Emmett POV
Rosie was draped across my bare chest, her arms wrapped firmly around me, her hair cascading over my skin. We didn't move, cuddling in a way that was both naturally and unusual for us. Yes, we snuggled after making love, but it was never as solemn and tense as this. Normally, we would joke and tease each other, giving chaste kisses and simply enjoying each others company. This was different. This was silent, stoic, with the only movements being my fingers dancing up and down her spine and her arms tightening impossibly more by the minute.
Soon after Rosie had run off, Bella excused herself for the night, but not before insisting that we all hunt again throughout the night. Tomorrow we will work on hand-to hand and… well if you intend to lay so much as a finger on me, you had better be at the peak of your strength. While the others went hunting in Bella's absence, I had pulled her into bed hoping that my company, my blatant love for her, would help her sort through whatever anger or pain she felt toward the little demon. By the moans of satisfaction I had come accustomed to hearing, I knew that she had appreciated my efforts, but as soon as we began our cuddle time, she retreated back into herself. She didn't want to talk, and I wasn't going to pry. I knew her well enough to know exactly what was wrong with her.
She was insecure. For all of the vanity and pride that she projected onto the world, at heart my Rosie was an insecure woman who had been hurt impossibly deep in the past. No matter how much time had past, she would never fully recover from the devastation of her human life. With Bella Swan here, flaunting everything that she had, manipulating and using others in a less violent parallel to how Royce King had used Rosalie...she was constantly consumed with age old anger and disgust.
And no matter how much the demon had grown on me, Rosie always came first. And every time Bella said something that triggered a negative response out of her (which, let's be honest, was just about every word the girl spoke) it was like taking a giant leap back, landing me in the anger and hatred I held for her after our initial meeting. She was interesting, I'll give her that. But she was unnecessarily cruel. If she would only learn to tap more into her angel side, then maybe things would be different. Judging how many times her eyes flashed darkly, I could fashion a guess over which personality she favored.
Rose let out a small whimper, tightening her hold on me. My fingers stilled their movement as I squeezed my eyes closed. I hated seeing her like this: in pain and withdrawn from me. She was a strong woman, I knew that, but we were also a strong mated pair. We had spent the past decades leaning on each other, so when she decided that she didn't want to do that and wanted to go through her pain alone, it was hard for me.
"Rosie, talk to me baby," I begged after another ten minutes of silence and occasional whimpers. She shook her head against me, her grip like a vice. I sighed. "Well, she said that we are going to be fighting tomorrow. So maybe you get to sink your pretty teeth into her, that would be fun right?" I was off my game. Her desperate need for comfort was throwing me off, but she giggled half-heartedly for my sake. Turning her head, her beautiful amber eyes gazed up at me questions, hurt, and insecurities bubbling underneath. But instead of voicing any of her concerns, she simply pressed her lips into my chest and sighed.
"Well, if you don't feel up for it, I'll go a few rounds with her for you." She giggled again, a little more lifelike.
"You just want to get her back for beating you on the Wii." she stated, only half jokingly. Under her words I could hear her insecurities leaking through.
"You don't want me to get close to her," I guessed, carefully, but desperately grasping at whatever strings I possibly could. Nothing, and I repeat, nothing was worse than not knowing what was wrong with Rosalie. When she kept her thoughts and emotions to herself, she was practically a mine field. Anything could set her off… many a destroyed house could attest for that. She shuddered at my conclusion, hinting that I was close. Yeah, I knew my wife.
I held her tightly, rolling to where I was hovering over her. When she still turned her head away from me, I gently but firmly grasped her chin and forced her to look at me. "You are afraid of… what? That she will use her freaky demon voodoo magic on me and we will run away together into the sunset?" Her eyes tightened and darkened in defense. I pressed my lips to her nose. "Sorry, sweet cheeks, I think Eddie has that one covered. You are stuck with me for all eternity." The small smile she had went straight through me, warming up my entire body and getting me ready for round… what round were we on? Four?
"It's stupid," she sighed, trying to avoid my eyes again. I growled at her, a flash of irritation spiking causing her to look back at me immediately.
"Nothing you ever do is stupid… except maybe letting Alice get away with her plans for our third wedding." I was a dark time in our life. So much pink, it was like a bottle of Pepto Bismol had exploded over everything. "But other than that, nothing you do, say, think, or feel is stupid. You have a right to your emotions and I love every single one of them, Rosalie Lillian Hale Cullen." Her smile widened and her eyes darkened even more. Oh yeah, round four here we go!
A sound ringing through the empty house halted our attempts: a heart beat, suddenly appearing in the floor below us. Rosie growled viciously underneath me. Her negative emotions remember, she thrashed against my hold on her briefly, wanting nothing more but to go out and destroy the girl who dared to enter our home unannounced and uninvited.
"Relax, I just need to talk to you two without anyone here to eavesdrop." She said nonchalantly from below. I could easily imagine her rolling her black eyes as she made herself comfortable on our sofa. My mate snarled at her complacency, which was responded to with a dry laugh. "Oh, so you don't want to know your history with me?" Both of our eyes widened, and I watched as fear flashed in my wife's.
"We don't have to. I can go down and send her right back to her mother, just say the word." I assured her, framing her suddenly so fragile face in my hands. I never wanted her to think about her past, I never wanted to think about it, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious. Hell, that was how I got roped into owing Bella Swan not one but two favors. As always, though, Rosie came first and if she didn't want to go there, then we wouldn't. She hesitated under me, closing her eyes in an attempt to compose herself.
"Okay." she conceded after a minute of silence, her voice quiet and hesitant. I didn't have to ask if she were sure. Rosie had such a resolute mind, whenever she made a decision that was it. I wouldn't tell her how Type A that made her sometimes. I pressed my lips to her deeply, cherishing her and giving her the courage I knew she needed before we faced Bella. Her hand rested on my cheek and smiled against my kiss before pushing me away gently. And maneuvering out from under me with an ease she couldn't possess when she was in her state of rage earlier. Quickly, she covered her bare body with a black long silk robe that clung to her beautifully, making me release a small growl of satisfaction.
Mmm that robe always lead to a good time, I thought as I stood. She let out her own growl when the sheet fell away from me, her eyes eagerly taking me in. I winked at her. "Sure you want to leave the room?"
"Location has never stopped us," she said, rolling her eyes with a smirk. Good times with my Rosie could happen, and has happened, virtually everywhere. I grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around me, expertly twisting it into a toga that made Rosie laugh. It was also always a good time for a toga party. I grabbed her hips and brought my lips to hers once more.
"I love you, Rosalie. No matter what she had to do with it, it is still the absolute truth." I assured her, pulling her to me tightly. She sighed into me and simply existed in my love before she broke free with a kiss.
"Come on, let's get this over with and then you can properly remind me of how much you love me."
I really liked the sound of that. I growled playfully as my sexy wife pulled me from the room. All playfulness ceased as soon as we crossed the threshold out of our haven. Instantly I could feel hesitation and insecurity wash over Rosalie, but she continued to hold her head high and strut down the stairs. I squeezed her hand before wrapping my arm around her shoulders and keeping her close to me as we moved.
As I predicted, Bella was indeed sitting on the sofa, her legs bent beneath her as she leaned comfortably against the arm. Yet, that was all I could have predicted about this situation. I knew that Rosalie had gone with the robe as an attempt to compete with Bella's suggestive attire we had previously seen her in. Looking at her now, it was a wasted effort (though I still enjoyed it and would fully appreciate it later). Bella was wearing an oversized sweatshirt and shorts, her hair pulled up in a ponytail. It was obvious she was exhausted, her eyes staring into space. Around her, mixed into her curiously appealing floral scent, was the distinct smell of bile. Despite the fact that she was obviously sick for some reason, she looked the most human and… well normal that we have ever seen her. But rather than tell her that...
"Wow, you look terrible." I said, but the only sign that she heard was the characteristic eyeroll. I guided Rosie to the chair that sat directly across from her, pulling her onto my lap and wrapping my arms around her waist protectively. Bella looked at us, her brown eyes only slightly focused, but she raised an eyebrow.
"Paris and Helen of Troy?" she asked, skeptically. Rosie's pride came out in a burst as she accepted the demons compliment. Hell, Rosie could learn to like anyone who compared her to the face that launched a thousand ships. And Paris was a badass, so I could deal with it. "You know Paris died in battle right?" Before I could respond, she shrugged. "I guess it's better than Theseus or Menelaus. If you're going to chose, might as well be the guy who started an entire war because he couldn't keep it in his pants. Got to give him props, though I've always wondered if he was simply overcompensating..." I rolled my eyes, though she was right to an extent (no overcompensation needed, thank you very much). Theseus kidnapped Helen when she was ten and Menelaus was a wimp who couldn't keep his girl safe. I tightened my grip on Rosalie. I would glad start wars in an attempt to keep Rosie safe and away from any of the multitudes that lusted after her.
Bella sighed, fiddling with her fingers.
"So, the real reason why I am here is because I need to cash in on my favors, Emmett. Yet, what I need is worth more than two favors, so I felt that to compensate I could tell you about our history." I nodded, ignoring the fear that hit my heart. There were a million things that little Damien could ask me to do that cost more than two favors, and none of them were necessarily pleasant. She didn't speak immediately, instead wrapping her arms around her stomach as if she were about to throw up.
"Oh my god you aren't pregnant are you?" Rosalie asked, horrified and disgusted. "You probably don't know who the father is," she continued, hostile. I squeezed her, reminding her that I was here and she was safe, no need to get so vicious. Bella's eyes flashed black as she glared at Rosie before she smiled, her eyes returning to normal.
"No, I'm not pregnant. Just some residual stomach cramps, they will go away soon." She said, clearly and… nicely? "But, if I were pregnant, I would tell you immediately so that you could live vicariously through me. Who knows, maybe I would make you the godmother to my little precious monstrosity." There it is, the sarcastic and cruel remark that I was expecting. Rosalie hissed, but curled further into me. If I hated anything about being a vampire, it was the sole fact that I couldn't give Rosalie the children she so wanted. Everyone knew of Rosie's dream, and so to have it thrown in her face, I snarled at Bella. While I had expected the comment, I still couldn't stop the response to her attack.
"Oh hush, that wasn't even the worst I could do." Bella waved me off. "I could have mentioned that you and I have a little rendezvous and then she could be step-mommy, but even that isn't the worst." Rose snapped her teeth and struggled against my hold. For a brief second I fantasised releasing her, how her teeth would automatically gravitate for Bella's throat but… The memory of Edward's face as her single drop of blood burned a line on contact. Bella's raised eyebrows confirmed the fact that allowing Rosalie the satisfaction of attacking her now would do nothing but harm her, leaving Bella unscathed.
Bella sighed with a smile as Rosalie continued to struggled, clawing her fingers into my arm in an attempt to rip herself free. "Mmm, I love when you're mad at me Rosalie. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside."
"If you are going to tell us something, do it." I growled at her, straining against both Rose and my want to attack her myself. She rolled her eyes at me.
"You guys aren't any fun." she pouted for a second before nodding her head. "But okay, we need to get this over with before the rest of the vamps return." She watched Rosalie, who was now gripping my arm tightly, glaring at the woman who sat in front us with a fury that could set the entire forest on aflame. I had cowered under the force of a glare that was exponentially weaker than this one, yet Bella seemed to thrive under it. Truly enjoying it in some sort of sick way.
"It's good that you hate me," she said, talking only to Rosalie. "Good for you, good for me, good all around." If that was the case, then maybe I should let Rosie attack her. Maybe Bella was more of a masochist than she was a sadist. "What happened to you, Rosalie, was not supposed to happen." She added. I didn't have to tighten my arms, Rosalie did that for me, holding me close to her as memories washed over her.
"And...however indirectly, it was my fault." I had expected Rose to start thrashing again, and this time I would let her reach her target before joining her myself. I wanted nothing more than to have Bella dead in that moment. She had been the cause of all of my wife's pain. Every ounce of it was her fault. However, she didn't go for the attack. Instead, as if exhausted from the onslaught of memories, she collapsed against me, looking at Bella tiredly.
"Explain." she demanded in a way that, if it hadn't been a fatigued whisper, would have been a fierce command that could not be ignored. I glared at Bella, the cause of my wife's sudden weakness. She ignored me, focusing her attention solely on Rosalie. Regardless, she nodded.
"You have to understand some things first." she began and I nearly groaned in frustration. Was it too hard for this woman to get to the point for once with taking the most cryptic round-about? "Firstly, as Carlisle's guardian angel, I am obligated to be near him at all times. It is not an option, I literally cannot go further than 200 miles away from him, and even that is a stretch and takes very concentrated effort. The point is that I have to always be there just in case something goes wrong. Secondly, you have probably noticed that I'm like a magnet for danger. Wherever I am, it is almost like a beacon is set off and demons and other monsters flock to it like a moth to a flame." She paused, letting that sink in. I for one, had a few ideas of where she could with this. She didn't speak again until Rosalie nodded tiredly.
She leaned forward as if the next part was the most important information. "Rosalie… you were never supposed to be a vampire. In fact, you and Emmett were never supposed to meet." I straightened at her words, growling menacingly at the insinuation that Rosalie was not supposed to be my mate. Bella shook her head. "It is sad. You two are genuinely true mates, never doubt that. Yet, the way destiny was set up… Rosalie's great granddaughter was going to marry your grandson. That was how you were set to be 'mates'." she finished, a hint of disgust evident in her voice.
"That's not fair." I said automatically, my hand running through Rosie's hair, making sure she was still here. I could not imagine my life, my very existence, without Rosalie. And to know that it was our children's children that would meet and carry out whatever cosmic connection she was speaking of… it was a turn of events that should be illegal.
Bella's brown eyes turned impossibly sad.
"The idea of true mates is one that is unfair. Very rarely do they ever actually come about. Mostly it is a connection diluted from tainted relationships and multiple generations. But that is for later, we have a story to continue." She finished quickly, redirecting the conversation. "So at the time when you were being wooed and engaged to Royce King, Carlisle and his new family showed up, with me in tow." She sighed, sounded like an exasperated teenager.
"I was tired. At that point I had followed Carlisle around for centuries, guiding him and protecting him, and struggling to make him happy-to prove to him and myself that it wasn't a mistake to change him, to try and help him reach his potential. My entire life was completely centered around him. And, even after he had Edward and Esme-another impossible example of true mates actually finding each other, I was still needed. He was happy, but yet I was constantly called to follow after him like a dog on a leash." Resentment colored her voice, and I could understand it. The way she was describing her circumstance, she literally had no choice but to follow him. If he went left, she couldn't go right. And something told me that the demon inside of her hated the restriction of freedom more than anything else.
She sighed. "On the night you were attacked… I was running away. Trying to fight against the pull, trying to at least get to the next town over and have a decent meal without being near him…" A small whimper began building within Rosalie, but stopped as soon as it began, her eyes hardening with resolve. She would not let this demon see her weak. That was my Rosie. "It didn't work… and it wasn't until I was dragged back did I realize that a group of rogue demons had been attracted to Rochester."
Bella was silent for a moment, her eyes far away. The silence didn't last long before Rosalie stiffened in my arms, her head jerking up with more energy than she had had during the entire story.
"Demons?" She asked urgently. Bella gave her a sad smile.
"Royce King was a good person. He certainly had his flaws, pretentious rich boys generally do… but he was not capable of doing what he did to you. His friends were shady, but he would have protected you. In fact, you were supposed to have a genuinely happy marriage with him. A good life, security, three children, twelve grandchildren, and then you were going to die just eleven days after him when you were 86." The shock I felt could not have compared to how Rosalie felt. All of this time, we had both believed that he was a monster-only showing his true colors under the influence of suspicious characters and alcohol. I know that that was how she helped justify their deaths later on in her life, once her initial anger had stifled. She was doing the world a favor by getting rid of them, saving some other innocent woman… A low whine fell from her lips piercing my heart.
"Guilt is a strange emotion for me. I don't feel it often, but… I did when I made it back to Rochester only to find out what had occurred in my absence. I may be part demon, but I would never wish what you went through upon anyone." she chuckled dryly. "And so I thought I should make it up to you. Carlisle and Esme were going for a stroll and I manipulated him to turn in your direction. Their original path kept you downwind and by the time they got to you, you would have been dead. I thought maybe if I gave he gave you that second chance… tehn maybe I could make up from abandoning my post, so to speak."
"And then you let me kill them." Rosie spoke up, her voice low but her tone sharp. Bella groaned and put her head in her hands.
"Let's just say I was having an identity crisis and couldn't find it in me to stop you." She mumbled into her palms.
"No." I growled, needing to hear this as well as Rosalie did. "Explain, why you let her kill them." Her head jerked up, pitch black eyes glaring at me.
"How hypocritical of you! Five minutes ago you were happy that she killed them, that they got what they deserved, but now that you find out that they were manipulated you think they should have lived! There is no innocence here! Just because they were manipulated doesn't mean that it didn't happen; it doesn't mean that they ever properly searched for her; it doesn't mean that he didn't move on as quickly as he did. I didn't stop her because both the angel and the demon side of me found reason and satisfaction in their deaths." she snapped quickly before squeezing her eyes shut and rubbing her temples.
"It was a mess, to say the least." she added softly, keeping her eyes shut. "But I was determined to make it up to you… and at the time, I was going through this phase about the true mates thing. I had succeeded with Carlisle and Esme, so hey! Why not you two?" She laughed exasperatedly again, sounding a little like Harley Quinn actually. This chick was losing her mind right in front of us, and we were both too engrossed in her tale to do anything about it.
"You guys moved exactly 150 miles away from where Emmett lived and I took a chance. I went and saw the dumb human for myself, saw that he was planning to hunt on Friday. But that wouldn't do, because you were going to be in his hunting range on Wednesday. So what did I do?" She giggled. It seemed as if she were talking more to herself now, lost in her own memories. "I stole all of his food. I took every last bit of meat he had stocked up from his last hunt and fed it to his neighbor's dog!" She laughed louder then, bursting at the seams with a type of mirth that only existed in asylums.
"She's lost it," I whispered to Rosie, who nodded slowly in agreement, watching her cautiously. Bella giggled for a few minutes more, before she shook her head trying to sober up. "And now you tell me that you woke up the bear?" I guessed, trying to get her to come back to her narration.
"Oh no, that was all you, sir." she allotted, smiling widely and opening her eyes. They were light as honey, the lightest that I had ever seen them. "Luckily, you were close enough t Rosalie to where, even if she hadn't caught your scent, she would have been drawn to you anyway."
"Drawn?" That was the term that Edward used a lot when he was talking about Bella. She nodded.
"The mates thing? It's a connection, a literal tie between people that I can see and you can feel. The closer you are to your mate, the more time you spend together, the stronger the connection and the harder to turn away. She was five miles away from you when the connection took hold, and immediately she would have begun walking to you if the wind hadn't picked up your scent." She paused for a moment, deliberating about something. "Oh and before you start thinking that I manipulated you when you found him, don't. It was the connection between you that allowed you to save him. It is very unlikely for a mates to harm each other, so… he was safe with you that whole time."
Of course I knew that. I was always safe with Rosie, just like she would forever be safe with me. Buuuut I also knew that, freaking connection of love aside, she was also a badass and couldn't resist my dimples even if she tried. I pressed a kiss behind her ear. I could tell that the wheels in her head were turning, trying to reanalyze everything she knew with this new information. I knew that Bella could see it too, but decided that she could do that on her own time.
"And now to my favor," she began ominously, her eyes slowly darkening from honey to brown. "It is imperative that you keep this a secret. Emmett, no one can know about this." She stressed to me.
"No one being Eddie-kins." I clarified with a solemn nod. It was always hard to keep Edward out of my head but… actually seeing as he was stuck in his own a lot lately, maybe it would be easier. Just don't mention Bella and I'm in the clear. She smirked in agreement.
"Yes, he can't know. It's not even like it's a hard favor, but he would just get in the way if he knew." She continued nonchalantly. "When the battles come-and yes, there will be multiple-I need you to protect him." My eyes tightened at her request.
"I don't know if I like your favoritism." I said shortly. "He's your mate, isn't he? Shouldn't you worry about him?" She only quirked one eyebrow, the corner of her mouth pulled into a tired smirk, neither confirming nor denying my assumption. "What, because he's your mate I need to take care of him? What about Rosie? And you know, regardless of what you think, Edward can hold his own." Something about thinking that she was saying I should put him above Rosalie and my own safety just because she wanted me to irked me to the bone. She simply smiled patiently at me.
"I don't trust you with more than one secret, Emmett. This is my favor and believe me, I wouldn't ask if it were not of the utmost importance." she paused for a moment, waiting for my response with her eyes darkening and her eyebrows raising as each second passed without an answer. "Are you not good on your word?" I hissed at her. I didn't make promises lightly, only made bets when I knew I could pay them (eventually), but never backed down to a challenge. Keeping this from Edward would be difficult enough, but protecting him, Rosie, and myself….
"If it comes down to him or Rosie, I'm saving her." I declared through gritted teeth. Bella rolled her eyes.
"Yes, yes true love prevails over all. I get it." It seemed like she could have gone on, but instead she sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Fine, if that's the best I'm going to get then I'll take it. Well, this was a nice chat. I feel like we really bonded!" And with that, she hopped from her spot and skipping-literally skipping like a child- to the door, her ponytail swishing behind her.
"Bella," Rosie called after her, her voice an echo as she remained lost in her memories. "I still hate you." Bella stopped at the door, her hand clutching the frame. She flashed a small smile over her shoulder, her eyes dark chocolate.
"Good. It keeps things interesting." And with a wink, she stepped out of the house, the door closing with a faint click behind her.
A/N: Ooooo I am so happy with this chapter! And now you know what happened with Rose and Emmett! Any guesses of how she tampered with everyone else? And hand-to-hand combat next! Reviews get you the chapter soon! (WE ARE OVER 100! YOU GUYS ARE FANTASTIC!)