Unnaturally still and white, with her large black eyes intent on my face, my visitor waited perfectly motionless in the center of the hall, beautiful beyond imagining.

My knees trembled for a second, and my jaw dropped. I suddenly found myself rushing forward to her.

"Alice? Oh, my god, Alice!" I cried, as I slammed into her.

I'd forgotten how hard she was; it was like running headlong into a wall of cement.

"Bella?" There was a strange mingling of relief and confusion in her voice.

I hugged her as tightly as I could, I couldn't believe it was really her. I hadn't realized how much I had missed her. I hugged her even tighter, if that was possible. I rested my head on top of hers, I could smell that uniquely beautiful scent I had almost forgotten—not floral or spice, citrus or musk. No perfume in the world could compare.

I found myself laughing from sheer joy, but before long my laughter had caught in my throat—I only realized I was crying when Alice dragged me to the living room couch and pulled me into her lap. It was like curling up into a cool stone, but a stone that was contoured comfortingly to the shape of my body. She rubbed my back in a gentle rhythm, waiting for me to calm down.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Alice," I sniffled. "I just… I really missed you, and I'm so happy to see you."

"It's okay, Bella. Everything's okay."

"Yeah…" I let out all the tears and frustration, all the hurt and pain that I hadn't completely let go of.

Alice sighed. "I'd forgotten how exuberant you are," she said, but her tone was kind, if not slightly hesitant.

I looked up at her through my tears. Alice's neck was tight, straining away from me, her lips pressed together firmly. Her eyes were black as pitch.

"Oh," I puffed, as I realized the problem. She was thirsty. And I smelled appetizing. It had been a while since I'd had to think about that kind of thing. It was strange. "I'm sorry."

"It's my own fault, Bella. It's been too long since I hunted. I shouldn't let myself get so thirsty. But I was in a hurry today." The look she directed at me then was a glare. "Speaking of which, would you like to explain to me how you're alive?"

That brought me up short and stopped the tears. I realized what must have happened immediately, and why Alice was here.

I swallowed loudly. "You saw me fall."

"No," she disagreed, her eyes narrowing. "I saw you jump."

I pursed my lips as I tried to think of a way to explain my motives to her.

Alice shook her head. "I told her this would happen, but she didn't believe me. 'Bella promised,'" her voice imitated hers so perfectly that I froze for a moment in surprise. "'Don't be looking for her future, either,'" she continued to quote her. "'We've done enough damage.'

"But just because I'm not looking, doesn't mean I don'tsee," she went on. "I wasn't keeping tabs on you… when I saw you jumping, I didn't think, I just got on a plane. I knew I would be too late, but I couldn't do nothing. And then I get here, thinking maybe I should help Charlie somehow, and you drive up." She shook her head, this time in confusion. Her voice was strained. "I saw you go into the water and I waited and waited for you to come up, but you didn't. What happened? And how could you do that to Charlie? Did you stop to think what this would do to him? And my sister ? Do you have any idea what Edyth—"

I cut her off then, I'd let her go on, even after I realized the misunderstanding she was under, just to refamiliarize myself with the perfect bell tone of her voice. But it was time to interrupt.

"Alice, I wasn't committing suicide."

She eyed me dubiously. "Are you saying you didn't jump off a cliff?"

"No, but…" I grimaced. "I was cliff diving, Alice. It was for recreational purposes and… and to prove something to myself."

Her expression hardened.

"I'd seen some of Julie's friends cliff diving," I insisted. "It looked like… fun, and I felt like I needed to prove I could do it."

She waited.

"It was foolish, I know. I didn't realize how high up I was. And I didn't think about how the storm would affect the currents. Actually, I didn't think about the water much at all."

Alice didn't seem convinced. I could see that she still thought I had been trying to kill myself. I decided to redirect. "So if you saw me go in, why didn't you see Julie?"

She cocked her head to the side, distracted.

I continued. "It's true that I probably would have drowned if Julie hadn't jumped in after me. Well, okay, there's no probably about it. But she did, and she pulled me out, and I guess she towed me back to shore, though I was kind of out for that part. It couldn't have been more than a minute that I was under before she grabbed me. How come you didn't see that?"

She frowned in perplexity. "Someone pulled you out?"

"Yes. Julie saved my life."

I watched curiously as an enigmatic range of emotions flitted across her face. Something was bothering her—her imperfect vision? But I wasn't sure. Then she deliberately leaned in and sniffed my shoulder.

I froze.

"Don't be ridiculous," she muttered, sniffing at me some more.

"What are you doing?"

She ignored my question. "Who was with you out there just now? It sounded like you were arguing."

"Julie Black. She's my best friend. She…" My voice trailed off. "At least, she was…" I thought of Julie's angry, betrayed face, and my heart sank.

Alice nodded, seeming preoccupied.

"What?"

"I don't know," she said. "I'm not sure what it means."

"Well, I'm not dead, at least."

She rolled her eyes. "She was a fool to think you could survive alone. I've never seen anyone so prone to life-threatening idiocy."

"Alice, give me some credit. That's not fair."

"Sorry," she sighed. "I just don't understand, Bella." She looked at me carefully. "So, if the currents were too much for you, how did this Julie manage?"

"Julie is… strong."

She heard the reluctance in my voice, and her eyebrows rose.

I gnawed on my lip for a second. Was this a secret, or not? And if it was, then who was my greatest allegiance to? Julie, or Alice?

No, I wouldn't pick sides. Besides, it was too hard to keep secrets. Julie knew everything, why not Alice, too?

"See, well, she's… sort of a werewolf," I admitted in a rush. "The Quileutes turn into wolves when there are vampires around. They know Carlisle from a long time ago. Were you with Carlisle back then?"

Alice gawked at me for a moment, and then recovered herself, blinking rapidly. "Well, I guess that explains the smell," she muttered. "But does it explain what I didn't see?" She frowned, her porcelain forhead creasing.

"The smell?" I repeated.

"You smell awful, Bella," she said absently, still frowning. "A werewolf? Are you sure about that?"

"Oh, very sure," I promised, remembering Paul and Julie fighting in the road. "I guess you weren't with Carlisle the last time there were werewolves here in Forks?"

"No. I hadn't found him yet." Alice was still lost in thought. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she turned to stare at me with a shocked expression. "Your best friend is a werewolf?"

I nodded.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Well, she's been my best friend for a while," I said, my voice sounding defensive. "But she's only been a werewolf for just a few weeks?"

She glowered at me. "A young werewolf? Even worse! Edyth was right—you're a magnet for danger. Weren't you supposed to be staying out of trouble?"

"There's nothing wrong with the werewolves," I countered, stung by her critical tone.

"Until they lose their tempers." She shook her head sharply from side to side.

"Is it any different from a vampire smelling blood?" I asked, pointedly. I didn't want to argue with Alice, but I felt like I had to defend the pack—defend Julie—after everything they had done for me.

Alice glared back at me for a moment, but then the corners of her mouth twitched into the slightest smile. "I'm glad to see you've still got that fire in you." She let herself smirk. "Leave it to you, Bella. Anyone else would be better off when the vampires left town. But you have to start hanging around with the first monsters you can find."

I gasped then, realizing how much she didn't know.

"No, Alice, you've got it all wrong. The vampires didn't really leave—not all of them, anyway. That's the whole trouble. If it weren't for the werewolves, Victoria would have gotten me by now. Well, if it weren't for Julie and her friends, Laurent would have gotten me before Victoria could, I guess, so—"

"Victoria?" she hissed. "Laurent?"

I nodded, a teensy bit alarmed by the expression in her black eyes. "Well, apparently I'mma danger magnet, according to you."

She shook her head again. "Tell me everything—start at the beginning."

I glossed over the beginning, skipping the motorcycles and the voices, but telling her everything else right up to today's misadventure. Alice could tell I left something out about the cliff diving, so I hurried on to the strange flame I'd seen on the water and what I thought it meant. Her eyes narrowed almost to slits at that part. It was strange to see her look so… so dangerous—like a vampire. I swallowed hard and went on with the rest about Harry.

She listened to my story without interrupting. Occasionally, she would shake her head, and the crease in her forehead deepened until it looked like it was carved permanently into the marble of her skin. She didn't speak and, finally, I fell quiet, struck again by the grief at Harry's passing. I thought of Charlie; he would be home soon. What condition would he be in?

"Our leaving didn't do you much good at all, did it?" Alice murmured.

I laughed once—it sounded angrier than I meant it to. "Certainly not the way you left. That probably did more damage than good."

Alice scowled at the floor for a moment. "Well… I guess I acted impulsively today. I probably shouldn't have intruded."

My stomach dropped. I sighed. "Alice," my voice was tired. "It was hard, having it all just…ripped away from me. But I missed you terribly. And wether coming back was a good idea or not, I am so very happy to see you. And I don't want you to leave again."

She smiled a bit. "Okay, Bella. I'm not going anywhere."

"Thanks, Alice."

She studied my face for a moment.

"You look like hell, Bella."

"I mean, I kind of drowned today, so…"

"It goes deeper than that. You're a mess."

I couldn't disagree. All the different emotions inside of me would be more than obvious to someone as perceptive as Alice. "I suppose I kind of am. But I'm doing my best."

"What do you mean?"

"Like I said, it wasn't easy when you all left. When she left. Just so suddenly and without giving me any choice or say in the matter, not even a real goodbye."

She frowned. "I told her," she said to herself.

"Alice," I sighed. "What did you think you were going to find? I mean, besides me dead? Did you expect to find me skipping around and whistling show tunes? Would you expect anyone to just bounce right back after something like what she did? I went through so much just to be with her, just to be a part of your world and then…" I stopped. My emotions were flaring up and I didn't want to go there. "You should know better than that."

"I do. But I hoped."

"Then I guess I don't have the corner on the idiocy market."

Alice's eyes dropped to the floor, away from me.

The phone rang.

"That has to be Charlie," I said, jumping to my feet. Alice followed me to the kitchen. "Why didn't he just call my cell?" I wondered aloud.

"Charlie?" I answered the phone.

"No, it's me," Julie said.

"Julie!"

Alice scrutinized my expression.

"Just making sure you're still alive," Julie said sourly.

"I'm perfectly fine, Julie! I told you that it wasn't—"

"Yeah. I got it. 'Bye."

Julie hung up on me.

I sighed, slightly hurt by her shortness, and let my head hang back, staring at the ceiling. "Damn it, damn it, damn it. That's going to be a problem."

Alice reached for my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "They aren't excited I'm here."

"No, they're not." I chewed on my bottom lip. "But I am."

Alice put her arm around me. "So what do we do now?" she mused. She seemed to talk to herself for a moment. "Things to do. Loose ends to tie."

"What things to do?"

Her face was suddenly careful. "I don't know for sure… I need to see Carlisle."

Would she leave so soon? My stomach dropped.

"Could you stay?" I asked quietly. "Please? Just for a little while."

"Is that what you really want?" Her big, dark eyes searched mine. Obviously she felt I was somewhat angry at her for leaving with her family.

"I'm not mad at you, Alice. I was hurt, yes, but I really have missed you."

"Then if it's what you want, I'll stay." Her eyes were still searching.

"I do. You can stay here—Charlie would love that."

"I do have a house, Bella."

I nodded, of course. How easily I had forgotten. She hesitated for a moment, studying my face.

"Well, I'd need to go get a suitcase of clothes, at the very least."

I smiled, and threw my arms around her. "Alice, you're the best!"

"And I think I'll need to hunt. Immediately," she added in a strained voice.

"Ah. Oops." I took a step back.

"Can you stay out of trouble for one hour?" She asked skeptically. Then, before I could answer, she held up one finger and closed her eyes. Her face went smooth and blank for a few seconds.

And then her eyes opened and she answered her own question. "Yes, you'll be fine. For tonight, anyway." She grimaced, slightly.

"Alright, then, I'll see you when you get back." I was slightly wary of her leaving. Even if her visions told her I would be safe. Julie wasn't here, and neither were the wolves and Victoria was still out there.

"I promise—one hour." She assured me.

I glanced at the clock over the kitchen table. She laughed and leaned in quickly to kiss me on the cheek. Then she was gone.

I took a deep breath. I was glad to see Alice, and despaired over how things were with Julie. What a horrible dichotomy of emotions.

I decided to keep myself busy while I waited for her to return. A shower was definitely first on the agenda. I sniffed my shoulders as I undressed, but I couldn't smell anything but the brine and seaweed scent of the ocean. I wondered what Alice had meant about me smelling bad.

When I cleaned up, I went back to the kitchen. I couldn't see any signs that Charlie had eaten recently, and he would probably be hungry when he got back. I hurried around the kitchen to prepare something.

While Thursday's casserole rotated in the microwave—the best I could do on such short notice—I made up the couch with sheets and an old pillow. Alice wouldn't need it, but Charlie would need to see it. I was careful not to watch the clock. I didn't want to know exactly how long I had been alone for.

I hurried through my own dinner, not tasting it—just feeling the ache as it slid down my raw throat. Mostly I was thirsty; I must have drunk half a gallon of water by the time I was finished. All the salt in my system had dehydrated me.

I went to go try to watch TV while I waited.

Alice was already there, sitting on her improvised bed. Her eyes were a liquid butterscotch. She smiled and patted the pillow. Thanks."

"You're early," I smiled.

I sat down next to her and leaned my head on her shoulder. She put her cold arms around me and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye."

"It's alright Alice," I said quietly. "Thank you."

It was silent.

"Does… does Edyth know you're here?" I didn't know why I asked. What did it matter, really?

"No."

There was only one way that could be true. "She's not with Carlisle and Esme?"

"She checks in every few months."

"Oh." She must still be out enjoying her distractions. Of course. "You said you flew here… where did you come from?"

"I was in Denali. Visiting Taras's family."

"Is Jasper here? Did he come with you?"

She shook her head. "He didn't approve of my interfering. We promised… Besides, I don't think he could have faced you after…" she trailed off, and then her tone changed. "And you think Charlie won't mind my being here?" she asked, sounding worried.

"Charlie thinks you're wonderful, Alice."

"Well, we're about to find out."

Sure enough, a few seconds later I heard the cruiser pull into the driveway. I jumped up and hurried to open the door.

Charlie trudged slowly up the walk, his eyes on the ground and his shoulders slumped. I walked forward to meet him; he didn't even see me until I hugged him around the waist. He embraced me back fiercely.

"I'm so sorry about Harry, Dad."

"I'm really going to miss him," Charlie mumbled.

"How's Sue doing?"

"She seems dazed, like she hasn't grasped it yet. Sam's staying with her…." The volume of his voice faded in and out. "Those poor kids. Liam's just a year older than you, and Seth is only fourteen…." He shook his head.

He kept his arms tight around me as he started toward the door again.

"Um, Dad?" I figured I'd better warn him. "We actually have a visitor. You'll never guess."

He looked at me blankly. His head swiveled around, and he spied the Mercedes across the street, the porch light reflecting off the glossy black paint. Before he could react, Alice was in the doorway.

"Hi, Charlie," she said in a subdued voice. "I'm sorry I came at such a bad time."

"Alice Cullen?" he peered at the slight figure in front of him as if he doubted what his eyes were telling him. "Alice, is that you?"

"It's me," she confirmed. "I was in the neighborhood."

"Is Carlisle…?"

"No, I'm alone."

Both Alice and I knew he wasn't really asking about Carlisle. His arms tightened over my shoulder.

"Dad, is it okay if Alice stays here with us?" I didn't mention that I'd already asked her.

"Of course," Charlie said mechanically. "We'd love to have you, Alice."

"Thank you, Charlie. I know it's horrid timing."

"No, it's fine, really. I'm going to be really busy doing what I can for Harry's family; it will be nice for Bella to have some company."

"There's dinner for you on the table, Dad, you need to eat something," I told him.

"Thanks, Bella." He gave me one more squeeze before he shuffled toward the kitchen.

I followed him and made sure he had everything he needed. Once he was eating, I went back to the couch.

Alice was waiting there for me. This time, she was the one to pull me against her shoulder.

"You look tired."

"Yeah," I agreed, and shrugged. "Near-death experiences do that to me every time…"

She laughed darkly. "I would imagine."

"So, what does Carlisle think of you being here?"

"He doesn't know. He and Esme were on a hunting trip. I'll hear from him in a few days, when he gets back."

"You won't tell her, though, when she checks in again?" I asked. She knew I didn't mean Carlisle now.

"No. She'd bite my head off," Alice said grimly.

I laughed, and then sighed.

I didn't want to sleep. I wanted to stay up all night talking to Alice and catch up. And it didn't make sense for me to be tired, what with crashing on Julie's couch all day. But drowning really had taken a lot out of me, and my eyes wouldn't stay open. I rested my head on her stone shoulder, and drifted easily into a deep sleep.

I woke early, from a dreamless sleep, feeling well-rested, but stiff. I was on the couch tucked under the blankets I'd left out for Alice, and I could hear her and Charlie talking in the kitchen. It sounded like Charlie was fixing her breakfast.

"How bad was it, Charlie?" Alice asked softly, and at first I thought they were talking about the Clearwaters.

Charlie sighed. "Real bad."

"Tell me about it. I want to know exactly what happened when we left."

There was a pause while a cupboard door was closed and a dial on the stove clicked off. I waited, cringing.

"I've never felt so helpless," Charlie began slowly. "I didn't know what to do. That first week—she was just so sad. She'd barely eat or drink, she wouldn't move much. Dr. Gerandy even threw out words like 'depression,' but I didn't let her up to see her. I was afraid it would upset her more."

"She snapped out of it though?"

"I had Renée come to take her to Florida. I just didn't know what to do for her. I hoped being with her mother would help. But when we started packing her clothes, she woke up with a vengeance. I've never seen Bella throw a fit like that. She was never one for tantrums, but, boy, did she fly into a fury. She threw her clothes back into the closet and screamed that Ed—well, that the whole thing wouldn't drive her away… And then she finally started crying. I thought that would be the turning point. I didn't argue when she insisted on staying here… And she did seemed to get better at first…."

Charlie trailed off. It was hard listening to this, knowing how much pain I'd caused him.

"But?" Alice prompted.

"She went back to school and work, she ate and slept and did her homework. She answered when someone asked her a question. But she was… empty. Her eyes were blank. There were lots of little things—she wouldn't listen to music anymore. She didn't read; she wouldn't pay attention if the TV was on, not that she watched it so much before. I finally figured it out—she was avoiding everything that might remind her of…" Charlie didn't finish, but Alice would know who he meant.

"We could hardly talk; I was so worried about saying something that might upset her. Maybe that was just me being overly-cautious, but I didn't even know what to say. She was just sad. If she wasn't sad, she was angry. Mostly, though, it was just emptiness.

"She was mostly alone all the time. She didn't really reconnect with any of her friends… and then at night, god, at night… She'd wake up fighting panic attack after panic attack from all the nightmares…"

I could almost see him shuddering. I shuddered, too, remembering. And then I sighed. I hadn't held it together as well as I had thought.

"I'm so sorry, Charlie," Alice said, voice glum.

"It's not your fault." The way he said it made it perfectly clear that he was holding someone responsible. "You were always a good friend to her."

"I still feel badly," Alice sighed. "I don't think we gave her a chance to really say goodbye to us properly, and I think in some ways that hurt her more than anything."

"Maybe." Charlie's voice was low.

"She seems better now, though."

"Yeah, Ever since she started hanging out with Julie Black, I've noticed a real improvement. She has some color in her cheeks, the light back in her eyes. She's happier." He paused, and his voice was different when he spoke again. "Julie's a little younger than her, a year or less, and I know Bella used to think of her as a friend, but I think maybe it's something more now, or headed in that direction, anyway." Charlie said this in a tone that was almost belligerent. It was a warning, not for Alice, but for her to pass along. "Julie's old for her years," he continued, still sounding defensive. "She's taken care of her father physically the way Bella took care of her mother emotionally. It matured her. She's a good-looking kid, too—takes after her mother's side. She's good for Bella, you know," Charlie insisted.

"Then it's good Bella has her," Alice agreed.

Charlie sighed out a big guest of air, folding quickly to the lack of opposition. "Okay, so I guess that's overstating things. I don't know… even with Julie, now and then I see something in her eyes, and I wonder if I've ever grasped how much pain she's really in. I don't know if Bella's even really grasped how much pain she's in." His voice cracked.

I felt really bad then. Charlie went on in a hopeless tone. "I don't know if she's going to get over it. She seems like she really wants to but she just can't—I'm not sure what's been holding her back. She's always been such a tough kid, deep down."

"She's one of a kind," Alice agreed.

"And Alice…" Charlie hesitated. "Now, you know how fond I am of you, and I can tell that she's happy to see you, but… I'm a little worried about what your visit will do to her."

"So am I, Charlie, so am I. I wouldn't of come if I'd had any idea. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, honey. Who knows? Maybe it will be good for her."

"I hope you're right."

There was a long break while forks scraped plates and Charlie chewed. I wondered where Alice was hiding the food.

"Alice, I have to ask you something," Charlie said awkwardly.

Alice was calm. "Go ahead."

"She's not coming back to visit, too, is she?" I could hear the suppressed anger in Charlie's voice.

Alice answered in a soft, reassuring tone. "She doesn't even know I'm here. The last time I spoke with her, she was in South America."

I stiffened as I heard this new information, and frowned. I didn't know if I really cared so much anymore that she had left me, but to leave her family like she was doing was just selfish and ridiculous.

"That's something, at least." Charlie snorted. "Well, I hope she's enjoying herself."

For the first time, Alice's voice had a bit of steel in it. "I wouldn't make assumptions, Charlie." I knew how her eyes would flash when she used that tone.

A chair scooted from the table, scraping loudly across the floor. I pictured Charlie getting up; there was no way Alice would make that kind of noise. The faucet ran, splashing against a dish.

It didn't sound like they were going to say anything more, and I had eavesdropped enough, so I decided it was time to wake up.

I turned over, bouncing against the springs to make them squeak. Then I yawned loudly.

All was quiet in the kitchen.

I stretched and groaned.

"Dad? Alice?" I asked innocently; the soreness rasping in my throat added nicely to the charade.

"We're in the kitchen, Bella," Alice called, no hint in her voice that she suspected my listening. But she was good at hiding things like that.

Charlie had to leave then—he was helping Sue Clearwater with the funeral arrangements. I gave him a hug and told him I loved him before he left. It would have been a long day without Alice. She never spoke about leaving, and I didn't ask her. I knew it was inevitable, though, so I enjoyed the time I had with her.

Instead, we talked about her family—all but one.

Carlisle was working nights in Ithaca and teaching part time at Cornell. Esme was restoring a seventeenth century house, a historical monument, in the forest north of the city. Emmett and Royal had gone to Europe for a few months on another honeymoon, but they were back now. Jasper was at Cornell, too, studying philosophy this time. And Alice had been doing some personal research, concerning the information I'd accidentally uncovered for her last spring. She'd successfully tracked down the asylum where she'd spent the last years of her human life. The life she had no memory of.

"My name was Mary Alice Brandon," She told me quietly. "I had a little sister named Cynthia. Her daughter—my niece—is still alive in Biloxi."

"Did you find out why they put you in… that place?" What would drive parents to that extreme? Even if their daughter saw visions of the future.

She just shook her head, her topaz eyes thoughtful. "I couldn't find much about them. I went through all the old newspapers on microfiche. My family wasn't mentioned often; they weren't part of the social circle that made the papers. My parents' engagement was there, and Cynthia's." The name fell uncertainly from her tongue. "My birth was announced… and my death. I found my grave. I also filched my admissions sheet from the old asylum archives. The date on the admission and the date on my tombstone are the same."

I didn't know what to say, and, after a short pause, Alice moved on to lighter topics.

The Cullens were reassembled now, with the one exception, spending Cornell's spring break in Denali with Taras and his family. I listened to her stories with a mixture of sadness and fondness.

"They all miss you," Alice admitted quietly. "Emmett and Esme, especially."

This surprised me for some reason. I wasn't expecting it.

"That's very kind of them." I smiled sadly. "I'm sure Royal doesn't miss me so much."

Alice smirked a bit, then she frowned. "We all wanted to say goodbye, Bella." She looked at me with such sincerity in her eyes. "We wanted to see you, to tell you we cared, we didn't want to just—" her voice caught and she clenched her jaw. "I'm sorry, Bella."

And I felt something shift inside of me, Alice had probably said more than she meant to but the apology meant a great deal to me. I felt the first real sense of true closure.

"I forgive you, Alice."

Charlie didn't get back until after dark, and he looked more worn out than he had the night before. He would be headed back to the reservation first thing in the morning for Harry's funeral, so he turned in early. I stayed on the couch with Alice again.

Charlie was almost a stranger when he came down the stairs before the sun was up, wearing an old suit I'd never seen him in before. The jacket was a little threadbare around the shoulders and his tie was bit wide for the current style. He tiptoed to the door, trying not to wake us up. I let him go, pretending to sleep, as Alice did on the recliner.

As soon as he was out the door, Alice sat up, under the quilt, she was fully dressed.

"So, what are we doing today?" she asked.

"I don't know," I yawned, "do you see anything interesting happening?"

She smiled and shook her head. "But it's still early."

All the time I'd been spending in La Push meant a pile of things I'd been neglecting at home, and I decided to catch up on my chores. I wanted to do something, anything that might make life easier for Charlie—maybe it would make him feel a little better to come home to a clean, organized house. I started with the bathroom—it showed the most signs of neglect. The kitchen would be next.

While I worked, Alice followed me around and asked nonchalant questions about my, well,our high school friends and what they had been up to since she'd left. She seemed amused by the various stories, though I could see the disapproval in her face when I mentioned standing up to the men during the trip to Port Angeles with Jeremy. After the cleaning was done I put a load of laundry in the machine. I felt grimy from scrubbing the bathroom and kitchen so I excused myself to take a quick shower.

I had just finished getting dressed when the doorbell rang. I popped my head out of the bathroom and peered down the stairwell. Alice was standing at the foot of the stairs looking perplexed, almost worried, which was strange; Alice was never taken by surprise.

"Hold on!" I shouted in the general direction of the front door, running my hands through my still damp hair.

"Bella," Alice was suddenly standing next to me, having moved up the stairs silently and in a split-second. I jumped. "I have a fairly good guess who that might be, and I think I'd better step out."

"Guess?" I echoed. Since when did Alice have to guess anything?

"If this is a repeat of my egregious lapse in foresight yesterday, then it's most likely Julie Black or one of her… friends."

My heart soared with hope that Julie was here, but then I put it together. "You can't see the werewolves?"

She grimaced. "So it would seem." She was obviously annoyed by this fact—very annoyed.

The doorbell rang again—buzzing twice quickly and impatiently.

"You don't have to leave, Alice."

She laughed her silvery little laugh—it had a dark edge. "Trust me—it wouldn't be a good idea to have me and Julie Black in a room together."

She kissed my cheek and swiftly ruffled my hair before she vanished in a blur down the stairs—and out the back, no doubt.

The doorbell rang again.