CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHARLIE
To Carlisle:
I got called in today; it shouldn't be that long of a shift, but Linda is due to arrive at the house any hour now. Can you let her into my house for me?
Ariel can feel her frustration building, her head beginning to throb as she hurries to get ready for her shift at work. She quickly sends multiple texts, going back and forth between Carlisle, Amenadiel and Linda - her fingers working to get her messages out fast before she heads to work.
Linda had insisted on taking a plane to Forks despite Amenadiel insisting on flying her over himself. Thus her phone has been exploding with texts from him, demanding to know if Linda is there yet, if she's okay, if Charlie is there. Ariel spends as little time as possible responding to him as she tries to find the keys to her motorcycle.
From Carlisle:
Of course, darling. I'll keep her occupied until your shift ends.
Ariel smiles when she lingers over the word darling; she imagines that the two doctors could have quite the conversation until her shift ends. Linda's messages are a little less encouraging with her going into detail that due to an incoming storm, she'll have to drop off Charlie quickly before heading back off to the airport. It leaves a bitter taste in her mouth that the plans of her taking her nephew to the lake are less likely to happen due to the storm.
Linda declines Ariel's offer to fly her back herself, just as she refuses Amenadiel. Something about insisting that the airplane is more comfortable and less anxiety-induced. Honestly, Ariel can't blame her, though she does have plans on taking Charlie back home herself to save Linda a second trip. According to Amenadiel, the little nephilim has no qualms about flying through the air freely like his mother does. Ariel sighs as she slips on her helmet.
To Carlisle:
Linda's dropping off Charlie so she can catch her flight back home before the storm.
Think you can entertain a four-year-old for a few hours?
She can only hope that this goes over well. She bites at her bottom lip, her legs swung over the sides of her bike, her foot tapping against the ground nervously. She neglects to text Amenadiel of the change of plans, knowing that he would fly over immediately himself to watch over Charlie until she got off work just to avoid having the vampire babysit him.
What she does know is that, upon reading Carlisle's text that he would watch over Charlie himself, is that Charlie is in safe hands. Though the children in Forks are few, she has seen the way Carlisle interacts with them - all smiles, comforting words and careful procedures. She trusts him - that trust being put to the ultimate test through trusting her nephew in his care.
And when that change of plans is mentioned to Linda, she doesn't oppose it.
She hesitates before she sends one last text to Carlisle - the memories of the danger Charlie was in when he was firstborn replaying in her mind - before she drives off to the hospital, anxiety in her chest as she hopes that it all goes well.
To: Carlisle
Thank you - just keep a close eye on him and please don't let him wander off on his own.
Carlisle knows the amount of trust that is being placed on his shoulders - and it honestly warms his would-be-dead heart that she is giving him the chance to prove himself. To honor that trust. He can feel her anxiety through her latest message and sends back words of comfort, but he knows how much she was looking forward to seeing her nephew and he would do everything that he can to make that happen.
Considering that Linda - who he infers is Amenadiel's wife - is apparently fully aware of the change of plans and is not, to his knowledge, fighting against it, it shows that either one of two things. Either Linda is more like Ariel than she is her own husband in that she is extending an olive branch/an offer of trust to the coven or she isn't aware that they are vampires. He is a bit worried to figure out which one it is. Ariel hasn't told him much about the woman, other than that she is a doctor herself, favoring the mind over the body. Ariel spoke highly of her and the other doctor's influence on her is obvious and positive.
Even the child himself is worrying Carlisle; and excites him. To see if it is a child that was turned into her kind (which he has mixed emotions about if it ends up being true), or if Ariel's apparent species is able to reproduce more naturally (unlike the female vampires). Or, even more interestingly, if Amenadiel's wife isn't the same species and this is some hybrid child. Though the nephew's apparent name does make him smile; just the idea of the child the same name as the local sheriff is just a small inside joke that makes him hum with amusement.
Ariel shares Linda's contact with him and apparently his contact has been shared to her as well considering he is immediately flooded with texts from Linda about directions and where she should tell her cab to go. He debates for a moment on whether or not he should have her go directly to his house before he immediately decides against it.
The risks would be too great. She could be too intimidated by such a large coven and decide against leaving Charlie in their care, which could lead her to taking the child back to LA with her, devastating Ariel. She could get defensive, start a fight by being confronted with a coven, if she is the same species as Ariel that could pose a number of problems. So he settles for the least intimidating, most comfortable method of just meeting her at Ariel's own house. He may not have a key, but when he arrives, the door is unlocked (which he makes a note to ask her about at a later date - non-human or not, unlocked doors in the middle of a forest is not safe).
The rest of the family is tense; against him meeting someone unknown by himself, but he catches at least Rosalie watching him from the forest. It doesn't surprise him - the moment that he said that they would be watching over Ariel's four year old nephew, her interest had been piqued. The few sparse texts that she sends Ariel through Alice's phone hadn't gone unnoticed by him, but he doesn't openly question her.
He hears the cab pull up not too long after. He takes a moment to observe; she isn't as immediately noticeable as either Ariel or Amenadiel, looking more natural and mundane. With her glasses and book-ish appearance, she looks much less intimidating than her husband. When he cracks open the door, he can smell her blood; strong, immediate, human. That alone is interesting enough; the idea that Amenadiel does in fact have a human wife.
He can catch a glimpse of Charlie through the cab's window, resembling Amenadiel the most with his complexion and dark hair. His eyes go wide when Charlie seems to immediately notice him, meeting his eyes evenly with big, innocent doe eyes that blink at him curiously. Unlike Linda, Charlie's smell is less noticeable. It takes a moment for Carlisle to really catch it. While the metallic, human scent is still there, Charlie smells more like Amenadiel than he does completely human.
Interesting, interesting.
He makes his presence known when he spots her struggling with getting Charlie out of the cab and the large overnight bag that she has packed for him. He is careful of Ariel's birds, not quite knowing if they will fly off without her being present, and makes his way outside with a friendly smile as he offers his help.
"Excuse me, do you need a hand?"
Linda jumps at the sound of the melodic voice and immediately turns to see the man approaching her. She wasn't sure what to expect - with the stories that Amenadiel and Ariel tell her being so drastically different in tone and point of view. But an inhumanly handsome doctor with a charming grin is definitely new. She tenses at first; she is not stupid. She knows first hand how convincing bad people can be, but there's such an honest sincerity in his eyes. And Ariel does trust him; and Amenadiel, begrudgingly, even admitted after his visit with his sister last time that the doctor wasn't completely awful.
"Yes, yes that would be very helpful, thank you," Linda stutters for a moment as she pushes up the bridge of her glasses.
When he arrives, he immediately takes her hand in a soft, gentle handshake. He is careful to make sure that he doesn't come off intimidating, making himself seem as gentle and friendly as possible. His smile never falters even though he can feel the anxiety in his chest buzzing around inside of him, afraid that one wrong word would make her leave with Charlie in tow; he wouldn't stop her, but it would break Ariel's heart.
"Dr. Carlisle Cullen. You must be Dr. Linda. Ariel's spoken very highly of you, this visit really means a lot to her."
It takes a moment, but Linda returns the smile and the handshake. Her grip is professionally firm and steady, even if he can see the worry in her eyes. Up close, she can see the worry in his own and feel how comforting his presence can be. She's reminded that this is the man who comforted Ariel when the news was broken to her and she can see it. She can hear it. The love when he mentions Ariel.
"Likewise, Dr. Cullen," her smile growing and becoming more sincere.
Carlisle immediately takes the bag that she was struggling with as she focuses her intention on getting Charlie. He leads them both into the house, noting with amusement the way that Linda admires and looks around the house with a small bit of awe.
The pigeons that make themselves known the moment that the front door closes, makes her jump. Charlie, however, immediately is enamored with the birds as he gently lifts his arm out for them to land on. Carlisle watches him for a moment, noting the surprisingly gentle manner and ease at which Charlie coos and pets the birds.
"Everything he needs should be packed," Linda finally speaks up, gesturing toward the bag that she sets on the ground, "Ariel should know what he likes and what to do, she's babysat him before so you should text her with questions. She's more likely to answer since I have to head straight back to the airport."
Linda scratches at the back of her neck, somewhat uncertain of how to proceed. She glances toward her son and seeing that he is perfectly comfortable and happy, she breathes a sigh of relief. If there is one thing that Linda found out very fast about her son - and whether this is because of him being a child, being part-angel, or due to what happened as a baby, she has no idea - is that Charlie is a flawless judge of character. He seems to immediately pick up on anything that is negative or bad from a person and when he does, he makes it very clear that he will not want anything to do with them.
But he is comfortable now in Carlisle's presence. He is happy, content, and already laughing as the birds gently pick at his hair. And that alone, more than anything, already tells Linda exactly what kind of person Carlisle is.
She smiles as she starts to head out, only pausing to look toward Carlisle for one last question, "By the way, Dr. Cullen -"
He immediately turns his attention toward her as she voices her thoughts on her way out. The worry in his eyes have lessened, being replaced with respect, interest and curiosity.
"-Can I ask about the whole vampire thing - later when I'm not in a hurry and we have a chance to talk - ," Linda hesitantly adds, her brows furrowed as she waves her hand, "-Or is that something that we don't talk about, or…?"
