Greye's Notes: Hello everyone! Another chapter for you. I hope you enjoy it! A huge thank you to everyone who has taken time to leave me a few words, I appreciate you all!
One thing, I am taking a few liberties with James and his coven. You will note that some backstory has been altered, and...well, I don't want to spoil anything. Just keep this in mind as you read! This is pretty much an AU after all! Hold on for the ride.
Thank you as always to my sister, Moon's Lullaby, for proofing this for me and generally helping me to keep on the straight and narrow.
Trigger warning: Mentions of rape, abuse.
Last Time: A little of Rosalie's perspective is seen, along with her inner turmoil over the budding relationship with Bella. One name is dropped as a possible origin of that turmoil: Royce. Rosalie finds herself overwhelmed by what she feels for Bella, and her own desire to remain isolated. As a result, she leaves the Cullens and the Swan pack for an indeterminate time. Bella opts not to go after her, at least initially, because she is in the middle of discussing with the Cullens and her pack what will be done about the nomads. A plan is put into motion: Cullens search the greater forests to make contact, Swan pack patrols the town of Forks. First though, Bella must travel to La Push to inform the wolves there of what is happening. Instead of meeting Sam, she meets Jake! A happy reunion followed by the sobering news of the nomads, and Jake's own statement that something is happening in La Push... Upon return to Bella's house, the Swan pack discover Seth Clearwater in the backyard, caught between changes and in excruciating pain. Paul surmises that Seth tried to leave the La Push pack, and Sam was trying to bring him back. After moments of failure and panic, Bella manages to sever the pack bond between Seth and Sam, saving Seth's life.
Emmett paused in the seemingly endless expanse of forest, head tilted as he listened for his family. They were spread a few miles apart each, canvassing the forestland around the town of Forks in their hunt for the nomads. They were carefully searching squares of land that Carlisle had charted out on their maps, each family member with a designated path to follow and clear. As he heard Alice to the west calling "clear", he knew it was his turn and called out as well. So far, they had found nothing.
This was frustrating on a few levels for Emmett. He had always been a man of action, for one. All this searching, all this talking, was grating on his nerves. He wanted to just fight something and be done with it. In his long lifetime, he had rarely seen a need to do more than that. When most things in the vampire world came inevitably down to a fight anyway, why waste time talking about it?
Receiving the signal from Carlisle, he sped off to his next location, mind racing as quickly as his supernaturally enhanced body. This particular case, too, seemed more urgent to him. Maybe because he had a friend outside of the family involved...a decidedly not immortal friend. At least, he didn't think she was. Bella was entirely too breakable for comfort, and as Emmett hadn't had a friend outside the family in decades...he wanted to keep her. Even bigger than Bella though, these nomads were potentially proving to be a menace to the local human population. He gnashed his teeth, his normally cheery gold eyes turning black. That just couldn't be allowed to stand. Forks was one of his favorite places to live for many reasons, but the greatest of these was the feeling of normalcy. It was a small town, and the Cullens always caused a bit of a stir because they stood out, but... Even for all that, the people here generally accepted their presence and it was just peaceful.
Laid back, outgoing, and friendly Emmett might be...but he was also extremely protective. If these nomads had stuck around, there was going to be a nasty fight. No one threatened his home.
Carlisle's voice reached him, "Everyone, gather in the clearing by the 'Dillo." Despite his anger, Emmett grinned briefly. The "Dillo" was a mound of tumbled rocks in the middle of a small clearing about seven miles east of Forks. Technically, Emmett had named it the "Armadillo" about thirty-five years ago when they'd first stumbled across it, thinking it rather looked like the cute creature. The name had weirdly stuck, though it had been shortened, and even Rosalie called this location the 'Dillo.
Emmett changed directions, frowning as he thought of Rosalie. She liked to think she was an enigma, but he knew that she also had a kind heart. If she didn't, she would have left him to bleed out after being mauled by a bear in 1935. Instead, she had taken him to Carlisle to be changed. That was not the act of an indifferent soul, and for a time he knew the family had watched them, thinking they would be mates. They had been nothing more than friends though, which Emmett was okay with. He knew what Rosalie had been through, and he just wanted her to be happy. This whole thing with Bella had her in knots, and he wished she would let someone help her.
He missed his sister who spent all day and all night working on cars and swearing at anyone who interrupted, his sister who dedicated herself to the study of a new language every year so that she could enjoy all of the places they visited, his sister who often performed acts of kindness so small most people wouldn't notice, like choosing to wash all of the cars instead of just her own, or occasionally remarking that she had no clothes she liked just so Alice could take her shopping...but Emmett noticed. They all did. If she came back to join them in the search, he resolved, he would try to talk to her again.
Emmett was the last to make it into the clearing, and he smiled sheepishly at his siblings and Carlisle. He was probably the slowest of them, though not by much. His thoughts had slowed him down more than he'd realized. "Sorry," he said. Carlisle nodded, and then turned to address the group.
The coven leader addressed the group. "We have now covered the immediate areas north, south, east, and west, except the La Push territory, and found no sign of the nomads." He glanced significantly at Alice, and she shook her head regretfully.
"I haven't seen anything of them," the smallest vampire stated, eyes downcast.
Jasper clasped her hand in support. "It is not your fault darling," his voice was comforting. "You have done what you can." Emmett was quick to vocalize his agreement, and Alice looked at them gratefully, though he could tell she was still disappointed in herself.
"Do not be discouraged Alice," Carlisle said kindly, "I suspect very much, unless our nomads have left the area, that our friends also have abilities, to be able to hide themselves from us so effectively." Emmett looked at him sharply, and felt his response echoed by the others, Edward the most strongly.
"What?" He barked, "What kind of abilities?" Emmett winced, annoyed at Edward's tone. His brother had been grumpy ever since Carlisle had given him an ultimatum about helping.
Carlisle merely raised one perfect, golden eyebrow in Edward's direction, but from Edward's immediately downcast eyes, Emmett was sure Carlisle had privately rebuked him. He rejoiced inwardly but stopped when Edward shot him a glare. Sorry bro, he thought, but try taking a chill pill. Edward just continued to glare, so Emmett just shrugged and focused back on Carlisle.
The coven leader continued as if nothing had happened. "I doubt these nomads are gone. If they had left, we would surely have run into some trace of them by now. If they were leaving, why hide? Why go to the trouble of covering their tracks if they didn't have a reason to cover them?" Carlisle shook his head. "No, they're still here somewhere. I would be willing to guess that one of them has an ability to hide, or conceal. Hard to say for sure, of course."
Emmett rubbed his chin thoughtfully, letting Carlisle's words sink in. "If they are deliberately hiding from us," said the big vampire, "and keeping out of range, then we might surmise these vampires are aware that some of our members have abilities. They may even know what they are."
Silence reigned, and Emmett chanced a look around. Jasper and Alice just looked concerned, but Edward's face was dark with barely contained rage. Suddenly Emmett felt his worries lighten, and he glanced at Jasper. His brother's eyes were focused on Edward. Looking then at his impetuous sibling, he was relieved to see that Jasper's efforts were being rewarded as the vampire began to relax.
Carlisle's soft voice commanded their attention again. "I believe the same, Emmett." He looked at them each gravely in turn. "If they do know the nature of our abilities, and which of us possess them, we could have a harder time than we thought catching them." He sighed. "Let's regroup at home, see if Esme has returned from our northern friends yet." Carlisle's wife had gone to the Denali coven to request backup, just in case. Normally Rosalie would have gone, but none of them had seen her in several hours.
Emmett nodded and caught Carlisle's final admonition as he ran, "And all of you, hunt!"
Yes. Their eyes had all been dangerously black, and even Carlisle, who was so often in control, had eyes darker than usual.
When Emmett returned to the house, he found that he was only the second back, after Carlisle. He walked into the kitchen, following the telltale signs of Esme bustling around. Who she was cooking for just now, he wasn't sure, but he knew that the action soothed her. He hopped onto one of the bar stools at the counter. "Hey Mom," he said, eyes alight, "What's for dinner?" Esme rolled her eyes and smacked him with her dish towel.
"Oh ha, ha. Watch it mister." She brandished the towel at him again and Emmett held his hands up in defense. He was pleased to see a small smile curling the corner of her mouth. There was a comfortable silence for a moment.
"So...what did the Denalis have to say?" Emmett rested an elbow on the counter, his chin in his palm. Esme was agitated, he could tell.
Carlisle appeared. "I was going to wait until the rest have joined us, but it seems they may be a while yet." Emmett fixed his eyes on Carlisle expectantly, but Esme spoke.
"Tanya told me that these nomads sounded familiar. She thought she had heard about a group like them before, but she couldn't remember the details. She and Irina went to see if they could find the vampires they heard the story from before. Kate is on her way over to Bella's to find Paul." Esme set down the spotless pan she had been washing and sighed. "I had hoped they would come right away, but Tanya seemed to think gathering intel was more important. Kate will stand with us, at least."
Emmett nodded, taking that in. "Kate is one more than we had." He smirked. "And frankly she's worth two. She's a hell of a fighter, and that electro-power thing she has can knock even me on my ass."
Smack.
"Ow! Esme, what the heck was that for?" Emmett stared at her, a wounded look on his face.
Esme shook a finger at him, and chided, "Language young man." Carlisle hid a laugh with a poor attempt at a cough. As if vampires even coughed. Emmett released a long suffering sigh and pushed himself to his feet.
"Well then, I think I'll just go make myself useful and see if I can track down Rose. She should know this stuff," he frowned, "And she needs to get herself back on board." Carlisle nodded his approval, and Emmett took that as permission to go.
Rosalie was far north in the forests of Washington, nearly in Canada, when she sensed she was being pursued. Her emotions were tumultuous, and no amount of running had come even close to helping to organize her thoughts. It was so hard, so incredibly, indescribably hard to think, to concede that she might need someone. Rosalie Hale had spent decades upon decades ensuring that she would never truly need anyone again. The Cullen family had been all she allowed herself, and she had even been distant with them much of the time, often going off to hunt alone or seek out the Denali coven for a time.
The vampire slowed her pace and decided to wait for whomever followed her. A snarl lifted her lips, revealing one long, glistening fang. She hoped it was a nomad. Maybe tearing something apart would help her to feel less adrift. As she waited, her thoughts returned to Bella. Inevitably, no matter what she was doing anymore, her thoughts revolved around the faoladh.
After Royce, after her assault, Rosalie had never felt comfortable even considering a relationship beyond distant and platonic. The feeling that had arisen in the past was difficult to pin down, but it was negative. She had certainly felt dirty for a long time, used. She didn't think that was the feeling anymore...more like, broken. Defective. And maybe...scared. Acknowledging fear was something Rosalie rarely did, but she could not deny it this time. It didn't matter that, rationally, she knew Bella would never hurt her. She knew what an imprint was for a wolf - she knew that it would likely be physically impossible for Bella to ever cause her harm. She knew that. Rosalie also knew that everything with Royce had happened long ago; it was far in the past now. None of that mattered. Despite knowing it was irrational, Rosalie admitted to herself that she was terrified of this newfound connection Bella, of this deep desire and need. This fear, this feeling of what if.
What if, despite everything, Bella did hurt her? What if she let the faoladh in, only to have herself shattered again? What if...what if she, Rosalie, wasn't good enough for Bella? What would the faoladh think of her, if she knew the truth? That fear felt the worst of all.
Awareness of light feet approaching rapidly filtered through her senses, and Rosalie realized with a start that at some point she had crouched on the ground and wrapped her arms around herself. Letting her arms drop, she rose from her crouch and turned toward the approaching person, muscles tensed and ready. A familiar scent reached her and she relaxed. It was just Emmett.
Soon enough, his familiar, bearish form appeared through the trees. He slowed when he saw her, and she felt a flicker of wry amusement when he seemed to approach her with caution. Then again, she had gone half out of her mind more than once in the recent past, so perhaps his careful approach wasn't unwarranted.
"Hey Rose." He spoke finally, when she failed to do so. Rosalie watched him. When she didn't respond, Emmett shifted his weight uncomfortably and scratched the hair at the nape of his neck. "Um, sorry to chase you down like this. But there are some things you should know." When Rosalie nodded for him to continue, he quickly filled her in on the things they had surmised about the nomads (powers), and the knowledge that at least one Denali would stand with them and the others would provide support via information.
Rosalie let the information sink in, her eyes drifting over the pine trees around them. "Thank you for coming to tell me." She said after a few silent minutes had passed. Her tone had been a dismissal, but Emmett took another step toward her instead.
"Rose..." he said hesitantly, "I can't know what you're going through, and I can't imagine what you're feeling right now...but if you can, I think you should try to give Bella a chance."
Rosalie stared resolutely into the trees. The only indication that she was listening was that her hands had come up to grip her own arms tightly.
"Right now," he continued, "Things are crazy and dangerous, I get that. But...that need you feel inside? Bella feels that too, for you. She is as helpless in this as you are, though maybe a little more receptive to it." Emmett was close enough now to rest a hand on Rosalie's shoulder.
"Letting go is hard, and I know it is especially for you. I'm not saying you have to, or that you need to let go all at once. I'm just saying for your sake and Bella's, to try a little." Rosalie turned to look up at Emmett, and observed the smile on his face.
Her voice came softly, even to her own ears. "Emmett...what if I'm scared?"
The big man paused thoughtfully, and she was sure he was surprised she had admitted that much. But Emmett was her dearest friend, and the only one she could confide that feeling in.
Emmett rested a second hand on Rosalie's other shoulder. "It's okay to be scared." His eyes glinted kindly in the fading light. "Remember that Bella is scared too. And at the end of the day Rose, you do have a choice." He took a breath, eyes serious. "You can choose to reject this bond with Bella. Doing so will have consequences, maybe bad ones, but you do have that choice. And I know Bella would never fault you for making it." Emmett's hands dropped from her shoulders and he took a step back.
"All I'm saying is, I think you should give it a try. Go and talk to Bella some more, see what she's feeling, what she's thinking. She needs you."
Even as the words left Emmett's lips, Rosalie felt an unfamiliar twinge in her chest, a kind of pain. When it came a second time, she knew it wasn't just her.
"I think you're right Emmett. I'm going to go now." She turned to race from the trees, but paused for a moment to look at her friend once more. A small smile graced her lips, though it didn't fully reach her eyes. "Thank you."
When Paul returned to check in the next morning, he found his exhausted Alpha passed out on the couch in the living room. He was relieved to see that she had at least cleaned the blood off of herself and changed clothes. Affection filled him as he watched her rest, and he acknowledged that feeling that way felt strange. Strange, but good. Paul moved silently across the room and lightly draped the blanket from the back of the couch over Bella's slumbering form.
Never could he have imagined caring about his Alpha in this way. He felt proud of what she had done for Seth, and Leah. He was proud that she had managed to become such a good leader in so short a time. When he had desperately begged her to take him, it had been to fill the hole left by leaving the La Push pack. But Bella had done more than fill that hole. She had taken away his anger, she had valued him, trusted him, and given him purpose. Paul would do anything to protect this new pack.
He walked into the kitchen to find a quick snack, his rumbling belly reminding him of part of the reason he had stopped in. Paul's eyes immediately caught the still, silent figure in the room and he jumped nearly a foot, just stifling a yelp when he realized that he recognized her. How had he not smelled her? His eyes snagged on a familiar looking Led Zeppelin t-shirt, and he realized that her scent was muted by Bella's. She was wearing Bella's shirt. "What are you doing here?" He finally managed to ask, catching his breath. The last he had seen Rosalie, she was running for the hills. A flash of protectiveness streaked through him; he didn't like that she was hurting his Alpha.
Rosalie, for her part, viewed Paul with an air of disdain. She leaned her weight on one foot and folded her arms. "My mate needed me." She said simply, and Paul frowned.
"What about when she needed you at the meeting? What about when she needed you when she was trying to help Seth?" He bit those questions back sharply at her, thinking again of the forlorn looks he saw often on Bella's face, and the hurt he felt from her inside. It didn't occur to him that she probably didn't even know about Seth yet.
A troubled look crossed Rosalie's face so rapidly he almost missed it. The disdain returning, she shrugged. "It's complicated."
Paul felt the stirrings of his old anger, but this time that anger had a purpose. He took a step toward Rosalie and lowered his voice, unable to keep a slight growl out of it. "Then uncomplicate it! Don't you see what your indecision is doing to her? It is tearing her apart! If you really can't accept this imprint, if you can't accept her as your mate, then you need to make that clear and stop this..." he gestured wildly with his hands, "this playing with her, or whatever you're doing." Rage glittered dangerously in Rosalie's eyes, but Paul plowed on, his voice rising to an impassioned plea. "Bella is a good Alpha, a good person, and she deserves better." He'd have said more, but a quiet voice silenced him.
"Enough."
Bella's tired voice, soft as it was, was enough to quell Paul's growing anger and Rosalie's indignation. "Paul," she said, and her voice was gentle, "Go upstairs and check on Seth and Leah. If Seth is doing alright, ask Leah to join you for your next patrol. Make sure you rest some, and you both eat." Though she didn't voice it, Bella let her gratitude for Paul's words on her behalf filter through their link. Paul nodded and headed up the stairs without another word. The she-wolf's eyes lingered on Rosalie's shirt for a moment, a faint smile curling her lips.
"Another one of my favorites, I see." Bella's voice was warm and gentle, but Rosalie fidgeted uncomfortably anyway. Bella could feel her discomfort, and disliked that she was the cause of it. "Why don't we go for a walk?"
Rosalie's slim, golden brows drew down. "You need to rest, you are still clearly exhausted from helping that boy. If the nomads come - "
Bella shrugged and cut her off, "If the nomads come, you will protect me." She didn't say it as a challenge or an order, it was just a simple fact that Bella knew to be true on a deep level. Despite their struggles to connect, she knew that they would fight to the death for each other. "We won't go far. I will call my pack if need be." The frown remained on Rosalie's face, the uncertainty in her golden eyes clear, but finally she nodded.
Red eyes watched the home of one Bella Swan with a mixture of curiosity, almost lustful excitement, and malicious intent. Keen ears picked up the sound of movement within, and his quarry leaving the back of the house with a vampire. How interesting. If his heart still beat, it would be racing in his chest. As it was, his breaths were coming quicker, black pupils expanding and contracting. The time was near. So very near.
"James." The soft voice of his mate interrupted his focus, and he shot her an annoyed glance briefly. "James, are you sure we should do this? The coven here far outnumbers us...and it appears they have a sort of alliance with these..." her voice became tinged with disgust, "...wolf things. A fight with all of them would not be wise."
His eyes quickly found Bella and her vampire companion again, but he responded intensely. "Faoladh, not "wolf things". She is, anyway. The others are mutts, not worth my time." He thought that over again. "Well, maybe later. But she is the prize. I have not seen one in decades; it will be a worthy hunt." And wolves, apex predators themselves, made excellent prey. As did vampires. His eyes narrowed gleefully. Coming to Forks had been far more of a treat than he could have anticipated. He hadn't had a hunt like this in too long; he planned to enjoy it. So many wonderful targets, too. Not only had he found an elusive faoladh, but the vampire Mary Alice Brandon as well. He had not seen her since he had killed her creator. It was amusing to watch her valuable gift be foiled repeatedly when faced with the combination of Victoria's and his own. A cruel smile stretched across his face. Oh yes, her time would come also.
His attention returned to the house and its occupants, particularly the two who'd just left. "I will be going after them. You and Laurent can do as you will with the rest."
Without waiting for a response, James took off into the trees after Bella and Rosalie. He kept a careful distance, knowing instinctively how far out of range he needed to be to avoid notice. Or would he? Excitement raced through him again - the thrill of the hunt. Would the hunter become the hunted? He knew they hunted for him, but they were novices whilst he was a master. A feral grin stretched across his pale, dead face.
The pair walked in silence for a long while. The faoladh was content to enjoy the quiet peace of nature with her mate and let Rosalie come around in her own time. Glancing down at her clean hands, one question nagged at her. "Did you clean me up and put me on the couch?" When she had awoken to Paul's raised voice, she had realized that there was no longer blood on her hands. Looking down at herself, she noted she had on a different shirt too. "Did you change my shirt?" She cast her eyes on Rosalie then and could swear she saw an almost blush.
"When I arrived at your house, you were asleep at your kitchen table." Rosalie's voice, though muted, was lovely to listen to. "At first, seeing the blood on you, I panicked." She shot an accusing look at Bella. "You do have a nasty habit of getting into scrapes." The she-wolf just shrugged. "But listening in on Leah," Rosalie continued, "I gathered what had happened. So, I cleaned you up the best I could and found you another shirt." She paused and tugged the shirt she wore lightly, the barest hint of a smile curling her lips. "And one for me too. Then I put you on the couch to rest." She shrugged. "Your Beta put the blanket on you."
Bella gave that a moment of thought. Was Paul her Beta? She consulted the wolf. Both Paul and Leah were strong individuals, and could be leaders given the opportunity. Should she have ranks in her pack like that? When it had just been her and Paul, that hadn't been an issue. Definitely something she would have to devote some thought to in the near future, she knew. Thinking of Paul as her Beta, as her right hand, however, did feel right.
The caring actions of her mate filtered through her thoughts then, and she smiled. It warmed her to know that Rosalie had done those things for her, had wanted to. "Thank you, Rosalie." She responded, her voice equally quiet.
Though it was only just nearing midday, it was overcast in true Forks fashion, Bella noted regretfully. It was a shame the sun wasn't out so that she could see what Rosalie looked like with the sun dancing on her skin and in her hair. That would have to wait for another time, she supposed. She received a flicker of feeling from Paul, an alert that he and Leah would go on patrol together after a little rest and food. She felt reluctance from Leah, and determination from Paul. Hopefully that meant that Seth was doing alright. She would have to see if he wanted to join her pack when she returned. It was likely that he did, considering the lengths he had gone to get here, and she still needed to ask him about that too.
"I can feel you thinking over there." Rosalie's voice had her attention immediately. She smiled at the vampire, and was pleased to receive one in return. Smiles from Rosalie were rare enough.
"Yeah, there is a lot to think about these days." Bella realized they had come to a stop, and consciously resumed their slow pace. "My new pack, these nomads...you." She chanced a look at Rosalie, and saw that her golden eyes were currently hidden by a curtain of shimmering hair. "I don't understand you Rosalie," pain was raw in her voice, "but I want to. Won't you let me in?"
It wasn't just frustrating, it was downright agonizing. Bella wanted to know everything about Rosalie: her history, her wants, her needs, her interests. She wanted to know what made her happy, and what made her sad. Did she like to be comforted, or left alone? What places had she visited in her long life, what people had she met? What was her greatest dream? Bella wanted to know it all. And at the moment, most of all, she wanted to understand why Rosalie struggled so much letting that happen.
Rosalie was silent for a long time. And then, "Will you tell me about your scar?"
Slightly thrown, Bella frowned. Then she remembered the fight with Sam, subsequent change of clothes, changing her shirt in front of Rosalie yesterday, and then Rosalie changing her shirt as she slept today. Obviously she had seen the large, ropy scar. Bella wondered why she hadn't asked about it sooner...or why Bella herself hadn't shared the story, especially when she herself was so keen to hear Rosalie's.
"Well, " Bella started, and then stopped. She hadn't actually told anyone the true story. Not really. Some people knew, like Charlie, and she assumed Carlisle. But to the kids at school, she had told the carefully concocted lie that she and Charlie had fabricated. It felt strangely liberating and emotional to share this story at last.
"You know what I am," she started again, "Faoladh. Well, when I was very young, my parents and I lived with a wolf pack outside of Forks. Looking back now, I don't really know why we lived with wolves rather than humans. After having talked to Carlisle, I think now they - we - were being hunted." Running a hand through her hair, she continued.
"Anyway, when I was about five, poachers tracked some of the wolves from my pack back to our den. I don't remember a whole lot of what happened, just the frantic voices of my parents, telling me to hide...throwing themselves at the poachers trying to buy me time..." She shook her head, as if shaking off the fear and desperation of that night.
"I was so young though, and I didn't understand what was going on. I stumbled into the middle of their fight and wound up catching a blade, I think, from one of the poachers." She lifted her shirt, tracing the scar that curved from her breast around her back. "They cut me nearly in half. I think the only reason they left me behind instead of skinning me was because they thought my pelt would be worthless so damaged." She shrugged. Before she could lower her shirt, Rosalie's fingers replaced hers, skimming along the marred skin. She shivered beneath her cool touch.
"That's how Charlie found me. He saved me." She fell silent, walking, until she felt Rosalie's eyes on her. When she turned to look at the vampire, her eyes were filled with such compassion that Bella felt a lump rise in her throat. It was only with great difficulty that she swallowed it down.
"Thank you for telling me." Rosalie said quietly after a moment, and Bella nodded, still collecting herself. She felt surprisingly drained, but Bella supposed that came with sharing such a personal story. She was glad when Rosalie chose not to question her further, perhaps the vampire could sense that this was as much as she could talk about right now.
Rosalie watched her for a few quiet moments and then, "The reason I asked about your scar," she reached out a hand and rested it lightly on Bella's shirt, atop the scar she had revealed, "is because I have a scar too, though you can't see it." Privately, Bella thought that actually she could see it. Rosalie withdrew her hand and took a measured breath, "I'll tell you about it." Bella inwardly thrilled. The warmth that spread in her chest at being let in, even a little, quickly banished the lingering sorrow of her own tale.
It seemed they walked miles before she spoke again, though really they were just making a large arc that would eventually culminate at the house. Her voice came so softly that Bella had to strain to hear her. Eyes focused straight ahead, Rosalie began. "To understand me, to know why I am...this way...you need to know my history. My human history." Silence again, and then, "I was born and raised in Rochester, New York in 1915. My family was very wealthy, and we managed to stay wealthy even during the Great Depression."
Bella listened intently, elated that Rosalie was sharing this with her. Her eyes were alight with curiosity as she listened. "When I was human," said Rosalie, "I was very vain." The vampire took a breath. "I was extremely self-centered, and my parents encouraged it - they often capitalized on my beauty. One day when I was dropping off lunch to my father at work, the son of a very wealthy man took an interest in me. This delighted my parents, and I was excited too. Being married to a wealthy man who could support my vanity was my aspiration in life at that time, and Royce King...well, he very much fit the bill." Her voice turned wry, and Bella was shocked to hear a note of self-loathing in it, "It didn't hurt that he was easy on the eyes too." She really didn't like the mocking tone Rosalie used, and the way it was directed at herself.
They walked for a while longer, and Bella could tell that Rosalie was working herself up to tell her something. The struggle was clear from the turmoil in her eyes and the tenseness of every muscle in her body. When Rosalie still didn't speak, Bella reached for her hand and pulled her gently to a stop. She worked on the fist in her hand until the fingers loosened. The faoladh laced their fingers together and held Rosalie's hand tightly before meeting her eyes.
"Rosalie," she said with gentle sincerity, "Whatever it is you're struggling to tell me, you don't have to. I want to hear it, I want to know everything about you, but if it's still too hard, you can tell me another day." She squeezed her hand. "And if you're struggling because you don't know how I will take it, well..." Bella shrugged and tilted her head, "Even if it's bad, even if it's horrible, it's a part of your past and I want to know. I can't promise how I will react because, well, I don't know what it is yet," Rosalie started to pull away, but Bella tightened her grip on her hand and reached out to catch her other one, holding it despite the rigid muscles.
"But," she whispered earnestly, "I can promise that my feelings for you won't change. That my desire to know you, to stand beside you, will not waver. There is nothing that you could say that would threaten how I feel; I could never lie to you Rosalie, not about this." Part of that was the bond, but not all of it. Bella had grown very fond of Rosalie all on her own.
The vampire's eyes flashed dangerously, and she snapped back, "Even if I murdered humans? You could see past that?"
Bella didn't flinch from her tone. She studied Rosalie's face and eyes for a moment and then, "I don't believe you would do that. Not without cause. And if it was in your newborn phase..." Bella shrugged, not bothering to hide the slight discomfort she felt at the idea of Rosalie on a rampage. "I may not like it, but you are a vampire. And I know from Carlisle that very few vampires can control their urge to hunt right after being changed."
The vampire was quiet for several tense seconds, not able to meet Bella's eyes. The she-wolf thought she detected tears standing in Rosalie's eyes, threatening to fall, but that was impossible. Vampires couldn't cry.
Finally the vampire moved, gently pulling one hand from Bella, though she left the other linked. "Let's keep walking." She murmured, and Bella happily fell into step with her once again. Another mile passed before she spoke.
"Things went well with Royce, and I was over the moon because I believed I was getting what I always wanted: a wealthy husband and, eventually, a family. Having a child...despite my own vanity...was something I had always wanted. Soon, we were engaged." She paused, and took in a steadying breath before continuing. "I didn't love Royce though. I realized that our relationship lacked love when I observed my best friend Vera and her husband. They were so happy, and Royce and I...well, we were too wrapped up in worrying about physical appearance."
Bella couldn't deny that a part of her was jealous, hearing of Rosalie's previous fiance. It didn't really matter to her that this relationship had occurred many decades before her birth - the idea of someone else kissing Rosalie, holding her...it was hard to think about. Angry at herself, Bella shoved those feelings aside. Rosalie was sharing this with her because it was important, and that was what she needed to focus on. And it really wasn't fair of her to feel that way anyway; these events had happened long before she was born.
"It was a week before my wedding to Royce when I realized where we were emotionally as a couple. I was thinking about that while walking home from Vera's place late one night when I ran into Royce." Rosalie stopped abruptly, letting her long hair shield her face again for a moment before turning to face Bella resolutely. She grasped Bella's hand tightly for a moment, before releasing it and stepping back, arms folding in front of her chest. It looked like an aggressive stance, but Bella was getting to know Rosalie a little more now, and she recognized that for Rosalie, her body language screamed defensive. Bella dreaded whatever was coming next, and did her best to keep her eyes on Rosalie's and her own body language open.
"Royce was drunk," Rosalie continued, "and so were the friends he had with him. I tried to skirt them and go home, but Royce insisted on introducing me to his friends. He started bragging about my beauty, and I tried again to say goodbye and go home." Bella realized that Rosalie's breath was coming faster and faster as she spoke, until her chest was veritably heaving. This was the most distressed she had ever seen Rosalie, and every part of her wanted to reach out for the vampire, but she sensed that contact right now would not be welcomed. And Rosalie needed to say this, even if Bella had a sinking feeling she knew what was coming.
Rosalie's eyes flashed and she straightened, chin held high. "They didn't let me go home. They beat me, raped me, and left me to die."
Rage, terrible, impotent rage like Bella had never known flooded through her. Rage that she had not been there to defend her mate, rage at the men who had committed this crime, and a rising wave of pain and overwhelming empathy for Rosalie. Her mate who had suffered so horribly, and who continued to suffer now. Gods and spirits, this was beyond what she could have imagined.
Her mate wasn't finished though. Eyes black with remembered hate and continued self-loathing, "That's how Carlisle found me, broken in an alley. He gave me immortal life," her eyes narrowed, "And I took revenge. I killed every one of Royce's friends, one at a time, and then I killed Royce. I tortured him first." She shook her head in disgust, "I didn't drink from them. I couldn't." She took a shuddering breath, "The idea of having anything of them...inside of me...again...was unbearable. I've never had human blood. But I did kill them, and they did suffer."
Rosalie grimaced, "This is my history. It's who I am. Now you know." Her eyes found Bella's, still black and defiant. They faced each other silently for a few seconds until Bella managed to wrestle some control back from her run away emotions. Every nerve ending felt raw, and she couldn't imagine how Rosalie felt, having laid her soul bare.
Of all the reasons she could possibly have imagined for Rosalie's reticence, this wasn't one of them. She didn't even want to think about it now, but she did. It was Rosalie's reality, something she had to think about every day. And especially now that Bella had imprinted on her; the memory must be inescapable. She thought maybe she understood Rosalie just a little bit better now.
Finally, she found her voice. "Thank you Rosalie, for telling me." She stepped forward slowly, until mere inches separated them, maintaining eye contact as she did so. Rosalie stiffened, but didn't move away. Slowly, Bella raised her arms and slid them around the vampire, ignoring the fact that her mate's arms were still folded. Rosalie remained stiff as a board for a moment, and then let her forehead rest against Bella's shoulder.
"Nothing has changed for me," Bella whispered in her ear, choosing her words carefully. "Except that I am fiercely proud of you. Those men got what they deserved; I think no less of you for killing them. I am in awe of the self-control you had as a newborn vampire, and I am in awe of your strength in telling me of your past today."
They were not human, and there would be no forgiveness, no "forgive to forget". Bella had never really thought much of that human phrase anyway. Gradually, Rosalie unfolded her arms and slipped them around Bella in return, hands fisting in the faoladh's shirt. "I know it was unbelievably hard to tell me," Bella continued softly, "Thank you." She held the vampire tight, knowing that her supernatural body could well withstand it, and felt Rosalie grip her tightly in return.
A slow clap startled them both, but Bella didn't release her hold on Rosalie, merely looked up.
Standing a few dozen feet away was an unfamiliar vampire. His clothes were worn out and torn, and definitely weren't of a design seen within the last fifty years. His long brown hair hair looked tangled in its pony tail, which Bella thought was a feat for a vampire, but it was his red eyes that were the most shocking. They were a bright, violent color and gazed at them with a frightening mixture of pure malice and amusement. Bella knew it instinctively. This man was dangerous.
"Well done ladies," his mocking voice was grating, "Well done indeed, sharing such intimate stories, becoming closer - it's just lovely, isn't it?"
Greye's Notes: And there we are! You may be happy to know that I've written most of the next chapter, and I anticipate on having more time to write. Of course, I guess I always say that. I will try to update more frequently, but I shouldn't make a promise I'm not sure I can keep!
I hope you liked this chapter. Again, thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed, favorited, or followed this story. You all are the reason I keep working!
Next Time: Will there be a fight? Stay tuned and find out.