Cursed With Beauty

X12

After watching Bella drive away,  Annalise turns around and focuses all of her attention on Rosalie. She was a bit annoyed with her. Not because of what happened between her and Bella but because she used her to try and hurt her.

She didn't like that at all.

"Look, I know she's your friend but she doesn't belong here," Rosalie says.

"Why is that, Rosalie? Do you have a personal bone to pick with Isabella for her morality, or is it something beyond that?"

Her tone of voice isn't abrasive or passive but she was genuinely curious as to the real reason why she despised Isabella so much.

"She has done nothing to offend you in any way and yet you treat her as if she's insulted you or your family," Annalise says calmly. "...and if she doesn't belong here, based on the simplicity that she's not a vampire, then I believe I do not belong here myself. Does that mean I should turn around and leave?"

"No! You can't leave," Alice lurches forward, latching onto her arm. "You belong here with us."

Annalise stares down at the beautiful vampire and offers a small smile. Every time she looked at her she is reminded of the human woman she used to be.  She is also reminded of the girl she failed to keep out of harm's way.

"Alice is right, Annalise," Carlisle's' voice sounded in the room. "If you belong anywhere, it's here."

Annalise looks away from Alice and looks at Carlisle. "How can you be so sure?"

"Edward has found his mate in you. All I want is for my son to be happy,  he deserves to be happy," he states softly. "...and because you're a part of this family."

"And you think I can make him happy? Carlisle, I'm not good for him.  I'm not good for any of you."

"Shouldn't that be up to me to decided what's good for me and what's not good for me?"

Annalise turns around and sees Edward standing beside Emmett and Claire by the front door.  His eyes were back to normal and he looked...better?

"Is that even possible? "

Annalise shakes her head. "Not when you're making the wrong choice," she says while holding his gaze.

"You think wanting you in my life,  falling in love with you, will be the wrong choice?" he questions.

"I'm not good for you, Edward, none of you. I will only bring you pain and heartache," she says. "It will be easier if I just left."

"What if I don't want easy?" he is suddenly standing directly in front of her. "What if I don't want you to go. Will you stay?"

Annalise shakes her head and takes a step back. "I can't, Edward. I won't bring disorder into your family."

"Annalise, you are family," Carlisle says.

"Family isn't always biological,  Carlisle," she says softly with a sad smile. "You of all people know that."

"So, you won't stay?" Alice questions her with a frown.

"I can't but it's not like I'll be far," she turns her gaze onto Edward. "I don't think it would be a good idea for us to be living in the same house."

"You wouldn't be," Emmett says. "Edward here is dead.  So the only one that will be "living" in this house would be you,  technically," he says with a grin.

She bursts into laughter before she is able to conceal it. She hadn't meant to laugh out loud but Emmett had caught her off guard with his response.

"I'm sorry,  I shouldn't have - I shouldn't have laughed," Annalise says after calming herself down.

"I'm a funny man, Annalise Cullen. I'd be offended if you didn't laugh," Emmett says. 

"Aunt Annalise," Carlisle says before a smile stretched across his lips.

"You're loving that already,  aren't you, Carlisle?" Emmett questions.

Carlisle nods. "I haven't called anyone aunt in over three hundred years," he says softly,  turning his attention onto Annalise.

"Feels weird,  doesn't it?" she questions.

"Yes,  but it's nothing I won't enjoy getting used to."

Annalise nods. "I um, I should get going, I need to get home."

Edwards' face fell. He didn't want her to leave, to go back to that house alone, but to stay with him. He wishes she'd stay but he knew there was no changing her mind.

"May I take you home?" he says stepping forward.

"Do you think that's a good idea? I don't want to make this any more difficult for you than it already is," Annalise says.

Edward crosses the room and stops in front of her. "I want to, please."

Annalise stares into his eyes for a moment, then nods. "Alright, Edward.  Let's get going shall we?"

"Alise, wait!" Rosalie was standing in front of her before she could even turn to walk away. "I'm sorry, about before, I shouldn't have put you in the middle."

Annalise reaches down, takes her hand and lifts it to her lips, kissing the back of her hand before reaching out and cupping her cheek. "I can't even begin to understand what you're going through being a vampire but," she steps closer to her. "...you shouldn't take your frustrations out on Isabella or any other innocent man or woman. They don't deserve your distaste."

Rosalie nods. "I know and I'll try not to do that...too often," she says with a small smile.

Annalise shakes her head before pulling her into an embrace. "That's better than nothing," she says before pulling away. "Be good."

"I'll try," Rosalie says.

With a short nod, Annalise turns to look at Edward. "Ready?"

"Ready," he says.

"Alright," she turns around to look at Carlisle and the rest of his family. "Thank you, all of you, for caring for me when I couldn't. And thank you for trusting me with your secret. I promise to never speak a word of it to anyone for as long as I live."

"You're welcome," Emmett says.

"Will we be seeing you again?" Alice questions.

Annalise smiles at her. "Of course. Carlisle isn't going to a let me go anywhere without a fight," she says.

"Neither will Edward," Jasper says.

"Yeah, and neither will Edward," she says softly. "I'm going to go now, but I promise to try and visit again,"

"Although I don't know very much about you, Annalise, I love you," Carlisle says suddenly.

The corners of her lips tilt up into a smile as she meets his gaze. "I love you, too, Carlie."