AN: I'd like to thank Anonymous4.O for some help in regards to the tone of this chapter. He has some cool stories up on this site, like one where Naruto goes to Hogwarts. Check him out if you think that sounds fun

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Deadly Affection – Reimagined

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of it's characters. I just make them do silly stuff.

Chapter 23: Moving Forward

Bella PoV

I was greeted with a gentle smile, as I entered Alice's room. She waited patiently on the bed as I closed it behind me, and didn't say a word as I sat down next to her. Her only move was to scoot a little further in, so that I'd have more space.

''Anything I should be aware of?'' She asked placidly. What an odd question, after I had been called into Carlisle's office. As he had stated, they do not keep secrets in the family, so if it was something she needed to be aware of, Carlisle's would have told everyone, not just me. The more obvious question would have been to ask what her dad had wanted to speak to me about. In a roundabout way, that was kind of what she was asking though. But the way she asked seemed off.

I sighed and laid down, only my left leg dangling off the edge of the bed. Turning my head to look at her, I was met with two golden orbs staring back. I could guess what she what thinking by looking at her. But she seemed serene. Calmer. More than I was used to. And it made me feel guilty.

''It's probably nothing.'' I replied, gauging her reaction. There was a slight crease at the corner of her mouth, but I couldn't ascertain why.

''Okay.'' She replied simply, and turned to look at the ceiling again. There wasn't any indication of her being upset, at least visibly. But with that tone, I knew what she was playing at. She wanted me to feel guilty, so that I'd reveal the information. I knew that. Yet it didn't make it work any less. This little imp could be so manipulative at times, it was infuriating.

Then again, I could understand the curiosity. And it wasn't as if it was something that needed to be kept secret, other than to make me feel better. Or less pitied, whatever. That does not mean I agree with her methods though.

With a sigh, I started to speak. ''It seems...'' I started, and she immediately turned to me again with a poorly hidden smile. ''… that what I am, is interfering with my menstrual cycle.'' Her smile fell as fast as it appeared, and turned to a guilty frown. Before she could speak, I gave her a blank stare. It seemed to get the message across.

''Oh. Did you figure out why?'' Again I feel guilty for denying her the opportunity to react true to herself. More than just what she would come up with in the moment. How she'd react if I hadn't blocked her powers. They were a part of her, as much as her thoughts were. Cheating be damned.

''Nothing conclusive. Carlisle took some blood samples to see if he could figure it out.'' I started out softly, trying to figure out how to continue. Alice must have sensed it, as she waited for me to speak again. ''There isn't... I don't...'' I closed my mouth again, trying to figure out what my motivation for this actually was. If I was going to apologize, I wanted to do it for the right reason.

It was sort of silly really. Being nervous about telling her that I wouldn't be an annoyance to her family a few days out of every month. Maybe that wasn't the most realistic way to look at it. It would be telling them that I wasn't normal, which they already knew. Was it that I would admit that I was defective in some way? That probably wasn't far off their mind anyway.

They had accepted me for what I was. Had protected me from harm. Had opened their home to me.

Yet I was scared. Scared that it wouldn't last. Scared that they might take all that away again. Might. I was being so scared that it was even a possibility in my mind. That I could still end up having to leave everything behind. Leave everyone behind.

I jumped out of the bed as soon as the vermilion glow erupted around my hands, not being able to stop it in time. Standing very still, I tried to get a handle on it. And everything was calm. Alice had merely sat up, still waiting for me. The other occupants seemed almost docile, besides Jasper, who was looking up in our general direction. He must be sensing my turmoil.

Only one person was messing with my cool. That being an obviously pissed vampire sprinting in our direction. The general lack of care with his surroundings, and scowl adorning his face, told me why. I had fucked up, and thought specifically about Alice's problem.

Not bothering to turn, I spoke to Alice. ''Edward is coming. He knows.'' I squared my shoulders and stood in front of the door just before the poor thing cracked with the force of Edward's kick. It's tattered remains making even more of a mess of the dent in the wall from yesterday. I really should help pay for the damages I cause.

''What is the meaning of this?!'' Edward shouted angrily. The ruckus had alerted everyone in the house, who were rapidly converging on us. Not that they were on my mind at the moment, as I found Edward angry that my hands were lit up.

He doesn't comment on it, instead looking over my shoulder to Alice. ''What does she mean, when she thinks she blocked your power?'' The aggressive tone makes the hair on the back of my hair stand up, and the cloak trickles it's way further up my wrists. He takes a step forward all of the sudden, perhaps in response to something she answered in her mind. That ticked me right off, and I put my right hand out in his direction, red mist swirling mere centimeters from his clothes.

That's when the room suddenly got crowded. Edward's eyes turned to me again, barely the hint of color left in the edges. But that wasn't what interested me in that moment. My entire world narrowed down to the feeling of heat, just begging to be devoured. It was just beyond the edge of my fingertips. It sang of sweet pleasure, if only I wanted it. Just reach out. Take it. It hadn't occurred to me how starved for energy I was. And the solution was right there. Ecstasy, just begging to be experienced. So why was I hesitating.

Never again.

It wasn't me. I didn't want this. I never want to harm another being. Not if I had any say in the matter. With a mix of pride and disgust, I lowered my hand and forced the cloak to vanish. I would still need to get some energy, sooner rather than later. But that could wait.

Edward eyed me cautiously, having gone silent after his question. The entire room had, in fact. They seemed to be eyeing me warily. It did not help that the feeling of heat emanating from all of them filled the room. Made it feel stuffy. Teased me. Grated on my resistance.

''It means exactly what you think it means. I can't see the future, at this point in time.'' Alice said in a tone as cold as I've ever heard her. Guess the calm explanation route went out the window. It did not seem to go over well with Edward, but Carlisle stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder.

''Calm down son.'' He said, which stopped the retort on Edward's lips. He then turned to Alice. ''Since when?'' There was no hostility in the question, only what seemed like a desire to understand.

''Since yesterday, after I left to hunt.'' Alice's replied in the same tone, only to snarl when Edward scoffed. It made me just about loose it right there.

Carlisle was clearly about to ask another question, but I interrupted everyone in the form of barging into Edwards shoulder on my way towards the door. In my agitated state, I appear to have used more force than I should have, as both of us grunted from the impact. And my shoulder fucking hurt, having rammed into what is essentially a living boulder. Un-living boulder? Ahh who cares.

Emmett and Jasper got out of my way in time, and I felt the pressure ease up as soon as I was out of the room. ''I need a minute.'' I said over my shoulder as I headed downstairs. I didn't have enough presence of mind to notice if anyone replied. I only focused on getting outside to the closest tree I could find.

The grand fir in question was so big I didn't even have a guess as to how tall it was. All I knew was the bliss that made me weak to my knees, as I put my hand to it's bark. Then the other. For what felt like a really long time, it was my whole world. The feeling of vertigo was what brought me back.

Cold hands pressing underneath my arms startled me at first, though I was more surprised when I saw that they belonged to Jasper, of all people. He easily lifted me back up to my feet, and made sure I was steady on my feet before releasing me. By all accounts, I seem to have started falling backwards after draining the tree.

Which, when I managed to look at it, was much worse for wear than I would have imagined. Not counting the gashes left my my fingers digging into the wood, and all the bark surrounding them being gone, the whole thing looked ragged. Needles had started falling off nearly every major branch, and the smaller ones were completely bare.

''Thanks.'' I managed to get out, while observing it. I felt out the tree to assess the internal damage, and noted that it was far from devoid of energy. But most of it was located within the trunk itself, and not in it's branches.

''Don't mention it.'' Jasper replied with a smile. But there was unease in his stance. Like he was unsure of what I might do. I took a few seconds to calm myself down, to find my center again. Almost as if it was loathed to do so, the pressure in the back of my mind slowly disappeared.

I took note of the tree relative to their house. It was nearly straight in front of the entrance to their house. With the unfortunate state I had left it in, it would serve as a reminder every time I came by. And it would also be easy to keep tabs on, to see what effects my draining it would have upon it later.

''I've a question, if you don't mind?'' Jasper spoke clearly, without hint of his southern drawl. I turned and nodded for him to continue. ''Is it common that you need to drain energy this often?'' I didn't get what he was talking about for the first few seconds, before the clearing I had made a mess of came back to me. The first few times down in Phoenix happened in only a few days, but after I had learned to control the cloak I had barely needed to drain something a few times a week. Not once every day. And not this damned much either.

''No, no it is not.'' I answered grimly, before feeling the unease start to be smothered by a wave of calm. One I could tell was Jasper's doing. It was irrational to worry too much though. I had managed to stop myself from doing something stupid. So I let it wash over me, and let my worries rest. ''Thanks.'' I muttered.

He smiled in return, looking back to the tree again. Then a question popped up in my mind. ''Why don't you seem to care about Alice's lack of visions?'' It probably didn't sound as innocent a question as I'd intended. But that didn't seem to matter.

''Because I've never seen her happier than she has been these last few days.'' His drawl came back this time, as he ended the words with a saddened exhale. It became very apparent to me then, how much he still cared for Alice. And extremely awkward now that the fact that they had been together sprung back into my mind. They may be vampires, and things might be different for them. But it sure seemed like a boy who hadn't shed his feelings completely to me.

I might just be reading too much into it, in fact it is quite likely. But I also know that, if his words were true, I have nothing to fear from Jasper. Taking a few steady steps in his direction, I put my hand on his shoulder. I didn't feel the need to speak the words, as he knew what I was feeling. Even if it was a jumbled mess, I trust he would get the picture.

Then I turned around and walked back into the house. As soon as I opened the door, I heard that the screaming match was still on. ''You knew?!'' It was Edward, of course. I was beginning to think he'd never left the broody teenager stage of his life, even though he had walked this earth for more than a century.

As I ascended the stairs I heard more of the loud conversation, though I couldn't decipher the words. I got to the right floor just as Edward stomped out of Alice's room, rushing past me in a blur. The scowl etched on his face just before he left lingered in my mind.

''Come on in Bella.'' Alice said from just beyond the door, and I entered the room feeling a little uneasy. It quickly vanished though, as Alice sashayed to my side and laced her fingers through mine. A huge, dorky smile on her face. How she managed to do that, while still looking like the sexy little imp she was, I couldn't quite tell.

I tore my eyes from hers and looked upon the others in the room. Rosalie was curled into Emmett's embrace to my left, while Carlisle stood to my right. I couldn't stop the frown from curling my lips, as I looked to the patriarch. His face was stoic, but at least he didn't seem mad.

''I'm sorry we tried to hide this from all of you.'' I said, after clearing my throat. Alice just smiled and looked to Carlisle.

''It's understandable, considering the circumstances.'' He replied. ''I trust that it wasn't intentional on your part. But I must ask, do you know how to stop whatever is blocking her abilities?'' While it was nice to know that he didn't hold it against me, there was still some tension there.

''I don't, sorry. We think it has something to do with the blue cloak I sprouted, but I haven't done that again in her presence since.'' I explained, not quite willing to entertain the idea that what I had done was permanent. I had an idea about something that could possibly work, if I understand my powers correctly. But I was in no way ready for that right now. If her abilities didn't come back on it's own however, I'd just have to try.

''I have faith that it'll work itself out. For now however, I think Bella needs to get home. It's getting quite late.'' Alice said while dragging me back out of the room. I made sure to watch my step, so I didn't stumble on some of the debris left by the door.

I barely had time to say hello to Esme on the way out, as she arrived just as we were leaving. I feared what her take on the issue that had been raised would be for a second, though it passed as her warm smile grazed her lips. If the ability to reassure someone was a superpower, I have a pin on Esme having that.

''So what's the rush?'' I asked as we got into my car, starting the old beast up. To my surprise, it didn't roar as loud as it used to. I looked to Alice, who just smiled. Then I opened my window and called out to the resident mechanic. ''Thank you Rosalie!'' I'd have to talk to her about what she had done, and perhaps what she was planning to do soon. And how much she wanted for the work she'd do. But that could wait.

''So, yes, what's the rush?'' I asked again. The sound of the engine was still there as I pulled us out of their driveway, but I couldn't stop smiling at how much easier it was to hold a conversation now.

''I wanted to get out of the house, so we could finish our conversation in peace.'' Alice replied smoothly. My mind urged me to deflect, and divert the conversation to something more pleasant. But that wouldn't be fair.

''Right.'' I started, trying to figure out where conversation ended last time. Also, I waited until we made it onto the main road. ''So I started trying to explain why I didn't ask you, before I went to Carlisle with my issue. I had come up with excuses in my mind, but I don't want to lie to you, so I was trying to figure out the initial cause for my hesitation.'' At that point I knew I was just rambling, but Alice didn't seem bothered. So I let my walls down for once.

''I think it's because I'm scared. Frankly, I'm terrified. If you guys weren't here, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to stay sane. And that makes me paranoid about things that I learn about myself. I know it's completely irrational of me to think that my not having a period would make you leave, but I just can't stop my brain from fearing the worst. So I make excuses. And neglect to mention... stuff.'' She stared at me for several seconds before she replied.

''What sort of stuff?'' She sounded cautious now, and I didn't blame her. While I meant smaller details, the way I phrased it could mean just about anything,

''Like when I... helped, Jake. It was using the blue cloak. And we don't know if the effect it has on you is affected by proximity, so it might have made your problem worse. I'm sorry.'' I explained, and was relieved to see her shoulders drop ever-so-slightly. There was also my little climbing trip, but it would probably not do her any good to hear about that right now. No need to air all the dirty laundry.

''Oh that's okay, I'm not too worried about it.'' Alice responded in a somewhat nonchalant way. While that should probably concern me more than it did, I opted to trust Alice's faith that her power would come back. I would, however, make sure not to let the blue cloak emerge again until after that had happened. Then we could experiment on how it affected her.

I felt more confident though, now that I had seen her reaction to me revealing my worries. I knew it was just my brain being paranoid. So I let my mind settle for a bit while the conversation had lulled, singing quietly along to the music in the cab. Alice joined shortly after, and I ended up listening to her instead of singing with her. Her voice was so soft, almost more so than the original singer. I'd bet Alice would make a killing if she ever wanted to get into the singing business. Though that would probably bring a lot of unwanted attention along, which is probably why she hadn't. That I knew of, at the very least. I wonder if any of them ever tried their hand at singing before the world went digital. They had certainly been around long enough for that to be the case.

''Would it be correct of me to surmise that you turn blue when you're happy, like you turn red when angry or upset?'' Alice asked out of the blue, and I swerved ever so slightly into the opposite lane. Not that it caused any issues, as the road was empty of traffic.

''That's right. Why?'' I was curious to know what she was thinking. Had she figured something out about my abilities? Or better yet, had she come up with an idea of what I might be?

''I'm thinking that maybe the two cloaks are opposites. Can you drain stuff while you're blue? Or have you tried feeding energy to something while red?'' Alice was getting lively at this point, and started to speak really quickly.

Now, I hadn't really paid much attention to what I could do with the different cloaks. But it certainly made a bit of sense that they may be opposites. The emotions that trigger them are about as opposite as it gets.

I tried to think back to when I learned what I could do at first. The pulse of energy that I destroyed that tree with was while I was red. But was that different than giving away energy, like I did to Jake? It acted more as an explosion or something, the way it destroyed the trunk.

''I'm not sure if I can give away energy with the red cloak. Even if I could, it would probably not be good for whoever I did it to, with how everything I touch reacts to it. I did make that tree blow up in the clearing behind my house, but I don't think that was the same thing. And I've never tried draining anything with the blue cloak up. Not that I'm in any hurry to try that before your powers come back.'' I answered honestly, observing her reaction from the corner of my eye.

She gazed out at the road ahead of us for a while without a word. After a while, I stopped expecting the conversation to continue. We were at the limits of our knowledge on the matter, and for us to get any further, I'd have to test our hypothesis. Not that I had any misgivings about Alice thinking about other things that might have to be tested in the future. It seems she still thinks a while ahead, even without her visions.

It ended up being silent between us for the remainder of the trip, and I was sort of bummed out when I parked in my driveway. The clock on the dashboard read ten-thirteen, and it was a school night.

''I think I should let you get some sleep.'' Alice spoke before I even had the chance to ask her to stay, and screw up my sleep schedule. Almost as if she'd read my mind. She giggled as I let out a disgruntled sigh. ''Humans and your self-destructive ways.'' Alice laughed as she booped my nose.

''I thought we'd established that I wasn't a human.'' I argued back, despite the futility of it all. Alice always gets her way.

''You're human when it comes to the need for sleep.'' She giggled as she got out of the cab, and I did the same. She walked me up to the porch, stopping at the edge. Like some silly, hormone driven boy, dropping off his date. Guess it was sorta the same.

I turned around to see her stand up and down on the tips of her toes. A wide smile adorning her face. ''How do you do it?'' I asked with a huff.

''Whatever do you mean?'' Alice asked innocently, her smile showing those razor-sharp teeth. A chill ran up my spine again, imagination running wild. But I ignored it. Damn pixie.

''Seem so perfect, while acting so dorky.'' I responded, trying my best not to smile back. I failed, miserably.

''All part of my charm!'' Alice exclaimed, lifting both her arms into the air in cheer. I chortled at her silly antics, once again asking myself how this was real life. The urge to tease her was too strong though.

''What, like your lucky charms, you mean?'' I couldn't even stop the snort at my own joke. Jeez am I hopeless. The reaction from Alice was almost instantaneous, with her hands becoming fists at her hips, and a struggling frown replacing her smile. With her being a couple of steps below me, this made her seem even more like a sassy child, and I couldn't help but erupt in laughter.

If I had been powered up at all, I might have noticed the smirk on her lips before she blurred in front of me. Next thing I knew was the sound of a smack, and the sensation of burning on my rump. I choked on my laughter, and started jumping on the spot, rubbing where she'd slapped me.

When it became more manageable, I looked back to her face again. The devilish smirk on her lips making my knees weak for a moment. Then the sense of outrage made my spine tingle as the power spread in me again. But I pushed it back down. I asked for it, by making fun of something I know she's insecure about. In the end, I had to smile back at her. She'd won this one. Nearly.

''Turning to violence just shows you couldn't come up with a comeback.'' I taunted, still rubbing my flank. She just stuck her tongue out at me with her eyes closed. I giggled and returned the gesture. ''So... Goodnight then, I guess...'' I said quietly.

I was about to turn around when Alice spoke. ''What, no goodnight-kiss for the amazing leprechaun?'' She joked, a glint in her eye.

I felt my face redden in a rush of heat, as my nerves came to the forefront. Uncertainty about how I should proceed with this was about to get the best of me, when Alice winked.

''Right, going slow. If that's how you want it Swan, I'll make you beg for it. Just you wait.'' She spoke in her husky tone, and the combination of that and the nerves made me have to hold onto the railing, as I huffed out an uneasy breath. The effect this little pixie has on me, man.

''Right...'' I muttered, still trying to get my legs to listen to me.

Alice grinned one last time before making half a turn, whipping back twice as fast. ''One last thing.'' She said with a pause, and I nodded for her to continue. ''What would you say, if I asked if I could drive you to school tomorrow?'' She asked, while bouncing on the balls of her feet.

It seemed odd to me at first, as I already have a car that I could drive to school with. We just got here in it. But then I understood the meaning behind it, being that we're explicitly together. For the whole school to see. As if the flowers, and scene in the cafeteria wasn't enough. It was cute though, that she seemed nervous about it. It ruffled my jimmies.

''I would say, that sounds like a cool idea.'' I responded with a smile, and again she cheered like a loon.

''Awesome! Goodnight Bella!'' Alice said as she started twirling her way towards the edge of the forest.

''Goodnight Alice!'' I called after her, and soon after I lost sight of her.

I snorted, going over the last two minutes in my head. What an awkward couple we'd make, if this was anything to go by. I couldn't deny how happy she made me though. As I opened the door, I had to be careful not to rip the thing out of its frame. And I was met by a cold and dark house, in which I could hear Charlie snoring from the living room. He'd been out when I left the house earlier, and by my guess, hadn't moved since. I found him in his chair where I'd left him, the TV still going with the volume low. With the jeans and shirt he had on, I thought he might be a little cold. So I unfurled a blanket and put it over him, being careful not to wake him. His snores halted for a second, before he rolled his head to the side and continued with even more fervor.

I had to stifle my laughter, as I set to cleaning the table. He'd had a couple of beers after dinner, so that's probably why he was still out. Bringing the cans to the kitchen, I set about washing the dishes. While it was a menial job and it was getting late, I relished in it as I got some time to reflect on what had happened today. It had been one hell of a day, from getting outed in school as both a lesbian, and a potential partner to a Cullen. Then to panicking about my health because of what I was. And the whole drama with her family about her powers being gone.

It was nice that it ended on a high-note though. I even got some training in being careful with my extra strength. I wonder if it was like this all the time for the Cullen's. It had to be something similar, right? I don't know if I'd be able to measure my strength like Alice had when she slapped me though. I also relished in the tender burn on my flank, a smile creeping up on me.

I was in a rush to be done with it by the end, putting the dishes up to dry before sneakily running upstairs. With everything being what it is, a shower was in order. It was a good thing there were handlebars in the shower. Shame I couldn't quite control my strength though. It made a lot of noise as it broke, and for a moment I feared I might have woken Charlie. A few seconds later, having let my senses spread out, I saw that he was none the wiser, and set to clean the mess up.

By the look of it, the screw threads had come undone. It was an easy fix, but nothing I could hide from him. I'd have to explain it in the morning.

Then, with a smile on my face, I went to bed. I was out before I hit the pillow.

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I awoke feeling more refreshed than I had in a while. The alarm was still unfamiliar, though I didn't mind it as much today. I got a fresh set of clothes from my drawer, and got ready for the day. I even skipped down the stairs, smelling bacon from the kitchen.

''Morning dad!'' I said to Charlie, who was sitting there with his morning coffee, reading the news. ''Good morning Bells.'' He replied in a cheerful voice, sparing me only a glance before looking back at the newspaper. A plate with food sitting opposite him, and I didn't wait for an invite. He smiled at me through bleary eyes as I scarfed down the two pieces of toast. ''Calm down there Bells, or you're going to choke on it,'' He teased, his attention returning to the paper in his hands.

To appease him, and not to seem too unnatural in my appetite, I chugged some juice before forcing the last pieces of toast down my throat. A loud belch pushing past my lips before I could stop it. Charlie just laughed, as I looked sheepish.

I drank some more juice to ease my hungry stomach. It felt as if I could eat several times more than this, but I'd wait for him to leave first. ''So, I managed to break the handlebar in the shower yesterday.'' I started out, hoping it didn't spoil his good mood.

''Yeah, I found the pieces. You didn't hurt yourself, did you?'' He asked, his voice muffled by the paper. Whatever he was reading must be interesting.

Heat spread over my face, remembering how it happened. ''No, I'm fine. Do you want me to get the parts to fix it?'' I asked, my voice a little unsteady at first.

''Nah, I can handle it. You can focus on getting home before midnight.'' Charlie replied jokingly, looking at me by the corner of his eye.

''I was home at nine-thirty. Not my fault you sleep like the dead in your chair.'' I countered teasingly.

''Uh-huh.'' Was all Charlie replied with, a knowing look in his eye.

''Okay, it was a little after ten, but that doesn't matter. It's not like you've set a curfew for me.'' I said defensively, crossing my arms in defiance.

This time Charlie put down his paper. I expected him to be serious at this point, but there was still a smile on his face. ''Yet.'' He said with a grin. The look on my face made him laugh out loud, before he finished his coffee and got up.

I didn't mistake it for idle chat however. There was a hint of seriousness there. He wasn't perfectly fine with me being out until late with the Cullen's. If that was because of the things I had told him so far, or just the part about being late home was unknown to me, but it was there. Thankfully he still trusted me enough to go along with it. But I had no illusion that he wouldn't put the foot down if things went too far.

''I gotta get going. You have any special dinner recipes I should think of when I get groceries later?'' Dad asked as he walked out into the hall, putting on his jacket.

''Nothing I could think of right now. Have a nice day, and be careful at work dad.'' I said to him, putting my plate over by the chopping board.

''Always am. See you later Bells.'' He answered, opening the door. He waited for a second, giving me time to respond.

''See you later dad.'' I waved at him through the doorway, and with the smack of the door closing, the house turned quiet.

Not that I minded the quiet. I still felt like I might burst out singing from how happy I was. Two seconds later, I was humming to the tune of The Logical Song by Scooter, while preparing a couple of sandwiches.

I heard a beep in my pocket as I sat down and started eating. It was a text from Alice, just saying she was on her way. I barely managed to get the food down before the rumble of an engine was heard outside. The deep rumble made me wonder what car she was driving. The Volvo didn't sound like that, and I'm pretty sure Rosalie wouldn't let Alice borrow her car. Not that the Beemer sounded like that either.

I put my plate in the sink, and took a couple of seconds to wash my face and brush of any crumbs before getting my stuff. There was no honking to tell me of her impatience, which I took as a good sign. When I finally got on my shoes and opened the door, I stumbled in the doorway. Outside was bright yellow Porsche, parked in my driveway.

It took a moment for me to drag my jaw off of the porch, and for me to lock up after me. And with eager steps I headed for the passenger side of the car, opening up the car to rows of sharp teeth, adorned by a small pixie's face. ''Morning Bells!'' Alice greeted with a cheshire grin.

I was at a loss for words, so I sat down in the sports seat and strapped in, already fearing for my life. Once my heart-rate was back down to reasonable levels, I piped up. ''Good morning Alice.''

''What do you think?'' She asked, rubbing the steering-wheel gently. What? What do I think about the car? Besides it being a deathtrap in the hands of vampires, who drive like maniacs with reasonably fast cars. No, this is fine. Juuuuust fine.

''I'm wondering if you want the kids at school to be shocked by us arriving together, or because of your car.'' I answered a little more level-headed. Good thing she wasn't Edward. He would no doubt throw a fit about me being nervous.

''I want the kids to envy me for both the babes in my life.'' Alice answered huskily, as she hit the accelerator. I hope this handle holds up better than the last.

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AN: That's another one out of the way. I hope you all enjoyed. And as always, please let me know if you notice anything you believe to be wrong, or off.