Decision

We were in the main house in a second, Alice and Jasper met us on the first floor. Carlisle came in from the back, took one look at us and sat down. "Tell me what happened." I always liked Carlisle's no nonsense attitude, it reminded me of Charlie. We settled ourselves on the couches to feel closer. Edward described Lacey Wells but it was different than what I saw.

"She was delicate looking, like Bella was. Her skin was almost translucent. She was small and weak but her mind was clean. She's curious but innocent, like Angela Weber, remember? She thinks about us a lot, Bella and I. It's strange, it's not sexual or anything and she doesn't think about us being human or not. She just analyzes almost." He said this like he was truly confused and I was too. How could you not think of Edward sexually? I let Edward hear this thought and he smirked despite the serious atmosphere. "I think the same of you love," he whispered but it was clear that everyone heard him. They looked at me surprised. It seemed like they never got used to my odd shielding power.

"What did you see exactly, Alice?" Carlisle asked. His expression was controlled.

"I saw the forest around the house in one vision. Nahuel and Lacey were there together and Zafrina was standing in background looking disapproving. Then it changed, and blurred. Nahuel was in our house, Zafrina and Huilen didn't come, and Lacey came to the door looking for Bella. Then it changes again, Lacey is walking through the woods around the house, I'm not sure why, she looks lost but determined. Now that Edward says it, she looks very curious and then there's one more. It's the most disjointed, Lacey is in the hospital, she seems to be sick but I'm not sure, you're there Carlisle and Bella and Edward and Nahuel is there too but it all comes in flashes like the individual people aren't decided, no one but Carlisle is sure. That's obvious though, if anyone is sick, Carlisle will be there." She smiled at Carlisle who looked like he was deep in thought. I was still confused. I didn't know what to do with this strange girl. Maybe we should just move again.

Alice's eyes glazed again and she gasped. "She's dead, in the woods, what happened, what changed, Carlisle?" Carlisle looked at me and then at Alice. He shrugged.

"I was thinking we should move again but I was going to put it to a vote. It seems I'm not the only one who thought this." Edward looked guilty and I knew I must too.

"No, we're not moving." Alice said. "I don't know what's going on with this girl and Nahuel for that matter, but she will die if we leave." Alice was stubborn and she wouldn't be shaken from this random girl. I wondered again if this is what happened when Edward found me. Carlisle sighed and Alice's eyes went blank again and she nodded with fierce joy and conviction.

"I agree, we should watch the situation. Edward, listen closely and Alice keep your eyes open. I'll see if I can contact Zafrina and see if we can cement their plans and clear up Alice's visions. I think you should proceed cautiously, talk to her in class, in between class and such. We'll see what happens." They all nodded and went about their business. I looked at Edward and raised my eyebrows. He smiled down at me.

"It happens more often than you'd think love. Some human gets caught up in our lives." His eyes clouded for a moment and he scowled. I finished for him.

"They die don't they?" He stroked my cheek softly and kissed me.

"You didn't. Emmett didn't. Jessica didn't, Charlie didn't."I was surprised by Jessica's name. Obviously they would see Charlie because of me and they couldn't have seen Emmett because they didn't have Alice yet.

"You saw Jessica?" I asked him, irrationally jealous. He laughed at my scowl and nodded.

"She wanted me bad." His face was covered in distaste and I calmed down despite his words. "Alice saw her around the house and saw her asking me out. Which happened but I turned her down and Alice didn't see her again. Perhaps I was a little malicious with the turn down and her curiosity was scared away." He shrugged and his eyes darted to me, making sure I was okay with his treatment of my former friend. I was.

"So why don't we do the same with Lacey?" Why was she different?

"I wish you could hear her mind Bella, it's so different. I think rejection like that would hurt her, very badly. Nothing like you Bella, it's not like that. She has this strange way of looking at us, I can't explain it. Do you remember when she looked guiltily at you, after she was "dazzled" as you say?" I nodded remembering feeling sorry for the girl. "She didn't want you to think badly of her and she wished she could tell you that she would never hurt you. But she didn't know why she felt like that. Jessica Stanley would've hurt you in an instant."

I thought this over. He was right. Jessica would not have hesitated to hurt me if she thought she could get Edward or if I stood in her way of anything. This mind set Edward described to me was different. I couldn't even say it was like mine when I met Edward. I wanted Edward. She wants to protect us in a way. How strange that a human wanted to protect vampires. I was allowing Edward into this thought process and he was nodding along. Why would she feel that way? Why was this girl different? Was she destined to be a vampire like me? Maybe she had an innate connection to vampires.

"What if she was like Renesmee and Nahuel and she didn't know it? That's why she feels connected to us and why Nahuel is in Alice's visions with her. They are connected!" I was excited with my theory and Carlisle and Alice were listening and thinking with me.

Edward killed my theory with a small shake of his head. "She has no traits of a hybrid. No memories either, don't you think seeing us would bring up memories of her birth, her quick growth?" I nodded grudgingly, it was hard to win against Alice and Edward. My cell phone buzzed in my pocket and I remembered Edwards promise.

"Ness?" I said into the phone and walked to the kitchen.

"Hi momma! How are you, how's the house? How's school, I bet it's dreadful." I laughed at her eager questioning. She had a tendency to be protective, even of Edward and I. I told her about Rob and she wasn't too pleased with him. I was happy I had an ally, no matter the reason. I told her about my classes and that yes it was dreadful to be in high school again but I didn't really mind. I left out that I didn't mind because Edward was there, she didn't like when we talked like that but she knew that was the reason.

"What about you love, how's the reservation and Jake?"

"Fine. Not much to report. Oh! Emily is pregnant again! She's due at the end of spring. This will be her fifth momma." I could hear the eagerness in her voice and suspected that she craved a child. We still didn't know if she could conceive but I was sure she would try, even if it killed her. I tried to rid myself of that thought, Jacob would protect her. There was always adoption as well. "Seth Clearwater imprinted too, on a girl who's about seventeen. Just came down to visit Jacob, she's like his second cousin or something. Her name is Marie, she's very kind and down to earth. She really balances him out momma. Seth doesn't want to get married though. It's a big controversy." I laughed at Seth's attitude, knowing him all too well. He wouldn't see the need for a ceremony, they were together forever no matter what. "Anything else happening with you, mum?" I debated telling her about Lacey but decided to wait until we had a better idea of what was going on.

"No, same old love. I'm so happy you're having a good time on the reservation." And she was, it was evident in her voice that she was extremely happy and that made me happy.

"Jake and I were thinking of coming to see you over Winter Break." She said this quickly and I was confused. Edward and I were going to go to the Reservation to see her. She seemed to notice my silence and went on, "I love the family mom, everyone in it but they're not comfortable on the reservation and the pack isn't comfortable with them here. Jacob and I want to enjoy your company without tension getting in the way. Don't tell dad please, or anyone else, they'll be mad. Don't get me wrong mom they're okay with you being here, they trust you, but there is always more tension." She was right. Relations with the pack were much easier when we left Forks but when we came back, though we were still allowed on the reservation, it was more strained. That was perfectly understandable, old habits die hard.

"I won't tell him baby."

"You're not mad?"

"Of course not, you are right. Your dad will figure it out himself you know?"

"Yeah, I know, especially when we get there but I think the family will be happier there." I smiled when she said "the family". Though it was awful, I often thought she would forget us. I thought I would lose her forever to the pack. It was silly and she was already proving me wrong. This was one time I was okay with being wrong.

"I think you're right. I'll give them the news, I'm sure they'll all be very pleased. Now you can see Esme's design for yourself, it's gorgeous!" I went into a detailed description of the house and the woods and enjoyed the company of my daughter. I didn't realize how late it was until Edward pointed outside. It was getting dark out, about dinner time then. We reluctantly said goodbye and she promised to call soon. "I miss you love."

"I miss you too momma, tell daddy I love him, talk to you soon." I hung up and passed on her message. He was watching me again as if I was going to break down but I flashed him a smile and kissed him. Why should I be sad? I had everything I wanted. My whole family was happy and together, no matter the distance. It was ridiculous that it took me so long to figure that out.

Later that night, my mind wandered back to Lacey as I shuffled through old photos of my human life. I was trying to find a place for all of my stuff and Rose said she'd help me scrapbook all my photos. Actually, she insisted, I was all for throwing them out. I got to one of me and Jessica Stanley and looked over at Edward on the piano. "They died then, the others?" I knew the answer, he had told me only the survivors of Alice's visions and there were only four who survived and survived was a lose definition. He knew what I was talking about and nodded. "How many?"

He thought for a moment before answering. "About twenty, but only a few were killed by us. Emmett's singer, Rose's attackers, a girl named Riley from Alaska was killed by a visiting vampire and Jasper lost control a few times." I nodded, I knew of most of these deaths. Riley was knew though, it was strange that he remembered her name.

"Who was Riley?" I asked, still shuffling through my photos. He stopped playing but didn't get up. I felt him shrug but my back was to him. He began playing my lullaby.

"A young girl, about eleven years old. I was supposed to keep an eye on her family, their blood was very…appetizing and we knew they would appeal to our visitors. Tanya's family and ours were ready for the visitors that Alice saw. We were keeping an eye on the girl that Alice saw but at the last second, her vision changed. I was the fastest so I went to find the girl but it was too late. She was dead and we moved." He kept playing but I knew he blamed himself for her death and it still bothered him. I put the pictures down and walked to his side. I kissed his neck and wound my arms around his chest. He stopped playing and returned the hug.

"What about Lacey?" He was startled by my question for some reason.

"What about her?" I sat next to him and buried my face in his chest. "I don't think they're the same Bella. This is different. I told you we've seen humans become close to us before and its true but this is different. These visions are set farther in the future which is strange. Alice didn't see you until the choices were made, mine and yours. It seems like the decision to have her in our lives has already been made by someone, but we don't know who or why. We're just going to have to take this one step at a time." I nodded, this was true. I was oddly excited to have a prospective human friend. It excited me but not in a thirsty kind of way. It was as if my old senses of human interaction were coming back, like this girl was making me feel more human. I kissed him and he smiled mischievously, "Let's go to bed."