Chapter 2
When they reach the house, the scent of the others inside makes the woman pull back.
"I don't like it," the woman says, and the crease on her brow says she doesn't know why. Rosalie could guess that the scent of unfamiliar vampires would have her hackles up.
Edyth opens the front door, but doesn't venture out. She looks disgusted. "What did you do?" She asks sharply.
Rosalie scoffs at her, but the growl that rips out of the curly-haired woman's throat makes her shush her. "It's alright. That's my sister."
The newborn frowns, as though pensive. "Must take after your plainer parent," she says. Rosalie is incredibly accustomed to being the prettiest, she's heard every variation of how appreciative the world was of her looks. But hearing it from this woman meant more – and a comment at Edyth's expense never hurt either.
Edyth sneers, and turns her head. "She's brought a hobo!" Carine steps out, in his brown trousers and carefully perched glasses, and watches as the newborn stiffens.
"I am not!" The woman snaps, and she comes marching up to the front door with the mismanaged speed of a fledging. Rosalie sees Carine tense and Esme appears beside them, her expression worried. Rosalie follows her and it all happens in a moment – as the woman's foot goes right through one of the porch steps. The splintered wood under her feet distracts her, and the newborn looks down at it, dismayed. "Oh – I'll fix that," she promises quickly, and glances around the house, no doubt growing fretful of the neat splendor. "Um, I'm good with repairs," she mutters, as Rosalie takes her elbow.
"It's no matter," Rosalie assures her, smiling gently and watches as the woman looks at her with instant adoration.
"Be careful," Carine says, his gaze on Rosalie. Rosalie glances at him, but refuses to reply to the suggestion.
Esme steps up to the door, all unfaltering and open surprise.
"What's this?" she asks, looking to Rosalie when Edyth points accusingly at her, though Esme reaches over and pats at Edyth's hand for her to lower it.
Rosalie tightens her grip on the woman's elbow, in case she felt skittish. But the woman only places her own hand over hers and keeps it.
"I found her." Rosalie says, feeling defensive. She wouldn't let the others take what was hers. She was more than capable of defending her territory. Though she was mildly nervous, that she had led some vampire to them that would come looking for their protégé. "I'll keep her with me."
"What?" Edyth snaps, looking confused and irritated
Esme's eyebrows go up, and her sweet face grows slightly amused. "And who is she?" she presses.
Rosalie blinks as though startled with herself – and she was. "Oh! I'm not sure," Rosalie admitted, and turns to the woman, who perks up under Rosalie's gaze.
"Eli McCarty!" She announces eagerly, taking Rosalie's hand on her elbow and lifting her fingers to her mouth. Rosalie titters as the woman's mouth brushes over her knuckles, thoroughly charmed. She scowls as Edyth clears her throat loudly. But it brings back Eli's attention. "The full name's Eleanor, I suppose," she adds to the three crowding the door.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Eli," Esme says warmly. "This is Edyth Mason, and I'm Esme. My wife Carine," she says, laying a hand on each of the other woman in turn.
Eli mutters a hello, and turns back to Rosalie.
"They're my family," Rosalie tells her, and mentions for Edyth to move aside.
They all congregate in the living room, their speed assuring that they shift in the same direction simultaneously, though Eli ends up startled again at the smooth movement, though she follows just as seamlessly.
"Welcome to our home," Carine says diplomatically, but casts a curious glance to Rosalie, who doesn't move from Eli's side. Eli murmurs the word 'lovely' and looks at them all with glowing red eyes. Underneath her scent, like a quiet current, was the smell of her human blood, still in her body. She was hours old, at best.
Carine frowns, and both Esme and Edyth exchange a worried look.
Rosalie pets Em's hand, who can sense the feeling in the room and looks worried. "I found her like this – she'd been in the dirt." Rosalie said defensively. She takes tugs on Em's hand. "What do you remember, from before I came to you?"
"I was very lonely," Eli began, a cheeky smile to Rosalie as the blonde squeezes her hand. Not anymore. Eli glanced at the others, and frowned, as though scrounging in the remnants of her human mind to remember her last moments. "I had to finish trapping – not many jobs around," she explains, brow furrowed. "There was something out there – no, someone … there was someone out there," Eli looked down at her unblemished, glittering forearm. "like … that." The hand not holding Rose's splayed against her own chest. "This, I suppose. Threw me to the ground like anything, it hurt … but it didn't hurt forever; I managed to get up, and there you were, angel." Eli smiles at her again, and Rose feels something that had been unruffled now settling in her chest.
Carine hums aloud "… If they'd had their fill, or something distracted them … perhaps they had over-estimated their capacity. Fed from a few others before her and lost interest. If they had the intention of making her – they would have stayed."
"It doesn't matter – she's mine," Rosalie is quick to snap, feeling a terrible prickle down her spine at the idea of being separated from Eli. She had no one else - it was obvious Rosalie had to keep her.
Eli nods amicably. "That I am, angel," she assures her, but then she frowns, looking out the large window to their equally large yard. "Well, as long as I can be. I'll have to be heading home, sooner or later."
Esme smiles, shaking her head just slightly. "Oh, not at all, dear," her tone pleasant, but regretful.
Eli inclines her head. "I'm sorry for it," she says, turning to Rosalie with a charming grin, "but my family would love to meet you."
Rosalie shares a troubled look with Esme as Edyth visibly begins to screw up her face into a wince, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "I wish they could," she attempts to sooth her.
"But they will!" Eli nods and begins to head to the door, with the blindingly fast newborn speed nobody can twitch a finger to stop her. "I'll take my leave now," she passes the mirror in the entrance, and, caught in the light, the shimmer of her skin makes her stop and stare. Rosalie exchanges a worried look with Carine, who raises a had to keep her from going up to the transfixed woman. "… But I'll be back as soon as anything …" she murmurs faintly, brows drawn together as she stares at her reflection. She cocked her head to one side – she looked like a dog hearing a high-pitched noise.
Edyth purses her lips, looking almost annoyed, until she pushes her mouth upwards for just a moment – obviously fighting a wry smile. "She doesn't even recognize herself," she murmured to the others.
Carine steps up, making sure to move at only a slightly-faster-than-human pace to the dumbstruck woman at the door. "Eli … we know how hard it is to say goodbye," he says consolingly, "we have all had to do it too – but we'll be very glad to have you."
Eli looks at Carine with big red eyes and growing dismay. "… All they'll find is my broken knife, and a few of those rabbits …" Eli says, her voice tight as she blinked quickly, only for a furrow to appear on her brow. "Ma always said god at least gave her the mercy of giving her babies a last kiss good-bye before they were buried," she says her breath hitches with tears she'll never shed and Carine puts a hand on her shoulder. "I won't get one."