Renee zoned off, as a glaze fell over her eyes. She couldn't help but allow her mind to drift off to the day of Rosalie's attack. The older Swan had just gotten off of the phone with Rosalie, and she knew the young Hale was going to call her husband. Renee wanted…needed to beat her to it. She had dialed her husband's cell, but it went straight to voicemail. He had always answered his phone. In her continual panic, she grabbed her purse and raced down to the precinct that day.

She needed to find her husband because if he had heard it from anyone, but her, it would be no repairing their relationship. And she couldn't become the next divorcee in the town. After Lillian's divorce from Aro, she saw how the town temporarily treated her until her marriage to Royce Sr. occurred. Renee wasn't strong enough to go through it.

When Renee entered the building of her husband's employment, she checked each cubicle, but couldn't spot him. She checked the bathrooms, the closets and even the interrogation room, and he was nowhere in sight. She had questioned Brady, Phil, and every officer she had passed in her attempt to find him. Brady noticed the bloodshot eyes she possessed, and in his attempt to help her, he pulled her into his office. He talked to her, he comforted her, and he assured her that Charlie was okay. If he wasn't hurt, and none of the officers knew where he was, the only other option that could explain his disappearance was if he were having an affair.

She wasn't going to be a widow or a divorcee; she was going to be the wife of a man having an affair. The older Swan clenched her stomach, and took a seat in Commissioner Brady's office. The police commissioner attempted to assure the woman that he was positive that Charlie wasn't having an affair, but Renee didn't believe him. Officers stuck together, and everything pointed towards it. No one knew where he was, yet he said he was leaving for work. He had lied to her. After receiving a phone call, Brady Whitlock departed from his office and allowed for Renee to stay and wait for her husband.

In the time she waited, he had never shown back up. Eventually, after hours past, Brady finally showed up again, soaked in water due to the pouring rain. Phil had even come inside, drenched in water. Officers were rushing into the precinct in their attempt to get away from the storm escalating outside. And out of every officer that entered, none were her husband. Renee refused to leave until she spotted Charlie. He had some explaining to do. Brady had tried time and time again to convince the woman that her husband was probably just out running errands, but she continued to not believe him. Soon enough, Brady received another phone call through dispatch. Renee had heard news of Rosalie's attack from the police precinct. She was here, and her husband wasn't…and a day later when Brady had come to her to tell her that Charlie was guilty, she had every reason to believe him. He had no alibi. Every fiber of her being knew that he was the culprit.

Renee blinked out of the memory. Everyone had an alibi but Charlie. When she had the chance to question her husband, she had asked him where he was, but he avoided the subject. He simply brushed it off as, he was handling something important. She knew he was lying because he wouldn't look her in the eye. Renee had been married to him for years, and he had never deliberately lied to her face before. And it was that day that she kicked him out of the house with no explanation. Once he gives her some sort of reason, then she would too. Until then, he wasn't allowed to come back.

For the whole day, Emmett was locked in his bedroom. Both his mother and father tried various attempts to persuade him to open the door, but none were successful. He sat in his dark room and stared out of the window. Yesterday, he learned that his girlfriend of two years wasn't doing so well, and her status has yet to improve for the best. Due to this new information, Emmett couldn't bring himself to face anyone, especially those who cared about Rose just as much as he did. Another knock sounded on his door, and he continued to ignore it.

"Emmett, it's mom," Esme whispered through the wooden barrier, "…sweetie just open the door. We're worried about you." She waited on the other side for some type of indication that he heard her, but there was nothing, "I know you're not ready to let go. Honey, I know it hurts, but we'll get through this. And it is up to us as friends and family to help the Hales and the Kings get through their lost." Silence followed Esme's words. She pressed her opened palm against the door, "Sweetie please say something."

Esme turned away from the door and headed back downstairs. Seated around the table were Carlisle and Edward, and the two both looked at her with hope filled within their eyes. She silently shook her head, and took the empty seat across from her husband. Esme pushed the plate of food away from her, "I lost my appetite."

"Should I try again?" Carlisle rose from his seat.

"No," Esme shook her head, "He's not even talking, let alone going to open the door."

"I haven't tried."

The two parents turned to face their other son. Edward lifted his finished plate, and handed it over to his mother as she started to collect the dishes. Edward pushed in his seat, "Mom, you're a counselor, and dad you're one of the doctors who's going to unplug his girlfriend, I'm simply his brother. And I think he needs that right now."

Carlisle nodded for his son to give it a try. The older Cullen rose from his seat and began to help his wife clear the table, "Take Emmett's plate up." Edward reached for his brother's warm plate, before he set off for the stairwell. The eldest Cullen son raced up the stairs while carefully holding his brother's plate, his feet abruptly stopped a few inches from Emmett's closed and locked door. Edward inhaled as he closed in the distance, "Emmett," he started to knock with his free hand, "it's me. I have food. Mom made your favorite." There was no sound emitting from Emmett's room, "Dude, we're brothers. You can talk to me."

Edward didn't have to try as hard as his parents. Once he pulled the brother card, he heard Emmett unlock and open the door. He reached his hand out, took a hold of the plate, and allowed Edward to enter, "Talk to me about anything but Rose."
"Okay," Edward agreed, closing the door behind him, "uh, the weather these past few days has been nice."

Emmett set his plate down, "You suck at idle chitchat."

"I planned for us to talk about Rose," Edward shrugged his shoulders. He looked around Emmett's room, and flicked on the lamp positioned at the corner of his desk, "I wasn't planning on having to come up with conversation."

"Why do you want to talk about her?" Emmett swallowed his first bite of food, "It's not like you care."

"Of course I do," Edward took a hold of the seat beside his brother, and when Emmett shook his head to deny his brother's admittance, Edward continued, "I really do Emmett. She's my friend."

Emmett pushed his plate away from him, as he angrily turned to face his brother, "If that were even close to being true, you would have visited her! You haven't seen her since she was first admitted into the hospital, and Edward that was TWO MONTHS ago! If you honestly believe you're her friend, then you have a horrible definition of that word."

"And I truly feel bad about that."

Emmett's face looked pained. Edward's apologies were doing nothing for him. Sometimes it's too late to apologize. Sometimes no matter how sincere you sound, they have no meaning to it. Emmett didn't want to hear how sorry Edward was, because it was too late. He didn't want to hear about how Edward feels bad; all he wants to hear are facts…are things that won't change. He glanced over at his mostly finished plate, "Why didn't you answer?"
"What?" Edward gently asked.

"Rose called you to ask for a ride, and you didn't answer." Emmett quickly turned and glared forward at his brother, "What was so important that you couldn't pick up your damn phone?"

"Remember mom and dad had the car,"

"You still could've answered!"

The younger Cullen pressed his fingers into his dark curly hair. His eyes were strained and his face was pained as the tormented expression of grief crossed his face. Emmett didn't want to hear excuses; he wanted to hear the truth. "You're hardly around! Where are you going? Where have you been? You're never here Edward, so why are you around now?"

"Because you need me."

"I NEEDED YOU," he pressed his finger against his brother's chest, "two months ago!"

Edward gave in the moment he noticed his brother's rage increase, "I made a deal with Charlie. I have four months of community service to do and I do it out of town. I already did two; I have two more months to go."

"If you're just going to lie to my face, then you can save it and leave."

"I'm not lying," Edward admitted, taking a step back and crossing his arms, "after school, Charlie allows me to borrow his car in order to drive into the next town and serve community service at a rehab facility.

"…that makes no sense Edward."

"Charlie set it up for me as a way to help keep me clean."

"Clean? As in off of drugs?" Emmett stepped towards his brother confusedly.

The slow nod of Edward's head confirmed his answer, "By the time my volunteering is over for the day, and I make it back, visiting hours at the hospital are over." The older Cullen smiled down at the ground, "I do send her flowers though. When Lillian goes to visit, I send some in with her.

Emmett went over to his plate and began to pick pieces of food off of it. He took the fork and began to push around the vegetables, "I don't understand. Why is Charlie letting you borrow his car? Why are you volunteering out of town? Why are you volunteering at a rehab facility? Why do you have to do four months? Do mom and dad know? How come no one told me?"

"I got into some trouble two months ago."

"Two months ago?" Emmett dropped his fork onto his plate, "You got into trouble two months ago? Does it…does it have anything to do with Rose?"

"What," Edward squints.

"The trouble you got into Edward, does it have to do with MY girlfriend?!"

"No…no! No! Of course not, no! Why would you even think that?!"

"Well, what do you expect me to think when everything points to you? You don't visit her! You always disappear! And now you're telling me that you got into trouble around the time my girlfriend got hurt! What did you do?!"

"You can't tell mom or dad."

Edward's eyes pleaded with his brother. He stepped forward and rested his hand upon his brother's shoulder, "You have to promise me."

"Okay, fine. Whatever, what did you do?"

"Charlie caught me…doing, you know."

"Drugs"

Edward nodded quickly, before covering his face in embarrassment, "I know it was stupid. I don't need to hear the lecture because I already heard it from Charlie."

"When was this?"

"…the day Rose was attacked. It's why I didn't answer the phone."

"Wait," Emmett raised his hand to interrupt his brother, "Start from the beginning. I'm confused."

The eldest Cullen walked over to his brother's bed, and took a seat on the edge of it. As he avoided eye contact with Emmett, he started from the beginning, "Charlie caught me doing drugs. I don't want to go into detail about the kind of drugs, but when Charlie caught me, I panicked. I begged him to not take me in. If mom and dad found out, I would be grounded for the rest of my life, and not to mention, mom would put me in daily counseling." Emmett nodded to agree with his brother's last statement, "Charlie turned off his phone and just drove me around the town, warning me and giving me a lecture. The only reason he agreed to not tell mom and dad was if I volunteered at a rehab facility in order to see the effects that drugs has caused on someone's life. We didn't have one in Forks, so he agreed to let me borrow his car since he drives his police cruiser all the time."

"I don't understand," Emmett took a seat next to his brother, "When mom and dad picked me up from football practice so we could head to the hospital, you were with them."

"As we were driving around, we heard through dispatch about how Rose was attacked. Charlie needed to head back to work, so he dropped me off at home before going in. Mom and dad came home a few minutes later and asked did I want to come with them to pick you up, I agreed."

Emmett rose from the bed, and took a stand in front of his brother, "When they picked me up, we didn't find out until Lillian called and told us…and then we went to the hospital."

"I know."

"So, you knew the whole time, but said nothing!"

Edward nodded in agreement, "If I had said something, mom and dad would have questioned me on how I knew. We found out anyway. No harm, no foul. If I would have told them how I knew, they would have found out it was the drugs. I just did it once. I didn't think it would blow to this proportion."

Emmett pulled his brother to his feet, "Get out of my room." The oldest Cullen lifted Emmett's finished plate, and began to head to the closed, but unlocked door. Before he could open it, Esme and Carlisle walked through the door, "We need to go." Esme's voice was broken, "We have to get to the hospital."

"What happened?" Emmett pushed past Edward in order to get to his mother.

She gave Carlisle a look, and nodded for him to answer their son's question, "I just got a call from Jeremy. Lillian thought about it, and she's signed the papers. The plug is being pulled when everyone gets to the hospital."

At his father's words, Emmett's shoulders slumped forward as his mom cradled his large form in her arms. He cried into her shoulder while her comforting hands ran circles against his back.

Royce Sr. stood at the foot of the hospital bed. His eyes glazed over and his white hands wrapped around the bar of the hospital bed. In his peripheral he could see his wife leaning over her daughter's body, weeping into the thin fabric of Rose's hospital gown. He looked over at Dr. Brandon, holding up the signed document, "I'm going to file this, and then I'll come back and we'll start the process." Once he exited the room, Royce Sr. approached his wife, "You know it isn't too late to change your mind."

His words were ignored as the volume of Lillian's cries increased. Esme and Joan stepped around the mayor in order to comfort their friend. Esme's hand rubbed soothing circles into Lillian's back, as Joan attempted to whisper comforting words into Mrs. Hale's ear, "Rose is going to be angel who looks over all of us for the rest of our lives."

Lillian pulled away, and her head remained pressed against her daughter's chest, "I don't want her to be an angel," she tightened her hold around Rosalie, "I want her to be here!"

Fighting the urge to say something, Aro remained silent. He stood at the other side of his daughter with her hand lightly placed within his. If only he had paid attention, his signature would have been needed. In the divorce papers, there was an addition that he wasn't aware of. When he signed the divorce papers, he unknowingly signed over his parental rights. Years later when he found out and tried to fight it, he wasn't successful. He just hoped that there would never be a time in which it would be used against him. And now, as he stands next to his barely alive daughter, he couldn't help but blame himself. If only he had read every word, he wouldn't have signed, and he would have had a say in the matter of his daughter's health. Aro watched as Royce Sr. reacted to the news more than him.

As he looked around the room and took in everyone's emotions, Royce Sr. felt his heart speed up. He avoided the hospital because he couldn't bear to see Rose in the state she was in, and not to mention, his career as a mayor left him busy. When he talked things over with Lillian about signing the withdrawal form, he felt it was for the best. Rose would have peace, and her family and friends would eventually find it, but now, knowing that today is the day, and that in the next hour, his step-daughter would be deceased, left him feeling strangled. He felt torn. Royce Sr. backed away from his wife, Esme and Joan, "I can't watch this!" He looked around the room, and earned the attention of everyone present, "Lillian, maybe you should think about this more. There's no rush. She's been in a coma for two months and she isn't going anywhere!" The door opens, and his son, Royce Jr. enters with James and Victoria following closely behind.

"I can't watch this," the older King murmured while turning on his heel.

"Wait," Lillian surprisingly pulled away from her daughter. She pushed past her friends, raced up to her husband and took a hold of his hand, "Please, you can't leave me! I need you! I need you to stay with me! I can't go through this without you! I can't do this alone! Please baby-"

"You'll be fine," he withdrew his hand from her hold, "I can't watch this. I have to prepare what I'm going to say during the press conference. Everyone will want updates tonight."

"You're going to leave me alone!"

"I'm sorry," he shrugged his shoulders, "your son is here," his eyes glanced over to Royce Jr., "and your stepson is here too. I'm sure he can offer you some comfort. I'm sorry Lillian." The mayor turned on his heel and exited the room, leaving Lillian standing in the middle of the hospital room. Her head hung low as she heard Aro's voice, "Some husband you have, he can't watch her die and it's not even his kid."

Lillian tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ear, "At least he apologizes for leaving." The blonde mother made her way back to her daughter's bedside.

When the door re-opened and Dr. Brandon entered, Alice chose to approach her dad. They all cared for Rosalie and it wasn't fair that Lillian was the only one who could decide Rose's fate without considering everyone else who cared for the seventeen year old. The youngest Brandon took a rough hold of her dad's arm, "Daddy, isn't there something else we can do. There has to be another option." At the end of her plea, the door opened once more.

Each individual turned to look because everyone was already accounted for. Lillian had hope that it was her husband returning, but as she watched Renee, Bella, Brady and Charlie enter the room, that hope quickly departed. The small hospital room was filled with people who cared for Rosalie, and knowing that, Lillian felt her heart swell up with appreciation and gratitude. Aro didn't care about the amount of people in the room. He knew all of them honestly probably didn't care. They were here to save face. If Lillian and Rosalie's supposed friends didn't show, word would spread around town, and Aro knew that was something many people prided themselves on. While Lillian made her way around to greet everyone, Aro remained at his daughter's side.

"Thank you everyone for coming out, on this," Lillian glanced out at the storm brewing outside, "dreary day. It really means a lot to me, and I know if Rose were here, it would mean a lot to her." Besides Jeremy, Lillian, James, Victoria, Aro, Esme, Joan, Royce Jr., Alice and Jasper, those present in the hospital room also included, Emmett, Edward, Marcus, Caius, Carlisle, Bella, Renee, Charlie, Brady, Sue, Jacob, Billy, and a few classmates from the high school. It was definitely a full house, and the Kings greatly appreciated it.

Jasper's father, Brady, stepped towards his longtime friend, "Lil, where's Royce Sr.?"

"He got emotional," Joan answered for her friend, "and he had to leave."

Brady approached his son, and rested his hands against Jasper's shoulders. He noticed the red and puffiness in his son's eyes, and knew that he had been crying. Everyone in this full room would comfort each other, and he knew his son would be comforted by his girlfriend. The older Whitlock held his son tight in his arms, "Son, I'm going to go after my friend. Will you be okay?"

"I understand," Jasper nodded, watching as his father jogged out of the hospital room. Jasper truly did understand. He wished he had gone after his friend the day she was attacked.

At her bedside, Aro leaned forward, and pressed a lingering kiss against his daughter's head, "I failed you," he started to whisper in her ear, "and for that I will never forgive myself." He allowed the chattering of the people around him to drown out his words. As long as Rosalie could hear, he was content. His words were meant for her ears, and her ears only. Aro ran his fingers against the top of his daughter's blonde hair, as he gathered up enough strength to continue, "Your death and the fact that your attacker is still out there will haunt me for the rest of your…I mean my life. You've always helped me maintain and handle my anger, and even though I know you are gone, you would want me to keep my cool, not blame anyone and focus on the happy times we've shared, but…but I can't. I just can't!" The break in his voice silenced everyone in the room. Rosalie's friends wanted to comfort their friend's dad, but they weren't used to seeing him like this. They didn't know how he would react. His face was red from crying, not from anger. This was a side of Aro that only his daughter got to see, and now he was unintentionally showing them.

His shoulders shook, as tears continued to trail down his face, "I know you would want me to stay calm, but no!" His voice was louder, and he knew that everyone was listening, but he didn't care. "You wouldn't want me to blame anyone even though there are people who deserve it," he temporarily pulled his eyes away from his daughter, and flashed his glare into the direction of Lillian, Dr. Brandon and Rose's friends, "and I know you would want me to focus on the good times we shared, but how can I when we won't share anymore!" He heard the machine as it continued to guide his daughter in her breathing, "I can't let go." His voice was low and before he repeated, it raised to a higher octave, "I can't let go!" He looked over to the crowded room.

"Come on Aro," Carlisle placed his hand against the older Hale's shoulder, "I know it's hard-"

"No you don't know!"

Esme stepped forward, "This is going to happen sweetie, and you have to come to terms with it." The counselor sets her hand upon Aro's and tries to gently pull it away.

"Aro we need to start," Dr. Brandon sets his hand upon Aro's opposite shoulder, while Carlisle's hand remained against the other.

"How about-" Charlie's words were interrupted when Aro spoke.

"Get off of me," his voice growled, forcing everyone to let go, "the next person who touches me will end up like my father."

"You wouldn't hurt anyone," Lillian spoke up softly.

Aro didn't pull his eyes away from his daughter, "Why wouldn't I?" His hold tightened around Rose's hand, "She was the only reason why I did everything I could to stay out of prison. Now that she's gone," his shoulders shrug, "there's nothing holding me back."

Dr. Brandon managed to squeeze pass Aro and approach the machine. Dr. Cullen approached the other side of Rosalie, and readied himself to remove the tubes from her mouth. He would leave the one in her neck since that needed precision and special care to remove. Everyone stood shoulder to shoulder as they surrounded the bed. During the side conversation, Sue had offered to pray for Rosalie during the process, and Lillian happily agreed. You could never have too many prayers. Hands were held, and heads were lowered. Aro had refused to close his eyes, lower his head and take anyone's hand besides his daughter. For two months, everyone prayed for her, including Aro, but she remained in a coma, and she hadn't gotten any better. Aro gave up on prayers. He didn't believe in them anymore. They've never worked for him…not when he was a child getting beat by his father, and not while he is an adult praying over his daughter's comatose body.

"We love you, we trust you, and we believe that you, our Lord do not make mistakes," Aro began to drown out Sue's prayer as he watched Carlisle slowly remove the breathing tube. He could hear Dr. Brandon behind him handling the ventilator. He knew within seconds he would hear the ventilation machine turn off, and when a loud beep surrounded the room, he knew the machine was powered down. One of the breathing tubes now rested in Carlisle's hands. The one connected to her neck no longer sent oxygen into her body because the ventilator it was attached to was turned off. Emmett was the first to open his eyes, and he immediately pulled away. He could hear the heart machine speeding up. Everyone else's eyes followed, and turned away from the dying girl as she took a strangled, last breath. Aro dropped to his knees, never once letting go of his daughter's hand as the heart machine laid out a long and constant noise signaling the flat-line running across the heart monitor.

Carlisle looked at Rosalie's attending physician, "You should call time of death."

-Tiffany.