I don't own Twilight. all Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter Four

The Engagement

Alice POV

Taking a day off of work had been a smart decision. The atmosphere had been rather tense around my office since we received word that the Volturi brothers were planning to use our company for their fall unveiling. Everyone was on high alert, making the environment overwhelming.

When Bella had agreed to not go into work either, I was thrilled. She normally would never consider doing that, but I could tell that she needed it, too. After a trip to the video store and a takeout order placed to our favorite Italian restaurant, we made our way to my apartment. Jasper had been out of town for a medical conference as well, so I was desperately in need of some girl bonding.

Bella had a wonderful sense of humor, keeping me laughing the entire time. We fed off of each other, making sarcastic comments about the horrible filming or directing of some of the movies we watched.

It was fun and carefree, something I think we both honestly needed.

As our last movie came to an end, I took a sip from my glass of wine, a chuckle escaping my lips.

"What?" Bella had her head resting on the back of the couch we were sharing.

"Do you remember that summer we went to Jacksonville to visit Renee?" I continued when she gave a quick nod of her head. "We unknowingly walked onto a movie set and were really excited; until we figured out that it was for some really cheesy French 'How to Pick up Ladies' video? That's about how I feel right now."

She chuckled, "The make of this was pretty bad."

"No more horror movies for a long time. I can't believe we actually watched the entire thing." I shook my head in annoyance.

"Agreed," Bella sighed. "I think that we need to watch something else to get that out of our heads." She sat up quickly, a mischievous grin dancing across her lips.

I thought for a moment, trying to figure out what movie was causing her to make that face, and then I froze. "Are you kidding me? We've watched that the past three movie nights in a row." I groaned.

"Come on, Alice, you know you love it just as much as I do." Her eyes stayed focused on me with that same hopeful grin on her face, waiting for my reaction.

How could I say no? I very rarely got to see my best friend happy anymore and if watching Heath Ledger in a suit of armor did the trick then I wouldn't complain. "Fine. But, next time we are watching nothing but 'The Producers'. The new version."

Clapping her hands excitedly, Bella jumped up from the couch and went to switch the movies out. She moved quickly, putting the awful rental into its case and placing the next one in the DVD player. After skipping through the credits and hitting play, she went to her couch and picked up one of the pillows.

To my surprise she came over to where I was sitting and placed the pillow in my lap, resting her head on it, and set her feet against the armrest. Whenever we had a movie night in high school we would do the same thing, playing with each other's hair.

After the attack, I was the only one she allowed near her, but our friendship was never really the same. It wasn't either of our faults; she had just been damaged in a way that very few would understand and needed to find a way to heal.

She was still the same Bella, her sense of humor never faltering, yet she was different. Whenever any male would enter the room she visibly flinched, it didn't matter whether it was Charlie, Uncle Carlisle, Jacob, or even Emmett. It was so deeply ingrained that I don't even think she realized she did it after awhile.

As the movie progressed we both gradually relaxed a little more, going back to our normal routine of laughing at joking at our favorite parts. I was braiding her hair when I heard the front door to the apartment being turned.

"Hmm… I wonder who that could be," Bella asked, turning her head toward the front of the room.

I shrugged my shoulders, moving to my feet and making my way toward the door.

Keys jingled and the front door finally opened, revealing a tall, honey blonde haired man. His clothes were slightly disheveled from traveling, stubble graced his normally smooth face, and dark framed glasses rested on his nose.

He was beautiful and strong, leonine. His build was solid, perfect, just the right amount to make me feel safe in his arms. He was my soul mate.

Jasper smiled, exhausted, as he set his bags down by the door and held his arms open for me.

I could hardly believe that it had been a year since Bella had introduced us; it felt as though we had known each other our entire lives. We had a connection that I couldn't describe, it was just right.

A squeal escaped my lips as I realized that Jasper really was standing there, and I ran the small distance to where he was standing and jumped into his waiting embrace. My skin tingled all over as he held me tight against his chest, placing soft, gentle kisses along my neck.

His warm breath and tender kisses made me shiver. "I've missed you," he murmured against my skin.

"So have I," I whispered. "No more conferences for awhile, promise?"

Chuckling, Jasper tightened his hold on me for a moment. "Promise."

I pulled back slightly so that I could see his face. My eyes met his and I took a moment to drink him in.

Dark circles under his eyes alerted me to how tired he really was. I stroked his cheek gently, continuing my assessment of him, noticing his chapped lips and unwashed hair. Past the exhaustion in his eyes, I saw that he was holding something back. Or more accurately, someone. He had seen someone during his trip that he didn't want me to know about. Before I could investigate further, he smiled at me and leaned in to kiss me.

The feel of his lips on mine was enough to distract me, for the moment. I reveled in his touch as he gently sucked on my bottom lip, nibbling lightly as he went. My heart rate picked up slightly and we were both panting somewhat when we parted. I felt his kiss everywhere.

Once he finally set me down on my feet, I realized that we had not been alone in the room during our greeting. I could feel my cheeks heat up slightly and I turned to apologize to Bella, finding her searching for her shoes. "I'm sorry if we made you uncomfortable. Please don't leave."

She waved off my apology, plastering a smile on her lips. "Don't worry about it. You two are still in that annoying, lovey-dovey phase." Once her shoes were securely on her feet Bella stood up. She went over to Jasper and awkwardly pressed her cheek to his. "I'll call you in the morning," she said, turning back to me.

I hated the fact that Bella felt she needed to leave as soon as Jasper entered the room. She was my best friend, my sister. We had been through a lot together and I never wanted her to feel as though she was in the way.

"We're driving down to visit my parents tomorrow, why don't you come with us? I know Charlie would love to see you." I went over to her as she was slipping on her coat.

Bella shut down at that point, her body becoming rigid and a hint of panic in her eyes. I knew that no matter what else was said, her answer was going to be no. "That's alright. I have a lot of work I need to finish up this weekend." She leaned down and hugged me quickly. "Thank you, though. It was nice to see you again, Jasper." The vivacious, witty Bella from earlier had disappeared.

He smiled, a hint of sadness behind the gesture. "You too, Bella."

I tried to protest, that was her excuse every time we invited her to come to Forks with us. She hadn't gone back since we left for college, avoiding everything associated with that horrible time.

"Bye." She waved before closing the door after her.

My first instinct was to go after her and bring her back. As I was about to Jasper came up behind me, wrapping his strong arms around my waist and pulling me back against his chest. I settled back against him, sighing when I felt his chin rest down on my shoulder. His scent relaxed me, infiltrating my senses and easing the tension that had built up.

After a few minutes he released his hold on me and I helped him carry his bags to the bed room. Neither of us spoke, and I eventually changed into some silky pajama bottoms and a camisole while Jasper unpacked. I climbed up on our bed and settled into the center of it while he began his nightly routine.

I continued to worry about Bella. She had become even more closed off to me lately, and I didn't know what to do about it. If I had made her angry or uncomfortable I had to know about it. How could I fix it if I didn't know what the problem was?

"Alice." Jasper interrupted my thoughts.

Turning my attention to him, I smiled as he leaned over the bed in front of me.

"Leave Bella alone." He tapped my nose playfully, pushing back off of the bed and making his way to the bathroom.

"I don't know what you are talking about?" I huffed indignantly.

He chuckled. "Alice, I can practically see the wheels turning in your head." He stuck his head out of the bathroom, shaving cream along his cheeks and mouth. "I know that you are worried about her, but if she wanted your help she would ask for it."

"Jazz, you don't know her like I do. She's not herself anymore." I picked up one of the pillows from the head of the bed and hugged it close to my body. "I can't just sit back and do nothing."

"Honey, I know you are concerned. I am, too." He was quiet for a moment, carefully running the razor across his skin. "But, until she's ready there's really nothing that you can do for her."

I glared at him. Even though I didn't want to admit it, I knew that he was right.

The look in her eyes, the panic that had set in, at the mere mention of Forks was proof that she was still holding back. I had known that Bella was in a bad place, but I just didn't want to admit it.

"Well, does that mean you're ready to tell me what you're hiding?" I decided to turn the tables back on him. He probably thought that he distracted me thoroughly enough to earlier, but it would take a lot more than that.

"Allie," he sighed, stepping out of the bathroom. His face was smooth and soft, still red from the fresh shave. He made his way across the room and sat next to me on the bed. When I didn't say anything or acknowledge him beside me, he let out a groan of frustration. "Peter and I left the Convention Center on our third day there to get some lunch at one of the local restaurants."

I had been staring at my feet and finally lifted my head as he continued.

He let out a sigh, clenching his eyes shut. "I recognized a guy at one of the tables when we were being shown to our seats. He was someone I had seen in pictures, but had never met before."

I was confused. Who could he have seen that he wouldn't want me to know about? An old fraternity brother that he got arrested with? His stepfather?

Jasper ran one of his hands through my spiky hair, cupping my cheek gently. "Honey, it was Edward. He was there for the conference, too," he said softly.

Edward? Part of me was trying to decide if I had heard him correctly and the other part was thrilled that he was alive. "Did you talk to him? Is he alright? What did he say?"

"He's fine, Allie, we actually didn't discuss your family that much." Jasper explained.

"Why weren't you going to tell me about this? I have a right to know-" I started to say, trying to pull away from him.

"Before we went our separate ways I told Edward that you, Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme weren't the same without him. I explained how much each of you missed him and wanted him to return home." Jasper had one arm firmly around my waist and wouldn't let me move an inch; his other hand was still on my cheek, lightly stroking my skin. "I didn't want to get your hopes up that he might return. He was hurting."

I let out a sigh, nearly a whimper at the news he had given me.

Growing up, I had always been closer to Edward and hearing now that he was in pain made me ache for him. I wanted him to be happy. I wanted Bella to be happy.

Jasper continued to hold me close, pressing soft, sweet kisses along my temple and neck. Every once in awhile he would whisper his love for me and that everything would work out. The low hum of his voice and his soothing caresses eventually lulled me to sleep, the two us tangled together under the warm covers.

"Don't worry about that, I have some seasoning to put on the steaks while they're cooking." Uncle Carlisle explained to Jasper, making sure that the coals were heating up properly. We drove the afternoon after he had come home, giving us two full days in town.

"You know that I respect you, Carlisle, but just adding seasoning is no way to cook a steak." Jasper shook his disappointedly, holding up a bottle of his favorite marinade. "I poured this over the meat last night and let them soak."

Uncle Carlisle groaned. "You poured that stuff on this beautiful meat?"

"That's right, and you'll thank me for it once they're cooked." Jasper grinned.

I couldn't help but to giggle as I listened to the conversation the two of them were having. Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle had welcomed Jasper in from the beginning, making him an honorary member of the Cullen family. We had both been adopted taken under their wings.

Since it was a rare, warm sunny day, I decided to wear a sun dress. The heat felt good, allowing me to close my eyes and settle back to enjoy it.

My thoughts drifted to my parents, moments like these sometimes reminding me of them. I still couldn't bring myself to talk about the accident; I had blocked most of it out. Crunching metal, screams, and broken glass were the only things that I could clearly remember anymore.

"Is the food ready yet? I'm starving!" Emmett's booming voice broke me from my reverie as he and Rosalie came into the back yard. "Hey shortcake," he scooped me up into a bone crushing hug.

"Put me down you over grown bear," I squeaked.

He laughed, unaffected by my little tirade. "I've missed you, you little pipsqueak."

Kicking my legs in the air, I tried to glare down at him. "I wish that I could say the same."

"Emmett, put the poor girl down." Rosalie jumped to my defense. "There are others who would like to greet her as well."

He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, darting his tongue out immediately.

My legs began pumping in fast succession, doing everything that I could to be released from his hold. "Now I know how Bella must feel when she's around us. I swear, Emmett Cullen, if I see your hands going anywhere between her shoulders and knees while I am still like this, I will be forced to take immediate action." I warned him.

"Oh really?" Emmett had my stomach resting on his shoulder and released his hold on my legs so that I fell further down, tightening his grip again. "What exactly do you think you can do to me?"

I hit the back of his thigh with all of my might.

Jasper's feet came into my view, coming up behind Emmett. "Would you mind putting my girlfriend down please?"

The entire backyard began spinning as I was finally set back down on my feet, only to be pulled into a tight hug by Rosalie, and then finally into Jasper's arms.

"You know you're my favorite cousin, Alice." Emmett grinned.

"I'm your only cousin." I mumbled.

"But you're still my favorite." He winked, finally noticing Carlisle and Esme. "Hey, Dad, are you sure you're cooking that right? I don't want my meat undercooked like last time. You could practically hear them mooing with each bite."

Uncle Carlisle, normally so calm and unaffected, narrowed his eyes at his son. "Are you questioning the heat of my coals?"

Everyone, including Aunt Esme, burst into laughter. Hearing those words come out of Carlisle's mouth was completely unexpected and perfect. If there had been any tension before, it was now absolved.

Rosalie and I went inside with Aunt Esme and helped her with the drinks and desserts. We dipped some strawberries in two kinds of chocolates and set them out on trays to harden. I placed the trays in the refrigerator, noticing a bottle of champagne. Aunt Esme just winked at me and made her out back outside with a few glasses of lemonade.

When all of the food was prepared, we each filled a plate with what we wanted and settled ourselves all around the backyard. It felt comfortable and right, being surrounded by family and loved ones.

Nothing was forced. We laughed and joked, enjoying the time we had together. It was natural and relaxing, I'm sure everyone wished we had Edward and even Bella with us, but no one let it ruin our time together.

Soon the afternoon turned into evening, the sky darkening and the sun setting.

I made my way over to the gate across the yard and leaned against it. The sunset could be seen perfectly from where I was standing and I didn't want to miss it. At one point someone turned the twinkle lights placed around the house on. The gate that I was standing at lit up.

Glancing around me, I smiled. The lights were perfect touch.

"You know," Jasper's slight drawl murmured in my ear, "I can tell exactly what you're feeling." He had come up behind me, placing his hands on the gate on either side of me, his lips tickling my ear.

"Oh really," I teased.

He nodded his head, a playful glint in his eyes. "You are feeling that this is the perfect moment. With the sun setting in the background and the lights creating a glow all around us, you're wondering if it can get any better than this."

"Lucky guess." I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly, feigning my interest in his next words.

"You are also wondering how serious I am about you." He gently turned me around so that I was facing him now, bending down slightly so that he was eye level with me. "Why don't you tell me?"

It took me a second to register his words, my head foggy due to our proximity. My eyes glanced down to his hand that was now in front of him, something small and shiny placed in the palm. Upon closer inspection I saw that it was an engagement ring, the same ring I had noticed in a Tiffany's catalogue a few months back. It was a one carat princess cut ring with a diamond band.

He got down on one knee, a proud grin on his face and a few tears in his eyes. "You came into my life like a whirlwind. A little monster that has kept me on my toes from day one, and I wouldn't trade that for anything." He took my left hand in his. "It's only been a year, but I knew from the moment I met you one year ago that we were destined for each other. Will you, Mary Alice Brandon, marry me?"

Tears spilled down my cheeks as I nodded my head vigorously, not even needing to think about it. "Yes. Yes." My fingers trembled as he slid the ring into place and stood to his feet.

Pulling me into his arms, Jasper leaned down and just before his lips brushed against mine he whispered, "Thank you."

Thank you to everyone who has read this and the originals NOSTP, TFTST, and the new NOSTP Outtakes. I love this story and my characters so much and am thankful to everyone who has stuck with me through this journey. Thank you to rmcrms5 for betaing this series and to ysar for bidding on me in the past April Auction and coming up with this idea for the companion piece.

In case anyone didn't fully understand this chapter, this is set before Edward and Bella met in NOSTP. It's the story of how Alice and Jasper got engaged.

Tomorrow is the last day to bid for the Support Stacie Vampire Auction. So if you would like me to write something for you, stop by and bid on me. The link is in my profile (there's also a Special Offer that I think you'd be interested).

Mskathy has also put together a compilation to help those in Haiti. Check out her blog for the details: http://mskathyff[dot]blogspot[dot]