A/N – Two updates in two days. I think my mojo is coming back :D
Enjoy, and please leave a review.

Shirelle
X

Alice's POV

I had my hands wrapped around the woman's neck as she completes her wild turn. Her eyes practically bug out of her head as they focus on me. Under normal circumstances I can be a little overbearing when it comes to first impressions, but I was so disorientated and distressed I had no idea what the human woman was getting from me.

"Move an inch and I'll snap your neck." I say threateningly.

"Alice." Her breath is coming out in sharp bursts. "Please, wait."

My hands loosen slightly as I stare at her. "How do you know who I am?"

"Alice." Edward starts to speak but I block him out, staring intently at the human woman. I know she's human, because I can feel the pulse in her throat under my hands, but I also know she was the one responsible for my family lying unconscious on the floor.

"You've seen me before." She gasps. "You had a vision of me."

I frown as I cast my mind back. Unbidden, a memory hits me from when I was searching the future looking for when Bella would come back with the mongrel. I had seen the human woman in front of me in the series of visions that had followed. My hand subconsciously tightens and the woman starts choking.

"Sorry." I gasp, loosening my grip again. The woman stares accusingly at me, the skin on her throat blotchy and red. I growl quietly under my breath. "Don't look at me like that." I said sharply. "I'm not feeling sorry for you when you've done… that …to my family."

"She's put them to sleep Alice." Edward says quietly.

I gasp, staring at the woman. "How? You're just a human."

She coughs, breathing heavily. "No, I'm not." She says faintly. "Please, I will explain. Release me first."

"No chance." I say coldly. "Not until you wake my family up."

"I'm perfectly willing to wake them up!" She shouts, taking me by surprise. "As long as they don't try and rip my head off like you've just done! I've already asked Edward to promise they won't hurt me but he seems completely unable to make that promise!"

I narrow my eyes at Edward. "Is this true? She offered to wake them up and you didn't take the chance?"

Edward rolls his eyes at me. "The situation is slightly more complicated than you know, Alice. Aradia has a physical shield protecting her. I do not see why she would need me for her protection."

"You have a physical shield? Seriously?" I ask curiously, almost forgetting my situation.

Aradia takes a deep breath before her eyes lock with mine. "Sorry about this." She murmurs before I am thrown backwards towards Edward and the mongrel. I hit the ground with a thud and lie there for a second, dazed. Growling, I jump to my feet. Aradia is massaging her throat, her eyes fixed on me. "Does that answer your question?"

"You insolent little…" I growl.

"How are you awake?" She interrupts boldly. "You should still be asleep with the rest of them."

I glare at her. "I'm not answering any of your questions, until you answer mine. Why did you put my family to sleep when you have a physical shield for protection?"

Aradia's expression turns to one of rage. "Do you not think I know about the murderous instincts of vampires?" She shouts. "I know if a human appeared out of nowhere, especially with what just happened with the other coven, that your instincts would cause you to attack me, and by that point it would be too late to know why I was here! I only have the physical strength of a human; I would not have stood a chance!"

"Now just wait a minute…" Edward began, his voice outraged.

"My power is not endless!" Aradia rages, her voice turning sarcastic. "Do you not think that I may have struggled to keep thirteen vampires and a werewolf at bay on my own? And besides as your brother has already so eloquently pointed out, no human can know about your world. What if you had decided to make it your mission to kill me?"

"We are not that type of vampire." Edward says quickly and I hear a snort from Jacob's direction.

Aradia scowls. "Regardless, you are vampires."

"You really don't like vampires, do you?" I ask quietly. She seemed repulsed by my very presence, but it was not the same disgust that humans had because of our natural differences.

"I think you're abominations." She says angrily. "Fortunately your particular coven is more tolerable than the rest."

Edward bristles at the insult but I raise my hand to stop him. "Since you answered my question, I will answer yours." I say reasonably, deciding that working with Aradia was better than fighting her. "When you tried to put me to sleep I was having a vision. Fortunately, that kept me semi-conscious, but paralysed. With a bit of effort, I was able to wake myself up fully."

Aradia looks mildly impressed. "I seem to have underestimated you as well."

"I'll take that as a compliment." I say curtly. "If Edward and I give you a personal guarantee, will you wake our family and our guests up? We cannot stay out here exposed for long. Sooner or later the residents of Forks will be using this street."

Aradia studies me intently. "If you both give me your word, I will wake your family up." She says softly. "But be aware, promises made to me cannot be taken lightly. You will not be able to break your promise."

I meet her chocolate coloured eyes and see the confidence in them. She was not bluffing. "I give you my word that I will stop the vampires in this street from attacking you if they try to. Now please wake them up." I say fiercely.

Her eyes travel to Edward who scowls petulantly. "I promise to protect you from my family and guests, should they try and attack." He mutters.

Thunder rumbles overhead unexpectedly as I speak and I glance up, frowning. I had foreseen that the weather would remain overcast today, so where was the thunder coming from? A loud pop distracted my attention and I blinked as I noticed the space in front of Aradia had changed. It was like a veil had been lifted. I frowned at Aradia.

"My physical shield." She says, by way of explanation. "It's not that noticeable until it's no longer functioning." She closes her eyes for a brief second and raises her hands. Almost simultaneously, the other vampires in the street take a deep breath and wobble to their feet, as disorientated as I had been.

Edward gasps and rushes over to Bella, gently helping her up. As soon as she is stood upright he gasps in relief and pulls her close. She looks bewildered. The atmosphere in the street very quickly changes from disorientation and confusion to hostility. I became quickly aware that all the vampires, even Carlisle, were glaring aggressively at Aradia.

"Alice?" Aradia asks, her voice breathless. I noticed how pale her face had become and her legs were beginning to tremble under her.

I gasp as a strange pushing sensation grips me me and I rush over to Aradia's side, hardly in control of my own body. I put my hand under her elbow and help keep her upright. "Stay where you all are. Do not move." I say warningly.

"She knocked us out!" Emmett shouts from where he is stood, his eyes fixed dangerously on Aradia.

I hear Edward sigh. "I'll knock you out in a minute." He mutters under his breath.

"She is under my protection. And Edward's." I say sharply, still supporting Aradia. "So if you want to attack and maybe even hurt us, go ahead." I challenge, staring directly at Emmett.

"If you move an inch towards her, I'll kill you." Jasper's low voice growls and I meet his eyes briefly. His golden eyes are burning dangerously.

"Perhaps we should calm down and understand the situation before we act." Carlisle says, his voice strained. He turns his gaze to Aradia. "Might we be able to learn how a human could put us to sleep?"

Aradia takes a deep breath but before she could answer I hear a shout from Edward. "JACOB NO!"

I feel the strange pushing sensation again and my body acts of its own accord, shoving Aradia behind me so hard I hear her hit the pavement. In the next instant, Jacob's huge form barrels into me and I am knocked backwards. My body blurs to its feet and tackles Jacob, pinning him to the ground. He instantly growls and his huge jaws snap at my neck.

"JACOB STOP!" Bella screams, running over to me and throwing herself in front of me. Jacob freezes instantly. There is a brief moment of silence as Jacob stares at Bella and Bella stares back before his bulk starts to relax from its rigid form.

I hear Edward curse under his breath as he rushes to Bella, growling curtly at Jacob. "I don't give a damn if Aradia did not make you promise to protect her! You just nearly killed Alice!" He snarls. There is a brief second of silence as Edward glares at Jacob, his face livid. "NO!" Edward roars. "I DO NOT CARE THAT YOU CHOSE NOT TO ATTACK BELLA. I AM PERFECTLY AWARE OF THE REASONS BEHIND THAT AND BELIEVE ME WE WILL BE DISCUSSING IT!"

Another forceful push knocks the breath out of my body and I gasp. Something was wrong with Aradia. I turn towards her with the intention of asking if she is okay when I smell it.

Fresh human blood.

I automatically stop breathing as I complete my turn and see Aradia still lying on the pavement. The pavement is cracked underneath her head and my eyes widen as I realise I'd thrown her with enough force to damage the pavement.

And on that pavement, blood was pooling around Aradia's head.