I learned something very useful about Bella while I had been pretending to struggle with Trig; she was a sucker for a guilt trip. If she had any genuine feelings of like towards you, a doe-eyed expression and a little quiver to the bottom lip would have her willing to do almost anything to make you smile again.

Good thing for me, because she also apparently had an unnatural aversion to shopping. She acquiesced only because I looked so dejected when she tried to refuse. Well, that and because she really didn't have much in the way of clothing that was suitable for the weather in Forks.

She didn't care for my driving, either. Chief Swan had apparently turned his daughter into a stickler for traffic laws, especially the ones involving speed. I only laughed and kept driving just as I was, confident that I'd see any potential speed traps in plenty of time to slow down.

We arrived at a fashionable shopping area and were fortunate to find a prime parking spot open. Edward's Volvo slid into place easily. I had no qualms about borrowing it while he was out with Emmett. Bella gave a sigh of relief that the trip was over. "Do you always drive like that?"

My grinned could not be contained. "I like going fast."

"You do know that speed limits are there for a reason, right?"

"I've never gotten a ticket." She looked a little green about the mouth, but I was certain she'd be all right soon. "Come on. Let's do some damage."

Bella got out of the car, looking around her. "Alice… I… don't think I'm even dressed nice enough to go into some of these places."

"Don't be silly. You look fine." I slipped an arm through one of hers and tugged her firmly towards the shops. The sidewalk was smooth and well kept, but that didn't stop Bella from tripping over her own toes. Thankfully I had the speed and the strength to keep her upright when she was about to go sprawling. "Careful or someone might accuse me of getting you drunk." Her cheeks were stained with a blush. She did that far too easily. Thank goodness Edward had listened to me about hunting.

"Alice… I don't really have that much to spend."

"No matter, I'm the champion at finding bargains." I was, actually. I just didn't bother most of the time. "We'll hook you up. By the time we're through, you'll even out-style Rosalie. And trust me that's saying something."

She didn't look convinced, but I was not going to let her off the hook now. I had hunted after leaving her house the night before so I was relatively safe to be around for the day, even with the tasty morsel currently linked arm-in-arm with me. I intended to make the most of our time together and get to know this girl who would one day be a member of our family.

It was about an hour later that I learned that she had a very difficult time accepting gifts. Extremely difficult. Unbelievably difficult.

The boutiques here were a bit high priced but I had been prepared to pay for everything. Thankfully my 'gift' fired up and I saw the likely outcome of how Bella would respond before I opened my mouth. She wasn't someone who was used to having a lot of money. Such a person would either be happy to accept expensive presents or would be too prideful to welcome them graciously.

Bella was the latter.

"Why don't you go try on this one?" I handed her a sapphire blue cashmere sweater. It would look heavenly on her. She, however, glanced at the price tag and blanched. Everything in here was more than she was able to afford if she wanted an extensive wardrobe. I affected a sigh. "Bella, just try it on." I turned her around and gave her a shove towards the dressing rooms.

The sales girl hovering nearby gave a quick glance towards the now empty doorway. She had a condescending air that would normally have me taking my money elsewhere, but this time I was feeling generous. I stepped up to her gracefully, my smile calculating. "You know what?"

The sales girl blinked and looked at me in askance. "Pardon?"

My smile turned beaming. "You're going to ring my friend up first. And, you know what else? Everything is on the most amazing sale."

Her expression turned somewhat disdainful. "It is?"

I reached into my handbag and plucked out my gold card, twirling it in my fingers so she could see. "A fantastic sale. I think everything she's picked out should run a total of somewhere between… sixty and eighty bucks? All of mine is full price, of course, damn the luck." I saw comprehension dawn on her. "Don't worry. I'll distract her so she doesn't see you tack on the rest. Deal?"

The sales girl nodded. "It's a very good sale, actually. We need to clear out as much inventory as possible in order to make room for the new season."

"Oh, of course." I nodded in all serious agreement, hearing Bella return. She stopped and examined herself in the triple mirror just outside the dressing rooms. The longing in her eyes was almost heartbreaking. I gave a squeal and clapped enthusiastically. "Oh, Bella, it's perfect!"

She sighed and looked my way. "Alice, it's not for me." Translation; it's too expensive.

"Nonsense! It's completely you. You should grab that one, too. Amy here was just telling me about their end-of-season sale going on. Most of what you've picked out is way less than the price tag. We'll just let her ring it all up and see."

For a moment I was afraid she wouldn't buy into it, but in the end she agreed. And, low and behold, she only had to pay out sixty-five twenty-nine for what would have originally come to a bit over six hundred, got to love those end-of-season sales. They were such good prices that I had Bella check a table of silk blouses to see if they had a lavender one in my size while my own purchases were being tallied. They didn't, unfortunately.

I had to be more creative at the next two places, but after that she was getting so tired of shopping that she was willing to go along with anything I told her as long as it got us out of the store more quickly. I could tell that this really wasn't her thing, so I apparently was not going to get another shopping buddy once she was a Cullen. Too bad. I was hoping to have someone other than Rosie to take with me. Not that I didn't like Rosie; I just got tired of pulling her away from the mirrors all the time.

As twilight was fast approaching we had filled the trunk and part of the back seat of Edward's car with our purchases. Bella squeaked through the day for under seven hundred, leaving her more than half of the money she had come to Forks with (she had been planning to use it for a new car, but Chief Swan had beaten her to that by getting her that monstrosity she called a truck) and a full wardrobe to show for it. She had put her foot down, metaphorically speaking, about my choice in shoes. She refused anything with more than an inch in heel, but considering how prone she was to falling over I could understand that.

We stopped at a little café for dinner. I had forgotten all about that part until I heard Bella's stomach rumbling. She ate her baked salmon with rather good manners while I picked at my salad and chattered on about the different outfits she had picked up and putting in my suggestions of what to wear and when.

"I really think you should wear that blue cashmere on Monday. It would look lovely with the darker jeans and you could pull your hair back a bit. Those combs we found at that last place would match perfectly."

"You really get into all this, don't you?"

"Of course! How can you not?" I shook my head at her. "You're a very pretty girl, Bella. You shouldn't hide yourself like you do."

She frowned, looking a bit uncomfortable for a moment. "Uhm… Alice… you're not… into girls are you?"

I couldn't keep the laughter back. "What? Of course I'm not! Why would you even think that? Did the school gossips fail to tell you that I'm with Jasper?" She blushed beet red again and I giggled. "I'm more than secure enough in my own sexuality to admit when I think another girl is attractive. I mean, you did see my sister, didn't you? The blond goddess? Try living with that every day of your life."

She seemed to find the idea funny, or at least was able to commiserate with me. If I weren't fully aware of why Rosalie was so beautiful, I'd have just as much trouble with my self-esteem as every other girl who ran across her.

I killed time until Bella was finished with her meal before paying for our check, refusing to let her pick up even half. I did, however, let her put in the tip just to make her feel better about it. With my new friend fully fed and the Cullen family funds a smidge lighter, we headed back towards Forks. It was full dark and I had to get her home before her father began to worry.

I kept Bella and Edward in my thoughts all throughout Monday. He had trouble, that much I knew, but he managed to hold back fairly well. Hunting over the weekend had done him good and given him enough self-control that he was able to keep himself in check.

It wasn't easy, by any means. A couple of violent glimpses that almost has me running from my class to get him were proof enough of that. Bella's scent tugged at the beast inside him enough that he actually contemplated throwing away everything we had built here just to taste her.

But he didn't.

I was waiting for him after his class, seated atop the hood of his Volvo with a pleased smile. He stopped, looking at me with wide eyes that were the same shade as my own. "You knew." It was an accusation.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I knew. I showed you when I pulled you out of class and sent you hunting with Jasper, remember?"

He looked like he could kill me, and quite cheerfully. "You could have warned me! I came damn close to slaughtering everyone in that classroom!"

"Ah, but you didn't. You resisted." I tilted my head to one side, studying him closely. "So tell me, what is it about her? I could see that you would have trouble resisting her, of course, but I couldn't see why."

Edward's hands clenched into fists and he looked as if he wanted to hit something, anything. "It's… the smell of her." He sighed and leaned against the car. "She's intoxicating. I caught her scent and I knew… nothing would be as sweet."

"She does smell yummy, but I didn't get that big of a pull towards it." I pondered this carefully. "We'll have to ask Carlisle about that. Maybe he'll know."

"I'll have to leave."

I straightened up quickly. He couldn't do that! "Oh no, you don't!"

"Alice, I can't be around her. I'm only putting her danger if I do. I'll be putting us all in danger."

"That's absurd, Edward. You resisted, didn't you?" He was serious! I could see him leaving, going back to Alaska. Avoiding Fork until Bella was cold and dead in the ground from old age rather than risk attacking her.

I'd lose my bet with Emmett!

Drastic times called for drastic measures. And this was a drastic time. So I called up the other visions I'd had when I first met Bella and the few I'd seen while shopping with her over the weekend. The visions of Edward happy and content with an adoring Isabella snuggled close into his side. I made extra certain that he saw the one where she was wearing his mother's ring.

Edward jerked away, taking in a hissing breath as he stared at me in wide-eyed disbelief. I smirked, leaning forward and propping my chin upon one of my fists. "Pretty, isn't it?"

"You're mad." He shook his head at me. "The visions have finally driven you insane."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Like that's news." I reached out with my foot and gave him a nudge. "You want it. You know you do."

"It's not possible, Alice."

"Anything's possible, Edward. Besides, this is fate. You and Bella are meant for one another."

"It's not possible." He seemed to think that repeating himself would make it true. I narrowed my gaze at him as he turned away, his fingers running through his hair in frustration.

"Bet me."

He turned back around. "What?"

I reached behind me and pulled out the magazine I had been browsing as I waited for Edward to come out. Now I folded it open to an advertisement and held it up for Edward to see. "This is the BMW K 1200 LT. When you fall hopelessly in love with Isabella Swan, you have to buy me one."

"You want a motorcycle."

"Yep."

"Why not just buy one for yourself?"

"Because it'll be more fun getting it from you after you realize that you're fighting a losing battle."

He shook his head in disbelief. "That certain, are you? And if I prove it's not possible?"

I sighed. "If you can't love her, or just eat her, then I'll personally remodel the west outbuilding into your own personal music studio." He'd wanted to do it for some time now but had never gotten around to actually doing anything about it.

Of course, I also noticed that where I had said 'when' he fell in love with Bella he had answered with an 'if' when it came to not being possible. Do I know my brother or what? Part of him wanted to be in love, just like everyone else in our family. I knew it was hard on him, being the single person in a house filled with couples.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Only an idiot would bet against you."

"Oh, good, then you're admitting I'm right. That'll do if you won't bet me." I closed the magazine, smiling.

"I didn't say you were right."

"If I'm not right then why won't you take the bet?"

He growled. It was all I could do not to giggle as he stalked forward and shook my hand.

It really was just like shooting fish in a barrel.