Bite of Life

by Snowing 12d

There's no glory in the understanding that settles between them, there's only the comfort of familiarity. It's not that the past has made them stronger, it wasn't essential to becoming who they are. They could have less troubled minds and hearts without their histories. It isn't the tragic backstory of a wounded heroine needing to be healed, it's the shallow graves for parts of the

One shot!

Rosalie's movements are purposefully slow. The only sounds in the garage are her tinkering and her breathing, Victoria doesn't bother to breathe. That's why Rosalie is making so much noise. She knows just how much it must be annoying the other woman.

"Do you mind?" It's more of a growl than a question.

"I do mind. I'm stuck here with you while my family is in danger. I would rip you to pieces if Carlisle wouldn't lecture me over it."

"I'm not the one who put your family in danger. Your coven did that, why would you bring a human around like she's a vampire?" Victoria critiques, Rosalie rolls out from under the car.

"You're not saying anything I haven't yet, don't think too highly of yourself."

Victoria bares her teeth, her whole body vibrating. "It's more that I think lowly of whatever imbecile dragged a human into this life. She'll be dead or turned soon enough."

"I tried stopping them, Edward's an idiot. You were ready to butcher her on the field, what changed your loyalty?" Rosalie sets her tool on the table, crossing her arms.

"What's your enhancement?" Victoria changes the subject, looking down for the first time. She's been tightly wound the whole time, waiting for a fight to breakout. She holds Rosalie's gaze which honestly impresses her, the only other person she's met who can hold her glare is Alice.

"Enhancement?"

"Yeah, like the Volturi have Jane."

"An ability? I don't have one."

"Every vampire has an enhancement, some just manifest more obviously like Jane's." Rosalie would be amused at how similar Victoria's lecture voice sounds to Carlisle's if she wasn't rubbing against her last nerve.

"What's James'?" Rosalie knows she shouldn't be bringing up the elephant in the room but she wants to test Victoria's control.

"Edward already knows it and I confirmed it. Why ask a question you already know the answer to?" Victoria's words are practically laced with poison.

"Why abandon your coven?"

Victoria's arm is across her throat, her teeth inches from Rosalie's face. Rosalie curses under her breath at the crunch of metal beneath her. "I didn't abandon anyone."

"I'm not so sure James and Laurent would agree."

Victoria presses her deeper into the car, looming over her. She bends to follow Rosalie's body, Victoria's other hand placed beside her head against the car. Rosalie is surprised it isn't just cutting through the metal. "I warned them both countless times that following James' hunts has gotten dangerous. I told them to exercise more caution. This isn't on me. You forget that I've doomed my mate to death. Maybe, if I were you, I'd watch my words. If it weren't for me, how many coven-mates would you be sweeping up? All. For. A. Human."

Victoria pushes off of her, walking away visibly trying to calm down. Rosalie can't stop seeing her red eyes, all emotion. She'll be the first to admit there's a bit of a superiority complex to being a golden eyed vampire. She knows all of them, even Esme, feel to some degree that they're stronger and better than their red eye counterparts. It isn't a conscious thing most of the time. At some point she must have gotten it into her head that they feel more as well. They didn't eat humans because they feel more, so red eyes have to feel less.

Except, it's not true.

Watching Victoria stalk across the room, her eyes flaring with anger and mourning, she knows it's not true.

"He isn't your mate." Victoria freezes, turning her head at an angle that resembles a horror movie villain as she peers through the veil of her hair. "I'm not diminishing your relationship, I'm just clarifying something. I don't know exactly what you believe or what he told you but he isn't your mate. If he were your mate, you wouldn't be able to do this." Rosalie is sure to finish her point before Victoria decides to attack her again. Rosalie would hate to have to kick Victoria's ass through her garage, she already lost one car today.

"Perhaps for some of us, our nature is stronger than our love." Victoria sounds so old in that moment that it makes Rosalie wonder just how old she is.

"You're too cold-hearted for a mate? I've heard that one before. Trust me, he isn't worth it." How many times has she been the brunt of such jokes from her siblings?

Victoria gives her an odd look. "Do you hate me or not?"

Rosalie sighs, herding Victoria out of the garage and into the living room. "I despise you. I held a grudge against Jasper for three years when he scratched one of my babies' doors. Put that into perspective and well…" Rosalie trails off, sitting on the couch and grabbing the remote.

"I'm fucked?" Victoria asks with a hint of a grin.

It's the first time since she came to them, selling out James for her own protection, that she hasn't looked miserable. "Exactly."

"So why bother being polite? Politeness is wasted against enemies."

"You aren't an enemy as much as a nuisance."

"Are you sure about that?" Rosalie cuts her eyes to the side, seeing Victoria's grin having doubled in size.

"Absolutely not, I'm very willing to end you if this is a trap. I should warn you that these boots are new. Should I have to fight and the heel breaks, you'll regret it."

Victoria leans back, throwing her arms across the back of the couch. Rosalie is aware of the difference in their positions. Rosalie's legs are crossed and her back is straight while Victoria practically sprawls across the couch. "What will you do, stake me?"

"If you aren't careful."

"Well, I better not be careful." Rosalie raises an eyebrow but her response is cut off by the sound of wheels on gravel. Victoria stills, the dread from before back in full force.

Carlisle is the first in the house, everyone following behind. No one seems injured, even Bella seems in one piece. It's remarkable considering the girl's track record. Victoria's warning must have made the difference.

Victoria's expression is blank but Rosalie sees Jasper's face twitch. She knows Victoria is anything but unfeeling. She can practically see the ways Victoria's eyes would narrow, the red rippling, even though she refuses to look in Victoria's direction. She feels a wave of calm and knows Jasper must be trying to ease the room.

"James?" Victoria finally asks, even though the rest of her family being back only means one thing.

"Dead." Carlisle replies simply but not unkindly.

"I see." Victoria's good, Rosalie will give her that.

"That's it?" Emmett looks surprised by Victoria's acceptance.

"I told you his plan didn't I? I didn't exactly expect you all to have tea and call it a day." Victoria sneers at him.

"What are your plans?" Carlisle asks her.

"She doesn't know." Edward replies. Rosalie internally groans before Victoria snaps her head in his direction.

"I can speak for myself." If Rosalie thought Victoria was angry at her before, she was mistaken. This is what Victoria looks like when she's really angry.

"Planning on running off to roam alone? Find a new coven?" Rosalie asks.

"Being alone is better." Victoria looks at her for the first time since they came back. Rosalie doesn't back down, ever. She knows a challenge when she sees one. Victoria is like a wild animal in some ways.

"I've been alone and I've been in a coven. It's moderately better." Rosalie replies dryly, leaning forward despite herself.

"Gee, thanks." Emmett grumbles.

"I've been in two covens now and it never ends well. The only thing worse than humans are other vampires." Rosalie's mind races at Victoria's declaration. She wants to know about the first coven, needs to. Rosalie hates not knowing all the pieces of a story.

"You run off, what then? You survive? You hunt alone, live alone, what's the point?"

"You said it, survival. Despite their immortality, vampire's lives are short. I've seen more vampires torn apart than you've met."

"If life is fleeting, why waste it?" Rosalie presses, ignoring her family's bewildered expressions. She doesn't blame them. It's not like she ever really talks when they're grouped up. She definitely doesn't contribute to family talks or decisions, she usually scorns them all from the sidelines.

"What would you suggest? Staying here?" Victoria scoffs at the idea, eyes widening when she realizes that is exactly what Rosalie means.

"Why not?"

Victoria looks like she doesn't know how to respond for a moment. "What do you gain from it?"

"I just like the way you make Edward twitch uncomfortably and hover over Bella." Rosalie smiles at Edward's affronted look.

"You are welcome to stay, of course. You just have to be willing to change your diet." Carlisle cuts in.

"If you think you can manage that." Rosalie fake smiles.

"You want me to stay and change my entire life. What do I get?" Victoria asks Rosalie.

"I'll forgive the incident in the garage."

Victoria's leaning forward as well now. She looks every inch the predator stalking prey. She doesn't think any amount of time will change that about Victoria. It doesn't matter if she switches diets and joins their coven, she'll always be a predator. More so than any of them. "What if I don't want you to forgive me?"

Rosalie's lips twitch in response. "That's doable." Her family ping pongs shocked looks between the two of them but Rosalie refuses to break eye contact.

Victoria's grin grows into something pleased and intrigued. "I am not acting as one of their children."

"We have a hot aunt." Emmett cuts in and Edward glares at him.

"Are you sure this is…wise? She was working with James and Laurent. Until now, she's happily killed humans." Edward asks Carlisle nervously.

Carlisle presses his lips together in a small but hopeful smile. "Let's hope so. Everyone deserves a second chance." Any protests die on her siblings lips as they all catch sight of Carlisle's determined expression.

Victoria leans back again, putting her feet on the table. She leans her head back and then turns to look at Bella. "Your human reeks."

"Watch it!" Edward glares at Victoria. Rosalie grins to herself and looks away.

"House of vampires, a sweaty human. I'm not saying I'm going to kill her, I'm just suggesting you hose her off. If you want to test your poorly controlled siblings, go for it." Victoria makes it sound like it's a suggestion or like she's just being helpful but her smile isn't nice at all.

"Our aunt's an asshole." Emmett rolls his eyes and playfully shoves at a blushing Bella.

"Just wait until she changes diets." Alice laughs, the twinkle in her eye a sign she's seen something.

"I'm going to be the first vampire to grey." Edward mutters, guiding Bella upstairs.

Rosalie raises an eyebrow at Alice in askance and she shakes her head in response. "Trust me, surprises will make the following months more interesting." Alice answers.

The Cullen Coven gains another member.

Victoria catches the deer with no issues but she practically gags at the taste. "What an awful decision."

"What do I look like?" Victoria lets herself into Rosalie's room, a move no one else in the house would ever dare.

"A hippie who hasn't caught on that it's no longer in style."

"I-"

"A survivor who's found in the woods ten years after going missing?"

"You-"

"A contestant on a survival reality show where they go one week without fast food and they think they're like a Spartan?"

Victoria throws herself onto Rosalie's bed hard enough to dent the wall and crack her headboard, she tucks her feet under her. "What's a reality show?"

"You have a penchant for breaking my things. It's not good for your health."

"Have you replaced Carlisle as the doctor?"

"To declare you dead? I must have."

"I'll replace your headboard."

Rosalie remembers to volunteer Emmett for Alice's next shopping trip when she hears him laugh at that. That'll shut him up for a few weeks. "You could get your disgusting feet off my bed."

Victoria looks at her for a few moments before ignoring her. "What do I look like I could do? I need a job since I'm posing as an adult."

"What is it you do? Other than freeload, that is."

"Hunt humans?" Victoria's lips lift and her eyes glow, knowing she made a few members of the household uncomfortable. Victoria's taken to the diet easily enough, far easier than some. It's led to bruised egos. Rosalie knows Victoria misses drinking from humans. It's surprisingly unsettling to watch the red fade from Victoria's eyes. It seemed to fit her better.

"I know a few humans I wouldn't mind gone."

This pleases Victoria, as Rosalie expected it would. She likes when Rosalie plays along. Victoria leans forward, a hand landing behind Rosalie. Her hair falls and brushes against Rosalie's arm as she tilts her head to read Rosalie's magazine. "Just give me their names." Victoria murmurs, still loud enough for the others to hear. Rosalie has her ways of tormenting the others and Victoria has her own. All Victoria has to do is even hint at murder or drinking from humans and most of the household becomes wracked with worry or judgement. Rosalie is surprised they let her stay, all things considered.

Rosalie almost suggests Bella but it isn't worth fighting Edward over it again. They all know where she stands on the issue.

Victoria reaches out and turns the page, Rosalie catches her fingers in a tight grip. "It would be smart to keep your hands off my things."

"Where's the fun in that?" Victoria challenges. Rather than threaten Victoria yet again, Rosalie simply tightens until she hears cracks. Victoria huffs at her. "You were done reading that page."

"How do you know that?" She was but she doesn't know how Victoria knows as much.

"You focus intently when you're doing something, it's obvious when you finish it." Victoria takes the question seriously. Maybe she knew it was the best way to throw Rosalie off.

"How exactly do you, the person who didn't realize Emmett and I weren't together, notice that?" She doesn't necessarily consider Victoria the smartest in the coven.

"You forget to blink."

Rosalie never noticed that. How much attention is Victoria paying to her?

She lets go of Victoria's fingers.

As soon as Rosalie finishes the pages, Victoria's hand reaches out to turn the page again. Rosalie doesn't grab or threaten her. Victoria's hair is blocking her face but Rosalie can feel the smug smile. Victoria turns four more pages before she starts resting her hand on Rosalie's knee.

She almost throws Victoria across the room.

She doesn't, in the end.

She could lie to herself and say it's just because she doesn't want to give Victoria a reaction and something to taunt Rosalie with. She just doesn't want to break this surprisingly nice moment. Reading a magazine with Victoria, with the sounds of Emmett and Jasper playing video games in the background, is the first time since they came back to Forks that she feels herself really relax.

Victoria wipes at her mouth, barely stopping at scrubbing her tongue. "When does it stop tasting terrible?"

Rosalie doesn't twitch at how close Victoria and Bella are sitting. Edward absolutely does.

While Victoria and Bella aren't friends, they aren't not. It unnerves Rosalie.

Bella is the worst thing since crocs were invented.

Rosalie is almost sure that Victoria's befriending Bella just to annoy her. Rosalie's whole plan of Victoria annoying Edward and Bella is backfiring. At least Edward is irritated.

"We have entirely different tastes in books."

Bella looks distraught at Victoria's statement. "How can you dislike Wuthering Heights?"

"I can't stand old books. Trust me, after living through those times it's not the kind of thing you want to read." Bella's eyes light up and Rosalie doesn't need Edward's ability to know a million questions are going through her mind about Victoria's experiences. Blessedly, she refrains from interrogating Victoria. She's still not completely comfortable around them all and Rosalie hopes she never is.

"What's the earliest you'll read?"

"If you like it, I probably won't." Rosalie smirks at Bella's upset expression.

"Maybe you'd like Alice's westerns." Emmett teases Alice who sticks her tongue out.

"I don't trust anyone with my westerns." Alice warns pointedly.

"You read ebooks. What are we going to do, crease the spine?" Emmett rolls his eyes.

"Break the glass." Alice says pointedly.

"Westerns aren't my thing either." Victoria cuts in.

"The classics tend to be more romantic than realistic portrayals." Carlisle pipes. It makes sense to Rosalie that Bella, Edward, and Carlisle would be the most ready to defend older novels.

"That's why I won't read them. Anything that romanticizes how it was…I can't. Women were cattle. They were objects to be possessed, purchased and sold." Something dark passes over Victoria's face before it falls aside.

Alice breaks the tense silence. "That's why you should read my westerns. The only cattle is the steamy rancher's." Emmett throws a pillow at Alice and they both freeze when it explodes in a cloud of stuffing.

Esme sighs at the scene.

Rosalie nods her head towards the front door and Victoria follows, walking side by side. They walk the path to the main road, gravel crunching beneath their feet. The sounds of Alice and Emmett play fighting grows quieter with every step.

"I hate talking about the past." Victoria says eventually.

"I can understand that."

"None of your books, shows, movies show how it really was. That's why I avoid it."

"I know."

"I also don't like reading. Bella just happens to love it."

Victoria tells Rosalie about her human life. Victoria doesn't flinch or react to what she says, it's a fact to her. She recalls it with the ease of someone used to tending the wound but with a hesitance that hints she doesn't readily speak of it. She's choosing to tell Rosalie but she won't bring it up again unless necessary.

In turn, Rosalie feels her own story unravel.

She, like Victoria, only speaks in the broadest of terms. No specifics. She isn't sure if it's because Victoria has forgotten the details due to her age. All vampires find their human memories murky, she wonders if it worsens the longer one lives as a vampire. She doesn't think that's it. Victoria isn't the kind of person to forget anything.

It's just that their stories don't need elaboration. Victoria's lips twist partially into Rosalie's story as if she already knows it's direction. Rosalie likely had the same expression when it became clear to her where Victoria's story was headed.

It does make Rosalie reassess Victoria. Humanity slides into place. She's seen Victoria the vampire, the hunter, the survivor, but now she sees Victoria the human.

Edward often prods Rosalie over her complex view of humans. She detests their idiocy and immaturity but she is painfully jealous. It's a mix of hate and adoration. She wishes she could be a human once more, she wishes for a child, but she can never have either. She knows it makes her petty but she hates them so much for that.

Especially Bella.

Bella who has all the virtues that comes with humanity and spits on them all for a boy.

She's able to piece more of Victoria together in her mind. She sees a person rather than another addition to their family.

She ignores the part of herself that argues she's already started seeing her as a person.

Victoria tells her about her sister leaving, the prostitution, how her sister came back for her, the coven. Victoria trails off when she mentions the coven, her coven. Vampire eidetic memory making each cut that much deeper. Rosalie doesn't push her on it.

Victoria learns about Royce.

There's no glory in the understanding that settles between them, there's only the comfort of familiarity. It's not that the past has made them stronger, it wasn't essential to becoming who they are. They could have less troubled minds and hearts without their histories. It isn't the tragic backstory of a wounded heroine needing to be healed, it's the shallow graves for parts of their souls.

Victoria watches the mountain lion walk away and sighs, considering cheating for not the first time. Then she imagined Rosalie's smug smile, like she wasn't surprised Victoria couldn't do it. Victoria begrudgingly follows the animal.

"She's in the art studio." Edward answers Rosalie without her saying anything.

She inhales harshly at his casual invasion but he's quick to wince in apology. She doesn't lecture him this time, he gets enough of it. She tries not to think about the allowances she's been giving her siblings lately.

Victoria's painting.

Rosalie stops at the entrance and forgets what she wanted in the first place.

"Are you going to come in?" Victoria asks without stopping. Rosalie notices Victoria is wearing a tank top that Alice bought her. She isn't sure if Alice would be happy that Victoria is finally coming around to Alice's clothes or upset that she's ruined it with paint, Rosalie will have to ask.

"I'm delighted!" Alice practically squeals from her room. Rosalie laughs and Victoria finally looks at her. Victoria's fingers twitch around her paintbrush and her eyes crinkle.

"You paint?" Rosalie fails to keep the surprise out of her voice. Victoria lances her with a piercing look. "I didn't think you could do anything but some finger painting, maybe a cave painting or two."

"The only painting I thought you could do is your face."

"Are you jealous? I'm sure Alice would love to teach you all about makeup."

The sound Alice lets out is so high pitched Rosalie winces. "You know cave paintings are important." Rosalie blinks at Victoria's comment. To give up ground in their argument, Victoria must feel pretty strongly about it. It's not that Rosalie disagrees, just because early art is old doesn't invalidate it. If anything, it shows the ingenuity of humans. She's just surprised the one person who hates humans more than her thinks as much.

"For as idiotic as humans are, they're still able to create something beautiful." Peace it will be. Edward snorts at the thought, she's rethinking her decision to let his indiscretions slide. He's getting too comfortable.

Victoria snorts. "You give them too much credit. How do you know it was humans in the first place?"

Rosalie hides her grin at Victoria's criticism. She moves to look at the canvas and Victoria twists it away. "You can't see."

Rosalie crosses her arms. "I can't see?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"It's going to be your gift."

"Gift for what?"

Victoria shrugs at her. "Birthday? Christmas? Congratulations on finally slaughtering the town?"

Rosalie smiles and takes a step forward. Victoria brandishes her paintbrush. "I can see a gift."

"You can ruin fun too." Victoria sighs, turning the canvas towards her.

"That's what they tell me."

The painting is almost offensively bad. It's a misshapen Spartan warrior sitting in a hippie van, surrounded by trees. Even the wheels aren't the same size. Rosalie looks at Victoria and finds her grinning, tongue trapped between her teeth as she takes in Rosalie's reaction. "Burn it." Victoria laughs heartily.

"You can't reject a gift."

Rosalie catches sight of other stacked canvases and she walks over to them. Crouching she flits through them. They're much better. Good, even. They're brighter and more colorful than she thought Victoria would choose. "You paint."

"I haven't in a while." Victoria shrugs as if she isn't stacking paintings that would sell big like they're coasters.

"It would be perfect." Rosalie murmurs, eventually standing.

"Hm?" Victoria's attention back to the painting, adding the ugliest orange as the Spartan's hair color.

"You don't like humans. You have no aspirations to be near them. You could officially be a painter. People would accept you as reclusive since most people would wave it away as artsy behavior. You'd just have to make a few appearances."

"It could work. It's weird after living nomadic for so long."

"Good or bad weird?"

Victoria pauses and holds Rosalie's gaze. "I haven't decided yet."

Victoria sighs.

Rosalie feels an itch under her skin. She wants to get away but she isn't sure where to. She's got that feeling when she's around the family too much. She is tired of people always around, always listening, always in her space.

She isolated herself in her garage as the bad mood really sets in.

She wants to go to California or Florida, somewhere where she can lay on a beach and not hear her family's personal issues. She can't even lay in the sun because of vampirism. She stops and breathes when she accidentally snaps metal. Now she's got to fix that.

She hears someone spin a wrench obnoxiously and knows who it is immediately.

She rolls out and Victoria's eyes widen slightly. "They weren't kidding." She controls her steps as she walks over and yanks the wrench out of Victoria's hands. "Take off your overalls." Victoria fingers the material with a critical look for someone who regularly wears an obnoxious Irish t-shirt. Rosalie's pretty sure she took it off a human but for peace of the house she doesn't mention it.

"Get out."

"We are getting out." Victoria twirls a set of keys.

"Do you even know how to drive?"

"Care to find out?"

"Not in one of my cars."

"You'll enjoy the day away." Victoria says.

Victoria manages to get Rosalie to agree. Rosalie crosses her legs and pulls out her phone during the drive. Victoria turns on the radio and quickly turns it off when the music isn't to her taste. Rosalie doesn't bother explaining she could change the station or put in a CD.

Rosalie isn't sure why she agreed to come out. If it were anyone else she would have ripped their arms off. Victoria just happens to be one of the least offensive of her family.

She's never gotten along with Edward. She loves him, not that she'd ever say it, but being turned to be his mate more or less set her against him. His righteousness also grates on her. She appreciates Emmett's levity and his surprising sensitivity but for the same reason she had Carlisle turn him, she finds it difficult to be near him. Sometimes looking at him is like looking at a ghost.

Jasper and her don't really have much of a relationship despite posing as Hale siblings. She likes his seriousness and reserved manner but that's about it. She adores Alice, the monster is the only person who really challenged her before Victoria came along. Alice takes being a sister very seriously.

She loves Carlisle and Esme but like all children, she has parental issues.

Victoria is different.

Victoria is quick to rebut Rosalie's comments, she'll fight her as often as she plays along. Sometimes they're a united front against the family and other times Victoria will side with anyone to annoy Rosalie. She's not like any of the others. She is completely absent of the purism that can plague their family at times and it's a fresh breath for Rosalie. Victoria doesn't need to prove anything, she doesn't lament over her damned soul, even if they don't agree about being human. Rosalie would become human in an instant if it was a choice, Victoria would not. In many ways, Rosalie thinks Victoria was born for this life rather than the last.

In some ways, Rosalie feels like an outsider in her family. She isn't mated like most of the others. They dismiss her as heartless or as a bitch just because she'll say what they won't. Victoria's an outsider too although she wears it well. She doesn't act like it phases her to be judged by the others and Rosalie's sure it's because it really doesn't bother Victoria. Victoria joined the coven but the others aren't so readily accepting. They abide by Carlisle's word because he's the leader. Carlisle looks at Victoria as another person he can save. As all outsiders do, they fall together. She doesn't mind spending time with Victoria as she does much of her family.

It's interesting watching Victoria acclimate to the modern world. As a nomadic vampire, she didn't really adapt as technology came out and is now having to learn it all at once. She holds a deep content for the past but she also finds many modern applications a nuisance. It's another way she just doesn't fit into the human world. She isn't part of the old or new world.

"We're here."

"It's sunny." Rosalie points out.

"No one will find us here." Victoria explains, stepping out without worry. Rosalie follows and watches the diamonds dance across Victoria's skin. Rosalie hasn't seen her in the sun before.

They have to walk a while before the trail dips down and opens to a small beach. It's barely a beach, but it's a beach.

"Oh." There's no people, no hideous umbrellas or garbage.

Victoria sits down near the water but doesn't let it touch her. Rosalie sits a bit back, watching the waves. Victoria lays back and stretches with a groan. She reminds Rosalie of a wild cat. Victoria seems at ease and tired but she knows better. She's hidden strength and sharp teeth.

"How'd you know?"

"Edward. He told me you were fed up with everyone. I came here when James and Laurent annoyed me one day. If it helped me, I thought it might help you."

How thoughtful.

"Do you miss them?" Rosalie finds herself asking.

Rosalie can make out the shutter of Victoria's eyelashes. "All the time. James had this way of owning a room. It didn't matter how busy he got, he always wanted me by his side." Victoria's tone is wistful but all Rosalie can think of is Bella shaking, Alice's dry eyes incapable of crying as an ugly truth is revealed, how many quiet tears has Victoria cried over James? She mentions her old coven and Victoria immediately latches onto James, like she trained not to talk about anyone else.

"How'd you two meet?"

Victoria's grin turns wicked. "I outmatched him. He caught my scent and you know how that goes. Every time he got close I'd get away. I started teasing him, letting him get closer. He was enamored." Rosalie feels the growl start and she quickly halts its path. He hunted Victoria with the intention of murdering her and Victoria looks like she misses the man? If Rosalie was confused over whether they were mates, which she was not, that confusion is gone. No one can hunt or hurt their mate. Not for the first time, she rejoices in his death.

He couldn't hurt Victoria and call it love anymore.

She despises Bella but Rosalie is grateful that she was spared his particular brand of pain.

Rosalie doesn't say anything that might soil the moment, keeping her response to herself. There's some things Victoria isn't ready to hear yet.

She lays on her back as well, throwing an arm over her eyes as if she could ever really rest. Despite her sarcasm at the thought, she does find herself slipping into a restful state. The sound of the waves and the not quite heat of the sun lull her. Victoria doesn't disturb her, just lays beside her. The almost human experience of it all repairs her crackling mood.

The sun is turning shades of pink by the time she opens her eyes again.

Victoria has turned and pressed her nose against the side of Rosalie's knee, forehead against her thigh. "I'm not much of a pillow when you can't sleep." Rosalie points out.

"I'm preventing sun damage." Rosalie tilts her head down and finds Victoria looking up at her with a clouded expression. It isn't one Rosalie is familiar with. It looks like there's a machine running behind Victoria's eyes.

"From the last few minutes of sun exposure?"

"I burn so you live another day?"

"Exactly. My enhancement is working hard."

"That's hardly fair."

"You're right." Victoria rolls over and starts to crawl towards Rosalie. Victoria's hands and knees dig into the soft sand and Rosalie imagines her lithe muscles bunching before springing after a deer. Victoria hovers over her for a moment and the world stops. It doesn't start again until Victoria turns over onto her back, laying in the sand beside her.

Rosalie tried to ignore how they're pressed together, heads only inches apart. Rosalie doesn't turn to look at her but she feels Victoria's eyes on her. She watches as the moon and stars take over the sky. "What's your enhancement?" Last time she threw James at Victoria, she won't this time.

"Survival."

"Survival?"

"I have the uncanny ability to escape death. It varies. Sometimes it's just luck and sometimes it's a feeling."

"What's mine?"

"Beauty." Rosalie turns her head to glare but Victoria isn't joking or trying to earn favor, she's stating a fact. Rosalie lets the usual anger at people's comments on her looks slide away.

"I have a cousin who can immobilize a vampire with a single electrical touch, I have you who could be immortal depending on the situation, and my enhancement is being pretty?"

"Do you?" Victoria asks, turning to look at the moon.

"What?"

"Have me?" Rosalie knows the waves haven't crashed over them but that's how she feels. She doesn't respond, can't respond. Her immediate response is to say no one can have Victoria. She isn't a thing to be possessed like James had treated her. She wants to argue Victoria's opinions of how the world sees or had seen women. She can't because the implications of Victoria's words have set free a stampede in Rosalie's chest. "I wouldn't worry too much, there's worse things than being the most beautiful woman on Earth. I once knew a vampire who's enhancement was hair growth. Immortal and she still has to shave her legs. Personally, I've never bothered shaving."

Victoria lets the moment pass and Rosalie does her best to enjoy the rest of their time away.

Rosalie laughs as she makes sure her face is clean. She's never seen Victoria hunt and the expression of disgust on her face is priceless.

"Keep laughing and I'll leave you nothing but rodents."

"You're to leave as well?" Rosalie watches Victoria's jaw tighten and her eyes blaze.

"I never wanted to come here." Rosalie reminds her.

"You talked me into joining your coven. I only joined for you. Surely, you know that." Victoria doesn't let Rosalie refute the point.

Rosalie's glad she doesn't have a heartbeat to betray her, it allows her to keep her mask in place. "What does this have to do with us leaving?"

Victoria looks at her with disbelief. The family is surprised by Victoria's reaction to their decision to leave but wisely keeps quiet. Victoria's eyes narrow and her fingers dig into her legs as if she's restraining herself. "You convinced me to join your coven and now you'll force us to part ways."

"What?" Carlisle interrupts.

"Perhaps they don't know any better due to their youth but surely you do, Carlisle. You don't foster a creature and then leave it. There's only two options now that you've brought her into this world. You kill her and be done with it or you protect her." Edward snarls, misinterpreting her words as a threat.

Victoria doesn't even flinch, she condemns him with a single look.

A growl breaks the tension between the two. Victoria looks back to Rosalie and relaxes, trying to soothe Rosalie's frayed instincts. Jasper gives her a surprised look at both the growl and her warring emotions. Rosalie has only felt more hate one time in her life. She hates Bella so much at this moment, hates that the girl was ever born let alone came into their lives. She feels a rage course through her useless veins. If she wouldn't lose Edward entirely, she'd rip the girl's head off.

Edward growls and Alice pointedly clears her throat, he calms down but shoots daggers at her.

"You would leave us for her?" Rosalie's lip curls at the thought.

"I left many young girls behind and many have been taken away. I couldn't protect them but I can protect this one. Do you really believe that the Volturi won't find her if she's left unchecked? I watched them slaughter my coven. I refuse to give them more victims." Rosalie feels a wave of empathy for the loss in Victoria's voice, the longing and pain that's always there on the rare occasion she talks of her old coven, but it can't calm her anger. "It's not me leaving the coven that upsets you."

Rosalie snorts derisively. "What else would I be upset about?"

Victoria gives her just as damning a look as she gave Edward. "You know exactly what."

"If you want to rot watching over Edward's discarded toy, go for it." She moves to stomp past Victoria but she sidesteps into Rosalie's path.

"I'm not choosing anything. Your coven shouldn't leave. You follow Edward's worries with no thought of the girl you all claimed as family. You should stay, you don't have to go with them."

"None of us can stay! We're endangering Bella. She's safest away from us. The Volturi won't find her if there's no vampires near her. She's smart and she cares for us, she'd never speak about vampires to anyone." Edward entreats, his soft manner broken by his anger. He keeps glaring at Victoria, unhappy with her decision.

"You do not control me. I will stay, you can too. That's your choice."

"Then you choose her." Rosalie glares at Victoria.

Victoria reaches out and tries to take her hand only for Rosalie to yank it away. "Rose, I need you to understand. I've had my choices taken away for most of my life. This one decision, I know it's right. Don't hate me for it."

Rosalie hesitates.

She knows better than most how important choices are. She knows how much Victoria has suffered for not having that ability, both as a human and as a vampire.

She not only understands but she empathizes. She's heard it from Victoria, she's shared enough vulnerability with the other woman to have an idea of how complex this issue is to her. In any other case, she would be on Victoria's side. She always wants to be on Victoria's side and that thought hurts.

She wants to tell Edward to fuck off. She wants to demand that Carlisle hears Victoria out and considers staying. She wants to always, no matter the situation, stand beside Victoria.

She can't.

Victoria is choosing Bella over her.

Rosalie can't look at it any other way. There is a choice, Bella or Rosalie. Rosalie would choose Victoria, every time. It doesn't really matter to her who it'd be between, she knows it would be Victoria. Victoria won't choose her.

Victoria's normally confident facade crumbles as she reads Rosalie's expression. Victoria smiles sadly and Rosalie's never seen that look before. Even when Victoria recounts her pain, she doesn't look sad. Not like this. Victoria steps closer, pressing her lips to the corner of Rosalie's mouth. "Perhaps…" Victoria stops, her voice cutting out as vampires never do. It's the most human reaction Rosalie has ever seen her use. "For some of us, our nature is stronger than our love."

Rosalie takes a deep breath and if this were a cartoon steam would be coming out of her ears. This isn't a cartoon. There isn't anything funny about this or a happy ending in sight. There's just Victoria throwing old words at her. Who's nature does she mean? Who does she consider the guilty party? Does she think that this is her survival kicking up or has she finally sided with Rosalie's siblings? Which of them has earned their spot as cold-hearted?

Rosalie knows who she puts the blame on.

She pushes past Victoria and she doesn't look back as she leaves the house.

She imagines this is how someone with an untreated injury feels. A wound so large that death is assured so the medic moves along. A wound that takes days, weeks to die from. It sits and festers, tears at the slightest provocation.

Edward says Victoria's name and Rosalie puts him through a wall.

It tears.

Alice sees something and worriedly looks towards Rosalie and she leaves for a week.

It rips.

They move on as if Edward is a miserable sack and he throws Victoria at her again, claiming she's just as bad as him.

It breaks.

She leaves her family, in desperate need of time alone.

It doesn't help.

All she can think about is the person who would have seeked her out.

Victoria wouldn't let her brood. She'd run a hand across one of her cars just to make Rosalie angry and then calm her down, effectively getting her out of a funk. Victoria would bully and prod and push until she completely unseated her. She'd tease Rosalie and tell her she's starting to become Edward just to piss her off but then insult him in the next breath and Victoria would make her laugh.

Victoria would drag her to the couch and put on a trashy reality show that no one else, not even Alice, would watch. They're one of the few modern things Victoria really took to. Rosalie has no idea why, she never asked.

She should have asked.

It doesn't matter anymore, Victoria made her choice.

It doesn't matter that she feels like her own feelings have turned against her, seeking to hollow her out.

It's a physical ache that fills her chest. She spent her vampire years wishing to have her heart beating in her chest once more and now she wishes to return it. Every phantom beat hurts worse than the last.

She blames Victoria for it.

She blames Bella for it.

She almost destroys her family because of it all. She almost fucks up worse than she ever has.

Victoria clarifies a misunderstanding and it stops the worst from happening. No one is very surprised at Alice's almost vision of Edward going to the Volturi.

She thinks on how messed up that is.

Esme looks at Edward like he's her own past and no one notices. He carelessly dredges up old pains that Esme will never fully be beyond and no one even thinks to check on her.

That's messed up too.

She's never been especially close to Esme, not out of all them. She makes sure to stick close to her while everyone else frets over Edward. She takes Rosalie's hand and doesn't let go. The momma bear has to stay strong for the cubs, the grip says. Some cubs dare to have a brain cell, the answering squeeze says.

Edward's arm doesn't leave Bella's shoulder once they're reunited.

Alice looks at her worried.

Victoria's leaning against the wall behind Bella and Edward, already staring at Rosalie.

Rosalie looks away.

It's all fine now, just ask any of them. Edward and Bella are back together, the Cullens are back in Forks.

Besides the posturing wolves, everything is great.

"Rose." Edward says under his breath, trying to afford them some privacy.

"Don't." Rosalie cuts in.

"She saved Bella, more than once."

"I don't care." Rosalie hisses, leaving Edward and the house. She'll go another hunt she doesn't need to. Anything to get her away from them.

She doesn't care if it's self-absorbed or that her family thinks she's being a bitch over it. Victoria had the audacity to say she joined the coven for Rosalie. To claim such a thing and then to choose Bella of all people.

She wanted to be picked.

"Rosalie." The very person she's avoiding steps into the field. Rosalie looks away. "I'm a selfish person, Rose. Survivors have to be. You don't make it by looking out for others. They'll drag you down so you have to cut them free. I cut my own mate free, practically handed the Cullens the match. I would do just about anything to survive. As soon as you walked out that door, I realized there's a lot of definitions to survival."

"I don't want to hear it. I don't want to talk."

"Too bad. I questioned my decision as soon as I saw the betrayal in your eyes. I'll betray someone, hurt them, use them, but I didn't want to hurt you. Why was I risking everything for a human I barely like? I had a feeling about it and I have learned to always follow them, they've saved my life more times than I can count. I don't know what would have happened if I left. My indecision faded after the first day."

That gets Rosalie's attention. Anger fills her to the brim. "That easy?"

"She got lost and almost died in the woods, I found her. He broke her. All of you leaving broke her." Victoria looks away, thinking over her own words. "I'm a survivor but is it too much to want them to survive too?"

Rosalie ignores everything she knows about Victoria, she avoids looking at the dark and wounded expression on her face. She doesn't think about whatever is haunting Victoria because honestly, it's not on her to care anymore. "Are you done?"

Victoria almost winces but nods instead. Rosalie walks up to her and sticks her finger into Victoria's sternum. "Listen here, I don't care. You made your choice, it's over. Stop explaining it, stop searching me out, whatever friendship we had is over. Go find Bella fucking Swan if you get the urge to talk." Rosalie shoves Victoria slightly and turns to flee the woods.

"I didn't think you were a runner." Victoria's voice hardens.

Rosalie grits her teeth and doesn't turn back, knowing she'd make a mistake if she does. "You don't know me."

Miles away, she hears Victoria sigh. "Yes, I do."

Victoria wasn't prepared for Rosalie's active hatred. Victoria thought she knew it from when she first joined the coven but the reality of it is that Rosalie was always more fond than anything. All her insults were teases or a game. Now they just hurt.

As it is, even the insults are rare. Rosalie makes a point of ignoring Victoria entirely or leaving the room when she walks in.

Bella offers Victoria a consolatory smile one time and Edward winces.

It gets worse for Victoria and Bellatrix after that.

Bella comes over with a broken hand one day and Victoria's raging beside her. She hasn't seen that particular look in Victoria since the field, it's a hungry sort of rage.

Rosalie looks up from where she's looking for parts online. "What happened now?"

A growl catches in Victoria's throat and Edward pats her shoulder with a strained smile. "Jacob forced a kiss on her, she hit him." Rosalie snorts and then freezes. She doesn't like Bella, she probably hates her more than anyone. Except Victoria, that is. But he did what? She'll skin his mangy hide. Edward is shaking his head at her. Right, the treaty.

"Good on you." Rosalie says instead and Bella looks shocked.

Edward takes Bella to Carlisle and Victoria stays behind. Victoria's not looking at for once. She always stares at Rosalie, seeking her out. She looks lost in her own head, her instincts to hunt Jacob down. As much as Rosalie hates it Bella has come to mean something to Victoria. She can see how tense Victoria's shoulders are with her eyes flashing. Rosalie feels the urge to go over, soothe her worries and protective anger.

She doesn't. Victoria forfeited Rosalie's care.

It's the first time since they left Forks that Rosalie wants to go to Victoria, or at least the first time she lets herself acknowledge it.

"It's not that I hate you as a person." Rosalie sighs at Bella's expression, knowing they need to have a conversation she doesn't want to have. "You just don't realize what you're giving up."

"It's not something I'm giving up, it's something I'm choosing." Bella says stubbornly.

She knows Bella is primed to fight after arguing with Edward over it so much. She tries not to be combative about it, needing Bella to really understand what she's giving up. Bella listens but Rosalie can see she doesn't change her mind.

"You do hate me." Bella says as their conversation draws to a close, the seriousness keeping their voice low and controlled. "She talked about you, you know." Rosalie can practically hear Victoria's body stiffen. "You're not the only one hurt."

Rosalie muffles her urge to chew the girl out. Having a human critique her behavior is an experience. She's seen Bella as little more than a doormat. She lets Edward push her around, her limited knowledge of her home life hints to the same. She'd let anyone push her around, Rosalie is willing to bet. Rosalie does not respect that about her. Having her talk back and push Rosalie on something none of her family dares address is interesting. It earns her some respect from Rosalie but it also irritates her beyond belief that Bella feels comfortable enough to agitate her.

"She made her choices, now you have to make yours."

Rosalie hasn't been in Victoria's studio since they left. It isn't a place she feels happy in anymore. If she hadn't been sent to collect Victoria, she wouldn't be here now.

That's why she's never seen them before.

Alice has hinted that Victoria's painting has changed with a mischievous smile but she hasn't elaborated. She didn't really warn Rosalie.

The easel holds her current project.

Rosalie closes her eyes, wishing she hadn't come in this room.

The easel holds a painting of thick rainbows and glitters, diamond on canvas. She can see the texture and knows Victoria added something to boost the effect. It's set on a series of tans and brown, a gritty texture.

Diamonds on sand.

A nearby painting is an almost human shaped blue set against a rectangular red.

Overalls in front of a car.

Swirls of blonde set against an off-white cut with strands of curly red with diamonds between.

All of them are impressions, ideas of what was. None so clearly defined. If it were anyone but Rosalie, but Victoria, they wouldn't be able to tell what it meant.

She sees the beach, the car Victoria wrecked, their hair falling together.

She wishes she could unsee it.

There's a certain cruelty in this discovery.

Rosalie stands next to Victoria, closer than she has in months. "Which is the cousin who can shock people?" Victoria asks Rosalie, eyeing the Denali. Irina keeps glaring at Victoria and the wolves.

Rosalie smiles. "Not the cousin shooting daggers at you."

Victoria laughs slightly. "Read my mind."

"The one flirting with Alice, Kate, can shock people. The one glaring is Irina." Victoria watches Kate with some interest and then looks back at Irina.

"Should I talk to her? I did know Laurent the best."

"You also helped kill him. She might not want to listen to you." Irina stares at them as they talk before making her way over. "Guess we'll find out."

"You're Victoria." Irina's lip curls.

"You're Irina."

"He talked about you, he thought highly of you." Irina tries to skewer Victoria with her words.

"Considering I found him about to murder Bella, I have to say I don't have as high of an opinion." Irina stares at her. It's no secret she doesn't believe the wolves but she never asked Victoria. "I was in a coven with him for many years. Believe me when I tell you he isn't the sort of man you want to twist yourself apart over."

"He would have killed an innocent after he swore to stop." Rosalie backs Victoria up. "We miss you. You're our family."

Indecision flashes across Irina's face. "He was my mate."

Rosalie winces. "It seems Victoria's old coven had a habit of lying about their mates." Victoria twitches at the reminder.

"James was not the man I thought him to be. Laurent was fascinated by him, he enjoyed James' company. The company you keep…" Rosalie knows how hard it has to be for Victoria to admit that about James.

Irina's shoulders sag and her sisters nervously look over. "He was supposed to be it." Victoria pulls her into an awkward side hug and gives Irina a slip of paper.

"I understand. Call me if you ever want to talk about it." Irina walks away but doesn't leave the ceremony.

"Tanya would send you a fruit basket if you ate food." Rosalie hums, taking in Tanya's grateful expression.

"She could always send me a murderer or two." Victoria grins.

"You're the worst animal drinker." Victoria shrugs and watches as person after person stands to give a speech.

"What's changed?" Victoria finally asks, leaning more into Rosalie. She wouldn't even talk to Victoria until recently.

Rosalie stares down at their interlocked hands. The lights are glittering and it's warm from all the bodies crowded in, Edward and Bella are smiling wide enough that even Rosalie has to smile. It's a good moment, even if she disagrees with most of Bella's decisions. Bella will be in her life, forever. So will Victoria.

Rosalie thinks of Victoria spending hours in a room alone painting her and she can't hold onto her anger the same way. She's tired of pushing Victoria away.

Instead of answering her, she leans into Victoria as well. Victoria smiles softly.

Rosalie watches from the garage as Bree runs off towards the woods with Renesmee. "See you later mom!" Bree freezes as soon as the words slip out. Even Renesmee stops pulling her towards the woods. Renesmee starts slowly backing away with a grin and sprints towards the peak they're racing to while Bree is distracted. Bree looks like she's choking on air.

"You're going to let her win." Rosalie reminds her.

Bree snaps out of her stupor and stares after Renesmee. "Cheater!"

Victoria kisses the side of her head. "You played it cool for someone freaking out."

"Are you insinuating I'm anything but cool?" Rosalie sniffs.

"You look like someone dropped a house on you." Rosalie can feel Victoria's teasing smile against her head.

"Wait until it happens to you." Rosalie huffs.

No, she did not think the teenage vampire they turned together would call her mom for the first time today. She didn't think she'd be wrapped up in her mate's arms as her daughter raced her niece to a mountain.

She's not complaining.