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Post by Edward Cullen on Jul 25, 2009 19:31:56 GMT -5
Edward was sitting in the chair closest to the fireplace in the living room of the cottage. He was trying to figure out what was going on with his family. Edward was glad that Jasper was back, but it seemed like his return was not totally a good thing. Edward knew everything that happened in Florida, thanks to Jasper's thoughts. Though Edward was trying very hard to stay out of their thoughts. Edward had been staying at the cottage and not going to the mansion, since his return. Edward knew that Rosalie was dealing with Jasper and that she was the best person for that job. However, Edward was worried about Alice. She did not want him around her and that was odd to Edward. Alice had never minded his gifts before. Now she did not want Edward in her head and that messed with Edwards head.
Alice was the one in the family that Edward had always been closest to. She was the one that was his twin in their human charade. Even when he fell in love with Bella, Alice was still his closest sister and best friend. Edward knew that Alice considered Bella to be her best friend, but Alice had never shunned Edward like this before. Edward knew that Alice was going through a hard time, but still she had to know that he was there for her and that he would never break her trust by talking about what he heard from her.
Edward had thought that Jasper's return would bring his family back together, back to the way that they used to be. Instead, Jasper was home, but now Alice was gone. Edward wished that he knew how to bring them back together. He needed the Cullen's to be together and strong. They were the royal family after all. What did it say about them if they could not hold their family together. Edward was thinking about how things were before he and Bella left for England. The family was tight and strong then. Edward mind drifted back to the time that Nessie was a baby and the family stood against the Volturi and at how strong they were then, even with Alice and Jasper gone.
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Post by Alice Cullen on Jul 25, 2009 21:29:12 GMT -5
Alice stood outside of Edward and Bella's cottage, debating whether or not to go in. It had been a few days since her return from her own trip down the west coast and to Philadelphia, but she was still leery of being around anyone in the family besides Bella. Of everyone in her family, Bella was the only one who truly understood what Alice was going through and how she felt. She had actually come to the cottage to find advice as to what would be the easiest and least painful way to break up with Evan, but she knew that Bella was not around because her scent was faded, indicating that she had not been there for a few hours. However, she could smell her brother inside and wondered if she should even bother going in. Edward would already know everything that was going on inside of her mind and how confused she was about how to approach her situation entirely. As she stood there, she wondered if her brother would even be able to understand her situation because he was not only male, but had never endured something quite as painful as a cheating spouse or choosing between loving two people. Even if she had made up her mind to break off her engagement with Evan, it still did not mean that she didn't love him or wanted to hurt him.
After standing there for a few more minutes, Alice decided that she would go inside knowing that Edward would have already knew she was outside. As she walked into the cottage, she shut the door softly behind her and looked to her brother sitting in the living room near the fireplace. She could tell that he was tense and stressed without even needing Jasper's power. Aside from Bella, she knew Edward the best of all her siblings. Walking slowly over to him, she heard the soft pitter-patter of her black ballet flats across the cottage floor. When she was close enough, she stopped and looked to her brother. "Hi Edward," she greeted softly.
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Post by Edward Cullen on Jul 25, 2009 21:42:10 GMT -5
Edward knew that Alice was outside the cottage, but he make not effort to invite her in. Edward was not sure that he wanted to see her and he knew that he was not the one that she wanted. Edward was trying to ignore her thoughts and sing loudly to himself to over shadow then. Edward knew that Alice did not want him in her head and he was trying his hardest not to be. Edward wished that there was an off switch for his powers. He thought about what he would give for his powers to be like Aro's and only work through touch. Edward was staring at the fire and thinking what it would be like to be in the fire. He knew that he would never in a million years to that to his beloved Bella, but lately that was what he was thinking. He had never had any one in the family shun him like Alice was doing now. She had never minded him being in her mind before.
He did not turn around to look at her as she entered the cottage. He listened to the sound of her feet as she moved across the floor. When she spoke to him, he spoke back in a very short and clipped tone. "Hello Alice" He said almost coldly. He knew that he should not treat her the way that he was, but he was tired. Edward was never one to worry, but over the last six months that was all that he had been doing. First over Jasper's leaving and then Nessie and the baby, and now he was afraid to leave the cottage for fear of the others shunning him. Edward needed a break and a vacation from it all.
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Post by Alice Cullen on Jul 25, 2009 22:01:55 GMT -5
Hearing the almost-ice tone in her brother's voice, Alice stopped where she was in the room and feared coming any closer. She knew that she had been shunning Edward lately as she had shunned everyone else aside from Bella. Looking down at the ground, she thought of what she could even say to him that would make it right. In the end, she had nothing that would ever make her actions right. Edward was her brother and she knew that by shunning him the way she had, it had hurt him too. It seemed like that was what she was good at lately...hurting people. Alice had never intended for anything she ever did to hurt those she loved the most. Her family was the world to her, even if she had not been acting like it as of late.
Wringing her little hands in front of her, she sighed softly and finally decided to break the silence between herself and her brother. "Edward, I am sorry for my actions these past couple of weeks," she apologized in the sincerest of tones. "Lately I have been thinking that I don't even know who I am anymore. Everything I knew fell apart right before my eyes and I could do nothing but stand there and watch. My heart was broken into a million pieces and it's still breaking." She stood there for a moment before taking one step closer to her brother. "You already know all that happened while I was in Florida with Jasper and know the struggle I'm dealing with right now. But what you don't know is how much pain I am in over this. That is why I went to Bella above everyone. She understands what it is to love two people at once and have to break one's heart."
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Post by Edward Cullen on Jul 25, 2009 22:17:50 GMT -5
Edward listened to his sister apologize. He knew that she was hurting, but he also knew other things that she did not know and that he could not tell her. He wanted to tell her everything that he had heard in Rosalie and Jasper's thoughts. However, he could not break their confidence anymore than he could hers. Edward hated being in this position. He wanted so badly to tell her to go talk to Jasper.
Edward was about to stand up and hug her, for he knew that she was in pain, when she reminded him of the past and of him leaving. Edward knew that problems and pain that he had caused for Bella when he left her. "That is why I went to Bella above everyone. She understands what it is to love two people at once and have to break one's heart." Edward heard those words and it was like a knife in his heart. He had spent the last 36 years trying to live that mistake down. To hear his sister remind him of it was more than he could take, he felt the full body shudder that rocked through his body at her words. "Yes, Alice, I remember all to well the pain that I caused her with my leaving and the pain that my return cause her with Jacob. But she was never meant to love Jacob other than as a friend and brother, or son-in-law. That is the difference, she was meant for me. Though at the time we did not know that Jacob was meant for Nessie, as we did not know about her. Bella knew that her love for Jacob would never be the same as her love for me." Edward said in a very pained and weak voice from the chair that he was sitting in, as he could not stand now that Alice had knocked his legs out from under him.
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Post by Alice Cullen on Jul 25, 2009 22:46:29 GMT -5
Alice stood wide-eyed and horrified at what she had just done. She had not meant for her words to remind her brother of the pain he had caused Bella or the consequences. Almost immediately, she regretted even saying those things to her brother. The remorse she felt for that just added to the feelings she was already dealing with and trying to keep at bay for a while until she was able to actually speak with Evan and Jasper. But, hurting her brother the way she just had was too much. Coming forward to her brother's side, she immediately took his hand and squeezed it. She knew that no matter what she said now, nothing could mend the hurt she had just put upon Edward by her thoughtless chatter.
"I am so sorry Edward," she said softly, biting her lip. "I wasn't even thinking when all of that came out. I didn't mean to remind you of that time and what happened. It's just that with everything going on with Jasper, my thoughts haven't exactly been together. My emotions have all but taken over me and I don't think through what I'm saying." Her words came out faster than she intended them to, but she knew that Edward would catch everything because of their enhanced hearing. Letting go of Edward's hand, she folded her own together and shook her head pathetically. "Can you forgive me?" she asked pitifully.
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Post by Edward Cullen on Jul 25, 2009 23:18:22 GMT -5
Edward saw the pain in his sister's eyes as she took his hand and he knew that she had not meant to hurt him. He wanted to be there for her, but it was hard to deal with his memories of those months that he spend away from Bella. Edward knew that he had never told Alice what he went through when he left. Edward took a deep breath and turned to his sister. "Sit down, Alice. Let me tell you a story." Edward said to her. He really wanted to help her. He knew that pain that she was in and he knew how it felt.
"Though I can not fully sympathize with what you are feeling over the love for two people, I can tell you about me." Edward thought back to those dark months that he tried so hard to forget. "Alice, when I left Bella, I thought it was the right thing for her. I did not care about the pain that I was causing myself. She was the most important thing in my life. I left her because I thought she would be safer. Well we know that was wrong. What I never told you is what it did to me. I left the family, because I did not want you to see my suffering. I spent days on end curled into a ball. I was already on my way back to her, when you had the vision that changed my life." Edward stopped and looked down at the floor for a long moment. "I have almost lost her twice, and once I thought she was gone. I will never take her for granted. With out her I am nothing." Edward said in a somber tone.
"I know that you are confused and hurting right now, but you have to listen to your heart. No one in the family can make that decision for you. I would suggest though that you talk to Jasper. A lot has happened since your return." Edward said to his sister, hoping that he did not violate any trust with the little that he said. He knew that they needed to talk and that this was something that they had to deal with. "I can not tell you which one to choose, Alice. I can tell you that I will stand behind the decision that you make. I am your brother, just as I am Jasper's brother, but you are my closest sibling and the one that I choose to support in any decision." Edward said, hoping that he had helped her in some way.
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Post by Alice Cullen on Jul 25, 2009 23:40:29 GMT -5
At first Alice did not understand what her brother was saying as he told her to sit down, but she listened and sat on the floor on her knees to the side of the chair Edward was sitting in. She listened as he shared his darkest months with her; the months he was without the family and most of all, without Bella. Alice flashed back to those months herself and to that fateful vision that changed all of their lives forever. The misunderstanding that lead to a death-defying trip to Italy to save Edward from killing himself because he believed Bella was dead. Those were times in Edward and Bella's relationship that Alice admired because of their perserverence. Through all that they had come through together, they made it and were still happy to this day.
Taking an unneccessary deep breath, Alice prepared herself mentally for what she would say to her brother. "I know that none of us can say we can empathize with you about what you felt during that time without Bella, but I know what it is to love someone and then watch them disappear from your sight," she explained softly. She knew from Bella talking to her and now from her brother that she needed to speak with Jasper, but she still was unsure of how she could approach that sitaution with her ex-husband. But, there was one thing she was sure of that Edward did not yet know because she had kept it clouded in her mind. "Edward, I have made up my mind," she said softly, getting up from the ground, keeping her eyes on her brother's. "Even though it hurts me and I know that it will hurt him, I am breaking off my engagement to Evan." Hearing it out loud made it more final and absolute in Alice's mind. Looking at the floor, she paused and then continued. "It isn't fair to Evan that I continue our engagement, leading him on, and am still in love with Jasper. And yes, I am still in love with Jasper."
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Post by Edward Cullen on Jul 25, 2009 23:50:30 GMT -5
Edward listened to Alice and knew that she had made up her mind. He knew that she was going to end things with Evan and that she was hurting over it. "Alice, just be honest with him. He may hurt at first, but he will understand. If you have to explain to him about everything that happened between Bella and me." Edward said to her trying to help her. He knew that it was going to be difficult for her. "I honestly thing that you should talk to Jasper first though, before you talk to Evan. I know that Jasper wants to talk to you." Edward looked at her. He knew that Rose was going to tell her if Jasper did not. "Alice, there is a lot that you need to know and unfortunately I can not tell you, because the only reason that I know is this damn gift of mine." Edward said, knowing that she would understand why he could not tell her.
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Post by Alice Cullen on Jul 25, 2009 23:59:47 GMT -5
The decision to break up with Evan had come with its own price. Evan had been her best friend whenever she had no one to lean on after coming to London. He had picked her up and taught her to smile again. And when they had come home to America, he had been the one to comfort her through losing the love of her existence to cheating. Breaking his heart was the last thing she ever wanted to do since Evan had been there for her through it all, but she knew it was better for him, just as Edward said. When he continued his thought though, Alice looked at her brother, perplexed and confused for a moment. In her mind she was thinking Why in the world would I talk to Jasper before breaking up with Evan? and then she got her answer like clockwork. Looking at her brother, she backed up for a moment and began to think for herself. She had not seen nor spoken to Jasper since they had returned from Florida. He had gone to retrieve his children from the backstabbing wench and that was all she knew. "Edward, what exactly happened in California?" she asked, stitching her eyebrows together. "I know you can't tell me everything, but at least tell me something."
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Post by Edward Cullen on Jul 26, 2009 0:13:34 GMT -5
Edward knew that he could not tell Alice the truth at least not the part about Jasper. Edward was thinking hard about what he could tell her. Edward knew that he could not mention anything about the confession, but he could tell her vaguely what happened. "After Rose and Jasper worked through their issues, Rose told Jasper about Lexie and the children. They went after them and well, Rosalie was very vengeful when it came to Lexie. Rosalie tortured her for hours before she actually killed her. I don't think she tortured Royce that way she tortured Lexie." Edward said thinking back over what he saw in her thoughts. "Before she killed Lexie, she confessed something that has had a major impact on Jasper." Edward said hoping that he had not already said to much. He hoped that what he said was vague enough.
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Post by Alice Cullen on Jul 26, 2009 0:20:41 GMT -5
As Alice listened to her brother, she was not surprised by what he said. The Jasper she knew and fell in love with was the sort of man that would own up to his responsibilities, which were his children. However, it did shock her that they had killed Lexie. A wide-eyed Alice stood and listened to more of what her brother said, including the last part about Lexie's confession to Rosalie about something important to Jasper. Alice shook her head, "I knew Rose could be vendictive, but I never knew she could take it that far. If she tortured Lexie worse than she did Royce, that is really saying something." Pausing for a moment, she thought about what Lexie could have confessed. Sighing, she put her hands at her side. "And I'm guessing that whatever Lexie confessed to Rose is exactly what you can't tell me. Am I wrong in assuming that?" she asked.
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Post by Edward Cullen on Jul 26, 2009 0:27:16 GMT -5
Edward looked as Alice with a slight smug look on his face. "I can neither confirm nor deny that, Alice." Edward said to her in a slightly comical voice. He wanted to yell the truth at her but Jasper would never forgive him for that one. "You are the one with the visions, if you look into Jasper's future, or even your own, I bet that you would see it." Edward said to her in that same comical tone. He knew that as long as Alice did not know, she would have to talk to Jasper to find out. At the same time if she knew then she could feel better and things would fall back into place faster. Edward knew that was the crux of the situation.
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Post by Alice Cullen on Jul 26, 2009 0:34:22 GMT -5
Alice sighed overdramatically and rolled her eyes at her brother. "You know, sarcasm is not one of your better talents," she said, mimicing his comical voice mockingly. Alice knew that she was not getting anything out of her brother as far as a clue or even one smidgen of information about what Lexie had said. Throwing her hands on her hips and raising one eyebrow, she took a few steps in one direction before turning around and pacing in the other. "Well my visions have been off lately, given the fact that I have been in such a terrible mood and unable to focus on anything in the present, much less the future. So, seeing as that option is out...I guess I will have to talk to Jasper." She added an extra sigh at the end for emphasis and stopped pacing.
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Post by Edward Cullen on Jul 26, 2009 0:41:00 GMT -5
Edward heard Alice's reacting to his comment and he started laughing. He knew that she was frustrated but he could not tell her. When she started talking about her visions, he knew that they were off, though that was not good for a family that relied on those visions as warnings of danger. "I guess that you will have to talk to Jasper, so that you can get those emotions in order and start paying attention to the future again, huh?" Edward said to her as he final stood up and walked around the room. He knew that she would be happy when Jasper told her the truth, but that was something that Jasper had to tell her. Even then Edward knew that she was not going to want to believe it.
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