Chapter 10: Genie

A/N: I own nothing. Characters are all Stephenie Meyers' creations. This is unbeta'd so apologies for any & all mistakes. Please take the time to leave some words if you really loved it or really hated it!

-Bella POV-

Edwards kept me pinned against the alley wall far longer than was strictly necessary, kissing me roughly over my face and neck for hours. Eventually responsibility caught up with him and he knew he had to dispose of the two corpses. He pulled back away from me, dressing himself quickly before glancing over at me again. He put his hands on either side of my head enclosing me against the wall.

"Please don't go anywhere," He pleaded his voice broken and soft. He kissed me softly on the corner of my mouth. "Don't leave me."

"I'll be here." I assured him.

I wasn't sure how long he would be gone but I knew he wouldn't be hurrying back. He had things to think through. I walked to the end of the alley and watched the city starting to come to life. I was standing in the shadows just in case but the day was dawning overcast anyway. I was thinking about my life since Edward crashed into it. And since Alice and Jasper were there to help me. As if on cue I heard the lilting voice of my saviour.

"Bella?" She whispered.

"Alice? What are you doing here?"

"I had a vision of last night. I wanted to see if you would back come home. Both of you. Then I had a vision of you saying yes and I didn't stop to think. I just ran out of the house to find you."

I thought about family and the comforts of living in the house. Not that I needed to be warm and comfortable but the other luxuries, like music. "Of course, Alice. I'll come with you."

She grabbed me around the neck, "Yay!" Then she took a step back, her face vague – she was staring into the future. "Oh my god!"

"What is it Alice?"

She shook her head, "I've got to go. I'm going to make things worse."

I laughed, "Nonsense. We'll talk to Edward. I'm sure he'll understand."

"No, please, Bella. I've got to go."

"If you have to, but Edward will be back very soon." I could tell she was debating whether to stay despite the vision. It was obvious that she missed Edward.

She gasped, "I'm sorry Bella. It's too late."

Now I clung to her, "Too late for what?"

"I...I can't stop it from happening no matter what I do. It doesn't matter if I stay or go."

"Can't stop what Alice? Stop talking in riddles."

She shook her head sadly and wrapped her arms around my waist. "I'm going to miss you so much."

I wanted to pull her closer and never let go, "What are you talking about? I told you I was coming home. Edward will understand, he'll come home too."

Her breathing hitched and she let loose a sob against my chest.

"It's alright, Alice."

I heard the noise of someone approaching at the other end of the alley and I could tell by footsteps it was Edward. I turned my head in his direction and smiled carefully. I didn't want to frighten him off if he saw Alice was here. Edward stood rooted to the spot staring like a deer in headlights. I pulled away from Alice but grabbed her hand, pulling her down towards Edward. I walked slower than a human, not wanting to startle him. I felt duel parts of myself warring with each other. The desire to go home and be safe, return to the Cullen's lifestyle and the desire to flee and keep running, hunting predators and getting them off the streets. The closer I got to Edward the stronger the conflict became.

Alice sobbed again.

"What is it Alice?" Edward said softly. The desire to go home was starting to win out over the other.

"I'm so sorry Edward. I...I shouldn't have come."

Edward let out a strangled cry. "No! Why?" I wanted to pull him into my arms and never let go. I dropped Alice's hand and walked over and put my arm around Edward's head. He dropped his forehead to my shoulder and put his hands on my hips for support.

"I don't know. I think it's her talent."

My mind whirled, they were talking about me. But what was my talent. I thought about everything that had happened to me so far, there was nothing I could do that was special. I couldn't see the future or read minds.

The duelling needs within me fought strongly against each other again. I tried to think about what I really wanted. What I needed. And that's when it happened. As if some switch had been flicked in my brain I could see the need Alice had for me and Edward to go home with her radiating around her like an aura. I also saw the need Edward had to wrap me in his arms and never let me go.

I had known when he needed to be comforted. Known when he needed to feed. I had known Alice's desire for me to understand why Edward had done what he did to me. The family's need for Edward to be happy and not be alone anymore. Edward's desire to stay away from his family. His need to pass his life into someone else's control, if only for brief times. I had even felt the need of those guys in the bar to do violence to me. I realised every feeling, every emotion, I had experienced since waking up was the result of someone else's needs, someone else's desire.

I could see Edward's need to be loved and comforted radiating out of him as we stood there. I stepped back away from him, shaking my head.

Was that my talent - to be a puppet for other people's whims?

"No." I whispered in answer to my own silent question. Alice and Edward both wheeled around to face me. "No!" I shouted.

Edward stepped out towards me, "Bella, please stay. I love you." It was the first time he had said it and earlier I might have rejoiced but at the moment it made me feel sick.

"Please." His need was growing in strength, I could see it shimmering around him, soaking into the alley walls. "Please stay, you love me too. You said so. Please...stay."

I shook my head and took another step back. I had to stay away from him. I couldn't let myself be tossed around from desire to desire.

"No." I whispered again looking at the ground. I raised my eyes and met his, "I don't know if I love you."

He broke and fell against Alice. I turned and ran.

*****

-Edward POV-

I knew something was wrong as soon as I got back to the alley. Bella was at the far end. She had her arms wrapped around someone, but I couldn't make out who it was from this angle. Bella turned her head in my direction and smiled slightly. She unwrapped herself from the other person and I saw immediately it was Alice. Why did she come? I hadn't decided to go home. Alice was the one person who usually granted me freedom when I needed to be alone – she could see the results if she didn't. I couldn't move. Bella pulled Alice by the hand and walked slowly towards me. Bella looked stoic and beautiful. Like a calm ocean. Alice however looked like she was ready to turn and flee. As they stepped closer I heard Alice sob and it broke my heart thinking I did that to her, to the family.

"What is it Alice?" I asked quietly. For a brief second I wanted to go home again, but I knew I couldn't. Not until I was ready to commit to their lifestyle again.

She looked me in the eyes, "I'm so sorry Edward. I...I shouldn't have come." Images filled my head of the visions she had. The one of Bella saying she would go home, the reason Alice came here. Then Bella looking frightened and angry before turning to me and telling me she didn't love me.

The cry was at my lips before I could stop it. "No! Why?"

Bella dropped Alice's hand and walked over to me. She wrapped her arm around my head. Alice is wrong, I thought to myself. I need Bella with me. I can't let her go, she is the only thing that has kept me sane the past 24 hours. And the only thing I have thought of since I first met her.

I dropped my head onto Bella's shoulder, inhaling her scent to try to get some comfort. I put my hands on her waist to steady myself.

"I don't know. I think it's her talent." Alice whispered. I think she's a genie. A wish-fulfiller. Think about it, she has anticipated every one of your needs since walking into your life - hasn't she.

I nodded. I had thought it was because she loved me. That's what she told me. I thought maybe we were connected on some level. As much as I always thought she would run, part of me knew she wouldn't. I knew she was going to be my constant in this world.

It took two of us with battling desires for her to realise. I'm sorry this is all my fault.

"No," Bella whispered. I thought for a second she was fulfilling Alice's need to be comforted but when I looked at her I knew I was wrong. Storms were raging on the once calm ocean of her eyes. "No!" She shouted.

I took a step towards her. I wanted her to stay. I needed it. She had to know that. "Bella, please stay. I love you."

She stared at me with conflicted eyes. I couldn't stand it if she left me now. I needed her so badly.

"Please." I begged her. "Please stay, you love me too. You said so. Please...stay."

She shook her head and took another step away from me. I saw her face pass from confusion to anger.

"No." She whispered. Then she met my eye, "I don't know if I love you."

I felt my heart shatter. My soul. My entire being broken into a thousand pieces.

If she had screamed at me yesterday, told me she hated me for doing what I did to her it couldn't have hurt nearly as much as this did. After a perfect day, after giving me everything I needed she was snatching it cruelly away. But I couldn't hate her for it. I wanted her to have what she wanted. What she needed. I didn't want her to love me if it wasn't what she wanted.

I didn't have control over myself anymore. My mind had retreated far within to hide from the pain, but it didn't work. I couldn't even hear the thoughts of those around me. I was alone with my pain.

I finally felt some feeling return to my body, my mind started to open and I could hear thoughts again. But I could only concentrate on one voice. Alice was silently running a mantra through her head that Bella just needed time to figure it out and she would be back. But although I could hear the sincerity in her desire for that to be true I could also tell it wasn't based on a vision or any evidence. It was just what we both wanted. Alice gently stroked my hair to go along with her silent thoughts. I realised I was curled in the foetal position on the alley floor my head in Alice's lap.

I felt venom running down my cheeks and my eyes were watery. I couldn't understand the sensation. Alice curled down and kissed my forehead.

Welcome back.

I squeezed my eyes shut to try to block out the pain that I felt.

"She left me." I said involuntarily.

"Shh." Alice said and started stroking my hair again.

I'm taking you home. There was no question in her thoughts. You need to be near us now.

I started to shake my head. I couldn't go home with crimson eyes and a broken heart.

If Bella comes back she will go to our house. If you are running around the country she won't be able to find you.

I knew she was right. It was what broke my resolve. I would wait anywhere if it meant even another second in Bella's presence.

"Jasper will be here soon."

I nodded, I could see her vision of him arriving. The sun was a little lower in the sky than it was now, so we would still have a couple of hours. The sun had just been dawning when my world ended. It was just after noon now. Alice had us drawn back into the shadows of some crates so we wouldn't be exposed to the sun.

"Thank you." I whispered to her. "For being here."

I shouldn't have come, you could have been happy for longer.

I shook my head. As much as I was hurting right now I was glad Alice had come, I was glad Bella could escape my need for her if it was the only thing tying her to me.

"I want her to get what she needs."

Is it too much to ask of the world to allow you to be happy?

I nodded, "It is. I don't deserve it – not after what I did to her."

But she loves you. I know she does.

"How can you know that?"

Woman's intuition

"But you wanted her to forgive me?"

I felt Alice nod.

"And then after she did so easily part of you wanted her to be with me?"

She nodded again and sobbed when she realised what I was saying. You think I influenced her.

I didn't want Alice to feel guilty, it was everyone's fault. "At first, but then everyone else would have wanted the same thing. I wanted the same thing."

With her talent how did she stand a chance of not loving you in that environment? Especially when she didn't know how it worked.

"Exactly." And how could she have loved me without it, I thought.

She must be so confused at the moment.

"I wouldn't know." I said darkly, now more than ever I wished she wasn't so silent to me. Maybe that way I would have known it was just my own desires being reflected back on me. That way I wouldn't have allowed hope to sneak into my heart. I knew it was hope that had finished me off.

Alice and I sat in silence while we waited for Jasper but I couldn't avoid her thoughts. She was spending the seconds analysing every conversation she and Bella shared. I would have asked her to stop but I was enjoying the sight of Bella smiling and interacting with my family far too much. They had all accepted her so easily. As had I. But now she was gone and I had to go home alone.