Disclaimer: Recognizable characters and plotlines are the property of Stephenie Meyer; all original characters and story © 2015 FemaleChauvinist.
Do not post without permission. Do not copy/print without including the above disclaimer in its entirety.
A/N: I took the cover photo on a trip to Ellis Island in July of 2001. I don't even know why I took it, since city skylines don't normally interest me, but two months later I was glad I had! Barbie
Dedicated to the men and women
on United Airlines Flight 93.
Chapter One: Vision
Edward claiming sixteen, sophomore
In July 2001, Atta met with Binalshibh in Spain,
where they coordinated details of the plot,
including final target selection
Edward
I lay on the sofa in my room, my eyes closed as I listened to my music flooding the air around me. This state of complete relaxation, my mind empty of all thoughts — my own and anyone else's — was the closest I could come to sleep.
Edward! It's Alice — hurry!
Jasper's frantic sending was like being jolted awake; my name would get through no matter how hard I worked to block out all thoughts.
I couldn't tell from his distant, panicked thoughts just what kind of trouble Alice was in, but I could tell he wasn't asking me to send Emmett or anyone else as reinforcements for some fight — he wanted me in particular.
Jumping to my feet, I shoved open my window and leapt barefoot to the ground, leaving my music playing to an empty room behind me.
I ran at top speed, and met Jasper a mile or so out. Alice lay limp in his arms, calmed by his influence nearly to unconsciousness. At least, I hoped that was what had done it.
"Jasper! What happened?"
"That's what I need you to tell me," he said, dropping to sit on a fallen log, his hollow eyes fixed on Alice. Lissy, Lissy, Lissy, his thoughts echoed…I was the only one besides her who had ever heard his pet name for Alice.
I sat beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "What happened?" I repeated.
"She blanked out with a vision," he explained in a low voice. "I could feel her horror…when it ended she was trembling and clinging to me, but all I could get out of her was, 'Terrible. So terrible.' She was so upset that I calmed her as much as I could and came for you…can you get her to tell you?"
"I can try, Jasper," I said quietly, "but you'll have to release her, at least a little. I can't get a fix on her thoughts when you have her completely sedated like that."
He groaned, but began slowly lessening his influence. As Alice's thoughts grew stronger, I knelt in front of Jasper and put a hand on her arm. "Alice, what did you 'see'?" I asked softly.
She shook her head, clinging to Jasper and hiding her face in his chest. She was counting backward in Mandarin; not so much to block me as to keep whatever horror she had "seen" out of her own mind.
"Alice, please," I said brokenly. "How can we help if we don't know what you 'saw'?"
Images flooded her mind then as if bursting through a dam. It wasn't a voluntary replay for my sake; she was having the same vision over again. Planes flying into the Twin Towers. Smoke pouring out; people jumping out of upper story windows, falling like rag dolls until the towers themselves collapsed to the ground. In the background I saw two more planes, one flying into the Pentagon, the other into the Capitol building.
I closed my eyes against the utter horror of it, and Jasper gritted his teeth. Not you, too, Edward! Please, tell me what she "saw"!
Alice had pulled out of her vision and was gasping with soft sobs. I moved my hand to her shoulder. "Alice, it won't happen," I said firmly. "I promise you, we won't let it happen."
Let what happen?!
Jasper was about to snap, and in a few terse sentences I described the scene.
"Alice. What if we call the CIA or the NSA?"
"No good," she sobbed. "They won't listen — not in time to do anything to stop it!"
"Then we'll stop it, Lissy," Jasper growled. He would stop anything that upset Alice that badly, and my feelings weren't far behind.
"Calm her," I said to him in a low voice. "Let's get her home. She'll be a little more rational when the shock wears off."
Jasper nodded and stood smoothly with Alice in his arms. Together we ran back toward the house.
Next chapter coming next week!
A/N: The dates at the beginning of each chapter are from Wikipedia; I know that's not the most accurate resource, but I thought it was good enough for the purposes of this story. It gave several possible choices for the intended target of Flight 93, and I just picked one, because of course Alice would "see" the original target. Barbie.
I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!
Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. If you have questions regarding my Twilight alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. (I also have a chronological list of my stories, so you can see where they fit in my timeline.) Thanks for your understanding! Barbie