Alice POV

"Okay Alice…Edward is no where near us now. Can you please tell me what the hell was going on with Bella before her gym class?" Jasper asked me in an exasperated tone as we entered the front door of our house. I was thankful he didn't question me about it earlier when Edward was in the vicinity but he knew why I didn't tell him. Jasper wasn't as apt in hiding his thoughts from Edward as I was.

Emmett and Rosalie who were in the middle of a fierce battle on an Xbox game were suddenly interested in our conversation.

"What's the matter with Bella, now? Did she hit her head on the locker door? Slip and fall in the shower maybe?" Rosalie snorted.

"No, Rose. I said turning on her with a glare. "She was very nearly attacked."

"What?" Emmett shouted nearly shaking the timbers of the house.

"Did you say Bella was attacked?" Esme said running into the room full of motherly concern. "Is she alright?"

"She's fine, Esme. I got to her in time. Thank goodness." Edward would never forgive me if something had happened. "It's all my fault." I told them remorsefully.

"How could it be your fault?" Rosalie wanted to know.

"Do you recall the bet I made with Bella?" They all nodded and waited for me to continue. "Well, I kind of dressed her a bit on the provocative side today."

"A bit?" Jasper questioned, the sarcasm apparent in his tone.

"Okay…more than a bit." I conceded not wanting to have to explain myself to the highly curious room. "I wanted to get back Edward you see…for leaving…for making us leave so I planned the whole thing out. To dress Bella in a way that would drive Edward bonkers." I told them honestly.

Emmett let out a loud guffaw. "I bet it worked."

"It did" I admitted. "All too well. The problem was, it had much the same effect on many of the male students in the school and I dare say some of the female ones."

"Poor Bella. She had no idea what she was in for did she?" Esme gave a sympathetic shake of her head.

"No and that's why it's all my fault. A new student, obviously one that wasn't aware that Bella is irrefutably with Edward, cornered her in the locker room of the gym right before she started to change her clothes."

Jasper began rubbing my arm in a comforting motion. "It's alright, darlin'" he soothed.

"He didn't…" Esme said with a gasp.

"No. I chased him out before he could do anything."

"But he would have." Rosalie stated confirming what we all knew.

"Yes, Rose" I looked directly at her so she could see the full implication of my words. "He would have."

I realized then, judging by the horrified expression on Rosalie's face, that as much as she may have resented Bella, Rose was extremely angered on Bella's behalf. What could have happened played heavily in her mind.

"Does Edward know?" Esme asked tentatively. She, like Jasper and I, feared the consequences of Edward's knowledge of this event. Rosalie and Emmett both wanted vengeance. I could read it on their faces even if I couldn't read their thoughts.

"Not yet…but Bella is bringing him here to tell him. She wants us to be able to stop him from getting revenge…something she would be unable to do if she told him on her own." I looked pointedly at Emmett and Rosalie to make sure they understood my meaning. In no way could they goad Edward into killing the human. It would only end badly for all of us. "I think I hear them now." I said as I approached the door and opening it.

Sure enough, Edward's headlights blinded me as soon as they came up the drive. I waited in the doorway, still unsure of how to both explain and apologize. Edward was going to be furious with me for inadvertently placing Bella's life in danger. Hell, I was furious with me. The whole event could be downplayed, however. It wasn't as if Bella was actually harmed in anyway. The brute never got close enough to touch her. That would probably be best. It was too late to lie and Bella wouldn't want to lie to Edward anyway.

Edward's face looked grim as he got out of the car while Bella looked anxious.

"I'm sorry Alice." Bella apologized as they both walked up to the door. Edward gave her a look to as if to say 'don't be ridiculous'. I wanted to tell her the same thing. She had nothing to apologize for.

"No, Bella. Don't apologize. You did the right thing by bringing him here."

Edward stayed ominously quiet as we walked into the house. Much was brewing under his surface.

"Yes Alice much is brewing." He snapped at me in warning making me wince. Something else was going on, something I didn't know about.

"Motorcycles." He grumbled answering my unasked question. This time Bella winced. Motorcycles? This was obviously a story for another time.

"Oh my, Alice." Esme gaped looking at Bella who had not changed her clothes from this morning. "I see what you mean."

"Yes...well…er...um…it seemed like a good idea at the time." I tried to explain but even to my own ears I sounded lame. It really had seemed like a good idea but in the wake of what almost occurred, it was a horribly ill conceived notion.

"Holy crap Bella! Aren't you a hottie?" Emmett said surprised, to which Rosalie elbowed him in the gut and Edward growled at him. Bella blushed crimson red as she crossed her arms over herself in an attempt to cover herself up.

"For crying out loud, stop staring at the poor girl. You're making her uncomfortable." I yelled at them.

"ENOUGH!" Edward yelled, all pretense of tolerance suddenly snapping. "Would someone tell me WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" He looked at each of us individually finally settling his unnerving gaze on me.

"Nothing happened…not really." Bella said coming to my defense.

"Then why the need for 'reinforcements'? He asked with air quotes.

"Because of your predictable tendency to over react." I told him. "Nothing really happened. Someone approached her in the girls' locker room and made her very uncomfortable. I rectified the situation."

"When you say someone, do you mean a male someone?" Edward asked through gritted teeth, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Well...duh." As if she would be uncomfortable by another female in the girls' locker room.

He glared at me as he heard my thoughts. Note to self; avoid sarcasm when Edward is angry. He nodded in agreement.

"Show me." Edward said. I knew what he was asking for so I showed him my memory of what happened. His whole body tensed and he released a low hiss as I played back the events in their entirety. Thankfully that kid didn't get any closer to Bella or God forbid touch her in anyway. There would be no stopping any member of my family then, provided I wanted to stop them if that were the case.

"And if you didn't get there in time?" Edward asked when the vision ended.

I shook my head. That he didn't need to see. "I'm sorry, Edward. I won't show you that."

"Alice…"

"Stop interrogating her, Edward. Enough." Jasper interceded on my behalf, instinctively stepping in between us in a protective stance.

He turned swiftly to Bella then to look at her questioningly knowing any further questioning of me would have to go through Jasper. "What exactly did he say to you?" he asked her. Bella bit her lower lip in uncertainty. I could tell she didn't want to tell him.

"It was really nothing of any importance." Bella said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"Bella…please. For my own sanity, I need to know." He held her to him then, wrapping her in his embrace as if to shield her from what had already occurred.

"You have to promise you won't do anything."

"I don't think I can do that."

"Then I won't tell you." She told him with a stubborn tilt to her chin.

I knew Bella would win this argument. Edward was at a disadvantage since he couldn't just pluck the information from her mind and her insistence of procuring a promise out of him was a brilliant move.

"Okay fine. I won't touch him." Edward gave a knowing look to Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie. They nodded back at him in full understanding of what he meant. Unfortunately for him, Bella caught the silent message.

"No Edward. Nobody touches him. I won't let all of you risk exposing yourselves because of this jerk. Please." Bella demanded stepping back from his arms and looking at him pleadingly.

There was a moment of tense silence as Edward inwardly debated with himself. He sighed. "You win." Edward reluctantly conceded. "Nobody touches him."

Bella paused, hew brows furrowed in thought. I could tell she was trying to think of the easiest way possible but I already saw the outcome, there was no easy way. No matter what she said or how she tried to sugarcoat the words, Edward was going to react badly.

"It's okay Bella, just tell us." Esme said comfortingly giving a reproachful look at Edward in warning. Little good it would do though.

Bella nodded and exhaled heavily. "Okay. So I was getting ready to change into my gym uniform when I heard footsteps approaching. Startled, I turned around to see the new kid, Jeff, standing there. I admit... it was creepy. He told me not to stop…changing my clothes, that is." She said with an involuntary shudder that did not go unnoticed by Edward. He growled low in his chest. "I told him to leave and hesaidhehadhiseyeonmeand ." She said really fast lumping all of her words together.

"Excuse me…what?" Emmett was the first to ask. "I didn't understand a damn word of that."

"I said hesaidhehadhiseyeonmeand ."

"Bella, I know what you're trying to do and it won't work." I told her. "She said he said he had his eye on her and he thought she wore the outfit just for him." I finished with a cringe knowing what was coming next.

"HE SAID WHAT?"

"Edward calm down. Nothing happened. Nothing. Alice came in and got rid of him."

"He's been watching you Bella? How could I not have noticed that? "

Here it comes, I thought. This is where Edward has to blame himself.

"Yes, it is my fault, Alice." He looked at me with a tortured expression.

"Oh, get over yourself Edward." Rosalie interrupted. "Not everything that happens to Bella is your fault. She'd be the first one to tell you that."

"She's right dude. It's not your fault the guy is a lewd peeping tom." Emmett told him.

Edward scrubbed his face with his hands. "We all know what would have happened if Alice didn't show up." He looked at Bella. "I'm sorry. I thought I could keep my promise Bella but I don't think I can. The thought of anything happening further with this guy, well I can't even think straight."

"NO!" Bella. Esme and I yelled at the same time.

"No good can come of this. You promised Edward. Please don't break it." Bella urged taking his hands in her own.

You don't want to shatter her faith in you Edward. Don't break another promise to her. You've broken so many already. I mentally warned him.

Edward's shoulders slumped in defeat and he kissed her forehead tenderly. "I'm sorry my love. I'll keep my word."

"Well, we didn't promise anything." Rosalie said looking at the rest of us. "We can't let this creep get away with it."

Their arguing voices drifted off into the distance as I felt myself being tunneled into a vision. It was blurry with just random images at first. I saw the dense forest through rain fall and flashes of red moving quickly through the trees.

I gasped. "Stop Arguing." I demanded. "We've got bigger fish to fry."

They all became quiet at the same time and stared at me expectantly.

"What is it Alice? What did you see?" Jasper asked me concerned.

"Victoria."