Lay down,
your sweet and weary head.
Night is falling.
You have come to journey's end.

Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see.
All of your fears will pass away.
Safe in my arms,
you're only sleeping.

It was my fault of course. The state of my family. It was all on me.

Me and that damn paper cut.

If I had been able to restrain myself, like the rest of them, we wouldn't be in this situation at all. We would have never left Forks, Edward wouldn't have run off, and the whole lot of us wouldn't be so depressed I felt like I couldn't breathe.

And yet, here we were. Here I was, standing in my and Alice's room in the guest house in Denali, looking out the window and trying to concentrate on forcing my family to be calm. To be at peace.

And I just couldn't do it. My own emotional state was far too ravaged, between the guilt and the shame and just the despair that clutched at my soul. I tried. God, I tried so hard to be there for my Alice and my mother and the others, but I just wasn't strong enough.

Carlisle was hunting with Eleazar, Rose and Emmett were skiing, and Edward was still gone. It was just me and Alice and Esme in the house, and even then, I couldn't do a thing about their pain.

I thumped my head against the window, scrunching my eyes and trying to push the emotions out, make them spread throughout the house and seep into Esme. But all I could feel was her pain … still. I sighed loudly and slammed a fist against the wall, sending a thick crack all the way up to the ceiling.

I heard Esme pause in her chores and I winced. She didn't need any more burdens. I was so focused on her, trying to get a better read of her emotions, that I didn't hear Alice approach until she spoke.

"Emmett and Rosalie will be home today."

I turned at her voice, surprised. "Oh? You saw it?"

She laughed, a thousand silver bells ringing from her lips.

"Yes, but she also called a couple days ago."

"You didn't tell me." It wasn't an accusation or a question. Just a statement. Though, I couldn't see why she wouldn't tell me. That's when I picked up on her apprehension.

"Alice," I said, moving closer to her, taking her hands in mine. "What's wrong? Why are they coming?"

She looked up at me with pleading eyes, like she was about to confess something. I rubbed circles into the backs of her hands, but refrained from calming her. With her, I used my gift sparingly.

"I asked them to come home," she admitted slowly.

"Do you miss them already?" I teased. They'd only been gone a few weeks.

"Of course, but that's not why I called." She glanced at the floor and took a deep breath that she didn't need. She met my eyes again.

"I called for you."

I sighed and took my turn at looking at the floor. I would never admit it (not even to her), but I had been hoping they'd return soon. And Alice … my Alice always knew what I needed.

"I just thought you might need your sister is all," she went on gently. I glanced up at her and felt nothing but concern and love pouring off of her. She held my hands tighter and leaned in closer.

"She's going to help you," she whispered, smiling at just the thought.

I ducked my head again, knowing that it was hard for her to do this and feeling sorry that I couldn't be strong enough for her.

"Alice, you didn't have –"

She put her hand to my mouth, silencing me.

"Yes, I did."

I started to argue, but she shook her little head and she smiled as brightly as she could manage.

"It's ok, Jazz," she whispered. "I know that I can't … that I can't be everything for you. Even if that's all I ever wanted."

My heart ached for her. For us. Couldn't she see that it wasn't her? It wasn't her fault that I was too broken for her. She never stood a chance against all my demons.

"I love you," I told her softly. And her smile finally reached her eyes and she stood up on her toes and I leaned down the rest of the way. When our lips met, it was full of apologies that weren't necessary and promises that would never be enough.

She hugged me tight and then whispered in my ear before she ran off down the stairs to Esme.

"They'll be here within the hour."

We both knew that she really meant "she."

And sure enough, exactly 52 minutes later, "she" appeared.

I was in the exact same spot as before, my forehead resting against the glass of the window, my eyes shut and my breathing as steady as I could manage.

I felt her first. With Rosalie, that was always the case. She was a force to be reckoned with and all of her emotions were bold and dramatic. If I could feel Alice more strongly because of our bond, then I could feel Rosalie just because of her sheer force.

"They're worried about you," she said calmly. I sighed.

"I know," I bit out, frustrated. "But I don't know what to do. I try and I just can't do it and –"

"Jazz." Her voice was melodic and severe all at once. She wanted me to shut up and I'd learned not to argue.

She's determined right now. And confident. And she loves me fiercely. It's staggering. She's staggering. But then, she always was.

Edward says she's cold, but I think deep down he knows better. After all, once upon a time, it was him on the other end of her devotion and she loved him more than anyone. With Emmett, there was no cause to keep herself in check.

Rosalie Hale never did anything small.

So, with me, she never held herself back. She realized early on that even if she tried, I'd eventually see through it, so there was no point. She unabashedly let me in, letting me bask in her courage and cringe at her vanity. It was all her, the good and the bad. But, mostly it was good. With me, at least.

She stepped forward and reached out a perfectly manicured hand to my brow, where she touched that damn scar above my eyebrow (it was a favorite amongst the women in the family).

"You don't look good," she said firmly, concern coiling its way through her.

I leaned against the window, letting my shoulders slump out of their constant rigidity. She swept my hair back off of my forehead.

"I should have come sooner."

"It's not your job to take care of me," I told her softly.

"It's not your job to take care of all of us, either. But you do it. When you can"

I sighed and held my head in my hands.

"I'm just not strong enough!" I shouted in frustration. "I don't have enough in me to deal with all of this when all I can think about is how it's all my fault to begin with! I can't do anything to help them!"

I immediately felt guilty for my outburst. Esme had probably heard. Alice, too. Why was I so selfish?

Rosalie looked at me for a few seconds and then I felt it. A wave of resolve hit me forcefully, followed quickly by reassurance. I breathed it in, relishing in it. And then I felt her confidence and her absolute faith in me. I let out a shaky breath, overwhelmed by her.

She crossed one leg over the other and then sank gracefully down to the floor, where she sat with her legs crossed in front of her, her back perfectly straight, and her hands held out to me.

I could feel her strength pulsing off of her. She was offering it to me. The relief that swept through me almost made me light-headed.

I heard the backdoor slam before I felt it. A sharp spurt of jealousy. It startled me and I glanced out the window behind me to see Alice running out into the forest, dragging Emmett behind her. It was followed by a quick spasm of guilt and shame. I longed to follow her but knew that she wouldn't want me to.

So instead, I took Rosalie's hands and sank to the floor in front of her, closing my eyes and trying to focus only on what she was feeling. She was fearless in her determination. It was like she was trying to force me to be stronger, to be better. She was trying to raise me up with her, even if she had to carry me the whole way. She was holding me together with all her might, knowing that if she just held on tight enough, I'd eventually be able to break free on my own.

"You can do it, Jazz," she whispers fiercely, squeezing my hands and sending me another wave of confidence. "We can do it together."

I breathe her in and she's all I can see. An unbreakable tower in a violent ocean, holding me up when I can't swim anymore. Holding us all up, in her little arms. And she never wavers and never sways.

Edward says she's cold, but really she's just making sure we all get out alive. Someone has to be the steady one, and she's the best actress. It's not that she doesn't care, it's that someone has to stay strong and remind us that we're still a family and that we still have lives to lead. A story to keep up.

I take a deep breath and when I exhale, I let the relief I feel flow out of me. And I can feel her pride.

"That's it, look at you!" she encourages. Another breath and another wave of relief.

"Oh, you're doing it! You're doing so good, Jazz, so good!"

Her adoration is like the sun and I bask in her warmth. Breathe in, breathe out. Calm pours out of me. And hope.

"You're wonderful, Jazz. Keep going!"

I can do it. I can fix my family. Rosalie showed me how. Carlisle showed us both.

"I can feel it. You've got it now! Look how good you are!"

She should've been a cheerleader. What I wouldn't give to just have her with me all of the time, telling me how wonderful I am. How wonderful we all are.

I love Alice the most, but she's not who I want to be when I grow up.

I'm so focused on her and me and I'm doing so good, that I don't even feel Esme until she's touching my face. I keep my eyes shut tight, so afraid of losing it. She's running her hand across my forehead, down my cheek, through my hair.

"You're doing beautifully, darling."

My chest tightens and my throat feels small, but I hold onto Rosalie even tighter. Esme is rubbing my shoulders now and her little hands are resting on my back. Rose reaches out, breaking our grasp, and she's leaning me back into my mother's arms. Esme easily supports my weight and lays me gently on the floor.

I don't open my eyes. I just hold their hands and soak up their love. My sister and my mother.

"Rest, my darling," Esme whispers and then she's kissing my forehead and I want to cry.

But then there is a ray of happiness that outshines everything (everyone) else in the room. It's so strong that it's almost too much, and it's followed by an absolute onslaught of devotion and love.

Alice.

I'm so lost in all of the emotions that I don't even notice the others leave until I feel her on me, her tiny legs on either side of my long frame and her head crushed into my chest. Her little hands wind their way under my back and she clutches me so tight and God, I could never love anything more.

I take a deep breath and slowly crack my eyes open, willing myself to hold onto this newfound strength, this courage.

I can do it.

She's looking at me now, her chin resting on my chest and her eyes bright. She's giddy.

"You did it," she whispers excitedly.

I nod and reach up to touch her face. Her beautiful face.

"It's because of you," I tell her softly.

She shakes her head against my chest, her hair tickling my chin.

"I wish I was stronger for you," she says against my shirt.

"No, Alice," I tell her firmly. I grab her chin in my hand and force her to look at me. "You are my whole life. My everything."

She smiles, but looks thoughtful.

"What about Rosalie?"

I smile then and play with her hair.

"She's my Edward, love. She's my sister and she's my best friend. But, she can't touch you."

Alice giggles then and snuggles into my neck.

"No one can touch you."

Author's Note: This story, particularly my vision of Rosalie and her role in the family / relationship with Jasper, was heavily influenced by Gossip Girl, of all things. lol. To me, I see Rosalie as Old Serena -- she has her downfalls, but she is also fiercely loyal and loving to those she cares about. The episode "Bad News Blair" inspired the interactions between Jasper and Rosalie.

The line "I love Alice the most but she's not who I want to be when I grow up" was lovingly stolen from my favorite TWoP recapper, Jacob, who just happens to recap my favorite show, Gossip Girl. He inspires me to write and I encourage everyone to read his stuff.

Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed the first part. It really encouraged me to write this part. I'll probably continue this story, writing about snippets of the Cullens' time away from Forks in New Moon.