Chapter Twelve

Carlisle

I waited knowing Alice had something to say on the subject, I knew she didn't like the idea of Edward killing a human but it wasn't the first time and I knew a lot about singers from the Volturi as well as Emmett's personal experience. It would sadden Esme too but I could see no way of keeping Bella safe if Edward were determined unless Eleazer could persuade him to stay in Alaska away from the girl. We could go up at Christmas if he would agree to staying there and we could find somewhere else to go but she would always draw him now he knew of her existence, it was an unfortunate part of our nature as vampires.

"Edward can't kill her Carlisle, he can't be allowed to."

"Why? What is the significance of this girl? I agree it's not a good idea but I don't see any way of avoiding it if he's determined."

"If he tries he'll be the one who dies".

"Alice can we talk in proper sentences because I have no idea what you are talking about. Who is going to kill him?"

"Carlisle you have to promise me that you wont tell anyone what I'm about to tell you."

"Very well if it's that important I promise."

I thought I might well regret that promise but Alice was quite distressed.

"You remember when Jasper came to speak to you about a child he saved from a bear years ago?"

"Yes, it was near Forks if I remember rightly."

"Yes it was and the little girl was Bella Swan, she was visiting her father for the holidays. Bella is Jaspers mate."

"Bella is Jaspers mate? And she's Edwards singer? Now we really do have a problem. How do we keep Bella safe?"

Alice looked at me beseechingly,

"We can't let Edward kill her Carlisle. We have to keep Edward away, in Denali or somewhere because if he comes back and Jasper finds out what's going on Jasper will kill him to save his mate. It will be instinctual even if he hasn't recognised her yet."

Alice

I waited hoping Carlisle would be able to do something.

"I'll ring Eleazer, see if he can persuade Edward. If not I'll fly up myself and see what I can do. Are you going to tell Jasper?"

"No, he needs to work it out for himself. I can't tell Bella either, she wouldn't believe me but Carlisle there's something else too."

"More? Don't we have enough of a problem already Alice?"

"I think Bella has a gift, I can't see her future, it's all a fog so I can't protect her and she's associating with the wolves so that makes it ten times worse."

"Can you see Jaspers?"

"Yes to a degree but until Edward decides for sure I can't see the outcome and that scares me Carlisle."

He reached out and pulled me into a comforting hug,

"We'll find a way of sorting this out Alice I'm sure. You don't want me to tell anyone though? Not even Esme?"

"No, the more people who know the more chance of Edward reading it in thoughts and that might make him act hastily. I only told you because I know you can hide your thoughts from him."

Carlisle smiled at me,

"A little trick I learned from Marcus centuries ago, it has been useful over the years but never more so than now it would appear."

Esme

When Carlisle told me he had to fly up to Denali I knew something was going on but he explained he couldn't tell me because he had made a promise of secrecy. I knew it was to do with Edward but no more than that, I missed our youngest son but things were much more relaxed with him away. It was amazing how tense he made the rest of us, hiding our thoughts as best we could which was never good enough of course. I was pleased that Alice seemed so happy, she was taking Bella on a shopping trip and it was nice she had found friendship in the human girl, we had far too few of those. I just hoped it wasn't going to wind Rose up, she had a low threshold for danger and it made her very bitchy when she got scared. Unfortunately it was usually poor Emmett who reaped that particular whirlwind and he was always upset when she was.

Alice

I had done all I could for now, I needed to spend some time with Bella and maybe set the seeds of romance between her and Jazz. I was sad to be saying goodbye to him, I'd miss my Jasper but it was finally time for him to find his mate and his happiness. I waited outside for Bella and when she saw me her face broke out into a grin.

"I thought you were bailing on me until I saw Jasper at lunchtime."

"I wouldn't do that to you. So are you ready to shop?"

She looked at me suspiciously,

"Shop? I thought we were looking at book stores and the library?"

"We are but I can't pass a department store without looking at the clothes and Jazz won't come with me."

"He should have warned me, I'm not really a shopper Alice."

"Never mind, I can be enthusiastic enough for the two of us, trust me."

I gave her a blinding smile and drove towards Port Angeles. On the way we chatted generally about school and then Charlie.

"I'm glad he's getting better, I like Charlie."

She laughed,

"Well I guess he's OK although I don't know him very well, I haven't visited much in the last ten or twelve years."

"Oh why?"

Bella

Well I'd started this conversation and Alice seemed genuinely interested so it was my own fault when she asked the questions. I explained about the strange encounter in the forest and how everyone had ridiculed it when I told them.

"I suppose you think I'm crazy too Alice?"

She shook her head looking very serious,

"I think there are such things as angels although I don't think they are spirits or anything."

"You mean like people who do good deeds?"

"Yes in a way. After all your angel saved you from a bear didn't he?"

"He? I never said my angel was male Alice."

"Oh I guess I just assumed it was a man".

"Why would you do that when angels are almost always depicted as women?"

"No idea, I'm a little crazy myself I guess, anyway what made you so sure it wasn't just a hunter, maybe without a license? That would explain why he ran away."

"With a bear over his shoulder Alice? It was a big bear."

"A little bear would look big to a young girl."

"Well even if the bear was a smaller one than I thought how do you explain the sparkling?"

Alice hesitated here,

"Optical illusion Bella. Perhaps he was sweating and the sun caught the beads of sweat, after all he'd just wrestled a bear to the ground."

I laughed,

"OK you win. You keep your sweaty illegal hunter and I'll stick to my angel. Either way why give me a fang?"

"Now there you have me. Perhaps so you wouldn't forget him, and it worked."

I looked at her suspiciously, she hadn't sounded so light-hearted just then, in fact she sounded almost wistful.

"I still have it you know, in a little box under my pillow."

She turned to me and smiled in genuine pleasure,

"I'm glad Bella, we should all have a guardian angel, maybe we have, but very few of us actually see theirs."