Rosalie arrived at Bella's house to sneak her out at precisely nine pm. Bella wondered if Charlie had even fully rounded the corner and disappeared from view when Rosalie arrived in her whisper-quiet cherry red BMW.

"What, no loud sports car?"

"Not tonight. That's my attention-grabbing car. I modified the muffler to make it louder." Rosalie shrugged. "Red is for when I'm stealing innocent young women while their father isn't home."

Bella laughed. She was laughing more around Rosalie than she ever had with Edward, or hell, even with Jake.

It was around nine-thirty when they finally got into the Cullen's house, said all their hello's to her family, and finally made their way into Rosalie's room. "I wasn't kidding about the soundproofing, by the way." She was hanging her jacket up in the closet. Bella noticed her own sweatshirt from the day hanging in there. "If you shut the door, you won't hear anyone, and they won't hear us."

Bella shut the door. She hadn't ever really paid attention to the bedroom doors in the Cullen house when she'd been there before. Why would she? In Edward's room he had played music he wanted her to hear. As soon as the door latched, it felt like she was in a sensory deprivation room. The conversations she had heard from the living room were gone. She couldn't hear the forest outside, the stovetop where Esme had been cooking, nothing. Rosalie wasn't even breathing. The only sound she heard was her own feet on the carpet as she kicked off her shoes. "That's so weird." She turned to find Rosalie, who was looking at her with her head tilted like a puppy. "The soundproofing. Everything else just disappears."

"When everyone in your house can hear you and you can hear them, the soundproofing is necessary. I would never be able to relax with Emmett playing video games in the living room right below this room. He smashes controllers on purpose and on accident. And Alice and Jasper? They could, um, let's say, shatter eardrums."

"That's something I never needed to know."

Rosalie looked sad as she nodded. "I know. But, eventually, you're going to know everything about us."

The somber mood hit Bella hard. Today had been fun. At school, they were playing a part, and it had been enjoyable so far. Unfortunately, the reason for all of this was still as serious as it had ever been. She was going to join the Cullen's soon whether she wanted to or not. Rosalie went to the glass wall of her bedroom and drew curtains across it. She turned on bedside lamps, then turned off the bright overhead light. The room felt cozier; smaller.

"Bella, I want you to know that, in this house, but especially in this room, you can be yourself entirely. You don't have to pretend in here. If you're sad, if you're angry, whatever it may be, it's all safe for you to feel and show here. I know that we're playing a part now to protect everyone, but not in this room." Rosalie sat on her desk chair, spinning it around to face Bella. "If you wanted to curse me out, throw things at me, or even just flip me off for an hour, this is a great place to do it."

Bella crossed the large room on numb legs. She collapsed onto Rosalie's bed and pulled her knees up to her chest. "I'm not...scared, exactly." How could she explain her feelings? Did she have the words? "I feel resigned to this. I do have a question, though."

"Ask me anything." Bella noticed that Rosalie had put a lot of space between them. "I will answer most things." She assumed this was what Rosalie preferred in private. She didn't know if she appreciated it or despised it. She was already getting used to being in physical contact with Rosalie all the time.

"After I turn, if I survive the change...what will we do then?" Her fingers gripped the bedding, looking for something to hold on to. "If we're supposed to be mates, wouldn't we have to be together forever?"

Rosalie was watching Bella's hands on her blanket. "I've thought of that. Mate bonds have never been studied between a human and a vampire. Because of that, there is a chance that we think we're mated, but we're wrong once you turn. Or at least, that's what we'll tell anyone who thinks too hard about our sudden unmated life. When you're no longer a human, it won't matter. The secrecy law applies to current humans, not past ones." She finally looked up. "Carlisle saved Esme, but he had no idea she was his mate until she turned. There was an attraction, but nothing beyond that that they were aware of."

Bella rolled onto her back and stared at the four-poster frame of Rosalie's bed. It had a curtain around it that could enclose the bed, and she wanted to reach out, pull the curtain closed, and see if it was as cozy as she imagined it must be. Instead, she sat still, looking straight up. "You wanted us to talk. What about?"

"Of course." She sighed. "Today, we dove right into an established couple. We missed a few steps."

"Like what? A promposal?"

"No, you bozo. I mean discussions. We have done a lot today. A lot of kissing. A lot of touching."

Bella squeezed her eyes shut as Rosalie said, "Touching." She was... feeling again. "Yes, we have."

"Has that been okay? Are there things that weren't okay? Are there things you don't want me to do? Are there things you want me to do?" Rosalie paused, and Bella wondered what she was waiting for. "Do you want me to ravish you in the library?"

Bella refused to think about why her skin was warming, and her stomach was turning. She chose to answer with a laugh, "Not this soon. Maybe later."

"See, that's what I need to know. Ravishing later." There was a pause for a moment. Bella rose up on her elbows to look at Rosalie's face. She looked concerned as she watched the carpet. "I do need to know. Was there anything today you didn't like? Anything that made you uncomfortable?"

Bella thought about the day. She was a little uncomfortable after the closet escapades, but probably not in the way Rosalie was asking about. That was...different. "No, everything has been fine so far. If I'm honest, I kind of like how public you're being. It's sort of nice." Rosalie was so comfortable showing that Bella was hers, and she was Bella's. It was a stark contrast to the push, push, push, pull that dating Edward had been, and she wondered about that. Rosalie was so comfortable with her. Touching, standing close, and kissing Bella seemed to cause Rosalie no discomfort. "Can I ask you something?"

Rosalie looked up, meeting Bella's eyes. "Of course."

"How are you so okay with all of this? Me here, in your room, in your space? Um, he was never at ease like you are." Bella didn't want to say Edward's name out loud, and she was sure she didn't need to.

Rosalie crossed the room deliberately slowly. She lifted her hand just a bit, then paused. "Can I?" She waited for Bella's permission before she moved any further. Bella nodded. Rosalie gently touched Bella's face, letting the base of her hand rest on the girl's neck. Bella felt her pulse race under the weight of the cool hand. "I think it's almost entirely based on the fact that your blood doesn't call to me more than anyone else's. I've never drained a human, and you're not my singer." She smiled, then removed her hand. "Also, unlike Eddy boy, I've ravished a few fair maidens in my day, and almost all of them were human."

Bella grabbed one of the pillows from the bed and covered her face, hiding as Rosalie laughed. It was a loud, true laugh. She wanted to ask so many questions, but she just mumbled into the pillow, "Rosalie, why?"

"Should I stop? If you want me to stop anything I'm doing, you just have to say so." Rosalie gently lifted the pillow Bella was hiding behind. "There's a line, and I know that. But I don't know where your line is."

"If I'm honest, I don't know either." Bella yanked the pillow back and put it under her head.

Rosalie sat at the foot of the bed. She wasn't touching Bella, but she wasn't as far away this time, either. "Can I ask you a personal question? You don't owe me any answers."

Bella's stomach twisted in knots. What could possibly be coming? She nodded anyway. This was her 'mate,' so she might as well be open to all questions.

"Have you ever...needed a guide to 'sexual safety and satisfaction?'"

"Rosalie…what's your middle name?"

"Lillian."

"Rosalie Lillian Hale. You dare ask a lady about her sexual history?"

"Actually, I asked Isabella Marie Swan about her sexual history."

"I am offended."

"Not my intention."

"Still how I feel."

"If I ravish you, will you feel better?"

Bella threw the pillow at Rosalie. She seemed to have caught it, put it back under Bella's head, and resumed her seat at the end of the bed before Bella could even blink.

"What if I said yes?"

"Then I would establish your boundaries and probably follow through." Bella sat up and scooted against the headboard. She pulled another pillow in front of her and held it tightly. "Though your body language says that was the wrong answer?" Rosalie sped from the bed to sit in her desk chair again, leaving an entire room between them. "My apologies; I never want to actually make you uncomfortable, especially about these things."

Bella rested her chin on the pillow and looked across the room, meeting Rosalie's golden eyes with her own. "I have not in my life had a need for Jess' guide. Yet. You?"

Rosalie's expression was unreadable. "I wish I had grown up in a time where someone was willing to provide a guide like this. In my life, I could have used one. In my undeath," she smirked, "I could make one." Rosalie said that with the cocky presence of a gold medal winner. It eased the tension in the room, and they both chuckled. "Does my sexual prowess bother you?"

"Not even a little bit." And it didn't. Bella relaxed a bit, clutching the pillow in front of her less protectively. She noticed that her answer must have been reassuring, because Rosalie relaxed too. She was still smiling.

"Does this mean I should quit offering to ravish you in public and private places?"

Bella's heart skipped as she briefly considered Rosalie 'ravishing her private places.' Where had that come from? "No, I don't think so." She leaned into the truth. "To be honest, I kind of like it." She looked down at her hands as she touched the pillow's smooth satin cover. "It's exciting. Even though I don't know if you mean it or not."

"Okay. We'll be selling this for a couple months, so if I do anything wrong, or push too far, even if we're in public I want you to tell me immediately. New relationships can be awkward." Rosalie's eyes focused on the drapery around her bed, rather than on Bella. "I remember that. Not knowing when to speak up, or when to say no to something." She focused back in. "I never want to do that to you. Should we have a code word or something?"

Bella tried not to laugh as she said, "I know the perfect code word to make you stop."

"That would be?"

"Stop." Bella burst out laughing. Rosalie raised her eyebrows. "You know? How do you make someone stop? Stop makes sense."

Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Well then, 'stop' it is. There's one more thing I have to remind you of. Edward can read minds. There is a chance he'll hear some thoughts, and we'll have to deal with his mood swings."

"Yeah, but...he can't read my mind."

Rosalie smiled again. "I didn't say I was worried about your thoughts." Rosalie's smile turned evil. "I'm only human, after all."

Bella's skin felt too tight, and the room was suddenly a little too warm. "What kind of thoughts? Will you add them to Jess's guide?"

"You're a strange girl, Bella. Very strange." Rosalie looked at her, the smile turning cocky one more time. "Maybe I'll ravish you one day if you ask nicely."

Bella wondered what thoughts Edward might be hearing at that moment. She wished she could read minds, too. Instead, she yawned, sank down, and laid flat. "Do you mind if I nap?"

"I do not. Mi casa es su casa."

"I took German."

"Did you really?"

Bella pulled Rosalie's comforter up. "Nope. That's for lying about study hall."

When she next opened her eyes, Bella was confused. Rosalie was gently shaking her, a soft hand on her shoulder. She whispered, "Bella, time to go." The room was much darker than it had been before. She struggled to get her bearings. Rosalie spoke again. "We have to beat your father home, right? I imagine he will revoke my visiting rights if he finds your bed empty." She was, of course, correct. The bed she was already in, however, was the most comfortable place she had ever been.

Bella pulled the blanket over her head and grumbled, "Do I have to?"

"Technically, no." Rosalie sounded like she was smiling. "Do you want to stay grounded?"

"No."

"Then you have until the count of ten to get up." Rosalie actually started counting. "One. Two." Bella clutched the blanket tighter. "Ten!" Bella found herself lifted off the bed, bundled in Rosalie's arms, pillow and comforter included, like some bizarre mummy. She couldn't see anything, just felt the gentle swaying as Rosalie carried her off.

The bedroom door clicked open, followed by Alice's cheerful, "I just had the most delightful vision of...oh! This!" Her gleeful giggle came clearly through the blanket. "Hi, Bella!"

"Excuse me, Alice, I must carry my prize home."

Alice giggled again. "You two are so sweet it would make the candy man sick!"

"I'm being held hostage!" Bella felt a slight change as Rosalie took her down the stairs. It was strange, being unable to see the journey they were making through the house. "Please, rescue me!" Clutched to Rosalie's chest, she could feel and hear the chuckle. Bella hadn't heard the front door open yet, so she knew these were still honest, faithful Rosalie laughs. She liked that. "Help! Alice! I'm a helpless human stolen by a beautiful woman! Save me!"

A woosh of air passed them by. "I'll get the door for you!"

Bella moved her head around until the blanket shifted to reveal her face. She saw a very quick flash of Alice laughing before she shut the door behind them. "Well. I feel slightly betrayed."

Rosalie smiled as she carried Bella to her car. "If it helps, I'm probably the safest vampire in the house for you to be kidnapped by." She unlocked her car and opened the door with one hand, then slid Bella into the passenger seat and buckled her in, bedding and all. Bella was a very trapped, very comfortable, burrito. "I would never hurt you." Rosalie winked at her before gently shutting the door.

Bella smiled to herself as she settled into her burrito. The time flashed on the dashboard as the car roared to life. It was almost four am. Charlie would be home around five. It felt like Bella had blinked, and was back home.

It was disorienting, waking up twice in such a short period of time. Rosalie opened her car door. "We're here."

"Carry me?"

Rosalie looked down at her burrito'd 'mate.' Something flashed across her face. Bella couldn't tell what it was, so she pouted. Was her pout as effective and lethal as Rosalie's? Maybe. "Yes, My Love." Bella was floating again, this time with her head resting on Rosalie's shoulder, feeling the gentle rise and fall of the vampire's smooth gait. She marveled again at how soft but warm this stone-cold vampire felt to her. She remembered having to keep layers between her and Edward to protect her skin from frostbite. With Rosalie, she found herself nuzzling just a little closer as they climbed the stairs. She was so tired, she knew she was drifting off again.

"Rose?" She mumbled. "Stay with me?" Bella opened her eyes as she felt Rosalie pause mid-step.

Rosalie started walking again as she answered. "Of course."

Bella closed her eyes again as she sighed contentedly. She should have known Rose would say yes. This house wasn't safe from prying ears. They were acting again, and they were so believable.

Meditation was an essential part of Rosalie's life. Being awake and aware all the time was a fucking curse far worse than only being able to sustain yourself on blood. Blood sucking had initially been disgusting, but the never-ending consciousness was unbearable. She had even heard that several vampires had lost their grip on sanity due to the inability to turn their minds off, even for a second. Meditation stood in for sleep. She spent thirty years drowning in the endless mundanity before she meditated successfully for the first time, and she tried to use it now to pass the time.

For Rosalie, meditation involved continuing to breathe slowly and deeply, as she imagined whatever comforted her most at the time. In the past, her calm thoughts involved a car she was working on, a project she wanted to do, or even a trip she wanted to take. Once, she had meditated a whole night thinking about an escapade she'd had with a young woman a decade before. Memories were easiest to sink into, as she didn't actively need to consider anything. Right now, she wanted to drift into semiconsciousness while remembering her favorite trek through the Forks woods into Greater Olympia. She lay in the bed next to Bella, took slow, deep breaths, and tried to drift. The soothing scent of Bella was a balm to her. The human had a familiar scent.

As Rosalie relaxed, she realized she was simply enjoying the human's presence. She drifted off, nothing occupying her mind at all. She hadn't achieved this level of thoughtlessness ever before. She was so relaxed that she didn't hear the patrol car pull into the driveway. It wasn't until the front door unlocked that she realized her mistake. She sped from the bed to the floor, then slid underneath it. Bella hadn't stirred, and Rosalie was attempting not to touch her face to the cobwebs under Bella's bed. The Chief opened the door, peeked in, then closed it quietly before moving into his bedroom.

Rosalie quietly cursed herself. She could not be so careless. She extracted herself from under the bed, then rested her chin on the bed while she looked at Bella, who slept soundly. She had no idea the comedy she had just missed, and Rosalie had no intention of informing her of it when she awoke. Instead, she snuck out to get ready for school, so she could come back in time to get Bella and herself there on time.

When Rosalie reappeared at the Swan house, Bella was waiting on the porch for her. She got to the car door quickly, a confused look on her face. "Hi everyone." Alice and Jasper said their hellos while Rosalie watched Bella's face.

"What's wrong?"

"Charlie left this on the table this morning." She held out a piece of paper for Rosalie to read. It said, 'You two know there's a camera out front, right?'

Rosalie paused, then felt cold. Alice laughed as she leaned forward to read it, than said, "There's a camera out front? So Charlie has seen Bella sneaking out and back?"

Jasper tsked in the backseat. "Oh dear, darling. Looks like you're grounded even longer."

Bella slumped into the seat after she buckled up. "I don't even know when he one in. Or where it is."

Rosalie looked at the house. It was clearly on the front porch, pointing diagonally forward to catch their front walk, driveway, and a portion of the road. She and Bella were going to be doing some major ass-kissing to get out of this one. "Well, My Love, it's been nice knowing you. Your father is already going to kill me." Not that he could.

"Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee tonight." Bella grumbled.

Their second day out at school was slightly more reserved. Not only were their moods slightly lower than the day before, but the need to show off was lower too. People knew, they were staring, and Bella seemed uncomfortable now. Rosalie was also experiencing a different level of anxiety.

Rosalie had thought their overnight communication would ease her mind, but instead, she felt more stressed. Emmett and Rosalie had been together (almost exclusively) for decades. In their relationship, Emmett had always been a bright green light. Whatever it was, Emmett was down to try it. Rosalie had been the yellow light: the one who needed to be approached with caution sometimes. The one who needed patience and couldn't always be thrown against a wall and kissed senseless. Sometimes, she needed gentle. Sometimes, she needed space. She could read the rare moments Emmett needed time, a hand held only, or for her to sit on the couch but not touch him. Now, she was experiencing just a modicum of what he must have gone through with her.

Bella's lack of experience was none of Rosalie's business, though she was glad the girl felt comfortable sharing it. The actual problem was that when Rosalie had asked her boundaries, Bella didn't know enough about what was okay for herself to even share with Rosalie. How could she navigate that? How could she carefully make sure not to hurt the girl inadvertently? Rosalie would stop any time she was told to, but what if she did emotional damage to Bella before then? What if-

Rosalie's phone buzzed. It was a message from Bella. 'Want to eat lunch together?'

Of course.

My table or yours...

Rosalie rolled her eyes. Did she subject Bella to Edward's bullshit, or did she subject herself to human company? Edward looked over at her. Unfortunately, they shared a few classes this year. She sneered at him. The teacher chose to look at her that moment. He dropped the beaker he was attempting to show them, and it shattered. While he cleaned it up, she took that moment to text Bella back.

Your table this time. If it's terrible, we'll have to talk about tomorrow. She received a thumbs-up and prepared herself. When they left Forks, they really needed to talk about pretending to be college students from now on. Teenagers were exhausting.

Rosalie paid for and carried their lunches. "You know, Rosalie, I can carry my own food. And pay for it."

"I do know that." Rosalie set the trays down side by side where Bella usually sat. Tomorrow, you can carry mine and even pay if you like." They sat down and settled into their seats. The humans got quiet as they stared at the two of them. It was a little awkward. Rosalie leaned in to whisper, "It turns out I am really enjoying being the chivalrous one."

Bella blushed again. She cleared her throat. "Everyone, you know Rosalie. Rosalie, you know everyone. And that she's my girlfriend."

Mike snorted and sarcastically said, "We had no idea! It's not like you guys have kissed in every classroom in the school."

"Shut up, Mike. This is why girls keep turning you down. Most recently it was Angela, right?"

"Leave me out of this." Angela lowered her voice and practically whispered, "I don't like boys, either." Rosalie looked around the table. This wasn't news to anyone, or no one had heard her. She met Angela's eyes and realized that Angela hadn't even meant to say it out loud. This would be a conversation for another time.

Jessica put her hand flat on the table. "Rosalie, did Bella share my guide with you?"

Rosalie tore her attention from Angela and focused on Stanley again. The girl seemed to be trying to stare her down. "She did." Rosalie looked at Bella, who seemed confused as well.

"Good." Jess' stare became slightly hostile. Rosalie thought it made her look a little constipated as her brow furrowed. "Do you have any problems with it?"

Oh. This was one of those friendship tests. Rosalie thought they were usually called 'shovel talks.' The 'if you hurt my loved one, I will bury you where they'll never find the body' talks. The entire table seemed tense as they looked between Rosalie and Jessica. "I don't have a single problem."

"Fabulous!" Jessica clapped her hands together, and Rosalie immediately thought she would be best friends with Alice if they were both human. "Just as important: Do you have any pointers to add to the guide?"

Bella choked on the sip of water she'd just taken. She thumped her chest as she spluttered. Rosalie paused, then gently rubbed Bella's back as she waited for the girl to catch her breath. She winked at Jess. "I absolutely have things to add. I'll have Bella tell you about them."

"Rosalie!" Bella hissed, and Rose couldn't help but laugh. Maybe they would sit here each day.

The table relaxed around them. Whatever tension had been building seemed to ease once Jess approved it, and Rosalie laughed. The rest of the table moved on around them. After a few minutes, Rosalie slipped a hand around Bella's waist while she ate. "Hey, I think you need to talk to Angela," she whispered so only Bella could hear her. Bella tilted her head, so Rosalie continued. "Just ask her if there's anything she wants to talk to you about. I think she wants a friend." Bella nodded, and Rosalie zoned back out.

A few minutes later, Tyler cleared his throat. "Hey, Rosalie?"

Rosalie wanted to ignore him. He had asked her out three times in the past, and she could hear the quaking in his voice. If he said anything stupid she would flay him publicly. "Yeah?"

"Are you gonna eat that?" He pointed at her cooling school lunch. It was turkey and mashed potatoes. She thought it smelled disgusting. She shook her head and shoved the lunch across the table. He took the overloaded Styrofoam plate and dug in, saying 'thank you' only once his mouth was already full.

"Ew, Tyler, close your mouth," Lauren sneered. "Excuse him, he was raised in a barn. Literally." The mean girl laughed. Rosalie smiled, but she wasn't foolish enough to let her guard down around this girl. Jessica seemed to have matured in the last year. She didn't trust that Lauren could do the same.

The rest of lunch passed by without a hitch. As Rosalie threw out her and Bella's trays, Jess joined her. "Rosalie, can I make a request?"

"Depends on the request."

"Don't tell me to shut the fuck up again. I did not appreciate it. That is a request, I promise. I forgot the question mark at the end."

"That is a fair request. I'm..." She paused. Was she about to apologize? If she were putting real effort into a relationship with Bella, she would be nicer to her friends. "Sorry. I wasn't thinking." She had never imagined a world where she apologized to Jessica Stanley. What a nightmare.

"It's okay. You were looking out for our girl."

There was a moment, a flash really, where Rosalie almost growled. She did not share. Our girl? Bella was hers. She stuffed that feeling down and nodded. Bella was not hers. She did not own anyone. They walked to the door together, and Rosalie smiled at Jess as she disappeared through the cafeteria door. As she held it open for Bella, Rosalie was surprised when the human caught her collar and yanked her backward.

Rosalie knew she was stronger than Bella. She could easily fight back or even just interfere with being manhandled. She was curious though, so she didn't fight back at all. She pretended to be boneless, letting her human 'mate' pull her around. Bella jerked her to the side, then shoved her to the wall by the cafeteria door. The garbage was right next to them. Rosalie tried not to smell old, discarded human food. It was a fight.

"Hey." Bella smiled as she held the vampire to the wall. She looked proud of herself, as if she had achieved something. Bella leaned into her, making their display appear entirely physical. She looked at Rosalie's lips, playing the part perfectly. Bella lowered her voice. "Before I go ask Angela if she wants to talk about anything, can you please give me a hint of what I'm asking about?"

Lunch ladies were starting to wipe down the tables, so Rosalie caught Bella's hip and pulled them flush. The last of the students were leaving the cafeteria. Rosalie pretended to kiss Bella but just pulled the girl's face close enough to be heard. "I think she might understand what you're going through, now that you have a girlfriend." She kissed the side of Bella's cheek, weaving their hands together and pulling the human with her as a lunch lady shooed them from the room. She heard Bella's soft 'oh' as they made their way to the lockers. She assumed Bella would do the right thing from here.

When Bella kissed Rosalie goodbye before their afternoon classes, she felt like she was doing a good thing, at the very least. She would make a million tiny changes to help keep Bella alive, so she might as well bend a few rules to keep Bella's friends safe as well.