Disclaimer: So, you know, Meyer owns Twilight and all related characters, I own all original ideas and characters. Yeah. I know you know.

Proposal

"NO WAY!" Alice roared, flying off of the couch. "No, no, no, no, NO! That is NOT an option!"

The others growled in agreement, Emmett's the loudest. I sat there, biting my lip. I couldn't believe that the council actually wanted me alone on their land. If that didn't sound fishy, then I wasn't sure what would. There was no way in hell that they would have me over there alone just to talk. Hell no. If anything, they'd either kill me or capture me or some crazy shit like that. And I was NOT about to be the cause of another fight. Not this time.

"You'd better not have fucking agreed to that!" Alice snarled, glaring up at her father.

"Alice, enough!" commanded Esme. "Do not speak to your father that way."

Alice grimaced, but remained standing tall, her entire body vibrating violently.

Carlisle sighed. "No, Alice, I did not agree to their terms. I told them that I would speak with the rest of you on it and ask Bella on her opinion before giving them an answer. No, I do not think that it is a wise idea and I do not consent to it, either."

Alice's body relaxed and she hung her head. "C-Carlisle…oh God, I…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you…I'm so sorry. I just…I don't want Bella to be hurt…" Alice's voice was quiet as she apologized and my heart ached for her.

Carlisle's face softened and he pulled her into a warm hug.

"You don't have to apologize, Alice. I know how much Bella means to you and I know that you would do anything to protect her. We're going to work something out that would benefit both sides and hopefully bring peace to us once again. I refuse to allow Bella to go there alone, however, as I'm sure most of you do, so that is not an option. Are there any ideas?"

"I say we torch them and their stinking reservation," Amara growled. Carlisle frowned and looked like he was about to say something, but Amara quickly added on to her previous statement. "Of course we would evacuate all of the innocents, naturally, and we could probably chase the wolves away or something. But it would get them out of our hair and they would know not to fuck with us anymore."

"I'd rather not have that, Amara," Carlisle stated. "I want to avoid violence with the wolves, especially since they outnumber us."

"Numbers aren't everything," Emmett boomed.

Jasper shook his head. "They are when it's a battle to the death between mortal enemies, Em."

"That's precisely what we don't want to have happen," Edward grunted. "An all out war with the wolves is a bad idea, not only because they have the numbers advantage, but because our gifts are nearly useless against them. Alice can't see their future, my telepathy can't work if it's reading fourteen minds at once and Jasper can only do so much with his empathy. I say we try to bargain with them and come to some sort of an agreement."

"Would they even want to make an agreement?" Esme inquired, sounding concerned.

"They don't have a choice," Alice hissed. "If they want to speak to Bella, then they can do it in our presence or they can not do it at all, plain and simple. Werewolves do not control us. They do not make our decisions for us and they sure as hell don't get to make the rules for how we do things. And if they don't like it, that's tough for them. They can deal with it."

"I'm with Alice. I won't go without the rest of you there," I agreed.

"We can't go onto their property, I know that," Carlisle mused, rubbing his chin. "Maybe if we suggested that we meet on the treaty line? That would make things easier since neither side would be trespassing on the other's lands. Of course, they did break the treaty, so we'll have to renegotiate with them."

Rosalie hissed. "Why do we need a stinking treaty, Carlisle? It's not like they won't break the damn thing again in a while anyways."

"Because, Rosalie, it shows that we are better people than they are," Carlisle replied. "It's true that the treaty will likely be broken. It has been broken in the past, and each time we renegotiated in order to maintain a peace, no matter how fleeting it may be, between our groups. That shows that we are not the violent monsters that the Quileutes have come to believe us to be and proves that not all vampires are vicious human killers."

"We are better than they are," Esme crooned. "We do not complain about their stink or the way that they treat us. Yes, some of us do insult them, but with the insults they aim at us, it is only fair that we defend ourselves in some way. I used to believe that we could coexist with them and I hoped that we would be able to, but it seems that no matter how hard we strive for peace, there will always be tension and anger between our groups."

I noticed how sad Esme looked after she'd finished speaking and realized that she didn't like the fact that the wolves were her enemies. She was the kind of person who hated having enemies because she was such a kind, loving individual. I ran a hand through my hair as Alice sat down next to me, pulling me into her lap and cradling me in her arms.

I gently stroked her cheek. "We'll figure this out, Ali," I cooed softly.

Alice's dark amber orbs gazed back at me as she leaned in to brush her lips against mine.

"I hope so," she murmured. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Nothing bad will happen, Alice. I've got you, remember?" I pointed out. "You're my supremely-badass, super-awesome little protector."

Her lips twitched and curled into a small smile. "Well, I am pretty awesome."

"Yes, yes you are," I replied.

Swelling her ego might not have been the best idea, but at the time, I was more than willing to do so in order to cheer her up. Despite the obvious anger and worry smoldering in her eyes, I had managed to soften her up a bit. She pulled me closer to her and nuzzled into the top of my head like she always did, which I loved.

Carlisle stood up. "I shall call them and tell them of what we have decided."

"What if they don't agree to our terms?" Emmett asked. "What happens then?"

"I won't allow for anything that isn't similar to our request," Carlisle replied simply. "I won't have Bella alone with them no matter how many threats they might issue. It is non-negotiable. If they do not adhere to our request, then we will form some sort of balance. But I'm certain that the council will be willing to accept it, since it doesn't endanger their people."

No one chose to argue with that and we sat in silence as Carlisle speedily dialed the number of the council to call. Apparently someone answered on the second ring and with that, Carlisle started speaking quietly to whoever had picked up. I rested my head on Alice's shoulder, her cool hands slowly running through my hair. I kissed her chin and hugged her tightly, hoping that this wolf scenario would be over soon.

I turned slightly to watch Edward's facial expressions, since they would always give me some insight on what was going on. His face was hard and a frown was firmly placed, even as Carlisle finished his conversation and set the phone down. It was only when Carlisle walked into the room did Edward's face soften as he sighed and shook his head.

"I'm amazed they accepted," he muttered.

"They did?" I asked, surprised myself.

Carlisle smiled and nodded. "Yes, they did. We have set the meeting for tomorrow afternoon on their treaty line in order to discuss this situation fully."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a minute," Emmett grunted. "They actually accepted our terms, no questions asked?"

Carlisle nodded once more. "Yes. The person who I spoke to, Sue Clearwater I believe, said that she agreed to our terms and that she would relay the information to the other council members."

Sue Clearwater? Leah and Seth's mom. Maybe she was on our side after all. At the very least, even if she wasn't on our side, she seemed to be willing to give us a chance.

"I don't like it," Edward murmured, shaking his head. "It seems too good to be true for a member of the council to openly accept something we say without trying to alter it around in their favor in some way. That's how they've been in the past. Even Ephraim Black, when he was the chieftain, did that. It seems odd that their council would willingly go along with us for once."

"Perhaps they're seeing reason?" Esme openly wondered, only to scowl and shake her head.

"It seems unlikely," Jasper sighed. "They wouldn't just openly start trusting us like this."

"Maybe I should bring a few matches with me…" Amara murmured, staring down at the table.

"That'd be a bit too dangerous," Jasper replied, rubbing her back. "You're still in the midst of your training, remember Ama?"

Amara scowled. "Well it would beat walking into a trap, wouldn't it?"

"Do you think it would be a trap?" I asked, looking to Alice.

Alice bit her lip. "I can't say for certain. I'm guessing so, knowing them."

Carlisle cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. "If I might say something?" he asked in a calm voice, waiting for the conversations to die down. "Thank you. I realize that all of you are skeptical about this situation. I'd be lying if I said that I myself wasn't a little skeptical."

Alice pointed her finger at him. "You see? You feel the same way that we do! We shouldn't even be having this conversation, Carlisle! It doesn't matter if-"

"Alice," Esme chided in a soft voice.

Alice stopped, seeing that she was shouting again for no reason and sighed.

"Sorry," she mumbled, burying her face in the crook of my neck. I rubbed her back soothingly as I squeezed her into me. I knew that she was only having outbursts because she loved me and that she wanted to keep me safe, which I thought was endearing.

Carlisle didn't seem bothered in the slightest and continued on. "Be that as it may, I believe that this won't be a trap, primarily because of the fact that they are more interested in Bella's life than us. Their duties are to protect humans, and it wouldn't be right if they acted on something other than their primary duties. Therefore, I can safely assume that we won't be in any immediate danger. That is not to say that you shouldn't be prepared for the worst to happen, but I ask that you don't jump to conclusions beforehand."

Edward clasped his hands together. "If they should consider attacking, I'll be certain to give everyone a warning ahead of time."

"I'll probably feel it, too," Jasper added.

"Yes, that is true. All I ask is that everyone try to be on their best behavior when we go to meet with the elders. If we can prove that we are better than they think we are, that may further persuade them into seeing our point of view. We have never had an issue with the council before and I don't see a reason why we would have one now. Still, it is better to be prepared. Do all of you understand? I only want for us to behave well," Carlisle stated calmly.

Everyone nodded in unison. None of us wanted a repeat of last time, especially since it could have ended up a lot worse. Had Leah not jumped in to help Alice out, I dare not think of what could have ended up happening.

"Tomorrow, then?" I asked quietly.

"Yes, tomorrow," Carlisle replied. "It would seem that they're wolves will remain patrolling our land, at least until tomorrow. If we want for them to trust us, it is best that we merely respect the wolves and pay them no mind. That doesn't mean you're being forced to remain indoors, we are just required to inform the wolves should they grow to suspect anything."

Rosalie stood up and threw her hands into the air. "Seriously? What are they, our fucking babysitters? Ugh! This is bullshit, Carlisle! We should not have to tell them every little thing that we do before we do it. We do not need their permission for anything at all, damn it!"

Carlisle chuckled. "Rosalie, dear, I never said that we needed their permission to do anything, nor did I say that we had to tell them everything. They merely wanted to know when Bella leaves, since her safety is apparently their top concern."

Was I the only one who noticed that Carlisle didn't sound too sure of that? No? Didn't think so.

"They're probably going to try and spy on us," Edward grumbled, shaking his head.

Alice shifted slightly. "Not if we keep them away from our house they won't."

I gave her a curious look and saw that she was smirking. "How would you do that?" I asked.

Her smirk grew. "We stink to them, remember? Well, all we have to do is extend our scents outwards whenever they get too close. The sheer intensity of our scents would surely drive even the Alpha wolf away. That way, they wouldn't spy on us and we could have a bit of fun along the way, don't you guys think?"

I noticed a few grins on my siblings; even Carlisle and Esme were smiling, though they kept them better concealed.

"That could be fun," Amara mused.

"Hell yes! It's not as fun as fighting them, but it beats not doing anything!" boomed Emmett, giving Alice a big grin. "Nice idea, half-pint!"

"You're an evil little thing, you know that, right?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Alice gave me a wicked grin and kissed me. "Evilly awesome, you mean."

"That you are, Alice," I agreed with a giggle.

Esme stood up and cleared her throat, the serious look on her face cutting off all of the laughing and joking.

"I'm glad that you can joke at a time like this, but I want all of you to be serious when it comes to dealing with the wolves. I don't want any fights breaking out, so please try to keep your joking to a minimum. Hopefully, we will be able to solve our dilemma with them tomorrow so that we can go back to living peacefully once more."

"We can hope," Edward commented. "But with the way that most of the pack is now, it seems unlikely that our peace will be forever."

"We could make a plan," Jasper offered. "Some sort of strategy of escape should things backfire on us."

"I don't believe they will," Carlisle said, sounding rather confident.

Esme nodded in agreement. "I don't believe so, either. It might be tense, but I feel that this will have a much better turn out if we maintain positive thinking. And if we make sure to behave ourselves when in the presence of the wolves." She shot Rosalie a semi-reprimanding, semi-teasing look, since the blonde had made a few crass comments to the wolves before. Rosalie scowled and crossed her arms in a huff, but made no argument back.

"So it's decided, then," Alice said, still hugging me. "But if they try to take my Bella away…"

I sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "They won't, Alice."

"But you don't know-"

I shushed her with my lips. "I do know, because I won't let them. I'm staying here, whether they like it or not. It's not their choice to make, it's mine."

"Bella is right," Carlisle agreed. "It is her choice. It has always been her choice."

"Now if we could get the dogs to see that," Amara snorted. "Which, knowing them, will be a lot easier said than done." She stood up and moved her head side to side. "And on that note, I'm heading back to work on my gift a bit."

"I'll tag along," Jasper said, standing with her. They smiled at the rest of us as they made their way outside, vanishing from the house.

Carlisle stood from his seat. "I think I'll go and do a bit of studying." He smiled at me. "Feel free to come and visit if you'd like to talk, Bella."

"I will, thank you," I replied, smiling back.

He nodded and strolled up the stairs, leaving the rest of us to our thoughts.

"I think I'll go and check on my garden," Esme murmured, walking out the door.

"So…" Emmett started, glancing at the remainder of us. "Games, anybody?"

"I'll pass," Edward replied, standing and blurring into the next room. Piano music started to play throughout the entire house, forming a peacefulness of sorts. I found that Edward played rather beautifully and wondered if Alice would ever serenade me one of these days.

She promised me she would and she had yet to make good on that promise. Maybe when there weren't raving vampires trying to kill me and a bunch of wolves wanting to kill my family, I'd have the chance to bring it up with her.

"Well darn," Emmett groaned. "Now what am I supposed to do? Rose?"

Rosalie considered it, then shook her head. "I need to hunt. It's been a while. Do you feel like coming with me, Em?"

Emmett shrugged. "Sure, beats sitting around here doing nothing." He paused and smirked at Alice and I, neither of us having moved from our current cuddling position. "Unless you two decide you're gonna start making out…"

Rosalie rolled her eyes and smacked his shoulder. "It doesn't matter if they do or not, YOU will not be here to enjoy it, mister. Now off with you and I'll play a couple rounds of Halo with you later on."

Emmett pouted. "Aw, man. You always win at that game!"

"Because I am superior to you, of course," Rosalie replied, smirking. "Now go!" She pushed Emmett out the front door despite his whining and protesting, since he seemed adamant in watching Alice and I make out. I rolled my eyes and chuckled at my siblings before snuggling back into Alice, who was purring contently.

I laid back on the couch, Alice on top of me purring, and listened to Edward's playing, letting all of my tension and worries wash out of me. Something that had been bothering me for some time now popped into my mind as I hugged Alice: Why did the wolves hate my family so much that, to the point where their opinion was biased against them?

I didn't think that the one accident that had happened involving Alice was enough to make an entire pack hate them, unless Raina or Sam were somehow ordering them to, which I doubted.

Then I thought about Raina.

I could, in some ways, understand her point of view. She had lost her mother, who she had been close to, and her father was forever paralyzed in an accident caused by a vampire. Since vampires were already considered their enemies, that would naturally give Raina a reason to hate my family, Alice especially. But was that hate so strong that she would willingly sacrifice herself just to get revenge for something that wasn't intentional? It didn't make sense to me. Why would the wolves feel the way they did on their own? It just wasn't right.

"What are you thinking?" Alice asked in a soft hum.

I breathed in the sweet scent of her hair. "I was thinking about why the wolves hate you so much despite the fact that you've never done anything to them."

Alice took in a deep breath and sighed. "Despite what I or one of the others might say, it isn't really their fault that they hate us so much."

"What do you mean?" I inquired, noticing that the piano music had stopped.

Edward stepped into the room. "If I might answer, Alice?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied with a shrug, burying her face into my hair and continuing to purr.

His amber eyes met mine. "These wolves are relatively young, Bella. A young werewolf is the equivalent to a newborn vampire in some ways, primarily in the fact that they can be easily coerced by someone else and that they have temperament problems."

"I've noticed that," I murmured. "Is that why they shake so much whenever they're upset?"

"Yes," he replied. "Wolves are known for having terrible tempers, one of the reasons why keeping them calm is such a wise idea. If their anger gets to a high enough point, then they phase and for a brief period of time their control isn't very strong. However, that's not the point that I'm trying to make. The fact is, the wolves do have a few good reasons for not trusting us."

"Like what?"

"Like being stinky dogs with crappy biased attitudes," Alice grumbled.

I giggled while Edward rolled his eyes, a small smirk on his lips.

"That's not what I meant, Alice," he pointed out, clearly stifling his laughter.

"Well they do stink," I pointed out.

"Yes, they do!" Alice chirped in agreement, kissing my neck. We giggled with each other like crazy schoolgirls, but I couldn't help myself. She was always so damn adorable when she was like this, so it was hard not to laugh, even if I wanted to hear what Edward had to say.

"Anyways," Edward interjected, shaking his head.

We both stopped our giggling and looked at him. He raised an eyebrow, I'm guessing at Alice's thoughts, then continued on from what he'd been saying earlier.

"So what reasons do the wolves have for hating you?"

"It's not us, but vampires in general. We are mortal enemies, after all," he replied.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I got that fact. But why?"

"I don't know all of the reasons, but I believe that it goes back to a legend of theirs from when they first met our kind. Apparently a vampire happened upon their land and killed several of the younger tribe members, causing the wolves to attack and kill him. Years later, his mate arrived and sought vengeance, killing nearly half of the Quileutes and a few wolves. It was only when the wife of the Chieftain sacrificed herself in order to make an opening for him to kill her did she finally die. But the Quileutes never forgot that and soon they began to hate vampires."

"I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the primary reason for the hate of the wolves of this age is because of the Council. Many members of their council have lost loved ones because of vampires in the past, such as a few years ago when a nomadic coven happened upon their land and attacked them for food. They are bitter and angry, so they would likely tell their wolves all about the death and destruction caused by our kind. They have forgotten that it was our family that sought peace with them years ago and our family that has actually helped them in the past."

"Can't the wolves see that they've been manipulated by the bitterness of their council?" I asked.

Edward sighed. "They have been raised in such a way for them to revere their council, believing all of their words to be true. I did, on one occasion, hear the Alpha male's thoughts and saw that he was thinking along those lines, however. The council has always been a very uptight group of humans, I've seen it before. Over the years, though, I've also noticed that they are beginning to slip in some ways, which I think is a good thing. Were the wolves free of the council and given the chance to see things for themselves, they might actually come to understand that not everything they have been told is true, especially about our family."

I scowled. "So it's the council that's been doing all of this, then. They're the main reason the wolves hate us so much and the reason that they don't trust that your intentions are good with keeping me here."

"Precisely," Edward replied.

"Then why…?"

"Doesn't anyone do anything about it?" Alice finished. "Because they're all too dense to put two and two together, that's why." She moved and pulled my head under her chin, burying her nose into the top of my head and sniffing my hair.

"In a manner of speaking, if any of them were to figure it out and say something, they would likely be punished for it. Apparently the Alpha's mate did this several times and was openly punished for trying to go against the council some years ago," Edward murmured, crossing his arms in thought. "They are a very controlling group and I can tell that the control they have puts strain on the wolves, another reason for their nature."

"Why do they have a council, then?" I asked, finding myself hating these people for the way they treated their own tribe-members. I wondered if Sue Clearwater was in on this. I couldn't imagine someone related to Leah, who had broken the rules to help Alice, having some horrible punishment for her daughter, not with how Leah described her.

"I believe I can answer that." I turned my head to see Carlisle walking down the stairs. "You see, the council was created by the chieftain at the time in which the first treaty was created, Ephraim Black. He did so not because he didn't trust us but because he felt that having a council of his closest friends would help him in being the chieftain. After he died, his son took over and, well, he made a few drastic changes. Whereas Ephraim had been willing to coexist, his son was not as willing, and that is where our problems began."

"Things were never the same when he became the leader," Edward mused.

Carlisle sat down and gave me a thoughtful look. "Ephraim's third son, William Black, was the man who became chieftain when Ephraim passed away. He did not like us nor trust us, so he formed a larger council consisting of fellow Quileutes who held a grudge against our kind. He was the one who formed new laws for his people and, because of him, those laws and rules remain for the wolves to always follow, no matter what."

"Is he the current chieftain?" I asked.

Alice laughed. "No. He was killed by a vampire, funnily enough."

"Alice…" Carlisle sighed. "That isn't something to laugh about."

"He's right, Alice," Edward agreed.

Alice bit her lip and frowned. "I…yeah, I suppose you're right. Still, he did get what he deserved for the way he acted and treated us, don't you think?"

"Perhaps," Carlisle admitted. "Sometimes fate has a way of coming back to haunt those that treat others the way that that man did. He was never very kind, even to his own kin. In the end, though, it is not right for us to speak ill of those whose lives were lost in tragic accidents."

She grimaced and, likely thinking of the car accident, nodded her head ashamedly.

"You're right. He didn't deserve it, no matter how much of a bastard he was. I am sorry."

Carlisle chuckled. "You don't have to apologize, dear. As I said, you are not at fault for having your own opinion; I merely ask that you try to tone your anger down a tad. I realize that you are still upset over the wolves wanting Bella gone from here, but as Edward and I have explained, a good part of it isn't their fault."

"I can try," Alice said. "I won't make any promises that I'll be able to succeed, though. It's hard to control my urges, Carlisle. I love Bella and I would do anything to protect her, even if that means giving into my maternal instincts to do so."

"I understand," Carlisle replied, nodding his head. "It is how all mates are."

"I promise you that I'll try to keep myself in check, Carlisle," Alice murmured. Her honey orbs flickered to mine. "I also promise that I will do everything I can to protect you, Bella. You are more important to me then some stupid treaty or a werewolf. Just know that, alright?"

"I do know, Alice. But please, don't do anything too rash, okay? I'll be fine," I reasoned.

And I did know. I knew that she would do whatever it took to keep me safe from harm, even if it meant ruining our chances at forming a treaty with the werewolves. I didn't want that to happen, so I would make sure to avoid putting myself in danger. I couldn't risk screwing up, even it meant holding my tongue back, which I could probably do.

Edward snickered. "I find that hard to believe."

I find it hard to believe that you're a man. I growled at him mentally.

"Ooh, great comeback. You and Alice definitely have that in common," he taunted.

"Go jump off a cliff, Edward," Alice snorted.

"I'll pass," he replied, standing up. "But if you want, I could drop you off at the mall and set fire to the clothing store."

Alice's eyes bulged and I struggled to suppress my laughter at the look on her face. Edward lips were curled into a crooked smile as he walked off, Alice glaring daggers after him.

"No you won't, Alice. You can try, though," Edward chuckled as he walked into the other room.

"Fucker," Alice hissed under her breath.

I kissed her cheek. "You have quite the mouth on you."

Her irritated glare turned into a smug grin. "Would you like to see how much of a mouth I have, my dear Bella?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow.

I was vaguely aware of Carlisle chuckling as he stood and went back upstairs, leaving only Alice and I, staring intently at one another. Alice licked her lips and re-situated herself on top of me, her cool forehead touching mine.

"I think I'd like that very much," I replied in a whisper.

Alice smirked and leaned in to capture my lips in a gentle kiss. I deepened the kiss and started running my fingers through her silky hair, kneading into it as our lips moved together in a dance of love and passion. For once, I decided to be gutsy. I extended my tongue outwards and lightly brushed it against Alice's bottom lip, causing her to gasp in surprise.

It didn't last long since she let out a quiet moan and opened her mouth, allowing my tongue access within. I couldn't help the slight moan that escaped my lips when my tongue delved inside of her mouth, tasting all that was Alice. It was…magnificent. She tasted exactly like she smelled; only it was stronger and more flavorful, making my mouth water.

I began to swirl my tongue around her mouth, licking the cool inner walls and moaning more at the intensity of the flavor. She started running her fingers through my hair as I pulled her as close to me as I could, enjoying the closeness that we had.

I surprised even myself when my hands moved away from her hair and moved downwards to her shirt, lightly clenching and unclenching the soft fabric over and over again as my tongue and her tongue had a slow, tender battle over her mouth. My tongue ultimately lost and I retracted my tongue back into my mouth. Alice's icy tongue slipped through my lips almost instantly and she began doing what I had done. I moaned again, reveling in the sensations surging through me.

"Hell yes! I knew I'd get to see some action!" boomed Emmett as he walked through the door.

I gasped and stopped immediately while Alice removed her lips and snarled at her brother for intruding upon our private moment. Emmett just grinned goofily at us, pleased with himself that he'd caught us in the act. Rosalie, who had moved into the room seconds after Emmett had, rolled her eyes and smacked her husband on the arm once more, shooting him a reproving look.

"Aw, you're not gonna continue?" Emmett whined, pouting like a five year old.

Alice hissed and stood up, pulling me into her arms and dancing up the stairs, ignoring Emmett's raucous laughter ringing through the house. She slammed our door shut and gently set me down on our bed before crawling back on top of me, touching our noses together.

"Sorry about that," she murmured. "I was too distracted to see that they would be returning."

I smiled and re-wrapped my arms around her. "It's fine."

She sighed and brushed her lips against mine. "It stinks that our moment was ruined. You were doing really well there, actually. I never thought the day would come where you would be so forward with me, Bella. I like it."

My face heated up. "I, uh…y-you did?"

"Yes," she purred, kissing me once more. "I liked it a lot."

"O-okay," I stammered.

Alice snuggled into me and let out a long sigh. "You're worried about tomorrow, aren't you?"

I blinked. "No I'm-"

"Bella, I had a vision of you talking to Carlisle about it." She shook her head. "Please, don't worry about it, okay? I'll protect you, I told you that already. I won't let anything bad happen to you Bella; I swear it on my life."

"I know, Alice," I murmured.

She stroked my cheeks tenderly, her honey orbs smoldering with endless love. I chose not to say anything more and just relaxed into her arms, letting her scent and her purring lull me into a peaceful state once more. I couldn't stop worrying, though. Tomorrow was an important day, and I needed to make sure that I didn't screw it up.

A/N: Not much to say for this chapter. Just sort of moving it along to get to the meeting with the council. Any guesses how that's going to go?

Actually, I do want to say that I really like my version of Edward. That might be stupid of me to say, but I would definitely have rather seen Edward like this (playful and less serious) than the one that was in the book. Of course, I would have rather seen Alice and Bella together, but then again, I'm sure most of us would have too.

Big note girls and guys, I won't be updating for probably three days. It's not school this time, since I can't go to school this week. I have what's called pericarditis, which is an inflammation around the heart. It's not too serious, but it's keeping me away from school in order to avoid getting sicker. Don't worry, I'm still writing (I'm too stubborn not to), so there's nothing to worry about. Peace.