I don't own Twilight. I do, however, own an incredibly loud alarm clock.

Chapter Four

The servant departed hastily as we approached. I reflected on that long enough to decide he didn't want to be caught gossiping in front of his lord. I wondered if that meant anything to Edward, but before I could ask, the raven-haired girl gave an ear-splitting squeal and darted towards us.

I flinched, but Edward opened his arms and enveloped the tiny person in a hug, dragging my hand along with him. After a moment, they released each other, and I couldn't say a word because of the incessant chatter pouring from the girl's mouth. I only caught snippets of what she said:

"And we were waiting, but the-"

"Jasper wouldn't listen, but you know better, because-"

"So I finally get to see you, I've been waiting forever, Edward said no to-"

At this last earful of words, I realized she was talking to me. What did she mean by 'I've been waiting forever' and 'I finally get to see you'? I'd been here for all of three days, and the engagement hadn't been known publicly for much longer than that.

Edward interrupted my senseless musing with a brief introduction.

"Alice, this is Lady Isabella. Isabella, this is Alice Brandon Whitlock. The man waiting for us is Jasper, Alice's husband."

I nodded, pretending that I wasn't slowly losing my grip on reality. The strangers who were 'friends' both smiled at me. Alice gasped, the color in her pretty face draining away. She suddenly shied away, as she were a spooked horse.

"I didn't mean to scare you! I really didn't," she cried, dashing off again, this time towards the house. Edward groaned and motioned Jasper over.

The man was tall and leonine, built strongly with sinewy muscles. I fought automatic instinct to be frightened by him; something told me he was dangerous. Even as he approached, I was able to pick out innumerous scars, so many I was surprised he was alive.

"She stopped herself in time?" he asked, concern bright in his eyes.

"Too soon," Edward corrected him. I looked back and forth between the two, disturbed by the perplexing conversation. When Jasper looked my way, I shrank back into Edward's side. Jasper nodded towards Edward, his face suddenly clearing of expression.

"I see why now. My apologies, Isabella. Has your husband already introduced me?" he asked, an oddly pleasant ring to his voice, even though his eyes seemed to have gotten darker…angrier. Oddly enough, I felt calmer now, so I replied in an almost-steady voice instead of a shaky monosyllable. "Yes, he has."

I tried, with absolutely no success, to match the flaring hostility in Jasper's eyes. Things were going downhill from here, and it was completely and utterly inexplicable. There was nothing I could say that would describe the sudden blaze of tension burning its way through us. It didn't help that Alice had behaved so bizarrely; everyone else seemed to know something about her that I didn't. Then again, we all had our secrets-especially me.

When my feeble attempts at normalcy failed, I tore myself free from Edward's grasp; he couldn't fix this mess, especially when no one could explain it. Suddenly I was gasping for breath, the air whipping through my long hair as I ran.

My impulsive nature brought me back to the house, where I could only faintly hear Edward's calls. I scurried through the halls, until they faded away, echoing only in my mind. I tripped and stumbled my way around, blindly searching for our rooms where no one would trouble me.

I finally came to a halt in a room that might have been familiar, if it wasn't spinning around madly, flashes of colors behind my eyes. I sagged to the floor, my back against something cool and hard. I ignored it, the conflicting remorse, alarm, and even anger surging through me in uninhibited pulses.

I settled pieces of myself at a time. My chest heaved as my lungs burned for air; I took deep, steadying breaths to calm my racing pulse. My hands were trembling; I held them tightly around myself. My head pounded in wild abandon; I put it down on my knees and covered my eyes.

Without warning a hand unexpectedly rested on my shoulder, brining me out of my coma-like state of calm. I gave a muffled shriek that was abruptly cut off by someone covering my mouth. I fought in vain, lashing out to strike nothing in the dim room.

"Hush, they'll hear you," a voice whispered somewhere near my shoulder. The alarm fled my body when I recognized the speaker.

Alice pulled her hand from my face, allowing me access to free movement again. I made out her kneeling form next to me. Concern was written across her tiny features as she gazed at me.

"Alice?" I managed, apprehension creeping through me like poison though veins. "What are you doing here?"

A smile tugged at her lips, all traces of her earlier distress gone. "Might I ask you the same? I'm here so Edward and Jasper won't find me. Now they're looking for you too, it seems."

"Yes...but why are you h-" I was abruptly cut off when Alice grabbed onto my arm and pulled me to the left and backwards. I now saw the thing digging into my backside was the same statue I had admired earlier, but now we were behind it instead of in front. Hurried footsteps went past the entrance to the room. Another, slower, set neared us. My heartbeat picked up speed in the ensuing silence.I caught a glimpse of someone's face peering into the darkened room before continuing down the hall.

"He's sent the servants looking," Alice commented beside me, her large eyes narrowed.

"How do you know? Never mind, I don't care. Just tell me why you ran." I practically pleaded. It dawned on me that I was losing my negative perspective of her. She had barely said a word to me, but I knew she was different, somehow. Like me?

"I was going to scare you. By knowing something about you- something from your past- that I'm not supposed to know. That's all I can tell you, or you'll act like…other people," she stopped, hiding her expression by looking away from me.

On a whim, I reached out and touched her shoulder. She turned and looked at me with surprise. "I don't know what you know, or how you found it out, but its all right. Please, just don't tell anyone."

Our eyes met and a moment of sheer understanding swept between us. We needed no words to communicate; she understood I needed space, and I understood she was different somehow, but she wouldn't give up my secrets.

It was peculiar to me, the concept that I was even capable of trusting someone so closely when I'd met them mere minutes ago. I took this as a sign-a sign that Edward was right about friendship.

***

Surprisingly at ease, I let Alice lead me to her rooms. Our moods had improved considerably, but I wasn't miraculously talkative; even I didn't expect that, though Alice was certainly happy enough to speak for the two of us. Her questions, although very personal, didn't shake me. I .was handling this, and she was helping me like Edward tried to-just in a different way.

"So Edward is married to you? What did you think of your first night?" she asked , grinning wickedly when she spotted the deep blush adorning my face.

"We didn't have a first night…at least not by the terms you are referring to. I'm a coward. I can't even look at strangers without running away. Your husband terrifies me," I mumbled, not meeting her eyes. I didn't want her to notice the shame I felt. To my relief, she pulled away from the topic, the knowing look on her face almost painful to see. That, however, quickly changed to confusion.

"Jasper? You're afraid of Jasper?" she demanded. I nodded, not even bothering to speak.

"He's one of the best men in the world, Bella. You'll see," she decided for me. I disagreed with her, but was preoccupied with a nagging thought that persistently dragged at my mind until I paid it heed.

"You called me Bella." I accused her, breaking out of my reverie. She stared at me before bursting into laughter. It was melodious and sounded like bells. It suited her completely.

"Of course I did, Isabella is too long to say repeatedly. I like Bella better, anyway. It means beautiful."

I wasn't expecting her response, and I was touched. I had made a new friend-my only friend, besides possibly Edward- and a nickname all in one day. For once, I was overwhelmed by positive emotions. It was a vast difference from the intensely concentrated pressure I'd been feeling for days now.

I smiled. Alice must have noticed, because her already wide grin spread further. When the door suddenly rattled, I jerked to my feet, remembering why I was here in Alice's rooms in the first place. "Alice!" I heard someone shout through the door. It sounded like Jasper.

"These are my rooms too! Unlock the door. Isabella is missing. Can you tell where she is?" he called, still communicating through the door. I glanced at Alice, eyes wide. I really didn't want to face Jasper right now.

"I'm sorry, I can't see her. She's difficult to spot," she responded, shrugging my direction. I was grateful she didn't give me away, but was completely baffled. What on earth was that supposed to mean? "And I'm not opening the door. I need some time to myself, Jasper."

I heard Jasper sigh. "Alright, Alice. If you need me, I'll be outside. Please don't make me worry too long," he requested before the room faded back into silence. We waited a few minutes, then Alice opened the door.

"He's gone. You'll have to hurry, though. I sure he'll be back to check on me soon. Go to…" she hesitated, like she was thinking it over. "Your room. Go to your room," she instructed me, pointing out a direction. I obeyed at once, taking off down the halls. Incredibly, I was able to find Edward and I's bedchamber within moments. I plunged inside, ridiculously relieved, as if this still unfamiliar room could somehow protect me.

I took a seat on the couch in our sitting room. I noted with surprise that it was fairly comfortable for a mostly decorative object. Then again, Edward might have favored comfort over taste. I leaned back, savoring the feel of the soft cushions against my back, which was battered from the statue prodding into me.

I was almost caught unawares when the door opened. The hinges obviously needed care; they sounded like cracking wood, punctuating the air with splinters of sound. I was puzzled as to how I hadn't noticed it before, but quickly disregarded that thought. I had more urgent problems- such as Edward, making his presence known by literally stalking across the room, though his movements were still sinuous and controlled.

"Where were you?" he demanded. I was taken aback by the tortured sound of his voice. His face was bone-pale and his eyes were dark and bleak.

"I was here," I quivered, suddenly doubting the faith I had so carelessly invested in him. Edward, as if realizing this, inhaled sharply before taking a seat beside me, obviously regaining a semblance of control. "I had no idea where you were, because you certainly weren't here. This was one of the first places I checked, Isabella.

I was worried that he was angry- it would make sense, because I lied to him- but he looked fairly calm now. There was even a hint of tight humor bordering his expression. "We haven't even eaten breakfast yet, and now it's time for lunch."

I was dismayed. With the lack of light in the rooms that didn't have windows, I had lost track of time. Everything felt surreal, so I never realized I was so hungry until my stomach let out a gurgling moan.

I was embarrassed, but Edward only shook his head in mock horror. "Now the Masen lord's bride is trying to waste away on top of everything else," he teased. I didn't find it funny, but I allowed a smile to form. Encouraged, Edward offered his hand to me, ready to help me up. Remembering this morning, I accepted.

This seemed to reassure Edward. He helped me up, though he seemed excessively careful to avoid physical contact. This bothered some hidden part of me that wasn't completely scarred and broken. That little piece was swelling up, expanding enough for me to notice it. And at the moment, it was demanding I do something differently, no matter the consequences.

And so, I did. Edward had shown me compassion and kindness. He had revealed himself to me and given me a friend. And I wanted him to know how drastically my life had been altered by him, in such a short time. How he had gone from the antagonist to my protector, a vigilant guardian. I needed him to know. I twisted sideways in his grasp and leaned towards him, my face shockingly close to his. Too close to breathe.

Notes: Bella is forging odd but powerful connections with new people. There is a mystery surrounding Alice and Jasper, and Bella's realationship with Edward is advancing dramatically.

So, what do you guys think? What's going to happen? I made you wait this time-I feel a little guilty, but more people reviewed. Speaking of, I thank all of you who reviewed. My apologies to Waterpaw, who didn't get the promised sneak peek that all other Ch.3 reviewers got. I will try to make it up somehow. Anyone who wants a Ch.5 sneak peak, please review!

If you have questions, feel free to ask. I don't mind if anyone points out errors, or wants to make a guess about the plot!

You can reach me here: TheSilverBookWyrm yahoo (dot)com

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