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 This RPOV outtake was donated to Fandom4Vets. I thought Emmett and Rosalie deserved some more room to tell this part of their story. The lovely missrebecca_12 looked this over for me and made me a banner to go with it: tinyurl{dot}com{/}FTpaws How awesome is she?!


A Miracle With Paws

Rosalie

'I'm so sorry, guys,' I stammered. 'I can't do this.'

Without making eye contact with anyone, I fled from the pool deck, across the patio, through the kitchen, and up the stairs to the guest room that had been mine for the past couple of weeks. It had been decorated tastefully by my mother, of course, in shades of cream with accents of charcoal. But despite the fact that my clothes and toiletries cluttered nearly every surface, it didn't feel like home to me. It was still merely a guest room containing some of my belongings. There weren't even any pictures on the walls, not that I could have looked at them. On the rare occasion I could bring myself to glance at the family portrait in the living room, I was painfully reminded of what I didn't have anymore.

Emmett.

And I only had myself to blame.

I had left.

I had told him almost the exact same thing I told my family just now, before fleeing the party. I wasn't in the mood for birthday festivities.

After stripping out of my pale pink blouse and grey mini dress, I pulled on a pair of yoga pants and the shirt of Emmett's I had secretly packed when I had hastily moved out of our apartment. His smell still lingered on the fabric and I brought it to my nose, inhaling deeply. Noticing my discarded shoes by the door, I carefully picked up the green studded Carvela stiletto sandals and placed them with the other shoes I had brought over. Looking at the meager contents of my closet, I was once again thankful that my brother had offered to pick up some of my belongings. I had been, and still was, too much of a coward to face Emmett after what I had done.

Opening the window to let in some fresh air, I was glad this room was to the front of the house, so I wouldn't be exposed to the cheerful noises and conversations in the backyard.

Happy birthday to me, I thought bitterly, and crawled into bed, hugging one of the fluffy pillows to my chest.

A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts. Moments later, my mother's head peeked through, looking at me worriedly. When she saw I was awake, she closed the door behind her and made her way over to the bed, sitting down next to me and running her fingers through my hair. I closed my eyes at the familiar motherly gesture, longing for the uncomplicated days of my childhood. How things had changed since then…

'Rosalie, sweetheart,' she started softly. 'Are you alright?'

'Yeah, Mom, just tired. I'm sorry to bail on you guys, though; I know how hard you and Alice worked to get everything ready.'

'Oh, my sweet girl, don't you worry about that,' she assured me.

I sighed.

'I really tried, you know? I made an effort to be pleasant and enjoy the party. But to see Alice and Jasper being nauseatingly cute, and how happy Edward is with Bella's gift… I just… can't,' I admitted.

'You miss him,' my mother stated.

There was nothing to do but nod.

'Then why did you end things? You never told me…' she prompted, never ceasing her calming caressing of my hair.

I looked at her and saw nothing but concern and affection in her eyes. That was all it took. After weeks of keeping up appearances, shutting people out and my emotions down, my carefully constructed walls crumbled at the gentle touch of my mother's loving hand.

For a while, I just cried as my mother stroked my head soothingly.

'I don't even know where to start,' I whispered hoarsely.

'The beginning is usually a good place,' she suggested gently.

'I can't give Emmett what he wants!' I cried.

'Somehow I doubt that. The boy worships the ground you walk on. I'm sure there's nothing…'

'He wants a baby,' I interrupted her.

'Oh sweetheart,' she sighed. 'Tell me what happened.'

Sitting up against the headboard, I pulled a pillow into my lap as I braced myself to tell it all for the first time.

'Well, last year I went off birth control. We weren't actively trying, just letting it happen. But then the thing happened with Edward and Bella,' I recalled, reliving it. 'And Emmett was devastated. He wanted that baby to be ours so bad… We started trying in earnest. Every time I got my period he seemed to get more desperate. Mom, I can't bear disappointing him any more when I can't give him what he wants!'

She leveled me with her gaze. 'Does he know this?'

'I told him I couldn't do it anymore…' I trailed off when she started shaking her head.

'Sounds to me like you're running away from your fears.'

'No, I'm not,' I protested.

She took my hand, silently calling for my undivided attention.

'Sweetheart, you're my daughter and I love you. But you're not being honest to yourself or Emmett.'

'Mom…' I whined petulantly.

This wasn't what I wanted to hear. She was supposed to take my side and tell me everything would be alright and that I had made the right decision.

'Rosalie Lillian Hale.'

Damn, she middle-named me.

'I get that break-ups hurt, even when you did the breaking. But you're not a child anymore and you're treating the man who loves you unfairly by not being honest with him. Let me ask you one thing: do you love him?'

I was taken aback by her chastising tone and direct words, but my response was so immediate, it was almost a reflex: 'So much, mom.'

'Then that's all that matters. Anything else you'll have to sort out together. Especially when it comes to this. You can't make unilateral decisions like that. Don't shut him out, because if not, eventually you will be on your own.'

I sat quiet for a while, thinking about what she said. She was right, of course, but it was difficult to admit to myself, being as stubborn as I was. Once I could accept her reasoning, it was even more painful to admit what came next.

'I'm scared,' I whispered, barely audible.

She enveloped me in a fierce hug.

'Of course you are. But if you're not ready to go to him, at least promise me this: don't turn him away when he comes to you.'

o.O.o

A week and a half later, on my actual birthday, I was still sulking about the house. I hadn't been brave enough to contact Emmett yet, and was thankful for the summer break, making it easier to avoid him. That didn't mean, however, that the pain had lessened. If anything, it had grown. I needed him now more than ever, but I was too prideful and too much of a coward to make the first move.

Fortunately, my family knew better than to try and get me to socialize on this day, and left me blissfully alone. Carlisle was working, Esme had meeting upon meeting with clients, Edward and Bella were apartment hunting, and Alice had taken my twin out to celebrate his birthday.

I had slept in, finally dragging myself out of bed around noon, throwing on a comfy grey shirtdress and pulling my hair back in a messy bun. After nibbling on some crackers, I nestled on one of the sun loungers on the patio with my copy of A Discovery of Witches, submerging myself in the intriguing plot of a witch-historian on her quest for an alchemical manuscript. I liked how she refused to be forced into the role of damsel in distress, wanting to fight her own battles.

Right in the middle of the scene in the oubliette, I was startled back into reality by I'm sexy and I know it blasting from my phone. I couldn't bring myself to change the ringtone Emmett had set for himself on my phone, and found myself smiling. He had respected my wishes of being left alone for a while, but secretly, I had missed his texts and phone calls. Still, I hesitated in answering, before remembering my mother's advice.

'Hello?'

'Rosalie, hey baby.'

I cringed and flushed all at once at his endearment.

'Hey Em.'

'How are you?'

'Alright, I guess.'

'Good. Good.'

Silence.

'Are you home?'

'I'm out the back.'

'Can you come let me in?'

'What's going on?'

As much as I longed to see him, I was also still scared to face him.

'I need to talk to you,' he sounded so hopeful, my heart ached for him.

'Em…' I sighed.

'Jazz told me,' he blurted out.

I dropped my phone to my lap, squeezing my eyes shut and breathing heavily, forcing back tears. Of course my mother had told my brother, and he had told Emmett; he was one of Jasper's best friends.

After sitting like that for a few moments, the faint sound of him calling my name through the phone pulled me out of my thoughts.

'Rose, you still there? What's going on? Rose?'

'I'm here, Em.'

And I meant that in more ways than one. It was just difficult to explain it all, even to myself.

'Please, baby, I'm right outside the door. I don't want to do this over the phone. Please let me in so we can talk about it.'

o.O.o

When I opened the front door, the man standing before me was a sight for sore eyes. Clad in a pair of board shorts and a white tank, his strong, muscular frame reminded me what it felt like to be surrounded by his warmth, feeling safe and at home. I felt myself melt and had to resist launching myself into his arms. After what I had done to him, I had no right. Besides, I needed the physical distance to maintain some semblance of control.

His dark eyes peered over the rim of his sunglasses. A smile spread across his face, answering my tentative one. When he made to approach me, however, I raised my hand, signaling him to not come too close.

Not yet. I can't.

His smile fell a bit, but he stayed back. It was then that I noticed he was holding something. In his right hand was a leash; on its other end, a dog. A fluffy, black and white puppy. I motioned towards it with my head.

'What's this?' I asked.

'A puppy,' was his brilliant reply, grin firmly back in place.

'I can see that,' I answered, going along with whatever he was doing at the moment. 'What's it doing here?'

'It's yours. For your birthday.'

He extended the leash to me, which I hesitantly took. The puppy padded over to me, looking at me curiously. When I crouched down and reached out my free hand, it sniffed it, before licking it and practically jumping up into my lap. I couldn't help but hugging it close, stroking its soft fur and inhaling its scent.

'He's a husky. His eyes reminded me of you. He doesn't have a name yet, so…' Emmett explained.

I looked at the dog again. It was true; his eyes were the brightest blue. He squirmed out of my grasp, distracted by the flower pots standing to the side.

'But… why?' I asked, still confused.

'Rosie, I don't care about you not being pregnant yet. Yes, I'd love to have a ton of babies with you, but we're still young and we can keep on trying. If we still don't have a baby when we're thirty, we can always adopt, you know?'

Tears started to burn in my eyes at his words. Deep down I always knew he wouldn't fault me for any of this, but I had let my own fears, doubt and insecurities dictate my actions.

'Em…' I whispered, my emotions causing a lump to form in my throat.

'And I figured, in the meantime, we can have this little guy. He'll need mothering, and he's a handful, but he's also perfect for you. Just as you are perfect for me.'

'Em…' I tried again.

'No, Rose, just hear me out first, okay? All I'm asking is for you to not give up on us yet. Give me another chance, and I'll prove to you that I want no one else but you. I'll take all of you, no matter what you can give me down the line. As long as I've got you, I know we'll be alright.'

'Em, I'm pregnant,' I practically shouted.

That shut him up for a moment. His jaw dropped and he ripped his sunglasses off his nose. In a few large strides, he was right in front of me, his large hands cupping my face.

'Are you serious?'

'I just found out last night. I barely slept, being nauseous and not knowing how or when to tell you…'

'We're going to have a baby?' he whispered.

I simply smiled through my tears and nodded, not trusting my voice to speak. I didn't need to, because in an instant, his lips covered mine, both our tears mixing on our skin. I fisted my hands in his shirt, holding him close.

o.O.o

We kissed like that for what felt like hours, and there was no place I would rather be. How stupid had I been, thinking giving him up would be the best decision? I had never felt more complete, more alive, than when I was with him, and I had missed the way his kisses always made me feel.

When we finally broke apart, we remained locked in our embrace. Emmett's thumbs stroked my cheeks and jaw and I opened my eyes to find his looking deeply into mine, love and adoration swirling in them. He took the leash out of my hand and walked over to the puppy. He picked it up and turned back to me, a shy smile on his lips. Wordlessly, he handed it back to me.

'What?' I wondered.

'There are still two things we need to do right now,' he explained. 'For one, he needs a name.'

'Let's name him Miracle,' I suggested after thinking for a moment.

'That's perfect, babe! A Miracle to celebrate our miracle.'

I smiled again and scratched the dog's ears.

'Second, you should check his collar.'

Curiously, I reached for it, turning it around in an attempt to find what he was talking about. When my fingers touched the buckle, I felt something small, round and cool. Upon closer inspection, it was a ring. A platinum band with three emerald cut diamonds. Emmett released the buckle, gathered the ring in his hand, and set Miracle back on his feet. He stayed on his knee, took my left hand in his and slipped the ring onto my third finger.

'You had this planned?'

'Baby or no baby, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You being pregnant is just the icing on the cake. Marry me?' he asked softly.

I didn't even need to think about my answer. He was it for me.

'Yes,' I smiled, and kissed him again.