Chapter 2

Esme made her way over to Charlie's house to visit Sue. They hadn't had the chance to catch up at all since things had calmed down. A chat was long overdue.

"Is Charlie working?" Esme asked as she entered.

Sue nodded, " Back to the day shift for now. I hope it stays that way." They exchanged a hug and made their way to the kitchen. Sue always offered Esme a cup of tea out of polite habit.

"So, how bad was it?" Sue asked, referring to the battle.

"There were some nerve racking moments," she admitted. The thought Carlisle's neck in Aro's restraint made her shudder, "But I honestly don't think they'll be bothering us again. Seth saved Carlisle's life when he imprinted on Luciana."

"Carlisle almost...?"

Esme tried to shrug nonchalantly and nodded.

A worried look stayed on Sue's face. Esme smiled to lighten the mood back up, "He's fine. Nothing happened. How is Seth doing with everything?"

"It's not the easiest pairing," Sue smiled, "Lucy's afraid to come here because of Charlie."

"Lucy?"

"That's what Seth calls her. She really is trying."

" I know," Esme said, "We all went through that difficult stage. She'll be fine once it becomes a habit."

" I hope so. It makes me uneasy that she wants to kill Charlie," Sue laughed at her bold word choice. Esme laughed too.

" Her thirst will die down soon."

Sue sighed and took a sip of tea, "Leah confided in me the other day. Probably for the first time in her life."

"Oh yeah?"

"About Masen."

"The kids won't tell me anything," Esme said, finding herself overly eager to hear what Sue was about to tell her.

"Well, you're already sitting down, so that's good," Sue told her, trying not smile. She seemed to be hiding behind her cup of tea.

Esme smiled, "I think I'm fully prepared to hear what you're going to say."

Sue shrugged nervously, "What can we really do?"

" I just told Carlisle to have a talk with him the other day. He's just been working double shifts like crazy down at the hospital so he hasn't had the time."

"Just so you know," Sue quieted her voice to a whisper so Seth wouldn't hear her from upstairs, "She's on birth control."

"Will that still work?" Esme whispered back, "Since our kids aren't human?"

They both chuckled at the weirdness of the phrase.

"If anyone heard our conversation, they'd think we're nuts," Sue said, "Outside our families I mean."

"I know," Esme laughed.

"But, anyway, I don't see why it wouldn't work." Sue told her, "Right?"

Esme nodded, "It's what it's made for I suppose."

"How is everyone else in the family? Bella and Edward have stopped down quite a bit lately."

"They're good. I'm glad they've been doing that. I know it means a lot to Charlie, and you."

"Bella was teasing Seth about taking her old room," Sue said with a smile, "I'm so glad things have changed with all of our relationships. I mean, I hated it when there was so much tension. Especially between all the kids."

"Oh, me too," Esme agreed, "After all we've been through all together, I can't imagine it would ever go back to the way it was."

"I hope not," Sue said warmly.

"There will never be tension between Carlisle and I, and you and Charlie."

"I'm glad we've become so close. Maybe we could do a movie some night soon."

Esme nodded, "There are a few good ones out."

"I haven't even checked around for previews or anything." She unfolded a newspaper that sat on the edge of the kitchen table and unfolded it to the movie times section.

The two of them glanced over what was playing in the days to come and made a plan to get together before parting ways.

Upstairs, Seth smirked to himself. At first he'd paid no attention to his mother and Esme's chat downstairs, but realized quickly that he now had leverage to at least tease her with after a recent argument they'd had about him sneaking Luciana to the house while Charlie was out. It was a harmless visit, in Seth's eyes. He simply wanted her to know where he lived and thought it posed no threat because Charlie wasn't home. Leah, on the other hand, strongly disagreed and threatened to tell their mother.

Now, Seth had some ammunition to fire back against his sister, still holding a silly, teenage grudge for her scrapple with him days ago.