Disclaimer: Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer and last time I checked I am not Stephenie Meyer sooo yeah.

Chapter 3

The next few weeks passed in a blur of bridesmaids' dresses, flower arrangements, and cake toppers. Everything had had to be perfect for Edward and Bella.

Actually, I don't think they would've minded terribly if the lighting didn't match the flowers, or if the accent frosting didn't match the exact color of the bride's skin when she blushed, but Alice will be Alice, I suppose.

Before anyone (least of all me) knew it, the wedding day had rolled around. Alice had locked Bella up in her bathroom and was not letting anyone come in. "Make-up is important!" she had screamed when Jasper had tried to coax her out.

I was downstairs with Emmett. We were trying to calm down Edward but were unsuccessful. Jasper refused to help. He claimed that a little nerves were good on one's wedding day.

Eventually we gave up, and headed to separate rooms to change into our wedding attire. As I entered my bedroom, I imagined Emmett in a tux. Then I imagined him in a little less clothing. I could hear Edward growling downstairs. Well don't listen then, I thought to him, and snickered as I heard him leave the house, slamming the door behind him.

I threw open my closet and started to pull my dress off its hanger when I froze. Why hadn't I noticed it before? It was the exact same shade of Tiffany-box blue as my bridesmaids were supposed to wear... the first time around. Get a grip, I told myself, and tore it off the hanger, but an image of Royce sprung unbidden into my mind.

Show 'em what you look like. Show 'em what you look like, Rose.

I couldn't help myself. I fell into a quivering ball on the ground. Show 'em.

No, no, no.

The dress Rose. Put the dress on. Just put the damn dress on.

But I couldn't. I was transported against my will to that dimly lit street, with Royce and his drunken friends surrounding me.

No. Here. The time is now. Put the dress on Rose. Put the dress on and forget. Easy as it should've been, I couldn't. I pulled my legs closer to my chest and gave a quiet moan, remembering. "Emmett," I whispered. My door flew open and he was instantly by my side.

"Rose," he murmured to me in response. He'd seen me like this before. Every ten years or so, something would spark a memory.

Royce's face was in my mind again. I'd thought I was in love.

Show them what you look like Rose.

His deep, rasping voice filled my head and once more I was on the street with Royce.

"Rose!" Emmett said. "My Rosalie. My Rose. I'm here. Come back to me, Rose. I love you. I love you. I'm here." I stared up at Emmett's face, unseeing.

I'll have to learn some patience, first.

"Rose, Rosalie. I love you. Please. Forget." Emmett's face replaced Royce's in my head and I slid momentarily back to the present.

Show 'em.

I pulled myself out the memory with difficulty. "Emmett," I said clearly, then started sobbing dryly into his chest. He pulled me close to him, rubbing his face in my hair.

"I love you, sweetie."

I gave a rasping breath then stood up shakily, still clinging onto Emmett. "I love you too. Thank you."

"We don't have to go to the wedding," he told me, "if you would rather stay here..."

"No, I want to go."

He helped me into the dress gently. I was still shaking slightly. I regret that I remember so much, but it's my fault. I clung to it so much in the beginning- I hadn't wanted to forget.

Now, I wish I had.

Emmett kissed me softly. "I'm going downstairs now," he told me. "Us guys are taking a different car. Come down when you're ready."

I nodded and he disappeared.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. For once, I didn't put on any make-up or do my hair or any thing. I just stared at my impeccable, treacherous beauty that was the cause of all this trouble.

Sighing, I ran my hand through my hair and turned for the door.

When I was downstairs, I could see Edward looking at me anxiously. I guess he'd heard my memories. Jasper was also looking at me, sensing my feelings. I shook my head at them slightly. "It's your wedding," I murmured to Edward, to quietly for the other girls to hear from outside.

He smiled at me, the first true smile he'd given me since he had met Bella. I carefully smiled back, then headed outside, pecking Emmett on the way. Esme, Alice, and Bella were waiting for me in the car.

I smiled blandly at them, then slipped inside the car and stared morosely out the window as the others chatted and laughed.

It's so stupid really. No one in this family is really happy.

Look at Alice, placed into a mental asylum by her own family. Now, she's forced to resort to Google to find out the name of her own sister.

And then there's Esme, who lost her only real child and threw herself off a cliff.

And Jasper, with his traumatic past in a vampire "army". Even with Alice, he will never feel whole again.

And to this day, Emmett shows a happy demeanor but feels terrible at leaving his mothers all alone to care for his ailing father and six little brothers and sisters.

I can see Carlisle staring at us sometimes and wondering if changing us was the right thing to do- if we mightn't just be happier dead.

Edward is so afraid of hurting Bella- he feels so terrible for falling in love with her, and exposing her to so much danger.

And then of course there's me. Obviously, I'm not happy in this state.

With all this pain in the family, you would think we would share it, and lessen each others burden's slightly.

But instead, we all cry separately, each in our own rooms. And then we go downstairs and face the world, with fake smiles and old wounds.

Sorry if this chapter wasn't very good, it was very hard to write. Please tell me what you think... that "review" button isn't there just to look pretty.