Catherine (J. Black)

Chapter One

Readers - A lot of you have asked about this story, I didn't plan on it but I'm going to start bringing it over from AO3. It's already finished and written so no changes will be made to the plot, so...don't ask. 

Things had changed. Changed the moment that human walked into their lives. Catherine was happy, she thought her husband was too, Edward, his was the first face she'd seen when she'd woken, the first person to comfort her and to tell her everything was going to be alright, and they'd bonded, and she loved him....loves him.

"Kitty" Emmett, loveable, giant brother in law, the big brother she never wanted but always needed, squeezes her hand and kisses her head. "We're not going far" he motions to Rosalie who stands with her arms folded over her chest, she's mad, steaming, her little sister is hurting and over a freakin' human, a passing phase has destroyed her baby sister. Catherine nods and stares out the window, she's barely moved since the sun rose, watched Edward leave and then remained where she stood, like a statue. Rosalie sighs and moves to Catherine, kisses her head and pulls her closer.

"We love you," Rosalie tells her, whispers in her ear, to make sure she can hear them, to make sure it goes into that thick skull of hers. "We will always love you" Catherine looks to her, Rosalie nods and kisses her forehead as Emmett squeezes her head. "Do you want me to kill him?" Rosalie asks, Catherine shakes her head

"No" she whispers back, Rosalie leans closer.

"Do you want me to kill her?" Catherine shakes her head.

"No" she answers. Emmett looks to Rosalie.

"We'll get out of your way" he offers giving Rosalie a look. She nods and kisses Catherine's head once more before they leave, Catherine goes back to staring out the window.

........................

Catherine watches Edward's Volvo approaching the Cullen house, she has to do this, has to, for her own sanity, for his happiness, for him. She watches as he climbs out of his car, he pulls off his sunglasses and looks up at her.

[We need to talk] She thinks at him, he nods and disappears from outside, only to reappear at her side. "I can't do this anymore," she tells him, grateful she'd told the rest of their family what she planned on doing.

"Catherine" he whispers. "I don't know....I..." he turns and sits on the sofa. "Everything's changed" she nods.

"Yes, it has" she agrees. "This isn't going to work anymore" she turns to him. "What we have....had" he looks down and away from her. "I understand" she whispers looking away from him, Edward stands and moves to her, takes her hand, she pulls it away from him.

"Cat" he whispers brushing her hair over her shoulder. "I'm so sorry" she nods and looks to him.

"So am I" she steps away from him and towards the window, she touches the glass softly.

"I do love you, Cat," he tells her, she nods.

"Just not the same way, right?" she asks. "Not anymore" she adds. "If ever" he looks to her.

"It's different...." he admits. "I found companionship in you, a companionship I never thought I'd find..." she looks down and wraps an arm around her. "And I do love you" Catherine takes a deep breath as she turns her wedding ring around her finger, she bites her lips and pulls it off before walking to Edward, he shakes his head and she grabs his hand turning it over.

"It's going to be okay," she tells him pressing the ring into his palm. "I want you to be happy" she nods to herself and smiles. "And if I don't make you happy anymore" she looks down. "It's okay" she whispers, he raises her face and kisses her, she closes her eyes and reaches up for his wrists.

"Cat" he presses his forehead to hers, she pulls his hands away from her face and steps back from him. He looks to the ring and nods.

"Can you go?" she asks. "Just for a few hours..."

"Whatever you need, Cat," he tells her quietly. "I am sorry it came to this" she nods and looks away from him.

"So am I" he looks to her sadly and then leaves. Catherine watches him climb into his car and then drive away, waits till she can hear it turn onto the road before collapsing onto her knees.

...........................

Rosalie watches her little sister, kneeling on the floor, her head to the glass window, staring outside of the bedroom she shares.....Shared with her husband, as of the hour before it was no longer so, Catherine had given up, given up, and Rosalie can see it, in the way she leans, the way she's barely moved, everything had been perfect, until that human came along. Till that human girl ripped their marriage apart and broke her sister's heart. Destroyed her happiness like it was nothing.

"Cat" Rosalie whispers gaining her sister's attention, though the younger Hale girl knew Rosalie was there all along. Catherine turns to her and cocks her head.

"Rose"

"Why?" Rosalie asks, Catherine looks away again. "Why did you do that? Why did you tell him to......"

"Because..." She starts. "Because I love him" she answers. "And I want him to be happy"

"He was happy with you," Rosalie tells her, Catherine smiles sadly and shakes her head.

"No" She whispers. "No, he wasn't" Rosalie moves to sit at her side and takes her hand.

"Cat" she whispers pressing her head to her baby sisters.

"It's better this way," Catherine tells her. "Better" her voice breaks as she repeats the word and raises her hand to the necklace around her neck.

"How?" Rosalie asks, twirling a strand of Catherine's blonde hair around her finger.

"He would hate me if I made him choose me" Catherine answers. "I'm going to take a few days," Catherine tells her big sister. "Just to...I need to get out of town....be by myself" Catherine takes Rosalie's free hand and turns to her.

"We could come with you" Rosalie offers. "Me and Em..." Catherine shakes her head.

"No...I need to do this myself" Rosalie kisses her cheek and pulls her closer to hug her, Catherine hugs her back. "I'm sorry," Catherine tells Rosalie.

"Don't" Rosalie shakes her head. "It's not your fault" Rosalie strokes Catherine's cheek as she pulls back. Catherine stares up at Rosalie, eyes empty, she looks so lost and broken.

"It'll be okay, Rose," Catherine tells her softly.

"You shouldn't have to leave," Rosalie tells her softly. "You've done nothing wrong"

"I know that" Catherine whispers back. "I don't have to go.....but I need to" Catherine kisses Rosalie's cheek. "I love you," she tells her sister before walking away. Rosalie looks down and folds her arms around herself as she listens to her baby sister leave.