"That's their proposal. I have until the end of the week to decide and let them know."
Seven faces all held the same emotion: skepticism. Why they were skeptical varied among them. They quickly divided themselves into two camps: yes and no.
"No." Edward, his longest companion spoke first. It was easier for him to contemplate things early, being as he could hear the thoughts of those around him and obtain more information.
Rosalie, Edward's counterpart in nearly all decisions, objected, "We have to." It was no surprise she took this stance, driven by what she had lost.
"We do?" The eldest Whitlock was difficult to read when it came to where he would land. Thankfully, he was more vocal than his younger brother, and thus quick to make it known. "I'm pretty sure they gave him a choice in the matter."
"You really think they're going to just let it go and pretend nothing happened?" His younger brother was quick to interject, always feeling more comfortable expressing his thoughts to a more familiar face. "You can't trust them to do that."
"This is a good opportunity." Rosalie argued back. "He may never get this chance again."
"This is a good opportunity for you. You may never get this chance again." Cooper spat. He was quicker to anger and when he had hit his boiling point, he had no limits.
Emmett was quick to step in then with a sharp "Hey!" and a shake of his head.
Alice, the one who had the best chance for knowing if things would work out, had remained silent throughout the bickering, telling Carlisle that she had no idea what the future held for him. She met his gaze and shook her head, "You haven't made a decision so it's impossible to tell, but in the glimmers, I can see, things look fine."
"Fine? We need a little more than fine, Alice." Her mate muttered, still very against the idea. "I mean, they might imprison us, but the place is nice, so it'd be fine."
"Cooper." Alice gently swatted at his arm to ward off any further dramatics. "I see us here, just the way we are."
"So, it doesn't work?" Jasper asked.
"We don't get to keep the baby." Carlisle clarified. That was probably the reason Alice couldn't see it.
Rosalie looked as though he had committed a grave offense against her, "What? What do you mean we don't get to keep it?"
"Well, it would be theirs until it turned 18. I would be able to visit, and I would need to make sure that it remained healthy, being a doctor."
"So, what's the harm to us?" Emmett shrugged, "maybe we make a super-cool non-illegal vampire baby or maybe nothing happens. Either way, it's not our problem."
Jasper scoffed but didn't say anything to elaborate on why he disagreed, until waved on to speak by the one he disagreed with, "How the hell is that not our problem? If that things turns out to be a monster you don't think we'll be the ones cleaning up the mess and dealing with the Volturi?"
"We're going to teach the baby." Carlisle told him. Of course, they would try to instill values into it.
"Some things can't be taught." Cooper gestured to Emmett, earning a smack on the shoulder from the offended.
"Look at the pot calling the kettle black." Rosalie jumped in. Sometimes the two fought as if they really were twins.
The first time Esme spoke was to be a mother; a natural role for her, "Picking on each other isn't making the situation better. Ultimately, the decision is Carlisle's."
"When will you ever get this opportunity again? Alice has seen that things turn out alright, so what's the risk?" Rosalie made one final plea.
"They come to our house and kill us all? Or out us?" Jasper offered with an eye roll. He was often devil's advocate, pointing out the flaws and sides of a situation that the rest of the family didn't see. Carlisle was sure it got frustrating at times.
"They could already do that." Edward shrugged, "That point is moot."
Esme, ever the optimist, rubbed Carlisle's arm, drawing his focus back to his partner, "Whatever you decide, I know you will do it with the best of intentions. You know what our opinions are. Yours is important too."
It took seventeen tries. Carlisle named them all. Even the ones that never made it to implantation.
Then the day came. He got home late, working a full shift at the hospital and then over twenty-four hours with the other project doctors. But at the end of it all, he got to come home to his family and announce the joyous news.
"Her name is Alexandria Lillianna."