Ok this chapter might be a bit slow but I hope you like it.
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Chapter 12

Alice's POV

Typical! I hate Rosalie sometimes. I practically ran through the house until I reached the kitchen. Smoothing down my hair and straightening my clothes I joined Jasper and Esme in their conversation about birthday cakes! I was too busy thinking about what had just happened with Bella to add anything meaningful into the conversation; I was, however, able to add what appeared to be the right amount of nods and laughter at just the right time. I was going through every little detail again in my head, the kisses, the touches, the moans, the sounds, the movements; every little detail was on repeat in my mind. If I was human I doubt I'd be able to breathe.

I excused myself from the kitchen and left the house. I wandered around, meandering towards the woods, only really paying attention to the hyperactive cheeping of the birds in the area. Then she caught my scent. Rosalie was coming towards me, what did she want? I was in no mood for her clothing crisis or new drama involving her hatred of Bella! I took a few deep breaths just to fill myself with the scent of the trees before I turned to face my beautiful sister.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?!" Her face was contorted into rage and her voice, usually so soft and mocking was filled with venom, excuse the pun. I stepped back, unsure of what she meant and fearful of what I suspected.

"What do you mean?" I tried to act as innocent as possible, smiling as sweetly as I could manage.

"You know what I mean Alice! You and Bella!" I actually felt my jaw hit the floor. My eyes went wide and my stomach vacated my body. I couldn't talk; I just stood there flapping my mouth like a fish!

"Edward doesn't know if that's what you're scared of and neither does Jasper." She had her arms folded across her chest and she now had that disgusting look of superiority!

"How?" I was staring at the floor, utterly ashamed and terrified. I didn't want to hurt anyone.

"Oh please Alice! It's me; if anyone in this house can spot an affair it's going to be me! Besides, I could smell Bella all over you." I just realised then that she was right, how had Jasper and Esme not realised?!

"Everyone else just thinks you're really close and you're helping her through this difficult time."She was talking in a monotonous, sarcastic tone, obviously repeating something that had already been said.

"Bella told Edward that you two were just talking in the bathroom and you gave her a much needed hug. He believed her." I lowered my head even more, unable to say anything.

"Finish it Alice, before things go bad." She left then. Was that a warning, a threat, a suggestion? It was hard to tell with Rosalie. I don't think she'd tell Edward or Jasper, she'd be too afraid of what they'd do. But still, I was pretty sure she'd go out of her way to either make things difficult for me and Bella or to make sure we were caught. Crap. Just another thing to think about I guess.

I continued walking through the woods, not caring where my feet took me until I spotted something that destroyed me completely. A cottage! A little fairytale cottage, hidden in the trees! I knew that there was a cottage around here, I knew it wasn't being used and it was a bit run-down, what I didn't know is that it had been done up, the roof had been mended, the walls had been painted, windows had been put in, furniture had been bought or made and the garden!...the garden was nicely set out, bird table, a few rose bushes, a small pond, a lovers seat and there, right in the middle of the garden was Bella and Edward! Holding each other tightly, kissing each other sweetly, loving each other tremendously and killing me completely! With my heart disintegrating I fled the terrifying sight before me and headed up the mountain.

I spent hours up there, just sitting on a rock, thinking and trying not to feel. My stomach was feeling empty so I killed a young deer, which just made me feel sick. As the sun began to set and the wind started to pick up I decided it was probably time for me to get back.

I took my time going down the mountain, twisting and turning between the rocks and trees, dragging my feet and letting my hands scrape carelessly across a few of the bigger trees, taking chunks of the bark with me. I almost tripped over a huge root poking out of the ground and stopped to take my anger out on the unfortunate tree when something tickled my nostrils. What was that? It smelled familiar and yet new at the same time...

I followed it through the woods; it was getting stronger and stronger, and more familiar with every step I took. I was close, I could almost taste it, what was it though? I saw something dark and slimy against a tree, that has to be it! I slowly moved closer, preparing myself for anything, a low growl escaped my throat and I stretched my hands out, my fingers and their unbelievably sharp nails resembling claws. As I drew closer I was shocked, the tree had a whole running straight through it! How was it still standing...how did it happen? There was no noise at all in this area around the dark slime. Nature had run away. Then it hit me! I could smell old blood, venom, Volturi...Jane! This was Jane's blood! Where was she? What had happened? Is this a trap? The wind blew and swirled my hair around my face and with it came another scent. Bella. Bella had been here...she had been somewhere. I got closer to Jane's blood against the tree, sniffing at it intently. Bella's scent was inside the hole in the tree with Jane's scent surrounding it. It all came together, unravelling itself in my mind. Bella had done this, she'd attacked Jane. Why? I searched the area and pretty soon I found what I really didn't want to find, a pile of ashes hidden by dead, wet leaves. Oh Bella, what have you done?!

Panicking I rushed home as quick as I could, I had to find Bella, I had to know what had happened...holy crap...what if the Volturi came back for Jane?!

I stormed through the kitchen door and flew through the house; Bella wasn't here, the cottage! I raced to the cottage and found her and Edward dancing in the sitting room! I knocked a little too hard on the door and it crumbled under my clenched fist.

"Bella?" I shouted her name, trying to keep my voice level and calm, making sure to keep my head free of any thoughts about Bella or what I had found. I'd had a lot of practice of hiding my thoughts from Edward, especially recently. Edward and Bella were at the door in less than a second. Edward scowled at the mess of the door on the floor while Bella just stared at me with an expression closely resembling fear and confusion.

"I need to talk to you, please." She knitted her brow together and started biting her lip. My stomach flipped, I hadn't realised how amazing she looked when she did that before now.

"Can't this wait Alice?" Edward looked annoyed; I guess I'd just interrupted what was meant to be a romantic evening of loveliness and hard core sex! Great! After a few moments I managed to convince Edward that I needed Bella's help with relationship difficulties.

I let Bella lead the way; we took a car and headed out for a drive into Forks. We sat in silence as Bella drove the car through the dark streets and, I noticed, managed to avoid driving anywhere near her old house. After a few more moments we came to a stop by the side of the road near the school. This was it; I had to get it over with.

"I know what happened." She gripped the steering wheel tightly, I heard it crack before she let go and saw a small piece had fallen onto her knees.

"What happened?" She looked angry and was staring out of the front window, avoiding my eyes at all costs.

"With Jane, I found the tree and the ashes..." I trailed off, not wanting to push her. She took began twirling her hair around her fingers and biting her bottom lip again...goodbye stomach!

"I don't know what you..."

"Bella don't insult me. I saw the tree, I saw the blood and I saw the ashes. I saw what was left. What happened Bella? Why?" I was close to screaming when she looked at me and I saw the fear in her eyes.

"I didn't mean to Alice, I just found her there, she tried to use her pain thing on me and I got angry, I couldn't stop myself, it all happened so quick!" I pulled her close to me, wrapping my arms around her as she started shake, she was sobbing but no tears were coming out. I stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head softly, I didn't know what to do, I just wanted her to smile again. She clung to me, her fingers gripping at my top and her face buried in my neck.

"It's OK, it's all going to be OK Bella, we'll work this out." I whispered my words into her hair, knowing she would hear them and hoping they would have some effect.

"No, Alice, I'm glad she's dead, she hurt Edward, she tried to hurt me, if she had the chance she would have hurt everyone I care about, including you!" I pressed my face into her hair and held her closer and tighter.

"I...I did something Alice, something that's not...right." Her voice was shaking and she was pulling nervously at my top. I didn't know what to think, what could she possibly have done?!

"Bella? What did you do?" I pulled away slightly, just enough so I could look her in the eyes while she was talking.

"I...I did...it's nothing, it doesn't matter." She wiped her dry eyes and pulled away from me; taking hold of the steering wheel again she stared out into the road.

"Bella, tell me, please. Let me help you." I think I got through to her; she lowered her head and took a deep and useless breath.

"I did something wrong...I didn't mean to, I don't why I did it, it just happened."

"Bella, what is it? What did you do?"

"I..." the pause was agonising, I wanted to shake her until she told me but I just sat still, not even blinking, waiting for her to tell me.

"...I...I drank Jane's blood." She spat it out into the silence. Like a disgusting odour it lingered in the air until it disappeared and was replaced by shock.

"You...you did what?!" I couldn't believe what she'd said. She had to be wrong! She probably just tried to rip Jane apart and some blood got in her mouth. She couldn't have drunk some of Jane's blood! This was Bella, it just wasn't possible!

"I drank her blood. I could smell it when I got close to her, I didn't want to stop, I wanted to drink it all, it tasted so good Alice, and I couldn't control it." Her head was almost in her knees. Why had she done this?! Why wasn't anything ever simple with Bella?! Crap, crap, crap, crap, crappidy crap!

"Bella, have you told anyone else about this?"

"No, but I asked Carlisle about drinking vampire blood and he told me what happens." Good, well at least nobody else knew. We had a chance to fix this!

"Bella, there's a chance the Volturi might come here looking for Jane. You might need to leave!" It was like a knife in the stomach saying it but it had to be said. If the Volturi did come and they found out what had happened, which knowing the Volturi they probably would, Bella had to run and hide or they'd kill her! I couldn't live if that happened. I couldn't stand being in a world without Bella! We talked it over, she didn't want to leave, as much as I hated it, I didn't want her to stay. We started shouting, we were swearing, arms were flying everywhere. Nothing got resolved.

"Alice, there's something I didn't tell you." I nodded for her to continue, too exhausted to talk.

"When I was confronting Jane I hurt her. I made her hurt herself just by thinking it..." My mouth formed a little "O". This could help the situation. If Bella could make Jane, a powerful, evil, sadistic little bitch hurt herself then maybe; just maybe she could defend herself against the Volturi...at least long enough for her to make her escape. We didn't talk anymore; I just sat in silence, turning a million thoughts over in my head as Bella drove us home. The glow of the street lights highlighted the mist that had blown in this evening, everything looked mystical, surreal. Great! It was just the right setting for a Volturi attack! Nothing happened. The car wound round the bends and corners of Forks, flying along the empty roads, skimming across the mist-covered surfaces towards the safety of our home.

I made to sure to hide any thoughts I had that Edward might pick up concerning Bella or the Volturi; I didn't want him flying into a rage and doing something...stupid. We got out of the car in awkward silence. My movements were slow and stiff whereas Bella couldn't seem to get away from me fast enough! She was gone from my sight before I had even straightened up and shut my door. Things were back to being weird again. I just wish I knew what was going on between us sometimes. Forget about the Volturi and Jane, I just wanted to know where I stood with Bella. First she says it's wrong, then we're at it in a tree, then she says she cares about me, then she goes all weird, then we're at it on the floor, now it's all weird again. Bella really should come with an instruction manual, I have no idea how Edward copes sometimes!

I walked towards the house, kicking at loose stones, shooting them off far into the distance. Something was wrong, the air was too stale, the mist wasn't cold enough and the night was too quiet. I stopped in my tracks, it hit my like a bolt of lightning. I saw them running through my mind. Shadowy figures, walking in a line, breaking down a door, dragging someone out, there was blood, screams, a flash of an evil smile, cloaks, uniforms, tears, and then Bella, covered in blood, held down by an innumerable amount of men...correction, vampires! It disappeared as quickly as it had come. What the hell was it? Was it Bella going crazy? She wasn't going to become an addict was she? What the hell is going on?! I needed answers!

I ran back to car, practically ripping the door away from the body I searched the seats, looking for my phone, where is it?! I found it after a few panic-stricken moments, wedged under the passenger seat! I locked myself in the car, made sure all the windows were up before I dialled; my fingers moving faster than I could see them. It was ringing, I pressed the phone to my ear, counting the times it rang, once, twice, three times, four, I was practically screaming by the fifth when I got an answer!

"Who's calling please?" The voice was soft and polite at the other end, receptionist, typical receptionist.

"My name is Alice Cullen, could you please put me in contact with Thomas."

"One moment please." Some quiet music was played down the phone before there was a clicking sound and a new, male voice was talking to me.

"Alice! Long time, no speak. How's Carlisle? And Jasper?" I could almost imagine him smiling his huge toothy grin. Of all the vampires I had ever known, Thomas was the one who surprised me the most by being part of an organisation such as the Volturi. We'd met him a few years ago, well when I say a few I mean perhaps thirty. He was living in the sewers in a town we happened to be passing through. Feeding off rats and homeless people he was a sorry sight. Carlisle brought him out into the world, tried to make him see there was another way, tried to convince him to join our family. It didn't work. He hungered for humans too much. He managed to stumble across some of the Volturi a few months later, they were very interested in him, he has very special gifts. He can erase memories. A few years ago, when we were in regular contact he used to joke that he should have joined the men in black instead of the Volturi. Now he works with computers. It sounds stupid I know, a vampire computer geek, but he loves the machines! He monitors them for any news of vampires, rumours, suspicious deaths or sightings, if he finds them then the Volturi are on their way. He might work for people I didn't like very much but he was still my friend.

"Hey Thomas, Carlisle and Jasper are fine. I need a favour."

"Anything for you sweet pea!" I giggled to myself, Thomas was such a flirt, harmless but persistent!

"I need some information, or a heads-up, or both!" I heard his fingers whizzing across a keyboard and knew he was multi-tasking, it surprised me the amount of activities Thomas could do at the same time.

"Sure, what do you need to know?"

"I need to know if your bosses have any interest in a person named Bella. A newborn."

"OK, give me a minute." I heard faster tapping as he entered the information into one of his many computers. After three or four seconds he spoke again.

"Bella, currently resides in Forks, Washington, USA, she is marked as a high priority investment. Other than that I'm afraid I can't tell you much." High priority, so they were interested in her, no mention of anything to do with Jane though so that was good.

"Thanks Thomas, could you maybe give me a call if her status changes at all? Any tiny change, give me a call please?"

"No problem Alice, take care of yourself now. Say hi to Carlisle for me!" I promised to say hi to Carlisle for him and thanked him again, ignoring his final comment, asking what clothes I had on. I hung up the phone and closed my eyes, resting my head back against the seat when there was a banging on the window.

"Alice, what the hell is going on?!" Crap! It was Edward, he looked pissed! Had I been thinking about...? I think I had! Had he heard? Maybe? Crap! What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?! I swallowed nothing and slowly got out of the car.