I sighed.

The one that was meant for me, Edward, was marrying a human. I liked Bella, I admired Bella, but that only made my remorse stronger. She was making the wrong decision.

I hated being a vampire. I was happy, now, though. I had Emmett… I had a whole family, and they were all the same as me. Yet… so different. Especially Alice. Alice loved being a vampire, but I knew that was only because she didn't remember being human. Every so often, when she spoke, I thought I saw a glint of longing in her eyes… longing to be human, to feel the dulled senses, but the sharpened emotions. To be able to cry tears, to be able to have babies, to… well, not be frozen forever in the body of a seventeen year old. Today – and most other days – I saw nothing of that glint.

I heard the purr of Alice's sleek – and ostentatious – canary yellow Porsche outside the window. I breathed deeply, staring at myself in the mirror. I was so beautiful, yet so unhappy. Especially when Emmett was gone. Beauty shouldn't be wasted on such a pitiful person. I caught a whiff of Bella's floral fragrance as a breeze came through my window. It made my throat burn. It wasn't an unpleasant burn, well, not more unpleasant than usual. She didn't smell like food. She smelt like Bella, nothing more. A wave of despair crashed over me. I didn't smell warm, soft… I smelt like a vampire. I burned the noses of werewolves. To humans… I was just a novelty.

I slowly stood up and tried to tune out Bella's annoyed voice. I pulled my mirrored wardrobe open and stared at the shimmering silver dress. I wouldn't be able to put this on. Not just yet. I wasn't ready to face this… this marriage, this "abomination". I would have a breakdown.

I dragged my feet back to my beige suede armchair. It squeaked when I sat on it lightly. I listened intently, more intently than usual, and heard Alice's voice.

"No one will dare call you plain when I'm through with you." She said. The lift in her voice said she wore a smile.

I heard the bump of Alice's hard pink chair as she pushed Bella down onto it. I heard Alice pulling a brush through the knots in her brown hair. I could heard Bella's low, "ouch, ouch."

I listened, straining my ears around Alice and Bella's noises. I could hear the hum of the heat vents. I could hear the radio in the main room, which was on low. Fur Elise was playing, the piano version, without the orchestra. The melody was soft and soothing. I wondered if that was what Carlisle was going for. Trying to soothe Bella. I sighed, knowing that I probably needed more soothing than Bella at this point. I could barely feel my legs under all this pointless stress.

I could heard Carlisle and Esme's voices. The swish of the fabric of Carlisle's suit and the tinkling of the tiny beads on Esme's dress told me that they were moving around.

"Careful with that, Carlisle." Esme told him sternly.

Carlisle chuckled, "I'm less likely to break something than you are."

Esme laughed once and her steps matched with Carlisle's. I heard a swish of silk against silk, Carlisle's tie being adjusted.

I focused my hearing around them, again. I knew that this was a stretch, trying to hear for Emmett, Jasper and Edward, but I could always try. I heard the rushing of the river water. I heard the dripping of the remaining raindrops from Thursday's storm, running off the leaves of the trees and onto the moss. I heard the whispering of the trees, blowing lightly in the breeze. I heard a crow, cawing in the distance. The scurrying of the small animals made me jolt and wait, but I hunched back again, despair filling me hopelessly.

"Damn it, Rosalie." I told myself angrily, "Get a grip."

I stood up and strode to my wardrobe. Barely stopping, I grabbed the hanger off the bar and made my way toward the window. I pulled it open and leaned out, letting the breeze cool me. I rarely got hot, but, though I was a vampire, I could still tell the difference between hot and cold and I definitely felt hot. It wasn't hot in the house. I was just stressed.

I ran my fingers through my hair, swallowing. I could feel myself sinking back toward the hopeless despair, so I spun around, slamming the window shut, and pulled my burgundy tank-top over my head. I wriggled, barely a pause between stripping down, out of my jeans, but by the time I had finished, I had to sit down again. I sat on the armrest of the beige suede chair, head in hands, gasping pathetically. I felt a huge lump in my throat. What the hell was this? Why was I such a baby?

Just as I'd started to sob quiet, tearless sobs, strong arms wrapped around me.

I was surprised I hadn't smelt him when he came in, but I hadn't been focusing. I ran my fingers angrily through my hair again, but stopped halfway and held my head up. I was hopeless.

"Babe, are you okay?" Emmett's deep voice asked me. His head was at my shoulder. I leant my head on his and shook my head, my eyes scrunched together. How bad of him to see me this way. At least he was back.

He jumped, sitting beside me in an instant. He pulled me onto his lap, keeping his arms around me. I tried to cover my face. This was so pathetic.

He chuckled, "it's okay. Don't be worried. It'll be okay."

I leaned into his chest, letting my hair fall into my face. I tried to control my stupid gasps, but I couldn't.

"Come on, let's get you dressed." He chuckled. His chuckle was neither loud nor embarrassing. I sighed, finally under control. I wrapped my arms around his ribcage and squeezed, finally choking a laugh myself.

He stood me up and held my shoulder. He flipped my hair out of my face and kissed me softly on the lips. I kissed back. He bent over, not breaking the kiss, and grabbed the top of the hanger from the back of the chair. He stepped back, still leaning forward, his lips with mine, and thrust the dress at me. Finally, he broke the kiss. I jumped forward, wanting to hold him, but I couldn't.

"Is Edward back?" I asked, trying to keep the already-dark tone light. I stroked the glittery dress with my thumbs, waiting.

Emmett snatched the dress from me and pulled it over my head, "No, neither of them are." He chuckled, "I thought, well, Rosalie's probably having a breakdown right now, so I'll go ahead. Lucky I did, huh?"

I smiled, trying to fix the strap over my arm properly. He zipped up the back for me. "Um… pass me those shoes in there." I said, pointing to the base of my wardrobe. In a flash, he had the ribbon-y stilettos in hand and on my feet. He pretended to bite my ankle. I smacked in overtop the head, laughing, "Imagine what Jasper would say if you really bit me."

Jasper, my "brother", was a former vampire-soldier. He fought in the vampire wars of the south and he knew about being bitten by vampires. I'd only been bitten by a vampire when I was a vampire once, and it wasn't Emmett's fault. He'd been butterfly kissing my back, but Edward had gotten angry in the room next door and kicked something. The smash had startled Emmett and he'd bitten me, completely by accident. He'd tortured himself with guilt enough in the past… but unlike Edward, he always felt that his mistakes were one time, so he didn't start acting all careful and stuff. I could understand that Edward would feel the opposite way with Bella, so fragile and delicious, but I remembered when he lost his temper accidentally and attacked Alice. Alice, of course, had seen it coming, so she tried to dodge him, but she was just a second late. He took her finger off, but luckily, before he ripped her arm off, he realized and freaked out. Alice was extremely frightened and in pain, so I'd taken her to my room, trying to calm her down. Carlisle came with us and he got her finger back on her body quicker than it would have been if it had been let to reconnect naturally, so she tried to reassure Edward, but he was very upset with himself. He was practically biting his own hand off. Now, he tries not to get annoyed with Alice. He's terrified of what he could do to her, so tiny.

"Again." I added, raising one eyebrow as his face climbed up my slender body and found my face again.

"Mmm," he murmured, "Imagine."

I had to laugh, so I pushed him away gently and stood straight, "You have to leave. Go get dressed. I'm fine. Go!"

He dodged my punch and dashed out the door.

One hour, I thought bitterly. I stared at myself in the mirror and pulled open the drawer of my mahogany vanity table. The variety of my rarely-used makeup shone out at me and I hesitated in choosing. Extra-thick mascara, eyeliner, soft pink lipstick… Applying it was too easy. I always got bored. I applied it and tried to focus on the smells of the house, entertaining myself pathetically.

Emmett's smell jumped out at me – wood-and-rock-and-ice -, still fresh on my skin. Alice's smell was there, - sweet, like maple – and Bella's smell attacked at my nasal passages, like it felt neglected. The delicious, mouth-watering floral scent of her… This almost sent me back into my sulk again. How unfair. I longed to be so fragile, so vulnerable… Her heartbeat sent blood flowing through her veins. I wished I had a heart. A heart that did that.

I was done quicker than I'd expected. I piled my hair prettily on top of my head.

Standing at the door of my bedroom, I took a few deep breaths. Would I need a paper bag? Huh. NO. Jeez. Though I was hyperventilating.

Just as I took my first step into the hall, I caught a whiff of Edward's honey-lilac-sun smell. I quickly warned Alice and assured her that he wouldn't be up here.

"Want some help? I could do her hair." I offered, still feeling pretty bad about my breakdown earlier. Bella's heart hammered loudly. Had I really been that mean? I suppose I had. How terrible of me!

I braided Bella's hair, intertwining a silver ribbon within. She was beautiful by the time we were done. Beautiful and very, very nervous, I could tell by the fluttering of her heart.

I rushed downstairs – well, what would look like "rushed" to the many human eyes – and settled at the sleek, black grand piano that Alice and Esme had brought outside not long ago. I placed my hands lightly on the keys, playing Pachebel's Canon inside my head… dah, dah, dah, dah… dum, dum, dum, dum… I began to play, pressing each key with such pressure that the music weaved through the air beautifully.

"Come on, Bella." I breathed to myself. Alice was standing in front of Bella, at the bottom of the stairs already. Finally, Bella reached the aisle with Charlie at her side.

Dum, dum, daddum… dum, dum, daddum… I played the traditional wedding march, watching Bella's feet. Step, step, subtle stumble, step, step, step, step, hesitate, step, step. I began hyperventilating as the song ended and I had to stop playing. I quickly stood and shuffled over to stand beside Emmett. He looked dashing in his dark blue suit and bowtie. I intertwined my hand with his and watched Bella and Edward kiss. Bella went overboard, as usual, and blushed red afterwards. Emmett chuckled.

I quickly went to play Gymnopedies for Edward and Bella's first dance. Bella reddened deeply every time Edward spun her around. I didn't watch after a few minutes. I felt angry and betrayed. This was so horrid of me. I played the last note extra loud so that everyone comprehended that it was over and that this abomination was soon to be done. No one looked relieved. I guessed that that was just me.

"Rose…" Emmett said, holding my chin in his hand. He was unsmiling, tilting his head to the side and looking concerned, maybe a little disapproving, "Tell me what exactly upset you earlier." We were dancing. Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley spun past us, as did Esme and Carlisle.

I closed my eyes as he spun me around and inhaled, "I… um… had some kind of mental breakdown, I think."

He chuckled, "Oh, of course. That must be the case, beauty."

***

"You're pretty distracted today, Rosalie." Carlisle noted, stepping into stride beside me. We were walking. A rare thing for a coven of vampires.

I sighed. I'd caught a deer. Wow. I guess that seemed a little off to him, "Just… anxious for Emmett to be back." It was true, but that most definitely wasn't the reason I was distracted.

Carlisle smiled graciously and dashed ahead, but Jasper caught up with me. "You feel… anxious. It's not the same as when Emmett is normally gone."

I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Jasper to detect an innocent lie, "Whatever! I'm fine!" I exclaimed, probably too loudly. Jasper stopped and looked hurt. He'd only been trying to help. I felt a surge of guilt and fell back into stride with him. I put my arm around his shoulder, "I'm sorry, Jasper. It's… Edward and Bella. I feel… betrayed."

It was so easy to talk to Jasper about feelings. He'd already felt them himself anyway. "I know. But don't feel that way. I can't believe Edward's decision either. It's dangerous. But… it's not the marriage. It's something else."

I held my breath, but kept walking. A breeze let me smell a few elk nearby. A few birds up high. I waited.

He laughed awkwardly, "He's going to have sex with her. In fact, he probably already has."

My eyes bulged. WAS HE CRAZY?! I gasped loudly, "What?!... He could crush her! He could snap her neck, only by accident! Jasper! We have to do something!"

Jasper laughed and rolled his eyes. His skin threw sparkles, like shattering diamond, in the brief shine of sunlight. "No, Rose. It's not like that." He paused, "Well, yeah, it is like that, but that didn't happen. He would have called." He was still smiling when he winked at me and zoomed off.

I dashed to the house, realizing that I was the slowest today of the four of us that were home. Alice and Emmett had gone to hunt further on. Alice was extremely thirsty and Emmett didn't feel that she should go alone. Brawns and speed.

***

I fell back onto my suede chair. Glaring at myself in the mirror, I heard the buzz of my cell phone vibrating. Immediately, I knew it was in the drawer of my vanity table, so I yanked it open, snatched the phone and flipped it open.

"Hello?" Oh no. I'd forgotten to check caller ID.

"Rosalie." Sighed a familiar, yet distant voice, "You have to help me."

Bella.

And she needed help.

My help.