Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. The last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

Chapter 1: Viscosity vs. Velocity

Viscosity and Velocity are opposites, yet they can look the same. Viscosity causes the stillness of disinclination; velocity causes the stillness of fascination. An observer can’t tell if a person is silent and still because inner life has stalled, or because inner life is transfixingly busy. – Susanna Kaysen

Pushing through the large wooden doors, Bella sighed as she exited the rare sunshine of the warm, autumn day. She made her way down the long walkway, in between the towering shelves of books, to the long circulation desk at the far side of the library. It never made sense to her the way the check-out desk was so far away from the exit, but the one time she brought it up she was threatened with the idea of having to move the ten-foot-high bookshelves. It certainly didn’t explain why the strange set up was first put into play, but it did keep the girl from ever wanting to fix it. Besides, the placement never seemed to cause any problems, there were still the anti-theft brackets that had been around since the library first opened, a thousand years ago. Or at least that was Bella’s best guess. She figured the date of the building was etched into the walls somewhere, but she had never bothered to look. The library itself was somewhat boring to her. The shelves were unnerving, their books seeming to hover over her, threatening to fall at any moment, and just because the main room had such high ceilings was no reason to stack the books up to the top. Bella shuddered at the mere thought of having to restock the top shelves. Luckily for her, it was rare for a person to bother with the extra assistance needed to obtain the high stacked books; this, in turn, decreased the times Bella had to brave the ancient rolling ladders in which to return said books.

Bella sat down on the wobbly stool behind the library’s oldest computer. A few months ago, when the library finally realized the turn of the century had occurred, the board had decided to update the entire section of search computers set up in the middle of the main room, and even open up a small computer lab deemed ‘The Hot Spot’. They did not, however, upgrade the one computer that mattered, the one Bella sat at every afternoon cursing and smacking, not to mention apologizing to the few patrons that had to wait five minutes just to check out one book. Bella spun around once, the wobbly stool’s squeaks echoing in the cavernous room, before placing her book bag in a small cubby space under the desk. She leaned to her left, where the long desk curved and ended against the wall behind her successfully closing that side off from any unwanted wandering children and pushed in the power button on the ancient computer tower. The device growled and groaned before its internal fan began vibrating the outer shell. Bella turned back to her bag and pulled out a string cheese. Unwrapping the treat, Bella looked over her reflection in the computer monitor; her hair had gotten long, reaching several inches past her shoulders, and laid straight and flat against her t-shirt. The fabric read ‘If you are close enough to read this, you’re close enough to bite.’ The saying had made Bella laugh until Mike Newton had leaned into her in the lunchroom and asked, “Promise?” Even the memory of it made Bella shiver. Sure, the boy was cute enough now that the pre-teen acne of middle school had cleared up, but she had been turning him down for ten years now, ever since he wanted to share her mat in kindergarten.

The teen finished her snack at the same time the computer finally came to life. She signed into the libraries database and clicked on the email shortcut. While the screen began loading the list of inane questions the library’s email always seemed to be full of, Bella spun in her stool three more times. The sound echoed once again but this time Mrs. Tetreau walked out of the back office, grunting in recognition of her assistant’s presence. Bella truly believed that if she wasn’t the chief of police’s daughter, and hadn’t gotten this job forced on her by her father because a teacher had caught her with a cigarette outside the gym (an unlit cigarette she had just taken from Jessica Stanley to throw away after accosting the young girl for thinking smoking would be cool), Mrs. Tetreau wouldn’t have even bothered to learn her name. The librarian wasn’t much older than Bella’s dad, probably in her 40s, but her scowl aged her face indefinitely. Sometimes the teen imagined she worked for an old goblin sorcerous who took joy from laughing at the weak peasantry. In reality, Mrs. Tetreau wasn’t mean in the slightest, she just didn’t care for children or noise, especially squeaking, echoing noises made solely because a teen wished for acknowledgment just for showing up to work. Taking a large clipboard from inside a desk drawer, the librarian clipped on a list of books and handed it over to Bella. The teen stood to take the proffered assignment and glanced down the list. There were a few books that needed to be ordered, a few that needed to be taken out from the back and organized into the shelves, and a few that needed to be found in general. Bella smiled down at the woman, who was the only person in Forks, Washington Bella was taller than, save children and babies. The woman scowled in return before walking back into the small office. Bella turned back to the computer, relaxed into her seat, and began her groove of rummaging through the emails. They had received three copies of a blank email from Mr. Mallory, the fourth email contained a short message explaining why some books Lauren, his daughter, had taken out over two months ago would be late. He started to give details about their trip to London and Paris, and the issues with having the hotel the books were supposedly at send said books in the mail. Bella got bored after the first sentence consisting of, ‘Lauren has a few books that will be overdue…’ Clicking over to the patron accounts, Bella looked up Lauren Mallory and saw that the books were, in fact, three months late, having been taken out the last week of school before summer vacation. At least they were all from the summer reading list they received every year. Being in a good mood, and not wanting to bother with the ire that is the entire Mallory family, Bella deleted one month’s worth of late charges from the account. She then checked over a few more emails, one including the question, ‘Do you have any Shakespeare there? In English, not in the language he wrote in’. It was then Bella decided to step away from the emails for a bit and get working on the list Mrs. Tetreau had given her.

Bella spun in the stool one last time, before hopping up and tripping slightly on her bag. Apparently, a strap had been leaning out and her foot caught hold. The teen shoved the book bag back into the cubby hole and walked out past the circulation desk, around the religious section, through the biographies, and past the gardening how-to books. For being such a small town, the size of the library still surprised the teen. The walkways were clear enough and sitting high above the shelves one could always see the exit, restroom, circulation, and reference signs, but Bella still found patrons lost amongst the books. After finding a poor ten-year-old boy crying because he couldn’t find the bathroom, Bella took to weaving in and out of sections instead of walking down the straight path from the circulation desk to the reference desk. The fact that they were separated at all was another issue Bella had with the library set up, but she enjoyed the excuse for getting up and walking about. Sitting at the desk was another teen, the same age as Bella, with long dark hair held back in a tight ponytail, and topaz colored glasses. Finding her friend Angela completely lost in a romance novel, Bella cleared her throat and in a low voice asked, “Excuse me Miss, but would you please point me in the direction of the genealogy section.” Bella added a slight accent which caused the word genealogy to sound reminiscent of genital, but the other girl was so distracted she merely nodded and pointed towards the fiction section. Bella laughed at the thoughtless action, finally rousing the other girl.

“Oh, Bella!” Angela said in surprise. She blushed, her dark tanned cheeks reddening slightly. “When did you get here?”

“I’m guessing about a half hour after you.” Bella held her clipboard up against her chest and leaned lightly on the desk in front of her. The desk was half the size of the circulation one but still stood out amongst the shelves. Bella assumed its prominence was so great due to the oversized oil painting of Aslan, the lion from C. S. Lewis’ Narnia novels. The lion growled silently into the library, a quote from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe marked the bottom of the frame: ‘Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,/At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,/When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,/And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.’ Looking down at her friends smile, Bella couldn’t help smiling in return. Something about the quiet, nerdy girl always put Bella at ease. Growing up in a small town, you really couldn’t help but be different levels of acquaintances with most everyone in your class. Even if not exactly friends, it was rare for there to be a complete outsider, someone that doesn’t get along with at least one other person in their class, and each year the friendships seemed to change, grow, or fall apart. That’s why Bella still seemed to consider Mike and Jessica friends, despite their differences, and why Bella and Lauren had lunch together even though neither particularly had anything nice to say about the other. Maybe that wasn’t the way it worked in other towns, Bella had no other experiences to compare hers too, but that was the way it worked in Forks.

“How is it that you can’t get yourself over here right after school?” Angela asked, putting her book down and leaning forward on the desk.

Bella shrugged, “I just told Mrs. Tetreau I had an afternoon club.”

“Which one?”

“Oh, you know, EMT training.”

Angela laughed lightly, covering her mouth and trying to stay quiet. The action amused Bella as she’d never heard the girl speak over a crowd; sometimes she wondered if her friend’s voice could even grow loud enough to get her in trouble. “And she actually believed that?”

Bella nodded, smiling broadly. “I know I couldn’t believe my luck either. Even if I could stand the sight of blood,” Bella shivered just at the thought of the sticky substance. “I don’t think I’d be able to deal with any type of tragedy. Remember that time Tyler twisted his ankle in the gym? I nearly had a heart attack and it had nothing to do with me, I was on the other side of the gym.”

The two teens chatted away for a few more moments before Angela mentioned they “should really be getting back to work.” Bella nodded and handed the clipboard over to Angela. She transcribed the list of books that needed to be ordered and handed everything else back to Bella. “I’ll get these ordered for the Saturday delivery, that way we won’t have to worry about categorizing the book Microwave For One , amongst others.” Bella wondered off to the front of the room, weaving through the shelves once again. At one point, she thought she saw a young man she didn’t recognize in the history section but when she doubled back the area was empty. Shrugging, the teen continued her tour of the library. Bella often used the vastness of the main room to stretch her legs and alleviate her boredom.

Every day after school, the teen worked the library’s circulation desk; from 3pm to 6pm she answered inane questions, stocked and restocked books, and stared at the clock. After five years of the monotonous actions, Bella was convinced time moved slower in the old building, keeping her captive and torturing her slowly. She knew it could be a lot worse, Mike kept trying to offer her a job at his parent’s outdoor sporting goods store. Not only did the job pay less and consist of much later hours, but she would have to endure training under the teenage boy, something he was just a bit too excited about. No, Bella had decided, the library job was a safe haven in a lot of ways. One, for example, was that she never got unexpected visitors from her school. The students of the high school only showed up the day a new project was assigned, or the day before the project was due. Middle and elementary schoolers only showed up for field trips, which were during school hours and therefore not while Bella was working. And the rest of the population was not well read. Of course, there were a few regulars, Mrs. Mallory actually stopped in quite frequently but mostly spent the time reading through old Good Housekeeping magazines. The only reason the library was so well stocked and continued to stay open, was because of Beth Crowley, Bella’s classmate Tyler’s mother. She donated her late husband’s entire life insurance plan to the library knowing how much the man loved studying old town records and maps in the public building. The library’s board talked Mr. Alexander Crowley Esquire, Tyler’s grandfather, out of retirement to keep the accounting books and properly invest the money. The result was the need for a few assistants, giving Bella, and a year later Angela, jobs. Tyler was also recruited by his mother to unpack the Saturday shipments, but he was considered a volunteer.

When Bella poked her head out the front of the library to prop open one of the double doors, the sun was already starting to duck behind the tall trees and extended mountains that surrounded the small town. She frowned, even when the sun decided to play nice it seemed to get tired and go to bed early. The teen turned back to the entrance hall to see a young man standing directly behind her waiting patiently to leave. Bella jumped in surprise. The young man was a teen, maybe two years older than her, but stood about six feet tall. He had blond, wavy hair which he had tucked behind his ears and a slightly crooked nose. Bella looked over the teen's features carefully, noting his pale skin, slight stubble, and a few, unimaginably paler, thin scars. One marked his chin, just off center, another shown noticeably on his neck, ducking into the collar of a finely pressed white button-up shirt. The teen girl leaned forward, staring at the scar on the boy’s neck; for a moment there, she thought she saw a tooth mark.

“Excuse me, Miss.” The voice was smooth, soft, and slightly accented. Bella leaned in more before a hand reached out and tapped her right arm. She cursed at the cold contact and snapped out of her reverie. The male seemed to smile but the action looked painful to Bella. “Excuse me, but are you the librarian’s assistant?”

Bella had to think for a moment, lost in the boy’s golden eyes, but soon remembered herself. “Yes, of course, I am.” Her voice came out perky and loud. She coughed and shifted her stance to her right leg, crossing her arms and trying to rub the heat back into them. The two stood in silence for a few beats before Bella realized she would need to be the one to clear the tension. “Was there something you needed?” She asked slowly, wondering if she sounded condescending and whether or not the blond teen would notice.

“Please, I would like to check out a book.” He held up his hand, holding a large, dusty almanac.

Shifting in her stance, Bella stared at the boy for a few more silent moments. Something about the teen seemed to draw her in; she had to consciously keep herself from reaching out towards the glimmering skin and caressing the cold hands of the boy. Shaking her head, Bella blinked several times before walking past him. She dared not look again, knowing she’d be kept engrossed in whatever supernatural aura the teen possessed. He must be something straight out a teen fantasy book, maybe even one of the romance novels Angela devoured. Bella laughed at her own thoughts, knowing if she spoke any of them out loud the boy would certainly think she was weird. Well, weirder than she was already portraying herself, which might be a little hard.

Finally arriving at the front desk, the teen walked around the far edge, banging her hand against the corner, and sat down in her stool, squeaking louder then she remembered it ever sounding. Hissing in response to the petit bruise already forming on the back of her hand, Bella managed to smile at the circulation desk and request the book the teen boy wished to borrow. With a practiced hand, Bella opened the book, The Civil War Almanac in Large Print, stamp the return date on the marked slip, and scan the book in the database. The computer beeped loudly, and Bella realized she hadn’t scanned the teen’s library card yet. She then wondered if the boy had a library card and if so, how did he get it? When did he get it? Who was he? She could avoid the teen no longer; Bella looked up and saw the boy smiling at her, but the smile was more of a smirk and Bella knew at once he was laughing at her. She huffed in response and stuck her hand out, not bothering to voice her obvious request. The blond nodded solemnly before speaking.

“I’m sorry to say I haven’t yet acquired a library card.” Bella waited silently, wishing for more of an explanation. She wasn’t sure if she would get one, but for some reason, she was agitated with the well-spoken, dare she think gentlemanly, teen before her. Her own actions surprised her since she was usually well-mannered and soft-spoken. Before she could apologize, a small, far too hyper girl bounced up next to the boy. She was short, possibly even shorter than Bella, and her hair was spiked off into various directions; she grabbed onto the blond teen’s arm, holding it firmly between both her hands and squealed. Shrinking back into herself a little, Bella tried to keep from covering her ears. If the two kept on with all the racket, Mrs. Tetreau would come out and ‘shoo’ them away. The idea made Bella sad, but she wasn’t sure why; her feelings towards the teens were quite conflicted. On one hand, something about the stance of the blond, the way he kept rigid and the thin scars on his face, made Bella squirm, and the protective hold the girl had on her boyfriend, as it was very obviously affectionate, made Bella angry. On the other hand, the girl’s eagerness with life made Bella want to laugh and dance and sing, while the boy’s soft voice and beautiful eyes made her want to… to… well, she wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to do to him, but she knew she shouldn’t; at least not in the library.

“Hi, Bella!” The short girl quietly yelled out. Bella figured the girl must know that a library was meant to be quiet because her voice carried like a stage whisper. She smiled brightly, shiny white teeth glimmering even in the library’s dull lighting. Bella began to stare at the teeth, curious as to what toothpaste the girl must use, but quickly regained her composure and blurted out a noise. It was a nondescript noise, but it did the job all the same. The small teen giggled, covered her mouth, and tugged on her boyfriend’s arm.

“We will both be needing library cards.” The boy’s voice somehow became more inviting now that the pixie-like girl stood with him. The realization made Bella sneer in response; she quickly covered her mouth, eyes wide. The teen, in response, gave her a strange look; it didn’t quite seem to be in reaction to Bella’s sneer, per se, but for some other unknown reason. Bella was so confused she didn’t know what to do or to say.

Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, the librarian’s assistant focused her attention on the air going through her lungs, she focused on her heartbeat, and she focused on the girl’s last words. Opening her eyes, Bella looked up at the girl and cocked her head. “How did you know my name?”

Shaking her head and trying not to giggle anymore, the teen spoke in a sing-songy voice. “You’re sitting behind a nameplate, silly.” Bella looked down at the desk, spying the back of two desk placards. “And I’m pretty sure you’re not Mrs. Tetreau.”

Bella blushed. It was a bad habit of hers, one she tried desperately to avoid, but who in history had ever really accomplished not blushing? In reaction, the two teens before her seemed to lean backward, the girls hold on her boyfriend’s arm tightened. Bella noticed the small change in the atmosphere but worked hard on not getting distracted again.

“Right, okay, I’ll need both of your names and you’ll have to fill out these forms.” The teen searched the desk, looking for the small pile of applications. Finding the stack, which only had three forms left, the teen passed out one sheet to each of her new patrons, along with two pens. She then sat quietly, watching the two fill in their information. The blond had tall, sharp handwriting that made it very difficult to read upside down; the girl, on the other hand, wrote in large, bubbly letters. Bella was amused by the similarities between the two teen’s handwriting and their own personalities.

“Here you are, Bella.” The girl handed over both forms, followed by the two pens. Bella smiled shyly and looked over the top form. Name: Alice Cullen. There was a small doodle of a heart marking where a middle name would go. Address: 1 Olympic Dr. Clallam, WA 98331. Bella squinted at the address, not recognizing it.

“Oh, did you need a P.O. Box? We get all of our mail at the post office, its box 4475.” The girl seemed to be watching Bella read over the form. In response, Bella nodded and jotted down the mailing address on the side margin.

“I don’t recognize the street address you gave.” She spoke it like a statement but wished for it to be answered. Neither teen offered up any explanation, so Bella shrugged mentally and continued reading the form. Phone Number: 360-381-7885. Date of Birth: Unknown. Email address: [email protected]. Notification Preference: Email. Bella nodded and began typing the information into the database. When she reached the date of birth she paused, wondering how she could have missed that answer mere seconds before. “Uh, your um date of birth is sort of needed.”

“You should never ask a woman to reveal her true age.” The short girl protested with a small giggle.

Bella waited but still didn’t receive a proper answer. She shrugged and filled in the slot with July 4th; looking up at the girl’s face, Bella filled in the year making the girl 17. Alice smiled in response and nodded. The gesture made the teen feel warm and appreciated, she sighed happily and scanned in a new library card before saving the information. Three minutes of awkward silence passed while the computer raged in anger at having to work, before settling into a gentle hum. Bella repeated the procedure with Jasper Hale’s information, noting his date of birth as being December 14th, but not including a year. Bella paused, huffed slightly, and looked up. The boy shrugged and smiled, the action making his eyes twinkle. Bella smiled back and filled in the teen's age, making him 18. Alice giggled, seemingly overcome with excitement at Bella’s guess. The computer repeated its angry rebellion, the tower vibrating against the shelf. Bella kicked the machine, silencing its actions. She then handed the two teens their new library cards, quickly scanning Jasper’s before completing his transaction.

“What is taking you two so long?” A tall, blonde woman stood in the aisle; arms crossed. She tapped her foot expectantly and hummed angrily at Jasper and Alice. Bella stood up from her stool, not really knowing why, and stared at the woman. Not a typical gaze like the way she might look at Angela while watching her make faces at whatever she was reading, but also not really a curious gaze like how Bella used to watch Tyler play basketball, back before he turned into a pompous popular kid. The teen, leaned forward, hands on the desk, mouth open, gaping at the girl, who, in turn, scowled. The action caused Bella to flinch and focus in on the scowl. The woman’s mouth curved downward, her top lip raising just enough to show off her bright white teeth; they seemed to shine more than Alice’s had. The blonde’s teeth had one more distinct difference: her canines seem to come down to a point, sharp and deadly.

“Rosalie,” Another boy appeared in the library. Bella would have said he walked in through the front door, but she wasn’t quite sure. The teen seemed to have simply appeared next to the blonde but then again Bella had been so transfixed by the woman she wouldn’t have been surprised if a hurricane had gone by. Rosalie, as the teen boy had deemed her, continued to scowl, completely unaffected by the boy.

“Right then, we should probably go,” Jasper spoke quickly and had already begun moving away before his sentence was completed. “Thank you, Bella, for…”

“No wait, not yet; we aren’t done here yet.” Alice’s voice rang like a bell, a loud school bell. “Rosie needs to get a library card too; she’s going to be spending a lot of time here. And since Eddie is here, he might as well get one as well.”

Bella reacted quickly, a lot faster than any one of the teens expected, herself included. She grabbed the last form and thrust it out into the air, almost whacking Alice with her hand. “Here you are.” She didn’t speak a name, but it was obvious Bella was offering the paper to Rosalie. Her eyes went unblinking and her hand shook while she tried to keep it held out.

The blonde teen managed to darken her scowl, a feat quite amazing in and of itself but moved forward all the same. She took the paper, making sure not to allow any physical contact, and walked a few paces down the desk, away from the group. She quickly completed the form and handed it over to Alice. The short girl giggled and passed the form to Bella. It took her a few moments to realize she couldn’t merely read the form telepathically through the blonde herself and started to sit down. A quiet huff of a laugh tore Bella’s attention away from Rosalie and towards Eddie; he was attempting to hold back a laugh but failing quite miserably. Bella, with all of her attention on everything, but what she was doing, missed her stool and promptly landed on the floor. Before anyone could flinch, Bella bounced back up and onto the stool trying to pretend like she hadn’t just fallen on her backside. Rosalie, however, didn’t seem to want to let the action go.

“You need to watch yourself.” Her voice was deep, moody, and not at all like any of the others. The sound made Bella unexpectedly furious; she turned back towards the girl only to find she had moved. Rosalie stood behind Bella maybe three steps from where she had fallen. Bella spun around completely, shifting slightly off the stool, but leaned on the desk for support. “There you go again, stop doing that.”

Bella fumed, just who did this girl think she was? “You aren’t allowed back here.” She snapped. The last thing she needed was for this haughty girl to get her in trouble. “Shoo, off with you.” Bella couldn’t believe she had just said those words; she sounded exactly like Mrs. Tetreau. She sighed in exasperation.

"Did you seriously just ‘shoo’ me away like a farm animal?”

“If that’s the way you have to interpret it to get you to move, then yeah sure.”

“Why you little…” The blonde woman growled, actually growled at Bella, and crouched as if she was going to strike her down. Bella closed her eyes, hands up in surrender; a small voice, not quite her own but still coming from her lungs, squeaked out a quiet, fearful noise. It couldn’t exactly be defined as a scream, but Bella felt it was bigger than a whimper.

“On that note, we should really be leaving now,” Jasper spoke, completely at ease. Bella opened one eye, then the other. There was no crazy blonde in front of her. She turned back to the front of the desk where Jasper and Eddie stood, unmoving, completely still. That is just unnatural, Bella thought to herself.

Eddie swayed gently and readjusted his feet. He smiled down at her and nodded a farewell. “I will return at a later date to get my own library card.” With that, the two boys walked out of the library leaving Bella alone and very confused. She sat staring down the aisle to the front door, past the entrance and out into the late afternoon air. Her body barely shifted, only her chest moved in accordance with her breathing, her lip trembled slightly. Bella was overcome with emotions but unable to act on any of them. The thoughts racing through her head were so great in number the teen believed she might be thinking everything, yet nothing at the same time. Was the thought of the teens, of Rosalie, holding her still or was she keeping herself engrossed in her mind by keeping her body immobile.

Angela walked up along the desk from off to the right. Leaning on the desk she looked Bella up and down before knocking on the desk and asking if ‘anyone was home’. Bella flinched and turned to her friend. “You okay there, Bells?” Bella blinked a few times and nodded affirmatively. “You got a few new patrons?” Angela leaned down onto her forearms and looked over the application forms. Shuffling through the bunch she grunted, “I heard a new family was moving in. The hospital just accepted a new doctor into their ranks, a Dr. Cullen. My mom said he and his wife had five adopted teenagers. Were they nice?”

Wondering how Angela, the quietest girl she had ever met, always seemed to know the newest gossip before anyone else, Bella nodded and smiled, but crinkled the application in her hands. The sound reminded her of the mixed experience she had with one tall, blonde, witch of a girl, but Angela’s words were what Bella responded to, “Family? Adopted? They were all adopted? Well, I guess that makes it fine if they aren’t actually related.” Bella began contemplating the relationship between Jasper and Alice and wondered if she should say anything about it. Deciding it could wait, she explained to Angela who exactly had come into the library that afternoon. “They were very nice. You said there were five? Four of them came in, I guess. Alice, Jasper, Eddie and…” She scowled and lowered her voice, “Rosalie.”

Reaching out to take the form from Bella, Angela laughed lightly at the aggression in Bella’s voice. She had only ever heard her friend use that tone when talking about Mike, and then it was more in frustration than in any sort of actual anger. Bella, however, wouldn’t let go of the application. Smiling a tight-lipped smile, Bella kept the form until her friend gave up trying to take it away from her. She then placed it down on the desk and smoothed out all the wrinkles. Leaning in, the two girls looked over the paper for a few moments in silence. Finally, Angela looked up at Bella and asked, “Could you translate that into English? I don’t really speak cursive.”

Bella laughed, a big hearty laugh that filled the entire library. The noise brought Mrs. Tetreau out from the back office. She looked between the two girls, down at the applications, and over to the clipboard she had given Bella earlier that afternoon. It had sat, untouched for the past half hour. Mrs. Tetreau huffed, tapped a pen against her hand a few times, and then turned back in the office. Bella turned back to Angela, giggled quietly then got back to work.

……….

It was 6:30 when Bella finally left the library. She had been stuck working thirty minutes after close just to complete the list Mrs. Tetreau had given her. Internally she scowled at her luck; externally she smiled at her father waiting in his cruiser to drive her home. She had gotten her license a few months earlier, having failed the test the first time but didn't like the feeling of driving, of having some giant chunk of metal controlled by her as she too often spaced out in car rides. Bella didn’t care too much, she got around just fine by riding with friends or riding her bike. The teen opened the cruiser door and climbed in. She promptly closed the door on her own foot but fixed herself with no notice from her father. Bella secretly believed her father pretended not to notice her missteps just to make her feel better; the thoughtful gesture certainly worked. They rode home in companionable silence, much the same as most of their trips, and arrived at the house in only five minutes. Normally Bella walked home due to her father, Charlie’s, awkward hours; the trip would only take her twenty minutes, thirty if it was raining heavily, and a little bit longer if she was having an especially klutzy day.

Bella ducked inside the house, dropping her book bag on the living room couch, just to the left of the entryway, and made her way over to the kitchen, directly opposite. Boiling water and heating up some pasta sauce, Bella whipped up spaghetti for dinner while her father set the dining room table. It was a custom for the two to eat a formal dinner on a Friday evening. Although the conversation tended to stay simple, the company was appreciated by both participants, and it was a sentimental practice. Growing up, Bella, her mother, and her father would sit down at the table for every meal they could. As the years went by, Charlie was promoted to chief of police and his hours became more sporadic; meals were shared between Bella and her mother while Charlie ate the leftovers sitting on the couch in front of a sports game. When Bella’s grandparents died, her father spent more and more time working, completely absorbing himself in the problems of other people instead of looking at his own emotions. The family started to pull apart, Bella acted out at school, and soon Renee, Bella’s mother, decided to leave for sunny Arizona. Bella, at the young age of ten, was asked to choose between her parents. Her mother reached out for her, with tender words and soft smiles, but Bella chose her father. She remembered the look on his face, how sad and guarded he was; Bella knew someone had to help him. Seven years later, the teenager still believed she had made the right choice. She spoke with her mother on the phone often, visiting once a year, but the relationship she had with her father was cut out of rough stone.

It took a while of persistent bugging, for a time Bella showed up at the station with a small meal and forced the chief to sit at his desk until he finished every last bite, but Bella succeeded in convincing her father to always sit down for a Friday dinner together. It was a small gesture, and a bit silly when she looks back at her actions, but when Charlie rose out of his depression Bella knew it had a lot to do with Friday night dinner.

“A new family just moved into the area.” Charlie cleaned some sauce from his mustache as he spoke. “The Cullen’s, they just moved down here from Alaska.”

“Sounds cold. Pass the butter?” Bella reached out to receive the condiment and smothered a piece of white bread before wrapping it around a large helping of spaghetti. The result was messy but made Bella moan at the taste.

“Make sure you chew that.” The man made a face at his daughter, a mixture between concern for her health and a little bit of disgust at such a large bite.

“An jello bed heefer his editor.” Bella’s words were muffled and confusing, her last bite still very much in her mouth.

“Finish what’s in your mouth before you talk,” Charlie responded, a small bite of bread still being chewed himself.

Bella smiled but waited until she was done chewing to repeat her comment. “Angela said the father is a doctor.” She gulped down some milk. “And that he took a job at the hospital.”

Charlie nodded, “And Mrs. Cullen is an interior decorator. They bought a house outside of town; I’m driving up there tomorrow to welcome them to the area.” Charlie wiped his hands on a napkin and began cleaning up this area. “You are, of course, invited to come.”

The teen dropped her fork; it clanked off the side of her plate, spun and landed on the carpeted floor. Spaghetti sauce splattered, marking a large stain on the grey fabric. Charlie bent down and rubbed at the stain with his napkin, it spread but rubbed further into the carpet making it no worse for wear. Standing up, he picked up the fork and added it to his pile. When he returned, Bella still hadn’t moved.

“You know, all you had to say was no thank you.” Charlie watched his daughter sit, staring off into space for a few more seconds before tapping her on the shoulder.

“Rosalie.”

Confused, the older man asked, “Sorry?”

“What?” Bella blinked. She couldn’t believe just how often she had lost her head that day. What was going on in her brain? She’d never had anyone affect her so much, and so violently. She felt her thoughts rush around her mind so quickly she couldn’t keep track of them. “What were you saying?”

Charlie crouched down eye level with his daughter. “Bells,” He searched the teen’s confused expression for any obvious signs. “Have any of your friends, maybe that Jessica Stanley, offered you something? Maybe even pressured you to try something you didn’t want?” Bella laughed at her father, but he ignored the sound and continued, “Anything that might, I don’t know, take all your cares away?”

“Dad, dad, seriously, it’s okay.” Bella laughed harder, trying to keep herself focused on the conversation but too amused with the situation. “I’m not taking drugs, it’s nothing like that.” Bella shook her head and relaxed, a deep breath calming her. “I met some of the Cullen’s today, a couple of the kids. I was just thinking about it and got lost in thought.”

“Oh, well, what a relief.” Charlie stood up, suddenly very uncomfortable. “Good, that’s good. Well then, we’ll be going around 4, at the end of my shift; that way we won’t be interrupting any meals.” With that, he walked out of the room and turned on the television.

Bella knew there wouldn’t be any more discussions that evening, so she cleaned up her own dinner, put the leftovers in the fridge, and grabbed her book bag before heading up into her room. The clock on her bedside table read 8pm; she wondered when it had gotten so late. Settling into her comfy desk chair, Bella opened her laptop and immediately signed on. In seconds, rather than minutes, she was checking her email and signed into the town’s social network. The small laptop speakers sang out the billboard top 40 while Bella updated her private online journal. Ah, this is how a computer is meant to work, she thought to herself, pushing the small device far beyond the library computer’s bare minimum limits. Bella wrote about her day in scattered detail. She described her morning routine as, ‘Woke up today at the same time, showered and dressed in the usual way. Got to school two minutes late and was scolded by Mr. Jefferson.’ She explained a small lecture about Rome falling because of tardy students and then fast forwarded to her interaction with Mike at lunch. The reminder made her scowl, which in turn made her wonder if she looked as beautiful as Rosalie did when she scowled. Bella stopped typing; the thought had surprised her. Did she find Rosalie beautiful? With her long, golden hair, her piercing lilac colored eyes, and her statuesque build, how could anyone not find the teenager beautiful? Bella frowned and crossed her arms; if the girl weren’t such a pain maybe… But Bella didn’t know where that thought was going. She’d never asked anyone out, was Junior year in high school really the time to start? And would it be too soon? Really the girl and her family had just moved here, maybe she wanted to settle down a bit before jumping in a car with a stranger. Bella crossed her right foot over her opposite knee and began tapping her leg in rhythm with the pop song currently playing. She wondered where they would go, what they would do. Would Rosalie kiss her, on a first date?

“Oh my god,” Bella let the words slip out of her mouth, “What if Tyler asks her out?” The thought hadn’t occurred to Bella before but now she couldn’t think of anything else. Tyler was the most popular boy in school; he was good looking, charming, and the Cullen’s didn’t know about the long list of girls he’d already gone through. This would mean, “I’d have competition.” The words were a whisper, and Bella knew no one was around to hear her, but speaking the words made her feel self-conscious. She glanced around her room abruptly. It was well lit, filled with deep purples and blues, and very messy. Her clothes flowed out of her dresser and onto the floor next to her bed, her walls were lined with photographs of her and her friends, various monuments and shrubbery from school trips, and a few artsy pictures Angela had taken in her photography club.

But none of this caught the teenager’s attention; instead, her eyes were drawn to the tree outside her window. It was an old cedar tree, tall and broad, that had been growing in the back yard since before the house had been built. The lowest branch was level with Bella’s bedroom window, so she had never feared anyone climbing up and creeping in, but for the tiniest of moments, the teen thought she saw a boy sitting on the branch. It was crazy, Bella knew, but it fit very well in the theme of her mind that day, so she wasn’t too quick to dismiss the idea. Instead, the teen stood and walked over to her window; she scanned the small yard, dimly lit by the house windows, and looked out into the forest that continued behind her house. Her eyes scanned the trees, her ears listened for any noise, but all she saw were trees and all she heard was the light babbling of the Calawah River. The teenager shivered and pulled her window down tight, even going as far as locking it, something she wasn’t sure she had ever done. Anxious from all the excitement, Bella went back to her computer and lost herself in a nonsense game site. At one in the morning, the teen could barely keep her eyes open, so she finally changed into a pair of pajama pants and an old Mariner’s tee, brushed her teeth, and crawled into bed.

That night she dreamt of a beautiful monster with long blonde hair, rock hard skin, and fangs dripping with blood.

A/N: Well, that was the first chapter of a new fanfic I'm working on. The idea came to me when trying to think of new things to write for my fic Vocalise. I kept wanting to start with a clean slate and see what I could do, so now I'm actually doing it. Anyways, this fic obviously has a few changes from the Twilight universe, the first being fangs, the second being Bella's gift (Edward did hear her thoughts while in the library). I haven't worked out all the kinks, but I'm messing around with different vampire worlds (Vampire Diaries and Vladimir Todd being two) and trying to pick out the things I like and ignore the things I don't.

This story is going to be in only two points of view if any. Bella is the primary, but I'm thinking of writing some from Rosalie's perspective. Tell me, what do YOU think?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. The last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

Chapter 2: True Natures

At which point should we let go and do what we want to do, and when should we submit to rules? Coming to terms with our true natures and who we really are has always been a fascination to humans. I know it fascinates me. - Hugh Jackman

That night she dreamt of a beautiful monster with long blonde hair, rock hard skin, and fangs dripping with blood.

Bella woke suddenly; sweat dripping off her brow, lungs working on overdrive. Her dream was a vague memory to her, something about moving at incredible speeds and soaring through the air. She was running through the woods, into the mountains, but the ground seemed to vanish beneath her. She was looking for something, no hunting for something, someone. There was a scent calling out to her or was it a sound, a beat, a pulse. The dream had turned into a jumble of verbs and adjectives to the groggy teen. She stretched, then stretched some more, before checking the clock. It was 9 am on a Saturday morning.

The teen rolled out of bed and crawled her way to the bathroom. After brushing her teeth and showering, she found a pair of dark khaki pants and a light green t-shirt. Bella made her way downstairs to find some breakfast. Her father had already left for work, so the teen poured herself a bowl of Rice Krispies and ate while watching a rerun of Ghostly Encounters. The show always intrigued Bella, something about the supernatural pulled at her interest. She knew ghosts must really exist, but to be able to see them or even talk to one, the idea made her shiver with excitement. She quickly got lost in her favorite channel, losing the entire Saturday to hauntings and possessed children. In the afternoon, when reruns of Mobsters took over the Bio channel, Bella picked up her cereal bowl and various snack wrappers. She cleaned the dishes loitering in the sink and jogged up the stairs back to her room.

Suddenly bored, the teen decided to redesign her room. She tore off all her blankets and sheets and rolled the ball down the hall, into the laundry room. She started the washing machine before going through the hallway closet for new bedding. The choices left her wanting, but she wasn’t sure what for. She wanted a new color or a new design. Bella went back to her room and turned her laptop on. She had only meant to turn her music player on, but a half hour disappeared to nothing in particular. The laundry was quickly switched to the dryer, and Bella was once again in her room, wishing for something new.

Her current favorite song came on; she cranked the volume up and began dancing around. With a new push of enthusiasm, the teen shoved her bed up against the wall, just under the window. She shoved her bedside table up against the outside of the bed and noticed her phone light up; she picked it up, flipped it open and saw a text message from her friend Angela. She read the text then dropped the phone. It was about Rosalie. Bella picked the phone back up and quickly re-read the text; maybe she had read it wrong the first time, maybe it was all just wishful thinking, but no, it was right there in black and white: ‘ Ull never believe who came in the lib looking 4 u! Rosalie! She even asked Tyler if u were workin 2day. ’

Bella squealed and threw her phone up into the air. It hit the ceiling before collapsing down on the bed behind her; the teen scrambled over to it checking to make sure she didn’t damage the device. It wasn’t a smartphone or anything really expensive, but if she broke it she knew her father wasn’t going to just replace it. She’d have to learn a lesson or whatever about taking care of her property and wait for a month or two to get a new one. Bella scooped her phone up and cradled it in her hands.

There was no obvious damage, so she flipped it back open and quickly replied, ‘ R u srs? ’ Bella hit send and stared at her phone in anticipation.

The seconds lasted hours, but the vibration still surprised her when the response came back, ‘ Duh ’

Bella jumped up and down but kept a firm grip on her phone. She danced around a moment before a thought came to her mid-dance move; she looked a bit like a cartoon character that got paused. Why? Why was Rosalie looking for her? The teen grasped the phone firmly and began typing the question in, but a new text appeared first, ‘ I gave her ur # ’ Bella froze, unsure what to do or what to say. Another message came in, ‘ I knew u wouldnt mind. Ur so easy to read. ’ Bella laughed hysterically. She couldn’t help herself; she was overjoyed, confused, scared, shocked, and exhilarated. It was quite possibly true that her own crush, of a mere 24 hours mind you, liked her too!

Then she deflated, maybe Rosalie just liked her as a friend, or maybe she even hated Bella and wanted to torture her. No, Angela was so good at figuring people out, it was like she could read their intentions. If she thought Rosalie had bad motives, she never would have handed out Bella’s number; if anything, the teen probably already interrogated the girl.

Bella quickly replied, ‘ u didnt question her rt? ’

The response came in immediately, ‘ of crs I did ;-) ’

Bella pouted at her phone then relaxed into an awkward smile. She wasn’t upset her friend questioned the new girl; she was jealous she hadn’t been there. It was weird, now that Bella was away from Rosalie and all her siblings, she felt good, happy, but when they were face to face her emotions were all over the place. It must have just been jitters, she thought to herself, despite the fact that she’d never acted with such ferocity before. She sighed and collapsed unto her bed.

After a moment, her phone buzzed again. When she lifted it up to see what Angela said, she saw it was a new message from an unknown number. It was probably just a spam text or some ad from a radio station. The teen opened the message, expecting to just delete it, but instead read, ‘Hi, this is Rosalie. Angela gave me your number. ’ Bella read it over again and again when another message popped up, ‘ I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to apologize for yesterday. ’

“Yes!” The teen yelled out into the room, dropping her phone lightly beside her; she jumped up on her bed and began playing the air guitar. This was the display her father walked into.

“Uh, Bells?” He asked, cautiously walking into the room towards the desk and turning the volume down on his daughter’s laptop speakers. The teen spun around to see her father staring at her, an amused expression on his face. “You ready to go?”

“Go? Go where?” Bella got down from her bed, smoothed down her clothing and looked up curiously at her father.

“To the Cullen’s; remember, you said you’d go with me after my shift?”

“Oh yeah, yeah I remember, but wasn’t that at four?” Bella turned to her clock, but it had been unplugged when she moved the bed and the table, and her father was standing in front of her laptop, the only other clock she could think of in the room.

“It’s quarter after.” Charlie tapped his watch, “Time to go.” He walked out of the room and down the stairs, saying over his shoulder, “Hurry up Bells, it’s a thirty-minute drive.”

Bella grabbed her phone and quickly responded to Rosalie’s text. ‘ RU home? ’ She then sent a quick thanks to Angela, receiving a smiley in response, along with a demand for all the details on Sunday.

The teen smiled at her friend's request before switching over to Rosalie’s response. ‘ Yeah, why? ’

‘ C U in 30. ’ Bella laughed at the text she got from Rosalie asking what the teen meant. She sent a quick wink smiley and left it at that. The teen ran down the stairs and out the door, settling in the cruiser. She smiled at her father and began running through the radio presets. Finding a station that was actually playing music, Bella leaned back in her chair, drumming her thumbs on her lap and staring out the window. She could hardly contain her excitement.

“Now I called Mrs. Cullen earlier this morning, to let her know we were stopping by,” Charlie explained as he turned up route 101. They left the village of Forks behind and headed in the direction of Port Angeles. Bella watched every house go by wondering if the next one would be the Cullen’s. When Charlie started slowing down to turn onto Maxfield Rd, Bella wondered if the family had bought the mansion that was for sale on Steelhead, Mr. Cullen was a doctor after all, but instead, her father passed the small neighborhood and continued to the end of the drive. He turned down a road sitting off to the left; Bella didn’t see a name anywhere, so she figured it was an extension of Maxfield, but the road had narrowed significantly and there were patches of grass growing in various cracks down the middle. Charlie frowned at the trees closing in around them.

“Mrs. Cullen explained they lived down this old logging road. I just hope it stays paved all the way; I don’t think the cruiser would be able to handle a washed out gravel road.” He laughed, but the sound was strained. Bella knew her father hated the claustrophobic feel of old country lanes, but she loved them.

The drive continued, the road staying paved and clear, for another fifteen minutes; there was one right turn, marked with a handcrafted sign reading, ‘The Cullens’, and Bella assumed this to be their driveway, but the difference between the road and the turn was slight if any. The forest finally opened to a gorgeous, classic manor. Bella didn’t know what she had expected before, but it certainly wasn’t what she found. The home was old fashioned, yet homey and well taken care of. It was three stories, painted white with colonial accents and something more, something exotic. The driveway ended in a turnabout with a large, three-door garage to the right.

Charlie drove the cruiser around the circle, pulling over a few paces past the front door. He tapped on his daughter’s shoulder and told her to stop her drooling and get out the car. Bella complied, but she couldn’t make any promises about drooling. She had never seen a house this beautiful before. On TV, there were plenty of movie stars with estates that were made out of gold, but this house felt inviting, homey even.

“Welcome to our home, Chief Swan.” Bella looked up to see a beautiful woman standing at the front door. She had a heart-shaped face and billows of soft, caramel colored hair; for a strange moment, she reminded the teen of her mother. Bella looked over to her father, who looked like he was also drawn into the woman’s presence. The teen wondered what her father saw in the woman; she then quickly erased the thought and walked up to the door, her father a step behind her.

“And you must be Bella.” The teen was scooped up into a hug before she knew what happened, but instead of being embarrassed about hugging a woman she just met, Bella felt safe. “Rosalie has said so much about you.” The teen blushed and thought she heard the woman say she smelled nice, but it was barely a whisper so Bella must have misheard. “I’m Esme Cullen, please do come in.” Mrs. Cullen shook hands with Charlie and the three entered the front door.

The house immediately opened up to a large living space. Bella assumed the home used to be made up of smaller rooms, but the walls were all removed to create a flowing feel, like the air of the house simply carried a person through it. To the left was a massive staircase, easily twice the size of the front door; the upstairs hallway curved around, edged with the continued banister. The teen looked to her right and saw the entrance to a beautiful kitchen that reminded her of elaborate cooking shows.

They were ushered into the living room where a young man stood next to a pale cream colored couch. He was blond and looked to have just stepped off a movie screen. Bella wondered if this was the fifth adopted child Angela had been talking about. He stepped forward with grace and held out his hand to shake Charlie’s. “Chief Swan, I’m Dr. Carlisle Cullen, welcome. Please, have a seat. And you must be Isabella, welcome.” Bella was surprised at what she heard but was silenced by Mr. Cullen’s bright, blue eyes.

Catching the teen staring, Mrs. Cullen stepped up to her husband, taking his arm in hers and said, “He looks like a blond Sinatra, doesn’t he?” She laughed, kissed his cheek and walked towards the kitchen. “Can I get you any refreshments? Lemonade? Tea?”

Bella blushed, Charlie grunted, and they both sat down. Mrs. Cullen laughed lightly before disappearing into the kitchen. Carlisle took his seat and the three sat in silence while the hostess rushed about the kitchen, clanging glasses and opening and closing the fridge. She reappeared faster than Bella expected and placed a tray down on the coffee table. Mr. Cullen smiled at his guests, while Mrs. Cullen poured out three glasses of lemonade from a pitcher and handed one each to Bella and her father. She then sat down with her own and smiled at the group; Bella knew instantly that this woman loved hosting.

Bella, on the other hand, never knew what to do or say when she was a guest in someone else’s home; especially a place she’d never been to with people she’d never met. For a moment she wondered why she had even bothered to come with her father, but then the reason walked into the room. Bella stood up, bumping her shin into the coffee table and almost spilling her lemonade. Hissing slightly, she smiled towards the approaching blonde, who, in turn, frowned. “You’re going to seriously hurt yourself one of these times.”

“I’m not really that talented,” Bella quipped back. “I bruise and scar, but broken bones have never been on my medical chart.”

“Did you just reference ‘medical chart’ as if it were a ‘rap sheet’?” Eddie’s voice buzzed in. Once again he was directly next to Rosalie, but, once again, Bella had missed his appearance. The bronze-haired boy smiled knowingly, but Bella wasn’t sure what exactly he seemed to know.

“Rosalie, Edward, this is Chief Swan; and you’ve already met his daughter.” Carlisle introduced the pair. “Where are the others?” Bella listened to the patriarch’s voice with a sigh. It was warm and smooth, like an old folk song; you could just hear the relaxing tones in every word.

“Sorry old man, we’re here.” A big burly teen, with short curly hair, walked into the room from somewhere behind the other two teens baring a huge, goofy grin. Behind him were Alice and Jasper; they waved companionably, but Bella noticed a weird expression on Jasper’s face; he was staring at Mr. Cullen, confused.

“Your tardiness has been noted.” This time, when Carlisle spoke, his words sounded harsh, as if he were trying not to shout at them. Bella watched as all five teens snapped to attention and stared at their adopted father. Rosalie, Alice and the boy Bella didn’t know, all looked shocked, while Eddie, no Edward, stared open-mouthed and confused. Jasper, on the other hand, turned his attention back to Bella. The teen froze; the stare, though not unkind, made her skin crawl. She went to sit back down, but instead, Jasper gestured for her to follow him into the other room. Quickly whispering to be excused, she complied, uncomfortable with the situation, but unsure what else to do.

The two teens walked down a small stretch of hallway, where Bella got a clear glimpse of the back of the house; the wall had been taken out and replaced with glass, an entire wall of glass. Behind her, the teen could hear an awkward apology followed by even more awkward assurances.  Jasper turned to the left and into a smaller room completely void of furniture except for a black grand piano. Bella passed the teen and walked up to the piano; she had never played, but the beauty of the instrument made her want to slide her fingers over the keys. She heard the door shut and spun around. Jasper stood a few steps away from her, staring. No, it was more severe than that, Jasper was glaring at Bella with a snarl on his lips. She blushed and cowered slightly, slowly lowering her body onto the piano bench.

“How did you do that?” The teen boy asked.

“Do what? I don’t know what I did?” Bella’s voice was confused, alarmed, and unsure. But Jasper knew immediately she wasn’t lying. He frowned, and leaned back on his right leg, crossing his arms.

Edward walked into the room, closing the door behind him. He came to stand next to Jasper and the two looked at each like they were going to say something, but after a moment of silence, the two looked back at Bella. Edward smirked. “Bella, do you believe in the supernatural?” The teen immediately starting thinking about all the TV shows she loved to watch and the debates she had had with Ashley Dowling about whether or not werewolves were more tangible than humans that could morph into any animal at will, or how many fortune teller’s in the world were legitimate. She looked up to see both Edward and Jasper smiling at her. She frowned, feeling like she was on the outside of an inside joke. Edward nodded; he then brought his eyebrows together for a moment.

“What? What are you thinking?” Bella pointed at Edward walking right up to him. “What are you thinking right now?”

“Well, I guess you could say a couple of things.” Bella had already decided she was not a fan of the pompous way Edward spoke to her. “One, werewolves are far more tangible. Two, a surprisingly large amount of fortune tellers are legitimate, but they rarely charge money, instead of demanding far more important items. Three and this is the confusing part, the Lakers beat the SuperSonics, but after that the lyrics just get uncomfortable.”

Bella blinked several times. At first, she was shocked at what Edward had been saying, thinking he was possibly reading her mind, but the last comment was so off topic she barely had time to dwell on the idea of telepathy. Edward scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, that’s the part I don’t get either. It was a line from a Jay-Z song, but I don’t know where the thought came from.”

Bella was about to claim Edward was the one to say it, but she was cut off by Jasper. “It wasn’t his thought, it was someone else’s; Edward just heard it.”

The teen girl’s mouth opened and closed, but no noise came out. She coughed, much louder than she expected, but finally cleared her throat out. “Okay, sure, why not.” Bella starting pacing back and forth between the two boys, “Let’s just say for a second that you’re telepathic and this isn’t just some sick joke.” The two boys laughed, but Bella tried to ignore it. “Then what am I thinking right now, Jasper?”

“Oh,” The blond was taken off guard. “I’m not like Edward; I have no idea what you’re thinking.”

“You were repeating the word ‘lilac’ over and over.” Edward quipped in.

Bella frowned but nodded. She had been thinking about the color, but she’d been thinking more specifically about what a lovely color it was for a beautiful blonde girl’s eyes. “So then why were you the one that keeps looking at me weird?” Bella asked the blond. “What am I doing that’s causing you to glower and growl?”

The teen rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged, “You heard that?” He sounded genuinely sorry, but it didn’t make Bella any more comfortable with the act. “I didn’t mean to, it’s just. Something about you makes it so hard, I can’t control it. The emotions keep changing and then it ricochets and latches onto random people.”

Bella looked back and forth between Edward and Jasper, but they seemed to be having the same problem with understanding what exactly was going on.

Edward spoke up, “It seems that something about you, some sort of power you might not know you have, is conflicting with us and causing our own to lash out of control.”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t really be serious.” The teen laughed; when she caught the look of both boys’ frowns, she laughed harder. “First you want me to believe that you’re telepathic, second you want me to believe that you are, what, a super empath? Or are you just overly emotional?” Bella questioned while pointing towards each boy in turn. She didn’t wait for an explanation, she wasn’t sure she trusted either of the two teens in front of her to give her an honest response. “And then, after all that mumbo jumbo, you want me to believe that I, also, am crazy, and more importantly, my crazy messes with your crazy.”

Edward scratched the back of her head. He opened his mouth, but no words made an appearance. Jasper shuffled his feet looking down at the floor and shrugged. Bella looked between the two boys unsure what should happen next. It was the perfect time for a commercial break, so she decided to break apart from the group. Neither boy tried to stop her as the teen made her way out of the room. Her mind was racing with the possibilities of what had just happened. Yeah sure, she had always loved the supernatural, it was fascinating, and if you had asked her just a few hours earlier she would have argued that any of it could be true and most of it was. But now that she was facing something so blatant in the face Bella wondered if it was all just a joke. When it’s on TV it’s real, but when it makes an appearance in her real life it's fake; is that honestly what she’s trying to tell herself?

Bella looked around to see where in the house she had wandered off to. It was immediately apparent she had turned the wrong way out of the piano room, but the view she was given made it all worthwhile. The teen passed through a glass French door to the back yard patio. There was a creek running across the edge of the mowed lawn, the opposite sidelined with the thick forest.

The yard made Bella feel like she was alone on an island, but instead of being surrounded by water, she was surrounded by trees. What made the teen girl feel at ease with this idea was the tall, blonde teen standing with her back to the younger girl.

Rosalie leaned on the railing of the wooden deck facing away from the house. Her back leaned slightly forward, exposing the tiniest amount of skin between her tight fit jeans and a thin, soft looking shirt that hugged the blonde’s curves so perfectly it made Bella purr.

“Staring isn’t polite, you know.” Rosalie said before turning towards the younger teen. The blonde smiled at Bella’s blush. “I can’t say I particularly mind though.” Bella’s blush darkened and she was shocked she could keep herself standing.

Bella cleared her throat and said, “Will you go out with me?” Both girls were surprised at the younger teen’s question. “Shit, I meant, how are you?”

Rosalie recovered quickly, “Those two sentences don’t exactly sound the same.” Her voice was light and airy and held just a small amount of teasing.

“Yeah,” Bella didn’t know if she could blush any deeper of a color, but her body seemed sure it was going to try. She quickly looked down, letting her hair cover her face. “I know you just moved here, so I was going to wait, but Tyler is so popular.”

“And you aren’t?”

Bella laughed the heat from her face finally lifting as the conversation eased forward. “Yeah, no, not me, I’m just, well I’m just Bella.”

“What’s wrong with ‘Just Bella’?” Rosalie took a few steps forward, walking right up to Bella and reaching her hand out towards the shorter girls face. Her fingers pushed back some of Bella’s hair, making it impossible for the girl to hide her face away.

“Uh,” The words that the teen girl wanted to say were eloquent, smooth, intelligent, and sexy. Why on earth was she grunting? Rosalie’s hand dropped to her side and Bella immediately missed the contact. She thought about reaching out to the blonde before her, but a voice caused her to stumble back instead.

“You ready to go Bells?” Charlie’s voice came from the hallway. The first thought Bella had was how much she hoped her dad hadn’t seen the two standing so close, so intimately. She hadn’t ever had a boyfriend, or a girlfriend. Sure, the teen had dated, she even went to a movie with Tyler back in middle school, but going steady was something completely different. And even then, the teen was pretty certain she wouldn’t want to be caught by her father in any type of embrace, innocent or not.

“I’m here, dad.” Bella had turned to face the house, looking at her father’s bemused face. She wasn’t sure if he had seen anything, or he was simply reacting to her wording. “I mean, I’m coming. That is, I’ll be right there.” The teen turned back to her blonde companion. “I have to go.”

“I think I got that.” Rosalie nodded and smiled. It was apparent to the shorter teen that Rosalie was trying not to outright laugh at her.

“Yeah,” Bella stared up at the blonde teenager but didn’t say any more. After a moment, she realized their conversation was over and turned to leave. Rosalie didn’t try to stop her. The brunette wasn’t sure what that lack of a gesture meant, but she knew immediately she was overthinking it.

“Yes, you are.” Edward’s voice came from the right, just as Bella passed the piano room. She looked in to see the teen sitting at the piano, softly pressing the keys and playing out a beautifully sad song. Bella watched for a moment, lost in the music, and forgot to make any sardonic comments, or even to say goodbye when the song ended and she had turned away.

It took a half hour to drive home, an hour to make and eat dinner, and two more hours for Bella to realize that Rosalie had never answered her question. She went to sleep wishing she had never said anything to the beautiful blonde.

Early Sunday afternoon Bella found herself wandering through town. She had spent the morning working on homework and sporadically taking down and putting back up various pictures and decorations in her room. Now the teen was riding her bike to the Forks Coffee shop on South Forks Ave to meet up with Angela. The trip was a normal occurrence for the young teen and only took her a few minutes to complete.

Bella leaned her bike up against the side of the shop, just to the right of the entrance, and left it unchained. Her father always told her it was going to be stolen one day, but the teen had yet to see it happen and therefore didn’t bother with the extra work. Whenever she rode her bike to school, on the very few sunny occasions, she locked the bike to the rail, but only to keep another student in the after-school excitement from accidentally taking the wrong bike. That had happened to Bella, but the whole situation was sorted out before anyone even left the school premises.

The diner was filled up with families dressed in their Sunday best. By some amount of luck Angela always possessed, the brunette had acquired the same booth the two teens sat at every time they met in the coffee shop. Bella smiled at her friend and weaved through the group. She waved at a few people she knew, always keeping the bright smile of the Chief’s daughter in place, before sliding into the bench seat across from her friend and reaching up to pet the nose of the stuffed Elk head decorating the middle pillar of the room.

“Hi Elky, hi Angela,” Bella said to each in turn.

“I don’t know whether I should be annoyed or amused that you always say hi to ‘Elky’ before me,” Angela replied, a big smile on her face. The two fell into conversation quickly, both ordering coffee and sharing the diner’s special Galaxy Famous pancakes. By the time the breakfast plate showed up, Bella had already dished on the failures of her and Rosalie’s conversation the afternoon before.

“Something about her, I don’t know, she just takes my breath away,” Bella said dreamily before stuffing a huge bite of syrupy pancake in her mouth.

Angela giggled before asking, “And what about Edward and Jasper? What do you think about their powers?” Bella frowned and chewed her way through her mouthful of pancake. Angela was missing the point, the problem Bella had was with Rosalie, not with the boys. They were just being weird; it was probably a practical joke. But no matter what the teenager said, her friend wouldn’t let it go.

“You can’t still be serious?” Bella blew on her coffee, holding the warm cup between both hands. “They’re a joke; there’s no reason to believe in any of the mumbo jumbo they were ranting on about.”

“But everything they said was true. I just know it.” Angela’s words were said with such conviction Bella found herself believing Angela, then she saw the reflection of two young men walking through the front entrance. The teen swiveled around in her seat just in time to catch Edward’s crooked grin. He quickly made his way through the crowd to Bella’s table and slipped into the bench seat next to her. Jasper, a few paces behind his brother, stopped at the side of the table and asked politely whether or not he and his brother could join the ‘two young ladies’, as he put it. Angela blushed but welcomed the tall blond to join her side of the booth.

“To what do we owe this… pleasure?” Bella spit the last word out, trying to stay calm. She looked over the table at Jasper; the teen squirmed a little before coughing and turning to his bench mate. Angela smiled brightly at the uncomfortable teen. The gesture seemed to relax him and, strangely enough, a calmness ran over Bella as well. She took a deep breath and decided to, at the very least, be congenial with the Cullen boys.

Edward continued to grin; seemingly giddy over something none of the other teens had any clue about. “It’s a wonderful day, isn’t? Hi, I’m Edward and this is Jasper. Yes, he does have beautiful blond curls but he’s also very much taken.”

Angela looked shocked before smiling herself. “I told you! I told you, Bella!” Edward started giggling. It was such a strange sight it caused everyone at the table to laugh along with him. Jasper began squirming again, but this time out of sheer exhilaration.

“Edward, you really need to calm down,” Jasper said with a huge grin on his face.

“I know, but I can’t. I thought you were doing it.”

Jasper laughed at his brother. The group was starting to get strange looks from the other customers. A waitress walked up to the table and requested orders from the two boys. They both laughed but managed to ask for coffee, no food.

“Coffee can’t possibly be a good idea for you two,” Bella said quietly, her own laughter had died down. “You are more wound up than the Energizer Bunny.”

“Apologies, really, I don’t know what came over me,” Jasper replied having finally calmed down himself.

Angela picked up on the comment immediately. “So how does it work?” Jasper looked surprised, but after a quick turn to his brother, he smiled knowingly. “Do you like control emotions or just feel them? What am I feeling right now?”

“Why is that always the first question?” Edward quipped to Bella; the teen shrugged and watched the interaction between her best friend and the supposed empath. Jasper explained that he felt the emotions of the people nearest him. He could focus in on individuals or small groups, but any crowd over twenty and he couldn’t focus as easily. The power he had, as he described it, could also be used on people. He could take any emotion and push it on someone’s aura, causing them to be overwhelmed by the emotion. He didn’t like using that part as much, but it did come in handy when in a hostile environment. Angela tried to question why Jasper would find himself in so many hostile environments as to find the power useful, but he avoided the question and, apparently, started showing Angela what different emotions felt like.

Bella turned back to her own companion but was caught off guard when she realized the teen had been staring at her. She jumped in her seat a little, knocking her hand against the diner’s middle barrier.

“Are you alright?” Edward’s hand was on the back of Bella’s head, his other arm reaching around her waist to the small of her back and pulling her away from the barrier. Bella found her breath hard to control for a moment, her heart had gone off on a marathon, but she controlled herself and blushed before slowing pulling herself out of the strong arms.

Edward’s hands felt cold, hard, but comfortable. A small part of her wanted to stay wrapped up in Edward, but a larger part of her feared the teenager. The thought was entirely illogical and luckily missed by the telepath.

“I’m fine.” Bella replied, “No, really, it was a minor slip. I do it all the time.”

“She’s not lying,” Angela spoke from the other side of the table, but instead of joking, like she normally did after Bella committed a small mishap, the teen looked concerned.

Bella looked around the booth to see Angela, Jasper, and Edward all looking over her like she was a glass doll one tap away from shattering. It had seriously been nothing and Angela should have been used to the action.

Then Bella realized what was wrong. Without thinking she glared at Jasper, crossing her arms in front of her. “Stop it, Jasper, you’re worrying everyone.”

The male teen blinked, realized his mistake and said, “Sorry miss, I didn’t realize I was…”

“Yeah, I know, I probably messed up your crazy with my crazy.” Bella smiled a shyly, barely letting it part her lips.

“Oh, so you actually believe us now?” Edward asked, his crooked grin covering his face.

Bella frowned at the bronze haired boy. “I don’t.” She said deftly, “But Angela does and she’s never wrong. Ever.”

Angela smiled brilliantly, nodding her head. “It’s true.” She said modestly.

“So don’t make her wrong.” Bella finished, unperturbed by Edward’s knowing smile or Jasper’s shy grin.

“Well then, best buddy,” Edward spoke, sliding closer to Bella and reaching his arm around her shoulders. “Tell us all about our new high school.”

Slinking into her seat a little, but not dislodging herself from the intimate contact this time, Bella gestured for Angela to begin her welcoming committee spiel. As her best friend spoke, Bella thought about Edward and what it was about him exactly that made her heart race and her breath quicken. She continued to wonder about the difference in reaction to the boy compared to her reaction around his sister. The conversation grew and wandered for another hour before the teens eventually left the diner and parted ways.

Bella finally felt comfortable with the idea of being friends with the two crazy boys. But the thought of being seen with the boys in school, and the thought of Rosalie, simply Rosalie, overwhelmed the teen. Something about her, about her presence, about her touch, about her cold strong hands. She was different, they all were. For the first time in her life, Bella felt anxious about going to school the next day.

A/N: The description of the Cullen’s house is closer to the book than the movie. For a visual, I used this house here: katzhome(DOT)com/greek_revival(DOT)htm . All locations used can be found via Google maps. I don’t know exactly where the Cullen’s lived in the books, so I made that up, and I also put Bella in a random location on the end of King Richards Way. That just made sense for a vampire to easily sneak to without being noticed at any time of day. This should be helpful in later chapters.

Now, here are some replies to reviews:

[Malice Mirandy Forever Always] – Rosalie’s emotions were being messed with because of Jasper and Bella’s close proximity. I hope I explained it well enough in this chapter. The two of them will be working on the problem together in the near future so it doesn’t happen too often.

[Guest] – I didn’t mean to make Bella so cringe-worthy. Please let me know if I make it worse or better as the story continues.

[lux] – This chapter started with detail, but I’m working on finding a median between details and story. Keep after me if I continue down the Tolkien path of describing rocks.

[Guest] – The reason I am allowing Edward to be able to read Bella’s mind is that I think Bella’s character was a bit too much of a Mary Sue. Right from the beginning, she was more powerful than the Volturi and by the end of the series, Bella was the most powerful vampire in the world. In my story, as a human Bella has no knowledge over her power or gift and therefore no control. The more she learns, the more she’ll be able to block Edward and other vampires.

Everyone else thanks for the reviews, and I will be keeping the PoV to just Bella. Rosalie will show up later, but never for a whole chapter, at least not as of now.

So, what did you think of this chapter? How do you see Bella and Edwards or Bella and Jaspers relationships growing? Do you love pancakes?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

Chapter 3: Attraction

“Attraction is beyond our will or ideas sometimes.” -Juliette Binoche 

Bella finally felt comfortable with the idea of being friends with the two crazy boys. But the thought of being seen with the boys in school, and the thought of Rosalie, simply Rosalie, overwhelmed the teen. Something about her, about her presence, about her touch, about her cold strong hands. She was different, they all were. For the first time in her life, Bella felt anxious about going to school the next day.

Outside the strangely empty cafeteria, the sky, although clouded, was bright and regenerating. The day held a warm breeze and the chances of rain were slight. It was a day any teen in Forks High School cherished, and many of them took full advantage of it by sitting outside for lunch. The picnic tables scattered across the lawn near the open glass doors were full with laughing, chattering kids enjoying the wonderful day.

Inside the cafeteria sat Bella, glowering as she stared across the way towards the last table inside the room. There, set precariously on the table itself, sat one Rosalie Hale. The blonde laughed, letting her hair fall freely across her back, before leaning forward and tracing her fingertip along Tyler Crowley’s forearm. A small, primal part of Bella wanted her to growl in response, but only a disappointed sigh escaped her lips. She thought she heard an actual growl from the beefy Cullen boy sitting a few seats away from her, but the idea was so silly she barely let it sink into her thoughts.

A cough from her left brought Bella’s attention away from the nightmare before her. Looking up she saw the crooked grin on Edward and she sighed once again. The bronze haired boy had somehow managed to be in every one of Bella’s classes and therefore followed her around like a little lost puppy. Angela had found the exchange to be endearing, but Bella found his actions to be a bit unsettling. Sure, Edward was her friend, they had been friends for a whole 24 hours now, but that hardly constituted stalker treatment.

The smile left his face and Edward spoke, “What are you thinking about?”

Bemused, Bella quipped, “Aren’t you supposed to already know?”

“I do, or that is, I did.”

“Well, isn’t that informative. Now that you’ve cleared things up for everyone…”

“Yes, well you didn’t let me explain.” Edward cut Bella off. “I can read you well enough when I’m concentrating on you and only you. You love the smell of rain in the morning, you hate your math teacher, and you wish the cafeteria had edible food. Now that one, I can agree with; this food it quite,” Edward picked up his half eaten sloppy joe, allowing the messy meat to drip back onto his tray. “Well, let’s just let that one be what it is.” The teen turned his head upwards and gestured towards his sister with his chin. “But when you’re thinking about her, your mind becomes guarded and hard to follow. I can pick out words and sometimes ideas, but I have no idea what it is you think about when you look at Rose.”

“That is quite interesting.” Jasper’s voice came from Bella’s right side where the teen sat with his girlfriend Alice. The two had been in deep conversation or some sort of not-for-public staring contest; Bella hadn’t been too sure which. The teen’s voice was low and a little husky as if it hadn’t been used in days. “I have the opposite reaction from you, Bella. Whenever you are concentrating on Rosalie, or more specifically when the two of you are in close proximity, your emotions seem to glow.” Seeing the confused look on Bella’s face, Jasper frowned, but tried to explain himself. “It is as if I am looking at you through a heat scanner, and your aura is glowing white; your emotions are so prominent they are on fire.”

The idea of emotions being on fire, for some strange reason, made perfect sense to Angela, who, sitting on the opposite side of Edward, looked to be bursting with excitement. Bella had never known her friend to be so excited about something other than photography, but she figured it must be a good thing if it made her friend happy.

The skinny brunette spoke in a loud whisper as if the group were conspiring together. “That is fascinating, Jasper. Do you see everyone in shades of red, green and gold? Are certain emotions easier to see? Is it always obvious who is giving off what emotion? Your gift is simply amazing.”

Bella worried her friend was being too forward with the teen boy, but Edward leaned in to her and whispered in her ear. “Don’t worry, she’s intrigued and a little obsessed, but not in love. Her feelings are entirely platonic and harmless.” Edwards’s words were warm against her skin, and Bella thought she felt the boy’s lips graze her ear before he leaned back. She reached her hand up and touched the edges of her ear carefully, a motion she had seen actresses recreate after a first kiss. She then looked across the room to see a set of dark eyes staring at her.

A loud scratching noise made Bella jump in her seat. She watched as an angry Emmett stood from the table marched up to Rosalie and grabbed the girls arm. Bella stood, but was quickly pulled back into her seat by Edward; He held her hand under the table and kept the teen from leaving her chair. Bella didn’t feel threatened or hurt in any way, but the action was intimate and controlling; it made her worried, but not as worried as she was about the scene on the other side of the cafeteria.

Rosalie and Emmett looked to be in the middle of an argument, but Bella couldn’t hear anything and wasn’t sure if either of the teens lips were moving. Tyler stood up and tried to push Emmett back, but the bulky teen didn’t even acknowledge the star shooting guard. Bella thought for certain a fight was about the break out and the rest of the school, including a small group of those outside who had noticed the altercation, seemed to believe the same as they stared and pointed. While the commotion rose, Bella saw Jasper grasp the table with white knuckles and she worried if a fight did break out whether he would faint, or flip out. She still wasn’t entirely sure how the empath thing worked.

Not knowing what else to do, and still being held in place by Edward, Bella stared at Rosalie willing the blonde teen to look at her. The moments passed, the group of onlookers grew, and Emmett’s temper continued to rise more and more, but finally the blonde looked back at the small teen. Silently pleading for the chaos to end, Bella tried to express her feelings through her eyes; she tried to allow her thoughts and wishes to carry across the room, across the noise, across the tempers and the commotion, right into Rosalie’s mind.

But it didn’t work. The bell rang and the crowd slowly dispersed making their way to their individual classes. The movement momentarily blocked Bella’s view and when everyone cleared away Tyler stood next to the table looking around bewildered and Emmett and Rosalie were nowhere to be found.

Edward’s hand squeezed Bella’s under the table and she turned to look at the tall boy. Even sitting down the bronze haired teen was nearly a foot above her and it made Bella feel small and powerless. Trying not to think about anything Bella stood from the table, emptied her tray in the trash, and made her way down the hall to class. It wasn’t until she sat down in Biology, when Edward finally let go, did Bella realize she had walked down the hall, hand in hand with the boy. Class was over in a blink of the teen’s eye.

“How did you do that?” Jessica questioned enthusiastically while pulling Bella into the girls locker room; her last class of the day being gym.

“Do what?” The teen sat on a bench between two rows of lockers. The room smelled of berries and vanilla, and the sound of chirping girls was giving Bella a headache. She didn’t understand why she had been pulled into an interrogation by Jessica, Lauren, and two of their lackeys, Katie and Jen. Katie smiled shyly her red hair big and tangled into a bun, but Jen wore a smirk that always meant Bella was about to be humiliated. The teen girl wasn’t necessarily mean, but being the volleyball and track captain caused a bit of friction between her and Bella whenever they were teamed together in P. E.

“What is the deal with you and one Edward Cullen?” Lauren leaned against a locker across from Bella, staring at her nails and pretending she didn’t really care about the answer. Bella knew all too well Lauren was jealous, which made the teen giggle.

“What’s so funny?” Jen asked, crossing her arms in front of her.

“This is a waste of time.”

“But I want to know when all of this happened.” Lauren and Jessica argued.

All four teens were staring down at Bella, curiosity written all over their faces and Bella barely knew what was going on. The changing room started to clear out so Bella decided to use class as an excuse to get out of the spotlight, but before she could open her mouth another student walked into the locker room.

Coach Clapp’s husky voice could be heard calling from the gymnasium. “Your locker will be on the end, just ask one of the girls in there. And do hurry, we begin volleyball today.”

A short, black haired girl danced her way into the locker room, smiling and humming to herself. Jen and Katie rushed out of the room, having changed before Bella and Jessica had come in, and made their way excitedly to class, Jen explaining her new serve to her shorter friend.

“Hi Bella,” It was the first time Alice had spoken to her since their first meeting in the library, but the words were said like the pair had been old friends. “And you’re Jessica and Lauren, right?” She pointed to each in turn, a sparkling smile covering half her face. Jessica laughed and began chatting up a storm; even Lauren seemed to lighten up a bit, greeting the short teen with a kindness Bella didn’t realize the corn-silk haired girl possessed, at least not since Junior High. Bella looked at Alice curiously, wondering if she could control people’s emotions like her boyfriend could.

Her thoughts were broken up by Jessica’s question. “So you must know. When and how did Edward and Bella become a pair? I mean, like, it really is just your first day here, right?”

Alice’s smile turned into a smirk and she winked at Bella. “They met on Friday, at the library.”

“Now, wait, I…” But Bella never got to finish her sentence.

Coach Clapp’s voice yelled into the locker room, echoing against the metal lockers. “Let’s go ladies!”

The conversation was broken up. Lauren wrapped a cloth hair band around her head and walked out while Bella and Jessica quickly changed. The two girls rushed out the changing room with Alice in tow. The pixie-like teen explained to the coach how she wasn’t prepared for class and didn’t have the appropriate clothing, but she now knew where the changing room was and her locker. Bella was shocked at how easily the lie escaped Alice’s lips, but it seemed harmless enough. Alice must have just assumed she would find it the next day and not have to worry.

The small teen then wandered over to the bleachers and took a seat next to Emmett. Bella was shocked to see the husky boy, but she wasn’t surprised by his obviously annoyed expression. The two siblings were immediately locked in a heated discussion, but within a few minutes, just as long as it took Coach Clapp to explain the basics of Volleyball and split the students into four teams, Alice and Emmett were laughing so hard it caused a small scene.

“Now Mr. Cullen, I agreed to allow you watch class today, but not at the expense of Ms. Cullen’s learning. If you will kindly move on to the library so that Alice can keep her attention on the volleyball games, I would appreciate it.”

Emmett laughed, a loud booming laugh that caused all the girls in the room to giggle, Bella included. “Alrighty, Coach. Sorry for the intrusion. And thanks again.”

Bella watched as the burly teen walked across the gym floor and out the door. She wondered what could have made the change in the boy. He had seemed to be hostile in the lunchroom, and even at the beginning of class, which he apparently wasn’t even a part of, but then his entire personality seemed to switch around. Was Emmett a playful, pleasure or was he someone to watch out for? Bella pondered the thought for a while before being promptly hit in the head with a volleyball. She spent the rest of the class avoiding Mike’s apologizes.

The rest of the week Bella watched Rosalie from a distance. Strangely enough, the blonde seemed to have settled into a sort of school-trance like state. After Monday’s lunch fiasco, Rosalie was never seen to be with Tyler or any other Forks High School boy. In fact, Bella noticed that the teen spent all of her time either with Alice or with Emmett, but she still walked around the halls looking like she owned the school and everything and everyone in it. Bella imagined Rosalie to be the epitome of a ‘teen drama’ popular girl. She was tall, absolutely beautiful, wanted by everyone, and completely untouchable.

Something about their first meeting in the library, about the way she searched for Bella and how she reached out so affectionately to the shorter girl, made Rosalie that much more frustrating to Bella. The younger teen just couldn’t understand why someone would set the trap, place the bait, capture the poor defenseless prey, and then walk away as if they were bored. Why bother in the first place? Was she too easy? Was she not even worth trying out? Bella became disgusted with herself. Why did she want this stranger so badly? Especially after the way the teen had treated her?

“Are you thinking about her again?” Angela’s voice was teasing, but soft and hinted at just enough concern to cause Bella to smile in response.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” The teen leaned forward against the large reception desk, her face covered by her hands. “I can’t even understand why I would still want her. What possible redeeming qualities could an ice queen like that have?”

The two teens were finishing up their Friday evening shifts at the library. They had already walked around the building and made sure no one was hiding in a corner reading or locked in a bathroom stall.

“I don’t think she’s as bad as she acts.” Angela responded. Her eyes drifted around the room, losing focus. Bella wasn’t sure if her friend was talking to herself or conversationally. “She’s quite a mystery. I think there is a part of her that she keeps hidden from the rest of the world. In fact, she reminds me of Dorian Gray in a lot of ways. I have no doubt she practices hedonism to the fullest and we both know that only one type of person would do that.”

Bella tried to think of a response, but Angela sounded a bit like a book report to her at the moment. So she did what she would normally do when a teacher asked a rhetorical question while looking in her direction: she shrugged and sighed. Luckily, her friend concluded her rant.

“Rosalie must have felt a great deal of pain at some point in her life and now she’s trying desperately to feel anything, but pain.”

The idea that anything horrible could have happened to such a confident woman baffled Bella, but at the same time she trusted Angela and her ability to read people. The brunette teen decided to trust her friend, as she always did, and resolved to look deeper into the heart of Rosalie Hale.

The clock struck 6pm and Angela turned away from her friend and made her way to the front doors. Bella waited at the desk, chin settled in her hands, for Angela to lock the front doors and come back to put away the key. After she was done, the two would collect their school bags and Bella would walk her friend home before backtracking towards her own house. The routine of it all was so standard for Bella that when Angela came back to the desk and suggested they parted ways that Bella didn’t know what to say. She stared at her friend, but Angela just smiled and waved goodbye before making her way back up to the exit. Bella stood alone in the library for a few seconds watching the large lights go out three at a time. When only the security lights were left and the front door squeaked open and shut loudly, the short teen finally gathered her book bag and jacket and made her way to the exit, alone.

The evening was cool; a sure sign that autumn had reached the small town. Bella stood in front of the library door, bag slung over her shoulder, clutching her jacket at her chest. A shiver stretched across her core and caused her body to shake uncontrollably. If one were not paying close attention, the trembling girl would go unnoticed, but to a trained, watchful eye the action was abrupt and severe.

“You should have a warmer jacket.”

The voice was low, dark, and terrifying. If Bella had never heard it before she certainly would have turned tail and run all the way home. Instead, the teen shivered more severely, but her feet remained unmoved.

Bella couldn’t decide if the voice of Rosalie was that of a wild beast or of a beautiful angel. Her words were simple and softly spoken, but the way the beautiful teen stood in the shadows of the large oak trees, the way the sound carried over the wistful wind, even the way the night seemed to welcome the blonde, envelope her, made the teen appear to be a danger.

It was then Bella realized that it wasn’t Rosalie who kept her distance from the rest of the school all the past week, but instead the students seemed to have taken a step back from the statuesque blonde. And not just from her, but from her brother Jasper and from the giant Emmett and even the two most basic teens of the adopted family, Edward and Alice. Something about the teens was different, just a little bit off, and that caused a ridge between them and the rest of the school. There had been times when Bella would see Jessica and Lauren talking with Alice, or Tyler, Mike, and Ashley speaking with Edward, but there was never a one-on-one conversation; there was never a time when Bella saw a Cullen with an individual student. Even Angela only seemed to speak with Edward and Jasper when Bella was also around.

Why was that? What was it about these teens that caused individuals to keep their distance? And was it that same thing, this feeling Bella was currently experiencing, that created the distance? Was she afraid?

Bella let out a cool breath, the air fogging her vision for a moment. She shook her head and took a step forward. There was nothing to be afraid of, Rosalie was just another teen. A beautiful, breathtaking, amazing woman, but Bella needed to see her as just another teen.

“Let me get that for you.” Rosalie’s voice came from mere inches in front of Bella and caused the shorter teen to flinch away. She quickly caught herself and pretended nothing had happened, but Rosalie slowed her movements, a sure sign she had seen the flinch. Bella blushed, but passed her book bag over and thanked the older teen. “Do you always work the graveyard shift?”

Small talk, okay, you can do small talk, Bella thought to herself. “Yeah…” Her voice came out in a small, unfriendly sounding huff. Bella mentally smacked her forehead calling herself an idiot.

Rosalie, much to the smaller teen’s relief, smiled at the interaction. “I like the graveyard shift.”

They began walking down the sidewalk, past the library and various town buildings. They made their way through the center of town where the diner, grocery store, and other various needs buildings were located. All the while the conversation continued with a difficulty Bella couldn’t understand. They talked about the library and the town, they spoke about the lack of traffic and the true definition of jaywalking, but each topic was separated by an awkward silence. As they entered the residential neighborhood Bella sighed and chanced a glance at her beautiful companion. Rosalie was staring off into the distance and frowning. Bella knew for certain the teen regretted walking the small brunette home and wished she could think of something intelligent or witty to say.

Instead, the only words that escaped Bella’s lips were, “I’m sorry.”

Rosalie looked over confused. “I’m sorry? What are you sorry for?”

The teen sounded angry, but Bella wasn’t sure if she was just overthinking the situation. “I’m sorry you came all the way to the library to walk me home and I can’t even bother to keep a conversation about the weather interesting.” Bella felt her throat tighten and feared she would lose control and start crying in the middle of Robin Hood Loop.

A memory of riding her bike around the street and hitting the curb at a weird angle popped into Bella’s head; At six years of age, the small girl had scraped most of her knee clean off. Something about the memory made the teen angry. Over ten years later and she still couldn’t control her emotions in public, but before Bella lost her head and started bawling into the night, another thought took precedence. “Where is your car?”

Rosalie blinked a few times before replying. “I, well you see, I got a ride.”

“You got a ride? To the library?”

“Yes.”

“And now you’re walking me home?”

“Well, yes.”

“And then what, you’re going to get picked up at the library again? Is someone waiting for you there? How are you getting home?”

Rosalie frowned at the inquisition. “Do you really need to know all of the specifics?”

“No, but,” Bella shrank back into herself. She hadn’t meant to ask so many questions, but the peculiarity of the situation deemed questioning. “I just don’t understand.”

“What is it that you don’t understand?” Rosalie was getting frustrated with the conversation, Bella was certain of that much.

“Why?” Before the tall blonde could ask Bella to explain further she continued, “Why would you bother? With all of it? Why would you get a ride to the library just to walk me home? And don’t look at me like that, I’m being serious.” Bella tried to ignore the smile creeping up on Rosalie’s lips. “You have all but ignored me all week, ever since you started school, and now you just show up at my job to walk me home?”

Rosalie side stepped the brunette at the corner of Robin Hood Loop and King Richard’s Way. The statuesque teen placed her hand under Bella’s chin lifting the teen’s eyes to look into her own. Bella shivered slightly as she watched the blonde teen’s eyes shimmer from lilac to black. She felt the distance between their bodies shrink as Rosalie reached around Bella’s waist and pulled the teen into an intimate embrace. The blonde took a deep breath, inhaling the very essence of Bella, before she spoke.

“My dear Bella, you mustn’t question so many things.” She leaned in closer and Bella thought her heart was going to beat straight out of her chest. “There are things you don’t know about me. Things you can’t begin to understand.” Her eyes shimmered from black to almost red before darkening even more. Bella wondered if she was still looking into someone’s eyes or if her vision had grown dark. “There is something about you.” Rosalie allowed her lips to graze Bella’s as softly as a breeze through her hair. “Something that I crave,” Her tongue streaked across her teeth touching Bella’s own lips. “Something I cannot live without,” The blonde turned Bella’s chin to the side and leaned into the delicate girl’s neck.

Bella felt the teen inhale once more, her mouth opening against Bella’s bare skin. There was a sharp piercing sensation, like a razors cut when shaving, followed by a new feeling Bella had never felt before. It was as if she was living an out of body experience, as if her body was on fire, but it was a fire encased by ice. Everything the teen felt she couldn’t explain, she couldn’t understand, she couldn’t even believe was real.

Suddenly there was a distance between her and Rosalie. The distance was filled with loss, depression, and anxiety. Bella opened her eyes, not even realizing they had closed, and took a step closer to Rosalie, but the look the teen gave her froze her steps. Rosalie looked scared, confused, and anxious, all emotions Bella wouldn’t have believed the ever confident teen could even possess, but the emotions were all too obvious as the unguarded blonde began to shiver and pace.

Before Bella could opened her mouth or even think of anything to say, the two were interrupted by a car driving up the quiet street. The silver Volvo stopped next to them, the passenger window rolled down and Edward leaned over the empty seat.

“Rosalie, what are you doing here?” Seeing the strange way the two teens were standing, Edward turned to Bella and began questioning their situation. “Bella, are you okay? What happened? What are you two doing out here so late?”

Bella pulled her phone out of her back pocket and checked the time, nearly midnight. When had it gotten so late? She turned back to Rosalie and saw the teen was composed with all traces of the past few minutes gone from her face.

“Eddie boy, to what do we owe this pleasure?”

Edward frowned at the nickname. “I came looking for you. Alice said you had most likely gotten yourself in over your head. Her words, not mine.” The teen looked back over at Bella, but continued speaking to his sister. “What is it that you’ve done this time, Rosie?”

As his eyes scanned over her body, Bella instinctively brought her hand up to her neck. By Edward’s reaction it was the wrong move to make. The teen forcibly set his car into park and jumped out of the vehicle. He swiftly made his way to Bella, concern mixed with frustration and anger shone brightly in his eyes as he did a once over of the shorter teen. Bella at once felt frail and insignificant. She wrapped her arms around her upper body and attempted to keep herself from shivering. Edward turned back to his sister and the two began a staring contest, one Bella knew must contain words, but she simply could not hear anything.

After a moment of silence, Rosalie swiftly made her way to Bella’s side and grasped the girl’s shoulders tightly. The motion was meant to be encouraging and comforting, but instead Bella grew stiff and her ‘fight or flight’ instincts kicked in. She mentally cursed herself wondering why her instincts hadn’t worked earlier when she was alone with Rosalie, but a part of her knew it had something to do with Edward being there. Perhaps she feared Edward more than she feared Rosalie. Perhaps it was the combination of the two teens together. Perhaps she shouldn’t be trying to examine her inner most impulses and intuitions while surrounded by the very people that seemed to confuse them.

“I was just walking Bella home, Edward. No need to worry.”

“There is always something to worry about when it comes to you, my dear sister.”

Bella wasn’t sure if the two were being civil for her sake or if the strangely sarcastic interaction was the norm for the adopted siblings. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and tried not to lean into Rosalie’s hold. Bella’s emotions were still so tangled up she wasn’t sure if Rosalie made her feel safe or vulnerable.

The tall blonde merely smiled at her brother not bothering with a verbal response.

“What exactly are your intentions with Bella?” Edward asked calmly, but his hands were balled into fists and his jaw was set.

Bella wondered if the teen was jealous of Rosalie and Bella’s close proximity. After the first day of school, Bella had made a point not to hold Edward’s hand or lean into him and whisper jokes, she had never meant to lead the bronze haired boy on, but he was such a good listener and always seemed fascinated in anything she had to say. It was inevitable the two would become fast friends. Bella knew she would have to make a point to have a conversation with Edward about his intentions with her, but at that very moment she also wanted to know Rosalie’s answer to the question. She looked up at the blonde teen only to see her bright lilac eyes looking at her menacingly.

“Why to seduce her of course.” Rosalie’s voice was dark and full of a promise Bella wasn’t sure she wanted to experience. She shivered in response, barely keeping her legs from buckling under the emotional weight.

Edward growled in response, an action Bella didn’t understand, but couldn’t be bothered to wonder about. He stepped forward, but Rosalie tightened her grip on Bella’s shoulder and turned their two bodies away from the bronze haired teen. Bella wasn’t sure if she was walking or being lifted above the ground by the surprisingly strong blonde; all she knew for certain was her anxiety was growing, but her body was wrongfully trustful of Rosalie’s protective grasp and predatorial claim on Bella herself.

“Don’t worry dear brother, Alice told me to become more familiar with our sweet friend here. And she’s never wrong, now is she?”

As they reached her front porch Bella should have been wondering how it was that Rosalie knew where she lived. She should have been wondering about the cryptic way Rosalie and Edward spoke about her, or about the comments the teens made about Alice seeming to know things she couldn’t possibly know, at least not with the amount of certainty they all seemed to believe. Bella should have been wondering about the almost kiss she had had with Rosalie and the sensation she had felt. She should have been wondering a lot of things about her strange evening.

Instead, Bella had one question on her mind. “Will you go out with me?”

Rosalie smiled in response. All presence of the last few hours erased from her features. Bella wondered for a short moment if the night had really happened the way she remembered it, but the thought wasn’t important to her at that moment.

“Did you mean to say, ‘how are you’ again? Or is this a real question.” Rosalie spoke with all the confidence of a politician and it made Bella feel self-conscious. She looked down at her feet, trying not to show her fear of being rejected, but she knew it was all for naught. She felt a hand push some loose strands of hair behind her ear. Bella looked up to see smiling eyes and slightly parted lips. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt Rosalie’s fingers twist into her hair. “When was it you wanted to go out?”

Bella gulped visibly, but forced her voice to answer. “Tomorrow night. That is, if you aren’t already busy. If you are, we can reschedule, but…” Her voice disappeared into the quiet night while she waited in anxiety ridden anticipation.

Taking a step closer so their bodies were pressed up against each other and her cool breath lingered against Bella’s lips, Rosalie smiled coyly. “Pick me up at 7?”

Bella tried to keep herself from swooning in Rosalie’s arms. She nodded slowly in response as she lost herself in the bright lilac eyes staring deep into her very being. Rosalie leaned in, once again brushing her lips against Bella’s, not quite a kiss, but so close Bella could taste it.

It was at that moment Edward’s silver Volvo pulled up in front of Bella’s house and the two teens stepped back from one another. Alice’s head poked out the passenger side door window and her bell-like voice called into the night. “Aw, are we interrupting something?” The words sounded innocent enough, but it was obvious to Bella Alice knew exactly what she interrupted. “Let’s go Rose! We have less than 24 hours to pick out something for you to wear on your date tomorrow!”

Bella cranked her head over to Rosalie in confusion, but the blonde merely rolled her eyes and shook her head. Her arms were crossed and she was leaning back on her left leg. The way she held her body was at ease, but Bella couldn’t help, but read the language as defensive and uncomfortable. She wondered if the change was because of her, or because of the two intruders. Bella’s head was swarming with questions, but she hesitated to ask anything. She barely knew where to begin in her own thoughts, how would she be able to voice anything coherently?

“And don’t worry Bella, we’ll talk soon enough.” Bella wasn’t entirely sure what Alice was talking about, but she nodded slowly and tried to pretend she was comfortable with everything that was going on. “Well, we have to go now; Chief Swan is going to be home soon, so you should probably get to bed Bella. Let’s go Rose.”

In a blur of slow motion, Bella took her bag from Rosalie, waved goodbye to Edward and Alice and watched the Volvo drive off into the night. She made her way into her house and mechanically went about her business. Dropping her keys into the bowl on the table and kicking off her shoes, Bella forwent dinner, dropped her bag on the floor by the stairs and made her way up to bed. She stared out the window in the darkness, head still swarming with thoughts and ideas and visions, none of which she could explain.

One thing finally came to the forefront of her mind and brought a smile to Bella’s lips. She said yes, Rosalie said yes. They were going on a date tomorrow night. Bella let the exciting news sink in while she quickly changed into her pajamas. Bursting with a new found energy, Bella danced her way to the bathroom, washed her face and brushed her teeth. While sloshing around Listerine, something she rarely used, but felt she had a very good reason to improve the scent of her breath, Bella realized she had no idea how to take a girl out on a date. She spit out the mouthwash and quickly ran back to her room.

At one in the morning, Bella was amazed Angela was squealing with excitement over her news instead of cursing her for the late night phone call. It took them another hour, and a couple of annoyed cautions to quiet down by Bella’s father, but the two thought up a perfect date plan.

A/N: I want Bella and Rosalie’s relationship to grow naturally, but Rosalie has a lot of trust issues and Bella is starting to realize that the Cullen’s might have a bigger secret then just a few strange gifts.

Speaking of which, Bella and Alice are definitely going to have a long talk and it should explain exactly why Jasper and Edward felt the need to confront Bella about her gifts, thereby voicing their own gifts so freely and quickly. It has nothing to do with them trusting her, if need be they could silence her, but her gift interfering with theirs was causing a very big problem and they needed to know if she had any control over it and whether or not she could possibly be a vampire (or some other supernatural being) herself.

Now for the review responses:

[Guest] – You have a very good point about Alice having such a powerful gift before being changed, and your comment made me think about Jane and Alec’s powers as well. I still believe Bella became the most powerful vampire after she changed and she was able to hone her own gifts unrealistically quickly, but I’ll agree with you about her gift being no stronger than those four listed while still human. Thank you for bringing that up.

[CatchingStar] – Yeah, I wasn’t sure about bringing the gifts forward so quickly, but I do have a plan about that, as was explained in my author’s note. Let me know if I’m still using too much description, I’m really trying to calm down on it without losing the important parts.

[Guest] – I agree with you on the contrast between “gods among men” and the “painfully ordinary” teen, it made the relationships between Bella and the Cullens uncomfortable and, as you said, forced. The Cullens are still mysterious and a bit unapproachable, they are evil, scary vampires after all, but I’d like to think I made it so they could actually realistically blend in with other humans. Even with Edward’s ability to read minds and Alice’s ability to see the future, it made no sense that teenagers wouldn’t question how/why Meyer’s vampires were so obviously different from them. Especially in a small town where all scary movies are set.

[ThatCrazyNothing] – Love the name, btw. And I also love Edward’s arrogance, I think it makes him an interesting character and fits with the period in which he was born and raised. He’s still a likable guy, he’s chivalrous and caring, but he’s a bit old-fashioned and controlling. He doesn’t mean to be and usually doesn’t realize he is, but it’s a character flaw and makes him more realistic.

[Akasha Hallows28] – Don’t worry, Eddie boy is staying in the friend zone, despite his attempts. Bella and he are actually going to become quite buddy/buddy once he realizes he lost to his sister, but his interest is also based around his interest in Bella’s gift. Once the excitement of meeting another gifted individual goes away, Edward will calm down and embrace the friend zone full heartedly.

I’m surprised more of you don’t like pancakes, but I prefer eggs myself, so who am I to judge? Don’t worry everyone; this is a full-blown Bella/Rosalie fanfic and there won’t be any awkward Bella/Edward or even more awkward Bella/Mike dating.

So, what do you think Angela and Bella have cooked up for Bella and Rosalie’s date? I have a pretty good plan, but you may have some great first/second/third date stories, don’t you?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. The last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

Chapter 4: Rainstorms, Earthquakes, And Blackouts

“I was always attracted not by some quantifiable, external beauty, but by something deep down, something absolute. Just as some people have a secret love for rainstorms, earthquakes, or blackouts, I liked that certain undefinable something directed my way by members of the opposite sex. For want of a better word, call it magnetism. Like it or not, it’s a kind of power that snares people and reels them in.” – Haruki Murakami

At one in the morning, Bella was amazed Angela was squealing with excitement over her news instead of cursing her for the late night phone call. It took them another hour, and a couple of annoyed cautions to quiet down by Bella’s father, but the two thought up a perfect date plan.

"Ugh! I don't have anything to wear!" Bella yelled out from within her closet. Angela wasn't entirely sure how her friend had managed to fit her whole body inside the small closet, but she was amused to see Bella's short legs kicking out through a large pile of clothes deemed 'not good enough'. The taller girl pushed her glasses back up her nose and laid down on the twin bed now pushed against Bella's window. She waited patiently while the shorter girl rummaged through her clothes before eventually giving up and laying down opposite her friend. Head to toe, the two girls stared up at the ceiling and sighed in unison. "Do you really think this is a good idea?"

"The date or the girl?" Angela asked with amusement.

Bella whimpered in response and threw her hands over her face. She mumbled something Angela at first couldn't hear, but then deciphered out to be, "I have no idea."

Leaning up on her forearms, Angela looked over her friend. Bella was wearing her favorite pair of light colored jeans, the ones with a small scuff mark over the left knee from when she had tried out skateboarding as a hobby. On top, she had only managed to find a dark purple tank top with a lace design across the right side. If it had been summer, Angela would have said to go as is, but with the Autumn breeze coming from the mountains, long sleeves were a must. She scanned the large pile of clothes bursting out of the closet and eyed a pale lavender button up shirt. It had a small stain on the right cuff from a nosebleed last year.

Angela jumped up, grabbed the shirt and threw it on her friend. She then laid back down with their heads touching and pointed out the window. "You see that?" She pointed at the blue sky and shining sun. "That is what you call a good sign."

Bella sighed, "You're right. You're complete right! So why am I so flustered about all of this?"

"Because you're human and that's what humans do! We fluster! We make mountains of moehills!"

The shorter girl laughed, "Moehills?"

Blushing Angela corrected, "I meant molehills. You know I meant molehills."

Giggling still, Bella finally relented. "I suppose you're right, I'm just worried she won't like the date. I mean, what if Rosalie expects me to take her to some big fancy restaurant in the city? Or something traditional like that? I'm not sure why, but I feel like she's a traditional type of woman."

"If she were so traditional, what on earth would she be doing with someone like you?" It was the wrong thing to say and Angela knew it right after the words left her mouth. Bella tensed up faster than a lobster claw. "I mean look at you!" Angela squeaked out. "You're extraordinary! You're spectacular! You're fascinating!" She leaned in and started tickling her friend, who squirmed and giggled in response. "You're funny, you're smart, and I know I would give anything to go on a date like this."

Sighing, the taller girl stopped her attack and stared down at her friend. "You know, if I didn't know just how much of a dork you really were, I'd probably have a crush on you too!"

Bella stuck her tongue out in response and the two girls laughed and relaxed. They had been friends before either one of them really remembered a time they weren't. They had grown up in a type of companionship that bordered on sisterhood and that bond couldn't be broken. "I think," Angela began. "If you were truly honest with yourself, you would see that Rosalie wants more from you than just an easy one-night-stand."

Bella blushed a deep crimson. "I am not easy!"

"In the hands of Rosalie, I'm pretty sure the Pope would give it up." Angela mused back. "You see, she has that certain type of charm that removes clothes before you even realize she's in the room with you. You see it all the time in Romance novels. The strong silent type with smooth arms and a to-die-for stare. They swoop in from outside of town and woo a girl just by mere sight."

"I don't know what you're talking about." The shorter girl practically whispered. "She's only human."

"Sometimes I wonder." Angela responded.

Bella quirked her head at that not sure if her friend was joking or about to start a rant.

"There's something strange about her and her family. I'm not quite sure what, but there's something off. You know how they can seemingly talk to each other without saying anything? Or how they will be standing next to you one moment and then nowhere to be seen the next?" The taller girl pondered. "And if both Edward and Jasper have supernatural gifts, who is to say Rosalie doesn't as well?" She smiled slyly. "Maybe hers is raw sex appeal."

The shorter girl shoved her friend in the arm, almost tossing her off the bed. "You're getting me all worked up! I'm getting chills just thinking about her." She shivered. "See?!"

"Is that really the time?" Angela questioned, picking up her phone. "You need to get on the road!"

Jumping up off the bed, Bella bounded for the door before turning back. Angela tossed the long-sleeved shirt at her friend and mused, "Don't worry; I know where the door is." Bella smiled broadly before stumbling down the stairs. She threw her sneakers on and grabbed her wallet and keys before hopping out the door (she hadn't gotten one shoe entirely on yet) and heading over to the old truck her father had tuned up for her that morning.

Normally, Bella rode her bike, walked, or got rides everywhere and never really needed a vehicle of her own. She had gotten her license when she turned 16, having taken the test driving the cruiser, but had never bothered to save up for a car. When her dad's friend Billy had given them the Chevy it technically became Bella's, but she didn't find it to be a very easy drive. As she slowly released the clutch, the truck sputtered and died. Groaning, Bella went through the motions of starting up the engine and this time remembered to pumped the clutch twice before shifting into reverse and then again once the truck was turned around and onto the road. The old Chevy groaned and growled the majority of the trip, but the engine kept chugging and Bella found her way through the back-country roads and up the long driveway.

She hopped down off the truck and brushed herself off hoping she didn't reek of diesel. Making her way to the front door, Bella had only knocked once before the door flung open and Alice stood in the entranceway beaming.

"Welcome, Bella!" Alice chimed out. Her voice sounded like a sweet bell or the song of a siren. Bella smiled brightly before getting attacked with a hug. Or she thought it was an attack, but once compared to the next hug from the giant named Emmett, Bella thought Alice's hug was a gentle breeze.

"Hold up." Bella breathed out. "I think I'm losing a lung."

Emmett dropped her at once and apologized a little too genuinely. "Sorry, I got excited."

"Uh, that's okay." Bella blinked, not really sure what to say. This was her first real interaction with Emmett and she still wasn't sure what to make of him. He was so incredibly intimidating and yet he had the biggest, goofiest smile one could imagine. He was like a giant puppy; you didn’t know if it was going to bite you or lick you.

Looking around the room, she didn't see Rosalie anywhere, but the living space seemed to be accompanied by everyone else, all staring at her and smiling. "Umm, so yeah. Hi everyone!" She waved, not knowing what to do with her hands.

"So!" Alice sang out. "Here's the plan! You're going to come with me and have chat a little, and then I'll get Rosalie for you." Bella didn't have much of a choice as Alice was already whisking her down the hall and past the piano room. They reached the back balcony and Alice patted a bar stool that Bella didn't remember being there last week. She thought back to the couch in the living room and realized that was different too. Maybe they were still trying to figure out where all the furniture should go.

They both sat and Alice leaned forward over the small table in between them and fluttered her eyelashes. "So, I hear you two are going on a date."

Bella blushed. She felt like she was being interrogated by a father before taking his daughter to the prom. She heard Edward laugh from the other room and decided to try not to think too loudly, however that would work.

"I don't need to know any of the details, I already know she's going to love it so you have nothing to worry about." Bella started to question how Alice would know that Rosalie was going to love their date, when she was cut off. "Don't even bother, I already know. You see, I'm the same as Edward and Jasper only I can tell you the future. Not the whole future or anything crazy like that, but I see what is to come based on people's decisions. I see I'm confusing you; It's like this. I focus in on the people I care most about, like Jasper and Rosalie and the rest. And I try to think to myself, where will this person be in a few hours, or how will they react if I ask them this question, or when will they meet their future spouse, you know, questions like those. And then I go into this sort of trance and focus on the person and can usually see a scene of what is to come, like a movie or gif or sometimes only a picture."

Bella looked into Alice's eyes and wondered if Angela were there, whether she'd believe Alice or not. She thought about it for several seconds but in the end she couldn’t think of any reason not to believe the small pixie-girl in front of her. And so, the brunette sighed and nodded.

"Wait, that's it? You believe me?" Alice asked sounding slightly shocked.

Bella laughed, "Why are you so surprised? Aren’t you supposed to have already known the answer?"

The shorter girl frowned. "I'm not having nearly as much trouble as the boys, but you are a very hard person to read Ms. Isabella."

The younger girl smiled broadly and declared, "I guess that's why you all must find me so interesting."

Alice quipped, "Well that and the fact that Rosalie won't shut up about you!" She then quickly covered her mouth with her hands, realizing what she had said.

Blushing, Bella whispered, "Really? What does she say?" The younger girl realized that she should probably be questioning Alice more about her seer gift, but whenever the blonde's name came up it was as if all other matters seemed to fade.

Then a voice came from directly over Bella's left shoulder. "Things like, when do we get to be alone together again." The lips of one Rosalie Hale whispered over Bella's ear and made her shiver.

"No, no, no!" Alice whined lightly. "I'm not done yet, shoo!" And before Bella could even turn around, Rosalie was out of sight. She scanned all around her, even leaning back on the stool until she almost fell, but she still couldn't see any retreating sign of the beautiful blonde.

"Where did she? How did she?" Bella tried to question.

"Never mind, that's not important." Alice halfheartedly answered. "At least not right now, we'll get to that. Anyway, we need to talk about you and Rosalie, and your intentions with her."

Bella's thoughts went back to the previous night when Rosalie had to answer that exact question from Edward. She felt herself getting excited at the blonde's answer of seduction, but that wasn't her own reasoning. She thought back to the first time she saw Rosalie and how irritated she was with the blonde. It seemed to be explained away by Jasper's erratic emotions, but there was another strong emotion at the base of that irritation. It was a certain heat, a certain calling, a certain comfort. Yes, that was the right word. Bella found comfort with Rosalie, in an unexplained sense. But how did that translate into intention? Did she just want to cuddle? Bella blushed again.

Maybe there was something else there, a certain need. She needed to have Rosalie around but that seemed silly, she barely even knew the girl. And yet it felt right. When she thought of Rosalie a smile came to her lips. Rosalie made her feel excited and safe and content and...

Edward appeared next to their table and chimed in, "If I may, I believe the word you are looking for is happy." Edward and Bella exchanged a smile. "You see, when you find comfort in something, or in this case someone, it brings about happiness and contentment; and moreover, security and safety."

"Yes," Declared Bella, "Safety. I feel safe when I am with Rosalie; which is strange because of the way she acts sometimes, but I feel it all the same." Bella turned back to Alice. "I intend to make Rosalie happy because she brings me comfort and safety."

Alice beamed at the younger girl and nearly bounced out of her chair. "Where did you ever come from? How did I not see you from miles away?!" Bella didn't know how to reply, so she merely shrugged. "Okay, okay, I'm ready. You are now entrusted with my absolute favorite sister. Go, go on your date and don't worry over any details; I know with the utmost certainty that Rosalie will return with a big fat smile on her face!"

Bella smiled broadly at this and slid down off her chair. She was feeling giddy and lightheaded while she followed Edward down the hall and through the front door. As she stepped outside she saw Rosalie, in all her glory, with her head leaned into Bella's truck. Bella stopped dead in her tracks. What on earth was Rosalie doing? Was she smelling the truck? Did it smell awful? Was she going to refuse to ride in the old Chevy?

Edward laughed lightly and called out, "Hey sis, your chariot awaits."

Rosalie leaned out of the car in slow motion and tossed her shining blonde hair across her shoulder, the sun brightly setting in the background. At least that's how Bella saw it as her jaw dropped open.

The taller girl was wearing dark skinny jeans, that almost appeared black, with a dark grey t-shirt and an army pea-green light coat. The blonde was smiling at Bella, which caused the shorter girl to blush deeply. Edward had to push her forward, or else she was pretty sure she would have stayed rooted to that spot until she became one with the porch.

Bella approached her date and with a sudden amount of confidence, leaned in and kissed Rosalie on the cheek. Moving by momentum alone, she turned to the truck and held the passenger side door open, allowing the blonde to slide into her seat. Bella then smoothly made her way around the truck, opened the door for herself, and promptly tripped up into her own seat. She hissed out in pain as a bruise was already forming on her right shin.

With a slight smirk on her lips, Rosalie asked if the shorter girl was okay, but Bella merely grunted and started the truck up. Not forgetting the clutch, the teenager was able to pull out of the driveway with no issues and make her way back towards town. Rosalie rolled down the window and smiled at the trees flying by. It wasn't until Bella turned right out of Maxfield Rd that Rosalie started to question where they were going.

"It's a surprise." Bella stated matter-of-factly. "That means I can't tell you until we get there."

The truck chugged along Route 101 until Bella slowed and turned down towards Lake Pleasant. Following East Lake Pleasant Rd down to the end, she pulled into a small abandoned opening that overlooked the lake; arriving just as the sun finally set. Bella adjusted the truck many times before finally turning it off and hopping down from the driver's seat. Following the edge of the truck, she found her way to the passenger side, opened the door, and leaned in over Rosalie's lap. The blonde quirked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything as the brunette opened the glove compartment and pulled out a flashlight. She turned the light on, and reaching up with her other hand, held out her palm to help Rosalie out of the truck. The blonde smoothly stepped out of the vehicle and allowed Bella to lead her to the cargo bed.

Opening the hatch with a loud grinding sound, Bella released Rosalie's hand and clamored her way into the open space. She quickly opened up four sleeping bags and littered a few pillows along the edge where the bed met the cab. Rosalie followed Bella into the back of the truck and couldn't help, but smirk at the bed now created.

Clearing her throat, Rosalie questioned, "Are you so sure about your intentions?"

Bella blushed a deep crimson, but continued to rummage through some items near the cab. She pulled out a large box, placed it on the roof of the cab, and reached through the open window. Grunting a few times and flailing her legs, she finally reached the battery sitting behind the passenger seat and pulled herself back into the bed. A few more buttons and the projector snapped on with a brilliant glare. Bella covered her eyes and fell backward, right into Rosalie's lap. The blonde smiled brightly, adjusted her seat just a small amount, and then wrapped her arms around the brunette.

The two stayed that way as the opening of the movie began. Circle of Life boomed out of the small speakers plugged into the projector, and the makeshift screen made out of two sheets hanging from a tree, lit up in a reddish orange color. Rosalie laughed quietly to herself and pulled Bella in so the younger girl's head rested just under her chin.

As the movie progressed, Bella reluctantly pulled herself out of Rosalie's lap and reached behind a small stack of pillows. She pulled out a bag of pre-popped popcorn and a box of milk duds. She handed these two items to Rosalie, who promptly dumped the milk duds directly into the popcorn and took a huge bite of the combined mix. Bella laughed, "I've never even thought to do that before!"

"You would be amazed at the ideas that have passed through my head." Rosalie responded lightly.

Bella reached behind the pillows again and pulled out two waters. "I really had no idea what to bring for snacks. I mean, popcorn was a definite go, and milk duds are my favorite, but I had no idea what you might like." She handed one of the bottles over to Rosalie and settled down next to the girl.

Rosalie noticed the absence of warmth, but figured Bella must want the freedom to eat and drink while watching the movie. "What made you pick The Lion King?"

Blushing, Bella replied, "Well, to be honest, it was one of the only movies I could get uploaded on the projector this morning. You see, I spent most of the time bribing Jake to come out and put up the makeshift screen and even let me borrow the projector in the first place."

The blonde tensed slightly before asking, "And who is Jake?"

The younger girl noticed the change in atmosphere and laughed, "Oh, no, it's nothing like that!" The laugh didn't help the situation, so Bella tried to explain. "Do you know what I bribed him with?"

Pursing her lips, Rosalie merely hmphed in response.

"A play date with Angela." The brunette replied.

Now more confused than jealous, Rosalie questioned, "A play date?"

Bella laughed, "Yeah! Jake has had a puppy-love crush on Angela for years now! It's almost sickening to watch. And the best part? Angela has no idea. I swear, that girl is so blind to her own love life she'd be a surprise guest at her own wedding!"

The blonde looked puzzled with this explanation. "Where is Jake from? Have I met him at school?"

"Oh, no, he goes to school at the Res. Kind of sucks, since we grew up together, but that's how it goes."

Already knowing the answer, Rosalie still hoped it wasn't true. "What Res?"

"Oh right, I forgot you just moved here. The Quileute tribe is just on the coast. We hang out at La Push all the time, it's a gorgeous beach town. I wish I went to school right on the ocean." Bella sighed, not noticing how still Rosalie had gotten. "But that's why I had to offer such a big favor to get him to drive all the way out here and set up the screen." Bella leaned back in her seat and began ranting about La Push and a few of their adventures. "This one guy, Sam and his buddy Paul are always cliff diving over there. Jake says he wants to try it, but I'm not too sure. Have you ever cliff dived?"

Rosalie was off in her mind trying to figure out what to do. If Bella was such good friends with the Quileute tribe, what did that mean for the two of them? Could they have a relationship if it meant making Bella choose? It was then Rosalie realized just what she was thinking. Did she want a relationship with Bella? Was this really more than just a fun fling like she had originally meant it to be? She really needed to talk to Alice, but for right now the blonde realized her companion had stopped talking.

"I'm sorry, what?" She uncharacteristically sputtered.

"Are you ok, Rosalie? You seem to be a million miles away."

"Yes, and no. Can we talk about something else?"

Bella squirmed a little. She was worried she may have been boring her date with silly tales from her youth. "Uh, sure. What would you like to talk about?"

Rosalie pondered this for a moment before asking, "What is your favorite color?"

The younger girl laughed. "Really?"

Pursing her lips, Rosalie nodded.

"Well, okay, my favorite color is green, like the pine trees."

"And your favorite song?"

"I don't have one, not really. At least it changes with every new radio station I find."

"What about your favorite movie?"

"I'm pretty partial to Disney flicks." They both smiled, having almost forgotten about the movie playing in front of them. "But I also really like documentaries and anything about the supernatural."

"Oh really?" Rosalie raised her eyebrow in question. "I didn't have you pegged for a nerd."

"Far from it!" Bella protested. "I just really like when people explain the unexplained. I like having answers."

"Is that why you became such fast friends with my two brothers?" The blonde asked, her tone both parts jealous and interested.

"I guess so, but to be honest I think that was more them then it was me." The younger girl smiled to herself. "They really know how to wedge themselves into someone's life. Especially Edward!"

Rosalie sighed, "Yes, Eddie boy certainly knows how to make himself known."

Smiling, Bella quipped, "Do I sense a bit of jealousy there? Well, no need!" She placed her hand firmly on Rosalie's thigh. "I do believe I have already shown where my interests lie."

The blonde looked down at her thigh in surprise. Bella almost removed her hand, but feeling a certain level of confidence from how well things had been going, she decided to leave it there and turned back to the screen. The two watched the movie into its conclusion snuggled up against one another. Rosalie had leaned down so her head rested on Bella's and wrapped her arms about the younger the girl's arm.

As the credits began to scroll, Rosalie looked down at her companion and realized she had fallen asleep. Thinking back, Rosalie couldn't remember a time anyone had ever fallen asleep on her and she was unsure what the protocol was. It must be nearing 10pm and the blonde didn't know if Bella had a curfew and needed to be home, or if she should simply be allowed to continue to dream. Rosalie watched carefully as the younger girl's eyes fluttered and her body twitched in a way imperceptible to the human eye. Rosalie slowly breathed in Bella who so vulnerably lay against her and wondered for a moments time what the girl was thinking to have left herself in such a situation. But then Rosalie remembered what the girl had said to Alice. It would seem she felt safe in Rosalie’s care. This confused the older girl from the moment it was said; she had actually taken advantage of the girl's trust just the night before and had leaned down and nibbled on her neck.

Rosalie looked down at Bella's pulse and saw a small red mark where her teeth had grazed at the girl's thin skin. She pondered why she hadn't taken a bite, why she hadn't tasted the girl who smelled so sweet. Rosalie inhaled deeply, leaned in, and kissed the vulnerable skin softly.

Bella stirred and stretched, before leaning into Rosalie's own neck and kissing the cool skin a few times before realizing what she was doing.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." Bella blushed deeply. "I didn't realize what I was doing. I'm so sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" Rosalie purred and leaned in. She took Bella's bottom lip in her own and gently rubbed it between her teeth. She let go only long enough to add, "I have to say I quite liked being roused in that manner."

Bella stuttered. This was the Rosalie she found so difficult to speak around. She hadn't really thought about the difference before, but it was all too obvious now. During the movie, Bella was able to talk to Rosalie like a normal person, but now, all her words, all her confidence, was gone. And she had no idea how to get it back.

"I, uh, I" She mouthed out.

Rosalie released Bella's bottom lip and licked her own. "Cat got your tongue?"

The younger girl squirmed. "I just, I don't know."

"It's ok, I can show you." The blonde purred before leaning in and kissing the younger girl. Bella melted in the older girl's arms and felt like she would fall right out of the truck. But she wouldn't fall down, instead she would float up into the sky.

Rosalie leaned in further, pressing their bodies together, and gently moved Bella down on her back. She pulled away from the younger girl's lips and began trailing kisses along her jawline and down her neck. Bella was breathing so fast it made Rosalie smirked against her soft skin. The blonde slipped her knee between Bella's legs and rubbed against her while simultaneously reaching a hand up the younger girl's shirt and kissing her way back up to the soft, reddened lips. Bella gasped and shuttered, but leaned down into Rosalie. The older girl slowly made circles up Bella's stomach until reaching the brunette's bra; she reached back quickly and undid the strap in a simple snap of her fingers.

The younger girl gasped again, but this time she found her voice. "No, wait, stop, hold up, hold on, take a second, wait, wait, wait." She sputtered out quickly, barely forming the words. Bella took in a large gasp of breath, while holding onto the crook of Rosalie's arm. For her part, the blonde stopped moving once she heard Bella say no.

"Ok, ok, yes, wait, ok." Bella breathed out and started to relax. She saw just how still Rosalie had become and reached up to touch the older girl's face. "I'm sorry, I'm just, I'm just not ready for that quite yet. Can we slow down?"

Rosalie blinked a few times, before saying, "Yes, of course." She still didn't move, unsure how to react. Bella yelling out ‘no’ had completely thrown the older girl off.

Bella gently rubbed Rosalie's face and leaned up to kiss the older girl softly. Rosalie relaxed in the kiss and leaned back down into Bella. This time, however, she did not allow her hands to roam, nor her knee to jerk. She simply kissed the girl until both their lips went numb and they were breathing hard.

Bella dropped Rosalie off at her house just before midnight. "Don't forget your shoe, Cinderella." The brunette joked.

Smiling in an almost shy way, Rosalie kissed Bella goodnight and walked into her house with a huge grin on her lips. No one was around as the sound of the truck rumbled down the driveway, eventually out of hearing range. Rosalie took a few steps into the living room, then sighed. A part of her felt lighter than air, like she could float away into the clouds without a care. Another, much larger part of her, felt shame.

She walked into the piano room and began softly playing out When The Love Falls by Yurima. The tune slowly filled the room with it's somber melody. By the time Rosalie had made it halfway through the song, Edward had arrived and sat down at the bench beside her. He didn't ask any questions, merely listened to the music and listened to Rosalie's thoughts. The blonde, for her part, changed her thoughts chaotically trying to keep Edward from really understanding what was going on, but one thing kept coming back; Bella's soft voice yelling out no.

Edward remained as the song disappeared into the night and Rosalie sat unmoving at the piano keys. He waited patiently as she weighed the pros and cons of speaking with her brother. The two loved each other fiercely, but they had fought many times throughout their years together. Sometimes over petty things like where to move next, other times over love interests, especially when one might be human as Rosalie preferred, but they had never fought as much as they had over Royce.

Rosalie bent her head and began to cry. Her brother looped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head lightly. Eventually the tears dried and Rosalie removed herself from her brother's endearing hold. She didn't want sympathy right now; they would discuss things later. Instead, she walked out of the room and up to her own bedroom. There she found Alice sitting on her four poster bed. The blonde smiled at her sister, loving how she always knew when she was needed.

"Well, I saw that you had a giant smile on your face when you got home, but that smile seems to have gone away. Tell me what happened, dear sister."

"Oh, Alice, it was such a magical night." Rosalie flew herself dramatically onto her bed. "It was so simple and so perfect and so Bella." She sighed. "What have I gotten myself into?"

Alice giggled and bounced on the bed. "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! And no one would believe me. Every one of you was all, 'Rosalie is just going to hook up with another human and leave them happy but alone.' But I knew the truth! I knew that you would like Bella the second I met her. And you do, you really, really like her!"

Rosalie smiled at that, but then frowned again. "I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't? Of course you can! You already do!"

"But I shouldn't, don't you see? That's why I have always dated humans. They are around for a few months and then they go on living their lives and I can go on living my afterlife." Rosalie sighed with exasperation. "It's the only perk to dating! They go away!"

"Pfft!" Alice spit out. "Is that lie still bringing you down? You do know that we all know you're lying, right?"

"I'm not lying."

"Ugh! Yes, you are! You keep saying that the only people you want to date are human because that means that you don't really have to care about them. You can sleep with one or two, make out with a handful more, and then move to the next town. But we all know what you're doing to yourself and why! You date humans because it makes you feel human. And when you leave, it's because you're protecting yourself from really letting go!"

"I've let go!" Rosalie argued. "Like you said, I've slept with people in the past! I've allowed myself the simple pleasure of someone's company."

"Wrong kind of pleasure! I meant the pleasure of someone's mental company! You come in and just seduce people. You build them up and have your way with them, but you make sure to discard someone before you even learn what their favorite color is!"

"Well, what do you expect me to do?" The blonde finally growled out. "I can't trust people not to hurt me and I certainly can't trust me not to hurt them. And what of Bella? What if I do like her? How long can that last? Did you know that she's friends with the Quileute tribe? What happens if she finds out they're a bunch of putrid wolves with anger management issues? And if she figures out that, how long will it take for her to connect the dots back to us? I can't, Alice! I can't like her! She's human! Humans grow old and die, the way they're supposed to and I'm just this monster that's there to take away their very existence." She ended her fight with a whimper.

"Rosalie, my dear, it's okay to have feelings. It's okay to allow Bella to care for you, and I know she does."

"It's not her, it's me. I'm a monster and I will destroy her." Rosalie said the words about herself but her thoughts lingered on Royce.

Alice saw that the fight was over and there were no other options for her to take. She patted Rosalie's blonde head and departed from the room. Rosalie cried herself to sleep that night.

What did you folks think of the date? Is it something you would want to do? What's your favorite movie snack?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. The last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

Chapter 5: Opinion And Perspective

"Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." - Marcus Aurelius

"It's not her, it's me. I'm a monster and I will destroy her."
Alice saw that the fight was over and there were no other options for her to take. She patted Rosalie's blonde head and departed from the room. Rosalie cried herself to sleep that night.

Bella woke to a beautiful Autumn Sunday morning with the sun shining brightly and a crisp coolness in the air. Within a half hour, she was already out the door and on her bike. She peddled quickly, rushing into town to meet Angela at the Forks Coffee shop for breakfast. The younger girl was already seated at their booth under Elky, but today she was encompassed by two imposing male bodies. Edward and Jasper seemed to have already made themselves regular additions to Bella and Angela's Sunday meals.

Angela waved brightly and Bella made her way over to the table and took her seat next to Edward. With no preamble whatsoever, Angela requested, "How was it?" Bella blushed a deep crimson under the gaze of all three table members. "I see! So, it was that good?!" Angela burst out brightly.

The two boys laughed and Jasper added, "You are in quite a good mood this morning, Bella."

"Thanks, Jasper." The small brunette muttered. The waitress arrived and the table ordered waffles, coffee, and orange juice. Bella thought she would be saved by the break in conversation, but instead looked over to see Angela still staring her down, her face begging for more details. The young girl sighed, but smiled softly as well. "It was a really nice night."

Bella spent the next hour going over all the little details of picking up Rosalie, with Alice's interruption, and Rosalie's reaction to the date itself. She also spent the time explaining to the boys who Jacob was and how he was involved in the set up.

"Jacob is a friend of yours?" Edward asked for clarification even though Bella had simply stated, 'my friend, Jacob'.

"Yes, his dad and my dad have been friends since they were young."

"And he lives in the Res?" The bronze haired boy added.

"Yes, he is a part of the Quileute tribe." Bella gave him a weird look thinking back to how Rosalie had questioned her the same way. At the time, she thought it was just a level of jealousy, but Bella wasn't entirely sure that could be said of Edward. "Why do you ask?"

"Uh, yes, just asking because I was curious." Edward choked out. Bella wondered if maybe the jealousy was still there with Edward and frowned. She really needed to talk to him, but this wasn't the place. She didn't want to put him on the spot in front of the other two.

Their order arrived and the group quickly dug in. Bella smothered her waffles in butter and maple syrup, knowing she'd regret it later, but happy to indulge at the time. She cut the pile into smaller pieces and began digging in. Edward picked up a fork and started eating a few pieces off her plate.

"Hey! Get your own!" Bella dribbled a little orange juice out her mouth during her protest. "If you wanted waffles you should have ordered some like a normal person."

"Relax, I just wanted to try some." Edward smirked while taking another bite. "They really are rather sweet. How do you survive the sugar crash?"

"On a couch."

The group laughed brightly at the fast quip, and Bella was relieved that the conversation didn't make its way back to Rosalie or Jacob. From time to time she let her mind wander back to the night before and a smile would break out on her face, but no one called her out on it and the meal slowly concluded. The rest of the day moved lazily for Bella when she got home. She spent a few hours finishing up homework and watching TV before dinner with her father. The evening she spent listening to music and playing games on her computer. Eventually she went to bed and drifted off into sleep, a broad smile on her face at the prospect of seeing Rosalie at school the next day.

By lunch time on Monday morning, Bella was exasperated. She hadn't seen Rosalie all day and was beginning to snap back at people asking her any basic question. She blatantly ignored Edward all through Biology and by gym period she was so done with everyone she didn't even bother with a real excuse to Coach Clapp why she wasn’t participating in class, she merely took a seat on the bleachers and scowled at her shoes.

Several minutes into class, Bella looked up to see Alice sitting next to her. The brunette wondered how long the small girl had been there, but wasn't about to ask. Alice merely sat calmly, as if she was waiting for something. Bella sighed. Alice smiled. Bella fidgeted. Alice danced in her seat. Bella sighed again. Alice giggled.

"Fine! Ok, fine, I'll talk." Bella broke out in a near shout. Out on the gym floor, Lauren missed a volleyball flying past her and scowled at the interruption. "Sorry." Bella whispered, even though no one but the pixie girl next to her could hear.

She sighed again, fidgeted again, and grunted. "So, we had this amazing night on Saturday, right?"

"I heard, Rosalie came back with a huge grin on her face."

"Well then, where is she? She came to school today, I saw her hair."

"She is here, that's true."

"Ugh," Bella put her head in her hands. "Why is she avoiding me?"

The small girl twisted in her seat slightly, "I don’t know if she is exactly avoiding you..."

"Liar." Bella mumbled into her hands.

"Yeah, that's true."

"I don't even know why I'm acting this way." Bella looked up from her hands. "It's like I've become this uncontrolled force that's blasting out at anyone that comes too close!" She made little blasting noises while pointing her finger in random directions. "I've never reacted this way in my life and it doesn't make any sense."

Alice tilted her head to the side and questioned her friend, "Why do you think you're acting this way?"

"Because Rosalie is avoiding me!" The words flew out of Bella's mouth as if they were so obvious they were already in the air. "But why should I care? We went on one date. It was an amazing date, but just one date. And it's only been one day! Well, technically two days, but only one day where I know she was ignoring me." The young girl sighed. "I know it's not a big deal and I'm completely overreacting. I just... I don't know. I don't know why I'm acting this way so I'm going to just stop." She nodded her head abruptly. "This is it, the end of my pouting!"

And with those words the bell rang and the two girls left the gym and made their way out to the parking lot. Bella stopped suddenly and grabbed onto Alice's arm. The young pixie frowned deeply at the sight before them.

Rosalie was leaning her back into a van while Tyler Crowley hovered over the tall girl, his hand on the van next to her blonde hair.

Bella growled. Rosalie turned towards the younger girl, tilted her head and blinked. Bella growled again, but this time she pulled on Alice’s arm and the two of them walked away. They made their way to a big red Jeep Wrangler that Bella knew belonged to the Cullen’s. She was attempting to hide behind it but instead Alice pulled her into the passenger seat and before Bella could ask where they were going, Alice was cruising out of town.

She pulled into a parking spot along the streets of Port Angeles only a half hour later. Not noticing the quickness of their journey, Bella jumped out the car and walked up to a hot dog and ice cream vendor. She promptly bought a fudge popsicle and took a far too big bite out of it. Cursing over the immediate brain freeze, Bella started to cry. She felt like a wreck and didn't know what to do with her emotions.

Growing up, the girl had certainly had her fair share of good cries, but mostly over sprained bones or bruised elbows. When it came to heartbreak, Bella didn't even know how she was supposed to feel. All she could think about were those romance novels Angela was always reading, but in those the women that were crying all the time seemed to find strength in their emotions. Bella just felt like a wreck.

She threw the rest of the popsicle in a nearby trash can and watched the different people walk by. There was a young family with a child pulling his dad over to a candy shop. An elderly couple sitting on the pier sharing a water bottle. Over by the dress shop was an inconspicuous looking man with a beautiful golden retriever. The dog was enjoying all the affection from young female shoppers almost as much as the man. Near the Jeep, talking quietly to Alice, was the bronze haired telepath. Bella quirked her head to the side trying to figure out if the boy had ridden with them to Port Angeles or not. She looked around and didn't see his Volvo, but she could have sworn they were alone in the Jeep.

Bella shook her head. What a day she was having! She got up and walked over to the pair of siblings. "I want to go hiking."

Edward grinned, but Alice frowned. "Hiking? I thought we could go shopping."

The brunette frowned in response, "I don't like shopping."

"Who doesn't like shopping? It's the most relaxing thing to do!"

"Shopping is frustrating! How can you call it relaxing? Too many people all grabbing for the same shirt and it doesn't even fit right."

"That's what makes it relaxing! Being the one person that knows that shirt would look horrible, so you grab another one or you find one in the back of the store or there's a perfect combination of shoes with a belt or an accessory that looks amazing with..."

Bella lost interest in Alice's ramblings and turned to Edward. "Want to go hiking?"

The tall boy scratched the back of his head and shrugged; he seemed a bit afraid to go against Alice’s idea even if he was interested in hiking.

"Great! Let's go to Hurricane Mountain! It's just a short ride from here, I'm sure we can hop on a tourist bus or something." She looked around quickly and spotted a van marked for a tourist group and pulled the stuttering boy along with her. They slipped onto the bus and took seats towards the back. Attempting to go incognito, Bella struck up a conversation with an elderly couple across the way.

"First time in Washington?"

The woman was very small, both in stature and in build. Bella thought she could fit the woman's entire body into any one of the suitcases being pressed into the overhead carriage. The jewelry the woman wore was loud and sparkly and dangled vicariously over the edges of her wrists, neck, and ears. The sparkle made the woman dazzle with light, almost like she glowed. Bella smirked at the idea of someone glowing.

"No, no, dear." The old woman's voice quavered as her body shook with the effort. "I was here many times when I was younger. Of course, it's changed quite a bit since then! What was it, 1942?" She turned to the old gentlemen sitting with his arm around her shoulders, but she didn't wait for a reply. "It was during the war and I was working as a nurse. I was a part of the Army Nurse Corps and was stationed in Seattle for a while. I didn't go off to China after the bombing though, no, Betsy did and she ended up staying there with a young Chinese man, but it made her happy and she didn't end up coming back after the war."

Edward seemed to perk up at this information. "You were a part of the Army Nurse Corps? My father was a doctor during the war and he said we never would have lasted without the ANC. You did amazing work."

Bella turned to Edward with a questioning look. Did he mean Dr. Cullen? Wasn't he too young to be working during WWII? She must have heard wrong and Edward meant his grandfather.

"Why thank you dear." The elderly woman reached over and laid her hand on Edward’s, giving it a small squeeze. "We were quite the group."

The old man perked up for a moment adding, "Aye they were. Some men would get hurt just to see that smiling face looking over their beds." He hunched slightly in his seat, but Bella could tell he once had a proud, straight posture. He wore dark grey pants with a light blue polo shirt and a small pin on his WWII vet cap, but Bella couldn't read it.

"Oh you!" The elderly woman playful smacked her companion.

"How long have you two been together?" Edward asked, he looked smitten with the elderly couple.

"What has it been, dear?" The old man replied.

"I guess it could have been 68 years now. Longer if you counted when we first met. But we've been married for 68 years."

Edward shook his head in disbelief. "Amazing." Bella looked the boy over and thought she saw a sign of jealousy in his eyes, but he turned to her and smiled brightly.

"And what about you two?" The elderly woman questioned. "How long have you been together?"

"Oh, we're not..." Bella started to say, but Edward cut her off.

"Only a week, now, but we are really enjoying our honeymoon." He swept his arm around her waist and gave her a tight hug.

At first Bella wanted to slap him, but she noticed a weird look in his eye. He was trying to tell her something by looking her in the eye, then looking over her shoulder. She turned to the front of the bus and saw a big sign stating: "The Love Bus: Excursions for Honeymoons and Anniversaries. Couples in the know call us before they go!" Her eyes grew big and she looked back at her new husband, for all intents and purposes, and burst out laughing.

Edward smiled tightly, "She's just so happy!"

The bus started up and Bella turned back in her seat properly. She mused over the idea of being married to anyone let alone Edward, as the bus made its way up into the mountains and around the tight bends. The trip lasted longer than Bella had anticipated, but it also ended farther away. When the bus finally stopped to let people off, Bella saw a sign for Storm King Ranger Station and another for Lake Crescent.

"Oh" Bella gasped when she stepped down off the bus, Edward holding his hand out to keep her balanced.

"I take it this wasn't where you were expecting to end up?"

"No, not quite. It's actually a bit farther away from Port Angeles than Hurricane Hill is, but at least it's in the right direction of Forks!" She laughed in a short lipped manner. "I don't suppose you should call Alice to pick us up?"

"I actually texted her on the trip over. You were a bit lost in thought. Anyway, she said she was shopping, but would be by in an hour or so." Edward shrugged, completely unconcerned. "I guess we go hiking, then! Where to my lady?" He bowed deeply, holding out his hand in a royal gesture. Bella was amused and a little uncomfortable, but with everyone's eyes on them Bella couldn't help but smile. She took his arm and they made their way down one of the randomly marked paths.

"You really are a romantic, aren't you?" Bella asked suddenly after walking for several minutes.

"I... Well, yes, I do believe I am."

"Is it weird being able to hear everyone's thoughts? Is that why you're single? Because you know what people are actually thinking?"

"I don't know what you're thinking."

"True."

Edward scratched the back of his head trying to put together an answer that would make sense. "I do think there's a certain level of truth to your question. I feel... I think that being able to hear people's thoughts gives me a different perspective on a lot of personalities. Like my family, for example, Alice is quirky and fun and all over the place, but her mind can be very somber. Jasper is quiet and calm all the time, but his thoughts soar at a million miles an hour."

"What about Rosalie?"

"Ah, yes, Rosalie. Rosalie is very sad." Edward spoke slowly and quietly. "She has a strange habit of thinking one thing and then doing the opposite. Or thinking something through, deciding a certain course of action would cause drastic consequences, and then she does it anyways." He was growing frustrated. "She could have and do so much more, but instead she holds herself back. She causes her own pain."

Bella stared at her feet while they continued walking. She wasn't sure what to say. Edward had a very real point about people not acting the same way they thought. The brunette frowned at what her friend had said about Alice. Why was she so sad? And why did Rosalie do things knowing the outcome would cause her pain? Bella didn't know what to think. Her pace quickened and they moved down several paths as the group of hikers thinned. A thick stone of moss slipped Bella's foot out from under her and she went flying towards the ground. Edward's arms wrapped around her and she slunk into his embrace.

"You smell really nice." Edward whispered into her hair.

Bella tensed for a minute, but the action causes her ankle to spasm. "Oh, ouch, oh, oh, ouch!"

Edward quickly scooped up the girl and brought her over to the base of a tree. The ground was soft and absolutely covered in moss.

"Where are we?" Bella asked.

"Ancient Groves." Edward responded. "How is your ankle? It looks like you just twisted it." He quickly removed Bella's shoe and sock and placed his cold hand directly over her already swollen ankle.

Bella sighed. "That feels really nice." Her voice came out a little deeper than expected. She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the cool contact. "Where is everyone else?"

"I guess we're the only ones smart enough to traverse around this area so late." Edward looked up at the sky, Bella's eyes opened and followed his gaze. "We really probably should be getting somewhere closer to population." The bronze haired-boy said to the setting sun.

"I guess so." Bella tried to get up, but Edward was much too quick. He scooped her into his arms and carried her bridal-style.

"Since we are on our honeymoon, after all." Edward's bright smile disappeared as quickly as it came. He stood rigid, his breathing seeming to have disappeared, his face ashen. "We have to get out of here."

And with that Edward ran, he ran faster than Bella had ever seen anyone run before. The trees, rocks, moss, and everything else that made up a forest, whooshed past them at incredible speeds. Bella tried to see where they were going, but she felt like she was on a carnival ride. Just before she was about to throw up, a force hit her so hard she flew out of Edwards hands and into a lake. Submerged underwater, Bella breathed in suddenly, choking and flailing. She didn't understand what was happening to her, where was she? How did she get there? And who just dragged her out of the water by her swollen ankle?

A/N: [Lazua] I'm very glad the date didn't disappoint! And I agree, Rosalie admitting to anything to always a step forward! This chapter might seem like a step back, but I promise it isn't!

[Beth Cyra] I believe Bella has more pull on Rosalie than either of them realize, but it may take them a little while to figure out if that's good or bad!

My favorite movie candy is Reese's Pieces – I cannot get enough of them! What do ya'll think of hiking? Are you outdoors people?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. The last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

Chapter 6: The Black Abyss

"The process of delving into the black abyss is to me the keenest form of fascination." - HP Lovecraft

And with that Edward ran, he ran faster than Bella had ever seen anyone run before. The trees, rocks, moss, and everything else that made up a forest, whooshed past them at incredible speeds. Bella tried to see where they were going, but she felt like she was on a carnival ride. Just before she was about to throw up, a force hit her so hard she flew out of Edwards hands and into a lake. Submerged underwater, Bella breathed in suddenly, choking and flailing. She didn't understand what was happening to her, where was she? How did she get there? And who just dragged her out of the water by her swollen ankle?

Bella awoke, gasping for breath and swinging her arms wildly. She grabbed at the fabric around her and threw it to the floor, she kicked her legs out and fell with a large thud unto something hard and slightly dirty. She quickly lifted her body up off the ground, swung her feet underneath her in a crouch and began to look around her. She was in a small room with several trinkets lying on mismatched furniture. Pieces of metal scrap and screws and bolts were intermingled with old magazines about cars and motorcycles. Food wrappers were lying just outside a small metal wastebasket and clothes were tossed around in various piles that may have been clean versus dirty, may have just been simply clearing a space to the bed. 

The door swung open and a large man stood in the doorway. Bella twisted around quickly, mixing her legs in the blanket she had thrown off herself, and promptly fell to the ground. She groaned loudly realizing just how much pain her entire body was in.

"Bella? Bella?! Are you alright?" A familiar voice called out. It was then Bella realized she recognized the room as her friend Jacob Black’s bedroom. But what on earth was she doing down at the Res? What had happened to her? Was it all just a dream?

"Immfine." She mumbled barely coherently. Her voice was raspy and dry. She tried hard to swallow but felt like she had drank a desert in her sleep.

Jacob leaned down and grabbed the smaller girl's elbow. He lifted her easily and set her down on the bed, her feet dangling in front of her. Bella held her head in her hands, her thoughts swarming, and waited for the room to stop spinning. 

"You look awful." The younger boy confirmed. Bella felt awful. She felt like she had been struck by a mack truck, drowned in the ocean, and then tossed around a forest just for fun. She thought she could remember the growl of a bear but it didn't make any sense. What had she been doing up until now? 

"I brought you some water." Jake added, handing a large glass over to Bella. She gulped it down in less than a minute and handed the glass back. The older girl didn't even know how to start, or what questions to ask first. She looked at her friend with wide eyes full of confusion. 

Jake smiled weakly back. "You were found drowning in the Ozette Lake a little bit north of here. What were you doing swimming there in your clothes?"

"I... what?" Swimming? Drowning? What on earth was Jacob talking about? "I wasn't swimming, I was hiking..." She was about to say she had been in Ancient Groves walking with Edward, but then a sudden memory of unexplained speed stopped her. They weren't anywhere near Ozette Lake. How did she end up in the water?

"You were hiking at Norwegian Memorial? Why didn't you come by and get me? And what were you doing up there on a school night?"

"Where? Oh right, sure. I was there with Ed..." Bella stuttered again, wondering where Edward was. Should she admit his involvement? Was he still in danger?

The door outside of the house opened at that moment and a rush of voices interrupted Bella and Jacob's conversation.

"You aren't allowed here."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Black, this will only take a minute."

"You shouldn't even be this far across the line!"

"Yes, and we apologize, but Bella is here."

"Who is she to you?"

"I just want to see her. I want to make sure she's still alive." A clear bell like voice ringed in Bella's ear. She would recognize that voice anywhere. Rosalie and Edward appeared in the doorway and Bella smiled brightly, followed by a rough cough. She could use another glass of water.

"Would you mind getting Bella a glass of water?" Edward asked Billy, Jacob's father, kindly. Billy sighed and nodded. He was angry but didn't want Bella to see him throw out her friends.

Jacob stood tall the moment the two Cullen's entered the room. He made a strange face, like he had just caught whiff of a skunk, and staggered slightly. Bella noticed that her friend must have gotten taller as he was almost the same height as Edward. Was it possible he was finally taller than Angela? "Who are you?" Jacob demanded.

"Relax, Jake." Bella replied softly, reaching out her hand to hold onto his arm. "This is Edward and Rosalie." She couldn't help but smile when saying Rosalie's name.

Jake turned to look at Bella, a strained look on his face. "That's Rosalie?" He nearly whispered the question. "Why is she with him?"

"What do you mean? That's her brother."

"But he's a..."

Edward interrupted the question, "Yes, I am Edward Cullen. It's nice to meet you." He gestured towards Rosalie, who hadn't moved since she entered the room; instead her eyes seemed to be roaming over Bella, looking for any obvious injuries. Bella squirmed under the powerful gaze. "This is my sister, Rosalie Hale."

"Sister?" Jacob's body began to shake and his words spit out like venom. 

Bella felt her friend's skin grow hot and she almost pulled her hand away, but instead the teenager stood and turned her friend to look him in the eye. Jake froze, staring down into Bella's eyes. 

He breathed in deeply, held it for a few minutes, and finally exhaled, his eyes closing. "Please excuse me, I just need some air." Jake then turned quickly and pushed his way through the crowded house.

As Edward turned his body to allow Jake to pass, he murmured quietly, "That was... impressive..." He smiled brightly at Billy, who had returned with a glass of water for Bella. 

Billy stared at Edward, not sure how to react. Bella saw his indecision and decided to agree with Edward. "Jake has always been good at controlling his anger. Sometimes he gets so built up I think he's going to burst!" She laughed, not noticing the uncomfortable looks the other three were giving her. "But then he settles right back down as if nothing ever happened." She hummed quietly and smiled up at the room. Seeing their strained faces, Bella's cheeks turned pink. "What? What did I say?" 

Bella's voice was starting to crack again and Billy reached out with the glass of water. Bella thanked him and drank deeply, finishing off the glass before anyone else spoke. "Well, if Bella is feeling better perhaps you should take her home." Billy stated matter-of-factly.

"Yes, of course. And thank you for your understanding." Edward replied and reached out a hand towards Bella. The younger girl made to get up but Rosalie swooped in and cradled Bella in her arms, holding the brunette close to her chest. Bella breathed in her scent deeply, a rich mix of lilacs and applewood. She smelled of the earth, but sweet and relaxing. Bella pondered taking a nap right up until she was dropped unceremoniously into the backseat of Edward's silver Volvo. 

Rosalie took up residence in the front seat and began interrogating the younger girl without looking at her.

"What do you remember happened?"

Bella frowned, but figured she'd be better off if she just answered the questions, maybe she would get some answers herself. "I remember hiking with Edward and I slipped and twisted my ankle." Rosalie scoffed, but didn't say anything. "And then Edward picked me up to bring me back to the parking lot where we were going to meet Alice, instead he stiffened. And the rest was a blur. It was like he was running, but that couldn't be right." Bella shook her head at the disbelief in her own story. "I have no idea how we ended up at Ozette Lake."

"That is going to be hard to explain." Rosalie said angrily. 

Bella looked up but saw that Rosalie's displeasure was with her own brother. Edward frowned. "What did you expect me to do? Just let them take her?"

"You shouldn't have been out there to begin with."

"Yes, and who is at fault for that?" 

Rosalie hissed in response to Edward’s words.

"Wait," Bella interrupted the two older teens. "Who was trying to get me? What are you talking about?"

Edward frowned and began to speak, but Rosalie cut him off. "No, we don't know for sure. We can't say what exactly is going on yet. But I can say that you cannot be left alone. It is obvious that you can't keep yourself out of trouble."

Bella frowned and was about to argue, but Edward stopped the car. They were already back at Bella's house in record time. How fast did these teens drive?

"Let's get this over with." Rosalie scowled.

"You know, I could always be her cover." Edward commented nonchalantly. "It may be more believable."

"You will not lay a hand on her."

"Touchy, touchy, Rosie. You would think you have a real crush." 

Rosalie hissed again, a sound that sounded heinous and angelic at the same time. "Let's go Bella."

The older teen was out the car and holding the door open for Bella before the brunette could fully register the conversation. "Wait, what is my cover? Why do I need a cover?"

"Because you have been away from home for two days and I am about to get in a lot of trouble over it." The blonde scowled before reaching the door and knocking determinedly.

Charlie answered the door while half watching a baseball game on the television. "Yes, hello?"

"Sheriff Swan?" Rosalie spoke softly, a smile covering her face. Bella noticed the older teen had turned her entire persona into that of a perfect angel, girl next door. She couldn't help the slack jaw look on her own face.

Bella's dad turned his full attention toward the two teens standing at his door and smiled at Rosalie before turning to Bella and providing a slight frown. Bella gulped, not sure what kind of trouble she could be in. She had never really snuck out before, never disappeared without any notice, or even got in any real trouble like this. Charlie often had to remind Bella that the other teens at her school were having a party or a fire down at the Res. 

"Bells, so nice of you to show your face at home." Charlie commented but added a slight smirk to his words. "Did you have fun?"

Not sure what she should say, Bella looked up at Rosalie, who responded without missing a beat. "The camping trip was a huge success. We're so sorry it happened last minute, normally we like to plan these things ahead, but Alice found out there was going to be a meteor shower and we got to the campsite at just the right time." Rosalie's voice chimed with a bell like tone that made Bella want to smile at the words, but she couldn't help but think, camping trip? Really? Charlie believed I went camping? But when she looked back at Charlie and saw the giant smile on his face. She knew that Rosalie could have said they went to Rio de Janerio and Charlie would be nodding his consent. "My parents did want me to come in person and talk to you about Bella, if you have a moment?"

Charlie quickly agreed and gestured for the two girls to come inside and sit on the couch. He even muted the baseball game. 

As Bella sat down on the couch, she noticed that Rosalie sat right next to her and even placed a hand around her shoulder. She looked up at the blonde in question, but Rosalie was still smiling at Charlie. "I have found myself quite interested in your daughter and wish to date her. Of course, during the camping trip we were with my family, and my parents kept a watchful eye, but I wanted to ask your consent moving forward."

Charlie stood and nodded to himself. "I see, your family is very traditional." Rosalie nodded in response, her angelic smile and innocent face still in full effect. "If Bella agrees, I am okay with your relationship. I ask she is home for any and all curfews and you treat her right. I do own a gun." Bella's dad tried to say the last part in all seriousness, but his voice cracked a bit with a smile. 

Bella was in complete disbelief. What was happening? Did she just get a girlfriend? Was it real? She looked over at Rosalie, who was sitting as still as a statue, her arm over Bella's shoulders, but not touching her with any familiarity. Did she want to be with Bella or was she just using this as a cover? And what was she covering up? What actually happened?

The younger teen decided to use this moment to make the first big move. "Great!" She yelled at little too loudly, startling bother Charlie and Rosalie. "Let's go upstairs?" Bella jumped up and pulled on Rosalie's arm. The girl felt like a rock but moved with Bella's obvious persistence. The two made it to the stairs before Bella heard her dad start to protest. "Don't worry dad! We'll leave the door open!"

At the top of the stairs, Bella finally dropped her act, let go of Rosalie, and walked into her bedroom. She got to the desk, turned around and threw her hands up. "What the hell was that?" Rosalie looked flustered, an odd look that made Bella almost falter, but she was tired of being pushed around by Rosalie. "So now I'm your fake girlfriend? What is it that actually happened that would make you act out so viciously?"

At that, Rosalie actually looked hurt. "Is this not what you want?"

Exasperated, Bella huffed out, "Well of course it's what I want! Well sort of. I mean, yes, I want to date you, but did some ridiculous cover up story have to be the only way to get there? What the hell were you doing with Tyler?" Bella wasn't sure where that question came from, but wanted to know the answer all the same, so she left it. 

"Is that what you're angry about?" Rosalie mused, but when Bella didn't respond she decided she needed to give the girl real answers. "I like to flirt. I like the attention it gives me. And even if we are dating, I expect to be able to flirt with whomever I want, whenever I want."

"But that's not how dating works."

"Oh? And are you such an expert? Tell me, how many relationships have you been in?"

Bella blushed. She hadn't really been in any, just gone on a few dates, mostly to school dances. "Just how many have you been in?" She whispered in reply.

"More than you want to know about." The blonde said off-handedly. "But I can say that I don't cheat."

Bella scoffed. "What do you call flirting whenever with whomever?" She said the words in a childish accusing tone, but she couldn't help herself.

Rosalie rolled her eyes and moved about the room. "Flirting can be perfectly harmless. And I can be perfectly harmless." She touched a few photos on the wall and began sorting through Bella's bookshelf. "Or I can be the ugliest monster you've ever seen." She said the last words with a cold precision that made Bella shiver in response. "The choice is really up to you."

The brunette sighed and dropped into her desk chair. Is this what she wants? She could have Rosalie as her own, but would the rest of the school really know? What would they think of Bella if her girlfriend was always off flirting with other people? Would it really matter? Rosalie claims she wouldn't actually cheat, but what did cheating mean to her?

"Well, if flirting isn't cheating, what is? You wouldn't actually," She coughed. "Sleep with anyone else, right?"

Rosalie smiled slyly and moved her way over to Bella's bed. She sat without moving a single pillow or creasing the blanket. Then the blonde patted the bed next to her and in a soft, sultry voice asked, "Are you asking me to take you to bed, Isabella?" Her voice emphasizing you as if Bella were an item up for auction.

The brunette swallowed stiffly before replying, "I'm just trying to find your definition of cheating."

"Ah" The blonde mused. "Of course. What is actually cheating if flirting does not count? Would I sleep with other people? Would I fool around? Would I kiss them?" She pulled herself back on the bed and leaned against the closed window. "What is your line?"

Bella wondered briefly if other people had to go through such complicated negotiations when starting a new relationship or if she was just the lucky one. "If you want to flirt, then I draw the line with kissing. No kissing, no fooling around, and nothing past that."

The older teen smirked, lifted her right hand and drew an X across her heart. "I so swear."

Bella couldn't help but smile in response. She relaxed a bit and let the last few minutes sink in. She had a girlfriend. Not just any girlfriend, but Rosalie freakin' Hale; the hottest girl at Forks High School. She had to tell Angela! She went to reach for her phone, but realized it wasn't in her pocket. The younger teen looked up to see Rosalie holding out a smartphone, but it wasn't Bella's. She frowned.

"Your phone sort of died from being submerged in the lake." Rosalie said softly. "I picked up this one for you."

Bella blinked. How could she have possibly forgotten? The hiking trip with Edward, the strange feeling of flying in his arms, the crash where she landed in Ozette Lake – miles away from where they had started. She looked down at her hands. "I need answers."

Rosalie clicked her tongue. "Can you trust me enough to hear half the truth now?"

The younger teen looked up into Rosalie's eyes and saw vulnerability. Something she had never seen in the blonde before. She moved over to the bed and crawled up to sit next to her new girlfriend. "Okay." She breathed out softly. "Half-truth now, but I will get the full story when I ask you for it." She reached her hand out and took Rosalie's, intertwining their fingers. 

The blonde leaned ever so slightly into Bella and sighed before she began speaking. "You and Edward were hiking in the Ancient Groves trails when you tripped, something you do all too often, and you managed to hurt yourself. Edward claims that you couldn't walk so he was carrying you. Was that true, by the way? Or was he just rubbing that in my face?"

Bella laughed. She didn't want to get Edward in trouble, so she replied, "It was pretty true. My ankle hurt pretty bad."

"Good. Don't let that boy get too grabby on you, you're my girlfriend after all."

"Yes, but if you get to flirt, I get to flirt too." Rosalie growled low in the back of her throat but didn't reply to that comment.

"Edward has a sixth sense, as you know, he can hear the thoughts of others. Well he heard someone. It's hard to explain, but it's someone that could hurt you. And he wanted to hurt you. Edward knew they were coming, because the thoughts he heard were not just one person, but three. One wanted to hurt you and the others, well, consider them a clan. They act together, so the other two were coming to hurt you as well."

Bella swallowed hard. "Why does some complete stranger want to hurt me?"

"That's our fault." Rosalie replied under her breath, so softly Bella wasn't sure she heard correctly at first. "We sometimes provoke attention from those that are dangerous to people like you."

"What do you mean, people like me?"

Rosalie's response was so quiet, Bella couldn't make out anything but a comment about the way she smelled. It didn't make sense to her and when she tried to get Rosalie to clarify the only response she would get was, "Half-truths for now."

Conceding, Bella pushed for more information about Ozette Lake. "Was I really all the way near the ocean?"

"Yes, that is true. Edward is very fast, faster than anyone else in our family."

Bella began to argue that no one could be that fast, but quickly realized it was another half-truth she was going to have to live with for now. She put her head back against the glass and wondered about the experience. It felt surreal, it felt like a fantasy. She thought over all the little things that had happened. Why she was mad at Rosalie, how quickly the Cullens and Hale's seemed to travel everywhere, both driving and on foot. She wondered about Billy's reaction to the teens and how angry Jake had gotten. She thought about the danger she had been in and how she had slept for two days. She thought about the lake and why she had ended up at the Res instead of back at Rosalie's house.

"How did I end up at Jake's?"

The blonde glared foreword as if she was mad at the door. "That is going to be difficult to explain, but it is very clear in my mind that it is Edward's fault. He outran the first threat but ran directly into another." Rosalie's voice seemed to mutter something about wolves, but Bella wasn't sure it was exactly right. "Luckily your little friend was there and he took you home. When Edward got back to tell us the news, I tried to come get you, but was stopped at the line and told you hadn't woken up yet. It took two days before we could convince them to allow us on their land to come collect you." She growled again. "That leader is a hothead."

Bella frowned, confusion racking her brain. "What? Who?"

Rosalie frowned. "The Quileute tribe. Let's just say that we don't have the best history with them. Call it a family feud. Well, we aren't exactly allowed on their land and while Edward wasn't when they ran into him, they still claim they were in the right to take you away from him."

"The Quileute attacked Edward at Ozette Lake?" Rosalie nodded to Bella's question. "They hit really hard." Bella cracked her neck and shook her head.

Rosalie growled. "Did they hurt you?"

"Not exactly, well not intentionally I don't think. But your description makes it sound like the tribe are the reason I ended up in the lake to begin with. Because Edward was hit and I went flying into the lake. That I remember very vividly."

Rosalie was on her feet pacing before Bella realized anything had happened. "I'm going to kill that bastard."

"No! Wait! Don't hurt Jake!" Bella called out a little too loudly.

"You two ok up there?" Charlie called up.

"Everything is fine, Sheriff Swan." Rosalie called down in her sweetest voice. It actually made Bella giggle a little. "We're arguing over a movie." The lack of response from downstairs showed Charlie had moved on. Rosalie turned back to Bella. "Not Jake. He's still a dog, but he didn't seem as bad as the hot head leader. Steve or something."

The younger girl frowned and tried to think of Jake's friends in the Res. There was Paul, who was definitely hot head but he rarely did anything without Sam's approval. Sometimes Bella thought Jake was part of a gang, but the group seemed to do more positive things for the tribe than anything else. "Do you mean Sam?"

"Whatever, the leader of the pack, the head honcho, the big cheese."

Bella was growing more and more confused. "So, it was Jake's friends that stopped Edward and took me to Jake's? And they wouldn't let Edward or you see me?"

"That's what I just said." Rosalie said exasperated.

"But why would they do that?"

"Because that's what those dogs are like!"

"Would you stop calling my friends dogs?!"

Rosalie left the room and wandered downstairs. Bella heard her make small talk with Charlie before finding her way back upstairs. The younger girl had barely had time to process the change in atmosphere before the blonde was back, handing over a can of soda. "Charlie was wondering why we were yelling again." She sighed, "You're a difficult one to discuss things with calmly." She smiled gently as she sat back next to Bella, leaning towards a small stack of magazines on the side table. 

Bella wondered about Rosalie's different moods. She thought back to when she had first met the blonde, in all her gorgeous rage. She had originally thought the blonde hated her for no reason. After meeting Edward and Jasper, Bella believed Rosalie's erratic behavior was her fault; do to her weird interactions with Jasper. But now, sitting on the bed next to the blonde, sipping at her soda while watching the older girl flipping through a magazine frowning at the pictures, Bella began to wonder if this was just the way Rosalie was. Perhaps the girl was just a rollercoaster of emotions and arguments and walls; perhaps it would always be this complicated, this strange. But maybe, just maybe, Bella would be able to find her way past all the distractions Rosalie used and find out what really brought forth this anger.

"These people are ridiculous. I swear, they couldn't pour water out of a boot if the instructions were on the heel."

Bella laughed and realized that maybe this was just how Rosalie really was.

The blonde looked over at the laughter, tilting her head slightly to the side. Bella leaned in and kissed the older girl. Rosalie was surprised for only a moment before leaning into the kiss. She attempted to push back on Bella, but the younger girl placed her hand on Rosalie's shoulder and leaned back with a smile. Before the older girl could apologize, Bella leaned back in and continued the kiss. It was soft, slow and agonizingly sweet. Rosalie moaned into her girlfriend's lips and found herself lost in the rhythm. When Bella finally pulled back, the older girl found herself wanting, but not exactly sure what she wanted. She knew she wanted more, but it was more of the same. It was one of the first times she didn't feel compelled to push to be in control or to push for more to happen. She had simply enjoyed the moment for what it was. 

In a low, raspy voice, the brunette asked, "What exactly are you going to be in trouble about?" At the confused look Bella received, she clarified, "When we got out of the car, before we got to the house, you told me you were going to be in a lot of trouble, but with the way you handled Charlie I figure he couldn't have been what you were worried about."

Rosalie smiled; a small smile, but a genuine one that reached into her eyes. "You, my sweet Isabella; you are the trouble I am in." She leaned in and kissed Bella until the younger girl was out of breath.

A/N: And so the relationship begins. How real is it for Rosalie? How will Bella handle Rosalie's wandering eyes? What exactly is going on at the Res? Who is after Bella? So many questions in this chapter; it'll be fun to work our way through the answers!

How many of you have had to work through similar conversations at the start of a new relationship? How many of you believe flirting is cheating?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. The last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

Chapter 7: At My Worst

“I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best .” - Marilyn Monroe

Rosalie smiled; a small smile, but a genuine one that reached into her eyes. "You, my sweet Isabella; you are the trouble I am in." She leaned in and kissed Bella until the younger girl was out of breath .

“I don't have the energy to shit butterflies and piss rainbows today.” Rosalie’s words brought a silence to the lunch table followed by Alice starting to giggle before losing herself in a fit. The eruption of laughter brought a lot of stares in their direction, which made Rosalie growl at her sister. 

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” The smaller girl attempted to apologize, but her body wouldn’t stop the onslaught of chuckles causing her to bend over in her chair. Jasper reached over and rubbed his girlfriend’s back gingerly while avoiding eye contact with Rosalie. The blonde turned her head back to Bella’s table to see the brunette leaned in conspiratorially with Edward; their heads were touching (actually touching!) and their hands were both moving quickly as they spoke. Rosalie knew they were only talking about a biology test, but the way they matched each other movements, and the way they always had to be so close to one another. The blonde couldn’t take it much longer. 

“You know this is your own fault.” Alice quipped.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. “How, exactly, did I cause this catastrophe?” She knew she could have feigned ignorance, but there was rarely a point when talking to Alice. It was obvious Rosalie was in such a foul mood because Bella was blatantly flirting with Edward, but she had no reason to believe the act was her fault.

“Because of your stupid ultimatum!” Alice got serious. “And I for one, am not all that interested in this constant power struggle between the two of you. It’s been four days already.”

“Four days is hardly anything to blink at.” Jasper noted. Alice simply backhanded his chest in response.

Rosalie thought it over. On Thursday, she met up with Bella in the parking lot and very publicly made out with her for as long as Bella was still dazed. It only lasted about ten minutes before the smaller girl realized the amount of looks they were getting and swatted Rosalie away. The purpose was still served and all anyone talked about the whole day was the scandalous relationship. Of course, no one walked up to the blonde to ask any questions, but Bella was surrounded every second of the day by students asking for all the juicy details. 

By lunch, Jessica had become Bella’s own personal bodyguard/PR representative. Her answers were a bit more detailed than Bella’s, but not all together accurate. Apparently, they had disappeared in the beginning of the week to a secluded B&B in Seattle, where they had spent more time in bed than talking. Bella had spent the majority of the day beat red in embarrassment and trying to deny the outrageous rumors. By Friday the rumors were so outrageous even Bella began to laugh in response and simply stated they were dating, but it was still new. 

On Saturday, Rosalie told Bella she had to go to Seattle with Esme, a mother-daughter shopping trip they had planned for months. Most of the story was true, but the implication was based on shopping for clothes. In reality, the two had stocked up on blood from the city’s Red Cross. 

Any blood that is deemed “expired” is disposed of by a company called Porcelli's Management Auto-Valuing Services, or PMAVS. A company that then freezes and sells the substance to clans like the Cullens. Although Rosalie most certainly preferred her blood direct from the source, there was something quite pleasant about a boiling hot cup of mulled blood while reading a book. 

Regardless, Rosalie had still spent most of the trip texting Bella random questions about her childhood and asking her opinion on clothing. She very quickly realized Bella lacked a certain eye for fashion, but still tried to give the correct answers. The blonde already knew a shopping trip would be disastrous after Alice’s complaints about Bella’s lack of enthusiasm, but still considered taking the younger girl just to have her try on a few things.

Although the trip only took a few hours, they had to pretend they were there until late Sunday night and so Rosalie didn’t get to see Bella all weekend. Something she hadn’t realized would bother her, but there it was. In response to the weird feelings Rosalie was going through, she acted out. 

On Monday, during lunch, she sat with Tyler and laughed at his dumb jokes, touching his stiff biceps. Bella spent the lunch glowering, but by next period she simply acted like nothing happened. Rosalie wasn’t quite sure how to react to this non-reaction. She expected anger, hurt, jealousy, something! Instead, Bella turned her attention to her homework and laughed with her friends. In response, Rosalie tried again after school by flirting with Jessica in the parking lot. However, the only reaction she got was an oblivious Jessica and a bemused Bella. It was beyond aggravating.

Now it was Tuesday and this charming display was obviously Rosalie’s retribution. She got up abruptly and stamped her way to the cafeteria doors just as the bell rang. Looking through her peripheral she saw Bella looking over at her, but the smile on the brunette’s face just made Rosalie angrier.

Rosalie continued to fume through the last bell ringing, her attitude causing the hallway to part for her exit. She made it into the parking lot before running into any of her family, but was stopped at the door of Emmett’s Jeep by a soft sweet voice. It made her want to grind her teeth and spit out acid. 

“Something bothering you, Rosie?” Edward’s voice was charming and filled with a sickening amount of satisfaction.

Rosalie debated reacting with violence, but held herself back due to the increasing number of students filing out of the school. She could not, however, hold back the spite from her words. “You have no business being that close to her and you know it.”

“Oh? And what are you planning to do about it?” Edward replied coolly, leaning his body against his Volvo. “I was under the impression flirting was fair game.” He looked over his nails, removing invisible flecks of dirt. His overall attitude of nonchalance was driving Rosalie absolutely mad, and he knew it. She could see the sense of satisfaction plastered all over his face. 

Rosalie leaned into her brother, their faces inches apart, her glare red with rage. “If you so much as lay a finger on her I will rip you apart and spread the pieces all over this god-forsaken earth.”

Edward frowned and cocked his head to the side. The two fought often, and violence was at times mentioned, but the younger teen was somewhat surprised by the ferocity in his sister’s words. Afterall, she was the most loyal to their clan, the one most often reminding them all they needed to co-exist if they wished to thrive. 

The blonde also seemed to be taken aback by her own words and quickly jumped back. Her mouth opened several times as if she was going to speak, but instead Bella cut in.

“Hi.” 

The two siblings quickly separated, Edward jumping into his car with a quick wave and a faint farewell, Rosalie throwing her bag into the back of the Jeep before slowing facing her girlfriend of four days. Had it really only been four days? 

She sighed deeply. “Hey.”

“You don’t look too happy right now.”

“No, no I’m not.” Rosalie sighed again.

“Could it have anything to do with how I was acting around Edward at lunch?”

The blonde debated waving off the accusation, she also wondered if not answering was an option, instead she merely nodded.

“Do you think, maybe, this whole flirting thing could be a bad idea?” Bella was looking at her shoes now.

“I don’t know why you would be so bothered, it didn’t seem to affect you.” The blonde’s response was sharp.

Bella fiddled with the books in her hands, tapping her foot on the pavement. “I guess it doesn’t bother me in one way, but in another it makes me want to punch Tyler in his big, dumb face.”

Rosalie scoffed. 

“It’s just, you said...” The young girl’s voice faded for a moment. “Well, you said that it didn’t matter. Like, you were just flirting for the attention and that Tyler or whomever doesn’t matter. And I guess... Well, I guess I believed you.” 

“Well of course you should believe me.” The blonde replied hotly. She still wasn’t entirely sure what was truly bothering her, which made it quite difficult to find her way through this conversation.

“I just wanted to let you know that, well, it’s the same for me.”

“What is? What are you talking about?”

“Well, that you don’t have to worry about me doing anything. That, well, I wouldn’t do anything that would hurt you.”

“So, rubbing faces with my brother isn’t supposed to hurt me?” Rosalie’s anger was starting to come through in her voice, causing Bella to step back slightly.

“I was just curious.” The brunette whispered.

“Curious about what? What shampoo he uses? It’s Oribe Ultra Gentle. Now you can move on.” Emmett walked up to his Jeep and climbed into the driver seat. Alice and Jasper quietly slipped into Edward’s Volvo and the car drove off. “I really need to get going, if that’s all...”

“Just listen for a minute!” Bella shouted. The parking lot had only a few people muddling around, but they all turned at the shout. She lost her nerve and turned away.

Rosalie paused for a moment, wondering if she should go after the younger girl, but ultimately opened the Jeep door and got in. She sighed heavily as Emmett quickly left the school behind and cruised down Route 101. Driving as fast as the souped-up Jeep could go, he made it to Ruby Beach before the sun set over the ocean. He parked in the mostly empty parking lot and the two made their way out onto the rocky beach. Rosalie sent a quick text to Esme asking for someone to keep watch in the area and explaining where she and Emmett had gone. Esme’s reply was a non-invasive ‘ok’. 

The two walked quietly along the shoreline for an hour before Emmett finally cracked. “What gives, Rose?”

Rosalie cursed her brother’s gentle nature. She almost wished it was Edward out on the beach with her, that way she could yell out all of her frustrations and argue pointlessly until they were both exhausted. Instead, she felt her body become smaller and her voice cracked slightly in reply. “I wish I knew.”

“I’ve not seen you get like this before. Not in a long time, at least.”

“What do you mean ‘not in a long time’? When have I ever acted like this? I would like to think I would remember.”

“Yeah.” The brunette laughed, but it lacked the normal warmth coming from the brawny vampire. “I would like to think you would remember too.” He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. “But it was a long time ago. I guess we all move on in different ways.” He picked up a smooth rock and threw it into the water, the skidded several times before eventually going out of sight.

 Rosalie waited quietly, trying to think of any time she had acted so irrationally, but came up empty.

“There was this little club, back the 40s, where we used to spend our nights in London. This was back when we lived in that Greystone in Landkey.” 

Rosalie smiled as she remembered the small home. “That was shortly after you joined our family.”

“Yeah, and I was completely smitten with you, head over heels crazy in love.”

The blonde’s smile faltered slightly; she wondered what Emmett was getting on about. 

“We went to that club, Calhoon’s or Cahoot’s or something was the name. And there was this jazz singer, Adelaide Hall, who used to sing there from time to time.” The brawny teen smiled to himself. “We used to go catch her shows and then wait around just to catch a second of her time.”

“This was you and Jasper, as I recall.”

“Yeah. We used to sneak off there thinking we could get around Alice’s gift, but it turned out there was no point.” Emmett laughed deeply. “She, of course, knew what we were doing the whole time, but didn’t care because she knew Jasper just loved the singer's voice, but had no interest in her otherwise.”

“But Alice and I followed you two out there one night.”

“Now you’re remembering! Yeah! You two followed us and hid or something. But we finally got Adelaide’s attention and bought her a few drinks and we were all laughing and having a great time. But then she started leaning in and rubbing my arm and getting all sorts of friendly. And that’s when...”

“That’s when I burst in and practically threw the table across the room.” Rosalie laughed at herself. “I thought she was going to take you home with her.” She nodded, fondly remembering the crazy act. “Oh.”

Emmett burst out laughing, his boisterous howl echoing across the water. “Yeah! Now you see what I’m talking about!” Once composed, he added. “That’s when I knew you loved me.”

The blonde was confused. “That doesn’t make sense, we didn’t become a couple for years after. In fact, we didn’t start dating until ‘58, when we lived in Australia. I remember, because you took me to see the Ivor Hele exhibit.”

“True, true, but that’s just how long it took me to convince you to date me. I actually asked you out that very night in London. It was during the drive home.” Emmett laughed again. “You laughed in my face, but I knew.”

Rosalie stared at Emmett, trying to understand him. “How do you just know these things? How do you see someone act in one way, but understand it in another?”

“Are you asking me so you can learn?” Emmett smiled sincerely. “Or are you asking so I can explain it to Bella?”

Rosalie shook her head. “I don’t even know anymore.” She sat down on a log of driftwood. It was getting late and the two should be heading home; she did technically have homework to work on. 

Instead the teen leaned back and stared up at the stars. Can you really fall in love in a month's time? What is it supposed to feel like? Is she supposed to be enamored? Amorous? Fascinated? Excited? Is she supposed to smile in response to seeing Bella smile? Is her breath supposed to catch when she comes across the other teen unexpectedly? Is the thought of the other girl supposed to bring butterflies to her stomach? Or is the fear in her gut the truth of her emotions? Is the jealousy raging through her veins what decides how she should act? Is it truly love if she does not even understand what she is feeling?

“I can’t love properly.” She whispered out into the night sky; she wasn’t entirely sure if her words were meant for Emmett to hear, but wasn’t angry when he replied.

“If anyone deserves to be loved, it’s you.”

The conversation was too raw, too real. She needed to speak with Alice or Esme. It had been years since she broke Emmett’s heart and things had gotten better. There had been countless relationships and dating and hook ups since then, but this... Something about this was different. And they both knew it.

“I...”

“Come on, Rose. We need to be getting home.”

……….

Bella didn’t hear from Rosalie all night, but she wasn’t sure what she expected the girl to say. It was on Bella to speak now. She needed to find a way to express herself, but the words kept coming up short. She tossed and turned all night, waking up well past her alarm. When she finally pulled into the parking lot, the first bell had already rung and most everyone was already in the school. She thought she saw Rosalie leaning against Edward’s Volvo, but when the younger teen got out of her truck, there was no Hale or Cullen to be seen. As the morning waned on, Bella found herself in a complete funk. She still didn’t know exactly what she wanted to say to Rosalie and was starting to fear lunch. 

When the bell rang on her Trig class, she made her way over to the library, skipping out on Spanish. It wasn’t like anyone in Forks actually spoke Spanish anyways. She found herself an empty table near the back and started working on her English essay. It wasn’t due for another week, but she figured Wuthering Heights was as good as anything to keep her mind focused and distracted. 

She was so engrossed in her rough draft, Bella took no notice to the other student studying at her table. She looked up, brushed a hair across from her face, looked him over slowly and lowered her head back down. Then she jumped and threw her pen across the table. 

“Nice throw.” The burly teen said quietly, handing the pen back to Bella. Somehow, he had managed to catch it flying over his head.

Bella watched as Emmett went back to his work, making no attempt at conversation. She turned back to her essay, but found it increasingly difficult to focus on the paper while the near stranger continued to sit across from her like they were best friends. Sure, she knew the rest of his family pretty well, but he was just downright terrifying. Even with the dimples and curls. There was something about the way he carried himself, like he could crack the table they were sitting at in two. And the way he watched Rosalie. And how he...

“You’re staring.”

“What? No!”

Emmett laughed quietly. “Be careful, Mrs. Hull will kick us out. I know, she did so my first time here based entirely on my football jersey.” He remarked with a smile.

Bella whispered conspiratorially. “I wasn’t staring.”

“Then what were you doing?’

“I was thinking, while looking in your direction.” She spoke each word slowly, wondering if she could make them sound believable.

“And what were you thinking about?”

The younger teen sighed defeatedly. “You.”

Emmett’s smile brightened. “I am quite magnificent, aren’t I?”

Bella laughed gently. “I’m really not sure.”

“Oh?” He looked instantly hurt, like Bella had given him the worst news of his life.

She immediately wanted to take back her words. “I just, well, I don’t know you. At all. Like, I know nothing about you besides that your name is Emmett. In fact, are you a Cullen or a Hale?”

“Oh, I’m definitely a Cullen.”

“Is there a rule about the difference?” Bella had actually been quite interested in why all the siblings were split up.

“Obviously it’s because of Alice and Jasper.”

“That does make quite a lot of sense.”

“When they met, they fell in love instantly. Esme and Carlisle weren’t going to mess with that, so they figured when they adopted Jasper and Rosalie, the two would want to keep their last name.”

“So, Jasper and Rosalie are siblings?”

“Siblings? Well yeah, they’re twins!”

“What?!” This time Mrs. Hull did come around the corner, spotted Emmett and immediate pushed the two out of the library.

Bella tried to wrap her mind around what just happened. Twins? How could they be twins? Well, it did make sense on one end, they two looked surprisingly alike with their blonde hair, light colored eyes and overall stance. They both had the same light accent coming somewhere from the Eastern side of the country. But how could she not know?

“Oh man, I don’t know if I’m ever getting back in there!” Emmett complained next to the smaller teen. “Way to go Bells.”

“What did you call me?”

“Bells?”

“Why did you call me that?”

“Well, I figured it would be a good nickname.” The older teen looked shy all of a sudden.

“Why would you want to give me a nickname?” Bella was completely thrown off guard.

“I thought we could be friends.” Emmett spoke quietly.

“Why?” The word slipped out before Bella even had a chance to think it through. “I mean, not that I don’t want to, well, I just. It’s the way you act around Rosalie.” Saying the words made Bella realize just how true they were. Right from the first encounter she saw between the two in the cafeteria. Emmett was protective of Rosalie, possessive even.

“We have a history.” 

Bella wasn’t entirely sure if she wanted to know what that history entailed. As luck would have it, the two were interrupted at that moment by a nondescript man with light brown hair, tied loosely behind his neck. Something about the man made Bella shift ever so slightly closer to Emmett; the other teen seemed to stiffen slightly, but Bella wasn’t sure if it was due to her movement or the strange man.

“Hello there, students.” The man spoke with a calm, low voice. “I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of building 3, I believe I took a wrong turn.”

“What are you looking for?” Emmett responded, his voice showing a certain amount of nervousness that was not helping Bella relax.

“I happen to be the new English teacher. Hello, I am Mr. Gigadent, but you can call me James.” 

He smiled, but the act made Bella lose her breathe; she shivered slightly in response. Emmett gestured and sent the man on his way. He then grabbed Bella’s hand and dragged her to the lunch room.

A/N: As you can, I am taking quite a few liberties with the backgrounds of our beloved characters, but I never pretended this story was canon. In fact, the world seems to be fitting better with Vampire Diaries and Vladimir Tod right now. But I’m having a lot more fun working with these rules than if I had been stuck in Twilight’s universe, so I hope ya’ll are enjoying this as well! 

I’m still working through the jealousy vs flirting plot. I know a lot of you are not fans of flirting while in a relationship, but I promise I’m trying to make a point, I just haven’t gotten to it yet. 

[JenDamn] I completely agree that flirting can be hurtful to your partner and shows a lack of respect. I also feel that Rosalie is doing it for self-sabotaging reasons.

[14gnatbug] It’s true that my portrayal of Rosalie is not canon. In the books, because of her past, she was closed off and angry. In my story, Rosalie is openly flirtatious and domineering. It is her way of dealing with her past and taking control of her own life. It’s something I will continuously work with through this story.

[Guests] - I will continue! And Bella is not shrugging it and she’s not forgiving exactly. I can’t say I agree this relationship is more toxic that Bella and Edward, since Edward stalked Bella and then tried to control her decisions. But I understand if you don’t like the dynamics in the relationship I am writing. I don’t think a relationship between Rosalie and Bella would be easy, but I’m hoping it will work out in the end. I won’t force it, but I am hoping the two can grow together. Keep in mind, Bella is new to relationships. How many people do you know had that much sense in their first relationship?

[Blue-Portrait] You got jealous Rosalie! But I don’t think it was the outcome you were looking for. 

Now the big question, who here believes in love at first sight?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. The last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…
 
Chapter 8: Like A Moth To The Flame

“ Their sudden intimacy was like the explosive combustion that engulfs and consumes a moth that has fluttered too close to a candle flame; a completely unexpected turn of events that took both of them unawares and swept them irresistibly up and out of themselves as it hurled them into each other’s arms.”  - Jack Whyte, Uther

He smiled, but the act made Bella lose her breathe; she shivered slightly in response. Emmett gestured and sent the man on his way. He then grabbed Bella’s hand and dragged her to the lunch room.

It was raining harder than Bella ever remembered experiencing. She was soaked to the bone; her cold, damp clothing slowing her movements. She leapt over roots, skirted around trees, searched her way through the woods. The moon shone bright, but the stars were all lost in the overcast.  Lightning lit the sky a bright, clear color; the rain sparkled in the light. She tried to run, tried to convince her legs to keep going, to just make it past the line, but her body collapsed into the muddy bank. The pebbles scratched at her hands, the rushing water inches away from her grasp. Her vision stirred as she felt herself lifted. Her body was unable to fight, unable to tear itself away. Gentle, caring arms cradled her and held her tight, but it was wrong. It was all wrong. Bella told her brain to move her limbs, to twist her body out of the grasp. Her senses were overtaking her, making her want to relax; the smell of cinnamon and bark, dirt and coffee. She opened her eyes one last time and saw the figure of Mr. Gigadent; he was smiling, but it was a maniacal grin that distorted his face. A thunderous boom echoed into the sky. Bella blacked out.

“You have been in town for less than a semester and already...” Charlie’s voice cut off in response to whomever he was speaking with. Bella walked into his office and took a seat across from the Sheriff’s desk. She tapped her foot against the metal desk methodically, not thinking about the noise it was making. “I’ll go down to the Res tonight, just, don’t get into any more trouble. I know... I have to go, Bella’s here. No, no not yet. I know.” He hung up without ceremony and turned to this daughter; without a word, the Sheriff slid into his seat and sighed heavily. He closed his hand over his eyes looking exhausted.

“Something wrong, dad?” Bella kept tapping her foot against the desk and tilted her head to the side. Everyone was in a bad mood today; the Cullens hadn’t left her side in the month that Mr. Gigadent had shown up. Edward had even somehow changed his schedule to have the same English class with Bella.

While in English class, Mr. Gigadent talked about Oscar Wilde and how even at the age of 46, he didn’t seem to look a day over 20. How he died of meningitis, but many debated if his death was actually from syphilis, as his symptoms didn’t always match up. He made many jokes about his books describing a never ending life, but at what cost? The class ended before they even got to the details of the book they were reading. Bella wondered, not for the first time, if Mr. Gigadent was really a teacher at all. All the students seemed to skirt away from him and he never mentioned having office hours or if anyone needed extra credit. 

Bella didn’t understand, yeah he was pretty creepy and always staring at her or Jessica or any of the girls really, but he hadn’t done anything. Was he a known pedophile or something? Did the Cullens recognize him from their old school or from the news? Bella hadn’t heard anything from Jessica and she knew for certain that girl couldn’t keep a secret to save her life, so nothing was happening there. Even in class, Bella felt like Mr. Gigadent was being kept at a distance from her; like Edward was flexing in front of him.

Earlier that day, Bella had made a detour to the bathroom before going to the cafeteria. When she came out, the hall was empty. Mr. Gigadent seemed to appear out of nowhere when Bella turned around the corner towards her locker, but he wasn’t even able to say hi before Edward had his arm draped around her. Edward had quite roughly moved Bella to the library where Emmett seemed to be waiting. She tried to asked the boys about it several times, but they just kept repeating that the new teacher was bad news.

And Rosalie had been even more distant than she had the first week of school. It was as if she had become a complete stranger and Bella couldn’t understand why. Had she done something wrong? Had she said something that scared the older girl off?

Charlie grunted and might have cursed, but Bella wasn’t completely sure; she hadn’t been listening carefully enough. “Feel like a ride to the Res tonight? I need to see Billy.”

“Yeah, that would be great!” Bella hopped out of the chair and swung her book bag over her shoulder. “Anything wrong though? You normally enjoy going to see Billy.”

“Hmm?” Already Charlie’s mind seemed to be out of the conversation.

The two made it outside and into the cruiser before Bella tried again. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”

“Yeah, no, everything’s fine. It will be fine. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“Well then why does everyone have their panties all up in a bunch?”

Charlie scowled at the visual. “It’s not really easy to explain.”

“That’s okay, we’ve got the whole drive there. Is Billy cooking?”

“I just, I’m not sure where to start.” Charlie distractedly made his way through town, not even trying to speak again. Bella wondered if she should push more. Whatever was going on was seriously bothering Charlie, but she had no idea where to start herself. How can she figure out what’s bothering him if he can’t seem to figure it out himself? She pulled out a book from her bag and began reading The Picture of Dorian Gray. 

The cruiser pulled into the Res about a half hour later. Bella dog eared the page she was on and slipped the book back in her bag. She was out of the car before her father had turned off the engine. She rushed over to the garage, leaving Charlie and Billy to greet each other in the front of the house.

“Jake? You back here, Jake?”

Bella walked into the garage to see Jake leaning over his sketch table with a pencil scratching across a piece of graph paper. He hummed in response to Bella’s presence, but made no motion to move. Knowing better than to disturb the distracted Jacob, Bella made her way around the garage, looking at all the different drawings of vehicles and pieces of machinery. There were boxes labelled and various parts scattered around the mostly empty boxes. Pieces of cloth with grease stains laid in random places, one piece that might have used to be a shirt was hanging off a nail in the wall. She noted that Jake was again not wearing a shirt regardless of it being quite chilly out, but didn’t bother saying anything. Half the time she’d end up in an argument about whether or not Jake should hide his ‘god given beauty’ - his words, not hers.

Tired of waiting patiently, Bella made her way over to Jake and leaned over his shoulder. He was drawing the engine parts of a motorcycle. She looked back at the garage, but noted there was no engine and no motorcycle. 

“Dream job?”

“Hah, yeah, I guess so.” Jake leaned back and cracked his neck. He stood up and stretched a little. 

Bella noted that the boy had grown another inch.

“Are you ever going to stop growing? This is getting a little embarrassing.”

Jake reached over and messed Bella’s hair. “Don’t worry Bella, little Seth is still shorter than you.” He looked Bella up and down. “Just shorter.”

Bella swiftly kicked Jake in the shin before doubling over and grabbing at her foot. 

“Oh my god, you’re like a rock!”

“Yeah, I know.” Jake shrugged. “I’m starving, you coming?”

“I think I broke my toe!” Bella yelped as the two made their way out of the garage and into the small home.

“You can’t keep Bella out of this, she is more a part of it then you know.” Billy’s voice was a harsh whisper.

Bella grabbed Jake’s hand and held him back at the door. She leaned in and listened more.

“I don’t know where to start, how do you just explain the Cullens? How do you explain Sam and Jake?”

“Being a shapeshifter really isn’t all that complicated.”

BAM! 

“What was that?” Charlie ran out the kitchen and flung the front door open. On the ground was Bella, attempting to stand back up. “Are you okay?”

“Uh,” Bella thought about her answer very carefully. “I’ve been better.”

Jake burst out laughing. “Was that… was that seriously the best answer you could think of?” He said between gasps of laughter. “I’ve been better.” The tall boy mocked.

“Ugh.” Bella lifted herself up on her shoulders and shrugged. “Dad, we need to talk.”

Charlie sighed heavily before walking down the steps and helping his daughter up off the ground. “Yeah, we do.”

“Bella?” Billy asked from the doorway.

“Yeah?”

“How did you end up on the ground?”

Jake burst out laughing again, hardly able to hold himself upright. 

“If you weren’t made of rock, I’d kick you again.”

“She fell!” Jake yelled out, completely ignoring Bella’s threat. “She heard you two talking and... and just whipped her body backwards and over the rail.” He lost his breath again, unable to continue his description. “It was hilarious.” Was all he was able to wheeze out.

Before Bella was fully seated at the kitchen table, Billy said, “So, you got us all figured out, huh?”

“I honestly don’t know what you're talking about.”

“Well you heard us talking.”

“Yes, and I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Billy smiled and leaned back in his wheelchair. “Do you remember coming to the bonfires and hearing the stories of the Quileute tribe?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Do you remember the story of the third wife? Do you remember the story of the spirit warriors?”

Bella slammed her palm onto her face. “Ow.”

Jake’s laughter could still be heard through the ajar door. 

Charlie sighed. “Yeah, that was my reaction when I was your age.”

“Wait, wait, wait. You’ve known for how long?”

Bella watched her dad rubbed the back of his neck. “Well you see, Billy, he’s a shifter. And we were best friends and all, but he couldn’t tell me.”

“Some of the worst months of my life, to be honest.” Billy joked.

“Why couldn’t you tell him?” Bella asked Billy.

“It’s against tribe law. We aren’t supposed to share our secret with those outside the tribe.”

Jake’s laughter finally died down and he made his way into the house. He sat down at the kitchen and immediately began eating the chips on the table. They were gone in just a few breaths. 

“If you’re not supposed to share the secret, then why are you telling me? Or, why did you tell my dad?”

Charlie scratched his chin. “That’s a difficult conversation.”

“More difficult than trying to explain to me that Jake and Billy both shift into wolves? It is wolves right?”

“Yeah, it’s actually against tribe law to kill wolves. They’re our brothers.” Jake responded.

“Can you talk to wolves?”

“Haha, no. Not regular wolves at least. We can talk to each other while we’re in wolf form.”

Bella looked at her hands, she picked at her nails. “Have I ever seen you in wolf form?”

“Nah, that’s something you would remember.” Jake leaned in and knocked shoulders with Bella. “Although, Sam was in wolf form when he knocked you out of Eddie boy’s hands.”

“Wait! What?!” Bella jumped up in her seat. “Sam was there? No, I knew that. But he was a wolf? What about Edward. Wait. Does Edward know you’re wolves?”

Jake scratched the back of his head, stood up and began searching through the cupboards.

“Why don’t you take the meat out of the fridge and start grilling up some burgers for dinner.” Billy said to his son.

Bella continued to wonder about Edward and all the Cullens. They were certainly different with their special powers. Her mind wandered to Mr. Gigadent for only a moment, but quickly moved back to Edward. He could read minds. “Of course! Edward can read minds, so he must be able to read yours and that’s how he knows! And he told his family.”

Billy and Charlie looked at one another before Billy responded. “That may be true, that Edward can read minds.” He said this with a certain amount of malice in his words. “But no, that is not how they found out. It was actually Carlisle who came to us several years ago. He made a pact with our ancestors.”

“Does this have to do with whatever line you two were talking about the last time I was here?”

Charlie sighed.

“Oh, sorry dad. I was here, not on a camping trip.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” He replied gruffly. “You’re my daughter. You’d think I’d know you would never actually go on an impromptu camping trip.” His words were rough, but there was a slight smile in his eyes. 

Bella smiled shyly. “I guess we all have truths we thought were secrets.”

“Jacob. Come now.” It was Sam’s voice outside the house. Bella stood up and walked over to the door just in time to see Sam, Paul, Jake, Jared and Embry take off into the woods. She thought she heard ripping and a thunderous sound before finally making out the sound of wolves howling. 

“Come, we’ll make our way to the lodge and await word.” Billy moved quickly, while Charlie and Bella walked behind him, the small girl needing to jog from time to time just to keep up. She’d never seen Billy move his wheelchair that quickly. 

Bella’s thoughts wandered as they made their way across the Res. She had so many questions left. Why would the Cullens and the Res need a treaty? Was there something else about the Cullens that she didn’t know? And if Billy was a wolf, was his injury due to fighting? Who did they fight? She thought back on the stories and wondered about the cold ones. She and Jake had used to joke about them being vampires. Now she wasn’t so sure. If the wolves, the shifters, were real did that mean that vampires or cold ones were real? She thought of Mr. Gigadent and his cold, dark eyes. She thought of the way she felt when he was staring at her, how she wanted to run away. She thought of how Emmett had held her behind him, protecting her. She was so incredibly confused and had no idea who to ask about it.

They entered the large central lodge and saw Harry Clearwater talking to a wolf. Bella tripped over her own feet, but her father was quick to keep her upright. 

“Just relax, I know you have a lot to think about, but now is not the time.” Charlie said.

“Who is Mr. Clearwater talking to?” Bella asked.

Charlie looked over, but shrugged. He wasn’t entirely sure which wolf that was. “Billy?” He asked and gestured his head over to the odd pair.

“Seth.”

“Seth, really?” Charlie shook his head. “So young.”

Bella looked up at her father disbelievingly. “That’s Seth Clearwater?” Her father nodded in response. 

The three of them made their way over to Quil Ateara the IV.

“Billy.” Quil stated matter-of-factly. “There has been a kill in the mountains north of Old Royal.”

“How many?” Charlie asked quickly. 

Quil nodded at him, but turned his attention to Bella. “The girl?”

Billy replied. “She knows. She needed to know.”

Quil stared at Bella for several minutes before dismissing her. “Go sit with Leah.”

Bella wanted to protest, but her father pointed to Leah and gave Bella a small push. She heard just a few details about two hikers having been attacked before the men were out of earshot. The teen collapsed into a seat next to Leah; she was sitting on a couch and reading a magazine. 

“So is this just another Thursday night at the Res?” 

“Basically, it feels that way ever since the Cullen’s showed up.” Leah sighed and lowered her magazine. Her eyes grew large as she realized who she had been talking to. “What on earth are you doing her?” Leah’s voice hissed in a whisper as if the two girls were in a conspiracy. 

Bella laughed. “I need to start asking myself that question more often.”

Leah wasn’t convinced. “You got Billy to tell you the truth didn’t you.”

“Is it really true?”

“Crazy right? I thought they were nothing but tribal stories, but it’s hard to dismiss now.” Leah said as her eyes roamed over to her little brother, Seth.

“Is it all the boys, then?”

Leah fidgetted. “Yeah, mostly. I mean, it’s usually the guys first. It’s rare, but sometimes one or two of the girls change.”

Bella took in the frightened look on Leah’s face. “Are you?”

“No.” Leah sighed. “But I will be.” She looked over at her brother’s red fur. “It sort of runs in the family.”

“Wow.” Bella wasn’t sure what to say. She leaned back on the couch and wondered if she would ever want to be a shifter, a wolf. Seth looked huge, his paws, his head, his body. She thought about Jake and how hard his body was, he felt like he was literal stone. “It’s kind of badass.”

Leah laughed. “Yeah. Don’t get me wrong there are a lot of pros to being a shifter.” She fidgeted again. “But there are a lot of downsides too.” She looked across the room at a beautiful girl with a large scar down the side of her face. 

It took Bella a few months before she recognized the girl. “Isn’t that Emily?”

Leah nodded solemnly and looked down at the floor. Bella was very confused, wasn’t Emily like Leah’s best friend? Before she could ask, Leah said, “There are certain things about being a shifter that the wolves can’t control.”

Bella looked at Emily. Looked at her scar. “Did someone attack her?” 

“Sam did.”

“What?!” Bella yelled. A few tribes people looked her way, but she turned quickly around and moved closer to Leah. “What do you mean Sam attacked her?”

“Part of being a wolf is a certain level of anger. Their emotions are heightened and the transformation can be painful. And unexpected. Sometimes their anger and pain take over and someone else gets hurt.”

“But why was Sam with Emily to begin with? Actually, why is she here? Isn’t she a part of the Makah tribe?”

Leah looked like she was going to cry or scream. Maybe both. “She and Sam are engaged.” She said through gritted teeth.

Bella’s eyes went wide. For as long as she could remember Sam and Leah were a couple. Bella was pretty sure the two had plans to be married. She looked back at Emily busily helping some of the other women in the kitchen area making large amounts of food. She looked nervous. Bella wondered if Emily was worried over Sam.

“What happened in the mountains?” Bella asked, changing the topic. 

Leah shook her long hair out and smiled sadly. “Two hikers were killed. The police up there said it was an animal attacked, but the pack is going to check things out.”

“An animal attack? Why kind of animal attacks two hikers?”

“Bears? Mountain lions?”

“Yeah, but whenever you hear about an attack like that, doesn’t one person usually get away?”

“Exactly what Jared said.”

Bella nodded. “But, what else would it be?”

“Vampires.” 

Leah had said the word so nonchalantly that Bella just nodded her head in agreement. 

“Wait, what?”

“Seriously?” Leah laughed. “What? Did you think the stories about the shifters was real, but their enemy was fake?”

“I, uh…” Bella had no idea what to say in response. She quickly picked up a magazine and pretended to read it. Leah covertly turned the magazine right side up for Bella before grabbing another and flipping through the pages. 

The two girls continued to read their magazines and chat about non important details of school and life. A half hour passed by and a few people got some things to eat, but the feast was left mostly untouched. Bella wondered if they were just waiting for the pack to get back but didn’t ask. She wasn’t sure if she really wanted more answers right now; they only seemed to lead to more questions. 

A shout came from outside the lodge followed by an all too familiar growl. Bella leaped up from the couch as she saw Rosalie, Edward and Emmett walk through the doors.

“I’m really sorry about this, we really don’t mean to intrude.” Edward was babbling on apologies. “We just really need to talk to the tribal leaders.”

“Bells!” Emmett yelled out, a huge smile on his face.

Bella felt the eyes of half the tribe stare her down like a curse that needed to be destroyed. The other half of the tribe remained locked on the Cullens. 

“What is the meaning of this?” Quil yelled out. “What are you doing here? Get off our land immediately!”

“Sorry, great leader.” Emmett responded playfully. “But no can do. Two reasons.” He held up his hand, two fingers sticking up. “One, my girl Bella here is supposed to be under our protection.”

Bella squirmed and made to sit back down in her seat, but Rosalie moved towards her. The blonde looked to be absolutely filled with fear. However, before she could reach Bella, Seth was crouched in front of her, growling.

Rosalie stopped, looked down at the wolf and smirked. She leaned back on one leg and crossed her arms. Waiting. Bella wondered what Rosalie could possibly be waiting for.

“Sirs, Mr. Clearwater, Mr. Black, and Mr. Ateara.” Edward was speaking. “We believe that the attack on the hikers was a decoy.”

“What are you talking about, son?” Billy asked, his voice laced with concern.

“What are you doing, Billy?” Quil was arguing. “We’re not going to listen to them, they probably attacked the hikers.”

Bella watched as Rosalie rolled her eyes. They were a beautiful lilac with dark undertones. Bella thought about Mr. Gigadent. Had he only just showed up last month? She thought about Leah talking about vampires and it hit her immediately.

“Mr. Gigadent is a vampire?”

Rosalie cocked her head at Bella, eyes confused. She quickly turned to Emmett and the two seemed to have a fast paced conversation, but Bella couldn’t really tell. Rosalie’s eyes were back on her in no time.

“Sirs, Bella is correct. We believe James Gigadent to be the cause of this. We also believe he left the bodies there as a decoy to remove your pack.” Edward then looked down at Seth and asked. “Did they find anyone?” He waited a moment. “Completely clear, but there is a scent correct?” Another beat. “Yes, the scent is bringing them to the upper coast. I have no doubts now, he went into the water and is circling his way back around. Please, let us help.”

“Get out of here!” Quil called out. “We won’t have your kind here.”

Harry nodded in agreement. “We will take your words into consideration, but you must leave. We’ve agreed to your presence for long enough.”

“What even gave you the idea that you could come across the line?” Quil shouted.

Bella glanced at Billy, but he stayed silent, in deep thought. Edward also looked to Billy, but didn’t get the answer he was looking for. Instead, Edward nodded. 

Rosalie growled, deep and unnerving. Bella’s eyes grew in response. She was certain this time. Rosalie really did growl. Was she? No. What was she? What were they? No, it couldn’t be true.

“We’re not leaving without Bella.” Emmett said sounding resolute. 

Bella cocked her head, but didn’t get to say anything.

“Bella stays here.” Charlie said. “I’m sorry, but it’s safer here.”

“You only have one wolf, it would be safer with us. If this tribe won’t let us protect them, at least let us protect her.” Emmett looked over at Rosalie.

Charlie faltered for a moment, but Harry spoke up. “Seth, quickly, disperse of these.”

Quil shouted. “Protect? Like you would protect us. Leave!”

Seth hesitated, but growled deep and low, his large red paws were the same size as Emmett’s head. Bella gulped, she didn’t want any of the Cullens to be hurt, but she also didn’t feel like she had a say in this decision; she didn’t feel like she had a say in any decision today.

Rosalie hesitated, thinking over things.

“Fine, we’ll wait at the line. When you change your mind, meet us there.” She spoke to Bella only.

“But what about Charlie?” Bella asked.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. “Bring the whole tribe if it makes you happy.” She said it sarcastically, but something told Bella that she could bring the tribe and Rosalie would try to protect them. She would protect them for her. It was strange to see the striking blonde so agreeable. Normally Bella could hardly stand her these days. They hadn’t spent a single moment alone together since they had talked outside of school. It seemed like a million years ago and their relationship felt more fake than it had when Rosalie proposed the idea (after already telling Charlie, of course).

Bella sighed, turned, and fell into the couch. Rosalie cursed, flipped her hair and left the lodge.

“Thank you again, and sorry for bothering you.” Edward kept repeating his apologies. “If you need help, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Quil yelled at the teens to leave several times more.

“Why on earth would they come here?” Leah asked nobody in particular.

“Because Rosalie is my girlfriend.”

“What?” Leah laughed. “That hot, crazy, champagne bottle?”

“Champagne bottle?” Bella asked confused.

“Yeah, cause she looks like she’s going to pop any second! And although it may be fun, it may also be a mess.”

Bella burst out laughing; the description was too exact for her to handle. Leah joined in the laughter, but they were stopped by Seth. He started growling, but also whimpering. 

Mr. Clearwater ran over to his son, he tried to talk to the wolf, but couldn’t understand him. Seth the wolf ran out of the lodge before Seth the boy walked back in wearing nothing but shorts.

“They’ve been attacked. It’s only two vampires, but they took the group by surprise. Embry got hurt.” He said this looking over at Billy. 

Before anyone could ask Seth added on, “He’s okay, just limping. They’re fighting, but Jake says there’s something wrong. There’s a female and a male, but they aren’t quite fighting back. They seem to be advancing and retreating. They’re playing with them. Sam hasn’t called the order to retreat or anything, but Jake was worried about the tribe.”

“Thank you, son.” Billy said. “We will discuss.”

Seth nodded and headed back outside. Bella heard a howl, but the wolf didn’t return. She asked Leah where he went and she explained he was probably running a perimeter check. Bella nodded and once again took up a magazine to distract her. It was nearly an hour before they got another update. The vampires were running west and the pack was regrouping for a new attack. They came close to taking down the male, but the female intervened at the last second, freeing him from Sam’s grasp. Sam and Jake were still arguing about the tribe, but Sam hadn’t let up. They had to deal with the threat in front of them and until Seth discovered a reason for them to return, they would stay.

The tribes leaders, Quil, Harry, Sue, and Billy, continued in a heated discussion. Bella wasn’t sure if she wanted to know what was going on. Charlie checked on her once or twice, but mostly stayed near the tribe leaders. He said he needed to be alert if they decided help was required. More of the food was eaten as night came. A storm also seemed to brew and hit the small reservation all at once. It felt magical to Bella, but she no longer thought magic to be a wonderous thing; instead she feared who could conjure such a storm.

When the power blew and candles began to be lit all over the building, Bella felt like she was at a tribe meeting, a bonfire. She had a small meal and began shifting around the lodge. There were several people of all ages and Bella wondered how such a community kept such a large secret, but she settled on the importance of the secret. That and who would even believe a Native American telling tales about shifters, wolves, and cold ones? She certainly never had. 

“Bella.” 

Bella thought she heard her name called out. She looked around and saw a small corridor towards the bathroom. She moved in that direction searching the hall and bathroom entrance. There was no one inside the stalls so she made her way back out to the hall. 

“Bella.” 

She was certain she heard a voice that time, but couldn’t decipher who had said it. The voice was soft and gentle, but loud enough for her to hear. Perhaps it came from across the room. She looked to see Leah chatting with an older woman near the entrance to the lodge. The older girl didn’t look to be searching for Bella, but perhaps she had just gotten distracted. Bella walked over and leaned against a pillar, waiting for Leah to finish her conversation. 

“Bella dear, can you come outside?” 

Bella looked around, but didn’t see anyone. She then realized it was a male’s voice, was it Edward? Did they sneak back over, but didn’t want to get caught? She turned and walked to the door, opened it and was immediately snatched up by strong, muscular arms. Immediately, they began running. When she looked up, however, it wasn’t Emmett’s arms, as she was expecting.

Bella screamed.

“Well that’s not the response I normally get from pretty girls.” Mr. Gigadent smiled fiercely. Bella tried to say something, but was interrupted. “Please, none of this Mr. Gigadent - my name is James.”

Bella couldn’t find her voice, but luckily she didn’t need to. Seth came barreling in from the right side and knocked Bella from James’ arms. She went flying into a tree and rolled down a hill. Dirt and water got into her eyes as she scrambled to a stop and tried to get up. She heard growls and roars all around her, but she still couldn’t see. Had the wolves finally come back? Was James in trouble? 

She lifted her shirt up and wiped the mud from her eyes. Looking around she wasn’t sure exactly where she was, but knew instantly she wasn’t anywhere near the lodge. How far had they gone? And in what direction? She looked up the hill to see James staring down at her, the next moment he was directly in front of her. He reached out only to have his arm pulled at a funny angle and his body thrown several feet into a tree. Seth stood next to Bella, growling deep and menacingly. Another wolf, smallish and grey, appeared at the top of the hill. It ran towards James at full speed, faster than Bella could watch. The wolf leaped at James, but he moved out of the way at the last moment. Seth growled again.

“Go, help the other wolf!” Bella yelled at Seth. She wasn’t sure which wolf was attacking James, but the fight didn’t look fair. The wolf didn’t seem as confident as it had when it ran towards it’s enemy; now it was stilted in its movements, awkward and uncomfortable. Bella thought it looked like a newborn animal.

Seth whimpered in reply, but didn’t move.

“You have to help him!” Bella repeated. “Look, I’ll run that way.” She pointed over her shoulder, as far away from James as she thought she could get.

Seth growled and shook his head. He pointed his nose in the direction just past where James and the wolf were fighting.

“Are you crazy? I can’t help fight.” Bella thought he was pointing towards the fight.

Seth shook his head again and growled sharply. He barked several times and howled. He then pushed Bella with his nose. He pushed her until she was a few feet from the fight, he then turned and attacked James, whipping him in the opposite direction.

Bella didn’t have any time to think, she took off running, hoping it was good news that she could barely hear the fight, but it may have just been the noise of the storm. She ran like her life depended on it, which to be honest she was pretty sure it did. After what felt like forever she saw a small river. She thought back on her conversation with Leah and how she nonchalantly spoke of the Res border being a river. Bella didn’t bother thinking things over and just tried to make her way towards the water. 

Her legs ached, her breathing was labored and her vision was starting to go blurry. She couldn’t remember having ever ran this hard. In the distance, she thought she saw Rosalie, her brilliant blonde hair shining in the rain, but it must have been an illusion. 

A growl reached Bella’s ears and she looked over her shoulder. The rain kept out anything that should have been visible. Bella wasn’t sure what was real anymore, she just knew she wasn’t going to make it. 

The next thing Bella was sure was real, was the pain of her leg being broken by James. The small cottage was warm and dry, the fire was roaring, and James was laughing.

A/N: So, you’ve got questions and I’ve got answers. I didn’t do much with James as a teacher, not yet at least, but I may play around a little more with some other ideas. Sorry for anyone that was interested in that. I didn’t want the story to slow down with those details. The wolves - ask the questions and I’ll make sure they’re answered in the next few questions.

So what do we think is going to happen to James? 

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. The last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

Chapter 9: Broken

“I definitely learned a lesson this time. I know that I can be broken. I am not as tough as I thought. I see it now. At this point, it's the only thing good that came out of all of this. I know myself better now and know what I have to do.” -  Henry Rollins, The Portable Henry Rollins

The next thing Bella was sure was real, was the pain of her leg being broken by James. The small cottage was warm and dry, the fire was roaring, and James was laughing.

It felt like a horribly bad dream; the kind where you’re constantly running away from a monster that seems to appear around every corner. You run faster than you had ever run before, but no matter the speed, no matter the twists and turns, no matter the weapons - the monster simply was there, breathing down your neck, waiting.

Bella found herself drifting in and out of consciousness for what felt like days. At times, she woke enough to try to move her limbs, but the pain from her leg would snap her back into shock; drifting back into sleep was her body’s way of preventing the pain from overwhelming her. Sometimes her vision would blur in to see James’ mouth at her wrist, he almost looked like he was drinking from her veins. Bella’s mind played with this idea and all she knew of vampires from movies and books. Her mind played horrible tricks in her dreams where she became a monstrous version of herself; her arms long and crooked, her legs wobbly and uneven, her teeth sharp and constantly slicing open her lip. In these dreams she attacked the ones she loved, she devoured them in unimaginable ways and left them dry on the forest floor. The worst of these dreams were the ones where she saw herself attacking Rosalie, draining her of all her blood while the beautiful girl watched on cold and confused. Sometimes, just to make things worse, Bella saw herself laughing alongside James while Rosalie rolled on the floor, her eyes sinking into the back of her head.

The storm raged on outside, the rain battering the windows of the small cottage, or maybe it was a cabin. Bella woke to see the walls light and weighing down on her. She felt like the space was small, yet open. She turned her head slightly to see a small kitchen, in the other direction, was a large bed and a door to a bathroom. She was lying on the floor, it was hard and warm. The fire was large in the fireplace towards her feet and the warmth was relaxing on her limbs. 

Bella breathed in deeply and quietly. She closed her eyes and listened for any movement, but she couldn’t hear anything. She didn’t want to move, she didn’t want to give away that she was awake. Her leg was still aching in a dull thrum and her arm had a stinging sensation starting at her wrist and making its way up her arm. She didn’t want to think about that. 

Bella laid motionless on the floor as the front door opened next to her. It was near the kitchen and the rain splattered all over the entryway. James walked in calmly, shaking his hair out and removing his jacket. Wearing dark jeans and a basic t-shirt the man looked much younger, possibly in his teens as opposed to the thirty-something he appeared to be in his suits at school. Bella looked down to notice the man wasn’t wearing any shoes; her body involuntarily shuddered at how cold that must feel.

“She wakes at last, I see.” James’ voice was cordial and smooth as caramel. “Don’t get up on my account.” His voice purred and a short laugh escaped his lips. He was toying with her.

Bella’s voice cracked out, “How long have I been out?”

“Merely hours, my dear.” James moved to the kitchen, loud noises made Bella think he was making some food. “I’m sure it felt much longer due to the pain of your leg. I’m sorry about that, I really am, but you see, I can’t have you trying to run off. It would ruin all the fun.”

“What fun?” Bella wanted to say more, but her mouth felt dry.

The man inhaled deeply and replied with a smile. “You, my dear. You taste as amazing as you smell, you know that? I’m sure your friends have taken a taste or two; how could they possibly resist?”

Bella’s head swam with this information. A taste? What friends was he talking about? She moved her arm, pulling her wrist in for inspection. A large bite mark took up half her wrist. She wanted to scream, she wanted to throw up. Instead, Bella merely dropped her arm across her chest and held back tears.

“And what does this mean?” 

“Hmm?” James had lost interest and was focusing on whatever he was doing in the kitchen. “Oh, your wrist? No need to worry dear, you’re not going to turn into me.” He paused a few moments. “Not yet.”

Trying not to focus on what could happen, Bella tried to change the subject. “Where are we?”

James clucked his tongue. “Now, now, I can’t give away all my secrets.” A few clinks of dishware and cupboards followed before James appeared behind Bella, lifting her body up and pressing her back against a small couch. She bit down on her lip, not wanting to cry out and show any weakness. The pain of her leg brought spots to her eyes, she closed them tight. James laughed, “Try as you might, but I’ve already seen you beg for your life to end; I wouldn’t mind an encore, but I’m sure your voice is quite sore from the screaming.”

Bella’s eyes opened wide, how much happened that she didn’t remember? She looked over her body for any other signs of harm but saw nothing obvious. Just her leg and her wrist. James pushed a cup to her mouth, her head rocked back and a hot liquid swished into her mouth and down her throat. She coughed, but James had already moved the cup away. Bella licked her lips to taste a sweet tea and honey. Why had he given her tea?

“For your voice, my dear,” James replied to the unanswered question. Bella briefly wondered if James could read minds like Edward. She wondered again how many similarities the two of them had. 

“The Cullens,” Bella said, a question in her voice.

“Surprising lot those ones are. I wonder what’s taking them so long to find you.” James sat cross-legged across from Bella, his own cup in hand. She peered inside but saw only tea. “I may just have to give up the wait and kill you.”

Bella gulped. He talked about these things as if they were second nature, like how someone might discuss the weather or the mail. 

“What will you do if they find us?”

“Simple enough, I’ll change you.” James took another drink of his tea. “Drink up while it’s hot. I find tea to be disgusting  at room temperature.”

Bella looked down at the cup placed beside her. She raised it to her lips and took a small sip. The flavor was nice and the warm liquid helped soothe her throat and relaxed her stomach. Why was he being so nice to her? Just to toy with her again?

“What do you mean change me?”

“Make you a vampire, of course.” He took another large drink.

“And why would you want to do that?” Bella continued to sip the warm liquid.

James finished his cup before replying. “Some say that the vampire that changes you becomes your master of sorts. That, when done properly, the master can control the vampire they created.”

Bella choked on her tea. Coughing roughly she placed the cup on the ground. “You want to control me?”

James smiled a wicked grin, his eyes twinkled with a terrifying glee. “I want to own you.”

Bella looked away, trying to control her breathing. 

“I’m not the only one, I’m sure.” James hummed quietly. “That Edward is more than interested in being your guard dog. And Rosalie is obviously mad about you, but then again I’m not sure either of you knows what to do with a rabid animal in love with its prey.” 

Whipping her head up to look at James, Bella gasped. Prey? She couldn’t argue it anymore, it was too obviously true. “The Cullens are all vampires, aren’t they.”

James laughed, but his laughter was cut short. He twisted his head one way and then another, searching for a sound. He stopped and grinned like a madman. “The fun begins.”

The vampire was on his feet before Bella could blink. He moved swiftly, blocking all the entrances with furniture and boards. He threw a few more logs on the fireplace, the fire was starting to edge out into the room. Bella shifted her body away from the heat but flinched as she tried to move her leg.

James slouched down at her side and inhaled from her neck down her arm and across her legs. He seemed to curse before making his way back up to her mouth. “Drink up, my dear.”

Bella’s eyes grew wide in fear as she watched James sliced open his own wrist with the sharp fangs of his teeth and press the bloody gash into her mouth. She screamed and choked and tried to wiggle out of his grip. Her leg screamed in shock, her wrist radiated with pain, and soon the blood of James’ arm warmed down her throat and spread across her entire body.

Watching from the floor, Bella saw James get ripped away from her and thrown across the room. He crashed into a cabinet, shattering the glass and breaking the cups and plates. Her vision started to blur as a morphine-like effect took place over her body. Her throat bubbled up some blood and she let it dribble from her mouth as her head leaned over and hit the floor hard. She couldn't feel the landing but heard it echo in her ears. Her body was lifted and soon she was soaked in cold rain she could barely feel. Her body started to convulse. She blacked out again.

Her dreams came in sharp pictures, flashing before her eyes. They burned ideas into her head. She saw James smiling, that maniacal, menacing grin of his. She saw Rosalie standing over her, beautiful lilac eyes staring disapprovingly. A wolf ran up to her, tail whipping back and forth with happiness. It quickly changed from a wolf to a golden retriever before transforming into Edward, all smiles and charm. She saw a dark russet colored wolf howling at the moon. She saw a river of blood overflowing before finally encapsulating her and drowning her in its impossible waves. 

Bella woke with a gasp of breath; she quickly grabbed at her chest and pulled at the neck of her shirt, trying to breathe. Her thoughts were spinning, the world around her was moving like she was fully intoxicated. She began to panic and flail. Her legs and arms flung wildly before being pressed down into a large bed. She looked up to see lilac eyes and golden locks of hair. She screamed and swore and tossed her body any way it would go, but nothing moved. She was trapped and drowning and unable to save herself. Her body began shaking again before she collapsed back into a frightening dream. 

James laughed and looked around the classroom. He wandered over to Edward and placed him into a deep sleep by simply touching his forehead. The cocky vampire turned to Jessica, lifted her up from her desk and drank from her neck until her body went limp and fell to the ground. He moved to Angela, sniffed her and pulled back. He quickly twisted her neck, distaste all over his face. James then moved toward Bella, but instead of drinking her blood and toying with her, he pointed to Mike and Bella watched as her body moved over to the blonde boy, lifted his chin, saw the fear apparent in his eyes, and leaned down to bite into his neck.

The young girl’s eyes flew open and she stared at the ceiling in the darkness. Her body lay motionless on a large bed, the covers up to her chin. She blinked and wait for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Bella slowly rubbed her tongue across her teeth searching for fangs. She didn’t feel anything out of the ordinary, so she tried focusing on her teeth to see if she could form fangs or grow them; she really wasn’t sure how it worked.

“What on earth are you doing?” A soft voice came from Bella’s left side. She looked over, startled to see Rosalie lying on her side, her head held up by her hand. Rosalie looked peaceful and relaxed, but her eyes showed confusion. 

Bella wondered if she should explain herself or not. Figuring she had nothing to lose, she said, “I was checking for fangs.”

The blonde shook her head in dismay and replied sternly. “You’re not a vampire.”

Bella nodded in response and looked back up at the ceiling. She wondered briefly about her time with James but quickly tried to clear her head. The events were still too raw.

“What are you thinking about?” Rosalie asked, her voice slightly softer than before.

“I’m trying not to think about… things…”

Rosalie rolled onto her back, her arm against Bella’s, the covers keeping them from contact. “It’s good to try and forget. While you still can.”

“What do you want to forget?”

“Same as you.”

“What happened?”

The room seemed to grow darker as Bella waited for a response. Rosalie had a way of controlling an atmosphere or overtaking it. When she was in a bad mood it radiated off of her. Bella wished the blonde had more good moods to share but it seemed the constant anger and fear and hatred always found a way to bubble to the surface.

“Nothing,” Rosalie’s words almost stopped there but she continued after a few moments. “That is to say, nothing good happened. That’s why I am the way I am. Why I’m a monster in this beautiful form.”

Bella felt as though Rosalie often hated her beauty, even if she tended to flaunt it over those she could. It was as if she loved the attention but hated herself for enjoying it. This was a feeling Bella was only starting to see. When she first met the blonde she believed her to be the most beautiful, radiant creature she’d ever laid eyes on. Now she tended to regret ever meeting the blonde. What had she gotten herself into?

“I should really get home.” Bella began to shift under the covers. 

“You shouldn't be alone.”

“Why not?” Bella struggled more, but the blankets were tucked in tight and her strength was at a minimal.

“We didn’t get him,” Rosalie replied softly, her voice disappearing into the bed.

Bella froze. “What do you mean you didn’t get him?”

“James, he got away.” 

“What do you mean he got away?” Bella's voice rose in fear.

Rosalie replied angrily. “I don’t see how you could not understand what I’m saying.” She breathed in deeply before adding more softly, “We will catch him.”

“I hear what you’re saying I just don’t understand how you could let this happen.” Bella snapped back.

“How I could let this happen?” Rosalie growled with an emphasis on the word ‘I’. “You were the one that decided to go running around in the woods when there were vampires about.”

“When there were vampires about?” Bella finally loosened the blanket enough to sit up against the headboard. Rosalie mirrored her and the two glowered at one another. “Apparently vampires are just wandering around the school and town all the time but I guess it’s none of my business that my girlfriend is a vampire.”

Rosalie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I’m just a pretend girlfriend, you don’t even like me.”

Bella nodded her head. “And thank god for pretend!”

Rosalie snarled. “Who are you to talk? You and Jacob...” she spit out Jake’s name like a disgusting taste had formed in her mouth. “...are practically drooling all over one another. When will I get the invitations? Will the wedding be in the forest? You know, where you just love to run around with incompetent wolves in the middle of a battlefield!”

“Battlefield my ass!” Bella threw her hands up in the air. “I didn’t go wandering out in the forest! I didn’t even leave the lodge! I barely touched the door when it swung open and James grabbed me, and moreover, it wasn’t a battlefield! I was told by not only the werewolves but by Edward as well that the vampires were miles away! And Seth was there to protect me! Where were you?!”

“I can’t protect you in the Res!” Rosalie shouted back. “And I can’t protect you if you’re making such ridiculously stupid actions as walking out to pay James a visit! Not even the wolves can protect someone that stupid!”

“I didn’t! Oh my god! What is wrong with you? Why aren’t you listening to me?” Bella screamed back.

The door opened and Charlie walked in followed by Carlisle. 

“Get away from my daughter!” Charlie said the words with such affirmation it felt like a shout but his voice remained firm and calm.

“Now, Charlie, I can promise you that Rosalie would never hurt Bella.”

“I’m not worried about her breaking Bella’s neck; I’m worried about her breaking Bella’s heart,” Charlie replied sadly. 

He reached out to Bella and beckoned her to follow. Bella climbed out of the bed and tested her feet on the ground. She wiggled her toes and moved her knee. Once satisfied that everything was as it should be, she stood up and walked out with Charlie. They left with a few conversations between Charlie and Carlisle about the care for Bella’s leg, but she wasn’t listening. She wanted to be out of that house and away from Rosalie as quickly as she could move. 

A/N: I know this was a short chapter, but so much happened in it that it felt concluded. Still, a lot more answers to come on what actually happened while Bella was out cold, so don’t worry. At least Rosalie made an appearance!

[Blue-Portrait] James will have his comeuppance, but I’m not sure it will be Rosalie that gets the revenge.

[JenDamn] Bella can end up doing some really stupid shit, I can’t disagree with that, but I don’t think she meant to do anything in this situation. She honestly felt like she was in a safe location and never meant to meet up with James. 

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. The last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

“Look in the mirror, and don't be tempted to equate transient domination with either intrinsic superiority or prospects for extended survival.” - Stephen Jay Gould 

He reached out to Bella and beckoned her to follow. Bella climbed out of the bed and tested her feet on the ground. She wiggled her toes and moved her knee. Once satisfied that everything was as it should be, she stood up and walked out with Charlie. They left with a few conversations between Charlie and Carlisle about the care for Bella’s leg, but she wasn’t listening. She wanted to be out of that house and away from Rosalie as quickly as she could move. 

Bella lay in her bed, her head at the foot and her legs on her pillow, and listened to the peppy song play from her laptop. Parts of her body wished to move to the rhythm, to enjoy the beats in a playful way, but her mind remained impassive. Her thoughts moved from boring movies to complicated magazine stories to obscure directions. She didn’t allow herself to focus on any one thing because then the sadness would seep through. 

Was she really so pathetic as to let her emotions control her own thoughts? Was she really just another teenage heartbreak destined to cry while watching romcoms and digging down to the bottom of an ice cream pint? 

Her leg began to ache in a dull thrum. She breathed deeply wondering when the pain had gotten so strong. Cranking her head to see the clock on her laptop screen, she noted she was several hours behind taking her last painkiller. Sighing heavily, Bella swung her sore leg down gently, slowly. The large boot covered from the beginning of her toes up to her knee and got in the way of everything. Being the clumsy girl she was, showering was already complicated before she had to add a large trash bag around her leg. It took her two attempts before she gave up and just laid in the bath, her large boot perched precariously on the edge of the tub. At least it was her left leg and enabled her to lean back without hitting the faucet. Hurray for small wins.

Stumbling her way out of her room and over to the bathroom, Bella banged her boot into the doorway and cursed loudly.

“You alright, Bells?” Charlie called up from the living room couch. 

Bella cursed again, quieter this time, and leaned back out the doorway. “Just fine, Dad!” She hadn’t had a moment alone since the accident. Charlie was terrified that Bella was going to get snatched up from her own bedroom. A part of her thought Charlie honestly believed she had walked out into James’ arms on purpose. Does the entire town really believe her to be so stupid?

She turned back into the bathroom and pulled on the mirror door. The momentum almost tossed her backward, but she held onto the door and kept upright. She grabbed her prescription bottle and dumped out an obnoxiously large pill. After replacing the bottle and closing the door, her eyes searched the sink for a cup, but her usual one had fallen in the trash last night and she hadn’t had the chance to replace it. Grunting, she made her way out the door and started the loud march down the stairs. 

“You need help?” Charlie asked, still sitting on the couch.

Bella would have laughed if her leg didn’t thrum with so much pain. Instead, she grunted, finished the last few steps and dragged her leg behind her in the opposite direction. She searched the cabinets for a clean glass but came up empty. She checked the dishwasher, but Charlie hadn’t turned it on last night as she had reminded. The teen sighed, pressed the on-button, and grabbed a mug instead. 

After satisfying her legs pain, Bella dragged herself into the living room and dropped down in the large recliner. It was a bit ratty and had a red pasta stain on the otherwise tan surface, but it reclined and that was all she really wanted. 

“What’s for dinner, dad?” Bella asked once a commercial came on. She wasn’t sure who was winning on the football game, but she knew better than to try to get a valid answer from her father during the action. 

To her surprise, Charlie looked directly at Bella and said, “I was hoping we could go down to the diner for a bite.”

He looked so expectant Bella didn’t know how to reply. “Uh… I mean…”

“Do you know the last time you left the house?”

“Well, yeah, it’s been a few days…”

“Two weeks,” Charlie said flatly. “It’s been not one, but two weeks. And I understand that school is letting you do the work from home and that your leg is still healing, and I remember the complaints about it being cold this time of year, but you really need to go out and get some fresh air.”

Bella blinked. She couldn’t remember the last time her father had said so many words in a row. Maybe at work when describing a case to his deputies, but not to her. Their conversations were usually a few sound effects and several grateful complaints about dinner or a small discussion about how mundane their days had been. 

“Dad,” She replied softly. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to bother you.”

Charlie huffed loudly and ran his hand through his hair. “I’m not sure which is holding you back more, James or Rosalie. But I need you to feel safe in your own town, in your own home.”

Bella wanted to say that she felt perfectly safe. She wanted to show her appreciation to the wolves and the rest of the Cullen family. That she knew how awful Sam felt about her getting snatched up while on the Res and that Jacob did regular daily perimeter checks around their house. She truly valued the Cullens and their presence outside her window each night, usually Jasper or Edward. 

Instead, the teen tossed her head back against the chair and tried not to cry. She felt the appreciation but she also felt the overwhelming presence of fear and dread. She was scared to leave her house. She was afraid to go back to her previous life. She was terrified of processing everything that had come to light. All the strange, fantastic, magical, otherworldly, freakish, and monstrous ideas that had become real. She was afraid to read all the unread text messages from Rosalie.

“Tomorrow?” Charlie conceded.

Bella closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She had to face the day eventually. “Tomorrow.” She whispered gently. Maybe she’d be lucky and he wouldn’t hear her. Bella opened one eye and looked at her dad; he was still looking her over and when they made eye contact he nodded.

The teen closed her eyes again and listened to her father as he got up, walked over to the kitchen, grabbed the phone and called Home Slice. He ordered a Mombo Combo for himself and a Tropical Supreme for Bella. 

“I’m going to go pick it up. If you want…” Charlie didn’t bother finishing his question and Bella didn’t pretend to give an answer. He left out the front door and Bella watched the beginning of a new hockey game before wandering back into the kitchen. She searched the fridge for a soda, but only saw beer. Tempted, she reached for one, but at the last minute caught sight of a Dr. Pepper.

“Good choice.”

Bella jumped up and threw the soda clear across the room. Alice calmly vanished from her spot leaning against the counter and caught the soda just before it hit the stairs. 

They both looked at the soda in astonishment before Alice laughed, “I had no idea you had such a great arm!”

“What in the world?!” Bella blurted out.

Alice merely danced back to the counter and placed the soda down softly. “I wouldn’t open that for a few minutes.” She smiled brightly and began picking at invisible dirt under her nails.

“Why are you here?”

“I came to visit you.” The smaller teen humphed and crossed her arms. “I thought you’d enjoy a pick me up from your best friend.”

“My best what?”

“Your best friend!” Alice danced over to Bella, grabbed her up in her arms, and spun the taller girl around. 

Bella screamed in pain before realizing she wasn’t in any pain. She looked down to see Alice was holding her up in the air. She blinked several times but there was no other explanation.

“How can you do that?”

“Did you hit your head as well as break your leg?” Alice set the taller girl back down.

Bella frowned and growled. “I didn’t hit my head. At least, I don’t think I did. That’s not the point. How can you lift me? I’m twice the size of you!”

“Now Bella, don’t go putting yourself down like that.”

Aggravated, Bella grabbed her face and spoke through her fingers. “You know what I mean! The weight of my leg cast is practically more than you.”

“And?”

“What do you mean ‘and?’”

“And I’m a vampire…”

Bella growled and sighed. “Right, yes, no I didn’t forget it, but, well,” She sighed deeply. “What does that mean?”

It was one thing to be told that supernatural beings were real, it was another to understand what those supernatural beings could actually do. The truth of it all was that Bella did not understand what being a vampire actually meant. Could they be in the sun? Did they sleep in coffins? Do they only drink the blood of virgins? She still wasn’t sure if she wanted to be thinking about any of this.

Bella cocked her head and gave Alice a once over. She didn’t even know where to start. Sure, the girl was a little pale, but Emmett wasn’t, neither was Esme. Were they all vampires? Did they change one another? Why do they travel altogether? Why did they pretend to be a family? Or were they really a family and they were all changed? Or is being a vampire hereditary? Did they breed little vampire children with names like Damien? The questions just kept flooding her mind, threatening to overwhelm her.

“Woah, woah, Bella!” Alice was waving her arms around and trying to get Bella’s attention. “I’m not sure what’s going on in there, but I have no doubts I could help clear up the air.”

Bella didn’t realize she had been holding her breath when she let a huge gasp free. She felt a little light headed but nodded in response. “That would be great.”

“Okay, perfect! I’ll come back later tonight.” She smiled brightly.

“Why? What?”

“Charlie is going to be home soon and I don’t want to impose.”

“What? Oh, the pizza. No, please stay!” Bella waved towards the living room couch. “Take a seat. We can all have some pizza and watch a movie or something. I um, wait, do you eat pizza?”

Alice smiled brightly, “I love Tropical Supreme.”

“How, how did you know?” Bella blinked in surprise. 

“I heard your dad when he called the pizza place. Don’t you just love pineapple on pizza? Sometimes I wonder if I love it just because so many people hate it or if I love it because it’s so darn delicious. You know, you have a Greek-Canadian to thank for pineapples on pizza. It’s a concept that’s only about a half-century old. Emmett likes to pretend it was his idea and that he convinced Sam that the only way to get customers to come to his generic pizza joint was to add pineapples; an ingredient they couldn’t get anywhere else! Either way, it seemed to work, whether it was Emmett or not. Hi Charlie! How are you today?”

Bella didn’t even hear her father come in but Alice was already moving over and helping with the two large boxes. Alice began conversing with Charlie, getting several short answers out of the confused man. Bella watched the two interact, Alice overly joyful and chaotic, Charlie calm, confused, and hungry. For the first time in two weeks, Bella felt the faint urge to smile. It didn’t quite make it to her lips but it was definitely a move forward.

The three made their way over to the couch and chair. Alice carried Bella’s plate and soda over and set them down on the small table next to the recliner. She tried to feed Bella a few times before the younger girl insisted her arms were not broken. Alice continued to laugh and joke and really get into the movie playing on a random old film channel. She let slip that she remembered when the movie first came out, back in 1950. Charlie and Bella exchanged a look but kept quiet; Alice didn’t seem to notice. Bella debated claiming she remembered when the 1991 remake came out but decided against the jab. 

The movie ended, Alice jumped up and cleaned away the trash quickly before Charlie could protest. Bella noted that Alice didn’t move as quickly as she could, not as fast as she had to catch Bella’s soda earlier. She wondered if that was a mistake earlier, or a conscious decision not to go vamp crazy in front of Charlie. 

“Are you spending the night, Alice?” Charlie asked nonchalantly. Or at least as nonchalantly as a middle-aged sheriff could.

“If Bella doesn’t mind?” Alice looked between the two. “I think it would be great to just catch up.”

Charlie looked Bella squarely in the eye, asking a silent question. She nodded in response and Charlie grunted. “Okay, you two don’t stay up too late. And, well, just be safe.”

Bella wondered why Charlie had added that extra comment. He had been overprotective lately, but he hadn’t said anything about being safe in her own home. In fact, he’d been adamant that their house was by far the safest place she could be and not to worry. She was about to ask what he meant when it dawned on her. He was worried about Alice. Bella’s thoughts began to swim with vampire horror films and tales of blood-drinking when she caught a glimpse of Alice checking her hair in the reflection from the microwave. The pixie was tossing her head this way and that and dancing slightly to a nonexistent song.

Bella laughed. 

Charlie and Alice both swung their bodies around and stared, wide-eyed at Bella. The teen, being on the spot, coughed quietly but smiled innocently. 

“Ready?” She asked Alice while gesturing towards the stairs. Bella began wobbling over to the stairs and slowly made her way up a few steps. In a moment she was whisked up and dropped softly onto her bed. 

“Sorry, but you were really taking forever. When did you break your leg, anyway?” Alice smiled brightly. Bella tried to explain that her leg was broken by James, but Alice disagreed. He had broken it but the vampire blood she ingested had exponentially increased the rate of healing and by the time Bella left their home it was only a light sprained. Bella had to concede that she fell out of the truck on her first night home, landing on the leg at a very awkward angle. She was actually surprised Carlisle hadn’t said anything but Alice shook her head and quickly stated that he never spoke about his patients. 

Alice began examining Bella’s room and asked several questions about different photos and books scattered around the room. She also asked about Bella’s life in Forks and the few adventures she’d made to different cities with her mom.

“Are you two close?” Alice asked seemingly very interested.

“Yes, I mean, pretty close.” Bella thought about the older woman who acted more like an estranged sister than a mother-figure. They enjoyed each other’s company but Bella certainly appreciated the stability of her father. She didn’t really have deep meaningful conversations with her parents but she knew they both loved her in their own way. Renee would call and ask how her month was, or the two would go on trips around the country for a few days while Phil, Renee’s husband, was busy during the baseball season. Bella had seen him play a few times for the Suns down in Jacksonville, FL. The three had once went on a day trip to Cuba after a particularly bad few games and Phil was able to get his mojo back, as he said. 

“How close are you supposed to be to your parents?” Bella asked curiously.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Alice answered. She carefully perched herself in Bella’s computer chair, spinning every so often. “I don’t remember my parents.”

“So then it’s not hereditary,” Bella said softly to herself.

“What’s not?”

“Being a vampire?” The younger girl blushed slightly; she hadn’t meant for Alice to hear her words before. 

“Guess not.” Alice shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve actually never met a vampire that had kids, well that is to say not one that had kids after being changed. It’s not exactly, well, a long-term relationship between a vampire and human, well no, that’s not true. It’s just that, ugh, these stupid rules!” 

“There are rules?” Bella asked, trying to stop Alice from getting too flustered. “Is there a vampire President or Congress?”

Alice laughed. “That’s not exactly right, but yes, there are rules. And we have a governing body but they aren’t voted in. So I guess it’s more of a monarchy.” She shrugged her shoulders and laughed again.

Bella wanted to ask more about the rules, especially about relationships between humans and vampires but then she felt the sadness come over her again. She didn’t need to know the rules because she wasn’t with Rosalie anymore. She didn’t even want to think about the blonde and her stupid hair and perfect teeth and amazing body and…

Bella shook her head and bit down on her lip. 

“You probably shouldn’t do that.” Alice said sharply.

The younger teen realized she was biting her lip so hard it was starting to bleed. “Oh my gosh, sorry! I am so sorry. I didn’t think.” She sucked in her breath and wobbled out the door into the bathroom. Cursing, she realized she had never grabbed a cup downstairs. She turned to wobble back down the stairs but was confronted by Alice holding out a small glass. 

“Oh, uh, thank you.” Bella said confusedly. She grabbed the glass and filled it with water, drinking quickly and getting rid of all the blood in her mouth. She wobbled back to her bedroom and found Alice sitting on the floor, cross-legged.

“So, how do you want to start?”

“Start what?”

“Do you want to just ask questions or do you want me to tell you a little background first?” Alice asked, closing her eyes and breathing calmly. She looked like she was meditating. The sight made Bella nervous to ask anything or even reply. “It’s okay, I’ll just give you some background.”

Alice opened one eye and gestured toward the bed. “Have a seat!” Before Bella could move, Alice jumped up, carefully grabbed Bella in her arms and dropped her into the bed, her feet resting on Alice’s lap.

With no preamble, Alice began her story. “I was born in the early 1900s, no idea when exactly, but I was changed in 1920. I was in an institution for the criminally insane. Again, I don’t know what exactly put me in there, like if there was an incident, if I did something or someone just decided I was insane and needed to be in there. I wouldn’t recommend checking into one, though, it was quite awful. Not that I remember being in there entirely but I do remember waking up there as a vampire and I visited again once before but the asylum had been moved so I didn’t find any files on me. I guess I have to just keep searching for that. 

“Anyway, I woke up there, completely alone and with no idea what was wrong with me but I knew I was incredibly thirsty. This is going to sound weird since you’re not a vampire but I need to try and explain this feeling as best I can. You see, thirst for a vampire can sometimes cause a red glaze to take over their eyes. You know how when someone is really angry they may be described as seeing red?” Alice didn’t wait for Bella’s nod before continuing on. “Well in the case of a vampire it’s completely true. You really do see red and that’s all you see. And as a newborn, you know a newly woken up vampire, red is all you see, all you smell, all you know. 

“Well, being in an institution, I was locked up in a cell, bars and all. But I could smell blood and I could hear blood and all I could see was blood, so without even thinking about it, I broke open the door. It was such a strange feeling now that I can think back on it, just grabbing at a door made of bars and being able to rip the very metal pieces right out of the cement walls. But again, I was seeing red so I had no idea what I was actually doing. 

“I started barreling down the hallways trying to find this one specific scent I could smell. It was like a craving. I must have passed a few people because I heard screams and people shouting but there was one scent that I just felt I needed above all the rest, so I searched it out. I found it in an office type room. This older man with a white lab coat, he was sitting in an office chair reading over some paperwork. Well, he starts yelling and going all crazy on me saying that I needed to go back to my room and how did I even get out and all these other crazy demands. I couldn’t really hear him talking, all I heard was the loud beating of his heart. And then, suddenly, out of nowhere, I’m grabbed, tossed, pushed and held. 

“I was out of the office, out of the institution, out of the area and surrounded by woods. I had no idea how I got there or what was going on but I could hear someone talking really calmly, really softly. I could see him, I couldn’t find his face but his words slowly started to make their way through my muddled mind and I realized what he was telling me.” 

At this point Bella was leaning forward, fully immersed in the story and desperate to find out what happened next. A part of her knew that she should be terrified that the story was true but she was too hung up on the experience to be afraid of the girl in front of her. 

“He was talking about a deer and when the words sunk in I was able to focus on the beat of the deer’s heart. I attacked at once and took the deer out, completely draining it. I moved to the next and drank it dry as well. The third one I took down and drank but I was full. The deer wobbled and cried and it looked so sad. The man moved to the animal, thanked it, and twisted its neck, killing it instantly.”

Bella cried out slightly and covered her mouth with her hand. How could he kill the deer so directly, or violently?

“It’s not what you’re thinking.” Alice smiled sadly. “I had taken too much blood and the deer was dying slowly, painfully. Carlisle saved the animal from any more pain.”

“Carlisle? Dr. Cullen?” Bella blinked, surprised. 

Alice nodded in response. “He was a doctor in the institution there. He saved me from the tortures of my old life.”

“But I thought you didn’t remember your old life?” Bella was confused. “How could it be torturous if you don’t remember it?”

Alice smiled sadly. “Do you know much about asylums from the early 1900s?” Bella shook her head. “They’re not pretty. And moreover, I actually was crazy. That much is obvious based on the gift I have now. Carlisle changed me and took me away from the institution and everything they were doing to me there.”

Bella looked at her hands, unsure what to say. “Did he know why you were in there? Did he know anything about your family?”

Alice shook her head. “He knew very little. He’d only been there for a week when he decided to help me. I had been there for five years already. Apparently my symptoms manifested with puberty.”

“Could he have helped without changing you? Did you want to be changed?”

Humming, Alice responded, “I’m not sure. I think that my gift was too strong, it would have driven me completely insane. Or more completely insane. I think that being changed helped me control the gift.”

Bella gulped loudly. “What is your gift?”

The older girl beamed and danced her fingers in front of Bella’s face. It made Bella think of old fortune tellers or gypsy’s. “I can see the future.” She said in a low, spooky voice.

“Huh.” 

“Huh? Really? Are you serious?” Alice yelled out.

“What? Sorry, I mean, uh, wow!” Bella didn’t know how to respond. “You did tell me that before but I guess I didn’t really believe you. Or I did but I don’t know. What does that actually mean?”

Alice rolled her eyes. “You know, most people react in a much bigger fashion. They either deny my claim outright, demanding me to tell them something that’s going to happen or they flat out refuse that anyone can tell the future. Others get really excited and start asking about their love lives!” 

She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “But not Bella Swan, no, she has to be special. She has to reply with, ‘huh’. You really are something else.” Alice laughed softly. “At least you didn’t get mad.”

Reaching out to touch the older girl’s arm, Bella asked, “Why would I get mad?”

Alice shrugged and looked at Bella’s hand. “I don’t know. Well, I mean, some people get angry or they get scared and it manifests through anger. Some people, most people, well, they just don’t understand.”

“I don’t understand.” Bella replied coolly. “But what kind of best friend would I be if I got mad when you tell me a bombshell like that?”

Alice flew across the bed and pinged Bella down, she held the taller girl in a big bear hug, squeezing just a little too tough. 

“Alice.” Bella wheezed out. “Alice, Alice, I can’t breath.”

“Oh, right, sorry.” The small girl bounced back to the end of the bed. “I just knew there was something about you from day one. Anyone that can give Rosalie pause is worth my eternal friendship.”

Bella flinched at Rosalie’s name but quiped, “Oh, is that the only reason you want to be friends with me? Because I can stand up to ultra blonde’s BS?”

Alice laughed, “No, no, nothing like that. I just had to wait for you to know. You know, for you to understand. Now anyways, go ahead. Ask your questions.”

Bella thought back over the story Alice had told her and tried to focus on some of the details. “Okay, so you have super strength?”

“Yep! It’s stronger after we feed, and more blood equals more strength.”

“Is there a difference between human blood and animal blood?”

“A small one, but it mostly has to do with the amount of blood you can get from an animal versus the amount of blood you can get from a human. Also, meat eaters give more strength than vegetarians.”

“Right, blood.” Bella’s heart began thumping in her throat. “Do you, uh, kill people?”

“Yes and no.” Alice said very seriously. “We don’t, the Cullens and the Hales. Our clan, we don’t kill. Most of us don’t even drink from humans. We can get blood from the animals around us or even from ordering expired blood from donation services.”

“Expired blood?”

“Yeah, after a couple months, blood donations can’t be used. The host will refuse the blood. Vampires, on the other hand, can still use that blood. It’s not as good, mind you, but heat it up and it’s a decent fulfillment. Mix it with alcohol and you’ve got yourself a real drink.”

Bella wrinkled her nose but nodded. “So, you can drink from someone and not kill them?”

“Oh yes, absolutely, but that has a lot to do with self control. You see, well, it’s hard to stop. Kind of like drinking alcohol or taking a drug that makes you feel amazing. It’s hard to stop yourself from taking more, from drinking more.”

Bella nodded and immediately changed the subject. “And speed?”

“Yeah, we got mad skills with speed.”

“And the sun? Are you, like, going to burst into flames if you walk out into direct sunlight?”

“Nope. That one was kind of weird but the theory definitely came from it being easier to hunt at night. A lot of vampires love a party scene, the same way an addict does. It’s far more fun to experience ecstasy when everyone else is partying and having a great time. Plus, when someone is intoxicated or high, it runs through their bloodstream; it’s basically a double whammy.”

The two girls continued to chat about different stories and dissected different vampire ideologies they’d heard. Alice explained about being able to see herself in mirrors and never successfully turning into a bat no matter how many times she tried. Bella admitted to never being afraid of vampires in movies or television because the acting was so hilarious and the makeup was ridiculously overdone. The topics crossed over to werewolves and fairies and other supernatural beings in the media. Alice couldn’t admit to meeting any other types, the Quileute shifters being the closest to werewolves she’d ever met, but they enjoyed the outrageous rules of the supernatural just the same. 

After a few hours, when it got really late, the two girls laid down side by side in the bed and chatted in very quiet words.

“Thanks for believing me.” Alice said quietly.

“I guess I can’t help but believe things now.” Bella blinked a few times before adding, “But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

Alice laughed quietly, “Actually, you’re impossibly hard to read, Bella. It drives Edward crazy but it is almost calming with me.”

“How so?”

“Imagine a world where every once in a while you completely blank out and start seeing possible future scenes where the girl your sister loves is attacked and killed by a vicious vampire who’s only joy is taunting others?”

Bella gulped, “You saw me being killed?”

Alice didn't move. “Now, imagine knowing that could be a real possibility and trying to tell your family how to prevent it from occurring. Imagine having no idea if you’re doing things to prevent a possibility or to create it. Imagine a world where you don’t know if you’re doing harm or helping those you love.”

“That sounds horrible.”

Alice smiled sadly. “Sometimes the world is a horrible place to live. And sometimes there’s a person whose very mind seems to prevent her from having a future. That’s you. Sometimes I get a small glimpse of you in the future but most times I can’t read you at all. I only know what’s going to happen because I can read other people's futures.”

“Can you control it?”

“Usually, but when someone decides something huge that affects my family, well, that can hit me like a Mac truck.”

“I’m so sorry.” Bella reached out and held Alice’s hand. The older girl slowly squeezed it and let go.

“How do you just accept me?” Alice asked in a whisper.

“You’re just such a kind person, Alice. And all these supernatural things, they all seem to be happening right in front of me. I guess it all comes down to seeing is believing.”

“How were you able to believe the Quileute shifters so easily?”

“My dad.” Bella replied calmly. “I guess when your parent tells you something, you believe it a little more easily.”

“That makes sense. I believe Carlisle more readily than most.”

Bella hummed in response. 

“So...”

“So what?”

“Rosalie misses you.”

Bella crossed her arms and growled softly. She realized it was actually a response she’d picked up from Rosalie and quickly put her arms back to her sides. 

“I know it’s not easy. Rosalie isn’t easy. And I don’t want to force you to do anything you don’t want to do but I wouldn’t be a very good sister if I didn’t talk on her behalf.”

Bella rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything. 

Alice lowered her voice, apologizing for her next words. “There’s no excuse for the way that Rosalie reacted the night… well, yes. There’s no excuse for the way she talked to you. I’m not going to apologize for her. I just wanted to let you know that she’s scared.”

“Scared?” Bella scoffed. “What could she possibly be afraid of? She’s an all powerful vampire!” Her whisper was getting loud in the quiet night. “You’re right about one thing at least; there isn’t an excuse. At least not one she would ever be willing to give. Ugh, why does she have to react that way?”

“That’s fine, I’m not asking you to forgive and forget.”

“Ok…”

Alice tried to form her words carefully. “Rosalie needs to treat you better if she expects to get any chance of being with you again and she needs to apologize for the way she has been acting.” Both girls nodded. “But that doesn’t change the fact that she’s terrified of you and how you make her feel. She’s afraid that whatever chemical reaction that occured when you two met, call it love at first sight, call it animal instincts; it scared her so badly that she acted out to try and scare you away. 

“She wants to protect you and keep you safe, we can all agree on that but she also wants you to hate her so that she doesn’t have to act on the emotions that are quickly taking her over. Rosalie hates losing control, she hates giving in, and she hates being afraid. She hates most of the emotions you bring out in her and so she acts as if she actually hates you. It’s not the same. She needs to learn that you’re worth trusting.”

Bella didn’t realize that she was crying until she heard the tears hit her pillow softly. She was also afraid of the words Alice was saying. Was she really in love with this girl? Was she really mad at her? Did she hate her? Bella quickly rubbed her eyes and rolled over, facing Alice.

The two didn’t say anymore and eventually Bella fell asleep. It was strange to sleep next to a future seeing vampire but Bella was beginning to accept the strange as her new normal. In her before-dream-state, she briefly wondered if Alice slept at all. In her dreams, Bella wished she was sleeping next to Rosalie. The dream left her restless, confused, and conflicted. She woke to the thought that if Rosalie can learn to control her emotions, maybe, just maybe, she’d give the girl another chance.

Rosalie searched the internet for hours trying to find the perfect gift. She looked through jewelry that easily cost the same as a semester of college. She searched through designer clothing and luxury cars. She planned out trips to foreign lands and expeditions all around the world. Nothing fit, nothing worked. How could she possibly explained to Bella how sorry she was and how much she wanted to reach out and apologize, and scream and run, and throw a party and ask to spend the rest of their lives together. 

The blonde screamed and threw her laptop across the room. It crashed and broke in pieces, leaving a large dent in the wall. Esme called up that she expected the mark to be fixed before the weekend. Rosalie cursed loudly and paced her room. She threw her hands up in the air and collapsed onto her bed. After a few beats, she stood up and ripped her pillows in half. Aggravated with the mess, the teen vampire walked hurried out of her room and out the back door. She ran into the woods searching for some sort of satisfaction. A few hours later she had successfully taken down a large bobcat and rested on the top of the highest peak of the Olympic National Park. She sat on the cliff’s edge overlooking a glacier and tried to lose focus. 

“You know, this mountain was originally called Snowy Peak of Saint Rosalia. So it’s kind of fitting that you chose it to stop your tantrum.” Emmett sat down next to Rosalie and leaned against her slightly.

“Just shove off, Em. I’m not in the mood.”

“Not in the mood for what?” He asked, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

Rosalie rolled her eyes and ignored her ex lover. He was the only one that could get away with talking to her this way while she was in a horrible mood. And he knew it and took advantage of it. 

“Give her time and space.”

“It’s been two weeks, how much time does she need?”

“Okay, try apologizing.”

“That’s what I was trying to do! But I couldn’t find anything that could explain just how sorry I am!” Rosalie threw a large rock over the edge and it slammed into a tree, knocking a few branches off.

“It seemed more like you were trying to buy her off.” Emmett threw another rock into a large pond and it splashed so big a large wave came over the edge.

“Whatever. I just wanted to show how important she is to me. So I figured I’d buy her the biggest most expensive whatever she wanted. But that girl doesn’t seem to actually want things so I can’t think of anything she’d want.”

“Yeah, she’s funny like that.”

Rosalie growled and pushed Emmett over. He rolled a ways down a hill before flipping over and jogging back up. He sat back down like nothing happened. 

“Maybe you should try treating her better. You know, actually being nice.”

This time Rosalie threw Emmett off the cliff edge. It took him much longer to climb his way back up the mountain.

“I’ll try.” Rosalie whispered as they watched the sunrise. 

[djsmith10186] I love working with tension, that’s why I love Rosalie so much!

[JenDamn] It’s always a good thing when Rosalie actually says what she is thinking and feeling; even if she can’t always get it out in a calm and respectful manner. Well, she never seems to be able to speak in a calm and respectful manner! Maybe someone else can help her with that…

[SH4DOW44] Here’s hoping Bella finds her to be worthy.

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

“I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?” - John Lennon

“Maybe you should try treating her better. You know, actually being nice.”

This time Rosalie threw Emmett off the cliff edge. It took him much longer to climb his way back up the mountain.

“I’ll try,” Rosalie whispered as they watched the sunrise.

The next morning, Bella woke to find Alice and Charlie downstairs making omelets. The two were discussing the different methods of beating eggs and whether to add cheese right from the beginning or waiting until the omelet is almost done. Bella went through the routine of getting up and dressed before wobbling her way down the stairs and joining the other two at the table. 

“So, Bella, well, I was wondering what you and your dad were doing for Thanksgiving,” Alice asked shyly.

“Oh, well we’re going to the Res,” Bella replied. “It’s sort of a tradition. Not really doing a big Thanksgiving thing or anything, but we go and Charlie, Billy, Harry, and Sue watch the game and Jake, Leah, Seth and I hang out playing ridiculous board games. Rache and Becca haven’t made it back for the meal in ages but they usually come by for Christmas. ”

“Oh, that sounds really nice!” Alice said with a mixture of joy and sadness.

“Why, what’s up?” 

“Well, I was just curious if you wanted to spend it together. We usually do a meal with our cousins up in Alaska and they’re coming down tomorrow. It would have been nice for you to meet them, they’re dying to know more about you.”

“What? Who are they? Why do they want to meet me?” Bella was shocked at the idea that the Cullen’s even had cousins. “Wait, are they vampires? Wait! Thanksgiving is this week?!”

Charlie laughed short and to the point. 

“Duh, Bella! See, this is what happens when you miss so much school. You don’t realize how much time has passed.” Alice said matter-of-factly.

“Har-har; it’s only been two weeks, how could it already be? Ugh.” 

“These cousins of yours?” Charlie asked while staring off into space.

“Yes, they are vampires, but they’re also vegetarians. As in, they don’t drink from people at all and wouldn’t hurt a fly. Well, maybe a fly, but you know the saying. They’re actually the ones that really supported Carlisle’s idea and theology. They’re a far better well-behaved clan, I promise. Pinky swear!” 

Alice held her pinky out to Charlie but he merely nodded and picked up his plate.

“Sorry, Alice. I’d invite you, but... Maybe we could meet some other time?”

“That’d be nice.” Alice smiled brightly. “Oh! Well, I have to go. I still have school today. You should, well, you should really think about coming back after Thanksgiving break. Getting back to a regular routine can really help sort things out and move on and all that.”

“Okay, Alice.”

The two girls hugged and Alice waved Charlie goodbye. Charlie left for work an hour later, telling Bella he’d call on his lunch break. Bella spent the day wandering around the house and cleaning; she couldn’t get much done but a bit of dusting and vacuuming, but she persisted until every room had a dust free corner. She quickly put together a large sandwich and a side of chips and fell into the recliner for lunch. After chatting briefly with Charlie, she started a marathon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She figured if she was going to hang out with vampires she might as well brush up on her knowledge. When he got home, Charlie found Bella fast asleep in the recliner. He debated letting her sleep, the girl looked exhausted, but he decided she needed to get out of the house and there was no time like the present. 

“Come on, get up.” Charlie shook Bella’s arm slightly. “Time to go, get ready.”

“What? Huh?” Bella stretched, not remembering she fell asleep. “Who? Where are we going?”

“To the diner, I already called ahead so now it will be weird if we don’t show up.”

Bella rolled her eyes. She knew Charlie hadn’t called but it was a good motivator. She cleaned up her lunch, grabbed her coat, and dragged herself out into the open air. The coldness was startling. She hadn’t stepped foot out of that door for a solid two weeks; she hadn’t realized that November really had taken over Forks. There wasn’t snow on the ground but the cold air was rich with a storm cloud. 

The two rode in the cruiser over to the diner and Charlie helped Bella out of the car and held the door of the diner open for her. They took their seats at a table near the front door. Charlie preferred tables over booths; he didn’t like being caught trying to slide out of a seat. The meal was agonizingly slow and Bella felt like everyone in the diner was staring at her. The conversation between her and Charlie was even less distracting than the pasta she pushed around on her plate. 

She wasn’t sure why but there was a certain level of fear washing over her as she sat with her back to the door. Every time it squeaked open with a loud ‘bing’ of the door alarm, the teen jumped just slightly; luckily Charlie didn’t seem to notice, or at least he didn’t say anything.

Charlie ordered a dessert and Bella played with a spoon in her hot tea. She didn’t have any affection for tea but felt like it was a good choice to help calm her nerves. When the door opened again, she kept her body from moving and merely closed her eyes for a beat.

“Bella! There you are!” Came the loud whisper of Angela. “Hi, Chief Swan,” Angela added as she joined the two at their table.

“Angela.” Came the relaxed response from Charlie.

“Hey, Ange,” Bella said softly, smiling. “It’s really good to see you.”

“How are you doing? How is your leg?”

“It hurts but I’m doing a lot better. Thanks for asking.”

“I can’t believe you broke your leg. Do you know how busy the library has been? Mrs. Tetreau has got me working the front desk and if it weren’t for Jasper’s help I would never be able to keep up with all the info questions and checkouts from the book reports due before Thanksgiving.”

Bella was surprised by this news. “Why is Jasper helping you?”

“Oh, I, uh, complained at lunch one day and he offered to help.”

“You complained?” 

“It just fell out, okay? He’s very persistent when he wants to be.” Angela blushed slightly. 

“Are you okay? You’re not, crushing on him, right?”

Angela looked at the table and began moving the salt and pepper shakers around.

“Look, I know that Jasper is… attractive.” Bella gulped down the words. She, quite frankly, found the boy to be terrifying when he was quiet. Even if she didn’t recognize him as an all-powerful vampire, she’d always been a bit wary of the look he would give people sometimes. Like he could split them in half just for breathing in his direction. “But he is very much smitten with Alice.”

Angela sighed. “I know, I know, and it’s not serious or anything. I’m just romanticizing the idea of a knowledgeable stranger and a slow burn romance.” She sighed again, wistfully and tugged on Bella’s cup. “Are you drinking tea?”

“I heard it was supposed to relax you. You know, the opposite of coffee and it’s anxiety-ridden deliciousness.”

Charlie coughed and stood up. “I’ll be back.” He walked to the back of the diner and disappeared behind the men’s room sign.

“So what brings you here, Ange? You said you were looking for me?”

“Yes, I was wondering if I could spend Thanksgiving with you at the Res.”

“Huh? Why?” Bella blurted out before adding, “I mean, yes, of course you can, but what about your family?”

“I picked up more hours at the library and my family is traveling to Seattle to see my great-aunt. The car ride is very long with Josh and Ike rolling around in the back seat.”

“Oh please, you love those two, for some ungodly reason!” Bella laughed.

“Of course I do! They’re my little brother’s! But still, it’s been a really long two weeks.” Angela smiled shyly. “I could use some Bella time.”

“Not a problem. You know, Jake will be very happy to see you.”

Angela smiled warmly.  “I don’t know about that boy, he’s just so incredibly sweet.”

“Trust me, he’s no boy anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

Bella tried her best to show how big Jake had gotten over the last few months. She stood up and acted like a big macho man while using adjectives such as ‘large’, ‘strong’, ‘tall’, and ‘large’ again.

Angela burst out laughing, even snorting a few times, and Bella felt like everything was back to normal. They parted ways once Charlie returned and paid the bill. Charlie drove them home and quickly lost himself in a basketball game while Bella found her way back upstairs to her room.

Her good feeling didn’t last much longer after getting home, surrounded by the darkness of her room as she tried to relax. She tossed and turned several times before sitting up in her bed and looking out in the darkness. The trees looked heavy in the windless background and she felt like she was staring out into a painting. Her eyes searched the forest, not quite sure what she was looking for before she caught sight of long blonde hair. It was Rosalie. 

In all the nights since she’d left the Cullen house, she hadn’t once seen Rosalie stand outside her window. It had first been Edward, he would smile and wave and do random aerobic routines while she watched on. She didn’t laugh, but sometimes he could get a small smile from her lips. After a few nights, she spotted Jasper outside. He walked calmly from one side of the forest border to the other; his movements very militaristic. Another few days and it was Edward again, followed by Alice. She only took watch two times, but she spent most of the time dancing to ballet. Bella was never sure which one but she guessed the Nutcracker - mostly because it was the only ballet she knew the name of. 

Bella watched as the blonde stood still, unmoving, immobile. It was if she was a statue come to protect the yard from invisible dangers. She wore simple workout pants, running sneakers and a thin sweatshirt. Her hair was held back and a toque covered her head. Bella had never seen the blonde in such simple clothing. Usually, Rosalie was decked out like a fashion model, always ready to be photographed. Tonight, she looked approachable, she looked adorable. 

Bella’s heart skipped a beat and she ducked her head back down. Her breath was racing and she started thinking about her first date with Rosalie and how warm she felt with the older girl’s hands roaming over her. She shivered with pleasure and closed her eyes letting her mind wander. The debate of whether to enjoy the moment fought in her mind until she finally got up and splashed cold water on her face. She wished desperately to take a cold shoulder but the stupid boot took away any chance of doing so quietly. She resigned her fate and made her way back to her bedroom. The light was still out and Rosalie still stood outside, unmoved. Bella quickly jumped back into bed and tucked deep down into the blankets. She closed her eyes and after an agonizingly long time, sleep found her.

She dreamed of James, as her nightmares usually took control early on in the night. He ran after her and tackled her to the ground. He drank deeply from her until she was barely breathing. Finally, he fed her his blood and quickly twisted her neck. Her body convulsed on her bed but her sleeping form continued the dream. Time moved quickly and she was consumed by the need for blood. Her dreams took on a red tint as she quickly drank and killed everyone she’d ever loved. Her family, her friends, they were all piled high behind her and she didn’t even have the decency to look back. Bella eventually took control of her dream and ran from the carnage; she ran from James and from Forks and from all the ideas of being a supernatural being. 

Her body began to ache from the running and chaos in her dreams and she relaxed into a calm image of a large body of water. Not quite the ocean but definitely a very large lake. She sat and watched the waves ebb and flow, the seagulls squawking over the sound. She watched animals walk up and drink from the water. She watched the sunset over the waves and the moon rise behind her. Bella’s dream-self closed her eyes and let the calmness wash over her. 

The dream moved to her swimming in the water, naked and alone. She moved through the water with long strides, sometimes relaxing with her toes brushing the sand far below her. The land disappeared and she bobbed in the water’s smooth waves. She leaned back and let her body float until she heard a smile. She had never heard someone smile before but her dream-self made the association quickly and her body sunk back down into the water. Bella quickly searched the dark lake for the source of her discomfort before realizing she wasn’t uncomfortable. She was actually excited. Her body knew who she would find and when her eyes saw the blonde hair and violet colored eyes, she reflexively reached out. 

Rosalie’s hand grasped Bella and pulled the shorter girl into her arms. Bella’s body pressed warmly against Rosalie, their bare skin softly caressing with no room for the water to pass between them. Bella lost herself in the feeling and began to search Rosalie’s body with her hands. Their mouths met and lost each other as their lips searched for skin. 

The water disappeared and Bella found herself on top of Rosalie in the back of her pickup truck. She searched Rosalie’s body for any part she hadn’t already kissed, and slowly slid her hands down across the older teen’s stomach.

Bella jumped up from her bed and threw her blankets off her body. Her skin was flushed and sticky with sweat and her body shook with excitement. She cleared her hair from her face and turned to look out the window. Her eyes searched every inch of the backyard but saw no blonde hair. Instead, Bella made out the sight of a large, lean, grey wolf. Now knowing the wolf to be Leah, Bella unwrapped the rest of the sheets and clamored out of her bed. This time, she successfully wrapped her leg in a large plastic bag and took a very cold shower. Still, the thoughts lingered until she finally allowed some release. 

Two days later, and two very eventful nights of sleep, Bella woke, took a cold shower, and dressed warmly. It was finally Thanksgiving and Charlie was already waiting downstairs for them to head over to the Res. Bella quickly called Angela and let her know they’d swing by in a few minutes to pick her up. 

When Angela jumped into the back of the cruiser, followed quickly by Bella moving from the front seat, she immediately noticed the worrisome look on Bella’s face.

“What’s wrong?” She whispered so Charlie couldn’t hear them.

Bella looked at the back of Charlie’s head and wished she had turned up the radio before slipping into the back. Unable to change things now, she whispered back very quietly, “I’m having a problem.”

“What kind of problem?” Angela understood the importance of Bella admitting to an issue and tried her hardest to remain calm and speak so Charlie wouldn’t notice them. “Did something happen?”

“Not really?” Bella squirmed unsure how to word her issue. “Not exactly. I’ve been having these… dreams.”

“Oh, okay. What kind of dreams? Should I have brought my dream book? It would help us interpret the meaning behind the dreams.”

“No.” Bella was still trying to search for the right words. “I’m not having an issue understanding the meaning behind the dreams. I know exactly what these dreams mean. I’m just having an issue getting rid of the dreams.”

“Ok, what are the dreams about?”

Bella squirmed again. Sure Angela and she had talked about sex and kissing and everything else you discuss with your best friend but it had always been a vague idea. They’d never had an actual person they were talking about. Angela definitely had quite the infatuation with Ben at the beginning of their High School years but after a few make-out sessions and crappy dates, the fire fizzled out. They’d never really gotten to the point of talking about sex with Ben. Bella shook her head and tried to word her problem without giving Charlie a reason to listen in.

“I’ve been dreaming about... Rosalie.”

“Okay and…” Angela was about to question what the dreams were about when she saw the look in Bella’s eye. “Oh. Oh!”

Charlie coughed from the front seat but didn’t look in the back mirror. Bella leaned in closer and nodded affirmation.

“What is causing the dreams? Like, did anything happen between you two? I mean, more recently.”

“No, we haven’t spoken this whole time. She has sent me a few text messages but honestly, I haven’t had the heart to read them.” Bella looked so sad sharing this that Angela reached out and squeezed her best friend’s knee. “But, she’s been keeping watch outside my window and she just looks so beautiful outside in the moonlight.”

“Wait, Rosalie is stalking you?”

“What? No. She’s just…” Then Bella realized her mistake. Angela didn’t know they were vampires and she didn’t know that James had attacked her and was still out there somewhere. Bella didn’t know what to say. She’d never had any event in her life she couldn’t tell Angela about. What was she supposed to say? “I…”

“We’re here.” Charlie interrupted while pulling into the Res. They weren’t actually to the Clearwater’s house yet but Bella appreciated the change of topics.

“I feel like I haven’t been here in ages.” She said softly.

“Two weeks is hardly that long.” Angela rolled her eyes. She knew Bella loved to spend any time she could hanging out with Jake and Leah and that she preferred the Res kids over most of the Fork’s High teens. But she didn’t know that it had been a long time since Bella had spent a relaxing day with her family. The last time she’d been at the Res things had definitely not gone to plan. 

The cruiser finally pulled up in front of the large house. The Clearwater’s had one of the largest homes on the Res and it was perfectly placed close enough to the beach that they could hear the water on a quiet day. Bella and Angela were let out of the back by Charlie, and Bella made her way inside. Jake was the first to welcome her over, hugging her deeply and holding the door open. Charlie was next with a fist bump and a joke about the football teams. Jake was about to close the door when he noticed Angela carrying in a plastic container of baked goods.

“Hey, sorry, I brought cranberry muffins to apologize for the intrusion.” Angela smiled and slid in the door past Jake. Making eye contact with Bella, she worded out ‘wow’ before sliding over to the kitchen. The taller boy closed the door slowly and sighed; he followed the crowd into the kitchen.

“What’s wrong, Jake?” Bella asked from a stool at the kitchen counter. “You look like a kicked puppy.”

“Funny. But I just, well, I was hoping. It doesn’t matter.”

Bella looked at him quizzically but didn’t know what to say. 

“What happened, Jake, did someone say you kicked a puppy?” Leah walked out of the back hallway, most likely coming from her room. She carried a tall stack of board games and placed them down at the dining room table before turning and seeing Angela put the muffins neatly on a plate given to her by Sue. 

Angela turned and looked at Leah. Smiling she said, “Hi, Leah. How are you?”

Leah blinked a few times before saying, “Fuck.”

“What?” Jake yelled out. “What just happened, why are you looking at her like that?”

Leah repeated her curse while Angela looked back and forth between Jake and Leah. Finally, she turned to Bella and Sue, “Was it something I said?”

Sue, as calmly as she could, began to chuckle. 

Billy rolled in from the living room and waved his arms in a hurried motion. “Alright kids, let’s grab some grub quickly. The game is about to begin. Why are you all standing there like that?” 

Sue continued to laugh while Jake, in a very strained voice, said, “Leah just imprinted on Angela.”

“She what?” Angela asked, baffled. Bella shrugged her shoulders in response; she had no idea what Jake was talking about. 

“It’s when a wolf finds their soulmate,” Jake said sadly. He then made his way down the hall, disappearing into Seth’s room. Bella heard him whine a little to Seth before closing the door.

“Wolf?” Angela whispered.

Leah finally stopped cursing just long enough to facepalm. 

“Time to eat, grab your plates!” Sue called out and clapped twice. The adults quickly grabbed their plates, Seth and Jake came out of Seth’s room a few moments later and piled up their plates, moving to sit at the table while the adults moved to the tables set up in the living room. Leah moved slowly over to the counter, grabbed a plate and piled a few items on it before placing it on the table. She walked over to Angela, tugged at her hand and had the younger girl sit down at the plate before moving back to the counter, grabbing another plate and piling it high. She sat down next to Angela, keeping her head close to her food as she ate very slowly.

Bella grabbed her plate and sat down next to Seth. Before second-guessing herself, she asked the table, “What does imprinting mean?”

“I second that question,” Angela added.

Seth looked over at the large eyes of his sister, she was deep in thought. He looked at Jake who was shaking his head and eating very quickly. Seth sighed and looked at Bella and Angela in turn. He then went into a lot of specifics about the Quileute tribe and their ability to shift into wolves. He told Angela the old legends and the secret powers that were descended down through a few major bloodlines. He then described imprinting as best as he could understand it; he was very clear that he had not experienced it but was explaining what he understood from the thoughts of Sam and his imprinting on Emily. 

Angela then tried her best to respectfully ask about Sam and Leah’s relationship, as she also knew the two to have been dating for years. The awkward conversations remained for the rest of the meal, even as the three wolves grabbed seconds and thirds. 

Eventually, the plates were emptied and the games were pulled out. Angela and Leah both voted on playing Clue and Seth agreed, so he quickly set up their first game. Jake tried three times to guess the correct answer before getting exasperated. Bella laughed at the younger boy and they decided to bring their cards together to have a better chance. Leah complained that wasn’t fair and blushed bright red when Angela leaned in conspiratorially to join their cards together. It was ironic that Seth eventually won the game and called for a round of Cranium. 

Bella quickly got into the charades portion and Angela was excellent with the clay and drawing. Leah had a surprisingly large amount of knowledge for the random trivia and Jake and Seth both excelled at the word problems. The game grew increasingly competitive and the wolves began roughhousing a bit while Angela and Bella laughed on. It wasn’t until Leah accidentally broke a chair that the adults yelled out for them to calm down.  

Jake could hardly stop laughing as he tried to put the chair back together. Bella was surprised that the show of strength didn’t scare Angela and wondered if the imprinting somehow affected Angela as well as Leah. She would have to remember to ask later. 

Leah pulled out the dry erase board and they played a very hilarious game of Pictionary (Seth could really not draw at all and Bella wasn’t much better) until the adults broke up the fun. It was nearly midnight when they cleaned up the games and their plates of snacks and desserts and finally said their goodbyes. Surprising Bella, Angela took Leah aside and talked to her quietly while Bella and Charlie chatted with the rest of the group. Eventually, Angela joined them and three made their way out to the cruiser and back to Forks.  

“So…” Bella tried to ask without asking.

“So.” Angela nodded, deep in thought.

“You’re not seriously going to make me ask?”

“There is a lot to process,” Angela replied but a huge smile came across her lips. “I don’t know where to start with Leah. Maybe, maybe a date or two? I don’t know. Honestly, that’s extremely overwhelming. Imprinting. It’s just like The Alpha’s Arrangement.” Angela breathed deeply and fanned herself like a Southern debutante. “It’s a little much but so very exciting.”

“I guess that’s one way to think of it.” Bella smiled. She wanted to share everything else with Angela, all the secrets that had to be kept locked up before but she could know now. She could know now, right? Because she knew about the wolves she was allowed to know about the vampires, right?

“You’re thinking about Rosalie again, aren’t you.”

“How did you know?”

“That look on your face. You want to smile but you’re always holding it back. Is it because she’s a vampire?”

Bella coughed on the air trying to suck into her lungs. “What?”

Angela rolled her eyes. “Leah told me.”

“What? When?” 

“Before we said goodnight.”

“How? You didn’t have enough time! These things take time.”

Angela smiled, “Yeah, they usually do, but I knew there was something up with the Cullens when they first showed up, remember? I said they didn’t feel fully human, like there was something amazingly different about them. When Leah said I should stay clear of them because they were leeches, I didn’t really have to jump far to realize they were vampires. She was surprised I took it so well, but she’ll learn.” Angela smiled shyly. 

“You’re incredible, Angela.” The taller girl blushed and looked at her hands. “So, what do you think of Leah?”

Angela turned an even brighter red before she started gushing over the details she had never noticed before. She explained that there had always been something interesting about the older girl but Angela, being the shy, quiet girl she’d always been, had never really befriended the Quileute. Early on, Leah seemed to be infatuated with Sam and never gave anyone else a second thought. So, naturally, Angela didn’t bother giving Leah another thought. 

“I guess it worked out just the way it needed to. I do feel bad for Leah, though. She really did love Sam, didn’t she?”

Bella nodded solemnly as Charlie pulled up to Angela’s house. They said goodbye and Bella slid into the front seat.

“Want to talk about it?”

“No thanks, dad.” Charlie nodded but sighed with relief. Bella smiled at her dad and added. “I’ll go back to school on Monday.” The chief nodded again and they made their way home. 

The weekend seemed to fly by and Bella was surprised when her father woke her up for school Monday morning. She moved slowly and ended up late to her first class but everyone was glad to see her back in school, even the teachers told her they missed having her in class. The morning went by without event but when Bella walked into the lunch room she found herself completely unprepared with where to sit. 

The room seemed to darken with a large spotlight shining in her eyes. She was stuck to the floor and unable to make a decision. After a few beats, Angela walked up behind her, grabbed her arm and pulled her over to Jessica.

"Nice to see you've come back from the dead," Jessica said. She smiled kindly, allowing the words to sound like a joke. 

Lauren added sarcastically, "Oh yes, thank goodness Bella is back." She rolled her eyes and turned to Ben. Apparently, the two had started dating just before the holiday. 

Bella looked to Angela and asked a silent question if she was okay with Lauren's new playmate. Angela merely shrugged as if she hadn't a care in the world. The two had chatted over the phone these past few days about imprinting and wolves and vampires and how much their worlds had changed. Angela had sounded genuinely afraid for Bella and tried to ask Leah for an extra watch without actually asking her. The older girl had complained that the blonde leech was there every night but agreed to run a few more rounds before retiring for the night; even against Angela's wishes that the girl gets enough sleep. 

Bella believed that Angela really had that wolf wrapped around her little finger. The teen disagreed adamantly but her excuses were paper thin. She said she tried to treat Leah with respect but it was hard when someone was willing to do whatever you asked. She would make a random statement without thinking and the next thing she knew Leah was trying to buy her a brand new camera. She didn't know how to act with that kind of reaction all the time. The two still had yet to find their rhythm. 

Bella began to eat her food slowly and enjoy the company of her old friends but eventually, her thoughts walked her eyes over to the Cullens and Hales. They were seated at a large table talking calmly and joking as if it were any other day. She sighed wistfully and made the regretful decision to look at Rosalie specifically. The blonde was trying not to look back but failing miserably. She gave in, looked at Bella and even waved.

Bella jumped back in her seat and felt like she'd been caught stealing candy. Angela laughed and noted that she should say hi back. Bella quickly waved and then got up to return her tray and start down to her next class. For a small moment she thought she felt Rosalie behind her but when she looked back the blonde was standing next to her table. There was a very real possibility that Rosalie had moved over to her but regretted the action and moved back to her own table, or she could have simply stood up. For her part, Bella couldn't decide which action she wanted to be real.

The rest of the day dragged on and she couldn't wait to collapse back in the recliner and listen to the football game with Charlie. When she finally got her wish, she fell asleep on the recliner and Charlie covered her up left her there for the night.

Each day continued much the same, the interactions with Rosalie were unpredictable but always short, and November seemed to disappear before Bella even knew what happened. When she was finally allowed to get her cast off, Charlie drove her to the hospital and Dr. Cullen was waiting for her. 

“There she is.” Carlisle smiled brightly. He was always in such a chipper mood.

“Hi, Dr. Cullen.” Bella replied respectfully.

“Let’s get a look at this cast, shall we?”

The x-ray showed a full heal and Carlisle was able to remove the cast without a hitch. Bella was sitting on the exam table while the doctor slowly moved her foot around testing the range of motion. 

“You seem to be quite lucky, Bella. The bone is fully healed and your movement is already coming back quickly.” Carlisle smiled brightly. “We’ll get you a crutch to keep you from walking around on your leg too much but you should be good in another week or two. Keep testing your leg and try to walk as much as you feel comfortable. Have someone carry your books at school so you can focus on walking; there’s no need for you to slip again so soon.”

“It’s almost like you know me.” Bella laughed. 

Charlie smiled and walked out of the room with Dr. Cullen, talking about what else was to be expected. He already knew the basic gist, but this was the first time Bella had actually broken a bone, and the two men seemed to get lost in conversation quite quickly. 

“How does it feel?”

Bella jumped slightly and looked to see Edward standing in the doorway. “What are you doing here?”

“Came to check on my dad.” Edward held up two bags of take-out. “It’s lunchtime.”

Bella eyed the bags curiously. “What’s for lunch?”

“Phad Thai.” Edward smiled. “Want some?”

“Where did you get Thai food from?”

“Port Angeles.”

“Do you normally drive out to Port Angeles and back just to get Thai food?”

Edward shrugged. “Sometimes I get pizza.”

“There’s a pizza place here.”

“I really like driving.” Edward placed the bags down, opened up one and fished out some chopsticks. Expertly, he grabbed up a heap of noodles and held them out to Bella. “Don’t worry, they’ve had some time to cool down.”

Bella laughed and took a large bite. The noodles were quite delicious, maybe even worth a trip out to Port Angeles.

Taking a bite of his own, Edward asked. “So I heard you’re going to need someone carrying around your books for you? Before you start to beg, I am perfectly free to escort you around to your classes.” He smiled his crooked smile and offered up another bite. 

Chewing, Bella replied. “It’s okay, I don’t want to bother you.”

“It’s already settled, I am your devoted chauffeur. Think of me as your own Hoke Colburn.”

“Who?”

Edward rolled his eyes. “The driver from Driving Miss Daisy.”

Bella shrugged and took another proffered bite. 

The two teens finished off the Phad Thai, chatting about school and how quickly the year was going by. Carlisle came back in the room with Charlie and the teens said goodbye. Bella thought she heard Carlisle joke about whether there was any lunch left for him as they walked out the door. 

That night Bella soaked her leg in warm water, desperately enjoying the feeling of her leg being actually clean. She dressed for bed and climbed over to her window subconsciously looking out for Rosalie. Tonight, however, Rosalie was facing her.

Bella jumped in her skin and was about to pull back when Rosalie made eye contact and waved. Bella slowly waved back and saw Rosalie motioning towards the window. Bella cocked her head not quite understanding. Finally, she made out that Rosalie wanted to come in. Bella quickly looked around the room and noticed what a mess it had become. She turned back to Rosalie, back to her room, and back to Rosalie again. The blonde was growing impatient by the sideways look she was giving but Bella held up her hand requesting two minutes. The young teen quickly moved about her room stuffing clothes in the closet, stacking books on the desk and organizing small piles around the edges. When she turned back she saw Rosalie standing inside with the open window at her back.

“I did wait two minutes.” She said coolly. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to take so long I just…”

“Your room looks fine.” Rosalie cut her off. “It’s actually pretty cute.” The blonde was surveying the room from her stance at the window. It was a very different reaction than Alice had given, moving slowly around the room and touching things lightly. Instead, Rosalie viewed each corner, each picture, each book, with an eagle’s eye of perception. She didn’t say anything, didn’t seem to judge anything. Instead, Bella got the impression that Rosalie was attempting to memorize the room. Bella looked around as well, wondering if she had changed anything since the last time Rosalie had been in there. Maybe that was what was weird to the blonde, whose house seemed to change with the shifting moods. 

“Did you, want to sit?”

Rosalie nodded and quickly sat back on Bella’s bed, leaning her back against the window frame. The blonde looked Bella up and down and rested her eyes on the teen’s leg.

“How does it feel?”

“Oh, fine.” Bella squirmed a little and moved forward. She wanted to sit down but was unsure whether to sit next to Rosalie or over to the side in her desk chair. 

She stood swaying slightly before Rosalie patted the bed. Bella sat down a few inches away from the vampire.

“Can I see?” Rosalie asked in a whisper. 

Bella shifted her body so her left leg was closer. Rosalie reached out and with such delicate hands Bella wasn’t even sure if Rosalie was touching her, the blonde pulled Bella’s leg across her lap and slowly ran her hands up and down the teen’s leg. Bella almost forgot to breath when she heard Rosalie ask if her skin itched. She nodded very slowly and watched Rosalie take a bottle of lotion out of her jacket pocket and began to massage Bella’s leg.

The teen could hardly believe what was happening and had to physically pinch herself to ensure she wasn’t dreaming. Rosalie smiled at the action but didn’t say anything. Once the lotion was properly rubbed in, the blonde slowed her hands until they merely rested on the teen’s leg. 

“There, that’s better.”

“Mmm..” Bella practically moaned. She shot her eyes open, not realizing she had closed them, and smiled shyly while her face began to burn up.

“Shall I come by tomorrow night as well?” Rosalie was smiling her seductive smile that made Bella shiver.

“Sure.” The younger girl squeaked out. Rosalie leaned forward, kissed Bella on the cheek, lingering a few moments too long, before she disappeared out the window and back to the forest’s edge. 

Bella’s dreams were the worst [read: best] she’d had all month. 

The next morning, Bella dressed and went down to breakfast only to find Edward in her kitchen, drinking coffee and chatting quietly with Charlie.

“Good morning?” Bella said, clearly confused.

“Hoke Colburn,” Edward said, pointing to himself. “I’m here to drive you to school.”

“Oh,” Bella replied. “I thought you were just walking me around to my classes. I didn’t realize it was going to be a whole show of things.”

“I’m nothing if not excessive, dare I even say over-the-top.” Edward smiled crookedly. 

Bella smiled in response but was still a bit confused as to why Edward was so adamant about taking care of her. She shrugged, allowed the vampire to carry her bag and help her into his Volvo. It wasn’t until she got to school that she realized she may have made a mistake. 

A/N: Yay or nay for Leah and Angela?

[JenDamn] There is definitely a change in the dynamic between Rosalie and Bella, let’s hope it’s all for the good. Especially since there’s a change in the dynamic between Edward and Bella as well as Alice and Bella. A lot of friendships and perhaps more (?) are starting to come together.

[SH4D0W44] I do enjoy an insufferably cute Rosalie. Let’s hope Bella doesn’t screw it up!

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this “

“I felt betrayed and absolutely livid, but my body wasn’t smart enough to know it. It had liked the feel of his hands, wanted more of it, wanted it now. It was almost like there were two of me, one who heartily approved of the mage and one who would have dearly loved to see him dead.”  - Karen Chance, Embrace the Night

“Hoke Colburn,” Edward said, pointing to himself. “I’m here to drive you to school.”

“Oh,” Bella replied. “I thought you were just walking me around to my classes. I didn’t realize it was going to be a whole show of things.”

“I’m nothing if not excessive, dare I even say over-the-top.” Edward smiled crookedly. 

Bella smiled in response but was still a bit confused as to why Edward was so adamant about taking care of her. She shrugged, allowed the vampire to carry her bag and help her into his Volvo. It wasn’t until she got to school that she realized she may have made a mistake. 

Damage control. That was the first thought that went through Bella’s head as she saw the glare coming from Rosalie. She needed to fix this somehow but she wasn’t entirely sure what it was she needed to fix. She was glaring but it wasn’t at Bella. That was a much-needed relief, however, Rosalie’s glare was definitely in her direction, making there no doubt in Bella’s mind it was directed at Edward. The tall, lean vampire was nonchalantly carrying Bella’s book bag over his right shoulder, while calmly helping her out of the vehicle. Once she was standing, he swept his arm across her back and under her left shoulder all but carrying her across the parking lot. If Bella was being honest with herself, and if there was no one else around to see this display, she would be very thankful for the gesture. The fact that it was done so intimately and so in front of their entire student body, made Bella’s face turn beet red. Damage control.

Once inside the school, Edward delicately placed Bella down and handed over her crutches. She wasn’t even sure how he had managed to carry her, the book bag, and her crutches while looking so perfectly normal but she also believed that many people gave Edward a wide berth when it came to being normal. It seemed that people just accepted Edward as being exceptional. Maybe it was the hair. 

“There you are, my lady,” Edward said as he gestured down the hall. “I’ll allow you to lead the way and I will be your faithful puppy.”

Bella wondered back at a dream she remembered where Edward was a golden retriever puppy; the thought made her smile slightly. She coordinated the crutches to either side of her, tucked them into her armpits and attempted to swing her body forward. Before she could collapse to the ground, Edward’s arm was around her holding her up. 

“It looks easier on TV,” Bella commented shyly.

“Most things do.” Edward quipped. “But never fear, I will always be within arms reach.”

“Why are you doing this?” Bella asked before she could stop herself.

“What do you mean? I’m just being a good friend.” Edward smiled his brightest, crooked smile.

The dazzle of his teeth and eyes made Bella swoon slightly before she shook her head. She couldn’t talk to him while he was like this. She felt like a small wounded animal that Edward would stop at nothing to help rehabilitate. How could she possibly explain that she didn’t need that kind of support? Or more importantly, that she felt he was overstepping the laws of friends.

“Dear brother, might I have a word?” Jasper appeared out of nowhere and quickly took Edward’s arm. The taller boy tried to argue but his blond brother was quite stern. The two disappeared down the walkway.

“Alright, how we gonna do this?” Emmett’s voice came from behind Bella and caused her to hop slightly. 

“Where did you come from?” Bella squeaked at the large boy.

He merely gestured at the door. “Outside?”

“What are you doing here?”

Emmett smiled a huge grin. “Damage control.”

Bella tilted her head but smiled in response. “That is exactly what I need.”

“I’m good at being exactly what a damsel in distress needs.” Emmett grinned and started adjusting Bella’s crutches. He scratched at the bottom of each, leaving large marks in the rubber. When Bella rubbed them against the floor they stuck more than slid. It was as if he had added glue to them.

“You know, coming from Edward that statement would have made me worried but coming from you it sounds so innocent. How does that work?”

“Oh that’s definitely an easy answer,” Emmett replied but added no more.

“Really? Then what’s the answer?”

“So easy, you shouldn’t have to ask.” He rolled his eyes and the two made their way down the hallway. 

Bella turned into her first class and took a seat next to Angela. It took her a few moments but she was able to catch Emmett before he walked out the door. “Wait! I need my bag. Edward must still have it.”

“I’m on it!” The curly haired boy rushed out as if a superhero called to a crime scene. The sight made Jessica giggled and Mike roll his eyes.

“What does he have that I don’t?” Mike grumbled into his notebook. He was hurriedly trying to finish up a worksheet they had for homework. Bella wondered why he didn’t just use the time he worked at his parent’s shop to complete his school work but she often wondered why people didn’t just complete their work.

Jessica leaned up towards Angela and Bella and excitedly asked, “Are you going to the Winter Ball with one of them?”

“With one of who?” Bella asked, confused. “When is the Winter Ball? Is that coming around already?”

Jessica rolled her eyes. She had known Bella for far too long to expect the nerdy girl to keep track of school dances. Sure they always went dress shopping together, and eventually, Jessica and Angela’s combined whining caused Bella to show up to most dances but Jessica was convinced that the dance was a much bigger affair this year. 

“One of the Cullens!” She squeaked.

Bella was taken aback. “One of?”

“You do seem to have your choice of the litter,” Mike added on, now completely engrossed in the girls topic. His worksheet lay crumbled slightly under his leaning elbows. Bella noticed several wrong answers but didn’t bother to correct him.

“Don’t call them a litter.” Angela mused. “They’re much more of a clan.”

Bella was about to protest when Emmett swung back through the doorway, Bella’s bag flying through the air and landing quite perfectly at the base of her desk. “Gotta run, going to be late!” Came the already far away call as Emmett rushed down the halls. The bell rang seconds later and Bella wondered if the brawny teen had made it or not. 

The teens settled down for the morning classes but Bella’s mind was going a million miles of a second. She had a pick? What does that mean? Obviously, she would want to go with Rosalie. But, was that obvious? And did she really want to go with the blonde? It’s not like she had fully apologized for her outburst after the incident with James. 

Bella shivered at the thought of her kidnapping. She was suddenly overcome with an unnatural fear and began looking in every corner of the classroom. She inhaled and exhaled slowly several times. There was nothing to fear here. He wasn’t here. He could never come into this school again. She was safe here. She had a clan of vampires and a pack of werewolves protecting her. When did her life get so supernatural? She would have laughed if the panic wasn’t still winning. She laid her head down on her desk for only a moment when the teacher called her name. 

“Bella, are you quite alright? Do you need to go to the nurse?”

“I’m fine, sorry. My leg just hurt for a moment. I’m fine.”

Mr. Varner wasn’t listening though and requested Jessica to escort Bella to the nurse. She left her bag at her desk and they headed out of the Trig classroom.

“So who are you going to ask?” Jessica questioned as they slowly made their way around the corner of the hallway. “I expect there’s still some spark between you and Rosalie but if I were you, I'd definitely go with Edward. He is shockingly handsome and so polite. I guess you could pick Emmett, he is quite beefy, but sometimes he reminds me of a great bear. Like yeah, he’s beautiful, but what if he takes your head off?”

“Are these really the thoughts that go through your head each day?” Bella quipped.

“Of course they are!” They opened the door of building 5 and moved across the quad area. Bella shivered with cold, having left her jacket behind.

“May I offer a hand?” Edward’s voice came from a side door of the main lobby building. 

“And I love how he just appears as if he knows we’re talking about him.” Jessica hummed quietly to Bella. 

Bella watched as Edward’s eyes sparkled with mischief. He most definitely knew they were talking about him and he probably loved it. 

“I don’t know,” Bella replied. “I don’t particularly like a man who is always in my head.”

“Most women love a man that can read their minds, don’t they?” Edward seemed to be replying to Bella but his words (and his eyes) were directed to Jessica. The teen turned bright red and mumbled an affirmative. “Now,” Edward turned back to Bella. “Allow me to escort you the rest of the way.” He comfortably wrapped his arm around Bella’s waist and walked alongside her toward the propped open door. 

“Aren’t you being a little fresh?” Bella asked as the two left a mumbling Jessica behind in the cold. The door closed loudly and caused Bella to jump, startled. Edward used the moment to pull her closer to his side and she thought he may have even sniffed her hair.

“I don’t hear you requesting otherwise.”

And Bella realized Edward was right. She had never once voiced a request for more space or for him to not hold her in such an intimate way. Why hadn’t she? She tried to think it over while Edward spoke to the nurse on Bella’s behalf. She watched the interaction and noticed the way Edward spoke to the older woman. He was all smiles and soft words, he showed caring and understanding, spoke about Bella’s injuries using medical terms but also using layman’s terms to show a mixture of knowledge, caring, and understanding with a certain amount of boyishness. He was kind, caring, reassuring, and soft-spoken. He laughed kindly and listened intently. He was everything a person could ever want out of a relationship. Why was she holding back?

“Will you go to the Winter Ball with me?” Bella realized too late she was cutting into a conversation and, turning bright red, ducked her head into her arms. 

“Are you asking me or Nurse Abby?” Edward quipped.

“I was asking you, jerk,” Bella mumbled into her chest.

“Of course, I would love to go.” His answer was honest and heartfelt and Bella wanted to laugh and cry. Why couldn’t things have been this easy with Rosalie? But then she thought back to the night on her doorstep and how absolutely gorgeous Rosalie looked in the moonlight. Was she making a mistake? Rosalie can be sweet and caring and all too unbelievably seductive. Bella thought back to their last big argument and the few months they had spent as a couple. She most definitely was picking the correct Cullen now.

“Why don’t you lie down for a little while,” Nurse Abby commented kindly. “You look as if you have had a very exciting first day back. Take a nap and I’ll wake you for the lunch period.”

Edward smiled warmly at Bella and said his farewell. “I’ll be back to pick you up for lunch.”

And with that he was gone.

“He is quite the young charmer, isn’t he.” Nurse Abby commented half to herself, half to Bella.

“That he certainly is.” Bella thought back at the vision of Edward becoming a puppy and smiled as she closed her eyes.

“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty.” Edwards' voice was soft and all too close. Bella hadn’t even realized she had actually fallen asleep.

“Sorry, he snuck in here before I could wake you.” Nurse Abby commented but she didn’t really seem sorry at all. She looked as if she was watching an episode of her favorite primetime show and the two will-they-won’t-they people finally got together. 

Bella sighed and allowed Edward to help her up off the bed and fix her crutches to make the slow walk back to the cafeteria. He even helped her put on her jacket and carried her bag. Bella wondered when he had gone to get those items from her Trig class but figured it wasn’t worth the trouble of finding out.

“You know something that’s interesting?” Edward hummed as they made their way down the halls.

“What’s that?”

“I can no longer read your mind.”

Bella stopped her movement and slanted her head to the side. “Like, at all?”

Edward nodded. “At first it was a bit frustrating but now, well, I almost find it satisfying.”

Bella scrunched up her nose. “Satisfying?”

“Perhaps that’s not the right word.” The lean teen pushed his hand through his bronze colored hair. “I’ve spent the better part of a century trying to block out people’s thoughts.” Bella looked around the hallway at the passing students wondering if Edward should be talking about things like this but she soon realized that no one was listening to him. They were watching, they were moving, but they weren’t listening to the words he spoke. 

“At first, it was overwhelming, even in the earlier 20th century when the population of cities were far less than they are today, I was completely taken aback by the noise cluttering my head at all times. I can’t lie and say that some of it was not interesting, however, more of it was downright boring. And at home it’s even worse!” He laughed quietly. “Do you know how much time Emmett spends wondering if he can bend something? Anything? Take that bench over there for instance.” He pointed at the wooden bench built into the wall near the water fountain. “He spent two weeks pondering that bench and how much force it would take to bend but not break.” He laughed again. “And the pop songs! You would think it would be Alice but it’s actually Esme; She’s like a non-stop pop music radio station. She always has some catchy tune in her head and she never knows the right lyrics. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve heard Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree ?” 

Edward stood to the side to let Bella into the cafeteria line. They moved slowly down the line, Edward keeping track of both treys. He also paid for both before Bella could even move to grab her wallet. He carried the treys over to a table at the side and got them both situated before he continued. “I think that’s why I like classical music so much. There are no words to get wrong just flowing notes filled with emotions but no thoughts.”

By the end of lunch, Bella realized that Edward had spent the entire period talking about himself. She didn’t completely mind, she enjoyed not having to think of any answers or being put on the spot but at the same time she felt kind of used. 

The rest of the day went on slowly and by the time gym came around, Bella was ready for another nap (and a large dose of pain meds). Instead, she made her way over to the library and worked through her homework for the day. After a few minutes, Emmett came and joined her but he had a rough look on his face.

“So, is it true?” He said, staring into a Physics book.

Bella looked around. Seeing no one in their vicinity she assume the large boy was talking to her. “Is what true?”

“That you and Edward are going to the Winter Ball next weekend.” 

“Oh, yeah, I guess that’s true.”

Emmett sighed loudly. “It’s not her fault she’s so rough around the edges. She’s a hard one to get through to but I can promise you she’s worth it.” His eyes were pleading as they stared into Bella’s. 

The younger girl felt small and unbelievably useless. She tried a few times to say something but no words came out.

“I’m not going to tell you how to live your life or what you should do with the feelings of my sister.” Emmett had a sad smile on his face. “But I can give you more information.” He closed his book and stood up to leave. “Come on, let’s go for a car ride.”

Bella stuttered a few times but eventually collected her books into her bag. Before she could grab it, Emmett swung the bag over his shoulder. They made their way out of the library and down to the parking lot. Emmett threw their bags into the back of his Jeep and tossed her crutches behind the front seat. He picked Bella up and had her strapped into the passenger seat before she even had time to squeal. 

The two made their way out of the school parking lot and onto route 101 but instead of going north, as everyone seemed to always do with Bella, they turned south. The drive was quiet and relaxing and eventually Emmett turned onto Undi Rd and followed it out along the Bogachiel River. Bella couldn’t remember the last time she’d been out this way, was it fishing with her dad? That would have been years ago, long before she’d hit double digits. 

Eventually the road turned away from the river and ended at Morganroth Creek. Emmett parked the car and leaned back his seat. Bella fumbled with the buttons but eventually did the same, and the two sat in silence listening to the creek and watching the sun slowly set behind the trees. Bella shivered from the cold and Emmett passed over a blanket.

“Aren’t you cold?” Bella asked, trying to give back a small section of the blanket so Emmett could cover himself as well.

“We don’t really get cold or hot. We can also hold out breathes for unbelievably long bouts of time. I honestly don’t know if there is a limit or if we could just stop breathing altogether. I’m guessing there must be some point but I haven’t stayed awake long enough to find out. You know, the lungs start working of thc eir own accord and all that.”

“Oxygen to the brain and such.” Bella agreed.

“Hmm.” Emmett added.

The two seemed perfectly content to just lay in the Jeep and relax, watching the clouds glide across the tops of the trees. But the comfort was ended by Bella’s phone ringing. 

“Hey dad.” The teen answered the phone quietly.

“Bells, do you need a ride home?” Charlie sounded busy at the office.

“No,  I’m fine. Emmett is giving a ride home. I’ll be there in time to make dinner.”

“Uh yeah, okay, good. Make something for yourself, I’m going to be late tonight.”

“Is anything wrong?” Bella leaned up in her chair, suddenly worried.

“No, everything’s fine.”

“But you’d tell me if there was something, right?”

“I gotta go, Bells. I’ll see you tonight.” Charlie hung up before Bella could reply.

When Bella looked over at Emmett he was hurriedly typing out a message on his phone.

“There is something wrong, isn’t there.” Bella stated.

“Yes and no.” Was the brawny teen’s reply. “Everything is fine here but there is something in Seattle.”

“Something?”

“A vampire.” He nodded, still typing on this phone.

“Any idea why that would affect Charlie?”

“The outside stations in the rural towns usually help with paperwork and sorting out issues with animal attacks.” He gave her a meaningful look. “Your dad is actually seen as a bit of talent when it comes to distinguishing different animal attacks. We should get you back soon but I still wanted to talk to you about Rosalie.”

Bella gulped not sure she wanted to have this conversation with Emmett. She still wasn’t quite sure about his own relationship with Rosalie. “Are you really the right person?”

Emmett put his phone away and leaned back in the seat. He sighed and covered his eyes with his hand. 

Bella added, “Do you love her?”

“Very much so.” He answered quietly. “But not in the way you think. Not anymore.”

The young teen curled the blanket around her and tucked it up to her chin. She was definitely not sure she wanted to know.

“The thing about Rosalie is that she’s self sabotaging. You already know this, I’m sure you do, but she has a habit of making things worse for herself because she honestly believes she deserves it.”

“I can’t control Rosalie’s actions.” Bella replied.

“No, you can’t. Trust me, I’ve tried.”

“I bet that wasn’t the best idea.” Bella tried to imagine anyone controlling the blonde, especially when she was in a rampant mood. The idea made her giggle.

“What can I say? I was young and naive.” Emmett smiled. “But I also don’t want you to make the same mistakes that I did.”

“Like what?”

“I would like to say that I loved Rosalie with all my heart and treated with the utmost respect and I guess that could be seen as true, and I really did try to, but I also treated her the way I wanted her to be.” Emmett looked into his hands. “I wanted her to be happy so I pushed happiness on her. The truth is, she was desperately depressed. And although I could make her laugh, I could bring her joy, she was truly hurting on the inside. I never fully got through to her.”

“I can’t fix her, Emmett.” Bella whispered the words so quietly she wasn’t entirely sure she had said them out loud. It was a thought she had banging around in her head for quite some time but never fully had the words to express. Rosalie was broken and Bella didn’t know how to fix her.

“It’s not your job to fix it.” Emmett turned to look Bella dead in the eye. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Rosalie…” His words faltered for a moment. “She’s an amazing woman and maybe we do look at her as broken but I can say now that she isn’t broken, she doesn’t need to be fixed. She’s not a problem, she’s a person with feelings and thoughts and issues, just like the rest of us. She’s not in need of fixing, she’s in need of understanding. Understanding and compassion and trust and belief and support.” He took a deep breath. “Don’t fix her, just care for her.”

Bella’s eyes felt like they were going to tear up and she was going to weep but she held back the tears and nodded sternly. But then she looked down in her lap. “What about Edward?”

“Oh that pansy will be fine.” Emmett laughed heartily. “Go to the dance with him, have fun. You two actually make a cute couple.”

“What on earth?” Bella laughed out.

“Everyone knows you don’t actually like him like that.”

The younger girl pursed her lips. “He is quite handsome.”

“Yeah sure, he’s a real Adonis. But he’s also arrogant and pushy and chauvinistic and borderline stalkerish.”

“He’s never stalked me!” She blushed. “Has he?”

“Oh Eddy boy!” Bella blushed even deeper as she saw Edward sheepishly appear from across the creek and lean nonchalantly on Bella’s door. “Not only is he stalkerish, he’s unbelievable consistent.”

“How long have you been there?” Bella squealed out. “Why are you even here?”

Edward at least had the audacity to be a little ashamed. “I uh, I was just taking a walk and uh, I came across you two and was… curious.” He ended lamely.

Bella reached out and slapped his arm. “Ow! OMG! What are you made out of?!” She screamed in pain from the strike. 

“Are you okay? Let me see.” Edward quickly held her hand in his, looking closely over her slender fingers. 

Bella pulled her hand back. “They’re fine. Ugh, stupid supernatural ugh. I’m fine.”

Emmett laughed heartily and soon Bella joined in. Edward sheepishly smiled but tried not to look like he was enjoying it.

“Anyway,” Bella shook her hair out and pulled the blanket down onto her lap. “I guess, would it be alright if we just went to the dance as friends? I mean, I just, I don’t want to give you the wrong impression.”

The tall boy smiled again and replied. “You know, I do make a better boyfriend. And you said so yourself that we would be a great match. I could take care of you, Bella. We could start with a nice dinner at that Italian place in Port Angeles.”

Bella gulped, his eyes were so beautifully green, like a lush landscape. She was almost drawn in, almost taken over by his beauty but then another color came into view and she blinked. There was a part of her, far more powerful, that longed to look into lilac colored eyes. She closed her own brown eyes and shook her head. She liked Edward but when she compared her feelings for him to her feelings for Rosalie, she knew who she would pick. And it just wasn’t fair to keep leading him on, to keep giving him false hope. “No, Edward.”

“Are you sure?” Edward tried to persuade her. “I am quite handsome.” He smiled his crooked smile.

“And arrogant and pushy…” Bella and Emmett started to chant.

Edward jumped in the back of the Jeep and the three of them made their way back to Bella’s. She let them help her into the house but waved them away so she could start dinner. She made a simple casserole and stuck it in the oven before flopping down on the recliner and working through her math worksheets. After she ate a plate leaning over the kitchen counter, she put her dad’s plate in the microwave and let him a note on the fridge. She cleaned up and made her way upstairs to shower and get ready for bed. 

It was around 10 pm when she finally got up the courage to look out her window and search for the tall blonde. She was there, pacing along the forest’s edge, not really focused on anything but searching through the trees. Bella hoped the blonde would look up at her and maybe come visit for a little bit but she couldn’t get the girls attention. She debated just opening her window and shouting out her name but didn’t want to draw the attention of anyone else. 

So instead, she decided to pull out her phone and text the blonde. All she said was ‘hi’ and hit send before she could change her mind. Bella immediately looked out the window to watch Rosalie’s reaction. The blonde reached into her jacket pocket, pulled out her phone, and slowed her step. 

Bella waited for her to look up but instead her phone went off causing the younger girl to jump. She looked down at her phone and read the reply, ‘hi back’. Bella sighed. She wasn’t sure what she should say, what she should do. She looked out the window to see the blonde pacing again, no change from before. Bella leaned against the window, took a deep breath and sent another text.

‘Is it cold out?’

‘A little but not so bad. It doesn’t really affect me though either way.’

‘Yeh, Emmett told me’

‘I heard you two went for a drive today.’

‘Hes nice’

‘Are you taking him to the Winter Ball too?’

‘U herd abut that?’

‘Everyone has heard about it.’

‘Edward and I r just going as friends. It doesnt mean anythng’

‘Maybe.’

‘Do u want to come in for a bit?’

‘Not tonight.’

Bella sighed, she knew that was going to be the answer but she had still hoped.

‘Maybe another night. Sleep well.’

Bella smiled warmly, turned and looked out the window. Rosalie was looking at her, a small smile on her own lips. She waved, Bella waved back and then laid down to sleep.

A/N: I think the two girls finally have a solid chance to be together! We wrapped up any affections for Edward while also bringing around some important issues with Rosalie. Let’s see how the Winter Ball plays out!

[Guardsman2015] & [rkk1996] I’m so glad you are happy with Leah and Angela! I wasn’t entirely sold on the idea but I think they will be a good mix. We will definitely be seeing them at the Winter Ball (and some fun interaction between Leah and Rosalie).

What outfit did you wear to your prom or school dance?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle...

“Love must not entreat,' she added, 'or demand. Love must have the strength to become certain within itself. Then it ceases merely to be attracted and begins to attract.” - Hermann Hesse, Demian

‘Do u want to come in for a bit?’

‘Not tonight.’

Bella sighed, she knew that was going to be the answer but she had still hoped.

‘Maybe another night. Sleep well.’

Bella smiled warmly, turned and looked out the window. Rosalie was looking at her, a small smile on her own lips. She waved, Bella waved back and then laid down to sleep.

“This dress looks absolutely hideous!” Jessica screeched out as she looked over the green and gold dress. 

Bella nodded slightly but tried to take it back. “It’s not horrible…” She uttered the words out slowly.

“Ugh, how did you even talk me into trying it on?” Still standing in front of the mirrors, Jessica continued to spin around and smooth her hands over the rough sequins. 

In Bella’s opinion, the sequins were overpowering and the colors made her think of the yellow brick road. Angela, however, was a bit better at managing Jessica’s outrages, mostly because she could say anything with a positive spin.

“The color is beautifully bright and the pattern is whimsical. Here, try on this dress, I think the color will go much better with your tone.” Angela held up a bright pink dress with barely a top half to talk about. Jessica shrugged and ran back into the dressing room.

“Are you sure that dress is… appropriate?” Bella asked shyly. She wouldn’t be caught dead in something too revealing.

“Absolutely not.” Angela smiled. “But it is right up Angela’s alley. She’ll absolutely love it.” She brought her voice down a bit. “And I’m sure Mike will too.”

The two girls laugh. They had been at the dress store in Port Angeles for the better part of the afternoon, trying on dresses. Bella had no doubt the worker was getting tired of them but she was also doing very well at keeping calm about it. Angela had tried on about 5 dresses, most of them too short or too billowy. Jessica had tried on nearly all the dresses in the store, and Bella had yet to pick one she liked enough to bother with the dressing room. She was hoping Edward would have already picked out a color and she could just match but he said it had to be done the other way around. Bella had even tried to get Alice to tell her which dress she would pick in the end but the small girl refused to take out all the fun of a shopping trip. 

Bella shrugged at the thought and figured the afternoon wasn’t quite so bad after all. She thumbed over a rack of blue dresses and found a long gown with a criss-cross top. She held it out to Angela and the tall girl took it into the dressing room with her. Bella thumbed through the rest of the dresses and found a dark blue dress with a halter top and three flowy skirts. She put it back on the rack and looked around some more. 

Angela and Jessica both came out of the dressing rooms at the same time, Jessica twirling around and showing off the pink dress. Standing in front of the mirror, she smiled and declared, “Now this one I like. It makes my boobs look good.”

Angela also seemed to like her dress quite a bit but was visibly uncomfortable with the amount of cleavage it was showing was not there. She searched around a bit more while Bella found some long white gloves for Jessica. 

“Have you at least picked out a dress you want to try on?” Angela asked Bella while Jessica gushed over accessories. 

Bella went back to the dark blue dress and pulled it off its rack. Before she could even say anything the two girls pushed her into the dressing room and stood in front of the door. Bella laughed as she listened to her friends joke over playing dress up as girls and how for years it was impossible to get Bella in a skirt. She joked back about how impractical they were but changed into the dress all the same. 

It took her a few minutes to convince the girls she really had changed to let her out but when they opened the door she spun around for them. The dress was an instant hit.

“But you know you can’t wear your jeans underneath it, right?” Jessica said in her most serious tone. 

Angela quipped back, “Just get some dark blue leggings and you can make it work. Shall we find you some flats?”

Another hour in the store and Jessica bought the pink dress, white gloves, a mixture of jewelry and two pairs of shoes since she couldn’t pick which ones she liked more. Angela had found a light pink strapless dress that did much more for her own cleavage, a simple necklace, and some giant dangly earrings. Bella made out with the dark blue dress, some leggings to match, and a pair of basic dark blue flats. 

The group made their way out of the dress store and down the road to grab some dinner. Not a few steps into their trip, Bella was accosted from behind; her arm was snatched and she was pulled around. She was about to punch out when she realized it was Edward, holding her wrist in one hand and a dark blue tie, which matched her newly bought dress to a tee, in the other. 

The teen smiled his crooked smile and said, “You’re going to break your thumb if you punch out like that.”

Bella tipped her head to the side and replied, “I’d break my whole hand trying to punch you in the face!”

He laughed in mock anger, “You were aiming for my face? My beautiful face?” 

“Don’t do it, Bella!” Jessica squeaked out a lot louder than she had meant to and the group laughed. 

“What’s so funny over here?” Jasper called out as he made his way up the street. He held two suits in protective sleeves over his shoulder and a bag that looked to have shoe boxes in it. 

“How’d you get the color so perfectly?” Angela asked Edward while Jessica shyly said hello to Jasper. Bella laughed at Jessica’s girlish reactions, she was like a fangirl meeting her favorite boy band.

“You do know you go to school with them every day, right?” She asked the smaller girl. Jessica merely slapped her arm in response and continued to smile in a manic manner. 

“Alice sent me a picture.” Edward held up his phone to show a picture of a colored pencil drawing. It was Bella’s dress perfectly sketched out. 

“That is truly amazing.” Angela beamed. “You guys all done shopping?”

“Yes ma’am,” Jasper replied. “Can I help carry your items to your car?”

Angela held out her dress and thanked the teen calmly. She had really changed since her crush on Jasper just a few weeks previously. Bella assumed it had to do more with Leah than it did with Jasper or Angela but figured it all worked out in the end regardless. 

“What is Leah going to wear?” Bella asked Angela while Jessica all but dropped her items on top of Jasper. 

The shorter girl spun around and quickly joined in on the gossip. “Is she going to wear a dress or just show up in shorts and a tank?” She teased. The tall Quileute girl had shown up in shorts and tank tops more than once to pick up Angela from school. Angela had a lot of explanations to make to Jessica after the first instance but it had more to do with what the girl was wearing (in the middle of December) rather than why she was there.

“Oh geez, I didn’t even think of that!” The tall girl blushed. “I really hope she has the sense to dress up a little.” Angela immediately pulled out her phone and began texting her girlfriend.

“Will any other wolv… tribesman be attending?” Jasper asked in a low voice. His face had grown stern and his eyes were searching an invisible source. Bella thought he looked to be calculating odds and strategies. 

“How about that big stocky one,” Jessica added in, swooning a little.

“Sam?” Bella laughed. Jessica sure knew how to pick them. The shorter girl merely nodded as she swayed to an invisible song. “Not a chance, but Seth and Jacob will probably accompany her. Although I can’t say if either of them will be dressed any better.” She frowned at the thought of Jacob showing up in a tuxedo t-shirt. 

“That’s acceptable,” Jasper nodded, still off in some other thought. Suddenly he looked up and asked, “Where is your car?”

The group made their way back to the parking area while Jessica asked 21 questions about Seth to see if she knew him (she hadn’t met him but was convinced she had at a bonfire. Bella had to explain more than once that she was confusing him with Jared who always hangs around Sam) and dropped off all their bags. The boys had parked one parking lot over and dropped off their things before rejoining the girls and making their way to Bella Italia. 

The hostess smiled and found them a large table in a back corner. The waitress had to come back twice before everyone was ready to order their meals and soon the table was full of dishes of pasta, a few small salads, and two baskets of breadsticks. Bella ordered a large plate of spaghetti but found about half of it had been eaten by Edward. He had a serious issue of stealing her food. His own plate of Clam Linguine did not appeal so Bella tried to gobble down his own basic salad but he had put far too much balsamic dressing on. So much for evening out the food stealing.

“What do you guys think will be the closing song this year?” Jessica asked the group. She had gotten bored with her own Cesar Salad and was pushing the croutons around on the plate.

“What’s a closing song?” Jasper questioned.

“Have you never been to a dance before?” Jessica gasped. 

Jasper squirmed and looked down at his hands. “I have been to a few.”

Edward smiled broadly and quipped, “He’s actually quite the dancer.”

Jasper smiled at that. “It’s all Alice.”

“You two are absolutely adorable together.” Jessica leaned in, her eyes big like she was watching The Bachelor on TV. “It’s like an epic Disney fairy tale.” Realizing what she had said she coughed quietly. “I mean, well, yeah.”

“You are absolutely right.” Jasper agreed. “It’s like she walked into my life and filled it with magic.”

All the girls giggled causing Edward to roll his eyes but he smiled all the same. Bella turned to him and asked, “Do you ever think you’ll find a love like that?” 

Edward looked down at her with a sad smile. “If I ever meet another Bella.”

She shoved him playfully but didn’t know how to reply. Luckily, Angela came to her rescue. “I used to think that love was all about being saved. Like some daringly handsome boy would come into my life and swoop me up in his arms. There would be music and sunsets and probably cowboys. I really like the period pieces.” She smiled down at her plate then looked up at Edward. “But I have found that love is almost always what you least expect.” The two nodded at one another.

“Well, I’m still holding out for Justin Timberlake.” Jessica mused, finally pushing her salad plate away. “And I bet it’ll be one of his songs that plays last. What’s for dessert?”

An hour later the dessert plates were all pushed away and the bill was tallied up. Angela put in a lot of math skills before she realized Edward had already handed over his card and paid for the whole table. 

She tried to argue but Edward had the perfect excuse, “My father is a doctor, I need to spend money or else we’ll be stolen away on another educational vacation to a tiny village in Africa or something.”

“Does that really happen?” Jessica asked wide-eyed.

“We have been to Africa, yes.” Jasper responded slowly. “But it’s never as agonizing as Edward makes it out to be. We usually stay in very nice rental properties or hotels.”

“There is no way your dad makes that much money, even as a doctor he still works here in Forks.” She laughed a little uncomfortably.

“That’s true but we are old money.” Edward said a little too arrogantly. “We all have trust funds and Esme is amazing at keeping accounts of all the financials.”

“Alice also has a certain talent with the stock market.” Jasper beamed proudly.

Bella scoffed loudly but then tried to cover it up with a cough. “What do you even do with that much money?” She asked shyly. 

Money had always made her uncomfortable. She wasn’t entirely sure why as she wasn’t rich but she definitely wasn’t poor. Phil made good money in baseball and her mother somehow always had a random job as well as selling artsy crap one that she made. She overcharged for the authenticity and made a good living. In Forks, nothing was ever really expensive so Charlie’s solid income as the Chief of Police paid for anything and everything the two needed. Neither was very big on traveling or vacationing and the few camping/fishing trips Charlie dragged Bella along to didn’t exactly cost an arm and a leg. 

Still, the idea of purchasing new, expensive items overwhelmed Bella sometimes. She had flatly refused Charlie bringing her to a car dealership in Seattle and when Billy had given them the Chevy Bella took it graciously but she still didn’t like driving because gas wasn’t worth the cost most of the time. Nothing ever really felt worth the cost. When Rosalie had bought her the new phone she had nearly suffered a panic attack when she noticed the brand. Luckily, Angela talked her down, explaining how the Cullen’s didn’t understand how much things cost. 

“We actually try to use a large amount of it to give to scientific research in the medical field.” Jasper responded calmly. “We invest a lot, of course, and we sometimes go a little… overboard. But our family feels that giving back is the best reward.”

“Overboard.” Edward laughed. 

“Like your cars?” Jessica perked up.

“You haven’t even seen the worst of it!” Edward laughed.

“What do you mean?” Angela looked just as excited as Jessica. “You guys don’t drive crazy expensive cars. I mean, it’s not like you drive a Porsche to school.”

“Not to school, no.” Jasper replied with a twinkle in his eye.

“Oh my god, you can’t honestly say you have a Porsche!” Jessica bounced in her seat.

“No, but Alice can.” The blond boy looked far too amused. Bella wondered if Jessica’s giddiness was rubbing off on him. “And she’s not the worst offender when it comes to cars.” 

“How many cars do you think Rosalie has now?” Edward asked.

Bella’s mouth flew open, her jaw hitting the table, metaphorically. “What? How? Where?”

“It’s hard to say, since she has her own garage.”

“That’s a fair point.”

“What? How? Where?” Bella repeated, still as confused as she had been from the start.

“Well, you know when you come up to our house and the driveway circles around and there’s a garage to your right and the house directly in front?” Bella nodded while listening to Edward describe their house. She had only been there two times but she remembered it well enough. She would have liked to think she would notice a whole other garage. “Okay, so if you go around the right side of the garage, there is another entrance to another garage.”

“It’s not entirely its own building, just a segregated garage within the large garage.” Jasper explained. 

“How many cars does she have in there?” Bella asked.

“That’s another point, it’s not exactly like Rosalie has a million cars. The last time I was in there, I believe there were four, yes four cars. That is two cars, a motorcycle and a truck.”

“What’s so exciting about that?” Jessica asked, clearly bored by the conversation.

“The fact that the cars are a 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra and a 1964 Aston Martin DBZ.” Jasper said calmly.

“The truck is a 1945 Napco Chevy.” Edward nodded, just as calmly.

“And the motorcycle is a Ducati Desmosedici? I honestly don’t know motorcycles that well.” The two nodded at each other, Edward sipping on a drink.

“Isn’t the Aston Martin like Bond’s car?” Angela asked, clearly awed.

Even Jessica was impressed. “I’ve heard that Ducati motorcycles are crazy expensive.”

“What? How?” Bella was still at a loss. Why did Rosalie have so many ridiculously expensive cars? “Why?”

“She loves rebuilding the old pieces of junk.” Edward shrugged. “Anyways, it’s past close and we really should be getting out of here. The waitress wants to get home to see SNL.”

The teens all got up and adorned their jackets. Before leaving the table, Edward dropped down a few hundred dollars. Bella nearly lost her breath but didn’t know what to say.

“Do you want to ride home with us tonight, Bella?” Edward asked once outside the restaurant.

“Yeah sure.” She nodded not really paying attention. “Did you already put my purchases in your car?” Jasper nodded and the three of them said goodnight to Angela and Jessica.

Once they reached the car, Jasper immediately slipped into the back and closed his eyes as if ready for a nap. Bella climbed into the passenger, front seat and turned to Edward as they drove away.

“Why did you leave such a large tip?”

“She’s a single mom working doubles. She could use it more than I could.” Edward shrugged. 

“You’re a really good guy, you know that?”

Edward smiled crookedly. “So is that why I got friendzoned? Good guys finish last?”

Jasper snorted in the backseat.

“We really need to get you laid.” Bella replied nonchalantly.

Jasper choked on a laugh and fell over in the backseat. His laughter was contagious and Bella giggled along but Edward only nodded a smiled. His pride had been hurt.

“Yeah, yeah.” He quipped. “Haha, very funny. Edward can’t get himself a real date.” He rolled his eyes.

Bella shook her head. “I’ve got to get back at you somehow for constantly getting after me about not wanting to date you.”

“Now that’s a lie, Bella.” Edward’s cocky grin had re-appeared making Bella nervous. 

“What do you mean?”

“If it wasn’t for your being so madly in love with Rosalie,” He had said the words so matter-of-factly Bella didn’t even think to deny it. “I would most definitely be in first place on your to-date list.”

“You think I have a to-date list?” Bella asked amused.

“Everyone has a to-date list.” Jasper agreed with Edward. “No matter what your status is, there is a very solid list. Most people have celebrities on it.”

“Well then mine is topped with Devon Sawa.” Bella grinned.

“Devon who?” Jasper asked but Edward had already brought up a picture on his phone and was holding it over his shoulder so Jasper could see. “Oh, yeah, okay.”

“That’s not fair.” Edward stated. “He’s on just about everyone’s list.”

“He wasn’t on mine.” Jasper stated.

“Only because you didn’t know who he was.” Edward laughed. “Jasper can never keep track of celebrities but he can name military greats with ridiculous precision.”

“I remember people that matter.” Jasper shrugged.

“You said ‘wasn’t’” Bella turned to look at Jasper. “Is he on there now?”

Jasper laughed. “He definitely has one of those looks.”

“Right? He’s that hot man on stage but also boy next door good looks. Honestly though, he was more attractive as a kid. Is that weird to say? Like, I wouldn’t date kid him now but kid me definitely would have dated kid him, ya know?”

The two boys laughed and spent the rest of the short car ride home picking on Bella’s kid crushes. By the time Bella was dropped off she was in one of the best moods she’d been in since the incident, the kidnapping. For a quick moment she had even forgotten all about it but once she was alone in her room she was overtaken by a certain amount of fear; she was terrified someone had been in her room, someone was waiting to get her, someone would be through her bedroom door, someone would be holding her throat and biting down…

Her breath quickened, her palms were covered in sweat and she was unable to focus on anything around her. She quickly began spinning, trying to focus on something, anything. She lost control and slipped but landed on her bed. An arm was around her but she tossed and struggled and fought to get her way free. She couldn’t focus, she couldn’t breath, she didn’t know what was happening. 

“Bella, please.” A soft voice was calling out to her. She struggled again, trying to pull away from the soothing tones. It was James, he was here, he had her and he was going to break her, going to change her, going to make her just like him. Bella threw her arms in the air, she tried to scream but her voice wouldn’t come. She began crying, sobbing, her arms grew heavy and she felt the need to give in but she couldn’t. 

A song began to play on the radio. Bella couldn’t remember when she had turned it on but it was there, in her ear; an oldie, a calm soothing melody. No, there was no music,  just a voice. The words were nonsense, something about sugar melting in the rain. No, it was a break up song, or a lost love song. She was singing about losing her love because she didn’t treat him right. Bella felt her breathing become more controlled, she focused on the words and took large breaths. The tears continued to fall and her body shook from the sobs escaping but her brain was starting to work again. 

She looked around her room. Her vision slowly focused on the open door, the dress bag hung over her computer chair, the books messily stacked on the bookshelf. The pictures of her friends and family. 

She felt the cold breeze from the open window behind her and shivered. Hands reached up and rubbed her arms, the voice kept singing softly, calmly, comfortingly. It was coming from behind her. She turned around to see violet eyes filled with concern looking over her, searching for discomfort, for anything broken or hurt. 

“Rosalie.”

The blonde girls eyes snapped up and met Bella’s. The two smiled at one another. Rosalie stopped singing and asked, “Are you okay?”

Bella shrugged. “I don’t know if that’s the right word.”

“It never is.” Rosalie smiled warmly. “And neither is the response, ‘I’m fine’ just incase you were considering that reply.”

Bella nodded. “I’m not fine, clearly.” She shook her head, closed her eyes for a moment. “But I am safe.” She leaned back in Rosalie’s arms and finally stopped crying.

Rosalie brought her arms back around Bella and held her close. “Safe.” She repeated. 

“Bella, I’m going to need you to run to the store tomorrow and pick up some groceries…” Charlie’s voice cut off as he took in the scene. “Uh, that is…” He coughed, turned and walked downstairs.

Bella’s face turned bright red. She pulled out from Rosalie’s embrace and turned to face the older girl. She looked incredibly shocked, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. 

“Why didn’t you tell me he was coming?” Bella asked. 

Rosalie shook her head. “I didn’t notice. I didn’t hear him.” Her face scrunched up with anger at her own loss of concentration. 

Bella laughed, “Alright then, this is going to be fun.” She disappeared downstairs, talked through the list of groceries with Charlie, insisted Rosalie would be leaving soon and said goodnight. She tripped on her way back up the stairs but kept herself from tumbling. “I’m fine!” she called out to no one in particular. 

As she made her way back into her room, she saw Rosalie had moved from the bed to the computer chair and was thumbing through an old copy of Winnie the Pooh. 

“The classics.“ Bella joked. Rosalie smiled and placed the book back on the shelf. 

“I should really be going, before you get in more trouble with Charlie.” Rosalie stood and moved toward the window. 

“Wait.” Bella reached out with her voice as well as her hand. “I just, well, I wanted to know…”

“Yes?” Rosalie turned back and looked at the shorter girl. 

“Why cars?” Bella asked before smacking her forehead with her open palm.

“I’m going to need a little more information before answering that…” Rosalie quipped.

“The boys, they were talking about all the cars you have and how you have another garage and you rebuild old classics. Sorry, the classic book comment I made caused me to think of it. I just, I wanted to know why you rebuild old cars.” Bella looked down dumbly and began wringing her hands together. 

Rosalie nodded. “It’s a bit of a weird reason but it has a little to do with not being allowed to.”

“Huh?”

“When I was young, it wasn’t proper for a girl to be doing, well, anything honestly. I was meant to be merely wedded off. When... you see when I was changed I was given the opportunity to learn something for the first time.”

“So being a vampire made you want to fix cars?”

Rosalie laughed. “No, I was actually very angry when I was first turned. It was several years later, when I finally came to terms with an extended life, that I embraced the time that was given to me, let’s say. I will... I’ll tell you the whole story one day, I’m sure, but for now let me say that I never wanted this.” Rosalie tossed her hair over her shoulders and swayed uncomfortably. 

“Anyways, a few years, maybe a decade about, I decided I needed a hobby so I took on automobile mechanics. I had to learn on my own for the most part since no schools would take me seriously but I would read every book I could find and started tinkering on engines before eventually moving to full body work. As cars became more electronic, I learned the different programs and hardware integrations. I find it all very fascinating and there’s something about a completed project that makes me feel, I don’t know, just happy.”

Bella tipped her head to the side and looked at Rosalie. She was standing with her weight leaned to one side, her hands were moving animatedly and her eyes were smiling. Bella realized that she hadn’t seen Rosalie speak so passionately about anything else in her life. Not with this happy undertone, at least. 

“So it’s completing the project that you love?”

Rosalie nodded, “Yeah, I just really love seeing a basic piece of shit be turned back to its original glory.”

Bella smiled, “You like to fix things.”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“Bring them back to their original state.”

This time Rosalie lifted her eyebrow and frowned. “Is something not getting through?”

Bella laughed, “No sorry, I was just thinking about something Emmett said to me a few days ago. Anyways, don’t worry about it, it’s not important. Are you, are you going to be at the ball next weekend?”

“Wouldn't miss it.” Rosalie replied quietly.

“Save me a dance?”

The two girls smiled, Rosalie nodded, and left out the window before anymore could be said. 

A/N: I was totally going to include the Winter Ball in this chapter but it just worked out better this way. Besides, now this gives me a lot of space to fill for the exciting events about to occur. 

If you’re curious, the song Rosalie was singing is called I Left My Sugar Standing in the Rain by Esther Walker.

Everyone ready for a return of James?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

“It's definitely an intrinsic part of my makeup that makes me want to see black when everyone else is seeing white.” - Shirley Manson 

“Save me a dance?” 

The two girls smiled, Rosalie nodded, and left out the window before any more could be said. 

Bella was always so amazed at the way the small town seemed to enchant the gymnasium with a powerful spell, making the ceiling shine with stars and the walls cascade with an endless night. She hadn’t been to a school dance in ages, which may have added to the appeal, but be that as it may, the soft falling fake snow near the DJ booth definitely added to the Winterland dreamscape. 

“I’ve got to admit,” Edward spoke softly in her ear as the two made their way through the gymnasium to find some seats. “Forks definitely knows how to throw a school dance.”

Bella shivered slightly at the closeness of his breath but paid careful attention not to lean into his embrace. She wasn’t sure if he didn’t realize how flirty he could be or if he just didn’t care. Edward pulled out a chair for Bella and quickly disappeared in search for refreshments. 

Looking around the room, Bella made eye contact with Angela and gave a huge thumbs up. The taller girl was overseeing the voting committee on the prom court requirements. Bella had never understood the want to be on the prom court but many girls (and their tagged along boyfriends) were anxiously waiting to put their names in. 

Bella continued to glance over the room to see Alice and Jasper eloquently taking up a section of the dance floor with some sort of salsa moves. It went interestingly well with the Reggae song bursting out of the large, and very loud, speakers. Over by the drink station was Mike and Tyler looking far too conspicuous and the entrance showed a varied entrance of dresses and suits, if they could all be called that. 

Edward returned with two cups of punch and a small napkin of assorted cookies. 

“Try the almond cookie, they’re amazing.” He said pointing to a small round disk.

Shrugging, Bella popped it into her mouth and smiled. The cookie was soft and had a calm almond flavor that melted away slowly. 

“Who made these?”

“Esme,” Edward said. He had already finished the other cookies and was getting up to grab some more. “She’s an amazing cook. A lot of years of practice.” He grinned before adding, “Good thing we can’t gain weight!” 

Bella tucked that comment away in her list of vampire traits and watched the door carefully. She wouldn’t quite admit it but she knew who she was waiting for. There was a part of her that had been waiting from the moment Edward had picked her up, hoping the blonde would be the one at the door. Next, she was hoping the lilac eyed beauty was waiting in the back of the Volvo. Bella finally gave up on her dream when she realized her disappointment of Rosalie not being at the dinner at the Creekside restaurant out in the Kalaloch Lodge.

She thought back at her night and was grateful Edward could not read her mind, he would have been sorely disappointed and moreover, Bella would have felt awful. The night in retrospect was everything a girl could wish for. He picked her up on time, gave her a beautiful corsage, listened politely to Charlie explaining curfew while cleaning his shotgun, and stood patiently for photos that Charlie had promised to Renee. He brought her to one of the nicer restaurants in Forks, reserved a table inside but with a clear view of the already frozen looking Kalaloch Creek, let her order obscure things on the menu just to try them, and didn’t steal her dessert. 

The drive back from the lodge had been peaceful and complimentary. Edward really was everything a girl could ask for. Bella frowned down into her lap.

“Why is my winter queen frowning?” Edward asked while holding a napkin of cookies underneath Bella’s nose. “I have brought you magical treats to cheer you up!”

Bella smiled but admitted, “I’ve been an absolutely abhorrent date this evening.”

“Eh,” Edward shrugged. “I’ve had worse.” He placed the cookies down on the table and took a seat. 

“You, really?” Bella asked as she stuffed a few cookies into her mouth. Each one tasted better than the next but she tried to slow her pace; unlike the vampire beside her, she could gain weight.

“Oh yes, unfortunately so. And you know the really crappy thing?” Edward asked, honestly curious if Bella wanted to know. She nodded for him to continue. “I don’t really date that much, so when I have a horrible date it sets me back like a decade.”

Bella laughed so hard she snorted. 

“What?” Edward asked incredulously

“Who just goes and stops dating for a decade? You must seriously take things personally.”

Edward frowned, “Well you have to take in mind that when someone says, ‘it’s not you it’s me’ but you can read their mind, you know for darn sure exactly what went wrong and how they blame you.” 

Bella sighed, she hadn’t meant to get him upset. “Right, right, I get ya. So tell me,” She stuffed another cookie in her mouth. “What was one of your worst dates?”

Edward seemed to ponder for a while before describing a scene set in the 40s. The second war had ended and most people were just trying to find their way in life. Edward was attending Cambridge University for a biology degree he later used towards obtaining his first medical Ph.D. He had somehow managed to gloss over the details while still showing off his education. 

Eventually he got to the point of attending a party just off campus where he met a young man by the name of William. They chatted about wine and literature and science before making their way from the party and back to William’s flat. Edward thought everything was going extremely well, they were being flirty and starting to touch a little before William excused himself and went to the loo. While Edward was waiting he examined the large living space, noting what seemed to be a separate office entrance. Curious, he wandered in and was looking over the bookshelves. A lot of the books were in German.

Well, William came back into the living room space to find Edward in the office. He flipped out, started yelling and cursing and pushing Edward to get out of the office. Edward gasped. He had no idea that he was in the presence of a hidden German spy. Of course, he only discovered this because he was listening to William's thoughts, which had switched into German in his rage. 

“He shoved me out of that apartment so fast.” Edward laughed. “I still have no idea what it was that I supposedly saw in the office that made him so angry. I only remember seeing a few travel books.”

“Oh! Was one of them an English version of London?” Bella’s eyes lit up.

“What on earth?” Edward asked confused. “I don’t know.”

“I read a book once where the spy used a travel book with a code system to send and receive messages.” 

“You did?” Edward shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Ok so I didn’t actually read it, Angela did, but she said it was really good and she kept telling me what was happening so I basically read it.”

“Read what?” Leah asked as she sat next to Bella. The tall girl snarled slightly at Edward but barely gave him a second thought. She was wearing a long, straight, shiny black dress. It made her look like a movie star on the red carpet.

“You look amazing.” Bella blurted out not even realizing she had her mouth wide open and had blatantly ignored a question.

“Doesn’t she though?” Angela asked as she draped her arms around her girlfriend and gave her a short hug from behind. Leah swung Angela around and plopped the flustered girl on her lap. It had happened so fast Bella blinked and it was over. 

“What did you read?” Leah asked again.

“Oh, right, yeah, that book Angela,” Bella said, pointing to her friend. “With the spy and the travel book.”

“The Key to Rebecca?”

“Who is that by?” Edward asked Angela, ignoring the soft growl coming from Leah. “If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Oh, that guy that wrote about the church.”

“That is really not helpf…” Bella started to say before being cut off by Edward.

“Ken Follett, of course. I’ll have to check out that book, it sounds good.”

“And why are we spending our dance time sitting at a table and talking about books?” Seth entered himself into the conversation. He looked absolutely dashing in his tailored suit with a golden vest that matched his bright eyes. He had grown to nearly six feet and towered over Bella’s seat. “Care to dance?” He asked Bella as he bowed slightly. 

Bella bashfully took his hand and stood up. He twirled her quickly and lead her out to the dancefloor.

“I feel as though I’ve just been robbed a date,” Edward commented shyly. 

Angela laughed and was about to say something before Edward observed. “You two should really dance, I’ll see if I can go steal some more of the punch and cookies. 

Bella watched as Edward made his way over to the punch table and filled up several cups. He was just balancing five cups in his hands when she was turned around by Seth’s smooth dancing. 

“When did you learn to dance?” She asked the tall boy.

“Mom mostly, but I did practice a lot with Rebecca.”

“Jake’s sister?”

“Yeah, she was in that dance competition a few years ago, remember? The one right before New Year.”

“Oh yeah, wasn’t that for her school in Hawaii?” 

“That’s the one.” Seth dipped the shorter girl and smoothly brought her back up.

Bella’s head whirled slightly by the movement but she was able to ground herself again. “You must have spent a lot of time practicing.”

Seth laughed a deep, guttural laugh. “Only because Jake refused! I got pawned off as the next best choice and let me tell you, she practiced for hours every day!”

“Must have been some prize.”

“Your memory sucks, you know that?” Seth laughed again.

“What are you talking about?”

“That dance competition was where Rebecca met Sol.”

Bella laughed at her own failure. “Oh my god, I remember now. Soloman was the guest judge at the dance competition. Ah geez, I can’t believe I forgot that’s how they met!”

The song ended and Bella and Seth made their way back to the table. Alice and Jasper had joined the group and Edward made his way quickly over to the table to grab more drinks and cookies. Bella sat next to his empty seat and took a large gulp of punch. She really shouldn’t have been surprised that the punch had been spiked. Looking around the group Bella noted that only Angela made a face at the punch but she continued to drink it slowly regardless. Bella shrugged and figured it was a party anyways. She tipped the glass back and finished it off.

“I don’t know how quickly I’d drink these.” Edward commented, adding a fresh cup in front of his date. “By the taste I’d think Mike and Tyler put more than a few shots in.”

“Does alcohol affect you the same way?” Bella asked, already feeling a little uninhibited. She wasn’t really someone to drink a lot at parties and it had been quite a while. 

“Maybe not the exact same way.” Edward took a sip of his drink and leaned in to talk with Bella, the noise of the dance was starting to really pick up. “I think alcohol affects us more like a lot of caffeine can affect you. We get stronger and restless, and sometimes thirsty.”

Bella leaned back and widened her eyes but Edward laughed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you. The thirst would come after several more drinks. I’m no lightweight, love.” 

Feeling a little bit better but still very on edge, Bella quickly drank down her second cup of punch and took Edward’s away. She slowly sipped the third cup as she watched her friends laugh and joke and dance. The only thing missing was a beautiful blonde.

Emmett leaned back in the Jeep driver’s seat and closed his eyes. He listened carefully to the sounds of laughter and crying and singing and bickering that filled the night. It was the true combination of a school dance. He listened to Jessica scolding Mike for not knowing how to ballroom dance like Jasper and Alice. He listened to Lauren and Tyler laugh while Rob was puking in some bushes outside the gymnasium. He listened to Leah sing very quietly along with the rap song playing; he was surprised she seemed to get every word. 

He listened to Rosalie shift ever so slightly as she debated just how to enter the gymnasium. He listened to Rosalie sigh softly as she wondered whether she should just go home. He listened to Rosalie growl when Bella got up to dance with Edward, for the third time. 

“Rosalie.” The blonde jumped in response as Emmett spoke very slowly. “I love you, you know that, but I’m done sitting around and waiting. Bella wants to dance with you, so go dance with her.” 

With that, Emmett sat up, jumped out of the Jeep, adjusted his shirt and tie, and walked straight toward the school. He saw Jake standing outside with black pants and a tuxedo t-shirt. Without even thinking, Emmett raised his hand for a high-five, which Jake responded to automatically and then in a weird haze followed Emmett into the gymnasium to join his friends.

Rosalie growled, tapped her hands on the dashboard, shook her head, and jumped out of the Jeep. She reflexively checked her reflection in the side mirror and walked briskly toward the dance. 

When the blonde entered the decorated gym she barely noticed the amount of people stopping and staring at her. She searched the bodies over and squared in on one brunette being twirled across the dancefloor by a tall, skinny dog. She saw red.

But Rosalie steeled herself, closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. Leah was imprinted on Angela and wouldn’t do anything that would hurt (or feel too good) to Angela’s best friend. She had no reason to experience an outrage at Bella in Leah’s arms. She huffed. She may not have a good reason but she still needed to break the two apart.

Moving swiftly and without touching anyone else in the crowded room, Rosalie made her way to Bella. Standing just behind the short girl, Rosalie reached her arm around Bella’s waist. 

“May I cut in?” She asked as a formality while at the same time quickly twirling the girl around and placing her own body between Bella and Leah. The tall teen merely shrugged and turned back to the table, wolfing down a few cookies that Edward hadn’t yet gobbled up. 

Bella curled her arms around Rosalie and held the taller girl very closely. Rosalie lowered her head and sniffed Bella’s hair. Past the reek of dog there was a very distinct scent. She pulled back quickly.

“Have you been drinking?”

“Only what was in the cups.” Bella replied quickly and uncharacteristically. “You smell just like Rosalie.” 

“How much have you had to drink?” Rosalie asked, feeling quite uncomfortable. 

“How much do you want? I can’t get you a cup.” Bella said before looking up and letting her eyes focus. “Rosalie! Oh my god, you look amazing.” Bella took a few wobbly steps back and looked over the blonde’s statuesque form. She was wearing a deep red gown which plunged down her front. The skirt hugged her legs and barely made it to her knees. 

Bella blinked several times before shaking her head. “Yes, I have had a lot to drink. Can we go get some water?”

Rosalie frowned but nodded. She held her arm out and walked Bella out of the gymnasium and down the hallway towards the restrooms. Bella leaned over the water fountain and drank for several long, awkward moments. 

“That’s much better.” She leaned back towards Rosalie but the blonde seemed to be holding herself just out of reach. They heard a loud sob from the bathroom prompting Bella to ask, “Do you want to walk through the halls for a moment?”

Rosalie nodded and turned down the hall. Bella reached out and held Rosalie’s hand and tried to lean into the taller girl. Rosalie stiffened but didn’t pull away. 

“I’m really glad you came.” Bella said into the growing silence. They could still hear the sounds of the dance echoed through the halls but it seemed to come from a very far off place. Bella pulled Rosalie into an empty classroom and took a seat on top of one of the desks. She pulled the taller girl close to her and smelled the blonde’s neck. 

She carefully pressed her lips against the perfect neck, kissing the delicate skin several times. Rosalie didn’t pull away but didn’t seem to react much either. Instinctively, and with a strange curiosity, Bella delicately caressed Rosalie’s neck with her teeth. For a mere second, Bella thought she heard Rosalie purr, but before she could try again, the older teen pulled back. 

“Why have you been drinking?” Rosalie asked grimly. “Who gave you the drink?”

Bella laughed shortly but tried to hold the sound in, it didn’t feel appropriate in Rosalie’s current mood. “The punch was spiked. It was probably Mike and Tyler, I saw them hanging around there.”

“So you drank it willingly?”

“Well, I mean, not at first. I was just drinking a cup of punch.”

“But you obviously knew…”

“What’s the problem Rosalie? It’s just a little spiked punch, it’s not like I’m taking shots off a bartender in Barbados.”

Rosalie turned a dark eye on Bella. She picked the small teen up, pushed her against the wall roughly, and growled. Her teeth flashed sharp and venomously, her eyes a dark shining red glow in the dim room.  “You shouldn’t be drinking, you’re underaged.” She spat through her rage.

Bella’s eyes grew wide with fear. She had never seen Rosalie look at her like that, which such anger, and about what? A little bit of alcohol? She blinked a few times, her mind slowly trying to work through the muddled drunkness. Had she really had that much to drink? It was only a few cups but they must have been stronger than she realized. What was the big deal though? Was it the way she was acting? Did she come on too strong?

“Is your issue with me or with the alcohol?” She asked slowly.

Rosalie, who must have realized the position she had put Bella in, backed away quickly and gained control of herself. She blinked a few times and shook her head before replying. “I would appreciate it if you took the time to sober up.”

“So it is the alcohol.” Bella whispered to herself. She wondered back on all the small conversations she’d had with Rosalie but couldn’t think of anything the blonde had ever said about drinking. “Do you drink?”

“Of course not.” Rosalie huffed. “I don’t need alcohol.”

“Right, right, because you don’t exactly get drunk or something.”

“Getting drunk has nothing to do with it.” Rosalie shot back. “Alcohol makes fools out of people and turns them into vicious monsters. I already am a monster, I don’t need another horrible trait to add to the list.”

“But wait…” Bella started to argue.

“But nothing, if you want to drink and party and make mistakes than you go right ahead but I will not be a part of it.” 

Rosalie went to leave out the door but Bella, surprising herself more than the blonde, managed to block her exit. “No wait, let’s talk about this. I want to talk about this. I’m okay, look.” Bella shook her whole body out. “I’m sobering up, I’m fine. It’s okay. See?”

Rosalie hesitated slightly but moved back into the room and leaned against the teacher’s desk. “I don’t do well around alcohol. It’s not something I like to talk about but if my date is drunk I just... “ She hesitated for several long moments. “It’s just not a lifestyle choice I’m interested in having around me. So let’s just get that off the table now. If you want to party and drink and get crazy, I’m not interested.”

Bella nodded slowly, the fear from earlier had completely sobered her and now she was thinking clearly. “So what you’re saying is, that you’re interested?”

Rosalie smiled at the coy comment. “One could interpret my words as such.”

Bella moved slowly over to Rosalie and held out her hand. “Can we start with a dance?”

The older teen responded with her own hand and pulled Bella into her. They swayed slowly together looking into each others eyes. Bella realized it was the first time all night that someone was just holding her instead of trying to move her through complicated dance moves. She wanted to say something to show how much she appreciated the simplicity of it but didn’t know what to say.

While the two girls continued to sway to the vague sound of music, Rosalie cleared her throat. “I have been meaning to convey words to express some errors I have made in the recent past.” She spoke after a few moments.

“Oh?” Bella asked amused, “I thought you were just going to move on and pretend the last few months didn’t happen. Still, this might be nice. What exactly are you apologizing for?”

“For not treating you with the proper respect you deserve and for not providing you with an environment in which you can share your opinions instead of being disregarded or put down.”

Bella thought over the words before replying, “So for being an ass and not listening to me?”

Rosalie smiled, “And for underappreciating you, as well.”

“Yeah, I am a lot more awesome than you give me credit for.”

“You have no idea.” The blonde smiled and twirled Bella around before whispering in her ear. “I do believe we’re about to get caught making out in a classroom.” 

“But we’re not…” Bella was cut off by Rosalie’s mouth against hers. The kiss reminded her of their first in the back of her pickup truck. It was sensual and all encompassing but not nearly as demanding. It seemed to ask for more but knew that it wouldn’t get anything at that moment. 

And just as quickly as it started, Rosalie pulled back and coughed. “Looks like we’ve been caught.”

“Excuse me ladies but I must ask you to return to the gymnasium for the dance. These hallways are off limits.” 

Bella looked up to see an average looking man with long dirty blonde hair pulled back. He was wearing a sweater vest and jeans, with sandals on his feet. His voice sounded like smooth caramel and his eyes smiled at her in a taunting way. Bella froze.

“Of course, we’ll be on our way immediately.” Rosalie stood up straight and moved to go out the door. After a beat, she realized Bella was not following her. 

“What are you doing here?” Bella demanded of the man. 

He tilted his head slightly and made a questioning humming noise. His eyes seemed to light up with glee.

“Bella, what are you doing?” Rosalie asked. “We need to get back to the dance.”

“No, Rosalie, don’t go near him.” Bella jumped up and reached out for the blonde but she was several steps away. A part of Bella wanted to be strong and move forward but her feet were glued down. Her throat was rapidly drying. 

Rosalie eyed the man strangely but didn’t react with any fear or distrust. Instead she asked the man who he was.

“Ah yes, my name is James Gigadent. I’m a chaperone for the school dance. My niece is in the class and her father had to leave town for a business arrangement. I was called in last minute.”

“What are you talking about?!” Bella whispered. “How can you just walk the halls here? What is going on?” The teen was starting to shake with fear and confusion. This was James. The vampire that kidnapped her and tried to turn her. Why wasn’t Rosalie understanding who she was talking to? 

Bella fell to the ground but was scooped up by Rosalie quickly and brought out of the room. She heard the two conversing as if everything was normal. As if James really was someone’s uncle and chaperoning the dance. She heard excuses about spiked punch and needing to go home. Nothing made any sense.

Rosalie carried Bella down the hallway and snuck out a side door to the parking lot. She placed Bella in the passenger side of the Jeep and left the door open.

“Wait right here and I’ll go grab the keys from Emmett.” She said before disappearing back into the gym.

Bella wanted to scream. How could she leave her alone? The brunette didn’t even need to turn to know that James was standing beside her.

“I’ve never met anyone like you.” He said softly as he pulled her hair lovingly to his face and sniffed in her scent. “Everyone always forgets. It’s my gift, you see. I’m no one. So plain and simple and undefined that the common person simply forgets I ever existed. It only takes three months and then the hunt begins anew. But you,” He inhaled deeply and leaned into the vehicle. “You’re special, aren’t you?”

Rosalie reappeared to see Bella crying silently in the seat. A strange scent lingered near her and her body was shivering with fear. The tall blonde looked around the empty parking lot to find whomever left her that way but no one was around. 

“Bella, Bella, what’s wrong?”

“I need you to take me to Jake. I need to see Jake.” She got the words out slowly between large sobs.

Rosalie held back her disdain for the dog by clenching her teeth and sucking in some air. “Of course, let me get him.”

“No! Don’t leave me! Don’t leave me! Whatever you do, don’t leave my side!” She screamed out. 

In a blink of the eye the Jeep was surrounded by the whole group of supernatural friends. Jake ignored Rosalie’s disgusted look and crouched down in front of Bella.

“Bells, what’s wrong? What happened? Did she hurt you?” He asked very seriously.

Bella shook her head and tried to speak but the sobs were overpowering her again. Her body was shaking so hard, Jake pulled her into a heavy hug to try and calm her with his body heat. 

“What did you do to her?” He asked Rosalie.

The tall blonde growled but answered quickly, her fear for Bella greatly outweighed her dislike for the guard dog. “I didn’t do anything. I wouldn’t ever do anything to hurt her. It was the chaperone that caught us in the classroom. Ever since she saw him she’s been terrified. I have no idea who he is.”

“What chaperone?” Angela asked, she was huddled under Leah’s arm.

“A James Gigadent?” Rosalie said while Bella whimpered at the name. “Do you know who he is? He said he was the uncle of someone at the dance.”

“I don’t recognize the name, no.” Angela shook her head. “We only have two outside chaperones tonight, Austin’s mom and Jessica’s mom. Everyone else is a teacher or staff member.”

Rosalie turned to Emmett, “Can you find out who he is? Find his scent and see where he went?”

“On it!” The bulky teen immediately took off.

“She’s more than just afraid of this man.” Jasper noted quietly. “She has a deep rooted fear of him.”

“Does he have anything to do with Bella missing school?” Leah asked with a severe look on her face, she seemed to be trying to remember something that was just out of grasp. 

“No, that was because she broke her leg.” Edward commented but he was also in deep thought. 

“So then why were you always at her house?” Angela questioned. 

The group stood around with baffled looks on their faces. Emmett appeared with a grim look on his face. 

“He’s a vampire, that’s for sure, but I have no idea what he’s doing here in Forks. He doesn’t seem to have a home or basic dwelling here so it’s a pretty good bet he’s just hunting.”

Bella cried out in fear, a jumble of mumbled words burst from her lips. Jake pulled back and Rosalie quickly jumped into the Jeep to rearrange Bella so she was being held in her arms. 

“It’s okay sweetheart. You’re safe, you’re surrounded by those that will protect you.” Rosalie continued to whisper soft, encouraging words in Bella’s ear until the smaller girl finally started to form words.

“He’s the one. He took me. He’s why you’re always around. He’s why you guard my house.” She just kept repeating the words hoping someone would understand.

“I’m sorry but that doesn’t make a lot of sense.” Jake said sadly. “So this guy is someone that apparently, what? Did he kidnapped Bella but none of us remember? That seems really crazy.”

“It’s a bit far fetched.” Jasper said slowly and sadly. 

Alice frowned deeply wishing desperately that she could understand. Seth and Leah just shook their heads and slouched their shoulders. This was the sort of crazy they waited for the alpha to figure out. 

Rosalie growled, “I don’t care if it doesn’t make sense. If Bella said that’s what happened, that’s what happened. Look at her! She’s not lying about this.”

Edward frowned, “There isn’t a single memory coming out in anyone’s thoughts. He didn’t exist before tonight.”

Suddenly, Bella reached her arm out and grabbed Edward’s wrist. His face grew with shock as his mind was flooded with images and thoughts and explanations. He almost fell back with the onslaught of everything that had happened to Bella in exactly the way she remembered it. The vampire appearing at school, the slow hunt, the confusion at the reservation, the attack, the rescue. And finally he was overcome by the fear she was experiencing by being so incredibly alone in her memories while everyone stood around discussing the practicality of it all.

Edward looked at Bella and nodded. He then looked at Rosalie. “She’s telling the truth. All of that happened but James somehow erased it from our memories. He’s, to put it simply, unmemorable. That’s his gift, his ability.”

“What the shit?” Emmett burst out in half humor, half fear. 

“We need to take her to Carlisle.” Edward told Rosalie. 

She nodded and silently asked Emmett to drive. The group followed quickly behind as they made their way to the large mansion in the woods. They needed a game plan and they needed to be on the offense this time. 

A/N: So I know if feels like a million years since I last updated this story but I have been doing a lot of work on it. If you had the time (and the interest) you may have noticed that I updated the previous chapters. I went through and fixed the discrepancies (like Bella having a truck) that I had messed up over the years I’ve been working on this. I also softened up Rosalie just a smidge. The story line has stayed exactly the same and no major changes or additions were made.

Now, how do we feel about James’ gift? What changes to gifts/abilities would you have most wanted to see in the original Twilight characters?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: T

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

“The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.” - Winston Churchill 

“We need to take her to Carlisle.” Edward told Rosalie. 

She nodded and silently asked Emmett to drive. The group followed quickly behind as they made their way to the large mansion in the woods. They needed a game plan and they needed to be on the offense this time. 

“If we just run off after a scent and attack now we won’t know what we’re up against!”

“We can’t just sit around long enough for us all to forget again!”

“The real threat is in Seattle. What happens if things go awry over there and you’re too busy chasing after just one vampire?”

“If we ignore Seattle then the Volturi will handle it.”

“The last thing we need is the Volturi making a surprise visit!”

“We have no idea what his endgame is; what is his overall goal?”

“What are you talking about? James is going after Bella! What more do you need to know?!”

The shouting overtook the individual arguments and the room was filled once again with different complaints and justifications. Rosalie watched stoically as Emmett, Jake, Leah, Edward, Jasper, Alice, Seth and a few others shouted at one another about what to do next. The noise was becoming quite obnoxious. 

Regardless of the building emotions, the leaders of the groups stood patiently to the side. Sam stood with his broad shoulders tight and his arms crossed over his large muscled chest. His face looked angry yet still. Rosalie wasn’t sure if the beast-man could show any other emotions but constipation. Charlie, on the other hand, held his anger in his eyes. His lips created a straight line and his shoulders held no tension but his eyes almost appeared to hold the red anger that showed in an attacking vampire. He held himself with a large amount of due respect that Rosalie had never noticed in the police chief before tonight. Carlisle was still, as still as the dead. His eyes were watching some other scene and his mind was in another time. Carlisle would remain in his other place until the noise completely subsided. 

The tall blonde adjusted her grip around Bella as the small girl whimpered in response to the use of the abhorrent vampire’s name. Rosalie wondered if it had been this way for the last few months and she had just failed to notice or if this fear came from the belief that Bella was all alone even surrounded by so many. She also wondered when she had come to care so greatly for one measly human. 

It was true what Edward had said to her before, he would have made a much better boyfriend to Bella. He was caring and intuitive and trustworthy. He was also brash and easily excitable (both with happiness and with anger) but he was the perfect gentleman. Rosalie remembered briefly what it was like the first few years living with him. Carlisle had such ridiculous fantasies of playing matchmaker but he didn’t completely understand what Rosalie had gone through the night he saved her, if save could even be the proper word. He had meant well and Rosalie couldn’t fault the man for that but if he had truly understood… She shook her head, the thought already falling away. 

The first few years with Edward had been the most difficult. Rosalie was angry, angrier than a normal newborn. Her eyes raged red for half a year while she completed her mission and finally got her revenge on Royce. The satisfaction hadn’t been there. She felt empty and absolute and strong. She had no idea what to do with this newfound vampire strength and hunger. She had lasted too long without consuming enough blood and now she was ravaged with a need to satisfy her vampire self. 

She took to the streets of Nashville and consumed those that sought the nightlife. It was a time of economic struggle and a large percentage of the people in Tennessee were without jobs and without food. People spent their nights looking for more from life, looking for a way to stop feeling. Rosalie would swoop in and whisper in the ears of those lost in their consumption of anything that made them feel less scared, less alone. 

There was a small part of Rosalie that told herself she was doing a good thing. For a small amount of time, she was able to give these starving people a feeling they could experience nowhere else in the world. When she bit into them a certain level of ecstasy took over their bodies, their eyes rolled back into their heads, and they got lost in the high. Too many of them begged her not to stop as they felt their lives pull away from their bodies. She never could agree.

Edward would follow her around to the bars and the house parties and the concerts and he would watch from a distance. Always judging. He said things like he knew what she was going through and there was no satisfaction from controlling others. He didn’t understand. He said things like he would be there when she needed him and she could always depend on him no matter what. He didn’t understand. He said things like he would never fault her for the mistakes she made in this new life because he had made them too and he would be there always for her. He didn’t understand. 

It wasn’t until Rosalie came across a large boy in a losing battle against a grizzly bear that she had stopped and thought about her past life and what she had truly become. She was traveling through the country trying to get away from the persistent badgering and cajoling of Edward. She had had a particularly trying time at a loud music concert and needed to get away from the noise and the blood in the city. She was still overwhelmed by the need to consume so much blood. 

Emmett was being tossed left and right as the bear attempted to rip apart his body. Rosalie still remembered so clearly how the brown tight curls on Emmett’s head seemed to stand out despite the grotesque amount of blood. 

Rosalie had jumped on the bear, causing it to roar in outrage and drop Emmett’s defenseless body to the ground. She had wrapped her arms around the bear’s neck making a clean fast break, and then drank the blood until the animal was left with barely a drop in it’s lifeless corpse. Looking down at Emmett’s still form, Rosalie ran her fingers through the curls on his head only to hear him moan. 

Realizing the boy was still alive, Rosalie scooped up his massive body and ran faster than she had ever run before. Carlisle was over a hundred miles from Gatlinburg where Rosalie had found and saved Emmett but the distance felt like a thousand more with the nauseating stench of fresh blood. Rosalie had to constantly adjust her attention away from the burden she was carrying and to focus on the way ahead of her. She had to change her route multiple times due to humans being in the way. She was lucky that her mind was working well enough to recognize the need for secrecy as her comparatively petit form continued to move at outrageous speeds carrying three times her weight in muscle. 

When she finally arrived at Carlisle’s door and dropped the dying boy on the kitchen table, she feared she was too late. Carlisle immediately got to work, not even asking what had happened or who the boy was. The mind of a doctor in a state of emergency was only to heal the broken. He would, of course, ask many questions later but at that moment the only question he asked was what Rosalie wanted him to do.

“I can’t save him.” Carlisle had said softly. “He’s lost too much blood.”

“What are you saying? Of course you can save him, you have to save him.” Rosalie implored. She was begging for this boy’s life without even understanding why. Who was this boy to her?

Carlisle looked her straight in the eye and dared to ask, “Are you telling me to change him?”

Rosalie pleaded for Carlisle to save the boy with the thick curly hair. 

“Rosalie, I need you to say the words. I need to know what you’re asking me to do.”

Again, Rosalie pleaded that she needed the boy to live.

“Say it, Rosalie. Say the words.”

Finally, words scratching through her throat, tears pouring down her cheeks, Rosalie nodded her head and demanded the boy to be changed.

It was the silence that brought Rosalie back to the present time. The group had disbursed, the wolves had left, and only Carlisle, Esme and Charlie remained in the room.

“Have we made a decision?” Rosalie asked quietly, so softly Bella wouldn’t have been able to hear. She looked down to see the small girl curled up with her hands so tightly grasped on Rosalie’s shirt that her knuckles remained white despite her sleeping form. 

Charlie shoved a hand through his hair, messing with the dark locks. “We’ve made an arrangement for now but not all of us are exactly excited with the concept.”

Rosalie looked over at Carlisle with a look that asked for more explanation.

“We have asked the Denali’s to come and help us. We are going to lead the vampire’s from Seattle out into the Olympic park and fight them in the mountains.” Here he paused and made a slight movement as if wishing to look over at Esme. “We are trying to lead James out into the open to take advantage of the fight.”

“Do we think he has anything to do with the newborns?” Rosalie asked not understanding the plan at all.

“Remember those two other vampires that were running around the Res? That night…” Charlie's voice faltered. He was desperately trying to remember but having difficulty. “That night Bella was taken.”

“I do, yes.” Rosalie said, trying to find her way through the fog around the memory. “There was a female and a male and they were... playing?”

“Yes.” Carlisle agreed. “That’s what Jacob and Seth had said that night. Sam agrees now, as well.”

“What about them?”

Carlisle continued, “We believe they are part of James’ coven and that they are the ones building the newborn army.”

Rosalie nodded slowly. “If they are working with James then the newborn’s must be another diversion to confuse us. You wish to use this diversion against them by causing them to fight on our terms.”

“That’s the way it sounds.” Charlie huffed. “I don’t like the idea of any type of battle happening near here but I’d rather be in control and on the alert if it must be so.”

“And James? How are we predicting he will react? What did Alice think?”

Carlisle frowned at Rosalie’s question. “Alice is having a lot of trouble seeing the outcome of these events. We are unsure if it is Bella’s doing or a defense mechanism in the Quileute wolves. It is making the entire decision making process that much more difficult.”

“And if we don’t include the wolves?” Rosalie asked with a large level of discontent in her voice.

“Without the tribe, she most certainly believes it will be a suicide mission.” Charlie stated matter-of-factly. “And I am one to agree. You are a large coven and the Denali’s add numbers, but newborns are a class all their own. And if we are anywhere close to guessing the numbers they have come up with…” Charlie let his voice wonder off.

The sheriff rubbed his face, tiredness creeped into his eyes and he looked down at his sleeping daughter. “Can I trust her in your care?”

Carlisle answered without hesitation that Bella would be well cared for and able to rest but Charlie continued to watch Rosalie. The blonde nodded slowly and looked down once again at the sleeping form.

“I will keep her safe.” Rosalie said softly. “From all possible harm.” She looked back at Charlie and he nodded calmly.

Turning to bid his farewells to the doctor and his wife, Charlie made his way swiftly out the door and to his cruiser. Jasper followed the sheriff home simply to ensure his safe arrival and nodded to the two wolves who patrolled the house before he returned home.

Rosalie lifted Bella into a cradle in her arms and carried her upstairs. She laid the sleeping girl softly on her bed and turned to the closet to change her clothes.

“Don’t leave me.” Bella whispered, eyes wide open and staring at the tall blonde.

“I’m not leaving.” Rosalie replied, immediately returning to Bella’s side. “I was going to change for bed but I’m fine with what I’m wearing.”

Bella looked at the blonde wearing her tight red dress and high heels. She looked down at her dress and leggings and wondered how the dance could have only been a few hours earlier. 

“Do you have any sweats I could borrow?”

“I don’t think my sweatpants would be the right length…” Rosalie replied softly, a small smile on her lips.

“Oh.” Bella blushed. “Maybe Alice?”

“Let me ask.” Rosalie said getting up. “I’m just going to open the door and call down the hallway.”

“Don’t you guys have super hearing?” Bella quipped.

Rosalie rolled her eyes. “That’s why Esme has the entire house soundproofed. Do you have any idea the troubles we would have if we had to hear everything going on in every room all the time?”

The blonde walked over and opened her door. Standing on the other side was the small pixie with a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.

“I wasn’t absolutely certain like I usually am but I had a pretty good hypothesis to work with.” Alice commented before dashing away. “Don’t stay up too late!”

Sighing heavily, Rosalie turned with the clothes in hand and huffed. “These will probably fit. If you want to change here, I can go in the closet and change? Or you could use the bathroom or I could leave and you could change or…”

Bella cut off the babbling vampire, “I’ll change here and you can change in the closet, that’s fine. I mean, normally I would just change because we’re both girls and all but…”

“I’ll go change in the closet.” Rosalie replied finitely. 

The blonde stepped into the closet and inhaled deeply, taking large calming breaths. What was getting into her? Was this what a panic attack feels like? She shook her head knowing better. She was just nervous. Ok, but nervous of what? Bella? It’s not like this is the first time the small girl had slept in her bed. Sure she was practically comatose the last time but was this really any different? It was though, it felt very different. Rosalie turned to look through the closet door and saw Bella pulling her dress over her head, her small body was pale and curvy and Rosalie immediately turned back. She hadn’t meant to look, not really. She closed her eyes and inhaled again but all she could see was the soft, smooth skin.

Growling in frustration Rosalie tore her dress off and threw it to the floor. She kicked her shoes away and stomped across the large closet looking for something appropriate to put on.

“Which way is the bathroom, Rose? I just want to… Oh, oh! I’m sorry! I thought you were done.” Bella started babbling as she turned back out of the closet. 

Rosalie jumped straight up and stared at the space previously occupied by the other teen. Did she seriously just walk in here and see her in her underwear? Rosalie slapped her face and growled again. At least they were technically even now? 

Grabbing a pair of pajama pants and a tank top, Rosalie rushed the clothes on and moved back to her room. Bella was sitting on the bed wrapping her hands around her wrists and squirming uncomfortably while staring at the floor. When she noticed Rosalie walk in she looked up and then immediately away.

“I’m really sorry.” Bella said, her face covered in a deep red blush. “I was just wondering if I could brush my teeth?”

Rosalie wasn’t sure if she was mad or flattered by Bella’s inability to look her in the eye. She shrugged it off and moved to the bedroom door. She gestured Bella to follow and walked down the hallway until they reached a bathroom door.

“I share this one with Emmett. There are extra toiletries up in that cupboard, so help yourself. If you want to take a shower or wash the makeup off your face you can use whatever you find, everything is in there.” Rosalie hesitated for a moment. “Do you want me to stay here?”

Bella managed a slightly deeper blush and mumbled out. “I’m ok for a moment but can you stay here near the door?”

Rosalie nodded. “This room here is Emmett’s. I’ll be in there with the door open so you can walk right in or call out to me, okay? Just remember, you have to open the door so I can hear you clearly.”

“Got it.” Bella nodded. “I’m sorry for earlier.”

“What do you mean?”

“For being so needy, I guess. I just, I’ve never felt so scared and so useless. Having you near…” Bella shrugged and looked at her hands, playing with her nails as she spoke. “You make me feel safe even with… Him out there.”

Rosalie moved forward and took one of Bella’s hands in her own. “You never need to apologize for showing how you feel.” She said looking the shorter girl in the eye. “I will always try to listen with an open heart, okay?”

Bella nodded and pulled away slowly. Rosalie stepped back as the bathroom door was closed and turned to knock on Emmett’s door. The burly teen was playing a video game and barely yelled a ‘come in’ loud enough through the door. Rosalie walked in and sat down on the floor next to her best friend watching him play some ridiculously violent game while yelling and cursing at the screen.

After a few minutes, Emmett tossed down his controlled and turned to Rosalie. “So, how’s the sleepover going?” He asked while pumping his eyebrows up and down suggestively. 

Rosalie elbowed him in the ribs and rolled her eyes.

“Okay, okay, but seriously, you totally want to hit that.”

This time Rosalie picked up Emmett’s controller and threatened to toss it out the window. The burly teen pretended to be invested for a moment before grabbing another controller out from under the bed and starting up a movie on his gaming console. He leaned back against his bed and turned his attention back to Rosalie. 

“Seriously though, do you love her?”

Rosalie was taken aback by the question. “Love her? I barely know her!”

“So? You loved me.”

“I tolerated you.” Rosalie growled.

Emmett smiled back completely immune to Rosalie’s harsh words. “You loved me the second you saved me.”

“You were being mauled by a bear and I barely saved you.”

“Nah, nah, that’s not what I’m talking about.” Emmett shook his head but continued when Rosalie merely raised an eyebrow in question. “I mean when you told Carlisle to change me; when you decided to save me.”

“But we didn’t get together for years later.”

“Relationships and love don’t always line up.” Emmett shrugged and turned back to his movie. Some large alien looking thing seemed to be destroying a city and Rosalie wondered if he had started somewhere in the middle of a movie or if the story just started with everyone dying.

Rosalie thought about her relationship with Emmett and how she felt when she did ask Carlisle to change him. Had she only seen him as a memory of her friend’s first child? Or had she seen more and knew what they would one day become? Was she searching for love during that time of such destruction? Was she just mad at Edward for not loving her the way a man should? Was she really so shallow back then?

She turned back to Emmett and looked over his soft features and bear like demeanor. Their relationship had been so tumultuous and difficult. Even now she wondered how he had managed to put up with her for so many years.

When Emmett and her finally started dating the entire family was relieved. Well, everyone but Jasper who had never experienced mood swings like the ones Rosalie was going through during the first year. She was trying desperately to relax and enjoy the time Emmett spent with her but every time they’d start to become intimate she would burst out with fear and anxiety. Emmett dealt with it so tenderly. Jasper left the country.

Kissing was easy and simple. Making out was a bit harder. Emmett was handsy and would sometimes slide his hand under her shirt without realizing it. With just a small, simple touch on her back, Rosalie would explode and throw him across the room. He would get up slowly, readjust himself, clean off any wall debris and wait. She would scream and yell and curse at him, and he would wait. She would break things and toss things around, and he would wait. When finally she calmed down (which on a few occasions took more than a day), Emmett would open his arms and hold her. And then he would wait.

Rosalie was always the one to initiate intimacy. She would turn into him, hold him, rub her fingers through his hair. He would lean in to kiss her but always stay just out of reach so she could make the final decision. He was beyond caring and emotionally understanding. When they finally did make love he cried but not for his own joy; he was overwhelmed with emotions that she finally trusted him enough to be with him on such an intimate level. 

“You’re the only one I’ve ever slept with.” Rosalie commented quietly, non committedly watching the movie. 

Emmett nodded his head slowly, also staring at the TV in front of them. “I figured.”

“Edward doesn’t think so.” Rosalie added. “I’m pretty sure the whole household thinks I’m a bit of an easy tease.”

Emmett smiled but only barely. “They think you’re a little loose floozy but not like that.”

Rosalie slapped his shoulder playfully. “I am not a floozy.”

“No one really thinks you sleep around, not even Edward.” Emmett commented softly. “It’s more that they’re concerned you lead people on.”

“I’ve never left someone unhappy.” Rosalie quipped but there was a bit of sadness in her words. “I just never felt comfortable with anyone to go that far. It’s easier to play around a bit.”

“I’m not judging.” 

“I know you’re not but I still wanted you to understand.”

“Your family...” Emmett looked up at Rosalie this time. “Knows you better than you think.” Rosalie smiled softly at the words but frowned when Emmett added, “It’s easier to let someone love you without loving them in return. It’s much harder to open yourself to love.”

They watched the movie quietly for a few minutes when there was a soft knock at the open door. Rosalie looked up to see Bella, standing in sweatpants, a bit of toothpaste on the t-shirt. She was smiling shyly.

“How are you feeling Bella-bear?” Emmett asked with a huge grin.

“I’m okay.” Bella replied bashfully. “I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused and for… well, for shutting down earlier.” She looked down at her hands again. “I shouldn’t have let... Him affect me that much.”

“No worries.” Emmett shrugged looking back at the TV like nothing life changing was happening around them. “We’re watching War of the Worlds, wanna join?”

Bella tilted her head to the side and clucked her tongue. “Tempting but no, not really.”

Rosalie stood up and walked over to Bella. “I just need to clean up and brush my own teeth. I’ll be less than two minutes, ok?” She walked into the bathroom and as quickly as she could, washed the makeup from her face and brushed her teeth. She checked her reflection in the mirror and saw a beautiful blonde model staring back at her, sometimes she hated how beautiful the world made her seem. Closing her eyes tightly she once again thought of Bella’s soft, pale skin and barked out a short laugh. It was going to be a very long night.

When she walked back into Emmett’s room the two were playing a video game together, yelling and laughing. Rosalie was hit with a small amount of jealousy but just as she had reacted with Leah, she couldn’t see any real threat from Emmett. Bella looked up and immediately put her controller down, saying good night to Emmett. He waved a quick good night but didn’t even look away from the screen.

“He’s a really nice guy.” Bella commented on their way back down the hallway. “He seems to have a way to make you laugh regardless of life around you.”

Rosalie nodded, “That boy could make Mousollini believe in Santa Claus.”

Bella laughed and followed Rosalie into the bedroom. The blonde let Bella pass and closed her door quietly. She looked up to see the shorter girl staring at the bed.

“Do you want me to sleep on the couch?” 

Bella looked over at the short lounge type seating and furrowed her brow. “That does not look like a comfortable place to sleep.”

“I wanted to make sure you were comfortable.” Rosalie commented softly.

Bella turned and smiled at the blonde. “Laying in your arms sounds like the most comfortable possible place.”

Rosalie blushed slightly but moved forward. “Which side do you prefer?”

The shorter girl shrugged and climbed in on the left. “Never really had to think about it before. Do you have a preference?”

Moving to the right side and climbing in, Rosalie quipped, “I’m pretty flexible.”

Bella visibly gulped but didn’t reply.

Turning off the light, Rosalie tucked herself down in the covers and moved across the large bed towards Bella. When they touched, she felt her hands light up with an electric shock and she felt the urge to pull away. Bella, on the other hand, moved closer and wrapped her arms around the older girl. Rosalie felt her body being pushed back slightly and Bella cozied on up so Rosalie was on her back and Bella was draped over her. For a small moment, the blonde wasn’t sure if she was being held hostage or being used as a pillow. Bella passed out with barely a whispered good night.

The night dragged on for a very long time. It had been nearly 1 AM when the girls had gotten into bed and the hour now slowly moved into 3 AM. Rosalie lay staring at her ceiling and wondering how on earth she was keeping her breath calm. Bella had passed out quite quickly but squirmed slightly in her sleep. Her hand often brushed delicately over Rosalie’s chest and her breathing was now distinctly caressing the blonde’s neck and ear. The older girl could not remember being so uncomfortably turned on in all her life. 

Then Bella’s breath changed; it quickened in pace and her body began to shake. Rosalie shifted her body slightly and held the smaller girl tighter around her waist. She tried whispering reassuring things in Bella’s ear and even humming a little but Bella’s body rocked and her breathing turned into small, uncontrolled screams. Her body shook practically in a seizure and her screams continued in their erratically raucous way. 

Just as Rosalie was about to give in and call for help, Bella’s eyes opened wide and she sat up quickly knocking Rosalie half way out the bed. 

Rosalie pulled herself back up just in time to see Bella twist in the blankets and sheets as if she was searching for a ghost. The girl looked so small and delicate that Rosalie thought she might be a porcelain doll. A part of her was afraid to reach out and touch her but Bella’s arms extended towards the blonde. 

“It was a dream, it was a dream, I’m sorry, it was just a dream.” Bella chanted a few times as she pulled Rosalie into a hug. “I can’t control it, I have no control. I can’t stop it from happening.”

“Shh,” Rosalie tried to console the other girl. She thought back at her night terrors after Royce and his buddies attacked her. She wondered for one terrifying moment. “Did James… Did he do anything to you?”

Bella’s head was still turning back and forth staring into the dark corners. “No, no, he was going to change me but he didn’t have time.” Bella’s words fell out like a tipped glass of water. “He actually gave me tea and we talked.” The small girl looked at Rosalie. “If I stop to think about it, he himself isn’t really all that terrifying.”

Rosalie tilted her head and looked at Bella. “I’m sorry, what?”

Bella laughed uncomfortably. “It’s so strange, I can’t understand it myself. He has this power, this ability. It’s almost like he owns me, like he sees me as a pet. It’s that part of him that I fear. It’s the part of me that believes he can tell me to do something and I will.” 

“What did he tell you to do?”

“In the dream, he told me to attack my friends and my neighbors. He had me… torture them. And the strangest thing is that a part of them enjoyed it. Like I was able to manipulate them into thinking I was everything they wanted. And then we would leave and wait for them to forget, and then we would go back and do it all over again. It was how he told me what to do and I would do it that terrified me. I didn’t think for myself anymore, I thought only for what he wanted, for what he asked of me.”

Bella pulled back from Rosalie’s embrace and looked deeply into her eyes. “I don’t want to be controlled like that.”

“And you shouldn’t have to be. I would never let him control you like that.”

“I don’t want to think about it anymore. I just, I don’t want to think.” Bella said laying down on her back. She looked up at Rosalie and added, “Help me not think about it anymore.”

It was a question but it was stated as an idea, a fact. Rosalie sat motionless, watching Bella’s large, innocent eyes look up at her. The small girl seemed to squirm under Rosalie’s watch but as the older girl waited, Bella moved her arms around her waist and lifted her shirt over her head. She dropped the shirt on the floor next to the bed and rested one hand on her stomach, the other one she placed just next to her left ear. Rosalie released a moan as she looked down at the way Bella presented herself. 

Bella waited and waited. Rosalie looked over the small girl’s pale skin and watched Bella bite her lower lip. Finally, Rosalie hovered over Bella and silently asked if she was sure. Bella smiled and leaned up into Rosalie, kissing her emphatically. She took the blonde’s lower lip into her mouth and bit down sharply, causing the older girl to moan with pleasure; the bite had barely felt like a sting against her tough skin. 

Rosalie leaned down on top of Bella and started nipping and sucking at her neck. The two tousled one another’s hair and left red marks down each other’s necks and collar bones. Rosalie searched around Bella’s stomach with her tongue and caressed her back while Bella dragged her fingernails down Rosalie’s sides. 

Suddenly, Rosalie pulled back. She sat up straight, straddling Bella’s waist, and slowly inched her hand up Bella’s stomach. For her part, the younger girl controlled her breathing and watched Rosalie’s face calmly. When Rosalie’s hand finally reached Bella’s bra, the brunette reached her own hand up and pulled at Rosalie’s tank top. She confidently tucked her hand under the thin fabric and pulled Rosalie down by her waistline, allowing her hand to slide up the tall girl’s side as she leaned down over her.

When Rosalie was close enough to kiss, Bella reached her hand up under Rosalie’s bra, delicately grasping at the soft skin. She pushed the bra up and began massaging the older girl’s breast while barely touching her lips with her own.

Rosalie’s mind was gone. It had been ages since anyone had touched her the way Bella was. Rosalie preferred to be in control, to always be on top, to always be the one touching. She wasn’t even sure how this had happened. Was it a conscious choice to allow Bella to touch her? Or was it just a comfortable familiarity? She moaned and pressed her lips hard against Bella. A part of her wished for Bella’s hands to be all over her body.

“Touch me.” Bella said softly.

Rosalie didn’t need another invitation and immediately unhooked Bella’s bra from the back. She leaned over Bella and kissed her way down the younger girl’s neck and chest before taking a nipple into her mouth. She massaged her way over to the other breast and moaned as Bella twisted Rosalie’s nipple in her hand at the same time Rosalie bit down on her own. The two were being a little rough and Rosalie was liking it far too much. 

The tall girl leaned back and rubbed herself against Bella’s waist a few times before breathing out, “I need to stop.” She swayed a few more times before repeating herself. “I’m sorry, I need to stop; we need to stop.”

Bella smiled up at the blonde, “I think you may be right.”

Gaining control of herself, Rosalie slid her body off Bella and pulled her bra back down. She adjusted her tank top and tied her hair up. While Bella put her bra back on and found her shirt on the floor, Rosalie laid on her back and tried to clear her head. Once Bella was dressed, the younger girl leaned down and snuggled up against Rosalie in the same position she had originally fallen asleep.

“How come you’re different?” Bella asked after a few moments of quietly listening to Rosalie’s breathing relax.

“What do you mean?”

“How come no one is controlling you? How come you don’t do what whoever made you says? Who made you like this, who changed you?”

Rosalie’s brow furrowed and she leaned her head up looking at the ceiling. “Carlisle changed me.”

“How come Carlisle doesn’t control you?”

“He’s never asked anything of me.” Rosalie looked down at her hands. “He apologize when I told him I never wanted this life.”

“Why didn’t you want this life?”

“It forced me to remember what I had lost and what had happened to me. I got revenge because of it, but it’s true that revenge never turns out the way you like.”

“Revenge? Did Carlisle do something to you?”

“No, no.” Rosalie sighed heavily. “I was attacked, by my fiance and his drunk friends.”

“Oh.” Bella said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.” Rosalie’s body had grown tight but it had been a long time ago. She was okay now, as okay as she’ll ever be. “Carlisle found me, left in an alley, and he changed me in the hope that I would be a match for Edward.”

“I bet he was surprised when you met me!” Bella laughed sharply. 

Rosalie noticed that Bella was trying to be calm but she was obviously furious. It seemed she was angry on Rosalie’s behalf; something she would have to ponder over when alone.

Smiling, Rosalie commented, “The day I met you, at the library, I went home and told Esme that the most obnoxious little human with brunette hair and golden brown eyes dared to talk down to me. I went into great detail about how you looked, the way you moved your hands, how your voice sounded; apparently it was obvious how enthralled I was from the start.”

“Apparently.” Bella mused.

“While I was going on and on about how ridiculous you were, Carlisle came home and asked Esme how her day was. He also asked me who I was talking about.” Rosalie gently caressed Bella’s hair as she continued. “Esme’s response to both questions was that she was having the best day in years because I had found a potential mate.”

Bella snorted. “Mother’s, they always seem to know something is up before we do.”

“Yours too?”

“You would not believe how many emails I got containing 21 questions all about the mysterious Rosalie after I happened to mention you once or twice to my mother.”

The two girls laughed together as Rosalie slowly allowed her eyes to droop.

“You were right.” The blonde said softly, barely staying awake. 

“What was I right about?” Bella said, her voice heavy with sleep.

“With you is by far the most comfortable place to sleep possible.” Rosalie said as she drifted off into sleep.

The next morning, the two teens were awoken by a knock on the door and a loud comment that the Denali’s had finally arrived.

A/N: And that is the point of view of Rosalie at this time. I hope you guys enjoyed seeing what’s going on in the beautiful blonde’s head, I know I enjoyed writing it. The Denali’s are finally here, the newborns are going to be introduced, and we have a lot of action coming in the next chapter. Hopefully the girls will survive! Muah ah ah ah ah!

Reviews:

[VSRising] How many guesses do you have for the next chapter?

[thestormborn] I really like giving more thought into Rosalie and her reactions to something like alcohol and in this chapter her reactions to sex. I feel like there is a lot that she is still afraid of. James will be making another appearance, but do you think they will be able to defeat him this time?

[Stoics_Dream] Let me know if I’m still being confusing or keeping too many things as surprises. I want this story to make sense!

[thatdamnyank] I really enjoy playing around with the special abilities, especially Bella’s. I feel like Meyer had a great thing going when she created them but could have done so much more. I like the idea of every vampire having some sort of special ability, something they brought with them from their human lives. There will definitely be a lot more details about that as we go.

[JenDamn] That apology from Rosalie was specifically written for you, so I’m glad you appreciated it. I’m trying to keep her anger and spunk while still bringing about her loyalty and passion.

[Wolf Gin] I also enjoy a fic where the personalities of Rosalie and Bella clashed until they come to a better understanding of one another. When they just fall in together it’s no fun. And the ‘little world building details’ (I love the way you worded that) is really what I try to put into this story just to make it my own. It’s nice to know it’s well appreciated!

Anyways, on another note, I will be doing NaNoWriMo this year, so you will not be receiving any updates in the month of November. Not that I’ve ever given a valid excuse for taking so long to update before, but I figured I’d let you know in case anyone else is doing it and wants to share in the madness.

What changes, if any, would you make to the Denali coven?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: M

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

“And we all know love is a glass which makes even a monster appear fascinating.” - Alberto Moravia, The Woman of Rome

“With you is by far the most comfortable place to sleep possible.” Rosalie said as she drifted off into sleep.

The next morning, the two teens were awoken by a knock on the door and a loud comment that the Denali’s had finally arrived.

Bella got out of bed quickly, suddenly nervous at the idea of meeting more vampires. Then she laughed at herself, how different could these ones be from the rest of the Cullens? They’re related, right?

“How are you related to the Denali’s?” Bella’s voice croaked from sleep.

Rosalie seemed to ponder for a short period before sighing. “There’s obviously no blood relation, just the same as we are, but they hold the same vegetarian lifestyle. Tanya, their leader, found a way to drink blood from animals after…” Here Rosalie paused for a moment trying to think of her words. “After losing so many human lovers.” She completed quietly.

Bella’s eyes went wide with nerves. Of course she knew that vampires drank blood and she knew that James wanted to kill her (or change her) but sometimes she forgot to realize that even the good guys have killed. The Denali’s are the good guys, right?

“I, uh,” She had no idea what to say in response.

Rosalie looked at Bella, both unsure what to say or do. The smaller teen immediately shot for the door with a hurried comment about getting a change of clothes from Alice before skittering from the room. She made her way a few steps into the hallway before pausing and leaning against the wall. The thoughts started to come, many of them negative. How many of the Cullens have killed before? Even if only by accident? How many have died?

A soft cough came from down the hall, making Bella jump. The door at the end of the hallway was ajar and Edward was standing in the doorway. 

“A penny for your thoughts?” He asked calmly.

Bella shook her head.

“How about a dollar?”

Bella laughed, “Are you bribing me for my thoughts?”

“Well, you have managed to completely block me out of your head, so yes. I’m desperate.”

Feeling immediately at ease, Bella leaned sideways, her shoulder still against the wall. She looked past Edward’s body to see a very large window taking up his entire wall. Pushing away from the wall, she walked towards him to look out at the forest only to realize Edward had no exterior walls, only windows.

“How can you possibly sleep with no privacy?” She asked, astonished by the openness.

Edward moved into his room, allowing Bella to hover in the doorway. “I find the world to be calming.” He answered without actually answering the question.

Bella shrugged and looked down at her feet. She wondered what Edward’s answer would be if she asked him. He always gave honest answers but she wasn’t sure if honesty was what she wanted right then.

“You can ask Alice, if it makes you feel more comfortable.”

“Ask Alice, what?” Bella starting fiddling with her hands. 

“I still have no idea, but it’s pretty obvious you want to ask a question of someone.”

Bella nodded. Maybe Alice was the easiest. She was the happiest, the perkiest, the most easy going, but Edward was the most honest. 

She shook her head, “No, I think I want to ask you.”

“Very well, ask away.” He sat down on his bed quicker than most but still slow enough for Bella to make out the movements. He set the ankle of the left foot across the knee of his right leg and leaned forward, contemplatively. He reminded her of a philosophy statue. 

“Have you ever killed anyone?” The words fell out quickly and Bella immediately felt ashamed. “I mean, not like went out and murdered someone but have you ever drank someone who died because of it? Have you ever, like, vampire-killed someone?”

Edward leaned back quickly, hitting his head on the window frame and leaving a small dent. He coughed raucously and jumped to his feet. Seeing Bella flinch slightly, Edward immediately fell back on his bed, causing it to bounce dangerously but kept it from breaking.

“I, well, you see, I uh.” He stuttered out, his eyes wide and mouth moving with no sounds.

“I see.” Bella said sadly. She looked down at the floor. “Have you all?”

“It’s, well, it’s difficult. And, well, you see, there’s a lot, and stuff happens, but not like that, and, well…” He continued to stutter trying to find the right words.

“We all have, yes.” Rosalie’s voice came from behind Bella, but didn’t make her jump. She had somehow felt that she and Edward were no longer alone in their conversation. “Or at least, we have all come close enough for it to count.” Her words were dark sounding. “Carlisle is the only one who has never drank directly from a human, but he is also the only one to have changed a human into a vampire.”

Edward nodded slowly, “We are all at fault, we are none perfect.”

Bella nodded slowly. She was still trying to wrap her head around just how dangerous these vampires were but as she thought it over she became more relaxed. “So you have all tasted human blood, directly from a human, but still all decided to live your lives as vegetarians?” 

Edward and Rosalie both nodded slowly. 

“Which basically means you’ve tasted the forbidden fruit and still learned there was a better way.”

The two vampires nodded again, their eyes searching Bella for some sort of explanation of her attitude. She appeared to be quite calm for being perfectly enclosed by two blood drinking vampires who have admitted to murdering people for their own survival. 

“You are very strong.” She said simply before moving past Rosalie and wandering down the hall looking for Alice. To her satisfaction, a door opened when she neared it and Alice beckoned her inside.

“I heard what you said.” Alice stated as she moved from her room into her massive closet. Bella thought this one might be even bigger than Rosalie’s. “It was very nice of you.”

Bella shrugged, “I can’t imagine what you all must go through, physically restraining yourselves from your natural food source.”

Alice smiled as she exited the closet holding a small pile of clothing. She handed it off to Bella and gestured back at the closet for her to change. 

“Edward and Rosalie both have a hard time seeing it from that perspective.” Alice said as Bella striped from her pajamas and changed into the khakis, long sleeved shirt and leather jacket. “They both only focus on their failures instead of noting that neither of them have drank directly from a human in easily two decades.”

Bella came out of the closet feeling like a runway model of a J. Crew fall event. Some part of her felt uncomfortable but more of her felt a sort of confidence from the outfit - it fit her perfectly. 

“I honestly don’t think I could stop eating burgers for twenty days, let alone twenty years!” She laughed.

Alice beamed at her and nodded vigorously. “You don’t know your own strength until you live through the changes.” She handed over a pair of tall boats with no heel and once Bella’s outfit was completed with a long, leather strapped necklace, and a few loud bracelets, the two made their way out of the room. 

Rosalie was waiting outside the door, leaning against the hallway wall and speaking quietly to Emmett. They both looked up and Emmett scooped Bella into a big hug.

“Are you ready to meet our cousins?” The large teen said. He put Bella down and moved to the stairs, taking them four at a time. 

Rosalie rolled her eyes and let a small smile slip onto her lips. She then held her hand out for Bella and the three girls made their way to the stairs, Alice in the lead. 

The pixie girl twirled her way over to a large group of people standing in the living room. Bella almost forgot to breath when she saw three beautiful blondes turn their heads to look at her. The first one walked over to her and immediately grasped her into a tight hug, her strawberry curls dancing across Bella’s nose making her need to sneeze. The act brought her breath back and she was able to concentrate on the words spoken to her. 

“Bella, darling, it is fabulous to meet you, finally. Vitaj v rodine . [Welcome to the family.]”

“I’m sorry?” Bella replied, confused by the language but then remembering her manners. “I mean, yes, it is wonderful to meet you as well. I’m sorry to say I haven’t heard much but I’m sure if I had it would be all good. At least, maybe, I’m not sure. I mean, I’m sure you’re great, yes.”

The woman laughed loudly and with great satisfaction. “ Tento sa musí dostať do Rosalieho každého nervu . [This one must get on Rosalie’s every nerve.]” She said to the other two women behind her before turning back to Bella. “I’m sorry, I’m being rude. I will speak clearly with you.” She laughed again.

“What did you say?” Bella asked, trying to feel as comfortable as this woman before her.

“Nevermind that now, I am Tanya, the leader of the Denali coven. Come meet my sisters.” She turned and pulled Bella her way, causing the young teen to lose Rosalie’s hand. She immediately felt the loss and became just a bit overwhelmed by the surrounding beauties. “This is Kate, my little sister and this is Irina, the littlest sister.”

Bella looked up to see a girl slightly taller than Rosalie, with extremely long, light blonde, wavy hair. She smiled shyly, almost coquettishly. “Nice to meet you, Bella.” Irina’s voice was so soft and warm. Bella felt herself leaning towards the girl.

“Now, now, don’t let her pull you in so easily, you haven’t given any of the rest of us a chance.” A shorter girl, taller than the first but just a smidge shorter than Bella herself, swung Bella around and held her at arm's length. Bella’s breath caught again as she looked into wide, light brown eyes. This girl had straight, silvery blonde hair, lush lips, and a full figure that seemed to call to her even though she wore a simple outfit for travel. 

Not knowing what to say, not knowing how to react, Bella reached her hand backwards and croaked out, “Rosalie?”

The three beautiful vampires laughed with pure enjoyment as Rosalie sauntered up and pulled Bella out of their grasp.

Rosalie leaned down over Bella, her one arm wrapped protectively around her waist, and whispered in Bella’s ear, “These three are where the succubus legends come from.”

Bella gulped, “Is sex appeal a vampire power?”

Kate laughed, “Only for Irina,” She said, sounding like it was a joke but Bella wasn’t quite so sure.

Emmett came into the room and slid himself across the coffee table, holding himself in an iconically seductive pose. “That would be my superpower.”

Irina purred in response before coughing slightly. Kate’s eyes went wide and she turned back to Bella, who tried to lean further back into Rosalie’s grasp.

“Can it be true, the rumours?” She asked, eyeing Bella deeply. “Can we give it a try?” Her voice dropped down as she stepped forward, her fingers reaching out as if to tickle Bella.

Bella felt her feet lift from the ground as Rosalie took two steps back and began growling. She looked over her shoulder and saw a vicious look on the tall blonde’s face. Did she make her angry? No, did Kate make her angry? How?

“Oh come on, malý anjel [little angel], let me just touch her. I promise it won’t hurt.” Kate’s face lit up with a mischievous grin that could rival Emmett’s. Rosalie held Bella close but looked like she was about to jump forward and rip Kate to pieces. 

Edward moved into the room and reached out to turn Kate away. In response, the shorter girl touched his arm causing him to drop onto one knee, a short breath escaping from his lips. Kate laughed and clapped her hands together only to pull them away quickly with a yelp.

Alice hummed loudly, which seemed to cause Jasper to enter the room and a calm enveloped them all. 

Bella looked at all the weird faces people were making and seemed to realize what had happened. “Oh, my goodness, I’m so sorry! Did my crazy mess with your crazy?” She squeaked out, which caused the large group to laugh. 

Kate and Irina removed themselves along with Jasper and Alice, and a new couple walked into the room with Carlisle and Esme in tow. The man was tall, lean, slightly muscular, with tinted olive skin. His hair was very dark and shortly cropped. The woman was equal in height, very slim, also with olive skin, and long curly black hair. The two looked like the epitome of a Spanish vampire. Bella briefly wondered if either of them had ever been in an Opera as their confidence seemed to call out like an aria.

The woman walked straight up to Bella and took her into her arms in a maternal hug. Since Rosalie had stepped back, Bella knew this woman to be safe and yet the hug itself seemed to add another layer of comfortable much like Esme seemed to always emit.

“Bella.” She said softly, holding Bella firmly yet comfortably, grasping both the teen’s hands in hers. She peered into Bella’s eyes and added, “Yes, you truly are bella [beautiful].” She seemed to beam at both Bella and Rosalie before taking the taller girl into her arms and whispering in her ear. Rosalie smiled in return but said nothing.

“I am Carmen, Bella. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.” The woman said, turning back to look at Bella.

Bella smiled, “Yes, thank you, the pleasure is all mine. Or partially mine. I never did understand that phrase.”

Carmen smiled calmly before gesturing at the man. “This is my husband of many years, Eleazar.”

The tall man stepped forward and held out his hand for Bella to take. He brought her hand up and kissed the back of it firmly yet softly and gave a quick nod that was not unkind. 

“It is a pleasure, my dear. I am very eager to meet with you.”

Bella blushed but turned to Carlisle as he stated, “Eleazar has a significant gift himself. He can detect what kind and how powerful a human or vampire’s gift may be.”

“Oh?” Her eyes lit up as she looked back at Eleazar. He was staring at her quite aggressively yet still, he had kind eyes. “Do you know what mine might be?”

“It could easily be confused for a shield, as I no doubt believe the others may have called it.” 

Bella shrugged, “I just call it my crazy.” 

Eleazar and Carmen both smiled at this statement but made no additional reaction. 

“I think you’re still crazy.” Emmett added in and Edward nudge him in the ribs. Tanya laughed at the two teens' interaction. 

“I see you have a stronger power in fact. It is not just that you are unharmed or, should I say, you do not ignore another’s gift. Instead, it appears that you take an endoergic reaction to any other vampirific gifts. It also shows that your gift can grow for you to then use these gifts on another. That is what the confusion around the possible “bouncing shield” affect others have seen.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“He’s calling you nuclear, babe! You’re totally the bomb!” Emmett boasted proudly. Edward jabbed in him the ribs much harder this time.

“Endoergic is a chemistry term that describes an absorption of energy.” Esme said, smiling softly. “Just like endothermic, which relates to an absorption of heat.” 

“Oh, right,” Bella nodded her head only vaguely remembering some of these terms from her Chemistry class last year. “Does this mean I’m like Rogue or I’m like Leech?”

Eleazar and Carmen both stared at Bella completely uncomprehendingly but Emmett and Edward immediately started comparing the two.

“It can’t be Rogue because she has to touch people to use their gifts.” Emmett argued straight out the gate.

“Yes, but Leech simply negates powers, he can’t use them himself.”

“True but Rogue can use so much more. Like, she takes over the physical appearance of people.”

“No, you’re thinking of Mystique.” Carlisle added in before coughing slightly and shrugging. “I do live with a lot of teenagers.” He smiled warmly and Esme tenderly rubbed his arm. 

“Mystique can completely copy a person by looking at them, true, but Rogue can also duplicate a power or appearance.” Tanya added in herself.

“But she also had a bad tendency of killing off her prey.” Edward shook his head. “I haven’t seen Bella do anything of the sort.”

“I’m not entirely sure what I started.” Eleazar comment. “But I’m sure one of you will be able to figure out which mutant is the right mutant.”

Bella laughed seeing that Eleazar had given away that he at least knew the genre the group was talking about but decided to say nothing. She had a special power that absorbed the powers of others.

“Does it have limitations?” She asked Eleazar.

“All powers have limitations.”

“Can you tell what they are?”

“No, only how strong the power itself is. And yours is very strong indeed, but I don’t believe you have absolute control over it either.”

“Don’t you worry, querida [dear], we will figure it out with time.” Carmen held Bella’s arm in her hand and gave a short squeeze before the adults removed themselves from the room and entered the kitchen. 

While Edward, Tanya and Emmett continued to argue about the pros and cons of different mutant powers, Bella sat down on the opposite couch and stared at her hands.

“What’s wrong?” Rosalie asked, taking a seat next to her.

“Nothing’s wrong.” Bella shrugged. “It’s just a lot to take in.”

Rosalie furrowed her brows and quipped, “You can deal with a bunch of supernatural vampires drinking blood and fighting battles but not the idea of you having a gift?”

Bella flinched slightly and crossed her arms. “I just never thought,” She shrugged defensively. “It’s easy to believe that others are special, that others have supernatural gifts and live immortal lives and fight against the evils in the world. It’s hard to believe that I may also be a part of it all.”

Rosalie opened her mouth to say something but Esme’s voice called from the kitchen.

“Get some breakfast everyone.”

The two Denali sisters followed Alice and Jasper into the living room and Tanya scooped up Bella on the way out making comments about how she was going to feed the little human. Rosalie growled and hurried past them while Emmett and Edward had to be called in a second time (their debate on the differences between the comic world and the movie world were getting rather heated). 

Before Bella knew what happened the day had begun. Breakfast was a speedy affair, especially with how quickly the vampires ate and just how many cups of coffee they could consume when not having to wait for the brew to cool. Charlie showed up and very awkwardly met the Denali clan before the group seemed to vanish off into the woods. Rosalie was at first uncertain about leaving Bella behind but Emmett ushered her away stating that she needed to keep an eye on their cousins. Bella reiterated that Emmett would keep her safe and Rosalie eventually relented.

“How are you feeling today, Bells?” Charlie asked. The two of them were standing alone outside the large Cullen home, only Emmett and Jasper remained in the house planning out the day's activities. The weather was brisk with a lot of wind but thankfully no rain. 

Bella zipped up the leather jacket and kicked her feet at the ground. “I don’t think I’m supposed to say I’m fine but I don’t feel wrong anymore. At least, not yet.”

Charlie nodded with a slight hum. The two stood staring off into the trees for a while longer. They were supposed to make their way with Emmett to some meeting place in the mountains. The vampire clans and the Quileute wolves were going to meet to practice a few fight scenarios and also set up the stage for their planned war. 

Charlie tapped the side of his cruiser and huffed again. “I wanted you to know,” He started before looking at his feet. He kicked his tire a few times before trying again. “I knew this world was around since I was a kid but I never,” He stopped again. 

Bella watched as the face of her father seemed to age before her. What kind of life must he had lived before she came to be? How many secrets has he kept over the years just to try and keep her safe?

Bella leaned against her dad, her head moving slightly against his shoulder with every breath he took. 

“I always knew you were special.” He whispered to her before kissing the top of her head. The two stood in companionable silence, slightly leaning against each other’s weight. 

Eventually Emmett and Jasper came out and the group hopped into Emmett’s Jeep. They made their way through several back roads that Charlie questioned if they were state sanctioned roads or just snowmobile trails. Eventually they came to a large opening of a somewhat small mountain.

“Guess what, Bella.” Emmett gushed as he jumped out of the Jeep and helped the teen down.

“What, Emmett?”

“Guess what the name of this mountain is!” He was practically jumping at this point. No, he really was jumping, up and down, like a small child at Christmas.

“What’s the name of the mountain, Emmett?” Bella asked terribly amused.

Charlie rolled his eyes and rubbed his face. He mumbled something about tourist under his breath but Bella wasn’t entirely sure what he had said.

“Mount Meany! Isn’t that the best! I love this mountain.” Emmett began chanting a cheer about the mountain ending the performance with a split.

Jasper shook his head. “It wasn’t worth arguing for another mountain. This one has a surprisingly great amount of coverage and openings for an advantageous battle.” He smiled warmly, “And cheerleaders really do help a team win.” He commented as Emmett began another cheer, this time doing a backflip.

The small group made their way up a narrow path and into a large opening to find all the vampires yet only Sam and Jacob from the wolf clan. Jake moved quickly over the Bella and hugged her close.

“I’m not saying I love vampires or anything but wow.” He whispered into her ear. Bella laughed as the two looked over to see Kate wagging her eyebrows at them. Tanya was getting dangerously close to Sam who seemed completely unphased by her flirtatious looks. Irina was about to attempt something when Alice danced over to her and pulled both Tanya and Irina into the back of the group. The three seemed to discuss something quickly before Tanya frowned and Irina quirked an eyebrow seeming to think about something very hard. Alice slapped her arm and shook her head no.

“Shall we begin?” Carlisle asked the group as Jasper came to stand at his side.

Sam nodded and Jake moved to returned to his side but Bella held him back a moment. “Where are the rest?” She looked around trying to find the other wolves.

“They’re in the trees, just past your line of vision. Sam isn’t entirely trusting to show just how many of us there are.” He commented back before joining the group.

“Bella, querida [dear], why don’t you and Charlie come sit with me.” Carmen called the two over to a rock she was perched on.

“You aren’t going to be a part of the training?” Charlie asked as the two joined her.

“Oh no, I am not a fighter.” Carmen said gently.

Bella looked at the older vampire and wondered allowed, “Do you have a gift, Carmen?”

Carmen smiled, “Can you tell?”

Bella blushed but shook her head.

“All vampires have a special something, some call it a gift, some call it la peculiaridad [a peculiarity] or a quirk. Some are more noticeable, more active than others. Some are less obvious and show up as defensiva [defensive] things or hidden things.”

“So it’s no different from humans with certain learning abilities.” Bella noted.

“¿Qué quieres decir? [What do you mean]”

“Sorry, what?”

“Like how some people are good at math and others are good at baseball.” Charlie replied.

“You know Spanish?” Bella asked confused.

“You should too.” He laughed. “You’ve been passing the classes in school.”

Bella pouted, “We don’t speak it in class.”

Carmen laughed at the exchange but agreed, “Yes, yes, exactamente [exactly]. It is much the same as this.”

Looking back over at Carmen, Bella asked, “So what is your gift? Is yours just a quirk?”

“No, mine is defensiva [defensive]. I do not have a shield or an ability to deflect attacks or tell when someone is lying. My gift allows me simply to see the good in personas [people], I see their core intentions. I can only see personas [people] when I hold their hands but most greetings start with a handshake, no?” 

Bella thought back at her initial greeting with Carmen and realized that she had held her hands quite tightly before whispering something to Rosalie.

“What did…” She started to ask before being shushed as the action seemed to begin in the field.

Sam and Jake were now replaced by three large wolves. The biggest wolf had a deep black coat of fur that seemed almost like a shadow. He sat still with tight tension and a snarl on his muzzle. The second largest had brown fur with dark red highlighted throughout. He sat more comfortably but his eyes sought out every movement in from of him, taking it all in. The third wolf was brown but had a mask of dark fur around his eyes. He was fully concentrated on the surrounding vampires and looked to be studiously careful with everyone around him. 

Bella noted the first two wolves to be Jake and Sam but was unsure who the third one was. Her best guess was Jared as she remembered Jake explaining he was the third in command and also had excellent eyesight. 

She turned her attention to the action but all she could make out was a blur of movements. She noted that of the watchful crowd both Jasper and Carlisle seemed to be missing.

“Woah.” She whispered.

Charlie nodded next to her and Carmen smiled.

“I can give you a bit of a play by play if you wish.” Carmen noted. 

Bella agreed and Carmen described that Carlisle was playing the part of a practiced vampire whereas Jasper was pretending to be a newborn.

“His movements are much faster but without rhythm, he is moving his arms more frantically then someone who knows their strength.”

“Are newborns stronger?” Bella asked.

“Yes, absolutamente [absolutely], very much so.”

“Do you know why that is?” Charlie asked. His attention seemed to be on the watching vampires, especially lingering on Tanya and Irina.

“It is the vampire blood running through their veins.” Carmen noted offhandedly. “The chemical reaction of the vampire blood overtaking the rest of the newborns blood is very powerful indeed.”

Bella thought to question more on the process but was quickly taken over by the memory of James attempting to turn her. 

Bella’s eyes grew wide in fear as she watched James sliced open his own wrist with the sharp fangs of his teeth and press the bloody gash into her mouth. She screamed and choked and tried to wiggle out of his grip. Her leg screamed in shock, her wrist radiated with pain, and soon the blood of James’ arm warmed down her throat and spread across her entire body.

“But vampire blood isn’t all that it takes to change someone.” She whispered before shivering severely.

Carmen looked over at her, worry covered her face but Bella couldn’t really see it. All she saw was James and the dark cabin and the fire overtaking the room.

Charlie’s voice was loudest. It was only a quiet tremor but it seemed to be the only words there were making their way through the haze. At first it sounded like a recipe for fish fry but finally it turned into the chiming of bells. 

“Bells, come back to me.” His voice screamed in a hurried whispered.

“I’m here.” Bella croaked. “I’m sorry, I’m here.”

Rosalie was kneeling in front of her, holding her hands and looking afraid and fierce at the same time. 

“I’m okay.” Bella told the blonde girl reassuringly. “I just had a…” Was it a flashback or was it more? She wasn’t sure how to describe the fear that enveloped her. “I’ll be okay.” She added, not quite as reassuringly. 

Rosalie nodded but didn’t move. 

The rest of the group went back to work with different vampires attempting to fight Jasper off. The wolves watched into the evening before eventually breaking off. Famished and exhausted, the vampires made their way back to the Cullen’s house for a large feast and a quick nap. It appeared the vampires needed to rest regularly but not for long periods of time. Emmett joked that they were like horses in that manner but Bella didn’t completely understand what he meant. 

After the meal, which was delicious but Bella found she could only stomach a few bites, Charlie said goodnight and Bella made her way back up to Rosalie’s room. She changed quickly and lied in bed listening to the silence of the room. Rosalie joined her an hour or so later, saying nothing, and scooped Bella into a full body hug. Neither of them felt the need to say or do anything and eventually Bella’s mind closed down and she was able to get a few hours sleep. Rosalie stayed with her the whole night simply holding her in the tight embrace.

The next day copied the previous and Bella found her mood to be darkening as the plans became more concrete. She had to return to school the next morning as winter break didn’t officially start for another week. At the end of that week, just before the Christmas holiday, Carlisle, Jasper and Edward would taunt the newborn army into their attack and bring the war to the mountain. There, the Quileute wolves would be hiding in the trees and make their attack from the back, surrounding the army as the rest of the Cullen and Denali clan would clamor forward from the initial three’s seeming retreat.  

If done correctly, the plan was foolproof. If anything were to go wrong, certain contingencies were put into place. The biggest fear was that James’ clan would not participate but if that were to come true, the newborns would likely be an easier battle due to their lack of experience.

The week vanished one day at a time but Bella hardly noticed. Her classes were nothing but quizzes, a few tests, and several days of sitting around watching a movie or playing games like Jeopardy and Guess Who that the teachers had made up to help keep the information fresh. Bella barely participated and only just passed most of her tests. She didn’t even have the sense to debate what Renee would do after receiving her midterm grades at the start of January classes, Charlie already knew and was just proud of her for attending the days of school. 

When the day finally came, Bella found herself cold, so very cold. 

“Snow is going to fall tonight.” Alice said calmly as the two sat side by side on a large rock next to the battleground. “It’s going to be quite the winter storm.”

“What can I do to help?” Bella asked. She had barely spoken any words in the last few days so Alice was very happy to hear the request.

“You can keep yourself safe!” She replied brightly.

“No,” Bella growled back. “I need to do something. I can’t let you all just risk your lives for my sake.”

“It’s not all about you.” Alice quipped. “This has become much more than just a threat on your life. Besides, do you even realize what you mean to this family?”

“What are you talking about, Alice?” Bella said harshly, regretting the words the moment they came out. “I’ve barely known you all for a few months.”

Alice didn’t seem to notice the bitter words and merely smiled while dangling her legs. “We knew the moment you walked into our lives.”

“You knew what?” Bella asked, trying to sound a bit nicer but her words just came out bland.

“We knew that you would change the whole dynamic of our lives.” Alice said cryptically. Bella merely gave her an exhausted look and Alice laughed not unkindly. “You gave Rosalie hope. You gave Edward a challenge. You gave Jasper a kind word. You gave me a new best friend!” She cheered.

“You have a strange way of expressing yourself.” Bella said, a small smile on her lips. “I didn’t even realize that we were best friends. You must think me absolutely horrid.”

“You truly are the worst best friend ever.” Alice said, her voice was very deep and surprisingly amusing. “But with death and gloom seeming to follow you around, I guess it’s okay.” She sighed.

Bella laughed, actually laughed. 

Alice perked up again and then sighed.

“What’s wrong Alice?” Bella asked

“I just had this wonderful idea but Edward and Rosalie are being all poopyheads about it.”

“What was your wonderful idea?” Bella emphasized the word wonderful with a pompous accent.

“There is one thing that newborns go crazy over and they can even lose their focus making them much easier to subdue.” Alice was practically singing her words.

Bella pondered the idea for several moments before turning suddenly and loudly proposing, “Blood?” The vampires and wolves all turned their heads to look at her strange proclamation, which caused her to shy down for a second before surprising Alice and jumping to her feet.

Bella grabbed Alice’s hand and moved quickly to the tree line asking all sorts of questions about where the vampires would be coming from and which direction they would be moving. 

Alice gestured and smiled and said, “I think we do make an excellent team.”

Once the practice fight was over, Bella and Alice snuck into the woods and Bella immediately scrapped her arm on a tree. She yelped in pain but looked at her arm to see no blood, just a bad scrape and a quickly forming bruise. 

Alice laughed but tried to hold it back.

“Do you have a knife or something?”

“What are you two trying to pull over her?” Rosalie asked, anger boiling behind her eyes.

“I’m making a frenzy.” Bella replied nonchalantly, crossing her arms and trying to hide the scrape.

“A frenzy of what?”

“Of newborn vampires.”

“Newborn? What?” Rosalie asked confused before her anger returned once again. “You will absolutely not!”

“And why not?”

“That will put you at risk”

“How could me marking these trees with my blood make me any more at risk than I already am?”

“It just, it won’t, you can’t!” She stuttered, anger taking away her comprehension. 

“Okay, and how will me marking these trees with my blood make this battle an easier fight for you?”

“I don’t need an easier fight.” Rosalie growled.

“It might be nice, actually.” Emmett said, a few steps away. “I mean, the numbers have really grown since the last time we checked in on the group. Having them distracted and frenzied really could make the difference.” His voice was soft and comforting and Rosalie hated it.

She burst out in anger and toppled a tree over. After having to apologize to Esme to taking her aggression out on mother nature, Rosalie conceded. 

“On one condition.” She noted to Bella.

“Most definitely yes, unless I disagree.” Bella replied. “What is the one condition?”

“You don’t argue when you’re brought to the Res tomorrow.”

“Oh, I’m going to be staying at the Res?” Bella deflated a little. “I thought, well, I thought I would be at your house, or…” She wasn’t really sure where she was going to be but it unnerved her to be staying at the Res. She tried to be strong, to be smart, to know that that’s where she would be safest, but the memory of the last time the vampire's were near was trying to creep back in.

“Yes, you will be there with Leah, Seth, and Angela, as well as the rest of the tribe.”

“And a few more wolves.” Emmett noted. When Bella looked at him confused he added, “Quite a few more teens have transitioned due to the large increase in nearby vampires. Both our clans and the newborns have become a greater threat to their legacy.”

“How many are there?” Bella started to ask before turning back to Rosalie with wide eyes. “You won’t be staying with me?”

Rosalie looked down at her hands. “I need to be here.”

“But Leah is going to be with Angela!” Bella burst out. “I need you to be by my side.”

Rosalie looked defeated and angry but this time with herself.

“Sorry Bella-bear.” Emmett stated firmly. “If Rosalie isn’t on the field and James is, he’ll know something is up. He will go looking for you. If she is here, he’ll figure you’re close by.”

The logic was what made Bella even angrier. But finally she relented. “I can mark these trees to help as long as I agree to stay at the Res.”

Rosalie, Emmett and Alice all nodded their heads in agreement.

“And there’s no way for me to get you to stay with me?” Bella asked. She had no hope of the ever resilient and stubborn Rosalie to change her mind, but she still needed to pretend like she tried. 

Rosalie shook her head.

“Then it’s settled.” Alice said, trying to bring a happier mood back into the atmosphere. “Bella and I will mark up all the trees and meet you back at the house. Why yes, I would love to borrow your knife, Emmett, thank you.” She danced over to the large vampire and took the knife from his hand. He had brought it over from his Jeep before entering the conversation.

“Now shoo, all of you. I can’t have any frenzied vampires running about now.” Emmett nodded and pulled Rosalie back into the clearing. 

Alice walked over and cut Bella’s arm without any notice or preamble. 

“Ow!” Bella chirped before quickly rubbing her arm on several trees. She ran around a large area touching her bloody arm to anything she could reach until the cut finally stopped bleeding. The two made their way back to the Jeep were Emmett and Rosalie were waiting for them. Bella jumped in and Rosalie turned with a medkit and began cleaning up the now scraped and dirty cut. 

Bella thought to say something but instead remained quiet as Rosalie completed her task with a cold and detached efficiency. When they arrived home, the two parted ways and Bella stayed up late playing video games with Emmett. 

When she finally changed and entered Rosalie’s room, the blonde was asleep in bed. Bella slid in next to her and held her hand out between them. She waited while watching the blonde’s slow steady breathing. Nearly an hour later, as Bella’s eyelids were no longer able to stay open, Rosalie reached out and held her hand.

Later that evening, after the battle was over, Bella wondered what she had done with her day. It felt almost ordinary, almost like any other holiday vacation from school. Leah and Angela picked her up from the Cullens just after breakfast and she, Leah, Seth, Angela, and a few others played games and made crafts to decorate the main hall. It was nothing but one distraction after another. They played Chutes and Ladders, Scrabble, Twister. They made paper snowflakes, decorated wreaths, and made string popcorn with cranberries and caramel corn. They ate large portions of ham, potatoes,  green bean casserole, and pie. So many assortments of pie. 

It was very late in the night when the door to the main hall burst open and Rosalie flew inside. She pushed Bella against the wall and kissed her in a way the younger girl couldn’t even begin to comprehend but knew it was full with emotions, both loving and hurt-filled.

When Rosalie finally pulled back and looked Bella in her eyes, she knew instantly that something had gone wrong. Her mouth fell open to ask but instead Rosalie kissed her again.

“I love you.” Rosalie said in a scratchy voice. She sounded exhausted.

Bella looked her over as quickly as she could but made out no obvious damages. Rosalie was scraped up, a few bruises, and pale, but she was moving fine, breathing fine, everything looked fine. 

She spoke again, “I’m sorry I didn’t say it before. I’m sorry I held back.”

“What’s going on, Rosalie?” Bella finally found her voice.

“I love you, and I will come back to you.” Rosalie said. She looked Bella in the eye with such intensity Bella almost felt compelled to look away. “I need you to trust me and believe me. Do you believe me?”

Bella wanted to ask so many questions, to say so many things but instead she nodded and replied. “I love you too.”

And then Rosalie vanished.

A/N: So I lied but for once I lied in a positive way. Usually I say I’m going to update and then I take months and months to do it. This time I said it would be another month but instead I slipped this little diddy in. Now let me hear how happy-sad you all are!

A lot of you said how much you love Kate. I hope I did all the Denali’s justice even though I know there was a whole lot of interaction with them. That being said, I’m sure they’ll show up in the next few chapters as well. 

What do you all think about the vampire powers and how they work? Do we like the powers the Denali’s have? Can we guess what they all are?

And now I really am going to disappear for at least a month. I promise. 

What is your favorite holiday tradition? Do you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yule? Any others that I missed?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: M

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

“The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found?” - J. B. Priestley

“I love you, and I will come back to you.” Rosalie said. She looked Bella in the eye with such intensity Bella almost felt compelled to look away. “I need you to trust me and believe me. Do you believe me?”

Bella wanted to ask so many questions, to say so many things but instead she nodded and replied. “I love you too.”

And then Rosalie vanished

From: UNAUTHORIZED

To: [email protected]

CC: [email protected]

Subject: @Z==`mnj=qBG$FB

@`mhZp.QZUWmhZppF

,m$qBBm`.Lm$.=ZmGjF)m,m=ZFpqfZUm,mP.LpUm$qBBmB.$Z.)Zam,>$m.QZ=VjZp$ZUmVqGjmGjZm)ZZUmG.mF3.p.dqfZm_.=m$`mFKBZ)PZmKLGm,mU.)>GmjFQZmGjZmV.=UBmG.mBF`mqGmFppa

,Gm_ZZpBmFBmGj.Ldjm$`mpq_ZmBGF=GZUmGjZmUF`m,m$ZGm`.LamcjZm)Z[GmUF`m$`mZ)Gq=ZmV.=pUmVFBmGF}Z)m_=.$m$ZamwqGjmGq$ZmKZq)dmBLPjmFm)LqBF)PZm_.=mB.mp.)dWm,mPF)>GmKZdq)mG.mL)UZ=BGF)UmVjZ)mqGmKZPF$ZmB.mq$3.=GF)GmG.m$Za

,mj.3Zm`.LmVqppm=ZPZqQZmGjZBZm$ZBBFdZBmB..)amwZmF=ZmBGqppmKZq)dmPjFBZUmKLGm`.LmjFQZm).Gjq)dmG.m_ZF=am{$$ZGGmqBmjZ=ZmVqGjm$ZmF)Um,mG=LBGm{UVF=UmF)UmbpqPZmG.m}ZZ3m`.LmBF_ZamcjZBZm$ZBBFdZBmF=ZmZ)P=`3GZUmG.m}ZZ3mGjZm=ZUjZFUm_=.$m_q)Uq)dmLBam,GmjFBmV.=}ZUmB.m_F=mKLGmj.Vm,mVqBjmG.mjZF=m`.L=mQ.qPZa

,mVqBjmG.mKZmPp.BZmG.m`.LmZQZ)mq_m.)p`mG.mj.pUm`.L=mjF)Uam,G>Bm_L))`mj.VmB.$ZGjq)dmB.mB$FppmPF)m$ZF)mB.m$LPjam'.Vmq$3.=GF)GmB.$Z.)ZmPF)mKZP.$Zmq)m.)p`mFm_ZVm$.$Z)GBWmq)mBLPjmFmVjq=pVq)Um._mGq$ZWmZQZ=`Gjq)dm`.LmGj.LdjGmVFBmq$3.=GF)GmPjF)dZUam

,>QZmB3Z)GmZ).Ldjmnj=qBG$FBmj.pqUF`BmFp.)ZmG.m}).VmqGmqBm_F$qp`mGjFGm$F}ZBmGjZmj.pqUF`am,mU.)>Gm}).VmVjZ)mqGmjF33Z)ZUWmhZppFWmKLGm`.LmjFQZmKZP.$Zm$`m_F$qp`am

u.L=mdq_Gm=Z3=ZBZ)GBmGjqBm_ZZpq)dWm,mj.3Zm`.Lm_ZZpmGjZmBF$Zam,mj.3Zm`.Lm_ZZpmFBm$LPjmFm3F=Gm._m$`m_F$qp`mFBmGjZm=ZBGm._mLBmKZpqZQZm`.LmG.mKZam

,m$F`m).GmjFQZmL)UZ=BG..UmFGmGjZmGq$ZmKLGm,m}).Vm).VmGjFGm$ZZGq)dm`.LmVFBmGjZmKZBGmGjq)dmG.mZQZ=mjF33Z)mG.m$Zamu.LmF=ZmZQZ=`Gjq)dmVjqPjmqBmd..Umq)m$`mpq_Zamb)Um_.=mGjFGWm,mVqppm_qdjGmL)Gqpm,mF$mKFP}mj.$Zmq)m`.L=mF=$Ba

i)GqpmVZmF=ZmG.dZGjZ=mFdFq)m$F`mZQZ=`m$.$Z)Gm=Z$q)Um$Zm._m`.Lam@Z==`mnj=qBG$FBWmu.L=mY.BFpqZa

Oa^am{$$ZGGmBF`Bm`.L=m3=ZBZ)Gm_=.$mjq$mqBmv=FPLpFmK`mhZFm@qppZ=am'Z>BmKZZ)mpqBGZ)q)dmG.mqGm3=FPGqPFpp`m).)\BG.3mpFGZp`am

Bella frowned as she stared at the encrypted email. It was the second one she’d received since Rosalie vanished a week ago. When the first one came in she jumped for joy and asked Alice to decrypt the message but she couldn’t. It made Bella’s heart plummet but Alice tried to reassure her. 

“As long as you’re receiving messages that means Rosalie is still fighting.”

“I want to fight with her.”

“You will, one day, but for now she needs to finish what was started.”

The conversation didn’t go any farther from there. Every time Bella tried to question someone on what happened at the battle, no one would give her a clear answer. It seemed like everything was going fine until it wasn’t. The newborns were an easy battle, too easy. Everything was going too smoothly. 

It was obviously a distraction, obviously a ploy. It was obvious James was playing dangerously with a weapon he didn’t understand. The only thing everyone made clear was that James was destroyed in the fight but no one would explain how or why. A part of Bella wondered if anyone even really knew. It was almost as if he might have been sabotaged. 

Rosalie was on the run, fighting for her life to avoid a vengeful redheaded woman who was in James’ clan. The third member had disappeared halfway through the battle and even Jasper wasn’t able to track him. What had appeared to be a win, quickly dissolved into a mess of questions, concerns, and a complete lack of logical explanations.

Next thing she knew, it was Christmas Eve. Bella sat in her room staring at her old computer, staring at the jumbled message. A part of her wondered if she stared at it long enough maybe something comprehensive would jump out at her. 

She felt a woosh come from her window and she turned around to find Edward sitting on the edge of her bed. She hadn’t invited him in but didn’t have the energy to force him out.

“I tried to get your attention for a while,” Edward commented, shifting slightly uncomfortably. 

Bella waved a hand at her screen. “I got another message from her.”

Edward shifted closer to look at the screen. He nodded but didn’t say anything. He couldn’t read the message.

“Why did she copy Alice onto the message?”

“Besides Emmett, Alice is the closest to her.”

“But she can’t use the computer, right?”

“Yeah, computers give Alice serious migraines. It’s most likely because of the multitudes of possibilities. It overwhelms her gift.”

Bella nodded and stared down at her hands. The feeling of complete uselessness was overwhelming her.

“Are you coming to the party?” Edward asked.

“I don’t feel much like partying.”

Edward ran a hand through his hair. “I know what you mean. Whenever one of us is gone during a holiday it feels incomplete.”

Bella looked up at Edward. Sometimes, when the heat of battle and crises overwhelms everything, Bella forgets the Cullens are a family. Sometimes, when they’re all sitting around and laughing, she forgets they’re a clan of vampires. 

“You can go on without me.”

“Is it alright if I stay here instead?”

Bella shrugged not sure how to react. In the last week, she and Edward had barely spoken. It almost felt like her friendship with him was nothing but awkward flirting. When he felt he couldn’t do that anymore, due to Rosalie not being around, he held himself back. Bella had missed his calming aura and joking attitude. She truly enjoyed his company despite not being able to return his feelings.

Edward leaned back against the wall, pushing himself further onto the bed. He reached next to him and grabbed a small box from the windowsill. He stared at it for a short moment before handing it over to Bella.

“What’s this?”

Moving to sit next to Edward on the bed, Bella tugged at the small bow around the box.

“It’s your Christmas present.”

“Who from?” Bella asked, removing the bow and looking for a tag.

“The family.”

Bella opened the box to find a small metal bracelet. It was a simple chain and had four small charms hanging off of it. She pulled it closer to look at the charms. One was a tiny wolf howling at the moon, the second was a small ring with the Cullen crest. Bella’s eyes welled up with tears as she looked at the last two charms. There was a small blue crest decorated with feathers.

“What’s this one?”

Edward leaned over and touched the charm. “The Swan family crest.”

Bella nodded slowly only barely holding back the tears now. The last charm was a rose.

“I miss her,” She said softly as the tears fell down her cheek. Edward reached around and held Bella close to him. Bella leaned her head against Edward’s shoulder and cried. 

Edward held her until her body, exhausted, finally fell asleep. He sat, unmoving, hoping to not disturb Bella. He looked around the room and took in all the small changes. He had been there once or twice, just visiting and talking. In the last month, Bella had added a picture of Rosalie on her bed stand, a rose on her desk, a book of old poems by e.e. cummings on her bookshelf. 

He leaned over and smelled Bella’s hair. It had been over a week and yet the smell of Rosalie seemed to come from this small human. It broke Edward’s heart to know Bella could never love him the way she did his sister but it also filled him with a new kind of love. The love of a sister. To know their shared love was so strong Bella’s body seemed to take on characteristics of Rosalie’s must mean something. 

Edward leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. As he rested, he thought of pictures of people who had been together for so long they looked like blood-relation. He laughed at the compilation of photos that filled his head. After some time, they switched from married couples to people and their dogs. He held back the image of Rosalie looking like a blonde Afghan hound and Bella looking like a little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. 

“Bella, it’s time to get up,” Charlie said as he swung open the door. “Oh come on!” He yelled as he took in Edward with Bella lying in his arms.

Edward’s eyes grew wide and he stuttered out a fast response, “No, no, it’s not what you think. No wait, I’m sorry. Wait, what are you thinking?”

Charlie started laughing. “Relax kid,” Charlie held his stomach as he continued to laugh. “You don’t stand a chance with Bella.”

Edward smiled. If Charlie had said that only just last night, he would have taken it as an insult. 

“I’m not particularly interested in Bella like that,” He responded, “Not anymore.”

Charlie stood up and gave Edward a one-over. “Wake her up and get downstairs for breakfast and stockings.” He turned to leave but made sure to keep the door wide open.

Edward laughed and turned to look at Bella. She was still dead asleep.

“Come on, little spaniel.” He called in a hushed voice. After a few moments, he gave up the gentle approach and shook the girl awake.

“I am not a puppy!” Bella yelled out, tossing her arms widely.

“Not sure where that came from,” Edward laughed. “But you totally are. I was just thinking about how you’re a…”

But Bella cut him off asking, “What are you doing here?”

“I, uh, well, you fell asleep on me.”

“Oh my god, Dad is going to kill me!”

“Actually, no,” Edward continued to explain. “I figured he would kill me but instead he laughed at the idea of me even having a chance with you so actually…”

Bella cut him off again. “Dad walked in on us in bed together?!”

“It’s not like I was doing anything inappropriate!” Edward started to argue back. 

Bella rubbed her eyes and look at the clock. “Is that really the time? I have to get dressed.” She started to rummage around her closet looking for clothes before turning back to Edward. “What are you doing?”

“I’m, wait, what?”

“Get out of here, go downstairs.”

“But wait, I.”

Bella pushed Edward out of the room and closed the door.

Edward pivoted on the step not sure what to do or where to go. He pushed his hand through his hair before moving toward the bathroom, figuring he’d brush some toothpaste on his teeth and use some mouthwash. Instead, Bella came rushing out of her room and flew past him into the bathroom. In less than a minute, the shower was on. 

He pivoted once again and made his way down the stairs. Before he made it to the front door, Charlie handed him a mug of coffee and asked him to set the table for breakfast.

“Oh, I really don’t want to intrude.”

“Relax kid, it’s Christmas. Sit down and enjoy some food.” Charlie moved back to the kitchen, pointing at a pile of plates and silverware. “We’ve got five of us this morning.”

Edward shrugged and moved the plates to the table. Once he had it all set up, he walked back into the kitchen and drank his coffee. He debated trying to leave again but felt it would be a useless venture. Besides, breakfast sounded nice. 

He looked over at the Christmas tree in the corner of the living room. There was a small pile of gifts under the tree, none of them very well wrapped. He moved over to the tree and examined the labels. Most were gifts addressed to Bella, a few addressed to Charlie but there were also presents for each of the Cullens. Edward squatted down and picked up a present with his name on it.

“Tsk, tsk,” A deep voice said walking up behind him, “We don’t open presents until after breakfast.” Edward stood up and twisted around, present still in his hands, as he looked at Jake.

“Where did you come from?” He asked, startled.

“The front door,” Jake pointed over his left shoulder and laughed. “Now put the present down and walk away from the tree.”

Edward gave him a weird look but followed directions. After stepping back into the kitchen area, Edward watched Jake drop a small pile of presents unceremoniously under the tree. He turned back and smiled. 

“Merry Christmas, leech!” He said cheerily before walking past Edward and grabbing a mug for coffee.

“Uh, yeah?” Edward stuttered, “Merry Christmas, I guess.”

Billy rolled his eyes as he wheeled past Edward.

Bella came tripping down the stairs, barely keeping her feet beneath her as she reached the bottom floor. “Merry Christmas, Jake!” She yelled out before flying through the kitchen and grabbing Jake into a fierce hug. She turned to Charlie and did the same in a more reserved manner before running past Edward and giving Billy a hug.

“Is this normal?” Edward asked as Bella moved over to his side.

“I’ve learned to accept a broad definition of normal,” Bella replied before wrapping his arms around Edward’s waist. “Merry Christmas, Edward. Thanks again for last night.”

“Oh, of course.” Edward leaned into the hug. “Can I grab you a coffee?”

“I’ll get it!” Jake called from the kitchen. Edward looked up just in time to see him being smacked by a flipper.

“Get out of here you crazy mutt.” Charlie laughed. “You have to leave some food for the rest of us!”

Edward smiled at the interaction. In a few moments, everyone converged at the table and began eating the feast of scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, and pancakes. 

“Do you always have this much food?” Edward smiled at his thick slice of ham. 

“Not quite,” Billy replied leaning back with a hand over his full stomach. “Jake’s appetite definitely affects the amount of food we keep around.”

“You don’t still have the wolf’s appetite?” Bella asked Billy.

“Not since I stopped shifting,” Billy replied while shrugging. “I’m guessing the increase in appetite is directly associated with the energy it takes to shift.”

“That was Carlise’s hypothesis as well.” Edward agreed before shoving the ham into his mouth.

Bella laughed and jumped out of her chair. “Hurry up you two! I want to open presents!”

Edward smiled, finishing his mouthful. “You seem a bit more cheery.”

“I’ve got a good feeling about today.” Bella smiled at him before cleaning away her plate. Jake followed suit and the two rushed over to the tree. Edward shrugged and followed suit.

Before the two adults could even make it over to the tree, Jake and Bella were camouflaged in wrapping paper. 

Jake reached over to Edward and handed him a small wrapped box. It wasn’t the same one he had been looking at before but it had Edward’s name scrawled on the paper.

“Who is this from?” He asked, holding the box like a delicate gem.

“Look, don’t overthink it or anything but the pack was pretty impressed by your clan. You guys are obviously on the good team, whether Harry and Sam really understand that yet. So, as a thank you, Merry Christmas and all that jazz.”

Edward was taken aback by the generosity. “I, uh,”

“I said, don’t overthink it.” Jake laughed.

Bella unwrapped a present of Christmas socks while joking, “You have no idea who you’re talking to.”

Edward opened the present slowly, taking out a small wooden carved wolf. He moved it around in his hand looking at every little detail.

“Did you make this?”

“Yeah.”

“Why a wolf?”

“You fight like a wolf.”

“That’s quite the compliment.”

“I know.”

Jake and Edward shared a smile before going back to the presents. Edward opened his other gift which was a nice set of wireless earbuds. 

“To help fill the white noise,” Bella said, explaining. 

“I don’t know what to say.” Edward was a bit overwhelmed by the presents. They were beyond thoughtful and very unexpected.

“Can you bring this pile home to your family?” Charlie asks as he filled a small shopping bag with presents. “There should be two in there for everyone.”

“Thank you.”

“We may not have always seen eye to eye,” Billy commented, wearing a new necklace with a large bear carving in a framed piece of wood. “But we fight for the same things and that makes us packmates.”

Edward held back tears as he nodded and walked out the front door. Before he was able to run back home, he heard someone follow him out.

“Edward?” Bella asked, stepping up next to him.

He nodded and waited.

“Thank you for being here,” Bella said softly, holding onto Edward’s hand. “It makes me believe that she’ll come home soon. Is that foolish of me?”

Edward shook his head, “Of course not. She will be home, don’t you worry.”

Bella smiled and squeezed his hand before going back inside. Edward closed his eyes and smelled the fresh snow that had fallen all around him the night before. The truth was he was terrified for Rosalie. The world they lived in was filled with nightmares and demons. 

He opened his eyes and looked at the white snow. It was as if he had walked into a completely different world. One that was untouched, unmoved, frozen in time. And for a brief moment he believed his family would be okay. That Rosalie and Emmett would return home safe and everything would be as it should, even if it was a little different. The world moved in ways he could never understand but it wasn’t his place to understand them, only to accept them or defy them. With his family, he could. And it would be okay.

“Merry Christmas, Emmett. Merry Christmas, Rosalie,” Edward whispered into the snow, hoping it would carry the words to find their ears.

A/N: Merry Christmas everyone. I hope your holidays are filled with a lot more joy than our dear Bella and Rosalie. 

For those more tech-savvy (and not willing to wait for the New Years’ update), the email is encrypted using Randomization and the password is ‘messup’. The Subject line reads “Merry Christmas”. Good luck! ::wink::

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: M

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

“I had cooperated. I could not have refused. I was smitten with her, half in love but also afraid, because in my life (and she seemed to know this) I had not loved anyone without having been wounded. Love was power and possession, love caused pain: you were never more exposed than when you were in love, never more wounded; possession was an enslavement, something stifling.”   - Paul Theroux, A Dead Hand: A Crime in Calcutta

He opened his eyes and looked at the white snow. It was as if he had walked into a completely different world. One that was untouched, unmoved, frozen in time. And for a brief moment he believed his family would be okay. That Rosalie and Emmett would return home safe and everything would be as it should, even if it was a little different. The world moved in ways he could never understand but it wasn’t his place to understand them, only to accept them or defy them. With his family, he could. And it would be okay.

“Merry Christmas, Emmett. Merry Christmas, Rosalie,” Edward whispered into the snow, hoping it would carry the words to find their ears.

Leaning back in the hotel chair, Rosalie swirled the cup of blood wine around before taking a large sip. The liquid was cool but sweet and slid down her throat easily. She tossed her head back and looked up at the ceiling, a large watermark was growing near the corner. She debated fixing it like Esme would but instead took another large sip. It was her second glass that evening and the effects of both the blood and alcohol were making itself known. 

She hated the feeling of alcohol taking control of her but the wine seemed to relax her mood. It was the only alcohol she would touch but drank in moderation. As she finished the glass, she leaned toward her computer and worked through the last few lines of her latest email. It had been an entire week since she’d been able to take the time. Encrypting her messages was tedious but the redhead had already intercepted Emmett and herself at their first hotel stay. It was obvious she was tracking their online usage. How she had the time, Rosalie wasn’t sure. It must be the action of one of the others.

She tried to think of what to say to end the email. Beginning a message was easy. She always told Bella how much she missed her and wanted to be by her side. She felt as though a part of her was physically missing when Bella was so far out of touch. The words to say goodbye felt too finite. She twirled her chair around again before writing out a quote from Ghatourey . 

The next few hours are spent encrypting the message before addressing it and sending it out over an encrypted line. Rosalie sighed and closed her laptop. She wondered if the others had figured out how to decrypt the messages yet. Emmett and she were the best with computers. Edward didn’t have the patience and Alice wasn’t able to use the electronic devices. She still used an older flip phone as her personal mobile. Esme was excellent with design software but never had any interest in computer languages and Jasper would much rather deal with an old book but he was rather good with puzzles. Carlisle knew the inside and outs of a computer in regard to its hardware but was only a beginner with software. He had so much to keep up within the medical field, computers took a backburner. 

A sharp knock came on the door and Rosalie immediately moved to the bathroom. After a short pause, the key jingled and the door swung open. Emmett hurried in, locking the door behind him and closing the shades of the window. 

Rosalie reentered the room and took the bag of groceries from him.

“I’m not sure but I feel like I’m being followed,” Emmett commented while looking through the door’s peephole. 

“You mean like a crazy, vengeful redheaded vampire is tracking your every step?” Rosalie asked with a slightly manic grin. The chase was starting to grate on her.

“No,” Emmett didn’t react to Rosalie’s statement. “Like there is someone seriously watching me.”

Rosalie quirked an eyebrow and tugged on Emmett’s shoulder. He turned around slowly.

“You do know how handsome you are, right?” Rosalie asked trying to lighten the mood.

“I am gorgeous, that’s true.” He nodded. “There’s no doubt about that but this is different. This guy isn’t checking me out, he’s just watching me.”

Rosalie moved to the window and glanced out quickly before letting the shades settle again. 

“Well, if he’s just watching there isn’t too much we can do. Let’s eat and then plan an escape route.”

Emmett shrugged and moved over to the bag sitting on the small fridge. He pulled out two large sandwiches and some cookies. He quickly devoured the cookies and made his way halfway through his sandwich before Rosalie even started on hers. 

“You know,” She said between bites. “Bella says you eat just like a wolf.”

Emmett grinned up at her with lettuce sticking out between his teeth. 

“To her, I’m sure it was an endearing comment since she loves to surround herself with that riffraff.”

“Yeah, I’m glad she has them too. They’re protectors, proud and strong. It’s as if Bella came with her own security system.” Emmett finished off his food before grabbing Rosalie’s old cup and drinking down a large fill of blood wine. 

Once Rosalie was finished with her meal, he turned to her and asked, “You ready to jump on this creeper?”

“Are we two-timing him?” Rosalie smirked coyly. “He hardly stands a chance with us.”

“You’re telling me, babe.”

Just as Emmett was about to kick open the door, a knock came from the other side. The two vampires stood side by side staring at one another, not sure what to do. The knock came again before a voice called out. 

“I have a message from Victoria.”

“Whose Victoria?” Emmett called back. Rosalie smacked him and he shrugged. “You got the wrong door, buddy. Go away.”

“Emmett, Rosalie,” The voice called back making note he most certainly didn’t have the wrong door. “Victoria, or the crazy, vengeful redheaded vampire as you might call her, has requested a parley.” He kept speaking as if Emmett and Rosalie had already agreed to show up. “The meeting will take place in one hour at Coco’s Beach Bar in Stalis Beach.”

The sound of his feet walking away drifted into the air until he was long gone. 

“We have to go, Rose,” Emmett said after several long moments. Rosalie looked over to see him showing his exhaustion for the first time since they left the battle. 

Rosalie turned her back on him and grabbed a chair, snapping the legs off and throwing them at the bed. Once her rage was released, she turned back to him and held his face in her hands. 

“I know we do,” She agreed, showing her own exhaustion. “We need to end this.”

He nodded slowly and they packed up their small bag and checked out at the Sun and Sea Apartments office. When they got to the bar, the evening crowd was taking up most of the seating choices but they spotted the redhead relaxing at a table under a large umbrella. She lifted her head and smirked at the two. Rosalie squeezed her fists closed and took a large breath through her nose, causing her nostrils to flare. Emmett nodded once before leading them over to the table. 

“That’s him,” Emmett said nodding to a young boy leaning against the bar, waiting for drinks. “He’s the one that found us.”

“I found you, actually. You’re very hard to miss when asking the grocers what the best sandwich choices were while speaking perfect Greek.” Victoria’s voice was silky and hurried as if she needed to say everything very efficiently. 

The boy returned to the table with three drinks, all looking very fruity and very alcoholic. Rosalie rolled her eyes as she stiffly took a seat. Emmett went to reach for his drink but she held him back. He frowned but nodded and left the drink on the table.

Lifting her own glass, Victoria smiled mischievously while taking a sip. “Your loss.”

“Why are we here?” Rosalie asked roughly, filled with impatience.

“Because I invited you,” Victoria replied with a flourish of her arms. “This is a beautiful beach, no? I must admit, you have taken me very far indeed before I was able to track you well enough for Riley to provide my request.”

Rosalie glanced quickly up at Riley who looked almost as uncomfortable as Jasper in a group. She scowled. “You brought a newborn to a crowded bar?”

Victoria reached out and pet Riley’s arm, causing the boy to look at her with puppy-love eyes. “He knows better than to misbehave. If he does, he’ll have to deal with the consequences.”

Riley stiffened and whimpered before looking down at his feet. Rosalie scoffed unsure if she was upset with Riley or for him.

“Very well, we’ll move straight to business.” Victoria finished off her drink before leaning forward. Rosalie stiffened but remained in her seat. “I’m tired of running after you since you’re obviously not going to run back to the brunette nor meet up with any more allies. So, Riley and I are going to head back to Forks and pluck her out of that mess of supernaturals. I thought I’d give you a heads up because a race is so much more fun than stealth.”

Emmett laughed, “As if you could get to her.”

“Wait, what do you mean you’re going back? I thought you were after us. For killing James.”

“Sweetie, you didn’t kill James,” Victoria grinned widely. “I did.”

“You what?”

“I’m not really one for self-flattery but this one was a bit of fun.” She replied while Riley grinned in the background, allowing a few slow laughs to escape his lips. Victoria continued while playing with the straw of her drink. “James wasn’t the leader of our little coven but neither am I. We simply followed orders. James was becoming a nuisance and caused this whole issue. Now that it’s come to a climax, we, of course, have to clean up the mess but avoidance of your entire coven would have been ideal.” She plucked the little plastic sword out of the cup and slowly pulled a cherry off with her teeth. Biting into the fruit, she allowed the red juices to slide down her chin. “This has taken too long and now others have become, let’s say, interested. This needs to end so end it shall.”

With a practiced smoothness, Victoria rose from the table and took a coat from Riley. She turned back to Rosalie and Emmett, another playful grin on her lips. “Maybe I’ll see you there, maybe I won’t.” Victoria disappeared into the night without a second glance. 

“We need to move,” Emmett said but Rosalie was already on the move, phone in hand. 

“Edward, you need to get her safe. I don’t know, I don’t know what’s happening but she’s coming back for her. Get Bella to safety. We’re on our way.” She hung up and took off in a blur, not caring which drunk patron thought he saw her. 

***

Bella rode her bike through the slush on the sidewalks in downtown Forks. Making her way to the diner for her Sunday morning meal with Angela, Edward, Jasper, and now Alice, she slid a bit but kept her balance. At the diner, Bella leaned her bike against the back wall and circled around to enter through the front door. 

Just as she grabbed at the door, a hand grabbed her and pulled her backward. 

“We need to…” Edward started talking before backing off. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. Please stop screaming. I just meant to grab you, yeah, I know, that was stupid. Okay, stop hitting me. No wait, don’t go in there.” He followed Bella into the diner as she made a beeline to their booth.

“Hey, Bella,” Angela called out cheerily. “I ordered you a coffee and some waffles.” She frowned and added, “You don’t look so great, everything okay?”

“This creep just grabbed me on the street,” Bella replied roughly, stuffing her coat on the coat rack before plopping down opposite Jasper. 

Jasper stiffened and moved to get up before seeing Edward slide into the booth. He noticed the strange aura between the two and commented, “You are the strange creep?”

“Look, I didn’t mean,” Edward started to say before grabbing at his hair. “Rosalie just called me.”

“What?!” Bella screamed out not even carrying how many people looked over their way. “What did she say? Is she alright? What did she need? Why can’t I speak to her?” Bella reached out to grab at Edward’s phone but he pushed her gently back against her seat.

“I don’t know, she didn’t leave me with very many answers just a lot of questions.”

“That is very Rosalie,” Alice commented while trying to concentrate on something else.

“What did she say?” Bella asked while pulling on Edward’s sleeve.

“She said you’re in trouble,” Edward started but Bella just rolled her eyes like that statement was completely obvious. “And that she’s coming home.”

“She’s coming home!” Bella shouted out filled with joy. 

“So is Victoria.”

“Who is Victoria?”

“The redhead,” Jasper said, weighing in with his thoughts. “So Rosalie must have found out somehow that Victoria is backing down from chasing her and coming back to collect Bella.”

“That’s pretty bold of her,” Angela said softly and Jasper turned to her in question. “Well, I mean, if she thinks that getting to Bella even with all of you in the way is easier than chasing down Rosalie and Emmett. That seems like a bold move.”

“It seems like a stupid move,” Bella noted confused.

“There must be something we are not taking into account,” Jasper stated before staring down at the table. He continued to comment softly about different possible situations and consequences but the entire conversation was with himself.

“Well maybe if we knew more about the fight, we could help you figure out why?” Angela asked. She knew how Bella felt with the Cullen’s constantly withholding information and was greatly aggravated that she never spoke up for herself. If someone was keeping so much from her, she’d explode, but this was Bella, the girl who went with the flow to keep everyone else happy, regardless of how lost she could feel. 

Jasper blatantly ignored her while Alice focused on something outside of her own view. Only Edward replied. 

“I don’t know what else to say. The fight didn’t really make any sense.” He pulled at his hair while trying to find the words. “When the newborns came they were enraged by the smell of Bella’s blood and burst out in fury. They attacked anything that moved, including each other. Most of the time we spent just trying to stay out of their reach until we had a clear chance to take them down. Look, I’m not giving the details, that’s not something you guys need to know, but I can say that James ended up in the middle of the fight. 

“There was this moment when James and the redhead, Victoria, seemed to be standing just outside the edges of the battlefield arguing. Like, they were just laying it on one another and I swear James was going to attack her but a group of four newborns came close with Rosalie and Emmett on their tail but the next thing I know, James had been, uh, destroyed and Victoria was staring down Rosalie.”

Bella gulped. She had heard most of the words before but the added detail made her uncomfortable. A large part of her wanted to know, wanted to be a part of the decisions and the planning and the consequences. But when she heard the details about her new family going up against death, she shivered as Edward continued his description.

“When Rosalie turned and Victoria finally caught her eye, there seemed to be a quick conversation between the two of them. Victoria ran off back toward Seattle and Rosalie ran to Emmett who had followed after the newborns. They were gone before the fight was even over. We didn’t know they had really left until everything was cleaned up and the wolves had moved out of range or whatever.”

Alice looked across the table and reached out to Bella. “I don’t think there would have been anything I could do beforehand but I’m sorry for not knowing.”

Bella took the smaller girl’s hands in hers and squeezed. “You can’t know everything all the time.”

Alice laughed, “I used to!”

Jasper laughed and the table relaxed a little into their coffee and plates. Bella could hardly touch her waffles but Edward helped. She wasn’t sure if she was excited or terrified. She knew she should be terrified since a crazy vampire was going to come and try to steal her but a much larger part of her was focusing on the fact that Rosalie was coming back to her. 

“Any more luck with the decryption, Jasper?” Angela asked as she finished her coffee. She wasn’t sure what else to focus on now that the table had seemed to go quiet. 

“I actually do have some good news about that.” Jasper smiled at Angela and then turned to Bella. “I think I figured out what type of encryption Rosalie used.”

“Does that mean you’ve decrypted it?” Bella asked only half hopeful.

“No, but that does mean I think I will have them cracked in the next day or so.” Jasper put his cup down and held up his phone. “Knowing the decryption type and the starting point will clear the message out. I’m 85% of the way done.”

“That’s great news, Jasper. Thank you.” Bella said calmly but continued to focus on Rosalie coming home. Once she was here, she could just decrypt the message. Or the two of them could lock themselves away for a weekend, forgetting all about killer vampires and encrypted messages. She blushed a little thinking back on their last eventful sleepover.

After a rather large fight with Edward, Bella convinced him to let her go home and have a few wolves protect her house. The way she figured it, Rosalie and Victoria were both pretty far away so no one was coming for her tonight.

So, Bella laid in bed trying to distract herself with Candy Crush on her phone. It was doing a pretty mediocre job but the funny noises and bright colors kept her in a good mood. Around midnight a message popped up on her phone.

She clicked over to it, noting it was a text from Jasper, who never texted.

‘ Sorry to bother you at such a late hour but I figured you may want to know this. ’

‘ Is sumthin wrong ’

‘ I’m sorry, no, I didn’t mean to make you think that. ’ 

Bella rolled her eyes and laughed. 

‘ Its fine but get 2 point. whts up? ’

‘ Of course. I have managed to decrypt the first message. Please check it on your computer. ’

Bella only read the first part of the text before dropping her phone and running over to her computer. It hummed to life and she quickly pulled up her email while ignoring the few more texts that came in. The message was flagged from Jasper and marked important. She opened it quickly and saw the forwarded email.

From: UNAUTHORIZED

To: [email protected]

CC: [email protected]

Subject: ,mnF)>Gmsq)UmGjZmw.=UBmc.m^F`m,>$m^.==`

@`mvZF=ZBGmhZppFWm@`m;.QZW

,m)ZQZ=m$ZF)GmG.mpZFQZm`.LmGjZmVF`m,mUqUmKLGm,mP.LpU)>GmGjq)}m._mVjFGmZpBZmG.mU.am,mUqU)>Gm_ZZpmpq}Zm,mjFUmF)`mPj.qPZamcjZm.)p`mVF`mG.mBFQZm`.L=mpq_ZmVFBmG.mpZFQZm`.LWmVjqPjmB.L)UBm=qUqPLp.LBam

,>$mBL=ZmGjZm.GjZ=BmjFQZmFp=ZFU`mdqQZ)m`.LmFppmGjZq=mq)_.=$FGq.)m_=.$mGjZmKFGGpZam,GmVFBmFm$FBBFP=ZWmG.mBF`mGjZmpZFBGam,mU.)>GmZQZ)mL)UZ=BGF)UmVj`mqGmVFBmGjZmVF`mqGmVFBmKLGm,>$mPZ=GFq)mqGmVFBm$ZF)GmG.mKZmxLBGmFBm$LPjm._mFmUZ3p.`mK`mGjZm.GjZ=mBqUZa

,mF$mV=qGq)dmG.mGZppm`.LmGjFGm,mF$mBF_ZmF)Um3=F`m`.LmF=ZmG.m=Z$Fq)mBF_ZmFBmVZppam,mVqppmKZmj.$ZmKZ_.=Zm`.Lm}).VmqGmF)Um,mF$mG=`q)dmG.m}ZZ3mFm3.BqGqQZmp..}m.)mGjq)dBam,mKZpqZQZmGjFGmqBm`.L=mU.q)da

,mp.QZm`.LmF)UmVqppmKZmGjq)}q)dm._m`.LmZQZ=`m$.$Z)Gm._mZQZ=`mUF`mGjFGmVZmF=ZmF3F=Ga

u.L=mY.BFpqZ

Oa^am{$$ZGGmBZ)UBmjqBmp.QZmF)UmF3.p.dqfZBm_.=mpZFQq)dm`.LmKZjq)Uam,mU.m).GmBjF=ZmGjqBm.3q)q.)mFBm,mVqBjm`.LmG.mKZmBF_Zm.QZ=m$ZmKZq)dmjF33`a

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

CC:

Subject: FWD:FWD: I Can't Find the Words To Say I'm Sorry

My Dearest Bella, My Love,

I never meant to leave you the way I did but I couldn't think of what else to do. I didn't feel like I had any choice. The only way to save your life was to leave you, which sounds ridiculous. 

I'm sure the others have already given you all their information from the battle. It was a massacre, to say the least. I don't even understand why it was the way it was but I'm certain it was meant to be just as much of a deploy by the other side.

I am writing to tell you that I am safe and pray you are to remain safe as well. I will be home before you know it and I am trying to keep a positive look on things. I believe that is your doing.

I love you and will be thinking of you every moment of every day that we are apart.

Your Rosalie

P.S. Emmett sends his love and apologizes for leaving you behind. I do not share this opinion as I wish you to be safe over me being happy.

Bella jumped up out of her seat and danced around her room before scrambling around to find her phone.

‘ Thk u thk u thk u!!!!!! :) :) :) ’

‘ You’re most welcome. I am still working on the second and third but will get them to you once I can. Goodnight Bella. ’

Bella flung herself on her bed playing for another half hour when she heard her computer bing with another email. She pulled it up and read the second email from Jasper.

From: [email protected]

To: [email protected]

CC:

Subject: FWD:FWD: Merry Christmas

My Beloved, Bella

I miss you more than I realized I could miss someone. I'm overwhelmed with the need to apologize for my absence but I don't have the words to say it all.

It feels as though my life started the day I met you. The next day my entire world was taken from me. With time being such a nuisance for so long, I can't begin to understand when it became so important to me.

I hope you will receive these messages soon. We are still being chased but you have nothing to fear. Emmett is here with me and I trust Edward and Alice to keep you safe. These messages are encrypted to keep the redhead from finding us. It has worked so far but how I wish to hear your voice.

I wish to be close to you even if only to hold your hand. It's funny how something so small can mean so much. How important someone can become in only a few moments, in such a whirlwind of time, everything you thought was important changed. 

I've spent enough Christmas holidays alone to know it is family that makes the holiday. I don't know when it happened, Bella, but you have become my family. 

Your gift represents this feeling, I hope you feel the same. I hope you feel as much a part of my family as the rest of us believe you to be. 

I may not have understood at the time but I know now that meeting you was the best thing to ever happen to me. You are everything which is good in my life. And for that, I will fight until I am back home in your arms.

Until we are together again may every moment reminds me of you. 

Merry Christmas, Your Rosalie

P.S. Emmett says your present from him is Dracula by Bea Miller. He's been listening to it practically non-stop lately. 

Bella spun around in her bedroom before falling onto her bed. She passed out before she even realized how tired she was. 

Bella woke to the sound of a deep, male voice. “Come on, Edward, we talked about this. You can’t just wander into my room whenever you feel like it.” Bella whimpered into her pillow, which was resting over her eyes.

The male voice laughed deep and quiet, a thunderous sound. “I will attempt to keep that in mind but seeing as how I’m not Edward, I don’t know if the rules apply to me.”

Bella threw the pillow from her face and nearly jumped out of bed. Sitting at her computer desk was an extremely handsome, olive-skinned man with long, dark dreads. 

“Oh, it most definitely applies to rando vampires!” Bella yelled out. She thought about screaming more, calling Charlie into her room, but she didn’t want him to be hurt. She looked out the window to see if anyone was out there but no one was in sight. 

The vampire merely leaned back in the computer chair as if he had a million years to wait. 

“What do you want, why are you here? You know, all those questions.” Bella asked trying to think of what to do.

The vampire sighed and leaned forward. “You see, James made a mess of things. Do you remember James?” His eyes looked directly into Bella as he waited for her to answer, she nodded slowly and gulped. “He mentioned as much. You see, I wanted to ignore the whole lot of you. The Olympic coven are a bit of a soft spot in the Volturi’s eyes so a human living amongst vampires and knowing all of our secrets would be ignored. It’s not worth my time.”

He shifted slightly and looked out Bella’s window. “Normally, we could just kill the human, disperse or kill the vampires and let the Volturi know why. Everything would be cleared and we’d be good to go on our way. Instead, with the Olympic coven’s involvement, the Volturi would have been furious. So, I wanted to leave. 

“But James, James insisted that no one would remember. That he would get in, take care of you, maybe even take care of a few of them, and no one would remember enough to tell the Volturi a plausible story. I agreed for the fun of it, we have been quite bored for a while now.

“Then you happened.” His eyes moved to Bella’s and a dark red tint seemed to glow over his dark brown eyes. “Because of your special little gift, I have had to lose my little tracker. It was a great loss but perhaps I can forgive you with a fair trade.”

Bella was visibly shaking at this point. She had remembered the Volturi name mentioned before but didn’t completely understand what they did. And she certainly didn’t understand why they would give the Olympic coven special treatment. Most of those thoughts moved in and out of her brain as she seized up at the mere look the vampire was giving her.

“Trade?” Her voice scratched out the question.

“You know about vampire gifts, yes?” Bella nodded slowly. “Do you want to know what my gift is?”

Bella gulped and shook her head no. The vampire laughed loudly and Bella was certain her father would hear. She looked at the door quickly before looking back at the vampire in front of her.

“My dear you will know soon enough regardless.” He stood up and moved slowly, purposely toward her. “My name is Laurent, I advise you to remember that.”

“Why should I?” Bella asked but most of the words came out as a scared whisper. 

“Because I am your new master.” Laurent smiled devilishly before pulling Bella into his grasp and jumping out her window with an ease she didn’t think was possible. 

A wolf came tumbling out of the woods but Laurent merely stared the animal down. Instead of attacking, the wolf seemed to cower before Laurent. He shoved it with such a hard hit, the wolf went flying into a large tree. Bella heard a crunch and threw her hands up over her mouth, holding in her whimper. Another wolf circled around Laurent but was tossed farther down toward the house. As the wolf found its footing, it howled out into the woods. Now the whole pack knew what was going on and they would be there to save her.

Before Bella could get too excited, Laurent turned to wolf and stared it down. The wolf cowered and held its paws over its ears. Laurent then took off into the woods. He moved with a swiftness that kept Bella safe against him but almost made her feel like vomiting as the trees wooshed by, scratching at her limbs. Could all vampires move this quickly? Were they all strong enough to shove a werewolf into a tree with one hand? 

With a sudden jerk, Laurent stopped and dropped Bella unceremoniously on the ground. They were deep in the Olympic Mountains surrounded by trees and a small stream ran down along one side. If it weren’t for the mortal peril, Bella might have noticed the beauty of the location. 

“The fun will begin shortly, for now, I need you to drink up.” 

Laurent lifted Bella from the ground just enough for her mouth to come to his arm. He had slit open a large gash and Bella couldn’t help but choke down on the blood. It was so strange but it reminded her of James, not just because of the incredible situation but the taste of the blood itself. She wondered if every vampire’s blood tasted the same. 

When Laurent dropped her back to the ground, Bella started coughing and choking. She attempted to vomit up the blood but nothing she did would work. Her vision became blurry and the world around her seemed to swim. Before she knew it, she passed out.

***

The flight from Athens to Seattle took over 16 hours and Rosalie was moving through the airport like a bull in a china shop. She hadn’t seen Victoria nor had she heard from her family since she last spoke with Carlisle. He ensured Bella was safe and the wolves would keep a tight watch on her until Rosalie returned home. The next plan was to leave the area with Bella and Charlie, if he’d come.

Once they cleared the airport, Rosalie and Emmett immediately found Alice sitting in a yellow Porsche 911 Turbo S, which Emmett barely fit into the back seat (he had to lay sideways and hold their bag on his legs). The latest news from Alice was not good. 

Rosalie jumped out of the car just as they were nearing Port Angeles and ran down Hurricane Ridge Rd. When she finally stopped to listen and smell the air, Emmett and Alice had caught up to her. They too searched their surroundings. They had passed the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center and were heading toward Whiskey Bend when Rosalie caught the first scent. It was a smell she would know anywhere, Bella’s blood.

She took off in the direction with Emmett hot on her heels. Alice followed a short ways behind, her phone in her ear as she yelled for reinforcements.  When they came to the clearing, at the base of Cat Peak just near the end of Cat Creek, Rosalie exploded in rage. 

Ahead of her stood a very arrogant, olive-skinned vampire with long dreads. Before he could say a word, Rosalie lunged at him, attempting to rip him to shreds. He merely swat at her like a fly causing her to hurl across the opening and crash along the ground.

“Where are your manners, dear girl?” The vampire said, wiping off his coat as if he had gotten it dirty. “Were you raised in a barn?”

Rosalie made another leap at him but he dodged and smacked her into the ground. Holding his hand on her to keep her from getting up. 

“I’m sure we can come to an understanding if we just take the time to discuss things.” The vampire cooed as if speaking to a small child. “I’m sure I’ll grow bored of the girl and return her to you in another century or so, you merely need to wait your turn.”

Emmett ran into the clearing and jumped for the vampire. He was able to knock the arm from Rosalie, allowing her to move quickly out of reach but Emmett was tossed away just as easily.

Alice walked into the clearing and whistled loud and slow. Growling and barely contained, Rosalie and Emmett moved to her side, flanking her as she addressed the vampire.

“We are from the Olympic coven, who are you?”

“Ah, the voice of reason.” The vampire purred. “I am Laurent, it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.”

“I can’t say I agree,” Alice replied coolly. “We have obviously come for Bella.”

“Yes but she is mine now.” Laurent looked over at Bella’s limp body lying on the ground. She had bloody scratches all over her body and her mouth was covered in blood. 

Rosalie wiped the blood from her own mouth and shook her wrist out. It crackled a little and she was pretty sure it was fractured. Emmett cracked his neck this way and that and circled his shoulders. He was ready for round two.

“You can’t claim her!” Rosalie shouted out, exhausted from all the waiting, all the traveling. Who even was this guy? 

“As you can see,” Laurent pointed down at the gash on his arm and the blood on Bella’s lips. “I already have.”

“Enough!” Rosalie shouted and ran at the vampire a third time. He reached out and grabbed around her neck, pulling her high above himself before tossing her into a tree. The trunk snapped and fell, with Rosalie landing awkwardly beside it. 

Laurent shrugged and looked back at Alice and Emmett before frowning over their shoulders. “I see you called for backup.”

Alice turned to look behind them while Emmett kept a watchful eye on Laurent. For his part, the older vampire simply stared down at his nails attempting to look calm. 

Quickly grabbing Emmett’s arm, Alice turned him around to see who had entered the clearing at the same time that Rosalie moved over to Bella, scooping the girl into her arms. Three Volturi guards slowly moved between the Cullen’s and Laurent with his prey. 

“As you can tell, we are members of the guard of Volturi.” One of the vampires said. He was wearing dark tight clothing with red accents. The clothing was meant to look somewhat modern while still having no loose ends which could catch on trees or other obstacles. His left chest was marked with the Volturi crest, a silver V with a shield and red gems. 

“I am Felix and this is Demetri and Afton. Address yourselves now.” He spoke clearly and with authority. Alice responded at once.

“I am Alice and this is Emmett of the Olympic coven.” She grabbed her throat, holding her mouth slightly ajar. Rosalie looked over at her and realized she must have been compelled to speak.

“I am Laurent of the Qua coven.” Laurent cleared his throat several times before adding, “And this Rosalie of the Olympic coven and Bella of no coven.”

“That’s not true,” Rosalie shouted out before she could stop herself. “She is of the Olympic coven and he is torturing her.”

Bella groaned slowly and attempted to look around. All she saw was Rosalie which made her smile. She reached up and held Rosalie’s face in her hand before kissing the blonde quite passionately. It was obvious the girl had no idea what was happening around her.

Felix looked down at Bella and gestured toward Afton. The shorter of the three moved over to Bella and lifted her unceremoniously from Rosalie’s grip. Bella looked around confused just barely taking in the scene around her. Rosalie tried to reach for her, but Afton always seemed to keep just out of her reach, almost like she couldn’t see exactly where he was.

Afton sniffed at the girl and recoiled. “She is a human so our information was correct. She has a large loss of blood but is in process.”

“Very well, kill her.” Felix replied.

Before anyone could react, Afton twisted Bella’s neck. As the body collapsed, he caught her up and scooped her into his arms holding her like a bride.

“Is there anything else?” Felix asked of Laurent. 

Laurent merely shrugged and adjusted his stance. “May I go?”

“Of course.”

Laurent moved out of the clearing so quickly only the woosh of the trees made note of his passing.

Alice fell to her knees, holding her head in her hands, shaking it back and forth. Emmett stood stoic, half disbelieving, half unsure what to do. Rosalie burned red. She attacked the Volturi with such unrestrained rage, Felix actually moved out of the fray. Afton moved as if he was a ghost, always out of reach but Demetri came between her and Afton fighting her off with every move. The two scrabbled and marked each other with each passing blow. Eventually, however, Demetri was able to overcome Rosalie and she was pushed to the ground. 

The rest of the Olympic coven arrived but there was very little they could do. Esme restrained Rosalie, holding her back from trying to fight any more. Carlisle attempted to convince Felix to allow Bella to stay with them but Felix insisted she must be taken to Volterra for review. Unwittingly, Carlisle agreed and the Cullens made plans to travel to Volterra in hopes they could save Bella’s afterlife. 

Once the Volturi left, Rosalie destroyed the clearing, leaving only a smoking crater behind.

A/N: So that happened. Happy New Year?

Anyone manage to decrypt the messages before I shared them? I thought that was a bit of fun but I’m sure most of you were just annoyed at a huge chunk of garbled letters and symbols. So I’ll try to restrain in the future.

[JenDamn] You were the voice of Angela in this chapter, I hope I did your words some justice if only a little bit. 

[averiarose] I will continue with the Twilight fandom for as long as I write fanfic. I find it to be extremely satisfying and I absolutely love Rosalie as a character. I’m glad you’re enjoying the story and I hope you find more fics to satiate you.

[puzzlepiece10] Did you have any luck decrypting the email?

[Han818] Everyone did come back but I’m not sure if it was the reunion you were truly wishing for. 

[Tohshi] James is dead but you were right that Victoria was just messing with Rosalie and Emmett. Another vampire was holding the strings. I hope this twist was up to par. Now, I’m not playing with blood bonds but Laurent does have a very specific gift when it comes to blood. Any ideas what it might be?

What do you think Bella will be like as a vampire? How do you think her gift will grow or change? How do you think this will affect her relationship with Rosalie or the other Cullens? With her dad and the wolves?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: M

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

“Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.” - Albert Einstein

The rest of the Olympic coven arrived but there was very little they could do. Esme restrained Rosalie, holding her back from trying to fight any more. Carlisle attempted to convince Felix to allow Bella to stay with them but Felix insisted she must be taken to Volterra for review. Unwittingly, Carlisle agreed and the Cullens made plans to travel to Volterra in hopes they could save Bella’s afterlife. 

Once the Volturi left, Rosalie destroyed the clearing, leaving only a smoking crater behind.

The flight to Italy was excruciatingly long. Rosalie sat beside Emmett glaring out the window at the immense ocean. They had only just left Newfoundland behind so the flight had another seven hours to Florence. Rosalie absentmindedly itched at her left arm where Demetri had left a sizable gouge. It was mostly healed but the tightened skin was irritating her. When they were flying over Canada, she had the distraction of watching the people mill around below here, at least when the cloud coverage wasn’t too thick. Now, the limited amount of sea life and ships weren’t enough. 

She turned her attention to the people around her while still focusing on the waves below. Emmett was turning down food options for Rosalie, keeping the flight attendant from bothering her. Jasper was talking about the attack. A part of Rosalie didn’t want to listen, didn’t want to replay what happened but a few words snuck in and she listened intently.

“When I passed by Bella’s house, there were three wolves lying in the yard whimpering as if they had been in a fight but most of them looked to be unscathed. At least, they should have been in fighting order. I couldn’t find the fourth one that was supposed to be there and moreover where was the rest of the pack?”

“We need to tell them what happened,” Edward commented. “They probably have no idea if they’re still in that state.”

“We need to tell Charlie, too.” Alice agreed uncomfortably. 

Rosalie listened to the group shuffle tensely in their seats. She realized she should really be the one to call Charlie but had no idea what to say. How do you explain that your only daughter has been turned into a vampire? That she was taken by a secret vampiric government to another continent to be questioned and studied? Because that’s what the Volturi do, right? They protect the vampires and reign over them with their rules and laws but they also study. They collect special vampires and use them to control the minions below them.

It was like walking into a fairy tale or a conspiracy theory. There was so much Rosalie really didn’t know about the Volturi that made all the rumors and ridiculous comments feel real when faced with meeting them. She shook her head and closed her eyes, a few tears escaped and Emmett squeezed her hand. Rosalie hadn’t even realized he had been holding it.

As she took a deep breath, ready to take action, Rosalie sighed in relief. She could hear Esme on the phone with Charlie. It wasn’t going well but it was being taken care of. Charlie was shouting questions while apologizing for his anger. Esme had that effect on people, no one ever wanted to be mad with her but Rosalie could understand Charlie’s rage. 

Carlisle was having a much more subdued conversation with Sam. It appeared the wolves had been hit with an alpha command that left them not quite paralyzed but unable to move all the same. What was strange was that they had no idea who gave the command. Even Sam couldn’t fight against it. The only way they were able to come out of it was because Jacob broke free and eventually got Sam through as well. When they were able to regroup, the wolves ran to Bella’s and tried to figure out where everyone had gone but weren’t getting anywhere. The phone call helped with the confusion but didn’t relieve any of the tension. Rosalie could hear the wolves howling in the background of Sam. It was a howl full of fear, resentment, and anger. 

The fight with Laurent came back to mind and Rosalie grew angry. She was so mad at Edward for not protecting Bella but at the same time had no idea how he could have against that monster. Laurent was calm and reserved and incredibly powerful. Rosalie leaned forward and waited as Carlisle hung up.

“Yes, Rosalie?” He asked, feeling her leaning toward him. 

“Do you know Laurent?”

“No, I’ve never met him exactly but I do know of him.”

“Oh really?” Esme asked leaning against him. Her conversation with Charlie had brought her mood down considerably. 

“He had tried to join the Volturi some years ago, I believe it was the middle 1800s?” His voice grew far away as if he was attempting to bring up a memory. “He stayed on for a few months and worked with Aro to find powerful candidates. Laurent was actually the one that brought in Jane and Alec.”

“The Witch Twins?” Emmett asked a little too loudly.

Carlisle grimaced but nodded his head.

“I thought Jane and Alec had been around for centuries,” Alice said quietly. She had met the Volturi just after she had been changed by Carlisle. They had tried to bring her in but she refused, wishing to stay with Carlisle. Aro had agreed but very reluctantly. There was no doubt in any of the Olympic coven’s minds that Aro would take Alice if given the chance.

“That’s because of how powerful an influence they truly hold.” Carlisle agreed. “But no, Laurent worked with Aro to find them, then Laurent changed them just after they turned 13. Aro would have waited, would have let them age to a comfortable adulthood. I remember Aro explaining this to me just after Laurent had left. Apparently, he had hoped he would be a replacement for me, in a way, at least that’s the feeling I got from Marcus and Caius.” His voice grew far away and he stopped his mutterings.

“Why did he leave the Volturi?” Edward asked.

“Aro didn’t trust him,” Carlisle answered quickly. “He had been traveling with Vladimir and Stefan.”

“From the Romanian coven?”

“Yes, they took him in for a while, I believe. May have even been the ones to inform him of the Volturi.”

The conversation continued with the rise and power of the Romanian coven and how their downfall came from the Volturi but the destruction of both covens brought havoc to the vampire world. In the end, it seemed as if the Egyptian coven would reign but once Aro had control of Jane and Alec, no one else stood a chance. They finished off the Romanian stragglers and brought the Egyptians to their knees.

“Centuries of power and then wiped out by some kids.” Emmett shook his head. “I would have liked to meet Vladimir. He was practically the classic Dracula.”

“In a way, Laurent was the one that saved the Volturi,” Edward added in a confused manner. “Is that why they let him go earlier?”

“We shall have to ask them ourselves,” Carlisle frowned. 

The rest of the trip seemed to take ages but Rosalie was able to rest her eyes. She thought of Bella’s brown eyes and how she spent so much time pushing the girl away. She thought of when they’d first met. She thought of when she walked Bella home and leaned in to kiss her neck, how her fangs came out and almost pierced her skin. How she almost couldn’t control her thirst yet at the same time felt compelled to protect the girl. She thought about how even now her blood called out to her. She thought about how she’d tasted the last time they kissed, their own blood mixed together from their injuries. 

She thought about how long it had taken her to drop her walls and simply let the girl in. And how the second she did, Bella was stolen from her. Changed and, most likely, being manipulated. Would she still be the same girl now that she’s a vampire? Will the bloodlust consume her and the Volturi control her?

Rosalie needed to get to Volterra and get her girl back. 

***

Charlie pulled his truck up to Billy’s house and jumped out, quickly grabbing his shotgun and marching up to the front door. He didn’t even have to knock before Jake and Billy came out onto the small porch and eyed him cautiously.

“Where are they?” Billy shouted, holding his shotgun down at his side. “Where did they take Bella?”

Jake looked at Billy and then back at Charlie. “You need to talk to Sam.”

Charlie held his shotgun up across his chest and shouted back, “I’m talking to you two! Where is Bella?”

“Charlie, you need to relax.” Billy started to say before Charlie lifted his shotgun and shot their mailbox.

“Where is Bella?!” He screamed before lowering his gun with an apologetic look on his face. His rage and fury seemed to seep out of him before he dropped to his knees. “I am about as calm as any father would be in this situation.” 

Billy rolled down the front ramp before Jake could stop him. He came up next to Charlie and laid a hand on his shoulder. He looked back at Jake, who nodded before taking off, a loud crack signalled his change and he was gone.

Billy turned back to Charlie and said, “It’s the feeling of being defenseless.”

Charlie looked up at his friend and nodded. He often forgot Billy was in a wheelchair. Not quite literally, he saw the chair, but he forgot the amount of trauma Billy had gone through, how much had really changed for him beyond the physical. One day they were best friends that jumped off cliffs and rode dirt bikes; Billy just had to disappear sometimes for wolf stuff. The next day, Billy was in so much pain due to a vampire crushing his spine and there were no doctors that could help him. Charlie felt useless and Billy felt like he’d lost a part of himself. When his spine couldn’t heal properly he could no longer shift. The depression that followed took years from his life.

“How do you remain human when surrounded by all these supernatural beings?” Charlie asked quietly. “Sometimes I think my pure will of needing to help will make me more than what I am.”

“Sometimes I think you may be right.” Billy smiled down at Charlie. He held out his hand and helped Charlie stand up.

“Bella was always meant for this life.” Charlie added, looking out over the horizon. He could see Jacob’s wolf running back toward them. “I think I’ve lost her to them.”

Billy frowned at his lap and nodded. When Jacob arrived, the two men followed him back to the central lodge to await news.

***

The cinnamon brown stone surrounding them as they walked through the central streets of Volterra made Rosalie feel sick. This city was known as a sanctuary, a place of freedom and stability, a place where any man, woman or child can live with no fear of the supernatural. It was also the store front to an underground vampire mob. She felt like she was walking through Sicily to meet the Mafia or through Kobe to meet the Yamaguchi-gumi. It’s all business up front but behind the scenes was a lot of blood.

When they finally arrived at the central clock tower, they were met by a vampire guard who wore a stunning red dress and smiled as if she were the devil herself.

“Welcome to Volterra, Olympic coven. I am Heidi and will be your guide into the, let’s say, darker side of Volterra.” She grinned brightly at Rosalie before turning to leave down a side street.

As if compelled by an unknown force, Rosalie immediately began following the woman down the street, around a few corners, and through a large, ornate door. The door was hidden from the regular street, but had the Volturi crest emblazoned across the front of it made of gold and rubies. 

Emmett went to reach out and touch the door but was quickly slapped away by Jasper. He frowned but stared at the crest as they walked through. The halls became dark even as the light stone lead them down a long hallway. 

When they reached a second door, also marked with the Volturi crest, they bottlenecked until Heidi opened the door and gestured them through. Rosalie followed Carlisle and Esme out into a large lobby made entirely out of gold laced marble. There were large pillars, gargoyles and several other architectural nuances that Rosalie was sure would be interesting if she wasn’t so nervous. She wanted to see Bella and she wanted to see her now. The entire trip plus this slow introduction added up to three days since she had been taken. 

Why hadn’t they come sooner? Why hadn’t she bottled up her rage and left with the Volturi directly? Why was the Volturi stalling?

“Welcome to the Volturi coven’s humble abode.” Heidi commented with a sickenly sweet voice. She beckoned them to follow her past a front desk area where a young, very human, girl sat uncomfortably. As the Olympic coven walked by she fidgeted until Jasper casted a soothing effect over her. Sheepishly she smiled and waved before her attention was brought to the large front doors. 

Rosalie turned around to see a small tour group being ushered through the doors by Afton. She tried to stop, to go over to him and demand where Bella was, but her feet refused and she continued to follow Heidi. Just before he went out of view, Afton looked up and shared a moment with Rosalie, almost as if he was sorry for taking Bella, but the moment was gone before she could believe it was real. 

The coven was quickly brought to another set of large doors. These ones were black, a stark contrast to the white marble, and opened slowly as if on automatic hinges. They walked into a large black marble room, decorated with banners of the Volturi crest and pronounced with three large thrones. 

Emmett almost laughed at the grandeur of it all but Edward pinched him before he let his thoughts fall out his mouth. 

“My darling, Carlisle!” A shriek voice called out as if by a school boy. “You have finally come back to us.”

“It is good to see you, Aro.” Carlisle commented firmly but not unkindly. “I wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Oh but it is!” Aro sat up from his throne and pulled Carlisle into a large hug. He was of average height, no taller than Carlisle, and average build. His skin was a milky white color as if made of layers of an onion. The color contrasted greatly to his long black hair which seemed to dance behind his head. The man was like the building itself, a contrast of light and dark.

On the other two thrones sat an older man with a completely expressionless face, pale skin and dark lips. His hair was long but didn’t move nor call attention to it the way Aro’s did. The other man looked to be barely older than Rosalie herself and held a scowl so sharp she thought he might be able to kill with a glare. Apart from this, he appeared to be quite handsome and tall with medium length blonde hair. 

“I can’t say I agree,” Carlisle responded back to Aro. “Can we see Bella?”

“Oh, yes, yes, of course, in time.” Aro replied. Rosalie let out a sharp growl which only seemed to amuse Aro more as he turned to make introductions. “Of course you know but let me share with the rest of the coven. This here is Marcus and Caius. They are both simply exhausted with enthusiasm over our new vampire.”

Emmett barked a quick laugh, which everyone ignored. Carlisle made his own introductions but the only one Aro paid attention to was Alice. 

“I do remember this one.” He said in a giddy tone. “May I?” He reached his hands out as if to hold Alice’s. Jasper stiffened but Alice merely shrugged and placed her hands in Aro’s. The other two sat forward in their thrones and watched as Aro looked up at the ceiling. He seemed to be enjoying himself and forgot everyone else in the room. After a few minutes, he finally let go. 

Turning back to the other two he almost spun in place before stating, “I can’t see her, not at all. It’s simply amazing. I can see Alice and all of her visions with everyone else and yet she doesn’t have any involving the new one.” He clapped his hands together and really did spin this time. 

“That is very interesting,” Remarked Marcus slowly, cautiously.

“That is very dangerous,” Caius stated with contempt.

“We already talked about this,” Aro said, his voice deepening slightly. 

“You talked about this,” Caius barked back. He lifted his hand in the air dismissively and added, “Do what you will but do it quickly. I am done with this one.”

Aro let a look of anger flash in his eyes before he turned back to Carlisle and smiled brightly. “Some of us may be a little jealous.” He said as if sharing a secret. Caius rolled his eyes in reply and Aro continued, “We will be feasting soon and although you are welcome to join us,” He paused for a moment as if expecting one of them to agree. “But of course I know of your alternate ways. There are, um, donated vials in the guest rooms. Please help yourself.”

Aro gestured for the Olympic coven to follow Heidi out to some guest rooms but Rosalie walked up to him, effectively cutting him off from his throne, and asked, “Where is Bella?”

He looked at Rosalie slowly, almost reached out for her but she swayed slightly away from him. She knew his power, his trick. She knew that a mere touch would allow him to search the minds of those he touched for as long as their skin remained in contact. The gift was subpar to Edward’s but still disgusted her. She flinched involuntarily away before being forced to follow Heidi out of the room.

She turned back just before the doors closed to see Marcus staring at her as if he’d just woken up from a dream. For a mad moment she thought he was going to get up and follow her but something else caught his attention and the door closed. 

They walked down several corridors and past a multitude of doors before Heidi stopped and pointed at four identical doors. 

“These will be your rooms, you may divide them however you wish. If you need anything, simply pick up the phone provided in each room.”

She was gone before Rosalie could ask where Bella was. Desperate, she followed Carlisle and Esme into one of the rooms, the other four entered as well. 

“I need to find her.” Rosalie stated clearly.

“I know, I’m sorry.” Carlisle replied. “I’m trying to play their game of caring and false pretensions but I had forgotten just how turned around Aro can make you feel.”

“Even trying to understand his thoughts makes me feel like I’m riding a merry-go-round.” Edward commented before taking a seat in a large, plush chair. Emmett and Alice sat down on a lounge couch but the rest of them remained standing and on guard. Rosalie didn’t have time to look around the room or take in the grandeur of the furniture and the paintings. She could only focus on one thing.

Carlisle walked over to the phone and held it to his ear. “Hello, yes, this is Carlisle. Yes, that Carlisle. I need, not exactly. Well, yes, thank you. I would like to see Bella.” The last sentence came out a bit harsher than Carlisle normally spoke and surprised everyone in the room. “Of course, thank you.”

He turned back to the group, unconsciously holding onto Esme’s shoulder for support. “They said they’d have someone call me back.” His voice was exasperated and his shoulders sagged. 

“They’re playing us,” Jasper noted, finally saying what everyone was thinking.

“I do believe they are, yes.” Carlisle agreed.

“Well I’m not going to stand around so close to her and not do anything.” Rosalie pushed open the door and walked confidently down the hall. She took a left, then a right followed by another right. Corridor after corridor and nothing looked familiar yet it all looked the same. She knew she was moving farther down, below the streets of Volterra but she couldn’t find her way.

“No, we came from that direction, let’s try this way.” Edward said after nearly thirty minutes of travel. Rosalie jumped slightly at the sound of his voice, she hadn’t realized he was there. She looked past him to see Emmett trying random doorknobs. Most came up locked but a few he opened and looked into before shaking his head. They had followed her straight out the room and were helping her. She smiled at her brothers before nodding and moving in the direction Edward suggested.

They continued downward, not quite in a spiral but never coming to any stairs. They felt the earth round them, the cold seeping into their bones. They moved swiftly and with purpose so that anyone they met on their way ignored them. Most were visiting vampires of no importance to the Olympic coven but a few were Voturi guards, wearing the same traveling gear Rosalie and Emmett had seen before. Others wore casual clothes but always marked in blacks and reds with the Volturi crest visible.

At an intersection, Rosalie decided to go left but Edward held out his hand to stop her.

“I hear someone that way, someone that is thinking about Bella, thinking about you.”

“Does he know where Bella is?” Rosalie asked while half pulling her body away from his grasp. She wanted answers.

“I think he was the one that brought her here?” Edward asked confused.

“Afton.” Emmett nodded his head. “He moves like a ghost, as if you can’t really put your hands on him. I think it’s a manipulation gift. Obviously he’s there but you can’t touch him, or maybe he’s not really there he projects a vision of him while he is somewhere else. I don’t know, man. It’s all really trippy.”

Rosalie pulled out of Edward’s grip and rushed down the hall. 

“Afton?” She called out in front of her. She couldn’t have possibly been imagining the look he gave her earlier. There was something more going on here and right then, Afton was Rosalie’s only lead. “Afton?”

Once she was around the corner, Afton appeared. Rosalie reached out to grab him but missed or he moved. She twirled around and stood. Emmett and Edward came around the bend and skidded to a stop. 

Emmett raised his hands and said, “Just here to talk.”

Afton was standing at a slight crouch, a definite defensive stance. He stayed in the stance while slowly watching each of three vampires before him. He quickly looked behind him before nodding at Rosalie.

“I need to see Bella,” Rosalie said without a second thought. “You know where she is.”

Afton looked over at Edward who nodded. In the vampire world, it seemed that some gifts were well known.

“Will you bring us to her?” Edward asked.

Afton shook his head slowly. “I can bring only the girl. I can only hide one.”

Rosalie looked back at her brothers and nodded once before moving toward Afton. 

“Can you at least tell us when to expect her back?” Emmett asked obviously uncomfortable with letting Rosalie leave with this vampire. 

Afton thought for a moment before replying, “Meet me back at the lounge there in an hour.”

Edward and Emmett nodded. “We’ll wait there,” Emmett added watching Afton take Rosalie’s hand and the two seemed to disappear down the hall. 

Rosalie felt the corridors move around her more than she felt herself move. Afton’s steps barely touched the floor, his hands almost seemed to vanish through doors before they opened. He moved with a swiftness few vampires were trained with yet his appeared to be natural. 

Even at this quick paced it seemed to take several minutes before Afton slowed at a door. The outside looked complete unassuming but Rosalie felt a coldness in the air she had never felt before. 

“She’s in here. I’ll open the door and you can go in but,” Afton started to say a warning but Rosalie didn’t want to hear anything about it.

“Just let me in, you’re wasting time.”

“Very well.” Afton opened the door with a key from an inner pocket of his jacket. 

Rosalie walked into a large bedroom suite much the same as the one Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, and Alice were in. It reminded her of a basic, high-scale hotel with beautiful furnishings, a large bed, fully stocked kitchenette, and what she presumed to be a large bathroom suite off to the right. She walked in slowly, not seeing anyone around.

She moved slowly about the room searching for anything that would tell her Bella was there. There was no suitcase, no random books, not notebooks or scattered pens, no photos of her loved ones. The room held no sign of anyone even living in it. The bed was perfectly made, the tv was off, the mini fridge fully stocked. She walked into the large bathroom suite but all the towels were folded perfectly, there was no water splashed on the sink, the TP roll was cornered and untouched. 

Rosalie walked back in the bedroom to see Bella standing in the middle staring at her. She rushed over quickly but Bella held her hand up and Rosalie stopped just out of reach.

“You came,” Bella said but it didn’t sound like her. Her voice sounded so far away, so strange.

“Of course I came.”

“They told me you wouldn’t follow.”

“I would follow you anywhere and everywhere.” Rosalie said softly. 

Bella searched Rosalie’s eyes before nodding, “I know.”

It was Bella, it truly was. She looked the same yet different. There were bags beneath her eyes which were dark and rarely blinked. She moved with purpose but slowly and gracefully. Her lips were full and red. She was beautiful. Rosalie wanted to kiss her.

“I came here with the family. We’re here to take you home.” Rosalie said softly. Her arms tried to reach out Bella but the look she was given made them fall back to her sides. “We never meant for this to happen.”

Bella laughed. Bella cackled. Bella cried and howled. 

“Ever since I met you it's been one big case of ‘we never meant for this to happen’ after another!” She screamed.

Rosalie wanted to cry. She wanted to collapse into herself and find a reset button. She wanted to start over. She wanted to fix things. 

“I…”

“Stop, it doesn’t matter.” Bella said. Her voice held no emotion, no sadness, no joy. It fell flat and heartless. “Beyond the beautiful mess my life has become there is a bigger struggle.”

“What do you mean?”

“The balance of power has been tipped and the vampiric world may very well fall.”

Rosalie stared at Bella in disbelief. “The Volturi are in power. There is no one at this time that overrule them. I mean, unless the Egyptian coven is still attempting to rise to power in the shadows.” Rosalie shook her head. “How did you even come into vampire politics? You’re 3 days old!”

Bella nodded slowly. “You know, I woke up in this room and the very first thing I did was search for you. A vampire named Corin told me I was safe here and needed to drink some blood to complete my transition. Another vampire named Chelsea told me you weren’t coming and that the Voturi were my coven now.” Bella let out a soft cough of a laugh. “That’s when they sent in the twins. Apparently they’re called the Witch twins. Do you know of them?”

Rosalie growled out, “Did they hurt you?”

Bella turned her head ever so slightly. “No,” she said slowly. “They tried but they couldn’t.”

Rosalie growled again but softly added, “I’m glad you weren’t hurt.”

“You are, aren’t you.” Bella said. She sounded like she wasn’t entirely sure who Rosalie was anymore. Like she was keeping the older vampire at arm's length. “I was left alone with Alec and Jane for several hours. Jane was exhausted after trying every trick she could think of. She was the point where she wanted to simply rip me apart with her hands. That’s when Alec stepped in. I felt his gift and I let it in.”

Rosalie gasped, “Why would you?”

“So you know what his gift is?”

Rosalie nodded slowly, “He has the ability to take away all the senses. To leave a person completely helpless.”

“Yes but he can also manipulate which senses he removes. Mostly, on missions and such so the rumor of his power was passed on to show this, he removes all senses. However, he can simply remove sight or touch. I let him in and used him to drink the blood to complete my transition. You see, I’ve never been good with blood and couldn’t get myself to stomach it down. He saw me latch onto his gift and use it for my own needs.

“Jane was furious but Alec was curious. It is strange to know just how similar yet different those two are. So often people lumped them into one unit with Jane in the front. Alec often gets ignored which he prefers. As I said, we had a long time to talk. They helped me, in their own way. I am still using Alec’s gift, you see. I’m using it to shut down my desires, my needs. I am not complete helpless but I am numb.”

“Why would you want to be numb?” Rosalie asked cautiously. There was a time in her life were the feeling of nothingness would have been a welcome reprieve. She never wanted Bella to feel the same way.

“I don’t,” Bella replied. “To be honest, having you around is really making it hard to keep up Alec’s gift. You make me want to feel again.”

Rosalie felt the tears fall down her face but her thoughts were still so confused. “Come back to me.”

Bella’s voice broke, “I can’t yet. There is something more powerful within me that I can’t beat. Something that calls to me, tells me to do horrible things.”

“What is doing this to you? How can I help? What do I need to do?”

Bella looked up at the ceiling and blinked a few times. “It’s Laurent.” She turned her blurry vision back to Rosalie. “His blood, his gift, his power. It’s all the same. He controls those he turns. He controls those that are turned by his own. His blood is so powerful it calls out to me to go home to him.”

“How are you fighting against that?”

“Because your blood is in me too.” Bella closed her eyes. “It’s another reason of how I knew you would come for me but I’m not ready yet. I’m not strong enough yet.” She opened her eyes which had turned into a strained red tinge. “Jane and Alec have been fighting him for so long. Chelsea’s gift keeps them here but Laurent is stronger. He’s so strong. He has blood in vampires all over the world. He pulls the string and we all come dancing at his beck and call. I’m not strong enough to hold him off, Rosalie…”

Her name was lost on Bella’s lips as the smaller girl fell to the ground. Rosalie reached her hands around Bella before a sharp pain shocked through her body. She was tossed to the side and Bella was lifted into her bed. Rosalie pulled herself to see Jane and Alec standing between her and Bella.

“You need to go,” Alec said sharply. His voice was deep and surprising for his young body. He was tall and thin and completely unintimidating. Jane was shorter, her long blonde hair was pulled tight in a bun and her eyes crinkled with hatred. “I have her, she is safe.”

“Safe with the two of you?” Rosalie balked back.

“We are coven mates, whether we like it or not.” Jane spat. Rosalie felt a tremor of pain rushing through her body but it was only a warning.

“Come back tomorrow.” Alec said softly. Jane looked at him like she was going to argue but he shook his head. “She needs her, that much is obvious.” He turned back to Rosalie. “Come back tomorrow but with a more strategic mind. It helps.”

Jane rolled her eyes and growled. Rosalie took a few steps towards the bed, just far enough to see Bella’s peaceful sleeping body. She ached to lie down beside her but held back. She needed to talk to her family. They need a vastly different plan than the one they came with.

A/N: So the rules are that a human needs to die with vampire blood in their system. They then need to drink blood within 24 hours of their death or else they die for good. Its the Vampire Diaries rules, which I liked far more than Twilight’s. Laurent’s gift or power is Mastery. Any vampire that has his blood in their system (or the blood of someone who has his blood, aka if James had successfully turned Bella) he controls that vampire. More to come in future chapters.

[Horseshoefijzer] You are correct, this is not the climax but another twist in the story. We are going to see quite a bit of the Volturi, a little more of the Denali coven, a lot more of the wolves and maybe a few more (honestly I don’t want to get lost in it all but we shall see).

[thatdamnyank] I hope this is a good ‘well dang’? Do I get another?

[JenDamn] I like to put a lot in a chapter and then talk about it. We talked a bit about it but a lot happened in this chapter too. I might need to talk it out in the net chapter before some more action happened. 

[puzzlepiece10] Charlie is important and I will keep him as a family figure instead of just a side character. Too often he gets pushed aside for being human. Same with Angela and Jessica and a few others. I’ll work on bringing it all back together, slowly yet effectively. 

[Tohshi] I hope my explanation of vampire changes made sense. Let me know if you need any more explanation. 

[Carox1390] Always <3

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: M

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

“Inertia. Guy’s law of enchantment: People at rest will remain at rest, and people in motion will keep moving in the same direction unless an outside enchanter acts upon them.” - Guy Kawasaki, Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions

“Come back tomorrow,” Alec said softly. Jane looked at him like she was going to argue but he shook his head. “She needs her, that much is obvious.” He turned back to Rosalie. “Come back tomorrow but with a more strategic mind. It helps.”

Jane rolled her eyes and growled. Rosalie took a few steps towards the bed, just far enough to see Bella’s peaceful sleeping body. She ached to lie down beside her but held back. She needed to talk to her family. They need a vastly different plan than the one they came with.

Afton brought Rosalie back to Edward and Emmett who were practically bouncing off the walls in anticipation. When they saw the look on Rosalie’s face, a look of stern resolution, they burst out in questions. Rosalie held up her hand and said they would have a family meeting. Afton brought them back to their rooms before disappearing into the night. 

Before Rosalie had the chance to explain everything that had happened, Carlisle explains how they were invited to supper with their hosts.

“They didn’t give me much room to argue,” He explained. “But they did hint they would provide more information.”

“I have the information I need,” Rosalie growled back. “We need to go through everything I’ve learned.”

“Yes, I agree, but we don’t have time.” Carlisle started to say when a knock came on the door. Before everyone could even turn, the door was opening and Heidi stood in the room.

“Good evening, Olympic coven.” She smiled friendly and sweet but no one returned the gesture. “If you will all please follow me, thank you.”

Heidi turned out the door and immediately everyone felt the urge to follow suit. Carlisle lead and Edward and Rosalie came up the back. They both remained silent but Rosalie did a running transcript of her interaction with Bella. They both silently agreed to clear their minds of the contact and block their features. Rosalie had a lot of experience with Edward around and he, in turn, practiced his own gift on Bella often enough to know the subtilties she used to block him out. Neither of them were experts but they were both strong novices. 

Instead of returning to the main throne room, the coven followed Heidi into an elaborate dining room with a table long enough to feed twenty people or more. Each placement was furnished with the finest china and crystal and the table adorned with candles, breads, and cheeses. 

They took their seats around one end of the table, Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, and Alice on one side while Rosalie, Emmett, and Edward took up the opposite side. Once they were seated, Emmett reached for some cheese but Esme gave him a look that stopped in his hand in midair. He pouted but leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. 

After a few silent and uncomfortable minutes, the door opened to let in Aro, Caius, and Marcus. Aro practically danced to his seat while Caius and Marcus marched, Marcus’ steps not quite reaching above the ground but instead sliding along.

“Welcome again my dear friends,” Aro said as a line of servants walked into the room holding individual trays of food. They stood behind each diner until syncronizing their deliveries to each placement. “Please enjoy this feast of Pasta e Fagioli with Escarole. Make sure not to fill yourselves up as we will be having dessert.”

Rosalie wondered briefly why they weren’t having an appetizer but then realized the Volturi already consumed their appetizers. She held her body from shivering at the thought and attempted to stomach the food before her. 

As the Olympic coven ate their food slowly and tried to not to speak much, Aro kept a running commentary on the Volturi’s achievements in the last hundred years. 

“You will, of course, have noticed the update in lighting around the estate.” Aro waved his hand as if the light fixtures were the most interesting thing in the world. “We have switched all the bulbs over to light-emitting diode bulbs.”

Emmett blinked a few times before saying, “LEDs?”

Before anyone else could say anything Esme cut in, “How wonderful of you to be thinking of the future by using such environmentally friendly products. Tell me, what other advancements have you made? Are you thinking of switching to solar?”

Aro made a strange mix of a grimace and a pout and quickly turned down the idea. “No one around here needs anymore sun.” He then went on a tangent about the retrofits in the west wing and how advanced their restructuring was. It didn’t take long for Rosalie to realize he had accomplished no more than the average homeowner yet he was bragging as if he had accomplished amazing feats. Did he honestly believe he was that amazing? By the look on Caius’ face, he just might. 

Rosalie watched Caius groan and gripe silently before storming out of the room in a big hurry. Carlisle started to make a note of it but Aro waved him off. 

“Never mind him, he’s a party pooper, as they say.”

Esme next attempted to release them from conversation by claiming jetlag. “I do enjoy this but we should really get some rest. I hope to see Bella first thing in the morning. Unless we may visit with her tonight?” Her voice asked in a breathy manner as if the question was flippant and unexpected. 

“First thing in the morning, of course,” Aro replied with a hand gesture. He was obviously annoyed but attempted to keep his jovial attitude up. “We will provide a tour of the training grounds, as well as the library. Carlisle, you will be very excited to note the addition of many original paintings by Soshenko, including the landscape you were so fond of.”

The Olympic coven rose to their feet and said their goodnights. Aro quickly summoned Heidi, who appeared as if she had been waiting on the other side of the door. Before Rosalie was swooped away, she noticed Marcus staring at her. 

“Later,” Edward said from her side. She turned to see him also watching Marcus and noticed the two seem to nod to each other. The Olympic coven was back to Carlisle and Esme’s room before another thought could come to mind.

Edward pulled Rosalie over to the couch and immediately explained what Marcus was thinking. 

“When Marcus first met Bella, it was just after Chelsea tried to change Bella’s loyalty.”

“What do you mean by that?” Emmett asked, leaning against the bed frame. 

“Chelsea has the ability to control people’s emotional loyalty, their ties whether it be blood ties, familial ties, or the sense of duty. It’s as if she is so convincing she can overwhelm people’s own beliefs in their loyalty. Some say she is the reason the guard is as strong and resilient as they are. They live for no one but the Volturi.” Carlisle explained. 

Edward continued, “Marcus noted that Chelsea’s gift was unable to breach Bella’s walls. He was intrigued immediately because he also saw more than one strong emotional tie.”

“He can see these ties?” Emmett asked, half pulling at an imaginary tie around his neck. 

“Yes, Marcus is able to see and understand the emotional ties vampires have for one another, especially those between vampires that are mated.” Carlisle once again explained. “He can see ties even before people acknowledge them themselves.”

“He would have made the perfect matchmaker,” Alice responded in a sing-songy tone. Esme and Jasper smiled at the small vampire.

“However true that may be,” Carlisle nodded gently. “I must ask, what other ties did he see?”

“Bella has emotional ties to her parents, though to Charlie is much stronger, to the wolves, especially Jake and Billy, as well as to us. He noted how surprised he was at the strength of her emotional ties directly to Rosalie but also noticed another tie that was new but almost as strong.”

Rosalie scowled, “To Laurent.” She spat out the name.

Edward turned to her and nodded, “Yes. Her loyalty ties to him are exceptionally strong. He had noticed ties to Laurent from other vampires Laurent had changed but nothing this strong.”

“It’s Laurent’s power,” Rosalie explained the Mastery he had over those he changed. “He is actively calling for Bella to join him. That is the only explanation as to why it is so strong right now.” She turned back to Edward to ask, “Has Marcus not noticed how strong the ties are between the twins and Laurent? Or with Afton? Or all the others?”

“That’s what he wants to talk about tonight. He should be here…” Edward was cut off by a light knock on the door. “That’s him.”

Jasper nodded once at Edward before opening up the door to reveal Marcus. The vampire looked taller and more imposing without the exasperating presence of Aro or the malevolence of Caius. His face showed no obvious expression but his eyes were doleful. He moved slowly into the open space of the room, the Olympic coven perched in a semicircle around him on assorted seatings or standing. 

“I trust Edward has informed you why I’ve come.” His voice was deep and heavy, almost like he was pushing down the air with his words. 

Edward nodded and Carlisle agreed. “We have concerns about Bella.”

Marcus nodded very slowly. “She is a very powerful vampire to be able to hold off Laurents gift.”

Rosalie felt a bout of pride but still felt uneasy around his Volturi ruler. 

“What can we do to help?” Esme asked, leaning a gentle hand on Rosalie’s shoulder. Her words were half for Rosalie, half for Marcus.

“The Volturi is in great danger if Laurent is able to pull in his entrusted army. As of right now, it is Bella who is holding the Volturi in place more so than Chelsea.”

“How so?” Carlisle asked, leaning forward slightly. It was obvious he was intrigued by what was going on. Rosalie couldn’t quite fault him for his interest in vampire powers but she had trouble keeping her teeth from grinding loudly. 

“Bella is using Alec’s ability to drain desire both on herself, as well as on Chelsea.”

“Wouldn’t that cause Chelsea’s gift to be less powerful?” Jasper crossed his arms as he asked.

“One might think but instead it had the opposite effect.” Marcus’ words were still coming out slowly and Rosalie thought she was going to explode with all the conversation and no action. “Chelsea has allowed her ability to run rampant around the guard causing them all to be outrageously loyal, to the point of fault. We have even lost two members in the last few days due to overreactions.”

Before Jasper could ask for more detail, Edward cut in. “How do we save Bella?”

Marcus turned slowly to look Edward in the face. He moved almost like a statue; if you closed your eyes you might think he hadn’t moved at all. “We must save them all. We must destroy Laurent.”

Carlisle leaned his chin on his hand while he looked at the floor. “How many must we lose?”

“If we use the best strategies, we may come out on top,” Jasper responded while already working through multiple ideas in his head. 

“Oh dear,” Esme replied. “He meant how many vampires. No matter what, in a war between two covens we lose.”

Jasper breathed in sharply before nodding once. 

“If we go after Laurent, he’ll call in whomever he can get,” Edward noted.

“Bella said he had vampires all over the world,” Rosalie added.

The group quickly discussed their options for a few moments before Carlisle turned back to Marcus. The vampire had stood quietly during the drawn-out discourse.

“Marcus, why did you bring us this information?”

“For as much as Aro cares, he is painfully unaware or undisturbed. Caius might bring Laurent to his knees but many more would die.” He turned and looked at Rosalie. “There are not many in this world that can find a bond like yours. There is reason to hold onto it as long as you can.” 

Before he finished speaking, Marcus’ gaze moved up toward the ceiling as if he was searching the unseen clouds for an answer. Without another word, he slowly removed himself from the room and seemingly disappeared down the hall. 

The group turned to one another, quickly lost in multiple conversations. Rosalie stood and watched. Her mental checklist was going a mile a minute. She needed to save Bella. She needed to use Bella to hold the Volturi together. She needed to save her family. She needed to use them in order to free Bella from Laurent. She needed to kill Laurent. She needed to go through an army of vampires to get to him and not just newborns that didn’t know up from down, she needed to fight older, more powerful vampires. She couldn’t do it alone.

“You’ll never have to do it alone,” Edward said softly from her side. Rosalie hated how he kept track of her thoughts but couldn’t find the fight in her to yell at him. “We will save Bella together, as a family.”

The rest of the room turned back to her and nodded solemnly. Emmett gave two giant thumbs up and an even bigger grin. He was so outrageous out of place that Rosalie barked out a laugh before breaking down in tears.

Esme held her as she fell to the ground wondering aloud, “How?” She croaked out through the tears.

“Together.” Was the response but she wasn’t sure if it came from once voice or from many.

***

Bella watched Jane and Alec spar in the large gym. The two often came here to practice and when they did, the rest of the Volturi guard dispersed. Jane said she liked that others feared her but Bella didn’t entirely believe her. The two moved with efficiency and calculated attacks, rarely making impact as the other moved just as fluidly.

“Does anyone ever win?” Bella asked, watching the two. 

Alec turned to answer just as Jane came down with a crushing blow. Bella almost wanted to smile knowing this would be the result of her words. Instead, she merely sighed. If she felt anything at all, she might feel the urge to learn herself but the heavy weight of nothingness sat in her shoulders bringing her entire body downward. She sat with a lack of prestige, merely a sack of potatoes. 

Jane moved to her and kicked her shin. 

“Get up, we’re going to spar.”

“But you’ll win.”

“Yes,” Jane kicked Bella’s shin again. “I will keep winning until you get better. Then it will simply take me longer to win. Get up.”

Bella did as she was told. Once she was standing across from Jane, the small girl punched in the face. Bella moved her jaw slowly and turned back to Jane.

“This time, stop me from punching you.” Jane rolled her eyes.

Bella nodded and two seconds too late lifted her hands up in a surrendering gesture. Jane had already gotten through and punched her again. At least it was a softly blow.

“To better block a blow to the face, hold your arms up together, like this.” Alec showed Bella. She nodded and this time blocked the first blow with her arms but the second hit her stomach.

She turned back to Alec who showed her the move to block a blow to the stomach while adding in a punch of her own. It was mechanical, not enjoyable, but Bella’s vampire intuition quickly memorized the moves and she was able to hold Jane’s attack off within the hour. Neither of them broke a sweat as Jane moved slowly to show each attack she was making. 

Jane called Bella names, slapped her whenever given the chance, and tried to use her gift more than once, but she also gave insightful corrections to improve Bella’s balance and own attacks. It was the strange mixture of caring and inclusion that Jane often only showed with Alec.

When they were done, the group moved to leave the gym and find a meal. Instead, they found Afton and Rosalie standing at the door. Bella felt something, but her emotions quickly quelled whatever the something was and held her feet in place. She blinked several times at Rosalie while the tall blonde closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.

“What’s the blonde bitch doing here?” Jane asked.

Without thinking, Bella swiped her foot across the back of Jane’s knees, causing the smaller vampire to collapse backward. Bella was on top of her with her hand around the small throat before anyone could breathe. She growled at Jane and flashed her teeth.

Jane merely smiled up at Bella. “Nice move.” She then twisted her legs around Bella and tossed her down on the mat, switching their positions. “Try not to let your guard down until the killing the blow.”

Jane quickly got up and moved toward Alec, leaving Bella lying on the gym floor. 

“We’re here to talk,” Afton said into the quiet room. “All of us.”

Jane rolled her eyes but Alec nodded. He moved to sit next to Bella. Jane joined him and Rosalie and Afton moved over to complete the small circle. 

“Did you call in Felix?” Alec asked Afton.

“I did, he is going to try to join us but is uncertain if he can get away without concern.”

“How many of you are there in the guard?” Rosalie asked.

“There are eight in total but only five in our group,” Alec explained. “Jane and myself, Bella, Afton, and Felix.”

“The others are Heidi, Corin, and Renata,” Afton noted. 

Rosalie was taken aback. “Those three are a part of Laurent’s coven?” Jane huffed and rolled her eyes before laying backward as Bella still was. Alec and Afton nodded. “But they are in perfect position.”

“It’s amazing how Aro is so blissfully misinformed.” Felix agreed as he entered the room. “It’s Corin’s doing. She keeps him content in his power and blissful in his ignorance. Those three are our most dangerous competition.”

“So if Laurent were to attack…” Rosalie started to say but Alec finished the statement.

“Renata would simply remove her guard, Corin would keep Aro happy, and Heidi would march him straight to Laurent’s feet.”

Rosalie was simply amazed. “But why hasn’t he made his move yet?”

“The first thing you learn once you join Laurent’s coven,” Bella answered this time even though her eyes remained closed as if she were sleeping. “Is that he is never satisfied with his power. He has and will always want more.”

Rosalie reached out and touched Bella’s hand. The younger girl flinched away before reaching back and holding Rosalie’s hand firmly. It was a conscious decision, possibly even forced, but Rosalie appreciated the gesture all the same.

“What on earth are we going to do?” Rosalie whispered.

“Is your coven going to fight?” Jane asked, leaning up on her arms.

“Of course but how do we fight…” 

Jane cut her off, “Then we fight. I’m sick and tired of everyone else owning me. We fight, we take this bastard down, then we leave Aro to pretend he rules the world.”

Afton looked at Jane suspiciously. “You don’t want to take down the Volturi as well?”

Jane rolled her eyes as Alec answered for her. “We wish simply to be left alone. To be allowed to live our own lives. To travel where we wish to travel.”

“If kill Laurent,” Bella asked. “Do we still need to kill the others? Or will his power over them cause them to lose interest in the fight?”

The rest of the group stared at one another unsure. 

“I guess we’ll have to kill him as quickly as possible and find out.” Jane sneered. 

“How do we keep you from fighting us?” Rosalie asked Afton. She did not want to hear the answer from Jane. 

“That is something we are working on with Bella,” Felix answered for Afton. “We don’t know if it will work once Laurent is here. His power is exceptionally more powerful the closer the proximity but we can only train for what we know.”

Rosalie watched Bella breathe slowly and listened to the group explain the different options of how to use Bella’s gift to block Laurent’s. She tried not to focus on how used she felt on Bella’s behalf but instead focused on the outcome. If Laurent is killed, Rosalie and Bella can be together again. She looked down at their clasped hands and gave Bella’s a squeeze. The girl opened her eyes and watched Rosalie for a moment before sitting up and pulling Rosalie from the group. 

The stood to the side of the room, still very much in earshot of the rest of the group but far enough away to give the illusion of being separated. 

Bella held Rosalie’s hand up between them and gently caressed her knuckles with her thumb. 

“Is there any part of you that honestly believes we can do this?” Bella asked, not making eye contact. 

Rosalie didn’t answer. The two stood together until the meeting was over. Alec and Jane took Bella back to her room and Afton brought Rosalie back to her coven. Rosalie described the ideas the six of them discussed to her own coven. Jasper seemed hopeful, Carlisle and Esme concerned. Alice asked if she could take the time to speak with Bella, perhaps to find a way for her own gift to be used. Rosalie agreed. Emmett was excited about the big battle to come. Edward held in his fear and tried to agree with Emmett. Rosalie was convinced something would happen that none of them would expect.

A/N: So these next few chapters may be a little short. I’ve got a lot going on and I don’t want ya’ll (or myself quite frankly) to be overwhelmed with the players involved or the action taking place. I will try to keep updating at a regular pace though to make up for the shorter chapters.

[redwolf2313] Always <3

[Hor seshoefijzer] How did you like the interactions between Alec and Jane with Bella? I can’t imagine them being really close but I do feel they would end up with some sort of bond.

[JenDamn] I did add to Alec’s gift a little bit allowing him to control desires as well as the five basic senses. It just sort of made sense to me. I think it was the connection of depression with the inability to succeed at the basic needs, you know? If someone is deeply depressed they may forget to eat or be unable to sleep (or sleep too much). It’s how desire is connected with these needs and these needs are fulfilled by using the senses. I know it was a bit farfetched but hey, it’s my story! Lol. 

[Tohshi] I’m glad my explanations make sense! As you can tell, they don’t always so it’s nice when I hit the mark. Mustache twirling bad guys are needed in a lot of good stories but it is fun to add in my own touches and ideas. I’m glad you’re enjoying them as much as I am. 

[VSRising] I’m glad to keep you on your toes in the best way. It’s always nice when a story changes pace but still doesn’t seem like it came from left field. I also enjoyed Laurent and even though I made him much eviler, he has been a lot of fun to write. 

[Chipmunk_izzy] How on earth did you come up with that handle? Do you have a pet chipmunk named Izzy? That would be adorable. Please tell me it’s true! Anyway, welcome to show! Hope you enjoy the ride. 

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: M

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

“I have learned now that while those who speak about one's miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more.” - C S Lewis

“Is there any part of you that honestly believes we can do this?” Bella asked, not making eye contact. 

Rosalie didn’t answer. The two stood together until the meeting was over. Alec and Jane took Bella back to her room and Afton brought Rosalie back to her coven. Rosalie described the ideas the six of them discussed to her own coven. Jasper seemed hopeful, Carlisle and Esme concerned. Alice asked if she could take the time to speak with Bella, perhaps to find a way for her own gift to be used. Rosalie agreed. Emmett was excited about the big battle to come. Edward held in his fear and tried to agree with Emmett. Rosalie was convinced something would happen that none of them would expect.

On the second day of their arrival at Volterra, the Olympic coven was served breakfast in their rooms and told they would be expected to meet with Aro for a tour of the city. The coven grumbled but had no one to actually argue with as the message was delivered by a kitchen maid. She was also a vampire but held no useful skills beyond her power of perfect flavoring. For a vampire, she was actually a bit of a klutz. 

Heidi arrived just before 9 AM and brought the coven through the maze of halls and doorways to the outside doors where Aro, his wife Sulpicia, and his bodyguard Renata stood waiting. 

“Welcome, welcome, my dear friends!” Aro called out before introducing his own entourage. Rosalie scowled at Renata but her vision softened when she looked at Sulpicia. The woman was beautiful with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. However, her eyes held a dull red tinge to them that not only showed she had just drunk human blood but also that she was not entirely interested in what they were doing. 

“I trust you all slept well,” Aro asked but was already turning out the door. “We have so much to see in the city! First, we will explore Palazzo Pretorio square, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, and the Pinacoteca. After a fabulous meal at the Ristorante Enoteca Del Duca which has cibo particolarmente squisito [especially exquisite food]. Afterword, we will see the Roman Amphitheater and spend the late afternoon at the Guarnacci Etruscan Museum. The day will be che meraviglia [wonderful].

“And when will we be able to visit with Bella?” Carlisle asked lightly, pretending to be in the same calm mood. 

Rosalie noticed Renata flex ever so slightly but made no other motion in response. 

“Who is Bella?” Sulpicia asked in a whispy voice reminiscent of a mouse. Rosalie wondered what it was Aro saw in the meek woman but she had learned many years ago that people match up for all sorts of strange reasons. It’s all in the relationship and none of her business. 

“A new member of our guard,” Aro answered just as softly as if speaking with a child. 

“What?!” Rosalie heard her own voice shout out before they’d barely made their way into the square. “She is not!”

Aro actually jumped a little at the shout and Renata moved closer to him. 

“Well, I meant simply that she was being trained and…” Aro started to backtrack his words. “And it was a simple answer for a more complex situation. Obviously Bella still has a voice and well…”

Rosalie had had enough of Aro’s excuses. “I’m done with this and I’m done with the way you are treating our coven.” Rosalie’s word came out like daggers, each one causing Aro to flinch slightly. “You will take us to Bella now and if she so chooses, we will be leaving today.”

“Doesn’t that sound nice,” Sulpicia said calmly before looking up at the buildings. “There is such beautiful architecture here. You know, I helped design the Torre del Porcellino. I’m quite proud of that accomplishment.” She continued to speak on about the different architectural projects she completed before Didyme had passed on but Rosalie couldn’t get herself to keep listening. Her voice sounded so sad.

Rosalie turned a 180 and began walking back to the Volturi compound, barely noticing the rest of her family joining her. Aro and Renata collected Sulpicia calmly and followed in quick pursuit.

At the door, Rosalie waited calmly while Aro made his way forward. 

“Are you sure you don’t want to tour the…” Aro’s words were cut off by the glare Rosalie was giving him. There was part of him, in the back of his mind, that knew he was the leader here and needed to stand his ground but another part of him couldn’t really remember why he was keeping such a close eye on Bella. She was interesting and he was very excited at the prospect of her joining their guard but the reason why was quickly fading from memory. 

As they walked further into the compound, Aro found himself growing increasingly confused and somewhat angry. But again, he couldn’t put his finger on why he felt that way. This was Carlisle and his coven. Why would he want to anger them? He quickly shook his head, sent Sulpicia up to her quarters with a rather disagreeable Renata to deliver her, and quickly brought the coven down to the guardrooms. 

Aro quickly went to open the door he knew to be Bella’s but it was locked. Why was a guard’s door locked? 

“Well isn’t this a funny little thing, let me see if I can just find… Oh, Heidi! Yes, can you help us please?”

Heidi walked up to the group with slow, large strides. 

“Aro,” She starts in a strained voice. “How can we help you all the way down here?” She says the last few words in a short staccato. 

Emmett stepped forward and brought his arms across his chest while standing directly in Heidi’s way. The tall vampire grinned and with a swish of her hand, move the muscle-toned boy to the side. He growled lightly but was unable to move his legs.

“We?” Aro asked shaking his head. “Is there someone else here? Where is the key to this room?”

“Did you need some help?” A small vampire with sharp features and dark, round eyes appeared next to Heidi. It was obvious she was a guard given she wore the same robes as Heidi, but she didn’t hold herself in any professional way as most of the guard did. Instead, the girl seemed to make herself look smaller and almost unnoticeable despite the fact she was standing right in front of them.

“Who? Oh, yes, Corin. What are you doing down here?” Aro said, his voice no longer in any rush but instead languid. “We were just coming down to visit with Bella, might you have a key?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t carry any keys on me. Why don’t we go back upstairs? Weren’t you going on a tour today?”

“That does sound nice, yes. I would quite enjoy that.” Aro turned slowly and gestured for the rest to follow. “Won’t you all come along? It does sound like it would be a nice way to spend the day.”

One by one, the Olympic coven seemed to agree with Corin’s words and in a sloth-like procession, they began following Aro away from the door. 

Carlisle, who had met Corin once or twice before, shook his head and blinked his eyes several times before reaching out for Rosalie. He managed to whisper out the words, “Not right.”

Rosalie blinked at his words and shook her head, she didn’t understand. The idea of a tour sounded just pleasant enough and they had plenty of time, they were vampires after all. Why didn’t he want to go on the tour? Weren’t they already on the tour? Why did they come down here? Bella, they came for Bella. Did she want to go on the tour?

Turning back toward the door, Rosalie knocked several times. Suddenly her feet were jostled from underneath her and she felt Heidi’s undeniable power pulling her away and upstairs. Did Heidi not want Bella to come? But she was a part of their coven, they should all be together. Rosalie felt her feet fight against Heidi, who growled. That wasn’t right, why would she growl?

“I just want to grab Bella first, for the tour,” Rosalie said while staring at Heidi’s closed mouth. The older vampire was visibly sweating from exertion. 

Heidi snapped at Rosalie and shouted, “She will not be coming!” Her body shook and was no longer capable of controlling so many people’s movements, especially as they began spreading out. It was Carlisle who first broke stride, followed by Jasper and Aro. The rest were held still and simply watched in contentment as the others moved back to Rosalie.

“What’s wrong, Rosalie?” Jasper asked, his voice was rough and confused but also soft. He drew his eyebrows together and frowned. He didn’t feel right. 

“Something’s not right,” Carlisle repeated from his earlier statement, shaking his head vigorously. 

Heidi’s nostrils flared as she growled and grabbed Rosalie’s arm, thrusting her away from the door forcefully.

“Ow!” Rosalie called out at the same time the door behind her broke open. 

In a flurry of movement, Heidi found herself on the ground being choked by a rabid Bella who growled and chomped at her like a feral dog.

“You will not touch her!” She screamed. 

The explosion of noise and movement caused the rest of the coven to snap out of their confusion and break from both Heidi and Corin’s powers. For her part, Corin disappeared into the background, excusing herself as quietly as a mouse.

“Bella!” Aro’s voice shouted out like that a tyrant king. “You will release her at this moment!”

Bella turned and hissed at Aro but in the action, she saw Rosalie’s wide eyes. Was that fear? Or was she solely overwhelmed? Think Bella! The immediate danger is gone, what must be done? Be logical, not emotional. Bella released her grip from around Heidi’s throat. She moved to get off the vampire but quickly punched her hard across the jaw, before standing up and moving to Rosalie’s side. She looked over the tall blonde but saw no marks of damages. Satisfied, she reached out and held Rosalie’s side while looking blankly at Aro.

“What is going on?!” Aro shouted out in a high pitched voice reminiscent of a schoolgirl. “Has the whole world gone mad? Attacking my coven! Fighting against their basic requests! My coven demanding exact action from yours.! Who is in control here?!?!” Sweat fell around his temples and his hair matted to his face. His cheeks grew red with heat and his eyes stayed wide in absolute bafflement.

“I do believe we can answer that.” Marcus stepped into the hallway with a very angry looking Caius behind him. In his arms was a struggling Renata. “But first, I advise we lock up these two?” He eyed the knocked out Heidi on the floor.

Emmett twirled around noticing Corin’s absence but no one knew where she had gone.

“No point looking for the evil witch.” Caius spit out. “Anyone that finds her would just be convinced they didn’t need to do anything.”

“How? How long?” Aro asked, spinning around in confusion. His eyes grew wild with fear and exasperation. “How long would you have let this go on?” He asked, truly hurt.

“As if we let this happen!” Caius growled but Marcus held out his hand.

“Come, we will talk. Carlisle? Would you have your boys collect Heidi and follow us to the dungeon?”

Carlisle nodded and Edward and Emmett collected up Heidi, Emmett soon pulled her into his arms and cradled her like dead weight. 

As the group moved down to the dungeons and Marcus and Caius explained the details of Heidi, Corin and Renata’s actions, especially recently as the Olympic coven arrived, Rosalie and Bella followed at the back. They were mostly silent, only their fingers moving slowly along their enclasped hands any sign of acknowledgment of one another. 

Rosalie wanted to thank Bella but wasn’t sure how to form the words. Instead, she remained quiet. Bella wanted to excuse her actions, knowing they had been over the top. She could have simply dismissed Heidi’s own power. She was growing more powerful herself and was more than able, especially with the strain Heidi was putting on herself. Instead, she had felt an overwhelming need to destroy Heidi, who had put her hands on Rosalie. Bella shook her head, she needed to gain control over her own emotions when it came to Rosalie. She was like a burst of light that blinded her of common sense and action. At the same time, it was a light that attempted to pull her out from her dark depression. The depression that was the only thing holding back her ever-growing need to leave and find her master. 

Once they arrived at the dungeon and Caius made sure to throw both Renata and Heidi into separate, and very sealed off, cells, Rosalie and Bella separated themselves from the rest of the group. In a light undertone of a voice, Rosalie could hear Marcus explaining the slow overtaking of Renata, Heidi, and Corin to Aro, who was overtly ashamed of his own actions. 

Bella pulled Rosalie into a small alcove down a short hall. Her actions were purposeful as though she knew these walls like her own home. She then stared up into Rosalie’s eyes and smiled.

Rosalie smiled back and very slowly, as if reaching out to touch a china doll, brushed some of Bella’s hair back from her face. She wanted so desperately to move in and kiss the girl but held herself back. She didn’t want the hurt of being turned away.

Watching carefully, Rosalie noted the way Bella looked at her. Her face remained blank, her features calm and soft, but her eyes were stern, watchful, alert. And then, a light? Was there a light flashed in her eyes?

Bella pulled back and blinked several times. In seconds, their private alcove was joined by four other bodies. Felix, Afton, Alec, and Jane all appeared, the same strange looks on their faces, looks of fear.

“What happened?” Afton tried to ask at the same time Felix demanded, “What did you do?”

Bella reached her hand up and halted the questions, she didn’t once turn away from Rosalie. Instead, her eyes grew bright and fierce and strangely alluring. Bella grabbed Rosalie’s shirt and pulled her into a sharp, painful kiss. Just barely Rosalie thought she heard Jane make a sound of disgust but her own thoughts were quickly overwhelmed by the true touch of Bella, her Bella. 

Too soon, the two were pulled apart by the urging comments of Carlisle and Edward. Rosalie turned to growl at them but stopped when she saw the look of fear and concern on their own faces.

“Tanya called me,” Carlisle said in a grave voice. “The pack has been attacked.”

Rosalie stared at her adoptive father. She moved her eyes to Edward and stared blankly at him. 

Bella’s voice creaked through, a raspy voice with a heaviness like it hadn’t spoken in a long time. “Is, are…” Her voice fell for a short moment before she asked, “Is my family alright?”

Edward answered, understand the words unspoken. “Jake has taken over the pack, we don’t know the full list of everyone injured but Sam, Sam didn’t make it. Charlie is with the others at the central lodge.”

Feeling Bella lean into her, Rosalie said, “When do we leave?” Carlisle nodded and immediately started making plans. 

Felix and Afton took a small step forward and Carlisle noted their group was to be included as well as anyone else they wish to bring. The whirlwind of plans took over and in an hour’s time, the Olympic coven and Volturi guard was on its way back to Washington. 

A/N: Short chapters, multiple updates, I’m trying guys! I really am trying! I hope this small nudge into some more action is enough to hold you off until the next chapter. 

[Chipmunk_izzy] Shoving grapes in your mouth is definitely a well-deserved accomplishment!

[Horseshoefijzer] Vampire Bella has been a wild ride to write. I have her under that deep depression based around Alec’s power but I also have her desperately trying to find her connection with Rosalie as well as wanting to go back to Laurent. I’m glad it’s working out well enough! And I have no doubts Rosalie will be something important in the next chapter!

[JenDamn] I might bring a little more detail on why Caius and Marcus weren’t as fully affected as Aro in the next chapter or so but not sure how much detail I’ll spend on it. Rest assured, Aro was definitely the female trio’s (as per Laurent’s demands) main focus. Afton! So I looked up the Volturi guard and Afton is very much a side note but he is a shield. I took what little info was put in there and ran wild with it, just like you said you liked! But thanks for the idea of adding in Sulpicia for this chapter!

[MaxximumRide666] You are forgiven! Welcome to the ride, please keeps your hands and legs waving frantically while providing ever more strokes to my ego, I do not mind one bit! I wish more people liked Edward, he is seriously a great character. And not enough people give Meyer credit for how much he grew as a character in the last two books. Just saying! 

How many of you like traveling? Do you travel for the food or for the tourist stuff? Museums and art galleries or forts and castles? Shopping and people watching?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: M

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”  -  Aldous Huxley, Complete Essays 2, 1926-29

Feeling Bella lean into her, Rosalie said, “When do we leave?” Carlisle nodded and immediately started making plans. 

Felix and Afton took a small step forward and Carlisle noted their group was to be included as well as anyone else they wish to bring. The whirlwind of plans took over and in an hour’s time, the Olympic coven and Volturi guard was on its way back to Washington. 

“I just do not understand why so much time was spent on me and yet the two of you ignored what was going on.” Aro’s voice was growing higher in pitch and causing the small space of the Volturi personal jet to feel even more cramped.

“We did not ignore anything,” Caius growled back. “The trio was focused on you. Anything we tried to say to you was pushed off as if nothing mattered.”

“When did it grow to such a fate?” Aro swished his arms in irritation. “When did I lose control of my own coven?”

Before Caius could growl out his reply, Marcus interceded. “If I must say, it was a very slow and intricate overtaking. You see, the lines between submissive and dominant are often blurred as the dominant lose their hold and the submissive takes control. It is subtle at first, a delicate balance of willing and pushing back, but Corin was able to make you believe you were getting what you wanted the whole time.”

The trio continued to grumble but Bella’s eyes had drifted over to Afton’s lonely form. He sat, motionless, staring out the window. After a few moments, he lifted his phone, only to lower his hand once again.

“What are you watching?” Rosalie asked, attempting to follow Bella’s eyes.

“Afton,” Bella said before turning back to Rosalie. “He was hoping when we were released from Laurent’s grasp, so would Chelsea.”

“Chelsea?” Rosalie asked, her brows pulled together in confusion.

“Chelsea is Afton’s mate,” Bella replied simply. She reached out and caressed Rosalie’s arm with her fingers. “The fact that she has not stopped acting in Laurent’s interest provides proof he is not dead.”

Rosalie stiffened and turned to better look at Bella. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why did your connection shut down?”

“I don’t know.”

“What if it comes back on? What if you can’t hold him off? What if we’re walking into a huge trap?!” Rosalie’s voice grew until she sounded almost as hysterical as Aro. The Volturi and Olympic covens both silenced and turned toward the two girls.

“I. Don’t. Know.” Bella said cooly. She looked Rosalie square in the eye and slowly said. “Would you prefer for me to bring up all my walls and continue with my zombie farce? Would you prefer if I had stayed in Italy, hiding deep in walls of ancient stone? Do you wish me to be committed like Sulpicia and Athendora?” 

Rosalie scowled and spit back, “I wish to know what I’m dealing with.”

Caius growled and moved toward Bella. He held his hand out as if he were about to strike her but was suddenly on the ground screaming.

“Jane,” Bella called out calmly. Caius was released from his mental torture; he stood up and brushed his hands over his Volturi uniform. He scowled once more but winced before turning back to his seat. Bella listened to him grumble words of rebellion and disrespect. 

Bella turned back to Rosalie and lowered her voice attempting to soothe her mate. “You’re dealing with a lot of unknowns, that’s true, but you’re dealing with them at the same rate everyone else is. I don’t know how to explain what is going on but I can say with absolute certainty that I can’t promise you anything.”

Rosalie laughed. At first, Bella was surprised but then she grinned at Rosalie. She felt Edward roll his eyes as he quietly said to Esme, “That’s our Bella.”

The jet landed in Seattle several hours later, many of which were spent resting and calmly discussing possible situations. Some were spent merely waiting for the unknown. The jet was met by several black SUVs driven by Volturi guard members wearing black suits with small pins depicting the Volturi crest. They could easily pass as FBI Special Agents. 

Bella followed Rosalie into the back of one of the SUVs. She held the blonde’s hand in a familiar way that also felt strange. Had they been so touchy before all this happened? Was she holding on for lost time? Had all of this really felt strange just a week ago? She held on a little tighter.

When they came to the Quileute land line, the SUVs were stopped by several large wolves blocking the road. The wolves snarled and snapped while moving uneasily.

Bella tightened her grip on Rosalie’s arm in a quick squeeze before letting go and bursting out the SUV door. Tripping over the imaginary line, she all but fell directly into Jacob’s soft, red-brown fur. The wolf snarled but not at her; his focus was still on the SUVs. Bella leaned further into the fur and breathed in Jake’s smokey scent. She then began to cry lightly.

Jake turned to her then and wrapped his large body around her, his breath an even purr like cantor. Bella immediately felt at ease with the peaceful noise surrounding her. 

Behind her, she heard Edward speaking softly to the group. “They will not allow the Volturi on their land.”

“We understand,” Carlisle replied, speaking to another large wolf with a dark mask of fur over her eyes. 

Bella realized it was Jared and listened to Edward reiterate the wolf’s thoughts. “Bella and her mate may pass. We ask the rest of the Olympic coven to remain to watch over the Volturi.”

“Thank you,” Carlisle nodded and turned to his daughter. “Take care of her, and give our best to Charlie and the rest.”

Rosalie nodded before crossing the line. She stood tall and proud while surrounded by the rest of the pack. Jake’s pack. Bella turned back into Jacob’s body and gave him one bear hug that causes the wolf to laugh. She knew he could feel her vampire strength.

The two vampires followed the bulk of the pack back to the central lodge of the Quileute village. At the door, Bella immediately spotted her father. He sat close to Sue Clearwater, who looked significantly poorer in health than Bella had ever seen her. She searched the room and noted Harry was nowhere to be found. 

Bella took a few steps forward before stopping again. She watched her father as he slowly turned toward her. When their eyes met, he jumped up so quickly it surprised Bella. He took several steps toward her before he slowed. Bella realized she had stepped back.

“Bella?” Charlie’s voice cracked out. “Is it really you, Bella?”

The young vampire reached up and touched her throat. It burned, red hot and aching. She heard the loud thumping of heartbeats, so many heartbeats. She closed her eyes and felt the beats like they were thumping against her head, against her chest, against her teeth. She whimpered.

Voices carried across the room, loud and soft and mumbling and clear. She could only focus on the beats, the thumping. Her teeth scratched together, her fangs cut holes in her lips, blood trickling down her throat. Sweet, delicious blood.

“Bella,” Her name was said with such sweet conviction. Such soft, tender words. She opened her eyes and saw her father, still standing across from her. Her body was held in a tight grasp by Rosalie, Jake stood close on the other side. Sue, Leah, and Seth were standing behind Charlie, their own hands gently holding him back. Bella barely noticed them as she made eye contact with her dad. “Bella, I love you.”

His voice was so sincere, so soft, so caring. Bella swallowed slowly, tightened her lips and nodded her head. “I love you too.” Her voice was raspy and sharp, it sounded foreign. “Are you, are you okay?”

Charlie sighed in relief. They still had several hands on them, keeping them apart, keeping them safe, yet they also had each other at that moment. 

“It’s rough. There was an attack, as I know you’ve heard. We lost,” He sighed and looked down at his hands. “We lost a lot of good people. We lost Sam and we lost Emily. We lost Brady and Joy and…” His voice cracks before he is able to whisper out the last name. He coughs roughly and repeated, “We lost Harry.”

“I’m so…” Bella started to say but she wasn’t even sure if she was in the position to apologize. If the Olympic coven had been here, couldn’t they have made the difference? This was all her fault.

“He will pay for this.” Rosalie’s proud voice replied. “We cannot bring them back but we can bring them retribution.”

“Thank you.” This time it was Sue who answered, her voice soft and melodic, so different from her normally loud and precise words. 

The two women nodded before Rosalie turned Bella away. They were followed out of the lodge by Jake and a young boy Bella knew to be Collin. He looked so terribly small and scared but also hardened by the previous battle. Bella wondered if he had been there when Brady was killed.

“It was an ambush, that’s easy enough to say.” Jacob was telling Rosalie. “It was the leader, the dark-skinned one, the red-head and the boy. There were two others who attacked with them, they were Egyptian, unknown, a man and a woman. Lastly, a pair of very fast vampires who spoke French. One was dark-skinned like the leader, the other a small female.” He looked out across the forest, watching the trees as they slowly moved in the light wind. “They hit from three different directions and moved with fierce intensity. They attacked and moved, attacked and move, always moving forward, closer to the center of our lands. It was Harry that stopped them at the lodge, that kept them from killing so many.”

Bella didn’t know what to say, the whole ordeal sounded terrifying. To think, while she was hiding away in a dungeon, her family had been attacked in such a horrid way. It was obvious the attack was meant to harm but not defeat. It was a call to war.  

Her voice was deep when she said, “When do you retaliate?”

A/N: So, the whole world has closed down. I hope y’all are staying safe and clean. I know a lot of you are home but I’m still working two jobs for the time being and this ordeal is causing quite a bit more attention than my normal day-to-day. Thank you to all the health care workers and police and such. 

[Stoics_Dream] Thank you for the grand compliment! I hope to keep bringing you wild turn after wild turn until you’re flipped all around! (Don’t worry, you’ll still land on the ground!)

In light of things, how is everyone spending their self quarantines?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: M

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

“He called her a melon, a pineapple, an olive tree, an emerald, and a fox in the snow all in the space of three seconds; he did not know whether he had heard her, tasted her, seen her, or all three together.”  - Virginia Woolf

Bella didn’t know what to say, the whole ordeal sounded terrifying. To think, while she was hiding away in a dungeon, her family had been attacked in such a horrid way. It was obvious the attack was meant to harm but not defeat. It was a call to war.  

Her voice was deep when she said, “When do you retaliate?”

It felt weird being back in Forks, heading back to her childhood home. Bella watched the forest move quickly around her, noted the animals as they hurried away, spotted the differences in trees, the amount of underbrush. She didn’t know how to move quietly and often broke small trees she didn’t manage to swoop around; she felt Rosalie smile beside her.

In all the strangeness of the last week, Bella hadn’t realized just how much she missed that smile. 

“Are we picking up a few items or staying here tonight?” Rosalie asked as the forest opened up to the backside of Bella’s home.

“Is it safe to stay here?”

“It isn’t safe to stay anywhere.” Rosalie frowned. “If we’re attacked by Laurent here and he’s able to control you,” She choked on the words and wasn’t able to continue.

“At least here, I won’t be able to incapacitate our whole clan by being so close to Alec.”

“You also won’t be able to use him to keep your own head.”

Bella turned to a very worried Rosalie. “True, but I’ll have you.”

“You’re not afraid?”

“I could never hurt you,” Bella smiled before switching over to a mischievous grin. “Even if I tried.”

Opening the back door and walking in through the dining room, Rosalie agreed. She was suddenly knocked to the ground and turned around, Bella straddling her from above. 

“Or maybe…” But Bella’s words were knocked away as Rosalie quickly twisted her legs around the smaller vampire and flipped so she was holding Bella from behind. Bella laughed, “Yeah, ok, I guess you win.”

“You really need to work on your follow-through,” Rosalie commented before releasing Bella. “If you don’t incapacitate your foe, they will keep attacking. A vampire never gives in.”

The two made their way upstairs and into Bella’s bedroom. “I’ll pack a bag so we can leave if we need to. I’ve been wearing these Volturi clothes for too long.” The brunette quickly pulled out a suitcase and stuffed it with a few undergarments. 

“Are you not wearing any clothes in the next few days?” Rosalie asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“I can pack an entire bagful but since I’ll be staying under the same roof as Alice, will I get to wear any of them?”

Having nothing to say, Rosalie merely shrugged. She thought Bella’s clothes were cute on her but she also thought Bella in a giant sweatshirt looked adorable.

“I’m just going to jump in the shower,” Bella said before leaving the bedroom. “Of course, if you want you can join me.”

Rosalie choked, on what, she wasn’t sure. Did she just hear that correctly? Of course, she did, she had perfect hearing. Did she seriously want her to join? Rosalie coughed a few times as if clearing her throat.

“I, uh, I mean, well.” She tried to form a sentence but it just wasn’t working for her. She then heard the sound of the shower running, the sound of fabric hitting the floor, the curtain opening, closing, the splash of water on a body. She gulped.

Bella stood in the warm water wondering if she had gone too far. Maybe Rosalie wasn’t ready for this kind of step. What step was she asking for? Was she ready? If it happens, it happens, she thought. She shook her head, what kind of take is that on sex? She knew she loved Rosalie, and she absolutely knew she wanted Rosalie. If the blonde doesn’t join her, that’s fine, she’ll understand. But if she does…

Rosalie continued to stand in the bedroom, her hands had started wringing themselves. She had no control over them, she barely had control over her thoughts. Was she ready to take that step with Bella? It had only been a few months. In all honesty, they barely know each other. But that wasn’t what this was about, this, sex, she gulped, was about trust. Did she trust Bella? She trusted her to love her, to stay with her, to be with her. Did she trust Bella with her body?

Bella turned the water a little cooler, she closed her eyes and breathed slowly. Her thoughts were swarming about the last time she’d seen Rosalie, not as she is, but less. When she saw Rosalie changing in her closet, when she felt Rosalie laying on top of her, the way her kisses tasted, the way her sweat tasted. Her hands moved slowly but with great purpose. They swam over her breasts and down her stomach. They inched, little by little. They stopped. The sound of footsteps came into the hall, into the bathroom. The door closed.

Rosalie closed the door behind her and stood in the bathroom. She quickly noted the lack of steam and smiled shyly. She removed her clothes, piece by piece, slowly folding them and placing each item neatly on the edge of the sink. The pile was perfectly folded. She breathed slowly and felt the warmth come from the shower. She pulled the curtain back and stepped in.

Bella quickly turned the water back to a reasonable temperature. Once she had realized Rosalie was indeed going to join her, she had turned it too hot. She corrected it, realized she had gone too cold, and corrected it again. She felt the cold chill as the curtain was pulled back and replaced. She felt the warm body of Rosalie standing behind her. She closed her eyes and leaned back.

As Bella’s body leaned back against her, Rosalie naturally reached her arms around the smaller girl. She held her, in a soft hug, eyes closed, simply enjoying the feel of Bella’s body against hers. After a moment’s pause, Bella turned and looked Rosalie straight in the eyes. 

“I wasn’t sure,” Bella started to say.

“I wasn’t either,” Rosalie replied. Both their voices barely above a whisper.

Bella turned slightly, grabbing a washcloth and a drop of body wash. She lathered up and began slowly rubbing the washcloth over Rosalie’s body. The action started off as almost clinical, rubbing across her neck, down each arm, between her fingers. Bella stepped closer and rubbed the cloth slowly down Rosalie’s back. She moved it across her stomach and down each leg, between her toes. On her way up, Bella reached behind Rosalie’s thigh and lifted her leg so her foot rested on the side of the tub. 

Rosalie leaned forward and collected Bella in a deep kiss. The washcloth fell to the tub floor. As Rosalie’s body leaned into Bella, the warm water of the showerhead rinsed the soap from her body. Bella moved her hands across her back and down her thigh. Rosalie grabbed the hand and leaned back slightly. She pressed Bella’s hand against her breast and moaned as the younger girl began massaging. Bella moaned as Rosalie leaned forward and collected a nipple in her teeth. She moaned once more as Rosalie moved Bella’s hand down between her legs. 

Bella slowly caressed Rosalie before moving a finger inside. Rosalie leaned in and took a bite of Bella’s neck. Turning around with a swiftness Bella almost didn’t see, Rosalie pushed Bella against the far wall from the showerhead. She lifted the smaller girl’s leg and placed her own hand inside Bella. The brunette squeaked and moaned and added a finger inside Rosalie. The two found a rhythm and both picked up their pace, their breaths and moans, and kisses and bites challenging one another and goading each other on. 

Rosalie pushed against Bella before sliding her leg forward for a better angle. Bella’s own foot moved before slipping on the forgotten washcloth. Her body collided with Rosalie at a strange angle causing the two to fall toward the shower curtain. It couldn’t hold their weight and the two fell quickly to the bathroom floor.

They burst out laughing, laying naked on the bathroom floor. 

After a few moments, they got to their feet, turned off the shower, dried each other off, and made their way back to Bella’s bedroom. The night was well upon them, so they dressed in sweats and climbed into each other’s arms. A restful sleep as if no one in the world could possibly mean them harm.

The next morning, Rosalie woke to find herself wrapped perfectly around Bella. She looked up at the still sleeping brunette to find herself so at peace and at ease that she couldn’t imagine ever wanting to be anywhere else. She woke Bella to the feeling of soft kisses and nipping teeth on her neck.

“How’d you sleep?” Bella asked in a drowsy manner. 

Rosalie leaned back and stretched before kissing Bella deeply. 

“I could wake up to this every morning.” Bella mused once her lips were released.

“And you shall, my love.” Rosalie kissed her quickly once more before jumping out of bed. 

Bella watched Rosalie walk out of the room to brush her teeth. She then leaned back and listened to the world outside her room, reminding her of the need to face the day. They were going to meet with the rest of the coven before being joined by the wolves. No one wished to wait, so if there was to be an attack, it would be happening tonight. She opened her eyes when Rosalie reentered the room. 

As she moved about with slow purpose, Bella watched Rosalie undress. Before the blonde could put her clothes from yesterday back on, Bella jumped up and pulled Rosalie back into bed. The two rolled around laughing and kissing. Bella pushed Rosalie up so she leaned against the pile of pillows and kissed her way down the blonde’s stomach. Once she reached her destination, Bella relished in Rosalie’s loud moan of pleasure, her hurrying breaths, and the motion of her hips as they tried to ride Bella’s mouth. 

Rosalie’s orgasm was loud and long. Bella was a bit surprised by the reaction even as Rosalie pulled her up and kissed her like the world was about to end. Rosalie then began sucking on Bella’s tongue and lips and neck as her hand fought through Bella’s layers of clothing. Bella’s own orgasm was quick but also followed by two more directly after. 

The two panted in bed a moment longer before hearing a loud shout from outside the window. 

“If you two are quite done, there is a meeting we need to be getting to.” Edward’s voice was surprisingly amused for having been supposedly in love with Bella just last month. “And I know what you’re thinking, Rosalie. I conceded. You two are obviously meant for each other but just not right now. We have to go.”

He disappeared into the woods before the book thrown out the window had a chance of hitting him.

“That was my favorite book!” Bella yelled out. “Go out there and get it!”

“Let me put some clothes on, then I’ll save your precious book.”

“You better hope you didn’t break the spine.”

“If it matters to you that much, I’ll find you another copy. How about an original print?”

“Ugh, I don’t want an original print! I’d be too terrified to open it!”

“This never would have happened if you had just blocked Edward out of my thoughts, you know.”

“Well, I was a little preoccupied at the time. Maybe next time I’ll pay more attention to Edward.”

Rosalie pounced on Bella, holding the girl down with her arms above her head. “Do you really prefer Edward?” The blonde’s words purred out.

Bella gulped and slowly shook her head.

“Even after you’ve already had me?” Rosalie asked, her voice with a little less vibrato.

“I don’t think I could ever want anyone as much as I want you.”

Edward finally moved out of earshot and slowed his pace. Rosalie had been right, he had thought he was in love with Bella only a month ago but now? After knowing how they truly feel about each other, could he have been enough for Bella? For such a long time, he thought he had so much more to offer then Rosalie ever could. She was a flirt, controlling, took what she wanted and left behind the rest. She wasn’t like that with Bella.

“You’re missing two people,” Alice commented as Edward entered the open yard.

“They’re on their way,” Edward smirked. “They were a little preoccupied when I got there.”

“Boom chicka wah, wah.” Emmett laughed. 

“Ahem, well I guess we can start without them.” Jasper coughed and waved the other three to the back of the house. There Edward noted the Olympic and Denali covens with the Volturi leaders and a few guard members, including Felix, Afton, and the witch twins. 

Carlisle squeezed Esme’s hand before moving apart from the groups. He thanked them all for coming and working together before going over the rules of property lines and hunting.

“You all didn’t go over this yesterday?” Bella asked, slightly out of breath.

Edward leaned against the house and whispered back, “We did but it doesn’t hurt to touch them again. Especially with the Volturi leaders. They don’t always take kindly to being given rules to follow.”

“Kettle, meet Pot.” Bella rolled her eyes.

“I would now like to call Jasper up along with Demetri. They will share the list of our advantages. Once the wolves arrive, we will discuss the plan of attack.”

Bella watched Jasper stand before the group with a tall, olive-skinned vampire with long black hair. Despite the obvious differences, his demeanor reminded her so much of James it caused her to shiver. Rosalie wrapped her arms around the smaller vampire protectively. 

Given the possibility that some of us may lose our way in this battle,” Jasper spoke clearly and without malice. “We must make sure we use every advantage we can and control the battle from the beginning. Demetri has discovered the current location of our enemies and will be the frontal assault.”

“We must learn to fight with wolves at our back,” Demetri commented quietly, raising his hand at the immediate growl from several Volturi members. “It is in our best interest to allow these shapeshifters to move unseen until the last. Their smell will give them away quickly enough.” He sneered. 

“There is no doubt the vampires will split up. It is the position of the Volturi guard to attack first, the Denali and Olympic covens to cover the retreat or side attacks, and the Blood coven to hold up the rear.”

“Blood coven?” Bella asked Edward.

“That’s you, clever name, right? Emmett thought of it.” Edward rolled his eyes.

Bella looked across the way to see Emmett holding up two thumbs. She joined Edward in his eye roll but smiled all the same. “He’s not wrong, I guess.”

“With the numbers of the guard, Olympic and Denali covens, and the pack, we should be able to take over the Qua coven. We know Laurent controls his coven members, not individually, but we have no doubts we will have to get through them to get to him. As for the other members, Victoria has shown an uncanny ability to stay out of touch. We are unsure if she has extreme speed or some ability resembling especially good luck. Her pet, Riley, hasn’t shown any specific gift. We believe him to be mostly a bodyguard to Victoria so it’s possible his power is what keeps her out of touch. Avoid the both of them if possible and focus on the others.”

Jasper leaned slightly forward on his feet as he focused in on more details he had learned from the wolves. 

“By the description of the two Egyptians, these may be Amun and Kebi. Kebi is very powerful with her voice, able to entrance or hypnotize her targets. Luckily this only works on one individual at a time but the side effects can be long-lasting. If faced with her, aim for the throat. Amun has the strength of the ancients as well as an uncanny skill of leadership. Anyone who is loyal to him can follow his directions with unbelievable accuracy. Luckily, this gift only works on the willing, unluckily it appears the French coven is loyal to him, as well as Kebi.

“Henri and Yvette are incredibly fast. Henri is able to speed around a battlefield so fast you may not notice his movements. Yes, that is correct, even with our eyesight, you may miss him. Keep yourself alert at all times. Yvette is not as quick on her feet, but her strikes move like a hummingbird. They are not powerful but enough of them will knock the air out of you.”

Bella’s head swam with all the details. She knew each vampire had a power but these seemed to be out of this world. How would they possibly be able to compete against this group? She looked over those assembled in front of her and although it was much larger, the powers she knew about were mostly defensive or just plain passive. 

Carmen is not a fighter, so she and Esme are both going to stand by to heal anyone they can. Eleazar can read a power but he’ll have to see them. Being right in the fight he’ll be able to declare who can do what but if the information doesn’t come fast enough, it won’t help. Emmett is incredibly strong, Edward can read minds, and Jasper can strategize. These are all useful but not absolute. They can not take down an appointment with their powers alone. Alice’s power won’t work with the wolves around, Irina and Tanya can’t seduce someone out of fighting, and Kate needs to be able to touch someone in order to shock them. Afton is an excellent fighter due to his power keeping him out of reach but the speed of the French coven just might do it. Felix can demand the truth and Demetri can find people but those are both useless in a fight. 

She wasn’t sure what the rest of the guard could do but assumed it wasn’t that significant. Alec and Jane had never bothered to mention anyone beyond their own little click and the rest of the Volturi appeared to be powerful but also in awe of the witch twins. 

Bella then turned to look at Carlisle, she had no idea what his power was. She also had no idea what Rosalie’s power was. Before she could ask, the wolves arrived.

Jake walked out from the woods on all fours with only Jared and Leah at his sides. The rest of the wolves hid amongst the trees, restless and pacing. 

Edward pushed off the house and walked over to stand by Jake. The two nodded to one another and Edward became the wolves’ voice. 

“We heard the list of powers of our foes; tell us, do you have your own we must be aware of?”

Carlisle walked up with Aro at his side. At first, it looked like Aro was about to talk but Carlisle held up his hand. Bella noted Caius had an even greater grimace than he normally did. 

Carlisle listed off Tanya, Jane, Alec’s and Bella’s powers. He added some detail on a few others but noted these were the only ones the wolves may see as a threat. Caius began to argue at the ludicrousy of sharing such details but Carlisle and Aro both quickly reminded him of their need to work together.

“I must say,” Marcus added. “It is quite obvious the wolves are devoted to Bella of the Olympic coven. They will do nothing that may cause her destruction.”

Bella smiled and Caius relented but grumbled about not needing help from a bunch of moon lovers. 

The sun began to set and the covens and pack began to move.

A/N: The final battle should be an interesting one. I hope you’re all looking as forward to it as I am. As for our favorite girls, I hope you got a little taste of what we all wanted but still staying within the likelihood of the couple. What do we think of the list of powers? Who has the best shot of winning? Any guesses on the massive twists I’m about to employ? Yeah, that’s right, y’all know me too well by now.

[JenDamn] You forgot to message me! I hope you liked this chapter as well though!

[Corr5092] Was this update good too? Did you know that almost all of my commenters have Katie McGrath as their icons? Can you name any good fanfics with her characters in it?

[HouseofSeekers] I’m nothing if not a really good distraction. ::wink wink:: But yeah, we’re finally on the precipice of the final battle. I hope you’re still on the edge of your seat!

Now, I’m stuck between using the original idea I had for Rosalie’s power and going somewhere insane with it. Does anybody have some good ideas?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: M

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

“The enchanted day is only enchanted if we ourselves believe that anything is possible.”  - Mark O'Brien

“I must say,” Marcus added. “It is quite obvious the wolves are devoted to Bella of the Olympic coven. They will do nothing that may cause her destruction.”

Bella smiled and Caius relented but grumbled about not needing help from a bunch of moon lovers. 

The sun began to set and the covens and pack began to move.

Bella heard the fighting commence before she was able to see the Qua coven. Rosalie turned to her once before setting out. She kissed Bella as if she would never see her again and moved to run off; Bella had pulled her back and kissed with a promise they would make it out alive. Rosalie almost cried but instead steeled herself for battle and joined the Olympic coven. It was hard for Bella to hear the fight and not know if Rosalie was okay but this was all part of the plan. 

The noise grew and Bella pushed to reach the edge of the trees. Jane’s hand reached out and grabbed her arm. For a small moment, Bella fought but it didn’t last. She had to stick to the plan. She turned to Alec and nodded her head. He reached out with his gift and Bella reached out with hers. 

Bella’s gift searched the vampires and wolves before her. When she touched on Seth, she pulled back from the force. Shaking her head, she tried again. This time, when the full force of all the wolves collected thoughts and visions came clearer. She watched through their eyes to see the battle around them. 

The French moved with such amazing speed but luckily the wolves were able to watch them. They attacked in numbers and pulled down Yvette in the first fifteen minutes. It took four of them but they were able to knock her out. They dragged her body to Esme and Carmen, who quickly wrapped it in chains. For a short moment, Bella wondered where they got the chains but then decided not to dwell on those types of details. For all she knew, it came from Rosalie’s garage. 

The next focus of the wolves was Henri. He had taken out three Volturi guards already, one looked like he was not going to wake again. Bella noted Rosalie at the edge of the view of one of the wolves, she seemed to be fighting the Egyptian female, Kebi, but the view was quickly cut out. Bella groaned but kept herself from moving. 

Afton and Felix were standing on the edge of the forest and calling out locations for Jane to hit. She reached out with her gift but only for short bursts. With the large amount of movement in the battle, Jane had to make sure no one stepped in the way and got hit on accident. They all stayed on the inside of the forest, blocked by the tree line, surrounded by a wall of Alec’s gift. 

Alec’s concentration would falter from time to time. It took a great amount of work to hold up a solid wall but the battle played out with no one noticing the last coven waiting just outside. 

Irina yelled out in pain, Victoria and Riley had broken her arm at a painful-looking angle. Tanya moved to help but was blocked by the female Egyptian. Bella gasped as she remembered Rosalie fighting the girl but she looked different, younger. Tanya knocked her to the side and jumped on Riley but Irina was lying motionless on the ground, her neck at an unnatural angle. 

Tanya ripped Riley to pieces, quickly dissolving any ideas he had some sort of bodyguard power. But then again, Victoria escaped unharmed, once again. Tanya picked up Irinia and pulled her to Esme and Carmen. The two women were focused on one of the wolves, was it Paul? They ignored the unmoving body. Tanya roared with rage and began hunting Victoria all over the battlefield.

At this point, Afton noted the lack of Laurent anywhere in sight. Bella got a full view of the open field as Seth swept around for another attack. Still in the fight were Tanya chasing down Victoria, Rosalie, Alice, and Kate focused on Kebi, Aro, Caius, Eleazar, and Carlisle were fighting Amun, Henri was keeping the wolves on the run, including Jake, Leah, Jared, and Quil. Seth was chasing down another Egyptian that was laughing with delight. Quil and Emmett were attempting to cut Henri off from one side, while Jasper, Demetri, and Marcus searched from the perimeter and called out plans of attacks and strategies. 

“Hello, dears,” Laurents soft, caramel voice slipped into the Blood coven’s thoughts as the vampire eased himself past Alec’s gift. Alec swayed and fell to the ground. “Tsk, what a loss.”

Jane focused all her energy on Laurent but only barely tingled him as he took control of her movements. Without a word, Jane’s body shifted back to the battlefield and attacked Carlisle. The Olympic coven leader fell to the ground, crying out in pain and fear. The Olympic and Denali covens turned to look briefly but were quickly overturned by the Qua coven, who didn’t even flinch at the ungodly screams. 

Alice and Kate were quickly taken down by the Kebi, Aro, Eleazar, and Caius were backed into a corner by Amun, and the younger Egyptian turned around and roared, creating a wall of fire between Henri and the wolves. They skidded to a stop, but Jared wasn’t fast enough; the flames consumed him in seconds. 

Bella watched in horror as she realized the Qua coven had merely been playing, taunting while Laurent searched for his other members. She watched Carlisle writhe on the ground, barely able to cry out anymore. His throat was spitting out blood instead of screams. 

“Enough, please!” Amun yelled out. He bent down and held Carlisle in his arms. “Stop this, Laurent. You’ve proven your point.”

Laurent flicked his wrist and Jane fell to the ground in exhaustion. Her body writhed from its own level of pain until growing still. 

“I was just having a bit of fun,” Laurent replied while nonchalantly checking his nails. “Now, if you’re all quite done, I’d like to wrap this all up.” He turned to Bella and said, “Are we all done, or do you want your precious mate to die too?”

Bella turned to Rosalie. Kebi and the young Egyptian male were holding her up. How did he get there? Bella looked at the wolves, hoping there was some option. She reached out with her gift and felt Jake. He turned to her and turned back to the Egyptian male. Something was wrong, something was off with Jake. He was whimpering, digging at the dirt, growling at his own paws. She felt a transition come over the rest of the wolves. They turned their heads up to the sky and began howling.

“What is this?” Laurent asked, somewhat annoyed. “What is going on? Tell those wolves to shut up!” He yelled out to no one in particular. He looked down at Jane and kicked her body. It swayed but she didn’t move. 

He looked over at Victoria and demanded her to do something. She swayed uncomfortably, almost as if fighting against something but eventually moved toward the wolves. She was unsure of what to do. Suddenly, a wolf burst through the trees behind Victoria and snapped her neck. It was Seth, somehow he was able to remove himself from the fray when the younger Egyptian had turned and attacked. 

Seth moved to the two holding Rosalie captive and growled at Kebi but stayed clear of the male. Bella tilted her head at the strange sight. The rest of the wolves continued to howl before joining Seth and managing to pull Kebi from Rosalie’s side. They yanked her into the forest where Amun quickly followed. Carlisle moaned out Esme’s name who strangely moved into the forest, instead of by his side. Where was she going?

There was the noise of a struggle and the sound of Esme’s voice. The wolves howled and barked and roared but Esme’s soft words continued into the air. Bella turned to Jake, who remained in front of Rosalie and the Egyptian male. She watched him carefully as he hid his nose under his paws and flopped to the ground. 

“Amun? Kebi?” Laurent shouted out. “What is going on over there? Make those wolves shut up!”

When no response came, the younger Egyptian, still holding Rosalie in his arms, began laughing.

Laurent turned his rage on him. “Enough of this! Benjamin! Dispose of the girl and let’s get out of here. Burn anyone that stands in your way.”

Benjamin continued to laugh before yelling back a simple ‘no’. He burst out in guttural laughter and released his grip on Rosalie. Rosalie swayed but remained upright.

Bella immediately attempted to move to her side but Laurent held out his hand, stilling her body instantly. She tugged and pulled at her very blood attempting to loosen his grip but he held stern. 

“What do you mean, no?” Laurent shouted in rage. His body began to shake and he moved his left hand out, pointing at Benjamin. Felix and Afton roared in pain as their bodies took over and attacked the male Egyptian. Jake growled and turned on them, his back to Benjamin and Rosalie. Benjamin flicked his hand out lazily. The collection of vampires all gasped as Felix and Afton’s feet were gripped by the earth itself. The two vampires continued to fight for a few minutes but were unable to pull themselves free.

Laurent gasped and fell to the ground. He looked around himself quickly and realized his clan had been taken apart. Alex and Jane were drained completely, Afton and Felix were held to the spot, Yvette, Victoria, and Riley were all killed, and now Benjamin was ignoring any call to his blood. 

He roared and Henri moved liked lightning. He attacked Caius, Emmett, Tanya, and took out the rest of the guard. He flew at Benjamin but was knocked back by a gust of air. He came from the other side, knocked over Rosalie and flew back into a tree, knocking it to the ground. Benjamin took no time to completely encompass Henri’s body into the earth. Bella had no doubt the vampire was to be left, buried alive. 

Laurent stood slowly and showed his teeth. It was then, Bella felt the twist of her blood again, the action of her arm moving against her will, her own gift reaching out and pulling at Benjamin. The Egyptian tilted his head before snapping at the ground around Bella. She felt the earth move but snapped her own fingers and the earth moved back. Benjamin laughed aloud as if this was the most spectacular thing he’d ever seen. He pushed his hand forward and Bella felt the wind at the same time her own hands reached out and the wind flew past her. He laughed again but turned his head when Jake whimpered. 

Benjamin turned his assault from Bella and began attacking Laurent. He reached out with fire, but Bella dispelled it with water. He reached out with earth, but Bella dispelled it with wind. The two continued, one attacked swayed by another. Benjamin always reaching out to attacked Laurent, Bella always on the defense. Laurent began to sweat with exhaustion. 

As Laurent’s body began to sway and he was losing the ability to stand up, Bella found his control to be lesser and lesser. The amount of energy used in Benjamin’s gift was draining him, it was draining her. She was finally able to hold herself back when Benjamin blasted a light gust of wind, he was also growing tired. He realized the attack had hit, had blown Laurent’s hair back. He lifted his hands to attack again but only felt a crackle of fire at his fingertips. He fell to his knees. 

Bella’s vision blurred just as she saw Jake jump at Laurent’s neck.

A/N: Okay, let me just say there is a reason I’ve skipped just about every battle before this point. They are so hard to write! Please, let me know how lost you were with characters and action, let me know where I got confusing so I know how to write these battles better in the future!

[Guest] Not sure why you thought this story was deserted, but obviously it is not! Yay!

[JenDamn] Rosalie was adorable, wasn’t she? I love writing from her perspective. I’m definitely going to stick to her on my next fanfic! Benjamin and Tia definitely showed but not quite what you were expecting, eh?

What do you think Bella will be waking up to? So many characters! How many of them survived? What was your favorite battle from a book or movie?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: M

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

“I think everyone has some fascination with what's outside our existence. It's a constant journey to find the truth.” - Nicholas Lea

As Laurent’s body began to sway and he was losing the ability to stand up, Bella found his control to be lesser and lesser. The amount of energy used in Benjamin’s gift was draining him, it was draining her. She was finally able to hold herself back when Benjamin blasted a light gust of wind, he was also growing tired. He realized the attack had hit, had blown Laurent’s hair back. He lifted his hands to attack again but only felt a crackle of fire at his fingertips. He fell to his knees. 

Bella’s vision blurred just as she saw Jake jump at Laurent’s neck.

Rosalie stood and shook her head. She looked out at the carnage before her, Caius and several guards were lying motionless to the side of her. Emmett was holding Tanya and speaking soft words as she whimpered against him. Bella was on the ground, Edward leaning over her and checking her vitals. Rosalie moved immediately to her side.

“Is she alright? Is she breathing?”

“Yes, she’s okay. It seems to just be exhaustion, she’ll be fine.” Edward leaned up and looked Rosalie in the eye. “This isn’t over yet, you need to go help Jake.”

Rosalie held onto Bella’s hand but looked around. “Where is he? What happened?”

“Jake, he, well,” Edward rubbed the back of his neck. “He imprinted on Benjamin.”

Rosalie’s eyes grew wide before a short laugh coughed out of her mouth. “What?”

“I know, talk about good timing right?”

“How? Wait, why?”

“His imprinting on Benjamin broke Laurent’s hold on him.” Edward looked back down at Bella. “Look, we can discuss it all later, for now, we need to make sure Jake and Benjamin take out Laurent. They’re the only ones left in this fight.”

Rosalie looked around and noted so many bodies, both moving and unmoved. She could still hear the wolves with Kebi, Amun and Esme. She saw Carlisle coughing but breathing. She looked back at Bella and gave her hand one strong squeeze. If they don’t act now, they might lose her for real.

“Let’s go.”

The two followed the sounds of Benjamin’s tired laughter and Jake’s weak growls. The two were circling Laurent, who held his ground. Laurent didn’t have the strength of the ancients but he seemed to hold onto the smallest amount of power from his previous conquers.

“Now we have ourselves a party,” He quipped as he saw Rosalie and Edward join the fray. They stood and crouched, unsure what the next move was. Why hadn’t Benjamin and Jake attacked yet? Surely the two of them must be able to do something.

“He still has a hold on Benjamin’s power, possibly through Bella,” Edward answered the unspoken question. “I’m not sure how it works but somehow their connection enables his own power.”

“Quite the deducer, aren’t you Edward?” Laurent smiled but there was a slight cringe in his eyes. He hadn’t admitted defeat yet, but surely he knew it was coming. “But of course you’re used to having all the answers first, aren’t you?”

Edward merely shrugged, no point in arguing. Isn’t it usually a good thing to get the villain in a story to talk about his plans?

Laurent snarled and Edward felt the harsh blast of pain from Jane’s power. He grunted but held back from screaming out, the pain quickly dissolved. 

“At least we know Jane is still alive,” Edward growled out. The pain may have been less than Jane could have mustered but it still hurt. 

“The pompous prick,” Benjamin laughed out. “He creates his little vampire clan, let’s them run around becoming more and more powerful, and then uses his blood connection to control, manipulate, and overpower them. Gawad . [Pimp - an insult to males in Arabic.]”

Jake whimpered from a few feet away. When Benjamin looked his way, there seemed to be an understanding between the two. Jake turned his full attention back to Laurent and growled with a strength Bella had never heard from the wolves. 

Benjamin also turned back to Laurent and growled. “ Allah yakhthek. [May God take your soul.]” He then pounced.

Rosalie was the slowest to move, the only one without a mental connection to the others. Edward went for Laurent’s feet, pulling him from his balance; Benjamin twisted his arm around, keeping him from using any powers; Jake went straight for the throat. Rosalie noticed there was already a large wound on Laurent’s left shoulder but now his neck was being ripped out. Her blood lust took over and the four supernaturals decimated the now powerless vampire. 

When Bella came to, she was still lying on the floor of the forest. She took several large breathes before pulling herself up and looking around.

“Good to see you awake,” Carmen noted but remained working on another patient. Bella twisted slightly to see it was Tanya; she was holding back screams as Carmen rebroke her arms several times before finally letting it fall softly to Tanya’s side. 

“You’re one fierce bear,” Emmett smiled, he was sitting just past Tanya, holding her other hand. He had several rough scratches and was covered with dirt and debris. 

Bella smiled briefly but noticed Eleazar, Carmen, and Kate all crying over another body. She looked down at her hands as she realized it was Irina. So many were dead, how many were alive? 

“What’s the count?” She asked, her voice rough and tasting like dirt. She shook her head, a slow thumping rocking around in her brain. “Who is left?”

Emmett nodded slowly, “We did good, Bella. Remember that.”

Bella simply waited for Emmett to continue. He sighed and looked around the field. “Denali coven has all but Irina; Volturi lost the most, all of their guard members and some of the elite guards, including Caius. Left are Aro, Marcus, Demetri, and Felix. We don’t know if Alec is going to wake up, but Jane didn’t make it. Quil is sleeping off his injuries but will be okay in another hour or so. Seth and Leah are fine, a little bruised but both of them are fighters.”

“What about Jake?” Bella wanted desperately to ask about the Olympic coven but was terrified that Emmett was holding back for a reason. Was Rosalie okay? Alice, Jasper, Edward? What about Carlisle?

“Jake went after Laurent.” He paused and then immediately regretted it. “Now wait, don’t worry, Laurent is dead.”

Bella felt strangled over the tears that fell down her face. She knew he was dead, she could feel it in her very blood, almost as if a weight was lifted or a stain removed. 

“Jake?”

“We’re just waiting for them all to come back. We heard the fight; it was, well, it was a successful attack. They’re burning the remains.”

“They?”

“Jake, Benjamin, Edward, and Rosalie,” Emmett said softly, with a small smile. “They’re all fine.”

Bella allowed her tears to fall freely now. “I’m ready, how is our family?”

Emmett smiled again. “Good, they’re good. Jasper had to have a few bones reset but he’s already over with Alice taking care of Carlisle. Amun saved him.”

Bella shook her head slightly, “Why would Amun do that? Why did he ask Laurent to stop? How did he?”

“I don’t really know. I mean, I know that Amun and Kebi have been friends with Carlisle for ages. Honestly, it was kind of weird they were a part of Laurent’s coven since they’re a lot older. Laurent didn’t turn them.”

Bella wondered about that for a short moment while noting Demetri and Felix were standing over with Aro and Marcus. They must have been dug out of the ground; She suddenly remembered Henri. Bella stood up and swiftly fell to her knee. Emmett was by her side in a blink of the eye. 

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“We have to get Henri out,” Bella cringed before allowing Emmett to help her up to her feet. “With Laurent dead, he has also been released.”

“But we don’t know him and he attacked us.”

“So did I, Emmett.”

He huffed but followed Bella’s slow walk to the mound of new earth. She reached out with her gift and felt Benjamin, he was exhausted but healthy. She pulled at him slightly, felt him resist before letting his gift go freely. Perhaps he thought she was Laurent at first, perhaps he realized what she was doing. She couldn’t know for certain but she used his gift to slowly move the dirt from Henri.

The dark-skinned vampire gasped for air and tossed his arms and legs violently. Emmett flexed his muscles but Bella placed her hand on his bicep and shook her head slowly. He rolled his eyes but took a few steps back. Henri stood inside his grave before taking off. His body disappeared into the forest before anything could be said.

“What if he comes back?” Emmett growled through his teeth.

“Then we deal with him then,” Carmen’s voice came from behind them. “He is no longer our enemy unless he chooses to be.”

Bella and Emmett turned to her. She held out her arms and took them both in a loose hug. “ Mis queridos [my dears], this fight was hard but just. Nostros hemos superado. [We have overcome.]”

“ Nosotros tambien venceremos. [We will always overcome.]” Eleazar said, walking up to join them.

“ Spolu. [Together.]” Kate agreed.

Bella blinked as she listened to the people around her, she didn’t understand the words but she knew the feeling behind them. 

“Together,” Emmett agreed and Bella nodded, smiling.

She felt her before turning to see her. Bella moved from Emmett’s side, taking several large strides and all but tackling Rosalie into a hug.

“My love, you’re okay,” Rosalie said into Bella’s hair, holding onto the younger vampire with all she had left.

Bella cried and sniffed and pulled back, finally noting the large amount of blood covering Rosalie’s face and clothes. 

Rosalie looked down and softly laughed, “You should see me in the garage, I’m a surprisingly messy person.”

Bella laughed, a strange noise in the open field filled with injured and broken and lost. She quieted quickly and turned back to the Denali coven and Emmett.

“Carlisle?” Rosalie asked softly.

Emmett nodded and pointed across the field to where Jasper and Alice sat next to Carlisle, who was now leaning against a large tree. Rosalie nodded but swept the rest of the field.

“Esme?”

Emmett frowned and turned to the forest. “She is still with Amun and Kebi. The wolves have returned but I haven’t seen them.”

Rosalie looked back at Carlisle and walked across the field until they were together.

Alice stood up and took each in a hug. Jasper smiled and remained by Carlisle’s side. Bella hugged Alice back and whispered, “What’s wrong?”

Alice held Bella in her arms a little longer before stepping back and looking down at the ground. Something was happening that Bella didn’t understand. She looked down at Carlisle and noticed he was crying, was he in pain?

She turned to Rosalie to see her frowning, Emmett as well. She turned to Edward and lifted her eyebrow in question.

“Carlisle has a certain power over those he turns,” Edward said softly. Bella felt the rest of the coven seem to tense. “He has never used that power over any of us. He simply doesn’t ask anything of us, but today…”

“Today I used that power over Esme,” Carlisle said in a low raspy voice. “I understand if she doesn’t return.”

Bella gasped and held her hands over her mouth. “You’re like Laurent?”

Carlisle hung his head more.

“No, he’s not,” Jasper said sternly. He looked at each of the members of his family before continuing. “Laurent built up an army to satisfy his own desires of power. Carlisle changed those he was compelled to help. Laurent used his coven, abused their powers and played with their blood. Carlisle has no control over people’s actions or their body, and even if he did I don’t believe he’d used it.”

Emmett nodded slowly, “Carlisle is a good man.” He said slowly. “I just didn’t expect…”

“We all knew he could,” Alice agreed. “We knew he never would unless…”

“Unless he felt he needed to save someone,” Rosalie stated, her words felt emotionless. “Who did you choose to save?”

“The wolves were attacking Kebi, Amun would have destroyed them all,” Carlisle whispered, tears falling quickly down his cheeks. 

“You choose the wolves over Esme?” Rosalie was grinding her teeth.

“How do you control people?” Bella asked. Jasper had said he had no control over someone’s movements, yet Esme seemed to act without thought.

“He compels people with a level of compassion,” Edward explained. He had remained silent this whole time but now his words seemed to hold an extra weight. “He convinces them to serve others. He convinced Esme to help, but he did so by pushing her into an impossible fight.”

Bella thought about what Edward said, how Kebi was being attacked by the wolves, by Seth, Leah, and Quil. How both Kebi and Amun were powerful, ancient vampires who could have killed them all. And also how those wolves were all okay. 

“What did Esme do?” She asked the group.

It was Jasper that replied. “Esme used her own gift, that of love, to put it simply. Esme is able to find and love the good in all, she is also able to show that love to others. It’s a very powerful gift but not easily understood, even when used.” He shook his head. “She basically negotiated with the violent group and got them all to stop fighting.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Bella asked, still confused. “I mean, she succeeded, right? And who else would have been able to handle that? Why isn’t this a good thing?”

“If it had been her choice,” Rosalie answered with a slight growl. She then turned and pulled Bella away from the group. 

“Where are we going?” 

“I just need to get away from…” Her voice trailed off.

“They’re your family.”

“I know, I know, I just need to breathe.”

Bella walked with Rosalie until they were well away from the rest of the groups. Rosalie let go of Bella’s hand and started pacing back and forth. Bella took a seat on a nearby tree stump and listened to Rosalie rant about the rights and wrongs of controlling people and how no one should be able to compel others, regardless of the reason.

After several long minutes, and no change to Rosalie’s mood, Bella asked, “If I needed you to do something for me, would you do it?”

“Sure,” Rosalie said quickly before continuing her own debate.

“So, if I asked you to defend me against Laurent or James or Victoria, you would?”

“They’re all dead.” Rosalie turned and looked at Bella. “What are you talking about?”

“Right, right, but if I asked you, would you have?”

“Of course, I’d give my life for you.”

“Why is that?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Why would you give your life to save mine?”

Rosalie gave Bella a confused look. 

“Is it because you love me?” Bella asked. “Because you feel that you couldn’t live without me?”

“Maybe?” Rosalie answered. “But at the same time I now feel like this is a trick question.”

“If you would do that for me, after only a few months of knowing me. Do you think Esme would do that for Carlisle?”

Rosalie rolled her eyes. “For Carlisle, yes, but also of her own volition. Not because she was compelled to do so.”

“Right, right, I completely agree with you about that. But answer me this,” Bella stood up and held out her hands. Rosalie placed her own in them and squeezed. “If I had the power to compel you to do something, we’d probably talk about that, yes?”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, if we were together for, however long Esme and Carlisle have been together…”

“Eight-five years.”

“Right, wow, okay, eighty-five years. So if we were together for that long, don’t you think we would have had a conversation about this power and any situation we may agree, or not, about when to use it?”

Rosalie huffed before slowly shrugging and turning away.

Bella continued, “don’t you think that during a massive battle where a bunch of kids may die would be a good exception?”

Rosalie growled and punched a tree, causing it to crack and fall down. Bella jumped at the noise but then giggled a little. Rosalie growled again but turned back to Bella.

“Okay, so maybe, but it didn’t look that way from Carlisle.”

Bella bit her lip and nodded slowly. “I don’t know them that well, but if I had the power to compel people and didn’t want to use it, I’d feel pretty bad using it no matter what we agreed on.”

“Ugh,” Rosalie kicked at a stone, causing it to crumble on the spot. 

“What have I told you about destroying the forest?” Esme asked, walking up to the two girls slowly.

Rosalie ran to her adopted mother and hugged her tightly. When Esme strained slightly, Rosalie pulled back and looked her over with a medical eye.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Just a cracked rib that’s slowly healing.” Esme turned to Bella and held out her free arm. “Come here, my love.”

Bella stepped into Esme’s arm and hugged her softly. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“I could say the same for you but I had no doubt you’d make it through this.”

Rosalie let out a short laugh, “Liar.”

“Maybe, but it’s a good thought, isn’t it?”

“Ever the do-gooder.” Rosalie rolled her eyes.

“I heard what you said,” Esme said to Bella. “You weren’t too far off from the truth.”

Bella shrugged self consciously. 

Esme turned back to Rosalie. “One day you’ll understand my love for you. And you’ll accept all our faults.”

“But he…”

“Did only what I asked him to do.” Esme held Rosalie’s chin in her hand. “Trust our love. Forgive your father. Forgive me.”

Rosalie bit down on her bottom lip but eventually nodded slowly. “I’ll try.”

“Come, we could all use a good meal and some rest. Bella?” 

“Yes, Esme?”

“Call your father.”

“Right, of course. I just need a phone.”

Rosalie handed one over but asked, “Where’s yours?”

“Emmett told me I’m too much of a klutz to bring a phone to a battle.”

“But wait, you had it with you just before.”

“Oh, yeah, no. I didn’t listen to Emmett and now my phone is broken.”

Rosalie laughed so hard she snorted. 

A/N: Laurent is dead! Laurent is dead! Ding, dong, Laurent is dead!

[Packer82] Are we a Richard Rogers fan? Or do you work in a factory? Thanks for sharing your love! I hope I didn’t make you wait too long!

[LovesMe419] Lol I’m sorry you were confused! I hope you are less confused with this chapter.

[JenDamn] Second part of the battle, now complete. Without his minions, Laurent wasn’t too much trouble. We’ll discuss more of Benjamin and Jacob, plus the motivation of the Qua coven. It was/is very important to remember they were not in control of their own actions.

[elliehandesu] Laurent is dead! Yay!

[thestormborn] At what cost indeed? But we have to remember what Emmett said, they did good. Unfortunately, there was a lot of loss, so the next chapter will be dealing with a lot of grieving. 

[breadlover99] I also love bread, but for much longer than just 1999, thank you. I do have a few super sweet moments left for these two, don’t you worry. 

How do you grieve losing a member of your family? What are some traditions you follow for funerals?

Chapter Text

Title: Intrinsic Fascination

Author: pantheradraconis

Rating: M

Pairing: Bella/Rosalie

Summary: The world is filled with billions of people; a new breath is taken every second. A last breath is taken as well. But the cycle continues, on and on; who would bother noticing when someone doesn’t quite fit into this cycle…

“After all this has passed, I still will remain. After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain. Though it won't be today, someday I'll hope again and there'll be beauty from pain. You will bring beauty from my pain.” - Superchick, Beauty From Pain

“Come, we could all use a good meal and some rest. Bella?” 

“Yes, Esme?”

“Call your father.”

“Right, of course. I just need a phone.”

Rosalie handed one over but asked, “Where’s yours?”

“Emmett told me I’m too much of a klutz to bring a phone to a battle.”

“But wait, you had it with you just before.”

“Oh, yeah, no. I didn’t listen to Emmett and now my phone is broken.”

Rosalie laughed so hard she snorted. 

Bella and Jake sat next to one another with their feet dangling off the cliff edge. They watched the sun slowly set over the waves of the ocean, waiting for night to descend. There were several words to be said but so many of them felt like lead in Bella’s mouth. There would be a bonfire tonight, a solemn affair, down on the beach. Several burial canoes were being erected for each of the fallen. It was an old practice, one that had changed with the times, but it felt right. They would burn each of the canoes as the night searched for the dawn, all except for one; the one that represented Sam. Sam’s canoe was to be sailed out into the ocean until it found its island, once there it would be erected for time to solidify. It was a great honor for an Alpha.

“I’m going to Egypt,” Jake said suddenly, startling Bella.

“Uh, ok, like now?”

Jake laughed, “Obviously not, but soon.”

“Why?”

Jake looked down at his large hands. He held them up like he could block out the sun but then leaned back and closed his eyes.

“Benjamin and the others need to bury Tia.”

“And he asked you to go with him?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow.”

“I know, right?”

“So, Benjamin, uh, that’s a lot, huh?” Bella squirmed in her seat.

“It’s weird.” Jake laughed.

Bella laughed back and added, “I never would have thought you had a thing for older guys.”

Jake pushed her playfully and shook his head. “It’s not really like that. It’s not all romantic junk.”

“Are you sure? Benjamin is really pretty.” Bella shrugged and received another playful push. “I’m just saying, you could have done a lot worse.”

“Yeah, I could have imprinted on you!” Jake jumped to his feet before Bella could tackle him. “Last one down has to pack my bag!” Jake yelled out before leaping off the cliff.

Bella screamed out to him, “You barely wear shirts! How hard could that be!” She ran as fast as she could down the rough side to the sandy beach. Jacob fought against the waves to swim to shore but Bella just beat him. 

The two laughed but tried to keep quiet, the funeral was only a mile away. They could see the large bonfire at the center, surrounded by the tall burial structures. It was a solemn affair and one that made Bella’s heart ache. So many kids were dead and for what? Laurent’s greed? His demand for power? Or was it her fault?

She didn’t know how to face the guilt she felt, the pressure of knowing Laurent attacked Forks just to get her attention. If she hadn't come, or if she had been able to face him sooner instead of hiding away… She shook her head, and buried the thoughts in the recesses of her mind. It wouldn’t due to focus on so many negatives. She had to face what was real and what was needed now. Correct the past by doing better in the present. 

Jake looked around and noted Charlie and Sue and his dad, Billy were making their way to the beach.

“I guess it’s time.” He looked back at Bella. “Is blondie coming?”

Bella rolled her eyes, “Yes, my coven will be here soon. They went up to Alaska with the Denali coven to put Irinia to rest.”

“Why didn’t you go?”

Bella shrugged, “I didn’t know her. I felt like I’d just be in the way.”

“Rosalie didn’t want you there?”

“She did, I just, look it’s complicated, ok?” Bella said, a slight growl to her voice. “I couldn’t go knowing it was…”

Jake nodded but said nothing. They made their way to the beach and Jake followed Billy up to the bonfire. Bella saw Angela with Leah and Seth, she saw several members of the tribe she’d known for most of her life, she saw the strain Charlie felt as he held himself from moving to her side. She waved in a pathetic attempt of acknowledgment but stayed far away. 

A few words were spoken in the Quileute languages, they were words Bella didn’t understand but she felt the sadness and the hope. As she watched Jake light a large torch and pass it to Billy she realized she saw the two great leaders of the tribe, the Alpha and the Senior. It was humbling to realize it was the very family she grew up in. 

A soft hand fell on her shoulder and she looked up to see Esme standing beside her. On the other side, her hand was placed tenderly within Rosalie’s. She wanted desperately to ask about Alaska, about the Denali’s, about everything but the words dried on her tongue. 

As the burial canoes were lit and the fires grew into the night, Bella heard a soft, but strong voice from behind her. It was Jasper, singing just loud enough for those around him to hear. A few lines in, she heard Sue from across the way, sing with him and then a few others. He sang a sad, beautiful song, a song about happiness and freedom and release. The words followed Sam’s canoe out into the waves and across the sea.

The fires burned through the night. The crowd stayed until the sun rose behind them.

“So I take it you won’t be finishing out the school year?” Charlie joked with a weary grin. He sat on Billy’s couch at the far end of the living room. Bella was leaning against the front door in the kitchen on the other side of the house. 

Bella rolled her eyes and grinned. “It does not seem like a real possibility at the moment.”

“We certainly won’t be stopping your education, though,” Esme noted in a very parental manner. She and Carlisle stood in the kitchen in a very nonchalant manner but both Charlie and Bella knew they were ready to intervene if need be. Bella was careful to breathe through her mouth. “I’ve already signed you up for online courses and I have a few brochures for online colleges. I’ve created a packet for you to look over as well, Chief Swan.”

“Charlie, please.”

Esme smiled, “Charlie, we will work very hard with Bella and be with her every step of the way as she adjusts to her new lifestyle.”

Charlie half smiled, half frowned. “I really do appreciate everything you’re doing but I wish there was more I could do to help.”

“To be honest, keeping up appearances is really the most we can ask for.”

“This isn’t my first rodeo,” Charlie grinned. “Again, thank you.”

“Of course.”

Bella reached out toward her father but then quickly removed herself from the conversation. The rooms were starting to feel too small and she needed to remove herself. 

They were still at the Res, Charlie was staying with Billy to help with the cleanup of the main lodge and the tribe elections, so Bella made her way to the garage where she was hoping to find Jake. She also found a very confused Benjamin.

“So wait, you paid for this pile of metal?” Benjamin asked while pointing at an old, rusty car.

“This a 1970 Porsche 911, it’s a classic.”

“It looks like a piece of junk.”

“Well yeah, now it does. Give it a few years and I’ll get it cleaned up. Maybe I’ll even let you ride in it.”

“So you’re a man who doesn’t like giving up the driver’s seat?” Benjamin asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I, uh, um…” Jake coughed out.

“We will have to see about that,” Benjamin added while seeming to size Jake up. “We will definitely have to see.”

“Completely platonic?” Bella asked, joining the two in the garage. 

“Bella!” Jake yelled out a little too loudly for the confined space. “I mean, hi Bella. How are you today?”

“Oh you know, same as before. Undead, trying not to kill my father, the reason for all the recent funerals, oh but apparently I get to start online classes next week, so there’s that.”

“I got my complete education online, it was actually very convenient,” Benjamin added, completely skimming over the rest of the words Bella said. “But I will excuse myself now. Isabella, I believe I’ll be seeing you later at the Cullen’s?” He didn’t wait for a reply before quickly patting Jake on the butt and vanishing out the door. 

Jake’s squeak of surprise didn’t come out until the vampire was long gone. Bella laughed causing Jake to throw a dirty rag at her face.

“So, what’s it like to be imprinted to that?” Bella asked, sincerely interested.

“Weird, very weird.” Jake rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s crazy to think of the timing though. We made eye contact and there was just this woosh, this hurricane of winds, and then silence. I could see it in his eyes, the way they went from dark and cold to bright and glittery. It was if he was waking up from a coma, seeing the world for real. It was strange.”

“That sounds really beautiful, Jake.”

Jake rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah. I’m just glad it snapped him out of whatever bad Joo-Joo mix you guys were under.”

Bella laughed dryly, “I cannot argue with that.”

Jake opened the passenger door for Bella and made his way over to the driver’s side. “How are you really?” Jake asked while placing his hands on the steering wheel.

It was peaceful in the car, even though Bella knew they couldn’t go anywhere in it; she wasn’t even sure if it had the engine hooked up. She sighed and looked out the window, imaging they were going so fast they could travel back in time.

“Not good, Jake.”

“Why do you think it’s your fault?”

“Not entirely my fault, like I know Laurent was the bad guy and all. I just, if I had done more, acted first, maybe…”

“Maybe you’d be dead.”

“Yeah, maybe, but…”

“Maybe Charlie and Billy would be dead.”

“Not exactly where I was going with this…”

“Maybe Laurent could have succeeded and taken over the Volturi guard and you’d be sitting on a throne in Volterra. And I never would have met Egypt boy and never been offered an all-expenses-paid trip across the world.”

“Why do you have to make this about you and your new boyfriend?” Bella laughed. 

Jake grinned but let Bella continue. “I get that what is, is what is. Like, you can’t change the past and all that but look around you. How many people died in all of this?”

“Five in the first attack, Ten in the battle. We lost half our pack, including our Alpha.” He turned and looked Bella in the eye. “They died to protect those that lived. We did good, Bella.”

Bella had tears falling down her chin but she felt numb. “We lost family, Jake.”

“Yes, we did, and so did the others.” He reached out and wiped the tears from Bella’s face. “If you knew so many would die, would you have not fought?”

Bella shivered, “I-I don’t know.”

“Yes you do, Bella. Would you have stood there and done nothing? Or would you have fought for what you believed to be right?”

“But, but…”

Jake turned back to the steering wheel and looked out the open door of the garage. He saw Esme and Carlisle saying their goodbyes and moving toward their car. 

“I would have fought.” He stated.

“How can you say that with such conviction?” Bella asked softly. “How can you just know?”

Jake smiled, “Because I know I stood by my family. I fought for my family. And because I did that, I know that the family I lost, died for the family I got to keep.”

“That’s a bunch of bullshit.” Bella laughed out. 

Jake grinned and turned back to Bella. “The Lawful Good kind of bullshit.”

Bella rolled her eyes and wiped away her tears. “I gotta go.”

“Look, I know it’s not all black and white and easy to tell what was the right thing to do and blah but keep talking about it, ok? Just, don’t hold it all in. When you feel like what you did was wrong, talk about it. Try it with that long-haired blondie, what’s his name?”

“Jasper?”

“Yeah, that guy, talk to him. I think he might be someone good for you. Just make sure you don’t bottle up all those feelings, ok?”

Bella shrugged but eventually nodded. “Whatever you say, bro.” She shoved his shoulder and got out of the car. 

Before Bella made it to Carlisle’s car, Jake honked his horn and shouted, “I’m leaving in two days! Don’t forget to come to see me off!”

Bella waved and got in the back seat of the car.

“Did you have a nice chat, dear?” Esme asked as Carlisle took the car out of park. Bella smiled at the fact that both vampires were wearing seatbelts

“Yes, thank you,” Bella noted softly. “And thanks for, you know, everything else.”

“Don’t mention it, dear.” Esme smiled. “We knew right from the start you’d be joining the family eventually. We just wish it would have been a little less traumatic.”

Bella laughed and shook her head. “Yeah, I don’t even know what to say, sorry.”

“One thing I have learned in my years,” Carlisle said softly as they drove through Forks, past all of Bella’s favorite spots. She felt like she was moving through a ghost town. The people were all there but she couldn’t reach out and touch them. They were no longer her people. “Is that life never happens the way you expect it to.”

Bella huffed and nodded.

We will be holding a celebration of life at the end of the month. We hope you will all be able to attend.” Aro said in a softly hopeful voice. 

“Of course, Aro, it would be our honor,” Carlisle answered in kind.

Bella looked over to see Felix and Afton making their way over to her. 

“How are you guys holding up?”

Felix frowned. “We lost Jane.”

Bella sighed heavily. Jane had been found to still be breathing but her strength had been pulled to the very last. They were not optimistic but the knowledge was saddening. “Will she and Alec be buried together?”

“They will be cremated, as is the custom in the guard. A plaque is put up in the mausoleum but we will be taking both their ashes around the world and setting them free.” Felix answered.

“We would like you to join us when we go,” Afton added.

“I would be honored.” Bella smiled shyly. “Will it just be the two of you?’

Felix laughed, “Don’t worry, Afton is going to bring Chelsea. You can obviously bring Rosalie.”

“Chelsea?” Bella turned to Afton. “How is she?”

His smile was brighter than she had ever seen, “She’s better than ever, Bella. Absolutely the best.”

Felix faked a gag and rolled his eyes. “Anyway, our group is heading out tonight. We will leave after the celebration, so be ready. See you in a month, ok? We’ll make the plans and contact you.”

The two hurried to follow after Aro and Marcus as the coven ran off into the woods. Their group looked so small compared to the large squadron they seemed to have brought with them. Bella sighed and turned back to the Cullen house. She noted that everyone but Jasper had gone inside.

“What?” She asked, realizing he was watching her.

“You are glowing with rage, insecurity, and sadness.” He noted matter-of-factly.

“Yes, yes I am” Bella agreed and sighed.

“Right,” Jasper nodded. “When you’re ready?”

Bella sighed again, “Thanks, Jasper.”

“What are big brothers for?” He smiled largely before running off into the house.

Bella stood in the quiet yard, enjoying the peaceful sounds of her family inside. Edward was playing on the piano, Emmett was yelling at a football game, Esme was busying herself in the kitchen. She noted the sound of a car engine and realized Rosalie’s garage door was open. Having never been inside before, Bella made her way over.

When she reached the large, open door, she leaned against its edge and looked inside. The overhead lights were very bright and a small, but very powerful, speaker was blasting out some happy jazz music. Rosalie was leaned over an engine, grime up to her elbows, hair pulled back in a messy bun, shorts too short for the cold weather.

Bella had no idea how long she stood there and watched but seeing Rosalie completely engrossed in her work was seriously starting to make the young vampire sweat. 

“Come over here and hold this,” Rosalie commented, causing Bella to jump up and squeak.

“Oh, uh, sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you.”

“You’re no bother, just come here and hold the pliers.”

Bella rushed over and took the tool from Rosalie’s hand. 

“Hold it still,” Rosalie said with a small laugh. 

“Right, yes. Like this?”

“Yes, thank you.” Rosalie reached in and fiddled with some other part before leaning back and brushing hair back from her face. Bella smiled at the stripe of grease across her forehead.

Rosalie looked down at her and smiled, “Yeah, I told you I was a mess.”

“I think you’re beautiful,” Bella said softly.

“Can’t I be both?” Rosalie quipped. “You can put that down now.” She added, taking the pliers from Bella’s hand and pulling the shorter girl’s arms around her waist. Rosalie looked into Bella’s eyes and sighed happily. “How are you doing?”

“A lot of people have been asking me that lately,” Bella replied with a small frown. 

“I hope you’ve been answering truthfully.”

Bella rolled her eyes. “I just need some time. I promise I’ll talk when I’m ready.”

“It has been a chaotic week.” Rosalie nodded with a twinkle in her eye.

“You’re telling me!” Bella laughed out. “Is this what it’s always like?”

“Bella, I haven’t had a chaotic week since the day I met you. But then yes, every week has been chaotic since.” The two laughed for a moment.

“So, tell me,” Bella pointed at the car. “What are you doing?”

“I’m rebuilding the engine.”

“Oh, is that all? Why not just buy a new one?”

“Building one is much more fun.”

“This is seriously fun for you?”

Rosalie smiled a devilish grin. “There are a few other things I find fun.” She cleaned the grim from her hands and walked closer to Bella.

Bella gulped loudly as she felt Rosalie run her hands up Bella’s sides. A look of pure thirst on her face.

“I wanted to ask you,” Bella squeaked out loudly, echoing in the large garage.

“What would you like me to say?” Rosalie whispered into her ear, almost causing Bella to forget her question.

“Uh, wha-what is your power?”

Rosalie let her lips slide over Bella’s ear and her voice whispered once more, “I am able to mentally scan and deduce the complex mechanical designs of any engineering based structure or vehicle.”

“That sounded incredibly sexy but I have no idea what you just said.” Bella shuddered and leaned into Rosalie’s arms.

The blonde vampire laughed softly and noted, “I basically just have a mechanical engineering degree ingrained in my brain. It lets me figure things out, take them apart and put them together, all without really even touching them.”

“Oh,” Bella said as Rosalie pulled at the button of her jeans and began unzipping them. Just before her hand reached down, Bella asked, “So then why take them apart? I mean, if you already know?”

Rosalie pushed Bella against the side of the car, reached her hand down in between Bella’s legs, and brushed her lips against the brunette’s own. “Just because I know, doesn’t mean I don’t want to play.” Her fingers slipped into Bella’s wet folds. “Knowledge is only a small part of the exploration.” She listened as Bella’s breathing hitched and she began panting. “We still travel the world even though it’s already depicted in movies, books, pictures…”

“Ok, ok, ok, I, yes, ok.” Bella panted, her eyes rolling into the back of her head, her breath soft. “Yes, explore, touch, soft, ok.”

Rosalie giggled softly and kissed Bella’s lips until the younger girl came.

The next few days were spent adjusting to the new routine. The Cullens had missed a few weeks of school and therefore returned to all sorts of rumors. One Lauren had spawned was that the family had mafia connections and there was a huge FBI bust. Emmett liked that one the most and told Bella every detail he heard.

“Are you sure you didn’t make some of those up yourself?”

“Oh, he most certainly added to the rumors.” Edward laughed. He leaned over the computer on Bella’s lap and pointed to a question. “You got that one wrong, try again.”

She pushed him away. “I don’t bother you at school so don’t bother me with my lessons.”

“I wouldn’t bother you if you actually finished them during the school day.” He pointed at another question. “This one is right but you forgot the label.”

Bella closed the laptop and shoved him away. “Go do your own homework”

“I already completed it.”

“When? You just got home!”

Edward rolled his eyes, “In class. I have nothing else to do.”

Esme walked into the room and swatted Edward. “Leave her alone, she’s been working hard.”

Bella stuck her tongue out at Edward only to be swatted as well. “And don’t encourage him, you’re just asking for it.”

“I can’t help it, with Jake out of town I have no one to bug!” Bella laughed.

“How is Jake doing?” Esme asked softly.

“Oh, he’s having a great time!” Bella laughed. “He’s terrified of heights, so Benjamin has been taking him to the top of the pyramids at night. There are a lot of hilarious photos.”

Esme smiled softly. “I’m glad those two are getting along.” She looked pointedly at Edward. “I just hope you find someone one day.”

Edward blanched which caused Bella to laugh. She redirected her attention to Emmett, “What about you, big guy? Any long lost loves we need to recover? Any special someone you’ve been searching for?”

Emmett’s laugh boomed across the room, “I’ve always had a crush on Julie Andrews.”

“Oh, uh, isn’t she in her 80s?” Bella asked, attempting to sound sympathetic.

Emmett shrugged, “I’m actually, technically older....”

A/N: Ok, folks. I’ll be legit honest, I don’t know what else to write here. I think my story may be done! So tell me, what was your favorite part? What was your least favorite? What other fanfics can you recommend? What other pairings/fandoms would you recommend? I may take a break, I may jump right into the next fanfic. I may go crazy and try a different fandom! Any thoughts?

[elliehandesu] I think I covered most of what you were looking for! I hope you enjoyed the ending.

[JenDamn] Rosalie really is messy! But I think it works for her. You didn’t miss Rosalie’s power but I did get around to it! It was definitely not a power useful in a battle. Irina… I guess she was just meant to die in Twilight. Shrug, I needed some good guys to die, lol!

[Jay aka Jordan] A snorting Rosalie indeed! But I think she came off as a bit smoother this time around.

[Lemonmelons] My vampires definitely differed from SM’s. I basically took humans, gave them powers, a need for blood, and strengthened/sped them up. Next time? I’d probably stick with Meyer’s powers though. Keeping track of all the changes was hard! 

Once again, thank you all for taking the ride and I hope you enjoyed the show!