Chapter Twelve

Alice

There was chaos at the police station just as Esme had predicted but the dispatcher promised me that Bella would be contacted just as soon as communication with the outside world was re-established and everything was straightened out.

"Don't concern yourself, Miss Cullen, we do know how to conduct ourselves in a crisis, now please, I am extremely busy."

"What about his cats?"

"His cats? What about them?"

"Who's going to look after them now?"

She didn't even bother to answer that, just rolled her eyes as if to say I've far more important things to deal with right now.

"If that's everything..."

One of the deputies came in at this point and her attention went straight to him so I left. I still hadn't gotten anywhere locating Bella and I wasn't going to have any luck there. If nothing else, surely she would be back for her father's funeral and then I could see for myself that she was fine and this nagging doubt would be satisfied.

Jasper was waiting when I stepped out of the station,

"Any luck? They've got everything sorted out at the school and the clinic is just about coping for now."

I shrugged,

"Nope, none at all but they are run off their feet with the accident. Poor Bella, first she loses her mom and then her dad. What do you think will happen to her? She's all alone in the world now. I'd…."

Suddenly everything went dark as if I were in a space with no windows and no lights. I felt cold and afraid but also confused and sick.

"Alice? Alice?"

Jasper's voice called me back to reality, the vision having gone as quickly as it had hit leaving me confused, what had I just seen?

I explained my vision to Jasper,

"But I don't know what it means Jazz. I have no idea where I was or even who I was, it was so jumbled."

"That's strange because I've been getting the feeling that there's something very wrong, someone's in danger, but then it just disappears. The crazy thing is that I only feel the emotions of those around me but this has happened when I've been alone so I can't get a fix on who they are coming from."

We discussed these strange occurrences on our way back to the house. Esme and Rosalie had stayed on with Carlisle but Emmett and Edward were there and both still looked shocked. Having helped get things sorted out inside the hall while Jasper helped secure the accident site as the deputies were really stretched they could tell us more.

"The old dears were really freaked out, they all knew the Chief and Mr Howard and for it to happen on Christmas Eve almost in front of them. We finally got everyone settled and the local ladies club started going around with tea, coffee, and cookies. At least they are all safe and together so they can talk about it, Carlisle said that would help."

I could tell Emmett was really upset by his tone of voice and Edward looked slightly sick having heard the shock in everyone's thoughts, including the injured.

I felt restless, I couldn't just stand around waiting for something to happen.

I think I'll go check on Chief Swan's cats."

Jasper looked at me a little strangely,

"I think we should leave it to the other officers, they'll have it all under control soon Alice."

I understood Jasper's unwillingness to go back into town, all the heightened emotions that would hit him as soon as we arrived and then I noticed how dark his eyes were and the bruises under Emmett's and Edwards. It had been hard for them, for all of us, with the scent of fresh blood in the air and their exertions. The sensible thing would be to go hunting tonight with humans safely inside as the snow began to fall heavily again. After all, there was really nothing else we could do, Charlie Swan was dead and Bella was gone. So maybe our heads would be clearer once our thirst was assuaged and we could then figure out Jasper's feelings and my visions more clearly.

Hunting didn't turn out to be as easy as we had imagined, most creatures were, like the humans, sheltering from the worsening weather. By the time we returned home, having been forced to hunt as far as the Canadian border to find enough prey, it was dark and still snowing but there was movement in the house, Esme, Rosalie, and Carlisle were finally home and looking weary.

"You lost another patient?"

"Yes, Alice I'm afraid we did, despite my best efforts. We just weren't equipped to deal with such terrible burns. Luckily the other two are responding to treatment. The townsfolk are holding a memorial service at the school tomorrow for those who died and I think we should all attend."

Then Carlisle told us about Chief Swan's final words,

"He was very distressed, something about Bella, but whatever he was trying to tell me he died before he could get his message across. Perhaps he just wanted her to know that he loved her."

"It's a shame he was a closed book to me, I was helping the guys with the other generator but I would have been able to hear his thoughts otherwise. Maybe he just wanted to say sorry for sending her away."

Jazz glanced at me having felt my scepticism but didn't say anything and I held my peace. Whatever had happened between Bella and her father was now over, wasn't it?

In the morning we attended the service together and saw that almost the whole town had turned out to pay their respects. There were kind words for all the deceased but most especially for Chief Swan who had been loved and looked up to by all the townsfolk, and then the minister led us all in a prayer and a hymn before the service ended.

Esme, Rose and Carlisle went back to the clinic to check on the patients while I wandered, not knowing where I was going until I found myself outside the Swan house staring at it blankly.

"Miss Cullen?"

I blinked and realised I had been joined by one of the town deputies.

"Sorry, I was miles away."

"You haven't seen a calico cat around, have you? We caught the old black one yesterday outside the house but Callie, the younger one, hasn't come back yet. They say cats sense things so maybe she knows her master is dead."

"Maybe. Have you been back inside since?"

"Nope, I was going to check now. Will you shout if you see it?"

I nodded and watched as he walked up the steps and unlocked the front door opening it very carefully, just enough to squeeze inside and then closed it again behind him.

Something kept me here but I didn't think it was the missing cat but when the deputy came back out he shook his head.

"No sign of her and none of the food has been touched. Maybe someone else has recognised her and taken her in with all this snow."

I managed to nod but I wasn't really with him any longer. I was in that terrifying darkness, cold, and so frightened. Then as quickly as it had appeared the vision vanished. Was I seeing a vision of the cat? Could it have gotten trapped somewhere? No, that was silly, I didn't have visions of animals so what was really going on?

I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Jasper staring at me worried.

"You've seen something again haven't you?"

I nodded and explained the strange vision as we walked back towards our place not sure what else to do.

"I thought so, I've been getting more of those strange flashes of emotion, mainly fear. Do you think it's connected?"

Another deputy pulled up in his cruiser out on the main road and wound down the window.

"I'm on my way to your place, the doctor managed to get through to the emergency services. There's a helicopter coming for the injured, they have a small window of opportunity and they're willing to try it. He's going with them so I offered to ride out with a message for your mom. You want a ride?"

We thanked him but said we'd probably head for the school, see if we could help out. I have no idea why but I didn't want to leave Forks right now so we turned around heading back to town and the school when we heard the rotors of the helicopter as it landed behind the clinic.

"There's something wrong in this town Jasper, it doesn't feel the same as it did when we first arrived."

"I guess the accident and being cut off has spooked the residents and we're picking up on their unease and distress. Don't forget some actually witnessed the accident and that was hard for everyone. Come on, let's see what we can do to help."

We decided to go via the clinic which was still busy although the most badly injured had now presumably left for the specialist burns unit in Seattle. In the car park, there was a crowd, mainly clinic staff but some volunteers too, all looking shocked and we closed in to see what they were talking about. I prayed Carlisle hadn't lost another patient, he always took failure so hard.

Suddenly I heard Bella's name mentioned and at the same time saw Rose appear in the main entrance motioning for us to join her and she looked shocked.

"Alice, Jasper I'm so glad you're here, have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"About Bella Swan. One of the deputies went back to the Swan house to pick up some paperwork and found Bella there, unconscious in the basement."

I turned about to run back to the house when I heard the whoop of sirens, an ambulance, probably the one sent for Bella.

"Are they bringing her here? Is she injured?"

"I don't know any details but I think that's the deputy who discovered her."

I recognised the deputy I had spoken to previously walking slowly across the car park and went to intercept him.

"What happened? I thought the house was empty."

He nodded,

"Yeah, I thought so too but I went back inside to pick up some paperwork the Chief kept in the safe down in the basement. I didn't expect to find anyone trapped down there, it was a real shock."

"Are they bringing Bella to the clinic?"

"No, she's going on the helicopter with the others. Thank God it's finally stopped snowing long enough to fly into town. It was a miracle we got a phone line for a few minutes, almost like the fates knew we needed help."

Jasper had heard him and as soon as we were out of view of everyone we began to run.

"You heard him, the school, quickly."

It would have been far quicker if we could run at full speed but it was daylight so that was impossible meaning we were forced to grit our teeth as we negotiated the still partially blocked roads while every resident of the town seemed to be out eager to see what was going on.

We finally turned into the school parking lot just as the sound of the helicopter rotors faded in the distance.

"Now what?"

Jazz shrugged,

"I guess we wait to hear from Carlisle. Rose said he's gone with the injured and he knows you'll be keen to hear the news on Bella."

We heard Esme's voice behind us,

"I'm afraid it might be some time before we hear. Communications are down once more, Carlisle was lucky to get through to the air ambulance and the blizzard is set to hit us again in a couple of hours. All we can do is wait, Bella is in good hands."

"I don't understand why she was in the basement, she was supposed to be somewhere else and how did Chief Swan not know she was there? Or was he lying all along as I suspected?"

Esme put an arm around me,

"Let's go home, Alice. Hopefully, Carlisle will find a way to get a message to us. Bella will be able to answer those questions when she comes round. She was unconscious when the deputy found her."

"What I don't understand is why I didn't hear her in the basement, I was watching the house."

"Maybe her ability to shield herself stopped you."

"Or I did hear a weak heartbeat and thought it was the cat, I just feel so guilty."

For now, as Esme said, all we could do was to go back to the house, join the others, and hope for more news from Carlisle as soon as communications were up again.