*Disclaimer - Sadly, I own nothing of Twilight with the exception of merchandise, bought and paid for. I do, however, own my love for borrowing the characters and playing with them however I choose to. I thank Stephenie Meyer for creating the TwiWorld and for allowing us to have our fun with it. She owns Twilight, the insanity it created in my mind is my own.

Thanks, as always, to Shug. She gets me, and doesn't whine about having to continuously correct the same mistakes. lol Awesomeness.

A/N ~ Interesting to know, more of you are like Bella on this one, throwing caution to the wind and opting to get to know all sides of Edward. Understandable. Also understandable, the minority group who would heed Emily's warnings and remain professional in her workplace. I'm with the latter group, but I would certainly be distracted. ;) And Bella - well, she is just conflicted and easily confused, and she's so much fun to write. Now, let's find out more about Rosalie, shall we?

Whatever Works

A Rose by Any Other Name

I quickly discovered why Edward wanted someone else to go out with them – Rosalie and Emmett had some serious chemistry going on. They were all moony-eyed at each other from the moment we got in the car. Third wheel would have been an understatement. They did make a gorgeous couple, and I was happy to see Emmett this way. He was such a sweet guy; he deserved to have someone who made him happy. I was, however, completely confused about the mysterious sister who'd never been mentioned.

Sam saw us inside but returned to spend the evening with Emily and Esme, leaving us in the security of the club once it was determined it was safe. In the lounge area, a several people stared unabashedly, and when a couple of them approached, they went straight for Rosalie. Edward smiled and smacked Emmett on the back before he leaned in to say something to him. Then he turned back to me.

"I don't want to do the lounge thing. Shall we go secure a table?" He led me to the dining area, and we were taken immediately to a table in the corner. No waiting. Awesome! Best yet, it was fairly quiet, so I hoped I could get the scoop on Rosalie out of him. He ordered a bottle of wine, a Diet Coke that I requested, and a beer for himself and then sat smiling at me. "Thank you for coming."

"Emmett and Rosalie are…?"

He laughed softly. "They're… there is an intense interest. Normally, I'd get my back up because, dude! That's my sister! But truthfully, Emmett's good for her. He knows the public drill, and he'll keep her safe."

"Those people out there knew her," I remarked, and he nodded instantly, with a very pleased look.

"You really aren't up on pop culture, are you?" he snickered. "Rose is quite well-known herself… she sings."

"Ah." I knew then that I was the anti-fluffer. If any celebrity in town needed someone to put them in their place, bring 'em to Bella Swan – ego buster.

"She's brilliant," he said proudly. "Beautiful voice, talented writer. She doesn't let it get to her… all the perks of fame, which is completely amazing to me. She travels a lot, rents apartments wherever, and insists on going for her own coffee every morning after a run." He rolled his eyes as he chuckled. "Can't wait 'til she's dragging me out of bed tomorrow. Maybe Emmett will dissuade her." Sipping on his beer, he looked at me questioningly. "You have something to say… what is it?"

A sense of doom lurked about. The last time he did that, we argued. Well, I told him off, more than anything. I was feeling a little irked that they opted to go out rather than spend time with Esme, and then guilty that I had followed their lead. Unless Rosalie was like Edward in his wilder days and hadn't made amends with the whole family yet. "Well, I've only heard Esme talk about Alice…"

"Ohhhh!" His eyes widened in understanding, and then a booming laugh rang out. "That's right! You wouldn't know… Rosalie and I have different mothers. We didn't grow up together; just sort of found each other a few years ago. Maybe that's why she's my favorite sister – she hasn't had the years to annoy me that Alice had." His remark was said in jest, but his eyes displayed remorse.

I took a few minutes to digest that news. That would mean Carlisle had had an affair? I recalled a similar look on Esme's face when I asked about Edward using a different last name… and he hadn't known Rosalie all his life, maybe he had daddy issues when he found out. Emily said Edward had hurt his mother; this was probably it, though I'd say that was more her husband's doing than her son's. I was proud of myself for piecing together all the bits of gossip – for someone who had never paid attention to gossip, I had acquired a good grasp of it in a very short period of time.

Dinner stretched out for hours, and we played musical chairs throughout. Edward frequently excused himself, and either Emmett or Rosalie would go with him. The seating would change accordingly, never leaving me unattended. He was a little on edge when the club started to fill up. He'd be singing along to music being played one second and dashing away then next. I had lost track of how much he had drank… the minute a glass was empty – any glass – it was replaced with a full one. I did notice that Emmett was nursing his drink and staying alert. Watchdog for two. I smiled to myself.

It was late into the night, and he was still going strong. I was getting more than a little sleepy, but he was becoming more animated. Soon enough, he wasn't the quiet guy in the corner, he was the focus of many looks, glances, and outright stares. Several people approached for autographs – there was a rule about taking pictures, apparently. He reluctantly signed a few and suggested we leave once there was a steady stream of requests. "It never ends. Once they see someone had success, they keep coming," he explained to me quietly as he anxiously signed for the bill. "You'd get bored." His smile was playful, but his body was stiff – tense. He put his wallet away and stood, holding his hand out to help me up even as he wobbled on his feet.

Emmett was behind him in a flash, steadying him. "Need some air?" Edward nodded, and he rushed him off to the rooftop patio.

Rosalie and I stopped in the ladies' room, where she signed a few autographs herself. "In the washroom?" I giggled once we were alone. "Really?"

She laughed easily. "Weird, I know. And I don't even get the kind of freaks Edward does. I don't know how he hasn't gone nuts. It'll be a good half hour before they make it back to us. Guaranteed."

She was right. I was practically asleep on my feet by the time they joined us in the lounge. I knew they were coming even before I could see them. It was packed, but there was a bigger, more condensed huddle of people around them as they moved through the crowd. Edward looked cranky by the time I could finally see him. Emmett was calmly ushering him through, ever-present smile in place.

"Sam should be waiting. I called him," Emmett informed us.

Edward nodded and pulled him near. "Take Bella out first? Make sure she gets in before…"

Emmett patted his friend's chest and took me by the hand. Rosalie smiled and took Edward's arm, and we slowly made our way to the exit. They stopped just inside the door, facing each other and talking quietly while Emmett poked his head out to check for Sam. He turned back to be with an affirmative nod. "Ready for this?"

"Sure?" I smirked. What was the big deal? I wasn't drunk; I would be able to make my way to the car. Edward, I wasn't so sure about.

He tucked me into his side securely and half-dragged me the few steps to the car. There were dozens and dozens of people on the sidewalk, all crowding the door of the club. Sam held the car door open with a warm smile as Emmett gave me a shove to get in. The door slammed shut, and he ran back inside. I was glad Sam was here – how could Emmett get both of them through the crowd that way on his own?

Sam leaned against the car and waited. His demeanour made him seem oblivious to the people asking him questions. Everything was muffled for me inside the car – I couldn't hear the questions he was ignoring. The sidewalk suddenly lit up with flashes and some squeals. Holy hell! I sat up straight and peered outside. Something must have happened! I rolled the window down a crack to listen in.

Sam bent to talk to me through the window. "They're gonna be a few minutes. I'll tap on the door when they're ready. I want you to move right over when I do. They're going to fly into the car, and I don't want anyone squishing you. All right?"

I nodded, dumbly. And waited and watched. All of this was for Edward and Rosalie. They put on a show in the middle of the sidewalk – posing for pictures, signing whatever was shoved in front of them, and laughing at comments made by onlookers. Rosalie looked much more at ease, but Edward was convincing enough. A brat, at heart, he would lap up any attention he could get.

My heart pounded in my chest when the tap came. I moved. I can follow instructions. Edward came flying in first. Emmett had his hand over Edward's head to make sure he ducked enough. Immediately, he dropped his head into his lap as Rosalie followed him in. The door slammed shut as Emmett climbed in the front and Sam ran around to the driver's side. "Everybody good?" he called over his shoulder as he belted himself in.

"Yeah, yeah. Go." Edward's voice was muffled in his hands. Rosalie offered me a reassuring grin as she rubbed his back. Once we were on the road he sat back and slid down the seat so his head was resting on the back of the seat. A fit of giggles overtook him. "I'm so fucking wasted…"

Not a word was said about the production outside the club. Nothing. Edward was back to being animated, but we were squeezed pretty tightly in the seat so it was a little uncomfortable. He didn't seem to be aware of the close confines and kept turning back and forth between me and Rosalie as he talked excitedly. Then he convinced Sam to hit a drive-thru for burgers. They drove around for almost an hour to find one still open. When they did, the guys ate in the car, and Rosalie and I climbed out to stretch. There was no one around.

"I bet those shots are up on the net already," Rosalie laughed. "I'm gonna Google it… don't tell anyone." She pulled out her phone and found the battery had died, so I had a go at it. I felt weird Googling Edward, so I typed in 'Rosalie Cullen' and got nothing.

"No way! Let me see…" She took my phone and chuckled. "That's why…" She did a quick edit and voila. A dozen sites had the latest on Edward and Rosalie Masen. "I'm a Masen, darling. Not a Cullen sadly."

My jaw dropped. They shared a father… but he wasn't Carlisle! My gossip skills were way off. "Carlisle isn't…"

"No! God no. Carlisle was a good man; he would never cheat on Esme. Edward and I share half of a shitty gene pool. Our father's an ass – Tony Masen…?"

I shook my head. The name meant nothing.

"Black Hole?"

Still nothing.

"I think I love you," Rosalie emoted as I blushed uncomfortably. "Okay, here's the scoop – our father was a huge star in the '80s, and into the '90s. His band, Black Hole, was mega-huge for a few years. His ego, for decades. He's pretty much irrelevant these days, as he's been for most of my life and all of Edward's. I had the misfortune of living with him – sort of – for my first 10 years. He was never around. We could have a hundred other siblings we don't even know about. Edward got lucky and had Carlisle as a real father-figure. He didn't know about Tony until he moved back here from England… something about a mix-up with passports when he went to apply for one as an adult. Anyway, his parents told him everything at that point, and Edward, ballsy kid, tracked him down. Well, tracked his manager down – Tony refused to have anything to do with him."

My eyes widened. "No! Oh… poor kid!"

"Told you he was an ass. So he denied Edward was his, denied even knowing Esme, but paid him off to let it go. Edward, being Edward, took that as admission, and he uses Masen as his stage name, just to get under his skin." She let out a blissful laugh. "He's so awesome… Then he fired back, sending back half the money to pay him off and a no contact contract against our father with a personalized note attached – 'Fuck you too.' Like I said, awesome! I was so glad he got in touch with me. He's got a lot of balls and determination. And he's a great brother. Our father doesn't deserve to be in his life anyway."

"At least he hasn't tried to ride on Edward's coattails now that he's famous himself." I could see that being an issue, if this man was as much of an ass as Rosalie claimed.

"Oh, I'm sure he's tried. I don't pay attention to anything he does, but people have commented on him name-dropping. He can't contact Edward, personally, but I know it hurts Esme to have it out there for the world to know about, and Edward can't stand that. He regrets the whole thing."

"But then he wouldn't know you," I countered. "And he told me you're his favorite."

Rosalie beamed with pride and false boasting. "Well, I would be." Then she rolled her eyes and draped an arm around me. "In all honesty, I'm honored to be his big sister. Despite his fame. The person beneath the exterior is so much better than he shows the world. He's made mistakes, and he can be a major pain in the ass, but he's not his father's son. He's Carlisle's. He's trying so hard to fix everything, and I'm really proud of him. This accident was horrible for him. They had just started to reconnect –"

"Are you going to keep us much longer?" Edward stuck his head through the window and called out to us. "I'm gonna have to find a washroom. Soon."

"Boys!" Rosalie rolled her eyes, and we climbed back in, wedging Edward in the middle once again. He liked being in the middle, apparently. Even when we stopped alongside the road for him to pee, he crawled over Rosalie to retain his position when he returned.

"You know Bella's a Beatles fan!" he announced out of the blue and started up a rousing version of "Day Tripper." We sang all the way back to his house.

Emmett half-carried him into the house. He stopped at the stairs when Edward reached for me. He propped himself up on one side of the banister and looked over it to speak with me on the other side. His hooded eyes were glossy and showed all the fatigue I felt myself. "Hey, I'd ask you up, but I know I'd make an arse of myself. I don't wanna do that tonight. Not with you." He reached out his arm and his long fingers stroked my cheek. "Thanks again. For tonight. I hope it wasn't too horrible for you."

He smiled when I shook my head.

"Another time, then?"

Was he asking me out again or asking me upstairs another time? I was still stuck on that part. "Sure," I whispered.

Another smile and he dropped his head to the banister with a groan. "Yesterday… all my troubles seemed so far away…"

Sam stepped up and pulled him off the railing while Emmett took his place on Edward's other side. They both gave apologetic grins to me. "The show is over my friend," Sam said to him. "Say goodnight."

"No, I'm good, I'm good… I ate. I'm fine now." He tried very hard to focus his eyes in my direction. "I didn't do anything stupid, did I? You'll tell me? Tomorrow… tell me if I fucked up."

His sister wore a sad expression as she looked on. Sam and Emmett tried to look disinterested. "You didn't fuck up," I said in a soft voice.

"I drank too much!" His impish grin popped up. He looked about sixteen years old standing there.

"That, you did." I snickered.

"Sorry…" He placed his hand over mine as I gripped the railing where his head had been. He closed his eyes and swayed a bit before whimpering. "I have to go."

The guys took his cue and hauled him up the stairs hastily. Rosalie winked at me and followed them up. And I was left with a head full of new images and questions from the day's revelations. Three things stood out: Rosalie was older, and she and her mother had lived with Edward's father – that meant Esme had cheated. Even if she wasn't with Carlisle at the time, Tony Masen was with Rosalie's mother. That seemed so out of character for her.

Second, Rosalie spoke of mistakes Edward had made and how he was trying to fix them. Was that solely in regards to the strain on his family over the ordeal with his father? He definitely had daddy issues, just not with Carlisle alone. Possibly he felt the sting of his mother's indiscretion as well. Poor kid. It was clear that he loved her, but maybe this situation now was more than he could handle with their past issues.

And third, I felt strongly attracted to the various sides of Edward that he had revealed throughout the day. From the playfulness in the pool (in his underwear!), to the attentive way he'd been when we were out, Edward was incredibly appealing.

Emily was indeed right. He so had me already.