Chapter 13

"So..." Emmett said, entering the house and greeting everyone right away, "Hurricane Rose has not quite ended." His words and lighthearted expression made Edward laugh, though he wasn't sure what to expect. Emmett looked at Esme, who sat playing checkers with Nicole in the kitchen. "There was a reason why they didn't go to your class today."

She waited for him to continue and gave an inquisitive look. Jasper and Alice were both nearby and entered the room.

"William and Madison eloped," he told them, then shrugged with a grin that made him appear like a child causing mischief.

"What!" Esme said.

He looked at Alice with a short laugh, "You knew, didn't you?"

She tried to lie and shook her head.

"Alice..." Esme said.

"What's eloped mean?" Nicole asked.

"I means they got married," Jasper told her.

"So why not just say married?"

He laughed, "It means they got married without all of us."

She shrugged, "Why do they need us?"

"That's kind of what I said," Emmett said at her innocent comment, he looked around at everyone's faces. Alice still looked a little guilty. Jasper and Edward both had smiles, and Esme looked somewhat shocked and stood with her mouth halfway open before she spoke again.

"When did they elope?" she asked, "And what did Rosalie say?"

"They eloped two days ago," Emmett told her, "Rosalie and Kate are..." he put a hand under his chin to think, "I don't have the proper word to use."

"And Garrett?" Esme asked again.

"Me and Garrett talked for a few minutes before he went one way, and I went another. Those two women together are dangerous. It was very intimidating, and I don't use that word very often."

Edward snickered at first, then began to laugh out loud, triggering a similar reaction from Jasper.

Esme took out her phone and sent a text message to Carlisle, who was at work.

"I don't really think it's a huge deal, to be honest," Emmett said aloud, voicing his opinion to everyone, "Not everyone wants a big wedding, and I mean, they're together. What's the difference?"

"I'm sure Rosalie and Kate both would have loved to at least see them exchange vows," Esme told him, "Even if it was a small ceremony."

"Kate shocked Garrett when he told her it wasn't a big deal," he said with a laugh.

"Where are Rosalie and Kate now?"

Emmett shrugged, "Still with the kids, I guess."

"You didn't want to stay-"

"Esme," Emmett said, still grinning, "I might have quite literally died if I stayed there."

Edward laughed and looked down, picturing Rosalie in one of her fiercer states.

Esme's phone went off and she excused herself from the room. Everyone heard Carlisle's end of the conversation as she picked up. His first question was, "What was Rosalie's reaction?"

Alice looked at Edward and grinned, "She certainly has a way about her."

"That's an understatement," he responded with a smile.

"I was shocked, myself," Emmett admitted, "But I did congratulate them... got yelled at for that."

"This, too, shall pass," Jasper joked.

"What did Carlisle say?" Emmett asked when Esme joined back up with them in the kitchen.

"You can talk to him when he gets home," she said with a laugh.

Bella entered the house through the back door and noticed right away that something was going on. Edward quickly filled her in, leaving her as shocked as the rest of them had been, before they continued their conversation about the secret newlyweds.

Carlisle left the hospital, checking his phone again that he had set for vibrate throughout the work day. He noticed he had a few missed text messages, one from Leah, which gave him the impression that it was something important, seeing as she rarely contacted him on the phone.

He clicked on the inbox button on the touch screen and selected hers first, then read the line to himself. Hi Carlisle. Sorry to bother you, esp if u r working. I wanted to ask you a medical related question. If you could give me a call that would be great. Thx.

Carlisle's mind immediately went to the thought that something must be wrong. He quickly read over the two other messages in his inbox, one from Edward, the other from Emmett, before calling Leah back in response to her message.

The phone rang twice before she picked up. "Hello," her voice came over the line.

"Leah," he started, "It's Carlisle. I just got your text message."

"Yeah," she said, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I mean, I think so."

His throat tightened as he made his way across the dark, hospital parking lot to his car. "What's your question?"

"This might sound completely stupid," Leah told him, "But can vampires cough?"

Confusion crossed his face and he thought about it for a minute, "I don't see why we would. We don't have to breath, but I suppose we could cough. I've cleared my throat the breaks of a conversation before."

"Gotcha..." she said, though he knew her thoughts were still up in the air.

They both sat silently on their respective ends of the line before Leah resumed their conversation.

"I'm asking because, lately, for the past couple of days, Masen has been coughing nonstop. It almost sounds like he has a little cold or something. I know that's not possible, but I don't know, that's what it sounds like to me."

Carlisle took in a deep breath, "I'd have to hear him for myself. Did he eat human food and get something stuck in his throat?"

"I don't think so," Leah told him, "It's been days. He told me it was nothing and not to worry about it, but I'm starting to a little bit. I've been with him for awhile and I never heard him, or any of you, sound like you were sick."

"Where is he now?"

"He left for work a little less than an hour ago."

Carlisle sighed deeply and thought for a moment.

"I'm sorry," Leah told him, apparently hearing his deep breath on the other end.

"Don't be sorry," he said, "I'd like to take a look at him and see what's going on."

"I don't want him to know that I called you. I told him to go see you, himself, but he wouldn't."

"He'll be home in the morning?" Carlisle asked her.

"Yeah. His shift ends at six."

"Alright. I'll come by around eight or nine, whenever you'll be awake."

"I'm always up by the time he gets home. No later than six thirty, or six forty-five. So you can come whenever."

"Okay," he agreed, "Does he appear alright other than that?"

"Yeah. Nothing else is different."

"I'll be by in the morning."

"Thank you," she told him, "It's probably nothing, right?"

Carlisle wanted to say 'I hope so,' but answered differently. "Yeah. Probably nothing."

"Okay," she said, sounding somewhat relieved, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Alright, Leah. Thanks for giving me a heads up."

"You're welcome."

The two of the hung up and he took a deep breath, thinking of what could possible be triggering his son's cough. There was never a time he could remember in all of his years that he had the urge to cough, aside from maybe in the midst of a blood-thirsty frenzy when in the middle of consuming an animal's blood. He hoped it had something to do with the thirst, or Masen going too long without hunting. Those were his best guesses. For now, he told himself that it was probably something along those lines, but there was no way to be completely sure yet.