Here are some character updates I did, if anyone's curious as to what I envision of each of the new characters. I know I did one other, but it was awhile ago.. you tube dot com /watch?v=51DJuT_gwvE (type in the URL for you tube, then copy and paste /watch?v=51DJuT_gwvE after it. Let me know what you think of my celebrity choices for each of them! Just for fun.
Chapter 45
Carlisle pointed to a picture on the black and white screen and Masen leaned over to take a closer look.
"Is it a boy or a girl?" he asked.
"I can't tell yet," Carlisle told him.
Leah's stomach was beginning to buldge. She glanced over from the position she was laying in to check out the image. "Is it healthy?"
"It appears so. What's your diet consisted of?"
"Normal things," she told him, "Meats. Vegitables. Fruits. Bread. Pasta." She looked at Masen, who gently rubbed her hand with a smile.
Carlisle nodded and walked across the room to write something down in a notebook. He then flipped back through the pages.
"What's that?" Masen asked.
"Details of everyone's timeline of their individual pregnancies," his eyes never looked the notes he'd taken as he scanned what he'd jotted down about Bella. "The equinox was September 22," he said aloud to himself.
"Are you wondering about the date of conception?" Masen asked.
Carlisle shifted his eyes to his son, "It would be helpful."
Masen and Leah glanced at each other before Masen gave him a date, "The only time could have been..." he thought back to the numerical date.
"The seventeenth," Leah said, "It was the only time that fits."
Carlisle nodded and flipped back to the tab in his notebook that he'd created for Leah and Masen, scribbling down the date and acting as professional as if they were two random patients at the hospital.
Leah watched as he continued to compare her notes with everyone else's. Masen ran his fingers along her exposed stomach, making her jump at his cold, unexpected touch, though followed her startled expression with a light laugh as he leaned in to give her a kiss.
"Tomorrow's October first," Carlisle said aloud. Masen and Leah turned to him, though quickly realized he was still talking out loud to himself.
"So it's been almost two weeks then?" Masen asked him.
His father nodded as he ran his fingers across a few lines of notes in Bella's timeline. After a few minutes, he rejoined them, "I'd like to take another look in two days, at the exactly two week marker."
"Okay," Leah nodded, "Is there anything I should do, or be worried about?"
Carlisle shook his head, "I haven't found a reason to be worried. Continue what you're doing for now. And as I've been saying-"
"Don't phase," she finished his sentence with a wide smile.
He smiled back and gave a laugh, "Sick of hearing it, I'm sure."
"No," she insisted, "I just pay attention to what you say."
Carlisle grinned and patted Masen on the back.
"So who's pace is she on?" his son asked him.
"I'll know for sure in a couple of days."
"Can you tell anything from today?"
Carlisle smiled, "I just want to be as accurate as possible, so I'll do some of the major tests in a few days that we haven't done yet."
"Thank you for everything," Leah told him, "I'm so thankful you're able to do this for us."
"You're welcome," he said with a nod.
"I guess it's not every day that a grandfather delivers his own grandchild," Masen said with a laugh.
Leah smiled and looked at Carlisle thinking how weird it was that someone so young looking would be a grandfather. No one on the outside of their two families would ever believe that it was biologically possible.
He escorted them downstairs where Esme and Rosalie were cooking.
"Stay for dinner," Esme insisted.
Masen rolled his eyes, but Leah smiled, "Sure. Thank you." The downstairs smelled like apples and cinnamon and felt like fall upon Alice's choice to hang Halloween decorations.
Esme stood stirring a large pot of stew, knowing it was something that both Leah and Jacob enjoyed. Rosalie threw apple crisp into the oven below where Esme stood and pressed the timer until it beeped once, signaling it had started.
"Can I do anything?" Leah offered.
"Yes you can," Esme said with a smile, "Go make yourself comfortable on the couch."
"Bye," Rosalie teased, waving with an oven mitt she used unnecessarily.
"Come on," Masen guided her with a hand on her back toward the living room where Emmett sat watching a scary movie.
"All week marathon of eighties horror movies babe," he called in to Rosalie.
"Yay!" she said sarcastically.
Esme laughed and looked at her daughter. Carlisle walked over and kissed Esme on the cheek, glancing into the pot she stirred while adding some pepper.
"How's she doing?" Esme asked him.
"Seems to be fine as of now," he said, "I'm going to do a full exam in a few days at the two week marker."
"The baby isn't drinking her blood?" Rosalie asked in a whisper.
He shook his head, "No. It doesn't appear that way... yet."
"Yet?" Esme asked, also whispering.
Carlisle grinned and put a hand on her shoulder, "I think it'll be fine." He kissed her on the cheek again and ran a hand through her hair before heading back upstairs.
Rosalie watched as he left then turned to Esme, "I know I've given him hard times in the past," she said, "But I don't know where any of us would be without Carlisle. He's so calm and collected with all of this, and he contributes every ounce of knowledge he has to make sure we're all alright."
Esme tapped the ladel on the top of the pot and nodded with a smile, "Don't forget what you did for me Rose. With Alexandra."
She shrugged.
"I'm serious," Esme told her, "I'll never forget or underestimate that. I couldn't have done it without you."
Rosalie smiled and walked over to give her mother a hug. "So what did it feel like to sleep?" she asked.
Esme thought for a second and leaned up against the counter, "I don't even know how to describe it. One minute I was flipping through the stations on TV and the next I knew you were all in the room. From my human life, I really don't remember the process of falling asleep and dreaming.. any of it."
"Me either," Rosalie told her, "Edward was trying to interpret your dreams."
"I remember seeing Masen and Alexandra, both as children," she smiled, "It was really surreal. To be honest when I woke up I had to really concentrate to comprehend where I was."
"I think it's pretty amazing what Alex can do," Rosalie said.
Esme nodded and glanced over toward the stove and turned the heat down slightly.
William and Madison entered the house, sending a few scattering leaves inside from the extreme wind that whipped around outside.
"Windy out there," William commented, dragging Madison behind him by his hand.
"Stop tracking leaves and dirt through the house," Rosalie called to him.
"No dirt, just leaves," he said casually.
Madison politely picked them up from the small trail they'd left.
"Oh, he could have done that," Rosalie told her. She gave William a look.
"She's fine, Mom," he said, then looked at her a little more seriously.
"What?" Rosalie asked, recognizing his expression.
He turned and motioned for Madison to join him, who tossed the leaves into the garbage in the kitchen.
"We just wanted to talk to you about something," he said, "Nothing.. bad or anything."
Madison suddenly looked nervous upon seeing Rosalie's stern expression.
"I'll let you guys have some privacy," Esme said, excusing herself from the kitchen.
Emmett past her as she left upon hearing the beginning of whatever William's proposition would be to Rosalie. They exchanged smiles of wonder and concern before moving in separate directions.
"What's going on?" Masen whispered, arching his neck.
Esme walked over to them, "I'm not sure."
Leah raised her eyebrows as the three of them listened to what William was about to say.
"Well," he started, "Me and Maddy have talked..." His voice was slightly shaky and hesitant, "And if it would be okay with you and with her parents... we'd like to move into a place together somewhere in the middle of her and Alaska."
Masen looked at Leah first and then his mother, letting his mouth hang open for a moment before it tuned into a smile.
Alice and Jasper appeared in the corner of the room, both eavesdropping, as well, on the conversation. Leah and Alice exchanged a quick, guilty smile.
Emmett, nor Rosalie, had yet to say anything in return. Everybody waited for their responses.
"We can talk about it," she finally said, shocking everyone with her calm demeanor.
"Really?" William said.
"Yes," Rosalie said, "I hate seeing you mope around here all the time when Maddy's in Alaska."
"It's no different at my place," Madison informed her, "I hate being away from him."
"Have you talked to your parents, Maddy?" Emmett's voice joined in.
"No. Not yet," she admitted.
Rosalie and Emmett mumbled a few things to each other.
"Why don't we all meet up this weekend," Rosalie suggested, "I'd like to speak with them first."
"Okay!" William's voice was overly enthusiastic and thankful, "Really, Mom?"
"Yes," Rosalie said again, "But there's a lot to discuss first."
An appreciative sigh left Madison's mouth as if all the tension she felt about approaching Rosalie had left her body, "Thank you," she said.
"I think you should both enroll in high school," Emmett said.
"That will be one of the conditions," Rosalie told them.
They didn't say anything at first but then William spoke. "Okay," he agreed. His voice wasn't as enthusiastic as it had been, but it was not conflicting either. He seemed to be overly eager to agree to whatever terms were set, as long as he got to be with Madison all the time.
Esme smiled with a shrug and headed upstairs, finding Carlisle in his office staring at the Volturi picture again. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes were fixed, though they looked as though they were seeing beyond the canvas.
"Are you okay, my love?" Esme asked him with a smile that she'd hoped would effect him.
He grinned to appease her, though Esme could see that his eyes didn't match his smile. They were still tense and far away.
"Did you hear about the kids?"
"William and Madison?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Yes. I'm glad Rosalie and Emmett handled it the way they did. I'm sure it will go well with Kate and Garrett."
Esme joined him in front of the portrait and tried to see what was causing him to have, what she guess, were anxious thoughts. He switched from his tense formation and put an arm around her shoulders, cuddling her to his body.
"Those days," Carlisle shook his head, "I don't know even know why I have this up on the wall sometimes."
"It's part of your past," she told him, "It's part of who you are."
"Those days were dark," he said, switching his gaze to meet hers.
"I know," she whispered, reaching up to give him a kiss.
Carlisle sighed, "You know, I've witnessed a lot of things. The thing that finally got me to break away from the Volturi, it was a number of things as you know, but the very last memory I have of being with them were the screams of a mother and her child. From time to time I think about it, and as far back in time as it was, it's something that still haunts me at times," he looked at her again, "I know you've heard this a thousand times."
Esme brushed the side of his face with the back of her hand, "You know you can talk about it at any time."
"I wonder sometimes why I even think back to those days," he said, shaking his head, "I fear that the possibility exists that I could be that miserable again some day."
Esme looked at his expression in the painting, then looked at him now. He had a similar look on his face, "You'll never have to go back to that, Carlisle."
His hand squeezed around her shoulder.
"You should know that," she told him.
"I know," he agreed, "I do. I've just thought of you and Masen and Alex.. then Rosalie and William, now Masen and Leah." His eyes scanned the picture in front of him, "I couldn't imagine a mother and child being harmed like that... the way I witnessed, or heard in the underground halls of Italy. It's an excruciating memory. I did nothing to stop it from happening."
Esme rubbed his back, "You're a great man. I've never known anyone like you in the world like you."
"There's someone who would have stepped in in that that situation," Carlisle told her.
"And possibly gotten themselves killed in the process?" Esme asked.
"You would still die a nobel death."
"And would you trade to make that decision if it meant we wouldn't be where we are now? You and me? The kids? Edward?"
Carlisle sighed and looked at her wondering eyes, seeing her question was serious. He smiled warmly, "That's not fair."
"You've changed our world, Carlisle. I'd be long gone, just a bag of bones under the ground if it weren't for you."
He continued to stare at her, thinking of how painful the thought of that was. Someone so beautiful, inside and out, so pure and good and passionate about family like Esme. The world would surely be a dark, cold place without her warmth and peaceful energy. The thought of her not being in existence pained him deeply and he turned to give her a long hug. "I can't contemplate the thought of that," he said, "Even if I were gone, the world would not be the same without in it."
"If you were gone, I wouldn't surive in this world."
Carlisle sighed and let his chin sit on the top of her head, "Everything about my life was dark without you, Esme. I hate when I get into the mindset of reliving it. It's like a waking nightmare at times that I can't escape. The memories are so terrible and distinct, completely opposite of the happiness and light that you brought into my life. I love you. It's even deeper than I could ever describe, or show you. I just have the irrational fear of losing you, and how terrible it would be."
"You're not going to lose me," she assured him, "I'm not going anywhere. I hope you know that. My life was a completely misery without you, too, don't forget. You saved me. You don't know how I felt when I didn't know whether you were alive or dead when me and Rosalie were down on the island. I contemplated what I would do, how I would do it, how God awful it would be to never hear your voice again, or touch you again," she sighed, "I can't even think about it."
"I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean to drag you into this mood with me."
Esme looked into his eyes, "I love you," she grabbed his face with one hand, "I'm not going anywhere. You'll never have to go through that kind of lifestyle again."
Carlisle traced the curves of her face before he leaned in and kissed her, pressing his forehead against hers.
"We're going to be grandparents afterall," she said with a chuckle, "Our family has just continued to grow, and I'm sure now that we all know about the powers of the moon that it will continue to. So I doubt lonliness is anywhere in the future." She kissed him again several times.
"I know," he said, "Thank you, Esme."
"Thank you, Dr. Cullen," she said happily, finally bringing him out of his mood.
"Yes! Halloween Part II is on next," Emmett's voice shouted from downstairs. Rosalie let out an disapproving noise.
Esme smiled and looked up Carlisle, who smiled back, "See," she told him, "No one's going anywhere. What we have is perfect. Emmett and Rose. Edward and Bella. Jasper and Alice. Masen, Leah, Alex, Nessy, Jake, William, Maddy... Michael."
"There are a lot of us now," he agreed.
Esme nodded, "And we're not going anywhere." She kissed him again before leading him by the hand downstairs.