A/N: Hello everyone! I'm glad you all liked the last few chapters. Here is the next one; just a fair warning, some personal medical issues are discussed near the end of the chapter. Personally, I feel I wrote it as well as I could, trying to be tasteful but also frank; regardless, because of the past issues I've had, I've put an asterisk right before and after if you want to skip over it.
Chapter 15: Catching Up
Edythe curled up under the cream duvet in her room, the only light in the room coming from the lamp besides her bed. The couch had been moved against the wall, and the glass windows had been fitted with dark chocolate curtains. They were drawn now, to ward away the light from the moon. The wall between her bedroom and the adjacent bathroom had been remodeled, and she now had her own private en suite, which she greatly appreciated. The bathrooms were rarely used for their intended purpose in the Cullen house, at least until Beau had come along.
It wasn't late enough for bedtime, but the impending sleep was daunting to Edythe. She feared what would happen when she went under, what she could see, and not having Beau there to calm her subconscious. She knew her family was there and would never allow any harm to come to her, but her reliance on Beau was hard to overcome. She remembered reluctantly the first couple of days of nightmares, where she was barely able to slide into slumber without her mind conjuring up horrifying images and memories to torment her with. She held back a shudder, and, despite herself, started to form an idea of how to avoid falling asleep. Though knowing how bad it was for her well-being, the fear of the nightmares were worse.
Edythe shook her head, trying to clear it; instead, she pulled one of the books off her shelf under her nightstand. Archie had stocked it since she had been gone, and she smiled to herself as she realized it was an exact copy of all the books Beau had in his bedroom. She remembered thinking idly to read a few of them while she was there; she guessed Archie had caught that errant thought.
She opened the front cover of Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea; the new binding cracked slightly as she opened it, and began to read.
"Is Edythe okay?" Earnest asked cautiously; it was in the middle of the night, and none of the Cullens had gone up to Edythe's room since she had sequestered herself in there after their mini-reunion. None of them knew whether they should disturb her, whether she wanted them to. Though she was no longer cringing away from their presence, they did not want to push her comfort levels too far.
Archie looked up at his question, then glanced up at the ceiling; not needing his gift to know Edythe was still poured over the book. He knew it probably wasn't the best idea for her sleeping patterns, but he knew if she hadn't had the distraction, she wouldn't be getting much sleep anyway. Carine looked up from the chess game she had been engaged in with Royal, who looked very put out, probably due to his apparent losing of the match. The matriarch listened for Edythe's heartbeat out of habit, focusing on it on the third level of the house. She frowned; the rhythm told her there was no possible way she could be sleeping, and she glanced at the clock. It was a little after two thirty in the morning.
"It's very late," Earnest said with concern, "You don't think she's keeping herself awake to avoid the dreams?" Carine did not know, but she stood as Royal surrendered his king.
"I'll get her to bed," she murmured to her husband before moving past him, arriving at Edythe's door a half second later. She knocked very softly as she stepped into the room. The curtains were drawn and all the lights were off save for the one on the bedside table. Edythe was on her side, her eyes still taking in the pages of the book she held. She looked up at the sound; though not expecting her, Edythe felt a small dose of pleasure that she did not tense up as Carine entered.
"You should be sleeping," she told Edythe gently, stepping toward the bed. Edythe glanced at the clock on the table and did a double take, not realizing how late it was. She had been reading for the better part of five hours straight, not aware as the sky darkened and the night wore on. She rubbed subconsciously at her eyes, which now decided to feel very heavy, the lack of sleep and incessant reading bearing on them.
"I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't see the time." Carine smiled slightly as she sat down on the bed besides her, eyes going to the book that had entranced Edythe for so many hours.
"Verne?" she inquired; Edythe shrugged.
"It's Beau's favorite. I wanted to know why," she replied.
"How is it?" Carine asked curiously; Edythe had never been one to fancy science fiction books.
"Better than I thought, for an adventure book," she admitted. "Though I still find it odd how he likes the title. Maybe it's the thrill of adventure and the unknown." She shrugged. Carine glanced down at the rest of the texts, her eyes skimming the list. The Devil in the White City, Paradise Lost, Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde…
"Interesting collection," she noted. "Though I see Bram Stoker isn't there," she added with a tease, which Edythe giggled.
"He told me he's never read it; he was too disturbed by Nosferatu," Edythe said. Carine laughed.
"Most of Europe was," she agreed, shaking her head. That movie was too inconsequential to have acted as the embodiment of Stoker's work. It seemed like the beginning of the theatrics that vampirism had become in the modern age.
Carine couldn't help the affectionate smile that came over her face though, as she thought of Beau; once again, she felt a wave of gratitude and love for the human boy that had come into her family's life only a few short months ago. Beau's kindness, his selflessness, his adoration for Edythe, Carine could not help but love him as her own son.
"Well, I understand what kept you awake for so long; but now, you need to sleep," Carine chided Edythe gently. "You can read tomorrow." Edythe pouted slightly but knew she was right. She saved her place by dog-earing the page and placed the book on her side table. She settled back into the pillows, Carine taking the liberty to pull the comforter more securely around her. She snuggled into the warmth, getting comfortable, and Carine reached out and ran her fingers slowly through Edythe's bronze locks. The soothing feeling from the light caresses allowed Edythe's eyes to shut of their own accord. Carine bid her goodnight, reaching over to turn off the last remaining light as Edythe dozed, eventually falling deep into sleep, her heart rate slowing and evening out.
Carine sat there for a few minutes, just happy to have Edythe home; but, fearing the chill of her skin would wake Edythe, she gently stood up, pausing to kiss the side of her temple softly before departing, leaving the door cracked a millimeter.
Edythe's peaceful sleep did not last; it was only an hour or so later when her family could hear her tossing, small sounds issuing between her teeth. Despite keeping her family at bay, instructing them to leave Edythe be unless it was absolutely necessary, Carine found herself out of her office and pausing on the third floor landing; Archie, Earnest, and Eleanor were already there, standing tensely outside Edythe's bedroom door, unsure of what to do.
Carine herself had been warring in her mind, her own thoughts torn between hoping Edythe would continue to sleep and hopefully get through the dreams on her own, and wanting to pull her out of the probably unsettling visions. She had sat behind her office desk for a long minute, her body frozen as she jumped back and forth between what she thought was best. But she couldn't seem to justify that the first night back in her house, without Beau, was the night Edythe should be forced to start her independence; her emotions were still too fragile, as she had demonstrated when she had come home.
With that, Carine's resolve had broken. She moved past her husband and the rest of her family, sliding silently into Edythe's room and to her side. She bent over the human girl's small form, one hand at her cheek, the other arm wrapped around her. The stark icy coolness of Carine's body broke Edythe out of her stupor and her eyelids jerked open halfway.
"Shhh, Edythe, you're okay," Carine murmured to her softly, continuing the caresses. Edythe let out a long steadying breath as she registered Carine's soothing touch and her tender voice. She sighed, her hand reaching out to hold Carine's; her mother's fingers twisted through hers gently. Carine leaned forward, pressing her lips delicately to Edythe's hair, the automatic words coming from her mouth, somehow knowing the best thing to say.
"I'm here," she crooned, deliberately dropping her voice, "We're all here, Edythe. It's alright." Her words did their job; after another ten seconds, Edythe's body relaxed and her eyes closed once more; it only took a few seconds for her breathing to deepen and even out, though her fingers stay twined around Carine's wrist. Earnest stepped into the room; Carine looked up at him as she heard Eleanor and Archie move toward the main floor. Carine made no move to leave Edythe's side, one arm slung over her daughter's small form, the other allowing her to hold her wrist. Earnest pressed his lips gently to Carine's, a moment of wordless communication passing between them, before Earnest stepped out, leaving his wife to watch over their youngest child.
Carine stayed with Edythe for the remainder of the night; though she started to shiver from her proximity, Carine couldn't bring herself to leave, instead choosing to drape her in the extra blanket that usually lay over the footboard. It seemed to work well enough; Carine's touch comforted Edythe even in sleep, and she was able to sleep through the rest of the night into morning.
Once Carine heard Edythe's heartbeat start to increase, she knew the worst was over and she would be waking up soon. A quick glance at the clock showed it to be eleven, a little late for breakfast, but appropriate considering Edythe's delayed turn in. She finally forced herself to move from her daughter's side, allowing her to wake up on her own, and flew to the kitchen where the oven had been turned on twenty minutes before. Earnest was preparing food for Edythe, by Archie's suggestion. Carine fought the urge to wrinkle her nose at the smell of the pancakes and waffles being prepared, knowing she would need to get used to the scent now that Edythe was back.
Earnest did not seem to mind the odor; his heart was too full, his expression too peaceful to care for the food that usually caused him and all other vampires to gag, but would be—hopefully—delicious to Edythe. Carine raised her eyebrows, trying to sound disapproving.
"Hardly a healthy meal," she mused. Earnest shrugged and laughed at her expression, leaning over from his work to peck her quickly on the lips.
"It's her first breakfast since she came home. Make an exception," he chided teasingly. "Besides, you can hardly say she has a diet problem." Carine couldn't argue with either statement, and part of her hoped the fattening, sugary foods would help Edythe gain some weight. Though vampirism does help with anorexia, excess fat on the body is not considered necessary and such is discarded; as such, combined with the enormous amount of stress she had been under, Edythe was thinner than Carine would like her to be. She hoped the lack of body mass wasn't an indicator of an underlying condition; as far as she knew, Edythe had no medical conditions in her first human life, but she hoped Edythe would allow her to examine her soon, to appease her own fears. The physician in her was twitching to perform a full physical, as well as the mother in her to make sure, in every possible way, to get assurance Edythe was healthy.
Carine gave a half nod in agreement to Earnest, then glanced up at the ceiling as she heard Edythe's heart rate spike. Unable to restrain herself, she returned to Edythe's room, slipping in silently. Edythe lay on her stomach, her eyes still closed though Carine knew she was awake. Slowly, she settled down in her place on the bed, whispering Edythe's name. Edythe made a small humming sound to acknowledge her but made no move to get up.
"Edythe, it's time to get up," she coaxed; the human in question, turned reluctantly on her side, her bleary, tired eyes opening slightly to look up at her mother.
"Do I have to?" she asked, almost like a whine. Carine chuckled.
"Yes, if you want to have the breakfast your father prepared for you," she told her. Edythe looked a little more alert at the mention of food.
"What is it?" She asked curiously, though the question still came out half-formed.
"Pancakes and waffles," Carine replied and then laughed as Edythe's stomach grumbled in response. Edythe was torn, wanting to stay in the comfort of the bedsheets, but also really wanting food. Earnest made the decision for her; he knocked at the door with one hand, entering with a tray in the other. Carine looked at her husband, slightly exasperated.
"Breakfast in bed for a welcome home treat," Earnest said to both Edythe and his wife. Edythe giggled, guessing that Carine did not entirely approve of the idea, but could not help but indulge her anyway. Edythe sat up as Earnest laid the tray on the bedspread, leaning forward to kiss Edythe's cheek softly. Both he and Carine's heart lifted as Edythe didn't cringe away from her father's gesture, her smile warm as she took his hand and placed it on her cheek, pressing her face into it. He smiled at her once more before excusing himself, wanting to clean the kitchen thoroughly—even though the smell was necessary, that doesn't mean he needed it permeating his house twenty-four seven.
Edythe wasted no time in eating; the three fluffy pancakes and two waffles sitting on the plate was making her mouth water. She easily added the accompanying syrup, as if it was second nature now. Carine turned to face her, folding her legs underneath herself as she watched Edythe eat. She guessed the food tased good, despite the stench and she was happy when Edythe finished the entire plate. Edythe herself felt self-conscious; now she realized why Beau felt so uncomfortable when she watched him eat; it was strange, to engage in eating when the other present party could not partake.
She placed the empty glass back on the tray and pushed it aside, turning to face Carine. The matriarch reached out to run her hand over Edythe's cheek, before, trying to look inconspicuous, running her fingers lightly across her forehead. Edythe made a face; the movement had not gone unnoticed, and Carine smiled sheepishly.
"How are you feeling?" she asked. Edythe hesitated, her eyes flickering to her door; she couldn't be sure who would be listening.
"Earnest is downstairs; the others have gone out, past the river," Carine assured her.
Edythe sighed, her eyes now on her lap.
"I'm okay; it still just feels sort of strange. And it's more unsettling not knowing how much of me has changed, or for how long. I wish we could find some type of something about this. It's so aggravating, not knowing. I don't know if I should even be thinking that far ahead, if this is just a temporary hoax or something along those lines." Carine noticed how Edythe never met her gaze while she spoke; Edythe was upset over this; now that she had overcome the more pressing matters, she found herself dabbling in the fear of the unknown. She did not mention to Edythe about the fresh scent found yesterday morning, or the fact her siblings were out tracking down the creature's newest trail. She did not want to upset her; she was doing well, all things considered.
"I cannot give you a definite answer on the permanence of this, but I suspect this change is not easily reversible," Carine told her. "We may not be any closer to finding who did this, but we may get some insight from you."
Edythe glanced up at her; she knew what Carine was implying. After a moment, she nodded. Carine smiled gratefully and moved to take the tray downstairs while Edythe got out of bed to shower.
A half hour later, Edythe found herself leaning against the desk in Carine's office, her shirt off and midriff bare. The doctor had spent the better half of last ten minutes doing a complete physical exam on Edythe; though Edythe herself had taken classes on these things, she found herself exasperated but also on edge by the whole procedure. The thyroid and abdominal exams, checking her neurological function, even a gynecologic exam which she had to fight her blush from creeping down her neck. Not that Carine had never seen her naked before, but in this setting, she couldn't help but feel chagrined.
Carine had averted her eyes to keep Edythe as comfortable as possible while also finally having the opportunity to examine her completely. Partially for curiosity's sake, but primarily to get firm confirmation from her own senses Edythe's physical state. She was relieved to find nothing out of place and Edythe had not put up a fight, letting her mother examine her in every way she knew.
Carine held a piece of gauze to Edythe's arm, pressing lightly—for her—on the injection for the last vaccination. Tetanus, MMR, Varcella, HPV, meningitis, Edythe had gotten the full work up. Carine had even been able to convince her to let her take blood for a chemistry panel and allergy test. As she had prepared the tubes, Edythe's body had stiffened. Carine noticed, her golden eyes appraising the way Edythe held herself, eyeing the needle on the butterfly begrudgingly.
"You can't tell me you're wary of needles," Carine asked softly. She didn't have it in her to sound teasing. But Edythe shook her head.
"It's not the needles…it's the blood," she admitted, hoping in vain her siblings had not returned home yet. Carine's eyebrows lifted.
"It turns out that I'm worse than Beau when it comes to blood phobias," she said, her eyes meeting Carine's finally, a small smile on her lips. Carine recovered from her surprise after a moment and moved to place a tourniquet around Edythe's upper arm.
"How bad?" she asked conversationally as she began to scrub the bend of Edythe's elbow.
"The room starts to spin, ringing in my ears, I get hot, my body shakes," Edythe said. "But it's not from smell; it's only sight." She rolled her eyes; it was still hard to process that the former vampire was now hematophobic.
"Hmm," Carine mused; Edythe hadn't noticed that Carine was holding the needle as she was speaking. Edythe went to say something else, but Carine had already pricked her arm, the needle finding her antecubital vein easily. Immediately, the tube started to fill with red.
"Don't look down," Carine said casually, for Edythe had frozen. "Close your eyes if you need to." Edythe obeyed, her eyelids squeezing shut and turning her head to the side, away from her forearm. Carine easily filled the blood tubes, gently pressing on Edythe's arm to increase the blood flow. Once she had what she needed, she removed the needle and tourniquet, holding another piece of gauze to the site, waiting for the blood to clot. Edythe turned back toward her, her eyes narrowed. Carine chuckled slightly.
"There was no point in warning you ahead of time; it would have made you tense up," she defended herself. Edythe made a small dissatisfied noise under her breath but didn't say anything. Carine covered the sight with fresh gauze and a piece of medical tape. She had already hid the blood tubes out of sight; she would submit them at the hospital later tonight when she went in for her shift.
Edythe pulled her shirt back over her head, hoping it was finally over. But the look on Carine's face told her otherwise. She sighed, waiting for the next instructions. But Carine didn't move for a moment.
"So you can't hear anything anymore?" she asked. Edythe shook her head.
"Not since I woke up," she assured her. Carine had not realized Edythe's mind-reading ability had dissipated as well. Though it was a logical assumption, the talent had been so much a part of her that it was hard to imagine her without it.
"That must be a relief," Carine said, but Edythe shrugged.
"Some of it is, some of it isn't," she replied. "It feels strange, foreign, just like anything else." Carine nodded to herself; it must be unsettling to have something so engraved be taken away, even if it was a curse half the time. The vampire move to stand in front of Edythe, whose eyes were casted down, lost in thought. Carine hesitated before she spoke, not knowing if Edythe wanted to hear this spoken out loud.
"As far as I can tell, your reproductive organs are healthy," she informed her. Edythe didn't answer, nor did she look up to meet Carine's gaze.
"Have you…bled at all?" Carine asked tentatively; she imagined this was how Edythe had realized she was unsettled by the sight of blood, but the human girl shook her head.
"Do you want help? Or would you rather deal with it on your own?" Carine asked quietly; it was a strange question, but Edythe was hardly in a typical situation. By her age, she would have already had her period for several years by this point and wouldn't need assistance. But, now that Carine knew about the blood phobia, her concern for Edythe had grown. Aside from the physical stress of dealing with her cycle, the idea of whether or not she could have a cycle dictating, not just to Carine but to Edythe as well, whether or not she and Beau could have a family.
Carine knew this aspect of humanity was something Edythe had always wanted; in fact, every Cullen wanted it, which is why the family had been formed. But this was more of a physiological component, and the result would no doubt have an effect on Edythe. Without her even saying it, Carine could tell this was one of the prime facets of her new reality that she didn't know the answer to and desperately wanted to.
Edythe didn't know how to answer; the teenage girl side of her shied away from accepting help from her mother for such a personal problem; but, at the same time, she could hardly ask Beau or her sisters for help. Not that Carine had any personal experience either, but, being a physician, she was closest she could get. Still unsure, she shrugged, and Carine nodded.
"Just let me know when the time comes," she said.
"If the time comes," Edythe hedged. Carine could hear the sadness in her voice and she frowned, reaching with her hand to lift Edythe's chin to get her to look into her eyes. Edythe obeyed and Carine could see the swirl of emotions. Like a reflection, they were the mirror of the same emotions Carine herself often felt.
"It will all work out, Edythe," she tried to comfort her, though Edythe was clearly not convinced. Carine sighed then carefully reached into her bag. She pulled out a flat plastic container, the back covered in foil.
"Not that I'm prying," Carine said softly, keeping her eyes on Edythe even as her daughter couldn't meet her gaze. Carine could smell the increase of heat in her cheeks. "But I don't think any of us are ready for that. Please, for my peace of mind?"
After a moment, Edythe nodded, taking the package of pills from Carine's hand even while blood filled her cheeks. Of course, she knew her mother, as well as the rest of her family was well aware of Beau and her advanced relationship, but she still found the lack of privacy disappointing. But, as she thought, she would always choose to have no privacy rather than too much, as she'd rather live in a house full of vampires than without them.
Edythe glanced up as Carine's phone buzzed. She picked up the call immediately, seeing Archie's name across the touch screen.
"What is it, Archie?" she asked. Edythe watched as her mother's face grew pale for a moment, her body freezing for a moment in response to whatever Archie was relaying.
"Headed here?" she clarified icily. Archie said something in response and Edythe frowned, her own nerves on edge as she tried to gather what her brother was saying. Carine spoke once more, the phrase too fast for Edythe to interpret before ending the call.
"What's wrong?" Edythe asked nervously, not sure she really wanted to know. Carine looked up and met her gaze; her eyes were hard, determined.
"They found the creature that's been making trails all over the town," she said. Edythe stood up straighter, her own curiosity getting the better of her.
"Who is it? What is it?" she asked, but she seemed to miss the significance in Carine's words.
"It's a vampire; an old one," Carine said, "And it's just doubled back its trail. It's headed here."
A/N: Small cliffhanger for you; I hope you're not too upset. The next chapter may not be for a few days (maybe early next week) as it's going to be much more complex and not fluffy, so it'll take much more of my concentration and time to get it right (or as best as I can). Please bear with me and I hope I will see you guys soon! Please let me know what you think, if you wish! :)