One day she will tell you that she has had enough [it's coming round again]
First & Last
She'd started out as Carlisle's cousin. With their fine golden hair they could have been brother and sister like Esme and Edward pretended, but Rosalie refused to be anything but a Hale. When all was lost, it seemed, she would still be a Hale.
It had changed through the years; saving (or damning) Emmett had given her an out. She wasn't cousin or family but instead she was Emmett's girlfriend or fiancée or wife. Still a Hale at heart, even when Cullen was tacked on from Emmett.
And then there was Jasper. The only thing ever alike about them was the way they looked and where they stood. The poor Southern boy with too much trouble keeping out of it whose only place was next to Alice and the rich Yankee girl with seemingly no trouble at all whose only place was next to Emmett.
"Can I come in?"
Rosalie looked up to her door and nodded, putting down her book. "Hello Jasper."
"Hello sister," he replied, holding up the box in his hands. "Chess?"
She shrugged lightly and unfolded from the couch, moving towards the small table and chairs on the other side of the room. "Against the master strategist, of course."
"Edward and Alice just left to take Bella home," he told her as he set up the board lazily and she gracefully melted into the opposite chair. She nodded, silent.
Bella was a reason for scorn on her part, which was why she'd stayed upstairs during her visit. Bella, it seemed, took Rosalie's place. She was the favorite without even trying, without even being part of the family. Carlisle and Esme adored her, Edward loved her, she was Alice's favorite sister and Emmett thought she was the most amusing little human on the planet.
Only Jasper still seemed to notice Rosalie. But then again, he was the same. He was nobody's favorite son or brother, he was just Alice's.
The two of them were natural as brother and sister, even twins. If you watched them long enough, you'd notice the little things. The mannerisms they'd picked up from each other, the tone of voice, they shared a similar patronizing smile, one Rosalie wore far more often than Jasper did.
"Emmett went with Carlisle to the hospital."
Jasper nodded, sitting stone like across from her, his fingers hovering over the chess pieces before he quickly moved a pawn. "Why?"
"It's Emmett," she replied as an explanation, laughing. "Because he likes scaring people."
Jasper relaxed against his chair, still watching her intently, but leaning back and laughing with her. "What is it everyone always says about Alice? I'm sure that fits Emmett, too."
"Alice will be Alice," she told him, daintily plucking a pawn from its place on the board and redirecting it to another square. Jasper nodded, silent.
It had been alarmingly easy to give Jasper her last name, and not because he made her feel warm and fuzzy with his gift. He made her feel comfortable without them, like she mattered. They were both the misfits to be sure. Alice was everyone's favorite daughter and sister, while Rosalie was nothing of the sort.
Even when it had just been she and Edward she was never the favorite. She supposed Edward would have favored a plastic flamingo. They didn't talk or tell him to get out of their minds.
So when Jasper and Alice came Rosalie had claimed him. He was her brother and she was his sister and no one could find a flaw in the plan when she put her hands on her hips and he crossed his arms over his chest opposite her. They were definitely a pair.
"Checkmate."
Rosalie nodded, looking resigned at the chessboard before flicking over her king at his king's feet. "Again."
"Should I apologize?" he asked with a smile. He always beat her, without fail. "I will if you want me to."
Rosalie slumped in her chair and pouted at him. She wasn't a sore loser, at least not in the case of chess. This just happened to be par for the course. "One day, Jasper Hale, I am going to beat you so perfectly you'll just sit there and stare."
"One day," he agreed. Rosalie nodded firmly.
She'd started out as Carlisle's cousin. With their fine golden hair they could have been brother and sister like Esme and Edward pretended, but Rosalie refused to be anything but a Hale. When all was lost, it seemed, she would still be a Hale.
It had changed through the years; saving (or damning) Emmett had given her an out. She wasn't cousin or family but instead she was Emmett's girlfriend or fiancée or wife. Still a Hale at heart, even when Cullen was tacked on from Emmett.
And then there was Jasper. The only thing ever alike about them was the way they looked and where they stood. The poor Southern boy with too much trouble keeping out of it whose only place was next to Alice and the rich Yankee girl with seemingly no trouble at all whose only place was next to Emmett.
"Can I come in?"
Rosalie looked up to her door and nodded, putting down her book. "Hello Jasper."
"Hello sister," he replied, holding up the box in his hands. "Chess?"
She shrugged lightly and unfolded from the couch, moving towards the small table and chairs on the other side of the room. "Against the master strategist, of course."
"Edward and Alice just left to take Bella home," he told her as he set up the board lazily and she gracefully melted into the opposite chair. She nodded, silent.
Bella was a reason for scorn on her part, which was why she'd stayed upstairs during her visit. Bella, it seemed, took Rosalie's place. She was the favorite without even trying, without even being part of the family. Carlisle and Esme adored her, Edward loved her, she was Alice's favorite sister and Emmett thought she was the most amusing little human on the planet.
Only Jasper still seemed to notice Rosalie. But then again, he was the same. He was nobody's favorite son or brother, he was just Alice's.
The two of them were natural as brother and sister, even twins. If you watched them long enough, you'd notice the little things. The mannerisms they'd picked up from each other, the tone of voice, they shared a similar patronizing smile, one Rosalie wore far more often than Jasper did.
"Emmett went with Carlisle to the hospital."
Jasper nodded, sitting stone like across from her, his fingers hovering over the chess pieces before he quickly moved a pawn. "Why?"
"It's Emmett," she replied as an explanation, laughing. "Because he likes scaring people."
Jasper relaxed against his chair, still watching her intently, but leaning back and laughing with her. "What is it everyone always says about Alice? I'm sure that fits Emmett, too."
"Alice will be Alice," she told him, daintily plucking a pawn from its place on the board and redirecting it to another square. Jasper nodded, silent.
It had been alarmingly easy to give Jasper her last name, and not because he made her feel warm and fuzzy with his gift. He made her feel comfortable without them, like she mattered. They were both the misfits to be sure. Alice was everyone's favorite daughter and sister, while Rosalie was nothing of the sort.
Even when it had just been she and Edward she was never the favorite. She supposed Edward would have favored a plastic flamingo. They didn't talk or tell him to get out of their minds.
So when Jasper and Alice came Rosalie had claimed him. He was her brother and she was his sister and no one could find a flaw in the plan when she put her hands on her hips and he crossed his arms over his chest opposite her. They were definitely a pair.
"Checkmate."
Rosalie nodded, looking resigned at the chessboard before flicking over her king at his king's feet. "Again."
"Should I apologize?" he asked with a smile. He always beat her, without fail. "I will if you want me to."
Rosalie slumped in her chair and pouted at him. She wasn't a sore loser, at least not in the case of chess. This just happened to be par for the course. "One day, Jasper Hale, I am going to beat you so perfectly you'll just sit there and stare."
"One day," he agreed. Rosalie nodded firmly.