And another...

A few weeks passed with ease and comfort. We swam, hiked, went on friend-dates, everything was fun with Emmett. He was really sweet and caring, and he made everything fun. He was a total gentleman, but he knew how to had fun and he was a total guy when he was hanging out with Jasper and Edward. He was actually a total guy all the time, but he was just so sweet to me I didn't think about it.

One evening, after a long day with him and the girls in Port Angeles, I was saying goodbye to him on my porch. No one really knew anything. They thought we were still oblivious, even though we knew we weren't. He was just respecting my wishes to keep it casual and simple.

"So," he said lowly, "I don't think they can see us."

I grinned up at him. "I don't think so, either. But we have to be fast."

"I like a challenge," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

He suddenly grabbed me into a huge hug, kissing my cheek and lifting me off the ground in a quick second.

"I knew I could do it," he said, grinning.

I was a little speechless, taken aback by the abruptness and intensity of his embrace. "Um…well… Night, Emmett."

"Night Alice," he said, walking backwards, watching me go into my house.

The next morning, I went to the Swan house as planned, but I was greeted by a red-eyed Rose and a forlorn looking Bella. Renee was on the phone with someone and ushered me in, and the girls took me to their room to talk.

"Where's Em?" I asked, noticing neither of the Swan men were around.

Bella gulped, trying not to cry like her sister was doing. "L-last night our g-grandma had a heart attack. Emmett and Dad drove to S-Seattle this morning. She-she's not…"

"She's gonna die!" Rosalie wailed, covering her face as tears poured out.

"No," Bella said, wrapping a comforting arm around her sister, something that seldom happened with the Swan frats. "We don't know that. She's just in bad shape. Emmett forced Dad to let him go, too."

Rose sniffled pathetically. "Poor Emmett. She was the person who loved him the most in the world."

"She is," Bella corrected, not allowing Rose to use past tense. "She's in ICU. People can get better after heart attacks. Hey, let's call Edward!"

"What?" Rose asked, confused as to why her sister wanted to call her boyfriend.

"He reads Carlisle's old medical journals all the time. He can tell us everything there is to know about heart attacks."

Rose was dialing before Bella had a chance to finish her sentence, and after three hours, the both of them were relieved, and they decided to send Emmett a message to call them as soon as he could. I decided to stay over that night to keep them company, and he called me about eight.

"Hey, Alice," he said lowly, sounding hoarse and depressed. "Where are you?"

"You're cousins' bedroom," I answered quietly, making sure Rose and Bella weren't eavesdropping.

"I want to talk to you privately, but tell them I'll call them in a few," he said, and I heard footsteps. I assumed he was finding somewhere private in the waiting room or something like that.

"Okay," I said, getting up from the trundle bed. "Hey, guys, I gotta take this. He'll call you two in a bit." I walked out to the hallway and snuck down to the abandoned kitchen. "I'm alone."

"I-I'm sorry I didn't call before," Emmett said softly. "I was just so… Okay, I'm not really sorry. It's my grandmother and I'll be damned if anything keeps me from her. I hope you understand."

I actually let out a little laugh. "Em, it's okay. I didn't expect a call for a week after Rose and Bella told me what happened. I'd be the same way if it was Peter or even Charlotte."

"Thanks," he said, sounding relieved. "I've just been shaken up. It-it was minor, and she's always been really healthy, but she's always had a little heart trouble, which is why she had to be put in the home in the first place. It could've been a lot worse. Now we're just waiting until she has enough strength to be moved to a standard room. And don't tell the girls yet, but we're going to see if we can bring her to Forks. Don't tell anyone this, but it's my worst fear that she dies away from home. I'm not saying she's going to die, but we're not taking anymore chances. We were all dumb to think I could possible live more than five minutes away from her."

I was surprised by his blatant honesty and willingness to entrust me. "She'll be okay, Emmett. I'm sure. I hope you can bring your grandma out. I-I miss you."

"I miss you, too." His voice was soft and sincere. "I want this all to be over with already. I really want you to meet Granny Marie, too. You two will get along great."

"Here's to hoping I meet her sooner rather than later," I said, trying to cheer him up.

"I'll try and call you tomorrow."

"Don't worry about it," I said softly. "Call when it's convenient for you. I'm not going to keep you from you're grandma."

"You're the best, Alice. Night."

"Night."

I hung up and rubbed my face, trying to get a grip.

Let's be adults about this. He's sixteen, I'm sixteen. We're best friends. He's with his grandma in the hospital, and you're not allowed to obsess over him. NOT ALLOWED. Let's be adults about this… Adults don't freak out over their strange feelings when their friend's grandmother is sick in the hospital. Geez, just be an adult for once…

Later that night, getting ready for sleep, I couldn't get Emmett out of my head. I kept trying to keep the knowledge that he had some kind of deeper feelings for me far from my mind. My mind seemed to behave, and it was with a heavy heart for my best friend that I fell asleep.

A few days later, Emmett called me back about the same time. I was at my own house, in my room, when he called.

"Hey," he said, sounding better feeling. "Granny Marie's doing a lot better. She's still really weak, but she'll get transferred to a standard room tomorrow. Uncle Charlie's been talking to Carlisle and they're making preparations to bring her to the Fork's hospital's long-term ward. We're all pretty excited. I just got off the phone with Rose and Bella."

"I'm so happy for you," I said, my heart feeling warm. "So do you have any idea when you can move her?"

"We're hoping for sometime in the next three or four days. I'm really happy. She's happy to come home, too." He sounded like he was smiling. "I miss you, though."

I grinned a secret grin to myself, glad that he'd said it first, and actually said it. "I miss you, too."

We talked for a little while longer, then he had to go because Charlie wanted to go back to the hotel room they'd rented for the time being.

"Night, Emmett."

"Night, Alice," he said. "I'll see you soon."

And soon it was.

Five days later, Marie Swan was transferred into Forks, and the Swans couldn't be happier. Emmett made it a point to visit her every single day, and after she was home for a week, he decided it was time to bring me along. I was nervous, for some reason. I didn't understand it, but I felt the need to gain this woman's approval in order to rightfully be close to Emmett.

"Come on, Alice," he said, laughing at my stubbornness.

I was embarrassed and nervous. "I'm just… I don't know. She won't like me."

"She'll adore you," Emmett assured me, tugging my arm for the millionth time.

I bit my lip and shook my head.

"Do I have to carry you?" he threatened, staring me down. "By your ankles?"

I reluctantly followed him after that particular threat. He led me to a room in the long-term ward. It was a small one, the kind for only one person, but it wasn't bad. Inside, there was a teensy woman that looked about sixty. She had Emmett's grey eyes and the same brunette curls Bella possessed, while her skin was Rosalie's faintly tanned cream color.

"Why, Emmett, she looks nothing like an elf," she said, studying me carefully. "Maybe a fairy. Yes, she looks like a dark haired Tinker Bell."

Emmett smiled from me to her. "Granny, this is Alice. Alice, meet my grandma."

"Well come in," she said, waving us to her. "Don't just stand there. Emmett, you didn't tell me she was mute."

I blushed. "I-I'm sorry, Mrs. Swan. I'm Alice."

"Mrs. Swan was my mother-in-law, and she's been dead for twenty-five years. Just call me Granny or Granny Marie, dear."

I blushed deeper. "Um… Okay."

"Now, who are your parents? Would I know them?"

"No, they…they came from Mississippi three years before my older brother was born," I said, sitting on the edge of the hard plastic guests' chair.

Emmett stood behind me, his hands on my shoulders. "Peter's twenty-five. He's engaged to the Laughlins' daughter."

"I know Ellen and Clay," she said, smiling at whatever came to her mind. "Charlotte's all grown up, I suppose. I'm assuming your brother is the Brandon boy she was seeing four years ago?"

"You would be correct," I said, chancing a smile at her. "I live with him."

"Alone?" she asked, taken aback by the idea.

"Yes. Our parents moved to New York four or five years ago."

She looked at Emmett. "Sweetheart, will you go and see if you can get me some tea?"

He obeyed immediately, leaving me to talk with his grandmother. She was funny and sweet, after the initial intimidation. When we left, Emmett gave her a gentle hug and kissed her cheek.

"I love you, Granny," he said, smiling.

"I love you, too, sweetheart." She gave a little wave as we left.

We got out of the hospital and were waiting for Renee to pick us up when Emmett turned to me and grinned. "I told you she'd adore you."

I grinned shyly. "She's sweet. She's kind of cute, in a weird grandma way."

He laughed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "You're funny. But you're right. Now my two best girls get along."

I elbowed him, but I found myself smiling in spite of myself.