A/N: I can't believe this story has just crossed 200k, and it's a Rosalie chapter like the one for the 100k milestone. Lots of setup in this chapter.

amymorgan worked her beta magic on this chapter.

Update: I decided to post a companion piece that will summarize the story so far, to be updated as new chapters are posted. I know my plot can get a bit convoluted and I don't update as often as I like, so hopefully this will help readers keep track of the major developments each chapter builds on.

Chapter 43 - Cursed Gift

I hated hospitals.

I hated how they smelled. The harsh scent of disinfectant barely covering the stench of sickness and death.

I hated the overly bright corridors of white and sickly green. Sterile and cold.

I hated the incessant beeping and humming of the machinery as they monitored the frailty of the patients.

I hated hearing the weeping and wailing behind closed doors when people discovered all hope was lost.

It made me feel helpless. And I hated feeling helpless.

This was not supposed to be my world anymore. This world of weakness and disease and death. And I hated that I could still suffer the dread and heartache in a place like this.

Yet, I could not bring myself to leave. Not while Eleanor was lying in bed a few feet from where I sat, fighting for her life.

It was a minor miracle that I found Eleanor as quickly as I did the night of the attack. With so much freshly spilt blood flowing freely around me, my senses were thrown into complete frenzy. My desire to save Ellie warred with my rising bloodlust to feed. If it had taken any longer, I would have posed a greater danger to her than her injuries.

I had just about given up when I heard Riley King's voice, calling for help. I followed it to the source and found him cradling an unconscious, bloodied Eleanor in his arms. When I crouched down to examine her more closely, I noticed he had also been shot in the shoulder and arm. He was reluctant to release his hold on Ellie when I first tried to take her from him, and I was surprised he still had the strength to resist with his injuries.

I could have forcibly pried her from his grasp, but I didn't want to risk injuring her further. It dawned on me how this must have looked to him; a vampire amidst so much carnage. Somehow, I was able to convince him that I meant no harm to Eleanor. He must have recognized me as her friend and allowed me to take her then, and I sped to Carlisle with her limp form in my arms.

Carlisle was able to keep her stable enough to survive the medevac to the hospital and two surgical operations. But since then her condition has gotten progressively worse. She lapsed into a coma and had not shown any signs of improvement in two days.

I've kept vigil by her bedside the entire time. I must have looked like a crazy person, still wearing my evening wear from that night, stained with Ellie's blood from carrying her. The dull ache in my throat was growing into a painful simmer. But I couldn't leave. I was the one who brought Ellie to the party. I was responsible. I was determined to sit here until she woke up.

Carlisle stood at the open doorway and knocked unnecessarily to announce his presence.

"You don't need to knock, Carlisle, I heard you coming down the hallway." I gave him what I hoped was a welcoming smile. He has worked nonstop since the night of the attack, saving those he could. But he was only one man, and there were so many gravely injured. I could see the weariness on his face, and it had nothing to do with physical exhaustion.

"Sorry, force of habit," he smiled back. He stood at the foot of Ellie's bed and read her updated charts. His back was to me, so I could not see his expression.

"Any change?" I asked hopefully. He turned slowly, and by the look on his face, I knew I would not like the answer.

"Have you been able to reach her parents?" He said instead of answering my question.

"Um...yeah," I replied. "I got their number off her mobile phone. Her father should be flying here as we speak."

"That's good," Carlisle said quietly. He looked back toward Ellie's sleeping form.

"Carlisle, you didn't answer my question." I stood and walked up to him, trying to catch his eye.

"I wish...I had good news, Rosalie," he sighed. He looked at me then, and the sadness in his eyes said it all.

"No..." I trailed off in disbelief. Not her. Not Eleanor.

"Her injuries were simply too extensive." Carlisle placed a comforting hand on my upper arm. "We did everything we could."

"It's all my fault!" I blurted out, surprising even myself with my sudden confession. But once I said it, I found I couldn't stop. "I should've never taken Ellie to the party. I was selfish and didn't want to go alone, and I made her come with me. I shouldn't have introduced her to the Kings. She wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me."

"Hey," Carlisle said softly. He pulled me into a gentle hug. "She wouldn't be alive now if it wasn't for you. You've given her a fighting chance. You are not responsible for what happened, okay?"

I pulled back and kept my eyes downcast. I knew Carlisle was trying to comfort me, but I didn't deserve to be comforted. He placed a finger under my chin and lifted until our eyes met again.

"Rose, you need to feed."

"I'm fine," I lied. While physically I could last without feeding for quite some time, the vast amount of blood shed the other night had woken a deep yearning which did not fade with time. Esme was even more affected than I was, which was why she had to leave to go hunting, even though she desperately wanted to stay by Carlisle's side while he handled this crisis.

"Rose, I know how difficult it is. Especially in this place," Carlisle gestured at the walls surrounding us. "There's no need to suffer unnecessarily."

"I want to stay," I said weakly, even as my throat constricted from thirst.

"You can come back as soon as you've fed and had a fresh change of clothes. You've been scaring the nurses away," he teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't look that bad, do I?" I offered a playful pout, reciprocating his attempt at humor. He needed a moment of levity as badly as I did.

"No, you look beautiful as always," he said earnestly, giving me a small paternal kiss on my forehead.

"I guess I could use some fresh air." I relented, seeing the wisdom in Carlisle's words. "But call me if there's any change."

"I promise."

I walked to stand by Ellie's bedside and leaned down to squeeze her hand. Her hand felt clammy and cold. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Ellie."

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It took me a while to track down suitable prey to quench my thirst. Chicago was too cut off from national preserves. I decided to hunt in my dress, since it was already ruined and I didn't want to waste any time changing. So it took me nearly the entire day to get back to the apartment I kept in the city, looking even more worse for wear than I did at the hospital. A hot shower and change of clothes later, I was feeling more grounded again. The burn was gone, and my mind was no longer muddled by red tinged, copper scented thoughts.

Unfortunately, sating my thirst only made my despair over Ellie's situation more pronounced. One thought kept resurfacing as I hunted, no matter how hard I tried to bury the idea.

I knew a way to save Ellie. The power to save her life flowed through my body just as steadily as the borrowed blood that ran through my veins.

I could change her.

But was it truly salvation I offered? Ellie had often spoke of her plans for the future, or rather the uncertainty of it. But she never spoke of the possibility of a future as one of us. If anything, the idea of growing older appealed to her. Finding love. Someday starting a family. Could I make this choice for her, not knowing if this was something she would've chosen herself?

There was a time when I resented Tanya for changing me. And if I was honest, I still have not completely made peace with it. Would Ellie be the same if I were to do this to her? Would she resent me for all of eternity?

But she was so young. Her life had barely started. Could I simply stand by and watch her die knowing I could save her?

A musical ring tone snapped me out of my troubling thoughts. I went to my counter and saw that it was not my phone, but rather Ellie's. I had taken it with me in case someone tried to reach her. I glanced at the caller ID.

Christopher Falcon

I quickly pressed the answer key.

"This is Eleanor's phone."

"Who is this?" Her father's voice sounded tinny due to the poor reception. I recognized it from talking to him earlier. I had called her family in Volterra as soon as Eleanor was brought to the hospital. Christopher was the one who answered.

"This is Rosalie Hale. I was the one who called you about Ellie?" I reminded him.

"Oh, yes...I'm sorry. I had forgotten to take down your number, so I tried my luck with Eleanor's phone. I just got off the flight and I realized I never asked you which hospital she was taken to or where she was staying and if I should've brought anything," he rambled, sounding flustered. I could hear him pause to take in a deep breath.

"That's okay. You know what? Why don't I pick you up? There's heightened security around the city right now, so it might be faster than if you took a cab."

"That's...very nice of you. I don't want to impose," he hedged.

"Don't worry, I was going to the hospital myself. It's on the way," I said. The airport wasn't on the way, but I felt I had a duty to take him. And with the new security checkpoints after the attack, my credentials would get him to Eleanor much faster. It was the least I could do.

"Er...if you're sure," Christopher said.

"Absolutely sure. I'll see you in a bit." I ended the call, grabbed my things, and headed out the door.

####################

I pulled my red BMW into a parking lot and walked into the terminal on foot. The attack had the entire city on edge, and the airport was locked down tight. Even with my clearance I wasn't allowed to drive my car directly up to the curb. I used a small amount of glamour to disguise my eyes as a dark red, so I did not raise any alarms with some of the Volturi Guards wondering the area.

I pulled out Ellie's phone and redialed the Christopher's number from the call history menu. The phone rang twice before connecting.

"Hello?"

"Hi Christopher, this is Rosalie. I'm at the terminal."

"Okay, I'm here too. How should I find you?"

"I'm by exit gate six near the baggage claim. Look for a blond woman wearing a blue blouse."

"Okay, be there in a minute." I heard the sound of rustling luggage before the call ended.

Scanning the crowd, I spotted a man walking toward my general direction, pulling a suitcase behind him. He was well dressed with a head full of silver white hair and a well trimmed goatee. I waved, catching his attention. He walked more briskly to close the distance between us.

Up close, I noticed the slight puffiness and dark circles around his eyes, likely from lack of sleep. His irises were the same brilliant hazel as Ellie's. It's easy to see the family resemblance. I offered my hand and flashed an easy smile. "Good to finally meet you, Christopher."

"Yes, it's good to meet-" he faltered when his hand connected with mine. He quickly snatched it back and took a step back. I registered the surprise in his eyes.

"Christopher, are you alright?"

"What? Oh yes, I'm fine," he said quickly, offering a tight smile which never quite reached his eyes. I was used to people being distracted by my appearance, but usually they just stared a little too long in appreciation of my looks. Christopher seemed almost...evasive, trying to look everywhere except at me. I was confused by his odd behavior, but decided not to address it. The poor man was probably suffering from the stress of the last few days.

"Should we go? My car is right outside."

"Of course. Lead the way." I realized he was waiting for me to make the first move, so I turned and walked out. He followed behind, giving me a wide berth. The man was clearly uncomfortable around me, but I did not know why.

The awkwardness was magnified once we were on the road. Christopher sat stiffly in my car, leaning as far he could to the right without falling out of the car. He deliberately kept his eyes on the road, but gave quick, furtive looks in my direction when he thought I wasn't paying attention.

Having never met the man before now, I realized I knew very little about him. Everything I knew came from Ellie, and she never really liked to talk about him. I gathered they did not have the closest of father-daughter relationships. I knew his first wife, Ellie's mother, had died suddenly from a rare disease. He later remarried and had two kids with his current wife. I did not think that his new family was the source of Ellie's estrangement, as she loved to talk about her siblings.

"How far away are we from the hospital?" It was the first thing he's said since the airport.

"Not far now, another couple of miles," I answered. I decided to try to break the ice. "So um...I guess Ellie's never mentioned me?" I figured his clear discomfort might ease up a little if I wasn't so much of a stranger to him.

"My daughter and I...we don't talk as much as I like," he stated by way of answering.

"Well, I met Eleanor through the Volterra Academy. From what I hear she's quite popular with her teachers. You must be really proud."

"Yes, proud." The disdain in his voice conveyed anything except pride. Again I was struck by this strange tension from him, and I still had no idea what was triggering it. I couldn't imagine it being anything I said or did. I tried again.

"So Ellie mentioned you took the family to Cyprus, how was that?"

"Look, Rosalie. I don't mean to be rude. I'm very tired from my flight and I just want to see my daughter. If you don't mind..." Christopher said with an edge in his voice.

"Oh, sure, of course," I replied, cooling considerably in my tone. My confusion at his standoffish demeanor was now growing into irritation. My guilt over Eleanor meant I was willing to cut him some slack, but only so much.

We spent the rest of ride in silence. I pulled into the underground garage and smoothly turned into an open parking space. Christopher was out of car before I even turned off the engine.

"You're welcome," I muttered to myself. I was starting to understand why Ellie didn't get along with her dad. I've spent less than an hour with him and I already didn't like him.

He waited by his side of the car while I got out. Like before, he seemed to be waiting for me to walk ahead of him. I rolled my eyes and headed into the hospital, not bothering to see if he kept up with my pace.

I was the first one through the door to Ellie's room, and the first to be shocked by the sight of Riley King, looking forlorn as he stared at Ellie from the side of her bed.

Feeling irrationally protective, I walked right up to him. He instinctively took a step back.

"What are you doing here?" I said more harshly than I intended. He jumped a little from my tone. Instantly I felt bad. Riley King was not his brother. I would not have gotten to Ellie as quickly as I did if it wasn't for him. And the man just lost his parents. I took a deep breath and started over.

"Sorry, just a little on edge," I apologized somewhat reluctantly. "What I meant was, I thought you were taken to a private facility? Shouldn't you be resting or something?" I took in his haggard appearance. Gone was the boy with the roguish smile from the other night. With the unshaven scruff on his face and weariness in his eyes, he had the look of a man much older. His arm was in a hard cast and held firm against his body in a sling.

"Yeah, I was," he said sheepishly. "I just wanted to come by and check on Ellie."

I was puzzled by his answer. The man barely survived an attempt on his life. Why would he risk being out in public for a woman he barely knew.

Christopher cleared his throat deliberately, drawing our attention. "I'm sorry, who are you, again?" He questioned.

Riley straightened and brushed past me to stand before Christopher. He extended a hand. "I'm Riley King. You are?"

Christopher shook his hand. "I'm Christopher Falcon, Ellie's father. May I ask why you are in my daughter's room?"

"Well, sir, your daughter saved my life," Riley stated simply. Christopher's silver brows arched up in surprise, an expression which I was sure mirrored my own.

"I don't know how much you know about what happened?" he prompted.

"Not much I'm afraid," Ellie's father grimaced.

"When the shooting started, Ellie reacted faster than I did. Before I knew what was going on, she knocked me down and covered me with her body. If it wasn't for her, I'd be dead right now."

Riley glanced back at Ellie, there was a look of reverence on his face. "I don't know why she did what she did. We barely know each other," he said, echoing my thoughts just moments before. "But I do know I owe my life to her."

"That's my Ellie, always thinking about others first," Christopher said, a sad smile on his face. "Thank you for telling me."

"Of course, sir. And if there's anything I can do to help, anything, please just let me know," Riley said sincerely. The whole exchange really casted him in a new light in my eyes. Maybe he wasn't a scumbag like his brother.

"Thank you for the offer. For now, if you don't mind, I just like a few minutes alone with my daughter." The way Christopher's eyes took in both of us, I knew he wasn't just asking Riley.

I took a moment to let Ellie I was here, then walked outside the room with Riley. As much as I might start to dislike Christopher, he was Ellie's family and deserved some privacy.

We stood in the corridor in awkward silence, not really looking at each other. My mind struggled with something to say. Finally, he broke the silence first.

"Um...I'm going to get some coffee. Do you want some?"

It was a rather absurd question, asking a vampire if she wanted anything other than blood. I could see he realized it as soon as he said it. We stared at each other for a beat, then broke out in light laughter.

"Sorry, stupid question," he grinned. I could see some of the mischievous boy from the other night in his features again.

"Yes, yes it was," I deadpanned, and we shared another chuckle. It wasn't that funny, but it was what we needed to break the tension.

"Okay...so...I'll be right back," he said unnecessarily, then started walking down the hall in search of a pantry or vending machine.

I watched him go, vowing I would try to behave better around him. The man was no doubt hurting, both physically and emotionally. He's done nothing wrong and seemed to genuinely care about Ellie.

I heard Carlisle's familiar steps behind me and turned to greet him.

"Hi Rosalie, you are looking much better," he said with approval after giving me a quick hug.

"I thought you said I looked fine before," I teased.

"I lied," he teased back. "Is that Ellie's family in the room?" He asked. His smile fell away and he was all business again.

"Yes, her father."

"Good, that's good," he said absently, looking at the closed door. I could practically see the wheels turning in his head.

"Carlisle, what is it?" I pried.

"It's just that, with family here, we can discuss...options," he said vaguely. I caught on to what was unsaid. After all, it was the same thought that was plaguing me for the last several hours.

"Are you going to ask for permission to turn her?" I asked, direct and to the point. It was cowardly, but a part of me felt relief that Carlisle was handling it. After all, he had the most experience with this.

"Well, I suppose that is one of the options, but there might be another solution," Carlisle offered quietly.

"There is?" My eyes widened. "I thought you said she was beyond conventional medicine," I said accusingly. Was all my anguish unfounded?

"She is," Carlisle said. I could tell he wanted to say something else, but he hesitated and glanced at the door. "I should really discuss this with her father first."

I gripped Carlisle by his biceps, keeping his focus on me. "Please, Carlisle. I just need to know, can she be saved or not?" I pleaded.

Carlisle stared into my eyes and seemed to reach a decision. "Do you remember...the visit with Tanya?" he asked.

"Of course, I do," I said tightly, releasing him. How could I forget? The memory of her body, floating in the solution Carlisle had created to be a blood substitute, never failed to enrage me. Why would he bring up those horrible memories now?

"Do you remember what I said about the experimental treatment?" He prompted patiently.

"That it was healing..." I trailed off when realization dawned on me. "Carlisle, are you saying it can do the same for Ellie?" I asked, unable to keep the hope out of my voice.

"No," he said, but quickly continued when my face fell. "At least, not in the way it works with Tanya." That just made me more confused than ever.

"When I agreed to lead the research project on the synthetic blood, it was my hope that the results of my research would also benefit humans, not just vampires. A blood substitute would eliminate risk in transfusions and open new treatment for a number of blood related diseases."

"Carlisle, I don't understand," I interrupted impatiently, "You said it wouldn't work like it did for Tanya. So why bring it up?"

"On it's own, it wouldn't," Carlisle said. "But when combined with venom..."

"How is that different from turning her?" I was still confused.

"Because venom does not bond with the synthetic blood the same way it does with normal human blood cells. During my experiments with human cell cultures, I noticed the synthetic and venom yielded a much different reaction than venom and blood."

"So, you think if we gave her the synthetic with the venom, it will heal her without turning her into a vampire?" I followed his logic.

"That's my theory, yes," Carlisle confirmed. "But to give this the best chance, I want to completely substitute her blood with the synthetic before introducing venom into her system. That presents certain risks. And I cannot guarantee all effects of the transformation process will be eliminated or even suppressed," he glanced at me meaningfully.

I was only puzzled for a second before I read between the lines...the treatment might keep Ellie from turning into a vampire, but it was not going to stop the pain she'll be in once the venom hits. To save her life, we were still going to cause her more pain than I would wish on the worst of my enemies.

"Is there anything you could give her? To help with the worse of the pain?" I asked.

"There's been studies done, but none with any conclusive recommendations," Carlisle said.

Studies. Carlisle's comment made me think of something Royce King once said. Esme had tried to dissuade Royce from his decision to change into a vampire by mentioning the pain involved. He seemed confident that he has found a way around that based on the research he had funded to study the transformation process. Royce might be an arrogant prick, but he wasn't stupid. If he was that convinced by the research, there must be something to it. I wondered if any of that data might assist with Ellie's situation.

I loathed to speak to Royce again after his blackmail. But I owed it to Ellie to give her the best chance possible. I resolved to go see Royce about handing over his research to Carlisle, but kept quiet on my plans. I didn't want Carlisle to wait to talk to Christopher, and this might not even pan out to be anything useful.

"Um...I'll give you some privacy to talk to her dad. I've got some...errands," I said lamely. I walked away before Carlisle could say anything else, set on my plan. I intercepted Riley on his way back, a cup of steaming coffee in his hand.

"You said if there's anything you can do to help?" I reminded him without preamble. He looked baffled, but nodded.

"Then get me inside King's Tower. I need to speak with your brother."

I quickly explained the situation, and Riley agreed to help me without asking too many questions. When we emerged through the exit together, several men in black suits converged on us. Riley's bodyguards. Riley vouched for me and they backed off a little, forming a protective circle around us. As we walked toward his convoy of cars, I noticed a lone figure in a crimson Inquisitor's cloak across the street. Her hood was down, exposing her fair features and bright red hair. I recognized her as the Inquisitor who came to ask me about Jasper.

Inquisitor Maggie.

She approached our group, and I could feel the bodyguards tense up. Some of them even reached into their suits to grip their weapons. It was a stupid move, as I doubt anything they had could've hurt her.

"Riley, tell your men to stand down, I know her," I said urgently, not for her sake, but for theirs. Pulling a weapon on a Volturi Guard, even a useless weapon, carried heavy consequences. He passed the instruction and the men relaxed a little. I walked out of the protective circle and greeted Maggie before she got too close, figuring it would help ease tensions further. I gave her a small bow, partially to make up for my somewhat rude behavior the last time we met. She returned it in kind.

"Inquisitor Maggie, this is a surprise. Are you here on official business?" I asked neutrally.

"I am, Siren Rosalie. Actually, I was waiting for you, again," she said, giving me a sardonic grin.

"Um...if this is about Jasper, I don't have any new information about him," I volunteered, hoping to end this quickly so I can get on with my task.

"No, this is about another matter." She eyed Riley and his guards. "If we could speak more privately?" It wasn't a request.

"Sure..." What else could I say? I turned to Riley. "Can you wait here for a bit?"

"I've got time. I'll just finish my coffee," he raised his paper cup for emphasis. I was liking him more and more. Was he really related to Royce King? Maybe he was secretly adopted.

I thanked him and gestured for Maggie to lead the way. We walked across the street to a massive black SUV with dark tinted windows. To my surprise, she opened the door and motioned for me to get inside.

Feeling anxious all of a sudden, I cautiously peered within the opening. The light from the street illuminated the dark interior and gave form to the passengers.

Three women.

Three identical women.

Three identical women wearing forest green cloaks.

Even though I have never met them, in that moment I knew exactly who they were.

The Furies have arrived.