The Trick is to Keep Breathing

Chapter 31: Her Beauty in the Moonlight Overthrew You

"We need to escape."

I nodded to her. The house's energy had settled considerably since Edward, Bella and Nessie decided to head off to their house. Alice and Jasper had returned to their bedroom that hadn't changed one drop since their departure. Carlisle and Esme had retreated to his study. Our guests remained in the living room, and Rosalie and I, exited the house, heading out the front door and walking down the drive which led to the highway.

We walked. I leant my head back and stared up at the patches of night sky with the twinkling stars through the trees.

"No more," I groaned. "Well, maybe not for a while." After all, who was I to pass up the chance on a good fight?

Rosalie squeezed my hand and I brought my head back down and stared straight ahead. We had already crossed the highway and made our way through the trees on the other side. Away from home. For now.

"That...was...close," I said.

"What was close?" she muttered, turning to me, frowning. The moonlight's glare caught her blond hair and made it almost...shimmer. Her lips were pursed and she looked up at me with such love and trust and - sadness. I forgot to breathe. Because, that was the trick when I was around Rosalie. Keep Breathing. Even though I didn't need it, I wanted it. I hadto smell her scent, it was my salvation. As was her face. I remember the first time I saw her with perfect clarity. My strongest human memory was Rosalie. My Rose. She looked so determined that day, I could see her struggle behind that mask and it was intoxicating to see such a wondrous creature have any worries at all. But she did, and I loved her for that and so much more.

"The end," I finally responded. She reached up and placed her open hand on my cheek and jaw-line. I turned into it and she caressed circles onto my neck. I turned my head slightly and kissed her palm. She sighed and pulled her hand away, I let out a noise of complaint and she held tightly to my hand instead.

"But...would it have been?"

"How do you mean?"

She led us further into the woods. I fluidly moved over the rocks and trees. I ducked and jumped at the appropriate time. I knew these woods almost as well as I knew Rose.

"I've been thinking lately...maybe, it doesn't end with death," she mused. I watched her carefully and strangely. Rosalie didn't believe in a happy ending. She had always spoke of our demise as being it. No more. We would no longer exist. But now... "What if, there was an ever after? For us," she turned to me and I grabbed her other hand, pulling her closer to me.

"I suppose that could be true," I said doubtfully. I was prepared, if we had died today then I felt I would no longer be. And niether would Rosalie. I shuddered, and she stroked my arm in assurance.

"We survived though," she whispered.

"Yeah," I said softly. I lean down and kissed her lightly on the lips and rested my forehead to hers. I rubbed her back and pulled her right up to my chest, so we were squished together tightly.

"Are you okay?" she murmured.

"Not really," I responded. She traced soothing circles on my neck and I closed my eyes, relishing in her scent and the way she felt to me.

"Tell me," she pleaded.

Tell her, what? I didn't even know why I was feeling so bad. I mean, on the one hand I was elated that we survived and for now, forever was ahead of us. But, I couldn't help but feel...disappointed?

"I think I'm disappointed."

"Disappointed?" she pulls away and stares intensely at me. "Disappointed as in, you're disappointed there wasn't a gigantic blood bath?"

My mouth is hanging open as I try to think of the appropriate response. Is that really what I'm feeling? No, it's not.

"No, forget it," I shrug.

"No, tell me," she orders. I can't weasel my way out of this conversation. She wants to know. And strangely, I think she feels that she needs to know.

I fall back onto the ground, causing a rumble through the earth, the tree's shake at my ungraceful move. Rosalie kneels between my legs and places either hand on each of my knees, staring at me with round, topaz eyes that squeeze at my frozen heart. This night sky really does wonders with her beauty. I can't even begin to describe how stupendously wondrous she looks right now.

"Mmm," I mutter and reach out to her face. When my hand touches her cheek, I'm surprised by the electric jolt in provides. But then again, I'm not. She still get's my body going into a hyper-aware state whenever she's near. It's one of the reasons I love her. Being with her is the only time I really feel...alive. "Do you know what I only just remembered?"

"No, I don't."

"That bet we made."

She stiffened slightly and pulled away. "It's so typical of you to ruin a perfectly good ending for the day with something so trivial as -"

"You're just upset that you lost."

"Emmett! Please! I don't want to talk about this! Leave it for another day! I mean, can't we just enjoy each others company? For the past few months we were under the great impression that we would be dead by now, and we're not! So let's just be. You and me. At least for a while."

I'm silent as I understand what she's saying. But that's not in my nature. I like competitions. I especially like winning. I hold my tongue though, for the sake of Rose. It's difficult. I won that bet fair and square. Edward was married before the year two-thousand and ten, just like I predicted. I wasn't a negative-Nancy like Rose.

She had assumed her position in my lap, her head leaning against my chest. I won.

I won.

I pushed her off and she looked at me wildly. I stood up quickly and began to unbutton my jeans.

"Emmett, what..."

I was pant-less.

I quickly yanked off my shirt and tossed it onto the forest floor.

"I won, I get anything I want when it comes to sex. That was the deal. Now take off your clothes."

"What, no romance?"

"Nope. This is gonna go my way."

Her face fell considerably. "I don't want to. Not now. Just be with me Emmett. None of this, please."

My resolve was wavering. But only slightly. I had thought of many things Rose and I could do once I won. I had been thinking about this for seventy-fucking years. Now, she was begging me not to force sex on her.

Okay, I guess I was being a bit insensitive. But I'm a guy with a hot wife. It's hard not to be this way.

"Em..."

Until another day.

"Alright." I don't put my clothes back on though. I do, however, fall on top of Rosalie. She laughs and tries to push me off, but I don't budge. I trap her under my body and kiss her face.

"I really really love you," she mutters into my neck.

"Me too."

"I wish you knew completely, though."

"I do."

"No, you really don't."

"But I really do."

"Emmett!"

"Rosalie! Don't tell me what I don't know. We've been together for over seventy years. I think I have a fairly accurate idea of how much you love me. Just like you know how much you mean to me. I think everything we've been through over the past few months is evidence enough on how much we love one another. No more doubting one another, for forever. Deal?" I breathe out all at once.

She kisses me lightly on the lips. "Deal." She holds onto my shoulders in a suggestive way and I am trying hard not to just go for it - she doesn't want sex right now and I will obey her wishes. "So why are you feeling disappointed?"

I sigh and shimmy down her body so that my head is now resting on her chest. I hold onto her tightly and close my eyes, trying to relax my mind and gather my thoughts together.

"I don't know. I guess maybe I'm a little peeved that there was that whole climactic encounter with no real satisfying ending to it. I very badly wanted to get my hands on those stupid Volturi guards. I could rip off their sallow heads before they could even register my attack."

She exhaled a shaky breath. "Yes, I'm sure you're right."

"But..." I venture for another answer. "I guess I'm disappointed that it won't be the same anymore."

"What won't be the same anymore?" I can feel her vocal cords work as she speaks and it vibrates slightly. I smile wickedly.

"Us. I felt - we became so much closer when we thought we were gonna die. And after those weeks of feeling very disconnected from you while you were with Bella, I liked the attention you were giving me. And I figured that now that we won't die, you will go back to attending to Bella and Nessie, and I won't be a huge concern of yours anymore. That's why I feel disappointed."

"Oh, Emmett." She holds onto me tightly, and just like that I know she will never do that again. I know she won't ignore me for Nessie anymore. I know.

"So this is it?"

"No, we're nowhere near 'it', it's only the beginning," her voice is deep and husky. I kiss her neck.

"I know that. I meant 'this is it' as in: 'this is when we have sex, after a seventy year long wager.'" She pushes me off and I laugh. She sits up and I am lying on the ground, pushing my hand up her shirt.

"Yes, I suppose this is it then," she pouts slightly.

"Don't look so sad, babe. You'll have fun I promise," I am grinning evilly. I know she will. I promise she will.

"I know," she amends. But it doesn't remove that scowl from her face. "I just really thought I'd win."

I chuckle with mirth. "Meh, I won; you lost. Now, pay up!"

"I hate you," she whispers into my neck as I pull off her shirt. I remember that I'm already naked and ready.

"I hate you too," I say softly. She closes her eyes and a shiver runs down her spine as I lightly trace it with my forefinger.

"You're lucky you're charming Emmett McCarty," she whispers nearly incoherently.

"You're lucky you're perfect Rosalie Lillian Hale," I kiss her quiet.

I don't regret a single day of this after-life. This dead-like life. Because this is the only life I've felt here. It's the only time in my life where I felt I belonged somewhere. And that's all because of an angel who saved me from a bear.

THE END.

AN: Seriously, it took me long enough to update. I couldn't find it in myself to write for some odd reason. I hope you enjoyed this story. Thank you for all the reviewers who kept reading and cared about what I had to say. You are all awesome and I owe you all a whole lot for making me feel happy and good with your reviews.

R/R!!