Chapter Seven: The World is Too Big

Bella POV

"Where have you been?" Alice asked as I entered the house after my coffee outing with Emmett that afternoon. "Emmett again?"

"We ran into each other." I shrugged, putting Aiden in his bouncy seat. "No big deal."

"Just...ran into each other?" She laughed. "Like you two just ran into each other yesterday at the movies?"

"What are you getting at, Alice?"

"All I'm saying...it's a bit odd you guys just...keep running into each other." She winked.

"It's not like that, Alice." I whispered, sitting down on the couch. "I'm not ready for that yet. To be with another guy...to...get that feeling."

"I know." She whispered. "But, you will be. Someday...and Emmett wouldn't be a bad choice."

"I don't know if I'll ever be ready, Alice." I told her honestly. I wished so bad that I could begin to even think about dating, but I couldn't. No matter how hard I pushed myself to. I didn't want to be alone forever, but losing Edward the way I did...killed something inside of me. I was only human, and humans flirt...but I didn't know if I'd ever be able to get past the flirting stage.

"Bella,"

"No." I stopped her. "I don't know if I'm ever going to be ready for another guy."

"Bella, life will go on."

"Yes." I agreed. "And, Aiden will grow up and time will go by. But, I don't think time is going to...get that picture out of my head, Alice."

"What picture?" She asked, sitting down next to me.

"The picture...of Edward lying on the ground...covered in blood." I cried. "The picture of Edward lying lifelessly and pale on the cold tile of our hallway...in a puddle of blood. The picture of the look on the doctors face when he finally died in the ER that night. Those pictures."

"Bella, time heals all wounds."

"Maybe." I agreed. "But, I don't think they erase memories and those are going to haunt me forever." I walked upstairs and left Aiden with Alice, just needing time to myself to think. I took a deep breath and got the cardboard box out of the back of the closet. I placed it on my bed, and opened it carefully. I pulled out the teddy bear he'd won me on our first date, a movie ticket to the first movie we'd seen together, an engagement announcement...and my ring.

I carefully slid the ring onto my left finger and began to cry. I didn't want to have to heal. I didn't want the option of someday being with Emmett. I just wanted Edward here so we could get married. It wasn't fair. The more time that passed, the more I lost hope we'd never find the people who killed him. Edward wold never get justice and that killed me.

"Hi, Bella." Dr. Platt greeted after I'd just shone up on her doorstep. "You okay?"

"No." I sobbed. "And...I know this is your day off and we're supposed to meet Wednesday...but..."

"It isn't a problem." She smiled, opening the door and letting me inside. "We can go into my office." She offered and I only nodded. I followed her upstairs into a smaller room in the house, but it was still pretty roomy. She gently closed the door and sat down in a big leather chair in front of me.

"So, what's going on, Bells?" She asked as nicely as she could.

"I don't wanna be alone forever." I sobbed. "But I don't know if I'm ever going to be ready to move on."

"Why do you feel that way?"

"Because, the way Edward died is going to haunt me forever. Seeing him lying dead on the ground killed something inside of me and I don't know if I'm ever going to move past that."

"Bella, losing someone the way you lost Edward, does something to you." She said in almost a whisper. "You know that no matter how many people you date, Edward will have always been murdered."

"Exactly."

"But, you can't let that get in your way of happiness, Bella." She soothed. "You have to find the will to revive whatever died inside of you that night. You can't live in the past."

"But, I don't want to forget."

"Moving on...doesn't mean forgetting. Moving on with your life means you're strong. You grieved the loss of a loved one, but you are brave enough to put yourself out there again. You will never ever forget Edward. He was your fiancee, Aiden's father. He's always going to be with you. Be strong, Bella. Choose to be strong."

"That's a lot easier said than done."

"Yes." She agreed. "But it isn't impossible. Don't put up this wall that will be impossible to break down. You said it yourself, you don't want to be alone for the rest of your life and that little boy is going to need a father figure in his life to teach him all the things you can't. It is going to take time for you to build up that strength, but I believe in you, Bella. I believe that you can grieve, and somehow...find a way to be happy again."

"What if I can't?" I asked. "Find that strength?"

"Than it was your choice to be weak." She shrugged. "Imagine Edward, Bella. If he truly loved you, he'd want you to be happy. He'd want you to be strong for his son."

"I know." I nodded. "But, what if I don't want to be strong? What if I chose to be weak."

"Than it was your choice." She said gently. "But, will you be happy if you live your life as a weak person, who didn't fight for what she wanted?"

"I don't know." I whispered as there was a knock on the door. The knob turned, and Emmett stood on the outside with a beautiful blonde girl standing beside him.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were with someone." He whispered as the blonde girl turned into his shoulder and began to sob. "But, I need to talk to you."

"I'll be right out, Em." She said and he closed the door again. "Be brave, Bella. Be strong." After another few minutes, I decided Emmett needed her and decided to leave. I walked with Esme downstairs where Emmett was still coddling the blonde girl. I looked closely at the girl, and saw such despair and sadness in her eyes. She lifted her head off of Emmett's shoulder and I looked even closer.

Where have I seen those eyes before?

I asked myself as Esme hugged her tightly. Then, suddenly...it hit me. This girl had the same eyes as Jasper did and even similar facial structure. I stepped back, but ended up backing into an end table, and knocked a vase of flowers over. I cringed at the sound of glass shattering, and then all eyes were on me.

"Sorry," I blushed. "I can clean it up."

"Don't worry about it, Bells." Esme said dryly. "We'll get it later."

"I'll just..be going." I whispered before I bolted from their house. I was opening my car door when I heard the front door slam shut. I looked over at Emmett who threw something against the wooden door, and slumped over on the porch. I fought with myself before finally walking over to him.

"Hi." I whispered and he looked up, his eyes wet and swollen with tears. "What's going on?"

"They're dead, Bella." He cried. "All of them."

"Who?" I asked, sitting next to him.

"The Hale's." He whispered. "Rosalie's family. They lived next door to me since we were born and now they're dead!"

"Oh, Emmett." I whispered as I stroked his back. "I'm so sorry."

"She'll never be the same." He sighed. "She'll never get through this."

"Yes she will." I assured him. "Just...be with her, Emmett."

"I don't even know what to say."

"Sometimes, nothing needs to be said." I told him. "Sometimes the best thing you can do for a person is just be there to hug them."

"Is that what people did for you? After Edward died?"

"No." I sighed. "Because I didn't ask for it, and when people tried I pushed them away. And, if I'd let people it...the experience of his funeral and having Aiden might have been easier."

"They were...they were my family, Bella." He told me. "When both my parents had to work, I'd be at Rosalie's house. She's my best friend and they were second parents to me. And now, Rosalie doesn't have her parents either."

"Why don't you two come over tonight." I offered. "It's my night to cook, and I think it'd be good for you two to be with the people who care about you."

"Rosalie won't go for it."

"Tell her it'll help." I whispered. "I didn't really begin the healing process until I was with Jasper and Alice."

"I'll talk to her." He said, wiping his face. "Is she ever going to be the same?"

"I...I don't know, Emmett." I answered honestly. "I really don't."

A few more hours had passed and I was glad when Emmett texted me, saying Rosalie was in and they'd be over that night. I didn't cook anything fancy, but rather comfort food. Chili, cornbread and apple pie for desert. It was the first real meal I ate after Edward died and it did make me feel good...even if only a little bit.

"Bells!" I heard Alice call after the doorbell rang. "They're here!"

"Be right in!" I called, taking my apron off and walking into the foyer. Both of them looked better than they had this afternoon, and Rosalie even gave a small smile to me. "I'm glad you guys came."

"Well, Emmett says you're an awesome cook." Rosalie laughed as we stepped into the living room. "Thanks for inviting us. I...needed a good distraction."

"Okay, babies are down for a while." Alice said as she came back downstairs. "That should give us...Rosalie?"

"Alice?" Rosalie asked, smiling for the first time since she'd walked inside. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here!" Alice exclaimed as they hugged. "Rosalie and I met during college. She was the TA for one of my professors."

"Yeah, sorry I couldn't come to the wedding. Work and then...it was just a hectic year."

"Don't apologize!" Alice gushed.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Jasper called out as he opened the front door. "The file room got destroyed some..." He began to say before he saw Rosalie sitting on the couch. "How."

"Jasper, this is Rosalie." Alice introduced. "A friend of Emmett's."

"Hi." He said, his eyes big and wide. I looked closer at the two of them, and my eyes opened as well. Rosalie looked exactly like Jasper's mom. "Have...we met before?"

"No." She shook her head. She'd obviously realized the resemblance. "I don't think so."

"You look really..."

"Familiar." She finished his sentence and nodded. I saw her breathing become fast paced as she looked over and saw a picture of Jasper and his family on the walked over and picked it up, looking more closely at it. "This your mom?"

"Yeah." He answered, walking over to her. "That was taken...senior year of college I think."

"She's pretty." Rosalie mused as Emmett came to my side.

"Am I missing something?" He asked and I only laughed.

"They're brother and sister, Em." I answered. "Twins I'm pretty sure."

"Rosalie doesn't have a twin." He shook his head.

"That you know of." I whispered.

"How is this possible?" Jasper asked as he set down the picture. "You and my mother...literally could be twins."

"I don't know how thought." She argued. "I mean, I always thought I looked like my father. There's no way...no. This isn't happening."

"Rosalie...did your parents get divorced when you were little?" He asked as they sat down. I felt so bad for them. They'd always had a sibling...a twin and neither of them had any idea. Jasper spent his entire life thinking he had no one that really understood...not even me. And all of a sudden, this blonde girl comes out of no where and he has a sister. A twin.

"No." She shook her head. "I mean, I don't really look like my mom, but all my siblings look like my father."

"Rosalie." He said sternly. "I...I think you've been lied to your entire life."

"No." She argued. "No, that is not my mother."

"I know this is hard but...it's the truth." He whispered. "I think your father got you after the divorce, mom got me and they both forgot to tell us about each other."

"Is it me...or is this some freaky Parent Trap moment?" Emmett whispered in my ear, causing me to laugh. As horrible as it was, this kind of thing only happened in the movies and it was unraveling right in front of me.

"Oh it's freaky...but I don't think it's exactly a happy moment." Alice said.

"So...I've had this twin all my life?" She asked as she paced. "My father was married before and had twins with another woman? And never told me?"

"I think so." Jasper whispered. "I mean, mom told me Greg wasn't my dad and that they'd gotten divorced when I was just a few months old, but she never mentioned having another kid."

"At least you got to know he wasn't your father." She cried, rushing over to Emmett. "This is too much."

"I know." He agreed. "It's a lot."

"The sad part is...I can't even call to ask!" She cried into his shoulder. "Because that fucking creep killed them."

"Wait." Jasper called. "What?"

Rosalie closed her eyes in despair and the went on to tell Jasper that her family had been murdered in their own home. That someone had no heart, and killed four innocent people. Jasper lost it when she told him the story, and was hyperventilating as he sat down on the couch. Then, his face turned red with anger and stormed upstairs.

"Hi." I heard him yell as he raced downstairs again. "I have a twin sister?"

The four of us walked into the kitchen to give him some privacy, but he held Rosalie back.

"I can't believe this." Alice said as she poured us coffee since dinner ad gotten cold. "I mean...I've known Jasper since high school and Rosalie and I were close in college. I never even realized the resemblance."

"I only see the resemblance in the eyes." I told her. "You have to look pretty closely."

"But how she looks exactly like Sarah?" Alice asked. "I can't believe I missed it."

"I can't believe I had no idea." Emmett mused. "I've lived next door to them since we were born."

"How could you have known?" I asked. "I mean, it seems like their parents got divorced when they were only a few months old."

"Six to be exact." Jasper barked as they came into the kitchen. "And mom moved the two of us to Chicago when I was two."

"Then...how do you not remember each other at all?" Alice asked.

"Mom moved the two of us out when they filed for divorce." Jasper explained. "We like right outside of Gatlinburg until the divorce was final and the custody had been taken care of."

"How does this even happen?" Emmett asked as we sat around the kitchen table. "How do you not know you have another sibling...let alone your twin?"

"They thought they were doing the best thing that could do." Rosalie shrugged. "They thought by each getting a twin...it'd be easier on us. We wouldn't have to spend Christmas or summer away from one parent, we wouldn't be fought over."

"How do you just willingly let go of your son or daughter?" I asked.

"They didn't want to." Jasper shrugged. "But, they thought it was best. They kept in touch with big news. Sent pictures back and forth constantly. Sent videos of big events...dance recitals...karate matches."

"That doesn't make it right." Emmett snapped. "I just..."

"There isn't anything we can do about it now." Rosalie shrugged. "So...let's just stop talking about it."

Two Years Later

"Happy birthday dear Aiden! Happy Birthday to you!" The group of people cheered as we celebrated Aiden's second birthday.

It had been a rough two years. I was still struggling between my heart and my head. I so wanted to let Emmett in, and be with him...but something inside me continued to tell me not to. That I still needed to be faithful to Edward. But, then Emmett and I would share these moments together. Glances across the room. Hands brushing up against one anothers. I was so scarred that these moments, would turn into something more.

"Happy birthday little man." I cooed at Aiden as he shoved his face with cake. "Do you like your cake?"

"Mmmm! Yummy!" He laughed, smashing some of the cake onto my cheek. I laughed as someone handed me a napkin. "Em!"

"Hey, man." Emmett laughed, ruffling his hair. "He got you good."

"Yeah, he...he doesn't like the C word."

"The...C word?"

"Clean." I laughed, wiping my face. "I get it all?"

"Almost." He said, taking the napkin out of my hand and wiping the spot on my face that I missed. As he was finishing up, I felt our eyes connect and my heart rate pick up speed. "There. Good as new."

"Thanks." I smiled. "So, how was Gatlinburg?" I asked since he'd spent the last week in Tennessee with Rosalie, attempting to close her families estates. It shouldn't have taken this long, but with Jasper all of a sudden in the picture as her mothers son, things became complicated.

"Tiring." He sighed. "I promised I'd never go back there after the fire. I hate it there. Everywhere I go there's a memory that I just don't wanna deal with."

"You can't keep everything locked inside, Em." I whispered. "It isn't good for you."

"Spare me, Bella." He snapped. "When was the last time you took Aiden to Chicago to see your parents or Edwards family?"

"That's different." I tried to defend. "I didn't run away."

"Yes ya did." He spat. "You moved here with Jasper so you could start new, and haven't been back to Chicago since."

"It's hard, Emmett." I cried, putting Aiden down on the ground so he could go find friends. "Edward...was killed there."

"Yeah, well Rosalie's entire family was killed there." He reminded me. "And my parents were burned to death."

"Don't go there." I ordered him. "Don't try and one up me with the pain you've suffered."

"I wasn't trying to!"

"Hey," Rosalie greeted as she came over with Jasper. After their mother came clean about everything that happened with her and their father, everything fell into place with them. With her family gone, Rosalie moved up here to Forks to try and make up for the last twenty-four years of life and build a relationship with Jasper. They both took a trip to Chicago so Rosalie could meet her birth mother, and they both fell apart. There were no more secrets in their lives, and they were thriving with happiness.

"Everything okay?" She asked as Emmett's stare got more and more angry.

"Just fine." He seethed before walking away. I just stood there, fighting off tears and sinking into Jasper's arms.

"Don't let him get to you." Rosalie tried telling me. "He's never even tried to deal with his parents death. He ran away and ended up getting into a lot of trouble and almost ended up dead himself."

"I didn't lose my entire family that night." I said. "But I lost Edward."

"It's okay to feel pain, Bells." Jasper said.

"And Edward was my family."

"I know, Bella." Jasper soothed, bringing me into a hug again.

Just as soon as my feelings came on for Emmett, they disappeared.