At first, nothing happened.

Then, the blood began to ripple and twist into shimmering, clear images. The scry had worked, and it quickly pulled me under.

A petite girl with short dark hair lay on a medical table, strapped down tightly by the leather restraints on her arms, thighs, and ankles. She tried to pull herself out of her restraints, but they held firm. "I'm not supposed to be here," she muttered desperately.

A man walked into the room, tall and dressed in a crisp suit with a white lab coat over it. He held a clipboard and began flipping through it. "Mary Brandon? That's you isn't it?"

The girl glanced at him warily. "Yes, but—"

She was cut off by a woman in an old fashioned nurse's uniform injecting something into her arm. Mary winced, gasping from the prick. Tears sprang to her eyes, though it wasn't from the pain. She was frightened.

This time, the nurse spoke. "There's something wrong with you. We're going to fix it." The woman placed an apparatus on Mary's head. A machine next to the table was switched on, and a buzzing noise filled the small room. After putting a rubber rod in Mary's mouth, the nurse looked to the doctor. He nodded. The nurse turned to the machine and pushed a button.

Mary began convulsing uncontrollably. She sounded as if she were trying to scream, but couldn't.

The image shifted to a little girl and her mother. The girl reached out and handed the elegantly dressed woman an umbrella.

A man walked into the room, stern and severe. "There's not a cloud in the sky, Mary."

The girl shrugged. "It's gonna rain. I know it."

The woman looked at the girl fondly. "Well, you are always right."

I was seeing Mary again. She was sitting in a small, plain room, on a cot. She scribbled with shaking hands on a small scrap of paper. Mary looked over her shoulder at the door. The girl was mumbling to herself, repeating something I couldn't quite make out as if it were a mantra.

Mary, her hair long this time, was standing in front of her father—the stern man from before. "I saw it! There was a man… he drove a Model T and he had a beard. He ran mother's buggy right off the road—on purpose. He made sure he'd killed her before he drove away. If I'd seen it just a little bit earlier, I could have saved her." Her voice broke. "I was too late. You have to believe me. Father! It wasn't an accident!"

Mary's father turned to his daughter abruptly. "Enough with your stories! Do you hear yourself? It's insane!" He stormed from the room.

Mary was strapped to the medical table once more, hair short again. Her eyes were unfocused and glazed over. Her head fell to the side, and she made no effort to straighten it again. The piece of paper she had been writing on before was clutched tightly in her hand. This time, she didn't protest when the nurse placed the apparatus on her temples. After the button was pushed, Mary began to convulse. She dropped the paper.

The scene changed. Mary was in her house, staring blankly as a blonde woman draped her long, pearl necklace around her father's neck and leaned in for a kiss. The woman was squealing in delight as people celebrated all around them. Only Mary remained unsmiling, watching from the side.

"That's a lovely necklace," a little girl said, stepping up to the happy couple. "Was it a wedding gift?"

The blonde woman took a sip of her champagne. "No, your father gave this to me ages ago. Isn't it beautiful, Cynthia?"

Mary's brows puckered in confusion.

Her father noticed her immediately. "Not ages ago, darling," he corrected, trying to hide the worry on his dark features.

"Hmm?" The blonde woman looked at her new husband, perplexed, before noticing Mary. "Oh." She let out a nervous giggle.

Mary shook her head and tried to leave, but her father followed her into the empty library.

"Mary."

The girl whirled on him. "Was she planning this wedding before Mother was killed?"

Before the man could answer, Mary's eyes grew unfocused. Her grip on the chair next to her tightened, but her mind was not in the room. Her father watched through narrowed, suspicious eyes. After a moment, Mary gasped. She looked at her father terrified, before turning and running from her house. This time, she wasn't followed.

The images altered once more, this time showing a long-haired Mary banging on a door, frantic. "Please! You need to help me! It was my father!" Tears fell down her cheeks, smearing her once-perfect make up.

A well-dressed man came to the door and opened it.

Mary looked relieved immediately. She took a deep breath trying to calm herself. "You need to help me. You need to arrest my father. He wants to kill me—" She stopped, noticing another man joining the first at the door. It was her father.

Mary backed away slowly, her panic increasing.

"See?" her father said sadly, shaking his head. "It's just as I was telling you. She's insane."

The doctor and the nurse came from behind her and grabbed Mary by the arms. She fought. "There's nothing wrong with me! He killed my mother! He did!"

Mr. Brandon stepped forward. "And how is it you know that?"

Mary didn't have an answer. The doctor and nurse dragged her away as her father watched with triumphant eyes.

Mary Brandon was now in the hospital. Her nurse stood behind her, cutting away locks of her long, dark hair. She sobbed quietly, unable to protest. She was helpless.

I gasped, coming out of the vision, blinking frantically. At first, I didn't recognize where I was. It was odd for a scry to pull a witch into a vision, but I was thankful for it.

I looked around, heart beating wildly in my chest. The sky was lightening. I was almost out of time. If I continued, I would be scrying using my own energy. I'd never heard of anyone having a vision of the past before. I didn't know how much energy it took, but I knew I had to try.

"Revelare!" I cried, throwing myself back into the past.

It was dark for a moment before a man came into view. He was tall, dark, and eluded an aura of power. He entered the hospital, walking up to the nurse at the front desk. His eyes, once dark and black, flashed white as he spoke. His voice was deep and heavily accented. "Can I see her?"

The nurse blinked, dazed, and unfocused. "Yes…" she replied in a monotone voice. It was barely a mumble.

The man walked into a different room. Mary was lying on her cot but noticed the man. She sat up, smiling. Despite everything, she looked cheerful. "What have you brought for me today?" she asked, smirking as if she already knew.

He laughed a deep, comforting noise. "You're supposed to tell me that."

The girl's smile faltered. "Time is pressing tonight."

"What's the matter?"

Mary frowned, looking off into the distance. "Someone—something—is going to kill me tonight."

The man was on his feet immediately, faster than the human eye could follow. "I should have taken you away from here months ago!" He moved to pick her up, but Mary protested.

"No!"

He paused. "You saw it? You still die?"

Mary nodded. "Speed isn't enough."

"We'll cover your scent in the river. Then I'll lead them away from you." He was pacing, worried now.

The expression on the petite girl's face didn't change. "There's two of them, and there's only one of you."

It was silent for a moment before her expression did change—to one of horror. "No!" she gasped.

The man sat down. "No it won't work, or no don't do it?"

Mary was quiet for a second. "There's only a chance. Only the slimmest possible chance that they won't reach me before—"

That was enough for the man. He nodded, decided. "It's a chance."

She tried to protest again. "No! You'll die… the only way I survive is if you fight them to the death… and even then it's just a chance. I can't let you do that. There's a future for you, Kumboh. I've seen it."

Kumboh leaned forward, smiling gently at the girl. "I have had enough time."

Mary closed her eyes, a tear falling down her cheek. She was trembling, but her voice was steady. "A sprig of lavender in your right pocket."

Kumboh reached into his pocket, holding the lavender out to her. Before she could move to take it, he had picked her up and ran out of the room faster than anyone they passed could see.

Mary was back on the table, strapped down securely. She seemed to be delirious but was coming out of it quickly. The nurse was loosening her restraints.

"How are you feeling now, Miss Brandon?" the doctor asked, making notes in her file.

Mary was silent. She looked at the nurse expectantly, a smile growing on her face. Her eyes were cloudy.

I was breathing heavily. Apparently, looking into the past took much more strength than looking into the future. I blinked, willing myself to hold on just a little bit longer. The corners of my vision began to darken. I ignored it.

"Revelare…"

The images were shifting faster now.

Outside the hospital, Kumboh faced two unfamiliar people. One was a man, pale with long, blonde hair held back at the nape of his neck. The other was a woman equally pale with wild curls the color of fire. They were dressed shabbily, but that didn't dilute from their beauty. It was inhuman.

"Well, well, well," drawled the blonde man. "I see someone's after my savory lamb." He grinned. The woman giggled.

"You will not have her," Kumboh warned, accent potent.

The man snorted. "Of course I will. Who's going to stop me?"

They fought. It was too fast to tell what was happening, but the sounds were deafening.

The blonde man pinned Kumboh down by the throat. "I want you to know that every minute you keep me here, is just another minute I'm going to spend tearing her apart."

"You picked the wrong fight, old man," the woman taunted, walking up behind the blond. She ran her slender finger down his cheek. He shivered in delight.

"No. For once it was the right fight." Kumboh had lost.

A little girl—young Mary—stood by her mother's side. "I can't wait to meet my little sister." She laid her head on her mother's swollen belly.

Her mother smiled, delighted. "It's a girl, is it?"

Mary nodded, blue eyes twinkling happily.

"We'll call her Cynthia. Just… let's wait until after she's born to tell your father. Not everybody likes to know what's going to happen before it does." The woman grinned at her daughter fondly. "That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. I love you."

Mrs. Brandon faded away into an image of a cemetery.

Mary lay in a mausoleum. It was dark, but her skin was so white it practically glowed. At first, it seemed as if she was sleeping, but she was much too still and pallid. Suddenly, her eyes flew open they were bright red.

The blond man and the redheaded woman were running. He was angry—furious. "No one has ever escaped me!" he growled, pulling a fully grown pine tree from its roots and tossing it as if it were nothing. "I can't very well go after her now. She'll be too strong!"

The woman watched, smirking. "We'll wait. I'm sure you can finish her later. It'll be a new challenge."

The man paused, considering her words. He closed in on her with a smirk, like a predator hunting his prey. "You're right."

Mary sat on the hospital bed, still looking at the nurse expectantly.

The doctor cleared his throat and asked again. "I asked how you were feeling, Miss Brandon."

The nurse finally realized that Mary was waiting for her to answer. "Why, that's you!" she laughed as if Mary were the most foolish girl in the world. "You're Mary Alice Brandon."

"Oh!" Mary smiled sheepishly. "I'm quite well, thank you." She seemed to be in much better spirits. The nurse and doctor didn't notice.

Mary sat for a moment, swinging her legs off the side of the table. She grinned.

"Alice… I like that name."

I couldn't hold on anymore. The edges blackness around my vision took over my sight. I fell to the ground and knew no more.

When I awoke, the first thing I felt was the sun on my skin. It was bright and warm, but I was cold.

I heard a shuffling next to me and felt something tapping my hand. I sat up quickly, eyes popping open, disoriented, and unsure of what it was touching me. To my surprise, it was the raven from before.

"What are you doing here?" I asked it. My voice was rough and cracked. I must have been out hard. My loose hair was tangled and disheveled around my shoulders. There were probably leaves in it from my time on the forest floor. It must have been hours.

The creature gave me a pointed look and a gargled 'caw' as if saying 'you're the one who doesn't belong here, not me.' It flew off before I could question it further. I supposed I should be thankful it woke me to begin with. I had no idea what time it was, but the sun was still pretty high overhead—maybe a little afternoon? I had to get back home and change before Edward came to pick me up to meet his family.

It was with that thought that everything that happened the previous night came crashing back to me. The visions I had seen replayed through my mind rapidly.

Mary, the girl that I had seen was short, petite, with cropped black hair and a cheery disposition, despite everything she had been through, and she had been through a lot. But she didn't go by Mary Brandon anymore. These days she preferred her middle name and the name of her adoptive family: Alice Cullen.

I couldn't wait for Edward to come to me. I would have to go to him.

I scrambled to my feet, and shot through the woods, running as fast as my legs would allow me. I didn't know what sort of timeline I was working with exactly, but I did know that the vampires that had once tried to kill her were coming back for her. My instincts were screaming at me that it would happen tonight. I pushed myself harder.

It took half an hour before my aunts' home came into view. I knew immediately that they weren't there. They were probably off somewhere, still asleep and refueling from Ostara, like I should have been doing.

Instead, I stopped at the house only long enough to grab the keys to the Infiniti. I threw myself into the vehicle, panting heavily now that I didn't have to run anymore. I all but peeled out of the driveway.

It wasn't until then that I realized I didn't know where the Cullens lived. As I got to the highway, I took a deep breath. I would have to rely solely on my instincts for this. They'd never been wrong before.

I turned, deciding to head away from the main part of town. I drove, crossing the Calaway River and followed the winding road north. The houses were growing farther apart and getting larger as I went further down the road. Eventually, the houses all but disappeared, and I was driving through the forest, trees on either side of the road. It felt right; there's no way that the Cullens would choose to live around humans.

Something ran out onto the road in front of my car and stopped. I slammed on my breaks instinctively, screeching to a halt. Jasper stood on the road in front of me. I breathed a sigh of relief. The blond hair panicked me before I realized who it was. It didn't help that I was already on edge.

I unlocked my doors, and he was in the passenger seat before I could register that he moved. "What's going on, Emme?" he demanded. His voice was hard.

"Where's Edward?" I asked. "And Alice? Where's Alice?"

His brow furrowed, concerned now. "They went hunting. No one was expecting you until later. They're on their way back now, though. Alice called and said that you'd be on your way and to go and find you."

I took a deep breath. She was fine. We had time.

I looked at Jasper. He was just as intimidating as the last time I saw him. This close I noticed the faintest trace of scars that littered his face, neck, and arms. I eyed the dried blood that coated my arm and the hem of my dress. When I had fallen unconscious, I had spilled the scrying bowl, and some of its contents had found its way back onto me.

Jasper could clearly sense my unease. I suddenly felt more comfortable than I knew I should be. "I'm fine," he assured me in an even tone. "Keep going for another mile or so. There'll be an unpaved road on the right. Take that."

I started the car, wordlessly, and followed his directions. I wasn't sure if I was happy about my emotions being meddled with or not. It was nice to not be so unnerved for the time being. I turned off the highway at Jasper's reminder. He was very clearly on edge. The forest drew impossibly close on both sides of the road if you could even call it that. We twisted through the ancient trees as fast as I dared take us.

Eventually, the woods thinned until a large lawn and home came into view. It was heavily shadowed from the forest, right up to the house. The home itself was beautiful and timeless. My aunts' house was a very stereotypical 'spinster witch that lived on the edge of town.' It seemed that the Cullens didn't embrace their stereotypes quite as easily. Theirs was a three-story home, soft white and well proportioned. The windows were large and angular. The architecture of the building screamed its age; the place must have been a century old.

I turned to Jasper as I brought the car to park. "I appreciated that on the drive over here, but I'm going to need my own emotions back, please."

He gave me a shrewd look, but let me go as I had asked.

As I climbed out of the car, I noticed the rest of the Cullens gathering on the front porch and lawn expectantly.

Dr. Cullen was younger than I imagined, though it was clear he was the oldest of the group. His hair was a light, dusty blonde, and he held an authority about him that was somehow gentle. At his side was a beautiful woman, just as pale and striking as the rest of them. She was softer, though. Her face was a pleasant heart shape, and loose, caramel color waves framed her face before flowing down around her shoulders. They walked down the porch to meet Jasper and me.

Emmett and Rosalie emerged from the back of the house. I had never stood this close to Emmett before. I was struck by the sheer size of him. I was fairly short—about 5'4"—but he had to be at least a foot taller than I was. He looked at me curiously, as if he was eager for a show. Rosalie's stare was icy, as usual. If the reason why she hated me really was that I put her family in danger, then she was about to be in for a rude awakening. It would seem her family could put themselves in danger all by themselves.

Carlisle and Esme looked perfectly pleasant, however. "You must be Emme," Carlisle greeted. "I apologize that Edward isn't here to meet you… we weren't expecting you for another couple of hours."

"I'm sorry for intruding—I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't important. When will Edward and Alice be back?" I tried to keep my voice as polite as his was, but it wasn't hard to sense the urgency and worry in it.

Carlisle and Esme glanced at each other in concern.

Before anyone could answer me, I felt Edward growing closer. "Nevermind…" I muttered.

He came into view almost immediately after. His face was hard and dark; he was anxious. He brought me to him instantly, wrapping his arms around me.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I let myself bask in the feeling of safety and comfort that he gave me for just a moment. I could feel the eyes of his family on us; normally, it would bother me, but now I didn't seem to care. I pulled away, running a hand through my tangled hair. "Alice?" I asked, panic creeping back in my voice as I noticed she wasn't with him.

"Here!" her musical voice called from the edge of the forest. She was with the rest of us in just one more moment. "Not all of us are as fast as Edward, here. He was faster than usual, even." The small girl sent him an annoyed look, but she was as cheerful as ever.

I blanched at the idea of her still and dead like she had been in the mausoleum in my vision.

"What's going on, Emme?" Edward murmured into my ear, an arm still around me.

I glanced at the Cullens. This was going to take a lot of explaining. I took a deep breath. "It's a long story, and I know you all are going to have about a million questions. Please, just keep an open mind."

Carlisle nodded, speaking for the group. "Of course."

"Edward has told you I'm a witch. Not too long ago, I was testing to move to the next rank—that test involved summoning a spirit. I was successful. I summoned a demon. Originally, I thought he was a warlock in his life, but it turns out he was a vampire. He asked me to help him finish what he couldn't. Someone was after a girl that he gave his life to save. I agreed, and I've spent the last couple weeks trying to locate this girl through magical and mortal means. Last night, I had a vision of the past… I finally managed to track her down."

"Is that normal?" Edward questioned, ignoring the disbelieving faces of his family.

I shook my head. "I'd have to ask my aunts, but I don't know anyone else that that's happened to. But I saw her entire life, Edward. I know what happened to her."

"Where is she?"

From his other side, Alice tensed and gasped. "Me?"

I nodded.

It was silent for a moment as the group took in what I was saying.

"You know what happened to Alice?" Jasper asked incredulously, drawl thicker than ever. I could feel his alarm, and I didn't blame him. I would react the same way if I realized that someone was after Edward.

Rosalie scoffed. "How do we know you're not just making everything up?"

Edward let out a warning growl from beside me. It was low and predatory, and I didn't even think about acknowledging it, because my temper flared. "Why would I do that?" I hissed at her.

"Rosalie," Carlisle warned.

"I'm not here to hurt your family or expose you or whatever else you think, Rosalie. There are vampires coming for Alice—soon. Last I checked, that was helping, not hurting."

Edward growled at Rosalie once more, presumably after reading her thoughts. I decided to stay out of it on that front. I didn't need any more trouble from her.

"Do you see anything, Alice?" Esme asked gently.

Alice looked away, her eyes glazing over. "There are some visitors in the area, but I don't see them affecting us. Our night still looks normal." She looked over at me, expression utterly unreadable. The rest of them looked at me with expressions ranging from doubt to confusion.

I ran my fingers through my hair once more, this time in frustration. I didn't blame them for doubting me. My story seemed crazy to them. They hadn't been with me like Edward had been to learn the ins and outs of my magic and what I could do, and even he hadn't seen my vision last night. None of them had even seen me use magic before. There had to be a way to make them understand. I crossed my arms, determined now.

"I can't control my visions as Alice can. But I know the blond is going to try to come after her tonight. Even if you don't believe me, I think we should have a plan in place—just in case."

"I agree with Emme." Surprised, I looked at Jasper. His face was serious and almost frightening. He clasped Alice's hands tightly in his own before continuing. "We should have a plan for every possibility, especially when something so important is on the line."

I knew Edward trusted me, but the trust I felt coming from Jasper—albeit faint—was unexpected. I gave him the smallest of smiles in thanks.

Carlisle agreed. "All right. We'll make a plan. In the meantime, Emme, perhaps you would like to get cleaned up. I'm sure Rosalie has some clothes you can borrow. Then, perhaps you can further explain what happened."

The girl in question scoffed before turning and running back to the house.

Alice grinned, ever the optimistic. "Actually, I think I might have something in your size, Emme. You can change and then tell me about your vision."

I glanced up at the sky. The sun was getting lower; it was behind the trees now. Unless I fully explained myself, a "plan" was as good as I was going to get. There was time enough.

My mind was racing, going over every possible scenario of what might happen. If worst came to worst, I would fight off this vampire by myself. I wasn't going to let Alice die again. I didn't know her very well yet, but I knew I would. I could feel it. The thought of her death made my heart ache. I could do this.

Clutching Edward's hand, I followed the Cullens into the house, resolve growing with every step.

A/N:

I know it's only been a day but I'm too excited not to post this haha. And now, the cat's out of the bag! Shout out to everyone who remembered/picked up the clues I was dropping about Mary's identity. I always thought James' info drop while confronting Bella at the end of the book was important and everyone just kind of brushed it off. I wanted to explore it more, so this is my way of doing that. Yes, this story is about Emme, but the whole world doesn't revolve around her.

I just want to point out that the information for Alice's backstory IS NOT MINE. I took information for the visions almost exclusively from the Illustrated Guide and the Storyteller videos on youtube/SMeyer's website (The Mary Alice Brandon File and The Groundskeeper). Go check them out if you'd like to watch the visions that Emme sees (The MAB File is excellent, The Groundskeeper is kinda weird imo but has good info).

Please let me know what you guys thought! What I'm planning to do for the ending is probably going to go off of how you guys react to this. I don't want it to be too OOC. As always, thanks for the follows/faves/reviews :)

Until next time!