Leaving It All Behind

by SamanthaBlackWhitlock

In her past life, Alice Cullen was known as Mary Alice Black, daughter of Sirius Black. What was Alice's life like after the war, and what led her to Jasper Whitlock and the Cullen family? *Reupload* *Full summary inside* Rated T for language

102. Graduation

"What lies behind us, and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Chapter 102- Graduation

By early Wednesday morning, my vision had returned completely. Like before, I made sure that Jasper's face was the first thing I saw. He was smiling at me, and when I smiled back, he leaned forward to kiss me.

"Are you ready for your finals?" Jasper asked.

"I'm ready for them to be done."

"Maybe we should study tonight once we get back," Jasper said. "Just to be safe?"

I smiled and nodded.

"Definitely."

"Are you going to let me drive you to school today?"

"I told you I would. Are you going to pick me up too? So we can go to Texas right after?"

Jasper nodded.

"I'll let Edward know once he gets here to change. Speaking of changing, you should go change."
"You should too," I murmured, pulling the collar of his sweater.

Jasper laughed and looked down at his clothes.

"So I should. I do have to go meet Jason at noon. Can you help me pick something out?"

I nodded.

"Always."

He took my hand and pulled me to the large staircase.

"Will you have time?" I asked as I fixed his tie. "To go see Jason and get back to Forks in time to get me?"

Jasper frowned.

"No," he murmured, "I guess I won't. I'm sorry, Ali, I—"

"How about I Apparate to you? I can meet you in the alleyway where Max always is."

"I don't want to risk exposing you like that," Jasper murmured brushing the back of his hand against my cheek.

"Nobody will see me," I smiled. "I've Apparated into the center of London and people haven't seen me."

"Okay," Jasper said, "just promise you'll be careful."

"I promise," I smiled.
"Good," Jasper smiled. "Now, onto your outfit."

I decided on a pair of grey jeans, a white shirt, and Jasper's leather jacket paired with ankle boots. Right as I slipped on the jacket, Edward came home.

"Hey, Ali, I need you to talk to Bella," Edward said as Jasper and I got downstairs.

"What about?"

"She's gotten the idea in her head that you're canceling the party."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because of the army."

"It doesn't change anything," I frowned as I moved to get my oxygen tank in place. "We just know for sure what we're up against."

"Could you tell her that on the way to school?"

"No can do," Jasper said. "I'm taking Alice to school today."

"At lunch then," Edward said.

"Definitely," I smiled. "She does remember that this party isn't just for her, right?"

Edward shook his head.

"I don't think she does."

"Well I'll be sure to remind her of that," I said.

Edward nodded and turned for the door.

"I'll see you later."

Jasper wrapped an arm around my shoulders and smiled.

"Have you picked out an outfit for the party?" Jasper asked.

"Of course I have," I grinned. "It's a surprise though."

"Of course it is," Jasper said, leading me to the garage door.

It took about five minutes for Jasper and I to find a placement on the motorcycle for the oxygen tank to sit without falling, or without getting in the way of Jasper's leg room.

After we got everything in place, Jasper took off, grinning as we sped down the driveway onto the main road.

"What do you think?" Jasper asked as he pulled into an empty parking spot next to Edward's silver Volvo.

I frowned at him and shook my head.

"It's not my favorite mode of Muggle transportation," I said.

Jasper looked at me with sad eyes.

"So you wouldn't want to ride with me anymore?"

"I never said that," I said. "If it makes you happy, I'll ride with you. I'd just feel safer if there were doors."

Jasper's smile returned as he dropped an arm around my shoulders.

"You don't think I'd let anything hurt you, do you?"

I shook my head.

"No, of course not."

"Come on," he smiled. "I'll walk you to class."

Jasper got a few glances as he walked through the campus. He stopped outside of the classroom door and kissed my forehead.

"Are you sure you want to meet me in Seattle?" Jasper asked. "I don't want to risk you being seen."

I nodded. "

"There's a spell I can use to make myself invisible until you come. It's not as good as Harry's invisibility cloak, but it's usable."

"What would I do about the bike?"

"I hadn't thought about that," I frowned. "Maybe I should wait for you at the house then. It'll give me time to find the exact room number."

"I won't be too far behind you," Jasper said.

Jasper kissed my forehead and smiled.

"I'll see you at home," I smiled.
Jasper smiled and turned on his heel. I watched him as he disappeared back through the crowds of people. I turned to the door of the classroom, desperate for the day to end.

I met up with Edward and Bella outside of my classroom for lunch. They came to walk with me, and Bella was grinning.

"What's got you so happy?" I asked as we set off towards the cafeteria.

"Nothing in particular," she shrugged.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked. "It doesn't look like it's nothing."
"Just happy to be graduating soon. I am sorry about your party though, Alice. I know you were looking forward to it."

"The party isn't canceled Bella," I said, holding the door open for her and Edward.

"What do you mean it isn't canceled?" Bella said, turning to look at me with wide eyes.

"I mean exactly that," I said, placing an apple on my tray. "The party is still happening. It's not just for you. My family will be there too."

"You can't be serious!" Bella exclaimed. "You've lost your mind!"

"Say whatever you like about me. The party is still on."

When I glanced over at her, I noticed that her jaw dropped and she watched me with wide eyes.

"Oh, calm down, Bella!" I groaned. "There's no reason not to go through with it. Besides, the invitations are already sent, and I've already planned to go get Harry and George on Friday after they get off of work."

"But . . . the . . . you . . . I . . . insane!" Bella spluttered.

"You've already bought my present," I said as we sat down. "You don't have to do anything but show up."

"With everything that is going on right now, a party is hardly appropriate. Besides, isn't your whole life purpose keeping your family safe?"

"They will be perfectly safe in a house with six vampires, a witch/vampire hybrid, and their own magic. Besides, graduation is what's going on right now, and a party is so appropriate it's almost passé."

"Alice!"

"There are a few things we need to get in order now, and that's going to take a little time. As long as we're sitting here waiting, we might as well commemorate the good stuff. You're only going to graduate from high school — for the first time — once. You don't get to be human again, Bella. This is a once-in-a-lifetime shot."

Edward flashed me a warning glance.

Alice, someone is going to hear you, he thought.

Nobody is going to hear me, I thought back, sticking out my tongue. I've made sure of it.

"What things need to be put in order?" Bella asked, calling back mine and Edward's attention.

"Jasper thinks we could use some help. Tanya's family, and Helen and Tobias, aren't the only choices we have. Carlisle's trying to track down a few old friends, and Jasper is looking up Peter and Charlotte. He and Alice are going to talk to them tonight. He was considering talking to Maria . . . but no one really wants to involve the southerners."

Edward glanced over at me as I shuddered at the thought of Maria.

"It shouldn't be too hard to convince them to help," Edward continued. "Nobody wants a visit from Italy."

"But these friends — they're not going to be . . .vegetarians, right?"

"No," Edward answered.

"Here? In Forks?"

"They're friends. Everything's going to be fine," I said. "Don't worry. And then, Jasper has to teach us a few courses on newborn elimination. . . ."

"When are you going?" Bella asked.

"In a week," Edward said. "That should give us enough time."

"You look kind of green, Bella," I said, as I watched her carefully.

"It's going to be fine, Bella," Edward said, putting an arm around her. "Trust me."

"You're looking for help," Bella said slowly.

"Yes," I said, tilting my head to the side. She was making decisions to quickly; trying to keep me from seeing something.

"I could help," Bella said, emphasizing the first word as she pointed to herself.

"That really wouldn't be helpful," I told her, keeping my voice calm and steady.

"Why not? Eight is better than seven. There's more than enough time."

"There's not enough time to make you helpful, Bella," I said, frowning at her. "Do you remember how Jasper described the young ones? You'd be no good in a fight. You wouldn't be able to control your instincts, and that would make you an easy target. And then Edward would get hurt trying to protect you."

I leaned back against my chair, and folded my arms over my chest.

"Not because you're afraid," Edward said as my vision started to fade away.

Renée was sitting at her computer. She was writing an email.

"I'm sorry you can't go to the party," Phil told her as she hit send.

"It's okay," Renee shrugged. "I'm sure she'll understand. I just called her, and I sent Alice an email.

"Oh," I said, with a slight frown. "I hate last-minute cancellations. So that puts the party attendance list down to sixty-seven. . . ."

"Sixty-seven?" Bella said, with bulging eyes.

"Who canceled?" Edward asked.

"Renée," I murmured.

"What?"

"She was going to surprise you for your graduation, but something went wrong. You'll have a message when you get home."

Is everything okay? Edward thought, watching me carefully.

Something happened to Phil, but I can't see what it is. I only caught a portion of the email. She emailed me, so I'll check while I wait for Jasper to come home.

"Sixty-seven people?" Bella repeated.

"It would have been more if the rest of my family decided to come. I thought about bringing Teddy, and having him stay the night with us, but with the army…"

"But doesn't Teddy have magic too?" Bella asked.

"Yeah, but he can't use it. He doesn't have a wand, and won't for a while. You don't start Hogwarts until you turn eleven."

"How old is Teddy, exactly?"

"He just turned eight," I smiled, pulling some loose pictures I had from my bag to show Bella the photo of me and Teddy from the night I left in 1998. "That was him when he was a couple weeks old. It was right before I left…"

"How long?"

"An hour or so," I murmured. I pulled the pictures out and tapped the most recent picture of Teddy and I that I had. "That was us the day before Jasper and I left. Soon enough he'll be taller than me."

I laughed and tucked the pictures away.

"Why aren't the rest of them coming?"

"A lot of them have to work, others already had plans. Charlie was going to come, but one of the dragons got sick. But there will be several graduations they'll get to see."

Bella watched me carefully.

"When did you say they'll leave?"

"Probably Tuesday morning. I'll take them back and hang out there for a little bit."

"Is that a good idea?" Edward asked.

"They know about the army," I frowned. "They're going to worry, so I'm just filling them in on everything. And I have to warn them…"

"Warn them?" Bella asked looking between Edward and I.

"Alice, I know what you're thinking," Edward said. "Nobody is going to die. Not with you on our side."

"I know. But they should know. Just in case…" I sighed and shook my head.

"You're going to be fine, Alice."

"I may go to Hogwarts," I murmured. "See about getting some Felix Felicis from Slughorn. Or go find Severus's book, but that may have gotten destroyed in the fire. I could always summon him with the stone but—"

"Alice, you're rambling," Edward said, reaching over to pat my hand.

"What is that?" Bella asked, raising an eyebrow. "Felix Felicis?"

"Liquid luck," I smiled. "It's a potion. The smallest drop of it will bring a person great luck. If each of us takes a drink of it, we're guaranteed a win."

"That is a good idea," Edward said.

"I'll owl Minerva and let her know I'm coming when I get home," I grinned.

"When will you go?"

"Tuesday morning when I take Harry and George home. I'll be back by Tuesday afternoon."

"Will Jasper go with you?"

"I'll see if he wants to go. I'll end up going to look in the Room of Hidden Things in the Room of Requirement, just to see if I can find the book."

As lunch ended, Bella asked me more questions about the Room of Requirement and Hogwarts.

"Could I go there one day?"

"Maybe one day after you're changed, but not while you're human."

"I don't think you'll like Alice's preferred method of travel," Edward murmured.

"A broomstick?" Bella asked.

"That is my preferred method, but in a predominantly Muggle neighborhood, it's not practical. Apparition is the most convenient."

"Is that something I'd be able to do?"

"Again, once you've been changed. I'll take you on a broom too."

"Why can't I go on one now?"

"Because I'm afraid you'll fall off," I laughed.

Bella frowned and pouted at Edward.

"She won't budge," Edward laughed. "Soon, you'll be able to do it."

The rest of the day passed by quickly. Each class seemed faster than the last. Especially gym, where I had been made to sit out of since I came home with the oxygen tank. As far as the public knew, it was originally supposed to come off in July, then at the end of August, and now, as my physical health deteriorated rather quickly, I would wear it until I died. I would go live in Britain for a year with Jasper, while the others stayed in Forks. They would tell the town that Jasper, distraught with grief, dropped out of college and went to England to be with my birth family.

When the bell rang, I headed straight to the car, where I was sure that Edward and Bella would find me somewhere along the way.

"In a hurry, Alice?" Edward asked catching up to me when I was near the car.

"A little bit," I said. "I have to go home and write Minerva, and I have to call the motel where Peter and Charlotte are staying to try and find out which room their in, and I have to make sure that things are set up for Harry and George and—"

"Okay, okay," Edward laughed. "I get it. You have a lot to do today."

"And finals start tomorrow," I told him. "Make sure you help her study. It's her first time, and it'll be helpful if she decides on college."
"Alice, I don't think I'm going to college," Bella said.

"Maybe not now," I said as Edward pulled out of the parking space, "but one day, in the future, you might."

"What's the first thing on your list when you get home?" Edward asked, watching me in the rearview mirror.

"Call the motel, and then set up the rooms where Harry and George will be."

"You can use my room for one of them," Edward said. "I have the bed now."

"Thank you," I smiled.

"Where will the other one go?" Bella asked.
"My room," I said. "Me and Jasper will be hanging out in the living room at night."

"What do you do all night?"

"Read, play chess, look ahead for the future," I shrugged. "We always find something to do while Harry and George are here."

"When will I meet them?"

"If you come over anytime over the weekend, you'll meet them on that day, otherwise, you'll meet them on Monday."

Bella nodded and turned to Edward.

"Do they like you?"

"To a degree."

"What does that mean?"

"Understandably so, they don't like the way I've treated Alice in the past. They also aren't thrilled about me risking Alice's life when I went to Italy."

"But she chose that," Bella frowned.

"No she didn't," Edward said shaking his head. "You don't know Alice the same way I do. She didn't have a choice."

Bella was quiet for a moment before she watched my face.

"Have they been here before?"

I nodded.

"Of course they have. They have stayed here a few times actually. After I came home from Italy, and George stayed again when I wanted to relearn Apparition...I go there more than they come here. That way I can see everybody."

"And Jasper?"

"He comes with me."

"Do they bother him the same way I do?"

I shook my head.

"Jasper says they smell different than regular humans. He doesn't like it."

"But James did?

I nodded.

"The phrase 'to each their own' applies in vampire diet, just like it does in any died. One human may like the taste of seafood while another is repulsed by it. One vampire may like the taste of a vegetarian human more than that of an omnivorous human. One vampire, James, liked the smell of Wizardkind, while others, being Jasper in this scenario, doesn't."

"Do you?"

"Do I what?"

"Like the way Wizardkind smells."

"No," I said simply.

I had never been asked that before. It was the honest answer. Wizardkind didn't smell appealing to me, but as I thought about it, no human really smelled appealing to me. Maybe they did once, and that was why I had slipped up, but now, I don't know if I could stomach it.

Edward looked at me in the rearview mirror and smiled.

Maybe some of us have a soul after all, he thought as he refocused his eyes on the road.

Of course we do, I said. You just can't see it.

Edward shook his head and gave a small chuckle.

Edward drove me up to the door instead of to the end of the driveway.

"I didn't want you to have to carry all of that up the driveway," he told me when I frowned.

"Thank you," I smiled. "Have a good day, Bella. Study for your exams. Don't let Edward distract you, and check your messages when you get home."

Bella nodded.

"Have fun with Jasper."

"I don't know if business and cleaning counts as fun," I grinned. "But I will try."

"Good luck," Edward said. "I hope you find them."

"Oh we'll find them," I smiled. "The issue is convincing them."

I closed the door and turned towards the house. Edward sped off, and I darted to the living room.

"Alice," Esme grinned, jumping to her feet. "Here. I got you a new phone, and everybody's numbers are already programed into it."

"Thank you," I said, accepting the phone she held out to me. It was the same as the last one, so at least I wouldn't have to learn how to work a new one. "Has anybody heard from Jasper?"

"He'll be here in an hour and a half."

I nodded.

'That's plenty of time to try to find Peter and Charlotte."

"How are you going to find the room number?"

"They're there now. I can stick myself in their present and look around the room."

"What if they're not in the room?"

I shrugged.

"Then I'll just call the motel. They always use Peter's first name wherever they stay."

I sat with my back against the wall facing the others. They watched me with curious eyes as I closed my own.

It was harder to focus on Peter and Charlotte's future than it was to go into my family. Maybe it was because I hadn't tried to do so in a long time. I saw their future, but I very rarely went into their present. I think the last time I had done so, was before I first met them.

Eventually, I did fall into their present. It came slowly, like a fog consuming my sight. But then everything struck all at once.

The motel that I met Peter and Charlotte in all those years ago had been renovated since then. It was more modern. There was an entertainment center at the foot of the bed with a small box television set on top of it. There was a small kitchenette. There was a mini fridge and a microwave that sat on top of it. There was a small counter next to this, and a table with two chairs that sat in front of the window.

I landed at the door of the room, and Peter and Charlotte laid across the bed. Both were reading. Peter, much like Jasper, had a fascination with reading about the time period in which he lived. They both marked the things that were wrong. Jasper read on the Civil War, but Peter read about the time frame in general. Charlotte never read about the same thing. One day she would read about fairy tales, and the next she'd read about history.

I moved through the room, towards them, looking for any sign of a room number.

Peter gave a small laugh as he read the book. It was wrong about something, but Charlotte didn't ask. It was then that I noticed that he was reading on the Civil War. I wandered towards him, curious about what had made him snicker.

On the page, looking back up at me, was a picture of Jasper. He wore his suit, one that I had never seen on him. I couldn't read the page. The words were blurry, and the more I tried to focus on it, the more blurry they became.

I stood there for a moment stunned. I had seen Jasper as a human in his memories, but it was different seeing him here, in a book with a picture that wouldn't move. He was scar-free, not like the Jasper I had known and loved half a century and then some. But his face was the same. He still had the face of an angel. But it was different. Less pained than my Jasper.

I reached out to the book, and touched the picture before turning on my heel and setting back out to my mission.

"Room number, room number," I repeated to myself over and over again as I searched through the maps and the newspapers that lay stacked onto the bedside table. I made a note of myself to straighten up the room for them when I came.

I found the key to the room hanging up next to the door. I quickly made my way to it, and began inspecting it for any indication of a room number. At the top of the key, on a little blue piece of plastic, the number 30 was printed in bold, white, block letters.

"Number 30," I murmured to myself.

I pulled myself back to my own present. The others were still carefully watching me, but now Jasper was there with them. He sat next to me with one of my hands in his lap.

"Hi," I smiled. "How long was I gone?"

"An hour and a half," Carlisle said.

"It takes so long to get there," I murmured. "I was only there for about twenty."

"So the other hour and ten minutes?"

"It was me searching, and me trying to get back."

"Did you find them?" Jasper asked, nudging my shoulder with his.

I nodded.

"Room 30."

"Close to the entrance," Jasper murmured. "Do you remember enough about it to Apparate there?"

I nodded.

"Should I Apparate into the room itself or into the woods nearby?"

"Into the room," Jasper said. "I don't want to risk exposing you."

"That gives them less warning," I frowned. "Do you still have the mirror set? We could call ahead."

"Ali, time is of the essence. I'm sure once we explain everything, they'll understand us dropping in."

I nodded and jumped to my feet.

"Are you ready now then?"

Jasper nodded and stood up. I grabbed my bag from the couch. Jasper tightly wrapped an arm around my waist.

"We'll be home as soon as possible," I told the others before I focused on the room that I had just left.

As Jasper and I appeared into Peter and Charlotte's room, both of them quickly moved into a position to attack. Once Peter's eyes settled on Jasper, he eased out of it, and extended his arms.

"Jasper," he breathed as he pulled Jasper into a hug. "It's only you two."

"A little warning that you're coming might be nice next time," Charlotte snapped.

"We didn't have time," Jasper said. "It's urgent."

"What is it?" Peter asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Jasper, do you want to explain?" I asked, picking the book Peter had dropped on the floor up. I took it to the dining room and began flipping through it, trying to find the page with Jasper.

Jasper began telling Peter and Charlotte about the army and the visions I've had about the boy in the woods. While they talked, I searched through the book.

"It definitely sounds like an army," Peter said as they joined me at the dining room table. "You don't think it could be Maria do you?"

Jasper shook his head.

"Maria would never come this far north for an army. What reason does she have?"

"You," I mumbled, scanning through the book.

"So why would she need Bella's scent?"

"She met Edward that day," I said. "His scent is all over Bella's, and it's very obvious she's a human. Maybe Maria is offering her up as a reward for getting to you. It would explain why I didn't see the army. I don't look for Maria's future. But there is no guarentee that they have anything to do with each other. I think it was just a vampire passing through. It doesn't make sense for it to be anything else."

Jasper eyed me carefully.
"What are you looking for in that book?"

"Peter was reading it when I came searching for the room number. It had a picture of you, but I couldn't read the page."

Peter took the book from me with a small smile and flipped through the pages. He pushed the book back to me once he got to it. They both knew about me being able to come into people's present as well as their future, so the words hadn't come as a surprise.

"So why did you come to us?" Charlotte asked with a cool edge to her voice.

"We wanted to see if you'd help us. We're worried about the numbers. We'll have an advantage with Alice of course, but I don't want to take any risks."

"Can you give us a minute to talk about it?" Peter asked.
Jasper nodded and the two pushed themselves from the table to the other side of the room where they talked in hushed voices.

"What's that book say about me that you were so curious about?" Jasper asked.

"Major Jasper Pierce Whitlock, believed to be born sometime in the early 1840's, was a Confederate Soldier who went missing right after the Battle of Galveston. Many theories have popped up through the years about what happened to the young Major, but nobody is for certain. Jasper Whitlock was pronounced dead eight years after his disappearance. His mother put a memorial tombstone in place, and she was laid to rest next to him after her passing in 1895."

Jasper smiled down at the page.

"I wonder if she would have been proud of me."

"I think she was," I smiled, resting my forehead on his shoulder. "You can ask her."

"How would I do a thing like that?"

"The Resurrection Stone, of course."

Jasper kissed the top of my head.

"That wasn't meant for me to use."

"But Harry gave it to me and I—"

"We don't even know if it works on Muggles."

"But we won't know unless we try," I pressed.

Jasper shook his head.

"Not now, Ali. We have more pressing matters."

Peter and Charlotte were coming back to us now. Their smiles were gone as they sat back down.

"Can you say for certain that it isn't Maria?" Peter asked.

Jasper shook his head.

"We don't know who is behind it."

"Then we can't help you," Charlotte said.

"We want to," Peter said quickly as Jasper's face fell, "but if it's Maria—"

"No, I understand," Jasper said. "We can't expect you to put yourselves on the line if we can't promise you safety."
"What about Helen and Tobias?" Charlotte asked me.

I shook my head.

"They wouldn't help me. They chose the Denalis."

"I don't understand," Peter said.

Jasper set into a new story. The one parting story of Helen, Tobias, and I. It was a tough pill to swallow, knowing that I couldn't call if I needed them. Not unless I left the Cullen clan.

"We're sorry, Alice," Charlotte said, patting my hand. "We know it's not easy to part with your creator. Not when you were as close as the three of you were."
I shrugged.

"They made their choices, I made mine. Nothing can be done to change it now."

Jasper phone rang then. He looked at the number and showed it to me.

"It's Jason," he told me. "He must've found something."

"I'll answer it," I said, taking the phone. "You guys keep talking."

I stepped away from the table to the door.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hello, I am looking for Mr. Jasper Hale."

"He's not available right now," I said. "But I can take his message. I'm his wife."

"Oh," Jason said quickly. "Mrs. Cullen, it's an honor to be talking to you."

"Likewise," I smiled. "What was it that you had for Jasper?"

"The boy he was looking for. I found him."

"Do you have a file?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Can you fax it to us in about half an hour?"

"Of course. Jasper figured you might want the file, and left a fax number."

"Thank you," I grinned.

"Of course. If there is anything else that you need, don't hesitate to call."

I hung up the phone and stepped back into the room.

"Jason found him," I told Jasper. "He's faxing the file to me."

"When?"

"Half an hour."

Jasper nodded and turned back to Peter.

"Do you still have your mirror set?"

Peter nodded and opened the drawer of the bedside table, pulling the old mirror from it.

"I may call to ask for help," Jasper said.

"Of course. Anything you need."

Jasper raised to his feet and hugged the man he called his brother.

"Be safe," Peter said.

"I'll try the best I can. Like I said, with Alice there, it shouldn't be too bad."

"Good luck, Alice," Charlotte said, pulling me into a quick hug as Peter approached.

"Keep him safe," Peter whispered into my ear as he hugged me.

"I will," I smiled. "I'll always keep him safe."

"If there is any way you guys can make it out—"

"We'll do it. I'll get us out."

"When are they coming?"

"We're going to Seattle."

"Then we'll stay here until the end of the month if you need a place to hide."

I nodded.

"Thank you."

Jasper stepped back next to me and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist.

"Ready to go?" I asked.

Jasper nodded, and the room around us disappeared.

When we landed back in the Cullens living room, I headed straight for the fax machine and sat down next to it.

"Are they going to help?" Carlisle asked Jasper.

"No," Jasper said quietly. "They are afraid that Maria might be behind it all, and they don't want to risk that."

"Well we can't force them to fight," Esme said.

"Is Alice okay?" Rosalie asked.

"Jason Jenks found the person in her visions. He's faxing over the case file."

As Jasper spoke, the machine whirled and I straightened up.

Once all the files came through, I moved to the living room setting the papers on the table, including the large picture.

"This is Riley Biers," I said, tapping the pictures. "He's from Santa Fe, New Mexico, but he disappeared last year in Oregon. He went out with some friends after class, and never came back."

"Is it him, Alice?"

"Yes." I said.

"I wasn't supposed to do this alone!" the voice rang out in my head.

"What else do we know about him?"

"He's eighteen years old, he has an older sister and a younger brother, he was studying criminal justice."

The more I looked at him, I realized that he looked like a bodyguard.

"What if the army wasn't meant to be an army," I murmured, picking up the picture.

"What do you mean?"

"Look at the way that some of the people who disappeared look. The first few to disappear look like bodyguards. It isn't until about the fourth one to go missing that they start to differ in gender and body build."

"With Maria, they started out in the same way, and then she realized some could be used as pawns. Weaker links. Distract the enemy so the stronger ones could take them out."

"So you think that it was always meant to be an army?" I asked him.

Jasper nodded.

"I do."

I sighed and studied the picture.

"So why did this person chose him?"

"He was studying criminal justice, so he had the makings to become a leader," Jasper shrugged.

"That's why Maria chose you, isn't it?" Esme asked.

Jasper nodded.

"I knew how to lead an army, after all I had been in the Confederate Army."

"Is that the only reason that you would choose somebody?"

"It depends on your end goal."
Riley Biers did in a way resemble Jasper. They had the same build, and judging by Riley's file, they were the same height. Jasper had a bit more muscle than Riley, although that could have easily been solved in Riley's transformation.

We studied the case file for about an hour before I jumped to my feet.

"I can't look at this anymore," I said, shaking my head. "We've learned everything we can about him, but that means nothing if we don't know who's in charge."

"Alice is right," Carlisle said. "We'll let Edward look at it when he comes home. A fresh pair of eyes can tell us if we missed something."

It was then that we went separate ways. Carlisle went to his study, and Emmett and Rosalie went to their room. Esme started making a shopping list to make sure we had food for Harry and George."

"Do you need help cleaning?" Jasper asked as I began to head up the stairs.

"Can you get the bedding from Edward's room?" I asked. "He's going to give one of them his room."
Jasper nodded, and when we made it up the stairs, he turned into Edward's room as I turned into ours.

Edward didn't find much more than we had. He made the same connection about the boy looking like he was much like Jasper. They both made good leaders, and it made me wonder if he too had a special gift.

"I'm not sure that he does," Edward said when he heard the thought. "They're far too out of control."

"Maybe it's not as straight forward as Jasper's is," I said, glancing at my husband.

"What?" Jasper asked looking between Edward and I.

"Alice wondered if Riley Biers might have a talent, but I don't think he did because of how unorganized the army in Seattle was versus the one I see in your memories."

"He might still have one," Jasper disagreed. "I used my gift to make sure that they were afraid of me. If I scared them, then they would do everything to keep from upsetting me, and everyone knew that my biggest fear was exposure."

Edward left again not long after that and Jasper grinned at me.

"Are you ready for your finals?"

"Never," I grumbled.

"Do you want to study?"

I nodded.

It wasn't necessary that I studied, but I still got tripped up with a few things Mostly it was some historical dates, but there were a few things in chemistry that I couldn't comprehend. Jasper helped me study each year. He tried to make comparisons between the class I was struggling in, to a similar class in my world. For the most part, it helped, and I passed my finals.

Jasper helped me with everything I struggled with while we straightened up the bedroom. After about two hours, I felt confident in the material.

"You're going to do fine," Jasper murmured, pulling me into his lap. "Just remember, the quicker you get through these finals, the quicker you graduate."

"I know," I mumbled against his shoulder. "I'm just ready to be done with it."

Jasper laughed.

"I thought you love school," Jasper said.

"I did when I wasn't alone. When I'm alone, I worry."

Jasper shook his head.

"You shouldn't worry," Jasper said. "We're going to find a way through this, I promise."

"You have to promise me that you are going to keep yourself safe," I said. "I know you well enough to know that you're going to try to keep me safe at every chance you can, but you have to keep yourself safe. I can handle myself."

"I will," Jasper said with a small smile.

I don't know whether or not I trusted that. I wanted to, but deep down, I was sure he was going to be distracted with trying to keep me safe. I couldn't risk the dangers of that.

I watched him carefully for a moment before hugging him tightly.

"What's the matter, Alice?"

"I'm afraid," I admitted.

"Why?" he asked, lifting my chin to make me look at him.
"Because I don't know how to handle this," I said. "It's different when it's me at war with other witches and wizards. I know what to expect. But the only experience I have with newborn vampires is myself, and it'll be that times twenty."

"Ali, do you trust me?"

"Of course I do."

"Then can you trust that I am going to teach you everything you need to know?"

"Yes," I said in a quiet voice. "I trust you."

"Come on," he said. "Let's study."

Jasper and I studied until the last possible second. He took me to school again, and walked me to class like he had the day before.

"It's a half day today, isn't it?" Jasper asked, leaning against the wall.

I nodded.

"I'll be back to pick you up then."

He slid his wedding band off of his finger and onto mine.

"Here. Keep this with you."

"Why?" I asked, with a smile.

"Because it will keep you from worrying. Yesterday when I dropped you off, I was scared a was going to have to find a calming draught."

He laughed and leaned forward to kiss my forehead.

"You're going to do great."

I smiled and hugged him tightly.

"Thanks, Jazz."

"I love you," he mumbled in my hair. "More than anything else in the world."
"I love you too," I smiled.

"Go," he smiled, "you'll be late."

He pecked my lips quickly before watching me disappear into the room.

Finals went by easily for the most part. The day flew past, and so did Friday. Jasper was there waiting for me.
"The others are going hunting," he reminded me, "and Bella is going to La Push. So we can leave early to get the others if you'd like."

I grinned and nodded.

"Come on then!" I grinned. "Let's not wait for the grass to grow!"

"Patience, Alice," Jasper laughed. "They're not going anywhere."

"But Jasper," I whined.

He laughed again, as Edward and Bella came up next to us.

"What time are you going to get Fred and George?" Edward asked.

"Since Bella is going to La Push, we're going to leave as soon as we get home," Jasper said.

I grinned and smiled at Edward.

"Are you sure you don't mind one of them using your room?"

"Of course I don't mind. I'll be at Bella's. I'll just have to go in temporarily in the mornings to get clothes."

"That's fine."

Edward turned to Jasper and thought something to which Jasper responded, "That's already taken care of."

"What is?"

"It's a surprise."

I watched Edward and Jasper carefully as they both grinned.

"What's going on?" Bella asked Edward.

"I'll tell you once we're out of earshot of Alice," Edward grinned.

"I could look at find out for myself," I glared.

"Mary Alice Black Whitlock, you better not ruin the surprise," Jasper snapped causing Bella to widen her eyes slightly.

"Fine," I grumbled. "I won't ruin the surprise."

Jasper laughed.

"We'd better get going," Jasper grinned. "Alice is going to get more cranky the longer she's got to wait for the surprise."

"We got to go too," Edward said. "We have to meet Jacob Black at the border."

I nodded as Jasper started the bike.

Once we got back home, I quickly removed the oxygen tank and sat my book bag down on the bed before rushing back downstairs to where the others were.

"Have fun, Alice," Esme said pulling me into a hug. "We'll see you tonight. There is food in the fridge, and I put a roast and potatoes in the oven for them to have for dinner."

"Thanks, Esme," I grinned.

"Of course, dear. And I hope you enjoy your surprise."
"Does everyone know about it but me?"

"Of course we do," Emmett grinned. "We were with Jasper when he was on the phone with Harry and George."

"When were you on the phone with Harry and George?" I asked, turning to Jasper.

"Great going, Emmett," Jasper grumbled. "Come on, Ali, we should be going. I told George we'd meet him at the store."

I nodded, and wrapped an arm tightly around him. Then with a quick and sudden snap, the Cullens were gone and were replaced with the people on the street of Diagon Alley.

"Come on," I told Jasper. "I need to run to the Apothecary real quick and grab a few things."

I bought ingredients that I was low on, and bought a bottle of Skele-Gro.

"What's that for?"

"I figured with Bella around the house, it might not hurt to have. It'll mend broken bones or regrow bones entirely."

"It might not hurt to have then," he said, reading the bottle.

"Exactly," I said, dropping the parcel from the Apothecary into my bag. "Now, let's go meet George."

We made our way through the street, stopping once more to get a copy of the Daily Prophet.

As we stepped inside the store, George looked up from the counter.

"Alice! Jasper! Come in, come in!"

We stepped passed the line and behind the counter.
"Need some help around the store?"

"I'll always accept some help," he grinned.

George and I worked at the counter while Jasper helped stock the shelves. It wasn't too busy considering the main customers were still in school, but we did fill orders behind the counter.

"Have you given any more thought to my offer?" George asked after we had been there close to half an hour.

"Which offer was that?" I asked, hopping on the counter.

"About becoming more than just a partner."

"George, this is your's and Freddie's store, I—"

"Al, Fred and I talked about making you a partner before he died. But this way I know that the business stays in good hands."

"But your kids—"

"I don't want to force them into this business. I want them to be free to be who they are."

"Okay," I said. "If it'll make you happy."

"I'm glad you say that," George said reaching under the counter. He pulled out a stack of papers.

"I have all the paperwork here."

"Can we at least talk to Jasper about this?"

"Talk to me about what?" Jasper asked, leaning against the counter.

George passed the paperwork to him.

"Alice this is wonderful!" Jasper exclaimed. "What is there to talk about? This is a really good opportunity for you!"

"That would mean we would have to come back and forth from Forks to here until I'm supposed to die, and George and I will have business meetings and testings, and everything else."

"I know that," Jasper nodded. "And I still think you should do this. You helped them create it. I think it's only fitting for you to do this."

I sighed and turned to George.
"How about it, partner?"

George grinned and pulled me into a hug.

"Looks like it's no longer Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes," George grinned.

"Why not keep the name the same?"

"Because I want you to be a piece of it."

I shook my head.

"George, I'll sign these papers, but I want the name to be kept the same. For Freddie."

"For Freddie," George agreed.

Jasper handed me back the paperwork.

"Sign it now and we can take it to Gringotts before they close."

I smiled and began flipping through the papers. In the contract, it was specified that I would make fifty percent of all profits. I could continue everything else I had already been doing in the past.

"Now all that's left," George says, "is you need to pick somebody to take over in your place in case you die. I doubt you will, but it's formality."

"Jasper," I grinned. "It'll give him something to live for."

"Jasper, I need you to sign here then," George grinned.

Jasper signed the paper, and George smiled.

"Mary Alice Black Whitlock, I hereby declare you co-owner and partner of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."

I smiled and hugged him again.

"Thanks, George."

"Of course. Can you close up the store while I run to Gringotts?"

I nodded and smiled.

"Wanna help?" I asked Jasper.

"Of course. What do you need done?"

"Can you clean the windows while I clean finish up these last few orders? We'll have to drop them off before we head to the Burrow."
"You got it. Where's the cleaner?"

"Right here," I said, picking up the cleaner and the rag before passing them to him.

Jasper and I worked together to clean the store and stack the packages up for George and I to mail out before we left Diagon Alley.

I was counting the money when George stepped through the door.

He handed a small roll of cash to Jasper.

"This is for helping out today," he grinned. "It's in American dollars."

"George, you don't have to do this," Jasper said, attempting to hand the money back.

George held up a hand.

"You didn't have to help, but you did. Keep it. It'll make me feel better."

Jasper passed the money to me.
"Can you hold onto this for me?"

I nodded and stowed it away in my bag before turning to George.

"We'd better get going if we're going to put these mailed out."

George nodded and grabbed a handful of packages.

Between him, Jasper, and myself, we were able to get all the packages to where they needed to be in one delivery.

George passed me a key ring.

"Here, these are yours. A key to the store, the safe, everything."

"Thanks, George," I grinned.

"So do you want to Apparate to the Burrow as a group or should I meet you guys there?"

"I'm fine either way," I said.
"Please separately," Jasper said. "I don't know if I could handle that tube getting any tighter.

I laughed and wrapped my arms around Jasper's waist as he wrapped his around my shoulders.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

When we made it to the Burrow, everyone was waiting.

Harry grinned and pulled me into a tight hug.

"I've missed you," I told him. "I've missed all of you."

"Somebody's missed you," Ginny said, offering Albus to me.

"Hi there, baby boy," I cooed as I took the baby, carefully placing the blanket between us.

"Unca' Jazz!" James cried taking a running start towards Jasper.

Jasper picked James up and carefully hugged the toddler.

"Look at how big you've gotten!" Jasper exclaimed.

James grinned and tightened his arms around Jasper's neck.

"So Alice, we do have a surprise for you," George said as I sat down.

"So I've been hearing."

George stepped out of the room and came back carrying Fred.

"I thought he was with Angelina!" I exclaimed.

"Her dad got sick, and she went to go take care of him. She didn't want the baby around him, so I said he could come with me to America."

"Where's he going to sleep?" I asked, wide eyed.

"I was thinking you would watch him while I slept," George smiled.

"Of course!" I exclaimed.

Fred was nearly a year old now and could sit up by himself, and could crawl, but couldn't walk. He was still smaller than most children his age. James had just turned two, and started to speak more than he had when I first saw him last September. All the children were growing quickly, even Hugo.

We stayed there until close to six, when I turned to Harry and George.

"Emmett is expecting us," I told them. "Esme made pot roast and potatoes for you guys to have for dinner."

"Come back and see us soon," Molly said. "We miss seeing your faces around here."

"Next time, maybe you guys can come see me in America. I can introduce you to the others!"

"We'll set something up."

After we had made our way through the room offering our goodbyes, we all bundled tightly and I Apparated the five of us back to the living room.

"Emmett?" I called.

"Upstairs," Emmett called. "I'll be down in a minute."

I turned to Harry and George.

"One of you will be in mine and Jasper's room, and the other will be in Edward's room. He's got a bed in there now so you won't have to sleep on the couch."

"I'll take Edward's room," Harry said.

"He'll come in early in the mornings to change his clothes, but it'll be quick. You won't even know that he's there."

Harry smiled as Jasper swiped their bags.

"I'll take these upstairs. That roast that Esme put on should be just about done."

I nodded and passed the baby to George.

"Follow me," I said. "Jasper's right, your dinner should be just about ready. I'll hold Fred while you eat, just let me finish this roast.

"Alice, I can do it if you'd like," Harry said.

I shook my head.

"Nonsense. You're my guest. Sit."

I motioned towards the dining room table.

Emmett and Jasper joined us as I pulled the roast out of the oven.

"Well you won't go hungry tonight," I told them as I grabbed two plates out of the cupboard. "Esme likes cooking, but she doesn't get to cook except for when Bella comes over. That seems to be less and less these days."

"Do they know?" Emmett asked me too quiet for them to hear, "about the army I mean."

"They know that we're speculating about an army, but I haven't told them that we're going after them. I don't want them to worry."

"What is it?" Harry asked looking between Emmett and I. "What's wrong?"

"Why do you think that there is something wrong?"

"Because you're frowning."

I smoothed out my face.

"I was going to wait to say something, but it seems that we're out of time."

I sat the plates down in front of Harry and George before turning towards to get them each a drink.

"I think that it's best if Jasper explains it," I continued, "I don't know much about it myself, and I'm not sure how to explain it."

"You remember my story, don't you?" Jasper asked as he and Emmett sat in chairs across from the other two. I sat down the cups of ice water in front of them before taking Fred and sitting in front of George.

When the two nodded, Jasper continued.

"Well we had mentioned to you guys before that we had speculated that somebody might be starting a newborn army, similar to what I was born into, in Seattle. We're thinking that this is true. Judging by the size, and the people that have gone missing, we're almost positive that it is a newborn army. Alice and a colleague of mine were able to identify the second-in-command."

I got up and brought the file into the dining room, and tapped the blown up picture.

"His name is Riley Biers," I told them, and began to fill them in on everything I had learned about him.

"We're not in any danger here, are we?" Harry asked.

I shook my head.

"Jasper doesn't think that they're ready to attack yet, and he's sure that their leader and Riley knows this. We have time. Enough time to get through graduation, and the party, and send you back home."

"Are you in any danger?"

I shook my head.

"Jasper is going to be training us. He's going to teach us what we need to know about the armies and how to stop them."

"And we have the best tool that the newborn army doesn't even know exists," Emmett said, grinning.

"What's that?" George asked.

"Alice," Jasper said.

"Alice?" Harry repeated.

"She's the only one of our kind like her, and she will always be the only one. She's more powerful, and faster than any of us. Even the Volturi. It's why they want her to join them. She made them make an Unbreakable Vow."

"I remember her telling us about that now," Harry said. "She made the kings promise that they would never turn a witch or wizard into a vampire."

"The kings also made a deal with all of the governments in Wizardkind. They can teach us about vampires in school, but they can't teach us about the Volturi, and in turn they won't tell vampires about us."

"Is it safe to be doing work that the Volturi should be doing?" George asked.

"Probably not," Jasper says, "but Edward thinks it'd be simpler to eradicate the army on our own rather than have the Volturi come in and see that Bella is still human."

"It always comes down to Edward," Harry growled. "You are always covering for him!"
"Harry, be quiet," I hissed. "You're going to wake the baby!"

"Harry, I'm not going to let anything happen to Alice," Jasper said. "I'm going to keep her safe."

Harry looked between Jasper and me.

"Okay," he said.

"Let's just try to enjoy our weekend," I said with a weak smile. "The others will be here soon. In about an hour. Eat your food, and then we'll figure out what to do after."

Harry and George ate slowly, talking to me about graduation and the party.

"Are you going to be wearing that," George asked, motioning to the oxygen tank that sat against the wall.

I nodded.

"As far as the Muggles know, I'm on it for the rest of my life. My body is shutting down," I said, tapping my chest.

After they ate, George and I talked business arrangements. We decided that I wouldn't start coming to the store on a regular basis until after the situation with the newborns were taken care of. After that, I would come to the store every other day. George would be there most days until I got the hang of running the store on my own.

George offered Jasper a job at the store, which he took without question. He would work when I did, and occasionally if the store was busy, Jasper would be called in.

On the days we weren't working, I would be working on new products for the WonderWitch line, and on his days off, George would be working on the Skiving Snackboxes and other practical jokes. We would come together when it came to everything else. When it came to Muggle magic tricks, we decided to enlist in the help of Emmett, who would be paid for his help. George left me in charge of finances. He brought the log book with him for me to look over.
"I've never been good with money," George said, shaking his head.

The others came home within the hour like I had predicted. I showed Carlisle my copy of the business papers, and the schedule that George and I had worked out for me and Jasper.

"I'm so proud of you, Alice," Esme crooned, hugging me. She was careful to not disturb the sleeping baby in my arms. "How do you like your surprise?"

"I love it," I grinned, looking down at Fred. "I've missed everyone there, so having one more person here with me is amazing."

Edward looked at his watch and smiled.

"I'd better get going. Bella is going to be coming home soon."

I nodded as he patted my shoulder and moved past me.

"Congratulations on the store, Al," he said before heading to the garage.

"How about a game of chess?" I asked George, tilting my head to the side.

"That may hard to do with you holding Fred he pointed out.

"That's a simple solution," I grinned. "Hey Rosalie, would you want to hold Fred for a while?"

Rosalie grinned as she made her way over to me. I stood up and placed Fred carefully in her arms.

"It's almost time for him to eat too," George said. "You can feed him if you'd like."

Rosalie grinned and returned to her seat on the couch as Jasper set up a chess board for Emmett and I.

The others began wandering through the house. After Rosalie fed Fred, she passed him to Esme and went to the garage, talking about an issue with her car.

The game finished in ten minutes. I didn't mean to look ahead, and Jasper tried to help George as best as he could, but the visions came anyways.

I heard Edward pull up the driveway, and into the garage.

"Fall down again, Bella?" Emmett's muffled voice asked.

"No, Emmett. I punched a werewolf in the face."

There was a roar of laughter from Emmett, and a small snicker from Rosalie.

"Jasper's going to win the bet," Rosalie said smugly.

"What bet?" Bella demanded.

"Let's get you to Carlisle," Edward urged.

"What bet?" Bella insisted

"Thanks, Rosalie," Edward mumbled.

"Edward . . . ," Bella pressed.

"It's infantile," he shrugged. "Emmett and Jasper like to gamble."

"Emmett will tell me."

He sighed.

"They're betting on how many times you . . . slip up in the first year."

"Oh. They have a bet about how many people I'll kill?"

"Yes," he admitted. "Rosalie thinks your temper will turn the odds in Jasper's favor."

"Jasper's betting high."

"It will make him feel better if you have a hard time adjusting. He's tired of being the weakest link."

"Sure. Of course it will. I guess I could throw in a few extra homicides, if it will make Jasper happy. Why not? I can do that," Bella babbled as they moved through the house.

"You don't need to worry about it now. In fact, you don't have to worry about it ever, if you don't want to."

Bella groaned and I heard their footsteps quicken.

"I guess you'll meet Bella sooner than I thought," I told the two jumping to my feet.

"Carlisle?" Edward called.

"In the living room," Carlisle said.

Edward and Bella made their way to us, and Bella stopped in the middle of the doorway.

"Bella," I said. "This is George, and you've briefly met Harry."

"Nice to see you again," Harry grinned.

"And it's nice to meet you for the first time," George said, jumping to his feet extending his hand.

With her good hand, Bella shook George's hand.

"Nice to meet you, George. Alice has told me so much about you."

"Then you must know who this little guy is," George said as Edward directed Bella to the couch in between Carlisle and Esme.

Bella peered over Esme's arm as Carlisle began to inspect her hand.

"Is that Fred?" Bella asked, looking to me for confirmation.

"Yes," I grinned.

"It's definitely broken," Carlisle said, "but it's not a bad break."

"Alice has something that can help with that," Jasper said. "She said it'd be helpful to keep around."

"What is it?" Edward asked.

I pulled my bag to me and pulled out the Skele-Gro.

"It'll fix the bone overnight."

Harry turned his nose up at the bottle and leaned over to Bella.

"It helps if you hold your nose. It tastes awful."

I took off the cap and poured it into a cup that Jasper had brought.

I held it out to Bella.

"Drink this and don't spit it out."

Bella took the cup and eyed it carefully.

"Drink," I urged. "You'll feel better."

Bella drank the potion and her face immediately puckered in disgust. As she swallowed it, she glared at me.

"That was disgusting."

"Sorry about that," I grinned. "But it really will help. I'd still put a cast on it though."

The mention of a cast sent Bella spiraling. Carlisle and Bella came to the agreement that she could wear a brace instead of a cast as long as she left it on. She agreed to that, and calmed down as Carlisle began to fit her for the brace.

Bella and Edward left not long after that, and Harry and George went to bed not long after they left. I spent the night trying to organize the copies of the paperwork into files with all my other stuff.

"Ali, I don't think much is going to change from when you help out there," Jasper frowned.

"I know that," I said. "I just really don't want to disappoint George."

"I don't think you could do that," Jasper grinned.

"Are you sure you're okay with working for me?"

"Of course I am," Jasper grinned. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I just want to make sure. And I want you to know that I am so proud of you."

Jasper grinned and kissed my forehead.

"No special treatment just because I'm married to the boss?"

"Not a chance," I laughed.

"Good," Jasper said.

"If you want, I can set you up for an account at Gringotts," I said. "We can send your check there, and you'll have it on hand if you need it."

Jasper thought about it for a moment.
"I could put it in your account," Jasper murmured. "I don't think we'll be getting divorced anytime soon, and if we were, I wouldn't need the money anyhow."

I frowned.

"Why would we get divorced?"

"That's my point," he smiled. "Just put it in your account."

"Maybe I should make a joint account," I frowned.

"How many accounts do you have open at Gringotts?" Carlisle asked.

"Three. Mine, my mother's, and my mother and father's joint account."

"What about your father's account?"

"It went to Harry," I said, glancing up at the ceiling. "He put half of the money in my account and it'll come back to me when he dies, and his kids will get his vault."

"In the event that you died, where would your money go?"

"Jasper," I said. "My house, my accounts, my share of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Everything."

"And if he dies?"

"I'm not sure where it'll go," I said. "That's up to Jasper. In the event of my death, he will be summoned to Gringotts, and they'll go through the transfer paperwork, give my keys over, and he'll write a will that will stay in the vaults."

"How much of your vault was used when you died?" Esme asked.

"None of it. Harry and George thought that one day I would come back."

"Maybe we could go to England next," I told Carlisle. "We won't have to leave as quickly because it isn't a secret that we're vampires. We won't have to go to school. We can exist as ourselves."

"What would I do for work, Alice?" Carlisle asked. "I can't not work. We can't live off you forever."

"You can work as a Healer, or you can work at a Muggle hospital. Esme can work as an architect. You guys can open up a shop." I shrugged. "Things aren't limited there."

"I'll think about it," Carlisle said. "We'll talk more when it gets closer."

I nodded and returned my attention to the papers that sat in stacks in front of me.

The boys woke close to eight the next morning. I had just finished feeding Fred. He was crawling around the living room floor when George scooped him up and plopped on the couch.

"Esme will have breakfast ready in a moment," I said, nodding towards the kitchen. "She started it when I fed Fred."

"We would have been fine with cereal," Harry said.

"I don't mind," Esme said, bringing plates in. I stood up and pushed the coffee table closer to them. "I like cooking, but I don't have a reason too."

George smiled as she sat down the plate.

"It all looks great, thank you."

Esme smiled as she turned back to the kitchen, reappearing seconds later with two cups of orange juice.

"You've been going over the paperwork?" George asked, nodding to the stack at the edge of the table.

I nodded.

"Did you ever buy out Zonko's?" I asked him. "Expansion probably isn't the worst idea."
George shook his head.

"Somebody had bought it and turned it into a restaurant before I got the chance."

"I'm sure that there are other buildings that we can lease...After we get this situation with the newborns taken care of I'll look into buildings in Hogsmeade."

Alice, Edward called to me, stepping through the door. Can I talk to you?

"Excuse me a moment," I said, following Edward back outside.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Have you told them?" he whispered.

"Told them what?"

"That there's a chance that some of us won't survive this."

I shook my head.

"No. And I'm not going to. They know everything that they need to. I have to believe that my magic will be enough. We're going to make it out of this alive. I have to believe that."

Edward watched me for a second before he pulled me into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, Alice. I didn't mean for any of this."

I shook my head.

"Don't be sorry," I said. "If you hadn't met Bella, James would have never tried to hunt her. They would have still come through, and he would have hunted me instead. I may not have made it out of that one. Thanks to you, I was able to kill him, and find my family again."

Edward watched me for a moment as he stepped back from me and smiled.

"Always the optimist."

"One of us has to be."

"Hey, do you have anything that Bella can take for her wrist? It's been bothering her. She didn't sleep that well last night. She said it hurt, and medicine didn't help it."

"No Muggle medicine could," I said, motioning for him to follow me. "I warned you it was going to hurt. It's taking the work of six weeks and crushing it down to six hours. During the six week period, you don't realize the pain, but in six hours, it's horrible. I broke several bones during the war, so to help with the pain, Severus made a potion to help with the pain."

"You never told me about that."
I shrugged.

"They weren't caused by battle. I made a mistake, and Voldemort let Bellatrix handle the punishment." I trailed off and shook my head. "Bellatrix was creative when it came to torture. The Cruciatus Curse was her favorite, but she broke bones to make sure that I wouldn't make the same mistake again."

"What did you do?"

"I talked back. Voldemort wanted me to look into Harry's future and see where he was going, and I told him the future was black. He told me to try again, and I told him I couldn't see what wasn't there."

"Why was Harry's future black?" he asked as I unlocked the cupboard.

"Remus was wanting to travel with them."

"All she did was break your bones?"

I shook my head.

"She beat me, choked me, burned me." I shrugged and pulled out the potion. I transferred the amount needed into a smaller vial. Give her this and once she wakes up a little bit more bring her to me so I can check her hand."

"Thank you, Alice."

"Of course. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to change."

Edward laughed and ducked out of the window, heading back to Bella's.

I dressed in grey jeans and a short sleeved white shirt. I didn't plan on going anywhere, so I stayed barefoot. When I came back downstairs, everybody else was spaced around the room doing various things. Jasper was talking to Carlisle in the corner, Harry and George were eating while talking to Emmett, and Rosalie and Esme cooed over Fred who was laying on the floor.

"Hey, Ali?" Jasper said, waving me over. "Can you come here for a minute?"

I bounded over to the two of them quickly.

"What is it?" I asked. "Is everything okay?"
"Can you try to look into Riley's present?" Jasper asked. "We need to know how much time we have, and maybe you can pit him against the leader."

"Jazz, I've already tried that."

"But maybe this time it will work."

I shook my head.

"You know, they say insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result."

Jasper glared at me.

"Now is not the time, Mary Alice. Can you for once take something seriously?"

I frowned at Jasper, taking a step back from him.

"I think you need to take a walk," I said. "I think the stress of everything is starting to get to you."

Jasper sighed.

"Ali, I—"

I shook my head and offered a small smile.

"Don't worry about it. Just go take a walk, and I'll see what I can do."

Jasper sighed and headed outside, grabbing his jacket off the back of the couch.

"Where is Jasper going?" Harry asked as I picked up Fred and sat down on the other side of the coffee table.

"On a walk," I said. "He needs to clear his head."

"Is everything okay?" George asked.

I nodded.

"It will be. But in the meantime, I need to focus. I told Jasper I'd try to look into Riley Biers's present."

"Can you do that? Look into other vampires' presents?"

"It takes more focus than it does to look into yours."

"Did you do that a lot?" Harry asked.

I sighed.

"It depends on what you mean by a lot. In the beginning, I kept looking, trying to make sure that you guys were going to be okay without me. The last time that I looked into your present was the day that Freddie told you guys to stop looking for me."

"Is that how you did it?"

I nodded.
"I thought you knew that."

Harry shrugged.

"I didn't understand how you were there. Fred had said you weren't there in the same sense that he was, but he didn't elaborate on any further."

"Because I asked him not to. It wasn't safe for you to know then."

"Why is that?"

"Because you would have tried to find James."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know you guys well enough to know that you would have tried to avenge me. When Dumbledore died, you went after Severus. When Fred died, George went after Augustus Rookwood. I could do that to you."

"If we had known you were still alive—"

"We think that James might have been following Alice," Carlisle jumped in. "We don't find it coincidental that James happened to find us. So if Alice had went to you all before he died, he could have found you there."

"What would have happened if James had killed Bella and gotten away?"

"He would have come for me next."

The room was quiet for a moment. The only sound was George's forks scraping against his plate. I glanced over to Harry. His plate was still almost full.

"Eat your eggs," I told Harry. "I have to focus."

I sat Fred back down on the floor next to me. He watched me for a moment before puffing out his bottom lip.

"Just for a moment," I told him with a smile. "Aunt Alice needs to focus."

Fred crawled to my side and laid his head in my lap.

I smiled at patted his back before closing my eyes.

Riley Bier's present was fuzzy, much like his future. It would have been better if I knew him more.

Riley was in a dark room with his knees pulled up to his chest. His face was hidden in his knees.

I crouched down next to him.

"Riley," I whispered in his ear. "Your mother would be so disappointed in you."

Riley clamped his hands over his ears.

"Your leader," I continued. "She's going to leave you. When the time for the battle comes, she's going to leave you."

"No," Riley murmured to himself. "She loves me."

"No," I whispered. "She's using you."

"Shut up!" Riley yelled, jumping to his feet and looking wildly around the room.

"Riley," I whispered again. "You're alone. Nobody is here with you. It's just us."

"It's got to be the yellow eyes," Riley began muttering. "She told me of their mind tricks, this has to be one of them."

"The yellow eyes?" I asked. "They aren't doing this to you. You know deep down."

"They're going to come for us."

"No," I said. "They aren't."

"This is their territory. She told me that."

"So why haven't they come for you yet?"

"Because they're afraid."

"No," I said again. "It's because she lied to you Riley."

"Go away," he growled.

"You can't run from yourself, Riley."

"GO AWAY!" he roared.

"I'll be back."

It didn't take much for me to pull myself back into my own present. When I opened my eyes, Jasper come back, and he sat with Fred in his lap playing with blocks.

"How did it go?"
"It worked," I said. "I got through. He was alone, so I don't know much about the time frame, but what I do know is that the leader is a she."

"Did you try putting Riley against her?" Carlisle asked.

I nodded.

"Whoever she is, she told them that 'the yellow eyes had mind tricks'."
"So they're definitely here for you?" George asked.

I nodded.

"I think this makes the idea of it being Maria coming back for Jasper more realistic…"

"So we'll treat it as if it's Maria," Jasper said. "I know her fighting style and we can use that to our advantage…" Jasper trailed off and looked at me.

I could feel fear radiating off of him. I put an arm around him and kissed his cheek.

"Don't be afraid," I murmured against his cheek. "It's all going to be okay. I'll keep you safe."

Jasper smiled and turned to kiss me.

"Aren't I supposed to be the one to keep you safe?"

I grinned.

"We keep each other safe."

As Jasper kissed me again, Fred reached up and patted my cheek.

"What?" I grinned, pulling him into my arms. "You want a kiss too?"

Fred grinned as I kissed his cheek before he crawled to George and extended his hands to him.

I smiled.
"You did good with him, Georgie," I grinned.

"He loves you," George said.

"I love him too," I grinned. "I love all of the kids."

"Is Bella coming over again today?" Harry asked suddenly. "Molly sent us with a graduation gift for her."

I nodded.

"I need to check her hand and make sure the potion is doing its job."

"Is there a chance that it won't?" Esme asked.

I shook my head.

"No, it'll work. I just don't know how quickly it works on Muggles."

"When will she be here?"

"In an hour or so," I said.

So for the next hour, we all moved to various activities. Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, and Rosalie turned to the news. Emmett and Harry set up a game of chess, and George and I began looking through finances as Fred played on the floor between us.

"I'm going to write Aberforth," I told George. "He'd know about any availabilities in Hogsmeade."

"Have you seen him since you've been back?"

I nodded.

"Jasper and I went to the Hog's Head one day while we were at Hogwarts."
"He checked up on Harry and I in the beginning. He said that you were a nice girl, and it was a shame what happened to you. He told Harry he was sorry that his brother made you go undercover."

I sighed and jumped to my feet grabbing the quill, ink, and parchment off of the entertainment center.

"How often do you use that stuff?" George asked.
"Only when I'm writing home, really," I shrugged.

"Where is Paris?"

"He stays outside mostly," I murmured. "Carlisle doesn't really want him in the house."

"Alice," Esme said with a small frown. "I thought you understood why we felt that it wasn't a good idea to keep an owl here."
"I do understand," I said. "I never said I didn't. But it would be slightly easier to send letters if he was allowed in the house."

"We never said he wasn't allowed in the house. We just don't think it's a good idea that he's in the house."

I shrugged as George laughed.
"Do you need me to go outside and get him?" Jasper asked.

"Please," I said as I wrote the letter. "Can you give him a treat too?"

"You got it, Al," he said as he disappeared down the hall.

"Is it a good idea to have an owl around when Bella is changed?"

"Probably not," I said. "But if Bella kills my owl, she will be buying me a new one."

"How much would an owl be in Muggle money?" Jasper asked as he reappeared in the room with Paris perched on his shoulder.

"About a hundred US dollars."
"That isn't so bad," he said. "I'm sure Edward will pay to replace it."

"I'm sure he would too."

After I attached the letter to Paris's leg, Jasper took him out the back door and let him go.

"Maybe we can have an American branch," George said. "That'd be easier for you to manage wouldn't it?"

"Not if I move back to Britain," I said.

"Are you guys planning to?"

"We've talked about it," I said. "We're definitely going to be coming back for a year or two sometime soon. I'm supposed to be dying soon, and it'd be suspicious if they moved right after. And now that you guys have been seen by the town, you'll have to come to the funeral."

"When is it?"

"It'll probably be some time next year," I said.

"So maybe a store in America isn't a good idea."

"Not right now," I said. "But maybe one day in the future."

Edward and Bella came close to an hour and a half later. She offered a small smile to George and Harry as she sat down next to me.
"Edward said you needed to see me?"

I nodded and held my hand out.

"Hand please."

She dropped the hand into mine, and I carefully removed the brace.
"How is it feeling this morning?"

"Better than last night," she said.

I grabbed my wand off of the coffee table and tapped Bella's hand. I could see the outline of the bones raise up. The bone was almost completely healed. It would be fully healed by later tonight, that much I was sure.

"How is it?" Carlisle asked.

"Almost healed," I said. "But I'd still recommend keeping the brace on until the end of the month at the end of the month at least."

"Alice," Bella whined.

"Hush, Bella," I said, shaking my head. "Charlie saw the brace. It'll be suspicious if it comes off two days after it's put on."

I jumped onto my feet again and got more of the potion that I had given Bella earlier. I passed it to Edward.

"Give her this tonight. Her hand will start bothering her later," I sat down and refastened the brace to Bella's hand.

"How do you know?"

"Because the bone is still going to be sore," I said. "It's been under a lot of pressure. So for the time being, no more punching werewolves in the face."

"I don't think that will be a problem."

"I'm sorry things didn't work out for you and Jacob," I said. "I know he meant a lot to you."
I offered her a weak smile.

"Thanks, Alice, but you were right about werewolves. They're bad company."

"You don't mean that," I told her. "You're just upset with him."

"No I really do mean it."

"You'll change your mind about him."

Alice? Edward asked.

I turned to look at him.

What's she thinking about? he asked, watching Bella.

I turned my gaze back to Bella.

Jacob, I told him. Edward, I know she loves you, but I'm starting to think that maybe she might love him too.

I know she does, Edward said. She just can't admit it to herself.

I'm sorry, I told him.

Edward shook his head.

She loves me more.

I gave him a small smile as I pulled the log book back into my lap and began flipping through it again.

"George, you know we're making more money than we're spending, right?" I asked. "The most money is going into importing Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder."

"So we can afford another store?"

I nodded.

"I'm still going to put a budget in place, but for someone who says that they aren't good with money, I think you've managed well enough without me."

George smiled.

"Thanks."

"Edward said that you signed onto the store," Bella said.

I nodded.
"It's a part of George's graduation gift."

"You said part?"

"I have an actual gift for her too. But she won't get that until Monday morning."

I closed the book and turned to Jasper.

"Hey, Harry and George, do you want to go for a ride?" I asked. "I have something I need to do today."

"Sure, but what about Fred?"

"Esme bought a car seat," I said.

"Is Jasper coming?"

I nodded.

"At least I'm pretty sure he is."

Jasper nodded.

"I'll come."

"It gives me the chance to drive the Porsche," I grinned. "I haven't had the chance to drive it yet."

"Where are you going?" Bella asked.

"Port Angeles," I said. "I have to go get a few things for the party."

This wasn't the whole truth. There were a few things I needed to get from Port Angeles for the party, but the main point of going was to get an outfit that I had ordered for Bella for graduation. I was sure that after he red blouse had been taken that she would need something to wear, so I thought ahead and called in an order.

Harry and George sat in the backseat with Fred while Jasper and I sat up front. We made it to Port Angeles in a little under a half an hour, and made it back right as Esme was putting dinner on the table.

I didn't sit with them as they ate. Bella ate with them, and I sat outside with Jasper, looking at the few stars that peaked through the thick clouds.

"Are you having a good time?" Jasper murmured against my shoulder.

I nodded.

"Thank you for bringing them."

"Of course," he grinned. "Anything to make you smile."

I grinned and turned to kiss him.

"It sucks that they have to leave on Monday."

"Ali, I'd love for them stay longer, but it's not safe."
"I know," I said. "If it really is Maria, I don't want them to be here. Jazz, did I make a mistake signing onto the store?"

"No," Jasper said. "I know what you're thinking. You're gonna make it through this."

I sighed and leaned my head against his shoulder.

"I love you," I murmured, closing my eyes.

"I love you more."

I shook my head.

"That's not possible."

Sunday passed quickly. The boys got up and got dressed, and came downstairs and had breakfast. I started getting things ready for the party tomorrow. Everybody helped as much as they can, but they mostly stayed out of my way.

Before we knew it, it was Monday morning. The boys took showers while I gave Fred a bath and got him dressed.

"Handsome boy," I told him as he cooed at me.

"Ali?" Jasper asked, stepping in the room. "Can you help me with my hair?"

"I thought you had gotten the hang of it," I said, as I took the hair potion from him and gently pushed him onto the floor in front of me.

"I have," he said. "But you do it better."

I laughed and took the comb from him. As I worked through Jasper's hair, Fred pulled at Jasper's fingers and plopped down into his lap.

"Now I've got to run to Bella's house to give her the dress. George and Harry will ride with Esme and Carlisle in the Mercedes, and you will take Fred and go with Rosalie and Emmett in the BMW . I'll run to the school and meet you guys there."

Jasper nodded.

"Are you sure you don't want us to drive you."

I nodded.

"It's alright, I won't be long. We'll probably be the first ones there anyways, so nobody will notice."

"What about the oxygen tank?"

"I'll take it with me," I said. "I can carry it."

Jasper nodded.

"If you're sure."

"I am."

George and Harry came down the stairs then.

"You both look great," I grinned.

"Glad you approve."

"Are you sure you don't want Fred to ride with you, George?" Jasper asked as he stood up.

"I trust you," George said. "I don't think he's going to get hurt between here and the school. From what I've seen, Forks is a small town."

"What do you say, Freddie?" I murmured, pulling him from Jasper's lap. You wanna go with Uncle Jasper?"

Fred reached for Jasper, and began babbling in a high tone.

I passed Fred to Jasper and stood up to get my oxygen tank.

"I should probably get going," I said as I adjusted the cannula. "Edward will be heading out soon."

"We'll see you there," Jasper said before giving me a quick kiss.

"Park near the trees," I called back as I headed towards the back door. "That's where I'll come."

I grabbed my bag next to the door and set off through the trees.

"I have nothing to wear!" Bella groaned. I could hear her from the window.

I leapt through and leaned against the window.

"Stupid, theiving, annoying vampires," Bella growled.

"What did I do?" I grinned. Bella rounded to me and sighed in relief. "Knock, knock," I added.

"Is it really so hard to wait for me to get to the door?"

I reached into my bag and pulled out the white box. I tossed it onto Bella's bed.
"I'm just passing through," I smiled "I thought you might need something to wear."

Bella didn't say anything. Instead she grimaced at me and then at the box.

"Admit it," I said, moving closer to the bed, dragging the oxygen tank behind me. "I'm a life saver."

"You're a lifesaver. Thanks."

"Well, it's nice to get something right for a change," I smiled. "You don't know how irritating it is — missing things the way I have been. I feel so useless. So . . . normal."

"I can't imagine how awful that must feel. Being normal? Ugh."

"I've never been normal a day in my life," I laughed. "Well, at least this makes up for missing your annoying thief — now I just have to figure out what I'm not seeing in Seattle. I've learned some things, but not all."

Bella seemed to freeze up, but I couldn't piece together why.

"Aren't you going to open it?" I asked before picking up the box and tugging off the lid. I pulled out the dress, and unfolded it so Bella could see it. "Pretty, don't you think? I picked blue, because I know it's Edward's favorite on you."

Bella's thoughts seemed to be somewhere else.

"It's the same," she whispered.

"What is?" I demanded. "You don't have anything like this. For crying out loud, you only own one skirt!"

"No, Alice! Forget the clothes, listen!"

"You don't like it?" I frowned.

"Listen, Alice, don't you see? It's the same ! The one who broke in and stole my things, and the new vampires in Seattle. They're together!"

I dropped the dress back in the box.

"Why do you think that?" I asked sharply.

"Remember what Edward said? About someone using the holes in your vision to keep you from seeing the newborns? And then what you said before, about the timing being too perfect — how careful my thief was to make no contact, as if he knew you would see that. I think you were right, Alice, I think he did know. I think he was using those holes, too. And what are the odds that two different people not only know enough about you to do that, but also decided to do it at exactly the same time? No way. It's one person. The same one. The one who is making the army is the one who stole my scent."

"Riley Biers," I whispered. "You're right. Of course you're right. And when you put it that way. . . ."

"Edward had it wrong," Bella whispered back. "It was a test . . . to see if it would work. If he could get in and out safely as long as he didn't do anything you would be watching out for. Like trying to kill me. . . . And he didn't take my things to prove he'd found me. He stole my scent . . . so that others could find me."

Suddenly Riley's words made sense to me. The person in charge had told Riley about our "mind tricks". She had told him about my visions, and how to avoid them. Suddenly, I didn't think that this was Maria. She didn't know that much information about my visions.

"Oh no," I mouthed.
"Well," Bella said in a slow and quiet voice. "Everybody can relax. Nobody is trying to exterminate the Cullen clan afterall."

"If you think that one thing has changed, you're absolutely wrong," I said, clenching my jaw. "If someone wants one of us, they're going to have to go through the rest of us to get to her."

"Thanks, Alice. But at least we know what they're really after. That has to help."

"Maybe," I murmured.

I paced back and forth through the room, rethinking everything I knew about Riley Biers and everything I had ever heard him say.

The was two thuds on the door from Charlie, but I kept pacing, drowning him out and looking for Edward. He was close. I closed my mind from him. He couldn't know. Not just yet.

"I have to go," I whispered, heading back towards the window.

"Why?" Bella asked, grabbing my arm.

"Edward is coming. If he hears this—"

"Go, go!"

"Put that on. I'll see you at the ceremony," I said and I quickly Apparated from the room, about a mile from the school.

Jasper and the others were already there when I came through the trees. Jasper was leaning against the back of the car holding Fred in his arms.

"There she is," Jasper grinned.

I gave a weak smile.

"What is it, baby?" he whispered in my ear.

I shook my head, and hid my face on his shoulder.

"No, no, no," I moaned.

"Ali, what's wrong?"

"I can't tell you," I whispered. "Edward will hear your thoughts."

Fred patted my head, and grinned when I looked up at him.

"Come here," I smiled, taking Fred from Jasper. "It's okay, Jazz. I'll find you after the ceremony and tell you everything."

Fred touched the cannula gently and gave me a questioning look.

"Aunt Alice has to fool the Muggles," I grinned.

"Hey, Alice," Carlisle said. "We're going to go in."

"We'll be inside in just a moment," Jasper said. George came and took Fred from me.

"Come on, Freddie. Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper need a moment."

We watched as the others walked away, and Jasper pulled me into his arms.

"You're afraid," he murmured.

"Yes," I whispered.

"Why?"

I shook my head.

"I can't tell you, Jazz. He'll hear."

"No, Ali, I'll think about other things."

I studied Jasper's face.

"It's not Maria," I whispered, turning my eyes to the ground. "I have a funny feeling who it is, but I know for certain it isn't Maria. Riley Biers, he's the one who broke into Bella's house. He's the one who took her things. To prove he could get around my visions."
"Alice, slow down, honey. How do you know this?"

"Bella put the pieces together."

"So they're after Bella?"

I nodded.

"Yes."

"We'll have to go to Seattle sooner than we planned," Jasper said trailing off.

"Come on. Tell George and Harry that the four of us are heading straight back to the house after I get my diploma. Get the keys from Carlisle and tell him I'll explain when I get the chance. Stand at the back of the room. It'll be easier for us to get out from there."

Jasper nodded and picked up the oxygen tank following closely beside me.

Once I got into the room I ducked and weaved through the people to get in front of Edward.
"What's wrong?" he whispered in my ear.

"Nothing," I said. "Fred might be getting sick."

"If it's nothing, why are you blocking your thoughts from me?"

"Because I don't have to keep my mind open to you at all times," I snapped.

Edward frowned.

"Alice, you know you can tell me if something is bothering you, right?"

"Now isn't the time or the place."

Edward watched me carefully but didn't press it any further.

I paid partial attention to Eric as he rambled about new beginnings. I kept my mind closed and thought about what Riley had said again. This has to be the yellow eyes. She told me about her mind tricks.

When Principle Green started calling names, I began to pay more attention. It moved quickly, and suddenly I heard "Alice Cullen."

Harry, George, and Jasper cheered as I crossed the stage, dragging my oxygen tank behind me.

"Congratulations, Ms. Cullen," he said shaking my hand. "Good luck with everything."

"Thank you, Principle Green," I said, before making my way off of the stage as they called Edward's name.

I didn't return to my class. I hurried to where Jasper, Harry, and George were waiting.

"Come on," I muttered to the three of them. "We have to hurry."
And with that, the five of us set off back to the mansion in the woods.

---

Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait. I had some complications come up. But in return for the long wait, I was able to provide a long chapter. So the next chapter is the party and then after that is training. So I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving (for those who celebrate it), and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

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