Bella and Emmett sat side by side on the floor with their backs against the wall. Downstairs, the party continued, and Emmett promised her that Rosalie was doing a great job of keeping the others from asking about them.

"So. Charlie looks a lot like Dad," Emmett said.

"I know. It caught me off guard when I got here too," she said.

"You told him everything?"

"I didn't have much of a choice," Bella chuckled. "I landed in his backyard, but he took it in stride."

"Rosalie knows too. She only believed me because I had on my tunic when she found me."

"Well, that's good. Saves me the trouble of having to go through it all again."

"Okay, what is with the accent?" Emmett asked, his face scrunched. "Is this something new?"

"Sorry, I spent three years in London. I keep forgetting I have it."

"Really? What was London like?"

"Strange but enlightening. I had to learn this realm from the beginning to now, but I enjoyed it."

"You sound like Kieran," Emmett teased.

"I assure you that wherever she is, she did the same thing," Bella joked, but it was weak. Both had their sister on their mind, and their smiles fell. Their smiles fell, and Emmett released a deep sigh.

"I tried you know? In the portal. When I went to grab her, it exploded, and she was blown through this massive black hole. It swallowed her, and she vanished. I called her name, but then I felt myself falling. And when I opened my eyes, I was lying on the ground. Then there was a bear on top of me. Rosalie heard me scream, and when she found me, she knew I was not meant to die that day. I owe her everything."

"I guess I do as well. Had she not saved you…"

Emmett nodded and wrapped an arm around Bella's shoulder.

"I don't blame you, by the way. What happened with us solely lies on Snow White."

"Do – do you think Mom –

"Yes. If I know nothing else, I will always know that Mom is somewhere out there waiting for us."

After a few minutes, with a promise to catch up later, Emmett returned her to the backyard so she could sneak back in. But instead of going straight to the party, Bella stayed in the kitchen and grabbed a somewhat empty bottle of wine. No one was in there, thankfully, and she poured the rest of it into a new glass, her old one had a bug in it from when she left it outside.

"Bottom's up," she muttered.

There was the sound of heels behind her, and Bella turned around as Rosalie entered the kitchen. She choked a little on her wine and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Fuck," she muttered.

"Are you okay?"

"Yep. Yep, great. Hi, I'm – I don't think I introduced myself. I'm –

"Isabella," Rosalie finished. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Rosalie."

Bella decided then and there that no one else could say her name, not even her family. She would fight her siblings in a hurricane in the middle of a monsoon with no magic before they could call her Isabella again. Rosalie's lip curled in amusement at her lack of response, and Bella tried to calm her heart. She cleared her throat and leaned back on the counter, attempting an air of coolness she didn't feel. But with the way Rosalie was looking at her, Bella got a distinct impression that she was being hunted.

"Are you okay, Isabella?"

Bella blinked, and Rosalie was a lot closer than she started. Bella's mouth watered from the smell of cinnamon and something warm that reminded her of her home. Specifically, the banana muffins that Granny used to make on Saturday mornings. It made her weak in the knees, and she leaned more of her weight on the counter. Rosalie's eyes flickered down to her chest, and Bella had an awful realization that Rosalie could hear her heartbeat.

"You smell magnificent."

Rosalie's eyes traveled back to hers slowly, her eyebrow arched, and Bella blushed.

"Thank you," she said. "Are you – is that an accent?"

"I lived in London for a bit."

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Yeah, but there's nothing like home."

"No, I suppose not," Rosalie said softly.

"You can relate?"

"Not as much as you, I think, but at some point, home becomes a person instead of a place."

Bella inclined her head in agreement.

"Fruit?"

"What?"

Rosalie grinned and plucked a strawberry off the fruit platter. She held it up, the redness of the fruit contrasting with the shade painted on her lips, and Bella couldn't look away even if she wanted to.

"Would you like to try them? Esme got them from a farm up North this morning."

Bella was biting into it before Rosalie finished speaking, and some of the juice trailed down her chin until a cool finger wiped it away.

"Good?" she asked, throwing the strawberry away.

Bella nodded, and Rosalie's bottom lip disappeared between her teeth.

"You are so exquisite," Bella whispered, reaching out and touching Rosalie's cheek before she could catch herself. There was an influx of emotions that pulsed through Bella, a mixture of fear, affection, and hope as Rosalie looked up at her. There was a subtle hint of possession underneath it all, and it felt dark. Not dark in a scary way, but dark in the way that would bring Bella to her knees if Rosalie so much as asked for it.

Bella noticed Rosalie's eyes had turned to butterscotch. The air grew thick with tension once their eyes met. Gold had never been Bella's favorite color, but whatever shade Rosalie's eyes were when the light hit them was imprinted forever in her mind.

"I am here, and I am looking at her. And she is so beautiful. I can see it. This one moment when you know you're not a sad story. You are alive, and you stand up and see the lights on the buildings and everything that makes you wonder," Rosalie whispered.

Her voice was so low that Bella almost thought she imagined it, but anticipation skyrocketed between them. Bella sucked in a breath. It felt like someone had wrapped a rope around her heart and pulled her forward. She had their positions switched with Rosalie backed into the counter by the time her brain caught up with her actions. Rosalie's gaze darkened to almost black, and she put her hands on Bella's hips. Neither of them spoke, and Bella's finger traced the outline of Rosalie's jaw. She decided then and there that the rest of the world could disappear, and she would be happy as long as Rosalie was there.

Someone leaned in.

Bella didn't know if it was Rosalie or her, but one of them moved forward. Their lips brushed against one another, and Bella had this all-encompassing, overwhelming, she-would-die-if-she-didn't kiss Rosalie feeling that took over her entire being. Rosalie growled under her breath before Bella was suddenly holding air. She turned to find Rosalie on the other side of the kitchen, glaring at the entrance, and Bella's hurt was replaced by annoyance when Edward came around the corner.

"Rosalie, Esme wanted to know where her portfolio is," he said.

"You know where she keeps them," Rosalie hissed.

"She asked you."

Rosalie scowled and stormed out of the kitchen. Bella hid her hands as they started to smoke. It wouldn't do well to burn down the house because Edward was a cockblock. When Edward looked at Bella, he had this look in his eyes. Like pity.

"She's not the person you think she is," he said.

"Neither am I."

When the clock hit one in the morning, the crowd had dwindled to the mayor as he said his goodbye to Carlisle and Esme. Bella sat at the piano in the living room, her fingers glossing over the keys without applying pressure. Charlie was on the loveseat behind her, half asleep and drinking a glass of water. Alice, Rosalie, and Esme cleaned up the food while Emmett helped Edward move the furniture around with Jasper.

"Goodnight, Charlie. See you tomorrow," the mayor said.

"Night, Bowman," Charlie said. "Get home safe."

The mayor tipped his hat and walked out of the home. Bella caught Rosalie's eye as the door closed and started playing. Rosalie smiled as Fantasia No.3 in D Minor filled the room, and she grew more comfortable as the song went on.

It had shocked Charlie when she started playing at a small bar in Port Angeles. But her secret talent made Harrison furious after Bella jokingly played Gaspard de la Nuit after a few glasses of wine. She reminded Harrison that she wasn't from his realm and that playing the piano was a basic skill all kids learned. She told him how the King would have live music during his feasts, and Bella met the composer with Regina's help. She would play the keys every night, fingers numb by the time she finished, but Bella never gave up. She had to be the best player, if only because she could do something that made her sister proud of her. Bella lost herself for a moment, not noticing the slight hitch in the melody as she slipped into her memories.

She was in the ballroom with Kieran as they sat on the bench. Bella played unfinished pieces that she wrote herself, and Kieran rested her head on her shoulder, a book of poetry forgotten in her lap, and she would close her eyes.

"Can you play Mama's song, Ignis?" Kieran would whisper.

"Of course, Gelu."

Bella would then switch to something slow and haunting, a piece she composed after Liana's death, and the sound would fill the room.

Bella hadn't realized she'd been playing the song in reality until cold hands touched hers, stopping her mid-melody. She released a broken sob, old wounds ripping open in the middle of some strangers' living room, and she was lifted off the bench. Emmett held her in an unflinching embrace. She chased the song away until it was buried back in the depths of her mind, and she went slack in Emmett's arms once the noise was gone.

"You with me?" he asked.

"Always, Tellus," she sighed.

"Good."

Bella had no warning before Emmett spun her in wide circles. Her excited squeals echoed in the home until he finally put her down.

"I still cannot believe you are here," he said.

"Believe it. Also, am I supposed to keep pretending that you guys aren't vampires?"

Someone made a noise of surprise, but Bella ignored them. Emmett snorted and squeezed her waist. He gave her that same look he used to give her when she said something inappropriate for a 'girl her age.'

"You could have pretended a little bit longer," he said.

"Where would be the fun in that?"

"How do you know what we are?" Edward asked, stepping forward.

"There is no plausible explanation for Emmett sharing your same eye color, same skin tone, and same inhumane beauty. He was a goofy-looking kid with brown eyes and a tan the last time I saw him."

"No, I was not," Emmett huffed, knocking his knuckles against Bella's head.

The hit wasn't what hurt, but rather it was the location. Bella hit her head on the edge of the cabinet while looking for black pepper earlier that morning, and it was still sore. She hissed in pain and moved away from his hand, and Emmett panicked. Bella was about to tell him it was okay when Rosalie appeared. She pressed her fingers against the spot, and Bella wouldn't lie. The cool touch alleviated the pain immediately, and Bella would've missed Rosalie's question had she not been hyper-focused on her lips.

"Are you okay?" Rosalie asked.

"I hit my head on the cabinet this morning-

"Again?" Charlie interrupted.

Bella twisted to look at him and said, "It doesn't happen that often."

"You hit your head on that cabinet at least three times a week."

"Then fix it!"

"Or you can just duck just as I do," he said.

"God, you're insufferable."

"Um, excuse me?"

Bella, Charlie, Rosalie, and Emmett turned to Alice. Bella had forgotten they had an audience, and Rosalie's hand fell from her head.

"Can someone tell us what's going on?" Alice asked.

"With all due respect, it's none of your business."

"Ignis," Emmett sighed.

"What? I'm not going to tell them, are you?"

"That was not in the plans, no," Emmett answered. "But you could have said that a different way."

"Sorry, Mom," she scoffed.

"And that is why you were always in trouble."

"Why do you call her Ignis?" Carlisle asked.

"She has got a fiery temper," he joked.

Rosalie heaved a sigh and smacked Emmett on the arm.

"Ha, very funny," Bella deadpanned.

"Isabella, how long have you been an empath?"

"How did you –

"When Rosalie touched your hand earlier in the kitchen, you projected –

"Uh, you don't have to talk about that," Bella said quickly.

"-your fascination with her," he finished. "I was the only one who could feel what you felt while you felt what she felt. Does that make sense?"

"In a weird way, yes."

"Good." Jasper turned to Emmett and added, "In the spirit of honesty, you should tell the family about your relationship with Rosalie."

"Wait, you knew?" Emmett asked.

"Of course, I did."

"Hold on, you two aren't mates?" Esme asked.

Esme's question triggered some kind of reaction in everyone. Edward seemed the most upset, and Charlie seemed curious as he stared between Bella and Rosalie. Bella, however, didn't know what any of it meant.

"What are mates?" she asked.

No one answered her, and she rolled her eyes.

"Jasper, why didn't you say anything?" Esme asked.

"It was not my business to tell," he answered.

"How many other lies have you two been hiding from us?" Edward huffed.

"Why did you two pretend for so long?" Carlisle asked.

Bella gave up and glanced at Rosalie. The blonde smiled at her, and Bella blushed. She shook out her hair to hide her face. Charlie snorted at her, and she kicked him in the shin. Carlisle cleared his throat, and the room went silent. Bella didn't even know they were still arguing.

"There is history between you and Isabella, Emmett. I believe we are entitled to some answers," Carlisle said.

"Entitled is the appropriate word," Bella muttered, forgetting she was in a room full of vampires.

"Do you disagree?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because it's our secret," she said.

"Isabella," Emmett said. "I can handle this."

"Whatever."

Emmett shook his head at her and looked at Carlisle. "Listen, I apologize, but this is not something we can share with everyone. It affects more than us."

"But you've been lying to us for decades," Edward argued. "And a human knows what we are. Our secret-

"What secret?" Bella said, jumping back into the conversation. "As much as you guys probably try to blend in, you can't. It's impossible. I didn't even need to know the story of the Cold Ones to see that you guys aren't-

"Normal?" Edward guessed.

"Flawed," Bella corrected. "Humanity is a collection of individuals who are intrinsically flawed and broken and angry. I would've known the moment I arrived that you all weren't like me."

Jasper shifted a little, a look of sympathy and understanding on his face, and the room descended into silence. Bella realized she'd said too much about her mental state, and that's when the entire evening caught up with her. Seeing Emmett again, meeting Rosalie, thinking of Kieran, and a bunch of other small things made her emotional state fracture. She felt herself falling, and she wasn't ready to tackle the thoughts in her mind, especially with super-hearing vampires in her vicinity.

"Three taps," she blurted out.

Charlie took out his keys without a second thought and stood up, and Bella glanced at Emmett.

"I need to go home."

Emmett was about to argue when he saw the look in her eyes. Bella could read the guilt on his face, and she looked away. Bella turned to Jasper. She placed her hand on his neck and sent him her gratitude and respect. She dropped her hand, and Jasper's smile was radiant as he tipped an imaginary cowboy hat in her direction. Bella nodded politely at Carlisle, Esme, and Alice. She forced herself not to look at Emmett and Rosalie, knowing she would spill her soul to them if she did. She made her way to the door to wait for Charlie, and Charlie, ever the awkward cop, cleared his throat.

"Thanks for the invitation tonight," he said to Carlisle.

Carlisle's nod was polite but detached. Charlie met up with Bella and opened the door. Once they were outside, the emotional fracture grew until it was a chasm in her chest. Charlie hurried Bella to the car when she started shaking.

She was never built to handle her own emotions. Just everyone else's.

Emmett ran a hand over his face and sat down on the bench.

"Damnit," he sighed.

"Is she going okay?" Rosalie asked.

"Too much at one time. I will check on her later tonight or tomorrow," he said.

"Are you going to tell us the truth now?" Edward asked.

"Why do you care so much, Edward? Because there is nothing in it for you."

"I won't let you or Rosalie play with her emotions!"

"You do not know the first goddamned thing about her emotions. And she is off-limits from you."

Edward bristled and said, "That depends on her, doesn't it? Not you."

"No, it depends on me. Isabella is mine," Rosalie growled.

"You expect me to believe that? Emmett was your mate not even fifteen minutes ago!"

"Okay, can we pause for a second and get back to the part where Bella and Charlie know that we're vampires?" Alice asked.

"Alice has a point," Esme pointed out. "Their knowledge of what we are is concerning."

"Not as much as you think."

"I agree with Esme. She could be a threat to our family."

"Now she is a threat?" Emmett asked Edward. "All because she is not someone you can manipulate and keep as a pet?"

"Guys, this is not getting anywhere. So maybe let's stop before things get out of hand and someone says something they might regret." Rosalie held out her hands, mostly toward Emmett, and he grunted. Edward folded his arms, pouting. "Good. Now, I suggest we break for the evening and pick this up later, okay? I think Emmett needs to go see Isabella. They have a lot to talk about, and what happens after is up to them. What they tell us is up to them."

"No, we both need to talk to her," Emmett said, standing up.

"What? Em, it's fine. I can wait."

"Oh, no chance. You are coming with me so you can tell Isabella how she is your mate to her face."

Rosalie paused at his tone, and she asked, "Why did you say it like that?"

"You will see."

"Just – wait, okay? Emmett, please, why can't you tell us anything?" Esme asked.

"I need to protect my family."

"But what are we?"

Emmett didn't answer, and Esme's face fell.

"Please," he said. "Respect my decision. That is all I ask."

"This affects my family."

"If that is the case, you should understand why my answer is no. My family comes first. Always."

"Please, do not make him choose," Rosalie said softly.

"We're not asking you to tell us everything," Carlisle said. "Just something to explain what's going on."

"I cannot tell you," Emmett repeated. "I want to, but I…"

Don't trust you.

The realization hit him at that moment, and Emmett couldn't stop the feeling from spreading. Jasper stiffened slightly, and Edward looked from Jasper to Emmett.

"You don't trust us?" he asked.

Emmett ground his teeth but said nothing.

"After everything we've done for you –

"Enough, Edward," Carlisle interrupted. "It is his choice to make."

Rosalie closed her eyes and bowed her head. Alice looked away as if she knew the answer, and Edward stood firm behind Carlisle. Esme and Jasper glanced between the two of them as Emmett and Carlisle stared each other down. Emmett sighed and removed the bracelet around his wrist. He placed it on top of the piano.

"Thank you for the years you have given me. I hold no regrets about my time with you, and I will always treasure the memories, but my trust in you, or lack thereof, keeps me from going beyond this point. I am sorry, to all of you, but my decision is final."

Emmett strolled out of the living room and out of the door. Rosalie clicked her teeth as he closed the door, and Rosalie glanced at Esme, resigned. The woman pleaded with her silently, but Rosalie couldn't do it. She couldn't leave Emmett, not after everything they'd been through, and not when he needed her the most. She touched the crest around her neck before she removed it and placed it next to Emmett's bracelet.

"I asked you not to make him choose," she said. "Because our choice would be the same."

"Rose –

"I'm sorry, Esme. I am. But Emmett…"

Rosalie trailed off and left it open-ended, hoping the woman who became like her mother would understand the words unsaid. Rosalie walked out and found Emmett waiting in the truck for her. She hopped inside and stared at him.

"You did not have to do that."

"But you knew that I would."

"No." Emmett glanced at her as he started the engine. "But I had hope," he said.

"Well, of course. You promised me a castle," she teased.

Emmett chuckled and pulled away from the house. And she pretended not to notice him look through the rearview mirror.

Charlie and Bella sat in the cruiser with the engine off. The wine caught up with Bella once she was safe and away from the public eye, and she'd been trying to get out of the car for the last ten minutes. Her hands moved in slow motion as she unbuckled her seatbelt. Charlie watched in amusement, but his smile faded when a truck pulled up behind the car. Two figures got out, and he clicked his teeth.

"Your brother is here," he said.

"Tell him to get lost. I'm a little busy at that moment," she slurred.

Emmett tapped his ears as he and Rosalie approached the car.

"He said he can hear you."

"Good," she said. "Fuck, Charlie! Your seatbelt is defective."

"Do you want some help?"

"Leave me alone, you narc."

Charlie rolled his eyes. Bella giggled and slumped in her seat, giving up on her seatbelt. Charlie reached over and clicked the button, and Bella held her hands in the air as the seatbelt slid back into place.

"I'm glad Rosalie isn't here," Bella muttered, her eyes half-closed. "That'd be embarrassing."

"Um. Bella-

"She is so out of my league! I know she was hot as a human. I feel it, but now she's quadruple hot."

Charlie gave up and let her talk. Bella hiccupped and started crying.

"I feel like I should arrest you on principle," he said.

Rosalie stopped at Bella's window and bent down. Bella hadn't noticed, and Charlie shook his head and opened his door.

"Good luck," he said to Rosalie.

Bella looked up, confused, and when she saw Rosalie by her door, she yelped and locked it. Charlie leaned back into the car and frowned.

"Did you just lock your door?" he asked.

"I panicked."

Charlie snorted and said, "Goodnight, Bella."

"Wait! You're leaving me with someone who looks like she wants to eat me!" she exclaimed.

"Based on what Andrea told me, you liked when girls look at you like that."

"Charlie!"

Bella seethed as Charlie walked away, handing something to Emmett before he went into the house. Rosalie tapped on the window.

"Unlock the door, Isabella."

"No, thank you."

There was a clicking sound, and Bella stared at Emmett in betrayal as he held up the keys. Rosalie opened the door, and Bella swallowed as Rosalie leaned over and looked her in the eyes.

"Isabella," Rosalie whispered.

"Hm?" she squeaked.

"Get out of the car."

"Yes, ma'am."