Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Stephenie Meyer created it all.
As always, my thanks to Sherryola, Twiloversue, and LemonMartinis who pre-read and beta this story for me. I mention these ladies every week, but there is no way that words alone can describe what their help means to me. I bow down to their greatness.
I wanted to thank those that went over to the Twilight Eclipse Awards and voted for this story. Carlie came in third place for the Best Original Character.
I've had a few readers ask questions, so please allow me to clear up a few things.
First, this is the only story where I've made Tanya a bad girl. In all my other stories, she's a good person, and I enjoy writing her that way. However, someone had to be the bad seed…so I chose her this time. Victoria's POV, posted last week, caused some confusion. Yes, Tanya and Glenn, Alice's rapist, (not James – who is a security expert for the Cullens and mentioned in the first chapters) were half-siblings. Yes, Tanya found out about him later…yes, finding out about him was part of what started her downward spiral.
Secondly, I promise not to focus on Sam2's abuse too much. I'm only doing enough to be realistic to the story.
Third, I apologize for the problems with FF last week and the review replies. I want to pull my hair out whenever I have a difficult time getting outtakes out!
Lastly, if I do go missing, again, all my stories are up over on Twilighted.
Bella POV
An outburst of rapid Italian announced the arrival of the Velathris. I could even hear Alec's crew chattering from the area of the front door. Turning to grin at Edward, I had to catch my breath.
Leaning on the wall not too far from where his father and I were handling the ribs, he looked delicious. He'd thrown on a form fitting long-sleeved t-shirt and some comfortable-looking blue jeans. The dark green shirt brought out the color of his eyes, and his hair was in its usual disarray, ironically highlighting the poetic nature of his face. I would lay down a bet that he'd used his fingers to comb through the coppery mess. Certainly, a brush would have taken out some of the waviness. Long and lean, he seemed more a piece of art than man.
"Sounds like Aro and the rest of the family have arrived," he said interrupting my fascinated observations. "Why don't we go meet them?" he added, holding his hand out to me.
"Go ahead, Bella. These are just about ready to come off," Carlisle encouraged while pulling a mouthwatering slab of beef from the grill. It looked like the meat would almost fall from the bones.
It was a funny sight; the renowned surgeon treating a slab of beef like it was fragile. I still had to hold in my laughter about his apron. Instead of a simple "Kiss the Cook" or "A Grill…a Man's Domain," Carlisle's read, "Man is incomplete until he marries. After that, he is finished." At first I'd been insulted, until Edward explained that his mom had actually bought the thing for his dad. Then it took on a completely different connotation, and I liked it.
Edward's fingers lacing through mine encouraged me to start moving, and I squeezed his hand gently as we left the back patio. Esme had indicated that we'd be eating in the garden between her and Rose's and Alice's houses, and I knew that Emmett and Jasper had already been recruited to amass all available chairs and tables in the vicinity. I wondered if we shouldn't move everyone in that direction as the house was beginning to almost bulge at the seams, although somehow, the feeling seemed right.
"Is…a…bella!" Marcus boomed as soon as I came around the corner, and he saw me. I jumped at the tone, but headed straight into his arms. It was a weird hug, because I'd refused to let go of Edward's hand. "Look Mae! She's glowing! More the pity…we thought perhaps you'd be the one to tame Demetri for us."
It was hard to even act mad at him, so infectious was his enthusiasm and so obvious his teasing. Didyme pulled me in for a hug as well, but pouted. Flashes of Elizabeth raced across my mind, and any guilt Didyme had produced quickly fled. She'd have her wish to see her son happily paired up soon if my intuition was right.
"Wait! I know that look!" Marcus focused in on my expression. "You know something! Out with it now, Isabella!"
"Nope! You'll have to figure it out for yourself."
Moving away from his curious expression, I latched onto Dora, Caius' wife. Caius stood by her with a large box loaded full of wine.
"Bought the farm?" I asked, being irreverent.
Caius, with his keen mind and sense of humor, quickly caught on to my insinuation. He almost lost hold of the wine as laughter flowed out of him. "You'd think I'd died when I told Aro I was retiring. He all but ordered the windows draped in black. But yes…I snatched that vineyard up for a steal. I've brought plenty of 'samples' to make sure that everyone becomes addicted."
Dora, his wife, rolled her eyes at his frivolity, but I could see that his statement was more fact than bragging. Alec and Afton held boxes as well, and I wondered just how much wine they thought we needed. Pregnant and showing, Chelsea, Alec's wife, stood holding both Michael's and Laurent's hands, and another woman stood to her side. Corin, I suspected, Afton's fiancé.
I introduced Edward to them all, knowing that he'd be unfamiliar. "May I carry anything?" he offered, but Felix ruined any answer coming through the door behind them.
"Absolutely not! Carlisle and I watched those doctors stitch you up pretty. You aren't going to bust anything loose on my watch. Here, I'll help," he said to Alec in a kind tone, picking up a sole bottle from the box. "Aah…it's even cold," he told Demetri, who'd followed. Alec scowled, but there was warmth in it. I was betting that Alec had probably visited Demetri at some time and had come to know the large Italian doctor. However, now that Felix was dating Jane, Alec's twin, he'd be more like family than ever.
Afton grinned at the chaos, but then Esme entered and helped them out.
"We can place the wine in the extra refrigerator. Follow me, and I'll show you where," she offered moving toward the kitchen. As an afterthought, she called out for Edward and me to take everyone to the living room where the kids were hiding.
I had no idea where an extra refrigerator was, but there was still so much of the house that I didn't know. I hadn't even ventured upstairs. The boys cleared out with Caius following them, leaving room for the next guests to enter. I couldn't help but smile brilliantly at Aro and Cia. God, it seemed like forever since I'd seen them. This time, Edward purposely released my hand so that I could hug them. Cia "tutted" over me, but then released me to go to Edward. He won another part of my heart back when he gallantly raised her hand up to kiss her knuckles.
But Aro's arms surrounding me cut off any further observations. "Isabella, it seems as if it has been ages!" He placed his cheek against the top of my head as I hugged him fiercely. "You are looking exceptionally well," he said softly.
"Thank you for coming," I replied just as quietly.
"We're family. You expected me to do less?"
Edward's voice distracted me as I remained in Aro's comforting hug. "I understand that you prayed over me," he murmured to Cia. "I can't thank you enough." He still held Sulpicia's hand gallantly, but his charm came from the rakish smile he sent her way. I didn't think he was even aware of it, the magnetism, but it was there, as bred into him as the color of his hair, his eyes, and the elegant structure of his face.
She nodded gracefully back to him. Dropping her hand, he turned to us and moved forward, holding his hand out. "Aro, thank you for coming."
Edward's honest words were met with warmth, the man that had effectively served as my surrogate father for most of the last decade released me to hold out his hand for a quick handshake.
"I would assume that Mom wants us all in the living room, so before we're all in trouble, shall we?" Edward moved his hand toward said area, and I found it funny that Sulpicia reached out to grab Aro's hand as I did Edward's. I'd never seen them dressed so casually, Cia in a light sweater and khaki's, Aro actually in jeans and a button up shirt.
The kids had been joined by Edward's siblings and their spouses, along with the Velathri "cult," as Demetri liked to call them. The living room was engulfed in pandemonium, and when we entered I saw Samantha's gaze move to us. Seated just feet from where we'd entered, she moved quickly, almost falling before she grabbed a hold of Edward's leg. Peeking out from around him, she stared at Aro.
Intrigued, Aro repaid the favor.
Edward knelt, bringing Samantha between his legs and cradling her to his chest. She laid her head against him, but turned to peek out from under the curtain of her hair towards the Aro. "What's wrong, Samantha?" he asked, brushing her hair gently away from her face.
"Is he…" she nodded at Aro "…Devil?" she squeaked out, then tried to bury her face in Edward's chest. I saw him wince slightly and knew she was probably hurting his wound, but he wasn't going to say anything for fear of scaring her.
I tried…I really did, but the snort won, escaping me at her statement, and Aro leveled a stare at me in an attempt to reprimand me. In response, I rolled my eyes.
"No, he's not the Devil." To a child the tone was very reassuring, but Aro and I heard the humor within it. "He's a friend of our family. His name is Aro, and this is his wife, Sulpicia."
Lowering down, Aro squatted, his hands resting on his thighs. He was attempting to look less threatening to the young girl still attempting to crawl into Edward's skin. "Hello?" Aro said softly, gently. "You must be the Samantha I've heard so much about."
"Heard?" she was unsure.
"Carlie shared all about you."
"Carlie?"
"Yes, she's told me that you are sweet. But, I thought she must be lying about just how beautiful you are; however, I see she wasn't. Your hair reminds me of the sunrise."
"Ugly!" Samantha snuffled into Edward's t-shirt.
Sulpicia gasped when Samantha called herself ugly and lowered down to her knees beside her husband.
"Sunrise over the ocean at our villa, shimmering with golds and blonds as the sun stretches across the water. "
Samantha responded to the frankly maternal sound of Cia's voice, pulling away from Edward to really look at her. When Edward glanced to them as well, I saw Aro do a double take and knew what he was thinking. I shook my head at him, letting him know that, NO, Edward was not her father.
"Cia may think I'm the very devil at times, little one, but I promise I am anything but…" He smiled genuinely at her, and it made him look almost…angelic.
What a hoot.
But any further conversation was cut off as Jake's crew arrived. Before I could say anything to them, Esme stepped in, her arms full of baskets;the warm smell of fresh yeast rolls making my mouth water. "Okay everyone, now that Jacob has decided to arrive…" Leah snickered at her tone "…lunch is ready. Shall we all grab platters and move toward the patio area. I've had the boys set up areas for us to eat."
Esme, the Queen, had spoken and all her loyal subjects obeyed, even the Velathri's. Even if the Velathri men were power houses in law and land, their mothers were the undisputed leaders in the home. It was a clear example of just how the mother ruled the roost. Within minutes, we looked like a long line of ants, following a path toward the lush garden Esme had created, laden with food and drink.
Even the kids carried small baskets that Esme doled out to them, except for Samantha. Seeing the frustration in her eyes at not being able to help, Edward fashioned a sling of sorts, and within that, he'd placed the flowers that Esme wanted for the tables. She looked liked some English maiden coming in from the fields, intent on decorating the castle. Fair maiden or not, her smile was as broad as her face as she hobbled forward.
The covered pool was flanked by small tables, but under a rose covered arbor at one end, Esme had placed several long ones and covered them with green tablecloths. It was there that she directed the boys to place the food, starting first with the ribs and traveling down the length to place the vegetables…corn, cut potatoes seasoned with fresh herbs, chilled steamed asparagus, squash, and zucchini…and then the rolls that had made my mouth water. Several jugs of homemade lemonade followed with a tub filled with bottled water being at the end. Demetri used another tub of ice to place at least ten bottles of the wine. Esme was taking the time to fill vases, scattered down the tables, with the flowers from Samantha's sling and handing Emmie and Jasmine bundles to take to the smaller eating ones. Scattered throughout, thick paper plates waited filling. It was a feast, but considering we had over thirty people to feed, it was good thing.
If the smells of the food weren't enough to drive us into a frenzy, multiple fragrances from the meticulously pruned shrubs and flowers perfumed the unseasonably mild air, and the smell and sound of the Sound...salty and ageless as time itself…filtered in adding the final touches. When she finally had the scene set, Esme turned to the group and smiled. Placing her hand on Samantha's slender shoulder, she nodded, pronouncing everything ready.
"Carlisle, will you do the honors," Aro indicated, having folded his hands in front of him.
Something passed between the two of them, and with a smirk, Carlisle bowed his head and said a short but simple prayer. "Ladies, please be seated," the Cullen patriarch announced.
Then I watched in awe as the men at the tables close to us waited on the girls first, men serving their wives and children. As usual, Seth had Carlie's food ready almost before she could sit. Even though I couldn't see much past the two tables close to us, I assumed the others did as well. Edward carried two plates, and I originally thought that he'd gotten food for us both, before he sat them down in front of me.
"I thought about pretending that I knew what you'd like, but I realized we'd never had ribs together, so I brought you a little of everything." He kissed my forehead and was gone again. A little of everything? There was enough food here to feed an army. He came back putting a bottle of water and a glass of robust red wine in front of me. "I've got to hurry before Emmett makes it, or I might not get to eat." With that, he moved away at quick speed.
I wanted to laugh, because I'd seen the huge platters that had been assembled, and I knew that there was more food still in the house. But I had seen Emmett eat when we were kids, and I was well aware of the amount of food that Felix could put away. Seth had returned to give Carlie lemonade, and she laughed as he ran after Edward. Leah snickered, seeing Jacob attempting to balance several plates on his way to her.
"You'd think that they'd never eaten before!" Leah remarked.
"Well…my and Carlisle's ribs are amazing," I puffed up and then giggled when Leah stared me down.
I assumed that the families separated off, but I noticed when Esme and Sulpicia sat next to one another at the table beside us. Didyme moved to sit directly across from them. Cauis and Dora had taken a place with Afton and Alec's crew on the other side. I found it interesting that such would be the gathering. When Edward sat between Carlie and me with his plates, I took the moment to ask. "Your father, he's close to Marcus and Aro? I know he said that he had some history with them, and I know about the business stuff…but…"
"He is actually closer to Marcus, but that is because of their history. Dad still consults Marcus on things, even though Uncle Eleazar has served as the family's financial counsel for years. Aro came to visit a couple of times during the time I still lived at home, but Marcus was a much more frequent visitor. I'm still amazed that through it all your name never came up."
It was something I'd thought about as well.
"We should have invited Eleazar and Carmen," I said, realizing that I felt small for not having done so.
"Mom tried, but Uncle Eleazar told her that he was taking Aunt Carmen on a short trip this weekend. He said they needed to get away for awhile."
Any further conversations stopped as Jake sat down with his final plate, and we all attacked the food in front of us like it was our last meal. I wanted to laugh as I saw him eye the Italians surrounding us like he expected trouble. He rolled his shoulders several times like his skin crawled. Aro and his group had always made Jake nervous. Nervous or not, he, Edward, and Seth cleared at least two plates of food a piece before even showing the possibility of slowing down.
"Breathe!" Leah told Seth at one point, afraid that he was going to choke.
"Good!" he mumbled, covering his mouth with a napkin.
"But you don't have to eat as if you have no manners," she retorted, fire lighting her eyes.
His mother's reprimand finally won out, and it was almost as if I could see him consciously chew each mouth-full twenty times before he swallowed.
"Much better," she remarked, earning a snicker from Carlie.
Seth nudged Carlie's arm, and she slid her half finished second serving to him. Grabbing the cob of corn she hadn't even started, he crunched happily into it.
Edward chuckled happily at the sight.
"What?" he said when I nudged him. "He's a growing boy. I remember when mom would complain that she couldn't keep Em and I fed." He patted his flat as an iron stomach as if it a testament to anything. It was all muscle and no fat - I knew. The visual made my mouth water.
"Well, I for one am too full to eat any dessert right now," Jake announced. "I'm not sure I'll ever get there."
"AH!" Emmett slapped a hand to Jake's shoulder. "That is exactly what I wanted to hear." He'd approached from the side and moved to stand between Jake and me. "What do ya say to a little game of friendly football? Edward can't play." I heard an unhappy moan come out of the man beside me. "We need more testosterone. I was hoping to recruit you and Seth. Felix and Demetri have already gotten Alec and Afton on board."
"Do you discount our ability to play?" Carlisle called over from the table beside us.
"I wasn't planning on playing touch football." Emmett's eyebrow had a sardonic arch.
Turning, I attempted to catch Carlisle's expression and comeback. Instead, Aro replied.
"Really…" he murmured and then looked like the cat that ate the canary. "Youth…it's a shame how it is wasted on the simple minded, Carlisle. Brawn…yes, it is something to be brought to any altercation. There is always a need for a defensive line of capable bodies…individuals who can be organized and led to use their skills as necessary. But what is really crucial is the knowledge to manipulate those skills in such offensive manner…to attack in a way that crushes the opponent and renders them crippled and terrified."
Jasper let out a whoop at how Emmett had just been challenged. Marcus was smiling like a fool, already anticipating the comeback. His eyes flicked between us as if he was assessing just who would be pairing up. Caius wasted little time, rising to stretch.
"Wished I'd known we were going to play American football. I think I would've stopped at plate two." He leaned over and kissed Dora quickly. "Darling, will you please save me something for dessert."
"Aren't you going to eat up those young men for dessert?" she asked innocently, nodding over to our table, but it looked like she specifically meant Jake and Seth because of her focus.
"They do look tasty, don't they," he joked.
"Emmett, Jasper, Seth, Carlisle, and Marcus are mine," Jake growled over at Aro, intentionally turning his back on the chuckling Caius.
Aro nodded his head regally, as if he was acknowledging an underling. "I can make do with Caius, Felix, Demetri, Afton, and Alec."
"HEY! What 'bout us?" Ross called out, nudging Alistair's thin shoulders. "We can play."
"Oh no, you don't," Rosalie called out quickly, grabbing her son's ear. Alice wasn't far behind, grabbing Alistair in a like manner.
Michael and Laurent, Alec and Chelsea's two, called out their own thoughts about participating, but Chelsea's glare had them backing up. She patted her stomach and said a quick prayer asking for God's mercy in granting them a girl.
"How about they referee with me," Edward suggested, again attempting to take care of the young ones.
"YEAH!" several voices rang out in glee.
"It's killing you to not be able to participate isn't it?" I asked, seeing the look on his face.
"I love to play, but there'll be more games. Maybe not like this one, but others." He smirked, looking over to watch something that was out of my sight.
As the light hit his hair, making it glow like molten copper, I realized that if we stayed together, there would be many more days like this. Our groups would mix, grow together, become a family of sorts. A crazy, eclectic, mixture of light and dark, perfect and imperfect beings…
"There'll be more," I promised him, reaching over to grab his hand and pull him in for a quick kiss.
"Enough kissy-pooh stuff. Let's play football!" Ross announced loudly between us, making us jump apart.
Edward chuckled at the mutinous expression on his nephew's face. "Okay…football now…kissy-pooh later."
Alistair, Michael, and Laurent stood just behind him and the look of boyish joy on their faces was infectious.
"I need 20 minutes to confer with my guard," Aro called out.
"Fair," Jacob mumbled back, already motioning for his group to go toward the field that had been set up in the grassy area beside the drive leading in.
"I'll be back in a moment, Bella. I need to get something," Edward chuckled, and I laughed to see the four boys following him like baby ducks behind their mama. What was that phenomenon called again…it hit me…imprinting.
"Boys…their bodies only age, while their minds stay perpetually the same," Leah murmured darkly, but then grinned. "Should be a good game. Let's help get this cleaned up and assist Mrs. Cullen in getting the food put up, then I'm going to imbibe in several more glasses of that wine." She eyed the comfortable looking lounge chairs that had been pushed to the side. "We'll get them to pull those up closer to the field so that we can see."
What she really meant was so that I could hopefully see better.
"Esme, please Leah," Edward's mother said as she moved beside us. "Mrs. Cullen makes me feel so old."
Within the allotted twenty minutes, we had the place cleaned, wine in hand, and were reclining on very comfortable chairs to watch the chaos.
"I almost feel like we are queens watching over some tournament," Carlie said as she settled beside me.
"We are!" Jane declared, and Chelsea and Corin giggled.
"At least we try to make the boys think that," Corin added.
Edward, with his gaggle, stopped by to hand me a pair of binoculars. He'd found black baseball caps inside the house and put them on each of the boys. To complete the look, he'd given them large white t-shirts. "For you, My Queen," he announced, before chuckling and walking away with the kids in tow.
"Irrepressible fool…he won't make it long, Carlie. Be prepared to step in. He wants to run with them, but he isn't going to be able to. I give him a quarter," Esme announced.
"Unfortunately, I think you're right," Rose announced, taking a healthy drink of her wine. "I bet they don't make it to half-time before someone's hurt."
Alice pressed her fingers to her lips and looked like she was focusing. "No, first quarter. They're going to play hard. I hope neither Felix or Dad hurt their hands, that'd be a shame!"
I laughed at the fact she either wasn't worried about her husband, or didn't care that he'd get hurt.
"My boys cheat," Esme admitted. She had a curious expression…a mixture between horror, humor, and embarrassment.
Sulpicia's full bodied laugh carried across the space between us, causing the men to all turn our way. "Our's cheat more. Give them a wave, ladies. You're about to witness a time honored tradition; grown men acting like children."
My heart swelled when I saw Sam2, who was tucked in beside Esme on her couch blow a kiss in the boys' direction. Obviously the others saw it too, because I witnessed tears in several set of eyes. Her action set into motion the rest of us doing the same. The men responded like love-sick idiots, reaching up as if to catch them.
Sam1 was sitting with Carlie and she smiled over at the Sam2. They'd figured out that they would be going to the same school, and it helped Esme breathe easier knowing that once Samantha was released to attend, that she'd already have a friend. Snuggled in beside their mothers, both Emmie and Jasmine looked ready to take naps.
"Here we go," Didyme announced happily. "HA! Marcus is getting serious. See, he's tying back his hair. Makes my heart flutter." She waved her hand in front of her as if she was fanning herself.
"As if it takes much," Athenodora snorted, teasing the poor woman.
"Blah, blah," the dignified Didyme responded, using her previously fanning hand to mimic someone talking. She never took her eyes off her husband the entire time. "By the way, Isabella…I saw your look earlier. You may not spill to my husband, but you will to me."
I was saved from answering by the yells from the Cullen/Black/Velathri group. They'd won the toss. Felix was in Edward's face, and I was betting that he was accusing Edward of cheating to give favor to his family members. Edward shrugged nonchalantly, and Felix stepped in closer in a threatening manner. Never losing his cool, Edward said something; I was guessing that he'd reminded Felix of his ability to expel him for unsportsmanlike conduct. Felix snarled at him, but the look of pure exhilaration on his face as he turned said he'd enjoyed the argument. It was amazing just how many nuances I could pick up with the binoculars Edward had supplied me.
"Edward is usually quarterback, so Jazz will have to stand in."
"Maybe not, Aunt Alice. Seth has a great arm. Daddy can't decide if he needs to be a receiver or a quarter back," Carlie responded.
Sure enough, Seth moved out of the huddle, dropping back behind Jasper, ready to receive the snap.
"Five, four, three, two, one," Jane counted out, and then barked out in enthusiasm as Emmett and Felix crashed against each other on the snap.
I swear I felt the earth shake from where we sat. Carlisle used the opening to run with the ball that Seth had passed him, but a flash of black hair told me that Aro was after him. I couldn't see everything using the binoculars, so the game really formed to me in almost photographic images. Aro upended Carlisle, taking his legs out from under him. It was then that I realized that this was to be no regulation game. It was all out war. Felix and Emmett looked like they were attempting to kill one another, and I thought there would be a brawl when Emmett stepped over the goal line for the first touchdown. He claimed "unnecessary roughness" when it seemed that Felix tackled him just a little too late. The debate carried on for five minutes as the groups argued, their loud voices carrying over to us. Demetri had targeted Jasper for his particular form of poison, Jacob and Caius seemed to be in an unholy hate relationship, whereas Marcus had tagged Afton. Alec and Seth were well matched; clearly Alec had played sports, and Seth wasn't having to hold back.
Bodies were shoved, the football stolen, faces were rubbed in the dirt, clumps of glass went flying, and arguments broke out as the minutes continued. Only Alistair, Ross, Laurent, or Michael were able to get by with undisputed calls. But when Ross called his father off sides, the look on Emmett's face was priceless. His "Et tu, Brutus" had us rolling; even if it went over the head of the young official he'd just called a traitor.
A blocked field goal, although who knew how they were calling that correctly, caused a skirmish in the middle of the field. Caius claimed that Jake fought dirty under the pile, and knowing the "I'm innocent" look on my Jake's face well enough…I was betting that Caius was right.
But as Alice had predicted, we heard Afton cursing just minutes before they would have called first quarter, his uncle having sent him spinning with a vicious tackle. Afton hopped around on one leg. "Damn it! Uncle Marcus! Why you gotta be that way!" He cringed when he tried to put weight down.
Carlisle and Felix were both down on their knees checking his leg before Corin made it half way across the makeshift field. Having both run their hands along his leg, we heard them concur on a "sprain."
Corin supported him as he hobbled, his uncle following.
"I'm sorry, Afton. If I'd known you needed me to go easy…" Marcus chuckled, and Afton looked like he almost growled back.
"There are large Ziploc bags on the counter in the kitchen for ice," Esme told Corin as they walked by headed for the house.
"Okay," she answered, grinning at us as Afton whined and complained in her footsteps.
Esme turned to the group and admitted, "Any time they get in the mood for a football or basketball game, I go ahead and pull out the Ziplocs."
Marcus slipped in next to Didyme, pulling her up and over his legs so that her back leaned against his chest. "Ah…this is so much better," he said in a seductive voice, wrapping his arms around her.
Even Sam2 laughed at how relieved he looked to be out of the game. Training my binoculars back on Edward, I saw the stress he was trying to hide. I was about to call out for him to quit when Carlisle dove for Aro, taking them both down. Blood streamed from Carlisle's nose when he sat up, and he and Aro were both laughing so we knew it was okay, but the ear-piercing screams from beside me startled us all.
Samantha had leaped up and almost fell as she attempted to get the crutches under her. "Poppa! Poppa!" she wailed, attempting to move across the area to him. Tearing streaming down her face she kept calling out for Carlisle, and when he made it to her, she dropped the crutches and fell into his arms. Wiping furiously at the blood, she was hysterical.
"Damn it," I heard Alice say beside me.
We'd all stood in our haste to get to her. The boys, pieces of grass sticking from their hair and suspicious material that might be grass clumps clinging to their clothes, surrounded her.
Carlisle attempted everything he knew to quiet her, but it seemed to make it worse as she clung to his shirt.
Making my way to Edward, I worried at my lip, wondering how to calm her. "Hey, maybe you should call Elizabeth and ask her what to do," I suggested.
"Hmmm…I'm sure I'd just get her answering service, but it might be worth a try. She might call me back," he shrugged, already pulling the phone out of his pocket.
I saw the mutinous look on Demetri's face, but ignored it. He could fight fate another time. Edward left a message as Carlisle attempted to get the young one to calm, but she wasn't having anything to do with it.
"I'm out boys, at least for a few minutes. Let me take Samantha into the house and get her some ice cream." Carlisle watched to see if his statement would help calm the child in his arms, but it didn't.
Esme was standing beside him and seeing her, Samantha grabbed her hand, as if she didn't want to let go.
"We'll stop," Emmett declared, but was quickly shushed.
"We'll only be a little while, right sweetheart?" She blew her nose into his shirt, and only Carlisle would grin about that. "Continue playing. We're up, and I would hate for Aro to declare we only won by forfeit."
We watched Carlisle, holding Samantha, and Esme walk into the house.
"I feel like the Devil himself," Aro declared, his worry at having made Samantha cry apparent on his face. His nose was bleeding as well, but I highly doubted he even knew it.
"Marcus, you're back in," Jacob ordered, calling the Italian in to go against his brother.
"Here," Edward handed me the phone.
"Love, you're tiring. Don't overdo it," I begged.
He grinned his heart stopping smile and kissed me. "I'm just training the others." He nodded toward his four miniature referees. "I'll be back to sit with you in a few more minutes."
I let him go at that, but was stunned when no more than ten, rough and tumble, minutes later his phone rang. I was even more amazed to hear Elizabeth's voice.
"Bella?"
"Yes, hi Elizabeth. I didn't really expect you to call back."
"Well, I check the service on the hour when I'm away from my phone, so the timing was impeccable. What seems to be the problem? Edward mentioned something about the young lady he asked my assistance with…"
I explained just what had occurred.
"Hm…well, it would seem that the sight of Carlisle getting hurt bothered her. You're all at his parents' home?"
"Yes."
"What's the address?"
I gave her the information and could hear a navigational system in the background speaking.
"Well, I don't usually do house calls, but I was visiting friends for a tennis match, and I'm not too far away. I'm certain Dr. Cullen has already checked her vitals, but I can assess her briefly. I have a name for Edward anyway, and this would be as good a time as any to see him as well, since he hasn't been able to come in."
"I am certain both he and Carlisle would appreciate your help."
"I should be there in less than fifteen minutes."
She politely said goodbye, but I waited until Felix had slammed Emmett to the ground to yell out the news to Edward. If Demetri grimaced just a little too dramatically, I ignored it. I was curious to see just how my friend would react to seeing a certain Ms. Elizabeth Paschal again, and I wondered just whether or not God would be my friend and have her arrive in a tennis skirt. It would so make my day.
I decided less than fifteen minutes later, that I must have been a very good girl lately, because Dr. Elizabeth drove up in some sleek little convertible, and it was clear that she had come directly from said tennis match. The wolf whistles for the car stopped immediately when she stepped out. Hair up in a ponytail, a flirty tennis skirt under a simple polo top; she was stunning. The silence allowed Demetri to royally screw up. His hiss could be heard from where we were sitting, and his parents' wise eyes narrowed in on him, then me. I grinned in delight.
A/N: Yes, I know, I stopped half way through. The chapter was getting to be a monster. I wanted to give the family time and Bella's leaving justice and to shorten it would have make it weak.
Due to the division, the Elizabeth/Demetri outtake will have to wait another week. I promise to send when appropriate, but would still love to hear what you think. I'm not one to beg for reviews, but I've noticed that many of the readers that originally sent me their thoughts have disappeared.
Does the story suck that much?
