"The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use." ~Ernst Nightingale
Chapter 53- Time Passes
Jasper and I hunted that night, like we had planned to do before the big family argument. As bad as he hated to admit it, the blood from the accident had gotten to Jasper. And his lack of self control, got to him even more. It was also my last chance to hunt before my energy started going back down. If I counted right, I would be at my lowest Friday.
"Do you think I'll ever get over it?" he asked as we started walking home.
I nodded. "I know you will. Just give it time."
"I have given it time. Almost 57 years."
"Jasper, honey, you also have to think, you drank human blood for 85 years."
I stopped walking, and stepped in front of him so he'd stop too.
"You've killed people too, you know."
I looked down at the ground of the forest. He was right. I had killed several people during my time as a vampire.
"I didn't mean to kill them," I whispered, thinking of the couple I had killed after joining Peter and Charlotte.
Jasper stopped, his eyes were wide.
"Alice, I'm sorry," he said, pulling me to him.
I shook my head, and pulled away from him.
"It's okay," I said, blinking as I tried to focus on what I was going to say before.
"I shouldn't have said that," Jasper said.
"Don't worry about it," I said, offering a smile. "It's okay."
We took off into a run. The entire way home, I couldn't push that couple out of my head. When we got back to the house, I began to get flashes of that night. I tried as hard as I could to pass the images out of my mind. I didn't want Jasper to catch on about the change of my emotions.
I wasn't sure why, but for some reason, his words upset me. Maybe it was because I hadn't thought about it in a long time. I hadn't thought about it, so I couldn't feel bad about it.
Whatever the reason, I didn't want Jasper to know that I was upset. If he already knew, he didn't comment on it.
As I covered up my Dark Mark, with a custom made foundation, Jasper, who had been getting dressed crouched next to me.
"What're you thinking about?"
I didn't respond right away. If I was honest, would he be upset?
"Hey," he said, taking my hand as I finished covering the scar. "When have you ever not been able to talk to me?"
I turned and looked at him.
"Do you want me to be honest?" I asked.
"Of course I do," he said, pulling me into his lap.
"I'm think about what you said."
"Which part?"
"About me attacking humans," I said quietly.
Jasper groaned. "Alice, you know I didn't mean it like that."
"I know, I know," I said, resting my head on his chest as he wrapped me into a hug. "It just got me thinking about that couple."
"You were a newborn," Rocking back and forth. "At that time, you were no more than a few months old. It's natural."
"I know," I said. "Just listen to me. I thought about the differences from my time as a Death Eater versus that."
"What do you mean?" he asked softly. I shook my head and he held me tighter. "Al, honey, what's wrong?"
"I've taken so many lives. Why did I get a chance at two?"
I had thought about this a lot recently. More so since I've seen Bella's possible path of being one of us. Between Jasper making the subconscious decision to kill Whitney, and Edward deciding to kill Bella, I had been thinking a lot about my time as a Death Eater. Jasper turned me around to face him.
"Alice, you did all the right things. You had no choice!"
"I did have a choice," I whispered. "I could have let him kill me."
Jasper's eyes widened with horror, then he turned angry.
"Mary Alice Black Whitlock Cullen!" he shouted. "Never say that again!"
I flinched away from him. He never called me Mary Alice unless he was angry with me.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "But it's true."
"No," he said, taking my face in his hands. "It's not. If he killed you, you would have never found me" I looked up into his eyes. "Alice you were given a second chance because despite the things you've done, you did so much good. You were and still are a good person."
I hid my face in my hands. "I'm sorry, Jasper. I'm so, so, sorry."
"Don't be sorry," he said, kissing my shoulder. Suddenly the anger was gone. I could feel myself start to relax in his arms. "Come on now. It's time for school."
He spent the next few days telling me I had done the right thing.
"All your choices led you straight to me. Someone who's killed hundreds more than you."
He repeated this each day for a week.
"I know," I said once night. My energy was at it's lowest point, and we were looking through photo albums. "But I can't help but think, do you think they would forgive me? The people I killed I mean."
He nodded. "I think so."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because if they got to know you, and if they know why you had to do it, they'd understand. Think about it. You became a Death Eater, why?"
"To get information on Voldemort from the inside, so Harry would win."
"You did it to protect your family, yes?"
I nodded. He continued.
"Why did you become a vampire?"
"Because if I didn't, a tracker, named James, would kill me and the people I care about."
"So you became a vampire to protect your family," he repeated. "Everything you've done, it was for selfless reasons. You became a Death Eater, so you could provide Harry with information from inside Voldemort's forces. You sacrificed yourself, so your family could live." He took my face and pulled it to his. "Everything you did was to protect the people you care about."
"Everything I do is to protect the people I care about," I corrected. He looked at me, with the question burning in his eyes. I smiled, and held onto the arm that was wrapped around me. "I will now spend the rest of my life protecting you."
He smiled and kissed me. "The same goes for you. As long as I'm alive, no harm will ever come to you."
I closed my eyes, and I listened to the sounds of him breathing. Downstairs, you could hear Esme running the vacuum. Carlisle was in his study, so the occasional sound of a turning page could be heard. Edward was playing music from his room. Emmett and Rosalie, much like Jasper and I, were in their room, but they were talking quietly.
"Al?" Jasper asked.
"Hmm?" I didn't open my eyes.
"Are you feeling better?"
I nodded. "Thank you, Jaz."
"Anytime," he said, kissing the top of my head. "Rest now, beautiful."
"Oh leave her alone, Edward," Jasper snapped Tuesday afternoon when we pulled into the garage. I had seen various different flickers that had Bella involved. Edward had gotten irritated because I hadn't blocked it out. It wasn't so much that I wouldn't block it out as it was that I couldn't. I went back to school Monday, and as a result, I was still weak. So I couldn't block it out if I tried. "She can't always help it."
"Jaz," I cautioned. "Please, just leave it."
"No, Alice," Jasper said before turning back on Edward. "She can't always help what she sees. I'm sorry that her visions don't meet up to your standards of what should be in them, but she can't help it."
"Well considering she's been working with it for the last fifty-seven years, then she had the same problem twenty-one years before that, you'd think sometime in the last seventy-eight years, she would have gained even a speck of control."
He turned to me.
"You just can't help yourself, can you, Alice? You have to insert yourself into everything. Next time, don't get involved in something that doesn't concern you at all."
Hurt rippled through me, and the anger started radiating off Jasper. I didn't stick around to hear anymore. I darted away from the other four.
"Look what you've done," Jasper growled.
When I made it through the door, Esme rose from her spot on the couch, laying her book to the side.
"What was that about?" she asked.
"Edward's mad because I keep seeing Bella in my visions. Jasper tried defending me, and Edward said that one would think that sometime in the last seventy-eight years I would have learned how to control my visions."
Jasper came darting through the door with Rosalie and Emmett behind him.
"Edward headed to Seattle," Rosalie said, as Jasper pulled me into a hug.
"I'm sorry Alice," he whispered in my ear.
"It's okay," I said quietly. "He was right."
"No Alice. You're trying. Right now, you're weak, and you can't control them as easily. He's just mad that things aren't going his way."
"I'll talk to him when he gets back," Carlisle said, coming down the stairs. "Whether you feel he was right or not, he had no business putting you down the way he did, especially not in your state."
"Thank you, Carlisle," I said. At that point, I took my leave, heading up to mine and Jasper's room.
"Do you want to be alone?" Jasper asked from the doorway as I laid down on the bed. I shook my head.
"Come lay down with me. Please?"
"Of course," he said, dropping his bag next to the door.
"I'm sorry," he said again, as I hid my face in his chest. "I don't think I helped any."
"It's okay," I murmured. "You tried. That's all I could ask for."
He ran his hand through my spiky hair.
"Is Edward going to be mad when he comes home?" he asked.
I closed my eyes and focused. Edward hadn't made that decision.
"I can't tell. He's still mad right now."
"He'll get over it," Jasper said. "He always does."
"He had a point though. You would have thought sometime in the last seventy eight years I would have learned how to control it, even if I am weak."
"There are somethings that are beyond our control."
I smiled and shook my head. "I'm not winning this one, am I?"
He laughed and kissed my forehead. "Sorry, Darlin. This time, I win."
I closed my eyes. I was drained.
"Jazz?" I mumbled against his shoulder.
"What's wrong, Darlin'?"
"Thank you for sticking up for me."
"You're welcome," Jasper said before kissing my forehead.
I rested for most of the afternoon, and into the night. There came a point, where I knew Edward had come home. I could hear him and Carlisle talking in Carlisle's study.
"It was a horrible thing of you to say," Carlisle said. "She's trying. She's trying to do everything in her power to keep you happy, and you were rude to her for no reason at all. You were raised better than that, Edward."
"Carlisle, I'm sorry but—"
"I'm not the one you need to apologize to," Carlisle said. "You know what you need to do to make things right, Edward."
I heard footsteps make their way across the hallway, they paused outside our door.
"What do you want?" Jasper asked.
"I want to talk to Alice," Edward said in a low voice.
I opened my eyes, and peeked at Edward.
"So talk," Jasper said, as I sat up.
"I want to talk to her alone if that's okay."
I pushed myself off the bed, but Jasper quickly caught my hand.
"Are you sure about this Al?"
I nodded.
"It's going to be okay. We're not going to argue. We're just going to go for a walk."
Jasper let go of my hand, and Edward stepped over to help me stand up straight.
"I'll bring her back in a little while," Edward promised.
I bent down to kiss Jasper's cheek before walking with Edward down the stairs and out of the house.
"So, let's talk," I said once we were out of earshot of the house. My back was to him.
"Alice, I'm sorry for what I said. It was very rude of me. This is something that you can't always control, and I should have been so much more considerate of that."
"You spoke to Carlisle," I said. It wasn't a question.
"I did."
"I don't want you to apologize because Carlisle told you to," I said, turning to look at him. "I want you to apologize because you mean it."
"I am not apologizing because Carlisle told me to. I was going to apologize anyways. Carlisle just happened to catch me. I was wrong Alice. I should have never said it."
"Do you know why I see Bella? I see her because you are trying to figure out whether you love her or not. She'll be a part of our future either way. My powers are weak. I can't block her out."
"I know, and Alice, I am so, so, sorry."
"I can't forgive you just yet," I told him, looking at the ground. "Just give me a few days."
"You were so hurt," he said quietly. "Jasper showed me before he went after you."
I nodded. "That's because I never thought I'd hear that from you. I'd expect something like that from Rosalie maybe, but not you."
Edward looked to the ground as I spoke.
I caught his eye, and I could instantly see into his thoughts.
I searched further back. I caught glimpse of his thoughts during our argument.
You just can't help yourself, can you, Alice? You have to insert yourself into everything.
These words rang through his ears. They were followed with:
Maybe that's the real reason Remus left.
I was snapped out of his mind, and Edward looked horrified.
"Alice I—"
"You don't really think that do you?" I asked, quietly.
"No," Edward said quickly. "I was angry and—"
"That's all I need to know," I said, holding up a hand. "However, I will clarify this. The reason Remus left me, is the same reason I told you guys. He didn't love me anymore. He fell in love with my cousin."
"I know," Edward said.
"Carlisle is right you know," I said, as we began walking back to the house.
"What about?"
"That is not how you were raised. You are so much better than that."
Edward smiled and ruffled my hair.
Jasper was waiting for the two of us on the front stairs.
"He's worried about you," Edward said, as we walked through the trees. "He's worried I've upset you even more."
I shook my head. "He'll always worry about me."
"He always has."
Jasper stood when we came closer to the house.
"Everything okay?" he asked, looking from me to Edward, then back again.
I smiled. "All is well."
"I'm sorry to you too," Edward said, as Jasper took my hand.
"It's not me who needed the apology. You didn't insult what makes me special."
Jasper and Edward didn't say anything else. The three of us went inside, and sat with everyone else, minus Carlisle who was getting ready for work, in the living room.
"Did you work everything out?" Esme asked, looking between Edward and I.
I could see it in her eyes. She was disappointed.
"Mostly," I said, glancing at Edward.
Time still passed, and Edward tried everything he could to avoid Bella.
"Bella's going to stare at Edward in a minute," I said one Tuesday in March. We all fidgeted, Jasper shifting his weight and moving where we had our hands, me tucking my legs into the seat with me, Emmett relaxing in his seat, and Rosalie leaning towards Emmett.
I sighed.
I wish….
"Stay out of it Alice," Edward said, under his breath. "It's not going to happen."
It seemed what I said to him a few months ago had went through one ear and out the other. This is why it's taken me so long to forgive him for our feud. I pouted, and Jasper chuckled.
I'll admit, you're better than I thought. You've got the future all snarled up and senseless again. I hope your happy.
"It makes plenty of sense to me," he said smugly.
I snorted, and turned my attention to Jasper.
"Is today going okay?"
He nodded. "I've been able to block it out for the most part."
"That's good," I said with a smile.
"Don't worry about me, Alice. I'm okay."
"I know you are," I said with a grin. "I'm proud of you. You've done great."
When lunch ended, Jasper walked me to my next class.
"Is it any clearer?" Jasper asked. He knew the future had gone hazy again. I shook my head.
"Edward still hasn't made up his mind. That makes things hard for me."
"I know," he said, kissing my temple. "But things will clear up soon."
I smiled at him as we stepped in front of the classroom door.
"I'll see you in French," I said, letting go of his hand. "If you need anything, I'll see. Just make the decision to go to the car."
"You know I will."
I kissed his cheek before going through the door, and to my seat.
Class hadn't started, and the classroom left my sight. I could see Edward's future shifting and warping. Bella seemed to be clearer, then she'd fade again.
I felt the grin on my face widen as I saw him leaning more to the realization that he loved the girl.
I focused as hard as I could on class. The excitement as the future was becoming clearer, was growing, and when the bell rang, I shot from my seat and out the door.
I waited for Jasper outside of his math class, bouncing from excitement.
"Alice?" he asked, putting his bag onto his shoulder. "Is everything okay? Usually I come get you."
"It's getting clearer Jazz!" I said. "He's leaning towards his decision!"
"Calm down, Al," he said, putting an arm around my waist. I still bounced with excitement.
He laughed as he began to pull me along to class.
"You really need to calm down," he said, as he sat down. I scooted my chair closer to his, where I could feel his calmness and amusement. He assisted, controlling my emotions to calmness.
"Better?" I asked, as I relaxed in my seat.
"Much," he said. I smiled, and leaned my head on his shoulder. He took my hand, and kissed it as Mrs. Molina walked into the room, and in front of the board.
When class finished, Emmett and Rosalie were waiting at the corner of the building.
"Edward told me to wait here for you guys," he said when Jasper and I approached them. "He's being really weird."
"How so?" I asked, all the excitement suddenly gone. I looked across the lot, where Edward had pulled the Volvo out into the middle of the isle.
We walked slowly.
"What is he doing?" I asked.
Jasper shrugged.
I watched at Tyler Crowley got out of his car, and knocked on Bella's truck window. She jumped and rolled it down. "I'm sorry Tyler," she said, irritation evident in her voice. Her voice was faint, but still clear. "I'm stuck behind Cullen."
"Oh I know," Tyler said. "I just wanted to ask something while we're trapped here."
I looked at Jasper, who shrugged yet again.
"He's feeling confident," Jasper muttered as we got closer to the car.
"Will you ask me to the spring dance?" Tyler asked Bella, as we all turned our attention back to him.
"I'm not going to be in town, Tyler," she told him, clearly still irritated. This caused me to snicker slightly.
"Yeah, Mike said that."
"Then why—"
"I was hoping you were just letting him down easy."
"Sorry Tyler," she said. She didn't sound sorry. "I really am going to be out town."
Tyler accepted this excuse. We could see that in in his never fading smile.
"That's cool. We still have prom."
He strutted back to his car as the four of us slid into ours. Edward was shaking with laughter, although I couldn't see why. He was starting to realize his love for Bella, so I had doubted that he was pleased by her encounter with Tyler.
Edward shook his head at an unheard thought.
"Let's go," Rosalie hissed. "Stop being an idiot. If you can."
Edward sped away as Bella revved her engine again.
I paused for a moment in my seat, before turning to Edward.
"So do I get to talk to Bella now?" I asked suddenly. I didn't consider the words.
"No," Edward snapped.
"Not fair!" I whined. "What am I waiting for?"
"I haven't decided anything, Alice."
"Whatever Edward," I said, showing him Bella's clear path.
"What's the point in getting to know her, if I'm just going to kill her?" Edward mumbled.
I hesitated, then sighed. "You have a point," I admitted.
"Enjoy your run," Rosalie said, smugly.
But I could see that Edward made the decision to hunt instead of run. The rest of us were scheduled to hunt tomorrow. However I had the feeling that as it had in the very beginning, Bella's scent was strong again.
Edward didn't come back that night. I saw him going to Bella's house. He wasn't there to kill her though. He sat in a rocking chair, watching her sleep.
He made it back to the house after we left, but we were too far gone to stop and wait for him.
I drove, with Jasper in the passenger seat, and Rosalie and Emmett sat in the back, Rosalie grumbling the entire way.
"Edward will be in the trees when we get to school," I said, as I drove. Nobody answered, but Rosalie continued grumbling as I pulled into the school. I scanned a place near the trees for a parking lot, and pulled into the first one I found.
Sure enough, Edward hit in the trees, as Jasper walked over to join me on my side of the car.
"Come on," Jasper said, not turning to the trees. "Let's get to class."
Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett, and I walked to lunch without Edward. He had made the decision to sit with Bella.
"Edward won't be sitting with us," I said, as Jasper wrapped an arm around my waist. "He's going to ask Bella to sit with him."
I grinned as I said the words, realizing that he had finally accepted his future.
I knew that certain decisions could alter the future, but some futures were set. This was one of them. Edward would love Bella. That was final. She was his mate, much like I was to Jasper, or Esme to Carlisle, or Rose to Emmett.
When we stepped into the cafeteria, I noticed that Edward sat a good deal away from our table.
Rosalie walked by, not looking at him, while Emmett rolled his eyes and shook his head. Jasper offered him a half smile, and beamed at him. I could tell my teeth were too bright.
Can I talk to Bella now?
"Keep out of it," he said under his breath.
My face fell, then brightened again.
Fine. Be stubborn. It's only a matter of time.
Edward sighed again.
Oh don't forget today's biology lab.
I had biology before I had gym. I had stayed in the Volvo, then went to Gym, where I had forgotten to say anything to Edward.
He nodded, and I could see that he hadn't forgotten.
We sat down after getting our food props, and Emmett and Rosalie immediately dove into a conversation.
Jasper and I were quiet for a moment, then he look at me with curious eyes.
"He loves her?" Jasper asked. I beamed again and nodded.
"She's his mate."
"He's finally found her," Jasper whispered. I smiled and nodded.
"One day, she'll be my sister. Your's too."
Jasper didn't grin like I did.
"It's okay," I said, placing a hand on his cheek.
Bella came through the doors, automatically looking at our table. I locked eyes with her, before they dropped. She was sad.
As she made eye contact with Edward at the table, and her eyes seemed to bright up.
I turned to Jasper. He was watching me closely.
"What?" I asked, as played with the rings around my neck.
"You love her too."
I nodded.
"She reminds me of Harry in a way," I said, glancing at her. "But don't worry. I still love you the most."
He smiled, and leaned forward to kiss me.
"I can never love anybody as much as I love you."
"I know that."
I turned to Edward and Bella, and focused closely on their conversation.
"What if I'm not the superhero?" Edward was saying. "What if I'm the bad guy."
I snorted, and Jasper frowned.
"The bad guy?" he said, suppressing a smile.
"Not all vampires are the bad guy," I said.
"No they're not. But that's not how Edward sees it," Jasper said.
"I can always show him a bad guy," I said to Jasper, who chuckled.
"But not bad. No, I don't believe that you're bad," Bella said.
"Bella disagrees," I said. Jasper smiled and shook his head.
"You're so happy," he said quietly. I smiled.
"How can I not be?" I asked. "Things are good."
"They are," he said.
When we left the crowded cafeteria, he pulled me from the crowd to a wall, where he kissed me deeply.
"Sorry," he said, when he pulled away. "Being around Emmett and Rosalie…." he trailed off and I smiled.
"It's alright," I said, putting a finger against his lip. "I didn't complain, now did I?"
Jasper, smiled and leaned his forehead against mine. "No. You didn't. But still, there's so many people nearby, and we usually don't show so much affection."
I laughed and shook my head. "It's okay, Jasper."
That day, in French, I could see myself driving Bella's truck.
"Alice?" Jasper whispered in my ear. "What is it? What do you see?"
The classroom around me returned, and suddenly, Jasper's face was in my view.
"Everything is okay," I said. "Nothing to worry about."
No one had noticed our exchange, although Jasper kept my hand tightly in his.
"Are you sure it's nothing to worry about?" he pressed as we met up with Rosalie and Emmett.
"It's okay, Jaz," I said, soothingly. "I'm just going to be driving Bella's truck to her house."
"Why?" Jasper frowned. I shrugged. "I don't know. Do you want to ride with me."
Jasper shook his head.
"The smell."
"That's okay. Edward is going to follow me there."
When we approached the car, I went straight to the driver side, and held my hand out for the key.
"I only saw that I was," I said. "You'll have to tell me the whys."
"This doesn't mean—"
"I know. I know. I'll wait. It won't be long."
Edward sighed, and laid the key in my hand.
He followed me to Bella's house. The rain pounded on the tin roof, and it made me question whether or not Bella would be able to hear the loud, roaring engine of her truck. When I pulled it to the curb, she didn't come to the window. I left the key in the ignition, slid out of the truck, and quickly slipped into the Volvo. Edward speed away from her house.
That evening, Jasper and Emmett were in the middle of a chess game. There were eight boards lined up next to each other, and they had their own set of rules. Jasper played with me when I begged him and swore to not watch his choices, but other than that, Edward was the only one who played with me.
I went to my computer, and began working on a fashion design project for Rosalie. Rosalie didn't join me today. She trusted that I knew what she wanted, and what fit her style.
I leaned my head around the wall, and started mouthing Emmett's moves to Jasper, who kept from smiling at me. Emmett sat with his back to me, and didn't notice my assistance as Jasper stole Emmett's favorite knight.
Edward sat down at the piano, and ran through scales. When he was satisfied with it's tune, he added in a line. It was a new song, one that I didn't recognize. I smiled at Edward's back, and then suddenly the music stopped, and Edward's hand flew to his mouth, letting only a sharp bark of amusement escape.
We all stared at Edward.
"Don't stop, Edward," Esme encouraged after a strained moment. When Edward started playing again, Rosalie rose to her feet, and stalked out the room. She looked embarrassed, although anger overpowered it.
"What's wrong, Rose?" Emmett called after her, but she didn't turn. He then turned to Edward. "What was that about?"
"I don't have the faintest idea," Edward lied.
Emmett grumbled, frustrated. I returned to mouthing Emmett's moves to Jasper.
Edward continued playing, trying a few different tunes for the bridge, but he didn't seemed satisfied with any of them.
"It's charming. Does it have a name?" Esme asked.
"Not yet."
"Is there a story to it?"
"It's….a lullaby, I suppose."
I left Jasper to play for himself, leaving a kiss on his temple as I strode past him. He smiled, and pecked me on the lips before turning back to his game. I however, joined Edward on the bench in front of the piano.
In a trilling, wind chime voice, I sang a wordless decent two octaves higher than the melody.
"I like it," Edward murmured to me. "But how about this?"
Edward added my line to the harmony, modifying it a touch. I caught the mood and began to sing along.
"Yes. Perfect."
Esme squeezed his shoulder.
But the ending was coming. Edward was making it slower, and lower, and I adjusted my voice to match it.
I watched as he played the last note, and bowed his head over the keys. Esme stroked his hair.
"Thanks," Edward said after a moment, responding to something that the rest of us couldn't hear. He laughed once after a moment, then sighed after another. Edward was silent for a moment, then he said, "Stop it Mom, you're making me blush."
I laughed, and then began playing the top hand of "Heart and Soul". Edward smiled, and played the simple song with me, before playing "Chopsticks," which happened to be one of my favorites besides the song he had played at mine and Jasper's wedding.
I giggled, then sighed. "So I wish that you'd tell me what you were laughing at Rose about. But I can see that you won't."
"Nope," he said to me. I flicked his ear.
"I could just always dig around your head myself."
"But you won't." Esme chided. "Be nice, Alice, Edward is just being a gentlemen."
"But I want to know," I whined.
Edward laughed at me, then said, "Here Esme," and began playing one of her favorite songs. Edward had told me some time ago that he was inspired for the song by watching the love Carlisle and Esme shared.
"Thank you dear," Esme said, squeezing his shoulder once more.
As I listened to the song, I saw the piano fading from view. It was fading too quickly, and I couldn't catch it in time.
Peter parked the car in front of the stairs, and killed the engine. He turned to Charlotte in the passenger seat.
"I doubted they'd be surprised that we're here," Peter said looking up at the house. "Alice at least would have seen us coming."
Charlotte nodded. "This is true. I doubt Alice would keep this from Jasper."
"She never has before. As far as I'm aware, Alice doesn't keep anything from him."
The two stepped out of the car, and darted up the stairs, knocking on the door.
Jasper opened it with a smile, and hugged Peter. I stood behind him smiling.
The vision faded, the piano returning to my view.
"Oh," I said abruptly. When Edward saw what I had, his fingers frozen on the keys. "Jasper guess what?"
"What is it, Alice?" he asked as I fluttered to his side, sitting down next to him.
"Peter and Charlotte are coming to visit next week! They're going to be in the neighborhood, isn't that nice?"
"What's wrong, Edward?" Esme asked.
"Peter and Charlotte are coming to Forks?" Edward hissed at me. I rolled my eyes.
"Calm down, Edward. It's not their first visit."
I frowned at him. Then suddenly I was disappointed in his trust for them.
"They never hunt here. You know that."
"When?" he demanded.
Monday morning. I responded silently. No one is going to hurt Bella.
"No," Edward agreed. "You ready, Emmett?"
"I thought we were leaving in the morning.
"We're coming back by midnight Sunday. I guess it's up to you when you want to leave."
"Okay, fine. Let me say goodbye to Rose first."
"Sure," Edward said.
Emmett must have thought something as he headed to the back door, cause he said, "I suppose I have."
"Play the new song for me, one more time," Esme asked.
"If you'd like that," he agreed.
Esme and I shared a glance, but neither of us said anything.
That night Jasper and I, spent some time with the family instead of retreating to our bedroom. Edward had put mine and Jasper's wedding song on a CD for me, which Jasper suddenly put into the CD player that sat with the TV.
Carlisle looked up from the book he had been reading, and Rosalie looked up from her magazine. Esme smiled as Jasper held his hand out to me, from where I sat at my computer.
"Dance with me," he requested. I smiled and took his hand.
He pulled me close to him, and I rested my head on his chest. Everyone watched us, with a smile on their face. He spun me through the living room and the dining room.
"Is everything okay?" I asked him, ignoring the watching eyes behind us.
He smiled and nodded. "I thought about earlier. When I kissed you outside of the cafeteria. I had decided that it had been awhile since we've danced. Then I thought about it when Edward was playing, and you were helping him write the new song. I figured that before the night was over, we'd dance."
I smiled. "It has been a while, hasn't it," I asked.
When the song came to an end, Jasper kissed me just as he had outside of the cafeteria. It was passionate, and soft. Esme clapped behind us, and I smiled as he pulled away from me.
Jasper looked at the rings around my neck and took them.
"What are you doing?" I asked, as I watched in undo the clasp that held them on the chain. He moved the rings onto my finger.
"I missed seeing them there," he said before kissing the rings.
"Soon they'll be back there for many years to come."
I wore my rings during the summer, and during every break. Then during my senior year, we had agreed that I'd wear them. I could easily say that it was the last thing had of my parents. This story had worked in the past.
He smiled, and we led me to the couch.
Esme scooted closer to Carlisle to make room for us.
"I've missed seeing the two of you dance," Esme said. "You used to dance all the time."
Whenever Edward played something on the piano, Jasper and I used to dance along to it.
I smiled, but sat there contently in Jasper's arms.
"I miss dancing," I said, turning to face Jasper.
"We'll dance more," Jasper promised.
I smiled and leaned back onto his shoulder.
When Emmett returned Sunday, Edward wasn't there with him.
"He went to watch Bella," I told Jasper after I had shut the bedroom door. I had placed my wand on the bedside table.
I wore it on a wand holster throughout the day. The only time I was without it was during school.
"He's watching her?" Jasper asked confused.
"He watches her sleep," I said. Jasper's confusion faded. "She talks."
Jasper didn't question it. Instead, he pulled The Tales of Beedle the Bard off the shelf.
He'd read it a million times, yet it still remained to be one of his absolute favorite books. It was his favorite out of the books I brought from my world.
He laid the book in my hands and pulled me to the bed. He told me once long ago, that he liked it when I read it, rather than reading it himself. Despite me knowing all the stories by heart, even before my transformation, we still read it from the book.
"Which story?" I asked.
"The Tale of the Three Brothers."
I smiled, but gave into his request, flipping to the story he wanted.
As I read, I thought of Harry. He had been the Master of Death once. He told me after the battle, how he saw my father, and Remus when he had the resurrection stone. He told me about how Remus wished that one day, I would understand why he left me. That one day, I would find the man that I deserved. I looked at the scared arm that rested on my waist as his hands met at my hip. With the one hand that wasn't holding the book, I laid my hand over his.
"And then, he greeted Death, as an old friend, went with him gladly, and as equals, they departed from this life," I finished quietly, looking into his eyes.
Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! It was if I'm not mistaking three chapters of Twilight and Midnight Sun mashed into one. I do want to clarify, I do not have anything against Edward. It seems to me, however, that he can be rude at times. He and Alice do overall have a good relationship, but like all siblings, they have their ups and downs.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
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