Chapter 36 – Edward Cullen.

"Where is Rose? She wasn't supposed to take this long" Sydney asked, tapping her foot anxiously against the ground. Those two amazing hours I had just spent with her had made me completely forget that Rose and Alice were still missing, and now, as the light started to go down, I began to worry.

"She said she might not come back though didn't she?" Emmett asked as he sipped at the cup of blood Carlisle had provided for us all.

"Yeah" I answered mournfully, remembering that painful conversation. "She has to do what she has to do...we can't let that stop us tonight" I said, shocking everyone including myself. Sydney looked up at me with a warm smile, as though she were proud at me. I smiled back, reminiscing the secrets we had as I looked into her eyes, feeling that she was doing the same.

"That's very grown up of you Edward" Carlisle commented smiling over at me also. "I'm glad we all have our heads in the right place, tonight won't be easy". As we pondered over Carlisle's last words I had a sudden feeling of warmth. For years I'd thought I was alone, but now I knew how wrong I had been. I looked at every face of my family, and Sydney, as we sat on the balcony watching the sun go down, and smiled. This was all I wanted...however long it would last.

Everyone was getting ready for the war that was coming. Dressing fully in black and armouring themselves as much as possible, so that we had the biggest advantage possible, but it still wouldn't be enough. I was about to place a silver dagger onto my belt when Sydney's arms found themselves wrapping around my waist.

"Hey you" She said kissing my shoulder. I grinned, spinning round and pulling her into my eyes before she could even blink. "Man you work fast" She giggled, kissing at my lips. I left a trail of soft, tender kisses all around her face, and rested my forehead against hers.

"Are you all packed to go to the safe house?" I asked, wondering if I'd ever see her again.

"Yeah" She sighed dolefully, burying her nose into my chest, as I smelt her hair. I loved how she always smelt like strawberry rose petals, it was the most enticing smell to me. "I wish I could stay with you though" She added, peeking up at me with glazed over eyes. I brushed her cheek softly with my hand, and watched as her eyes closed, and her heart beat quickened.

"The most important thing to me is knowing you are safe. As long as I know your there in the safe house, out of danger, I can rest easier" I said kissing her head.

"You know if you turned me, I could help you" She suggested, crushing her head more into my chest. I laughed.

"Your cute" I said, still laughing. "But we discussed this. It's the easiest way to get yourself killed, fighting when your a newborn. If we all survive this tonight...then we can talk about turning you. But you really need to think about that Sydney. Think about everything you'd be giving up. Just promise me no matter what, you'll stay with the others, ok? I need to know you won't go and do something stupid"

"I won't I promise. I'm just...I'm" She started to tear up, hiding her face from me. Sydney wasn't a person who cried in front of people. "I'm just worried you won't come back" she finally said. I placed my hands firmly at the sides of her face and pulled her face up to mine.

"Listen to me ok" I said seriously. "All I want you to think about is looking after yourself. I will fight my hardest to come back to you, but I don't want you to dwell on it. You and Lissa must protect yourselves. That's all I care about. And the rest...we'll just have to see what happens. You need to be strong ok? For me" I begged, looking deep into her eyes. I lifted my thumb and wiped away one of her tears.

"Ok" She answered, her lips quivering.

"ok" and with that I leaned down and kissed her passionately for what would probably be the last time.

"Son?" Carlisle asked as he walked into the living room, where most of us were still preparing. Some of the coven's were outside practising manoeuvre's with the Dhampir's and Moroi.

"Yeah"

"Lissa, Sydney and the others are ready to leave now, do you have everything? The cars on its way to pick them up"

"Yes, everything is here in these backpacks. Are some of us going with them to make sure they get there ok?"

"Some of the guardians are going with them, and Emmet and Rosalie are going too. If you would like to go with them, I'm sure that would be ok" He suggested, as though reading my mind.

"Yeah I think I would rather see them there safe, make sure their ok"

"That's fine Edward. How are you feeling, are you ok? I know Rose hasn't come back yet"

"I'm ok. I just want to get tonight over with"

"I think we all do son. It's not going to be easy" I could read his mind. All he could think about was Esme and us, and what it would mean to him if any one of us got hurt. It was killing him more than any of us could really know. I went over to him and gave him a hug.

"Thank you" He said in his mind, letting the silence speak for itself. And that was when things started to go wrong.

"EDWARD, EDWARD, CARLISLE!" We heard Rosalie scream. Panic filled us both as we rushed outside to where Rosalie, along with everyone, was stood, their faces ghost like.

"What's going on?" Carlisle asked, his whole body shaking, and his mind racing a million thoughts. I couldn't make heads or tails of what anyone was thinking in this sudden, shocking moment. But as soon as I turned my head in the direction they were all looking it made sense, and I gasped.

"ALICE?!" I yelled, looking over at a frail, frightened Alice, who was in a terrible state. Her clothes were torn, and dripping in blood. Her face was scraped and dirty, and her hands...looking broken and torn.

"Oh my god Alice!" Esme exclaimed, as she came out from behind us. She ran over to Alice who brushed her away.

"DON'T TOUCH ME! DON'T!" Alice cried, shaking and stumbling around in a daze. Her mind was so jumbled I couldn't read a single thought of hers. All I could do was stand here and look at her in the state she was.

"Alice what is going on?" Carlisle asked, gliding over to Esme's side and protecting her from a clearly crazy Alice. It was at this point I snapped out of the trance I was in and went over to her. She looked up at me, her black, pained, glass eyes piercing mine as thought I'd been hit by a thousand frozen daggers.

"Alice" I said calmly, slowly reaching my hands out to her at a glacial pace. "Alice it's me. It's your brother Edward. I'm not going to hurt you ok? You can trust me" I said leaning closer and closer towards her. Carlisle looked over me with a warning look, as Esme cowered behind him, her eyes sad for her daughter whom she was incredibly worried about right now. I edged myself closer to Alice inch by inch, as she stared deep into my eyes, frightened and as though she didn't recognise me any more. But then all of a sudden, as my body neared hers, she jumping into my arms, and squeezed me so tightly that I could hear my body cracking.

"Shhh sh sh" I shushed into her ear, trying to calm her down as she whimpered and squelled.

"It's not ok! IT'S NOT OK!" She screamed over and over. I looked over to Carlisle as both of us had the same thought.

"What should we do".

"Son, bring her inside" Carlisle suggested, ushering Esme away from this.

"NO...THERES NO TIME!!" Alice yelled again, jumping out of my arms and almost falling backwards.

"Alice...please try to calm down and explain" Carlisle said calmly, edging towards her.

"J-J...J" She stuttered on the words. "Jasper!" She gasped.

"Jasper...ok what about Jasper?" I asked, pushing for more as her face squirmed at his name.

And then it was all clear in her mind, and all I could do was fall to the floor.

Avery had locked Alice up in a cold, enclosed room down in the basement. It was cold, damp and she was chained by her wrists, ankles, and head, stretched from limb to limb in a standing position. I could feel the pain she had felt. The constant, heavy pulling feeling of the strong metal chains that were unbreakable even for us. They came in regularly, into her room, and waved human blood in her face, taunting her, and starving her until she could barely handle it. They would beat her, and slap her, and then when she was desperate for blood, they'd cut her loose and throw in humans into her room, humans she couldn't stop herself from killing. It was evil, and torturous, but Avery took pleasure out of it. And that was when Jasper stepped in. Running in a demanding Alice back, in exchange for his help. He swore he would help Avery and the others fight against us, he just wanted Alice by his side.

"We could use your talents" Avery said, stopping her minions from ripping Jasper to shreds. She saw something in him that could be valuable, saving him from eternal death.

"You can have Alice back, but I don't think she will agree to help us"

"I will make her" Jasper promised. "She will stand beside me, I know she will"

"Are you sure about that? We've tested her and I don't think she quite makes the cut. She's loyal to your little family"

"Once she knows how unwilling they were to save her life, she'll be as angry as I am, I guarantee it. Alice is my wife. There's nothing she wouldn't do for me" Jasper smirked. Avery grinned wickedly back.

"Well...then...I guess we have a deal"

"Great!" Jasper exclaimed standing up quickly.

"There's just one little, mini catch" Avery added, as sly like as she always was. It was just typical of Avery to make the situation more sticky and complicated.

"What?"

"You'll need to do something for us...to show us your serious" Here it was...the cherry on top of the cake.

"What is that?" Jasper asked cautiously, his scared emotions clear as day.

"Allow us to turn you...strigoi I mean. It's possible to turn your kind strigoi, we've tested it and it works. If you allow us that, we'll let Alice and you live happily ever after, in exchange for your services" Silence span around the room as Jasper pondered over what it was Avery was asking from him. But it didn't take him long to think.

"It's done" And that was that. He allowed them to turn him, becoming this monster that was not our brother. He was no longer on our side. He was no longer our family. And this devastated me, as well as everyone else.

I stared over at Alice, as she cried and squirmed in the pain of her memories.

"Come inside Alice. We'll get you cleaned up" Esme offered going by her side.

"Maybe Alice should go with the others to the safe house. I don't think she should fight with us tonight" I suggested, knowing that if she did she'd be destroyed within seconds.

"I agree son. We need all the strength we have for tonight. Alice you will be ok!" Carlisle said.

"What are you guys talking about?" Alice said, her face confused as though we were doing something completely wrong.

"The war...tonight" Esme reminded her.

"Tonight?" She exclaimed, high pitched and strained.

"Avery...and the others...they are coming tonight" Carlisle said, confused himself.

"Tonight? They're not coming tonight!"

"What?" We all exclaimed in unison.

"THEY'RE COMING RIGHT NOW!" She screamed.