A/N – As always, thank you for reading/reviewing Mesmeric Stranger. I apologise for the recent delays in posting these past few chapters; better late than never eh? Happy Reading! ESx

Chapter 75 - Suggestion

Alice's POV

"It's Reuben" I almost hissed, as Bella's hand immediately found my own.

"Here?" she asked, as I turned to face her.

"No… he's gone now… but he's left us something" I whispered, as the vision of Reuben slowly began to clear from my mind.

"You saw him in a vision?" Carlisle steadily asked, as I nodded slowly.

"It happened so quickly, one minute he was standing outside, the next…" my voice trailed off as Carlisle looked towards the kitchen.

"The next he was gone" he finished, as I found myself nodding again.

"His mind is… like nothing I have ever come across before Carlisle. Its almost as though he fights with the voices in his head, each one always trying to make the decisions… with so much conflict, I can't see clearly what course of action he is going to take… it comes and goes… I just…can't see it…" as my voice faltered slightly, Bella brought me into her arms.

"I feel so… inadequate" I whispered as Bella began to stroke the side of my face.

"You are nothing of the sort, Alice" she whispered as the final traces of my vision now vanished from the perimeter of my mind. I glanced at her smiling face as she quickly nipped the tip of my nose with her thumb and forefinger, making me smile.

"Reuben is… ambiguous" she continued, as her gaze held my own. "It is impossible for your visions to interpret him, because I suspect he has trouble distinguishing his own thoughts"

I watched as Carlisle edged a little closer to us.

"Bella is right, Alice. If my memory serves me correctly his actions were always… questionable… it was almost as though he was constantly battling with himself to find the answers. You will never be able to see specifically what course of action he is going to take, because he himself struggles…"

"I hate this, Carlisle" I interrupted, my voice almost hoarse. Carlisle seemed to grimace as he looked from me to Esme.

"We should go to the kitchen" he suggested, as we all walked through into the other room.

As we entered, I saw Edward standing, holding something in his hand. Jasper was behind him, looking at the window which was now smashed.

"What are you holding" Bella asked, as she walked across the room towards Edward.

Slowly Edward glanced at Bella, holding up a baseball in his right hand.

"Someone threw this through the window" he softly replied, as Jasper turned to face me.

"It was Reuben" he stated, as I slowly nodded.

"I saw him throw it.. but then… nothing" I answered honestly as Jasper nodded.

"I felt… extreme anger moments before the ball hit the window… and then nothing" Jasper replied, as Carlisle walked over to the broken window.

"It would seem as though Reuben is equally capable of masking and unmasking his presence, depending upon his desire at that moment in time… one minute, you can see him Alice, and you can sense his emotions Jasper… the next… nothing"

Everyone seemed silent as Bella turned to face me.

"That's his gift? He can shield himself from other vampires at any given moment?" she asked as I looked at Carlisle and then back at Bella.

"It could explain why we are unable to sense him, and why we sometimes can…" as my voice trailed off, Bella seemed to look… anxious.

"So he's playing with us" she finished, as Edward turned the baseball in his hand.

"I'm afraid it does look that way" he finished, as he then threw the ball at me. Catching it deftly in my hand, I turned to find black pen etched on one side of the baseball.

"Lets Play Bella" I read the words over in my mind slowly…

He wanted to see Bella….

Immediately I felt myself shake… with anger.

He wanted to see Bella…

So he knew she was alive…

Knew she was… a vampire?

Knew that I had bitten her to save her…

He wanted to see her?

How dare he be so flippant! I was going to find him and dispense pure pain, make him suffer for what he did… I was going to…

"Alice, you need to calm your thoughts down"

Slowly I looked up at Edward, who was gazing at me intently.

"Calm my thoughts down? You read this" I almost spat, as I jabbed the baseball with the tip of my finger.

"Yes, but…"

Before Edward could continue, I found myself shaking more violently than before.

"There are no buts, Edward. I've had enough. This needs to end. I need to end this…"

This time Carlisle interrupted me, as he walked across and removed the baseball from my firm grip.

His words were clear and crisp.

"There is no I, Alice. We will end this. Together. All of us"

As he placed a strong hand on my arm, Bella appeared at my side.

"What does it say?" she gently asked, as she gazed at me, her coral eyes now flashing a deeper shade than before.

I watched as Carlisle read out the words.

"So he wants me" she replied, her voice firmer than I imagined it ever could be.

"I won't allow this" I continued, as Bella took my hand in hers.

"This does need to end, Alice. Perhaps I should go and find him alone? Find out exactly what it is he wants from me? From us? What damage could he possibly inflict? I'm not… human anymore" she finished, as I found myself shaking my head violently.

"You are not going alone; you're not going at all… I'm going to find him…"

Edward walked towards me as my voice trailed off.

"Alice, Carlisle is right. There is no 'I' in this equation, we will fight Reuben together as a family… and that includes Bella"

My eyes were immediately on Edward.

This isn't Bella's fight, Edward… she's a newborn, she doesn't understand her strength yet, she needs to learn, she's inexperienced and confused by her new found gift… I won't have Bella thrown into this situation unprepared….

Edward nodded, "I understand all that, Alice. But we need Bella… and we also need Jake"

Carlisle sighed.

"We all need to take a step back and think about what our course of action should be. I won't have any member of this family taking risks. Reuben may not have been that powerful when I knew him before, but somewhere along the line he has developed his skills and has obtained a gift I have never come across before… it's almost as though he can shield himself from us…."

Before Carlisle could continue, Esme stepped forward.

"Like Bella" she softly spoke, as five pairs of eyes switched to Esme.

"Edward, you are unable to read Bella's mind, correct?" Esme asked, as Edward slowly nodded.

"Then, perhaps, Bella is also capable of shielding, like Reuben is?" she asked, as Carlisle slowly nodded.

I watched as Edward tilted his head to one side. He was clearly thinking about something…

What is it Edward? I asked mentally as Edward walked to Bella's side.

"You are right Esme; I am unable to read Bella's thoughts… except for one moment in time when they were clear and apparent"

The room seemed to fall silent as I took Bella's hand in my own. Bella's fingers wrapped around my own as she nodded.

"I remember" she almost whispered, as my eyes found hers.

"When?" I asked, as Edward stepped closer.

"Before… when Bella was… injured" Edward continued, as I felt myself flinch again.

That thought would never leave me…

"I'm not sure how it happened Alice, but just before you bit her, I could hear her thoughts…."

I turned to face Bella, who was staring intently back at me.

"You were… conscious?" I asked, rather hesitantly.

Bella shook her head.

"I'm not sure how it occured either Alice, but I could see myself on the ground… I could see all of you, surrounding my body. It was almost as though I was a spectator, from somewhere above…" her voice trailed off as I gripped her hand.

"I tried, so very hard, to talk to you, to all of you… but I couldn't" she continued, as Esme placed her arm around Bella.

"I became a little frantic, because I wanted you to bite me Alice… but you couldn't hear me… you couldn't hear my thoughts…."

As Bella's voice trailed off again, Edward placed a hand on my shoulder, making me turn.

"I heard her thoughts, then" he continued, as I felt myself frown a little.

Edward squeezed my shoulder, "Alice, I had no idea what it meant at the time, but I heard Bella, loud and clear… remember what I said to you? Do it Alice… I knew it was what Bella wanted, because I heard her…"

Bella leaned into me as her voice, soft yet firm carried on.

"I can't leave you all now, I love you all, I want this" she murmured, as Edward nodded.

"I heard those very words" he continued, as Bella now lent against me fully.

Carlisle shifted his stance slightly.

"This is very intriguing" he commented, as I looked up at him.

Slowly he continued.

"If Bella shares Reuben's gift and she too can shield... we can use this to our advantage. I suspect Reuben is unsure of recent developments… nor will he know that Bella can empathise with others by a mere touch…"

Yet she couldn't empathise with me…

Edward looked at me, "I suspect Bella can relate to and comprehend the history of others only when she is concentrating" he suggested, as I nodded slowly.

I felt Bella nod her head against me in silent agreement.

So you think she will be able to see my past too? I mentally asked, as Edward merely nodded.

"There is still so much I don't understand" Bella continued as Jasper walked from the broken window towards us.

"I know someone who may be able to help us" he whispered, as I turned towards him.

"Help?" I asked softly, as Bella also turned to face Jasper.

Jasper nodded, "I know someone, a fellow vampire, who has the ability to identify the gifts of other vampires, with her on our side, I am sure we will be able to establish the degree of Bella's gift?"

Edward took the baseball from Carlisle, glancing down at the words he looked back up at Jasper.

"Does she drink human or animal blood" he asked softly, as Jasper shrugged his shoulders.

"I've never enquired" he replied, as Carlisle now turned to face Jasper.

"Do you trust her, Jasper?" he asked, as Jasper nodded.

I watched as Carlisle slowly nodded his head

"How soon can she be here?"