a/n

This is not at all the chapter I had intended to post, but when the word count crept past 13k I knew it was time to divide it up. Not that I have any real objection to super long chapters, but I've noticed in the past that 1) I burn out quickly when I write and write and never get to the end and 2) some of my favorite scenes get buried when the word count goes over 10k. So I apologize for the delay and also that this chapter will not have the cliffhanger or title that I referenced in the last.

HOWEVER… another chapter is coming out on. I can say this with confidence because it is already written (yay!) and is only awaiting editing. (UPDATE: I am going to actually say Tuesday, because I didn't think about the plans I had this weekend and I may need the extra day.)

Thank you again for welcoming me back after my long absence. Your reviews and encouragement have meant a lot to me. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 21: Blue

Three days after my latest near death experience the typical gray of St. John's was chased away by an unexpected visit from the sun. Its rays lit up the world around me, spilling over the lawns and shorn gardens of the estate. The golden late fall sunshine was somehow more welcoming than it seemed in summer when it scorched and burned. Everything it touched warmed and glowed under its caress.

Except me.

My arms tightened over my chest as I sat on a lounge chair on the carriage house porch, watching the shadows on the grass slowly shrink to nothing as the unwelcome sunshine chased them away. It crept closer and closer to where I sat, but stopped just short of the porch, leaving me in shade as if it knew it was not welcome to go any further.

I think I resented the sunshine mostly for how I felt in comparison to it. The drizzling gray weather had been a much better counterpart for my glum mood. I couldn't hide on a day like this. The more everything and everyone else glowed and sparkled around me, the dimmer I felt in comparison.

I should have been happy, and knowing this just made me feel worse. I'd escaped more than one vampire with no more than surface injuries, which was miraculous in itself. Bella was finally safe, off with Edward enjoying their happily ever after. Or at least that's what I was guessing, because I hadn't heard a peep from them. Apparently there was no cell phone service in happily ever after land, or maybe it was just me they weren't calling.

A nearly imperceptible movement, a blink of an eye perhaps, caught my attention and I turned my head, remembering that I wasn't alone.

Alice, perhaps the only person on the planet who could outstrip me for the gold in the Misery Olympics, was perched on the other lounge chair, knees clasped to her chest, in the same position I'd found her in when I got up this morning. She could have been there all night, as far as I knew. Maybe I should have felt relieved that she no longer seemed to be avoiding me, but she'd have to acknowledge my existence in order to avoid me.

Even now she stared straight ahead, silent, deep lines etched into her face.

A distant shout caught my attention and I looked across the distance to the main house. Emmett was dangling from the eaves, upside down like a giant, sparkly bat, in a position where he could paint even the tightest crevices at the top of the house. It was his voice that I'd heard, and even as I watched him I saw him pointing downward. Following his gaze, I could see his goal: the paintbrush that had apparently fallen from his hand to land three stories below on the grass.

Emmett called out again and I saw Jasper, who was on the ground hanging new shutters at the windows, grin widely and turned away, deliberately ignoring him.

"Oh, come on!" Emmett shouted, but Jasper began to whistle jauntily, paying no attention. Finally Emmett gave up. I gasped as he deliberately lost his grip and then he was falling, twisting in mid air like a gymnast going for the gold. One heart stopping second later, he landed perfectly upright on the ground. I barely resisted the urge to break into applause.

As soon as Emmett reclaimed his paintbrush he threw it at Jasper, but that was a mistake. Jasper snatched it from mid air and was off and running. Emmett bellowed a string of curses and was after him in a flash.

I couldn't help but giggle watching them. "Human or immortal, guys don't really ever change that much, do they?"

My brief lift of spirits was quickly extinguished when Alice didn't respond. She'd been just like this, sullen and uncommunicative, ever since she and Jasper had turned up at the cabin five minutes too late to catch Edward and Bella. I bit my lip, remembering her reaction. I had never seen her fall apart like that before, and I think it scared and unnerved everyone else as much as it did me. She'd been so furious with herself for going to the house first, 'getting it wrong' as she called it. Ever since then, the rest of the family had practically lined up to tell her she was being too hard on herself, but it was like talking to a wall.

As hard I was trying to be understanding, Alice was really starting to get on my nerves. I didn't really get what it was she had to be so upset about. I mean, had anyone smashed down a door to get to her, dragged her around by the hair, tried to strangle her, and then bailed without so much as a 'sorry for the near fatality' ? Nope, didn't think so. Besides, if she wanted to see Bella so badly she could just trot off to Alaska after them without any fear that she'd become dinner, unlike some of us who were slightly more edible. As far as I was concerned, she had absolutely no right to be bogarting my sulk.

My glum reverie was interrupted by an abrupt guffaw of laughter. I turned to see the Alice statue had finally flickered to life. Her eyes were bright as she chuckled.

"Two nude hikers were spotted near Gros Morne,' she said suddenly, and I realized she was laughing in response to something only she could see.

"Um…what?" I turned to her, bewildered. Was this a funny thing I was too blonde to get? Just in case, I let out an unconvincing laugh. If one of us didn't start faking it, emos from around the world would be drawn in by the power of our collective melancholy and arrive in droves to anoint us with black nail polish and lace up boots.

Of course Alice didn't respond to what I thought was a rather stellar effort on my part. She'd had already gone back into her slack jawed, catatonic daze. I wasn't even sure she'd been talking to me in the first place; not once had she looked in my direction.

I hesitated for a moment. Perhaps I should have left well enough alone but she'd given me an opening and I was nothing if not opportunistic. "The new paint job is starting to look pretty good, don't you think?" I indicated the main house across the clearing.

No response. I wasn't sure why I was even bothering. Pure stubbornness, I supposed.

Taking a deep breath, I plunged ahead, determined to pretend that this conversation wasn't completely one-sided.

"Leave it to Esme to use a few broken doors and one Edward shaped hole in the wall as an excuse for an extreme home makeover. I'll bet it's really frustrating for her to have to let everyone else do the work while her leg heals. And who knew how much of an ordeal that was going to be? I mean, I guess I thought Carlisle could just snap it back into place and she'd be good to go. Can you imagine having to stay completely motionless for days at a time in order to heal? Well, I guess you could – ' I shot a furtive look at her unmoving figure - "but still, she must be so bored. Maybe I should go in and put on a DVD for her. I have the first two seasons of Gossip Girl – do you think she'd like…nah, probably not, huh?"

Silence. Alice gave no indication that she had heard a word I said. How long was she going to keep this up? Fine, then. I'd break her eventually. I'd never known anyone who could sit through one of my monologues without at least telling me to shut up at some point.

"Anyway, I really hope the repairs are done soon. It's kinda weird, staying here at the carriage house now that Bella and Edward are gone." I couldn't help the wistful sigh. "Especially since I have to sleep in their bedroom. Not really making the missing them any easier, you know? Also, they probably boinked on that bed. It's gross."

I thought I heard the faintest of snickers at that, but a hopeful sideways glance told me that Alice was still as stonefaced as ever. Damn. She was one tough nut to crack.

"Alice…" I abandoned subtlety in the hopes that if I talked to her directly, politeness would force her to answer. "I –" My mind went suddenly blank and I searched for something to say. "I'm worried about you." The words that fell off my lips weren't what I had meant to let slip at all and immediately I wanted to take them back, worried about how she would react.

Her eyes flickered to me so fast that if I hadn't been staring right at her, I wouldn't have noticed. I held my breath, waiting for more. Seconds rolled by. Nothing. Hello, was I even here?

Frustration erased all caution. Maybe everyone else was content to let her go on this way but I couldn't stand this anymore. I jumped to my feet, ready to call in reinforcements. With any luck, Jasper could hit her up with a mega dose of happy and then we could all go on with our lives.

"JA-mmpf!"

Alice had leapt up so fast that I'd barely been able to draw breath for the first syllable before her hand slammed over my mouth. "Elisa, don't!"

I garbled a protest into her cold hand but her grip merely tightened on me in response. We stood like that for a few seconds, and then she released me suddenly, looking towards the lawn to see if anyone had noticed.

Emmett and Jasper were still just blurs zigzagging around the grass. Alice exhaled a long breath. When she looked back at me, her eyes were pleading.

"Alice…" I kept my voice low in response to the look on her face. "You need him."

She shook her head a little too fast. "I'm sorry. I know I've been – " she didn't finish. "Just…let him be for now. He's had to carry me for so long."

I followed her gaze, watching Jasper and Emmett chase each other all over the place, alternating between cussing each other out and bouts of laughter. I hadn't seen him like this in – well – ever. It reminded me once again of what he'd been like the first day I met him, before I'd moved in and apparently set his emotional radar to permanently pissed off.

I turned back to my lounge chair and flung myself down on it, scowling. I'd keep my mouth shut for her sake, and maybe even a little bit for his too, but I wanted her to be fully aware that I wasn't happy about it.

After a second's hesitation, Alice sat down as well, minus the dramatic flair. Out of the corner of my eye I could see she was finally looking in my direction, but I refused to return her gaze. Nice of her to notice I was alive now that she wanted something from me.

I re-crossed my arms and slumped backwards, stretching my legs out before me and tried to ignore the fact Alice was still staring at me, practically burning a hole in the side of my head. I shut my eyes before I caved, hoping she'd take the hint.

Eventually I heard the slight rustle as she moved. A couple of footsteps and I could feel her standing next to my chair, staring down at me. I turned my head away.

Finally Alice sighed. "I'm going to go see if Emmett and Jasper need any help with the house."

I refused to bite. Let her see what it was like to be ignored. I felt the slightest of breezes as she flitted off but I still didn't open my eyes. My body was nearly sagging into the chaise, and it was becoming more and more apparent how tired I was. Any progress I'd made on the sleeping through the night front had been blown to hell by the events of the past week so it was no wonder I was exhausted. I wasn't quite comfortable enough to fall asleep but it was surprisingly pleasant just to lie there and watch the pictures forming and floating on the back of my eyelids, like seeing shapes in the clouds. I watched faces solidify and then dissolve into sunflowers, whose petals fell off and the stems became wands, which flew through the air leaving trails of sparks, lighting up the red-black until it bled away, dissolving and solidifying again into new shapes, fanciful lanterns and red lined leaves on a blue background. The pattern hardened to form a rectangle barrier all around me, the brightly papered walls of an unfamiliar room.

I stared down at hands that were no longer my own.

Outside the sitting room window, voices called to each other on the street and the sound of hoofbeats and creaking wheels was near constant. Down the hall, she could hear her mother and sister in the kitchen clanking pans, Cynthia's voice rising in complaints and her mother's quieter, chiding tone. She felt a small twinge of guilt knowing that she should go and offer to help, but she needed this right now, needed the escape and refuge that only her stolen hours in front of her mother's piano could provide.

The keys felt cool under her fingers despite the sweltering heat of the day and she allowed herself a moment to just feel the smooth surface before turning her attention to the sheet music in front of her. And then she was playing, her fingers dancing across the keys and the poignant music filled the room. She lost herself in the melody, no longer feeling the effort behind it, not worrying about the notes, just playing.

The pain was an abrupt, unwelcome visitor. It came unbidden but insistent, an unwelcome but impossible to refuse guest. Her hands flew up from the piano to clutch at the sides of her head. "No, please, please, not now…"

She tried with all her might to force it away, shield herself from the onslaught, but the vision was already there, filling her head...she saw her father, standing in an unfamiliar drawing room, raising a glass. His smile was bright, his eyes triumphant. The man across from him grinned as well, and their glasses clanked together. They tossed the liquor down their throats and she could taste it, feel it burning down her own. Her eyes watered.

The vision cleared then and her sight was her own once more. But this, of course, was only the first act. The crime had been committed; the punishment must always follow.

She knew to expect it, but it did not make it any easier to bear. Pain seared through her skull like a hammer striking her from inside out. It burned and spread into her eyes. The room swam around her and she swayed in her seat.

Her stomach rolled violently then and she couldn't stay still any longer. Still clinging to the top of the piano for support, she pulled herself upwards. If she could just make it to her room without anyone seeing her, perhaps she could plead illness and stay in bed for the rest of the evening. They'd suspect, of course, but they'd pretend to believe her. It was easier on all of them that way.

Too late, she heard the light running steps. The door knob turned and the distraction was too much – gravity lost its precarious hold on her and she fell to her knees just as the door opened.

"Mary Alice?" Cynthia's voice came from the landing. "Mother wants to know why you're not practicing – " Her sister gasped as she pushed open the door more fully to see her older sister crumpled on the ground. "MOTH-"

With a supreme effort, she forced herself from the ground, grabbing her sister and putting her hand over her mouth. "Shhhh,' she whispered, "I'm fine,"

Cynthia whirled, shoving her sister's arm off of her. Instantly, her face transformed from concerned to accusing. "Have you…you've been seeing again!"

"No!" She tried to protest even as she stumbled backwards and sank once again onto the piano bench, her legs too shaky to hold her upright any longer.

Cynthia glared at her. Despite the several years difference in their ages, Cynthia was as tall as she was, and could look her directly in the eyes. "You promised! You swore to us all that it would never happen again!" Her voice was a damning hiss.

"I –" The pounding in her head wouldn't let her think of a way to talk herself out of this. Desperately, she tried changing tactics. "Mr. Durmond has offered Father the partnership,' she smiled weakly. "We can afford the silk now that you wanted for your dress. I'll make it for you. You'll be the envy of all of your friends."

But Cynthia would not be placated. "You can't possibly know that!" Something wavered in her angry face, and her chin trembled. Her voice began to shake. "You're not supposed to know that, Mary Alice. It's wrong."

"I've tried to stop," She hated herself for the easy tears, but she hurt too much to prevent them. "I promise I've tried, but it just keeps coming!" She stretched out a pleading hand to her sister. "I'm certain this is the last time. I'll try harder. Mother and Father don't have to know," she whispered. "Please help me, Cynthia. I need you."

For one hopeful breath, she thought Cynthia would waver. Her little sister's cerulean blue eyes, the same as her own, were filling rapidly with tears. Her own fingers twitched, her hand began to rise –

And just as suddenly, she dropped it back to her side, her gaze hardening. "I'm telling!"

"Cynthia, don't!"

But it was too late. Cynthia had disappeared into the hallway. She could hear her feet pounding the floor as she called for their mother.

All she could do was sink back down on to the floor and wait.

"Elisa!"

I jerked upright, my eyes flying open. Complete disorientation descended and I blinked several times, looking around wildly, trying to make sense of my surroundings. Why was I back on the porch? What had happened to the carpet underneath me, the piano…Cynthia! Where did she go? She was going to tell Mother – I had to stop her!

"Elisa, pay attention!" Rosalie's voice was impatient and I was finally able to focus on her, standing at the foot of the lounge chair. "I came to see if you were hungry."

"What?" I mumbled, realizing that I had jumped to my feet. The ground moved unsteadily beneath me and I swayed with it.

Rosalie stared at me. "What's wrong with you? Are you sick?"

"No - I just – " I rubbed my eyes wildly, trying to orient myself. Everything looked too bright, surreal, and I felt so unsure, not entirely convinced of where I was yet. "I was dreaming…wasn't I?"

"Hmm," Rosalie pursed her lips, giving me the once over. "You definitely need to eat something. Be in the kitchen in five minutes." With that she disappeared back inside.

As soon as she was gone, the panic that had been held at bay exploded within me. I stumbled to my feet and hurried to the door to follow Rosalie inside. The simple act of opening the screen door seemed to be beyond me, and I tried not to hyperventilate as I clawed at the handle, finally wresting it open and stumbling inside.

I still felt disconnected from everything around me, like I was still half in the dream. Blinking rapidly, I tried as hard as I could to focus on the familiar living room in front of me but I could still see the other room, the flowery wallpaper, smell the furniture polish mixed with the cooking scents floating from the kitchen, feel the piano keys under my fingers…

My eyes froze on it then: Edward's piano, crammed into the corner of the tiny living room.

It almost seemed to call to me, and my reluctant feet walked towards it slowly, like a mosquito circling a bug zapper, knowing I was going to regret this in about two seconds but unable to stop myself anyway.

I sat down on the piano bench. There was a piece of sheet music opened in front of me but in my mind's eye, I could see the black typeset title of another piece of music and the notes lingered in front of me, crystal clear and insistent.

I let my fingers drift across the keys. It felt all wrong, this shiny piano with its gleaming white keys, nothing like the one in the dream, but my fingers moved anyway as if guided, pressing keys and the notes flowed together, just a few bars, the melody haunting, poignant.

A deep, nearly painful nostalgia welled up in me.

"That's beautiful, Elisa," Rosalie's surprised voice came from behind me, startling me so much that my fingers pressed down on the keys automatically and a discordant chord chased the music away.

"I didn't mean to scare you," her tone was apologetic now.

I didn't even dare look at her. My fingers were clenched tightly in front of me and I was gritting my teeth so hard I was almost afraid she could hear them scrape together.

A second's pause then her voice sounded again. "I didn't know you could play."

That's because I can't.

Even now, I could feel the stolen skill flowing out of my hands, the notes that still floated in my mind rapidly becoming the incomprehensible black marks that they had always been to me. The music that I had just played I would not have been able to repeat.

It took everything in me to keep from hyperventilating. But I couldn't hide the tremors that shook me from head to toe. Something was happening to me; something that had been ongoing for a long while, and I couldn't deny it or pretend anymore.

Why was this happening to me? Why now? Couldn't mind blowing weirdness just take a week off and give me a break for once?

I heard Rosalie move closer.

"Elisa," her voice was worried now and I felt her hand gently clasp my shoulder. "What's going on with you?" Gently, she pushed me over slightly until she could sit down on the bench next to me.

"It's alright," My voice was a hoarse croak. I wanted so badly, more than anything, to throw all this at Rosalie and have her fix it, give me some reasonable explanation that would stop my insides from icing over, but the fear that she'd look at me the way Cynthia had looked at Mary Alice was stronger.

I moistened my lips and settled for a half truth. "I miss Bella and Edward," I whispered. "I feel like – " I didn't know how to finish the sentence.

Rosalie reached out and carefully wiped away a runaway tear that I hadn't realized was trickling down my face. "It's more than that," Her voice was firm.

I turned away from her too knowing gaze but she took my chin in her hand and turned my face back to her. "Elisa, I want you to listen carefully. What happened to Bella wasn't your fault, do you understand?"

I stared at her, startled, but she was already continuing. "You have to understand, it was always going to go wrong. The idea of Edward and Carlisle taking her to Alaska for her change was a nice fantasy, and we all played along with it, but I think all of us knew that it was never going to happen like that. "

"But – " I squared my shoulders, half glad Rosalie had so successfully distracted me, but filled with certainty that she was completely wrong. "Bella wouldn't have been here for Irina to go after if it wasn't for me. She only stayed because she was worried about me. How is that not my fault?"

Rosalie huffed out an exasperated breath. "Elisa, Laurent's death is what made Irina go off the deep end. Those events were set in motion long before you blundered over our horizon," She smiled to soften her words. "If Bella hadn't stayed, Irina just would have found another way to strike at her. After all, I talked to Tanya all the time. I probably would have told her when Edward and Bella left and where they were going, and she wouldn't have thought anything about passing it along. Besides, even if it hadn't been Irina, it would have been something else. I mean, this is Bella we're talking about. She's simply incapable of approaching any milestone without turning it into a major catastrophe."

Despite myself, I couldn't help but smile at that, and Rosalie's expression lightened. "That's better," She brushed a final tear away. "So I don't want to see any more of your ridiculous moping, is that clear? I realize without Edward here to brood all the time, you may feel like you have some big, angst ridden shoes to fill, but really, one guilt stricken drama queen is more than enough." She shot a semi-glare towards the door as if she could see to the grounds beyond.

I returned her smile tentatively. "I guess I am not the only one who's noticed that Alice is…" I trailed off.

Rosalie rolled her eyes, her face tight with sudden annoyance. "Yes, well, she's next on my list. For now, come and eat. I don't cook for just anyone, you know."

Obediently, I followed her into the tiny kitchen, sitting down at the small breakfast nook. There was already a stack of perfectly round pancakes on my plate. She'd even remembered that I liked strawberry syrup instead of maple. "Wow," I said, surprised at how suddenly hungry I was. "Thank you, Rosalie."

Before she could reply, I heard the front door open and footsteps boomed across the room. I tensed automatically but Rosalie was already looking expectantly at the doorway.

Emmett strolled in, grinning at me. "Hey ya, kid," He paused to kiss Rosalie lightly on the cheek before leaning against the counter and looking over at me. "How are you doing?"

Rosalie spoke before I could. "Aren't you supposed to be painting?" She asked him pointedly.

Emmett shrugged. "I'll need to go into town after sunset and pick up some more paintbrushes. I broke the last one over Jasper's head." He shot a wink at me.

Rosalie shook her head at him reproving. "I hope you know you're going to have to be the one to explain to Esme if the house isn't done by the time she gets back."

Emmett snickered, but I barely noticed. "What? When she gets home? What do you mean? Esme's gone?"

Rosalie exchanged a droll look with Emmett. "Your powers of observation are stunning, Elisa. You honestly didn't know she was gone? Have you seen her and Carlisle since you got up this morning?"

I flushed. "Um…no," I admitted, feeling rather stupid. "But I just assumed they were inside the main house or – wait, what about her leg? I know she said it was healed but I thought Carlisle said he didn't want to take her hunting for a few more days."

Emmett and Rosalie exchanged a wary look at that, so quickly that most people wouldn't have noticed but I was used to their tricks by now. "They didn't go hunting, did they?"

There was silence for a moment. I slapped my fork down on the table. "No one ever tells me anything," I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You might as well tell her, Rose. She has as much right to know as any of us." A new voice came from the doorway, and I nearly jumped out of my seat, going cold all over again when I saw Alice in the doorway, Jasper right behind her. I hadn't even heard the door open this time.

Instantly, I tensed, the panic that had only just dissipated rising within me again at Alice's nearness. I tried my best to keep my face calm, determinedly staring at my plate as if I hadn't even noticed their sudden arrival.

But out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jasper's head turn in my direction. I knew without looking that his eyes were fixed on me, feeling what I was feeling. I had promised to tell him if I had any more strange Alice related occurrences. The thought was almost a relief. At least I had someone to dump this on, someone who might know what to do about it. All I had to do was tip my head the slightest bit in response and he'd know I had something to tell him.

But I didn't. The fear was stronger than the relief for the moment, and the mere thought of talking about it, exploring it, made me tremble all over. For the moment I just needed some time to breathe, to try to process this, to dig out the courage to face it somehow.

"Well, well, look who's deigned to participate in a family discussion," Rosalie's tone was dour as she turned to the newcomers. Jasper and Alice's sudden arrival had unnerved me so much I had nearly forgotten what we were talking about.

Alice returned Rosalie's cool gaze without flinching. Finally, Rosalie sighed heavily and turned back to me.

"Carlisle and Esme caught a flight to Seattle early this morning."

"Seattle?" I was completely confused. "Why? What's in Seattle?"

"Neutral territory," It was Emmett who spoke this time. "They're meeting with the Quileutes, Sam and the tribal elders."

I was glad I had stopped eating, because I would have choked at that moment. "Why?"

Rosalie sighed, heading towards the sink where she began running a few dishes under the water. "It's a re-negotiation of the treaty. In light of Irina's plan to cause war between us and the wolves, Carlisle feels we made a mistake in severing our ties with them. He wants us to be able to communicate with each other in case anything like this ever happens again."

With that she turned and jerked opened the dishwasher, shoving in the dishes much harder than necessary. "You don't agree," I offered carefully as she straightened up, glowering.

"No, I don't!" Rosalie stomped across the kitchen and began scrubbing angrily at the already spotless stovetop. "The wolves can take care of themselves. Letting them know where we are just leaves us vulnerable. They can't be trusted. I told Carlisle and Esme this of course, but no one," she punctuated each word with such violent scrubbing that I was afraid she might actually puncture the top of the stove, "ever. listens. to. me!"

Alice and Jasper were exchanging looks that warred between amusement and wariness as she ranted. Emmett brushed past them and wrapped his arms around Rosalie's waist. "I listen to you, babe," He grinned at her.

Rosalie clearly wasn't in the mood to be mollified. His grin faded as she shot him a murderous look. "Not when there's a dissenting opinion."

"That's not fair," Emmett sounded wounded and I winced to myself, feeling suddenly like an intruder. They'd never fought in front of me before.

As Rosalie looked at Emmett's face, her own softened. "It's just that I'm so tired of everyone brushing off everything I have to say as something self-serving and not to be considered. I'm not saying this because I don't like the wolves. Of course I don't like them. They're revolting. But that's beside the point. Does the phrase 'mortal enemies' mean nothing to anyone else?"

"So we're really going to be back in touch with them?" I broke in impatiently. "Is that what it means?"

"Purely on an emergency basis, if they agree," Rosalie gave me a sharp look. "We won't be socializing with them." Was I imagining it, or was that a veiled warning? "The era of friendly vampire/werewolf relations died when Bella changed, and thank goodness for that. The last thing we need is Jacob Black coming to sniff around you now, trying to recreate what he had with Bella."

I flinched, both from surprise and hurt. How did Rosalie know about me and Jacob? Not that there was really anything to know but clearly, we'd been a topic of conversation. Edward! What had he done, called a family meeting? Was nothing sacred with him?

"For God's sake, Rosalie!" Alice's indignant voice sounded as she straightened up at the counter. I looked up to see the angry look on her face. "We're all used to your snide remarks, but must you unleash them on Elisa as well?"

"I'm not being snide; I'm just speaking the truth," Rosalie snapped back. "And it's not as if she was harboring any delusions otherwise, were you, Elisa?"

The last was directed at me and all four of them turned to look at me. I gulped suddenly, caught in an unexpected spotlight. I shook my head hurriedly. "No, I wasn't – I mean, I knew it was like that for him. I definitely knew that." I nodded more affirmatively this time. Too late, I realized I was playing with the flower charm dangling from my bracelet and I snatched my fingers away before they became an admission of guilt.

"Oh, I picked something up for you this morning, Elisa," Rosalie said and I was relieved at the change of topic. "Let me go get it." She disappeared in a blur, leaving me surprised, but hopeful. Rosalie had gotten me something? Like a present?

When she left, I noticed that Jasper and Alice had gone too, without so much as a goodbye. I was a bit shamed to realize how relieved I felt.

Rosalie reappeared, tossing a stack of papers on the counter, and my hopes flushed themselves down the toilet of life as I realized what they were.

"Homework?" I groaned. She must have gone to the school to pick up the week's worth of assignments I'd missed. Carlisle had called them and told them I'd been in a minor car accident to justify my extended absence.

"Thanks," I added grudgingly, barely able to keep myself from adding an ungrateful 'for nothing!'

"You'd better spend the day catching up, since you have to go back tomorrow," Rosalie tapped the stack.

I groaned even more loudly at that. "Rosalie, I still don't understand why I have to go back on a Friday. Why can't I just miss the full week and go back on Monday? At least then I won't look like I've been in the boxing ring with Mike Tyson." I pushed my plate away, losing my appetite. As much as I wanted to see Jimmy again, the idea of him seeing me like this was excruciatingly embarrassing. I winced, remembering, and touched a tentative hand to my throat, still ringed with purple, finger shaped bruises. At least I could hide those – the same couldn't be said for the marks on my face.

"Your principal called twice yesterday, and again this morning," Rosalie reminded me. "If you don't make an appearance soon, he's going to think your injuries are more severe than we're letting on. I'm sorry, but we have to send you before anyone gets suspicious. Besides, you've already been back to dance class."

"That's different," I grumbled. Rosalie shot me a stern look. I bit back the third groan and settled for some heavy sighing instead.

Emmett studied my disgruntled expression. "Don't worry, Elisa, we'll help you cheat," he stage whispered, indicating the stack of homework before me.

"Really?" I asked hopefully, and then I shot a wary look at Rosalie. To my surprise she was smiling as well. When I caught her eye, she shrugged.

"Just this once," her voice was mock stern. She shuffled through the papers, sorting them into piles and distributing them among the three of us. I was extremely gratified to see that their piles were bigger. "I have to be honest, Elisa…you really never will use most of this after high school."

That evening, the brief respite in the weather disappeared under a deluge of thick gray clouds and a rapidly strengthening wind. By the time I climbed into bed the storm raging. The sound of rain pelting my window and thunder roaring every few minutes only added to my addled mind and restlessness. Sleep was out of my reach and there was nothing now to distract me, and unwelcome thoughts ran through my head constantly; human Alice with her long hair and blue eyes, an old piano with yellowing keys…

And the way she had fallen, that strange notAlice, with her hands pressed against her head as if it were splitting open. I squeezed my eyes closed, trying to suppress the image, but it was immediately replaced with another – I saw myself in the doorway of the library, my hands pressed against my own head in the exact same manner…

With a frustrated groan, I gave up on tossing and turning and sat up wearily, considering whether I should just turn on the light and try reading for a while.

My room was lit up by a sudden flash of lightning and I saw myself reflected in the mirror, wide eyed and white faced. It flashed once more and again my surroundings were lit up in the mirror, my wrought iron bed, the curtains blowing in the wind, the black outline of the figure sitting on my windowsill…

"AAUGH – " My scream had barely sounded when the spectre lifted a admonitory finger to its lips. I snapped my mouth closed, my heart nearly thudded out of my chest even as recognition dawned. I jumped off the bed, hurriedly twisting on the lamp.

"Jasper! You…you…Edward! You scared the hell out of me! God, why do you vampires have to be so creepy?"

Jasper's lips twitched and I held up a hand. "Don't answer that." I sat back down on my bed.

As the shock wore off, nervousness stole in and took its place. I watched him with wary eyes. "What do you want?"

Jasper's face was solemn now. "I got the impression earlier that you might have something you need to tell me."

I stared down at the carpet as apprehension surged within me once more. Boy, I really sucked at the subterfuge.

"Yeah," I said finally. "I guess I do." I kept my eyes downward, studying the patterns in my carpet as if memorizing them were vitally important. Jasper waited with unexpected patience.

The minutes ticked by and I could delay no longer. I mustered up every bit of calm I possessed and without preamble; I told him what had happened that morning on the porch. He remained expressionless as I struggled to detail everything I could remember.

When I was finished, he was quiet. Too quiet. I chewed a fingernail nervously, waiting for him to say something.

"You said you were tired when this happened…you closed your eyes?" He finally asked.

"It wasn't a dream," I said immediately. "Believe me, I'd be happier if it was. It was real."

"Like a vision?" Jasper's voice was very controlled.

I shook my head. "No, not – " I remembered suddenly the day Bella was attacked, what had happened right before, the dizzy array of images that had assaulted my brain, how quickly they'd flashed on and off. What had happened earlier today had been nothing like that. "It wasn't a vision. It was more like…a memory. Alice's memory."

Jasper eyed me carefully, seeming to consider the certainty of my tone. "Elisa…" His tone bordered on impatience and he paused for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was gentler. "I understand how it could have seemed real, but – "

"You don't understand!" I broke in, agitated. "Look, there was too much stuff in it that I couldn't have possibly come up with myself! The house…the room…Cynthia…the detail…the smells! Plus I don't know how to play the piano and I did it anyway." I closed my eyes. I could still see the sheet music vividly in front of me. "And that song I was playing…Erik Satie…do I look like someone who has a bunch of classical music in their iPod?"

Jasper's eyes widened. "Erik Satie?" he demanded. He also pronounced it differently than I had. "Gymnopedie?"

I saw again the black print on the sheet of music, still so clear in my mind. I nodded. "That's it."

"It's one of Alice's favorites," Jasper murmured. I couldn't tell if it was poor lighting or not, but he seemed whiter now than he had a second ago.

"Color me completely unsurprised," I snapped. "Does that mean you believe me now?"

Jasper looked like he would have given anything to say no, but slowly, he nodded. "Yes." He looked away, back at the open window. I wondered if he regretted deciding to visit me.

"The girl," He turned back. "Cynthia. You said she turned on Alice? She betrayed her?" His voice was suddenly granite hard, the way I'd heard it so many times in the past, and instinctively, I moved up my bed, further away from him.

"She was just a scared kid," I objected, my voice squeaking slightly. "She couldn't have known what was going to happen."

The cold lines of Jasper's face said that was no excuse, but he didn't reply.

"Jasper," I spoke tentatively. "What's happening?"

Slowly, he shook his head once more. "I don't know what to tell you, Elisa."

I felt suddenly ten degrees colder. Part of me had really hoped that he would have come up with a better explanation, proven to me that I had imagined the whole thing. Even coming down with a slight case of insanity seemed preferable at this point.

"I read a book a long time ago," I began, when he didn't speak again. "I don't remember all the details. It was kind of stupid. But it was about this girl who wanted the talents of other people, and she found a way to kind of…suck the gifts out of them. She drained these other girls and left them these weak, blank shells." My voice became more high pitched. "What if I'm like…some kind of weird psychic vampire, and I'm sucking the life out of Alice? Is that what's wrong with her? Me?"

Jasper turned around to look at me. At first, his face was blank but unexpectedly, he chuckled. "Whatever is happening between the two of you, it's not that. You are not sucking the life, abilities, or anything else out of Alice, I promise."

"How do you know?" I crossed my arms stubbornly.

"Because I spend more time with her than you do, and she's hardly a drained shell. Believe me, Alice is just as…energetic as ever."

"Energetic? What do you mean by – oh, Jasper, gross! It was bad enough I had to visualize Bella and Edward's sex life, I don't want yours stuck in my head too!" I glared at him indignantly.

Jasper looked askance at my words. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"Sure, you didn't." I rolled my eyes.

Jasper shot me a scathing look and I moved up my bed again, until I was up against the wall. His eyes darkened.

"Are we going to tell Alice?" I asked tentatively.

He shook his head immediately. "Not now," He ran a hand roughly through his hair and then, seeming to feel I required some sort of explanation, sighed. "This is a bad time for her. She took what happened to Bella personally, as if it were her fault for not seeing it in time. Just give me some time to try and figure out what's happening, and then I'll tell her everything."

"OK," I nodded, relieved to have some one else make the difficult decisions.

"In the meantime…" Jasper paused. "Hold on a moment."

The curtains ruffled slightly, and he was gone. I stared at the empty place where he'd been in astonishment, but I didn't have long to wonder where he'd gone. When vampires said they'd be right back, they really meant it because it was less than a minute before he returned, coming through my door this time.

"Catch." He said flatly and tossed something towards me. I held my hands out more to shield my face from the unknown object than anything else, but he had perfect aim, of course, and it smacked right into my hands.

I looked down to see I was holding a small, bound book. It reminded me of Jimmy's poetry journal a bit, except the quality looked flawless and expensive. I could smell the rich leather and knew immediately it was the real thing. This was not something you could buy for $19.99 at your local bookstore.

Tentatively, I opened it. The gilt edged pages were blank and unlined. I looked back up at him, confused.

"I want you to write it all down," Jasper instructed, indicating the book. "Anything to do with Alice, any strange…dreams, visions, memories…whatever happens. Write it down as soon as it happens and include as many details as you can. Leave the book in your nightstand drawer so I can check it."

"Alright," I shrugged. "I'll start with today's, just so I don't forget anything."

I started to climb off my bed with the journal, intending to go over to my desk but to my surprise Jasper shook his head. "Not tonight. It's late. Don't you have school tomorrow?"

I was surprised that Jasper was so aware of my schedule. "Don't worry about it. It's not like I'm going to be able to sleep any – "

Before I could finish, my words were interrupted by an enormous yawn and his face swam in my vision. I stumbled, unexplained languor numbing my limbs. I was suddenly so exhausted that my eyelids wouldn't stay up and the room around me began to disappear. There was a soft thud as the book fell from my grasp and the last thing I was aware of was my bed rushing up to meet me.

To Be Continued…

Your feedback is greatly appreciated! Also, I hope you all missed Jimmy as much as I did, because he's back in a big way in the next chapter.

Also, a long running secret comes out and many questions will finally be answered in the next few chapters.