I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. Reviews please!
Halloween night. For the last few decades I'd used this secular holiday as a chance to practice my motherly face on the trick o' treaters. I would never get a chance to be a mother, so this was the best it was going to get. Esme had constantly told me to "Use the lemons life gave you and make lemonade Rosalie." I had received very bitter lemons.
Born into a well-off family I'd had everything I'd ever wanted. The Great Depression never even touched my life. My ambitious parents had made sure that I knew I was a princess and treated me as such. Whenever I wanted some trinket or a new dress, simply pouting at my father would garner me the object of my desire.
I thought this was love. I thought being beautiful- so much so that I turned male heads at the age of twelve; was all there was to life. I saw no need to be anything but beautiful. Having attention made me feel special. Important. Still, sometimes I'd wondered if my family would have worshiped me if I were normal; or even ugly.
When Royce King stepped into my life-no, our lives- my family was overjoyed. Our courtship took no time at all, I'd said yes to his proposal immediately knowing how happy my family would be. Here was the man who was going to take our family into the highest,wealthiest, and most glamorous social circle ever.
When I was alone with Royce we never spoke.; I took the uncomfortable silence as a sign he was shy and mesmerized by my charms and beauty. At least that's what I deluded myself into believing.
So many thoughts tumbled through my mind as I made my way home from Vera's that cold night. Would I find the same happiness as she did? Would Royce love our children the way Vera's husband did? Did he even love me?
I tugged my jacket on closer, shivering when I heard slurred male voices around the corner. I muttered an oath under my breath; I should have told Papa to walk me home.
Oddly, the vision of Royce amidst the drunk group of men did not comfort me or ease my anxiety. Seeing his cold face framed by tousled hair and smelling the gin on his breath made my stomach turn.
When he popped the brass buttons from the jacket he gave me; I waited for an apology. Tomorrow he would apologize, buy me a new jacket; all would be well again.
When he ripped the hat off my head and told his drunken friends he should be first-I waited for an apology.
I waited for an apology as he forced himself on top of me- drooling and laughing while he took my innocence.
After that I shut my eyes and ears to everything while he encouraged his friends to hurt me the same way he had done. I tried not to listen to the hyena like laughter they emitted. I kept waiting for the apology that never came.
When Carlisle found me I was already in so much pain, and his arrival just brought more pain. Had Royce and his friends come back to speed up death's arrival? At that time death would have been a sweet relief. To be free of all this pain. Pain of betrayal.
Looking into Carlisle's face I could see there was a difference between him and Royce. Royce's face was cold and empty- Carlisle's angelic face had hope. During my transformation I'd listened to the Cullens as they discussed what my future might be.
How dare they decide for me?This was my life, Rosalie Hale didn't do what she didn't want to. I was so naive.
The immortal binds that were closing in tighter during those three days had decided my fate already. I was doomed to a loveless existence. Not completely loveless- Carlisle and Esme were better parents than the ones I'd been bestowed upon. Edward even reminded me of my younger brothers. Exasperating, but I cared for him nonetheless.
Walking back from a hunting trip with Esme I noticed a flyer tacked to a General Store window. It was soggy and blurred from the rain and almost completely covered with other ads. After two weeks, my family called off the search for my body. My funeral was going to be held in four days.
The first three days I tormented myself on whether or not I should attend. Would I be able to control myself? On the morning of my funeral I finally came to a decision and made my way to Mount Hope Cemetery.
My funeral was simple, white roses bloomed everywhere-compliments of the King family. Roses meant for my wedding. My brother's faces were bent down and my father's face was stoic. Seeing my mother's tear stained face made me question myself.
My magnified beauty now would make them rejoice- I'd be loved even more than I'd ever been. Celebrated. But would revealing my new beauty bring them pleasure or pain? I decided I couldn't put them in pain again. Turning away I heard my father comfort my mother. Carefully hiding my form behind a gathering of the donated roses and listened intently. "How can we be sure she's dead?" my mother whispered intently. " For all we know she's been kidnapped or-" my father cut her off. "There's been no ransom note," he hissed back. This time more gently he said " That ungrateful child probably ran off; letting her visit that Vera girl was a mistake. People like that are just bad influences."
"Look at what Rosalie's actions have done. We won't have the good graces of the King family for long. We pampered and groomed her for this marriage and she betrays all of us-look at the pain she's put Royce through! He couldn't even attend the funeral because he's so depressed."
Or because he's guilty,I thought silently in my head.
My mother protested "But-" my father cut her off once more. "We have combed the rivers and searched the city top to bottom. She is gone." My mother fell silent at this. Bitterness rolled over me in waves.
Was I so unimportant? Unloved? The innocent faces of my younger brothers flashed in my mind. I couldn't let them grow up with men like Royce King on this planet. I hated to imagine them becoming just like him. I couldn't let Royce-his name made me want to retch- do what he did to me to another girl. Another innocent girl whose hopes of love would be destroyed by that disgusting pig.
Hate flooded my mind like a red haze. Hate was the thing that drove me to go on a killing spree for the next week. Hate blocked out all other human scents; hate rushed through my veins as I hunted my killers one by one.
The night I found Royce he was hidden in a windowless, dark room. A box fit for a King. Curled up in the fetal position, like a rat who knew his impending fate. He had jailed himself. I smiled at this turn of events. But that did not suffice as punishment. I came to regret killing his guards later. They might have had families who they truly loved and cared for. They had to die to protect the secrets of my new family.
Royce screamed in agony that night- but this time it was I who laughed. Hearing his bones snap under my foot brought me immense pleasure. When I'd broken his arms and legs I waltzed around the room. "See Royce?" I called. "This is how would have danced for you on our wedding day." I cackled at the the terror that filled his pale face. He begged me to let him go. That he would admit himself to the world for the monster he was.
A week ago I might have even still believed him. That night was when my naiveté ended. I realized once and for all my whole life I'd never been loved. This realization brought tears to my eyes that would never come. I was completely alone.
After killing Royce, I returned to the Cullens in hopes of being loved. I knew that this new life meant I wouldn't have things I'd wanted the most. To be loved unconditionally and have children. Some days to comfort myself I'd stare at my reflection in mirrors. My beauty was the only thing I'd ever had, all I would ever have. Being beautiful made my existence simple and easier now.
Still I hoped that this blessed second chance at life would give me a chance to find love. Perhaps. My second chance would soon become a curse.
When I'd found Emmett the smell of his blood barely bothered me. All I could think of was saving him. With Emmett I found the unconditional love I'd always wanted. Not only love, but respect.
He kept me laughing even during the dark days when I reflected on my past like this. His childish views of the world made me want to protect him from the evils that surrounded us everyday. Over time I learned to trust him and managed to even feel worthy and deserving of his love.
My beauty was no longer a curse.
When Emmett proposed I was surprised at the warm happiness that spread through me. My past meant nothing to him. It didn't bother him we would never have children. With Emmett I did not have to constantly put on a facade to please him. Emmett was pleased with me being myself. He was the closest to heaven I would ever get.
We balanced each other. My newfound practicality and his humorous attitude were perfect together. We were perfect.
After Edward found Bella and they had their own child I tried to resign myself to the fact that I would never get quite the happy ending I wanted. Nessie had let me experience being a mother, if only for a few days. I was so grateful for that, yet I still felt empty.
I was ashamed to admit I'd even considered having Emmett create a child with another woman now that we knew it was possible. I quickly banished that thought from my mind imagining the pain it would put us through. My desperation for a child who I could hold and would reach back for me knew no bounds.
That wasn't unusual; after all I was Rosalie Hale; who had always gotten what she'd wanted and always wanted more.
The entire family had gathered together on Halloween as we did for all holidays. Alice and Jasper were back recently from a trip to our winter home in Japan. Edward and Bella were back from the Harvard.
After earning a literary degree at Dartmouth, Bella had decided she wanted even more schooling. She had attended Princeton, Brown, and Vassar. I could never understand this. Why waste your glorious immortal life around dusty books? Education was a bore and after attending some mechanic schools I'd given up on college entirely.
I was happy to work on my cars and learn by taking them apart myself than listening to a forty-year-old man lecture me on the importance of women staying home and how cars were "a guy thing". His greasy wandering hands and ogling eyes didn't help much either.
We'd gathered in the living room of our home in Alaska, Jake and Renesmee were staring at each other dumbly while Edward folded his arms over his chest wincing at whatever the love sick fools were thinking. Carlisle and Esme were catching up with Tanya and her sister in the kitchen.
I heard Emmett clomp down the pine stairs and stop behind my spot on the leather couch. "I vant to drink your blood. Mwahahahahah," Emmett cackled in a faux Transylvanian accent. He'd dressed up in a silk white shirt, black tuxedo pants, and a dark cape. The withering look I gave him changed his mind about any blood drinking.
"Of course," he said hurriedly " I wouldn't want to ruin your lovely dress." I'd chosen to dress up as Glinda the Good Witch; the pink, frothy cupcake quality of the dress seemed innocent enough. I wasn't having a repeat of last year's performance when the children had knocked on the door to see Emmet in his roaring werewolf glory.
The children at our home in Illinois never returned again. I'm still sure Jacob had something to do with it.
The doorbell rang and I grabbed the huge bowl of candy absentmindedly. Adjusting my tiara and wand I turned the brass knob and opened the door. This year it was my turn to be shocked. Instead of seeing little ghouls and fairies I saw a basket.
It was a rich, brown color, Inside, swaddled in a soft pink blanket was a baby.
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