Pulling up the driveway of a large white washed three story house Carlisle licked his lips. It was a beautiful old house with big airy windows with quaint window boxes, neatly kept plush lawns and flower beds overflowing with flora. If anything it looked like the front cover of one of those glossy home magazines his pompous ex-wife used to have piled around. Carlisle swallowed the lump in his throat, thinking of Esme always turned his mind to… he closed his eyes, calming his shaking hands as he put the hand break on and pulled the keys from the ignition, climbing from the silver Mercedes Benz and quietly closing the door. He turned his eyes back to the house, it was just as he remembered it all those years ago. He took a deep unneeded breath.
"Who would've thought I'd be back here," He sighed dragging his reluctant feet up the three white wooden steps onto the large front porch to the front door and knocking.
The Crimson Mist was a private house tucked away in the Rocky Mountains, miles from anywhere it seemed a surreal sight for those unfortunate souls that happened upon it. Carlisle was not one of those unfortunate souls for he, unlike any other visitor, knew the owner. Tamesine Martin was a tall woman with blood red hair that flowed to her waist, snow white skin and ominous black eyes and like Carlisle she was born and raised in London, England in the seventeenth century. Taking her sweet time she opened the door smirking at the sheepish man standing on her door step she chuckled.
"My my, who would have thought you'd have the nerve to show up here," She hummed, leaning seductively against the door frame, one hand edging up the wood and the other sliding over her red silk covered hip.
"I didn't know where else to go," He croaked, eyes cast to the wooden floor of the white porch. The woman sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes in boredom.
"Really you should find another opening line," She drawled dryly, "For that one is as old as we are," Stepping back she pulled the door open fully, allowing the dejected doctor to trudge past into the entrance hall.
They settled in the conservatory, a glass room that stretched the back of the large house and housed a great many instruments and a plethora of comfy chairs. Stretching out on a chaise Tamesine regarded Carlisle, his usually crisp shirt was crumpled and splattered with small specs of dried blood and dirt, his black slacks were torn, black brogues scuffed beyond the hope of polishing out and his usually well-kept blond hair was strewn about wildly. He looked, to her, as he always did. Broken and hopeless. Watching him fiddle with the golden chain around his neck and the delicate ruby ring hung upon it she cast her mind back to the first time he had turned up on her door step like this. It was 1658 in the depth of winter, snow had settled over the city and a bitter wind whipped through like icy claws. She sat in her empty home of a one room shack tucked away in a dark alley. Once upon a time she had been a little girl belonging to a well to do couple who owned a bakery, she had gone to church on Sundays and played in the street with other well to do children. It was four and a half years ago now that a sickness had taken her parents from her, leaving her alone and broken. No one cared, she was the devil spawn that even sickness would not touch. Now she did the only thing she could to get money, she sold herself. The knock on her door was not a surprise this late at night and with a sickened grimace she smoothed her clothes and put on her best wanton look trying not to think about what drunken oaf was staggering in her door way. Pulling the door open she was almost horrified to find that instead of a drunken moron there was instead a tall, blond young man with heartbroken eyes.
"Carlisle?" She stuttered, "What are you…" His already pale face swallowed as he looked at her in shock.
"I…I must have the wrong house," He choked stumbling backwards, "I was… well…I…" His eyes searched for the words his mouth couldn't find, trailing up her body. His eyes were swollen and red, lips bordering on blue and his whole body was shivering.
"Carlisle," She said carefully, "I think you should come in," He frowned, eyeing her with caution.
"Tamesine I shouldn't…" He started but as a strong wind blew, knocking him almost from his feet he hurried in past her.
Carlisle Cullen had only been eighteen at that time, the son of a pastor and he knew that if anyone ever discovered what he had been looking for the day he had knocked on Tamesine's door he would have been disowned. He settled himself awkwardly in a hard wooden chair as she pulled the hot kettle from the hook above the fire.
"I cannot see why a man like yourself would be knocking on doors in this part of town Carlisle," She said bitterly, "Our souls are past saving,"
"I was looking for someone," He said numbly, not meeting her cold eyes, "A woman… Crimson," Tamesine's eyes rolled in their sockets in disbelief.
"And why would you be looking for a prostitute?" She drawled, "To drag her out and beat her to make an example?" Carlisle swallowed and shook his head. Frowning deeply she passed him a hot cup of tea.
"To pay for her services," He whispered, taking the cup in shaky hands. A dark, cold chuckle rippled from chest.
"To pay for what? You must think me a fool if you think I will believe that you, the good little Pastor's boy, would pay for liaisons with the kin of Jezebel," She sighed with exasperation and sat in the only other chair in the room, opposite him.
"I just want to forget," He choked, head dropping forward as tears trailed his cheeks. Sipping her tea slowly the contempt she felt for the man which had settled in her stomach made her feel decisively queasy.
"What have you got to forget?" Her voice came out as curious. She watched his Adams apple bob as he swallowed thickly.
"My mother…a demon ripped out her throat," He whispered, his horrified eyes looking up to Tamesine, "Father… Father cut off her head and burned her body before the evil could seep into her soul…I just want to forget the sound of her screaming," Tamesine had no words for Carlisle, his step mother had been the only person she knew not to think her touched by the devil.
"I…I am so sorry Carlisle, she was a kind woman who did not deserve that," She whispered, her eyes settling on her cup, "You have my condolences," Carlisle let out a shaky snort, obviously her condolences meant very little to him.
"I just want to forget, I had heard talk that this Crimson could make you forget anything," He stuttered, sipping his tea slowly. This moment was her cross roads moment, either she could let this broken defeated man leave and never see him again or she could make him stay and take the pain she saw in him away.
"I am Crimson," Tamesine said softly putting down her mug and moving to kneel before him, "And I can make you forget,"
Looking up to the man now sat in her conservatory she knew they had both come a long way from being eighteen year old lost souls.
"Are you going to tell me why you have come running here with your tail between your legs or am I going to have to guess?" She mused, twirling a strand of red hair around her finger. Moving his gaze from the floor for a fraction of a second she caught his hollow eyes, she knew that look, that heartbroken look of uncomprehending disbelief.
"Who died?" Tamesine sighed.
"My… my mate," He stuttered, "She didn't make the change," Tamesine's stomach flopped in slight sympathy.
"Not everyone does Carlisle, we both know that," She whispered, pushing up to sitting. Carlisle shook his head.
"I have turned four others… they all survived…I thought she would, I honestly thought she would," He choked tearless sobs shaking his body. With a small frown she thought back to the last time she had seen him, he and a young lad had arrived on her doorstep in the mist of rain. The boy was little more than a new born, wild and thirsty. He had been the first one Carlisle had changed, she knew there were more. She knew a lot more about Carlisle's life than she would ever let on. What life have you been living, she mused, in the century you pretended I did not exist?
"Life is a cruel thing," She sighed, "You were lucky to make it to your fifth with no casualties… only one in three make the transition alive," Her words only made him sob harder, she rose to her feet deftly and sauntered over to kneel before him, her hands resting on his knees.
"From the sounds of it you've built yourself a family Carlisle, surely they would be supportive through this hard time," She said slowly, her fingers tracing circles on his thighs. It was not that she wanted him to leave, she felt great pleasure in the knowledge that once more he had returned to her. The thing was she hated being correct when it came to Carlisle and she had told him long ago he would come back and she had known even before he pulled up the drive that he was on his way. She never had the heart to tell him how she knew, anger was something she hated to see in her only friend. Carlisle didn't look up to answer her question, simply watching her fingers on his thigh.
"Tell me about your family," Tamesine breathed, her left hand reaching up to touch his face. Carlisle took a shaky unneeded breath.
"I have eight children," He stuttered, "Edward… who you've met and his wife Bella and their daughter Renesmee. Rosalie and her husband Emmett…both of whom I turned. Jasper and his wife Lizzie. Alice… she was Jasper's wife when they arrived but she left. Esme… she was not my child but I turned her… we were married for almost a hundred years before she left me. That…that was when I met Ebony… she… oh god," He clutched at his shirt above his unbeating heart. Tamesine frowned, unsure as to how to handle him. Ebony, she mused, some people just never listened. She pushed the woman from her thoughts and turned her wondering attention back to the heartbroken blond before her, he truly had built himself a family.
"Why have you come here Carlisle?" She whispered, "What is it that you want?"
"I want to forget Tamesine," He stuttered hopelessly, "Please,"
Carlisle could remember the first time she made him forget, it was one if the few human memories he clung to. Tamesine had looked entirely inviting as she knelt before him in her tiny home. Her threadbare brown dress clung to her body, held in place by a burgundy corset. Her hand traced patterns up his thigh. She had just told him that the sweet girl he used to play with as a child was in fact the prostitute he had come to beg to.
"And I can make you forget," She breathed, "Do you want me to make you forget?" His words caught in his throat as he watched her fingers trail up his thighs to the waist band of his trousers. He simply nodded, watching as with a smirk she unbuckled his belt and made light work of the three buttons on the top of his black trousers. With one dainty hand on his chest she pushed him back against the high wooden back rest of his chair whilst the other hand freed his embarrassingly limp length from his trousers. Don't be embarrassed, he scolded himself, you've just told your oldest friend your mother just died and you weren't expecting this. O. His mind went blank as he felt her wet mouth around him, her tongue edging along it torturously slowly. She wasn't lying, he managed to muse, I can't think. She teased him into life beneath her practised mouth, her hands massaging circles on his hips. Removing herself from him she listened to his hiss of disappointment.
"Have you done this before?" She mused getting to her feet, her fingers loosening the laces of her corset. His mind soon turned away from his disappointment to watching her undress.
"No…" He gulped as her corset tumbled to the uneven slate floor. Her head tilted to the left as she shrugged off her dress.
"I promise to be a good teacher," Her sensuous voice felt foreign on Carlisle's ears but he didn't care, rising to his feet as she beckoned him to her. Stepping out of his shoes and trousers Carlisle allowed her to remove his shirt and push him back onto the bed. She crawled on top of him, running her naked body along his. His skin felt like it was one fire, torturing him every single time she touched him. He gasped as her lips closed on his right nipple, her tongue flicking over the virgin flesh. That feels good, he thought as his hands went in search of her breasts. She chuckled as his wandering hands found their targets, her head tilting to look at his almost terrified looking face.
"I'm sorry," He cried releasing them, she shook her head sliding onto her back beside him, one hand sliding around his neck to pull his head to her breast.
"Do what you want to them," She whispered into his ear. She, to this day, had never felt more turned on then when Carlisle's mouth made love to her breasts. He, she decided in that first moment, was definitely a breast man. When his at first tentative caresses grew frantic she decided to allow him inside of her.
"Carlisle," She purred, pulling his attention away from her chest. Silently she guided him between her legs and into her. The look on his face at that moment was one she would never forget.
Staring up into Carlisle's sorrow filled eyes Tamesine wondered how many times he had come running to her, hundreds? Perhaps thousands of times? She had lost count, but each time had ended the same, Carlisle making love to her until he even forgot his own name. In her he found solace and although her promiscuous days were over and she had sworn herself from the flesh of man he was always her exception to the rule.
The day she had sworn off men had been the first day her carnal impulses had mixed with her blood lust. They were new borns in northern France and until that day they had stayed strong in face of their demons. Carlisle had been off scouting the area when a rather attractive man had happened upon their hideout. He was charming and whether his endearing personality or his tempting scent had gotten to her she would never know for as soon as he had her writhing in ecstasy beneath her she couldn't bare her desires any longer and had bitten him and drained him dry. She had been beside herself when Carlisle returned. He didn't know what to do other than move on and a day later when she finally spoke she said she would never sleep a man again, and with that she tore Carlisle's trousers from him and made herself forget.
"Shall we take this upstairs," Tamesine murmured taking a hold of Carlisle's hands and leading him from the conservatory. He followed her robotically through the back sitting room into the grand dining room, the ball room and finally the entrance hall with its two spiral stair cases up to the mezzanine landing and the six black doors. Glancing back to Carlisle Tamesine gently bit her lip, it had been so long since he had been here, so long since she had had him for herself and the last time she had had to work for it as it wasn't Carlisle who needed to forget. That boy Edward, she mused, such blood lust. I must remember to ask about that, she noted, once Carlisle stops hid pity party.
Tamesine was not an overly sympathetic person. As a child she had always been caring, polite and loved by all but when her parents died things had changed. Her old eyes narrowed at the thought. Her parents bodies hadn't even been buried a day when the mob bashed down her door. Carlisle's step mother was with her at the time, soothing her mourning young mind with a gentle hug.
"Mary get away from that demon," Pastor Cullen had bellowed, "The witch must pay for her crimes,"
"Timothy," Mrs Cullen had said looking around at the angry faces of the group, her step son standing terrified beside his father, "Tamesine isn't a witch, she is a girl mourning her parents!" The Pastor did not listen, grabbing the young girl from his wife's arms and dragging her through the screaming mob out into the street.
"Mistress of Satan," He yelled tossing her to the ground, a group of angry parishioners forming a ring and closing of any means of escape, "For your sins we shall beat the devil from your unholy soul," And with that he drew a whip from beneath his long black cloak, letting it uncoil at his feet. Two men, both middle age and smelling of mead tore, each took hold of one of her wrists in one hand and tore the back of her dress open with the other. Fifty times she had been struck across the back, her arms tightly so she could not run. She did not scream, she did not cry, she kept her eyes fixed on Carlisle and his step mother. They were the ones that screamed, they were the ones that cried. They were the only ones who cared.
The left hand stair case led them up to the mezzanine landing and the first door led them through to a long corridor at the end of which was another spiral stair case. The top floor of the house was entirely open and held a monstrous four poster bed covered in black silk sheets. Carlisle knew this room well, along the walls were paintings that stretched the centuries, all of him and Tamesine in different countries, different era dress. He swallowed slightly, trying to tare his eyes from the paintings, they had been content in these moments. He would never call them happy, happy wasn't something he and Tamesine had ever been for it wasn't happiness which kept them together it was a need, a need to be wanted, a need for another, and for him a need to forget. Content, he decided, we have always been content in the company of the other. He sighed as she halted, her hip cocking slightly as she shifted her weight to one leg, her black gaze boring into his soul.
"Carlisle," She said running her hands up his chest, "Where would you like to start?" He regarded her momentarily, where wouldn't he like her to start? Carlisle was a religious man, a holy man fighting to correct his sins, but he knew he would never win that battle for she was his true sin and he could never stop. He watched her lips curve into an inviting smile and slowly he took a hold of the button of his trousers and popped it open. One of her perfectly formed red eyebrows edged towards her hair line and she hummed in amusement. She needn't have asked, this was how it always started. Kneeling she grasped the waist band of his trousers and boxers and pulled them to his ankles in one swift movement. Looking up at his pleading face she remembered the last time she had done this.
Carlisle had arrived in the dead of night, dripping wet from rain, with his new born amusement in tow. Edward was feral, snarling and foul tempered and with one look at him Tamesine had uttered a disbelieving sigh.
"What on earth have you done," She said watching as the new vampire sulked around her entrance hall.
"I saved him," Carlisle stated, hands shoved in his pockets, "He was dying," She snorted.
"Dying? You are a Doctor, people die all the time… if you go around saving them all you'll have an army before long," She said dryly, "Why is he here? I swear if he breaks something I shall kick him out of here so fast he misses a month of Sundays,"
"He is out of control, killing criminals to sate his thirst," Carlisle sighed, "He can read minds Tamesine," Her eyebrows peaked slightly.
"Read minds? Well no wonder he's angsty, anyone fishing around in your mind would be," Tamesine mused, "But this still does not answer why he is here," Carlisle ran his tongue along his teeth.
"I need you to make him forget his blood lust," He whispered, "Before he kills someone else,"
"Pardon?" She laughed, "Make him forget? Darling by now I would like to think you'd understand that is only for you," Carlisle closed his eyes and turned to her.
"I would never ask that of you," He breathed, "Your powers extend beyond that we both know they do," Tamesine was silent for a moment as she looked into Carlisle's golden eyes.
"For you Carlisle…I will do this for you," She said solemnly, "What is his name?"
"Edward," He said softly, "And thank you," The woman's lips twitched into a smirk.
"You can thank me later," She chuckled walking towards the raging teenager.
Carlisle had watched as she proceeded towards the pacing boy, her hands quickly rolling up her white sleeves.
"Edward," She hummed, as if readying herself to catch a run-away dog, "Come here," He turned to her, body tensed ready to fight. He stupidly leapt straight at her and to Carlisle's amusement she side stepped and caught him by the ear.
"Oh no you don't," She snapped above his snarling, "You young man are going to learn some manners!" Carlisle followed at a safe distance as she dragged him through the house to the conservatory at the back.
"Will you stop growling like an animal," She scolded, her free hand smacking the new born around the back of the head, "You're not too big for me to put you over my knee," The blond haired man's eyebrows twitched skywards, god how he liked it when she put him over her knee. Pushing the inappropriate thoughts from his mind he watched her force the still snarling boy onto the stool at the piano.
"Now Edward," She said briskly, "This is my piano, if you even think of scratching it I will not hesitate to rip one of your limbs from you and chuck it on the fire," Edward stilled his snarling body, the boy didn't need to be a mind reader to know this fearsome red head was being perfectly honest and would literally disarm him in a heartbeat.
"Good, now we are being civilised I want you to look into my eyes," She seated herself atop the grand piano leaning down to stare into his black eyes, "Edward Edward Edward, you have been such a naughty little new born," Her voice echoed around the room, seeming almost other worldly. Carlisle shivered, he had never liked to see her use her powers, it somehow marred the image of her he had raised up on pedestal. Edward sat perfectly still looking into the woman's golden eyes, the urge to attack her entirely forgotten. This woman frightened him, her long mane of red hair a constant reminder of that which he wished to consume copiously but as he held her gaze it waned, it waned until he could do nothing other than look into her eyes, the pools of gold that faded to amber before fading into obsidian.
"Play for me," She breathed motioning to the piano beneath her as he back straightened, "Play for me and forget," Edward could not refuse even though he had never laid a finger on a piano in his life but as he raised the cover and touched the ivories it was as if he had known it his entire life. Music followed through him like the blood he had desired to consume, it soothed his warring heart and filled his buzzing mind. The thoughts of his relieved sire and the amused woman not even registering in minds all seeing eye. This, the boy realised, was his solace and for this he would always thank the woman with the red hair.
Tamesine left the boy playing and walked back to Carlisle.
"I assume it would be in my best interest to purchase him a piano," He said to the woman at his side.
"If you wish him to stop feasting on humans then yes," She said evenly, her black eyes looking up to him, "Now about that thank you," Coughing uncomfortably Carlisle averted his gaze.
"This has to stop," He said curtly, "Every time I fall into bed with you it is a month before I resurface,"
"Yes is it not wonderful," She chuckled, lips curling into a seductive smirk.
"It is self-destructive and I have responsibilities," He said flatly, "You turn me wild and then tame me once more, you make me forget myself," Her smirk quickly vanished as her lips set in a hard line.
"That is because you ask me to make you forget," She snapped, "Do not make me out to be a villain, I have never forced you into anything you did not want," Carlisle swallowed and then sighed.
"No you have not," He said softly, "You are too good to me," Tamesine grinned.
"Indeed Carlisle Cullen I am," She said taking his hand, "Now let us become reacquainted with our bedroom before I rethink the favour I have done you," They emerged two days later, a quickie by their standards, to find Edward still playing the piano.
Tamesine with a smirk, looked up to Carlisle who now stood half naked in their bedroom. To think after that fateful day he had rescinded his apology and said he would never see her again and yet here he stood over a hundred years later half naked looking down at her with expectant pleading eyes. Her fingers closed around his length, watching his eye lids flicker closed momentarily. This was something she liked about being with Carlisle, from the first touch he was putty in her hands. She kept her movements slow, enjoying the feeling of him coming to life beneath her fingers. He was right in a way with what he had said all those years ago, they were bad for each other but only for each other. When they were together there was no one else, well unless someone dared interrupt them. Then there was hell to pay.
The first time they had been interrupted had been shortly after they had discovered Volterra. They had been given a large extravagant room and wasted no time in making use of it. Dimitri really did not know what he was walking in on when, after knocking and getting no reply, he walked in. Neither Carlisle nor Tamesine had heard and even if they had both their mouths were engaged in an activity and were enjoying it too much to stop. Alas the large man, somewhat horrified at his intrusion, made to apologise instead of walking out. Tamesine paused, her golden eyes looking from her lover to the intruder and caught his gaze. Carlisle looking up snarled warningly, pulling the red head up to his chest and covering their bodies with the velvet sheets.
"Excuse my intrusion," He said curtly in English, "I have been asked to extend an invitation to you to feed with us,"
"We do not feast upon humans, that we have made clear. Leave," Tamesine said sharply, "And forget," Dimitri blinked.
"I would not repeat what I have seen madam," He said carefully, "I can be discreet," That was when he noticed her eyes, the swirling golden orbs seeming far too hypnotic to turn away.
"You shall forget what you saw, you shall leave and not return or I shall tear you limb from limb and scatter the parts so far across the globe you shall never reform," She said in a dangerously low voice, "Now leave," And with that Dimitri left. Arro never did entirely understand the gap in his servants memory, nor did he understand why every time the large brute saw the beautiful red head he cowered in fear.
Carlisle looked from the woman who was steadily edging him towards release to the bed a few metres away.
"Tammy," He breathed, her nickname the only word his mind could focus on, "Please the bed," She paused, following his gaze over her shoulder. The bed was a solid oak base laid across the floor, four wooden posts reaching towards the rafters with black and red silk drapes strung between them. She got to her feet, fingering the zip down the side of her red dress before letting it fall to the floor.
"Shirt off," She demanded sauntering away to the black silk covered four poster. The rustle of fabric and the gentle thud of something against the floor signalled to her that he had followed orders. She crawled onto the bed, situating herself in the middle. She smirked, watching his eyes trail her red silk lingerie and the gold crucifix hanging around her elegant neck, the bottom of it resting at the top of her clevage. One of her painted red fingernails ran up her alabaster thigh suggestively as she flicked her hair over one shoulder. Carlisle cleared the gap in six long strides, his muscular form kneeling before her.
"I need you," He murmured, half to himself, his pale hands sliding up her stomach to the clasp at the front of her bra, opening it with ease before pushing it from her shoulders.
Carlisle had not always been so proficient with her underwear. It was a month after his step mother had died that he found himself back on Tamesine's door step, it was a dreary cold Tuesday evening and whilst his insane father was plotting another witch hunt he had slipped away. He did not have the stomach to watch innocent woman burn, after what he had seen with Tamesine and then his step mother he held little respect for the man. His knuckles met nervously with the door, his mind was in turmoil as he had left on such an awkward note last time. Last time, Carlisle had thought, last time I had sex with the woman who for so long was my best friend. She, as promised, had made me forget all my pain and sorrow. Last time I had made the mistake of trying to pay the woman for it. Tamesine had quite rightly thrown him out on sight of him bringing out the money, her smooth forehead creasing as a look of utter betrayal took hold of her attractive features. Swallowing and waiting for the door to open he wondered if his gift would make up for it and his fingers drifted up to the breast pocket of his jacket. Looking up sharply as the door creaked open he was met by narrowed green eyes and a scowl.
"You have some nerve showing your face here," She said flatly, folding her arms across her large chest. Carlisle's mouth turned suddenly dry as he looked at her. She looked beautiful even if she was angry, her pink lips pulled into a scowl, her red hair pinned in plaits behind her ears. He couldn't find any words, her lips parted as one of her eyebrows inched towards her hair line. Speak you fool, Carlisle scolded himself, just tell her you are sorry before she slams the door on your face. And she would have for Tamesine wished never to see him again, he had made her feel cheap and dirty when he had pulled his money from his jacket. She'd have rather been whipped again than accepted his money for sex.
"I…I wanted to apologise," He squeaked before coughing sharply into a hand, "It was wrong what I did last time, I was rude to assume what I did I hope you can forgive me," Her lips set in a thin line as she studied his wide eyed expression. His bottom lip was caught between his teeth, eyes flickering between his feet and her face. He was terrified she'd turn him away. Tamesine once more had a cross roads, to turn him away now would seal her fate but looking at his dejected form she couldn't find it in herself to shut the door. With a harsh sigh she opened the door and motioned him in with one tilt of her head.
Sitting in the hard wooden chair Carlisle watched in silence as Tamesine made him a cup of tea. Turning from the counter, cup in hand, she narrowed her emerald eyes at him as her lips set in a grimace.
"So why are you really here," She said handing him a cup.
"To apologise," He stuttered, "I made a poor decision to try to pay you…I just didn't want it to seem that I was taking advantage of our history," The red head simply blinked, lifting her cup to her lips and taking a long sip.
"You are the only person from my old life who knows I am alive," She mused in a disinterested way, "I can remember when we were six, Peter Carpenter was teasing me about my hair and you socked him so hard in the mouth he lost three teeth. You always looked after me, protected me…both you and your mother. When I was attacked by the church I didn't know what to think, I had been betrayed by all those who knew me. For years I tried to work out why it was me, why after everything you had done for me you hadn't tried to stop them, you hadn't tried to protect me. Then I realised that your mother had, I was alive… your mother had hidden me away and she had told me you wept for me every night. She never told you I was alive to protect me because she knew you would come. When you turned up here last time I thought you'd come to make peace, I thought she had finally told you… but then I was afraid, I was afraid you had come to finish the job your father half started," She spoke so slowly, with such little emotion that Carlisle didn't know what to say, "What I am trying to say is that I have missed you so, I wanted everything to be as it was and in some way as you and I became one I thought it was. I felt more betrayed by you trying to pay me than I did when everyone I knew and trusted tried to burn me as a witch," As she turned her eyes to his Carlisle felt a lump form in his throat.
"I…Tamesine I don't know what to say to you that will right this. I was wrong, I know I was and I am sorry," He said heavily. She chuckled coldly, her lips curling into a dissatisfied frown.
"You cannot right it Carlisle," She sighed, "But you did not come here to beg my forgiveness so come clean with what you want and then leave me be," With a small frown Carlisle reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small pouch holding it out to her.
"This was my mother's, she'd want you to have it," He said softly. She raised one eyebrow.
"I don't think she would," She replied curtly, refusing to even look at the offered possession instead casting her eyes into her cup.
"Tamesine, my mother thought you her own. She loved you very much. After what my father did to you she never forgave him," He said softly, "So please, for her memories sake… take this," He could see her mind warring and her eyes dart suspiciously to his face. She had always thought Mary far too kind a woman to be deserving of a husband as mad and twisted as Carlisle's father. After her whipping the older woman had cleaned her wounds, bandaged her up and smuggled her from the area before they could build a pyre on which to burn her. With one shaky hand she reached out and took the worn black leather pouch. Looking between him and the pouch, now sat on her open palm, she sighed and with a swift movement she tipped it out into her hand. Her gasp was enough to tell him that he was forgiven.
"This… she wore it every day," She stuttered, eyes brimming with tears as she fingered the gold cross hanging on a thin gold chain. She swallowed a large lump as an image of the smiling older woman flitted across her minds eyes, the golden cross swinging from her neck.
"I can't accept this Carlisle," She choked, running her thumb fondly along the chain, "This should be around your neck not mine," He slowly shook his head.
"No it shouldn't, after everything that happened to you you still let me in to your home last time. You made me welcome and helped me mourn when you had every right to cast me aside. You are a blessing from God Tamesine, not a curse, you have more goodness in your heart than I could ever wish to have," He said softly. She laughed gently, swallowing the tears which threatened to fall.
"You always could talk me into anything," She breathed, nostalgia hanging on every word. Carlisle couldn't remember when they put down their tea cups and before he could blink she was in his lap kissing him so tenderly he didn't know what to do with himself. Her fingers fumbled to slip the chain around her neck as her lips trailed down his throat. Carlisle whimpered, his hands clasping her hips as her hands tangled in his hair.
The kiss they shared in that moment was his most vivid human memory, her soft lips upon his own as her hands slid through his hair. That moment he did not care for anything thing but the woman sat astride him. She was his salvation even if her body upon his own was a sin. With one hand she took his right hand and put it on the laces of her corset.
"Undress me," She whispered, her breath hot against his lips as she stared wantonly into his eyes. Never had Carlisle come up against a harder challenge, to this day he still would happily swear blinds that micro brain surgery was easier than getting Tamesine out of that corset on that icy winters night. His naïve fingers fumbled over the bow, trying desperately to clear his mind enough focus on her bizarre knot tying skills but her lips on his neck was far too distracting. His eyes tried to fix on the offending knot yet her cleavage seemed far more inviting, he could feel his loins raring into life and his hands shook so visibly he wondered if he was ill. For minutes he struggled, beginning to wonder if he should ask her help, before tugging sharply at one lace he managed to free it from the bundle and then, after a moment of blind panic, he wiggled the second one free. Sighing in relief he loosened the criss crossing laces enough to slip it over her head and throw it triumphantly onto the floor.
Present day Carlisle looked to the almost naked woman in front of him. Slowly she lay back, her bottom lip captured between her pearly white teeth in a manner that taunted him to bite it himself. He leant forward over her, one hand either side of her hips, and touched his forehead to her collar bone, his wet warm tongue tracing a torturous trail down her shoulder to her breast. A low hum of appreciation rang through the air as his lips closed on her nipple, his tongue and teeth teasing it until he felt her arch beneath him, her hips meeting his. Carlisle stilled for a moment, taking in her sweet lavender scent, before kissing along her milky flesh, down her stomach to her hips. His teeth took a hold of the waist band of her lace panties, his eyes focusing on her smirking mouth before he tore her remaining article of clothing clean off her body leaving her bare beneath him. Tauntingly she spread her legs, her fingers trailing down her flat stomach.
"Take me Carlisle," She purred, "Take me and forget," The blond did not need telling twice, with a ripping snarl he grabbed her hips and ploughed deep into her. Their eyes met as pleasure seeped into every fibre of his being and his mind went blank save the hypnotic red head beneath him.
