Twilight Fanfiction - Written in Carlisle's Point of View

The Forgotten Child – Chapter 7

Carlisle and Helena were happy together. After Helena gave birth to Christopher, they assumed their lives would continue in bliss. However Carlisle returns home to find Helena missing. An old companion from the Volturi awaits him.

Carlisle's Confession

"Wait here," I commanded Ramero.

I couldn't allow Christopher to be exposed to the conversation I planned. I spied Sarah, a peasant woman I had recently hired to assist Helena making her way up the path toward our house. I quickly approached Sarah, gave her some money, and sent her home begging her to take my son with her. She quickly took Christopher's hand and left us after hearing my financial promises.

I had plenty of money, Helena just never allowed me to spend it on her or Christopher, fearing that the notoriety would expose us all.

I returned to Ramero and glowered into his red eyes angrily. The Volturi, once a vague memory suddenly became crystal clear again.

"What have you done with her?" I growled, "What have you done with my Helena?"

I had already formed my opinions before he answered, as I saw within his blazing red eyes the eyes of a lover scorned. When I first came to the Volturi, nobody had seemed interested in an odd vampire such as myself. However, the tracker, Ramero, appeared smitten with me from the moment I arrived.

As time went on I allowed his advances, reveling in the fact that someone of high rank desired me. I now had a defender, and a companion to accompany me on my hunts. But, I never loved him, not in the least, and eventually spurned him. Our personal tastes and preferences conflicted too greatly.

To make matters worse, Aro had discovered another, better tracker to replace Ramero. I didn't know who Ramero resented more, me for turning away from him, or Dimitri for replacing him as tracker. One thing I did know is that he had a score to settle with me.

Ramero aimed his gleaming red eyes at me and answered, "I've returned Helena to Aro, of course."

Then I realized something. Not only had Ramero stolen my loving Helena, but he had left my son here all alone to fend for himself for several days. That's why Christopher appeared so disheveled. He was probably starving too, unless food had been left in the house during Helena's absence. All I could see at the moment was red… pure, unbridled, hate-filled red.

I couldn't control my anger any longer… I snarled and pounced on Ramero, backhanding him so hard that it sounded like a thunderclap.

This action would have decapitated a human, but Ramero quickly recovered himself and told me his story.

Ramero had been very bitter about me, claiming that I had etching a pain inside his heart for all eternity.

Then suddenly his thoughts about me had begun to fade. Over night it seemed that both Helena and I faded from all the Volturi memories. It was as if somebody had erased us from their minds.

It wasn't until Ramero had heard tales about a pale, handsome, golden haired vampire doctor from visiting vampires that he took notice. It didn't seem to pique anyone's interest at all except for him. As long as the laws were respected and upheld, nobody cared about what some strange vampire doctor was doing…even if he was playing at being human.

Ramero rushed to England and eventually discovered us, spying Helena and Christopher first. Suddenly a wall began to crumble within Ramero's mind and he knew the truth. He then quickly flashed back to Italy.

After returning to Volturi, he confronted Alexandra, demanding the prophetess to reveal everything she knew about Helena.

From her, Ramero learned that some of Helena's people had a rare talent. A precise few 'Minstrels' could project a mental barrier, actually changing people's perception of reality. They could even implant false memories with this barrier wall.

This 'mental barrier wall' was a rare talent, and one not particularly strong with Helena since her wall of perception could be easily broken.

I looked away from Ramero's maniacal red eyes. Suddenly I saw it all so clearly… why Helena and I were able to escape the Volturi… why I had all but forgotten their presence…why I could no longer recall the blood lust I once possessed or the people I had murdered. All of it… even the sudden desire to become a doctor… it was all Helena!

I knew why Helena had altered my perception of myself. It was all because she had fallen so desperately in love with me. Helena had fallen in love with a self-loathing monster, so she had changed him over time, implanting her own good, selfless conscious nature into my own stone heart.

A conscious that I now knew had taken root inside my own unbeating heart. Helena had created a new individual capable of true love and human kindness, who I recognized as myself.

As I accepted all of this… all I could think of was my precious Helena, she was my soul. My darling Christopher was still here… would he be taken from me as well?

Ramero approached me slowly saying, "Once I saw through Helena's wall of delusion, I knew that if I returned her to Aro that you'd return to me."

I looked at him with hate and disgust. Ramero was always pompous with delusions of grandeur.

"Don't worry," he added hastily, "I slipped through a crack in her wall. It still stands!"

Ramero began to cackle as he boasted, "Aro and the rest are unaware of you and that boy. At first I thought him an immortal child with his strange smell. I even saw how you pretended he's yours."

Ramero chuckled, "Don't worry, I won't interfere as long as you return to me."

My eyes had turned into daggers as he spoke to me... I longed to lock my hands around his throat!

Ramero winked at me and smiled saying, "But… If you decide differently… well, I'm afraid the boy just might have an accident, or perhaps Aro should know about him?" he droned on.

Suddenly a fake smile formed itself across my mouth. I took his hand, as perhaps only a lover would do. Ramero shook back his auburn hair and smiled at me triumphantly.

I placed my arms about Ramero and whispered gently in his ear, "It's not pretend... Christopher is actually my own son."

Before he could look questioningly back at me, my lips found his neck. Ramero sighed with intense pleasure.

Then my razor sharp teeth sank into his neck separating his head from the rest of his body. It took me seconds to set the head along with its twitching corpse on fire.

I began to rejoice! I felt so happy watching the flames consume Ramero's remains that I was almost gleeful. I felt the conscience that had taken root from Helena wither and die within my heart. The "Carlisle" that she had so carefully cultivated over the years was dead.

The following evening, I entered Sarah's shack of a house, a different person… a lethal vampire.

"Where the hell is my boy?" I cruelly snarled at her.

Sarah just sat there in her dirty kitchen looking like an idiot... her mouth shaking.

There were nasty disgusting brats everywhere as I set more money on the table.

I saw Sarah's drunkard of a husband passed out in the next room. I smelled the rank air and caught the fresh sweet scent of my beloved Christopher.

Christopher sat under a counter, looking small, his legs drawn up to his chest, resting his chin on his knees. He was filthy… I'd never seen him like this before… Helena would have never allowed it.

"What have you done?" I seethed at Sarah, slapping her so hard that she went reeling across the room and onto the floor.

'Damned bitch,' I thought, 'I'd barely touched her.'

I kneeled and wrapped my arms around Christopher and took him straight home. Once inside, I stripped him of his filthy clothes. I took a pot of clean warm water from the fire and bathed him with a clean cloth.

"Where is Mummy?" he asked me warily as I washed him.

"I'll find her and bring her back to you, Christopher," I promised him.

I dried Christopher with a dry towell as he studied me carefully. I found a small clean shift and placed it onto him, it fell just below his little knees.

"Daddy, are you angry with me? Is Mummy gone because of something I did?" Christopher asked me, as I brushed his hair.

I began to sob and he stroked my nightmarish face. Christopher wasn't even five yet for God's sake! He spasmed and tears began to flow from his dark midnight blue eyes.

"Of course you've done nothing my precious little one," I attempted consolingly.

I wiped his tears away and kissed both of his eyes, tasting the salt from his tears.

"Are you hungry?" Christopher asked, "Will you be leaving me tonight?" he finished softly.

Why do you ask?" I questioned him, rubbing calming circles on his back.

"Your eyes are dark again," Christopher stated matter-of-factly.

I felt my eyebrow raise…he knew more than what I gave him credit for. I realized that I was starving... I'd have to quickly leave and eat the first warm-blooded thing I came across so I could return quickly to him.

"Yes" I told Christopher, "I'll return in minutes, before you have time to realize Daddy's gone."

"Ready for bed?" I asked him

Christopher swallowed and asked me cautiously, "But, am I to go with you? Will I eat today also?"

I looked at Christopher questioningly until I realized what he was trying to say. That bitch Sarah hadn't even bothered to feed him, despite my promise of a large allowance. I was going to kill her… I'd just go straight to her damned filthy house and drain the entire family!

I was so enraged that the table collapsed when I struck it. Christopher stared in shock and amazement; he'd never seen me react this way before today.

I glanced hastily around and spied some potatoes in a pail. I grabbed a couple and put them in a pan of water and placed it on the fire. I found a hard small loaf of bread and sliced him a piece.

'Is this all I have to offer my child?' I thought disgustingly to myself.

I never had to worry, Helena always kept Christopher fed.

Christopher knelt down, sitting himself on the floor, before the broken table. He didn't complain but nibbled on the hard bread.

"Mummy keeps a small pitcher of milk in the cabinet? Should I get it?" Christopher asked me.

Dammit! Of course he needs to drink something! Hell, even I drink!…but not milk.

I quickly went to the cabinet and filled Christopher small biege-colored cup with milk. I took the potatoes from the boiling water by hand not even noticing the heat. I mashed them and put a bit of milk with them. It had been so long since I was human, I couldn't remember if I even liked or ate potatoes.

I fed him the pathetic loathsome meal, then set him on the slopjar to relieve himself. I placed him in bed and left a candle lit so he'd have some light.

"I'm leaving for only a few minutes, Christopher." I told my son who gave me a concerned look.

"Daddy will be back before you can say your prayers," I promised him.

I was gone in seconds… I was on my way to Sarah's house where I would feast like I haven't in years! I would drain her entire pathetic family… I was so damned excited!

Suddenly I stopped in my tracks. How would Christopher react when I returned with glowing red eyes to greet him? I'd probably make him piss himself. I immediately changed direction and headed for Sarah's small shed-like barn instead. I had paid her generously to care for Christopher…she could buy herself a new damn milk cow.