Chapter Two

Alice

At last things were beginning to move along which was good because I had started to become bored and wondered if I had started a game I couldn't bother to finish but I hated to be beaten and this would be my best game ever if I could pull it off. Edward was eating out of my hand and I could manipulate him so easily, Jasper on the other hand was proving to be stronger and more resilient than I thought. He appeared to be quiet and thoughtful but he didn't miss a single thing so I would have to be careful not to ruin my chances. When I suggested we move to Forks Esme was thrilled just as I knew she would be,

"Oh yes Carlisle lets, its been years and I'd love to remodel the house, besides its a quiet place with good hunting, Emmett might even find bears again."

Of course once Emmett heard this he was on Esme's side, he remembered the hunting from their last visit when they'd set up the treaty with the Quileute tribe. I wasn't sure where or even if the tribe would figure in my game plan, after all I couldn't see their futures, but they added an extra frisson of excitement especially as when I checked the future again I realised that Charlie and Bella Swan would be involved with the tribe. My two most valuable game pieces around which everything else revolved. It was going to be fun and the more complicated it became the more I enjoyed it.

Jasper

I liked Forks, it was close enough to mountains and rivers to give Emmett and I room to hunt and let off steam. With him I was able to forget my past and the years I had lived as a vampire and instead become the young man I had never had time to be before. Alice didn't seem to mind, she spent a lot of time with Edward but now I knew there was nothing going on between them I wasn't worried. It gave me more time to spend on my latest projects. I was rebuilding an old Harley Davidson motorbike and I'd started, with encouragement from Carlisle, to write a History of the American Civil War with a view to having it published eventually. Alice encouraged me in the latter but flatly refused to become involved in the bike rebuild so while she and Edward were busy doing whatever it was they did Rosalie who was a red-hot mechanic helped me. I enjoyed her company, we had the same interests and way of seeing things which made a change from Alice's sometimes single-minded pursuit of fashion and the latest music and movies. Emmett joined us sometimes when he wasn't involved in his own hobby, building computers and writing programs for them. I think a lot were probably games or hacks but he was happy and I found them bewildering, purely because I'd never had any dealings with electronics but he was slowly dragging me into the present century and his help made research a lot easier for both school work and my project.

Edward

Alice and I enjoyed the cinema and music and it became a habit of ours to disappear at least once a month to Seattle or Portland to take in a concert or the latest film releases. At first I found her a little annoying because she knew everything or so it seemed but the more time we spent together the more interesting I found her, especially when she began to drop hints that something exciting was headed my way. It took a few bribes, a new dress and bracelet she had her eye on plus an evening at the theatre but finally I persuaded her to let me in on the secret,

"Edward, there's going to be a new girl in school next year and you'll find yourself drawn to her."

"Really? I take it you mean a human, why should I be interested in this particular girl Alice?"

"Because dear brother her blood will sing to you. You wont be able to resist her."

This concerned me as I liked it here in Forks,

"If you knew this why didn't you say something? Why suggest we move here?"

"Oh Edward I don't think you'd thank me for that because not only does her blood call to you but her body too, the new girl is destined to be your soul mate."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure, you know I see the future, well I've just seen yours and the girl you want to spend it with. She's Chief Swan's daughter and she'll be coming to live with him. You wait and see."

Of course I did and as always Alice was right. Esme and Carlisle were over the moon, they both thought I'd been alone far too long as it was. Bella's blood called strongly and at first I was scared I might be too tempted to resist but the thought of my life without her in it was enough to hold me back sufficiently until the thirst was overridden by love.

At first everything went so well, I found my way into her affections and even when she found out my true nature she didn't run screaming from me. The family took to her straight away, all except Rosalie who of course overstated the danger she posed to us. Jasper agreed with her, again of course, and offered to kill her himself but Carlisle overrode this.

It was Alice's strange warnings starting a few months later that unsettled me, they were so nebulous as if she couldn't or wouldn't elaborate. She had started giving me subtle hints that I should watch out for Jasper although she herself didn't try keeping them apart herself I noticed.

"Alice why can't you tell me what I'm supposed to be watching for? She's not interested in a savage like him."

"I just think it would be safer to keep them apart and remember she's friends with the Quileutes, Jacob Black in particular and I can't see his future which means he's dangerous. I think he'll phase, become a member of the pack Edward."

"One of the wolves you mean?"

That worried me and I did all I could to keep her away from him and the reservation in general but Bella wasn't as cooperative as I'd hoped and indeed expected. As far as she was concerned there was nothing for me to worry about, Jacob Black was just a friend.

"She's at the reservation again Edward. Why aren't you listening to me and my warnings?"

" I am Alice but she has a mind of her own."

I was beginning to find that loving Bella wasn't enough, I needed to keep her safe which meant giving her guidelines. Unfortunately they didn't go down well with either her or her father Chief Swan who I discovered wasn't as keen on me as I had hoped. At the same time Alice's warnings about Jasper becoming close to Bella became more frequent and strident and much as I tried to keep them apart and Bella out of trouble it wasn't easy. With Charlie not my greatest fan and Bella seeming to go out of her way to be difficult, as if I were being unreasonable in my demands, my frustration began to grow. She actually accused me of trying to run her life and when I pointed out I was only trying to keep her safe because I loved her she had the temerity to laugh.