D sharp

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. I also do not own the piece Midnight Summers if such piece exists.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is basically just a story about Rosalie and Bella bonding together. There are some facts I'm not certain about such as whether vampires take showers or if there really is a piano piece called Midnight Summers. I apologise to those who understand music if the note sequences I have used don't make sense. Like Bella, I am not a musical person.

Rosalie stepped out of the shower to find that Bella was not in Edward's room where she had last been. Almost as soon as she turned, she heard a low note resounding from the downstairs lounge. Rosalie tossed a towel over her wet hair as she descended down the marble staircase.

As she had predicted, Bella was seated at Edward's grand piano, her fingers paused on the smooth keys as she leaned over and frowned at a complicated page of music before her. Her face was scrunched up in concentration as she tried to decipher the musical language.

Rosalie moved to stand silently behind her and glanced over the page. It was a piece she had never heard of; Midnight Summers. She watched as Bella played a D sharp, a B note and then an E note. She faltered and frowned on the E.

"That doesn't sound right," she muttered to herself. She tried another key.

"That's a D sharp," Rosalie said quietly.

Bella jumped and knocked the paper to the floor, startled. She hadn't heard Rosalie behind her, hadn't even felt her presence. Rosalie bent down to pick up the piece and placed it back on the stand.

"D sharp," she reminded softly.

"Thanks…" Bella tried to smile unsuccessfully and put her hands on the piano once more. She pointed at each black key, murmuring their name under her breath. She hadn't even reached B flat when Rosalie stopped her.

"Centre your hands around the middle C. Put both your thumbs on it and spread them out, one on each key." She waited until Bella had hesitantly done so before continuing. "There is a black key between your second and third fingers on your right hand. Press it; that's D sharp."

Bella did as she was told. As soon as she struck the note, she knew at once that Rosalie had been right. She twisted around to look at the one Cullen that did not like her. "Thanks, Rosalie," she said, smiling gratefully. "That was great help."

Rosalie's expression was unreadable. "Why are you suddenly interesting in music?" she asked. She looped the towel around her neck and held onto the two ends. "If you don't mind me saying so, you don't have much musical talent."

"Edward says that too," Bella said. She sighed and her shoulders slumped. "He's been trying to teach me for weeks and I haven't progressed any. I just want to play one song for him. I'm hopeless."

Rosalie didn't say anything. She could almost feel the disappointment seeping from the human girl. At that moment, Rosalie didn't think of Bella as the human that had captured her brother's heart and thrown her family into danger, but as a lover who just wanted to give something to her other half. Rosalie could relate to that.

"You are hopeless only if you believe you are," she said in a cool tone.

Bella looked up in surprise. "I'm trying not to be," she said, her features twisted into a grimace. "It's just not working."

"Move over. Don't get up; just give me some space." Rosalie sat down as Bella scuttled hurriedly aside for her. She put her hands over the keys and played the piece once. She played it as smoothly as if she had been doing it for years. Then she withdrew her hands and nodded at Bella. "You try."

Bella put her fingers awkwardly on the piano. She tried to mimic Rosalie's flowing movement and failed miserably. She looked guilty as she turned to Rosalie, braced for whatever the blonde vampire had to criticize her with.

But Rosalie put her hands on the piano again, next to Bella's. "Try again," she said. "Play after me. We will go through it once and then put it together. Alright – D sharp."

As Rosalie's pale slender fingers struck a note, Bella hastened to follow. They proceeded through the piece at an extremely slow pace, stopping whenever Bella had trouble keeping up with the complicated sequence. Rosalie occasionally reached over to adjust the way Bella was positioning her hand.

"You're finding it hard because you aren't holding your hand the right way," she told Bella. "This piece is fairly easy once you understand how far you need to stretch your fingers. Don't move your entire hand just for one key; move as many fingers as you need but don't shift your hand."

When they reached a section where they were required to use both hands at the same time, Bella had a lot of difficulty. Rosalie tried to be patient as she adjusted Bella's hand again and demonstrated the notes for her as slowly as she could.

Bella sighed and shook her head. "It's too hard," she said in a defeated voice. She let her hands fall to her side. "I can't do it, Rosalie. Sorry."

Without a word, Rosalie put Bella's hands back on the piano. "Never start something you can't finish," she stated. "It isn't as hard as you hold it to be. If you want to learn this piece before Edward gets back, you shouldn't surrender like you just did. Go on; do the last three bars again. D, G and A on your left hand. C and F on your right."

Over the next half an hour, Rosalie guided Bella until they had finished the piece. Bella's face was split into a wide, self-satisfied grin when she realised that she had went over the entire piece.

"I didn't think I would be able to play that," she breathed, stunned. She smiled at Rosalie, her face bright with joy. "Thank you so much for your help, Rosalie. I couldn't have done it without it."

"I wouldn't think that you could have," Rosalie replied. "You held until the end, however, and that is something you should be proud of. You should never give up just because you think something is impossible to accomplish. The more you believe that, the more likely you are to fail."

Bella nodded. She watched as Rosalie started playing a different piece of music without needing to refer to any notes. It sounded foreign and soothing. Neither of them said anything.

Two minutes into the piece, Rosalie asked, "I still don't understand why you would give up your life when you have a choice."

Bella had closed her eyes. She opened them now and looked at her. Rosalie's human life had ended abruptly and violently. It was no secret that she hadn't wanted to be changed. That was why she resented Bella so much; she had everything Rosalie would never have again and she was willing to throw it all away.

"I told you already; I want to be with Edward," Bella said quietly. She watched Rosalie's hands as they skimmed the length of the piano. "Forever," she added.

Rosalie didn't look at her as she said, "Do you understand what we all had to go through? To watch your family and friends die as you stayed young, to never be able to eat or drink anything but blood, to not breathe, to never undergo change. Are you willing to go through all that? You will never be able to die or rest in peace. Is Edward really worth all that?"

Without hesitation, Bella nodded. "He's worth more than that," she said. "I'll do anything for him, to be with him. I love him."

Rosalie's piece slowed to a halt. She closed the lid over the piano's keys and looked at Bella through her reflection on the polished oak surface. "We all love Edward in our own way," she said softly. "He is valued as a brother and son."

"I know. I don't plan to change that."

Rosalie nodded once and rose. She heard Emmett's Jeep pull up in the driveway. She was almost at the door when she stopped and looked over her shoulder at Bella, who was still seated by the piano.

"I love Edward like a brother," she said. "And as long as you love him…I will love you like my sister." She turned to leave.

"Rosalie," Bella called.

Rosalie paused and turned around again. "Yes?"

"I already love you like a sister, Rosalie. I just wanted you to know that."

For a moment, Rosalie considered. Then she smiled faintly and nodded. "Call me Rose," she said.