I watched the scenery fly past through the tinted windows as Jasper took us south. Oregon had given way to California sometime before sunrise, and the signs I managed to catch as we sped by now contained ever shrinking numbers for Los Angeles.

I tried not to think about the last eighteen hours, or about what Edward must be doing right now, trying to distract the tracker while Alice and Jasper rushed me into hiding in Phoenix. I tried not to think about the danger I had put everyone in, or how badly this could go before it was over, all because of me and my stupid smell.

A question occurred to me suddenly. It seemed like the source of all my problems since I'd arrived in Forks, and I knew that Edward would never answer this question for me. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was safe to bring up in this small, enclosed space as we sped down the highway. A moment later I realized that I had already trusted my life to these two in every way imaginable anyway, and decided to risk it.

"Alice?" I asked, and she turned from the window to look at me, her expression concerned. "I was wondering if I could ask you…" I trailed off, starting to lose my nerve.

Her eyebrows drew together. "Bella, you can ask me anything, of course," she said, though I could see that she regretted the phrase a moment later – I could ask her anything Edward wouldn't object to, of course. I wondered which category this would fall into.

"Well, I was wondering… What do I smell like? To you, I mean?"

She cocked her head to the side, as though she were examining me, pondering me. "Pie," she chirped quite suddenly after a moment, and then somehow managed to look embarrassed. Jasper turned quickly to look at her over his shoulder, as though gauging her reaction, and then turned back to the road without looking at me.

"I smell like pie?" I asked. I could feel my forehead crinkling in confusion. I leaned down and tried to sniff my shoulder discreetly.

"Well not literally…" she started, looking down at her hands. With shock I realized she actually was embarrassed. "Bella, you know that I don't really have memories of my human life. But I have… impressions, I guess. Of home, and of returning home, late at night, to a smell that meant treats and warmth and love…" She trailed off, looking out the window again. "I don't actually remember that smell, but that's what I associate your smell with," she finished softly.

In the front seat, Jasper was nodding his head slowly. "I remember the smell of pie, and you're actually not that far off." I couldn't tell if he was referring to me or Alice with that you. "It's the smell of… home cooking, of that special thing that only your mom knows how to make just right." He glanced at me in the rear view mirror. "I never really thought about it, but you do smell like pie."

I could feel myself beginning to blush. "Oh," was all I could manage.