Disclaimer: I don't own the Twilight series, let alone Breaking Dawn or the characters. They are under copywrite to Stephenie Meyer.
*blinks* It's Wednesday. And I don't have class. I finished. I finished. I'M DONE! Don't pressure me for faster updates, though, there's lots of things like moving required. And Christmassy things to do... And retail to work. That should be fun.
This chapter's recommend is Butterfly Kisses, by dreaming in black and white, ID 4526672. Summary:Written for the Twilighted 'Breaking Dawn Missing Moments' competition, this is a scene that we didn't see in the book - just after Edward hands Rosalie baby Renesmee, the blonde vampire's thoughts and regrets...
Chapter goes out to two people. First, nia-ox for sparking the idea, and secondly to ConsultantbyDay for seeing it coming. I hope you like it!
14
"Bella," Rosalie said softly.
Bella stirred, and opened her eyes. "Rosalie? What is it?" Her hands brushed over her stomach, protecting the baby. Rosalie was suddenly unable to speak. How could she tell Bella what Carlisle had wanted to tell her?
Edward raised his head, then. "Bella, love, Carlisle was just in to check on you."
Rosalie had never been more grateful that Edward could read her mind. She couldn't look Bella in the face and tell her about this.
"And?" Bella asked. She seemed uneasy, looking from Rosalie to Edward and back as though she knew something was wrong, but couldn't pick out what it was.
"And there's a possibility that… the fetus won't survive."
"No!" Bella said, straightening. She was too weak to sit up completely on her own power, and Rosalie reached for her. "It won't happen," Bella said, calming down at Rosalie's gentle push back against the couch.
"If it happens, and we can save you," Edward continued, "we will need to act fast."
"It won't happen," Bella repeated stubbornly. "I won't let it happen."
"Shh…" Rosalie soothed. Edward, she's getting worked up. Drop it. "It's going to be okay, Bella."
Edward whirled around. The anger was back. "How can you say that? How can you tell her that everything's going to be okay when you don't know? Your lies are killing her, destroying this last bit of a chance we have…" He clenched his fists, eyes tight, and stood up.
"Edward," Bella whispered.
He glanced down at her. "I'll be back in a moment, love," he said, his voice formal with the attempt to keep it under control. Bella smiled at him, forgiving him. He turned on his heel, and Rosalie watched as Edward stalked off again, too angry to trust himself around Bella.
"You know it's only because he cares about me," Bella said to Rosalie.
"Yeah," Rosalie muttered, loud enough for Bella to hear. Edward was getting frantic, because there was a small chance… If the baby died, then he could save Bella. Edward saw an opportunity for hope, but it would destroy Bella and Rosalie.
Bella turned to look at Rosalie. "But there's really nothing to worry about, is there?" There was an edge in her voice, a challenge almost, and Rosalie didn't like it.
"Of course not," Rosalie soothed. It wouldn't be good for Bella to be worried; she would risk losing the baby, risk her own health. Bella is always second to you, isn't she? It's always that thing first. Do you even care about Bella? Edward had asked her. And as much as she would try and deny it, the fact remained that it was true. The baby came first. Bella came second. Anything else came later, including Rosalie's thirst.
A little burble of a laugh forced its way out of Bella's weak body. "You know as well as I do that this has a chance of ending badly." Rosalie turned to stare at Bella. It wasn't that Bella was aware of her chances, but the flippant way in which she spoke about them that startled Rosalie.
Bella merely watched Rosalie's careful movements, her brown eyes never leaving Rosalie's form. "I've been thinking," she said. "I know that there is a… possibility that I won't survive. It would be… irresponsible of me not to plan for that, no matter how slim of a chance it is. And if I don't make it, Edward would… He wouldn't leave me alone for very long."
Rosalie nodded her head, just once, just confirming the facts. Bella swallowed and continued.
"And…" Bella took another breath. "You… won't be my son's mother unless that happens. Not unless I'm out of the way."
Rosalie stopped breathing completely, and stared at Bella, unblinking. Bella's sudden intuitive statement was even more startling than anything else. She knew. She knew all along why Rosalie had agreed to this in th beginning, why Edward was angry with her all the time, why… everything.
Bella continued. "I know you have to have thought about it. About me being gone. And I want you to know that I don't blame you." She smiled weakly. "I know it must be hard… for you to watch me like this, and know you'll never… very hard."
Bella had no idea how hard it truly was. When Rosalie lost a little bit of her control, and the jealousy washed through her, dark and murderous, it was agony. When Rosalie heard Bella's soft sigh of contentment, with Edward on one side and her hands caressing her stomach, it left Rosalie feeling empty.
"I want to make sure that there is someone to protect him and raise him, if anything goes wrong." Bella's voice faltered, and Rosalie's breath turned to stone in her lungs, heavy, weighing her down, drowning her.
"If something happens to me, I want you to be the one. I want you to raise him, to protect him, and be everything I can't. Please, would you?"
Rosalie stuttered. For the first time she could remember as a vampire, she couldn't find the words, or even the emotions to go along with them. Everything was muted by shock. "I…" she said. "I…"
"Will you be his mother if I can't?" Bella asked again.
For Rosalie, there were no words. She could only nod.
"Thank you," Bella whispered fervently. "Edward may never understand, even if he can read minds, but I think I do. Thank you."
And Rosalie wasn't sure whether to say "You're welcome" in response, or "thank you", so she just kept silent. Bella's hand moved, searching for something, and Rosalie grasped it gently. Bella sighed, content. They were bonded now, and there was nothing anyone else could do to break it.
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