Author Note:

First of all, thank you for all your amazing reviews! Thanks also to Tamelaine, my awesome beta, who reassured me that no, this chapter is not too angsty. I know I keep saying the romantic comedy is coming, and it really is. I promise.

In this chapter I really start throwing out the Portland landmarks. Well, more than just landmarks. Portland City Grill is a real restaurant, and it's awesome. They do have a really excellent happy hour, and their lemon drops are to die for. Trust is a real lounge in the Pearl District, and my boyfriend's friend is the chef there. Really great tapas, and yes the drinks are strong. I found that out the hard way one night last November. Which is how I found out that the tapas are really good lol. They also have excellent hummus. But the moral of the story is that yes, I do live in Portland. I have lived there my entire life. So, I figure this is a good opportunity to inject as much reality into the story as possible. From here on out, it's safe to assume that every place they go in the Pacific Northwest is real. I'll try to add links to my profile page, but I'm notoriously bad with making sure they work correctly. If one breaks, could you let me know? Thanks.

As for the trivia contest, here it goes. While I was writing Turning Dust into Gold, I purposefully included a few ideas, phrases, character traits, etc that are direct references to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight canon. Obviously, since this is a all-human AU story, much of her canon goes out the window. These references were my tributes to the original canon, so to say. I'm sure there are more subconscious ones that I've done that I don't even realize. Your job is to put together as complete a list as possible. I won't count "wrong" ones against your list, so to be safe, I'd put everything down that you even suspect. PM me your lists and the reader with the most complete list will win the prize. What's the prize, you ask? It's a two part prize. I will answer one question, at any time during the writing of the story or after it's completed. I will also rewrite any scene/chapter in a different character's POV. This would be a good thing for those of you who are clamoring for any of the male POV's. Keep in mind this is not a prize you need to cash in now--anytime you want is fine.

In any case, this long rambling Author Note is over and you can enjoy the chapter! Chapter 8 is actually almost done, so that should be posted soon, I promise, and it's a lot more light-hearted.

RPOV

I had just climbed into bed after finishing my nightly beauty routine (after all, it's never too early to start caring about skin elasticity), when I heard the knock on my window.

Normally, having someone knock on my window in the middle of the night would be enough to send me toward my closet and the bat that still lingered there from my softball-playing middle school years. Instead, I knew, deep down, that I was safe. I was in no physical danger from the man at the window, but for damn sure I was in emotional danger.

I climbed out of bed, and opened the window, shivering involuntarily at the blast of cold air that hit me.

"Have you lost your mind?" I barked at him in a whisper. I might be thrilled to see him, but I wasn't going to let him know that. Let him think that he was crazy to show up at my window at eleven at night.

Emmett just smiled back, cocky as ever. He even looked comfortable perched in the big branch that ran parallel to my window. I'd long understood the benefits of having a large tree outside my bedroom window, but I'd never personally taken advantage of it.

I folded my arms over my chest and glared. "You'd better go before my dad finds out you're here and kills you," I hissed, voice rising in volume.

"So are you coming with me or not?" Emmett's voice taunted me with its deep seductive tone. I could tell he didn't think I was actually going to climb out the window and follow him, but I couldn't blame him for that. I didn't think I was going to climb out the window either.

Who was I kidding? I was dying to go with him. He was practically calling the heart out of my body. But did I dare? I knew I would be safe with him, but for all the vaunted talk of risky, self-reliant and independent behavior, I never really acted out. Chances were that I was more boring than most of the other girls at school.

"Of course I'm coming," I shot back. I couldn't let him know how truly painfully normal I was. Let him think the promise of risk-taking that I carried with me wasn't just a tease. With him it wouldn't be just a fantasy, it would be reality. "Let me just get my coat and some shoes."

"Dress warmly," he warned, "it's cold out here."

"Really? In Forks? How astounding." My sarcasm was readily apparent and Emmett, instead taking offense, just smiled broadly. He took such joy out of life, even out of the smallest things, that it was hard to stay on top of my game when I was with him. I wanted to drop all pretenses and wallow in the same lust of life he had. Or maybe I just wanted to wallow in plain lust. I wasn't sure yet.

I scurried around my room, slipping on a pair of sneakers and zipping up my North Face fleece jacket.

When I appeared back at the window Emmett didn't even bother to hide his reaction.

"You look like you've gained a hundred pounds," he guffawed.

I shot him the most evil glare in my arsenal. "You take that back. You wanted me to stay warm. How else was I supposed to do that?"

His blue eyes surveyed me slowly and deliberately from head to foot. I wore a sweatshirt under my jacket and matching gray sweatpants that were at least a size too big. I'd smashed a knit cap over my ears and quickly twisted my long blond hair into a low ponytail. I had a good idea that I looked vaguely overdressed, but I wasn't about to lose any fingers or toes to frostbite just to satisfy some ridiculous fashion ideal.

Emmett gave a quick nod of approval. "At least you'll stay warm," he replied, pausing briefly before he continued, his voice low and serious, "though I was planning on doing the job of about half your clothes."

My stomach plummeted to my shoes and I think my jaw dropped. He was able to transition so quickly from Jovial Emmett to Seductive Emmett that I couldn't seem to keep up. I was definitely going to have to step up my game and throw him some loops of my own.

Emmett began to shuffle down the tree, unable to hide the gloat that was blossoming over his handsome face. I refused to let him see that he'd gotten to me or that I was scared of climbing down the tree.

Because god, I was terrified to climb down that damn tree. If only I could just get past the climbing part and go straight to the heavy making out with Emmett part. Unfortunately, as I looked out the window at Emmett's nimble form easily negotiating the branches to the ground, that didn't seem to be in the cards.

"Emmett," I stuttered, hopelessly trying to keep the tremor out of my voice, "you're going to be down there when you know. . .I come down. . .right"

I heard his echoing laughter coming up from the dark abyss that greeted my dismayed eyes. "You're not scared, are you"

Oh, he was definitely challenging me. And if there was one thing I couldn't do, it was back down from such a clearly-issued challenge. Emmett must have known that, because he laughed again, louder this time, and there was a momentary heart-stopping worry that my parents or Alice were going to hear him.

"Hush," I nearly shrieked out the window, towards the disambiguous voice, "I'm coming down. So you better be ready."

I sent up a quick prayer, and hoisted myself up onto the sill, swinging my legs around until they dangled out the open window.

In that moment, looking at the two story distance to the ground, that I wished I'd been more a tomboy as a girl and this wasn't my first experience climbing a tree. But, I reasoned with myself, at least this would be a memorable date with Emmett. If you could call sneaking out on a school night, climbing down a tree, and whatever else we were going to do a date. At 11 PM at night, there wasn't much going on around Forks. Secretly, I hoped he took me somewhere nice and private and we could continue the amazing kiss we'd started a week ago and hadn't yet finished.

Taking a deep breath, I slid one sneaker-clad foot onto the branch. Thankfully this tree was really sturdy—at least it looked sturdy. It had held Emmett after all, and he was certainly a lot bigger than I was.

My other foot joined the first and with one hand I grasped an upper branch and with the other pushed myself off the window sill. The tree jiggled a little and I felt my heart stuttering, but then I heard Emmett's reassuring voice promising me that I would be fine, if I could just manage to swallow my pansy ass nerves and get my butt down the tree. This is why I found him so refreshing. No other man would have even dared say that to me, but with Emmett, it seemed natural and real. No faking, no play-acting. Just the two of us being real and true to ourselves.

I was so caught up in this new thought that I didn't even notice I'd reached the ground until I felt both feet hit the dirt and Emmett fling his arms around my middle to steady me.

My breath whooshed out, as a reaction to the adrenaline rush I felt both from the climb down the tree and from Emmett's body being so close to mine. I closed my eyes and let myself drift even closer to him. He'd been right: he was extremely warm, and I basked in the way that his body heat leaked into me. Then his hand slipped up brush the side of my face and I forgot to think at all.

He spoke again and it was directly into my ear, tickling me. "That was your first tree, wasn't it?

I nodded, snuggling into him further, loving the way that we fit together. I'd never known that just being close to another human being could feel his good. We belonged.

Emmett chuckled and I felt the vibrations though the top of my head, where his chin rested. "You are the most adorable, most unpredictable creature," he whispered into my ear again.

I stepped away from him, immediately feeling the loss, but knowing we couldn't spend much longer in my parents' backyard.

"So where are you taking me?"

"Who said I was taking you anywhere?" His expression was pure innocence, but I knew better.

I lifted an eyebrow and sent him a single look. Even for me, he relented pretty quickly.

"It's a surprise. My car's down the street," he said, indicating the direction with a broad sweep of his hand that I almost missed because it was so dark. Still, I thought, as I looked upwards, it was a lovely, if cold, night for Forks. The sky was miraculously clear, and the stars shone like diamonds in the velvety dark blue sky.

We took off walking toward his car, which turned out to be a lifted and tricked out forest green Jeep Wrangler.

"A Jeep?" I inquired, more than a little surprised. He'd definitely showed a marked preference for sleek speed machines when we'd worked together earlier in the garage. It appeared that I was learning about another layer of Emmett.

"Carlisle doesn't let me drive the cars everyday," Emmett replied sheepishly, unlocking my door and giving me a quick hand up.

"He doesn't let you drive them," I stated incredulously as soon as he was seated next to me.

Emmett turned to me, huge grin on his face. "Too many tickets. I drive just too fast for Dad's comfort, I guess. He's been convinced that the Jeep, being heavier, restricts me."

As Emmett gunned up the engine, I was in serious doubt of that. This Wrangler, like all of Emmett's other cars, was certainly beefed up a significant amount. To top it off, it was also pretty sweet looking, with the beautiful green paint and lots and lots of shiny silver four-wheeling accessories. I did note with some trepidation that the silver, however, was not brand new. This Jeep had been four-wheeling, and more than once.

Emmett was taking the corners faster than probably Carlisle knew he could, and I decided to keep my question to myself, but I did note that we were definitely headed to the highway that led up into the mountains. Please, I prayed, don't let him take me hiking or four-wheeling in the dark and the cold. Just not tonight.

Fifteen minutes later, Emmett pulled onto a side road that could probably be better called a "track," and the wheels spun briefly before they caught on the gravel. He was a good driver though, obviously very experienced, and I felt safe with him despite his speedy and somewhat risky driving. Being an accomplished driver myself, there were very few people I trusted to take risks while operating a moving vehicle. Emmett had passed the test with flying colors, but then he had passed every single one of my tests thus far, which was terrifying all on its own.

The road was bumpy and the gravel soon gave way to dirt. When I shot Emmett another dirty look, he reassured me that we would get there soon, and before his voice had even died in the small space, we were pulling into a large clearing. The Jeep's high beams cut a huge swath of light and I glimpsed something I couldn't believe.

"Is that the ocean?"

Emmett nodded smugly.

I'm sure the despair was evident in my voice. "You brought me fishing?" I wasn't sure if I wanted to cry or beat him. Maybe both. I looked away, toward the door, and tried to school my expression to show neither desire. I didn't want him to know how strongly he affected me. At least, not yet.

"Rosalie." Emmett reached one hand over and forced my head to turn toward his. "Do you really think I would take you fishing? That's the last thing I would ever want to do with you, after sneaking you out of your house."

"Then what are we doing here?" I asked, doubt still lingering.

Emmett smiled, and my heart stuttered. When I was looking at him, it was difficult to forget how very close we were. Our shoulders nearly brushed, and it would take only a subtle movement from either of us for our lips to touch. I would be lying if I said I didn't want that to happen very very badly.

"We, Rosalie," Emmett said, his voice dropping to a sexy, seductive whisper, sending my heart into further convulsions, "are here to enjoy the majestic scenery. And each other."

I had to physically force myself to subdue the shiver that went up my spine at his words.

Emmett turned the Jeep off, and with the rumbling engine silent, I realized just how alone we were. Everything was dark and very quiet.

"I'm going to take the top off," Emmett said and opened his door. It was even colder out here, next to the ocean, and I hoped that he would keep his promise to keep me warm when he returned from folding down the ragtop.

Emmett climbed back into the Jeep and casually flung an arm around me. I didn't need any more prodding; I snuggled close, delighted at the feel of him so close to me. His head swooped toward my neck, and I remembered that I didn't have the protection of my hair. Sure enough, I felt his breath on my neck, the hot air fuzzing my thought processes.

His head moved a bit higher and he whispered into my ear, "Rose, look up."

I let my head tip back on the headrest and I couldn't hold back my shocked gasp. The stars were shining so intensely in the dark sky, that as my eyes adjusted to the low level of light, I realized it wasn't as dark as I thought it was. It was just dark enough that we could barely see the cliff ahead of us, and the ocean crashing hundreds of feet down. The romance of the place was unmistakable. My heart, already thumping madly, did an extra catapult as I felt his lips return to my neck.

"Rosalie," Emmett breathed, and I knew exactly what he wanted, and for one second I felt my normally brave nature quail. He wanted me to kiss him. He'd gotten me alone, and brought me to this amazing place. His feelings were clear, and this time, he wanted me to capitulate to him—to prove my feelings were as real as his. His lips travelled up and down the line of my neck, barely touching the skin there, but making me melt and want all in the same moment.

I took an unsteady breath and turned my head, my eyes meeting his. I couldn't make a funny, sarcastic quip here to protect myself and my feelings. The wall I'd erected so long ago was going to have to come down, and though I desperately wanted it to fall, I still found it incredibly difficult to breach when it came down to my actions alone.

Steeling myself, I let my head drift toward his, and the closer I got, the louder my heart pounded, until it was echoing in my ears. Then I realized it wasn't only my heart, it was his too. He was just as nervous and excited as I was. He just hid it really well. In that split second, I began to have a very good idea of what he meant, and was going to mean, to me in the future, and suddenly, the urge to kiss him wasn't a prospect that filled me with sweaty hands and nerves, it was a prospect I looked forward to. It was something I wanted. Desperately.

I closed the last bit of distance between us, and let my lips touch his. Emmett wound his hands around me and pulled me to him, even tighter. It started out soft and cautious, but quickly, the kiss deepened, our tongues mingling. The pleasure spun through me like cotton candy, and I heard myself groan. Apparently, Emmett liked that even more, because, his hands in my hair, he pulled me even closer, never letting my mouth leave his.

I'd had a fair amount of practice kissing and being kissed, but nothing could really have prepared me for the onslaught of pleasure and need that coursed through me when Emmett's lips met mine. His hands, which started in my hair, were soon learning the feel of my back and sides, slowly yet passionately caressing me and I shivered, despite the many layers of clothing I wore. I wondered what it would feel like without the extra bulk.

Finally, we broke apart in a shocked gasp. I was breathing heavily, and I suppose he was to, but I couldn't even tell, because as soon as his lips left mine, they were drunkenly tracing a path down my neck and back up again. I arched into him and this time the sound came out of his mouth.

"God Rosalie," he ground out. I couldn't really speak at that particular moment but I was sure that any words I uttered would be somewhat close to that sentiment.

Because really, there was nothing to say with words that we couldn't say as well with our bodies, our lips met again and unbelievably, this kiss was even more passionate than the last. When it finally ended, I noticed that a throbbing pain was coming from my knee. I looked down and realized that I had nearly climbed the gearshift to get closer to Emmett.

He was sitting back in his seat, breath coming in short gasps, and looking extremely pleased with himself, and the expression in his blue eyes nearly undid me. This man wanted me—really wanted me, if what I'd felt during our last kiss was any indication—but there was a respectful affection and caring evident in his gaze. He hadn't dragged me out tonight in an attempt to seduce me. Not that he would mind, I was sure, but that wasn't the only reason we were out here. He wanted to spend time with me, not just my body.

I threw my arms around him, hoping he wouldn't see the happy tears that sprang in my eyes at this thought. It felt like I had waited forever to find him, and now that I had I was never going to let him go.

His arms went around me, and I felt his hands stroking my back and then my hair. Then, almost as a benediction or a blessing, I heard him murmur, "Rosalie," and I knew I could trust my heart to him, just as it tumbled into his lap.

"Rosalie? Rosalie? ROSALIE!"

The voice breached, unexpected and unasked for, the thoughts of my favorite memory. For a split second, I tried to hold onto the night, and onto the feeling of Emmett's arms around me, but I knew it was hopeless. They were both already lost.

I looked up into the eyes of my assistant and tried, desperately, to clear my eyes of the wispy, bittersweetness I knew was there. This was why I never thought of Emmett. At least, why I never thought of Emmett at work. I wanted nobody to know how truly vulnerable I was, especially now that I was going to have to do business with him.

Linda walked further into my office and she looked nervous. I wasn't surprised. I never daydreamed. I hoped she hadn't been standing there for very long, because I had a pretty good idea what kind of feelings had been drifting across my face.

Despite that particular memory being one of my favorites of Emmett, I rarely relived it because it just hurt too damn much. It reminded me of everything I'd lost. Of everything I'd freely given away.

"Yes?" I crossed my legs behind my desk and hoped my voice sounded professional and in control. I knew what my employees thought of me: a hardened, jaded ballbuster. The last thing I wanted to do at this point was to give them the impression that I was softening.

"Bella's on the line. You said you didn't want to be disturbed, but she wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Good," I replied curtly, hoping that my demeanor now would make up for anything Linda had seen earlier. "Put her through."

She gave a quick nod and was out the door.

I breathed a quiet sigh of relief, and shook my head quickly, in an attempt to clear the last of the despair, the bitterness and the potent lust out of my head. I couldn't let Bella hear any of that in my voice, as she'd recognize it a lot easier than Linda and she'd know exactly why it was there, too. In the last forty-eight hours, as much as I loved Bella, she'd learned way too much about my past. There were certain things that just needed to stay buried.

The phone rang. I picked it up quickly. "Bella."

"Rose, I hope I'm not bothering you."

"Oh, no. My staff just has very strict instructions. I'm glad you were persistent. I'll have to put you on the list of people who always get through."

"I'm not already on that list?" she laughed, a carefree and happy sound that I knew I couldn't emulate right now. The pain was just too close to the surface. I never should have deliberately unearthed that particular memory. I knew better than to do that.

"What can I say, I've been remiss," I quipped back. Sarcastic and witty comments I could handle, but if Bella said one heartfelt or sweet thing I was going to dissolve into tears. That couldn't happen. I had to find out what she wanted and get her off the phone so I could somehow compose myself.

"I was wondering if you wanted to meet for a drink after work," Bella asked, and her tone, I had to give her credit, was completely casual. Naturally, I suspected that she was going to go on the offensive about Emmett and his brothers, but there was no way I was going to let that happen. Still, there was no harm in meeting her away from Alice, and dissuading her once and for all.

"Of course." Neither of us mentioned that Alice wasn't going to be invited, but it was right there, in the dead air.

"Portland City Grill? Seven-thirty?" Bella had a business-like demeanor that I'd both cultivated and envied. She'd certainly taken off in her career, and I couldn't take even part of the credit, though I had certainly given her enough advice in the beginning.

"Perfect," I replied. "I'll see you there."

"Great. See you then." I heard the click off and breathed a deep sigh of relief. Now I'd have a good three hours to really clear my mind of Emmett and any effect he'd had on me before I met Bella. She would never have to know I'd practically been back with him in that moonlight-drenched cliff, in his Jeep, in his arms. She'd never know and I would never tell her.

Portland City Grill was on the thirtieth floor of the US Bank Tower in downtown Portland. It was swanky and classy and held the best happy hour for trendy and professional singles in the downtown area. One of our favorite places to go, I was glad that Bella had chosen it. We could slip into a corner and I could firmly and clearly dissuade her from whatever plan she'd concocted. If she thought I hadn't figured out why she wanted me to continue to work with the Cullen brothers, she was insane. I was a hell of a lot smarter than that.

Bella was already in one of the quieter areas of the bar when I walked in. Obviously we were on the same page, and I felt my nerves begin to untangle just a little. Maybe this wouldn't be so difficult after all.

"Bel," I greeted her, hugging her quickly. She sat back down and smoothed out her black slacks.

"I've already ordered," she said, and gave me a quick smile.

"Great. Fantastic. I'm starving and I could really use a drink."

"I thought so," Bella confided, leaning closer to the small table. I stupidly looked behind her, and instantly regretted agreeing to meet here. The floor to ceiling windows reflected the amazing view of downtown Portland slowly descending into twilight. Just what I needed: an additional reminder of that night, when I was trying so hard to leave it behind.

"How was your day?" I asked her. This conversation needed to get back on track. The last thing I wanted to do was have Bella start offering her reasons for why I might need a drink.

"Good. I had an interesting meeting."

Meetings. Good. Keep things on a business level. Bella and I both enjoyed discussing what was going on with our jobs. We were both of a professional bent and enjoyed our respective careers. Alice might roll her eyes at our serious choice of topics, but then she wasn't here.

"It was with Edward Cullen."

Our drinks had just arrived and I'd reached for mine, and taken a sip before the portentous significance of that statement could hit me.

I choked.

"Why," I ground out as soon as I recovered, "were you meeting with Edward Cullen?" I had a feeling that desperation and despair were warring on my face because Bella's expression had turned downright sympathetic.

"Rosalie." Bella started, then paused. "Edward picked you out of that directory for a reason, obviously. But the reason isn't you and Emmett, believe it or not." Bella toyed with her lime, and I wanted to throw myself across the tiny black lacquered table and drag it out of her physically. Didn't she see that I was over here, dying of curiosity? Just dying, in general?

Finally, Bella continued, her voice strangely subdued. "Edward picked you because of Jasper. And Alice."

I think my jaw dropped and I was only conscious of a voice in my head chanting "no, no, no. . ." over and over. Before Bella could even continue, I knew exactly what she was going to say, and I knew I was going to hate and loathe and detest every word of it, but like Bella already knew, there was no way I could possibly say no.

The expression in her eyes was undoing me. Though Bella was always ruing her "boring" brown eyes, they had a depth and a kindness to them that blew me away. In this moment, they were brimming with worry and with love. She wanted to spare me this, but she knew that she couldn't. Never in a million years was I going to be able to say no to what she asked of me.

"You know why, then, that we had to meet without Alice. She can't know that we're doing this for her."

I nodded slowly, my eyes never leaving my glass.

"I'm sorry, Rosalie. I know I just found out about Emmett, but I think I have a pretty good idea of what this will cost you."

She had no idea. Nobody did. Even being in the same room with him yesterday had been hellish. Despite that he'd glowered the whole time, he'd still tauntingly called my heart out of my body. Like always. I'd given up on his presence losing its effectiveness. There was always something in me that was going to want and need something in him. I only regretted that he couldn't feel something of the same.

I took a deep breath. "So we're going to . . .renew our friendship with the Cullens?" I tried desperately to keep my voice neutral on "friendship." Emmett and I had never been just friends. I didn't even know how to begin to try. Maybe with all six of us present, Emmett and I could somehow avoid close contact.

"Edward feels that it's best to go about it that way. Leaving Jasper and Alice up to their own devices would be. . ." Bella trailed off.

"Disastrous," I finished for her. "God knows, when Emmett and I were together in high school, Jasper and Alice hounded each other mercilessly. It was clear to everyone how they felt, but neither of them could see it or acknowledge it."

"Well, somehow that doesn't surprise me," Bella laughed.

With her laugh, the mood had lightened considerably and I vowed to not let my feelings about the matter overshadow the good we were trying to do for my honorary sister. I swallowed my pain and smiled back.

"You know Alice. She's so intuitive about some things, but about men, she's completely hopeless. Now think exponentially. That's how bad it was with Jasper."

Bella laughed again, and the sound was really astoundingly lovely. Several men close by turned their heads to see who it was, and they all kept looking as soon as they saw her. I didn't blame them. Bella had turned into a lovely and confident woman in the six years I'd known her. A thought crossed my mind briefly but I quickly subdued it before it could go any farther. This situation was already complicated enough. Adding Bella and Edward to the mix would be disastrous.