I do not own nor do I make profit off of Twilight. All rights belong to it's author Stephanie Meyer.
Reviews:
Ooshnish- OMG! You always go above and beyond when complimenting me and it's FAR more than I deserve, WOW THANK YOU! You have honestly honored me with your amazing and kind words. It honestly left me speechless and I moved through the day in a fog because WOW I just never imagined someone loving my stories! I do have to say I'm very bad with grammar, spell check, and words choice and it's obviously clear that my Grammerly membership hasn't helped me with this one -_-. It's okay some day I'll get there just bare with me lol.
Now lets get to everything in this last chapter. First, I have to say I never planned on changing Mare, I don't like stories that go straight for the vampire trope and I just wanted to leave you hanging on the edge of your seat, but I also found it necessary to move the story along a bit more. I do feel bad for doing it because you are right, this is going to have some negative effects on her, but I can't wait to write all the comfort chapters! As for her missing her mom, I just honestly felt like this is a real feeling we all have. When something goes wrong we always tend to reach out to a comfort person and for many of us it's our parents, even if we don't have the best relationship with them, and that's Mare. Her mother may not be the best, but she's still her mother and I wanted to add that very real emotion into the chapter to make it known that their is still a lot that the Cullens don't know about her, and also make it clear that things I mentioned at the beginning of this story are still relevant even in these later chapters. Second YOU ALWAYS SEE RIGHT THROUGH MY WRITING! I swear I can't sneak anything in there without you commenting on it and I LOVE THAT ABOUT YOU! Yes I do have a plan on the venom that entered Mare's body and yes it does have some ankle fixing effects ;) Third, I hope this chapter explains the time passing and whats to be expected regarding school and what not, and lastly I hope you enjoy this bit of sibling bonding, I know it's not much but I have more planned for the next chapter on what happened behind the scenes with Garrett after he gets back to the Cullen house.
ONCE AGAIN Thank you for the review and for always encouraging me to write and keep up with this story, your incredible words mean the absolute world to me and I cannot thank you enough, seriously THANK YOU!
QueenSherica14- HEY GIRL HEY! I'm so sorry about the heart attack! I wanted to leave people on the edge of their seat, but not that worried! Hopefully I can make you feel better by letting you know I never planned on changing Mare, I don't particularly like stories that do that to their human characters, so they're is no plan on changing her, but their will be an explanation eventually, and it will cause her some problems in the future ;) Also I love comfort stories with Esme and Carlisle and wish I could find and read more of them, and I figured I wasn't alone so I wanted to give you all the cute comfort feelings in this story and it makes me so happy that you like them! I'm sorry for making you sad about Mare missing her mom, don't worry eventually they're will be a chapter where Mare can talk about her mother and let it all go, I just have a few more things up my sleeves before I do that. I also just wanted the story to seem more real. I think a lot of us immediately want our moms when we don't feel good or things go wrong, Mare included. She knows her mother isn't a good mom, but she is still her mom. Eventually though she won't want her as much, trust me! I hope you like this chapter, it doesn't have much Garrett in it or what happened when he got back to the Cullens house, that's for next time I promise. In the mean time I hope you enjoy some sibling bonding! THANK YOU SO MUCH For leaving such a fun and kind review, it really makes me happy when I see your name pop up, it honestly makes my day! Thank you for the kinds word and for your time, it's more than I deserve!
The Only Me In Existence- I HAVE TO BE STRAIGHT UP HONEST HERE! I was watching episode 8 of The Last Of US when I wrote this chapter and the way Pedro Pascal as Joel said " it's okay Babygirl" just melted me! I knew in that moment I had to include it in my own writing and who was better suited for that line that Carlisle Cullen and I'm so happy it got you! Thank you for the AMAZING REVIEW!
xoxoxo8123- HELLO AGAIN! Honestly I'm a sucker for Carlisle Cullen! I love fanfics with him in a father mode and I think that's why I write them so much. I wanted Carlisle and Esme to be more like parents to Bella and was disappointed I didn't really get that in the book. When I started this story I all the intentions to showcase both as parental figures, but more so Carlisle if I'm being honest, so I hope you don't get tired or grow bored of them, because their is more to come! THANK YOU SO MUCH for the amazing and kind review, it really made me so happy after I read it and I can't thank you enough.
Hard Conversations
Warm spring air hits the bare skin on my arms. It feels nice and inviting and I find myself starting to drift asleep. Warm, rich, and dark, I feel so comfortable when suddenly my peace is interrupted. Bright lights appear in front of me, so bright it burns my eyes. They start as two smaller lights and then advance brighter and larger until the light overtakes me, bright, hot hissing light.
Something soft is underneath me and I realize I'm in my bed, in my room. After rocking me on the floor for a few minutes Carlisle picked me up and placed me back in bed, even crawling in himself and sitting by my side, gently brushing my hair back till I fell asleep. I force my eyes open although it takes some convincing. My body and brain still scream for more sleep. The room is dimmer, night has fallen and the fire has gone down considerably. I look up finding a dark silhouette in the corner of the room that Edward and I have labeled the book nook. I sit up and squint, but it's dark and my eyes don't seem to want to work, but it's easy to tell the person is female,
"Esme?" I question having to cough after I do. I don't know how long I've been in bed, but my voice hurt the first time I woke and the pain still lingers. The figure reaches up, to the lamp behind them and switches the light on, and instantly I feel embarrassed because the person sitting in the corner isn't Esme, it's Rosalie.
"Carlisle took her hunting, I'm sorry it's just me."
"No" I force out in a scratchy voice. Now I'm even more embarrassed, "I didn't mean anything by it, I just...in the corner you looked like Esme." She lifts one blonde brow and I search my words, "It's dark, I can't see." She relaxes her face and leans back into the plush chaise,
"I understand, Esme is a wonderful woman to be confused for." She looks relaxed and at ease which is the exact opposite of how she looks when she's around me and I can't help but feel guilty. I know Rose doesn't like me, she doesn't have to sit with me,
"You don't have to stay here." Her lips purse and I scramble to fix my wording again, "I know you have better things to do." She shrugs her shoulder,
"You're restless when you sleep, Carlisle found you sleep quieter and more still when someone is in the room with you, he and Esme have been taking shifts in here for a while now." If I wasn't embarrassed at the beginning of this conversation I'm embarrassed now. Goosebumps prickle on my skin and a burning heat hits my cheeks and I know Rosalie can see the burning blush all the way in the corner. Her lips even lift into a small smile and now I wish the venom killed me.
"That's...great." I push out, my tone giving away the fact that it's not great and I want to be dead. I wait for Rose to further embarrass me or even say she enjoys the way I look right now, but instead, she clears her throat and leans forward,
"Have you ever read Nancy Drew?" I bite my cheek and shake my head, feeling the blush lighten,
"I don't think so." Rose leans back in her spot seeming to get comfortable and holds up a small dark blue hardback book,
"I remember when Nancy Drew first hit the shelves. I was 15 and my mother bought me my first copy." She looks up lost in a memory, "I read it in one day, and I just couldn't put it down. My father thought it was silly for me to have my nose in a book when there were "more feminine things to do" as he said." She opens the book and begins flipping through the pages, "My friends and I created a book club where we only read Nancy Drew. Three more books came out that year, but the first one was always my favorite." I lean forward, mostly interested in what she's telling me but also confused as to why she's telling me this. I know Rose doesn't like me very much, she made that clear the first time I met her, but she's been different lately, doing little things that leave me wondering if she hates me or tolerates me.
"I like to read too." I eventually whisper waiting for her to respond,
"I can read to you." She looks up, and I know she sees the stunned look on my face. The girl that once told me she doesn't want me here is now offering to read to me, "When I was sick my mother use to read Jane Austen to me to help me sleep. I hated Jane Austen but her voice always made it easier for me to relax."
"Sleep?" She wants me to sleep I just woke up. Her lips quirk into a small smile,
"You look exhausted." I haven't seen myself. All I wanted to know is that my eyes were still green otherwise I didn't care, but now I'm suddenly feeling self-conscious next to a goddess like Rosalie. She lifts one eyebrow waiting for me to answer,
"Okay," I answer after a second more,
"Lay down." She waits until my head hits the pillow before opening the book,
"Chapter One, The Lost Will.
"It would be a shame if all that money went to the Tophams! They will fly higher than ever."
Nancy Drew, a pretty girl of sixteen, leaned over the library table and addressed her father who sat reading a newspaper by the study lamp.
"I beg your pardon, Nancy. What were you saying about the Tophams?"
Carson Drew, a noted criminal and mystercase lawyer, known far and wise for his as a former district attorney, looked up from his evening paper and smiled indulgently upon his only daughter. Now, as he gave her his respectful attention, he was not particularly concerned with the Richard Topham family but rather with the rig glow of the lamp..."
Rose doesn't even flip the page and I'm out.
…
I feel soft cold fingers playing with my hair when I start to wake, and even though I shouldn't call out like I did the last time I woke I do it anyway,
"Esme?" I open my eyes to find her sitting next to my bed leaning forward, her right elbow resting on the bed while her pointer finger twirls a piece of my hair,
"Good morning sweetheart. How are you feeling?"
"Okay, I think." She smiles,
"Do you think you can eat?" I look at her waiting for a second before answering her.
"I think so." She lets go of my hair and reaches forward to move my pillow before helping me sit up and lean back,
"Are you comfortable?" She questions reaching over to the nightstand table where she has a little tray with a steaming white bowl and a glass of orange juice.
"Yes," I answers as she set the tray in front of me, the steaming bowl containing oatmeal with dried fruits and honey swirled on top.
"Alice called and said you would wake up so I wanted to have something hot ready." I dip my spoon in mixing up the goodies Esme always puts in there together,
"Where is Alice?" When Esme doesn't answer right away I turn toward her,
"Go ahead and eat sweetheart." She watches me take my first bite before continuing, "Alice and Jasper are up in Alaska visiting our cousins." I chew slowly before going in for a second bite. I'm hungrier than I realized.
"Is she okay?" I swallow going in for another bite. I look over at Esme, she looks sad.
"She just needs a little time honey, she's feeling quite a few emotions right now." I raise an eyebrow,
"Why?" Esme's smile is sad as she searches for the right words to say,
"Alice carries a lot on her shoulders and when she can't see something coming it bothers her." I swallow slowly and put my spoon down, my stomach turning into knots,
"She's upset because I was bitten and she didn't see it?" Esme nods, "I'm not mad at her."
"I know sweetheart, I know. Alice knows too, but she needs to work on this on her own okay." I swallow pushing the tray away. Esme grabs it from me and sets it back on the bedside table.
"Where are the others?"
"School." School? Esme must see the panic on my face because she reaches forward and places her hand on my shoulder,
"It's..."
"It's Monday Honey." Her grip on my shoulder tightens and for a second I fight against her, but relax when she doesn't let go,
"Esme!"
"I know you're upset-"
"I lost a whole weekend."
"Shhhh, I know. Mare, Honey you were sick-"
"What about school?"
"I called you in this morning and-"
"What did you say?"
"Mare-"
"What's going to happen?" Esme lets go of my shoulder and reaches forward grabbing both my cheeks in her cold hands,
"Take a breath." I take a breath realizing I wasn't breathing, "That's it, in and out. It's okay Marceline, it's okay, alright?" I nod breathing in and out. "First, you are okay. Carlisle personally stayed by your bedside, you are okay. Second, you can not go to school, plain and simple. I called you in this morning and I will call you out tomorrow as well. If the school requires a note we will get one. Edward will get your homework and you can make up the work you will miss okay?" I nod, my cheeks still in her hands, "This shouldn't have happened Mare, and I am so sorry."
"Esme no-"
"Shhh, let me finish. I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you, and I'm sorry this lifestyle was almost thrust upon you without your consent, neither Carlisle nor I want that for you. You didn't change and I am so thankful for that."
"Esme please." She lets go of my cheeks, her eyes sad.
"I don't want you to feel guilty about this."
"Oh, Mare,"
"This is my fault." Esme shakes her head,
"No, honey-"
"If I just let Emmett come with me." Cold arms embrace me and with shaky arms, I wrap them around Esme's small frame. I feel tears well up in my eyes, "I'm sorry I called out for my mom." It comes out in a whisper and slowly Esme lets go and sits down in front of me, her face serious.
"Marceline, what did you mean when you said your mother was not nice to you." I swallow searching for the right words,
"Sometimes..she's just...not nice." At this moment I want to fall in Esme's arms and cry, tell her everything, how my mother drinks, how she hits me, how I was thrust upon her when she never wanted a child, but I can't say that.
"In what ways?"
"I'm tired." I can't speak on it, I'm not ready and Esme can see it. I know a part of her wishes I was. I opened a jar I can't close now, at some point I'll have to tell her but for now, she looks ready to drop it,
"Before you nap, someone wants to talk to you, do you think you're up for it?" I nod silently. Esme gives me an encouraging smile and reaches a hand out to grab my hand, "I'll be right here the whole time."
"I will too," Carlisle says from the doorway. He's dressed casually in a black half zip-up and a white button-up peaking out. He smiles gently and gestures for someone to come stand next to him, I wait and then feel my heart stop...It's the man who bit me.