Chapter 12: Careful Planning

Third Person

Over the next few weeks Alice managed to round up all the Cullens except Jasper, Bella, and Emmett. She had 5 members on her side while her enemies had 3. This would be a well-matched fight - Jasper against her unnamed friend (who also had quite a bit of battle experience) and Esme for backup if needed, Bella against Rose, and Emmett against Carlisle and herself.

Alice continued to keep up the weak vampire charade. She tried looking as weak as possible when she was watching as Jasper walked leisurely up to her to place a small bottle of animal blood to her lips. The pixie wanted so badly to reject it in favor for the barely-conscious humans her friend would bring back once the family left to hunt, but she had to follow the plan. She sipped the deep crimson animal blood greedily, and once it was finished she acted as if it wasn't enough and thrashed and screeched for more until he left with a sick smile on his handsome face.

Finally the time came for the family to hunt again, the enemy trio leaving Alice's allies alone as what's come to a sort of routine. The remainders make their way expertly up to the roof of the large house and bound into the trees so their scents aren't easily noticeable, making their way to a hidden field. This is where training has been happening for quite a while now. Alice was surprised the family members she's manipulated has kept this secret for so long.

She sat watching as Esme trained with Carlisle, a look of deep sadness on her pretty face. Carlisle had much the same look. Rose was training with Alice's unknown friend, her face a blank mask but with eyes smoldering with fury. Crossing her ankles, Alice sat back against a convenient rock and closed her eyes to focus on the future for a moment. A gentle smile appeared on her lips - everything was normal. She opened her eyes to see her friend looking at her with a knowing smile and a wink, making her giggle. Things were peaceful in the world of Alice Cullen the Devious.

Little did she know, Bella was a shield. The family had figured this out while on a hunting trip one abnormally warm evening. Bella was hunting and Jasper just happened to stray too close to her without realizing. She focused solely on Jasper, her eyes turned a brilliant black and suddenly her mate flew back into a tree nearby, crushing it under impact. It took some time before Jasper could coax his way close enough to his woman in order to calm her completely. The purring is what brought her back. She apologized profusely to him, earning her a cocky 'You can make it up to me when we get home.'... and make it up to him she did.

They practiced on both her mental and physical shield daily, being sure to keep Alice in the dark. It was soon found out that she could reflect any gift that was thrown at her back to the origin if there was nothing between her and said origin. She could also shield herself from being detected, covering up her scent and footfalls effectively. If she felt threatened her physical shield would perk up and surround her with a few feet between her and the transparent wall. No one could penetrate it - it was like a solid wall of steel. She still has to work on protecting other people from a long distance as well as herself, but what she's accomplished so far is truly remarkable.

Bella POV

Weeks passed with uneventful comfortable days. I was getting better at my gift, and now Jasper and I could spend alone time privately holed up in my little bubble of a shield. No one could hear what was going on inside, and I spanned my physical one out wide enough so no one could disturb. It truly came in handy when I needed time to think, when I didn't want any influences from gifts or people, and I could just focus on the sounds within the sphere I was enclosed. It made me feel almost... human.

It was nice to escape the constant abnormal tension. I asked my mate if he could sense anything wrong in anyone's emotions, but he said he couldn't pinpoint exactly what was up. Hardly anything was spoken unless it involved our hunting trips; everyone - even Esme - was very tight-lipped. I had my suspicions but had yet to voice them. I made sure to block any odd feelings from Jasper and attempt to keep my dearest-sister-turned-bad blind to my decisions. If it didn't work, well, we'd find out eventually.

I watch briefly as the very faint shimmering violet of my shield swirls in intricate patterns above us before Jasper starts to cover my neck in teasing kisses, making my amber eyes close and my breathing stutter quietly. He chuckles when he hears it and continues his journey, not having a care in the world. This was the Jasper that I loved. However, the nagging feeling that something big was wrong wouldn't stop chomping away at my thoughts. This has been happening ever since I decided who the culprit was to the family's silence.

"Jasper?" I asked in a breathless whisper. My love misjudged the tone of my voice and just kissed rougher along the marble expanse of my exposed skin. It was getting increasingly harder to concentrate.

Oh, Jasper...

"Jasper, I really need to tell you something... It's..." I sighed "Important." and with this he finally looked up at me with hungry eyes. Better make this quick. "I think Alice is behind all of this."

"Sweetheart, we have Alice contained and begging for mercy. She can't do anything harmful." he brushes some hair away from my forehead as he leans to press a kiss to my nose.

"Jasper think about it. Don't you think it's odd that Esme hasn't been down to see Alice yet? You know how motherly Esme is - it would kill her not to see her. Carlisle is just as standoffish as she is at the moment. Rose and Emmett hardly sneak off to... do what they do... anymore like they used to. I hardly ever see them talk! I can practically see the distance between everyone now." I looked at him worriedly. He sits still for a few minutes, analyzing everything slowly.

"I guess I can see your worry. I also think I smelled a different scent in the basement. Someone not familiar. It was very faint, but I could've sworn it was there. Maybe..." he looked at me. "You can block any gift with your shield. I'm willing to bet that your double shield can block Alice's gift as well. Maybe we can sneak down one night and catch her in the act. Then we'll get some answers."

I resign with a nod. I had voiced my concern, now my only hope is that Jasper's scheme will work.

"Now, where were we..." as he speaks he slowly trails his fingertips from where they rested in my hair, down along the side of my face and jawline, along the creamy silk skin of my neck...

"I think you know very well where we were, cowboy." I say with a chuckle, all problems temporarily forgotten.

Sorry it took me so long to update. I was out and about and had to work on it on my mobile which I absolutely hated... So I decided to write everything in a separate app and wait to edit it on my computer. Thanks for understanding - I'll try my best to get the next chapter up within a week! :)

Poll is on my profile for the next story! Please please please vote! I'm going to start writing it soon as this story closes :)