Just want to make sure that everyone is aware of Alexandra's power. She has the ability to give people what they need (like with Edward not being able to read Renesme/Jacob's personal thoughts about each other).. i kind of explained it through Alice in one of the earlier chapters, just FYI :) Hope everyone is still enjoying the story
Chapter 44
Edward sat close to Bella on the couch with his feet up. Emmett sat across the way next to William, who was moping slightly after bidding farewell to Madison. Whenever the two of them parted it was as if they would never see each other again, though usually there was only a two of three day gap where they would be absent from each other's company.
"Can we change this?" Emmett asked, sick of staring at the weather station. He looked over at Edward.
"Here," he tossed his brother the remote and slunk in closer to Bella.
Emmett began scanning the television for some new entertainment and nudged William after hearing him let out a long sigh. "You'll see her in a couple days," he told his son.
"It's not fair. You guys get to see your... significant others... every day. I don't."
"Be patient, young one," he joked, putting his hands together and bowing.
Edward and Bella both laughed, though William didn't look at all amused. He slouched even further into the couch and put an even bigger frown on his face.
"Lighten up," Emmett told him.
Bella smiled and looked over at Edward, who sat with a strange look on his face.
"What?" she asked.
He chuckled, "I don't know. Carlisle's got some weird things running through his mind."
Bella smiled, "Like what? Or do I want to know?"
Edward shook his head, "I don't know. It's like his thoughts are rapidly going from one thing to the next."
Alexandra joined them in living room, "It's called dreaming right?"
They all looked at her.
"Huh?" Emmett asked.
"Dreams?" she asked again, "Maybe he's dreaming."
The four of them looked at her with absolutely confused expressions on their faces.
"Him and Mom are doing the sleep thing that Nessy and Jake do," Alexandra informed them.
Emmett looked over at Edward, who began to shake his head as laughter escaped his throat, "What sleep thing?" he asked, turning her innocent comment into a dirty joke in his mind.
"Shut up Emmett," Edward said, then turned back to Alexandra, "Alex, what do you mean?"
Bella sat forward on the edge of the couch, intrigued.
"They're asleep. I made them sleep."
"What?" Edward and Bella asked at the same time.
"They needed to, I dont know, stop being stressed out and rest their minds. I always thought that Jacob and Nessy or whoever, when they were asleep they looked so peaceful. My parents just need a little break from me and Masen and everything else."
Emmett, Edward and Bella all looked around at each other. William didn't seem to care much, though he continued to look at Alexandra with a confused expression.
Alice, Jasper and Rosalie had now all entered te room upon hearing their conversation.
Edward continued to read Alexandra's thoughts and knew it was true. She'd finally organized her thought patterns into an order that he could comprehend them.
"She can only use her power if someone actually needs something," Alice said, "Remember, Edward, when she blocked out Nessy's thoughts because you needed it. It's the same thing."
A silence fell over the group before everyone at once went upstairs toward Carlisle and Esme's room.
"No way," Emmett said as he glanced in the open door with everyone else just behind him. He looked at Alexandra in astonishment.
Carlisle and Esme laid oblivious to the world, eyes closed, bodies limp on top of the bedspread. Both of them still had their shoes on from whatever they were doing prior to the comatose state Alexandra had put them in. Esme laid on her side and the television remote sat just beneath her hand. Her upper body moved slightly at each inhale and exhale. Carlisle laid behind her with his hand outstretched above her head, also on his side. From the angle they all stood at, they couldn't see most of his face but a loud snore came from his body every few seconds.
"So they're breathing?" Jasper asked, "Like an involuntary response..."
"It's how Nessy does. And Jacob. And Leah and Seth..." Alexandra said, "I dont know if I'd ever be able to do this again, but I tried it and I guess it worked."
"That's... impossible," Rosalie stated. She looked over at Emmett.
"Naturally it is," Edward told her, "But I guess..." his voice trailed off and he looked at Alexandra, "Wow. I don't even know what to say."
"If they didn't need to rest their minds, they wouldn't be able to," Alice speculated, "I think."
"Yeah," Alexandra said, "I don't even know how I'm doing this really. I've experimented with a few things. It's hard to tell the difference sometimes between wants and needs."
"Are they really dreaming?" Rosalie asked Edward.
He nodded, "Yeah."
"How long have they been sleeping for?" Emmett asked.
Alexandra glanced over at the night stand where a clock sat, "About forty minutes. Maybe a little less."
"I don't know how Esme's still asleep with him snoring in her ear like that," Alice said.
Jasper laughed, "Might be worse than Jacob's."
"What are they dreaming about?" Rosalie asked.
Edward smiled, "Carlisle's dreaming about hunting a lion. I think out in Volterra."
Bella and Rosalie made eye contact and both of them laughed at the same time as the rest of them. Even William couldn't help but laugh at the thought.
"What about Esme?" Bella asked.
"She's dreaming about Carlisle walking with Masen and Alex by the beach, I think. That's what I'm getting from it. But I think it's like Masen and Alex as young children."
Rosalie turned her face into a pout, "I know we all wish those years last longer. Maybe Masen and Leah's baby will at least age at Renesme's pace."
"Yeah, I guess we're not good enough Alex," William commented jokingly.
Rosalie rolled her eyes, "You're my little miracle," she went over and squashed him with affection as he attempted to push her away, "I just wish you didn't have to grow up so fast." She brushed his hair back and he finally smiled and let her smother him with motherly affection.
"Don't do that in public Rose," Jasper joked, "People will think you're cheating on Emmett."
William immediately scampered away from her, "Ugh, gross."
Emmett laughed, "Mama's boy."
The door opened downstairs and Masen's voice called through the house, "Hello."
"Up here," Alice yelled in a whisper, not that everyone else hadn't made a ton of noise already.
Within a few seconds, Masen and Leah joined everyone in the doorway of Carlisle and Esme's room.
"What are you guys doing?" he asked.
"Alexandra put them to sleep," Emmett told him, pointing toward the bed with his thumb.
Masen stood up on his toes and looked in over everyone. He looked confused. "Wait, what?"
"Your dad's snoring," Leah laughed, "How is that possible?"
"You know about your sister's gift, right?" Edward asked.
Masen nodded, "Yeah. I guess so."
"Well, they needed a mental break," he explained, "And this was the best way Alexandra knew how to give them that."
He looked through them all again, then back to Edward, "You serious?"
"Yeah," he nodded.
"Looks like Alexandra's gift is cooler than yours afterall," Emmett teased him.
"That's so weird," Masen said, still in awe, "This isn't some joke to see how gullible we are, is it?"
"No," Edward told him again, still smiling.
"Man, I want to nap," Emmett said, "Alex, hook up me and Rose."
"It's not about what you want, Em," Alice said again, "It's what you need."
Alexandra looked over toward her parents and had known that her father was expecting to do an ultrasound on Leah soon. She silently removed the sleep spell she'd put on them and in a few seconds, they both groggily awoke.
Everyone stared, all seeing this for the first time, at least as far as vampires were concerned. Carlisle looked around the room then put his hand over his eyes for a moment and Esme's expression was similar in her conrfusing adjustment back to reality. It took them a minute to realize that everyone was in the room staring at them after a brief moment of disorientation.
"What's going on?" Esme asked.
Carlisle's eyes squinted as he attempted to comprehend the situation. He switched himself into a seated position for a second before slumping back down toward the pillow.
Esme looked over at him, now more confused at her husband's lack of energy.
"You'll just take a few minutes to get readjusted," Alexandra assured them, "Then you'll feel normal again."
Her statement sprung Carlisle back to life, "Readjusted? What just happened?"
Edward was the first to laugh. He looked at Alice and the two of them explained the situation to their parents. By the end of it, they still looked puzzled and speechless.
"That's not possible," Carlisle said, repeating Rosalie's previous statement.
"Well, it was possible today," Edward said, "Alexandra isn't sure how or if she'd be able to do it again, but it was what you needed."
"How long has it been?" Esme asked.
"Less than an hour," Alexandra said, "I know you have to do the ultrasound for Leah, so..."
They both looked over their shoulder at the clock. "Wow," Carlisle said, rubbing his eyes.
Esme stood up, "I still need to comprehend this." She smiled and looked toward all of them.
"Come on," Edward said, motioning for her to join him, "I'll try to get more in depth with it. Come with us Alex."
Everyone began to slowly scatter back to what they were previously doing. Carlisle sat on the edge of the bed facing the door where Masen and Leah stood. He ran a hand through his hair and stood up.
"We can wait," Leah told him.
"No," he said with a smile, "Of course not." He looked around his room, "There is so much out there that we don't know about. What a weird afternoon."