Additionally, Part 2: Additions Don't Make Themselves
Edward wasn’t home when they arrived. It was cold in Maine in October, but the first snow hadn’t yet fallen. Footprints could be seen in the early morning frost that coated each blade of grass on the expansive front lawn that Esme was gazing at through her bedroom window.
The couple walked out of the woods abruptly, and Esme squeaked, startled. Carlisle was by her side in an instant, though she was sure he’d been downstairs reading. Emmett and Rosalie scarcely took any longer. A sound of surprise in this household was unusual, indeed.
Below them a tiny, short-haired brunette was dragging a very tall blond man up their gravel driveway. She looked happy beyond all reason to be there, and he looked guarded, as though unsure of the welcome he would receive. This made good sense to the Cullen family. They’d never set eyes on these two before - not one of them. And these weren’t just humans trespassing on their land. These were vampires.
No one spoke, but it seemed like common sense that the intimidating Emmett be the one to answer the door, so he went downstairs to await the bell. The rest remained still.
As they mounted the porch, the dark-haired girl suddenly glanced up at their window and waved. Rosalie scowled down at her and Carlisle frowned with concern, but Esme just blinked and waved back bemusedly. An instant later, the doorbell rang, and an unfamiliar voice was heard from downstairs. “Emmett!”
Rosalie was down the stairs in a second, and Carlisle and Esme exchanged a worried glance before following. They arrived just in time to see a very confused Emmett struggling to remove himself from the embrace of a girl half his size. Rosalie was standing at the base of the staircase with her arms crossed angrily. The tension in the room was thick enough to swim through. Emmett finally got a grip on the girl’s arms and pried them from around his neck, thrusting her back towards the floor with a worried glance at Rosalie, who looked mollified, at least, that he was making an effort.
“Do I know you?” Emmett asked, clearly fighting back the amusment in his voice.
“Of course not!” the cheery girl replied, as if that was a perfectly reasonable answer. “I’m Alice.” She thrust out her hand and Emmett shook it. “This is Jasper. You two are going to be great friends!” And then she was passing him by and he was left to shake hands with Jasper, raising an eyebrow. Jasper shrugged and shook his hand, but said nothing. He wouldn’t have been able to make himself heard anyway, since Alice was already talking again.
“Rosalie! You’re as beautiful as I thought. Just flawless. And I knew you’d be too tall for us to share clothes, but that’s okay. I love you anyway. And Esme! I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do with the office when you redecorate! I’m so excited. I hope you’ll let me help!”
Throughout this astonishing speech, Jasper and Emmett stood together at the open door and watched. Rosalie was surprised into shaking the girl’s hand, and Esme was pulled into an unexpected hug, which she returned an instant too late. Alice was already releasing her and turning toward Carlisle, who had a very uncharacteristic look upon his face - sort of a weird cross between amusement and anger.
“I’m afraid, Alice, that you are going to have to explain yourself better than you have done, if you wish to be welcomed into this house.” His tone kept her at arm’s length, and she stopped short, suddenly seeming very small indeed.
“If I may?” Jasper asked politely, and the Cullens were surprised to detect a hint of a Southern accent in his speech. “Alice sees visions of the future. She has no memory of her humanity, but her earliest visions included your family, and she admired your way of life. She found me, knowing that I was also looking for a less violent path, and we came together to find you.”
“But someone’s missing!” Alice exclaimed, her momentary shyness falling away at the thought that there was someone she hadn’t yet met. She noticed at once when most of the eyes in the room were casually averted. Clearly this wasn’t an issue anyone wanted to discuss. “Well, then, we can have his room, right?” she asked, trying to make light of it. “It’s got a killer view of the lake!”
Carlisle turned back to her, ready to declare that, NO, she absolutely could NOT have Edward’s room. But someone else spoke first.
“Of course you can!” Rosalie said quickly, grinning over at Emmett for just an instant while he stifled his sudden urge to laugh. “That will teach him to go away and leave us without saying when he’ll return. And he’s never here to appreciate the view anyway.”
Jasper kept his eyes directly on Carlisle, perceiving correctly that he was the person to address. “We don’t want to impose, and we certainly don’t want to take anyone’s room,” he said, trying to sound stern as he glanced at Alice. But Alice wasn’t listening. She and Rosalie and Emmett were already on their way up the stairs.
“It seems the decision has been made,” Carlisle said quietly, and he wondered whether this would drive Edward still further away. He’d displace himself and Esme when Edward returned, if it would make him stay.
“I’m sorry - she’s very -“
“Presumptuous?” Carlisle suggested, anger slipping through his calm façade.
“Sell-assured,” Jasper finished, raising an eyebrow. “She told me on the way here that if she takes Edward’s room, he’ll realize how often he’s been avoiding the family, and try harder to spend time with everyone. That’s why she said it.”
Carlisle’s expression softened immediately. “She has an impressive talent,” he commented. Alice’s tinkling laughter rained down on them, and the others were chuckling as well. Jasper privately thought that her visions weren't Alice's most impressive talent. What impressed him most was the way she chose to use them to aid even these people she had never met.
“What about you, Jasper? You said it was her visions which led you to us and to our lifestyle, yet I notice your eyes are quite red,” Esme said hesitantly. She didn’t want to give offense, and yet it seemed a pertinent question.
“My talent is less impressive. I sense the emotions of the people around me. For many years this has caused me to resist feeding - the fear and desperation of the dying -“ he stopped, blinking. “Your way of life is intriguing to me as well.”
Both Carlisle and Esme nodded before Esme offered to show him the rest of the house. He agreed.
Edward had been away nine days. He thought little of it. The break from everyone’s thoughts had been overdue and much needed. Somehow the petty, day-to-day trivialities he heard from humans weren’t as exhausting as Esme’s worry and Emmett and Carlisle’s guilt, not to mention Rosalie’s painful self-centeredness. Mostly, though, what drove him out of the house was the longing for privacy that he could hear in everyone’s minds. It was difficult enough, in a house full of people who could hear every sound in a two mile radius, to feel as if you had any privacy without also having someone share your every thought. There were times when that was uncomfortable for all of them. Especially for Edward, and especially since Rosalie and Emmett had become close.
He’d bought an automobile this time, as he was bored with roaming the forest. He did that far too frequently to find it interesting anymore. He pulled in the driveway with a smile on his face. It was a brand new Reo Royale in a burgundy color that he found as humorous as it was attractive. He didn’t imagine Carlisle would appreciate his color choice greatly, but he knew he’d enjoy the vehicle. The only one the family had was steam-powered, after all, which was completely out of fashion at this point. If nothing else, Rosalie would adore it. And unlike their older automobile, this one wouldn’t require the two of them to constantly fiddle with it to make it run. At least, not for a few more years.
Of course, he was aware that Rosalie secretly loved working on that old car with him. Emmett had no interest whatsoever, but Edward was fascinated, and Rosalie seemed to be as well. It was the only thing they did together anymore that wasn’t agonizing for both of them. If they were not working on the car, Rosalie got on his nerves continuously. Still, he knew she would appreciate this addition to the family's fleet, and he looked forward to showing it to her.
Edward resisted the urge to beep the horn as he pulled in the drive. They’d all heard him coming at least a mile away, and yet no one had come out to look at his purchase yet by the time he turned off the engine. Instinctively, he started reaching out to find the mental voices of his family, and realized at once that there was company. That certainly explained the lack of interest. But as he listened to the conversation taking place on the second floor of the house, he realized that they didn’t have guests - they had new family members. For just a split second, he thought he might start the engine again and drive away.
There would be seven of them now. Seven vampires living together in a house with five rooms. Maybe they could convert the unnecessary kitchen? As he sat in the vehicle and focused his thoughts on the occupants of the house before him, he was startled when one of the unfamiliar minds flashed a vision of him, driving away with a pained expression on his face. As soon as he saw it, the vision changed, and instead he was walking through the front door.
Moments later, a voice squealed his name, and he knew it was not any of his family who had made that sound. Rosalie was incapable of sounding that undignified, and Esme would never assault his ears in such a way on purpose. “Edward!” He exited the car and approached the porch cautiously.
Out of the front door of the house came a blur of dark hair and pale skin that stopped abruptly right in front of him. As she did, another vision forced it’s way behind his eyes. Himself, thrusting the clinging girl away from him angrily. But as soon as it came, the vision was gone. He shook his head. That IS just what he would have done, if she’d flung herself at him, as it had appeared she was about to do. But she hadn’t. She had stopped just a foot in front of him and was looking up at him with a wide grin.
Oh dear, I hope she doesn’t upset him. I’d like him to stay a while for once. Carlisle’s been so worried. Esme’s thoughts broke into the moment, then, and Edward shook his head, but everyone else’s thoughts were beginning to intrude as well.
“Hello Alice,” he said wryly.
“Hello Edward!” she chirped, pleased and not a bit alarmed to find that he knew her name already. “I hope you don’t mind. I took your room. The view is spectacular, and you weren’t here to enjoy it.” But you should have been. They’ve missed you.
Edward stared down at the petite girl, suppressing his annoyance. She was right. He hadn’t been here. “Carlisle’s always had a generous heart,” he responded finally, looking away from her, but avoiding the eyes of his family, now gathered on the porch.
“Oh, Carlisle didn’t give her your room, Edward, I did!” Rosalie admitted, smirking. Come on get angry. Yell at me or something, so I know you’re alright. Rose had very predictable thoughts.
“And to think I brought you a present,” Edward replied, his expression mimicking hers.
Rosalie had, of course, noticed the automobile immediately, but hadn’t wanted to make assumptions. But at this her eyes lit up. “Really?!” Edward tossed her the keys, and she and Emmett went to inspect the car, Emmett laying a rough hand on his shoulder as he passed. Glad you're home.
“So, I’ve been relegated to the garage, then?” Edward asked, finally risking a glance up at Carlisle and Esme, who were standing at the door with another person he didn't recognize. Regret crossed Carlisle's face for a moment, and Edward didn’t miss it. He also didn’t miss Carlisle’s relief over the color of Edward’s eyes. Ever since his years of rebellion, Carlisle always tended to worry when Edward was out of his sight for more than 24 hours. He was used to it, but the lack of faith was disturbing.
“Actually,” Esme said, speaking up, “I’ve decided that we need to add a third story to the house. We were just looking over some ideas, if you’d like to join us. I thought you might enjoy having the third floor to yourself.”
Edward blinked. She was planning on adding a story to the house just for his benefit? Another vision appeared before his eyes, of himself, relaxing on a leather couch with Mozart playing from the record player behind him in a large, and mostly bare room. He shook his head to clear it and glanced down at Alice again.
“I know which plan he’ll like the best!” she squealed happily. “We should start today!” With that, she ran back into the house leaving Edward squinting after her bemusedly.
“Is she always like this?” he asked no one in particular.
“Surprisingly, no,” a new voice spoke up. “At times she is capable of restraining herself into something close to normalcy.” Edward took the porch steps two at a time. “Jasper Whitlock,” the man introduced himself, holding out his hand. Edward shook it, smiling for the first time in days.
“Edward Cullen. Nice to meet you, Jasper. Tell me, is there any point in me looking at those blueprints?” he asked as they walked into the house.
“None at all, Edward. None at all.”
The couple walked out of the woods abruptly, and Esme squeaked, startled. Carlisle was by her side in an instant, though she was sure he’d been downstairs reading. Emmett and Rosalie scarcely took any longer. A sound of surprise in this household was unusual, indeed.
Below them a tiny, short-haired brunette was dragging a very tall blond man up their gravel driveway. She looked happy beyond all reason to be there, and he looked guarded, as though unsure of the welcome he would receive. This made good sense to the Cullen family. They’d never set eyes on these two before - not one of them. And these weren’t just humans trespassing on their land. These were vampires.
No one spoke, but it seemed like common sense that the intimidating Emmett be the one to answer the door, so he went downstairs to await the bell. The rest remained still.
As they mounted the porch, the dark-haired girl suddenly glanced up at their window and waved. Rosalie scowled down at her and Carlisle frowned with concern, but Esme just blinked and waved back bemusedly. An instant later, the doorbell rang, and an unfamiliar voice was heard from downstairs. “Emmett!”
Rosalie was down the stairs in a second, and Carlisle and Esme exchanged a worried glance before following. They arrived just in time to see a very confused Emmett struggling to remove himself from the embrace of a girl half his size. Rosalie was standing at the base of the staircase with her arms crossed angrily. The tension in the room was thick enough to swim through. Emmett finally got a grip on the girl’s arms and pried them from around his neck, thrusting her back towards the floor with a worried glance at Rosalie, who looked mollified, at least, that he was making an effort.
“Do I know you?” Emmett asked, clearly fighting back the amusment in his voice.
“Of course not!” the cheery girl replied, as if that was a perfectly reasonable answer. “I’m Alice.” She thrust out her hand and Emmett shook it. “This is Jasper. You two are going to be great friends!” And then she was passing him by and he was left to shake hands with Jasper, raising an eyebrow. Jasper shrugged and shook his hand, but said nothing. He wouldn’t have been able to make himself heard anyway, since Alice was already talking again.
“Rosalie! You’re as beautiful as I thought. Just flawless. And I knew you’d be too tall for us to share clothes, but that’s okay. I love you anyway. And Esme! I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do with the office when you redecorate! I’m so excited. I hope you’ll let me help!”
Throughout this astonishing speech, Jasper and Emmett stood together at the open door and watched. Rosalie was surprised into shaking the girl’s hand, and Esme was pulled into an unexpected hug, which she returned an instant too late. Alice was already releasing her and turning toward Carlisle, who had a very uncharacteristic look upon his face - sort of a weird cross between amusement and anger.
“I’m afraid, Alice, that you are going to have to explain yourself better than you have done, if you wish to be welcomed into this house.” His tone kept her at arm’s length, and she stopped short, suddenly seeming very small indeed.
“If I may?” Jasper asked politely, and the Cullens were surprised to detect a hint of a Southern accent in his speech. “Alice sees visions of the future. She has no memory of her humanity, but her earliest visions included your family, and she admired your way of life. She found me, knowing that I was also looking for a less violent path, and we came together to find you.”
“But someone’s missing!” Alice exclaimed, her momentary shyness falling away at the thought that there was someone she hadn’t yet met. She noticed at once when most of the eyes in the room were casually averted. Clearly this wasn’t an issue anyone wanted to discuss. “Well, then, we can have his room, right?” she asked, trying to make light of it. “It’s got a killer view of the lake!”
Carlisle turned back to her, ready to declare that, NO, she absolutely could NOT have Edward’s room. But someone else spoke first.
“Of course you can!” Rosalie said quickly, grinning over at Emmett for just an instant while he stifled his sudden urge to laugh. “That will teach him to go away and leave us without saying when he’ll return. And he’s never here to appreciate the view anyway.”
Jasper kept his eyes directly on Carlisle, perceiving correctly that he was the person to address. “We don’t want to impose, and we certainly don’t want to take anyone’s room,” he said, trying to sound stern as he glanced at Alice. But Alice wasn’t listening. She and Rosalie and Emmett were already on their way up the stairs.
“It seems the decision has been made,” Carlisle said quietly, and he wondered whether this would drive Edward still further away. He’d displace himself and Esme when Edward returned, if it would make him stay.
“I’m sorry - she’s very -“
“Presumptuous?” Carlisle suggested, anger slipping through his calm façade.
“Sell-assured,” Jasper finished, raising an eyebrow. “She told me on the way here that if she takes Edward’s room, he’ll realize how often he’s been avoiding the family, and try harder to spend time with everyone. That’s why she said it.”
Carlisle’s expression softened immediately. “She has an impressive talent,” he commented. Alice’s tinkling laughter rained down on them, and the others were chuckling as well. Jasper privately thought that her visions weren't Alice's most impressive talent. What impressed him most was the way she chose to use them to aid even these people she had never met.
“What about you, Jasper? You said it was her visions which led you to us and to our lifestyle, yet I notice your eyes are quite red,” Esme said hesitantly. She didn’t want to give offense, and yet it seemed a pertinent question.
“My talent is less impressive. I sense the emotions of the people around me. For many years this has caused me to resist feeding - the fear and desperation of the dying -“ he stopped, blinking. “Your way of life is intriguing to me as well.”
Both Carlisle and Esme nodded before Esme offered to show him the rest of the house. He agreed.
Edward had been away nine days. He thought little of it. The break from everyone’s thoughts had been overdue and much needed. Somehow the petty, day-to-day trivialities he heard from humans weren’t as exhausting as Esme’s worry and Emmett and Carlisle’s guilt, not to mention Rosalie’s painful self-centeredness. Mostly, though, what drove him out of the house was the longing for privacy that he could hear in everyone’s minds. It was difficult enough, in a house full of people who could hear every sound in a two mile radius, to feel as if you had any privacy without also having someone share your every thought. There were times when that was uncomfortable for all of them. Especially for Edward, and especially since Rosalie and Emmett had become close.
He’d bought an automobile this time, as he was bored with roaming the forest. He did that far too frequently to find it interesting anymore. He pulled in the driveway with a smile on his face. It was a brand new Reo Royale in a burgundy color that he found as humorous as it was attractive. He didn’t imagine Carlisle would appreciate his color choice greatly, but he knew he’d enjoy the vehicle. The only one the family had was steam-powered, after all, which was completely out of fashion at this point. If nothing else, Rosalie would adore it. And unlike their older automobile, this one wouldn’t require the two of them to constantly fiddle with it to make it run. At least, not for a few more years.
Of course, he was aware that Rosalie secretly loved working on that old car with him. Emmett had no interest whatsoever, but Edward was fascinated, and Rosalie seemed to be as well. It was the only thing they did together anymore that wasn’t agonizing for both of them. If they were not working on the car, Rosalie got on his nerves continuously. Still, he knew she would appreciate this addition to the family's fleet, and he looked forward to showing it to her.
Edward resisted the urge to beep the horn as he pulled in the drive. They’d all heard him coming at least a mile away, and yet no one had come out to look at his purchase yet by the time he turned off the engine. Instinctively, he started reaching out to find the mental voices of his family, and realized at once that there was company. That certainly explained the lack of interest. But as he listened to the conversation taking place on the second floor of the house, he realized that they didn’t have guests - they had new family members. For just a split second, he thought he might start the engine again and drive away.
There would be seven of them now. Seven vampires living together in a house with five rooms. Maybe they could convert the unnecessary kitchen? As he sat in the vehicle and focused his thoughts on the occupants of the house before him, he was startled when one of the unfamiliar minds flashed a vision of him, driving away with a pained expression on his face. As soon as he saw it, the vision changed, and instead he was walking through the front door.
Moments later, a voice squealed his name, and he knew it was not any of his family who had made that sound. Rosalie was incapable of sounding that undignified, and Esme would never assault his ears in such a way on purpose. “Edward!” He exited the car and approached the porch cautiously.
Out of the front door of the house came a blur of dark hair and pale skin that stopped abruptly right in front of him. As she did, another vision forced it’s way behind his eyes. Himself, thrusting the clinging girl away from him angrily. But as soon as it came, the vision was gone. He shook his head. That IS just what he would have done, if she’d flung herself at him, as it had appeared she was about to do. But she hadn’t. She had stopped just a foot in front of him and was looking up at him with a wide grin.
Oh dear, I hope she doesn’t upset him. I’d like him to stay a while for once. Carlisle’s been so worried. Esme’s thoughts broke into the moment, then, and Edward shook his head, but everyone else’s thoughts were beginning to intrude as well.
“Hello Alice,” he said wryly.
“Hello Edward!” she chirped, pleased and not a bit alarmed to find that he knew her name already. “I hope you don’t mind. I took your room. The view is spectacular, and you weren’t here to enjoy it.” But you should have been. They’ve missed you.
Edward stared down at the petite girl, suppressing his annoyance. She was right. He hadn’t been here. “Carlisle’s always had a generous heart,” he responded finally, looking away from her, but avoiding the eyes of his family, now gathered on the porch.
“Oh, Carlisle didn’t give her your room, Edward, I did!” Rosalie admitted, smirking. Come on get angry. Yell at me or something, so I know you’re alright. Rose had very predictable thoughts.
“And to think I brought you a present,” Edward replied, his expression mimicking hers.
Rosalie had, of course, noticed the automobile immediately, but hadn’t wanted to make assumptions. But at this her eyes lit up. “Really?!” Edward tossed her the keys, and she and Emmett went to inspect the car, Emmett laying a rough hand on his shoulder as he passed. Glad you're home.
“So, I’ve been relegated to the garage, then?” Edward asked, finally risking a glance up at Carlisle and Esme, who were standing at the door with another person he didn't recognize. Regret crossed Carlisle's face for a moment, and Edward didn’t miss it. He also didn’t miss Carlisle’s relief over the color of Edward’s eyes. Ever since his years of rebellion, Carlisle always tended to worry when Edward was out of his sight for more than 24 hours. He was used to it, but the lack of faith was disturbing.
“Actually,” Esme said, speaking up, “I’ve decided that we need to add a third story to the house. We were just looking over some ideas, if you’d like to join us. I thought you might enjoy having the third floor to yourself.”
Edward blinked. She was planning on adding a story to the house just for his benefit? Another vision appeared before his eyes, of himself, relaxing on a leather couch with Mozart playing from the record player behind him in a large, and mostly bare room. He shook his head to clear it and glanced down at Alice again.
“I know which plan he’ll like the best!” she squealed happily. “We should start today!” With that, she ran back into the house leaving Edward squinting after her bemusedly.
“Is she always like this?” he asked no one in particular.
“Surprisingly, no,” a new voice spoke up. “At times she is capable of restraining herself into something close to normalcy.” Edward took the porch steps two at a time. “Jasper Whitlock,” the man introduced himself, holding out his hand. Edward shook it, smiling for the first time in days.
“Edward Cullen. Nice to meet you, Jasper. Tell me, is there any point in me looking at those blueprints?” he asked as they walked into the house.
“None at all, Edward. None at all.”