Carlisle Cullen: Twilight

2. Agree to Disagree

I could hear the argument from my car. I chose to ignore it until the Mercedes was parked up in the garage. I then walked into the front room, dropping my doctor's bag on the stairs. I went straight to Esme who had been sitting at the window seat, watching the scene anxiously. She held her hand out to me and I linked my fingers with hers.

Rosalie was standing a few feet from Edward, facing him, her face furious, her eyes blazing butterscotch flame. Emmett was one step behind her, his hand outstretched towards her as if to hold her back. Jasper was stood to the side against the wall, Alice next to him. There were a few spaces between them and I could see neither one of them was happy about it. Edward looked just as angry as Rosalie.

"Right, what's going on?" I asked, calmly.

"They want me to kill her." Edward's voice was raised as he turned around to face me. Esme trembled and I stroked her hand with my thumb. As Edward spoke, he jabbed his finger towards Rosalie and Emmett. I looked over at them.

"Why?" Rosalie sidestepped both Emmett and Edward so as to face directly me.

"She knows too much."

"She doesn't know anything!" Edward growled.

"If she didn't before, she does now!" Rosalie hissed back at him. She flipped her blonde hair back and turned towards me again. "She knows too much."

"That doesn't mean her life is over." Alice said. Edward glared at her too.

"She doesn't deserve to die, just because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time." Esme agreed softly.

"We don't even know if she knows anything. You can't read her mind can you?" I asked Edward. Edward shook his head.

"I don't know why... But I just can't."

"It's not just that though is it?" Jasper said quietly. Edward turned to glare at him now.

"What do you mean?" I asked quickly before Edward could say anything in response.

"Well...Edward almost fell off the wagon when he met this girl. You can try to avoid it but it's clearly too much of a temptation to want her. Why not take her?" Jasper spoke to Edward now. Edward looked disgusted as he turned on Jasper.

"Kill an innocent human girl? How despicable do you think I am?" Jasper flinched and Edward turned away but Alice was glaring at him now.

"It's going to happen anyway, Edward! She'll either become one of us or she'll die. I've seen it." Edward clenched his fists.

"I WILL NOT KILL HER. I WILL NOT TURN HER."

"I've seen it, Edward! It will happen!"

"Not if I can help it." He hissed in her face.

"Enough," I stood up. Edward looked at me. He knew my point of events.

"Thank you." I shook my head.

"Edward. You can't do this. This can only end a few ways. And I don't want to put you in that situation again where you almost kill her in front of a classroom with the townsfolk. You'll ruin what we've built here," Edward made as if to speak but I held up a hand to stop him. Rosalie and Jasper looked satisfied. "However... We've made a treaty. We cannot forget that. Isabella Swan cannot be killed. It will cause too much chaos. And do not forget Chief Swan is a respected member of the community. His daughter's death.. That will be something no person will forget. You must do what you have to do in order to be alright here, Edward. But do not forget what we built. What there is to lose if this goes wrong." Esme stood up, taking my hand again.

"Do what you have to do to stay..." Esme agreed.

"You're not happy with my killing her." Edward said to her. Esme shook her head softly.

"No...I'm not. An innocent girl doesn't deserve to die."

"Only this girl is not just an innocent girl. She's a human who knows about us. A human who is definitely falling in love with one of us."Rosalie said, glaring again at Edward. Edward turned on her.

"Only it's not just the fact that she knows about us is it? Or the fact that she's in love with me that you care about is it Rose? Should I tell them, or should you?" Rosalie's eyes widened and she gave a shriek of fury and attacked. Emmett grabbed Rosalie from behind while Edward just sidestepped her attack a second before Rosalie had even made a move.

"EDWARD." I shouted. I grabbed hold of my son's arm and roughly pushed him in the direction of the stairs. "Go." I demanded. Edward took one furious glare at myself, one furious glare at everyone else before disappearing up the stairs. Rosalie was still trying to get out of Emmett's grip. I walked to her, placing my hand underneath her chin and pulling her face up to look at me. Her eyes were coal black and furious. But upset, I could see how sad she looked. Edward had really hurt her feelings.

"Go for a walk." Emmett let go and Rosalie shook off his hands. I kissed her forehead gently and she left, biting her bottom lip. Emmett went to follow her but I placed my hand on his arm. "No. You stay here. Esme?" I looked back to my wife. Esme's eyes were sad too. She nodded and left after Rosalie.

Alice and Jasper walked off up the stairs too, holding hands now. Emmett collapsed onto the couch, putting his head in his hands. I sat on the other couch, facing him.

"Emmett. This isn't your fault." Emmett looked up. He looked exhausted.

"I'm tired of this. What's her problem?" I grimaced at him. I loved all my children but Emmett could be a bit dull sometimes when it came to women.

"Come on Emmett. Can you not see?" Emmett shook his head. "Edward is falling for a human girl... Isabella Swan. She's falling for him too. I saw them together in the hospital and try though he might deny it...." I was sure Edward was listening through his mind telepathy even though loud rock music was blaring from his speakers. "Both of them act crazy for each other almost."

"So what? Rosalie's jealous that Edward loves someone else?" Emmett cracked his knuckles menacingly. I could not help but roll my eyes.

"Emmett, you know Rosalie is crazy for you. In case I need to remind you...She saved you. Not the other way around." Emmett breathed in deeply.

"True. So what is it?"

"Isabella can live a normal human life. A human lover, a marriage... Pregnancy, a family," Realisation hit Emmett's eyes but I was not finished. "Isabella is falling for a vampire. All of those are out of the question if this continues, especially if Edward is unwilling to change her or to kill her... Or even to just let her go."

"I ever said I would not try to let her go. I will try." Edward's voice came from the doorway. I turned to look at him, grimacing. How long had he been there? "Not long," He said in reply. "But I will try and let her go."

"Firstly, you should go and apologise to Rosalie. She does not easily forgive."

"And for that reason, I want to go for a drive." I stood up. The last time Edward went for a drive, he went all the way to Denali. Edward shook his head. "Not Denali. Just want to go escape for an hour. I really need to get out and I don't wish to bump into an angry Rosalie along the way." I nodded.

"Okay. Not far, Edward." He nodded too.

"Not far." He left and I could hear him going into the garage, start his Volvo and drive away. His music was still blaring in his now empty room.