Chapter 21: Fighter

A week went by since Steve's warning to Rosalie. Things were tense, but they always made sure that the doors were locked and they all left the house together when it came time to walk Rocket.

One day, Rosalie was changing Sammy's diaper when Emmett walked in. "Hey babe, I have to run to the garage. Jeremy screwed up another truck," he told her.

"Okay, don't be too long today. We're meeting up with our parents tonight," Rosalie replied as she lifted Sammy up.

The five-week-old opened his eyes briefly before falling back to sleep. Emmett smiled as he kissed the top of his son's head. "I'll see you at the restaurant," he told her.

"Okay," she answered.

He kissed her briefly with a grin. "Love you," he told her.

"Love you," she answered, smiling as he left.

She set Sammy back down on the changing table, putting him in little baby jeans and a little white t-shirt. "There don't you look cute," she cooed to her son as she tried to put socks on his feet.

"Mommy! I'm weady!" Maggie announced as she jumped into the room.

The little girl was wearing black buckle shoes, white socks, and a purple flowered dress. "Just about sweetie. Sit down on the bed and mama will brush your hair," she told her daughter. Maggie sat down in the chair, kicking her feet back and forth as she continued to hum a little song she made up. Rocket trotted into the room, letting out a huff the dog did a circle before lying on the floor. Maggie giggled as she jumped off the chair, petting the dog's head.

"Good Wocket," she told the dog.

Rosalie smiled to see her daughter so attached to the dog. After she put Sammy back into his crib, she took out the hairbrush and started brushing Maggie's hair. "I want a bwaid mama," Maggie told her mother.

"Okay mama will braid your hair punkin," she answered.

Rosalie started braiding her daughter's hair when Rocket jumped up growling. "Rocket what's wrong buddy?" Rosalie asked. Rocket walked out of the room and stood at the top of the stairs, suddenly barking and snarling. Rosalie looked at Maggie. "You stay here with your brother," she told her daughter before leaving the room.

Rocket's barks got louder and the snarling got worse when Rosalie got to the staircase. The dog was standing right in front of her, snarling at the intruder. "You should really, really shut that mutt up," Royce commented.

"Get out of my house!" Rosalie snapped.

Rocket snarled when Royce took a step closer. The dog got down in the pouncing position, his hackles standing up and his teeth showing. "I'm not calling off my dog Royce! You're not hurting me anymore!" Rosalie snapped.

"Really? You're hiding behind a dog? That's just…sad," Royce sneered.

Maggie ran out of the room. "Mommy," the little girl whimpered grabbing her mother's leg. Rosalie looked into the bedroom to see that someone was at the woman.

"Of course you brought company!" Rosalie snapped.

Royce sneered. "Rocket angriff!" Rosalie told the dog in German. With another snarl, Rocket jumped up his teeth clamping on Royce's arm. Rosalie took this chance and ran into the baby's room. Picking Sammy up, Rosalie spun around just as the glass to the window broke. Maggie let out a scream of terror.

"MOMMY!" Maggie shouted.

Sammy began crying from all the noise. Rosalie looked around, her heart was pounding hard against her chest. "Down the back stairs baby," Rosalie told her daughter. Maggie ran down the hall with Rosalie right behind her. "All the way down baby all the way down," Rosalie told her.

Maggie kept running when she threw open the basement door running down the cement stairs. Rosalie looked up when she heard his friends coming down the first level of stairs. Pushing back the water heater, the young woman opened a trap door that she had decorated so it wasn't so frightening to Maggie. "Go in your hiding playroom baby," Rosalie told her. Maggie climbed down the little ladder when Rosalie placed her son into the little baby carriage. "Sweetheart, can you be mama's brave girl and watch your brother?" she asked.

"Ah huh," Maggie replied with tears in her eyes.

Rosalie kissed her daughter's forehead. "I love you sweetheart," she whispered.

"Wuv you mama," Maggie answered sniffling.

Rosalie turned on the light that was in the hideout before closing the door and put the water heater back. She took Sammy's baby blanket and threw it toward the back door and acted as if she had just closed the door. "Don't move!" the man snapped as he held up a gun. Rosalie held her hands up in surrender.

Going back upstairs, Rocket was on the floor pinned down by one of the other guys. Royce was glaring at the woman. "You bitch! Call off that mutt!" he snapped when he saw Rocket fighting against his friend.

"Rocket, schützen," Rosalie ordered.

Rocket got off from underneath the man and ran downstairs with a growl. Rosalie glared at her ex-boyfriend. "Where's my son?" he demanded.

"He's not your son. You weren't in the room the day he was created," she replied, her shoulders squared.

"You're letting another man raise that thing that I apparently created, I think it's fair if I take his boy," Royce commented.

"You're not touching my baby!" Rosalie hissed.

Royce sneered. "Leave us boys," he told his friends. They let Rosalie go and went downstairs.

"You can't hurt me anymore Royce," she told him.

"Don't sound so brave and naïve Rose," Royce sneered.

Rosalie was glaring. "You killed our daughters how could you? They did nothing wrong," she told him angrily.

"They were going to be girls!" Royce hissed.

"There's nothing wrong with having daughters! My father is the father of my sisters and me," Rosalie answered.

Rosalie glared at him. "What were their names Royce! What were our daughters' names! Tell me the names of the girls you killed! YOU MURDERER! YOU MONSTER!" she shouted. She let out a yelp when he backhanded her and she hit the hardwood floor.

"I'll teach you to disrespect me!" Royce snapped as he straddled her waist.

"Get off me!" she snapped as she tried fighting him off.

Royce started ripping her blouse apart. "ROYCE STOP IT!" she screamed. When he wouldn't listen, Rosalie grabbed his head in her hands, head butting him. Letting out a shout, he got off her, holding his head. Rosalie rolled up onto her feet with a glare, she ripped off her ripped sleeve to her blouse glaring at the man who had caused her nothing but pain. "I'm not that scared eighteen-year-old you raped, Royce," she hissed.

"We'll see about that," he answered.

Rosalie ducked when he tried to hit her in the face again, elbowing him in the stomach. Grabbing her arm, he spun her around, grabbing her by her throat. He pinned her back against the wall, several pictures crashing to the floor. Gasping for air, Rosalie lifted her left hand, smacking him across the face, her engagement ring digging into his cheek. Hissing in pain, he threw Rosalie down on the floor and went to kick her in the stomach when she rolled away from his foot.

Jumping back up on her feet, she dodged several blows when Royce reached into her pocket. "Remember this Rosie?" he sneered, holding up a familiar pocket knife. Rosalie glared at him.

"Only you would fight unfair," she snapped.

Royce grinned. "So tell me Rosalie, what does this Cullen have that I don't hmm? I hear his parents are rich, but that doesn't make him rich," he commented.

"Emmett's not rich," Rosalie answered, dodging the blade he thrust at her.

Royce grinned as he took a swipe at her abdomen, but she jumped back. "Emmett's no coward and that's why you attack when he's not here. You know Emmett's a fighter, you know how strong he is. You don't like how strong Emmett truly is, you don't like that Emmett has given me the son you were trying to rape and beat out of me. You don't like that I give Emmett the attention you wanted from me," she answered with a half-grin.

"Shut up," Royce hissed.

"You don't like that Emmett has everything you want!" she snapped.

"Oh yeah? I'm sure Emmett loved the fact you were a slut before you two met," he answered.

Rosalie glared. "You using what you had done against me doesn't work anymore Royce. You didn't take anything from me, except the baby girls you killed. I'm sure Emmett would've loved those little girls too, just as much as he loves Maggie. You're alone Royce, you're all alone," she told him.

"You think your petty words frighten me?" Royce sneered.

Rosalie suddenly had a smile on her face. "No, but he will," she replied. Royce turned around just as a fist connected to his jaw, making him fall down the stairs.

"I've been wanting to do that for two years," Emmett commented.

Through her tears, Rosalie walked over hugging him tight. Emmett hugged her back, lifting her up off the floor as all the emotions from the fight and the fact it was finally over started taking over her. Letting out a sob, she clung to him. "It's over baby, it's all over," he assured her. Letting her go, he took off his leather jacket, wrapping it around her before hugging her again.

After a few minutes, the police showed up and Rosalie went downstairs to find Rocket hiding behind the water heater. "Come here Rocket," Emmett called to the dog. The dog trotted over and Emmett grinned. "Good boy, you're such a good boy," he cooed to the dog. Rosalie opened the door.

"Mama!" Maggie said smiling.

Rosalie smiled as she lifted her daughter up, hugging her tight. "DADDY!" Maggie exclaimed running over to Emmett. Rosalie reached into the baby carriage, lifting Sammy up into her arms. The baby was fast asleep, his little head resting on his mother's chest. Rosalie sniffled as she sat down, hugging her son close. "Daddy did that bad man hurt mama?" Maggie asked.

"No, no she's okay sweetie. Hey Grandpa Charlie's upstairs, why don't you go see him?" he asked.

Maggie ran upstairs to see her grandfather while Emmett sat next to Rosalie. "You okay?" he asked. She nodded her head slowly, swallowing hard. "Come here," he whispered hugging her close. Rosalie rested her head on his chest as she was able to cry freely. He hushed her gently, kissing the top of her head. "I love you," he whispered, rubbing her arm. He kept showering her face with kisses while whispering to her how much he loved her.

Rosalie let out a shaky sigh. "I love you," she whispered. They continued to hold each other with smiles on their faces, finally free of Royce's torturous nightmares.

Translations

angriff: attack

schützen: Protect