Rosalie turned again in her small space in an abrupt about-face and made her way back. She walked five steps and then turned sharply again, making her way back. Her hands tapped lightly at her thighs, her head bowed as she stressed. She went five steps and sharply turned again. The leaves around her had long since stopped making wet and soggy crackling noises. There was now a flattened path through them, just wide enough for her feet. She turned and started again.

She had been pacing for a while now.

Bella's scared face popped into her head and again she moaned, glancing back up at the house.

Inside Charlie still snored. He grunted and released a large fart, making Rosalie grimace.

This shouldn't be the job she was stuck with. She should be there, in the fight, protecting Bella. She should be with her. She couldn't take this much longer. She just couldn't. She wasn't strong enough for this. She couldn't just sit here and do nothing and pretend like she wasn't dying inside.

This last bit of time, she couldn't even say these last days because there had been no rest, no breaking from one day to the next, had been miserable.

She had given in because Esme had given her no choice, yes, but also because she had thought that she would have been free. She would have been free to fight and to run and to get revenge for her nonstop unbearable fear. She had thought she would have a release. She had thought that she would be able to make up for her failure to keep James with her. She had thought she would have been able to do her part. This, no, this wasn't doing her part. This was getting her out of the way so the people Edward trusted Bella with could do what he told them to.

It was humiliating.

Her job had been a joke. She had first been stuck in Bella's old, crap truck, angry because the thing needed some serious care, and even more angry because it seemed to top out at sixty.

More than once she had tried to push it harder, only to internally yell in frustration, 'who built this piece of crap?'

She and Esme hadn't even been comfortable speaking, for fear that the woman chasing them would realize neither of them had been Bella.

And the truck, she had been sitting awash in her scent, in the feeling of Bella – and it hadn't helped, it had only made her rev the engine harder.

They don't see you as a fighter, Rose, that's all, they just don't see you that way, she told herself yet again. She turned again and paced back. They had no reason to know that she would have been the best fighter in the group. There was no reason to feel so offended. They had never seen her as a fighter before. They called Rose in when something needed to be hunted. Stealth. That was her trick, that was her strength. And this hadn't required that. There was no reason to feel so angry with her given job. But no matter how many times she told herself that, it didn't make her feel any better.

She turned again, moaning out some more of her stress, the slow-building insanity that had lived in her chest since the moment Alice had told them what was coming.

It had gone so well at first. The woman, Victoria, her mind sneered the name, had followed them for a long time. They had been deep into Canada and just beginning to wonder if they should turn when they ran out of road when the redhead had disappeared like smoke. It had been creepy. One moment they had both been able to see her, the flame of her hair more suited to any other environment than this never-ending white. Then all at once, she had disappeared. Gone as if she had been called away. It worried Rose because it had been too sudden. She had noticed over the hour before that Bella's scent was fading just a little, and that had worried her. But Victoria had disappeared too fast for her to have clued in.

They had turned the car back around and raced, as much as the truck could, back toward home.

She turned and glanced across the forest, spying Esme sitting placidly on a stump, only her eyes moving as she watched Rose pace.

She should have gone with Bella, not Alice. It should have been her. They didn't need two people to watch Charlie. He was fine. Neither the redhead nor James gave two shits about him. Victoria had stopped by, in search of Bella, Rose was sure. Rosalie had pounced. She had seen Victoria's face looking honestly alarmed at the guard waiting for her. The chase had been intense. If she had her, Rose was sure that could only help their cause. That bitch was slippery though. She had twisted through the town like a snake, disappearing out from under Rose's sharp gaze and Rose had been forced there, to Charlie and his farts. She frowned as Charlie let another rip.

She hadn't been able to sit still now. Bella, Bella, Bella… there had been no word. She just wanted to see her. She just wanted to know that she wasn't hurt.

Her mind conjured up an image that made her hiss. Bella tucked under Edward's arm.

She reached out and ripped another branch off of the tree, shredding it with her bare fingers.

She had done a lot of that when she first arrived, pulling branches down and tearing them apart in her anger. It wasn't until Charlie had come out onto the porch to see what the noise was and she and Esme had been forced to scale a tree to hide that she had finally stopped.

Horrible. This was horrible.

She turned again. Phoenix was this direction, she thought for the fourth or fifth time.

Just go. Just go, Rose.

She would be helpful in Arizona. She would be another layer of protection.

She glanced at Esme and saw that her eyes were sharp as ever, taking in Rosalie's behavior with an unreadable face.

What would Esme do if she just turned and left? Would she let her go? Would she see it as Rose abandoning the family by leaving where she had been told to be? Did she care if it brought her to Bella?

Longing ached in her stomach.

She had to go, she couldn't wait, she couldn't.

Across the forest, there was a shrill ring.

Rose froze in place, thankful and horrified all at once. An update, that was good, they needed an update, but also updates were bad.

Esme was at her side in a second, her hands clasped around the phone.

Rosalie grabbed it, simply squeezing her hands for a moment as if thanking the phone for ringing. Then Esme flipped it open.

Before she even said hello Jasper's smooth voice was drifting out of it and that… that sent cold goosebumps up her spine. That didn't equal everything was fine.

Beside Esme, she could hear his voice perfectly.

"Something has changed. Alice had a vision. James will be in Phoenix. You need to come. Everyone needs to come. Alice said – Alice said that everything was about to change. She doesn't know how, but she knows something big is coming. So we need…"

The voice faded as Rosalie crashed through the forest. It took her a long moment before, startled, she realized she was running. She hadn't given herself permission at all to start running, her legs had just done it of their own accord.

Thank god, her mind sobbed, thank god. She didn't stop. She pushed harder. They, her whole family, could move quite fast when they wanted to. In fact, they could move faster than most cars when they were free to let loose. The trip should only take a few hours at this pace. This probably wasn't the most efficient way. Esme was probably running the opposite direction to get on a plane, but she couldn't do it, couldn't wait. She would have to pick up a car somewhere along the way. Night was her cover for now, and even that she was risking it. But even if she ran at top speeds, she wouldn't make it there before the sun began to rise.

She wasn't sure how long she had been running, surely only minutes when feet came up behind her. She didn't startle, able to tell who it was.

She glanced over, knowing she had given something away by taking off as she had.

Esme's eyes studied her face. Rose looked away.

There was no logical defense for taking off as she did, but whatever Esme wanted to know, she didn't ask. They ran in silence.

The run was uneventful. They made it until an hour before sunrise at speeds that were impressive before they finally had to stop. Esme wanted to pick up a car, any car, in a parking lot. Rosalie refused. If she was going to resign herself to moving at the speed of a car, then she was going to make sure it was a fast car. They stopped at a sports car dealership where Rosalie had to work a little to hotwire a car. Then they started off again.

They were just outside of Phoenix when Esme's little phone rang for the second time.

Rosalie's breath stopped as she swerved in and out of traffic, her foot like lead on the gas pedal.

Ballet studio.

"What do you mean she got away?" Rose grabbed the phone from behind the wheel. See, it should have been her. It should have been her there with Bella. This was her job. This was her job. God, Bella, if anything happens to you… "You're a fucking psychic, Alice!" she shouted into the phone.

"Rose." Esme quietly chided, a hand on her arm as Rose pushed the car harder.

Rose didn't hear.

"And I'm doing my job as a psychic!"

"Oh come on. 'Things are about to change?' That's not being psychic! You sound like a dollar spirit medium."

"They are, Rose! Something is about to change our family!"

"Then what? Does he have her? Has he bitten her? You have to have something of use, otherwise what is the point of you?"

There was a pause as Rose swerved between two cars, going on the shoulder to do so. Esme gave a soft squeak of fear.

"I don't know," Alice breathed.

"Then what the fuck is the point, Alice? Where is she? WHERE IS SHE?"

Esme gasped as Rosalie screamed into the phone.

"If you're so interested, Rosalie, then you should have come!"

Rose snapped the phone closed and tossed it back in Esme's lap, fuming. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel as she hit city traffic and was forced to slow.

She was right. She knew she was right. This was her fault. It was her fault for not allowing herself to be there. She had been given the opportunity. Edward had asked her to help and she had been so angry for some reason that she hadn't allowed herself to. She had created this.

Bella was hers.

It was her fault that she wasn't there.

All hers.

"It's daytime, Rose," Esme pleaded as they tore around the corner, the ballet studio mercifully in view at the other end.

"I'll figure it out," Rosalie ground out. The sun wasn't going to stop her from going in.

"The sun, Rose. Look, it's so bright."

Rose almost snickered. It was true. They could never live there. The moment she walked outside she would light up like a fucking flashlight. There was no cloud cover at all.

She skid to a stop in front of the studio, sparing her mother a glance.

Esme's hand gripped her arm, holding her tight. "Rose. You can't."

"I have to!"

"We need to find a way to do this safely."

The street wasn't busy at all. Rosalie glanced around, frantic to get inside. "Esme, I can do this."

"Rose. What is it? What's going on with you? You're risking exposure? I don't —" Esme's words cut off. The inside of the car instantly went silent, two statues not breathing, not moving for a heartbeat.

The thud they had just heard was suddenly followed by a sound that made Rose's entire body convulse.

It was a small, tiny even, whimper.

She was looking at Esme, so she saw the open shock on it when Rose began to snarl.

"Rose, wait!"

Rose wasn't listening. She refused to listen anymore or to stall any longer. Bella. He was hurting her. She was out of the car, moving at top speed.

The sun, so bright and hot compared to anything she had felt in over seventy years, burned her skin with its severity. There was a nanosecond where she was able to see glittering reflections bounding off the wall next to her, creating a rainbow-like crystal caught in the sun. She moved fast, so fast she was sure the average human would only see a streak of something bright if they were looking.

A growl came from inside, followed by a cry.

She reached the door, expecting it to be locked, only it wasn't. The softest push and it swung open. Unnerved Rosalie threw herself inside. It was like he was inviting them in. Her sense of danger, already so high, suddenly spiked. He didn't expect opposition. That, or he welcomed it.

A heartbeat could be heard from inside, a light fluttering, and that made her move.

She raced through the lobby and burst through the door to the studio, her lips pulled back and froze.

Whatever she had expected, it was exactly that bad and yet so much worse. Her imagination hadn't exaggerated, and that wasn't how it was supposed to be. It was supposed to be that what she pictured, what she created in her head were worse than reality.

It wasn't.

The room looked like a scene from a horror movie. The ballet studio, supposed to be a place of fun and learning, had been turned upside down. The mirror was cracked, a spot at the base the home point, splintered around a smashed spot, something red in the middle of it. Bella was on the floor surrounded by glass, her small body crumbled. Her leg stuck out at an unnatural angle, her arms limp. Her eyes were closed, her breathing light and shallow, her heartbeat too feathery, too light for her liking.

Rosalie hesitated, horrified. The whole room smelled of blood. It didn't mix with the scent of a child's ballet studio, nor the morning air. It overpowered it. It throbbed, not smelling at all like Rosalie would have thought. She would have assumed it was Bella's blood that created that scent that was more than a scent, but instead the smell was different; one having nothing to do with the other.

She winced, waiting for the thirst, waiting for her to lose control of herself. She had smelled human blood before, but she had never been in a room saturated with it.

The pang was there. Her throat roared, screaming with fire, demanding to be soothed.

And she didn't care.

She didn't lose her ability to be human. She didn't feel the vampire inside of her take over. She swallowed and pushed the feeling away.

It hadn't even been half a second since she had burst through the door. Before her, James had spun, his reaction time slow. His eyebrows were high, his mouth dropping into an O.

His eyes were black as pitch, hungry and dangerous.

He stood, his body hunched over her on the floor. Bella. Her Bella.

Blood, Rosalie's mind moaned. There was so much blood. She could see it on the floor, the small puddle growing bit by bit from the place where Bella's lolled head rested on the floor.

He had hurt her. He had hurt her badly.

She looked up, looked into James's snarling face… and something in Rose snapped.

Her vision grew sharp, focusing only on Bella, the thing to be protected, and James, the thing to kill. Her mouth flooded with venom. Her muscles didn't tighten but instead grew limber, ready. Her mind quieted, only aware of what she needed to do.

Protect.

Kill.

Save.

The scream that came from her was no longer even remotely human.

They had been in a second-long stalemate, James frozen and waiting, Rosalie assessing.

The scream popped the bubble.

James's hand snapped out, grabbing Bella's limp body. Blood oozed, dripping from her slightly elevated head. He threw her into the corner. Bella gave a small grunt as she smashed into the wall behind him, a streak of blood following her.

James saw it, hungry, and sprang, chasing after his hunted creature to finish the kill. His teeth were exposed, his eyes a void.

She launched herself at him, her mind only on the fight. She dived, catching him before he had taken a step. She grabbed him by the arm and giving a yank with all of her might. It creaked, screaming like metal on metal. She flipped him with ease, and he went flying in an arch over her head, slamming into the wooden floor of the studio hard enough to splinter the wood. She hissed, her body in a low crouch, between him and Bella now.

James wasn't having that. In a move so fast that the broken floorboards shattered under him, he launched himself. She watched, a cat tracking a bird. She was ready when he dodged one way and then sprinted in the other. Not fooled, she caught him by the throat, not allowing him near the precious thing behind her. Fingers like claws, she ripped at his arms, holding him in place as she bit, ripping a chunk of his arm out with satisfaction.

He screamed, and backhanded her hard enough to send her to the floor. Her face hit the wood with a crack she barely felt. Instead she reached, all instinct in her fighting and grabbed him by the legs. Before she could steal his legs out from under him, he grabbed her around the ribs.

She screamed as the pressure made her body groan. He gave a satisfied grunt.

Hissing like a wildcat, her mind pulsing protect, protect, protect, Rosalie spun in his grip, sinking her teeth into his jaw just as his teeth sank into her neck. She screamed, her hand coming up to jab him in the eyes before he could pull back, taking a chunk of her neck with him. He stumbled, yowling and Rosalie crouched over Bella, growling, only to launch herself again. She reached, nails exposed, reached for the spot that would incapacitate him, ready to take his dick off. He saw her coming and flipped through the air, jumping backward.

She was sore, she was hurt, but he hadn't gotten close to Bella again. He would not.

The smell of the blood made her dizzy, made her crazy. She knew she wanted him. She stared into his eyes, watching him consider his next move. He launched at the same time she did and they hit like boulders.

Feet. She heard feet moving too fast to be human.

Distracted, James glanced back and yowled. Her fingers sunk deep into his side. With a satisfied hiss, she pulled, a chunk of his side coming off in her hands.

He fell to the floor with a loud huff, his breath coming in puffs.

She had wounded him, badly even.

She fell back into her defensive position, the limp body placed under her crouch.

His eyes were wild, looking around. He couldn't win and Rosalie saw the moment that he realized that. She saw the moment his plan changed, his target no longer Rosalie but Bella. If he couldn't finish her, he would finish the kill.

He vaulted forward, ducking and trying to grab her twisted ankle.

She let out a cat-like yowl, her hand swiped, her fingers like talons and long cuts appeared in the side of his face.

He screamed, and flipped backward, holding his face. She tittered, laughing openly at his failure.

The moving feet grew louder.

The door flew open and a figure flew in.

The introduction of a third person into her space made her hackles rise.

Rose hissed, not knowing him, only knowing he was someone who was going to come after her, after her broken mate, that sweet girl with the smile that lit up the room, and her sarcasm, and wit, and gumption. That sweet girl that she would protect.

Suddenly a large group of people burst in, making Rosalie crouch back, alarmed. She hunkered down, her body laying over Bella's, sizing them up frantically. There were too many. She hissed at them, ready. She would protect.

Her prey turned toward the group, his livid face filling with terror. He screamed, leaping for the windows high up toward the ceiling.

The group turned, and though Rose was ready for them, they didn't attack. Instead, they as one chased after her prey, grabbing him before he could escape.

Lip pulled back in a satisfied snarl, she stayed over Bella, her hand on Bella as the biggest man grabbed her prey, roaring. There was a tussle. Her prey slid out of his grasp, pouncing on the large man's back but another man ripped him off.

"Bella!" One of the group shouted, racing toward them.

Rose's response was strong. The hiss was guttural, her teeth loud as they snapped at hos outstretched hand, only missing him by millimeters.

He staggered back, shocked. "Rose, wha—"

She barely saw him, only saw another threat. That voice, she knew it and she hated it. She swiped and her nails ripped across his chest.

With a grunt, the threat attacked her, bull-rushing her into the wall.

Rosalie screamed, thrashing, her teeth sinking into the opposer.

He yelled, shoving her down. Her head bounced off the wall, clearing it a little.

Edward. It was Edward.

She looked around frantically and saw Jasper, Alice, and Emmett in the corner, blocking James in. Carlisle and Esme were by the door, Esme holding it closed in case anyone came rushing to see what the noise was, Carlisle with his medical bag, waiting for Rosalie to allow them near Bella.

"She's hurt!" she cried at him, reassured by his small nod.

Edward still held her, his eyes wild, growling. She shoved him away, flipping him onto his back and screaming a cat-like hiss in his face.

She turned and launched. James's back was exposed and Rosalie landed on it easily, wrapping her legs around him. She snapped, her teeth sinking into his neck and ripped.

James howled as another chunk of him went flying across the room. He reached for her but she dodged and attacked again.

Feeling victorious, she went to work, ripping parts of him off and throwing them toward the corners, taking her vengeance out slowly. She would have a scar on her neck now. It throbbed, fueling her anger. His arms were missing, as was a large chunk out of his sides, his shoulder, and neck. He thrashed, spinning, trying to chase after his arms. Her leg swiped and he went down hard. She tossed a leg over him, planting herself on his chest. He snarled and roared but she took no notice. She smiled, humming as she with a huff, pulled his head off.

The body stopped moving and Rosalie with a victorious yowl, threw the head to Emmett, satisfied.

She had protected her. She had protected…

Bella!

She turned and her vision swam. The blood, so much blood, was driving her crazy. Not with lust, but with terror. The blood had tripled.

Carlisle and Edward were standing over her, doing something.

In her ears, Rose heard the soft bump… bump.. bump.. stutter, and stop.

"BELLA!" She launched herself, suddenly out of her mind. Screaming her name, she didn't understand why she wasn't getting closer. There was only silence from that vulnerable body, silence so loud she couldn't hear anything else. She pushed, fighting. What was holding her? She bit, she scratched.

"Rose!" Jasper's voice was close to her, from the thing holding her. "Rose!"

She thrashed harder. "BELLA! BELLA! IS THE BIT? DID HE BITE HER?"

"No." Carlisle shook his head, barely looking up at her. "But this isn't good."

"Bella!" she sobbed, her teeth sinking into flesh again.

Jasper grunted.

She had to get to her, she had to see her, Bella, Bella, she had to, "heeerk!" Her screams cut off in a dry gag as a hand clamped down on her throat, a force striking her in the face.

She blinked, her mind still screaming and saw Alice holding her by the throat, very effectively keeping her in place.

"Do. Not. Bite. My. Mate."

Rosalie's eyes flashed to Jasper, seeing the new bite on his jaw and the rip mark over the one on his shoulder.

Her body went limp, dry sobbing.

"Is she dead? Is she dead? Is she dead?" She chanted her question, hanging by the throat in the tiny woman's hand.

She couldn't be dead, please, please, she couldn't be dead. She couldn't be gone. Bella, Bella, please.

Jasper's face, set and furious, yet pitying swam into her vision.

She hiccupped a dry sob. "Is she dead?" she begged him. "Please, don't let her be dead."

"If you won't tell them, Rose, then you can't go to her. Edward is there."

Beside him, Alice's face showed surprise but Rose didn't care.

"Is she dead?" she begged him. "I was too late. I was too late. I didn't make it in time. Please. Is she dead? Is she dead?"

She couldn't be dead. You only got one. Only one, one, one, only one! This wasn't how it was supposed to be! It was supposed to be her, her venom, in her arms, safe, changing, not shutting down, Bella, Bella, Bella.

"Do you see her?" Jasper asked, his voice low.

She nodded, her body still limp. "Bella," she purred, begging the universe, begging for this not to be true. "Bella."

"Look at her, Rose. You got here in time. You protected her. Look at her. See her."

Rosalie did, looking into Bella's slack face. "Bella." Something in her chest broke, some hidden vial shattered as she looked at Bella's face. You only get one, please, she can't be dead, I can't be alone, I need her, she can't be dead.

The slow bump, bump, bump began again and Rosalie let out a sob of relief. The feeling poured out of her, that feeling that Bella gave her of warmth and comfort and satisfaction. She was glowing. She could feel the glow radiating from her as she breathed, as she heard Bella breathe. She was alive. She was alive! All of her desire she had been hiding, all of the tenderness for her, all of the want exploded from her. Her mind caressed her name over and over.

Jasper's mouth dropped open as the warmth took her over.

Beside him, Alice's face went slack, then dropped open in shock. Her hand slackened and Rose took a breath, falling to her knees.

Edward's head whipped around, his eyes on her.

Her eyes pulled from Bella's face, and she knew he could hear, but she couldn't stop it. Her face twisted into apology as she gave it all away, her love, her secret, her desire. Edward stared. One last thought popped up and she saw it register on Edward's face. Bella's lips against her own. The warmth overtook her and she looked back to Bella's face, listening to her heartbeat. Bella. Her Bella. She was alive. She was safe.

Suddenly Edward was moving, charging at her.

The family around them responded fast.

He hit a wall of Esme and Emmett and sprinted around them, only stopped by Jasper just before he reached her.

He was deranged, his teeth snapping, screaming as he fought. "YOU KISSED BELLA! YOU KISSED BELLA!"

She crumpled, seeing the faces of her family all turn as one. She hid, covering her face, unable to get the thoughts to stop. Bella, Bella, Bella.

"She's mine!" Edward screamed, trying to push past Carlisle's hands. "Mine! Do you hear me? Stop thinking about her! Stop it! She's mine!"

She couldn't stop it, the power of their bond still flowing out of her and all of her jealousy and anger at the situation wrapped around her.

"She's mine! She's mine!" He screamed it at her, his voice too high, fighting to get away from their best fighter. The words beat at her like a club. She wasn't. She wasn't his. She wasn't!

She slowly stood, her back straightened, her shoulders squared. Her chin rose in defiance, her hands clenched into fists by her sides. She stood tall, strong, and sure. "NO," she shouted, the truth, so long denied exploding though her, at once turning to acceptance and belief. "NO, SHE'S MINE!" Relief, instant, hot, and strong washed through her, at the same time a cable knit together, something solidifying in her. A tether appeared between herself and the broken girl on the floor, cementing them. She dropped back to her knees under the weight of the sudden feeling of connection, breathing out a gasp that was also a sigh.

With a roar, Edward broke free, his fangs coming for her throat.