Chapter 11: A Rose Among Thorns
"Love is the flower you've got to let grow."
-John Lennon
Emmett was getting rather annoyed with his brothers being reunited with their women. And so, he did the one thing that he knew would get their attention; he cleared his throat with a loud, hacking cough and glared at his giddy little brothers.
Edward turned and glared acidly at his big bear of a brother. "Emmett, you don't have to be rude."
Emmett rolled his eyes, "As sorry I am that I have to break up this little reunion, I would like to have a reunion of my own; so can one of you lovely ladies tell me where Rosie lives?"
Bella and Alice exchanged a wary glance. Bella spoke slowly and unenthusiastically, "She hasn't left her house in a while, Emmett. We haven't really seen her since the barn raising catastrophe."
All the blood drained from Emmett's face and his brain momentarily lapsed into one large mess of frighteningly blank thoughtlessness. His vision blurred before it suddenly flushed brilliant, angry red. He lunged forward and grabbed Bella by the shoulders, ignoring the way Edward clawed at him and demanded he stop.
"What did he do to her?" Emmett demanded in a loud voice, lowering his head so he could stare menacingly into Bella's wide, frightened eyes.
"I—I don't know!" Bella plead as he shook her.
"Emmett!" Edward yelled. Emmett's head snapped up and he locked gazes with Edward.
"You don't understand," he said through his teeth. "You don't get it. He did something to her. Tell me what that man did to her!" He turned to Bella again.
"What man?" Bella asked, her fear making her unable to recall important facts.
"Royce! That evil pig!" Emmett then proceeded to call Royce more dirty names best left out of print.
Bella gathered herself enough to answer him, "I don't think he's done anything to her—all I know is she is still engaged, because it's simply her word against his. There are no other witnesses against him. And I'm afraid that everyone would rather believe him than her."
Emmett immediately let go of her shoulders, "I was there!" He said partially to himself and partially to the world. "I saw it! I was there! I can save her."
Edward patted his brother on the back, "Do you really think they'll believe you?"
"You know what Eddie, you can take your pessimism and shove it up your—"
"Emmett Cullen," Esme said, stalking out of the store, "we leave you outside for two minutes while we go inside to buy provisions, and you seize the opportunity to yell profanities at the top of your lungs."
Emmett had enough sense of self-preservation to look abashed.
Carlisle followed his wife out of the store, "What is this all about? I do believe we've caused these poor townspeople enough harm for one lifetime."
Emmett walked forward and stared directly at his eldest brother, "If some man put his hands all over Esme would you let him live, let alone be with her?"
"No, I'd beat him to death with nothing by my bare hands," Carlisle replied simply.
"Carlisle!" Esme replied torn between feeling extremely loved and well cared for or being angry with him for being so violently blunt. She settled on the former.
Alice, who had been silently standing next to Jasper through the entire exchange spoke up, "The Hales have a homestead about half a mile up the road that way," she indicated with a flick of her delicate wrist, "it's the first house you come to. It's a two story house that's painted white. Her father will most likely be the one to answer the door, so don't let him intimidate you."
Emmett nodded gratefully to her, unable to fathom words that would properly express his gratitude. He turned and started the long walk to Rosalie's house.
"Emmett!" Alice called when he was almost out of ear-shot.
He turned and looked at her to show she had his attention.
"Bring her back to us," she pleaded almost too softly for him to hear. He nodded, making the action exaggerated so she could see it.
The road was long, and extremely icy. Emmett would take two steps and then slide about three feet, take two steps and slide several more feet. All in all it was a tiring process one which would not have been worth it had it been for any other person.
But it was for Rosie.
And he would do anything if it meant Rosalie could be happy. Anything.
The road seemed to be four million miles long, and Emmett was beginning to wonder if Alice had sent him in the wrong direction and they were just going to let him walk all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.
Emmett sighed, fearful that he was never going to reach her house.
And then suddenly, it was there.
Imposing and white against the dark clouds that were heavy with snow. Emmett couldn't help but notice how impossibly huge the house was. He could probably fit four cabins the size of theirs inside her house. He suddenly realized with startling clarity that he was way out of his league.
He sucked in a deep breath, pushed his chest out and chanted to himself.
"You're a man, Emmett Cullen. And men don't quit. Especially not if it's for girls like Rosalie Hale."
Reassured by his speech, he started walking towards the house once again. He was half way up the front walkway when he noticed a person was sitting on the porch. He couldn't see the face because it was buried deep within a warm-looking quilt.
All he could see was a tuft of curly, blonde hair sticking out of the blanket.
"Rosie?" He asked in a soft voice.
Rosalie pulled her head up from her blanket and stared blankly at Emmett. She had dreamed he would come; but never had she thought he would show up. But there he was. Right in front of her. As she stared up at him like a buffoon.
"Rosie, are you alright?" He asked dropping to his knees in front of her.
She shook her head slightly, "Royce is in there making wedding plans with my father."
Her voice was soft, and dead. It was like she had given up.
Emmett however, had no intentions to forfeit.
"Well then, I guess I'll just have to go in there and tell him exactly what I saw the day of the barn raising."
Rosalie felt a jolt of excitement run through her fatigued body. She felt more alive then she had in days. She was about to rise from the chair when Emmett bent down and wrapped his arms around her body and lifted her effortlessly.
"You look like you haven't slept in days," he murmured in her ear.
"I haven't," she confided, ashamed of the truth.
Emmett sighed, "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."
"Don't worry about it," she deadpanned.
"Alice and Bella miss you," he added, remembering Alice's final demand.
Rosalie immediately looked ashamed. "I didn't mean to upset them."
"I didn't mean for you to get upset," Emmett amended, "but they do miss you. But, I reckon I missed you more."
She smiled at him, and the smile lit up her whole face. She looked like the real Rosalie not the dead shell of a girl he had seen when he first came to the Hale household.
Rosalie led him through the front door, shedding her thick blanket as she entered the warm interior of the house. She wore a simple white dress, but Emmett couldn't help but think she looked like an angel.
He could hear Royce and another male voice talking animatedly in another room down the hall. Rosalie motioned for him to follow her.
"Father," she called in an impassive voice. "Father I want to talk to you about this marriage." She said standing in front of the door, so that Emmett could not be seen.
"We've already talked about this, Rosalie, and I don't want to hear that tale you've been telling," her father warned, he addressed Royce with a brief apologetic statement his voice was quick as he spoke and Emmett almost missed it, but he thought he heard a brief tone of hidden disgust pass through Mr. Hale's voice.
"But Father!" She cried.
"Now, now, Petal." Royce answered in his slimy voice, Emmett shuddered, "You know that you and I are going to walk down the aisle soon, so don't even think about that lie you've been telling."
"It's not a lie," Rosalie said, angry colour creeping into her cheeks, she entered the room in a swift furious motion.
"It's not," Emmett said, standing imposingly on the threshold. His massive frame took up the entire doorway.
"You're one of those Cullen boys, aren't you?" Mr. Hale asked, narrowing his electric blue eyes at Emmett.
"Yes sir, I am." Emmett replied proudly but modestly, "I would like to apologize for what happened at the Cheney's. I hope that my brother's and mine immature act won't change your opinion of my credibility."
He took a deep breath and went one, "I was in the forest taking a moment to gather myself before the barn raising when I heard Rosie call out. I knew she was frightened. She asked Royce to stop; but he didn't. When I got to them, he had his hand on her shoulder, under the collar of her dress."
Mr. Hale's face turned purple and then went impassive. "That is quite the story you have there, Mr. Cullen."
"You don't believe me, do you?" Emmett asked, crestfallen.
"I have to say I don't," Mr. Hale said almost jokingly. "But, I will talk to my daughter about it privately." He ushered Royce and Emmett out into the hallway before pulling the door shut and addressing Rosalie surreptitiously.
"Rosie, sweetheart, you told the truth, didn't you?" He asked, his eyes going soft as he stared intently at his only daughter.
She stared at him, tears pooling in her violet eyes. "I did, Papa."
"I believe you, my Rosie. And I do believe that young Cullen man," he walked forward and pulled his daughter into a warm, soft embrace. "Do you want to know why I believed him?"
"Why?" Rosalie asked, genuinely curious.
"Because he called you Rosie," Mr. Hale said simply, kissing Rosalie's feathery hair.
Rosalie pulled back from him and stared into his blue eyes. "Papa, what do you mean?"
"That Royce, though it would be an advantages marriage, calls you 'Rose Petal' or just 'Petal', it's so ridiculous. I almost laughed the first time he called you that. It's fake and obnoxious. Rosie is what I've called you since the first time I was allowed to see you after Mama had you. Rosie is the most affectionate nickname I can think of that would fit you, my dear. And that young Mr. Cullen said it more fervently than I ever could."
"Oh, Papa!" Rosalie exclaimed, leaning in to kiss her father's cheek. "You're the most loving, caring, wonderful father a girl could ever ask for."
"You remember that when I bring that boy into the sitting room and show him my gun collection then," he said winking slyly at his daughter.
Rosalie laughed, "Please don't scare him off, Papa."
"I will do all I can to scare him off," Mr. Hale sniffed, "and if he's the kind of man I think he is, my trying to be terrifying will do no good."
Rosalie laughed again and hugged her father tightly, he lead her through the doorway and composed his features so as to not give anything away.
"Royce," he said warmly, "I'm afraid to say that you must get your dreadful, slimy self out of my house at once. Before I have this rather large young man here"—he indicated to Emmett—"remove you by force."
Royce spluttered and turned a silly shade of dark purple.
"You heard Mr. Hale," Emmett said conspiratorially, "why don't you leave."
With that Royce stumbled out of Rosalie's life.
So, no one guessed that it was Emmett. This chapter was one of my favourites to write. I love writing Emmett and Rosalie together. They're so cute. I love this chapter. Next chapter will be up on Monday.
Next time on 7B47B:
"I don't know what to feel about her—how to feel about her—how she feels about me—how to feel about her feelings for me…" His voice trailed off into a guttural sigh.
"I get the feeling your feelings are all mixed up," Carlisle said, his smile apparent in his voice.
Edward couldn't help but smirk back, "Maybe I feel different than she feels and that feeling doesn't feel right?" He tried.
Carlisle laughed, "I get the feeling this discussion won't get anywhere so long as 'feel' is the most prominent word in this conversation."