"Hello. My name is Carlisle."

Carlisle stretched out his hand to greet him. Emmett glanced at the hand, then Rosalie, and she nodded. Emmett reached forward and concentrated as he shook Carlisle's hand. Strength was something that Emmett understood. He knew which pressure points on a man's neck could be the difference between being paralyzed from the waist down or experiencing a slow and painful death. He knew how hard to press, how long to press, and when to let go. Emmett released Carlisle's hand. Apparently, it was odd to shake a man's hand longer than a couple of seconds. Emmett didn't understand that part. Back at the castle, men would clasp arms and hold hands for as long as they wanted. It was a sign of brotherhood, of respect, and sometimes loyalty.

"He's a quiet one," Carlisle said.

"Yes, he can be."

Rosalie placed her index finger in the center of his back, and Emmett relaxed. They had non-verbal signals with one another. Emmett was still getting the hang of not breathing, not having to move, and he flexed his fingers out of habit. He was trained to be a killer, and then he was reborn into a predator. It wasn't hard to adjust to his strength or his restraint. Regina, Liana, and Charles taught Emmett everything he needed to know to survive. Emmett surveyed his surroundings, taking in the glass windows, the somewhat plain furniture, and the silence of the trees. There was something serene about Forks, Washington. Regardless, Emmett hadn't met Rosalie's family until that moment. She kept him hidden, for the most part, explaining that she wasn't quite ready for everyone to know she'd changed someone.

"I can't read his mind."

Emmett knew that was Edward just from Rosalie's warning. She told him Edward would attempt to read his mind, and he reassured her that his mind was protected a long time ago. Liana gave them teas to drink when they were younger, special herbs that were supposed to keep their thoughts and desires safe from those who wished to harm them. He never had a chance to see if it worked, but he was glad that it did.

"Is he alright, Rose?" someone whispered.

Rosalie lightly pressed into his back again, and Emmett blinked. He smiled politely at the woman he assumed was Esme, and he bowed at the waist.

"Yes, ma'am, I'm quite alright. I apologize. It would appear I am still getting the handle of having so many sounds and sights happening at once."

"Oh, of course. Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Emmett. Rosalie told us very little about you."

"Yes. It was almost like you were a secret."

Emmett turned to Edward and said, "She was concerned about your reaction to her saving my life. Though, I cannot imagine why you would have an issue with her doing it."

"It depends on if it was your time to leave this Earth or not."

"Rosalie saved me, and I will not allow you to poison her decision with your rhetoric."

"Edward," Carlisle intervened. "That's enough."

"Would you mind if we went upstairs?" Rosalie asked.

"Of course," Esme said quickly. "You can pick whatever room you want."

"I chose the last door on the right," Edward said. "The rest are free."

Emmett grunted and followed Rosalie up the stairs. He wasn't a fan of Edward. The boy reminded him too much of Snow White, and that would be a problem if it didn't change. Rosalie counted to three and opened the door on the left side of the hallway. It was the exact middle of the house, and Emmett appreciated she remembered that detail. Emmett cocked his head at the empty space and nodded in approval.

"I hope you don't like pink," he murmured.

Rosalie pushed him into the room and shut the door. Emmett cracked a smile at the disgruntled look on her face, and he walked in a straight line from the window to the door.

"I prefer orange," she said.

Emmett paused and thought carefully about what he wanted to say.

"Orange was my sister's favorite color."

"I also like blue."

"Orange is fine. I prefer the rustic style."

"You want it to look like a barn?"

"Is that what rustic is?"

"Yes."

"Oh, then no, that is not what I want. I spent too long of my life in a barn and a stable. What do you want the room to look like?"

"I like being comfortable. I grew up with having money, and I would rather not continue that trend."

"Okay. We can do that."

"Do you want to build the bed frame?"

"Please. I would like to build something we plan to use with my bare hands."

"We plan to use it, huh?"

Emmett scrunched his face and said, "How else would we sleep, Rosalie?"

"I feel like you're being intentionally obtuse."

Emmett winked and continued his walk around the room.

Rosalie knew that Alice made Emmett uncomfortable, and she slipped her hand in his. Alice and Jasper were speaking with Edward and Carlisle while Esme listened. Rosalie turned and looked up at Emmett. To the family, it was an intimate position. But to Emmett, it was a sign Rosalie was about to be a brat. He narrowed his eyes, and Rosalie's smile promised a headache if he could get one.

"Let's go upstairs."

"Why?" he asked warily.

"Because I missed you. You were gone for such a long time," Rosalie whined.

Emmett twitched and said, "Would you prefer I starved to death?"

"No. But you can make it up to me with a bath and a back massage?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because you love me."

"I tolerate you. There is a difference."

"But Emmy," she pouted. "I want some alone time with you."

"Rose, behave."

"I will bite you."

"Been there, done that."

Rosalie playfully snapped her teeth at Emmett, and Emmett pinched her side. She giggled and clamped a hand over her mouth. Everyone turned back to them, and Emmett kept a straight face while Rosalie pretended to pick lint off her shirt. Esme's eyes twinkled with amusement, but she attempted to be stern. After that, it was pretty easy to see that Alice and Jasper were two people Emmett and Rosalie couldn't relate to. They were the outsiders in the Cullen coven.

For seven decades, Emmett and Rosalie played their roles so well they almost believed it themselves. Until they got behind closed doors, behind the safety of their soundproofed walls, and the masks slipped away. Emmett bought a 'my best friend a lesbian' shirt when Rosalie came out and wore it whenever they were away from the house. He told her stories about his earliest memories to his last. Rosalie told Emmett stories about growing up in Rochester as a Hale, all the expectations she had from the city and her family. But the biggest test of their friendship came when they were away from the family. They had graduated from high school and went to college in Vancouver. They were mid-hunt when Rosalie threw up animal blood. Emmett asked her what was wrong, and Rosalie confessed that living on animal blood made her sick. She told him that she'd always known. Alice's visions and Edward's telepathy made it hard for her to do something about it. Emmett told her to hold on and ran to the nearest town. He knew how to get around Alice's visions. Based on her explanation of how they worked, Emmett needed to make a subconscious decision to hunt a human and buy a gift for Rosalie. Emmett went to the store and bought Rosalie a necklace while he stalked a random man. He bided his time until he snatched the guy off the sidewalk. Emmett ran back to Rosalie, dropped the man in front of her, and turned around while she fed.

Emmett eventually hunted humans with her, so she wouldn't feel alone, and he found that he was much stronger than before. They found ways to keep their secret. They spent more time away from Carlisle and the others until they had to go to high school together. Rosalie experimented with mixing animal blood and human blood so their eyes wouldn't give them away. Emmett followed Alice's advice on investments, the one thing he trusted her over, and he saved his money in a private account. Whatever money he didn't put away, Emmett bought cars, car parts, microscopes, and old computers for Rosalie. And with the money she set aside, Rosalie bought swords, blades, specialty weapons, and boxing equipment for Emmett. They were a match made in hell, an inside joke because Rosalie refused to believe God had anything to do with their vampirism. Emmett couldn't see Rosalie as anything other than his best friend, his partner, and his soulmate. But she would never be his mate, and he would never be Rosalie's.

They were meant to be in each other's lives as equals, but not lovers, and that was okay with them.

Emmett slinked through the shadows behind the two men. He grabbed them before they stepped under the streetlight and knocked them out. Emmett hefted them over his shoulders and sped through the woods toward the cabin. He jumped onto the balcony and pushed open the door with the tip of his boot. Emmett made a mental note to clean the glass and shut the door with his hip. He connected the men to the machine hanging from the ceiling, something Rosalie built for faster exsanguination, and he turned it on. While the blood drained ran, Emmett stripped off his shoes before walking on the carpet. He systematically undressed, folding his jeans and placing his shirt in the dirty hamper. He picked out a tank top and a pair of shorts, then he closed his closet door and went back into the bedroom. Rosalie came out of her bathroom in her pajamas and jumped on the bed. Emmett noticed that she wore a pair of cut-up basketball shorts. He suspected they were the same shorts that mysteriously went missing from his box two weeks ago.

"I just got off the phone with Carlisle. He wants us back in Forks for some kind of dinner next Saturday."

"Really?"

"I assume Esme will be cooking, and the event will be at the house since it is large enough to hold fifteen people. Carlisle wants to be more involved with the community."

"Sounds like it will be a long night. You want to ride or fly?"

"Ride. I need an entire week just to prepare myself for that chaos."

"Did he give you a time?"

"Seven p.m."

"Okay. We can leave the day after tomorrow. If we time it right, we can get there right as the dinner starts."

"This is why I love you."

Emmett waved off the comment. He double-checked the locks even though he knew, realistically, that no one could get in. They were so far up the mountains that no one could get to them, and their cabin blended into the trees. Emmett had the luxury of transporting the materials up the mountainside, but he didn't mind. Rosalie deserved as many places as possible on this planet where she could get away, and he would gladly make that happen.

"Alice wants to know why we haven't had our wedding yet. All mates are supposed to have one."

"Need I remind you we aren't mates? And Alice should learn how to mind her business."

"She just wants an excuse to plan something."

"You're gay, Rosalie. Why would we get married?"

"The odds of me finding my mate have lessened over the years. I'm anticipating living alone for the rest of my life."

"She probably hasn't been born yet."

"Okay, no. I do not want to think about possibly being mated to a fetus."

Emmett snorted and turned off the machine when it ended. He unhooked the men but left them hanging. The blood was separated into two containers, one for him and one for Rosalie, and Emmett sniffed each one. He turned to Rosalie and put his hands on his hips.

"Do you want the AB positive or the A positive?"

"I hate them both," Rosalie groaned. "But if I have to choose, I'll take the A positive."

"Figured. Yours is the one on the right."

Rosalie slid off the bed and walked to her container. She tightened the lid and carried it out of the room. Emmett did the same, following her downstairs.

"We should sell that invention to other vampires. It's so much more efficient."

"Who did you have in mind?"

"I think Felix would appreciate it. As would Aro and the others."

"Hi, Aro, this is Rosalie Hale. I built a machine that acts as a more efficient blood collection from humans. Yes, I'm still a part of the Olympic Coven. Yes, they are still vegetarian. Yes, I'll hold."

"Well, when you put it like that, it sounds stupid."

"No, I just want to know when to pour the champagne when they agree to it."

Rosalie flipped him off and dumped her container into her cooler. Emmett copied her actions, and once the containers were empty, he took Rosalie's and his down to the basement. Emmett sprayed them with water until they were moderately clean and left them to dry. Emmett would clean them properly after he put something on his stomach. Once he got back upstairs, Rosalie had already taken out two bottles for him. She was midway through her first, mindlessly scrolling on her phone, and Emmett hopped on the counter. He stared at the bottle full of blood with the same hesitation, and he again wondered when he found his siblings if they would understand. Would they still love him? Would his Mom still want to be around him? Would he be able to live with knowing that one day they would die before him?

"I'm sorry."

Emmett looked over his shoulder, and he said, "Don't apologize, Rose. You saved me."

"But you didn't want this life."

"Neither did you," he said pointedly. "I would have hated dying that day."

"But?"

"I've told you before that if I could go back in time and keep my family together, I would. I'm not from here, but this is where I am now. I just hope that when we find each other, my family won't…hate me."

"They won't hate you, Em. Your mother saved you from growing up in an orphanage. You were blessed with not one but two mothers and a father. You had two sisters, a cousin, and a grandmother that loved you unconditionally. And you always talked about how growing up in the castle meant that there was never a second where you were alone. That kind of love doesn't fade. I'm sure it will be an adjustment, but I don't think they will abandon or hate you. If anything, I'm sure they will be happy that you are still alive."

"Alive is a relative term."

"Being a depressed vampire is Edward's theme, and being a nagging one is mine. Stick with that disgusting optimism, Mills."

Emmett laughed. After he finished his drinks, Rosalie threw an empty bottle at his head.

"I found a paper by a professor this morning," she said. "It was published like three months ago, but it's by someone called H. Wells and I. S."

"Is?"

"No, I. S. It's someone's initials. I guess they didn't want their full name printed with the paper," she said. "But anyway, the paper wasn't scientific, more so science-fiction. This Wells guy hypothesized a device that could split the space-time continuum long enough for an individual to travel from one realm to the next. He speculates there are multiple universes connected to ours that run on similar or identical time frames. Basically, Wells theorized that while it might be, say, October 25th, 2006, in our world, it could be September 23rd, 2016, somewhere else or November 19th, 2011, in another. Wells believes that time is the one non-constant thing in a set of constantly moving variables that operate under an unknown scale of- what? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"If you've ever wondered why you're single, that's why," Emmett joked.

Rosalie huffed and said, "I'm sorry that I find the subject fascinating. Plus, this is a good thing! We can go to London and visit this Wells and talk to him about the device. What if he's already in the process of creating it? We can steal the designs, and I can finish it much faster."

"Wow, you went from inquisitive to illegal in a matter of seconds."

"Emmett, I want to help you get back to your family."

"You seem eager to get me back home."

"I love having you here, but if your family needs you, I'm not going to be selfish and keep you here longer than you already have been. It would suck without you, but I'll be okay."

"Or you can come with me."

"What?"

"Come with me, Rose. Meet my family and live in a castle, like the pillow princess you are."

"I told you that in confidence!"

"Why tell me if I can't tease you about it?" Emmett jumped down and made his way over to Rosalie. He grabbed her arms and squeezed. "But I'm serious. My family would love you."

"What if we can't come back?"

"I don't care. Rose, you were the first person I saw when I opened my eyes. You're my best friend, and I want to be selfish and take you with me."

Rosalie chewed on her bottom lip and said, "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes," Rosalie laughed. "I'll come with you."

Emmett kissed Rosalie on the cheek and wrapped her in a bear hug.

"Sweet! I love you, bug."

"I love you too, captain. Always."

Emmett threw their luggage in the truck and checked the cooler. Rosalie stomped through the snow and leaned over Emmett's shoulder, frowning.

"Do we have enough without having to hunt for the next week?" she asked.

"With the way you eat? No. I think we have enough to get to Ohio before it becomes an issue."

"It is not my fault that blood moves through my system so quickly."

"Yeah, it's because you're defective."

Rosalie smacked Emmett on the back of the head and went around to the driver's seat.

"Shut up, and get in the car, Emmett Mills."

"Yes, dear."

Friday morning, Emmett drove through Wisconsin while Rosalie "slept" in the back. He turned up the song and put the truck in cruise control. They were on the back roads, no rush to get to Forks since they had a little over thirty-six hours before the dinner, and Emmett sipped at the blood smoothie Rosalie made. He glanced at her in the rearview mirror, and he smiled. She was a lot smarter than she let on, brilliant even, but Rosalie grew up in a time where women were meant to breed children and stay at home. She hid her intelligence even after she became a vampire. Emmett found her reading a science journal one night, and she was so terrified he would judge her for it. He asked her to tell him about it, and Rosalie's smile was more than worth suffering through an in-depth explanation on protons.

Emmett thought she reminded him of Kieran. She was cold at times, her emotions stilted because of her upbringing, but there were moments of warmth. In another lifetime, Emmett would've loved to have been her mate. He would've treasured her every day, not that he doesn't already, but it would've been different. Emmett vowed to keep her safe until she found the one she was meant to be with, and even then, he would have her best interest at heart. Emmett tapped along to the beat of the song and bobbed his head.

"I'm a straight-shooting, beer-drinking, rule-breaking, don't think I won't take a good thing too far," he sang. "I'm a midnight, backsliding, getaway car driving, running away with your heart. I guess, be careful what you wish for is all I meant when I said what you see is what you get."

"This is a tragedy."

Emmett grinned as Rosalie climbed back into the front seat.

"What? You don't like my voice?"

"I can't believe you listen to this crap."

"Hey! Luke Combs is a God, woman. Be respectful."

"If you value your life, you will never call me woman again. Two, I refuse to be mated to a country bumpkin."

"I never complain when you play that hard rock shit of yours."

"Because you are a smart boy."

"Why are you the way that you are?"

"I can ask you the same thing. Plus, you love me."

"Unfortunately."

Rosalie kicked back and pulled a novel from her bookbag. Emmett read the cover – Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon - and smiled to himself.

"What?" she asked, holding the book to her chest.

There was a shyness to Rosalie's voice, even after all the time they'd spent together, and Emmett cupped her cheek.

"Nothing, bug. Read it to me?" he asked.

Rosalie kissed his palm and pushed his hand away. She read, "A screaming comes across the sky."

Bella smacked Charlie's hand away from the pie and said, "At least wait until we get there."

"Can you believe they invited so many humans?"

"I thought you said you didn't believe they were vampires."

"Yeah, well. I met that Edwin-

"Edward."

"-and he gives me the creeps."

"Me too. But I've learned not to piss off someone who could eat me alive."

"You're having way too much fun with this."

"So are you. Go put on your coat."

"Who are you, my Mom?"

Bella smacked him on the arm as he left and wrapped the pie in foil. She left the pie on the counter and moved to the hall mirror. Bella adjusted her tie and re-tucked her shirt. She had on one of the suits Oliver bought her, a burgundy three-piece, and she wore a black button-down with a pair of burgundy loafers and a matching tie. Charlie came back downstairs with his coat and stopped behind her.

"You look good, kid."

"Vampirism aside, meeting new people is not fun for me."

"If you can spend three years with Harrison Wells and company, this dinner will be a cake-walk."

"As long as you keep Edward away from me."

"The other kids will be there too."

"Alice gives me stalker vibes, Jasper looks like he's always trying not to bite me, and Edward looks at me like I'm his wife. If they're all the same family, I'll take my chances with the liquor."

"If you want to leave, just tap my arm three times, and we'll go."

"Okay, Dad."

"Please don't call me that until we get to the house. I can't imagine having kids, especially one like you."

Bella punched him in the arm as he laughed.

Charlie leaned forward as he searched for the turn he needed.

"Would you like me to ask the trees?" she said.

"It's a little spooky that you can talk to plants, you know that, right?"

"That's not the spookiest thing I can do," she muttered.

"Do I want to know?"

"No."

Charlie shivered at the tone of her voice, but he made a sound of triumph as he found the driveway and rode down with the headlights on bright. Bella listened to the wind blow through the trees, smiling at the sounds of the leaves brushing against one another, and she closed her eyes. When the car slowed down, Bella opened her eyes and gawked at the massive mansion in front of them. It was clear the mayor and others were already there, but Bella was not expecting the place to be so big.

"Holy shit," Charlie whispered.

"I know, right?"

Bella nodded in agreement and got out of the car. She handed Charlie the pie with a silent warning, and Charlie stuck out his tongue. The wind blew, and Bella turned toward the trees. She stepped closer to them as their message reached her ears.

'Danger.'

The rustling seemed to get worse, and Bella held out her hand. The trees went still, and Bella turned to Charlie. He glanced between her and the trees, and he cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, still spooky."

Bella snorted and walked to the door. She didn't wait for someone to open the door and made her way inside with Charlie behind her. A blonde man turned to them, and Bella knew she'd won the bet. Bella avoided looking at Edward, choosing to focus her attention on the inhumanely beautiful man making his way toward them. If she were interested in men, he would be her first choice. A brunette joined him, and Bella grunted under her breath. Were all vampires insanely gorgeous? Even Edward was attractive.

"Chief Swan! Welcome to my home."

"Dr. Cullen, Mrs. Cullen, thank you for inviting me," Charlie said. "This is my daughter, Isabella, who you already know, I'm sure."

"Call me Carlisle, and this is Esme. And yes, my children mentioned meeting her the other day. It's a pleasure to formally meet you, Isabella."

"Bella," she corrected politely. "And it's an honor to meet you as well. Your home is so beautiful."

"Oh, this is for you," Charlie said, handing Esme the pie. "Bella made it."

"That's sweet. I'll go put it with the other dessert," Esme said, walking away.

"It's no problem," Bella said. Under her breath, she added, "It's not like you guys are going to eat it anyway."

Carlisle gave Bella an odd look. She faked a frown of confusion, and he cleared his throat. Carlisle gestured to the spread of food in the kitchen.

"Have as much as you like," he said.

Emmett puffed out his cheeks when he saw the 'Welcome to Forks' sign and glanced over at Rosalie. They had changed into their dinner wear, a red dress for Rosalie and a black turtleneck-black slack combination for him, and they rode through town slowly.

"Hey, so, apparently, Edward has a crush on the chief's daughter."

"What?"

"Yeah, Jasper texted me and told me she works at the library. They bonded over Tchaikovsky."

"Oh, great. The last thing I want to do is watch Edward and his female counterpart talk violin arrangements all night. What was her name?"

"He didn't say. He zoned out when Edward started talking about it. I guess we'll find out tonight, right?"

"I still think it's gross."

"Ten bucks she wears glasses and a cardigan."

"No, deal. That's a waste of money."

Rosalie grinned and sped up once the clock finally struck 6:59. They would be at the house in less than ten minutes, and that was more than enough time to get to the dinner at a reasonably late time.

Bella was desperately glad that someone brought alcohol. She was on her second glass of wine. Edward attempted to monopolize her time, but Charlie kept his promise. He steered her around the room expertly, keeping her distracted with conversations with people he'd apparently known for a long time, and Bella smiled and nodded at the right moments.

'More danger.'

Bella twitched as she was alerted to more vampires, and she assumed it was the missing Cullen kids. She drained her glass and went to get another one. Bella could not stomach another hour of the dinner. It was boring, but it seemed like everyone loved the Cullen family. Bella poured her third glass and drank half of it before she went back into the main room. She had a high enough tolerance to recite Canterbury Tales in its original form with two bottles of wine in her system. Bella was well on her way to that state. She had her head down as she made her way to Charlie, and she looked up when the door opened.

Bella was glad Charlie had great reflexes because he caught her wine glass before it hit the floor. Her entire existence boiled down to one thing, and Bella struggled to breathe. Blonde hair, floor-length red dress with a thigh slit that stopped at an inappropriate height, and red-painted lips curled in an unimpressed scowl. Bella trailed her eyes up until she met a pair of golden irises that dilated the moment their eyes met. Bella's heart was in her throat. She was ruined for everyone else, and Bella would die if she couldn't at least know that beautiful creature's name. She was moving away from Charlie, her wine glass still in his hand, and Bella sidestepped Edward. She approached the blonde with her hand outstretched, and she said the first thing that came to mind-

"In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."

The blonde's eyes widened, and she grabbed Bella's hand. Her grip was cold but soft, and Bella smiled when she felt the competing emotions. There was confusion, fear, and happiness, but there was infatuation there as well. Bella didn't care about the eyes on her or the whispers. All she cared about was knowing the woman's name.

"What's your name?"

"Rosalie."

"Like a rose. How fitting." Bella kissed the back of Rosalie's hand. "My name is-

"Isabella?"

Bella's head snapped to the side, and the rest of the world filtered in slowly as she looked at the person who she only saw in her dreams. She dropped Rosalie's hand in shock.

"Emmett?"