A/N: Time for a change! I think Carlisle wants to have a few words. Shall we?
Carlisle's POV
It was going to be good to have all of our children home again.
Yes, we viewed them as our children, and loved them each as if they were born to us. Alice and Jasper came home yesterday, and Edward was bringing his new mate home today. Esme was over the moon. She had gone to the grocery store in town, and now our cupboards were bursting at the seams.
"We don't know what she likes to eat, darling. I want to be prepared, and It's been so long since I've eaten human food," Esme said with a sweet smile, "I won't have our newest daughter starving."
My beautiful Esme was all atwitter, and adorable with it. She'd also brought home a stack of cook books. Our previously unused kitchen would be broken in soundly, and very soon.
"They'll be here in five minutes!" Alice trilled, bouncing into the kitchen. "I'm so excited!"
Esme laughed, "You'd think it was Christmas around here." She took my hand, as excited as Alice, tugging me toward the front door.
Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie were already on the porch, all trying to appear nonchalant, and fooling no one.
Well, except for Rose. She just looked bored, and a trifle angry. Nothing new there.
Emmett, however, was sporting a huge grin. "This is so awesome. Our little Eddie finally snagged him a girl. She has to be a real pistol, doesn't she? I mean, if someone as gorgeous as Tanya couldn't turn his head, this Bella has to be something else to get his attention, the picky little shit."
Alice smacked the back of his head. "She's wonderful, and sweet and kind. She completely accepted that we were vampires without turning a hair. And she's his mate. You all know how that works. And she loves him." Her face nearly split with her smile.
"True," mused Jasper. "You can't control who your mate is. I mean, look at what Rosie ended up with." He ducked to avoid Emmett's swinging fist.
"Boys! Best behavior. I mean it. You'll not embarrass me in front of our newest family member." said Esme, sternly.
The boys always listened to Esme when she used that tone. It never worked for me, and I often wondered how she did it. It must be a mother thing. I slipped my arm around her waist.
Just then, we all heard the tires of a car hit the end of the dirt road. "Here comes the human," said Rosalie, snidely. A few minutes later, a Mercedes with darkly tinted windows slid to a stop at the foot of the front steps, and Edward popped out of the driver's side.
"Hello family! We're home!" Heavens, I hadn't seen Edward this happy since, well, ever. He blurred to the passenger side and opened the door as if he were revealing the world's greatest treasure. I suppose, to him, she was a treasure. A small brunette stepped out of the car, her eyes huge, taking in the family.
"Hello." she said quietly, and smiled. Hm, no fear. Astounding.
Esme was the first to move forward. Taking both of Bella's hands, she said, "Welcome, welcome! It's so good to meet you! I can't tell you how happy we are to have you here. I'm Esme, Edward's mother, and this is Carlisle, his father." She motioned me forward.
"Hello, Bella. It's lovely to have you here." I said warmly.
Before I could say any more, Alice darted forward. "Hello again, Bella!" She threw her arms around Bella, hugging her gently.
"Hello, Alice. Hi Jasper. It's great to be here. Thank you all for having me. I mean, not having me. I mean... crap."
We all chuckled. Alice was right, she was wonderful.
I noticed that Edward had kept his hand on Bella continuously since helping her out of the car. Alice was right about that, as well; this was, indeed, Edward's mate. I was already planning a phone call to Eleazar in Alaska. He'd be fascinated with this development, and perhaps his daughters would have some insight, due to their history of relations with human men.
Esme spoke up again, "You've met Jasper, of course. This is our other daughter Rosalie, and her husband Emmett." She motioned the rest of the children forward. Rosalie just nodded shortly, but Emmett wasted no time.
"Glad to meet you, Bella!" He swooped her up in a hug and spun her around. She looked only mildly uncomfortable. Emmett did take some getting used to. "It's nice to finally meet the woman who could reel Eddie in!"
Bella blushed bright red, and Edward pulled her out of Emmett's arms and into his own with a growl.
"I'm not sure who reeled in who, he's pretty amazing." She looked up into Edward's eyes with so much love that I was nearly staggered. This human girl was truly in love with my vampire son. Fascinating. Standing there, wrapped in the arms of an apex predator, with a complete lack of fear. At first glance, she was a completely ordinary human girl, but when she looked at my son like that, she was transformed, virtually glowing, and achingly lovely. She would make a stunning vampire.
"Well, let's go into the house, shall we?" Esme broke into my musings. "I'm sure Bella would like to have some refreshments, and perhaps settle in and freshen up after their journey. Jasper, Emmett, their bags, please? Take them to Edward's room."
Bella looked at Edward in surprise, "I'm sharing a room with you?"
He smirked down at her, "I don't sleep, love, remember? You'll be perfectly safe."
She blushed again. Charming girl. Obviously, their relationship wasn't physical. Yet. "Alice ordered a bed for your room, Edward. It should be delivered this afternoon." I assured him.
As Jasper and Emmett took the luggage upstairs, with Alice tagging along, the rest of us settled into the living room, while Esme dashed to the kitchen. She returned minutes later with a full Limoges tea service on a silver tray. I knew she was thrilled with the chance to actually use it.
Edward made sure that Bella was settled on the sofa with Esme, who started serving tea and some sort of cream cake that she had bought from the local bakery before he asked to speak with me in my study.
Once we were seated, with the door closed, Edward wasted no time. "What did you find on Bella's condition?"
"Son, I'm sorry to tell you that it is, in fact, incurable. As you said on the phone last night, if she's already experiencing hearing loss, than she hasn't much time left. Her hearing will deteriorate until she is completely deaf. I can't say anything toward her vision loss without an examination and a battery of tests, but that too seems likely. The loss of equilibrium is another unavoidable symptom of Usher Type III, related to her inner ear deterioration. Cochlear implants most likely won't benefit her, but again, I can't be sure without examining her."
"Isn't there anything you can do? Anything at all, Carlisle? Some new, experimental treatment...?" The anguish on Edward's face devastated me.
"I suppose we can see what happens once she's turned. I've seen venom do so much-"
"NO!" he snarled at me. "She will not be turned!"
I was flabbergasted. "What, never?"
"Never. I won't see her become a monster. Our love for each other shouldn't be a death sentence for her, Carlisle."
I was completely shocked. "But son... she's your mate. I don't understand."
"She's my mate, and someday, hopefully soon, my wife. She will not be changed. We'll deal with her disabilities as they occur. We've all learned foreign languages, sign language shouldn't be too big a stretch for us."
"Edward, you intend to marry her, and leave her human?"
"Yes," he replied curtly.
"And you plan to have sexual relations with her?" Edward was silent. "Son, you know that has never been attempted, not to my knowledge, at any rate. If you lost control, you could so easily kill-"
"I know that!" he snapped. "We may never be able to have relations, Carlisle, but I will see that my wife is... satisfied in other ways." He shook his head as if to clear it. "At any rate, she stays human. End of discussion."
"You may think so, son, but I think a certain young woman sitting in our living room may have something to say about it. Have you discussed it at all with her? It is her life, after all."
"She hasn't brought it up, so I'm sure she has no interest in being like us."
A hundred and five years old, and still possessing the arrogance of youth. I would need to monitor this situation closely as it unfolded. I was reasonably certain that my son was in for a rude awakening.
"She's your mate, Edward. You're just going to let her grow old and die? Will you become like Marcus?" I let him see my memories of living in Volterra, and the broken, wretched vampire who had outlived his mate.
"I'll follow her soon after." He stared at the floor, missing the horror that I knew had bloomed on my face.
"What?" I bellowed. I knew the rest of the family had heard the entire conversation, but I was sure even Bella had heard that. I dropped my voice, "I can't stand idly by and watch you destroy yourself, Edward. Mate or no, I won't tolerate-"
"It's not your decision, dad," he said quietly. "As you said, she's my mate. Mine. Therefore, it's my decision, and I'm finished discussing it."
Not meaning a word of it, I said, "Very well, Edward. I'll leave it to you to handle. Now, is she aware that you want to marry her?"
Edward huffed a laugh, "Dad, we've known each other less than a week. We just declared our feelings a few days ago, just before the trip. Give me time to convince her to spend the rest of her life with a vampire for a husband."
I nodded, "Do you hear that, family? Let's leave Edward's plans to marry his mate to him. I wouldn't want to spoil it for Bella. Do you understand Emmett?"
I heard Emmett stifle a laugh, and then the sound of Rosalie smacking his head. "Okay!"
"Shall we join the family now, Edward? I'd like to get to know my new daughter. She's wonderful, son. You've done well."
"Thanks, dad." He embraced me briefly, and I opened the door, watching my vampire son hurry back to his human mate.
Things were going to be very interesting from now on. Very interesting, indeed.
E/N: Well, the family knows he doesn't intend to turn her. I wonder how long until Bella learns that little fact. And how soon after that will she chew Edward's head off. *snicker*
Reviews, please! I need it! *weeping pitifully*