AN: wow, this is a short story. i know cuz this is the last update, the epilogue, the end. :) i genuinely hope you enjoyed this story, because i enjoyed writing, even with all the writers' block...read on and enjoy!

And the Sleeping Beauty Rose

Epilogue: As Close As It Gets

As I hunted, I contemplated the passage of time.

Not much of it had passed, but it seemed as if life was slower than a tortoise, that so much more time had passed than what really had.

It had been two years, two years since my happy ending slipped away, two years since I had met Carlisle, Esme, and Edward, two years since I had become what I as today, two years since I had preyed on those pitiful excuses for human. Two years. But it seemed more like a millennium.

I winced as I heard the deer utter a last cry of despair, but then I realized that it couldn't have been the deer; she had been dead for quite some time. The cry was coming from the neighboring thicket of trees. And what was worse: it was not animal.

I quickly buried the deer, drained of her blood and rushed to see what the commotion was about. The scene before my perceptive eyes horrified me, processing all the information in no time at all.

First, and most prominently, there was the bear, the great grizzly, roaring and grumbling away, its sharp teeth bared, its forepaws swinging freely about as it stood on its hind legs.

Second, the source of the despairing cry, was the man, lying and the bear's feet, blood soaking through his clothes, reddening the grass around him. His face was scratched and bleeding, the blood damaging his dark curly hair. He was obviously in pain, but I saw his dimples, showing through his flushed skin. This grown man reminded me so much of the child, Vera's child, but I knew this wasn't him. I had seen that child, practically newborn, just two years ago. But, oh, how he reminded me of that boy, that night.

The bear swiped its great paw down, across the man's chest, trailing blood. I felt my tongue move, heard a small gasp ease through my lips. I couldn't just stand by and watch this man, who already meant so much to me, meet his demise. I stepped through the thicket, pacing myself easily so that the bear would not hear my steps. I felt a growl escape my lips, my eyes widen. What was I thinking? The man was bleeding. Instinctively, I hushed my breathing, stopped its passage. But I continued to growl.

And then I collided with the bear. I fought my heart out, aware of the man, watching me as he slipped into unconsciousness. When I was sure that he was no longer aware of his surroundings, I sank my teeth into the bear's neck and drank my fill.

After disposing of the grizzly's body, I hoisted the man in my arms. He was quite heavy, even for me, and I saw that this was due to the thick bands of muscle encircling his body. I found myself wondering what he had been doing here with the bear in the first place. Had he been fighting it intentionally? Or merely passing by at the wrong moment?

I knew it was a long way to Carlisle—nearly a hundred miles!--but I would do it for this man.

-_-_-_-_-

I felt like Sleeping Beauty, as if I had been awoken from a hundred year sleep. But it had only been three days since I had taken the man to Carlisle, begged him to save him, change him. But it had been over two years since this "sleep" had come to me.

On the third day, the man opened his eyes, looking from me to Carlisle, and back again.

"Whoa," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

And then Carlisle launched into his explanation. The man's eyes widened at the appropriate times, gasps of horror and sounds of awe leaking through his lips at proper times. And when the man began to speak, to explain, I had never felt more awake.

His name was Emmett McCarty. He was from Tennessee, 20 years old and a bachelor. He was out hunting and had tried to bring down the bear, but it overpowered him. He was very competitive and didn't much like that I had been able to demolish the bear while it had rendered him powerless.

I was mesmerized by this man, Emmett, astonished at his story, his motions, his voice. The passage to our world had made him even more beautiful. His plaid complexion was amazing, his dark curls innocently framing his dimpled face. His ruby eyes stood out his his white face, twinkling as they absorbed his surroundings. I vaguely noticed Carlisle leaving the room, aware that a moment by ourselves was quite needed.

His eyes found mine and he spoke:

"When I first saw you, I thought you were an angel, come to take me to heaven. I couldn't imagine how someone could be so beautiful."

And I knew I had fallen in love, that I had found my prince to wake me up.

Maybe this ending wasn't so bad after all, I thought to myself as we continued to gaze into each other's eyes. And when he kissed me, I knew that this was as close as it got to happily ever after.

AN: awww... Emmett and Rose... okokok, down to business, you gotta review. please.

also, i know that i said i would be doing fairy tale stories for each Cullen girl, which currently leaves Esme. but, i'm not so sure anymore; i might just stop it here. when i come to a decision, i will post it on my profile, but for now, the road stops here. hope you liked hearing Rosalie's story from her eyes. thank you for all the reviews; they were greatly appreciated. :)

very sincerely, your author,
eclipsed heart
-eh-