Just to warn you I am away for a couple of days but I'll post as soon as I can. Jules x

Chapter Fifteen

Bella

When I met Aiysha at Starbucks I wasn't feeling too great, every month it was the same, I felt really rough for a couple of days then my body decided it didn't want to know and stopped the usual monthly cycle. It had got worse over the last twelve months but I really didn't want to get involved with doctors and hospitals so I soldiered on. After all I didn't want a man in my life so it didn't really matter did it? Or was I just hiding behind my fear?

"You look like crap Bella"

"Thanks, I feel like it too. Just the usual"

"Oh right. Well I went through the phone books, or as many as I could, just in case but couldn't find any Cullens, there were a few Hales, but no J Hale so you might be right about no land line. Next I went to street maps of the two cities, not that I had any great hopes of finding anything, you don't get a lot of Star Streets or Heart Avenues and nothing hit me. If not for the computer search option I couldn't have done this much but I'm not sure where to go next. Any ideas?"

I shook my head feeling really sick now,

"I think I need to go home Aiysha, sorry but I feel terrible."

She helped me from the café and back to my apartment where she put me to bed with a hot water bottle and some Tylenol before leaving. I lay for some time looking at the bracelet which I still wore. It was a beautiful piece of jewellery but what did it mean? Why was I bothering after all this time? They were questions I didn't want to answer so I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Emmett

I missed my brother and Bella Swan although I had kept an eye on her secretly, hoping that if I were right and Alice had planned all this discord within the family she might, just might try to find Jasper. The family's betrayal of her had hit her much harder than I expected and I wondered what exactly Alice's aim had been. Was this it? Cause rifts between us? Make Edward unhappy although she had kept insisting that he would find his real mate soon. She never spoke about Bella after we left, as if the girl had never existed. We never saw or heard from Jasper again and even Rose, his greatest friend at one time, flatly refused to speak his name. Why couldn't they see what I did? That Alice hadn't seemed like a vampire whose mate had betrayed and abandoned her. I knew there was more to this but I couldn't see what and as Alice left soon after I couldn't watch her either. She kept in contact with Edward and Esme but either she wasn't saying much or they weren't telling yet every time she rang the atmosphere in the house took a nose dive, as if she were some harbinger of doom.

Alice

I had to smile, I knew Emmett was suspicious and I'd watched his actions with some amusement. Did he really think I would miss something as obvious as his little plan to help Bella and Jasper. Somehow he knew they were meant to find each other and he'd been expecting Bella to open the gift a long time ago. As it was I didn't mind, it added extra spice watching him watch her and then finally she did it. She opened the gift and found his little puzzle. For a while I thought it might have been altogether too difficult for her limited human brain to work out but I'd figured without her friend at college, Aiysha. That one was extremely intelligent, Bella could have done it herself if she'd been feeling better but the poor lamb wasn't at all herself these days, such a shame! Emmett's intervention when Aiysha had put feelers out on the net regarding the symbol on the bracelet was very smooth and I listened in as she rang him again.

"Sorry to bother you Andy but do you have anything else on that cult you were telling me about only we've hit a brick wall?"

Emmett

I had to play this very carefully, Aiysha was nobody's fool and I had seen her looking around when I visited the college campus as if she felt she was being observed. I just wanted to check on Bella so I made some excuse about arranging an anniversary present for Rose to get away for a couple of days. When I got back she looked at me as if aware I was up to something.

"I'm not sure I know what you're looking for"

"Neither do I, I wish I did. My friend and I are just stuck and almost at the end of the puzzle."

"Puzzle? I thought you were interested in the cult for your paper?"

"Oh I am but it's also part of a puzzle, its given us a place to look but we need to narrow it down. Was there anything that the cult felt was particularly significant?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, a number, an animal, a place, anything at all."

"Well they revered the number four as most animals are four-legged and their god was a Jaguar headed man who lived in a dark cave underground. Does that help?"

"I don't know but it might, thanks Andy"

As she put the phone down I smiled, the girls were getting there, now I had to leave it to them to decipher. Otherwise they might become too suspicious. I checked I'd wiped my phone memory and my browsing history then went downstairs to find Edward hanging around like a bear with a sore paw. If Alice was right and his mate was getting closer I wish to hell she'd hurry up and appear. He was driving us all crazy and with the tension in the house that didn't really take much.

Alice

They didn't need any further help and I decided it was time Emmett found out that he hadn't been as cunning as he thought, so I rang his cell phone when he went to hunt, alone for once.

"Alice?"

"Emmett, have you missed me?"

"Not really, what do you want Alice?"

"Now that's very unkind of you Emmett. I thought I was your favourite little sister."

"You were till I discovered you had sharp teeth, claws, and an evil mind."

"Well if the niceties are over I'll just say what I have to. I'd hate to keep you from your dinner. I know what you've been doing."

"Sorry?"

"Do I have to spell it out? I know you gave Bella the bracelet, the one with the puzzle in it. Very clever by the way, I'm impressed."

I waited but he didn't reply,

"Cat got your tongue Emmett? You didn't really think you'd slip that by me did you? Not that it matters. I've enjoyed watching you watch Bella and wait for her to open the gift. Were you worried she might throw it away unopened? It was a wonderful prop for the little scene I orchestrated for Carlisle and Charlie so I should thank you. She almost did you know, but curiosity got the better of her and we both know what that can lead to don't we?"

"Why are you doing this Alice? What do you get out of it?"

"Enjoyment, excitement, the thrill of the many possibilities. Anyway enough about my motives. I want you to back off now, the girls will work it out for themselves."

"And if I don't?"

"Do I really have to resort to threats brother dear? What would Rosalie think if she found out what you'd been doing? Where you really were after you told her you were organising a surprise for your anniversary?"

The silence this time was even longer.

"I thought not Emmett, just stay out of it or risk losing your mate."

"It's just dawned on me, you told Jasper to stay out of sight, you're the reason he won't answer his phone. What did you tell him Alice?"

"Not much. Just if he spoke or communicated with anyone it would change the future and result in Bella's death."

"You knew didn't you? All along you knew and you manipulated us all. I'm going to tell the others exactly what a scheming bitch you really are."

"They wont believe you Emmett, besides how can you prove it? No, you're going to be a good little boy and keep your mouth shut. If not...well...I see Rose walking out and you really wouldn't like that now would you? I have to go now so bye brother"

I knew he couldn't take the chance that I was right, he might want to get involved but he didn't have the courage, I'd seen that. Poor Emmett, he just couldn't win.