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Part Two: Emmett

Rosalie was an angel. She had saved me from the bear, brought me to a new life that was more than I could have asked for. I enjoyed the speed, the strength, everything. I was happy. Almost.

The way she looked at me confused me. Sometimes, I thought she loved me, in the same way I had fallen for her. But then she would turn away, afraid of me. Maybe I didn't deserve her, and she knew it. Maybe I was a frightening monster to her, even after all of her reassurances that I wasn't. Sometimes I thought I caught a glimpse of disgust, and I knew then that I was not enough to hold her interest. I was too young, too uncontrolled. Both of us came from a time when the man was the leader in a relationship. But with us, it would not be that way, not with my eyes wild red and thirsty. And so now I kept my distance from her.

And now Edward was acting strange. I would catch him watching me, more carefully than before, something in his eyes that I couldn't identify. But maybe that was my imagination. After all, I needed a lot of watching.

Rosalie had assured me that I wouldn't always be like this, wanting human blood more than anything else. But a part of me was worried that she was wrong. And the other part was worried that she was right. Because once I no longer craved human blood with such intense need, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to live like this, without her returning my love. Because she was the guiding star of my life.

I ran back to the house from the woods outside. I couldn't go too far, not without being in danger of getting too close to a human. But I did have the freedom to leave the house, which was exactly what I needed.

When I got back, Edward was waiting for me, his arms folded, silent, just watching.

"What? Why do you keep staring?" I demanded.

"She hasn't told you yet," he said, his head slightly tilted to one side as he sized me up. He wasn't answering my question.

"Who hasn't told me what?"

Edward closed his eyes. "I told her that she needed to tell you. But she wanted me to do it."

Now my curiosity was raging. "What?" I demanded.

"Rosalie loves you."

That surprised me. I hadn't been expecting that. "Then why..." I trailed off. Why didn't she show it?

"I think that's why I need to talk with you." He looked uncomfortable. I had never seen Edward squirm so much.

"That's because I haven't felt so uncomfortable before," Edward muttered, in answer to my thoughts.

Uh oh. That couldn't be good. Had I done something?

"No, you haven't done anything wrong... Damn it, I can't do it. Go ask Rosalie."

He walked off into the house. I followed him.

"Wait, what?" I asked. What had just happened? Edward was going to tell me something important, and then he tells me to ask Rosalie. "Ask Rosalie what?" I didn't even know that much.

Edward turned to face me. "Rosalie asked me to tell you about her human past. Why she was changed. And I think she should be the one to tell you." His face was stony, unreadable. I knew when he had that expression that something was wrong.

"But if she wants you to tell me, then just do it." I knew better than anyone that when Rosalie asked you to do something, you did it.

"Sounds simple doesn't it?" Edward sighed. "I told her Carlisle would be better... I hate being a go-between..."

Why wouldn't he just say it?

"Alright. Rosalie loves you. But she's afraid of being hurt, and afraid of hurting you by telling you." Edward pinched the bridge of his nose, and I recognized trouble. He never did that unless he was angry or upset, but my curiosity was too strong for me to walk away from this conversation now.

"She was engaged to be married. Her fiancée, and a few of his friends... took advantage of her one night and left her for dead. That's when Carlisle found her."

Everything made sense now. The fear, the way she shrugged away from me. I could feel the anger in my chest growing until it took over me. I swore, several times, very loudly. "Where is he? Edward, tell me where he is. I will kill them."

"Emmett," Edward said in a calming tone, but I ignored it.

"Tell me!" I demanded.

"Emmett, trust me, you can't kill them..."

"Because I'm a newborn? Is that why? I don't care about their blood. They destroyed her."

"No, Emmett, if you'd just let me..."

"If you aren't going to tell me where they are, then I'll find someone who will," I growled. And I shouldered past Edward and ran to Rosalie's bedroom, where she sat on the bed, her face turned away from me.

"Where are they?" I demanded.

She turned to look at me, and I saw the depths of pain in her eyes. I had never noticed before. Or I had, but I thought it had been disgust at me.

"'They', Emmett?" she said softly.

"The men who hurt you. Where are they? I want to kill them."

Suddenly Rosalie laughed, but it wasn't a happy laugh. Instead it was scornful and self degrading. "I thought that you were going to be angry with me, disappointed, somehow. But you're not. Edward was right after all..." Her eyes went distant and her tone musing.

"No, I'm not disappointed. I'm as angry as hell. Where are the bastards?"

"They're dead, Emmett. You think that I could have kept myself from killing them after what they did to me?"

"Oh." My anger abruptly dissipated. I was generally easygoing, and not much made me angry enough to lose control. But to have done that to Rosalie...

"I was just a newborn, but I killed them all. I fought back the urge to drink from them enough to make them suffer. Not one drop of blood was spilt. But it wasn't enough..."

"Rose," I said, and stopped. I had never called her that before. "Rosalie, why didn't you tell me what happened?"

Her eyes met mine. "I didn't want to see the look on your face when you walked away from me," she whispered. "I have never cared for someone so much, and I couldn't bear to lose you."

"Don't you know me?" I asked. "Haven't you seen how much I love you by now? I could never walk away."

She bit her lip before answering. "That's what Edward said. I always thought that I was somehow not enough. You may think that I saved you from the grizzly. But really, you saved me from drowning here in despair."

"Well, next time, you can come straight to me. You never have to worry about losing me again. None of this awkward stuff with Edward. You have me now."

A brief smile made her mouth twitch, and then it vanished, her eyes distant. "Rose," I said, "whatever happened to you, whatever you did or will ever do, it will never stop me from loving you. You know that, right?"

She glanced up at me. "What did you just call me?"

I shifted under her gaze. "I called you Rose."

Rosalie smiled fully now. "I like it."

A lock of hair drifted into her face, and I placed it back behind her ear and leaned closer. "You know what?" I whispered.

"What?"

"You're my Rose." And then I kissed the top of her head. "You will always be enough for me, Rose. Always."