Horizon

After sitting with Emmett as he discussed battle plans with Carlisle and his brothers I eventually remembered that I had to make dinner for Charlie. Emmett had just dropped me off and was returning to his family to make preparations to fight the army.

"Hey Dad. You already ate dinner?" I asked. I looked over his shoulder and found a flyer for a university student who disappeared in Seattle.

"Hmm. No... Not yet." He said not taking his eyes from the piles and piles of paperwork in front of him. He looks over his shoulder and finds me staring at the flyer. "Riley Biers. His parents are papering Seattle in these." He said pointing to the flyer in front of him. "Fifth time they've tried" He sighed.

"Do you think they should give up?" I asked him quietly. If he disappeared in Seattle he could be a newborn or a meal for one. He looks up at me then with his eyes full of emotion.

"I wouldn't if it was you. Not ever." He told her confidently. She swallowed her guilt as she was about to put him through that. Then he unexpectedly put an arm around my waist and held me for a moment before pulling away and trying to cover his emotionality.

"So one large cheese pizza?" He asks me after clearing his throat. I nod silently as he picks up the phone and I stand there just staring at the flyer on the table in front of me.

Xx

"I need to figure out what to tell people." I say drawing random patterns on Emmett's muscular chest as he holds me in my bed. Charlie was next door snoring whilst Emmett and I talk about my change. "How to explain I won't be home for Christmases. Why I won't visit. Why they won't ever see me again."

"After a few decades everyone you know will be dead. Problem solved." Emmett says to her. She flinches at his brutal honesty but she knows that it's the truth.

"Why are you so against me becoming like you?" I ask him, looking at his perfect face as he thinks about his reply.

"I've told you."

"There's more to it." I tell him stubbornly. "You can be honest."

"The choices you're making. I know the consequences. The isolation, The loss. I've lived through it. And to let you suffer through that just so that I'll never have to lose you." He takes a deep breath and speaks even quieter. "And I know you believe that I have a soul and I don't. And to risk yours just so I'll never have to lose you. It will be the most selfish thing I'll ever do."

"Then I'm just as selfish" I say and lay my head on his chest as he strokes my hair with his large hand.

"I thought... I thought maybe you were afraid I'll be too different. I won't be... you know, warm any more. I won't smell the same..." He lifts my head up to face his.

"You'll always be my Rose." He tells me honestly and kisses me passionately to show me his love. After a minute he pulls away, both of us breathing heavily and I lay my head on his chest as sleep overcomes me.

Xx

Emmett had dropped me off at the imaginary border line for Seth to pick me up. We were currently walking down La Push beach but he seems distracted. Like he wants to say something but he can't or won't.

"I want to say something." He suddenly says turning me around so we're both facing each other. I nod encouragingly at him as he takes a deep breath.

"I wanted to do this differently. Smoother. But I'm out of time and you need to her the truth, understand all of your options. You probably already what I'm going to say but..." I know exactly what he's going to say.

"Seth don't..." I tell him but he just squares his shoulders and tells me proudly.

"I'm in love with you Rose. And I want you to pick me instead of him." I stare at him momentarily speechless until I finally get my head around what he said.

"Seth I... thought you understood. I don't feel that way about you." I tell him honestly whilst he shakes his head.

"I don't buy it." He says to me convinced that I actually love him. But I don't. I love Emmett.

"What don't you buy, its how I feel." I tell him. He doesn't look bothered by my lack of interest in him.

"Do you want me to go away? Never see me again?" He asks. I shake my head. I might not love him in the way he wants but I don't want that either.

"Of course not Seth"

"See? You feel something for me but you just won't admit it." He pauses and looks like he is deciding something. "And I'm not giving up. I'm going to fight for you. Until your heart stops beating." He says taking my hand.

"Then you won't have to wait long – " " – You're rushing into it because you're afraid you'll change your mind." He says interrupting me. His voice was passionate as he spoke, thinking he knew what I was feeling but it was the opposite of what I was actually feeling.

"It's what I want." I say feeling angry. He just shakes his head and carries on talking.

"You wouldn't have to change for me. Or say goodbye to anyone. I can give you more than him. He probably can't even kiss you without hurting you." He says pulling me closer to his overheated body. "Feel that? Flesh and blood and warmth." He says.

"Seth – " I try to tell him but he spontaneously kisses me. I push against him angrily but he pulls me against him tighter. I go limp in his arms and drop mine knowing I was not doing any good. I open my eyes and wait for him to stop. When he does I turn away whilst he gauges my reaction. I spin back towards him and punch him in the face. But at the impact there was a horrible crunch. Whilst Seth didn't flinch I clutched my hand to my chest in pain.

"Ow Ow Ow Ow Ow!" I say close to tears. I walk away but of course he follows. I don't love him, I love Emmett.

Xx

I was pissed. Seth kissed me against my will and now my hand is broken. Can life get any more unfair?

I got out of Seth's car and hold my broken hand in pain. Just then a flash of headlights appears and suddenly so does a silver Volvo. Emmett's silver Volvo. He jumps out and runs at vampire speed to Seth though it was only a blur to me. I get in his path so he won't him. I might be angry but I don't want Emmett to hurt Seth.

"Not here Emmett please" I try to beg him but he just glares at Seth and puts his hands on his shoulders and pushes him.

"If you ever kiss her against her will again, I'll-"

"She's not sure what her will is – "

"Oh she can speak for herself. I guarantee you."

"Fine someday she'll speak for herself and ask for me to."

"Stop it Seth just go!" I tell him whilst Emmett full on glares at the werewolf in front of him. Charlie decides that now is the time to come out and sees the hostility between both Emmett and Seth. He comes up to them not seeing the possible danger.

"Okay guys. Come on. Take it down a notch. Simmer it down." He says coming between the two who were still having a face off. "Now what the hell is going on?" He asks looking between the three of us.

"I kind of... kissed Rosalie." He says. You could see the pleased expression on Charlie's face. He didn't bother to hide his preference for Seth over my only love Emmett. However when Seth said the next bit his attitude changed.

"Against her will. She punched me and broke her hand. Accidently." Charlie's expression turns into a glare that even the cocky Seth shrinks under.

Xx

Emmett had taken me to Carlisle to make sure the damage wasn't permanent. As he finishes setting my hand in a splint Emmett looks on with concern and Bella was sat on the counter looking at several newspapers and looking for updates.

"It's just a small fracture. You're all set Rose." Carlisle tells me once he's finished with a reassuring smile. Edward and Jasper breeze in then and look at me and then to the splint on my hand.

"Trying to walk and chew gum at the same time Rose?" Edward asks me with a massive grin on his face.

"Punched a werewolf in the face." I tell him. He gets an impressed look and nods appreciatley at me.

"Bad ass. You're gonna be one tough little newborn."

"Tough enough to take you on – " I couldn't finish though because Bella slaps down the newspaper and abruptly walks out throwing me a glare on her way out whilst I look on confused. I hadn't actually done anything had I? I look at Edward who just shrugs.

"Don't worry about it."

"Did you find any leads?" Emmett asks his brothers.

"No sign of the intruder. But Victoria continues to make appearances." Jasper tells him.

"She's toying with us. Keeping us distracted." Carlisle says quietly.

"From Seattle?" Edward asks him.

Or the intruder. Or something else." Carlisle says.

"Alice can keep track on her decisions but we have to keep tracking her on the ground." Emmett says. No one was even paying me attention so I walk onto the deck Bella had gone.

"We already covered the entire Southern Peninsula down to Quinault." Jasper tells everyone.

"We'll search the north western trail..." That was all I heard before I was on the deck. Bella was leaning against the railing as she watches the sun set over the river in the forest behind the Cullen's house. She doesn't turn around but I'm guessing she doesn't need to know it was me.

"Go blather to someone else about the joys of being a newborn."She says to me. I sigh.

"I know how bad it will be." I tell her. She shakes her head.

"You don't have a clue." She tells me contemptuous. I suddenly get angry and I straighten and look at her feeling pissed.

"Bella I'm trying here. I've been trying with you But I can't figure out what I did to make you hate me -" She turns around then to face me with surprise on her perfect features.

"Hate you? I don't hate you. I don't particularly like you but... Rosalie, I envy you." She tells me. I look at her in shock. How can she envy me? She is absolutely perfect. She has a husband who loves her more than his life and a family as well as her perfect beauty that made anyone want to cry.

"That's... Ridiculous." I finally tell her.

"No it's not. You have a choice. I didn't. None of us did and you do and you're choosing wrong. I don't care how miserable your human life is -"

"My life isn't miserable. It's not perfect but no one's is – "

"Mine was." She tells me. I look at her in shock and disbelief.

"Maybe you forgot all the bad things –"

"No" She says shaking her head looking out at the river. "It was perfect. Until the end." I walk up and stand next to her but still at a careful distance.

"Did Emmett ever tell you what led to this?" She asked while gesturing to her flawless immortal vampire body.

I nodded slowly and responded with "He said it was close to what happened to me that time in Port Angeles, only no one was there to save you." She nodded and opened her mouth to speak before closing it again and shaking her head.

"I had... almost had... everything even though it was the Great Depression. I was seventeen, beautiful – everyone in Rochester envied me." Her tone turns sad now. "But there was one thing I didn't have. I wanted a child badly. A home of my own, a husband to kiss me when he comes home from work. And I thought I was going to have all of that..."

Her eyes turn far away as she remembers her human life that she lost years ago.

She sighed and spoke again. "In Rochester, there was one royal family-the King's ironically enough. Royce King owned the bank my father worked at, and nearly every other really profitable business in town. That's how is son, Royce King the Second"- She said the name through clenched teeth "-saw me for the first time. He was going to take over the bank, and so he began overseeing the different positions. Two days later, my mother conveniently forgot to send my father's lunch to work with him. I remember being confused when she insisted that I wear my white organza and roll my hair up just to run over to the bank." She laughed but left the humour out of it.

"I didn't notice Royce watching me particularly. Everyone watched me. But that night the first of the roses came. Every night of our courtship, he sent a bouquet of roses to me. My room was always overflowing with them. It got to the point that I would smell like roses when I left the house. After a week we were in courtship. I met Carlisle, Esme and Edward whilst walking to the market with my Mother. I remember feeling self conscious and that thought made me left. I, Isabella Hale, was feeling self conscious. Then I looked into Edward's eyes and I felt connected. I didn't know that it was because he found his mate in me.

"Even though we were engaged I barley knew Royce – we were never alone. But I was in love with the idea of love. I was young. On the last night of my life I was leaving my friend Vera's house late at night. I could remember being jealous that she had a child and I didn't but then feeling smug that my children would be even more beautiful than hers. Then I saw Edward and it hurt to think about a life without him. I wasn't far from home when I saw them. Five men stumbling and laughing. They were drunk. When I got closer I realised they were very well dressed and then they noticed me."

"Bells!" He shouted. I turned around and found Royce. I walked up to him not knowing that I should've run. He was drunk. He told me he didn't like alcohol. He turned to his friend John who was visiting for business. "Isn't she lovelier than all of your Georgia Peaches." The way he looked at me. It was unnerving. "Hard to tell. She's all covered up." He told Royce. They all started laughing and I cleared my throat ready to leave. Royce pulled of my jacket and popped all the brass buttons off. "Show them what you look like Bells" He told me pulling the hat out of my hair. The hair pulled my hair from my scalp and I screamed. They laughed. They were enjoying the sounds of my pain.

"I didn't see who he was until that night. Who they all were..."

I looked at her as she looked at the ground in sadness. I was filled with empathy for this girl who had no say in her future. Who had it ripped away from her.

"They left me in the streets thinking I was dead. Believe me, I wanted to be. Carlislie and Esme were the ones who found me. I had only met them once before but I was jealous. They were more beautiful than me. Me. I was vain enough at the time that I minded. Now I've come to see the flaws that my beauty has. It was the reason they did that. Carlisle took me to their home and bit me. The pain. It was excruiating. Edward heard my screams and came to me. He held my hand throughout the change and restrained me when the pain was to much. Royce had put out a search for his beloved fiancee. They thought I was dead. No one in Rochester thought the person who killed me would be my fiancee."

"I'm... so sorry Bella." I tell her.

"I did get my revenge though. " She smiled slightly at that. "I saved Royce for last so he knew I was coming. I was a little theatrical back then." She appears amused for a second before her face goes emotionless again. "Things got better after I realised I had Edward. We instantly clicked. Even when I was human. But we'll aways be... this. Frozen, never moving forward. That's what I miss most... the possibilities. Of sitting on a front porch somewhere, Edward gray-haired by my side, surrounded by our grandchildren, their laughter..."

"That's why I saved Emmett. With the dark curls and the innocence showing even when he was grimacing in pain." She sighs and shakes her head. "He reminded me of Vera's little Henry. And even though I hated this existence, I asked Carlisle to change him so I still had a link to my human life. Edward thought I was in love with him at first." She says laughing. "No, I'll never love anyone besides my Edward. Besides he's annoyed me from the first moment I heard him speak."

"Did you know I wasn't always like this? I was the adorable innocent little girl who would never get on trouble. Then my mother saw how the opposite sex noticed me. She molded me into this." She says gesturing to her perfect self. "The vain, shallow girl everyone else sees. I didn't want to be like that. I still don't..."

She was silent as I looked at her. She might be cold and vain but she was only that because of what they did to her. How they hurt her.

"Bella, I understand that's what you wanted but... I'll never want anything more than Emmett" I tell her.

"Wrong again. After you've been changed, there's one thing you'll want more, the one thing you'll kill for: Blood." She says. She looks at my face and then walks away, her heels clicking against the floor fills the empty silence. I'll want Emmett more than anything, right? As I turn I notice Emmett looking at me through a window sadly. I'll want Emmett more than anything, right?