la belle dame sans merci | carlisle cullen

15

Edward was in a foul mood when he came through the door, pine needles poking out of his hair foretold that he and Alice had been successful in their hunt for a Christmas tree. His lips were turned down and his brows furrowed. Carlisle sat at the kitchen table, focused on his laptop, something that happened more often now that his family stopped pressing him about his witch at every turn.

"Where's Alice?" Jasper frowned, standing from where he sat on the couch with Emmet and Rosalie.

Edward didn't answer for a second but seeing Jasper's growing discomfort he broke, "She went to Port Angeles  for the afternoon." He began, not letting his eyes stray from Jasper's as the rest of the family looked up at him.

"Why didn't she come in first?" Jasper asked, brows furrowing.

"We ran into.. Minerva.. at Red Robin's." Edward said with a frown. Carlisle's head had fully snapped up, "Alice kind of pushed herself on her."

They couldn't have one descent afternoon could they? Carlisle was predicting Rosalie's reaction before she even opened her mouth. He desperately hoped Alice wouldn't do anything irreparable or make any misplaced hints about the two of them. They were friends, really good friends at that. Carlisle didn't want his daughter's impatience to ruin that no matter how desperate he was for them to be more.

"Little idiot." Rosalie scowled, eyes blazing, "Why the hell did she do that?"

"Because they're friends." Jasper defended, eyes narrowing at his sister. "Alice knew Minerva before Carlisle did."

"She's a witch." Rosalie implored, "Why are Edward and I the only ones that see the danger in that? She could make our existences absolute hell if this goes sideways." Emmet opened his mouth, as if to remind his wife his wife that he had voted with her only to close it again.

"You haven't even met her." Jasper reminded sharply, "She could be Glinda the Good Witch for all we know."

"You think we can afford to give her the benefit of the doubt?" Rosalie asked incredulously, "we have no idea what she's capable of."

Carlisle was statuesque at the table. His eyes had totally unfocused from either party in the arguement, his fists clenched tightly on either side of the laptop.

"She didn't seem wicked." Edward commented, making Rosalie's glare turn to him.

"Don't you start too."

"I'm just saying." He muttered drawing his father's eye, "We're an exception to the rule aren't we? Couldn't she be too?" Silence washes over the five of them, broken only by the cold rain beginning to fall outside. "It's just a thought."

Carlisle pushes himself up from his place at the table, drawing eyes in his direction but he meets none of them as he makes his way up the stairs. He can hear them as clearly as if he's still in the room as he seals himself away in his office.

"I hate doing this to him." Edward sighs as Carlisle sifts through his records thoughtfully before deciding on an old Tchaikovsky one and settling it on his record player.

"You think I like it?" Rosalie accuses, "he won't even look at me most days and when he does all I can see is the disappointment." He tries to focus on the static of the rain as he lines up the needle on the record.

"I see it too." Edward mutters, "So don't get on my case about trying to consider she might not be a Sanderson sister—" He lets it drop and their voices begin to fade into the noise. Ungracefully, he lets himself fall back onto the small love seat. Stretching out on it though it's too short for his height, leaving
his feet to hang off the end.

It was never his intention to make them feel guilty. If they felt guilty maybe that was an indicator they were doing something wrong. Even still, he wasn't disappointed in Rosalie or Edward. Not even close. He was proud of them for looking out for the family, even if it was crushing his heart.

His worries returned to Alice pretty quickly. She meant well— she always did. The question remained of whether or not she'd let something slip that would change things between them. There was no doubt he'd have to listen to his daughters fight about it it when Alice got back. Carlisle wondered if he could make a break for it before that happened. He wouldn't, of course. His curiosity would keep confined to the house until Alice returned.