I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter, and to be honest, I can't see pairing Tanya with Narcissa or Draco. Their characters just don't really...well, fit, I guess. I can't see her with Andromeda either, though I've considered that and even Leah. I do want to find someone for her, though, so I don't know if I'll make up someone or just find someone who seems like the right fit. Anyhow, enjoy the Rosalina (hehe, ship name, tell me if it's dumb) fluff!
With all my heart, and all my soul, I
will love you till the winds don't
blow. Until the oceans turn to stone,
my love is yours and yours alone.
My love is forever, until forever's
gone.
-Kenny Rogers
Winter came and went, and spring hit them all with a sense of relief. They had tired of the snow, not that spring in Forks was any less cold, or wet.
Still, Carina liked watching Luna bounce about the backyard, sniffing flowers that had bloomed. It made her smile to see the blonde happy, especially after the Bellatrix incident and her kidnapping.
"They're so pretty!" Luna laughed, not bothered at all as raindrops started to fall in a light sprinkle down upon them.
She spread her arms and turned in a circle, smiling widely as she angled her face to the sky and closed her eyes.
"You're pretty," Carina remarked, lips twitching. "You look like a nymph."
Luna opened her eyes, delighted. "Thank you. Dance with me?"
"No way," the older girl shook her head, hefting Teddy higher onto her hip. He had insisted on being carried after he toddled a few laps around the yard.
"Please?" Wide, pleading silver eyes caught hers.
Carina scrunched her nose at Luna's pout, but nevertheless acquiesced, "Fine."
Luna grinned again and tugged Carina forward by her free hand, and the raven haired girl rolled her eyes at the blonde's impatient wiggling.
She hoisted Teddy onto her shoulders and cast a brief sticking charm to hold him there, before taking both of Luna's hands in hers as requested.
With a groan, she allowed her friend to spin them around, over and over, as rain fell down upon them. It was embarrassing, to be honest, but she couldn't regret agreeing when both Teddy and Luna were laughing and screaming their joy to the heavens.
Carina couldn't even help laughing herself as Luna pulled a face at her, moving so that she could twirl under Carina's arm and crash back into her.
The older witch reached up to tweak Teddy's nose when he tugged at her hair, and he squealed.
"More, more!"
The rain was coming down harder now, but her little son didn't seem to mind, and neither did Luna, though Carina was mildly worried one of them would catch a cold.
A little playing in the rain never hurt anyone. His immune system is better, anyway, she thought, inwardly rolling her eyes as she waved her wand over Teddy's coat to repel the rain despite it, just in case.
Besides, who was she to deny them?
~~~xxx~~~
Emmett and Rosalie found them like that a while later, twirling through the garden in the rain, heads thrown back and delighted laughs escaping them.
"I want to marry her," Emmett told Rosalie, eyes never once leaving his mate. He looked positively enthralled, and the blonde very nearly teased him for it.
She didn't quite get the chance, however, when her eyes finally focused on her own mate.
Carina's dark hair was plastered to her head, clothing positively drenched, and Teddy was on her shoulders, holding her head and screaming happily as they danced.
Rosalie was struck dumb for a moment by the ethereal beauty that was her forever, barely managing to reply to her brother, "I agree."
"You want to marry Luna?" Emmett nudged her, teasing.
"What?" Rosalie tore her eyes away from the sight. "No, no…I know we're getting married already, but is it bad that I want so terribly to propose as well? Seeing her like that, so…"
"Free? Gorgeous?" Emmett smiled, staring longingly after Luna. "I know."
"It makes you think that maybe eternity won't be so terrible after all," the other vampire murmured. "Even if we never have children of our own, if only because she's there."
The man did not get a chance to reply, for it seemed they were finally noticed, and Carina lifted Teddy from her shoulders to hold him against her hip, instead.
Luna bounded over with ease and leapt straight into Emmett's waiting arms.
At a slower pace, Carina made her way over and kissed Rosalie on the cheek, pushing the boy into her arms.
Rosalie very nearly questioned what she was doing when the raven haired girl was suddenly draped over her her back, pressing a kiss to her neck.
...and thoroughly soaking Rosalie's back.
"Carina!" the blonde turned in her lover's arms just in time to receive a dab of mud to the cheek.
"Oops," said Carina, not bothering at all to hide her smirk as she held up her hands, one of which was mud stained.
Rosalie hissed at her, advancing, but Carina only clucked her tongue in disapproval and pointed to Teddy.
The blonde narrowed her eyes and sat him atop the table on the porch.
"Stay," she commanded.
Rosalie advanced on Carina, who ducked under her arm and raced inside. The vampire chased after her at a fairly human pace, managing to tackle Carina to the couch.
The raven haired girl squirmed underneath her, bucking furiously, but Rosalie pinned her arms above her head with one hand. Slowly, using her free hand, she swiped her finger over the mud on her cheek and smeared it over Carina's nose.
The witch froze, wrinkling her nose and crossing her eyes to stare at the spot. When they flickered back up to Rosalie, her lips curled upward, and then her limbs shifted.
Not expecting her to transform, Rosalie hurried after the wolf as it made a mad dash upstairs. She rounded the corner to see Carina enter her bedroom and clamber out the window, onto the roof, and she followed until they were stood atop the highest peak.
"Nowhere to go now," Rosalie teased.
Carina smiled, took a step back, and fell off the roof.
"CARINA!"
Rosalie leapt from the roof and hit the ground hard, whipping about in search of her mate as she accused Luna, "Where is she?"
Luna, just like Carina had before, smiled. She pointed upward, and it was only then that Rosalie noticed her mate sitting on the branch of a tree, unharmed.
She jerked Carina down and into her arms, cuffing her over the head.
"You idiot!"
Carina shrugged and pushed her wet hair back, eyes positively sparkling as she teased, "I win."
Rosalie smacked her again. "This wasn't about winning! How did you…"
"Apparated."
"Idiot," the blonde repeated.
Carina squirmed to get down, but when Rosalie did not relinquish her hold, huffed.
"I could do this to you just as easily, you know."
"I very much doubt that."
"Don't test me."
"I'd never," Rosalie rolled her eyes fondly.
Carina twisted in her grip, and for a moment, the vampire feared she was going to apparate away. Instead, the raven haired girl only moved so that she could wrap long legs around Rosalie's waist, sitting snugly on her hip.
"If you insist," Carina told her. "You can carry me back."
Rosalie raised her brows and promptly dropped the witch, who made a face, but then reached over and swept Rosalie off her feet.
Literally. No magic, no warning, and then Carina was marching off with the blonde in her arms.
"Carina!"
"Surprised?" Carina grunted.
"I'm heavy, aren't I?"
"No."
"I am."
"Okay, you're fat."
"I didn't say that," Rosalie narrowed her eyes.
"Oops."
She hit the other woman for the third time that day.
"If you two are done," Emmett scolded them, wagging his finger. "There is a child present."
There was a click, and Luna smiled serenely at them, holding a camera she had gotten out of nowhere.
"Shut up," Carina scoffed. "We haven't done anything terrible…" she tilted her head consideringly and tightened her grip on Rosalie. "Yet."
"Yet?" Rosalie arched a brow, her mind admittedly traveling to a not so-innocent place at her mate's half smirk.
Carina allowed Rosalie to stand back on her own two feet, and the blonde scooped Teddy into her arms at his cries of, "Mummy, up!"
Finally, when Emmett and Luna ambled their way inside, Rosalie's question was answered after Carina leaned in close to whisper in her ear,
"Yet."
~~~xxx~~~
"Stop, stop," Carina finally deigned to order Alice, who had been flitting about excitedly, babbling about flowers and dresses and Paris. "You're not planning our wedding."
"But I did Bella and Edward's, and look how wonderful that turned out!" Alice put her hands on her hips.
"They wanted to run off and elope."
"They thanked me later."
"You're still not planning the wedding. As Rosalie's sister, it's inevitable that you're going to help, but I'm not letting you take over."
"But I've seen it!" the little vampire pleaded. "If you just let me handle things, it will be perfect!"
"No," Carina repeated, this time firmer, harsher. "We don't need perfect. Rosalie gets to plan her actual wedding this time, to her standards, and I'll be doing the same on my part. You are allowed to help, and that's it."
Alice sighed. "Can I plan the guest list?"
"Luna is doing that."
The vampire brightened. "Oh, then I'll help!"
She rushed off before Carina could get another word in, and the witch turned to thump her head against the wall, groaning.
I have a feeling I'm going to have to check that list when they're finished…
~~~xxx~~~
Spring came and went, as did Teddy's third birthday (which turned out to be a very large affair at Carina's home), and now, it was Carina's.
"You're twenty," Luna teased. "No longer an angsty teenager. Whatever will you do?"
"Be an angsty adult?" Carina mildly suggested, rolling back over in the bed. It was one of the few nights she and Luna were alone in the house due to Rose and Emmett's inclusion into their lives.
"Don't go back to sleep!"
Carina pulled her pillow over her head.
"It's midnight."
"Exactly midnight," she could all but hear Luna's smugness. "Typically you aren't in bed until two."
"I am the mother of a rambunctious three-year-old and I babysit your sorry arse on a daily basis. I deserve this."
"Of course you do," Luna patted her head placatingly, sliding from the bed. "Don't worry, Teddy and I will be back at six to wake you again."
Carina made a rude gesture without looking up and burrowed under the covers.
~~~xxx~~~
"I hate my life, I hate my life," the raven haired woman mumbled in time with Teddy's jumps, each jostling her further out of her slumber. She had tried so hard to get back to sleep, but the boy was having none of it. "I hate my life, I hate...BLOODY HELL!"
He had just fallen directly on top of her chest, knocking the wind out of her as she threw her pillow across the room to ease her exasperation.
"Bad word!" Teddy stared at her accusingly, their noses smushed together. "No bad words, Mumma. Naughty."
Carina narrowed her eyes at him and rolled off the bed, knocking the child off in the process.
"Hey!"
He hurried along after her, tugging at her sleeveless shirt the whole way, chanting, "Mumma, Mumma, Mumma, Mumma…"
"Yes?" she finally conceded, arching a brow.
"Happy birthday," Teddy smiled brightly up at her. "I love you."
"Love you, too, Ted," Carina tiredly ruffled his hair and swept into the kitchen, snagging her hot cup of coffee without bothering to see who it was from.
She was engulfed in a pair of strong, disconcertingly warm arms, and a voice husked in her ear, "You don't love me?"
Carina leaned back into Leah and tilted her head back, grumbling, "I hate you."
"Hey," Leah cried in offense, pinching the witch's side. "I brought you the coffee!"
"You bought it?"
"Yes! So, you could serve to be a little nicer, 'cause I'm not against beating you up on your birthday."
"I love you so much," Carina drawled flatly, taking another long drink. "I want to call off my engagement right now and elope with you, I'm so grateful."
"I hope not," came an amused voice, and Emmett bounded in to press a kiss to her cheek in greeting. "Happy birthday! Oh, Rose is kinda right behind me, so-"
"Dog."
"Leech."
Carina peered lazily over the rim of her cup, and her grip slipped a little when Rosalie came striding in purposefully, sunglasses perched on her nose. She looked even better than usual, fashionably so, blonde curls falling over one shoulder, heels clacking on the tile.
Leah put a hand under the cup and pushed it up. "Really, Wicked?"
"Now," Rosalie crossed her arms and raised a brow, speaking slowly, "What is going on here?"
Carina paused, cocking her head as she noticed Emmett and Luna watching with great amusement, and then glanced down at the tan arm slung carelessly around her stomach.
To be completely honest, she was still rather out of it.
"Hi, Mummy!" Teddy beamed up at Rosalie, who smiled when he hugged her around the legs. "Mumma an' Leah are huggin'!"
"I can see that," the blonde narrowed her eyes slightly. "Carina…"
Carina dutifully extracted herself from Leah's excruciatingly warm touch and fell back into her mate's cool one, the temperature change sending goosebumps up her arms.
Regardless, she took another sip of her coffee, closed her eyes, and sighed contentedly. Rosalie wrapped her arms around Carina, and though the girl could not see, knew she was glaring.
"Happy Birthday," Rosalie murmured, nuzzling her neck.
"I feel underdressed," Carina mumbled, tipping her head back so that it rested against Rosalie's shoulder. She was in an old pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a sleeveless shirt.
"I like you anyway you are," the blonde kissed the side of her head, fingers brushing over where Carina's shirt had ridden up to expose a bit of skin.
The raven haired woman hummed, sitting her now empty cup aside. "I should get dressed. I have a feeling you've all planned something."
"No-o," Emmett quickly denied, at the same time Luna said cheerily, "Maybe."
Carina snorted and made to move, but Rosalie only held tighter, dropping her chin to Carina's shoulder.
"Rose," the witch sighed loudly.
"Carina."
"You're not letting go, are you."
"No."
"Come on, then," Carina tugged at Rosalie's hand, ignoring the catcalls from Emmett as she pulled her mate up the stairs, to her room, and shut the door.
Carina didn't particularly care for modesty in any case, not being ashamed of her body, so she stepped out of her pants and threw off her shirt.
She knew that Rosalie had looked away, and when she turned around, noticed the blonde had swiveled about to stare out the window.
Carina's lips twitched, and she could not help announcing, "I'm decent."
Rosalie turned, but when she saw her mate's state of undress, froze.
"Carina," she said slowly. "Go put some clothes on."
Carina tilted her head, moving forward instead so that they were chest to chest, staring up into darkened eyes.
"I want my present."
"You have plenty."
"But it's not everyday you turn twenty," the witch smiled charmingly and kissed her.
Rosalie responded well at first, but not once did her hands actually roam. Determined to fix that, Carina trailed kisses down Rosalie's neck and back up again, ghosting over the shell of her ear before returning to her lips.
One of the blonde's hands tangled in raven locks, tugging hard, and this made Carina smirk into the kiss, for this was what she had wanted-passion. The other hand fell over her backside, and then, the witch was lifted up, legs tangling around Rosalie's waist.
She shuddered when the vampire sucked at her pulse point, and then Carina was abruptly thrown onto the bed.
Rosalie went still again as she hovered over the young woman.
"Carina," Rosalie warned. "Don't start something you don't intend on finishing."
"Oh, do I wish to," Carina muttered, but nevertheless rolled out from under her mate and grabbed the first pair of jeans she could find (Rosalie wrinkled her nose at the very real hole in one worn knee), tugging them on.
The blonde actually laughed, but stood, halting Carina before she could pull on her shirt.
The witch was about to question her, turning her head so that she could see what was going on, but Rosalie only shook her head.
Grumbling, Carina ceased her motions, tensing slightly when fingers brushed tenderly over the scars on her back.
She jumped a bit when lips touched the bare skin, moving from one destination to another, pressing lightly. She recognized the pattern of the lash marks, and she shivered at the feeling.
"I love you, you know," Rosalie murmured. "Every last inch of you. It'll almost be a shame to see these gone when you change...they're a part of you."
With one last kiss between her shoulder blades, Rosalie drew away, and Carina slid her shirt on, finally turning.
"Let's get downstairs, before they all break something," Carina chose not to mention that there were sure to be difficulties in her changing, merely smiled.
Her vampire dutifully followed.
~~~xxx~~~
Rosalie watched as Carina reclined back in her seat, observing as everyone talked animatedly to one another. Jacob and Leah were in their own corner for now, and everyone else had separated into pairs as well, like normal.
She herself was left alone with Teddy and Rosalie, the former of who was eating some birthday cake, looking positively delighted as he reached up to smear some over her cheek.
Rosalie stifled a laugh.
Carina stared at him. "Teddy."
"Mumma," he grinned cheekily.
"No," she told him firmly. "No cake fights."
"Why?" Teddy pouted.
"Because I said so."
"But I wanna!"
"But I don't wanna," Carina wiped the cake from her cheek, prodding his side. "Now finish eating it, or I won't take you to Gramma Andy's tonight."
Teddy's eyes widened almost comically, and he reached down and shoved the last (rather large) piece in his mouth. His cheeks bulged, and Carina chuckled.
Rosalie did not bother to hide her laugh this time, reaching around Carina to run her hand through the boy's hair.
"My little chipmunk," she said fondly, even as he grinned around his mouthful of cake.
"Carina?" a tentative voice asked.
The twenty-year-old glanced up, finding Renesmee fidgeting in front of her. "Yes?"
"Here," the hybrid held out a flower, obviously picked from Esme's garden outside. Renesmee's cheeks flushed. "I didn't know what to get you."
Carina stared down at the flower, twirling it between her fingers. Renesmee shifted anxiously, obviously awaiting a response, and Rosalie watched closely. Carina was typically unpredictable around Renesmee, not in a bad way, but in a way that made everyone around them immediately interested, for she had never shown a particular liking for the child.
The witch paused, then leaned forward (ignoring the child's tensing form) and tucked the stem behind Renesmee's ear.
"Pretty for a pretty girl," Carina said quietly, lightly, as she tucked the child's hair aside. "Thank you. But, it looks better on you than it ever would have on me."
If Renesmee had been pink before, she was positively red now, though she did beam, all signs of previous nervousness evaporating.
"Thanks!" she stammered. "I-I mean, you're welcome, I mean…you're really pretty too!"
Carina raised her brows, a bit bewildered, and Rosalie couldn't help but smile at the sight and action as her niece hurried away, embarrassed.
"Someone has a crush," she teased Carina softly.
"This is what I get for not agreeing to be her aunt," the witch grumbled back.
Rosalie shook her head. "You did that on purpose because you knew."
"...maybe."
The blonde kissed her mate's cheek, chuckling.
~~~xxx~~~
The party had escalated later in the night, after Teddy had been taken to Andromeda's. Jacob, Leah, and Carina had all started a drinking contest with firewhisky, despite the latter's prior refusal (she couldn't handle being called a coward afterward, however, and did it anyway) to see who could handle the alcohol better.
Jacob, not used to the strong effects, was completely plastered by his second bottle.
Leah was gone by her third.
Carina was the only one able to walk a straight line at the third bottle, surprisingly enough, though she did fall over shortly after and needed to be taken home by Rosalie.
The blonde herself was glad, to be honest. She much preferred being in bed, her head on her mate's chest as she listened to the strong, steady heart beneath her.
Carina was a rather affectionate drunk, too, so that definitely helped. Rosalie had been thoroughly hugged and kissed and cuddled, far, far more than was ever normal, and she had not been able to bring herself to stop it. Truthfully, she even liked it, not to mention found it incredibly amusing.
The blonde was near positive Carina was asleep an hour after they got there, but she was proven wrong when there was a near inaudible mumble of, "Love you, Rosie."
Rosalie decided right then and there, as a clumsy hand stroked her hair once, twice, before falling away, that she was going to propose (propose back?) to Carina Black.
