(retroactive)

[her_imperial_radiance]

It is after the very first Bellparty.

"Dad never comes to these," Elspeth tells her grandma. "Too many strange Bells. If there were strange Edwards, Mama might have trouble with them too, but there aren't so far. But I can reintroduce you now, if you'd like."

Comments

[prima_sequentem]

"I take full credit for this near-total accident."

[alicornucopia]

"What would you have done, if it hadn't been Carlisle? I'm not sure why anyone else would have been here, but it wouldn't be unheard of. Alice came from a hospital that had a vampire working at it, albeit not one dedicated to treating the flu."

[prima_sequentem]

"Not an easy question to answer, without knowing who the other vampire is and what might motivate them."

Because motivating them to save Edward's life would definitely have been on the agenda.

[alicornucopia]

"Alas, I have no examples ready to hand. The one in Alice's hospital was studying her witchcraft, which does not apply."

[prima_sequentem]

She shrugs. "I would've found out how to get them to, anyway. Carlisle was easy; if you poked him with something sharp, altruism would pour out. Metaphorically speaking. I understand you folks are pretty much impervious to sharp objects and there's not much pouring going on when you aren't."

[alicornucopia]

"Quite impervious, not particularly liquid," agrees Edward. "He did require prompting, though. I was the first person he turned, and he'd had prior chances. He wasn't sure it was right to do that to someone. I wasn't either, for a long time. Bella, of course, could convince me that the sun was blue and the sky yellow."

[prima_sequentem]

"But he didn't exactly take much of a push once I put the idea in his head. Convenient, that."

[alicornucopia]

"He'd recently met Esme. And managed to leave her where she was. He was intensely lonely," says Edward softly.

[prima_sequentem]

"Lucky for him he managed to scoop her up again later."

[alicornucopia]

"Very. Occasionally I wonder if he would have eventually broken and gone looking and I'm not sure. I tried to go away from Bella, once, when I was afraid I'd snap and drink her blood; I lasted less than a week. Carlisle didn't have that concern to hold him back and he managed, for years, until a sheer coincidence put her in his path."

[prima_sequentem]

"I say again: if you poked him with a sharp object..."

[alicornucopia]

"I'm not going to disagree with you," laughs Edward. "I admire him intensely."

[prima_sequentem]

"I can tell."

[alicornucopia]

There's a silence.

"I think I will ask Bella for that wish," he says. "I don't believe I'll get everything all at once the way she did, though. A little slower."

[prima_sequentem]

"Okay."

Lizzie is pleased.

[alicornucopia]

Edward smiles.

"Carlisle's just left off work for the day. Now would be a fine time to catch him if you'd like to speak to him sooner rather than later."

[prima_sequentem]

"I think that's a great idea."

[alicornucopia]

Edward nods, and tilts his head by way of signaling that he's "on the phone".

Presently there is a polite knock at the door.

[prima_sequentem]

Lizzie answers it.

[alicornucopia]

There stands Carlisle, smiling kindly. "It's good to see you again," he says.

[prima_sequentem]

"Likewise. C'mon in."

[alicornucopia]

In he comes. "What have you been talking about?"

"You, among other things," says Edward. "You are not obliged to relinquish parental claim on me."

[prima_sequentem]

She doesn't have quite a good enough read on Carlisle to decide whether or not he would be amused by all the commentary about sharp objects, so she doesn't volunteer it.

[alicornucopia]

"She's also as impressed with your character as everyone else is," says Edward.

"That's very kind of you," Carlisle tells her modestly.

[prima_sequentem]

She grins.

"I notice that sort of thing."

(And is now amusing herself imagining Carlisle with a cute little halo.)