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THE AFTERMATH
THERE WAS NO BATTLE, THERE WERE NO CASUALTIES (MINUS IRINA, BUT SHE HAD IT COMING), AND THE VOLTURI TOOK THEIR LEAVE.
Alice and Jasper had pulled through, bringing a man who'd been born in the same manner as Renesmee had, claiming these human-vampire hybrids were nothing new to the world. Renesmee was deemed as a non-threat, and a vision from Alice of a violent massacre apparently had Aro cowering away in defeat.
Epic.
Augustine's hospital room was filled to the brim, the space acting like a headquarters for everyone to hold aftermath discussions. Paul had somehow managed to shuffle into the bed behind her, making it so that the girl was sitting against his chest, as Emmett took up residence on one side where Emily had been earlier in the day, and the clairvoyant and empath were seated closely on the other.
Sure, visiting hours were well over, but Carlisle was still the head doctor around; and whatever he says ultimately goes.
It was as though everyone was telling her the events of what occurred like it was a bedtime story. Paul had been carding his fingers through her hair as her gaze filtered around the room, locking onto whoever was speaking.
They'd been in the middle of discussing Alice and Jasper's travels to Brazil when the door opened once again, revealing an incredibly distressed looking Carmen Denali.
"Oh, mi vida," she sighed out, and Augustine instantly felt her eyes well with tears. She all but leapt out of Paul's lap, tossing her arms haphazardly around the woman when she reached her bedside. "Lamento mucho no haber estado aquí antes."
I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner.
"Don't be silly," the younger girl laughed wetly, pulling back to stare at Carmen's pinched face. The woman's eyes were raking over her face, taking her in once more. No one mentioned the way her gaze settled on the black haired girl's pulse point for a second, before averting to those baby blues. "There were more important things going on."
"You are my most important thing," Carmen fought back, her hand cupping the girl's cheek affectionately. "You are my life, and your beating heart will never change that."
Carmen was the first vampire to really acknowledge the situation at hand— the situation involving what was about to happen next. Augustine was a human, and she'd witnessed first hand what having a human too close to her family would do.
But, there in lies the question of the hour; was Augustine willing to stay human, despite the bonds she'd formed with both the Cullens and the Denalis, or was she willing to risk it all and beg to be turned once more.
"No."
Edward's voice startled her, his looming figure leaning against the furthest wall of the room. Her eyes widened, a subtle shale to her head when Carlisle turned to his son. "What, Edward?"
She looked at the telepath, pleadingly. "Don't—"
"She's weighing her options," he revealed, crossing his arms over his chest. He evidently didn't like what he had heard swirling in her mind. "Either stay human, or try her luck at turning again. She wouldn't survive it, Carlisle— not a second time."
The room practically erupted in shouts, but the one voice she could hear crisply was the one coming from her boyfriend.
"What?" Paul murmured from behind her, her head craning to look at him. "You're not seriously considering going back, are you?"
"No," she breathed out, unsteadily. Paul's eyes narrowed; and she shook her head. "Okay, it's crossed my mind, yes— but I just... I don't wanna—"
She was visibly having trouble speaking, and there wasn't a single person in the room who wasn't hearing the heart rate monitor climb. The beeping was becoming incessant, the girl's eyes flickering around. "I just—"
Her gaze averted to her hands, palms turning over so she could look at them. She missed the way someone in her family was shuffling the pack out, until a voice called for the wolf behind her to leave as well. It's a family matter. "No!" she shouted, a hand going to grip Paul's wrist when she felt him try and shuffle away. "P–Paul stays."
The pack cleared out, though it was obviously they'd only taken to linger in the waiting room based on their voices travelling from down the hall. Carmen's pinched look returned, rubbing her thumb between the younger girl's tended brow. "I'll be right outside," she told the girl, because as much as they both loved one another, even Carmen knew this next conversation was a matter for her family; the Cullens.
Once she left and the door closed behind her, Augustine sagged backward and collided with Paul's chest once more. His arms tightened around her waist, secure. It grounded her.
Augustine looked at Edward, at the unhappy look on his face that practically screamed why would you throw away your second chance?
And her response: I'm just scared.
"Why are you so afraid?" he had asked, though there was no mirth behind his question. No judgement.
I don't wanna lose you guys.
It was such a juvenile thing, really. Her family had all been vampires for much longer than she had, they'd gotten used to what they became. She would be losing them, and really, in the grand scheme of things, she felt so insignificant now.
She barely registered Edward approaching her bedside, his hands tentatively reaching for her own. As much as she grew to know Edward and to love him like a brother, they were never the closest out of them all. But here he was, holding her hands so gently in his own, looking at her like yeah, she was his sister, too.
"You will never lose us," he stated, as though it was common sense. His figure in front of her became blurry for a beat before she sniffled, blinking away the emotion. "You might be human now, but you'll always be a Cullen. Don't ever forget that."
Nope, she couldn't blink the emotion out of her eyes at that. The real waterworks began, and in all of his usual broody glory, Edward hugged her.
That was really all the reassurance she needed.
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When everyone finally left, and when the tears eventually stopped flowing from the ravenette, Augustine found herself alone with Paul.
Sure, he definitely wasn't meant to be there, but Carlisle could tell that everyone had had a tough day. He allowed it, but slyly gave the pair the charge nurse's rotation schedule so the boy could hide when she came by to check on Augustine.
She was laying on his chest, aimlessly drawing shapes over the green shirt he was wearing. "You're like my own personal furnace," she mumbled tiredly, soaking in all the warmth that his body radiated. "S'nice."
He chuckled, chest vibrating due to the motion. "And somehow, you're still cold as hell."
She shrugged. "I used to naturally run cold, Mase was the same," she responded. "Not much has changed on that end."
"Not much has changed at all," he reassured her, hearing the slight uncertainty in her tone that he was able to sniff out. Her head shifted so she was looking up at him. "Actually, you're clingier— but that's the only difference, really."
Augustine couldn't even deny it because ever since she turned back, she'd been latching onto people (more specifically Paul) like a koala. "Am I hearing you complain about that right now?" she asked, giving him a deadpan look.
His arms squeezed around her in a firm, yet still gentle way. "Does it look like I'm complaining?"
She hummed. "Guess not."
There was a large beat of silence, the sounds of their mixed breathing filling the room before Paul's voice would be heard. "Your birthday's coming up," he whispered, his thumb rubbing circles on her lower back.
"Yours is too," was her giggled response. They were just a week away from celebrating their birthdays, though Augustine could tell that this upcoming birthday would be different from the others.
QIn a good way or in a bad way? She wasn't quite sure yet.
"My dad wants to have you over," he informed the girl that was sprawled on top of him, "he's got a cake planned and everything... he definitely likes you more than me."
"I tend to have that affect on people," she mused, and it earned her a flick to the forehead from the shifter. She flicked his chin in retaliation. "But I'd like that."
"Even if he made you a carrot cake?" he asked jokingly, knowing that carrot cake was her least favourite kind.
Augustine rolled her eyes. "I'd rather eat rocks than ever reject something your dad made me," came her honest reply. "He's too sweet."
Paul laughed lightly. "Such a kiss ass."
"And that's exactly why I'm his favourite, Paulie."
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[ wyn's note ]
given that they haven't been too too close, i literally had to give auggie and edward their sibling moment... and it payed off ugh give us emotion eddie!!!
the final two chaps (+ epilogue) are coming soon... hang tight!! appreciate you all always, xx