A/N: Thanks again for your reviews, you are awesome! They mean a lot!
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. The story and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Also, I apologize for any errors. I don't have this story beta'd (mostly because I am unsure of how to even go about doing that), so the errors are my own.
Chapter 7: Doctors and Movies
The next morning as Esme was about to ascend the stairs to wake Bella when she was intercepted by Alice. "No way," Alice stated, "you get to spend all day with her. I get to wake her up and help her get ready." Alice didn't even wait for Esme to respond before she darted up the stairs and headed to wake Bella.
When Alice returned downstairs with Bella in tow, Esme noticed that Alice had taken the care to make sure that Bella was dressed warmly, as the hospital tended to be on the cool side. She had also fashioned her hair in a french braid. Around the edges of her hairline small curls had escaped the tie and they circled her face making her positively adorable. Alice was right; the nurses and other doctors were definitely going to be spending the day fawning over her. She felt a slight tinge of worry, she didn't want Bella to be overwhelmed, but then she reminded herself that this was the reason she was going.
"Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?" Esme said accepting Bella's hug.
"I did, thank you." She squeezed her a bit tighter before letting go.
"Come on, let's get you some breakfast. We will be leaving in a bit."
Esme and Alice spoke with Bella through breakfast. Mostly inquiring about what she was looking forward to during her visit to the hospital. Bella was beyond excited to, as she stated, "see how strange humans were." Esme was still surprised by the fact that Bella had so little attachment to humans. She was interested in their behaviors but she indicated no desire to form affection toward them. It was especially strange considering how quickly she connected to the Cullens. Perhaps as Aro had said, she truly was fated to be raised by vampires.
When Bella had finished eating, Esme quickly cleared the dishes and helped Bella into a rain coat. Once Esme though Bella was sufficiently bundled she ushered her out to meet with Carlisle and Edward at the car. Once Bella was settled in the back seat with Edward, Carlisle drove them into town toward the hospital. As predicted, once they arrived and people noticed the mysterious Cullens with a small and adorable child walking between them, a swarm of curious nurses surrounded them. Carlisle was quick to step in front of the swarm and he politely began introductions.
"Good morning, everyone. I hope you don't mind, but I wanted to bring mine and Esme's niece, Isabella, in to see where I worked." Esme beamed at the title, but she quickly became irritated as she noticed that Carlisle's protective barrier was diminishing and the swarm was getting closer. Bella seemed to try to merge herself in Esme's side as she glanced out at the sea of faces. Esme quickly scooped the girl up and whispered in her ear.
"It's alright sweetheart, I'm right here."
Edward also whispered to her, "They are just curious and excited to meet you Bella."
The nurses finally broke the barrier completely and closed in around Esme and took turns commenting on how adorable Bella was all while questioning everything and anything about Bella, including where she was and how long she would be staying with the Cullens. Carlisle managed to reign in most of the nurses, but one insistent nurse actually reached for Bella as if to remove her from Esme's grasp. Esme barely suppressed a growl while she turned so she was between Bella and the woman. Edward then chose to step in and redirected the woman by asking about banal pleasantries.
Carlisle spoke again, "I'm sure you will all have a chance to talk with my niece later, but I believe most of you are due for rounds." He then turned to Esme and spoke so only she could hear, "I'm sorry for that my love, I didn't realize they would actually flock to Bella all at once. I would have assumed that they would have had a bit more tact." Esme smiled graciously and Carlisle leaned down and spoke to Bella, "I owe you an apology too, Bella, I promised a day of learning and you were practically attacked when we walked in the door."
Bella took a small breath and looked to Carlisle, "I'm okay. Are humans," she said the last word in the barest of whispers, "always so loud?"
Carlisle stroked her cheek affectionately, "It takes some getting used to. Come, we can put our coats in my office. I only have one patient I need to check on for pre-op and then I can take you on a tour of the hospital."
After settling down and checking on his patient, Carlisle took his family on a brief tour of the hospital. It was clear that word had spread that the mysterious, and dreamy, Cullen doctor had brought some of his family to work and that a new member of said family was also present. Throughout the day, just about everyone on the staff as well as a few visitors had managed to find the enigmatic Cullens. As predicted, everyone fawned over Bella. Their remarks ranged from gushing over how adorable she was, commenting on her endearing accent, to complimenting her impeccable manners.
After every encounter, Bella would ask some clarifying question directed toward either Carlisle or Esme. As the day progressed she directed more and more questions to Edward, obviously noting that his responses were far more detailed coming from the fact that he could actually know the motivation for most of the behaviors. By the end of the tour, Edward simply supplied an explanation without waiting for the prompting questions from the child. He seemed to be delighted at being able to help sate the girl's curiosity and reveled in the opportunity to share and teach her things she didn't know.
Esme was beyond pleased at the changes she saw in Edward. He went from broody and closed off to light-hearted and joyous in the span of a few hours. It was the first time she ever saw him truly enjoy the use of his gift. Usually, he seemed burdened by the onslaught on thoughts he was unable to siphon off. But today, at the opportunity to use the information he gleaned to feed the ever growing curiosity of a child, he seemed to take pride in his ability. He smiled more today than she had ever seen him do previously. Esme also enjoyed seeing Bella soaking up the information Edward was giving her like a sponge. She seemed to never tire of learning.
When they finished their way around the hospital, they made their way to the cafeteria to get something for Bella to eat for lunch, and colleague of Carlisle's approached with a rather large wave.
"Carlisle," a woman in scrubs overlaid with a white doctor's coat intoned, "I had heard through the grapevine that some of your family were here with you today." The woman then looked down at Bella and with mock surprise she continued, "And who is this?"
"Margaret," Carlisle said addressed the man, "this is my niece Isabella, she is visiting. You have already met my son, Edward and my wife, Esme." He gestured at the other two in the group. "Bella, this is a colleague of mine, Dr. Jones."
Margaret kneeled on one knee so she was eye level with Bella and stretched out his hand, "It's great to meet you Isabella. How are liking your visit so far?"
Bella took the woman's outstretched hand and shook it as she had learned to do earlier in the day. She had found the gesture quite amusing and didn't understand the purpose but she mimicked the action she had been taught and responded to the woman's question. "I am enjoyed my visit very much, Dr. Jones. Thank you for asking."
As expected, Margaret cooed and responded, "Aren't you so adorable?! Please, hon, call me Maggie." Esme gave the woman a brief scowl when she used the pet name for Bella but was able to control her features before the woman saw her. Margaret stood back up and gestured to the table behind her, "I was just about to eat, would you care to join me? I would love to hear more about this little one," she said while gesturing to Bella.
Without having a good reason to decline the invitation and knowing the Bella did need to eat, the Cullens and Bella joined Margaret. The lunch was less awkward than anticipated as most of the questions asked by Margaret were shallow and did not require much diversion. Bella was able to remain polite and answer most of the questions honestly while she consumed her meal. It was also fortunate that Bella held most of Margaret's attention so the Cullens were able to pretend to eat, without have to actually ingest any food.
After lunch Margaret left and Bella looked to Edward expectantly. He smirked and happily obliged, "She heard all of the nurses talking about you and us and decided that she wanted to see you for herself. You didn't disappoint. You were just as cute and posed, if not more so, than the rumors claimed." Edward stopped for a moment to poke her in the stomach affectionately. Bella giggled, and then Edward continued. "She had a few disturbing thoughts about hoping you would visit again when you got older so she could pair you up with her son." Edward made a face and then continued, "She also wanted to see if she could learn more about our family. She was hoping to get more information out of you, but she admitted defeat and resigned herself to the fact that you are just like the rest of us. 'Annoyingly mysterious', I believe was her direct thought."
Bella nodded. This was consistent with most of the information that Edward had supplied about the other humans she had met that day. She looked thoughtful for a second and then voiced a question, "Why did she smell so," she paused, trying to find the appropriate and polite word in English before continuing with, "strongly. It was as if I could taste the scent in my mouth. I found it," she paused again, "unpleasant."
At this, Edward barked in laughter and Esme and Carlisle chuckled along with him.
"That would be perfume. Humans wear it to make themselves smell a certain way. Some feel as though it makes them appealing to others and some use it to cover other odors that they think are less pleasant," he finished still chuckling.
"Oh, that is very strange. Someone should inform her that she should find something else." She scrunched her nose in emphasis.
Edward nodded his head in agreement and was about to voice his agreement as well but he was cut off by a child screaming across the room.
"I don't wanna, mommy. You can't make me!" A small boy yelled.
The Cullens and Bella turned toward the disturbance and Esme noted that the boy looked to be about Bella's age. While they were a similar size that was the only similarity. The boy still struggled to command the use of language while Bella seemed to never falter with enunciation. While the boy shouted and moved incessantly in his seat, Bella was quiet and still. Then Esme realized that Bella was always incredibly still. The child didn't engage in movement unless it served an actual purpose. She didn't fidget or move unnecessarily. She pondered this a moment and just as Bella displayed more mental and physical prowess than other humans her age, she also didn't engage in the restlessness of humans. Esme wondered if Bella was more like a vampire than a human.
Edward whispered to her to answer her thought, "I have noticed this as well. Carlisle thinks that being raised by vampires has imbued certain traits, and possibly advantages, into Bella. It seems her mind and body are more advanced than a human's."
As the boy continued to shout and thrown a tantrum, Carlisle said, "Perhaps we should take our leave? It seems as though the cafeteria just got a bit rowdy."
The Cullens and Bella left the cafeteria and made their way to Carlisle's office. On the way a very flirtatious nurse approached the group. He bent down toward Bella and spoke in an exaggerated air, "So the rumors are true! A little beauty is accompanying our esteemed Dr. Cullen." He turned to look at Esme before he spoke again.
"I don't know why I doubted these rumors. For anyone related to you would have to be quite beautiful." He finished with a slimy smile.
Esme bit back the disgust from her voice and replied flatly, "You are too kind." Before the man was able to reach out to Esme, Carlisle interrupted. "You will have to excuse us, Mark. We were just retiring to my office." Carlisle maintained a smile but it did not reach his eyes. Mark took the hint and left slowly, making sure to let his eyes linger on Esme for longer than necessary. When they entered Carlisle's office, Bella broke the silence.
"That man was not polite." She shook her head but was unable to rid her face of her expression of disgust. "Why didn't you growl at him, Carlisle? When people look at Mama like that, Papa always growls. When he growls the other person stops. He is not as frightening as Mama though, one time someone touched Papa on the arm and Mama growled so loudly that the woman started shaking and ran away."
Carlisle smiled and spoke with after a brief laugh, "I bet they do stop, little one. But we should not growl at humans. They would not understand it and it would lead to complications."
"That's too bad, it is most effective," Bella said definitively with a yawn.
Esme chuckled and bent down to pick her up. She spoke softly to Carlisle "I think I'll take her home so she can get a nap." Bella looked to Carlisle and thanked him for a great morning. She also indicated that she would like to come back again if it was possible. When Carlisle informed her that she could return she smiled brightly and reached from Esme's arms to give him a hug.
Esme let Edward drive back and she sat in the backseat with Bella. Bella fell asleep on the ride home so Esme carried her to her room when they arrived. When Esme entered the living room after tucking Bella into her bed, she was met by a bouncing Alice.
"It's going to be raining and dreary outside this evening so we are going to stay in and have a movie night!"
"That sounds lovely, Alice."
"Yes, I will help you make some cookies for the princess. Did you even need to ask?" Alice questioned with a smirk.
Esme laughed at Alice's antics and followed her into the kitchen smiling. They proceeded to make a batch of cookies and then moved on to make Bella some dinner as well. She and Alice talked about a few of Esme's earlier observations about Bella seeming more vampire than human. Then she asked the question that had been plaguing her since she met Bella.
"She is going to be turned one day, isn't she?" Esme wasn't sure if she wanted Alice to say yes or no. On the one hand the thought of knowing Bella forever was heartening. On the other hand, her family never turned anyone unless that had no choice and would die otherwise. She didn't know if she felt comfortable condemning someone to this life.
Alice looked at her curiously, "I am not sure if you are actually ready to know one way or another, Esme."
"I just don't know how I feel, Alice."
"Esme," Alice said taking her hands, "I can say with certainty that when the time comes for a decision to be made you will understand and support it. There are still things that our family is quite in the dark on and as such, we are unable to fully comprehend the situation." Esme tried to press Alice for more information but she gave up quickly when Alice refused to say more. They continued to prepare dinner in silence.
Emmett popped his head into the kitchen and broke the silence with an inquiry about Bella's day; Esme gave him a brief rundown of all that happened. Emmett boomed in laughter when she relayed Bella's reaction to Margaret's perfume.
"I agree with Bella, that woman smells awful!"
Edward came into the kitchen when he heard Emmett's laugh and looked to Esme, "Did you also tell Emmett about the incident with Mark?"
If Esme could blush, she would have in that moment. "I didn't think it was relevant."
"What? That was my personal favorite." Edward turned to Emmett and proceeded. "Do you remember that nurse, Mark?"
"The creepy one that always hits on Esme?"
"Yes, that's the one. He cornered us and carried on in his normal oily demeanor. Bella noticed what was going on and asked why Carlisle didn't growl at him. She seemed to think that that was the best course of action as it had worked for her parents."
Emmett boomed in laughter again. "That's priceless. Can you imagine the look on Mark's face if Carlisle did growl at him? That would be awesome. Carlisle should take Bella's advice."
Esme chided Emmett lovingly and turned back to the cookies while Edward filled Emmett in on the parts of the day Esme had left out. When Edward had finished, Emmett announced that he was going to wake Bella up and play a game with her until her dinner was ready. Esme heard him tell Edward to grab a camera and join them in the living room. Alice and Esme finished up dinner preparations to the sounds of Bella and Emmett's laughter.
When Bella had finished eating dinner, Esme took Bella up to take a bath while the rest of the family cleaned up the kitchen. After getting Bella into fresh pajamas, Esme led Bella by the hand down to the media room. To Esme's shock she saw Rose seated amongst the rest of her family. Esme smiled brightly at Rose and her heart warmed. Alice disturbed the moment by flitting over and grabbing Bella.
"I haven't seen you all day, princess. You are sitting next to me." Alice then picked up the girl and placed her between herself and Rose, giving Esme a cheshire cat grin in the process. Bella and Rose looked decidedly uncomfortable with the seating arrangement, but neither voiced a complaint. Esme brought Bella some milk and cookies and then settled in next to Carlisle to watch the movie.
Esme kept stealing glances at Bella as she was watching the movie. Part of her wanted to check to make sure she was okay, and part of her loved seeing the look on her face as she became fascinated by the movie. When she looked back toward the end of the movie the sight that greeted her almost made her gasp. Bella had fallen asleep and instead of gravitating toward Alice, she had snuggled against Rose's side. Rose was looking down at the child in astonishment mixed with something that Esme could not read. When she glanced back again, Esme could have sworn that she saw a ghost of a smile on Rose's lips as she gazed at the girl.
Esme then looked to Alice who gave her the cheshire grin again and mouthed, 'I told you so.' Before turning to Rose speaking softly so as to not wake Bella, "Rose, you should take her up to bed. She will wake if one of us moves her." Rose scowled at Alice, but agreed all the same. She gently, and almost reverently, picked up the girl and cradled her in her arms before carrying Bella to bed. Esme wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a quiet whispered, 'Good night' coming from Rose before she heard the door to Bella's room shut with a soft thud.
a/n: Rose is coming around. We will see a bit more of her in the next chapter.