Alice was thrown out of her thoughts by her phone starting to buzz loudly on the table before her. She grabbed it and accepted the call. "Bella?"

"I need to talk to you. Can I come over?" Bellas voice sounded shaky.

"Of course, you know you always can. Where's Edward?"

"He just went hunting. I'm there in fifteen minutes." With that she ended the call.

Alice furrowed her brows and then turned around to address Jasper, but she didn't need to say a thing.

"I heared," he said, grinning sheepishly. "If I didn't know better, I would say she doesn't want Edward to know she's speaking to you." He folded the newspaper casually on his lap.

"Did we make the wrong decision?"

"You're never wrong. You're Alice."

His answer made her giggle and then she sighed. "I can't see anything apart from Carlisle still working double shifts in that hospital."

Like she said, Bellas old red truck arrived at the house around fifteen minutes later. Alice made her way to the door and opened it, letting her in.

"Hello, Bella," greeted Jasper and inclined his head in her direction, before sitting down again.

Bella smiled shyly. What a gentleman Jasper was. She needed to get to know him better, she thought. Now that he was mostly alone with Alice, he seemed to loosen up a fair bit.

"What's on your mind?" Alice had hugged her tightly and then shooed her over to the sofa.

"Edward… he wants…," she stumbled over the words and took a deep breath. "He wants to marry me."

"Oh." Alice exchanged glances with Jasper.

"Aren't that happy news?" Jaspers southern drawl made Bella turn around.

"I don't know. Alice… I have those dreams… visions, really. They are coming and going and not only in the night." Which other person could she tell about visions? Alice had to know what that meant, but it was Jasper who reacted.

"Visions?"

"Yeah. Like… I don't really know. I think I'm in the forest. At least I'm dreaming of a forest, I don't see myself standing there. It's just… there. And I feel that there is someone or something watching me from behind the trees. It's weird… different things. I can not really explain it."

"Is it a bad dream?"

Jaspers questions surprised her, but she did answer him: "No. I'm feeling safe. Even relaxed."

Alice stared at Jasper: "Do you know what that means?"

He shrugged, staring right back at her. " I think I used to experience something similar. Before we met…"

His hint hung in the air between them. Alice understood immediately.

"Okay guys, if this is some sort of secret couple talk…" Why wouldn't anybody tell her anything? "I don't have time for this. I'm feeling weird. I don't know what it is. And that started with me having those dreams."

"Bella…," Alice began, but stopped abruptly, eyes glazing over.

Jasper was next to her in a second: "What is it?"

"He's coming home."

"Who?" Bella hated that the both of them apparently knew something she didn't.

"Carlisle," answered Alice.

Bella felt like she had been kicked in the stomach. Happiness and contentment filling her, before realizing that he didn't want her there. "When?"

"Two hours."

"I must go." Bella pushed herself up from the sofa and rushed to the door.

"You need to stay!" Alice tried to stop her, but Bella shook her head.

"No!" She fished the keys of her truck out of her jacket and stumbled the steps down to where he stood. The motor roared loudly as she went off.

Why was Carlisle coming back? She couldn't stay in that house knowing one of them didn't want her there. What did Esme think about it? Did she hate her, too? Rosalie sure had never liked her much.

She didn't want to see any of them today.

After driving around the countryside for a good hour, Bella decided to visit the only place from which she knew none of the Cullens could follow her. Maybe she could speak with Jacob about her dreams. He would probably tell her it was about Edward not being good for her, but at least he would be a distraction.

Rain had started and the sky was still relatively dark. It would be one of those days where the daylight had a hard time to come through the thick clouds and darkness of the trees. Bella was still not used to the weather in Forks and she thought she would never be.

She had made it halfway to the reserve, when there was suddenly a flash of reddish fur on the street before her. In the shine of her headlights she saw the eyes of a couple of stags and stepped down on the brake, but the road was too wet and littered with fallen leaves. The truck skidded to the side and the last thing she saw was a tall tree right in front of her.

ooo

Bella, Bella, Bella,…

She tried to open her eyes, but her head ached terribly and as she took a hasty intake of breath, her lungs seemed to protest with all their might.

"Bella…" The voice seemed so real now.

She tried again and managed to pry open her eyes. Pitch black ones stared back at her and for a moment she thought it was over now, but then she noticed the shock of blond, angelic hair and the distressed look on his face.

"Carlisle…"

He was as beautiful as ever and freedom and trust flooded her body like crashing waves of an ocean.

"Stay with me, Bella. It's okay, I'll help you," he told her, but she didn't care. He was here and nothing else mattered.

When he pulled his hand back from her head, it was covered in blood and she felt dizzy again. He took a chopped breath, looking at his hand and then back into her eyes.

She had never seen Carlisle so much out of doctor mode when there was someone to take care of.

"Carlisle, I trust you," she whispered and he groaned, fixing his eyes back on the wound on her head. He left and was back again two seconds later, letting his medical back fall onto the console of the car, searching for the things he needed.

His eyes were as dark as the night sky, as he worked bandages around her head. After stopping the blood flow, he bend down and Bella realized, that she couldn't move her leg. She heard a loud crack and gazed down her side. Carlisle was bending the metal sheets, until she could finally move her leg again.

"Bella…," he breathed, searching her eyes for any discomfort.

"It's okay, please get me out of here."

"I will." He rushed out of the car and rounded it, pulling the drivers door open and unbuckled her belt. Then he slowly lifted her out of her seat and cradled her in his arms.

She felt his lips on her forehead and heard his ragged, unnecessary breaths and finally the tears came. With a loud sob, she let them run down her face.