Alice only had to knock a few times before Natalie opened the door. The rain was coming down hard so she was quick to let Alice in. Natalie's auburn hair was tied back in a messy bun, pale sapphire eyes smiling. Alice felt suddenly warm next to her as she followed her back to her room. It wasn't a grand house like the Cullen's, but it was cozy. Natalie sat on her bed as Alice looked around the room. Posters of musicians and artists cluttered the walls and ceiling. Laundry and bottles were strewn across the floor, piled in the corners. Alice thought she saw the leg of a desk, but wasn't sure under the mass of papers and clothes.

"Sorry about the mess," Natalie said with a smile.

"Yeah, me too." Alice walked over to her and began to explain what had happened after their talk in the woods.

"Bella's okay. She's just going through some stuff."

"Aren't we all," she laughed. "What happened?"

"Um," Alice hesitated. She wasn't sure if Bella would mind Natalie knowing, but decided to play it safe. "She was hurt. I can't really say more than that."

Natalie nodded, propping herself up by a pillow. Alice was not ignorant to the way she did this. It made her body rest in a way all the curves were displayed perfectly, though her face remained nonchalant.

"Sorry I bailed like that," Natalie apologized. "It just seemed pretty personal..."

Alice shrugged. "My fault." Why couldn't she stop staring? It was like she'd never seen a woman until now. She made herself look away. Natalie began to strum at her guitar, seemingly unaware of Alice's awkwardness.

"We're still on for a date then?"

That surprised Alice.

"You told me about you. You should get your end of the deal, right? Unless of course you don't want-"

"No, no-" Alice shook her hands. "Of course. I'm just.... How...?" the question was stuck just behind her tongue.

"Ah," Natalie set down her guitar and sat up. "You want to know how I knew you're a vampire."

Alice said nothing but nodded.

"Well," she grabbed her guitar and strummed briskly, ominously. She lowered her voice to a deep drawl. "I'll tell you the tale." Alice laughed but sensed that something rather heavy was coming. Natalie explained that when she was little she was always wandering off from her parents. She always got in trouble for it-sometimes even beaten-but never regretted her adventures. She was coming back from one of them when a very strange, very pale woman came to her. She lured her in with the sweetest of voices, her gorgeous smile. It wasn't until the lady's teeth were at her shoulder did the stories she'd been told come back to her. She witnessed firsthand the vampire's strength and agility. But they were pretty close to home and someone heard her yelling. They got there just in time to find the woman's teeth at her neck. The vampire knew she could easily take them out, but it would draw too much attention. One could get away. The child was hardly worth the trouble, so she flitted back into the woods. Natalie ended up surviving, but had to be hospitalized for a few weeks.

"That was the one time my parents didn't punish me," she explained. "They figured I'd learned my lesson. Anyway, that's how I recognized you. The drinking from the birds just sort of confirmed it."

Alice took a moment to absorb this.

"I'm really sorry," she said.

"For what? I'm alright now. Unless you're planning to do the same." Alice knew that Natalie was trying to lighten things again, so went with it.

"I dunno, Nat. I've been considering it," she teased.

"Forgive me," Natalie said, giving a fake cough. "But you're not exactly as intimidating as she was."

"No? You sure about that?"

"Pretty sure. Yep. Definitely." Natalie was sizing her up, holding back a smile.

Alice nodded and pretended to turn away before swiftly turning back and leaping onto Natalie, who looked a little shocked. Once she was pinned on her bed however, she couldn't help but laugh. "Well, good to see you're not shy or anything!"

Alice laughed too, but then wasn't sure what to do. She hadn't really thought anything out. She simply gazed at the her, loving the feel of their bodies touching.

"You should know that I don't kiss on the first date," Natalie informed her,

"So this is a date huh?"

"I was going to go for the whole steak dinner and candlelight thing, but realized you're probably not so into, um, food." They were whispering for no real reason.

"Correct." She wished she could think of something witty to say, something romantic, or just anything. God she was gorgeous. How did humans get so gorgeous?

"Hmm..." Natalie pondered.

Alice found her head moving closer without her permission. She wasn't sure if she would be able to stop if Natalie said to. Luckily though, she did not.

"What is it?"

Their lips were centimeters apart.

"Well, I was just thinking of the times we ate lunch together and all."

Alice felt Natalie's body press harder against hers.

"Those were sort of dates..."

Alice moved her hand behind Natalie's head, fingers deep in her lush hair.

"They kind of were, weren't they..."

Once Natalie's arms had enclosed around her shoulders, Alice could no longer resist. Their breathe hastened with their lip movements, each girl automatically lost in the other. Natalie made a small moan and wrapped her legs around Alice's waist. Alice was astounded at how turned on she was by this and began roaming Natalie's body with her hands. Natalie squeezed her thighs, pulling her closer. She began to tug at the vampire's jacket when a loud bang sounded from the hall.

"Shit!" Natalie whispered. "Get off! Off, quick!" Alice did so, fixing her jacket. She was ready to leap out the window if need be, but Natalie just fixed her clothes and made a motion for her to stay put. She left her room door open just a crack, though it was probably on accident. She heard two loud voices, both of them male coming from where she guessed was the kitchen. Natalie greeted them but they pretty much ignored her. She could hear the clink of bottles, smelled the beer. Natalie was warning them, telling them "dad is going to kill you." Then they all began to yell and something glass broke. Alice grew uncomfortably tense, wanting to run out to see what was happening. She heard the scuffling of shoes and the scraping of a chair then a loud smack! Shouts followed as Natalie's hurried footsteps returned to the room. Alice instantly smelled the blood from the cut on Natalie's arm. Tiny bits of green glass poked out. She held her breath as she closed the door, cursing that there was no lock.

"Get out," Natalie was telling her. "Just go."

"You're coming with me." She didn't wait for Natalie to protest but picked her up and began to open the window. As she jumped upon the ledge the door burst open, revealing two furious boys about their age. They hardly looked surprised to see her there, just charged in and grabbed them, yanking them from the ledge. Natalie was torn from her arms, face horrified. Though there was hardly any pain, Alice still wasn't crazy about being thrown to the ground.

"New girlfriend sis?" the long banged one smirked. He had a large red mark on his cheek where Natalie has smacked him.

"Leave her alone!" Natalie shouted.

Natalie's brother discarded her with little effort. He walked over to where Alice was laying, talking quickly with his friend.

But Alice was beginning to have a vision of sorts. Not into the future, but deeper into the way things were right now. The scent of the guys seemed so familiar though she could not place it. She felt as if she already knew them, though had never seen them before in her life. She was so taken back by the sudden vision that she hardly noticed being pulled to her feet. When she saw Natalie punched hard in the stomach when she tried to go to her, though, she snapped wide awake. She bent the arms of Natalie's brother easily as she used her leg to kick his knee. He let out a cry and stumbled back. She then knocked him out. The one who had punched Natalie was stunned. He stood petrified for a moment before bolting out the door. Alice glanced at Natalie, who looked a little shaken but wasn't seriously injured. She was flying from the window in the next second, snarling as she hit the mud. She sped after the guy, legs pumping harder than ever before. The rain soaked them both in an instant but Alice only felt one thing: rage. She not only recognized his scent, but the look in his eye. There was no doubt in her mind who they were. She caught up to him in seconds, tackling him into the mud. Never before had the temptation to rip a human to pieces been so great. He was screaming, terrified as her iron fist dented his body. Blood caked the emerald grass, ran out into the street. She had to force herself to stop, actually flung herself from the limp body.

She bellowed. Loud, almost a roar.

She took a deep breath though it didn't really help. Her hand went to her pocket and ripped out her phone. Her fingers shook as she dialed the three numbers. The cop was slow to arrive. She went back into check on Natalie but neither she nor her brother were there. Forgetting all about the body in the front lawn, she started out for the other two, finally hearing sirens arrive at Natalie's house.

The cop arrested Keegan and brought him in.

Going on scent alone, Alice quickly tracked Lucas, Natalie's brother, down.

A/N: No one messes with Alice and gets away with it. Not as long as I'm writing the story.

So in case I wasn't clear, which happens a lot, Lucas is Natalie's brother. The shocking, if somewhat obvious, twist has been revealed! Hurray. Keegan is not related, just a friend of Lucas. The cop brought him in and that's where we last saw Bella, Charlie, and Carlisle. Bella is unconscious on the floor aaaand.... I'm writing more now. Stay tuned you amazing readers/reviewers!

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Thanks!