Ellinor had checked in on Emily Uley, finding her exhausted, but in good health for the time being. Healing had always been Catarina's calling, and sure Ellinor could scrape by in a time of crisis, but that is not where her talents lay. She observed as she had with Rachel and Paul, that the men practically orbited around their mates. Sam especially, with his heavily pregnant wife, was never inches away from her unless he was fetching water or a blanket for the woman. He was off on one of those tasks now, Ellinor perched on the edge of the bed. She shook her head at his retreating form, looking back to Emily with a small smile. "I have to say, after all my years, there is not much I have not seen in this world. " She said amused. "But this," She gestured between Emily and the recently departed Sam. "Astounds me. Even love potions do not come anywhere near this." She joked lightly.
Emily's face lit up at the mention of potions. "Love potions are real?" She asked, laughing, her hands coming up to rest on her swollen stomach to support the movement. "I know I live with werewolves and well...vampires for now, but you," She shook her head, staring at Ellinor for a quiet moment. "I'm having a hard time believing you're real. I know it's silly but," She shrugged laughing again.
"A compliment I have received many times before." She said with a wink. "I am far too good to be real. But returning to your initial question, yes, love potions are real, though in my opinion, the effect they create is more of an intense infatuation. True love is not something that can be replicated by man...or Warlock." Ellinor had considered what the Pack called Imprinting was an effect of some form of these love potions she spoke of, but the more she observed the bonded the pair, the less credibility she saw in her theory. Though it did not stop the nagging thought in the back of her head from chiming in, making her wonder if it was true love, if you had no say in it at all if it was a force beyond your control, could you really be in love? She'd keep that moral quandary to herself, having enough sense in her to not bring up that philosophical topic to any of the parties in question.
Sam returned then, tucking Emily in snuggly, giving Ellinor the chance to move toward the door. "I'll leave you both now. Emily, I would suggest continued bed rest, and I'll be in the area for a while should you need me." She said to the pair, giving them a small smile.
"Thank you Ellinor, Doc will be back soon too, so I know we won't have much to worry about," Sam said sincerely to her. This pack member had warmed up more quickly to Ellinor than Paul had, she supposed he was apt to like anyone who helped his wife.
Ellinor waved off the gratitude, bidding them both a good night before she returned down to the Cullens and Billy. Ellinor and Billy were fed, surprisingly well considering their hosts did not partake in this sort of food anymore, even offered an excellent vintage of red wine as they all retired to the spacious living room. Much of the evening was spent with the immortals sharing their history amongst each other, Billy listening good-naturedly, chiming in on Bella and Edward's shared history with bursts of comical relief as he regaled scenes of his involvement.
Ellinor herself had shared a bit, not much, while Immortality did ignite a sort of immediate kinship between those who shared the burden, she kept much to herself, careful to keep even her thoughts brief after learning of Edward's special ability. Bella had been kind enough to assure her she would use her own gift, as they called it, to block this intrusion, after spotting her poorly hidden shock and appall at learning about this talent. Having someone in her mind, listening to the endless thoughts that were often blunt and pointed sent a shiver down her, and made her cautious even after the guarantee of protection.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket then, and she pulled it out, giving an apologetic smile as she read over the text. It was from Alec, checking in on her progress. She smiled, shooting off a quick response, advising both he and Magnus to come when they could. She kept her thoughts clipped behind that request, but the discovery of these so-called vampires and shapeshifters would have to be reported to the Clave. Through the evening she had been shocked to find that the Cullens knew nothing of the Clave, or of the Downworld, and the wine was the only thing keeping her from spiraling down the rabbit hole of that was even a possibility. How had such creatures never encountered a Shadowhunter before was beyond her, but the fact that they had eluded the rest of Downworld as well… But, she wanted to be thorough, to understand them absolutely before any notifications were made, so she could assure both herself and the Clave that they were no danger to the human world, she would not throw them to the wolves as it were, they were still her people.
The front door came crashing open then, Ellinor turning around, tensing for a moment before she saw the rest of the group's face light up at the sight of the new arrivals. "Nessie," Bella said, her voice filled with parental love and relief at the sight of her daughter. "How was your hunt? Did you and Grandpa catch anything good?" She asked, meeting the girl halfway, pulling her into a tight embrace. The young girl cupped one of Bella's cheeks, and silence fell between the two that puzzled Ellinor. Edward walked over to the boy, clapping him on the shoulder. "You get anything good, Seth?" He asked jokingly, the boy in question holding onto his stomach then. "I don't know how you guys live on just that stuff, I'm starving." He complained. Esme turned around, pointing to the kitchen. "There are leftovers in the kitchen Seth, you and Nessie help yourselves."
The new arrivals moved for the kitchen, stopping in their tracks when they finally noticed Ellinor. "Oh, hey there," Seth said with a jovial wave. "New friend?" He asked, looking back to Edward, Nessie standing half-concealed behind the large boy, her hand moving into his effortlessly. Another bonded pair she mused, wondering sardonically what reality she had stepped into where everyone was magically gifted with a soulmate. She saw Edward smirk after that thought, straightening up as she realized Bella's shield must have dropped when she went to greet her daughter.
"Yes, old one actually," Billy replied. "Seth, Nes, this is Ellie, a friend of mine. " Seth's gaze went to Billy's having missed him as well, his face brightening at the sight of the older man.
"Billy! Guess who we found while we were out, Jake!" He said excitedly, a look of relief quickly crossing Billy's face. "He's coming back in with Carlisle, I think he's giving him a hard time for you, or well, as hard of a time as Doc gives anyone. He said he had gone all the way to-"
Ellinor's ears began to ring, silencing all of the other words Seth was rambling on with, her fists clenching at her side. Doc- the Doctor who everyone who had been speaking of so fondly was named Carlisle Cullen. Her chest gave a painful lurch, and bile began to rise in her throat. Ellinor wiped her hand over her mouth in an attempt to soothe herself, her thumb starting to twirl the ring around her pointer finger out of habit. It was a coincidence, a cruel coincidence was all and nothing she could dwell over for long as Edward gave her a curious gaze. She put up a wall around her panicked thoughts, ashamed that even after all this time just the mention of his name could cause such a visceral reaction still.
When she focused again on the conversation Seth was explaining everywhere Jacob Black had been, most of the Northern parts of North America from the sound of it. Ellinor repeated every word that was said inside her head, not letting her own thoughts occupy it, not until she was truly alone with her thoughts.
"Ellie?" Billy gave her arm a light squeeze, a concerned look on his face as her head whipped in his direction. "You feeling alright sweetheart?" He asked. The term endearment made her smile softly at him, the last time he used it all those used ago it was for mocking, now it only held the utmost sincerity. The Cullen clan excused themselves to the kitchen, accompanying Seth and Nessie in their search for food. Esme lingered at the exit of the living room. "We've kept you far too long, you must be tired." She said kindly.
Ellinor nodded stiffly, plastering a smile across her lips. "Wine makes me tired, and I wouldn't want to intrude on your hospitality any longer." She said cordially, ignoring the curious look from Billy.
"Billy, should we get going?" She asked in a clipped tone.
He pursed his lips, nodding his head slowly. "Sure-sure, just let me talk to Seth, see if Jake was going to come here or head home." He said, rolling himself away into the kitchen before she could argue."
Ellinor stood up, wiping her clammy hands on her jeans, trying to keep her pace casual as she headed for the front door. "Thank you, again, Esme. I'm sure I'll be seeing you often, it's been lovely meeting you and your family." Ellinor said, shuffling closer and closer to the door. "I'm going to start the car, warm it up for Billy."
Esme's face was befuddled for a moment but quickly lapsed back into a polite mask. "Of course, you're always welcome here, any friend of the Blacks is a friend of ours. And I'm sure Carlisle would love to consult with you on Emily, make sure she's in perfect shape for the baby."
Ellinor nodded, hand on the doorknob. "Of course." She swallowed hard around the lump in her throat. "Goodnight then, if you could let Billy know I'm outside." Opening and exiting the house before the other woman could reply. The cold night air enveloped Ellinor's flushed skin, and she gulped it down desperately. She walked stiffly over to the car, resting her head back against the cold metal frame to cool her flushed skin. Shame welled up inside of her at her weakness. Over what? A coincidence? There were thousands of Carslie's in this world, probably even hundreds of Carlisle Cullens, and the only one she cared to know about was long dead, as he should be, there was no rational reason for her to react this way.
She tried to focus on the feeling of the cold metal as it slowly seeped through her clothes, trying to ground herself in that feeling. The stars were twinkling above her, the night unusually unclouded for the Pacific Northwest.
"Hello there. Lovely night for stargazing, isn't it?" A voice greeted her kindly. She blinked up at the night sky, wondering for a moment if she was hallucinating. All these centuries passed, and she still recognized his voice. Her head rose slowly from it's reclined position against the car, staring at the approaching man with dead eyes.
He paused, once he had a clear view of her face, confusion crossing his own. "Not another step Cullen." She hissed, her hands flexing at her sides, blue sparks jumping from her fingertips menacingly.
He continued to stare, dumbfounded, but she could see the cogs working slowly. "El-ellinor?" He choked out grief and horror crossing over his face, taking an unconscious step toward her. She lashed out, sending a violent burst of magic at him, enough to bowl over an elephant, but he simply staggered backward a few steps before catching himself.
"I said not another step!" She barked out this time, feeling her magic surge in her veins, rising to meet her rage. "What, come to finish the job?" She sneered, pulling her hand back as she summoned up another blow, putting an incantation behind it this time to do the job properly. "Should have finished me when you had the chance Carlisle, I'm not the girl you left in that prison anymore." She did not give him a moment to respond, unleashing another blow. A mass of lightning and shadows rushed toward the man, crashing into him and sending him careening into nearby trees, knocking down several in his wake as his body soared through them, snapping them in half. She furrowed her brows, shocked that it had not ended him where he stood. She turned when she heard the front door open, and raised her hand toward the house, muttering a quick spell to ward the occupants inside. It drained her, but she knew she would not win this fight should the rest of the Cullens join in.
Carlisle emerged from the wreckage shortly, moving slowly to his feet, unscathed. Her eyes widened in shock, her mind racing for a way to end him before he could try to counter her offensive. His hands rose in front of him in surrender. "Ellinor please-please, I will not hurt you- I never-"
She raised her own hand above her head, willing what little energy she had left to summon one last spell, maintaining the temporary ward was draining her, especially now that all the occupants in the house were attempting to push through it. A crackling fire started to grow in the palm of her hand. She scoffed at his words. "Hurt me? You think you could? I'd like to see you try." She said, venom dripping from her voice. "Eye for an eye, isn't that what your God demands? You were going to have your own wife burned at the stake, I think this will make us even." She raised her arm higher, feeling the ward around the house start to wane as she focused the last of her energy into the fire in her hand. Three things happened all at once then, as the ward around the house collapsed, and Ellinor felt a wave rush over her, engulfing her body and snuffing out the flame in her palm. She brought her hand down to stare at it in confusion. She could feel the magic still, thudding weakly against her veins, desperate to be released. But before she could attempt to summon it again, thick muscular arms wrapped around her body, pinning her arms to her sides and lifting her off of the ground. The mass behind her was hot and firm, a light sheen of sweat from her earlier efforts, and the proximity to this new heat source started to shine on her forehead. She kicked and writhed against her confines, wrenching her head back against her captor in an effort to break a nose, only to thud against his solid bare chest.
"Hey-hey, calm down, I got you, you're alright." His voice rang in her ears, her heart starting to thud more wildly in her chest than it had been moments before.
"Unhand me!" Ellinor demanded, swinging a foot back to collide with a knee, earning a grunt from the man.
"Jacob! Put her down!" Billy called from the house.
"Jake don't you dare!" Bella argued, "She'll try to kill Carlisle again, I have my shield up, but she can't be trusted."
The man lowered her down enough so her feet touched the ground, his arms still locked around her tightly, his body now leaning over her own to accommodate their height difference. Carlisle took a step toward the intertwined pair, and her captor turned them to the side to shield her from his advance. "Back off Carlisle, she doesn't want to be near you." The man said firmly, though not with malice.
Ellinor gave up her struggle against the arms around her, realizing how futile it was. She turned her head back to glare at her captor, her mouth opening to release a relentless verbal assault on the man for speaking for her, only to fall slack as their eyes met. He was gazing at her with such intensity if her skin wasn't already on fire from exhaustion and his own heat her entire face down to her collar bones would have flushed a deep scarlet then. The world pulsated around her, and for a moment, she forgot everything and everyone else. He gave her a slow crooked smile, one of his large hands starting to rub her arm soothingly. "Hey, you." He mumbled, his voice low, sending a shiver through her as she'd never felt before. "It's alright, I won't let anything happen to you."
She simply stared for another long moment, only broken from her trance from a distant voice calling out. "Uh Jake, maybe you and Billy should take Ellinor home," Seth suggested. "Let everyone cool off before she goes torch again." He tried to joke, only thickening the tension in the air. That broke the spell that had been over her, and she jerked violently in his grip again. He let go this time, still standing between her and Carlisle protectively, his gaze never leaving her.
Billy rolled next to them opening the front door to the car and gently ushering Ellinor inside.
"Come on sweetheart, you're outnumbered here, let's go home and talk this over." He said gently, his head looking back at the Cullens, staring at Carlisle. Exhaustion was quickly creeping in on her, she had over-exerted herself too quickly, and with the threat of Bella able to strip her of all her powers in an instant...she needed this retreat, as much as it wounded her pride.
Her eyes went to stare daggers at Carlisle as she moved to the car. "Come near me again and it'll be the last thing you do." She spat at him as Esme moved to his side, taking his hand into her own, sending a spasm through her chest. "Careful there, he doesn't have a good track record with wives." She said bitterly before Billy could shut the door on her, letting himself into the back seat as Jacob put his chair in the trunk. Her breathing was heavy, her hands fisting into the edge of the seat as Jacob spoke a few parting words to the Cullens before taking the driver's seat. He picked up the keys from the cupholder, starting the car wordlessly and speeding off down the long drive. She only relaxed marginally once they made it back onto the main road, startled when she heard Billy laughing from the back.
"Boy, you sure know how to pick them, don't you kid?" He asked, earning an annoyed look from his son, his laugh turning into a howling cackling as he wiped tears from his eyes.
Ellinor looked out of the window pointedly. "You both are idiots for choosing that as your company." She muttered, her arms crossing over her chest in an attempt to keep herself together, tears burning at her eyes as she came down from the high of her rage.
"Ellie-I don't know what happened between you and Car- the Doctor, and I know you might not want to tell us. But we're going to sleep on it, alright? A lot happened tonight." He said, amusement in his voice. "And in the morning, we'll see if you want to talk about that, but just so you know- you have our protection." He said, his voice turning serious.
Jacob turned to look at her, his hand twitching from restraint. "No one is going to hurt you Ellie, not Doc, not the Cullens, I promise you that, you're safe."
She huffed at his words, keeping her gaze set firmly out the window, shoving down the desperate desire to turn and meet his gaze.
The rest of the car ride home was silent, Ellinor consumed with her furry at her own weakness, knowing she didn't have much more left in her before she collapsed. "Come on Ellie, you can have Jacob's bed." Billy offered, as they entered the small home, guiding her through the narrow hallway.
"I can sleep on the sofa." She muttered, pausing in the hallway, feeling the other man's gaze boring into the back of her head, making her heart pound in her chest again. She wanted to scream, but she kept her fists balled at her sides, bottling in all inside forcefully.
"Jake fits better on that, he's too big for his old bed now. " Billy said gently, opening the door for her. "Rest, you're safe here," he said again, squeezing her clenched fist gently.
She nodded at him, tears threatening to brim over in her eyes. "Right...thanks." She mumbled, taking a step to the small closet of a bedroom.
"Night Ellinor," Jacob called out from down the hall, her heart swelling in her chest again at the sound of her name in his voice. She only offered him a backward glance before she entered the small bedroom, closing the door behind her quickly, sealing herself off from the men. She sat down on the edge of the bed, toeing her shoes off roughly before she laid down on top of the covers. She tried to control her breathing, failing miserably as the onslaught of memories played over and over again in her head. The nightmare of seeing him again, after so many years- and Jacob- what the hell was- She shook her head of the thought, pressing her palms firmly into her eyes in an attempt to stop the flow of tears, and failing.
