Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer, please don't sue me.
Author's note I: Ok, apparently there's some confusion regarding the relationships in this story. I realize that the problem may be that we all have different definitions of "three way" and "open relationship" and things like that, so I'm going to make it very clear. Rosalie and Emmett have a strong, loving relationship. My plan for this story is for Bella and Rosalie to have a similar strong and loving relationship...at the same time. Bella and Emmett will never be more than best friends. As Bella's relationship with Rosalie becomes physical, there will never be any physical relations between Bella and Emmett. I understand that this is unconventional of course. I'll repeat what I said to several of you in replies to your reviews: My Rosalie and Emmett have built a very strong marriage. It would be incredibly wrong for this Rosalie to end her relationship with Emmett just because she develops feelings for someone else. Rosalie and Emmett love each other far more deeply than we ever saw in the books. It is my strong belief that it is possible to love more than one person just as strongly. It is possible, though rare, for a vampire to have more than one mate. Loving someone else doesn't diminish or "cheapen" the first relationship. Emmett can see that Rosalie has fallen for Bella, and to deny her that would cause her great pain...something that in theory, a vampire cannot do to his mate. I suppose it would be really easy to find a way to take Emmett out of the picture but I'm not going to do that. The writing may very well evolve to that point though-I'm not saying I wouldn't do it if it made sense for the story. But I'm going to try very hard not to do that. I want and believe this odd relationship can work. If it truly bothers you then you can stop reading right now. That's your prerogative...but this is my story :P
Author's note II: I believe you've all been waiting for this chapter :)
Bella slowly opened her eyes the next morning, but refrained from leaving her bed. Everything was going to be all right, she told herself. The stirring within her was not a bad sign. She was not seconds away from a meltdown. She was not struggling to keep her emotions in check. And she was definitely not falling for Rosalie. But it was not all right. The coils within her were tightening painfully, and she had to count backwards from a 1000 to maintain a semblance of control. Because Bella's emotions at that moment were in upheaval. And it was all because of Rosalie.
Bella wasn't so foolish as to think she'd been in love with Rosalie from the moment she saw her. But the girl had intrigued her that night they first met at the grocery store, enough for Bella to feel a twinge of disappointment when she found out she was taken the next day. It was a very small twinge though, and it was quickly covered up with confusion at the girl's hostile behavior towards her, then with relief and cautious optimism when Rosalie suddenly didn't act like she wanted to skin her alive. Her relationships with all of the Cullens, save for Edward of course, had blossomed over the weeks. But lately, something had changed when it came to Rosalie. Bella found herself starting to respond to Rosalie's soft voice and smiles in a manner that befuddled and highly embarrassed her.
What Bella knew about attraction and relationships, much like everything else having to do with people, came mostly from books and distant memories. She knew what the lingering looks and physical contact from Rosalie did to her body, but she had no idea if these things actually meant somebody has feelings for you. Rosalie's behavior could very well be perfectly normal, and not have any significance attached to it.
But there was one thing she knew without a doubt, and that was Rosalie was crazy about Emmett, and Emmett was crazy about Rosalie. Just thinking Emmett's name brought about a fresh wave of pain, but as terrible as it felt, the guilt quickly surpassed it. Emmett was her best friend. Of all the Cullens, he had been the quickest to welcome her into their family. He was the reason she loosened up so fast and accepted, then returned their love. He was her most vocal defender in school. He was so many things...and she was in love with his girlfriend.
Bella screwed her eyes tightly and curled up in pain. This is bad, she thought. She was usually able to get through an episode like this without uttering a sound...but a few moments later she was unable to stop herself from releasing an anguished whimper. She had to get out. It was almost to the point of no return. This wasn't like the last few times. Those times it was slow, and took some time to build momentum, which allowed her the time to build her defence. What she was experiencing now was a freight train, and it wasn't going to stop. She bolted to the door and slammed it open...only to see Charlie bending down, about to slide her weekly allowance under the door before leaving for work. Oh no.
"Oh..hello," he said. "I was just..."
He paused, noting her disheveled appearance and tortured gaze.
"Are you...are you alright?" He asked slowly.
Bella had no idea how to respond. No, she was not alright. She wasn't even sure she could open her mouth right now. But she had reassured Charlie that she was in control. She promised him that what he feared most would never happen again. But here she was, two feet in front of her father and about to explode. Bella opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it again when she felt the power rise.
She forced herself to nod but her face betrayed her. Charlie cocked his head, staring at her for a few agonizing seconds before a look of dawning comprehension, shock and fear appeared on his face, which were just as quickly replaced with fierce anger. A split second later, Bella's focus shifted, because now the barrel of Charlie's gun was inches from her face.
Bella stopped breathing. She stared at the gun, too shocked to blink or move a muscle. Even the monster stopped accelerating.
She looked up at her father, and what she saw broke her heart into a thousand pieces. Charlie's face bore none of the emotion she saw seconds ago. Charlie's face bore nothing at all. He was blank. Focused. His police instincts in full force. This was not a father about to shoot his daughter. This was a police officer with a mass murderer in his sights.
Bella forced herself to blink. She forced herself to take a shallow, shaky breath. And, grateful for the burst of adrenaline she could feel building within her, she bolted in the direction of the woods as fast as the wind could carry her...faster than Charlie, or any other human could react.
Behind her, two gunshots echoed.
Bella ran faster than she had run in a long, long time. She begged the wind to help her and it complied, carrying her at unimaginable speeds through the forest. Twigs and branches snagged at her, scratching her bloody but she didn't care. She needed to put as much distance as she could between her father and herself. She ran and ran, screaming at the monster to wait just a few more seconds. Just a few more miles. When her peripheral vision started to glow a deep red she knew she could run no further. She found a small clearing and stopped, praying that nobody was around because if there was, it was too late to save them.
She closed her eyes and stood absolutely still. She was on autopilot now, going through a script she'd run through hundreds of times.
She took in a deep lungful of air, and counted out loud in a shaky voice.
"One...two...three...four...five."
When she opened her eyes, she saw red.
Immediately, the line of trees that were in her direct line of sight exploded. Not satisfied, Bella, who was now completely consumed by the monster, shifted her gaze and watched with glee as everything around her burst into flame. The grass, the trees, and any living thing within a mile of Bella was overcome with fire that burned far hotter than a normal blaze. Seconds after combusting, the flames grew so hot that whatever they touched literally started to incinerate to ashes. But it wasn't enough. She needed more. She grinned a terrible grin as she felt her power reach further. The more she destroyed, the better she felt, until finally the monster was satisfied and ceded control back to Bella. The flames receded, and then died down.
Five square miles of the forest were obliterated. Dead center in the middle of all the destruction, Bella stood, taking stock of her surroundings. Whereas seconds ago, the devastation left her with a sense of triumph, now she felt only regret and loss. Please god, she begged, please let no one be dead. That was her usual first thought after she awakened from the nightmare. She silently pleaded, over and over, too terrified to think of anything else. Then she remembered the events that had conspired before she found herself in these woods, and she dropped to her knees. The terror of what happened out here suddenly paled in comparison to what had happened with her father.
Charlie was prepared to kill her, she realized. She was such a fool. Bella really had thought that if enough time had passed, if he could just get used to her being around then he'd finally forgive her. But it didn't look like that would ever happen. Charlie's words to her from her first night with him rang clear in her mind. He would never forgive her. He would never see past what she had done. When he looked at her he didn't see Bella, his daughter the he once loved. He only saw a demon and a murderer. Even seven years ago, against the backdrop of the smouldering ruins of his neighborhood and his beloved wife, the demon blinded him to the scared, helpless girl who begged him for help.
Bella's hands reached down and tightened around fistfuls of ash as she broke down. As long as she had held her emotions at bay, that was how powerfully her sobs pushed through until they finally ripped out of her. She gasped uncontrollably as she wept for herself, for her mother, even for her father. No matter how cruel he'd become, she couldn't let herself forget that it was her doing, her existence that had caused him to detest her. She wept, knowing that despite what happened she would return to him anyway. If it was her fate to die at his hands...well it would be a fitting death.
She wept as she thought about the only family she had now. If they knew...if they saw this...She sobbed even harder when Rosalie's face swam into view. Bella didn't have a right to her feelings. She didn't deserve her. She didn't deserve any of the happiness she'd felt over the last weeks. Bella slammed her fists hard into the ground trying to bring about some pain, as if by feeling more physical torment she could obstruct the warm joy that Esme and Carlisle, Jasper, Alice, Emmett and Rosalie had made her feel. It worked, for a second. Bella slammed her fists harder, pounded her chest and her arms, smashed her head to the ground and screamed a terrible, tortured scream as she sobbed harder and harder.
She lay there like that for nearly an hour, finally too spent to move. Eventually, the feelings returned to her muscles and she forced herself to rise. As she trudged back home she reflected on the two decisions she had made in the clearing. She was going to ignore her feelings for Rosalie. She cared too much for Emmett to break his heart. She loved him dearly, and while she couldn't control the way she felt, she could control her actions. Bella would not come between any of the Cullens...she would not cause them any pain.
It might not even matter, she thought passively, considering her second decision. Because if Bella had to face Charlie's gun again, she would not run. She would stand her ground, and hope that when the bullet made contact, the monster would die along with her.
Constructive criticism, comments, ideas, etc are always welcome. Thanks!