Twilight: But The Cullens Adopt a Gen Z Kid

Chapter Fifteen: Anxiety

It was November now, and even as the air in the Olympic Peninsula was already cold, the weather seemed to match the gloom that held my family's anxiety on a near constant basis. But on the bright side, Alice had seen an estimated time for when our unwelcome visitors would arrive.

"The day after Thanksgiving!" Alice exclaimed, bouncing from the stairs and into the living room. She had a large grin on her face in triumph, even despite the circumstances.

"Who all is coming?" Carlilse and Jasper sat at a long row of chess boards, playing a game according to the rules they created; Alice's outburst had brought their heads up to look at her, and Jasper flitted to Alice's side to take her small hand in his.

"Jane, Alec, Demetri, Felix, and unsurprisingly, Aro, Caius and Marcus. I see flitters and possibilities of a fight, but the future that is most clear is discussion. Checking in." Alice was still dazed off, her eyes far away as she held her mate's hand. "There's something that alters the course, a decision that changes plans. I can't... see." She groaned. "The wolves are playing with my sight again!"

"We need to remove them from the situation." Jasper said it like a statement, less of a question. When he spoke, tranquility filled the room, vanishing all traces of anxiety. I frowned at the thought of Leah not being around. Alice smiled.

"Thanks, Jazz." She inhaled a deep breath she didn't need. "And no, I'd rather not do that to Ness and Jace." She glanced at me, and I gave her a grateful smile.

"Do you know who makes the decision?" Carlilse asked, standing up from the chess game with intent eyes. At this point, Esme had flitted down the stairs to take her place beside him.

Alice shook her head. "It's someone I can't see... I'm getting- La Push." All eyes flitted to me.

I sat on the loveseat, reading Bella's copy of Wuthering Heights. It was falling apart and aged with dog eared pages and lines creased into the spine; she'd lent it to me after Edward said something to her about my newest interest in the classics. I had been paying attention, but still had the book open in my hands, looking up at them.

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Make any big decisions lately?" Alice asked me.

I shook my head. "No, you would know, wouldn't you?"

She frowned. "I wouldn't. Things have been so fuzzy." She blinked rapidly, as if something was in her eye. "And you've been around Leah so much, I hardly see you anymore."

"Okay, but what about Ness?" I glanced at her. "It could be her."

Alice shook her head. "No, I can't see Ness any more than I can see the wolves."

"Why..." I began. I didn't know how to ask. "Why can't you see with the wolves?"

"Carlilse's theory is that it's a defense mechanism. Hardwired into them at birth." Edward walked into the house then, joining the conversation and behind him, Emmett and Bella. They'd gone hunting.

I didn't understand. Why would they need a defense mechanism against Alice's vision?

Edward answered my unspoken question. "In nature, the wolves and our kind are enemies, right? It's an involuntary defense."

Esme spoke, changing the subject. "Why would the elders come if just to check on Renesmee?" Her soft voice rang with concern.

"Aro's not above seeing things for himself anymore. He's just as curious about Renesmee as he is about Alice." Carlilse answered her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

I brought the conversation back to the wolves, and realized that this had bothered me before. "But... Why? I mean, we work with them, right? Nessie and Jacob... it doesn't make sense." Leah and I... enemies? I couldn't imagine it.