Chapter Two
Taking Sides
Carlisle

I was sitting in the living room, reclining on the couch and trying to process the day's events when I heard Alice's door crack open and her light footsteps come dancing down the stairs.

"Why is everyone so mad at me?" She asked from the doorway, her voice light and airy.

I looked towards her as she came and sat next to me on the couch, propping her head up with her hand daintily. I couldn't help myself but to sigh at the sight of such a sad pout on her beautiful face.

"No one is mad at you Alice." I said calmly, hoping desperately that she would believe me.

"Yes they are." she huffed. "Jasper and Rosalie and Emmett and...Edward." sadness washed over her face and my jaw tensed at the sight, it is lucky for Edward he is out hunting.

"Jasper is just confused by what's happening, he needs time to figure everything out. He has a lot to deal with but he'll come around. I doubt he really meant what he said about you and Edwards relationship." I smiled. "After all it's meant to be. Right?"

Alice gave a small smile then, I had used her favorite phrase. Even though I'm sure she doesn't remember, she loved saying it as a human as well. It's nice to hear and see little pieces of her human life slip into her vampire existence. I'm sure she was thinking over her future friendship with Bella as well, she has only ever wanted a friend and now she finally has one...even if Bella doesn't know her yet.

"Rosalie." I sighed deeply, not really understanding my oldest daughters mindset. "Well you know what she's like and Emmett is siding with her to make his own life easier. You know he loves you, I know he must be in such turmoil after seeing his little sister so upset."

"What did she mean when she said that she 'won't stand for our lives to be uprooted again because of some stupid human girl'? Was I really that much of a nuisance?" Alice asked.

"Do you really want to know?" I asked surprisingly. Alice never wants to hear of her human life, never.

She nodded apprehensively, so I decided to only tell her the basics.

"Rosalie was very...unnerved by your presence in the house. She saw you as a liability more than her brothers mate. While you did cause us to become a little, well, shaken, we all quickly came to love you very deeply. I couldn't imagine not having you here with us, well I guess I can, but it's something I never want to happen again." I told her.

"Do you-" Alice started to ask a question but stopped suddenly.

"Go ahead Alice." I urged her softly, wondering what brought on this sudden bout of curiosity for her human life.

"Do you think that I'm going to forget again?" She asked quietly, fear creeping into her voice.

"Oh Alice." I sighed and wrapped my arms around her quickly. "No sweetheart, I'm not going to let that happen to you ever again." I promised her.

"But you don't know!" She sobbed. "It's happened before it can happen again!"

"I truly believe that your mind just couldn't handle the pressure of your human memories and so your gift wiped your mind clean as you entered this life. I do not believe you will experience memory loss like that ever again." I told her, using my most soothing and authoritative tone.

"Okay." She nodded, seeming a little more relieved. "But, Edward was so upset..."

"Alice he couldn't be mad at you even if he wanted to be." I smiled reassuringly. "He loves you far too much to mean what he said. He was only trying to make his hurt known to Jasper, he didn't really mean that he wants to prevent another 'incident' like you, sweetheart." I wrapped my arms around her tighter.

"He's mad I didn't side with him. I didn't stand up for our family in his eyes." She mumbled.

"No Alice, he made his decision based on his old life, his time spent in the vampire wars, he thought he was doing the right thing to protect us by standing against Jasper. He just needs some time to work through this and realise he was wrong." I told her softly.

Alice stared at her hands for a while before speaking.

"He didn't even ask if I wanted to go hunting with him." she mumbled dejectedly.

"I told everyone to go and give you some space to think. I wanted to talk to you alone." I sighed, trying to make her feel better.

"But he always asks, even if I only went hunting earlier that day. I told you he's mad at me." She sobbed.

Oh to be a human father, I thought longingly.

What I wouldn't give to be able to side with my sweet little daughter right now. I could tell her all of the normal clichés of how she was better off without him, he wasn't worth crying over, and she could do better.

That way I could make Edward pay for hurting my little girl.

Unfortunately I can not do that because I am Edward's father as well and I have to look at this from both sides. I've known Edward a lot longer than I've known Alice, but I understand how they both think perfectly.

I am fairly certain that Edward is going to be avoiding Alice because he feels as if he has let her down by threatening to kill the first real friend Alice has ever had. I know they'll work things out very quickly however, they always do. There is never any visual turmoil in their existence together, besides Edward being haunted by his past mistakes.

Seeing Alice in such turmoil after a hateful comment, I'm afraid to think of what she was like after we left her right after her eighteenth birthday, right after she had married Edward.

I ran my hand through her short black hair just once, sighing at the memories of the curly long raven haired girl I knew and the strong pixie-cut wearing woman sobbing into my shoulder.

All I can do is hug her tighter and try to reassure her until Edward gets home.

"You know you'll work through this and be stronger because of it. You can talk when he gets back and by tomorrow it will all be forgotten." I told her, meaning every word.

"I know that." Alice said leaning into me "I just don't like him being upset with me."

"Oh Alice no one can stay upset with you for long." I chuckled.

She giggled a little, sending a jolt of happiness through my un-beating heart.

"For what it's worth." I continued, sitting up so I could look her in her eyes. "I'm very proud of you Alice, for standing up for what you believe in." I smiled at her "And for getting Rosalie to change her mind, she wouldn't have listened to me."

Alice deflated again with a sigh and I hugged her tightly "Everything will be fine Alice. You know it will."

"I just wish he'd come home." She whispered.

"He will." I reassured her again trying to think of something to take her mind off Edward. "How much have you seen of Bella?" I asked curiously.

She grinned happily at me, this was obviously a good subject change.

"Not much. With Jasper unwilling to just admit how he feels some things are still hazy, uncertain."

"So many years and he's finally found his mate, only for her to be a human who's blood is almost unbearably tempting to him."

Alice rolled her eyes "Yeah, Rosalie was right, it's very typically Jasper." Her face fell again "I know he's mad with what I saw but I can't help it, it's not like I can always help what I see."

"I know Alice." I said with a smile. "Jasper will come to terms with everything. You just need to learn to be patient."

Alice bit her lip guiltily "Yeah it's hard waiting for things to happen sometimes."

"Alice for someone who can see everything's going to work out you worry far too much." I laughed happily.

Letting forth a giggle Alice sat up and hugged me tightly. "Thanks Daddy." She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before hopping up and heading for the stairs.

"Where are you off?" I chuckled.

She bit her lip "Edward will be home in five minutes, I need to change so it doesn't look like I've been moping all night."

I shook my head, smiling to myself as Alice disappeared, as much as I love her I really find her difficult to understand at times.