Author's Note: It's kind of a short chapter. Sorry for that, but enjoy just the same.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Chapter 35

Edward's Point of View

I didn't move, even when Alice came to join me for the first time in weeks. She sat daintily on the edge of the sofa and looked at me warily like I was an unstable nuclear bomb.

"What is it, Alice?" I murmured, still holding my temples firmly and closing my eyes. I'd been developing headaches lately, something quite unusual for vampires.

Alice hesitated. She glanced at my closed bedroom door before answering. "I just thought you should know… Tanya was finally able to project her shield from within herself."

I resisted the urge to sigh at the mention of her name. "That's nice."

"She's been doing great, actually…" she said softly. Her voice was still hesitant, as though she was afraid of setting me off abruptly. But in a way, it sounded like she was consoling me. Why?

I finally moved. I leaned against my sofa and stared blankly at the many CD cases on the shelf toward the opposite wall.

"Am I bothering you, Edward?" Alice asked.

I shook my head slowly. "No."

"I'm sorry I haven't been much help," she said, her voice trembling slightly for the first time. "I can't even see where she is…" She sighed. "Some psychic I am."

"You can't blame yourself," I said, my lips barely moving. "It isn't your fault that she knows how to keep you in the dark."

"And she's good at it too," Alice mumbled. "I don't like it." She looked at me again. "So…what have you been thinking about these past few weeks? I know Tanya has been abandoning you a lot lately to practice and hunt…which must have given you quite some time to think things through a bit."

She was right. I'd had tons of time while Tanya had been distracted with other things. She didn't even look at me these days – not even a brief glance – but surprisingly, I didn't really mind. It was like we'd become strangers in a matter of three days. As soon as she'd seen me when she'd woken up, it was like she'd decided that she didn't want me anymore.

That was probably true. After thinking for a long time, I'd finally pieced together everything. As logically as possible anyway.

Tanya had wanted immortality. She'd used me to get what she wanted, and now that she'd gotten what she wanted, she was casting me off to the side.

Bella must have seen it happening. Tanya's betrayal. But I didn't mind. After everything I'd put her through, including a near-death experience, I though I deserved what I got. This was karma for not realizing that Bella had been right.

Bella… She was another story.

Once I'd come to that conclusion, I couldn't help wondering what else she had seen. Had she seen us together? What about Tanya?

"I think…" I hesitated, then resumed softly, "I think I know now, Alice."

"Know what?"

"Everything. You and everyone else must have realized it way before me, right?"

Alice merely sighed deeply. "If you're talking about Tanya…"

"Of course I am," I said. "You saw that she wasn't the one for me. You could see that she only wanted this. Immortality."

"Yes, and she's throwing you away," Alice said sharply. "Doesn't that bother you at all?"

Having someone spell it out in front of me did make me feel the slight twinge of anger. It was true that I would probably snap if Tanya did anything that made me angrier. I was mad enough to kill her. Harm her. I probably had every right to do it, considering how she'd fooled me, and kicked Bella away from me.

Now Bella was nowhere to be found. I'd lost someone more important than my own life.

"You realize it now," Alice said, studying me face as my eyes softened at the thought. "Bella."

My eyes flickered to the part of the shelf that held the collections of DVDs from Bella's old movies.

"Bella," I agreed ruefully. "I was a fool not to have gone after her, huh?"

"At least you realize it now," Alice mumbled. "But it's a few weeks too late to make a difference, Edward. What are you going to do now?"

There came a triumphant cry from the backyard, near the forest, where Tanya and the others were practicing. She must have succeeded again.

"What about Tanya?" she went on. "She's going to have to leave this family sooner or later. She doesn't belong here. No one wants her around, truthfully."

After thinking it through so much and realizing that my feelings for Bella were actually a man's love rather than a brotherly love, I'd become used to it. The epiphany had come as a surprised when I'd first realized that I loved her back, but now, it felt so natural…so right…that I couldn't help but torment myself for hurting her. Now, I couldn't even see her.

I missed her so much right now. I felt like I was going to go insane from not seeing her.

"Do you think she's alright?" I asked quietly, desperate for assurance.

Alice smiled wistfully. "I'm sure she's fine. She's quite gifted…and a good fighter. Jasper said so himself, didn't he?"

I read her thoughts rather glumly. There was nothing new. Nothing to reassure me.

Suddenly, Alice stiffened slightly, as a vision threatened to break through. My eyes flashed to her, but she controlled her expression quickly and refused to let herself taken in by her gift. She was hiding something again.

"What is it?" I demanded. "Is it Bella?"

"It's nothing," she said in a tight voice, trying to focus on something else so that I couldn't read her mind. "Nothing."

"Alice, tell me! If it's about Bella, if you know where she is, tell me. I need to go after her and bring her back."

She shook her head, her lips pressed together. "It's not about Bella. So you don't have to worry."

I got the feeling that she was telling the truth, and yet, I felt uneasy. Why would she want to hide anything from me?

Bella's Point of View

I wandered around for several weeks until I felt lonely. I sat on a tree branch, my legs swinging back and forth, as I toyed with my emerald.

I definitely didn't look like I'd been living in the wild. I looked like I'd had a home to sleep in, to eat in, and to actually live in. My hair was perfect as usual, long and wavy, as though I had just recently blow-dried it. My clothes weren't torn or dirty. Money had never been a problem for me. Only a few hours ago, I'd stopped by the nearest shopping mall and bought myself a cute blue dress that flowed silkily down to my knees. I'd also bought matching flats, but right now, my feet were bare, and the shoes were right next to me, sitting on the branch.

It was an outfit Alice would've approved of. Normally, I wouldn't have done it, but I was homesick. I missed my family.

And him. I missed him especially. I felt tempted to run back home and never leave again, but I knew that the human was still there.

"If she's still human…" I murmured quietly, fiddling with the pendant on my chest.

I was sure that she'd been changed. And now that she'd gotten what she wanted from Edward, I was also sure that she would cast him aside soon. Very soon.

"It's starting…" I whispered, looking at the gem. "Her betrayal."

Would Edward really kill her? After all he'd said and done for her…after everything they'd been through…would he – could he – really be able kill her?

I could see the visions looming forward ever so clearly now. And as each second ticked by, I could see more details to the major picture. I knew it was close.

And when that time came, I wanted to go back. I wanted to see my family. Once she was gone, there was no need to run away anymore.

But still…I still couldn't help but resent how he'd been so blind. And when I thought of that, I didn't want to go back.

"Who cares?" I mumbled. "I'll just stay out here…keep running away…"

A test, I thought. If he really kills Tanya, then that means that Edward had never really loved her. That didn't mean he loved me, but it was a possibility.

Vampires couldn't stay apart from their mates. So if we really were meant to be together, Edward wouldn't be able to stand it. He would miss me every single second of the day, and it would drive him nuts.

I wanted to test him. See if it was true. See if what I could see in my visions was right.

For the first time in my life, I was doubting my own gift. And I would see if it really was efficient and accurate as people believed it was…just for the sake of love.

AN: Again, I'm sorry for the short chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews!