This is a rewrite of Under the Rose, as I am going to shorten it. There will be a lot of scenes the same as Under the Rose...but trust me, it will be different. Enjoy!

Smell the Roses II: Finding The Roses

Chapter 1

by: Rosefire

I really did not know where I was going except that I was going somewhere to satisfy my needs.

Even though I already have satisfied my needs. Looking at the window in my seat in an airplane to Rome, I realized how much had changed in the past five years.

My daughter, Lisette, had grown to be a wonderful girl – a beautiful girl with brown hair and chocolate brown eyes, just as her.

As I remember it now, I realized that because Lisette was Bella's sister, that would make my sister-in-law, in my heart. Now I had all the permission in the world to have her as my family.

"Sir?" I turned around and saw the flight attendant as she looked at me. "Would you like something?"

I took a good look at her and saw that her eye was slightly twitching. Poor girl. She probably wanted to ask me out. "No."

She nodded, defeated as she moved to the next man.

I smiled as I thought that she reminded me of the many girls who have hit on me the past few years. Consequently, I haven't had any interest in them.

I left Lisette with Rose and Emmett because I knew that they would welcome her with open arms. The last time I heard was that they were trying to get pregnant – but without avail. Rose would make a fabulous mother and Emmett a super and caring father.

Alice and Jasper had spent the last few years raising their son Liam, who was two years younger than Lisette. They were practically best friends. You couldn't see them apart anywhere.

And why was I flying to Rome? I just needed a day on my own, or so Alice claimed.

I realized that the airplane was landing when the seatbelt sign turned on again. I looked straight forward at the seat cushion in front of me as I wished that I was with Lisette and not on this mission.

The airplane landed safely and I grabbed my carry on luggage from the over head compartment. I smiled at the lady in front of me and let her pass first. After, I walked through the crowded aisle and noticed many seniors staying on the flight for assistance from the attendants.

I looked straight and saw eyes which I thought I would never see in my life. Her eyes were hazel and her hair was reddish brown – almost the tone of my hair. Her facial features were very familiar and as I passed by, she noticed me.

Her face went pale, but her skin was already pale.

I didn't want to believe that as I thought it was the one person I wanted to see in my past five years.

I cried and cried at nights as I thought about her.

It was…"Bella?" I muttered.

I wasn't sure if she had heard me mutter her name but she instantly paled at the sight of me. She turned around quickly and muttered to a fellow attendant something I wished I could have heard. The woman she was speaking to looked at me and smiled, "Have a good trip."

Very quickly, she turned around and followed the woman into the restroom. How would they have fit in there - the both of them? I knew that whoever that woman was, she knew who I was. So as I walked down the terminal, I could only focus on that woman's horrified expression. Why had I scared her to the extent of her turning her back on me? Was I really that terrifying? Maybe I was. Maybe I was a monster of letting Bella go out that night and getting herself brutally murdered. Maybe, just maybe.

I wasn't sure of what to do now that I was in Rome. Where was I supposed to go? Everywhere around me there were Italian words which I semi understood from what my father had taught me. Maybe I should get a dictionary for Italian- English translation. As I walked, I saw a woman who smiled at me which seemed quite flirtatious. I tried to smile back, but I was beyond disgusted. Ever since I raised Lisette, any other woman would have been quite disturbing to find attractive.

Flirtatious ladies were definitely not my style. Bella had never been the type to flirt, and I was alright with that. She had asked me if I was American. Knowing that I would not be polite if I didn't answer, I replied, "Yes, I am from America."

She smiled as her eyes lit up, "So, you must be that man that Miss Mars was talking about."

My eyes widened as I hoped that I knew who she was talking about. "Does she have hair almost the same as mine and hazel eyes?"

She looked up at my hair and nodded profusely. "Oh my god, she does!"

I smiled as I pushed it further. "Do you know what her full name is?"

She narrowed her eyes as she was hesitant. "What are you to her? Are you her brother or something?" I could almost hear the tone of her voice to be hopeful, as if she wanted me to be her brother and nothing else.

"No," I replied. Wanting to tell her that I was taken, I replied, "She is my friend, who I have lost touch a long time ago. I need to talk to her. Do you know who she is and where she is right now?"

Her eyes looked very hesitant. She looked as if my answers didn't satisfy her. She definitely looked as if I wasn't the person who I told her I was, and as if I just wanted to get to know this Miss Mars for my own pleasure. "How can I be sure that you aren't lying?"

I looked down at her and stared into her eyes. I knew that by the sincerity of the love I had for Bella would show in my eyes. She looked down a minute later, trying to avert my gaze. I still stood in front of her waiting her answer. Why wouldn't she give me an answer?

She looked up at me finally as she replied, "Her name is Veronica Bennett. She is probably on terminal one where the attendants are picked up by their families. If you ask a guard, they will probably lead the way."

I nodded as I thanked her and hurried my way along the airport. I looked for signs looking for Terminal One but I couldn't help but wonder if the woman was lying to me. I mean, I wouldn't blame her. She was just trying to protect her friend from me. What she didn't know that she was trying to protect her friend from her lover.

Or was he even her lover. How could I be so confident that she indeed was Bella? I didn't even know if she was the one who was supposed to be buried six feet under ground.

I walked to a security guard who was assisting another blonde woman. I stood behind them, waiting as I knew that my aimless walking around wouldn't get me anywhere. I stayed where I was as I tried to understand what they were talking about. However, it was in Italian, and it was a language which I only half understood.

I did pick up "I lost my baggage. I need help. My sister is lost." But nothing else. I was sure as hell that if this man didn't help the poor woman, I knew that he wouldn't help me. To my surprise, the man and the blonde disappeared just for a few minutes before the blonde woman hugged him and thanked him. She left with her baggage and her sister tightly on her arm.

I looked up at the man as I asked in English, "Where's terminal one?"

He looked down at me as he asked, "Why do you want to know?"

I replied, "I need to find my sister. She's a flight attendant. But I don't know where to meet her."

He asked for the name of my "sister". "Veronica Bennett."

He looked down at a sheet that he had in his hands before he looked up at me and nodded. " down the stairs over there and follow the signs before you see the Terminal One. You will see your sister there."

I thanked him tremendously as I hurried down the stairs and walked towards the Terminal One. I knew that this was going to be my chance to confront this Veronica. I knew that somewhere in my heart that she was Bella. I just knew it.

As I walked towards the Terminal One, I looked everywhere for a bronze haired woman before a speck of bronze caught my eye. I looked at the woman and knew that it was this Veronica person. I was about to go walk towards her before she squealed and jumped into another man's arms.

My eyes widened when they pulled apart and saw a man with blonde hair and blue eyes. Why this surprised me wasn't because she was with a man. Beside her even, there was a toddler with her hair.

But the fact that the man looked like the man who had killed Bella.

Jessica was found dead near the warehouses that Bella was also killed.

Mike was to be put on charges for killing two women, but we couldn't.

Mike was never found.

And I think I found him in Italy with a family.

The next two chapters will be entirely new so you watch out for awesome chapters and an entirely different plot line.

Forgiveness is the scent that a rose leaves on the heel that crushes it.

-Rosefire