I don't own it, I just play with it. Thanks Steph…

"Alice, I can't go shopping with you. I already have plans." No need to tell her that my plans were shopping.

"I know." She declared smugly "I'm going with you!" Of course she would know. She's Alice. And I could argue, but it wouldn't do any good – not if she had seen it. Just to check, I glanced at Edward, who had sauntered over at a more normal pace. He and I had gotten quite good at these silent conversations. He could see her thoughts and visions, so he could tell me when she had really seen something and when she was just being her overly confident self. Then I could decide whether it would help to argue.

"Fine." I pouted when he nodded slightly.

"Yea! This is gonna be SO much FUN! Okay. I'll pick you up after dinner!"

"What?! For what, Alice? We're not going until Sunday!"

"You're spending the weekend silly! And would you quit looking at Edward like that? I've already seen it and you're going to agree to it, so just grumble and get it overwith." I was already checking and he was already nodding, so I had to concede, but I refused to obey her by grumbling.

"Alice, can I speak to Edward alone?"

"I'll wait until the dishes are done, but not a minute longer." She said before glancing a silent conversation at Edward, who promptly threw her his keys. What? Why would he do that? He hated letting anyone drive his car. She dashed off without another word, and he wrenched open my door for me. At least it was the driver's door.

"So we could have privacy." He explained as I scrambled in. Okay; that was her excuse. What was his? He gave up his Volvo and now he was subjecting himself to my driving? He hated my driving. Not that there was anything wrong with it, he had once explained. In fact, I drove better than most humans. It was just the thought of all the things that could go wrong.

Now that I was alone with Edward, I had no idea what to say to him. He didn't seem to be in a big hurry, so a lot of the drive was spent in silence. "Edward, are you sure you're okay with this?" I asked about halfway there. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I can find a way out of this."

"Argue with Alice?" he asked, incredulous.

"I see your point. But still…"

"It's fine, Bella. Alice would kill both of us if I did anything to stop you from coming and I know the rest of the family has missed you. They're really looking forward to it."

"Okay." I warily agreed.

When we reached the house, Edward came around to open my door for me. "Goodbye, Bella." He said formally, nodding toward me before disappearing into the forest.

Alice was true to her word, ringing the doorbell before I had dried my hands. I grabbed my suitcase and rushed out to greet her. I was a little surprised to see that she had run there so I could drive, but I didn't question her. I wasn't about to push my luck when it came to my independence.

"Alice, why are you doing this?" I asked as we rumbled down the road toward the Cullen mansion. "I mean… Don't you think it would be better for Edward if you left me alone?"

"No." she said, simply "I don't. It wouldn't be better for him, for you, or for any of us. I've seen where this is all going, Bella, and it's going somewhere good – somewhere really good."

"Where is it going, Alice?" I asked in pure exasperation "Where?"

"Uugh! I wish I could tell you!" she shouted, frustration seething through her voice and her body. "I wish I could just tell you and get it over with!"

"Why can't you?" I challenged "Just tell me. It'd be a lot easier if I knew what was going on."

"Because…" she moaned "It won't come true if I tell you!" My questioning glance in her direction was enough to spur her on "Believe me – I've tried! I've come up with a thousand ways to tell you, but no matter what I do it ruins it. And, oh Bella, it's so cool! And I can't tell anybody! I hate this." Alice had just ridden an emotional roller coaster that would have made even Jasper proud. She had gone from frustrated to lamenting to frustrated again before moving on to excitement and landing herself in a full-fledged pout.

I drove in silent contemplation for a while. I wanted more than anything to force her to tell me what she had seen, but I knew I couldn't. Sometimes you can't have your cake and eat it too, and if there was a way around it Alice would have found it by now. I was going to have to wait and see what my future would bring just like everyone else. Resigned, I pondered what this newest revelation would mean for me now.

"Hey Alice," I asked, bursting the bubble of blissful quiet that was so rare in Alice's presence. "I really get to stay in the family?"

"Mmmhmm." She smiled.

"And Edward will be okay? You've seen it?"

"Yep." It was more than I could ever have hoped for; keeping the family I had come to love without hurting Edward. A wide smile spread across my face as I pulled up to the house that was still my home.

Before I opened my door the entire family had gathered outside the beautiful home to greet me. I thought my heart would burst seeing their beautiful, smiling faces again. I felt like forever since I had seen them last and none of them were smiling then. Alice was opening my door before I could blink and as I stepped out I was surrounded by intense love in the form of smiles, hugs, kisses, playfully ruffled hair, and a virtual symphony of greetings.

I melted into the arms of my adopted family as tears sprung to my eyes. I wasn't embarrassed and it wasn't uncomfortable; I didn't even blush. And they weren't tears of sadness, but of absolute joy. This was where I belonged; where I had always belonged. I now knew that this was where I would always belong – right here, in the arms of my loving family.

"Alright, alright… Break it up!" came a booming voice over the crowd just as I was slung up by a pair of giant hands "You guys quit hogging my kid sister!" Emmett threw me over his shoulder caveman style, carrying me toward the house.

"Emmett! I can walk you big oaf! PUT ME DOWN!!!" I kicked and screamed and hit him the whole way there, but truthfully I loved it just as much as he did.

"Yeah," he argued as he sat me gently on the porch "but can you do it without falling?" He donned a cocky grin before darting inside at vampire speed so that I couldn't hurt myself beating him up. "COMON LITTLE SIS! LET'S PLAY VIDEO GAMES!" he yelled from inside, and I darted in after him, knowing that if I couldn't get out of it, and I couldn't, it was best to get there in time to pick the game unless I wanted to spend five hours listening to Emmett yell 'OH YEAH!' as he repeatedly slammed my player onto the mat.

I could tell as Emmett and I played that he had missed me. It had been quite a while since Edward had deemed it 'safe enough' for me to play games with him – though that one was admittedly probably a good call. Emmett tends to get carried away and sometimes the house ends up broken – but more than just Emmett, the whole family had missed me. Unlike what usually happened when Emmett finally found himself another victim, everyone didn't go their own ways. They all hung around and watched like they had never seen him kick my but at games before.

No one stepped up to the plate and offered to take a hit for me, but they all hung around, even Jasper, who never spent any time where I was, and Carlisle and Esme, who hated video games. All of them. When my hands and eyes couldn't take another minute, I did the only thing I could do – I used food as an excuse.

"I need a snack." I announced as I lost yet another round. I was halfway to the kitchen before I realized that everyone was following me. Everyone. What was going on here? Flustered, I grabbed the first thing I saw as I opened the fridge – strawberry ice cream. Thank You Esme! Dishing some up and grabbing a spoon, I tried to ignore my audience, but it's kind of hard to ignore seven vampires while they watch your every move. I took my midnight snack to the dining table and sat down, watching in wonder as they all sat with me.

"Guys…" I asked tentatively around my first freezing cold bite "What's going on?"

"What do you mean, Bella?" Carlisle questioned, his brow wrinkling with that ever lingering curiosity.

"I mean this." I mumbled around a mouthful, gesturing with my spoon around the table as everyone watched.

"We missed you, dear." Esme told me softly. Her sad smile was so sincere it made me want to wrap my arms around her.

"I missed you, too." I replied. Looking around the table, I realized her look was mirrored to some extent on every face there – even Rosalie. I tried not to think too much about my audience as I ate, but I don't think my blush ever left completely.

"So… what have I missed?" I asked no one in particular, trying to take at least a little of the focus off of me.

"Nothing much." Rose began. The fact that it was her who chose to answer surprised me, though I tried very hard not to show it. "You know… to an immortal-"

"Whatdya mean nothing?" Emmett argued, incredulous. "I bagged four bears in one trip! Four!" I held in a chuckle at his childlike enthusiasm. His words spurred quite the heated debate about what is and isn't news vs. the probabilities of bagging four bears in one day, and I was able to finish my desert in peace.

When I finished, I started to rise from the table to rinse my bowl, but Carlisle stopped me. "Bella," he began somewhat nervously. The fact that he was nervous set me on edge and I had to fight not to panic as I conjured up images of them leaving me again. "there is something our family needs to discuss." He assessed me briefly before continuing. I nodded, looking directly at him and swallowing the lump that had formed in my throat.

"Do you feel like you're up to it tonight? If you're tired, we could-"

"No! No." I interrupted. I was tired, yes. Exhausted, even. But there was no way I could sleep now. Not until I knew what was going on. "What is it Carlisle?" I turned a grateful eye to Jasper as a wave of peace and contentment washed over me. It wasn't the numb calm he generally delivered, and I could tell he was really making an effort to make me comfortable.

"It's perhaps something you should think about for some time. Sleep on it, and we can discuss it again when you're ready. There is no need for you to make an immediate decision, but we would like to know your intentions toward becoming a vampire."

Well, she's back with the Cullens. What do we think? Is this one any good?