Chapter Twenty Five
Meant to Be
Edward

Thirteen months without Alice was indescribable. It was complete agony to be away from her and everyday I battled with myself wether or not to return to her.

I couldn't go back, I couldn't put her back in danger, I would never forgive myself if something happened to her because of me.

So, in trying to rid her from my thoughts, I travelled south and joined in the vampire wars. I became a very skilled fighter and travelled from place to place, destroying entire armies at a time.

The evidence of those battles are now carved into my flesh for the rest of my existence, awful horrible scars that made Rosalie scream the first time she saw me after I came home.

My family tries to help me, especially Emmett, although I know they resent me for making them leave Alice.

"Edward." Carlisle knocked at my bedroom door and opened it. "The Volturi is throwing a ball and every vampire is invited. We are going, it would be rude to turn down his invitation and I do not want us to earn a spot on his bad side." Carlisle informed me. "Get packed, we're leaving in ten minuets."

I packed quickly and lightly, headed out to my Volvo, and began loading everyone else's luggage into the trunk. I climbed in the drivers seat and practically choked when I caught a whiff of Alice's lavender scent.

"Are you alright son?" Carlisle asked, getting into the passenger seat as my siblings piled into the backseat.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I sighed and started the car.

After finally arriving in Volterra, we were quickly shown to our temporary rooms by Jane. We changed into our evening clothes and headed down to the ballroom where very few vampires were gathered into small groups.

The night soon picked up however, and soon there was a large crowd of vampires all dancing and talking happily. Carlisle and I stood on the outside however, choosing to watch.

I noticed a warm looking caramel headed woman dressed in an elegant black gown talking happily with Aro. I thought the contrast between them was striking. The woman was so kind seeming, very gentle and motherly. Aro was monstrous in appearance and thoughts. He was currently thinking about how well the woman's 'daughter' would fit into his top guard.

The song suddenly changed into a waltz and the dancing couples glided apart, revealing a large empty space in the crowd where a small girl stood in the middle of the floor.

She beamed widely at me and ran across the dance floor to throw her arms around my neck, shocking both Carlisle and myself.

"Oh! I thought I would never find you!" She cheered happily and dropped back onto her feet elegantly.

She was small in the extreme, barely standing five feet tall in her emerald green heels and matching tight emerald green dress. Her black hair was cropped short and straitened down into a pixie cut. She was gorgeous and her honey golden eyes shinned as she happily looked up at me in absolute wonder.

"Do you even realize how long I've been chasing after you?" She giggled and suddenly I realized exactly who this tiny girl was.

"Alice!" I exclaimed and wrapped her up into my arms tightly.

"Edward!" She giggled and wrapped her arms around my neck lovingly. "Wait." She huffed and dropped back down to her feet. "How do you know my name?" She asked.

"What? What are you-"

"Hold that thought." She put her finger up into the air as the caramel headed woman I saw earlier suddenly tackled her into a hug.

"Alice! You had me scared half to death!" She scolded Alice. "I told you not to wander off, you don't know what some of these vampires would do to get you." She sighed worriedly.

"Mom." Alice laughed, surprising me. "I'm fine, I just had some friends I needed to see." Alice giggled happily and spun out of the woman's arms.

"Carlisle Cullen, meet Esme Platt. Mom, this is Carlisle." Alice introduced them and I couldn't ignore the way they both seemingly melted after looking into each others eyes. "Congratulations! You're mates!" Alice cheered excitedly.

"What? Alice why didn't you tell me?" Esme asked.

"I need a surprise every once in while as much as everyone else does." Alice shrugged and giggled happily. "You should ask her for a dance." Alice fake whispered to Carlisle.

"W-would you like too...?" Carlisle offered awkwardly and Esme nodded, seemingly dazed and sent Alice a dirty look before taking Carlisles arm and heading out onto the dance floor.

Alice turned back to me then. "Okay, now continue. How do you know my name?" She asked.

"Alice, I've known you for almost two years now." I told her, confused by her strange attitude.

"R-really?" She stuttered, placing a hand to her forehead, looking just as confused as I felt.

Don't remember...I heard a slight clip from Alice's mind.

"What was that?" I asked.

"Oh!" She perked up. "I forgot about your whole mind reading thing there for a second." She giggled. "Um...did we know each other when I was human?" She asked.

"Yes, yes we did." I nodded, still not understanding her.

"Oh, well you see, that's the problem." She sighed.

"What's the problem?" I asked.

"I don't remember anything from my human life." She smiled brightly and my mind momentarily shut down.

"Alice?!" Rosalie suddenly had her wrapped tightly in her arms. "What are you doing here?" Rosalie screeched happily.

"Well, I had to come find all of you of course." Alice giggled as Rosalie let her ago and Emmett swept her up high into his arms.

"My little sister!" He cheered and swung her around, just like he did the first day he met her.

"Emmett!" Alice giggled happily as he set her back onto to her feet.

I couldn't move. Alice doesn't remember anything from her human life. She doesn't remember her family, her entire life, ...she doesn't remember us.

Our first meeting, our kisses and playful jokes, all of that is gone and irrelevant to her. Everything that I've been holding onto this long year, she had no inkling we had ever even been together.

"Edward, are you alright?" Carlisle asked, returning from his dance with Esme.

"Alice doesn't remember anything from her human life." I spit out quickly and my family members froze in shock.

"Maybe we should go talk upstairs." Carlisle spoke in a daze, offering Esme his arm and leading both her and Alice up to our room as me and my siblings followed.

We all took a seat, Alice choosing to sit close beside me on the couch.

"Alice, what is the very first thing that you remember?" Carlisle asked her calmly.

Alice's expression looked a little troubled and her thoughts were scattered as she looked to Esme.

"It's alright dear, you've said it yourself, the Cullen's are family, they aren't going to hurt us." Esme smiled reassuringly at her.

Alice took a deep breath and shut her eyes tightly.

"Sunlight." She answered and opened her eyes. "I was alone when I awoke. I was alone and in a field and I didn't know my name or what had happened to me."

"Oh, sweetheart." Carlisle sighed sadly. "You must've been so scared."

"I was at first." She nodded. "But then I had a vision of finding Edward. He called me Alice and so I knew my name and that I had to find him." She smiled up at me and I couldn't help but smile back.

"And then you found her?" Carlisle asked Esme.

"Oh no! No, Alice found me." Esme laughed. "I'd been traveling since I left my coven a few decades ago and ran across Alice one day. Of course she had seen of a vision of me and had been looking for me for a month. I've sorta adopted her since then, right honey?" Esme smiled lovingly at Alice.

"Yep!" Alice giggled delightfully. "I saw Esme being Carlisles mate and wanted to find her before coming here." She explained.

"Alice, do you really not remember anything? Nothing about your life? Your family? Us?" I asked her desperately.

She panicked a little at my obsessive behavior, I had managed to scare her just like I scare everyone else now. Seeing that brief flash of fear cross her face killed me and I put my head into my hands as I let my guilt course through me.

"It's okay." Alice spoke gently, looping her arm through mine. "I don't remember anything, no, but it will be okay. We can still be together." She spoke hopefully. "Or...if you don't want me-"

My head shot up then at hearing the defeat and overwhelming grief in her voice and I wrapped my arms around her tightly.

"Of course I want you, silly girl." I laughed in relief and she buried herself into me happily.

We can handle this. Her not remembering her human life doesn't mean anything, we can make new memories, I'm sure that the old ones will haunt me, but none of that matters as long as she still wants me.

The only thing that matters is that Alice and I are meant to be.