A/N: Yay! Spring Break! So you guys can probably predict the next chapter in your sleep. I hope you enjoy this one, because things are going to drop like a rock. Actually, faster than a rock, because a rock can only fall as fast as gravity will allow it, and let me tell you, this next chapter…not going to be pretty. So brace yourselves. This next chapter or two are the lowest we're going to get. I hope you enjoy this one.

Don't forget to REVIEW me. Really, likes, dislikes, spelling, grammar, I'm a big girl, I can take constructive criticism. Just no flames please. It has to be constructive. And if you have any friends who have stopped reading because they don't like New Moon, tell them Eclipse will begin in maybe four or five chapters max. I'm not 100% positive because I don't know how much I'll need to really portray the proper emotions. But Eclipse is coming! Look for it!

-Wish

Chapter 49: Spring Break

"Rosalie, Emmett, Esme, Carlisle! We're back!" Alice shouted from outside as she and Jasper climbed out of my Mercedes. I'd heard the familiar engine only a minute before Alice. I was downstairs in seconds, meeting the others in the foyer as Alice and Jasper stepped through the door.

"Jazz!" Emmett practically tackled Jasper as he sauntered through the door, one of Alice's suitcases in each hand. Jasper had barely a tenth of a second to move Alice's bags out of harm's way before the two collided with a crash and Jasper was thrown back out the door.

Alice burst out laughing and gave Rosalie a hug. "It's good to see you again Rose," she said. "I think I'll wait to say hello to Emmett."

Rosalie smiled at her adopted sister. "That might be best. But he's been itching to wrestle with Jasper for a while now. I think you'll be alright."

There was a loud crack and a thud that sent us scrambling out the door. Emmett and Jasper had collided with a small tree in the front yard, taking a chunk out of its base and causing it to fall into another, bigger oak.

"Emmett, Jasper, enough," I commanded.

They wrestled for a few more seconds before finally breaking up, both grinning.

"Good to see you too, Emmett," Jasper said, dryly. We walked back inside and Jasper and Alice said hello to Esme and I before Alice and Jasper brought the rest of their bags inside.

We all waited patiently for them to unpack, but it was obvious that all of us were eager to learn the results of Alice and Jasper's trip to Mississippi. It was mid-March, almost spring break. They'd been gone for a long time. Everyone was eager to hear what Alice and Jasper had learned down south. Finally we all gathered in the living room to hear what Alice would tell us.

"We went to Biloxi, Mississippi. I was born there in 1901 as Mary Alice Brandon. I had a little sister. I found my parents' grave, her grave, and my grave. Then we found the asylum where my family had me placed. The admittance date on the files matched the date of my death on my tombstone."

"Oh, Alice, I'm so sorry," Esme said, moving to hug Alice.

"It's alright," Alice reassured her. "Really. I found out my sister, Cynthia's, daughter is still alive in Biloxi."

"That's wonderful, Alice," Esme smiled. "Did you see her?"

"I didn't approach her, she was very old. I didn't want to scare her or something. Besides, what was I going to say? Hello, I'm Alice Cullen; I'm really your long-lost aunt who was committed to a mental asylum?" She chuckled and the rest of us took that as license to laugh too.

Alice went on to describe the trip, talking about the old asylum, the microfiches of newspapers they'd looked through for anything mentioning Alice or her family, visiting the site of her family's old house. "They ripped it down not too long ago," she added.

"It sounds like your trip was very productive," Esme commented.

"It was," Alice agreed. "Though I wasn't too fond of Mississippi. Too many sunny days. We—"Alice stopped suddenly, her eyes becoming distant. I knew immediately she was having a vision.

"Alice." Jasper's voice was firm as he took his wife's hand. Jasper was the most used to dealing with Alice's visions. She'd had countless visions, both while the two of them were with us, and before they'd come. "Alice, what do you see?"

Alice didn't answer him until she came back to the present. Then she squealed in delight. "Oh, we're going to go see Tanya and the other Denalis for Spring Break!"

I sighed. Esme and I had been talking about it, but we had still been unsure because we'd been expecting Alice and Jasper home soon. We didn't want to leave and have them return while we were gone. But I guess with Alice and Jasper's return, our minds were more decisive.

"It was supposed to be a surprise," I replied, "But I guess I can't really surprise you, can I Alice?"

"Nope!" she replied smugly. "I guess we should go repack then. Rose?"

Rosalie stood, a broad smile on her face, and took Alice's arm. The two of them raced upstairs, arm in arm, at vampire speed.

"Oh yeah!" Emmett exclaimed, punching the air. "This means we'll have enough for football!" He followed the girls upstairs. Jasper was right behind him, pausing only enough to grin back at Esme and I, before following the others out of sight.

"I guess I should give Eleazar a call," I commented.

Esme chuckled and shrugged. "I assume they'll say, 'yes', but it might be nice courtesy wise." She stood gracefully, gave me a short kiss on the cheek, before heading upstairs herself. I was left alone downstairs to call Denali.

I walked into the kitchen, shaking my head and smiling at my family. 'Almost back to normal,' I thought. Almost. Just two pieces still missing. I picked up my cell phone off the kitchen counter and dialed Eleazar's number. Even if I didn't have a vampire's perfect memory, I wouldn't need the phone's phonebook. I had called the number many times over the years we'd known the Denali Clan.

Eleazar picked up on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Eleazar, it's Carlisle," I said.

"Carlisle. How are things? I heard you were in New York, having some family issues. Is everything okay?" Eleazar's voice was crackly through the line, but I could still hear the genuine worry in his tone.

"We're working on it," I replied. "I was wondering if it'd be alright for us to pay you a visit. The kids have Spring Break. Esme and I were thinking about taking them somewhere."

"Sure. We'd be happy to have you. You can tell Emmett the bears are particularly grouchy this year. I'm sure he'll be excited about that."

I heard a loud whoop from upstairs. Apparently Emmett had heard without my having to tell him.

"I think he heard," I commented to Eleazar.

"I think he did too," Eleazar agreed.

"We'll drive there. You can probably expect us in a few days, as long as we don't have any trouble."

"Okay," Eleazar agreed. "We'll be ready for you."

"Goodbye."

"Bye."

I ended the call and, placing the cell phone back on the table, climbed the stairs. Esme was in our room, already packing. She'd almost finished her own clothes and had taken out a few items of my own.

"I take it Eleazar didn't have any problem with us coming?"

I smirked at her playfully. "Were you betting against Alice?" I asked.

"No," Esme laughed. "I guess I shouldn't have had to ask."

We finished packing that night and loaded the cars. We were taking my Mercedes and Emmett would drive his Jeep. Rosalie had consented to leaving her BMW behind, since a convertible wasn't really a practical car in Alaska during the early spring. There was a good chance that there would still be snow on the ground. Emmett's Jeep would be more suitable. Alice and Jasper opted to go with Emmett and Rosalie, leaving Esme and I alone in my car. We locked up the house and set off that night. What point was there in waiting? We didn't need to rest. The night would be better for us. There was less traffic and fewer cops at 2 AM. Emmett and I flew down the highway, heading north towards the Canadian border. We'd pass through at Niagara Falls and then head north through Toronto before skirting Lake Huron. Then it was northwest to Winnipeg, then Edmonton. After Edmonton, we'd take 43 to 2 to 97. When we crossed into Yukon it would become 1 and it would stay that way all the way into Denali. It was a trip that all of us had made plenty of times before. At least the last part was. The only differences were the starting points. This was the first time we'd gone through Toronto to get to Denali.

Emmett pulled up alongside me, a mischievous grin on his face. He started speeding up, obviously egging me to go faster. I looked over at Esme, asking silently, "Do you want me to?"

She smiled and nodded slightly. "Yes." And we were off. Both of us pushed our cars well past 100 miles per hour on the open highway. The thrill of the race coursed through me, pushing me to go faster, to beat Emmett. This was what I missed when the others had been gone. This family.