***A/N: Thank you so much for helping this story get to 1000 reviews! As a special Thank You, here is another update.

*Please note that this is the second posting of the day, so make sure you read Chapter 26 before this. Thanks again to everyone for reading and reviewing. You truly make writing this story worth every minute that goes into it!

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Chapter 27 – Chasing The Storm

Just when I began to feel like I couldn't possibly be any closer platonically to another human being, Rosalie and I would overcome something, or achieve something together, and just like that, our bond somehow deepened.

We didn't have a romance, but we sure as hell had a strong connection. However, the closer we got, the more a strange tension between us seemed to grow.

It came out of nowhere. We were laughing and joking around one evening, and then suddenly it hit us. Tension. The laughter stopped suddenly, and we said goodnight far sooner than either of us would have preferred.

I wasn't sure what it was or why it was there, but I certainly didn't like it. I tried dismissing the feeling and we both pretended it wasn't there, but it always seemed to hit us the hardest at night, when we were usually winding down for bed.

As silly as it sounded, I sincerely didn't know what that feeling was until it almost exploded in my face. Rosalie was showing me some of her old MMA moves, and we were pressed so closely together that I found myself aching to somehow be even closer.

It was more than emotions or feelings of camaraderie; it was physical, and it was intense. That was when I realized that the tension I had been feeling was of the sexual variety, and I became immediately appalled with myself. I knew Rosalie didn't want me like that, and the truth was, I didn't want her like that either. I chalked it up to being due to the extended time of celibacy I had been living in, and nothing more.

But those physical desires for the body I would always love, on the personality I had become close to, only increased. I would watch her fingers run through her hair and wish they were my fingers instead. When she would emerge from the bathroom after taking a shower, I would stare at the remaining water droplets on her skin as they fell onto her neck and shoulders, and I would quiver.

I fucking wanted her so fucking bad that it was driving me crazy. I didn't want to want her, but I didn't know how to stop either. Was my lust because I missed Bella, or did I really want Rosalie for Rosalie? It was a question I didn't know how to answer, nor did I even want to consider. Every time I caught myself ogling her in any way, I forced my mind to think of anything but. I had to get control of myself, because I sure as hell wasn't willing to lose everything we had gained in those past few months together.

Not thinking of Rosalie in a sexual way had quickly become a full-time job. It was driving me insane, so I unconsciously began picking little fights with her. I was becoming irritated and angry more often, and poor Rose just took it without ever rising for the occasion or throwing it back to me.

Unintentionally, our roles had reversed. I had become the one that was often bitter, and Rose remained calm and collected through it all. I loathed myself for it, so I knew I had to do something drastic to fix my emotions once and for all…

One evening, after dinner, there was a knock on the door.

"Who the hell is that?" Rose questioned with a mix of surprise and annoyance.

I shrugged. "Why don't you answer it and find out."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Edward Cullen, what are you up to?"

"Just go answer the damn door!" I snapped at her.

She rolled her eyes at my outburst, but got up to open the door anyway. The moment she saw who was there, she froze.

"Hi," I heard the visitor say. Her face was out of my view, but it didn't matter; I knew exactly who was there since I was the one who had arranged her visit.

"What are you doing here?" Rosalie asked evenly.

"Can I come in?" the voice asked softly.

"No." Rosalie held the door firm in her grasp and refused to let the woman pass. "What are you doing here, Emma?"

"Um… I thought…" She cleared her throat nervously. "Rosie, baby…"

"Don't baby me!" Rose hissed at her. "Just tell me why you're here."

"I just… I've really missed you," she finally said. "Can I please come in so we can talk?"

Rosalie glanced back at me, and when I nodded to her encouragingly, she returned her eyes to her ex lover. "No, but I'll come out and we can go somewhere."

She shut the door, leaving Emma waiting outside, and then she ran to her room to change quickly. I figured she would head out with just a quick goodbye to me, or a nervous smirk, but before she reached the door, she looked at me full of anger and even some hurt.

"I don't know what you did here, but this is seriously fucked up of you!"

She didn't give me a chance to respond before she stormed out of the apartment; slamming the door on her way out.

The entire time she was gone I struggled with an internal debate on whether or not I did the right thing. I wanted her to be happy and fulfilled; that was a given. How I went about it, though, was questionable. Despite her previously telling me that she wasn't ready to date anyone new, I honestly thought she was still in love with that woman, and would be happy to reunite with her... But was it my place to intervene? Or was the entire setup just a pathetic and selfish way to prove to myself that I didn't have romantic feelings for her?

I was such a fucking idiot.

The truth was, Rosalie and I would have never worked anyway. Besides the little fact that she was a lesbian, we bickered so freaking much, and I was still helplessly in love with Bella and always would be. She was truly the love of my life. A love like that doesn't just go away, even if the relationship doesn't work out, or in our case, one of us disappears. My soul would always be hers… but I did come to terms with the fact that my heart had not disappeared with Bella. I could love again, and it was something I wanted eventually. I wanted to belong to someone again. I wanted to share my life with someone and for us to plan a future together. For that reason, perhaps Rosalie rekindling an old flame was best for everyone. Neither of us could exist in that state of limbo forever. We needed to find lives apart from each other.

I had a strong urge to wait up for Rosalie to get home that night, but I ignored it and went to bed. When I woke up the next morning, I was both saddened and slightly hopeful to find Rosalie's room empty. It was just the first painful step in letting each other fully move on with our lives once and for all.

I got dressed for the day and went to work as if nothing was different. On the off chance that something bad had happened to Rose while she was out, I text her to make sure she was okay. She quickly responded with two little words – 'I'm fine', and that was it.

I wasn't sure if I should expect to see her after work that day, or if she would spend the night with Emma again. Eventually, she would have to come by the apartment for some of her things, so I chose not to worry about it. But that was the longest we had been apart since she moved back in with me, and I sincerely missed her like hell. As much as I loved Bella, I never had the chance to take her for granted the way I had Rosalie; so in a way, this separation was almost more difficult.

I didn't want to torture myself by waiting for her inevitable return, so I fed Jasper his dinner and then called Garrett to see if he wanted to meet up. As we were trying to decide what we were going to do that evening, Rosalie surprised me by walking through the door.

"Hang up the phone; I need to talk to you, now!" she practically growled at me.

"Garrett, I'll call you later," I said before complying with Rose's anger-filled demand. "What's wrong?" I asked her.

"What's wrong? What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong. I went back to Charlie's house for the second night in a row, and it's bullshit! I thought we were past this now?"

"Past what?" I asked confused.

"Past me getting pissed at you and storming out! Past you thinking you know what's best for me and forcing me to do whatever the hell you want because you think I can't possibly make those decisions for myself! Maybe I needed you to help me with some things before, but I certainly don't need you sticking your nose into my love life like that. Why did you do that? Emma said you called her and said I missed her? What the fuck, Edward? Even if that was true, which it's not, why would you do that? I'm not a child, and that was not your place!"

As she shouted at me, I honestly felt her words deep in my core. She was right. It wasn't my place and I knew I fucked up again.

"I'm sorry," I told her with the utmost of sincerity.

"Why?" she demanded. "Why couldn't you just let us be? If you were tired of having me here, you could have just told me so, you fucking coward!"

"I wasn't tired of having you here. It's the opposite actually. I love having you here, but…"

"But what?" she roared.

"But… I don't know. I love having you here, Rose, but it's fucking hard too. You might be fine with how things are, but no matter how much I try, I can't stop… wishing we were more," I admitted, getting quieter as I spoke.

She stared at me blankly for a moment, and then suddenly the world shifted, and everything was in motion.

When her lips crashed into mine, everything else blurred. I had no thoughts or plans as to what would come next. I couldn't think of a single reason why we should stop or all the reasons it was wrong. It was nothing but raw emotions and giving in to an intense physical craving. There was no consideration for anything in the universe outside of the two of us, because in those moments, nothing else existed.

I didn't notice our clothes peeling away, but the urgency I felt to push into her was beyond anything I had ever experienced before. Not a want or even a need, but an utter necessity for survival. It truly felt that important, and the moment I was inside of her, that feeling only grew.

Everything that had been building inside of me, erupted into Rosalie. My newfound love for her, but also for Bella, and Alice, and Tanya. All the pent-up anger I ever had towards her. All the hate and blame and guilt, and everything else we had felt towards each other over the course of our tumultuous relationship. Enemies to friends, to enemies and friends again. The joy and pain we found in each other. The sorrow we were both still afflicted with from losing the others. From family to lovers; it was all there as she begged me to go harder. And when I reached that inevitable peak, I couldn't even fathom the feeling of coming back down… so I didn't.

Somehow, we made it to the bedroom where that intense yearning for each other only continued and intensified. Her hands were all over me, and I couldn't touch her enough. We each took turns giving and taking; pushing and pulling. Hating and loving – that thin little line that separated the two completely disintegrated. There was no more distinction between our opposing emotions. It was all just one intense desire that could only be sated by the other.

It was only when our bodies eventually failed us that we were able to relax enough to reflect on exactly what had happened.

"This was…" I tried to find the words that my body was straining to say, but I was at a loss.

"Not in the plans," Rosalie finished for me.

"Not in the least," I agreed. And then something occurred to me. "Are you okay?" I murmured, suddenly realizing my need for concern.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" she questioned confused.

"Because I… we… I know being with a man like this is…. disturbing for you," I mumbled, still having a hard time making my thoughts turn into coherent verbal sentences.

"Oh, well I don't think I'll ever like men," she said bluntly. "They're disgusting, and rude, and crass, and the thought of them in general makes my skin crawl."

"Right… so, I'm sorry. I don't know…."

"Edward, stop," she said, surprisingly gentle. "I don't like men," she reiterated, "but I never wanted anyone or anything more than I wanted you tonight. It's not something I ever planned or even consciously considered, but I think this desire I have for you has been there for a long time. It's just been growing and strengthening below the surface. I don't like men," she repeated once more. "But I like you."

When her hand gently caressed my stomach, but began traveling downward, I placed my hand over hers to stop it. "You don't have to do that," I said, no louder than a whisper. "I don't want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable."

She looked up at me. "I honestly don't think there is anything about you that could possible make me uncomfortable anymore. I want you, Edward. I've seen you so many times through the eyes of the others, but I want to feel you for myself. I want to feel every part of you."

I let go of her hand so she could freely explore the planes of my body. I half expected her to grimace when she reached the part of me that she had so often issued complaints of repulsion, but her expression only conveyed repeated yearning.

I didn't disgust her in any way, and that fact only made my desire for her grow tenfold.

I honestly couldn't bury myself inside of her deep enough. I had known fire before, but never any that burned that intensely. Out of all of Bella's personalities, it was shocking to me that Rosalie was the one I couldn't get enough of. Perhaps it was because we had technically been together the longest with the most amount of built up sexual tension. Or maybe it was because I was mixing in all my love and longing for the others. Whatever the reason, it was certainly a long night that seemed to end far too soon.

"Good morning," I said softly when her eyes fluttered awake in the light of morning.

"Mmm, it is a good morning," she agreed while leaning in so I would kiss her. "Oh, but your breath is rank. You're going to have to brush your teeth before you kiss me again."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I feigned regret. "I was under the impression you wanted every part of me. Wouldn't that include nasty morning breath?"

She snarled her lip, but then surprised me by saying – "You're right." Without any other hesitation, her lips reattached to mine, and her tongue dove deep into my mouth.

I did feel bad about my smelly breath, but as she kissed me and moaned hungrily, I quickly forgot about it, and let my body make the amends.

It was hard to get out of bed that morning, but Rosalie was always the responsible one when it came to work and their bookstore. She whined as she pulled away from me, but we had one monumental benefit that none of her alters ever had – confidence in knowing that she would be the one returning that evening.

After showering together, she kissed me goodbye and hurried along her way. But by the time I finally made it out the door myself, she was already texting me with complaints.

R - Dude, why the hell does my body hurt like this?

I smiled at my phone.

E - Don't be bitter. That's just my hard loving. I told you your body was super reactive to mine.

I waited for a response, but she took a little too long and I worried I upset her. Then I realized she was probably busy with opening the bookstore and I should stop being so paranoid.

R - I never felt anything like it. I'm not even exaggerating. Every fucking muscle in my body aches.

R - It didn't even hurt this bad after intense MMA rounds.

I chuckled.

E - Want me to bring you some Advil?

R - No. With muscle pain like this, it's best to just push through it and even double down on the next workout.

E - Double down, you say? Done!

R - Don't make promises you can't keep.

E - I never would.

In the days and weeks that followed, Rose and I reached an all new level of closeness. In fact, I knew, without a doubt, that I had never felt that close to anyone in my life. We still bickered occasionally; and oh, how I loved to piss her off – furious sex, and the inevitable subsequent makeup sex, made anger my new favorite emotion.

Being with Rose was so different than any of the others. It was never easy and calm and rarely ever tender; but it also wasn't kinky or adventurous the way Alice always was either. Rose really was like a raging storm that was just as fierce as it was tranquil, and I was quickly becoming a professional storm-chaser. She was like a drug to me, and unlike with Alice, I honestly couldn't get enough of her. She had so many pent-up emotions that sometimes I felt more like her punching bag during an intense kickboxing session. She took out everything she had on me, but I found myself eagerly anticipating each and every blow. No matter how many times we fucked, my body always begged for more.

But sex wasn't all that we did. Like a real couple, we went out, and we continued to explore the world to the best of our ability. Despite Rose still refusing to claim Charlie as her own father, we also spent some quality time with him. We took him to dinner at least once a week, as well as a few baseball games. I made them both try sushi for the first time, and they each wore matching expressions of disgust. It was fucking hilarious!

In addition to hanging with Charlie, we also double dated with Kate and Garrett, except now we were the ones who wouldn't stop making out at every chance we got.

Rose and Kate were the best of friends, and I never had a truer buddy than Garrett. But whenever they had their daughter with them, things between Rose and I always got slightly off. Irina was such a sweet girl, but like bereaved parents, she was a painful reminder to us of losing Bree. And of course, in thinking about Bree, we would be overcome with sorrow about all of them. In those days of grief, Rose and I hardly spoke, and we certainly didn't have sex; we lived like two strangers with a gigantic wall between us. She didn't even come to my bed at night. But like with all other forms of grief, we would go through the cycle, except at an accelerated pace, and we would soon come back to the acceptance stage.

None of them were coming back, so there was nothing left to do but live the best we could without them…