Chapter 19

The entire pack just stood, leaned or sat anywhere they could as they waited for news, for them the worst part was the waiting. Leah sat down on the couch, obviously worried about Seth. Eliza sat next to her taking her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Leah smiled half-heartedly.

Jacob returned following a brief but thorough shower with nothing to do but pace amid the rising tension. It was another 15 minutes before Carlisle returned, followed by Esme.

Rachel spoke first, "Are they going to be okay?" She asked before Carlisle even exited the stairs.

Carlisle nodded very slowly. "They will be. They're in bad shape, some of the bones had begun to heal so I had to re-break them to set them correctly. Fortunately they remained unconscious. One of them had a serious spinal fracture., We re-aligned his back, and his involuntary reflexes are intact. They'll both make a full recovery. They need rest and lots of it. I know you heal quickly, but I recommend bed rest for three or four days, to be absolutely sure they heal properly."

The relief in the room was palpable, as the entire group let out a deep breath no one realized they were holding. "Can I go see him?" Rachel asked quietly.

Carlisle nodded, "I would give him an hour or so before you do, he shouldn't move before the initial healing begins. After that you can. I must also say I overheard the majority of your story while we worked. A wolf pack you have no knowledge of working with vampires is a serious concern to us as well." He said, glancing at Eliza as he spoke.

Jacob slumped in relief. "Well we certainly owe you that much. I know this wasn't easy and we've never gotten along. Thank you." He frowned, while he was relieved about Paul and Seth, the events of the day concerned him.

"Who or what is Joham?" Jacob asked suddenly.

Carlisle frowned, perplexed, "I don't know the name."

Jasper's head turned suddenly from Carlisle to Eliza, his eyes wide. He wasn't sure who Joham was, but Eliza was suddenly and clearly seething with rage and hatred.

Eliza was very still for a moment and then slowly turned her entire body to look at Jacob, who was looking at her curiously. Leah stared her as well, concern shadowing her face as she became aware of Eliza's sudden tension. "Where did you hear that that name?" Eliza hissed coldly.

This elicited surprised looks. Eliza had been relatively easy going thus far and this was anything but. Jacob frowned more deeply. "When we were eavesdropping, one of the lee- vampires mentioned getting in touch with Joham again because they needed larger numbers. And one of the others said something about 'him moving from city to city or hiding wherever his lab was. How they were never to bother him unless it was an emergency' He sounded like someone they were scared of, but working for."

Eliza's face slowly darkened with rage, her lips peeling back, but her snarl stopped abruptly. "Oh son of a …." She didn't finish the sentence before she ran up the stairs, pushing past Carlisle and Esme.

Carlisle looked confused and simply looked up tat where Eliza had just dashed upstairs. He turned and looked at the pack who seemed equally confused. "What...?"

Eliza climbed straight up to her mother's room in the attic. There she found Isabella fully dressed, black cloak over her arm, opening the latches to the large window in her room.

"Where do you think you're going?" Eliza demanded, though she was certain she already knew.

"I'm better now, so I'm going back. This is the closest I've come to that bastard in years. The only reason I came back is because of the wolves." Isabella replied, hesitating at the window.

"Don't be stupid Mother, you know you're nowhere near one hundred percent. We may heal fast, but not THAT fast. You know I want him dead as much as you do. But you also know there will be no trace to follow, especially after you started a fire. I'm supposed to be the rash and impulsive one. You're supposed to be the levelheaded one. And you can't lead us anywhere if you're dead damn it!" Eliza shot back at her mother, her tone firm.

"I'm going back." Isabella stated just as tersely. "I'm not going to pass up even the slightest chance to find him. Take care of things here while I'm gone." Isabella replied in her daughter's mind with a tone of finality. Isabella turned back to the window to finish the last latch and tug it open.

Eliza did the only thing she could think of.

Everyone was still in the living room, confusion and puzzlement reigning on their faces at Eliza's sudden outburst when they suddenly heard a shouted. "Oh HELL no!" Then the whole house shook slightly as there was a shattering of glass and splintering of wood, followed by the thumps of something hitting the second story roof and then another as something hit the ground outside.

The pack rushed as one out the door, followed just behind by Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme and a slower Henry following. None of them were prepared for what they saw.

Isabella and Eliza were locked in combat, the two of them rolling on the ground, covered in mud. It was clear Eliza had the advantage. Thirty seconds after the pack arrived outside, she had Isabella pinned and they seemed to engage in a staring contest. No one said anything as the two stared at each other.

Finally Isabella closed her eyes and nodded a little bit as if giving in, but Eliza didn't let her up. Instead she snarled, though her tone also carried a hint of desperation, "Promise me you won't go after him alone."

Isabella looked up at Eliza and said clearly, though her tone was resigned. "Together. I swear."

With that Eliza hopped off and helped Isabella to her feet, pulling her into a tight hug, one that Isabella returned just as tightly.

"Uh… what just happened?" Jacob asked, voicing the question for everyone there.

Isabella and Eliza broke apart self-consciously. "Sorry… we just had a small disagreement." Isabella said, most of her irritation gone. Seeing doubt on everyone's faces, she continued "I'll explain, after I have a second shower." She said, glancing down at her mud covered form

"And after I have a first." Eliza spoke up. Isabella glanced up at t the hole in the wall where the attic window used to be. "I guess you'll have to fix that..." She said absently, following her daughter into the house. She walked past Carlisle and Esme, who stared at her, dumbfounded. They clearly recognized her despite the bit of mud on her face and in her hair, but were too taken aback to say anything on the spot.

Jacob muttered quietly. "100 years and I still don't understand women." The entire pack burst out in laughter.

Henry shook head bemusedly, "Reinforced architecture and it lasts less than a week. Maybe I should have just gone with a military bunker."

As Eliza approached the stairs Leah slipped in by her side.

"Wow, I had no idea you were so much stronger than Isabella." Leah whispered, genuinely stunned.

"Are you kidding? If Mother wasn't still badly hurt I'd have been lucky to get out of a that fight in one piece." Eliza laughed, genuine amusement crossing her face.

Isabella harrumphed, as she headed into the house ahead of them. Leah hadn't known Isabella's hearing was that good. Leah also noticed with a slight shiver that Isabella did not disagree with Eliza's assessment.

Eliza grinned as she headed into the house with Leah at her side, "Once Mother and another guard named Felix got into an argument. To prove a point, she not only beat the crap out of Felix in a sparring session; but during the fight, she stripped him down to his underwear in front of the entire Volturi guard. He's never lived down the Star Wars boxers. I prefer to keep my underwear hidden thank you very much." Eliza explained.

"That's a shame." Leah retorted with a grin, which elicited an embarrassed smile from Eliza as she headed into the house.

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It was almost half an hour later when Eliza came back downstairs, looking remarkably refreshed. She sat back down on the couch, Leah eagerly shifting slightly to allow Eliza to scrunch in between her and the armrest. Before the questions could begin, Isabella descended the stairs as well. She looked amazingly improved, all physical damage to her face gone and her movements graceful and fluid once more.

When she entered the room, Carlisle and Esme moved forward slowly, a look of shock on their faces, hinting at pleasure and excitement. Carlisle spoke first "Bella Swan! I can't believe it's really y-"

Isabella held up her hand cutting him off and forestalling Este's attempt to embrace her. Her voice was extremely polite but utterly cold, scarlet eyes flashing. "Stop, I am indebted to you for your help with Paul and Seth. However, that's all it is; a debt. You may request recompense at some point if you wish. You don't get to pretend that we're friends. We are far from that. You cheerfully gave up any rights for me to desire your company or even acknowledge your existence long ago. I suspect you may recall when. Or was perhaps it so insignificant you've forgotten? No matter; I haven't."

Her words were akin to a bucket of cold water being poured on Carlisle who seemed shocked and hurt, and it was even worse for Esme, who looked like she'd been slapped. It was her who started to stutter a reply. "Bella we-" when she was cut off a second time.

"My name is Isabella Volturi." She said icily. The reaction on their face was almost as pronounced this time around, both of them seemed to flinch but she continued, frost still in her voice. "You wanted to know what was going on. I will share that information with you. If you still desire it."

It took them both a few moments to recover their composure. Carlisle's face relaxed a little bit, the shock dissolving, though he remained tense. Esme's face was frozen in stunned horror. It was Jasper who finally spoke. "I believe we'd like to hear the whole story."

Isabella nodded, joining Eliza at the couch, resting her hip on an armrest. Eliza reached up and rubbed Isabella's back soothingly. It was an action none of the Cullens missed.

"Here's the short version. I'm sure you've noticed the rise in attacks over the past few months, especially in Seattle, in other cities as well." Isabella waited for Carlisle, Jasper and Esme to respond with nods before continuing. "Eliza and I were dispatched by the Volturi to stop them."

Carlisle spoke up, "You and Eliza are…?" he trailed off.

"We're partners." Isabella said absently, "Aro has decided it would be better if we remain in the area rather than travel back and forth between here and Volterra. Eliza and I were assigned the west coast, Alec and Jane the east coast, and Felix and Demetri are in Mexico and South America. I was investigating a recent suspicious death in Seattle on Monday when I ran into three vampires working with two wolves. The wolf shifters were eating a human body, and seemed quite comfortable with our kind."

"I contacted the Quileutes, because they're the only wolf shifters I know. I thought at first that these shifters were part of their pack, but they were as confused about the whole thing as Eliza and I. Their entire pack was accounted for, and none of them were near Seattle. They concurred it was a mutual concern, especially if they were killing humans. We agreed to form an alliance. We spent the last two days in Seattle trying to track more down. We were successful in finding more of them, if not successful in the aftermath." Isabella glanced upstairs where the two Quileutes were; not needing to say more.

Carlisle frowned. "I've never encountered another group of shifters like the Quileutes. Where have these wolves suddenly come from?"

Isabella shrugged, "We haven't figured that out yet. It's something we need to find out."

Jacob spoke up, "Okay, can we answer my earlier question, before you two decided to go all WWE in the mud? Who is Joham, and how does he figure this?"

Both Eliza and Isabella flinched, Eliza's hand curled slightly around her mother's side, and Isabella's and dropped to Eliza's shoulder, before Isabella replied. "Joham is an ancient vampire though I loathe acknowledging any kinship with scum such as him. The oldest most twisted and evil vampire I have ever encountered. The greatest good he could perform in this life would be his parting company with it."

"The Volturi have declared his life forfeit. I came close to getting him twice, but he escaped. Now his name comes up in connection with these attacks, and these wolves in Seattle. That was why Eliza was so upset and why we were… disagreeing. I planned to go back there to try and track him down myself." Isabella shrugged, almost casually.

"When you were still hurt, not at full strength, and have no idea what you're facing. I'm not letting it happen. I'm not willing to lose you just because you're really pissed off." Eliza said, unapologetically.

"What is it you plan to do about all of this?" Carlisle asked, unable to restrain his curiosity.

Isabella quickly made a decision. "We plan to let it sit a few days. Let Paul and Seth heal, let things cool down in Seattle. Whoever we're dealing with will be hyper-vigilant and keep their heads down. When there are no further contacts over the next few days, they'll assume that the Volturi enforcer has moved on."

"I hate to interrupt" Rachel's voice spoke up after a few moments of silence had settled, "But can we go up and see them now?" She had been getting noticeably more anxious as the minutes had gone by and wanted to see her mate as soon as possible.

Carlisle glanced at his watch the noted how nervous she was before nodding, "Yes, just be careful and relatively quiet, they'll probably be unconscious for a while." Rachel and Leah both bolted up the stairs before he finished.

Carlisle frowned and turned to Isabella, "Are they going to be okay here for a few days? They really shouldn't be moved for a while, a move might jostle them too much."

Isabella snorted derisively, "They're welcome here as long as they want and need." she answered half to Carlisle and half as reassurance to Jacob.

"I should probably check on them once or twice a day, over the next few days, will that be a problem?" Carlisle asked cautiously, almost stiffly, still a little bit sensitive over the cold, if courteous, reception.

Isabella frowned briefly. "No, after the service you've provided, you are welcome here. You three may come and go as you please." The Cullens glanced at each other, noting the specificity of the welcome.

Carlisle nodded slowly in acceptance. "I understand. I'll check on my patients once more before getting out of your hair." He said, standing up and with a nod, ascending the stairs to look in on the two.

Isabella nodded then glanced over at Jacob and Eliza, "Don't freak out, We need to make a short trip back to Seattle." Before Eliza protest Isabella continued, "We left our bikes on the outskirts of town and we need to go pick them up. Just the trip there, pick them up, the trip back. No stopping."

Eliza narrowed her eyes suspiciously a moment before nodding, "Okay, if that's all you're going to do... go ahead and do that, I'll call Aro and give him an update, he's going to want to know about this."

Isabella nodded before looking at Jacob, "Coming?"

Jacob nodded and then glanced at his wife in a wordless question, and she stood up with him, before he turned his head, "Tekali will get Seth's bike, Embry why don't you come along to get Paul's?" Embry just nodded.

Isabella grabbed a book bag before stepping outside with the three shape shifters in tow. She turned her back when three of them stripped down then shifted into wolves. She took a moment to gather their clothes and put them in the book bag before grinning at Jacob's russet-furred form. "Race you!" She called as she sped away. The three wolves yelped in surprise and giving chase.

After they were gone, Eliza waited in the living room quietly until Carlisle came downstairs. He looked at her, raising his eyebrow curiously, wondering where Isabella had gone, but not voicing his concern, instead he calmly said, "They look better, they should regain consciousness soon and I'm guessing they'll be hungry."

Eliza nodded, "Henry is already getting them some food." She said, following them to the door.

Carlisle turned to regard her as she stood in the doorway. "Two things… You know I'll have to tell the rest of my family what happened here? Everything that happened here. They have a right to know it all."

Eliza shrugged a little bit, "I think we'll have to agree to disagree regarding their rights, but I don't object to you informing them about what happened here. It's not like the three of you were going to be able to keep it all hidden from Edward anyway."

Carlisle frowned a bit at the non-reaction, "You know that several of them will want to talk to her; most especially Edward."

Eliza frowned and nodded slowly, "I understand. However, only the three of you are welcome in our territory. Now that you know it's here, anyone else entering would be trespassing and we would be well within our rights to deal with such incursions appropriately." Carlisle scowled, but Eliza continued. "Perhaps we'll both be at school tomorrow. I can't guarantee any conversation would be welcome, but at least the possibility is there."

Carlisle turned that over in his mind then nodded and continued. "Very well, my second point would is, when you speak to Aro, would you tell him I would like to speak to him regarding all of this at his earliest convenience." Carlisle strode down the porch, both Jasper and Esme gave Eliza one last look. Esme's face still openly showing the hurt of Isabella's rejection while Jasper's face was less surprised and more thoughtful. Eliza watched the three of them speed away toward their own house, before she turned and went back in.

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"What in God's name is that horrible stench?" Rosalie exclaimed the second Carlisle, Esme and Jasper walked in the door. Emmett had turned from the television to look at them as well, and the expression on his face made it clear… they smelled.

"You smell like the mutts at La Push." Rosalie continued, her eyes narrowing at them, "What have you been doing?"

Carlisle looked around, partially ignoring the question. "Where is everyone? I'm calling a family meeting right now."

"They all went hunting briefly after school, we were waiting on you to get back. Adara said Jasper texted her and told her you guys were dealing with something." Emmett explained as Rosalie went to the windows and opened them one at a time. Just then the door behind Carlisle opened, and in walked Alice, followed by Edward and Adara.

Adara was the first to speak up, "We were out hunting and Alice had a vision saying that you wanted to have a family meeting. Why do you smell like you've been snuggling the wolves at La Push?"

Carlisle gestured around for everyone to get comfortable. Alice sat down in a chair lightly, Adara moved to sit down next to Jasper. She crinkled her nose in protest, before settling in close to his side without protest, clearly abiding the odor. Rosalie sat back down on the couch, with Emmett behind her. Edward sat on the opposite end of the couch.

Carlisle coughed then straightened to his full height.

"Okay, there are several things you need to be aware of. Firstly, to answer your question. We smell like wolves because we were just dealing with the pack. Two of their members are very gravely injured and needed medical assistance. My first thought was that a semi truck had rolled over them or something they were in such bad shape." He looked around, glad he had the family's attention without interruption for the moment.

"Esme and I set the broken bones, there were many. If they had been human they'd both be dead. Then we found out what happened. It seems the attacks in Seattle and in other cities we've been watching the past few months are not being done by vampires, or at least not vampires alone. The attackers are vampires and wolf shifters, ones unknown to the Quileutes of La Push, working together."

Edward scowled, speaking up immediately, "What would cause the wolves to work with vampires, and why would you contact Jasper from school to join you?" He was mistrustful of the wolves after they requested he not be at their last meeting, and his animosity showed.

Jasper spoke. "Carlisle didn't contact me, I contacted him. Eliza grabbed me at school, said it was an emergency, and to get Carlisle because two of the wolves were hurt badly. She was rather desperate, and offered up a favor from the Volturi in return." That comment elicited some raised eyebrows from the family, but Jasper continued. "I declined the favor."

"Why would you do that? You know how rarely Volturi give favors out. If she is a member of the Volturi, they would be obliged to help us if we ever need anything." Rosalie demanded, her eyes narrowed in something closely mirroring suspicion.

"First, Carlisle would have objected. He has never failed to care for someone in need, no matter whom or what they are. Secondly, I hoped that by not making them owe us something, the gratitude and good will would mean more." Jasper explained, his voice calm and mild, Carlisle nodding in agreement.

"The other piece of information we got today, this vampire Eliza is a member of the Volturi and she is not alone. She has one other vampire with her." Carlisle looked everyone over "It's Bella."

The silence was total as each member of the family who wasn't present earlier digested the news slowly. Rosalie's surprise melted away to a scowl at the mention of the girl. Emmett's surprise was replaced by an excited grin. Adara looked relatively unsurprised, she was the only member who had never met Bella.

Jasper's eyes remained on Alice, her expression absolutely shocked, a look of hope ghosting faintly over her face briefly for the first time in years.

Edward's expression went from shock to grinning widely, and he was first to respond. "Bella? My Bella? She's alive? She's one of us? I have to go see her!" He looked as if he were ready to do just that.

Carlisle held up his hand, "Wait, before any of you go anywhere. They're still recovering from what happened today. Eliza said that Bella would probably be at school tomorrow though she didn't promise it. Bella's... different."

Edward frowned, but it was Alice who spoke up, her voice filled with concern and that glimmer of hope. "What do you mean? How is she different?"

It was Esme who responded, her voice filled with the hurt she'd been unable to express earlier. "She's very... cold. I don't know what happened to her, maybe it was us, maybe us leaving changed her."

Everyone save Carlisle, Rosalie and Adara cast withering glances towards Edward, which he pretended to be ignorant of as Esme continued, "Maybe it was something else… but she's different."

"How did she get involved with the Volturi?" Alice asked, her eyebrows furrowing.

Carlisle shrugged, "I plan to ask that myself when I call Aro. I don't know how that came about, but I'm very interested in finding out."

"I can't believe she's alive... this... this is wonderful news!" Edward had a genuinely excited look on his face, too excited to notice or care that some of the rest of his siblings didn't share his excitement. He didn't notice the glare that Rosalie shot his way, or the look of anger on Alice's face, much less read the thoughts flitting through their mind.

Rosalie finally looked over at Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper "I'm sure this topic will come up again, but I don't think anything further can be determined now. I don't know about the rest of you, but I for one, would be grateful if the three of you would go shower and change clothes to get that horrible stench of dog off of you."

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"Are you okay?" Jasper's voice floated up to her.

Alice was several miles out in the forest ,perched high in the branches of a tree. She sat with her back to the trunk. The clouds from the earlier rain were clearing. It was rare to see the stars in the night sky, so she was watching the clouds move. She'd known Jasper was coming, and she'd known he would find her.

She looked down. He was at the base of her tree, looking up at her. His eyebrow was raised, obviously waiting to see if she was going to come down. After a few moments had passed, Jasper sighed and leaped up and into the tree, climbing quickly to settle on a branch that was about a foot lower than the one she was on. He straddled it and rested his back against the trunk as well so that they were both facing away from the trunk, albeit at a right angle to one another. "Are you going to make me ask again?" He inquired gently.

Alice sighed, one of her hands sliding through her short spiky hair. "I don't know. Can't you tell how I'm feeling?".

Jasper shook his head, "Your emotions are confusing, mixed, shock, excitement, anger, happiness, sadness, confusion. I have no idea what you're thinking. I'm not Edward, and you're not as easy to read as Edward is."

Alice raised an eyebrow, "Oh and you know what's going through Edward's mind?"

Jasper snorted, "Edward is easy to read, full of excitement, hope and expectation. I tried to talk to him after my shower. He thinks this is fate. It was all I could do to keep him from charging off to see her tonight. I told him that the wolves of La Push were on edge and since they were there, they'd likely attack first and ask questions later."

Alice sighed softly as Jasper continued. "He has convinced himself that Bella is avoiding him because she needed to concentrate on the stuff for the Volturi and she didn't want to be distracted. He fully expects her to run into his arms the first time she lays eyes on him. He won't listen to me when I suggest otherwise. He's very certain of himself. I haven't felt him this excited… in a very long time."

Jasper murmured softly, "Tell me what you're thinking?"

Alice tilted her head back and closed her eyes. "I am having trouble knowing what to think. You know that being able to see the future kind of ruins any chance of surprises. But I didn't see this. I still can't see her, or Eliza, and I don't know why."

Alice opened her eyes with a sigh looking at the sky, "Part of me is so excited that she's alive, she's not only alive but one of us. To know that she survived after we left… I'm so relieved. I never went to look, because I was scared that my visions going dark meant that she had died. I'm sad because she's been alive all this time, and I didn't know. I'm angry at Edward. I can't help but wonder what she went through since then. I'm confused about it all. What happened to her? Did she track down another vampire to change her? How does that… Eliza fit in to all of this?"

Alice suddenly turned her head towards Jasper, "You've seen her. How is she different? What is she like?" She asked suddenly, it was clear she needed to know.

Jasper considered this, he knew better than to ask if she really wanted to know the answers, "I only had a few interactions with her, and mostly it was just observing her emotional state and how she interacted with others." Alice nodded her head slightly in acknowledgement before he continued.

"One thing I will tell you that hasn't changed is she's stubborn. When I first saw her she was badly hurt but carrying two of the Quileutes on her shoulders. The pain must have been horrible but she didn't show it at all. She's… harder than she was before. I mean beyond physically, there's a definite edge to her that wasn't there before. There's a new level of self confidence. She knows exactly what she is and isn't capable of." Jasper looked thoughtful and added, "And I would say she's capable of a lot."

"I got only a few hints of emotion from her. That shield she had that blocked Edwards telepathy must be stronger as a vampire. I only got small indicators, when her emotions were particularly strong or close to the surface. She was very angry, especially at the mention of this ancient vampire, this 'Joham'. That sort of anger is deep and personal, and both Bella and Eliza feel it. They hate him. I'm not sure I've felt hatred so deep before." Jasper shuddered slightly at the emotions that he'd felt for a few brief seconds.

"When things had calmed down enough for Carlisle and Esme to talk to her, she was very cold and distant. Esme thinks something or someone has made this way. I'm not sure. She was very clear she appreciated our help but that we were doing them a favor and one would be owed to us in return. She was adamant she doesn't feel like we deserve the rights of family or friends. There was a strong flash of anger there, but it was different than the anger directed at Joham." Jasper trailed off as he frowned thoughtfully.

"What do you mean, how was it different?" Alice asked, prompting him.

"It was colder, more filled with resentment than anything." Jasper said, spreading his hands wide in a helpless gesture when Alice's expression said that explanation wasn't enough.

Alice hesitated as she looked down, staring at the ground through the branches of the tree. "Was there anything good you felt in her? Anything positive?" Jasper's response was silence for several seconds. Alice looked down at him and her eyes narrowed, "Tell me, I want to know."

"There were positive emotions just once when she was with Eliza. There's a lot of love there. But it's confusing." He didn't wait for Alice to pose the question as he continued. "While I was there Eliza explained that she and Isabella share a deep bond of some sort. They can share powers through this bond that they have. I don't understand the connection, but it obviously causes their emotions to bleed together at times."

Alice hesitated her eyes downcast and then asked very quietly. "Are… they mates?"

Jasper felt Alice's overwhelming sorrow at the thought of that, and his reply was measured. "I don't know, that's the honest truth. There were so many emotions going on when we were there that I had trouble sorting them out."

Alice barely nodded, his answer relieving her sorrow in a small way.

Jasper looked around, and then stood up easily on the branch. "I'm going back to the house. Do you want to join me?"

Alice shook her head. "I need to get myself under control. Edward may be preoccupied, but right now he would hear all my thoughts. I don't think that would go over well. I need a few hours. Tell them I'm hunting if they ask."

Jasper nodded and hopped down to the ground before he turning to murmur quietly to Alice. "I will tell you one more thing. Do not make the mistake of assuming you know this Bella. She's different in so many ways. Edward can't see that. He may well be a fool. I don't know how that's going to go tomorrow. She loved him. I don't know what feelings still exist there. But… I know the rest of us are starting from square one with her. Less than if her actions are indicative of her true feelings. Take it for what it's worth." Without another word, Jasper left Alice alone with her thoughts.

Alice looked up at the sky, hearing the faint sounds of Jasper moved away. She closed her eyes and for the first time in a long time thought of Bella, only of her.

She thought back to the first time she glanced at the girl in the cafeteria. For just one moment in her mind, she saw a glimpse of the future. She saw a smattering of images. She Isabella's arms wrapped around her from behind in a comfortable embrace. She saw the two of them walking hand in hand smiling at one another. She saw an image of the two of them in a bed, black sheets tangled around their pale bare bodies. She saw the two of them in the forest chasing each other. In every one of the images, she had seen Bella as a vampire. And in every one of the visions they were both deliriously happy.

But then... Edward, Edward had taken one look at the girl and realized he couldn't read her. And her scent, which Alice knew was intoxicating, drove him wild. In that one moment, despite his later claiming that he tried to fight it, he'd made the decision that he wanted Isabella.

That decision was all it took to shatter the vision. She left the cafeteria first that day, keeping her mind carefully blank, so Edward would never know. Even if he had thought to look while he was so intent on reading the new girl. Alice skipped her last class, going so far as to head into the forest to weep at the loss of the future she had seen so briefly.

She never let anyone know what she had seen. When Bella returned Edward's affection she made sure to think of being nothing but the friendly sister, and best friend. She had gotten as close as possible to Bella without ever showing her true feelings. She made sure to focus her thoughts almost exclusively on shopping and parties whenever Edward was around. After all, it was what he expected from her, he never gave it a second thought.

It was impossible to hide her feelings from Jasper though. However, he knew as well as Alice did, that the two of them weren't true mates and he never would have stood in the way.

Her times with Isabella were both the best and worst of her life. She got to spend time with Bella, get to know her, be near her. They went on shopping trips together almost weekly, despite Isabella's protests. But it was time to be away from Edward. Alice was amazed at times how touchy feely Bella let her be. Whenever they were together they almost inevitably held hands. They would snuggle close together watching television or when they had the privacy and were just talking.

At the same time, it was torturous for her, because Alice could never let it slip that she felt anything more than friendship the dark haired human who owned her heart.

Alice had thought Isabella lost to her for so long. The knowledge that she was alive, it was as if a bomb went, off destroying all of the walls Alice had laboriously erected to protect her secret.

Isabella was alive!

Alice wanted see her immediately. Yearned to see her. It was the one thing Alice couldn't blame Edward for wanting. Alice wanted to throw herself at Bella's feet, apologize and do whatever it took to show her how sorry she was, how wrong she'd been. She wanted to wrap her arms around Bella and never ever let her go.

Alice knew instinctively that it wouldn't be as easy as that. She wondered how Eliza fit in. The resemblance to Bella was astounding. Jasper said that the two were bonded. Alice felt so selfish for just a moment when she'd been unable to stop herself from asking if they were mates. But she couldn't help herself.

The one conversation she'd had with the girl earlier in the day had been surprising. She hadn't expected anyone to read her like that. Her family certainly hadn't, she was sure they would've mentioned it. Though Alice thought Esme might be beginning to suspect something given the way she'd been watching her more closely of late.

But one question from Eliza and she'd spilled her secrets. Eliza seemed shocked by the outpouring. At the time Alice assumed it was because of her loss of control. But after hearing the news tonight about Bella, Alice realized that Eliza must have known exactly who she was talking about.

What did that mean, and who was Eliza to Isabella? Alice didn't know, but in spite of her maelstrom of emotions one thought kept recurring.

Isabella was alive!

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Author's notes:

1)WHEW this was a HARD chapter. I hope you all liked it. This chapter was really hard for me. I had it all written out and to cut off where we did was another 4k words or so. And DarkBella says to me. "Um. Yeah. you have things in there that just don't work" and i was resistant at first. But she was patient in explaining and putting up with me being a bitch. In the end we ended up moving those sections to better places later in the story where they FIT. I'm much happier with the chapter where it is now than where it started

The other thing this chapter required was partial rewrites of scenes. Because i gave lines to certain characters that just didn't fit their personality and gave a different impression than I wanted. Again DarkBella was amazing in pointing this out and working with me to keep what i envisioned at the same time making sure i stayed true to the characters personalities as we'd previously established them. I'm eternally grateful for that. (seriously it would have irritated the hell out of me later)

This chapter more than any before she really deserves the Co-Author credit. (At times *I* was the beta and she was the author ^_^ and I couldn't be happier with the results.)

2)The first of Bella and the Cullens began in this chapter and will continue in the next few chapters. That means that BELLICE will begin soon. But like i have warned you. do NOT expect fast.

3) DarkBella's Author's notes: I worked my ass off on this.

4) She really did.

5) Please read and review. Let us know what you liked and what you hated from the chapter. I *LIKE* reading the reviews to find out what people are enjoying and what they're not so much.