"But what is this game that you play when all that your trying to say is that you're lonely, in need of a friend." -Def Leppard

Sorrow Is A Woman

We need to talk tonight. Rosalie groaned in her sleep, rolling over as her legs twisted further into her blankets. She had been asleep for a few hours that night, the moonlight streaming in through the windows. Her eyebrows knitted together, but didn't hear the door to her bedroom crack open.

Wake up right now. When she felt her hair being removed from her face, she popped open her eyes with a gasp and sat up straight. Amy hovered over her still wearing the same outfit from that morning.

"What're you doing?" Rosalie asked through gasps of breath.

"I wasn't sure if you were home," Amy replied in an indifferent voice. "Are you going out?"

"Yeah. I . . . I was just getting a nap in first." She held a hand up to her heart. It was beating rapidly.

"Well, I'm sorry I scared you. You know the rules - be home at -"

"Yeah, I know." Amy pursed her lips and left the room. Rosalie ran a hand over her forehead to feel a thin layer of sweat and then stood up from her bed. She was mad to be losing sleep, and also confused as to why Amy was in her room at one in the morning, and even allowing her to go out when it was so late.

Meet me outside. Five minutes.

David, what's this about? He didn't respond and Rosalie quickly changed into a pair of shorts and a loose blouse. When she stepped outside onto the porch, David was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Is something wrong?" Rosalie asked quietly. "Why'd you wake me up?"

"It's nighttime. Daytime is when you sleep."

"For you." She let out a scoff.

"I didn't just wake you up because I could. I told you, we needed to have a talk."

"Is this about the vampire thing?" she walked in step with him but struggled to keep up at his pace.

"No." She sighed and he stopped at the end of the block. "You cannot tell anyone about this."

"I feel like I've heard that line before." She smiled good-heartedly and David sighed.

"The boys are here. They'll need to be here for this." Rosalie furrowed her eyebrows and noticed the boys waiting on their bikes near the edge of the forest. David helped Rosalie onto the bike before speeding up to them. When Rosalie noticed that Paul failed to make an innuendo, she felt nervous. And when Dwayne didn't meet her gaze she only felt more anxious about what was about to happen.

They all walked into the forest and she leaned against a tree to look at them.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Don't worry - you're ready for this." She opened her mouth to reply when David placed a hand on her shoulder and darkness filled her vision. When she opened her eyes, she was back in her room. Only this time, the walls were freshly painted pink, and toys were scattered everywhere, and there was an oddly familiar little girl playing with two dolls.

When Rosalie had been young, she always wore her hair in pigtails, and she had bangs - this little girl had the exact same hairstyle, and the same eyes.

Suddenly she turned to look out the window, where David was crouched as he watched her. For a moment he froze as they met eyes. Young Rosalie stood from her place and moved to the window with a small smile perking her lips.

She pressed one firm hand to the window, the smile still etched across her cheeks.

"Hello!" she let out with a giggle, and David's lips grew into a genuine smile. He pressed one of his hands to the glass.

"Hi, Rosalie."

With a gasp, Rosalie gripped the trunk of the tree and looked up at David.

"What the hell was that?" she asked. "You told me the first time we met was-"

"When you met the others, and discovered the cave. I knew you long before that."

"What?" He pressed his hand to her shoulder again and she let out a small gasp.

This time, things were different - Young Rosalie was still in her room, playing with Barbies in her dollhouse when David entered the room through the window. She turned around at the noise and her eyes immediately lit up with joy.

"Brother!" she cried, jumping up to hug him. He hugged her back and lifted her into the air before sitting down in front of the dollhouse. Rosalie remained on his lap and reached for her favorite Barbie. "Play with me!"

David smiled and picked up one of the dolls, watching as Rosalie's eyes lit up with excitement as she recited a scenario.

"Rose, shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I like to play, though. I love to play with you!" David smiled again.

"I know you do." She cuddled up to his coat sleeve with a content smile and closed her eyes. David brushed back her hair. "You remind me of my sister before she died. You look so much like her. Must be the blood."

"Stop doing that!" Rosalie screamed, running around to the other side of the tree. "I don't understand!"

David nodded at Dwayne, and he came around the tree to take Rosalie gently by the waist. She squirmed as she met eyes with David.
"You're my blood, Rosalie. A distant niece." She stopped struggling and fell against Dwayne with her mouth hanging open in shock.

"You're- you're lying," she said half-heartedly. Tears filled her eyes. "It's not true."

"It is. My sister is your grandmother." She said nothing and her legs gave out from under her. Dwayne supported her so she was still standing.

"Then why . . . why would you send me away? If I was your sister? If Carlie was your cousin?" she asked with a knot still lodged in her throat.

"It's not pretty."

"Tell me."

He sighed, and then kicked over a pebble.

"Your parents threatened to kill you."

". . . They wouldn't."

"And how can you be so sure?" David asked, and Rosalie let a few tears drop. "Rosalie, listen to me. You're in danger around them. They already know you have been with me, and they won't take it lightly."

"This is a dream, isn't it?" Rosalie asked.

"It isn't," Dwayne replied, and she shoved him away. The tears kept falling and she felt humiliated.

"Stay away from me," she said, pointing to David. "Just stay away!"

"You know I won't." She clenched her jaw and looked around at the group of boys.

"And I'm sure you all already knew this?" They didn't respond. "And you waited this long to tell me?"

"With good reason."

"Oh, bullshit!" David raised an eyebrow in warning at her tone. She quieted down and shoved Paul's comforting hand from her shoulder.

"Calm down." She glanced over at Dwayne, then back to David.

"You got a cigarette?" He raised an eyebrow, and Dwayne looked at her curiously.

"You don't smoke," David said matter-of-factly.

"Used to." It was true - when she was 14, she had taken up the habit of smoking when she and a close friend stole a carton from Carlie. When Carlie found out a year later that Rosalie was addicted, she forced her to stop. Rosalie's addiction never truly ended as she sometimes felt the craving for a cigarette, and now was one of those times.

"They can kill you."

"Ah, well." David shook his head, but pulled out a carton anyways. He handed her a cigarette and lit it once it was at her mouth. Dwayne watched as she took a shaky breath, exhaling without so much as a cough. "Thanks."

"Carlie made you stop for a reason."

"And you're in my head again, Paul. Thanks." She took another drag before stomping out the cigarette under her boot. "I'm sorry for acting like a bitch. I'm not meaning to."

"It was expected. Just don't think this is a free pass." Rosalie expected that from David, and wasn't surprised.

"I know that. But this doesn't change my mind about turning. Not until I figure things out on my own."

"Come on, I'll take you home," Dwayne said right as Rosalie thought to leave. David looked at her emotionless as she walked away, Dwayne following after. When they were far enough from the woods, she stopped.

"He wasn't lying, was he?"

"He wouldn't lie to you." She nodded and bit her lip.

"Right, right . . . I guess it makes more sense now. And I finally got the answers I wanted at last." She let out a dry laugh, then put her head in the crook of his neck. "I'm sure he wasn't impressed when you first told him you imprinted, huh?"

"It took time, yes. In the end, though, he accepted it." Dwayne used his hand to lift her face. "He knows I wouldn't do anything intentional to hurt you."

"I do, too." She softly kissed his exposed neck before moving to his motorbike with a heavy heart, and disbelief still lingering in the air.