CHAPTER 12 – 8teen – Rosalie POV

They both came to a sudden stop under an old oak tree. Rosalie and Edward had always been the fastest of the coven, so they would often find themselves together during the hunt. Knowing they were alone for the first time in a while, Rosalie approached her ever-brooding brother.

"You're finally going to ask me, aren't you?" Edward sighed as he sat below the tree. "I've heard the thought float through your head more than once, but I've been making a great effort to give you space. Esme and Jasper said that it would be more beneficial to our relationship in the end."

Rosalie soundlessly lowered herself beside him, so that her back was against the tree. "I'm loath to admit it, but I've been worried about you." She admitted in response. His brow furrowed as her mind became clouded in a recitation of Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov in its original Russian.

"I am aware of how difficult this experience must be for you. You didn't choose for her to be your Singer as much I didn't choose her to be my m-" She cut herself off. "I just wanted you to know that you have my support, brother."

Edward looked at her as he had never seen her before. "Who are you and what have you done with Rosalie Hale?"

Her face cracked into a smile as she shoved him. "I've seen what that particular pull can do and it's a testament to your strength."

There was silence between them for a moment before he cleared his throat. "It's not my strength."

"Pardon?"

"It's not my strength, alone, that keeps me from acting." Edward says turning to face her. His gold eyes fresh from the hunt glowing in the night. "Every time the beast in my chest tells me to tear her apart, I see you. I see your face and this look of utter devastation. Outside of Carlisle and Esme, you are my first…friend in this life. We've gone through so much together and there is still much yet. I would not strip your lifetime of happiness for a brief moment of bloodlust.

Rosalie's eyes tracked across his face looking for a shred of falsehood in his words. Her eyes welled with tears that would never fall. Tears for her brother. Tears for her family. Tears for herself and her future. He averted his eyes, but continued, "You don't have to say the words until you're ready but know that I (as much as we're both loathed to admit it) know your mind almost as well as you do."

"Edward, I'm going to hug you now. If you ever share this with anyone, I will-"

"Yes, yes. You will castrate me to within an inch of my life and make me beg for death before throwing me off of a cliff." He said opening his arms wide and welcoming her crushing force. She let out an involuntary sob that was decades in the making. "Hug me."

'She has the power to build a bridge between Edward and I without even knowing it. Imagine the hold she'll have…'

"I shudder to think but am excited to welcome her as a sister." Rosalie just hugged him tighter.

"She makes me want to be better, brother. I didn't know I was capable of being anything but a monster, doomed to walk this earth for all of eternity. Now, every day spent with her makes me feel as if I'm actually a teenager again."

"You deserve it dear sister and I'm glad that we get to experience this unique moment with you. Thank you for not destroying me on the spot." He chuckled as they separated. "I've grown quite accustomed to this damned life and seeing your happiness gives me renewed hope for my own."

"Every time you both leave for one of those extended runs, I become convinced that only one of you will actually return." Emmett grinned at her as she emerged from the brush.

The family had split off to let the mated pairs hunt together, and Emmett preferred to wait for her to hunt. He'd always been her favorite brother to hunt with, even if he did tend to play with his food. "I like to give them a fighting chance. It's only fair." He had once mused.

"I haven't killed him." Rosalie confessed. "Edward decided to run to Alaska for the rest of the weekend to spend time with the family."

"Great! That means 50-percent less brooding in the house." Emmett quipped.

"Only 50-percent?" Rosalie questioned.

"Yeah, cause you're still there." He retorted and took off down the cliffside, Rosalie hot on his heels.

"You take that back Emmett McCarthy!" She howled as she lunged at him, knocking him off balance and straight into the ocean. She was able to pivot midair and grab the cliff's edge. He rocketed out of the water and tossed her over the tree line. She grasped the nearest branch and somersaulted into a crouch. Rosalie raised her hand in a challenging gesture, smirk on her face.

A habit left over from Emmett's days as a newborn, they often found themselves tussling in the treetops. He leapt at her, but she swung around the branch and used his momentum to kick him to the opposite direction. "What's wrong, Monkey Man?"

Emmett spit the leaves out of his mouth and growled as he lunged at her again. This time, she absorbed the impact and used his body as a shield against the ground, creating an Emmett-sized crater. She flipped off of him before they came to a complete stop.

"That'll teach you to call people broody. I'm not broody. I'm pensive. It's different." Rosalie said inspecting her nails.

"'Pensive' my ass, angel face." Emmett grumbled from the crater. "You ready to stop being a total weirdo and talk to Daddy Emmett about it?"

"First of all, never call yourself 'Daddy Emmett" again." Rosalie said holding up a finger. "Second,…yes. I think I am."

Emmett's mischievous face took morphed to one of seriousness. "Rosie, I'm ready to hear whatever you're willing to share with me." He said and quickly rearranged a felled tree around a stump to create a seating area. "Hit me."

She smiled at him in appreciation. He knew how difficult this was going to be for her and it reinforced her decision to have him be the first one she talked this through with.

She took a seat and sighed deeply, running a hand through her blonde tresses. "I think I found the trouble I didn't know I was looking for." He just nodded for her to continue.

"I shouldn't feel the way that I do. She brings the utmost danger to this family." Rosalie went on, standing up and beginning to pace. "She's a walking accident waiting to happen. She makes friends with wolves and vampires without any regard to her own safety or well-being." Emmett continued to nod along.

"Her eyes are like the darkest coffee and her hair is like auburn chestnuts. She's incredibly intelligent, but incredibly stupid at the same time. Her laugh is the loudest bell I hear and don't even get me started on that damned smirk of hers." Emmett was grinning broadly now.

"Rosie…"

She realized that her chest was heaving unnecessarily as she whirled around to look at him. "This is all that boy's fault." She said with no real malice.

"We both know that's not true." Emmett coaxed. "We both know that there isn't a person alive that can convince Rosalie Hale to do anything she doesn't want to do." He paused before his devilish grin returned. "Well, maybe there is someone who can."

"What is she doing to me, Emmett?" Rosalie wailed throwing her hands up. "I just had a heart to heart with Edward because of that girl."

"It's actually quite simple." He stated crossing his arms across his broad chest. "She's making you better, Rosie."

Rosalie dropped down next to him and put her head in his lap. "She wants to be friends, Em." She whispered, closing her eyes. "I don't even know how to do that."

He began to gently stroke her hair as he said, "Is it that you don't know how or is it that you don't know how to do only that?"

"I'm scared of the latter." She croaked, slowly opening her eyes. "And I don't know if I'll be any good at the former."

"If I may…I've seen the two of you interact for weeks now, Rosie. You both just ebb and flow together in a way that's unique to you. Did you make an ass out of yourself in the beginning? Absolutely." She punched his shoulder.

"Use your words, Lady Hale. What was I saying? Right! You making an ass out of yourself."

"We were past that part actually."

"Were we? Oh, yes! You've since redoubled your efforts to be open and kind to her. It's not going to be perfect. Eternity rarely is. The one thing you can't do anymore is run from her."

"I -"

"Wait, hear me out." He cleared his throat. "I'm not saying that you need to go full steam ahead as if you are a completely different person than whom you have been. No, that wouldn't be realistic. What I am saying is that you don't slap the extended hand away and retaliate like her feelings are a toy you can play with whenever you want."

Rosalie sat up and hung her head. "I've been a cad, haven't I?"

"You have, but she forgave you for it." Emmett reminded her. "There's no use dwelling on it. Especially, if she's ready to push onward from it."

"Em, I…have no idea what I'm doing." Rosalie admitted.

"That's ok. You're not supposed to know everything." He said wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "You've needed a safe harbor and she can be that for you, if you let her. For now, just stop being weird and take it one day at a time. What do you think about that?"

"I've had too much brotherly love this weekend." She said smacking his chest lightly before nuzzling into his evergreen and sea salt smell.

Emmett just grinned.