No shopping scene. That'd break all the angst-y joy I've worked so hard to build.

Chapter 29

I had just gotten in and was looking around, the only words that'd passed my mouth being,

"Hey, where's Alice?"

I heard her voice faintly from the roof, beautiful and tinkling, sounding exactly the way I'd expect moonlight to sound if it could speak, or maybe molten silver. Bella's voice came every now and again. I smiled slowly. At least they were talking and not screaming at each other. Alice's been worried about this and I could sense traces of her relief from here.

I wasn't quite as attuned to Bella, so it took a moment before the anvil to land.

I had made it to the second floor before Bella's grief started nagging at me, but I ignored it. I'd been able to stand being around Edward after he'd left, I'd thought I could deal with her pain.

I couldn't.

I was on the roof, Alice had just turned to smile at me,, and Bella looked at me.

The anvil fell, to say the least.

When her vivid ruby eyes met mine, however briefly, her emotions had been opened up to me, pouring over me like burning water, scalding me, imprinting my senses with her agony.

My eyes widened and I staggered back, all traces of light humor gone. I clutched at my heart as I felt the continuous shredding of Bella's, the way her insides were tearing themselves apart. Her hands trembled slightly, presumably with the crushing weight of loving someone she was destined to destroy.

And rage. Rage was coiled within her, glaring out at all of us, waiting to be unleashed.

Also a terrifying emptiness, patiently waiting to be filled. Whether or not her heart would always be that…hollow was unfortunately a mystery to everyone save Alice (maybe). I winced, lips parting, strangling a sad moan at her pain.

You see, this is why it sucks to be empathic.

Her eyes narrowed, and I felt a stirring of suspicion, and the fury within her smile coldly and stretch its claws, preparing to raise its head.

Before it could I did what a vampire always does when threatened like that. I grabbed Alice and jumped off the roof with her.

We landed with a very quiet thump, and Alice looked curious and slightly troubled at my actions.

"Jazz? What's-"

"Alice she's in monumental agony, and not very stable."

"Well, I hate to be the one to tell you this but no duh. Welcome to the club."

I sighed. While she was right, we all had been tense lately. I went on anyway, it was urgent that Alice know this, for reasons that have always been unknown to me. I'm not sure of the reasoning behind my telling her everything that bothers me, or pleases me, I just did.

She's Alice.

My voice was an insistent whisper.

"Alice! She's worse than Edward was! And furious at all of us, yes all."

Her big, beautiful eyes were wide as she processed all of this, and then they narrowed. She looked back up at my still concerned face and smiled determinedly.

"Jasper Hale, you think I don't know that?" Of course I didn't. I'd never be so stupid as to think Alice didn't get it. I was just warning her. And she knew that, but went on anyway, trying to convince me as much as herself. "Bella needs us, there's no one else for her anymore. Edward's actions have quite effectively stolen her prior life from her with no warning, no chance to say goodbye or prepare to have to leave them all behind. Right now, we need to ignore that final shred of reason nagging at the back of our minds and do what the only thing we can: Be there for Bella. What else can we do?"

We stared at each other for a moment before I sighed, looking away, into the forest.

"Fine. But be careful, Alice. We've already lost her and Edward to this, I couldn't stand losing you too."

I left then, running to hide with Emmett in the library. He'd been moping, and misery loves company.

Okay I was going to make the second chunk of this about the wolves, but that's too long so I stuffed it into Chapter 30.

The Breaking.

R&R!