(A/N: Not so much with the naughty in this chapter, but it's important nonetheless. Tried to fit in some funny bits now and then so it didn't get too angsty. Hope you enjoy. Feel free to review as usual. I read them all.)
Everything was much quieter now that Bella and Rosalie seemed to have stopped arguing. Most everyone had taken notice of the fact that the two were hanging out together more but thought nothing more of it than the fact that Alice and Jasper were still on their 'extended honeymoon' so as far as 'teenage' girls went all they had was each other. Since everyone was still doing their part to keep the secret, no one was the wiser. But like before, neither of the two girls mentioned what happened until a few weeks later.
"Yes, Bella?" Rosalie asked, hearing Bella's steps toward their room.
Bella slowly made her way into the room before leaning against the doorway. "Emmett, do you mind if I borrow Rosalie for a bit?"
Emmett raised one of his eyebrows. "Define borrow."
Bella rolled her eyes. "We'll just be talking."
A grin slowly began to form on Emmett's face. "You promise?"
"If it develops into anything else, we'll call you." Rosalie commented, matching Emmett's grin.
"Like you did last time, right?" Emmett asked, skeptically.
"Emmett…" Bella growled.
"Fine fine. I suppose, I'll allow you to borrow her."
"Allow?" Rosalie asked, obviously not happy with the phrasing.
Emmett just grinned back. "That's what I said."
Rosalie chuckled as she got up to leave with Bella. "Yeah, we'll talk about that later."
"I look forward to it." Emmett called back.
The two vampires ran in silence until they were back in the woods, where they had their previous…'discussion'. "Soooo, what did you want to talk about?" Rosalie asked, a coy smile forming which faded as she saw the serious expression on Bella's face. "Bella, what's wrong?"
"It didn't work…" Bella grumbled, leaning against one of the trees that were still standing after Rose and Emmett were done with the area.
"It didn't work?" Rosalie repeated.
"The whole, having sex to get you out of my head thing. It didn't work…" Bella mumbled with a pout.
"Well I am damn good." Rosalie said with an exaggerated sigh.
"It's not the sex, Rose. Well…that was good…but it's just…well…"
Rosalie took Bella's hand. "Come on, just tell me."
Bella instinctively tightened her hands around Rosalie's. "Well…we've been getting to know each other a lot more lately and…I think that's the problem."
Rosalie slowly nodded. "Edward's getting suspicious."
"See…that's the problem. I really don't care if he is or not. I should care about that, shouldn't I, Rose? It's like…something Edward told me once. That vampires stay the same, but on rare occasions they change. And that change is a permanent one. Which makes no sense when you think about it because if something's permanent then how can it change in the first place. It just-"
Rosalie smirked as she interrupted. "Bella, you're rambling."
"Rosalie, I think I love you. It's not just the physical aspects of you either. It's…everything. I feel like I'm going insane. And-" Bella was interrupted again as Rosalie's lips pressed against hers.
"You talk too much." Rosalie stated, keeping her smile.
Bella gave a pained and very forced smile. "I guess that's the response I should have expected…"
Rosalie's expression went serious as she let out a sigh. "Bella…what…good would me giving an actual response be? I…don't want to hurt you… As long as you don't know how I feel, you don't have to take my feelings into account. I'll just be a fling."
"You're assuming that you were just a fling for me. That's what I'm telling you… If that's all I am to you then fine, but…I just thought you should know one way or the other I don't think it's fair for me to be with Edward anymore. He's a great person and…he deserves someone who can still love him as much as I used to." As Bella spoke, her hands began to loosen from Rosalie's.
"Bella… are you…honestly saying that you'd choose me over Edward?" Rosalie asked, obviously awed.
"Yes. I would. It was really difficult for me to admit that outloud so…would you-?"
"…don't make me choose between you and Emmett…" Rosalie murmured, almost incoherently.
Bella sighed. It was odd being on this side of that tone. She found herself having a whole new respect for what Jacob had to go through. "…I understand, Rose."
"No. You don't." Rosalie muttered. "Because I don't. I don't…know, Bella. If I had to choose between you I really don't know who I'd choose. But I think losing either of you would kill me. It's like my heart doubled to accompany you both…and if I lost one of you…"
This time Bella was the one who interrupted Rosalie's rambling. It was like knowing that her feelings were returned made the electricity that went through her at Rosalie's touch even that more extreme. Bella's lips hungrily explored Rosalie's neck and down her collarbone, taking in her scent. Rosalie let out a loud gasp, causing Bella to moan more distinctly as she kissed lower.
"…Bella…" Rosalie breathed.
Bella stopped as she recognized the fear in Rosalie's voice and realized that they weren't alone. It turned out Rosalie's gasp had very little to do with Bella's kissing.
"I suppose this is the part where you ask, 'How long have you been here?' and my response would be 'Long enough.'" A voice said, in an almost monotone.
"Edward…" Bella started. "I…I wish I could tell you this isn't what it looks like…"
"I know." Edward replied. "It seems when you realized that Rosalie felt the same way, you unconsciously dropped your shield around her thoughts. I wasn't listening specifically for them of course, but she was very…happy…it was like she was shouting it to me."
"Bella…I'm so so sorry." Rosalie gasped.
"No Rose. It's not your fault. And…we…we needed to get this out in the open anyway." Bella said, trying to keep her composure. But the Edward's calmness was making her very nervous.
"If that's the case, then why don't you drop your shield completely? I know how Rosalie feels. Don't I deserve to know the same about you?" Edward asked, keeping his calm voice.
Bella was obviously surprised by Edward's request but nodded. He was right. He did deserve to know how she really felt. And just as she'd learned new tricks with her shield, she had learned how to drop hers if she wanted to. The only reason she didn't normally was that she liked having her thoughts to herself and like the filter she had to focus to do it. But with a deep breath she gave Edward what he asked for. Dropping the shield, she thought of how she felt about Rosalie and likewise how she felt about Edward and waited for his reaction.
Short of a bit of a flinch, Edward remained like stone. "I see."
Both Bella and Rosalie were waiting for the rest of it but Edward just stayed there and kept his expression stern. "Is that it? That's all you're going to say?" Rosalie asked.
Edward looked at Rosalie, once more a very short show of emotion on his face. "If that's how you feel there…isn't much I can do about it is there?" Edward then turned to Bella. "Would you…give me and Rosalie a moment?"
A shock of fear went through Bella's body. A feeling that she rarely felt when Edward was involved. But whether it was a vampire sense or a female intuition deal, she wasn't going to ignore it. "No."
This seemed to catch Edward off guard but his expression once again returned quickly. "Bella, please. I just want to talk."
Once again that shock went through Bella's body. "I'm…sorry Edward but no. I'm…getting a feeling that conversation won't have a lot of talking."
Edward's reaction to the accusation did nothing to calm her fears about it. Bella didn't want anyone fighting over her. And more than that. Rosalie was no fighter. Sure she could hold her own if she needed to but she didn't have much faith in Rose's chances against Edward. "I won't hurt her. We just have a lot of…issues to talk about."
Bella stood her ground. "No Edward. I'm sorry but…you've lied to me before to 'protect' me and I'm getting a feeling this is one of those times."
In one swift motion, Rosalie stepped in front of Bella. "Bella…it's okay. You can leave."
As reassuring as Rosalie sounded, a look went over Edward's face very quickly when Rose stepped in front of Bella as if protecting her from him. He could try to hide it all he wanted but all 3 of them knew he was furious and trying his best to play it calm. "I'm not going anywhere." Bella growled back, stepping in between them again.
"Bella…" Both Rosalie and Edward growled back. It was obvious what was going on. They both knew a fight was inevitable and didn't want Bella in the middle of it. But for that exact reason, in the middle was where she was insisting on staying.
"I'm not leaving! If you want to 'talk' then you'll have to do it with me here!" Bella snapped back.
Bella immediately regretted those words as she could practically see the gears turning in Edward's head. Fact was, he was faster than both of them. If he really wanted to attack Rosalie without hurting Bella it was just a matter of planning, which was exactly what it looked like he was doing. "Edward, please. Don't!" Bella pleaded.
"I don't know what you're talking about Bella." Edward growled back, a plotting look still on his face.
It was like an electric shock was going through Bella as she tried to think of a way to avoid this. She didn't want Rosalie hurt and she didn't want them to fight but it seemed like that'd be happening whether she wanted it to or not in a matter of seconds. Bella really didn't want to have to fight Edward. Words couldn't describe how much she didn't want to do that…but she realized that if he tried to take Rosalie away from her…she would. It would kill her inside, but she would do it.
"Don't do it, bro." A voice said from behind Edward, making everyone turn to the source. "None of us will like where that's going to lead." Emmett said, his usual humorous tone, downright threatening.
Edward growled back, instinctively, trying to ignore the girls relaxing slightly. Edward might be able to get around Bella to get to Rosalie but it would be much trickier getting about Bella and Emmett. "This has nothing to do with you, Em." Edward growled.
"The hell it does and you know it." Emmett growled back, stepping in front of Bella, who actually let him this time. "I know where you're coming from, man. But I still can't let you do it."
Edward was obviously having a much harder time keeping his composure. You could tell that instinctively he wanted to crouch and attack but he kept standing upright. "I'm going to ask you to leave, Emmett. Before this becomes very…unpleasant." Edward threatened.
"Not gonna happen, bro. Look at it from my perspective. If…Alice made Bella even happier but it meant that Jazz was going to be cut out of the equation, what would you do?" Emmett asked.
"I'd protect Alice and Bella." Edward growled back. "But likewise, what would you do in my position?"
Emmett shrugged with a smirk. "Try to kill Bella and hope that Rosalie would forgive me eventually."
Bella gave Emmett a look but she couldn't say she didn't understand the feeling. Meanwhile Rosalie was subtly fastening her arms around Bella protectively, but it was obvious it wasn't because of Emmett's comment. Bella was on edge in case Rosalie tried to move her out of the way.
"So you understand?" Edward asked.
Emmett nodded. "Oh I totally understand. Doesn't change anything though. I'm not letting you near either of them."
Edward narrowed his eyes. "Emmett. I don't want to do this but I do feel the need to point out that you've never-"
"Beaten you?" Emmett finished. "What if I pointed out the fact that you've never in your life actually had to use defense? And as long as Bella's on my side that's all you'd have." Emmett stated, motioning back to Bella. And surely enough, Emmett's mind immediately went blank as far as Edward could see. "Don't take this the wrong way Edward, but…I'd own you. Just walk away, man. Just walk away."
Edward growled back. He didn't like to admit it but it's true. Considering he still refused to spar with Bella, he'd yet to fight someone whose mind he couldn't read. He would be at a huge disadvantage, as if apparently 3 on 1 wasn't enough. Edward then relaxed his stance and sighed, giving a look to Bella before turning around.
"Edward?" Bella called out, stopping him in his tracks. Edward just turned his head back a little, waiting for Bella to say what she was going to say. Unfortunately, even she didn't know what she wanted to say. What do you say to the guy who was everything you ever wanted until you realized you didn't want it anymore? "…be safe…" She murmured.
Then Edward was gone. The three remaining vampires stared at his retreating form until they couldn't see it anymore. Bella wanted to slap herself in the head. Not only had she used one of Edward's messages on him but they both knew that she was 'subtly' reminding him of the promise they made a few years ago that if one of them died the other one wouldn't try to kill themselves. Needless to say…she felt like crap.
"Oh…fuckcicles…" Bella grumbled.
"…Bella? What…the hell…is a fuckcicle?" Rosalie asked.
"Hm…if I had to guess, I'd say it's a dildo…on a stick." Emmett suggested.
"Oo! Where can I get one!?"
"…I hate you both." Bella commented, slightly glad that there was at least something in this situation she could possibly laugh at.