Thank you to Jessenia22, lucefatale, JohnnyStormsGirl, souverian, GuestMG, paninihead, eeeeaud, collegestudent34, Ella, and Love. Fiction. 2020 for your amazing reviews! I've replied to almost all of them, but any I've not been able to are replied in the A/N at the bottom.
Chapter 6
When Carlisle arrived to pick Carys up the next morning, she was more hesitant about the prospect of facing his family than she had been the day before.
He'd left her that evening so that she might have some space to think things over, but even though she'd firmly re-closed the curtains and tried to distract herself by watching television for hours, her mind had raced and whirled so much that it'd proved to be of little use.
And, if she was really thinking about it - which she'd tried not to even as she'd finally fallen asleep on the sofa, she'd had the feeling she was being watched again.
That time, it was less as if she was being hunted and more that her mind was being watched - as if someone were waiting to see what she would think or feel next.
She knew her feeling was less due to it actually happening than to the fact that she knew it could be happening, but knowing that Carlisle's family had abilities, all she could wonder was whether or not they'd been used on her before. And whether or not they were being used on her then.
She pulled her coat on over the one dress she owned that could be called cocktail attire and opened her front door slowly in answer to his knock. She knew he could see the nervousness in her face and trembling hands, could hear it in her heartbeat.
"Would you prefer not to do this?" Carlisle asked quietly, taking a step away from the door as she struggled to pull on her gloves with fumbling fingers.
Carys bit her lips together and raised her leg a little behind her, rolling her ankle in the high stiletto heel. She shook her head as she returned her foot to the ground and finally tugged her glove into place.
"No," she told him, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm her reaction, one which was partly due to how good he looked in a three-piece suit, but mostly to do with her fear. "No, I want to. I... Don't think I would be saying that if I'd not met most of them before-" she conceded as she took several quick breaths and nodded again, "-but I'm ready, let's go."
"You really don't need to do this, darling," Carlisle told her carefully as he turned to the side and placed a hand to her elbow as she passed him, his touch light. He watched her with a small frown when she faced him again. "I know I've-"
"It's okay, Carlisle," Carys told him, raising her arm and stroking her hand over his lapel as she nodded for a final time. She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince him or herself. "I want to meet your family." She forced a smile. "I most of all want to confirm Jasper isn't a mass hallucination."
Her comment had the desired effect as Carlisle released her with a smile.
She walked quickly across to his car and opened the passenger door, sliding in as she tucked her coat and dress out of the way. He closed the door for her as he'd done each time they'd travelled together, and she closed her eyes after she'd clicked her seatbelt into place.
If Carlisle thought anything of Carys' silence through the drive, or the way her hands repeatedly smoothed the skirt of her dress as she took calming breath after calming breath, he didn't mention it. She was grateful for the fact he didn't feel the need to make small talk as he drove, and it almost amused her that she'd been so nervous about it weeks before.
Carys opened her eyes when they turned off the highway onto a private road and clasped her hands tightly on her lap until her knuckles paled.
"We can still turn back," Carlisle reminded calmly, glancing at her in the rearview mirror.
"No," Carys slid her hand over the back of his, taking solace in the familiar touch as she assured them both again. "I meant it, I want to meet everyone and I want to know more."
Carlisle nodded slowly in assent and took a deep breath of his own the moment before they pulled into a clearing and the largest house Carys had seen in or around Forks came into view.
"Wow..." She breathed, her mouth dropping open a little in awe and apprehension.
She turned in her seat in an attempt to see more of the house when they cut across the gravel, and continued staring up at the impressive structure and seemingly endless expanse of windows until everything passed out of view and they entered a garage.
Then, rather than becoming less impressed than before, she felt a whole new kind of astonishment when she glimpsed the range of cars parked around them.
"Is this a proper party then?" She asked when they finally came to a stop and Carlisle cut off the engine. "Are lots of people coming, other than your family, I mean?"
He shook his head and dropped the keys to the dashboard, apparently content to leave his car unlocked when they left it. "No, why?"
"Why?" Carys' voice came out on a high-pitched scoff as she waved a hand pointedly in the direction of the cars to their left and right. "Because you have a garage full to the brim with super expensive cars, maybe?"
Carlisle grinned and popped his door open. "That's what over a hundred years of being a top-notch doctor, and over fifty years of Alice watching the stock markets will do for you," he explained as they left the car. He waited for Carys to spin around a couple of times, pointing silently at a couple of the more expensive models in shock, before he continued as she finally joined him. "As we don't require food or sleep, it's really not too difficult to amass a small fortune."
Carys blinked then tilted her head a little assessingly. She looked to the side and tapped her index finger incessantly against her lips as she tried to come to terms with what he'd just said.
"You-" She pointed towards him, and then began to tap her lips again, repeating the gesture a moment later as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. Finally, she took a deep breath and smoothed her skirt. "You don't eat or sleep?"
"No... We survive on animal blood alone, but the hunt itself is still part and parcel of our kind. We require living animals." Carlisle watched her, the weariness he'd displayed openly the day before more subtly evident in his eyes as he waited for her reaction to the news.
"The sleep part, that's okay. I mean, I've eaten garlic bread around you, you gave me these-" she indicated the earrings he'd given her which hung innocuously from her earlobes as she continued quickly, "-so silver's not an issue... I mean, I always wondered why vampires are supposed to sleep in coffins when they could just sleep in the attic... But... You do eat. I know that because we've had dinner together. Twice..."
Carlisle smiled awkwardly, hesitantly. "Yes, well. We're able to eat, we're simply unable to digest anything. Human food tastes..." He waved his hand as he searched for the words to describe it. "It tastes a little as I would imagine soil might taste to you. Soil or... Hmm... Yes, I suppose soil would be the closest. I had to remove it when I got home, it was quite uncomfortable, I must admit."
"So you... Ate..." Carys continued to punctuate her words with her index finger, pointing back and forth between them as she spoke. "Soil... In varying degrees of heat... So that you could... Seem normal when we dated...?"
"Yes," Carlisle nodded with a smile, relief evident in his tone and expression before he turned and swept an arm towards the door into the house.
"Well... That's a lot to unpack." Carys whispered quietly to herself with a raise of her eyebrows as she followed his direction and headed out of the garage. I guess that's... Love, for you...? She thought to herself, trying not to dwell too much on the fact that she'd convinced him to eat a hot soufflé on their first date.
She didn't want to spiral into confusion at the first of the many things she expected to learn that day.
A moment later, she lost all thought of anything other than how beautiful the interior of the house was, far exceeding anything she could have imagined. Her entire house could probably fit into Carlisle's lounge, and then some.
Noticing the floor was open plan, and that a large dining table occupied another part of the space made her feel a little better. Perhaps it wasn't his lounge but simply the fact she could see the entire floor that intimidated her.
"So you're rich rich?" She confirmed needlessly as she relinquished her coat and gloves with a faint smile and murmured thanks when Carlisle held out a hand for them. She then span slowly, trying to take in as much of the room as possible.
Carys jumped about a foot in the air and shrieked when she turned back to find half the Cullen family standing in front of her, occupying a space they hadn't a moment before.
Doubling over, she held a hand to her chest and gulped air into her constricted lungs as a boom of laughter echoed through the room. It was cut off a moment later as she heard a loud crack, but that didn't really help to speed along her attempt to calm her heart. She suddenly understood the old term of jumping out of your skin and truly wished she didn't.
"Are you alright, my love?" Carlisle asked slowly, hesitantly holding his hands out towards her.
She nodded and turned her back on the family as she straightened, trying to compose herself. She whirled back a second later, eyes wide when some instinctive part of her brain reminded her that you're not supposed to turn your back on a predator.
Edward laughed, and Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, Carlisle, and a beautiful brunette woman in a long pencil dress Carys could never afford but instantly loved, stared at him in confusion. His lips appeared to blur for a moment, and they turned looks varying from overtly amused to sympathetic in Carys' direction.
Carlisle stepped closer to her and placed a steadying hand to the middle of her back, his fingers stilling for a moment before gliding lightly over her skin as if he'd been surprised by the lower neckline of her dress.
"It's lovely to see you again," Alice piped up with a grin just as Carys managed to control her breathing. "I mean, to see you again, again, again, again." She held her hands together in front of herself as she swung from side to side, as if somehow proud of herself for her comment.
It was that which made Carys think back to the times they'd met before. She could only think of three instances and frowned lightly as she wracked her brain for the fourth time they might have seen each other.
"We met when you were six or so," Alice supplied, her grin widening as she continued excitedly, "you really liked The Execution. You were so cute, sitting there with your legs swinging, just staring up at it for hours! I don't usually get to see humans again when they're all grown up, but-"
"Alice, you're scaring her," Edward cut across his sister's rambling.
Carys blushed as she struggled to remain where she was, not to turn tail and run. She was scared, but she didn't want Alice to know that.
Thoughts ran through her mind as she stared at the petite teenager, wondering if she'd been chosen when she was young - was that the way these things worked? Had they been watching her for years, wait-
"No, it's a strange coincidence," Edward replied to her innermost thoughts, causing Carys' eyes to widen further.
She'd momentarily forgotten she was no longer alone in her head and wasn't sure what to do. The more she tried to empty her mind, the less she seemed able to.
"You're scared of me?" Alice cut in, her arms falling to her sides as she visibly deflated.
Carys swallowed loudly and turned her wide-eyed stare back to Alice. "No..." She breathed, swallowing again before she forced as much false cheer into her faint voice as she could. "No, I'm just... Surprised, that's all. I... Didn't... That is, I..." She trailed off, and Carlisle's fingers flexed against her back. It was a small gesture, but she clung to it, remembering his assurance that she was safe with him, safe with his family.
Her stilted response seemed enough for Alice, whose grin returned in an instant as she skipped forward and grabbed Carys' hands in hers, but before Alice could say anything else, the brunette woman, who Carys presumed to be Esme, stepped forward with an understanding smile.
"Would you like something to drink, Carys?" She coaxed gently, indicating a dry bar beside her that Carys was sure hadn't been there when she'd walked in. "Carlisle had us stock it in case you needed something to calm your nerves," she explained. "I must admit it's a bit of a novelty to use it again after all this time."
"I... Erm... Do you have any water?" Carys asked slowly, very aware of the fact that Alice was taking the opportunity of her distraction to examine her, small hands turning her hand between them, tweaking the fabric of her skirt as it floated around her.
Esme nodded and continued smiling at Carys as she reached around Edward to poke Emmett in the side.
He appeared to grumble for a moment before she raised an eyebrow at him, and he headed off in the direction of what Carys assumed must be the kitchen. As he passed a pillar, he turned back. "What kind of water would you like? Still? Sparkling?" He smirked. "Tap? Mountain spring?"
"Erm... Mountain spring sounds nice, thank you," she replied nervously as Alice leaned back to better examine her shoes. She shuffled closer to Carlisle when Emmett disappeared, and Alice twitched her back to where she was.
Carys whined, a nervous smile plastered on her face as she reached across to fist her hand in Carlisle's jacket.
"Where did you get these?" Alice asked, her voice tinkling as she stepped back and waved towards Carys' outfit.
"London," Carys squeaked.
"I like them," Alice explained happily, burrowing in between Carys and Carlisle for a moment. "I like you," she added longingly as she gave her a faint squeeze before she skipped from the room.
"I like you too," Carys whispered after her, suddenly realising Alice's motivation in examining her. She relaxed slightly, releasing Carlisle as she felt embarrassed and apologetic for her fear. She'd not been trying to hurt or intimidate her, rather to... Sound her out, perhaps?
"Here you go!" Emmett's voice echoed loudly through the silent room as he returned, holding out a glass filled to the brim with water. "Fresh mountain water."
Carys burst out laughing as she stared at him. He was dripping wet from head to toe, his waistcoat and shirt clinging to his large frame as he grinned proudly.
"Emmett! The floor!" Esme admonished from behind him.
Carys noticed Rosalie roll her eyes as she sighed heavily at her other half's behaviour.
Carlisle remained silent by Carys' side, smiling as she took the glass gingerly, trying not to spill any as she sipped the excess from the top.
"Mmm," she murmured, trying not to laugh too hard in case she managed to pour it all over herself, "delicious, thank you."
"Emmett Cullen! What are you doing!?" Alice cried, appearing at the top of the stairs, hands on her hips as she glared down at her brother. "Change, now!"
"Better go," Emmett said with a last grin to Carys before he walked towards the stairs. "Oh," he turned and pointed at a pillar behind Edward. "You should say hi to Jasper too, he's been excited to meet you."
Carys stared at the pillar for a moment before turning to Carlisle with a smirk and whispering, "I thought you said he was real?"
The sound of Emmett's laughter faded as Carlisle pulled Carys against him, hugging her tightly as he apologised for telling his family about what she'd said the day before.
She was oddly proud of herself for handling things so well, but she knew it was probably more due to the various distractions than the complete loss of anxiety. The pit in her stomach hadn't gone away, but it had eased somewhat.
"I'm going to go," Edward informed them quickly from somewhere to their right as Carlisle kissed the top of Carys' head.
"Finally," Rosalie added to his comment dryly, "something we agree on. And it only took seventy years."
When Carys pulled away to see if anyone had stayed through the now mildly embarrassing public display of affection, Rosalie sent her a begrudging twitch of her lips before she left the room, leaving Esme standing alone.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Carys," she told her with a warm smile. "I'll leave the two of you to talk now, but I hope we can spend some time together later on." Her smile deepened as she crossed the room and drew Carys into a light hug. "I know this must be a shock," she continued, pulling away and holding her hands in front of herself as she lowered her voice, sparing Carlisle a teasing glance, "but if what I've heard is true, it'll be nice to have another ally against that lot."
They all laughed as various shouts of complaint came from different areas of the house, and then Esme headed away, following the others up the stairs when Carys nodded.
"Ready for a tour?" Carlisle asked her a few moments later, and she was surprised by the adoration that shone from his eyes when she agreed.
He took her glass from her and placed it on a small table, and though she didn't see or hear anything, when she looked back as they left the room she noticed it was sitting on a coaster.
He pointed out different rooms as they passed them and Carys found herself paying as much attention as she could, trying not to let the size and scale of his house overwhelm her.
She was still reeling from the visit to their kitchen, where she'd learned that Emmett destroying the room months before had been far more literal than she'd imagined, when they reached the first floor, or the second if she was thinking of things in an American way.
"My bedroom," he indicated after pointing out Rosalie and Emmett's and Alice and Jasper's rooms, opening the door for her to look inside.
It was at least five times the size of hers, and she gasped as she leaned further past the door, noting the lack of wardrobes and the two doors that led off the main room. She pulled back, eyebrows lifting to show how impressed she was, and Carlisle chuckled as he closed the door.
It was then that she noticed the large wooden cross hanging at one end of the long hallway. It captured her attention completely as she slowly walked towards it, taking in the dark wood, polished to perfection.
"It was my father's. It hung in his church, above the pulpit," Carlisle explained as he joined her and slid his hand into hers. "Edward finds it amusing, I suppose I have as well, at one time or another."
"Your father was a vicar?" She asked him, tangling their fingers together as she pulled her gaze from the cross.
"Pastor," he corrected slowly as if lost in thought, "as was I for a time."
"Is that why you believe you're damned? That you're going to hell?"
Carlisle smiled briefly and lifted her hand to brush a light kiss to it. "How could I not be, without a soul?"
Carys turned to him and placed a hand on his chest, over where she thought his heart would be. "Do you have a heart?" She asked with a slight frown.
"Yes," he sounded amused as he lifted her hand a little and pressed it against him, "it's here."
"Good," she said, nodding as she flexed her fingers under his, and then looked up at him. "Well, do you believe in your heart that God exists?"
"Of course!" He answered, clearly confused by the line of questioning.
"Were you Catholic or Church of England?"
"Church of England..." He replied hesitantly, drawing a smile from Carys.
"Good. I was brought up in that church when I was young, so I can tell you you're wrong."
Carlisle laughed his confusion, eyebrows drawing together. "Wrong about God?"
"No," Carys declared, sparing another glance at the cross. "Well, I don't know about that to be honest, but I know enough about God and the Church of England's teachings to know that God is all-loving, all-knowing, and all-forgiving. You said you weren't an angel, Carlisle, but that doesn't automatically mean you're going to hell. If you believe God sees you and knows you, surely he would forgive you and judge you for your actions, not for what you are?"
She wasn't sure where the speech came from, but she stood by it as she let her hand drop from Carlisle's chest and turned to the cross once again.
"Though," she conceded slowly, "I'm not sure how theft is judged... Not from a church, anyway..."
Carlisle shook his head a little and leaned towards her, the look of admiration returning to his face. For a moment, she thought he might kiss her and her breath caught, but he turned at the last moment and kissed her cheek instead.
"I agree with most of your points. There was a time when I would have agreed with all of them, but I suppose I'd begun to wonder if I wasn't correct when I was first changed..." He trailed off, lost in his thoughts again before a small smile graced his lips. "Perhaps we should leave this discussion for another time?" He asked quietly as he turned them both back towards the hallway and began to guide her to another room.
Carys didn't really want to agree, but she felt as if the conversation had been tabled whether she liked it or not, so she followed him to the last door he'd yet to point out. She wondered what had changed his mind back if there had been a time when he'd believed in redemption.
"My office," he declared, dropping her hand as he opened the door and ushered her in.
Carys' jaw dropped as she stepped into the room. Tall bookshelves lined the walls, hiding most of the dark panelling. The only space not covered with books belonged to the long windows at one side of the room.
An incredibly large desk sat before them, and Carys imagined it must have been mahogany. Having seen the rest of his house, she'd be surprised if it wasn't.
When Carys continued to stare about the room in silence, Carlisle closed the door and walked towards her, asking hesitantly, "do you like it?"
"Like it..." She breathed, looking at him in shock. "Like it!?" She waved her hands around in an all-encompassing gesture. "Why didn't you show me this first!? I could deal with vampires if-" she broke off halfway through her joke as she finally noticed the wall behind them, filled with paintings of various sizes. Her attention had been captured by the largest, most ornately framed of the group. "Oh my god, is that a Solimena!?" She asked, darting across to the painting, searching for the signature.
"It is," Carlisle confirmed, pressing a kiss to her hair as he joined her again. "You might want to take a look at the faces," he added quietly.
Carys searched the painting excitedly, until she stilled, her expression turning blank. "That's you... It's you... You're..." Her mouth opened and closed, and she barely registered the thought that she must look like a fish.
"Perhaps you'd like to hear more about my life?" Carlisle asked beside her. "These paintings often prove a good place to start."
A/N: GuestMG - THANK YOU! I know I said we'd meet Jasper in this chapter, but it ran away with me again, and so her visit is going to be split into two - we'll meet him next chapter for definite.
Ella, I fully agree - I wanted them to know each other properly before it came to this point. I wanted Carlisle to wait for her choices to be made before they got together, so she didn't lose agency in even that part of their relationship.
collegestudent34 - Phew to the age! I wish there were more where the characters were closer in age as they are. I'm really happy you like Carlisle and the way he acts! I'm so glad you liked her reaction as well. I wanted it to be realistic because, as you mentioned, there aren't really any which show how things would really go! She'll not be changed immediately, but I think you'll like what they do when the discussion does come up.
