A/N: Sorry it took so long. My long list of excuses is at the bottom. Hope you enjoy! I also can't think of any music at the moment so I will have to catch you later.
BPOV
When we got to the barbecue everyone was already having their own conversations. Carlisle and Esme were cooking laughing about how Carlisle, though he could see into the burgers always managed to burn them, Esme playfully pushed Carlisle out of the way deciding she would barbecue, she said that clearly superheroes just can't handle something as complicated as raw meat. Carlisle wrapped his arms around her waist and watched her flip the burgers. I loved how youthful they acted around each other when they thought no one was watching. Emmett and Rosalie were working on Emmett's Jeep that he had pulled into the back yard and Alice and Jasper, were nowhere in sight.
I couldn't help but watch how Emmett interacted with Rosalie so easily. Emmett was half under the Jeep, completely vulnerable to an attack from her but he was just laying there cracking jokes and laughing and hitting on her. I couldn't help feeling that any minute she would do something to hurt him, and it must have shown on my face.
"You are going to have to learn to trust them," Edward's velvety voice whispered in my ear. I adjusted my gaze to his eyes.
"I can't they…"
"You trust me don't you?" he asked cutting off my incomplete thought.
"Of course I do, but that's different." I tried to reason. Edward gave me a soft smile and ran his hands along my arms.
"No, it's not Bella," he said gently, "you may not have feelings for Rosalie or Jasper but Alice and Emmett do and they have changed, more than you are willing to see."
"Edward, he tried to kill me. People like that don't change."
His face changed, instead of patient kindness hurt flashed in front of him, "I have tried to kill you, and I have changed. How is Jasper any different?"
Didn't he understand that it was just different? "Please just give him a chance," he pleaded with me, "you don't know how hard all of this has been on him." I looked over to Emmett and Rosalie, they seemed ok, she didn't seem like who she really was around him.
I was watching as Emmett walked over to Rosalie, grease stains all over his clothes and face. He looked smug like he was hiding something. I started to walk over there; I didn't like how this was going. Even after Edward's speech I couldn't help it. Edward held his arm out, "Bella," he warned clearly wanting me to stay out of whatever was going on, I held on to his arm ready to push it away. Emmett pulled something small out of his pocket, my grip on Edward's arm tightened a little, please don't do this Em. He got down on one knee, Rosalie stood still looking shocked then threw her arms around Emmett's neck. "Bella," I heard, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scene in front of me, it was like a car crash, you don't want to see it but you just can't look away.
"Bella!" Edward yelled urgently I finally turned my head and realized that he really looked pained, "I think you have succeeded in breaking one bone in my arm can you please not try for both?"
I looked down at my hands, I wasn't squeezing that hard…was I? I started releasing my grip and he stopped me. "No! Keep the pressure on it." I tightened my grip to what I thought I might have been squeezing at before but I heard a snap and his face paled. "CARLISLE!"
"I'm sorry! I swear I didn't even think I was squeezing that hard!"
Everyone gathered around us as Carlisle rushed over to fix Edwards completely broken arm. I successfully snapped both bones in his forearm without even trying. Emmett was impressed, Rosalie was too concerned with her new ring to care and Carlisle and Esme were concerned…for Edward of course. We all knew I would have a power from Emmett; his was the first that came in a non-diluted form. Carlisle assumed it was because we were related by blood. Now there were just two powers left undiscovered.
While Carlisle asked me about my new power Esme noticed Rosalie's ring and that changed the subject rather quickly. I was glad that I wasn't the center of attention but I didn't want to be a part of that discussion either so I just stood a little bit away. Edward joined me though I told him he didn't have to.
"You should be happy for them, your brother is really happy with her."
"I am happy that he is happy," he gave me a skeptical look, "I am trying, I promise I will give Rosalie a chance…I mean I don't have a choice, she will be part of the family one day."
"What about Jasper?" he asked brushing a strand of hair away from my face.
"Jasper too…I guess he deserves a chance to prove whether he has changed or not." I decided.
We were standing around talking in our separate groups when Alice and Jasper finally showed up. Something seemed really off though. The first thing I noticed was the way they were walking. Jasper was walking more comfortable while Alice seemed very stiff. They both seemed very uptight and cautious and didn't greet anyone. It was very un-Alice like. I considered that she was just upset about what happened earlier but Alice wouldn't act like this, she would want to talk about it.
I then noticed that her eyes were off. Alice's eyes were usually a grayish color but now they were brown. That is when I figured it out. It couldn't be her, it had to be Jake. But why would Jasper go along with it?
I leaned in to Edward, resting my forehead against his and spoke very low. To anyone else this just looked like a private intimate conversation, but I just wanted to hide my suspicion. "Something is going on with Jasper and Alice."
Edward looked disappointed, "I thought you were going to give him a chance."
"No, you don't understand. I don't think it's them." Edward looked confused, "read their minds, I think one of them, Alice, is Jake."
Edward looked into my eyes concentrating then he looked angry, "you're right, Jacob is pretending to be Alice and some girl is Jasper." He then ran his fingers through my hair and kissed me which I wasn't ready for but welcomed all the same, when he pulled away he chuckled quietly, "sorry, I am kind of enjoying the angry thoughts coming from his direction regarding us." I laughed with him.
"Hey Bella," Jacob spoke perfectly imitating Alice's voice. She sounded cheerful and welcoming which would have been a sign that something was wrong if I hadn't already figured it out.
"Alice," I responded civilly though I really wanted to try out my new powers on him. I knew I should at least try and figure out why he was here.
"I'm so glad to see that you and Edward are back together." He added. I'm sure it was painful for him to make that sound positive.
"Yeah, I am surprised you are taking it so well actually. I know you were a little upset with me when you found out that Jasper and I had hooked up a few times during the years after Edward and I broke up the first time, but I am happy that you have gotten over it." Ha! Let's see how you handle that one mister master of disguise.
Alice's face twitched a few times, I didn't want to play this game really, and I had an idea for getting the answers I wanted. I used the power that I used on Alice earlier on Jacob and his friend who were pretending to be Alice and Jasper. I made them see nothing but a bright white room with no doors. Both of them started looking around frantically. I motioned for Edward to be quiet and to tell the others to be quiet.
I leaned over to Jacob/Alice's ear and clicked my tongue, "It's not nice to lie Jacob."
He phased back into himself as he swung his arm around trying to catch me but I jumped out of the way. "Where are Alice and Jasper Jacob?"
"Why don't you have your boyfriend get out of my head and maybe I will consider telling you Isabella."
I smiled at this, "Oh Jacob, you just don't understand do you? You have managed to piss off a very powerful person. We are alone. He isn't doing this to you…I am. And I can do many other things to you if you don't tell me where they are. I will start by killing your girlfriend over here."
"Don't kid yourself; you don't have it in you to kill anyone." Jacob said still swinging his arms around trying to find my in his empty room.
I leaned in close, "You willing to bet her life on that?"
"Yeah, I am," I didn't want to kill her, she had phased back into what I assumed was her regular form and she looked scared especially hearing this conversation. I didn't feel bad enough not to let Rosalie have fun with her if I didn't get my friend and her boyfriend back though.
"Maybe you're right; I should let Rosalie play with her. She would have more fun and be much better at it." I tried to throw her to Rosalie and surprisingly it worked. I had my throwing power back! Rosalie worked her magic and the girl was soon screaming. Jake didn't look too happy about that, "Where are Jasper and Alice?" I demanded.
"It's too late."
"It's never too late, where are they?"
"He has them," Jake looked up at me as if he could see me instead of only seeing the white room, "The Tracker has them and he won't let them go."
My heart sank but I didn't want him to know how scared or upset I was by this information, he was now the enemy, not a friend. "And you just happened to know this so you decided to phase into them?"'
"No," Jake then looked guilty, "I helped him get them." The world fell out from beneath me then. I didn't hear Carlisle or Edward try and stop me as I lunged at Jacob breaking his back, then his right arm, then his left, I was up to his leg when I decided I wanted more answers.
"Why?! Why did you do it?" I growled and twisted his leg out of its socket.
Jacob was howling in pain, "I had to, it…it was my task to prove myself. He only wanted Jasper but Alice refused to let him go alone. Please stop Bells, I'm sorry." He wanted me to stop when he took my best friend and her boyfriend, the man who got me my powers back, straight to the Tracker? I broke his other leg. And reached for his head ready to snap his neck and kill him. I was about to twist when a pale hand grabbed my wrist. I didn't look up.
"Don't, you don't want to do this Bella."
"Yes I do," My voice was shaking and unsure, but I knew I wanted to do this; he was responsible for the Tracker getting Alice and Jasper.
"No you don't, you will regret it. Come on." Edward pulled me up and into his arms. I didn't even realize I had started crying until I felt my tears dampen his shirt.
I pulled away from Edward when I felt like I was calm enough to speak. "Take him to the hospital; he doesn't deserve to be healed quickly." Carlisle went to move him, "No, you will heal him; I know you will, you can't hold a grudge against anyone. He hand delivered Alice and Jasper to the Tracker to prove that he can be evil he deserves the pain he is in. Emmett, you take him."
Emmett nodded and roughly picked Jacob up off the ground making him scream in pain. Rosalie had already taken care of the girl who was with Jacob; she was brought to Twilight Penitentiary where she would rot for life.
I went inside Carlisle and Esme's old house into my old bedroom. I sat on my bed against the wall and pulled my knees up to my chest and just sat there. I couldn't even cry, I just needed to figure out how to save Alice for all the times she had saved me. There was a quiet knock at the door and the door crept open. To my surprise Rosalie was peeking her head in the door.
"Are you ok?" I shook my head. " anything I can do to help you out?" she asked coming to sit on my bed, not close enough to be intruding but close enough to be comforting.
"I have to save them," it was all I could think clearly, I just wasn't sure how.
"You don't have to do it alone." Her face looked sincere, "and I'm not just talking to you because of Emmett. You can't do something stupid because you are upset. I know you tend to act on your temper which was shown earlier when you broke at least half of the bones in Jacob's body, not that he didn't deserve worse, but we have to have a plan before we act. We have to consider the consequences."
"Alice…she always knew what would happen if we did something...she always made the plans. I don't even know where to start" I admitted. Rosalie thought about this for a second.
"Well, why don't we go to the source?" he held out her hand to me. I didn't understand but I knew, finally, that I could trust her. I took her hand and we left the room.
We flickered into Alice's room in our house. Rosalie told me to sit down and try to think like Alice would. Rosalie started looking around. Alice's room was like a museum dedicated to fashion. She had more clothes than any mall could keep in stock, her closet alone was the size of my bedroom. I tried to think but all I could come up with was handing myself over begging him to let them go. I knew that Alice would tell me that that was a bad idea; she already told me what would happen if he got hold of me. Bur maybe things were different now that I had powers.
I was contemplating whether the situation had changed enough for me to just turn myself in when Rosalie walked out of Alice's closet with a strange look on her face. She looked unsure, worried, but sort of excited. "I think Alice left you a present." She pulled a hanger out from the closet and hanging off of it was a superhero outfit…for me.
It was a long sleeved gold dress with a wide neck opening and the sleeves were gloved. The gloves were black but faded into the gold of the dress as they rose up the sleeve. At the bottom of the dress it was cut to look like feathers and it looked a little puffy. There was a belt hanging with a note, "wear slanted across hips," it was black with a gold buckle with a swan on it." There was another note on the dress that said, "Wear your old mask but let your hair down and make sure it is wavy, the boots are on the third row fourth pair in. Good Luck 3 Alice."
I ran my fingers over her note. Of course she would know that I would need a costume when she wouldn't be able to be here to show it to me. "Here are your boots." Rosalie handed me a pair of boots that were black at the bottom and faded and mixed with gold as they reached the top, they were really high, about mid-thigh length.
After taking in my new Alice made costume I felt so much more confident, I felt that maybe, just maybe, we could find a way to save her. I would do anything to have her here dragging me on a shopping trip or trying to convince me that Jasper was a good guy. I really want the chance to give Jasper another chance too.
I went into Alice's closet to change, Rosalie waited in her normal bedroom. My new outfit made me feel amazing. I would just need Carlisle to change my eyes. I assume the same way. Maybe he could do it a little differently, there seems to be a fading from gold to black pattern in my outfit so maybe I could do that with my eyes too. When I stepped out of the closet Rosalie looked over the outfit and looked approvingly.
"I thought Carlisle changed your eyes, I didn't know you could do it yourself."
"My eyes changed?" she nodded. I ran to one of the many mirrors, my eyes had changed. Exactly how I wanted them to. And I did it! I guess I can alter matter like Carlisle, only Alice's power was staying hidden from me. Maybe I had to earn it.
I stared at my reflection. I would never have known that I was the same person, even comparing this costume to my old appearance as the Golden Swan. I was stronger, braver. I had to face my fear. I had to save my friend. And I was again reminded that I wasn't alone when Rosalie and Edward walked up behind me in the mirror.
I knew what we had to do. I had a plan. It had to work. I just wish Alice was here to tell me that herself.
A/N: woo i wonder what the plan is!
Sorry sorry sorry sorry it took FOREVER for me to update. I got so caught up in going to meet my favorite author of all time (Sarah Dessen) which I did! I got to talk with her for like 10 minutes because I waited at the end of the line and she signed all 9 of my books and then she took a picture with me and the girl I picked up in Mooresville which SHE POSTED ON HER BLOG!! THEN she tweeted me a messege on twitter and I about died! Then the next day her blog was updated with the picture so I really about died seeing the picture with her mentioning me! so I had one heck of a time!
THEN I WON a certain FANPIRE FICTION AWARD!!! that's right! thank's to you all you amazing, beyond amazing readers I managed to win my first ever award and I am absolutley thrilled about it. I found out the day after the Blog thing i think so i continued to fly high for the week.
Now i am sorting out apartment/moving issues. I am moving into my roommates ex-boyfriends apartment on wednesday and have to pack up my life! I never knew i had so much junk!
ANYWHO!
Sorry i haven't responded to reviews yet, i am doing it NOW! you will probably have a response by the time you read this! and I will work hard to not let moving interfere too much with updating/responding!
I think there are only like 2 more chapters left..maybe 3..I will see how it works out.
OH...about the other story i was going to write. I decided to hold off on writing it. I want to try and work on an original i had started writing back in High School and see if i can finish that. I hope I don't disappoint you, I don't think i would be able to regularly update if i started another whole story. Next Semester is going to be very busy for me so I can't promise anything right now.
Thanks again for voting for me! and staying with me even when i disappear for what seems like forever!!
reviews=love!
