Rosalie POV
As she witnessed Bella strut out of the forest, Rosalie's dead heart gave a jump. Bella was so beautiful, even in just ribbons of silk, that she could, if it were possible, make a vampire cry. As it was, dry, soft sobs escaped Rosalie, for she knew that moment that her own beauty was sorely outmatched by Edward's mate.
For as long as she'd been a vampire, and most of her human life, she had been fair, stunning, and enchanting in every way - a goddess among mortals. She held her head high, and her pride was fed by the hundreds of people who basked in her glory. Edward's refusal when she first turned was a blow, but she recovered. Now, his mate, the powerful werecat, was cutting her down to size. Bella was bigger, stronger, fiercer, wild, and perfect in every way physical. Rosalie felt... small.
Bella was tackling the task set forth by Jasper as easily as Emmett could take down a grizzly. Bella was graceful, even as she hopped from one log to another, and successfully knocked Emmett off his perch. She was now fighting the wits and balancing skills of Edward and Jasper, who were each very skilled in intelligent combat.
Emmett sat down next to Rosalie, and when he saw she was upset, he wrapped his great arms around her. "What's wrong, Rose?" he asked as softly as he could. Alice, beside them, got up and proceeded to take the main camera and continue to film the fight.
"Emmett... Bella is so beautiful... More than me."
"Aw, babe, don't do that to yourself. Bella is pretty, but guess what? I love you, and I think you are the most beautiful creature ever. Bella's not my type, anyhow."
Rosalie shook her head. "It still doesn't take away the fact that Bella is far more beautiful than me. Plus, she's so powerful, she could do anything she wanted to us. Even-" She stopped. What a horrible thing to think, but she still thought it.
"Even what, babe? Come on, what would Bella do?"
In such a low whisper Emmett had to strain to hear, Rose said, "She could take Edward away from us."
Emmett looked at her, dumbfounded. "What? She'd never take him away! That's a silly idea, sweetie. Bella enjoys all of us, not just Edward. She's pretty, but she's a person, just like everyone else. She has feelings and weaknesses. Maybe not a whole lot of weaknesses, but she does have them. For most of her life she was abused by that bitch of a mother Renee, and now she has a chance to be herself. Look," he pointed as Edward fell to the ground with an audible ooff. "Edward doesn't get too much special treatment besides being loved. She probably wants to be your friend, and doesn't know how. Take the time to show her your true side. She did ask about your past, but I left it up to you." He held his hands up. "I know you'd never let me forget it if I told her behind your back."
Rosalie had a lot to consider. As the day went on, and Bella passed the various tests set up by Jasper, Rosalie fell deeper and deeper into the confines of her mind and heart. When the sun was setting behind the mountains, she got up and ran as fast as she could to Seattle. Once there, she scented for a nearby shelter. Once there, dogs from in the back were growling and barking like mad. A pretty little brunette with broken and taped glasses greeted her warmly.
"Hello, miss, what can I do for you?"
Rosalie smiled warmly, knowing someone who wanted an animal would have to be a VERY loving, caring person. And showing any of her vampiric nature, the ruthless killer that she was, would get her nowhere in her quest. "I, uh, actually came to see about getting a kitten. My name is Rosalie Hale, I live just outside of Forks." The truth, as much as she could give, was better than a lie. Plus, this shelter wasn't one to track you down and inspect the home. "I've always wanted one of my own, but our childhood cat, Max, didn't like me very much." An easy lie.
The brunette chuckled. "Alright, come on, I'll show you to the cat building. They get special treatment because they're much smarter creatures than dogs. I'm a cat person, if you hadn't noticed." she laughed, and Rosalie joined her.
The separate building in question was just a short walk away, and had its own clinic, complete with two doctors and two nurses, one acting as a desk girl. The brunette showed her into the main room, where cages were lined on three walls, filled with cats of all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages. Kittens were grouped together and always mewed cutely. Adolescents sometimes meowed, but also were busy with other activities. The older cats rarely turned their heads to look at Rosalie, either out of boredom or of experience.
"Go ahead and look around. You can pick some kittens from the cages and play with them in the play room, if you can't decide from here. You're in luck, too, because today we are offering free vaccinations and a package of goodies for your kitten when you adopt. We offer a starter set for your kitten, so you're fully prepared to bring them home."
"That's great! Thanks!" Rosalie slowly looked around, observing each cat's behavior and personality. This kitten needed to be perfect. She picked out five kittens, and they brought them into the play room. Rosalie was instructed to sit calmly on the floor and let the kittens play with her. The brunette walked out, giving Rosalie time to study the elegant felines.
There was a ball of black fluff with one white spot over a single eye, and it had a flat face, big eyes, and an adorable confused look on its face. Another kitten was what Rosalie knew to be a calico - black, orange, and white markings all over the body. This one was more black that white, and spent its time grooming its luxurious short fur. A cream and chocolate colored kitten with medium length fur and abnormally short legs bounded around with limitless energy, stopping once or twice to survey the room before resuming. There was a magnificent grey blue kitten, slightly older than the rest, who skilfuly climbed the various scratching posts and cat condos. And there was a precious, tiny kitten, who was solid, bright white, except for a black sock on its right foreleg. It had medium length fur, and a sort of wild appearance to it, despite its diminutive size.
The black sock kitten, when interacting with the others, wasn't shy or anxious in the least bit. It proudly and confidently wrestled with the others, including the older grey kitten, who had superior skills. This kitten and the short legged one played together most of the time. Short Leg had agility, but Black Sock had its courage and tenacity. They were a perfect blend together.
Rosalie knew she only needed one, but the thought of separating these two was unbearable. She called the brunette and told her what she thought.
"They do seem happy together, don't they? Well, its good that they will have a companion when no one else is around. I fully agree that these two should find their forever home with you. Lets put the other three up, get these two in their carrying cases, and file the paperwork. Jenna will take them in the clinic to make sure they have their shots and tags." The brunette escorted Rosalie to the desk, where the young girl working there helped her fill out the forms for both kittens.
"Would you like to name them?" the brunette asked.
"One of these kittens will go to my new sister, but I don't know which. Once she decides, could I come back and register them?"
The human smiled. "We can just register their names over the phone, no need to make a second trip for that. Since the paperwork is done, all we have to do is give you the supplies for each kitten, and you are on your way to having two soft bundles of joy. Are you excited?"
"Very." Rosalie smiled as the kittens were brought out. This plan of hers was going perfectly. Just as long as Alice kept her mouth shut, and Edward too, this would be an easy surprise.
Rosalie had a couple of young volunteers help load her BMW - which was automatically there, probably Alice's doing - with the kitten food, bowls, collars, beds, treats, toys, and a litter box kit. Finally, the kittens were strapped into the front passenger seat securely. Rosalie decided to take the drive slower than usual, so as not to scare the kittens. It took an hour, but she was finally back at the house. Only Carlisle and Esme were there, so Rosalie was able to sneak the supplies up into her room. She kept the kittens quiet by feeding them, and since there was nothing that could be done about their miniscule, rapid heartbeats, she sent a text to all her siblings except Bella, telling them to keep quiet when they got home.
Rosalie could not wait for her plan to unfold.