A/N: Okay, sizable AN because we gotta get some stuff out the way, trust me.

You didn't have to read it and still don't (but it's a good read) because I'm writing this in a way it stands alone and goes in some wildly different directions, but did you read Species Unknown by xPaige Turnerx and want that good Rose/Bella shit? Because I did. And Paige approved. Here's what you need to know.

Starts after Bella's known the Cullens for a few months, during which it seemed possible for Bella and Alice to be mates. Bella's species is unknown, not even Carlisle knows what she is. She suffers crippling migraines and nosebleeds from hell. She's capable of essentially leeching characteristics, as seen in a fight with her brother, (they consider each other brothers, since it's a lifestyle lmao) Jake, in which she takes on qualities of a vampire and fights Jake while he's wolfed out. This event is canon for this story, and is why Buggy, Bella's old Camaro, is currently under repair with Rosalie. Another thing? Bella was dropped off on the Swans' doorstep at the age of six and her fucking eyes change colors with her emotions. Hence she always wears sunglasses because she's received a lot of shit for her eyes, including being locked in a shed overnight, and says it's because of her migraines. Leah is different from the pack and also insists she and Bella are connected. Oh and Bella sleepwalks at night into the fucking forest and one time Jasper found her out there, she said that's where she fucking dies so thank Paige for that creepiness.

Okay, here goes nothing. *crosses fingers*

Esme and Carlisle. Rosalie and Emmett (not for long lmao). Jasper and Victoria. Edward. Alice. Wensley and Jessica.

"I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
In secret, between the shadow and the soul."
-Pablo Neruda

A ragged sigh tore out of her and, leaning back from under the hood, she set down her wrench. Rather, slammed it. The small table had a dent in it now. Rosalie sighed again, softer this time. Tired. She was tired. Angry. But she was often those things.

Black eyes slid closed as she dropped the hood like these things alone could change her mood. Alice had spun into Bella Swan's life and pulled her into the Cullens', dropping her in the same way any Cullen had just settled in. And damn, she hadn't seemed so alive in decades and they whispered that maybe Bella and Alice were mates. But Jasper knew better. Rosalie knew better.

Instead of simply moving the table, she left her handprint in the metal.

Of course the whispers didn't last long at all. Alice and Bella were…close, but not that type of close. Rosalie suspected Alice would've pursued a fling with Bella if it wasn't for the fact Bella Swan fit into the mess of the Cullen household.

Really, there were too many of them at this point.

And in all of this, Rosalie still didn't know if Bella had slipped, developed feelings for Alice. It happened. Silly, stupid emotions because your friend was great and you were close. Jasper would know because he didn't have to fret over the difficulty Bella presented when it came to gauging anything of her.

But Rosalie couldn't ask Jasper because that meant acknowledging his lingering gaze and Victoria's knowing smirk.

Because that was all Rosalie's…issues were. Silly, stupid emotions.

Why was she lying to herself?

Some words echoed in her mind, taunted her, and she growled at them. At herself.

She threw open the door in a way that almost made its hinges screech.

"Fuck!"

Rosalie stopped, sighing just as there was a thud behind her. She debated on whether or not to keep walking, but Rosalie Hale faced problems, she didn't run from them. And so she stood over Bella, prone in a little over a foot of snow. She couldn't see those mysterious eyes, but she still felt them.

"This is concrete."

"How astute of you."

Bella puffed out her cheeks and released a huff of air, clearly not knowing what to say next.

It was Rosalie's turn. Her move to make. Thus far, Bella had followed after her, had always been left in Rosalie's wake. Had always initiated even though she'd never been given a reason to. Yet, despite the fact Rosalie just changed the game by the small act of turning around, she only raised her eyebrow.

"I'm dying." Bella's forced chuckle didn't erase the way her voice went up a few octaves in the last syllable.

"You've fallen from higher. What are you doing?"

"Failing at surprising you." Bella wiggled her arms for emphasis, clearing more snow in the process. "I didn't expect you to leave like that and I slipped a little."

Closing her eyes, Rosalie pinched the bridge of her nose as her eyebrows rose. She really was just so, so incredibly tired. "Bella, I could hear you the entire time."

"You. I." Something tore out her throat resembling a growl. "Fuck you! You just let me sit up there for two hours and didn't think to say shit? Seriously?"

"Excuse me? I'm a vampire. If you want to be a damned idiot, that's your business not mine. You do stupid things all the time. How am I supposed to tell the difference?"

She slammed her fists down into the snow. "You know the difference!"

"Don't act like I pay any attention to your existence." Rosalie almost winced.

Bella, however, didn't have such qualms. Indifference smoothed her face and she swallowed.

Rosalie watched her nod so slightly she almost missed it. Watched her close off while Rosalie wished she could throttle herself. Her tongue felt heavy with words she didn't know and probably wouldn't say even if she did know them. Walking away would be easy, expected. Routine. Especially with Bella already sitting up, already brushing the snow from herself. But Rosalie had resolved to face this and whatever happened as a result. It couldn't be worse than Victoria deciding to make a game of it. And she would do it soon. Rosalie could tell by the gleam in her eyes.

"Where did your misplaced desire to surprise me originate?" Oh, yes, so natural. Good job, Rosalie. What a composed vampire you are.

A noncommittal shrug. "You've been a bit of a bitch lately. Past couple weeks."

"I'm always a bitch." Maybe one day she'd actually ask questions instead of being indirect, but apparently that wasn't today.

"I know!" Bella threw herself back with a huff and a small cloud of snow.

So Rosalie was right. Bella had noticed her sharper moods and aimed to remedy that…somehow. "What exactly was your plan?" Black eyes darted to the roof of the garage and back down to Bella. "I leave, then you attack me, I'm guessing?"

"Surprise."

"And then we laugh? Watch a movie? Get dinner? Have a bonding moment?"

Bella stopped chewing her cheek. "Well, I figured—"

"How many times have you hit your head?" How many times will I do this to myself?

"Look," Bella snapped, "If you want, I can headbutt you. Would that make you feel better? Make more sense? Just stomp off already."

The words signaled the end of their game, if it could be called that. The end of someone's patience, the announcement of, I'm too tired for this. It left Rosalie clenching her jaw. She knew those damn eyes weren't on her and, she hated herself for it, but she wanted them to be.

But her sense of rejection was already swirling into anger, into bitter pain and the need to lash out. She'd tried to do this for Esme and Alice and Edward and the family itself and for Emmett, but she'd slipped. People made mistakes. Rosalie was tired of them. Tired of mistakes, tired of guilt eating her alive, tired of being left wanting, tired of not being enough.

She swallowed back venom.

Rosalie Hale had faced worse than this. She could do this. She could be Bella's…friend. One day. Yet she couldn't relax her jaw. Couldn't silence the storm screaming in her muscles.

"I kind of want to stay here, so if you could just—"

Bella's jacket ripped in Rosalie's fingers as she dragged her backward through a few feet of snow and lifted her, flinging her through the air.

"—Whatthefuck!"

Alice yelled her name like a curse, but she didn't twitch, didn't look away from Bella flailing her way across the frozen lawn. Edward would've beaten Alice to her, but Bella somehow righted herself and so three pairs of eyes watched her land on her feet and stumble a step.

Edward's gaze didn't compare to Bella's, even through her shades. Alice patted her down in some need to make sure she was okay, but she didn't say anything to reassure the small vampire. She studied Rosalie. It was piercing, as revealing as it was probing. Rosalie wanted nothing more than to remove those damn shades.

And in that moment she knew she couldn't settle on just being Bella Swan's friend.

Movement drew her eyes to Emmett emerging from the house, disappointment and resignation creating an intense frown on his face. He'd given up on her.

Good.

Rosalie tilted her head. "Emmett thinks I'm too mean to his dear Boo and should try being your friend. What do you think?"

Bella mirrored her, that same distant thoughtfulness on her face. "You are my friend."

Rosalie left in the space of an excited heartbeat.

Ethereal goddess from another realm.

In the dim gymnasium with stupid, colorful accent lights and music that was too loud, those words were all she could process. Over and over. She'd only heard them being blurted to Edward because she'd developed the horrific habit of, well, hanging onto Bella's every word. Maybe not every word, but ones that could possibly be about her.

Bella had been stiff and stuttering when Victoria first swept her away to the dancefloor, but after being hijacked half a dozen times, she looked happy. And like she could passably dance as opposed to stomp her feet around. She twirled Alice, the both of them grinning, and jealousy clawed at Rosalie's throat.

A large arm hovered around her waist. Asked for permission. The flash of black eyes had him wringing his hands. "I don't even know what to say to you."

"Nothing works just fine."

"You look like you wanna kill Boo."

Rosalie walked away. Her gait didn't pause as he wondered aloud if she even had a wedding ring anymore.

She sucked in the cold air as if it actually mattered instead of just ghosting in and out of her lungs. The moon was bright tonight and for a moment, she entertained that it was mocking her. She sat on a cold bench with a sigh and let her eyes cast around aimlessly at the snow and trees and a crack running along the entire length of this concreted area. At least they had the sense to clean up instead of just hoping students wouldn't come out here.

The door opened and she caught sight of a red vest in her peripherals. She fought back the urge to snarl at him. She wasn't in the mood to fight with someone. Again.

Wensley stopped just out of arm's reach. Stared down at her.

Her eyebrow twitched, but she didn't look at him. At least I'm bitchy instead of annoying.

Minutes passed.

"You like her."

Rosalie turned a little to tilt her head at him. "Hmm? Did you say something?" The gold of his eyes sharpened and Rosalie's flew to black. She didn't feel inclined to starting a fight, but she would always finish one. "Well if you're going to bother me, be direct so you waste less of my time."

His back straightened. His way of flinching when it came to the ease he allowed into his posture around her. Wensley stuck out his chin as he focused on a tree. "I didn't think I would find myself thinking less of you, endangering what you sometimes call family."

"I thought you were mentally capable of understanding what 'direct' means."

A muscle in his cheek twitched. "Alice dragged this mistake into our home and Esme all but adopted it in an instant. Things become increasingly complicated. It's not even Alice's mate? And you're simply okay with this?"

Rosalie stood, easily able to glare into his eyes between her natural height and the heels. "Are we talking about a thing or a person, I'm confused."

"A danger. We don't even know what that is. Something walking around in a human skin? We don't know, but we let it waltz around our home and no one speaks of changing it. If it can be changed."

She almost took the bait. Almost. Considered giving into it anyway. A lazy smirk slid onto her face and she watched a subtle frown pull down his eyebrows. When would people stop thinking they could play games with her? Rosalie shrugged a shoulder, waved her hand. "I will."

The frown grew more pronounced in his special way. Wensley's eyes darted across her face once, twice, before settling back on her black depths as he silently floundered. Then, "Why?"

"Elimination of a threat, no? That's all you care." She breached the small space between them to adjust his vest. "Isn't Jessica missing you?"

Wensley clenched his jaw so tightly cracks threatened his face. "You care."

"I protect my family."

His eyes fell to amber. "The vote we held was premature. The circumstances are different now."

"They are. In the way that Bella Swan is now family regardless of who likes it." A challenge. And if he wanted to answer it, well, he'd lose a lot more than she would on the grounds of Jessica alone.

His gaze cut away from her. Jumped back. "I won't stand for this."

"Then sit the fuck down."

"I don't understand," Wensley growled softly. "You detest her and you try to be remotely civil for Emmett and Esme and now you defend her?"

"She stays. It's that simple."

"Did I miss the application to be a Cullen somewhere down the line? You get to play gatekeeper? You alone decide—"

"I am the damned gatekeeper!" She shoved him. It wasn't hostile. Just to get him out of her space, to signal the end of this. "Go back to your wife and leave me the hell alone."

But Wensley came back and whenever they inhaled, they could feel each other for how close they stood. He spat the words but it was more so due to his mood than anything else, "If you wanted to ruin your relationship with a plaything, couldn't you have chosen someone other than Bella Swan?"

The fight left Rosalie in a sigh as she sank back down to the bench. "Is Jessica your plaything?" She took his silence, too tired to take his expression as well. Still, she felt his air shift.

Again, the door opened, but this time it was Bella, taking slow steps. Her eyes hidden as always, face impassive. She stopped about five feet from them and didn't remark on how they weren't looking at each other. "Jessica's pouting."

Wensley's brusque stride had Bella in his path. But she just stood there, hands still in her pockets, even as he partially walked over her and made her stumble.

A noticeably brief rise in volume of the music indicated he was definitely rushing back to his mate.

Releasing a slow gust of air, Bella rocked back and forth on her feet. "So."

Rosalie didn't know where to go from there so she started where she could as she gazed at some dead trees. Commenting on the fact Bella's braid crown had disappeared seemed like a good way to annoy her. "I hope you're not lingering to get a rise out of me."

"Uh, no." Bella rubbed the back of her neck. "You look tired."

"I suppose I am. I'm out here to keep my bitchiness to myself. To let everyone in there have their happiness."

Bella sat to her right, on the far end of her bench. Smoothed her hands over her black jeans. Over and over, her gaze somewhere in front of her.

Rosalie eyed her straight back. "What?"

"Oh. I don't mind." With Rosalie studying her, she cleared her throat. Smoothed her hands across her jeans a little faster. "I don't like these damn things anyway."

"Yes, we noticed when coming nearly turned into an argument between you and Alice."

A small laugh, but she didn't say anything.

The silence began to settle in. Calm. Easy. Except Rosalie's emotions still swirled dangerously inside of her. Except something hovered in the air like a taut rope being mercilessly pulled on. And the question burning inside of her still wasn't satisfied. Half an answer presented itself that day she threw Bella, when Bella maybe looked at her for the first time.

But the question only started to scream when the image of the clear happiness on their faces as they danced flashed across Rosalie's eyes.

"Why do you harass me?"

"Because it's the only way to get a response from you. And that sounds really damn bad now that I say it aloud. I'm, well." Bella fiddled with her tie. "I'm," a cough, "I'm sorry. That's not a good behavior. And changing the contacts in your phone went way too far, sorry."

Eyebrows knit together, she turned a little, just enough that it looked like they were actually having a conversation. "Pushing you out of a moving vehicle isn't a good behavior. Nor is not even asking if you're okay when you fall from notable heights."

"Or throwing me like a football?"

Rosalie's shoulder bounced in a careless shrug. "Why do you go to such lengths to get a response from me?"

Those damn glasses. Bella's face was slack, but Rosalie wasn't even sure she was looking at her. Forget the color of her eyes. Did she absently look around when thinking of something to say? How often did she roll her eyes? Did she keep eye contact for tough topics or stare at the space around you?

Finally, Bella moved. She faced forward again, elbow braced on her knee. Pushed her shades into her hair and pinched the bridge of her nose. Eyes closed, of course.

And Rosalie knew she either didn't have an answer or didn't care to share. "I originally thought you were a lazy ass, but you're actually a rather determined person."

Bella hummed, bracing on her left knee now so she could prop her cheek up on her fist, face turned away from Rosalie.

Her breath got stuck inside of her as she stared at the shades still in Bella's hair. She wasn't showcasing her eyes, but she wasn't hiding them either, and Rosalie would've heard from an excited Alice or Edward if she'd done it before.

"If you're unhappy, you should talk to someone."

Rosalie's brow furrowed at both the shift in topic and her choice of words.

"Wait. It's cold." Bella flipped her shades back down and left. Blissfully unaware she had the vampire reeling, somewhere between a purr and a growl.

Bella had shared with her in a special way and Rosalie wondered if she realized it. She had to, didn't she? It must've been intentional, even if it was for all of two minutes.

Or maybe it didn't mean anything at all and Rosalie was just desperate after months of her emotions being a mess.

The door opened and closed. Bella waved the jacket she'd brought "just in case" as she walked and talked. "Victoria is terrifying. I think I'd let her kill me. And like, thank her."

Her eyebrow twitched, but she let it go. "So, what I think you're actually supposed to say is something along the lines of 'If you're unhappy, you can talk to me.'"

Bella shrugged, finally making it to their bench.

"What are you—No—I—Bella, why—"

She slapped at Rosalie's hands even as Rosalie did the same to her and leaned away. She stopped trying to put her jacket over Rosalie's shoulders. Once Rosalie exhaled, irritated, and looked away, Bella rushed to throw it over her shoulders. "There. Damn. You're so difficult."

Rosalie adjusted the jacket, eyeing Bella as she dropped down onto the bench. "Bella, I'm a vampire."

"Yeah, well, Charlie raised me better than that." She rubbed the back of her neck, huffing.

"If you hate my dress that much, you only had to say so."

"What!" Bella whipped around to look at her so fast her neck cracked. She waved her hands in front of her as her eyebrows rose above her sunglasses. "That's not what I'm saying, I'm saying it's cold outside! The dress is great, beautiful. Beautiful on you. Not that you need it to be beautiful! You redefine the word. Not 'redefine' like in a bad way, but. Well maybe you don't and you just personify it or something. But I'm serious, your hair looks great and that's such a nice blue and the style is nice, whatever it is. I don't speak dress. I don't know what it is when it's like, just one strap off the shoulder and it's got that triangle that shows some of your chest? Alice probably told me but I'm an idiot. And that slit up the side? Oh shit, but I don't ogle you, I don't want you to think that. I just. Oh my god you were joking. That was a joke."

Rosalie kept a hand over one of the most genuine smiles she'd felt on her face in a long time.

Bella shot to her feet. She got halfway to the door before she spun around and strode back, all of her movements jerky. She pointed down as if to accent what she planned to say. "I like that your eyes shift color so much with your emotions instead of just being bright-ass gold all the time because it makes me feel less like a freak."

Capturing the back of Bella's silver vest before she could flee, Rosalie swallowed back a purr. She'd never even thought about it before. But now she wondered if it was one of the reasons Bella went out of her way to bother her so much.

Bella sat back down when her vest was tugged, though she resolutely stared forward.

It was interesting. Victoria had made Bella sputter more than once, but Rosalie never saw an actual blush on her face until tonight. So maybe Bella did…feel something for her. Rosalie's brow furrowed at a thought. If it wasn't for the fact she was a married woman, you could almost say Bella had been courting her in a weird, annoying way.

Suddenly her mood soured as she thought about Emmett. She'd have to take care of that issue soon, if he didn't beat her to it. Or if he hadn't already reached that conclusion.

Possible, considering he hadn't come outside after her in all this time.

Rosalie pulled Bella's jacket tighter against herself and sighed. She couldn't be more than Bella's friend. Emmett loved his Boo far too much and Bella was certainly fond of him.

"Do you like the ocean?"

She glanced at the girl, who seemed a little less stiff. "I do."

"I want to drown in it. Not, like, in a suicidal way, but, I don't know. It's just so vast and infinite. It's the closest I can get to space. It could consume me and I'd cease to exist in something bigger and darker than we could ever hope to be. How much do you like it?"

"I did something like that once, actually. In the eighties." Rosalie smirked when Bella looked at her. "I just kind of went in and eventually let it take me where it wanted."

Bella turned completely, crossing a leg up on the bench and over her knee. "You know you have to tell me about that now, right?"

"Hmm, I don't think I will."

"I don't deserve this cruelty. I'm telling Esme."

Amber eyes rolled. "Go ahead. I'll cite all the times you've bothered me."

"My acts of friendship can't be used against me!"

"Friendship?"

"You pushed me out of a truck, remember?"

"You called me 'wifey.' I don't know what you expected."

Bella tilted her head as she subtly rocked back and forth with a hum. "That's fair."

"Ah, so you know you're a villain."

"Villain? That's going a little far, don't you think? Or maybe not far enough. How does 'enemies to wifey' sound?"

"Like I'm going to push Buggy off a cliff."

"You wouldn't!"

Rosalie laughed at the horror on her face.

It was brief, and only happened once, but Bella's heart stuttered.

And then Rosalie told her about when she let the ocean take her. How it felt, where she went. The incident of a man thinking she was a siren meaning to overturn his boat and drag him to the dark depths.

As Bella gave her undivided attention, bouncing in her attempt to limit her interruptions or exclamations, Rosalie reached a conclusion.

Yes, she would cause ripples in the family, and maybe even a rift or two.

Rosalie Hale was a selfish bitch, after all.

A/N: Yeah I have a serious thing about Rosalie spending some time acting like a siren and that isn't changing.

You like that parallel of Bella identifying with Rose because Rose's eyes are always flying through colors? I do. I love it.

God damn I hope you guys like this mess. Remember to drop all complaints to Paige at her tumblr, thirteenohtoo, and praise at mine, which is my username. Kidding, kidding lol