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Chapter 9:

Silver Lining

-Carlisle-

Jasper has been awake for several hours now. His recovery is remarkable - no doubt due to Deja's mystery concoction. She promises it is not human, but will not go into further detail. Jasper is a good patient when he chooses to be; but with my wife, daughter and granddaughter fussing over him I'm not sure how much of a choice he really has.

"Please," comes Jasper's even voice, from the window next door. "I just want to walk around outside for a bit."

"Alright." Esme's quiet voice washes over me and I cringe a little. She is still angry. She was angry when they arrived. I know a "chewing out" as Emmett calls them is coming, and to an extent I do deserve it - disappearing on her and our children like this. But getting a phone call from Deja is the last thing I expected. Actually, I didn't expect it at all, because up until twenty-four hours ago, I didn't know Deja even existed. Dragan's plan all those years ago had worked. I sigh, running my hand through my hair and glaring at the stars. I hear the slight shifting of feet as Bella vacates her place by the balcony door, and comes to perch on the balustrade. She has been following me all about the house since Jasper woke, mostly by my request. I grew tired of repeating Einstein's Law of Relativity in my head hours ago. I need my thoughts to be my own for awhile. I did not need Edward brooding over the entire affair regarding Amari before I have a chance to explain myself.

"I don't need to have Jasper's ability to know something's wrong Carlisle," she offers quietly.

I smile half-heartedly. Bella never pries. She may state she is aware that all is not well but she never pries. I sigh again, spreading my hands on the cool stone of the balustrade and study the sky more intently.

"You are sort of right. Nothing is wrong but something is worrying me," I reply. "Go on downstairs with the others, Bella. I will be along shortly."
Bella lets her own sigh escape, placing her hand lightly on my shoulder.

"I can't protect your thoughts from Edward if I'm that far away Carlisle," she warns.
"I know, everything will be explained soon. Besides he is much too focused on our hosts to hear my thoughts clearly at the moment anyway."

My adoptive daughter nods her head and disappears into the hallway. Even after a so long the child astounds me. Her patience is unrivaled with anyone in our merry little family. A family that is about to get bigger.I remind myself. Esme's presence is suddenly with me and try to keep my eyes on the heavens. I know she's about to explode. She always waits until we are minimally alone. I feel my muscles tense, waiting for the onslaught. She has every right to be angry, every right to slap me into the next century; but she doesn't.

"The least you could have done was call." Her voice is void of all emotion.

"Yes, I could have," I respond, leaning heavily on my hands; pressing them into the stone. "But this...this was a part of my past I could not exactly talk about, to anyone. Not even to Edward. It is complicated my love, but everything will be explained. Right now I need you to go downstairs and be with our children. What comes next will be a bit of a shock."

Esme's eyebrow arches but she does not reply. After a moment that seems like an eternity she pulls me into a hug, kisses my lips and nods her agreement; vanishing the way Bella had gone. I take a breath, pulling everything that is her essence into my lungs. Calm, collected, everything my family expects me to be. Shaking off the self-doubt and the fear of what could happen, I head down the hallway in the opposite direction. It is no surprise that Deja appears at my back as I re-enter the room I have spent most of this visit in.

A tiny yawn, a little hand stretching outside the blanket she is wrapped in. I lean over the crib and pull her into my arms. She adjusts herself within her cocoon and yawns again. I tuck in the excess of the blanket around her and with Deja as my shadow take to the hallway again. A few short steps and I am down the stairs through the dining room and out onto the veranda. My family is scattered, occupying themselves in their own way. Jarek and Viktor hurry up the veranda steps and come to stand with their mother at my back. Dragan appears in the doorway beside Deja. It is the only support they can offer.

"Carlisle?" Esme asks, her eyebrows knitted in confusion. "What is it?"

I beckon her to my side and she comes wordlessly, our children frozen in uncertainty. My wife's face betrays her, as it always has, if only to me. A smile plays at the corners of her mouth as she cautiously leans in to see what is inside the small bundle in my arms. Joy spreads across her face in a way I have not seen since she held Renesmee for the first time. She holds out her arms and takes the child from me. Rocking her gently, traveling a few paces from me as our children crowd about to see. I stand rooted in place.

"Her name is Amari," Deja states, pulling everyone's attention to her.

"She's not human," Jacob mutters. Everyone turns to stare at Deja now, cautious of what exactly Amari is. I move forward and Deja with me, as I continue in her place.

"Amari, is my granddaughter..." I state exhaling slowly. "...Biologically."

They study me, blank expressions on their faces. I look away unable to hold their gaze for long. I cannot imagine what they are all thinking, Esme especially. I have never told her I married in my life as a mortal, but then I didn't exactly know myself until twenty-four hours ago. Still the betrayal she must be feeling threatens to send me reeling, but I hold my place.

"Carlisle?" Esme questions, hugging Amari to her chest. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I…" I couldn't speak, overly ashamed of how weak I had been all those years ago.

"Please, do not be angry. There is a reason that Carlisle never spoke of this or of myself and my family," Deja explains for me. "My Dragan has a special gift, that allows him to re-write memory or change it back as it once was. My family's existence cannot be discovered, ever. Carlisle had to leave us, I knew that from the beginning. So when we sent him on his way, Dragan wrote us out of Carlisle's memory; and by Carlisle's request wrote Angelique Cullen's memory out too. Dragan can remove the re-write at will, just in case something like this comes up where it is imperative someone remember us. Carlisle and Angelique's marriage was an arranged one, they had no say. He loved her no more than she loved him but the marriage did produce a child. Carlisle never knew Angelique was pregnant before leaving the night he was bitten. Their child's name was Rachel. It is her offspring that you hold in your arms. Her mate was destroyed, murdered by the Volturi for hiding her from them."

I watch as recognition races across my wife's face. I believe if she could cry she would have. A broken smile washes over her mouth and her head makes the slightest of nods. She has forgiven me, with no hesitation.

"Do the Vol-" Nessie begins.

"What do you see Alice?" Deja interrupts.

"N-no they do not." Alice answers after a moment of searching. "They have sent a small party searching but they will not find her trail. Something clouds their tracking abilities...what it is I can't see."

"There is a different danger that comes with providing the child with a home," Deja continues. "We have no idea what she's going to be like, what she's capable of. Whether the vampyre or the Sheeling side of the coin will take dominance or if they will balance out….."

"Wait, what?" Rosalie asks.

"Amari's father was a vampire and her mother a Sheeling. Angelique was apparently attacked by a small pack of them before giving birth to Rachel, and it changed them both," I interject, Esme is studying my face again. "Things could get complicated."

"Complicated? Our whole existence is complicated." Edward counters.

"She is part of this family, and thisfamily sticks together," Bella adds, coming to stand beside Esme, wrapping her arms around my wife and Amari protectively.

"Bella's right. Who better to raise her than us? We can teach her best how to use her vampire abilities and she has Jacob should the werewolf part of her rear it's head, " Alice offers, bouncing on the balls of her feet - behind her Jacob grunts.
"Besides, it's Esme's turn for a baby."

My wife's face breaks into a smile again. Amari has grabbed her nose to pull her closer. And just like that the child is accepted. I have finally been able to give Esme that which she wants most, a true second chance at being a mother.