Being the new people in town was never easy, especially in a small town like Forks, a fact that Eleanor Beckett was well aware of. So when her son came home from school one day boasting about making friends with one of the new kids, Eleanor did her...
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Eleanor stood in her doorway, holding back a laugh as all the Cullen children crowded in front of her. Alice was at the front of the horde, beaming up at the woman in front of her.
"Not that I am against it, but why exactly are all of you at my door at 8 AM?" she asked, a hand on her hip as she moved aside to let them all in.
"We heard you tell Carlisle that you and Cal were going shopping today," Alice explained, practically gliding into the house. "We wanted to tag along, get some human stuff. Just in case Cal ever wants something while you're visiting!"
Eleanor smiled at the answer, touched that they cared so much about her son. It had been about a week since their dinner and not a day went by that the two family's hadn't spent time together in some way. Cal had actually been trying to talk her into a sleepover for the past couple days.
"Is Cal up yet?" Emmett asked, hovering near Eleanor as she led him and his siblings into the living room.
"Yeah, he's just getting ready," she answered, motioning for the Cullen kids to all cover their ears before she yelled up to her son. "Cal! The Cullen's are here!"
A loud thud could be heard from upstairs, followed by as string of curses before the boy's door finally creaked open and his racing feet headed for the stairs. He was still in the process of pulling his sweatshirt on over his cast when he reached them, smiling as he stopped to catch his breath.
"Sup."
Eleanor burst out laughing, having to turn and exit the room to recompose herself. Not that it really helped because as soon as her eyes landed on her son again, she just resumed laughing.
"Mom!" Cal's face was bright red as he also held back his laughter. "Are we going or not?"
"Alright, let's get to the car before I die laughing-" the woman gasped, a hand resting on her chest as she reached for her purse.
"Hate to break it to you, you're already dead."
"Edward!"
:::
The man picked the lock easily, closing the door behind himself as he entered. Pictures smiled down at him, a monster and her doomed son. Anger filled him at the sight, at the thought of those things running around and convincing people that they're normal. That they're safe. No one was safe with a creature like Eleanor Beckett among them. And that was exactly why he was there, to rid the world of one more of those damned pests.
Like he should have done 14 years ago.
"Fucking vampires..." he trailed off, picking up a picture frame and glaring at the woman inside of it. "You'll get what's coming to you."
:::
Eleanor pulled into the Cullen's driveway, dropping the kids off after a day of shopping. Voices filled the car, three different conversations going on at once. Emmett, Cal, and Alice were talking about the school's upcoming Homecoming game and dance; Edward and Jasper were quietly chatting about books; and Rosalie was recounting all her favorite fashion trends to Eleanor, who insisted on seeing photos from each era.
"Here we are!" the woman announced as she put the car in park. "Don't forget your things in the back-"
"Aren't you coming in?" Rosalie asked, turning back to look at Eleanor.
"Yeah, aren't we going in?" Cal's head popped out of the space between the driver and passenger seats, his expression pleading.
"We have groceries in the car,"
"It's cold enough! They'll be alright for a bit!" Alice spoke up, making a mental note to put a refrigerator on their next 'human things' shopping list. "I'm sure Carlisle would love to see you! And Esme too, but mostly Carlisle."
Cal made a gagging noise as he exited the car after Emmett, not really giving his mother a choice. Not that she would have chosen differently as she took her keys out of the ignition and followed the others inside, arms full of their shopping bags. Jasper took the bags she was holding from her arms as soon as they reached the kitchen, Alice shoving something into her arms and pointing her down the hallway.
"Carlisle needs this! His office is upstairs, the second door on the right!"
Eleanor laughed as she followed her instructions, knocking gently on the door before entering. Carlisle's eyes practically lit up at the sight of the woman, his posture suddenly straightening from where he'd been hunched over in his chair.
"Eleanor, what a nice surprise."
"Yes, Alice said you apparently 'need' a box of cookies?" the woman explained, setting the box down in front of him with a smile. "Are chocolate chip cookies like vampire heroin or something?"
Carlisle laughed and the sound made Eleanor chest feel lighter, her smile growing as he leaned over the desk to get a bit closer to her.
"No, but I imagine their messenger leaves a similar feeling," the doctor smirked as the woman looked away, his mind conjuring an image of her blushing.
Oh, what a lovely sight that would be.
"I can hear them talking in the kitchen, they're going to ask for a sleepover again," Eleanor narrated, the smile never fading from her face as she leaned against the side of Carlisle's desk.
"Why not yet him?" he asked, the woman knowing very well he was not just talking about Cal.
Eleanor thought about his question, a part of her baffled at how close the two families had grown in just a week. How much she had grown to lo- admire the vampire in front of her. A part of her wanted to blame the whole thing on the mating bond, say that it was not true what she was feeling. And yet it was not just Carlisle she'd grown to care about, it was all the Cullens. They made her feel at ease, safe even.
Happy.
Which is why she had no hesitation about her answer.
"Alright," Eleanor relented, butterflies erupting in her stomach at the joyful grin that spread across the other vampire's face. "Just let me drop the groceries off at home, get them in the fridge, and I'll be back."
"Promise?"
Carlisle reached out, his hand gently grazing the back of hers.
"I promise."
Eleanor moved her hand, not away like he'd been expecting but instead she laced their fingers together. With one reassuring squeeze, the woman turned to leave. To say Cal was ecstatic about the news would be an understatement, hugging his mother a quick goodbye as she promised to grab him an overnight bag.
And with that Eleanor Beckett was off, not knowing what was awaiting her at home.
