There's a lot of hate towards Rosalie, I hope this will help people understand her a bit better. Please review! Constructive reviews are fine but nothing nasty please! thanks for reading ;)
"Alice? Can you look and see when Bella and Edward are coming home? I want to make sure I have everything ready for her change. Well, anything I can do…"
I heard silence, and I imagined Alice's vision clouding over, looking to the future.
"Alice?" Esme prompted. I heard a catch in her voice. What was Alice's expression giving away?
"I don't understand," I heard her mumble. I barely caught it. Well, I was in our large garage, entirely separate from our home. I wasn't paying attention, really. Only a small detached compartment of my mind was listening in. I pushed down the bonnet of my convertible and sidled over to Bella's 'after' car. We all knew it was a Ferrari but none of us had seen it yet; Edward normally didn't let anyone near it in case we got attached to it -it's not like Bella would complain- but he wasn't here was he? I wondered if he'd mind if I took it for a quick spin…
"Is Bella alright?" Esme was always worrying about Bella.
Like she would ever want to drive a Ferrari anyway. Not even after she was…
I drummed my fingers in slight annoyance against the plastic cover, considering the fact that the conversion I was vaguely lisening in to had unconsciously drawn me towards Bella's car.
Bella. Soon be my sister. To Alice especially, she already was. Maybe I should already be feeling sisterly towards her. I mean, she was already married to Edward, right? She was legally my sister! I started feeling a little panicky for some reason I couldn't explain. She would want me to test drive her Ferrari for her right? Being her sister? I wondered how I had reached that conclusion for a moment whilst I considered if I was missing something. Something was wrong.
"I…I don't know." There was muted confusion in her voice…and maybe something else. What was wrong?
"I need to call Edward, find out what's going on."
Suddenly Alice had my full attention. I moved with quick speed out from the garage to the large north facing window of the living room, stopping a few strides short.
I didn't go in the house. I just wanted to be sure everything was okay with…them both. If something was up with Bella, well that was more Alice's forte than mine. I didn't want to intrude. I mean, she saw Bella being murdered by James, that didn't happen. She saw her drowning, that didn't happen. Wait, I didn't want to remember that. But she had a knack of underestimating Bella's life span. She was almost as bad as Edward. But she hadn't announced any hasty plans to drag her across the globe in some drastic save Bella: plan B as per usual so everything must be ok, right?
Esme put her hand on Alice's arm. "What did you see?"
Alice raised her gaze, wide-eyed to meet Esme's. "nothing." she whispered. I saw nothing."
"What?" Esme breathed.
Alice seemed to shake off the last of her trance. "Bella's future's disappeared."
There was a moment of stunned silence.
Jasper cut in, one hand on Alice's knee. "Would one of the wolves have followed them to the island? Jacob maybe? He was cut up at their wedding… maybe he decided to do something drastic."
Alice considered this. "No, it's too unlikely. If he had already decided, Bella and Edward's future would have disappeared straight away. If they had decided more recently well, they would have no scent to follow. It would have been impossible to follow their scent anyway…to many people, the scent would have dispersed. Even as a wolf it would have been near impossible. But as a human – and he would have had to stay human again because of all the people – his sense of smell would be far less advanced. I think," she added, suddenly seeming unsure.
"Some…thing else?" I whispered, looking out across the grass. Even through the glass, they easily heard me. I turned back to see them exchange loaded glances with each other. Carlisle had joined them now.
Some other shape shifting tribe that that were protectors against vampires? Edward may be in danger to.
Suddenly Alice snatched her little silver phone out her pocket, flicking it open and calling Edwards number.
"He's not picking up" Alice whined. Well, maybe he was…distracted.
But then-
Bella. I could hear her voice very faintly on the other end of the phone. I made out a few words. Something was wrong, I could tell that much. I heard her ask for Carlisle, and Alice handed him the phone. I watched Carlisle questioning her, his brow furrowed in concern.
I stood there, listening, and suddenly felt confused when I was no longer aware of the multitude of scents flowing in from the forest nearby. Had I stopped breathing? The river near by suddenly seemed muted and far away as if I was dizzy. But I couldn't be – that was impossible. I tried to unstick my thoughts for a moment to work out what was happening to me.
What had Bella said just now? I must have heard wrong. I could have easily heard wrong. She must be speaking in barely above a whisper. Or she was wrong. Yes, that was it. But then why was Carlisle's face twisted like that, that, the shock plain on his features despite the calm countenance of his voice. I tried to shy away from the word which threatened to overwhelm me.
Then it hit me full force.
Pregnant.
Impossible.
Surely, surely impossible. No one said… no one knew.
And no one looked my way or noticed me now, frozen like a statue of cold, hard stone.
"Edward". I heard Carlisle greet him distantly as if I was standing very far away.
Before I could gain control of my own body, I felt the force of a sob heave in my chest. I held it back before I could make a sound, the power of it nearly throwing me of balance. Suddenly my feet seemed to be working again as I found my self back in the garage and I flew hard against the wall, simply forgetting to check my speed in time.
No. No.
Everything, Everything I wanted, she had. She was sitting on a pile of glittering, precious diamonds, and slowly throwing them into a rubbish tip as if they meant nothing. And I had to be dragged along for this sick miserable ride too. This had to be some warped, twisted joke life was playing on me. Was I somehow still being punished for something in a way I couldn't understand? I needed someone to come and tell me it was all wrong. It was all wrong. I remembered when I had told her-Bella- not to give up her humanity and possibility of children. She hadn't listened, she hadn't understood or cared. I had put my aversion aside, I wanted Edward to be happy and she was his path to happiness. But now, now she had the final jewel on the crown and she would pluck it out and throw it on the heap with the rest. Pluck it out. Scrape it, scratch it, claw it like the baby. Yes, that was it. Because this baby was killing her from the inside out and Edward would allow nothing in the world to hurt her. He would move every mountain first.
We would meet them at the airport tomorrow. I had somehow heard that, even after I stopped listening. I knew I was expected to be there. Of course no one had cared how I might feel. They only cared about Edward and Bella's pain. But then again, I hadn't really given them a chance to care.
Slowly I took my phone out my back jean pocket.
"Hey babe" Emmett boomed cheerfully. He had gone to see some match out of town. I would have gone with him but I had felt distracted somehow and I wanted to stay close to home. I hadn't been able to really explain why. Besides, I liked following the games but Emmett's over boisterous enthusiasm for it was a little bit beyond me.
The corner of my lip pulled up just a little bit, automatically. The sound of his untroubled voice almost had the power to make everything alright. Almost.
"Emmett." My voice broke.
"Rose what's wrong?" he said immediately. I could feel his whole demure change instantly, even over the phone. Practically everything that Emmett felt was displayed for everyone to see.
I tried to keep my voice as emotionless as possible. "Bella is…" Bella is, Bella is I repeated to myself. It was like stage fright, stuck on the next part of your line.
"Bella is …pregnant. It's growing inside her at an incredible rate, none of us really know what's happening. They're flying home straight away, so Carlisle can try to…abort it." My voice managed to sound mangled on the last words.
I waited for him to ask me how it was possible, ask how this could be happening, so I could keep up my calm façade and try to explain to him what I did not understand.
"Rose…"
One word showed that he understood. I cradled the phone against my chest, struggling to keep composure, while rocking back and forth to hold back the sobs. I heard his voice again on the line.
"I'll come back."
"No, you stay, we don't have to meet them at the airport for at least another sixteen hours."
"I'll come back."
And so my body finally gave way.
He stayed on the phone to me while he drove back, just letting me sob myself out till I was done. Whenever that might be. My sweet, wonderful Emmett. How had I ever deserved him?
And so I continued to wipe my hands across my ever-dry face.
"Emmett, I have another call coming through from Edward."
"Okay Rose. I'll be here before you know it."
I looked at the phone blankly for a second. Why would Edward be phoning me? I wondered for one crazy moment if he would apologise, be sympathetic but that thought passed even before I really thought it. He would be insane with worry about Bella. Full of the self hate he felt whenever he did anything to hurt her. He wanted to destroy the baby. That was how sorry he was that it was ever conceived. Then another thought struck me. I remembered when I called him to tell him that Bella had jumped off a cliff. How I had torn his world apart with those words. Was he… returning the favour? But no, he had forgiven me. He was my brother, he loved me, and he had his own anguish to deal with. I shook my head, fighting off the ridiculous thought. "Stupid, insecure Rosalie", I spat. I was past caring at this point. But a little part of me still wondered how quickly it would all be over, how quickly they would both move on when the baby was destroyed, somehow it's fast formed bones so quickly broken and crushed. Helpless. Would he suffer the loss of the baby? Or would he just want it to be over. What about Bella? She had seemed willing enough to give up motherhood…
These disturbing thought raged for only a second before I pressed the answer button.
"Hello?" I said my voice carefully calm. I could do this.
What I heard next dispelled that calm.
"Rosalie" Bella's voice whispered. "It's Bella. Please. You have to help me."
Help.
There was one second of frozen silence- a long time for a vampire. Everything flew into turmoil, like a snowstorm flung back up into the sky by a fierce wind before falling, dissolving like my hate as it hit the ground, with it the realisation of what was happening. Bella was whispering. She didn't want Edward to hear her. She didn't want him to know about this phone call – he wanted her to get rid of the baby that was hurting her –so she did not. She must want to keep it. And she had come to me. I made some sort of sound in the back of my throat which Bella took as conformation to keep talking. She obviously didn't have much time; I wondered how she had got him to leave her.
"Edward's scared because he doesn't understand what's happening. None of us do, but that doesn't matter to me. I felt it move inside me just now, and I realised what you meant, what you tried to tell me before. Edward called him a thing, he thinks my baby will hurt me and he wants to get rid of it. But I can't Rosalie, you understand that don't you? I can't." She was talking so fast it would probably have been inaudible to anyone who wasn't a vampire.
"Of course I'll help you Bella." I heard my voice say. I thought it would come out as a breathless gasp, but my voice sounded sure to my ears. "I'll meet you at the airport tomorrow. Come straight to me. I won't let anyone touch you. Don't worry Bella. You and your baby will be safe."
"Thank you Rosalie" she breathed fervently.
"And Rose?"
"Yes?" In less serious conditions I might have registered more fully that she called me Rose, more of an endearment than Rosalie.
"If Edward and Carlisle are right, and this baby does hurt me... well I don't know what condition I'll be in; whether I'll be able to make my view clear. Promise me you won't let them hurt my child no matter what…" she hesitated "no matter what the cost."
It took me a moment to process what she was saying. Bella's life was infinitely more precious to Edward than his child's. Whatever the cost…she wanted me to defend her against Edward even if she were dying. She was willing to give up her life for her child's. But that was if worse came to the worst, right? Carlisle would help her. I would help her. It seemed I had completely and utterly misjudged Bella. I could barely keep the awe out my voice.
"I…"
I hesitated a fraction, desperately hoping I was doing the right thing. I could hear Bella's quick breathing on the other end of the line.
"I promise you, Bella."
"Thank you. Rosalie. So much. I'll see you soon."
"Bella." I whispered in reply. But she had already shut off the phone.
I stared unseeingly ahead of me for a moment, while an overwhelming joy suddenly spread over me. Ignoring all her fear and whatever else she felt about me she had called me to help her. There would be a baby in the Cullen family. Baby Cullen. I would be…an aunty. And Bella, human Bella who I had -ashamedly- often looked down on would be a mother.
I let out a small whoop, lost in this private moment of joy.
Then I felt a business-like manner come over me. It was up to me now – Bella was completely relying on me, for she would be utterly helpless on her own and we both knew this. No one else would listen to her wishes.
"Rose?"
I turned to see Emmett coming towards me in a flash. He caught me in his arms, but for me it was a hug of joy not comfort. Should I tell him? I knew really I could trust him to support me in everything I did but maybe it would be better to wait untill he could see for himself how much Bella wanted to keep this baby. So they could all see, see it was not just me and my wishes. And I couldn't risk any of the other Cullen's overhearing, and forfeit my promise.
At the airport
I watched them both coming towards us. Normally he would hold her hand or have his arm around her, but she had had somehow managed to shrug out of his grip. I glanced at his face. Tormented. I felt something twist inside me uncomfortably at that and ignored it. I tried to keep my mind blank and think of nothing at all. Then I caught Bella's eye. She was already watching me intently, as if watching for a signal.
Suddenly she ran towards me. He could have easily stopped her but surprise and shock halted his steps for a moment. I took a step forward, and then crouched down, opening up my arms to her as if she was my own child. She ran into them, creating a stranglehold around my neck as I wrapped my arms around her like a protective shield, holding her against me. In that moment I felt a bond forged between us and I felt truly honoured. I felt like she was … my sister.
That moment was quickly broken as I looked up into five face's whose mouths were hanging agape. I shot an apologetic glance at Emmett.
"No".
It was Edward. The sixth face. The shock that might have been on his face was hidden by a mask of fury. He heard the telephone conversation in my head, everything that Bella had said. Everything that I was going to do.
"No" he said again. yet despite the expression on his face he sounded like a lost little boy.
"Bella, Bella, how can you want to keep it?" His voice was dazed.
The rest of the Cullen's grasped at that moment exactly what was going on, all with varying gasps of shock.
Bella still remained motionless, her head buried against my chest, one arm around me and one resting against her stomach. I could feel how absorbed she was in the silent conversation of comfort she was having with her unborn child, almost like she was praying with the apocalypse around her, in the arms of her guardian angel.
"Rosalie, give her back to me." He took a step towards me and with one quick manoeuvre I placed her behind my back. I hissed, showing him that I meant this if my thoughts left him in any doubt.
"Give her to me. Gently. If you don't I will get her off you myself. Whatever I have to do, I will do it" he said, echoing the words in my mind. Emmett stepped in front of me then, with a low automatic growl in his chest, but arms raised as if he were trying to keep peace.
"I'm sorry, Edward," he said. But you will have to get through me first. If this is what Bella wants…"
Esme stepped forward then, and took my free hand; support I had not expected. But of course, like me she would understand. Her eyes were screaming apology at Edward, but she said nothing.
Alice and Jasper continued to stand there, their faces identical masks of horror.
"Carlisle" Edwards said, turning to him.
Carlisle was watching Esme, his face clearly distressed.
"Carlisle, her body can't handle this; it could kill her. Esme's housekeeper on the Island…her people's legend spoke only of death. She's right." Edward was speaking too low and quick for Bella to hear but she knew what was going on. He was trying to shield her, protect her, but she already knew. The only person she wanted to be protected from at the moment was him.
I regretted that thought as soon as I had thought it. The look on Edward's face was wild. Damn his mind reading.
"I see" Edward whispered, hearing Carlisle's thoughts. All the life had drained from his face.
Carlisle was now on our side. Edward couldn't win this battle.
There was a moment of silence as the strong wind blew past us, whipping around our faces while we stared each other down.
We all heard it. Her voice was so quiet; had she even been aware she made a sound?
"I'm so sorry Edward."
And then her words blew far away with the wind.