petrichor [rosalie hale]

xlv. most absolute

Kiara Black sat across from Rosalie as she cradled the baby to her chest. They hadn't spoken a word since Jacob had stormed out or since Kiara had thrown up in the trash. The only noises that broke the silence between them were the sound of the fireplace crackling, Kiara having turned it on to keep the baby - Renesmee - warm, since she had refused to hold her yet, and the sound of the small giggles that left her mouth as Rosalie cradled her.

"Kiara, I'm sorry," Rosalie whispered, her eyes flicking to meet hers for a split second before she looked back down at the baby. "I'm so sorry about everything that's happened."

The alpha sniffled, tears at the edge of her eyes as she thought about Bella dying. She thought about Jacob and how torn he had sounded as he told Edward he wouldn't kill him. She thought of Charlie, wondering if the man would ever forgive her and the Cullens for this - for letting him believe that Bella was going to Switzerland to get better. They'd have to tell him soon that she died. Kiara didn't even get to say goodbye... Charlie didn't even get to say goodbye.

How would they break this news to Renee? Who had no idea Bella was even 'sick' in the first place? How long would it be until the other wolves found out, demanding blood for blood and coming to kill them all?

Renesmee suddenly cooed again, hitting her little fists on Rosalie's chest as she tried her hardest to get her aunt's attention. She finally responded, smiling as she slowly lowered her head down to Renesmee, meeting the baby's lips before she kissed her on the forehead. Kiara almost began to cry, the tears crying out to stream down her face as she wondered what the hell she had done by allowing Bella to die bringing this baby into the world.

Rosalie now held the child that had killed her childhood friend. The child of the vampire and human that had ripped her brother's heart into pieces. The child that potentially could turn into a mass-murdering blood-sucking creature at any given moment.

Yet, she would never be able to hurt this child.

No matter how much her inner wolf's voice screamed at her to protect the tribe, to protect the pack, she couldn't bring herself to hurt the child her imprint was holding in her arms. It was like something was holding her back, something crying at the back of her mind that she couldn't touch the baby. She'd planned to let Jacob rip it apart as soon as it was out Bella's womb... but now that it was a she and she was Renesmee and she was in Rosalie's arms... everything had changed.

"I can't do it," Kiara whispered suddenly, her eyes meeting Rosalie's as the baby laughed, her tiny little fist moving to smack her aunt's nose.

"Can't do what?" Rosalie whispered back, not wanting loud noise to spook the baby.

"I can't kill her."

Rosalie looked up at Kiara, a fire in her eyes and a look of betrayal on her face as she heard Kiara say that. Kiara had been planning on killing the baby?

"You were going to kill Renesmee?" Rosalie demanded, her voice more venomous than Kiara had ever heard before.

"I was going to let Jacob kill her," Kiara expanded, softer this time, tears falling down her cheeks. "But she's not what I expected her to be. I thought she would be a monster... but I don't know why. I know that she's not, I don't know how I know, but I know that she's not. I see it in her eyes."

"That's because she isn't a monster," Rosalie replied defensively, her voice filled with venom. She was trying her best to spite Kiara, to make her feel guilty for even saying that. She couldn't believe that her imprint had been planning on killing the baby this entire time... even after promising Bella that she would be safe.

"I don't know that she's not," Kiara hiccupped, her tears stopping as she lifted her face to look at Rosalie. "But I can see Bella in her. I can see Edward. I can even kind of see you in her - that smile, like you have when you get upset. That's what you used to do, and how you get now."