Chapter 15

Bella woke up with a start and gasped as felt her heart racing. Bella put her trembling hand over her thudding heart and took in a few deep breaths. She had a nightmare but couldn't recall what it was about for the life of her. Bella swung her legs out of bed and walked into the bathroom, grimacing as the pain from her neck was still present. Her sleep ridden eyes caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and she sighed with a grimace.

'I look like hell…' Bella thought to herself as she took note of her tear-stained face, along with her bloodshot eyes, encased by dark and puffy circles. Bella turned on the cold water at the sink and splashed some up onto her face, quickly washing off her face as she felt Alice's presence enter the room.

"Good morning Bella!" Alice chirped as she walked into the bathroom. Bella grabbed a hand towel to dry her face, removing the tear stains effectively before making eye contact with Alice.

"Good morning, Alice." Bella greeted as she lowered the towel. Alice looked at her with concern and a slight frown.

" Honey, please. What's wrong? You have dark circles under your eyes, are you still not recovered from last night?" Alice asked with a raised eyebrow as she ran her fingertips gently under Bella's eyes.

"Yeah, you know. It's the whole jetlag thing. You're lucky you don't have to deal with it" Bella sighed lightly, " Alice, I swear. I'm fine. I'm just going to brush my teeth, get changed, and then we can go share the news with the family."

Alice frowned at Bella's words. She knew something was wrong but she knew if she pushed the issue it would only lead to a fight, and that wasn't something she wanted. Deciding to take the higher ground and wait for Bella to come to her in her own time, Alice grinned before leaning in and kissing Bella on the lips. Bella slightly smiled despite herself against Alice's cool lips before pulling away. Bella then moved to the task of brushing her teeth and hair, throwing it back into a messy ponytail. She quickly changed into a pair of ripped jeans and a white t-shirt and then exited the bedroom to meet up with the rest of her family.

"Good morning, Bella. Welcome back!" Rosalie smiled and embraced Bella. Bella noticed that the cracks were finally healed and she was okay. Bella held on perhaps for just a second or two longer than usual, taking in the scent of her sister, the one she could have lost.

"Thank you, Rose." Bella smiled and she finally stepped back and checked over Rosalie as discreetly as possible.

"Bella, dear. You look exhausted. Maybe you should consider resting today." Rosalie softly replied, her thumbs running against the dark circles under Bella's eyes, the same loving gesture that Alice had done just a few moments ago. Her concerned gaze shot to Alice who shrugged with furrowed eyebrows. Bella may have been an enigma but it was clear to everyone that something wasn't quite right. The question was, why didn't Bella trust them enough to let them in.

"Yeah, honestly! I guess my sis kept you too busy for you to get any sleep, eh?" Emmett chuckled as Bella felt her face turn bright red.

"Emmett! That is not appropriate conversation." Esme chided as she lightly smacked his arm.

"But it must have happened, judging by Bella's eye color," Jasper smiled and walked over, "I take it everything was a success?"
"You bet." Bella responded as she cleared her throat. Jasper looked at Bella curiously, as he noticed she was seemingly trying to stop her emotions from projecting, which made him slightly concerned. His eyes shot to Rosalie and to Alice who both shrugged.

"Well, I wanna see you in action. Let's go!" Emmett grinned but Rosalie shook her head.

" Emm, she's dead on her feet. Honestly. This will have to wait. She may be stronger but she's not like us, she clearly needs rest." Rosalie responded with a shake of her head.

"Besides, Bella and I have something that we need to share with you all first" Alice paused and she looked over at Bella, seeking permission. Bella moved her eyes from the floor to meet Alice's eyes and nodded as Alice took Bella's hand in one of hers and then pulled her other hand out of her jacket pocket, " We're engaged!" Alice announced earning gasps from the entire family.

"Fuck yeah!" Emmett yelled, tacking Alice and Bella into a bear hug.

"Congratulations, to the both of you indeed" Carlisle smiled as Esme hugged his arm tightly, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

"This is the best news ever! You're officially going to be my sister now. When is the date?" Rosalie asked with a grin. Her eyes were locked onto Bella, trying to gauge her expressions, hoping that her concerning demeanor was due to the nervousness of announcing the news to the family.

" I told Alice I'd prefer sooner than later. Honestly, I don't see the need to really wait. But. I also want her to be able to plan out her dream wedding. She…Deserves nothing less as she's been waiting for this a whole lot longer of a time than me." Bella replied as she wrapped her arm around Alice's waist, mostly for appearance's sake rather than actually wanting to.

"Esme and Rosalie, I was hoping that you two would go with me to pick out a ring for Bella and to get some ideas for dresses, themes, colors, etcetera. Jazz, Emmett and Carlisle, I was hoping you would be able to go get some supplies and samples for Bella and to look through, and get your new suits." Alice smiled.
"We would love to go!" Rosalie gushed and nodded with Esme.

"And we got the rest, don't worry!" Jasper smiled in unison with Carlisle and Emmett.

"What about you, Bella dear?" Esme smiled her concerned motherly eyes locking onto her future daughter in law.

"I dunno. Maybe take a nap, maybe work on my beast of a truck. I am trying to restore it, you know. I don't know, see if Jake wants to come over. It's been awhile" Bella shrugged, " I'll be okay, really. Go on."

Alice smiled and went to leave with Rosalie and Esme but was stopped when Bella suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her back to her. Bella leaned forward and rested her forehead against Alice's holding Alice tightly against her body. Alice smiled and closed her eyes, purring lightly at the comfort coming from the feeling. Bella relished in this contact as well, as it was the first time since she woke up from the flight that the pain was slowly going away.

"Alice, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I do hope you know that." Bella whispered as she pulled back to kiss Alice's forehead.

"Where did that come from?" Alice questioned, looking deep into Bella's eyes, trying to read her but finding that her emotions were a mystery once more.

"I just… I just never want you to be in a position where you question that. It's not a good feeling to have" Bella paused as she nibbled on her lip, " Alice, we need to talk…" Bella started but was interrupted as Rosalie called out Alice's name.

"We need to talk about what?" Alice asked with a tilt of her head.

" No, it's okay. Go on. We'll talk later. They're waiting for you." Bella replied and Alice pursed her lips in thought before finally nodding.

"You sure?" Alice asked and Bella nodded.

"Please, go on. This can wait." Bella affirmed and Alice rather reluctantly left the room, stealing one last glance at Bella who simply smiled as Alice walked out the front door.

Alone, Bella finally let out a sigh she had been holding and went into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and made some scrambled eggs and toast, which she ate in silence. Bella finished, quickly washed the dishes and then walked out to the garage where her truck was sitting. Bella pulled her phone out of her back pocket and sent a text to Jake.

" Ready when you are."

Bella then turned to the radio, turning the metal station to full volume. Bella walked over to the outdoor fridge and grabbed a bottle of Heineken. She popped the cap and took a swig before lifting the hood to her poor dilapidated truck and began to fiddle with the leaking hose, just one of several things wrong with it.

' Finally, something that I can control' Bella thought as her mind wondered to Alice, the evitable conversation regarding the family and Victoria. The pain at that moment returned and Bella groaned, trying desperately to pop whatever was out of alignment back into place, knowing it was useless. She had come to the understanding that the pain was due to her feeling distant from Alice and it wouldn't be okay until they were. The question was, how and when they would be again. Bella's eyes became unfocused in thought and her wrench slipped from her hand causing the hose to become free and spray oil in Bella's face.

"God damnit!" Bella yelled and threw the wrench hard, which flew out of the garage and became embedded in the nearby pine tree, sending pieces of bark flying in every direction. Bella grabbed a nearby towel and wiped off most of the oil, only looking up when she heard Jake laugh.

"You should have a caution sign up that reads, "Caution, flying tools" Jake laughed.
"I'm sorry, Jake. I just…" Bella sighed loudly and looked away, clearly embarrassed.

"You're good, " Jake shrugged as he walked over and reattached the hose with ease, then took the clean part of the towel that Bella had been using to clean his hands. He then too walked over to the fridge and pulled out a beer. Bella closed the hood of her truck, before the two walked out, keeping close to the property.

"So, you want to talk about it or nah?" Jake finally asked as he broke the silence.

"Probably should, honestly but I don't even know what to say." Bella nodded as she played with beer bottle.

"On a scale of 1-10, how pissed are you?" Jake asked as Bella kicked a nearby pebble.

"0. I'm not mad per se, just disappointed. I expected more from them, especially Alice. I mean, I guess I can understand why they did what they did. I just wish they would have trusted me enough to tell me everything. I would have agreed to go to the trip and would have likely understood the reasoning if it had been explained." Bella sighed and began to nibble on her lip.

"Yeah, it was pretty messed up of them. Like, how can you trust them? You gave yourself to Alice and then she pulls this? I mean, family shouldn't keep secrets. It's got to be tough." Jake nodded in understanding at Bella's words, "So… what now? Are you going to break up with her? I mean you can still be imprinted without being lovers, you know."

"You'll just have to trust me when I say that breaking up at this point wouldn't really be an option and I'm not sure if I'd ever be at that point, no matter how upset I was with her. I mean, I don't want to tell Alice that I know the truth but it's making me feel distant from her, which affects the imprint thing. I don't know if I can keep it up, this pain is unreal" Bella finally admitted as she took another swig of her beer.

" I think that you should try and fight it Bella. If you let her know, it will be impossible for you to go after Victoria, alone. You wouldn't want them getting hurt again. Last time it was Rosalie but what if next time it's Alice? If you go by yourself at least the family will be safe, which we both know is what you want. We don't want a reoccurrence of Charlie happening." Jake replied with a serious tone.

"You're right. My imprint side knows that I should try and fight this just to keep her safe, but the distance thing is just not working out. I really do want to keep Alice and the family safe. I'm tired of being a burden to them, nothing but a reason why they get hurt as they try and protect me. I'll come up with a plan to keep everyone safe. I just… I need time, which I don't think I have." Bella sighed as she took a long swig from her bottle. Jake nodded and wrapped his arms around her, and Bella felt herself relax in his embrace, as she buried her face into his chest.

"I'm here for you, Bella. Always. You can do this. I won't let you do this alone. I promise, no matter what" Jake whispered, running his hands through her hair. They stayed like for quite some time, only pulling back from each other as they heard Alice's and Carlisle's cars pull up.

"Jake! Hey man, we're going to test out Bella's abilities tomorrow in the morning now that she's at full shifter power and shit. Care to join?" Emmett asked with a grin, completely oblivious to what the scene had just looked like.

"Yeah, of course. Just shoot a text when you are ready and I'll head over." Jake smiled before turning to Bella, and placing a soft hand on her shoulder, causing Bella to blush lightly and meet his stare, trying to find comfort in his eyes like she always could. They must have held this interaction up for longer than comfortable because Alice suddenly cleared her throat and Bella's eyes shot to Alice's darkening orbs, knowing she was growing jealous and then turned her gaze back to Jake's. Bella felt an odd feeling coming from Jake as she peered deeper into his eyes, and suddenly felt like she needed space. Bella stole a glance at Jasper who was looking at her curiously and she continued to suppress her emotions to the best of her ability.

"Thank you for the beer and for not hitting me in the face with the wrench." Jake finally said in a soft voice as he moved his hand down and up Bella's arm slowly, causing Bella to shake beneath his touch. Bella rolled her eyes playfully at an attempt to hide her reaction and shrugged his hand off of her shoulder.

Bella turned away from the family without a word as Jake began to run off into the woods and walked up the stairs to her bathroom. Bella turned on the shower, needing to get off all the grime and oil off. She sighed to herself as she felt Alice's presence enter the room. Bella stepped into the shower just as Alice let herself into the bathroom as well. Bella heard Alice remove her clothing before stepping inside to join Bella.

Alice did not say a word but simply grabbed a bottle of shampoo and began to work it through Bella's hair, causing Bella to immediately relax and moan in comfort. There was nothing better than when Alice washed her hair. Bella also was happy to feel the tension leave her neck and shoulders.

"My goodness, what happened to you? You're positively filthy!" Alice playfully laughed as she saw the water turn dark as it flowed down Bella's body.
" I got into a fight with my truck and the oil hose. It won" Bella finally replied after a few moments.

" Are you feeling better now my love?" Alice purred, feeling a large amount of tension leave Bella's body, but noted that something was still off.
"…Ish" Bella murmured, turning around to face Alice. Bella cupped Alice face with her hands, " I missed you though"

"Bella, I was only away for a few hours." Alice laughed, as she ran a hand down Bella's arm, mirroring Jake's earlier movements.

" Yeah, I know… but still. It felt longer" Bella replied as she turned off the shower and got out, changing into clean pajamas. Bella sat down on the bed and Alice joined her after putting on some clothes herself. If she were honest, she was missing Alice even though she was sitting next to her. The distance she was putting between them was unbearable and yet she still didn't know how to stop it. All she could think about was Jake's and her conversation.

"Bella, while we were out, I picked something up for you" Alice finally smiled as she reached over the bed to pick her jacket up.
"Oh?" Bella replied with a slightly forced smile, knowing what it was.

"I hope you like it. I know things have been a little off with you since we returned so I hope this makes you happy." Alice smiled as she pulled out the ring box and opened the lid. Inside was a black band ring with a heart shaped diamond in the middle, accented with black diamonds. It almost looked like an inverted design to Alice's.

"Oh, Alice. This is so extravagant and beautiful." Bella smiled despite her inner turmoil and felt her eyes fill with tears.

Alice did not reply but took the ring out and slid it on Bella's finger, finding it to be a perfect fit. Alice intertwined her fingers with Bella's.

"We're really doing this." Alice finally said as she looked up to Bella.

"Yes, yes we are." Bella faked a smile and closed her eyes in thought as Alice cuddled up against her chest.

"Bella, what did you need to talk to me about?" Alice finally asked satisfied that Bella was now calm enough to have the discussion.

"Can we talk about it tomorrow, please? I'm just too tired right now for this conversation." Bella almost pleaded and Alice sighed but nodded, curling back up to Bella, trying to comfort whatever storm was going on inside.

' How can I say I do to someone that I don't know if I can trust now' Bella thought back to Jake's words and found herself looking down at Alice and biting back a groan as a new wave of pain flooded throughout her entire system. This was going to be a problem, and she was in for another sleepless night.

Bella woke up to the smell of sausage and fried eggs. Bella's stomach growled as she realized the only meal she had was yesterday and had been breakfast. Bella yawned and opened her groggy eyes, still heavy from lack of sleep. It had been a long night, and she had found herself waking up multiple times to the concerned gaze of Alice, who did everything she could to comfort Bella back to sleep every time she had woken up. Bella finally sat up and leaned against the headboard, her eyes eventually focusing on Alice.

Alice smiled and sat the platter down on Bella's lap before she sat down as well.

"Last night was a little rough… How are you feeling, sweetheart?" Alice asked as Bella picked up the fork and began to eat her fried egg.

"Still a little tired but better than yesterday." Bella responded between bites.

"How's breakfast?" Alice asked after a few moments, with a raised eyebrow.

"Amazing as always." Bella smiled as she suddenly did feel better. She apparently had needed food.

"Good, cause I made it!" Alice smiled and Bella's eyes shot to Alice.

"Seriously? This isn't from Esme?" Bella asked as she finished eating and drained the cup of apple juice.

"Nope! She monitored but this was all me. Did you really like it?" Alice squealed in happiness.

"Of course I do, it's amazing!" Bella smiled.

"You've been so off the past couple of days. I wanted to do something for you, something to make you happy since apparently I don't know how to do that for you anymore." Alice replied with a slightly more serious tone.

Bella froze as a sharp white hot pain shot through her chest at her imprint's words and looked down at the empty tray on her lap. Suddenly, Bella felt like she was a major ass for everything and regretted not saying anything sooner. Just the same, could she throw away the only chance she had to keep Alice away from Victoria, her only chance to keep her imprint and family safe?

'If I tell her that I know about Victoria, it will likely be impossible for me to do what I know has to be done to keep her safe. On the other hand, she deserves better than this from me and clearly she is in pain like me…' Bella thought to herself, furiously trying to work it throughout her mind, clenching her jaw as the waves of pain began flooding through her system once more.

"Bella, please. I'm begging you. Talk to me" Alice pleaded, her tone cutting through Bella like a knife, " You just asked me to marry you and now you're pushing me away. You said you never wanted to hurt me, but that's exactly what you're doing and I don't understand why!" Alice urged, raising her voice in exasperation.

Bella flung the tray off of her lap, sending the plate and utensils flying as they hit the nearby wall, causing Alice to jump with surprise as she was not expecting that action. Bella forced back a gag, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach as she heard the plate shattering. Pain was now radiating throughout her body, feeling the increase of distance she was creating between her and Alice. Bella felt a stronger wave of pain and finally let the groan out as she laid her head against her knees that she had brought up to her chest.

' I know what Jake said yesterday was true but I just can't keep this from her. I'm going to put her at risk by not being able to go after Victoria on my own now. God, I'm the worst imprint ever…But, fuck it, I can't do this anymore. I need her.'

"Alice, I know, okay? I know" Bella finally sighed, her head still on her knees and her eyes shut tight in pain.

"You know what? You'll have to be more specific than that. I'm not a mind reader." Alice replied with an annoyed sigh.

Bella suddenly felt her anger spike and clenched her jaw, trying in vain to calm herself down. Bella finally lifted her head and made eye contact with Alice, who frowned as she felt Bella's strong emotions finally seeping through. Long gone was her mask. Every emotion she was feeling was very visible dancing across her eyes like an open flame. Anger. Confusion. Hurt. Pain.

"I know the real reason why we went on our vacation." Bella sighed as she looked out the window and ran a hand through her messy hair.

"What do you mean?" Alice stammered; her topaz eyes wide. She hated that she had not seen a vision of this interaction and knew it was because Bella had been making decisions at the last minute.

Bella chuckled in annoyance.
"Alice, please cut the act. I know Victoria came for me. I know Rosalie almost died. I know that you mislead me about the trip…" Bella paused as she took in a deep breath, " I know that the purpose was solely to allow for you and I to be fully connected, for me to awaken my true potential. Nothing less and nothing more." Bella finished as she played with her ring.

"Bella…" Alice finally stated taking in an unnecessary breath before continuing, " I don't know how you found out but I am sorry. We… I did it all for your protection, I assure you. I didn't… I didn't like the way I had to do it but I was assured it was the best way, the best way to protect you!"

"Alice, I understand that. I'm not even mad about that part of it. I just… I wish you would have trusted me enough to tell me what was going on. I would have understood, you know? I would have agreed to it all because by me being there I would have been a liability. All you had to do was ask and I could never deny you of anything, such is the blessing and curse of the imprint process…But Alice… I gave you myself, all of me. I thought we were moving to the next level because you were ready and that you wanted it. Now I can't help but feel like it was rushed, that you had to. I feel like maybe…just maybe, it was a mistake and now I'm having a hard time trusting you and well, us…" Bella finally replied, sighing in relief as the pain finally subsided.

Alice immediately put her hands on the front part of Bella's shoulders, forcing her to make eye contact. Alice's eyes locked into the foggy eyes of her mate, confused by the lack of shine that had always been present even when she had been mad or sad. This wasn't normal. Something was wrong, a lot more wrong than she had initially thought.

" Bella, where is this sense of doubt coming from? This isn't like you. I assure you, nothing about making love to you was a mistake! How could you even question that? I wanted you, I swear over my non-beating heart that I wanted nothing more. I still do! It wasn't a rushed decision. Having that night with you was right and was in no way a mistake. The only mistake made was me not being upfront and trying to protect you when it should be us protecting each other. Bella, please believe me… I love you. So damn much. I am so sorry that I made you feel this way and that you felt like you couldn't come to me with this sooner. I promise, I will never do anything like this again." Alice took this opportunity to capture Bella's lips.

Bella did not immediately return the act but Alice persisted, gently nipping at Bella's bottom lip until Bella finally responded a few seconds later. Alice gently urged Bella to lay back down and Alice moved to be on top of Bella, deepening the kiss as she slid her tongue into Bella's mouth, who moaned softly at the action.

Alice pulled back for only a moment to peer into Bella's eyes. She could read the mess of emotions as they swirled around. Desire, longing, but a bit of uncertainty.

"Alice…" Bella finally breathed; her uncertain gaze locked onto Alice's darkening eyes.

"Isabella Marie Swan… Let me show you just how much I want this and you. I am going to make it so you never question this again." Alice finally murmured as she moved her lips to Bella's exposed neck, ready to show her a side of love that she had not yet seen. She would fix things, until every wound and every doubt were filled and replaced with her love.

Alice's soft lips made contact with Bella's neck and sucked against Bella's warm skin, leaving a very successful mark. If Alice could not officially mark Bella as her mate by biting, this would have to suffice. Alice's reward for her hard work was a loud moan from Bella and the sweet flood of her arousal meeting Alice's senses. Alice quickly removed her own pants, shaking them off and moved down Bella's body. Alice heard Bella grip at the sheets, smirking as she pulled down Bella's underwear in one motion and down her slim legs. She had not been wearing any pajama bottoms. Alice moved further down, settling her face between Bella's legs, lifting them over her shoulders. Alice began to place gentle kisses on the inside of Bella's thighs, causing Bella's nails to tear the sheets from clenching so hard.

Alice felt Bella tremble against her actions, and looked up to her lover whose eyes were shut hard in anticipation.

"Alice… please." Bella finally gasped out. Alice moaned at the sound of her mate's plead for pleasure and focused her attention to the glistening slit in front of her eyes. Alice pressed her mouth against Bella, slowly sliding her tongue out to taste Bella's arousal.

"Goddamn!" Bella gasped. Alice moaned against Bella, becoming more aroused at Bella's reaction and moaned as she felt her own arousal spreading and coating her thighs. Alice moved up and pulled back, causing Bella to whimper. Alice trembled at the sound, before recapturing Bella's lips as her own. Alice finally maneuvered herself to be on top of Bella, and lowered her hips so that their sexes were pressing against each other. Bella broke away from Alice's lips and moaned out Alice's name at an embarrassingly loud volume and Alice shook harder at the pleasure coursing throughout her entire being. Alice moved her hips up and down, causing much needed friction. Bella ran her fingers up against Alice's back, the other tangled in Alice's short hair. Bella breathed in deeply.

"Babe… I'm close…"

Alice closed her eyes tight in concentration, trying to finish Bella first.

"Cum for me" Alice purred. Those words and the slight reposition of their sexes was all that it took. Bella groaned out Alice's name, her toes curling and her eyes rolling back. Alice came to her own climax as she watched Bella come undone from under her. Alice rolled off of Bella and pulled her close, feeling the rapid beat of Bella's heartbeat. " I love you, Bella Swan" Alice smiled as she kissed the top of Bella's head, still recovering from her own wave of pleasure.

The two remained silent for a few moments, enjoying one another. A couple of hours had gone by, and neither one had been interested in moving. Bella was too wrapped up in loosing herself in her lover's eyes. Alice and Bella lay like this silently communicating their love and need for each other, all the while familiarizing themselves with every dip, crease and indent of each other's body.

" Alice I have a request. It's for the wedding." Bella finally broke the silence as she untangled her body from Alice's.

"What is it?" Alice asked with a raise of her eyebrow, turning on her side to make eye contact with Bella.

"Would you…Mind taking my last name? It's just… with Charlie gone, I'm the last Swan and I don't want that name to disappear from the world." Bella asked, almost regretting doing so as soon as she saw Alice's expression change, almost like she would be crying if she could.

"Ah, damn. Alice. I'm sorry. I shouldn't…" Bella stopped as Alice's lips crashed onto hers.

"Oh, Bella. I would love to!" Alice smiled as she pulled back.

Bella smiled as she pulled Alice back to her, closing her eyes in peace, blissfully unaware of the next set of events that were about to take place.