Chapter Five
Memory Loss
Alice

"You know, you could just take me home, you don't have to come with me to get Cynthia." I told Edward as we drove through town trying to find the Deen home.

"I wanted to come, plus I want to meet Cynthia." Edward chuckled.

"Really?" I asked, a little surprised.

"Well of course, you've met my family, for the most part, and Cynthia is important to you, so I want to meet her." He smiled at me.

"That's right, I didn't get to meet Jasper." I smirked. "Doesn't seem very fair, I didn't get to meet all of your siblings and I only have the one..."

"I'm meeting your little sister and we are going to take care of her stomach bug." Edward spoke soundly, chuckling quietly.

"Why do you care so much?" I asked him seriously, my voice quiet.

"Because, Cynthia is important to you. She's a little girl who needs her big sister and for you to take such great care of her is very sweet and admirable Alice. You could've just had your mom or dad come and get her I'm sure, but you take the extra precaution to get her and take care of her yourself." Edward took my hand in his and kissed my fingertips.

"Yeah...my mom and dad are both...busy." I sighed deeply and he glanced at me with a concerned expression.

"Alice-"

"That's the house right there." I pointed out the large two story brick townhouse much like mine, effectively cutting Edward off.

He pulled into the drive and opened the car door for me. He took my hand in his as we walked to the front door and rang the bell.

"Oh!" Mrs. Deen's eyes went wide when she saw Edward standing with me.

"Hello Mrs. Deen." I greeted her, choosing to ignore her prying looks. "Is Cynthia ready to go?"

"Umm, yes, she's just getting the rest of her bag together." She spoke in a daze, eyes locked on Edward. "When did you two become...friends?"

"Alice and I are dating, we were actually spending time with my family before you called." Edward responded, keeping his expression happy but his voice tense.

"Alice." Cynthia groaned miserably, suddenly coming out of the door and folding herself into my side.

"Hey squirt, here let me take your bag." I slipped her backpack from her shoulder and Edward quietly took it from me.

I bent down to pick Cynthia up and I sat her on my hip, she happily buried her face into my neck and hair.

"Thank you Mrs. Deen, I'll see you on Monday." I smiled and headed back towards Edwards Volvo.

Edward opened the car door for me so I could set Cynthia in the seat and fasten her in.

"How are you feeling?" I cooed to Cynthia from the front passenger seat as Edward pulled out of the driveway.

"Awful." She groaned, fully looking at me and where we were for the first time. "Who are you?" She asked Edward, sounding more like her normal chatty self.

"My name is Edward Cullen." He smiled at her from over his shoulder.

"Edward Cullen? The Edward Cullen!" Cynthia exclaimed loudly. "Alice has a crush on you!"

"I do not Cynthia." I giggled, blushing.

"Yes you do! You told me!" She exclaimed and Edward started laughing.

"Can I tell you a secret Cynthia?" Edward asked and Cynthia nodded her head frantically.

"I have a crush on Alice too." He fake whispered.

"Well now that's not a secret!" Cynthia cried.

"Oh! How so?" Edward poked fun at her.

"Because now Alice knows too!" Cynthia huffed.

"Then I'll tell you an even better secret later, just remind me, okay?" Edward asked her, grinning beautifully.

"Okay!" She laughed. "We're going to keep a secret from you Alice!" She cheered, mocking me.

"Oh I doubt it will stay a secret very long." I giggled.

"I'll keep it from you for forever!" She promised me.

"Okay Cynthia." I giggled as Edward pulled into our driveway.

I helped Cynthia out of the car and Edward grabbed her bags for her, I tucked her into bed and headed back downstairs to find Edward looking at all of our old family pictures.

"Is this your mother?" Edward asked, pointing out my favorite picture of her.

"Yes." I smiled at the picture, remembering how beautiful she looked the day that I took it.

"She's very pretty, you look exactly like her." He complimented.

"Thank you, she's taller then me though and much more put together." I smirked.

"I can't wait to meet her." He smiled brightly at me and I immediately turned my back to him and went into the kitchen so he wouldn't see my expression.

Grief swelled in my heart and constricted my lungs, I fought for a foothold, feeling my head swim dizzily and my every thought flee from my mind.

"Alice, are you alright?" A bronze haired boy suddenly entered the kitchen behind me.

"Who are you?" I asked him, fear creeping through me at this strange man suddenly being so close to me.

"Alice, are you alright?" He asked me, concern clear on his face.

"A-Alice?" I questioned, my mind still not remembering anything.

"Alice do you know my name? Do you know your name?" He asked me worriedly, putting his hands on my shoulders.

His deep golden eyes dug into mine. It was like his soul was seeing mine, begging me to remember not only myself, but him as well.

"Edward." I sobbed and folded myself into his chest. "I was so scared, I didn't remember anything, I didn't even know my name." I cried.

"Shh, it's okay." He promised me, kissing the top of my head. "We can talk to Carlisle if you want too, maybe he has some sort of explanation."

"Yes, yes, we should talk to Carlisle, now." I grabbed Edwards hand and he let me drag him to his car.

"What about Cynthia?" He asked me.

"Wait for it." I told him and not even a minuet later my fathers police cruiser pulled into the drive.

"Alice, what are you doing?" Mark climbed from his car, a calm anger on his face.

"I told you I had a date today, Cynthia is upstairs, she's sick with a stomach bug but I think the worse of it has passed. See you tonight." I told him and Edward opened the car door for me.

"You're father was very upset with you." Edward told me as he pulled out of the drive and started towards his house.

"Yeah, he'll get over it." I giggled.

"He's very strict to you, isn't he?" Edward asked seriously and I nodded.

"Yeah, but it's fine, it doesn't really bother me."

"Alice-"

"No, it's fine I promise." I cut him off. "I'm much more concerned about my mental state right now then my fathers rules."

"Okay then." Edward sighed.

"It just not fair." I cried, shocking Edward completely. "Why me? Why was I the one the universe decided to screw over?" I spoke madly.

"Because it knew you were strong enough to conquer it." Edward responded soundly.

I sighed, then took a deep breath as I attempted to blink away the tears gathering in my eyes. "Hardly."

"You haven't given in yet." Edward spoke hopefully and I cringed.

"Actually..."

"Alice." Edward spoke my name grimly. "Please tell me that this is the first time this has happened to you."

"I was fourteen." I whispered.

Edward surprised me by pulling the car over to the side of the road suddenly, we had gone from 110 mph to zero in half a minuet.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked angrily, not angry at me, angry at what I had to go through.

"Because Edward, I'm ashamed." I admitted and, by the look on his face, sent Edward reeling. "As much as I seem in control, and as much as I seem put together, I'm not."

"Alice-"

"No Edward, I see the future, I already know what you're going to say! You're going to tell me that I am strong and confident. That I'm a wonderful, but misunderstood soul. You are going to tell me the nicest things I've ever heard anyone say in my life, and I can't handle that. I know who I am, what I am, I'm a freak. That's all I'm ever going to be." I cried, tears streaming down my face as I refused to meet Edwards eyes. "And if you're not prepared for that, then you should just take me back to my house now and spare me further heartache."

We sat in silence after my outburst.

I always do this. I always mess everything up by expecting them to go exactly like my visions. Edward is not my devoted follower, he's a vampire, he can't possibly care as much for me as I do for him.

"Alice, I'm sorry if this isn't what you want to hear..." Edward paused and I knew what was coming next, the heartbreak. "But I am never going to let you go."

I was stunned. That's not how I expected this conversation to go at all. He was suppose to leave me, not stay. I couldn't think of anything to say as his kind golden eyes looked lovingly at me.

"I love you Alice Brandon, I always will." He declared soundly.

"You're going to break my heart one day Cullen...and I'm going to let you." I smirked half-saddened and half-jubilant at the prolonging of our relationship.

"Say you love me too Alice, I can't bear it if you don't." He pleaded sadly.

"I love you Edward Anthony Cullen." I stated firmly, meaning every word.

Suddenly Edward kissed me, wrapping his arms around me tightly, and as his cold granite-like lips melted on to my warm soft ones I knew that no matter what happened I would always belong in his arms.