Jasper Pov

Bella had some odd little feelings of amusement as Alice did her card game, and Jasper felt like they needed to switch this up a little, to explore what he was sensing in Bella. "Alice, don't hold back on the first three." He whispered very quietly. "Make it look as easy as it really is for you."

"She'll assume I really am cheating." Alice told him and Jasper shuffled the cards and glanced at Bella. The girl felt resigned, there was a hint of defeat on her already, and that shouldn't be. They all knew better than to actually bet against Alice, but Bella shouldn't know. Even Emmett's bet was only with Rosalie, and so it was money that wasn't really moving, because they shared that bank account.

"Alice goes first." Jasper said and started to pull the first card up.

"Circle." Alice barely waited for it to leave the deck, but he could feel her apprehension in doing this. He flipped it over to prove Alice was right and kept his attention on Bella. No surprise, no amazement, no amusement at the lucky guess.

As he pulled the next card up he felt her indecision, her focus. "Star." Bella spoke quietly and sighed when he turned it over to show a triangle.

"Waves." Alice spoke even before he moved to pull the next card, taking him seriously in trying to prove something, but he wondered if Alice was trying to also prove she wasn't cheating because she didn't wait for Jasper to get any idea of the card. Jasper could feel Bella's suspicion when he took up the card and turned it to show waves, but it wasn't anger, it was caution, and an odd taste of confusion and concern, but he didn't sense the amazement he would expect by this time.

He nodded toward Bella and reached for her card. "Square." Bella spoke and he turned it to show a square. He felt the surprise at that, at one single correct answer, when it wasn't there when Alice had two. He wanted to see if Bella was at all thrown by three right answers from Alice.

Alice had an odd expression on her face as she stared at the deck and Jasper sensed some surprise. "Star, and Bella's is a Circle." Alice said with certainty and he turned the first card to show a star.

"Bella?" Jasper asked for her guess on her card.

"Circle." Bella felt confident in that choice and he turned the card to show a circle.

"She bet on me." Alice whispered and stared at the circle card. "No matter what I considered saying that card was she always was going to just repeat what I said." Jasper could understand why Bella did that, given the way Alice was calling them out, that wasn't the interesting part at all. Never once was Bella surprised.

"Cute, so now that you showed me you can cheat nicely." Bella spoke and he could see how someone would assume that, but he wasn't sure Bella believed that. He couldn't be sure though, and that irritated him. They had never had to rely on him for something like this, they'd always had Edward. Now that Edward was no longer an option Jasper was brushing off rusty skills from before he'd joined the family and was trying to interpret feelings to gain some idea of what someone was thinking. It was far too imprecise. He couldn't just say this was too risky that Bella was hiding something, because everyone loved her, and he did like her, he hadn't been around a human enough to actually like them since he was turned. No one wanted to believe that whatever Bella was hiding was something dangerous, except for Edward who many seemed to assume was paranoid because for once he couldn't read someone's mind. "How about we try it for real."

The 'real' game lasted for ten cards each and Alice only let herself win by one, but Jasper did notice his mate didn't let herself lose.

They continued on to the telepathy round and other than Alice, who had to toss the game, no one did very well with it either. They had more planned, but Esme returned with Bella's pills and some groceries for making dinner. Bella was a little too relieved to see her and she quickly made an offer to help Esme cook. One that held pleading eyes and Esme caved even though she wasn't supposed to. They'd have to wait until after dinner to try more, and they had to continue to play to not seem suspicious.

…..

Bella Pov

Bella wasn't sure Esme had thought out dinner enough when she saw the steaks come out of the bag, but she went along with it. Bella seasoned the steaks while Esme peeled potatoes. This was going to be a mess, Bella was sure everyone would need a Ziploc bag to hide their potatoes in, because otherwise the floor was going to get it. Esme also had fresh broccoli, which would need to be sliced, but given how tired Bella was, Esme wasn't letter her operate any knives. Bella wasn't going to argue that point.

"You do know, dear, that if you ever just need someone to talk to," Esme spoke softly as she looked at her over the kitchen island. "I'm here for you."

"Thank you." Bella spoke softly, unsure of what to say to that offer.

"You can always call, any time, and we could even go out to coffee." Esme looked at her with slightly wider eyes, and Bella felt the sincerity in the brunette vampire. It was almost a tempting offer, if her secrets weren't dangerous to them all, Bella might even consider it.

"I like spending time with you Esme, but just so you know, coffee is not my thing." Bella tried to turn the conversation with a small smile. "I don't mind some teas." It worked, because then Esme was asking what types of tea she liked. Bella wondered if some would make their way onto Esme's shopping list if Bella ever was able to visit again. Maybe they'd get to the point where she could at least come over when Edward went out hunting, or perhaps he'd gain enough control to be in the same house but just stay on a different floor. She didn't really want to spend any time with him, but she liked being here.

Dinner was much like the other one she'd had here. Conversation flowed quickly and her eyes followed the talker to give everyone a chance to pretend to eat. It was really hard not to rest her head on her hand, but it would be bad manners, so Bella struggled to stay alert and to follow the talker's voice even if it was growing harder to pay attention to the words.

"Are you going to eat that? You've just been holding it in the air for a minute." Emmett spoke softly from beside her and Bella blinked and noticed her fork full of potatoes in front of her.

"Oh, sorry." She muttered and tried to focus on eating for a little while. She did notice the others went quiet for a moment.

Since she'd lost track of the conversation she was surprised when Alice said, "Do you think the ghosts exist, like in ghost busters?"

Her potatoes become a breathing obstacle as she inhaled sharply at her words and the following coughing fit had someone standing up from their seat, but Bella was too focused on coughing to check and see who. Once she was done coughing she took a couple breaths to make sure it was really done.

"Are you okay?" Alice looked a bit guilty and Bella gave her a weak smile.

"Sure, I'm fine. Just went down the wrong pipe." Bella reached for her glass to take a sip, and she willed her blush to go away, but it wasn't working. Embarrassed, Bella focused on her food again and pretended not to hear Alice's tense hiss as she put some in her mouth. Poor little vampire was going to have a food phobia because of Bella. Bella made very sure not to choke on that bite, and things started to relax around the table again.

Once Bella was completely done with that mouthful Jasper spoke up with a friendly smile. "So you didn't answer Alice, do you think the dead are still floating around around as Caspers?"

Bella sighed heavily. "I think I have no idea how death works." She used to think she knew, but dying proved she was clueless. "No idea at all." She felt odd sitting here with them, knowing they all probably thought they knew death, but she was the only one to have ever actually finished dying. They just got suspended before they could manage the task. "It could certainly happen; I guess those would be the really unlucky ones." She muttered and ate some steak. She could imagine that if that had been here she would probably have ended up haunting that house she never got to live in. An eternity of seeing people decorate it wrong, she almost chuckled at that tiny, irritating torture it would be.

"You think of ghosts as just unlucky?" Jasper asked her and Bella paused before taking what she was thinking was going to be her last bite of the dinner.

"I think you're supposed to be mindwiped and used again." Bella admitted to her new theory. "Kind of like reformatting the hard drive and sticking it in a new computer." Her 'hard drive' hadn't been reformatting right at all, she didn't know why, and her 'new computer' wasn't really as new as they should have been. Perhaps those problems were related. "So that means we get endless opportunities to screw up our lives in numerous ways, and never learn from our mistakes, because we don't remember them." A few people gave her odd or concerned looks and Bella tried to remember the original question so she could get off this topic. "A ghost will just have forever to regret what they never did, never had, and never will have. Without a body that actually exists, what else could they do? They can't find a new purpose, create something even out of a shitty life, they are just stuck."

When Bella glanced around the table she noticed that Rosalie wasn't looking too well, her fist was clenched around her fork enough that Bella bet she shouldn't look at it when Rosalie actually opened her hand, because it would be warped and mangled. "Even being reborn into a shitty life has it's opportunities for some moments of happiness." Bella spoke, but she tugged her eyes back to Jasper as if she were still talking to him, but she was really thinking of Rosalie. "Given the options, I'd gamble and get in line for round two rather than haunt my old life and spend every moment wishing it was still mine." It was a decision she'd made, been forced to make. "Doesn't mean it would be hard though."

"Wow, so you really believe in reincarnation." Carlisle spoke up and Bella felt her stomach churn a little at the word, but she just swallowed hard and nodded. "Not heaven and hell?"

"I know you have that big cross." Bella had seen it, and read about it. "I'm not sure you'll like my opinions."

"It's a family heirloom, not a statement to my narrow mindedness." Carlisle told her gently. "I can hear other beliefs and not be threatened by them."

Esme got up from the table and was starting to clear the plates. A few of the others helped her and Bella felt uncomfortable not helping, but Esme's hand rested on her shoulder and patted her for a moment as she went passed her.

"I think heaven and hell were made up to control the masses. God may or may not exist, but whatever religion tells us about the afterlife is there for their reason." Bella sighed, "I mean think about it, according to religion if you don't do what they think is right then you go to hell. It sounds a little like a grumpy parent sending their kid to their room without dinner or anything to do. If you misbehave you'll be punished, but then the people in the church decided what was considered misbehaving, and they pretend God told them that was on the list." Bella was even surprised at herself. Apparently lack of sleep was a lot like alcohol, because usually it took a few drinks to make her talk like this. She glanced around the table to see Jasper and Rosalie were still with them. Maybe she was more entertaining than she thought, since she had earned an audience.

"So you believe that after you die you just start over again." Carlisle sounded a little dismayed, "having learned nothing from the time before." Bella got the sense that Carlisle objected to not learning, more than her claims that reincarnation was real.

Alice saved the day by coming in with a board game, and Bella thought it was better than continuing this and putting her foot in her mouth. She managed to doubt that assessment when the box was put on the table and she saw it was an Ouija board. "Since you aren't religious, you shouldn't have any problem playing with this then." Alice grinned at her as if she'd won an argument.

Alice set it up and read the instructions out loud. Bella noticed that Carlisle and Esme didn't participate, and there was no way that Emmett wasn't in control when he and Rosalie gave it a turn, it was his sense of humor to have the 'ghost' claim to have 'died' from an STD given to him by his pet sheep. Esme scolded him for his sense of humor, so clearly he fooled no one.

It was a disaster, and boring, so it was no surprise to Bella that it didn't work for her. She wondered if they really thought it might. Instead she found herself staring blankly at the board as others took their turn.

"Here, you don't look like you'll last much longer anyhow." Esme spoke quietly into her ear and Bella was handed a small pill. She stared at it a moment, before swallowing it. Esme had to hand her the glass of water, because Bella hadn't even waited for one. "When you really get tired just go upstairs. Alice said you can stay in her room."

"Thanks." Bella felt a little bad, because it was only 8:30, but she was going to sleep as soon as she was able.

"Come on, you're with me." Alice told her maybe fifteen minutes later and gently tugged Bella into place. Bella blinked a few times, because she suspected she'd managed to fall asleep with her eyes opened for a moment. Bella rested her fingers on the little device as Alice spoke. "Great spirits from beyond, I implore you, what is my real name."

Bella felt her heart ache at the question, and she was surprised Alice would even ask it. It brought to mind all that had to happen in the books for Alice to know. Did Bella's being here make it so she'd never know?

"Are you okay darlin'?" Jasper spoke up and Bella noticed she'd pulled her fingers off the game and she was just staring at Alice helplessly.

"I don't remember my childhood." Alice spoke softly, slowly. "I don't remember my parents, and while I love being a part of this family, sometimes I really wish I knew who I was." Bella felt the tears running down her own cheeks as Alice admitted that.

"I'm so sorry." Bella's voice cracked, and she was, because how could Alice ever find out who she was now?

"You don't have to be." Alice spoke and Bella noticed the helpless look the little vampire gave over Bella's shoulder to someone.

"Maybe it's time for you to try and get some sleep." Esme spoke softly from her side. Bella nodded, but when she tried to stand up her legs folded under her and Esme had to move a little too fast to catch her. "Oh dear, Carlisle is this normal?"

"I didn't take into account how exhausted she already was. Perhaps she should have taken the pill when she got into the bed. She'll be fine, but someone might want to carry her upstairs." He spoke and Bella felt Esme start to gather her up, but Emmett moved to their side before Esme just lifted her up herself.

"I got her." Emmett said and Bella was suddenly up high. "Come on Bella Bear, let's get you to bed."

…..

Emmett Pov

Emmett moved carefully, not wanting to jostle Bella too much as he made his way up the stairs. She looked so tired and so delicate in his arms. Her heart was slow, and her face still had tear tracks on it. "I'm going to put you in bed." He told her and she gave him a weak smile.

"I hear it's always better when the woman's awake Emmett, remember that." Her words were a little slurred and he shook his head at her drugged teasing. Rosalie made some disgusted sound that he knew had more to do with the idea of anyone taking advantage of Bella at this moment.

"I'll get her pajamas out of Alice's room and get her changed. Just set her on our bed." Emmett nodded and maneuvered Bella into their room easily. Alice didn't object to the clear stealing of Bella, because Alice had planned to keep her in her bed for the night, but that was before Bella was drugged. Emmett would sit in the chair in the corner tonight, to make sure Bella didn't try and stand up and then collapse again. Apparently she wasn't going to be able to sleep walk, which was good, but it didn't mean she might not try.

He set her down carefully on the bed and then squatted down to try and very carefully until her shoes. "I can do that." Bella tried to say, but her words were slurred and when she tried to sit up she wasn't able to.

"I'm sure you could, if you weren't already high as a kite." He gave her a small smile as he victoriously removed one shoe and held it up to show her. He set it down beside the bed and started to work on the other one. "You double tie these, afraid they'll come undone?" He muttered as he tried very hard to be gentle.

"This body tends to be clumsy, I have to be careful." Bella mumbled and Emmett grinned at her oddness. He set the second shoe down and looked up to see Rosalie giving him a soft smile, while holding Bella's bag in one hand. She'd just stopped in the doorway to watch him struggle with Bella's shoes.

"How about you go get her a glass of water, the pill might make her thirsty overnight. I'll finish what you started." Rose told him gently and then moved to put the bag down, before pulling him into a kiss. "You were a very good boy, I'd reward you but it seems the bed is already occupied." She teased.

"In a half hour she probably wouldn't notice if we used the other half of the bed." He smirked, and the way Rosalie's eyes moved to Bella made him chuckle. "Are you trying to decide if I'm right?"

"Go, get the water." She smiled at him and then started to pull clothes out of the bag. "I'll let you know when you can come back in."

"So, I'll have to know you were with another woman, taking her clothes off, and I wasn't here to see it?" He teased, before moving his head out of the way of the pillow being tossed at him, before he left the room.

"Come on Bella, let me help you sit up." Rose's voice was soft and caring and he smiled as he made his way down the stairs.

"I want to tell her, Rose, but I don't know how." Bella's slurred voice spoke up after a sounds of a struggle to get that shirt situation taken care of. Emmett had the glass of water in his hand waiting for the signal and he looked around to see Alice slowly putting away the Ouija board.

"What do you want to tell who?" Rosalie asked, "Lift your hips and I'll pull your pants down."

"Are you going to have sex with me?" Bella asked and it sounded confused, which made it hilarious.

"I'm just helping you change for bed sweetie." Rosalie's voice was just a little tight, like she was trying not to laugh in front of Bella.

"Oh, okay." Bella spoke slowly, as if she wasn't sure she hadn't guessed correctly the first time and she didn't know what she really should be doing at all. Emmett started to wonder if it might be fun to try and keep her up for a little while, to get her talking.

"Does that feel good?" Rosalie spoke and Emmett smirked as he imagined what could be going on in there, even though there was no chance it was.

"They aren't doing that." Jasper sounded amused as he burst Emmett's bubble and Emmett gave him a disgusted look.

"Let a man dream, damn you." He teased. He noticed Esme was hiding a little smirk of her own behind her hand, so he wasn't going to get scolded for that one.

"I want to tell her, but I can't." Bella whispered tensely and Emmett frowned.

"What do you want to tell her?" Rosalie spoke slowly, catching on that this was important as well.

"Her name is Mary Alice Branden."

There was a gasp and Emmett turned his head to see Alice dropping the Ouija board box on the ground, her eyes wide in shock.

"Shit, did she just…" Emmett muttered and turned to look at the others.

"Where is Mary Alice from?" Jasper spoke up.

"Where is Mary Alice from Bella?" Rosalie repeated so Bella could hear it.

"I'm tired." Bella sounded even worse and they all stood tensely waiting for something.

"She's out." Rosalie told them, and then a moment later she was downstairs beside him. Emmett just stared in shock at Alice, who was frozen, unmoving, and clearly shocked.

"Did that just really happen?" Emmett had to ask, because to him it sounded like Bella had just blurted out Alice's real name, but there was no way she knew what that was, no one did.