VEILED THORNS
Set seven years after Roses Behind Mirrors, Rosalie and Emmett are newly wed and moving back home. But life's ups and downs aren't finished with them yet…
Disclaimer: Nothing's mine, except the events of RBM, and any OCs I deign to introduce :)
It's a short first chapter, just to get you guys started on where we are with this fic… :)
Just to let you know, certain events of the end of RBM will not be addressed for a very long time [I'm talking about Royce here, guys], they're not the central focus of this story. And with that, I give you…. Veiled Thorns!
Chapter One
Rosalie collapsed onto the threadbare couch, exhausted. She puffed out a large sigh and looked up at her husband, a goofy grin on her face, looking out of place amongst the perfect features.
"I'm beat, Emmett. What d'you say we leave the unpacking for a bit and just… I dunno… sleep?"
He grinned, dimples showing as wide as ever and bent over to kiss her lightly. "I told you you didn't have to help me carry it all, you silly woman…"
She opened her mouth in mock horror, grabbing him roughly by the arm and pulling him down onto the old couch that Edward had donated to them whilst the apartment was still being decorated, beside her. He slung an arm loosely around her shoulders and grinned again, kissing her cheek. She shoved him away lightly, but her smile was wide.
"I wanted to help." She said, "Moving into our first real home together… I wanted to help."
"Well, I wouldn't want to sleep on this thing, Rose, I'm not being difficult or anything but it's probably older than me…"
"It doesn't really fit, does it? In this beautiful place…"
He looked around, at the bare walls, although freshly painted in pastel colours of Rosalie's choice, and the cream carpets. "It's not quite beautiful, babe."
"Yet." She added, resting her head on his shoulder. "Give us a few weeks and it will be…"
He chuckled, "I can't believe you're letting my sister help with the interior design…"
"She's very good at it…"
He laughed, "But she's got some strange taste, our Alice. Remember her dorm room at college…"
Rosalie laughed out loud, remembering the bright purple carpet and the lime green walls, when Alice had gone through her psychedelic phase.
She laughed. "I'm ready to drop, though."
He ruffled her hair lightly. "Come on, Mrs Cullen, we've got lots of unpacking to do." He tugged her out of the couch, lightly, by her wrist. She squealed a little, giggling, until he pulled her right up, so they were nose to nose, eyes meeting.
"That's Dr Cullen to you." She laughed, and put her finger to his lips just as he leant in to kiss her. "And I thought we had unpacking to do…"
She mock-groaned, making him laugh and kiss her lightly on the nose, before they both turned to their boxes of belongings, accumulated over 25 years of their lives, more apart than together, and finally everything was coming together in one apartment, all their own, barely two blocks away from the Practice.
The Practice, yet to be named, was Carlisle's creation, a task he had undertaken as he grew tired of simply running Forks Hospital. A small converted building not far from one of the major Seattle Hospitals, it was more for personal wellness and holistic medicine than actual medical treatment, though Carlisle spent one day a week out there, having passed on the Chief of Surgery position to another young, up-and-coming surgeon from La Push called Sam Uley. It was still getting off the ground at the moment, but when Emmett and Rosalie got into their last years of their various degrees, Emmett having changed partway through his course to take Physiotherapy and Sport Science, unable to do something so… detached, he wanted something more vocational, Carlisle offered them both positions at the Practice when they were qualified.
And that's where they were now. Moving into an apartment in Seattle, ready to start their careers in the city, young and in love and…
Rosalie's thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing of her phone.
"Rosalie Cullen." She answered, and Emmett looked up and smiled, thinking he would never get used to the sound of his name tacked onto the end of hers, sealing their deal once and for all, making everything so perfect and definite. He grinned, but Rosalie's face turned serious.
"But he's ok, right, Alice?" a deep breath, and Emmett was by her side, taking her hand in his. Gradually, Rosalie's face relaxed into a smile. "You had me really worried… what are you doing on the phone to me? Go get him! Bye, Alice."
She pressed a button and set the phone down on Edward's old couch. Emmett didn't need to ask anything, just looked at her questioningly. She smiled weakly.
"Jasper was in a car chase, and the car ran off the road. But he's fine…"
Emmett's eyebrows furrowed, as if asking why Alice had phoned. Rosalie shrugged. She wasn't sure when they had gotten to this point – when they had gotten beyond words, beyond talking.
"I think she phones me because she likes to share it, sort of… the worry, the fear… the relief when he's ok. It's difficult for her, Emmett…"
"You think I don't know?" he mused, tucking a strand of blonde behind her ears, "She's my sister, Rose, and she may not call me as often, but I know… she… she didn't think she'd find it this hard… she sees you, I guess, as a kind of kindred spirit…"
Rosalie kissed him lightly. "I sometimes wish Jazz'd got a desk job." She chuckled, a hint of bitterness underlying her tone. But then she smiled brightly, and stepped out of husband's arms. "Anyway, we need to unpack! I want this place to look beautiful!"
Emmett Cullen grinned at his new wife. She was a changed woman from the sobbing, broken girl he had met, almost eight years ago now, she was strong and bright and optimistic… she had addressed everything in her past, down to the nastiest of details, and although he had been wary when she'd called up Chelsea Waltham's family, and nervous when she had gone to visit Royce King and the others in Rochester State Penitentiary, everything that she had done had helped to break down her walls, helped to open her up, helped to make her happier.
She'd got her Psychology degree and her Psychiatry doctorate, and he knew, although she would blush and deny it, that she was well on the way to becoming an excellent shrink. Without barriers, full of connection and empathy and gentility. He was so proud of her, more so than he could even voice. And standing there, in the bare, yet-to-be decorated apartment, ripping open a brown cardboard box full of kitchen utensils, Emmett was astounded – again – by how much he loved her.
It really was beautiful.
A/N: Hope you like the start!!! I hope to have regular updates, as with RBM, as long as the reviewing continues!!! And check out the new fic-pic, under the link in my profile and it'll probs be my avatar, at least for a while :)
[Just to let you all know, I got two As and a B in my exams I took earlier this year, when I was starting RBM!!!]
Review again, be free with the concrit, drop me a line on where you want to see this going, whatever….
I'm back!!