Okay, I know this is unbelievably late, but hopefully this won't happen again for a while because yesterday was finally the last day of school! Now I have seven weeks to just relax and update and watch the rest of Supernatural and finish Death Note and Grimm and all the other animes/shows I've started (except maybe Bleach because that's just... long). You can tell I've been planning this for a while. XD The first thing I did today when I woke up was get my mum's laptop so I can finish this chapter and start the next one (because the mouse pad on my laptop has stopped working for some reason. Does anyone know anything about that?).

I don't own Twilight. I don't own the plot. Enjoy. (P.S. I'm so pleased because Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is on Tv at this present moment :D.)

Alice's POV

"Hey Jazz," I say softly as I place myself next to him on our bed. He's rubbing his temples and he looks pained, but he manages a weak smile at me.

"Hey," He murmurs quietly, moving an arm to wrap around my shoulders. I lean into his side and look up at him with concern.

"Are you alright?" I ask, and he sighs heavily.

"It's Edward," He groans, and I almost crack a smile. "He's got so many emotions running through him, and I know he wants to talk to me about them, but then again what he's feeling is really personal, and he's never been a particularly open person... Anyway, his indecision is giving me a headache. Did you see his talk with Carlisle?"

I did. It was sort of heart breaking to see my closest sibling so confused. I know he's not used to having things outside of his control or his comfort zone. Carlisle was especially saddened by it; it's been so long since he's seen Edward genuinely happy, and now he has the chance to be it feels like he's pushing the chance away. "Yes."

Jasper hums, frowning slightly. "Rosalie was interesting this week."

I frown back at him. Nothing seemed different about my hot headed sister this week, except maybe she was a bit more hot headed than usual. "How so?"

He considers his answer before speaking. "When she made the argument about Edward being Carlisle's favourite she didn't mean it as keenly as she usually does. Usually when she makes that argument it's because she's angry that Carlisle isn't taking her side, or she's just in a bad mood. But this time... She didn't do it because of that. She did it because - as we all know - saying that to Carlisle makes him think about his decisions. From what I could tell she actually felt kind of bad saying it. But she wanted Carlisle to really think about what he was deciding and what it would mean for all of us, Bella included. Rosalie is really trying to protect Bella. She's really trying to keep her out of our lives."

At this I frown heavily, and I pose my next question to Jasper without expecting an answer. "Doesn't she see how miserable that would make our brother? I know they don't get along but surely she sees that he deserves what we have."

To my surprise, Jazz has an answer. "I think she's hoping he's not attached enough to really miss her in the soul crushing way that we would would we have to leave our mates. I think she's hoping that after we leave Edward will learn to be happy with what he has, and that we can get on with our lives. Even if that means she has to live with guilt of knowing she took Edward's one chance of true love away from him and that we have to live with the knowledge of it."

Sometimes it's amazing what Jasper picks up from the family just from their emotions. I can't imagine how stressful it must be for him, though. "Doesn't she realise Carlisle and Esme wouldn't let that happen?"

My husband shakes his head sadly, making his blonde curls sway slightly. "She wasn't there for his early and rebellious years. She doesn't know how he used to be and what his rebellious years did to him. She has only known him as an old, lonely soul who calls himself a monster and believes he won't find love. Rosalie never saw the change, unlike Carlisle and Esme who feel it keenly every day. All they want is for him to be happy, and Rosalie wants that too. But she doesn't understand that at this point, the only way for Edward to be happy is to find his true soul mate. He needs someone who can see past his flaws; who can see past what he has done and just love him for him."

"We all love him for him," I say immediately, hurt slightly by the accusation that we don't love our brother for who he is, even if I'm sure Jazz didn't mean it that way.

Once again he smiles slightly, and takes my hand in his, giving it a light squeeze. "No," He whispers after a moment. His eyes hold a repressed sadness I've never seen before. "We all love aspects of him. You love the fact you can share your visions with him. Emmett loves him because he's someone to wrestle with. Rosalie loves him because for a time they were close in the fact they thought they were monsters destined to die alone. Carlisle loves him because Edward is his first companion. Esme loves him because he was a child to replace the one she lost. I love him because he is my brother, and I know he would do anything to protect you. But that's not to say we only love him for the things he has done for us, or that we don't love him as a person. We all just have a defining memory of him that showed us our own affection for him. We can fall out of love with him. He could go a step too far in an argument with Rose, or he could make a mistake that would get you hurt and all of a sudden the people involved hate him. He needs someone who will love him unconditionally. Who will stand by his side even if everyone else falls away around him."

"We would never do that," I argue, glaring up at Jasper slightly. He just gazes back calmly. Out of habit, I look as far into the future I can to see if anything like that happens in our future, but Jasper recognises the look in my eyes and runs his thumb over my cheek, bringing me back to the present.

"I know," He says quietly, staring at me heavily. "But the truth of the matter is that Rose, Edward and I all have quite a temper. There is always the possibility of us rejecting each other in a fight that went too far and then being too proud to apologise. And you know how close Rose and I are. It's more likely to be us against him rather than him having someone on his side."

I bow my head at his words and stare at the bedding. Thinking about it, I guess I have always known that to be a possibility, but for me it's never been much of one. My jaw tenses. "No," I mutter after a minute. "I refuse to believe that will ever happen, but if it does all three of you are in a world of trouble and will drag you by your ears to apologise whether that means I lose an arm in the process or not."

When I look up at Jasper he is not even smiling. He looks completely serious and he stares at me as I straighten up with a strange look in his eye. Finally, he speaks. "I don't think it will happen either," He explains in a hushed tone. "I don't want it to happen. Edward is my brother as much as Rosalie is my sister. We should be fine."

I'm about to question him on what he means by 'should be', but he winces again and I know he needs to speak with Edward, and not just about him.

"Edward come up here please," I whisper.

We barely have to wait a second before a stubborn "No." travel up the stairs. Jasper rolls his eyes and laughs slightly.

"Edward it's important," My husband implores. "We just want to help."

"No," My brother says again.

"Please."

"Absolutely not. I'm sorry but it's not my idea of a fun evening to have my brother and sister pick apart my feelings, thank you."

I look at Jasper and smirk slightly, and my husband rolls his eyes at our brother again. In the end we go down to the living room, where Edward is sitting silently at the piano, his eyes closed. He sighs as he hears our approach. "I don't want to talk," He says quietly, but he sounds sort of defeated. I guess he's resigned to the fact that we're going to talk whether he likes it or not.

"It won't hurt a bit," Jasper smirks as Edward opens his eyes. My brother gives him a dull look.

"Just say what you need to say," Edward mutters, staring down at his hands.

Jasper takes a deep breath, staring at Edward until he looks at us. "Hope is nothing to be afraid of." Is how Jazz begins, and I want to slap him. Our brother knows this, and I can tell by his expression he is not appreciating Jazz's take on this. Edward may be the youngest out of all of us, but he hates being babied. Jasper continues: "Don't block it out. Keep hold of it. Let it grow."

It seems Jasper has hit a sore spot, as Edward looks pained suddenly. "I can't," He whispers after a moment. "Hope is just a metaphor for what I feel for Bella. If I let it grow, then my feelings, my attachment to her, grows, and I can't suck her into this. I can't pull her into the supernatural world. She deserves a normal life. Maybe I can be friends with her, and then leave. But that's as far as I can allow it to go, and even that's a stretch."

"Do you already love her?" I ask, exchanging a glance with Jasper as Edward's expression becomes more pained.

"I don't know," He replies, almost desperately. "I don't know what love is. I don't know if this is just an infatuation born of the fact that I can't read her mind and she smells better than anything I have ever smelt."

Jasper asks the question that will decide whether or not our brother is in love, although we both know the answer already, without visions or empathy. "Can you leave? Can you leave her?"

Edward takes a deep breath, staring out of the large windows. "Maybe if I leave now," He says, and Jasper purses his lips. "But I don't know if I can leave in an hour. I don't know if I'll be able to leave tomorrow."

My words come out harsher than intended: "Then how do you expect to leave her after being her friend in high school?"

He stares at us for a few moments before shrugging. "If I can convince myself she will be better off without me - which she will - then I believe I can make myself leave."

"What if you can't, Edward?" Jasper inquires softly, leaning towards our brother. "If you love her this much at this point, where she has only spoken to you once, then how are you going to feel if you've spent years getting to know her?"

"Like this, I imagine," Edward replies as nonchalantly as he can. "I don't think it can really get much worse than this."

"It does," My husband reassures him. "I know it feels like it won't because you're thinking about her all the time, but it does. It will."

Edward takes a deep breath that shudders slightly. He seems at a loss for words. "She makes me happy." He finally decides, glancing at us wearily. "I want to be happy. But I don't want it if it puts her in danger."

Jasper glances at me, disappointment written across his face. He tries a different approach. "But you want Bella to be happy," He whispers, capturing our brother's attention. "What if she's happy with you?"

"I'd still leave," He says stubbornly, and I sigh loudly. He pays me no mind. "She'd be much happier with someone normal."

"No," Jasper tells him simply. "Just no. She might be happy with someone if you were to leave now, but she'd still think of you and what might have been. If you were to leave after getting to know her she might not be able to handle it. You'd destroy her. Her grief might be too great for her, and for you. And even if she did manage to move on, what would you do? How long would we have with you, Edward? Would you waste away and watch her human life, forcing us to watch, only to force us to watch you die when she does? You could have eternity with her - with us, your family. But instead you are choosing eighty years of misery on a whole load of maybes."

Edward just stares at us for a long time before shaking his head slightly. He looks half desperate half defeated. "I can't turn her into a vampire," He whispers tiredly. "I can't drag her into our world. I can't do that to her. She doesn't deserve that. She deserves much better than me. I just... I can't."

It's hard watching my favourite sibling try to rationalise his own misery; his own destruction. I can see where he's coming from, but I don't think he understands just how forever this kind of love is. He will never forget her, as she will never forget him. If they were to separate or be separated then their own grief would kill them, just as it would for Jasper and me, Rosalie and Emmett and Carlisle and Esme. This love can't be changed, especially now that he has admitted it.

"Edward," I murmur, and he looks up at me, his eyes pained. "We are your family, and we will support you in every decision you make as long as it does not bring danger. But we refuse to watch you're own destruction. You need to decide: leave now, stay with her forever, or kill her if you blood lust becomes too great."

As much as I love my brother, his ingrained stubbornness irritates me beyond belief. He's like a mule. "Those aren't my only options," He implores. "They aren't."

"They are," I murmur, taking his hands in my own. "Look into my mind and see."

I close my eyes as I show him the futures I have seen. One where he is in a tux, with a blushing Bella at his side in a wedding gown. Another with him alone in a hotel abroad somewhere, suffering as the world goes past outside. Another of him sobbing at Bella's grave, which ends with him in Italy. Another with Bella as a vampire, golden eyes glowing as she grins at her husband. Another, with Bella dead in his arms, his eyes red with her blood.

"The one with Bella's grave," He says quietly. "That could be it. That could be the future where I leave later. You don't always see the whole picture, Alice. I could leave. I could leave."

I shake my head. "That future came about when you decided you were going to leave so you didn't drain her, just after you met her. I haven't seen that future since."

"Face it Edward," Jasper says. "Please face your own happiness. We want you to be happy. We want you to know the love we have."

"No Jasper," Edward answers evenly. "I have to try. I have to do what's best for her."

My husband opens his mouth to answer, but Edward is already gone, the front door shutting behind him as he makes his escape to the forest outside. "Coward!" Jasper shouts after him, rolling his eyes and huffing. I frown and stare down at my hands. Jasper senses the change in my emotions and pulls me into a hug. He places a gentle kiss on my hair. "It'll work out Ali," He promises. "It always does in the end."

I look up at him, placing a kiss on his lips in an attempt to erase his grim expression. "I'm not sure it will, though Jasper," I tell him solemnly. "You know how stubborn he can be; how stubborn he is."

Jasper sighs but nods, agreeing with me. "Yes but we're his family. We'll look after him. We won't let him destroy himself, even if it means we have to kidnap him now and take him to Denali for a Bella detox."

I laugh slightly at that, but my mood doesn't allow me to find much amusement in it. Fortunately, Jasper decides to help me out, and suddenly my spirits feels lifted, even if it is artificial. "Thanks Jazz," I grin, kissing his nose.

"Anything for you Ali Cat," He replies, kissing mine. "Anything for you."

I smile at him for a moment and he smiles back, but after a moment I move away from him. "We need to tell Carlisle about this," Jasper reminds me. "We can't put the family in danger. He'll know what to do."

"The family isn't in any danger," I state, but the truth of the matter is that we might be. We've done well to stay off the Volturi's radar so far, which is saying something considering the size of our coven. But bringing a human into the mix, a very intelligent human who has already found irregularities in Edward's appearance, is dangerous. Very dangerous. I wouldn't put it past Bella if she had already discovered our secret. Especially if Edward ends up going to Italy to kill himself, and they find that we knew a human who knew our secret and we left her alive... Even if at that point she's dead that's enough to rightfully organise Carlisle's execution at least. We would all fall apart without our leader, and no doubt Edward would be offered a place in the guard. Esme would be... I don't even want to think about it.

A wave of calm washes over me, and I turn to find Jasper watching me with concern. "I love you," I tell him seriously, suddenly concerned that I don't say it enough, and that soon I won't have the chance or option to.

"I love you too," He says back, pulling me into another hug, his concern washing over me. "And nothing can change that."

I sigh. That's what we're trying to tell Edward. "Exactly." Is all I say, before smiling grimly and taking his hand before we make our way to Carlisle's study.