Disclaimer: As always I don't own Twilight, nor am I making any money off this. Just having fun with writing.

AN: Wasn't expecting to get this chapter out today but have used writing as a distraction for the song 'feeling hot, hot, hot' which is currently stuck on repeat in my head! ~ Hannah

Reviews for Chapter Forty-Two:

GraceEllingson - Goodo. Sometimes I feel my character's voice gets a little lost, having her write what she feels down on paper reminds me what she's fighting for. Aha, he will, very soon, I promise!

Debbie Hicks - I hope you fall down a well and stay there.

Chapter Forty-Three – Alice's Vision

Avoiding Marco was hit and miss for me. I tried to avoid him but not too much. I felt like I was doing a good job as it seemed like he didn't suspect anything. I was worried that I'd have to play a part and act like I did before my mind cleared. It was worrying because I didn't remember what my behaviour was like then and didn't want to trip up and spoil the plan to catch him.

Sophie and I managed to refine the finished song between us as Marco disinterest in the song choice had been clear from day one. Sophie agreed with me about the location for filming and we quickly roped in a camp advisor to accompany us to the Cullen's house. Everything was set for that afternoon.

I was feeling sick in my stomach. Despite the reassurances from everyone I cared about I couldn't help but feel that I wasn't safe. I know I'd done my best to have a fun filled positive summer and not to think of Edward too much but I wanted him more than I ever had before.

We were supposed to all drive to the Cullen's together but as usual Marco was absent. The camp advisor said she'd drop us off and go back for Marco. I guess it gave us time to prepare. Sophie had to set up the drum kit and she'd morphed into her dictator mode once more and had me running around placing things in the 'exact' place of her liking.

I had once thought it would be good to stay in contact with Sophie and gain a friendship out of things but having seen her come out of her shell and being greeted with an irritating and annoying version of Alice, I couldn't wait to not see her again.

I was glad someone – Alice or Rose – had the foresight to keep a stock of 'beach' clothes in the house. It calmed Sophie down, after she'd let out an inhuman squeal of excitement at the clothes presented to her.

"I can't believe how many nice clothes you have! How do you have so many nice clothes?"

"Our parents are quite wealthy," said Rose.

"Yeah but still, this is amazing."

"Well, Ella is practically family and when I mentioned to our parents that she was filming a music video, they insisted on buying the clothes to match."

"Ella you're SO lucky!" said Sophie enviously.

"It's like Rose said, they're family."

"I'd kill to have access to this kind of fashion; you must be able to get anything through them."

I didn't like the way Sophie was talking, it was like she thought I could be persuaded to get the Cullen's to buy things for others, like Sophie. I would never use another person like that, ever!

"Look, the Cullen's are wonderful people and they've provided us with yet another edge. With these clothes, our location and our song we're sure to rise above the rest of the competition. So, let's just focus on that."

"Urgh. Fine. I don't know why you're being so serious. I mean it seems this family would do anything for you. Some people would kill for that type of influence. I bet they don't even need all this stuff. Do you think they'd notice if I kept some of these clothes?"

I noticed she'd been rummaging through the clothes and setting a few aside. I thought those were her options for the video but now I wasn't too sure.

"Yes we would notice," came Rose's voice from behind me. "These are all high fashion brands picked out by myself. I know every single piece in this pile and if I have to inform the police that you've stolen from me I will."

"Jeez, I was only joking! I'm going to try some of these clothes on."

Rose and I shared a look that spoke volumes as Sophie sashayed passed us and into the bathroom. We both knew that she wasn't joking and if Rose hadn't have walked in when she did, there was a good chance that Sophie would have pocketed some of the clothes.

"Have you decided what you're going to wear?"

"I'm not sure…Emmett built the decking out over the sand, right?"

"Yep, so you don't have to worry about getting sand in your shoes. I think you should wear heels anyway."

"Heels? Isn't that a little too much for a beach theme? Besides, as you seem to have forgotten, my foot is broken."

"Oh bother. Well at least the outfit I picked out for the live performance can be matched with flats as well."

I narrowed my eyes at her, "ok, I'll trust you on that but only because I know you know what I like and would never force me into something like Alice."

"Good because you're going to look amazing in the outfit I picked."

I rolled my eyes.

"So what are you going to wear?"

"How about some jean shorts and a baggy t-shirt?"

"That could work. I got these cool pastel baggy tops, you could wear a cute bralette underneath. Ooo and wear these jean shorts, they're slim fit so they will fit for once. I've even got slip on trainers that will match whatever pastel top you chose."

Rose didn't give me much change to change my mind and pushed me towards her bathroom to change. I chuckled as she herded me into the bathroom, when needed Rose could be as bossy as Alice, if not more so. I settled on a pastel green top in the end, I would have liked to have worn all of them but the green just spoke out to me. Rose had been right, the slip-on trainers in pastel green matched perfectly with the top. I picked out a bralette with detailed straps crisscrossing along the back of it. It was cute. Perfect for the video.

I arrived back in the bedroom the same time Sophie did. Rose was casually sitting on the bed and eyed the both of us.

"You look gorgeous Ella."

"Thanks."

Sophie coughed.

"You look beautiful Sophie," replied Rose but it was a strained response.

I could see why; the dress Sophie chose was terribly unflattering on her. It was white with a multi-coloured panel at the chest. It drew in at her waist and then flowed out at her knees. All the edges were lined with little pom-poms of different colours. It was a nice dress; it just didn't suit Sophie's body shape but it was clear from the smile on her face that she thought she looked amazing in the outfit. Neither Rose or myself could tell her otherwise. I did think it was a little too dressy for the shoot but maybe that's why she chose it. Perhaps she wanted to stand out.

"It was so nice of Emmett to agree to film us again," said Sophie.

"Yes, Emmett's an amazing film artist. You must be proud Rose."

"It helps that he's easy on the eyes…yummy," said Sophie dreamily.

"MY Emmett is the best."

I doubted Sophie could hear the growl Rose gave or sense the tension in her voice but I did. It didn't matter if Sophie had a crush on Emmett because it wasn't like anything would happen but Rose was very territorial when it came to her other half and with Sophie already skating on thin ice I worried how far Rose could be pushed.

"Why don't we go downstairs? We still have to set up your drum kit before Marco arrives."

"Urgh, do I have to? I just got myself all dolled up."

"Yes, you have to. It's your drum kit. You should have put it up before getting dressed."

"Fine."

I felt my nails digging into the palms of my hands and I fought myself to calm down against Sophie's bitchy attitude. How could she have become a different person so quickly? I usually didn't believe in coincidences but with recent events my mind had been completely changed. Sophie was such a quiet soft spoken person and then bam! She became this bitchy sassy girl. It was too coincidental, had Marco got to Sophie the way he had got to me? I mean it would make sense.

It felt good to make Sophie put up her own drum kit. At first I helped her but once it became apparent that she was doing next to nothing to help, I left her to it. I was done being used by another person.

I was nibbling on fruit snacks that Rose had put out when she came and told me she could hear a car coming up the drive. Not wanting me to deal with it, Emmett left to welcome Marco and the camp advisor. When I saw him, I didn't have to be an empath to know that he wasn't happy with this arrangement. He hid his emotions well but I guess I was looking for them. There was a frown on his forehead, his posture was stiff and his hands were curled into fists. This was where things would get tough. This was where I had to act like my mind was still clouded with thoughts of him and no other.

I had to force myself not to look at either Rose or Emmett as I walked towards Marco. I had to stop myself from shivering in disgust. I had to assure that I wouldn't stumble over my words.

"Hey stranger, nice to see you. I thought you were going to bail on us again. You know it's not nice to abandon your project group. This is a group effort Mister! It's nice, here right? My friend Rose suggested it and we already filmed the extra shots here. Word of warning, Sophie's bitchiness is on a new high today, don't give into her demands."

I smiled as I was talking and tried to flirt with my eyes but I don't know if it worked or not. Honestly, I have no idea what I'm doing, I just hope that I'm not going to screw everything up.

"I wouldn't give up on my girls, now would I? I just had something to take care of."

I cringed when he called us his girl's, but I almost vomited when he put his hand on the small of my back and guided me back towards the others. I had always thought acting to be a strong point of mine but I was seriously reconsidering that thought now.

"You look really good today," he whispered in my ear. "It's a shame about the cast on your foot though. I would have liked to have seen you in heels."

I laughed nervously. I don't think Marco noticed, he squeezed me between his arms before letting me go and walking to finish setting up the drum kit for Sophie.

"How do you guys want to do this? Are you going to sing live?" asked Emmett.

"No, well, I thought we'd sing quietly so we can put the song over the film later."

"That's a good plan, Marco do you know your lines? You have missed so many of our rehearsals," said Sophie.

"Jeez, relax girl. I know my lines. Let's just get this over with."

I shot Marco a small glare but he just smirked and winked back at him. I knew I had to be playing a part but I really didn't want him to push Sophie into her angry alter-ego.

It was weird playing so quietly. Neither my guitar or Marco's bass were plugged in and we both made a conscious effort to play with the minimum sound. For Sophie, it was harder as she couldn't play the drums quietly, so she just had to pretend to play and remember not to hit any of her drums or cymbals. Both Sophie and I whispered the lyrics to the camera, it would, ironically, be Marco that synced the video up to the recorded sound. Part of me worried about that but whatever else Marco was, he was good at video editing.

In my mind's eye, I had seen this video shoot last two hours' tops. I don't know why I thought it would be so quick when we had so much to get through. Even without Sophie's dictatorship, all parties involved wanted several scenes shot of different parts of the video, with Rose, Emmett and even the camp advisor having opinions to share.

We stopped for lunch, Rose had out done herself as usual. I had a plate piled high with food I didn't think I'd be able to eat. Rose had strategically placed me between herself and Emmett. I could feel eyes on me and knew Marco was staring at me. Every so often I turned towards him and offered him a smile. It seemed to please him and stopped the glare he was sending towards the two Cullen's. My insides churned terribly but I couldn't let what I was feeling show on the outside. I had to be strong for all those around me. I couldn't fall victim to Marco again. I just couldn't.

After lunch it was straight back to filming various scene and though I knew Emmett was having fun with his role as camera man, I reminded myself to buy him a present for all his hard work.

Sophie wanted to film some individual shot scenes which turned into her dancing seductively towards the camera. It was a cringy experience for all of us to watch but luckily it didn't last long as the camp advisor thought shots of the three of us without our instruments would be better. I agreed but I was also reluctant as it would mean being near Marco. I managed at first to glue myself to Sophie's side but she then got the idea that Marco should be in the middle of us to make the visual even. As I couldn't very well have a tantrum about that idea, I had to suck up my courage and make my body move. Marco was enjoying himself if his wandering hands were any indication. The expression on his face spoke of things yet to happen. It reminded me of the look a villain in a horror film would give before they kill someone.

I was trying hard to keep my mind free of the dark thoughts it had towards Marco. Yes, I was nervous and afraid of him but I needed to get over this. I didn't want to let Marco rule my life and though I felt vulnerable I didn't want others to be able to see it. Again, I felt my thoughts were going around in circles, like when you have a song stuck in your head that you cannot get rid of.

"It's getting late and I think you've got enough footage to work with. If we don't leave soon we'll miss the evening bonfire," said the camp advisor.

I hadn't realised that the sun was turning the sky from blue to pink but realised it much have been a lot later than I'd realised.

"Thank you for helping Emmett," I said.

"No worries. I rarely get time to put this skill to good use."

Sophie had already begun packing up her drum kit to load in the camp advisor's vehicle while Rose was packing up the table and food she'd provided and Emmett was dismantling the video equipment. That left Marco and I standing awkwardly as packing up our guitar and bass took no time at all.

"Will you come back for the bonfire?" he asked.

"I don't think so, it's not really my thing."

"You hardly ever stay for the evening entertainment though."

"I don't like driving back in the dark and well I can't exactly drive at all with my foot so I don't like asking those that drive me to give up their evenings to collect me from camp late at night."

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind; you should come tonight."

"You're right, I sure they wouldn't but that doesn't mean I'm comfortable asking. I'm not coming, I don't want to, my leg is sore from standing all day, I knew I should have used my crutches. I just want to head to bed."

"I wish I could change your mind…but I guess I'll see you tomorrow cheré."

I had to hold back the grimace as he called me that name, it spoke of an intimacy that we did not share and would not share for as long as I remained in control of my mind.

"Of course you will. We have our live performance tomorrow. Then we have but three days to finish editing our video and submit it for assessment."

"Don't worry about the video editing, I'll have that finished tonight. I'll put it in for assessment as soon as."

"I thought you were going to the bonfire."

"Little point if you aren't there. Besides, the last days of camp will be more fun if we don't have to worry about the video."

"I almost feel sorry for you; you know Sophie is going to be right by your side dictating as you edit?"

"I guess that's one good thing about camp being almost over."

"What?"

"Only three more days spent in Sophie's present."

I knew Marco was evil. I knew he was dangerous but I still laughed at his statement. Sophie wasn't someone I'd miss either when camp was over.

He pulled me into a tight hug as the camp advisor called both Marco and Sophie to leave. I hugged him back, imagining that I was in the arms of another and not in the arms of one that had harmed me so. Once I could no longer see the tail lights from my position on the Cullen's front porch, I sagged in relief as I felt the weight of the world crashing down around me.

"You hungry?" asked Rose.

I nodded.

"Was us to take you home?"

"Can I stay here tonight please? I know Adrian will only want to talk strategy if I go home and frankly I think the less I know the better."

"How'd you figure that?" asked Emmett.

"Let's not test my acting skills too much. I figure the less I know the easier I'll be able to play the part of being enamoured with Marco. I'll be less nervous and less stressed because I won't know what you have planned and I'll just be focused on the live performance."

"Ok sweetie," said Rose. The endearing term warmed my soul.

Rose made me mushroom spaghetti and I sat in the living room eating while watching Emmett aggressively play his latest shooting game. I didn't know the name of the game but that didn't matter, it was more interesting to watch Emmett's face twist in concentrate and hear the stream of swear words that left his mouth when he failed in his missions.

I was almost on the brink of sleep when my phone rang. No caller ID showed up but I answered regardless.

"Ella, is that you, are you alright?"

"Alice?"

My question and the high pitch my voice had reached caught the attention of Emmett who paused his game to look at me questioningly and bought the arrival of Rose from the kitchen.

"Ella! Tell me you're alright."

"I'm fine Alice, why?"

"Don't go to the place where the lands meet in harmony. Don't cross the apple green grass or walk the meadow of dreams."

"Alice what are you talking about?"

"You mustn't go there Ella; do you hear me."

"I don't understand Alice."

"I had a vision Ella and your life is in danger."

"What sort of vision?"

"It changes as quickly as the wind but one thing is constant. Do not walk through the door!"

"What door?"

"I don't know, I can't see it clearly but don't walk through it. Has something been happening? Has something changed? Are you in danger? I need to know."

"Is Edward there? Does he know you called me?"

"He's hunting with Carlisle now but I need all the facts before he returns. Please Ella, I know something is wrong. I fear your future will disappear altogether if something is not done."

The phone was swiftly taken from me by Rose who started speaking too quickly for me to understand. She left the room with her ear plastered to the call with Alice, and with her departure an awkward tension filled the room. Emmett looked at me cautiously.

"Do you think I'm going to die Emmett?"

I didn't think Vampires could get any paler but Emmett proved me wrong.

"Why would you think that? Why would you ask me that?"

"Because I'm scared. My death could be a real possibility here. There is so much that I wanted to do with my life, that I want to do with my life but it hasn't been plain sailing for me, even before I arrived in Forks. This isn't like with James, here we don't know what we are up against and we are a smaller group that usual. Death has a bigger chance of taking me this time."

"You shouldn't be thinking this way. Negativity doesn't suit you. You're forgetting how many people are striving to keep you safe and alive, that's got to mean something."

"I'm not saying that it doesn't and I'm not giving up. This is my life and I intend to fight it until my last breath but you know as well as I do that you should think of things from all sides. I'm not being negative; I'm just being logical. I don't want to die Emmett but I might."

"Or we could just be overreacting to something."

"Alice wouldn't have called without reason Emmett. You know how vivid and true her visions ring. It must have been bad for her to call me so hysterically. I'm worried Emmett."

"We'll keep you safe for if we can. You mean so much to all of us, you have an entire family of people trying to keep you safe, you can bet your bottom that we aren't going to give up now."

Rose returned during our lull of silence.

"Considering Alice's call, everyone is coming over. We need to plan for all scenarios. Better to be prepared."

"Did you understand Alice's vision?" I asked.

"I don't think Alice understood half of it but at least we have some grounding points for what might happen and when."

"What can I do to help?"

"Sleep."

"But—"

"Ella, you said yourself, it's best if you know as little as possible. I believe in that statement. I can see how tired you are, I know sleep is probably the last thing on your mind right now but it is probably the best thing for you."

"Will you stay with me?"

"Emmett will stay with you till I can come take over."

"You'll keep me safe Emmett?" I asked, hating how childish my voice sounded.

"Always."