Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: I felt it was important to begin this chapter with Bella's perspective on what she has observed. She is perceptive and her understanding of the Cullens as a whole and as individuals is vastly important to this story. We've already seen how she is able to pick apart Rosalie down to her foundations, so it stands to reason she would be able to do the same with the remaining family members. I have several comments that people can't reconcile this Bella with cannon Bella. Meyer tells us Bella is an avid reader and a very intelligent student. I don't know that her intelligence always comes across during the canon series, so I wanted to make sure we all remembered that Bella is one smart cookie, if you will. Her language is elevated in this fic, but it really isn't much of a stretch of the imagination to believe she would know and be able to use this vocabulary.
This chapter will switch back into Rosalie's perspective and you will all get the reactions you have been eagerly awaiting. What began as a one-shot has now morphed into what may end up being a rather lengthy piece of fiction. I thank you all for your continued support.
As always, reviews are very much appreciated and encouraged. If there is something you love or something you cannot stand, please let me know.
Thanks for reading! ^_^
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BPOV- Monday June 25
Raw. After this weekend I felt raw, both physically and emotionally. Emotional exorcism in combination with this irritating illness had left me feeling like nothing but sheer will was holding my body up and keeping my mind engaged. I stood in the shower, grateful I was now deemed well enough to cleanse myself alone; I had never felt so uncomfortable as I had initially with Rosalie during our bath yesterday. To paraphrase Austen, my boundaries were vigorously attacked but thankfully not quite broken through. As the water pounded upon my sore muscles, I found myself reflecting on the past few weeks and coming to some shocking conclusions concerning the knowledge I had recently acquired.
My family had problems, but we readily admitted that. Renée was little more than an overgrown child. Charlie was as emotionally stunted as they come. I was somewhere in the middle, the product of growing up with divorced parents such as mine. The Cullens, who had been assuming the role of a perfect family for so long, did not seem to notice they had problems, much less openly admit that fact.
I wondered if they could see just how dysfunctional they really were. I certainly hadn't noticed until Rosalie all but fell to pieces in front of me. For the members of her own family, who had at least been with her for half a century, to misjudge her so completely shocked me. I certainly did not hold Rosalie upon a pedestal; I knew her faults as well as she knew mine. But for her to face such persecution when she only wanted to save me from her own fate threw into sharp contrast how entrenched in their ways the Cullens had become.
I could almost envision a family portrait with captions underneath: Carlisle Cullen, selfless physician and patriarch of a hodgepodge family- Esme Cullen, architect extraordinaire and patient mother to five perpetual teenagers- Edward Cullen, masochistic and brooding favored son- Rosalie Hale, blond bombshell with an avenging angel complex- Emmett Cullen, gigantic teddy bear and overly enthusiastic participant in all aspects of life- Jasper Hale, emotionally aware soldier struggling with the circumstances of his existence and Alice Cullen, shopaholic pixie living more in the future than the present.
Blissfully ignorant of those characteristics that denoted their vampirism, to the world, the Cullens fell easily and readily into these roles. Their family dynamic was almost simplistic in its appearance. Carlisle and Esme were obviously the parents. Edward was the troubled favorite son. Emmett and Jasper were the beloved brothers. Alice was the energetic favorite daughter and Rosalie was the family beauty.
Edward always praised my perception, but if he knew how I had deconstructed his family, he might not been so liberal with his praise. He was also the first to admit I rarely followed more normal thought processes. From my viewpoint, coming from an unusual family, I recognized that the Cullens as a whole and as individuals were troubled.
As a family unit, they never experienced growth. There were no life stages, no generations, and no change to prevent monotony. I had heard of instances where couples had gone off to live on their own, but in the end, they all returned to be together. Carlisle and Esme were technically just barely adults and their children would never mature past adolescence. While the world changed around them, the Cullens were frozen in the roles that they had assumed to make living in society less complicated. Those roles appeared permanent, which could not have been healthy for the members, as was apparent in the case of Rosalie. Her family had yet to acknowledge her change from battered victim to courageous defender. Without the benefits of change, I wondered how they had survived this long. It spoke of their devotion to each other, but I also suspected it was in part due to the comfort of familiarity. Dealing with the known is much easier than the unknown. But as flawed as the family was as a whole, the individual weaknesses caused more concern.
Carlisle created his family first out of loneliness and then had to contend with the consequences of his actions. He was without a doubt inherently good and I could not have asked for a better man as my father-in-law, but he, just like anyone else, had what I liked to consider moments of humanity- moments when my vampire family were not as flawless as they usually appeared. His relationship with Edward had never fully morphed from companion to son and as a result, Carlisle often took Edward's opinion into consideration far more than anyone else in the family. He also, in his quest to make the most of his gifts, tended to spend more time at the hospital than at home. I had no resentment for his work, if for no other reason than I had been in need of his skills on more than one occasion. I did recognize, however, that he would be more in tune with his family if he interacted with them as a whole more often. If I could recognize the problems in their familial relations after only a few short years, I knew Carlisle should have picked up on them having been exposed for nearly a century.
Until Esme's story had come to light, I had never even considered the possibility she might have had an unpleasant human life. Knowing, however, how she was treated in the years between her first meeting with Carlisle and her change, I was able to see the real woman behind the sweet smile. Her brief period of motherhood had been sufficient to permanently fix her into the role of mother, which was her greatest strength and also her greatest weakness. Fear for her children, and especially fear of loosing her children, appeared to dictate most of Esme's actions. She was reluctant at best to allow any of them out of her immediate sphere. And while I appreciated her as a mother, never having really had one of my own, I often felt Esme as whole got lost in the image of Esme, eternal mother. I saw glimpses of her in her architectural and landscaping projects, but those were infrequent moments. I did not see either her children or her husband encourage her growth; they were comfortable with her role as mother and saw no reason for her to be anything more. Esme, always striving to keep her family close, easily complied to their silent demands.
My darling Edward was perhaps the most obviously flawed, but since his flaws were obvious, he was possibly the most constant force of his dysfunctional family. Edward was prone to jumping to conclusions and overreactions, but those elements of his character were a universally acknowledged fact of life in the Cullen family. Everyone expected him to be melodramatic when circumstances were not to his liking. I suppose it was because he was the first member of the family, and all the following additions had always had his presence. Edward did not have to fit into the family, the family, in reality, had to fit into Edward. I silently lamented this fact, because had he not been the foundation, the entire family might not have bent so easily to his will, sparing me from those dark months. I preferred not to dwell on that fact, hoping instead, because his family now considered his life complete since he had found a mate in me, his predominance would slowly recede and he would truly become a son instead of acting in the strange "second-in-command" role he now held.
A few days ago I would have been brutal in my outlining of Rosalie's faults, but after this weekend, I found her one of the more unique presences in the Cullen clan. She was duplicity at its finest- when considering those traits that were honestly and truly Rosalie, she was the most straightforward, but the persona she presented the world disguised her true nature. I could now separate her true self from her façade. Rosalie Hale was a picture of perfection, vain to a fault and possessing a temper that could frighten the most stalwart men. Rose, however, was an insecure woman desperately protecting what she held most dear. I now understood exactly why Rosalie was the way she was and it all boiled down to trust. The only person she truly trusted herself with was Emmett because she was secure in their never-ending love and devotion for each other. Everyone else she held at arms length as a defense mechanism. If she could keep people from getting too close, she could protect herself. I knew every member of the family knew her story, and quite frankly I was shocked they could not put two and two together. The Cullens had me operating under the assumption that vampiric brains functioned at an astounding level, but after observing them I had come to realize they often could not see the forest for the trees. They considered Rosalie's actions as singular events instead of examining their underlying message. If they could not see her true nature after half a century, I was worried they would never fully appreciate her.
Emmett fit best into his assumed role. He was an example of the perfect big brother. He cared deeply for his family and was always eager to prove himself. His enthusiasm, while endearing, often thrust him into uncomfortable situations and his carefree and brazen personality caused more than one incident for the family. I'd always wondered if there was more to Emmett than practical jokes, competition and his love for Rosalie. He seemed to be a man who took pleasure in the simple things in life, but I could not believe that simplicity extended to all aspect of his life. I knew the was more to him that what I had seen, but the only indication I had which proved there was more to Emmett than his burly teddy bear persona was the look in his eyes when Rosalie was reminded of the limitations of her fate. The pain and longing I saw then proved to me that Emmett was not always smiles and laughter. He always put on a brave face for his family though, because that was what he felt was expected of him.
After my disastrous 18th birthday, I was finally convinced that Jasper did not consider himself an inextricable part of his family yet. I expected he could empathize with Rosalie's feeling of expendability. He had settled in nicely, but there was always a tension in his form that contradicted his projected comfort. I knew his past served as a hindrance to his full acceptance of familial life. He was rarely the center of family activities, usually gravitating to the peripheries, which may have had just as much to do with his tacticians' mind as it did with his well-hidden fear of dismissal. His allegiance to Alice outweighed any other relationship and I knew he would willingly sacrifice anything, including his family if necessary, to protect her. I suspected Alice knew of his reservations, but the rest of the Cullens seemed blatantly unaware of his hesitance and lack of lasting security. Until they were reminded by my near death experience, they had become rather indifferent to his daily struggle with bloodlust. Whereas Emmett took like a duck to water to his role as a big brother, Jasper appeared to struggle with the family dynamic more than the others with the exception of Rosalie. Perhaps they were fated to be twins after all, so similar were they in their emotions and reservations.
Like Emmett, Alice fit effortlessly into the role of daughter to the outside world. I loved my best friend dearly and was more than elated to call her family, but Alice was not the picture of perfection; she had faults too, but few people ever stopped to consider them, focusing instead on her bubbly pixie personality. For a time I had come to depend on her visions as an assured glimpse into the future, but I now understood just how shaky they really were. I was fairly sure that she often forgot that her visions weren't set in stone, taking too much credence in the adage "Never bet against Alice." She also had a habit of forming conclusions based of her visions even when she knew they were incomplete. Alice was at such a disadvantage from the start. I was almost thankful she did not remember her human life, imagining now how horrible it must have been. I had a feeling only Jasper, and perhaps Edward, knew how much she longed for a memory, any memory from her human past. I'd seen brief flashes of jealousy in her eyes when members of her family brought up their happier human memories. Alice may not have even been consciously aware of her unspoken desire. I also had a sneaking suspicion she harbored some resentment toward Rosalie. To Alice, Rosalie's dissatisfaction with vampire life could be upsetting for several reasons. Alice remembered nothing; Rosalie at least had memories, even if they were painful. Also, vampire life was the only life Alice had known and she had made the best of it; Rosalie's dismissal must seem like a slight to Alice, an undeclared belief that vampire life could never be completely fulfilling, which tainted the happiness and contentment to which Alice viciously clung. Her delight in playing Bella Barbie only confirmed my belief that Alice was trying to cling to anything that would reconnect her with humanity. I was also worried because Alice seemed to covet me nearly as much as Edward. There was no telling what she would do if she felt her relationship with me was somehow threatened. She and Edward had gotten into enough fights over me and that was before she had even met me. I decided I needed to talk to her when she got home and sort out her insecurities before she had a meltdown like Rosalie.
My interactions with Rosalie had opened my mind to the idea that my vampire family might not be as flawless as I believed them to be. Even more tragic was the fact that they seemed blissfully unaware of their failings as a family and to each other. I had a feeling the imperfections were about to crack under the pressure and I felt more than a little guilty, knowing I was the cause. The Cullens had existed for decades before me, and they had done so with ease. My coming had brought the first challenge since the arrival of Alice and Jasper in the 1950s, and from what I had heard, it took several years before the family was sufficiently adjusted.
Carlisle had had to worry about protecting his family from the Volturi should my knowledge of the existence of vampires reach their ears, and now that it had, he had to deal with the consequences. The added strain could not have been easy to shoulder. Esme was torn between her loyalty to the family she loved and her desire to make me another daughter. Edward was forced to choose between his family and me and then between my safety and me, which ended in disaster. Rosalie, of course, saw me as a reminder of what she couldn't have and then as a source of her family's alleged rejection. Emmett walked a careful, but dangerous line between reassuring Rosalie and welcoming me. Poor Jasper literally suffered because of my presence and Alice's enthusiasm caused as much hardship as it prevented.
Had I not known what my absence would do to the family, I would have gladly torn myself from them to prevent the chaos I knew was about to happen. But even knowing what I did, self-preservation and a slightly selfish desire to finally have the family I had wanted for years were what prevented me from any rash decisions. I could only hope now that my insight would allow me to defuse any situations before they could get out of hand. On the other hand, the Cullens really needed to deal with each other, not their assumed roles, but the harsh reality of each other, if they wanted to maintain the family. I decided then I was probably going to have to orchestrate the whole thing myself.
I knew I would have act much braver than I actually felt to pull it off, but I felt like I needed to make up for all the problems I has caused recently. If I could somehow find the resolve to make them sit down and talk to each other, I knew they would all be the better for it. I just wasn't sure that I had that much nerve left in me. The trip to Volterra had really taken a toll on my need to seek adrenaline producing situations. I hoped when the time came, I would be able to find the will to see it through and not crumple under the strain.
My brain, now fuzzy from overuse and medication, could not take any more profound realizations concerning my new family. I could tell Rosalie was anxious for the impending arrival of Edward, Emmett, Esme, Jasper and Alice; I hoped our new friendship would not be like the iceberg to the Titanic- the catalyst for exposing the flaws of a seemingly flawless whole. For now, I realized worrying over what ifs would do nothing but increase the pounding sensation in my brain. I compartmentalized those worries and began a slow, but surprisingly steady trek to the living room where I knew Carlisle and Rosalie awaited me.
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RPOV- Monday June 25
I felt like I was in a bullet train barreling toward a broken bridge; the anticipation of the turmoil was quite possibly worse than the wreckage I knew awaited me after the disaster. The missing members of my family were due to arrive at any moment and with their arrival would come either the affirmation of my worries or the proof of Bella's statements. I was hoping for the latter but expecting the former. I paced the living room, glancing at the door every few seconds in what must have seemed a tragic facsimile of a father awaiting the news of his child's birth. I did not look toward the door with anticipation, but with apprehension. Carlisle had attempted to sooth my worries, but his efforts were in vain. I would not be calm until I had weathered whatever catastrophe would come with our familial reunion.
I had begun what must have been my hundredth circuit of the room when Bella's scent invaded my senses. Earlier this weekend her scent had been tainted with the tang of sickness, but now her fresh floral fragrance was nearly devoid of that unpleasant addition.
"Rose," her still scratchy voice teased, "You might want to stop pacing. I doubt Esme will appreciate a circle worn through the carpet. Do you really want to face her wrath? You know what happened the last time Emmett ruined it."
I smirked a little at the memory of Emmett having to replace the carpet at human speed with the crudest of tools after trekking blood and mud all over the floor following a particularly adventurous hunt. Esme had compounded his punishment by choosing to set his task for a day when he was supposed to go bear hunting with Jasper and Edward. My poor husband was so forlorn, bemoaning his fate while pulling out each of the tacks holding the carpet down.
I was grateful for the momentary reprieve from my worrying Bella had granted me, but I relaxed even further when I noticed the brush resting next to where she perched on the couch. I sank to the floor in front of her and the last vestiges of my unease melted away after the first stroke. I noticed Carlisle looking on with fondness and approval for this simple action. I knew he appreciated Bella's initiative as much as he appreciated my acquiescence to her ministrations. Before this weekend, I would have only expressed my need for comfort to Emmett, but now I felt at ease letting Bella sooth my worries.
In fact, it felt so natural I determined Alice had really made a fine choice in her best friend. Where previously I had felt replaced by Bella, I now realized she could be a means of reconnecting me with my sister, and with the rest of my family. An idea came to me then. When Alice was out hunting next, I would take Bella shopping and we would find something nice for Alice as a thank you. I had perfected the art of preventing Alice from seeing all my decisions, so I kept changing my mind as to what Bella and I would be shopping for. Hopefully, that would throw her vision off enough that she would still be surprised when the time came. Pleased with my idea, I refocused on Bella's comforting gesture.
Bella continued brushing without pause, making light conversation, which was all her tender throat would allow. She asked that I play for her later, encouraging me when I hesitated, fearing Edward's reaction. The piano technically belonged to no one, but he had been the only one playing it for so many years, I knew he had formed a sort of attachment toward it. I did not want anything to undermine his approval of my new relationship with Bella, no matter how trivial it might seem. It took her nearly 5 minutes and one pitiful imitation of Alice's puppy dog pout before I finally conceded. She smiled and her eyes danced with the satisfaction for my agreement and the anticipation of hearing me play.
I returned her contagious enthusiasm until I heard the sound of Emmett's monstrosity of a Jeep barreling down the driveway. I immediately tensed and shot a fearful glance at the door. Bella sensed my sudden change in demeanor and placed her hand lightly on my shoulder.
"Don't worry," she tried to reassure me, "Whatever happens, no matter what anyone says, we are sisters now, and they can't change that."
I tried desperately to cling to the glimmer of hope she gave me, but it blinked out of sight and my resolve came crumbling down as my family came streaming into the living room. From their faces I could tell they knew of this latest development and at least a few of their reactions weren't going to be favorable. Emmett bounded in with his usual enthusiasm, but a gleam in his eye had me more than a little concerned. Surely he knew this was not the time to make a joke. Esme looked elated, but then again, she always did when the whole family was together. Edward looked reserved, as if he was testing the mental reactions of everyone else before displaying his own physical reaction. Jasper looked downright uncomfortable. When he crossed the threshold I could finally see Alice, who had been uncharacteristically the last to enter.
Where I expected to see anticipation and approval there was distress, accusation and what looked like jealously. The person I expected to be my greatest ally appeared to be my most ardent opponent. I deflated substantially, knowing if Bella were forced to choose between Alice and myself, she would choose Alice. The hopelessness and despair from my breakdown returned full force. I was about to grab Emmett's hand and retreat upstairs to avoid any unpleasantness when he opened his mouth and let loose the statement that would be the catalyst for the disaster of epic proportions I had been fearing all weekend.
"Hey, Rosie. Miss me? See you didn't kill Bella after all, even when she was bleeding. Catch her falling over anything? I hope I didn't miss anything good, but I bet you two just avoided each other all weekend."
I was startled by Emmett's knowledge of Bella's minor bleeding, but I chalked it up to either a vision of Alice's or a shared phone conversation between Esme and Carlisle, via Edward's ability. Despite my initial shock, I noticed several reactions to this statement and they all worried me.
Jasper visibly flinched. Emmett's careless statement had reminded me, and apparently also Jasper, just who couldn't resist Bella's blood and what the results of the blood lust had been. Alice's already accusatory eyes darkened further upon noticing Jasper's discomfort. Edward paled, a difficult action for a vampire. He was reminded of Bella's party and following dark months by at least mine and Jasper's thoughts and I suspected by a few other family members as well.
Bella's reaction was perhaps the most surprising; though now that I think about it, I should just expect the unexpected with her now on. She had been standing behind me and off to the left side, but now she was stepping determinedly toward my giant vampire husband, a dangerous narrowing of her eyes alerting me to her irritation. She stood before him, looking more like a doll that ever before in her weakened state. He made motions as if to initiate a hug, but she swatted his arms away. He looked on with curiosity as she jabbed him in the chest with her index finger.
"Apologize," she demanded staring into his golden eyes with disappointment and exasperation.
Obviously missing the intensity of her tone, my idiot husband just chuckled before answering.
"What for Bella?"
Her posture straightened a little more and I actually found myself worried for Emmett. Bella may not have been anywhere close to him in strength, but her verbal tongue lashings rivaled the worst lecture Esme could come up with, and those were enough to reduce Emmett to pleading and placating to end the tirade.
"For ridiculing me about something you know embarrasses me, for making Jasper uncomfortable, but most of all for insinuating that your own wife would even consider killing me, much less when I am bleeding. That isn't funny Emmett."
Obviously Bella was also a little sensitive about the repercussions of her disastrous birthday party last year and did not take kindly to reminders. I could understand why, once we all discovered just how close we came to destroying her with our absence. I was a little stunned by her defense of me. I knew we'd come a long way in the past few days, but I didn't expect her to take on my family, especially not Emmett, who was really just joking. Apparently, Bella didn't care if he was joking or not. She waited impatiently for his apology, but he never had a chance to voice it.
"So that's how it's going to be," growled Alice with barely concealed disillusionment.
Now Bella looked as shocked as I felt. Seeming to forget Emmett, she shuffled over to Alice, puzzlement and concern etched on her features.
"What do you mean, Alice?" she questioned, mystified by her best friend's reaction.
The diatribe that followed made me cringe. Vicious and bitter was Alice's attack and I couldn't decide who I should defend first- Bella or myself. I could only stand, stunned into stillness as she lit into both of us.
"I would have expected this from Rosalie, but I expected better from you. How could you betray me like this? I saw what you were planning. Did your simple human mind forget I could see the future? I've seen what you want to talk to me about and you couldn't be more wrong. Why on earth would I be jealous of Rosalie? At least I am content with my lot in life and don't go around making everyone else miserable just because I can't have something I want. After everything I've done for you, I can't believe you are just going to throw me away like this and choose Rosalie, of all people, over me. Did you forget I was the one who came back for you? It was Rosalie's fault Edward went to Volterra. Oh and I had another vision while we were headed home too. You whine and moan every time I even suggest we go shopping, but Rosalie is going to ask you to go and you are going to say yes. You are supposed to be my best friend, Bella. I loved you first and I fought for you when no one else would, not even Edward. Maybe I should have just kept my vision to myself when I saw you jump off the cliff!"
I actually gasped when Alice finished her final statement. I knew the entire tirade was vastly out of character for her, but I never in my wildest imagination would have believed Alice could be so insensitive and cruel to Bella. I trained my eyes on Bella, noticing for the first time the huge tears rolling down her flushed cheeks. There was no doubt in my mind that what Alice had said wounded Bella to her core. She may have projected a strong, confident exterior this weekend, but I knew she was still shaken by our sudden departure and recent return. Alice had just ripped open Bella's newly healed wounds and poured salt in them. Bella was visibly shaking with the barely contained sobs straining to escape from her aching throat.
"I…I…want to go…" she stuttered, her voice hitching from her sobs and her pain. "I want…to go…home." Her voice cracked on the last word, as though she were in disbelief that she would prefer to be at her home than at ours.
I was about to volunteer, but Edward voiced his willingness first.
"I'll drive you home, love."
"No…no Edward. I want…I want Alice to take me home." Bella continued to cry, looking at her best friend with such profound sadness.
"Are you sure, Bella?" Esme questioned.
"Y…Yes. Alice, I want you…to take me home."
Now Alice seemed stunned. Either her visions had not prepared her for this result, or she could not believe she had just attacked her best friend. Regardless of whichever truth governed her reaction, she slowly nodded her head and motioned for Bella to follow her out to the Porsche. I hoped they would be able to mend their shattered trust in each other. Both walked away with identical expressions of betrayal.
With the closing of the door, pandemonium erupted in the silent room.
"What the hell is going on?" boomed my husband.
"Rosalie, do you have some explanation for this?" Edward probed.
"I've never felt such pain from Alice," whispered Jasper, his concern for his wife evident in his tone.
"Carlisle, how are we going to handle this?" asked Esme.
"First of all, let's continue this discussion in the dining room," suggested Carlisle.
I followed my siblings and parents into the dining room and assumed my place at the table. The last time we were here was when Bella put her mortality to a vote. So very much had changed since then. I held my head in my hands wondering how everything had just fallen apart like this. Maybe it would have been better if Bella and I had never developed anything more than indifference towards each other. I should have known Alice would not take kindly to me encroaching on her relationship with Bella. It was the first real friendship she'd ever had and now I felt so selfish for ruining it for her, even if it was unintentional.
I thought back to her diatribe and tried not to be angry with my sister for her thoughtless accusations. I knew we weren't as close as we should have been considering how long we'd lived together, but I couldn't believe she would so condemn me just to make her point. My emotions were spiraling out of control again and now I didn't even have the benefit of Bella and her hairbrush or the necessary solitude to work out my emotions on the piano. I was struggling to regain my quickly fading composure. Jasper seemed oblivious to my struggles, sill appearing unreasonably uncomfortable. The environment wasn't any more emotionally charged than it had been during several of our previous family arguments. I could think of no reason for his distress. I began to feel the telltale signs of sobs of frustration and distress forming, but before they had a chance to escape I felt someone embrace me from behind.
I leaned into the embrace, drawing comfort from the stony arms, which I initially thought belonged to my husband. I almost immediately noticed the arms surrounding my shoulders could not belong to my darling Emmett. Naturally, I assumed Jasper had regained his control. I could see Carlisle still standing at the head of the table.
I was surprised to hear Edward's voice rumbling in my ears.
"Thank you, Rosalie."
I was stunned into stillness again. I couldn't remember the last time Edward had said thank you to me. Honestly, I was convinced he was never going to forgive me for nearly causing his eternal separation from his love. I wouldn't have blamed him now, coming to love Bella in my own way.
"I've seen the memories of this weekend running through your head since we returned, Rosalie. I'm elated you and Bella have been able to consider each other sisters. I misjudged your intentions concerning her. I should have listened harder to what you were trying to tell me. I'm sorry."
I turned and stared at him in disbelief. Edward- Mr. I am always right and you are always wrong- was apologizing to me. My fleeting control suddenly vanished and the emotions I had still not conquered since my initial breakdown tore through me with a renewed vengeance. Sobs erupted from my quivering form and Edward simply held me closer. I could see Emmett looking on in concern, but remaining in place, allowing me my moment with Edward.
"Rosalie darling, what ever is the matter?" probed Esme.
I was too distraught to answer my mother, but Edward responded for me.
"She's had a very trying weekend, Esme, and I believe Alice's little outburst proved too much for her already battered psyche."
It took a few minutes for me to rally myself again. I felt like all I had been doing all weekend was loosing control of myself and then putting the pieces back together. I gave Edward once last squeeze, feeling closer to my brother than I had in decades.
I took an unnecessary breath, looking around at my family. Carlisle and Esme continue to exude support. I could tell Edward was finally on the same side with me by his actions. Emmett looked troubled, but I didn't know if it was because of his interaction with Bella or my sudden emotional frenzy. Jasper's eyes kept darting toward to the door, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but here.
I was almost reluctant to speak; I had yet to say anything since the return of my family.
"Maybe we should wait for Alice," I mumbled.
"Do you really think that's best, Rosie?" questioned Emmett.
"I think Rose is right. Whatever caused Alice to attack Bella seems to be the root of this issue. Her thoughts were so chaotic I couldn't really understand what made her so distraught. I doubt this is really about shopping."
"I was going to take Bella shopping to buy something for Alice, as a thank you for bringing Bella to us. I kept changing my mind so she couldn't see what I was planning. I didn't mean to upset her," I volunteered.
"Well it's settled then. We will postpone this discussion until Alice can be present," Carlisle announced.
Jasper finally spoke up then. "We need Bella to be here too. From what I could understand of her emotions she was hurt and frustrated, but she also felt vindicated, which doesn't seem to fit at all with the scenario. She's come to some conclusion, and considering her emotions, I don't think it was at all pleasant."
It occurred to me then that Bella might have deconstructed my family in the manner in which she had deconstructed me. I didn't believe, however, that she was seeking to reassure as she was in my case. From her response to Emmett's teasing, her reaction to Alice's spiteful words, and her departure, I was sure there was more going on in Bella's mind than we were aware. I feared we were about to see the results of her uncanny perception. I almost felt sorry for Alice, knowing Bella was probably unleashing a torrent on her at this moment. I had faith though that Bella would somehow discover the root of Alice's discontent and hopefully mend their bruised relationship.
Everyone had disbursed with the exception of myself, Edward and Emmett.
"I need to clear my head, Rosie. I'm going to go take a run. Will you call me when Alice gets back?" Emmett pleaded as he tenderly kissed my forehead.
I nodded my assent and watched as he trudged out the door and tore off into the forest.
"Rose, will you play with me?" proposed Edward.
I did not understand what he was talking about. Play what? Maybe I should have gone running with Emmett. I needed to do something to purge myself of at least some of these emotions.
"Play piano, Rosalie. You need to do something and so do I. Sitting here brooding isn't going to help either of us."
Without waiting for my response, Edward dragged me to the music room and situated himself on the piano bench. He motioned for me to join him and realizing how idiotic I looked standing there staring at him, I sat quickly. He immediately started on one of Mozart's fourhanded concertos. It took me a moment to place the piece, but once recognition occurred I joined him enthusiastically, reveling, at last, in the release of emotions.
I dreaded Alice's eventual return and worried over Jasper's unusual behavior. I knew this ephemeral moment of peace was about to be shattered and I desperately hoped we would all be able to walk away without experiencing total ruin.
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A/N: I thank you all for reading. It means so very much to me that you take time out of your day to read my piece of fiction. Before the flames get out of hand, I would like you to know, I am an avid Alice fan. I had no intentions of her being the one to object, but the plot lent itself to that direction.
The next chapter will cover the conversation between Bella and Alice after they leave the Cullen house and also the full family discussion. Of course, Alice was not the only Cullen to have something other than a positive reaction to Rosalie and Bella's new friendship. Look forward to more explanation of Jasper's odd behavior in the coming chapters as well.
Please review if you have the time. I would love to hear from you.
Thanks! ^_^
