A Thorny Situation
Edward and I looked at each other in shock, and then back at Carlisle. "Rosalie Hale!" Edward exclaimed. I ignored the rest of their whispered conversation and looked at the beautiful girl lying on the couch. She had long, golden hair and the most perfect features I had ever seen. Of course, they were currently contorted in pain, due to the venom coursing through her body.
"A daughter. A beautiful daughter." was all I thought. Edward looked at me sharply. I gave a guilty start. "Edward, you've been a wonderful son, but sometimes a woman needs another woman to talk to."
Edward nodded, "I understand what you mean, Esme. But I don't think Rosalie Hale is what you have in mind. She's shallow and vain. She is obsessed with her appearance. I don't know if you two will have much in common."
I smiled back at Edward. "You never know."
Three days later, we gathered at Rosalie's side as the transformation became complete. Carlisle explained our way of life to her. She seemed frightened when he offered her the opportunity to leave. Her eyes kept darting around the room, trying to make sense of what happened. I didn't need Edward's whisper to know what she needed. It was already in my pocket. I took out the hand mirror and held it up in front of Rosalie's face. She instantly quieted and took it from my hand. She spent a long time examining herself from different angles in the mirror. "I'm even more beautiful", she murmured.
Rosalie quickly attached herself to me. She and Edward seemed to irritate each other. I soon found that having plenty of mirrors around the house helped to keep Rosalie calm. She usually went hunting with Carlisle and me, avoiding Edward. I was surprised at how much control Rosalie exhibited early on. A week after her transformation, she came upon me packing. "What are you doing, Esme?" she inquired. "Rosalie dear, you know we can't stay here. You're too well known and the town is still talking about your disappearance. We couldn't leave immediately for two reasons. The first is that you weren't ready to be moved and the second is that we never want to move too soon after an unexplained disappearance. People tend to connect the oddest things."
Rosalie asked me, "How soon?"
"A week", I replied. Looking back, I wish that Edward had not been hunting that day. He might have been able to prevent it. Over the next few days, the newspapers were full of the mysterious deaths of the friends of Royce King's son. Suspicion was starting to fall on the younger King, but he was acting terrified. He had hired bodyguards and was hiding in an undisclosed location. If Rosalie were a mere human, that might have been enough.
When Rosalie came home on that last night, still dressed in a wedding dress, we were all waiting for her. Carlisle looked despondent, Edward was angry and I was…..proud. Rosalie looked at us defiantly.
"I didn't taste them. I didn't want to defile myself with their blood. They were murderers and fiends and I'm not sorry."
Carlisle shook his head sadly. "I understand that you felt you had no choice. We don't have the option of turning them in to the police. I just wish that you hadn't felt it necessary to resort to the same kind of violence that they did. You are still a member of this family. That hasn't changed." He was so kind. How I loved him, but even he didn't understand.
Edward looked at Carlisle in disbelief, "Is that all you're going to say after she nearly exposed us? Rosalie, that was reckless. We have to be very careful to blend in. What if you were seen?" He snorted with disgust.
I crossed over to Rosalie and held her in my arms, "You have suffered a great deal because of these men. I understand your desire for justice."
Edward growled, "More like revenge!"
I turned my head towards Edward and said, severely, "Justice. You, as a man, have no idea how vulnerable women are. You were raised to cherish and care for women, but there are men out there who are worse monsters than vampires. They delight in hurting someone weaker than they for sport. I would have thought your time away from us would have taught you something about that type of monster."
Edward stared at me open mouthed. I realized that I had been thinking about my human husband. He closed his mouth and said softly, "I'm sorry, Esme. I apologize to you and Rosalie for what you have suffered at the hands of monsters disguised as men." Carlisle touched his shoulder and they left together.
I turned back to Rosalie. She was smiling at me timidly. "Thank you, Esme. I thought you would be ashamed of me for being so cruel."
I smiled back, "Rosalie, I understand suffering. You were braver than I, you fought back. I regret that you had to be cruel, but I can't feel much pity for men who would do something like that to a young woman, especially one who professed to love her enough to marry. Somewhere, a young girl or girls are safe because of your actions."
Rosalie gave me a small frown. "I'm sorry to remind you of your own pain, Esme. I promise you that this is the last time that I will kill a human."
I hugged her and replied, "At least you were strong enough to resist their blood. That's something I struggled with my first year. I didn't always win that fight. Shall we go hunt one last time before we leave for Appalachia?"
Arm in arm, we left the house for the last time.
The title of this chapter is inspired by the Mitch Hansen song Thorns on his Twilight Hour cd.
