest heaved with the labour of pulling in each breath, heart hammering against her ribcage painfully so. She exhaled in a shudder, running a hand through her damp hair, her forehead covered in the barest sheen of sweat.

Where am I?

The room was more and more familiar as her gaze shifted around the four walls, and the previous night came rushing back all at once.

Waking up in the woods.

More officially, and yet still unofficially, meeting Mrs Cullen.

Alice stuck in her visions.

The shower.

Alice finally telling her the truth.

Alice being a vampire.

All the Cullens being vampires.

She was... well, human as far as she knew, but even that wasn't totally certain these days, in a house full of bloodthirsty vampires. "Holy shit," she breathed. She'd shared a bed with a vampire all night long. Vampires drink blood. Vampires drink blood. Vampires drink blood. It was all she could think as she got up from the bed, stretching her limbs and slipping her glasses on.

"You're a very interesting person to watch sleep, you know," Alice's voice startled her so much she jumped, her head whipping up to find the source. Alice strolled into her room, the door swinging closed behind her as she walked to the closet. She barely spared Bella a second glance, pausing in front of the closet to tap her chin thoughtfully. "Although, I suppose all humans are. I've never watched anyone else sleep before... not that I was watching you!"

Those golden eyes were wide, Alice's face embarrassed and Bella honestly expected a blush to follow. Yet those perfect porcelain looking cheeks remained ever pale. She shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms, unreasonably uncomfortable this morning. Actually, I think it's perfectly reasonable, given the situation. "I-I don't mind. I did invite you, after all, and it's not like you were sitting in the corner of the room being a creep all night. I just hope I didn't do anything embarrassing?"

Seemingly placated, Alice flashed her a brilliant smile that made Bella forget at least a couple reasons why she was feeling awkward. "No, nothing to be embarrassed about," she murmured, disappearing into the closet. "You talk quite a bit, or more accurately, mumble all night. You're very... affectionate in your sleep, too, when you're not stretching. So much stretching, it's like your body is restless or bored while your mind rests."

"Doesn't sound too bad," Bella muttered to herself as relief washed over her.

Alice poked her head out of the closet with a wicked grin on her face. "You kept saying my name."

"O-Oh." Well, maybe a little bad. Bella felt her cheeks flush.

Finally, Alice fully emerged from the closet, dressed anew in pristine, perfectly tailored clothes that looked fresh from the runway. Minus her trademark heels, of course, and she was so tiny Bella had to bite her lip from telling her how cute she looked. Alice was in front of her in an instant, her chilly hands cooling off Bella's flaming cheeks. "Despite the fear of sounding positively creepy, I should tell you just how delicious you smell, Bella."

"Um... thanks?"

Alice's smile widened, amusement dancing in her golden eyes. "It's as much a compliment as it is a warning, I'm afraid. I know you can't control your blush, and while I find it terribly endearing, it amplifies your scent tenfold. Nobody under this roof will ever harm you, but that doesn't mean you can't make it difficult."

Heart sinking into her toes, Bella backed away until Alice's hands fell from her face. She scratched the back of her neck, while her other hand rubbed at her cheek. "Oh, sorry! I didn't... I'll try not to blush, or... keep my distance?"

"No!" Alice gasped lightly, dancing forwards again but refraining from taking Bella's hands. She shook her head, looking up at the fumbling, awkward teenager. "Not me, Bella, it doesn't bother me. I always hunt before I'm around you, and I've been around you more than the others, closer than the others. I've built up a... tolerance. That sounds unpleasant, like I couldn't stand you before. This is coming out all wrong. I like the way you smell, sometimes a little too much, but I would never hurt you. I would never let anyone hurt you, and I'm used to your scent by now. It doesn't affect me like it would some of the others. You're absolutely fine around Carlisle, Esme, Jessica, Emmett, and Edward to a degree, but the others just aren't used to it yet."

Watching Alice closely, a little in disbelief at how frazzled Alice appeared these last few hours because the pixie was usually a bundle of confidence and bubbly giddiness. This nervous, uncertain side of her was new, was sweet, but Bella didn't know how to handle it. "I get it, that makes sense, actually. Don't jump Jasper in the hallways, got it."

"Yes," Alice agreed with a giggle. "Please don't jump my brother or anyone but me for that matter." Bella's eyebrows shot up just as Alice realized what she said. Golden eyes widened and the pixie turned on her heel, so quickly her image blurred. "So, Esme is downstairs in the kitchen making you a feast for breakfast, eagerly awaiting a proper introduction. I told her I would come get you and be right down."

Bella nodded, following Alice to the door and hesitating. "Um, pants?"

"Right," Alice nodded, turning back to look at her. Bella noticed those golden eyes darken very faintly as they were dragged up her legs. "Your pyjama pants were torn at the heels and stained pretty bad. Wensley refused to let us even attempt to salvage them, and he offers his condolences. I'm afraid you're stuck with my shorts until you get home."

"Your shorts?" Bella echoed, surprised.

Alice shrugged and led her out into the hallway, towards the staircase. "You seemed... distraught at the idea of sharing Rosalie's clothes, and she didn't put up much of a fight when I told her to keep her pyjamas. So I got you my shorts, and borrowed one of Esme's shirts."

"That explains why they're so small," Bella mumbled, pulling at the end of the shorts again. She fixed them when they reached the bottom of the stairs, and followed Alice towards the source of the most delicious smell she'd ever smelled. "Guess I get to meet the rest of your family half naked then. Awesome."

This time Alice let out more than a giggle, her laughter was a unique melody that made Bella's heart beat faster in her chest as they entered the kitchen. "I'm glad you're tiptoeing out of that uncomfortable rut you were in this morning, coming full circle to your usual sarcastic self." She stuck her tongue out at Alice, which only made the pixie laugh harder. "You won't be seeing everyone today, anyway. Carlisle is at work, Rosalie is hiding away in the garage, Jasper, Victoria, and Jessica are all out hunting."

Hunting? Did that mean...? Holy shit. Vampires. Intense, that was intense! "Hunting? C-cool," Bella nodded, trying to seem just that. She tried to casually look around the room, unable to meet anyone's eye. "In town or... do you guys, like, go to Seattle where it's less obvious?"

Multiple heads tilted in the kitchen, confusion clear on their faces. Esme turned to face her from the stove, a spatula in one hand while the other was on her hip. Her furrowed brows suddenly shot up to her hairline, wide amber eyes flickering down to her daughter. "Alice Cullen! Did you not tell Bella we feed on animals and not people?!"

A boisterous guffaw turned into chortling laughter in the corner of the room, Emmett shaking his head and leaning on the table he was setting. The giant's massive shoulders shook while Alice's mouth dropped open in an 'O' shape, and looked up at her quickly. "You thought we eat people? This whole time, since I told you I'm a vampire last night, you thought I drank human blood?"

"Well... maybe?" Bella said with a shrug of her shoulders, her voice raising at the end. "I dunno, man, you said vampires. Vampires drink blood, I assumed it was human. Never considered animals."

Her elegant little brows furrowed and Alice stared curiously up at Bella. "And you still wanted to sleep with me?"

Another round of laughter erupted from Emmett's chest. "Way to go, Ali-Cat!"

"Emmett!" she hissed, turning a scowl on her brother. "I didn't mean it like that, you bafoon."

He scoffed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "We don't sleep, what else could it mean?"

"She slept, I just held her. We cuddled, if you must know."

"Ohhh, you cuddled," he drawled with a roll of his eyes, his tone bored and sarcastic. "How exciting. Give me all the dirty details."

Alice huffed, hands on her hips as she glared defiantly at her brother. "It was exciting, I'll have you know."

"I bet."

"It was! Not everything needs to be sexual to have value or meaning to people."

"No, of course not. Tepid is the new hot, yeah? That's what all the romance movies are selling these days."

"Emmett!"

"Someone call the pope, these lesbians were holding hands!"

"Damn it, Emmett! Stop insinuating that we're boring."

"I didn't say boring, I just implied a lack of passion. Some folks go for that."

Alice stomped her foot in a childish but undeniably cute way. "She moaned my name!"

"Alice!" Esme reprimanded when Bella gasped, her hands flying up to her mouth as if she could go back in time and stop herself from doing just what Alice said. Embarrassment burned her fiery cheeks again, and she took a step back away from the room instinctively after Alice's warning.

Flinching back, Alice looked over her shoulder at Bella. She bit her lip, blurring over to the girl, and hesitated in her reach for Bella's hand again. She didn't know if it would comfort the taller girl or make her feel worse. "Sorry! I'm sorry, Bella, I shouldn't have said that. It's private and definitely none of Emmett's business." She aimed a glare at the giant boy, a surprisingly feral sounding growl rumbling from her chest.

Okay.

So when Alice said she didn't say anything embarrassing in her sleep, she obviously lied. Although, in all fairness, Alice had only said Bella didn't say anything she should feel embarrassed about. Tricky little minx.

Upside; Alice didn't seem to mind Bella moaning her name. The thought sent a foreign but ultimately delightful tingle through her body that settled in the bottom of her stomach. In fact, Alice seemed a tad proud of it.

Downside; the whole kitchen now knew Bella had moaned Alice's name.

The silence that had fallen over the kitchen was shattered when Emmett began chuckling again, going back to setting the table. He flashed Bella a grin when she caught his eye. "Guess I don't have to ask how well you slept last night, eh?"

"Emmett Cullen," Esme chided, even as her own eyes sparkled with humour. "Finish putting out the fruit and begone, mister. If you can't behave politely then maybe you'll find your manners up in your room."

Watching the sulking giant drag his feet out of the kitchen, past the girls, and to the stairs, Bella couldn't help but snicker. Especially when he stepped onto the first stair and looked back at them, giving everyone the most pitiful looking puppy dog eyes she'd ever seen. Esme crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently, and his shoulders fell, slinking up the rest of the stairs.

Bella leaned down towards Alice's ear while the rest of the kitchen got back to their work. "I thought you were all adults here?"

"Yes, but only Esme is the mom," Alice giggled.

There was obnoxious stomping once Emmett reached the floor that held his room, and each pair of eyes in the kitchen looked up to the ceiling. "Rosie would have laughed!" his muffled voice shouted.

"Only because she hates Isabella." Everyone looked up to the corner of the room curiously, where a tall, thin man was leaning against the wall. His arms were crossed, fingers digging into biceps almost painfully looking, a scowl on his face that rivalled Rosalie's. His ashen hair, trimmed short except for the gravity-defying top that was pulled back in an elastic, and pale skin was a stark contrast to the blacks and greys he wore, making the red tie stand out and draw the eye. Everything about this man screamed no nonsense or downright fury. He looked like an enraged angel, burning amber eyes smouldering with an intensity that made Bella step backwards again.

Esme tsked, clicking her tongue and slapped the spatula down onto the counter with a crack. Edward and Alice winced, while the young man's eyes remained on Bella, pinning her to the spot. "Wensley," Esme began in an annoyed voice that sliced through the air. "How horrendously rude of you. Apologize to Bella and leave, this instant. I will not have our guest attacked like this, not one second longer."

After a few tense moments, those eyes finally lifted from Bella to meet Esme's. They didn't soften, not exactly, but something shifted. Something dulled out, and his stance wasn't as rigid. He released his death grip on his arms and let his hands slide into his pockets. "I might just go open up the library early today then," he agreed in a smooth voice.

He was halfway out of the room, perfectly content to just breeze past everyone else when a hiss sounded from Esme's side of the room. He halted a few feet away from Bella, too close for comfort, so she sidled up closer to Alice. Alice, whose eyes were impossibly black, hands clenched into fists and looked to be restraining herself as she glared at the man. Esme's voice was no longer annoyed, but angry, and Bella just really, truly wished she were home in her own bed. "Apologize to Bella. Now."

"No," he stuck his chin in the air and out of the corner of her eye, Bella could see Edward's face morph into shock, "I don't think I will. She's endangering us all, so casually, so simply, and you're all helping her do so even more easily. Forgive me if I refuse to lend a hand to her as she digs our graves, Esme. I will not make nice with a threat to my mate, my family."

Alice blurred into his path, forcing him to stop and look at her. Again, though his face didn't soften, he seemed to hesitate. "You know it's more complicated than that!" she hissed at him.

"Then let me simplify it for you, Alice," he said quietly, his voice monotone and borderline bored. "Bite her or kill her, before the Volturi decide for you."

And with that, he was out of the room in the blink of an eye. Bella heard an engine rumble to life outside, and let out the breath she'd been holding. She rubbed her hand up and down her arm, drowning in the awkward silence, and looked around the room. Only Alice, Esme, and Edward were left. This was definitely not going as well as she hoped.

Especially considering she still wasn't wearing any pants.

Esme leaned against her hands on the counter, hanging her head with a dejected sigh. "Monsters. I've raised little monsters," she muttered. She sighed again and looked up, her face sad and beseeching. "Bella, I am so terribly sorry for all of that. Emmett's relentless teasing, Wensley's hurtful words. You're not catching my family at their best."

"Hah," Edward scoffed, tossing Bella a playful wink that lifted her spirits. "Speak for the others, Esme, I'm always at my best. Some of us were born in a more sophisticated era."

Seemingly doing the trick, a little smile hooked Esme's lips up and she went back to finishing up breakfast. "Of course, dear. How could I forget, what with all the reminders. Bella, I know this is way too much food, but I got carried away. Is it alright if I send most of it home with you? We have no need for it here."

"Sure," Bella said with a shrug, shuffling towards the table. "I'm sure Charlie will be tickled pink, he loves breakfast food. And dinner food. Lunch. Brunch. Really any food at all, the man's stomach is a bottomless pit of hunger."

Esme beamed, bringing a plate over to the table and sitting at the head. "Excellent! I will have more excuses to use my lovely kitchen in the future, then. I simply adore baking, Bella."

"This is delicious," Bella mumbled around her food, covering her mouth as to not be rude. "I, uh, I guess you guys don't eat people food then?"

The chair next to Bella's was pulled out and up right next to hers, Alice perching in it and offering Bella a tight smile. Her eyes were still mostly black, with the thinnest ring of honey around the pupils that might have been growing bigger if Bella studied them close enough. Esme nodded, picking at the bouquet of flowers in the middle of the table. "No, our bodies cannot digest food, and our venom makes everything taste bland. Liquids are fine, though we get nothing from them, other than blood, so it's not really worth stomaching the taste. Still, I quite enjoy cooking."

"She's all over the food aspect of events, fundraisers, and just parties at the hospital and schools," Edward informed her as he sat across the table. "Every holiday, she cooks up a mighty feast, and donates it to local soup kitchens and homeless shelters."

Bella nodded. "I can vouch just how lucky they are, then," she said as she finished up her plate. It was a little weird, having these people watching her eat, but eventually, she managed to ignore them and just enjoy the food. She could feel how tense Alice still was beside her, and knew she was at least partially to blame. There was a reason Rosalie and Wensley didn't like her, a reason Alice wasn't telling her. "This was beyond words, Mrs Cullen."

"Please, call me Esme," the motherly woman said as she preened. She scooped Bella's plate up and blurred back to the counter, packing everything up.

Edward also got to his feet, running a hand through his hair. He offered the girls one of his crooked grins. "Well, it was lovely seeing you, Bella, but Alice here wants to take you home now." Alice shot him a small scowl that he chuckled at. "If you're not by again, I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"See ya, Edward," Bella called as he left the room. She turned to Alice on her side, who was staring down at her feet with a pensive look on her face. "Time to go, I guess?"

Dark eyes glanced up at her, lips pressed together in a thin line, and it was so not Alice that it made Bella's gut flop. Alice was happy, Alice was giggles and smiles, and mischievous eyes. "I think that's best, yes," she said quietly, getting to her feet.

She helped Bella to her feet, hand sliding away as she turned for the front door. Bella quickly tightened her hold, lacing their fingers much like Alice had done the previous night. It had the desired effect; Alice paused and looked back at her curiously, the golden rings in her eyes growing even faster. Bella smiled, swinging their hands between them, and followed Alice to the front door. "It was really nice seeing you again, Esme, and I can't thank you enough for the food. For finding me in the woods, allowing me to stay in your home, calling Charlie last night."

"Oh, I'm happy to, dear," Esme said with a wave of her hand. She handed Alice the stack of Tupperware, full of food, and wrapped Bella up in a warm embrace. "Please come back soon, honey. Don't let Rosalie and Wensley put you off, the rest of us are very fond of you. They just need time."

"I'll be back later," Alice declared with a wiggle of her fingers towards Esme, and danced out the door.

A canary yellow Porsche sat in the driveway, looking shiny, impressive, and utterly expensive. Bella was afraid to breathe around it, scared she would somehow manage to ruin it just by being in its presence. Alice held open the passenger door after placing the food in the trunk, a perfect smile on her face.

As Bella slid into the leather seats, she breathed in deeply. A mixture of new, pristine car smell, and Alice. She smiled lazily and looked out the window, listening to the car roar to life. The trees passed by in a blur, much like the Cullens had been doing, and they were soon on the lone highway that led to the Swan residence.

The two seemed content to sit in silence, enjoying the ride as much as they enjoyed each other's company. Alice hummed now and then, along with a tune Bella could not hear, and Bella rested her eyes as she basked in the serenity of the moment.

Eventually, the trees surrounding either side of the road thinned out, and soon they were passing through town. Building after building, house after house, drawing ever closer to Bella's. She felt anxious and relieved all at once, both eager to get there and wanting to draw out this ride.

"What's your favourite colour?"

Bella prickled at the sudden question and looked over to see Alice chewing on her lip, her eyes glued to the road. She felt like she was a million miles away, though, and Bella wouldn't be surprised if she had no idea what road they were on. Still, she somehow felt safe. "Why?"

Alice let out a huff that could have been a laugh. "Most people would just answer such a simple question."

"Doesn't feel like a simple question."

She released her lip and finally glanced at Bella, looking entirely torn and Bella had no clue why. "Wensley was right. Rosalie is right. I'm risking everyone, my family, even you, Bella. If the Volturi had any idea what was happening, they would rain down on us all like a cloud of death, all because I'm too selfish to walk away. I can't just leave you, I don't want to leave you, Bella, but I've dragged everyone else into this, I've dragged you and your father into this, your friends down on the Res, and I don't even know your favourite colour!"

Bella frowned, turning in her seat to fully look at Alice and her death grip on the steering wheel. "It's white."

"Oh, well, now I feel so much better about risking everyone's life," Alice deadpanned. A laugh bubbled up out of Bella that had even Alice fighting off a smile. She sighed deeply, violently, as if she was forcing it, and shook her head. Eventually, she gave up on trying to hold onto her scowl and looked over at Bella curiously. Her dark mood was momentarily forgotten. "Why white?"

"I'm just super, mega, supremely racist," she replied simply. Alice scoffed, reaching over to lightly slap her thigh, and Bella grinned. "I guess because it's every colour."

"Really?"

She shrugged. "In a way, involving lights and reflections. What's your favourite colour?"

"Yellow," Alice chimed, with a hand flourish. "Obviously."

"Obviously," Bella agreed sarcastically. "I would have pegged it red from your room."

Alice made a face, her eyes briefly meeting Bella's. "Red is my least favourite."

"How come?" Then why is your room red?

She shrugged this time, squirming in her seat like she was uncomfortable. "It reminds me of blood," she answered quietly. Bella gave her a curious look. "It's on my mind often enough, I don't need help remembering it. Sometimes you just want to feel normal, you know? Pretend you're just a regular teenager going to school, making friends, having sleepovers, going to prom, living a life. Not some creature of the night, constantly consumed with stalking its prey, filling themselves on blood, always tempted to tear into someone's neck. It's a nightmare you can easily lose yourself in."

"Are you always tempted to tear into someone's neck?" Bella asked in a whisper, wondering just where her voice went.

Alice frowned deeply. "No." Her lips twitched and she grumbled, eyes narrowing in a slight glare at the road. "Well, not always. I do pretty well keeping my instincts in check, keeping the vampire at bay. I would say I'm very near Carlisle and Esme's level, but sometimes if it's been too long since I've hunted... you all start to smell very good, we'll say."

"Has that happened since you met me?"

"Never," Alice promised, looking over quickly. She locked eyes with Bella, reached over to grab a warmer hand in her own, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I've never gambled with my thirst when it comes to you, Bella, I would never. You're always safe with me, I swear."

Bella nodded earnestly. "I believe you."

"I just really don't want you to be scared of me."

Her voice was so small, her eyes so wide and anxious, Bella's entire face softened. "Trust me, Alice, I'm only scared of you in a good way."

"A good way?" Alice repeated with a crinkled brow, confusion clear on her face.

Another blush worked its way up Bella's neck and though she wanted to crack a window for Alice, knowing that it did affect her, she didn't want the pixie to think she was in any way scared about that. She just wanted to lessen the burden on her friend, but that probably wouldn't be clear to her. So she willed her blood to drain from her face, taking calming breaths. "Um, just... you know, like..." she gestured with her hands, not really sure what she was trying to get across. "Okay, like sometimes when you smile at me I feel like my heart is gonna beat right out of my chest."

"I know," Alice laughed, glancing down at Bella's shirt. "I can hear it. I'd be worried about a heart condition if Carlisle hadn't given you a clean bill of health."

Understanding dawned on Bella and she chuckled, slapping her forehead. "Super hearing?" she asked and watched Alice nod. "That makes sense, no wonder you're always looking at my chest. You can hear my heart making a fool of itself."

"Right. Yes. It's always your heart," Alice agreed quickly, her head snapping forward to stare at the red light they were stopped at. She impatiently tapped her thumbs against the steering wheel.

Bella watched all of this with narrowed, thoughtful eyes. "Why else would you stare at my-oh." She paused, head tilting to the side. "Oh. See? That right there! That scares me, it terrifies me, but, but it also feels good. I don't want it to stop. It's a good scared."

"Good," Alice repeated with a smile curling her lips. She pulled the car in behind Charlie's police cruiser, and let the car idle as she turned to look at Bella. "I think we need to have another conversation where we get things out in the open. About us, this thing between us."

"Well for starters, I don't think we should call it a thing."

"Why?"

Bella reached for her door handle. "Because things scare me. They're very elusive and obscure, they usually fuck people up, and they never go my way."

Clearly amused, Alice could only nod as she got out of the car to help load Bella up with her food. "Deal, it's not a thing. It's, hmm, a tautology."

"It is what it is because it is what it is?" Bella asked.

Alice watched her ascend the porch with a wide smile. "Puzzle pieces," she murmured to herself. A fuzzy feeling ticked the back of her brain, and her mood was instantly soured. She huffed, a pout sliding onto her face, and stopped Bella from just walking into the house by tugging on her shirt. "Wait, I can't come in."

"Why? I think it's about time you met Charlie. He adores you and your family already, don't worry. Plus, um, I don't really want you to go," she said with a shy smile, staring down at her feet.

A whine threatened to escape Alice's lips and she let out an exasperated sigh, leaning from foot to foot. "I don't want to either," she said with as much feeling as she could, trying to let Bella know through her tone that she meant it. "I would love nothing more than to spend the day with you, Bella."

"So do that then."

She huffed, a grumble working its way up, and crossed her arms. "I can't. You're going down to the Res, and obviously I can't follow," she said and Bella looked thoroughly confused. "Oh, I guess not obviously. Vampires and shifters don't mix well, I forgot to mention. We really need to set aside some time to talk, Bella, but we're not allowed on their land, and since that night you fought with Jacob, they're not allowed here in Forks."

"Why?" Bella asked curiously. Jake was here before when she first saw him again, and even the boys picked her up from school that day.

Alice looked a little sheepish, making patterns on the porch with her toes. "I may have demanded Carlisle set new boundaries with the wolves after your scuffle. You were hurt and I just... it was all I had not to go down there myself. I settled for forbidding them from our land, to give you a safe space from them, where they can't bother you or hurt you again. If you chose to go down there and see them, you could, but they couldn't force a confrontation with you, or show up without warning. I'm sorry if I overstepped."

"No, that was," Bella bit her lip again, "that was sweet, Alice. Thank you. Why do you think I'm going to the Res, though?"

Alice shrugged, absently reaching out to run her fingers along Bella's arm, basking in the warmth and delighted at the goosebumps that arose. "I can't get visions of you, but I am attuned to you. The wolves also affect my visions, a lot like static and black spots, and it's happening right now. Sort of. More like a feeling. It's hard to explain, but I know you'll be seeing them today. Since they can't come here, that means you're going there."

"I had been toying with the thought," Bella admitted. "I know Charlie is going down there today, so I guess I'll tag along with him. I've let Jake suffer long enough, it's time to fix this."

Stepping up close, Alice searched those reflective shades for eyes she knew she wouldn't find. "Be careful, Bella. Last time you came back with stitches. I don't know if I can restrain myself again, I'm getting in deeper and deeper every day." She looked down briefly and glanced back up under her lashes, her eyes smouldering and shy at the same time. "You're too important to me."

"It'll be fine, Alice," Bella promise as her heart stuttered in her chest. She watched golden eyes flicker down to it and back up, rolling her eyes with a chuckle. "I'll be back before you know it and if you want to have a sleepover in my bed this time, maybe we can talk some more tonight."

The smile on Alice's face was quite literally breathtaking, her eyes alight with immeasurable happiness. She bounced on her toes, pressing her lips to Bella's cheek and then her ear as she leaned in. "Leave your window unlocked."

And gone she was, back in her car in the blink of an eye, seconds before the house door opened and Charlie loomed over Bella. The two watched the bright car zip down the road, Bella with a giddy smile, Charlie with a bemused look. He waited until it was out of sight, his moustache twitching on his lip.

"So, you want me to ground you now or wait until you put your food down?"

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Maz, I will take that virtual hug, here's your friggin' update! I'm serious though guys, I'm not updating until next week now, I mean it, so stop tempting me, you seductive sirens!

Erza, I like where your mind is going, I like that you're thinking outside the box and using your imagination. You're wrong, but I like it. And who knows, you may only be wrong in this case. I'mma send you a virtual hug. It's from me and Maz.

Debbie Hicks, gurl, I'm for super cereal. What the fuck?

Kelly, it DOES but not shampoo. Deodorant and it's fucking gone and I'm super pissed about it. Thanks for the well wishes for my interview. Just came back from it – it went horribly I ended up in her lap at one point! Jk, I think it went well.

Kurojistou, I want to move to AO3 because the supercorp ship is boomin' there, dude. But I feel like a lil old granny who doesn't understand internet when I try navigating the setup. So. Idk, dude.

Aryalyn, done. Our resident weirdo is officially not a virgin (never had a girlfriend before, I touch on that in later chapters), but I'll be sure to work in how she's done the horizontal electric slide before.

Firenubs, I love you, you sweet beautiful reviewing angel.

peace, my peeps

Paige