Rosalie had felt the irritation of having to pretend to be human many times in her undead life but as she was trying to keep a human pace back to the apartment she knew a hurt Bella was at she had felt it the strongest she had ever before. After being buzzed in the apartment building by Victoria, she bypassed the elevator and rushed up the stairs to the 10th floor being just careful enough not to smash all the items she purchased at the store. Taking a breath she knocked on the door entering when she found it to be open.
"We are in here." Victoria's voice called out in a whisper.
Following Bella's scent Rosalie found the pair in the bedroom with Bella laying on the bed looking to be asleep. Victoria was sitting next to Bella holding her hand and at a first glance Rosalie couldn't see anything wrong with the girl. "What's wrong with her?"
"Did you bring a thermometer? I think she her body is to warm for a human." Victoria asked.
"Look I've been more than patient with you but now I want answers."Rosalie demanded. "What did you do to Bella?"
"I didn't do anything to Bella." Victoria replied angrily. "We were on a date when we were attacked by three vampires."
"Was she bitten?" Rosalie asked in a panic rushing over to Bella and running her hands over her face. "How did they hurt her?"
"That's the thing." Victoria said. "The never even got close. One second I was crouched in front of Bella ready to fight them the next one of them is laying on the ground grabbing his head screaming. The other two charged at us but they slammed into some kind of barrier. When I went after them I found out I was stuck inside the barrier and couldn't get out. It was then I realized that Bella was the one who did it. So as I was asking her to drop it she passed out and hasn't woken up since."
Rosalie stared at Bella with wide eyes. "I knew she was some kind of shield because Edward couldn't read her thoughts but for it to manifest like this while she is human is amazing."
"Now you see why we can't bring her to the hospital. I really think she's burning up. I've been looking up different ways to bring down a fever but I'm afraid I don't know much about humans. When I was one we didn't even have doctors so my medical expertise is nothing." Victoria checked Bella's forehead again. It seemed worse.
Rosalie raced out of the room and returned with the thermometer. She placed it in Bella's ear and hissed when she saw the number. "We need to get her into an ice bath. She is at dangerous levels and we need to get this fever down."
Victoria got the bath going and then emptied the kitchen of all the ice in the freezer. "Bring her in and I'll sit with her in the bathtub. My coldness might help."
"Don't worry Bella, I won't let anything happen to you." Rosalie promised the girl as stripped her of her clothing. Even though the urge was there she tried to look as little as possible. She gently carried Bella into the bathroom and held back a growl when she noticed a naked Victoria sitting in the tub. Reminding herself that now wasn't the time to fight over who touched her mate Rosalie laid Bella in the tub. "After we get her temp down a bit we need to get her to take some aspirin and drink water. We can't let her get dehydrated."
"I hate to say it but I'm really happy you're here. I wouldn't know what to do to make her better." Victoria admitted. She felt like she should feel angry having Rosalie around her hurt mate but she didn't feel threatened by the blond. Her gift was telling her Rosalie was no threat and she felt she could trust her with her mate. It was obvious Rosalie cared about Bella and it had made Victoria feel a bond with Rosalie over their shared concern. It was a very odd feeling, one that she hadn't felt before but she didn't want to dwell on it. All she needed to know was that Rosalie wouldn't hurt her mate. That was enough for now.
"Probably the only good thing I learned from my sire was how to take care of humans." At Victoria's confused look Rosalie explained." He's a doctor. He works in hospitals. He has a lot of medical books and I've read many of them. I took some classes in college that helped me learn about the human body. I never thought it would come in handy."
"How does he manage all the blood?" Victoria asked." He must have amazing control."
"Pfft." Rosalie scoffed. "I don't think it has anything to do with control. It more has to do with him wanting to be superior."
"I know you drink animal blood but that in no way makes you a superior vampire. If anything it makes you that much more dangerous from denying your baser instincts." Victoria laid her hand on Bella's forehead. "I think she's cooled down now."
"Carlisle believes that most vampires are beneath him." Rosalie bundled Bella up in a towel and brought her back to the bed. "He thinks those who drink human blood are animals that have no humanity left in them."
Victoria put on her robe and handed some clothes to Rosalie to dress Bella in. " I find that those who abstain from human blood lose their humanity much faster than those of us who sustain on humans."
"Have you tried the animal blood diet?" Rosalie asked.
"Yes, actually I have. I went three years without human blood. It wasn't for any noble reason.I have no qualms about killing humans but when I heard that vampires could live off it I figured it was worth a try. I'm an old vampire ,I have seen and tried most everything you could think of." Victoria told her.
"Can you hold her to your chest so we can try to get her to take the meds and drink some water?" Victoria nodded and Rosalie left and came back with the water and pills. She forced Bella to swallow as she slowly poured the water into her mouth and successfully swallowed the pills. "The meds will be good for 12 hours, but we should continue to check her temp and try to get her to drink the water."
Victoria kissed Bella on the top of the head and tucked her under the blankets. She laid down on one side of her. Noticing Rosalie was looking uncomfortable with the arrangement she suprised herself by offering. "You should lay down next to her as well. The coolness of our skin might help keep her from overheating again."
"Yeah that's a good idea." Rosalie shifted Bella over and laid down on her side facing the girl. She thought it would be uncomfortable having Victoria laying opposite her but she actually felt at peace for the first time in months. Since before she left Bella behind. Now settled she remembered part of Victoria's story she wanted to ask about. "You said you were on a date when this happened?"
"Yes, we were on a date. Is that so hard to believe?" Victoria asked. "Even though Bella is my mate I still plan on wooing her.A date is the least I can do."
"You believe Bella is your mate?" Rosalie was suddenly on the defensive.
"I don't believe anything. I know Bella is my mate." Victoria told her.
Rosalie sat up slowly trying not to jostle Bella's body. "How can Bella be your mate when I know for a fact that she is mine?"
"Are all you Cullens misinformed when it comes to the mate bond?" Victoria asked. "First the constipated looking one believes he's her mate and now you?"
"I am nothing like Edward. So don't ever compare me to that shit stain. I knew Bella was my mate the moment I laid eyes on her." Rosalie said.
Victoria raised her eyebrow."Say I believe you are supposedly Bella's mate , then why didn't you pursue her? Why did you let this Edward boy make her believe he was?"
"That I'm afraid is because of my sire." Rosalie sighed as she began to relive the painful events that led to her leaving Bella. "When my family saw her in the parking lot of the school on her first day I knew she was my mate. Unfortunately Edward took the fact that she was his singer and that he couldn't read Bella's mind as proof that she was actually his. I tried to reason with my sire to have him explain to Edward that it was impossible for his singer to also be his mate but Carlisle wouldn't hear of it. Edward is his most prized possession. He can do no wrong in our sire's eyes. So when I told him she was my mate, Carlisle said that it wasn't true and accused me of trying to steal Bella away from Edward for my own petty reasons. He then ordered me to stay away from Bella and forbade me from ever telling anyone of our mate bond. When I was finally able to get away from them, the first thing I did was try to find Bella."
Victoria sat up and thought this through. She was one hundred percent sure Bella was her mate but something told her that Rosalie believed the same thing. She wasn't pretending to feel the mate bond,they both felt it equally. Add to the fact that even after the declaration Victoria hadn't felt the need to kill Rosalie or at least inflict physical harm, had her believing their was more to their bonds then she was aware of. "How do you feel about me claiming your mate as my own?"
"I don't feel very good about but I don't feel the rage I felt when Edward would claim the same thing." Rosalie was confused. "Actually now that I think about it, I feel close to you. Not like I feel for Bella but I know you aren't a threat to our bond and I know you would never hurt her. I guess what I'm saying is I trust you with her and don't feel jealously like I did when she was around Edward."
"I feel close to you as well." Victoria admitted. "It was why I asked for your help instead of killing you. Not only did Bella ask me to spare you but my instincts told me you were more of a friend than a threat."
"So do you believe Bella is both our mates?" Rosalie asked." It isn't unheard of. The Volturi queens are all mates. It isn't that far fetched to think that Bella could have two."
"The only one who could tell us for sure are the Volturi and no offense I don't feel safe bringing Bella before them. Even though the reason the kings were overthrown and killed was by claiming false mate bonds, I don't trust them to spare Bella if we inquire for ourselves." Victoria said.
Rosalie shivered at the thought. "I agree Bella needs to stay as far away from them as she can. Especially now that we know she has such a powerful gift. I wonder how it will manifest when she is turned."
"So you plan on turning her?" Victoria asked.
"Of course I planned on turning her. She's my mate." Rosalie told her.
Victoria held up a hand. "I mean no offense. Its just when I asked Bella if her being changed was ever brought up she said that it didn't go over well."
"Edward." Rosalie grumbled. "The only reason I have ever been against Bella being changed is because she was being lied to by Edward about the mate bond. He can preach all he wants about eternal damnation but I know for a fact that the only reason he wanted Bella to stay human was because of her blood. He could care less about her soul."
"That's what I figured. I'm just glad that Bella was smart enough to figure out that she had been lied to so quickly. I know it hurt her that you all left but luckily it didn't keep her down long." Victoria looked down at Bella and smiled. "She is a lot more resilient than most teenage girls would have been."
"I have always believed that Bella was a lot stronger than people gave her credit for. Let's check her temperature again and try to get her to drink some more water." Rosalie said. The pair settled in a comfortable silence afterwards both content to watch over their charge as she slept hoping the girl would wake up soon.