Teddy's name was originally Edward in canon, but due to obvious reasons, I chose to give him the very cliche name of Theodore, for those that might notice and protest. Sorry if there are any errors, but things with my devices have been a bit wonky lately and I have no idea why. Hope everyone had a happy New Year!
if its not something
that can bring you to
your knees, then you
probably won't take
a stand for it.
because that is how
it works so much of
the time.
the things that make
us the weakest,
also make us the
strongest.
-JmStorm
Rosalie stared down at Carina, completely bewildered. She had been laying there like this for a few hours now, waiting for her mate to awaken.
The blonde was still reeling from last night, to be honest.
First, Tamya had come into the Cullen home to speak with Rosalie, telling her that she had released Carina of the bond and that she wished them the best. Truthfully, she had never seen Tanya so...so down, for lack of better word.
She cared for Carina, in her way, part of her reminded. And she came to her senses. She's gone now.
The Denali coven had departed not long after, following their leader, and Rosalie was glad. While she cared for them, enough trouble had been caused.
Rosalie sighed at the thought, before she tugged Carina on top of her, relishing in the feel of her mate so close again.
The raven haired girl grunted, voice muffled from Rosalie's chest, "Last night wasn't a dream, then."
"No," Rosalie chuckled, as Carina lifted her head and regarded her with hazy gray eyes. The blonde sobered for a moment. "Carina...you said something last night…"
Carina rolled away, off the bed, and was already rummaging through her closet for some clothes. "And?"
"It was...startling, for lack of better word."
The raven haired girl only hummed in acknowledgement, and Rosalie politely looked away while she tugged on some new jeans and threw off her old shirt.
"You asked me to marry you," Rosalie continued slowly, watching for her mate's reaction.
Carina emerged from the closet, buttoning her shirt, and said carelessly, "Yeah?"
The blonde frowned at her. "Did you hear a word I said?"
Carina perched herself on the side of the bed next to Rosalie.
"I asked you to marry me," the witch rose her brows.
"You're kidding me!" Rosalie insisted, disbelief clear on her face. What about this was Carina not getting?
"Not particularly."
"You were half asleep, Carina, surely you didn't mean-"
"Oh, I meant it."
Carina leaned over her lap and pulled open a drawer on the nightstand. She produced a ring of silver, two halves of it twining together like vines, coming up to encircle an amethyst stone. It was so simple, but easily the most beautiful thing Rosalie had ever seen.
Rosalie stared. "How long have you had that?"
"Not long," Carina ran a hand through her hair, twisting the ring about with a contemplative look on her face. "Just before the Tanya incident, I think. You know, I remembered how you told me that, when you were human, you had violet eyes. This is the closest I could get, but…"
"Carina…" Rosalie carefully accepted the ring she was handed and turned it over, studying it. "How much did this cost?"
She glanced back up to find Carina shaking her head, advising, "Don't ask."
"You didn't have to...you don't even know if I'll say yes!" the blonde threw up her hand, incredulous.
"You'd say no?" Carina actually looked amused.
Rosalie wouldn't, and they both knew it. Teasing the witch was always fun, and she couldn't help herself more often than not. The gesture itself was incredibly sweet.
"Read the inside," her mate ordered.
Dutifully, the blonde did.
Nunc scio quid sit amor.
Latin was a dead language, one of the few that Rosalie had never bothered to learn. This caused her to look to Carina for an answer.
There was a pause, and then, "Now I know what love is."
"Yes," Rosalie muttered, rolling her eyes fondly.
"Of course," Carina's lips twitched, and she abruptly snatched the ring back.
Rosalie raised her brows.
"I did a lot of thinking about this, you know," Carina rolled the ring between her fingers, speaking softly, "I didn't just...decide. I knew we would get the bond and the contract sorted out somehow, eventually. I wasn't going to ask you for a while yet, but after what I saw in Alice's vision…"
Rosalie knew. Alice and Edward had told them all what would have happened if Aro had started a battle. He would have lost, and nearly everyone would have died due to Carina's explosion of grief.
"Well, I didn't want to wait after that," the raven haired girl continued. "And I don't want what happened to Regulus to be for nothing, either. However," she pointed at Rosalie. "you don't get the ring yet. I haven't given you a proper proposal."
"You don't have to," Rosalie told her, shaking her head. It was perfectly fine with her if there wasn't something grand, or just anything of that sort. "You're all I need."
"How did you get engaged to the bastard?" Carina spoke abruptly. "If you can tell me they didn't just slip a ring on your finger and tell you you were engaged…"
Rosalie couldn't, and so she kept silent.
"Exactly," the witch sighed and squeezed her hand, pocketing the ring. "You deserve a real proposal, Rose. Not a half-arsed thing where I hand you a ring and tell you I love you."
"You deserve that, too," Rosalie reminded her.
"I don't deserve anything. I don't even deserve you."
"Don't say that," the blonde sharply told her. "You beat yourself up enough as it is. You're far from perfect, but you're mine. I love you, and to be frank, I don't deserve you."
Carina arched a brow, but said nothing, merely scooted closer and drew Rosalie into her arms.
"I love you, too," the raven haired girl murmured, cheek pressed to the top of the vampire's head.
Rosalie smiled.
~~~xxx~~~
The others were informed, and the wedding was to be in the fall, sometime in October, to be exact. It certainly wasn't going to be held in Forks, but they hadn't planned that far ahead yet. To be honest, Carina was still working on the perfect proposal.
"Maybe I can recreate what I did at Christmas," she remarked to Luna, leaning back in her chair.
"Perhaps," the blonde hummed. "Though, then she would know what to expect as well."
"Maybe I can use bits, then," Carina frowned. "Or, we could be under the northern lights when it happens. They're not far…"
She bounced Teddy on her knee rather absently, but when he squealed, stared down at him. An idea struck her, then. It was wildly sentimental, a big step, but then again, she knew they'd have children of their own sometime soon, in the next couple years or so…
"Emmett."
Emmett, who had been thus far quiet and listening to the plans, glanced up. "Huh?"
"You'll need to keep Rosalie from snooping around," Carina ordered. "We all know she'll get curious, especially if Alice sees what will happen and gets excited."
"Got it!" Emmett cheerily saluted. "What are you gonna do?"
"How do you both feel about a trip?"
Luna and Emmett exchanged looks and grinned.
~~~xxx~~~
"You want my blessing," stated Carlisle.
"Not really," Carina informed. "But Luna insisted I do it this way since the two of you are the closest things to parents she has," she smiled charmingly. "Regardless, I'm going to do it even if you say no, so let's wrap this up, shall we?"
Carlisle raised his brows. "I do believe you're not supposed to ask that way."
"I say yes," Esme told her husband, delighted. "I'd love for you to officially be part of the family."
"I know we can't choose our mates," Carlisle sighed, holding up his hands at the look from his wife. "But I haven't exactly...approved, if I'm being completely honest. I was brought up being told that two women should not be together, ever."
"So was I, but it doesn't mean I care now," Esme shook her head. "Just say yes."
"And you know we're not very fond of each other, Carina…"
Carina watched with narrowed eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Part of me thinks," the man continued haltingly. "that regardless of those views...you're not good enough for Rosalie."
"Carlisle-"
"No, it's okay," Carina held up a hand, stopping Esme from speaking. She straightened. "He's right. I'm not. Rosalie could do so much better than me, but like he said: you can't choose your mate. I doubt someone like me would have ever been her first, or second, choice. I might not have been one at all."
"Carina-"
The raven haired girl released a breath, continuing sharply, "I have never once tried to be something I'm not. I have a nasty temper. I get moody. I hurt people when I'm upset, and I enjoy it. I can guarantee you right now I would rip this world apart for my son, or for Luna, or for Rosalie. There are a thousand other things I could list off about myself, but I won't. I never claimed I was good. Whatever good there was in me was wiped out a long time ago."
"Where are you going with this?" Carlisle folded his arms, thoughtful.
"She makes me...not better. Luna does that. But Rosalie makes me feel again, for more than just two people. I don't deserve her, but I can give her what she deserves. I don't care if you say yes, or if you say no. I'm marrying her anyway."
Carina left him no time to speak, for she was already twisting on the spot and apparating away.
Esme smacked him.
~~~xxx~~~
"See him, Ted?" Carina pointed down at the picture in her hands. "That's your dad."
"Mumma?" he scrunched his nose in confusion.
"C'mon," she gently touched his chubby little hand to it. "Repeat after Mumma, 'kay?"
"Kay."
"Dada," Carina tapped his hand to the picture.
"Dada," Teddy dutifully recited.
"Good boy," she smoothed his hair down, allowing him to study the photo, features morphing back to his normal ones that resembled the man so closely. It made her chest clench, but she knew not to push him further, not yet. He didn't understand it right now.
"Can I ask you a question, Ted?"
Teddy stared back at her with wide, innocent amber eyes. "Kay."
"You like Rose, yeah?"
"Yeah!" he grinned.
"You love her?"
"Uh huh!"
His enthusiasm made her smile, even as she slowly voiced her question.
"How would you like it if Rose was your other, new Mumma?"
Teddy frowned, appearing confused for a moment, before wrinkling his nose thoughtfully.
"She can' be Mumma," he said sternly. "You Mumma."
"Then what would she be?"
He tilted his head. "Mummy?"
"Really? You'd call Rose Mummy?"
The little boy smiled. "Uh huh. Mummy Rose."
Carina laughed and pulled him in for a hug, heart warming.
~~~xxx~~~
"Dad...she's beautiful. Inconceivably, irrevocably...beautiful."
Carina fiddled with her fingers, sitting cross legged on the floor of Grimmauld Place. Her father, hovering above her, laughed delightedly and patted an apparition of her on the back.
"You'd like her," she continued quietly, wistfully watching as Sirius grinned, perching on the edge of the table. "Not just because of how she looks, either. She's strong, and stubborn, and she challenges me in ways no one else does. She isn't the type of person I'd have picked for myself, or the one I originally wanted, but...she's exactly what I needed. Her name is Rosalie, and she's a vampire. Crazy, right?"
Sirius chattered on amicably.
"She's one of the fiercest people I know. She seems like a right bitch, and-well, alright, she can be, but she's got a heart of gold, I swear. She loves Teddy, and she doesn't mind that I'm so...well, so me."
Her father slid from the table and moved to flop in the floor beside her, eyes passing through her and to the girl behind her. He wore a thoughtful expression.
"Hermione said she looks at me like I hung the moon," Carina laughed softly. "It's funny, because I never noticed. I was too busy watching her."
She smiled half-heartedly when he reached right through her.
"I proposed," she told Sirius. "Or, I will. She's going to marry me. She wants to have children with me. She wants to spend eternity with me, and if I'm with her, I don't think it will be so bad. The world will burn, but...we'll be together. It's rather poetic, isn't it? A tragic romance. But it's worth it. More than worth it, to know I would have actually been happy and gotten to spend the rest of my days with the woman I love. Love, Dad, isn't it mad? I'm in love."
Sirius sprung nimbly to his feet, shifting as he went, and Padfoot went bounding through her and around the corner after the lean black wolf.
"Nice talk." Carina let out a breath, before raising her wand.
She was sucked from the memory, and she lifted her head out of the pensive. Luna stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame and smiling softly at her.
"I take it it went well?" the blonde inquired.
Carina moved to stand by her. "As well as expected, considering none of it was real."
"It was real to you," Luna squeezed her hand. "And that's what matters, isn't it? Somewhere, Sirius is watching over you. He's probably just as proud of you as I am."
"Maybe, Luna. Maybe."
Hand in hand, the two left the house together.
~~~xxx~~~
Rosalie had noticed Carina sneaking about for the past week or more, sending Emmett out to distract her. She was not stupid, knowing her mate was surely up to something, but chose not to interfere no matter how curious she was.
Waiting had seemed like the best option.
Now, as she stood out in the snow atop a mountain in Alaska, she wondered what it was she had been waiting for.
"How are you not cold?" she asked Carina, who was standing beside her in her normal leather jacket, hands in her pockets.
"Warming charm," Carina shrugged, and Rosalie raised her brows.
"You aren't very dressed up."
"Take me or leave me," the witch arched her own brow, prodding her arm. "This isn't exactly the place."
Rosalie also shrugged, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. "What is it you had to drag me to Alaska for?"
Carina cocked her head, a contemplative look on her face. After a moment, she smiled smugly and pointed above them.
"That."
Rosalie tipped her head back as the mountaintop was illuminated, and the northern lights stretched out above them in the sky.
"It's beautiful," the blonde murmured in wonder. She had lived in Alaska herself before and seen them, of course, but somehow, it seemed like she was seeing them again for the first time with Carina by her side.
They were silent for awhile, watching as the lights danced above them, before Carina tugged at Rosalie's hand.
The blonde turned.
"Here," Carina produced something from inside her jacket.
For a moment, Rosalie thought it would be the ring. She was a bit surprised when it was a folded up piece of paper.
Carefully, she took it.
"I managed to get everything worked out," Carina continued quietly, gray eyes luminous under the sky above. "It took some time...but, well."
Rosalie unfolded it at the gesture, and she frowned when she saw it was a document of some sort. Her eyes roved over it for a moment, and when she realised what it was, inhaled sharply.
"Carina…"
"Read it."
"This is to certify that Theodore Remus Lupin has been adopted into the Black Family by Carina Black and...and Rosalie Hale…"
Rosalie slowly lowered the paper, glancing up at Carina, who met her gaze steadily.
"He's ours?" Rosalie breathed, eyes wide, unable to believe it.
"He's ours," Carina confirmed.
"I knew you'd talked about children, but I never thought you would do this," the blonde stared down at the paper in wonder, trailing her fingers over it.
"Why wouldn't I?"
"I just thought...well, I don't know what I thought, to be honest. I didn't expect it."
Carina shrugged, ducking her head. "May as well go all out, yeah?"
"This is amazing," Rosalie leaned down (sometimes Carina cursed the four inch height difference) and kissed her cheek, unable to believe it. It was so surreal, like something out of a dream. "Thank you so much, Carina."
"You're amazing," Carina smiled at her, before dropping to her knees in the snow.
"Carina, you don't have to-"
"I do," the witch cut across her, speaking softly. "This isn't as grand as I'd have liked for you, but I'd like to think it's just as meaningful. Will you marry me?"
"Of course," Rosalie told her fondly, before slipping the ring on her finger. "Now get out of the snow, you idiot."
"Your idiot."
"Yes," the blonde laughed. "My idiot. Forever."
"Forever," Carina promised, before patting the snow beside her. "Come on, love. We're alone up here, let's make snow angels."
"Snow angels, really?" Rosalie arched a brow, nevertheless lowering herself and lying back.
The stunning grin she received in answer was enough to warm her from the inside out.
"I won't tell if you won't."
With snowflakes sticking to her lashes, cheeks tinted pink and hair blown back, Rosalie was positive Carina Black was the most beautiful being she had ever seen.
Needless to say, Rosalie made an angel, and the two stayed on the mountain the rest of the night under the northern lights, playing in the snow like children.
~~~xxx~~~
"You're getting married?"
"Yes."
"You better make me a bridesmaid."
"No problem. Actually, better yet, I'll have two maids of honor."
"Is that allowed?"
"To hell with what's allowed, it's my wedding and I can do what I want."
"That's the spirit, Wicked. Think the missus will allow it?"
"Of course. Emmett is her choice for best man, anyway, and if Jacob is invited, so are you."
"I might wear a dress."
"Just don't wear white. Rose will slaughter us all."
"Wasn't planning on it. Are you wearing one?"
"What, a dress?"
"Yeah."
"Maybe. I sort of want her to be the only one in a wedding dress, though. Her last engagement was...problematic."
"I get it. Let her have her big day, huh?"
"Mhmm."
"And then you're gonna have her babies?"
"Our children, yes, unless we can come up with a way for her to carry. Magic can do a lot."
"I don't get you, Wicked."
"I don't get me, either."
"You're crazy."
"Very."
"Well, so long as we're on the same page," Leah raised her glass of firewhisky. "Cheers."
"Cheers." Carina smirked.
~~~xxx~~~
"Mummy!"
Rosalie absently turned a nudged Carina, who was reclined back on the couch with the blonde curled against her, reading a book.
"Carina," Rosalie repeated, prodding her.
"Hmm?" Carina glanced up from her book.
"Teddy is calling for you."
As if on cue, the boy shouted again, "Mummy!"
"Oh, no," Carina shook her head and went back to the book. "He doesn't want me."
"Yes, he does," Rosalie frowned.
"No, he doesn't."
"Mummy!"
"See?" the raven haired girl deliberately turned a page and ignored his call. "If you're so concerned, why don't you deal with it?"
When there was another shout, Rosalie made her way across the room and lifted the boy out of his playpen.
Teddy beamed at her.
"She won't pay attention to you, will she?" she whispered to the child fondly, bouncing him. He squealed. "Well, I've got you."
"Mummy," Teddy grinned, patting her cheek.
Rosalie blinked, having thought he would stop when she came over. "What?"
He frowned at her, scrunching his nose as he placed his little hand on her cheek again.
"Mummy Rose," he said sternly.
The blonde, startled, nearly dropped him.
Teddy recovered fairly quickly from the little jolt, and Rosalie whipped around, accusing, "You told him to do this!"
"I didn't tell him," Carina nonchalantly turned the page of her book again. "I asked him. He wanted to, so there you have it. Besides, he is your son, so it's only fitting."
The witch finally put the book down and made her way over, looking smug.
"And you thought he was calling for me," she teased.
"Shut up," Rosalie shoved her.
"Yes, love."
The vampire rolled her eyes, but nevertheless smiled at Carina, who kissed her cheek and snatched Teddy away.
"Hey!"
"Mine now!" Carina taunted, purposefully twisting when Rosalie made to grab him back. Throughout the ordeal, Teddy only shrieked with delight at the new game. "Catch us if you can!"
She promptly apparated away, leaving Rosalie to huff exasperatedly and hurry out the door to start her search.
