A/N: All characters belong to the amazing Stephenie Meyer.

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Chapter 2 –

They had been gone for days and it was making me edgy. It had been almost seven months since Emmett had been changed. I hadn't seen Emmett much in that time, to my disappointment. Carlisle and Edward were on an almost continuous hunting trip, trying to help Emmett gain control of his thirst. The first year of being a newborn is the hardest. You have to hunt constantly to even dull the scorching pain. The boys were due home from their last extensive hunting trip soon. Emmett had been doing extremely well and no longer needed to hunt constantly.

As I watched the sun fall and the colour's change from vibrant reds and oranges to deep blues and purples, I heard Esme soft rhythmic footsteps behind me.

"Rosalie," She touched my shoulder daintily "He's perfect for you. Please don't be frightened. Can I offer you some advice?"

I swivelled around to face my petite mother and when she didn't say anything I nodded.

"Don't hesitate, not when it concerns love. Give yourself up absolutely. It's the most remarkable occurrence, just have faith."

I exhaled, which surprised me - I hadn't realised I was holding my breath, and walked to the vast mirror on the only wall not completely eliminated by glass. I looked over myself critically, my hair was tousled sexily, my lips were stained red and my golden eyes were glowing with excitement. The mauve dress I was wearing flowed gracefully down my body stopping at my mid thigh.

"You look beautiful" assured Esme.

I hadn't realised that Esme had noticed my change in mood over the last seven months. I had tried to disguise my feelings for Emmett, but it seemed I hadn't done a very good job. A booming high-five distracted us from our thoughts. I danced out the back door, puzzled by the sound, to see Edward and Emmett wrestling on the ground as Carlisle watched, obviously pleased. They had already knocked over two trees and were heading towards a third.

Though it was completely dark I could see Emmett face easily. My dead heart lurched, startling me. For seven months I had thought about Emmett, wishing that he would just skip the pesky newborn stage. I couldn't wait any longer; I had to know how he felt.

"Boys!" Esme scolded as she ran over to Carlisle to give him an adoring kiss.

Edward jumped up and grinned widely. He held his hand out for Emmett and asked, "Tie?"

Emmet jumped up without Edwards help, "Ha! You wish. We'll finish this later. You're not getting off that easy." Emmett scoffed.

Our laughs rang noisily throughout the trees. Edward had never been challenged like this before.

I was sniggering quietly when Emmett met my golden eyes. He began to run them along my body. Slowly up my legs, pausing briefly at the edge of the dress on my thigh, along my waist and then finally reaching my face. I pouted. Though I was thrilled, he was being so obtuse. With all of our enhanced senses, none of my family were going to miss his obvious admiration.

I twirled around, causing the dress to swirl exposing more of my thigh, and headed towards my room at lightning speed.

As I pulled on tiny shorts and a white singlet, I thought. He appeared to be attracted to me and I was certainly attracted to him. My looks have always been enough; no one had ever bothered to look past my physical appearance into my black heart. But there was something about Emmett that made me believe that he would bother. I was suddenly worried he would see me for what I was. A spasm of terror took over my body.

I quickly pulled my hair into a high ponytail and darted towards the garage before I could consider this anymore. Whenever I needed to escape this was where I came. There was something strangely therapeutic about fixing up a car. Car's were so simple, if there was a problem with the car you found it, fixed it and got on with it.

I leant down to lift the car I was currently working on, when a husky voice made me drop the car. It crashed noisily to the floor embarrassing me.

"Could you use some help?" Emmett asked.

Emmett was wearing a simple grey t-shirt and some dark wash jeans. The way the shirt was cut highlighted his huge muscles distracting me for a moment. When I finally drew my eyes away I struggled to keep my voice steady.

"Sure, could you hold the car up for me?"

He nodded and effortlessly lifted the car to his muscular chest. I giggled.

"Not so high," I grabbed his hand and pushed until the car was only a couple of meters from the solid concrete floor. I could feel his muscles constrict under my hand "I still have to be able to reach it."

I flashed him a smile as I lay on the ground and slid under the car. I worked silently for a while, only speaking to ask for him to hand me tools, but it was a comfortable silence. I was suddenly very pleased with my decision to wear the shorts.

"How was hunting?" I asked conversationally interrupting whatever he was thinking.

"Disgusting." he answered simply.

I snickered, "It's an unpleasant, but unavoidable part of the wonderful life we live here" I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

He was silent for a minute. "You aren't happy, are you?" he asked. The sincerity in his voice caught me off guard. Without warning my stomach coiled into a ball. I cleared my throat and climbed gracefully out from under the car.

"Well, I think I'm done. Thanks for your help" I said briskly, dodging his probing question. I ran for the door, but I wasn't fast enough. He threw his broad arm around my waist, stopping me instantly. I growled angrily in response. Who was he to tell me whether I could leave or not? And then I realised that he was touching me. My stomach coiled even tighter, but not in pain, in delight. He lifted me effortlessly, using only one arm, and placed me directly in front of him. He leaned back confidently onto the side of the car. Though he removed his arm from around my waist, to my displeasure, he held gently on to my wrist – prepared if I decided to make a run for it I assumed. The skin that he was touching was suddenly ablaze.

"Don't be mad, please," he gazed hopefully into my eyes. I felt an intense urge to wrap my arms around his waist, but he continued before I could do something that bold. "I'm sorry if I upset you. Blame the newborn in me" he teased. I pulled one corner of my mouth into a half smile and he released my arm. I instantly regretted smiling, but before I could dwell on that, my astute mind already had a plan. I couldn't wait any longer.

I reached out carefully to grasp his arm. I had to be very cautious; a newborn could turn on you in a sixteenth of a second. At long last I had my delicate hand draped around the tight band of muscle that covered his upper arm. I towed him towards the open door and across the lawn towards the trees.

I knew that at any moment he could break my grasp and leave me standing here alone, but I was also sure that he wouldn't. We ran through the woods, almost black trees racing past, but they didn't blur. I could see every leaf and every stem in perfect detail. The self preservation reflex automatically registered all of my surrounding whether I wanted to or not. My brain could never shut off, not even for a moment. It meant that I could always think about how I had come to be like this, how I had lost my storybook ending, how my beauty had destroyed my life. I sometimes resented my breath-taking beauty. If I had been normal, not ugly but normal I could have had a happy ever after with a man that loved me. My grasp on Emmett's arm tightened and my face crumpled. He pushed my hand off his arm, but before my arm could swing back to my side he clutched my hand in his, twisting our finger's together. His touch calmed me and I focused on the gloomy forest in front of me.

After five minutes of running hand in hand I could hear the familiar sound of streaming water in the distance. We eventually broke through the trees. This was my favourite place to come in the spring, the thick green brush, eroded moss covered rocks and slender trees, vital green underbrush and the tantalizing clear water running over the softening rocks, calmed my senses. I could feel almost human here. I wandered over to the base of the pool and leant over to run my hands through the water. A gentle wave rippled across and I noticed the few creatures that inhabited the pond scramble to escape. I groaned faintly and shifted my willowy body until I was standing upright again. I turned my head expecting to see Emmett transfixed by the startling beauty of the clearing; however to my amazement he was gawking at me.

"Emmett?" I asked, trying to break his unnerving focus.

He grudgingly dragged his eyes from me. I walked back towards the forest where Emmett was standing.

"What do you think?" I asked, now only meters from him.

"It's nice, very restful." He said with mild cynicism "But I feel like if I even breathe I will break something."

Without warning I laughed noisily. I realised that this was the first time I could remember where I had laughed sincerely. It made me feel sad and eager all at once. The twisted feeling in my stomach, my new found ability to laugh confidently and the overpowering urge to feel something other than sorrow, I realised, were things that I didn't want to lose.

Slowly, as I looked into Emmett's eyes I became conscious that the overwhelming regret I felt for the loss of my human life was muffled. I could feel other previously concealed emotions spring to life and invade my thoughts. I could now see the world. Emmett was radiating light, everything was illuminated and I felt hope.

In that moment I knew I needed him. I had never been so vulnerable in my life, it was an uncomfortable feeling. My whole body stiffened and my lips trembled and turned into a slight frown.

"Rosalie?" Emmett asked in response to my changed expression.

When I didn't reply, too distracted by my thoughts he ran his hands down my arms and clasped his giant hands around mine. My breathing became short and shallow.

And then he spoke again, sending my emotions into a frenzy.

"Have I done something?" He asked looking at me apprehensively as shock crossed my face. "I have, haven't I? I'm so sorry. I'll go." He dropped my hands, and I scrambled for some excuse to hold them again.

But before he could even reach the edge of the trees I was standing in front of him, my hand pressed against his flawless stomach.

"No, you haven't done anything. I . . ."

I didn't know how to continue, I couldn't find the right words to express my feelings without risking the only light in my hollow empty life.

Emmett evaluated my expression for a few seconds. "Okay." He smiled reassuringly, exposing nearly all of his gleaming white teeth and then he loped past me and settled on the edge of the pond. The contrast between Emmett's bulky frame and the flimsy fronds surrounding him was comical. I smiled and I settled next to him. We stared across the pond in silence until Emmett turned his head towards me and looked into my eyes, stopping my breathing completely this time. I felt his enormous arms wrap around my waist and his tangy breath on my neck. I shivered in pure desire. I suddenly felt really stupid for ever doubting that he wouldn't want me.

As his breath brushed over my face and I took in his scent. It was masculine and made me feel euphoric. He smelt like freshly cut grass, smoke from a fire, sunflowers, ancient wooden floorboards and warm rain. It was a happy smell and it distracted me so much that it took me by mild surprise when Emmett laid me on the soft moss. I looked up into his blazing eyes. I could tell by his partially anxious expression that he wasn't sure if he should continue. I didn't even give it a millisecond worth of though before I gave him a seductive smile, willing him to carry on.

He quickly understood and laid his hands on either side of my head, still staring so deeply into my eyes that I expected him to be able to see right into my soul. Too slowly Emmett brought his head towards mine. I couldn't pull my eyes from his.

He shifted his weight and pressed his large body to mine. His breathing was uneven as it brushed past my ear. A yellow light caught my eye as we lay tangled together. I realised my hair was knotting around leaves and twigs. I pushed Emmett into an upright position and pulled myself away to detangle my messed up hair. I pursed my lips in annoyance and glared silently at Emmett. He glared back also annoyed, that we were no longer touching. But he wasn't going to be deterred by my vanity. He brought his face back towards my neck, but it wasn't enough to distract me from what I was doing.

And then I felt pressure on my neck. Emmett's lips were pressing forcefully against my skin, igniting a fire underneath my unnaturally cool skin. I dropped my hands from my hair in an instant and wrapped them around his neck pulling him closer to me.

His kisses became more passionate and hurried as they ran up and down my neck and along my collar bone to the edge of my singlet. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. My sparkling hair fell down to where his hands were pressing forcefully on the small of my back.

And then as unexpectedly as this had started he was gone and I was left sitting on my knees, stunned. I stood up and ran towards the trees in the direction of his scent. I was fuming. How could he just leave me like that? I had given myself completely to him and he had just left. I stopped. Why should I follow him? That obtuse man had left me when I was putty in his sexy hands.

I made my judgement in a split second. I wouldn't chase him, there was no reason to. He had made it very clear that he desired me. So if he did really want me, he could fight, beg and plead for me. I turned towards the grand house we were currently living in when the direction of the wind changed. My throat burst into flames. There was a human nearby. I instantly understood why Emmett had left so promptly, though I wasn't any less angry. I had to run towards the luscious scent. It wasn't a choice, it was a reflex.

As I raced through the forest I felt a slight pang of sorrow for the loss of their human life, but it was trumped by the feeling of slight smugness. Why should they be human when I could no longer be? I slowed not wishing to see the action sequence, and then the sound of muffled screaming echoed through the forest.

After two minutes I wandered through the trees and saw Emmett standing over a crumpled male corpse completely drained of blood. The scene in front of me reminded me of what I had seen when I had found Emmett. Emmett looked up and met my gaze sheepishly. I was instantly drawn to his body. But I pushed the urge to the back of my mind, I couldn't be weak.

"Come on. You should talk to Carlisle." I murmured.

As we sped away from the lifeless body I saw Emmett reach out to grab my hand and I pulled my hand away and sped up. I saw his face fall in confusion. I felt guilty, but not enough to stop and press him up against a tree. He needed to prove his interest in me was more than a passing thing. Now I knew how I felt, I needed to know how he did.

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xxx

P.S - I have posted the link to the picture that was my inspiration for the clearing on my profile. :-D