A/N: This starts of in a flashback, I didn't want to confuse anyone! There are two separate flashbacks, The first one starts at the beginning and ends before the first set of /, between the first / and second / is another flashback/summary. Then after the second / it picks back up at the present.

Confused yet? :) Hopefully it will make sense when you start reading!

Disclaimer: I only have rights to the story line and plot! The characters belong to Mrs. Stephanie Meyer!

Chapter Ten

It had been four months since mom died. I was handling it better than Jasper and Bella. When Bella wasn't at school, she stayed locked in our room, and poor Jasper was only about a year old, he just didn't understand that when he asked us about "Mommy?" that she wasn't coming home.

Well, I shouldn't say that I was handling it better than them. I was just as upset as they were. But someone had to try and fill Mom's shoes. Bella was about to turn nine, she couldn't take care of Jasper. She was still a child too, and Daddy was busy all day trying to get the shop ready for its grand opening.

I was the only one who could take care of all three of them. I'll admit it, I was scared to death. I thought no one could replace my mom, and here I was, a fourteen year old girl, trying to make sure everyone else was happy and taken care of when I was miserable and had no one to care for me.

One night, Daddy asked me to come downstairs when I had finished tucking in Jasper and Bella.

"What is it Daddy?" I found him sitting on the couch, rubbing his eyes and stretching, like he had been carrying around a heavy burden all day and had just taken it off. I could tell that these past few months had been as rough on him as it had been for us kids.

"I need to tell you something, and you must promise me that you won't ever tell this to Jasper or Bella." He looked at me seriously.

"I promise." I said, not sure what exactly I was agreeing to.

"I have been keeping a secret from you all, something that I thought I could handle without you knowing. But it seems like I can't solve this problem all by myself."

"What is it Daddy?" I was afraid of his answer.

"That night when Sheriff King came to tell me that your mother…" He took a pause, the shock had worn off a few days after the accident and instead of being bitter about it he chose to lock up all his feelings and kept a fake smile up for show. "Well, a few days after that, the Sheriff came back while you three were at school…."

/

The doorbell had rang; interrupting Daddy crying over mom's wedding photos.

"Sheriff King?" Daddy answered the door; he hurriedly tried to wipe away his tears. "What a pleasant surprise. Please come in!"

"Actually Mr. Hale, this isn't a social call." The sheriff seemed uncomfortable for a few minutes. "I'm here to tell you that the bank is going to foreclose on your house."

"What?" Daddy was dumbfounded. "They can't do that? I told Sue-Ellen that I would give her this month's payment next month! I mean, things just got started with the shop, and Nora being gone…."

"I know Mr. Hale. I came here at the request of Sue-Ellen." Sheriff King had handed Daddy a check that would have covered that month's rent and then some. "We've decided to help you out! Sue said that it was her 'Christian act' for the week." He smiled.

Daddy looked down at the check, overwhelmed by the sum. Then he shook his head and handed Sheriff King his check back. "I can't accept your money Sheriff! I don't accept charity. How can I expect my kids to take responsibility and ownership over their problems if they see me shoving my problems onto someone else?"

"Robert, this is no time to be prideful!" The sheriff had finally dropped his 'nice guy' attitude. "Your kids love you! They wouldn't think any less of you because you took money from someone! Sue-Ellen and I want to help you. If you won't accept charity, then let's think of this as a lone. We will lone you this money, so you can pay your house payment, and then you can pay us back when your mechanics shop starts paying off."

"I –"

"Just take the money you stubborn old goat!" Sheriff King laughed.

Daddy laughed with him. "Alright, I'll accept it, but starting on Monday morning you are coming down to the shop to work out a payment schedule!"

"Ok." Sheriff King turned to leave. "Oh, speaking of the shop, I was wondering if you could help me out."

/

Sheriff King only had one request, that Daddy would hire Royce to learn how to be a mechanic.

He said it would teach his son 'all about responsibility' and 'he hangs around with those rowdy boys from school too much. They are a bad influence on him.'

So Daddy was now indebted to the King family, and they did work out a payment schedule.

I had still been at home, oblivious to all of this, taking care of Bella and Jasper. That night, Daddy told me all about this deal. I was shocked. Why would he think we would do such a thing? I told him that it was very brave to accept help when you are too stubborn to ask for it.

"Thank you Rosalie." He said as he hugged me tightly. "I am so sorry that I have dropped Bella and Jasper on top of you. I never wanted you to have to raise them."

"It's ok Daddy, I don't mind." It really wasn't that bad, Bella stayed in our room most of the day and Jasper was a good baby. At that point, he had stopped asking for mom, I don't know if he understood then or not. Instead, he asked for me.

"Erm…" Daddy seemed to struggle with the words. "I am sorry, but can I ask you another favor?"

"Sure Daddy, you can ask me anything."

"Well, you are fourteen now and I think you can handle the responsibility." He seemed to be trying to convince himself that I was prepared for what he would say next. "Rose, I need you to come help me at the shop."

It was unexpected, but I had always wanted to go to work with Daddy when he would go to the shop. I had always been fascinated by cars.

"Of course Daddy!" I hugged him.

"Now, I won't be able to pay you anything because you are still underage, but I can't afford to hire someone else."

"Ok." It really didn't bother me, I knew now that we were going through a rough spot and cash was tight. "But what about Bella and Jasper? I can't just leave them to fend for themselves."

"I have asked Mrs. Jenkins that lives across the street to come and baby-sit until you come home and she kindly agreed.

That next week, I went to work as Daddy's receptionist. It took me a few years to actually get on the payroll, and even then it was only minimum wage. But I didn't have need for much money. Daddy always made sure that I had gas in my car and if I needed anything else, Royce would just whip out his credit card.

I met him on my first day of work. He was nice to me when the other mechanics just ignored me. They were there for a paycheck that's all, nothing more.

Royce came in the next day with a single rose and told me that he loved me.

Of course, I reacted the way any other fourteen year old girl would act. I became infatuated with him, he was two years older than me, but that didn't matter, he said that he loved me and I believed him.

Looking back on it now, I guess it should have raised my suspicions that everything about our relationship was rushed. The next night he took me out to a fancy restaurant in his fancy new car that his parents had bought him for his 16th birthday, and he ordered the most expensive thing on the menu. If you haven't figured out by now, Royce is loaded.

His mom is the Vice President of the biggest bank in town, and not only is his father the sheriff he also served in the military. Anything that Royce wanted, he got and he would push down anyone who would get in his way.

After we started dating seriously, he would hover over me during classes and wouldn't let anyone come near me. I finally had to put my foot down about him being mean to Vera. We had been friends long before he and I started dating.

He usually never let his temper get the best of him in front of me. But one day another boy was talking to be about our class assignment and Royce didn't like it.

By the time he and his boys were finished with that kid, he was almost unrecognizable. I got mad at Royce. There was no need for him to do that.

Naturally, when the teacher heard the commotion, she came to check it out and found the boy lying in the floor and us standing there. When she demanded to know what happened Royce told her that the boy was messing with me and that he had asked the boy to leave me alone and he wouldn't leave me alone, so he punched him. The teacher asked if it was true, and all the other boys shook their heads and everyone was looking at me.

I was young; I didn't want to get Royce in trouble. If I ratted him out, I was afraid that he would have come after me like he did that boy. So I just nodded and looked at the floor. Well, the teacher didn't question Royce any further, 'he is the Sheriff's son after all, he wouldn't do something like that….'

/

"I had forgotten about that boy." I said as we walked out of the garage and out back to work on Angie again. Everyone else had gone home for the night.

"What ever happened to him?" Emmett asked.

"Well, I think that he was expelled for fighting or something."

"So Royce can get away with practically killing a kid, and he can get off scot free because he's the sheriff's son?"

"Pretty much, I guess I was turning a blind eye to it for all these years. Not wanting to mess up our relationship."

"I wish that we could catch him!" Emmett said with venom. "So people could see the real Royce."

"I wish that too, but I don't think it's ever going to happen."

"Well, someone might be going home in a body bag if it doesn't happen."

Then we heard the ominous slamming of doors.

I looked up to see Royce and his crew pile out of his car. The others were getting ready for a fight, Royce was glaring at Emmett.

"What are you doing with my girl McCarty?" He growled.

Emmett pulled me behind him. "She doesn't want to be your girl anymore Royce, so back off."

"Only because you stole her away from me!" Royce took a step forward and Emmett took a step back making me go backwards too. "You just couldn't stand it that she was with me, so you came in, showed her a good time and romanced her away from me."

"Royce just leave him alone!" I was finally able to find my voice. "I don't love you anymore! Emmett didn't steal me from you. I love him! He is kind to me and is a nice person!"

Royce started laughing uncontrollably, his cronies all joined in making a chorus of half-deranged laughter. "You have no idea do you Rose? You really have no idea who this guy is!"

"I know more about him than you do." I answered.

"I wouldn't count on it." Royce smirked like a cat that had a yellow feather sticking out of its mouth. "Has he told you about Steven yet? Steven Cooper?"

I looked at him with a puzzled look. "Steven? Emmett who is he talking about?"

"I didn't think so." Royce had seemed satisfied with his ace-in-the-hole.

Emmett ignored my question. "I don't want to fight you Royce, so if that's what you came to do then I'm sorry to disappoint!" then he turned around to look at me. "Get inside." He whispered.

I could only shake my head no. He hadn't answered my question, and there was no way I was going to let him get beat up again without having someone in his corner. At least I would be willing to testify against Royce.

"So stubborn." He whispered as he turned around to receive a clock on the jaw that flung him on the ground, knocking the wind out of him. Royce's crew cheered as I called out Emmett's name.

"Oh no you don't!" Royce grabbed my arm before I could check on Emmett. "We wouldn't want your pretty face to get busted up again." He shoved me into the waiting hands of one of his friends.

"Let me go you creep!" I said as I struggled to get away from him.

"No, you and me are going to stay and watch the show." He sneered.

The others were chanting "Get up!" at Emmett. I stopped breathing as I waited on him to stand back up.

He struggled to his knees and rubbed his jaw. "You're really going to wish you hadn't done that!"

Emmett launched himself off the ground and tackled Royce. Once Royce was on the ground, Emmett got on top of him and didn't stop pounding Royce until the sirens blared.

Whoever had me let go quickly and stepped away from me. I didn't dare try and pull Emmett off of Royce. He might hurt me by accident and then blame himself later.

"Alright break it up!" I heard one of the deputy's yell as he pushed through the crowd of on-lookers.

It was almost as if I was reliving that incident eight years later.

I was glad it was a deputy instead of the sheriff, he wouldn't be as biased. Emmett looked up to see him toting a stun gun and then rolled off of Royce. The deputy helped Royce to his feet, well almost unbiased. Emmett had busted him up pretty good, his nose was bleeding, two trails of blood were running down his face, and he had a bunch of bruises that were already showing.

"Would someone like to explain to me what is going on?" the deputy looked at Royce first.

"I was coming over here to tell that maniac over there that he was bothering my girl, and then he just attacked me!" Royce told the deputy. "Isn't that right boys?"

All of the crew shook their heads in agreement.

"What about you?" the deputy looked at Emmett. He had resumed his position in front of me. His knuckles were bleeding and he had a bruise on the left side of his jaw. Other than that, he seemed fine. I hoped Carlisle would be able to fix him up.

"I was just talking to Rosalie. He got threatened I guess and punched me." he pointed to his jaw, "I punched him back."

"Miss Hale?" the deputy asked me, verifying his story.

It was exactly like last time. Everyone was looking at me, Emmett, Royce, the deputy, and Royce's cronies, all of them waiting for my answer. It was like I was getting a second chance to make things right. I gulped, trying to find the words and make them come out of my mouth.

"Yes officer, that's what, happened." I only looked at the deputy when I replied. I didn't want to see Royce and his crew's dissatisfied looks, I didn't even know how Emmett might react to it. I was more concerned with where he was going now.

"Well young man, it looks like I'm going to have to take you in." the deputy let go of Royce and pulled out his handcuffs. "You can call your parents when we get there."

"Those won't be necessary, I'll go quietly." Emmett walked towards the deputy like it was all an old routine. He didn't spare me or Royce a parting glance as he got in the cruiser's back seat. Everyone stared after him, stunned.

"Royce, I suggest you get to the hospital." The deputy said before getting in the front seat of the cruiser and driving off.

"You see Rose?" Royce smiled with bloodstained teeth. "I told you what would happen if you told him. Now he's going to get fired and go to jail, and it's all your fault."

I couldn't keep the tears back, or my anguished cries. He was right; it was my fault, all this happened because of me. I dropped to the ground and buried my face in my hands.

"Aww, don't cry baby." I heard Royce yell as he was being carried to his car. "I'll be back! And I'm coming for you."

And then I was left alone, crying in a deserted parking lot.