A/N: Thanks for all the reviews so far, I really appreciate them. I know some of you are concerned with how still stuck on Edward Bella is, but I want to write this story without completely discounting her relationship and painful infatuation with Edward. It will take some time but I assure you Alice won't give up easily. This chapter is a little shorter than I'd like, but it's kind of transitional, establishing how we'll be keeping Alice in this story.

I felt like I was stuffing my face tonight. After the spaghetti, there were some chips Charlie bought, and ice cream. It figured that Charlie would buy ice cream after I supposedly tried to kill myself, like the hospital visit had just been for a tonsillectomy or something else that could be cured with a little TLC and ice cream. Alice seemed relieved to see me eating, and I wondered if her visions had shown her how little I had eaten since Edward left. I wasn't exactly anorexic, but I was definitely a less healthy skinny than I had been before. My stomach wasn't quite used to being full anymore, and my stomach was starting to sting.

Pushing the lid on the ice cream pint, I waddled to the kitchen, clutching my bloated abdomen, and shoved it into the fridge. I wasn't standing up straight anymore by the time I turned to come back, and Alice was by my side before I noticed her move.

"Bella, what's going on?"

"Don't vampires ever get bloated?" I asked, groaning when she picked me up like a feather and carried me back to the couch.

"That's what bloating is like?" Alice didn't look convinced. "I'm sorry. This is my fault."

I was completely floored. "Your fault? How in the world do you explain that?"

"I left and I let Edward leave. I saw you stop eating, and I thought it would be a good idea to push food on you tonight. I remember Carlisle saw a patient from Forks High School about an eating disorder, and he encouraged her to work up slowly so she wouldn't overwhelm her stomach. Not that I'm saying you have an eating disorder."

God help me, I was curious as to who it was. "You probably don't know her," Alice said, "she graduated when I was a 'sophomore,'" she made quotation marks with her fingers.

Help me again for having hoped it was Lauren or Jessica or someone else for whom self-worth seemed to come easily. "Lauren doesn't have self-esteem, are you kidding me?" Alice laughed. "I'd almost say that girl is a bigger mess than you are."

"How do you know so much about her?" I asked. "I thought you only really kept track of people who mattered to you."

She sighed. "After she realized Edward was never going to be interested in her, she sort of shifted her focus to Jasper for a while. It was a pretty big mess trying to keep things under control. She's a predator and Jasper was finding it difficult to find any reason in his heart not to end things the vampire way."

I shuddered. "So what did you do?"

"I eventually made it very clear to her that he was my boyfriend and that I wasn't going to put up with her crap. I still had to follow him everywhere, she only really backed off if she knew I could see her doing it."

I nodded. "That doesn't surprise me. It was like, as soon as Edward was willing to date someone, she figured sooner or later he'd realize she was prettier and less clumsy and more interesting than me. She never stopped waiting for her chance."

It was then that the thought occurred to me. Edward might have been celibate and without a partner for a century, but now that he had had a brief taste of a relationship, would he want that again with someone else? I had always counted on his fear of hurting humans to protect me from this bitter possibility, but surely there was a vampire out there who could satisfy him without making him worry like I did.

"You know I don't see it for a while," Alice responded to my unvoiced concerns. "Edward won't be alone forever, but it'll be a while."

"Will she be prettier than me?" I crossed my arms stubbornly at my chest.

Alice sighed. "Who cares?"

I was slightly taken aback. This was the first time Alice had ever really straight-up invalidated me in a moment of self-down-talk. "I do."

"Edward will find someone when he's better, not when you're better," Alice explained, looking strained to keep her tone neutral, "and the same goes for you."

"But couldn't I turn into a vampire and wait? What if I didn't see him until he was ready, that way we wouldn't hurt anything trying to be together too soon," my hope was starting to flutter just a little bit. "I'm sorry. I'm really being unfair to you, aren't I?"

She didn't deny it. "And Jacob. And to Edward too. Edward left because he knew he could hurt you and he didn't want to put you through that."

"Yeah?" I snapped, shocked by my own defensiveness, "well he did a great job."

"He probably did a better job than he would have if he stayed," Alice sighed.

I shrugged. "And that is supposed to matter to me? Really?" Another wave of agony shot through my stomach, and I was gripping it in fetal position on the couch.

"I don't blame you for being upset," her tone was gentler than before, and I felt a bit guilty, "but eventually you're going to have to decide something. And that something can't be to spend your entire life waiting for Edward," her voice was turning serious and I wondered if this was her way of worrying and obsessing over me like Edward used to. Or maybe she was trying to tell me that the obsessing was the problem.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I really shouldn't talk to you about Edward when you..."

"Not about me," she asserted with a challenging smile. "I admit I have a soft spot for troubled girls, but even if you were interested, I'd want to keep it pretty chaste until I knew you were a bit more together."

The potential costs of actually taking what she was saying to heart were a bit much for me. "You're saying I'm not ready for a relationship?"

"Everybody is ready to try to be loved," Alice said, "but I don't want you to think that I'm just trying to get into your pants, especially when you're hurting this much."

"Because you want me to fit into my pants first?" I grumbled sarcastically, fingering the belt attaching my jeans.

I didn't quite understand how I could be so mean to Alice. Alice was every straight guy and lesbian's dream come true, and if you were really trying to turn a straight girl gay she was probably the best woman for the job. Still, knowing that she was trying to replace Edward made me resent her all the same.

She shook her head. "I want you to be healthy first. And I want to know that it's what you want."

"I'm sorry," I burrowed into the couch, wanting to make myself disappear, "you're being way too nice, with me acting like this."

"I kind of braced myself for this a long time ago," she said, "I've known more or less how this evening was going to go for at least a month or two now."

That wasn't what I needed to hear. "So when do I get over Edward?"

"You've thought about doing it a few times tonight, you'll think about it some more tomorrow, and ultimately when where and how is up to you," she said, "your mind can always change and I don't want to take away your choice by slapping a date on a decision you haven't even made yet."

After a bit more bantering, we made a final agreement not to talk about us or Edward for the rest of the evening. I should have been relieved, but found that talking about neither of the people my heart was pondering was a task. Alice was good at keeping the conversation going, bringing up cute stores and local music and the lousy school she went to in Without Bella-ville where Edward still lived. I only half-listened, my mind constantly searching for ways to tell her half-truthfully that I was ready to accept her if only to make it less bitchy for me to ask for a hug. She was too worried about me to let me sleep in my own bed, so we set up camp downstairs and I fell asleep with the strange thought that she would be watching me all night. I remembered after the initial shock of realizing that Edward had been stalking me through my window, how safe I used to feel knowing that someone braver and stronger who above all else loved me was there holding me while I slept. I felt a smile form on my lips for the first time in months, realizing that Alice was there now.

I fell asleep feeling a bit too happy and dreamt myself back in the forest where Edward left me. I was wandering aimlessly through fog, and everywhere I turned was just nothingness. Then, out of nowhere the sun came out and poured its light onto the petite figure of a pixie. Alice was there, and she was smiling. The relief was so overwhelming, I felt fuzzy and warm despite the still-dampness of my surroundings. Completely uninhibited, I ran to her and let her kiss me in ways that Edward had always been afraid to. In this moment, I was fine with being Alice's and knew that she was right, Edward wasn't ready for me. Edward wanted to love me, but couldn't even bear to touch me. Alice was different. She was ready.

Just as I finally pulled away for the oxygen I alone needed, I saw a figure in the distance staring at me with more disgust than the first day he met me. Instead of running to him, desperately trying to memorize every detail of the beautiful face that was fading from my memory, I fell to the ground dejected and cold.

I woke up feeling the same terror I always did, at the prospect of living my entire life in lonely agony, but was rescued by a pair of cold arms around me and a female voice telling me it was okay. The dream was gone, but Alice wasn't. Knowing this, for real, was enough to help me fall back asleep without remembering a dream. When I woke up again, Alice was gone and I experienced momentary panic.

"You awake Bells?" called Charlie's voice from the kitchen.

I nodded, then realized he couldn't see me and called out, "where's Alice?"

"She told me her mother was coming up and they were going to figure out a way for her to go back to Forks High School for the rest of her time here," Charlie explained, "would you mind coming into the kitchen?"

I obliged and found him standing over a frying pan filled with lumpy yellow puss. "Dad, what are you doing?" I took the pan handle and spatula from him and struggled to flip the goo over. "You should've let me do this."

Seeing his expression, I got the feeling that cooking whatever that was had been important to him and felt guilty. "You were on the right track, you just needed to flip it over sooner."

His expression softened and he turned the stove off. "Maybe you can show me how you'd do it after I clean up this mess, but I didn't call you in here to help you cook. I wanted to talk to you about Alice."

"About Alice?" I prayed she hadn't mentioned anything that set off his probably non-existent gaydar.

"I know I've probably sounded like I'm nagging you not to abandon your old friends, but this is exactly why. I never even knew you and Alice were so close but it seems like you're one of her main reasons for coming back to Forks," he frowned, "it would make sense though I guess, that she isn't closer to her family. Do you know how long she's been with the Cullens?"

I used Edward's deflective phrase, "a while."

"Edward is probably the only teenager from around here who doesn't want to fall in love with you or be your best friend," Charlie said, "I know you're not really interested in most of them, but you seemed glad to see Alice. She seems like a healthier person for you to be around than Edward anyway. I know you've got Jacob and that Mike kid, but I think you need at least one friend who isn't in love with you."

Since I couldn't begin to address the last part, I started with Edward. "There was nothing unhealthy about Edward," I was unable to keep a straight face, so I stared at the floor.

Charlie laughed. "I know he's probably had some rough times growing up, what with losing his family so young and having to adjust to an adoptive family but I've never really known anyone who was crabby that much of the time. All I'm saying is, as long as Alice keeps that brother of hers out of here I think she'd be a good influence on you."

If he only knew.

--

People at Forks High School were just as obsessed with me today as they were on my first day of school, but instead of discussing how to become my best friend or lover, they were debating rumors and placing bets on when I'd snap.

"You think she did it because of Edward?" a girl I didn't recognize asked Lauren in a faux-whisper that was clearly meant to be heard.

"It probably isn't my business," Lauren said dramatically, "but I suppose if you really want my opinion, I kind of have to feel sorry for the girl. It's not like she has any friends without her Cullens. I'm sure if I were as clumsy and unpopular as her, I'd probably jump off a cliff too."

I frowned. As much as I didn't want to care what Lauren Mallory thought of me, she was right. Without the Cullens, I was nothing. It was still on my mind when I spotted Alice, wandering alone with a tray prop at lunch.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I wouldn't be much of a friend if I let you do this alone," she said. "Where do you want to sit?"

"Somewhere not at Forks," I said glumly.

"I doubt it helps you that Lauren Mallory is going to get pregnant and drop out of college," Alice said glumly.

It didn't help, but it was amusing in a rather ugly way. "Where are you staying?"

"Esme is hooking Jasper and me up with an apartment," Alice explained, "she didn't want me here all by myself and Jasper doesn't like to be too far away from me."

"Won't that look weird to the people you're hiding from?"

She shrugged. "No weirder than a family of beautiful golden eyed people who skip school when it's pretty outside," she said.

"Good point."

We still weren't sitting down, and finally Alice asked, "who do I need to beat up for you?"

"What?" I knew she couldn't mean literally, but I was still rather confused.

"Wait here," she said. She skipped gracefully over to Lauren and Jessica's table, which was within earshot of my waiting position.

"Uhh...hi...Alice," Jessica looked remarkably uncomfortable and I was already enjoying this a little. "You're back in Forks?"

She nodded. "Just me. Jasper's coming in a couple days, but otherwise I'm all alone here with no one to talk to," her tone was cheerful, "so mind if I sit with you?"

Neither Lauren nor Jessica had the gall to deny her. "Sure why not?" Lauren asked.

"So what were you guys talking about?" Alice smiled. "I hope you weren't gossiping about Bella like the rest of the school."

I could tell Jessica was getting irritated. "Look Alice, you weren't here when things got weird with her."

"So I don't know?" Alice guessed.

Lauren laughed, almost villainously. "You have no idea, she was coming to school late all the time and Jessica said she went chasing after some sleazy back alley gangbangers after they saw a movie together and apparently now she's jumping off cliffs."

"Do you actually know what was happening, or do you just spread gossip about girls who are prettier than you?" Alice's tone remained completely neutral and without spite.

"Excuse me?" Lauren stiffened and Jessica looked like she was holding in a laugh.

Alice smiled sweetly. "I'm sorry. I should've been a little more specific. Edward chose Bella instead of you because Bella wasn't using him to make other girls jealous. And she's a mess right now because she was in a relationship for no other reason than love, something that I doubt a girl who stalked my boyfriend for an entire year would understand, and she knew that falling in love came with the risk of getting hurt and she did it anyway because she cared about him. And he did a really shitty thing by leaving her, but she's going to get over him and find someone better while you sit around picking on people to compensate for being too scared to let down the bitch act for five minutes to actually let a decent guy get to know you."

She left, looking rather pleased with herself. I had never heard Alice act like a snotty teenage girl before, but I couldn't complain. "You really think I'm prettier than her?" I looked over doubtfully at Lauren, whose hair alone probably cost at least fifty dollars.

"Come on," Alice gave me a withering look, "a little makeup might flatter you, but you have to show more respect for it than that."

Lauren got up and stomped over to Alice, her heels reverberating on the tile floor. "Just so you know, your fruity brothers are the only boys who have ever turned me down. I don't need to take this crap from you."

If I weren't uncomfortable with confrontation, I might have laughed at how pathetic she sounded. Alice just shrugged. "I suppose if you want to keep having the same relationships you've been having, you're absolutely right."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lauren asked.

"I don't need to explain this any further," Alice said. When Lauren realized it was useless to keep pushing it, she stomped back to her table and took a seat. "Isn't there anyone at this school who isn't completely vapid?"

It only now occurred to me to look for Angela. "Yeah, but I don't see her."

"Guess it's the Cullen table for us then," Alice laughed, "funny how they just left it here for us."

I agreed and took a seat, trying to devour my lunch in what time we had left. "I've never seen you be a bitch before," I said when I had a moment.

"I've got two things on my side. One, I'm perpetually a hormonal teenager who can do as she pleases and two, as long as I have my confidence I want to use it to make your life a little less impossible."

Somehow, Alice penetrating Lauren's bitch walls felt almost like the emotional equivalent of Edward throwing himself in front of a van. If I didn't chase her off, I had a protector again.

"If I did decide to take you up on...you know," I said, feeling shyer than ever, "would you...you know...admit to people that you're with me and you're not with Jasper anymore?"

She shrugged. "I like to be honest when I can be, but if you're not up for it I'm also a very experienced liar. Of course, if you did decide to date me I'd want everyone to know how lucky I am."

What was it with immortal creatures possessing god/dess-like beauty pursuing me, then referring to themselves as the lucky ones?