A/N: I am back with the next chapter. Please review or follow me. I have reached 170 reviews and would like to go upto 200 soon. I know that 170 is not a lot, to cheer, but considering the number of chapters I have up here, it is a good amount of reviews- almost 17 per chapter.

I thank my beta Beautiful Romance Queen and my pre readers Twifansam and methiminmydreams for their wonderful jobs.

Disclaimer: 'Twilight' is owned by Stephenie Meyer. No profit is made from this work of fiction. It is solely for the purpose of entertainment. The story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to names, incidences, personalities, locations, etc. Is purely coincidental.

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10: THRESHOLD TO THE PAST
Third Person POV

Bella's nightmare had taken its toll on everyone. Rosalie became more distant, probably getting troubled by her own terrifying memories. Emmett became desperate trying to make her happy.

Alice's fragile heart couldn't handle Bella's screams. She spent the day watching over Bella as the latter slept after her nightmare. But Alice could see the pain on her face.

It was ironic how the one place that could give Bella a sense of sublimation troubled her the most. Alice could see it. But at least, she knew that there were people in the world who cared about her new sister- like Edward who had peaked in twicet o ask how Bella was doing, or her parents who had helped calm her down.

Bella had slept through the morning and Alice had sat by her side, reading a book. That was how Bella found her when the rays of the sun woke her up. Her eyes widened with fear upon seeing the unfamiliar face so close to her. She clutched the blanket close to her body and looked at Alice with wide eys. Alice backed away, holding her hands in front of her as if she was dealing with a frightened, skittish animal. In a way, she was, except Bella was a human.

"Wh- Who are y-you?" Bella asked. Her voice was low due to fear.

"It is okay," Alice attempted to soothe her. No its not, Bella thought. It never is. But Bella didn't voice it out loud. She knew that wouldn't end well for her. "I am Alice Cullen," Alice introduced. "Your new sister."

Bella nodded uncomfortably. She bit the insides of her cheeks to keep from crying. She had been able to hold in her tears for so many years. She didn't want to let go now. She could feel Alice's eyes on her and hugged herself protectively.

"M-May I… May I sit here?" Alice asked, pointing to the armchair. "I was, before you woke up."

Bella nodded again. Alice slowly took her former place, now relaxed that Bella had responded. Even though she hadn't spoken anything, her silence spoke volumes. Alice knew Bella was uncomfortable and afraid of her presence.

Bella slowly looked at Alice. She checked her posture, her look and her attire. Alice seemed harmless, but then again, so did Victoria, on first glance. But where Victoria had an 'in-your-face' beauty, Alice's was more subtle. Her pale complexion and small physique made her look…Brittle.

Alice slowly inched her hands forward and held Bella's. Bella stared at Alice's manicured nails with alarm and shock on her face.

"I am not going to hurt you. I just wanted to get to know you," Alice said. Bella didn't speak, but she acknowledged what Alice said with a curious glance at her. "Seems like you aren't going to speak," Alice murmured to herself. A small smile stretched on her face. Bella thought she looked pretty.

"I am seventeen. How old are you?" Alice asked.

"Fifteen. I will turn sixteen in September," Bella whispered with aquiescence. She was surprised that she had mustered the courage to respond. Upon seeing Alice, she knew she had done the right thing because Alice seemed to be happy. It was strange, because Bella wasn't used to it, but felt good.

"That's good," Alice said. She couldn't find anything else to fill the silence.

"H-How long did I sleep?" Bella asked.

"You slept through the day. It is almost eleven," Alice said.

Bella looked at her with alarm. "I am sorry," she whispered and ducked her head. She seemed to shrink back into her own self.

"Why are you sorry?"

"For sleeping for so long. I… It won't happen again," Bella replied softly.

Alice laughed. It was a pleasant sound. "It will, and it is okay."

"No it won't," Bella said promisingly.

"Yes it will. It does to everybody, Isabella. Everybody wishes to sleep in sometimes. And that is perfectly fine. No one will punish you or scold you, or even get angry if you do that," Alice explained to Bella.

"They won't? What about Carlisle, or Esme?"

"Isabella, they will understand. Don't worry. They will just be worried if you miss mealtimes or sleep for hours together," Alice said in a soothing voice. "Here, you will realize that no one will scold you if you sleep more, or eat more, or even talk more, for that matter."

Bella ducked her head. She was finding it all so confusing. She didn't know how to respond or react. She had so many questions swarming in her head and yet, she couldn't think of even one to ask. It was strange, how her questions filled her mind just to the rim- not more, not less. What she didn't realize was that they wouldn't spill over until she gave her mind a push.

She just stared at the comforter on her lap, and traced the blue flowers on it. Beside her, Alice sat and looked at Bella, wondering what to say. Alice didn't like how they had to be guarded and reserved around Bella. But she understood that it was for Bella's benefit- sudden actions or loud sounds would only scare her more. But Alice couldn't wait to let out her curbed spirit and truly enjoy with Bella.

"Umm…Do you…Are you hungry?" Alice asked Bella hesitantly. Bella didn't know how to answer. But her grumbling stomach made it easier. Now she just had to face the consequences. But even afraid, Bella couldn't hide the blush of embarassment that stretched across her face.

Alice chuckled and Bella heaved a sigh of relief. "It is okay to be hungry Bella. No one deserves to starve," Alice said. Unless it is James, thought Bella. She didn't know where this internal confidence had come from. Before, she didn't dare to curse James even in her mind. And now she was wishing that he would suffer.

"I will bring you something to eat," Alice said and moved to get up. Bella tried to stop her but Alice didn't.

Bella wasn't used to someone doing something for her. But it felt good and warm. She didn't know how long it would last, but she decided to enjoy it while it did. So when Alice came back with a plate of mashed potatoes and some chicken, Bella gave her a slight smile.

Alice placed the plate in front of Bella and kept a glass of water on the bedside table. "Eat up," she said. Bella slowly dug in, closing her eyes as she devoured the food. She had been hesitant at first, but then remembered Esme's rule of eating thrice a day.

When she was almost done, she looked up to see a blond girl standing near the doorframe. She looked beautiful and kind. Slowly, she strode inside the room, standing near the foot of the bed. Bella looked at her with wonder, because she hadn't ever seen such a beautiful woman- and one who looked to have a good soul.

"Isabella, this is Rosalie," Alice said. Rosalie waved at Bella and mouthed a 'hi.' She slowly sat at the edge of the bed and looked at Bella.

What she said next, shocked Bella.

"Bella, I am sorry for what you have been through. No one deserves that. And it is not my place to say that I understand your pain because no one can unless they have lived through it.

I completely get why you are overwhelmed, what with there being more than one or two strangers around you now. But, seeing that we know a little bit about your past, I feel that it is only fair that you know about us as well. What has happened to the others in the Cullen family, or how happy or sad their past was is not my story to tell. But I feel that I should tell you a bit about my past.

We all want you to be comfortable. Even if you don't believe it, you are a part of the family and I feel that you would be more comfortable if you know about us."

A/N: According to me, this is a good enough place to leave you all hanging. (Yes I am in the mood of being cruel.) For those of you who had read 'Blossom' earlier, you would probably be able to guess what is going to happen next. But don't worry, the next chapter is going to be up soon.