Unreasonable Excuses

It had been five days that Alice had been here. I couldn't get her to go back to Forks, I couldn't get her to go out and enjoy herself in some bizarre shopping spree. Italy was a place for shoppers; shoppers like Alice. They had all the great items – from what I've heard. Alice gave all that up – even though I know that she was dying to get out there and buy all the stores – because of me. She went with me to all of my training, and even scowled at them for being too rash on me. She even escorted me out to the woods to hunt, and I was always grateful when she did because I didn't want to taste human blood again – when it would more likely be fresh.

Her excuses to stay here were unlimited. I know that when I've decided to confront her about it, she'd see it beforehand and would think up an excuse. She had been disappearing with Aro as well, and somehow I know that Aro still wanted to have Alice as his asset. That wasn't going to happen, not when the day that she could no longer see any vision when I'd be around, would be the day she would be no longer of any use for him.

"Bella? Are you with me?"

Heidi's voice brought me out of my reverie. I didn't know why Heidi was still hanging around me, but she wasn't bad when I've gotten to know her better. She liked to shop as much as Alice did. She liked to talk as much as Alice did. She could be Alice's best friend if they would stop shooting daggers at each other.

"Yes?" I asked as I looked at her amused expression. Apparently, everything that I did was amusing to her. Granted, she had never seen my clumsy moments as a human.

"Do you want to go out shopping?" She asked excitedly, and I could see the hope shining in her eyes. However, I stopped breathing, literally.

"You can't be serious!" I blurted out. She giggled at that as if I was her entertainment.

"Of course I am! You can't wear black every day!"

"What's wrong with black?" I asked indifferently, and she gave me a disbelief look.

"It makes you look dull, and out of life." She answered in a monotone, and I gave her a 'You're crazy' look. Then again, if Alice was here she'd say the same thing.

Alice had disappeared again, no doubt with Aro. I missed her every time that we were apart. Then again, it was quite silly to miss her when she was right in front of me.

"We are dead, Heidi. We're just walking and talking corpses." I deadpanned her, and I know that I did because her mouth fell open in shock.

"I need a force to get you out to shop." Heidi frowned and pushed her lips out in a thoughtful expression. The next thing I know – which didn't surprise me – Alice showed up with an excited and jumpy appearance. I didn't have to guess why she was excited, and I didn't have to guess what she was going to do.

"Bella! Shopping time!" Alice said in her sing-song vice. I groaned and when I decided to run for it, she pounced on me. "You. Are .Going."

I groaned once more, and tried to get her off me but her grip on me was strong. "But..." Reasoning with her would be fighting a lost battle. I know, because she was giving me the look that no one could resist.

Alice hopped off me and started to bounce on the spot, while clapping her hands softly. "Yay! Let's go! Let's go!" She paused for a brief second to grab my hand and dragged me away. I could hear Heidi's footsteps behind us.

Unfortunately for me, today was a good day for vampires. It was cloudy, and there was no speckle of sunlight. I'd probably have to endure two shopaholics dragging me around, for today. So far we had been to two shops in the last thirty minutes. We didn't buy anything, fortunately, only because they didn't quite like what they saw. And because of that, I had been stuck in the third store for almost an hour. I had also been trying out clothes, only because it would satisfy them.

Six hours later, I've already carrying a load of shopping bags. They bought a few items for themselves, and I had a whole Mt Everest in my hands, and draped along my arms. My arms weren't aching, and I was glad that they weren't or else I'd die by now. But I didn't want to walk around with these stuff, and they wouldn't let me go to put the bags in the car. I did complain but they gave no mind to me, and so I've given up in trying to get out of this shopping spree.

"Last store!" They said in unison, then paused and glared at each other. I didn't mind about that, not when I was jumping and screaming in joy, on the inside. That died out rapidly when I saw the last store was a lingerie store. Not only a lingerie store, however, but a Victoria's Secret.

"Pretty colors!" Alice giggled beside me, and I turned to glare at her. She rolled her eyes and grabbed what was left of my arm, and pulled me inside.

So instead of letting myself feel the pain of actually be in here, I shut all of my emotions down and became an emotionless living doll. Heidi didn't say anything about it, she was enjoying herself from tossing things at me to try on.

Take. Oblige. Heidi's and Alice's satisfaction. Those were the only words that were running through my head. Heidi only got me a few, and she had gone off to get her own 'stuff'. Alice was still passing me a lot of items to try out, and I could see her taking a few for herself too. At least they were enjoying this, while I just wanted to die.

Finally, they decided to go back. As soon as I entered my room with loads of shopping bags, I dropped them on the floor immediately and collapsed on the cushion bed. Thank God that was over, and I didn't know why women love shopping that much! Those were just article of clothing! There was obviously nothing for them to fuss about.

"You look like you're dying." Alice commented with an amused giggle. Heidi had gone back to her room, and probably going to hunt down Dimitri soon after. So that left Alice in my room, teasing me as it would look like.

"On the inside, I am." I muttered, my voice being muffled by the pillow that I had pressed my face into. I felt the space beside me hunched down, so I turned and looked up at Alice. She had put up a mask, and I couldn't read her face because of it.

"You should go home." I murmured as I turned to lay by my side. She looked down at me, her face expressionless as she shook her head.

"I want to stay here, with you."

"Why?" I asked, clearly confused.

She sighed and stood up, then offered her hand out to me. "Come, I want to show you something."

Curiosity soon took over, and I sat up as I took her hand in mine. She led me ouot of the room, down several corridors until she stopped in front of a room that was unknown to me. I shot her a questioning look, but she just shrugged and opened the door, before pulling me inside. It was a very dark room, but the light flickered on when the door clicked shut. The whole room was white, except for one object in the middle of the room; the black piano. I turned to her, and she looked nervous for a while before looking up at me

"Why do I want to be here with you?" She repeated my question, and I confirmed it with a nod. She heard out of a small sigh, then looked down at the white floor.

"I love you."

A mumble. I think I caught it but I wasn't really sure.

"Huh?" Nice work, you just made yourself sound stupid.

Alice sighed and lifted her eyes to look at me. I could read her face now, especially the emotions that were playing in her eyes; fear, nervousness and love. "I love you, Bella. I always have. I guess I was just..."

She left it hanging, but I know what she would say if she was to carry on. In denial...Maybe that was me as well with Edward, but I guess I stopped when he tried to kill me. So now I was in here with Alice, looking at her with doubt. She shouldn't be using this as a reason to stay here, because I just didn't know whether she was saying it because she really did love me, or she was just saying it because she wanted to stay here.

"Is that your answer?" I asked without any emotion in my voice. It shouldn't have any, not when I wasn't sure if she was serious about this or not.

A flicker of pain crossed her features, but it vanished as soon as it appeared but I still caught it. She looked away then, and I could see the corner of her eyes were shining with unshed tears. Now I regretted for having to ask that question, because that was the dumbest question that I've ever asked her in this kind of situation. She really did love me, and I just ruined the bloody moment! I fail at being a human and a vampire. I'd probably fail at being every living thing.

"Can I show you this song that I've been working on, before I go?" She asked weakly, and I know that she was holding back a sob, I could hear it in her voice. I didn't want her to go either, but it was for the best, I didn't want Aro to have such advantage of her being here because I was here. I didn't want him to have such satisfaction.

"Ok..." But you don't have to go, I so wanted to say that, to stop her from going but I refrained myself from saying it. I know that Alice must had seen the decision that I have made, because she was quiet for a while before taking my hand in hers again.

She led me over to the piano, gently pushing me down to sit on the bench before she joined me by my side. Everything was white around us, and it was like I was in Heaven, and sitting next to me was an Angel that was about to carry out a beautiful melody that God had bestowed to her. So I waited as she composed herself, hovering her fingers lightly on the piano keys. Her eyes flickered over to me, then they flickered back down on the black and white keys and sighed softly.

"This song is dedicated to you."

A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and the song began to play as she let the beautiful piece of music to engulfing the big, white, angelic space around us.

A/N:

I'm sorry for deleting and updating like three times. Some words are missing when I uploaded the chapter. Really, fanfiction should just go with the flow!

Anyway, the next chapter is a song chapter, as you all know...I hope. You might like the song, and you might not. But whenever I listen to it, it makes me think of Alice x Bella.

So, thanks for reading and reviewing guys. =]