Blast from the Past

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to Stephanie Meyer.

A/N-thank you for all the kind reviews on this story. I really appreciate it! ;)

This chapter focuses on Embry, Alice and Jasper. Have the hankies ready! :(

Part Forty Nine-Goodbye

Embry raced through the forest, heading back to the last place he had seen Alice. His paws pounded on the ground, tearing up the earth as he sprinted as fast as he could, desperation fuelling the adrenaline through his body. When he neared the spot he could smell Alice's familiar scent and also another. Rage surged through him as he recognised Jasper's scent mixed with Alice's. Embry roared loudly and bounded through the last of the trees that separated him from them. He halted immediately, his sides heaving with each breath he inhaled as he took in the scene before him; Alice was sitting on one side of the small clearing and Jasper was on the other, their clothing and hair was in disarray as if they had both been fighting, but other than that they were just staring at each other.

Alice turned her head when Embry appeared, her eyes seemed unfocused as if she was just coming out of a vision. "Embry?" She said softly.

Embry cursed the fact that he was in his wolf form, he backed into the covering trees and phased quickly, yanking on his shorts as he returned to Alice's side. She and Jasper had still not moved. "Alice." He said gently, cupping her face in his hands. "Are you okay?"

She looked up at him, her pupils were large and she seemed out of it. Embry turned to look at Jasper who had moved slightly. "What have you done to her?"

"I am just trying to keep her calm." Jasper jumped gracefully to his feet and started to approach her but Embry stood up and blocked his path.

"You're not going anywhere near her." Embry pushed Jasper backwards.

"Don't be a fool." Jasper narrowed his eyes. "She needs my help. She is trying to see the outcome of what happened today, but some things she is witnessing in her mind are distressing for her. I am able to keep her calm and her mind focused."

Embry pushed Jasper back again, not believing a word of it. He had witnessed him turning on Alice too many times. "That's bullshit. You attacked her."

"I had to make it look convincing. Chelsea and Afton needed to believe that I intended to finish Alice. They needed to see that she was convinced of it too, otherwise they would have killed her themselves." Jasper was getting irritated with the young shape shifter. He knew that this was the one who had developed feelings for his mate. Once he got Alice away from this place, they could resume their former life.

Alice began to whimper as she came back to herself. Jasper darted past Embry and gathered her into his arms. "It's okay, Alice. I'm here." He used his power to send more calming feelings into her and she relaxed as her pupils returned to their normal size.

"Jas," she blinked a few times and gave him a weak smile. "It's going to be okay, everything is going to be fine."

"I told you." Jasper leaned down to kiss her.

This was too much for Embry, he gripped Jasper by the shoulders and yanked him away from Alice, throwing him against a tree. Jasper was on his feet in an instant, he crouched low, ready to spring at Embry. Alice got in between them quickly. "Stop this, now." She said weakly.

"It is not me who is acting like a jealous fool." Jasper snarled. "You need to make it clear to this idiot that nothing is ever going to happen between you. I tolerated him kissing you once, Alice, but if he attempts to do so again, I'll rip him to pieces."

Alice frowned as she studied Jasper carefully, so much had happened between them of late, she didn't know what was true and what wasn't. The hurtful words he had spoken to her and their last conversation before Chelsea and Afton showed up had been particularly hard. But here he was, acting as if he still loved her and nothing was different from before.

"I don't understand you, Jas." Alice admitted. "What do you want from me? When we last spoke it seemed that you had finally admitted I wasn't right for you."

Jasper sighed and came over to her, taking her face in his hands. "Alice I love you. I never stopped. This has all been an act to fool Chelsea and Afton, they were listening in to our conversation, I had to sound convincing. I never meant any of those things I said. I love the life we have built together."

Embry felt like he had been punched in the gut, he stepped back and turned so that he couldn't see Jasper embracing Alice. His whole world was crumbling around him. He had never been in love before and never in his wildest dreams would he have thought it would be with a vampire, but slowly, as he spent more time in Alice's company, he had seen beyond what she was and fallen for the person that she was inside. To him, Alice was beautiful inside and out.

Alice tore her eyes away from Jasper's intense stare and glanced behind her, she saw that Embry had turned his back and was having difficulty seeing her and Jasper this way. Her head was whirling and she didn't know what to do. The memory of Embry's kiss and the way it had made her feel was still fresh in her mind. She stepped back from Jasper and looked at him sadly.

"I don't know what to think. I need some space to get my head together." She admitted.

A small ray of hope pierced Embry's melancholy when he heard her say those words. So she wasn't just jumping back into Jasper's arms. He turned back around and came to her side, reaching for her hand. Jasper saw what he was about to do and glared at him.

"Touch her and you're dead." He snarled.

"I would like to see you try." Embry yelled back him, his muscles flexing as he spoke.

"Stop this." Alice said again. "I need to get back to the house and let Bella and Jake know that there will be no repercussions from the Volturi over the death of Chelsea and Afton."

"You are certain about this?" Embry asked her.

"Yes. I have seen Aro's reaction to the news of his most trusted guards betrayal. I need to contact Carlisle and let him know. He will be the one to convey the news to Aro." Alice replied.

"Alice you cannot go to the reservation, you will not be allowed." Jasper reminded her. "Come with me now and we can travel to Italy together and inform Carlisle and Aro ourselves. Then we will be free to go wherever we want."

Embry stiffened at these words. His hand reached for Alice's and he held it tightly. "You'll be going to Italy alone. Alice is staying here with me." He warned Jasper.

"I warned you about touching her." Jasper flew at Embry but Alice got in his way and shoved him back.

"I told you to stop this. I am allowed on the res. Jacob gave me permission. You however are not." Alice said irritably to Jasper.

"You can't seriously be going off with him." Jasper pleaded with her.

"I need to see Bella and Jake." Alice began to turn away.

"Alice," Jasper called out her name. "I love you. I'll wait here until you come back."

Alice frowned. She didn't know what else to do so she nodded. Embry glared at Jasper before capturing her hand in his own again and leading her back to La Push.

XXXXXX

"Please tell me you are not going back to him, Alice?" Embry asked her as they walked back to the Black's house.

Alice felt overwhelmed by what she had been through over the past few weeks. The revelation that Jasper still loved her after all had turned her life upside down again. Then there were her unexpected feelings for Embry. She was in love with him, there was no denying that. If she were human the choice would have been easy; she would stay in La Push and make a life with him. But she wasn't human, her vampire heritage would always be in the way. She couldn't condemn him to a life spent at her side, it wasn't fair to him. He should be with someone who could give him children, a normal life.

She stopped walking and took both of his hands in hers. "I love you, Embry." She confessed.

A relieved smile crossed his face as she spoke and he leaned down and kissed her. Immediately the same fire she felt the last time he had done so seared through her being. Once again it felt like her dead heart actually began to beat. She slipped her arms around his neck, absorbing his supernatural heat and revelling in the feeling of being warm for the first time in decades. When the kiss ended, the heat dissipated and she was once again cold.

Embry was smiling at her happily. "I love you too." He said for the first time.

"I know you do, Embry." She said sadly. "And if I were human, I would be the happiest girl alive to be so fortunate as to spend a life with you. But I'm not, I'm this cold, dead thing, a vampire. I cannot give you children, a home. I'll never be a normal wife. I will always love you, but I cannot ever be with you."

Embry shook his head. "No don't say that to me. You're Alice, my Alice. You're not cold, you are the most warm hearted person I know. Look what you have done for us all, for me. I don't care about children or leading what you think is a normal life. I'm not normal myself. I love you and we can be together." He pleaded with her.

Alice gave a sad sigh. "I'm sorry, Embry but this is the way it has to be." Before he had a chance to reply she had pulled her hands out of his and sped away, her petite frame a blur in front of his eyes.

XXXXXX

Alice reached the Black's house within a moment. She hurriedly opened the front door and went inside. Billy was in the living room when she entered, he was shocked to see her, but he gave her a bemused smile. "I'm glad to see you are okay."

"Where are Jake and Bella?" Alice asked him distractedly.

"In the bedroom with J and Harley." Bill told her.

Alice gave him a small smile. "They are all well?"

"Yes." Billy rolled his chair forward and looked up at her. "Do you want to see Bella?"

Alice shook her head. "I have no time. I came here to let you all know that there will be no repercussions from the Volturi leaders. I have been meditating and have seen the outcome. I wanted to reassure Bella and Jake that they have nothing to fear any longer."

Billy regarded her thoughtfully. "You are leaving now, aren't you?"

Alice nodded. "I have no choice. I don't belong here."

"Yes you do." Billy said gently. "You are part of our family."

Alice nearly broke down when he said this, she longed for it to be true, but in reality it wasn't. "No, I'm not. I'm a vampire and always will be. I have to go, please say goodbye to Bella, Jake and everyone, particularly Jaymie." She asked him. "Tell them that I will always be thinking of them."

"What about Embry?" Billy was well aware of the growing friendship between the two.

Alice's face fell, she let out a dry sob. "He knows that I'm leaving. Please, he is really going to need you all. I have to go."

"Alice wait..." Billy called out but to no avail. There was a soft breeze as she quickly fled the house, the front door closing gently behind her.

XXXXXX

Embry burst through the door a few moments later. He had done his best to keep up with Alice but she was too fast for him. He smelled her scent as soon as he entered. He saw Billy sitting in the middle of the room, a sad look on his face.

"Where is she?" Embry demanded.

Billy shook his head. "I'm sorry, Embry. She's gone and she said she's not coming back. I couldn't stop her."

Tears began to leak out of Embry's eyes as his heart broke, he fell to his knees and put his head in his hands. Billy looked at him sorrowfully as he rolled his chair forward and placed his arms around Embry as he continued to cry.

XXXXXX

Alice found Jasper waiting for her in the same spot she had left him. He held out his hand to her and she took it tentatively. "Ready to go?" He asked her gently.

Alice gave a sad sigh, her deadened heart hurting in her chest. "Yes." She whispered. "I'm ready."

A/N-sob! Thanks for reading!