No Turning Back - part 9

All characters created and owned by Stephenie Meyer.
Lyrics by Joss Whedon for Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 9

‘I don’t want to be

Going through the motions

Losing all my drive

I can’t even see

If this is really me

And I just want to be

Alive!’

Carlisle’s POV

After arriving home, I watched Rosalie closely, trying to assess her actions and state of mind. Edward stayed close to me, keeping me informed of her disjointed and erratic thoughts. I worried about her sudden attachment to Emmett. Whenever he was out of her sight, her anxiety levels skyrocketed. When he wasn’t by her side, her eyes were always searching for him, and her relief when she spotted him was plainly evident.

All of the family were now aware of Emmett’s relationship with Bella; however Edward had supplied me with some pertinent facts whilst Emmett was settling Rose back into their room. I didn’t know for sure if Emmett was aware of just how much Edward had been privy to whilst living with them the past few months. What concerned me most was when he mentioned their living separate lives without either really noticing. This was uncharacteristic of Emmett, who so loved spending time with his wife, although it appeared that the arrangement had suited Rosalie just fine. In fact, she hadn’t had a problem with it at all until Bella came into the picture.

Would they have continued in the same vein if she had never come to Forks? Or would the relationship have foundered no matter what, and Bella was simply the catalyst...?

Once Emmett was downstairs once again, the tension levels grew heavy despite Jasper’s efforts to calm the room, and it was obvious he was feeling the strain. I looked at Esme and she nodded, quietly heading upstairs with Alice to be with Rose. I stood up and called Emmett, Jasper and Edward to my study – it was time for us all to talk about what the future held, and where that future might be.

~xxXxx~

As the days turned into weeks, Emmett stayed dutifully at Rose’s side. He had been resolutely obstinate during our discussion and no matter how I tried to draw him out on the thorny subject, he would reassure me that we would ‘talk later’, always ‘later’. It was through Edward that I finally learned the truth.

Edward had been monitoring the situation for a while, and finally came to talk to me. Feeling as if he were somehow betraying a confidence, he told me that Emmett felt effectively trapped with Rose in a one sided relationship. His feelings for her were little more than carer/patient; there was no indication at all of the love that they had once shared, and the more I watched, the more obvious it became.

The whole family watched as the hope in his eyes gradually dimmed and faded; that spark of fun and good humour that was essentially Emmett finally extinguished by the loss of Bella. Whenever Alice or Esme tried to help, he simply maintained that he could cope, that everything was fine. Indeed, he did anything and everything to make Rose happy including taking her on shopping trips and days away. But like always, Edward heard the truth behind his staunch charade.

Emmett monitored her drinking, preventing any further human killing, but Esme and I were growing progressively more worried at Rose’s unhealthy reliance on him. It was so unlike the old independent Rose who was at times almost indifferent to Emmett. What was the reason for this seismic personality shift? I confessed to Esme that I had fully expected her to revert to type after a period of recuperation, not stay this dependent and demanding. Poor Emmett could never have time alone, or spend time with his brothers, as Rose was panicked if she could not see him.

I spent some time with our nomad friends, discussing the possibilities of treating a condition that would be straightforward in a human. For a vampire, there were no institutions or medication that could help – I couldn’t have her sectioned for an assessment of her mental state. However, despite lengthy talks, to my despair we always came up blank.

To make matters worse, I realised that Emmett was accepting the responsibility and guilt as fair punishment for his ‘crime’. Despite the fact that he had done absolutely nothing wrong, he was content to punish himself for causing her condition.

It tore me apart watching him play babysitter, butler and big brother to a woman who, for years, had been the epicentre of his world, but who was now simply an emotional burden he felt was his to bear.

His penance.

~xxXxx~

Rosalie’s POV

For some time afterwards I didn’t remember much about that afternoon. I knew I had wanted the human dead by my hand, and that I had wanted her to suffer. I couldn’t quite remember how Carlisle and Esme had arrived so unexpectedly, and once Emmett had appeared everything became blurry.

Now, months down the line, my memory was clearer. My senses of perception and observation had sharpened, and I was noticing subtle changes in Emmett. Outwardly he appeared to be my Emmett, attentive and caring for my every need. But something had shifted; he tended to me every bit as lovingly as before, but it was as if I were his elderly maiden aunt. His actions were faultless but somehow lacking.

I know he worried about me when we hunted. He watched me constantly, making absolutely sure I was sated before we returned home. Sometimes he encouraged me to drink more than I needed to stave off any likelihood of slippage. Truth was, my taste for human blood was not a need, simply an occasional craving, and one I now realised I needed to kick as I could not face Esme and Carlisle if I slipped one more time. The whole family would suffer through my carelessness. My head bowed as the realisation of what I had done sank in; I had sworn Emmett to secrecy over my little peccadilloes, and he had lied for me because he loved me. He had not slipped himself, despite strong temptation. Here I was all this time thinking I was in control when the truth was that I was simply weak.

Another thought had occurred to me recently as I regained my strength and wits. Emmett and I had yet to make love since our reconciliation and, as sex had usually been at Emmett’s instigation, I was concerned with this development in our relationship. It wasn’t that I missed it particularly; it was just that our lovemaking sessions were always at the top of his agenda. They were his driving force and his way of proving his devotion to me.

For me, frequent sex devalued its worth rather than enhancing it ,and I had often refused him as I did not feel it was necessary to perform such an animalistic act so regularly. It was also true that I had rarely initiated sex for the same reasons, but now I wondered if my actions had damaged us irreparably. Although, to be fair, if he had been hurt by my constant refusals he had certainly never stopped desiring me.

A few days ago, I had dressed in my finest lingerie and heels and draped myself provocatively on the bed, waiting for Emmett to find me. I had felt sure that once he had ravaged me, body and soul, we would be on safe ground once again, our rift healed. However, when the door opened and he saw me lying there, he had not fallen upon me in passion as in previous times. Instead, he said that I wasn’t strong enough, and that we shouldn’t rush things whilst I was still recuperating. Fearing my plan would fail, I had captured his face in my hands, kissing him with all that I had and, for a brief moment, he had submitted before removing my hands and encouraging me to get dressed as it was time to hunt. I was bewildered that such a sexually driven man could refuse so blatant an offer.

I felt real fear. This man, my husband, had loved me unconditionally for so long and now ... now here he was, at his rightful place by my side and yet I strongly sensed his desire to be with the human, although he had not spoken her name aloud since that night almost eleven months ago.

Gazing out of the window and watching Emmett work on his Jeep, I admired his physique, his strength, the sheer beauty of him as he worked. But, as I watched, I sensed a feeling of weariness about him that had nothing to do with human tiredness. His shoulders were rounded and slumped as he worked, he didn’t drum out the beat of the song blaring out from his stereo, and his easy grin to Alice as she drove past him to park her Porsche was almost forced, and didn’t reach his eyes. Looking up, he spotted me and waved, smiling, and I was finally forced to acknowledge the truth.

I thought I had won, but now I see it was merely a hollow victory.

He is broken, and I did that.

And yet he did the honourable thing and stayed with me.

And, through my own selfishness, I let him.

I straightened up, decisively.

~xxXxx~

Bella’s POV

Which college do I accept? Go with Renee and Phil to California when his new training season starts, or strike out on my own and go to Portsmouth?

Somewhere sunny - definitely not Alaska.

My heart jumped for a second at the thought of Alaska – Emmett had once told me that they were thinking of going there next as it was perfect for them, and they had some ‘family’ there too.

I frowned and shook myself mentally.

Enough.

~xxXxx~

I had cut ties with the Cullens for my own sanity after my eleventh hour rescue from Rose’s clutches. I understood that Emmett had done what he did to save me, hell I even respected him for it. But my traitorous heart yearned for him now every bit as much as it had back then.

The day after the attack I had gone to the hospital, as agreed, to see Carlisle, but he was apparently away for a few days for family reasons. Yeah – I bet. Good luck with that, Carlisle. Dr Anders had accepted my story about falling with a great deal of suspicion, but had taken the x-rays to check out my ribs. As Carlisle had thought, I had three rib fractures, but fortunately my sternum was intact. As a result, I was strapped up like a mummy for weeks and would be taking heavy duty painkillers whilst I healed.

To keep Charlie in the dark, I had concocted the story about falling in the forest, and reassured him that I had gotten myself checked out so there was no need for him to worry. There was no way he would ever get to see my injuries, so the lie was all he had to work with. Then together we had packed everything I needed, made the arrangements over the phone with the airline, and called Renee. I left for Phoenix the very next day. Charlie had dropped me off at the airport and carried all my bags to the check-in point, even going so far as to explain to the desk clerk about my injuries, and have her arrange to have a porter waiting at Phoenix to help me. We said our goodbyes and hugged awkwardly, as the tannoy system announced my flight was boarding.

~xxXxx~

Over time my ribs had slowly healed, but my heart was smashed into a thousand sparkling shards. There were no telephone calls, texts or letters from Forks and slowly but surely I stopped hoping. The only reminder I carried with me was the pendant that Emmett had given me. I could never bring myself to remove it and I wore it constantly, touching it unconsciously like a talisman.

Eventually, in a vain effort to smother the pain and loneliness, I accepted a date with a local boy, but it was too soon. The fleeting relationship simply reopened the raw wound, reminding me of what I had lost. His kisses left me trying not to shudder in disgust, his touch made me flinch. After that, I waited for a while before accepting a date with Riley, a boy from school. After we had been out a few times for a casual cup of coffee and a trip to the movies he had persuaded me to sleep with him and, in my numb state, I decided to just go through with it rather than try to explain the reasons why not. It had been a disaster. I had just lain there, unresponsive, letting him get on with it. Mercifully, it was over quickly. When he finished, I was crying and he thought that he had hurt me – that I was a virgin. I could not bring myself to correct him, nor care about what he thought. All I could think was that I had cheapened the beautiful experience that Emmett and I had shared and I felt dirty, both mentally and physically. Ignoring his questions, I had simply adjusted my clothing and left, needing to be alone with my pain. There was no comparison with what I had lost. All I knew was that nothing would ever feel right again. I would never again feel whole.

I hoped that starting college in the fall would help. I planned to immerse myself in study, and mentally detach myself from the rest of the populace. I had no friends in whom to confide; I was adrift in a sea of faces with no anchor to tether me to shore.

I knew that Renee was worried about me. I had heard her and Phil talking at night, and I had listened in on her telephone conversations with Charlie. I didn’t have the words to explain how broken I felt, and although they all tried hard to understand there was no real way that they could. Charlie had sworn that there had been no calls for me, but despite that, a tiny part of me had kept the hope alive for months afterward. Eventually I had forced myself to face the truth in order to move on with my life, such as it was.

After the Riley experience, I had steered clear of boys and thrown myself into study, improving my grades and, by default, impressing my mom. To give her credit, after I arrived on her doorstep that hot August afternoon she had never pressured me for information on what happened, and had simply allowed me to tell her what little I felt she needed to know. She had listened to my reasons for coming home (I kept the facts the same as I had told Charlie to ensure consistency between the olds) and gently folded me into her arms, reassuring me it would get better in time.

There was no denying it – I had wallowed. Once I had allowed the pain in, it had consumed me, body and soul. Everything around me was shades of grey; I missed the colours so much, but my mind simply failed to see them. All vibrancy had been sucked from my world, and I in turn reflected this loss on the outside, inadvertently choosing to wear only browns and dull greens. Gone were the bright blue dresses Alice loved me to wear, and the bright red converse trainers that she so hated. All was dull and muted in my world.

Most importantly of all, where there should have been rich, honey gold there was only sludgy tones of blue and green.

The days blurred into one, and before I knew it Christmas was here. My mom had tried to lift my spirits with a huge tree and lots of twinkling lights – the house decorated in her unique, haphazard style. I smiled indulgently at her excited expression and dutifully did my shopping, feeling utterly detached from the whole process – simply going through the motions, keeping up a show of normality.

The day a card arrived addressed to me in a familiar script, I was so shocked that I dropped the cup I was holding. Renee had rushed in, thinking I had hurt myself in my usual fashion, and was concerned that I stood in the middle of the hallway, surrounded by a puddle of coffee and china shards, staring at a delicate foiled envelope as if it were a bomb. Encouraged by Renee, I opened it to reveal a beautiful card with a scene of the Christmas tree in Times Square covered with snow and bearing the message, ‘From Our House to Yours’. The message in Alice’s somewhat childish hand read:

Merry Christmas, Bella. Jasper and I have just been to New York for a Christmas shopping trip. Came home with lots of essential new shoes and matching handbags! Poor Jazzy – after all that stress I simply had to console him with a little trip to Agent Provocateur! *wink*

Have a lovely Christmas - I miss you every day.

With love from Alice and Jasper x

Tears pricked my eyes at the thought of my friend, and it seemed to me that this had all happened a lifetime ago, on a different plane of existence, to a different Bella.

“Oh Alice – I miss you too, and I’m so sorry we never got to see each other before I left.”

The words slipped out before I realised I’d spoken aloud. A single tear rolled down my cheek and I dashed it away. I couldn’t deny how lonely I felt, and it was entirely of my own making. I took the card upstairs and stood it on my window ledge, staring at it for the longest time as if it contained the answers to life’s great unanswered questions.

~xxXxx~

And now school was finally over, aside from graduation, and I had a future to determine. The decision wasn’t getting any easier no matter how much I dwelled on it. Walking home from work, deep in thought as always, I marvelled at the heat. The shop was air conditioned making the temperature difference that much more noticeable. The sun had gone and the heavy evening air buzzed with insects. I was tired – the shoe store wasn’t my ideal job, although Alice would’ve loved it. I stopped for a moment, taking in a sharp breath – I hadn’t consciously thought of them since Christmas, but I was amazed at how much I still missed them. All of them. Well, almost all.

Approaching the house, I was somewhat surprised to see a dark blue Mercedes in the drive. It wasn’t one I recognised, and yet my heart jumped at sight of the sleek car – so like Carlisle’s.

Again with the Cullens. Give it up, already.

I called out to Renee as I entered the cool hallway, dropping off my bag and heading to the kitchen for juice.

I stopped dead.

Standing in my kitchen, laughing and giggling with Renee, was Alice. She saw me and shrieked out my name before hurtling across the room to hug me hard.

“OOF!” My breath was knocked out of me by her sheer exuberance and I could only squeak out my surprise and delight. When she released me I took a moment to drink her in, and realised just how much I had truly missed her – my dearest friend.

“What? How?” I stuttered, unable to form coherent sentences but grinning from ear to ear.

She looked at me apprehensively.

“Alice?” I said in a warning tone.

“Don’t be mad but ...Rose sent me.”

I gaped at her.

“ROSE?” The name exploded from me as my breathing hitched; I looked around half expecting to see the homicidal blonde leaning casually against the kitchen table.

“Relax... relax. She’s not here.” Alice’s hands were on my shoulders as I gasped for air, on the verge of a full blown panic attack. “Sit down, we need to talk.”

I sat down shakily, adrenalin still spiking my system.

“Bella, Rose has been recovering well. Carlisle is pleased with her progress. And she has had an epiphany of sorts; she has realised that, although Emmett has stayed with her and cared for her these past months, he no longer wants or desires her. He does everything for her as he always did, and to anyone else appears to be the same old devoted Emmett, but his heart died when he had to let you go.”

Tears had pooled in my eyes at the mere mention of his name.

“I still love him, Alice. I tried ...I tried to get over him but no one else compares...” My voice wobbled dangerously as my shoulders shuddered with dry sobs. “I hoped that with you guys so far away ...”

I tailed off, trying to steady my breathing and control my errant emotions.

Alice stilled my shoulders, rubbing them gently. I stared into her beautiful golden eyes, seeing colour for what felt like the first time since leaving Forks.

“Emmett loves you, Bella. He never stopped. And Rose can now finally see that he stayed with her willingly to help her get better, but at a huge personal cost. And she loves him too much to make him stay with her any longer. Bella, tell me – if you could, would you take my brother back?”

“In a heartbeat,” I whispered dully, my eyes blurry with unshed tears.

Alice’s smile was like a child’s on Christmas morning. She squealed and hugged me once again.

“Really? You mean that?”

“My life has no meaning without him, Alice.”

“Bella, can you ever forgive me?”

The deep voice behind me was so familiar that my brain simply refused to believe it. I gasped aloud, visibly shaking. I noticed that both Alice and Renee were smiling now; my mom more than a little teary eyed herself.

I turned and there he was, silhouetted in the evening light, standing not six feet from me. Emmett’s face was so openly full of hope that my tears of joy fell freely. He crossed the space in a heartbeat, pulling me to my feet and cupping my face in his hands tenderly. My arms wound around his neck and pulled him close, inhaling his scent as he hugged me tightly. My tears fell unheeded as we clung to each other, my lips finding his at last, our spark igniting as fire burned through us unchecked.

I am home. He is my forever. Whatever it takes.

No Turning Back - part 8

All characters created and owned by Stephenie Meyer. Lyrics by Prince.

No copyright infringement intended.

CHAPTER 8

Bella’s POV

Emmett’s passionate declaration had made me so happy. I finally got it, that his feelings for me were the real deal; irrefutable.

All the way home I was smiling like a loon, and singing along to a Prince track on my truck’s ancient radio. The words were so perfect for my mood:

‘I can’t disguise the pounding of my heart

It beats so strong

It’s in your eyes, what can I say

They turn me on...’

Pulling up outside the house, I grabbed my bag and climbed out the cab, still humming along to the chorus. The cruiser was absent and so, with Charlie still at work, I jogged upstairs to make a start on the laundry. I burst into my room, dumped my bag on the floor and scooped up the clothes on the back of the chair ready to be sorted. Charlie’s were in the laundry basket, and I grabbed everything into a pile along with mine, still humming.

‘I don’t care where we go

I don’t care what we do

I don’t care, pretty baby

Just take me with you.’

My grin was so wide that my face hurt, and yet I couldn’t stop. I must have looked as if I’d slept with a coat hanger in my mouth, but just thinking of Emmett was enough to make me glow like a roman candle. If loving Emmett Cullen was an addiction, then I didn’t want the cure. Tutting to myself but still grinning, I emptied out the pockets of Charlie’s jeans before putting on the washer. I then headed back upstairs to change the beds.

I made short work of changing the linen, enjoying the scent of freshly laundered sheets while my mind explored the possibility of enjoying Emmett between them. Just the thought of him, sprawled there luxuriantly, made me flush with heat and longing.

So liking that thought. Hmmm – may have to arrange that for when Charlie next has an all-nighter at the station.

Lost in my erotic fantasy, I turned for the door, and found myself staring into a furious pair of burning gold eyes.

Blood thundered in my ears as my heart galloped in terror. I struggled to drag air into my suddenly deflated lungs.

“Rosalie...” I breathed, backing away.

She was snarling, her face almost touching mine, and I stumbled back instinctively. Her beautiful face was distorted with hatred and, despite the golden eyes, she looked ... thirsty. Her voice was a low, menacing hiss.

“He’s mine. Do you understand that, human? Emmett... is... mine. I want you to end this pathetic charade of a relationship. Go break his heart so that I can be there to pick up the pieces; it might take time but he will learn to love me again. He has always loved me.”

She flicked her hair over her shoulder and giggled. The sudden change in tone was as grating as fingernails down a blackboard, and I flinched.

“I’m beautiful; I’m everything that Emmett wants – everything he has always wanted. I’m the prize, Bella, don’t you see? I’m the ultimate prize. What man would ever say no to that?”

Oh yeah - she’s a whole new level of crazy.

Her eyes were glowing like molten lava. She glided toward me, silent as a panther, and far more deadly.

“He-he loves me now, Rosalie. And I love him too,” I garbled quickly, tripping over my words. “I’m s-sorry, but that’s how it is.”

Why are you talking? Shut UP.

Her hand whipped out and slapped me across the face. My head snapped back and I fell backward onto the bed, tasting blood where my teeth had cut into my lip. I saw her nostrils flare at the scent.

“I should have taken care of you when you first started coming to the house, but I stupidly gave you a reprieve when you and Alice became friends. That was a moment of weakness that I deeply regret. You invaded my home and my life – it made me sick to see how the others fawned over you. Such a shame that Jasper didn’t slip...”

She shook her head in mock sorrow, the effect somewhat marred by the predatory smirk plastered across her face at the thought of my demise.

Leaning over me, her hand grasped my jaw, forcing me to look up at her.

Tell me, Bella,” she spat my name as if it were poison, “at what point did I give you permission to seduce my husband and turn him against me? When exactly did I give you the right to come into our home and steal him away from me?”

She tilted her head, her hair falling in golden waves over one shoulder as she pretended to wait for an answer to her rhetorical question.

“You know what I think?” She pushed me away and stood up decisively, her hands on her hips. “You are no better than a common whore, and a whore has no right to live.”

I scrambled backwards up the bed, acutely aware of the futility of the gesture. Before I could draw breath I was pinned to the mattress, one cold hand over my mouth and the other pressing down uncomfortably hard on my sternum.

I struggled to breathe, feeling my lungs burn with the strain.

“This won’t take long as I don’t tend to play with my food. Unfortunately for you, it will hurt. I guarantee it.”

My breathing was a pitiful whistle as a tiny amount of oxygen found its way into my starved passages. I stared up into eyes that were so like Emmett’s, but instead of love I saw pure hatred. Despite it all, I still marvelled at their alien beauty.

Perhaps the eventual air deprivation will fool my brain into thinking they’re his.

The thought was almost comforting.

As I fought for every gasp of air, I wondered blindly if my death would be avenged, or whether Carlisle would be forced to hush it up. I couldn’t see Emmett accepting that. How would they explain it to Charlie?

I guess a crushed chest could be blamed on a hit and run...

As Rosalie maintained the pressure on my ribs, my air supply dwindled, black spots blossoming at the edges of my vision. I could feel my consciousness start to slip away and I knew I had moments left. In blind desperation my hand snaked to my pocket and felt for the edge of my phone. I silently offered up a prayer to fate that the button I surreptitiously pressed against my leg was the right one.

~xxXxx~

Carlisle’s POV

“It’s Rose,” Alice whispered, looking up at me with panicked eyes. “She wants Emmett back, and she plans on making sure he is so broken and devastated that he never tries to leave her again. In her mind the only way to achieve that is if ...”

She broke off with a whimper of pain; her eyes wide like a child’s.

“Carlisle, you have to stop her before it’s too late.” She clutched at my arm. “Please, Daddy – save them. Save them both.”

I ran back to the garage with Esme at my side. We jumped back into the still warm Mercedes, and roared away from the house, gravel spraying out from the squealing tyres. I broke every speed limit as we flew down the winding roads, my mind trying to make sense of Alice’s vision. Would Rose really hurt Bella? I couldn’t believe it. Alice was never wrong although her visions could change if someone intervened. I shuddered. Please don’t let Charlie come home early. The thought of him surprising Rose could have devastating consequences. I urged the car faster still.

Esme’s face was clouded and her fingers absentmindedly worried at her seat belt, fraying the fabric into strips. I placed my hand over hers to still them, and she looked at me in confusion before realising exactly what she was doing.

As we drew close to the Swan residence, I spotted Rose’s car. I decided to park a short distance from the house, hiding the car from view. We moved silently towards the front entrance, and let ourselves in. I looked at Esme, both hearing Rose’s voice above us as we silently climbed the stairs, pausing outside what we took to be Bella’s door for the right moment to enter the fray.

Listening to Rose’s rambling diatribe, I was immediately struck by how distorted her mind had become. To her, Bella’s death would solve all her problems and guarantee her Emmett’s love once more. But in her current unfocused state she could not even begin to comprehend how betrayed he would feel; how his resulting hatred and anger could be her undoing. She was utterly blind to any other potential outcomes - to her this was a one horse race.

Entering the room slowly I kept well back, and edged around the room to face Rosalie, noticing immediately the severity of Bella’s situation. I could hear her strangled attempts to breathe as Rosalie slowly smothered the life out of her. I knew instinctively how badly Esme wanted to rush straight to Rosalie’s side, and I held out my hand in warning for her to stay back and not make any sudden moves, for Bella’s sake.

Rosalie was caught unawares by our sudden appearance which further confirmed my suspicions about her state of mind – she should have smelled us the minute we came through the front door.

“Mom? You’re home! How was the island?” Her face lit up at the sight of her as if holding a human hostage whilst chatting with your mother was everyday behaviour.

“The island was beautiful, as always, darling. Now what is this all about? Shouldn’t we all just go home and have a talk in private? Come along, sweetheart.”

I thought, for one brief moment, that Rosalie would be distracted enough to loosen her grip on Bella. How wrong I was.

“This? This is about this little human whore stealing my husband, Mom. Because of her, he left me. He looked in my eyes, said he didn’t love me anymore, and wanted me out of his life. My Emmett actually said those words to me.” She spoke quietly, her head on one side, as if in a dream.

I saw the terror in Bella’s eyes as they met mine. And to think that all this time I had been worried that Jasper was her biggest threat. How wrong I was. Bella, I’m so sorry.

“Rosalie? Come now, this is not the way. Let Bella go and come with your mother and I. We can talk to Emmett and try to resolve this ... misunderstanding. Killing Bella is not the answer, you know that. We never... kill... humans.”

Her laugh chilled me more than should have been possible. Her eyes were wild.

“But no one misses the odd one now and then, do they? Come now, Carlisle. Once in a while is perfectly acceptable if you choose wisely. It helps thin the herd of undesirable elements - like this one.”

She turned Bella’s head to face me, and I saw that she was turning blue with hypoxia. A faint gurgle escaped her, and I realised that she must have broken ribs along with the very real possibility of a broken breastbone. I looked at Rosalie in shock.

“Are you trying to tell me that you have been intentionally killing, Rosalie? When? How could you do that when we all try to preserve human life? I thought you believed in our way of life, and now you do this ...” I shook my head in disbelief, breathing in sharply. Where did I go wrong?

“Oh come, Carlisle. Were you this judgemental when Edward killed? I suppose that, because he only hunted the guilty and the evil to assuage his own guilt, you could forgive him. And, of course, he returned to the fold in the end. I just take one now and again who is in the right place at the right time. It makes me feel alive! I understand why Jasper craves this so much. I feel energised and able to better withstand the trials of school and the unbearable falsity of our lives. I’ve put up with all this holier-than-thou crap from Emmett over the years, but he doesn’t complain when I’m extra ‘affectionate’ afterwards.” She quirked an eyebrow at Bella to ram home the imagery of her and Emmett together.

Emmett knows? Oh, my son. What a weight you have carried on your conscience.

I looked at Esme and saw the anguish written across her beautiful face. She drew in a deep steadying breath before reaching out once again.

“Darling girl. I’m sure that if you and Emmett sit down and talk you can at least try and see each other’s point of view. You have been together for so long. Let’s not give up yet but,” she took a shuddering breath; “if this really is the end for the two of you then you will manage to move on, in time. There will be someone new for you.” Her final plea was spoken in little more than a whisper.

Rosalie’s face crumpled and, for the briefest moment, her grip loosened a fraction. When she spoke her voice sounded like a child’s.

“Without Emmett I have nothing. I AM nothing. My life may as well be over as I will have no reason to go on. No reason ... no reason... none...” She repeated the words under her breath as she stared blankly into space.

Bella let out a sob, and I watched a tear run down her cheek onto the coverlet, realising that she too felt exactly the same way. What a mess. That single sob alerted Rosalie’s attention back to Bella and, smiling, she bent over her once more. Her eyes were gleaming as she removed her hand from Bella’s mouth to smooth her hair out over the coverlet, exposing her delicate neck.

“She’s just one more worthless human. Let me have her, Carlisle. Please. And then I’m done – no more killing, I swear. I won’t need to once Emmett and I are back together properly. This time we will be enough for each other. I know it.”

Her wide smile sent ice down my spine as I finally registered the awful truth: she has lost her mind. What the hell am I going to do?

Hearing a sudden noise at the window, I spun round to see Emmett standing in the room, Edward only a step behind him.

Emmett’s face was impassive as he took in the scene laid out before him. I looked at him, askance, my voice low.

“Emmett, how did you know?”

In response, he held up his hand, and I saw the phone in his palm. I shook my head, uncomprehendingly. He stared at Bella, and I followed his gaze to see her slowly reveal part of a phone from her pocket, out of Rosalie’s sight. An open line - you clever girl.

“How much did you hear, son?”

His gaze unwavering, he answered simply, “Everything.”

He walked forward and I stepped back, pulling Esme with me. Perhaps, when all was said and done, it was Emmett alone who had the power to dissuade her from her chosen course of action. It was then that Rosalie suddenly registered his presence.

“Emmett?” She looked bewildered at his sudden appearance in the room.

He walked a couple of steps towards her, smiling reassuringly, and I saw Rosalie’s posture relax just a fraction.

“Babe, what are you doing? This is so unnecessary. She means nothing to me.” He chuckled, shaking his head.

Rosalie’s face brightened for a second, but then dropped. “You said we were done, Emmett. You said you chose her over me. I heard you.” She was sounding confused now as if starting to doubt her own memory.

“It was a fight, babe. It’s not like we haven’t had them before. Now come on,” he said holding out his hand, “let’s go home before something happens that means we have to move again. You know how Dad likes it here.” He threw a glance my way.

Rosalie looked at him the way a child looks at Santa Claus, her eyes shining with hope.

“We can be together again? For always? You won’t leave me?”

“Of course not. I don’t know what I was thinking, hurting you the way I did. I’m sorry.”

In that one moment it was as if she forgot that Bella was even there. She stood up and flew into Emmett’s open arms, smiling beatifically. He folded her into his embrace and held her tight. I gestured to Bella to stay down and still as the situation could still revert. However, as Rosalie was now happily babbling to Emmett about their rosy future, I suspected the worst had passed.

It broke my heart when I saw Emmett catch Bella’s gaze over the top of Rosalie’s head and, with eyes full of pain and despair, clearly mouth the words “I love you, I’m sorry.” Tears pooled in Bella’s eyes and slid down into her hair as she bit down on her lip to keep silent.

As Esme accompanied the pair downstairs, I turned to Edward, seeing shock etched across his face. Rosalie’s attack, and subsequent subjugation, had been traumatic for all of us, but Bella was my number one priority at that moment. I flew over to her, checking her carefully, noting the facial bruising. Her colour was returning to normal, her breathing still sounding pained. She winced and hissed when I gently explored her rib cage.

“Son, I need to get Bella checked over at the hospital. Will you go and fetch the car?”

He nodded, swallowing hard before speaking.

“I think one of us should stay there with her until Charlie arrives. We can make up a plausible story to cover her injuries, but she cannot be alone right now. Leaving her like this will only give her time to dwell on what has happened, and she could easily slip into post traumatic stress.”

I opened my mouth to respond when Bella spoke.

“No.” Her voice was rough and raspy, but determined. “No hospital trip. Charlie can never know what just happened here.” She coughed, rolling over onto her side to curl up into a ball. “I certainly can’t tell him anything without giving all of you guys away. Just give me some painkillers and I’ll be fine. I’ll tell Charlie I fell in the woods and landed badly. I’m so klutzy that he’ll probably buy that.”

I gave up trying to examine her further as she was clearly not going to permit it. I sighed in defeat.

“Bella, just promise me you’ll come to the hospital tomorrow for an x-ray. I want to check those ribs. Okay?”

She nodded. “Charlie will probably insist anyway.”

I watched as she struggled to her feet and made her way, wobbly and traumatised as she was, over to where Edward was standing. Even though the movement caused her to grimace in pain, she awkwardly hugged him. He looked baffled.

“Thanks for the offer, Edward. You’ve no idea how much that means to know that you were willing to lie to the Chief of Police for me. Now you better go – Charlie’s shift ends soon and there’s absolutely no rational explanation for me to have the handsome town doctor and his equally handsome son in my room.”

Edward gave her a rare smile, and gingerly hugged her in return.

~xxXxx~

Bella’s POV

I downed the pain killers that Carlisle had left me, and went to wash my face. The reflection in the mirror was worse than I had expected; I had dried blood on my lip and distinct finger prints on one cheek that were going to take some very skilful makeup application to hide. I sorely wished I had listened to Alice more closely when she had tried to get me to wear makeup more often. I did the best I could with my meagre supplies and went to change, crying out in pain when I moved to pull off my shirt. The mirror showed purple lesions all over my ribcage that I hoped I could keep hidden.

They’re a little bit more obvious than Emmett’s hickey.

After a struggle, and some very out of character cuss words, I finally managed to pull on a loose sweater which meant I could remove my bra and ease the pressure on my ribs. I refused to think about what had happened. For now I would deny the pain as that would come later when I was alone in my bed; pain more potent than mere crushed ribs and bruising could ever be. But there wasn’t time for that right now.

Now it was time to confess to Charlie about my relationship with Emmett.

~xxXxx~

I heard the cruiser pull up, and steeled myself. Charlie walked in, pulling off his jacket and hanging up his hat just like any other night. Only this time I called him into the kitchen and asked him to sit down and let me talk, without any interruptions, until I was done.

I explained to him about Emmett and his ‘girlfriend’ splitting up. I confessed how he and I had developed feelings for each other after he was free; that we were now close, and most importantly that I had never been happier.

I then told him what I knew about Rose’s failed reconciliation attempt, and her subsequent ‘breakdown’, being careful to explain it in human terms. My voice wobbled and I felt tears threaten as I admitted that Emmett had felt cornered into taking her back as he did not know what else to do for the best.

When I paused Charlie looked at me with a mixture of worry and disappointment on his face.

“I don’t think that will help her, Bells. He’ll just reinforce her idea that she’s won. Are you sure he’s worth all of this – this – trauma? I hate seeing you so upset. Wouldn’t you be better off keeping your distance? It’s not like the two of you have been together long, and this is some serious baggage he has to deal with here. No man in his right mind should think about leaving a partner who is ill or emotionally dependant. Want me to talk to Dr Cullen? I’m sure that he can get her into a facility dealing with this type of thing. He’ll know what’s best for her.”

He ran his hand back and forth across his hair.

“And if she and Emmett are in a committed relationship, even as young as they are, then I think you’re better off well out of it. Anyway, I can’t say I’m happy you being with a senior, Bells. Or that you’ve been lying to me. I don’t some older boy filling your head with ideas.”

He stood up abruptly, the chair scraping back loudly.

“I can’t believe I didn’t see this coming, what with all the study you’ve been doing together. I must be gettin’ old.”

I protested, trying hard to keep myself together.

“Dad, it really wasn’t like that; we truly believe that we are meant to be together. We’re soul mates, dad. He loves me as much as I love him. He and Rose have reached the end of the road and, yes, she is having difficulty dealing with that, but she has family around her to support her through it.”

He stood staring out the window for the longest time before turning back to look me in the eye.

“I think you should go visit your Mom for a while. She’s always asking for you to visit and you’ve got time left before school starts again. Go – make her happy. And it’ll help you get some distance – literally. Let’s see what happens while you’re gone. I can’t bear to have you moping, wondering if he’s going to call.”

“If he does call, are you going to tell me?”

He shuffled his feet, looking at the floor.

“DAD?”

“Yes, yes, I promise to tell you if he calls.” It was a promise made under duress, and he didn’t sound happy about it.

Emmett didn’t call.

Later that night, I received a solitary message that summed up the sheer bleakness of the whole situation. It simply said:

I will love you til the end of time. E. xXx

I buried my face in my pillow as my world crashed down around me. Replaying in my head the happy times, prior to today’s hellish finale, I finally succumbed, and allowed the abyss of pain to consume me totally.