Disclaimer: The only part of Twilight I want to own is Alice. Stephenie Meyer can have the rest :)

Chapter 6: Getting Closer

When I got home, I went straight to the garage to perform the maintenance my bike needed after the long journey. It was about seven in the morning by the time I was completely finished. I decided that now was the best time to take that trip to Seattle. I figured that I was going to be staying for a little while. I hopped on my bike and headed to the city. I needed quite a bit of stuff, such as furniture, clothes, and painting supplies. I stopped at the mall first and got all my furniture and clothes. I got them shipped to my house. On the drive back to Forks, I stopped at the Home Depot to pick up the painting supplies.

I walked into my house and dropped the paint off in the empty living room. I checked the time and noticed I had a missed call from Jane and 5 new messages. I'll look at those later. It was almost 3:30. I better get ready. I walked into my closet and grabbed one of the few outfits I brought from Italy. It was black skinny jeans, paired with a dark red button up shirt. I rolled the sleeves up to my elbows, and left the top three buttons of the shirt undone. You could just see the lace on the top of my black cami. I grabbed a black tie and loosely tied it. My black and red studded belt went on next. On my feet went my black and red vans. I did my make-up and hair next. My hair framed my face as it waved gently to the middle of my back. My eyes had a smoky look to them that toned down their crimson color. I checked the time and saw it was nearing 4:00.

I stopped my bike on the circular drive directly in front of the stairs leading to the front door. I kicked the kickstand down and looked up at the door. It opened and I found myself speechless. The beautiful pixie that has been haunting my thoughts was framed in the doorway. I reached up and pulled my helmet off.

"Hey. I heard your bike and decided to come greet you." The sunlight reflected off her razor teeth as she smiled at me.

"Well thank you. I feel honored to have a pixie greet me." I teased.

"I'm not a pixie." She grumbled.

I laughed out loud. "Let's see. You look like a pixie. You talk like a pixie. You're short like a pixie, so you must be a pixie. See the logic?" I asked lightly.

"You're only like two inches taller than me. You can't call me short." She scoffed.

"Ah but I am taller than you. So to me you're short." She took the mature route by sticking her tongue out at me.

"Whatever Amanda." Hearing my name fall from her rosy lips threw my mind straight to the gutter. I imagined my names coming from her in a very different setting compared to the one right now. I could see her writhing in pleasure beneath me as I teased and tortured her. I could hear her begging with me to finish her. I could hear her moans turn to screams. I could imagine how her body would arch into mine as she came just for me. I came back to reality and saw Alice waving her small hand in front of my face, trying to get my attention.

"I'm sorry. I was lost in my thoughts. I was wondering if you would do me the honor of taking a run with me, Miss Alice." I smiled at her. "I was exploring the woods around my house and found this enchanting little meadow. It's not too far from here." I was hoping with my entire being that she would say yes.

"I would love to." She beamed.

"Follow me then." I took off toward the meadow. We ran side by side even though I could have outrun her with ease. We broke through a hanging of ferns into the clearing. I stopped in the center, and a ray of sunshine broke through the clouds to bounce rainbows off my face. I turned around to face Alice where she had stopped just under the tree line. I beckoned her forward as I folded my legs underneath me. She walked forward and stopped two feet in front of me and mirrored my actions. The sun came free of the clouds all together and sent rainbows dancing around the clearing from our skin.

"How many scars do you have?" She suddenly asked. I stared at her for a few minutes trying to figure out why she asked that question. "Sorry. You don't have to answer. I was just curious." She looked down sheepishly.

"Don't ever be sorry for asking a question. For how can we learn if we do not ask? If you want to know something about me, then do not hesitate to ask. As for how many scars I have the answer would be: too many. I truly don't know the exact number. I would think a rough estimate would be thousands."

"Whoa." She breathed.

"You don't leave the wars without reminders." I spat bitterly as I brushed my hand down my forearm.

Her eyes followed my hand down my ravaged arm. I saw curiosity and…anger swirling in her eyes. She lifted her eyes to my own. "I'm sorry for what you've been through."

"Don't be. It's not your fault." I forced myself to break away from her hypnotic gaze. I made sure my expression didn't betray my emotions, before I faced Alice again. The look on her face made my dead, frozen heart clench. It was such a heartbroken expression; I immediately wanted to comfort her in any way possible. "What is that troubles you so? What causes that shadow of sadness to be cast upon your face?"

"I look sad?" She cocked her head to the side as if she was confused. I nodded. Her expression changed to thoughtful in a matter of seconds. "I guess I'm reacting to the pain I can see in your eyes when you start to talk about your past." She shrugged.

"How can she see what I try so hard to hide?" I mumbled to myself, low enough that even her super hearing wouldn't pick it up. Usually the only ones able to detect that pain are the ones who are closest to me. What is it that makes it so easy for her to read me? I feel this connection to her despite barely knowing her. I have a bond with her that compels me to protect her, make her happy. Is she…could she possibly be…no it's not possible…she isn't…but she could be…no. My thoughts were so convoluted that even I had trouble following them. I got the main point of my twisted thoughts. Alice could possibly be my soul mate. The one person that was made just for me. My other half. The one who makes me whole. I was so stunned by the direction of my thoughts that I didn't notice Alice trying to get my attention for almost a minute.

"I'm sorry. I seem to be zoning out more than usual today." I chuckled. I felt as if her eyes were studying my very soul. Her intense gaze made me feel naked in front of her. I felt as if I were baring my immortal soul to her. She was quickly piercing the emotional armor I long ago built around myself. I began building when I was still human. From the time my father thought it would be fun to get drunk and beat the shit out of my mother and me. Never before has someone affected me this deep this, this fast. I wanted to know everything about the dazzling vampire sitting in front of me. I wanted her to know every last thing about me as well. All my deep, dark secrets. "Alice. Would you like to play Truth? We ask each other questions and the answer you give must be the complete truth. If you don't want to answer, then you may pass. If you pass you must ask the other player a question and if they answer with the truth then they win. However, if the other player passes as well then a new round of questioning begins." I smiled at her trying to encourage her to play the game. I wanted to get to know her as quickly as possible and this is the fastest way I can think of to do that.

"Sure. You want to go first? Or me?" I pointed to her and she got the message. "What's your favorite color?"

"It changes according to my mood. So right now it would have to be red and black. That would be because I'm in a dark, but fiery mood. It happens often when I start brooding on my past. My 165 years on this planet haven't exactly been the best, but that doesn't matter. What's your favorite place in the world that you have been to?"

"Hmm…that's a hard one. I would probably have to say either Paris or Rome. They have amazing shopping." Her whole face lit up when she was talking about shopping. She shined as bright as the sun itself in that moment.

"I take it you like to shop?" My voice was amused.

"Like it? No. I love to shop. It's my favorite thing to do. Fashion is my passion. I love to design and sew my own clothes. What are some of your favorite hobbies?"

"Hmm…definitely my music and my art. I love to create pieces through both of those mediums." A new song for my guitar started flowing through my brain, creating itself.

"What instruments do you play? Will you show me some of you art?" She asked me excitedly.

"I play the piano and the guitar. I never really had the ambition to learn any other instruments. As for the art question, I'm not so sure. I don't particularly like to show off my art, but for you I just might make an exception." I winked.

"Will you ever play for me?" She asked quietly.

"You have my word that I will play you a song on the piano and a song on the guitar." I held out my pinky finger so I could make her a pinky promise. She hooked her pinky around mine and we locked eyes. It felt as if my skin burned where she touched me. As if electricity was shooting through my whole body. It felt amazing. I wanted to feel it for the rest of eternity. Not even five seconds have passed since we hooked our fingers. I quickly broke contact with her skin. I forced my eyes away and lay back to watch the sky. The clouds were a gray blanket over the town. Alice lay down next to me.

"Why do you drink animal blood?" I turned my head to look at her and found her beautiful amber eyes staring back at me already. She looked me directly in the eyes as she answered.

"I don't want to have to be a monster in order to survive. I don't want to have to commit murder in order to feed."

"Do you think I'm a monster for drinking human blood?" I asked quietly as I returned my gaze to the clouds above us. She hesitated slightly before answering.

"I-I think that you're following what you have been taught. In the wars that's what you were fighting over, who controlled the human blood. The Volturi are human drinkers, so you're around fresh human blood often. Being told about our lifestyle isn't enough to change your diet after almost 150 years of instant gratification. You need people who are willing to support you and help you learn to control your thirst. So no I don't think you are a monster." I could feel her eyes burning into the side of my head, but refused to look at her as I spoke next.

"You're wrong." I told her quietly.

"How?"

"I am a monster. You may not see it now, but I am. I never wanted this life. I was like you in the beginning. I didn't want to be a monster. I learned though. Kill or be killed. I could only survive if I quenched my thirst with the human blood. The blood was ours and we were going to take it. I may not have liked it in the beginning, but that part of me that retained my humanity was slowly buried underneath the part that revels in bloodshed. My guilt for killing was soon forgotten as I survived. I soon started to enjoy the thrill of the kill. Then I went to the Volturi, where I was trained to kill more efficiently. I am a killer Alice. I was created to be a killer. I was trained to be a killer. I am a killer. I don't even have to think to kill anymore. It comes naturally to me now. That's how you are wrong. That's why I am a monster." I still refused to look at her.

"You won't be able to convince me that you are a monster. It causes you pain to kill. I can see that in your eyes as you talk about how easy it is for you to kill." She argued.

I glanced at her before returning my eyes to the dreary sky. "We should probably get back to your house. We've been out here for at least an hour." I stood up and offered her my hand. When our skin touched I felt that electricity again. It sent a tingle down my spine and I had to physically stop myself from shivering. I quickly dropped her hand as she got to her feet. I began running slightly faster than I did on the trip here, but I was still not at full speed. I just wanted to stay a bit ahead of her.

As we drew closer to her house I slowed my pace to where I was just behind her. I walked through the back door as Alice held it for me. I muttered a quiet thanks to her as I passed into the living room. Emmett, Jasper, Edward, Katie, and Audrey were all sitting in various places in the living room. The guys were playing CoD:MW3 on Xbox 360. I could hear Rosalie in the garage. Esme was upstairs somewhere. I could hear her humming as she worked on something. My eyes were drawn to the magnificent grand piano on a raised dais just inside the front door. I walked over to it and let my hand trail the length of the instrument. I didn't notice Alice follow me, so I was a bit startled to hear her voice from right behind me.

"Would you play me something?" She asked.

I looked over my shoulder at her and gestured for her to sit next to me on the bench. I stared into her eyes as my fingers began to flow over the keys. My voice soon joined the piano notes filling the room.

"I am going away for a while
But I'll be back don't try and follow me
Cause I'll return as soon as possible
See I'm tryin' to find my place
But it might not be here where I feel safe
We all learn to make mistakes,

And run from them
From them
With no direction
We'll run from them
From them
With no conviction

Cause I'm just one of those ghosts
Traveling endlessly
Don't need no roads
In fact they follow me
And we just go in circles

Now I'm told that this is life
Pain is just a simple compromise
So we can we get what we want out of it
Will someone care to classify
A broken heart and twisted minds
So I can find, someone to rely on,

And run to them
To them
Full speed ahead
Oh you are not useless

We are just misguided ghosts
Traveling endlessly
The ones we trusted the most
Pushed us far away
And there's no one road
We should not be the same
I'm just a ghost
And still they echo me
They echo me in circles."

The last echo of my voice faded into silence. Soft applause soon filled the room.

"That was amazing Amanda. Did you write it yourself?" Edward asked as he walked to the piano.

"Yeah." I looked towards him. "Do you play as well?" I questioned.

"I do. I compose my own music as well." He flashed a friendly smile at me.

"Edward is right. That was amazing." Alice agreed with her brother. I could see Esme sitting at the top of the stairs. She was smiling gently. The other guys were engrossed in their game. The girls were nodding their heads in agreement with Edward and Alice.

"Yo Ali. You down to play some CoD:MW3 with us guys?" Emmett called across the room.

Alice looked at me. "You want to play with them?"

I thought about it and got a great idea. I inwardly grinned. "Yeah sure I'll play. I've played with Felix and Demetri before."

Emmett chucked a controller at my head as I flashed to sit next to him. I caught it within an inch from my face.

"You're up little princess." I raised my eyebrow at him, but said nothing as I took my seat. "First player to 25 kills wins. You ready for this little princess?" He taunted.

"Hold on. Before you start I want to place a bet on the outcome of this game. I say the princess kicks Emmett's ass." Alice slapped $50 down on the coffee table.

"I'll take that bet." Emmett threw his money in.

Jasper put a fifty on top of the other two. "I've got Amanda to win."

"I'll put fifty on Emmett." Edward added his money to the pool.

"Okay. Anyone else throwing down? No. Let's get started then."

Thirty minutes later and a lot of swearing from Emmett, Jasper and Alice were splitting the two hundred dollars.

"Dude I think you totally hustled me. You said you had played with Felix and Demetri a few times. Not that you were a beast at the game." Emmett pouted.

"I'm a well-trained soldier Emmett." I stated simply. I ended up playing video games with them for a while. The only one who managed to beat me was Jasper. As we played they took turns asking me questions, as I did the same. I glanced at the clock and realized with a start that it was nearly three in the morning. I decided that it was time for me to start heading home.

I was in my empty room when I grabbed a pencil and my sketchbook from my bag. I turned the iPod on my phone on and hit shuffle. I let my mind wander free as the music and drawing calmed my chaotic thoughts. When the drawing was complete I really looked at it.

It was Alice and I sitting in the meadow. Her head is thrown back while she laughed. Her hands rested on her knees. My chin is resting on my right hand, my elbow on my knee. I'm smiling softly towards Alice. Rainbows are dancing around the clearing as the sunlight makes us sparkle. I don't know if I'm imagining it because it fits the scenario, but the expression in my eyes is…

Love.

A/N: The song is Misguided Ghosts by Paramore. I don't own the song any more than I own Twilight. However, it is an awesome song and if you've never heard it you should listen to it. I am absolutely in love with Paramore. They make great music and are amazing. I'm not exactly sure why I used that song, but I'm sure I have my reasons ;) Well review and let me know what you think.