A/N: This chapter was pre-written, but I decided that it sounded like every other 'Edward is moping after a New-moon-esque event' chapter ever written, so I decided to change it. I hope it isn't too weird.

Also, there was a little confusion over why Aro had been planning for Edward and Bella to fall for each other. Basically, when I read the books, I identified Aro's most pressing concern in any situation to be his own wants. He loves Sulpicia and he loves Bella, but they are his second and third priorities respectively. What Aro wants out of this situation is Edward. He wants to be able to read minds from a distance, so when he noticed that Edward and Bella were drawn to each other in such strong friendship he had Chelsea start working at that bond to strengthen it. He knows that when a vampire falls in love, its irrevocable. Edward and Bella's love for each other isn't fabricated, I really need to stress that, but where most people might say that they fell for their partner, these two were pushed. Chelsea was the trigger.

Aro is upset that Bella is in pain, but this is of less concern to him the fact that Sulpicia refuses to let her go, which in turn is of less concern than his own desire for Edward's gift. He knows that Bella and Edward can't stay away from each other forever, he's playing a waiting game. Seriously, this guy killed his own sister (who we've been informed that he did love) for power, do you really think he's going to worry about his daughter shedding a few tears?

Hope this helps : )

Sulpicia's POV, Volterra

Bella sat by her window, curled dejectedly in Carmen's arms. I stepped forward to place a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged me off and refused to look at me. My lip curled in distaste. She never spoke to me any more, my treasure, she refused to acknowledge anyone, would accept no one's touch but Carmen's. This was unacceptable.

*********

AlicePOV, Denali

I took a deep breath and headed outside. There was a high probability of this failing. 97.53% to be exact, but I needed to try. He couldn't stay out here forever.

Cautiously, I approached the snowdrift. High, perfectly curved and pristine, there was nothing to suggest that it had ever been disturbed in the last year. Nor should there be, it hadn't been.

It did not escape my attention that Edward was ignoring me. He could have heard my thoughts from inside the house, but did nothing to imply that he cared. It seemed as though this was a discussion that needed to be spoken aloud.

"Edward." I addressed the snowdrift sternly. The snowdrift did not speak.

"Edward, I want you to come inside," I tried again, "don't make me pull you out of there!"

"No," said the snowdrift.

"Edward, you deposited yourself under that pile of snow the moment we got back and you haven't moved since. Are you planning to hunt any time in the next century? You can't stay in there forever"

"Watch me," snapped the snowdrift.

"I can't, you're under a pile of snow" I was losing patience and that was bad. Losing patience meant losing the argument. I took another breath, which did nothing, and tried again. "Please Edward, you're making everyone miserable"

The snowdrift was silent. Finally some progress.

"This isn't doing you any good Edward. Besides, what if she changes her mind? How will you ever find out if you hide yourself away like this?"

The snowdrift seemed thoughtful, "Why would she do that?"

Clearly this was a very stupid snowdrift - and I hope you heard that Edward!

"Edward are you blind? She loves you, absolutely and completely. I might not be able to See her, but I'm willing to bet that she's just as miserable as you are, it won't be long before she caves!"

There was a long pause before a tortured murmur which sounded a lot like "Chelsea"

This was too much. "HONESTLY! You don't give Bella anywhere near enough credit! Chelsea's power has its limits, she couldn't possibly fabricate anything near that strong!"

Another pause.

"You think so?"

"I know so."

All of a sudden I found myself encased in a flurry of icy powder as the snowdrift erupted before me. When the flakes finally settled, the drift was nowhere to be seen and in its place, stood my brother.

********

I grabbed his wrist and sprinted inside, just in case he changed his mind. Everyone gaped when I returned with company, but we didn't have time for that. I shoved some fresh clothes into his hands and sent him upstairs.

"I want you changed and down here ten minutes ago!' I ordered, frowning when he hesitated, 'Hurry! They'll be here soon!'

'They?'

Peter and Charlotte! Now hurry up!

He knew who they were, but had never met them. Clearly he had no intention to change that as he started backtracking immediately. Oh no you don't! I grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pushed him towards the stairs again. I did not just spend a good half hour arguing with a snow drift for nothing!

He smiled weakly, but complied. There really is no denying that I'm a miracle worker.

Half a minute later he was downstairs again, dressed and presentable, just in time to greet our guests. Sure his expression implied that he'd spent the last 12 months in hell rather than a snowdrift, but this was progress.

After greeting Peter and Charlotte, he retreated to the piano. It was rather difficult to keep up a conversation while a choice selection of funeral marches drifted through the room, but somehow we managed. Peter and Charlotte seemed shocked at just how many of us vegetarian's there were. Jasper and I had run into them before we found Carlisle and they had been skeptical to say the least.

They weren't quite sure to make of us now, Tanya and her sisters seemed to demonstrate the longterm feasibility of the diet, but Edward had them second guessing. This wasn't an argument we were going to win in an afternoon.

And that's all they were staying.

Apparently Jasper and I weren't the only ones being hunted. Peter and Charlotte had heard rumors of disappearances as well as having experienced a number of close shaves themselves; crossing the same scents numerous times when hunting, fleeing and noticing their pursuit. I didn't like this, not one bit, but the worst part of all was that I couldn't see. Paths just kept disappearing, these days the future was like a piece of swiss cheese – full of holes. Anything I tried to look at was just as likely to disappear as Bella's rabbit.

I tried to convince them to stay with us, we all did, but they wouldn't.

'I think we'll be better moving on' Peter argued 'if we stay here to long we'll be too easy to find, I'd rather not take that risk. Superior numbers or no'

Charlotte agreed, and so it was with a heavy heart that we said goodbye to our friends that very evening. Jasper's face was taught with anxiety and I squeezed his hand reassuringly. Whatever state the future was in I was sure I'd notice anything too drastic before hand.

We turned and filed into the house, Edward back to the piano to continue with his funeral marches. Honestly, I was beginning to wish that I'd left him in the snowdrift.

The rest of us decided to play a game in hopes of counteracting the dreary mood cast by our brother. It never ceases to astound me how long it takes nine mature vampires, the youngest of whom was middle aged by human standards to agree on a game. I suppose that in the face of eternity all arguments seem short, but still. As it was, Emmett had only just finished explaining the benefits of Poker when it happened.

Peter and Charlotte had noticed their hunter's scent yet again. They ran, towards us, back towards safety but were cut off. They changed direction, sprinting toward the ocean and then their futures disappeared all together.

The others stared at me. Edward had stopped playing abruptly, tipping them off that something was very, very wrong.

'Their future's gone' I whispered hoarsely.

A moment later we were running, following their trail. I was glad that they'd doubled back towards us, we only had minutes before their futures disappeared.

We weren't going to make it.

When we came to the trail we followed it towards the ocean, reaching the sea just as their pursuers entered the water. I couldn't sea any more but we continued anyway, following them into the depths.

Edward and Jasper were in the lead, Edward by his superior speed and Jasper by his fury over the threat to his brother. But even they were having trouble, vampires are good swimmers, but the murky water was proving troublesome. Our eyes kept focusing on the bits of dust and pollution in the water instead of the quarry, without smell to guide us and the strange distortions the water made to the sounds, it was very hard to follow.

I was about to give up when Jasper made a sudden dart to the side, one of their swimmers was exceptionally slower it seemed. The hunter made an extra effort to pull away, but Jasper was onto him, stretching forward to grab the hunter's ankle.

It was then that I felt Jasper's shock as it radiated outwards, saw Jasper nearly let go, but nothing would make him allow his quarry to escape now. He reaffirmed his grip and pulled.

I only wondered what could possibly cause that amount of shock to my battle hardened beloved.

A/N: Yay! Another long one! Seriously, even without that ridiculously long author's note it's two pages. So, what do you think could cause Jasper to go into shock? It's related to some of the other strange things in this chapter and that's all I'm saying. Also, you can officially celebrate the integration of the 'meanwhile' sections into the main plot! I won't promise that there won't be any more 'meanwhile' parts, I haven't decided, but they are about to become a lot more integrated. Yay! *Happy Dances* [/ weird author rant]

PS: If anyone wants any extra clarification on anything else, just ask because I'm more than happy to explain.