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The Newborn
By : belladonnacullen
Category: Twilight Series > Het
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Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or make any money from this story.
Chapter List
- 18
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The three vampires sat by the blazing fire, allowing their clothing to dry. Carlisle and Esme held hands, and the firelight played tricks with their eyes, changing them from gold to amber in the flickering glow. They were both beaming like I hadn’t seen in many years, and I was relieved to know all was well between them. Edward sat apart, eyeing the ground nervously, unwilling to meet my eyes. It was just as well. I had enough on my hands with Carlisle. As pleased as I was that he and Esme seemed happy, I was exasperated with his behavior. One as old as he was should have known better.

“So, you’re telling me that you have an uncontrollable newling, who is currently unguarded at home, sleeping with your daughter?”

“Tanya!” Esme gasped.

“There’s no cause to beat around the bush, Esme. It’s best to lay all the cards out on the table.”

“But, they’re mated,” Esme argued.

I felt my body go still with surprise. Surely, that would be impossible with one so new. “How old did you say the male was?”

“He was changed two weeks ago.”

“Then, no, Esme, he is not mated. Surely you must know that.”

“I would say it was impossible too,” Carlisle offered. “But there were extenuating circumstances. There was an avalanche…”

“Excuse me?” I interrupted. Carlisle was clearly straying from the point I was trying to make, and I felt myself growing impatient.

“Emmett was caught in it with Rosalie and he had nothing to distract his attention, but snow. It appears he has no interest in snow,” Carlisle grinned, sneaking a glimpse at Esme, who smiled back at him.

I cleared my throat and Carlisle looked at me somewhat sheepishly. I counted it as the first time the man was ever abashed in my presence, and it was well he looked at me like that. What was he thinking? This was no joke.

“You have quite a situation on your hands, don’t you Carlisle? And why exactly can’t you control this male?”

“Emmett’s quite large,” he explained.

“And strong,” Esme added with a shy smile.

“And exuberant,” Carlisle concluded, nearly laughing. My frustration was mounting.

“And bare,” Edward added, with a small smirk on his lips. I jumped a bit at the sound of Edward’s voice, low and musical even though he’d only uttered two syllables. Somehow, the humor he found in their predicament made the entire situation more tolerable, and not as dire. I smiled at Edward in acknowledgment, and his eyes glimmered, before he looked away. I lost my train of thought entirely, and followed his gaze, wondering what he saw out the window.

“Yes, aside from your assistance in looking after Emmett, we also are in need of some clothing,” Carlisle took advantage of the silence to bring us back on topic. Of course, they were here for a reason. A reckless, foolish, reason. “Emmett… plays rough. The garments he had were torn to begin with, and they didn’t last long.”

“He needs clothing,” Esme emphasized.
*****

EPOV

“Goodness! A naked newborn is back at the house with your daughter. This story gets better by the moment. Carlisle, how could you have allowed this?”

“Excuse me?” Carlisle didn’t hide his mounting indignation. He uncharacteristically held back his thoughts from those around him. “This is my family, and I will run it how I see fit.”

“You’ve gone from being a solitary vampire to the head of a large clan, all within less than twenty years. You now have five vampires under your direction. You would be hard pressed to go unnoticed by the Volturi, especially given your diet, and Edward’s talents. You made the decision to take this male into your fold. He is your responsibility. If he does anything foolish, the blame will lie not only with this newling, Emmett, but also with you. I don’t imagine you want to leave your charges alone in the world?”

“Certainly you’re overacting, Tanya. When you meet the boy, you’ll see that he’s quite kind and amusing,” Carlisle explained with a hard edge to his voice.

“This is not amusing, Carlisle. It’s irresponsible.”

Carlisle’s eyes glowed, but he held his tongue. His mind, however, wasn’t silent.

Irresponsible? This coming from the woman that left her clan to their own devices for years. All because she wanted to bed my son.

My eyes went wide with shock. Carlisle had never thought something so explicit in all the time I’d been with him. It must have been his anger at Tanya’s accusations. Of course, Carlisle’s outburst existed only for himself and I, so I struggled to appear impassive. Carlisle’s eyes flickered in my direction and I understood it as an apology. Suddenly, I wished I were anywhere in the world but here.

“Tanya, we made the decision to change Emmett as a family. Don’t hold this against Carlisle,” Esme argued. Carlisle clutched Esme’s hand, and his mind quickly changed course.

“No, it’s not right to let my family take the blame. This was my decision as the head of this family. Perhaps Tanya’s right. I let myself be swayed by Rosalie, by my desire for her happiness. I wasn’t careful enough.”

“And who was this vampire’s creator?” Tanya asked.

“I was. She’s right, Esme. Emmett is my responsibility. I was too lenient,” Carlisle allowed, suddenly looking more nervous and cowed than I’d seen in many years.

No, Tanya was wrong. Somehow, I couldn’t believe Emmett was a mistake. And I certainly couldn’t fault Carlisle. He’d denied Rosalie; it was Esme and I that convinced him in the end.

“Tanya?” I surprised myself by speaking. Tanya appeared shocked as well.

“Don’t judge Carlisle too harshly. This newborn is quite a bit of trouble. Truth be told, he’s like an uncontainable force of nature. But he’s something altogether new for us. We wouldn’t have chosen him. And that’s a good thing. We haven’t been the happiest brood. And, frankly, it’s a relief he’s mated to Rosalie, otherwise I don’t know if he would have stuck around.”

“And you’d like him to stick around?” Tanya asked suddenly more interested than angry.

“Perhaps,” I allowed. “There’s no telling what trouble he’d get himself into if he ran off.”

“You’re smiling, Edward.” “It’s good to see the boy finally smile.”

“Am I?” I hadn’t realized that I was.

“Undoubtedly,” Tanya smiled back, her eyes suddenly soft, her mind…

I gritted my teeth and looked Tanya in the eye. “We need to talk,” I almost growled.

Tanya’s eyes were suddenly lit like torches in the night. She stood to her feet, almost tripping over her chair in the process. “Certainly, Edward. It appears there is some sewing that needs to be done. You could assist me with the man’s measurements. We could talk, if you wish.”

“Fine,” I agreed, standing to my feet. I noticed my clothing was finally dry, and I smoothed out the fabric and stretched my limbs. Tanya turned rather abruptly toward Esme and Carlisle.

Carlisle raised his eyebrows in question. “Edward?”

But I looked away from my father. I was an adult, and this wasn’t his business. There were things that needed to be spoken between Tanya and I, alone.

“You are both welcome to stay, but perhaps it would be best of you returned to guard your newborn as best you can. Our families exist in part because we support one another. You can rest assured that we will help with your newborn, no matter how reckless your decision was. I’ll send you reinforcements when they’ve returned from the hunt. Edward and I will see you when I’m through with the clothing.”

*****

TPOV

Even after one thousand years on this planet, I find that it is sometimes strange the way the world works. An hour ago I was biding my time with Edward’s memory, and now I was leading him up the stairs to the sewing room. And that was as far as I would let my mind go on that topic.

I pulled out bolts of flannel and wool, found some scattered masculine-looking buttons, and began matching thread, all to busy my hands and keep my mind somewhat occupied. Of course, as a vampire, Edward had perfect recall as far as the man’s measurements. He wordlessly assisted me and I made quick work of tracing and cutting a pattern for shirts and trousers. Judging from my conversation with Carlisle and Esme, he would need quite a few things. We could start with five shirts and five pair of pants. We might be sewing all night.

“Perhaps we should just begin with one of each. We could easily go in to Anchorage for the rest.” I jumped at the sound of Edward’s voice. It was the first thing he’d said since he suggested staying behind to help with the clothing.

“It’s because I’m nervous,” he replied to my thoughts.

I smiled a bit, unused to the way the man could answer my unspoken thoughts, all over again. I remembered how it had become so fluid in New York. We’d developed an easy give and take, unspoken on my part.

“I treasure those times we spent together.”

“As do I,” I answered out loud, my voice coming out uneven, halting and hitching in my throat. I glanced up from sewing to look Edward in the eye, careful to keep close tabs on my thoughts. But I knew that my face would betray me, to a point. I was willing to let that much go. Edward quickly looked away.

“I’m sorry,” he said, under his breath.

Those two words caressed me like a balm, and I worked to keep from going limp in the chair where I was sitting, tracing patterns on flannel.

“And I know those words aren’t enough. You deserve more. But it was easier for me not to contact you, it was too confusing.”

“Confusing?”

“It was easier to focus on the mess I’d made at home. I didn’t like to think I’d disturbed your lives in Denali.”

“Disturbed them?” Is that what he tactfully thought he’d done? “Disturbed our lives?” I felt anger mounting, and worked so as not to demolish the scissors in my hand as I cut through the rough fabric.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated.

“I sent Eleazar and Carmen to find you. They were gone for over a year.”

Edward sighed and looked out the window. I couldn’t keep my mind from memories of my room, from my bed, where I lay motionless for weeks at a time.

“I’m sorry,” Edward murmured.

“I don’t need an apology for your leaving. But it was unconscionable to forget me on your return.” I saw winter turn to spring in my mind. The telephone didn’t ring. The postal box in Anchorage was empty.

“Tanya, I took advantage of you…”

“What?” The turn of the conversation had taken me by surprise. Taken advantage of me? Unfortunately, Edward had never taken advantage of me.

“I allowed you to be my friend, but I’ve ignored the white elephant in the room.”

My unbeating heart sank to the floor and I was grateful that I was seated.

“Excuse me?” I asked out loud. “Don’t think, don’t think, don’t think,” I commanded myself silently. But I’m quite sure that my mind may have strayed to a fantasy or two.

“I’ve known about your lifestyle for quite some time,” Edward continued.

I smiled a bit remembering the shy man that approached me as I gardened all those years ago, and the halting way he’d questioned me. My lifestyle had been cause for our first argument.

“Yes. I was quite self-righteous.”

“You were?” I asked sarcastically.

“Tanya, you yourself taught me that I could never change.”

“And you were the one to prove me wrong.” I’d changed more than I could have imagined possible. And Edward?

“No Tanya, I haven’t. I can’t live like you and your sisters do.”

I chuckled at the thought. “I’ve never asked you to.”

“I can’t string you along. I can’t be a conquest of yours.”

I abruptly stopped laughing. Is that what he thought? A conquest? I dropped the scissors to the table and looked Edward in the eye. “That’s not what I want.”

“I’ve been on this earth long enough to know what you want. I’m not as naïve as I once was.”

A conquest? A conquest? A conquest. “A conquest, right, of course.”

“I value your friendship too highly. Your family and mine are too important to one another. It would be wrong.”

“Being my conquest wouldn’t have to change any of that.” And that was true. A conquest could be casual, come and go, grow...

“I’m not made that way, Tanya.”

“Like a man?”

Edward’s eyes filled with fire. “Let me know if this means that we’re no longer friends. I let things slide in New York. I did things I’m not proud of.”

A sarcastic laugh escaped my lips. What could this puritanical vampire have done? “Like what?” I asked out loud.

“I allowed people the impression that we were together. I ignored your advances to keep you as a friend. I won’t do that anymore, Tanya.”

“And that’s your sin?”

“Truly, it’s the least of it. But I plan to live morally going forward,” Edward stated with a firm nod of his head. He was serious, stoic.

“I wouldn’t have you any other way, Edward,” I smiled at my choice of words. He looked so dear, so earnest.

Edward regarded me silently, eyebrows raised.

“What?” I asked innocently. “You said you were going to live morally. I meant nothing else by that remark.”

This time Edward let out a sincere laugh and settled himself into a chair.

“So, my moral young vampire, would you be friends with someone that lives my lifestyle, as you say?”

“And would you, Tanya, be friends with someone who never would?” Edward countered.

“Never?” I challenged.

“I can’t change, you said it yourself.”

“But for a mate?” I knew I was grasping at straws.

“I wouldn’t hold your breath, Tanya.”

“I have no need of breath, Edward.”

We regarded each other from across the room, silently. But the mood had lifted and I saw Edward trying to suppress a grin.

“You look quite pleased, yourself, Tanya. Are things better between us, then?”

“I believe they are. It’s good to have you back, Edward. I enjoy your wit, and without you, I’ve no one to talk to about literature, or music.”

“They’ve had me in the woods for so long, I don’t think I have anything of value to say about music.”

“No, not the woods!” I chuckled, casting a meaningful glance out the window towards the trees and mountains in the distance. “Here, do you think this shirt will do for the man?”

“Well it’s certainly superior to what he has now,” Edward chuckled.

“I’ll have to see for myself to judge,” I smirked. The man’s measurements were certainly impressive.

“He’s mated, Tanya. I’d watch yourself around Rosalie.”

“Hmm. Rosalie. Is she as pretty as her name?” I wondered out loud.

“She’s attractive,” Edward stated dismissively, shrugging his shoulders.

“Yes, I suppose that’s the best I would get from you. I’m very interested to meet the happy couple. But tell me, when we return with this clothing, are Esme and Carlisle going to give us ‘the look’?”

“Absolutely.”

“Should I speak with Carlisle again, then? I’ve had quite a bit of practice talking with him about the matter.”

“Really?”

“Just because you can hear the thoughts of others, Edward, it doesn’t mean you know everything.”

And I saw the far-away pensive look that Edward often assumed when he heard a new piece of music for the first time. The look just before his fingers would start picking out the notes. Pain and desire and longing all rolled into one. “You’re certainly correct, Tanya. There are some things I’ve witnessed that I may never understand.”

*****

EPOV

I didn’t deserve the easy forgiveness that Tanya offered, but I was pleased to have spoken so frankly to her, finally. Too much had gone unsaid between us. I treasured our friendship, but I knew we each wanted something separate from the relationship. I’d known forever, of course. From the first time we met, Tanya had regarded me differently than she did Carlisle. But I ignored it, nervous about making a good impression on Carlisle’s friends. I hardly had the will to sit still and converse, to stay within the confines of a house, and to grasp all of the thoughts of the vampires around me. I’d never been around so many immortals, and choosing which thought path to follow, or attempting to ignore them all, had been overwhelming. It was easier to ignore her silent observations.

And Tanya’s thoughts were different. She was able to control them in a way I’d never seen. At first this made me mistrust her all the more. But I grew to find solace in her selective thinking. It was so much easier to be around her because of this. Only once in a great while would she let a thought slip that made me uncomfortable. But I ignored those thoughts out of selfishness. I needed a friend, and I needed her to distract me from myself, so I overlooked her desires.

It was unfair to her, of course. She’d spent the better part of one thousand years viewing males as something to be had, something to enjoy and play with each night. That was nearly as separate from my own personal reality as one could get. I don’t think two more unlikely companions couldn’t have been conceived of. But perhaps this made the pursuit more delightful for her. It was something I’d observed in human thoughts, this penchant to relish the unobtainable, that which we couldn’t fully comprehend.

I didn’t know if a friendship like ours could work, but I would try. I desired the companionship of my cousins more now than ever. I couldn’t help the mounting feeling that I was alone within my own family. Rosalie and Emmett were so new, yet they suddenly seemed to fit within the family unit better than I ever had. They made sense. Whereas, I felt like an anomaly.

So it was with great relief that I fell back into easy conversation with Tanya as she worked on Emmett’s clothing. We discussed the Adirondacks, the blues, the little settlement in Cumberland. Despite hundreds of years of experience, and the danger Emmett posed to our family if he got away, Tanya seemed to take an inordinate amount of time to finish the garments. Tanya and I only managed to make it back to our family’s house just before sunrise, and we were surprised to find Esme and Carlisle sitting on the low stone wall that surrounded the home.

“Where is your newborn, Carlisle?” Tanya asked, losing all trace of the warmth she’d exuded while we’d worked together in the sewing room.

“Don’t worry, Tanya. He’s still inside.”

“And you and Esme are sitting here because…?”

Tanya didn’t need to ask. The answer was quite apparent. We could all easily hear why Carlisle and Esme had chosen to stay outside.

Tanya sighed and shook her head, exasperated. “That should not be enough to keep you from entering your home,” she said, nodding her head in the direction of the house. “It’s a very large home. There’s room for everyone. And you must keep closer tabs on him if he’s as much trouble as you say.”

“They never made it past the foyer,” Esme explained.

“Ha!” Tanya laughed, showing just the trace of a smile.

I simply shook my head.

“You can’t let two newborns keep you out of your own home, Carlisle. You have to teach this man discipline if he is to live our lifestyle, and if he is to live with the rest of you.”

“Tanya, they’ve only been together for days. Discipline isn’t to be expected. You know that,” Esme said gently, her eyes on the ground.

“Did you and Carlisle ever keep Edward out in the snow?” Esme, Carlisle and I each looked our separate ways. We’d never discussed sex, and we certainly weren’t going to start with Tanya as our mediator.

“I didn’t think so. This man is a new vampire. That is dangerous enough, but you say he has no control. You were unprepared for his lack of dietary control. You are three very reserved vampires. What about his lack of control with your daughter?”

Silence reigned among the three of us. All was not silent within the dark house.

“Carlisle, go tell the two of them to get to a room. Heaven knows there are enough to choose from.”

Carlisle and Esme held hands as they stood reluctantly to their feet and peered at the house. “It turned out lovely, didn’t it, Tanya?” Esme asked.

“It’s a beautiful home, Esme. You should see the inside. My family worked tirelessly to finish things in the manner that you’d asked for.”

Esme smiled at Tanya warmly. “Thank you, for everything.” She tugged Carlisle’s hand. “Come, dear. I’ll do the talking. Tanya’s right. We should go see our new home.”

Esme and Carlisle made their way towards the house and Tanya smiled broadly at me. “Oh, this is rich! Poor Carlisle. Could he be any more uncomfortable?”

“You, yourself said this wasn’t funny, Tanya,” I chastised. My father was doing what he could. Just like Tanya and I, he couldn’t change either.

But before Tanya could answer, we heard the crash of breaking glass from inside the house, and then a dull thump, followed by the sound of cracking wood. Before we had a chance to react, the front door was smashed in two and Emmett and Rosalie tumbled into the snow at Carlisle and Esme’s feet.

Emmett was on his feet in an instant, growling, snapping, eyeing the four vampires in front of him, protectively pulling Rosalie behind him. I shook my head, disgusted by their display. Carlisle and Esme didn’t know where to look.

Tanya’s laughter rang through the mountains around us. “You’ve got me, Edward. Perhaps this is funny after all.” She walked purposefully toward the naked man. “Hello, newborn Emmett. My name is Tanya. And it appears I brought you this clothing just in time.” She tried to peak around Emmett to catch a glimpse of Rosalie, but Emmett bared his teeth and snapped at her. “I’m sorry, Rosalie dear, but no one mentioned that you might need clothing as well.”

Rosalie’s soprano growl joined Emmett’s baritone.

“Come, let’s find you two a room. I dare say I know this house better than your parents do.” And with that Tanya swept the two into the house effortlessly. Carlisle’s muscles visibly relaxed, and Esme hugged him to her.

“It’s not as bad as she makes it out to be, Carlisle.”

“We came here because we needed their help. I shouldn’t have done anything we couldn’t have handled on our own,” Carlisle sighed.

“That’s what family is for.”

“No, Esme. That’s what the Volturi is for. They’re easy for you to overlook because you’re so young. You’ve never encountered them. But we could all see that Emmett was large and strong. Then after he was turned, his easygoing nature made it easier for me to disregard the threat he poses to us. Our family has to be on guard more than most. Our lifestyle is an affront to our race.

“His behavior with Rosalie is one thing. But his recklessness, combined with our inability to control him, puts all of our lives in jeopardy.”

Tanya reappeared at the gaping front door. “Carlisle, the way you linger outside, one might get the idea that you have no desire to see your own house. The coast is now clear. Please, come in and I’ll show you around.”

*****

Our house in Denali was enormous, but the interior was extravagant in a manner none of us were used to, especially after our rugged existence in the Tennessee woods. The home had an open and airy feel, something that I’d come to think of as Esme’s signature style. One entire wall overlooking the mountains was made of glass, blurring the distinction between the wilderness and the indoors. Another wall was made all of stone, with a large hearth set in the center. The floors were all rich hardwood, the walls painted in deep, vibrant colors, and the furnishings were all deep mahogany and cherry, upholstered with damask and silk. It was like nothing we’d ever inhabited before.

Emmett and Rosalie were sequestered in their own personal wing of the home, and when I turned to ask Esme about the inspiration for the interior design, I found she’s run off with Carlisle to investigate the master suite.

“Your room is in the south wing, Edward. I thought you might like the light.” Tanya said. “It might be quieter down there.”

Tanya following ten paces behind me as I went to investigate the southern wing of the house. My room was large with vaulted ceilings and a full wall of windows. Another wall had built in shelves covered with the books from my old room in Tanya’s house. I noticed that someone had carefully added to the library. But the focal point of the room was the large grand piano situated against the far wall.

“I don’t play anymore. But thank you, just the same. For everything.”

“It was my pleasure.”

Tanya and I wandered awkwardly around the large room as small sounds from the other wings made their way down to my end of the house. In her mind, Tanya recited passages from the books she eyed on the shelves.

“I didn’t know if I should purchase a bed,” she admitted, breaking the silence.

“No need.”

“Of course.”

“Tanya, I was serious before when I said…”

“Hello? Hello!” Katrina called out from the main part of the house. I let out a long breath and without another word, went to meet my cousin at the broken front door.

*****

Before long, Irina, Carmen and Eleazar joined us as well, each more curious than the next about the new additions to the family, and how we’d fared over the past few years. When Emmett and Rosalie finally made it out of their quarters, it was a relief to see each member of Tanya’s clan greet Rosalie and Emmett warmly. I was glad that they didn’t heap judgment upon us like Tanya had.

Emmett did as well as could be expected in the situation. To be surrounded by nine vampires would have been overwhelming for any newborn, and Emmett was more easily riled than most. Along with his easy smiles, there was an inordinate amount of growling, and from time to time he dove at and tackled various family members. Emmett also did his share of grabbing Rosalie and protectively pinning her against the wall, which often ended in pinning her against the wall for another purpose entirely. Not that Rosalie objected. And my cousins didn’t bat an eye. I suppose they had more of a constitution for that kind of behavior.

By afternoon the following day, Emmett was showing signs that he needed to hunt. Esme silently feared he might jump through the glass wall, and I knew by Emmett’s thoughts that Esme’s fears weren’t far off the mark. So, ten vampires ran out into the foothills looking to supervise his meal. Given our numbers, food was scarce, but the challenge made it more exciting for Emmett. His joy when he finally took down a she-wolf was so all consuming, I thought he might have been done for the day. But, as usual, his first kill only whet his appetite, and he was off in search of something bigger.

Our party spread out, with Eleazar and Carlisle farthest from the group, keeping their noses to the wind to make sure that we steered clear of humans. And after draining a moose and a caribou, Emmett’s thirst for blood appeared to be sated for the time being. Yet his appetite for blood was quickly replaced by another appetite with astonishing speed. He’d scarcely drained the caribou, when he threw it to the ground and grabbed Rosalie with his bloody hands, pressing his sticky red lips against hers. Emmett pulled Rosalie down onto the snow with him, growling with pleasure.

“He’ll need some new clothes again,” Katrina giggled. “Should we go back to the house to make something, Tanya? Or perhaps a trip to Anchorage is in order?”

“It appears Rosalie may need some replacements as well,” Irina said wryly.

“Oh, let’s go to Anchorage! There are so many men in Anchorage!” Kate nearly sang.

“Kate, you have a man,” Tanya chastised her sister.

“I was only thinking of you, sister,” Kate replied with a huff. Tanya cast a withering glance in her sister’s direction.

I was a bit taken aback by my cousins’ easy acceptance of Emmett and Rosalie’s spontaneous coupling next to the dead caribou, and walked tactfully away from the scene. Esme and Carlisle had likewise made themselves scarce, but I couldn’t be sure that it was simply to avoid Emmett and Rosalie. I didn’t pry into their thoughts to investigate further.

“Oh, Edward.” Katrina ran up to me. “You’re uncomfortable. Is it because you think of Rosalie like a sister?”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Kate.” Sister, mother, friend; I had no desire to watch anyone tearing off another’s bloody clothing in front of me.

“Sure, Edward.” Katrina walked next to me silently, but her mind was anything but quiet. “It’s only understandable; after the rush of the hunt, the warmth of the blood, to see someone you admire taking down prey. Oh, it makes me long for a vampire again, not just a human.” Kate glanced at me out of the corner of her eyes and suddenly a vision of myself as a newborn, hunting, played through Katrina’s mind.

The vision seemed nearly incongruous with the conversation at hand. Unless…

Katrina smiled and her eyes sparkled. “You’re a very good hunter, Edward.” Kate went to wrap her arm around my shoulders, but I took a step backwards. Katrina giggled. “Sorry, Edward. Listen; don’t tell Tanya I said anything, okay? She’d be upset with me.”

“Why?”

Katrina just shook her head and smiled, valiantly guarding her thoughts. “Oh, Edward. You’re such a man.”

*****

TPOV

After the group hunting party, it was determined that both Rosalie and Emmett would definitely require additional clothing, for the sake of the rest of the family. To my sisters’ immense disappointment, I instructed my clan to remain with the Cullens while I accompanied Rosalie to Anchorage. I was curious about the newest female member of the Cullen clan. While Carlisle hadn’t come out and said it, I had my suspicions about why he chose the girl. I wanted to find out more about Edward’s intended.

Rosalie and I regarded each other silently, smiling whenever we caught one another in the act. The girl was a stunning beauty. She had golden hair that hung in heavy ringlets down her back, large amber eyes, full red lips, a peaches and cream complexion showing through under her chalky vampire pallor, and her figure… Even donned in the boxy dress that I’d quickly pieced together for her, she looked like she was made to have her picture pinned up in some poor human boy’s bedroom or locker.

I knew she was considering me as well. I turned my head towards the mountains, like I was taking in the scenery, and let her have a good long look. I knew my own beauty was nothing to sneeze at. I was a good two inches taller than she was, my hair was fuller, and my eyes were tapered at the corners in a way men liked to call “exotic.” And while I may not have been as well endowed, I had long limbs and a slender waist. Rosalie could look all she wanted. I swayed my hips a bit to enhance the picture for her, before turning my head to catch her in the act.

“Oh!” she jumped.

“Do you prefer Rosalie or Rose?”

“Only Emmett calls me Rose.” With mention of the newborn’s name, her eyes lit, and her face turned soft.

“Young love. So sweet.” I tried to make my voice sound genuine. I nearly succeeded. Rosalie eyed me warily.

“Things didn’t work between you and Edward, then?” I asked, pretending I knew what I was talking about.

Rosalie’s eyes widened before she broke into a smile. “Edward? Uck! Please!”

“Never?”

“Never, what?” Rosalie asked, smirking, playing innocent. “Listen, Tanya, Edward is like an annoying little brother to me. He couldn’t stand me from the moment he saw me. So, you’ve got nothing to worry about as far as I’m concerned.”

“I have nothing to worry about?”

Rosalie raised her eyebrows, and I calmly met her gaze. “Do you mean you and Edward never…?” she asked.

“Never, what?” Two could play innocent.

Rosalie laughed. Perhaps I liked the girl a bit after all. “Then who? Kate? I don’t think he’d go for Irina.”

I tried to remain stoic while she mentally paired Edward off with my sisters, but I’m afraid I may have flinched. “We’ve known Edward since he was Emmett’s age. Our family does not have that type of relationship with the boy.”

“Hey, I’ve been with Emmett since he was just turned. It could have worked for one of you.”

“My dear, you may have been drawn to your man, and him to you, but it was chance that had you mated so soon. You have a long road ahead of you with that one.”

“I don’t think so. You don’t know him. He’s so sweet and funny and so… big and…” Rosalie looked away, suddenly embarrassed.

“Go ahead, girl, you can say it. I’m hardly Esme.”

“Big and… sexy,” Rosalie whispered, before erupting into giggles.

I rolled my eyes. The Cullens were so risqué, I thought, sarcastically. “No matter how sexy the man might be, he’s too new. He’ll have you running around after him as he falls prey to the whims of his mind and his nose. He doesn’t appear to have half the restraint you Cullens are famous for, and I’m afraid he may likewise use you as his whims dictate.”

Rosalie sighed in resignation. What I said was true. But she had a dreamy look in her eyes, nonetheless. “He can use me whenever he’d like, Tanya. I’ll use him right back.”

Now that was more like it. “The rest of the family won’t know what to do with you two, you know.”

“But I know they wanted me to be happy. Even Edward.”

I smiled as I remembered how the hulking man tumbled through the front door with Rosalie. Carlisle and Edward hadn’t even been able to look at them. What would they put up with for Rosalie’s happiness? Only time would tell.

Shopping with Rosalie was entertaining. She looked beautiful in everything she tried on, and she knew it. I peppered our interaction with compliments and she glowed and seemed to grow taller as the day went on. I knew from the look on her face that she wondered with each garment we purchased whether Emmett would approve.

“He won’t care, dear. It’s plain to see that he only cares what you look like unclothed.” The girl smiled a self-satisfied smile and looked away. I knew she’d blush if she could.

After we managed to build Rosalie a suitable wardrobe, we walked quickly back towards home, turning heads all the while. Rosalie basked in the attention even as she quickened her pace to return to her mate. But suddenly, without warning, Rosalie darted across the street at a pace that turned heads for a different reason entirely. I reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her to a stop. “Rosalie, humans don’t move that fast. You should know better by now.”

But Rosalie’s eyes weren’t focused on me at all, and I turned to see what had caught her attention. There in the window of a tailor’s shop, was a mannequin wearing a custom wedding gown.

“Rosalie?”

“Mine was more beautiful than that,” she murmured, her hands pressed to the glass.

“Yours?”

“I was going to be married once.”

I was aghast. “You didn’t wed because of Carlisle? Because of what he did?”

“No,” was all she said, as she concentrated on the gown, a new hint of sadness in her lovely amber eyes. If she didn’t want to talk about it, I wouldn’t force her. But there was no reason to grow despondent over a mediocre wedding gown.

“I could do better,” I surmised, looking over the beadwork and the stitching on the lace.

Rosalie sighed. “I always wanted to get married.”

I scowled. Marriage was a silly human institution, as far as I was concerned. A gray shadow of the emotions that a vampire could feel, and the permanence we found in our mates. But the girl was entranced, her eyes were no longer focused on the dress, but gazed into the back of the small shop, as if searching for more wedding regalia. “I tell you Rosalie, that dress would do nothing for you. I think you’d benefit from a gown that hugged at the hips, and then fanned out. It would appropriately show off your figure. And the sleeves should be shear lace.”

Rose spun around to face me, a proud smile on her sad face. “That sounds lovely. You’re right, something like that would suite me perfectly.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Perhaps one day, you and Emmett?”

Rose’s face was suddenly exultant. “Do you think he’d ask?”

“No,” I admitted. As far as I could tell, the man was more likely to chase after a jackrabbit than contemplate the human institution of marriage at this point in his existence. Rosalie’s eyes went dull and she turned to gaze at the gown again. “Perhaps he’ll think of it in a year or two,” I offered by way of comfort. Rosalie gazed at the cheap dress wistfully.

And that’s when the idea hit. There was a way to assure that all of the female Cullens were off limits to any exceedingly moral vampire. Just to be certain. Just to be safe. One who strove to emulate Christian ideals could never make advances on a married woman.

“That doesn’t mean that you couldn’t ask him, dear. He’s your mate. He’d give you anything you wanted.” Who knew? Perhaps Emmett would be able to stand still for the ceremony. Maybe he wouldn’t drain the minister dry.

*****

EPOV

Tanya and Rosalie had only been gone for three and a half hours, and already it was becoming impossible to keep Emmett indoors. Without her presence, he was more restless, more rambunctious and harder to keep tame. I saw Esme eyeing the glass wall again, and knew we couldn’t stay inside much longer.

“Do you think we can let him leave with only seven of us to keep watch?” Eleazar asked Carlisle and I.

“Perhaps if we had something engaging for him to focus his attention on,” Carlisle offered.

“Like a pack of wolves?” I suggested wryly.

“I think it might be safer if we kept blood out of the equation altogether,” Eleazar replied, missing my attempt at sarcasm.

“I know,” Carmen chimed in, walking in out direction. “What about football? He’s very physical, so I imagine he would enjoy the game. And it’s been years since we’ve played football with the Cullens.”

I took one look at Emmett, his shoulders easily twice my own width, his biceps tearing through the flannel of his shirt as he flexed his muscles. Football with that vampire would be a humiliating experience. Yet we had to do something. The man was pacing, sniffing at the air, trying to catch an interesting scent on the breeze that blew through the broken front door.

Suddenly I remembered one of the random items that Tanya had transferred to my new room. I couldn’t tackle the newborn, but as long as human blood wasn’t involved, I could certainly outrun him.

“I think there might be fewer injuries, Carmen, if we tried a game of baseball instead. What do you say?”

“You’re one to talk, Edward. When you were new you beat us all senseless playing football,” Eleazar chuckled.

“You didn’t have to agree to play.”

“We were humoring you!” Carmen added, playfully punching my arm.

“Would you humor me again, Carmen?”

“Maybe Edward’s right. I don’t think I want to be caught underneath him,” Eleazar said, as he watched Emmett pick up the divan in one hand, for no apparent reason.

“I wouldn’t mind,” Irina joked, eyeing Emmett.

“And then you’d have to worry about Rosalie,” I reminded her. I wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of Rosalie’s wrath where Emmett was concerned.

“Yes, when Edward was a newborn we didn’t have to worry about jealous mates.” Katrina coughed, which was odd. Vampires don’t cough. “Perhaps baseball would be preferable,” Carmen surmised.

“Hey, Emmett. You up for a game of baseball?” Eleazar called.

Emmett dropped what he was doing, literally. The divan crashed to the floor, it’s legs crumbling beneath it. “Hell yeah!”

*****

We strategized that we could keep a tighter rein on Emmett if we always kept him with the team that was at bat. He was thrilled to hit each ball Eleazar pitched at him, and laughed out loud as it shot thousands of feet through the air, quickly disappearing from view. But I quickly realized that I was made for this game. I sailed over the ground, catching each and every ball that Emmett hit, either throwing him out, or running him down with the ball. His eyes would flash in anger each time I got him out, but if I could say nothing else for him, he was a good-natured newborn. He’d impatiently await his next turn at bat, smiling mischievously, looking to finally best me.

Emmett was waiting like this, while Carmen was at bat, when the situation quickly went downhill.

Irina was deep in left field. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her raise her face to the cold winter wind. She quickly spun around to face the rest of us. “Huma--”

But Emmett was already off in the direction of the scent. It was distant but unmistakable, mouthwatering, and coming in our direction. Humans. Esme and Carlisle were right on Emmett’s heels, desperate not to allow another human kill in Tanya’s absence. She would be livid and there’s no telling what she would do. Perhaps she’d ask us to leave the region.

Esme dove and grabbed hold of Emmett’s ankle, holding on for dear life as he continued to run for the trees. Carlisle grabbed Esme, and their combined weight slowed Emmett enough to allow the rest of us to catch up. In seconds, Emmett was on the bottom of a six-vampire pile-up, Carlisle and Esme off to the side, still clutching his ankles.

The scent of human came dangerously near. There were three, and there was no telling what they were doing so far from civilization in the winter. Venom pooled in my own mouth and my throat burned. Emmett thrashed and growled beneath us. His hands clawed the ground, looking for purchase, and his teeth snapped, leaving more than one of us with a scar that we’d wear forever.

Footsteps came closer. The humans must have been within one hundred yards. Emmett tore at my ankle with his teeth and I kicked him in the face. He reared and bucked and came close to throwing us all off his back.

“Carlisle, you and Esme need to get those humans out of here,” Eleazar ordered.

“We have to scare humans again?” Esme nearly whined, letting go of Emmett’s ankle.

“Again?” Katrina asked.

With Emmett’s newly freed leg, he kicked, striking Carmen in the back. Eleazar pushed Emmett’s face into the snow. “Get the humans out of here now, before he injures my mate and I do something I’ll regret,” Eleazar growled.

Carlisle and Esme ran off in the direction of the humans, and I strained my ears to hear how they handled the situation. But they were too far for their voices to carry, and the human scent gradually faded, along with the smell of my parents.

“How long do we stay here?” Irina asked.

“I think we should stay until the humans have had time to get far enough away, or until Carlisle and Esme tell us it’s safe,” I offered.

Katrina groaned. “Well, I hope it doesn’t take too long. I’m taking Tanya out tonight. I’m happy she went to Anchorage today, but she needs to get out of the house more often. My human has a friend that could use… a date. And Tanya hasn’t been with a man in nearly four years. She could use it; she’s getting so snippy. Too up tight.”

Katrina’s eyes caught mine. “No offense, Edward.”

“None taken, I don’t think.”

“His friend would suite Tanya. He thinks of himself as so large and strong and hard. Tanya will put him in his place. He won’t know what hit him, so to speak.”

“Kate…” I tried to interrupt.

“It’s always the big guys that fall the hardest, you know. The ones that think we’ll just melt before their muscle. Throw a guy like that into a bed, tear off his clothes and suddenly he’s a puddle of liquid at your feet.”

“Kate!” But Katrina was on a roll.

“Like the last man Tanya was with. The biggest human you’d ever seen. Real rough around the edges. Almost like the opposite of you, Edward. He came back to town night after night after he was with Tanya, looking for her, asking everyone he saw, embarrassing himself shamelessly. I wish I could have seen his face while Tanya…”

“KATE!” I finally managed to get her attention.

“What, Edward?”

“I don’t want to hear this.”

“I do.” With his face pressed against the snow, Emmett’s voice was muffled.

“Ha! I’m sure you would, newborn,” Irina joked, poking Emmett’s side. “Looking for pointers to use with your new mate?”

“I don’t need pointers, just ask Edward. He’s probably heard it all.”

Four heads twisted and struggled to look in my direction. I didn’t dignify Emmett’s statement with a response.

I heard Emmett chuckle. “Hey big brother, did I make you all uncomfortable? More uncomfortable than being on the bottom of a pile of vampires? I really hope not. Wasn’t my aim at all, Edward.”

He could say what he wanted to goad me, but he wasn’t going anywhere. “If you’re trying to get yourself out of this, little brother, you’re certainly going about it the wrong way. How badly would you like to get back to Rosalie? Continue chiding me in this manner and there might be cause to keep you here another day or two.”

My response was met by impatient groans from the other vampires in the pile, and Emmett began struggling anew. I could tell by the sudden, frantic tenor of his thoughts that with the mention of her name, he’d become suddenly desperate to see his mate. I grinned, content that I’d won that round.

We all fell silent, waiting for word that the coast was clear. But the thoughts of my cousins floated through the air around me.

“Two males in one clan. Carlisle is a brave man.”
“I’d love to see these two fight it out. In a year or two perhaps, when Edward has a fighting chance.”
“Too bad he’s with Rosalie. The kid’s funny. Makes me want a vampire all over again.”

The last thought was Katrina’s and I worked to pull my body a bit further from hers, all the while chaffing at Carmen’s idea that it might take two years before I could wrestle Emmett to the ground. I was almost embarrassed y my own instinct to take Emmett down as soon as we let him up, just to show the others what I was capable of.

I was lost in thoughts of different ways that I might dominate Emmett when the cloying smell of violets and roses drifted to us from the direction of the house.

“Rosalie!” Emmett’s struggle underneath us became desperate.

“Do we let him go?” Carmen asked.

“Damn it, let me go!” Emmett bellowed, struggling beneath us. In the process, Emmett struck Katrina’s shoulder with his fist. She kicked him in the side with a grunt.

“It’s not polite to hit women, newborn,” she hissed.

“Let me go to my girl! I won’t look for the humans. Come on! I haven’t been away from Rose for this long, ever.”

“You promise to go straight for Rosalie?” Eleazar asked.

“Whatever, just let me up!”

“I want your word, Emmett,” Eleazar pressed the newborn.

“You have my word, Eleazar. Now let me up!”

“Edward, follow him.”

I sighed and rolled my eyes, but knew that it was wise. “Fine.”

“On the count of three, then,” Eleazar instructed. “One, two, three…”

We each simultaneously jumped from the heap, and Emmett sprang to his feet, heading straight for home and Rosalie’s scent. I was quickly on his heels, and Eleazar was close behind.

*****

“Emmett!” Rosalie called, running into her mate’s outstretched arms.

“Rose. Hell, I thought you’d never get back, baby!” Emmett pulled Rosalie’s body firmly against him, his hands straying enough that I felt the need to look away.

“Emmett, wait, please,” Rosalie asked. I heard her struggle, and in Emmett’s mind I saw her extricating herself from his arms.

“No, no waiting,” Emmett said in a low rumble, holding her tightly, kissing her ear. “You just got back. I need you now.”

“Emmett!” Rosalie hollered, pushing his hands away. Eleazar and I growled in Emmett’s direction.

“Hands off the girl, Emmett,” Eleazar threatened. I took a cautious step in their direction. I wouldn’t win, but I would fight him if I had to.

Suddenly Emmett’s eyes flashed with awareness. He dropped Rosalie and took a bewildered step backwards. “What, sweetheart?”

“Emmett, do you love me?” Rosalie asked, hands on her hips.

“What? Is this a joke?” Emmet looked to Eleazar and I for support. Coming from Rosalie, I doubted it was a joke, but I certainly couldn’t help him. I shrugged my shoulders in response.

“I’m dead serious, Emmett.”

I heard Emmett attempt to concentrate on Rosalie’s speech, instead of the flock of geese that flew overhead. “Of course, Rose, baby. Haven’t I said it?”

“Not outright,” she huffed.

“Hell, Rose.” Emmett closed the gap between himself and Rosalie, gazing into her eyes. “It’s because you and I both know it. I love you.”

“Then ask me to marry you.”

“To what?” Emmett chuckled.

“I know you heard me, Emmett McCarty.”

“You want to get married?”

“And I want you to ask me properly,” Rosalie demanded.

Emmett turned back to Eleazar and I. It was Eleazar’s turn to shrug his shoulders. “Well, then, uh, you’re sure? Marriage?” Emmett almost laughed. Rosalie looked at him severely.

Emmett took a deep breath and I listened to him try to focus his thoughts. It was like trying to piece together shattered glass. “Well, sweetheart, if it’s what you want.”

Emmett lowered himself to one knee and stared up at Rosalie, grinning. “Rosalie Hale, would you do me the honor of being my wife?”

“Oh, Emmett! Yes!” she squealed.

Emmett’s laugh boomed and echoed through the mountains, and the ground beneath our feet shook with its reverberations. He stood to his feet and pulled Rosalie into his arms. “Now that that’s done, it’s my turn to get what I want.”
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The Newborn	By : belladonnacullen Category: Twilight Series > Het Views: 3452 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or make any money from this story.

The Newborn