Rosalie leaned against the counter and took an unnecessary breath, "I lived in a different world than you do, please understand that, Harry. My human world was a much simpler place. It was nineteen thirty-three. I was eighteen, and I was beautiful. My life was perfect. My parents were thoroughly middle class. My father had a stable job in a bank, something I realize now that he was smug about – he saw his prosperity as a reward for talent and hard work, rather than acknowledging the luck involved. I took it all for granted then; in my home, it was as if the Great Depression was only a troublesome rumor. Of course I saw the poor people, the ones who weren't as lucky. My father left me with the impression that they had brought their troubles on themselves. It was my mother's job to keep our house – and myself and my two younger brothers – in spotless order. It was clear that I was both her first priority and her favorite. I didn't fully understand at the time, but I was always vaguely aware that my parents weren't satisfied with that they had, even if it was so much more than most. They wanted more. They had social aspirations – social climbers, I suppose you could call them. My beauty was like a gift to them. They saw so much more potential in it than I did. They weren't satisfied, but I was. I was thrilled to be me, Rosalie Hale. Pleased that men's eyes watched me everywhere I went, from the year I turned twelve, Delighted that my girlfriends sighed with envy when they touched my hair. Happy that my mother was proud of me and that my father liked to buy me pretty dresses.

"I knew what I wanted out of life, and there didn't seem to be any way that I wouldn't get exactly what I wanted. I wanted to be loved, to be adored. I wanted to have a huge, flowery wedding, where everyone in town would watch me walk down the aisle on my father's arm and think I was the most beautiful thing they'd ever seen. Admiration was like air to me. I was silly and shallow, but I was content. My parents' influence had been such that I also wanted the material things of life. I wanted a big house with elegant furnishings that someone else would clean and a modern kitchen that someone else would cook in. As I said, shallow. Young and very shallow. And I didn't see any reason why I wouldn't get these things," she paused to see if Harry was paying attention.

"Well, wasn't that normal during that time? Especially those who were suffering?" Harry asked.

"Not to everyone, no. I was terribly vain that I was the only one that wanted that," she answered. Harry nodded, showing that he understood what she said.

"There were a few things I wanted that were more meaningful. One thing in particular. My very closes friend was a girl named Vera. She married young, just seventeen. She married a man my parents would never have considered for me – a carpenter. A year later she had a son, a beautiful little boy with dimples and curly black hair. It was the first time I'd ever felt truly jealous of anyone else in my enter life."

"Was that the only time?" Harry asked.

"Actually, no, but I'll tell you more about that later," she answered. Harry nodded again. "It was a different time. She was younger than me but I was ready for marriage. I yearned for my own little boy. I wanted my own house and a husband who would kiss me when he got home from work – just like Vera. Only I had a very different kind of house in mind. In Rochester, there was one royal family – the Kings, ironically enough. Royce King owned the bank my father worked at, and nearly every other really profitable business in town. That's how his son, Royce King the Second saw me the first time. He was going to take over at the bank, and so he began overseeing the different positions. Two days later, my mother conveniently forgot to send my father's lunch to work with him. I remember being confused when she insisted that I wear my white organza and roll my hair up just to run over to the bank. I didn't notice Royce watching me particularly. Everyone watched me. But that night was the first of the roses came. Every night of our courtship, he sent a bouquet of roses to me. My room was always overflowing with them. It got to the point that I would smell like roses when I left the house. Royce was handsome, too. He had lighter hair than I did and pale blue eyes. He said my eyes were like violets, and then those started showing up alongside the roses.

"My parents approved – that's putting it mildly. This was everything they'd dreamed of. And Royce seemed to be everything I'd dreamed of. The fairy tale prince, come to make me a princess. Everything I wanted, yet it was still no more than I expected. We were engaged before I'd known him for two months. We didn't spend a great deal of time alone with each other. Royce told me he had many responsibilities at work, and, when we were together, he liked people to look at us, to see me on his arm. I liked that, too. There were lots of parties, dancing, and pretty dresses. When you were a King, every door was open for you, every red carpet rolled out to greet you. It wasn't a long engagement. Plans went ahead for the most lavish wedding. It was going to be everything I'd ever wanted. I was completely happy. When I called at Vera's, I no longer felt jealous. I pictured my fair-haired children playing on the huge lawns of the King' estate, and I pitied her. I was at Vera's that night. Her little Henry really was adorable, all smiles and dimples – he was just sitting up on his own. Vera walked me to the door as I was leaving, her baby in her arms and her husband at her side, his arm around her waist. He kissed her on the cheek when he thought I wasn't looking. That bothered me. When Royce kissed me, it wasn't quite the same – not so sweet somehow… I shoved that thought aside. Royce was my prince. Someday, I would be queen.

"It was dark in the streets, the lamps already on. I hadn't realized how late it was. It was cold, too. Very cold for late April. The wedding was only a week away, and I was worrying about the weather as I hurried home – I can remember that clearly. I remember every detail about that night. I clung to it so hard… in the beginning. I thought of nothing else. And so I remember this, when so many pleasant memories faded away completely… Yes, I was worry8ing about the weather… I didn't want to have to move the wedding indoors. I was a few streets from my house when I heard them. A cluster of men under a broken streetlamp, laughing too loud…drunk. I wish I'd called my father to escort me home, but the way was so short, it seemed silly and then he called my name, 'Rosie!' I hadn't realized the drunks were so well dressed. It was Royce and some of his friends, sons of other rich men. I heard them clearly, 'Here's my Rosie!' he shouted, laughing with them, sounding just as stupid. He said 'You're late. We're cold, you've kept us waiting so long.' I'd never seen him drink before. A toast, now and then, at a party. He'd told me he didn't like champagne. I hadn't realized that he preferred something much stronger. He had a new friend – the friend of a friend, come up from Atlanta. He told him, 'What did I tell you, John. Isn't she lovelier than all your Georgia Peaches?'

"The man named John was dark-haired and suntanned. He looked me over like I was a horse he was buying. He told Royce, 'It's hard to tell. She's all covered up.' They laughed, Royce like the rest. Suddenly, Royce ripped my jacket from my shoulders – it was a gift from him – popping the brass buttons off. They scattered all over the street. He called out to me, 'Show you what you look like, Rose!' he laughed again and then he tore my hat out of my hair. The pins wrenched my hair from the roots and I cried out in pain. They seemed to enjoy that – the sound of my pain," she paused and looked at Harry who looked like he was in shock. "I won't make you listen to the rest." Harry nodded, afraid of using his voice. "They left me in the street, still laughing as they stumbled away. They thought I was dead. They were teasing Royce that he would have to find a new bride. He laughed and said he'd have to learn some patience first. I waited in the road to die. It was cold, though there was so much pain that I was surprised it bothered me. It started to snow, and I wondered why I wasn't dying. I was impatient for death to come, to end the pain. It was taking so long…

"Carlisle found me then. He'd smelled the blood, and come to investigate. I remember being vaguely irritated as he worked over me, trying to save my life. I'd never liked Dr. Cullen or his wife and her brother and his wife – as Edward and Ella pretended to be then. It had upset me that they were all more beautiful than I was, especially that the men were. But they didn't mingle in society, so I'd only seen them once or twice," she said.

"Was this another time that you were jealous?" Harry asked, finally finding his voice.

"Yes, it was. Not only was I jealous of the men, but Ella too. She was just as gorgeous," she responded. "I thought I'd died when he pulled me from the ground and ran with me – because of the speed – it felt like I was flying. I remembered being horrified that the pain didn't stop… Then I was in a bright room, and it was warm. I was slipping away, and I was grateful as the pain began to dull. But suddenly something sharp was cutting me, my throat, my wrists, my ankles. I screamed in shock, thinking he'd brought me there to hurt me more. Then fire started burning through me and I didn't care about anything else. I begged him to kill me, too. Carlisle sat with me. He held my hand and said that he was sorry, promising that it would end. He told me everything, and sometimes I listened. He told me what he was, what I was becoming. I didn't believe him. He apologized every time I screamed.

"Edward wasn't happy and told him so, 'What were you thinking, Carlisle? Rosalie Hale?' I didn't like how he said my name, like there was something wrong with me. I heard Carlisle say, 'I couldn't just let her die. It was too much – too horrible, too much to waste.' Edward responded, 'I know." I thought he sounded dismissive. It angered me. I didn't know what then that he really could see exactly what Carlisle had seen. 'It was too much waste. I couldn't leave her,' Carlisle repeated in a whisper. Then I heard Esme say, 'Of course you couldn't.' I didn't know if Ella was in the room or not at that time, but from what she told me that she was."

"I told her that I agreed with Esme's sentiments, but then Edward felt that I had betrayed him because I agreed with Carlisle and Esme," she said.

"Then I told Carlisle that people die all the time and I thought that she was recognizable too. I had assumed that the Kings will have to put up a huge search – not that anyone suspects the fiend," Edward commented.

"It pleased me that they seemed to know that Royce was guilty," Rosalie said. "I didn't realize that it was almost over – that I was getting stronger and that was why I was able to concentrate on what they were saying. The pain was beginning to fade from my fingertips. I heard Edward ask Carlisle, 'What are we going to do with her?' I heard Carlisle sigh and then say, 'That's up to her, of course. She may want to go her own way.' I'd believed enough of what he'd told me that his words terrified me. I knew that my life was ended, and there was no going back for me. I couldn't stand the thought of being alone… The pain finally ended and they explained to me again what I was. This time I believed. I felt the thirst, my hard skin; I saw my brilliant red eyes.

"As shallow as I was, I felt better when I saw my reflection in the mirror the first time. Despite my eyes, I was the most beautiful thin I'd ever seen," she laughed at herself for a moment. "It took some time before I began to blame the beauty for what had happened to me – for me to see the curse of it. To wish that I had been… well, not ugly, but normal, like Vera. So I could have been allowed to marry someone who loved me, and have pretty babies. That's what I'd really wanted, all along. It still doesn't seem like too much to have asked for." She was thoughtful for a moment but then she smiled, her expression suddenly triumphant. "You know, my record is almost as clean as Carlisle's," she said.

"Rose, I'm not too entirely sure that this part of the story is appropriate for Harry or at lease someone his age," Ella mentioned. Rosalie looked at Ella and then looked at Harry.

"Maybe you're right," she said.

"Wait, I don't understand what you're saying," Harry said. "You're vampires, right?"

"Yes," Ella said.

"As I recall before that you said that you hunt animals and not humans, right?"

"Right," Edward said.

"Then what did you mean when you said that your record was almost as clean as Carlisle's?" Harry asked.

"Well, it's almost as clean as his but better than Esme and Ella. A thousand times better than Edward. I've never tasted human blood," she said. Harry became puzzled.

"That's something we really haven't told you, Harry. We aren't sure as to how you'd react to this part of our lifestyle," Edward replied. "But I think it's something can be understood when Jasper tells his story. He's been through it before and can explain it better than any of us."

Harry looked deep in thought at what he heard from Edward. "Could you finish telling me your story anyway? I do want to get to know Jasper too but I'll save it for another time."

Rosalie smiled and nodded, "Okay, I'll tell you the rest of my story. I did murder five humans, if you can really call them human. But I was very careful not to spill their blood – I knew I would be able to resist that, and I didn't want any part of them in me, you see. I saved Royce for last. I hoped that he would hear of his friends' deaths and understand, know what was coming for him. I hoped the fear would make the end worse for him. I think it worked. He was hiding inside a windowless room behind a door as thick as a bank vault's. guarded outside by armed men, when I caught up with him. Oops – seven murders," she corrected herself. "I forgot about his guards. They only took a second. I was overly theatrical. It was kind of childish, really. I wore a wedding dress I'd stolen for the occasion. He screamed when he saw me. He screamed a lot that night. Saving him for last was a good idea – it made it easier for me to control myself, to make it slower," she paused and looked at Harry's facial expression and decided to stop there. "After everything was done, I went and stayed with Carlisle and his family. Time went on and I was alone. Naturally, Carlisle was concerned that I would spend eternity alone and not have a mate. You know, I saved Emmett from a bear that was mauling him, and carried him home to Carlisle. But can you guess why I stopped the bear from eating him?" Rosalie asked.

Harry looked at her and then looked at Emmett and said, "I'm not too entirely sure."

"With the dark curls… the dimples that showed even while he was grimacing in pain… the strange innocence that seemed so out of place on a grown man's face… he reminded me of Vera's little Henry. I didn't want him to die – so much that, even though I hated this life, I was selfish enough to ask Carlisle to change him for me. I got luckier than I deserved. Emmett is everything I would have asked for. He's exactly the kind of person someone like me needs. And, oddly enough, he needs me too. That part worked out better than I could have hoped. But there will never be more than the two of us. And I'll never sit on a porch somewhere, with him gray-haired by my side, surrounded by our grandchildren."

"But you're happy, right? I mean, even though you can't have children, at least you got some happiness," Harry asked.

"Yeah, I am. It took me a long time to realize that I am happy even though I can't have children," she responded.

"Emmett?" Harry responded.

"Yes?"

"Why was the bear attacking you?" Harry asked, looking at Emmett.

"I was out hunting in the mountains of Tennessee when I was attacked by a bear," he started off.

"Tennessee?" Harry asked.

"It's one of the states in United States of America," Emmett explained.

"You all lived in the States?" Harry asked.

"At that time, yes we did," Ella answered.

"We all lived there before moving here to London," Edward added.

"Oh, okay," he said.

"Anyways, I don't remember why I was out hunting, but I did. I nearly died, but Rosalie found me and brought me to Carlisle. The next thing I remember was being carrying by an angel who brought me to God. Once the pain of the change had passed, both Rosalie and Carlisle explained the situation to me, the whole vampire issue didn't disturb me," Emmett explained.

"Which surprised both Rosalie and Carlisle," Edward replied.

"Yeah, it did, but then I told them, 'If Carlisle and Rosalie, my angel, were vampires, how bad could it be?' I did have trouble with the rules at first and tasted human blood on several occasions but I managed to follow the rules," Emmett said.

"Do you regret not remembering anything from your human years?" Harry asked.

"No, because I have my angel right here and that's all I need," Emmett replied. Harry felt that he related to Emmett in some ways because he was content with what he had as did Harry. He'd rather have family then all the money that he had in his pockets.