Author's Note: Happy Holidays! Well, I wrapped all my Christmas presents today, and I thought I'd give y'all a present too. Thus, the new chapter. Yes, it's little, but this shant be the last one till the new year, so never fear.

Super special thanks to my reviewers: the little sax that could, Wishes and Words and Etcetera , Jazzys Mistress, Nissa-Cullen, mnov29, Katara97, JrocksAnime, Me Bored. inc , Eminnis, cullenbaby94, crazyhypervampiregurl, LordXeenTheGreat, White Wolf, loupants, and Halfwaytothedevil333. Thank you all for your support and encouragement :D

Chapter Music: Lovely Bones, Gabriel the Marine

Chapter Eight: Unsure

Alice paced back and forth, her hands wringing together as the future shifted and danced in front of her, slippery because of indecision. She could see brief glances of Emmett walking Isabella back to the house, of Edward sulking, acting like the sullen protector while the family warmed up to her, of Jasper helping her through her grief.

Carlisle was still at the hospital, but Alice had called him, wanting to warn him of the new, strange vampire that would be camping over the next few days. Esme had moved all of the priceless heirlooms they had collected over the years and stored them in a storage unit, not wanting to leave them out in the open while the possibly hostile vampire stayed under her custom roof, and Rosalie was pouting, huffing around the house with her nose buried in fashion magazines and tossing her blonde hair around like a model in a shampoo commercial.

Back and forth, back and forth, Alice's ballet slippers ghosted across the premium hardwood floor with nothing but a whisper betraying her pacing. Esme sped down the stairs and watched with her head tilted as the girl she considered her daughter tried to create a moat in her living room.

"Alice, you need to stop worrying." Esme said kindly, closing the distance between them in an instance and wrapping her arms around the petite girl. "You can't see anything bad happening."

"That's the problem." She sighed, rolling her shoulders in her adopted mother's arms. "I can't see much of anything. Jasper's placating her right now, but she hasn't made any decisions as how she'll react if she gets angry. I do know that Edward isn't above killing her if she threatens us, and I do know that Jasper will do anything to protect her."

"Well then we will do everything we can to protect ourselves while helping her. I don't want to see her die anymore than you do." Esme replied, rubbing Alice's arm and then releasing her.

Alice sighed and rubbed her forehead, frustrated. She wasn't used to feeling so unsure about the future, and the uneasy flip in her stomach reminded her how veiled their futures were.

She heard the ragged breaths first, causing her head to snap up and her eyes to pin-point the distinct rustle in the brushes of someone coming. Alice heard Emmett's low, calming voice next as he uncharacteristically put jokes aside and soothed the girl, whose quick, shallow breaths floated underneath Emmett's pacifying murmurs.

"They're here." Alice said aloud, even though it was unnecessary. Both Rosalie and Esme had heard the approach of Emmett and the new girl, and had appeared to flank Alice almost instantly. Esme smoothed her green sundress in nervousness while Rosalie examined her nail beds, her posture screaming 'I don't care'.

Emmett and Isabella finally made it up the back porch and he slid the glass door open and ushered Isabella inside and directed her to the nearest bathroom so she could freshen up. Rosalie glared at her husband as he passed her, his arms wrapped around the new girl, but Alice didn't pay them any mind. She only had eyes for her husband, who had just emerged into the clearing. She waited until he entered the house and embraced her, his grip almost, but not quite too tight.

Edward brought up the rear, closing the door behind them. He was frowning, and Esme hugged him, murmuring for him to relax and that everything would be okay. Alice knew from the quick glance she spared him that he didn't believe that, and wouldn't until Isabella was gone, and from Jasper's hug, she knew he wouldn't let Isabella be driven away.

She sighed. Things had gotten so much more complicated.

Author's Note: Happy Holidays, guys and gals!

-Maggie