Frowning back at her reflection, Alice lifted and wiggled her eyebrows, watching as the brushed up strands of hair remained completely still. Whatever Rosalie had brushed through them had made them harden. It wasn't until she reached her hand up to touch them that Rosalie smacked her hand away.

"Don't touch it," the blonde snapped, "you'll mess it up and I'll have to re-do it."

"You're already re-doing it, aren't you?" Alice kept her hands firmly at her sides but felt exasperated at Rosalie's strange request. "You already said you were." She'd already seen that Rosalie would be re-doing her makeup at least twice more tonight, entirely unprompted.

"We can't have the same makeup for each outfit," Rosalie spoke as if it were obvious, expertly brushing more makeup onto her eyelids. "We can get away with one look per three outfits, but the photos have to be more dynamic. And that's going to be a slight struggle since it's so dark out."

Emmett chimed in from across the room, "Can't you just like, edit them so it doesn't look dark?" He kept his eyes glued to his phone as he spoke, and Alice almost laughed at how he was nearly too big to fit on her white couch.

"Bella can," Rosalie supplied. At Alice's look of surprise, the blonde stared blankly back. "What? Does she have you believing she doesn't do anything concerning social media?"

"She doesn't have a single post on her Instagram."

"She's been editing all of my photos since 2014," Rosalie spoke matter-of-factly as she carefully applied eye-liner. "Don't let her fool you, she's just as involved in this process as me. I create the content, she edits it."

Alice stared at her self in the mirror of her bathroom and couldn't help the frown that furrowed her carefully brushed brows. "My niece filled me in on some things, but I still don't understand how posting pictures to Instagram helps charity."

"Em, please explain," Rosalie turned and walked out of the bathroom and toward Alice's door, "I'm going to grab the clothes."

"You got it, babe." Rolling onto the floor with a hard thud, Alice was scared for a second that his hulking self would fall through the floor. The urge to scold him nearly overcame her. "Come here," he beckoned toward her as he sat up, pressing his back against the front of the couch. He patted the couch cushion beside him. "Time to explain why this dumb app is such a big deal."

By the time Alice sat herself at his side Emmett already had Rosalie's Instagram pulled up. He whistled as he scrolled through her page. "I swear," he shot Alice a crooked grin, "I'm the luckiest bastard on the planet," he laughed then, and turned the phone toward her. Putting on his best carnival barker impression, he grinned. "Pick any picture. Any one at all! Come on, don't be shy!"

Alice selected a random one. It was of Rosalie in Esme's garden. The sun glimmering off her skin at an angle so slight it made the flowers she was sniffing look as if they were glowing, too.

"Good choice," Emmett grinned. Then, he pointed at the outfit she was wearing. "Fifty thousand for the dress. Twenty thousand for the shoes." Quickly, he swiped to the next photo. It was of Rosalie standing in the window of their bedroom, looking out into the yard below. "This one has a pop tag. That's fifty-k right there, just on it's own." Exiting the photo, he scrolled down some and picked the only photo she had in a bikini. "This was the money maker. One hundred thousand just for the photo alone. No pop tags, no hashtags. Nothing."

Alice felt like she was missing an important piece of information. The number of likes far exceeded the numbers Emmett was bragging about. Millions of people liked Rosalie's pictures. "One hundred thousand what?"

"Dollars, silly," he chuckled, swiping to the next photo. He whistled again, drawing his attention toward the door when Rosalie strode back into the room, garment bags in her hands. "Babe, have I told you how hot you are yet today?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes but there was a smile on her face. "Actually, yes."

"Well I'm going to say it again, damnit!" He turned the phone back toward Alice, displaying another breathtaking photo. "Look at that! I mean, come on!"

"I think I'm still misunderstanding," Alice watched as Rosalie hung the hangers on the top of Alice's opened bathroom door. "One hundred thousand dollars for a picture? From who? For who?"

"From companies and brands," she unzipped a bag and then beckoned Alice closer. "Here, this is yours."

"They send Rose clothes for her to take pictures in and they pay top dollar. Ever since she stared doing this every penny has gone to charity," Emmett's eyes had shifted from his on-screen wife to his in-person wife, and Alice could see the love swimming in them. "It's kickass."

"Time didn't name me 'Person of the Year' in 2017 for nothing," she remarked casually as she handed Alice a dress. "Here, put this on."

"So you aren't entirely joking when you call posting to Instagram 'charity work'." Alice felt a little silly then. The first time she'd heard the blonde call it that she'd been taken aback, wondering for the first time if the woman was really as vain as Edward said. Especially if she'd been equating posting pictures of herself to giving to charity…

But no. Rosalie meant it literally. She was going to smack Edward the next time she saw him. The insufferable brat. "That's kind of amazing."

"Kind of?" Rosalie teased as she arched a perfect brow and unzipped another bag. "Seriously, go put that on. I'm on a time crunch now that I have to literally fly back to the same airport I just left hardly five hours ago.

Alice winced, "And you're sure you want to spend your time here doing this?"

"For charity? Remember?" She shot her a pointed look before pulling her shirt up and over her head. Alice startled slightly, before remembering that it wasn't anything she hadn't seen before, and that Emmett was literally her husband. Rosalie took note of her reaction and grinned. "What is it with you and nudity?" Alice knew she was referring to her announcement last year, when Rose had caught her off guard fixing her dress. "Are you this jumpy every time you and Jasper fuck?"

Emmett snorted. "They don't."

Alice felt embarrassment flood through her from head to toe. "You guys," she whined quietly, not wanting to talk about it. "You know that situation is delicate."

"I keep forgetting you're a virgin," Rosalie commented to herself as she shimmied out of her jeans. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm still offended you won't let me give you any tips or tricks."

"I don't need tips," she hissed, her voice low as she fought back her mortification. "Or tricks or… anything!" What she needed was people to stop bothering her about her love life. She only feared, in the back of her mind that after they'd finally consummated their relationship, people would get worse about it.

"Alice," Emmett called out from where he was back to lying on her couch, his eyes glued to his phone was again, "Not to be weird, but if you love Jasper as much as you say you do you should absolutely let Rosalie give you tips."

"I am! Not having! This conversation with either of you!" Alice turned toward the door, contemplating physically fleeing. Instead, she retreated into the bathroom to change into the first outfit. The quicker she changed and took these pictures, the faster they could all be on their way.

"He told me about that whole 'month between episodes' deal you've got going on," Emmett called out, and Alice froze at that piece of information. Then, she quickly dressed herself—the dress was made out of a soft fabric but was by far the most skin-tight thing she'd ever worn—and reemerged. "It's a good idea, honestly. Maybe a little silly but," Alice watched him shrug, "whatever keeps your head attached."

She shot him a weak glare, but couldn't help but ask. "You talked to him about that?" She wasn't nervous about Jasper overhearing. He was down in the library, hard at work for the first time since the war, and likely would only be able to just barely feel her up there. It wasn't as if he would be able to hear what was being said, even if he tried.

Emmett nodded, pulling his eyes away from his phone just long enough to meet her eyes. "What? Does that surprise you?"

It did, which was why Alice was at a loss of what to say. Sex seemed like such a private thing. And maybe because Rosalie was right. She was a virgin, so it hadn't ever been a big topic of conversation for her. Truthfully, she had no idea what she was in for.

Well. That wasn't entirely true. She was gifted with visions and she had seen quite her fair share of people getting hot and heavy—unfortunately, Rosalie and Emmett weren't excluded from that list—so she knew what she was 'in for' but still… she did have some questions.

"I'm just," and she deflated then, resigned to the fact that not only was she embarrassed about the topic, but she did feel a little insecure, too. After all, Jasper had had sex before. Not only with Maria (which Alice hated thinking about for more reasons than just one) but with a small handful of women over his century and a half as a vampire.

Or, more like just a century; he had told her that he hadn't had sex since becoming a Protector.

The more close calls they had, and the closer they got to actually completing the act, the more Alice's nerves grew. At first she boiled it down to just wanting to get it over with already. After all, she wanted to have sex with Jasper so badly it was overwhelming sometimes, but now that so much time had passed and she'd been given ample opportunity to think about it, she'd found herself overthinking about it.

So, when she blurted out, "what if I'm bad at it?" before slapping a hand over her mouth, she couldn't help but stand there and stew in her acute humiliation. That was a thought she had never wanted verbalized…

Emmett laughed. Which was decidedly not the reaction she wanted. "Aw, Alice…"

"You'll be fine," Rosalie sighed, walking over to her as she brushed some of her short hair back into place. "Just remember: have fun with foreplay and go slow or he'll have you walking funny."

"Don't worry about it Alice. Besides, we're just teasing you cause it's so easy." Alice could hear in his tone that Emmett must've felt bad. "He'll take care of you, don't worry about it."

Alice looked up at Rosalie as the woman added a few finishing touches to her makeup. She would worry about it now, because now it was in the forefront of her mind. "Were you a virgin when you met Emmett?"

Rosalie scoffed. "I wish. No, I'd been engaged before I was a vampire."

That was news to her. Rosalie? Engaged? To someone who wasn't Emmett? Alice couldn't even picture it. "What happened?"

"He and his friends beat and gang-raped me, and left me lying in the street to die." Turning back toward Alice she presented her with a jean jacket. "Hold your arm out," she instructed.

Alice moved robotically, stunned by the information as Rosalie dressed her. She'd never asked Rosalie about her change once she learned that it was rude to, but she'd never expected that. "I'm so sorry."

She snorted. "So was he." Leaning down she zipped up a pair of red thigh-high boots. "I'm the only one with a record besides Jasper."

"A record?"

"Oh, I killed them all. When I was out of self-control training I learned that they were all still alive. And not only that, they were free men. So, I killed them." Alice watched as she turned and admired herself in the floor-length mirror. "I was taken into custody, spent time in prison, went to court over it, and they ruled in my favor." She shot Alice a grin that left the smaller girl feeling uncomfortable. "My status in the system had me on permanent probation, but when I became a Protector that was wiped clean."

"May they rot in hell," Emmett chimed in, cheerily. But Alice could sense the anger underneath the words.

"A pair of vampires had been in the neighborhood. They smelled the blood and one of them couldn't resist. Their companion stopped them before they could drain me and I woke up in Rochester's Containment Center three days later."

It was a story that sounded similar to Emmett's. Only Emmett had been nearly killed by a bear, not his own fiancée.

"I cried after sex the first time we had it," Rosalie continued speaking, even after she was completely dressed. There was a distant amusement in her tone, something that Alice was sure only decades of time after the fact had produced. "So I think as long as you don't do that, you'll already fair better than us."

"What?" Alice was baffled. "Why?" That sounded like a concerning reaction to have…

"I was enamored with him," Rosalie's words took on a dramatic flair, and Alice found herself wondering just what an 'enamored Rosalie' looked like. It wasn't something she could picture. "But I thought he didn't give two shits about me outside being physically attracted to me. So, once I finally seduced him—and, Alice, you wouldn't believe how much fucking work I had to put in to accomplish that—I had a bit of a breakdown."

Alice hardly noticed when Emmett was suddenly standing behind his wife, arms wrapping around her. "I freaked the fuck out." He spoke to Alice. "There I was, lying next to the most beautiful, wonderful, smartest woman on Earth, who I'd fallen head over heels in love with! And then she snaps." His expression had a smile wiggling it's way onto Alice's face. "I thought I'd fucked the sanity out of her."

"Okay," Alice lifted a hand, making a face, "I get it."

"What I'm trying to say," Rosalie spun in Emmett's arms, pecking him on the lips lightly before pulling away, "is not to worry. But seriously. Take things slowly and you'll be fine. Em's right. Jasper would sooner rip his arm off than hurt or disappoint you. You'll be fine. Now," walking across the room she unzipped a black camera case, tossing the expensive looking equipment to Emmett, who caught it without looking. "We'll take some shots in front of the wall and then move outside. I have some studio lights already sitting in the den. We'll just need to grab an extension chord and then we can bring it into the yard with us. We'll have to figure out a proper set up for it though…"

She paused for a moment, thinking hard for a few seconds. Looking down at Alice a grin slowly spread across her face. "Actually, hold still."

Pulling her phone out, Rosalie took a couple of quick photos of Alice before pocketing the device.

"I was going to say, we might need an extra set of hands, but," Rosalie shrugged, grinning. And that's when Alice realized what she'd done:

Rosalie had sent pictures of Alice, all dolled up and dressed to kill, to Jasper's phone.

And now Alice could hear the sound of the basement door closing, and footsteps making their way towards her room.

She couldn't help but laugh then, and Rosalie simply winked. "I've got your back, girl."

Rosalie was the queen of charity, all right.

It felt strange to return to a place she'd spent so much time in back in the fall. And maybe it was because almost every single person she passed in these halls had seen her cry before. Or maybe it was the fact that it was the first time she'd been there that she'd felt clear headed enough to actually take note of what was going on around her.

Winnipeg's Center was by far the busiest, most bustling one she'd been to in nearly a year. It had been fully staffed, and their newborn center had been full of war-created newborns and radicals in custody even in the fall, but now it was as if their population had grown even further.

Corey, one of the Captains for the center, and the sweetest person Alice had had the pleasure of befriending back in the fall, had greeted her with a hug when he'd seen her. He was as tall as Jasper, his tan skin marred with his own plethora of scars. These were all fresh, all from the war.

"Talking to Jasper yesterday was enough of a breath of fresh air to brighten this place up," he told her as they walked through the halls. "He sounds like he's doing great." The man grinned, and Alice found herself smiling, too.

"He is," she felt so happy to be able to report that to someone who had worked so closely with them last fall. Corey had been on the other end of Jasper's fits a handful of times, and he'd also been standing by, waving them goodbye when they'd walked out of the Center, weeks later, hand in hand. "He really, really is."

"Those episodes still hit him hard?"

Alice shook her head. "The last one was a couple of weeks ago. Minor though. And before that it had been another few weeks."

Corey's face grew even brighter with that news. "Alice, that's fantastic."

She laughed before sighing wistfully. "I know."

"Not that I don't hope you're successful here, but I did tell Jasper yesterday that he owes us a visit. Whether it's for work or leisure, I don't even care. I want to see that boy."

"I'm sure he'd be willing to make a social call," Alice mused, wondering if Jasper truly knew how much the staff here liked him, despite the state he'd been brought to them in back in October. "I know he's just dying to get back to work."

"Girl, you don't have to tell me twice." At the end of the hallway Corey opened a door that led to a passageway between two buildings. "One time, before one of your visits, he was muttering on and on about having to do 'trainings' and how he needed to get back to work. Just general hallucination weirdness. I just laughed and said 'baby, you are the work!'" He laughed then, and Alice smiled, too. "He stared at me for a few minutes after that, and then I rolled him out to you."

"Thank you," Alice felt emotion well up in her throat as she turned toward the man. "I don't think I said that back before we left. But I mean it: thank you." She'd been worried out of her mind the first several days they'd been there. Worried that Jasper's mind was lost. Worried that, without Bella's presence shielding his mind constantly, he'd be gone for good. Worried that he might still be under some strange influence, and that he might hurt someone else.

But instead of Jasper lashing out, he'd suffered. Long, agonizing days where his reality distorted itself and taunted him.

And the people who worked in Winnipeg's newborn center had been around to see it.

Alice found herself grateful that it left them with a soft spot for the man she loved, and not a sour taste in their mouths. She almost wished these people would be able to handle some press briefings or some media handlings. Surely if anyone could convince the general populace that Jasper was a victim of the war, these people could.

Of course, that was an impossibility.

Because the public story didn't include tales of mental manipulation and supernatural gifts. It didn't delve into the heart behind the man. The only thing known was a calculating coolness, a willingness to kill, and an excuse that it was 'for the Americas.'

Alice didn't like to think about it. Because to think about it meant to acknowledge the frustration and anger she still felt toward Carlisle and Esme and Rosalie and everyone.

And she didn't have the energy to waste on anger. Nor did she like brandishing the ugly emotion toward any of them.

They'd done what they needed to do, and that had been that.

Corey scoffed at her expression of thanks. "Alice, you've got no business thanking us. I won't be pleased until every idiot in this country thanks you two."

"You'll be waiting quite a while then." Alice mused, walking closely beside the man as they made their way out another door and across campus. "I would ask you how Skye had been, but if it were 'good' I wouldn't be here."

Corey was silent for a long moment. Alice tried not to watch what he was going to say, but couldn't help it.

"I don't want you to think ill of me, Alice," he commented, a frown falling across his wide features. "After all, I want these people to improve. To get better. To make progress and take steps toward going out in the world. It's why I do this; it's why working in this Center has been a damn joy for me for the past twenty years. But Skye… I don't know." He shoved his hands into his pockets and shook his head. "You know me. I can bond with anything. I'd snuggle up to a cactus! But that girl takes prickly to a whole new level."

"Do you think it's the right choice then?"

"I think any choice that anyone makes for themselves is theirs to make. Right or wrong." He spoke, an expert on the topic. "It's not my job to have an opinion. It's my job to help."

"I need to get to that point," she commented under her breath. "I still find it hard to separate my emotion from this job."

"It was a hard enough thing for me to learn, and I only work in one building. Don't beat yourself up, girl. You're dealing with loads more than anyone else."

Alice didn't verbalize her reply, instead electing to nod to herself quietly. Sometimes she feared that if she actually sat down, and took the time to mentally process everything she'd been through in the past year, she very well might implode.

So instead, she continued pushing forward.

"I'm hoping I can do something, or say something that matters," Alice spoke quietly as they finally entered the Newborn Center. It was one of the larger ones Alice had ever seen, which had only served Winnipeg well after their battle was said and done. "Anything to get her to reconsider."

"I'm happy to see someone fighting for her," Corey smiled, but for some reason it left Alice feeling sad. "Doesn't matter who you are, or how strong or independent you are. Everyone needs someone willing to fight for them. It's a lonely life without it."

Before long they were walking down a hallway that Alice knew Skye was on the end of. These were designated 'meeting rooms' where weekly and monthly check-ins would happen. Of course, those check ins were designed to be for newly-turned vampires to sit and talk with Center workers over their beginning stages of vampirism, but now they were used to interview and interrogate surviving radicals after the war.

It was in a room similar to the one they were heading in, where Skye had submitted her request for 'end of life' forms. And it was in another one of these rooms where Jasper had exchanged words with Skye across a phone line only the day prior.

Alice knew that the girl wasn't expecting her, exactly. After all, she hadn't quite called ahead and announced her visit. She didn't have to, thankfully, with the title of Protector giving her a right to any of the centers all across the Americas at any given time.

That was still taking some getting used to.

"There are cameras but they don't have audio," Corey filled her in as they walked. "Say what you want, sure. But that also means that we won't know if you need any help unless you physically indicate it. There's also a button underneath the table you can press that signals for our guys to enter, but," he shrugged, "I really don't think you'll need it."

"Has anyone needed it?"

"No," he shook his head, grimacing again. "When she wants you out of the room, you'll know. She has a very uh, dark way of going about things."

Alice raised an eyebrow at that, shooting her companion a questioning look. "Dark?"

"Dark," he repeated the word, "you'll see what I mean."

That almost amused Alice. "As your boss technically, shouldn't you tell me?"

"Not a single person who has been warned heeds any of my advice," it was a response only someone like Corey would give her. Any other Captain or Container would've 'yes ma'am'-ed her. That was one of the reasons she liked Corey. 'Unprofessional' as it may be, he treated her like a normal person.

They stopped outside of a door. And Alice held her breath, eyes glued to the painted 18 on the door. There was no window to peek into. Just a dark grey, metal door stood between Alice and Skye.

"Wish me luck," Alice tried to break the tension, shooting her companion a quick smile before she stepped forward toward the door.

Corey made an amused noise. "I don't believe in luck. But I believe in you."

Alice shot him one final smile, this one far more genuine, before opening the door and stepping inside.

When she stared down at the girl, her concern was the first thing registered. Skye's face was down, buried in her folded arms that she'd rested upon the table. Alice had assumed that the girl would've at least lifted her head upon her entry into the room, but Alice also hadn't looked ahead for the first reactions. Just to see if her plan had any chance of working.

It did, but it was only a slight chance. Still, it was one worth taking in her opinion.

She wasted no time in clearing her throat. Alice didn't want to simply plop herself down across from the girl silently. She needed, at the very least, her attention. Then, with a twinge of fear Alice wondered if there was a chance that Skye would react more than just negatively at the sight of her.

Thankfully, a quick few glances into the future showed Alice that although her appearance would certainly be shocking, it wouldn't send Skye into any type of fit.

Still, as Alice's first minute in the room came and went, she felt uneasy. Skye's head remained down, resting on her arms, still as a statue.

Well, it was now or never.

"Skye?" Alice asked quietly. And very slowly, she watched as the girl's shoulders tensed. "I know you're not expecting me, but I thought I'd stop by."

Her reaction was immediate. Sitting up quickly her dark hair flew around her face, her golden-orange eyes positively glowing against her tanned skin as she fixed Alice with a shocked look. "Alice."

Alice smiled politely, meeting the girl's eyes, relief flooding through her at the reception. It wasn't the first time they'd exchanged words outside of the battlefield, but it was the first time Alice had paid her a visit since the end of the trials a few months prior.

Despite everything, Alice's role had been insignificant. Everyone's testimonies had been. Once they had been able to prove that both Skye and Victoria had been forced into serving underneath Maria, their innocence had been solidified and they'd been treated like victims ever since.

There were dozens and dozens taken into custody that night that hadn't gotten the same treatment.

Idly, Alice wondered if that was one of the problems with Skye. Maybe she thought she deserved the same death sentence as the radicals she'd lived alongside for a handful of years.

"What are you doing here?" Her expression morphed from shock to suspicion quickly, just as Alice had anticipated.

Slowly, but not too slow as to indicate any hesitance about her presence there, Alice moved toward the table, sitting herself down opposite to the girl. "I thought you could use a visitor." She tried to keep her tone light, but it was hard to be casual about a visit such as this.

"You've never visited me before," the girl accused, suddenly on the defensive. "Why are you here?"

Alice feigned nonchalance. "Why do you think I'm here?"

"I know why you're here. I just want to hear you say it." Skye folded her arms over her chest and leaned back into her seat. "I already told Jasper to leave me be."

"I'm not Jasper though."

"Same fucking thing."

"Is it?"

Skye scoffed then, and the expression on her face was a firm reminder of her age upon changing. She looked every bit the fifteen-year-old she was. "You two should waste your time somewhere else. I'm not doing this."

"I haven't asked you to do anything."

"Oh, cut the shit. I know you want to keep me from 'expiring'." She mocked the term. "Why don't they call it what it is? Huh? Why not just say I'm killing myself because being a vampire is fucking miserable."

"I know it's been hard for you the past few years—"

"Shut the fuck up. No. No, you don't know. You have no idea what I've been through."

Alice swallowed. This must be what Corey meant when he said she was 'prickly'. "Jasper does though."

Skye laughed then. "No, he doesn't. He thinks he does. Maria told me more than enough about him." She stared Alice down for a few seconds before a slow grin spread across her face. "She told me lots of things. Things you probably don't even know." There was a slight flicker in the girl's eyes, and Alice felt a static buzz between her temples. "In fact, I know you don't know. Isn't that something? He's keeping things from you." She laughed again, and Alice suddenly knew they weren't just having a simple back-and-forth anymore.

Something told Alice she was going to get more than she bargained for today.

"He loved it. He loved ripping people to shreds. The fighting. Knowing that he held people's lives in his hands and that if he were bored he could simply tear some limbs or heads off and not be punished for it. He loved being a murderer. He wanted the power. And look where he is now," Skye fake-shrugged, "in charge of millions of lives. And you think that's a coincidence?"

Alice didn't like the turn this conversation was quickly taking. She was there to try and connect with the girl, not to be taunted be her. "You and I both know Maria fed you lies."

"I'm not an idiot. I know she did. But she also fed me so much information on all of your Protectors. On Jasper's weird empathy, and the red-head's mind-reading. On that stupid woman's proclamations. The doctor. The model. All of them. But," there was a pause, "not about you. Oh no, you made Maria angrier than anything I've ever seen because she didn't know anything about you. And I once watched her torture a man with a zippo for eight hours until he was repeating her every word like an obedient little parrot."

Sounded about right… "I can imagine what happened next."

"Can you?" All amusement fell from her face with Alice's attempt at sympathizing with the girl. "Can you really?"

"I'm not here to argue with you."

"That's a lie already! Because you are! I want to die and you're here to try and change my mind. And you think that'll happen without me putting up a fight in my own defense? Fuck you."

"I want you to know that there's a life worth living out there for you—"

Skye was groaning before Alice was finished speaking. "Oh, cut me a fucking break. Did you get that from a self-help book? Or from some dumbass facebook quote? You're here because you're projecting."

"I am?" Truthfully, Alice didn't want to continue this conversation if it were going to get them nowhere, but she knew it was important that she keep the girl talking. Any willingness to talk to her was something that Alice had to take advantage of in any way she could. As far as Corey had told her, she'd been refusing to talk to a majority of the staff members since making her declaration and signing off on her 'end of life' forms.

"Most of you people do. Especially those turned against their will. Which is plenty of vampires. They see me as some weird little victim they want to coddle and care for and 'save' in order to distract themselves from the fact that they barely have a purpose in this life except to struggle with bloodlust and how they're supposed to spend their meaningless and unending lives. So many vampires have no real goals or passion or anything."

"I'd disagree with you there."

"What's your purpose then?" Skye didn't miss a beat. "And don't go off saying some bullshit about your job."

"To help people," Alice spoke honestly.

Skye let out a long raspberry with her tongue, lifting a hand and showcasing a thumbs-down. "You get an F for originality." Clicking her tongue she refolded her arms, fixing Alice with a careful look. "You want to know what I think?"

"What?"

"No, I'm asking you, do you want to know? Because I know."

Alice let silence reign for a few moments before shrugging. "Yes. I want to know."

The buzzing behind her eyes tickled for a few long seconds, and the Skye was grinning again, leaning forward in her seat. When she spoke again, it was a whisper.

"If you lose him, it's over. You have nothing. That's why you're so terrified of me dying. Because if I die, the press will spin the story to suit themselves. If I die, they'll say it was justice served. If I die, they'll expect others to die, too. And if they get justice from me and my death, an 'innocent kid,' they'll demand it from him. They'll want his head, too. If I die, you're scared that he'll be the next to go. Or that he'll be added to the line of people expected to be reduced to ash. You're afraid that you won't be able to do enough to save him. And if he dies, you have nothing. Because he's all you have. And without that what will you do? Stand for a country that doesn't care for you or your happiness? 'Protect' the people who want him dead?"

Alice stared back at the girl, unmoving, entirely wordless as the girl spoke. With a sinking feeling she knew this was part of her ability. Being able to wordlessly pluck out fears and insecurities out of people's heads without lifting a finger.

"You don't want to help people," Skye's voice was slightly louder now. "You just want to help yourself. To protect Jasper. You don't care about anything else. And if you fail to keep him alive, you have nothing."

Silence resumed once more. Skye's expression went from self-satisfied to angry, and now she sat back again, glaring at Alice's smaller form. Alice simply stared back at the girl, her expression flat as she tried hard to comfort herself. It's part of her gift. This is why no one can get through to her. She's driving them away with their worst fears and their own selfish desires and insecurities.

But Skye had one thing right. Maria had never known anything about Alice. Which meant that Skye didn't know one very important fact: fear had been Alice's constant companion for her entire second-life.

If Skye was going to try to scare Alice off, she was going to need to work harder than that.

"I never knew you were so charming." Alice nodded innocently, "And verbose." There was silence again for almost a minute before Alice figured being careful wasn't going to win her any points. "You're going to need to do better if you're going to try to frighten me away."

Skye bit back a smile then, as if impressed. "Want to guess how many people I've made cry with just that light prodding?"

"I'm sure it's enough to establish a reputation."

"Not enough to keep them away from me apparently." She half-shrugged, still repressing a smile as she spoke. Alice had to reign in her palpable relief. She knew she'd passed the first test, and that things would only get a little easier from here. Still, a 'little' easier didn't mean getting Skye to hear her out would be a simple feat.

Oh no, something told her she'd be there for a little while. Deciding that this was enough for today, Alice made a quick decision.

"Well, contrary to what you might think, you're not the only person I'm here to see." Alice stood up from her seat. "I have other duties to attend to this week." Before she turned her back on the girl, she shrugged. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Don't act like I have a choice."

"Tomorrow then," and with a bright smile Alice lifted her hand, giving the girl a little wave before turning around and exiting the room.

Corey was standing outside, waiting for her with a frown. "Ten minutes?"

"It's all I needed for today," Alice spoke, finally letting her smile fall as she began to shake her hands in front of her. "You're right. She's… a lot."

Corey snorted as they began walking back down the hallway. "A whole lot." He nodded, agreeing. After a moment he eyed Alice up and down. "Something tells me you're not done here."

"Of course not. I didn't even scratch the surface. It's going to take me days to get her to relax or let her guard down or," Alice lifted her hands ahead of her, unable to vocalize what she was trying to say, "I don't know. Trust me? So yeah," she shot a look up at her companion, smiling sheepishly. "You're going to see a lot of me this next week."

Corey smiled, casually throwing an arm over her shoulders. "Whatever you say, boss."

"Now," Alice smirked, wrapping an arm around his waist as they walked. "How would I go about talking to Victoria?"

It was less than an hour later when they were making their way back the same hallway. Alice had propped herself up in the Captain's station while Corey made a few calls, making small talk with some more people. It felt good to be able to catch up with others that had worked alongside Jasper back in the fall.

They were all happy to see her, and wholly sympathetic to what the media was putting both her and Jasper through. Truthfully, it was the first time she'd felt comfortable inside of a Containment Center since before the war began.

And even then, she hadn't be 'comfortable,' exactly.

But she'd still been learning back then. She still was, but at least now she had a pretty good grasp on everything. Of course, like Bella had warned her, it would take her a few long years before she was used to every aspect of the job, and her friend had admitted to putting it lightly as an understatement. Alice could only imagine that throwing something like a war at her in her first year on the job would do well enough to speed up the learning process for her.

Her visions were still a huge help, too.

So when she approached the door where Victoria was being held, she knew she was about to have a very unsettling conversation.

The redhead looked entirely bemused to see her, leaning back in her chair and suppressing a smile when Alice walked through the door.

"A social call? From you?"

"You could call it that," Alice spoke as she took a seat across from the smirking woman. "Surprised?"

She narrowed her eyes, smile smaller on her face now. "You are here for non-work purposes, correct?" Then, she crossed her arms over her chest. "I was told this was a 'visitor'. Not a Protector."

"Anything I do within the walls of any Center could be considered 'work' if we're splitting hairs here." Alice half-shrugged. "But I just wanted to sit and chat with you. Get to know you a little better."

The woman laughed. "Why on Earth would you want to do that?"

"Why not?"

Victoria eyed her with a glint in her eye. "You're a peculiar woman, Alice. I'll give you that."

"You're not the first person to tell me that."

Victoria stretched out then, lifting her arms over her head and sighing. "I suppose you can't help expedite the process of getting me out of here then?"

"Not in my power, sorry." Alice grimaced. There had been talks about releasing Victoria from her 'probation' at the same time as Jasper, but without a permanent residence to return to, and without any friends, family, or coworkers able to vouch for her, she was being forced to endure the full year. "Besides you've been… off diet for a few years now. I would think you'd be okay with having to reset in a Center."

Despite there being many things Alice disliked about the way the country was run in reference to how vampires were expected to live and conduct themselves, she did find relief that their resetting programs were a great source of aid for their kind.

Vampires who worried about their self-control could always voluntarily submit themselves for a program to help them strengthen it back up. Of course, this didn't come without stigma. Vampires that submitted themselves to a self-control support program usually faced harsh social repercussions once they were out.

According to Rosalie, only recently had legislature been introduced to keep such programs subtle and entirely private; secretive, really. The blonde hadn't sounded too confident on the bills ability to pass though…

"Oh, it's not hard," Victoria waved a quick hand. "It's just tedious. I lived hundreds of years without needing 'government assistance,'" she used air quotes to emphasize her point. "I don't keep company with humans, anyways."

Alice found herself uncomfortable as Victoria made a face, implying that she found humans to be lesser than they were. It was another new phenomenon Alice was discovering, and it made her almost as uncomfortable as when human's vocalized their dislike for vampires.

But of course it went both ways.

This was different though. Especially since Victoria had worked alongside Maria for almost a decade. Her vocalizing any opinions against humans could be misconstrued quickly and easily.

Not worked alongside, Alice scolded herself mentally. She was innocent. It was proven. She's a victim here. Just like Skye.

"A year is better than five, at least."

"Not as good as six months," Victoria pointed out, eyeing Alice carefully. "Spoke to Jasper finally yesterday, by the way. Although, I'm sure you know that."

"It was mentioned," she replied honestly. She had no idea what they'd talked about. Only that they'd spoken. Alice figured it wasn't any of her business.

"You're a very lucky woman," Victoria noted. "He's very kind. Wanted to see how I was. Asked me if I needed help getting affairs in order for my release this fall."

"That's great," Alice nodded, feeling a swell in her chest over the fact that Jasper genuinely wanted to help these women. "Do you, then? Need any help I mean."

"Oh, goodness no. My husband will be waiting for me when I get out of here. He's all I need."

Alice hesitated before reacting, and then forced a smile onto her face. "That's great." But even though it brought a small amount of relief to her on an empathetic level, Alice found herself confused. If Victoria had revealed that information during her trial, she absolutely would've only had to stay in the center six months. Unless, of course, the woman was suddenly lying about a spouse for some reason. "How long have you two been married?"

"Oh, we're not. Not in the way everyone gets nowadays, with the paperwork and what-not. But we've been together a couple hundred years. Give or take a decade. I just say 'husband' cause it's easier for most people to understand."

"Wow, that's a long time." It was the longest she'd ever met two mated vampires together for Even Carlisle and Esme had only been together a little over one hundred years, and that still seemed so incalculable to her. Alice found herself fascinated. "I'm sure he's been worried sick about you."

"Oh, more than that. I can't wait to get out of here."

Alice paused for a moment, thinking back to the reports she'd read. It made no sense. "Has he been to visit you yet?" Alice already knew the answer though. All visits were marked on their file. Neither Victoria nor Skye had any family visits since they'd been there.

Victoria made a noise that made Alice feel very silly for asking or even pretending to have interest. "Of course not." The woman scoffed. "He hates dealing with government officials. No offense."

"None taken."

"He still hates that a permanent address is required of us. We're nomads by nature. It's silly."

That was an interesting thought. Alice had never once taken into consideration those of her kind who acknowledged they didn't need the same things that humans did to survive, and simply lived off the land.

It was embarrassing to admit her oversight. Especially since once upon a time, that had been the way of life for most vampires. Most of Esme's favorite stories came from her century traveling across North America.

Perhaps Victoria knew that without a proper address or tangible proof of her union, she had no chance of getting out of the center any earlier.

"He'll be here the day I'm released to retrieve me, but I won't expect to see him anywhere near this place until then."

Alice's chest ached, her emotions getting the best of her for a moment. "Don't you miss him?"

Victoria laughed again. "Two hundred years and you're worried that I won't be able to survive one without him? You're very sweet, Alice. I'll be okay."

Alice forced a smile onto her face. "I'm happy to hear you won't need further assistance when you're released."

"Yes. You both have made that fact very clear." Victoria hummed, eyeing her up and down. "You two don't have anything to worry about. I know Skye's little gift made his brain ten types of funny. I'm not going to get out of here and launch a smear campaign."

Alice was taken aback. "Of course not! I never—"

"Alice, please. I don't blame you two for trying to cover your asses. I hear the media is giving you two a run for your money. We have a television in the common room. I'm not going to add fire to their flames. But don't expect me to go marching around in his name. I have my own life to preserve."

"I wasn't here for anything like that," Alice dismissed, shocked. The last thing Alice had been planning upon arrival was to attempt to recruit this woman to help her clear Jasper's name. Sure, Alice had her selfish moments, but that hadn't even been a thought in her mind. And at this point, no ones words were going to sway people's opinions one way or another. "I mean it when I say I just wanted to check in and talk."

"Isn't that what we're doing? Talking?" Victoria asked innocently, eyes wide. "I'm just making conversation."

"Well let me assure you, that won't be necessary. Jasper and I can handle… the things we're going through."

Victoria hummed again. "I hope so. For his sake especially. I know how fragile he was. I was shocked to hear how stable he sounded over the phone yesterday. It's a far cry from the foetal-position killing machine I had to watch my back around last summer."

Her words were spoken so nonchalantly it struck Alice like a blow to the chest. This was something else she hadn't experienced yet; direct reports from ex-radicals on Jasper's reputation during his short-lived time spent with Maria.

Her interview with the man who had been changed by Jasper had been harrowing enough.

"How's he recovering, by the way?" Victoria asked, still waiting for Alice to reply if her expression indicated anything.

"Good," she blurted out a little too quickly. "He'll be back to work soon, which is good."

"I'm surprised they're letting him keep his job."

Alice suppressed her grimace. "So is he."

"I bet." She quirked an eyebrow. "I'm glad to hear he's 'good'." More finger quotes. "How long are you around for? Or is this just a one-day visit?"

"I'll be here for at least a few days. Not sure how long yet."

"Trying to keep the girl from killing herself, huh?"

Alice worked to school her expression into something more casual. But damnit if her expressive face didn't give away her surprise anyways. "I didn't know that was common knowledge."

"We're not locked up in cells back there," Victoria tilted her head behind her, back toward where their lodging was. "We're allowed to roam the common areas freely. To an extent."

"I know. I just," she didn't know Skye would've been so vocal about her decision to have her life legally ended. "I didn't know it had been discussed."

"And she didn't know it was an option."

Alice blinked at her. "Of course she did." She spoke plainly. "It's part of the interview process."

"Just because something is supposed to be done doesn't mean it always is." Victoria gave her a reproachful look. "Not that I'm looking to get any of your people in trouble but trust me; the girl didn't know it was an option."

"Until you told her." Alice didn't mean her word to sound accusatory, but she was stunned by the revelations.

"I've done nothing wrong." Victoria turned her nose up, folding her arms once more as she spoke. "Unless you were trying to keep that information from her."

"I—no. Of course not. It's," she paused, "it sounds like there's been some oversight in her interview process." With that, she stood up. "I'm glad I'm here now. Looks like I have some work to do after all."

"I wondered why you were here," Victoria commented. "You heard about her wanting to die, then. And now you're here to stop her. Funny then," she continued to speak even as Alice attempted turning away, back toward the door, "that she never knew about it in the first place." She smiled a slow, wicked smile. "I wonder, I wonder… why would your people keep that from her?"

Alice excused herself then, wishing Victoria a good day and promptly leaving.

When Corey took note of her frown he pushed off the wall, concerned. "Alice?"

"We need to talk."

Something was up. And she was going to get to the bottom of it.

A/N: So, is my attempt at teaching The Masses the zodiac seasons working? Are you now looking forward to each one? Could you tell me when Gemini season starts? Cancer season? Either way, I'm happy that my ulterior motives are working in the favor of zodiac bitches everywhere.

Things are really going to start picking up here. Hope you're bracing yourself. Alice is about to go for a wild ride.