Important: If you are super sensitive please skip the italics in this chapter. Though no graphic details are provided I don't want to give any of you nightmares
A/N: I'm having a renovation in my house and I think I'm going to be insane from the sound of saws and hammers and whatever the heck else they use all day *twitches* so if this chapter seems messed up its probably because my head has been pounding ever since I got back from camping. Feedback would be nice.
Rosalie POV
While I sleep I dream. I haven't slept properly in a long time but whatever medicine the doctors have given me has put me straight to sleep. I hope I wake up in time to see the Cullen's. My real parents (what did Carlisle call them again; birth parents?) were coming to, and I wanted to make sure they stayed away from me. I wasn't sure I believed everything Royce said about my parents, but I was still scared of what they might do to me after they heard about all the trouble I had caused. My mom and dad couldn't hurt me in the hospital though...right?
I decide to stop worrying. None of it really matters right now and getting some sleep feels so so nice. Besides, Carlisle and Esme wouldn't let anything happen to me. I couldn't wait to see Alice, Jasper, Edward and Emmett. I'd missed playing with them.
At first I dream about reading books with Esme before bed and getting hugs from Carlisle and playing monopoly with the Cullen's. Esme and Carlisle always lose on purpose (they both told me they don't do it on purpose but I know they both do!), Emmett cheats in an obvious way that makes everyone laugh, and Alice doesn't know how to count so she always buys things she lands on even if she can't afford them.
Soon my dreams shift from happy memories to much darker ones and I find myself remembering the night I had been so desperately trying to forget. I try and force myself to wake up but nothing I attempt works. Unlike most dreams-not dreams, more like nightmares-I have about that night this one starts from the very beginning of what would be the worst day of my life. Most other nightmares I have come in flashes, sometimes I'm not even sure what parts actually happened and what parts my terrified mind has made up. In this nightmare I feel as though I am actually reliving the night my world fell apart.
It's the night before I meet Carlisle. The first time Royce almost killed me. I'm wearing a pricy Prada dress and my parents are dragging me to a company party. My dad is nervous, and he plays with the tie on his suit during the drive. My mom runs her hands over her sparkling dress, smoothing out invisible wrinkles. Their nervousness gives me butterflies in my stomach; not real butterflies, but the fluttery feeling in my stomach type of butterflies-it was an expression-Emily taught me it before she'd been fired.
I spent the duration of the car ride silently pouting. It wasn't fair had been fired. Today I only wished I could return to the days where my biggest problem was that my maid was fired and my parents didn't love me. It would be later that very evening that my real problems would begin. Problems like 'panic attacks' and a sense of fear and panic that never left me alone.
Cars pulled up on the large circular driveway and drivers rushed to open the doors for their clients. The people at this party were all rich, and most of them were eager to show off their wealth. My parents included.
"I want you on your best behaviour tonight, it's important to me and your father." My mom had told me earlier while I brushed my hair in front of the mirror in my room and a maid lathered makeup on my face.
"Yes, mother." I responded obediently, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. I was always on my best behaviour, my parents made sure of it. If my parents felt the need to remind me, they clearly were even more paranoid about being perfect then usual.
It took all my will power to not yank the handkerchief out of my dads suit pocket and rub away the light pink lipstick from my mouth. The makeup felt funny, but my mother insisted I wear some.
The house we pull up to is enormous, it looks like a mansion out of a magazine. Even my house wasn't as big as this. It was strange to think such a large place could belong to one person. Royce King. I was still mad he'd crushed my flowers, and that he was always at my house with my parents even though I told them I didn't like him.
When I'd tried to tell my mom what I thought of Royce. My mother told me I was being stupid. "Every one likes Royce, so you should too'" she'd said to me, as though it was obvious. I wondered who 'everyone' was. Royce was nothing but a big bully with lots of money and influence.
"Royce has been good for our family, he's helped us in ways you aren't old enough to understand." My father had told me when I'd confessed to him what I thought of Royce. "Don't speak about him in such a way again." He'd finished the conversation angrily. He was right; I didn't understand what made Royce so special.
Two butlers open the doors for us with forced gusto as we reach the front entryway to Royce's home. I follow slowly behind my parents; who have linked arms and walk with their heads held high.
"That was the Hale family." One of the butlers says in awe as a second pair of doors is opened and we step into a fancy ballroom. I can tell both my parents smile at his remark even though I'm walking behind them.
A large mural is on the ceiling as well as a golden chandelier that illuminates the entire room. Some people stand and talk, while others dance, there is also a lot of chairs and tables along the outskirts of the room. In the middle of the room a small orchestra is playing living music. Butlers walk around the room with trays of champagne.
Within moments my parents have found a group of their friends and are blending in with the crowd. My mom looks over her shoulder at me and mouths 'behave' before disappearing in the group of people. I stand awkwardly by the door and let out a sigh. I decide my safest option is to find a quiet table to sit down at before someone recognizes me and decides to...
"There's my beautiful niece! Rosalie Hale just where do you think you're going without giving your auntie a kiss!?" Someone calls.
...uh talk to me. I guess it was too late to avoid conversation now. I turn around and am nearly run over by my Auntie Tanya. I see a couple men and another blushing woman follow closely behind her as she envelops me in a bone crushing hug.
"Look at her! Isn't she a doll?" My auntie boasts to her friends, whirling me around to face them. "She's my sisters kid, I bet if I ever had a daughter she'd be just as pretty." She explains; waggling her eyebrows at one of the well dressed men.
I offer a timid smile. My aunt leans down and looks at me pointedly until I give her kiss on the cheek. Her friends 'aw' and my aunties grin grows even wider.
"Where is Laura and Richard?" She asks me. Her eyes search the room for my parents as though they'll appear any second.
"I'm not sure. But they were talking to-" I pause as I try to remember the names. "-Wesley and Lillian as well as a few others." I tell her.
She ruffles my hair but offers no goodbye as she begins to squeeze her way through the crowd in search of her sister and my dad. Her friends trail behind her like lost puppies. My auntie is in university, and my mom told me she is going to become the best lawyer ever. If she stayed focused enough to pass all her exams (which my dad told me are just really really big tests.)
My auntie Tanya could get people to believe pretty much anything she said.
Finally free from the conversation I hurriedly move away from the door; where people can easily spot me. Most parties I'd end up trapped in someone's arms or on someone's lap for the whole evening. Today I was just not in the mood to be babied and bragged about. All I really wanted was to go home, but I wouldn't dare say that to my parents.
I stick close to the walls, not wanting to be trampled by one of the dancing people. I notice a few familiar faces sitting at a table and walk towards it. It appeared to be the unofficial 'kids' table. Since there was only two other kids whose parents dragged them to this particular party, all of us could fit at one table.
"Hi Rosalie!" Sebastian calls as soon as I near the table. Him and another boy I've met a couple times (Griffin?) sit close together, a nanny supervising them. Both are dressed in suits, Griffins tie sits abandoned on the table, he must have pulled it too much until it came off. The nanny looks as though she's going to fall asleep sitting up.
Sebastian is a year older than me and his younger brother Griffin is a year younger. There mom is the supervisor of one of the departments in Royce's financial company. My dad told me her husband and her got a divorce two years ago. He said it was when two parents broke up, and that it was a huge embarrassment to any family.
"How do you do?" I ask politely. I wasn't exactly sure what I thought of other kids yet. I guessed Griffin and Sebastian were okay, but I'd only met them a few times.
"We went on an adventure." Griffin tells me proudly.
"Did you really?" I ask at the same time that Sebastian slaps his hand over his brothers mouth and says 'shhhhh.'
The nanny looks over with tired eyes. But must decide she really doesn't care because she looks over at the people dancing again and continues ignoring us.
"See over there?" Sebastian asks, pointing a finger at the corner of the room that turns and must lead somewhere else. When I nod he continues. "We played hide and seek, but you can't tell or she'll get mad." He whispers.
"Can we go over there?" I ask curiously.
"Sure, It's nice and quite and you can see everything and people only go there when they're using the bathroom but that's it! But most of them go the other way anyway!" Sebastian says in a eager voice. "We can play games."
I don't understand half of what he's saying, and I don't play games but the idea of a quiet place sounds good to me.
"You two aren't going anywhere." says, crossing her arms. Sebastian had forgotten to keep his voice down. Oops.
"But , we want to play with Rosalie." Sebastian whines.
"Yeah, we wanna play!" Griffin shouts.
"Quiet down, both of you. Your mom wouldn't want you getting in any mischief." says in a stern tone.
"But-" Sebastian begins.
"-No buts. We are staying at this table and you are both going to behave for a couple hours until we go home." The grey haired nanny interrupts.
"Sorry Rosalie." Griffin says.
"I guess we can't go." Sebastian tells me, pouting. "Have fun."
I say goodbye to them both. Deciding that I'm going to go even if they can't. I have a bit of a headache from all the noise, and I don't know how much more of 's glaring I can take.
It's much quieter in this corridor. I stand with my back against the wall and stare at the large mural on the ceiling of this particular room. People walk by every once in a while but most the time they're in a hurry to get back and don't stare too much.
After a little while I hear people loudly talking and footsteps approaching. I look briefly over my shoulder and see Royce heatedly arguing with someone. His face is red with anger. I can't make out what's he's saying over the sound of music, but he looks absolutely furious.
The man Royce is arguing with walks past me quickly and Royce shouts something vulgar at him as he walks away. Royce notices me and staggers as he walks towards me. He smells weird and I instantly can tell something is off about him.
"What are you lookin' at girl?" He leers, "didn't ya ever learn good manners?"
"Yes sir, sorry sir." I say as politely as I can manage, giving him a forced smile. I look over to the large ball room where guests are still talking and laughing loudly. When I try to move toward the crowd Royce's arm shoots out with surprising speed and he grabs my wrist to stop me.
"Y'know who you remind me of?" Royce asks me, not letting go of my wrist.
"No; I don't." I tell him. I try to pull my wrist out of his grip, but it was to no avail. I was getting a very bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.
"My wife. You look just like her. We were gonna have a daughter, we were gonna."
It was strange hearing such poor speech leave his mouth. I'd seen my fair share of drunk adults in my short life time. I used to get scared, unused to people older then me act so...strangely. I didn't understand why so many of them drank the stuff when it made them do weird things. My parents never drank too much, but lots of their friends did. I assumed that Royce-like my parents-wouldn't want to tarnish his reputation by drinking too much and making a fool of himself, apparently I'd been very wrong.
"I'm sorry." I say. "But can you please let me go?"
For a single fleeting moment I almost think he's going to leave me alone, but then his eyes cloud over with anger and his grip tightens until I let out a gasp of pain. I look up at him questioningly. Sure Royce was mean to me, but he had never actually hurt me.
"No." He spits out. "I'm not done talking to you."
I pull again and he gets angrier. I open my mouth to call out for help but Royce is fast, and he clamps a hand over my mouth before any sound can escape.
My eyes widen in fear, shocked at what he's just done. At first he looks just as confused as me, but the expression is quickly replaced with a creepy smile that causes me to shiver in horror.
I frantically look over at the crowd once again, trying to spot my mom or dad in the sea of formally dressed people. I can't find them anywhere, the other guests are all too lost in conversation to notice me. Finding such a hidden area to stand in was beginning to seem like a bad idea.
"My parents wouldn't like you keeping me." I say, giving up on trying to pull away.
"Your parents?" Royce laughs. "I can do whatever the hell I want. Your parents wouldn't care."
"They would." I say, swallowing. My parents weren't great when it came to parenting, but they cared about keeping me safe.
"Maybe they would." Royce says with a shrug. "But they owe me. I did your dad a big favour." He continues, laughing.
Why would my dad need a favour from Royce?
"What makes you so special? Why should you get to live when she doesn't? Huh?" Royce says angrily. When I don't respond he continues, "You deserve to die."
He moves forward menacingly and I barely have time to react before he punches me square in the face. No matter what I did throughout it he wouldn't stop. He kicked and punched and hit me until very thing became a blur. I begged him to stop, and continuously asked him why he was hurting me. But there wasn't an answer. He was angry, and I was there.
After a while my body gave in to the pain crashing over me. The next think I remembered was waking up to my parents arguing with Royce.
"What have you done Royce?" My mother shrieked. "What have you done to her beautiful face!?"
"Is she going to live?" Royce asked. "I didn't fucking mean it Laura I was drunk."
I let out a moan as someone prods me in the side. I realized it was suddenly very hard for me to breathe. Didn't my parents realize I was in pain? Why weren't they calling someone to help me?
"I don't think so. Look at her." My father says nervously. "What are we going to do Royce? If the media's attention is drawn to us and they start looking at the companies finances..."
"Calm down!" Royce shouts, still slightly slurring. "I told everyone to go home and none of us are going to tell anyone. Nothing's going to happen with the money."
"We can't just leave her like this." My dad said helplessly.
"Look at her!" Royce shouted. "She's already gone! There's nothing you can do anyways. Do you want to cost us all that money? You know what they do to people who steal from their clients? They put them in jail!"
"This should never have happened." My mom said tearfully.
"Well it did. You too need to get rid of the body fast. Understood? Once things have calmed down we can create a better cover story." Royce commanded.
My parents don't say anything else, and when someone lifts me into their arms and begins carrying me, I pass out from the pain that I was sure would be the end of me.
Carlisle POV
Rosalie had been found in a home just outside of Jacksonville, Oregon. We are told she was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Medford. Esme told me they didn't give her any details on how Rose was doing or why she was sent to the hospital, which only made me worry more. The city is a seven hour drive from Seattle but we get there in six since the freeway is mostly empty during the night and we only stop once for gas.
Having sent Esme's mother back home a few days ago we had no one to stay and look after our kids. Which meant the whole family would be tagging along to get Rosalie. We put a sleeping Jasper and Alice in their booster seats in record time. While Emmett and Edward both crawled into the back seat and resumed sleeping in the car as though nothing had happened.
When we pull into the parking lot of Providence hospital Esme and I race out of the car and open the back door of the SUV. I scoop Jasper into my arms and gently shake Edward awake. Esme does the same, carrying Alice and waking up Emmett.
"Is Rosalie going to be okay?" Edward asks sleepily as we walk up to the hospital.
"Everything is going to be fine son," I tell him, not slowing my pace.
Jasper stirs in my arms and wiggles until I put him down. He walks quickly beside me. None of us were sure what to expect. I think all of us were still in a state of shock of some sort. Getting to see Rosalie again had seemed like a dream only yesterday.
"Hi. We're here to see Rosalie Hale." I tell the secretary when we finally reach the front desk.
"Are you her family?" The woman behind the desk asks, not looking up from her computer screen.
"Yes. We're her family, uh her foster family." I explain. Why had I decided to wait to officially adopt Rose?
"We can't let foster parents in until we've heard from CPS." The secretary tells us. "You'll have to contact an official from there."
"I understand that." I say kindly. "But Rosalie was taken from us and we only want to see her. We received a call from here last night about her."
"That would be from someone on our night staff. I can't help you with that." The secretary says coldly.
"But we need to see her!" I say again, raising my voice. Esme rests her hand on mine in an attempt to calm me.
"Is there anyone else we can talk to about this? We're Rosalie's p- foster parents. You can contact the Seattle police department and talk to the chief himself if you think it's necessary, but we are going into that hospital room and we are seeing our daughter." Esme says firmly but not unkindly.
The secretary looks a little flabbergasted at the sudden outburst from Esme. She pushes her glasses up from the bridge of her nose and presses the button for the hospitals PA system.
"Doctor Bonner to the lobby please." She says in a dry tone, her voice echoing over the intercom. "You can go sit down." She tells us, gesturing to a row of chairs against the left wall.
I frown at her lack of empathy but sit down in the waiting room with the rest of my family nonetheless. Alice falls back asleep almost instantly on Esme's shoulder, Emmett and Edward are discussing something quietly and both fidget in their seats, and I rest a reassuring hand on Jaspers shoulder as he looks around the waiting room with wide frightened eyes. He wasn't a big fan of hospitals.
It seems like we are waiting for ages. Rose is alone and in pain in a hospital room somewhere in this very building, and we are being kept from her side. I was having difficulties refraining from barging into the ICU myself and finding her.
We're sitting in the waiting room for twenty agonizing minutes when a doctor in his late forties with tired eyes and a kind smile approaches us.
"Carlisle Cullen?" He asks.
"That's me." I say, standing up and holding my hand out to shake his.
"I'm Doctor Bonner, I've been taking care of Rosalie." He tells me, shaking my hand and then Esme's.
"How is she? Can we see her?" Esme asks before I can in a strained voice.
"She's doing okay." He tells us, not elaborating. There is something off about his manor and the way he is speaking.
"Is there something wrong doctor?" I ask.
"Rosalie's parents are here, and they don't want me to let you see her." The doctor explains. "As her legal guardians there isn't much I can do right now."
"You need to believe us when we say her parents are dangerous. We only want the best for Rosalie. You can call the-"
"Seattle police department, I know. I have a police officer on the phone with them right now. As soon as they can confirm who you are you can see her. When Rosalie-" he pauses, as he decides whether or not to continue "-woke up she asked for you specifically. I think she was trying to say something else but I'm not sure. I believe you."
"How long do we have to wait?" I ask, clenching my jaw. Knowing Rosalie had asked for me when she was hurt left a warm feeling in my heart.
"Twenty minutes tops. I'll come get you afterwards." Doctor Bonner promises.
"Please keep a close eye on Rosalie while she's with her parents, don't leave them alone with her." I request desperately.
The doctors expression shifts and I get a sinking feeling in my chest. Oh god she's alone with them right now.
"I'll get a nurse to watch them from now on." He reassures. "There's a couple police officers in the cafeteria waiting to ask her some questions when she wakes up and I'm sure they can take care of her too."
Laura POV
Royce King was dead. All this time spent covering for him, and a police officer killed him in seconds by putting a bullet in his brain. The ruse was up. Richard and I could flee the country with the money Royce had split with us to keep us quiet about the cash he was stealing from companies we financed for, and we could live the rest of our lives on a beach somewhere tropical.
We were free, aside from there being one loose end to our grand master plan. Normally we wouldn't have a problem tying up our loose ends in a pretty bow and moving on with our lives with a clear conscience. We were Hale's after all. We valued ourselves above anyone else, or at least we were supposed to. But this time things were different.
I remembered when I first found out I was going to have Rosalie. Three of my friends had just had babies of their own, and I was ecstatic to be a part of the trend. Nine months of waiting was worth it when I stared into my little girls beautiful blue eyes. Richard had been just as thrilled as me, we took Rose to photoshoots every month and sent pictures to everyone and anyone we knew. Even then, I had never known how mothers were supposed to act. My mother had been a stern control freak that my sister and I had both despised.
When Rosalie grew older I did my best to teach her what I knew. I taught her what each type of makeup could be used for, I bought her expensive clothes, and I helped her learn everything necessary to be ahead in life. I was going to be sure my daughter didn't end up as some simpleton. But it didn't matter what I did, something seemed to be missing. I think it was love and attention. Two things I never knew how to give Rosalie.
Staring at her in the hospital bed I am reminded of just how precious my daughter truly is. She is beautiful, something I never thought she could be after Royce had beaten her until she was black and blue. Oh and the blood, there had been so much of it, too much of it. Richard and I had said goodbye to our little girl that night. We had thought she was gone.
I'd thought about calling the police. I thought about it a lot. There was times I would walk into the family room and see my husband with his head bowed and a cell phone in his hand. Each time we would talk through it and tell each other 'think of the money.' If Royce was caught he would admit to it all. He would tell the police our names and how much money he had given to us, and we would go to jail as well. Royce might even go as far to try and pin the whole thing on us. He too operated by the Hale code of placing himself before anyone else.
Besides; Rosalie was gone, and tattling on Royce wouldn't benefit anyone.
The doctor told us that Rosalie's foster family has been frantically looking for her ever since Royce took her. When we found out Rosalie was alive...we were terrified. At the time all we could think was cover it up, fix the problem. If Rose told anyone what Royce had done, we would lose everything.
It was nice knowing Rosalie had found a family that cared about her. After Richard and I left there would be nothing left for Rose to return to. The last thing I wanted was for my daughter to grow up to be the same way I am. Life was a lot more then politics, money, and parties. I could only hope Rosalie's new family could show her something better.
So, for the first time in probably forever I, Laura Hale and my husband Richard Hale are doing something helpful for someone other then ourselves. Someone better mark the calendar.
Richard hurriedly writes the end of his note and places it on the hospital nightstand for a nurse to find. My eyes don't shift from Rosalie. Rich hesitates, then softly kisses Rosalie good-bye on the forehead. I stare emotionlessly at the scene. I think if I was a different type of person I would've been crying. But I was Laura Hale, and I was not about to cry over something stupid. Especially when I was wearing $200 eyeliner.
"Ready to go?" He asks me.
"Yes," I say. "Let's go."
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