Chapter 10-Reminders of monsters.

Falling in love with Rosalie is as natural as the world turning. I'm sometimes surprised when I realise that only weeks ago I had no idea she even existed, and now my whole world centres on her golden eyes and her smiles.

We spend most of our time together. I find it easier to resist the temptation of human blood when she's with me, and every day she pushes me a little more and I feel stronger and more sure of my ability to resist. We play games, and listen to the radio and work on her models and walk through the forest and talk. Endlessly we talk. She makes me laugh and surprises me every day with the things she reveals about herself.

She's not perfect, and despite what she looks like she's no angel. She's stubborn to a fault, she's bossy and overly fond of getting her own way, she and Edward fight like cat and dog until I want to just smack their heads together some days, and she sulks. And yet I love my Rosa girl in spite of, or even because of, her flaws. I'd say they're what make her human, except that she's not human…but they do make her real, and for all I'm now part of this messed up mythological world, I do love real.

It's all going fine until we're out in the forest one day and come across some deer. Too caught up in being with Rosalie who still refuses to go out with me I haven't been hunting as often as I probably need to in order to keep control. Without even thinking about it I grab one of the deer bounding away and pretty much inhale it. It's even kind of neat – for me, anyway. There's only blood on my face and one streak across my shirt. Edward would be impressed with me, I think, as I turn around to find that Rosalie is anything but. In fact she's glaring at me.

"What?" I say blankly.

"Was that really necessary?" she snaps.

I glance down at the drained carcass in my hand. "I was thirsty, they were there…"

Rosalie turns and stalks back in the direction of the house. Frowning, I quickly take care of the body and follow her, wiping the blood off my face with my sleeves as I do so.

"Rose! Wait up!"

She doesn't stop, but she's not flat out running which means I can catch up. I fall into step beside her, still not sure what's got in to her. "What's wrong?"

Rosalie shakes her head. "Nothing."

It is so clearly NOT 'nothing' that I can't help but give a disbelieving laugh, which only serves to enrage her further.

"Look, I'm sorry…I was thirsty. What's the problem?"

"Forget about it." She's moving faster now that we're closer to the house, not looking at me.

"Rosalie…" I make the mistake of reaching out and grabbing her arm, wanting only to make her stop and look at me and tell me what I've done that has upset her so much. It's stupid, I've seen how she reacts to being touched like that, but I do it without thinking and it's only when she whirls around and slams her fists into my chest to push me backwards that I realise my mistake.

"Don't touch me!" she snarls furiously. "Leave me alone!"

And under the astonished gaze of Edward and Esme, who are out in the yard pacing out the house extensions Esme wants to do, Rosalie storms into the house and a second later we hear the distant slam of her door.

"Oh dear," Esme says anxiously. "What happened?"

I hold up my hands, baffled. "Buggered if I know…oh, sorry Esme…I don't know. We were out and we came across some deer. So I killed one and she flew off the handle." I rub self-consciously at my face, hoping the bloody remains of my snack are gone.

Edward winces but gives me a sympathetic smile and I know he knows more about what I'm dealing with than he's said.

"You could tell me something," I say resentfully. "Just a hint…help a brother out!"

Edward shrugs. "Talk to Rosalie."

"Like she's going to open her door to me now!"

"I didn't mean talk to her right now!" Edward exclaims. "I meant when she calms down. Look Emmett, I'm sorry. I really am. But you know what she's like- anything I tell you she'll consider a betrayal and she'll hate you for knowing."

I know he's probably right, but it's frustrating as hell to know that she's angry and hurting and there's nothing I can do about it. Leaving Esme and Edward to their plans I go out the back and break up about three months' worth of firewood to relieve my feelings. When Rosalie still won't open her door after that, and in fact won't even answer me when I try and talk through it, I shrug my shoulders and head off towards town.

It's the first time I will have been that close to humans on my own, although by now I've taken a few trips in to town with Rosalie and know my way about reasonably well. I take precautions while I'm on the way- I've already had the deer earlier, but I strip naked to save my clothes and bring down an elk to stuff myself with. I even feed on a stupid sheep I find that's broken its legs falling into a ravine, but that's a mistake as I swear I've walked another two miles before I finish picking all the wool out of my teeth.

Despite my objections and the fact that I haven't actually bought anything myself since I've been with them, Carlisle keeps insisting on giving me money, so I've got a nice haul in my pocket as I stroll into town, whistling. I stop for a moment on the outskirts, adjusting to the smell of temptation that's so strong here, before I continue on my way.

I pass the hotel and think that it would be fun to find a game of cards going on, but I know my control isn't that good and I'll never last. There's a cinema here too and I think about how much fun it would be take Rosalie one night, but again I don't think I have a snowball's chance in hell of controlling myself in an enclosed space with humans for the length of a picture show. In fact town is busy and even out here on the street I'm feeling twitchy, so I know I don't have long to find what I want to buy and get out of here.

I find a department store and, after a momentary hesitation, go in. I breathe only when I need to talk, which helps, but there are still a couple of dicey moments when someone brushes too close to me and I find myself trembling slightly with the effort of holding back. I'm glad to get back outside without incident.

I move fast on my way home. It's a relief to be away from the temptation of humans and out in the clear air. I also realise I didn't tell them where I was going, and although I don't have to ask permission I think they might be concerned that I've been gone so long. Sure enough, Edward and Esme and Carlisle are outside on the porch, looking down the driveway when I appear.

"Everything all right, Emmett?" Carlisle asks.

"Sorry I didn't say anything." I stop at the bottom of the steps, looking up at them. "I didn't think to. I just went in to town."

Esme's face is concerned. "It went well?"

I grin. "I was a very good boy. I just went shopping, that's all."

Edward's eyes sparkle, and I know he's looking in my head at what I bought. So with a flourish I bring the baseball bat out from behind my back and twirl it like a baton before I fling it at him.

"There you go, my friend. For you."

Carlisle laughs, a little bemused, but the smile Edward gives me has me grinning, because I know I've got this gift right.

"Emmett…" Edward holds the bat and swings. "What a good idea."

"It's about time you all got outside and did something besides read all day," I joke. "Bunch of lazy good for nothings! You play, right?"

"Not since…before," Edward says, and his eyes gleam at he looks at the smooth wood of the bat.

"Well, I figure we can scratch up a game between the five of us," I say cheerfully. "And be prepared to lose for once Edward, because baseball is my sport and I'm going to beat your skinny ass into the ground…s'cuse my language again Esme."

But she's laughing at me, and no one minds. "You want me to play baseball?" she asks with a smile.

I toss her the hardballs I've had stuffed in my pockets and she catches them both reflexively. Oh, vampire baseball is going to be fun! "See, you're a natural," I tell her happily. "Set it up Edward- I'm going to go upstairs and get Rosalie."

Edward snorts. "Good luck with that!"

I elbow him hard in the ribs as I pass him, hearing him grunt, and then I'm bounding up the stairs and knocking on Rosalie's door. I don't wait for her to answer but push open the door immediately.

"I didn't say you could come in."

"You didn't say I couldn't," I counter, looking at her. She's huddled up in the farthest corner of her bed which looks oddly white. It takes me a moment to realise that she's shredded all her pillows, and there's a layer of feathers and cotton batting spread across the bed. "Cripes…you look like you've been having fun."

The look she gives me is venomous. "If you've come in here to poke fun, you can just get the hell out."

Damn, I love the dirty mouth she has on her sometimes!

I drop down onto the other end of the bed, sending a cloud of feathers rising into the air and then gently settling back down. Several of them catch in my hair, and I see her lips twitch as she hides a smile.

"Come on Rosa girl," I say gently. "Don't be mad at me…I'm sorry."

She sighs and slides forward on the bed so that she's sitting beside me, her legs dangling over the edge.

"I'm the one who needs to be sorry," she says, and I can tell how hard she finds it to say the words. I wonder how often my pretty, spoiled girl has needed to say sorry in her life. "I was unfair Emmett, and mean, and I'm sorry."

"It's the hunting, isn't it?" I say quietly. I remember Edward telling me she doesn't like what we are and I know I'm right. She hates what we are, what she is, and the hunting is the biggest part of that. "You didn't want to see me do that."

Rosalie's eyes are huge in her pale face. "I know it's what we are. I know that you were thirsty and you needed to."

"But you still hate it," I finish for her.

She nods and looks away. "I do hate it. I hate the baseness of it, the violence of it…I hate being reminded that I'm a monster." Her voice is low and rough with emotion. "I hate what I am, Emmett, and I don't ever want you to see me doing that."

"I like what you are," I say, and my voice is hoarse with how much I feel for her. "I like everything you are…and one day we're going to go out hunting together."

She shakes her head, but her eyes are caught in mine and I don't let her looks away as I move my face closer until we're only inches apart. "We will," I say, and it's barely more than a whisper. "We'll go hunting and I'll watch you feed, my Rosa, and it will be beautiful because it's you…"

I can feel her sweet breath on my face, and her lips are right there and for a second I think I'm going to kiss her, finally…but there's a shout from the yard, and Carlisle- damn him! – calls my name.

"Just a second!" I shout back, but the moment's gone and I turn back to Rosalie with a rueful grin. "I went into town," I say. "I bought Edward a baseball bat and they're setting up to play. You have to come out and play too."

She giggles. "I don't know how."

I pick the feathers out of my hair. "You'll be good at it. Come on, I need you on my team so we can teach that smart ass Edward a lesson in humility."

I know that will get her, and she laughs again and nods her head. "Okay, I'll play."

"I bought something for you too," I say, reaching into my pocket for the jewellery box. I feel shy all of a sudden, and as I hand it to her I hope fervently she likes it.

Rose opens it slowly, and takes out the bracelet that's in there. It's plain and simple, a silver bangle bracelet with a smooth oval stone set in it. I don't even know what it is and it wasn't the biggest or fanciest or most expensive- I picked it because it was the same colour as her eyes and I don't think there's anything prettier than she is.

"It's not a Faberge egg," I say, a little awkwardly. "But it's a little more me…I hope you like it."

"I do." Rosalie slides it on to her wrist. "I do like it Emmett, very much…thank you." She brushes her hair back and smiles at me, and all I can think is that I wish I'd kissed her when I was so close.

.

A/N- Have another chapter, this thing is practically writing itself. Thank you so much to everyone who is reading and leaving me notes- I really do love it. This is shaping up to be longer than my other stories so we've still got a long way to go, I think I'll be able to continue updating it really frequently though.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I think Emmett and Rosalie getting closer is really adorable, and I was amused by the idea of him making them all play baseball.