Chapter 9

Natalie's Point of View

I couldn't think of anything else to do, so I simply waited in his office. I would not go home before he knew. My father had to know that I was still alive after 300 something years and I had searched the globe for him. But even more than these things, I had to know if he loved me. If he really cherished me anymore, if what my mother said in those diaries were true.

His office didn't have diplomas all over the walls like they did in movies, it was simpler than that. There was an oak desk with a telephone on it and one of those cushy chairs that spins. Pictures were scattered everywhere. One with him and his wife, one with all the Cullen kids, another candid shot of the boys playing video games. All the sudden, the fear came creeping back to me.

What was I doing here? He had a family, a family that he was clearly happy with. I shouldn't be intruding on the life he had created. He made due and it turned out in his favor, I wasn't meant to belong in his life…nature didn't want me in his life.

Calm down, Natalie, I thought. You don't know that for sure and if it turns out to be true, then you have foster parents that want to adopt you. Then again, Foster parents are not what I wanted. All I could do now was pray that he really, truly did want to know his daughter, want to know me.

After thirty minutes or so, she could hear footsteps in the hall. When they began to slow near the door, she took a few calming breaths trying so hard to settle her nerves. Any minute now she would have her answer, any minute she would know if her hopes were to come true.

Carlisle's Point of View

It was time for my break after I had taken care of a young girl who had fainted and hit her head. Poor girl, it really must have hurt, cracking her head open on her entertainment system. As I headed toward my office I realized that a quiet heartbeat could be traced to where my office was and there was an unfamiliar scent. I ignored it for the time being, at a human pace, it would still take a minute or so to get there and I wasn't absolutely sure it was my office. I just thought about yesterday.

I still didn't fully believe my wife, that my daughter was here, in Forks. How could that be possible? His daughter was born in the sixteen hundreds, how could she be alive now in 2012? However, his children's description of her did seem very accurate, maybe she had a child?

"Dr. Cullen?" I heard one of the nurses, Carmen, ask.

"Yes Carmen?" I smiled, which immediately stunned her momentarily.

"A girl came in here looking for you; she's waiting in your office. I tried to get her to wait but she's shockingly persuasive." She said, almost dazed remembering the girl.

"That's quite alright, Carmen. Was there anything else?" She looked like there was something else, like a secret of sorts, but she simply shook her head and said "Goodbye, Dr. Cullen."

Apparently there was someone in his office. Strange. He rounded the corner and walked through the swinging doors. I wonder who it is. He turned the handle of his door and almost shocked when he saw the face.

It had to be her. His little girl. The eyes were too close to perfect, and the hair had just the perfect balance of red and blonde. There was no other option.

"Hello," she said, she had the sweetest smile, and her eyes just got a tad more wet…her beautiful blue eyes.

"Are you who I think you are?" I asked, stunned. How was this possible? It wasn't possible. His baby girl was here. All those years of grieving suddenly seemed not so depressing anymore because she was here.

"I suppose you're wondering why I'm here. Well, more like how I'm here." She continued. I took that as a yes; yes this was in fact his angel of a biological child.

"Yes, I was." She just nodded and took a deep breath. I felt like I was about to cry. Hundreds of years I had wished to see my daughter again, and my wish had come true.

"Well it's kind of hard to explain and really psychotic, but since you're a vampire, I guess that doesn't mean much to you."

I just stared at her. How did she know I was a vampire? Obviously I wasn't human, but when had she made the connection that I was a 'creature of the night'?

"Mother told me, in her last letter to me." My face must have been an open book because I hadn't spoken since she agreed to explain. "I guess that's where the story starts," she sighed, "after you 'died' and Mother knew what you were, she went to a witch in the city. It was said that she was one of the most powerful witches England knew. Her name was, it was…" they both breathed "Raindon" at the same time. I had hunted her before. Natalie just continued as if nothing had happened, she must have known my past then, "Anyways, Mother went to her and struck a deal. If she gave up her life by lightning, Raindon's strongest element, then I could live young enough and healthy enough to meet you one day. She explained all of this too me in her letter, and then she said that when I turned 25 I would die when I went to bed that night, and wake up the next morning in a different place. When I first read it I thought she meant heaven, but clearly that wasn't right. When the time came, I did die in my sleep that night and I awoke in a very strange town, a place I didn't recognize."

"I was so scared," she continued. "But then I found out I was in Paris, some town in the very southern part, I don't remember the name. Ever since then the same cycle has kept repeating and I've lived in more foster homes that you can count." Her face fell. She didn't like being a part of the system, who would? I felt so sorry that I had caused her to hurt so much for so many years. Then she said very quietly, practically a whisper, "I can understand if you don't want me, you've created a beautiful life of your own. I just thought you had the right to know, I would want to."

I was shocked. More than anything I wanted to take this girl home with me and find out every minor detail about her. I wanted to hold and protect her from anything that could possibly happen to her, I had always wanted her. "Natalie, honey? I've wanted to have the privilege of being your father since the day I left for the protection of you and your mother" It was true, if anything it was an understatement.

"Really?" the tears that had been brewing in her eyes started to spill over. He wanted to take her home immediately, to start raising her after 345 years of not being able to; of course, he had to explain to his family first. His children were still unaware that he had actually had a real daughter.

"Why would you say that? Of course I would want to take care of you, you are my daughter Natalie."

"Well," she began to answer, "After so many years of living with strangers who only felt sorry for you, it's kind of strange to think someone actually wants me."

I highly doubted no one had ever wanted my daughter; she was completely perfect, and not just to him. "I'll tell you what," I said "as soon as I can get things at home figured out, I will take custody over you and you can come live with me." This sounded like a dream come true.

"Thank you" she cried. We talked a little longer about our plans until I realized the time. It had been two hours since I found her, who knew how long she had been waiting before that.

"Natalie, I'm going to take you back to your foster parents for tonight while I start to work things out, okay?" She nodded into my chest.

The ride home was quiet, and I wondered what she was thinking about. It looked like she was trying to figure out the answer to something. When I pulled up to her home, she finally voiced what had been on her mind. "Carlisle?" she spoke softly.

"Yes?" I replied.

"Did I have a middle name?" My sorrow for my only daughter spiraled. She didn't know her own name!

"It's Lynn," I said.

"Natalie Lynn Cullen," she whispered, testing it out, "I like it." She said happily.

We both got out of the car and walked up to the front door. After she saw her friend, Katie my son had told me, I went to the living room to talk with her parents about taking my daughter into my care. For one moment, I felt like I was on top of the world.