Chapter Four

Acceptance

Given that the Cullen's were only interested in fast food (as Emmett liked to put it), they used the kitchen table as a conference area. Carlisle was at the end, Esme on his right, their hands clasped. Their children filled the rest of the seats. Except for one that was meant for Jasper.

Edward caught Alice's gaze on the empty seat. "Rosalie called him. He should be here in the morning."

"I fear it will be too late," Carlisle voiced. "We don't know when these newborns will attack."

"Someone created them," Rosalie pointed out. "They're taking directions from someone."

It was at that point that Alice would offer a piece of information. She would be purposefully looking into the future and telling them everything that she saw. She had never felt more ineffectual when she wasn't able to do what she always had been doing.

In a house full of vampires, tensions and temperaments could run high. It was Jasper who kept everyone calm, everyone in control. It was her that kept everyone safe, seeing ahead to what would happen, to who would visit and if they would be a danger to them. Jasper was gone, and so were her visions. They were helpless to the fate of the world.

"You are not to be incriminated for this, Alice. Your guilt is entirely unnecessary." Edward's reassurance.

The family looked to her sympathetically.

"Working with the wolves would be beneficial for all of us."

"You've got to be kidding," Rosalie sneered.

"It's not a bad idea," Edward countered. "They are wolves to kill us, but because of Bella being human and Alice being Jacob's mate, they won't hurt us. Their law decrees that they must protect humans, and not hurt pack member's mate. We're safe, but they wouldn't turn down the chance to kill others like us. That's a good plan. Flawless."

"Sounds good to me," Emmett pounded his fist into his hand. "The more the merrier."

Edward didn't have to read Alice's mind to read her compunction. "Go to Jacob," he said. "We will call you immediately if there is any news. We'll choose a date to meet with the wolves when Jasper has arrived."

She stood, but Bella had leaned forward, and Alice braced herself for whatever she was going to say. She hadn't had time to talk with Bella, and she had no idea what her reaction would be to the imprinting from her best friend.

"Alice..."

"Yes, Bella?"

"I'm... Happy for you. And Jacob. I am. Really."

Alice looked into her eyes to determine if there was a grain of truth there. It wasn't hard, given that Bella couldn't lie her way out of an exam, much less anything so eminent. But there was complete honesty in her returned gaze, and Alice couldn't say that she was surprised. In all her years she learned that when someone truly loved another, they were happy, even if in an outward way, they wanted that person to be happy. Most of all, Bella loved them both.

"Thank you."

Esme's topaz eyes shined. "We love you, no matter what."

"No matter if it's a stinky dog." Emmett grinned widely.

"Your happiness is what matters," Carlisle said, "we're your family. We'll accept whatever is best for you."

Alice knew it all to be true. Esme was not phased when Edward fell in love with Bella, because she waited a long time for him to be happy. It didn't matter if he fell in love with a giant octopus.

Emmett liked Jacob. They were all vegetarian, Edward could read minds and she used to be able to see the future, but neither of them were as weird as their brother, Emmett. He was singularly unabashed by his fondness for the fur balls on La Push. There was no telling why that was, other than Emmett had kept several dogs in his human life, and he was genuinely laid back about every thing. Nothing ever bothered him.

Her family did want her happy, whoever it was with. She was sure they were tired of her unhappiness. A few more months and she would contemplate striking out on her own, becoming a nomad. She would have been untraceable, untouchable, and she would have never seen the Cullen's again. Jacob had truly changed everything.

"Accept what's best for her," Rosalie snapped mockingly.

So much for the whole family being okay with it.

"He's a wolf. This is worse than what Edward fell in love with."

"Watch it, Rose," Edward breathed deeply as Bella tangled her fingers on the table with nervous anticipation.

Rosalie shook her head, playing with the end of one of her golden curls. Emmett held her waist pulling her to him. He winked at Alice in a way to say that it was not bad, four out of five.

Alice bowed and made her way to the garage for her perfect sunshine Porsche, courtesy of her brother, Edward.

She slid into the leather seat and took out her phone. She knew of a nice hotel just outside of Seattle. Jacob didn't know that she was making reservations, but he didn't have to. She was assuming (and hoping) that he wasn't like Bella when it came to expenses. How much did the money matter when they were going to spend time together? That was worth any cost.

Just as she closed the phone, "stinky dog" shined on her caller I.D. with the ringtone that yelled, "who let the dogs out."

She had taken his number out of Edward's phone nearly a year ago for emergency. It was unlikely she ever needed to speak to the mutt, but for the same reason Edward had it, she needed to be able to call in about Bella. Stranger things had happened than vampires calling wolves about a clumsy human, and one specifically came to her mind. A wolf imprinting on a vampire.

She allowed herself to laugh, unsure that even with the love that surpassed all loves, she was unlikely to change the demeaning I.D. and ringtone.

"Jacob? How did it go?" Would she ever tire of asking such normal and mundane questions?

"They're disgusted."

She laughed. "They agreed to meet with the wolves."

"The pack, too." He gave her the location of where the wolves and the vampires could meet, and she gave him the location of where he was to meet her.

"A hotel? What do you have up your sleeve, pixie?"

"You'll see," she sung and started her car, it purring to life. Her baby.

"Hey, Al. Is there any chance I'll get to drive that thing?"
She grinned. "Meet me tonight, and you'll get to do more than that." She heard him growl, not threateningly, but in a way a man was enjoying sweet torture. She hung up before he could gather himself to respond with words.

She was going to enjoy giving him more of that kind of torture.