Here we are with another installment in the series! Thanks to everyone who supported the original "Mama" and inspired me to turn it into a project. In this first part we have a little Esme/Rosalie relationship, because honestly I don't think the two ever even interact in any meaningful way in the original stories. So here's my take on them.


With Edward occupying himself upstairs and Rosalie out on a hunt, Carlisle and I are finally enjoying a moment of peace in the living room. Until, that is, we hear the distant sound of someone running towards the house. Carlisle frowns, getting up to open the door, and suddenly Rosalie appears, carrying something that smells of blood. "Please," she says quickly, "You have to help him!" It takes me a minute to realize that the thing in her arms is a young human boy, who stares up at her with wide blue eyes.

"My office," Carlisle murmurs, watching her rush up the stairs. He exchanges a worried look with me before we both follow her. Rosalie sets the boy down on the exam bed in the office, cringing as he moans in pain. I stay by the door out of caution, but Carlisle moves closer. "What happened?" he asks. "Did you…?"

Rose shakes her head. "No, it wasn't me, I swear. There was a bear, and…I just couldn't let him die. Please, Carlisle, you have to save him!"

I've never seen Rosalie so panicked, and she seems completely unfazed by the large amount of blood covering the human. "Alright," Carlisle agrees, "I'll take a look. Stand back, Rose."

"No!" she insists, grabbing a hold of the boy's hand. "I'm not leaving him."

Carlisle looks up at her for a moment, surprised, but moves to stand beside the boy. "What's your name?" he asks, gently examining the boy's injuries.

Slowly, the boy tears his eyes away from Rosalie and looks at Carlisle, puzzled. "Emmett," he chokes out.

"Alright Emmett," Carlisle replies, frowning. "Try to relax. Can you tell me how old you are?"

The boy frowns for a moment in confusion. "Twenty…" he manages after a minute. "Don't you…know that?"

Carlisle ignores this, looking at Rosalie. "I'm sorry Rose," he murmurs, too quietly for the boy to hear. "There's nothing I can do. He's lost too much blood already."

Rosalie growls softly. "Change him then!" she hisses. "You didn't have a problem doing it to me!" she sighs, collecting herself for a minute. "I'm sorry. Please, Carlisle, he can't die."

"Why are you so attached to him, Rose?" he asks, puzzled at her sudden fondness. "Did you know him?"

She shakes her head. "Never seen him until today. I just…I have this feeling. He needs to be alive. I can't do it myself, I'll kill him. Please, Carlisle, help me save him," she begs desperately. He looks back at me, alarmed by her sudden desperation. The boy makes a choked sound as he stares up at Rosalie again. "Emmett?" she murmurs. "Can you hear me?" His mouth opens, but nothing comes out, and he frowns in confusion. "Oh God. Carlisle, please!"

I look to Carlisle, who's still looking at me, silently asking what he should do. I nod. "Do it."

He nods solemnly. "I'm so sorry about this, Emmett." Gently, he turns the boy's head to the side, his teeth sinking in quickly. The boy cries out, thrashing weakly as the venom races through him, intensifying the pain of his injuries. "I'm sorry," Carlisle murmurs again, backing up to where I stand. I hug him gently, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

"It's okay, Emmett," Rose murmurs, squeezing the boy's hand. "It'll be over soon. I won't leave, I promise."

"I'll come back to check on him in a little while," Carlisle says quietly. I pull him out of the office and out of the house, far enough that the boy's cries fade. "Why do you think she was so insistent that I save him?" he asks, puzzled.

I shrug. "She said she felt something. Maybe this is what we hoped for."

"You think she's found a mate?" he asks.

I smile. "You felt something too when you changed me, even though you didn't understand it at the time. I think it's possible. Think about it. It's not typical of her to be so concerned over a human, or over anyone for that matter. She was faced with a weak, bleeding human, and she managed to control herself enough to carry him all the way back here. I believe she had a reason for saving him, even if she doesn't know what it is herself yet."

Carlisle nods, but hesitates. "Do you…think I did the right thing?"

"You saved the boy's life, Carlisle," I point out.

He nods again. "Yes, but I saved Rosalie's too, and she didn't want to be saved. She resents me for it, even now."

"But Edward didn't resent you, and neither do I. I think you made the right choice. And maybe he'll be good for her."

"Maybe," he agrees reluctantly. "I guess we'll find out in three days. Maybe you should talk to her, see how she's doing."

I nod. "I will. Are you going to be okay?"

He smiles a little. "I'll be fine. Let's go check on them."

I nod, taking his hand and walking slowly back to the house. Back in the office, I find Rosalie in the same spot I left her in, murmuring softly to the boy on the bed whose cries seem to have quieted just slightly. "How are you doing?" I ask quietly.

She shrugs, not taking her eyes from him. "I'm not the one going through this."

"No, but it still has to be hard for you to watch. Do you have any idea why you felt the need to save him, Rose?"

She sighs softly. "I don't know. He looked so much like Vera's little boy. I know he can't be the same one, but still, he was so innocent, and…I just had to save him." Emmett whimpers softly, and Rose frowns. "What have I done?" she whispers.

"What do you mean? You saved his life."

She shakes her head. "No. I chose for him, the way Carlisle chose for me. What if he didn't want to be saved? What if he hates me forever?"

I sigh, taking her free hand gently. "Rosalie, have you seen the way that boy looks at you? I don't think he could ever hate you."

"She's right," Edward murmurs from the doorway. "He doesn't hate you. He's glad that you're with him."

Rose looks over at him. "Are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

Edward chuckles. "No. Why would I try to make you feel better?" he teases. She glares at him, and he puts his hands up. "Just joking. I'm only telling you what I heard."

She looks back at Emmett for a moment, her expression softening. "What else can you tell me?" she asks.

He steps further into the room, listening for a minute. "He seems to think he's dead," he answers, amused, "And that Carlisle is God. He keeps wondering why an angel is in Hell with him." Emmett cries out again, and Edward winces. "He's in more pain than usual for the change. Maybe it's because he's in worse shape than we were?"

Rosalie looks to Carlisle, worried. "Is there anything we can do to help with the pain?" she asks.

He considers it. "I don't know if it would help at this point, but we could try giving him morphine. I don't think it could hurt."

She nods slowly. "Okay. Can I help?"

He smiles, starting to prepare the injection. "Just hold him still for me, okay?" Rose nods, carefully holding the boy as instructed while Carlisle administers the shot. "There. Hopefully it'll help a bit. Do you need anything else?"

She shakes her head. "No, thank you. I think I'm just going to sit with him for a while." Carlisle nods, turning to leave, but she reaches out to stop him. "Oh, Carlisle…I'm sorry about the way I acted. I understand now, why you did it. I'm sorry."

Carlisle smiles, hugging her gently. "It's alright, Rose. Let me know if you need anything, okay? I'll come back later to check on him."


On the third day, when Emmett's heartbeat grows fainter, Rosalie calls for me. "How's he holding up?" I ask softly.

"The morphine isn't helping at all, but I think he's almost done. Would you mind helping me clean him up?"

I smile. "Sure, honey. It took me a while, but I think I found clothes in his size." I reach out, helping her uncurl the trembling boy from his fetal position and remove the tattered remains of his clothes before gently washing the blood from his skin and redressing him. "There," I murmur, carefully setting him back down. "He looks better already." She nods, but still looks worried. "It's almost over, honey," I assure her. "Try to relax. It'll be alright." She smiles a little nodding, and Carlisle and Edward join us as the boy's heartbeat slows further, his pained whimpers quieting. I step back to sit next to Edward at the far end of the room.

"Any minute now," Carlisle murmurs, moving closer to take a seat on the edge of the bed.

Rosalie takes the boy's hand, watching him anxiously as his heartbeat finally falls silent. After a long moment, his eyes open, no longer blue but a bright red. He blinks up at Rosalie, in total shock, but stays still and silent. "Emmett?" she whispers after a minute. "Can you hear me?"

Slowly, he nods. "I…don't understand," he murmurs finally. "The fire is gone…but you're still here." He looks at Carlisle questioningly. "Did you change your mind?"

"Change my mind about what?" Carlisle asks.

"About sending me to Hell," he answers matter-of-factly. "I wasn't surprised, honestly. But why did you leave the angel with me? I kept thinking you'd take her away."

Carlisle smiles. "We need to talk about some things, okay Emmett?"

The boy nods, then looks at Rose nervously. "Are you leaving?" he asks.

"Of course not," she assures him. "Just listen, okay?"

He nods again, turning his attention back to Carlisle. "Okay. What is it?"

"You're not in Heaven or Hell, Emmett. You're still on earth. You've just been…changed, a little." The boy frowns in confusion. "Here, maybe this will help. Come see for yourself." He leads the boy over to the long mirror in the corner.

Emmett pulls Rosalie along with him, refusing to let go of her. His considers his reflection cautiously. "Am I dead?" he asks.

"In a way," Rosalie answers carefully. "But you're also in a way alive."

"Why…what am I?" he asks.

"Well," Carlisle explains slowly, "Typically, we're called vampires." The boy frowns, baring his teeth in the mirror. Carlisle chuckles softly. "No fangs, I'm afraid."

Emmett nods, seemingly satisfied with this. "Does that mean I have to bite people?"

"No," Carlisle answers. "There are some vampires out there who do, but my family and I do not. But maybe I should introduce myself first. My name is Carlisle Cullen."

He grins, looking even more boyish. "Emmett McCarthy. Nice to meet you." For the first time, Emmett notices Edward and I. "Oh. Hi."

I smile, slowly walking closer. "Hi Emmett. I'm Esme, Carlisle's wife. This is our son Edward, and I think you remember Rosalie."

He smiles, looking at her. "Of course. My angel."

Rosalie smiles back. "Not so much an angel. More a freak of nature."

He chuckles. "I think you can be both. So…all of you are vampires? Were you all…changed like me?"

Carlisle nods. "Yes. And all of us are committed to not harming humans."

"So if you don't bite humans," he asks, "How do you survive?"

"We live off of animal blood," Rose explains. "It's why our eyes turn yellow."

At the mention of blood, Emmett frowns, rubbing at his throat. "Sorry, you must be thirsty," Carlisle says. "Why don't we take you hunting first? We can talk about everything else later."

After his thirst is satisfied, we return to the house, and Emmett checks his reflection in the hall mirror. "Still red," he sighs.

"They'll lighten with time," Carlisle assures him. "How are you holding up so far?"

Emmett frowns, confused, as he sits down beside Rosalie. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we've just told you that you're dead and a supernatural being that you didn't think existed, but you seem to be taking it rather well."

Emmett shrugs. "Well, there's nothing I can really do about it now, right?" he asks.

Carlisle nods. "No, I suppose not."

"Okay. So there's not much use in getting upset about it." he grins. "If God and my angel are vampires, how bad can it be? I would like to ask some questions though, if that's okay."

"Of course," Carlisle answers. "Go ahead."

"Vampires don't age or die, right?" Carlisle nods. "So how old are you really?"

"Almost three hundred years," he replies, chuckling at the boy's expression. "Edward has been a vampire second longest. I changed him in 1918. Esme was born before him, but I didn't change her until 1921. And Rose was just changed two years ago."

The boy nods thoughtfully. "Why don't you bite people?" he asks.

"Well, I never knew my creator," Carlisle explains. "But I knew I didn't want to be a monster. When I woke up and realized what I'd become, I tried to kill myself, but it didn't work. Then one day, out of desperation, I caught a deer, and I realized that our kind could survive without hurting anyone. I realized that I didn't have to be a monster after all."

Emmett nods again, considering his next question. Before he can ask it, Edward answers. "It wasn't his original intention, but it worked out that way."

"Edward," I admonish lightly. "You know that alarms new people."

"Sorry mom," he says sheepishly.

Emmett looks between us for a moment, puzzled. "Some vampires have special gifts," I explain. "Edward can read minds."

"Really? What am I thinking about right now?"

Edward smiles. "A tree. A cloud. Me in a…HEY!"

Emmett laughs loudly. "Cool." He looks back to Carlisle. "Is there anything else I need to know about being a vampire?"

"Let's stick to the basics for now," Carlisle suggests. "You already know that vampires have heightened senses, and are faster and stronger than humans. But you'll be what we call a newborn vampire for about a year. That means you'll be stronger than a typical vampire, but it also means your urges will be harder to control."

Emmett raises an eyebrow at him. "Urges?"

"I've told you that our family tries not to harm humans, but that instinct is a very powerful one for our kind. Human blood is a temptation for us all, and sometimes it can be impossible to resist. With time, you'll learn to control it, but in the beginning it's always more difficult, especially as a newborn. You'll be going hunting every few days for a while to help control the thirst, but there is a good chance that you'll kill at least a few humans in this life, no matter how hard you try not to. But know that everyone else has too, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone makes mistakes, and we will help you as much as we can."

The boy's eyes widen as he considers this. "Have you?" he asks softly. "Killed anyone, I mean?"

"No," Carlisle answers, "But that seems to be my own gift. Everyone else has. It's…unfortunate, but sometimes accidents happen, no matter how good we try to be."

Emmett nods slowly. "So…if it does happen…what do I do?"

"Tell one of us," Rose answers softly. "You won't be going on hunts alone for a while anyway, but if it does happen, we can help."

"Okay." He looks over at Rosalie again, grinning. "Okay," he says again, a certain finality to the word. "Anything else?"

"I think that covers all the basics," Carlisle answers. "And of course, if you have any questions you're always welcome to ask." He smiles. "Welcome to the family, Emmett."

Emmett nods, but he hasn't torn his gaze away from Rose. "Um…Edward, would you mind taking Emmett on a tour of the house?" she asks. Emmett looks a little disappointed, but she smiles. "I'll meet you there in just a minute. I just have to talk to Esme about something."

The boy nods, reluctantly tearing himself away and following Edward upstairs. "Something on your mind, Rose?" I ask.

She hesitates. "Esme, when did you know that Carlisle was the one?"

I smile. "Well, I knew I felt something different with him back when I first met him, when I was human. But after the change, there was just this feeling I got around him. I just knew." I pause. "Why do you ask, Rose?"

She looks away. "I…think I know the feeling you're talking about," she answers.

"Do you think he might be your mate?" I ask.

She shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe…I hope so. But…once he finds out how I got here, he won't want me."

I shake my head, hugging her gently. "I really don't think that's true, Rose. He looks at you like you're everything to him, and he's only just met you. I don't think that would change if he knew your story."

She snorts. "He thinks I'm an angel. If only he knew how wrong he was."

"No. He thinks you're his angel. You can still be that." She frowns. "Don't worry so much. If it's meant to be, it will be. Just take it one step at a time, okay? See how things go."

She smiles, nodding. "Okay. Thank you." She runs upstairs after the boys.

"Do you think she's alright?" Carlisle asks.

I nod. "For the first time in a long time, I think she will be. Do you think he's going to be alright?"

He chuckles. "Well, he's handling things well so far. Better than I would have expected. He doesn't seem very concerned."

I laugh. "No, he doesn't. I guess when you already have an angel, you don't have much else to worry about."


Woohoo! So I know this is more a canon event told from a new point of view, but I tried really hard to think of a time when Rosalie might lean on Esme a little, and I realized that this was probably one of the very few times it could have happened. Please remember to send me a quick review if you liked it, or if you didn't! If I get some responses I'll post the next, more Emmett-centered chapter later today or tomorrow.

Also, if you haven't read the original "Mama" with Esme and Jasper and want to check it out, here's a link: s/9678679/1/Mama

Love,

TheSongSmith