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Everyone headed to their rooms for the night, but not until they reassured Summer that they didn’t blame her for Aro’s suspicions. “Thank you everyone. You all are show more compassion towards me than I actually deserve.” “Absolutely not!” Alice quickly protested. She danced her way over to Summer and gave her an ample, empathetic hug, “Good night, Summer. It was so wonderful to meet you and your daughter.” Summer return Alice’s embrace with a squeeze, “And I’ll never forget meeting your family and your spunky, sweet self, Alice. Take care, honey.” Esme, who was still rocking sleeping Chloe in her arms, gave her husband a pleading gaze. Carlisle hesitated; he knew what she wanted, but what would everyone else think of it? Summer wasn’t to blame, but Aro was tracking her nonetheless. He contemplated for a moment whether it was safe or not. “Summer, if you would do us the honor, stay tonight with us. It’s late and Chloe has already drifted off to sleep.” Summer was both shocked and confused. She stared at Carlisle, bewildered. “You can’t be serious, Carlisle.” “I agree,” Alice interjected, “Summer and Chloe should stay the night with us. She must be exhausted.” Summer shook her head, “Really, I’m fine. I’ll find a motel or something in no time.” “She’s right, she can find someplace to stay on her own.” Edward said over his shoulder as he led Bella upstairs by the hand. She jerked his arm, and politely grinned at him, “Edward, darling…please, shut up.” Why was Edward so rude towards Summer, Bella wondered. She wasn’t intentionally placing their lives in danger; it’s Aro who was plotting it all. Leaving Edward stunned, Bella hopped down the staircase and flitted back into the living room. “I agree with Carlisle. Summer, stay. It’s already two-thirty a.m..” Summer stared at the floor in deep thought. Would she be threatening the lives of her close friends? Well, probably not. It was just for one night, “All right, fine. One night, but that’s all.” “Yay!” shouted Alice and Bella simultaneously. I wasn’t always this excited over things, Bella thought, but all my time spent with Alice has made me a spirited persuader like herself. Bella rolled her eyes for thinking that, but whatever. At least Summer would remain safe and well-kept tonight, and that was all that truly mattered when everything else simmered away. Esme placed the little dreaming angel she was holding in Summer’s hands, “Good night sweetheart,” Esme delicately kissed Summer’s forehead, “Carlisle will show you where our room is. We’ll stay downstairs for the night.” Summer’s eyes widened, “Esme, no, I couldn’t possibly—“
“Oh contraire, my dear,” Carlisle refuted, already ushering her up the winding staircase by the waist, “We don’t need to sleep.” Summer sighed, “I’ll never be able to pay you back for all this, Carlisle. Look at the mess I’ve put you and your family in!” Her tone sounded defeated. Carlisle ignored her until he stopped outside the room door, “Summer,” he titled her chin upwards with his paled finger and deeply focused on her radiant golden eyes, “none of this is your fault. You did the best thing you possibly could for you daughter, and I’m positive you’ve taught Aro a much-needed lesson. Because of you, he’ll respect the fact that your daughter needs the freedom of choice as well. He may come to respect human life a little more because of you, too.” Summer didn’t believe any of Carlisle’s words were true, but she smiled sweetly at him anyways. “Thank you so very much, Carlisle, for taking such good care of us. I’m praying sincerely that this will all work out for the best, especially for you all.” “I’m almost certain it will. You’ll find clean blankets and sheets in the cupboard there for your use. Have a good night, Summer.” Summer walked into the luxuriously decorated bedroom and beamed back at Carlisle, “Same to you, Carlisle.” He shut the door on his way out to give her some privacy. She set her things down in the corner and tucked her daughter in bed, gently planting a few kisses on her fair, round face, “Good night my sleeping beauty,” she whispered into her daughter’s ear, “Daddy won’t find us until he’s learned to fully respect you. And we’ll teach him some respect, one way or the other.”
“I don’t like her being here. She’s caused enough trouble as it is. Imagine, she’s practically THREATENED your life! Not to mention the life of my family. I really do wonder at times whether Carlisle isn’t the first mentally idiotic vampire in history.” Bella laid her head on Edward’s chest and listened to him complain about Summer. “Edward, you really should cut the girl some slack. She’s doing the best thing she can for her daughter. You know all too well how Aro can be.” Bella shuddered when she remembered how subtle yet controlling Aro was when they were at the hands of his mercy. It seemed as though he was the most considerate person in the world, but his red eyes would remind you that he was a menace. Edward felt Bella shudder and tense up. He drew her in closely to him and kissed her smooth brown hair, “I do know how Aro can be, love. Please don’t trouble yourself with those horrid thoughts. Summer won’t have a chance to get away with such things as he does.” “Just because she’s married to him doesn’t make her Aro. Her character’s the farthest thing away from his. She has full respect for anyone’s life, including vampires, and she’s really considerate. She’s almost a replica of Alice, Edward. Could you ever see Alice siding with the Volturi in anything, even if she was married to one of the elders?” Edward troubled eyes met Bella’s. He stroked her cheek, his expression never changing. He let out a sigh, “I suppose you’re correct. I am being a bit…austere. But let’s forget this subject now, sweetheart. You need to sleep.” Bella gazed at him affectionately, running her fingers down the back of his neck, “Thank you.” “For?” “For loving me and for giving Summer a chance.” Edward smirked, “The first is always and will always be the easiest thing for me to do, Bella Swan. Never forget I said that.” He moved closer towards her until finally their lips touched, like ice to fire, except both of their hearts melted for each other.
Sunlight slipped through the blinds in the bedroom while morning dawned upon the Cullen household. “Mama, wake up, wake up.” Chloe’s musical, high toned voice broke the silence of the sunrise. She tapped on her mother’s cheek with her fragile hand in attempt to wake her, but she instantly became frustrated when she realized her attempts were fruitless. She crossed her arms and pouted her biggest pout. Rosalie heard Chloe trying to wake up her mother, so she noiselessly opened the bedroom door and gleamed when she laid her eyes on adorably pouting Chloe. Chloe saw Rosalie out of the corner of her eye and clapped her hands happily. Rosalie dashed her way over to where Chloe sat on the bed, “Shh, little one. We mustn’t disturb your mommy; she’s tired.” She lifted Chloe into her arms and set off toward the bathroom to help Chloe get ready for the morning. Summer awoke about ten minutes later, a little shocked at first to see her baby girl gone. She sat up quickly and nearly flew out of the room, but she heard, both mentally and physically, Rosalie in the bathroom helping Chloe brush her hair. Summer quickly changed out of her nightgown, ran a comb through her silky curls, and packed away everything she had taken out from her bag. She stepped out into the hallway as soon as she heard the pitter-patter of her daughter’s teeny feet. “MAMA! You woke up, you woke up!” Chloe sang out with giggles in her voice. Summer stooped down and opened her arms up wide to Chloe. Chloe leaped into her mother’s arms and held her mother’s face between her hands, “Mama, you are a sound sleeper.” Both Rosalie and Summer threw their heads back in laughter, “Yes, yes I am darling. That’s why I have you as an alarm clock.” She hugged her daughter tightly, “Thank you for taking care of her this morning Rosalie. You even put on the dress I was going to put on her.” Rosalie smiled and patted Summer’s back, “It was no trouble at all.”
The three of them headed down the steps and found everyone else sprawled out around various parts of the house. Bella was sitting on the piano bench next to Edward and read, while Edward was playing some bewitching melodies. Alice was playing a game of chess against Jasper. Emmett was watching a soccer match. Carlisle was reading through the daily newspaper on a sofa, and Esme sat next to Carlisle, reading like Bella. “Well, well, well,” Alice check-mated Jasper before she hopped onto her feet to greet Summer and Chloe, “it looks like the two sleeping beauties have finally decided to awaken without a kiss from the prince.” “Good morning, Alice.” Summer shot a smile at her friend. Alice kissed her on the cheek, “Morning, sweet pea.” “Morning, Alice!” Chloe grinned innocently at Alice with an outstretched hand, “Awwww, well good morning, sunshine!” Alice took Chloe’s hand in hers and kissed it five times over. “Mommy?” Chloe looked back at her mother with a thoughtful expression, “What is it, sweets?” “Where’s daddy?” No one stopped what they were doing, but everyone looked up at Summer, intent to know how she was going to respond. The question outrageously traumatized her. Chloe hadn’t asked about daddy for weeks, and now she was in a room full of other people who could hear her response. “Um, he’s still in Italy, darling. Why?” Chloe looked down at the exquisite heart-shaped pendant her mother wore around her neck; Aro had given it to Summer just before he proposed to her. “I miss him.” Summer felt the tears welling up in her eyes, “I know, honey. I miss him too. But, we’ll see him again…sometime.” “I hope so.” Chloe’s voice was also filled with sadness and tears. Alice tried her best to break the depressing mood, “Maybe we should go do some hunting. Jazz and I will be more than willing to accompany you, Summer.” Summer looked up at Alice and faintly smiled, “Sounds like a good plan to me.” Jasper was at Alice’s side in less than a second, “Absolutely, I would be delighted to join you.” “Emmett and I will join you all also.” Rosalie called from the top of the staircase. “Wait! There’s like, only ten more minutes left in the game!” Emmett whined childishly. Rosalie gave him a piercing stare. “Carlisle, tell me the score when we get back.” Carlisle glanced at the TV and back down to his newspaper, “Of course, Emmett.” “Edward,” Alice called from across her shoulder, “would you like to come.” “Go on without me, Alice,” Edward replied in a faded whisper, “I hunted two days ago.” “Okay then.” The group set out running deep into the creature filled forest.
“May I run too, mommy?” Summer stopped in her tracks, “I don’t know about that sweetheart. It’s not very safe.” “Rosalie and I will keep her near us so you can hunt, Summer.” Alice cordially offered, “You need to hunt more than any of us.” “Are you sure you wouldn’t mind, Alice? She can be a handful at times.” “Don’t worry about us at all. We’ll be more than able to help her.” Summer was reluctant. “Oh, silly, c’mon, go already!” Summer giggled softly, “Okay. Thank you very much, Alice. Chloe, be a good girl and let Alice and Rosalie help you hunt, all right?” Chloe beamed her usually cutesy smile, “Yes, mommy.” Summer pecked her daughter on the cheek and sped off to a denser part of the forest. She still, however, made sure to stay somewhat close by the Cullens, just in case. She managed to track down a rather sizeable male deer with ease, since all she had to do was stun it. Within five minutes, Summer had taken down a small herd of deer. Satisfied, she thought it best to meet up with the rest of the group once again. She was on her way north where Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Chloe had ran, but something caused her to stop short. She took a defensive stance, eyeing the territory around her. She could hear swift, rapid movement, though to humans, all would have remained quiet. Immediately, Summer sprinted to the location of her daughter, reaching her in a matter of seconds. The Cullens were bewildered to see her show up so hurriedly. “Summer, what on earth is going on?” Alice insisted. Summer grabbed up her small child into her arms and retained her defensive stance. Alice grabbed her by the shoulder and stared into Summer’s stressed, agitated eyes. “Summer, did you see something?” Jasper inquired warily. “Yes…” she cautiously whispered, “we’re being watched.”
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