A/N: Hey there, everyone! So, I royally screwed up in promising the Encounters chapter next! (I blame it on not having a beta and a lack of time and organization :) ) I'd discovered that I hadn't labeled the chapter numbers correctly and that I needed to post Edward and Rosalie's part 2 first, which is the correct chronological order! So, what I'll be working on next is editing the Encounters chapter to follow this one, hopefully tomorrow or as soon as I can. (That's 2 chapters in one week - woot!) Anyhow, I hope you enjoy.
Honeymoon Pt 2
Rosalie
They visited Edward's aunt in New Jersey, and by the time they arrived, she needed to clean up because she had grease on her cheek and hadn't been able to fully get it off her hands with the handi wipes in the car. When their rental car started making a clunking sound, she suspected the cause and had him pull over onto the shoulder on the main road before the vehicle began to lose power.
The producer and camera man were making their way over to them, and Edward pulled a card out of his wallet. "I'll just call AAA, hopefully, it won't take too long."
"What? No way." Rosalie reached past Edward's lap before he could object, tugged on the knob next to his knee, prompting open the hood, and then hopped out of the car. He got out next as she fished around the underside for the latch handle. She ignored the producer as the camera man was told to keep rolling and focused on the task in front of her.
"Do you…know what you're looking at?" he asked as she checked the fluids, the engine, and the connections of the wires. A hose had been dislodged, and she reattached and tightened it. Edward shook his head with a chuckle.
"What?"
"You know about cars. I am feeling so inferior right now."
This made her smile, and she asked him to start the car. When it purred to life and the sound of the idling sounded stable again, she pulled the handle and let the hood slam shut. The producer and cameraman had given her some applause before resetting the shot, and as she fastened her seatbelt, she couldn't help feeling a little smug but tried not to show it, instead applying a glob of fragrant sanitizer to her hands.
"So very inferior," Edward said again. "Where did you learn to work on cars?"
The better question for Rosalie was: why hadn't he? He was a man, and most men tinkered with cars. "I made friends with our mechanic and also took shop in high school, but since Daddy did not think that working on cars was suitable knowledge for a female, I never pursued it professionally, so I learned what our mechanic friend was willing to teach me."
"Very impressive, Rosalie. Not only are you beautiful but smart. I'm glad that America gets to see this about you."
She had mixed feelings. She didn't want people to get the wrong idea of her or mistake her sexuality, nor did she want to invite her father's criticism.
Edward seemed to pick up on this. "I think your dad should be proud of you. Shows how self-sufficient you are."
Self sufficient? She'd never been…had always relied on Daddy's money. She cringed to think of him seeing this on television, of him being criticized and how she could pay the price for it. "Daddy's just old-fashioned."
"I did get that impression at the reception. The way he greeted me."
"He just wants what's best for me."
"Does he know what's best for you?"
"Well, he thinks he does."
Edward's eyes went from the road to her. "What does Rosalie Lilian Hale think is best for her?"
She curled her hands into each other. "I honestly don't know anymore, Edward. I thought being an actress was what I wanted. It's always been my goal. Daddy couldn't argue with it too much because of the success that was possible and the fame that went with it."
"And if you never had to rely on your dad, and you didn't have to care what others thought, which you don't, then what would you want to do?"
"I think I would still act. But, I think I would also work on cars, or learn more about mechanics, maybe become an engineer. I have had some designs in mind for cars."
"Welcome to the twenty-first century, Miss Hale. You can do whatever your heart desires."
It was a shock hearing this. It shouldn't have been, but nobody ever expected much more than for her to be beautiful...Her modeling and acting careers always added to that when it gave him bragging rights. The alternative was to work in her daddy's firm, which she knew she did not want to do. Then, here was this man, her husband for all intents and purposes, telling her, giving her permission to do what she wanted.
"Thank you."
He must not have thought she was serious because he actually chuckled. "Like you need my permission."
"You don't understand what that means to me. Thank you."
Edward straightened. He was a doctor, for chrissakes, successful in his own right, and no matter what she'd thought of him before, he seemed to actually care about her happiness. Maybe the show really knew what they were doing…
"You're very welcome."
"You are wrong about one thing," she told him.
"I've been wrong about a lot of things in my life, but what in particular?"
"My name. It's Rosalie Lilian Hale-Masen."
His eyes met hers again, and he took her hand in his, and for the first time, they actually smiled at each other…She was seeing him in a whole new light. "So it is."
Edward
Auntie Judith was his one and favorite aunt, and he hadn't seen her since he graduated from med school. Too many years had passed since he last saw her, and he couldn't pass up the opportunity, given his busy schedule. Edward adored everything about this woman. Well into her sixties, she was set in her ways, stubbornly independent, though she needed help since her hip surgery, often refusing to use a cane or a walker when she walked. She ate what she wanted, as confirmed by her rotund figure, and the only visible proof that he was related to her was that she and his mother had the same long nose and downturned eyes. Very opposite of his mother's long auburn hair, Aunt Judith wore her hair in a gray bob.
Books of all shapes and sizes lined the shelves in her home, lined the countertops and dotted coffee tables, blocking any space for personal items like photos or knick knacks. She'd adopted a spinster-type life, and her pug remained in her lap. She was not a proper lady at all, evidenced by the gruff way she spoke - very opposite of his mom, and while his mother tended to be politically correct with her words, her sister often told Edward the things he didn't want to hear. That was one of the reasons he wanted to see her…with his new bride.
She had to sign the waiver, beforehand, releasing liability of appearing on television and was directed NOT to look at the camera, but she'd had little care for what was expected of her.
"Of all the cockamamie ideas, Edward," she said, shooing away a young woman, who was there trying to refill her tea. "You are a doctor. Surely, you could find yourself a wife!" Aunt Judith's brown eyes darted from Edward to the camera and to the microphone dangling above their heads with annoyance. Then to Rosalie. "No offense. You have to understand. Edward never does what's expected of him. He didn't follow in his dad's footsteps. Nope."
"I…" Rosalie started but Judith cut her off.
"So, you're willing to gamble your happiness on the outcome of a reality show? What does that say about you? That you can't make your own decisions? I mean, come on Edward."
Yep. Here it was. In full force. Though he hadn't gone the route of his father and grandfather, Judith was the one who'd always encouraged him to do what interested him. It was his life to live, she'd say. It had been easy to share that mindset with Rosalie, even hoping that Judith would encourage her further. Now, he wondered if he'd made a big mistake bringing her here.
"Sometimes, you have to trust that life will work out for you if you just take a chance."
Rosalie tried again to cut in, "I…"
"What good did taking chances ever do for your mother?"
Yikes. Did she really want to go there?
This time she turned to Rosalie. "Edward's mother was madly in love with her college classmate. He'd been interested in becoming a doctor. When he was away at med school, Edward's father whisked her attention away. He was a good talker, and he talked her right out of her happiness. She took a chance that what was in front of her would make her happy, instead of waiting for the man she loved."
"Is your mother happy, Edward?" Rosalie asked.
She'd never said she wasn't, but Judith's assertion made sense. His mother often stayed quiet, and she tolerated his father's behavior and plans. She was the complete opposite of her sister. Edward opened his mouth to answer but Judith spoke instead.
"No, she isn't. So, I told your mom I'd be damned if I would watch her son settle for a life that wasn't his. And here you are, you went and did it anyway!"
"Can you just give it a chance?" he asked her. "Why don't you find out more about Rosalie? She would really surprise you. And the experts matched us for a reason."
"I mean no offense to you, Rosalie, like I said. You're obviously very beautiful, but I don't think you're a match for my nephew."
The color of Rosalie's neck turned pink. "You don't even know me. I could make him very happy."
"Ha. I don't think so. You aren't Edward's type."
"Aunt Judith! You don't know what my type is." The thought came to him then…about the girl from the hotel. He didn't want to think it. But, if she was sitting here instead, he was sure this conversation would be going very differently.
"Well, you're wrong," Rosalie said. "Edward and I will be very happy together. You'll see."
"How many kids do you want, darling?"
"Five," Rosalie said, without missing a beat.
"And do you plan on staying home with them?"
"What difference does that make?" Edward asked.
"I do…actually," Rosalie said, meeting her eyes. "When we're ready to make such a huge commitment, but not before then."
This was the first time the topic of children had come up, and he was as surprised as anyone to hear all this. Especially because they'd reached this friendly point in their relationship that hinted at the possibility of there being more. He laid his hand on Rosalie's shoulder. "And not before then. I think you're wrong, Aunt Judith. It takes two to make a marriage work. It's not about whether a person can make the other person happy, but whether the two can agree to put in the work to make each other happy."
"Very well, Edward. Stubborn as always. It's always served you, so I wish you luck."
"Thank you."
"Thank you," Rosalie said.
The car ride back to New York was quiet as Edward struggled to come up with something positive about that visit. "Nice aunt," Rosalie said after a few minutes. "She would get along great with my dad."
He laughed. Despite all that Aunt Judith had dished out, Rosalie hadn't been shaken by it. Maybe it was the camera behind them that gave her strength, or the fact that she'd had to put herself out there so much for auditions and jobs that rejection and criticism wasn't something that she allowed to penetrate her thick skin. It made his admiration for her grow that much more.
"Don't worry about what she said. She never married, you know. What does that say about her?"
"That nobody could make her happy."
"True enough. So, she made it her life purpose to see that I achieved what I wanted."
As they approached the bridge, Rosalie turned to him and asked in a quiet voice, "has she ever been wrong?"
"Not to my knowledge," he said. When her gaze darted downward, he mentally kicked himself. He should have lied.
When Rosalie emerged from the restroom that evening in a long red satin gown, he drew a breath. She was amazingly beautiful. She reminded him of one of those classic beauties whose faces graced the screen in the forties and fifties like Rita Hayworth or Veronica Lake.
That evening, they watched the Broadway performance of Phantom of the Opera, and he caught her foot tapping to the beat as the phantom sang inside his lair. Edward imagined his new wife- this beauty on stage and how captivating her presence would be to an audience. She'd already gathered the attention of many in the lobby. To his surprise, she took his hand in hers for the rest of the performance.
They'd been off to a shaky start, but there was time. At least she didn't hate him anymore and that was something. Underneath the facade was a person with real feelings and insecurities. He was beginning to see the real her and so far, he liked what he was seeing.
Her birthday was coming up, and he'd already spoken to the producer about arranging something very special. They were due to meet the other couples anyway. Why not arrange a surprise party for her? What better way to celebrate than with the only other people who could relate to their very situation?
They packed their bags, ready to depart early the next morning, and though she stayed in her room and he stayed in his, things were a lot friendlier between them…more the way it should be, he thought. In his mind, a meaningful relationship should begin with a courtship…and that's where they were. He was courting his wife. At this point, he wanted nothing more than to see that smile on her face at the surprise party, and for her to know that it was just for her.
He couldn't wait.
A/N: Okay…so next the Encounters chapter where we will pick up with Rosalie and Edward again. Thank you to you all for reading and following and for your reviews and feedback. Will post again as soon as I can.
