A/N: Firstly, I don't own Twilight or any of the brilliant characters, Stephenie Meyer does, I only own any mistakes. Secondly, this was written for the Easter post-a-thon over at RRA (cause we have post-a-thons for everything) and is told from Rosalie's POV. It's the third in my Bella/Cullen bonding series, as we never really find out much about Bella's relationship with her future family, but I don't think it's as good as the other two.
Enjoy, and please let me know what you think!
I casually flipped through the skirts, trying to find one that would really get Emmett's attention. Something he hadn't seen on me before. Something that would really get his heartbeat up – figuratively of course. Eventually I found a short black mini that would make my gorgeous legs look even longer. It was perfect and reasonably priced as well, only a couple of hundred dollars.
I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I walked over to the register and paid for my purchase. It was a reaction I was used to and loved. Humans couldn't help but be mesmerised by me, and I couldn't really blame them. I wore my golden blonde hair down as usual; it was too beautiful to tie back. My honey gold eyes were focused ahead, strong and confident. I often felt for my brother Edward, and what he had to suffer through. I certainly didn't want to hear what some of the men in the store where currently thinking. The smell of human blood – fruity and sweet – was tempting, but I'd only hunted the previous night, so it was easy to resist.
However, there was one person whose attention wasn't on me. It was unusual. Humans were drawn to our unnatural beauty. She had her back to me and was casually searching through the clothing racks. Her scent was one I would recognise anywhere. Bella Swan – my younger yet older brother's soon-to-be wife. Her heartbeat was slightly faster than usual, most likely from pre-wedding jitters. It was less than a week away. I was amazed that Alice had actually let her out of her sight.
She and I were Bella's bridesmaids while Esme was the maid on honour. I was sure she only asked me out of politeness because she was really surprised when I agreed. I wasn't opposed to she and Edward getting married at all. Edward had been alone for so long – the odd one out. Every one of us had a significant other. I had Emmett, Alice had Jasper and of course Carlisle and Esme had each other. Every night was spent with the man or woman we loved, but he had always been by himself. We were beginning to think he would never find anyone. Then, one day, everything changed. Isabella Swan moved to Forks and uncovered our secret. I didn't think it was wise her knowing about us. She could have given us up at any moment, she still could. And what about poor Jasper. Was it really wise to subject him to that when he had been doing so well? He – or any one of us for that matter – could have killed her at any moment. She was the Chief of police's daughter; there would have been hell to pay.
But Edward loved her and he was finally happy. That was all I cared about. I was just opposed to Bella becoming a vampire.
I left the store and looked in a few others, but didn't find anything that caught my interest. Alice and I had taken care of the dresses for the wedding and the guys had all been fitted for tuxes. Emmett was going to be officiating, much to my surprise. Carlisle was going to be Edward's best man and Jasper the groomsman. I knew that – unlike Emmett and I – they were only going to get married once, so everyone seemed determined to make it absolutely perfect for them.
I left the mall and walked over to my M3, my second love. The wind blew and sent a wave of Bella's scent my way. She was by that huge truck of hers, trying to get it to start. I felt a fat drop of rain hit my head from the sky and unlocked the car door. I heard Bella mumble a curse under her breath. Feeling very reluctant, I got an umbrella out of the trunk and quickly put it up, not wanting my hair to get wet. Edward would kill me if I just ignored her.
I silently walked up to her with unnatural grace. "Bella," I said, my voice soft and silken.
Her head snapped up in alarm, but she relaxed only slightly when she saw it was me. "Oh, Rosalie. I thought it was Alice for a moment."
That explained why she was so jumpy. She had probably run away. Alice was scary when she got mad.
"What's the problem?" I asked, tapping the hood of her ugly truck.
"You're the car expert," she mumbled, holding her palms up in an I-don't-know gesture.
The parking lot was deserted and I couldn't hear any other heartbeats near by, so I gave it a quick examination at vampire speed and then sighed. "I'm going to need to need my tool box, but its back at the house," her face fell and I sighed again, mentally this time. "I'll give you a ride," I said reluctantly. I didn't want my car smelling of human.
She waited a moment, probably wondering whether or not I was serious. I turned around and walked back to my car. She soon followed behind. I turned the key in the ignition and felt the engine roar to life. Such a sweet sound.
"Why are you helping me, Rosalie?" she asked, her eyes avoiding mine, looking straight ahead. "You hate me."
"I'm helping you because Edward would hate me if I didn't," I told her, my eyes watching the road, even thought they didn't need to. "And I hate your decision."
"It's mine to make," she said for what felt like the tenth time.
I wondered if things would change between us after I told her my story. But, if anything, it made her want to become one of us even more. I was hoping to scare her off, but it didn't work.
"I know. I just think it's the wrong one," I said, determined to get my view in there again. Her days as a human were numbered, and I hated it.
"Well I don't," she replied stubbornly.
I felt the anger bubble up again, just like every time the subject was brought up in my presence. "I don't know why you can't see it," I said. She looked at me questioningly. "Bella, you are dooming yourself to a life of temptation, guilt and pain. You can't honestly want that."
She answered without hesitation. "Yes I can. If it means eternity with Edward, then I want it almost as much as I want him."
But how long was eternity? If global warming took its toll, then they may not have very long at all. Eventually, they would have to part.
"You'll regret it," I told her. "Maybe not for a while, but one day you will. When you watch your friends and family die around you, you'll wish that you could go with them. Believe me."
"It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make, Rosalie," she said forcefully.
I could see her mind was made up, but I still carried one. "How can you just give it all up? Edward will always love you, not matter what. You should know that."
"Of course I do, and I'll always love him. But like he says, I'm breakable and fragile. We can't truly be together until I'm changed," she shifted in her seat. "He has boundaries you know, strict ones. He won't let me – why am I even telling you this? You don't care – you don't understand."
I sighed. "No Bella, you're right, I don't. I'd give anything to be human again. If I could trade places with you I would."
"And that's exactly how I feel, except I can to an extent. Nothing you can say will make me change my mind," her heartbeat was getting faster, as was her breathing.
"But you're going to loose so much," my voice was softer now as I involuntarily relived painful memories.
Royce's face flashed through my mind. The drunken lust in his eyes as she pushed me to the floor, beat me and raped me. The pain engulfing me, but I couldn't fight back. I knew I probably had that broken look in my eye again and wished Emmett were here. Whenever he saw me like this he'd wrap me in his big strong arms and whisper sweet nothings in my ear until I came back to him. Sometimes, he was the only thing keeping me on this Earth. Without him, I would be nothing.
"Am I?" she asked, although it was obvious she didn't think so.
I nodded. "Yes, you are. There is so much you'll never be able to experience. Don't you want to grow old? Give Charlie grandchildren? Have grandchildren yourself?"
I felt my unbeating heart twist in pain. I'd give almost anything to have a child of my own. A little blonde curly haired blue eyed – the colour of my eyes before I was bitten – baby boy or girl. Someone that was completely dependent on me for it's survival, someone to love and protect and show off to others.
Bella just shook her head though. "Even if I stayed human I'd never have kids. Edward is the only one I ever want to be with, and he can't have children, so your argument means nothing."
But I refused to give up. "You just don't see how lucky you are, Bella."
She turned in her seat to look at me. I thought she was going to yell at me about sticking my nose in her private business, but her tone was soft, not angry. "Why don't we reverse the situation for a moment," she suggested, but I didn't understand what she meant. She soon explained though. "Say there was a way for you to be human, to be what you want most. You could grow old, have children and grandchildren, and if you're really lucky, great-grandchildren."
I pictured it in my mind. A large house as a gift from Carlisle and Esme in a field. Dozens of children, ranging from small new-born babies to adults laughing and smiling, all happy in whatever they were doing. It made my heart break.
"Just think," she carried on, unaware of my pain. Or maybe she was; that was probably the whole point. "You could have everything you've ever dreamed of. But, it meant giving up Emmett, the man you love more than anything. Would you still do it? Would you be with anyone but him if it meant becoming a mother?"
A life without Emmett McCarty Cullen was a life not worth living. It pains me to be separated from him for even a short while. Is that really how Bella felt? Was that really how she saw things?
"I have my answer," she said when I didn't reply.
We were silent for the rest of the short journey, each in our own thoughts. Soon, she would be Isabella Marie Cullen and we'd all have to move to Alaska for the first year of her transformation. I would stay to make sure she didn't hurt anyone, but after that Emmett and I were thinking of going to England for a while to visit some friends.
I looked over at the human sitting next to me. I had truly underestimated her love for my brother. There was nothing I could do to stop her from ending her life, but maybe, just maybe, when Bella was a vampire, there wouldn't be anything between us anymore.
Fin
I hoped you liked it, and I hope I got Rosalie to sound right, or was she too nice? She was hard to write. Let me know if you can think of any ways in which I can improve.
Zebbie
