I took a deep breath to steady myself. Jacob had begun healing too quickly, and some of his bones had set wrong. He'd been out cold for the process, but it was still hard to think about.

"Alice, can I ask you a question? About the future?"

She was suddenly wary. "You know I don't see everything."

"It's not that, exactly. But you do see my future, sometimes. Why is that, do you think, when nothing else works on me? Not what Jane can do, or Edward or Aro . . ." My sentence trailed off with my interest level. My curiosity on this point was fleeting, heavily overshadowed by more pressing emotions.

"But still curious about it all the same," Carlisle said, looking thoughtful about what she had just asked. They had already discussed this once and came up with a reasonable explanation.

Alice, however, found the question very interesting. "Jasper, too, Bella - his talent works on your body just as well as it does on anyone else's. That's the difference, do you see it? Jasper's abilities affect the body physically. He really does calm your system down, or excite it. It's not an illusion. And I see visions of outcomes, not the reasons and thoughts behind the decisions that create them.

"That is interesting," Carlisle mused. He had never really put too much thought into how Alice had her visions. "I knew this of course, but it's fascinating to hear how you think of it."

It's outside the mind, not an illusion, either; reality, or at least one version of it. But Jane and Edward and Aro and Demetri - they work inside the mind. Jane only creates an illusion of pain. She doesn't really hurt your body, you only think you feel it.

"Not that that makes it hurt any less," Jasper muttered.

You see, Bella? You are safe inside your mind. No one can reach you there. It's no wonder that Aro was so curious about your future abilities."

Carlisle frowned at that, not liking the fact that he was just as interested as his old friend.

"You're not the same," Edward said in his hollow voice, his eyes not really looking at his father, just staring off into space. "You're just curious... he..." he stopped there, not really sure what to say and not really having the energy to try and think of something.

"Thanks, Edward," Carlisle smiled sadly at him. He didn't really need to say more than that. It meant a lot that he would even speak at the moment.

She watched my face to see if I was following her logic. In truth, her words had all started to run together, the syllables and sounds losing their meaning. I couldn't concentrate on them.

Still, I nodded. Trying to look like I got it.

She wasn't fooled.

"Of course not," Alice said. "I could probably see it in her eyes when she actually gets something."

She stroked my cheek and murmured, "He's going to be okay, Bella. I don't need a vision to know that. Are you ready to go?"

"One more thing. Can I ask you another question about the future? I don't want specifics, just an overview."

"I'll do my best," she said, doubtful again.

"Can you still see me becoming a vampire?"

Everyone frowned at the question and the implications that it had.

"Oh, that's easy. Sure, I do."

I nodded slowly.

She examined my face, her eyes unfathomable. "Don't you know your own mind, Bella?"

"I do. I just wanted to be sure."

"I'm only as sure as you are, Bella. You know that. If you were to change your mind, what I see would change . . . or disappear, in your case."

I sighed. "That isn't going to happen, though."

She put her arms around me. "I'm sorry. I can't really empathize. My first memory is of seeing Jasper's face in my future; I always knew that he was where my life was headed. But I can sympathize. I'm so sorry you have to choose between two good things."

"Good things?" Rosalie scoffed. "The mutt is not good."

"But the life she could have is," Emmett muttered, hoping that Edward wouldn't hear this, but of course he could.

"Right," Rosalie let out a breath.

I shook off her arms. "Don't feel sorry for me." There were people who deserved sympathy. I wasn't one of them. And there wasn't any choice to make - there was just breaking a good heart to attend to now. "I'll go deal with Charlie."

I drove my truck home, where Charlie was waiting just as suspiciously as Alice had expected.

"Hey, Bella. How was your shopping trip?" he greeted me when I walked into the kitchen.

He had his arms folded over his chest, his eyes on my face.

"Ah, a fighting stance... you better keep to your alibi," Emmett chuckled.

"Long," I said dully. "We just got back."

Charlie assessed my mood. "I guess you already heard about Jake, then?"

"Yes. The rest of the Cullens beat us home. Esme told us where Carlisle and Edward were."

"Are you okay?"

"Worried about Jake. As soon as I make dinner, I'm going down to La Push."

"I told you those motorcycles were dangerous. I hope this makes you realize that I wasn't kidding around."

"Motorcycles?" Emmett asked and then laughed. "Ah, his excuse...I guess that makes sense."