Oh, and also, Katherine is not named after the character of the same name in The Vampire Diaries. I didn't see or read TVD until after this was written.

Chapter twenty-four

Alice's POV

"don't worry about me." jasper's words still echoed in my head, over and over, only making me worry more.

He had seemed so... sure, that he could do this on his own.

But I knew the real him, the man behind the mask.

He was strong, and he knew how to fight.

But he was still weak. He didn't want to kill anyone, never again.

Unless they deserved it.

then another problem came up.

He loved Maria.

He had run to her, left me and gone to her.

Was his love of Katherine and I strong enough for him to kill her?

I wasn't so sure.

I couldn't even see what would happen, because I couldn't see Katherine.

So I was left to worry.

I had assumed if all went well, Jasper would be back with Katherine in less than a day.

But after that first day passed, I couldn't wait any longer.

I didn't tell anyone where I was going. I simply walked out the door, and searched the air for the trail.

When I found it, I ran. I ran to my love, my daughter, and possibly my doom.

Chapter twenty-five

Alice's POV

I saw purple smoke billowing up in the sky.

"he couldn't..." I whispered, running in the direction of the fire.

Moments later, I came to a clearing. A fire was starting to die in the center, and I saw a familiar figure standing at the edge of it, watching it burn.

"jasper..." I whispered in disbelief, running to him.

He turned around, and took me in his arms.

I was speechless, my eyes starting to burn with dry tears.

"where's Katherine?" I choked out.

"She's safe." he answered.

I looked at him questioningly.

"Let's get home." he said, ignoring my look.

I nodded, and he took my hand.

But before we ran, I looked back once more to the fire.

She was gone. Really truly gone.

Maybe miracles really did happen.

Chapter twenty-six

Alice's POV

Maria was gone. Katherine was safe. Everything was fine.

Well, almost everything. Rosalie and Emmett were still gone.

Throughout the run home, I mind was buzzing.

Jasper had said Katherine was safe, but I wouldn't be able to rest until I knew for sure.

God only knew what Jasper was going through. I did all I could to comfort him, but I was no empath.

When we finally got home, everyone was waiting for us. I could tell that Edward had realized what had happened, because everyone was unusually comforting.

Eventually everyone went off to their bedrooms, leaving Jasper and I alone in the living room.

"Come with me." Jasper said, grabbing my hand.

"okay.." I answered, as he lead me up the spiral stairs once again.

We walked slowly down the hallway on the second floor, stopping at Katherine's door.

"Are you ready?" he said, smiling.

I nodded, wondering what had overcome him.

He opened the door, and we walked in.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Katherine said, running over to us.

But I was too distracted by who was sitting in the rocking chair in the corner of the room.

I blinked several times not believing my eyes.

"Alice. I've missed you."

chapter twenty-seven

Alice's POV

"I missed you too." I said, a smile spreading across my face.

Rosalie stood up and walked quickly across the room, pulling me in a hug.

"I'm so sorry." she whispered.

"don't apologize, it was all my fault." I said.

"no, it's my fault." she argued, her expression growing angry.

I laughed. "now that's the Rosalie I remember."

she smiled.

"but how did all this happen?" I asked, gesturing to her and Katherine.

This time it was her turn to laugh. "I had finally come to my senses and was on my way home. Ironically, I ran into Jasper, just after he-" she stopped dead, catching a glimpse of the pain on his face. "well, anyway, he asked me to take Katherine back here. I did gladly." I looked back to Jasper, but this time he was smiling.

"when I realized she was coming back, I thought this would be perfect." Jasper said, continuing the story. "So I gave Katherine to Rosalie, finished everything I needed to finish, and just as I was about to go looking for you, there you were." I was sure he would be blushing if he were human. "It all worked out remarkably well."

I was at a loss of words as I practically jumped up, and, without much thought, kissed him full on the lips.

But the moment was interrupted by our daughter's laughter.

I laughed, kneeling down in front of her.

"sorry sweetie." I said. She hugged me, and I picked her up.

"One big happy family." I whispered.

Chapter twenty-eight

Alice's POV

the happy moment was short lived. Rosalie asked, "where's Emmett?"

I didn't say anything, looking to Jasper for help.

He appeared just as unsure as I was.

"what's wrong?" Rosalie asked with anxiety in her voice.

"um... Rosalie, maybe you should sit down." Jasper said.

Rosalie nodded, sitting on the edge of Katherine's bed.

I handed Katherine to Jasper and sat next to her.

\

"Rosalie, He's gone." I whispered.

She was silent for a moment as the words took effect.

"How?" she asked slowly.

"After you left, he ran away as well. We all assumed he was trying to find you." Jasper answered.

Rosalie nodded, looking to me. "can you see him?"

"I haven't tried."

"Could you?" she asked, with an edge in her voice.

I nodded, closing my eyes. It only took a second to find Emmett.

"he can't be... no!" I said in shock.

"what's wrong?" Rosalie and Jasper asked at the same time with concern.

I didn't respond. I couldn't tell rose what I had seen. It would kill her. Worse, she would kill me.

Chapter twenty-nine

Alice's POV

maybe I was seeing wrong. Maybe Katherine was interfering with my sight again, like when I was pregnant.

But that didn't make any sense. She completely blocked my sight now, and there was no mistaking what I has seen was true.

Emmett clearly thought Rosalie was gone.

I had seen him with someone I had never expected.

Tanya. But how could that happen? Tanya lived in the house right next to ours. We saw here daily. She knew Emmett was with Rosalie.

So how could she end up sleeping with him?

As I processed all this, Rosalie and Jasper were staring at me as if I was about to tell them he had gone to the Volturi.

"what did he do?" Rosalie asked urgently.

"I can't see right now, Katherine's making everything foggy." I lied quickly.

She nodded, and stood up. "guess I should tell everyone I'm back."

"They already know. Nothing gets past Edward these days." I said, forcing a laugh.

She bought it, laughing along.

"can you take Katherine with you? I have to talk to Jasper." I asked her.

She smiled. "Always willing to babysit." she said, taking Katherine from Jasper.

Once she was out the door, I turned to Jasper with a grim look on my face.

"This is not good." I said.

"What did you see?" he asked instinctively.

"It was Emmett. He's safe, and probably close to home."

"Then what's the problem?" Jasper asked.

"He was having sex with Tanya." I said, showing my disgust for his actions.

Chapter thirty

Alice's POV

"Distract Rosalie." I told Jasper, then walked quickly to the window.

"wait, where are you going?" Jasper asked. I could sense he was worried.

"I'm going to fix this." I answered, opening the window. "I'll be fine. Don't worry." and then I jumped.

I ran the perimeter of the clearing once before I caught his trail. I followed it to, unsurprisingly, the Denali's home.

I knocked on the door impatiently. Kate answered.

"Hey Alice! What's up?" she asked.

"I need to talk to Tanya. Is she here?" I asked.

Kate nodded, leading me into the house. "she's in here bedroom." she said, walking up the staircase. I followed.

I didn't stop. I opened the door.

Tanya was along, sitting on her bed, looking out the window.

"Alice?" she said, turning to me.

"Where's Emmett?" I asked in confusion.

"He just left." she said, twirling her strawberry blond hair.

I sighed in frustration. "where is he going?" I asked.

"Home." was all she answered.

This time I let out a sigh of relief.

"thanks." I said, walking down the stairs and out the door. I didn't care at the moment how odd I must have seemed to them.

I walked home, the relief sinking in. they couldn't have done anything.

I was greeted by Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Katherine at the door.

"Thank you, Alice." Rosalie said, hugging me.

"Thanks for what?" I asked.

"For everything. Jasper told me what happened. I will never be able to repay you." she said.

I looked to Jasper for a moment, then smiled. "Don't worry about it. That's what sisters are for." I said.

"That, and shopping." Rosalie corrected, and we all burst out laughing.

Emmett put his arms around Rosalie shoulders, and kissed her forehead.

"There's no place like home." she whispered.

Chapter thirty-one

Alice's POV

"I need to talk to you both. About Katherine." Carlisle said, knocking on the door.

I looked to Jasper. "Okay...?" I said, jumping up and bounding toward the door.

Jasper followed, walking at my side.

We sat down in Carlisle's office, and he shut the door behind us.

"I think I've learned more about Katherine." he said, sitting down at his desk, across from us.

"Yes?" I said eagerly.

He paused for a moment, then answered, "We already know she's part human. But what we don't know is how. Or, until now, at least."

It took me a few seconds to understand. "You've figured it out?" I asked.

He nodded, shuffling through a pile of papers on his desk. "As well as other things that may interest you." he said.

Interest us? Of course! Anything involving our daughter would interest us. "Okay?"

"There is good news, and there is bad news." It sounded stereotypical, a doctor saying that. But it still scared me out of my wit. And my ability to talk.

Luckily, I had a husband for that. "Good news first." Jasper said, after my anxiety hit him.

"Okay. She has the same strength, speed, and is just as invulnerable as us." Carlisle paused again, as if waiting for the information to sink in. "She has to hunt, can't live off of human food. She has venom, somewhat like Nahuel. She can change others."

"We already knew all of that." Jasper said in confusion.

"Yes, but there is something you don't know. I'm pretty sure she has a talent." he said with the faintest smile.

I nearly jumped when I heard this. "What is it?" I asked quickly.

He chuckled. "It's something like Renesmee's. Her's was the reverse of Edward's, whereas Katherine's is a mix of both of yours." he said.

Then I realized both Jasper and Carlisle were looking at me with the same strange smile.

"Am I missing something?" I asked.

They both laughed, and Jasper said, "We already knew that, when you were gone. But we never had the chance to tell you." he smiled, but I could tell he was still hurting when he said I was gone.

I smiled. My daughter, proving the impossible yet again. "But what exactly does she do?" I asked.

"she can see the future, just as you, only it isn't effected by the hybrids, seeing as she is one. The wolves, however, are still an issue." Jasper answered.

"And she can feel and influence the emotional climate, just like Jasper." Carlisle said to me, and Jasper smiled again.

Then I realized what Carlisle had said. "what about the bad news?" I asked.

Suddenly his smile faded, along with Jasper's.

This can't be good.

chapter thirty-two

Alice's POV

"What is it?" I asked again, but my voice failed before I could finish.

Carlisle understood anyway.

He took a deep breath. "I don't think she is immortal." as he spoke, he did not make eye contact. "She grows at only a slightly faster rate than humans, although her mental abilities are advance."

an almost inaudible gasp escaped my lips. Jasper put his arms around me, and I buried my face in his chest.

How could this be happening? Katherine was our daughter, the daughter of two vampires. How could she not be immortal, like us?
"Of course, there's one option." Carlisle continued.

I looked up at him, still in jasper's arms. "Anything." I said desperately.

Carlisle looked reluctant. "It's highly dangerous. There's a great chance it won't work." he warned.

"What is it?" Jasper asked, his tone of voice the same as mine had been.

"We could try venom. Try to change her fully." he said quietly.

I closed my eyes out of habit. But then I remembered, I can't see Katherine.

"But if she already has venom, how could it work?" I asked.

Carlisle nodded in acknowledgment, "there in lies the problem."

I thought for a moment. If Katherine was truly mortal, then her days were numbered.

But if we tried to change her, it could end her days earlier.

It was an impossible choice.

chapter thirty-three

Alice's POV

My eyes began to burn with the now familiar dry tears we cry when I saw Katherine that night. She was so young, I couldn't begin to imagine her dying.

But the idea haunted me to no end.

Day by day, I forced a smile, and made the best of our time. It was all going to come to an end, one way or another, it seemed.

It was too much.

Sure, maybe the rest of the family was fine with this little charade. But I wasn't.

I couldn't live like this, I couldn't go on knowing my daughter was most likely going to die, no matter what we did.

Jasper realized how I felt. Late at night, after Katherine was fast asleep and safe in her bed, we would lay on our bed, my head on his chest, his hands absentmindedly intertwined in my hair. We would talk, talk for hours. Always about the same thing, but never running out of words to speak.

He would try to comfort me, try to make me see the possibility that she would survive. But not even he could open my eyes. I had lost too many people, seen too much pain, caused too much suffering.

The way I saw it, Katherine would die. And I would die with her.

TO BE CONTINED!