Disclaimer: I do not known Twilight.
Author's note: It's been 5 days! Alas! How could you, Darcy? I'll tell you...it's all the fault of one fanfic author names Slygoddess. She's got the best fem!Harry (that's Harry Potter born a girl) story I've ever come across (A Butterfly Effect), but hasn't updated the thing in over a YEAR. Wednesday, she came out with a new chapter at last...and it was over 38,000 words long. So yeah...blame her. Then go read her story.
Alice sighed in relief when she heard the music start. That should buy them a few hours at least. She glanced at Esme and knew they were thinking the same thing...Rosalie on the piano was a hell of a lot better than Rosalie with...other activities she had taken to of late. At least she stopped trying to kill Edward...
The last two weeks have been nothing short of a nightmare for the family. The day Bella left...when it became clear that following her trail or her scent would be impossible...Rosalie damn near exploded. Even with Emmett trying to hold her back, and despite Esme and Carlisle standing between her and Edward, she still managed to tear the boy's arms off before they finally calmed her down. Jasper, unable to handle her crazed emotions, had chased after Bella until he lost her scent. As for Alice...after the excitement died away she had sat down and willingly forced herself through the biggest headache of her life. Over an hour of intense concentration...and still no visions of Bella...
"Any news from Emmett?" Carlisle asked cautiously.
Alice shook her head. Beside her, Jasper released another wave of calm in Rosalie's direction.
Carlisle sighed as his gaze fell on Rosalie's back. Alice's own bond with Jasper allowed her to feel some of what her husband could feel, and right now Carlisle was trying to quell his own feelings of guilt. All of them were privately wondering if there was anything they could have said or done to prevent their current misery. Carlisle, when Esme wouldn't talk to him for days after Bella left, finally realized his small part in driving the girl away.
"She's very fond of you," Jasper had explained. "More than she's ever let on."
Jasper proceeded to fill them all in on what he had witnessed thus far of Bella's relationship with her father. Now that they had some context, things made a little more sense. But it only served to increase Carlisle's guilt as he realized just how much he meant to Bella. If the silent treatment from his wife was an indication, he was the only one aside from Edward who did not see this in time.
Edward...the most difficult thing about all this was his eldest son. Edward was his first companion. His gift had helped Carlisle rely on him a great deal over the years. This was the first time in their century together that Carlisle felt led astray, and it was a difficult pill to swallow. Bella's gifts were highly unusual, that was true. And perhaps it was also true that they were far too volatile to be safe...at one time. But the magnitude of the destruction she caused on her 9th birthday and the struggles she'd dealt with since...the fact that she had lost control just once in all her time here, and that she was aware enough to steer clear of people when it happened suggested she had come a long way since her mother's death. It was a miracle, really, what she had accomplished on her own. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced he could help her. He had helped his family through their blood lust after all...surely that was a more difficult ordeal than Bella's.
Carlisle only wished he could have thought of all this when it would have counted...when Bella stood helpless before them. More than that, he wished he was able to make Edward see. After they got over the initial shock...after they reattached Edward's arms and Rosalie stopped coming after him, he had a long talk with his son. All their "lives", though they've acted the part of a family, they always understood and respected each others' boundaries. Edward had a father once after all. All of them, with the exception of Alice, could remember a time with real parents and siblings. Carlisle was always careful never to try to take away from their memories however tenuous they might be. It would be improper to impose a set of rules and morality on others that, by right, did not really "belong" to him. The only rule in their household was the vegetarian one. Everything else came along with the years. Little by little, each of them started genuinely acting more like a family. Carlisle and Esme took their roles as parents seriously enough that they often truly did feel like they were of the same flesh. And Alice, Rosalie, Jasper, and Emmett...they were all so young when they were turned...not children, but young enough to quickly adjust to being the "kids" in the family.
Edward was a different story however. Perhaps it was because he and the boy had a decade together alone. Perhaps it was because he was the first. Or perhaps his gift had made him think he were omnipotent. Whatever the cause, Edward has always acted the role of detached leader. Carlisle had a feeling that if Edward looked older than himself, he would have long ago established himself as the head of their coven. However, as far as Edward went, Carlisle had only himself to blame. He had stood by and allowed Edward to make the family's moving decisions all these years, thinking that he would best know when people's thoughts began to grow suspicious. It wasn't an unintelligent move on his part. But clearly, Edward was not fit for such a responsibility. He had not attained the wisdom necessary for such trust, and Carlisle did not see it until it was too late.
There was hope, though. Even at their darkest moments...when one of them left, when Rosalie went on her rampage of revenge, he and Esme had never given up hope on their family. Even now, after Edward basically had to flee to Denali or risk getting torn to pieces once more, Carlisle held onto the hope that the family would come together again. If only Bella would come back, he thought as he listened to the lifeless notes streaming in from the living room.
Emmett paid the taxi driver and watched the car roar away. He and Bella continued the remaining miles to the house on foot.
"I'm not sure I follow," Bella started with a frown. "She...ripped his arms off?"
Emmett chuckled. "Yeah, but we put him back together. Good as new. Vampires are made of tough stuff, Bells. Though in Edwards sake...I'm not sure if he'll recover the rest of it."
"What do you mean?" Bella asked, alarmed. "She didn't..."
"No!" Emmett corrected her. "She wanted to, mind you. Would've too, if there weren't enough of us to stop her. No she did something much worse."
"Destroyed his piano," he casually answered her questioning glance. Destroyed the entire music room, he mentally added. And his books. And his music. And probably the structural integrity of his whole bedroom.
He looked down at the girl walking beside him. Though dawn hadn't yet arrived, he could see the concern and guilt on her face. She felt bad for him, he realized. He could only shake his head. How could that foolish boy not see her for what she was?
When the house was finally within sight, he heard the sounds of the piano abruptly stop. Emmett wasn't sure if Bella's crazy ears heard it too. Oh well, there would be time for questions later, he thought.
Her scent hit them all at the same time. Rosalie gasped, her fingers lifting from the keys as if shocked. Carlisle and Jasper let out a huge sigh of relief. And Alice and Esme-well, they were already outside running toward their favorite human.
"Bella!" Alice screeched and promptly flew into Bella's arms. Just as soon as Bella got over the shock of suddenly carrying the tiny girl, Alice started scolding her.
"Don't you ever, ever do something like that again!" Alice yelled, though she couldn't wipe the huge grin from her face.
Bella was spared having to come up with a response, because just then she found herself wrapped tightly in Esme's embrace.
"It's so good to have you back," Esme whispered.
"I'm...I'm happy to be back too," Bella said. She was quickly starting to feel overwhelmed. She most certainly did not expect this sort of reception.
Carlisle and Jasper reached her a moment later. The latter twirled her around in a big hug before setting her down in front of Carlisle.
Carlisle had a lot he wanted to say but he knew now wasn't the time. Aware that his wife was watching him very closely, he gently cupped Bella's face in his hands and kissed her on the forehead.
"Thank you for coming back," he said as carefully as he could. "We've all missed you terribly."
Bella, who by now could only blink back the happy tears that were threatening to come down, simply smiled and hugged the man back.
Through the hug, she spotted Rosalie, standing perfectly still by the front door.
She thought she had seen everything from Rosalie's eyes. She recalled the shades of hostility from the first week she'd known her. She recalled the ambivalence and reluctance in them the first night. And she remembered every time they brightened with her smiles, every time she spotted panic and worry for her safety, and every time she thought she saw a spark of the unspoken feelings they shared. And of course, she remembered in perfect detail when that spark lit up and her eyes told her everything the day they played together.
How to describe her eyes now? How to dream of characterizing them? Rosalie looked...like hell, indeed. Still flawless to the naked eye, of course. But Bella had the girl memorized. She could see that she looked exhausted...that her clothes were almost unkempt and her hair for once was not 100% in place. But it was her eyes that startled her. Rosalie's eyes looked...dead. For the first time since she'd known her, Bella could believe that the creature standing before her did not have a beating heart.
But just as quickly as Bella could take it all in, the fire that was always somewhere in Rosalie's eyes returned.
"Why don't you two go for a walk," Emmett said quietly.
As soon he said it, Carlisle, Esme, Alice and Jasper darted inside the house. Emmett held Bella in a half hug and whispered, "take care of her," before walking up to the house himself. At the door, Rosalie turned to him and reached for his hand. Without a word, she raised it to her lips and left a long, lingering kiss. Emmett smiled gently and gave her a soft kiss on the lips, then followed his family inside.
Neither of them said anything until Rosalie was at Bella's side.
"Hi," Bella said, timidly.
"Hi," Rosalie replied and held out her hand. Bella took it, closing her eyes momentarily to her touch.
"There's a spot up the mountain I like..." Bella said softly.
"I can get us there pretty fast," Rosalie said. She knew Bella could run faster even than her if she chose, but if she was honest with herself she just didn't want to let go of the girl's hand.
"Actually," Bella started, looking a little nervous and excited, "I have another way."
Rosalie raised an eyebrow.
"Trust me?" Bella asked, quietly.
Rosalie nodded slowly, then gasped as Bella started to show her the "other way."
With Bella's eyes trained on her, Rosalie and then Bella gently lifted from the forest floor. Rosalie, never having experienced anything remotely like this, stared at Bella apprehensively.
Bella smiled shyly. "I won't let anything happen to you," she said, knowing that even if she fell the vampire would be none the worse for wear.
"And what about you?" Rosalie asked as she steadied herself by putting her arms around the younger girl. "Are you unbreakable too?"
They were well out of sight of the house when Bella answered. "No," she said. "But falling won't hurt me."
Rosalie had so many questions, but now was not the time. They sped up above the trees, invisible to prying eyes in the darkness of the dawn. Her position behind Bella, her arms encircling her waist, was rather distracting as well. She chanced a breath and closed her eyes in contentment. Heaven.
Bella's location choice turned out to be on the edge of Olympic National Park. The mountains there were the reason Forks was always covered in clouds. Bella landed softly on a thick, sturdy branch of a tall tree that dangled precariously at the edge of the mountain. Bella said nothing, and though Rosalie would not let go of her waist, she too stayed quiet, relishing the feel of her so close when she was gone for so long. They stood like this together for a long time. Bella's insides flip-flopped every time she felt Rosalie brush against her from behind. Unbeknownst to the blonde, Bella was fighting her internal battle with more fervor than she'd ever summoned before. She had thought only negative emotions like anxiety and anger would make the fire come out. She was wrong. While she felt the usual pain however, a new sensation joined in that felt...incredibly good. It was especially intense where Rosalie was touching her and-oh god-where she was kissing the back of her neck. Bella's eyes fluttered and she was sure her heart skipped a beat, but Rosalie ignored her trembling and continued to shower the back of her neck, her hair, her ears, and her shoulders with soft, lingering kisses.
"Don't ever do that to me again," Rosalie said when her lips were a hair away from her ear. "Don't ever leave like that."
Bella nodded. "I'm sorry," she said.
Rosalie said nothing, but continued her ministrations on Bella's neck with more and more zeal. Bella crossed her arms around her herself, her hands finding their way to Rosalie's which were resting lightly on her abdomen. She tightened her grip, praying she could keep from losing control. She'd never felt such pain...and such pleasure at once in her life. It was mind-blowing.
"I'm scared of hurting you," Bella whispered. "I'm so scared I'll lose control."
If she wasn't so intoxicated with Bella's presence, Rosalie might have laughed. Her mouth was on Bella's neck...her teeth grazing her flesh...and Bella was worried about her.
"I'm not," she paused in order to kiss a particularly tantalizing section of Bella's neck, "a helpless human, Bella." They both groaned softly...Rosalie's tongue joined her lips. "You have enough control to warn me...I'll have time to run..."
She stopped, eliciting another groan from Bella. "You're-you're really ok with...with what we are?"
Bella turned her head so she could see her. She saw the hesitation in her eyes. Rosalie looked embarrassed, ashamed. For the life of her, Bella had no idea why. Rosalie looked down and loosened her grip. Then Bella understood.
She didn't know what she could say to explain just what she thought of her, of the Cullens. She didn't know how to tell her that they were the reason Bella felt human...that they were the ones who taught her how to love when she was very much in danger of losing her grip on everything real. She didn't know what to say, but her body somehow knew what to do. Before she had time to change her mind, Bella twisted so she was facing Rosalie and leaned, at last, into her lips.
Rosalie fought not to squeeze her arms like she wanted to. My god, how she wanted to hold her tight against her. But she absolutely could not-crazy gifts or not, Bella was a human who'd be crushed if Rosalie did as she desired. So she forced herself to be content with her lips. Her lips...they were finally doing what they had desired after months of temptation. She moaned into the kiss, amazed at Bella's warmth, at her taste, her softness.
Bella in the meantime felt as though she had lost all capacity for thought and memory. The only thing she was aware of, the only thing that mattered was Rosalie...Rosalie and her lips. Something deep within her stirred, shocking her like a lightning strike. It felt...amazing. Her insides were boiling...but this felt better than anything she had ever experienced. More, the thought surfaced in her mind. More! Bella deepened the kiss and moved herself deeper inside Rosalie's arms. Her fingers gripped at Rosalie's shirt and with a surprising strength, pushed her hard against the tree.
Rosalie barely had time to feel startled at Bella's sudden ferocity when she felt Bella's tongue snake into her mouth. Oh Jesus. Both girls melted into one another. Rosalie moved her hands behind her to the trunk of the tree and crushed handfuls of it over and over again. Bella's hands moved to cup Rosalie's face. She couldn't get enough of her. They moved to her waist, her back. Rosalie's whimpered groans encouraged her when her hands found the curves of her behind. She squeezed, and groaned herself at the sensation. With a rising passion, Bella continued her exploration of Rosalie's mouth, oblivious to anything else.
Rosalie's senses picked it up first. She opened her eyes to confirm what her nose smelled. Above them, leaves were beginning to glow and shrivel up. Every branch her eyes could see was glowing from the inside. And yet Bella continued on, completely unaware of what was happening.
"Bella," Rosalie murmured into the kiss, absolutely hating to stop and somewhat amazed that it was Bella, not herself who was about to lose control. "Bella, we have to stop."
"Hmm?" Bella breathed, still trying to kiss her.
"Stop, Bella. You have to calm down."
She wished she could do something to take away the tortured expression on Bella's face. Bella shrank inside herself as she looked around at what she had done. If anything, her grip on Rosalie tightened even more.
"I'm sorry! Oh god, I'm so sorry!" Bella cried out.
"Shhh," Rosalie said softly. "You're still in control. This isn't even close to what happened in the woods. You're in control, Bella. Please calm down."
Rosalie held the girl in her arms, wishing she had Jasper's gift so she could ease away Bella's terror. It really wasn't terrible, what she'd done to the trees. It was quite beautiful if you forgot that everything could explode any second. Her soothing embrace seemed to do the trick. Slowly, the embers died down and gave way to the glow of the sun that was beginning to peak. She eyed the sunlight crawling its way down the tree warily. She wasn't sure if she was ready to show Bella this part of herself. It would be so...final for Bella to see how obviously not human she was.
"Bella..." Rosalie's voice quivered, prompting Bella to look up. "I don't...do things lightly. This...this thing that we have...you and me, and Emmett...it's not a joke. I intend for it to last. Are you-do you understand? Do you understand what I'm saying? What I'm asking?"
Bella looked deep into her eyes and slowly nodded. "I'm already yours," she said, hoping that was enough to answer Rosalie's unspoken question.
Rosalie exhaled the breath she had held out of habit. With a last look at the betraying light befalling them, she stepped back and allowed the sun to hit her face.
Bella gasped. "Angel..." she whispered.
If angels existed, they couldn't be more beautiful than this. They just couldn't. Bella refused to blink as she took in the glittering, glowing sight before her. Rosalie in the sunlight was more beautiful than the most captivating fire.
"That's why we don't go out in the sun..." Rosalie whispered, downcast.
Why does she hate herself? Bella wondered. She stepped into the sunlight with her and stroked her cheeks with both hands.
"You're beautiful. Inside and out," she said, and reached up once again to kiss her.
It was softer this time, much more gentle than their first kiss. A minute into it though, Rosalie heard the sound of crackling fire and pulled away.
"You do intend to work on this, right?" Rosalie asked, unable to hide her frustration.
Bella nodded sheepishly. "I never had this kind of motivation before," she said with a smile.
Rosalie rolled her eyes but smiled back nonetheless. "Come on," she said. "Emmett's gonna want a turn flying."
Author's note: Ah, romance. I can't believe how long it took to write that scene. Romance is hard! Is your heart fluttering? Unable to stop grinning like a fool? Do tell!