I'm sure it's evident as to what Rosalie's decision will have to be between. But still.. everyone loves that build up moment!

Here's the next chapter, the next one will be up tomorrow!

Enjoy.

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I glared at my bronze haired sibling, daring him to tell me news that I didn't want to hear. My glare was a silent warning to watch how he now approached this, a caution to be wary of how he now worded the information, as to not piss me off. I had an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach that I knew what this was in relation to - or who this was about.

"Spit it out Edward, what's happened?"

He now looked even more hesitant. His eyes flickered over to Carmen, and then to Tanya. Each of them looked to the other, a silent back and forth as to who should speak first. I didn't like this time-wasting strategy – when I wanted answers, I received answers. The rest of the Cullen's had come to understand this through the years.

"Edward!" I hissed, bringing his eyes back to mine swiftly. My teeth were very much entirely on show, my hands in the tightest possible fists.

"Rosalie, I believe that we should return to Forks... immediately."

"And why is that?" I questioned warily.

Once again no one responded quick enough for my liking.

Carmen sighed and pushed in front of the others, moving Edward aside to stand in front of me with a serious look planted firmly on her face. She was slightly taller than myself, it helped with her motherly personality.

"Isabella Swan has been involved in an accident." My body involuntarily froze upon hearing those words. "Rosalie, she's in a coma."

A coma. Isabella, my supposed mate. I hadn't even managed to utter one word to the human yet, and already her life was about to end. She hadn't lived a real life yet. I closed my eyes as firmly as I possibly could. I wished I could be anywhere but here, I wished I could rewind and not return, instead decide to take an extended hunting trip by myself - at least then I would return as and when I pleased, I wouldn't have known Isabella was my mate. I may not of have felt the slight pain that was now deep within my gut.

I blinked back non-existent tears and turned to walk back out of the door, but not before I heard footsteps right beside me. I glanced to my left, and Edward's sullen looking face was watching his feet as we walked out of the house.

"Rose, you need to go to Forks."

"That's not my responsibility." I snapped, quickening my steps and allowing myself to eventually run.

"She's your ma-"

I snarled in Edward's face, before beginning to walk once again. I stormed at a human pace, needing to focus on the thoughts that were racing through my head.

"That's not my mate, I refuse to believe it. My mate is not a human, I have not been waiting all of these years for my soul mate to end up being a frail human, whose life will be racing by whilst I never age, right beside her. How the fuck am I supposed to deal with that? There's no fucking way that I'm damning any other human to this life, I'm not forcing anyone to have to live this never ending depressing cycle."

"Rose-"

"No! You don't get it! I've been alone for almost as long as you have. I've had to deal with my past alone. I've waited for the moment that I found my soulmate, for so many years. I've spent nights considering ways to end this life, just so I don't have to face another day without someone smiling at me the way Esme does Carlisle. I've prayed for the mornings that I can sit and watch each sunrise with someone, the way Jasper chooses to do so with Alice. I've wanted it all, and now I find that my mate is someone that is unable to do either of those things – one because she's in a fucking coma, and two, because she's a fragile human being."

When I had finished my rant, I noticed Edward & I were very much deep into the nearby forest. Edward had a small sympathetic smile, his hands tucked into his jean pockets, and feet kicking at the small piles of snow surrounding our feet.

"You're speaking to the one person who has wanted each of those moments."

I sighed. That was true - Edward had experienced all of the same feelings. He was the one family member that could truly understand the level of hatred I had for this life and living it without the right person beside you every sunrise & sunset.

"What am I going to do, Edward?" I asked, resigned to the fact that I could not sit and disregard what was already set in stone.

"You need to go to Forks." He stood in front of me, his hands on my shoulders. "You need to see her."

"What good will that do?"

"Perhaps you need to rethink your beliefs - this is your soul mate, Rosalie."

\\

I hated him. I hated his chiselled jaw, I hated his hair, I hated his irritatingly intelligent and moral thoughts and I especially hated his hairy arms.

After our brief conversation, Edward & I had decided to have our biggest feed yet - four bears, two deer and one wolf. I completely destroyed my shirt and jeans mid-hunt, but had found it difficult to care. My mind was elsewhere. My mind was back in Forks with Isabella. Edward had managed to convince me, after two hours of back and forth, that returning to Forks was the right decision.

We had left Alaska after thanking the Denali coven for hosting us, Carmen looking incredibly concerned for my sanity as we were saying our goodbyes. I had promised that I would send updates of the situation, once I was able to fully understand it myself. Edward had assured Tanya that he would return soon to finish their oh so important hunting trip. I refused to believe that Edward and Tanya were not true mates. Eleazar had assured me multiple times they were not.

We were now crossing the border into Forks; my legs were coercing me in the direction of Forks Hospital already. I detested the pull of soul mates, though this wasn't exactly how you wanted to experience your very first 'soul mate pull' - your mate being in a hospital bed. I felt attached to something that I hadn't even experienced, something I hadn't had a taste of just yet.

"Maybe this isn't the right thing to do." I sighed, just as we burst through the last line of trees in front of the hospital. It was just after midnight, and most of the lights were off in the building, minus three of four.

We changed our run to a quick walk, my eyes scanning the parking lot for Carlisle's Mercedes, before fixating on the doors. The parking lot was relatively bare, the few patients that had decided to take a trip outside in their hospital gowns to be free of the stale surroundings, pacing back and forth in front of the smoking shelter to the left of the entrance.

"Rose, focus on the fact that she's your mate."

"I really do hate you."

"I look forward to you changing your mind on the day of your wedding to Isabella, and you've requested that I play the wedding chime on my piano." He smirked, rolling the cuffs on his shirt sleeves once more.

"She's in a coma. I've barely even considered the possibility of being able to have her hold my hand just yet, never mind watching her walk down the aisle." I scoffed, shoving him with my shoulder.

My mind was now focused on now seeing my mate for the first time, completely. I was also about to see my mate for the first time, in the worst possible way - I didn't quite know how I was supposed to prepare myself for a situation such as this. Though I don't suppose there's many vampires that had.

As we entered the building, I noticed a flustered Carlisle standing at the reception with multiple files under his arm. His hair was unusually messy. Carlisle was not for missing details, nor missing any sort of perfection. You could put that down to being a vampire, though Carlisle took it a step further.

"Carlisle."

He turned to me with a sympathetic smile. I shivered instantly - well, that's not the most positive of signs to begin with.

"Rosalie, Edward. I'm glad to see you're both back safe."

"Isabella Swan…" I trailed off - I didn't have time for small talk. It's bad enough that I had chose to waste time back in Alaska trying to get my mind to fully comprehend that this was the right decision. She would be getting progressively worse.

"Perhaps it'd be best if we were to see her." He motioned to his right, whilst glancing behind me. "Edward, would you please stay here?"

I sighed and followed him through the quiet corridors of the small hospital, turning right, left, right, right, and finally left before we came to a stop outside of a room at the end of a corridor.

"Before you see her, I need you to be prepared for what you're going to see. She's been involved in an accident with a student's van." The grimace that appeared on my face was enough for Carlisle to hesitate his hand over the handle of the door. I pleaded silently with my eyes to open it, and allow me to see my mate.

Once he opened the door, the pull in my gut became intensely stronger. I felt my feet move before my mind had registered what I had actually wanted to do. Seeing her broke my heart instantaneously. Both legs were suspended, covered in large casts. Her right arm was also placed in a cast, resting on a pillow beside her. The other arm had wires attached to drips, heart rate monitors beeping steadily to the left of her hospital bed. Her face was severely bruised, one eye socket swollen and purple. I was at a loss for words. I felt an intense urge to protect this woman, this human. I knew I had to do something to make this go away. But that something wasn't something I had ever considered needing to do.

"She's in a coma for her own protection. She's broken several ribs, shattered the bones in her right arm, both legs have been broken and she's taken a dangerous knock to the head." Carlisle, checked the clipboard that was hanging at the end of her hospital bed, noting down something before replacing it back where it previously rested.

"I… she looks so... "

"It's not likely that she'll wake up. She's very much alive, for now." He was now beside me, arm resting around my shoulders as she looked down at her sorry-looking-form. "I'm assuming you're aware that she is your mate. It's undeniable once you're in the same room, am I right?"

I nodded. It was all I could muster.

"And I'm assuming that you're aware of the decision that you have to make."

Again, I nodded.

"I'm sorry Rosie."

I whimpered softly, my hands coming to cover my mouth whilst I attempted to steady my emotions. This wasn't how I envisioned meeting my mate, meeting the one person that I was going to spend the rest of forever with. Now my true forever lay in my hands. Her father wouldn't truly get a say in the matter. And he had no idea that, that was the case. I felt nothing but sorrow for that man, Charlie Swan.

I took a seat in the empty chair in the darkest corner of the room, legs pulled up to my stomach with my arms wrapped around them. Carlisle had left to give us some privacy. Visiting time was very much over, and Isabella wouldn't be receiving a visit from anyone until the morning. I kept my eyes glued to her figure, silently begging for her to wake up and breathe without the use of these wires and tubes. No it still wouldn't take away the decision I would have to make. But it would allow her the chance to tell me what should be done.

Hours were spent with me gnawing at my lip, nails tapping at the wooden arms of the chair as I considered both sides of the decision that was placed upon my shoulders. Changing Isabella, forcing her to become one of us without a say in the matter could have both is benefits and it's downfalls. She could wake from the change, recognise our bond and be at peace with my decision. She could also wake from the change, completely hate me for not allowing her to pass peacefully, and damning her to this life. If I chose to let her die, she would die peacefully. She would die with her father being able to bury his daughter, after seeing her body. Though I would lose me true mate, and I would continue living without the one person I had waited my entire life to encounter. I would spend every day knowing I had my mate in my reach, and had allowed her to leave this earth. I would spend every day knowing I hadn't allowed her the chance to see if this life is what she would want, being beside me. Meeting the Cullen family. Either decision had pros and cons. Either decision weighed heavily on my shoulders.

I stood from the chair, and walked to her side. I held her one available hand in my own, wrapping my fingers around hers tightly, and bringing it to my lips.

"Isabella. We have not yet properly met, but I can assure you that even now you're the most heavenly thing I have had the pleasure of encountering. You're already causing me to make grave decisions." Her hand fit so perfectly in mine, fingers so slender and pale.

I could hear the corridors of the hospital coming to life, visitors starting to enter the building and request room numbers for various different patients. One specific voice caught my attention.

"Isabella Swan?"

"Oh Charlie, I'm so sorry. I promise you she's only going to get better."

"Uh, thank you. I sure hope you're right."

"Room 32, Charlie."

I sighed and kissed her hand once more, laying it back down gently and hurrying out, and jumping into the closet opposite her room. I listened as Charlie burst into tears upon seeing his daughter injured so severely, his only daughter. He chose to noisily drag the chair I had been sitting in over to her bed, and threw himself down into it. I decided that listening to a father crying for his daughter, wasn't how I wanted to spend the beginning of this day. I quickly left the closet and made my way to the reception.

"Please tell Carlisle I've gone home?" I asked the receptionist politely, smiling and walking out of the doors, only to be greeted with Edward leaning against the bonnet of his Volvo, arms crossed against his chest, legs crossed at the ankles. He had his trademark frown in place, and his hair just as usually messy.

"Get me out of here." I demanded, voice void of any real emotion.

He nodded and hopped into the driver's side just as quick as I slipped into the passenger seat. He chose not to question my need to be away quickly, instead pulling out of the parking lot and speeding down the roads to our house, without a word being uttered.

Isabella was firmly in my thoughts. The image of Isabella lying almost dead, in a hospital bed, was firmly in my thoughts. I wanted nothing more than to be able to remove her from said bed, and take her home. I didn't want to end this life for her, but I also didn't want her life to end, full stop. I wanted to experience each of her laughs, each argument, each interest that she had. I wanted to see the way she saw the world, understand how she views everyday life. I didn't want to continue imagining those moments with no face attached to those moments. I wanted Isabella.

"Rose, we're home." Edward pointed out, hand hovering in front of my face.

"I will break that hand, Cullen."

I raced into the house, intending on seeing one person & one person only.