The Right thing

By: Maverick

Disclaimer: well, what do you want me to say? I'm not the author of Twilight. Nor of the sequels. No profit is made from this little drabble.

Author's note: This is a tie in for chapter 7 from Eclipse where Rosalie tells her story. (Can be abit spoilery if you haven't read that book yet.) In a nutshell it's pretty much about how she worked up her way to talk to Bella. Rosalie's POV. Since Stephanie Meyer has only offered us a couple of glimpses of her character, I thought it might be nice to show things from her side. And ofcourse I hope you all like my (slightly kinder) version of Rosalie Hale. Well, I've rambled enough now.

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Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to error that counts Nikki Giovanni

The threat of danger. How do we deal with it? I deal with it badly. I'm the kind of person who fumes with anger and holds nothing but resentment for the one responsible, whether it's their fault or not. I yell, I glare…With me, the saying 'if looks could kill' takes on a whole new dimension. Very true to form. I'm a monster, and sometimes I live up to the reputation.

You might point out that I of all creatures –I wouldn't dare say people- shouldn't have anything to fear. After all, I'm immortal and the possibility of encountering someone with the ability and inclination to end my existence is a lot smaller than the chance an average Joe like you gets run over by a car.

You could say I'm already dead. Have been for 75 years. My heart doesn't beat anymore, my hair has stopped growing and I'll never look a day older than the 18-year-old girl I was before I Turned. I don't remember the feel of body heat and my own skin is so cold people flinch away after shaking hands. If I had a heart, it would be pounding through my shirt. I feel alive. A wide range of emotions spread through me; anxiety, anger, concern and even sympathy.

I've had 75 years to replace my shallowness with sophistication. 75 years of experience that should have made me an inhumanly mature….teenager. Hopefully without the stiffness that comes with old age. Who'd guess that the arrival of one human girl would reduce my demeanor to that of a bubbleheaded cheerleader? (Edward disagrees: he thinks this is the way I've always been acting. Further proof people have special allowances for the mental capacity of blondes.)

My head snapped up as the subject of my musings entered the house, her harsh footsteps impossible a dead giveaway. I disappeared into the background before she even had to chance to rest her eyes on me. Isabella Swan. Bella to people (using that term widely.) I let the name roll over my tongue unspoken, as if to taste it.

"Beautiful Swan" is what it means, a loving pun probably intended by loving parents.

Though she was average looking; with her pale skin, thin body and impossible clumsiness, she somehow managed to affect everyone around her. (Even me, though I'm not sure that should be considered as a good thing.) She also has a knack for landing herself in dangerous situations. Situations that have brought the heat down on my family as a result.

I clenched my jaw. What a mess this was. All the threats, all the danger, all because of one human girl. She was as lethal to us as we were to her. But I couldn't let her take all the blame; by this time I was as tainted as she was.

I watched her with a mixture of pity and anger as she followed Alice inside the house. Her jaw was set, her body stiff. Without showing myself I listened to the argument. The 'kidnapping' was for her own safety—and ours. Taking in her demeanor and attitude, I came to the conclusion she didn't share our deep concern. She was an oblivious little thing; she obviously didn't have a clue of the seriousness of the situation. She didn't know the true value of life.

Which brings us back to the reason she was with us in the first place. Vampires rarely let humans into their house unless it's an unavoidable necessity. Either that or dinner.

Bella didn't belong in either category: She had managed the impossible: she defrosted the heart of a fiery, dangerous (and particularly thickheaded) vampire. My brother Edward the untamable lion, turned into the lamb's devoted guard dog. If that wasn't funny enough; consider this: my entire family has gone mushy on her.

My lips twitched in amusement as Alice cut off Bella's fierce objections the way someone would swat a fly. It didn't improve her mood much: I could see Bella's eyes blazing from upstairs.

As my sensitive ears picked up the argument, a voice in my head piped up. 'Maybe we're wrong to regard her trust in her werewolf friend as poor judgment on her part.' I told it to shut up. I wasn't going to go there. Every fiber in my body objected it. To regard werewolves any different than the beasts they were felt like the worse possible betrayal. Our hatred toward eachother ran so deep it almost felt natural, like the way cats and dogs are around eachother. Still the thought clung to me like a child clings to a toy. I remembered the other time I ignored it. It almost cost Edward his life.

I bit my lip. I had more important things to do. Dwelling would turn me into a bitter, warpish harpy. Ofcourse, one might argue I'd crossed that threshold long ago, but that wasn't the point.

Tonight I'd show myself I'd have the courage and the conscience to open up old wounds. So I could show Bella what a huge mistake she was going to make. Still, putting plans into action put a knot in my stomach. If I could feel nauseous, I probably would be green by now. I swallowed and nodded to myself. I could do this. I owed it to Edward and to myself. Maybe I could repair some of the damage I did.

I slid away from my hiding spot as Bella mockingly made her way to her room, Alice glued at her side. I felt sorry for her. I felt sorry for everyone exposed to Alice's newfound human side. It was becoming creepy.

I forced my mind to go blank. The blessing that was Alice's ability was going to be a pain in the ass to evade. But I would succeed. Whether Bella would listen to me was another thing. But atleast I could say I tried.

I waited as Alice finally allowed Bella some privacy. I knocked on the door.

"What, Alice?" I smiled involuntary as I pictured the face that belonged with that grumbling voice.

"It's me." I lingered hesitantly at the entrance as I took in her face. Several emotions raced across her features. Surprise and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on. Maybe she hadn't forgiven me after all. Maybe she just said it because she knew what I was like. I pushed myself to go on. "Can I come in?" She nodded. The knot in my stomach disappeared and I smiled.

We weren't friends yet, but who knew what the future held?