Author's note: Hey everyone! This chapter is one of my longer ones (I think it's time, as the last few have been on the shorter side). A big thank you to all the new faves and follows I've received, as well as the usual thanks to all you readers who have continued to stick with me :)

Chapter forty two

A room that had once seemed so big and empty, no longer felt spacious enough. Although the house had only gained two new occupants, when those occupants happened to possess remarkable presence, it felt as though they took up more than half the room. It wasn't intentional, they were just extremely hard to ignore, both with their looks and personalities. Emmett was talking to Jasper and I could see the mutual affection they shared. I wasn't sure how long it had been since they last saw each other, but could tell it had been a considerable amount of time. Emmett's voice was very deep and naturally carried well, making it appear louder than it actually was, but there was a richness to it that was rather pleasing to the ears.

Beside him on the sofa, sat in observant silence, was Rosalie. Everyone else was in conversation, but she settled for watching each in turn and I could almost see the cogs of her mind working. I wondered what she was thinking and found her to be a very mysterious, yet intriguing character. Although her connection to the coven was as strong as everyone else's, there was a degree of separation between her and the rest. I was the one sat alone, yet she seemed to be apart from everyone else, regardless of the close proximity she kept to them. Despite the somewhat frosty reception I had received from her earlier, I couldn't keep my gaze from straying towards the stunning blonde. There was some kind of pull she possessed and I found myself wondering if it was some sort of gift, like Jasper's pathokinesis or Alice's precognition. I wanted to find out more.

So far, I had managed to keep my study covert, but when I glanced at her a final time, our eyes connected and I was subjected to a stare far more incisive than any I had felt for a long time. Her eyes were so piercing, that I found it almost impossible to look away, but her expression revealed nothing of her thoughts. Was her look full of loathing or was she as curious about me as I was her? Were the words I had heard her saying to Esme earlier about me and just how much did she know about what had happened? The questions were enough to give me a headache and when Carlisle's voice rang through the air, it was a blessed distraction.

I was perched on the very edge of the L shaped sofa, the one nearest the door and he clocked my distance from the others immediately, but made no comment. The distance had been a conscious decision on my part, as I had started to feel like I didn't belong somehow. As more and more human memories had returned to me over the past couple of hours, I felt less and less like myself. To be honest, I was wondering whether I should change my name, as I no longer felt deserving of being known as Isabella Swan. She was gone, replaced by something completely different.

Carlisle walked over and occupied the seat beside me. Everyone had fallen silent, their attention fixed on their leader. He struck his usual pose of leaning forward, elbows resting on knees and hands clasped together in front of him.

"Rosalie, Emmett," he began, getting straight down to business. "How much has Esme told you?"

"All the important stuff," Emmett replied, his voice booming off the walls. "Basically, you fell for a human, befriended the wolves and Edward is a scumbag."

"Putting it mildly," Jasper murmured.

Carlisle took an unnecessary breath. "Somewhat of an oversimplification, but, in essence, yes, that is what has happened."

"There were a few things I omitted," Esme clarified. "Purely for the sake of saving time. I haven't gone into great detail of the events leading up to now."

"In that case," Carlisle said. "Rather than repeat things Esme may have already told you, I think it may be best to simply start by answering whatever questions you may have."

I saw Rosalie and Emmett exchange a glance, before she returned her eyes to the coven's patriarch. I kept my own eyes fixed on his arms, unwilling to risk her impenetrable glare again. It was Emmett who asked the first question.

"So, I guess my first question is how the Hell did Tiny-" He nodded towards Alice. "-not see this coming? I mean, I understand that her talent's never followed any specific rule, but this is pretty big. Shouldn't there have been some kind of warning?"

A flash of something akin to guilt or regret skimmed over Alice's features and she fidgeted a little in her seat. I could feel a familiar stirring of displeasure rise within me at seeing her look so unhappy. Why was she blaming herself? I knew without a doubt that, had there been a way to stop whatever happened, she would have done it. They all would. I sincerely hoped she wasn't going to punish herself for this.

"I…" Alice began, visibly uncomfortable and unsure of what to say. Was she hiding something? That was the only explanation I could think of for her behaviour. "I'm so sorry." She turned to Carlisle, the words spilling out of her mouth in rapid succession. "I should have said something sooner, but I didn't want to worry you. I knew how distraught you were and thought it wouldn't do any good to add to the burden."

Carlisle leaned further forward. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Something's wrong with my sight," she finally admitted.

"What do you mean?" Rosalie pried further, shifting position so she wasn't looking over her shoulder at Alice.

"I'm not seeing things as clearly as before. Not all my visions were affected, just the ones concerning Edward." I noticed her eyes wouldn't move in Carlisle's direction. "I don't know if it's me or if he's doing something to block me, but most of what I saw regarding him came to me barely minutes before the events took place."

"How long has this been happening?" Carlisle asked.

Silence was the answer he received and, for a moment, I thought Alice might bolt from the room in tears.

"Alice," he urged.

"A while," she replied cryptically, hands tucked between her knees and eyes downcast. "I first noticed something was off just after Edward first arrived, but fully realised there was a problem just after Jacob almost shifted in front of Bella."

Carlisle nodded and brought his clasped hands up to his lips. I wanted to know what he was thinking, but his face was unreadable. From the memories I had successfully retrieved so far, I was pretty sure that, in itself, wasn't an entirely positive sign.

"And it is any vision connected to Edward that has been affected?" he asked and Alice nodded, seeming to also understand what his inscrutable face meant. "This worries me, as, given his recent actions, the link between our fates and his appears to be growing closer. Has it affected any visions you have had about any of us?"

Again, Alice remained silent for a long time, unable to look any of us in the eye anymore. It was odd for me to witness, as, for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to feel angry about what she had done. As Emmett had said, her visions were by no means reliable and, regardless of what she may or may not have seen, said or done, Edward was the one responsible for his actions, nobody else.

The silence stretched for a few moments longer, before Alice's delicate mouth opened, ready to speak and closed again without uttering a single sound. What was she about to say now? I could feel apprehension building in my gut and noticed myself shift a tiny bit closer to Carlisle.

"Out with it," Rosalie's sharp voice swept across the room. It was unexpected and at odds with Carlisle's gentler tone, but seemed to be what the diminutive vampire needed to actually start making sense.

"I can't see Isabella's future."

Carlisle's head, which had turned to face me, spun in the pixie's direction, his eyes widening in alarm.

"Since when?" he demanded, his hand reflexively clasping one of mine.

"Since…" Her voice had become as small as her petite frame. "…the Jacob incident."

I could feel Carlisle's grip tighten around my hand and I placed my free one over his, hoping it might help calm him down a little. I had only witnessed his rage a couple of times, but each was a frightening experience, even though they hadn't been aimed at me. He took in a deep breath and his head dropped a little, before he let out a long sigh. "You should have said something, Alice." Although he didn't shout or even raise his voice, the stern reprimand was there for all to hear. "I do not care how preoccupied I may have seemed to you, information of that degree of importance cannot and should not ever be kept a secret."

"It wasn't a secret," Esme interjected and everyone's attention shifted to her and Alice's eyes looked set to fall out of their sockets. Esme gave her knee a quick reassuring squeeze, before continuing. "She confided in me a while ago. Please don't blame her, as it was my suggestion to keep quiet."

"What?" It was Rosalie's turn to look flabbergasted.

Esme attempted to defend her actions. "I thought it best at the time. I can admit I was wrong."

"Wrong? It was downright moronic!" I could actually see the anger rising inside Rosalie the same way it had in Carlisle, except she made no attempt to control it. "I'd expect this sort of thing from Alice, terrified of ever upsetting her friends, but you? Clearly you have far less sense than I ever credited you with." The statuesque vampire rose to her feet faster than a lightning bolt shot through the sky. She glared at the guilty pair accusingly. "Didn't either of you think some kind of warning might be good? Perhaps if everyone had been aware of the situation, this-" She gestured towards me. "-might have been prevented."

"It isn't that simple, Rose," Alice spoke up, although her voice was far from steady. Apparently, I wasn't the only one intimidated by Rosalie's anger. "It's all happened in a short space of time and my head was all over the place-"

"From the sounds of it, everyone's was!" Rosalie was close to shouting, now, having taken a couple of steps back to encompass all under her appalled gaze. "I thought you all might have learnt from the past, but, apparently not. Can I just ask if any of you were actually there during the Sapphire debacle, or did the four of you just choose to completely forget about it when you took that poor girl's life in your hands?" She pointed to me a second time and it irked me a little that she hadn't yet referred to me by name, even if she was, in her own way, upset on my behalf.

Carlisle got to his feet also, probably hoping to diffuse the situation. "Rosalie, this is not helping."

"Why?" she countered. "I think someone here needs to point out how reckless and idiotic you've all been. Or were you planning to just sweep this under the carpet, too, like we did with Edward's little "indiscretion"?"

"No," Carlisle replied. "We are going to deal with this and find a way to get through it."

Rosalie snorted derisively. "Why bother? It'll probably all go to Hell anyway and you've already ruined her life. We've all already died once, what's a second time?"

"That's enough!" Carlisle growled, ensnaring her with his furious gaze. "You and Emmett were called here to help us, not terrify and berate. We are all fully aware of the mistakes we have made, but, unless one of us has a hidden ability to rewind time, there is nothing anyone can do to change the past." The aggression and frustration in his tone started to subside and he almost became the calm, collected vampire I had always known. "We do not need your censure right now, we need your assistance, so, unless you have anything constructive to contribute, sit down and start thinking."

A new period of quiet fell over the coven, although there was far more tension this time around. The pair, still on their feet, faced off against each other and neither looked ready to back down. Eventually, one of them broke and it was Rosalie. She took another step backwards and flung her hands in the air.

"Whatever," she snarled, before spinning on her heels and stalking out of the room.

My eyes followed her retreat and I wondered if she was going to exit the building, but a deep voice from the other side of the room forced my attention away from her disappearing form.

"She'll be back," Emmett said, offering a small smile my way. "She just needs a minute to cool down."

The moment he finished speaking, my gaze swivelled back to the exit of the lounge. Emmett appeared to know Rosalie best, but I couldn't help questioning his certainty. She seemed pretty pissed and I vowed to stay well out of her way if Emmett was proven right.

000

The rain had returned. It pummelled the glass furiously, as it cascaded down onto the town of Forks. I could detect every separate droplet and my enhanced speed and sight meant they didn't seem to fall as fast as I remembered. They drew intricate patterns on the large window, their paths weaving and colliding, as they travelled down towards the ground outside. I found them soothing to watch and had done so for the past…actually, I wasn't sure how long I had spent staring at them. I knew it had been twilight when I began and night had now overtaken the sky completely.

My first full day as a vampire was coming to an end and I only felt marginally less confused than when I had woken that morning. After Rosalie stormed out, the meeting had continued, but I paid little attention to it. My lack of involvement went unnoticed, as there was little I could contribute. I could barely remember my own birthday, let alone figure out a way to deal with Edward. The mere mention of his name made me want to leap out the window and hunt him down, so I simply remained silent and let far more intelligent and experienced vampires come up with a plan.

Eventually, everyone had said their piece and the gathering would have broken up sooner, had Alice not insisted on spending another twenty minutes apologising profusely for her actions. In the end, having run out of ways to shut her up, Carlisle just walked over to the melancholic vampire and gathered her in his arms, assuring her he forgave her. Although the guilt was not eradicated completely, I saw her visibly relax a little.

Several hours had passed since then and only three vampires remained in the house, two of which included me and the person who had just entered the bedroom. I could instantly recognise the identity of the person and felt a familiar touch against my shoulders, as Carlisle came to stand behind me. Neither of us spoke for a moment or two, choosing to simply relax in one another's company.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" he asked, beginning to rub his palms up and down my biceps.

I considered the question, but found the answer to be annoyingly elusive. How did I feel? Weird was probably the first word that sprang to mind. It seemed to cover a lot of ground, as I was catching up on countless memories, as well as adjusting to my new perspective on the world. How long did it take most vampires to acclimate to their new lives? I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I hoped I didn't feel this way for too much longer. I wanted to feel like me again.

Carlisle waited patiently and I knew I would have to give some sort of response soon, so settled for what had first entered my thoughts.

"Weird," I said.

"I can understand that," he remarked, his palms moving further down my arms to clasp my hands. "One's view of the universe irrevocably changes when becoming a vampire. You are suddenly assaulted by the strength of your newly heightened senses. Your view of everything becomes much sharper, smells are incredibly strong and a gentle breeze you barely noticed as a human can feel like a hurricane against your skin."

He shifted position slightly and, still holding my hands, wrapped his arms around my middle, holding me close and resting his chin on my head.

"I remember first emerging from that cellar once the transformation had completed," he continued. His voice had taken on a gentle, storytelling quality and I leaned back against him, letting his dulcet tones wash over me. "It had been raining; I could smell it in the air and feel the refreshing coolness it brought to the streets. It must have been very early in the morning, for the sky was a very pale blue, with hints of orange peeking up over the horizon, signalling the arrival of the sun. There were no people around, but I still refused to leave the shadows, utterly terrified by the dizzying disorientation every vampire feels when they first awaken."

I was enthralled by his tale, as it described much of what I had felt upon waking that morning.

"The first thing to really capture my attention was the feel of the wet stones beneath me. They were cold and smooth, but it did not affect my skin the way it should have. If a human rests their hands against a cold surface for too long, they soon know about it and are forced to pull away, but that never happened to me. If anything, the cold became a comfort, almost like it warmed me. Back then, I was unaware of how vampire anatomy worked and it left me utterly baffled. Absently, I had clutched the stone and managed to actually pull it out of the ground. As you can imagine, I started to panic, because pulling one of the cobbles up from the street is no mean feat.

"The panic was ready to overwhelm me, until something caught my eye. The sun had risen and started creeping along the ground, inching closer towards me. It reached the cobbles near my shadowy hideaway and, just at that moment, the light hit one particular stone just right, mingling with the residual rainwater to create a rainbow effect. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Of course, it is an impressive sight to be seen by human vision, but when your vision is enhanced to the level of a vampire's, it becomes a spectacle unlike anything else. The way the colours separate and blend into one another, the way all the microscopic indentations of the stone catch the light, making it sparkle like a thousand crystals…it took my breath away.

"That was the first beautiful memory I had as a vampire and, in my darker moments, I would close my eyes and think back to that stone, using it to remind me that, no matter what I had become and how monstrous a place the world appeared to be, there was still at least one thing good and beautiful left in the world."

I was completely dumbfounded by Carlisle's speech. He truly had a way with words that had the same effect on me as that memory had on him. My new hearing revealed the varying aspects and lilts to his formation of words, which only made me want to listen to him more. I knew he was trying to console me and, to be honest, it was working. His description of how he felt after changing was very similar to mine and it helped, knowing that I wasn't alone in my experience. I wasn't alone, surrounded by others who had gone through the same things and were willing to guide me along the path my fate had been forced to follow. I could do this. I had to.

There was a quiet knock on the door and I looked up at Carlisle, who raised his brows, checking to see if I wanted any more company. I gave a quick nod.

"Come in," he called and I heard the door quietly creak open.

A short period of silence followed, before I felt Carlisle's breath against my ear. "I will be back soon," he promised, before placing a kiss on the crown of my head. I nodded, giving his hands a squeeze, before releasing him.

I resumed my watching of the raindrops on the window, not bothering to see who the visitor had been, as it wasn't me they wanted to speak to. I clearly wasn't in tune with my new senses, as it caught me by surprise when someone came to stand beside me. My head turned to the left to see Rosalie Hale stood there, gazing out the window. Unsure of what she wanted and worried about incurring her wrath, I quickly tore my gaze away from her and planted it firmly back on the raindrops.

It was a long time before she spoke.

"You must think I'm a total bitch," she commented.

Her voice was quiet, but the severity was still there. It was paradoxical to hear a sound so harsh, yet beautiful at the same time and it made her character all the more difficult to figure out. I didn't answer, unsure of how to reply to such a statement. I hadn't really had time to formulate an opinion on her.

"It's okay," she continued, possibly taking my silence as agreement. "I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with."

Again, I didn't answer, but it was because I actually saw the truth in the second declaration. She certainly hadn't made things easy earlier in the lounge. There was no apology in her voice and it hadn't been said to curry sympathy. It left her mouth in the most matter-of-fact manner that it caught me off guard.

"But I don't care," she asserted. "I'm not here to make things easy. In fact, if I had my way, I wouldn't be here at all."

My brow creased little, wondering what she meant. When my eyes finally dared to venture in her direction again, I found her looking at me, reading my expression. Her eyes encompassed my entire face, before returning to the window.

"If I had my way, I'd be six feet under right now, buried alongside the rest of my family."

Now, what the Hell was I supposed to say to that? A period of quiet passed between us, until I felt her watching me again. Was she expecting a response? My mind scrambled desperately for something to say.

"You don't like being a vampire, then?" I felt like an idiot the moment the words left my lips.

Rosalie didn't answer right away and I feared I might have pissed her off. "Do you?" she eventually challenged.

I had no answer to that; I hadn't been one long enough. Surprisingly, a soft chuckle erupted from her throat. "Let's just say that some of us have acclimated to the lifestyle better than others. Emmett actually prefers it, I think." At the mention of her companion, something in her voice changed. It became a little softer and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the corner of her lips twitch ever so slightly, as though she was about to smile. Her mouth never lived up to the promise, though and I gathered that Rosalie Hale wasn't one to whom laughter came very often. "I can't say I share his enthusiasm. The cons far outweigh the pros."

"What happened to you?" The whispered question left my lips, before I'd even realised it had formulated in my mind.

Once again, Rosalie paused, before answering the question. Should I have asked? Was there some sort of vampire etiquette that forbade asking such a question? She let out a sigh and I noticed her head dip a little, as her gaze fell to the floor.

"I shan't go into details, as they are rather horrible, but the blame for my transformation actually lies in the hands of a human, rather than a vampire. The abridged version is that I was violently assaulted by someone I trusted, left for dead and then bitten by a vampire who had the sense not to pass an easy meal."

It was blunt, concise and shocking, which I suspected had been her intention. She didn't appear to be one who minced words, which was actually a trait of hers I found myself appreciating.

"I…" I hesitated, unsure if she would appreciate what I was about to say. I quickly decided it would be better than the awkward silence constantly dangling between us. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," she replied and her voice was laden with such negative emotion, that I feared the window ahead of her might smash beneath her glare. She was angry, very angry, but mostly, she was…sad.

And that was my first true insight into Rosalie Hale's character. Beneath the beauty, the sternness and the anger, she was drowning in sadness and grief. She was grieving for a life lost, never to be reclaimed and, as despairing as it was to witness, I was glad to see the other side of the vampire existence. The others all had their tales to tell, of course, but none seemed to look upon it as pessimistically as she did. If anyone was going to show me the downside to vampirism, it was the stunning woman beside me.

"But, you have nothing to be sorry for," she remarked, straightening herself and lifting her chin. "You haven't exactly had it easy, have you?"

"Well…no one has," I replied. "And, if anything, I'm not the one most affected by what's happened to me. He may not show it, but I think Carlisle's still reeling from what Edward's done."

"Ah, Edward." Another chuckle left her, this one full of malice and simmering fury. "What I would do if I got my hands on him."

A flare of rage sparked in her eyes and I was surprised at the strength of feeling. She surely wasn't upset about me, as we'd only just met. Was it his treatment of Carlisle or the vendetta he had waged against his former coven? I felt the weight of Rosalie's scrutiny yet again and, although still intimidating, it wasn't quite as bad as before.

"Don't look so surprised," she said. "I may not know you very well, but I do know that what Edward did was unforgivable. None of us chose this life; some were changed by accident, others in desperation and some, at the request of a dying mother who couldn't bear the thought of losing her son. You, however, were bitten in a fit of spite and whatever his feeling towards Carlisle, he had absolutely no right to rob you of your mortality. His pathetic quarrel is with Carlisle, not you."

Acid laced her words and I had never felt less envious to be in Edward's position. For the second time that day, I vowed to remain on Rosalie's good side, fearing I wouldn't even leave with a finger intact if I didn't. The one thing that I found most surprising was her flippant reference to Edward's motive. She called it pathetic, yet, no matter how evil I thought he was, I couldn't let go of the pity I felt upon hearing the sorry tale of his past. Rosalie noticed the shift in my expression and her immaculate brows lowered at the inner corners.

"What?" she asked.

"I…" I had the feeling I would need to word my thoughts very carefully. "I just…I don't condone what he's done, but…" I didn't finish, having lost my confidence in what I'd planned to say.

"But..?" she parroted, a hint of annoyance at my hesitation in her tone.

"You really think the reason behind Edward's actions is pathetic? I mean…well…he loved Sapphire, didn't he? That's why he's done it, isn't it?

'

"And how is her death connected to you? You didn't kill her, did you?"

"But he blames Carlisle, because he didn't do enough to save her."

Rosalie's eyes narrowed. "Is that what Edward told you?" His name almost sizzled in the air, as it was uttered, overloaded with hatred.

"No. Carlisle told me what-"

"Oh, God, Carlisle!" She shook her head in exasperation. "I swear I'm going to punch some sense into…" Her mutterings trailed off, before she took a well-needed breath, then span to fully face me. I took a wary step backwards, terrified of inadvertently becoming the scapegoat for her pent up anger. "He almost died saving her, Bella. In fact, it took three of us to hold him back. If anything, Emmett, Jasper and I were responsible for her death and I can't bring myself to feel a modicum of regret."

I stood, my jaw hanging open as her words sank in. What the Hell was she talking about? Carlisle, himself said he hadn't done enough to save her, but why would he say that if it wasn't true? Because it's Carlisle, that's why! I began to share a little of Rosalie's vexation at my mate.

"She was too dangerous, too deranged to be left alive. Edward and Carlisle were both adamant that she could change, but I knew it'd never happen. No amount of atonement would have ever made her reciprocate Edward's feelings. Quite simply, she didn't love him and never had."

Another wave of shock hit me. "But-"

"Oh, sure, she thought he was a gorgeous, strapping young man and there was definite lust on her part, but never love, not the kind he hoped for. If there were, she wouldn't have treated him the way she did after her change. They would have overcome it, worked things out, because something as strong as the love forged between mates is incredibly difficult to extinguish, even by betrayal."

I was utterly dumbfounded by her revelation and a myriad of emotions rushed through me. I felt in equal parts angry, shocked, amazed and relieved. Having learnt what I just had, my faith in Carlisle's integrity was stronger than ever. He hadn't just let Sapphire die; he had done all he could to save her. A quick bout of astounded laughter passed my lips, quickly followed by a renewed sense of loathing for that malicious piece of shit. I understood now why Rosalie had described his motive as pathetic, as that was what he was; a pathetic excuse of a creature, with nothing to fill his emptiness than plans for unwarranted revenge and wickedness. Well, now that I had learned the truth, I wasn't going to let him get away with it.

Against all expectations, Rosalie's visit ended up making me feel better than I had in a long time and a sense of purpose began to fill my soul. I turned to face her, before speaking.

"Do you know where Carlisle is right now?" I asked.

"Try using your new senses," she replied, the sarcasm nearly dripping from her words. It would take a while to get used to her, but I could imagine myself coming to actually like Rosalie quite a bit. "That's what they're for."

Following her advice, I turned and walked to the door and opened it, before stopping and looking back over my shoulder. I wanted to say something that might convey my gratitude for what she had just done for me, but, as usual, didn't know if she would appreciate it.

"Um," I paused a moment, wondering how best to say it. I came up blank, so settled for simplicity. "Thanks," I mumbled, exiting the bedroom, before she could react.

I inhaled, hoping to catch Carlisle's scent. It wasn't hard and I wondered if mates were inherently tuned to one another's smell, but didn't dwell too long, as I was desperate to see him. I followed the sweet aroma down the stairs, but when I came to the lounge, nobody was there. A second sniff of the air informed me that he, along with the others, was in the second lounge, down the other flight of stairs. I descended at my new speed, to find him stood in the middle of the room. Alice and Esme were resting on the sofa, with Jasper and Emmett stood beside my target.

I ignored everyone else, as I strode over to Carlisle and swung my right hand, slapping him with enough force to make him stumble and cling to the fireplace for support. I felt a brief stab of guilt, upon seeing the utter bewilderment on his face, but hoped the shock might allow my message to sink in all the better. He recovered quickly, the confusion still plastered on his beautiful countenance, as I berated him.

"That," I began, wagging a finger to emphasise my point. "Is for your constant self-depreciation!"

He was even more confused, but I didn't stop to explain. Instead, I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him towards me. "And this," I said, my voice lowering. "Is for being you."

And I kissed him, throwing all the love I could into such a simple gesture. I was vaguely aware of a chuckle coming from my right, as I slowly pulled away, before the low rumble of Emmett's voice murmured to Jasper.

"I like her."

A/N: Oh, I'm so glad to be able to finally write for Rosalie. She is one of my most favourite characters in the Twilight universe and have been waiting ages to get to this point in the story. I just hope I managed to keep her in character.

These last few chapters haven't really moved the plot along too much, but I think they've been necessary and hope you've enjoyed them. However, now it's time for some more of the action to start, which is going to take some thinking in terms of working out how to write it and everything. Basically, consider this an advance apology, in case the next update takes a while. I'll do everything I can to keep it to no longer than a week.

Until then, thanks for reading, reviewing, following and favouriting and I'll see you all ASAP.