Disclaimer: This chapter contains dialogue from Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer, Chapter 38.

Extra special thanks to palmofafreezinghand and Alice's White Rabbit for all their work to help bring this chapter to you guys.

Visions Interrupted: Chapter 17 - In the Nick of Time

Although my limbs couldn't go numb and my joints couldn't ache, being stuffed in a suitcase for fifteen hours was still a trying and mentally painful experience. The claustrophobic environment was something I could probably have handled if I wasn't also so terrified of what we would find when we arrived in Forks. Would they all be dead, or would they survive? Would some live and some die? Would survivors become hostages to be traded for the real prize the Volturi wanted—me?

I could feel the air pressure change, and I knew we were descending. Foolishly, I searched our futures to see what was going to happen once the plane landed but, of course, came up blank, thanks to the hybrid. All of our suitcases were grouped pretty near to one another, so I thought we'd better try to hammer out a game plan. Swallowing back my panic, I asked, "What's the plan? We're about to go to baggage claim. How are we getting out of that with so many witnesses?"

Jasper's voice sounded assured, like he'd spent the last several hours considering exactly this topic. "When we land, Nahuel and I get out of our luggage and hide in the shadows. When the baggage handlers come on board and start unloading the bags, then we'll knock them out and steal their uniforms, smuggling the rest of you onto the cart in your cases. Then we'll drive to the edge of the tarmac nearest the forest while you girls unpack yourselves, then we book it into the trees so we're nothing more than a blur."

"Sounds good," Nahuel agreed.

"Hold on … knock them out?" Kachiri asked scornfully. "Why don't you just drink them?"

I heard Jasper's teeth clench as he hissed, "I can't do that."

"Well, I can. You got the other one, chica?" Kachiri asked, meaning Huilen.

"Hey, what about me?" Nahuel pouted.

"Oh, get a hamburger, half-human," Kachiri teased.

"We can share, nephew," Huilen placated him.

"No, Jasper's right. We can't kill them," I admonished the group. "Where would we hide the bodies? The last thing we need is two drained bodies making the news …" While the Volturi are in town, I added in my mind.

There was some grumbling, but the three traditionalists eventually agreed not to drink anybody just yet.

The wheels had come down, and we were descending rapidly now. The South Americans gasped when we touched down with a jolt, and as the airliner cruised to the gate, I heard zippers and shuffling, then the movement of two sets of footfalls. We all waited silently for the workers to arrive. The plane came to a stop, and a few minutes later, the door on the belly of the plane was lowered with a metallic creak.

"Goddamn it," a gruff voice grunted. "Goddamn amateurs!"

Footsteps hurried up behind the gruff man. "What's the matter, Steve?" He started to speak again, but stopped short, then said, "What the hell is this?"

"Doesn't organization count for anything anymore?"

"Did those Texan assholes shoot these bags in here with a cannon? Jesus Christ, they're just scattered everywhere!"

Now that he mentioned it, the handlers at the Dallas airport were loading rather haphazardly. They couldn't toss any of the suitcases we were in—vampires were way too heavy, which was why all of our suitcases were together, close to the door. But I heard plenty of other bags crashing against the wall and each other. I heard glass shatter a few times too.

"Are those bags opened?"—a pause— "And they're empty. Great, I just know they'll find a way to pin that on us."

A heavy sigh. "Well, let's get star—What the fu—"

The man's voice cut off, and two loud thumps hit the ground. I listened to the rustling of clothing as Nahuel and Jasper donned the uniforms over their own clothes. Suddenly, I was lifted and moving. "Don't worry, darlin'. We'll get there." Jasper was trying to reassure me, but I already knew we would get there. The question was would we get there in time?

Two gentle thuds sounded as Kachiri and Huilen's suitcases were placed beside mine in the bed of the truck and the engine came to life, the cart pulling away from the aircraft. It didn't move all that fast, but we started unzipping anyway. "Stay down until we get to the edge," Jasper warned.

Kachiri, Huilen, and I all crouched in our cases, ready to spring when the cart came to a halt. The anticipation built inside me as I waited, listening to the engine chuffing. After what felt like forever, but was probably thirty seconds, Jasper whispered, "On the count of three … One. Two. Three."

It only took half a second to adjust my eyes to my new surroundings, all bright light after being in a small dark space for so long. I sprinted out of the case and into the trees, no doubt a mere blur to the humans, if that. I stopped when I was hidden by the trees, staring at the ground, unable to speak or move in my horror.

I was vaguely aware that the others had stopped as well and gathered around me. "Is she seeing something?" a female asked. I wasn't sure which one. I was frozen to the spot with terror and panic. The sight before me sent a chill down my spine, and my stomach rolled from the tension.

"Alice!" Someone shook my shoulders, probably Jasper. His voice sounded far away.

Fighting the urge to remain a statue, I pulled myself back from the ledge. It wouldn't do to just stand here. We had to move!

Lifting my head, I looked into each of their eyes, Jasper's last. His eyes were full of concern and worry, the feeling leeching off his body into mine. I actively fought against it. I couldn't focus on the fear. I had to keep fighting. Nevertheless, the fear was winning.

"S-snow!" I told him. Everyone looked down at it, then back at me with confusion. Only Jasper understood. This light layer of snow was exactly what I'd seen in my vision of the battle. Dread spread from my chest through my limbs, leaving me feeling cold. Today was the day. We'd either arrive in the nick of time or be just a little too late.

"Come on, everyone, there's no time to waste," I said before anyone could question me. There was no time to explain. Besides, I had seen it. There was no avoiding it. We had to face it and hope we weren't too late to save them. We blurred through the forest; Jasper ran at my side while the other three followed closely behind. We ran like our lives depended on it—I know theirs certainly did.

I don't think I've ever pumped my legs as fast as I was now. For humans, it took four and a half hours to drive to Forks from Seattle. We usually ran it in an hour and a half, but this time, we made it in an hour. Poor Nahuel started getting breathless along the way, but time was of the essence, so Huilen swept him off his feet and onto her back despite his protestations and red cheeks. I tried not to look so he wouldn't be even more embarrassed, but I really wanted to snicker. Jasper smirked at my predicament.

The house was finally in sight. There were dozens of vampire scents, and Jacob's stink too, but they were faded and old. All the lights were on, but there was no sound or movement. The house was deserted. I rushed into the house, my gut telling me my fears would be confirmed but still hoping otherwise. Maybe they were just playing hide and seek, I thought in vain. Jasper followed me into the house, the others waiting outside, knowing already that no one was here. Standing in the empty living room, a sense of foreboding crept over me. My organs hadn't worked in a century, and I had no recollection of what their workings would even feel like. Nevertheless, my stomach clenched, and my heart felt gripped in a vise. The quiet was eerie and reminded me of a graveyard. Perhaps it was. I imagined eight tombstones with their names on them: Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Edward, Bella, Renesmee, Jacob. All dead and gone, never to be seen again. Was that what I would find out in that field? My gut instinct was telling me it was, but I wasn't ready to accept that. Shaking my head, I raced upstairs, fruitlessly searching each room, but of course, no one was there. They'd gone to the field already. We were too late. I had to accept reality.

In my own room now, I sank down onto the edge of the bed trying to hold myself together. But my will and hope had disappeared. Jasper found me weeping tearlessly into my hands, and he quickly sat next to me and wrapped his strong, comforting arms around me. I turned my face into his chest and basked in his closeness. Even if I had lost everything, I still had Jasper.

"We're too late, Jasper. We tried so hard, and it was all for nothing."

"You don't know that, hummingbird. We need to go to the field. We need to see for ourselves what happened. It's possible our side is the winning one, and we can help them burn the bodies."

I knew he didn't really believe that, but I allowed the lie to give me strength, drawing on the courage and determination he was trying to infuse me with. Taking a steadying breath, I was ready to face whatever it was we'd be facing. We kissed lightly and stood from the bed, heading for the door.

"Oh, wait," I said, rushing to the walk-in closet and pulling out a black button-up blazer for Jasper and a black cropped leather jacket for myself. Black seemed like an appropriate color for my current situation. I stopped at the recessed vanity and looked for the gold necklace Edward had given me in 1956. It was from his human mother's collection. It felt right to wear it now, to honor our decades-long friendship. God, I hoped he was alive.

When I came out of the closet, Jasper scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Alice …"

I threw the shirt at him, and he caught it reflexively. "You don't want to die looking like that, do you?" I asked as I shrugged on my jacket and fastened my necklace. He shook his head and smiled, donning the blazer as we went downstairs.

As soon as the front door opened, I could smell the acridly sweet burning, a plume of purple smoke rising in the sky just where the field was located. Huilen and Nahuel didn't seem worried by it; perhaps they didn't know what it meant. But Kachiri apparently did because she looked as distraught as I felt.

"Let's go," Jasper said gruffly. "We don't know who it belongs to. But stay behind me, just in case."

We all took off running. Fear had me in its grip, and I ran automatically as my mind was consumed with worry. Who was burning, our side or theirs? Was it only a few vampires burning, or was it one whole side? What in Gucci's name were we going to find?

Jasper tamped my fear down and said quietly, "Call Edward's name in your mind. Everyone! Edward, Edward, Edward—scream it!"

Of course, he was right. If Edward was still alive, he would absolutely hear us. We were well within his range. If he heard us, maybe he could stall Aro until we made it there.

Edward! It's Alice! Edward, if you can hear me, I found proof! I found an adult hybrid and I have him here with me and it'll show Aro that Renesmee isn't an immortal child! Edward! Edward! EDWARD!

I prayed he could hear the barrage of mental voices we were throwing at him, hoped he would hear my message through it all, hoped Jasper was echoing my message in his own way. The scents of many vampires permeated the air as we ran, the acrid smoke becoming clearer too. We were close enough to hear murmurs now. I repeated my message in my mind.

As we approached the field, I heard Edward's triumphant voice, teasing Aro with new evidence. The new witness I had brought to them. He was alive! He'd heard us! We weren't too late! We'd done it; I had saved the day. I did a little victory dance; I couldn't stop it. I stayed at the edge of the tree line, still concealed from view, listening to Aro and Edward banter, waiting for a cue from my brother. The relief and pride I felt was overwhelming. Jasper grabbed my hand and squeezed it, sharing my smile and emotions. My family was alive, and we would win this fight because I got there in time, even without my visions.

Huilen whispered quietly, "There are a lot of vampires here."

"Yes, but don't worry. Tell your story. They will listen," Jasper assured her, pumping her full of confidence. I hoped he was right.

"Why don't you join us, Alice?" Edward called loudly.

I heard Esme whisper my name, followed by Emmett and Rosalie. I heard happiness and relief in their tones. They still loved me, even though they thought I'd abandoned them. I probably danced out of the forest, thrilled that my family was happy to see me and even more thrilled to be the one to bring about the saving grace.

I appraised the opposing group as we made our way toward ours. The Volturi had gathered witnesses en masse, and their offensive line looked quite imposing in their cloaks and robes, ruby eyes glaring. Alec's incapacitating mist was curling up to the sky a few feet in front of our group, as though it had been blocked by an invisible wall. Was this part of Zafrina's gift?

Even though I now had firsthand knowledge that Renesmee's rapid growth was normal for her kind, it didn't stop the shock of seeing her now. The girl who'd looked a year old when I'd left now looked like a seven-year-old. It was disconcerting and terrifying. Dragging my eyes away from her, I looked back toward the Volturi.

Jasper leaned in toward me and whispered, "They're afraid of the wolves. That's why they haven't attacked yet."

The pack certainly did look menacing, big hulking creatures that snarled and gnashed their enormous sharp teeth, ready to attack at any moment, spread throughout our group for maximum coverage. If I were in their shoes, not knowing what they were or what they were capable of, I would be very afraid.

Looking back toward the Volturi, I saw the smoking pile of ash next to Caius. Judging by the distraught looks on Tanya and Kate's faces, I deduced it was Irina who smoldered there. She had paid the ultimate price for giving misinformation. It made me nervous. Would Aro claim Nahuel was some kind of trick?

Finally reaching our group, I leapt over a small crest of mist and stood next to my dearest brother. Bella, Edward, Esme, and Carlisle were within reach, and they touched my arms, maybe checking that I was real and not a figment of their imaginations. I couldn't blame them for needing the confirmation. I smiled at them all, but there wasn't time for anything else. The rest of my party followed my lead, jumping over the mist. Kachiri glanced at her sisters, and they looked longingly at each other. Jasper came to a stop beside me, Huilen and Nahuel beside him.

"Alice has been searching for her own witnesses these last weeks," Edward told Aro, his voice dripping with the arrogance of triumph. "And she does not come back empty-handed. Alice, why don't you introduce the witnesses you've brought?"

Caius snarled. "The time for witnesses is past! Cast your vote, Aro!"

Aro raised one finger to silence his brother, his eyes glued to my face, willing me into action.

Stepping forward, I spoke with a confidence I didn't feel, concerned that Aro, and Caius in particular, would find some way to twist the testimony Huilen was about to give. "This is Huilen and her nephew, Nahuel."

"Speak, Huilen," Aro commanded. "Give us the witness you were brought to bear."

Huilen looked at me nervously, intimidated by the large, cloaked, nefarious-looking group. Jasper sent her encouragement, and I squeezed her shoulder. She relaxed a bit, then stepped forward, Nahuel shadowing her.

"I am Huilen," she announced. I had thought she would give her testimony in Spanish, as that had been the language she'd always spoken to us, but she spoke with heavily accented English instead.

As Huilen told Nahuel's story to the Volturi and their witnesses, I looked over the gathered group on our side, seeking my family. Edward and Bella were paying attention to the testimony, though Bella looked to be concentrating a bit too hard, the pucker between her eyebrows scrunched. Emmett and Rosalie watched the scene unfolding intently, as did Carlisle and Esme. Esme sensed my gaze, however, and she met my eyes with a loving smile. I smiled back at her and glanced around the rest of the group. There was an Arab couple, two angry men with skin similar to the Triad, Siobhan's coven, a few nomads, the Denalis … although Kate was in the arms of a bedraggled-looking man. The Denalis' faces were etched with devastation over watching their sister burn in front of them. I felt for them, but a part of me wanted Irina to pay for what she'd brought down on our family. Not wanting to go down that particular road at the moment, I looked behind me, and Peter and Charlotte smiled slightly back at me. They had stayed after all.

I focused back in as Huilen was wrapping up her story. Aro gave poor Nahuel the third degree, but he handled it with poise and grace. I wondered if Jasper was doing that or if it was Nahuel's own confidence. He wanted to save Renesmee, and he knew his answers to these questions would do just that. Aro questioned him about his diet, his age, the process of his aging.

"And you were able to create an immortal?" Aro gestured to Huilen.

"Yes, but none of the rest can."

A shocked murmur ran through all three groups. Aro's eyebrows shot up. "The rest?"

"My sisters."

Aro was speechless for a few moments before regaining some composure. "Perhaps you would tell us the rest of your story, for there seems to be more."

Nahuel described his father Joham with disdain and anger. Caius' bloodlust was piqued—I could see it in the glint of his eye. Joham would be answering to the Volturi soon, I had no doubt.

"Your daughter. Is she venomous?" Aro demanded of Bella. When she said no, Nahuel's head whipped around, staring at Bella with wistful longing for a few moments before looking at Renesmee.

Aro was deliberating, looking from me, to his old beloved friend Carlisle, Edward, Bella, Renesmee.

Caius was growing impatient and snarled, "We take care of the aberration here, and then follow it south."

Aro paid him no mind, just stared at the five of us in turn until he reached his decision. I held my breath in anticipation, trying to stop my fingers from shaking. "Brother," he said softly to Caius. "There appears to be no danger. This is an unusual development, but I see no threat. These half-vampire children are much like us, it appears."

"Is that your vote?" Caius demanded.

"It is."

Caius scowled. "And this Joham? This immortal so fond of experimentation?"

"Perhaps we should speak with him," Aro agreed.

"Stop Joham if you will," Nahuel said flatly. "But leave my sisters be. They are innocent."

Aro nodded, turning back to his guard with a warm smile. "Dear ones, we do not fight today. I'm so glad this could be resolved without violence," he said sweetly. "My friend, Carlisle—how pleased I am to call you friend again! I hope there are no hard feelings. I know you understand the strict burden that our duty places on our shoulders."

"Leave in peace, Aro," Carlisle said stiffly. "Please remember that we still have our anonymity to protect here, and keep your guard from hunting in this region."

"Of course, Carlisle," Aro assured him. "I am sorry to earn your disapproval, my dear friend. Perhaps, in time, you will forgive me."

"Perhaps, in time, if you prove a friend to us again."

We watched their retreating backs in silence until we could no longer see them.

Bella breathed, "Is it really over?"

Edward answered with a smile. "Yes. They've given up. Like all bullies, they're cowards underneath the swagger."

Everyone was still on tenterhooks, so I looked to lighten the mood. "Seriously, people. They're not coming back. Everybody can relax now."

A few beats of silence passed while everyone processed what I said, then cheers filled the field, fists pumped the air, couples kissed, friends hugged. Jasper came up behind me, his arms encircling my waist. "Frankly, I'm a little disappointed," he murmured in my ear.

"Oh, Jasper," I giggled, swatting his arm playfully. I was giddy. I had truly come to the rescue, and I didn't need my visions to do it. My good mood soured at my next thoughts. Sure, they were happy to see me—because they never thought they'd see me again. But once the surprise of my return faded, there was a chance the family wouldn't want me back. Despite my noble reasons, I'd still left them with no explanations in their darkest hour. Those are feelings that don't just go away. Would they be able to forgive me?