-1A/N Thank you to everyone who reviewed my last chapters! I'm intending to reply to all I get, it just takes me a little time! Hope you like this chapter!
Chapter 3 - Checkmate
"I'll tell you all together so then I don't have to repeat myself."
With that, she danced through the door into the sitting room where the rest of the family were gathered, waiting.
"Where's Eddie?" I asked her as I sank into a chair beside Rose, pulling her onto my lap as I did so.
"He's gone to Bella's tonight." Alice said, taking her place at Jasper's feet on a Dior polka dot beanie bag Rose had bought her for Christmas.
I drummed my feet impatiently on the floor, waiting for Alice to start. She seemed to get the message, and started to talk.
"Well we're going to come across her scent while hunting tomorrow. Although, that's not really necessary now. We follow the trail but it disappears into the river. We then pick it up again on Saturday morning. We set in pursuit of her but she's going to cross the treaty line at some point and we won't be able to follow her there. Her future then disappears as I assume the Wolves get involved."
Alice frowned; I knew she hated it when she couldn't see the future.
"Then at some point she crosses back over the line, though I can't pinpoint when or where because of the wolves. The chase picks up again, we're closing in on her and Emmett lunges at her. It then goes blank. Either because of the wolves again or perhaps more likely that a decision hasn't been made yet that will determine the outcome. Remember though, this isn't set in stone, anything could happen."
I rubbed my hands together in glee - this looked good! I would lunge at her and take her to pieces within seconds, and then no-one not even Edward will be able to argue with the fact that I am unbeatable.
Just because he holds the stair descending record, doesn't mean he's better than me. Faster I'll admit, but not stronger.
"Wow Alice" Esme said, maternal pride radiating from her voice.
"You've really outdone yourself today; maybe you should go lie down and have a rest now."
Awww Esme was always so sweet, though as a vampire, lying down and resting wasn't going to help Alice in the slightest. But it was the thought that counted. Well, at least that's what Carlisle told me every time Edward bought me an Encyclopedia for Christmas.
Carlisle never understood that Edward was not being "kind" as he put it, he was deliberately trying to irritate me and get me back for mine and Jasper's Christmas present of 1989: How to get a girlfriend when you're desperate.
We'd thought it was funny but he'd thought otherwise. Ever since Jasper, Edward and I had been trying to outdo each other, trying to buy each other the silliest, most insulting presents we could find.
This year Jasper and I were going to have a field day, now that Edward had finally got a girlfriend we'd already decided his present was going to be fixated completely around the act of making love to said girlfriend.
God Edward was going to kill us.
Alice grinned.
"You're right Esme maybe I will go lie down for a while. I'll see you lot later, and by the way Edward's bringing Bella round later."
Pulling Jasper up with her, she ran daintily out of the door, her feet barely making a noise as she ascended the staircase. I exchanged glances with Rose. I didn't need to be able to see the future to know what they were going to do.
Hmmm maybe me and Rose should go upstairs and make the most of the passionate atmosphere that Jasper would most likely be generating. Sounded like a good idea to me.
As me and Rose slunk up the stairs, I could hear Esme rushing around with a duster, making sure the house was spick and span before her newest daughter arrived.
As we reached the top stair Esme called up to me.
"Emmett do you think Alice and Jasper would mind if I quickly dusted in their room? Theirs is the only one I haven't done this morning."
Rose and I exchanged sly glances, and I quickly put on my most innocent face. Esme was a sucker for that face.
"Of course they wouldn't mind Mom." I said, my eyes wide.
"In fact, I'm sure Alice would be positively ashamed if Bella entered her room and it wasn't dust free."
Rose nodded in agreement, and with that we hurried to our room and sat down beside each other, still grinning wickedly.
"Do you think it would be possible…" Rose started, her head resting on her hands "to get Esme's shocked, embarrassed face on camera?"
I pictured Esme's mortified face, as she saw Alice and Jasper in a very…compromising position.
My grin spread uncontrollably across my face.
"I like it Rose, I like it. You know you're better at practical jokes than I give you credit for. But do you know what would be even funnier? How about if we got Jasper's and Alice's shocked, embarrassed faces on camera as well…"
It was her turn to grin now.
"Yes I'll handle the camera, you'd just break it." She paused, as if she saw a flaw in our plan. "You don't think Alice will see our little joke coming though?"
I laughed.
"I'm betting that dear Alice is going to have other things on her mind!"
As Rose considered this we heard Esme's oblivious footsteps coming up the stairs. Hastily Rose grabbed the camera out of the drawer and we exited the room onto the landing, our breath held in anticipation.
We watched as Esme twisted the door handle and pushed the door open. If I was alive, my heart would be pounding with excitement.
With the camera ready- Rose holding it carefully out of my reach, we waited for Esme's expression to change. But it never did.
In disbelief, Rose and I peered around the door. Alice and Jasper were sitting on the bed, fully clothed, smiling angelically. I scowled at them, and Alice grinned, her eyes gleaming.
"Haven't you ever learnt that you can't outwit a psychic Emmett?" She whispered sweetly in my ear as her and Jasper passed us and descended the stairs to wait for Bella.
My scowl deepened, this wasn't fair - it was such a well thought out plan! I'd have to get her back soon; I couldn't live knowing I'd been beaten by a little freak who was less than five feet high.
By the time Rosalie and I got downstairs, Bella had already arrived.
Esme, who had put her feather duster down, had enveloped Bella in a huge, but gentle hug. Edward was leaning against the banister, glaring at me through narrowed eyes.
"Emmett, I'll have you know that I heard you insulting me earlier."
He paused and then continued, mimicking my voice to a point where even I would have been fooled.
"Just because he holds the stair descending record, doesn't mean he's better than me. Faster I'll admit, but not stronger. I'll have you know that-"
Before he could continue I slammed into him, pushing him against the wall, and holding him there.
"You were saying?"
"- I may not be the strongest vampire ever but I am strong enough to kill you."
He sent me a cold warning glare.
I laughed, relishing his humiliation in front of Bella, and let him loose.
"Believe what you want to believe." I said in my most ominous voice.
Esme then ushered us into the front room, where Carlisle was already sitting, still in his white medical coat. We all sat for a while, chattering happily. Before long though, Alice had gone off in search of the dreaded chess board.
I groaned. I hated that damn chess board. I could never win against either her or Edward and if I had no chance of winning there was no point in playing as far as I could see.
"Don't be so morose Emmett." Edward teased "You might win, Jasper's beat Alice once."
"Exactly. Once. Out of the millions of times he's played her. And she probably let him win anyway!"
I watched Bella's face as Alice brought out the board and challenged Edward. This would be a new experience for her. Edward V Alice at chess was undeniably impressive.
They played it mostly inside each other's minds, Alice foreseeing his moves, and him picking hers out of her head.
"Anyone fancy a bet on the winner?" I looked expectantly at Jasper; he was as fond of gambling as I was. But he shook his head. It seemed like I was out of luck today.
I watched curiously as Alice and Edward started up. Both their brows were furrowed in concentration.
After a lengthy pause, Edward made his first move, a pawn on the right side of the board. For most people what would be considered an unimportant move.
"They take rather a long time to decide where they're going to move, don't they?" Bella said in amazement as Alice debated about her first move for over five minutes.
"You get used to it." Carlisle smiled fondly.
"Do you play Bella?" He enquired.
"A little." Bella blushed, and I saw Jasper flinch out of the corner of my eye.
Luckily, Bella seemed not to notice - she was too busy staring at her shoelaces. I sighed, Bella was always so self-conscious.
"But, I could never beat any of you, not looking at how you play." She mumbled.
Carlisle chuckled.
"None of us can beat those two, they have rather unfair advantages!"
Bella laughed, and we returned to watch the match. Alice was eyeing her pieces carefully, still deciding which pawn to move. At the moment, she seemed to be favouring the one opposite Edward's moved one, and the one to the left of it.
Slowly, Alice picked up the pawn directly opposite Edward's and moved it two squares forward. Edward took much less time to react, he seemed already to know which piece he was moving and with confidence moved the pawn in front of his knight one square forward. This seemed to annoy Alice, though she'd probably seen it coming.
In my peripheral vision I could see Bella staring at them with her mouth hanging open in disbelief. Already twenty minutes had passed, and only three moves had been made.
After another long pause, Alice daintily picked up another of her pawns, the one diagonal to her king and moved it. Edward smiled and stared at it for over a minute, debating about what to do.
As Edward seemed to make up his mind and reached out to move his next piece, Alice sighed. In defeat she flicked over her king and resigned. Edward grinned, his eyes lighting up and his face relaxing.
"Huh?" Bella asked, "They've only moved two pieces each!"
"I'll admit, that was a short game even for them." Carlisle said.
Alice scowled at Edward, then turned to face Bella.
"There was no point continuing, whichever piece I decided to move the future remained unchanged, his knight and castle were going to checkmate my king, so I had no choice but to resign."
Bella nodded in understanding, but still looked slightly in awe. It was probably the most complicated game of chess she'd ever have seen - despite only four pieces in total being moved.
"You know Rose," Alice said "Edward's offered to fix Mike Newton's car for him."
At this Rose scoffed. I knew what she was thinking. It would be something along the lines of Edward not being able to fix cars half as well as she could. And she was damn right; my Rose was easily the best mechanic on this side of Washington –probably even in the whole state!
And of course, she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
"Edward can't fix cars for toffee." Rose said, voicing her thoughts out loud.
"Thanks." Edward said dryly.
"So I suggested you should have a look at it tonight, so he doesn't make a fool of himself if Mike does decide to let him fix it."
She paused thoughtfully.
"Though I would like to see his face if you turned up to fix it, but you're supposed to be at college, so I'm afraid I had to let that idea go." Alice mused.
Rose's beautiful face broke into a smile, probably imagining Mike Newton's face as she proceeded to fix his car for him. Now that would be a funny scene.
"I'll have a look at it tonight." Rose agreed. "It should be easy to take a look at it while the Newtons sleep."
"We'll all go." I stated "It'll be a fun outing, sneaking around Forks at night, knowing that we'll all be in a big mess if we get caught! It'll be great, nothing's fun without that little hint of danger, and taking big risks!"
And with that it was decided. Tonight after Bella had left, we would sneak over to Mike Newton's. This would provide decent entertainment while we waited for the big action with Victoria to get started.
After being smashed at chess by Jasper, Bella left with Edward to go home, explaining that her father would kill her if she was out over her curfew this soon after being ungrounded. We then proceeded to get everything ready for our breaking and entering into the Newton's garage tonight.
Rose was just changing into her garage clothes, in which she still looked as hot as ever, when Alice's face clouded over. When she came out of it, her face was anxious.
"Alice?" Jasper asked, his expression mirroring hers. "What is it?"
"Bella's future has just disappeared." Alice whispered, reaching into her pocket for her cell phone.
We all gathered round to listen as Alice phoned Edward to explain the situation. By the tone of his voice he didn't seem too worried; I could just catch "Jake" being said rather often on his end.
"It's ok," Alice finally said, after Edward hung up "She's just planned to visit the dogs. Of course Edward's stopping her; it's far too dangerous for her there."
We all visibly relaxed. I'd really miss her if anything happened to her. Things were so much more fun with her around.
That matter being sorted out we, well Alice, Jasper, Rose and I, began putting our grand plan into action. Carlisle and Esme had downright refused to have anything to do with it, they thought it was too 'risky' and Edward of course would be too busy perving over Bella as she slept.
I wondered why he didn't just change her. It would make everything so much easier and he could finally get some much needed action.
I shook my head sadly, being a 107 year old virgin just wasn't natural. Oops, Edward had probably heard that. Oh well, I hadn't had a decent fight for a while anyway.
I shot an impatient glance at the clock and beamed. It was time.
Dressed completely in black to blend in with the shadows, we couldn't help feeling slightly like the Volturi in their black cloaks as we crept along to Mike's house.
I chuckled under my breath, only to get a sharp elbow in the ribs from Jasper.
As we neared the house, we put our guard up, slinking around corners like cooler (but definitely weirder) versions of James Bond.
Next time we did something like this I'd have to remember to bring walkie-talkies.
Silently, we crept over his wall with ease and began to search for the best way in to his garage. This would be a piece of cake.
A/N Anyone whose ever posted something on will know how seeing reviews in your inbox gives you that fluttery feeling. Every review I get makes my day! Next Chapter is the Victoria chasing part. Because Eclipse is so long I'm going to have to be editing parts of it, but if there's any part you particularly want to read about, tell me either in a review or pm me.