There was no time to think or reason with the nomads. Faster than the blink of a human eye, they moved to attack the only human remaining in the cabin. Their desire to feed was stronger than their fear of retaliation. It is harder to control their impulses with their recent feeding fueling them and the lingering scent of blood in the air. They made their way across the clearing in a blur. While human blood may have made them stronger, it also affects their ability to think clearly when the beast takes control.
The Cullens sprung into action. They rushed to cut off the attackers by placing themselves in between the attackers and their intended target. It was clear to the other two Cullens that something had changed. Edward, who tended to hesitate more at the thought of violence, seemed poised for the attack.
"A child." Edward was quick and offered no elaboration. He didn't need to. Those two simple words set up exactly what the stakes were.
Emmett's shoulders tensed. He had always had a soft spot for children. He was no longer motivated simply by the thrill of attack. He was now determined to protect which made him all the more dangerous. Carlisle felt the last of his reservations fall away. He may not take any pleasure from fighting his own kind, but he is quick to defend those in need.
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The slamming of the back door echoed through the quaint cabin. Rosalie, having seen the fallout outside, rushed into the rush. Someone needed to get Esme out of danger. Esme was a lot of things, but a skilled fighter wasn't one. She worked to improve, but it never clicked. At this point, they were more likely to be a hindrance than a help. If nothing else, she could protect Esme.
"Esme!" Rosalie called out. She moved quickly through the rooms searching for the coven's matriarch. She was able to find her easily, but Esme raised a hand before she could get any closer. Something was off. Esme was almost slouching making her appear smaller. She watched as Esme crouched down. Moving gracefully and slowly, Esme moved her focus from Rosalie and turned back towards the wall. Her focus was drawn to something that Rosalie couldn't see. She dropped her hand and moved it to cover her lips with one finger, telling the unknown figure to be calm and quiet. Curiosity got the best of her as the blonde vampire moved again. Rosalie slowed herself down as she approached. She freezes as she sees the other human.
"Shit." Her words slipped past her lips before she could stop them. Her eyes widened as she saw the figure of a girl cowering in the corner beside the large window. Rosalie relaxed her demeanor in an attempt to not intimidate the child. It was hard to balance this with the need to be poised for attack as the fighting outside grew louder. Small eyes flickered toward her before flickering around the room. She was clearly looking for an escape.
Esme reached out to the girl. "It's okay. You're going to be fine. Can you come with me? We are just going to go to the back of the house." She fought to keep her voice steady to not let any of the urgency she felt bleed into it.
The girl focused on the woman. She offered no reply and failed to move. Her eyes were wide with fear. Her eyes darted between Esme and Rosalie. She shrunk into herself more. Tears were prickling in the corner of her eyes. She didn't know what to think. She was stuck in survival mode.
Esme tried again. "That's my daughter Rosalie. Can you please come with us?" She was almost pleading with the child.
The girl waited until Esme ceased speaking before evaluating her. It was unclear what she was looking for, but she must have found it. Without giving any warning, the girl moved towards Esme's outstretched arm. Esme was quick to wrap her arms around the girl and walk towards the back of the house at a brisk human pace. Rosalie glanced out of the window to see the fight happening in the front of the house before following them to the back of the cabin. She stood in front of them, placing herself as a barrier between the outside and the human.
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While Rosalie and Esme are inside the house, Carlisle, Edward, and Emmett are outside facing off against the nomadic vampires. They had no time to plan out their attack. Their fighting was relying on defense rather than offense. All of them were missing Jasper's presence in the fight, but it was too late to change things now. Carlisle did not enjoy attacking when his coven was at less than full strength. He felt the scent of blood enter his senses and he accepted this may have been for the best. While he trusted Jasper, he hated to think of a situation that could put them at odds. With Jasper's absence, Emmett had taken point.
Emmett took on the lanky nomad. Emmett was a loud and boisterous person, and his fighting style is no different. The nomad was quick, but he was no match for the strongest Cullen. Seeing that Emmett was fully in his element, Carlisle and Edward moved quickly over to Brian, the shorter nomad. They moved silently and worked together to take him down. The years they spent together showed on the battlefield. They could anticipate the other's moves. The nomads were growling and lashing out. Their need for blood overwhelmed their minds and made them distracted. Edward turned around as he heard a deafening crack beside him. He watched as Emmett pulled the nomad's head off. The neck fractured like crystals as the head rolled on the ground. Emmett made quick work of his limbs ripping them apart. Edward still held onto Brian as he heard another crack as Carlisle pulled the head on the remaining nomad. Edward looks up at Carlisle's set face. There was no joy, but there was also no remorse.
"Emmett, get a fire started. Edward, finish this one and then help Emmett. We need to work quickly to make sure they can't come back." Carlisle's command was firm.
Carlisle didn't stay to make sure they were listening. Instead, he headed into the cabin. Not only did he need to check on the human, but he also felt a deep need to check on the safety of his mate. Opening the front door, he moved slowly into the room while looking for any signs of his wife, daughter, or the human child. He stepped over some fallen items on the ground. There were a couple of books, some tacky decorations, and used furniture. There was nothing personal in the space. It felt more like a cheap hunting vacation rental.
He froze as he heard a low growl coming from the back of the house. He moved closer only to find Rosalie standing in the middle of the space. She was tense. Her shoulders were pulled back as she basically prowled around the space. It was obvious she was prepared for the fight, willing to stop at nothing to defend the human and vampire behind her. Carlisle felt a rush of pride towards his daughter. While humans were insignificant in her eyes, she valued human life. Something about the child had taken her normal protective instinct and dialed it up. She knew logically that Carlisle meant no harm, but it was hard to fully convince her body of that fact. He had dedicated his life to protecting and saving human life, however, her mind screamed threat.
"Rose. Do you mind helping the others with the fire?" Carlisle relaxed as his eyes soften. It was clear that there was no hidden threat in the house, but there is an edge to his voice that he has not lost since the fight.
Rosalie clenched her fist. Another low growl escaped her throat. Carlisle was taken aback.
"Rosalie," Carlisle said, allowing his voice to rise slightly. Her eyes glared into his. He was not familiar with any of their pseudo children looking at him like that. "I am just going to make sure they're okay. Please. You can help her by making sure the nomads are dead. You'll still be protecting them, and then you can come back, okay."
Rosalie gave a tight nod and stalked out of the cabin. It was clear that she forced herself to leave against her will. Carlisle heard his kids moving around the clearing and surrounding woods. He could also barely make out the slight trembles and the shallow breaths of a child. It was clear she was still panicked which was to be expected. They needed to clean up the mess and leave quickly.
Carlisle slowed as approached the door. "Esme? Esme, is that you?" He used all of his control to keep his voice light and nonthreatening. He knew Esme could hear him approach. She would have known the minute he entered the cabin. It's the same way he knew exactly where they were, even if they were harder to locate than expected. However, it is important to announce himself to the child. Humans did not process the same abilities. As he turned the doorknob and entered the room, he saw the child wrapped up in the arms of his mate. Esme was crouched down in the corner with the child, petting her hair and trying to provide some amount of comfort to the small child. He would be lying if he sad the sight had no effect on him. It was so uncommon for even the smallest humans to get closer to them, but this girl seemed to clutch onto Esme's cold arms.
"Shh. Shh. It's okay. They're gone. It's just my husband. You're okay. You're okay." If Carlisle was human, he would have not been able to hear any of the words Esme muttered to the child. She continued holding the girl as she looked up at him. "Carlisle. We are here. We're okay."
It felt weird to speak so loudly to each other, but it was important to make everything seem as normal as possible for the remaining human. He moved closer to the two figures and sat in front of them. He had discovered over his years in medicine that children were more relaxed when they could look adults straight in the eye. It was the least he could do in the situation to try to not intimidate the child. He was close enough to touch the girl, but he decided against it. Instead, he reached out for Esme. A part of him needed the reassurance that his wife was there and okay. He gives her hand a tight squeeze before letting it go, focusing his attention back fully on the child.
"Hello, my name is Carlisle." He paused for a moment but wasn't surprised by the child's lack of response. "They can't get you anymore. My family made sure of that. I promise."
The girl took a deep breath. She untucked her head as Esme continued to rub her back encouragingly. Blue eyes met gold eyes as he smiled down at her kindly. "Do you mind telling me your name? I just want to make sure you're okay. I'm a doctor in Whittier. Do you know where that is?"
The girl shook her head no slowly. Carlisle looked up at the ceiling and took an unneeded deep breath as he tried to think of another angle. This could end up being harder than expected. He was pulled out of his thoughts as a quiet voice reached his ear. "I'm Lily." She spoke in a single soft shaky breath.
He looked at her again and forced the smile back on his face. "It's nice to meet you, Lily. Is that your full name?"
The girl shook her head no. "It's Liliana Anya Fields, sir." Carlisle cringed slightly at the use of sir but ignored it. The girl continued to shift her body to face him more. Some of the tension left her body as she started to relax. Carlisle was relieved. It wasn't good to hold so much tension in a small body for a long period of time. She could identify that he is not a threat, but there is something about them that was telling her to panic and get away. She fought against it. They had been so nice to her. She squirmed slightly which didn't go unnoticed by the two adults.
"How old are you Lily?" Carlisle pushed forward.
"I'm eleven." Esme and Carlisle shared a quick glance. The answer took them by surprise. Carlisle would have assumed she was closer to eight given her height and weight. Lily sensed their uneasiness which made her uncomfortable. "Where is the other girl?" Lily asks timidly.
Her question pulled the vampire's attention back towards her. "She's outside helping her brothers. She's making sure you're safe, right? Did you see her watching you and Esme inside?" The girl nods yes. "Well then, you know you're safe if she left."
Carlisle went back to looking over the girl as she processed his statement. It made sense to her, but it didn't completely put her mind at ease. Carlisle knew the girl was not bleeding. He would have smelled it immediately. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he could not tell that the girl was studying him just as closely. She looked back at Esme and then between the two of them. Esme could see the gears in her head turning.
"You are like them, aren't you?" The girl's question took them both by surprise. Lily fought to keep her voice strong. It was more of a statement than a question.
"What do you mean?" Esme asked quickly. She shot her husband a concerned look. There was no need to panic yet, but this was not good.
"The people who attacked us. They weren't people were they?" The girl was scared but kept her eyes trained on his, peering into Carlisle's. At the same moment, footsteps echoed in the cabin. The girl jumped, moving back into Esme's arms. Esme did not anticipate her actions. She knew she provided some sort of comfort earlier, but it was clear that the girl knew something was different about them. She realized that she had already braced herself for the possibility that the young human would reject them. She instinctively held her tighter and started whispering to her again. Lily's eyes squeezed shut when the footsteps finally stopped at the entrance to the room. Carlisle looked over his shoulder and saw Rosalie and Edward standing in the doorway. Once he's identified them, he turned back to Esme and Lily.
"She's a danger. She knows what we are." Edward stated plainly. The scent of fire trailed into the cabin behind them.
"Where's Emmett?" Carlisle questioned as he elected to ignore Edward's statement.
"You know he wasn't the cleanest from lunch. We decided it would be best for him to not be present." Carlisle nodded. He understood their logic perfectly, remembering his son's less than gracefully bear meal from earlier. "Carlisle, you know I'm right."
Carlisle sighed. Edward did make a solid point, but he desperately wanted to ignore it at the moment.
Rosalie glared at Edward and moved her body to be between him and the girl. "What do you suggest we do then, Edward?" Her voice was harsh. She did nothing to mask the challenge in it. While the voice was threatening, it was familiar. Lily opened her eyes, looking up at the pair of siblings. "And I doubt she knows what we are. She's a kid."
"Her voice is faint, but I can hear it. She saw what happened to her parents. It is the only explanation that makes sense." Edward did not rise to the bait.
Carlisle's voice broke up the sibling squabbling. It wasn't uncommon for those two to be at odds with each other, but it did grow tiresome. There was no use dealing in hypotheticals when the girl in question was right in front of him. He turned back towards the girl. "Is that true Lily? What do you think we are?"
The girl obviously remained silent. She didn't know how they wanted her to answer. She knew what she believed. She knew what she saw, but she also wanted to be safe. It was better to be safe than to be right.
"It's okay. You can tell us." Carlisle urged the girl.
"Vampires." Again, there was no questioning tone in her voice.
The change in the room was immediate. The adults and two teens tensed at the one-word answer. Esme's hand falters before returning to its early motion of rubbing the girl's arm in an attempt to provide comfort. Carlisle nods before standing. Lily started breathing faster. It was obvious she chose wrong. What would happen to her now? Why didn't she just lie? She knows she needs to leave, but she doesn't have the strength to leave the woman's lap. Cold arms were keeping her firmly in place. She didn't know if that was a blessing or a curse.
Lily looked up at him nervously, Carlisle took a deep breath before addressing the girl again, "It's okay. I am just going to talk to the kids for a minute. Can you stay here and keep Esme company?" The girl nodded quickly. Her face turned stoic as she took her task seriously. She could do that. That would be simple to focus on instead of letting her mind run around in circles. It also meant she had a reason to not leave the comforting presence. Carlisle, Edward, and Rosalie walked back into the front room leaving Esme and the girl by themselves.
Carlisle started, talking quietly so they are undetectable to the girl, but that Esme can listen.
"So she knows."
"Carlisle, this is dangerous. If the Volturi were to find out..."
Rosalie is quick to cut him off mid-sentence. "And how exactly would they find out? I don't see any of us telling them so unless you have something you want to tell us, Edward.."
"Enough!" Carlisle interrupted his bickering children again. He knew Edward and Rosalie would never see eye to eye completely and he took responsibility for his part in that. While it may have been a mistake to turn Rosalie for Edward, he couldn't bring himself to regret his decision. "She knows. There's nothing we can do about that now. We have to move forward."
"Yes, and I am sure there are plenty of human families willing to take her in." Edward supplied. He needed to end his parents' line of thoughts.
"Are you serious? Do you think she's ever going to be safe among humans when she knows what's out there? She's a child." Rosalie's face was fierce. She stared down Edward, allowing the part of her mind that screamed protect to take the forefront of her mind.
"Carlisle you can't be serious." Edward scoffed. The quick change in tone made a flash of confusion fly across Rosalie's face. She hated when he did that.
"Tell me that Esme or Rose think any differently, Edward." Carlisle retorted. Edward focused around the room before his face fell into resignation. Rosalie wanted to ask exactly what was going on, but they heard a car approach the cabin before she got the opportunity.
The three Cullen's moved quickly to the front of the house. They watched as a jeep came into view. It drove past the fire without stopping, only slowing down as it approached the front porch.
Rosalie couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips as she saw Emmett standing in the back of the jeep. Alice kept the car running as she jumped out of the driver's seat. She was even perkier than normal.
"Sorry, but I figured you guys could use a lift. So where is she?" She craned her neck to try and peer into the house. She had been surprised when she returned home and received a vision but was delighted by the outcome.
Carlisle couldn't help but smile at his daughter's enthusiasm. Edward slid past them and into the vehicle ignoring Emmett's attempt at a conversation.
"Carlisle. What is she talking about?" Rosalie questioned. She didn't want to make assumptions in case she was wrong. Before he could answer, the cabin opens and they see Esme approach the car with Lily in her arms. The girl would have been fully capable of walking, but it had been a long day and selfishly Esme enjoyed being able to hold onto her.
"Well, Rose. The Cullens are now a coven of eight." Carlisle let some of his own happiness at the events bleed through.
She nodded in understanding and Carlisle wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they walked to the car. They walked to the driver's side as Carlisle opened the driver's side door and Rosalie sat in the passenger seat behind him.
Carlisle looked into the rearview mirror. He saw Edward watching as Alice sat in the middle and engaged Lily in a lively conversation while the girl relaxed in Esme's lap resting her weight against the strong cold presence. Emmett stood in the back of the jeep enjoying the open air. As he looked back in the mirror and made eye contact with his wife and mate, he couldn't help but smile.
His family.
Updated: 3/3/22
Unbetad
Comments are no longer connected to proper paragraphs. Plot points remain the same.