Saving Grace, Chap. 3-Even Vampires Get the Blues.
Summary: Grace needs to make a choice, but doesn't want to hurt anyone. How can she decide who to claim as her mother when a problem arises, and how will it affect the others? Several weeks have passed since the events in Chap. 2.
Several weeks later, it is the day after Grace's birthday, and the weekend before she'll begin school. She has been out for several hunting trips with Carlisle and Esme, and the others, as well. She had begun to go on outings with Esme and Nessie again, and everyone was amazed at her calmness around mortals. So it was with shaky confidence that Carlisle had agreed to let her enroll at the high school.
Her birthday had been fun; since she'd requested a quiet birthday celebration, they all had just played games and hunted and given her some small gifts, much to Alice's supreme annoyance. She was fitting in well with the Cullen's, although Jasper said she'd still felt some pain in her heart. It would take awhile, he suspected, for her to feel truly accepted, and it would also take her messing up, and seeing that Carlisle and Esme wouldn't cast her out, before she'd truly trust the love and support coming from the family.
Now, she was out shopping with Alice and Rosalie, getting some new outfits for school. The girls were having fun, messing around, and unaware of the events taking place at home.
Carlisle opened the door early Saturday morning to find the smiling face of Grace's former social worker standing there. He was a bit surprised to see her; he'd believed that once Grace was given her emancipation, they'd never hear from the woman again. But he smiled back, and invited her in, and asked the children to excuse him as he invited her into the study with Esme.
In his study, Ms. Juarez gaped openly at Esme before she began. Esme just smiled, and took Carlisle's hand, and sat straighter in her chair. The petite Hispanic woman began to speak.
"Dr. Cullen, Mrs. Cullen. It seems that Ms. Siler is needed for one final court appearance; the Judge needs to have an emancipation outline from her in two weeks' time. I had tried to get ahold of her at the hospital, but they told me she'd checked herself out and was staying here. I will, of course, need to inspect your home and interview your other children. I can do that today, or we can reschedule a time. This will be the final time that I will see Grace, and I want to make sure that she is being cared for adequately. It's procedure; you understand." Carlisle looks to Esme, who raises an eyebrow at him, but shrugs and nods. She smiles at the woman, who appeared to be the same age as her.
"I am fine with you talking to the children today. What sort of information will you need from my husband and me?"
"Well, I was reviewing the statements that Grace had made to the various doctors and officials upon her check-out at the hospital, and I realized that all of your other children are adopted, as well, so I'll just need copies of the final judgments for that, and I brought the form for your financial workup; we just need to ensure that you can provide adequately for Grace in her final weeks. All of those forms can be submitted on Grace's court date, which has been set for the 19th of November. I am sorry it's such short notice, but due to the budget crises this year, the courts are closing on the 20th for Thanksgiving, and won't reopen until the 5th." Carlisle nods.
"We understand. Grace is out at the pharmacy with two of our girls; Esme, perhaps you can call Alice and ask them to return at once? In the meantime, why don't you start with Edward? He's lived with us the longest." Ms. Juarez nods.
"Thank you; that'll be wonderful." Esme rises, and excuses herself to the hallway, and Carlisle hears her pick up the extension and dial Alice's number. He excuses himself to find Edward, Jasper, and Bella. He finds the four remaining children in the den, playing with Nessie, and watching TV, and quickly explains the situation to them, sending Edward upstairs to meet with the woman. He asks Jasper and Bella to secure adoption paperwork for each of the children, and that he didn't care much about the particulars. Finally, he went back upstairs to speak with Esme until Grace arrived back home. The two adults decided that they will tell Grace to say what she feels is appropriate, but fitting into their public story.
A little while later, Grace, Alice and Rosalie have returned, and now Jasper was sitting in the study, clutching the sides of the armchair he sat in, uncomfortable with the close proximity of the woman. He answered her questions quickly, and tried to hurry her along, frustrated and annoyed with the process at hand. She sends him away, interviews Rosalie and Alice, and then sits down with Grace. She takes in the girl's appearance; Grace's blue eyes were glowing, but the circles under her eyes and her intense paleness lent her an air of the sick girl she once was.
"Good morning, Grace."
"Hello again."
"I'm here to just ask you a few questions, and give you some paperwork to fill out, and then I'll go, OK?"
"Shoot. Oh, actually, Esme reminded me to ask you if you wanted some tea or coffee. There's also some juice and water."
"I'm OK, thank you. My first question, Grace, is simply this-why the Cullen's?" The house fell silent, waiting for the girl's reply. She smoothes the blouse she'd been wearing, and adjusts her glasses before responding.
"Well, I like them. Dr. Cullen was the first one of my doctors to treat me with respect, instead of like a child. And then I met Alice, and then Esme, and the others, and it was the same. Mrs. Cullen has the unique ability to make you feel instantly like a part of the family. And they don't judge me; I could mess up, and it's OK. I never feel like they'd send me away or cast me out. Plus, they're all super cool, and so gorgeous. Alice fixes my hair and stuff. I just…I feel safe, and wanted here. It's way better than that stupid hospital." From somewhere, Esme sighed deeply, and Alice giggled.
"Great. Now, who provides most of your care? Who tells you when you've "messed up?" Grace sighs.
"Well, Alice and Jasper always bring me my medicine, and help me with my IV, but of course, Dr. Cullen does all the medical stuff, and Esme scolds me when I do something wrong, and praises me when I do something good. She home schools me, but Alice tutors me at Math, because I have a hard time with it." Ms. Juarez smiles.
"Me, too. I am glad to hear that you're being home schooled, and Mrs. Cullen has gotten your glasses. That is great. Tell me, do you feel safe here? Do the other children treat you well?"
"Of course. I have never felt anything but fully accepted and included, and truly cared about since the moment I arrived here. The only bad part is that I think sometimes I am a pain in the neck, but I don't mean to be." From the bedroom next door, Carlisle and Esme both chuckle.
"Well, it doesn't sound like anyone thinks that. It seems that you're blossoming here, and I think it's a good fit. I will make a recommendation to the court that they no longer pursue your case, and that you seem to have made a very excellent choice. I need you to fill out some forms, though, and get them to me as soon as you can. It's called a "Roadmap to Success in Emancipation", and basically, you need to outline what your plans are as far as going to school, after graduation, if you get better, etc. Just answer the questions, and you can use an extra piece of paper if you need to. You can handwrite it or type it; it's your choice, but I'll need that as soon as possible, OK? I left my fax number with Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. Finally, on the 19th, you will have to make one final court appearance, OK? You will be given the final decree for your emancipation, and you'll have to tell the judge where you are staying and your plans for the future, OK?" Grace nods.
"No problem. Thank you." The older woman gathers her papers and slides them into briefcase, and stands. Grace rises at the same time, and smiling, leads the woman down the hallway. Esme appears at the bottom of the stairs, and smiles as she shows the woman out door. Grace waves to the woman as she climbs into a car and drives off. When the woman reaches the end of the driveway, Grace turns and embraces Esme as Alice and Jasper come downstairs.
"That was horrible."
"You did fantastically, dear." Grace nods into Esme's chest.
"I guess." She releases Esme and turns to Alice.
"I'm sorry, Alice. I didn't expect her to ever show back up. I need your help, though." Alice nods, but Esme interrupts.
"Carlisle and I will discuss it with you girls a little later. Alice, you should go check on Jasper; being alone in a closed room with the woman has put him on edge; I can tell." Alice nods, and bounds off to find her mate.
Grace busies herself with the paperwork given her by the social worker. She fills in the worksheets quickly, leaving only the parts under "Parent/Guardian/Caretaker" blank. She finishes her lessons from the day before, and then takes the paperwork to Carlisle's office to ask him to fax it. He takes the paperwork from her, with the promise he'd do it Monday from work, and they continue on with their day.
Later on, Carlisle and Esme summon the girls and Jasper to their study, and sit them down. It is Grace who speaks first.
"I want to first apologize. If I had any idea that they'd still be investigating, I would-" she is interrupted by Esme.
"Grace, you couldn't have known. Even Carlisle didn't realize. Of course, we never would have allowed the change so soon." Grace nods, but still looks upset, as Alice takes her hand.
"But the facts are that you have been changed, and now you need to figure out how to explain your final wishes to the judge. We can help you, Grace, but a lot of it is up to you. Esme and I have discussed it, and we have some ideas, but we'd like to hear what you think. And you, Alice. Jasper?" He nods.
"I think you two should handle this. I think that this might be something that Alice and I can't handle. It's just…I don't have any ideas about how to help Grace. I'm sorry." Carlisle nods thoughtfully, and Alice nods.
"I'm sorry, but I have to agree with Jasper." She reaches out and takes Grace's hand, who smiles up at her. Esme and Carlisle exchange a look, and Esme sighs, but nods. She speaks to the group.
"Carlisle and I have discussed it. Grace, we feel it is best if you can just tell the truth, but leave out the vampire parts. It's not fair, and it's not ideal, but probably for the best. Furthermore, we are going to have to ask you to push back starting school for a little while; we believe that the school will contact the court, and you are supposed to be a girl with a heart defect, at least according to the court system. I will call the school Monday and talk to them; I am sure it won't be an issue. I am sorry, I know you were looking forward to starting tomorrow. So let's wait until after the holidays. I am sorry, Grace." Grace nods, serious.
"No, no. It's OK. I am a little disappointed, but I understand. Thank you for helping me with this. I appreciate it." Esme smiles lightly.
"Of course. Is there anything else?"
"Maybe later. I want to talk to Alice and Jasper first. Maybe we can hunt tonight?"
"Yes. That would be great." Carlisle dismisses the children, and they go their separate ways, but Carlisle and Esme remain in the study, talking.
"She did well today, Carlisle."
"Yes, she did. Brilliantly. I think she's really coming along, don't you think?"
"Yes. I am glad she understands about waiting to start school."
"She's a smart girl, and she understands the parameters of our life. I just hope she can work more on honing her powers before she starts school."
"She hasn't gone invisible in a week and a half. And she only conjured once this week; on purpose, Emmet was goading her on." Carlisle shakes his head.
"Well, I'm glad they're finally getting along. Even Rosalie seems to like her." Esme nods, and smiles big.
"Everyone likes her. Which brings me to my next question-what do you want to do for Christmas? I know we haven't celebrated it in awhile, but I think it might be nice for Grace, and Nessie, too. Edward and Bella are going to see her mom the week before, but they'll be here for the actual holiday."
"Maybe we should have a quiet, family holiday this year."
"Ok. I'll talk to everyone." He nods, and kisses her head.
"Thank you, my dear. Would you mind closing the door when you leave? I need to squeeze in a few hours of work, but then you and I are going to a movie."
"We are?"
"Yes. The children are going to watch themselves for a few hours, and we haven't been alone in a long time. I miss you. I thought we could catch a movie, and then maybe find a café and chat for a while." Esme smiles again, and kisses his head.
"That would be so lovely. What time is the movie? Wait, what movie is this?" Carlisle grins.
"It was Grace's idea, actually. They play old movies on the side of the planetarium at the University. It's a double-feature, "Mr. Smith goes To Washington", and "The Philadelphia Story." James Stewart; I know you're a fan. It was either that, or the new vampire movie at the Cineplex." Esme giggled.
"You're quite cheeky today, honey. That sounds fantastic. How did Grace know about that?"
"I think the recreation therapist would take the older kids when they did the Holiday movies. I believe they start at 2 PM, but it's going to be cloudy, and maybe rainy, so I thought we could take the lean-to, and just hang out."
"Really? Are you feeling OK?" He chuckles.
"Of course. Why?"
"You've never suggested anything like this before is all. It makes me suspicious." He laughs again.
"It's all Grace and Alice. It was their idea, I'm just following through. Grace wanted to thank you, and this is the best way she knows how, I think." Esme sighs, smiling.
"Well, our girls are just fantastic. I should go get ready, then, I guess. After the laundry. I am amazed at how fast nine vampires can stockpile clothes. Of course, Alice and Grace's obsession with fashion doesn't help." She shakes her head, not really annoyed. Carlisle nods, shrugs, and kisses her head.
"Do you need some help?" Esme laughs.
"No, thanks. Remember what happened last time you helped with the laundry?" He grimaced; in a fit of energy to try to help his wife, he'd gotten the great idea to do the laundry. However, he was unused to the then-new washing machines, and had added bleach instead of detergent and put fabric softener where the detergent should have gone. It was a mess, but Esme had been gracious, and had simply asked him to refrain from doing the laundry for the rest of eternity.
"Well, if you change your mind, I HAVE figured it out now." She chuckles, but shakes her head as she kisses him and exits the room, calling behind her.
"Thanks, dear, but it's really OK." He shakes his head at her retreating figure, but turns to his files.
When he entered his bedroom to prepare for date night that evening, he was surprised to find Grace sitting on Esme's vanity bench, with Esme putting blusher on the girl, and the two females laughing and playing. He smiles; Esme hardly ever let the children into their bedroom, and when she did, it was almost always in the alcove area before the bedroom. This was a rare treat for Grace, and it felt momentous. Esme and Grace look up as he enters the room, and Grace smiles.
"I guess it's time for me to go. When you two leave, just remember-don't do anything I wouldn't do." Esme chuckles, and looks at her husband, who smiles at her. Grace continues, her voice full of scolding jest. "On second thought, don't do what I WOULD do." It is Carlisle's turn to laugh as Grace leaves. He raises his eyebrows at Esme, who shrugs, smiles, and continues putting on her makeup.
A little while later, they are sitting on a woolen blanket, wrapped up in another, and watching figures dance across the illuminated wall of an old, white concrete building, and talking to each other. Carlisle has introduced Esme to a few of the residents and interns who were there and said hello, and now they were more or less left alone in their private corner of the quad. Carlisle had been right; the weather was cooperating with the vampire's need for a night out, and it was cold and foggy, which was perfect weather for vampires. They watched, and chatted about the children.
"So you and Grace were cozy this afternoon."
"Yes, we were. Did it bother you that I let her sit in the bedroom? I know we like to keep it our domain, but Grace is innocent, and asked me to chat, and I could accomplish that and getting ready if I just invited her in."
"It's fine, dear. I mean, let's not make it a daily habit, but I think it's normal, isn't it, for girls to sit in with their mothers as they are applying their makeup and doing their toilette?"
"I liked to. But I was younger than Grace, but then I guess she never really had that opportunity, did she?"
"No. Look, here's the starting. But is that OK with you? I mean, that Grace isn't like a normal child?" Esme turns her gaze from the screen to her husband, and raises her eyebrows. Smiling a little, she answers him.
"Honey, none of our children are normal. The only one who came from a "normal" background is Rosalie, and even then, it wasn't pretty. Even Bella's parents are divorced, remember?" He sighs, and moves his eyes from the screen to her face.
"You know what I meant, sweetheart. But if you're OK with it, I think we should consider asking Alice to step aside." Esme's expression went temporarily stormy, but then she shook her head, calm again.
"No, it has to be Grace's choice. She should initiate the change. It's only fair. She's smart enough, and mature enough, to do it for herself. Don't ever fool yourself; she may be childlike, but she isn't brash." The corners of Carlisle's mouth turned up in a smile.
"Believe me, I know. Ok, it was just a suggestion. Can we be quiet now and watch the movie?" He shook his head as Esme rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Since when are you a James Stewart fan?"
"Since I know it makes you happy. What did Grace want to talk about?"
"Tell you later. I really *do* want to watch this." He chuckles, but pulls her close, and they watch the movie in relative silence, enjoying the togetherness, and the scents of each other and their closeness.
At home, though, Grace was sitting quietly in her bedroom, in the darkness, thinking. She was trying to be quiet about it, because she didn't Edward to hear too much, and though Alice said that he says he tries to stay out the minds of his family, she didn't know for sure if he trusted her yet, so she felt it was better to be safer than sorry. She had gotten a phone call that afternoon from Maritza Juarez, who told her that for medical emancipation, she still had to have a guardian or caretaker, and needed to fill in a name right away, or the court wouldn't accept her paperwork. She was stuck; she knew that if she put Alice and Jasper, that would raise red flags, being that they were technically 17, but if she put Esme and Carlisle, it might hurt Alice's feelings. So she was contemplating asking Carlisle and Esme if she could just put down a random name, so that nobody would be hurt by it. She was pretty sure that they wouldn't allow it, but they might, so she was trying to wait patiently for them to return. By now, they'd been gone about four hours, and to her, it seemed like forever. If this is what eternity would feel like, she might have just made the biggest mistake ever. But she has a sudden idea, and rises to find Rosalie. She finds her sister sitting in the library, poring over a dictionary, school work in her hands. Grace clears her throat, and smiles when Rosalie looks up.
"Can I interrupt you for a minute?" Rosalie grimaces; she hadn't wanted to like the child, but she found herself caring about the girl, but she is busy, but she realizes that Grace is looking upset, so she nods.
"Just a minute. I am trying to complete an essay for my English class."
"Oh, what's it about?"
"I am writing an essay about the plight of women in Afghanistan and Pakistan since the Taliban took power." Grace nods.
"I wrote about that last week for Esme." Rosalie looks surprised.
"Really? What did you say?"
"Just that it seemed that the Taliban had the wrong idea; that while it might be a doctrine that they believe in that women are lesser, they should reconsider, because women hold the power. If you educate women, they more often than not use their educations to help their people, instead of harming them. If the Taliban could get some educated women on their side, they might be more successful. That's my opinion, anyway." Rosalie nods.
"No, that's really great. How did you hear about that?"
"Well, when you live in a hospital, you watch a lot of CNN." Rosalie chuckles.
"I suppose you're right. Mind if I borrow that quote?"
"Go right ahead." Grace sits down across from Rose, and rests her head in her hands. Rosalie sets her papers aside, and sighs. It appeared that the child needed someone to talk to.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know. I just-ok. So I have to fill out all this paperwork for the court hearing, and they're making me name a guardian. But I don't know who to put down. I mean, they might get suspicious if I put Alice, since she's supposed to be 17, but I don't want to hurt her feelings. So do you think that Carlisle would let me just use some random name?" Rosalie shakes her head, and sighs.
"Look, Grace. I think you know in your heart what the right answer is. No, I don't think Carlisle will allow that idea. Sorry. But if I were you, I would just put Esme and Carlisle-it's so much easier."
"Can I put you and Emmett?"
"No. Sorry."
"Ok, ok. I guess you're right. I just wish there was an easier, better way." Rosalie nods.
"I know. I don't know how much Alice prepared you for this life, and for that, I am sorry." Grace shrugs.
"I don't think you really CAN prepare." Rosalie considers.
"That's probably true." Grace nods.
"Ok, well, I better go find Alice. Thanks, Rosalie. I appreciate your talking to me." Rosalie nods, and as the girl stands to find her sister, Rosalie speaks to her.
"You can call me Rose, if you like." Grace smiled lightly.
"Whatever you prefer."
"Rose. Rosalie makes me feel like an old lady sometimes." Grace fought the urge to tell her she WAS an old lady, and instead nodded.
"Ok. Thanks, Rose." Grace leaves in silence, as Rosalie had buried her head in her papers again. Grace hurries down the hall, down the stairs, and into the den, where she can smell Alice and Jasper. She enters, and finds Alice, Jasper, Bella, Edward, and Nessie sitting around, watching a TV show that they all liked, but Rosalie and Grace didn't. Emmett was in the back yard, trying to assemble a kite, and cursing loudly every so often when it didn't work his way.
Grace stands quietly in the doorway, and Alice looks up at her and smiles.
"Hey, Alice. Can I pull you away from the show for a bit? Or we can talk after; I just-we need to chat." Alice looks quickly at Jasper, then at Edward, who shakes his head, and she stands.
"Sure. Let's go upstairs." Grace nods, and the two girls leave the den, and hurry for the stairs.
"Let's go to my room, Alice." Alice nods, and they enter the bedroom, curling up in the bed as has been their practice since Grace came to stay with them. When they were tucked in, with the blanket pulled over their heads, Grace sighs loudly, and Alice smiles.
"Whatever it is, Grace, it's OK. We'll figure it out." Grace nods.
"Ok, then, here's the thing. You know that form I had to fill out for the court, and how I left the line for guardian blank? Well, I got a call from the social worker today. I HAVE to put something down, and they're going to ask me anyway, in court next week." Alice nods.
"Ok, so?"
"So, if I put Esme and Carlisle, would it hurt your feelings?" Alice exhales. It is a moment before she speaks.
"No. But is that OK with you?"
"Not exactly. In an ideal world, I could just tell people what the situation is. But this is awkward. Alice, I love you, you know that. But I'm just-I'm confused." Alice nods.
"Me, too. Look, I knew this day would come-when you'd have to choose-but I didn't realize that it would happen so soon."
"I know. Me, neither." They embrace, but then Grace sits up.
"I'm sorry, Alice."
"I know, Grace."
"Wanna go to the knoll with me?" The knoll was a grassy area at the edge of the Cullen's property, where Grace liked to sit and conjure in peace. Alice shook her head, and Grace sighs.
"Ok, well, maybe I'll go by myself."
"Take your phone. Carlisle and Esme will be back soon."
"Ok, thanks." Alice sighs again, but stands.
"I'm going to find Jasper." Grace nods as she, too, stands and starts to straighten the bed. She picks up her novel, her cell phone, and her Discman, and heads down the stairs and outside.
Back at the quad at the University, Carlisle and Esme stand after the credits roll, and, still entwined, begin to gather their things and head for the car. Reluctantly, he lets her go, and they begin to pack away the lean to. Just then, Esme's cell phone rings, and when she glances at the screen, and sees that it reads "Alice," she turns to Carlisle.
"It's Alice. Should I answer?" He furrows his brow; she was usually courteous and mindful of their alone time, so he nods as Esme flips open the phone. He watches as her eyes grow big, and her face falls. He gestures for her, and she shuts the phone and speaks in a panic.
"Something is wrong; Grace is missing. Let's go home." Carlisle nods, and the two hurry home. When they get there, Rosalie, who has stayed behind with Nessie, informs them that Alice and Grace had talked earlier, and that both girls were upset, so Grace had gone out to the rose garden. When she hadn't returned after two hours, and wasn't answering her phone, Alice and Jasper had gone out after her. Alice had phoned a little while later, panicky, because her book and her jacket had been found in the knoll, but there was no sign of the girl. They were certain that she hadn't simply gone invisible because they also couldn't smell her, and when Edward went out, he couldn't hear her. Esme looks to Carlisle, clearly upset, and he just shakes his head.
They asked Rosalie to continue to watch Nessie, and she agreed, and quickly, they joined the search party. On their way to find Alice, who had phoned Esme again. Edward, Bella, Jasper, and Alice were searching the forest near the Cullen's home, Emmett was going the opposite direction, towards town, and so Esme and Carlisle decided to head south, further into the forest toward some foothills.
"Carlisle, what are we going to do?" He turns to his wife, as they hurry through the woods. He shakes his head.
"We'll find her. She couldn't have gone far; she is intelligent, and she doesn't seek out danger." Esme bites her lip, but nods. He stops, and so does she. He pulls her to him, and whispers in her ear. "Sweetie, it'll be all right. If we have to, we'll call in some reinforcements. Don't worry. Just concentrate on locating her scent, or mortals. Maybe she followed some hunters or something." Esme nods as they separate and continue into the depths of the forest. They run in silence for a few minutes, until they come across a peculiar scene. From their vantage point, it seems to be the hide out for a group of uncivilized vampires; none of them had ever known that a clan of vampires lived so close. Carlisle holds an arm out to Esme, holding her back from entering the clearing where the makeshift campsite is set up. He gestures for her to follow him back into the trees, and she does. He speaks when he gets to a point where he felt safe.
"That is an interesting new development. Can you get a cell phone signal out here?" Esme shakes her head. "Damn it. See if you can call in your head for Edward. See how close he and Bella are, and if they can show up." She nods, and after doing as he's asked, they wait. He pulls her close to him again, and they sink to the ground, both worrying about the young girl.
"I am worried, Carlisle. If these vampires have her, it could be messy."
"I know, dear, but let's hope that she's not, and that she followed a mortal's scent into town. Emmett will call Rose if that's the case."
"How long should we wait for Edward and Bella?"
"A few more minutes. I hope he is picking something up, either from us, or Alice and Jasper, or this coven. I don't want to go in alone, but we might not have a choice. Or we can head back until we have cell signals and call the kids."
"I want to do that."
"Ok, let's wait five more minutes." She nods, and they sit, trying to make their thoughts loud to attract attention. Finally, they hear a rustle and a low hiss. It is Bella, and Edward tagging behind.
"Carlisle? Esme? What's going on?" Esme smiles and stands. She embraces the children quickly, and then Carlisle explains. Edward, who had been standing next to Esme, nods and speaks quietly.
"We just met up with Alice and Jasper; they're on their way. Are we expecting this to be…tenuous?" Carlisle shakes his head.
No, I plan to just ask them if they have seen her. Hopefully, it's peaceful." Edward nods as Alice and Jasper show up. Alice appears to be very upset, and immediately embraces Esme, as Edward and Carlisle fill her in on the recent developments. Jasper mentions that he'd rather have Emmett join them, and Rose, too, but then Bella reminds him about Nessie, and they agree to just go in together. Carlisle leads, with Jasper and Edward at his flanks, and the females behind them. As they approach the clearing, Edward opens his ears and his mind, and whispers to the others.
"4 voices. One female, three male. Can't hear Grace, though. Sometimes I can't, though, anyway. She has to be open to me." The group nods, and push forward. Suddenly, it becomes eerily quiet, and the Cullen's are now standing in the "entrance" to the makeshift camp area. Carlisle tenses, but a man appears in front of them, having sauntered across the campsite. He raises an eyebrow at Carlisle, who relaxes slightly, and speaks.
"Hello. I am Carlisle Cullen, and this is my family. We were passing through, and stumbled across you and your…friends here. I am sorry to interrupt, but actually, we could use your help." From somewhere, Edward gets Grace's voice.
"Edward, you've got to help me. I am in the red tent. I'm sorry, but I'll explain everything if you guys just get me out of here. You can even kill me yourself."
Edward turns to Esme and Alice, and whispers what Grace had said. They nod, and tense as the man speaks.
"What brings you to our little makeshift home?"
"We were searching for our daughter; she is a newborn and a little precocious. Maybe you've seen her?" The vampire looks surprised for a moment, but recovers quickly.
"You know, when one leaves valuables astray, one should expect to work to find them again. If one is lucky." From behind Carlisle, Alice growls low. The man raises an eyebrow, but Carlisle shushes her.
"We are just looking for our daughter. A simple yes or no will suffice."
"Oh, yes, I've seen her. Pretty thing she is, too." Carlisle nods.
"Yes. I would ask that you return her to me immediately, and that you never again step foot in the garden. It is on my property, you see, and we promise not to hunt in your area if you do the same."
"Oh, but I can't return her. She's quite powerful, and will fetch quite a pretty penny sold to the highest bidder." A low gasp emits from the group, but Esme looks confused.
"Sold?"
"Yes, a lonely male vampire somewhere in the world will make her his, of that I am sure." Esme tenses to attack, but is stopped by Carlisle's gentle hiss. He continues.
"Look, I was really hoping this could be a peaceful exchange, but apparently, it can't. We're her family, and if you don't give her up, I'll be forced to call the Volturi and explain to them that you have an unruly newborn who can't follow the rules." The man narrows his eyes, and Edward can hear him considering. He shakes his head imperceptibly at Carlisle, who nods back. This silent exchange indicates that they will not have to fight, and that the man will concede. It is tense and silent for a moment, until the man raises his hand and summons a woman. He speaks to her in a low, clipped tone.
"Bring the child here." The woman looks like she is about to protest, but the look on the man's face stops her, and she reluctantly turns and disappears into the red tent. A moment later, she drags out a beat-up and bruised Grace, who is standing sadly, her head hung down, and unsmiling. Jasper immediately sends a calming, loving vibe to her, and she runs to the family, where Alice and Esme embrace her. She has a bite mark on her neck that is still bleeding, but otherwise she looks fine. Carlisle motions for the women to take her away, and they do, as the men talk to the two vampires. Alice and Esme head for home, but stop a few feet in the trees when they hear Edward and Jasper calling for them. A moment later, the men arrive where the women are huddled, and Carlisle looks the girl over, and tears off a bit of his shirt to apply pressure to Grace's wounds. They are silent, although Alice is dying to ask what happened, and after the bleeding stops, they continue on home.
Once at home, Esme sets Grace up on the couch, to await the men's arrival home so that Carlisle can do a more through checkup. When she is settled, she calls for Alice and Esme and begins to tell them her tale.
"I was just sitting there, in the knoll, after talking to Alice. I was reading and listening to my music, and all of sudden, the woman, who is Karen, lands there. I was scared. But I stood up and explained to her that it was my family's knoll; that our property extends past the creek. But she didn't seem to care. She just kept making this odd whimpering noise, and then the man showed up. His name is Gary. So then he starts to tell me that he is taking me prisoner, and I am to come with him, or they will kill me. I tried to go invisible, but then he bit me, so I followed him, because it hurt, you know. Then when we get to the campsite where they are staying, there is one more couple-a woman called Gabriela and a man named Ed. They were nicer to me than the others; Gabriela had just defected from a coven in the South and Ed was from Texas. I think they realized too late that something was up with Karen and Gary. They left later that day. Karen explained to me that they were going to "train" me to be a proper vampire girl, and then sell me. Which I don't understand. But they were impressed by my powers. But they didn't want me using them; whenever I tried, they bit me." Esme nods quietly, and excuses herself upstairs as Alice sits quietly at Grace's feet. When the men arrive, Esme returns downstairs just in time to hear Grace repeat her story. She does, and after Carlisle is finished with a more through look-over, she settles herself into the couch, and begins to stare off into space, a fleece blanket wrapped around her.
Three days later has Grace in the same spot, wrapped in her blanket, staring at the blank TV. She hasn't moved since coming home, and hasn't spoken a word to anyone, except to ask to be left alone. The only one she will permit to see her is Nessie, and although Esme tries, Grace cannot be soothed. Esme has now begun to pace the house, worried for her newest daughter, and talking in low tones to an equally upset Alice, and a highly annoyed Jasper and Edward. Jasper is upset because he can sense Grace's intense emotions, and Edward is annoyed because he can only get some of her thoughts right now. Carlisle is upset, but mostly hurting for the others, and confused by Grace's behavior. Esme speaks to Edward when he brings Nessie down the stairs that morning for her breakfast.
"Anything new?" He nods, and motions for the others to follow him. They sidestep the living room, and, once the child is sitting at the table, starting a bowl of Cheerio's, Edward replies.
"Last night, she had a few errant thoughts about Alistair. But mostly, it was the scene in the forest, over and over. I think she's trying to analyze what she did wrong; how she could have escaped. She knows that if she used her powers and conjured someone, they'd have been in danger, too, but if she conjured herself here, the vampires would have followed her scent, so that wouldn't work. She thinks it's her fault; she was listening to music and dancing instead of reading quietly." Esme nods as Carlisle joins the family in the kitchen. He'd heard what Edward had said, and had come to listen for more. Just then, a loud, high-pitched squeal and Grace's protests came from the living room.
"Emmett, go away." They hear Emmett's reply.
"No. It's Sunday, and I want to watch the football game, and Rosalie won't let me watch it upstairs because she hates it. So this is the family TV and I get to use it. Besides, it's been three days, don't you think it's enough now?" A low gasp comes from Alice as Grace retorts.
"No, not that it matters. Go watch your game in the basement with Jazz."
"No way, kid. Everyone else may tiptoe around here, but not me. Let's go. If you will not help yourself to feel better, I will." Alice hurries into the den just in time to see Emmett pluck Grace up from the couch. She watches, dumbfounded, as he carries her past the kitchen, up the stairs, and deposits her in front of her bedroom door.
"Here. Wallow in your misery in here." He turns, quietly and calmly, and returns downstairs, ignoring the others' stares. Jasper looks to Edward, who shrugs. A few moments later, they hear Grace's bedroom door slam, and Carlisle winces. He turns to Esme.
"Let's try talking to her again." Esme nods, and follows him upstairs. He stops her outside of Grace's bedroom door.
"I think we should let her conjure Alistair. Whatever bond they have, strange as it is, seems to be soothing to her. We could give it a shot." Esme sighs, but nods in agreement. They knock, and Grace answers.
"Who is it?"
"Esme and Carlisle." A moment later, the door flies open, and Grace motions them in, and shuts the door behind them, and then resumes her position on her bed-lying flat as a board on her left side, facing out of the window. It is Esme who speaks first, moving slowly toward the girl.
"Grace, dear. Edward said that you keep replaying the…scene from the forest in your head, looking for ways you might have escaped or somehow made it better. You did nothing wrong; just like in the mortal world, there's good and evil? It's the same in our world." Grace softens slightly, but doesn't face them.
"I should have called for help sooner. I had my cell." Esme shrugs, and sits tentatively at the foot of her bed.
"You wouldn't have gotten a signal."
"I didn't try, though." Esme considers.
"Well, you seemed to understand that it would have been dangerous to conjure one of us to help you. So you see, you were aware." Grace rolls over and faces Esme.
"That's not the same. I just wanted everything to be OK, and I didn't want to hurt Alice's feelings, and I got a vibe that she was sad, so I left. If I had been reading like I said, I would've heard them coming." Esme sighs, and looks to Carlisle.
"Grace, you still couldn't have done anything. They would have killed you if you had tried to outrun them, I'm sure."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Look, Alice's feelings aren't hurt. Or at least, they weren't. But Esme and I have an idea-since you don't seem to want to talk to anyone here about this, how about you bring Alistair here? You two seem to talk to each other well." He shakes his head, but smiles lightly at her. Grace nods.
"Ok. Maybe I will. I am sorry to behave like a child, but I am really just feeling a little blue. Do you mind asking the others to stay away for a while?" The two adults nod as Esme stands. Esme murmurs to Grace.
"Feel better soon, dear. Always know that I am around to talk if you want, Ok?" Grace nods.
"Thanks." It is silent as the two older vampires leave the room and Grace resumes her staring at the wall. It is several minutes before she can get the energy to summon a surprised Alistair. He smiles at Grace as he arrives in her bedroom, but then immediately looks annoyed, but his visage changes as he regards the girl, staring at the wall, listless and unmoving.
"Bloody hell, woman, what is wrong with you?" Grace turns herself around and looks at him sadly. He shakes his head, and excuses himself to her to find Carlisle. He finds his old friend in his study, and sits down as Carlisle begins to tell him about Grace's adventure in the forest. Alistair looks horrified, and asks Carlisle about her injuries.
"Mostly, I think it hurt her pride. But they did bite her a few times, and she has some scrapes and bruises which are almost gone. No broken bones, though she will need to hunt soon. It's been a week now." Alistair nods.
"They didn't-touch her, did they? I mean, inappropriately?" Carlisle raises an eyebrow; he hadn't considered that.
"I don't think so, and she didn't say anything. But look, Esme was hoping you could talk to Grace. You and her have some kind of bond that I don't understand, but Esme thinks it might help, if you're willing. Did Grace interrupt something important?" Alistair shook his head.
"No, but she has a knack for interrupting Rugby matches on telly. I'll talk to her, but I am not sure how much good it will do." Carlisle chuckles.
"Thanks." Alistair stands and excuses himself as Carlisle's phone rings. He returns to Grace's bedroom, careful to leave the door open to avoid any suggestion of impropriety, and settles himself on the foot of her bed. She sits up, and lets the blankets fall to her waist, and he can see that she is tense and gaunt, and he can make out the fresh bite marks and cuts on her arms under the sleeves of her t-shirt. He smiles tentatively at her.
"Hello." Grace smiles at him lightly.
"Hey. Did they you send in here to talk to me?" He nods, looking guilty.
"Yes." She sighs, but nods.
"I guess I need someone to tell me what a horrible brat I'm being. It's just-I need something, but I don't know what."
"How long since you've hunted?" Grace grimaces.
"Too long. I don't feel well." Alistair nods.
"That's to be expected. You want to go with me?" Grace looks surprised.
"You don't feed like us."
"I know. But I could just go along."
"No, I'll go later. I like to go with Esme and Carlisle." Alistair nods, and clears his throat.
"So, can you tell me something? When you were in the forest with those…people, did they touch you? I mean, in a way that made you uncomfortable?" Grace giggles, and shakes her head.
"No. Although the man tried once. But I bit him, hard, and he left me alone. Can I ask you something?" Alistair sighs in relief and nods.
"Of course."
"Would you sit here next to me?" She indicates the spot next to her, between her body and the wall. "I just-I think I need someone who isn't related to me to be near for awhile. You can say no if it makes you uncomfortable." He considers, but then nods.
"No, I think it'll be all right." He stands and then settles himself next to the girl as she slides closer to the wall. He arranges himself, a little tensed by the closeness to her, and, once he's settled, she smiles up at him.
"Thank you. You have a nice scent, you know." He nods, as Grace shifts next to him. He sensed that she wanted some closeness, so he scooted closer to her, and put an arm around her shoulders. He was surprised as she snuggled deeply into his chest, and rested her head on his shoulder, staring at the wall again. They remained like this for almost an hour, until Grace turned around and faced him.
"Am I being selfish?" He shook his head.
"Maybe a little, but I think the fact that you can identify that the other's are noticing is a good sign. Look, I know it sounds unlikely, but even vampires get the blues. I know that for a bloody fact." Grace nods, sending the scent of her hair straight into his nose. He smiled; she smelled like sunflowers and coconut, the result of the styling products that Alice used to set her hair earlier that week.
"Tell me a story. About anything." He sighs.
"My life is kind of boring."
"It doesn't have to be about your life. You've known Carlisle for eons; you must have a funny story about him. I just need something to distract me." He nods, and racks his brain for a moment.
"Well, it's not funny, but it's not serious. The other day at the petrol queue-that's a gas station to you-there was a girl there, probably about your age, who was there with a bunch of other young people. They were laughing and talking and generally acting the Baluba-I think you call it being silly-and it made me think of you. When do you start school?"
"After the court hearing. Actually, I think Carlisle and Esme want me to wait until after the holidays." He nods.
"Good. I forgot about your court thing; are you quite nervous?"
"Not really. It's pretty much a formality, I think. But I need to buy a dress or skirt or something. The girl at the gas station, why did she remind you of me?" He shrugs, and smiles as Grace's head rises and falls with the motion of his shoulder.
"I think it was her hair. She had the same kind of blond, fluffy hair that you do. She was wearing a pink sweater, I remember, also." Grace smiles.
"I'm afraid my hair isn't that fluffy today. I don't know how you can stand it; I haven't been really concentrating on my personal care lately." He grins.
"You don't smell, though, actually."
"Oh, good. Guess what? I want to get a cat, but I don't think that Carlisle will let me, and I'm too afraid to ask."
"I imagine it would be odd for you to have a cat when you people insist on feeding on animals." Grace looks annoyed.
"We don't eat cat blood, silly." He smiles again.
"Well, maybe you could just foster one for awhile. One thing I will tell you about Carlisle is this-he loves all of you children as if you were his blood children. I don't understand it, because I have yet to experience it, but I imagine it's nice, actually. So don't be afraid to ask. All he could say is no."
"I know." He traces her nose with his finger and she smiles. "I should hunt soon. Are you sure you want to come along? I am sure that whomever comes with me won't mind. I don't think Carlisle wants us hunting alone, just in groups, so I might go with Alice and Jasper." He nods.
"If you want me to come along, I can." She nods.
"Did I interrupt when I conjured you?"
"Not really, but it was like I was telling Carlisle, you have a wicked ability to get me in the middle of Arsenal games." Grace smiles.
"Sorry. Did you miss a pass?"
"I've missed the whole blinkin match."
"Sorry."
"It's OK. One thing about British Telecom is that they can be counted on to air it again tomorrow night." She has now removed herself from his chest, and he finds himself longing to have her head there again, but forces the thought out of his mind. She climbs over him and stands, and he pulls himself up, too. She smiles up at him, suddenly shy.
"Thank you for sitting with me. And letting me cuddle with you. It helped."
"I'm glad. I'll excuse myself so you can change, if you'd like." She glances down at her rumpled, week-old jeans and t-shirt and grimaces.
"I should, yes. You can wait downstairs, if you wish." He nods, and exits her room as she flies down the hall to Alice and Jasper's room. Alice answers the door, and immediately smiles.
"You're up." Grace nods, and embraces Alice.
"Yes. I'm sorry about everything. But I really need to hunt, and I know Carlisle wants us to go in groups until we're sure that those bad vampires are gone. Can you and Jasper come with me? And can Alistair come along?" Alice nods.
"Yes, I think we can come. Let me ask Jasper. Why don't you grab a quick shower and put on your hunting clothes? Esme will entertain Alistair until you're finished." Grace nods.
"Can you make my hair fluffy?" Alice nods, and Grace smiles and hurries into the bathroom.
Fifteen minutes later, Grace is downstairs, dressed for a hunt, her freshly-washed blonde hair shining in the sunlight streaming through the windows in the living room, where Esme has seated Alistair to wait for Grace, Alice, and Jasper. They are sitting close to each other, as Esme listens in from the kitchen, where Nessie is having lunch and humming loudly. They are chatting lightly about Grace's court hearing, and then Alice and Jasper come down, and the four vampires set out, after Esme pulled Jasper aside with a stern warning to keep an eye on both Grace and Alistair, for she was still worried about Grace's intense interest in the older, strange vampire.
Once in the forest, heading in the opposite direction from where the band of vampires had been, Jasper begins to question Alistair.
"Hey, man. What brings you with us today?"
"Grace asked me along. Is that all right?"
"Of course. You two seemed pretty cozy earlier, but I am glad that you got Grace to join the world again." Grace raises an eyebrow at Jasper, and hisses low. He shrugs at her, and Alistair raises an eyebrow, but nods.
"No problem. Sometimes an outsider's perspective is what we need to make the world make sense again." As he says this, he looks at Grace, who is laughing with Alice. Jasper can sense his deep-seated feelings for the girl, and Grace's mutual feelings for him, but also his intents to keep their relationship strictly platonic, at least for the time being, but makes a decision to help Grace in her quest to find someone to kiss. Jasper interrupts the girls' exchange to indicate that there is a herd of deer close by. Grace takes Alistair's hand, and Jasper grins to himself as he senses the man's sudden disorientation. She speaks in a low voice as Jasper picks up Alice's hand, and gets ready to attack.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Alistair smiles, but looks a little weary, and nods.
"I think so. It's not as vile as it sounds, is it?" Grace shakes her head.
"No." She takes her hunting stance, and Alistair copies her. She whispers to him. "Just keep quiet, and very calm. They are gentle creatures, so you must not scare them." He rolls his eyes, but taps the tip of her nose, and she giggles as a doe comes into her view. Alistair watches as she takes down the animal in one fell swoop, and she turns to him.
"You can share mine. Or find your own. The boys usually prefer their own, but I don't eat that much." He laughs, but indicates that she should start. He is tentative as he approaches the doe, but Grace touches his hand, and he kneels next to her, entranced by watching the delicate way she feeds. He takes in the gentle bites she gives the animal, and the slow motion of her lips as she sucks for blood, and the murmur of a whispered thanks to the deer for it's life's essence when she is finished. He smiles as she removes a tissue from the pocket of her jeans and wipes her face and hands, and then places it back in her pocket. He leans in and sniffs the doe; it is an odd scent, though not as repulsive as he'd expected. Grace reaches toward the fallen deer with her finger, gathers some blood, and raises it to his lips.
"Here, just taste it. You might like it." Jasper, who has finished feeding, watches in silence from behind them. He smiles as Alice pulls him away a bit, so that Grace and Alistair are out of viewpoint but not hearing range. She whispers to him to let them have a minute before they head back, and as Alice settles herself into her mate's lap, they listen as Grace continues.
"It's a little funny at first; human blood is metallic, but deer's blood tastes a little like red meat." It is silent for a moment before Grace gasps lightly as Alistair licks the spot of blood off her finger. It is a sensual moment, and Alice pokes Jasper in the ribs and speaks into his ear.
"Make him want to kiss her." Jasper shakes his head, but whispers back.
"He already does. And so does she." Alice shrugs, and sighs. She stands and creeps softly to the edge of the clearing where Grace and Alistair are still standing, silently, staring at each other. Alice can't help herself, and she speaks, loudly, giggly.
"Just kiss her already." Grace looks annoyed, and hisses under her breath, and Alistair nods.
"I think she has a point. Could you excuse us for a moment, Alice?"
"Sure." Alice creeps back to Jasper, grinning like the cat that ate the canary, and waits. They can hear Grace's slow, even breathing, and Alistair's deeper breathing, and then nothing for a moment, and then a soft release of breath from both as they finish their kiss. Grace smiles up at Alistair, who smiles back, and then speaks.
"Your sister is quiet nosy, you know." Grace nods.
"You have no idea. I guess we should find them and get back home. I think I should probably talk to the family and apologize to them all. I hope that no one's too mad." Alice and Jasper, who had heard Grace's words, appeared in front of them again. Alice was smiling, an eyebrow raised, and Jasper was trying to look nonchalant. Grace giggles, but they return home in silence.
When they arrive home, Jasper and Alice mercifully excuse themselves to the den as Grace and Alistair head upstairs. He tells her he should get back, that it is well past nighttime in London, and that he'd be back for her hearing if she'd wanted him. As they climbed the stairs, they greeted Carlisle and Esme, and Grace told them that she was sending Alistair back, but that he would come the following week for her hearing if that was OK with them. They agreed, and as they continued on to her bedroom, where she preferred to do her conjuring, he chuckled.
"What's funny?"
"You. How can you be so calm?" Grace shrugged.
"It was a kiss. It was really nice, but it's not like we had wild, steamy intercourse. It was kissing. Everyone kisses." He nods.
"Well, I guess you're right. Still, I feel like we just stole a candy bar from the cash n' Curry."
"What?"
"Mini market."
"Oh." They entered her room quietly, where her bed was still rumpled, and she grimaced at it, realizing she'd need to change the sheets and clean up the clutter that accumulates from a week spent wallowing in bed, namely, a layer of dust that she knew was driving Esme crazy. She inhaled softly, and Alistair embraced her, and smiled down at her.
"Will you kiss me again before you send me away? I must admit, I did like it, actually." She smiles, and nods.
"Me, too." She raises her face to his, and closed her eyes as their lips met briefly, in a soft, tender kiss, and she holds it for a moment before she pulls lightly away, inhaling rapidly. He grins and opens his eyes.
"Thank you."
"Thank YOU. Are you ready? Does it hurt at all?" He shakes his head.
"I'm ready. I'll see you Thursday night, then, I guess. Take care, Grace."
"I will." She raised her hand up, and nodded once, and he was gone. She sighs loudly, and turns to go downstairs, flipping off the light in her room as she leaves.
End Chap. 3