"Mary's dead?" Esme repeated looking at his husband. "What...what?"
Carlisle sighed putting his head in his hands. "She's dead." He mumbled before he looked up. "They couldn't tell me much...just that they think it was murder." He frowned watching his wife's face. "The main suspect is the boyfriend, the one that tried to rape Alice."
"Oh God Alice..." Esme gasped. "We're going to have to tell her." She frowned getting up. "Both parents dead within a year." She shook her head looking down at her husband. "How are we going to do this?"
Carlisle got to his feet and took her hands. "She has us love." He said gently and then started to lead her up the stairs. "We'll get her through it." He said, knocking on the door.
"Come in." Alice called and smiled when Esme and Carlisle walked in but then her face fell seeing the look on their faces. "What?" She shifted to sit herself up, being careful not to wake Jasper who lay asleep beside her, his arms draped over her.
Esme went to sit on the edge of her bed. "We need to talk to you darling." She said gently, taking hold of her hand, the one that wasn't stroking through Jasper's hair.
Carlisle stood beside his wife and looked down at Alice but she looked incredibly small there so he knelt down in front of her. "It's about your Mom."
"What about her?" She asked, looking between them, getting rather worried now. "What is it? Please?"
"You're Mother's dead Alice, I'm so sorry." Carlisle said, putting his hand on her knee. "They think Craig killed her."
Alice just stared at them and shook her head. "No." She mouthed looking between them both.
She was upset at her Mother this morning for not believing her, but at the end of the day she was still her Mother. She loved her, she was thrilled that she had found her and now she was gone.
"I only just got her!" She shouted then burst into tears. "It's not fair." She cried slumping down against Jasper.
Jasper opened his eyes when Alice lay against him. He watched her then felt the wetness against his arm. "Ali?" Was she crying? He wrapped his arms around her and brought her close. "What's wrong?" he looked to his parents. "What's happened?"
"My Mom is dead!" Alice exclaimed, burying her face against his chest. "I don't have anyone left." She sobbed.
"You have us Alice." Esme said softly. "We're always here for you."
"But you're not my parents! You're not my Mom and he's not my Dad!" she shouted getting to her feet. "I want my real parents." She cried. "I don't want you!"
"Alice please." Esme said getting to her feet. She placed her hand on Alice's shoulder but she slapped it away and backed towards the door.
"I want my Dad!" She cried leaning against the doorway. "It's not fair! Why...why did they both have to die?" she shook her head. "I hate it." She whined.
"Alice...sweetheart." Carlisle stood up and took a step forwards, but when she backed away he stopped. "We just want to help Alice; I understand how terrible all this is, how...angry you must feel." He said softly. "But we want to help you, in any way we can."
"I want you to bring my Mom and Dad back." Alice looked up at him, stupidly hopeful for a second but then she shook her head and turned away. "You can't help." She whispered.
The doorbell rang and Carlisle sighed. "The police." He said. "They want to speak to you Alice." He said gently, moving past her, going down to let them in.
The police interview seemed to last hours.
They asked Alice what she knew about Craig, made her go into detail about the almost rape, asked her about her Mother; what she knew of her relationship with Craig.
She hated it.
She cried a few times but they assured her it was alright, told her to take her time.
When they finally left Alice got up and went to her room without a word.
"Leave her for a bit." Carlisle said when Jasper got up to go after her. "She needs time to think, to get her head around all of this." He shook his head, rubbing his hands over his face.
"Will there be a funeral for Mary?" Esme asked looking to her husband.
"I would suspect so."
"Who's going to organize that?" She wondered. "There's no more family left...Apart from Alice." It'd be a bit much to expect Alice to do it on her own. "We should help."
Carlisle nodded sitting himself beside his wife. "We'll help." He agreed.
The funeral was planned throughout the week and was to be held the Saturday afternoon.
It was Saturday morning.
"There won't be anyone there." Alice complained looking up at Emmett who was shoving his face with handfuls of cereal out of the box. "They'll...they'll just be us." She shook her head. "Who else is there? No more family, I doubt she had any friends."
Emmett put the box down and looked at her, sighing quietly. "Alice." He said putting his arm around her shoulders, tugging her close. "It doesn't matter, there doesn't have to be a load of people there, she'll be happy you came."
She slumped against his side and closed her eyes. "It's like my Dad all over again...why me? Why is everyone I love dying?" she shook her head. "What did I ever do wrong?"
Emmett looked down at her and frowned a little. He wasn't good at talking about serious things, it always made him feel uncomfortable.
"You...you've not done anything wrong." He said watching her for a moment before he looked at the cereal box. "It's just...unlucky?"
"Unlucky?" Alice shook her head pulling away from him. "My parents are dead! Both of them!" she snapped storming up to her room.
He waited a few seconds and then sighed when he heard the bedroom door slam. "Just trying to help." He muttered to himself.
"Edward! Rosalie!" Esme called from the bottom of the stairs. "C'mon, it's time to go." She glanced at the clock. Everyone else was already in the car.
"Sorry." Edward said rushing down the stairs. "Talking to Bella." He waved his phone before he went to get in the car.
Rosalie came down last, wearing the same black dress she wore for Frank's funeral a few months earlier. "Sorry." She said, offering no excise.
The ride to the Church was silent, no-one knew what to say.
It was the second funeral that year but it got no easier.
When they arrived Alice was surprised to see a few people there she didn't recognize; she guessed Mary did have some friends.
She walked in, clutching tightly onto Esme's hand and took her seat at the front.
Throughout the whole service, she couldn't help but think of her Father.
She missed him every day since he died, obviously, but now it was worse.
She thought about how she felt during his funeral, how sick she felt, how upset she got and how she fainted.
She didn't dare stand up.
When the service was over she stayed sat in the Church, staring at the front. "They're gone." She shook her head.
Jasper moved to sit beside her when everyone left. "I know Alice...I know." He said softly. "I'm here though, I'm always here for you." He promised.
She leant against his side and stared blankly at the big stain glass window. "I can't believe it...I'm an orphan, I don't...I don't have anyone left." She looked up at him then and sighed.
He rubbed his hand over her arm slowly and pressed his lips to the top of her head.
"I love you Alice, I hate that all this has happened to you...I want to be there for you, I want to help you through this." He said, holding her close. "I swear...no more messing around, no more different girls, no more...no more fighting, no more anything, I'm going to be here, I'm going to be just what you need me to be. I promise you." He cuddled her close and gladly returned the kiss which she started.
March 12th 2012
It'd been exactly one year since Frank Brandon died.
The Cullens had gained full custody of Alice again, gone through all the papers, all the right procedures and now, legally Alice was Alice Cullen, but she still called herself Alice Brandon.
She sat up in her bedroom, thinking about how much had changed in her life in just one year.
She no longer had either of her parents, she no longer lived in her old house...she was no longer just Jasper's brother's girlfriend's friend...she was Jasper's girlfriend and she was extremely happy about it.
After her Mother's death Carlisle encouraged her to see a therapist to help her handle the grief of losing both parents.
It helped a lot, she was able to speak to the woman, able to get out a lot of her anger and upset.
The therapist helped her with how to open up to people, helped her build good stable relationships with her new family members.
It was difficult, it took a lot of work, a lot of tears and tantrums but Alice started to feel in control of her life again.
She didn't feel as angry at the world anymore, she was able to smile and not feel guilty about it.
She still missed her Father so much and her Mother now too, she visited their graves often.
They weren't buried side by side as some suggested, she didn't think it was right; they weren't a couple, they weren't together.
She told her parents how much she missed them on her little visits to them and told them about her day, about her life, where she thought she was headed...she liked to keep them involved.
"Ali?" Jasper knocked on her bedroom door and smiled when she opened it. "Hey." He pressed his lips to hers. "You ready?"
He was going to drive her up to her Father's grave, she wanted to see him today especially with it being a year since he passed.
"Ready." She nodded, slipping her hand into his. "Thanks for this." She said.
She knew he really wanted to go out with Edward and Emmett to see the new violent guy film but he'd stayed behind to drive her up to the graveyard.
"No worries Ali babe." Jasper chuckled, heading out of the house to the car. "After you." He opened her door then got into the driver's side.
The drive to the graveyard was filled with talk of Frank. Alice found it easy to talk about him now; she didn't get the sudden urge to cry as often, she didn't feel sick.
"Do you think he'd be happy with how I've turned out?" Alice wondered as they were pulling up to the graveyard. "I mean...I guess he won't like the whole Mary thing." She frowned. "And Craig...but everything else?"
"Of course Alice." Jasper said, stopping the car. "He'll be so happy, you would have made him so proud." He kissed her cheek before he got out.
Alice got out of the car after him and took his hand but he pulled it away.
"Go and have some time alone with him love, I'll be right here." Jasper said, kissing her again before going to sit down on one of the benches.
She nodded then went off towards the grave, sitting herself down next to it.
"Hey Dad." She said getting rid of the old flowers before setting down some new ones. "I don't know why I'm giving you flowers...you never did like them." She laughed a little. "But I don't think I'll be allowed to put some beer down for you." She shook her head. "I can't believe it's been a year already...Christmas without you, thanksgiving, fourth of July, Halloween, my Birthday, your Birthday." She shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever stop missing you." She admitted.
She fell silent for a moment, just staring across the grave yard.
"I love you." She whispered. "You're the best Dad in the World, promise." She laughed a little. "I'm getting help Dad...with my issues." She shook her head. "I'm not as angry anymore or upset." She said. "I still miss you, loads, I really do. I won't ever stop...but I'm getting better." She said. "I know you would want me to get on with my life, would want me to be happy and I'm trying to...I'm not all the way there yet Dad, but I will do." She smiled a little, getting to her feet. "I'll always come to see you, I swear." She looked back towards the car then back to the grave. "Love you Dad, see you soon."
"Alright Ali?" Jasper said when she came back to the car.
She nodded taking hold of his hand. "I'm alright." She smiled. "He's happy...my Dad, I just I know he is." She admitted. "It felt happy...around his grave, like he was there, just...being all happy." She laughed looking up at him. "I promised him I'll be happy."
She knew she would, if she continued with this therapy, if she opened up and let people in she'd be happy.
It may take a long time but one day Alice would be as happy as she was before her Father passed.
The end!
Alright, I'm not happy with the way this ended, I just...I couldn't think of a way to end it!
If I'm honest I like my other story Runaways better, don't get me wrong I do like this one too I just don't think it's as good.
I've just realized there was nothing on how Mary died..she was killed, it was Craig, let's just say he got what he deserved!
I hope you have liked reading this and are not disappointed in the way it ended!
Please read my other fic! And please leave me a review for this one.
Thank you so much for reading and supporting me :)
Sarah x