They had been searching eighty-five years for her, Mary Alice Brandon. Though when they finally found her; they found much more than they ever expected. Hero had always had an aversion to doctors... Until she fell in love with one.
Carlisle Cullen X...
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FORKS WASHINGTON, 2005
Hero Kelly hummed calmly, leaning into her brother's shoulder where they sat on the couch in the Cullen residence, in her hands she squiggled away easily on a notepad and on Simons other shoulder, rested Esme who was in a similar state of drawing as Hero. Esme and Hero were collaborating ideas together for their next home- wherever that may be. And they were all similar in their content where they sat in the otherwise empty Cullen house, everyone at work and school.
"I was speaking to Rosalie" Hero started, catching both their attentions, "and she was telling me about this wish she had, to sit on her wrap-around porch hand in hand with Emmett and I was thinking we could incorporate that? Relatively speaking, we are all from quite similar time periods so I thought we could have a house that reflects that?... um... as long as you would like too." She looked down nervously though Esme smiled, reaching across to squeeze her hand in assurance.
"I think that that's a marvellous idea." Esme cooed, showing Hero her drawing that showed a beautiful twentieth-century mansion. "We could have a big lawn for baseball and a garden for all my flowers" she gushed, eyes becoming slightly dreamy, her excitement made her seem so wonderfully young and free. "There are more of us now so we'll certainly be needing a bigger house."
"It's perfect," Simon assured and Esme smiled brightly at him, shyly. It was peaceful in the house that day and they all felt so gloriously content as if the world was accepting of them for the first time. Though that was not to last as the Cullen children cane barrelling through the front door, in varying degrees of anger, Carlisle bringing up the rear with a look of exasperation on his features. He looked incredibly as though he needed a hug and Hero had the overwhelming desire to go to him though when her eyes settled on his white lab coat, she contained herself.
"Welcome home" Esme smiled, pulling herself to stand easily. "Is something the matter?" She frowned.
"Family meeting, now" Rosalie fumed, looking distraught and Hero's eyes found Alice who just shrugged, seeming unfazed.
"Okay, everyone please take a seat and we can take turns discussing our opinion" Carlisle hummed and in a flash, everyone was sat- despite the action in itself being rather unnecessary.
"This isn't an AA meeting, Doc. This is serious" Emmett demanded before grinning. "So let me start. Edward exposed us to the whole school today"
"What?!" "I did not!" "Everybody please calm down." Everyone spoke at once and the entire purpose of their meeting was disgruntled. Hero and Simon exchanged a glance that read only one thing- 'what the hell is going on?'
"Edward, please. Tell us what has happened." Esme encouraged warmly and all eyes turned to the mind reader.
"We were in the parking lot and a van hit the ice wrong and slid into Bella, it would have killed her!" he informed, as though he was desperately attempting to make them understand his point, after some glance exchanges, Esme continued.
"Did anybody see you?"
"Only Bella and I can convince her that it was just because she hit her head" Edward assured calmly, though there was a certain storm in his eyes- a storm that told them he didn't want to lie to her, he wanted to tell her the truth and that was the most deadly thing.
"But that is not the point of this, Edward. You are already getting too close to her, she is going to find out and then what? What is your plan, to live out your life peacefully with her? We don't get that luxury Ed" Rosalie implored, her sharp words softening throughout and it became clear that although she was doing this to protect the whole family- she truly was also doing it for him, there were not very many varieties of the situation in which it ended well for this new girl. "If you keep speaking to her, she is going to find out."
"Is it worth it, Edward?" a surprising voice questioned and they all turned around to Simon who smiled gently in response. "Is it worth it? Is she worth it?"
"I don't know" the mind reader breathed. "I don't want to ruin her life, why would I want that? But I cannot help it, I just feel so drawn to her."
"I think we all know a little something about that" Simon smiled, his eyes unconsciously shifting over to Esme who looked down with a shy smile, she was positively glowing with excitement. "What you should do is wait, speak to her a little bit, find out if she is worth it, Ed. And then you can decide what to do" Simon shrugged, everyone quietening as they considered the advice. Rosalie wasn't completely sold on the idea but even she knew that it meant a lot to her brother and so she wasn't about to stand in the way of that. One thing was for certain though- things were changing for the Cullen family as a whole.
Carlisle sighed, running his hands down his thighs in something of a stressed gesture and Hero had a look of contemplation on her face. Gently, she looked up at Edward- the mind reader smiling at her in encouragement even though he himself was experiencing his own stress. In an act of confidence, Hero placed her hand over his where it rested on his knee and closed her fingers over the back of it- startling him to look up at her small uncertain smile.
"Walk with me?" she asked gently, looking him intently in the eyes and Carlisle analysed her expression for a short moment before smiling and nodding, allowing her to pull him up. When they ventured out into the forest- he still wore his doctor's coat and that oddly seemed like something of a milestone; they weren't oblivious to the stares they received from the family.
