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"What do you think?"
Mary Alice twirled on the spot, her dress rising and floating as elegantly as herself, holding the front like Marilyn Monroe as she came to a stop.
There was someone across from her, on a bed, with heavy eyes a striking red.
"You're beautiful, Mary Alice."
She giggled and practically danced to the other woman, sitting on her lap with an eye roll.
"Silly Bella, I meant the dress!"
"I know you did, but I only have eyes for you."
Mary Alice rolled her eyes and leaned in, being met more than halfway by her special friend.
Mary Alice came out of her memory with a slight gasp, realising all too late what had disturbed her. She was hiding, with her baby sister Cynthia, who had started crying.
"No, shush, Cynthia, please!"
But it was no use, the baby cried harder, and Mary Alice could only flinch as the hidden patrician in the basement was kicked in by the father and his goons.
"There you are."
It all happened quickly after that, she was sentenced to an asylum, for assisting in the murder of her mother, and for being a fag… a freak.
Mary Alice spent a lot of time in her own head, after that, thinking of the brunette in her visions, of how she made her feel, of how curious her eyes were, how beautiful she was.
Her memories started getting hazy after they started her… therapy. She soon forgot her mother, her sister, even her bastard of a father.
That is when he arrived. Alice awoke to someone standing at her window, despite being several floors high, silhouetted like in a horror story. The door to her room was opened with a heavy screech, tearing her eyes away from the blonde man, to see the only kind doctor in the asylum, Doctor Calvin.
He was just over 5"6, with long dark hair tied into a ponytail, with pale skin and an unusual eye colour, dark brown with flecks of red, but sometimes black all together.
Calvin hissed like a furious cat, which pushed some of Mary Alice's fog away, something dripping from his teeth which seemed to burn the ground on contract. There was a hiss in response, and the man in the window was gone.
Calvin gave Mary Alice a look of worry, sitting on her bed and brushing hair out of her eyes.
"Do not worry, my dear. I'll keep you safe."
Mary Alice did not speak much, but maybe that was why he seemed so shocked at her voice.
"Why?"
He looked down, smiling at his watch in his hands.
"There is too much to explain, little one. Just know that I am doing all I can to keep you safe until my sire returns."
Mary Alice couldn't help but scoff at that, all the electroshock therapy and abusive nurses coming to mind, but when she thought on it, they only occurred whenever Doctor Calvin wasn't on shift.
Huh.
"Don't worry, Mary Alice. I will take you away from this place. Until then, I'll give you something to think about."
He held up his pocket watch, flicking it open which his thumb and showing an image inside. It was peculiar, quite a small painting rather than a portrait, but looked absolutely realistic. It was of him, and a brunette woman who lived in her head.
She is real.
"Who is she?"
Calvin smiles at his patient.
"She is my sire, Isabella Swan."
Mary Alice mouthed the name, finding it came out smoothly, perfectly even.
"She's beautiful. Why isn't she here?"
Calvin sighed, looking to the floor.
"She is working off a debt to keep you safe, with some very powerful people who wanted you both."
Mary Alice's eyes glazed, and he waited patiently for her to return.
"The Volturi?"
He nods.
"Yes, the Volturi."
He leaves not long after, making sure his scent coated the room and then the land of the asylum, unaware what he was doing was egging the hunter on.
Mary Alice's hair was shorter, and her memories were foggy. She could remember her sister, the doctor and a brunette with amazing eyes, her name all but escaping her.
Is… Isa… Bella?
Doctor Calvin had gifted her a sketch book and some charcoal, as she was less likely to cause personal injury with it, and Mary Alice lost herself in her visions. She drew what she saw, and the things were beautiful.
Freedom, of speech, of hate, finding love, finding a family.
One peculiar vision involved many fuzzy people, and a bright white room full of other humans, someone holding her hand, raising it so she could twirl and dance rather than walk. People whispered about her, but she did not care, for her mate loved her.
Wait. Mate?
She would have to ask Doctor Calvin, but he hadn't been around as of late. Nurses whispered about his absence while they walked the patients in the sun, and the other doctors took his absence to prove their theories on Mary Alice.
"Nothing to worry about, dear. We are just trying to cure you."
This was what they would say before putting those little discs on her head and ridding her of more memories. Now all she had was Calvin, and the idea of his sire.
Bella.
Calvin came back soon, and he was outraged. The other patients screamed and yowled as he fury shook the walls, and Mary Alice had her eyes shut tight in her room, to try and drown them out.
The door to her room was shoved open, and it took her foggy memory a moment to notice who was there. Calvin looked devastated, his eyes a brighter red than ever before, and he kneeled next to her bed.
"Do you remember me?"
She nodded.
"Do you know your name?"
She shook her head and he sighed.
"As long as you'll trust me."
It was then she noticed how ragged he looked, as though he had been running through trees and wind all day long, his hair a mess and his clothes tattered.
He made quick work of her wrist and ankle belts, taking her neck one off with caution.
"I'm so sorry, Mary Alice. I cannot wait any longer. I hope to see you through this."
A roar came from the corridor, and Doctor Calvin moved the fastest she'd ever seen, latching onto her neck and biting, the sharp pain being replaced by a burning agony as she screamed.
Alice was lost in a fog from the moment she had awoken in this new world. She was in a forest, the splinters of a cabin around her, with the burnt remains of a doctor's coat nearby.
Her throat was on fire, and she craved anything to dull it. She ran at incredible speeds, finding a group of young men setting up camp.
"Hey, look!"
"Is she one of those escapees?"
"She looks hurt, we should help her!"
Something was fighting with her mind, trying to stop her from what was about to happen, but the moment the first guy stepped a foot closer, their dates were sealed.
The fog dissipated slightly after she had fed, and she cared not for the bodies around her, walking to a lake to wash off the dried blood. She was in the water when she felt someone was watching her, and the fog came back, pure rage taking over as she bellowed and chased after a blonde man, who seemed to be enjoying himself too much.
She never got a look at his face, but after a few close calls, he stopped following her.
A year after she had woken, and Alice still could not remember her past, but she'd started having visions of events to come. Alice would use this to pick humans to hunt, those with bad intentions, but it didn't stop her guilt when she'd see their grieving mother's, friends, loved ones.
Even evil has a life.
She started wishing for a way around all of this, to survive without killing humans.
This is when she has a vision of her family. A father and mother, a sister and three brothers, and… a mate?
Her beast snarled it's approval, but she calmed it down as fast as she could, something she has been getting better at as of late, much to her glee. Alice for the sketchpad out of her bag, quickly drawing what she had seen. The details were a bit blurry, but she'd got most of their faces perfect, including their shocking golden eyes.
Apart from my mate.
Alice began wondering when she'd meet them, how far into the future she had dove, when another vision hit her.
A red eyed blonde man, covered in scars, in a diner. I'm waiting for him; he'll be my brother.
She tried to think on that, on her future family, how curious it seemed that they had golden eyes rather than her ruby red.
Did they find a new source of food?
Having come up with a theory, Alice begrudgingly attempted it, hunting down the nearest animal she could find, killing it in seconds.
It is blood was disgusting, but how could she go back to humans when she knew this was an option?
That is how Alice started her new diet, and by the time she met the blonde cowboy, Jasper, he was more than willing to attempt her lifestyle if it meant he had a family and a lighter conscience.
The Cullens were supportive, understanding and patient with their newest members. Jasper had the most trouble, and made them uneasy, what with his violent history and body full of scars.
That is until Carlisle's eldest son, Edward, returned from his trip, and he instantly formed the mate bond with Jasper. Alice was beyond excited, and Rosalie, who was the hardest to gain trust from, started to warm up to her for helping her brother's happiness.
Alice loved her new family, and after a few years it was almost like they had never been strangers. Rosalie was the strong and protective sister, her husband Emmett the lovable older brother. Jasper and Edward practically never left each other's side, and Jasper's ability to calm certainly helped Edward's broodier tendencies. Esme was the mother she did not know she missed, and have the best hugs, and Carlisle was always there to help her train with her craving for human blood, always supportive.
In fact, he was the first she opened to about her gifts, about her mate. She was not sure why she kept Bella a secret, but Carlisle was thrilled she had someone in her future.
One day Alice had a vision, and could make out the details of Bella's eyes, the bright red stark against her clear skin, and she rushed to her father immediately to show him.
"What's her name, do you know?"
She found his question curious but was practically bouncing on the spot as Esme came and looked over his shoulder.
"I know her name's Bella! That's all though, why'd you ask?"
He frowned and her dead heart froze, did he not approve?
"I ask because I recognize her. Wait here a moment, please."
He blurred upstairs at a dizzying speed, coming back in seconds with a painted portrait.
"Who're they?"
Her siblings came in, and Alice was proud to note how bright Jasper's eyes were.
"They're the Volturi. I used to live with them when I was younger."
Alice felt a chill looking at them, as though they could reach through the paint and hurt her family. There were three older looking men on thrones, each with a younger vampire on their left.
"They're the rulers of our world, and have been known to execute anyone who might reveal our kind to the world. They see themselves as kings, and the leader, Aro-"
He points to the one in the middle, who had a smile on his face which lacks any amusement.
"He likes to collect gifts."
Jasper frowned, leaning closer to Edward.
"Like my empathy, and Alice's visions?"
Carlisle gives a laugh of no humour.
"Yes, in fact I think he'd give his left arm to have you join them, Alice."
The idea turned her stomach, but she couldn't help but shake the feeling she'd heard that before.
Volturi… Volturi...
Edward gave her a look, but he could not find an answer in her head either.
"His two most prized possessions are the witch twins, Alec and Jane. He can remove all feeling, and Jane can cause agony, both with just a look."
The twins were children, barely twelve years old, but looked much older.
"That's horrible."
"They're not the worst, however. He had a new addition, about five years ago. She's said to be his favourite, and possibly the deadliest."
He pointed her out, and the Cullens leant in to see who she was. That is when Alice saw her, behind the throne, blending into her surroundings with a heavy black cloak and bright red eyes, was her mate.
Edward let out a slight gasp at her thoughts, and Alice was ecstatic.
"That's her, that's my mate!"
Emmett gave a low whistle and Rosalie groaned.
"Really? Did your mate have to join the Volturi? She's probably insane!"
Alice's beast snarled at the insult to her mate, and she covered her mouth with wide apologetic eyes a moment later.
"Oh my- Rose I'm sorry! I didn't know what came over me!"
Rosalie had a small laugh and leant back on Emmett.
"At least we know she really is your mate, what's her power?"
Carlisle shrugged.
"I don't know, I just know she's particularly good at what she does, and she was there to protect someone. So-"
"Aro has her for another forty years?"
Alice's world stopped at her brother's comment, Rosalie slapped him on the back of the head as Alice's eyes went black. Jasper came to her side, touching her shoulder and forcing as much calm as he could onto her, but it did nothing to deter the beast.
"What?"
Her voice was edgy, and Edward felt immense guilt, Jasper shooting him some comfort with a gentle smile.
Carlisle deflated somewhat, and Esme linked his arm, answering for him.
"She's sort of… doing them a favour, dear. We aren't sure what for, but until she's paid her end with service, well, she'll have to stay."
Alice took herself to her room after that, staying there for several weeks, leaving only to hunt, spending her time drawing and searching her future, with her mate.
"For someone so elegant, you truly are messy, my love."
Alice wiped the blood from her chin, grinning despite how horrifying it might have looked. Her mate was in a tree, her right hand loose and open for Alice to take, which the smaller vampire quickly took, being pulled up into the tree with her mate. Bella looked as pristine as always, despite her hunt.
"It's easier for you, your food doesn't kick!"
Bella's eyebrow rose and she laughed, supporting Alice's back with one hand, using the other to wipe some of the blood from her face, licking it from her thumb with barely a flinch.
"But it is harder to hide. I'm simply better at it than you want to admit."
Alice rolled her eyes, knowing that while Bella did still hunt humans, she tried with animals, if the small golden ring around her iris was anything to go by.
"Sure, Bella. What are you doing back so early, anyway?"
Bella smirked, turned them so Alice's back was to the tree trunk, the older vampire's arms around her waist.
The start of her sentence was blurry, but then Alice could focus.
"- Alice Cullen, will you go to prom with me?"
These visions kept her going, and the years blurred by. Every day was a step closer to her mate, so Alice kept going. Sure, she had her weak moments, where she would beg to go to Italy, if only to see her, but her family made sense of the situation.
If they did, one of two things would happen. Alice would want to stay, or Bella would want to leave, which would undoubtedly cause a lot more violence.
It became clear to the whole family that she needed a distraction, and as time made neighbours and communities more involved with each other, it was decided that they would begin education.
High School in the 60's was extremely fast paced; people preaching love and acceptance, meaning that no one batted an eyelid at the idea of Jasper and Edward holding hands in the corridors. Rosalie hated it, but Emmett loved whenever she would get bored and find somewhere for them to 'entertain' themselves.
On this occasion, Alice was too slow in alerting her family about the couple's antics being caught, and a teacher's broken clavicle and fortunate memory loss meant a swift move for the Cullens.
Their new school was a small town in England, the name of which most of them had forgotten. It rained a decent amount and had acres of trees for them to hunt in, but she did not think they'd return to the country for a while, as Rosalie hated the uniforms they were forced to wear, despite being halfway in the first week, Alice caught wind of the rumours, and her family sat in relative silence as the students gossiped.
"Wow she's so hot!"
"Which one?"
"The blonde one, obviously!"
"No way, the little one is perfect!"
What followed was obscene laughing at whatever gesture they had made, and Rosalie kissed Emmett's cheek to calm him down.
Another group started talking, this one full of self-conscious girls who used to be the best in school.
"She keeps gorming out, it's so weird!"
"Her hair is so short, is she a… lesbian?"
"So, what if she is?"
"Ew, are you one too, Anne?"
Anne scoffed and brushed the comment off.
"Ew, no way. Did you see she keeps drawing that woman over and over? Really creepy eyes."
Rosalie started grumbling again, hand tightening on Alice's knee as she stared holes at the girls heads, eyes black and furious as they insulted her sister, Edward in a similar state. Alice was flattered, but worried. They had just moved, and she doesn't want to leave yet. Jasper started pushing out some calm, and their shoulders relaxed slightly.
"I don't think their eyes are gross, wouldn't mind staring into Edward's…"
Her brother gagged and Jasper suddenly felt his own anger rise. He was still relatively new to the mate bond, and his family responded quickly.
Edward flushed Jasper's senses with his scent, holding his hand and standing to lead him out of the canteen, Emmett behind as a blockade should Jasper turn to the humans.
Alice and Rosalie shared a look, both letting out simultaneous sighs before standing to follow their family.
"There they go again, the freaky yankies."
"Oh, shut it Dave."
There was less issue after that, thankfully. Years seemed to drag by as she waited for her mate to be released, only having a few issues along the way. Every town, every school or university, it was the same.
The blonde and the big guy are together.
Yeah, and the other two boys, is that even legal?
Oh, who's that one? Is she single?
Better act quickly there, dude.
At first it was amusing, but it was soon exhausting. The town they were in now was a small rainy place with one of their biggest homes, courtesy of Esme. The trees were her favourite; huge and daunting, carrying wind and weather between their lumbering trunks. She lost herself with her drawings, of visions and her dreams.
The only downside was the neighbouring Quileute Tribe and their harsh rules, but Alice did not want to go to La Push anyway, it smelt of wet dog and garbage. Carlisle and Edward had gone to make sure the pack were aware of their presence and had burned their clothes shortly after.
Most days were a bit repetitive, but today? The whole family was buzzing with excitement: a storm was coming.
"So, what teams have we got?"
Emmett was always the most hyped of any physical activity, and Jasper had an amusing idea to dampen his mood.
"How about we got mate v mate? Rosalie, Carlisle and I, against you, Edward and Esme."
He glanced at his youngest sister, a smile naturally in place.
"With Alice as pitcher, of course."
Alice beamed, she loved being a pitcher, she found it so much more fun than running around after a ball, when she could throw it and begin the chaos!
"Sounds perfect to me!"
This is how they found themselves mid game, the storm clouds thundering to cover their hits, and with only two broken bats rather than the usual five at the changeover.
So, they should have figured something was going to go wrong.
Alice's eyes glazed over, and she saw them.
Three vampires, nomads by their clothes, they were furious and… scared? They were sprinting as fast as they could towards them, they wanted help…
Something was chasing them.
"Stop! We have company!"
The Cullens rushed to her side, scanning the treeline as she came out of her vision.
"There's three of them, I can just about make them out."
Edward was straining to reach them, and Alice's vision dropped.
"I can't find them again!"
Carlisle glanced to his eldest who focused harder.
"They heard us playing, they want help. Something is hunting them, already killed a Newborn they had."
The family lower into a crouch when Edward finds their location, Jasper closer to the front due to his experience, facing their direction as their footfalls become heavier.
"Are they going to be aggressive towards us?"
Carlisle was the only one standing in a relaxed manner, trying to stay amicable.
"No, they want help. But they're erratic, I'm not sure what their intentions are-"
Edward was cut off as the trio stormed through the treeline, a blonde crashing through a tree and toppling it in his haste. They all saw the Cullens and sprinted over, stopped a few metres away, taking heavy nervous breaths as the man with dreadlocks spoke.
"You have to help us, there is a vampire after us."
Carlisle nodded and raised a hand when Emmett chuckled.
"What happened?"
The blonde growled and the leader spoke.
"We were hunting with our Newborn, and this person attacked us. We didn't see their face, but they fought the Newborn and had started tearing him to shreds before we'd started running."
Emmett couldn't help himself, a laugh snuck out.
"You ran? Three older vampires and a Newborn… What did they have a wooden steak or something?"
The woman hissed and the blonde joined her.
"You'll see, we lead her to you, you'll suffer just like us if you don't help us kill her!"
The patriarch tried to calm his angry family, keeping his voice steady as he spoke.
"Why would she hurt us, we've done nothing but ask you of your strife."
The redhead tries to speak but freezes, diving to the side a moment before a large tree is launched at them. The Cullens crouch lower as the other two vampires are smacked across the field, perfectly in time with a thunder clap.
"James!"
The shout bellowed to them, and while she should have felt afraid, or even protective, Alice felt nothing of the sort. If anything, Alice was… content?
"Wait…"
Edward snapped his head to her, eyes wide as he stood from his crouch, touching his father's shoulder with the smallest of smiles. He was already on the same page, he recognised the voice.
The dark haired vampire took one look at their smiles and bolted, using the distraction of his friends to flee. The blonde- James, shatters the trunk and roars in defiance at the direction of the sound.
"Fight me! No power, just take me on!"
His words are barely coherent, his beast completely in control. There's a rumbling growl and another just as furious beast responds with her own snarl.
There's a blur, so fast even the Cullen's struggled to keep up. James is lifted off of the ground by his throat, thrown over his attackers shoulder and into a crater of his own making.
The figure is dawned in a Volturi cloak which is frayed at the edges, rather than the perfect example they try to keep up. There's a muddy white shirt and black trousers, leather gloves and boots.
"Victoria-!" James groans from his hole, pulling himself out of it as the spider web of cracks slowly heals. The red vampire looks between the two, the urge to protect her lover nowhere near as strong as her instinct to run.
The vampire in black looks up, meeting her gaze.
"You're not true mates, leave and don't bother me again."
Victoria didn't need telling twice, she turned and ran in the opposite direction to Laurent, knowing he was headed to danger in La Push anyway.
The woman looked back at James, eyes black as night as her fury boiled. She didn't want an audience, though, and gestured to the Cullen's, not looking away from the man she held under her boot.
"Who are you?"
Carlisle spoke again, stepping forwards.
"I am Carlisle, this is my wife, Esme. And my children; Edward, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett and Alice."
The vampire seemed to flinch at that sentence, and she looked up.
"Alice… that's-"
The earth stopped, time paused and rain floated rather than fell. Alice thought her heart jumpstarted with the rush of heat and emotion flooding through her, so strong that Jasper had to hold Edward's arm to stay steady.
Ex Volturi stared at Cullen, and the red returned to her eyes.
"... Mary Alice? I… I thought you were…"
Alice stepped closer, her family now stood up and relaxed, smiles and lacking in tension as the scene unfolded.
"Isabella Swan... I've been waiting so long for you."
Her art did no justice, Isabella seemed as though she were carved by angels, dropped to earth on a summer's breeze, hailed by god's tears as they knew they'd never be close to her beauty.
Edward snorted at her thoughts, but was quite about it, he didn't want to break the spell. James didn't share this thought, however.
He grabbed her leg and twisted, using her fall as momentum to launch himself from the hole, pointing an accusatory finger at her.
"See! You hunted me for months, and I didn't even kill her!"
Black returned to Bella's eyes, a deep growl akin to a lion rumbling in her throat as he lunged for her back.
James is stopped in mid air, a light purple glow forming around his limbs as he panicked, slowly being spread like a star.
"Wait- fight me!"
Bella just hissed, and he was separated. The body parts flew in several directions, going so far even the vampire's couldn't track him.
She turned back around, offering an unusually shy shrug.
"He killed the first I sired, he needed to suffer. He's not dead yet, but when the pieces get closer I'll push them apart again, at least for a few decades..."
Despite the show of strength and brutality, which had clearly shook her family, Alice couldn't stop smiling. She held out a hand, which Bella gingerly took.
The spark between them was immediate, and they both released a shuddering breath.
"Isabella Swan, we have so much to talk about.
"That we do, Mary Alice."