Toxic Rose

Chapter 26: A Terrible Christmas Present

A/N: I've run out of prewritten chapters, sadly, so I have no idea when chapters will be up. I'm going to aim for a goal of at least one chapter per month, so hopefully I can accomplish that.

The noises of chatting nurses, ringing phones and squeaking shoes filled Billy Black's ears as he rolled himself over to where Jacob was being kept in a hospital bed. It had roughly been three days since his son had been shot in his kneecap, and only now was Billy allowed to go see him, which was total BS. He blamed Carlisle for keeping him from seeing his son this long. He hated that man with a burning passion. He was meddlesome, always manipulating people to get his way with no consideration for what he did to them. His family and reputation came first.

Billy slowed down as he saw two familiar figures huddled outside Jacob's door, peering in cautiously and whispering to one another.

"Paul, Embry, what are you two doing here? Don't dally outside, go in. "

They both jumped at the sound of Billy's voice, almost as if they had been caught doing something bad.

"Uh, just, checking up on Jake, and it's err, fine. We don't wanna bother him or anything so we'll just stay here," Paul said uncertainly, looking over at Embry as if questioning if he was saying the right thing. Embry nodded his head and Paul spoke with more confidence. "We're really sorry what happened to him."

"Thank you," Billy said. "Were you boys by any chance with Jake when any of this happened? The three of you are inseparable."

The two boys shook their heads no.

Billy was a bit disappointed by that. He had hoped the boys would be able to tell him something new, to help him figure out what was going on with his son. Jake hadn't been like this. And it worried him. "Did Jake tell you anything about what he wanted to do? Did he tell you what was going on with him during that past week or two?" Billy had noticed that Jake had been acting a bit off during the past two weeks. But he had figured that Jake would be able to handle it himself.

Billy had been wrong and now he regretted not paying better attention. He had failed his son when he needed his father most. Now he promised to make up for it. He would help his son through this.

"Uh, no, not really," Embry scuffed the tiled floor with his converse, avoiding holding a gaze with Billy for too long. "He...just caught us off guard with his actions. But we hope he gets better."

"Yea. We hope he gets better," Paul echoed. "But now we gotta go home." And then the two of them turned on their heels and left.

Billy frowned at their weird behavior. It was almost as if they were scared of Jake or something. He pushed those thoughts out of his head as he wheeled himself into the room. Jake was awake and lying on the bed with the pillows propped up behind his back.

The nurses had given him a shave, so his face was smooth once more, but his hair was still long and some of it fell into his eyes. His injured leg was sticking out from underneath the bed covers, wrapped in white gauze until it was almost twice the size from how much there was there. "Jake." Billy whispered, his voice coming out small from the pain of seeing his son like this.

"Jake," he tried again louder. This time Jake turned his head from the small TV in the corner of the room he had been watching. "Dad," his face broke out into a smile.

"How are you feeling?" Billy rolled up to his son's bed side and clasped his hand. Jake squeezed it back. "Better. My leg doesn't hurt anymore thanks to the pain meds, and the surgery got the bullet out." Jake's eyes were a bit glassy from the medication.

"How's the damage?" Billy hated to ask but he couldn't stand it if his son would have a limp or be impaired in any way with his walking functions. The Cullen's had already made one of the Blacks disabled. Wasn't one enough?

"They said I should have a slight limp for a little bit, but if I exercise it enough then I'll be fine."

Billy let a breath out he didn't know he was holding as he listened to his son speak. "That's good. That's very good," he smiled in relief.

There was a silence as the two of them sat there. Billy was gathering up the courage to ask his son just what had happened.

"Jake-"

"Were Paul and Embry here? Did they come to visit me?" Jake asked, a hopeful tone in his voice.

"Yes, yes they were," Billy answered after he had recovered from being cut off.

"I'm glad. I'm glad their not mad at me for what I did." Jake sighed, his eyes becoming downcast.

Billy once more tried to breach the topic. "Jake, can you tell me what happened? I need to know as your father."

Jake shook his head, and Billy thought his son wouldn't answer but he did, he was just shaking his head preemptively in disgust for what he would say. "It's all Rosalie's fault. She's corrupted Bella."

"What?" Billy asked, not understanding what Jake was saying.

"And nobody knows. Nobody but me and Leah and Leah wouldn't do anything to stop it." At this Jake sat up more fully. He pulled his hand free from Billy's, his hands clenching into fists. "And I can't believe she wouldn't. She's my friend. Bella's friend. How dare she not do anything to help her out!" Jake's voice was growing louder and Billy was frightened by the anger he saw in his son's eyes.

"Jake, calm down!" he put a heavy hand on his son's shoulders and the boy let out a long breath through his nose to calm down. "What are you talking about? What is Rosalie doing to Bella?"

"Ask Paul and Embry, they were there with me the night I fought Rosalie off to protect Bella."

So Paul and Embry had been there. They knew what was going on and they had lied to Billy about it.

"Son, Paul and Embry say they don't know anything."

Jake looked at his dad at this. "What? They lied? Why?"

Billy shook his head. "I don't know."

Jake tsked angrily. "It doesn't matter. We need to protect Bella. She's in danger, dad, and it's our job to help her." The way Jake was saying all this, made the situation all seem very grim. Just what exactly was going on with Bella and Rosalie that warranted an immediate reaction. "Where is she?"

"I'm not sure. I'll go talk to Charlie, visit him, and ask him if he has any clue as to what is going on."

"That's good." Jake nodded his head. "I wish I could go...but everyone thinks I'm insane and they won't let me be discharged. You don't think I'm insane, do you?" Jake turned pleading eyes to his father who reflexively shook his head no.

"You're not crazy. And damn that Carlisle for making others think that. Mark my words, I will get that man back one of these days for all he has done to us. I'm too old to be dealing with his shit."

Then with that he wheeled himself out, ready to go accost Charlie for some information. "The Cullens may have pulled the wool over our heads once too many times, but this time the Blacks are going to strike back. And we will get to the bottom of whatever it is Carlisle is trying to hide," he vowed as he left.

Jake watched his father leave, a dark emotion in his eyes. "Bella," came out in a whisper.

Bella was getting ready to go to bed when Rosalie let herself into her room. The blonde was wearing a thin top and shorts, the heat in the cabin providing that the family did not have to wear many layers at night to stay warm. She surprised Bella with her appearance, the younger girl nearly dropping her towel with a shriek. She had just finished showering in the bathroom and had left her pjs on her bed to change into.

"Rosalie, hey what's up?" Bella tried to act casually as her heart beat slowed back to a healthy rate. Was the blonde here to sleep over again like she had back at Bella's house? She might, considering Alice hadn't checked up on them tonight. The whole trip the pixie had been checking that Rosalie was in her room and not Bella's. Perhaps today she had decided that they really weren't going to go over to each others rooms and had given it a rest.

"I forgot to give you your gift," Rosalie coyly stated, hands behind her back as she stalked up to the brunette, forcing her to back up. Bella's back hit the closet behind her, her wet skin leaving a mark. "My gift?" Bella breathed, her eyes trailing down to Rosalie's chest. It looked like the blonde wasn't wearing a bra.

"Yes, your Christmas gift," Rosalie hummed.

Bella's snapped up to her face and she swallowed deeply as she spoke. "But Christmas is tomorrow morning." It was also the day the Cullen's would be leaving so that Bella could be back home in time to celebrate it with her dad too.

"What time is it now?" Rosalie arched a brow, sounding like she already knew the answer to that question but wanted Bella to tell her anyways. Bella glanced at the clock on the wall behind Rosalie's head. "It's after midnight."

"Which means it's officially Christmas day and I can give you your gift," Rosalie smirked and brought out what she had been holding behind her back. It was mistletoe.

"Plants?" Bella asked in confusion.

Rosalie shook her head at this, taking an extra step closer to Bella. Now the two girl's chest were touching and Rosalie could feel Bella's quickening heartbeat. "No. Haven't you heard of a kiss under the mistletoe?"

Bella's eyes widened in realization. "Oh yea, I know. So you're going to give me a kiss under the mistletoe because it's Christmas tradition." Bella smiled at this. "You are such a sappy romantic." But she moved her head closer to go in for the kiss. Rosalie put her palm up to stop her, Bella's lips brushing the inside of her hand instead.

"Bella, I will be kissing you, but not," at this Rosalie brought her face closer to Bella's ear, her voice a husky whisper. "On those lips. But these." Rosalie's hand slowly trailed down to Bella's crotch and Bella let out a gasp as the blonde cupped her there harshly and possessively. The combination of the words and the sudden touch made the brunette see black for a split second, her world darkened by desire. She was instantly on fire, needing and wanting to be touched. Was today the day? Were they finally going to go all the way? Her libido did a back flip in joy.

"Rosalie," she whimpered as the blonde lowered the mistletoe to the level of Bella's hips.

"Yes Bella?" The blonde's eyes were dark and her voice was husky.

"Can you kiss me first on my mouth?" Bella begged and Rosalie complied. The kiss was harsh, rough and tongues battled fiercely. Bella's hands went up to wrap around Rosalie's neck and her towel fell off as a result not that she cared. Rosalie pressed harder against her, her shirt rubbing off the water on Bella's skin.

"Let's move to the bed," Rosalie husked, pulling away to draw breath. Bella nodded her head obediently.

"The only place you'll be moving your butts is to sleep," growled out a voice and Rosalie let out a humongous groan of annoyance.

"Alice leave us the fuck alone!" Rosalie spun around to face her, thoroughly upset that her plans had been ruined. The pixie was standing with her hands on her hips, glaring daggers at the two of them. Bella let out a startled eep when she realized she was naked right now. She covered her chest with her hand and her crotch with her other, feeling like she was blushing to death right now. But Alice wasn't paying attention to her but the blonde.

"No."

"And why not?" Rosalie took a step, then two to get closer to Alice who did the same. "She's my girlfriend I can do whatever I want with her."

"Whatever you want, right? Like abuse her, take advantage of her?" Alice shot back, her voice rising high.

"Where did you get such an idea! Why do you think I'm always hurting her? I never hurt you when we dated, so why all the mistrust?" Rosalie was pissed off. Why was the pixie so distrusting of her when she had trusted her greatly prior? Trusted her more than the others had. Bella, noticing that the girls weren't focused on her, took this time to pick up her towel and wrap it around herself once more. She had to stop their argument before it escalated.

"Guys cut this out. I won't have you arguing with one another over me. Alice, I made my choice and I'm dating Rosalie. Everything we're engaging in is consensual."

"I call bullshit on this. She's manipulating you Bella. She's using you because you're weak. Because you look like Marie." Alice said the one thing she shouldn't and Rosalie snapped.

"Don't bring her into this conversation you bitch! Don't you dare speak her name with your filthy mouth!" Rosalie lunged at Alice and the pixie gave a frightened scream as she was grabbed roughly by the shoulders and shaken.

"Rosalie stop!" Bella cried out, worried that this would turn into yet another confrontation. "Rosalie!" But the blonde was raging on.

"I told you this in confidentiality, that I never wanted to talk of her again, never wanted to hear of her again and you're bringing it up?" Rosalie shook Alice harshly, the small girls head bobbing back and forth.

Shit, what do I do? Bella clutched the top of her towel, waffling between what would be the best choice.

"What's going on here?" Emmett barged into the room in his briefs, his hair tossed from sleep. "I can't get any sleep with this racket."

Rosalie seemed to calm down at his appearance and let the pixie go, who ran and hid behind Emmett's back as the big man put his arms across his chest and scowled down at Rosalie. Rosalie was breathing harshly through her nose and she clenched and unclenched her hands. "Alice is being bothersome."

"Rosalie why are you in Bella's room?" Emmett's voice was soft but harsh at the same time and Rosalie swallowed deeply. How was she going to explain this to them without getting into trouble? Without revealing their secret?

"Rosalie..." Emmett's voice was losing it's patience. "I don't want to hurt you..."

Rosalie exchanged a look with Bella who was frightened, her eyes wide. Oh god, are they going to taser her again? Please no. Bella couldn't stand that.

Rosalie tore her eyes away. "I was picking on her again," she said, working her jaw angrily as she gave Alice a death glare. The pixie girl stuck her tongue back out in retaliation, not that Emmett noticed.

No! Bella's mind screamed. That's not what happened. She saw as Emmett reached out a hand to Rosalie and her mind panicked. "She didn't hurt me!"

Emmett stopped at her outburst and sent her a confused look.

"What?"

"I said she didn't hurt me," Bella repeated coming closer to them, holding her towel tightly to herself. Rosalie also had a confused look on her face but Bella continued on. "She was apologizing to me for acting rudely."

Emmett pursed his lips, not sure what to make of this development. "She was apologizing?" He glanced briefly at Rosalie. The blonde snapped her teeth at him. "Why is Bella in a towel then?"

"I just got out of the shower, and she came in. That's it," Bella clarified, her voice a bit breathless in her rush to stop Emmett from passing judgment onto the blonde.

"Oh so, now you're lying for Rosalie too. Isn't that just sweet," Alice piped up.

"Stay out of this Alice," Rosalie snarled.

"What does she mean? Are you lying to me Bella?" Emmett asked her and Bella squirmed uncomfortably. He was looking into her eyes like he could see everything, like he knew the truth. Bella didn't like lying to Emmett; she liked him best out of the male Cullens but she didn't want Rosalie to get into trouble. Before she could answer him Alice spoke up again.

"She's lying to you. Her and Rosalie are dating!" The words hung heavily in the air and Bella felt her face pale. "You little bitch!" Rosalie was the quickest to react. She ran at Alice but was blocked by Emmett's outstretched arms. He held her back as she swung and kicked. "You little fucking cunt!"

Alice only stuck out her tongue once more, safe from Rosalie because of Emmett. "I'm going to pound the snot out of you once I get my hands on you," Rosalie promised. "You motherfucking cunt!"

"Rosalie calm down!" Emmett chided, struggling to hold in a growl of pain as Rosalie bit him on the hand, between his finger and his thumb.

"No you won't hurt me. You heard father. He said if you hurt me then he's going to end your relationship with Bella."

Was that true? Did Carlisle really threaten to end their relationship if Rosalie stepped a toe out of line? It must have been true because Rosalie's thrashing went down and she pulled free of Emmett's hands. The big man ran a soothing finger over the bite marks from her mouth on his hand, giving her looks of contemplation. "Is it true Rosalie? Are you dating Bella?" Rosalie and Bella exchanged another look. Rosalie knew Bella didn't want to have more of her personal business out there but there was no choice now. Rosalie gave Emmett a curt nod of the head.

"Wow," Emmett uttered, his face completely in shock. "I was totally not expecting that. Totally not." He ran his hands through his hair once. Twice. "Yea totally. But how-? Didn't Rosalie hate you Bella?"

Bella shrugged. "It was a misunderstanding."

"No it wasn't! Rosalie bullied Bella and Bella still chose to get into a relationship with her!" Alice pointed out. "Rosalie's manipulating Bella!" Oh great. Alice is like Jake and thinks I'm being manipulated. Does everyone think I'm unstable for liking Rosalie? Maybe I am?

"You're just pissed off by the fact that I'm in a happy relationship and you're not! You're jealous! Me and Bella are having a grand time while your relationship with Jasper is on the ropes. Face it-you're down to your last Cullen Alice. And mommy and daddy aren't adopting anymore."

Alice curled back her lip in disgust, looking mad enough to spit. She came out from behind Emmett's back. "You have no idea what this is about!"

"Oh I do," Rosalie smugly stated. "And there is no way you are getting me back. I know you want me Alice. Even back when you claimed to be mad at me for hurting Bella you were secretly happy that this was all happening. You befriended her, brought her to the house more often, parading her around because you knew how much she reminded me of Marie. You wanted me riled up. You wanted me crazy. You wanted me to break, so I could come running to your arms and you could take advantage of me. So you would have something to do because you were getting bored of Jasper. But what you didn't expect was that I would come out strong. That I would find happiness with Bella." Rosalie finished her long montage to the sound of slow clapping.

"How beautifully dramatic and heartbreaking. Truly heartbreaking," Edward drawled sarcastically. During the time Rosalie had spoken, Jasper, Edward, Carlisle and Esme had come to the room, unable to sleep with all the ruckus that was being caused. "But now, can you all shut the fuck up so we can sleep?"

"Edward, no need for your vulgar language," Esme scolded but the boy merely rolled his eyes at her. Bella heaved out a great sigh. This night was definitely not going the way she had planned. She was supposed to go to bed so she could rise early to give them all her gifts. And now it was half to two and she was still undressed, her skin cold. But she didn't care anymore about her state of undress. She just wanted everything to get straightened out.

"Bella what is going on here?" The doctor looked a bit frazzled, his hair flat on one side. Bella startled at being addressed and before she could speak Rosalie responded for her. "Father, I would just like to say please do something about Alice. She is poisoning mine and Bella's relationship with her constant sticking her nose into business that is not her own."

"I'm only looking out for Bella because you won't and because she's too stupid to do so herself."

Stupid? Well, that was rude.

"Don't call Bella stupid," Rosalie rose to the defense of her girlfriend and Bella's insides warmed up at that.

"Alice, Rosalie I want to talk to you both. Come with me now," Carlisle ordered and the two followed him out of the room obediently.

"As for everyone else, off to bed. And not a peep from anyone," Esme shooed the boys off to their rooms but stayed put herself. She turned to Bella who suddenly felt more self conscious when Esme was alone with her in the room. She pulled the towel up higher. "Bella, can I talk to you a moment?"

"Uh, sure. Can I just get dressed? I've been like this for a while and I'm starting to get cold."

"Of course," Esme smiled gently. Bella gave her a watery smile back and took her clothes with her into the bathroom. There was no way she putting on her clothes with the other woman in her room. With Rosalie's mom of all people.

Snug in her long sleeve pjs she returned to the room to find the woman had seated herself on Bella's bed. "Sit." She patted the mattress next to her and Bella gulped deeply. What would the woman want from her? Unlike Carlisle she was intimidated by the older and more mature woman. Would she be as accepting of the two girl's relationship? Bella sat down slowly, unable to look the other woman in her eyes as she fiddled with her sleeve edges.

"So, how is everything?"

"Uh, good. I guess. I really like my stay here."

Esme nodded her head in consideration of this, but this wasn't the answer she wanted. "And how are things with Rosalie and you?"

Bella swallowed. "Good."

"You know I had no clue about this whole relationship of yours. Usually Rosalie is really hard to get along with but I'm glad the two of you have been doing fine." Yea, Bella was no way happy about the whole Cullen household knowing that Bella and Rosalie were dating. But that was a given, since they had been screaming about it left and right. Honestly, Bella should have foreseen this happening. All her plans concerning the blonde always got ruined by some bad luck or something.

"But she can still be a handful at times, so I want you to have this." The woman held out her hand and on it was a small black box. Bella felt her mouth sour at this.

"I can't. I, I won't," Bella stammered, suddenly extremely revolted by the woman sitting next to her. How dare she give her a taser to use on Rosalie! That was so inhumane!

"Bella, don't be like that. Rosalie is Rosalie. I know she wants to be better, but wanting to be something doesn't mean you will be it. And she will slip up no matter how hard she tries. It's only a matter of when and how. And when that time comes I want you to be safe." Esme said this as if it was the most natural thing in the world to use tasers on one's own child.

"I won't use the taser on her. I won't." Bella gripped the tops of her knees hard.

"Bella-"

"How can you even use it on her? Don't you know how much pain it causes her? How hard it is for her to know her own family treats her as a wild animal?" Bella's voice was a whisper and she had to hold back tears.

Esme got up at this, her voice colder than before. "Children need to be taught what is wrong or right with hard love." A pause. Bella still wouldn't look at her. "Take the taser Bella. If not now then tomorrow before you leave. I know you may not want to believe Rosalie capable of vile things but she is. Carlisle can be foolish and too wrapped up in thinking the best of others but I know the harsh realities of this world. I won't be swayed by rose tinted glasses and believe her to be healed by her own simple desire to be better. That's not how life works."

"I still won't-can't do that to Rosalie. She did nothing wrong. I trust her."

Esme smiled cruelly at this, her next words dropping a bombshell that rocked Bella's world.

"She hurt her first lover. Do you still trust her now?"

Bella's breath caught in her lungs and she put her hands to her mouth. Everything was too loud in the room; too much static. Her ears buzzed and her heart raced. "Marie," she squeaked out, only guessing that name as it had been the only one she had heard thrown around in conversation between Rosalie and Alice. The blonde had not responded kindly to the use of her name. "But why? She told me she never hurt someone unless it was out of self defense." Bella felt like she was going to be sick. Oh god, oh god, this is terrible. This is the fucking worst. She was close to hyperventilating.

"I don't know the exact circumstances of what happened with her and Marie, but this just goes to show you that you cannot trust her. She told you she never hurt anyone except out of self defense, but what about all those people she bullied? Was that also out of self defense? I think not." Esme's eyes furrowed in worry and pity at the girl beneath her. She looked like she would collapse any moment, her shoulders hunched in over herself. She felt bad for doing this but she needed to warn Bella. Needed to have her prepared for the worst case scenario. She tossed the taser in her hand next to the girl on her bed and left without another word. Only when she left did Bella's floodgates open and she tossed herself onto her covers to cry.

She really, really, really wanted to go home now.

A/N: The drama intensifies.