All things Twilight belong to the Awesome Stephenie Meyer :)

Songs for thought:

Untitled - Silverchair, Everything Changes - Staind, The Story - 30 Seconds to Mars

Chapter Eighteen - Misunderstood.

I sat with Bella on the couch for hours as she told me almost everything that had happened since we'd left. I knew she'd been editing on some things but the ease in which she skipped them told me they were inconsequential to the story.

She had told me that she had struggled in the beginning, I think she was making it sound a lot better than it was because her description had been so vague and her eyes betrayed her as they showed the pain. I also knew her better than she thought I did. She was easy to read. I knew I had to let it go for now. I wanted to get to where Laurent and Victoria fit into the story.

She began with bear sightings in the area, they had been sighted and hikers deaths had been blamed on them, but she said that they weren't bears they were the wolves.

Bella was open on these descriptions, she had told me how her friend Jacob who had still been human when they became friends had begun to avoid her and she had become concerned because of the gang, that was supposedly taking over La Push. She of course took this as another rejection and took to doing things by herself instead of allowing it to break her this time. She explained that she had gone on a hike and had run into Laurent, he had explained he'd been helping Victoria, which sparked a lightbulb in my head. Now she would know everything about us, including my visions and Edward's ability to read minds.

Laurent had almost ended her life that day and I was sure she had known how close she'd come to death, luckily, and at this point it was luck, the wolves showed up and were able to attack him, then killed him and burnt the pieces. Bella was left with a fear that she now had Laurent and Victoria after her, she hadn't realized that the wolves had disposed of Laurent. I was alarmed at the whole Laurent description. We should have known that they would be a threat, that they knew where she was. Maybe we were being naive in thinking they wouldn't dare come back. Again, Bella had come close to death and it was again our fault.

Her fear for her friend grew and she finally became fed up of his immature antics and decided to confront him, this was when he was cruelest to her, I could see that the memory of this had been hard on her, once again her actions and eyes betrayed her true emotions. Bella was fragile, but she seemed so easy to forgive that I couldn't interrupt to complain about his behavior. He then, against his packs requests, tried to explain what was going on to Bella, she realized what he was and confronted him about some of the murders going on in the area, which people had been blaming on the bears, and the bears had actually been the wolves. Bella had told Charlie that they were in fact wolves after her narrow escape from Laurent, and so that morning he was going to hunt the wolves to try and stop them. This accusation was when Jacob Black brought up Victoria. She had been doing the murdering.

They had been chasing her across the boundary lines for days, not knowing what it was she wanted. Finally Bella understood what was going on and had a meeting with the wolves about it. Something about her description of the wolves lead me to believe that this was when she had seen at least one of them phase, her eyes glazed and she shuddered when she mentioned them. She then spent a majority of time down on the reservation so they could protect her. She said she'd become bored and Jacob had promised her that they could go cliff diving so when he disappeared, she decided to go alone. I didn't want to interrupt her but I wanted to talk to her about the cliff jumping, it wasn't the best thing to do when you're bored, and although I'm sure she was aware of that now. I still wanted to understand, I knew Bella. It would have to have taken something more than boredom for her to do something so reckless.

She then explained that as she was being pulled from the water she saw a flame on the water and had no idea what it was until she got home, which is why she'd frozen at the door. It was Victoria in the water, she hadn't realized it at the time because of her confusion from her near drowning. I didn't like that Victoria had gotten so close but I kept listening until she had finished. She then explained what I had seen when I saw Charlie at the hospital, a close friend of his had died from a heart attack, and he was at the hospital with his family.

My heart immediately went out to Charlie, I knew how loyal of a friend he was. He had kept most of his friends from a young age and he had been such a good friend to me in the time I'd known him.

Bella's long story brought me a realization, one that I knew from the beginning but kept my mouth shut because I had promised to. "Our leaving didn't do you any good at all, did it?" I murmured.

Bella left our a hysterical yelp. "That was never the point, though, was it? It's not like you left for my benefit."

I had forgotten about Edward's excuse, I wasn't sure if I could keep it up, I wasn't sure if I could willingly leave her in this desperate state, I had to gauge her reaction. So I forced the next words out of my mouth.

"Well . . . I guess I acted impulsively today. I probably shouldn't have intruded."

I watched as the little color Bella had in her face drained. She leaned towards me and desperately held on to the collar of my shirt.

"Don't go, Alice," she began hyperventilating "Please, don't leave me."

I was expecting her to get upset but the pure desperation in every action and word she had just thrown at me shocked me. I knew I couldn't leave her like this.

"All right, I'm not going anywhere tonight. Take a deep breath."

She sat struggling with herself, watching her was difficult. It was like she had forgotten how to breathe. I waited until her breathing was under control. As I sat and watched her I realized just how bad she did look, I thought she had looked bad before, but on a closer appraisal I noticed that she was paler than normal and her hair was in shambles, her eyes were bloodshot, only emphasized more by the dark circles under her them, and she was skinner than I had thought too. It seemed misery had become a constant companion to her in the time we had been gone.

"You look like hell, Bella."

"I drowned today," she reminded me defensively.

"It goes deeper than that. You're a mess."

Her eyes closed at my words, and her body tensed. "Look, I'm doing my best."

"What do you mean?" I asked, to me it looked like she'd just stopped living, it seemed as if she'd just given up entirely. She was clean, but she wore the pain inside and out.

"It hasn't been easy. I'm working on it."

If this is what she looked like after working on it, I shuddered to think what she had been like before. Poor Bella, I knew that her reaction would mirror that of Edward's but he was convinced that she would move on, because she was human. He couldn't have been more wrong.

"I told him."

"Alice," Bella sighed. "What did you think you were going to find? I mean, besides me dead? Did you expect to find me skipping around and whistling show tunes? You know me better than that."

She was right, I did know better and I knew that she would be suffering because I knew her love for my brother, but I hadn't been prepared for the pure magnitude of her suffering. This was above and beyond the pain I was expecting. She had suffered more than I could have ever imagined.

"I do. But I hoped." I admitted, and I had hoped that it would have been as easy as Edward had assumed it would be. I went against my better judgement and accepted the assumption, always knowing in the back of my mind how wrong we all were. I knew and turned a blind eye. That one day I had checked on her and saw the pain. I thought it would lessen with time. It didn't and it looked like she was in the same hell as she had been the day we left her.

"Then I guess I don't have the corner on the idiocy market."

I smiled at her retort but the phone rang and her attention was drawn away. It was odd, I could normally tell when someone was going to call but I hadn't heard this coming. Things were getting a little stranger. I had to start paying more attention.

"That has to be Charlie," Bella said getting off the couch to answer it. I knew it wasn't but before I could voice that she picked up my hand and pulled me from the couch. She wasn't going to let me go. I followed obediently not wanting another outburst of hysterical hyperventilation.

She pulled up the receiver of the phone. "Charlie?"

"No, it's me," I heard the low rumbling voice answer on the other end of the line, I recognized the voice from the arguing in the truck outside the house.

"Jake!"

I watched closely, I wasn't sure exactly what was going on between the two of them because I couldn't see this boy, which was exactly why I hadn't expected the phone to ring. It seemed connected.

"Just making sure you were still alive." his tone was unhappy and I could tell that he wasn't so excited to see me here.

"I'm fine." Bella assured him. "I told you that it wasn't—"

"Yeah. I got it. Bye." The rude boy subsequently hung up the phone, not waiting for an answer. I knew that this action had stung Bella. She hung her head back and stared at the ceiling, a sigh escaping her showing her obvious frustration. "That's going to be a problem."

I squeezed the hand I was still holding. "They aren't excited I'm here." I knew the answer to that, we were, after all, natural enemies, it was all we were able to do. The hate was mutual.

"Not especially. But it's none of their business anyway."

I wrapped my arm around her, it was time to get a little color back into Bella, I could tell our long conversation had taken even more out of her. I was beginning to feel a little guilty that I had drawn her into such a long conversation after the near death experience she had suffered. But as long as she wanted me around I would be here.

"So what do we do now?" I thought to myself, I would have to call Edward and confess everything and I would have to try and convince him to come back, though I was sure it wouldn't take much to convince him. It was more obvious now than ever that they were meant to be together. I was hoping the family would come back too. If I had to be here alone a while I wouldn't mind it. Bella needed me and I wasn't attending high school or College so I wouldn't be missed there, I could even come back and attend Forks so I could stay close to Bella. "Things to do. Loose ends to tie."

"What things to do?" Bella asked, and I looked at her, I hadn't realized that I'd said that out loud. I needed to be careful around her for a while, until I spoke to Edward. I was sure he wasn't going to change my mind, but I had to consider Jasper. He was my husband after all. I also needed to speak to Carlisle and see if he could understand my lack of visions around or concerning the wolves. I knew that it wasn't anything to do with interacting with the wolves because I could see Bella's future quite clearly now, and I saw her joining our family, as I always had. The circumstances usually changed but the outcome was always the same.

"I don't know for sure . . . I need to see Carlisle." I said trying to fill in the silence. Bella's emotions once again surfaced to visibility, and her color drained.

"Could you stay?" she begged, her voice strained as she tried to hold back her emotions. "Please? For just a little while, I've missed you so much."

"If you think that's a good idea." I wasn't sure how my family would take this and I certainly wasn't sure what constituted as a little while. I couldn't really tell at the moment. The thoughts in my head were arguing and contradicting themselves. I was so confused by all of this. It was harder than I had though to see Bella like this and I knew it would be difficult to go against my family's requests. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and the visions weren't doing anything to ease the burning questions I had swirling around in my mind.

"I do. You can stay here—Charlie would love that."

"I have a house, Bella" I knew this would upset her but I was sure staying with her would make it harder to leave. She nodded slowly trying to reign in her disappointment and I felt a surge of guilt eating at me.

"Well, I need to go get a suitcase of clothes, at the very least."

Bella once again threw her arms around me bringing her neck in close proximity to my nose and my mouth. I was under control but the smell was agonizing, and that was putting it mildly.

"Alice, you're the best!" Her heart rate grew with her excitement and the blood pumped quickly through the veins.

"And I think I'll have to hunt. Immediately," I was fighting now, as good as I was at this lifestyle, the silver platter on which Bella was holding herself for me was beginning to cloud my senses, I had pushed myself too far. I fought with my natural impulses. I would never hurt Bella, but the animal in me was struggling.

"Oops." Bella stepped away from me and the small distance between us afforded me my sanity once again.

"Can you stay out of trouble for one hour?" I asked but I scratched that, I held up my hand to stop her answer and I closed my eyes. I could see Bella showering and cooking, and no fires or tripping. I would have to keep her close tomorrow though.

"Yes you'll be fine. For tonight, anyway." I thought about what could possibly go wrong tomorrow, I had seen her changed again, so I knew it would be something terrible, unless Edward was on his way here now with a plan.

"You'll come back?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper.

"I promise—one hour."

Bella looked at the clock that sat on the wall above the kitchen table. I laughed at that and kissed her on the cheek, I flew out if the door quickly, my throat felt like it was closing over and the scaly texture of my tongue was distracting me. I headed towards our white house by the river. There were plenty of herds of deer between here and there and I could pick up some things I needed. A quick snapshot of a vision hit me, I wasn't sure what it was about but it was a roll of money, large notes, similar to the roll I kept in my old room for emergencies. I wasn't sure what it meant but I knew better than to not follow my intuition. When I picked up some of the clothes I left behind, I would pick up the money. I knew it came into play for a reason, but I wasn't sure I wanted to know why.

I was back in Bella's living room forty five minutes later. Bella had made me a makeshift bed on the couch and she was in the kitchen eating. I didn't want to disturb her, she looked too thin as it was. I sat quietly and waited for her to discover me. It didn't take long, she walked slowly into the room looking lost in thought. Her eyes lit up when she saw me.

'Thanks." I said patting the pillows that were laying on the couch.

"You're early." Bella squealed and moved to the couch to sit next to me. She leaned her head on my shoulder, it was safe now I'd had my fill. I wrapped my arms around her gently, she was warm, I hadn't felt that in a long time. I sighed at the comfort of it.

"Bella. What are we going to do with you?" I was smiling but she was cuddled into me not seeing the gesture.

"I don't know, I really have been trying my hardest."

"I believe you." I said and I did. It was evident that she had survived on basic instincts alone and with the help of the Dog she called her friend that resided across the line. I knew I should be more grateful to him for keeping Bella alive, but he had placed her in just as much danger by keeping her close. He was a young werewolf, he hadn't mastered his skills yet, he could rip her apart without blinking.

We been sat in silence for a while.

"Does—does he . . ." Bella stopped and tried to compose herself, I sat silently and waited, I knew what she wanted to ask, and it seemed she was having difficulty even saying his name. "Does Edward know you're here?"

"No." I knew that she would realize that something was wrong, she picked it up quicker than I had expected.

"He's not with Carlisle and Esme?"

"He check's in every few months." Once actually but she didn't need to know that. There was no sense in causing her more pain than she was already suffering.

"Oh." I could hear the pain tainting her voice anyway. "You said you flew here . . . Where did you come from?"

"I was in Denali. Visiting Tanya's family."

"Is Jasper here? Did he come with you?" she asked, I knew that she would immediately understand that I had to leave again eventually when I said no, but she deserved nothing but the truth from me.

I shook my head. "He didn't approve of my interfering. We promised . . ." I trailed off as I heard the cruiser pulling up the road, a sound that was as familiar to me now as Bella's truck.

"And you think Charlie won't mind my being here?" I asked, I wanted to make sure. I knew Bella wouldn't want me to be uncomfortable, but he had just suffered the loss of a good friend.

"Charlie thinks you're wonderful, Alice."

"Well, we're about to find out." I said as the cruiser grew closer to the house, we both sat in silence as Bella listened for her fathers car. She jumped up and hurried to the door. I sat and listened as she opened the door and approached Charlie.

"I'm sorry about Harry, Dad." She said sympathetically.

"I'm really going to miss him," Charlie's voice was laced with the despair at the loss.

"How's Sue doing?"

"She seemed dazed, like she hasn't grasped it yet. Sam's staying with her. . ." I stopped listening to the private conversation intentionally. It was a grief I would have gladly taken from him if I could but my concerns had been with his daughter.

"Um, Dad?" I heard Bella clumsily bring up the subject of my presence and headed towards the door. I didn't want him to guess who was here. Charlie was glaring at the Mercedes as I arrived in the doorway.

"Hi Charlie," I kept my tone subdued to express my sympathy at his loss. "I'm sorry I came at such a bad time."

"Alice Cullen?" Charlie was staring at me in disbelief, like I was a vision conjured up by his imagination, Bella watched him fastidiously, "Alice, is that you?"

"It's me," I said confirming that what he was seeing was, indeed, me. "I was in the neighborhood."

"Is Carlisle. . .?"

"No, I'm alone." I knew it wasn't Carlisle he was concerned about, he didn't have to tell me that his concern was aimed solely at my brother. I knew that Bella's state had worried him, I could see that his concern was well founded. He tightened his arm around Bella's shoulder, as if to protect her from the pain.

"She can stay here, can't she?" Bella was close to begging again. "I already asked her."

"Of course, we'd love to have you, Alice."

"Thank you, Charlie. I know it's horrid timing."

"No, it's fine, really. I'm going to be really busy doing what I can for Harry's family; it will be nice for Bella to have some company."

I glanced from him to Bella. The pure joy Bella was feeling reflected in her eyes but she held her face straight for her fathers benefit.

"There's dinner for you on the table, Dad."

"Thanks, Bell." He gave Bella a squeeze before heading into the house. I always like and respected Charlie and it was difficult for me to see him in so much pain. I turned and headed back to the couch, not wanting to intrude any more than I already had. Bella followed me, this time I pulled her into my shoulder. She looked so weak and tired and the dark circles under her eyes were concerning me as the grew darker.

"You look tired."

"Yeah," she shrugged. "Near-death experiences do that to me . . . So, what does Carlisle think of you being here?"

"He doesn't know." Well he might I thought to myself, but I was sure they were still too far out in the wilderness to do anything about it. "He and Esme were on a hunting trip. I'll hear from him in a few days, when he gets back."

"You won't tell him, though . . . when he checks in again?" I knew who she meant and I was right in my assumption that she found it hard to say his name. I wasn't surprised, it was obvious that he had hurt her more deeply than he knew.

"No. He'd bite my head off," and I'm sure metaphorically he would, I had promised to stay away but he couldn't expect me to do nothing when I thought she had died, I came to make sure, either way. He had no right to be angry really.

Bella laughed and sighed, her silence left me alone to my thoughts. I was glad I had been wrong, but I should have called Rosalie to let her know what had happened. I was also concerned about the roll of money I had hidden on me. It was a considerable amount of money to just carry around especially when I had so many limitless credit cards. What was it for? And why had I seen myself picking it up?

A/N: There ya go today's chapter, I'm not sure I'm completely happy with it. But Alice is close to having another vision. :)

I only work half days on Fridays so I will try and get two chapters up for you tomorrow.

Thank you, as always, to the wonderful reviewers. I am honored that you take the time to let me know what you think. believe me I don't take you for granted and I appreciate everything you say to me, even though I don't get around to replying (sorry about that!) but anyways YOU ROCK AS ALWAYS AND I LOVE YA ALL :)

Don't forget the playlist link is on my profile. . . oh I think I also forgot to mention that the wedding dress Alice designed has a link on there too. (Delayed Reaction Much?) I have also decided that I will carry onto Eclipse, so if you've interested in reading that I'm going to start when I've finished this one.

I think thats everything lol . . . m'kay, I'm gonna go start the next chapter , :P -L