A Rose by Another Name.

Chapter 6: Harder to Breathe.

BPOV:

My life as I once knew it was over. A week went by after I woke up three days after my life officially ended. I refused to show weakness on the outside though. The night I cried - or dry sobbed as I learned vampires could not only not reproduce but they were unable to cry as well - in Esme's arms in the woods was the last breakdown I had and ever planed to have. At least on the outside. No, the only thing on my mind besides looking over everything I had done in my life and where I had gone wrong was revenge. The newspapers were on fire with my disappearance. They found blood where Royce and his friends has destroyed my life and after a few days and no body only my hate to be found I was declared dead and my funeral was planed for the Monday of next week.

That was three days from now. I was never more happy for the small fact Edward could not read my mind, I was sure he'd try and stop me from getting my revenge.

Didn't I deserve my revenge though? After everything fate had put me through, the unhappy ending it had given me? I think I was in the right, Royce should not be allowed to live if I could not. For that matter neither should his friends and anyone who stood in my way.

I of course wanted no part of them in me, so I would have to be careful. A slow death, but to make sure not to spill their blood. I smirked to myself as I sat in the room Esme had gifted me. They had been kind to me, kinder then I probably deserved but I would not be impolite when they wanted me to stay with them.

Well, everyone but Edward it seemed. I was a bit upset that my wayward feelings for the bronze god did not die with my humanity and more then a little angry that he seemed to think an eternity with me was disgusting.

I had heard Carlisle talking to Esme about them thinking us mates and I admit at first I was confused and appalled. Me? Mate with that arrogant man? I would rather die, again. But my feelings got the better of me and I had to admit even if to myself a part of me found him charming. I was scared though, I had found Royce charming as well.

Shaking my head I flipped my blonde curls behind my shoulder and glared at the sun that shown in the front yard. I hated this life, I could not go and enjoy the sun like I wished. It did not heat me like it once had now and I sparkled. What kind of respecting vampire or person for that matter sparkled? I had loved the sun when I was human, it was one of my more clear memories.

I hated not remembering so much of my human life. The clearest I had was the night I was raped, it was ironic, almost poetic in a sick and twisted way. I remembered my demise the most when so many good memories were fading so fast. I held fast to those I could and wrote I felt leaving me down but I also knew it was already written somewhere, in my old home in my many journals.

I wanted them back, I wanted my human life back but I knew I could not have it but maybe I could still retain some of my human life by stealing back what is mine?

"What are you thinking about?" a familiar voice asked from the doorway of my room and I turned slightly annoyed. Didn't he know how to knock?

I rolled my eyes and turned around crossing my legs as I sat on the rather large windowsill, or I guess you could call it a window bed since it was big enough for a fairly petite woman to sleep on. Edward had the usual mask of annoyance and curiosity on his face and I glared at him slightly and tilted my head up as I answered.

"Wouldn't you like to know," I said and almost laughed at his anger which leaked through his usual facade of the perfect gentlemen. He was polite and a gentlemen but then I was under no illusions that this man was perfect. Pigs would fly first.

"Why do you have to be so insufferable?" he asked and I huffed and crossed my arms.

'Why do you have to be so arrogant and rude?' I thought as I glared at him and his eyes widened.

"Did you just..." Edward trailed off and I raised an eyebrow.

"Did I what?" I asked annoyed at his half questions and I smiled slightly as I caught my reflection in the mirror in the corner. I really was the most beautiful girl in the world now. I felt good about that but another part of me would give every ounce of beauty just to have what I used to. To have what Vera had.

"You really are not as heartless as you seem are you?" Edward asked and I looked at him in shock.

"What?" I asked. "What do you mean. Can you hear my thoughts?" He blinked once and shook his head.

"I can't anymore," he said. "A minute ago I could. You were thinking about me being arrogant and rude and when you caught your reflection you thought of yourself and giving everything to have what someone named Vera had." I glared at him.

"I..don't know what you mean," I told him. "I don't have to sit here and let you psychoanalyze me." I stood and stormed past him, or I would have if he had not caught my elbow. I looked at him and glared. I had let out a small gasp when his hand grabbed me, but it didn't feel unpleasant. I had come a long way since I awoke and knew the difference between Royce and Edward and Carlisle and I slowly began to trust them.

I still did not like being touched but I knew I was no longer helpless and Edward had no intention of hurting me. No the gasp mostly came from the shock that went through me, a very pleasant one that ended at my heart. I wondered if he felt it too?

"I'm not psychoanalyzing you Isabella," he told me his voice firm but not as rude as it had been. "I was just surprised I heard you at all. It appears Carlisle was right, you can chose to let me into your head if you want and I assume other mental powers as well." I sighed and nodded before looking from my elbow to to him, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you going to give me back my elbow Cullen?" I asked almost teasingly. It was the first real civil word we'd said to each other and he smirked but not in a malicious way and let me go.

"Of course Hale," he replied and I was momentarily caught in his eyes before glaring and walking out and down the stairs into the living room where Esme and Carlisle were.

"Carlisle, Esme may I talk to you?" I asked and they looked at me and smiled, nodding.

"Is something wrong Isabella?" Carlisle asked and I shook my head, smiling a bit to ease his concern. I was not without a heart of course, I was coming to see these two as family. Even as a little girl I remember getting attached to things easily and once you wormed your way into my heart I would never let you go. Royce had never gotten that far, but I had once thought given time he would. In my mind if he wanted to be in my heart he had to prove his worth and give me what I wanted mostly. A shallow way to go about things I realize now.

"No everything is fine," I replied. "I want to talk about my things. I mean my things in my home, former home." I was having trouble finding words for this and Carlisle and Esme both looked at me with wide eyes. Edward came in then with a look of understanding and outrage on his face.

"You want to rob yourself?" he asked with distaste and I crossed my arms and glared at him. He seemed oddly amused by this action and I scuffed.

"I wouldn't be robbing myself. I'd just be taking a few choice items. Momentous of my old life," I spat back. "I'm sure you have your own momentous as well."

"That's different Isabella," Edward said almost as if scolding a child. I rolled my eyes, he was only fourteen years older them me! Okay so technically I guess that could be considered a child to im but I was far from a child. I was a eighteen year old woman, and I'd always be eighteen unfortunately. "I was the only one left alive in my family."

"Like that makes it alright," I said, angry. Who were they to deny me my personal items. They were mine dammit! Edward winced and I stiffened, I must have lowered my shield on accident. I bit the inside of my lip slightly, fully aware if I bit to hard I'd rip my own lip off. I had accidentally bitten to hard the first day and had no wish to blemish my own features with scares. Thankfully only being bitten by another vampire leaves a scar or having a limb ripped off of course.

Edward rolled his eyes and I snarled. I really had to get a hang of this shield. I didn't want him reading my mind, who knows what he'd find out. If he ruined my revenge then I'd have to tare him apart and put him back together again just to tare him apart again.

"Edward don't be rude," Esme said. "Isabella has a point." Edward looked at her in shock.

"But it could put us in danger!" he exclaimed and I glared at him.

"I don't plan to take everything Edward," I told him. "I just want some special things. My journals, and a couple other odds and ends." Carlisle nodded from where he sat with Esme.

"That sounds reasonable." He looked to Edward and then me. "Edward can go over and get them tonight if you want." I stared at him in shock, my eyes widening.

"What!" Edward and I both yelled in unison. Carlisle and Esme tried to smother smiles of amusement but we both caught them I was sure.

"I don't want him in my room!" I yelled and Edward chuckled bitterly.

"It's not technically your room anymore Princess," he said and I glared at him and hissed.

"Don't. Call. Me. Princess!" I snarled one word at a time.

"Edward don't antagonize Bella," Carlisle said and I smiled.

"Thank you Carlisle," I said smugly. "Anyways I think I should be allowed to go myself. He'll never be able to find everything anyways."

"I don't know Isabella, you are still a newborn," Carlisle said and I sighed.

"I understand," I replied. "But I was able to run away from human blood after only being awake an hour or two. I'll be fine." Carlisle looked at Esme as if getting a second opinion and the motherly woman nodded and Carlisle turned back to me.

"Alright Isabella, you win," he said and Edward rolled his eyes when he thought I wasn't looked and I scuffed mentally. "But only if you take Edward with you. Just to be on the safe side."

I looked at him in shock and turned to Edward who did not seem to impressed either and sighed.

"Fine," I said and turned looked at Edward I nodded. "Let's go Edward."

As we left I noticed he seemed to walk closer to me then was probably necessary or appropriate but I didn't say anything. Even if as he stalked behind me as we left I felt it was harder to breathe.

The Run towards my house was fast and I did not breathe the entire time. Edward kept close to me as if at any moment I'd snap and slaughter the town. As we arrived and stood in front of the house I looked at the tall tree in the front, directly in front of my bedroom window and smiled sadly.

"My window is always unlocked," I suddenly said. "We can get in through there."

"Look Isabella I'm sorry for being rude and crass to you," he began and I turned to look at him. "I was caught by surprise when Carlisle brought you home. I can't say I am happy about all of this, but I will try to be more civil." I looked into his eyes and blinked. I was shocked and felt the same spark of whatever it was go through me, this time just by gazing into his eyes.

"I'll be civil if you do," I told him, unable to think of any other words to speak. "Lets go before someone sees me." He nodded and we both jumped up into the tree and I gracefully leaned forward some and lifted the cracked window and swung by body inside, landing on the balls of my feet without a sound. I had great control for a newborn, everyone had been shocked at this and that control allowed me to not break as many things in the beginning opposed to Edward and Esme - or so Carlisle said.

Edward followed soon after and looked around as I went straight to my bed and knelled down beside it.

"Nice room, very..." he trailed off before smiling. "Tenacious." I looked at him and rolled my eyes.

"I'm glad you like it," I told him sarcastically and then chuckled. "Ironically your the only boy whose ever been in here." Edward looked at me shocked.

"Really?" he asked. "Not even Royce?" I stopped what I was doing, placing a large lock box on my bed and stood glaring at him.

"Believe it or not Edward, I was a virgin before Royce," I spat Royce's name like it was a curse, beneath me, and he flinched back. He clinched his fist and I could feel his anger but I was almost positive that it was not directed at me.

"I am sorry, that was callous," he said his head down in shame. "I wasn't thinking."

"Your right, you weren't thinking." I sighed and shook my head. "Let's just get this done. I don't like being here."

Edward nodded and I opened the box slowly after lifting my lamp and taking the key off the bottom which was tapped on and Edward seemed to find it amusing and chuckled. I didn't say anything as I opened it and took out a floral medium size jewelry box and sat it down. I took out two rings. One was a diamond ring which was my grandmothers engagement ring and the other was one of my mother prized rings which she gave me when I turned fifteen.

It was a ruby ring - though the gem looked more hot pink then ruby - and rather large and two lockets. One was older looking, and my grandmothers most prized possession - she was buried in her wedding rings - and the other was a locket my father gave me when I turned fifteen. Fifteen was an important age in my home.

"No one will notice those missing?" he asked and I shook my head.

"She might notice my grandmothers ring is gone, but she'll just think I was wearing it when I went missing. My parents are not very perceptive though when it comes to my things." Edward nodded and I stood and after placing the lock-box back and placing the jowls in the smallish jewelry box I walked over to the closet and opened it. Edward followed me with my eyes as I knelled and moved a small rug out of the closet and moved my hands over the floorboards before smirking and lifting one in the middle gently and moving it aside.

"My mother would have a heart attack if she saw this. To her this would be the blackest of blasphemy's," I said and then shrugged. "Right next to sex before marriage and marriage before your twenty-three. She was practically a spinster before she agreed to marry my father. My grandparents practically fell to their knees in relief the day she announced she was marrying my father."

"You have a pretty clear remembrance of your human life," Edward said as I lifted three leather bound journals the size of my hand from wrist to finger tips and a little wider out and put them beside me before grabbing one more journal which was the most recent and larger. It was the practically the size of both my hands put together and had a fleur-de-lis symbol on the cover. I chuckled.

"I guess I do for now, but I don't remember of a lot of things," I told him. "I don't remember my birthdays before fifteen. I don't remember learning how to read or write or even what my sisters middle name is anymore." I should my head.

"It's sort of funny in a twisted way but I remember the night I died better then I remember the day my siblings were born or the times my parents told me they loved me. Hell, I can't remember my own maids name." Edward raised an eyebrow.

"You have a maid?" he asked, amused and I rolled my eyes and stood. My journals firmly in my arms and I walked back over to the bed after putting everything back in place and grabbing the few pictures I wanted.

One of me, Vera and Henry. Another of my and my siblings and another of my parents and a single one of me when I assume was my eighteenth birthday. Royce was not in this picture and I thanked whoever was listening for that small favor.

"My parents must be somewhere," I said suddenly realizing it was much to quiet. Edward nodded.

"There is a memorial service for you today. We were lucky to even be here right now," Edward said. "I don't think you realized but not long before we left the sun left and it began to snow again." I looked outside and grimaced. It was snowing and a fine layer was covering everything.

"I hate snow," I muttered and Edward chuckled but said nothing more and as I placed my items in a mall satchel from my closet I also grabbed a few outfits until Esme could get me some from the market and with a look at Edward we left. As we did and began running back to the Cullen home I realized my throat was on fire.

I must have begun to breathe again while inside, and I once again shook my head. It may be harder to breathe now days but maybe it was better that I did not.


A/N: Well here we go. I am sorry it has taken so long but it's finally here. Also some are a bit upset at the prospect of Bella's fertility status and while I understand vampires having babies is weird it is the only way to bring Rosalie into the story. So it is not just so I can give Bella pretty babies. It is part of the plot, otherwise Rosalie would never be introduced into the story and Emmett would be mateless.