Chapter eight: The Rose starts losing petals

After the last incident Bella was staying over at the Cullen's house for the weekend under the guise of a sleepover with the girls. Rosalie, not able to stomach the brunette's presence was staying in her room the entire time but other than that all the Cullen's were trying to make her as comfortable as possible for the duration of her stay. Edward was glued to her side 24/7, stroking her hair and making sure she was cozy. Emmett would play video games and try to crack her up with silly faces and inappropriate jokes while Jasper infused her with calming vibes. Esme would bake her comfort foods and Carlisle would inspect her well being and make sure she was getting the relaxation she needed to heal her leg. And Alice took to helping Bella with fashion and makeup makeovers. The brunette only protested weakly before giving into Alice's demands. The pixie had fun trying out new looks on the girl and bringing out her natural beauty.

Bella wasn't the only one being watched. Charlie was in danger of being attacked too, so it landed on the vampires to do shifts around the house. They would take turns making sure no harm came to him during the day and night. The vampires, Victoria and Laurent, too were being observed. They were still full of grief and fury at their companions death and Carlisle hoped that this would make them think irrationally and therefore become easy to find. The wolves were still on the search for them, having come close several times to killing them off but failing each time.

The whole situation was infuriating and Alice desperately wished for it to be straightened out so that Bella could return to her normal life, well as normal as it could be now that she was dating Edward. Alice really felt her heart go out to the girl and the predicament she had been forced into to. If only Alice hadn't left that day, then she could have foreseen this before Bella even got attacked and kept the situation from escalating this far. But she just had to have that stupid and confusing vision of Rosalie masturbating that day and couldn't stand to be in the house a second longer. Damn Rosalie for making this all so complicated.

"Alice are you alright?" Bella's tentative voice brought Alice out of her angry reverie.

"Yes, I'm alright," Alice smiled to push away her feelings and to reassure a nervous Bella she had nothing to be worried of.

"Oh, okay, it's just that you, that you broke the brush." Bella pointed shyly to the powder brush that Alice had broke in half in her grip. Alice let out a small chuckle. "Silly me, I still forget my own strength sometimes," she admitted and went to throw away the brush only to see Edward in the doorway of her room. He had been sitting in the room next door to give Bella and Alice privacy as they played around but now he was here.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, eyes looking at Bella in over-protectiveness as he asked in a register too low for the human to hear.

"Yes, just worried about Bella is all." Alice replied hastily, wanting him to move so she could throw the brush out in the hallway trash can.

"Are you sure it's not about anyone else?" Alice frowned at this. What could he be talking about? And then she remembered what she had been thinking about before he came in.

"Edward how many times must I tell you not to read my mind!" Alice was mortified. Her brain had been vivid with images of Rosalie from her vision, her body in compromising positions. She had completely forgot to keep her usual wall up around her brother, so occupied she had been with the blonde. She just wanted to jump into a hole now, instead she settled for roughly shoving Edward's shoulder as she entered the hallway. He turned to go after her, not giving up easily.

"Alice I'm just concerned about you. We all were when you left after that vision, but if this was what the vision truly was about, why didn't you tell someone? If it's bothering you so much you need to address this."

"Tell who?" Alice hissed, spinning on her heel to snarl at his face. He had violated her mind and now her he was preaching her on what she should have done. "I just go up to them and say I had a vision about Rosalie pleasuring herself to me? What help can I possibly get with that? I don't even understand why I would have this vision!"

"Alice calm down. I"m sure that Carlisle would understand and know what to do."

Alice heaved a great sigh and put her hand on her face as she shook her head. Her face would have been beet red if she could blush. "Edward, it's too embarrassing to tell anyone. I know he could help but I just can't ask. It's bad enough that you already know. Besides he'd probably tell Rosalie about this and get her to figure it out with me, and she's the last person I want to find this out."

"Alice I'm not going to judge you for this. You have to talk this out because it is clearly tearing you apart on the inside. And since I know, you can talk to me about it." Edward put a supportive hand on her shoulder. But what he didn't understand was that no matter how much it tore her up, Alice would not seek anyone's help on this issue.

"Edward I can't right now."

Edward pursed his lips and took this into consideration. "Alright," he nodded his head. "But if you ever need anyone..."

"Yea, I know thanks," Alice removed the hand from her face and smiled to let him know she was fine even though everything wasn't.


It was a Sunday night and the Cullen's weren't getting any closer in discovering where the vampires were. This was distressing since Bella would have to go back to her house and they didn't want a repeat of last time to occur. Everyone was feeling the strain although they tried to hide it. Carlisle rubbed his eyes more frequently, Esme baked way too many cookies for Bella to eat, Jasper looked more bedraggled as he was forced to deal with the influx of stress, fear and uncertainty that tainted the air. Alice felt bad for the boy, who had to work his gift twice as hard to ease the others. Alice's energy too was taking a hit, unease creeping into her smiles and causing her to talk less to the brunette who too sensed that the situation was not getting better only worse. Edward stayed glued to her side more often, only leaving her alone when she went on trips to the bathroom, but even then he had his senses trained on her to make sure she would make it back to his side safely. As dusk began to fall Bella took out her homework and had Edward tutor her. Alice sat on the couch nearby half reading a magazine and half paying attention to them. She noticed that Edward's eyes were dark and wondered when was the last time he drank. She made sure he heard that comment loud and clear and the boy stalled in his explanation of double dissociation disorder to Bella.

"Alice I'm fine," he insisted, moving his lips so that Bella wouldn't hear this.

When did you last eat?

"I'm fine."

No your not. Your eyes are dark and your hands are shaking. I know how she smells tempting to you.

"Alice."

Edward all this protection will be for naught if you end up killing her.

"..."

Go, I'll watch over her.

"But everyone else is out. Jasper's out with Emmett and patrolling the woods around Charlie's house. Carlisle's with the Quileutes and Esme is out looking for food for Bella."

Bella has me Edward, and Rosalie. The vampires would know better than to attack her with us two around.

"If you say so." Edward let out an audible sigh and stood up, cracking his back. "I'm going to go get a drink," he told Bella who had no idea of the conversation we just had under her nose.

"Really?" she turned frightened eyes to him and he bent down to kiss her forehead. "Alice thinks I need to drink something to make sure I'm strong if the vampires attack. I promise that I'll be back soon. Besides you have Alice to protect you. And Rosalie." He added as an after thought.

Bella furrowed her brows. "But Rosalie doesn't like me."

Alice chuckled at this. The blonde's apparent hate of the brunette came from a strong ideal of hers; she wished she was still human and disliked that Bella was willingly choosing to pick this path, to walk with vampires. So while Bella wasn't aware of this and probably never would be as Rosalie wasn't the type to talk about her emotions, the blonde had a legitimate reason for her animosity and not just some petty reason.

"It'll be fine. She'll still fight to protect you, or else she'll have me to worry about." Edward pushed some hair behind Bella's ear lovingly. Then he rushed out of the room.

A second later Rosalie descended down the stairs. "So Edward wants me to babysit," she drawled, looking bored but annoyed at the same time.

Bella ducked her head at this comment and Alice tsked, dropping her legs from the couch seat so that she was seated properly before sending the blonde a glare. "Be nice."

"Edward didn't say anything about being pleasant, just to protect her." Rosalie explained dropping down next to Alice and examining her nails in disinterest.

Alice grumbled but didn't want to say anything else to provoke the blonde and neither did Bella, who turned to her homework, head bent over in concentration. Alice returned to her magazine, immersing herself in an article about how red was the new hot color for summer furnishings when she became aware of Rosalie pressing in closer to her. Alice ignored it, thinking the blonde was just readjusting her body into a more comfortable position. When the pressure didn't leave, Alice turned an annoyed glare onto the blonde whose face was close to hers, enough to see the individual lashes framing her eyes. She sent her an innocent look. "What?" she quirked her brow, putting an arm behind Alice's head, on the back of the couch. "I"m just trying to read the same article as you."

Alice rolled her eyes and went back to reading, trying to ignore the other girl. She was on the third paragraph when Rosalie placed her hand on Alice's thigh. Alice nearly jumped up in her seat from that contact. Not looking at Rosalie this time she hissed in a register Bella wouldn't hear, "what are you doing?"

"Just getting comfortable," Rosalie replied nonchalantly as her hand began to draw circles on Alice's thigh.

"Now is not the time." How could Rosalie even think of doing something like this and with Bella right next to her!

"It's always the time." Rosalie's hand was moving upwards and despite herself Alice could feel her leg twitching, nerves sensitive to the touch of the blonde. Damn it, she was letting the blonde get to her. She let out a gasp as Rosalie suddenly brought her face closer to Alice's, her hand pausing right above Alice's crouch. Alice's free hand clawed at the couch armrest so that she could keep in the noises she wanted to make. It felt so good to have the blonde touch her like this.

"Don't deny what you feel Alice. I know you want this like I do," the blonde insisted, her voice low and seductive. Alice glanced briefly at the brunette but she was still staring at her homework, gnawing the end of her pencil in concentration.

"Rosalie, stop," Alice failed to keep her voice steady and cursed herself for it.

"I won't until you understand finally what I'm trying to get through to you." At the same moment that Rosalie's teeth bit down on Alice's ear, her hand reached the destination between the pixie's thighs. Alice's resulting groan was so loud that even Bella could hear it. But when the brunette raised her head in shock she found Alice on the other side of the room, Rosalie still on the couch. Alice had jumped up so fast from the couch that she had left skid marks where she stopped herself to prevent from hitting the wall on the other side of the room. She had thrown her magazine right into Rosalie's chest as she had jumped up and the blonde was holding it crumpled up in her hands. Anger swirled in her face, barely veiled.

"You can't do that!" Alice spat at Rosalie. "That's not how you convince people!" Alice didn't care for using a voice that Bella wouldn't hear anymore. She was furious with the blonde.

"Then tell me how am I going to get into that thick skull of yours?" Rosalie stood up, casting the ruined magazine aside. Bella's eyes were open wide in fear. "Um, guys..." she trailed off as Rosalie answered her own questions. "Oh I forgot that you only let wannabe blondes with the IQ of a potato fuck you!"

"It's none of your business who I choose to spend my time with. And how dare you eavesdrop on my private conversation!"

"Well its not my fault if your talking so loud that the whole fucking house can hear you!" Rosalie's eyes were blazing black, her fangs coming out. Bella gulped loudly and turned her head from Alice to Rosalie. This was bad. She did not want to be caught up in a fight between the two girls. "Guys, stop this. I don't know what happened but you need to stop this." Neither vampire listened to her.

"You think your so much better than everyone else but let me tell you you are not! I know people that are ten times better than you, who aren't even vampires yet their still more beautiful and graceful than you."

"Bullshit. If I'm not so pretty than why the fuck are you so infatuated with me?" Rosalie shot back, her body trembling with trying to control herself.

"I'm not. I'm over it." Alice was so livid she didn't care if Bella learned the truth tonight. In fact she had even forgotten the girl was here. All she wanted was to give this self righteous bitch a piece of her mind. Or fist.

"Your the one who kept coming onto me. Every fucken time. You can't leave me alone. How am I supposed to function if you do that, and then you claim I'm the one with issues? Who was the one who left their scent all over my pillow? It was you bitch!" Alice was pointing and gesturing wildly as she brought out her points. She felt heat blossoming in her chest, her body dangerously spiraling out of control as the animal inside her insisted on her teaching a lesson to this vampire in front of her.

"Because I don't know how else to get to you! You remain thick headed about this whole situation. I confess my feelings to you, and you act as if I was yanking you around on a chain the whole time, as if I was lying to you!"

"Well you must be, because why are you all of a sudden interested in me? I confess to you, you reject me, and then toy with my feelings!"

Bella had given up trying to stop the two from fighting, their screams rocking the house and throwing her heart into overdrive. She pulled up her legs to shield herself from them, hiding her face behind them. She was so scared of them. She had never seen Alice go vamp and her kind friends soft face was hardened into pure anger, fangs bared, body tight with coiled power. She had never hoped to see her friend like this. But what was scarier was Rosalie. The blonde was positively frightening. Power seemed to be radiating from her body, her eyes completely black. The air was so thick with tension it was suffocating Bella. She desperately wished Edward would come back soon to stop this fight. What were they even arguing about? It must be serious if they weren't using their vampire voices. Was it something about love...? Was Alice saying she confessed to Rosalie, but that was crazy! She couldn't like the blonde like that, could she? It had to be something about a guy.

"I'm not playing with your feelings!" Rosalie cried in exasperation. "How many times must I repeat myself for you to understand!" She took a step forward, deciding she had enough. She was going to kiss Alice and prove it to her. The burden of keeping these feelings and knowing that Alice liked her back but thought it was all a lie, hurt Rosalie deeply. She needed Alice to finally see. For someone who could see the future, she was awfully blind about other things.

Unfortunately Alice took the movement forward as a sign of aggression. She thought Rosalie had finally snapped and was going to attack her. She rushed forward, not willing to let the blonde get to her first because she knew how strong the blonde was. In order to defeat her she'd have to use everything, even her gift to predict her moves.

Rosalie saw the violent way Alice was approaching her and knew the smaller girl had interpreted her actions as the start of war. Rosalie swallowed grimly. While she didn't want to hurt the other girl, she would have to subdue her if that was the only way to calm them both down. She should let Alice win so as to draw the fight to a fast end but something in her rebelled against surrendering so easily and she couldn't help the snarl that ripped through her mouth. Alice responded in like and the two of them collided together, the floor boards creaking beneath their feet. Rosalie had more mass on her so she easily pushed back Alice who lost her balance on the slippery wood floor and smashed into the wall behind her. But she sprang back up, eyes moving quickly as she evaluated Rosalie for a weakness but the blonde pulled close to her, and punched Alice hard in the face. This triggered something in both of the girls and there was no going back until each one was obliterated. Bella let out a terrified scream as her friends span out of control.

A/N: Well things have started to escalate. What's going to happen now? And silly Bella, not realizing what their really fighting about when their being so blatant about it.