Chapter 11

JT, you are my world and my girl. Love always, beautiful. 3

Sunflower3759, without your mad skills this story would never be the sparkle it is.

Author's Note: This story is being put on a schedule. The posting will happen every Tuesday. Because this is a story that can't be pre-planned I need time to work through the plot.

I love everyone who is on this journey with Bella. Together we can all protect her and reunite her with Edward, maybe. :P

Reminder: SM owns these beautiful characters. I'm only using them for my twisted needs.

~LBC~

"Fine. Let's talk." Bella relented as she moved across the room.

Sitting next to Alice, Bella took a deep breath. She had mixed emotions about this conversation. She had thought about it many times. Planned what she would say, what she would believe, every detail.

The one thing Bella had never considered was why she would ever have the chance to talk to Alice. She had never thought past the conversation itself. Now, her father was dead, Riley, an unknown vampire, wanted her dead, and the Cullens had deceived her for two years. It was a lot to deal with.

There were so many things Bella had to say and now that the time had arrived she wasn't sure where to start. She looked over at Alice who sat patiently, which for Alice was very strange.

"Okay, Alice, spill." Bella demanded calmly.

Alice took an unneeded breath, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for so many things. I should've fought harder for you five years ago. I walked away without fighting for you, for all of us. It was wrong of me. I saw your future then, I knew what it was going to be. You were suppose to have a life with us."

"It doesn't matter now, Alice. He and I weren't meant to be. He knew it then, but as a human it took me a long time to figure that out. I've moved on, or at least I thought I had. I just have to finish things with him." Bella responded. This conversation wasn't starting out right. Her anger was there but so far, she had managed to keep it under control.

Alice shook her head. "No, Bella. I still see a future for you. You will still become one of us but...but I don't see Edward in the picture now. Not the way I did then. You were both happy and full of love when you looked at each other. Now, I see you as a newborn, but I can't see anyone with you or your existence after that."

Bella was visibly shocked. The idea that Alice had seen visions of her as a vampire was beyond belief. She thought for a moment and came to a stunning revelation. She whispered the words. "He knew."

There was silence in the room, and Alice couldn't deny the truth. She reached out and wrapped her cold hand around Bella's. She sighed, "He knew."

Bella tore her hand away from Alice, rose and walked across the room. Her body felt icy, her mind was numb. She balled up her hand and smashed it against the wall. "He ruined me in more ways than I even realized."

"Bella, he didn't want that for you. He wanted you to have a life. A normal human life. He wanted..."

Bella turned and stared down at Alice. "I don't want to hear it. He was selfish then and still is. I don't want to talk about him anymore." Her limit was being tested and Alice wasn't going to push it further.

Alice must have sensed that now wasn't the time for this conversation. For Bella, there never would be a proper time. "I'm assuming you have more you want to tell me. Let's clear the air on all of this."

"I'm not done with my apologies, Bella. I have so much that I need to make up for. I'm sorry for what happened to Charlie. We knew there was a rogue vampire around but he was always going after the wolves' territory. If we had gone after him, Charlie would still be here."

Bella felt her herself shake. She wrapped her arms around herself willing the emptiness away. Her anger fell into despair and she allowed the tears to come. "I miss him so much, Alice."

Alice was instantly behind Bella, wrapping her arms around her. Bella felt the goose bumps rise where Alice's body touched hers. Her body was slowly pulled back to the couch where Alice immediately released her. She sank down, allowing the tears to run freely down her face. Alice returned with a blanket. As she put it around her shoulders, Bella fell into her arms. It felt so good.

Bella wasn't sure if Alice would be comfortable like this, but she needed to feel that long abandoned marble cocoon. She couldn't find comfort from a man with a heart of stone, so maybe, just maybe, Alice could be an acceptable substitute.

Alice held Bella tight to her, allowing her the time to grieve. Bella's breathing was ragged, her eyes stung from the tears, her lips continued to quiver. Her chest hurt from the void inside her heart. Alice didn't let go, didn't speak. She just kept Bella safe as she let it all out. It was her opportunity to show Bella she was there for her.

~ANL~

Bella felt the fog lift from within her head. The light coming in through her bedroom window suggested it was morning. She shot up, looking around her room. How? When?

There was a light knock on the door. "Bella, is it okay for me to come in?"

"Yes." Bella's voice was raspy, her throat was on fire.

Alice stepped into the room, carrying a steaming cup. She presented it to Bella. "It's tea. I hope you don't mind. I called Carlisle and asked him what I could make to help your throat."

"How did you...? Never mind. Stupid question." Bella's voice cracked. She sipped on the tea, feeling the soothing effect quiet the wounds within her throat.

"How..." Bella began to ask.

"Ssshhh. You shouldn't talk for a little while." Alice chuckled slightly. "Doctor's orders."

Bella found that a bit funny but didn't want to laugh. She was sure her raw throat was due to her meltdown the night before.

"You passed out in my arms last night. I carried you upstairs and stayed with you all night." Alice answered the last question Bella was going to ask.

Bella thought hard on her next question. Alice's eyes squinted as she turned and headed out the room. "No, Edward tried but I sent him packing. I knew you wouldn't want him here."

Another pause as Alice returned to the bedroom. She sat on the bed behind Bella. As Alice ran a brush through Bella's hair, she focused on the near future, sensing Bella's next question.

Bella knew this was a hard subject for her to talk about. Thankfully, she herself couldn't talk, but she could knew for certain that she would be able to feel the emotions that were going to rip through her.

Alice continued to brush Bella's hair. She began the story with a quiet tone. "Edward went looking for Victoria when we left. He swore he would never give up until he found and destroyed her.

After two years and many cold trails, Edward found out that Victoria had been spotted here in Forks. His first and only thought was you. He couldn't allow you to come to harm. It had become his mission to protect you any way he could.

When we arrived, we went searching for anything to let us know where she was. The wolves were slightly shocked to find out we had returned. They threatened us, but when they heard why we were here, things got a little weird."

Alice paused and moved across the room. "Yes, Bella, weird. Something had shifted within the pack since we left."

Another pause. "Right, let me explain. The wolves have a leader, an alpha. Sam was the alpha when we left but something happened while we were gone. We didn't know this, but Sam isn't the true alpha."

Bella raised her eyebrows, staring at Alice, waiting for the answer of the unspoken question.

"Jacob. He's the true alpha."

The look of shock on Bella's face spoke everything she was thinking, and trying to process what Alice had said. Jacob is an alpha. Bella had done so much research years back when she needed to make sense of everything. Wolves lived in packs with one alpha, only one. How had the La Push wolves managed so easily with two alphas in their pack? Bella tucked that question away for later.

Alice moved to Bella's suitcase and found her some clothes. After placing them on the bed, she headed out of the room again.

Bella heard Alice start the shower. She knew it was time to begin the day. There was still more she wanted to know and she would make sure Alice told her.

~LBC~

Sitting on the couch, after having showered and been fed a breakfast fit for a queen, Bella watched as Alice searched the future.

"Bella, we couldn't find Victoria. The wolves hadn't seen her either. We decided it would be best if we moved on again before anyone else knew we had returned. There was a small flaw to that plan. Because of all the wolves, I was blinded to the future, including ours."

Bella spoke softly, testing her voice. "You can't see because of the wolves?"

"They blind my ability. No one else is affected, just me."

"What happened?" Bella whispered.

"Charlie." Alice said chuckling. "He really was a good cop. He found out we were back."

"Alice?" Bella knew there was so much more to that comment.

"He arrived at the house, and he threatened Edward. He loved you so much, Bella. You truly were the most important thing in his life." Alice answered with so much love in her voice.

"He loved me, Alice. He would've done anything for me." She mourned.

"And he did. He wanted to protect you. That's why you never knew we were here. Edward wanted to respect Charlie's wishes. Everyone wanted to protect you."

"Protect me? Alice, I had an encounter with Victoria in Seattle, remember."

"Bella, I don't know why, but I never saw that. I kept searching for Victoria but I never saw anything concerning you. I'm sorry, I knew where you were but every time I searched to make sure you were okay..." Alice admitted.

It seemed Alice and Bella made the same connection to the known facts at the same time. "The wolves. You couldn't see me cause the wolves were close by." Bella spoke first.

"I've been blind for a while now, and it was pure luck that you and Jasper came across each other. I hadn't seen you finding him. I don't understand any of this. Why would the wolves have been around you? Watching you, maybe?"

"I don't know, Alice. I never saw any of them." Bella was getting the feeling that the answers were now turning into more questions.

"Listen, Bella, I just want you to know that I always loved you. I wanted you to be safe, but Edward's way of doing it was flawed. He knows it now, too, but he still feels he did what was right." Alice declared. "I hope that someday you can forgive all of us for everything that's happened."

Bella responded to Alice's statement. "I'm not sure how I feel about anything, Alice, but I need someone in my life. You're here, and admitting you were wrong about some things that happened, and that's more than anyone else has done so far. I do forgive you, but trusting you will take time."

Alice had focused her attention across the room, out the window. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you, Bella."

Bella knew something was going on. "Alice?"

"Bella, I know you really won't want to do this, but I want you to come to the house. Rosalie and Emmett are coming. Something's happened."

Bella felt her heart drop. "Please, Alice, not again."

"Victoria and Riley are in Forks."

I have a tiny bit of writer's block going on so I need serious help. I have some mysteries figured out but getting there is getting a little difficult.

Victoria and Riley are up to no good.

1. What are they doing?

1. They are attacking and killing local residents.

2. They are attacking the wolves.

3. They're coming for Bella.

4. They are attacking the Cullens.

Rec'd:

Mud, Sweat & Beers by SparrowNotes24. What can I say besides, Edward, Jasper and Emmett in uniform. *drops*