The Envelope

Bella

Edward's thumb traced cool circles over the back of her hand that he held engulfed in his own. The soft gliding of skin over skin and Renesmee's steady breath from the second floor were the only two sounds that the nine occupants of the house created.

The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the stained glass windows and burst into a thousand diamonds when it made contact with Emmett and Carlisle's skin. The family waited, as still as the furniture in the old house, for a letter whose content they all knew word for word.

The soft crunch of gravel under the tire started and steadily grew louder as the delivery truck turned down the long driveway and drove up to the house. Through the rumble of the truck, they could hear the latest pop song playing on the stereo and the postman singing along with an off-key tune.

If the vision of the letter hadn't shrouded the house with apprehension, more than one member of her new family would have smiled at the carefree happiness in the stranger's life. But that was not to be.

The driver came to a halt in front of the house, killing the rumble of the engine. He switched his singing in favor of happy whistling as he jumped down from his seat and went around to the back to retrieve the letter.

He whistled all the way up to the door to their house and rang the bell.

Bella did not know if the bell was indeed that loud or the sound was just amplified by the stark silence of the house and the keen hearing of its occupants. But the sharp ring sounded throughout the house. Her mind immediately went to the momentary hitch in Renesmee's breathing. But slumber did not leave hold of her child and her breaths once again evened out.

Emmett shifted to his right, Rosalie moving with him as he stepped out of the sunlight. Carlisle waited a few seconds before he left Esme's side and walked towards the door, at a human pace.

With a click of the knob, Carlisle swung the door open, standing in the doorway to hide the stillness of his family from the human.

"A letter for one Dr. Carlisle Cullen," the man beamed up, presenting the envelope to its intended receiver with a flourish. "If you will just sign here…"

"Thank you…" Carlisle spoke, adding a smile to his voice, "Victor."

Bella heard the scratch of pen on paper as Carlisle signed.

Tucking the clipboard under his arm, Victor, the delivery man acknowledged Carlisle's 'have a nice day,' with a nod of his head and was quickly on his merry way, singing along to his favorite tunes and basking in the joy of his everyday life.

Carlisle resumed his place beside Esme as he slowly removed the stamp that held the letter closed and pulled out a sheet of paper from the envelope. His eyes quickly scanned the content, as did Esme.

Once done, Carlisle held it out for Edward. Bella untangled her arm from his but her palm remained securely held in his as her husband stepped towards his father and took the letter.

Edward had no need to read the letter, she knew.

He had already seen the contents when Carlisle read it. And even before that, in Alice's vision, a day or two before this letter was even ever written. But he read it still and beside him Bella's eyes roved over the flamboyantly cursive words.

Dear Carlisle,

I hope this letter finds you and yours well.

It has been a remarkably long time since you have visited Volterra and our last meeting was marred by rather unfortunate circumstances. Yet, misunderstandings remain an integral part of life that we can all look past.

The world around us is changing and you, my dear friend, along with yours, have once again introduced us to something rather new. Volterra, however, remains open for every new change that happens within our kind. It is in this welcoming spirit that I invite you and your coven to visit us in our humble abode.

The castle misses your eager curiosity and I, personally, look forward to having one of our intellectually stimulating discussions once again.

Your old friend,

Aro.

The letter exchanged hands throughout the room, from Edward to Jasper and from Jasper to Rosalie before it ended up in Esme's hands.

Carlisle folded the paper back and placed it inside the envelope. He kept it on the table behind him. His brows furrowed, Carlisle looked down at the floor, one of his arms wrapped around Esme.

She looked up at him. And she was not alone. All eyes in the room were trained on Carlisle, waiting for his decision.

Bella's hands tightened around Edward's arms and he placed a hand over hers, his eyes bright as he heard and processed everything that went through Carlisle's mind. In a moment like that, Bella wished she could read minds too.

"Alice," Carlisle looked up at the short brunette and her eyes went blank, just as it had so many times in the past. Ever since Aro decided to send this letter, Alice had been checking the future for everything this might entail.

After a few moments, she answered, saying what she had said several times. "I see the eight of us go there. We stay there for three days. Then you talk to Aro, and we leave."

"Do you see Renesmee? Leaving? Or later, with us?" Bella could not help but ask again, even though she knew the limitations of her sister's powers.

"No, I'm sorry Bella," Alice whispers out before she slides closer to Jasper's large frame. "You know I can't see her."

Bella ignored the sting in her eyes.

"You see us?" Carlisle asked Alice, even though his eyes remained on Esme, a frown marring his brows. "Do you see Bella?"

Alice nodded and Carlisle continued. "Do you see her happy?"

Alice once again nodded.

Bella could see Jasper and Emmett exchange a glance at the rather odd question. She shared their confusion, unsure what Carlisle meant by it.

But he offered no explanation and instead, continued questioning Alice.

"Do you see Esme? Happy?"

Alice tilted her head a little and gave another nod.

Carlisle stepped back after that and turned towards Edward. They seem to have an almost silent discussion, save for the occasional nod or shake of head from Edward. Until finally, Carlisle sighed and turned to the family."Renesmee will be fine," he said. "So will you all, I believe. We will leave for Volterra two days from now."

With that he reached out for Esme's hand and stepped back to lean against the table behind him. She stood close to him, her arms wrapped around his waist and Bella averted her eyes.

Something in her told her that she should leave. She took her first step towards the stairs right at the same time that Edward tugged her towards it. They were the first two to leave the room, finding themselves outside Renesmee's door in an instant. Bella heard Rosalie and Emmett step out and Alice and Jasper retreat to their room too.

An unspoken rule perhaps.

Carlisle was distraught. Bella did not need Jasper's gift to know that. Carlisle did not want his children to see him like this and they more than accommodated his wishes.

She could hear Esme whispering to him and she turned her focus away towards Edward.

Edward brought up her hand to his lips and pushed open the door to the room where their daughter slept. Her husband walked towards the bed, sitting beside her daughter as he woke her up by gently stroking her hair. Renesmee was as attuned to the dynamics of this family as Bella was and she was quick to put on her shoes so the three of them could leave the house too. Jasper and Alice joined them near the back door and the five of them left for an impromptu hunt, leaving Esme to comfort Carlisle.

Bella closed her eyes, letting her other senses guide her through her unnaturally fast sprint through the woods. Even though they would all be invisible to any human eyes, Edward, Jasper, Alice and she were all running slower than their usual speed so that Renesmee could keep up with them.

Bella followed Edward's scent and the almost inaudible thud of his feet on the ground deeper into the forest. Only when they were sufficiently far away from the house and the smell of wildlife was near, did they stop. Alice held out her hand for Renesmee and they sprinted out to bring down whatever animal they could find, Japser trailing after them.

"Edward?" Bella turned towards her husband, at last opening her eyes. "What did Carlisle mean? When he asked about me? About Esme?"

Edward jumped up on a branch about 20 feet off the ground and Bella followed him. He wrapped one hand around her waist and pulled her closer. She basked in his warm scent and leaned her head against his hard chest.

"He was seeing if the children of the house make it out safely," Edward answered her. "By seeing if the mothers were distraught or happy."

Bella hummed against him. "I don't think any of us would be happy if even one of us isn't safe."

"That's true," Edward agreed. "But Carlisle was thinking about Esme when he asked that. Twice specifically. Once when he had found her in the morgue after her baby had passed. And the second time…"

Bella looked up when she sensed the hesitation in his voice and quietly encouraged him to continue. "And the second time, how she was when I…left."

Edward's eyes were glazed with guilt and Bella placed a gentle hand on his face, prompting him to look down at her.

"But you came back," she whispered. "And this time too, we'll all come back."

Bella ignored the strange lurch in her own heart as she promised Edward something she had no control over. Something none of them had any control over.

Carlisle's decision to go to Volterra had been made for him the moment Aro put pen to paper.

They all knew, as polite as his words might be, that envelope contained no invitation.

It was a summon.

A/N:

I caught the Twilight fever once again, after almost a decade and thought I'll get my new-found obsession with Carlisle as the patriarch of the house out on to the paper.

Do share your thoughts and or any requests if you have anything in particular you'd like to see in the future chapters. This is going to be a shorter work of fiction, just a few chapters long with a relatively quicker pace of upload.

-ZQ