AN- This chapter is done from Rosalie's POV. Because this is the only chapter done from her, and we don't get a lot of explanation about her in the Twilight books. I would like to explain a few things. First, she sounds conceited. It isn't bragging if it's true. : ) Also, her beauty was her greatest asset in her human life, while as a vampire, it makes it nearly impossible not to get noticed, making it a curse. So, don't think of it a shallowness, think of it as accepting the truth. Okay with a little pride thrown in. But who could blame her?


Rosalie

Emmett is such an idiot. He was winning that game for at least an hour before I took that bet from Alice. Then, the minute we shake hands. . . idiot. Now look at me, dressed in a plain t-shirt and jeans, actually contemplating pulling my hair into a ponytail.

Forget it. I let my hair fall down again and looked at myself in the mirror. I don't care how much I'll stand out; I can't pull my hair back. It's too damn beautiful. I sighed, it's not like anything I did would help anyway. I had a hard enough time trying to blend in when I went shopping with Alice. Being with Bella, I was sure to look stunning. She was just so. . . plain!

I rolled my eyes at my own vanity. Edward loves her. I reminded myself. And she loves him enough to risk her life to save his. She's not exactly ordinary. I thought about how much Edward had changed since he met Bella. I had to admit, most of it had been good. But that still didn't make it right.

I heard the Volvo pull into the drive. I sighed again, giving up on looking anything other than gorgeous. I couldn't help it. It was a pain when I didn't have Emmett around to intimidate the puny human boys from trying anything. Oh well, who ever said life was perfect. Or death, for that matter?

As the front door opened I heard Jasper gasp, "Bella, what did you do to him?!"

What? If she's hurt him in some way, I kill her. I knew she was nothing but. . .

I got halfway down the stairs and saw Jasper's face. It wasn't panicked. Edward must be fine. In fact, Jasper had a look that was a combination of awe and curiosity. What the hell? At the bottom of the stairs, I turned to look at Edward.

He had the widest, dopiest grin I'd ever seen, on anyone. Edward didn't grin. Edward didn't look dopey. In fact, that kind of grin belonged on Emmett. Then I realized what I usually did to put that look on his face.

Edward caught my eye and shook his head, almost imperceptibly. His idiotic smile never faltered. Right, Edward like I'm going to believe that smile is from chaste kisses? I looked at Bella. She, of course, was blushing. See? Chaste kisses my. . .

"Ha!" My husband laughed, "I knew you two'd crack! I knew it! You can't spend all night together every night and not do anything! Ha!"

Edward's smile began to falter, a tiny bit. He tensed, putting his arm around Bella, about to defend her honor, I'm sure. Jasper beat him to it.

"No one 'cracked'" he said, still in awe, "I would definitely know that, but Bella, really, what did you do?" Bella's blush deepened.

"Jasper," Edward warned. He was trying to be intimidating, but it wasn't very effective with that stupid look.

"Maybe Alice, saw it. . ." Jasper mumbled.

"Sorry, Jazz, Edward set his alarm, so I wouldn't have to look." Alice came in from the kitchen. "Unless you can get Edward to tell you, you're on your own."

Alice said this while staring at me. What, did she expect me to get it out of Edward? She continued giving me a meaningful look. Oh god, she expected me to get it out of Bella! She smiled as I guessed right. Sure Alice, I thought, I don't speak more than two words at a time to her, and now she'll tell me the most intimate things? Crazy pixie.

Then it hit me! I had been totally played! Alice had set me up! This was exactly why she was making me take Bella shopping. Jasper was probably in on it! Well forget it, no way was I going near that topic of conversation with Bella. Whether Emmett was in on the conspiracy or not didn't matter. It was still his fault. I walked over to him and promptly smacked the back of his head.

"Idiot."

"Hey! What?"

"If I found out you threw that game on purpose. . . ." I muttered, giving him the look. Everyone laughed, but I didn't care.

Bella's blush was finally beginning to fade. Edward's grin was not. It was starting to make me sick.

"Are we in the kitchen or you room today, Alice?" Bella asked.

"Actually, you won't be in either, Bella. You have some shopping to do." Alice informed her.

"What on earth for?" Bella questioned. Only Bella would need a reason to go shopping. Well, the only girl anyway.

Alice smiled, "You need a suit to wear for the rehearsal dinner and you need something to wear when you leave the reception, of course."

"Oh," Bella said, always the witty one.

"You didn't think I would let you sit down, in a car, in you wedding dress, did you?"

"No, I guess not." Bella responded. Didn't she know anything about getting married?

"So, you and Rose. . ." Alice began. Bella's eyes widened in surprise. She actually looked terrified. Maybe I hadn't been making quite the effort I thought to be nice to her.

"You're not coming?" Bella interrupted.

"No silly, someone had to get the last minute things done!" Alice was still smiling brightly, like Bella and I shopping was the best idea ever. Right.

"Maybe I should go," Edward began, his arm tightening around Bella. Good grief, I hadn't been that mean. Had I?

"Hunting with Emmett? Yes, you should." Alice finished his sentence. She went to Bella and took both of her hands. "Bella, if you want Edward to be able to come through you window tonight, he needs a break." She laughed, "He even has to get out of our house, because too much of it smells like you! You'll be fine, I promise." She tapped her temple, "Trust me, I'm Alice!" she laughed. I decided I should have that put on a t-shirt for her. Edward saw my thought and laughed too, nodding at me.

"Thanks!" Alice said to me.

"Alice is right, love. I'll see you tonight." Edward said, stroking Bella's hair. I took that as my cue and walked to the door. Edward still had his arms around Bella.

"Edward, unless you plan on sending your arms along, you're going to have to let go for Bella to get to the car." I reminded him.

They both laughed. Edward took Bella's face in one hand and gazed intently at her for a moment, as intent as you can look while smiling like the Joker, anyway. Then he kissed her sweetly on the lips. I had to admit, they were cute, nauseating, but cute.

"Have fun, Bella." He said. Bella rolled her eyes at him and they both laughed again. I did love hearing Edward laugh. It had been such a rare occurrence before Bella. I smiled to myself. Edward's two personalities could very well be defined that way BB(Before Bella) and AB(After Bella).

As Bella walked past me through the door, Edward caught my eye. "Be nice," he said, so only I would hear. I smiled brightly at him and walked out the door. As I neared the car, I heard Jasper inside the house.

"Alice,"

"Not now, Jasper, I'm busy, go hunting with Emmett and Edward, if you're bored." Alice cut off whatever he had been about to ask for.

I laughed to myself, poor Jasper!

At least I had the drive to Seattle to enjoy. It was long enough that I would be able to actually drive for a decent amount of time before I had to slow down. And driving like I did, it was short enough that the awkward silence would be over soon.

"Um, Rosalie?" Bella spoke quietly, as if she were afraid to break the silence, "Do you think you could slow down, a little?"

"Why would I do that?" I asked. What fun is it to drive, if you slow down?

Bella was silent for the rest of the ride. I racked my brain. Edward had specifically asked me to be nice. Did that mean I was usually cruel to Bella? I didn't mean to be. That was why I usually avoided her, actually. Bella had done some great things for Edward. She didn't just save his life, she saved him. Edward was a new man, a much more free man, and I knew it was because of Bella. I love my brother and I was grateful to Bella for all she had done.

But she was such a fool! I still couldn't accept that she was willingly giving up life. Willingly giving it up! Who does that? I couldn't understand it. I couldn't accept it. I couldn't think of her as anything but foolish for wanting it. So I avoided speaking to her to keep from saying something cruel. What more could they ask of me? By trying to be kind, they saw me as cruel. I couldn't win.

As we shopped I tried very hard to soften my tone of voice. It wasn't Bella's fault she's an idiot. She's just a young, naive, human girl. We did pretty well, until we hit a snag. The white suit we found for the rehearsal needed a skirt, of course. I had found a tailored one that fit the suit perfectly. Bella wanted to get one that made her look like the matron of honor, not the bride. She kept insisting she couldn't wear the one I had picked out in front of her mother. Whatever that meant. We finally called Alice, who directed us to a rack that had a skirt we agreed on. It came nearly to Bella's knees, but was made of a pleated, gauzy material that would move nicely when she walked.

We found a beautiful, deep blue pantsuit for her to wear leaving the reception. I thought for sure she would have no objections. She did have a question.

"Rosalie, I love the suit, but why pants?" she asked. I looked at her in surprise; I had thought she would be relieved we didn't have to find a skirt again. "I mean, you were just, so adamant about the other skirt, and these pants are totally opposite of that."

I smiled; she was going to love this. "Alice gave me fairly specific instructions, Bella. "She said if this suit had a skirt that showed any amount of leg, you wouldn't make it out of Forks before Edward attacked you." As I expected, Bella blushed deep crimson. I laughed.

As we were leaving the store, I got a text from Alice. "Feed Bella" Oh right, she would need dinner. I would have forgotten.

"We should get you some dinner." I said to Bella.

"Sure," she said. She looked surprised I had remembered. I didn't see the need to tell her Alice had reminded me.

We found an outdoor café and sat at a table near the sidewalk. We were silent as she ate, but it wasn't quite as awkward as it had been in the car. I was just starting to think how spending time with Bella wasn't so bad. Then a woman walked by. She was pushing a stroller with two toddlers in it, a boy and a girl. Another, older boy was walking beside her. She was also about eight months pregnant. I felt the familiar ice settle over me.

Bella watched me for a moment. Then she spoke, "Just say it, Rosalie."

I snapped, "How?" I shouted, "How can you just throw it all away! You're so young. You haven't even begun to live. You're giving up on life before it even starts. How can you do that!" Several people turned to look at us. We quickly paid our bill and left. We walked in silence for a few minutes, and then Bella spoke again.

"Before I answer, can I ask you a few questions, first?" She asked tentatively.

I smiled in spite of myself, "You spend too much time with Edward." She smiled as well. It was the same kind of thing Edward would do, answering a question with other questions. "Sure." I finally allowed.

"If you could have children, would you?" I whipped my head around to face her, my eyes scalding. "Right, obvious answer, "she said cringing. "Here's a harder question. If you could have children, but it meant giving up Emmett, would you?"

I stared at her. I had never even thought of the possibility. The answer was obvious. It wouldn't be worth having children without Emmett. I hadn't even realized I felt that way. Then I saw were she was going.

"But Bella, it's different for you and Edward! If you stayed human, you could have children and Edward. Lots of people have children when their husband is sterile, it would be the same thing. You don't have to give up anything! It's such a waste!" Bella had another question.

"So, if you were human, you would live out your life with Emmett, then die leaving him alone?" she asked quietly. I didn't have an answer this time. "Or, if Emmett were human, you could live with him, watching him die slowly, everyday, knowing one day it would be over and he would be gone forever?"

I stopped walking. My heart began to ache at the thought of Emmett, old and decrepit, not the virile young bear he is. "It would be a living hell." I answered. "But Bella, when Edward left you, you moved on." She flinched, but I wasn't through. "You saved his life, and I'm forever grateful, but you could have gone back to your life. You could have a real life, without Edward."

Bella smiled sadly, "And choose to stop breathing? Choose to block out the sun?"

I was silent. Now she was just being overly dramatic.

"Rosalie, I never 'moved on'. I chose to survive. There is a big difference between living and surviving." Bella said.

Don't I know it, I thought.

Bella tried again, "You once said you wished someone had been there to vote no for you. Would you go back now, if you could? Would you go back to the life you would have had? Knowing what you have with Emmett, could you ever leave?"

I stopped breathing. Life without Emmett. The life I'd had as a human had been vain and shallow. Only two things could have happened if Carlisle hadn't changed me. I would have lived, as a scarred, broken shell of what I was. Or I would have died, never having known love.

I began to sob. Great, heaving, tearless sobs. How could I have been so blind for so long? Carlisle hadn't cursed me. He had given me a gift in death I would never have known in life. Love. I turned to Bella and collapsed on her frail frame, nearly taking us both to the ground.

"Rosalie! Are you alright? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. . ." Bella began. God she was apologizing to me. I couldn't let her finish.

"No, Bella, I'm sorry. So very sorry." I couldn't say anything more. Bella just stood there and held me. I held her back, while sobbing as the reality of my life hit me. It was like trying to hold a bird in your hands without breaking the delicate bones in its wings. I was struck again by the amount of self control Edward used with Bella. I finally got a hold of myself. "Sorry, Bella," I apologized again, "I'm not used to touching humans, did I bruise you?"

"I don't think so," Bella said, rubbing her shoulders and smiling. "Rosalie, I was just trying to explain Edward and me to you in a way you would understand. I didn't mean to cause a break down."

"Apparently, a break down is just what I needed." I replied smiling genuinely at her for the fist time. I think it dazzled her a little. "And you're right, Bella. Getting even half a dream in death is much better than living in a nightmare." We continued smiling at each other.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, "We have one more outfit to get you and I know just the one!"

"What for?" Bella asked. Again with the needing a reason to get new clothes.

"For something special." I responded cryptically. Just then my phone rang. "Alice!" I cried. "I know, it's perfect!" I hung up and grinned at Bella. "One more stop and then we're headed home."

On the drive home we chatted a little, and had some comfortable silences. I couldn't believe I had ever thought Bella plain. She was a miracle. My brother was lucky to have such a woman in his life, our whole family was.

"Uh, Rosalie, I appreciate that you've slowed down for me," She began timidly. Then she blushed, "but I'm a bit anxious to get home. I don't mind if you go a little faster."

I laughed. "You got it Bella," I was anxious to get home as well. I needed to see Emmett as much as she wanted to see Edward. "And please, call me Rose." I picked up speed and raced toward Forks.


AN- I hope that got across what I was looking for. I think Rose is generally misunderstood. I'm not sure if I rushed through this chapter. But it's already long, and I don't know what else I would have said. Mostly I just needed some connection for Rose and Bella. Arrgh, I would spend more time on it, but the rest of the story is rattling around in my brain begging to get out. Stupid broken laptop.