I know, I know 'where the heck have you been Emily!' I'll make up for it, promise.

"Jasper!" Rosalie yells, running up and hugging me. I laugh and pat her on the back. We've returned from Hawaii and Rose and Emmett are meeting us here. I look over to see Emmett swinging Alice around in a classic 'Emmett hug'.

"Hey, Rose, hey Em," I say when we start looking for our bags coming off the terminal. Emmett wiggles his eyebrows at me. Alice sees him, but just blushes, says she needs to use the restroom and drags Rose away with her.

"So did you suck that much that she can't even talk about it?" Emmett asks, taking a swig of his Pepsi.

"How can you drink Pepsi?" I ask, hoping his short attention span will allow a successful subject change.

"Don't change the subject," Emmett says, tipping the bottle back and taking an especially long drink.

"She did most of the sucking," I say, smirking when Emmett starts to choke on the awful beverage.

"Holy shit, I think some of it went up my nose," he says after recovering.

"Well that's what happens when you stick your nose in other people's business."

"Hey, I was just wondering."

"Sure you didn't have a bet of some sort with Rose?"

"Nope, just a bet with your gramps."

"Really?"

"I think Peter was in on it, too."

"That's just sick."

"We had to do something to entertain ourselves. There was a huge snow storm, like, two days after you guys left. We had no power for three days."

"I'm surprised that you didn't just spend those three days with Rose."

"Oh I did, trust me," Emmett responds, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively before carefully taking a drink of his Pepsi.

"Pudding," I say very seriously and he cracks up laughing.

"Not fair, dude!"

"You asked for it."

~*!*~

"I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves!"

"Ali, stop I'm cooking."

"I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves and this is how it goes… 7 am waking up in the morning, blah, blah, blah, which seat should I take! It's Friday, Friday getting down on Friday!"

"Dear Lord, anything but that!"

"Told ya it gets on people's nerves."

"You'll pay for it later, darling," I say, looking over my shoulder and smiling at her before returning my attention to our grilled cheese sandwiches.

"Jazz?"

"Mhhm?"

"Can I pay for it now?"

I look up from the skillet and smirk. We did it in the kitchen of the beach house, once; the morning before we left. We didn't have time to go back to the bedroom and besides, we had already stripped the beds for the cleaning lady.

"I don't think so," I say, flipping our sandwiches onto plates. I turn around to find a pouting Alice.

"Fine… but supper will get cold," I say, walking across the small space to her. She wraps her arms around me and grins.

"We have a microwave."

~*!*~

"Alice?" I ask, groggily rubbing my eyes. We never got around to eating supper last night. I sit up and look around our room. She's not there, but I hear her.

I stand up and walk out to the living room. She's sitting on the couch, legs tucked under her.

"Morning, darling," I say, sitting next to her and wrapping an arm around her; Alice sniffs. At first I wonder if she's feeling under the weather, then I see the tears.

"Morning," she mumbled, taking a sip of what I think is hot chocolate.

"Honey, what's wrong?" I ask.

"My mom…" she whispers, I have to lean in to hear her. "She had an accident."

"Is it her illness?"

"No. it was a car accident."

"A car accident?"

"Yes. Carlisle called. He-he doesn't think she's going to b-be okay."

"Ali," I say, shaking my head and pulling her close. She sets her mug on the coffee table and curls up against me.

"I just got her back, Jazz."

"You'll still have Cindy, Seb, Becky and Will. Not to mention Esme and Carlisle."

"I know… you're right."

"Of course I am."

"Don't get egotistical."

"Come on, get dressed."

"Where are we going?"

"The hospital."

~*!*~

"Mom," Alice says when we find her room. I have to admit that Hanna looks bad; very bad. Cindy is standing by the window, her shoulders shaking a little. Seb is sitting in the chair next to the bed. Alice runs in and gently sits on the edge of the bed.

"Honey," Hanna says, before she begins coughing. Alice strokes her hair back and I stand in the doorway, not sure what to do with myself. I finally go over to the window and stand next to Cynthia. It's started to snow lightly and I wrap an arm around her shoulders. Cindy has always been strong and independent, but she doesn't push me away.

"I'm here Mom," I hear Alice say.

"Will and Becky?" Hanna asks.

"They're coming back soon. They went to get a snack with Esme," Seb says.

"Good." Another round of coughing starts, followed by a low moan.

"Mom, rest," Alice says.

"You three need to know… your father… he's a horrible man."

"We know, Mom."

"Seb never knew him. You and Cindy need to make him understand."

"We will."

"Take after Will and Becky too. If he finds out I remarried…"

"What'll he do, Mom?"

"He'll be angry; so, so angry."

"Mom?" Alice asks, desperately. Cindy and I turn around; Hanna's eyes have drifted closed.

"She just sleeping Ali," I gently, resting my hand on her shoulder and looking at the slowly beeping monitor.

"Yeah, Carlisle said that's her heart beat," Seb says nodding toward the same machine I'm looking at. However, something isn't right. The beats are irregular. A nurse rushes in and starts checking things. Then she presses a button that seems to signal for more nurses. A man a few years older than me drags out Seb. Carlisle comes in and calmly tells Cindy to leave.

Alice is arguing with a nurse about getting off the bed. She takes a hold of Hanna's hand and refuses to let go. I can see the tears on her face; hear the desperation in her voice. I make eye contact with Carlisle, nod and wrapping my arms around Alice; I carry her out of the room. The door slams behind us.

~*!*~

"Mommy is happy, right?" Becky asks Alice as she ties a black ribbon in her hair.

"Yes, she's very happy," Alice says. She's dressed in the same black dress that she wore when she took me to see Alexandra's grave. It seems like that was an eternity ago.

We sit in silence in the car ride to the church. I haven't been to many funerals. I don't know how it goes. I look around; since Hanna died, we've had a few warm days. It's odd but not uncommon, according to my grandfather. Thinking about him and grandma makes my stomach churn. Will I be going to their funerals soon? I shake my head and tell myself not to think like that.

The service is lovely. The flowers are red roses, lilies and daisies; Alice chose them. After explaining the meanings Seb, Becky and Will were on board. Cindy already knew Alice's reasons for choosing those specific flowers.

When Hanna's casket is lowered into the ground, in a spot next to Alexandra, I hold Alice's tightly. We knew this would happen, but never thought it would be so soon. Alice is the first to step forward and through her daisy into the ground. I throw in my rose and we stop next to Alexandra's grave.

"Take care of each other," Alice whispers.

~*!*~

"Harder!"

I stretch and aim for the hole as best I can.

"Don't go slow, do it faster!"

I twist my hand and try to stay focused.

"Come on, push it in!"

"Emmett," I say, "I could do without the commentary." We're in Somewhere and Emmett is making me change a light bulb. It's his company, why can't he change his own light bulb?

"Don't be such a party pooper," Emmett grumbles, sitting down on the couch next to a snickering Seb and eye-rolling Edward. Well, at least Edward thinks he's being ridiculous too.

"You should have said 'screw it in', man," Edward says, my mouth drops.

"You all can go jump off a cliff," I snarl, sitting down and glaring at them.

"Oh calm yourself," Christian says, walking over with a platter full of drinks. Emmett hired him to 'bar-tend'. Which I'm not even sure if that's what it should be called considering the 'non-alcohol' policy of Somewhere.

"So… Christmas is tomorrow," Edward says, smiling at. Today is Christmas Eve. We all decided to meet up for some guy talk, since the girls are all out at some frilly brunch.

"Yep, and I bet Rose got me a bunch of stuff for the baby," Emmett says, I laugh at his childish behavior. At least there'll be someone around less mature than him now.

"How do you think Alice will react to the puppy?" Seb asks.

"I hope she loves him," I say. I'm taking her to get the puppy tomorrow morning after we open other presents at the house, but before we go to Carlisle and Esme's.

"She will," Edward says. I nod my head, thinking about how sad she's been lately. She tries to be happy, for me… for both of us. However, sometimes at night, when she clings to me and thinks I'm sleeping, I know she cries.

"What does she want to name him?" Christian asks.

"She said she's like to name him Lafayette. Although, she doesn't realize I'm actually getting him for her. So maybe she'll change her mind when she picks him out," I say, taking a sip of Root Beer.

"If we get a dog, we're naming him Shredder," Emmett says.

"And if Bella and I get a dog I want to name him Jake," Edward says, very seriously. I laugh and hold my sides. Jake was Bella's first boyfriend. They were, young, and the relationship only lasted for the first two weeks of freshman year. But, Edward has always disliked him.

~*!*~

"Alice, I'm home!" I call, opening the door, wondering if she's back from brunch yet.

"Bedroom!" Alice responds.

"Ali?" I walk into the bedroom but don't see Alice anywhere.

"Bathroom."

"Okay."

"Jazz?"

"Yep?"

"Could you get me some apple juice?"

"Uh huh," I say, walking into the kitchen and pouring her a glass. It's a little funny. All yesterday she wanted some but we didn't have any; but when I went and got some, and brought it home, she didn't want it anymore.

"Here, sweet heart," I say, when I get back to the bedroom. I turn the handle and find the door unlocked.

"Thanks Jazz," Alice says, taking the glass from me. She's sitting on the edge of the tub.

"This is an odd place to sit," I say, sitting next to her and smiling.

"Just thinking."

"About what?"

"I think I want to see my father."

"… Why?"

"Closure."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm positive."

"I suppose if that what you want…"

"It is," Alice says stubbornly.

"Why do you want this all of a sudden?" I ask, and she shrugs.

"I've always wanted it. It's just that, now I feel like I need it."

"Because of your mom?"

"Not just because of her; because of us, too."

"Oh," I say, and she kisses me. I can't say that I don't react. I've gone all day without feeling her touch. These past few days, there hasn't been much physical interaction between the two of us.

"I love you," Alice whispers, like it's a secret, something special shared between the two of us.

"I love you," I say, picking her up and bringing her back into the bedroom.

~*!*~

All my life
I've waited for the right
Moment to let you know
I don't wanna let you go

But now I've realized
There's just no perfect time
To confess how I feel
This much I know is real

So I refuse to
Waste one more second without you
Knowing my heart

Baby cause I don't
Need anything else but your love
Nothing but you means a thing to me
I'm incomplete

When you're not there
Holding me, touching me, I swear
All of the rest could just disappear
And I wouldn't even care
As long as you're there

So I hope this chapter makes up for my long absence. I started a new story that's keeping me a tad preoccupied. It's called Summer Tongues and it's actually a Bella & Edward story. A first for me, I know.

I hope the chapter was sad, happy, funny and romantic all wrapped into one. Now, don't deny it, y'all had dirty thoughts when Jasper was screwing in that light bulb. ;) The 'song that gets on everybody's nerves' was obviously 'Friday' by Rebecca Black. Bleh, such a sad excuse for a song. The lyrics at the end were from the Glee song 'As Long As You're There' and I've been listening to it while I wrote this. I'll link it on my profile.

I'm trying something new… updating once a week. So, I'm going to update this story every Friday (even though today is Thursday (I didn't want to wait to post until tomorrow)). I promise, though that there will be a new chapter every Firday! Summer Tongueswill also be updated every Friday. And I'm working out an updat schedule for In My Pants and Innocent Until Proven Guilty. I keep promises, guys (96.7% of the time).

~EM~