"Now, are you ever going to tell me what you've been up to all this time?"

"I went to see Edward." The words hung in the air between us, and her eyes assessed my reaction, golden and wary. I forced myself to remain expressionless, and she bit her lip, but carried on regardless. "Well. It wasn't really a planned visit, but it was unavoidable, really.

"He found out that I came to see you. Not the whole extent of it right then, God forbid, otherwise nothing would have stopped him. But enough to know that I'd disobeyed his wishes. He thinks that anything to do with you is his right."

"Does he not understand that he was no right to- "

"No, but I daresay he has more understanding now than he did before." She cut me off, eyes narrowed, a sliver of the anger that she felt towards him showing in her voice.

"What happened? How did he find out?"

"He put two and two together. Obviously, he didn't know straight away that I'd left, because he'd stormed off after the last fight we had. When he discovered that I'd gone, he tried to find me, to ensure that I wasn't making my way to you. When he heard no word, he simply gave up."

"Does that mean he's been checking up on me?" My voice was a whisper, barely even able to think the words, let alone say them out loud. The thought that he could have been watching me, without my knowledge, wasn't something that had ever occurred to me before. Certainly, it was because I'd assumed he had no attachment to me, but maybe he did – it just wasn't love. It was jealousy.

"No, no. Don't think that, sweetheart." She must have seen the panic in my eyes, because she leant closer to me, her hand caressing the side of my face gently, tracing my cheekbone with her thumb. Her eyes met mine, beautifully golden and honest, and I relaxed immediately.

I didn't know how she'd managed to have such an effect on me in such a short space of time, but a voice at the back of my head gave me a clue. It had been there all along, in the subtext of the things she had said – she'd just never mentioned it explicitly. But now, the conversation with Rosalie still fresh in my mind, I realised for certain – I was, apparently, Alice's mate. And that wasn't something that couldn't be ignored, no matter how short the time.

I recalled my intense and immediate attraction to Edward – had that been similar? It hadn't been as strong as this; I was sure, but it there were similarities. Except for the fact that he paled next to the exquisite creature before me.

(And also the fact that he was a dickhead).

"What are you thinking about?" Alice's soft, velvet voice snapped me out of my head, and I smiled apologetically.

"Nothing important." Well, for now. It was something that I could think about more later. "Carry on with where you've been."

"Okay, then. Well, I gave Rosalie an unfortunate phone call when I realised that there was no way I would ever be able to stay away from you. That wasn't a problem, at first – because she was nowhere near him. But she and Emmet met with the family shortly before my untimely departure from you. He would read her mind in that time, and find out where I was. My vision showed me the result – he would be enraged, and he would come to London, looking for both me and you.

"I had a slight headstart, and I made my way to Russia as fast as I could. I got there just after he'd discovered the truth, and between the seven of us – Jasper and his mate were there, too – we managed to prevent him from leaving, and gave me the chance to try and talk some sense into him."

I could imagine it all in terrifying detail. An angry vampire wasn't something to mess around with; I knew that – I'd seen Edward when he was angry. Regrettably, it had only been when I'd been in danger, but that was beside the point.

"What happened?"

"Then a lot happened. I won't go into all the details with you. Only what you really need to know. Obviously, he soon discovered that I'd told you all about the Volturi and my vision. Then he found out that I'd kissed you – and that you seemed, at least on the surface – to return my feelings. It took him a long time to become functional after that.

"It was a difficult time for everyone involved, but the truth was right there in the open for everyone to see. Not all of them had an idea of the extent of my feelings for you, and when that came to light, along with everything else, it was clear that Edward couldn't just forbid me from coming back here – or storm over to see you himself, at least not without prior warning.

"Of course, he didn't listen. He wanted to come for you anyway. I knew you weren't in London, but I kept that hidden from him. We fought for the last time as he tried to leave – it was just this morning, in fact.

"But he got away, and I let him. I knew that I could come and get you, and prevent you from having to face him alone, if I could come up with a good enough plan. You see, I knew I couldn't come directly to you – not all of the family was convinced that I'd done the right thing, you see. They thought Edward should get a chance to explain himself, and his feelings, on his own terms. I didn't know if they'd tell him where you were if I came for you immediately.

"But I knew that Rose wouldn't betray me. So I asked her to come get you, and bring you to a nondescript place so that we could talk. She's going away with Emmet for a few days, after everything that went on, so there's no chance of Edward reading her mind anytime soon. And then, well. Here we are."

"So you're saying we're safe here, even if it's just for a little while?" I didn't really want to process everything she'd told me right now – it was just too much. So I stored it away carefully in my mind to pour over later, because right now, I had the woman that I'd been missing with such intensity over the last few days right here in front of me, and I wasn't going to overlook that for anything in the world.

"Yes. Even if it's just an illusion, really, and it's not a very nice place but I figured that -"

I cut off her rambling with a kiss, leaning forward and closing the little space between us. Her hand wrapped in my hair, a soft moan leaving her lips when I ran the fingers of my uninjured hand along her thigh, stopping just under the hem of the skirt she was wearing.

The temperature of her skin didn't bother me in the slightest, and I inched my hand higher and higher, until her hand tightened in a fist in my hair, and she shoved me backwards on the bed.

There was no space between us now, and I could feel every delicious contour of her body against my own. I grazed my nails over her skin, and though it did no damage, the noise that she made was definitely worth it. I cursed Jake for breaking my hand – this would be so much better if I could use them both. But alas, I'd just have to make do.

Alice ghosted her own hands along my ribcage as she broke our kiss, allowing me time to breathe. Instead, she trailed kisses along my neck as her hands cupped my breasts ever-so-softly. I groaned at the contact, my hips bucking slightly and I felt her smirk against my skin, but I didn't even care – it felt far too good for that.

The sensation of cold lips leaving a trail of fire along my skin was an unusual one, but it felt unbelievably good. By the time she'd reached the barrier of my shirt, my head was spinning and my breaths were little more than short gasps.

"T-take it off," I managed to stutter, and she obliged, lifting the offending article of clothing off my body, pressing another heated kiss against my lips as soon as it had cleared my head, her fingers painting a gentle pattern across my bare skin. I shivered, but when she went to move away, I wound my hand in her short hair, loving the way it felt under my fingertips, keeping her in place.

Eventually, I had to breathe again, and she returned her mouth to my chest, hands still working torturously slowly against my skin. But that was nothing compared to when I felt her tongue peek out and trace around the edge of the black bra I was wearing. A ragged moan tore its way from my throat, and God if this was what she could reduce me to already I had no idea how I was going to survive the rest.

She reached behind me and flicked the clasp of my bra open with one swipe of her talented fingers, and she peeling it off me slowly, her eyes locked with mine the entire time. I'd ensnared my bottom lip between my teeth, sure that if I didn't quiet myself I wasn't going to be able to speak tomorrow.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are, Bella?" Her voice was earnest, filled with a reverence and intensity that took (what little was left) my breath away. Words stuck in my throat, and I just tugged her closer by the hem of her shirt and kissed her again. I tried, unsuccessfully, to remove her shirt one-handed, and with a soft chuckle she pulled away and did the rest of the work. I couldn't stop staring when I realised that she hadn't been wearing a bra.

"I'm not the beautiful one," I murmured, capturing her mouth again and running my fingertips over her skin, revelling in the noises she made against my lips. Distantly, I was aware of a phone ringing, but it was soon drowned out by the moans from Alice as I cupped one of her breasts in my hand and lowered my mouth to her cold skin. Her hand snaked through my hair, keeping me firmly in place, and I couldn't stop a smile from crossing my face, knowing that I affected her just as much as she did me.

The phone rang again, and Alice's frustrated growl made me think that we wouldn't be ignoring it for much longer. She shifted and pressed and apologetic kiss to my lips before leaning over to the small table that sat beside the bed and picked up the phone that lay there.

"What?" She answered after a quick glance at the caller ID. Her voice was infused with irritation, and I kind of felt sorry for the person on the other end – or I would have done, if they hadn't interrupted us.

Alice listened intently for a few seconds, and I watched her face darken at whatever was being said. Curious, I leant slightly closer, trying to hear who was on the other end, but I could hardly make out a voice.

"Right, okay," Alice sighed, pressing her free hand to her forehead. "No, I understand. It's fine. We can't avoid it forever, after all." I didn't like the sound of that, and frowned at the lithe vampire lying beside me. She said a few rods before hanging up, and turned back to me.

Her eyes had darkened considerably since I'd first seen her in the doorway of the room, but I knew it was from desire and not because she was going to attack me. Barely-contained anger showed on her face, and I reached out to twine my fingers with hers.

"What's up?"

"Edward," she hissed, tone filled with contempt. "I don't know how he's managed it, but he knows that you were in Forks, and not London."

"So it's only a matter of time before he finds us?"

"Essentially."

"Okay, then." I paused, knowing what I had to say next, but hating to, especially with how things had been progressing between us just a few moments earlier. "Bring it on."

x-x-x

Two hours later, Alice and I were sat at the gate of the nearest airport, waiting for our flight back to London. I'd decided that it would be better, and perhaps even easier, if I met with Edward there, where I felt most at home.

Just the thought filled me with trepidation. The last memory I had of him, the last time I'd seen him, we'd been in those dreadful woods at the back of Charlie's house, and he'd told me that he didn't want me anymore.

That was the day that he'd destroyed me, and caused me to live the most painful months of my life. I'd hated who I'd become because of him – but, then again, I had that to thank for the person I was today.

Rebuilding myself, my life, had been difficult, but it had paid off. I loved the life I led now, and I didn't think I was a bad person. Maybe he'd even made me better.

But that didn't reconcile what he had done to me.

From what Alice had told me, he seemed to think he was still in love with me. But I didn't believe that. If you loved someone, you wouldn't rip them to shreds just because of one tiny incident. Alice had proven her love for me in the short time that we'd had together far more than he ever had, in the simplest of ways.

The announcement that our plane was boarding snapped me out of my thoughts, and Alice offered me a nervous smile as we rose.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Honestly? No. But I know that it needs to be done. I guess there's been a part of me that knew I'd end up having to confront him ever since you first showed up."

"I'm sorry for that. I'd have stayed away if I could."

"Really?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow at her. I'd barely even considered what would have happened if she hadn't have reappeared in my life so suddenly (and unexpectedly). "So, if my life hadn't been in danger from the Volturi…?"

"I… I don't know. I've always loved you; I hope that you can truly see that now. But if what was best for you was that I stayed out of your life, then… I'd like to think that I would have been strong enough to stay away."

"I'm glad that you didn't." My voice was quiet, but as I spoke the words, I knew they were true. I handed my passport and boarding card to the guy stood by the gate, and he waved me past. I waited for Alice before carrying on. "I wasn't at first. But I'm glad that you came – even if you felt like you had no choice."

"I didn't have a choice, Bella, I told you. I wouldn't let you die just because of what my family and I are. Even if I weren't in love with you, I would have protected you. The fact that I am just makes me that much more determined."

She stayed silent after that, and I was grateful for the chance to think things over once more after I'd sank into my chair on the plane. I didn't particularly like flying (another handy excuse to my dad as to why I didn't come home often), and I used my thoughts to calm my racing heart as the plane started to taxi.

"It's okay, Bella," murmured Alice, lifting her eyes from the book she was reading to glance at me. "If anything happens, I can save you. You know that, right?" I nodded, but I still felt ill. She rested her hand over mine where it was clutching the arm rest and squeezed gently.

"What type of things is Edward going to say to me?" I managed to ask, sometime later. We'd been in the air for a while, and I think Alice thought that I'd fallen asleep, but I hadn't. I was far too stressed for that.

"I can't say for sure. He knows that we're coming, obviously. So he keeps changing his mind."

"But he's going to be pissed off, either way," I muttered, more to myself, but I saw Alice's lips quirk into a smile.

"Well, yes. But that doesn't matter." I realised that she hadn't really answered my question, and opened my mouth to say so, but she halted me by holding up one hand. "He's going to explain why you shouldn't be with me. That he still loves you, and you should understand why he left you that day. That's the basics of what he's thinking."

"Okay. I just want to be prepared, you know?"

"Of course you do. I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you."

"It's not so bad. I'm just scared…. Of what he'll do if I speak my mind. I don't want to make him angry. Well, angrier."

"I'll be with you the whole time, Bella. I won't let him lay a hand on you – if he tries, I'll rip it off. I swear." The thought comforted me slightly, but I was still worried by the possibilities of what could happen. "You should get some sleep, sweetie. I daresay you'll need it."

"I can't sleep," I replied with a sigh. "Every time I close my eyes all I can see is his face the day he left me in those woods…" I trailed off, wondering what saying this was making her feel. After all, that had to have been a painful day for her, too.

"Were you in love with him?" She asked suddenly, trying to keep her voice neutral. But I could see, in the fake, fluorescent, aeroplane lighting, a flicker of pain in her eyes as she spoke the words.

"I thought I was. I… I don't know. But all I feel when I think back to then is resentment. All I ever wanted was to be loved by someone, to feel a part of a family - probably because my own was so disjointed. And I had that – he gave me that. Maybe it was shallow of me; maybe I was using him on some level, even though I thought that I was in love with him.

"But I don't know if I was, can't say if I was. I know, now, what love feels like. What it's like to be in relationship not overshadowed by a million other things. What it is to be kissed – and a lot more – by someone who's not holding a thing back. I was young when I knew him, and I know that I've grown a lot since then." I glanced back to Alice, realising that I'd been rambling quite a bit. "Sorry. I've just never really had the chance to explain all of that out loud."

"No, no, it's fine, Bella. Honestly."

"Why did you want to know?" I asked, interest piqued. It wasn't the sort of question one asked on a whim – she must have an ulterior motive.

"I… It doesn't matter."

"No, it does," I replied, siting up a little straighter and forcing her to look me in the eye - hers had gradually returned back to their usual golden after our earlier activities.

"Fine. I was just… I wanted to know that there was no chance that you'd hear him out and want to give him another shot." She said it so rushed that I had to strain to hear her. And then, once I'd ascertained that I'd heard correctly, I had to refrain from bursting out laughing.

"Alice, I… There is no way in hell of that ever happening!" I couldn't stop the laugh, then, because what she'd said made absolutely no sense to me. "How could you think that?"

"I don't know. I guess I just wanted to make sure."

"Are you jealous?"

"No! How could I be jealous when I have you here and he has nothing?"

"I don't know, but I need some explanation for what you just said." She refused to catch my eye, but I knew I had a good few hours to wear her down if I needed it. After all, it wasn't like she could escape me on a plane. A thought occurred to me, one that I doubted was true, but I figured I may as well ask anyway. "Wait. You're not insecure, are you? Alice?"

"Fine, fine. Yes, I am insecure. I don't have any claim on you. You can do what you want. And that's a little scary, because you could give Edward another chance, or anyone else a chance, and I just - "

"Hey! Are you going to let me talk?" I asked, cutting her off only by putting a finger against her lips. She tried to mumble something else but I glared at her until she shut up. "I'm not going to be giving Edward a chance. Or anyone else, for that matter. I… I care about you. I don't want to hurt you, okay? But I don't know exactly where my feelings lie. I want you to know that. I don't want to give myself to you until I know that it'll be completely.

"But I'm not even thinking about anyone else, Alice. These last few days without you have been torture. But I… I still need some time, alright?" She nodded, and, to my relief, finally looked me in the eye again. Also to my relief, she looked less concerned.

"I can handle that. I'm sorry." She wrapped her arm around my back and hugged me, the angle of the chairs making it a little awkward, but I didn't care. "You just make me crazy," she murmured into my hair, before placing a gentle kiss on the top of my head.

"You make me crazy, too. It's a little scary," I whispered, finally allowing myself to relax. Even though I knew she must have heard me, she didn't say anything more, and I was grateful. I shifted against the armrest until I was comfier and curled up against her side.

Maybe I would be able to get some sleep, after all.

A/N:

Thanks so much to everyone who's continuing with this story – with how sporadic updates have been, I'm so, so grateful.

As always, thoughts/opinions are welcome and make me happy. :)