Chapter Nine:

Bella's Thoughts

Okay, I get the point. It was now Saturday afternoon. I was alone in the hotel room with Bella, again. Alice had left us alone together on a couple of occasions already. Esme was off trying to find Carlisle an anniversary present. Alice had disappeared too quickly for me to find out where she was going this time.

I decided that it was now or never. And that would be a long time. So as I walked to the balcony I glanced at the cloud cover that wasn't really that sufficient for my liking.

"Bella?" I asked stopping just before the doors. "Could you come in here please."

"Okay Rosalie." She looked skeptical. But she wouldn't want to seem rude.

Of course she stumbled upon entering the door. I suppressed a laugh as I caught her and took her to the couch.

"Thanks" She said as she turned red.

"No problem." I said " I have to talk to you, I think."

"You think?" She asked quizzically

"I know," I amended "First I have to say sorry to you. I will always be grateful for you going to Edwards rescue. And I feel responsible for that whole thing. But you have to understand. I just wanted my family back together. I really thought that you killed yourself. And, even though, I never thought you capable of feeling that kind of love for my brother. A part of me was happy for it. He really has been alone for so long. We really do just want him happy. And I knew he had the same feelings for you. Even though I never understood why."

"But you... You are such a danger magnet. Every time you cause him joy, you cause him pain. It is so hard to watch. He is like a pregnant woman with his mood swings. The one constant factor though has always been you. I really don't understand. And then Emmett. Emmett said something. That has me wondering. I have no choice now. I have to ask you. There really is no way around it. I do not mean to offend you. And if I do, please forgive me. But ... Why? Why Edward? Why our family?"

The room went silent for a long time. I realized that I had just rambled all of that out quite fast and some of it may not have made sense to her. She needed a moment to process. I would give her the time. I wanted the answer.

"Rosalie," she said finally "I don't think I have the answer you want from me. All I can tell you is that I have loved Edward since the first time I laid eyes on him. I can only describe it as true love, soul mates. We complete each other. We found what we never knew we were looking for. Our entire lives lead us to our fateful meeting. If it wasn't for Edward's "typical bout of rebellious adolescence" and what he learned about himself then, I would have been dead long ago. But as I said, fate lead us here. And soon I will have the only future I have ever really wanted.

"And that is?" I asked her

"To be a Cullen." she said pointedly "Edward is a large part of the deal. But you are also a part of it. You and your family are my future. I realize that I never had siblings before. But, I do know that they do not always get along. I do hope that one day we will have a relationship like you and Alice though. But as long as you consider me family I will be happy."

Great another thought to throw on the ever growing pile. She has always been an only child. Siblings are new for her. I had decided back when we voted to keep her that I would give her a chance, no matter what. Damn Edward. Did he always have to be right. She hadn't taken long to answer me. But her answer sounded well thought out and was articulated precisely. This girl had a good brain in her head. What else was I neglecting to see about her.