The Living Room - Mackenzie, Eva, Roman & Esme

He shuddered, she knew. He wasn't going to lie to her, if she asked outright he would tell her everything he knew and everything he suspected.

"Even then." He replied, looking across at Esme who was cleaning Edward's piano.

The shudder she felt run through him told her that her vision had been true - Anna had already told him. She pressed her face into his chest as her shoulders shook with tearless sobs. The pressure in her chest was so overwhelming she felt like it had taken over her entire body. "S-She's imprinted o-on him, hasn't she? I'm going to have to stand back and watch how she's drawn to him forever.." She shook her head, pulling back with wide eyes. "I.. I can't do that.." She looked towards the door - she was two seconds from bolting.

He held on to her shoulders tightly, knowing she was about to bolt. "Will you give me time to explain? I don't think it will be like that."

She looked up to him, biting her lip. She briefly thought about struggling and bolting anyway, but she couldn't do that to Carlisle. She nodded slowly, "Okay," she whispered. She was scared - she felt like she was losing the only man she'd ever love. The only that could make her stone cold heart feel like it was beating again.

"None of use are entirely sure of what imprinting means or does." He began. "Not even the wolves properly understand it, except for Sam who truly believes that it brought him to Emily." He moved Alice over to the sofa and sat her down. "The way I see it is this... Anna has the soul of Rachael, I believer her panther self has imprinted on Jasper to bring Rachael home to him, I don't think it has to mean a relationship." I paused as he stared at his beautiful daughter. "I personally think imprinting works in two ways, in Sam's case it gave him his soul mate, like Jasper is to you. But I think the other way it can work is to bring you someone you love, dearly, but for there to be no relationship... Am I making sense?"

She nodded to his question, but she wasn't sure she bought it. What if he was wrong? She remembered just earlier, the way Anna and Jasper had been sitting by the river. The way Anna was caressing Jasper's arm - caressing it the way she would. "I don't know, Carlisle.." she mumured, "the way she reacts to him sometimes."

He shook his head slightly and smiled. "How does he react?" He asked, knowing that Jasper did treat Anna differently, but there was still a line for him which he wouldn't cross.

Alice frowned for a moment, thinking of how Jasper reacted. "By the river, she was rubbing his arm..in a way I would, and he let her." Alice looked down with a deeper frown - how petty was she. "Not to mention that he has no problem touch her even when she's naked."

"Well I can't comment on that, is it not just a case of wrong place, wrong time?" Carlisle knew how much Jasper loved Alice and he knew that he would never leave her, but trying to help Alice see that was increasingly difficult. "She has imprinted on him, not the other way around... If vampires imprinted, then Jasper has with you."

She knew Jasper loved her - of that she had no doubt. She also knew that with imprinting, there was no choice. "He would never hurt Anna in anyway," she said softly, looking down. "Did you know that they kissed? I know that sounds petty, but for last few decades..he's only kissed me..only been with me. I told him we belong together, all he did was believe me. I.. I could've misread the vision." Her old thought came back, and now it seemed more likely than ever. "Maybe he wasn't meant to find me to be with me. Maybe I was meant to bring him to Anna."

"Oh, Pixie." He sighed, pulling her into his arms as he held her close to him. He didn't know what to say anymore, Alice had already made her mind up, there was no persuading her otherwise. "You know that I love you? And I will support you in any decision you make, no matter what."

Alice gladly accepted Carlisle's embrace, hugging him tightly. Her mind was indeed made up, and the only one that could prove her otherwise at this point was Jasper. She nodded to Carlisle, "Thank you. You know I love you, too." And she did. The man had been like a father to her and had then her and Jasper in many years ago when she'd been so lost.

"You never need to thank me, my darling. I'm just doing what a dad is supposed to do, because I love you all so very very much." He kissed her forehead and looked up at Esme. "You make our lives complete."

Alice couldn't help but smile. Carlisle always knew what to say. "I love you all, too, so much," she said softly, "I'm so glad that I found you all." She wondered where her life would be, had she not seen them in her future. "I wouldn't trade what my life has been since I've been here for anything, Carlisle."

Esme nodded in agreement. "You do Alice, you have made our lives and our family complete... We are so glad that you found us too. We love you so much" she smiled at her daughter. "We would not be without you"

Alice looked towards Esme, her smile softening as her mother spoke. Untangling herself from Carlisle, she moved to hug her - something she'd been wanting to do since her and Jasper had returned. "I've been wanting to do this since I stepped foot back in this house," she said softly, resting her head on Esme's shoulder. Her hugs gave her the comfort that only a mother could give.

Esme welcomed her daughter with wide, open arms and embraced her tightly as Alice hugged her.

"Why wait for so long sweetie?" She asked. "I missed you so much when you were away. The home really is not the same without you" - Her words were truthful and she pressed a soft kiss to the shock black hair that was spiking in her face.

"Talk to me, talk to your mom" she whispered, still holding her close.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "So many things have happened. And so fast," she sighed, hugging Esme slightly tighter, "I feel like I'm losing a handle on everything." She then looked up into her mother's gentle eyes. "Everyone says I won't but..I feel like I'm losing Jasper." She sighed, and rested her head against Esme's shoulder once more.

Esme pulled away a little and looked down into her pixie-like daughters huge amber eyes.

"You and Jasper are meant to be - You are soul mates Alice, you've even said that a thousand times youself. Hold him close, tug those reins. Show him how much he means. He loves you more than life itself." she whispered to her, saddened beyond belief that Alice was thinking like this.

"What if..what if there were complications?" she said, glancing to Carlisle for a moment. "Something that..maybe has the potential to take him from me." She hated thinking this way - hated that she doubted her future with Jasper. What would he think of her if he knew? "I feel threatened.. unsure of myself." She sighed, feeling sorry for herself. "I don't like it. It's not...me."

Esme coked her head to the side and studied her for a moment.

"What exactly have you seen? Alice?" she asked gently. Before adding. "And you know that Jasper knows that if he ever hurts you, I will personally, hunt him down and damage him" - she childed, trying to lighten the moment for her girl.

"Everything will be fine Alice, it'll work out. Because you and Jasper are soulmates... Perhaps he is going through something at the moment, or perhaps you both are?"

Alice looked back into her mother's eyes, biting her lip - she could never keep anything from her. She couldn't help but laugh softly at her words, knowing Esme would do anything to protect her from harm - physical or emotional.

"The day we got back, I saw them...together, and Jasper admitted that he kissed her," she whispered, "but then he told me she was his sister and we got over it." She took a quick glance at Carlisle before looking to Esme. "No one knows but Carlisle and I. I only know because I saw her tell him but..she's imprinted," she paused and bit her lip, "on Jasper." She shrugged slightly before continuing, "She acts different with him, and he lets her. I'm afraid it'll develop into something more before either of them realizes it."

Esme listened to Alice's tale, her eyes widening. She had known about the kiss - it was hard to keep every single thing a secret in a house full of Vampires with very sensitive hearing. She had also heard them making up, but didn't know of the rest.

She looked vexed.

Glancing at Carlisle she "Is Anna really Jaspers sibling? Can we prove this at all?" she asked.

She was confused.. What was Jasper doing? Did he realise how much he was hurting Alice?

"I think we had better talk to Anna - See what her feelings really are." She suggested, looking at Alice, almost asking permission to summon the newborn down to them. "Would you be okay with that?"

As Esme asked Carlisle her question, Alice gasped softly. She hadn't thought about the possibility that maybe Anna wasn't really Jasper's sister. The thought shook her.

When Esme spoke to her, she looked away. She didn't know if she was ready to face Anna and be civil just yet. But, nevertheless, she nodded slowly. "Yeah.. that would be fine," she said carefully, "but, if I can't handle it.. I'm sorry, Esme. I'll have to go. I can't risk saying something nasty to Anna and upsetting Jasper with me. Things are..rocky enough."

Esme nodded, squeezing Alices hand gently. "I understand... I think we really need to get to the bottom of this confusion though. I don't want bad vibes in our home. We will sort this once and for all. I can't bare to see you hurting."

She sent a quick look to Carlisle, getting his approval and she called out quietly, but knowing that Anna would hear her;

"Anna - Please come to me - I wish to speak with you for a moment"