Author's Note: I am so so sorry for the lack of updates on this story. I lost my inspiration. But I think I've found it again, so hopefully you won't have to ever wait this long again. Perhaps, reviews could motivate me? Sigh, that's blackmail, and I wouldn't dare do that... would I? Yeah, I might. :P Seriously though, I'm sorry for it took so long, don't hate me, please keep reading!


Rosalie:

Have you ever really held the hand of someone you love? Not just in passing, a loose link between you – but truly clasped, with the pulses of your wrists beating together and your fingers mapping the knuckles and nails like a cartographer learning a country by heart?

I reached for Emmett as if I were drowning; our hands joined as we walked slowly down the airplane gang plank towards New York. I touched him with all the emotion I'd kept inside me during our plane ride. A journey, that during which, I didn't sleep, for the laws of my nature prevented that. But I dreamed. And in dreaming, I was still human. Young, perhaps foolish, and undoubtedly rash. With beauty and allure on my side. I touched him, and found that even something as innocent as the lacing of their fingers could raise all the hairs on the back of my neck, and nearly make my still heart beat again.

The sky was grey, and the chill that ran down my spine had nothing to do with the temperature of the air, though as that very thought crossed my mind, I realized, it was cold outside, and drew the lapels of my jacket closer together.

"We don't need to do this, Rose. We can turn around and go home, if that's what you want."

The look I shot my husband was deadly. It amused me slightly to see a man like Emmett cringe. "I'm not about to condemn my best friend to death." I finally managed to mutter.

"I didn't mean… it's just… you're shaking."

"I don't like New York."

"This isn't Rochester. And Royce…" I felt his other fist clench at the mention of the name. "Royce is dead."

"The memories…they're so much sharper here. It's a psychological thing, I know. But I can't help it. And I don't have to like it."

"No, no one is making you be happy about it. Just focus on Arielle."

I inhaled. Arielle. I exhaled. I knew I needed to prevent more pain for her. Get her back to her family where she belonged. Back to Carlisle, who we'd flow with as far as JFK, and watched him grow steadily less stable. Watched, as he fell to pieces at the thought of losing her.

I wouldn't allow that to happen. But I didn't know where to start.

"Alice said she caught a glimpse of her by the international departures." Emmett murmured, reading my mind.

So, in silence, fingers still intertwined, we made our way across the airport.

My inhuman vision allowed me to see it, even though I was entirely too far away to do anything about it. The flight gate to Rome, the sign blinking its final call, the stewardess pushing the heavy door shut.

And the flash of fiery red curls.

The silence of a still heart.

I dropped Emmett's hand for the first time since we'd arrived in New York, and broke out into a sprint. At this point, it was worth near exposure running that fast would've caused, just to try and erase that look from Carlisle's face.

"Arielle!" I cried her name, praying she'd hear me.

She moved in slow motion, turning towards me, her amber eyes glowing, pained with tears she'd never be allowed to shed.

"I'm sorry." She mouthed silently, and the door slammed shut, a distance of twenty feet still between us.

Pretending to be breathless, I approached the flight attendant, and tried to look as helpless as possible.

"I need… I need to get on that plane."

"I'm sorry," she explained kindly. "We're no longer boarding."

"You don't understand… that woman, the one who just got on… she's my sister… and she's on her way to do something extremely stupid. I've got to… someone has to stop her."

"There's nothing I can do for you Miss. There's another flight to Rome… it leaves in about twenty minutes, my advice would be to catch that one."

"You can't do this to me!"

"She got on the plane of her own free will, she's an adult. I've got no cause to stop her. Please step back Madam."

And she walked away from me, heels clicking loudly with each step, any hope I had of stopping Arielle gone with her.

I felt Emmett behind me, encircle my waist with his arms, impart his strength into me.

"We'll get her, babe. Breathe, it'll all work out."

I did as he asked, inhaled, and exhaled. Yes, as long as he was with me, I knew everything would work out alright.