A/N: Okay so here's the next chapter. We're back at the Cullen's house again. Sorry this update is a little late, but I was shredding the mountain yesterday.
Thanks again to all the reviewers!
Remember, dialogue in italics means their talking to just the camera.
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.
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Linda awoke in the middle of the night to a sound she couldn't quite name, though it was familiar. It was a forced sound, not something anyone would make purposefully. Disoriented from waking up in the middle of sleep, she grabbed a sweater and started wandering down the large, unfamiliar hallways.
Following the sound as best she could, she found herself standing in front of the second story bathroom. She pressed her ear to the door, hoping to hear the sound more closely. When the noise sounded again, she was able to pinpoint it. Someone was throwing up. Her motherly instincts immediately kicked in. She knocked on the door.
"Hello? Can I come in?"
She thought she heard a low curse, but she couldn't be sure.
"Uh, yeah, It's unlocked."
Linda slowly opened the door, and peeked through the crack. Emmett was hunched over the toilet, looking quite fed up and beaten.
"Oh, dear, Emmett! Are you alright!? Are you sick?"
Emmett groaned, partly because he felt absolutely horrid regurgitating all food he ate, and partly because if anyone was ever slouched over a toilet in the fashion he was, they were never alright. There was no need to ask.
"Uh, yeah, I think I have the . . . flu. It's been going around the school." He said before choking up another round of food.
Linda felt helpless, like she always did when anyone she was caring for was sick. What could you do but stand there and watch them suffer?
"I think I have some Pepto Bismol in my bag, I'll be right back." She started to turn when Emmett shouted.
"NO! No, we, uh, don't use medicine in this family. It's, uh, taboo?" Emmett thought his excuse was completely idiotic, but it was all he could think of under the pressure.
"Oh, okay then. Well, call me if you need anything . . ." She quietly exited the bathroom. And went back to bed.
It was approximately one hour later when the familiar sound woke her again. She sleepily walked back to the bathroom, expecting Emmett to be up again. Poor boy.
"Emmett, are you sure you–" She was about to ask him if he was sure he didn't want the Pepto, but instead of Emmett crouched over the toilet bowl, it was Jasper.
"Oh, Jasper! Do you have the flu, too"
"Um, yes, I do. I think . . . I should go back to bed. Goodnight, Linda." Jasper stiffly rose and stalked out of the room.
Linda watched him stiffen as he passed, and then went back to bed.
Linda was abruptly awoken several more times that night, all due to the same thing. She saw more than half of the family throwing up in the toilet, they all claimed it was the flu running it's course through their family, but she doubted that. They all looked fine before dinner, what of she gave them food poisoning?
"The whole family seems to be getting sick, and they won't let me do anything! First Emmett, then Jasper, Edward, Bella and Alice! They're all catching the flu, but they keep telling me using medicine is a taboo, or something in their family. What kind of family taboos medicine? I feel so helpless, you know? Maybe I'll make then all chicken soup. Sick people like chicken soup."
Linda was up at about seven o'clock. She didn't sleep well that night, she was worrying about her new family, they were all sick, except for Rosalie and Carlisle. She went out early, before anyone was awake, got some ginger ale, and started making homemade chicken soup. Her children always liked it when she did that for them when they were sick. She filled five glasses with ginger ale, and five bowls with soup.
She went to Emmett's room first.
"Emmett, honey," she whispered, not wanting to wake him if he was asleep. "Are you awake?"
He grunted in response. He really did not want to deal with whatever torture she had lined up for him today. What was going to do next? Shove three stacks of pancakes down his throat?
"I made you some chicken soup to help you feel better." She brought in a tray of food and placed it on his lap.
"Uh, you know what, I feel so great now. You really didn't need to go through so much trouble for me. Give it to Edward. He was really sick last night. He'll really appreciate it." Emmett was desperate to get out of eating the soup. He really didn't want to eat any more than he absolutely had to.
"Nonsense, Emmett! You just stay in bed today and work on felling better."
With that, she left the room to deliver more 'feel good soup'.
Emmett knew he should have choked his dinner back up outside, but no, Edward said they should do it in here. That Linda would never even know. But now he had the 'flu', and not only did he have to stay in his room all night pretending to sleep, but now he had to do it all day, too! He was going to beat Edward up as soon as he was 'better'.
Linda was very pleased with herself. Not only had she made all the sick children 'get better meals', but she had prepared breakfast for those who weren't sick, and even made Carlisle's lunch.
It was early Sunday afternoon, Carlisle had left to the hospital, Linda and Rosalie were watching T.V., when Rosalie stood up and muttered.
"I'm going to work on my car."
"I was really amazed to find out that Rosalie builds cars. She really doesn't look like the kind of girl who would like mechanics. I really felt like Rosalie was putting up a lot of walls. I want to get to know her better. I feel like we could be really good friends."
Linda followed Rosalie out to the massive garage. It was bigger than a normal garage, probably specially built, and was filled with several expensive looking cars. There was a very large Jeep, a silver Volvo and a red BMW, with a pair of legs sticking out the bottom (the rest of the cars were hidden in forest, they were much too ostentatious).
"So, Rosalie, when did you find out you liked mechanics?"
"I don't know. A while ago."
Rosalie really didn't want Linda here. Working on her car was something she preferred to do alone, or with Emmett. She didn't want Linda here asking nosy questions about her life. She'd just have to come up with a bunch of lies.
"How do you like living with so many kids in the house?"
"It's fine. Edward is kind of annoying to have around, though."
"Why is that?"
Rosalie gave a frustrated sigh. Why was this woman so interested in her life? Why couldn't she get the hint that she'd rather be alone?
"He . . . hears too much."
"Hmm. How about the others? Emmett seems like a nice guy."
"Yeah. Emmett is great."
The afternoon continued like that for quite a while. Linda kept asking questions and Rosalie kept lying.
"I really feel like I've gotten much closer to Rosalie. We bonded a little bit today. It was a little hard to get answers out of her, but I think by the end she really started to enjoy out little chat."
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Carlisle came home to a relatively quiet house. Rosalie was sprawled across one of the reclining chairs, the other five kids were nowhere to be seen and the smell of fresh cooked food filled the house. It made him gag.
"Where are the rest of them?" He asked Rose, quiet and fast enough that Linda wouldn't hear.
"Linda caught them throwing up their dinner last night and they told her they caught the flu. They're in bed now or something. Linda won't let anyone up or let them down. She said something about a mother always knowing best."
"Alright."
Carlisle walked into the kitchen where Linda was boiling some spaghetti for dinner tonight. She was too scared to cook anything perishable, she was still suspicious that the kids might have food poisoning.
"Hello, Linda. How was your day?"
"Oh, it was great. I really got to know Rosalie today."
Carlisle was a little stunned at that new information. As far as he knew, Rosalie wanted nothing to to do with this whole experience. She was the most upset with Alice for signing them up for the show. He had a hard time believing she would tolerate an afternoon with Linda.
"I'm actually kind of proud of Rose." Carlisle confessed. "She's not the most pleasant person to get to know, most of the time she can be pretty bitter. Maybe this was a good idea after all . . ."
Dinner that night was a quiet event. Rosalie had done enough sharing for the day, and Carlisle just didn't have anything to say. The five 'sick' children had told Linda they were too ill to eat. Emmett was hoping he could drag the sick charade on for a while to weasel his way out of more meals. Linda was the one to start talking.
"So, Carlisle. I was thinking, maybe, since the kids will be at school tomorrow, I could come to the hospital with you?"
"Oh, yeah, Linda. That sounds . . . good. I have to leave at six tomorrow morning."
Linda smiled and nodded. She was finally starting to feel like she was getting to know this family, like they were accepting her.
