The Forgotten Child-Twilight

Chapter 11

Family Discussion

The entire Cullen family was sitting at the dining room table when Rosalie and Emmett joined them. Usually Carlisle presided over family meetings, but since he hadn't been himself, Jasper took center stage.

 "We need to figure out what we're gonna do with the child, he can't stay with us forever," Jasper said.

Carlisle seemed to make a soft moan and Esme quickly took his hand.

"Why can't he stay!?" demanded Rosalie.

Alice looked at her sister and said, "He's not a vampire. Sooner or later Christopher will get hurt living with a pack of vampires." Everyone looked down at the table.

"Rosalie, it's not just us who could be a danger to him," Edward said, "but our non-vegetarian friends, and the Volturi."

Jasper looked at his wife, "Alice, are the Volturi aware of Christopher? Is he in any danger?"

Alice gazed up from the table and said, "At this particular moment, no, they aren't aware of him yet. But Demetri has located Alexandra, and Aro's forcing her to stay with them."

Carlisle's mind went back several hundred years, when he had stayed with the Volturi for a period of time. The Volturi considered Alexandra partially insane, choosing to live in the wild and sustaining herself on wild animal. More often she would go for extreme long periods with no sustenance at all with eyes as dark as pitch. The Volturi tolerated her because of her unique and rare talent; she was an oracle, what some people would call a prophetess. Her talent closely resembled Alice's, but hers was a talent more mysterious. Alexandra would escape the Volturi for several hundred years.... then eventually the Volturi trackers would track her back down.

"Alexandra has no love for the Volturi, but it's only a matter of time before they discover Christopher," said Alice.

Rose took Emmett's hand giving him an alarmed look. Emmett gave the group his tough-guy look and thundered, "I don't think any of us would hurt Christopher, and if one of our meat-eating friends happen to drop by, then they'd have to get thru me to hurt him... and that sure ain't gonna happen!" Emmett responded firmly.

Esme responded gently, "Emmett, I don't think any of our friends would hurt Christopher, they wouldn't be attracted to his scent... unless he was hurt and bleeding."

Edward took a big breath of air and sighed, "But just what in the hell is he?"

Carlisle finally spoke up, "Although he has human aspects, he is not human... or at least not a normal human."

"How do you know that?" Rosalie asked.

"Because one night when he came to me, I took him up to my lab and studied him," Carlisle answered softly.

"Well," Edward asked, "Then what in the hell is he?"

"I really don't know," Carlisle confessed, "but the reason he doesn't eat meat is because his system can't handle it. His teeth aren't designed for meat eating... even his incisors are too blunt. Humans are omnivores, eating both vegetables and meat. But Christopher doesn't have the proper teeth, or the ability to digest meats. He has vocal chords, but nothing like humans or we have," Carlisle said softly.

Everyone at the table listened carefully to Carliste, almost enraptured by his discoveries about Chrisophter.

Carlisle slowly shook his head saying, "He has some human cells and DNA, but he also has vampiric cells and DNA... I admit I just don't understand it, but there's something else... cells and DNA that I've never seen before."

"Ahhhh," Jasper said, "that must be why he doesn't smell like most humans." He took a breath, "Perhaps that's why I've not been tempted by him myself," Jasper said as he looked down ashamed.

"He's also missing several bodily organs and most of his organs are on the opposite side for the human norm." Carlisle continued mystified.

"What do we do if the Volturi show up here?" asked Bella.

"Then, I'll take Christopher and run and try to hide him," stated Rosalie solidly.

Emmett looked at his wife and said, "You aren't hiding anybody anywhere – I won't allow them to hurt you or Christopher!" he bellowed.

"So," Jasper interjected, "are we all in agreement that we keep Christopher for now?"

The Cullens looked anxiously at each other. They were in silent agreement that Christopher had caused their stone hearts to feel alive again. They'd face the uncertain future together.