A/N: This chapter is super long for WeasleyWeakness. Hopefully it is more acceptable now.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but an unhealthy obsession with Jasper and Emmett.

Chapter 10

Rosalie POV

"Bathroom is the first door on the right, blankets are in the hall cupboard and this is you." Emmett said as he reached over to the ratty old couch and threw off the cushions that sat on it, tossing them into the corner.

He pulled the squeaking, protesting mattress out from beneath the couch. It looked like it might have once been white, but now was covered in filth and dust. I shuddered as I walked forward just as he let the metal frame of the hide-a-bed hit the floor beneath our feet. Dust flew out of it and settled into every orifice it could find.

"You've got to be kidding me." I coughed and spluttered as my eyes watered, trying to force the particles out.

"You said yourself you've slept in worse places." Emmett said as he stepped around me and started walking down the hall. I followed behind him closely.

"That was until I saw that thing. How long has it been here? Since Hoover was in office?"

"Probably." He chuckled as he opened the last door on the left and stepped into his bedroom. I could clearly see his massive king size bed behind him.

"You're really going to make me sleep on it?"

He seemed to deliberate for a moment, and then nodded his head. "Yeah."

"Oh, well I guess Chivalry really is dead then, huh?"

"I served my time." He replied as he braced himself against his door frame, one hand wrapped around to the other side of the door, presumably holding tight onto the doorknob.

"Whatever happened to southern hospitality?"

"It went out the window when you thought I was sleeping with my cousin." The door slammed in my face before I could even come up with a clever retort and I growled as I fought the urge to kick his door. It would just hurt my foot again anyways.

Sighing I made my way down the hallway and back into the living room, finding the blankets where he said they would be as I went. I was too tired to argue at that point as I fixed the bed and fell into it, taking care not to breathe until the dust had settled.

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The sound of bacon sizzling brought me out of my deep slumber and I sat up quickly, pulling my halter top back into position. I hadn't thought of looking for something else to wear last night, instead just opting to sleep in my clothes I had came here in. This was going on the third day in them and I was seriously starting to feel the grime.

I cleared my throat as I stood up and stretched my back, smiling as the muscles pulled and the joints popped. If there was one thing to be said about that mattress it was that it definitely wasn't comfortable.

I walked around the wall that separated the kitchen from the small living area, stopping in my tracks at the sight before me. Emmett stood in front of the stove, wearing only a pair of green and blue plaid pajama bottoms. His muscles were huge as he gripped the spatula in one hand, flexing his muscles on his arm unthinkingly. His pecs were enormous as well, and I clenched my fists, fighting the unexplainable urge I had to run my hands down them. His chest was gleaming and it took me a few seconds to realize it was sweat condensing there from the heat radiating off of the almost ancient stove that sat in the middle of the wall in the kitchen. He was intently flipping the bacon in one pan while trying to stir what appeared to be oatmeal in another. I didn't know I had made a sound until his eyes turned to me, question written in them, taking in my appearance.

"Showers open." He said finally before turning back to the stove.

I nodded my head and made my way to the bathroom. I couldn't help but notice that it was particularly clean for a guy. No ring around the tub, or dirty clothes tossed every which way. And it actually smelled nice too. A mixture of peppermints and something else.

"Umm, Rosalie?" I almost jumped out of my skin when he knocked on the bathroom door.

"Yeah?"

"I just thought...well, I have a shirt here if you want it. It will most likely swallow you up but I..."

"Thanks." I said as I opened the door and took the freshly laundered button up white shirt from his hand and retreated back into the bathroom before I could say something stupid again like I had last night.

I hopped into the shower quickly, my stomach rumbling as the smell from the kitchen slowly wafted under the doorway and filled the small space of the shower stall. I almost screamed when the cold water hit my back, I reached down hastily to turn the hot water on and the knob fell off in my hand. I clenched my teeth tight as I sucked it up and threw myself under the icy water that was spouting from the shower head. I was shaking by the time I had rinsed my hair completely and finally rid myself of the grubby feeling of having not showered in two days.

Emmett was right when he said the shirt would swallow me up. I rolled up the sleeves with my numb fingers and then slipped my jeans back on, mumbling about having to go 'commando.' The sizzling sound had stopped by the time I left the bathroom. I found my purse as I walked into the living room and threw my hair up into a messy bun to dry using one of the hair ties I stored in my ever full bag. I could hear Emmett in the kitchen, the sound of his fork scraping across the plate and paper rustling. I took a deep breath as I walked in and released it in a short gust when I saw that he had put his uniform on. I couldn't figure out why I was disappointed about that.

"Foods on the stove. I tried to keep it warm." He mumbled as he read the paper that he held in his left hand while eating toast covered in grape jelly with his right.

"Thanks." I whispered, clearing my throat when it came out hoarse and scratchy. I scooped some of the oatmeal he had left in the pan onto my plate, leaving the bacon where it sat in it's mess of grease, and tentatively made my way back over to the table.

"There's still bacon." He said curtly as he eyed the small amount of oats I had on my plate. I felt my heart clench for some reason unbeknownst to me at his tone. After the pressure in my chest had faded, I felt the anger bubble up inside of me and I took a deep breath, trying to keep it down. Male menopause, I reminded myself as I scooped up some of the mush on my plate and shoved it into my mouth. I was sure I had actually read an article over it sometime or another and I racked my brain as I tried to remember what the so-called symptoms were.

I kept my eyes down on my plate as I finished in silence. My throat was still scratchy and I tried clearing it again to no avail.

"Do you have any orange juice?" I asked quietly and was relieved that I didn't have to say it again as Emmett looked up, his chocolate colored orbs meeting mine. "Something I can drink?" I couldn't help but snap as he continued to stare at me as though he couldn't understand anything I had said.

"There's coffee...or there's coffee." He used his thumb to point over his shoulder as he returned his gaze back to his newspaper. "Oh. Or there's some Bud in the fridge." I rolled my eyes and stood up, finding a glass in the dish drainer beside the sink and picking it up.

I turned the spout on quickly, hoping I wouldn't break this one like I had the shower, and saying a silent thank you when I didn't. I was momentarily distracted as Emmett stood up and stretched, his untucked shirt pulling up as he raised his arms above his head. His pants sat low on his hips and the small of his back was exposed as his shirt raised up. He looked over his shoulder at me and I quickly stuck my glass under the tap, filling the glass half full and shutting the water off quickly before bringing the glass to my lips and taking a large gulp.

I screamed out in agony as the hot water cascaded down my throat and the glass slipped from my grasp, the almost scalding hot water flying out onto the front of my shirt, soaking and burning as the sound of shattering reached my ears.

Emmett turned quickly on the spot and made it back to me within seconds, his hands working nimbly to slip the soaking shirt over my head and throwing it over his shoulder as he examined my neck and chest for burns. His hands were gentle as he brushed his fingers across the sore spots and I watched his face grimace as I flinched away from his fingers.

"Hey. Hey..." His voice was soothing as I felt his fingers plant themselves under my chin and lift my face up to look at him. "It's all right. It's all right." He cooed gently as he stroked my face. It was only then that I realized I had tears streaming down my cheeks, and the room seemed to be shaking. Or was it me that was shaking?

"I..I'm s-sorry. I shouldn't have..;" I stammered and I pulled away from his grasp, gasping as I felt the cool air touch my exposed breasts. Great, now I was half naked in front of a man who hated me. What else could possibly happen?

As if on cue the front door opened and Alice walked in. The kitchen was in plain sight from the living room door and I watched, almost like it was all happening in slow motion, as her narrowed eyes scanned the living room and she turned her head, looking to the kitchen. Her eyes widened so quick that if I had blinked at all in those four seconds, I might have missed the action.

"Oh. I didn't mean to interrupt or..."

"No, Al..." Emmett sighed as he turned around completely, away from me. I used the time to cover my self and hoped that I didn't turn permanently red. I could hear Emmett's nervous laughter and I desperately wanted to get out of the kitchen. Without thinking I took a step forward. Before I could set my foot all the way down Emmett snapped his body around and pushed me backwards. I staggered slightly from shock and his huge hands wrapped around my waist, securing me on my feet. "Stay right here."

I nodded mutely and he exited the room. I noticed Alice was no where in sight though the front door was still standing wide open. I didn't have to look for her however as she danced back in through said front door holding a bag up with a big grin plastered across her tiny face. She rummaged around in it for a second and then pulled out something gray and blue and tossed it to me. I held it up, barely registering that it was a shirt, before throwing it over my head and pulling it down over my boobs. Emmett loped back into the room, a roll of paper towels in one hand and a broom and dust pan in the other. He set both down by the table and without a word lifted me up over the glass and set me back down on the other side before turning back to the mess I had made on his kitchen floor.

"I can..." I started to bend down to help him but he shook his head.

"I got it."

"I'm the one that made the mess..."

"Really." He snapped. "I said I've got this."

I blinked in surprise and started to open my mouth to retort before I found myself being hauled backwards across the wood floor and into the living room. I had to give it to her, for someone barely reaching five foot tall and probably around one hundred pounds, the girl had some muscle. I guess it had something to do with her carrying her kids around. Or maybe it was because she'd had to knock Emmett around for years. Either way, she was definitely not one to mess with.

"Here." She said as she pushed a pile of clothes into my hands and turned me by my elbow to face the hallway. "Go change, I'll wait here."

Her tone left no room for question or arguing so I did as I was told and locked myself in the bathroom, using the time alone to compose myself. I washed my face off in the sink before turning to the bundle of clothes Alice had thrust into my arms. I was in shock as I picked the top piece of clothing up, seeing that it was a bra. Black lace with red satin underneath, it was beautiful...and it was made by Alice. I was surprised to see that it fit perfectly, along with everything else and I wondered quickly to myself when she had time to make all of this stuff. Of course she had taken my measurements the night before at dinner but surely she didn't stay up all night long making me clothes to wear. I shook my head of the thought and finished pulling clothes on, trying to make myself look slightly more decent than I had in the past couple of days. Once I was satisfied, I walked into the living room. Alice had pushed the sofa bed back into the couch and replaced the cushions. She sat on the far end, her feet curled underneath her as she thumbed through a magazine and sipped on a cup of coffee. I didn't hear Emmett anymore and I looked around the dividing wall into the kitchen, noting it empty.

"I kicked him out." Alice chirped, in reply to my unasked question. She looked up then, smiling timidly. Her eyes still sparkling brightly. "I thought we could hang out. Get to know each other better." She patted the empty seat next to her and I sat down slowly, not knowing what was coming next. The third degree? The Spanish inquisition? The birds and the bees? I had after all just been caught in a compromising position with her cousin. "So what do you want to do first?"

We spent the rest of the morning walking around Independence. I was eternally grateful that Bella and I had the same size feet. I'd have to send her something for the baby once I got back home. Alice showed me everything she thought I needed to see as she pushed Tatum in a 'Dora' stroller. Newton's grocery, Michelle Stanley's beauty shop, and the old fashioned ice cream parlor on the corner were only a few of our stops. Alice took care of errands as she gave me the unofficial tour.

"Hey, look, Bella's working. Let's go say hi." Alice pointed as we walked out of the grocery store. Tatum was happily licking on a tootsie pop in her stroller, her doll clasped tightly in her arms, but clapped her hands excitedly when Alice mentioned Bella's name.

"Um... I don't think Bella likes me." I said quietly and Alice turned to stare at me as if I had sprouted three heads and a tail.

"Why would you think that?" She asked incredulously.

"The way she acts. I mean, she's not mean or anything but..."

"Bella's shy." Alice explained and I sighed loudly. "Okay, so she's not that shy. But look, she's just...really protective of Emmett. Especially since everything that happened and..."

I sprung on the chance as she led the way across the street to the diner. "What exactly happened?" I asked quickly.

Alice quickened her steps and kept walking, ignoring my question. "Is anyone ever going to tell me?" I demanded as I caught up to her, making sure I said it loud enough that she couldn't pretend to have missed it.

She sighed heavily as she lifted Tatum's stroller up to place it on the curb. Tate squealed from her seat and a smile formed on my lips.

"Okay... I really shouldn't say anything, so I'll just condense it. Chloe and Emmett were together and she left."

"And?..."

"And what? She broke his heart. He hasn't been the same since." She reached the door to the diner then and opened it, gesturing me to go in first.

"Hey Alice." Bella called from where she stood filling up a couple of coffee cups for the old men seated at her table.

"Hey Bells." My companion called back jovially, all traces of her seriousness from just a few minutes before gone.

We seated ourselves at the table, Tatum still not warmed up to me, clambered over to her mother and sat beside her, leaving me on my own across from them.

"What are you up to?" Bella asked as she waddled over to where we were seated and pulled her notepad out of her apron.

"I was just showing Rose some of the sights." Alice explained before giving her drink order to her cousin. I did the same and we fell into comfortable silence as Tatum played with the salt and pepper shakers and Alice watched with love in her eyes. I didn't even realize that I had fell into somewhat of a trance until the fire alarm dinging loudly pulled me out of it. Alice rolled her eyes and scooped Tate into her arms, sliding out of the booth and heading out the front door. I did the same as I followed behind the two old men who scooted slowly out the front. Bella was close behind me and I looked over my shoulder to see black smoke billowing out of the kitchen through the order window.

I had just made it to the door, holding it open for Bella behind me when I heard Tatum's anguished, earsplitting howls coming from the curb.

"Dolly!" She cried as she struggled against Alice's arms who was trying to hold her tightly.

"She'll be okay Tate. Mr. Eric just forgot about the french fries in the oil that's all." Bella called as she sent a glare towards a dark haired man who was looking bored as he stood on the sidewalk.

My heart broke as I watched the tears streak down her face and before I could think I did one of the stupidest things I ever could have done.

I turned around and ran back inside.

A/N: Oh, no! What's going to happen? To all of my lovely readers in the path of Gustav, stay safe and you are in my thoughts. As always, review for a preview.
Besos.