Chapter Ten
July 4th, 2004
Alice

"Happy Birthday!" Bella and Jasper cheered as I entered the kitchen where they had been talking.

No one really celebrates their birthday in our family anymore, sure we wish them a happy birthday and our mates usually give us a gift anyway, but it's a not a big deal. Especially for me. I didn't even know my birthdate until the first one I spent with Edward after changing into a vampire. He always manages to surprise me with a very sweet and thoughtful gift, which I knew he was putting together right now. He always waits until the last minute so I won't see it and he left me early this morning with a "happy birthday" and a kiss goodbye.

"Thank you." I smiled, caught off guard. "Who told you?" I asked Bella.

"Edward, everyone's excited for it." Bella smiled.

"Umm...why?" I giggled.

"Because we have a surprise planned for you." Jasper smiled.

"A surprise? From the family? I thought the last one didn't go so well." I sighed.

"Yeah...it didn't." He sighed, looking absolutely tortured. "But you're a lot less breakable this time around." He chuckled.

"True." I giggled. "But why celebrate this birthday?"

"Because it's your tenth one with the Cullen's. A full decade of being reunited." Bella smiled happily.

"Okay..." I nodded, questioning my family members mental states for once instead of my own.

"Alice, just promise that you won't search the future to find out, okay? Edward is really serious about this surprise and ruining it would devastate him." Jasper pleaded with me.

"Okay, I won't look." I agreed.

"Great!" Bella smiled. "Come on, let's go up to your bedroom. Esme and Rosalie should be ready by now."

I followed Bella up the stairs to mine and Edwards room. When she opened the door, I was met with the smiling faces of my mother and sister.

Esme was dressed in a gorgeous forest green dress that was uniquely early 1900s era inspired. Rosalie was in the same color, but she was wearing a long gown that was practically straight from her party days in the 1930s.

"Happy birthday!" They both exclaimed happily.

"Thank you." I smiled, still creeped out by the sudden care of one insignificant date.

"Come over here sweetheart. I'll do your makeup while Rosalie does your hair. Then we'll get you into your dress." Esme smiled, having me sit at my vanity.

"So, I'm the Barbie doll this time huh?" I giggled and they laughed too.

"Payback." Bella laughed and I couldn't help but copy her.

An hour later my hair was somehow perfectly straightened and framing my face, thanks to Esme's unknown hairdressing skills, and I had light makeup on to highlight my eyes and high cheekbones.

"Okay, time for the dress!" Rosalie clapped and went into my walk in closet. She came back with a large black dress bag that I recognized immediately.

"That's been at the back of the closet forever." I commented, not knowing what was in it. Edward said that it was from my human life and I've always just left it alone, though we move it with us from house to house for some odd reason. "I've never even looked at what's inside."

"Well, you've had it for a very long time. You just didn't know you did. I've made some alterations to it recently and I know you're going to love it!" Rosalie smiled as she hung up the bag and unzipped it, allowing me to see the dress.

Surprisingly, it was a gorgeous white dress with no sleeves, a silk bodice, and a tutu-like skirt that flared dramatically around me. Esme and Rosalie helped me into it and as I stood in front of the mirror, I couldn't help but think that I looked just like a ballerina.

"Absolutely beautiful." Esme smiled hugging my side tightly as all of us girls stood around admiring the dress.

"You really think so?" I asked absentmindedly.

"Of course Alice!" Esme cried and I realized I had made an awful mistake by saying that.

"We have presents for you Alice." Bella stepped forward, now wearing her own green dress, and handed me three little boxes.

I sat down at the vanity and opened them carefully. The first one held a set of pearls and matching earrings which Esme said were from her and Carlisle. "A new set of pearls for a new year", supposedly. Bella got me a set of blue pins from her and Jasper that Esme quickly pinned into the back of my dress. Finally Rosalie gave me a diamond anklet that she said she had bought for me when I was human and she had never been able to give it to me until now. I thanked them all profusely and asked if I could wear the pearls and anklets with the dress. Both Esme and Rosalie nodded happily and helped me put on the items.

"They really are beautiful, thank you all." I smiled and hugged my mother and dear sisters.

"Oh of course Alice!" Esme smiled brightly and absentmindedly played with my hair and face.

"Are you alright mom?" I asked her seriously.

"I'm perfectly fine sweetheart. You just look so beautiful, I love you so much." She smiled and hugged me tightly.

"I love you too." I promised her,

"I need to go downstairs now, I'll see you soon." She told me and kissed my cheek before exiting the room.

"Is she really okay?" I asked Rosalie.

"She's fine Alice, just a little emotional is all." Rosalie smiled, acting a little emotional herself.

"Okay, seriously, is there something I don't know about going on here? Oh my god...Edward? Is he okay? Is everyone just being nice to me because he's hurt? Or is he, d-no, no he can't be dead!" I panicked and Rosalie rushed to calm me down.

"Edward is perfectly okay Alice!" She snapped and I relaxed instantly. "I actually want to talk to you about him." She sighed and took a deep breath before speaking again.

"I haven't been the most supporting person in your life Alice, and I want to apologize for the way that I've treated you." Rosalie sighed.

"Rose, I don't remember any of that." I shook my head, not wanting her to apologize for unknown events.

"But I'm still not supporting you Alice! I've always been adamant that you and Edward can't be mates and I feel awful about the things I've said. Now I see how wrong I was." She smiled brightly. "Alice, Edward loves you more than anything else in this world. He literally only exist for you! You both are stronger together but you're somehow able to survive being apart and I've never seen that in any other couple I've ever met before. I'm so sorry for not believing in you."

"It's alright Rosalie." I smiled. "I've always known that one day you would come to accept me, so I've been pretty patient with you." I giggled.

"But Edward hasn't." Rosalie sighed guiltily.

"Because he can't see the future like I can. I live in two different times so I can always go into the future and relish the good memories there." I laughed.

"That's beautiful Alice." Bella smiled happily at my description.

"It's the truth." I smiled back, pausing just a moment to re-view the vision of Bella being a vampire and loving me like a true sister.

"Girls, it's time." Carlisle suddenly knocked at the door.

"We'll see you soon Alice." Rosalie smiled and hugged me quickly before she and Bella left the room.

"Stunning, an absolute vision." Carlisle smiled at me brightly from the doorway.

"You really think so." I laughed, posing.

"Absolutely." He smiled warmly and took my hand, having me spin in a slow circle. "Are you ready Alice?" He asked.

"Ready for something I don't know is happening? Not the best question to ask a seer." I giggled and he mimicked me. "But yes, I suppose I'm ready."

He took my hand in his and led me down the stairs and stopped us at the backdoor. He repositioned my hand by putting it up on his arm just as Esme suddenly pinned something in the back of my hair. It was a long white piece of fabric that stopped right as it met the tulle at my waist. I was just about to ask what the hell was going on when suddenly the back doors opened.

A wave of people suddenly stood up from their seats and turned back to look at me and I froze immediately. The backyard was completely transformed. There were long white benches where the people were sitting and a aisle made out of white flowers. Everything was decorated in white from the accents to the lanterns hung in the trees overhead. I was completely and utterly shocked by what I thought this was.

"Is this-"

"Your wedding." Carlisle nodded happily. "Mary Alice Cullen, are you going to accept Edward Cullen's proposal?"