Author's note: This story is re-imagination on a Mexican telenovela I used to watch when I was younger called Rosa Salvaje.

STORY: Wild Rose.

Chapter One.

When Rose thought about it, she realized that her life was not that bad. One thing she could say was that; in spite of all her hardship she would never go hungry. Of course there was a difference between barely satisfied and stuffed but Rose decided that she was satisfied with being satisfied. She didn't expect much from life and when she got more than she expected she counted her blessings.

"You're almost there," she said to herself as she extended her right arm that was too skinny to grab the mango hanging temptingly off the branch.

She stretched but she decided that it was impossible. She was only so tall and no matter how much she wanted that fruit she would not magically sprout a couple more inches off the ground. She abandoned the mission and looked over the wall at the wall behind the ree. The mango three, (almost barren except for the unattainable fruit) served no other purpose than climbing. On days when she was bored, she would climb to the top of the tree and look over the high wall at the mansion beyond it. Rose never thought much about money but sometimes she wondered what it would be like not to worry.

She took off her almost worn down flip flops and climbed the tree, treating reach branch as a dubious ally that could snap under her at any moment. When she was high enough she looked out in front of her at the hughe house painted in bone white. She looked on, knowing that the occupants were as secure in their wealth as she was rooted in her poverty. Did she envy them? It was only moments when she felt her stomach rumble did she wish to be rich and at that moment she heard a noise travel from her stomach to her ear. She groaned, knowing that she would need to find something else to eat. However, ignoring her hunger she looked at the house and the grounds that surrounded it. The manicured lawns that stretched across the yard were only interrupted by strategically placed cabanas that were a short distance away from a kidney shaped pool.

Rose didn't care much for any of this. What she liked to look at the most were the roses planed close to wall to hide the unsightly slab of concrete. Maybe it was because of her name but Rose always loved the sight of roses… she had never been privileged enough to smell one, or even touch one, yet she was so close to an entire garden of the most beautiful roses you would ever see. In her mind it would be ideal if she got one as a gift but with so many things in her life, she couldn't wait around hoping somebody would give her a rose, she had to take it. She shimmied across the branch until her body was on the thinner end that hung over the Carpenter property. She knew if she could only bend a little she would be able to get her hands on one. Her fingers were so close to a pretty yellow one that was against the wall. She bent and then she heard a SNAPing sound under her and she knew she was finished. She felt her body falling to the ground and all her mind could think about was the pain that was sure to come.

-o-o

Inside the Carpenter house Richard Carpenter sat in a large leather arm chair, contemplating his next move. He always knew that he was his father's least favorite but he never imagined that he would put him in this position. He had heard of crazy plots like this in books and movies but he never thought that it could be real and that he would be living it out.

"Come on Richard, how hard can it be?"

His eyes darted to his older sister Darcy just in time to read the fiendish grin on her face. "Darcy you and I both know it's not going to happen." She sat in the chair opposite him, like she was a client and lit up a cigarette. "Please not in my office," he told her. She laughed it off and took the first drag. "It's simple Richard, there's fifty million left, I already got my share and Reagan doesn't seem to care about how much he gets so that means he's only getting five of it and so will you if you don't marry. What will happen to the rest… charity?" It was obvious that was the last thing she wanted. If you have a wife and child you get three million for the wife and three million for each child." she let out some smoke in his direction. "I like charity as much as the next girl but we both can agree that charity begins at home."

"So what am I going to do about that, the will clearly states that…."

"You are so naive Richard. The will has to be executed within two years… you have more than enough time."

"To find a woman, fall in love, marry her, have two kids…." He leaned back against his chair as if exhausted by the thought. "That's a lot to manage in two years, you know women these days, they want a career and …and… whatever the fuck else it is they want."

She raised her shoulder. "True," she conceded. "But who said you had to be in love with the woman. You're twenty nine, you had enough fun. Get married and have the kids and you get your hands on all the money you need then you can start your business. We both know it's a brilliant idea so it will be successful. After that you cut your losses and get a divorced."

"That's a horrible idea… I'll lose everything."

"Not if she cheats on you."

He looked at his sister's smile behind her steel grey eyes and he couldn't believe she could be so rootless. "What about Reagan, what if he beats me to it."

She laughed. "I'm half expecting Regan to come out the closet any day now, besides he doesn't care about the money and he doesn't seem to have much use for it. If it was up to him he would give all of it away."

Richard shrugged again. "Well he is running the charity; you know how much dad liked him."

"I know," she said like the notion still baffled her. "Don't worry about Reagan, he doesn't really care about any of this." She said finally.

Richard looked at his sister and thought about his plan in his head. It was so easy to go to bank and ask for a loan but he didn't want to do that. No matter how genius his plan was he couldn't deny that there was still a chance (no matter how small) that it just might fail. He was not willing to pay back 15 million dollars to a bank out of his own six-million-dollar pocket. It seemed only right that she should get the money. But his father was a strange man… and the lesson he always tried to teach him about responsibility never went away. He taught it even in his passing.

Richard decided that he didn't hate his father for it. His father was a very difficult man to hate but Richard knew he would have a hard time forgiving him for making his life a little more difficult than was necessary. "Where am I going to find a girl?" Richard asked, drifting out of his thoughts.

From the look on Darcy's face Richard could tell she had an array of suggestion but he never got hear it. There was an urgent knock on the office door that didn't wait for an answer. "Sir Sir Sir," Ravindra, the gardener came in the door yelling. Even from the distance Richard could spell the reek of stale rum on his clothes.

"What is it?" Richard asked from behind the chair.

"Heavens, don't you know how to knock?" Darcy asked screwing up her face.

He bowed at her in a pathetic fashion that was almost difficult to watch. "Sorry Miss but something happened downstairs."

"What?" Richard asked his patience and senses wearing thin.

"A lady fall out d tree."

"A lady fell out of a tree?" he asked to clarify.

He nodded. "She ain't wakin' at all boss."

Richard frowned and his eyebrows looked like they were about to meet. "On our property?"

He nodded again.

He let a heavy breath like this was the last thing he needed. "Take me to her."

-o-o-

Rose could hear voices but found it difficult to make out what they were saying. They seemed so far away. She strained her ears, trying to hear because she realized she couldn't see. Then it dawned on her that her eyes were closed. She opened them slowly; afraid of what she would see.

"She's coming around," she heard a voice that belonged to man say. By the time she opened her eyes she saw who the voice belonged to. She had seen him before but only at a distance. It was like he was a part of some unreachable world and looking at him Rosa knew why she always hid whenever he happened to look in her direction. The man, whose name she knew was Richard was beautiful… more beautiful that any other man she had seen up close. His eyes were warm and kind and their grey-blue color reminded her of the ocean on a rainy day. His lips that were a sort pink didn't disappear into his mouth like she what she observed in most white people she saw. His hair looked golden and sun kissed… and it was neatly arranged away from his face, falling neatly in place behind his ear.

He looked at her and laughed. "You gave us quite a scare there, little girl" he said. Maybe it was because she could see his face but now his voice sounded clear. His tone was warm and friendly but commanded respect at the same time.

"I'm not a little girl," she managed to say. He looked at her and smiled and his perfect white teeth showed for a moment. "I'm nineteen." She said matter-of-factly.

Richard turned back to his sister and the nervous gardener and laughed. "She's nineteen," he said mimicking her tone. Darcy clearly didn't find this amusing. Richard turned back to her. "Do you have a name?" he asked

She nodded.

"Do you mind sharing it with us?"

She shook her head slowly.

"Go ahead," Richard urged the small girl on his sofa who seemed as terrified as a gazelle that ran into a pride of lions.

"Rose," she replied nervously.

"That's a pretty name." He said. His eyes continued to look into hers. "Well Rose, do you mind telling us how you happened to fall over our wall."

Her eyes that were starring into his looked away for a moment. "Umm… I wasn't stealing or nothing but… I wanted a rose."

He laughed at the irony. "A rose for a Rose."

She managed to smile, sensing that Richard was not as scary as she imagined. She managed to talk. "I was trying to pick one but the branch I was on broke."

"I see," he said.

"Richard call the police," Darcy said impatiently.

He turned to his sister. "Hold your horses Darcy, she only wanted a rose."

She rolled her eyes at this. "Then before you know it every ragamuffin on the street would be coming here saying the only want this, or they only want that."

Rose sat up quickly to make and escape and Richard held her down. "Don't be in such a hurry Rose… she means no harm and I can promise you I will not call the police." He turned to the center piece on the living room table and pulled from the bouquet that was replaced every two days, a red rose that was blossoming and handed it out to Rose. She eyed it hesitantly. "Take it?" he instructed. Rose found his voice so commanding that she found it impossible to ignore him. She took the rose out of his hands slowly and looked down at it. "Let me go to the kitchen and get you some mineral water… Darcy join me."

Darcy looked at him in disbelieved but followed her brother to the kitchen anyway. "What are you thinking… get that semi-vagrant out of our father's house."

He smiled at her. "Watch it Darcy… that's my future wife you're talking about."

She looked puzzled then the realization came to her face and Richard enjoyed watching her work out how absolutely perfect she was for his plan.

A/n: So I started this new story. It's not really written in my usual style.. it's not first person for one and the plot is not simple but I still think it's good.

I hope you guys like it.