Take Time

AN: I'm sorry this chapter took so long, been dealing with some personal issues including the loss of a friend. So hopefully it came out okay and i hope you guys like it. LMK.

Every light in Rosalie's room is off but it's not void of light; it's just past three in the morning and the slowly brightening sky lights up the room just enough to discern shadow from body. The rain is still falling in a constant drizzle and though Rosalie isn't facing the window, she can see their shadows fall across Bella's face like shadow puppets dancing as they slide down the window panes. Rosalie had focused on the soft thump of Bella's heartbeat and the pitter patter of the rain, the two together were intoxicating. It almost felt as though she could drift off and sleep alongside Bella, as impossible as that is.

Bella had fallen into a restless sleep not long after they had gotten into bed and had only just settled into a deeper more restful sleep in the past hour. She dutifully ran a bath for Bella and waited for the girl to bathe and dress, then when Bella emerged from the ensuite Rosalie had gently coaxed Bella into her bed. Rosalie had been surprised when hands reached out to her as she lay beside the quiet girl, but she had been all too happy to hold Bella into her side as the girl clung to her for comfort.

They didn't talk, not one word and when Bella submitted to sleep, her hands became animated and took turns clinging to Rosalie's body and trying to push her away. Rosalie held Bella firm the entire time, steady and strong, and didn't allow Bella's body to move even an inch aways from hers, it didn't matter how much Bella fought in her sleep. Every once in a while a word would slip past Bella's lips and they were enough to clue Rosalie in on the overall tone of Bella's dreams. She had been relieved when Bella had finally settled against her with a deep sigh just an hour ago.

Now that Bella was settled she could focus on the small, but not so small, amazement she felt over having Bella's body in full contact with her own. Yes, this was less than ideal circumstances, and Bella's fears and emotions were nothing to be trivialized, and yes Rosalie felt like an ass just thinking it, but from Rosalie's point of view this might have been the best night of her existence so far. She completely understood where Bella was coming from and she gets why Bella views things the way she does, but Rosalie knew what she knew.

There had been no turning back for Rosalie once she accepted the fact that she had found her mate in a human. Bella was allowed to freak out and doubt this, Rosalie had wanted to fight it too. However, Rosalie had one up on Bella because Rosalie is a vampire, and therefore she could literally feel Bella in her soul and everything in Rosalie pulled her toward Bella, it's an undeniable thing. She had no idea if human mates could feel it, but she knew that when humans described a soulmate type of connection that they truly had no idea what they were talking about.

Vampires are never changing, perfect forever. Most holdfast to the beliefs and morals they'd been changed with. Behaviors, habits and dislikes often carried over and stayed with them. Even after they've almost completely forgotten what it was like to be human, they still carried these things with them, but they could still be changed and developed given an eternity to do so.

Love is the only permanent thing in a vampire's soul. They wake up already searching for it. They carry the emptiness with them in every fake breath before they find it, and when they do find it, that's it. A vampire mates for life, it's always a sure thing, it's never failed, not once. So Rosalie can be patient. She patiently worked her way into Bella's life. She allowed their friendship to grow naturally, and let the mate bond grow. She'll court, or date, Bella as long as it takes for Bella to see that she's serious, because in the end Rosalie had undeniable proof that she and Bella are meant to be.

She could weather this storm, and she could take time to enjoy the perks that came along with it. Rosalie smirked in the shadow of the room as she watched a rain drop's shadow slide down across Bella's lips. She had felt exhilarated on the highway tonight as she tempted and dared the tension between them to burst wide open and burn them. Then to have felt Bella's lips on hers, no matter how momentary it was, it was like feeling her own heart race again. Rosalie had felt alive.

"Rosalie."

She grinned again as her name passed Bella's lips in a happy tone. Yeah, Bella could have all the time she needed, she can break down and take steps back and they'll go forward again all the same. Rosalie is here for all of it, because the moments where Bella let herself slip into the dream of loving Rosalie are the sweetest thing Rosalie has ever tasted and she's addicted.

Bella wakes up gently, still nestled into Rosalie's shoulder with the blonde's arms holding their bodies as close as they could get. Their legs were tangled together underneath Rosalie's soft comforter and Bella's body halfway covered Rosalie's. Any other time Bella would have blushed and felt the need to run away after the scene she'd caused last night, but she was just too emotionally spent to pretend that she didn't want this.

Rosalie didn't make a sound nor did she try to move away even though Bella knew that she knew Bella was awake, and it made it easier for Bella to just accept things as they were and so she laid there thinking things over.

Everything had come to a head last night and she ended up taking it out on Rosalie and her very nice parents. After the mental breakdown her memory begins to get fuzzy, but she does remember that no one had been mad at her after it happened.

She remembers crying until she went numb and then…nothing. The next thing she remembers clearly is Rosalie taking off her shoes and sending her into the bathroom with a change of clothes. It goes black again until Bella sees herself in bed next to Rosalie and then she makes the decision to reach out to the blonde, then, that's it.

All her fears and emotions had been summed up in her dreams as Bella fought imaginary scenes of both falling in love with the woman as well as the whole Cullen clan betraying her when she needed them most. Charlie had even crept into a dream or two. Bella knew that underneath all her turmoil she was just scared.

For all her bravado, Bella never truly thought that she was good enough to be Rosalie's mate. She didn't feel good enough for anything that had to do with any of the Cullens. Yet, here they were, offering Bella everything she ever wanted on a platter, a family who truly seemed to love and care about each other, and herself, someone to love who loved her and would choose her over everything, and an eternity to enjoy it.

Then there was the whole situation with Charlie, god the man was giving her a headache. All her life she had been ignored and pushed away. Then she meets a supernatural family that offers her forever, the only downside being that no one can know which probably means that if she chose the Cullens then that'd mean saying goodbye to her human life. When Rosalie first came into her life the answer would have been easy, now Charlie wants to actually act like a father and Bella was conflicted over whether or not she wanted to give him that chance, or was it just too late? Would she feel guilty over just abandoning him just so that she could take her chance to be happy?

The answer wasn't clear, the future wasn't clear and neither were Bella's feelings. No, that wasn't quite true either, two crystal clear feelings raged a bloody war inside her, one feeding the other. First, Bella was scared. Terrified. Petrified. Bella was down right hysterical over the thought that this was all just a trick and at any moment Rosalie would laugh in that evil way of hers, only this time Bella wouldn't find it sexy. The thought of losing Rosalie horrified Bella down to her very core and that was because of the second feeling; love.

Bella was scared to lose Rosalie because as much as Bella fought the feeling it never stopped Bella from falling. Bella had been aware of Rosalie since the moment the family came to town. Bella had always wanted to know her, but Bella also knew that there was actually no way in hell that she could gain Rosalie's attention let alone keep it. Then Rosalie blew her theory to shit and bulldozed her way into Bella's life like dynamite exposing the entrance to a long forgotten cave.

Rosalie captivated Bella in an all consuming type of way. Even when they truly disagree and fight, Bella still wants more. Rosalie had said to her that she wanted Bella and everything Bella was and had to give. Bella hadn't believed her, she had been too scared to. Bella wanted to laugh at her train of thought because how in the hell had she not seen how hypocritical she's been. She'd been mad at Rosalie for wanting the same things Bella wants. God, when had she become such a punk teenager, with abandonment and self worth issues apparently? Yeah, Bella could see why Rosalie thought she was such a winner.

Bella accidentally snorted out a laugh against Rosalie's shoulder and having not expected such a noise, Rosalie actually flinched. It didn't help Bella as she laughed harder which caused Rosalie to move out from beneath Bella and Bella felt her face hit the cold pillow beneath. She could hear Rosalie's scoff and so she quickly got ahold of herself. She peeked up at Rosalie only to see the blonde raised up on her arms and looking down at Bella as though she'd lost her damn mind. Bella wasn't sure, but it still felt like she had her wits about her.

"Why are you laughing?"

Bella gathered the pillow beneath her and hugged it to her head as she lay comfortably in the bed. The way Rosalie's beautiful locks were framing her face with the lowlight behind her, well Bella's breath had been taken away, so it took her a minute to answer, but when she did, she did so honestly.

"Just thinking about my mental breakdown over Charlie getting sober and how overwhelming it is to accept the fact that I've met a vampire family who actually wants me. That and the fact that I've been terrified of falling in love with you and yet terrified of losing you at the same time. I want everything you have to give and yet I can't believe that you want the same because evidently I am just an eighteen year old human girl who is dealing with abandonment and self worth issues."

Bella took a deep breath as she stared calmly at Rosalie. There was no friction in her body, she felt liquid and warm as she continued to speak. "I embarrassed myself last night in front of your parents and have been very back and forth with my feelings about everything, but I really am just doing the best I can given all of the circumstances. I'm trying to accept the fact that you want me. I'm trying to ignore the fear that I'm not your forever. I'm also wrestling with the fact that Charlie is asking for a second chance as a father, and as much as he doesn't deserve that, I might actually want it. However, if I chose you and your family then I will be changed and that means no Charlie, ever."

Rosalie looked startled as Bella talked and when Bella talked about being changed Bella could have sworn she heard a growl, but hey, she probably needed time to process. "We're not talking about that last thing yet. I'm not ready to, and I doubt you are." Bella finally finished.

Rosalie jerked her head a bit as though it was hard for her to nod. She was silent for a while and Bella waited patiently for her to digest everything. The whole time her eyes burned into Bella's and though most would have probably found her gaze to be intimidating, Bella found reassurance in it. Finally Rosalie spoke with the words of Carmilla, and though they weren't her own words Bella swears J. Sheridan Le Fanu wrote them just for Rosalie to use.

"I have been in love with no one, and never shall, unless it should be with you." Then in a whisper she spoke the words Bella had truly never seen coming. "Bella, you are my mate."

Carlisle stood at the back of the small church basement as he waited for the chance to talk to the man who caused his new daughter so much pain. He held a small cup of coffee in his hands and was convincingly 'drinking' it. In truth, this wasn't the first time Carlisle had attended such a meeting, in the early 90s he had attended a couple for a year or two, it fascinated him how AA meetings could be applied to the life of a 'vegetarian' vampire. People here struggled to keep their addictions to drugs and alcohol at bay just as he and his family fought against the urge to drink human blood.

Carlisle was here though for one reason and one reason only, Bella. Sunday night had been an awful night for everyone in the family, worst of all for his new daughter. Ever since finding out more about Bella's life growing up, he had struggled to find compassion for Charlie, even less for Renee. Bella was such a charming, smart and kind hearted girl and to think that she had been neglected in such a way enraged both he and Esme.

However, Carlisle did find himself at Charlie's home meeting on the night he was supposed to get his chip. It's Friday night, and after a long week, his wife had finally convinced him to go but only for Bella. The plan is simple, he hangs back and listens to the meeting and Charlie's story when he takes the podium, then after he would hang back and possibly get the man's attention, then they'd talk. The night had gone swimmingly, and now as if on cue, Charlie walks over.

"Dr. Cullen?"

Carlisle looked up with false shock as Charlie stopped in front of him. "Oh, uh, just Carlisle here."

Charlie blushed feverishly and he stumbled over his words. "R-right, o-of course, please forgive me. I guess, well I'm just shocked to see you here." He ran a hand nervously through his curly brown hair, looked down at the ground for a few moments then met Carlisle's eyes again.

Carlisle could smell his fear, so he smiled cooly, "Most would be shocked I bet." He laughed casually. "I don't go to meetings too often anymore, just when I need to…I had a pretty bad patient this morning and wanted the support."

"Right, right." Charlie nodded. "How long-I mean if you don't mind me asking, but how long have you been in the program?"

Carlisle gave another smile to ease the man, took a sip of his coffee then answered." A very long time, I had a drinking problem in my teens and then again in my early twenties while at med school, but it's been over ten years now since I've had a sip."

Charlie's eyes widened. "Wow, I've only just got a month under my belt…it's hard, well I'm sure you know."

"Addiction is hard and it's a lifetime battle, I just remind myself of all I have to lose. I have a wonderful life, an amazing wife, kids that I'd die for, well you know that, you have Bella, right?" Carlisle watched as Charlie's entire demeanor deflated right before his very eyes.

"H-How do you know, Bella?" He stared down at the floor, then at the wall behind Carlisle before finally settling on Carlisle's forehead.

"Oh, she's great friends with my kids, especially Rosalie. The two are thick as thieves really, always doing something or hanging around the house. Rosalie doesn't make friends easily so it was quite a surprise when she took interest in bella, not that we don't get it, i mean, Bella is quite wonderful."

The more Carlisle talked the sicker Charlie started to look, when Carlise finally stopped, Charlie gave a hefty sigh and looked back at Carlisle with defeated eyes. "Oh, that's where she's been." he said it almost to himself, shook his head and spoke again. "Would you maybe want to have dinner with me tonight? We can talk more about the girls. I'd love to know what's going on with her right now. I-I would like to talk to her, I just, i don't know how…I've never been sober enough to learn…"

For the first time tonight, Carlisle could see just how much shame and guilt Charlie had about being a shitty parent, and it made Carlisle feel something more than disdain; he felt pity and sorrow. "Sure Charlie, let me just tell Esme."