"But... how?"
"That's not what's important right now. I have a very important question for you. Why didn't you come back?"
"I couldn't do that, I couldn't have..."
"I wouldn't have turned away from you, you know that. I needed you, Carlisle. I was young, I was all alone, and you never came back."
"You've been alive all this time and you never came to me sooner?"
"I only just found out about a month ago that you were still alive."
"From where?"
"Aro called on me to have a little chat."
"Aro..." Carlisle muttered angrily.
"Yes. Someone I foolishly trusted told him about me. So he called me to Volterra. You obviously were mentioned. I almost died on the spot when he said you were still alive."
"What did he want from you?"
"He wanted me to join his little 'coup'."
There was a moment of silence as she examined her short, darkly-painted nails.
"And?"
"No way in hell. I'm not that naive. Told him I wasn't interested, he pressed me some more, I called him an asshole, and he had me locked up for a bit," she stated nonchalantly.
"He locked you up for calling him that?"
"That was his excuse. I know it was because I refused his ever-so-gracious offer, though."
"How did you get out?"
"Marcus."
"What?!" Carlisle exclaimed in amazement
"Apparently Marcus was quite taken with me, especially when I verbally abused Aro. So he let me go, and told me he would take care of it."
"I can't believe you're still alive..." he awed as he ran his fingers through his blonde hair.
"Well, do I get a hug?" She giggled as she moved gracefully around his desk and extended her arms out to him.
"Of course you do Coraline, of course you do," he smiled as he wrapped his arms around her tiny figure and kissed her forehead.
"I missed you, Big Brother."
"I missed you too," he whispered lightly as he squeezed her tight.
If vampires could cry, the tears would be pouring down his face.
"Welcome home, Coraline."
XXX
"Calm down, Edward. Everything is fine.... No, Edward, there is no.... Edward, put Esme on the phone.... Edward, now...." he said as he tapped his fingers impatiently on his desk.
"That boy needs to unwind a little," Coraline laughed as she danced around his office staring at his family photos.
Carlisle smiled at her as he waited for his wife to take the phone, "Esme, everything is fine. Try and calm them all down, please.... No, Esme, there's no danger. We do have company though.... Yes.... Yes.... Alright, I'll be home soon.... I love you too. Goodbye."
"So, Edward was the first to join?"
"Yes."
Her huge golden eyes stared at him for a moment and a smile broke out on her face.
"Carlisle Cullen, always the noble one."
"What?"
"What you did with Edward."
"How did you..."
She grinned widely at him and tapped her temple.
"You...? Oh, Edward will be thrilled!"
"About that. I have some things to teach him. He needs to learn how to turn it off, or the rest of them might kill him."
"Oh, he would love you if you could do that for him!" Carlisle exclaimed as he clasped his hands together.
He watched her twirl around his desk, when his eyes rested on the necklace she was wearing.
"Mother's?" He asked as his eyes grew large.
"Oh, yes. I haven't taken it off since father gave it to me. I see you passed the Family Crest down to your own," she grinned as she picked up a picture off his bookshelf.
"Of course," he smiled.
"So, Esme, Jasper, Alice, Edward, Bella, Renesme, and Emmett?" She said as she pointed to each person in the picture respectively.
"Yes," he replied somberly.
"I'm sorry about Rosalie."
"Thank you," he said quietly as he closed his eyes.
"May I ask..."
"How it happened? She and Emmett were..." he trailed off when he realized she was sifting through his memories.
"Emmett? Emmett, what's wrong? Slow down," Carlisle said calmly through his cell phone.
"What's going on, Carlisle?" Esme asked, worriedly.
"HOW?!" Carlisle yelled.
"Carlisle?" Esme whimpered as she grasped his sleeve.
"No... no, no, no..." he croaked as he crashed onto chair and dropped his head in his free hand.
"Carlisle!" Esme cried frantically.
"Carlisle! Esme!" Alice screamed as she, Jasper, Edward, Bella and Renesme sped through the open back door.
"Alice, what's going on? Carlisle won't tell me!" Esme rushed as she saw the somber faces of her children.
"Bring her home, Emmett. Come home," Carlisle whispered quietly in his phone and hung up.
"Oh!" Esme cried out as she threw her arms around her husband, her chest heaving with empty sobs.
"How did it happen?" Jasper choked out.
"The natives... they... they attacked when they were... unaware. They were... ambushed," he stuttered as he rubbed his eyelids with his fingertips.
"Oh, Carlisle!" Coraline said sympathetically as she rushed over to her brother and wrapped him in a tight hug.
"We're getting through it, slow but sure. Well, everyone but Emmett. He's... not well."
"Poor darlin'."
"Well, we should get going. I don't want them to panic. We've had too many tough times these past five years, so they tend to worry a bit more easily."
"Let's go meet my extended family," she said lightly as she followed him out of his office.
XXX
"Family Meeting!" Carlisle called as he and Coraline walked through the front door.
"We're in the dining room!" Esme's musical voice called back.
"This way," he smiled as he led his sister forward.
She looked over the faces in front of her, each as perfect as the next. All of them with the same golden eyes as her. She smiled brightly at her new family as they stared wide-eyed at their newcomer.
"Everyone, this... this is Coraline," Carlisle said proudly as he rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Coraline? But... Oh my! This is wonderful news!" Esme said cheerfully as she rushed over to Coraline and hugged her.
"Um, am I the only one who's confused here?" Bella asked as she looked at her husband, a dawning look of realization spread across his face.
"I'm Carlisle's sister, it's wonderful to meet y'all," she smiled, pearly whites glimmering.
"That's wonderful! That's just what we need! Another woman in the house!" Emmett screamed as he threw his chair to the floor, shattering it to pieces, and stormed upstairs, slamming his door behind him.
"Emmett, you owe me a new chair!" Esme yelled over her husband's shoulder.
"Forgive him," Carlisle pleaded.
"No, it's alright, I understand. And this must be dear little Renesme!" Coraline said sweetly as she kneeled by the chair the child was occupying.
Renesme looked at her father, who in turn nodded, and raised her hand to Coraline's cheek.
"Oh! Oh, my gracious! That is amazing!" Coraline exclaimed, "So, I see you run with the shifters now, Car?"
"They have been... very helpful and understanding. They're kind of like more extended family."
Bella grimaced at the sound of that, and Coraline saw through her memories why it bothered her so.
"Darlin' I am so sorry!" she exclaimed as she looked at Bella sympathetically.
'How can she know that?' Edward thought.
'Because you're not alone, Edward,' she replied back in thought.
He looked at her in awe and smiled, 'It's nice to not be alone in this.'
'Tell me about it. Although I have a lot I'd like to show you.'
'Like what?' His eyebrow piqued.
'That is conversation for tomorrow perhaps,' she smiled.
"What are we missing?" Jasper spoke up.
"Well, Coraline is like Edward," Carlisle explained.
"Great. Two telepaths. Wonderful," Jasper said with a roll of his eyes, everyone responding with a laugh.
"Shut up, Captain Emo," Edward snapped.
"Wait! You can hear me?" Bella said, astonished.
"Yeah, can't Edward?"
"Not unless I let him."
"Well, that's odd indeed," Coraline said with a puzzled look.
"I'm going to check on Emmett," Alice said quickly.
"No, Alice," Carlisle smirked, "Cor?"
"Carlisle!" Coraline chastised.
"Hah, now you all have to be twice as careful," Edward chortled.
"Please?" Carlisle begged.
"I see where you're going with this, Car!"
Edward laughed harder.
"Just... talk."
"Fine. But I'm only doing this because you're my brother," she grimaced as she sped up the stairs as fast as her feet could take her and knocked lightly on Emmett's door.
"Who is it?" he asked harshly as he turned his music down.
"Emmett, it's Coraline. May I come in?" She asked sweetly.
"What do you want?" He sneered as he snapped the door open and leaned on the frame.
"I... I understand your not needin' more people here, but I just would like to get to know my brother's family."
"Well, you have plenty of time for that. It's obvious you'll be living with us now," he growled.
"I never asked to move in here, Emmett."
"You think Carlisle's gonna let you leave now, after all these years of not seeing you?" he laughed, half-crazed.
"Can we please just try and get along?"
"Whatever. Is that all?"
"I guess so," she said as she looked away.
"Oh, don't do that," he whined sorrily.
"Do what?" she asked as she glanced at her canvas sneakers.
"That sad, guilt-trip thing."
"I ain't running a guilt trip."
"Come on in," he said with a heavy sigh as he moved out her way and shut the door behind her.
"This is a... uh... lovely... room... you have here..." she said as she picked a torn-up, blood-covered t-shirt off his chair and set it on the floor as she sat down.
"Shit, sorry. Toss that over here?" He said as he held his hand out.
She threw it to him and watched him drop it in what she assumed and hoped was a trash can.
"Listen," he started as he climbed onto his bed and laid on his side facing her, "I'm sorry I was such an ass. You didn't deserve that. I'm just not..."
"In the mood for new people?" She finished with a sympathetic smile.
"Exactly. Hell, I can hardly stand being around my own family. Especially Jasper with his crazy emotional sadism, and Edward's habit of answering my thoughts."
"I have to show him tomorrow," she muttered to herself with a roll of her eyes.
"Show who what?"
"Huh? Oh, show Edward how to shut it off when needed."
"If you do that, you would be my favorite person in this house," he said frantically.
"I will, don't worry, she giggled.
She could have sworn she saw the tiniest hint of a smile creep to his lips and found herself wondering when the last time he laughed was.
"You need to open these," she said suddenly as she sauntered over to his curtains and swung them open with the slightest tug.
"What is it with Cullen women and opening my curtains?" He inquired with a sigh.
"It's a full moon. You only get to see natural beauty like this once a month," she whispered as she stared at the glowing sphere in the clear navy-blue night sky.
'I beg to differ.'
"What?" she asked as she spun around.
"I didn't say anything. You're right," he said as he shoved his hands in his pockets and joined her at the window, "It is beautiful."
'Watch yourself, Emmett. You're only thinking like this because you're a guy, and she's a girl. A ridiculously beautiful one at that. It's just your hormones talking," she heard in his head and couldnâ–“t help but smile a little.
"You know, Emmett..."
"Yes?"
"I've been through it too. Twice. Well, three times, really, if you count Car."
"Through what?"
She looked at him with sad eyes and looked back out the window, "You know what."
"I don't want to talk about it," he replied quickly.
"You don't have to. But if you ever do, I just wanted you to know I understand what you're going through, and I'm here if you need me."
"Thanks," he replied sincerely.
"I should get back downstairs," she smiled as she reached a hand up to his shoulder, "Carlisle's kinda interested in how I ended up like this. If you're in the mood for a good story, you're welcome to listen."
"Thanks, I think I'll join a minute," he half-smiled as he patted her hand and watched her walk out the door.
He shoved his hands back in his pockets and stared at the moon shining brightly through his windows.
"I'll always love you, Rose. Remember that, Babe, no matter what happens down here."