Chapter Fourteen: The Asshat… Er… Edward

The Cullen Residence - January 30th

"I've set up a meeting with the Quileute pack, one of their elder members will be at the boundary line at noon." Carlisle announced early enough that the family was still busy with their nightly distractions. The family, in response, all moved towards the living room, pairing off as usual save for Edward and Alice who kept places on opposite sides of the space.

"About time." Edward said, his nostrils flaring in frustration.

"It still isn't their Alpha, or even the Beta again, or even the wolf I spoke with last time. Apparently most of them are indisposed today." Carlisle mirrored Edward's frustration, but for different reasons. He had contacted the pack twice, and both times the Alpha was too busy to meet him.

"Why even bother?" Emmett shrugged, shaking his head in disappointment.

Carlisle sighed; "Well because we've been unable to find out any information on this Eliza. Even if Edward's plan works this morning there's no way of knowing if she will be truthful. Also, Edward, the pack specifically mentioned that…" Carlisle finished his thought which Edward intercepted and his eyes widened in anger.

Edward then growled under his breath openly, "How dare they dictate terms to us!"

Carlisle held up a hand. "Peace son, it was non-negotiable on their part. Your abilities are seen as a violation, and I have to agree." Carlisle frowned in sympathy, he hated to side against Edward.

Edward gritted his teeth and almost lost his temper but managed to reign it in, "agree?! Carlisle, you are letting them bait you into a trap. Without me…"

"They will still have four mature vampires to contend with. Emmett I hate to ask you to skip school again, but I believe you'll be needed. Also, Jasper and Adara, I would like you with me as well." Carlisle purposefully kept Esme out of the meeting, he didn't want to risk forcing her to fight.

"I'm going too." Esme said moving in close to her husband and looking him in the eye.

"You're sure? If things go sideways…" Carlisle started but Esme just shook her head and reached up to caress his cheek.

"I have every confidence in your diplomatic skills, my love." Esme almost purred, and Carlisle nodded without any further resistance. Then she turned towards the rest of the family. "However, if things do devolve into violence, we have more than enough muscle to make them back down."

"Damn right, I've always wanted to see how they stack up to us. I'm sure we could take them." Emmett said, pounding his fists together creating a small shockwave that rattled the nearby windows.

"Emmett." Rosalie shook her head causing Emmett to instantly slump.

"Right, violence is not the answer." He muttered looking a bit frustrated.

Rosalie frowned, but managed a small chuckle at Emmett's expense before continuing her thought. "Honestly, I'm more concerned about how they know about Edward's abilities?"

"It's a stretch but Bella might have told Jacob Black." Edward said with a frown.

"Jacob Black was a part of the pack?" Esme asked curiously.

"No, but he had the scent." Edward couldn't think of another possibility.

Carlisle furrowed his brow, not following Edward's logic. "But we left, you cannot honestly believe they started shifting in great enough numbers to have pack continuity until today?"

Edward shrugged. "If they did, I could see them retaining stories about us and the treaty passed down from pack to pack through the years."

"Perhaps, it is as good a theory as any. In any case I don't see much choice." Carlisle nodded once, and gave Edward a sympathetic look.

"Please see reason Carlisle, it is folly to trust in these mongrels!" Edward could no longer hide his anger, and practically blew up at Carlisle who just frowned at his son in response. Edward immediately turned on his heel and stormed out of the house heading towards the garage.

"Edward you moron, it's five-thirty in the morning." Rosalie chided loud enough for him to hear outside.

"I don't care. I'm going now." He said with a shout accompanied by a car door slamming. The family all waited and listened for the engine rounding the corner and onto the freeway.

"Twenty seconds." Jasper said under his breath.

"He's gone." Rosalie closed her eyes and blew out a breath of relief.

"Thank Christ. So what's really going on Carlisle?" Emmett asked, dropping his bravado and crossing his arms.

Carlisle tapped his finger against the marble end table he was leaning against. "The wolves were very circumspect about it, but apparently Edward was named directly as forbidden from ever participating in a meeting ever again. It felt like this is about more than just his telepathy."

"Sounds about right. Are we going to talk about the fact that he is going against Eliza's express wishes today?" Rosalie asked the room in general.

"Let's not bash on Edward too much." Esme softly chided.

"We rarely get the chance." Emmett said with a smirk.

"There's no point." Alice's voice was almost flat, dropping the pretense a bit because she could barely hang on to her façade anymore.

"Alice, I thought you of all people would be pleased to have him gone for a while." Jasper asked with a note of concern and curiosity. Although everyone leaned in to hear her reasons, the coldness between Alice and Edward had lasted so long that they were nothing close to brother and sister any longer.

"If I open up and speak my mind, I'll have to reorder my thoughts before going to school. It's not worth it." Alice said with a sigh and Jasper nodded a couple of times thoughtfully.

"Tell them about what you found at the cemetery." Esme prompted because she was sure Alice wouldn't share it otherwise.

"Right, I guess we're doing this." Alice said through an exaggerated sigh. "Bella, her father Charlie, Angela Webber, Ben Chaney, Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley and Renee and Phil Dwyer all died within six months of Bella's disappearance and declared death."

"That's horrible." Esme clutched her chest, the pain of the entire revelation of Bella's black fate was almost too much.

"I did some searching. Renee's obituary is still on record in the Florida-Times Union, the local Jacksonville newspaper. It was some kind of home robbery that went wrong." Alice explained, almost mechanically. She couldn't really process the scope of their failure, to admit how badly they had been mistaken in leaving might swallow her whole in grief.

"That could only mean…" Emmett started, but Alice just nodded. Realizing she had to say it.

"Victoria." The name sent an emotional shockwave through the room, leaving Alice shuddering in pain. "We… we left and that bitch rampaged through Bella's life like a tornado."

The room was silent for a long time, before Rosalie finally took a deep breath. "We were wrong."

Alice looked at her sister, meeting her eyes and finding nothing but pain and grief mirroring her own. She looked at her for several seconds, before dropping her eyes and shaking her head. "It doesn't matter. Not anymore." Alice finally dropped her mask and spoke in her true voice, a dead monotone.

Esme flinched and almost reached out to her daughter, finally understanding the depth of Alice's pain. "Of course it matters, we should try and find Victoria… and..."

"End her, tear her apart burn her to ash like we should've done ninety-five fucking years ago!" Emmett said, his voice quivering with emotion.

"Which would be a pointless endeavor. How would we even begin to search for her now? And to what end? Avenge the deaths of some teenagers from a hundred years ago. Remember we abandoned them, we have no right to anything." Adara didn't want to play devil's advocate but could tell the room would not budge without someone countering a call to action.

"I loved Bella, I'm still pissed with Edward for making us go. So why can't I go and rip her head off?" Emmett argued, without petulance or humor. He was full of indignant rage, because he had voted to go all those years ago. He had sided with Edward, even though he didn't want to abandon Bella he felt the argument made too much sense, at the time. The years had soured him to Edward's plea, now a tired refrain.

"Alice is right, and Adara has a valid point. Speaking as someone who has gone down that path, there is no point in seeking vengeance. It doesn't change anything, except perpetuates a hollow cycle of violence. All we can do now is remember Bella, and honor her memory." Rosalie hated to dredge up her own act of vengeance, which she had regretted for over a hundred and eighty years.

"This is so fucked." Emmett flopped back onto a nearby couch, leaned his head back and closed his eyes wishing he could cry.

The Waterfall House - January 30th

"What's with the bag?" Eliza asked as Isabella emerged from the attic dressed in her standard hunting outfit, topped with her leather riding jacket and a small duffel bag slung over her shoulder.

"We're starting at the warehouse and going from there. I doubt we're going to make much progress and I thought a change of clothes might be appropriate." Isabella said with a small shrug.

"So that's two, maybe three days of school you're planning on missing." Eliza said with wide eyes, and a deep frown.

Isabella grinned, "school is your hobby, not mine."

Eliza sighed, because she knew her mother would do almost anything to put off starting. "I'd hardly call it a hobby. I could go with you? Because I really don't want to deal with the Cullens again."

Isabella shook her head almost immediately, "this is just a scouting mission, which I know you hate anyway. Keep evading them like you did yesterday, and I would prefer they didn't know about me just yet."

"Fine, fine. I'll deal. So are Jacob and Leah coming to pick you up?" Eliza asked hopefully.

"Nope, I'm gonna drive myself out to the highway to meet them." Isabella said with an oddly playful tone.

"One day and you're already borrowing my present? How am I going to get to school?" Eliza protested as she followed her mother out the door.

Isabella laughed and shook her head, "No, I'm not going to touch your new present. I got that for you, but I had to get myself something too."

"Oooh! Let me guess! You got it in black?" Eliza asked and then stopped short when she stepped into the garage. Next to her purple bike sat another motorcycle that absolutely dwarfed hers. Clearly emblazoned with the Harley Davidson logo on the side, the bike was a very dark red. Where Eliza's bike was compact and sleek, and clearly built for speed, Isabella's was quite the opposite. Big and bold, it was a symbol of power. The engine was also quite a bit more powerful than Eliza's bike, capable of going for longer on a single charge, albeit at lower maximum speeds.

"Why am I not surprised? It's freaking huge mom." Eliza said with more than a little sarcasm, causing Isabella to laugh before she threw her leg over the seat and settled into it, taking a moment to get comfortable.

"I'll see you tomorrow, probably. Have fun at school and I promise I'll get in touch with you if I need help." Isabella's goodbye, cutting off her daughter's comment before she could say anything. Isabella took a moment to don her helmet and gloves, before turning to wave at her. Then she backed the bike slowly out of the garage.

The engine started it up with a loud rumble, and Isabella couldn't help but smile as the beast of a machine chugged to life. Yet the smile faltered almost immediately as the illusion broke when the audio effects died down and the actual soft purr of the modern engine took over. With a soundless sigh, Isabella lowered the face guard and took off, glancing back at her daughter once more before riding away.

Eliza left for school about an hour later, waving goodbye to Henry after reminding him to do some extra shopping. When she pulled into the parking lot she almost groaned. Standing right next to the area she'd parked her bike the day before stood Edward Cullen, clearly waiting for her. She almost parked somewhere else, before gritting her teeth as she pulled into the same spot. She remained on her bike, taking off her helmet first, and then her gloves; she looked directly at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you want?" She said without hiding her hostility.

Edward flashed a smile that he clearly thought was dazzling or seductive, but to Eliza it just looked like he was grimacing. "Hello, please excuse my manners, yesterday I failed to introduce myself and my family properly. I'm Edward Cullen." He held out his hand in offer of a handshake.

Eliza crossed her arms with a bored expression and glared at his offered hand, which he retracted awkwardly. "I'm well aware of who you are. You didn't answer my question."

Edward's smile flattened slightly before he widened back to his full smile again. "I was hoping to get to know you, that's all." He replied, sounding vaguely injured.

"You know my name, you know what I am. I'm not sure what else there is that you need to know." Eliza replied, raising her other eyebrow.

"Well, I was hoping to find out where you're from, what your family is like, whether we could meet up and talk as a group. Or you and I could meet somewhere and talk privately if you prefer." He made the last suggestion with a gracious smile, as if he were granting some great favor.

Eliza didn't even try to hide her scornful amusement, as she slid off of the motorcycle. "Translation, you thought that you might be able to charm me enough to tell you more than I told Jasper yesterday. You sir, are a tool. My god, you really are as arrogant as I'd heard."

Edward's smile dropped off into a glare, "the humans here all think that we're arrogant. We don't have a choice. You know how hard it is to resist the thirst sometimes, especially being around this scent for hours daily. Not to mention we cannot risk you breaking Volturi law. You should at least be gracious enough to allow me to give you the lay of the land."

Eliza threw back her head and laughed, "I don't need your protection from the Volturi. As to the arrogance you think only the humans see, well your actions label you as arrogant, I don't need corroboration from anyone here. You and your family have a rather stuck up and opinionated reputation that is pretty much universal. I'm not going to tell you any more than I told Jasper yesterday. Less even, because you're an asshat. At least he respected my wishes, until now." Edward balked, sputtering and unable to think of a retort.

With a touch of anger and visible frustration Eliza picked up her gloves and helmet and turned to head into the school. A few feet away Edward recovered enough to respond.

"You have no idea what you're stepping into. We're not the only ones you have to be concerned with around here. There are things you need to know!" Edward stepped forward and snatched her arm in his hand, turning her back around to face him.

Just as quickly he found himself flipped in the air and his back slammed into the ground. Leaning down she hissed right in his face. "If you ever touch me again I'll shove that hand so far up your ass it will tickle your stomach." Then without a single second spent towards him, she continued walking away toward the school.

Edward was quickly on his feet and looking around, unable to face the wide grins from Alice and Rose. He fixed his jacket and brushed off some gravel that had gotten stuck to his back when he landed.

Eliza stalked into the school, trying her best to calm herself as she marched to her locker to stow her things. She took a few calming breaths before grabbing her tablet and heading off to her first period class. She slid into the same desk that she'd sat in the day before, continuing to grit her teeth with a seething anger she just couldn't shake.

"Eliza, what's wrong?" Hailey asked as she sat down.

"It's nothing important. Just an annoyance." Eliza managed before looking over at her potential friend.

Hailey leaned in and spoke low to avoid anyone eavesdropping on what she was about to say. "I overheard some gossip about you and your sister this morning on the way in."

Eliza raised an eyebrow and smiled widely, the anger vanishing almost instantly. "Oh you have to tell me."

Hailey bit her lower lip, "I don't know, it is kind of horrible."

"Now you absolutely must tell me." Eliza leaned in, her eyes wide with excitement. An actual rumor, about her. It felt like a confirmation of purpose.

"Alright, um, are you guys the daughters of a Russian mobster?" Hailey winced slightly, and Eliza stopped the laughter threatening to burst out. Instead she kept her face very calm and serious, and leaned in closer.

"I cannot say, one way or another." Eliza's voice was steady, and Hailey gave her a frightened look. Then Eliza winked, and smiled and Hailey visibly relaxed.

"You're kidding." Hailey said with a sigh of relief.

"Right. Because it would be totally absurd for us to be relocated here of all places." Eliza said with a nod, leaning back towards her desk.

"So your family are Russian mobsters?" Hailey asked in confusion.

"Nope." Eliza said while nodding her head slightly, wondering how the rumors would shift and change over the coming days. It felt like the most delightful game she had ever played.

"Eliza, I have some upsetting news." Isabella sent across their connection along with an image of Kell's charred head resting on a pile of ashes. Eliza went stiff, and immediately stood.

"I have to… I'm sorry." Eliza rushed out of class and down to the nearest bathroom. She leaned up against a nearby sink before calming herself enough to respond.

"I'll be there in an hour." She splashed some cold water on her face and looked up into the mirror before her mother responded.

"No, we haven't found the trail yet so we do not know the disposition and numbers of our enemy. Kell didn't watch his blind spots and got bested. I am not Kell." Isabella was more than angry, and Eliza knew there was no point in arguing.

"I'll check on Talia." Eliza replied, and got the impression of a nod before Isabella closed her side. She listened for a few seconds to make sure she was alone, and then pulled out her phone and dialed the number.

"Eliza, I was expecting your mother." Talia answered with brightness, they didn't talk very often since Isabella was technically in charge of the cleaning crew.

Eliza swallowed once before speaking. "I'm sorry Tal, Kell's dead."

There was a long pause on the other end, and the sound of something wooden breaking. "I shouldn't have let him go to that warehouse alone."

Eliza shook her head, even though Talia couldn't see her. "It isn't your fault, and mom is already on it. His remains are at the warehouse, you might want to check with her before you go."

"I will, and thank you for letting me know." She replied almost too quickly and it was clear she wanted to end the call. But Eliza lingered, she had to do something to ensure Talia's safety.

"You should come to the house, it isn't safe out there for you alone." The offer was genuine, but she was sure Talia would reject it.

"Isabella barely tolerates me, I'll be fine." Talia paused before continuing. "My safehouse is in a populated area, and I've already tapped into the local surveillance system."

"Alright, I'll talk to you soon." Eliza ended the call and closed her eyes tightly. She liked Kell, but it was guilt that was causing her pain.

Treaty Boundary Line - January 30th

It was approaching Noon as Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Jasper and Adara arrived at the boundary line. The forest felt a bit empty, with most of the smaller animals and bird sounds missing. It was a telltale sign that the wolves were nearby but there was no physical sign of them yet. Exactly at noon a shirtless Quileute appeared from around a tree, moving so quietly that not even they could hear him. He stopped just short of the boundary line and crossed his arms frowning in consternation and a hint of anger.

Carlisle stepped forward, "Hello, I'm C-" only to be stopped when the stranger raised his right hand.

"Wait." His voice was terse and harsh. A few seconds later the forest was filled by the howls of wolves, echoing off the canopy. Their location impossible to detect until two giant wolves loped into view then settled on their haunches next to him. The Quileute man seemed to relax slightly and smiled almost pleasantly. "Hello, I'm sorry, my companions were merely confirming that you honored our request not to bring the lee-vampire called Edward. We do not appreciate the privacy of our thoughts being invaded. I'm Embry. What is it you needed to discuss?"

The Cullen's gave each other surprised looks, and while it was far from a welcoming greeting, it was the most courteous hello they had ever received from the Quileute.

Carlisle looked around and nodded after taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "Yes, I wanted to bring something to your attention. There is a new vampire coven in the area. We do not know their number as we've only seen one of them. We wanted to make sure that you knew and should something untoward happen we would hope our guilt would not be automatically assumed."

Embry nodded after a moment. "That is interesting. Thank you for the information."

"But you already knew." Jasper spoke suddenly, looking at Embry confident of the information, but still seeking confirmation.

Embry frowned and glared at Carlisle, accusation clear in his tone. "We told you to leave your mind-reader at home!"

Jasper held up his hands, willing a wave of calm across the group before things could get out of hand. "I am not Edward. I cannot read your mind, I can merely read emotion, and I detected absolutely no surprise or anger from you when Carlisle told you of the other group of vampires."

Embry scowled at Jasper, "What am I feeling right now?"

Jasper shrugged, "Irritation, mostly directed at me, but I hardly need to be able to sense emotions to see that."

Carlisle shook his head and raised his own hand to stop the back and forth. "So I take it, based on your reactions, you've had dealings with these other vampires already?" His question was filled with genuine curiosity.

Embry continued to glare at Jasper for a protracted second, then turned and snapped at Carlisle. "Our 'dealings' with the Volturi are just that. Ours."

Carlisle and Esme gasped in shock, Adara gritted her teeth and Emmett began to puff up when the Volturi were mentioned. Jasper began to look around the space wondering if an attack was imminent.

"What dealings did you have with the Volturi?" Esme asked, stepping forward. Carlisle was momentarily at a loss, his composure completely, if momentarily, cracked.

Embry looked at each of the Cullen's with curiosity, feeling puzzled over their reactions. "You must be the second, in times past we would never have accepted a woman speaking for a leader. It is wonderful how times change, don't you agree… Esme."

Esme didn't let her own shock at being identified show on her face. "Yes, quite. I lived in a time when my gender had no rights, no vote, and no voice. I'm glad to see the newer generations embrace those rights so completely."

"Newer... You misunderstand, our women have always had a voice, but their leadership is relatively new, and yes it is a good thing." Embry's face twitched at the inference that he was young, but didn't let it show in his expression. "It seems like both of our families can benefit from some information. Tell us some of what you know of the Volturi and I will share a bit of what we know."

Esme frowned, "The Volturi are the most powerful vampire coven in the world. They are the closest our kind comes to what you might call royalty. They enforce the laws, making sure that our existence stays a secret. They have an extensive guard with many gifted members, and can be ruthless when they're crossed. I must warn you, if you have hurt or killed one of their members then you're all in great danger."

Embry nodded slowly and thoughtfully. "That's good to know. Well, you kept your part of the bargain, so I shall tell you this. We have not harmed any of them, in fact we have formed an official alliance with them."

Carlisle blinked, "An official alliance? Are you sure?" Embry bristled and the wolves at his side barked viciously in warning. "I mean no offense, and I am not doubting the veracity of your claim, but I have to wonder if you have been deceived. The Volturi almost never agree to such a contract. I can only think of two circumstances in the last four-hundred years where there was such an alliance and they both ended shortly after the mutual conflict was over. More importantly, only a duly appointed representative or member of the council's coven has the power to make such a broad and binding promise."

"The question of authority was asked and addressed. The one who offered the alliance is a Princess of the Volturi." Embry replied.

Carlisle frowned "I see. Would you object to me looking into this? I am on friendly terms with the members of the Volturi council. Perhaps I could inform you if I find that you are being misled?"

Embry frowned again and he looked down at the wolf to his right who shook their head before he looked back up. "I do not believe we are being deceived. But if you find out otherwise, then we will be happy to share all we know with you." Carlisle nodded in acknowledgement. Embry immediately turned and walked back into the forest while the two wolves glared balefully at the group of vampires before turning and following Embry into the woods. Carlisle didn't speak at first, simply gesturing for his family to head home.

Forks - January 30th

Hailey and Madison were both in high spirits as the three of them entered the cafeteria together, the girls quickly spotting Justin holding a place for them in line and moving off. Eliza let herself glance at the Cullen table which had one notable absence, Alice. The rest all gave her a strange, almost hostile glance.

"Something came up." The voice was surprising as Alice appeared at her side. Eliza made a mental note about the diminutive Cullen and her ability to move silently.

"Do you guys draw straws to see whose turn it is to talk to me, or do you just hope that one of you will get lucky?" Eliza said with bitter sarcasm.

"This would not be my first choice, but now we need answers." Alice didn't sound as angry as her family seemed to be, instead she sounded almost utterly emotionless. The question and her tone of voice made Eliza look over at her fully.

"You have my attention." Eliza said, keeping her mouth flat and the anger she was feeling out of her eyes.

"A short walk?" Alice suggested, and Eliza nodded after a second of hesitation. Alice immediately stepped back and started down the nearest hallway, towards one of the main exits. Once Alice was out into the open air she continued towards the back of the property. At the tree line she started to run. Curiosity kept Eliza after her, until Alice suddenly stopped on a dime next to a lovely outcropping of rocks. She sat down on the edge, hanging her feet off.

"This is a point far enough away where Edward cannot hear my thoughts so we'll have privacy." Alice explained with a small sigh.

"Won't he follow?" Eliza asked with a raised eyebrow, shrugging and sitting next to the Cullen.

"No, Rose won't let him." Alice said with a sad half smile.

"Well thank you, this morning I almost… well it wouldn't have been pretty." Eliza frowned, and tossed a small stone into the thick foliage that she found as she sat down on the edge with Alice.

Alice nodded darkly, her expression unreadable, "I saw that part. Although he didn't say anything about it, and I cannot say I'm surprised. I apologize on behalf of the rest of the family."

"It's not you who should be apologizing." Eliza shrugged her shoulders, struck by just how terribly sad Alice felt. Though aside from the hurt in her eyes, it was hard to say why, the feeling was just, pervasive.

Alice nodded a couple of times before responding. "Yes, however, Edward will never acknowledge the error unless Carlisle or Esme force him to fess up."

"Interesting, and unfortunate. Although he is a selfish pigheaded asshat." Eliza couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face, but Alice didn't see it.

"Yes." Alice smiled faintly, lowering her head.

Eliza sighed, "to be fair, I don't judge you and your family for his actions. I judge you for your own." The sentiment did conjure anger, but somehow she felt sad as she spoke it, something in Alice's posture and manner was saying something important and she couldn't quite figure it out.

"You know of… of Isabella Swan." Alice almost muttered, her voice faltering on the name.

"I've said multiple times that it is not…" Eliza started but Alice just shook her head.

"That doesn't matter. Our need to know is a desperate one so we will keep asking." She looked into Eliza's eyes and found something different from her siblings, the need for answers wasn't curiosity or concern. It was something far deeper, almost primal.

"Desperate. I don't believe that." Eliza tried to rebuff, but she could feel in the pit of her stomach that she was wrong. Alice was desperate about something, although the dark haired vampire simply nodded.

"I suppose that is fair, the depth of our struggle would be difficult to grasp for anyone who hadn't been there. We… I did leave without a word." Alice explained, giving her a thoughtful look. Eliza almost opened her mouth to disagree that she did understand, she had witnessed those memories first hand.

"That would seem to confirm what I'm saying. How is your need so desperate that you would hound a stranger for answers after a century?" Eliza was getting frustrated, and Alice was silent for several long seconds. Eliza was about to just stand and walk away from the entire conversation but Alice shook her head and started to answer.

"We haven't functioned like a family since we left, and now we're in mourning, we just found out she... died... a month after we left." Alice voice was broken, and could barely speak through the emotions to get it all out. Eliza was stunned, glaring at Alice as though she had revealed that aliens had actually built the pyramids.

It took Eliza a moment to gather her mind to respond. Then a dark scowl crossed her expression. "Mourning!" She said sharply. "How can you possibly mourn someone you didn't care enough about to even say goodbye." She knew she was saying too much, but she had to understand and now her anger was getting the best of her. Alice started to shake her head emphatically.

"I loved Isabella Swan more than my entire existence and I abandoned her. I live with that pain every day, every hour, every second. How dare you tell me I didn't care! If I had gone to her, tried to say my goodbyes I would never have been able to go!" Alice's fit of rage broke the instant it was out of her mouth. Alice's face filled with the kind of conflict and pain that Eliza immediately recognized, and then she got up and started to back away,

"Wait, stop." Eliza stood and Alice froze in place, her eyes locked on Eliza's for a protracted instant in time. "I shouldn't tell you." Eliza closed her eyes in frustration, but Alice was like a hollowed out shell, and only the answer would help. A part of her wanted Alice to suffer, but not this much. "You can't go to her yet. She's far too broken."

"What?" Alice took a step forward in shock, her hands fallen to her sides.

"Isabella is my mother, and we've made our home here in Forks. She's been out on missions the last couple of days. We're Volturi." Eliza gave Alice a small shrug, worried how Isabella was going to take this whole conversation after she shared it with her.

Alice stood in place, her eyes wide in shock. Then something deep began to tremble in her chest, as violent and uncontrollable sobs began to rack her body. Eventually her legs collapsed beneath her, and Eliza ran to her without thinking and then pulled her into lap. They stayed there for several minutes with Alice crying so hard that she couldn't think or function, despite the lack of tears streaming down her face. Then a small sound began to form in her chest, as she clawed closer to Eliza and pressed her into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" She was repeating as though her mind had completely shattered. Eliza couldn't wrap her own mind around what was happening. This was not someone who didn't care, it was quite the opposite. This was someone who had been in deep mourning for a century and was just given the shock of her life. Eliza found herself stroking her hair, not sure how to help with whatever Alice was going through.

"Shhh, Alice. Please, there is something wrong with all of this." Eliza tried, and with the sound of her voice Alice froze and nodded a couple of times before sitting back and releasing her grip on Eliza. Eliza wasn't sure what to expect, but then Alice gave her the warmest smile, and almost reached out but rested her hands in her lap instead. Then Alice took a couple of deep breaths, the sadness in her eyes notably lighter.

"I can wait for her to tell me the how's and why's if she deems me worthy. But, I must know, did she name you after Elizabeth Bennett?" Alice asked with a voice that evoked such powerful and warm memories of her mother's time with the Cullen's that she was sure it would breach through the connection which had been closed off since finding out about Kell.

Eliza nodded a few times, and then started to chuckle, totally unprepared for that question. "Um, yeah. She made me read it a few years after… but I prefer the adaptation with Colin Firth."

"I love that one too, I put it on sometimes when I have time to think freely." Alice said with a smile, but ended with a small frown.

"Edward won't let you watch movies?" Eliza asked incredulously, scrunching up her brow and nose in disgust, how much of a hold did Edward have over his coven? Were they that weak?

Alice nodded slightly, then shrugged. "Kinda, ever since he forced the vote it's been difficult to move past our choice. Edward kind of polices thoughts about your mom. But I've been so dead inside that it rarely matters."

Eliza still couldn't get over ninety years of anger and shook her head, more in denial than disbelief. "I don't understand, if you loved her why did you leave?"

"I was faced with two ugly options, and it seemed the lesser of two evils; stay with Bella or go with my family, I had to choose my family. Or I thought I did, I should've made the other choice in all honesty. As for the reasons, well, primarily it was to help keep Victoria away, which clearly didn't work… right?" Eliza shook her head, not ready to tackle that part of the conversation. Alice just nodded, not wanting to push, so she continued as though she hadn't asked. "There was also the moral argument. We were bringing a seventeen year old into our orbit, endangering her and almost forcing her to become a vampire. At the time Edward was the main decision maker when it came to Bella, and he was adamant that we leave."

"Isabella now." Eliza corrected for a number of reasons, not the least of which was the very real possibility that Alice would be interacting with her mother soon and they didn't need that small conflict.

Alice just smiled. "I always preferred her full name." This gave Eliza a small measure of relief, and took a deep breath ready for whatever else Alice had to say.

"The birthday party was a small nightmare, and Jasper has felt guilty about it ever since. Anyway, the next day Edward proposed the idea of leaving. Initially we all fought against it. Yet he was so set in his argument that Isabella needed to be saved from her own… I guess reckless teenage impulses." Alice scrunched up her nose in disgust of the idea, which eased Eliza's initial reaction to the turn of phrase. "Don't get me wrong, Edward's opinion of the relationship always felt one-sided, chauvinistic and patronizing, but it was his choice in the eyes of most of the family. After a few hours of discussion, which devolved more than once into screaming matches, Esme, Rose and I were on one side and the rest of the family on the other. The vote almost went the other way, but Carlisle was always going to side with him. Ultimately though the vote forced the issue, and we eventually, reluctantly acquiesced." Alice looked ashamed, but Eliza knew that Isabella would eventually need to hear about this. No matter the outcome, the emotions were clear, unless Alice was lying.

"It came to a vote…" Eliza whispered to herself, looking down at the small crescent bite mark on her wrist still present from when Isabella bit her all those years ago.

"The vote decided the choice, but then when we heard Edward's account of the break up it convinced Rose and Esme that it was the right move." Alice frowned, but it wasn't the same kind of sadness in her expression as before. Eliza cocked her head, and started to shake her head in anger again.

She sneered, "how could that have swayed anyone?" The venom in Eliza's voice made Alice look up at her with a strained angry look of her own. Eliza narrowed her eyes and then continued. "He left her in the forest alone after breaking her heart."

"Left her alone in the woods?" Alice asked, confused but with an edge to her voice. Her own anger threatening to overwhelm her ability to contain it.

"Yeah, she begged him to take her with him and then he left her in the middle of nowhere without bothering to lead her back home. It took a search party and one of the shifters to find her." Eliza said, shaking her head incredulously. But Alice's reaction to the news wasn't light, her nostrils flared and her eyes widened.

"I should've known." Alice said softly, the anger in her face and voice rivaling one of Isabella's darker rants.

"Alice? What happened?" Eliza was feeling her own emotional build up, whatever was just revealed was very important to Alice.

"He lied to us." Alice got up and turned to leave.

"About what? Alice!" Eliza tried to push, stepping forward.

Alice shook her head. "If I tell you this now it will only end in tearing apart my family. I will handle this, and I will tell you and Isabella everything as soon as I figure out how to do this."

"I don't…" Eliza started, feeling confused.

"I will never lie to you, and I will never abandon her again." Alice spun on her heels and headed for the school, gathering herself as she did, leaving a stunned Eliza standing there, her mouth open in shock.

It took Eliza quite a while to regain her equilibrium after that, she was distracted through her first afternoon classes. When Hailey greeted her in her gym class, she gave her a friendly smile but couldn't quite put herself in the moment. The team sport was easy, but she made a couple of aggressive plays that she wouldn't have done if her mind were focused.

Her mind was spinning with the possibility there were more people that loved Isabella than just herself. Alice clearly counted as one of them, and maybe the rest of the Cullen's? It felt impossible, but she couldn't help but feel almost buoyant about the idea. Except for the rest of it, they did abandon her as a choice. One thing Eliza had no doubt about; Alice's sincerity, she felt in her heart that Alice wasn't lying. She had shared true vulnerability, and trusted Eliza without hesitation or even a question of how the relationship between Isabella and herself even existed.

As she headed out into the afternoon she felt somewhat confused, and found yet another Cullen waiting for her. This time she didn't groan, because he might actually be able to give her some answers. Although she wasn't sure how much, if anything, Alice had told her family.

Jasper greeted her with a polite nod, "Eliza, you seem troubled."

She smiled and returned the nod, "I'm okay. Nothing you need to worry about."

Jasper frowned thoughtfully, "Fair enough. I saw that you talked to Alice, but she's not really saying much except to confirm that you are Volturi." He clenched his teeth a couple of times, and gave her a look asking if he was correct.

Eliza took a steading breath and nodded once. "That's right. I'm a member of the coven, not the guard."

Jasper almost sighed in relief, feeling like there was finally a bridge between them. "Aro confirmed as much, although he was disappointed you didn't introduce yourself properly."

Eliza almost chuckled, of course Aro would be upset by their anger towards the Cullens. "Yes, well. This situation isn't usual. Is Alice okay?"

Jasper raised an eyebrow, but nodded a couple of times. "I think yes, she's somehow different. I can't explain it."

Eliza ignored the implication, "will Edward be a problem?"

Jasper furrowed his brow and shook his head. "I doubt it, they barely speak."

"Alice was hurting pretty deeply for a long time right?" Eliza asked in confirmation, hoping to confirm Alice's assertions.

Jasper nodded almost imperceptibly. "Yes. We help her as best we can. One thing about, being one of us. For good, or for ill, memories don't fade with time."

Eliza nodded a little bit, "I suppose we all have memories..."

"I need your power now!" Isabella's voice shouted in her head a few seconds before she felt the draw on her gift shoving out every other thought in her head.


Author's Notes:

This is a departure from the original, but follows the changes made to Alice as a character. As with all the revisions some major changes are required, but I promise the fun stuff will remain. The next chapter will include some more previously unseen content.

Tigers-Telling-Tails in a comment on a previous chapter gave us the idea for the rumor about Eliza and Isabella being part of the Russian Mafia. Thank you so much for making me laugh.

Please let us know what you think of this chapter, or any of the ones before it (and after if you are reading this in the future).

Next Chapter: Bad Doggies!

As always thank you for reading!