DISCLAIMER: I didn't own Twilight last time and I still don't.
Alice had called a family meeting. Carlisle and Esme had been surprised to hear from her, but had immediately made arrangements for Emmett and Rosalie to attend as well. Alice had already called Jasper and together they had decided that it was probably not wise to give Edward the tape recording. It would have probably been the straw to break the camel's back. If Edward had have heard how sure Bella was that he didn't love her he would have swam across the ocean if necessary to get to Italy. Alice couldn't help but feel a little excited at the prospect of helping Edward move on and maybe piece her family back together. At the very least she and Jasper could work things out now.
She was sitting on the plane, flying to a small town in England that Carlisle and Esme had been residing in for the past five years. It would be time for them to move again and Alice had gotten the notion into her head to try and convince everyone to move somewhere together. Her visions couldn't show her if it would work out since no one had decided to go along with it yet but she was sure that she could persuade them. Soon the plane landed and she saw a vision of Jasper picking her up at the airport. She smiled- they had not discussed this on the phone when they had last spoken but she had assumed that Jasper would be there to welcome her. Looking over to the bench that she had seen in her vision she realized that Jasper wasn't there yet. After getting her luggage she sat on the bench and waited. Glancing at her cell phone she checked for any missed calls. There were none. Sighing, Alice waited.
When Jasper finally appeared she smiled as he sat down next to her and kissed her sweetly. His eyes seemed to smoulder with curiosity. His easy smile filled her with happiness. Feeling her emotions he seemed to become more relaxed in her presence. It was a welcome change from the past few times they had seen each other. Seeing Jasper again, Alice couldn't help but repeat the words that had brought them together in the first place.
"You've kept me waiting a long time," Alice chimed.
Jasper's eyes filled with love as he replied in his light, southern drawl, "Sorry mam."
Jasper hugged her tightly, "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too," Alice sighed.
"I'm sorry Alice. I should have been there for you. You were in a bad place and I couldn't deal with it. If I had just been stronger and tried to block out the emotions like Carlisle was trying to help me with then we wouldn't have... drifted," Jasper apologized.
Alice pulled back from his embrace and shook her head, "Now you're starting to sound like Edward. No one expects you to be superman. I don't expect that. I was putting you through a lot of pain. It wasn't your fault. And yet I can't apologize for my emotions. All I can apologize for is that we've been apart for so long. I want us to work. I want us to be 'us' again. I love you so much and I wish that we hadn't wasted the past few decades."
Jasper kissed her forehead, "I love you too."
Alice giggled and pulled Jasper up with her. She was starting to seem more like herself by the minute, "Let's go put our family back together."
Jasper grabbed Alice's bags and together they walked out into the parking lot, got into Jasper's car and drove to Carlisle and Esme's. They fell into an easy silence, just content with sitting in each others' presence. It had been too long since they had been able to do this. As they pulled up to the house Jasper turned off the car and grabbed Alice's bags.
"We can do this, right?" Alice asked Jasper for reassurance who nodded and pushed her gently forwards.
"We are a family," Jasper said, "And we always will be."
Alice took Jasper's free hand and walked up to the house. She paused at the front door, unsure if she should knock or not. She glanced at Jasper who urged her on. Opening the door she went inside. Esme was racing down the stairs towards them. She engulfed both Alice and Jasper in a bone crushing hug, sending Alice's bags falling to the ground. Alice kissed her mother's cheek as Esme held them both at an arm's length to examine them. Rosalie and Emmett had emerged from the living room as well. Rosalie hugged Jasper before making her way over to Alice and embracing her.
"You know I'm sorry about what happened right," she whispered, "I never meant for my comments to... I hope I didn't... We're still..."
Alice smiled at Rosalie, "We're sisters. Sisters have fights."
Rosalie hung her head, "Not fights that last for nearly seventy years. What I said to Edward about the whole... situation was inexcusable. He never would have taken off that first time if I hadn't had been such an arrogant bitch about everything. I never should have said anything and I shouldn't have said that... well about you and... I'm so sorry."
Alice nodded having already forgiven her sister for the harsh words they had shared so long ago, "All is forgiven. It's been far too long since we have acted like a family. We should make up for lost time."
Emmett came next and picked Alice up in a bear hug that if she had been human would have killed her, "How have you been Pixie?"
Alice laughed quietly, "I'm better now. How about things with you Winnie?"
Emmett's laughter boomed through the house, "How many times do I have to tell you that I am a grizzly bear not Winnie the Pooh?"
"At least a thousand more times," Alice said happily.
Alice turned to Esme who was still talking to Jasper, "Where's Carlisle?"
Esme replied, "He's ... trying to convince Edward to come home."
Everyone was silent for a moment until Rosalie broke the silence, "Why don't we all go sit in the living room. We have a lot of catching up to do."
It wasn't until five hours later that a car pulled up in the dark driveway. Esme got up and headed to the door, followed by everyone else. Carlisle came into the house first with a bag in hand and Esme looked at it curiously. Her eyes seemed to ask the question that everyone wanted to know. Carlisle nodded and within a few seconds their vampire hearing picked up the sound of footsteps coming towards the house.
Edward walked through the door looking just as awful as he had the last time Alice had seen him. He looked like the living dead- which in a sense he was but now his features looked hard and uninviting- such a change from how he had looked before everything had happened. He looked like he did not want to be there and Alice knew that if she didn't have this meeting then he would probably never move on. Edward looked at Alice uncertainly. They had also exchanged harsh words before. He seemed unsure if he should hug Alice after he had made his rounds with the rest of the family. He stopped in front of her and Alice practically knocked him over with the force of her embrace. It was simple things like that embrace that make you a family because in that one tiny action the others seem to know exactly what you are thinking and painful messages can be conveyed without words. Of course Edward could just read her mind but that was besides the point.
After greeting Carlisle, Alice called the meeting, "Let's all sit down. It's time that we had a family meeting."
With everyone gathered in the living room Alice knew what she had to say. Jasper seemed only mildly uncomfortable with Edward's emotions as she began and pulled Alice even closer to him. Rosalie and Emmett were sitting together on the love seat with Carlisle in his armchair and Esme balancing on the chairs arm. Her hand was clasped between Carlisle's. Edward sat along in another chair. It was just another reminder that he was alone.
"Well," Alice started, "We have been apart for far too long. It's been almost seventy years since... everything happened. It's time that we be a family again. Nothing is ever going to get any better if we all abandon each other. Our existences will be miserable. We need to know that we all love one another again. We used to be so close. I want that for us."
Esme added, "I agree with Alice. We need to be together. I've missed all of my children far too much. I want you all to come back home."
Rosalie and Emmett glanced at each other before Rosalie nodded in agreement, "We're coming home."
Jasper smiled, "Alice and I are here to stay as well."
Carlisle turned to Edward, "Son?"
Edward was staring at the ground, "I know that you all want me to come home. I wish I could. It wouldn't be fair to you if I come home. I would be putting Jasper in a painful situation and I can't guarantee that I would even be good company."
"We love you Edward," Esme said, "You need your loved ones to help you when things get rough."
Emmett nodded, "Come on Eddie."
Edward didn't even scold Emmett for using his unwanted nickname, "I ... I don't know if I can be around so many couples."
Rosalie suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, "Edward, I know you don't want to hear this. I really don't even want to be the one to say this to you. It's time for you to move on. We don't even know if she is alive Edward. By now she will be an old woman with kids and grandkids and a loving husband. She probably moved on Edward."
"She's human. It was to be expected," Edward muttered.
"It sounds as if you didn't want her to move on," Rosalie said bluntly, "Which is absurd because that was precisely why you left her. You made a choice and hopefully she moved on and had a family and had a happy human life. Regardless, she wouldn't want you to be tearing yourself up like this. She loved you and you need to do her proud- even if she did move on."
Edward was silent. Rosalie was not usually the one to offer the words of wisdom but in this case it was probably what he needed to hear. Edward pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Maybe I'll check in on her," Edward muttered, "Just to make sure that she did move on. Then I would be fine."
Alice got up and put her hand on top of Edward's, "You don't need to go and check on her. She passed away a few years ago. I visited her grave. She was married. She had kids. She moved on and now it's time for you to do the same."
Edward looked up at Alice and nodded, "I'll stay."
Alice clapped her hands together, "Excellent. We'll start helping Esme and Carlisle pack. It's time for them to move again anyways and I think we need to start fresh."
