Hey guys!
So this here is an Outtake of the story "Better times will come". It will make much more sense if you have read the story, or at least the last few chapters (33-35) of the story I just mentioned, but who am I to tell you what to do. Decide for yourself but don't complain to me when you have no clue what's going on ;-)
I was just curious what was going on at home and Carlisle's thoughts on what had happened - maybe you are too.
Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters belongs to Stephenie Meyer and no one else.
"This is very... unfortunate," Carlisle muttered. He had one arm folded across his chest, holding the elbow of his other arm, as he rubbed his chin and gazed at the broken and bent remnants of his once beautiful, shiny black Mercedes.
He had loved that car.
"We didn't want to tell you before," Edward admitted hesitantly, all the while keeping his eyes on his father and his mind open to listen in on his thoughts. He just wanted to make sure he'd have a little headstart in case he needed to run and hide.
With a sad sigh, Carlisle pointed one finger at something bulky lying in one corner of the garage. "Is that...?"
"Yes, that's the engine. I don't think you can get it fixed again, and the car body is damaged beyond repair, Carlisle."
"Hm," he muttered and rubbed his chin again.
A minute passed and his father's silence was making the bronze-haired boy a little nervous. "Of course we can stand here and wait for Rose," he remarked just to end the silence, "but I'm sure she'll tell you to just get a new one."
Oops, maybe he should have kept his mouth shut...
Carlisle took his eyes from the pile of bent metal that once used to be his beloved car and looked at his son, who immediately averted his eyes as he knew full well what Carlisle was about to say to him.
"Please try to refer from reading my thoughts, son."
He sheepishly looked back up at his father. "I'm sorry, Dad, but I'm sure anyone would have guessed that you thought about asking Rose if she could fix it somehow."
Carlisle's jaw clenched for a second. "I'd like to know where she is."
The mention of his daughter made him remember why he had left work in a panic after trying to reach Emmett on the phone. He had made it home in record time to calm his wife and find out what had happened during his absence. Instead of giving him answers, Edward had led him to the garage – it had been an attempt to distract him obviously, and it had worked for a short moment.
But now they were back on the topic.
Edward glanced at him, then decided to observe the beautiful and extremely interesting cement floor.
"Edward."
No answer.
"Edward," Carlisle said in a warning tone, "if you know something about the whereabouts of your siblings, then I want you to tell me right now."
He knew a little bit... but he didn't think it would be the right time for Carlisle to hear what was going on.
Unfortunately his father seemed to lose his patience as he stood in front of him and crossed his arms over his chest. "Do I need to ask your sister and draw her away from her suffering husband?"
That was the last thing Edward wanted. They had finally found Jasper, and Alice was determined to not leave him out of her sight until he was her Jasper again. It was hard enough for her to see him in this condition and not being able to help him as she did not see when or if he would get better again... he couldn't let Carlisle give her the third degree, especially not now. "No."
"Then tell me."
His shoulders slumped as he let out a sigh and hung his head. "I don't know where they are."
"Edward, I-" Carlisle began to say, but Edward's head snapped back up and he immediately cut him off.
"They are driving around, that's all I could see in Alice's vision! But right now she's blocking everything that doesn't have to do with Jasper!"
That was a plausible explanation, even though it was quite unsatisfactory for Carlisle. His children were still missing and nobody knew where they were or what they were doing. At least Jasper wasn't missing anymore. It was still a mystery to them if and how the girl had done this and how long it would last. His condition was still very disturbing and they had no idea how to help him – but at least he was home now and they could watch him. "And do you know when Jasper will be better?"
Edward shook his head. "I have no idea. He didn't choose to be in this state, and therefore it seems like he cannot choose to get better. Alice cannot see."
Carlisle narrowed his eyes in thought, then turned around and headed for the living room where he knew his wife and his daughter were trying to get Jasper to relax and remember where he was.
He came to a halt next to the armchair Esme was currently occupying and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and slowly shook her head, answering his unspoken question that way.
Jasper still wasn't better.
"Jasper, son," he said in order to gain Jasper's attention, but the blonde boy didn't seem to hear him as he continued to look around the room like he had never been here before. Alice constantly tried to grab his face and make him look at her, look in her eyes and listen to her voice, but he always got distracted by the fact that he forgot where he was and tried to regain his sense of direction.
With a sigh Carlisle addressed his dark-haired daughter. The poor girl looked worried and frustrated with herself – Carlisle felt exactly the same way at the moment, just like Esme and Edward. They couldn't do anything about Jasper's condition, and they couldn't do anything about the girl as they didn't know where Rosalie and Emmett were taking her and what they were planning on doing with her. And they didn't know if Rose and Emmett were coming back and if they were all right.
"Alice?"
"I don't know, Dad. I don't know how long it will take," she replied and bit her lip, then squeezed her mate's hand.
He reached out and put a hand on her knee, giving it a comforting rub. "You and Edward brought him home, sweetheart, and he doesn't seem to be in physical pain. Don't blame yourself, he will get better."
She looked like she was about to cry.
He rubbed her knee again, then gave his girl a look of apology. "I know it is difficult at the moment, but could you please try and see where your siblings are and if they are safe? We tried calling them, but they must have switched off their phones."
"Or maybe they are in a dead zone," Edward tried as he walked toward the rest of the family. They looked up, and he shrugged his shoulders like he was just trying to be helpful.
Esme shook her head. "Rosalie hung up on me."
"Maybe the battery died," he guessed.
"It rang when I tried again..."
Carlisle cleared his throat and looked at his daughter. "Alice, where are they?"
The girl closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, she scrunched up her face, then let out a soft sigh. "They are driving."
"Where to?"
"I didn't see any road signs."
With his elbows on his knees, he bent forward and squinted at his daughter. "You really don't know where they are going?"
She lowered her gaze to the ground and squeezed her mate's hand even tighter while starting to chew on her bottom lip.
"No," Edward answered for his sister.
"Edward, please," Carlisle softly rebuked and glanced at his boy before looking back at his little pixie daughter sitting on the couch.
She hesitated for a moment before she slowly shook her head, and he inwardly groaned.
Rose and Emmett had taken the car, and he couldn't trace them that way. No scent, no footsteps in the snow, no nothing.
Were they really going to do what Esme feared they would? Right from the beginning Rosalie had been against changing the girl, and Maddie wasn't adapting well. Have they decided to spare her having to live like this? Give her a choice? She barely knew life, giving her a choice like that was grossly negligent and cruel.
Such a young life...
But would they really go that far and follow through with their plan? He didn't know if they had it in them to kill a child who was in need of love and protection... but maybe this was their interpretation of protection.
Protect her from a life that meant never growing up, never sleeping and never being able to forget.
But why would Emmett agree? He embraced life with everything it had to offer, he was looking forward to every new day and wondered what it would hold for him. It was a lot more likely that he would try to help his little sister experience the joy of living instead of pinning her to the ground and ripping her head off.
That image made bile rise up in Carlisle's throat. He closed his eyes and turned his head away so his family wouldn't see what was currently going through his mind and what it was doing to him. He was still the leader of this coven and he had to be strong for them.
His thoughts went right back to his children.
Emmy was gentle and fun-loving, not heartless and brutal. Newborns, especially the ones you created yourself or who were born into your coven were dependent on your help, protection and guidance – they were innocent and inexperienced beings. While Emmett would do anything to make his wife happy, Carlisle could not imagine that killing a child would be one of those things.
And he knew that Rose initially felt the same about newborns as she had raised and guided her Em through his newborn years... so what was going on here? They were adapted to making the best out of situations no matter how trying or difficult... but choosing something final as death for someone who couldn't possibly know what she wanted?
He barely managed to swallow back a gasp right before it could leave his lips. Have they decided to leave this family, this coven? Were they going separate ways now? But why did they switch their phones off and not even tell them what they were planning on doing? They weren't obligated to be members of this coven, they were free to do whatever they wanted. But he had turned the girl, and so they had no right to just take her from here and separate her from the ones who were responsible for her. And they had no right to decide whether the life he had just created was worth saving or needed to be destroyed.
A phantom migraine was building in his head and he reached up and massaged the bridge of his nose in an attempt to rub the worry and stress away.
All of a sudden he got aware of how quiet it had become in the room. He looked up and saw that his family was staring at him - well, except for Jasper who was still behaving like a tourist. "I'm sorry, I just need some fresh air," he mumbled, then pushed himself up from the armrest of the chair and walked in the direction of the front door.
Edward gulped when he passed him, then put a hand on his shoulder to make him stop and listen to him. "Dad I-"
Carlisle just shrugged his hand off.
"Not now, Edward."
Esme gave her husband half an hour before she joined him outside on the porch. Sitting down next to him, she put a hand on his knee in an attempt to bring comfort to him and maybe get some herself.
She knew exactly how he must be feeling as she felt a heavy sense of anxiety and raw fear herself. Their children were somewhere out there, but if they were safe and well, she did not know.
He took her hand in his, then lifted it up to his lips and kissed her knuckles while still gazing out at the surrounding forests. They sat in silence for a while, just watching the snow fall.
"How many mistakes can a person make, Esme?"
She was startled by his question and blinked her eyes at him, but as he was still gazing at the falling snow, he did not see her reaction to his question. "Trying to save a life is never a mistake," she replied confidently.
"I wonder if our children see it the same way."
"Carlisle," she said and let out a deep sigh. "We don't know what's going on."
"Exactly," he agreed, then turned his head and looked at her. "we don't know what's going on."
There was a bitterness in his voice that made Esme's heart constrict painfully.
"Please, Carlisle, please don't," she whispered and clutched his hand. The beautiful brunette knew her husband very well, and at the moment he was angry and frustrated with himself. He felt like he had driven them out of the house, like it was his fault that they were gone, just like all those years ago when Edward had left them to live a different life. He had accused Carlisle of being manipulative and a liar, and then he walked out of the door to lead the 'dark life' that was meant for a 'disgusting creature' like him.
Ten long years they waited and even though they managed to have normal and happy days, they were hurting. Carlisle fell into a depression, feeling he was a despicable being for forcing this life onto the boy, and Esme shed many tears for her son and her husband's pain. Naturally she always tried to appear strong in front of him to be able to offer him the comfort and support he needed during that time - but as soon as he left for work, venom cascaded down her cheeks and she felt so utterly helpless and weak.
It would be the same now, the pain would be the same, and Esme needed to be strong for her husband and make sure he wouldn't blame himself.
He didn't speak and she knew all too well what he was thinking about.
Nothing she could say would convince him that eventually everything would turn out fine somehow, even though they couldn't see it at the moment.
She leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, then slowly got up and walked over to the door. Before she could walk back inside, she looked back at him and whispered, "They will come back."
Tanya's phone call on the next day left Carlisle feeling drawn between relief and a heavy sense of sadness.
He knew they had made a lot of mistakes, knew that this time everything - starting from bringing her here - had gone all wrong.
Maybe you shouldn't always follow your heart... Carlisle believed in Alice's visions, believed they showed them what meant to be. But maybe this time they should have just ignored it. Instead of helping her, they had just prolonged a girl's suffering, because they had thought of nothing but themselves. They had more than enough love to give, had been delighted about this unexpected turn of events that they would have another addition to the family – however, they hadn't spent enough time thinking about the young, dying person they had forced into this new life, even though at that time they had been convinced that they were saving her.
Not everyone wanted to be saved.
And maybe instead of saving her, they had just doomed her.
But he was relieved that Rose and Emmett were on their way back now and that they hadn't left them, and he was incredibly relieved that no harm had come to the newborn and they had found a new home for her with people he would trust his life with. They were wonderful, each and every one of them, and that they so willingly accepted a wild newborn into their house and into their lives so she wouldn't be all alone and on her own was something he would never be able to thank them enough for.
It made him so very proud of his children that they had been so caring and compassionate with Maddie, and that they had now taken matters into their own hands and taken her away from here. Of course it wasn't easy to admit that they had been blind and egoistic to think the girl would just stay with them, forget what had happened and eventually even start to like them. She didn't just look young, she was young. It just wasn't the same like it was with Edward for example... he looked seventeen, but due to the times in which he grew up, he was much more mature than a seventeen-year-old. Well, as long as the teenage hormones and rebellious phases weren't popping up.
He couldn't expect Maddie to recognise their true intentions when they had brought her to Alaska and changed her. Actions speak louder than words, but he couldn't blame her for not being interested in what they had to say or wanted to do to help her.
A neutral party was probably what she needed to be able to spend her newborn years as safely and carefree as possible.
With that thought in mind, an immense sense of pride spread throughout his body and warmed his heart.
He was truly proud of his children that they had taken action and did what was best for the girl. Of course they didn't know if it would work out and if she would manage to warm up to the Denalis and get used to this new life... but he didn't even want to think of what would happen if it didn't.
No, he trusted his relatives to help her through this difficult time, to guide her and keep her safe. Her ability must be an additional factor to cause her heavy confusion... and yes, he was curious what exactly she was able to do and how potent it was. When would Jasper feel better again? Did they need to bring him to Denali so Maddie could lift her influence over him? Did she know how and would she even do that? She surely wouldn't want to see his face anytime soon, and he guessed that it would be the same with Jasper. She loathed and despised them, and that's why he felt so blessed to have Emmett and Rose who took care of her when they couldn't. They had been absolutely fantastic with her.
Thinking about it, he wondered what kind of impact their departure would have on her now. Now they would see if Rose and Emmett's care had been enough for her to built up a sense of basic trust, despite the circumstances of her transformation and her fear and loathe for them.
But Tanya had told him that even though Rose and Em had left, she was with them. So she trusted Rosalie and Emmett, and apparently she wasn't afraid of the Denalis so maybe she would soon start to trust them as well.
That was wonderful – they couldn't have hoped for better news.
Rosalie parked the car in the garage and after exchanging a look with her husband, she sighed and climbed out of the driver's seat.
It had been a good drive... no traffic jams... no icy roads... she had half a mind to get behind the wheel again and drive around for another while just to evade having to face Carlisle. However, she was a mature person and not Edward, and so she shook the thought from her head and mentally prepared herself for the talk with their father.
Carlisle was standing by the door like he had already been waiting for them to return. His arms were folded across his chest and his face was unreadable while he watched them without saying a single word.
Rose knew he wanted them to follow him to his study.
She could hear Emmett slowly open his door, but he didn't get out.
"Come, Em," Rosalie hissed and rolled her eyes in the direction of their waiting father in case he hadn't noticed him standing there.
The dark-haired boy looked down at his lap, then back up at his mate. "Um... I can't, babe," he admitted.
She scowled at him. "What do you mean, you can't?"
"I... can't get up. I don't understand, it's...," he looked down at his lap again like he expected to see what was wrong with him or the car, but he couldn't detect what kept his behind firmly on the passenger seat and his legs from doing what he wanted them to do.
Stepping around the car to reach her mate, Rosalie whispered, "Emmett, this is not the right time for-"
"Seriously, I can't get out of the car! I'm not joking." It was like he couldn't move his legs, and so he banged his fist down on his right thigh to see if that would help.
It hurt, but he still couldn't get up.
Rose covered her eyes with one of her hands and exhaled loudly. "She told you to stay here, didn't she?"
"Yes, but she meant to stay in Denali, not in the car," he snorted, but his facial expression quickly changed to one of shock when he realised what his wife implied must have happened. "Oh. My. God. She glued me to a car seat?! Is that even possible? I mean... for how long do I have to sit here?"
Rosalie's face scrunched up before she helplessly shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe we need to go back."
Emmett rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure that wouldn't confuse her after you yelled at her that we wouldn't," he replied, then shook his head and groaned. "No, Rose, I bet she didn't even realise that she had done something, so how can she possibly take it back? She cannot control it and is still unaware that she even has a talent."
She groaned as well now and leaned with her hip against the side of the car, rubbing both her hands over her face.
"It'll wear off."
Rosalie dropped her hands and Emmett looked back over his shoulder, only to see that Edward had appeared next to Carlisle and was watching his siblings now. "Jasper is getting better by the day."
"Is he really?" the blonde asked, her eyes big and hopeful. It was good to hear that he was back home and that Maddie's influence was wearing off. While she had been mad at her brother for cornering the girl like that, she was relieved that he was recovering. Hopefully her mate would also recover soon. Well, at least he couldn't get lost.
Slowly Edward made his way over to the car. "Still no sense of direction and we need to watch him, but he's a little calmer now and tries to follow Alice everywhere so he won't get lost again. She's his anchor."
"And what does that have to do with my butt on this car seat? I cannot follow Rose even if I wanted to." But right now Em wasn't sure if he really wanted to... Carlisle would march them right up to his study, and that was bad news more often than it was not. Maybe Maddie had done him a service by making him unable to get up, as that way his behind was safe from harm for a little while longer.
Rose's not so much.
A gasp from the door made all of them turn around to see who had entered the garage.
Esme stood there, her hands covering her mouth while her eyes seemed to water up.
"You're back," she whispered, then hurried over to her blonde daughter and hugged her tight like she hadn't seen her in forever. She kept one arm around Rose's shoulders while she reached one hand out to cup her son's cheek.
Then she leaned over to kiss his forehead, before she pressed her lips against Rose's temple.
"Of course we would come back, mother," Rose whispered softly.
"I was so worried... you scared me," Esme admitted and Emmett looked away shamefaced as her gaze fell on him.
"Sorry, Momma," he mumbled.
Rosalie stole a glance at her father, who was still standing by the door and still hadn't said a word. They had almost forgotten that he was in the garage with them. Why didn't he say anything? Was he too mad to form a coherent thought?
"How is she?"
Looking back at her mother, Rosalie gave her a little smile. "She's fine, Esme, she likes them."
The tension dropped from Esme's face and relief took its place. "Oh, thank God. I really thought you wanted to...," she started to say, but then shook her head like she wanted to rid herself of these awful thoughts.
"We only wanted to help her. It couldn't go on like this."
Esme suddenly put her hands on her hips and her facial expression changed. "You could have told us, and don't you ever hang up on me or refuse to accept my calls! You left us thinking God knows what was about to happen! We didn't know where you were, didn't know where you were going or what you were planning on doing with that poor girl!" she ranted while looking in between the two, waving her finger angrily. "How could you do that?"
Edward took a few steps back as he did not want to be included in getting yelled at while Rosalie lowered her gaze and kept her mouth shut.
"Sorry," Emmett murmured again and kept his eyes on his folded hands in his lap.
The brown-haired woman fixed her eyes on her son who was still sitting in the car. "A simple sorry is not good enough, young man! We were scared and-"
Hearing her husband getting chided and what he was getting chided for made something in Rosalie take over. Her head snapped back up and she narrowed her eyes at her mother. "You know who was scared? She was. So please excuse that we weren't thoughtful enough of you when we brought her to Denali where she would finally feel safe."
"She was safe with us, we would have never hurt her."
"Great, Esme, you go tell her that and see what happens," Rose snapped.
"Enough."
They turned around at the quiet-spoken order, and no one said a word when Carlisle uncrossed his arms and slowly stepped up to them.
"Remember who you are talking to, Rosalie."
She stared right back at him, then at Esme, before she dropped her gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry."
He cleared his throat when she didn't look back up, but despite his subtle request she still kept her head bent.
"Rosalie," he said and put a finger under her chin to make her look at him.
Their eyes met, and after excruciating long seconds that made Emmett tense up as he did not know what Carlisle would do to his wife now and he would not be able to defend her, Carlisle's eyes softened and he put his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "I am glad you're back."
She nodded her head, and he hugged her to himself.
Just a little addition to the story. Hope you liked it and thanks for reading!