Chapter 49

Everyone had taken the proper time to embrace Nicole's safety in their own way. She had been smothered with hugs and kisses from all of her family members. Mackenzie balled with Alice, and the two of them fed off each other's tears. Jasper didn't attempt to hide his emotion, and even apologized to his daughter for not being more open to her relationship with Salvatore.

At the end of the day, they were all so overjoyed with the resolution of the conflict that all else was forgotten; even potential backlash from the Volturi was something they all knew could wait until the morning. For now, they were focused on starting over... again.

Salvatore stood with Nicole in her room while family members whipped around them, carrying bags and carting furniture. He looked glum, and took her hands in his own.

"I'm sorry," he told her quietly, "I don't want your family to be in danger. They have to move because of me."

"We've moved several times... and my parents even more than that. It's part of what we do."

"It shouldn't have to be that way."

Nicole could see his remorse. She didn't want to see him in pain, and so she lightly pulled his face toward hers by the back of his head and kissed him.

"Salvatore," she whispered, "Aside from meeting you... I didn't like it here very much."

He looked up at her.

"The house in Minnesota is so much cooler." She grinned, causing him to do the same.

"You're not just saying that?"

"No." Nicole shook her head, "No, I'm not unhappy to be moving. It's not like we had friends here."

"You didn't have the chance to make them."

"Sal," she went on, "I want to move back to Minnesota."

He looked her in the eye again.

"Are you doing okay?" she changed the subject, "About Vincent."

Salvatore nodded, "I know it might sound cold but... I kind of feel nothing. That must sound terrible."

Nicole shook her head.

"I never felt connected with Vincent. He was always cold to me, and arrogant. He enjoyed killing people... I never have."

"You have a conscience."

"Something like that, I guess."

"You do," Nicole told him. "You're a good person."

"Born to an immortal monster."

"So what."

Salvatore sighed and allowed her to cradle his head against her. "I love you, Nicole."

She swallowed hard. "I love you, too."

The two of them stayed linked together for a moment before he pulled back. A single tear dropped from his eye and Nicole caught it as it slid down his face. Before she could second guess his answer on his brother, he spoke first.

"I can't wait to start a real life... for the first time, with you and your family in Minnesota."

Nicole managed a smile, accompanied by her own stray tears and the two of them kissed again.

Emmett peaked his head, "Get a room."

"They're already in one," Rosalie shoved him as he walked with a high stack of boxes.

His laughter as he made his way down the hall made both Nicole and Salvatore smile.

"Can't wait to check out this pool Caleb's been talking about," he said.

Nicole grinned, "Hope you have a bathing suit."

._._.

The oversized house was everything that they all remembered it to me; the iron gates that guarded the driveway, the private yard, the towering height. There was nothing modest about the home, though in their own ways each member of the family did find at least some joy in it. It was far different from their other homes over the years, and they weren't piled on top of each other due to lack of room. There was plenty of space for everyone.

"Same rooms as last time?" Emmett asked, taking in the fancy scenery all over again. His voice echoed off the walls and he purposely shouted out loud to amuse himself.

Rosalie smiled and rolled her eyes at Alice, who was finally glowing now that things were starting to feel normal again with Nicole safe and sound.

Her sister smirked, and then chuckled before letting out a loud howl of her own to follow Emmett's echo.

He chuckled and picked up his petite sister and twirled her around. "It's Friday night, what's the plan?"

Alice looked at her daughter, who smiled back and her mom.

"Wine, Mom?" Nicole asked, raising her eyebrows, "At least a toast... to another new beginning."

Alice nodded, "I think that's appropriate."

She smiled wide and hugged her mother hard. "I love you."

"I love you so much, Nicole." She sighed, "You're my everything."

Nicole squeezed her even harder and broke away before either of them got too emotional.

Alice then looked at Emmett, answering his original question, "Yes. Same rooms, Em."

"I don't think anyone would want ours." He nudged Rosalie, who smiled and shook her head.

"I married a teenager," she joked.

"With a libido like one," Alice added with a laugh.

They shared a laugh for a moment before people began to scatter.

Esme and Alice crossed paths in the midst of putting the pieces of the house back together to make it more 'homey'. She didn't say anything, but pulled Alice into a long hug.

Alice reciprocated and felt immediate comfort in Esme's motherly gesture.

"Thank you," Alice said quietly, again almost crying from the moment.

Esme pulled back and smiled, fighting back a tear as she didn't want to get Alice upset.

"I'm so glad she's okay," Esme said. It was all she needed to say.

Alice sighed and smiled. "What do you think of Salvatore?" she hadn't asked anyone else the question directly since he'd rescued her daughter.

Esme looked at Alice and answered honestly. "I think he's a lucky young man to have Nicole's heart," she said.

"Do you think he's being honest?"

"You want the truth?"

Alice nodded anxiously.

"Yes." Esme nodded, "I do."

A small smile crept on Alice's face and she hugged Esme again. "Thank you."

She smiled back and Carlisle and Jasper emerged into the hallway where they stood, rounding out of the room that was being turned back into Carlisle's office.

Jasper looked at the two of them with a serious expression, before his eyes softened. He looked at Esme and tipped his mouth up in a smile. "Mind if I borrow her for a moment?"

Esme grinned, "Not at all."

Jasper smiled back and looked at Alice with adoring eyes. He held out his hand.

"Is this when you say, 'come with me if you want to live'?" Alice teased.

Jasper snickered lightly, but didn't say anything more.

Alice took his hand and looked over her shoulder at Esme with a grin before Jasper rushed them away.

Carlisle looked at Esme and the two of them stared at each other for a few seconds before she closed the gap between them and kissed him, making it last.

A few seconds later, she parted her lips from his, though kept her arms around him and stared up into his eyes.

"Edward told me about your thoughts," he confessed, "About this place."

Esme sighed in through her nose and shrugged with a half smile. "New beginnings," she said.

"Are you okay living here?" Carlisle tightened his arms around her.

She nodded, "I am. I think it's a good way to get rid of old demons... start fresh."

He nodded back, seeing in her eyes that she was being truthful. "Okay."

Esme reached a hand up and toyed with his hair for a moment before they shared another kiss. "I'm so thankful for all of this... for us... that our family is still in tact. Losing just one person would make this life a lot colder; a lot harder."

He nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before letting his palm rest on her face, dancing his thumb across her cheek bone. "We've got a lot to lose... but we're not going to lose anybody."

"Getting the party started in the pool room!" Emmett called out, "Be there or be... rectangle."

"Isn't be there or be square?" Mackenzie asked with a laugh, apparently following her father toward the pool.

Esme couldn't help but grin, and Carlisle laughed lightly. They shared another look.

"Come on," he began pulling her toward the staircase, "Let's go, what do they call it, let loose."

She began to chuckle at his wording and he smiled, but she shook her head and tugged him by the hand in the other direction.

Carlisle immediately got her drift and smiled.

"Come with me if you want to live," Esme teased, repeated Alice's phrase.

He laughed and followed his wife down the hall.

Edward and Bella emerged from their room and passed the two of them in the process.

"Coming to Emmett's pool party?" Bella asked with a smile.

"They'll be down later," Edward said, sliding a hand around his wife's waist. He smirked at his parental figures and pulled Bella against him.

She tried to hide a smile, looking up at Edward, who's expression matched hers.

Carlisle closed the door behind him and took a glance around the extravagant bedroom that he'd shared with Esme years before. "I'd say it feels like home, but..." He shrugged.

"It will," she smiled, "As long as our family is all here, any place can feel like home."

"Even Minnesota?"

"Even Minnesota."