Work of Art

Chapter 19

"We have a problem," Alice announced as she paced around the sun-lit living room.

Her siblings and adoptive mother were all seated, looking at her curiously. She had discretely called a meeting the night prior for right after the school day, well before Carlisle would arrive home from work. As she paced, her siblings' eyes trailed her form. Jasper sat in deep concentration as he tried to unpack Alice's emotions. Confusion permeated all others, rising to the forefront of her being, but there were others, too. Excitement mainly, but frustration and anger also littered her thoughts. Thoughts which Edward was desperately trying to decipher, but her mind was running at such a speed he couldn't comprehend a single word that streamed across her brain.

Eventually, he gave up exasperated. "Spit it out already Alice!"

Alice froz in her pacing, her feet suddenly locked in place as she turned to face her irritated brother. "I had a vision," she practically whispered, but everyone in the room was able to hear her silent words.

"Shouldn't we wait for Carlisle?" Rosalie asked nervously, glancing around to see other members of her family hesitantly nodding in agreement.

Alice shook her head with a sigh, running a hand through her pixie cut hair. "No," she exhaled and dropped down into a chair across from Edward and Rosalie who were sitting on the couch. "He's the one I had a vision of."

Rosalie and Emmet exchanged a glance, and Emmet sensing Rosalie's distress spoke up. "Well doesn't he have a right to know?"

Alice furrowed her brow, worrying her bottom lip before looking up at the family. "The thing is, I think he already knows."

Having enough of Alice's mystery, Edward peered into her mind once more. Now that the girl had settled, he was pleased to see that he could clearly view her thoughts, which just so happened to be a constant repeat of the vision she had experienced the following day.

It looked like a field, but when and where was uncertain. It was almost as if the image itself was being manipulated.

"What is it?" Edward spoke, still viewing the vision.

"Where is what?" Rosalie asked, annoyed once again.

"I- I don't know," Edward explained.

"There's a field," Alice's gentle voice cut off Edward's confused ramblings. "But it's like it's being manipulated."

Edward nodded along, "That's exactly what I thought too."

"What do you mean?" Jasper confusedly asked.

It's hard to explain, it's as if I'm unable to see the full picture. There's obviously a field. But where it is I can't tell. It's almost foggy in a sense, the background appears grainy. At first glance, the trees appeared bare, a sign of winter but when I blink, it's like I can see endless green foliage extending into the distance. It just doesn't add up. Sometimes all you can see is white. Well, white and them." Alice closed her eyes to focus on the vision once more. "There's a girl, at least I assume it's a girl. She's standing with her back towards me. There's something strikingly famal about her, but I can't put my finger on it."

Seeing the vision in time with her, Edward picked up the description. "She has short black hair, that's about the only defining feature. Even her body is obstructed. It's like her clothes have a life of their own, constantly shifting between colors and styles. The only thing stagnant is Carlisle."

"Carlisle?" Esme asked, befuddled.

"Yes," Alice answered. "It's obviously him, I could pick out his golden eyes anywhere." With her words, she gasped suddenly realizing that this wasn't the only place she had seen his eyes. The other vision, the one she had almost forgotten about-- the golden eyes within the sea of spectators. They were his.

Sensing Alice's distracted train of thought, Edward once again resumed the description. "He's standing behind the girl, his body partially hidden. It's hard to tell, but I think his hand is wrapped around the girl's waist..." he trailed off as he failed to understand the vision.

"What could this mean?" Esme asked, concerned for her best friend.

"Has he met his mate?" Emmet spoke up.

The family looked at him in shock, the idea never even having crossed their minds.

"But why wouldn't he tell us then?" Rosalie proposed.

Alice rubbed a hand across her face. "Maybe I was wrong, maybe he doesn't know." She glanced around at all of her family sitting around her. "Maybe we shouldn't tell him for now."

They all seemed a little apprehensive of keeping the vision a secret, but all individually reached the conclusion that it would be for the best. So, with a communal nod, they a stood and went about their days, all vowing not to mention the possibility that wouldn't seem to leave Carlisle's mind.

Unbeknownst to his family, his thoughts were of a similar confusion to theirs. Why did this girl have such an affect on him? The girl was human for goodness sake! As much as it pained him, he refused to ever bring a human into the world of vampires. As he had told himself on multiple occasions, the only way it could ever end was with her dead, one way or another, and that wasn't something he was willing to let happen. It positively irked him how much he thought of the girl given how little he actually knew of her.

It were these thoughts that drew him towards rash actions. As he walked out the door of the hospital and got in his car, he drove home, but only to pack. On the drive he had already called into the office and announced his absence for the next two days, stating that he was urgently needed by a family friend. While he was going to visit a friend, it was more so him that needed the urgent aid in truth.

His family watched in concern as he walked through the front door and immediately headed to his room to put together a bag. He was too caught up in his own world to notice the looks that passed between his children and Esme's stare that never left his back. By the time he was packed, the family had once again gathered in the living room, all thinking about Carlisle once more but no one daring to utter a word.

As Carlisle approached the group, he broke the silence. "I'm going to visit the Denali's for a few days. I'm sorry this is so sudden I just need a break from work."

Esme stood up and walked over to him, laying a cautious hand on his shoulder. "Is everything alright?"

He stood silent for a moment, contemplating on telling his family his troubles, all without thinking of the troubles themselves, all too aware of Edward's prying mind. "It will be," he finally stated. "I truly am sorry to leave so suddenly," he insisted as he left a quick kiss on Esme's cheek before heading out the door.

The family all remained still as they heard the car engine start and slowly get quieter as Carlisle drove away towards what they presumed was the airport.

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The vision has finally been revealed... let the drama begin