Chapter Five: Tragedy and Smiles

Thunder clashed above in the blackened sky. Angry and menacing looking clouds were rolling in while the wind picked up more and more speed. Sárika ran inside the hospital trying to escape the rain before it fell upon the city. She was lucky for the moment she stepped inside and onslaught of down pouring rain began to fall. With a sigh of relief she removed her coat and hat hanging them both on the coat rack.

"Hello Helen,"

Helen smiled softly at Sárika "Hello Sara. Awful weather we are having today." Sárika nodded before she headed down the hall towards Edward's room. When she got there she saw her father sitting there next to him giving the daily checkups.

Sárika looked on; Edward was even paler than usual. His breathing was heavy and labored and his skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat. This was what she feared. She turned and walked away leaving her father and Edward alone. She couldn't bear to see him like that. She stopped by the door of another room as she tried to get the image out of her head.

"Who's there?"

Sárika looked up and saw a woman in the room sitting in a bed. "I know you, you are Carlisle's daughter." She said with a smile "Come in." the woman slowly sat herself upright in her bed.

"My name is Esme,"

Sárika smiled "Sara," she said as she took a seat beside Esme's bed. It didn't take her long to realize that this was the woman Carlisle often spoke to her about. The one he was developing feelings for.

"It is very nice to finally meet you Sara. Your father has told me of you." But Esme was cut short by a series of coughing fits. "My apologies." She took a drink from her water glass to ease the pain in her throat.

Sárika helped Esme sit up more by propping up her pillow. "Better?"

"Much, thank you." Sárika couldn't help but stare at the woman, she was beautiful, and no wonder her father was falling so head over heels for this woman. They talked for what seemed like hours, not only was Esme friendly to talk with but she was also kind and motherly.

"What's the matter dear? You look sad." Esme's hand touched hers in a comforting motherly way.

"Someone very dear to me is…well…he." She didn't have to finish her sentence, for Esme knew.

"You speak of the Mason boy? Your father has confided in me on what to do about the two of you." She said with a slight laughter in her voice. "He suffers from the same thing I have." She clasped Sárika's hand, "he has told me of your secret."

Sárika looked up at her with cautious eyes. "Sara, I love your father. He is the kindest man I have ever met." This made Sárika smile, for what she spoke was true. Carlisle was never a harsh man unless he had to be; which was very rarely.

"Tell me Sara, what was it like? When you were…you know?" Esme could find the proper word to use. Death, reborn turned, there were many she could choose from. But she could pick the right one.

"I…wasn't one of the fortunate few who get bitten by ones they love. I was murdered…or well almost murdered." She slid down the high collar of her dress to expose an almost none visible scar across her neck. "Someone I thought to be a close friend betrayed me and tried to kill me. She though me dead and had me dumped in the forest, where a scavenging vampire found me. He thought me dead as well and only wanted to get what little blood I had left. But when I woke up screaming from the pain he knocked me out. I was lucky not to feel the effects of the change, but when I awoke I was lost, alone and scared. Then Carlisle found me; and took me in as his own, teaching me to be like him."

Esme smiled as Sárika spoke of her father and all the times that they had shared together.

"Esme if papa chooses you, I couldn't thing of a more wonderful woman I would be willing to call mother." Tears fell from Esme's eyes as she embraced Sárika the two held smiles on their faces. Not knowing that they were being watched under the ever watchful eye of Carlisle.

"Sara, Hadd beszéljen, kérem?" (May I speak with you please?)

Sárika smiled "Igen papa," (Yes papa.) with one last smile to Esme she stood and walked over to her father.

"Please walk with me there is much we must discuss."

Sárika and Carlisle walked together through the hospital speaking in Sárika's old tongue so no one would butt into their conversation. "Sárika törődsz az Edward ugye nem?" (Sárika you care for Edward do you not?)

"Igen papa én, ugyanúgy, mint akkor gondoskodni Esme. De azt hiszem, ez több, mint egy testvér szeretet, mint bármi." (Yes papa I do, much like you care for Esme. But I believe it is more like a sibling love than anything.)

Carlisle smiled at his daughter, "Sárika, akartam beszélje meg ezt előbb, mielőtt bármi történik. Mit gondolnál, hatettem Esme és Edward, mint mi?" (Sárika, I wanted to discuss this with you first before anything takes place. What would you think if I made Esme and Edward like us?)

Sárika stopped and looked into her father's golden eyes, she sighed with a soft smile on her face. "A végén, ha tesz mindketten boldog, akkor miért nem. Mi lesz egy teljes család." (In the end if it will make both of us happy, then why not. We will have a complete family.)

Carlisle kissed his daughter upon her head, "Go home my princess. I will see you there very soon."

"I wish to say goodbye to Edward, you know…before." Carlisle nodded with a solemn yet understanding look about him.

"Edward," he looked up and saw Sárika enter the room, "How are you feeling?"

"Better than what is to be expected. Carlisle told me everything." He said whispering the last part, "You are to become my sister soon." He said with a small laugh. "I never had a sister before."

"You are handling this far better than I expected."

"To tell you the truth Sara, I am afraid. I don't want to become a monster like they have in the old stories they tell children." Sárika's cold and pale hand grasped his with a comforting smile.

"Not all of us are like that Eddie."

Edward scoffed "Don't ever call me that again."

Sárika laughed "what Ed or Eddie?"

Now it was Edward's time to laugh "You keep making me laugh like that I might reconsider."

"Then I shall continue to do it more and more…Eddie." Sárika's face soon grew sad for a moment as she continued to idly stroke his fragile hand.

"Sara, what is it? What's wrong?" Edward asked now sitting up his face full of concern.

"If I had tears I would be weeping at this moment. I do not want you to go through the pain of the change. I know that sounds very childish of me but it is true. I never had to experience it because I was knocked out the moment it started. I can only imagine what the pain is like when you experience the full effect."

Edward took Sárika into his arms and embraced her cold body. "I will be strong, as strong as I can be. But you have to help me be strong. Sisters have to do that for their brothers." Sárika couldn't help but smile. "Can you do that for me Sara?"

She nodded against his chest, "I must go now Edward. But I promise I will come back when it is time. I will hold your hand through the whole thing." Edward placed a chaste kiss upon her cheek and gave her a soft smile.

"Fare thee well sweet princess, till we meet again."

She smiled and kissed his cheek before she got up to leave. But not before passing one last glance at him. "Sleep well Eddie." She said with a smile upon her lips and a laugh in her voice.