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CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
DISAGREEMENT BEFORE ARRIVAL
Jasper recognizes the light in Alice's dazed eyes. He's not surprised that she's had a vision, but he is surprised at the dreamy, hopeful smile that stretches on her lips. He can feel her buzzing with excitement, her happiness tickles his skin and washes away the dreary emotions that have sunk deep into him after Ariel's disappearance. He doesn't once blame Carlisle, but he does feel as if he should have done more to help them. If he hadn't left due to the fear of Ariel's blood making their situation worse, then maybe things would have turned out different if Carlisle had an extra pair of hands to help her.
He rests his head on Alice's shoulder, pressing a soft kiss to the side of her neck as she beams at him, blooming for the first time since Ariel's left. Before Alice gets a chance to speak of her vision, Edward voices it.
"-Ariel's coming back?"
Surprise laces his voice that mirrors everyone's expression at his words. Alice deflates, pouting that he got to make the announcement before her. She recovers quickly, the arrival of Ariel being too good of news.
"-And," Alice stretches, her voice becoming more sing-song as her eyes twinkle, "She's coming back soon. I never get visions that vivid unless it's really close."
"We have to tell Carlisle," Rosalie voices, her arms crossed tightly against her chest, her eyes hooded as Emmett agrees instantly.
The carnage that Carlisle did to the man who nearly killed her would have destroyed him if he didn't love Ariel as much as he had. He would be completely lost to them if the hope that she would return someday didn't keep at least some part of him alive. But as they think back on his behavior during her absence, they could barely even say he was alive at all - despite already having died. While Doctor Linda's visit improved him greatly, they've only recently been able to encourage him enough to look forward to her return instead of mourning her absence.
"He's at work trying to make up for the time he already lost. People are already starting to get suspicious of Ariel's disappearance." Edward states curtly, "He's taking tomorrow off to clean her house so she at least doesn't come home to that mess." He pauses before adding, "- and before anyone in town comes knocking on her door and sees it."
Rosalie isn't as impressed, a brow raised, "And what you think we shouldn't tell him?"
"That's exactly what I think." Edward's voice is straight to the point and flat, despite the brutality in his words. "He's finally moving forward. If we tell him that she's going to be coming home soon, he may revert back and just decide to sit around and wait when we don't know exactly how long it'll be until she's home."
He doesn't even have to hear their thoughts to know what they think, though hearing it in their words makes it much worse. He knows that his words aren't exactly the kindness, but it does make the most sense to him. They need their father figure to be functional, not wallow around right after he's made improvement. Rosalie clicks her tongue in distaste, disdain clear in her eyes. Emmett looks at Edward with his large eyes like a kicked, hurt puppy before he burrows himself in Rosalie's neck as he wraps his arms around her from behind, chin resting on her shoulder. Jasper's expression becomes pained as Alice is vocal about her disagreement.
"You have no right to do that to him, Edward," Alice's tone is uncharastically serious, somber, leaving little room for arguments, "Carlisle is hurt too much from this to be hurt any longer. He deserves to know that she's okay."
"He already knows that she's okay," Edward argues through locked teeth.
"Ariel's -" He falters momentarily as he thinks of the two men that busted through the door, threatening them all before tensions ceased with Ariel's presence alone. Despite her passing comments of hating most people (something she claims is a word in progress), she never failed to calm all of them down. Like a mother. The missing figure in their family. None of that he has an issue with, really, it's just the thought of her so-claimed family that still itches in the back of his mind.
"-Ariel's brothers assured us of that and while we don't trust them, Ariel does and I trust her judgement. I know that all of you trust her too, and that's all that I'm asking. To step back and trust her to come back home and let Carlisle move on until she does."
Jasper, knowing that Alice will not like his statement, speaks up hesitantly, "I agree with Edward. Out of all of us, I am the only one who has felt what Carlisle is feeling and any chance of him improving, I have to agree with."
Alice looks like she wants to argue with Jasper, but when her eyes meet his, she settles for a pout, leaning the back of her head against Jasper's chest as he holds onto her waist. She continues lamely, "That's not fair and I still don't like it."
"You don't have to like it," Edward claims, "I don't like it either, but I - we, as a family, can't risk Carlisle slipping into that depression again after making some progress."
Rosalie rolls her eyes with a huff, "I won't disagree with you and I won't say a word to Carlisle, but that doesn't mean that you're right."
"It absolutely means that you're right, Eddie, don't let her fool you."
Emmett returns Rosalie glare with the most innocent face he can muster.
Alice's vision comes true much sooner than Edward expected. He can hear Carlisle's thoughts as he approaches the house the next day before he even sees him. His mind is full of a happiness and fondness that he hasn't expressed in the past months of her disappearance. While he could do without the visual recreations of their reunion, he can't help but smile that at least Carlisle is happy again; and with Ariel's return, he hopes that things can return to a more normal routine.
It's her voice that alerts the rest of the family as they perk up from their positions and watch the door anxiously as they hear Ariel's familiar voice on the other side of it. Carlisle is the one to swing open the door, Ariel following behind him with relaxed eyes. Edward can't place it, but something about her feels different - calmer, older. More mature. He wonders why until he remembers where she was when she was gone. He swallows that thought down, forcing himself to smile as Alice tackles Ariel in a hug before she can even say a word.
"You're back, I knew that you'd be back soon, I just wasn't sure when and I'm so happy that you're back," Alice rambles, her voice going up an octave with emotion. Her arms around Ariel are careful, gentle as if scared that she will break or go away if she holds too hard. Ariel smiles calmly, returning the hug sincerely and tightly.
"You don't have to worry about breaking me," Ariel whispers into Alice's ear, fully aware that it reaches everyone in the room.
"Considering that they must have had a hell of a reunion, I'm sure that Dad can vouch for Ariel's resistance."
Judging from the look that crosses on Edward's face, Emmett knows that he's right as he grins mischievously, quickly swooping up the spot of the second hug as Carlisle becomes flustered at the blunt innuendo. Ariel, to her credit, just matches Emmett's grin as her eyes twinkle.
"He can vouch for much more than that."
Emmett booms in laughter as Carlisle's flustered expression becomes a more exasperated one. Rosalie cracks a small smile. Unlike the others, she settles for a simple nod in greeting, but the warmth in her eyes reaches Ariel just as much. Jasper awkwardly pats her shoulder in lue of a hug. His whispered apology for not being there for her more goes noticed by everyone, but Ariel simply places her hand on his, squeezing it to reassure him that he has nothing to apologize for.
"I'm sorry that I took so long to return," Ariel's voice reaches them, "I can assure you that it wasn't my intention to leave you all like that."
Carlisle stays by her side, his hand tightly gripping her waist as he rests his head on hers. He presses soft kisses to her temple as encouragement, but she takes it all in stride, unwavering as she looks everyone in the eyes.
"I know that my family's true nature must have been a lot to take in." Her eyes meet Edward's specifically, for a flickering moment. He is the first to break eye contact with her, glancing away with a darker expression crossing his face. "To be as welcoming as you are after finding something like that out -"
She trails off, her nervousness breaking through her calm shell as she falters. She wasn't sure what to expect coming into the house, despite Carlisle's reassurances. She's heard the stories. Linda cutting herself off from everyone, locking them out of her life to process. Chloe's extreme coping methods. Daniel's emotional breakdown she witnessed firsthand. Humans are such emotional, fittle creatures, she had learned that from her time in LA - expressive, reactive, and at times, unaccepting. She wasn't sure what to expect from a family of vampires after Amenadiel's fantastic first impression. The unfamiliarity of this type of situation is just reminding her why she put this off in the first place.
Alice simply laughs, the melodic sound easing Ariel's shot nerves, "Welcoming? We'll always be welcoming to you, silly, you're family now."
The slight rise of her brow is the only giveaway of her surprise as Ariel glances over everyone else in the room, waiting for someone to object. When no one does, Edward speaks up with a hesitant smile on a pained expression as if he's unsure if can say this or not.
"-We may need some warning if you brothers come to visit again though."
While Rosalie looks ready to go after him, teeth bared in warning, and Alice just sighs in exasperation. Carlisle prepares himself for the worst, nails digging into Ariel's skin just above the hem of her trousers. However, Ariel's laughter ceases the would-be friendly fire, her eyes twinkling.
"You and me both, Edward, but I promise if my brothers give me any warning before a visit, that I will extend it to you as well."
