Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Ok and what is this?”

“It’s a Ranunculus!”

“Muy bueno, mi amor! You’re getting smarter and smarter every day!” Alma said as she put the flower in her basket, Mirabel giggling.

“No one is smarter than you Abuela!”

“I’m afraid you have me beat, mi amor. You’re in 2^nd grade at 6 years old!”

“So—I got my smartness from you!”

“Of course you did!” Alma said pressing a kiss to her granddaughter’s face.

“you’re going to do big things, Mirabel,” Alma said as she pushed her glasses up.

Mirabel.

Mirabel.

“Mirabel!”

Her eyes snapped open, her heart rate increasing a bit though she kept her posture hunched.

“¡Juro niña que tienes que escucharme!”

She rolled her eyes. Agustin can go suck it.

She turned to the greenery and glared at it. It reminded her of the old times. Just her and her abuela. Tending to the garden and playing with the soil.

“Mirabel!”

“What?!” she snapped. She was already boiling over and the two people in the front seat her making her life more of a living hell.

“Don’t raise your voice at me!”

“I don’t care, Agustin. Leave me alone!” she said, falling into her seat and glaring at him.

“I swear this attitude of yours better stop young lady,” Agustin said as he glared back at her. She just rolled her eyes, and it made him angry.

“Do you want to walk?”

“Sure. Let me the fuck off,” she said, taking off her seat belt.

“Mirabel put the seatbelt back on. Agustin—”

“Just let her walk,” Isabela said from where she lay on the back seat.

“Just shut the fuck up,” Mirabel said back before Agustin pulled over on the road.

They were 2 hours out from Forks, and she was getting annoyed being in the same car with three of the most incompetent people she knew.

“Get out.”

“Gladly,” Mirabel said, getting out of the car and walking.

Julieta was calling her name as she walked forward, not even paying attention to them as the three called for her.

Yes, she had her petty incidents, but this was the first time she walked out.

If she could have, she would’ve jumped out of the moving vehicle thousands of miles back just because she felt like it.

The car pulled up beside her.

“Mirabel…get in.”

“Sorry, can’t hear you over the sound of the beautiful fucking nature around me,” she said, choosing to ignore Julieta.

“Bitch just get in.”

“bitch just shut up,” she retorted as she kept walking.

“Mirabel—”

“go on and drive to Forks. You all wanted to be here. I’m just the mistake madrigal anyways,” she said, pulling her hood over her head.

“It's not like you’d care if I had gotten eaten anyway” she mumbled.

“Mirabel just get in the car damn it!” Agustin said, getting frustrated with her just as it started pouring. At least she wasn’t running away.

Something she tried to do multiple times since day one of their journey from New York to Washington. He was getting fed up with her.

“Mirabel, what would your abuela say—”

“Don’t” she hissed out as she walked through the rain, coming towards a dead end. She groaned. The car lights illuminated her shadow as she looked up at the sky.

“why me?” she pleaded softly.

Suddenly a rough arm grabbed her and dragged her. She kicked and bit, getting tossed to the ground before she got kicked in the stomach, momentarily knocking the air out of her.

“be grateful we wanted you.”

“Bullshit,” she spit out just as Isabela kicked her again.

“Isabela stop!”

“Just get in the damn car and put on your headphones. When we get there I don’t give a fuck about what you do just stay out of my way,” she spit out, grabbing Mirabel by the hood and throwing her in the car.

Julieta tried to touch her, but Mirabel growled softly at her.

“Don’t touch me,” she barked before slamming her headphones over her ears.

It was just 2 hours. She watched the trees and rain, not even touching the McDonald’s Julieta tried to push towards her. The nuggets were probably cold and soggy now.

She rolled her eyes at the sign that welcomed them into their new home for the next couple of years.

Seriously why did Isabela have to accept a job in Washington of all places? Why didn’t she just move into an apartment of her own?

Why did she have to move from New York to stay with her stepsister?

 She was happy in her abuela’s home which always smelled like bunuelos and café. That was the only place where she felt loved and secure.

Julieta and Agustin should have just left her.

But she was only 15…her opinion and feelings never mattered.

Her life was impossible.

The Rojas truly won in breaking her down.

She’s glad she got to keep the madrigal last name. Was it because Agustin didn’t want her to share his last name? Maybe. She couldn’t care less.

Madrigal kept her close to her abuela. She was the only family she had.

She glared at the home when they got out, her hair getting drenched in water before a hand landed on her shoulder, roughly gripping the appendage.

“This is a new start. I HOPE you begin to respect us as your parents and elders,” Agustin said through gritted teeth.

“Respect is a two-way street. It’s pretty hard to respect you when you hate my existence, Agustin. I doubt that we’ll ever get along,” she said snappily as the pressure increased.

Great. Another bruise.

“Don’t test me, Mirabel. The only reason you’re here is because Julieta wouldn’t leave you without you.”

“She acts like I need her.”

“Watch it,” Agustin said, grabbing her arms and turning her to him, glaring right at her.

“You will obey everything we ask you to do and don’t even try to run away,” he said sharply.

She smiled fakely in his face.

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Father,” she said, spitting out the word with so much venom as she shouldered him off and marched up the stairs.

She hated her life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Correction…she hated the rain much more.

She took the bus to school, her dead eyes making others avoid her at all costs. She arrived, drenched in rain, and headed into the office to get her class schedule.

Another girl with bronzy brown hair was also in there though she seemed to stiffen when Mirabel walked into the room.

Whatever.

“Hi. I’m a transfer student. Mirabel.”

The woman had a kind face as she searched through the computer.

“Ahh Miss Madrigal. We are so happy to have you here.”

“Can you be less cheerful?” Mirabel thought as the woman printed out the schedule.

“I have to say honey. Who do you get your smartness from? You tested into upper grade,” she asked as Mirabel took the paper.

She smiled sadly.

“My grandmother. She was the smartest person I know.”

“I bet she’s very proud of you. Your first period should start in about 10 minutes, sweetheart. Do you need someone to guide you?”

Before she could reject the bronzy girl stepped forward and smiled.

“I can do it, Mrs. Williams. I happen to have a peer tutor hour.”

“Amazing. Thank you. Mirabel, this is one of our senior students, Renesmee Cullen. Renesmee, this is Mirabel madrigal. She transferred from Rochester, New York,” she said, Mirabel biting her tongue.

“Oh that’s—”
“I’m sorry but where are the bathrooms?” she asked. It caught them off guard before the secretary pointed out the front door, Mirabel took off to get away from everything. She slammed her bag onto the sink counter and washed her face with cold water.

8 hours. She had to make it for 8 hours.

She grabbed her schedule and looked at the class she had.

Ok. AP Calculus was first. Then AP US history, French, gym, AP biology, and then music. That seemed ok.

She sighed before she grabbed her bag and walked out.

“hi!”

“AHH!” she yelled, grabbing her bag.

“Oh my gosh. I am so sorry. Here let me help you,” the bronzy-haired girl said.

“It’s fine,” Mirabel said as she picked up her things quickly.

“You ran out of there quickly. I was afraid you left campus.”

“Well, I wasted 45 minutes of my morning trying to get here. I doubt another 45 would make me feel better,” she said sarcastically, making Renesmee laugh.

“I know you heard my name, but I wanted to personally introduce myself. I’m Renesmee,” she said, sticking out her hand.

Mirabel looked at it with a raised brow.

“you’re supposed to shake my hand,” she said softly.

“I don’t need to shake your hand. I’m not planning on making acquaintances here,” Mirabel said, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

The girl pursed her lips and dropped her hand.

“So…what’s your first class?”

“Where’s building 5?” she asked quickly wanting to escape.

“It would be that way,” she said pointing. When she turned back around, Mirabel was already gone.Heyy, wait up!”

Mirabel ignored her as she pushed open the door to get to her class.

“Is your first-class math? I heard tested into upper grade at only 15! You must be very smart,” Renesmee said as she matched her footfalls.

‘My goodness, can’t she leave me alone?’

Maybe we have classes together. We can be partners—”

Mirabel slammed the door in front of her harshly, scaring the girl.

“Like I said, I am not here to make acquaintances. I don’t want to remember your name or know what you want to do after high school. I don’t care. So please find someone else to bother,” she said in a cold tone before she swung the door open and walked into the building.

The entire morning after was a blur. She hated introducing herself multiple times. It wasn’t like she was going to make an impression or make friends.

She wanted to graduate high school and go back to Rochester. Hopefully, her abuela would take her in.

She hated this.

But she hated the rain more. How dare it do something she can’t?

How can the sky cry when her eyes have long dried?

She skipped lunch and just walked outside with her headphones in, listening to that Lauren Daigle song her abuela loved. The weather let up for a bit…the sky was still sad but not crying.

Suddenly her phone buzzed.

Her eyes lit up.

“Abuela!”

“Hola mija! It’s so good to hear your voice again!”

“Abuela we spoke last week,” she said teasingly.

“a week too long! Ayy mi nina. How is everything? Are you ok?”

She sucked in a breath. No. No, she wasn’t ok.

“I’m ok abuela. Just…it’s different.”

“I know, mi amor. But you have to try. I know how hard it is and how Julieta is so easily manipulated but please be strong. Sigue adelante para que puedas volver a casa.”

That made her heart a little lighter.

“I promise I will.”

“Now…any new friends?”

Great the mood came back.

“Just one girl…abuela I don’t want to make friends…it doesn’t feel right—”

“Now listen Mirabel. You can’t let the bad take over your life. Mija, make friends. Live the high school life---without getting drunk,” she said sternly making Mirabel laugh.

“I promise abuela, I’m not the type to do that.”

“I know you aren’t. Oh, Dolores is here! Please mija, make friends. I want to hear all the good things. Te quiero, Mirabel.”

“I—I will try. Te quiero mucho, Abuela,” she said softly before the call hung up. She closed her eyes and swallowed heavily.

She heard the bell ring, and she walked back to the buildings, getting ready for AP Biology. She adjusted her strap before walking into the classroom, plopping down onto an empty workbench as she stared at the syllabus.

The sounds of a body sitting in the chair next to her caught her attention. She tried not to look up before she saw it.

There in her peripheral vision slid towards her was a red apple.

She blinked.

“You skipped lunch. So, I got you an apple,” Renesmee’s soft voice said. Mirabel felt her breath catch in her throat.

Please, mija. Make friends.

“Thanks” Mirabel said softly and took the apple, placing it next to her pencil case.

They sat in silence before she also passed her a box.

“I really want to be your friend.”

Mirabel looked at the label on the box and pushed it back.

“do you usually try to buy your friends?”

“no. Everyone wants to be friends with me because of my family.”

“that’s pretty sad,” Mirabel said without thinking. She flushed and it made Renesmee laugh.

“Yeah, it is.”

“you have other people you know? Maybe I’m just not worth it.”

“you’re right about other people…but something is mesmerizing about you that makes it totally worth it,” she said, catching Mirabel off guard.

“What?”

“you intrigue me, Miri…can I call you Miri?”

“It’s a bit perky,” Mirabel answered as Renesmee clapped.

“I know! You can call me Nessie!”

“I would rather much call you Cullen. We’re not friends.”

“not yet,” she sang just as the teacher came in.

What an odd thing to say.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They weren’t the best of friends Renesmee wanted them to be but that didn’t stop her. Mirabel learned a lot of things about Renesmee Cullen in the first month of school.

1. She was very playful.

It always caught Mirabel off guard when she sang the nickname, Miri, almost as if she was trying to write a lullaby.

It was too cheery.

She loved to mess with Mirabel. She cracked jokes, trying to make her laugh or trying to embrace her. She even tried to tickle her at one point.

It made Mirabel a bit uncomfortable.

She also tries to scare the girl playfully but is disappointed whenshe'ss met with Mirabel’s deadpanned face. She never cracked a smile…not once…the gloomy weather didn’t deserve her smile.

2. She was too curious

She loved to pry you open like a can of soda, asking question after question.

She tried to interrogate Mirabel who gave vague answers most of the time. She was trying…she was but she didn’t know how to make friends now that her world was turned upside down.

Mirabel clearly remembers the day she came to school with bruises on her wrists from where Agustin had grabbed her harshly when she refused to go to an event at his company, dragging her against her will.

Renesmee had caught sight of the purple and immediately started asking questions. Every time she tried to change the subject; Renesmee just circled it back to the bruises.

“I find it fascinating that you’re just following someone 2 years younger around like a lost puppy.”

“you want to know what I find fascinating?”

“What?”

“the color of your bruises. They’re bright purple. Are they fresh?”

3. Her family was pretty famous in the city of Forks.

The Cullen family was a well-known, prestigious family. Doctors, architects, businesswomen and designers….it was a huge thing.

Getting to know the Cullens was like getting to know royalty. To others at least.

Mirabel couldn't care less.

It’s not like she’ll ever meet the family.

Everyone knew the Cullens…she means everyone.

So, imagine her surprise when she gets surrounded by a group of girls asking how she became friends with Renesmee Cullen.

“We’re not friends. She just follows me around for some reason.”

She was at the top of the school’s hierarchy and well…to them Mirabel was the lowest level there was. It felt impossible for someone like her to be friends with someone like Renesmee.

But whenever it came to wanting to let go…Renesmee wouldn’t have it. She would latch harder, and get too protective of her…which was odd….

Wait...she did just growl?

This was getting weirder and weirder.

4. Her family was Hella rich…. like worth billions of dollars rich

Mirabel lived a modest life with her abuela. Julieta and Agustin loved to spoil Isabela and Luisa with the newest things.

New iPhone. New Apple watches and MacBooks. $300 shoes and clothes that probably cost as much as a whole Apple kit.

The most expensive thing Mirabel probably owned was the platinum chain that carried a small M initial and a platinum engagement ring…something her abuela had given to her.

When she turned fifteen, Dolores had given her the lightly decorated chain after she got paid for her job. Right before going to bed, her abuela had given ther the engagement ring her abuelo had proposed. It was delicate. Beautiful.

So yes…Renesmee was hella rich and she made it clear on accident on the multiple occasions she tried to give her gifts…which led to the last thing on her list of ‘Things to remember about Renesmee Cullen”

5. She tries to buy Mirabel’s friendship.

Don’t get her wrong. It felt a bit nice to see that someone wanted to be her friend, but she didn’t expect the expensive things.

Designer sweaters. Scarves. Leather-bound books with golden plates. Silver or gold jewelry.

Just thinking about it made her want to bang her head against her locker.

Renesmee was trying hard and while Mirabel appreciated her dedication…all of the expensive gifts were getting on her nerves.

She isn’t Isabela. She doesn’t chase after money like Agustin. She did hate seeing the dejected look on Renesmee’s face each time she gave her back the gift.

She just…it didn’t fit well with her.

She also couldn’t just walk into the Rojas’ home with expensive gifts and get forced to give them to her brat of a stepsister because what Isabela wants, Isabela gets…blah blah blah.

Was she making it hard?

Maybe a little but that wasn’t the point.

Renesmee proved that she could be loyal…but she doesn’t see that Mirabel isn’t like everyone else. She was alone…but never lonely. She was tough…but also empathetic. She was bold, sassy, and confident especially when she joined the performance team…but she was also a good listener, a shoulder to cry on, and a good advice giver.

She dressed humbly, and fed the stray cat that visited every so often. A dusting of pink would cover her cheeks when she was embarrassed…she was shy half of the time…she was smart…she was…just Mirabel.

Expensive brands didn’t call her as they called Isabela. Money didn’t matter to her like Agustin. Everyone’s approval and praise weren’t something she strived for like Julieta.

She just wants to be unapologetically her…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Renesmee sat at the coffee table in the living room, gently weaving a bracelet with Jacob helping her. It was a tedious task, but she had to make this perfect.

This was for her best friend (though she won’t tell Mirabel that) and her best friend deserved the best.

The family had just come back from hunting…she could pick up the scent of blood from them as Jacob helped her knot the first braid she finished.

“Hey, love bug. whatcha doing?” Alice asked as she plopped down near Jacob.

“Making a bracelet,” she said as she started the next braid.

“What for?” Jasper asked, wrapping his arm around Alice.

“My best friend.”

“She said she wouldn’t be your friend yet, Nessie,” Jacob said as he corrected the braid.

“Who is this girl? She sounds like a brat,” Rosalie said, Esme gently flicking the back of her head.

“Be nice.”

“Mirabel is not a brat! She’s the kindest person I know! She’s just angry,” Renesmee said, defending her best friend as she glared at Rosalie before going back to her bracelet.

“Is this the same girl who is refusing the gifts?” Bella asked as she sat behind her daughter.

“Yes. I have it all figured out. I assumed she would take the gifts, but she doesn’t like them because of the cost. She finds them pretty, but she doesn’t like that they’re branded,” Renesmee said as everyone sat in the living room.

“So, she isn’t a brat?”

“No. She’s angry, Rosie. Very angry. I can feel it,” she said as Jacob tied the knot again.

“Mirabel? Sounds foreign,” Carlisle said. It was beautiful.

“from the little things she told me, her family is from Colombia, and her grandparents settled in Rochester,” she explained, Rosalie sitting up straight.

“She’s from Rochester?!”

"Yeah, she just moved…for what reason I don’t know but she didn’t want to be here.”

She handed Jacob the bracelet who finished it up as she turned to her family.

“She’s a pure soul but…whatever happened caused her light to dim…she’s all alone…and I think she’s being abused,” she dropped immediately.

It made Esme and Carlisle choke on a breath they had sucked in. Abuse?

"That’s a big accusation, Nes. Are you sure?” Edward asked.

“Dad. She doesn’t eat the entire day. She sleeps through calculus after she submits the worksheets. She gets aggressive when I ask about family and recently, she’s been coming with bruises on her wrists,” she said.

“what if they’re sports-related?”

“she’s a performer. She doesn’t wear any type of tape and she’s rarely on her hands unless they’re doing ground work.”

Esme looked at Carlisle, the two sharing the same thought.

“When did she arrive?”

“a month ago? They moved into Your old home Mom,” she said looking at her parents. Bella blinked.

“they bought the old house?”

“Yea. I mean I can try to find out more—”

“No, we’re not going to pry into this girl’s life,” Esme said sternly, looking specifically at her children who all shared a look that meant trouble.

“come on, Esme. Just this once—”

“We do not want a repeat of what happened last time. We shouldn’t pry,” Carlisle said softly.

“Aren’t you just the slightest bit of curious?” Jasper asked.

“of course we’re curious. But it is not our business.”

The family sat in silence just as Jacob gave her the finished bracelet.

“I’m still going to try to be her friend.”

Chapter Text

Mirabel slammed her door shut as she ran into her bathroom, her hands shaking as she touched the bruise on her cheekbone. Gently she poked it and hissed before applying a wet paper towel on there to cool it down.

Knocking resounded on her door, and she growled.

“Mirabel?”

Leave me alone.”

“Mirabel, he didn’t mean it—”

She tossed open the door and glared up at her mother with as much anger she could hold in her 5-foot height.

“I hate when you do that.”

“Do what—”
“You’re excusing his actions. As always! It’s like I don’t even matter!”

“Mirabel, you do—”

The only reason I’m here is because I remind you of your dead lover. So, to him, I’m a dead ringer of your unloyalty,” she spat out as she pushed through Julieta.

“Mirabel, please—”

“Stop fucking touching me,” she said slapping her hand away from her arm that had a hand shaped bruise wrapped around it.

Isabela had grabbed her harshly when she came home, blaming her for a ruined dress when Mirabel hadn’t even been at home all day.

And now, her cheek was stung from the hit she took from Agustin when she challenged him in the living room just before he left.

Her abuela taught her to not take his bullshit…but it was starting to hurt.

“Mirabe,l please I’m trying..”

“Well, you’re not trying hard enough. So maybe just stop and leave me alone,” she said, grabbing her jacket.

“I’m going to the store—”

Waitt—”

“don’t fucking call me,” she said slamming the door closed as she pulled her hood over her head as she walked to the bus stop.

She might as well get some snacks to survive her strike now.

She simmered in anger, the pain in her cheek a reminder of just how shitty her life was.

She got off at the stop and walked in the cold weather to the store, grabbing a basket and going around.

At least she has a job and her own money. She did feel bad that she was under her abuela’s phone plan but her abuela was so adamant about her and Dolores being on there.

Speaking of Dolores…

“Heyyyy primita!!!”

“Heyyy, Lola! How’s life in Rochester, Ms. DSP engineer?” she teased as she picked up a bag of chips.

“It’s amazing. Living with abuela helped a lot. She doesn’t want me to pay rent but I do buy lots of groceries. It beats living home with Camilo.”

“I have a feeling she won’t let me pay rent when I move back,” she said, grabbing a can of soup and looking at it.

“Nope…how are you doing?” Dolores asked softly.

“I feel like I’m drowning.”

“I’m sorry. I tried to fight for you—”

“I know you did, Lola. That’s why you’re the best prima ever,” she said as she grabbed another can of soup before walking up the aisle.

“Has it gotten better?”

“Nope.”

“I heard from Abuela that you tried to run.”

“I did. 13 times,” she said as she put her basket down to grab something from the top shelf. She let out little huffs of frustration just as someone came into the aisle.

“You tried to run 13 times?!”

“Look, Agustin was always pulling over because Isabela wanted pictures. I was going to take the opportunity. It was better than jumping out of a vehicle driving at 75 miles an hour,” she said, hearing someone’s breath catch next to her softly.

“estas loca, Mirabel.”

“You can’t spell my name without crazy, Lola,” she said with a smile before she frowned. She let out a groan, and Dolores’ giggle reached her ears.

“Are you trying to reach the top shelf?”

You know what? fuck you, Dolores. I’m hanging up,” she said, hearing her cousin’s loud laughter before she hung up the call. Mirabel is still trying to reach the jar of strawberry jelly.

“Here. Let me get that,” the voice said, a pale, slim hand coming into view and getting the strawberry jelly jar.

“Thank you,” Mirabel said, her eyes full of light when she realized she got the last one. She looked up at the stranger and paused.

Why did she feel…safe around someone she had just met?

The two were just staring at each other for a moment before Mirabel cleared her throat.

“Sorry, I’m pretty short. Um, thank you again.”

It just made the woman smile.

“There’s nothing wrong with being short, sweetheart,” she said.

Mirabel took in her appearance.

She looked like she could have come out of a magazine or had been an actress in old black and white movies…

She had dark hair with caramel highlights that were lightly curled. She had a kind smile and doe amber eyes.

She seemed like a sweet person.

“Uhh, yeah. Hmm. Well, u,h thank you—”

“Are you ok?”

“I’m sorry?” Mirabel said immediately as she looked up.

“You’re hurt,” the woman said, concern and worry filling her eyes and voice.

Mirabel touched the spot and hissed.

“uh Yea I’m ok. I was helping Juli—my mom put up a painting and it fell,” she lied.

The woman raised an eyebrow before Mirabel turned around quickly and cleared her throat.

“Thank you again,” she said before walking towards self self-checkout line.

Weird…maybe she should just hide in her closet for a couple of years…yes, that sounded like a good plan.

She paused…and groaned. She left the stupid basket.

“Pinche cerebro loco,” she said before she turned and bumped into the woman from before.

“Sorry.”

“its alright…you left this there,” she said, handing her the basket that Mirabel took gratefully.

“That doesn’t seem like much food,” the woman said from beside Mirabel as they checked out together.

“It’s...just to push me through the late-night studies,” she lied again, scanning the items in a hurry.

The woman hummed as they paid for their groceries and left the store. The woman walked by Mirabel until she stopped at a black Mercedes.

Mirabel stopped and turned.

“Thank you for helping me,” she said softly, the woman smiling.

“It’s no problem, dear. I assume you’re new in town?”

Does news travel fast? What the hell?

“Uhhhh, yeah. I’m Mirabel,” she said awkwardly. Jeez, she wasn’t usually this awkward. Where the hell was her alter ego at times like this?

“So, you’re the girl Renesmee is mesmerized by…I can see why,” the woman said, something akin to awe and joy in her voice.

Ok, this was creeping her out.

"Yea, anyways I should get going, Mrs.…..”

“Cullen. Esme Cullen. I hope to see you soon, Mirabel,” she said.

‘Ha-ha not going to happen.’

 Mirabel squeaked, a habit she picked up from Dolores, and turned around, walking away immediately.

Esme watched the girl leave from her car, her eyes following every single movement. She felt a surge of protectiveness overcome her when she first smelled the girl’s scent. It was sweet…like she had stepped into a bakery. The scent of sugar and strawberries clung to the curly-haired girl.

It was innocent…pure.

She felt the urge to protect her…especially when she saw the bruising on her cheekbone.

Esme knew she didn’t get hit by a painting…she had learned from Carlisle that there would be a darker spot to identify where the sharp end had hit.

There was nothing…it was an even bruise and had a scratch. A ring, maybe?

The poor girl had been so thrown off guard that she forgot her basket.

When they spoke to each other she looked small. Her basket full of junk food and stove top soups it made Esme’s stomach lurch for some.

She looked to be underweight, but she couldn’t tell from the big jacket.

Despite the obvious bruise, the girl was beautiful…ethereal even.

She had never seen anyone like her before.

She grabbed her phone.

“Carlisle?”

“Esme? What happened?”

“when do you do those check ups for students?” she asked as she got into the car, sitting there for a moment.

"We start next week for flu season. Why?”

“I just ran into Mirabel.”

“Mirabel? As in the girl Renesmee is trying to befriend?”

Esme let out a sigh. Her gut was telling her something was wrong.

“I know this seems crazy but…I think Renesmee might be right,” she said softly, hearing a door close.

“What did you see?”

“Bruising on the cheekbone. She said she got hit by a painting, but there’s no indent or laceration on her skin.”

She heard a deep exhale from the line.

“I’ll see if I can do a thorough exam when its her turn. It goes on for 2 weeks so I’ll try to see her early.”

“ok. I just…it’s a lot to explain.”

“I have time.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The yearly physicals were going on at Forks High School. Something Renesmee liked.

It just meant that she got to talk to her grandpa for those 20 minutes that she was called out.

So, there she was, the first person called into the nurse’s office, plopping down on the bed as Carlisle shook his head.

“Excitable as always, Ness.”

“I mean I get to talk to you for 20 minutes soooo—” she said with a giggle.

The two sat there as she talked to him about her classes.

“I’ll see you after school, sweetheart,” he said, ruffling his granddaughter’s hair.

“You got it, Grandpa,” she said before her hand landed on the door.

“Wait, Ness. Actually, can you bring Mirabel in next? You have Biology together, correct?”

Renesmee paused.

"Yea, we do, but Mirabel isn’t here today.”

Carlisle felt his jaw slacken a bit.

“She isn’t here? But I thought the school sent out flyers to the homes?”

“they did but I don’t know. She isn’t here today…but she’ll probably come back tomorrow,” she said patting his shoulder.

She frowned.

“What did you find out?”

“We think you’re right about the abuse,” he said softly so other humans couldn’t hear.

“I knew it. What happened?”

“Not here, Ness. Later,” he said watching her groan with a chuckle before he gently pushed her out of the room.

Students came in one by one to get checked and given their passes to get the flu shot in the gym.

The entire day, his mind was preoccupied with thoughts about Mirabel. Hopefully, she comes back.

Esme was very worried about her, and he wanted to appease his wife.

After the long day, he and Renesmee drove home, the girl asking so many questions during the ride.

When they got there, the entire family was waiting, Esme giving Jacob a plate of food that he took gratefully. He never turned down Esme’s cooking.

“How was the first day of check-ups?” Emmett said with a wide smile.

“It was good. We did a good portion of the seniors today. Tomorrow we do the other half and then start with juniors.”

Renesmee turned around towards him, looking every bit of her mother’s daughter.

“What happened?”

“Ness, be respectful,” Edward said.

Carlisle chuckled before he leaned against the counter.

“Esme ran into Mirabel at the supermarket. She had bruising on her cheekbone.”

Everyone held their breath, which was unnecessary.

“She said she got hit by a painting, but there’s no evidence of it. There is a light scratch and some pressure urticaria.”

“So, she was hit?” Rosalie asked, and anger festered in her.

“We don’t know.”

“What do you mean? Didn’t you check her?” Esme asked, turning toward her husband.

“she didn’t come to school. Hopefully she returns tomorrow so I can check before it completely fades.”

Esme let out a huffed breath.

“I promise I will get her checked out, my love.”

“I can also keep an eye out for her! She gets to school at exactly 7:50.”

“Ness, that’s stalking now.”

Jacob and Renesmee bickered as Edward rubbed his mother’s arm, with  Bella standing next to her.

“What’s wrong?”

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Do you remember anything else?” Bella asked. Esme thought about it, Edward reading her mind.

“13?”

“She was on the phone with someone. Apparently, she tried to run away 13 times on the trip,” Esme said, Carlisle’s breath hitching.

“It can’t be that bad," Edward said softly.

“It has to be bad if she tried running away that many times,” Bella said.

“Carlisle you have to try to find her in that school,” Esme said. Her gut feeling wasn’t ever wrong.

This was a child…a girl younger than Edward’s human age. Something was terribly wrong, and she didn’t like it.

It made her feel sick...

“Could she be in a—”

“No. Don’t even say that,” Rosalie said, stopping Edward's train of thought.

She’s in high school—”

“You think every high school girl has a boyfriend? Albeit an abusive one? This isn't Euphoria, Edward,” Rosalie barked out.

That made Esme stiffen as Carlisle’s arm tightened around her waist.

“Mirabel doesn’t like people. I’m the only person she talks to,” Renesmee said before she went back to bickering.

Bella saw the relief in Rosalie and Esme’s postures.

“Then-”

“Her parents?”

“We have no idea, but I’ll try to get her,” Carlisle said, kissing his wife’s head. He would see her to tomorrow.

He had to.

Esme and Bella walked into the library, the woman’s fingers playing with her hair.

“What’re you thinking, Esme?”

“I don’t want to assume. I have never met her family before.”

“Do we know anything about her?”

“Other than her heritage, no.”

Bella pursed her lips before she grabbed her phone.

“What?”

“One second.”

Esme watched Bella type something before she held the phone to her ear.

“Hey Dad. I was wondering if you have information on someone?”

She paused, watching Bella flutter around the room, looking for a book and pen.

“Yeah. Her name is Mirabel. Last name? Madrigal,” she said, opening the notebook page with some things Renesmee tells her about Mirabel.

Esme watched Bella write some things down.

“Wait you work with her dad?”

Esme looked up at that. She watched Bella take notes again before she hung up with an ‘I love you.’

“What happened?” Esme asked, Carlisle walking into the room with Edward.

“Ok, so it’s a family of 4 living in my old house. Mirabel, her older sister, mom, and dad. Her father is working with my dad as an intelligence analyst and says he’s a decent guy. Loves to brag about his oldest daughters but nothing about Mirabel.”

“Typical,” Edward said, Esme gently flicking his arm.

“Her mother works as a psychiatrist in the community hospital.”

“Huh?” Carlisle said, wondering why he hadn’t noticed anyone new.

“Older sister…woo. She’s a researcher, to say. Recently got a job working in the national park, but she has a hit on her record from last year.”

“Anything on Mirabel?” Esme asked.

“Just that she’s 15 and a good student. She’s the only one in the family with a different last name.”

“Different?”

“She’s Madrigal. The others are Rojas,” she said as Edward peeked over her shoulder to read the notes.

He grimaced.

“This might be a problem,” he said, he said taking the book and reading it.

“What?”

“It says to check medical & psychiatry records for more information.”

Carlisle fidgeted. That doesn’t seem like a good thing.

“I can try to talk to her mother to get her to schedule an appointment. If not, I can try to see what I can do for the check-ups.”

All three of them looked at him.

“If it says we have to check her medical records…then that means there is more that we don’t know about. I’ll check with her tomorrow,” he said he was confident he can catch her.

She didn’t come the next day. Or the day after that. She didn’t even come the second wave of the week when they checked the sophomores and freshmen.

He remembered every day when he would ask the office for her, only to be met with long faces and a shake of their head.

They haven’t seen the girl; her father only comes in to pick up the work and drop it off.

Something was strange.

It was now Monday morning.

Sitting in his office at the hospital, he couldn’t help but think about her.

Where was she? Was she sick?

He hated worrying the family when they asked if he gave her a check-up. Esme especially was worried for the girl and he can’t help but also feel that same panic his wife was feeling.

It wasn’t rare for Esme to be attached to a human. She was attached to Bella when she had been human.

But this was…different. Esme was worrying for this girl like a mother would her baby.

A knock sounded out, and the door opened.

“Dr. Cullen? Hi. Just wanted to drop this off to you,” the woman said, walking in and handing him the paperwork for potential patients.

“Thank you… Are you new? I’ve never seen you before,” he asked.

“Oh yes, I am. I work in the outbuilding. I’m Dr. Rojas, the new psychiatrist,” she said, sticking out her hand.

Carlisle shook it before he paused.

Rojas…Mirabel..

“Are you perhaps Mirabel’s mother?” he asked, the woman freezing.

“I am. How do you know my daughter?”

“She’s friends with my granddaughter,” he said with a smile

“I didn’t know Mira made a friend,” she said before she shook her head and smiled.

“I bet my daughter keeps her on her toes."

“Yes. Yes. I wanted to talk to you regarding Mirabel.”

Julieta froze before she nodded.

“we had a yearly checkup for all students in the last 2 weeks and unfortunately Mirabel wasn’t there. Is she ok?”

Julieta seemed to hesitate, which made him more suspicious.

“She got sick. She sat outside in the rain and caught a really bad cold. We wanted her to rest as much as possible,” she responded.

“Well, the school wants her to get an updated health report for her, so if you could—”

“She recently got a checkup from another doctor. I can give you her medical records if you’d like?” she asked too quickly. It made him raise an eyebrow before she pursued his lips.

“Of course. But please, next time I would like to examine her. Does she have a primary doctor here?”

“Not yet.”

“With your permission, I would like to take care of your daughter. She is underage?”

“Yes. She’s 15,” Julieta said, getting up.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her,” he said, walking her out.

“I trust you will. I’ll get the medical records to you by this afternoon,” she said before nodding and turning down the hall.

He stood there before grabbing his phone.

“Hello?”

“Esme. I just met her mom,” he said as he closed the door.

“What?!”

“Apparently, Mirabel was sick. She caught a cold. Esme…she skipped two weeks of school,” he said before he checked his watch. It was Renesmee.

Mirabel is back. She’s really angry.

“Renesmee just texted me. Mirabel came back,” he said, Esme sucking in a harsh breath.

“Carlisle.”

“I’m getting her medical records today. We’ll get to the bottom of this,” he said before he sent a message to Renesmee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

‘Look after her. Check for bruising.’

Renesmee sent a thumbs up to her grandfather and caught up with Mirabel. The girl was a former shell of herself as she did the biology project in front of them.

“Where were you?”

“It’s prophase,” Mirabel said, giving the microscope to Renesmee. Renesmee checked.

“Prophase.”

she was growing frustrated. She searched the girl’s face for the bruise on her cheek…but it was just clear skin. Nothing there.
“metapha-”

“You skipped two weeks of school. What happened?”

“I was sick,” Mirabel responded as she checked the microscope.
“Mirabel?”

“What?!” she hissed.

“I’m sorry.”

That caught the girl off guard. She took a breath and sighed heavily.

“No. I’m sorry. I’m dealing with a lot at the moment and…I guess I don’t know how to make nice with people.”

Renesmee smiled and held out her hand. Mirabel hesitated before she took it. She watched the older girl wrap something around her wrist.

“You have me. I’m always here to talk or just sit in silence. I won’t judge,” she said as she uncovered her wrist, revealing the braided handmade bracelet.

Mirabel, for the first time in what felt like months, smiled.

And Renesmee wanted to keep that smile there…..it made her more beautiful.

“You’re smiling.”

“I know. It’s weird.”

“No. It’s beautiful,” she said before looking into the microscope, smirking when she caught her friend looking away, a bright blush on her cheeks.

It was an early day, so they decided to go to the supermarket.

“Hmm. Since we’re friends now, I want to know all about you,” Renesmee said as she swung her basket. Mirabel shook her head in amusement before picking up a bag of chips.

“Do I get to know about you?”

“Of course!” she said, gently pushing Mirabel.

“Well, what do you want to know?” she said, stopping to look at the soups again. Her strike was not fulfilling, but she refused to sit at the same table as her supposed family.

Hmmmm. Oh, what’s your favorite color?”

“I don’t have one…but I like soft colors,” she said.

“Then why do you wear only black?”
“I’m in mourning,” she said truthfully as she picked up a bag of candy.

Renesmee paused.

“Why?”

Mirabel got up from her position and smiled sadly.

“I left behind people who were dear to me. People who cared for me. I was just…uprooted,” she said as she turned the corner, Renesmee following.

“You didn’t want to come to Forks?”

“My stepsister got into trouble back home with an old situationship. She had a reputation out there. She got a job here, and because she’s completely incompetent to be on her own, Agustin forced us to come over here,” she said, putting in a cereal box.

“Is Agustin your stepdad?”

“You could say that,” Mirabel said. She grabbed a big pack of marshmallows and smirked.

“Fancy a marshmallow contest?”

“You’re on!”

The two sat on the benches in front of the school, tossing marshmallows at each other to see who could catch the most. Mirabel had never laughed that much before…she liked the feeling.

“So, Miss Cullen. What’s your deal?”
“Other than my family being well known…. nothing. Just an ordinary girl,” she said.

“I would say you’re more than ordinary,” Mirabel countered.

“Oh? Do tell, Miss Madrigal,” she said, leaning on her arm as mirabel balanced on the sidewalk.

“Hmm. Let me consult my journal,” she said, taking out her notebook and turning to the page.

“No, you wrote about me? I’m touched!”

“Shhh,” mirabel giggled as Reneesmee told her to read.

“September 28, 2024

One name: Renesmee Cullen. At first glance, she’s not what I expected. She’s the kind of person that makes everything look effortless—like she’s one of those people who was born with an unbreakable confidence, like the world just falls into place for her. She’s like porcelain, but there’s something warm about her, a kind of glow that makes you want to get closer.”

“Aww,” Renesmee said as Mirabel tried not to laugh.

“I can’t put my finger on it. It’s not just her beauty, though she’s definitely that too, it’s... the way she holds herself. She’s... intense, in a way I don’t fully understand yet. But maybe that’s why she’s so easy to be around if you’re willing to let your guard down,” She continued as she walked back and forth. She had so much to say.

“She’s not dramatic like some people, but damn is she annoying.”

“HEY!”

That made the two of them giggle uncontrollably as Mirabel hid her smile behind her journal.

“Despite that, she’s never looked at me with pity. I think that’s what bugs me the most—I hate how much I want to be around her, even though I’m so angry and sad all the time,” she continued, stopping as Renesmee took it all in.

She was conflicted in so many ways; she wished she had her dad’s ability.

“I’m still not sure what she wants from me. Maybe she doesn’t know either. But if I’m being honest, even though I don’t get her character, and I don’t get this whole “let me be your friend' thing, there’s a part of me that wishes I could trust her,” she said softly as she thumbed the page and smiled. It wasn’t bright…but it was telling.

“Maybe one day I will.”

Renesmee, without thinking, wrapped her arms around the girl who had frozen. What- what was going on?

“You don’t have to be afraid…you can trust me, Miri. I’ll always be here,” she said softly as she hugged tighter. She could feel the hesitancy in the girl’s shoulders as her body trembled.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the arms came around her waist and held her back.

Good.

They stood like that for a couple of minutes before they pulled back as she punched her softly.

“Thanks.”

“What are friends for?”

“To annoy you.”

“I was kidding! You’re so mean, Miri!”

They sat there talking just as a black Ferrari F430 pulled into the drop-off circle.

“Oh! You have to meet my parents!”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea- hey!” Mirabel said, pulling her to the vehicle where Edward and Bella were getting out.

“Mom! Dad! This is my best friend, Mirabel!” she said, tossing an arm around the girl, who was flabbergasted.

“When—”

“Since biology.”

Bella and Edward paused. Wow…this was Mirabel.

‘Alice would love her,’ Edward thought as he smiled.

She had long curly hair with big doe brown eyes…an unexplainable beauty that mind-boggled them.

“Wow…you’re so beautiful,” Bella said out loud. It made the girl blink before she looked down, dusty pink brushing across her cheeks.

“Isn’t she? Miri, this is Mom, Bella, and my dad, Edward.”

“it’s nice to meet you,” she said, sticking out her hand. Edward instantly took it, noting the scarred skin of her right hand. it was as if she had stuck her hand in fire.

Bella noticed the same thing but smiled.

“It’s finally nice to meet you. Ness talks a lot about you,” she said.

“No wonder my ears were burning nonstop,” she said, ness whining.

“Miri!!!!” she said leaning onto, Mirabel letting out a loud laugh akin to an innocent child. It made the two vampires smile. The family would love her.

“Dad! Miri can play the piano and guitar!”

“Oh really?”

“I’m not that good—”

“She got perfect scores for every exam we had because they were personally composed and even had a solo in our school performance. She’s apart of a dance team that performs in port Angeles!” she exclaimed shaking the girl.

“Oh! That’s exciting. What position are you?” Bella said, interested immediately.

“Main dancer, but I can rotate through anything.”

“Rapper?”

“Sometimes. Depends on the genre,” Mirabel said.

“Can we go to one of her performances?”

“Of course. I have to see this for myself,” Edward said.

Mirabel smiled, and Edward immediately paused. That was the exact smile Esme had.

“It was nice meeting you both, but it is getting late. I must get back home,” she said.

“If you would like, we can take you home. It is getting dark what with time change,” Edward said.

“It’s ok. I’ll be ok. Thank you. Well Miss Cullen. We shall continue this tomorrow,” she said with a smile as Renesmee smiled. She lifted her hands, asking if she could hug her and Mirabel, with the most beautiful smile she had, opened her arms and hugged the older girl.

Edward and Bella watched Renesmee’s body immediately relax as she snuggled into the girl’s arms before she let go, grabbing her backpack that was filled with her groceries before heading towards the bus stop.

“She’s special. I can feel it,” Bella said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carlisle sat in his office at home, Esme sitting on the couch as she sketched. The sunset was falling behind his windows, their skin sparkling dully in the light.

He was typing away at his computer, finishing up the files Dr. Rojas had given him for the new patients.

He looked at her file with narrowed eyes.

“you stare any harder, the computer might explode, my love,” Esme teased as she smirked at him. He let out a scoffed laugh.

“I believe I don’t have that ability, my dear.”

“Who knows. Now, what’s making you glare at your screen?”

Carlisle let out a sigh as he picked up his tablet and sat down beside Esme, who made space for him.

“I’m looking at Dr. Rojas’s file. She’s a smart woman,” he said, Esme looking over his shoulder to see the information.

Name: Julieta Rojas
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: October 17, 1974
Place of Birth: La Macarena, Colombia
Occupation: Psychiatrist (Specializes in Trauma, PTSD, and Family Therapy)

Professional History:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Psychology – Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia (1991 – 1995)

• Doctor of Medicine (MD) in Psychiatry – University of Rochester, USA (1995 – 2000)
• Fellowship in Trauma and PTSD – Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, USA (2000 – 2005)

Certifications and Licensure:

• Licensed Psychiatrist in the State of New York
• Member of the New York State Psychiatric Association
• Board-certified in Trauma and PTSD
• Member of the American Psychiatric Association
•  Licensed Psychiatrist in Washington State (recent)
• Member of the Washington State Psychiatric Association (recent)

Work Experience:

• Harborview Psychiatric and Wellness Center – 2006 – July 2024 (Rochester, New York)
• Psychiatrist at Forks Community Hospital – Started in August 2024

• Focuses on trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and emotional healing, especially in children and families.
• Works with patients experiencing anxiety, depression, and family-related stress, and also offers counseling to those dealing with grief and loss.

Professional Strengths:

• Empathy and Compassion
• Understanding Trauma
• Cultural Sensitivity
• Communication and Listening Skills
• Advanced diagnostic skills
• Crisis Management and Intervention

“Wow. She is a smart woman. She works in the hospital?”

“Yes, in the outbuilding. I met her earlier this week when she gave me the paperwork for patients she was referring.”

“Did you pick up anything?”

“A lot. She seems to freeze a lot when it comes to mentioning Mirabel by name. She said that Mirabel was sick for the 2 weeks we had check-ins…Renesmee, however, told me that she looked completely fineSo

“so she couldn’t find bruising?”

“Not that she could see. They even hung out for a bit, but there was no evidence of bruising on her face.”

Esme let out a frustrated groan.

“They did it to let the bruises fade. I just know it,” she growled.

“Her medical record is good. But I still want to give her another check over,” he said, wrapping his arm around his wife. He pressed a kiss on her head.

“This is ridiculous. She’s a baby.”

Carlisle knew that tone in her voice.

“My dear…it seems you’re getting attached to this girl.”

“If you met her, you would understand…she’s special. I can feel it. It’s like…I need to protect her,” she said softly as Carlisle chuckled.

“That, my dear, is called mama bear instincts. You’re trying to lay claim on the child.”

“I don’t mind,” she said immediately, making him laugh and press a kiss to her lips.

“Blugh. Get a room, you two.”

“We are in MY office, Edward,” Carlisle said just as Edward and Bella came in.

“And Renesmee?” Esme said, shifting.

“On a Mirabel high…wow, she’s so beautiful,” Bella said as she remembered the girl.

“she was also happier than what Ness tells us. She was laughing and playing around…it felt warm,” Edward said as he leaned on the wall.

“No bruising?"

"Not a bruise in sight,” Bella saBut

“but there is something we noticed.”

Carlisle motioned for him to speak, Esme resting her head on her shoulder. Grabbing a wipeable marker, he traced an outline on his palm, confusing the two older vampires.

When he was done, he showed it to them.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It seems that she has second-degree burns on her right hand that go from her palm to her forearm. It was covered by her sweater but I’m estimating that her injury stops here,” he said, noting the spot where his lines ended. ¾ of her forearm.

That made them sit up.

“Second-degree burns?!” Esme said in a panic.

“Yes. They don’t look fresh, but they look somewhat recent…maybe 3-5 years old?” Bella said.

Esme was now panicking.

Carlisle sat there, trying to think.

“She has a medical report…but I can’t access it until she comes in,” he said.

“She’s a bright girl…but there is something we’re not seeing.”

“It’s her parents!” Esme argued.

“We don’t know that yet. Let’s wait until-”

“No… I’m tired of waiting.”

“It’s been 2 weeks—”
“2 weeks for evidence to go away. They knew what they were doing!” Esme cried out, Bella sharing the same sentiment.

“We can try to----”

"We’re not interfering.”

“Carlisle, something is wrong! We can’t sit by and do nothing!” Edward said. He saw the girl with his own eyes, heard her laugh and speak, and saw her smile…

But he also heard her thoughts and saw her eyes.

Something wasn’t right.

“We will make do with what we know. We cannot force our way into her life.”

Chapter Text

“This is ridiculous. Why do I need to come here? I don’t eat with you people,” Mirabel said as she walked behind Julieta. The two were at the grocery store…Mirabel taking the bus to avoid her mother.

“Appearances.”

“Right, because your appearance and reputation matter more. Got it,” she said sarcastically. Julieta stopped as she took a breath.

“Mirabel, I know you’re angry--”

“Angry doesn’t begin to describe what I feel.”

“- but I need you to try to change.”

Mirabel seemed to ponder it before she looked at Julieta with a smile. Julieta let out a sigh of relief before it was sshort-lived

Mirabel's smile turned into a scowl.

“no.”

“Mirabel, por favor—”
“Tal vez deberías pedirle a tu marido que me ayude a llegar a un acuerdo. Él sabe cómo destrozar a una chica,” Mirabel said, spitting out the last sentence with venom.

Julieta’s eyes widened.

“Don’t talk about your father like that.”

“he isn’t my father,” she said before walking away, shaking her head as she went to the snack section.

“I know you’re angry, but I need you to change…Pssh. fuck off. The one who needs to change is you,” she said to herself as she looked at the snacks, the sound of wheels turning the corner.

“Mirabel—”

“Oh my—can’t you leave me alone?” she said, turning to her mother.

“Mirabel, you’re 15—”

“yea. 15. And how old is Isabela? 22 and still throwing tantrums like a toddler?”

Shee doesn’t—”

“If she doesn’t throw tantrums, then what was yesterday’s issuee huh? Her throwing herself against the wall just because you said I had to come to your birthday celebration this weekend?” she said with crossed arms, hearing someone turn the corner.

“I admit she is a bit…melodramatic but—”

“Oh no…she is a brat.”

“But—”

“Don’t make me laugh. I saw the plans, the tickets, everything. I stay home…as I did the last 13 years. But who cares, huh?” she said as she walked away again before stopping.

“To them, I’m always the mistake…so maybe start preparing to let me go…cause I want nothing to do with you,” she said quietly before leaving the aisle.

She walked into another aisle and bumped into someone, dropping their basket of snacks.

“Oh, my goodness. I am so sorry. Here, let me help you,” she said immediately, grabbing the bags of marshmallows and chips and putting them into the basket.

“Thank you, Mirabel.”

She froze and looked up, instantly relaxing at the sight of Doe's amber eyes.

“Mrs. Cullen.”

Esme smiled at the girl who fixed her basket and stood up, handing it to her.

“It’s nice to see you again,” Esme said as she took the basket.

“Likewise. Do you usually grocery shop on Sundays?” she asked with a small smile.

“With a family of 10 in the home, food tends to run out pretty easily,” she teased, making Mirabel gasp dramatically.

 The two of them giggled together, Esme being covered with a warmth indescribable.

“What a big family.”

“well, Jacob and Renesmee do eat a lot. My children have a whole different story. By the way, I heard you met my son and daughter-in-law.”

The two were walking down the aisle, Mirabel taking Esme’s list with permission and getting the bottom-shelf items while the woman reached for the top ones. It felt…right.

It made Mirabel’s mind swirl.

How was she able to do this with Mrs. Cullen but not with Julieta?

Discombobulation.

“I did. They seem like nice people, though Renesmee continues to tell my business.”

“Don’t mind her…she waited for you to accept her friendship. She’s pushy but also patient and determined,” Esme said.

“Determined for sure,” Mirabel said with a smile as she put in the can of soup. She raised an eyebrow. Most of the snacks were things she usually ate.

“Does Renesmee like the same snacks as me?” she asked, and Esme hummed.

“She does.”

Which was a lie. While Renesmee did eat the snacks when she was feeling peckish, these snacks were actually for Mirabel when she came to the family home.

Alice had seen that she would come to visit soon, so she wanted to make it as comfortable as possible.

Hmmm.”

Mirabel was looking at the bottles on the lower shelf and began to hum under her breath. It made Esme pause, the mellow melody playing in her ears thanks to her heightened senses.

Part of your world…what a perfect choice…

“Mirabel?”

“Yes, ma’am?”

Esme chuckled.

“You can call me Esme if you would like.”

Mirabel paused. She bit her bottom lip.2

“I—if I’m being honest, I feel like I’m stepping out of my place,” she said, putting the bottle in the basket.

Esme hummed. What a respectful girl.

“Don’t feel out of place with me. I’m giving you permission, sweetheart,” she said with a soft smile, and she watched in happiness at how the tension in her shoulders fell and she smiled.

“ok…Esme.”

She followed the woman through the store, happily answering her questions like ‘wWhatis your favorite song?’ or ‘What Disney princess do you like?’

This woman, who looked down at her with so much warmth and compassion, learned more about her than Julieta had in 15 years.

When they turned the corner, they bumped into Julieta, the woman’s cart hitting Mirabel in the side where her ribs were already bruising from when Isabela had kicked her. So, of course, she was going to gasp in pain and clutch at the bruise that got agitated.

“Oh, my goodness, are you ok?” Esme said, her hands resting on Mirabel’s shoulders and back, bringing comfort to her.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Mija, I’m sorry I didn’t see you there.”
Esme’s head snapped up. Dr. Rojas.

“Dr. Rojas. It’s nice to meet you,” she said, helping Mirabel stand up straight.

“I—I’m sorry. I am unfamiliar with you,” Julieta said, trying to get Mirabel behind her, but she just slapped her hand away subtly. Esme still caught it.

“Apologies. I’m Esme. You work with my husband at the hospital. Dr. Carlisle Cullen.”

Julieta’s eyes widened.

“Oh. Well, it’s nice to meet you. I see you’ve met my daughter.”

“Yes. This is actually our second meeting. You have a special girl right here,” she said, her hand still on Mirabel’s back, softly comforting her.

“I... do. Well, if there is anything—”

“I wanted to ask for your permission,” Esme said, catching the two off guard. Why not speed up the process?

She gave Mirabel her list and smiled.

“You think you can find this last item?”

Mirabel smiled brightly at the woman, realizing she was allowing her to escape.

“Of course I can,” she said before taking the list and running off.

Julieta watched in frustration. How was Mirabel so comfortable with the woman?

“You were saying, Mrs. Cullen?”

“Hmm. My granddaughter, Renesmee, just recently found a friendship with Mirabel. Since I ran into you, I wanted to ask for your permission for her to come to our home and stay over the weekend.”

She watched Julieta pause.

“Umm. Actually…this weekend—”

Mirabel came back and put the box into the basket.

“Found it. What are we talking about?”

“Thank you, dear. I was just asking your mother if you can stay the weekend with us. Renesmee wants to have a sleepover,” she said, Mirabel giggling. Renesmee was so random.

“I would love to--

“Mirabel, we’re leaving out of town on Friday, remember?” Julieta intervened. She seems desperate, …scared.

Mirabel laughed.

“Agustin left me out of the plans…don’t you remember, Mom?” she said sweetly, spitting the title with malice, a smile on her lips before she rolled her eyes and turned to Esme.

“I can take the bus after school on Friday?”

“I’ll ask Jacob to pick you up, sweetheart. Just make sure to text Renesmee,” she said with a smile though she was so caught off guard with the malice in her voice.

The energy shift; d…she felt colder than usual.

“Of course. Anything I need to bring?”

“Just yourself and your homework.”

“Awesome. I guess I’ll see you Friday,” she said with a shrug, a playful smile on her lips. Esme gently tapped her nose and watched it scrunch adorably.

“I’ll see you then.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“ok, what’s this?”

“Orion’s belt!”

“Well, aren’t you smart?” Dolores said as she looked at her cousin, who was looking through the telescope. They were sitting outside on the grass of their abuela’s backyard.

"And this one?”

“Aries!”

“Ay, you two and that telescope,” Abuela said, bringing cookies and milk to the patio.

 The two ran, Dolores sitting Mirabel on her lap to cuddle up to her since it was a bit cold. Mirabel seemed to run like a furnace.

“It’s fun, abuela! Did you know that stars make sounds?”

“No way...tell me more about it.”

Mirabel opened her eyes and let out a breath, looking at the tree she had climbed. “Oh, Dolores,” she said softly as she touched a leaf, remembering the memory.

The 17-year-old at the time was teaching Mirabel about constellations on their sleepover.

Being recently emancipated and living with her abuela was the best choice she had made. Were her parents angry? Yes. Did she care?

Not one bit.

Mirabel knew. As the oldest daughter, she was pushed aside when their first son came into the world.

 Camilo was a menace. Chaos on wheels.

 She and Dolores were often the center and the targets of his and Isabela's malicious pranks and violent ways.

She could still feel the tingle in the scarred skin of her arm.

She knew Dolores tried her hardest to love him…but she couldn’t. Not when he used her as a scapegoat. Not when he treated her like she was below him.

So, she found solace in her abuela. In her primita, who had it much worse.

They were a little family of their own, broken…unhealed, but still good.

Their abuela gave them things their parents couldn’t when they needed them most.

Abuela

Mirabel took out her phone and video-called her cousin, knowing that it was near their evening quiet hour.

She waited a couple of rings before the coily hair that decorated her cousin’s head came into view.

“Hey, bambi, how’s the gloomy weather?”

“It’s like a permanent gloomy party above me, Lola.”

“hm, sounds like paradise for someone who loves the dark. You should be thriving, Belle.”

She let out a laugh with Dolores as the woman fixed the camera to show herself and their abuela. There she is. How is my nieta doing?”

“I’m ok, abuela. It’s getting…better,” she said, not wanting to worry her abuela.

“I see. Have you made a friend?”

“I did. Her name is Renesmee. She—she’s the best abuela,” Mirabel said with a smile as she leaned onto the tree, lifting her leg to rest on the branch.

“I would love to meet her one day…maybe for Thanksgiving?”

“I can ask her parents, but it’s not guaranteed.”

She shrugged as she looked to the side.

“How—how is it? You know…with them?” Dolores asked.

“It’s…tolerable. I guess.”

“How is your anxiety?” Alma asked.

Mirabel hummed.

"It's- worse being honest, abuela."

Being in the same home as Isabela made her anxiety worse. She woke up in a panic at night. She had to check that all the candles were out. She couldn't breathe every time Isabela came into the room or got close to her. So, she didn't question when Julieta came with a bottle filled with medicine that she supposedly got from a friend. So she just took it every night.

“I know. But please don't go on medication. Rememberr last time?"

“I know. I- I'm not medication," she gritted out with fear.

“Hey. If you ever need someone…we’re here. Just call. At any time.”

“I know. I promise I will.”

The tree branch next to her fell.

“please tell me you aren’t climbing trees again.”

Mirabel groaned as the conversation continued. She was happy. She felt happy…. until the call ended.

Dolores ended up calling her personally.

“So, you want to tell me the truth instead of lying out of your ass?”

“so eloquent with words.”

“Mirabel.”

She sighed as she let her head fall back.

“are you back on paroxetine or alprazolam?”
“realizing that the medicine works quick...it's alprazolam again. Higher dosage than last time.”

“how is Julieta allowing this? She’s a psychiatrist!”

“because Isabela said it was getting annoying. So, Agustin suggested it, and the rest is history,” she said as she started climbing down the tree.

“Mirabel. Alprazolam should have been the last option! Julieta should have known that! Does she not remember the last time she put you on it?”

“I know…but it helps.”

“it’s addictive.”

“I know…I know.”

“You have to talk to someone.”

Mirabel banged her head on the tree.

“what use would that be? They already think I’m a problem child based on my reports. Who is going to believe me?” she said sadly.

“I did. I will always believe you.”

“I wish I had that type of belief in myself, Lola. I wish things were different,” she said softly as she looked at the cloudy sky.

The weather in Forks loved to share the same emotion as her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 “o, so my grandma told me something interesting,” Renesmee said as they changed for gym that Friday afternoon.

She was trying to grab her friend’s attention. Something was up.

Mirabel was slowly losing focus. She was blinking rapidly to get it together. She stumbled a lot. She was paler than normal, and her doe-like eyes were glazed over. Confused even,

“Hmm?” she said from her position on the bench, resting her head on the cool lockers.

Her head was hurting from getting side slammed into the threshold before her family left to the airport to catch their flight to Hawaii. It even hurt to look at the board.

“hey…you ok?”

“Huh? Yea. I’m fine,” Mirabel said as she got up, slightly stumbling.

“Woah. Easy. You don’t look so good,” Renesmee said as she got a good look at her, the two walking out. Renesmee kept her grip on Mirabel, the girl walking weirdly. It was as if she was losing her balance.

“I’m fine-”

“ladies, is everything alright?” Coach Jackson asked, concern in his eyes as he saw them enter the gym. Their other coach, Coach Amanda, was getting the equipment out.

Yess, coach.”

“Madrigal, you don’t look good. Maybe you should sit out on dodgeball,” he said, noting her loss of focus.

“I’m ok coach,” she said as she gritted her teeth.

Suddenly, a student kicked the ball straight at them.

“watch out!”

Mirabel didn’t have the time to duck,and  the ball came in contact with her face. Her glasses fell off of her nose just as Renesmee started yelling.

“HEY! Didn’t Coach say NOT TO KICK THE BALL IN THE GYM?!”

But that didn’t matter to Mirabel…

Her vision was coming in and out…there was ringing in her ear

Her fingers came up to her nose when she felt something stream down her mouth.

Tangy. Bitter. Blood.

Great.

She looked at it through blurry vision.

“Ness?”

Her voice was so low Renesmee couldn’t have heard, but she did. She whirled around, and her eyes seemed to widen in mirabel’s blurry vision.

Oh...I’m falling.

Renesmee watched in horror as the blood spilled from Mirabel’s nose just before the girl’s eyes rolled back, and she fell forward.

She immediately grabbed her and held her in her arms as she rested on the ground.

She was gently tapping her cheek.

“Miri. Miri, come on. Coach! Coach. She isn’t waking up!” she yelled, just as Coach Amanda dialed 911.

Coach Jackson was right beside her in minutes, checking for her pulse.

“it’s really slow. How long until the ambulance comes?”

“3 minutes, sir.”

Renesmee immediately took out her phone and called Carlisle.

“Shouldn’t you be in class? Your father already told you—”

“This is an emergency. Mirabel fainted in gym after getting hit with a dodgeball. There’s a nosebleed, and her heart rate is low,” she said frantically. She heard his curse before asking about the ambulance.

“ok, the ambulance should be coming in the next minute. Someone needs to carry her halfway,” he said.

“Coach—”

“I got her,” he said, gently picking up Mirabel as Renesmee covered her in her sweater. The two made their way through the gym to reach the parking lot where the sirens of the ambulance came…….

Carlisle waited in the emergency room, looking at the doors with intensity.

‘Almost there. She isn’t responding.’

“That isn’t helping, Nes,” he said as he waited.

Suddenly, the sirens came, and he jolted into action, running out of the doors to greet his granddaughter.

“What’s the situation?”

“Young girl, 15. She fainted and isn’t responding. Her heart rate is still low. Cause of it is still unknown,” the paramedic said as Renesmee followed her grandfather.

“Nes?”

“she was out of it all day. She lost focus a lot; she was blinking to clear her vision. She couldn’t walk straight, and loud noises were bothering her all morning.”

Carlisle paused.

“Did she get hit?”
“With a dodge ball.”

“before that?” he said as he checked her eyes and pulse.

“Not that I know of—”

Carlisle gently pushed her hair aside on her head to check for any bumps or bruises.

Sure enough, right in front of his eyes was bruising on her scalp near the back of her head, a forming bump present.

“Have Natalie prep for an MRI and CT scan,” he said as they wheeled her off.

“Ness, stay here. Call your grandmother and father and tell them to come to the hospital.”

"But—”

“Please,” he said as he went to treat the girl.

She fumbled with her phone as she dialed her dad. She trembled.

“Ness? What happened? Are you ok?”
she sucked in a breath before she choked on it, her tears coming out.

“Dad.”

“What happened?”
“Dad, Mirabel is in the hospital. Something happened, and she fainted. She’s not responding. Grandpa said for you and grandma to come here,” she said as she wiped her eyes.

“ok. Ok. Let me go get Esme, and I’ll be there.”

So, she waited. Sitting in her gym clothes, hers and mirabel’s things sitting right next to her. She clutched at her shirt, which had Mirabel’s blood on it.

Her knee bounced as she waited for news. Anything...

The doors to the hospital opened, and in came Esme and Edward.

“Dad!” she yelled, running into his arms as she cried.

“what happened?” Edward asked as he sat his daughter down.

“She was off all day. She couldn’t focus in class, and her vision would blur. She lost balance a lot, and everything hurt.”

She sucked in a breath as Esme spoke to another nurse.

"Then she got hit with a dodgeball, and her nose started bleeding, and she just fainted! Now I don’t know what’s wrong!”

Esme came back, fuming.

“just talked to Abby. They tried contacting her parents but they aren’t answering. Straight to voicemail.”

“You’re telling me they’re not caring for their daughter?”

“They are out of town, from what Mirabel told me on Sunday.”

The three sat there waiting until Carlisle came out, a panic deep in his eyes as he handed the nurse the chart.

"What the hell happened?”

“She has a mild concussion with mild swelling on the right side of her head. She was experiencing the symptoms but getting hit by the dodge kick-started it,” he said as he got the report back from Abby.

“Anything else?”

“She hasn’t woken up yet, but she's showing signs of some type of consciousness. Her parents?”

“They’re out of the state,” Esme responded, making him choke.

“You’re kidding.”

"Noo. Mirabel and her mother got into an argument at the store. Her father left her out of the plans, so she’s staying home,” Esme said as Edward tried to calm his daughter down.

“I hate her family.”

“I do as well,” Esme said.

“How many—”

“6 times each phone. No response. The nurse will try again later.”

Carlisle let out a frustrated sigh. This was not helping his case for them.

This 15-year-old girl was left in the emergency room unconscious and with no one to come get her.

He could finally see why she had his son and wife entranced. She was just a baby.

“If it comes down to it, we might have to keep her here—”

“I got permission to take her to our home. And because of this abandonment, I’m taking her home,” Esme said as she pocketed her phone

Carlisle let out a sigh of relief and kissed her head. 

“Good. But we should try to call someone when she wakes up—”

“Dr. Cullen. Mirabel is waking up.”

Carlisle jumped before guiding his family to where Mirabel was slowly coming up. Her eyes scrunched under the harsh lighting.

Esme immediately made it to her side

“Mirabel. Sweetheart, can you hear me?”

Her hand slowly cupped her cheek, and Mirabel leaned into the cold hand.

She recognized that voice.

“Esme?”

The woman let out a huff of relief. If she could cry, she would be sobbing.

“Yes. Yes, it’s me. Can you open your eyes?”

“Hurts.”

“I know, honey,” she said as Carlisle gently touched Mirabel’s shoulder.

Slowly the girl groaned before her eyes fluttered slowly, the light bringing out the amber and gold of her brown eyes.

They were blurry as she looked at the people who touched her.

“What—happened?”

“You fainted in gym. You weren’t responding,” Carlisle said softly, the girl looking at him.

‘You’re new.’

She heard a snort somewhere as she looked at Carlisle, making out golden eyes and blonde hair.

He got lost in her doe eyes that looked so much like Esme’s.

“Was it—bad?”

“Well, you scared Renesmee,” Edward said with a teasing smile.

Good.”

“Hey!” Renesmee cried out before she reached to hug Mirabel, who hugged her back.

“You were so out of it; I got so scared.”

Sorryy, Ness,” she said, leaning into the girl before she tried to sit up. Immediately, Esme and Carlisle had their hands on her, helping her sit up.

“careful, honey,” Esme said just as she sat next to her, the girl leaning into her side.

Carlisle examined her vision and her overall senses.

“Mirabel…you have a concussion. We found the spot where you got hit. What happened?” Carlisle asked.

Mirabel blinked.

“I was running late…and I missed the step…all I remember was hitting the rail before I hit the ground,” she lied. Edward raised an eyebrow.

She was completely panicking in her mind.

Esme also didn’t seem to believe her.

“we heard you permitted to come to our home. Unfortunately, your parents aren’t here so we can’t get permission to watch over you. Is there anyone I can call?”

She immediately took out her phone and dialed a number, putting it on speaker.

"Hello?”

“Lola? Is abuela there with you?”

“Uh yeah, we’re having dinner…what happened?”

She nodded towards her phone, and Carlisle got the message.

“Hi. This is Dr. Carlisle Cullen from Forks Community hospital. I wanted to speak to someone regarding Mirabel.”

There was a shuffle on the phone before voices came through.

“Yes. I’m her cousin, Dolores Madrigal, and our grandmother, Alma, is also on the line. Is Mirabel ok?”

“She came into the hospital today with a concussion. We recently asked if she wanted to come to our home at our granddaughter’s request. We tried contacting her family here, and unfortunately, they are not picking up,” he said, hearing hushed spanish.

Those incompetent—”

A deep inhale.

“Señor Cullen. What can we do?”

“I wanted to ask you for permission to take care of Mirabel at our home. She agreed to come, but under these circumstances, we wanted to ask for an adult’s permission,” he said.

“Of course. You have both mine and Dolores’ permission to take care of our Mirabel. Mirabel, les cuenta lo incompetentes que son.”

“Abuela no,” Mirabel said.

“Tiene razón. ¡Tienes una conmoción cerebral!” Dolores said. She had a point.

“Dolores, basta. Sabes lo que pasa si lo cuento. Nadie me va a creer,” Mirabel said, her voice hiding a tinge of sadness.

“Ellas no te creerán si no hablas,” Alma said.

Mirabel groaned softly.

"Fine. I’ll try,” she said before they hung up the call.

“If it’s ok? Can I examine you?” Carlisle said, Mirabel nodding before she looked at Esme.

“Can you stay with me?”

“Of course, my love,” she said, Renesmee and Edward stepping out. Carlisle gently checked her vitals before checking the rest of her.

Her heart and lungs were strong. Despite the concussion, her vision was slowly coming back to normal. Her breathing was good. Her balance was coming back to normal.

“You’re doing good. When we get home, we’ll make sure you’re watched just in case something happens.”

She nodded before he looked at her hand.

“That scar tells a pretty big story.”

She nodded, clenching her fist as she took a breath.

“You don’t have to tell us, little one,” he said, gently patting her knee as her breath caught in her throat.

Esme gently brushed her hair back.

“how about we go home?”

“But I don’t have clothes to wear?”

“I’m sure we have enough to give you.”

Chapter Text

“They’re on their way!” Alice said excitedly as she fixed the bed Mirabel would stay in.

“Rosalie, stop scowling. You don’t know this girl.”

“She’s human. We all know what happened last time.”

“But you love bella.”

“I do but—”

Emmett gently grasped her shoulders, rubbing her arms.

“Let’s give her a chance. You might be surprised, Rosie.”

“Esme loves her. And I like her as well. She’s a good girl,” Bella said, fixing the closet.

“Esme loves everyone. You’re a different story, Bella,” Rosalie grumbled.

She sighed before they all heard the sound of the car pulling in. Everyone inhaled deeply, smelling the human scent.

“Woah. Get a whiff of that,” Alice said, Bella smirking.

“I told you,” she said.

Emmett smiled.

“Here comes the human.”
Everyone ran down the stairs and stood in the living room, side by side. The door opened downstairs, and they heard multiple voices.

“ok, that’s it. Careful. You’re doing good, little one.”

“Wow, Carlisle…sounds like a dad,” Jasper said, the others agreeing.

Sure, they spent decades, a century even with the man…but the way he spoke at the moment…it was like a father speaking to his baby girl. Soft, patient, and full of worry and care.

Renesmee ran up the stairs and smiled at the rest.

“She’s coming up. Be patient,” she said, dropping the backpacks off.

Once they saw Esme’s hair, they held their breaths. Rosalie was immediately enchanted.

Her scent of strawberries and sugar fit her perfectly. She held a child-like innocence in her eyes, looking around everywhere. Her smile was soft and beautiful…just like her.

“Wow,” Emmett said.

“I know.”

But something was wrong. Carlisle and Esme were holding onto her tightly, her steps a bit wobbly.

“Everyone. This is my best friend, Mirabel. Mirabel, these are my aunts and uncles,” Renesmee said as she pointed out who each person was.

Mirabel smiled and waved.

“Hi.”

Alice tried to hug her but Esme immediately tightened her grip on the girl, Carlisle stepping in front of them.

It shocked everyone.

Edward coughed as he read their thoughts.

“She’s still recovering at the moment. So please don’t crowd her,” he said, his voice calm with an underlying protectiveness.

The others backed up before Mirabel gently touched Carlisle’s shoulder and escaped from Esme’s grasp.

“I’m ok, Dr. Cullen,” she said before turning to Alice and opening her arms shyly.

The girl squealed and wrapped her in a hug, Carlisle and Esme lunging forward to catch the girl. She gently unlatched her hand and told them to stop, that she was ok as she hugged Alice.

They were getting a bit anxious as they watched Alice hold onto her.

“Wow, you’re so warm,” she said as she pulled back, Emmett popping up behind her. He lifted the girl and spun her around, gently jostling her injury, though she hid it pretty well.

“Welcome to the family!”

“She isn’t a part of it yet,” Bella said as she smiled at the girl.

“It’s nice to meet all of you,” she said as Esme stepped in front of her.

“Let’s get you changed. Renesmee wants a game night,” she said as she led the girl upstairs, Bella following.

Carlisle watched them leave before turning to his children.

“What?”

“Dude, what was that?” Emmett said with a teasing smile.

“What did I do?”

“You’re acting like a father towards her,” Rosalie said, a bit dazed.

“I—I am?”
“You almost growled at Alice when she approached,” Edward said.

“Are you trying to claim her as your child?”

“Please, they want her already. I can practically see adoption coming.”

“I—what? No—”

“Your actions and feelings contradict what you’re saying, Carlisle,” Jasper said.

He was feeling protective over the human girl, the same protectiveness Esme had been feeling since the first day they had met.

“Her blood is strong but…it doesn’t have that effect…it’s like…it’s asking to be protected,” Alice said.

“She was just at the hospital. She has a mild concussion from being hit on the right side of her head.”

“How?” Rosalie asked.

“She said she missed a step and hit the railing. But she was panicking the entire time,” Edward said.

“Her parents?”

“Here’s the kicker…they’re out of town. They didn’t pick up the phone. We had to ask her grandmother and cousin for permission,” Carlisle said, Rosalie’s mouth opening and closing in shock.

“What?!”

“Something is not right.”

“We can-”

“No. We will not.”

“Carlisle, come on. A concussion? Falling down the stairs? You believe that?” Emmett said.

“Of course I don’t,” Carlisle snapped. It made his kids jump back.

“You don’t think I want to find her parents and rip them to pieces? You don’t think I wanted to march up to her home and question her parents when they kept her from school? Why they kept her home the two weeks we did physicals at the school? I would do anything to get the truth, but it is not my place.”

He let out a breath.

“All I can do for now is stand by and protect her. We have to wait for her to come to us.”

They all nodded just as footsteps came down the stairs. Mirabel was dressed in a pair of Bella’s PJs and a large shirt, one of Esme’s sweaters on her shoulders.

Renesmee followed behind with a pack of games.

“Who’s ready to get beat in Monopoly?!”

“Let’s try to keep it friendly. Rosalie, I’m looking at you,” Esme said. Rosalie rolled her eyes. Renesmee and Mirabel sat down, setting up the board game.

 “Of course, Esme. I’ll keep it friendly,” as she eyed the property she wanted. Emmett grinned widely.

“I’m taking all of you down!”

“Someone, help me,” Mirabel said quietly, making Carlisle laugh.

 After dressing in their PJs to keep up appearances around Mirabel, the Cullens sat playing their own games. Edward had joined Monopoly, sitting next to his daughter.

Monopoly was…. chaotic.

“This game is rigged!”

“You can’t say everything is rigged!” Edward said to Rosalie.

“Dad, stop hoarding houses!” Renesmee said as she tossed balled up paper.

“the dice fucking hates me!” emmett said, lanind on the worse properties.

Rosalie growled. Mirabel had her head in her hands.

“Children, please—”

“Carlisle, shut up.”

For a couple more minute,es it went on before someone landed on the dreaded space of the game: go directly to jail.

“HAHA!” Edward laughed, pointing at Rosalie.

 
“You bunch of capitalists!” she said, flipping the board as Mirabel lay down, covering her face as she tried not to cry from how hard she was laughing.

Esme and Carlisle smiled as they looked at the girl, Jasper smiling as well.

“You guys look at her as if she’s your child,” he said softly for them to hear.

“Esme is the one who adopts everyone,” Bella said as she put down a card.

“She’s the heart of this family,” Alice said.

It was silent as the group picked up the game when Emmett caught a glance at Mirabel’s wrist.

“Hey, Mira-bug, I have a question for you,” Emmett said as they picked up the pieces.

She looked up.

“Your palm looks pretty gnarly. Is there a story there?” he said as he shuffled cards, Esme dropping her stack of cards just as Carlisle broke his chess piece.

Mirabel paused, Rosalie hitting Emmett across the head.

“You can’t just ask that-”

Mirabel glanced at her injury and sighed, looking at the skin peaking from her cotton protection before she lifted the sleeve.

Those sitting around her felt the air get knocked out of them as they saw the scarred skin of her arm. Palm to ¾ of her forearm was covered in discolored, red, and patchy skin.

“It is pretty gnarly.”

Carlisle and Esme, who had dropped what they were doing, got closer to the girl.

“I—what happened?” Rosalie asked, Reneesmee taking Mirabel’s other hand in hers.

“Our house caught fire one day…a candle was knocked down by accident when no one was watching.”

Carlisle got up and knelt beside Reneesme, gently taking her hand and stroking the skin.

“How long ago?”

“I was 10.”

Everyone looked on in sadness as Carlisle held onto her arm.

“It’s ok now. It’s back to its usual state.”

Edward looked down…that wasn’t the truth, and the worst part was she knew it was a lie, too.

When it was time for bed, Esme led the girl up to her room, being careful.

“Well, this is your room. Whenever you feel like coming, just come.”

Mirabel smiled as she sat on the bed, Esme leaning on the dresser.

“I’m sorry.”

Mirabel looked up at the woman who was fidgeting her fingers.

“What for?”

“Emmett’s question. He—he’s too curious and can’t take cues,” she said with a small smile.

“So, I apologize on his behalf.”

Mirabel looked down.

“Can I tell you a secret?”
“Anything,” Esme said as she sat down beside the girl. Mirabel turned to her and smiled sadly.

“I’m sorry.”

“You—”

“I lied to you all,” she said, Esme’s eyes widening.

“What do you mean?”

Mirabel took a breath.

“a candle wasn’t knocked down by accident. They wanted to get rid of me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Carlisle, I swear—”

“Esme, Esme, calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” she hissed as she paced up and down the floor of the living room, keeping an eye on the girls that were painting outside.

Mirabel was dressed in a baby-blue satin dress with low puff sleeves, courtesy of Rosalie. Her hair was decorated with flowers; Alice still fixed her hair as the girl painted on her canvas.

“What did she tell you?” he said, Edward and Bella on standby. Edward confirmed that the girl had been lying about the incident.

Esme had to take in a breath. She stayed the entire night with the girl after the revelation, Mirabel’s brown eyes filling with tears.

Her body trembled as she remembered that day, Esme giving her the comfort she desperately needed.

“It wasn’t an accident. It was never an accident.”

Carlisle froze.

“What are you talking about?”

“They made it up! They made it up, Carlisle!” she cried out, her hands going up to her hair.

“a candle wasn’t knocked down by accident. They wanted to get rid of me.”

Esme floundered.

“What?”

“I said—”

“I know that...but what do you mean?”

Mirabel laid on the bed, letting her body hit the soft mattress.

“I was 10. Youngest girl of 6 grandchildren. I have a cousin 2 months older than me and he…made my life hell.”

Mirabel got back up and stood, brushing her hand through her hair.

“he played mean pranks on me and my cousin Dolores all the time. He thought they were funny…” she said, remembering everything he had done to her and Dolores.

Esme noticed how anxious she was getting.

“Mirabel.”

She sucked in a breath.

“Agustin isn’t my dad.”

That punched the air out of Esme.

“I’m an affair child. My aunt and Isabela kept telling Camilo that I’m not a part of this family and that I was a bastard,” she said, wiping her tears.

“It was a family reunion of sorts at my Tio’s place. Antonio was just born, so abuela and my aunt’s family came. That night, my Tio Bruno got Camilo and Isabela in trouble for saying that ‘my perfect grades will never hide the fact I’m a bastard.’ Isabela just jabbed more and made me feel like I was the problem and everything was my fault,” she said as she continuously wiped her eyes

“Agustin and Pepa tried to stop them from receiving some type of punishment, but abuela was firm in her decision. So when no one was looking, they turned to me—”

“Her sister pushed her into a closet and dropped a lit taper candle at a pile of paperwork. Her cousin jammed the lock as it built up while all the adults were outside. She would have stayed there if it weren’t for Dolores catching them and yelling for their uncle,” Esme said as she recounted everything Mirabel had told her.

Her injury was sustained from trying to escape, not from a simple mistake. The girl had been terrified, panicking as she retold the story. So, she did what any mother would do.

She held her.

 Cuddled up against the girl, her curly hair tucked under her chin and tear stains on her cheeks, Esme felt a warmth cover her body before her eyes shut, and she relaxed. Holding her protectively against her chest as she slept soundly.

And for the first time in the 103 years, she had been a vampire…she had fallen asleep.

Bella and Edward were fuming, but nothing compared to the look in Carlisle’s eyes.

His eyes held pure rage.

“When she woke up, she and Dolores tried to tell the truth, but no one believed her. The police man in charge was a coworker of her aunt’s husband and a friend of that sorry excuse of a man. So, they wrote down that she threw a tantrum and knocked over a candle before locking herself in the closet,” Esme said, looking at her husband.

“And the psychiatrist?”

“a friend of Julieta. Despite the evidence from her brother and niece, she still told them the same lie as the police, and he had believed it.”

“and her mother is a damn psychiatrist. Oh, the irony. And the reports? Bella, do you think Charlie will find any?” Carlisle said.

“I have copies.”

The four of them turned around and watched Mirabel come in with her canvas. She had been painting Rosalie.

“Some guy came, and Renesmee went with him to watch bunnies.”

“That’s Jacob. He’s annoying,” Rosalie said as she walked in with Emmett, Alice, and Jasper.

Mirabel ran upstairs to grab her backpack.

“What's going on?” Alice asked.

“Her injury was caused deliberately by her sister and cousin,” Edward said.

“What?” Jasper said, his eyes wide.

“Why did she say it was an accident?”

“Because they lied to keep the other two from receiving consequences,” Bella said as Carlisle’s hands rested on his wife’s arms to comfort her.

Mirabel came back down with the manila folder holding the papers and handed them to Carlisle.

“My abuela was able to get copies of everything that happened and what was written,” she said.

He looked at the papers, his grip tightening so hard that they almost ripped.

Rosalie took the paperwork. Esme instantly called Mirabel over to her, tucking the girl under her chin as she held her close.

Mirabel’s arm wrapped around Esme’s waist and closed her eyes…a light beating coming from her chest and filling her hearing.

“Date of incident: December 2^nd, 2019.

A fire started in the main hallway. A 10-year-old child was found locked inside. Parents say she threw a tantrum and knocked over a candle before running to the area in which she was found. The team was able to locate the source.”

“this is bullshit.”

“Did your grandmother say anything?”

“She didn’t know what happened, but she believed me and Dolores. My Tio Bruno had video recordings of the incident. They mysteriously got deleted off of his phone. They spun this story to paint me as a brat, but it’s not true.”

“And what happened after?”

“My abuela and Tío Bruno got restraining orders against my cousin and his family, minus Dolores. Neither he nor his parents could come to my abuelas house or in contact with me…we tried to get one against Isabela but…loopholes, I guess,” she replied as she shrugged.

Carlisle’s hand came up to caress her head, stroking her hair tenderly.

“Are there any other things they did?” Emmett asked

“…no.”

“You’re lying,” Jasper said as she held on tighter to Esme.

“I—”

“Mirabel, please. We want to help you,” Rosalie pleaded.

Esme can feel panic in her voice.

“I—I can’t,” she said as she tried to get away, but Esme tightened her grip.

“Yes, you can.

“No one believed me…they made me feel like everything was my fault…that it’s still my fault,” she said, Carlisle grabbing her shoulders gently and twirling her to him. He crouched down to look at her at eye level.

Her beautiful, honey brown eyes were filled with tears.

Tears didn’t belong there. Neither did the fear.

“You listen to me, Mirabel,” he said as she gently held her arms.

“It is not and never will be your fault. You were a child. You still are a child. And what they did to you was unforgivable,” he said. He can hear the whispers of his children…too low for Mirabel to hear.

“he’s doing it again.”

“I swear he’s a girl Dad.”

“Well, she’s now the baby girl of the family.”

“We should just adopt her.”

“Then why do they hate me? Why does the world hate me for being born? They called me a problem child… They told every professional that I run away from home for fun, that I’m violent. No one believed me then—who would believe me now?”

“We believe you,” Bella said.

“Why? You don’t even know me,” she said, her vision blurring.

“Because we see you as family. The moment you stepped in Renesmee’s life, we knew you would stay with us,” Edward said.

Esme had her hand on Carlisle’s shoulder as he rubbed Mirabel’s arms.

“It’s not your fault. It will never be your fault. We believe you. So please…let us in,” he pleaded.

Mirabel broke down crying, and it broke him.

“Come here. It’s ok,” he said as he brought Mirabel into his embrace, protecting her head softly to avoid more pressure to her concussion.

“It’s ok. I got you, little one,” he whispered as she cried.

Again, he heard the whispers that made him smile.

He pulled back and wiped her face.

“Why don’t you go with Esme and see the garden, ok? When you’re ready, I’ll be waiting.”

She nodded, the tears still coming down as Esme took over, wrapping her in a hug as she led her towards the back of the house.

When their footsteps faded, he looked at his children, who were smirking.

“What?”

“So, should we get the adoption papers?”

“All of you are grounded.”

Dinner was a fun affair. She got to meet Jacob who spoke to her about everything and anything. He and Renesmee loved to make her laugh.

Dinner was a light alfredo pasta with bread. She was so busy talking to Jacob that she didn’t realize that the rest of the Cullens didn’t touch their food or take a bite.

When they were done, they all sat in the living room.

They saw her shiver, and Rosalie immediately grabbed a blanket.

“Oh..I’m ok.”

“We don’t want to turn on the fireplace, so this is better,” Jasper said.

She bit her lip. Stupid trauma. They can't even turn on the fireplace because of her.

“Sorry.”

“No, Mira-bug. Don’t be sorry,” Emmett said as he twirled her again, making her giggle. She sat on the couch next to Esme, who wrapped her in a hug as the Cullen siblings joked and teased everyone, Edward especially.

“This is my first time.”

“First time what?” Esme asked as they watched the family laugh.

“receiving a mother’s love and affection. Being surrounded by a real family,” she answered, and Esme, though broken at the statement, felt a brief sense of pride that she could give the girl what she always needed and lacked.

Esme continued to glance at the girl. Her breathing was deep, and she winced every once in a while. Something was wrong.

Mirabel got up but gasped softly when she felt the sting in her ribs.

“Mirabel?” The tone of Esme’s voice immediately called the attention of Carlisle, who was at their side in seconds.

“What happened?”

“Just...bruising,” she said softly.

Carlisle and Esme looked at each other.

“Mirabel, can we speak to you?” Carlisle asked, the room going silent.

Mirabel closed her eyes…she knew it.

“Yes,” she said, Carlisle helping her up as he and Esme led her to his office. They’d never seemed upset with her before, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed.

She was clenching her skin until Esme took her hand in hers.

“Don’t do that sweetheart. You aren’t in trouble.”

“it—never mind,” she said as they went into the room, Mirabel sitting on the couch as the two adults stood in front of her.

 Agustin's voice echoed in her mind: “You’ll never belong there, Mirabel. You’re just a burden.”

They stood in silence.

“Mirabel…”

“You’re going to tell me to leave, right?”

The air got knocked out of them.

“Mirabel—” Carlisle said, his arms unfolding from his chest as his eyes softened with guilt flashing in them.

“I understand if you do. It’s too much to handle…the things I’ve been through. I don’t blame you,” she said as her voice cracked but remained distant.

She stood up and smiled before she tried to leave.

“I can be out in around 10—”

“No!” they yelled at the same time, Carlisle standing in front of the door as Esme held her shoulders.

“We never want you to leave!” Esme cried out, her eyes wide with panic. She couldn’t let her go.

“But—”

“Mirabel, you are a part of this family now. And we all agreed that we want you to stay,” Carlisle said firmly.

Mirabel looked up at him with wide eyes, a broken mirror into her life.

Everyone she knew…her friends and their parents…they never wanted to stay. They made her feel like a plague…all because they believed she was a bad influence.

“I—you aren’t leaving me?” she asked brokenly. The two vampires wrapped her in a hug as they held her tightly.

“Never. We will never leave you. Family sticks together,” Esme said in their little huddle.

“Then—what—”

Carlisle pulled back. “Rosalie noticed something when she walked into your room. She said you had bruising on the right side of your body,” he answered.

Mirabel froze.

“Mirabel—are they hurting you?” he asked, her eyes not once meeting his.

“I—can’t.”

“Why can’t you? Mirabel, we believe you,” Esme said.

“I just can’t—if I say something—” she breathed out, her heart rate picking up before she clutched at her side, the pain worse.

“Mirabel? Esme, exam room now,” he said. He didn’t give Mirabel time to react before he picked her up and the three ran to the other side of the office, Esme scrambling to get a gown to change her into as Mirabel clutched her side in pain.

“Rosalie! Get in here!” he yelled as he prepped the X-ray equipment.

The blonde immediately entered.

“Help your mother get Mirabel into the gown.”

“Rosalie gently held her down as Esme put the gown over her head, removing the blue dress slowly as the gown inched over her skin. Esme had to turn around when she saw the swelling of her right side.

The mother pressed a kiss to her head just as the machine was placed over her, Carlisle trying to keep his anger under control.

“rose, check the images,” he said, Rosalie going to the computer to check as Esme held onto Mirabel.

“Hairline fracture in rib 10,” she said, Carlisle pushing the machine back.

“She needs an intercostal nerve block,” He said, Rosalie running to the medicine cabinets full of supplies.

Mirabel’s hand grabbed his sweater, making him look at her.

She was pleading.

“Please…please don’t say anything—”

“Mirabel, I have to—”

“It’ll only get worse,” she said, her grip still tight. Esme looked up at him, his eyes trying to find something in hers.

“Please…Carlisle, please,” she said, the tears streaming down her face.

He grabbed her hand and leaned down, pressing a kiss on her forehead.

“Ok. Ok, I won’t say a thing.”

He wasn’t going to say a thing…but he damn sure wasn’t going to not do anything about it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Did Esme just—fall asleep?” Jasper asked, astonished. The 6 siblings are in Carlisle’s office, where Mirabel and Esme are lying on the couch, the sun peeking up from where it is rising.

The girl was lying on her left side, head tucked on a pillow, fast asleep with more tear marks on her cheeks. What caught them off guard was that Esme was right behind her, head buried in Mirabel’s curly hair.

It wasn’t unusual for Esme to have her eyes closed when resting. She did it often when she just needed a break from everyone.

But now…she had wholly fallen asleep against the human girl who she so desperately wants all for herself. It was like all of her senses were dulled…she didn’t even open her eyes when they walked in…which she usually did since she knew her children’s scents.

“She did. She’s been sleeping a lot when she’s with Mirabel,” Carlisle said as he sat on the chair next to them, his hand in Mirabel’s smaller one.

“How is that possible?” Edward asked in astonishment.

“She has a gift. Bella had a gift as a human…but it seems Mirabel has one too, though it’s a bit more complicated,” Jasper said.

“You believe so?”

“I can feel it,” Jasper said.

Esme stirred, and her grip tightened on Mirabel.

“What happened?” she asked, sleep drenching her voice as she sat up, her hand never leaving Mirabel’s.

“You fell asleep,” Emmett teased as she rubbed her eyes.

“Oh…I—can’t help it when she’s around. I try to stay awake but…she has that effect,” she said pressing a kiss to Mirabel’s head.

“What happened earlier? We heard you call Rose,” Bella said.

“Hairline fracture in her 10th rib. Looking at the pictures, it’s recent. Maybe a week. I don’t think she was aware of it,” Carlisle said.

“Did she get hit?” Alice asked.

Esme and Carlisle looked at each other.

“We believe we have evidence that her parents are abusing her,” he replied. There were the sounds of voices rising before Esme and Carlisle growled at them, telling them to keep it down.

Mirabel stirred and whimpered. That caused Esme to glare at their kids.

She slowly got up, Esme guiding her as Rosalie helped.

“Easy does it. You should be careful now as you heal. It means no dancing for a bit,” Carlisle said. Mirabel looked at him sadly.

“What?”

“You heard me. Do you want to suffer more?”

Mirabel looked down.

“No, sir.”

Carlisle moved her hair as she stood up and checked her phone.

Asshole: we heard you went to the hospital. You better have proof.

Esme, reading over her shoulder, immediately hugged the girl.

Mirabel tossed her phone and hugged back, really not wanting to leave the comfort of the Cullen family matriarch…

“Stay with us.”

It was so tempting to say yes…But if she didn’t leave…she probably won’t see them again if her family found her.

She looked at Carlisle, trying to get him to help her. Carlisle looked at the ground and sighed.

“Esme…let her go.”

“No,” she said, holding onto the girl tighter.

“Carlisle, we can keep her here. Where she’s safe,” Rosalie said. Jasper agreed.

“We can help her.”

Alice took in a shuddering breath.

“I agree with Carlisle. Mirabel has to go back home,” Alice said softly. As much as it hurts, if Mirabel didn’t go back, she knew they wouldn’t see her again.

“I don’t think you understand just how serious this is! This is abuse we’re talking about!” Rosalie said, she said, Emmett having to hold her back.

“I—can’t— Mirabel, you can’t go back,” Esme got out as she held on tighter.

Mirabel pulled back.

“Esme.”

Her calm voice made Esme look at her.

“I’ll be ok.”

“I can’t let you go back there. That isn’t right.”

“I’ll be back before you know it. If it makes you feel better, I can save your number,” she said softly.

“I—I guess that would be enough for now,” she said as Mirabel grabbed her phone and had Esme type her number in. Once it was in, she sent a quick message and moved back to embrace the woman.

“I’ll be fine.”

After cooking breakfast, Renesmee and Mirabel went to paint outside again with Esme and Bella staying with them. The others were in the living room watching the 4 outside.

Carlisle puts the necessary paperwork into her backpack after Edward had read Mirabel’s mind. He combined both the hairline fracture and the concussion paperwork into a manila folder, stapled and signed with his signature.

“She doesn’t have to go back,” Emmett said.

“It isn’t up to us, Emmett. If she doesn’t go back, we would never see her again,” Alice said.

“What do you mean by that?” Edward said.

“There are so many possibilities and at the end of all of them…We would never see her alive again and it would be too late to change her. It isn’t too far when she finds out what we are,” she said, her voice soft, breaking.

“What?” Rosalie asked.

“If she stays with us, her family will try to kill her if they see her out in the world because she knows too much. As far as they know, we don’t know Mirabel is being hurt. They think we’re just taking pity on her. They’re waiting to fill us with lies…which by the way…Rose,” she said, turning to the woman.

“Yes?”

“Her older sister is going to want to befriend you because we’re rich.”

“Haha! As if. I’ll rub it in her face that I’m a better sister than her,” she said with a smirk.

“Mirabel has a fragile heart but a fiery spirit when needed. She’ll fight her way through it,” Edward said.

“She’s strong. She’ll be with us soon,” Alice said, all of them turning to Carlisle.

“What?”

“So…how does it feel to be a dad again?”

“Did you forget I adopted you all?”

“We know, but this is practically a baby here. She’s 15,” Edward said with a smirk, happy he wasn’t going to be the youngest.

“Not to mention she looks and acts exactly like a baby when she lets her guard down.”

“And if you look at Esme right now, I have a feeling Mirabel is going to remain a baby in her eyes,” Jasper said as he watched Mirabel pick flowers and put them in Esme’s hair with a giggle, the woman pressing an exaggerated kiss on her cheek.

Carlisle watched his wife. She had that look in her eyes that always meant one thing…she found someone she wants to give all her love to again.

Their children were practically adults (minus Edward who the others tease since he’s the youngest). They had degrees, got married, and had children in Edward’s case.

They were no longer children or newborn vampires to take care of.

Having Mirabel here…it filled a part of them that they didn’t know needed to be filled.

Mirabel looked up at the right moment, and Carlisle felt a skip in his chest. Her big doe eyes, the color of honey, were filled with Innocence and wonder, the flower in her hair bringing more color to her eyes.

When their eyes met, she smiled.

It was like…a daughter looking up to her father.

“I think she might kill him with her cuteness first before she gets adopted,” Emmett said teasingly.

Rosalie giggled.

“Oh yeah, he is totally gone. Look at his eyes."

“The Mirabel effect,” Alice said.

“he is so ready to be a dad again,” Jasper said.

“ok, I’m calling it now. I’m favorite sibling!” Edward said, the voices rising.

“Hell no, Edwina. If anyone’s going to be favorite, it’s me,” Rosalie said.

“Hell,o she has 3 sisters and 3 brothers. So she has a favorite in each gender,” Alice pointed out.

“I’m still going to be the favorite.”

“fuck off, Rose.”

Suddenly, Mirabel’s phone rang with an incoming message.

Carlisle let out a sigh of defeat.

“It's time for her to go home,” he said just as the 4 women came back, a bundle of daisies and dandelions in Mirabel’s hands.

She held them out to Carlisle with a smile.

“and he’s done with,” Bella whispered to Esme as they watched Carlisle take the bundle and pull the girl into a hug.

“Thank you. Is your patch still on?”

“Renesmee checked. It’s perfectly intact.”

“ok. Remember, if the pain gets worse, take ibuprofen. Rest as much as possible and try to stay on your left side… also—”

“No dancing. I heard you the last 10 times,” she said, throwing her head back with a groan. It made the older kids stifle their laughter.

“I mean it, young lady.”

“Got it, sir,” she said with a small mock salute before she hugged him again.

“Thank you for promising,” she whispered.

“Just because I won’t say a thing, doesn’t mean I won’t document everything I see,” he whispered back.

“I don’t doubt it.”

She pulled back

“Guess I better call—”

“Let me take you home!” Alice said immediately before her siblings.

Mirabel shrugged with a smile.

“Ok.”

She giggled when she heard the siblings argue about wanting to take her as Alice tossed an arm around her.

“You snooze, you lose. Let’s go, my little butterfly!” She said happily as Carlisle and Esme walked them to the garage.

Renesmee had run ahead, jumping into the front seat as Mirabel said goodbye.

Esme held her tightly, inhaling the scent of sugar and strawberries before pressing a kiss to her curls.

“Come back soon.”

“With Renesmee as a best friend, you will probably see me every day.”

“I’ll make sure of it!” the girl yelled, smirking at her friend.

Mirabel giggled before Carlisle pulled her into a hug as well.

“Remember what I told you.”

“I will. Thank you for staying,” she said quietly as he rested his cheek on her hair.

“We'll always stay with you. No matter what.”

Chapter Text

“So, if I take 4 of your cookies…”

“You’ll end up with a broken wrist,” Mirabel said as she pulled her tray back with a stifled laugh.

Renesmee pouted at her.

“I find it unfair that grandma made you a batch of cookies on top of the homemade lunch.”

“Maybe I’m the favorite now,” she said teasingly before handing the girl a cookie. She gasped and ate it immediately as she leaned on the girl.

“Hey, ever heard of personal space?”
“Nope. Not in my vocabulary,” Renesmee said as Mirabel pushed her.

“Maybe you should add it in there,” she said as she got up to get a milk carton from the coolder

When she grabbed it, she moved to walk back just when a flash caught her eye.

Then…the ground shook as something exploding filled the everyone’s ears. It was starting to smell like smoke… She can see the plume of black coming from the nearby building from the window.

Suddenly, the alarm blared and everyone panicked, running out.

 She looked up and dropped her carton, milk spilling everywhere. No…

Renesmee pushed through people, trying to find Mirabel.

“Mirabel! Mira—OH COME ON!” she yelled as the sprinklers activated, wetting everyone. People slipped, the sound of sneakers annoying her. It was getting hard to try to find the girl when the scent of water and everyone else filled her nose.

But…then she found her, and she felt her heart stop.

There, cowering in the corner, covering her ears with her arms, was Mirabel. Her hair was drenched. Her clothes were sticking to her.

“Mirabel…” she said before she tapped her watch and clicked on her grandfather’s contact, speaking into it.

“Come to the school. It’s Mirabel.”

She ran to her friend and tried to grab her hands, but Mirabel pushed her hands away harshly.

“No! Please, it’s not my fault!” she cried as she tried to push herself further into the corner.

“Mirabel, it’s me, Renesmee!” she tried to call out, but Mirabel couldn’t hear her.

“You got us in trouble again!”

“I didn’t do anything!” Mirabel cried as Isabela grabbed her by the back of her shirt. She dragged her, the girl kicking her way to escape.

“You always do something wrong because you are a mistake. Mama should have never kept you,” Isabela said harshly.

“Mirabel, Mirabel, come back to me,” Renesmee said as she held her arms.

Mirabel was trembling, and she began hyperventilating.

Renesmee looked at her watch.

A simple message.  

‘Here’

“Hold on, Miri. Your dad is coming,” she said as she panicked.

“You just can’t take a joke!” Camilo said as he kicked her.
Isabela grabbed her arm harshly and shoved her into the closet, her back hitting the corner.

“No. Please, I don’t want to be put in here again,” she pleaded. She hated the closet. Agustin always put her in there if he didn’t want to deal with her.

“Well, too bad. We have to get rid of the weeds so our garden can grow,” Isabela said as she dragged the small table. Grabbing the candle from Camilo and flipping some of the paperwork that sat on the desk, she had a wicked smile on her face.

“Bye,” she said before she held the flame to a piece of paper and lit it on fire before lighting one of the cotton coats that fell. She tossed the candle in a box and closed the door---

“Mirabel, please.”

Her grandfather’s scent entered her senses, and a gust a wind blew some of the water off of her.

“What happened?” he asked, crouching down next to her.

“I think there was an explosion in the labs or something. It triggered the fire alarm, and she panicked,” Renesmee said.

“Post traumatic stress. There was probably a fire alarm or smoke detector in her uncle’s closet where the fire happened.”
 She looked back and touched the girl’s knee.

“Miri…your dad is here.”
Carlisle felt something in his chest jolt. That was new…but he was not surprised.

He gently grabbed Mirabel’s hands, her trembling ones continuing to shake in his steady ones.

"Hey, you. Can you look it up?"

"I can't," Mirabel sobbed, her eyes clenched closed.

“Mirabel. Little one, it’s ok.”

“I won't do it again. I’m sorry. Please make it stop,” she cried, her breath not once calming.

Gently, he sat next to her and wrapped her up in his arms. She tried to fight it, but then she inhaled softly, and her body relaxed. Her fists, which dug into her palm and created bloody crescents, unclenched.

“It’s ok, little one. I’m right here,” he said, his cheek on top of her curls. He didn’t care if his clothes were getting wet. He didn’t care that his face was getting water on it.

What mattered the most was his little girl who needed him.

Her breathing calmed down just as the alarm turned off.

Suddenly, as if she had no more energy in her left, her body sagged heavily into Carlisle, her head falling forward, making Renesmee lunge to catch her.

“Hold her while I get up. I think she needs to get out of here,” he said, Renesmee taking the girl so he can stand up.

With gentle movements, he picked up the girl, her head resting on his shoulder as he walked out.

“Carlisle.”

“Charlie,” he greeted.

"What's going on?"

"Mirabel fainted from the stress."

“So, this Mirabel. Bella tells me a lot about her,” Charlie said as he took in the vision of the girl.

“Is she ok?”

“She had a panic attack during the fire alarm. It triggered her trauma,” he said, resting the girl on the gurney that was available.

“Trauma?”

“She was in a house fire.”

“I didn’t see a report…I have to check on that,” he said. Carlisle nodded.

“I—just try not to believe everything in the writing. She knows what happened,” he said, Charlie nodding.

“I know. The ties sometimes run too deep. Please let me know how she is,” he said before walking into the school.

Carlisle gently moved Mirabel’s hair from her face.

“What did they put you through, little one?”

“Grandpa, should I call grandma?”

Before he could respond, the squealing of tires filled their hearing. He facepalmed as he watched Rosalie’s BMW M3 Convertible park hazardously a few feet from the fire trucks. He caught sight of dark hair and sighed.

“I had a feeling she already knew,” he said just as Esme came running towards him, Rosalie hot on her tail.

“What the hell happened?” she said as her hands made their way towards Mirabel’s face, cupping her cheeks as she checked for injuries.

“Panic attack. The fire alarm went off—”

“And it brought up her trauma,” Rosalie responded as she also checked the girl, grabbing her arms. She found the bloody palms before going to one of the paramedics to ask for gauze.

Once obtained, she gently cleaned the girl’s injuries before wrapping her palms.

“It’s a good thing you came on time.”

“I know. I told her I would protect her. That also includes past memories,” he said as he rubbed her shoulder.

Mirabel let out a groan, her eyes clenching as she moved her head.

“She’s waking up,” Esme said as she stroked Mirabel’s cheekbone with her thumb.

“Mirabel? Can you hear me?”

The girl opened her eyes and blinked.

“Esme? What happened?”

“You panicked. The fire alarm went off,” Renesmee said as she grabbed Mirabel’s gauze-covered hand.

“sorry—” she apologized as she tried to sit up, Carlisle going to help her to not jostle her ribs. It had been 3 weeks since her injury, and she was doing much better, but that didn’t stop them from worrying.

“Why are you apologizing for something you can’t control?” Rosalie said, petting her hair.

Mirabel blinked and tried to speak, but no words came out.

Rosalie was looking at her with soft eyes…different than Isabela, who stared at her with cold eyes after she had a panic attack.

“I—I don’t know. I usually apologize since it—annoys them,” she said quietly. Something behind her ripped but she couldn’t see what until Esme’s hands cupped her face again.

“We are not and never will be, thank goodness- those sorry excuses of people you call family. We are definitely WAY better than them,” Rosalie said as she flicked her hair.

Mirabel giggled.

“Way better, Rosie,” she said, slipping the nickname off her tongue so easily. It made Rosalie pause before a bright smile came over her face.

“Say it again.”

“That you’re way better?”

“No, my nickname,” she said, leaning forward to see the girl, anticipation rolling off of her in waves.

Mirabel blinked. Oh, she didn’t know. It was just easy to say.

“Rosie,” she said softly, Rosalie squealing as she hugged the girl. It caught both Esme and Carlisle off guard. Rosalie never liked hugging people…not even them.

“It’s the Mirabel effect,” Renesmee whispered as she watched Rosalie sway the girl side to side.

“I—this needs to be studied,” Carlisle said, Esme hitting his arm as Rosalie let Mirabel go.

“Hey. How about you and I go shopping later this week? Let’s say…Friday?” Rosalie said with a smile and a teasing look in her eyes.

Mirabel’s bright smile filled her vision, making her feel warm in her cold body.

“I would love to.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ok, why couldn’t I meet you at the place? I have legs to go to the bus stop, you know,” Mirabel said into her phone as she fixed her jeans.

“Because I don’t want you to walk. Also, Esme would kill me if she found out you went on the bus. Especially since it was my idea,” Rosalie answered back, the sound of the engine coming through the phone.

“Please don’t tell me you’re on the phone and driving.”

“You have so little faith in me…I’m on my airpods and driving.”

“Rosie, you have to do better.”

“I’m unstoppable,” she replied with a teasing tone.

Mirabel rolled her eyes and smiled

“ok, 2 minutes away.”

Mirabel packed up her things and tossed her bag over her head, heading downstairs where the others were.

Julieta was in the kitchen, Agustin watching television as Isabela bitched about her life.

“Mirabel. Where are you going? It’s almost dinner—”

“Just let her leave. It’s peaceful when she’s gone,” Isabela said.

Mirabel just rolled her eyes before grabbing her keys.

“Mirabel. Answer me.”

“I’m going shopping with Rosalie,” she said as she fixed her curls.

Isabela instantly sat up.

“That’s impossible. You’re friends with Rosalie Hale? Dr. Cullen’s daughter?”

“Yup,” she said nonchalantly. She felt her eyes roll deep into her head when she saw Isabela fixing herself up.

“Don’t mess this up for me,” Isabela said. Agustin nodded.

“Isabela needs this. Maybe they’ll take her in, and she’ll reap the benefits,” Agustin said with mischief.

Mirabel bit her tongue.

‘They already hate you…. but learn the hard way I guess.’

There was a honk, and Mirabel ran towards the door, slamming it in Isabela’s face as she ran down the steps towards the red convertible.

“Rosie!”

“Hey, sweetpea!” she said excitedly, flicking her sunglasses up. Mirabel got into the front seat and hugged the woman, who laughed.

The door opened again and out came three more people, making Rosalie raise an eyebrow before she pulled back from the hug. Mirabel sat back and played on her phone.

“Miss Hale. It’s lovely to meet you. I’m Agustin Rojas. Mirabel’s…father.”

‘I call bullshit,’ Rosalie thought.

“This is my daughter Isabela. You and her are the same age. It would be much more relatable to go with her rather than a 15-year-old, don’t you think?”

“I happen to have an eye for fashion and style. I absolutely love your hair,” Isabela said as she eyed the red car with greedy eyes.

Rosalie scoffed and reached into her glove compartment, getting another pair of glasses and giving them to Mirabel who put them on.

“Sorry, but I much prefer the presence of this beautiful 15-year-old than that of a spoiled brat,” she said with a smile, beaming with pride as she watched their smiles and smug smirks fall from their faces.

“I—I beg your pardon? What can she have to offer?”

“What did you tell her, Mirabel?” Agustin hissed softly.

“Oh, she didn’t say anything. I can see it in your face. And Mirabel has so much to offer. She's kind and beautiful. She has a lot of warmth and love—something you obviously lack. She also has common sense, so of course I want to be with her,” she answered, pinching Mirabel’s cheek.

“well we must get going. Esme is going to prepare dinner, so we should head out now to be back in time. It was...lovely to meet you. Let’s not make it a habit,” she said before flipping down her glasses.

“Wait—”

“Goodbye,” she said before taking off at a semi-fast speed.

“Woo, that felt liberating.”

“Tell me about it,” Mirabel said as she felt the wind in her hair. She leaned on the door and sighed.

“So where we going?”

“Seattle.”

“Really?! I’ve never actually been,” Mirabel said excitedly.

Rosie looked at her sadly.

“They don’t let you do much, huh?”

“Nope. Just school and back with an occasional grocery trip. I also don’t have many friends, so,” she said with a shrug.

“Well, that’s all about to change,” Rosalie said with a smile.

“Oh? How so, Miss Hale?” she said with a slight tease.

“Because I, for one, am going to be a better sister than whoever we just saw back there, if you let me,” she said. Mirabel’s eyes widened, but a smile played on her lips.

'Rosalie sees me as a sister!'

“You’re already a better older sister, Rosie.”

Mirabel looked away, but she could feel the victory smirk.

When they got to seattle, Rosalie wasted no time in buying the girl new clothes and items. Early that morning, she had seen Esme and Carlisle decorating and fixing up the bedroom by theirs.

She heard the whispers they shared as they decorated, Carlisle filling the shelves with books Mirabel might like as Esme fixed the bed with new sheets and blankets.

They were trying to make Mirabel feel like home…while also trying to make her place permanent in their lives.

So she wanted to get the clothes that would fill that empty closet.

“How the heck am I going to get into my house without Isabela taking my things?”

“Who said those were going to your house? They’re going to your new room.”

Mirabel looked up immediately.

“New room?”

“Because we love you so much, and Esme is trying to keep you, she renovated the bedroom you had been staying in to make it your own,” Rosalie said as they put the last of the clothes in the trunk.

The girl was currently eating marshmallows from a small bag she had packed, so it was extremely adorable to see her cheeks puffy from the gooey treat.

"Do you guys mean it? I mean…you guys want to stay? People usually leave,” she said sadly.

“Well, it’s a good thing we aren’t other people. We want to stay forever,” she teased, though she was very serious about staying with Mirabel forever.

Mirabel giggled when she poked her cheeks.

“You know…when I first met you…I was kind of scared.”

That made something in Rosalie whine.

“Why?”

“The way you were glaring at the wall. It reminded me of how Isabela glares at me. She has it out for me for some reason,” Mirabel said as they got into the car.

“Did you just compare me to that rat?”

Mirabel started choking on her marshmallow when she started laughing, making Rosalie panic.

She hit her back gently as Mirabel coughed up the treat.

“Jeez! Don’t die on my watch! Esme will have my head!”

That just made Mirabel laugh more.

Emmett met them at the entrance, swiping Mirabel off her feet for a bear hug before getting the dozens of bags filled with clothes.

When she got into the house, she was swept off her feet again, this time by Edward.

“What is this…invade Mirabel’s space day?”

“We haven’t seen you in a week so we’re a bit deprived of the Mirabel effect,” Jasper said as he also moved to hug the girl.

“I wasn’t aware I had an effect named after me,” she said in Alice’s embrace.

“You have something that makes us feel 10 times better. So, without you, it kind of felt lonely. Even Ness was moping around,” Bella said, making her daughter whine from her position around Mirabel’s shoulders.

“Mooom!”

“She sees me every day! Before I forget, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Yes, you can move in,” Edward said, making Mirabel pause.

“The fuck?”

“Language,” Carlisle scolded as he came down the stairs with Esme, just scooping the girl up into his arms.

“Carlisle?!” She squeaked as he spun her around.

“I haven’t seen you in so long, little one,” he said as he put her down.

“I told you,” bella said

“It’s only been a week?”

“A week feels like forever, my love,” Esme said.

Within Esme’s arms, the woman not letting her go, she looked at bella and Edward.

“ok. So, back to my conversation. I’m leaving—”

“What?!” the Cullen family yelled all together just as Jacob came up the steps.

“Did I miss something?”

“I was telling them that I was leaving.”

“Right. Text me the airline and time again.”

“You knew about this?” Rosalie hissed and looked at Jacob.

“Uhhhh yeah? She asked me like weeks ago to drop her off.”

“You can’t leave. We just got you—” Esme said as she began to panic. Carlisle was trying to calm her down but even he was panicking.

“Esme, I’m not leaving forever. I’m just going to visit my abuela.”

That calmed the family down immensely.

“ok. Ok sorry. What were you saying?”

“I’m leaving next week to Rochester to visit my abuela for break. I wanted to ask permission to take Renesmee with me. Abuela wants to meet her,” she said looking towards Edward and Bella.

“Can I go?! Please?!?!?!” Renesmee pleaded, making Edward and Bella laugh.

“Of course, honey. We’re probably going to go to Denali to visit friends, and I know you want to explore,” Edward said.

“Yayayayay!” she said as she grabbed Mirabel and started jumping around.

“Is Jacob going?”

“I have a family event that week, so I’m just dropping her off.”

“You’re going alone?”

“I was always alone?” Mirabel said.

“Carlisle, Esme. You guys wanted to visit Rochester, correct?” Alice said, everyone realizing that Alice had seen something. 

“You’ve never been to Rochester?”

“No. We haven’t,” Esme lied.

They did visit Rochester...91 years ago.

“Can grandma and grandpa join us then?” Renesmee said, looking at the girl who blinked.

“I don’t see why not. Let me just ask my cousin," she said, sending a message to Dolores.

Blue belle: Do we have room for 2 more people?

Lolita: We always have enough room!

“Well, Dolores said yes,” Mirabel said, pocketing her phone.

“Oh, this is going to be fun. Come and help me pack!” Renesmee said, pulling her friend.

“We don’t leave until next week!”

The footsteps retreated, and the door slammed.

Everyone turned to Alice.

“Why?”

“Her grandmother. I can’t say much but...mirabel talks a lot about you two. She sees a change and…well, you have to go to Rochester to see what happens,” Alice said. Esme and Carlisle looked at each other.

“Is it bad?”

“You have to see for yourselves.”

The family nodded, and Carlisle shoved his hands in his pockets

“Ok. We’ll go. Has she booked tickets?”

“Not yet. Had to wait for permission from the parents so I can book mine and Renesmee’s tickets together,” Mirabel said, coming down the stairs.

She was going to jump from the second step when Carlisle’s hands found their way to her waist and lifted her. With a light spin, he placed her down on the ground.

“You just ruined my fun.”

“Not sorry, sweetheart,” he said with a ruffle of her hair.

“How about I book the tickets? To make sure we sit somewhat together?” Esme asked.

“I can—”

“We got it, sweetheart. There’s more of us coming.”

“Can I pay you? I got paid.”

“Why are you even working? You're 15,” Carlisle asked, a bit of anger in his voice that wasn’t directed toward her.

“Because I have to make a living? I don’t exactly get allowance like Isabela. So I have to buy my own things.”

That made the family tense.

“They can’t even provide the basic needs?”

“I have a room…I guess that’s a basic need.”

“Quit your job,” Esme said, arms crossed.

“Excuse me?” Mirabel said, whirling around.

“You heard me.”

“ I can’t just up and quit my job. I have to survive somehow.”

“We’ll take care of you,” Carlisle said.

“No offense, Carlisle, but there are like 10 people in this home with Jacob visiting all the time. I don’t want to put more of a burden on your shoulders,” she snapped.

Great...her meds are wearing off.

“Is that what you think you are to us?” Edward said.

“This is an A and B conversation, Edward. Please C your way out of it,” she said with a toss of her head, making Rosalie snort as she tried to cover her mouth.

“Mirabel, you’re young. You should be focusing on school and being with friends,” Carlisle said, the hair on his neck raising a bit at the amount of sass in her voice.

“What are you, my therapist? I didn’t realize I needed more people telling me what to do. Thanks for the unsolicited advice.”

“Haha, he’s going to get into it with a teenager.”

“If I could eat popcorn, I would have made some.”

“he already had to deal with me when I changed…”

“But you’re not a girl, dude.”

“Mirabel. We’re worried about you. We don’t want you to juggle so many things,” Esme said, resting a hand on Mirabel’s shoulder.

The Cullen siblings waited to see if Mirabel would shrug off the hand or say some sarcastic comment, but they just saw her posture sag.

“I know. I’m sorry,” she said with a pout on her lips, head held down. She looked like a little kid who had been scolded.

Carlisle rested his hand on her shoulder.

“It’s ok. We understand.”
She took in a breath.

“I’ll call my boss tomorrow morning, I guess.”

“Good. Now, let’s talk about what you’re on because you are a completely different person.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Do you have everything packed?” Esme asked Mirabel when Jacob picked them up. The girl was coming out of the home with her things, putting them in the vehicle. 

When Mirabel was shown her new renovated room, she couldn't help but admire how much it fit her personality. The books on the shelves ranged from medicine to architecture to design and music. Her wall had her name and butterflies...she couldn't remember how long she stayed attached to Esme's waist...it must have been the whole night because they had fallen asleep on the bed.

The girl was fixing her well-hidden hair under her beanie, the hood of her jacket over it as well.

“Yeah, I do.”

“Your charger as well?” she said with a raised eyebrow.

“Yup.”

Esme nodded and pressed a kiss to the tip of Mirabel’s nose, making the girl scrunch her nose. Carlisle was in the front seat, the 3 women in the back seat.

“Anything we should know about your grandmother and cousin?” Carlisle asked.

“Just that she cooks to feed an army. She’s also very welcoming and a gift giver, so uh, be prepared.”

“Sounds good,” Esme said before she met Carlisle’s eyes in the mirror.

That was going to be a challenge.

When they got to the airport, they grabbed their pieces of luggage and went straight to TSA.

“What types of food does your grandma make?”

“Everything I make is what she taught me. So Sancocho, arepas, ajiaco, and the list goes on,” Mirabel said with a smile as she took off her jacket.

Carlisle actually stumbled when he saw the strands of blonde hair on her head after the beanie was removed.

“You actually did the Oreo hairstyle!”

“I did! We have a performance at the end of the year, and Jiji wanted us to get used to new looks,” she said as she shook her curly hair out, curls tumbling down her back.

Esme and Carlisle were at a loss for words.

“Go blonde!”

“I’m dying it like a caramel color after this soooo—”

“She’s going to be the death of me. I can feel it now,” Carlisle said with a facepalm.

“She takes after me already,” Esme whispered with a teasing smile as they got through security.

They sat waiting for their flight, Renesmee and Mirabel gossiping on the ground about everything that happened at school while Esme read her book.

 Carlisle was reading a medical journal, his arm around his wife.

They heard Mirabel’s laughter and looked up, her smile bright. She smiles with her eyes, her laughter like a child’s excited squeal.

“I want to keep her with us, Carlisle.”

“I know. I feel the same way,” he said.

“Would she want to stay? With us, I mean?”

“I would like to think she would,” he said pressing a kiss to her head.

“Wait, so it's true? You’re graduating next year with me?”

That made them stiffen.

“Yeah. I had transferred with all of the required courses from my high school, so I just needed the courses I’m taking now,” Mirabel said.

“Have you applied to college?”

“Yeah, I did the early application.”

That hurt them…she was going to leave so young...she was going to leave them.

“You applied to a college in New York?”

“I did…and I applied to the University of Washington,” she said with a smile, biting her bottom lip. That made them look up in surprise.

“Really? I thought New York was home?”
Mirabel smiled as she tucked her hair.

“New York will always be home…but my home now isn’t just a place…” she said. If they could cry, they would have.

They looked at their girl with so much love and pride; it was as bright as the sun.

“What are you going to major in? I’m going for music theory,” Renesmee said.

“You don’t have to follow your father, Ness,” Esme said.

“I know, but I love music.”

“Can’t decide. I applied for pharmaceutical sciences, but I might double major or pick up a minor. So probably a science and architecture or design,” Mirabel said, Esme and Carlisle gasping silently.

“Really? Why pharmaceutical sciences?” Carlisle said, impressed. 

She licked her lips.

“I want to help people; maybe even go to medical school to become a doctor…My mom let me down as a psychiatrist. I don’t want anyone to experience what I did,” she said, determination in her voice.

That made Carlisle beam with pride. His little one wanted to help others like him.

“You also want to do architecture?” Esme asked, emotions overcoming her voice.

“Yeah. My abuela has all of my portfolios from when I was in art throughout middle school. I had a real knack for design…well designing.”

“She makes her own clothes. Isn’t that awesome?”

"You do?"

“Yeah. I love to design and make things. I made most of my outfits for my performances,” Mirabel said, tilting her head to look up at the two, her hair falling in front of her face. In their minds, she looked like a little girl.

Esme bit her lip.

“Can I hug you, baby?”

Mirabel didn’t hesitate, scooching over and moving into the woman’s embrace. Esme caressed her head, pressing a kiss on her curls.

“I’m so proud of you,” she whispered, holding onto her tighter. Suddenly, Esme felt something that she hadn’t felt in decades…her face was flushing, and there was a rapid beating in her chest.

She pulled away from Mirabel and caressed her face. Mirabel’s smile was bright as she looked up at the woman from her position on the ground.

Mirabel sucked in a breath. The look in her eyes...she looked at Esme as if she hung the stars in the sky.

“I love you, Esme…”

Carlisle’s head snapped up as he watched Mirabel tuck herself into the woman, his wife’s smile brighter than ever as she just held on tighter to the young girl.

“I love you too, baby. I love you so much.”

Chapter Text

“We’re here!” Mirabel yelled as they got out of the plane.

Carlisle and Esme walked hand in hand as they watched Renesmee and Mirabel bounce around. The girl was like a little puppy, excited to be home.

“She’s so adorable,” Carlisle said as he held his wife close when they made it down the escalator.

Suddenly, they heard someone yelling as they came out the door.

“Your girl need it all, and that’s a hunnid!” the voice said.

“Huh?” Esme said. They had no idea what that meant, but Mirabel did. She cupped her hands over her mouth and replied in the same cadence.

“100 개 중에 100, 내 몫을 원해!”

"You speak Korean?”

“4 years now.” Mirabel shrugged before she jumped off the escalator and ran.

“Miri, be careful!”

They made it just in time to see Mirabel run into the arms of a caramel-skinned woman, curls bunched up on her head with a red bow, her arms out as Mirabel dropped her bag and jumped into her, spinning her around as they laughed.

“You got so big!” the woman said as she set her down, cupping the girl's face and checking her.

“You look healthier than the last time we talked.”

“Well…” Mirabel said as she stepped aside and grabbed the woman’s hand, leading her to the group she came with.

“Lola, this is Renesmee, my best friend. And this is Esme and Carlisle Cullen, her grandparents. They took care of me and gave me another place to call home,” she said, Esme and Carlisle smiling at the girl.

“This is my older cousin, Dolores. She and my abuela helped me a lot when I was going through a rough time,” she said, introducing the woman to her newfound family.

Dolores smiled brightly.

“Thank you for taking care of her for me. I was worried for her,” she said, wrapping an arm around her.

“She’s an essential part of our family now. We probably would be lost without her,” Carlisle said, making Mirabel blush.

“She has that effect. Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go home. Abuela cooked up a feast,” she said. She watched with a knowing look in her eyes when she saw Esme reach her hand out, and Mirabel took it.

“Alguien encontró a su mamá osa para siempre,” she teased as she hooked her arm with renesmee’s.

Mirabel smiled and looked at Esme.

“Yeah. I did.”

When they got into the car, Dolores put Renesmee in charge of the music.

“Dr. Cullen.”

“Carlisle is fine.”

“Carlise, I just—I want to thank you again—” she said as she drove to their abuela’s home.

“It’s no problem, Dolores. Looking after Mirabel is like looking after my own children,” he said, Renesmee smirking.

“She’s a good teenager, isn’t she?”

“Other than the snappy remarks we received yesterday, yes. She’s a well-behaved girl,” Esme said, looking at Mirabel, who looked away.

“Snappy—ughh. I apologize on her behalf. Her medication wears off fast. She’s either a ball of anxiety or a tiny volcano ready to explode when she’s off it,” Dolores said as she turned onto the freeway.

Mirabel stiffened as Carlisle and Esme turned to her.

“What medication?”

"You're on medication?!"

“Why would you tell them, you stupid potato?!” she said, reaching and hitting Dolores.

“Because the last time we didn’t say a thing, you made a teacher cry,” she said, remembering that day when Mirabel was in middle school. Julieta put her on alprazolam, and that medication wore off quickly.

So, when Mirabel was feeling the effect hours later, she had gotten into an argument with one of the PE teachers. It did not end well for him.

“I know. I still feel bad about that,” Mirabel said, sinking into her seat.

“What medication does she take?” Carlisle asked, still looking at the girl.

“Mirabel?” Dolores said, looking through the mirror.

“paroxetine,” she lied.

“Low dosage?”

“Uhhhh—let me check,” she said, checking her phone with the fake paroxetine prescription.

“Is 20mg low?”

“It’s moderate. Sweetheart, why didn’t you say your anxiety was that bad?” Carlisle said.

“I—have my reasons,” she said as she crossed her arms and looked down. Carlisle and Esme looked over her before Esme wrapped her arms around her shoulders and brought her in.

Mirabel fell into the embrace, her head on Esme’s shoulder as the woman brushed her hand into the girl’s hair.

“Espero que un día les digas la Verdad,” Dolores said as they turned onto the street.

“Not tonight,” Mirabel said, getting up as she took in the lights of the house.

Standing outside was their abuela, waiting. Mirabel’s hands tried to undo the seatbelt immediately when they parked.

“Woah, sweetheart, calm down.”

Carlisle laughed when he saw the girl practically bounce in her seat. With a quick apology, she opened the door and jumped over Esme, who gently helped her over before she ran out of the car.

“ABUELA!” she said, running into the arms of her abuela, who held onto her tightly.

“Ay mi amor, I have missed you! Let me get a look at you,” she said, pulling back to look at Mirabel’s face. The girl was definitely less tan than normal, probably from the very gloomy weather, but she was still the same mirabel.

“I missed you too. I have so much to tell you,” she said as the rest got out.

“I bet you do. But first, why don’t you introduce me to your friends?”

“Right,” she said, the Cullens coming out of the car, Carlisle carrying Mirabel’s small bag.

Dolores stood on Alma’s right side as the three Madrigal women smiled at them.

“Abuela, this is my best friend, Renesmee. She’s the one I talk to you about all the time,” she said, the girl stepping forward to shake the woman’s hand.

“No, no mija. You’re practically family now,” Alma said before the girl practically leapt into the woman’s welcoming arms.

“Thank you for being her friend.”

“I promise to take care of her, ma’am.”

“Please. You can call me Abuela,” Alma said with a wink, Renesmee giggling.

“Ok, Abuela.”

When Alma looked up at Carlisle and Esme, she paused. She knew that face. Sh smiled.

“And they are?”

“This is Esme and Carlisle Cullen, Renesmee’s grandparents. They took care of me when I had the concussion,” she said.

“Esme, Carlisle. This is my grandmother, Alma Madrigal. She practically raised me and Dolores,” she said with a smile, her arms linked with Alma’s.

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Esme smiled. She was happy Mirabel was home.

“Likewise. Thank you for looking after my granddaughter.”

Carlisle smiled at the woman before she pinched Mirabel’s cheek.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Come. Welcome to my humble home. I hope you’re hungry,” she said, leading them into the home. Carlisle and Esme looked tense as they walked up the stone path.

But when they got into the home…they felt different.

“You feel that?” Esme said as she put the bags down.

“I do. I feel really warm inside,” Carlisle said.

The two stood looking around the house before Mirabel ran to them. Her curly hair was wild as she reached out for their hands. They immediately took her hand in theirs as she bounced on the tips of her toes.

“Come on, Abuela made Ajiaco and arepas.”

Before they could deny…Esme heard a sound that made her jump.

Carlisle blinked and looked at her.

“What was that?”

Mirabel giggled.

“That would be your stomach. It means you’re hungry. So come on!” she said, running back into the kitchen where Renesmee and Dolores were talking.

Esme looked down at her stomach that had growled. That hadn’t happened in a century….

“What the hell is going on?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is it her gift? I—Carlisle, I’m so confused…I’m feeling things I haven’t felt since I was human,” she whispered.

Carlisle seemed to think about it before Mirabel peeked her head from the wall.

“You coming?”

“Of course,” he said before grabbing Esme’s hand.

“Let's just roll with it.”

They walked into the dining room, and the smell that welcomed them seemed to make their stomachs growl more in hunger.

Odd.

They saw mirabel bouncing across the dining room poking at dolores who giggled.

Mirabel sat between Esme and her grandmother, Carlisle at the other end of the table with Renesmee on his left, Dolores on Alma’s right.

“Wow. This looks so good,” Esme whispered before she leaned over to Mirabel.

“How do we eat this?”

Mirabel giggled before she took Esme’s bowl. Stabbing the corn with her fork, she gently shaved the kernals into the bowl.

“I always add it into the bowl. So you have the corn and then put the rice. If you like avocado and cream, you put a bit on top and voila,” Mirabel said as she put the rice into the bowl before giving it to Esme.

“Hmm. Mirabel. Avocado.”

“But...”

“eat the damn avocado,” Dolores said making Alma chuckle as Mirabel tossed her head back and groaned, taking the avocado and stabbing it.

“What’s the beef with avocados?” Renesmee teased.

“They lie to you,” she said as she scraped the green food onto her plate.

“Every avocado she gets looks ripe, but it is always mushy and brown on the inside. She says that they mock her,” Dolores giggled.

“Shut up, egg yolk,” Mirabel said, Dolores gasping in offense.

“We never talk about that,” Dolores said as she playfully glared at the girl.

Esme put a bit of the ajiaco on her spoon and, with some subtle hesitance, put it in her mouth.

She expected her stomach to reject the food, her mouth to hate the taste, and for her face to scrunch up in disgust since human food wasn’t a viable source for vampires…but that didn’t happen.

Her eyes lit up in awe as she looked at Carlisle. She scoffed before eating her food with eagerness.

Carlisle followed, surprised when the food sat well with him…how was it possible?

“I’m glad you like the food. Renesmee, would you like more?”

“Ye,s please!” she said, Dolores getting her bowl to fill it again.

Mirabel was happily eating her food, making Esme and Carlisle watch her with fondness. Mirabel blinked and turned.

“What? Do I have food on my face?” she said, wiping her cheeks with her napkin.

Alma chuckled. “No, mi amor. Esa es la mirada del amor de un padre,” she said, Mirabel’s cheeks dusting with pink.

“La miran así todo el tiempo. Como si fuera su hija.”

“Son simplemente buenas personas,” she said, making Dolores hum.

“Denial is a river in Egypt.”

Alma smiled.

“So, how did you all meet Mirabel?”

“I met her the first day of school. She was pretty cold towards everyone, but when you get to know her, she’s sweet,” Renesmee said.

“Believe it or not, Mirabel is a very loving child. We made sure she grew up learning to love than to hate,” Alma said.

“I ran into her in the grocery store. The poor thing was so uncomfortable she forgot her basket,” Esme said as she tucked a curl behind Mirabel’s ear.

“I was trying to hide at the time, so of course I would be awkward.”

“Why would you hide?” Alma said, making Mirabel sigh.

Dolores dropped her spoon.

“They—wait, do they know about your situation?”

“What situation?” Esme said.

 Renesmee, getting cream, hummed.

“Suspected abuse.”

“Oh yea, we know about that,” Esme said.

“Suspected? It’s quite obvious they hurt her,” Dolores said, rolling her eyes as she stabbed her chicken.

“So, the bruise on your cheek when we met?” Esme said, worry in her eyes.

“Agustin hit me. Isabela cried to him that I had ruined her dress, and he told me I had to pay for it. So…”

“You stood up to him. Where was Julieta in all of this?” Alma said, anger in her voice.

Mirabel cleared her throat.

“taking his side. ‘Mirabel—he didn’t mean to hurt you. You matter so much to him,” She imitated in a fake voice.

“What a load of bullshit,” Renesmee said, Dolores agreeing as Esme gently scolded her granddaughter.

“Psychiatrist of the year. Because of that and the flyers, I had to miss two weeks of school,” Mirabel said sarcastically.

The spoon in Carlisle’s hand bent under pressure, Esme grabbing his hand to hide it.

“Is that why you missed the physicals?”

“Yea…it’s all about reputation…but because I’m a problem child…no one would believe that I got hurt,” she said, pushing her bowl away.

Alma cleared her throat.

“Mirabel, mija. How about you get the Tres leches cake from the fridge?”

“Of course,” she said, getting up and going to the kitchen to collect herself. Alma sighed.

“It’s a good thing she found you, Renesmee,” Dolores said.

“Mirabel is not in the best state, and living in that house is not good for her. So, I am grateful that you gave her a chance, Dr. Cullen,” Alma said.

“She’s a wonderful girl…we love having her in our lives,” Esme said with a smile, gently grabbing the woman’s hand. Alma smiled just as Mirabel came back with the dessert.

“Now, let’s eat dessert.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Come on, come on!” Mirabel yelled as she pulled Esme along with her. The woman followed along with a wide smile as the group went to the beach; the weather was a bit gloomy but lovely.

“ok, I’m coming, sweetheart. Slow down,” Esme said as she followed. Running in sand was a bit hard, but for Mirabel, she would do anything.

Carlisle was right behind them, shaking his head as he watched Mirabel and Dolores run into the water, kicking water at each other.

“Mirabel, we don’t want you to get sick!” Carlisle called.

Alma chuckled.

“She won’t listen. It's very rare when she’s happy,” she said as she stood by the two adults.

"You two make great parents to a 15-year-old girl,” she said, making Esme choke on air.

“I—we didn’t—”

“Oh, please. I see the way you look at her. It’s the way I looked at my children when they were growing up. When I looked at her and Dolores. You already see her as your child,” she said, hands folded in front of her.

“We do,” Carlisle said as he wrapped Esme in a hug.

“If you don’t mind, I would like to have a private conversation with the both of you after the girls have fallen asleep.”

“Of course, Alma.”

They watched the girls before Esme swallowed.

“Alma—Mirabel told me that…she was…well is…an affair child, and that’s why they don’t like her,” Esme said softly, Carlisle stiffening.

He didn’t know that…

“Yes, she is. Her mother had an affair with an old fling at her fellowship. She and Agustin were at the time ‘on a break’ when it happened.”

“That doesn’t mean anything!” Carlisle hissed softly.

“It doesn’t. She was just a baby. She was still my granddaughter. I understand his frustrations, but to do what he had been doing for years? It’s unforgivable.”

They watched Mirabel kick water at Renesmee before she fell, the three in the water laughing.

“Mirabel gives what she lacks…and I’m happy that you can provide her with what she needs,” Alma said, looking at the two. She smiled.

“Now how about you two go have fun,” alma said with a wink, Carlisle chuckling.

“Don’t mind if I do,” he said before he turned to his wife, who shook her head.

“Don’t think about—Carlisle!” she squeaked when he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, running towards the water. Alma watched with a smile as the couple fell into the water, the blonde picking up his wife to spin her around before he started chasing after Mirabel.

The entire day, Mirabel pointed out places that were her favorite and her favorite things to eat…they definitely were not used to the amount of eating they were doing.

They went home to sit next to the fire, Esme brushing Mirabel’s hair from the shower she had taken. Carlisle was reading his journal, watching the two.

Mirabel pointed out the window.

"You see that tree there?”

Esme looked up.

“I do.”

“When I was 8, I had a rebellious streak. Dolores said that I was too small to climb such a tall tree, and I told her I wasn’t. So, when she went to help abuela, I climbed it,” she said with a smile as Esme began to curl the strands with her fingers.

“That sounds familiar,” Carlisle whispered, Esme gently moving to hit him.

“How did it feel?”

“I felt like the tallest person in the world. I remember saying, ‘Look, Lola. I did it. It wasn’t impossible when she came out,” she said, scoffing with a laugh.

“And then I broke my leg,” she shrugged.

Esme paused before she smiled.

“Hmm, maybe we were always meant to be together.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I was 16, I was very rebellious. I didn’t like being told what to do. I was ‘unladylike’ as one would say,” Esme said, Mirabel tilting her head back to look at her, the woman upside down in her vision.

“No way. You’re very proper!”
“People change, my love. To continue, I loved to climb trees, and one day, I had the same fate as you. I broke my leg,” Esme said in a whimsical tone. Her injury led her to her husband, after all.

He let out a chuckle. “You two are peas in a pod.”

Mirabel hummed.

“Maybe our worlds were meant to collide,” she said, still looking at Esme. The woman gently cupped her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead before she nuzzled her nose.

“I’m glad they did,” she whispered, her dark hair a curtain around them. Amber eyes met honey brown.

“I wish—I wish you guys were my mom and dad,” Mirabel said softly, her eyes welling with tears, and when she blinked, a tear fell from her eyes and onto Esme’s thumb.

“We can be,” Carlisle said gently, putting his book down and moving to kneel in front of her.

“We want to be,” Esme said as she pressed another kiss to her head.

“I—I know I’m a mess, but I promise I’ll be good,” she said softly.

“We want you the way you are, little one. A mess and all. We fell in love with every single part of you, even the bad parts,” Carlisle said, tapping her nose.

“It—it won’t matter that I’m not blood?”

“Sweetheart, our children are all adopted. Blood doesn’t matter. What matters is how well you fall in…and little one, you fit in so well,” he said, grasping her cheeks and wiping her eyes.

"We want you to be a part of our family, Mirabel. Yes, our house is already a home with our children, but even they can agree that you bring more love and laughter. It’s addictive, and we all want to keep you for ourselves,” Esme said as smiling at the girl.

“Why do you think we renovated the room by ours? Why Rosalie and Alice insist on fixing your closet? We’re waiting for you,” she said.

Mirabel bit her lip.

“It’s funny. I—when I came to Forks, I learned how to be alone…because I was always alone. I had no one…because no one believed me. It feels weird to see people care without intentions behind it,” she said.

“Well, our only intention was to keep you in our home with us. Esme and I…we fell in love with you the first day you met,” Carlisle said, the woman smirking softly.

“That day we met…I felt safe around you…like I wanted to tell you everything,” Mirabel said.

She dropped her head.

“I think from that day…I was eager to see you again. You cared more for me in those 5 minutes, those few days than Julieta did in years.”

Esme just wrapped Mirabel up in a hug, her head perched on the girl’s head.

“It’s my duty to care and love you, Mirabel. You’re my baby girl,” she said, making her groan.

“I can’t be the youngest—”

“No, you are the youngest. You’re 15, so you’re our baby girl,” Carlisle said as he pinched her cheek.

“Always mama’s little baby,” Esme said, moving her head to press an exasperated kiss to her cheek, making Mirabel squeal.

The 3 sat in there, laughing together as Mirabel held on tightly to the two people who wanted her. She yawned, her face scrunching.

“Well, it’s time for you to go to bed, little one,” Carlisle said, helping her up.

“But it’s—”

“11. You should get to bed, nieta,” Alma said as she walked into the room.

Mirabel pouted but nodded.

“Buenas noches,” she said softly before leaving with a soft smile. Once she climbed the stairs, they waited for the door to close before Alma looked at them.

“I made chocolate santafereno. Let’s go to the dining room.”

Esme and Carlisle followed the matriarch of the home and sat down across from her, steaming mugs of chocolatey goodness in front of them.

It made Esme lick her lips anticipatingly, making Carlisle chuckle.

“I want to express again my gratitude towards you and your family, Dr. Cullen.”

“There's no need, ma’am—”

“I don’t think you understand how bad this would have gotten if you hadn’t found her,” she said firmly, making the two flinch, Esme spilling a bit of her drink.

“in sorry…Mirabel is my youngest granddaughter. What you see now… it's getting to be as bad as it used to be,” she said with a sigh.

“How bad was it?”

“The year after the fire, she would visit my home covered in bruises and cuts. She would always say, “I'm abuela’s clumsy girl.” But Mirabel was never clumsy enough to get that hurt,” Alma said.

“Why isn’t Julieta stepping up for her?”

“Because of Agustin. She messed up, and he gave her an ultimatum. Once Mirabel was old enough, she had to choose between her or him and their two daughters…you know the rest,” Alma replied.

“When I ran into Mirabel and her mother that day, they got it an argument about him always leaving her out of plans. What does she mean?” Esme asked.

“Agustin made it a habit to exclude Mirabel from everything…birthday trips for his older daughters or them, trips for Christmas or the summer. She always stayed with me with an excuse on their lips. I didn’t know until she told me about it…I can still hear her little voice asking me, ‘Did I do something wrong? Why doesn’t he love me?’”

She cleared her throat when her mind thought back to that memory.

“Back to what we were originally speaking of…Mirabel has suffered at the hands of people she was supposed to call family. Did she tell you about the closet?”

“Closet? What closet?” Carlisle said.

Alma stood up and told them to follow her. They got to the small closet door under the stairs, and she opened it.

“Go on,” Alma said.

Esme sucked in a breath and walked in, turning on the light that hung above the cramped space.

When she took in everything, she gasped, a choked breath coming out.

On the wall were words…sentences written in messy handwriting before they changed into much neater writing. Loopy and beautiful.

“Carlisle,” she called out as she knelt, brushing her fingers against the red crayon.

'I'm sorry I was bad again…I just wanted to play.’

Her fingers trembled as she moved from sentence to sentence.

‘I hope he remembers to let me out.’

‘Why am I here?’

‘Help me…I’m scared.’

Carlisle felt like he was suffocating reading the thousands of sentences that filled the white walls of the closet.

“What is this?”

“They had a habit…if Mirabel ‘misbehaved’ or got in the way, they put her in here… sometimes she would keep to herself away from everyone but when they got tired of her or got angry…they shoved her in here. Sometimes she wouldn’t come out until they remembered she was locked in there,” Alma said, clearing her throat from the tears that accumulated.

“My baby girl,” Esme whimpered as she looked at the sentences over and over, stains of what seemed to be blood covering some parts of the floor and wall.

“When she thinks she had stepped out of line or misbehaved, she retreated to the closet…but it was never the same after the fire…while she got over the fear of tight spaces, her fear of fire never seemed to go away. I could never forgive them for what they did,” she said, Carlisle getting Esme up and pulling her out.

“Why would they do that to her?”

“Mirabel was always a special girl. She was smart for her age, surpassing her cousins and sisters and advancing in school. Agustin filled his daughter's head with hate that only grew when she got jealous and greedy for attention,” Alma said as they went back to the kitchen.

“After the fire, she started going to therapy, made little progress. Her parents moved out of my home after that happened…”

“And having her and Isabella under the same roof put her more into panic,” Carlisle replied.

“Si. She wouldn’t sleep at night. She wouldn’t eat. She would pull out her hair and scratch her skin deep enough to bleed from the paranoia. That’s when medication was introduced,” Alma said, taking a sip of her drink.

Esme looked like she wanted to vomit.

“They started her on paroxetine?” Carlisle asked, remembering what Dolores had said in the car earlier in the week.

Alma scoffed.

“paroxetine? Oh no. Mirabel was somehow put on Alprazolam,” she said.

That made Carlisle and Esme’s head snap up.

“What?!”

“alprazolam?! She was 10!”

“I don’t know how it happened…how Julieta let it happen… I didn’t know what was happening until Dolores gave me the packet she found in Mirabel's backpack.”

“Did you try to get her off of it?”

“I did my best…she had been taking it for at least a year and a half when I had her stay with me instead of them. I thought I could trust my daughter to take care of her, but I was wrong. She suffered…her anxiety was worse…she was…almost willing to end it all just to get peace,” Alma said.

Esme was ready to bolt up the stairs.

“Esme. Carlisle.”

They looked at her as she took their hands.

“mirabel has a chance with you. A chance to be happy and free. She loves you both, wholeheartedly, and wants nothing more than to make you love her,” she said.

“We loved her since day one.”

“Dolores is engaged, and I am old in age. Mirabel is going to need a family and someone to lean on when we can't be there for her. When I can’t be there for her.”

“Alma, what are you saying?”

“I know what you are.”

The two of them froze.

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that you are not human. You’re something…supernatural.”

It made her smile to see them flounder.

“It is not my intention to scare you,” she said with a teasing smile.

Carlisle cleared his throat.

“How did you—know?”

Alma smiled.

“45 years ago, my youngest son had gotten sick…he needed bone marrow. I heard everything about this amazing doctor who lived in Chicago and decided to seek him out myself,” she said, getting up to grab the picture book.

Her hands flipped through the pages and pulled out a photo, giving it to him.

He took it, and his eyes widened.

“You…this is you?”

“My son Bruno, Mirabel’s Tio, made it out after you treated him. You cared for him and treated him with so much compassion. So I was a bit surprised when I saw you come out of the car, as young as ever. But because of you, my son was saved. My granddaughter was saved. I will forever be in your debt for saving my family,” she said with a tear streaming down her face.

“I only ask for one favor.”

“Of course. Anything.’

“When the time comes…when things get too dangerous and her life is at risk…please take her in as one of your own. I’d rather she live forever with you than die alone.”

Carlisle’s mind was swirling when they walked up the stairs to their room. He stopped as Esme continued.

Those messages on the walls of the closet.

The medication.

It was too much…how was she still---

“Carlisle?”

“I—I need to check on her,” he said softly. She nodded, and they walked towards the end of the hall where Mirabel’s room was. Gently, he grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open, the dim solar system projector shining on the ceiling.

Mirabel was fast asleep, cuddling up against her pillow.

Carlisle swallowed and walked into her room, pulling the desk chair out, gently brushing his shaking fingers on her wrist.

Esme sat on the bed, her hand moving to caress Mirabel's hair that was in two Dutch braids.

Carlisle checked for her pulse. It was strong.

He didn’t know what was happening until he let out a choked sob, burying his head in his hands. She suffered…she was almost killed…she wouldn’t be here with them …

“Carlisle,” Esme cooed softly, moving his hands to see his face. She gasped softly when red-rimmed eyes met hers, tears falling down his cheeks.

“You’re crying,” she said softly, wiping the tears from his face.

“We could have lost her…we could still lose her, Esme. I can’t let her go,” he said as he looked into his wife’s eyes.

She smiled sadly.

“I can't either. Neither can our children. Carlisle, she’s OUR girl now. We won’t let anything happen to her.”

“I can’t stand to see her walk out our front door. I get so scared that we would never see her again once that door shuts,” he said.

“I know, but Mirabel…she’s choosing us. She chose to stay with us, and we will continue to stay with her,” Esme assured before pressing a kiss to his lips.

They heard a shuffle and a soft groan. Mirabel was waking up.

“Hey, it’s ok. Just go back to sleep, little one,” Carlisle choked out, caressing Mirabel's cheek as her eyes opened groggily.

“Dad? Are you crying?” she said sleepily.

But those two sentences meant the world to him. He smiled.

“I’m ok, darling. Go back to sleep,” he said.

“Are you and Mom going to stay?” she asked again as Esme pressed a kiss to her nose.

“Always.”

“Good,” Mirabel whispers before she falls back asleep, her hand clutching Esme’s.

She looked at her husband and nodded.

“She’s going to stay. I know it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How was Rochester? Was it beautiful?!” Rosalie asked once the 4 got into the house.

“It was so beautiful! We—”

“can share tomorrow. Mirabel, go shower and get ready for bed,” Esme said, pointing upstairs.

Mirabel whined.

“But mom!”

“No buts. Now,” Esme replied, pointing upstairs.

Mirabel pouted at her before Carlisle swept her into his arms, spinning her around as she giggled.

“Dad!”

“You heard your mother,” he said.

Mirabel groaned playfully before she kissed Esme’s cheek in apology and bounced upstairs.

“Mom? Dad?” Emmett teased, Carlisle biting his lip as he smiled with Esme.

“She chose us.”

The Cullen siblings all cheered loudly as they hugged their parents.

“We got a baby sister!” Alice exclaimed as she and Bella hugged.

“I got a new cool aunt!” Renesmee said, from where she was latched around Edward.

“ness that hurts.”

“sucks to be you.”

Carlisle and Esme smiled at each other as he held her. He pressed a kiss to her head as she giggled.

“O,k how are we doing this? Are we killing her parents?”

“I call the sister,” Rosalie said with a wide smile.

“No, we're doing this the legal way,” Carlisle said sharply, giving his daughter and son a scolding look.

Edward and Rosalie shrugged.

“We need to be patient with her. Protect her as much as we could,” Esme said, Alice straightening up.

“So, her grandmother?”

“knows what we are. I treated her son years ago, so she immediately recognized me.”

“She told us everything that happened when Mirabel was growing up and…” Esme said, choking up as she covered her mouth.

“Let's just say she suffered,” Carlisle said too, looking at Edward who clenched his fists.

“What did they do?”

“It's not our story to tell. I didn’t hear the water turn on. I’m going to go check on her,” Carlisle said, kissing Esme’s head before heading up.

“Is he ok?”

“He…feels guilty and terrified. We learned that she had brushed death’s doors many times. He… needs reassurance,” Esme said, watching him walk up the stairs.

“How bad is it?” Bella asked

“he brushes his fingers against her wrist every 5 minutes,” Esme explained.

“It was funny seeing him buy everything she pointed at,” Renesmee said.

“I take it he’s weak for his baby girl,” Jasper said with a smile.

“They both are. Mirabel is Esme and Carlisle’s precious little princess,” Emmett said as he tossed his arm around his adoptive mother.

“She’s Mama’s baby girl,” Esme said with a wide smile.

“She’s stuck with us now.”

Carlisle smiled as he walked down the hall to Mirabel’s bedroom. He knocked softly.

“Mirabel?”

“You can come in,” she said. He opened the door and saw she was still taking down her hair from its intricate braid.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing, just wanted to check on you,” he said, leaning in the threshold.

“I’m ok. It’s not like I’m going to run,” she said, brushing her hand through her hair before getting up.

“I’m just worried—”

“Dad. I’m fine,” she said with a smile before pulling her hair up.

He stood up straight, happy to hear her call him without the grogginess in her voice.

“Can you pass me my backpack, please?” she asked sweetly, and he complied.

He moved to lift the bag when something fell out. He grabbed the purple item as she entered the bathroom.

A box?

He saw her name. Oh. It’s her medication.

He turned it over in his hands and immediately stilled.

“Dad?”

“What is this?” he said, holding the box firmly in his hand, trying not to crush it.

She looked up and immediately tried to take the box. He held it up high.

"Give it back.”

“How long have you had this?” he said, his voice cold as she tried to jump.

“Give it back!”

“Mirabel, how long?!”

Does it matter?!” she yelled, footsteps coming up the stairs. In an instant, Esme was at the door, holding the threshold.

“What’s going on?” she asked, looking at Mirabel and her husband. He was angry, holding something above his head while she was glaring up at him intensely.

“She’s on alprazolam,” he said, giving the box to Esme to take.

“What?! Mirabel!” she exclaimed with worry.

“Why did you tell us you we’re taking paroxetine? You were using this all along?!” Carlisle exclaimed.

He couldn’t bear seeing his child, no less his youngest daughter, on a medication that isn’t supposed to be a first choice. How the hell did she get it?!

“paroxetine? Alprazolam? Does it matter? It’s helping me anyways!”

“Does it matter? Mirabel, it always mattered!”

“People didn’t notice before, so why notice now?” she spat back, her voice rising. It didn’t sit right with them.

“mirabel, don’t raise your voice,” Esme said softly, the girl's posture sinking as she blinked and took a step back.

She looked horrified. The air around them turned cold and fearful.

Her arms immediately wrapped around herself.

“I—I'm sorry. I—i,” she said. Esme gave the pack to Carlisle and just pulled Mirabel into her arms.

“it's ok. You’re ok, honey,” she cooed softly as she petted Mirabel's head in her embrace.

Carlisle was still looking at the box, his grip crinkling the box.

“How long—”

“Since September,” she said softly as Esme sat her down on the bed, the two looking down at her.

“Mirabel—why? You told us—”

“I know. I couldn’t have you be disappointed in me like everyone else is,” she said as she continued to stare at the floor, wiping her eyes.

“No, sweetheart. We aren’t disappointed in you..m but you should have come to us about this. Sweetheart, alprazolam isn’t something you should mess with,” Carlisle said as he got down on his knee and tried to get Mirabel to look at him.

He gently grasped her chin.

“Mirabel? Why do you have it?”

“I can’t be in the same house as them. I—I panic easily, and they hated having to hear me panic.”

“Who gave it to you?” Esme asked.

“Julieta…her friend sent it to her from Rochester,” Mirabel said as she took in a breath, looking up to stop herself from crying.

She was so pathetic.

“This isn’t a real prescription, is it?”

“Would you be mad if I told you it isn’t?”

Carlisle suppressed a growl as he looked up to the ceiling in an attempt not to run out the room and rip the Rojas to pieces. Esme was doing the same, clearly contemplating the same thing.

“Ok. You swear you only take this at night?” he said, holding up the box. Mirabel blinked and nodded.

Oh, you little liar. You're dependent!

“You promise? Because I’m going to keep this away from you, Mirabel. So tell me now,” he said firmly.

She slumped.

“Yeah, only at night.”

You’re going to hell, Mira.

Carlisle nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead before heading to his office. She opened the drawer on his desk and tossed the box in there, glaring at it.

He wouldn’t allow anything, not even medication, to harm his daughter.

He closed the drawer and walked back toward her room, where she had tears streaming down her face, resignation in her gaze.

He pulled her up and into his arms, holding her securely.

It stung when her arms stayed firmly by her side, but he would let that bother him.

She’ll understand.

Chapter Text

Mirabel took a heavy breath as she tried to relax, her hands shaking violently. She scratched her neck again, the 17^th time within 10 minutes. She was trying to focus on her painting that sat in front of her, Esme on the other side of the living room, with Carlisle sitting on the couch, reading.

She swallowed. Another scratch.

“Don’t do that,” Carlisle called out, making her stiffen.

“I’m not doing anything,” she whispered harshly before she picked up the brush, looking at her painting of the garden.

She can feel their eyes on her as her arm shook.

“They’re watching you. Judging. Studying. Waiting.”

“Shut up,” she whispered, pushing the bristles against the canvas.

Her skin felt too uncomfortable. She pulled at the collar of her hoodie.

“You’re just off balance. It’s ok,” she thought.

She heard the sound of a body moving and watched as Carlisle walked towards Esme, the two whispering.

‘They’re talking about you.’

“No, they’re not. You sound crazy.”

She applied too much pressure, an ugly, dark streak going through the green of the grass.

‘screw up.’

Mirabel’s fingers trembled as she tried again before she heard Esme laugh.

‘They’re laughing at you.’

“Stop it,” she said as she pressed her brush against the canvases again. Too much pressure. Another blotch of black paint. And then another. A line threw the flowers. The sky is no longer blue.

‘I wonder how long it’ll take for them to get rid of us.’

“They love me,” she replied harshly, catching the two vampires' attention.

‘Do they? It seems like they’re trying to control you.’

“No,” she said, painting against the canvas harshly.

‘They can’t trust you. Why else would they take the medicine?’

Mirabel’s breath was laboured.

‘You’re slipping. You’re spiraling again. And they’re just watching like it’s a part of the plan.’

“Shut up,” Mirabel said, her heart beating loudly against her chest.

“You’re a pathetic excuse of a person—”

“I SAID SHUT UP!!” she yelled, pushing back in her chair and grabbing the canvas, tossing it into one of the shelves and effectively knocking the books off before she took off to her room. She slammed the door and locked it, the room spinning around her.

She couldn’t breathe. She backed herself into a corner and dropped to the floor, pressing her fists hard against her temples.

“Stop talking. Just shut up.”

But the thoughts didn’t stop. Not one bit.

‘They saw you. You’re a danger to them. You looked insane!’

She pressed harder into her head, her knuckles hitting the delicate skin.

“Shut up!” she yelled before she got up and began pulling at her sweater, grasping at her hair. She got distracted by the plant on her nightstand before it irked her. She grabbed it—

The sound of glass breaking made Carlisle and Esme’s heads snap up. More crashes came, the Cullen siblings coming from the kitchen.

“What the hell is happening?”

Another crash and then the unmistakable sound of raw, desperate, and fractured yelling.

The women of the house covered their mouths in pure shock and anxiety. Carlisle was the first to move, rushing upstairs with Edward and Jasper on his heels. He knew that she would experience a withdrawal…but something wasn’t right. This was too strong a reaction for someone who took alprazolam at night.

He grasped the door, trying to open it before realizing it was locked.

“Mirabel!” he yelled, the sound of the object breaking sounding louder than before.

“Carlisle, you have to get in there. Her mind is driving her crazy,” Edward said, choking at the amount of harshness inside of her head. All aimed at her.

With no hesitation, Carlisle easily broke the handle of the door and kicked it open, running into the room just as Mirabel grabbed her binder and threw it at the vanity, shattering it completely.

He wrapped his arms around her from behind, his youngest daughter thrashing about in his arms as she tried to break her arms free. She began to hit him, trying to kick back against his legs.

“Mirabel, it’s ok,” Edward said softly, trying to take her face into his hands before he jerked back. She almost bit him.

“SHUT UP! LET ME GO!”
“Not going to happen, baby girl,” Carlisle said as she kicked at anyone. Her screams echoed in the house.

“YOU DID THIS TO ME! WHY ARE YOU HURTING ME?!” she cried out, tears streaming down her face harshly as she began to sob.

“Why are you doing this to me?!”

She stopped thrashing, but her sobs turned into full-blown, heart-wrenching screams. Esme entered the room and was at Carlisle’s side in an instant as Mirabel fell to her knees, clutching at her head as she screamed again.

The woman didn’t hesitate to pick the girl up and wrap her in an embrace, Mirabel’s arms moving to latch around the woman’s waist, trying to anchor herself.

Esme closed her eyes, swallowing harshly as tears gathered in her eyes for the first time, slipping down her cheeks and onto her curly hair.

“Shh. It’s ok, my love.”

“It hurts. Mom, just make it stop,” Mirabel pleaded against her mother’s chest, her hands clutching onto the woman’s cashmere sweater tightly, she almost tore a hole through it.

Esme just rested her head against Mirabel’s as they fell to the floor, Mirabel still in her arms.

Hours later, Mirabel was passed out on the bed, cuddled up in Esme’s arms tightly as the woman slept beside her. The Cullen matriarch growled at anyone who got close to her sleeping baby, her grip tightening every single time.

Carlisle sat on a chair and looked at the two, trying to understand everything that had happened. The painting. The broken glass and wood. Her room, sans her bed, was utterly destroyed in an attempt to destroy herself.

“Carlisle? Are you alright?” Edward asked as he stood next to his father.

The blonde man looked up.

“—I thought I did the right thing,” he said softly.

“You did…but we should have watched her carefully. Her reaction was violent.”

“That’s what’s confusing me, Edward. She swore she only took the medicine before bed…her reaction tells me something different.”

“How high was her dosage?”

Carlisle scoffed.

“She was on 2 milligrams,” he said, Edward choking momentarily, making Esme tighten her grip on the girl.

“I’m sorry…2 milligrams?! Why is she on the highest dosage possible?!”

“Because Agustin wanted to sedate her. He didn’t care about the effects. Only about shutting her up,” Carlisle growled out.

“So her use? It's so strong it masks her blood.”

“She said she took it at night, the box said 3 times a day…seeing her reaction, she probably took more than recommended. You can smell how heavily she was medicated as it leaves her body,” Carlisle said, burying his head in his hands.

That hurt him. It hurt him so much.

His daughter ate with them, sat and laughed with them, slept in their home and Esme’s arms…heavily medicating herself to the point she acted like nothing ever happened.

“She…she acted normal…but she was medicated the entire time? “Edward asked, hurting thick in his voice.

This was his baby sister…he could read minds and read hers often…how could he not know?

“I should have known. Not only as her doctor but as her father, I should have known. I could have eased her off of it. I could have…”

“Carlisle, it isnt your fault. We couldn’t have known. We-we just have to look out for her,” Edward said patting Carlisle on the back.

“She's not taking that medication again. Not while I’m still here.”

“Agreed. Should I tell the others?”

“I already told them what I heard. Sorry for barging in on the conversation,” Rosalie said at the doorway. The scent in the room made Esme growl in her sleep, and she held onto Mirabel tighter, tucking her further into her neck.

“Well shit…that’s a very deep attachment,” Emmett said from behind her.

“It’s not only her, though,” Jasper said, nodding at Carlisle, who was studying his daughter.

Edward went to touch Mirabel’s shoulder when Carlisle’s hand shot out and grasped his wrist tightly, growling at him. His pupils were pitch black, his teeth bared at his youngest son, who was smirking at him.

“Oh yeah, he is totally gone,” Edward said as he pried his arm from the tight grip.

“We shouldn’t provoke them, Edward.”

“But it’s fun seeing them out of control.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Come on, baby. Just a little bit more,” Esme said soothingly, rubbing Mirabel's arm as they sat on the stools in the kitchen.

Esme had made her bone broth, and Jacob picked up rice from a local restaurant so she could eat something light.

“I can’t do it,” she said softly, scratching at her sleeve anxiously.

“I know you can, baby. I believe in you,” she said softly, picking up the rice bowl.

Rosalie and Jacob were watching from a distance, the blonde vampire anxiously biting at her skin.

“She’s very fragile,” Jacob said softly, his brown eyes filled with a type of sadness as he looked at the two.

Rosalie nodded.

“She was taking 10mg of alprazolam daily…she could have—,” she said, pain in her voice as she looked away.

Esme blinked back the moisture accumulated before her eyes as she held up the spoon of rice, Mirabel looking at it.

Her stomach rebelled against the thought of food. Her anxiety is off the charts.

“I can’t—I can’t,” Mirabel said before she started crying, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

Esme immediately put down the food and brought the girl into her arms, holding her close.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Mirabel said as Esme calmed her.

“It’s ok, my love. It’s ok. Don’t be sorry,” Esme whispered into her hair, pressing kisses there.

Jacob turned away, unable to keep his tears away.

“How is she with Carlisle?”

“She won’t even go near him or Edward. She sharply turns away when she sees them.”

“How is he taking it?” Jacob asked, shaking her head.

“It’s tearing him apart that she’s afraid of him. He even started coming home after 10:30. By that time, she’s asleep,” Rosalie said.

Jacob sighed.

“Poor Carlisle.”

Renesmee walked in with a bunch of picked flowers and walked towards Mirabel.

They watched the hybrid girl hold out the flowers to her best friend, who gently took them with shaking hands.

Gently, ever so gently, Renesmee pulled Mirabel up to her feet and guided her outside, Bella right by the door so they could get her out of the house.

Mirabel went willingly, though her shoulders her in defeat, before she turned around and looked towards Esme.

The woman cleaned up the space, putting the dishes into the sink before heading towards the curly-haired girl, taking her hand in hers as they walked outside.

Rosalie watched them leave before she turned to Jacob.

“You know I don’t like you—”

“Jeez, thanks, blondie.”

“But I’m trusting you with her. Mirabel needs warmth when it’s absolutely necessary.”

“So you’re asking me to take care of her when you guys aren’t able to?”

“Not necessarily, but yes. Just while she warms back up to Carlisle.”

Jacob nodded just as Edward came into the room.

“They left?”

“outside.”

“ok…ok,” he sighed out, brushing his hand through her hair.

“Edward…what the hell is going on in her mind?”

“Because she was heavily medicated, it suppressed the worst of her. The entire time she spiraled out, she kept telling her mind to shut up.”

“What was it saying?”

“It kept calling her pathetic. Making her question whether Carlisle and Esme’s love was conditional.”

“I’m sorry, but have you seen the two with her? I’m surprised Carlisle hasn’t gotten caught with how many medical supplies and equipment he took from the hospital,” Rosalie deadpanned.

It wasn't out of the ordinary for Carlisle to walk into the home with a box full of first aid items that Mirabel might need one day.

“Not to mention Esme going out of her way to get and alter Mirabel’s clothes so they don’t irritate her injury,” Jasper said, walking into the room with Alice.

“She-she’s going to be fine, but…”

“But what?”

“I can’t see further into her future,” she said softly, everyone’s heads snapping towards her.

“What?!”

“What do you mean you can’t see her future?!”

“It’s fuzzy. It’s slowly blurring in front of me.”

“It’s because her mind isn’t a safe space. She’s fighting herself,” Edward said as he walked toward the balcony to find his baby sister.

He found her shaking hands grasp onto one of the trees, trying to steady herself as the sun peeked through the clouds.

“She’s slipping between timelines in her head—between trusting and fearing, healing and falling. That’s why I can’t see her. It’s like trying to watch someone drowning in a mirror,” Alice said.

“Edward, what do we do?” Rosalie asked, looking towards the youngest Cullen male.

“Why me—”

“You know what she is thinking. You always know before us. She can trust you,” Alice said as she looked up at him.

“If anyone can help us understand her…it’s you,” Emmett said as he wrapped his arm around Rosalie.

“he’s right. You’ve sat with her in silence….you understand her.”

Edward looked out at the window again, seeing Esme look at Mirabel with scared eyes…trying not to imagine a future without her baby girl.

“Edward,” Rosalie called out.

He turned.

“What do we need to do to ensure she has her future with us?” she asked, not even trying to hide her fear.

He sighed.

“We have to look out for her. Her mind is scattered right now. She needs support. From all of us. Just take it easy with her ok?” he said, everyone nodding in agreement.

Edward sighed as he turned back, seeing the three vampires outside looking up at him, having heard him. They all nodded, just as Esme hugged Mirabel tighter.

The rest of the evening was uneventful, just them trying to comfort Mirabel in any way possible.

When the clock hit 10:45 at night, the door to the home opened, and Carlisle walked in. He climbed the stairs, expecting his family to be there. He only found Jacob sitting on the couch, hunched over.

“Jacob?”

“carlisle. You’re home,” he said distantly.

“Is everything all right? Where are the others?”

“Hunting. Renesmee is sleeping.”

“And my baby girl?” he asked softly, putting down his bag.

“We had Jasper to help her sleep, but I don’t think it’s working. I’m keeping watch down here,” he replied.

Carlisle patted his shoulder.

“Thank you.”

Jacob smiled sadly. “You should hunt. You seem to be stretched thin with everything going on,” he said.

“Later. I need to see her first,” he said with a nod before heading upstairs. He can hear her body shivering. He can hear the soft whimpers of pain coming from her mouth as the blankets rustle.

He opened the door, and he felt his chest tighten. She was tangled in her sheets, her hair stuck to her forehead from the sweat. The was thick and hit with discomfort. She was breathing shallowly and erratically, trying to push herself into a fetal position to stop the pain as she clutched the sheet below.

He crossed the room quickly and knelt by her bed, his hand reaching out to feel her forehead. She was fevered.

He immediately went to the bathroom to refill the bowl of water on the table that was probably left by his wife. He had never seen Mirabel so fragile before.

He dipped the towel in the bowl of water, wringing it out before dabbing Mirabel’s forehead, the girl flinching under the fabric as a weak sound fell from her lips.

He swallowed with difficulty. It was his fault. His decision had brought her to this place of pain and suffering. It was necessary, but it didn’t make the pain any easier for his family to witness.

He pressed his lips to her forehead, clenching his eyes shut as he tried not to imagine the worst.

When the water grew warm, he tossed the towel in and moved to get up when he felt a tug on his coat sleeve, the grip tight and shaking.

“Little one?” he said as he turned towards her, her grip on him not once loosening.

She swallowed as she tried to open her eyes. They were glassy and filled with tears. Distant and haunted.

“Daddy?”

“Yes, baby?” he replied softly.

“I’m scared, daddy,” she sobbed out, the tears heavy in her voice.

He felt his resolve break as he sat right beside her, his hands pushing her hair out of her face to cradle her cheeks.

“I know. I know you’re scared, sweetheart. I’m sorry I did this to you,” he breathed out as a tear escaped his eyes.

“I—I don’t—I don’t want you to go,” he said, her hand moving from his coat to his wrist, grasping it tightly.

He got up and shook off his doctor’s coat and his shoes, climbing in next to her on the bed. She immediately latched onto his side, tucking herself under his chin as he held onto her tightly, protecting her from the world around them.

Her body was burning with fever, trembling against his steady form…but her breathing began to slow and even out as Carlisle held her close.

“I’ve got you, little one. I’m right here.”

“Dad?”

“Yes, my love?”

“Please don’t let me go.”

“I’m not going anywhere, my love. I’ll always protect you. As long as I’m here, you won’t ever have to be scared again.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This was it. She was going on her first adventure outside without one of the Cullens. She can do this. She can do this.

Her body trembled as she walked out into the surrounding woods, taking deep breaths.

Hope you fall

“Shut up,” she hissed as she weaved through trees. The wind bit at her skin, numbing her pain for a few seconds.

She can hear the sound of the birds so close, taking a breath.

“Will it always be like this?” she asked softly, looking at the trees.

“Will it always hurt?”

She blew out a breath and continued her walk, the sun peaking out of the clouds as she began to run. The wind was blowing her curls back and out of her face.

Her mind seemed to quieten as she ran through the trees before stopping.

She was breathing heavily, but she had a smile on her face.

“Hey, wait up!”

“You need to catch up then!”

Her head snapped up, and she immediately hid behind one of the bigger trees, making sure she didn’t step on anything.

She peeked over the bark, watching Jacob catch up to Renesmee, the two laughing.

“You’re so slow!”

“Not my fault you’re quick.”

Ok, that’s weird.

“Shut up,” she barely said.

Out of nowhere, Jacob flew to the ground, having been tackled by… Bella?

How the fuck did Bella get there so fast?!

“gotcha!”

“Nice one, Mom!”

Mirabel felt her mind reel when Edward appeared by his wife, his arm around her.

“Unfair.”

“Can we go to the beach?? I’ve been dying to make a seashell necklace for Mirabel,” Renesmee begged.

“Of course. I think she’ll like it,” Bella said, ruffling the girl's hair.

Suddenly, the sun peeked through the clouds, a ray of light hitting the group of four.

They’re sparkling…in the sun..

Mirabel immediately started backtracking as her heart rate accelerated.

'What the hell are you doing, you idiot?! Run!'

She ended up tripping, breaking a twig. It made her heart stop before she scrambled to climb under an opening underneath a hilled tree as footsteps approached.

She almost screamed when she fell into a dead animal, the fresh blood getting on her clothes and arms. She immediately covered her mouth and clenched her eyes, trying to stop her heart rate.

“Jake?”

“Probably a rabbit. I can only smell a dead animal,” he replied, standing above where Mirabel was hiding.

“That was probably Emmett’s deer from this morning. He does not like to bury them,” Edward said as Jacob walked back to them. Mirabel got up and slowly peeked around the edge, watching the four leave.

Her heart rate almost dropped when she saw Jacob turn into a huge furry animal, the Cullen family not even reacting as Renesmee climbed onto his back, and they took off.

Mirabel didn’t waste a second running back to the Cullen house, which was empty at the moment.

Carlisle was at work, and Esme had gone to town. Jasper and Alice were on a hike, and Rosalie and Emmett went to Seattle for the day.

So she ran, her body hitting the stray sharp branches that cut her clothes and skin, her mind blurring like her vision.

She couldn’t give up now.

She saw the patio and launched at it, gasping for a breath as she opened the patio door, slamming it shut.

Her mind was all over the place as she ran to the sink, trying to scrub the blood off her hands. She took off her sweater and, without hesitation, tossed it into the unlit fireplace, burying it under the cinders and wood.

She ran her hands through her hair and down her face, streaking it with soot before she looked around.

You’re losing it!

“Wouldn’t you?!” she yelled.

The medicine! We need it!

Mirabel took off upstairs, following the exact path to Carlisle’s office. She stopped staring at the door with hesitation.

“I can’t.”

You can. They started this…it’s time to end it.

Mirabel’s hands shook as she griped the knob and turned it, finding no resistance as it opened up.

The smell of books and antiseptic intertwined with the scent of a very familiar perfume. Esme’s perfume.

She walked in with shaky steps

“Where could it be?”

She checked through cabinets and drawers, finding only medical supplies and more paperwork.

She walked towards his desk and opened up the bottom drawer, stopping.

Her hands shook as she grabbed the file on top.

It was her file. Medical report, psych report, everything. His handwriting covered it.

‘Still shows signs of emotional distress. No knowledge of what we are. Keeping her safe is the priority. She is family.’

There were also documented papers on the injuries she had and pictures of things that should have only been kept within the walls of the Rojas’ household.

Pictures of her getting hurt…videos of every bruise she endured from Isabela and Agustin…how the heck did they get these?! She slammed the tablet shut and put it on the desk, digging further.

She found another folder…this time with the family information.

She fell onto her knees, reading the contents of each member. Looking at each ID and birth certificate for each new year and state. Looking at each black and white photo and how they never seemed to age, even though years passed.

Her tears hit the papers as she read the notes of dates Carlisle had written…

Edward (17)—1917

Esme(26)—1921

Rosalie(18)—1933

Emmett (20)—1935

Alice (19)—1921

Jasper (20)—1863

Bella (18)—2006

The papers fell from her grip as she clutched her head.

Vampires…the Cullens…the people she trusted were vampires all along. She didn’t want to believe it, but it all made sense like a puzzle put together.

Carlisle was too calm. Esme’s hugs were always cold to the touch. Edward would know exactly what she was thinking. Rosalie always appeared out of nowhere. Alice knew what would happen next. She would feel calmer around Jasper. Protected by Bella. Hell, Emmett even broke a spoon. a SPOON!

None of them ever ate with her or Jacob and Renesmee. Why Esme and Carlisle were so hesitant to eat with her Abuela. Their eyes always come back a golden color before they fade into a dark brown…

She wasn’t in the right state of mind as she began to hyperventilate, searching frantically through the desk for her medication.

Her fingers hit a box, and she grasped it immediately, ripping open the package and swallowing a pill. She backed herself underneath the desk as she cried onto her knees.

They let her stay in their home, held her, smiled at her….like nothing was wrong. Like they were normal people.

Blood rushed in her ears, and her head throbbed.

They lied to her. The betrayal cut deep into her heart, and it made her sick.

They didn’t trust her…neither with the truth nor herself. She curled in on herself, trying to make herself small enough so the betrayal wouldn’t hurt.

Mom. Dad…Esme and Carlisle…they lied to her…and yet they still looked at her as if she were their world. As if she were truly theirs…

Maybe she was…but they only wanted to manageable version of her. The human…the broken girl that lost it so they can step in and try to fix her..

But in the wreckage of her life, they only managed to gather the shattered pieces—not to mend her, but to convince themselves she was ever whole to begin with.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

7:47 p.m.

It began to rain…steady and soft like a lullaby that could put you to sleep…

But Mirabel was wide awake. 4 hours passed, and she could feel the medicine wearing off slowly. The house was still empty, still so quiet.

So, she dragged herself from under the desk, grabbed her things, and the folder holding the Cullens’ information. She quickly shut the drawers and grabbed the tablet, rushing out of the room and shoving everything about her into her backpack.

Her pills were taken out of the box and put into her travel kit, tucked under a pair of her clothes. She went through her drawers, grabbing her envelope of savings and her wallet. She shoved them in there, putting her keys into her backpack so she could get into the Rojas’ house.

They had left last week for Colombia to visit Pepa since she moved…pathetic.

Her hands trembled as she zipped her backpack shut. Her mind was reeling again.

'Get out. Just get out. Before they see you. Before they lie again.'

It was already dark, the sound of thunder covering the noises of the forest. She tossed the backpack onto her shoulder, ready to move.

'You can lose them in the woods. Go for the highway or just run it. Call anyone. Just go. NOW!'

Just as her hand touched the doorknob, the sound of laughter filled her ears, making her eyes twitch.

She can hear them.

“Mirabel! Sweetheart, we got you cheesecake! Come down!” Carlisle’s gentle voice called out.

It made her sick.

She looked at the paperwork on her bed and felt her body shake, the lights in her room flickering.

She won’t go back to pretending everything was normal…like she’s fine. They made her dependent on them…made her feel as if she couldn’t do anything without them.

She’s done.

She grabbed the folder and stalked out, tossing the door open so hard that it cracked the wall it hit.

She stalked down the stairs…the tension in her body on high as she bit her cheek harshly.

“There you are—what’s wrong?” Carlisle asked where he stood, his arm unwrapping itself from Esme’s waist to approach the girl. Everyone was sitting in the living room, talking to each other as the two parental vampires looked at their daughter.

She hated that tone in his voice.

She had tears in her eyes as her breath came out angry through her clenched jaw. She stalked up towards the man she had called her dad, tossing the folder at him with so much force that the papers fell out and onto the floor.

“Mirabel!” Esme called out in surprise, the whole room stopping their conversations.

“When were you going to tell me?” she said sharply, his eyes scanning what she threw at him before he looked up in panic.

“Where did you get these?”

“Is it true?”

“Mirabel—”

“Is it true?!” she yelled as the family stood up, Edward’s eyes widening.

She found out.

“i—”

“Don’t try to lie. I already had to lie on top of a DEAD deer when I saw those two sparkle in the sun and appear out of fucking nowhere so tell me the truth!” Mirabel said, pointing at Bella and Edward.

The air was still…no one dared to move.

Mirabel was growing impatient as they stared at her with those sad eyes…they didn’t deserve to be hurt.

“Keeping her safe is top priority. She’s family. Isn't that what you said about me in your notes?” she said bitterly before she clutched the paper full of notes about her, crumpling it in her fist.

“That’s what you call this? Keeping secrets like this from me?” she whispered, voice shaking violently. “You call that family?”

“You are family. You’re our daughter—” Carlisle started trying to rest his arms on her before she reacted violently.

“Don’t touch me,” she said, pushing the arms away from her.

“You all sat there…let me break down in your arms…let me lose my damn mind and this entire time you couldn’t even be who you were around me,” she said, Rosalie immediately trying to diffuse it.

“No! We were always who we were. We’re still the same people who took you out and got to know you!” she said desperately.

Mirabel scoffed, her hands ran through her hair as Carlisle and Esme tried to approach her, hands out to show they weren’t a threat to her.

“Mirabel, please—” Esme said, gently, her hands close enough to touch the girl. But her face crumbled as Mirabel slapped the hands away. Everyone gasped in shock…this was worse than they thought.

“Was this some kind of game to you? Just wait and watch until I break down… shatter on the ground just so you can try to piece me back together as if I'm a fucking art project?!” she said as she took a step back

“Mirabel, you were never just a project. You’re family. I saw how much you’d change our lives. But the more I saw, the more terrified I became of losing you. We can't lose you!” Alice said, Jasper holding her back.

She didn’t know what was going to happen next…she couldn’t see her.

“You have every right to be angry. What we did—crossed a line. A line I swore we’d never cross,” Edward said, Bella nodding.

“We never meant to hurt you, Bel,” She said.

Mirabel scoffed, rolling her eyes before she looked at them.

"Do you have any idea what that feels like? To realize the only people I thought maybe gave a damn—weren’t who they said they were. I told you things I’ve never told anyone,” she said. “I let you hold me when I was shaking, I let you see me sick and scared and sobbing, and all this time you were—” Mirabel said, her mind spiraling as she grasped her head.

She looked at Esme and Carlisle with the most broken expression they had ever seen.

“I looked up to you,” she whispered.

“You gave me what I never had and made me feel like I was worth something. Like I mattered. I thought, maybe—finally—someone wanted me…But I can see now that I can’t trust you with my heart anymore,” she said, her arms wrapping around herself, and tears fell down her face. She wiped them angrily.

Then she started laughing. It made her look unhinged.

“Mirabel…please. You’re not a project or experiment…you’re mine and you’ll always be my daughter,” Esme said, trying to approach the girl who was face was slackening.

“Every moment I spent with you..every hug…every kiss…every time I said I love you, it was real. It was always real.”

Carlisle was right beside his wife.

“Please…let us tell you the truth. No more hiding…just give us a chance,” he said, holding out his hand for her to take.

“We’ll never let you go. Please just stay,” Emmett said.

Suddenly, Renesmee and Jacob came in, everyone turning to them.

“Uhhh, what did we miss?”

Mirabel was suddenly tossed back to when she was hiding, and immediately, she made up her mind.

She wiped her tears and grabbed her backpack from the stairs, and tossed it over her shoulders.

“Mirabel—what are you doing?” Esme asked, panicked.

“I can’t do this. I can’t be in this home.”

“Mirabel, what are you saying?” Rosalie asked.

“I’m leaving.”

Chapter Text

“I’m leaving.”

Those words cut through the silence and caused chaos.

“No. No, you can’t leave, I won’t let you,” Carlisle said sharply, desperately.

“Funny thing is, you don’t own me. So, nothing you say or do is going to change my mind, Carlisle,” she spat out, shouldering past him to get to the stairs. She descended them, but someone was blocking her.

“Emmett. Move.”

“Not going to happen, sis,” he said firmly, arms crossed.

“I swear if you don’t move, I will make your life hell,” she said viciously, her eyes burning.

“Mira-bug, calm down.”
“I am fucking calm,” she growled. “Move. Now.”

“Please, don’t do this,” Edward’s voice carried into the room, Mirabel staring Emmett down.

“You of all people don’t get a say in this,” she said, turning towards him.

“We can talk about this. Please—”

“There is nothing to talk about, Edward. I thought I could trust you, but I was wrong.”

“I’m sorry, songbird—”

“Don’t fucking call me that!”

It all happened too fast. She took a step back…but it was enough to kickstart the reaction.

Enough for him to grab her by the waist and hoist her into the air.

“NO! LET ME GO!” she screamed, kicking and clawing at him as he dragged her back upstairs. He tried not to let it get to him, but damn did it hurt that his baby sister was fighting him.

“I’m sorry! We’re trying to keep you safe—”
“I trusted you!”

Everyone in the living room stood up, Carlisle immediately looking in anger. Not because of what was going on with Mirabel…but because Edward was giving her more of a reason not to trust them.

“Edward, let her go!”

“No! We can’t!”

Mirabel was still struggling as his grip tightened on her before she let out a scream of anger.

The air shifted. BOOM!

A crash of lightning nearby…the light bulbs in the house exploding one by one.

Glass covered the floors as a mirror broke beside Jacob and Renesmee. Jasper fell to his knees, raw energy pulsing through the room…angry…unforgiving.

Edward was thrown back into the bookshelf, Bella going to his side.

No one knew what happened, but it scared Mirabel enough to run to the kitchen.

“Mirabel, wait!” She called out as she and Carlisle ran after her. They made it to the steps in time to see her try to open the patio door from the kitchen.

“Mirabel, please!” Carlisle said, going down the steps to approach her before the girl reacted quickly.

Her back hit the counter, and she grabbed one of the knives from the block, holding it out in front of her. Esme gasped in pure horror as Mirabel pointed it towards the blonde vampire. Carlisle’s face dropped… She saw him as a threat.

“Back up.”

“little one—”

“I said BACK UP!”

“Mirabel…sweetheart, please. Put the knife down,” Esme called out just as the rest of the family made it to the kitchen.

“Mirabel, you aren’t in danger…I would never hurt you,” he said softly.

 “But you did! I trusted you with my life...I gave you everything. I loved you with my whole broken heart, and you couldn’t even tell me or trust me with the truth. I thought you were supposed to be better than them,” she said, her eyes now dripping angry tears down her cheeks.

“Everything you said…everything you did was a lie,” She said, holding the knife tighter.

“Mirabel, our love for you—that was never a lie. Not once. I would burn everything we’ve built if it meant you could feel safe again,” Carlisle said as he approached again. That knife won’t hurt him.

“Don’t move!”

“Mirabel put the knife down, please,” Esme pleaded. Carlisle took another step just as Mirabel’s mind snapped. Without thinking, she immediately raised the sharp object to her neck.

“NO!” Esme screamed, Edward having to hold her back in his arms.

“Mirabel, please let’s talk about this!”

“Take another step and I won’t hesitate. My life is meaningless. If I can’t leave, then I’ll make sure there’s nothing left for you to keep, ” she said harshly as the knife pressed harder to cut into the skin of her throat…watching them with angry eyes, challenging them.

“Stop! Stop, please!” Esme pleaded from her hold in Edward’s arms.

Carlisle immediately backed up as she circled to the door, opening it.

Esme’s voice made her stop.

“Mirabel…please. You don’t have to forgive us, but don’t leave us. Don’t leave me. Please… please, baby. I already lost one child. I can’t lose you, too,” Esme pleaded, tears coming down her face since she was so close to her daughter…her daughter who made her feel human again.

Mirabel felt her heart stop as she looked into the woman’s eyes, amber eyes swirling with grief and pain.

“He was just two days old when he stopped breathing, and I have carried that sadness every day for years. I was already a mother to my older children…But I didn’t know I was missing you. Until you let me give you the love you never received,” she said, getting herself out of Edward’s arms as she approached, holding her hand out for the girl to take

“Please, little one. We will explain everything to you…Please,” Carlisle said desperately.

“Just let us talk to you. Let me—let me hold you, baby. Please just come back to us,” Esme pleaded.

Mirabel looked with hurt eyes before she removed the knife from her neck.

“That’s good. It’s ok, baby. Mama’s right here. We—We can get through this,” Esme said, smiling though her eyes showed how scared and broken she was inside.

Mirabel felt her backpack weigh her down, weighing her decisions for her. Then she remembered the files…her medicine.

Slowly, her fingers found their way to her necklace.

“Mirabel…come here, sweetheart,” Esme called out from downstairs from where they were sitting. Mirabel came running down, jumping from the last step.

“Yes?”
“Sit with us,” Carlisle said. Mirabel immediately wiggled into the space between the two, making Esme laugh out loud as she dragged the girl into her arms for a hug.

“You know we love you, right?” Carlisle said.

“Maybe?”

“Excuse me?” Carlisle said, tickling her as she laughed.

“Ok. Ok. I know you love me.”

“Good. We’re serious about you being a part of our family, little one,” Carlisle said, getting out a box.

“Open it,” Esme said, Mirabel taking the box and untying the ribbon.

Inside was a delicate silver necklace with a lion stamped on it.

“It’s our family crest. We wear it to show our loyalty and love for each other. It’s only fitting that our baby gets a crest of her own,” Esme said as Mirabel sat up in excitement.

She took it out of the box and held it out to Carlisle.

“Put it on me?”

Carlisle complied; curls being pulled aside as he clipped the necklace behind her neck. She fixed her hair and showed Esme.

“How does it look?”

“Perfect. Just like you.”

A tear fell from her face as she touched it.

“Come here, baby. We’ve got you,” Esme said softly, opening her arms to Mirabel as a tear slipped down her face.

Mirabel grabbed the chain, and she subtly yanked the delicate necklace off her neck and put the knife down, the wind from outside coming in through the door that swung open.

“That’s it, little one.”

“We’re right here. We won’t let you go,” Esme said softly, beckoning her to come into her arms. To hold her tight and never let her go.

Mirabel took Esme’s hand and placed the necklace there, confusing the woman for a moment before she realized what she was being given. With a shuddering breath, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to the woman’s cheek, her tears falling onto Esme’s cold skin.

“I’m sorry, Mama,” she said softly before pushing the woman and running towards the door.

“No!” Carlisle and Esme yelled, lunging forward. The door closed, and the lock clicked, Esme trying to open it.

She banged on the glass, cracking it as she called for Mirabel, who was now getting drenched in the rain. Everyone in the room froze, unable to function…they couldn’t.

“Mirabel! Come back! Baby, don’t do this! Mirabel,” she yelled, watching Mirabel find a point of escape before she stood on the railing.

“MIRABEL, GET DOWN! BABY DON’T! CARLISLE, DO SOMETHING!”

In his desperation and hearing the pain and fear in his wife’s voice, he slammed his shoulder into the door, cracking glass and bending metal of the door that didn't want to budge.

He didn’t want to scare her any more than she already was.

Mirabel wiped her face before she jumped, grabbing a medium-sized branch with both of her hands, dangling in the air.

Esme shrieked when the girl’s hands slipped, and she fell to the ground. They got the door open, looking over the railing to see Mirabel getting up, no broken bones in sight, before she took off running into the forest.

Jacob was the first to snap out of it.

“Move!” Jacob said, jumping from the second floor, shifting into his wolf. Edward and Rosalie followed him, the three of them running to get to the girl as the rain poured down on them.

Esme watched her baby—her baby—leap from the 2^nd floor in an attempt to escape them.

She fell to her knees, looking at the necklace in her shaking hands.

Suddenly, her eyes that were able to cry moments before…stopped.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She sat with a dead look in her eyes, taking the test like it was nothing before she handed it in and left.

2 weeks had passed. She ignored them.

That night, she got home, she locked all the doors and all the windows. Alone in a house that will never be her home.

She immediately pushed herself into the shower, the hot water burning her skin through her clothes as she rested against the shower wall.

She heard the howl. She heard the calls of her name from the porch and her window…but she wouldn’t answer.

So, she stayed inside. When it came to school, she would go out the back, knowing at least one Cullen family member was waiting outside in their car.

She could feel someone watching her at night…throughout the day…

She couldn’t do this anymore.

She took a left and walked into the office. She had called her old high school, asking and begging for them to let her continue the school year over there.

Eventually, they agreed and asked her to request that her files be transferred over from Forks High School.

“Miss Madrigal. What a lovely surprise! What can I help you with?” Ms. Eva asked, smiling at the girl.

“I—I need my records transferred, please.”

The woman blinked.

“Transferred?”

“I’m going back to Rochester to finish the school year at my old high school,” she said, her voice cracking.

Ms. Eva sat up straightaway.

“Sweetheart, are you ok? Is everything ok at home? Do your parents—”

“Yes...they know, and they agreed that I wasn’t ready for a change, what with…Everything I have been through,” Mirabel answered firmly. She pulled out a folder holding the pre-filled transfer forms and a letter from Agustin.

She had contacted him a week ago. Asking him for a letter to let her leave Forks behind and go back to New York. She stressed the fact that he wouldn’t have to deal with her or hear from her any longer if she left…

She also knew about his little stunt…she had seen the court papers to have her emancipated without Julieta’s knowledge, having her sign a document on a day she was exhausted out of her mind.

She told him firmly that once the emancipation was set…and if she ever returned to Forks, she would never pop into his life no matter how much Julieta wanted her to.

He sent it the next day, sending her a small note to take the savings envelope he had stashed in his blue suit pocket for her to do what she needed.

That was the first time he ever helped…and it was just to get rid of her.

It was heavy. She sounded final.

Ms. Eva hesitated but nodded.

“Ok. I’ll start the request…it’ll take 2 days to get everything sent over.”

She nodded and gave her the paperwork.

“Thank you,” she said before turning around towards the door.

“Mirabel…are you sure you want to leave it all behind? All the memories you made here?”

Mirabel blinked and looked at the woman.

“It didn’t live up to what I had hoped for.”

So, as she stood in the middle of the football field, drenched in rain, she listened to the students talking about what they would do for their holiday break.

“Yo…Mae. You okay?”
She jumped.

“Benicio what the fuck.”

“Sorry,” he apologized before they looked out at the field.

“What happened between you and Cullen? You used to be best friends—”

“Things change, Benni,” she snapped, the 18-year-old holding up his hands.

“No need to snap.”

“I hate you.”

“Yeah, right. I’m your greatest gay best friend.”

She turned to him. Her eyes were red-rimmed…glassy. He didn’t like that.

“Hey. What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” he said, his hands resting on her arms.

“I’m going back to Rochester.”

“For Christmas?”

“To finish the year, Benni,” she said softly.

“You—you can’t. What about the group and our trip abroad after graduation? What about our friendship?” he whispered.

“It’s for personal reasons…I can’t stay here.”

“I’ll come with you!”

“No.”

“If I tell Jun, he can convince you!”

“You can’t just say things like that! Gosh, that’s why everywhere we perform, people think he and I are dating!” she said exasperatedly.

“Look, Mae…we need you here. I need you. You’re my best main dancer, best friend who’s a baby...But if it’s what you need and if that means waiting for you to come back…I’ll do it,” he said, stepping close to hug her.

“You still don’t know personal space.”

“just hug me back bitch.”

She rolled her eyes but complied.

Her phone buzzed.

“I have to go.”

“Wait,” he said, taking off his new hoodie and giving it to her.

“You just got this—”

“And I’m giving it to you…so you don’t forget me,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

She released a shuddered breath.

“I guess I’ll see you around, MD Mae,” he said.

She hugged him one last time, his lips pressing a kiss to her forehead as he squeezed her like a brother would his baby sister.

“You got this, hon. Trust me.”

She got to the curb when Renesmee ran up to her.

“Mirabel…”

She tried to move past her, but the girl just followed her.

“Mirabel, please—”

“I don’t want to talk to you,” she said coldly as she shouldered past the girl. Her wrist was grabbed, and she yanked it back. They stared at each other…one with regret and hope. The other was like they were strangers.

“Just wait, please?” Renesmee asked, almost breathless. She sounded like she wanted to cry.

 “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“I don’t want to hear more bullshit apologies, Cullen.”

Renesmee’s voice cracked as tears welled up in her eyes.

“I know you hate me…but please…I can’t lose you,” she said softly.

She held onto Mirabel’s hands.

“Please just come back home. Everything isn’t the same. Grandma and grandpa can’t function without you. We miss you,” she said as she squeezed her hands gently, the tears now coming down her face.

“Please…say something…”

Mirabel’s eyes softened a bit as she released a breath.

“I don’t hate you, Renesmee,” she said, the girl looking up at her.

“I just can’t trust you anymore. I can’t trust any of you.”

“Yes, you can. You can trust us. We wanted to protect you from who were were….but that doesn’t mean we didn’t love you. We wanted you to be a part of our family,” she said

“Then you should have trusted me from the start, like how I trusted you. I thought we were friends,” Mirabel said.

“We are friends! You’re my best friend, and I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you! I can prove it, please…. please don’t walk away from us,” Renesmee begged, her eyes filling with tears.

Mirabel scoffed.

“It’s too late for that,” she said, reaching for her wrist and taking off the handmade bracelet.

“No wait. Please. No,” Renesmee pleaded, trying to stop her, but it was too late. She took it off and placed it in her hands.

“Take care of yourself,” she said before she walked away.

She just continued to walk away from the pain and the hurt of losing the first friend she ever had in this dreadful town.

When she got home, she closed the door in relief.

“What are you relieved of?”

It made her almost jump out of her skin when she turned around to address the person sitting at the table.

“You do know you’re trespassing, right?”

 Rosalie scoffed.

“It’s not trespassing if it’s my baby sister,” she said, getting up from the chair.

“I’m not your baby anything,” Mirabel said with a growl, storming past her and into the living room.

“Mirabel, you have every right to be mad at us and to shut us out. But even if you don’t want anything to do with us, we’re not giving up on you,” she said lowly.

Mirabel tossed her jacket.

“You’re right. I don’t want anything to do with any of you. I’m tired of looking out my window and seeing Jasper and Alice in the fucking trees. I’m tired of Edward, Bella, and Renesmee trying to catch me when I’m outside when I want to be alone! So tell me, Rosalie. Why now, after everything I had gone through? You think saying that makes everything ok and we can go back to being a big happy fucked up family?!” Mirabel said, her voice rising.

“Everything isn’t ok, Mirabel. It hasn’t been ok since you left.”

“Whatever. You guys were doing perfectly fine before I came,” Mirabel said as she walked upstairs, grabbing something from her room. A box that carried one of Esme’s precious necklaces. The woman had passed it on to her, claiming her as a daughter…it felt uncomfortable.

“Give this back to her. I don’t want it. I’m not her daughter,” she said, pressing the box into Rosalie’s hand.

“You don’t mean that.”

“You don’t know what I mean,” Mirabel snapped.

“You’re right. I don’t. But I do know what love looks like when it’s desperate. Especially when it comes to parents and their baby,” Rosalie answered.

“I never asked them to love me or call me their child.”

“It doesn’t matter because the minute Esme laid eyes on you at the grocery store, she felt like her world was complete. When she saw you, she knew that day that you would be hers no matter what boundaries we had,” Rosalie responded.

“We all felt complete when we met you…and now it feels like our world-their world-is falling apart.”

Mirabel’s eyes softened.

“Mirabel…they’re drowning without you. Carlisle can’t function properly and barely goes to work. Esme barely speaks and spends all her time in your room. To her…she lost another baby,” Rosalie said. Mirabel took a step back. It felt like someone punched her.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because one day they’re going to show up just like I did, and if you slam that door in their face, not even giving them a chance…it’ll shatter the little piece of hope they have left in them.”

Rosalie placed her hand on Mirabel’s cheek.

“You have to understand…when a vampire creates a bond…they feel much more than a human. You leaving kick-started the reaction… If you reject them…they could probably die of the sadness despite everything they have. It almost tore them apart before,” she said, stroking her cheek.

“Why are you doing this to me?” Mirabel asked, tears falling from her eyes.

“Because my baby sister is far away from where she belongs…she’s far away from her home, her parents who would let the world burn for her and her 5 crazy ass older siblings who would just love to spoil and tease her,” She replied with a light laugh.

Gently, she cradled her cheeks, resting her forehead against hers.

“Someday you’ll understand why we did what we had to…but for now, I know you need space. Do what you need to do…but please…don’t forget about us.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She groaned when she heard the knock on the door.

“Who the heck is it now?” she growled as she walked downstairs to the door. It was 12:45 in the afternoon…it’s winter break! Can’t she go one day without someone knocking on her door?

She opened the door and froze.

“Chief Swan.”

“Afternoon, kiddo. It’s nice to finally meet you,” the man said with a smile, his uniform crisp in the chilly weather.

“Likewise…um...I’m sorry, but why are you here?”

“Well, I received a call from your father asking if I could check in on you,” he said, Mirabel’s face contorting.

“Agustin could have called me himself.”

“I meant Carlisle, sweetheart,” Charlie said with a soft look in his eye. He analyzed her, saw the bloody scratches on the back of her hands from where nails probably bit into her skin.

She looked tired…drained…withdrawn from the world.

“Have you eaten breakfast?”
She was about to answer when her stomach growled, her cheeks dusted with pink. It made him chuckle.

“Get your shoes. Let’s go have breakfast and talk a little.”

So there she was at the dinner, looking at the orange color of her orange juice as Charlie drank a bit of his coffee.

“I don’t know everything that happened. I’m not going to pretend I do,” he started as Mirabel looked out the window.

“You want to tell me what happened?”

“Nothing happened,” she replied.

“Mirabel…Bella is worried about you. The Cullens are worried for you. Hell, I’m getting at least 4 messages every 30 seconds from either my daughter, granddaughter, or Esme and Carlisle,” He said, looking a the girl who looked down at the table.

When their food came, she just poked at it, afraid to eat.

What could she say…just lie about it?

“Mirabel…I can’t help you if you don’t tell me. I want to bring peace to you and them, but I need to know if you’re ok,” he answered, grasping her shaking hand.

She felt like she couldn’t breathe.

“Just nod when I ask, ok?”
She nodded.

“Bella said that…you were experiencing withdrawals?”

She nodded.

“alcohol?”

A shake of the head.

“Drugs?”

A silent nod.

“It’s not…illegal, right?”
She shook her head. She sucked in a breath.

“Alprazolam…it’s a depressant…a sedative for anxiety,” she replied softly, taking a sip of her juice.

“Prescribed?”

She shook her head.

“You can’t prescribe the highest dosage possible of alprazolam to a teenager…it messes with our system.”

“Are you feeling ok? Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“I’m ok…I want to be ok…” she said, clenching her eyes. It was so hard to lie to him.

“Mirabel…Carlisle and Esme are worried for you…apart from Bella, I have never seen them get this attached to someone…a child, no less.”

“I’m not a child.”

“You’re under 18, so yes. You’re a child. The point is, they care so much for you. So much that Carlisle calls me every 10 minutes to ask if you’re still in town and personally asked me to take you to breakfast because you aren’t talking to him,” he said, making her look up.

“He did that?”

“Yes…because he’s a father, sweetheart. Most importantly, he’s your father. He and Esme are being driven crazy that you aren’t talking to them.”

He placed his hand on hers.

“He knows you. He stepped up for you when Agustin didn’t, and yes, I know the story because the man blabbers when he’s drunk,” Charlie said, making Mirabel groan.

“The point is…Carlisle and Esme will do everything they can to make sure you’re safe and back home. I know you’re frustrated. I know you’re hurting…but please don’t do this alone.”

She took a shuddering breath and rested her head on the table, crying into it. Everything was crashing down on her, and she didn’t know how to stop it.

He took her out and drove her through town for a bit, not wanting to leave her alone while she still felt so vulnerable. She wouldn’t talk…wouldn’t even look towards him.

At around 4:57, he dropped her off at his old residence.

“If you ever need anything…anything at all,” he said, giving her a sticky note with his number. She took it shakily and blinked.

“We’re here for you…we’re just a call away,” he said as she nodded, getting out of the car and walking up the steps. She looked back and watched him wave before she walked into the home and shut the door, her hands shaking as she trembled against the door.

Maybe she just needed to sleep…so she did, curled up on her bed in a pair of cotton shorts and the big BTS hoodie Eunji had given her when she joined the dance team. Her mind was fighting it, but her body relaxed under the covers as the darkness of the hood covered the sunlight…

Mirabel tossed and turned, her eyes burning as they tried to open. The sound of a car parking in front of her home caught her attention as she sat up groggily. She reached for her green glasses, too tired to put on the contacts, and looked at her phone.

9:28 p.m.

She groaned, picking up the voices that sounded from the front door. They were soft, as if not to wake her up. Her head was hurting. Her eyes burned as her body trembled from a slight fever.

She got up and tugged the hood over her head as she stumbled downstairs, the voices getting louder.

“We should just stay here hidden. Just to keep watch.”

“What if she comes home and finds us here? I don’t want to drive her away, Carlisle.”

Mirabel ignored the warmth and comfort those two voices brought her and just opened the door, her glasses slipping from the bridge of her nose. The two on the porch were startled and immediately turned to face the door.

“Mirabel—” Carlisle started, trying to apologize.

“You could have just knocked, you know.”

That made the vampires look up at the girl who was pushing her glasses up her nose again.

“We…didn’t want to intrude,” Esme answered. Mirabel can see her hands wringing, almost as if she wants to reach out and grab Mirabel and never let her go.

‘If you slam that door in their face, not even giving them a chance…it’ll shatter the little piece of hope they have left in them.’

Rosalie's voice rang in her head as her head lolled to the side, her hand coming up to press her fist to her head as her headache raged on.

She just left the door open and walked back into the home. She was worried they wouldn’t understand, but then footsteps followed, and the door closed.

She turned to them, pushing her glasses up again.

“You wear glasses,” Esme breathed out, the girl nodding softly.

“I didn’t want people to think I was Agustin’s daughter, so I got contacts,” she said, her arms wrapping around herself.

“They suit you,” Carlisle said, and she paused.

She let out a sigh.

“Look. I’m tired and have a headache that feels like someone is stabbing my brain. You can stay here while I sleep,” she said in resignation, feeling too drained to argue.

“We’ll be quiet. We promise,” Esme said, her voice trembling. She seemed to be struggling.

Mirabel just blinked and turned around to walk upstairs. She heard them shuffle around and let out a soft groan, her heart aching to comfort the woman who tried to be strong but was falling apart inside.

In the end, she gave up and walked back downstairs, the two looking up.

“Are you ok? Do you need anything?”

She swallowed. She was going to sound so childish…

“Can you tuck me in?”

Her voice shook as her hands trembled. She waited for them to reject the idea of comfort…but it never came.

All she saw were doe golden eyes belonging to her—is she still her mother?—light up in happiness as Esme immediately ushered her upstairs, Carlisle following happily.

Once in bed, she watched Esme tuck the blanket around the edges, brushing her dark hair behind her ear as she fretted with the covers.

“Darling, I think she’s tucked in enough,” Carlisle chuckled as he watched Esme watch the covers with an offended look.

Mirabel turned to her side and pushed her sweater-covered hands out, her hood covering her eyes.

Esme’s hand lifted to remove it so she could see her baby’s face…but she stopped, bringing it back to the covers.

She didn’t want to make her upset.

It felt weird to have them there and not feel them as close as she used to. It made her heart constrict as she shut her eyes tightly, curling into herself as she clenched her hands tightly.

Her fingernails dug into the flesh of her palm as she tried not to cry.

Damn them for making her feel this way. She should be angry…but her heart was begging to let them in.

Suddenly, the pressure in her left hand was relieved, and a cold hand slipped into hers and gently held it in between theirs.

She knew those hands. Esme always held her hand as she slept.

Mirabel felt her body relax as the hood fell deeper over her head, the soft thumb stroking her knuckles rhythmically.

She didn’t notice when the lights went out softly…or when her eyes closed completely…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was soaked to the bone…the rain falling down her forehead as her hair clung to her face and back.

She could taste the blood on her lips. Bitter. Sharp.

She could feel the sharp sting of the bruises on her face and along her body.

“Mirabel!”

She looked up and saw Esme and Carlisle trying to get to her, but we’re being held back by the same people holding her…

Red and black filled her vision as she watched the other being move towards Carlisle.

Red eyes…

She saw Esme’s golden eyes staring at her, telling her it was going to be ok.

“Remember, child…this is your fault,” the voice said, a chill going down her spine.

“No! Stop STOP!” she struggled as she watched the two vampires fall to their knees in pain just as the pale hands came for their heads—

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She jolted awake with a scream, launching right into Esme’s arms that readily caught her.

“Hey. Shhh, it’s ok. It's ok,” the woman said, her hand firm against her head as she held her close, tucking her into her neck.

The scene clung to her, fresh in her mind, and it made her cling to Esme, her hands grasping the woman’s shirt tightly as she sobbed.

Carlisle knelt right in front of the two, rubbing at Mirabel’s arm soothingly and taking one of her hands as she cried into the brunette woman's neck.

“It's ok, darling. We’re right here,” he said, his voice soft as her grip around Esme, and his hand tightened, trembling in fear.

Her panic was coming back, and Esme could feel it. Gently, she tried to lie her back on the bed, but Mirabel was fighting it, and it broke her heart.

“Shhh. It’s ok. I’m not going anywhere. Mama’s not leaving baby,” she whispered into her ear, resting Mirabel on her pillow before she shook off her sweater, leaving her in her long sleeves. Slipping off her heels, she gently climbed into the bed next to the trembling girl.

She fixed the covers over the two of them as Mirabel pressed closely to the brunette, who just wrapped her up close to her chest. She could feel the girl’s tears staining her skin.

“Do you want to talk about it?”
a shake of the head.

“Do you want your father to stay?” Esme asked quietly, Mirabel nodding. Mirabel just shut her eyes tightly, finding familiarity in the arms that held her.

She heard the rustling of clothes and the thud of shoes falling until another presence rested behind her, protective arms wrapping around her and Esme.

She felt like she could breathe again as she just buried her head closer to the woman.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She woke up with a headache, groaning as the pain heightened.

Suddenly, a cold hand on her forehead made her jolt.

“Shhh. It’s ok,” Esme said, keeping her hand against the girl’s head to cool her down.

The pain slowly throbbed less than before, Mirabel opening her eyes.

Esme was looking down at her with so much worry.

“Are you ok?”

Mirabel swallowed.

No. She wasn’t okay. She might be the cause of Carlisle’s and Esme’s death if she stayed longer…if she attached herself to them…. It would be the end.

But she just nodded.

She was going to allow herself to feel safe around them one last time as the packed backpack and ticket stared at her from her desk.

She looked around the room, eyes narrowing when she didn’t see the blonde male.

“Carlisle went to get breakfast. He should be back right now,” Esme said.

As if on cue, the downstairs door opened, and a loud ‘I’m home!’ echoed.

“Hmm. I’ll go down while you get ready, ok?” Esme said, getting up slowly and putting on her shoes.

Mirabel sat up, shaking her hair from her hood, Esme watching with adoration.

Grabbing her glasses, she pushed them up her nose and blinked.

Esme leaned on the bed and pressed a playful kiss on the girl’s nose.

“See you downstairs.”

Once the door closed, Mirabel got up and ran to the bathroom, locking the door. She slapped her cheeks to get the dream out of her head, but it didn’t work.

You’re going to be the cause of their death!

“Shut up right now,” Mirabel said, turning in the water faucet before going to the drawer that had her medication…her hand paused.

They think she’s still in withdrawal…Mirabel groaned softly and closed the drawer, wetting her face and brushing her teeth before exiting.

She changed into a pair of grey sweats and one of the crew necks that Benni gave her, which hung off one shoulder.

She winced when her fingertips brushed her rib cage and felt the bone there.

She sighed and readjusted her glasses before walking downstairs.

“He wants what?!”

“he wants us to visit Denali for the break.”

“I’m not going!”

Mirabel had never heard Esme hiss like that before as she stood at the entrance to the kitchen.

Esme was glaring at the phone in Carlisle’s hand as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose.

She cleared her throat.

“Good morning,” she said softly, fidgeting with her sleeves. The two looked up, and she swore their mood was brighter than moments before.

“Good morning, little one! I got you your favorite. Pancakes with the apple filling, bacon, and scrambled eggs,” Carlisle said, watching how Mirabel’s eyes eyed the food waiting for her.

Esme and Carlisle chuckled when they heard her stomach growl, her cheeks blushing.

“Sit sit,” Esme said, guiding the girl to sit down to eat, sitting right beside her.

Carlisle did the same, watching Mirabel take the box of food, eating it with eagerness.

He was getting worried about her health, wondering if she ate enough.

He moved a piece of hair from her face and watched as she leaned into it.

“What have you been doing?” he asked softly.

“Just school. Passed my exams,” she said, feeling Carlisle’s fingers brush against her wrist gently. She sighed.

Still checking for a pulse.

“That’s amazing, darling. I’m so proud of you.”

She looked down at her food, a blush on her face as Esme’s fingers stroked her cheek.

“I heard you’re leaving,” she said, putting it out there on the table as she took a bite of her pancake.

“No—”

“We haven’t decided.”

She can practically feel Esme’s glare towards Carlisle.

“Where are you going?”

“a friend of ours wants to visit him in Denali.”

“Alaska? Sounds fun,” she hummed.

She heard a crack and looked at the torn-off piece of  Wood from the table that was in Esme’s hand.

Ok, that was cool.

“I’m not going. You can tell him that.”

Carlisle went to say something when she cut him off.

“I’m not leaving my child here alone, Carlisle.”

“I was going to say we can stay and send the kids.”

“You two should go,” Mirabel said, ducking her head when both turned to look at her with disbelief.

“Absolutely not—”

“What type of parents—”

“You guys need a break from here.”

‘I don’t want you to be here when I leave.”

They watched for a few minutes before Carlisle took her hand gently.

“Why don’t you come with us?”

“To Denali?” she asked in disbelief. Another party of vampires??

Sorry to kill the mood, but hell no

‘Shut up.’

“You need a break as well…please? We can take care of you, and I’m so sure Tanya and Kate will love you,” Esme pleaded softly.

“Uhhhh…thanks for the invitation, but I decline. I’m working over the break,” she lied.

“Working?” Esme asked quizzically. She will always trust her daughter, but something feels wrong.

“I thought we told you not to work?!’

“I’m not getting paid. I’m just getting hours to graduate,” she said pointedly, stabbing her eggs with the fork.

“hours.”

“Yeah.”

“I can sign off on the hours you need. You can work in the hospital as my assistant when we get back in January,” he said hopefully.

“I already got confirmed with the school. I’m going to help one of the teachers in the bio labs since some kids want to redo work,” she said, looking through her emails to find the fake one made by Benicio.

It was perfect to a T.

Carlisle looked at Esme before he nodded, but she couldn’t stop doubting.

“Who’s going to stay with you?”

“I have Chief Swan’s number on the fridge for anything.”

“And the other occupants?”

“In Colombia until the 8^th of January.”

She heard a growl come from Carlisle.

“I’m going to be fine. Stop worrying,” she snapped, grabbing her now empty box and throwing it away. She stood at the sink and let out a heavy breath.

“I don’t even know who I am to you anymore. I don’t know what to feel,” she said softly before turning around.

“I can’t...I can’t trust you guys. I need space.”

“You were gone for 2 weeks, ignoring everyone and everything. Mirabel, you shouldn’t be alone, especially with what you’re going through,” Carlisle said, he and Esme getting up to stand in front of her.

“Well, when the family you desperately wished to have as a child lies just like everyone else, you don’t know who to trust anymore,” she said with a hiss, her eyes softening when she saw Esme flinch.

“I’m sorry…I just…I need time,” she said. The two nodded before Esme reached out tentatively, not knowing if she would take her hand.

Mirabel unraveled her arms from where they were crossed and took the older woman’s cold hand, being pulled into a hug.

She just held onto her, trying to remember the hug and the features of the woman holding her. Trying to ingrain her perfume into her mind.

She heard rustling and looked at Carlisle, who took something out of his pocket.

Her necklace. The Cullen Crest.

“Rosalie was able to fix the chain so it’s as good as new,” he said, cradling it in his hand.

“You—you don’t have to wear it. You can just keep it with you. To keep us close to you,” he said, his voice shaky.

“It’ll keep us at ease…knowing that you still want to be with us. But if we come back and you realize you don’t want us to be a part of your life…we’ll understand,” Esme said. The tone in her voice broke Mirabel’s heart and hurt her more.

Would she risk it? Knowing that she would probably kill them?

But either way…they would probably live with sadness that their chosen daughter rejected them, which could possibly kill them as well, according to Rosalie…

It was like a side of the coin, but neither outcome was good…

‘Life wasn’t fair.’

She looked at the necklace.

The two vampires watched in stillness, waiting for the rejection to happen.

But then her fingers reached out and slowly wrapped themselves around the silver chain, taking it into her hands.

Esme let out a shuddered breath as she immediately took Mirabel into her arms, pressing kisses on her hair and thanking her.

It's gonna hurt, but maybe going away will help her….before she returns.

There was a honk outside.

“Huh?”

“I’m guessing those are our children,” Carlisle exhaled, relieved she took the necklace.

The door to the house opened, and everyone filed into the kitchen, Renesmee immediately running to latch onto Mirabel.

Mirabel…she just held onto her, knowing this was the last time she’ll see Renesmee…her best friend.

She watched the girl pull back, grabbing something from her pocket and tying it around her wrist. Her bracelet.

“Don’t take that off. Ever again,” she threatened, making Mirabel crack a small smile.

“Wow, it’s nice to see a smile in a dark space.”

“Emmett!”

It made Mirabel scoff out a laugh.

“This place is as dark as your brain, Emmett,” she replied, making Edward snort.

“Baby sis has jokes,” he said with a big smile before he just swept her up off her feet.

“Why is everyone hugging me today?”

“Because we won’t see you until the second week of January. We need our Mira hugs to power through this, especially with little signal,” Alice said, hugging her tightly.

Rosalie hugged her as well.

“Remember what I said,” she whispered.

“It’s probably ingrained in my mind by now,” she said, Jasper hugging her tightly after she let go.

She looked up at Edward, who rubbed the back of his neck. He betrayed her trust the most…as her older brother, he should have protected her…

She just hugged him. She felt him hesitate before she squeezed tighter, and he immediately hugged her back.

“I’m sorry.”

“Shut up and hug me,” she said, making Alice laugh, and Bella joined the hug quickly.

She tried to etch their scents and features into her mind, her body shuddering.

“Sorry, we’re cold.”
“It’s ok.”

She watched them all go outside to their cars. Esme stopped at the top steps. They looked towards Mirabel, who was leaning on the threshold.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come? We—it’ll feel complete if you’re there,” Esme pleaded. Mirabel smiled sadly before she reached into one of the drawers near the mirror on the wall, grabbing a box from the drawer.

She gave it to Esme, confusing her.

“It’ll help you when you need it,” she said softly.

Esme held it tightly in her grip before Mirabel walked up to her, hugging her around her waist.

“I’m—I’m going to miss you.”

It felt final…but Esme didn’t know the feeling behind it.

She just wrapped her up in a hug, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“I’m going to miss you as well, my love.”
Strong arms wrapped around both of them, Mirabel turning to wrap her arm around Carlisle, dropping her head against his arm, and inhaling deeply.

“Don’t get into too much trouble, Mirabel. Save it for when we’re back. Stay in our home for the break,” Emmett said playfully.

“We’ll write to you!”

“And you better write back!”

“When you can! You have a pair of keys to the house!”

Mirabel smiled at the demands and pressed a final kiss to the two vampires’ cheeks, watching them leave, though Esme’s eyes never left her form.

She was always going to be Esme’s baby. All hers. Mirabel gave her a chance to love and care for her. She’ll forever remember how lucky she was to have an amazing mother.

She waved softly as the cars drove off, walking into the home when it finished. She sank down against the wall, stifling her sobs.

She picked up her phone and called someone.

“You ready to go?”

“Can you do something for me, please?”

Chapter Text

When she got off the plane, her face was red and her eyes were burning from how much she cried. She got off the escalators to find Dolores.

Instead…she found Dolores along with her abuela and—Was that Benicio?!
“Ayy Mi amor, come here,” Abuela said. Mirabel just felt a wave of new tears.

So she just fell to her knees and sobbed. Because it hurt. It hurt so bad.

She felt like she was being ripped apart from the inside.

She didn’t remember when she got into the car or who carried her.

She doesn’t remember when she couldn’t breathe…

She did remember running…

In traffic.

“I can’t. I’m sorry—I'm SORRY!” she yelled when she almost got hit by a car, but began running down the street.

She didn’t know where she was going.

‘Mirabel, stop!’

She did…she knew that voice.

So turned, soaked in rain and tears, as she trembled.

“Rosie.”

‘Stop running, sweet pea.’

“You aren’t real!” She yelled.

‘To you I am. You still listened…please…stop running,’ Rosalie’s misty form pleaded.

Suddenly, arms wrapped around her, and she screamed, trying to break free.

“Let me go!”

“Mae, it’s me! It’s me!”

She fell to the floor, Benicio following her as she sobbed, his arm trying to protect her from the rain.

“Mae, please. Let’s go back.”

“It hurts…I want my mama,” she sobbed, clinging to him.

She didn’t remember much, but the pain in her heart.

So there she was, her hair getting dried by her cousin as Benicio brought her a cup of chocolate santafereno.

He sat with her when Dolores kissed her head and left the room.

“Mae.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Well…I might have called your abuela and asked her to house me—”

“House you? You’re staying for the break?” she asked, confused.

“I’m staying for the spring semester.”

“What?!” she exclaimed, dropping her cup.

“I thought you would be excited…”

“Forks is your home, Benni! Why would you leave home?”

“Because Forks aren’t home without you in it.  I have no one, Mae. My mom died; my dad ditched me when I was 13 and had kids. I’ve been independent since I was 15…I didn’t realize I needed someone until you came along. You and your broody, sassy attitude flipped everything around,” Benicio said, sitting her down as she looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

“Look, you may think that you ruin everything….that you bring misery and pain to everyone…but you’re wrong. You brought so much joy into my life and our entire team’s lives. You’re our lucky star,” he said, grasping her shoulders.

“But I hurt people’s feelings and—”

“Because you are trying to protect yourself from getting hurt. Mirabel your shit show of an ex-family put you through hell—but you found a new one and you make them so happy. Do you know how fucking rare it is to see THE Rosalie Hale Cullen smile and laugh?!”

“Don’t talk about Rosie like that,” she responded, making him scoff with a smile.

“You gave them nicknames…you let them take care of you…Do you know why I call you Mae?”

“Because you randomly put my name in Scrabble and tried to come up with a stage name? I would believe you if you said that.”

“Sounds like something I would do too. But no, I didn’t do that. Did you know it took us almost 2 months to make up a name for you?” Benicio said, sitting next to her again as she raised an eyebrow.

“You could have called me Mira?”

“boring. We wanted something that reflected you…because despite your tough demeanor and bad attitude—don’t look at me like that, you know I’m right—you had an innocent heart and soul. You glow when you’re happy. You’re sweet and too damn adorable,” he said pinching her cheeks.

“Then why did you come up with Mae?”

“Because of the way you look at the world. Like you see it. Even when it’s dark. Even when people don’t deserve it. You’re warm, and kind, and... there’s something in you that feels younger than the rest of us, but also... soft. You’re like a flower blooming in spring.”

“That’s vague and boring,” she said, voice shaky.

He smiled and shrugged, then said, “It’s also because you look so much like her.”

“Like who?”
“Your mother.”

Mirabel looked up sharply. “You mean Julieta?”

Benicio shook his head slowly. “No. I mean Esme. Esme Cullen.”

Time stopped for a heartbeat.

“I—how—” she whispered.

“The week you came back after the gym accident, you were different. Lighter. You were more childlike and happier…you looked like light in a dark room.”

Mirabel’s lips parted. Her whole body felt like it was made of glass, thin, breakable. “How did you know she was—?”

“Again, you look like her. Exactly like her. It’s like…you changed completely…fitting both her and Dr. Cullen into your features the more you were with them,” he said, tapping her cheekbone.

“It’s like…you’re growing into your face.”

“You can say that she is,” Alma said, walking into the room.
“You should sleep, Benni. I want to talk to Mirabel.”

He smiled at her, ruffling her hair before taking his leave.

Mirabel clung onto the edge of the bed tightly.

“mirabel—”

“I’m sorry…I hurt them.”

“Mi amor, you’re hurting them and yourself,” she said, putting her hand out. Mirabel was confused

“I know you’re on Alprazolam. Dolores told me,” She said, Mirabel holding her head down in shame before she took them from under her pillow.

Placing the almost empty pack into her abuela's hands, she scooted to the headboard, wrapping her hands around her knees.

“I didn’t know what to do, abuela. I was angry and scared…I had to get them back.”

“What happened?” Alma said, tucking the pills away.

“I—I can’t say…” she said. Despite her anger towards them, she wasn’t just going to tell the world. She would be crazy enough to hurt them more.

You found out?”

“You knew?!”

“For a long time,” she said.

“Why didn’t you—”

“Because it isn’t my story to tell Mirabel. The Cullens are a supernatural bunch, but they never harm. Believe me, they were shocked when I told them that I knew what they were,” she said, remembering Esme and Carlisle’s faces from that night.

“You weren’t upset?”

“No. Because he saved mi hijo and now they saved you. Vampires or not, they have more compassion than most humans.”

Mirabel whined as she covered her head.

“Do I want to know what you did?”

Mirabel shook her head.

Alma sighed. Mirabel did something bad.

“ok, I won’t push. I didn’t want to believe it before, but Mija, you were meant to be with them. It was your destiny.”

“It was my destiny to be an affair child. My destiny to be beaten just because, and almost killed?? Abuela, how is that destiny?!” she cried out, Alma grabbing her wrists to make her look at her.

“Mirabel, I don’t know how life works! You did not deserve everything you have been through, but what has happened has happened. You found them. You found her,” she said, making Mirabel confused, tears dripping down her cheeks.

“What? Found who? What are you talking about?”

Alma sighed and took Mirabel into her arms to hug her.

“I knew you were special as a child…you were able to do things your sisters and cousins couldn’t. You were and still are rare,” she said.

“You sound like Alice.”

“She’s right. It’s like you knew everything. Did you know that you have not once called Julieta ‘mama?’” Alma said with a smirk.

“I didn’t?”

“You didn’t say that word until you turned 3. You refused to call her that title and threw a fit when she told you she was your mother. On the night of your birthday, you ran to the window and looked at the moon. And with the sweetest voice ever, you said “mama.”’

Alma chuckled at the memory of the little girl bouncing on her toes, asking her abuela to help her find her mama.

She got up and grabbed Mirabel’s photobook filled with her drawings and childhood photos, and gave it to her. She opened it and blinked.

“My eyes and hair—”

“For your first ten years of your life, your eyes were a beautiful golden topaz color, your hair a rich caramel. You didn’t need the glasses because your vision was perfect…maybe a little too perfect,” she chuckled.

“What? I saw ghosts?”

“You sure did.”

“What?!”

“That was my reaction as well when you said that your abuelo was standing right behind me,” she said, remembering almost having a heart attack when Mirabel appeared in front of her, saying that there was a man behind her.

“You are a girl of many gifts, and one of them is to communicate with the dead. It wasn’t odd to see you speaking to your abuelo sometimes,” she said, pointing at the messily drawn picture that was supposed to be of Pedro Madrigal.

“But this is what I wanted to show you,” she said, turning the page to a drawing.

In the messy drawing, was a woman with brown hair in what looked to be a purple dress? Beside her was a man with crayon yellow hair wearing a coat and blue tie. Under them was written:

“Mommy and daddy?” she said, looking up.

“You once said that these two were your parents and that they lived in a cold place with many trees. You were so confident that they would come and find you, to take you home,” Alma said, as she looked at the drawing.

“Why—why can’t I see him anymore? Why are my eyes like this?”

“Because they sedated you. It wasn’t only your panic attacks that they tried to stop…they wanted to turn off your gift and keep you managed under medicine. But it was killing you, Mirabel. Trying to lock up who you truly are was going to kill you if you continued,” Alma said as she remembered the fight.

She had a dream that night…Pedro warned her of what Julieta and Agustin were doing to her special girl. She remembered Bruno and herself driving to the home with Dolores in the back seat, the sound of yells filling the air while Dolores grabbed her primita and ran to the car.

“So when I stayed with you for those years, I was getting back to normal?”

“You were. Your eyes turned into that beautiful golden color, and you would speak to Pedro so often…until they took you and put you back on it. It’s funny how it worked out in the end…that job put you right in her line of vision.”

“You say her—Are you speaking of Esme?” she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“I am, mi amor. The day I met her I knew….ella era tu verdadera madre. You were always meant to be hers somehow. You waited for your mama and papa to take you home, and they did,” she said, grasping onto Mirabel’s cheeks.

“You will always be my nieta, and when the time comes for me to leave this world, I trust them to take care of you. I know they will because te aman con todo lo que tienen,” alma siad as mirabel blinked harshly.

“I don’t want to hurt them…but I’m not ok. I can’t go back…”

“I know. I understand. I won’t say a thing, and neither will Dolores and Benicio. We’re here for you, Mija. You know what you need to do,” she said, Mirabel nodding sharply.

“I can’t live on them…I just want to be who I was before.”

“Then, we’ll help you. But I want you to always remember…they need you just as much as you need them. So, you have to survive to find your way back home.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They arrived in Denali the night after saying goodbye to Mirabel. It didn’t feel right to leave her there alone. Esme thumbed at the box holding something that she couldn’t quite name.

She hadn’t opened it.

She was terrified. Her baby was alone... scared...with no one to turn to, and she wasn’t there for her. Carlisle parked the car in the snow, biting the inside of his cheek.

“I don’t like this,” Esme said as she looked at the house she knew so well by now.

“I don’t either. I feel like—I’m missing something.”

“We’re missing her. It feels incomplete,” Esme said with a shuddered inhale.

“I miss her…I miss just us,” Esme said, unable to cry like she used to in the presence of her special little girl.

Carlisle grasped her hand as the others pulled up beside them.

“We’ll call Charlie and Jacob when we go to town and write to her. I don’t like this either, but...we have to respect her choices.”

“I can’t respect a choice like this. She was alone all her life, and I feel like I’m failing her by not fighting for her,” Esme said, slumping into the seat of the Mercedes, leaning onto the door as she looked out the window.

“I know, darling. I feel it too,” Carlisle said.

She looked at him and their hands. He gently lifted it to his lips a pressed a kiss on her knuckles.

“Let’s get over this break, and when we get home, we’ll have our baby again.”

She reluctantly nodded before they got out of the car, and the box was on the floor of the passenger seat. She wrapped her arms around herself as Carlisle wrapped her in an embrace, walking towards the Denali coven that came outside.

“Long time no see, my friend,” Eleazer said, Carlisle nodding towards him as Carmen wrapped Esme in a hug.

“Just like old times,” Tanya responded, hands in her pockets. Her eyes were scanning each vampire in the Cullen family. They had downcast looks, Esme and Carlisle the worst of the bunch.

Garrett, with his arm around Kate, raised an eyebrow.

“I see 8 vampires and a hybrid…where’s the little human you talk about so much?” He said into the air.

It made the Cullen family freeze, Edward looking towards his mother, whose thoughts and eyes blanked out before she just turned and walked back to the car.

“Esme—wait—”

The door to the back seats shut before they could stop it.

“Was it something I said?”

“We’re not taking this separation lightly,” Jasper said, all of them watching Carlisle open the car door to talk to his wife.

They could hear the hisses coming from her as she told him to leave her alone.

“Separation? I thought the little one became a part of the family?”

“We broke her trust…she found out we were vampires and…reacted badly.”

“You screwed up. So what?” Garrett said, Kate electrocuting him for a second to get him to stop talking.

“Was there something wrong?” Carmen asked, hearing the arguing from the Cullen matriarch and patriarch, watching the car door slam shut again as Carlisle tried to coax her out.

“Her biological mother tried to sedate her trauma using a high dosage of a CNS depressant from 10 years old to now. She was in the early stages of withdrawal when she found out we were not human,” Edward said softly, head low.

“After threatening to end her life if we didn’t let her leave, she left the house for 2 weeks without any communication of sorts, her sorry excuse of a family having gone to Colombia for the winter break,” Rosalie said, arms crossed.

“How severe was her withdrawal?” Tanya asked.

She was on 2mg of alprazolam, taking it consecutively when the effect wore off. So she consumed 10mg of it every day,” Alice answered, Tanya choking on a breath she took.

 “Alprazolam?! Are they nuts?!”

“The worst is that it wasn’t prescribed…it was just used to sedate her under the table,” Bella said.

“How long has she taken this?” Eleazar asked, now worried about the human girl Carlisle and Esme had come to love.

“A year and a half when she was 10…and around 4 months this year. I took it from her when I found it,” Carlisle answered, coming back a bit frustrated.

“Esme?”

“Not budging.”

“We can talk to her,” Carmen said, gesturing to her and the two blondes.

“Let’s all go for a hunt while they do so,” Eleazar said, kissing his mate goodbye before they all left, leaving the 3 Denali coven women behind with the Cullen family matriarch.

Carmen knocked on the window.

“Esme. Querida, we’re coming in,” she said, opening the door to the back seat as Tanya and Kate entered the passenger and driver seats.

Once the doors were shut, they watched Esme breathe heavily, sigh.

“I’m sorry about Garrett—’

“It’s my fault.”

“Esme—”

“I should have told her. I should have trusted her like she trusted me from the start,” she said, looking up at the ceiling in despair.

“I was her mother—”

“You still are. In her heart, you are still her mother, Esme,” Kate said, taking the woman’s hand.

“Why does it feel like I’m dying? Why do Carlisle and I feel like our whole world is crashing down on us?”

“Esme…you’re a mother. A mother who adores her baby to death,” Tanya said.

“It feels different…it’s not the same as my other children. Remember when Edward left? It’s a pain worse than that, like—” she said, her breath hitching as she remembered feeling this exact pain once in her human life.

Kate blinked as she shared a look with Carmen.

“Esme…what does she mean to you?”

“What?”

“What does this girl mean to you? Why is she so important?” Tanya asked, catching on to Kate’s question.

“I caught her scent, and I fell in love with her. I—I wanted her the first day I met her. She was so…fragile and hurt. I  wanted her to fall asleep to whispered lullabies and not the sound of slammed doors. I wanted her to be mine and protect her,” she said, remembering the big brown eyes that stared into hers.

She remembered that pull she felt, like something snapped into place when they made eye contact. She fit into her arms when they hugged, and she cuddled up to her.

She looked up at her with so much admiration. She listened to her, asked her for help, and gave her all when it came to loving Esme and Carlisle.

“It was like she was made just for me. She’s my perfect baby girl,” she said.

Tanya and Kate looked at each other.

“čo ak je darček?” Tanya said in her native tongue to her sister.

“od koho?” Kate asked.

“jej syna.”

“dievča bolo vždy jej,” Kate said in shock.

“What’s going on?” Carmen asked, the two looking at her and Esme.

“We think—it’s just a theory—but we think Mirabel was chosen to be yours,” Kate said.

“What?”

“Think about it. You recognized her. Her scent called you for love and protection. You protected her from day one from what Edward told us, giving her everything she never had. Esme—she is your second chance. She is yours and Carlisle’s chosen child,” Tanya said, taking Esme’s hands in hers. She was twisted in what looked to be an uncomfortable position.

“My second chance?”

“You never got to raise your son, querida. And now here is this young human girl…so broken and scared, in need of a safe space. She needed you like a baby needs her mother. She needed Carlisle like a daughter would her father after a nightmare.”

Esme felt like she couldn’t breathe.

“You’re saying—she was always supposed to find her way to me?”

“She was yours since her birth, she is a gift—she just needed to find her way to her parents,” Kate said, accidentally kicking the box near her feet. She picked it up.

“What’s this?”

“It’s from her. She said it was for when I needed it,” she said, reaching for the box.

“Maybe you need it now,” Carmen said, watching Esme trace the edges before lifting the lid.

All three vampires inhaled the sweet scent deeply.

“Woah.”
“Is that—”

“That’s her scent,” Esme said as she lifted the sealed bag that carried a delicately folded cardigan…her favorite one. The beautiful lavender one with delicate lace details.

“An iPad and iPod?” Kate said, looking at the devices.

“a folder?”

Esme turned on the iPad curiously, a message popped up immediately saying Open me first.

She opened the file dated October and pressed play.

“Hi Esme! It’s me…wait, you already know. Anyways…you’re probably wondering why you have this. It’s because I want you to see all of me. There are so many different files saved. My dance team videos, my dance practices, my digital journal, etc, each day after this has a message for you.”

“Oh my goodness, she is so adorable!” Tanya said from where she was sitting on carmen, Kate having taken the other seat beside Esme.

“The iPod has different songs that I want you to hear that are organized in how I want you to listen to them. Some are in Korean, so I printed out the lyrics and translated them for you.”

“She’s so sweet.”

“So, whenever you miss me or need a pick me up and I’m not there…I’ll always be right here waiting. See you in the next video!”  

Hours later saw that she was on the bed resting on her stomach, headphones in her ears as she listened to a Korean song called “Blue & grey.”

‘Don't say you're fine
'Cause you're not
Please don't leave me alone, it hurts too much.

She read those lyrics over and over, knuckles pressed to her lips as she let the music sink in. It was only day one, and Mirabel was already making her miss her more.

She felt someone lie next to her and wrap their arm around her. She turned her head and looked towards her husband, who was watching her with worried eyes.

She took out one of her earphones and put it in his ear.

“What’s this?”

“Her gift,” she replied, eyes now closing as she turned to her side, Carlise pulling her to his chest, her hands going to wrap around his neck.

He pressed a light kiss to her lips before she pulled him back for another, the earpiece falling from her ear as she moved to straddle him, deepening the kiss.

Her hair fell around them like a curtain as he held onto her, arms wrapped around her waist as she pulled back.

“Are you ok?”
“I am…because we have a kid. We have our 15-year-old baby girl waiting for us in Forks,” she said softly with a huffed laugh.

Carlisle looked up at her, his hand pushing her hair back.

“You’re saying—”

“She’s ours. She was waiting for us for so long,” she said as he brought her down to kiss her again.

“We have our little miracle.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~Day 4~~

She was sweating.

The room felt too small, too bright, like the snow outside.

All she could do was lie in bed. Her fingers trembled as if she were in the middle of a storm despite the heat of the heater in her room.

“Hi, sweetheart. It’s time for dinner.”

Her head moved too fast. She vomited into the basin near her.

“It’s ok. I’ll get you some water,” the nurse said as she walked back outside.

She sobbed into her pillow, the pain so sharp.

She hears the door open again and feels someone kneeling in front of her.

‘Open your eyes, songbird.’

She did and saw golden eyes staring at her with so much love it hurt. His bronze hair was perfectly done, his smile soft and warm like the sweater he wore.

“Edward?”

‘I am so proud of you.’

“It hurts,” she cried, as his hand touched her skin. She nuzzled into it as best as she could.

‘It’s going to hurt, songbird…but you are just like Carlisle. You’re strong. You will get through this.’

She trembled as his lips touched her head before the door opened again.

“I’m back, sweetheart. Let’s sit you up,” the nurse said, Mirabel’s eyes opening,

Edward was no longer there.

~~8~~

Mirabel had her forehead pressed against the wall, sitting like a scolded child in the corner of the room. Her body stopped trembling violently, but her mind was louder than a radio at 100 percent volume.

She felt empty…a hollow shell.

Progress, they’ll tell her.

But it felt like nothing.

She eats honey and toast…picking at the skin of her scar every once in a while.

She cries more now than ever. She was afraid. What if the Cullens forget her?
What if Esme didn’t want her anymore? Did Carlisle still love her?

She wants her parents. She needs them.

‘Sweet pea, why are you in the corner?’

Mirabel looks up and sees Rosalie sitting beside her with a smile. Her hair was braided, her eyes shining.

“—I-I don’t know.”

‘It’s ok to not know sometimes. You don’t have to know everything. Don’t be an Alice.’

‘Hey!’

She turns around to see Alice pouting on the bed, arms crossed over her chest.

“You’re not real,” she said.

‘We don’t have to be real to help you. It’s your mind missing us.’

Alice and Rosalie scooched in closer to her, the blonde holding out her hands.

‘Take my hands and close your eyes.’

She did. She felt…real for a split moment.

‘Now…feel.’

She inhaled a deep breath as a tear slipped down her cheek, the room empty.

‘We’ll always be here with you.’

For a moment, she let herself believe it.

~~12~~

“How are you?”

“I don’t sleep with the light on anymore,” she said, painting a flower garden outside one day, Dolores and Benicio sitting with her.

“And therapy?”

“I talk now. I—I mentioned them.”

“You’re one step closer to healing,” Benicio said as he watched her paint. She looked up and heard a snort, watching a shimmery version of Edward wrestling Emmett.

“Sparkle nerd,” she whispered.

“Right. I forgot,” Dolores said, grabbing her bag. She pulled out a little bag and gave it to Mirabel.

“What is this?”

“You left it behind…maybe it’s time you realize just how much you’re wanted.”

When she opened it later that night, she felt her hands tremble.

The Cullen crest stared right back at her.

They didn’t mean to hurt her. She didn’t mean to hurt them…oh god, she hurt her family. The tears gathered in her eyes as she realized just how much hurt was circulating in her heart.

The necklace was warm in her fist…warm like a hug. Warm like Esme when she held Mirabel under the covers. Warm like Carlisle’s smile when he looked down at her as if she were a small child.

She closed her eyes and cried like she did when she was a toddler, and no one came when she called.

She missed them.

Suddenly, there was a shift on the bed behind her, a hand stroking the side of her face. She immediately turns around and sees Esme’s smiling face, Carlisle right beside her with that same warm smile.

‘Hi, baby.’

For the first time in so long…she just got up and tossed herself into the woman’s arms, crying into her shoulder as the woman caressed her hair and pressed soothing kisses to her head.

When she felt Carlisle’s arms wrap around both of them, she felt complete.

‘Why the tears, little one?’

“I’m sorry. I hurt you both,” she cried. She sucked ina hiccuped breath.

“I just want to be better so I can go back home…I don’t want to be a mess anymore.”

‘Darling, mess or not, you’ll always be our baby girl. We will always love you for who you are.’

She held onto Carlisle’s hand tightly as she sobbed.

“I tried to be strong. I tried to be brave, but I can’t do it.”

‘You can. I know you can. You’re my baby girl. You’re the greatest gift we could ever receive.’

Esme’s voice was soft and full of emotion as she played with Mirabel’s curls, her forehead touching hers before nuzzling her nose.

‘You’re a Cullen, Mirabel, and nothing will change that.’

‘We’re waiting for you to come home to us.’

‘And we’ll wait for as long as we need to.’

She opened her eyes when the sun hit her face, tears staining her pillow. She sat up and looked at the clenched necklace. Unraveling it, she unclipped the back and shifted her hair, clipping it around her neck.

The crest fell on her chest.

She felt complete.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Renesmee sat in the family room with the rest of the Cullens surrounding her. They came back from Denali in the second week of January so she could help finalize the senior class’s schedules and list of activities, having gotten them earlier that day.

She had picked up the stacks of papers and folders, all in alphabetical order, ready to be categorized.

She had her headphones on, unaware of the turmoil in the room.

“Jake says he hasn’t seen Mirabel at all. Her parents aren’t even back,” Bella said after getting off the phone call.

When they arrived back in Forks, they expected to see Mirabel waiting for them either in town or in the family home. But there was no one.

No warmth. No cheery smile. No sarcastic comebacks. Just silence.

“What about Charlie?” Carlisle asked, trying to remain calm but failing.

“fishing trip.”

“Did anyone call her?” Esme asked desperately, Rosalie holding up her phone.

“I left a voicemail every 2 days and haven’t gotten a response.”

“Texts aren’t going through either,” Emmett said as he refreshed his messages.

“What about social media?”

“She doesn’t have social media,” Edward said as he tried to track her phone. Nothing.

Alice came back with a stack of letters.

“No one is home. These are all the letters we wrote, untouched in the mailbox,” She said, scattering the letters along the kitchen aisle.

“The house looks like no one has been there in months. No life, nothing,” Jasper said. Esme was starting to feel her stomach churning uncomfortably.

“Carlisle—”

“Call the school. She said she was working at the school,” Carlisle said urgently.

“It’s 10:30 p.m. No one is awake.”

Carlisle banged his palm onto the counter, hands going up to his hair as he tried to remain calm.

“We shouldn’t have left. We should have stayed here and worked it out instead of letting her push us away. I should have just dragged her with us,” he said. He was disappointed in himself.

He was her father, and yet his daughter was missing, and he had no idea where she had gone.

Renesmee was going through the list of last names with M, humming them.

Macías, Mackenzie, Maddox, Maes, Magallanes, Mahoney, Malhotra…wait a minute.

“Macías, Mackenzie, Maddox, Maes, Magallanes, Mahoney, Malhotra…huh?” she said out loud, tearing off her headphones and going through the list of folders and papers.

She must have skipped it. Misplaced it even.

“Where is it?” she said out loud.

“Where’s what, Ness?” Bella asked.

“Where’s her folder? She should have a folder between Ethan and Jackie,” Renesmee said, going through the other files. Looking for a misplaced folder that had the last name Madrigal.

Nothing. Empty-handed.

She got her phone and called someone, her hand grasping her hair.

“Maybe they didn’t print it.”

“Ness, what is going on?” Rosalie asked.

She held up a finger.

“Jordan. Jordan it’s Renesmee. You have a roster of senior students, right? For activities and graduation?” she asked urgently.

“What’s going on?” Emmett asked.

“I don’t know,”  Alice said. She couldn’t see clearly.

“I’m trying to finish the folders, but I think we’re missing someone. Can you check for Madrigal, Mirabel?” she said, making the Cullens freeze.

They waited, watching Renesmee pace back and forth before she stopped.

“What? Of course, I’m sure that’s her name. We’re best friends.”

Silence.

“What do you mean she isn’t on the roster?! She transferred at the beginning of the year!” she yelled.

Esme felt the world crashing down on her.

“No. No, this can’t be happening,” she said as she dialed her number on her phone.

“The number you have dialed is out of service. Please try—”

She hung up, hitting the redial button as a wave of panic and helplessness covered her. Fear was settling in her bond, Carlisle feeling it just as intensely.

“Come on, baby, please pick up.”
She waited…

“The number you have dialed is out of service. Please try—”

“Damn it!” she yelled before taking off, Carlisle following her. He knew exactly where she was heading. It didn’t take long to reach the Rojas’ residence, the porch dead and dark. She climbed up one of the trees and made it into the unlocked window Mirabel always left open.

Carlisle came in after, going to search the bottom floor while she searched the top for clues. It was dark and cold as she looked through room after room. She entered into her daughter’s room that now lay bare…no decoration, a single closet and desk occupying the room, with a plain bed.

On there, she saw a phone…it wasn’t Mirabel’s. It looked older…more used.

She opened it and saw it was on the recording application.

Carlisle walked in.

“What is that?”

“I don’t know,” she responded.

She pressed play, hearing the shuffling of the background.

“Mom. Dad.”

They froze. Mirabel.

“I don’t think I ever really believed in home. I used to think home was something I could touch, something I could make—but I was wrong. Home isn’t a house. It’s you. You showed me what it’s like to be loved, truly loved. To be seen and wanted. You taught me how to be soft without being small. I thought I was too much for the world, but you… You made me feel like I was enough.”

“You were always enough,” Carlisle responded softly.

“You made me believe that there was a place for me in this world. You gave me a home I never thought I’d have. You… you showed me what real strength is. Not the kind that crushes or controls, but the kind that heals. The kind that holds things together when everything else is falling apart.”

Esme was trembling in Carlisle’s arms as the feeling overtook her. What was going on? Why was this here and not her baby?

They heard a sob, alarms blaring in their heads.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to leave you like this. I never wanted you to have to see me go. But this... this is something I have to do alone. If I stay, I’ll break. And I’m afraid of what that will do to you—to us. I love you. I always will…You gave me something no one ever could. A family. And I’ll carry that with me—always.”

“Mirabel, what did you do?” Esme asked, her voice full of fear.

“Don’t look for me, please. You were my family in a world that didn’t even know how to love me. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay and be the daughter you always wanted… I love you.”

The phone slipped from her grip, and it fell to the floor, her hands trembling. Suddenly, her eyes fluttered and she faltered, her body falling.

“Esme. Esme!” Carlisle called out, as his wife fell back into his arms as she gripped his sweater tightly, her body shaking.

“Carlisle, where is she? Where’s our daughter?”

He looked down at her with a broken expression on his face.

The man felt defeated…

“She was supposed to be here...I don’t understand,” Esme said, hearing footsteps come up. Rosalie and Bella walked into the room.

“What happened?”

“Where is she?”

One look from Carlisle explained it all, and Rosalie fell to her knees.

“No. You’re—you’re lying. She can’t—”

She felt like she couldn’t breathe.

Mirabel couldn’t be gone…

She couldn’t be.

Somewhere in Rochester, the same curly-haired girl was in a car.

“How does it feel to be free?” Dolores asked as they drove back home. Mirabel was released from her treatment and put on a long-term plan. She was getting better.

She looked much more alive…healthier, the Cullen crest sitting proudly around her neck as she smiled at her older cousin.

“Amazing.”

“One small step close to home,” Dolores responded with a smile that Mirabel shared.

Home…

It would take a while for her to get it together…but she would do it for them.

Because Esme and Carlisle were her home…she knew that now…

But for now, she had a whole lot of plans before moving back to Forks…

And on top, she needed to go back to her old self

—gift and all.

Chapter Text

“I can’t—”

“What do you mean you can’t tell me? She is a minor. She’s 15 years old!” Edward said as he spoke to the secretary. Renesmee and Bella stood next to him, just as upset.

“Mr. Cullen—”

“If I go to her parents and ask for their permission—”

“Mr. Cullen, that isn’t how it works!”

“then tell me how it works damn it! This is my baby sister we’re talking about,” he said, hitting the counter, cracking it from underneath.

“Edward…Edward, calm down,” Bella said, her hand on his shoulder.

The door clicked in front of them.

“Eva, can you go supervise lunch while I speak to Mr. Cullen, please?” the principal said, her hands folded in front of her.

“Of course.”

When the woman walked out, the principal ushered the family of three into her office.

“I assume you know Mirabel?”

“She’s a part of our family—in the process of adoption,” Bella answered.

“By—”

“My father and mother,” Edward said, trying not to growl at the woman.

The principal sighed in sadness.

“I know how much family means to you, but unfortunately, we can not give you her information,” she said.

“Why not?”

“Legally, we would talk to her parents. Unfortunately, it was recently brought to my attention this morning that Mirabel was recently emancipated. Because of this news and her absence in Forks, I do not have her permission to tell you what exactly happened,” she explained.

“Wait…emancipated? As in, she’s an independent adult?” Bella asked, looking at Edward with wide eyes.

“Yes. There was a social worker on the case who told me that the courts granted the request over the break. I can’t go into specifics because of her rights, but all I know is that the police are about to be involved.”

The family of three left, sitting in the car, before Edward pulled out of the school driveway at high speed.

“Where are we going?”

“We’re going to Carlisle. Something is wrong,” he said through clenched teeth, taking the turns sharply.

At the hospital, Esme was pacing back and forth with the phone, waiting for some sign in Carlisle’s office as the blonde looked through the database.

“The number you dialed—”

“Still nothing,” Esme said inside Carlisle’s office, the man trying to find a way to track his youngest daughter.

“There’s no activity on her medical record. No flagged emergency visits. No check-ins anywhere in the region,” he shakes his head, eyes scanning data that refuses to give him what he needs. “It’s like she vanished.”

 The debit card he gave her was untouched.

Her phone’s tracking system was shut down.

She had no social media accounts, and the dance team leader had no clue what happened. She went completely off the grid.

Esme fell onto the couch, her head in her hands.

Her sweater was wrinkled, her pants fading from how much she rubbed her palms on her jean-covered legs.

“She knew what she was doing all along…her last hug…when she said she’ll miss me…I thought she was just being affectionate, holding on just a bit longer. I didn’t think she was saying goodbye,” she whispered.

Carlisle got up from his chair and pulled his wife up into his arms.

“Esme”

“We just got her…why would she leave?” she asked into his chest. She couldn’t believe this was happening.

The door opened, and Edward stalked in, Bella and Renesmee following.

“Son—”

“We couldn’t get through the school,” he said, glaring at the floor.

“What?! Why?” Esme asked.

“We found out from the principal that Mirabel was emancipated. Legally, she’s an adult, and we need her permission,” Bella answered.

“Emancipated?! She’s 15!” Carlisle cried out.

“All she said was that the police are about to be involved—” Bella said before she took out her phone.

“Call Charlie,” Esme said urgently, the Brunette immediately dialing her father and putting it on speaker.

“Bella?”

“Dad, you’re on speaker—”

“Bella, can I call you back? The unit and I are about to apprehend suspects,” he said urgently, the sound of the engine roaring from the phone.

“Apprehend?” Edward asked.

“Yes. I came into work this morning when Debbie gave me a package that was dropped off a week ago from an unknown source.”

“Was it a murder in Forks?”

“No, Bella. We have evidence of months of domestic violence from Agustin and Isabela Rojas against Mirabel. It’s on a tablet along with documents of every injury they tried to cover up, all notes from Carlisle,” he said, the room falling silent.

“My notes?” he asked, confused.

“Yes.”

“Charlie, what color was the tablet?” he asked, backing away and grabbing his phone immediately.

“It was a beige, almost cream color with a black case.”

Carlisle immediately called Rosalie, who was home at the moment, his hand running through his hair.

“Thanks, Dad—”

“Bella, is something wrong?”

“We haven’t found Mirabel yet. She isn’t missing but…”

“I’ll try to get answers out of Agustin. He might know.”

“Thanks, Charlie,” Edward said before they hung up just as the siren sounded.

Carlisle felt his thoughts running at a thousand miles per hour.

“Hello?”

“Rosalie, go to my office and check all drawers on the right side of my desk, now,” he demanded.

“Carlisle, what is going on?” Esme asked, Edward's breath hitching.

“No…”

“What?”

“He thinks that the tablet Charlie has is the one we used to compile evidence against the Rojas,” he said, Esme’s hands moving to her mouth in shock.

“Did you find a tablet and file we had for mirabel?”

It was silent.

“What do you mean they’re gone?! It’s right there with her—” he stopped.

“Carlisle?”

“Rosalie…Is the box of Alprazolam in the top drawer?” he said lowly.

The way his face hardened told them what Rosalie had relayed. He hung up the phone and slammed it down on the ground, shattering it.

“Damn it!”

His hair was wild from his hands running through it, stress and anxiety written on his face.

He turned away from his family, trying to calm down.

“Carlisle—”

“The tablet and pills are missing as well as her files—everything is gone.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh my gosh, and I thought Forks High School was hard!” Benicio said when they walked back home from school. Mirabel was giggling the entire time as she kicked up snow at him.

“We just started school 3 weeks ago!”

“And it’s still hard!”

She was getting better—so much better. The need for Alprazolam seemed to fade from her system, her body just craving food for energy and silence for anxiety.

She attended therapy…her school provided her with additional resources for any situation that might arise. There were days when it did get too much…but she had an amazing support system.

“Can I tell you something?”

“You just did.”

“Shut up,” he said, pushing Mirabel as she laughed.

“What?”

“I like you better when you’re off medication.”

She stopped and smiled.

“I like me better off it too,” she said, raising an eyebrow playfully before kicking snow again.

She was giggling loudly as he chased her into the house, where Alma was sitting, drinking a cup of coffee.

“Ayy, you two.”

“He started it,” Mirabel said with a laugh as she shook off her coat.

‘You know it’s you who always starts it first.’

“I do not always start things first. That’s a lie,” she responded back making the room pause.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Huh?” she said, turning around. She shrugged as she fixed her glasses on her nose before taking them off. Why was it blurry?

She wiped them and put them back on, blinking. Oh well.

“So what’s for dinner?”

‘Did you just ignore me?’

“I did. Now go away,” she responded again as she grabbed a bowl.

“Mirabel, I don’t know if it’s the snow or what, but you’re speaking to no one,” Benicio said.

“Of course, I am. I’m talking to—” she said, pausing as the bowl dropped to the ground, shattering.

Alma got up and stood next to her, smiling.

“Do you see him?”

“Yes,” she breathed out, watching the man right in front of her who was smiling brightly.

“I’m so lost right now—” Benicio said, just as Dolores wrapped her arm around him.

“Mirabel can communicate with spirits,” she said, drinking her water.

“Oh spirits. Cool—SpIrItS?!” he yelled before passing out.

“Well—he’s gonna need to take some time to get used to this,” she responded.

Hours later, he was waving his hands in front of Mirabel’s eyes as she tried to read her library book.

“Can you see me?”

“Stop being an idiot,” she said, making him groan.

“My best friend is the real-life Cole Sear. Am I in the sixth sense or something?” he asked loudly, making Mirabel laugh out loud.

“Seriously, did you just get this gift? Was it the alprazolam?”

“She’s had the gift since she was young. It was suppressed when she took the medication,” Dolores said, drinking her tea.

“So, you just—see ghosts?”

“She feels and sees them. She would pick up spirits, and they would follow. She often used her gift to bring healing to those who grieve.”

“You collected spirits like they were Pokémon?”

“Not collect…invited them to stay. You see…the spirits she used to see came and went after saying goodbye to their loved ones, but some guided her from afar for a long time…even when she was on the medication.”

Benicio sat in front of Alma, his eyes wide with curiosity.

“Mirabel has 4 protective spirits…I don’t know who…but they’re waiting for her to meet them. I know it,” Alma said, Dolores nodding.

“Sometimes it meant driving to different states over the Summer or Winter breaks. Other times it was nonstop driving to get back to school by Monday.”

It was quiet for some time until Mirabel sat up straight, looking at the kitchen with a flick of her curls.

Benicio inhaled and sneezed.

“Did someone spray something?”

“Nope.”

Mirabel watched the kitchen closely.

Alma followed her.

“Mija, what do you see?”

Mirabel’s eyes followed the woman back and forth. She watched the woman stand there by the counter, looking at her friend with loving, sad eyes.

“Are you the one carrying that scent? “she said, everyone turning to her.

“Mirabel? Who are you talking to?” Benicio asked.

“There’s a woman in the kitchen. She’s in a yellow dress and her skin is warm and golden-brown, with curly black hair,” she said, closing her book.

It made Benicio freeze.

“Yellow?”

“yellow.”

The male scrambled to take out the phone in his pocket before he unlocked it to his home screen. He got up and knelt beside her, showing her the picture with trembling hands. It was a group of 6.

Mirabel looked at it and pointed to a woman with a beautiful smile and a sunhat.

“That’s her. She’s right in the kitchen,” she said, looking at the woman.

Benicio got up and walked towards the counter, walking blindly.

“Stop…she’s right in front of you,” Mirabel said softly.

He had tears in his throat. The smell was stronger now.

He didn’t believe in ghosts…didn’t believe people stayed behind after they passed…

“Mamãe.”

Mirabel was making him a believer.

“She said that you grew up beautifully, just like she knew you would,” Mirabel said.

“I—can she hear me?”

Mirabel’s nod was enough.

“I—so much has changed since you’ve been away…I don’t know what to do anymore,” he sobbed into his hand.

“Why didn’t he want me?”

Mirabel got up, watching the woman caress her son’s face with ghostly hands.

“Let me help you,” she whispered, the woman looking at her open palm. Gently, she took it.

Dolores wrote down the change she saw. Mirabel took in a breath and opened her eyes, looking around the room.

“Benicio, meu amor,” she said, her voice softer…wiser.

Benicio looked up immediately at his best friend.

“mamãe.”

“You are the greatest gift I have ever received. I am proud to call you my son,” his mother said through Mirabel, the girl's hands coming up to caress his face.

For the briefest moment, he saw his mother looking up at him when he looked into his best friend's eyes.

“Diga obrigado ao seu amigo. She’s an angel,” she whispered.

“She is…she’s special,” he whispered before he hugged her tightly.

“Eu te amo. I will always love you, my son.”

“I love you, too,” he said when he pulled back. She smiled.

“Goodbye, meu amor.”

“Goodbye, mamãe,” he said with a smile.

Slowly he saw Mirabel’s head fall forward before she sucked in a gasping breath, looking at her surroundings.

“What happened?”

Benicio just hugged her.

“Thank you. Thank you for bringing her back even if it wasn’t for forever,” he said, Mirabel hugging him back before she blinked again.

“Who are you?”
That phrase made Benicio and Dolores shiver.

“And here we go again,” Alma said with a slight smile.

They watched Mirabel sidestep out of the kitchen before she walked towards the fireplace.

“Oh! OH! Hi! Wow, this was unexpected,” Mirabel giggled to the fireplace.

“What the hell is going on?”

“No idea.”

“We can take this conversation somewhere private if you’d like,” she said politely. She waited and nodded.

“Of course.”

She turned to Alma.

“Can I be excused?”

“Go ahead, Mija.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, you’re telling me Rosalie was always prim and proper?” she said, getting ready for bed one night.

“Always was. My Rosie was like a blooming orchid.”

2 weeks have passed since she encountered Benicio’s mother, the boy is now interested in her gift and helping her as much as he could.

It’s also been 2 weeks since Rosalie’s mother made an appearance. She remembered that night, the two talking about the blonde vampire 3000 miles away.

Mirabel finished putting on her PJs when she got up to comb her hair.

“She looks so much like you. Very beautiful,” Mirabel said.

“Is she happy?” the woman asked, watching mirabel.

Mirabel smiled.

“She’s more than happy. She’s married and…though she couldn’t have what most could…she’s learning to be content,” she answered, running her fingers through her hair.

She froze. Underneath the dull black of her hair, threads of caramel curled like whispers of who she used to be. Not new. Not reborn. Just returning.

“My hair—”

“is going back to what it used to be. Your mother’s hair.”

“I wonder if her hair will change too,” she whispered.

“Only time will tell, my darling.”

Mirabel went to braid the strands when she felt lightheaded, her hands landing heavily on the vanity.

“Darling, are you ok?”

There’s a faint pull in her heart before she hears it.

Mirabel….

She turns around.

“Hello?”

“Sweetheart, what’s happening?”

Before she could take a step…her legs locked…her mind froze…she dropped to the ground.

She took a breath and looked up from where she was lying down. A cold floor where nurses and doctors flurried by.

What was going on?

She heard rushed voices.

“…people in Chicago are dying…”

“…Spanish influenza…”

“..She won’t make it…”

Then she saw him…Carlisle.

“Dad.”

She followed him into a room where a woman lay, her skin pale and ill.

“…please…Dr. Cullen…save my son…save my Edward…”

She sat up with a gasp, the faces of her abuela and Eleanor filling her vision.

“Mirabel…nieta what did you see? Who is calling you?”

She sucked in a breath.

“Edward’s mom. Spanish influenza…Chicago…1918.”

“It’s a three-day weekend, I’ll have Dolores go with you,” she said before leaving the room.

Mirabel blinked as Eleanor’s hands found her face.

“Slowly the color is returning to your eyes….and it is like looking into a pool of gold.”

~~~~~~

The flight to Chicago was relatively short, Dolores having been asleep the entire time. Mirabel was fidgeting the entire time.

“Why are you nervous?”

“Because I—I haven’t done this before.”

“You have—you were innocent then and still innocent now. Let yourself feel, primita,” Dolores said as they stepped into the cold Chicago air.

She sucked in a breath nodded, crouching down for a moment, her breath a cloud in the air.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, Eleanor smiling at the girl.

She closed her eyes and gently rested her hand on her snow-covered ground. Feeling. Waiting.

Mirabel…

Her eyes opened before she got up and walked off, her backpack bouncing up and down with the harsh movements against the snow as she hailed a taxi.

“What did you get?”
“She liked flowers and music…”

“Conclusions?”

“There is a conservatory 25 minutes from here. The largest and most historic botanical conservatory,” Mirabel responded just as the car pulled up.

When they got into the taxi, Dolores gave him the instructions as Mirabel closed her eyes again, tuning out everything.

When her pen touched her notebook, her hands moved freely, capturing the sounds and words that can help her…

Pond…lily…

“Is there a pond in the conservatory that has lilies?” she asked, Dolores researching on her phone.

“Yes…The Water Lily pond on the lower platform by the city garden,” she answered.

“That’s where we’ll find her,” Mirabel said, tucking her book into her bag just as they arrived at the conservatory.

She got out and let out a cloudy breath, Dolores taking her hand.

“Let’s go kickstart your gift again,” she said with a smile before they walked towards the entrance. Mirabel looked around the area as Dolores scanned the tickets she purchased.

She looked up and felt her breath catch.

“What do you see, darling?” Eleanor asked.

“Her…” she said, entering the outdoor garden. She blinked, hearing the snow crunching under her boots as she stepped closer.

The woman was crouched by the pond, her hand stroking the almost frozen water. She was in a blue Adora Edwardian gown with her bronzy hair pinned up delicately, a soft contrast to the sharp purple petticoat and brimmed hat that Rosalie’s mother wore.

Mirabel swallowed.

“Are you—Edward’s mother, ma’am?” she asked softly, afraid she wouldn’t have heard.

But she did, and she smiled when she met Mirabel’s eyes. The eyes that Edward inherited stared back at her.

“My—what a beautiful young woman you have become…I have been waiting for you, Mirabel,” she said softly, getting up and taking Mirabel’s face in her hands.

“I’m sorry I made you wait.”

“Never mind the wait. What matters is you’re here now.”

“I apologize, but I realized I know you as only Edward’s mother,” she said, the woman chuckling.

“Silly me. I’m Elizabeth. Elizabeth Masen.”

She linked her arm to Mirabel’s as the three women walked.

“We have waited long for you, my child. You were never far from our thoughts. We knew…we knew you would be a special little girl the day you were born,” she said softly as they walked through the snow-covered garden.

“I still don’t understand just how special I am,” Mirabel answered truthfully, as Eleanor took her hand.

“The night you were born, we knew you would be a link to our loved ones who continued to live on. You were a second chance to a mother who mourned her long-lost son,” she said.

Mirabel looked up

“Mama’s baby.”

“Yes. You brought life to her and the Cullen family. You just couldn’t be born into the family in the traditional sense,” Elizabeth said.

They looked at the garden in front of them

“Miss Elizabeth.”

“Yes, darling.”

“My abuela had said that…there were 4 spirits that had waited for me. I know of you and Miss Eleanor…but who are the other two?” she asked, looking at the woman who had a contented smile on her face, her fingers running through Mirabel's hair.

“We would have to wait and see, my love. You’re still reactivating your gift…when you get stronger, the calls will come and so will the travels.”

“What if I’m not ready?”

“You’ve done an amazing job now…you are ready for this,” Eleanor said.

They stood there looking at the snow, the two women leaning on Mirabel lovingly.

“mirabel, love, are you ready to let down your shield?”

“I'm sorry?” she said, confused. Her shield? What shield?

“Sweetheart, you built a shield around your mind. While withdrawing from that wretched medicine, your mind wasn’t a safe space…that was why Alice couldn’t see your future,” Eleanor said.

“Alice couldn’t see my future?”

“No. And at the moment, she relies on it to find you…to see if you’re ok.”

“But I’m not ready to go back,” she said, her eyes filling with tears.

“I have so much left to do.”

“We know child…but we also know that your mother and father are worrying themselves to death trying to find you…trying to see if you’re even alive,” Elizabeth said, taking the girl's face in her hands.

“I—I don’t know how to—”

“Take our hands,” Eleanor said, each woman taking the girl's soft hands in theirs. She sucked in a breath.

“Now close your eyes and think of the future you want Alice to see…you have control over that.”

 Mirabel closed her eyes and exhaled. It felt warm…almost surreal.

“Now…open your eyes.”

Her doe eyes opened, and the two women gasped in happiness.

Liquid pools of gold…. A treasury of golden topaz jewels was staring right back at them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alice was sitting in her room, trying and failing to see Mirabel.

There were no clues. No small blips. Everything was gone.

There was no future for her.

“Come on. Just give me something!” she hissed as she clenched her eyes shut.

“Come on. Just one thing.”

It lasted 3 minutes before she groaned and fell back into bed.

“Nothing?”

“Not a single thing! It’s like looking at a brick wall!” she whined.

Jasper wrapped her in a hug.

“We’ll find her. I promise. Now let’s go downstairs---”

Alice blinked.

“You should help Emmett and Edward. Carlisle and Esme are angry, and it isn’t enough to hold both of them back,” she said as the two zoomed down the stairs.

The door opened, and Edward came in, holding onto a raging Carlisle as Bella tried to carry in an equally enraged Esme.

“Let me go! He doesn’t deserve to live!” Carlisle growled out just as Jasper got there.

“What the hell happened??” Emmett said, he and Rosalie going to help hold the Cullen matriarch and patriarch down.

“We went to see Charlie at the station when they saw the Rojas family. Esme immediately cornered Julieta while Carlisle confronted Agustin,” Bella said as she kept her grip tight.

“Where is she? Where the hell is my daughter?!” he yelled into Agustin’s face.

“How would I know? She isn’t yours, so why would you care? ”

“you asshole! You always hated her and wished she were gone!” he said.

The blonde man turned to Julieta, who flinched. Esme was already being held back by Bella as she yelled at the woman.

“You should be ashamed! How can you call yourself a mother?! She’s only 15! She’s a baby!” Esme cried out.

The woman could only stand there. Torn and ashamed.

“How can you be a psychiatrist and pull illegal things like this? Trying to sedate her with a faulty prescription?!” Carlisle growled out.

“We thought it would help—” she tried to justify, but Carlisle cut her off.

“It almost killed her! You should have your license suspended!”

“She suffered because of you!” Esme said as Bella went to drag her to the door, the woman struggled against the grip, trying to escape.

Edward stood in front of his father.

“Carlisle—come on. Let’s go. Mirabel needs you clear headed and would hate for you to be angry,” he said, trying to calm him down.

Agustin scoffed.

“Please don’t tell me you actually love and care for her. That you validate her opinions and feelings. Mirabel is an attention-seeking, useless—”

“Carlisle—Carlisle no! Esme, get back here!”

“Carlisle ended up tackling him when he called Mirabel a useless waste of space, and I think Esme pulled out some of Julieta’s hair. Pretty sure he has a broken nose, and she has a bald spot,” Edward said as Carlisle tried to escape. He was tired of trying to be a parent to his own parents.

Jasper immediately used his gift to calm down the two, Esme’s body just completely falling to the ground, Rosalie and Bella following.

Carlisle was breathing harshly as he fell to his knees.

“I can’t—”

“We can’t keep waiting. We have to find her.”

“Edward, we have nothing. No clues—”

“Then we contact people! Look at Carlisle and Esme! They’re about to break!” he said, gesturing towards the two.

Paler than normal with eyes pitch black. They were grieving.

“We don’t even know if she’s alive,” he said, Esme’s head snapping up.

“Don’t you dare say that! She’s alive!”

“We can’t see her future!”

“She’s alive!” Esme cried out, Jasper having to calm her again as she sobbed dryly.

“She’s alive…she can’t be dead. I can’t lose her, too,” she said, Carlisle getting up to take his wife in his arms as she clung to him tightly.

Alice was about to speak when she stopped…

Swaying fields of sunflowers.

The sound of laughter filled her ears.

Caramel hair flying behind a girl dressed in a periwinkle dress as she ran through the stalks of yellow sunshine.

She turned and golden eyes smiled as brightly as her beautiful smile, the sun creating a halo of light around rich caramel.

Around her neck was a glint of silver…the Cullen crest…

She gasped loudly, catching everyone’s attention.

Jasper was by her side in an instant

“What happened?”

She was breathing heavily before her eyes lit up.

“I saw her…” she whispered, making everyone freeze.

“I saw her…I saw her!” she said, hugging her husband tightly as she squealed in excitement.

The questions came quickly. Asking about her…what she was doing…where she was at.

“She…she was running in a field of sunflowers…she…she’s healthier than before and—” she said as she gazed at her parents.

“What? Alice, what’s wrong with our baby girl?” Carlisle asked desperately.

She smiled, her eyes open doors to her emotions.

“She looks so much like Esme…like the two of you,” she said.

It made the matriarch and patriarch hold their breaths…the image of a young girl who looked just like them filling their minds—

“Oh my goodness—” Esme said as she covered her mouth.

“She was wearing the Cullen crest. She still wants to be a part of our family.”

Everyone seemed to drop and cheer in relief, Carlisle pulling his wife for a sweet kiss that she reciprocated.

She was ok.

“What does she look like? If you give me the details… I can bring it to life,” Esme said, pleading.

She and Alice ran to the small art space in Carlisle’s office, going to immediately sketch the vision of the girl Alice was giving her.

The light outline stood on the canvas, waiting to be given color as she sucked in a light breath. Looking at the notes Alice gave and the paints on the desk, she grabbed the iPod and played the next song that was on the playlist made just for her.

She sat there for hours, perfecting the painting in front of her with watercolor and acrylic.

She painted pools of gold and seas of blushes and shadows across her button nose. She filled in cheekbones and a sharp jawline that closely resembled Carlisle’s features.

She delicately traced every curve, painted every caramel-colored curl with delicate strokes from her head to dark eyelashes covering doe eyes that resembled her own.

A heart-shaped smile…bright and beautiful. A smile, Edward said, Mirabel got from her.

The periwinkle blue made her slightly tanned skin glow in the field of painted sunflowers, a bright sunny sky above her.

Her paintbrush dropped to the floor with a clatter, black paint covering the floor from the final touches she put on the Cullen crest.

Her hands covered her mouth in complete awe as she stared at the painting in front of her…

This was her baby. Healthy. Happy. Utterly beautiful.

Hands rested on her shoulders, a gasp being caught in his throat.

“Esme…”

“This is our baby girl, Carlisle. This is our Mirabel,” she whispered as his grip tightened softly before he dropped a kiss to her head, admiring the painting.

“She looks just like you...Esme, you have a twin,” he chuckled with emotion.

“I would do anything to have her with us,” Esme said, her paint-covered fingers reaching for the hand on her shoulder.

She looked up.

The entire family came in, Rosalie stopping at the sight of the picture.

“No way…”

“Did…did she literally transform?” Emmett asked, Edward shrugging as he admired the painting.

“No…she was meant to be here…I saw bits and pieces of them in her, but now something changed,” Bella said as she looked towards Esme.

Edward blinked.

“How were you able to see her? Why now?”

Alice shrugged.

“I don’t know. I was trying to find her before you came in…the last time I couldn’t see her future was…”

Her breath hitched.

“When? Alice?” Jasper asked.

“When she was going through withdrawal,” she said, the room filling with silence.

Carlisle thought long and hard about it before looking down at his wife, who caught on.

“Alprazolam.”

“What?” Emmett said confusedly.

“Alice, were you able to see her future when she was on the medicine?”

“Sometimes. It seems like she knows how to block people mentally,” Alice responded.

Edward looked at his parents and straightened, a light shining in his eyes.

“You’re saying—” he did, covering his mouth with a joy they hadn’t seen in a while.

“What?”

“What is it?”

Renesmee came running into the room, and out of breath, Jacob with her.

“Ness?”

She held up an envelope with Esme’s and Carlisle’s names on it.

“This came in the mail. It’s Mirabel’s handwriting,” she said, holding it out to Esme, who immediately took it and tore it open.

Carlisle was looking over her shoulder as they scanned the letter.

Esme held it to her chest, and she let out a cry of relief.

“What? Is she okay?!”

Carlisle took the letter as Esme turned in his embrace, arms wrapped around his torso as he held her close, her head tucked into his shoulder as she let the relief engulf her.

He swallowed unnecessarily.

“It’s been a while since I’ve written a letter. If I’m being honest, I don’t know exactly where to begin.

I first want to say I am no longer angry that you kept the truth from me. I understand why you did what you did and find no fault in that. I did the same with the medicine that harmed me more than it helped. Now that it’s clearer, I can see that despite our differences…I was always yours.

My actions have hurt you that night…I betrayed your trust not only by going through your pasts but also by becoming dependent on the medication you took from me to save my life. You have seen my worst moments and still looked at me with loving eyes, and that was how I repaid you?

I do not deserve your kindness or your love…But I am a lucky girl to have received it.

Daddy…I realized now how much I meant to you. I never had a father before…but it completely changed when I saw you that first day in the ER. You will always be my daddy, and no one will ever replace you. They can’t compare to you. I understand now…just how much it hurt you to see me rely on an addictive sedative…I’m sorry. I should have trusted you more as my father instead of a stranger.

Mama…I’m so sorry…I never meant to break you even more. I never meant to leave you the way I did. I tried to be strong but…I can’t pretend to be something I am not. I’m not like you…I still get scared of the dark…I get scared when I’m all alone. I used to believe my life was meaningless…but there isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t think of just how much brighter my heart had gotten when I was with you. I never got to tell you…but mama, you’re my hero and everything I want to be.

You both say I’m a gift that heaven gave you…But I’m the lucky one. There isn’t a day that I don’t miss you…You gave me your eyes and smile…your endless loving ways. I’ll always be your little girl…I promise.

I’m doing ok. I’m better…better than ever. I could only see and think of you and the others.

I’m running out of space…but this isn’t a goodbye. It’s a ‘see you soon.’ I have so many things to do before I go back home…I have so much to share…and one day I’ll be able to say it while looking into your eyes.

I love you.

~~Mira

Carlisle wrapped his wife in a hug as she leaned on his shoulder.

She was alive…

“She’s thinking clearly…” Rosalie said.

“What does that mean?” Emmett asked.

"She got help. She’s probably not on the medication,” Edward said in happiness.

“Does that mean that this transformation—” Rosalie tried to ask before she just pointed at the picture.

Everyone looked.

“You think the medicine suppressed it?”

“It’s a possibility. Compared to before with dark eyes and dark hair…now being off the Alprazolam means healing from her trauma—”

Esme’s mind was running a thousand miles…remembering what the Denali Women had told her…

Edward stood up straight.

“She was supposed to be yours.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“It makes sense,” Jasper said, his eyes widening.

“Think about it. Esme and Mirabel clicked instantly when they met. She felt safer with Esme. Carlisle’s protective instincts grew stronger around her. Even now, when we went to Denali. When we left Bella that one time, we were all doing ok, but with Mirabel…all of a sudden we feel like we can’t breathe, Esme and Carlisle can’t function properly,” Jasper said to the others.

“It’s like they were tethered to each other…They knew when she was in danger…they knew when she was scared…wherever she went, they followed, and vice versa,” Bella said as she unraveled her arms.

“Not to mention that when she’s free from everything, she has Grandma’s warmth and personality. She’s smart like grandpa, too, since she got into the pharmaceutical science program,” Renesmee said.

“Wait, she got in?” Carlisle asked, turning with Esme in his arms.

She got in. I don’t know where she’s going, though.”

“We have to find her,” Rosalie said.

“No.”

“What?!” everyone said, turning towards Esme.

“Esme this is your daughter we’re talking about….like your actually daughter if you can’t tell by the damn painting…sheesh she does look like you,” Emmett said, looking at the painting of his missing baby sister.

“Mirabel needs time to heal…and if that means being away wherever she is…then I’ll be ok. I have proof that she’s alive.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I don’t know how you got sick. We reminded you to take everything because of the weather,” Eleanor fussed, her hand against Mirabel’s cheeks.

It was the start of spring break, and she had gotten a random fever. She was in bed for the first two days, covered in blankets, writing whatever she heard from the whispers. It was a quiet voice…male… distant.

She couldn’t put it together, random letters written on a page instead of full words.

The door opened.

“Is Eleanor still fussing?” Alma said with a teasing smile.

Mirabel let out a laugh.

“She and Miss Elizabeth are having a field day.”

“You randomly collapsed with a fever!” Elizabeth exclaimed, Alma watching as the blanket was tucked further into the edges by an invisible force.

Alma chuckled.

“Any updates? Benni is trying to see what trip you need to take next,” she asked, brushing dark brown hair back to look into golden eyes.

Mirabel sighed.

“Just letters. I was able to categorize when I asked. Asking for a name gave me J and P. Location: A, W., cause of death: L and F. It’s all jumbled,” she said, taking the notebook and showing her the page that was organized in loopy writing.

“It’ll come in time. Don’t push yourself, ok?”

“It’s been three days—”

“You have two protective mother figures hovering over you.”

“I know. Miss Elizabeth and Miss Eleanor smacked the book out of my hands and told me to rest,” she deadpanned, making Alma chuckle.

"Thank the two of them for me. You’re too stubborn sometimes.”

“You got that right,” Eleanor said, the two of them watching Alma kiss Mirabel’s head before leaving.

“You should rest, darling,” Elizabeth said, taking the book and her favorite purple pen and placing them on the nightstand, not far from the girl.

“It’s killing me that I can’t figure this out,” she said as she was tucked further into the bed.

“We know. But it’ll come to you somehow. You have to be patient.”

Mirabel sighed.

“You act just like my mama. She used to tuck me in every night,” she said sleepily.

“It’s what mothers do, sweetheart. Now sleep. We’ll be around.”

Mirabel’s eyes closed as she sank further into her pillows and blankets. Her heart, she could hear it louder than before, began to slow down immensely.

Her skin paled…her lips turned a slight blue…her heart took its final beats before it stopped—

She ran through the pouring rain, a woman’s cry loud and clear from a home in the distance. Her hair was wet, her skin pale as she shivered, approaching the window.

Inside was her mother…human…a flush to her cheeks, sweat clinging to her skin as she held a bundle to her chest, wailing in anguish.

Her words were muffled…

“My son—”

The thunder made Mirabel flinch before she entered the home, watching the caramel-haired woman rock the child she had lost.

“Lung fever..” a voice whispered, a misty shadow turned the corner. Mirabel ran after it, running out of the home as the rain cleared and the sky began to change.

She pushed through the trees…hearing the sounds of whimpers…

Her mother stood at the edge of a cliff…clutching a cloth…

“Mom!” Mirabel yelled as she tried to reach her, her fingers just brushing her palm as she reached over the cliff, watching her mother hit the crashing waves.

“No…”

“Mirabel…”
She got up and saw the figure of a young male, dressed in a soft brown cardigan and beige slacks, a matching button-up underneath with a tie.

“I’m waiting for you in the port city, south shore of Lake Superior. Wisconsin is beautiful this time of year.”

“Who are you?”

“Joseph. Joseph Platt,” he smiled as he touched her face.

“It’s time to go back, Halo.”

“Wha---”

She launched up with a loud call of his name, her skin gaining color as her lips turned back to the rosy red they were. Her golden eyes glowed brightly in the dark room.

“Good heavens, little one! Your heart stopped! What were you thinking?!” Elizabeth said as she took her cheeks into her hands.

“You weren’t responding to our calls. We were terrified,” Eleanor said as she turned on the light.

Mirabel took in a gasping breath as she looked at the two women.

“What?”

“Wisconsin.”

“Wisconsin?” Eleanor asked.

Mirabel nodded, and she took her notebook and filled in the missing clues.

Name: Joseph Platt

Location: A…Wisconsin

Cause of death: lung fever (2 days old)

“What’s the name of a port city south shore of Lake Superior? Duluth?” she asked, trying to think before she grabbed her phone. Eleanor grabbed a map and spread it out on the bed, searching with her.

“Duluth is in Minnesota, so it has to be farther from there,” she said as Mirabel looked through names of cities that began with an A.

Arcadia, Arena, Argonne, Arlington, Ashland, Ashwa—wait a minute.

She looked at the list again, south shore…

“Ashland. We need to go to Ashland,” she said, getting up and tossing on a sweater.

“It’s 2:37 in the morning—” Elizabeth said, Mirabel running out to Benicio’s room. She opened the door, and the 18-year-old was still awake.

“Benni.”

“Holy shit you scared me,” he said turning on the light. He sat up. She was paler than normal, with red eyes.

“What happened?”

“We need to go to Ashland,” she said. He got up and grabbed two packed bags from the closet.

“Do you just randomly have packed bags in there?”

“Yes. Let’s get going,” he said.

“Benni, how are we—”

“I’m driving there,” he stated firmly as they walked down the stairs, Mirabel’s notebook clutched to her chest.

“You’re going to drive 16 hours to Ashland, Wisconsin?”

“Do you have the money to pay for flights?”

She stayed silent. He had a point.

“Ok. Fine.”

They reached the kitchen, where they heard a squeak. Dolores was blinking at them, a cup of milk in her hands.

“Uhhhh, we can explain?”
Please do.”

Mirabel sucked in a breath as she recounted everything that happened, leaving some parts out. Dolores’s eyes grew in sadness, hearing the tragic dream.

“So, I have to go to Ashland. He’s waiting for me.”
Dolores soaked it in and nodded, taking her keys from the bowl and tossing them.

“Take my car. It’s better for traveling. I’ll let abuela know. Now go before it starts to rain again,” she said, touching Mirabel’s head.

“Your temperature went down. I’m guessing it’s because you needed to figure it out.”

The two cousins hugged before Benicio and Mirabel ran out, tossing the bags into the back seat with Mirabel apologizing to the two spirits.

It was never silent on the drive, Benicio asking nonstop questions…some Mirabel couldn’t even answer because it wasn’t her story to tell.

What was she supposed to say?

‘Hey, my mother lost her son years ago and jumped off a cliff from the grief.’ That’s a mystery within itself.

“It is challenging to keep it a secret,” Eleanor said.

“It is. But I won’t betray them again,” Mirabel whispered.

Benicio just learned to sit and listen when Mirabel spoke to thin air sometimes. He was glad she was connecting with who she used to be…she was a gift in the making, and he was honored to help her.

The drive to Ashland was long, Mirabel having to drown herself in coffee to stop herself from falling asleep. Benicio had gotten scared when she closed her eyes and stopped breathing once more, the wheel jerking to the side as Eleanor guided them to a shoulder.

They took 4 breaks so far…all just to eat food and use the restroom, stopping to take pictures at the Canadian border. With 2 hours to go and the sun rising above them as they ventured closer to Wisconsin’s border, Mirabel could see the past playing out before her eyes, her pen moving with intensity.

Her mother, 26 years old, was running from an abusive marriage. Pregnant…hopeless. From Columbus to Milwaukee to Ashland, nonstop running and fatigue.

She only had him for 2 days—and she didn’t even get to see his eyes.

Tears dripped onto the page, an anger festering inside of her at the thought of that monster. Esme…her strong and beautiful mother…was stronger than Mirabel had ever been.

Her ending, much like Rosalie’s and Alice’s, was tragic, and it made Mirabel angry. No one hurts her sisters or mother. NO ONE.

“Uhhh, maybe tone it down? You’re making the car swerve,” Benni said, trying to hold the wheel.

Mirabel gasped and immediately blanked out her mind.

“Sorry.”

“It’s ok. That’s what happens when you have a gift as complex as yours,” he said with a smile before she huffed happily.

“Well, Little Mae…welcome to Wisconsin.”

The anticipation killed her as they approached the city. Her mind was going everywhere before she saw a spark.

“Go that way,” she said, pointing to the left.

“He’s guiding you,” Eleanor said as they turned on the highway, the sun rising just a bit higher.

She was fidgeting as the scene played before her eyes again, shaking her head to get rid of the pain. Her eyes were burning brightly, shifting between gold and black.

"Take a breath! This is a lot of pain for you!” Elizabeth said, noticing the sweat accumulating on the girl’s neck.

“It won’t stop,” she said.

“Think of your mother and how she holds you. Think of your father. Don’t think of the past or you will be lost to it,” Eleanor said urgently. Mirabel took gasping breaths as she clenched her stomach, which tossed and turned, almost making her vomit.

She closed her eyes and tried to remember…

The sound of laughter. Her feet hit the soft grass of the meadow they were in. She was running…footsteps behind her before she was swept up into strong arms that spun her around.

“Dad!”

“gotcha, little one!” he laughed as he just tossed her over his shoulder and marched right back to the blanket where Esme sat with a book. With gentle movements, he placed the girl into the woman’s waiting arms, cradling her as if she were a newborn baby about to fall asleep.

“Mama!” she laughed when she tickled her, the girl squirming to get away.

Kisses were pressed everywhere on her face, whispered “I love you’s” being carried to her ears by the wind.

“Mirabel…open your eyes. You’re almost there—”

Her eyes snapped open as they approached the ocean.

“Let me out. Let me out!” she said, the car moving into the shoulder as she snapped the seatbelt off and jumped out of the car, running through the trees. She heard her name being called, but right now, all she could feel was the pull.

She came to a stop when she saw it…the very cliff that almost claimed her mother’s life.

She swallowed and approached with gentle steps, the sun creating a halo around curly tresses that began to lighten from dark brown to rich caramel.

She looked over the edge, her eyes looking up at the morning sky, sighing in relief as she sank to her knees. Her mother was alive (in a sense) and waiting for her with her father.

“You don’t have to hurt anymore. Not while I’m here,” she said softly as she smiled.

She heard a rustle and a loud sigh.

“Finally! I waited 104 years for you! What took you so long?!” the deep soothing voice said. It reminded her of Emmett.

She turned and saw the young man stalking up to her with faux anger in his eyes.

He had wavy light brown hair with warm almond-shaped brown eyes. He had a kind smile just like Esme’s, with dimpled cheeks. He was tall, around Edward’s height, with a light build but relaxed posture.

“Technically, you only waited 16 of those years.”

“I said what I said. 104. I knew you would be born with a purpose, so I say it’s 104,” he said with a bright smile. His hands moved to cup her face, looking over her features.

“well, I’ll be damned. You look so much like mom,” he whispered, taking in doe golden eyes and rich caramel curls that cascaded in ringlets down her back.

“I have waited so long to see my baby sister. I’m glad you’re alive.”
“Welcome home, big brother,” she said as he moved to embrace her tightly, his hand in her hair to hold her close to his chest since she was so short.

She didn’t mind. He made her feel safe.

“I’ll protect you, Halo.”

“I know you will, Haze.”

Chapter Text

Esme stood in the shower, her head leaning on the marble tile that decorated the walls as the water fell over her hair. The hunt had been muddy to say…she wasn’t focused.

She didn’t know what to do with what she was given.

5 months without her daughter. Her little ray of sunshine…her little angel.

The letter that was sent a month ago was the only thing she had of her. The only thing that helped her stay sane. The only things that kept her hoping.

Mirabel was alive. She was ok.

She was doing big things...but a selfish part of Esme wanted to keep Mirabel right where she belongs…in their home, settled in Esme’s embrace, her head resting on the older woman’s chest where she fit perfectly.

She missed her 16^th birthday…missed her sweet smile and wide eyes that looked at her as if she hung the stars.

She dragged her hands through her hair to get rid of the excess water before she stepped out, wrapping herself in her blue robe and her hair in the towel.

She picked out her dress for the day, a simple cream dress to go underneath the lavender cardigan that belonged to Mirabel. Her scent clung onto the material, slowly transferring itself to Esme’s skin when she wore it, the two scents mixing.

Vanilla and strawberries…Lilac and sugar… it calmed her down.

She drew the cardigan over her shoulders and removed the towel from her head, gently drying her hair absentmindedly like a routine she had memorized for years.

The door opened.

“Carlisle, honey, can you pass me the clip on the dresser, please?” she said as she shook her hair out.

She didn’t hear the footsteps. Didn’t hear the sound of the clip opening or closing.

She turned. He stood there frozen, his eyes fixated on something she couldn’t see.

“Carlisle? What’s wrong?” she asked, dropping the towel and grabbing his face. She checked his eyes, his skin…anything that might make him freeze on the spot.

“Is it something in the room?” she asked, looking around to find exactly what he was looking at. When she turned back around, she realized he had been looking at her the entire time.

“Is there something on my face?” she asked, his hand reaching out slowly.

“Your hair?”

“My hair?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. What was wrong with her hair?

His fingers caressed the hair before his hand moved through it, pulling a sigh out of her.

“It’s like the first day I saw you,” he whispered. Her eyes widened before she turned to look in the standing mirror. Sure enough, her once dark brown hair was now a caramel color with golden highlights.

She stepped back into his chest in shock…how did she not notice?
He nuzzled her neck.

“Now, you and our little one look like twins,” he said against the skin of her neck, pressing a kiss there.

Before she could say something, Edward came running in, holding the threshold.

“Nice hair—wait what?!” she said, caught off guard by the color of her hair. He hadn’t seen that color in years.

“You know what—it can wait. Alice had a vision, and it is not a good one,” he said, making them dash out of the room in panic.

Alice was shaking in her chair, trying to understand what the hell had just happened. Bella and Rosalie were beside her, Renesmee hugging her from behind to calm her down.

“What happened?”

“We were playing chess when she froze…she started hyperventilating.”

Carlisle knelt in front of Alice, grabbing her hands in his.

“Alice. Alice, sweetheart, what did you see?” he asked. She was still trembling.

“a car—speeding. Mirabel was crossing the street…she gets hit before it crashes into a stoplight. I—I heard voices…people talking to her, and it’s busy…” she said, pulling her arms towards her as she wraps them around her waist.

“I hear someone calling for her…but it’s too faint. She’s crying…She’s scared and calling for you and Esme and she...” she whispered, a dry sob coming from her mouth.

Esme stood there frozen. No…no, that can’t be her future.

“No…No, that can’t—”

“I don’t want it to be true…but it’s dark…nighttime,” Alice said.

“We need to contact her,” as she grabbed her phone, trying to contact her baby sister.

Alice was looking at the clock, It was 6:20 pm.

“Alice, what do we do?” Carlisle asked desperately

“I don’t know. I can’t—I can’t see anything else—”

Her body was quivering as Bella tried to calm her down. It

It couldn’t have been more than 5 minutes when Carlisle’s phone rang. An unknown number is on the screen as it buzzes on the table. They don’t answer. They just stare. No one ever calls him.

“Carlisle?” Esme said softly, her gut telling her something.

He goes to reach it, Edward stops him.

“Wait. If they send a voicemail…then it means someone expected an answer.”

Suddenly, his phone pinged, a voicemail being transcribed immediately. He grabs the phone, and his finger hovers over the message. He sucks in a breath and taps it, putting it on speaker.

“You have one new message. New message:”

They hear breathing, soft and gentle, against the receiver.

“Daddy…” the voice sobbed.

Carlisle and Esme immediately lunged for the phone.

“I—there was an accident and—I almost got hit crossing the street, and I started panicking…I just needed to hear you.”

Rosalie immediately started researching accidents in Washington, trying to find one that correlated.

“I miss you and mommy, but I’m not ready yet. I love you. I always will. Remember that.”

“You stopped him from taking the call when we could have caught a clue?!” Rosalie yelled at Edward as she searched through everything.

“Esme had a feeling it was something important. They both did…you little—"

“Wait, Alice, you said night…that happened immediately,” Bella said.

“It was dark where she was…like it was already night.”

Carlisle tried calling back, but no one picked up.

“She used a payphone…” he said.

“No accidents in Washington,” Rosalie said, Bella thinking.

“Play back the message.”

Carlisle did just that, putting it on the loudest volume there is.

Bella closed her eyes, her face scrunching.

“Bella?”

“Too many people. It sounds busy both foot and vehicle-wise,” she said.

Esme took the phone and held it to her ear.

There was foot traffic, yes. People talking.

But there was a low buzz…a hum.

“Welcome to Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport. Please have all necessary items--”

Esme’s eyes shot open.

“What is it?”

“Rochester. She’s in Rochester,” she said frantically.

Renesmee was calling Dolores and Alma. Waiting for a response.

“ness?”

“Both aren’t picking up. Straight to the voicemail.”

Carlisle used his phone to call Alma.

“Come on. Please pick up,” he said, running his hand through his hair.

“The number you dialed—”

“damn it.”

“Carlisle,” Esme called Out, her voice soft but her hands trembling. He immediately reached out and took her into his arms, pressing a kiss to her head as she held onto his torso tightly.

“Why aren’t they responding?” Renesmee asked, tears in her eyes. She missed her best friend…she needed her.

Jacob came up with a thick, large envelope.

“Hello—”

“fuck off Jacob,” Rosalie said.

He just flipped her off.

“Esme, this was on the front bench. It’s addressed to you,” he said, giving her the white envelope.

She looked at it confusedly before looking at the sender's address.

She ripped it open frantically

“Who is it from?”

“Alma,” she said, taking out the entire thing, finding the handwritten letter first.

“What does it say?”

“Dearest Esme and Carlisle,

You’re probably wondering why I am sending this. Many things have happened that have led to this point.  Mirabel came home on the night of December 21^st and stayed with Dolores and me for the school year.

Carlisle, as her father and doctor, I am sending you her therapy and medical reports from her stay in Rochester. It is all up to date and as detailed as possible for you. She also had me send you her journal to show you how much she has progressed from January to now.

I know how education is important to both of you, and I’m proud to say that Mirabel graduated at the top of her class and even got a dance scholarship.

Esme…Mirabel knows you are taking this the hardest. When she was ready, she spoke of what happened that night. She regrets hurting you and often wakes up sobbing, calling for you specifically. She knows now just how much she needs you. So, she decided to send you this packet of things you missed this year.

I am also informing you that she is going out of the country…where I do not know, but she will give you a clue. She’s ready. You just have to be ready for what she has in store for you.”

She went to put the letter down and looked through the papers in front of another sealed envelope.

“Her medical reports,” she said, giving them to Carlisle. He immediately went through it, checking everything.

“She went through medical detox. She’s on a long-term plan,” he said with a proud tone in his voice, looking at the notebook that had progressed immensely.

“That’s why we saw her future because her mind is better,” Alice said with a squeal.

Renesmee picked something up.

“Is this a flash drive?”

“Yeah, it is,” Bella said, taking it and giving it to Carlisle, who examined it.

Esme opened the white envelope and pulled out the contents, her legs giving up on her as she fell onto the couch, her mouth permanently etched into a gasp.

“My love?”

“Carlisle, look at her. Look at our baby girl,” she said, giving him the item.

It was a photo…recent. He felt an unnecessary breath catch in his throat as he sank next to her. She looked exactly like the painting Esme hung up in his office, dressed in her cap and gown.

“She’s so beautiful,” he said, wrapping his arms around Esme as they smiled at each other widely.

“Umm—hello. Your children would like to see their baby sister as well?” Emmett said, making everyone laugh as he gave them the photo.

Esme went through all of them, her eyes landing on the last 4 that caught her attention the most. They were professionally taken. Her caramel hair bright, her golden eyes standing out in the bright lighting, caught mid-dance pose.

“She looks like a performer?” she said, confused, Renesmee plucking the picture from her hand. She squealed as she looked at the photo before taking the flash drive from Carlisle.

“Renesmee Carlie Cullen!”
She didn’t care, going to the TV screen that Emmett hoards to play video games.

She connected her computer to the TV and inserted the flash drive.

“Ness?” Jacob asked.

She opened the multiple video files and pressed on one.

 The video opened up, and 13 people came on.

“Stars apart, constellation together. We are Or13n!” they also said, fingers pointed up before they put their hands over their heart and bowed all together.

“Hello, Everyone, and thank you for allowing us to compete. My name is Aadan, the leader of the group and vocal units,” he said with a smile before giving it to another young male.

“Oh, he’s cute,” Alice said, intrigued.

“Hello. I’m Jun and I am the leader of the Rap units and main rapper of the group,” he said before turning to the side…

“Where did she go?”

They were looking around for someone before Jun made a sound of amusement.

“Oh! There you are, 자기. You’re so small—OW!”

It made everyone on the screen laugh before the camera panned down, Esme and Carlisle standing up.

“Hi everyone, I’m Mae, and I am the leader of the dance unit,” she said, her eyes sparkling.

“She’s also the main dancer for both groups,” another person coughed before laughing when she glared at them.

“We are so happy to share this moment with you before we go on our European adventures. Until we come back, we’ll see you in the stars,” Mirabel said before they all bowed and waved goodbye, the screen cutting out.

“Europe—Europe!” Edward said, looking up at his phone for the group.

The screen turned back on.

“Learn the alphabet with Mae?” Jasper said, confusedly.

“I don’t know, but this is going to get unhinged,” Jacob said, grabbing a bag of popcorn and giving some to Renesmee.

It looked recent,” Rosalie said, noting the girl’s caramel hair and golden eyes in multiple videos.

“A is for: ‘always assuming I know shit. The fuck,” Mirabel said in the video, wiping down her white board.

That made Jacob choke on a laugh, Bella hitting his shoulder.

“B is for: baby energy,” she said, her hair in pigtails before a performance.

“She is so baby girl coded,” Renesmee said.

“What does that even mean?”
“C is for: Carlisle Cullen’s princess,” she answered cheekily, making Carlisle straighten. Did she always introduce herself that way? Because he loved it.

“Look at Carlisle being an excited dad.”

“Shut up.”

“D is for: Don’t touch my shit! I’ll beat the fuck out of you! That’s not a threat, it’s a promise!” the voice yelled, making Rosalie choke.

“She got that from me.”

“We know.”

“E is for: Esme created Mae. My mom created me, so I take her name,” she said when asked why her name was Mae, as she painted on the ground.

Esme jolted. “Mae…her stage name is after me?” she asked, her eyes filled with something everyone knew.

“Of course she’s named after her mother,” Jasper said with a wink.

“damn she straight up said you created her,” Jacob said.

“Her and Carlisle—”

“Don’t finish that sentence.”

“F is for: Forks is fucking raining everyday!” Mirabel exclaimed in a Q&A with her leader.

“Hey, she got a double F in that,” Emmett snickered, giving Jacob a high five.

“I mean, is she wrong?’

“G is for: Golden eyes from my mom and dad. No they’re not contacts, Matteo, fuck off!” she said on a live stream video, at what seemed to be a campfire. Her eyes seemed to glow.

“She got them from mostly Esme,” Alice commented.

“Hey!” Carlisle exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest as Esme giggled, wrapping him in a hug.

“It’s a fact?!”

Butt she got the ability to love from both of them,” Jasper said.

“H is for: How the fuck did you manage to break my bed?!”

“Wait, what the hell? How strong are those kids?!” Edward said, looking at the broken bed.

“Technically, they aren’t kids. Well, Mirabel is. She’s the youngest of the entire group. So the range is like 16-22,” Renesmee answered, getting more popcorn from Jacob.

“I is for: I don’t steal, I collect. Zara’s hair clip? Mine. Benni’s bracelet? Also Mine. The sweater I collected from my dad and my mom’s favorite cardigan? Guess what? It’s mine,” she said, showing the room of the things, Carlisle’s sweater around her.

“I’ve been looking for that sweater!” Carlisle exclaimed in shock.

Esme pursed her lips.

She saw Mirabel do that when they were in Rochester, so she’s not in the slightest bit surprised when Carlisle tried finding the sweater after the trip, and it went missing.

“J is for: JASPER AND ALICE!” she said happily, looking at a pair of cacti stuck together as if they were cuddling.

Emmett snorted, Edward patting Jasper on the back.

“At least we got a mention!”

“K is for: I’m kryptonite,” she said, walking the boardwalk with one of the male dancers who was skipping.

“She’s not wrong,” Edward said, the mood falling a bit.

“Damn you are right.”

“L is for: Lee Junseo! You motherfucker!” the girl said on three separate occasions in three different videos, yelling at the same young man.

“does he enjoy pissing her off?” Jasper asked.

“He likes her,” Renesmee answered, everyone snapping towards her.

“What?!”

"She’s too young to like people!”

“he has to go through me first!”

“My daughter isn’t dating anyone while I’m alive!” Carlisle said, his arms crossed and his face determined. If he had to keep Mirabel in the house, he would do it with no hesitation.

“M is for: Mirabel Mae Cullen,” she said in an interview. That made all of the Cullens stand up straight.

“And she claimed us.”

“While wearing the necklace!”

“So, should we put in the adoption papers?”

“I started them last year,” Esme said, pushing hair behind her ear.

“N is for: No one gives a fuck,” Mirabel said.

Carlisle sighed.

“Who taught her that language?”

“She’s 16, let her experiment!”

“She’s also a young lady,” Rosalie commented.

“We already established that she’s a baby and not a lady,” Edward said.

“O is for: Out of the sea, wish I could be…Part of your world,” Mirabel sang for one of the word associations. She hit a riff, and Edward physically shuddered.

“Ooo, that gave me chills.”
“She did that perfectly!” Jasper said as he clapped with Rosalie.

“P is for: Promiscuous boy, you already know that I'm all yours, what' you waiting for?” the girl sang on a stage, as she and another boy, Jun, danced.

“Woah woah woah! Keep the hands off!” Carlisle yelled when he saw Jun’s hand on Mirabel’s waist.

“He said his name is Jun? I need to talk to him,” Emmett said as he cracked his knuckles.

“Boys, calm down—”
“Hell no. He better count his days,” Rosalie said, Alice facepalming.

“Q is for: Questioning the bane of my existence. Don’t know if I want to throw a party or yeet myself off the bridge,” Mirabel said as she stared at the ceiling with a dead look in her eyes.

“Oh my gosh, she’s brooding like Edward.”
“I’m proud. That means we're siblings.”
“That’s not a good thing to have in common, stupid.”

“R is for: Rosalie’s baby sweet pea. But I hate peas,” she said, whispering the last part as she stared at the bowl of veggies in front of her.

That made Jasper crack up. Rosalie couldn’t stop laughing either.

“She’s still my sweet pea.”
“Weird ass nickname.”
“Fuck off—”
“Children,” Esme called out exasperatedly.

“S is for: I'm a sexy mama Who knows just how to get what I wanna—”
“OOW!” Alice catcalled.

“Someone call the dance leader because what the fuck!”
“Edward—”
“No, I agree, she’s revealing too much skin!”
“She’s wearing pants and a cropped tank top—”
“She’s forbidden from wearing it!”

“T is for: Trauma, cause I have a lot of it,” Mirabel said nonchalantly, making Esme facepalm.

“Come on, baby.”
“That’s going to be a running joke now.”
“Yup.”

“U is for: Ugly ass bird—DID YOU JUST SHIT ON ME?!”

Renesmee choked on her popcorn as she laughed, falling onto the floor. Bella also couldn’t keep in her laughter.

“I don’t think Renesmee can breathe.”
“Jacob either.”
“fuck Jacob.”

“V is for: vete a la mierda con esas cosas! BENICIO!” Mirabel yelled as the boy brought a banana with googly eyes to her, making her run away, the camera attached to her bouncing wildly as she yelled.

“We raised a menace,” Jasper said.

“I know what I’m doing now—”
“Don’t even think about it, young man,” Esme warned.

“W is for: Woke up feelin’ like, like Fuck up the world, fuck up the world!” Mirabel sang on a stage in a corset top and black hot pants, red thigh-high boots on her feet. Her makeup was bold, her caramel hair straightened and in big curls.

“Her dancing is so good!” Alice said.

“Look at her facial expressions,” Jacob said.

Carlisle was turned around.

“Carlise, you good?—”
“He’s brooding because his baby girl is a star.”

“X is for: Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis,” she randomly said, walking down the hall, her curls swishing behind her.

“Ok she is definitely carlisle’s girl because what the fuck?” Emmett said, poking the man. He had a small hidden smile on his face before Emmett poked him again I a teasing manner.

“Fine—” he relented, a big smile on his face.

“Y is for: Yellow!” she said in the cutest voice ever as she shook the lightsick in front of her.

Jasper got up and walked away.

“Dude, you good?”
“I can’t deal with cuteness overload,” he said, Alice dragging him back.

“She is the cutest,” Esme said with a smile.

“Z is for: *sleep noises*” The video showed Mirabel asleep in multiple places: a random table, on her bed, in the bus, etc.

It made Esme’s mood dampen.

She missed watching her baby sleep…but she missed being able to sleep with her in her arms…it was like their little tradition now.

Hopefully Mirabel still likes to cuddle…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“We have arrived!” Sael sang; his arm wrapped around Eunji as the 13 of them entered the shared Airbnb. Mirabel and Benni were talking when Aadan stopped and sat her down.

“Ok. Now that we’re here…Are you ok?” he asked, kneeling to look her in the eye.

She knew he wasn’t talking about the accident.

“I wasn’t…But I am now. Don’t worry.”
“Hey, we have your back. No matter what.”
“I know. I’m glad you guys didn’t judge me for leaving unexpectedly,” she said softly. Zara sat by her.

"We’re just glad you’re alive. We need you.”

Jun nodded. “She’s right.”

“You’re only agreeing because you like her,” Kaipo said exasperatedly, Jun shrugging.

“Can’t deny that.”

Eunji and Himari sat on the couch with Mirabel and Zara.

“How about we all go out? I think we all need a break.”

They got ready, Benicio linking their arms together before they all walked into the city. Red filled her vision as double-decker buses passed by, the gloomy weather giving her some comfort.

They stopped by shops and ate at cafés, but Mirabel’s body was reacting. She was tense the entire time, the hair on her neck rising each second. Her head pounded. Her eyes blurred. Her mouth grew dry.

“Drink this,” Jun said, giving her a water bottle. She was sitting down, trying to suck in breathes as the rest of the team turned a corner ahead, laughter bouncing off brick walls.

“Thank you,” she said after she drank a bit, rotating her neck.

"Are you ok? Do I need to take you back?” he said, kneeling in front of her, concern in his eyes.

“I’m fine.”

“I can carry you—”

“What are you, my boyfriend now?” she said as she drank more water.

“I’m just worried about you.”

“Jun, I’m…Fine,” she said, watching a streetlamp flicker before a wispy shadow moved down and into an alley. She got up and followed it.

“What—Mirabel, where are you going?” Jun asked, following her as she entered the alley. Mirabel wasn’t listening, there was a burning in her chest, a pressure in her eyes, the further she got.

Her boots were quiet against the stone as she dragged her fingers along the stone walls. She heard whispers.

Witch!

Get rid of all of them!
I was wrong! Let me go!

Monster!

She made it into an open space, looking around the place. Jun stopped behind her, watching her move to kneel on the ground.

“Mirabel—we should—”

“This is where it happened,” she whispered before placing her hand on the ground.

When her fingers hit the stone, she was immediately thrust into another version of London…covered in smoke and red ashes.

Her golden eyes looked around before she saw a man burn another person with the flame of his torch, the screams haunting. His face was hard…brown hair greying and dark. His eyes carried no remorse. Behind him…a young blonde male with beautiful blue eyes filled with horror…

She opened her eyes again…tears falling from her eyes and onto the ground.

“Dad…” she whispered into the air.

He was so young…under the watch of a hateful father.

“Mirabel, we should go,” Jun said as he picked her up. She turned to him.

“There’s something I have to do. Go back to the others and tell them I’ll be home.”

“Excuse me? I’m not leaving you alone!”
“Jun—” she groaned. He looked torn. He couldn’t leave her alone.

“Please? I have to do this,” she whispered, taking her hands in his. He looked down at them and groaned.

“I hate when you do that to me.”

“It’s an advantage,” she replied. He sighed deeply before nodding, bringing up her hands to kiss her knuckles.
“I’ll wait for you at the shop.”

“Ok,” she said, watching him walk off. Once the footsteps faded, she turned to the corner where a woman was standing. Her blonde waves rested in a pulled-back half ponytail, big blue eyes staring with curiosity. She wore a pink corseted gown that fit her peachy skin.

“Your friend must like you very much.”
“Too much,” Mirabel responded.

“He’s loyal to you.”
“I sometimes wish he wasn’t,” Mirabel said, the woman looking around her.

“You’re the 4^th…But I don’t know who you are,” Mirabel said. The woman smiled. She knew that smile…She saw it on her father’s face every single time he looked at her.

“Well, you happen to know my son very well…the man that wants to give you the world,” she replied. Mirabel felt her heart stop.

“You’re—”
“Catherine Cullen. Carlisle’s mother. I remember seeing my son years ago with his wife…she gave you your beauty, didn’t she? I never thought I would see the day when I could meet my granddaughter,” she smiled again, taking her face into her hands.

Mirabel’s tears streamed down again.

“You’re my grandmother,” she whispered.

“I am…and you’re far away from home.”
“It’s a long story.”

“I’m willing to listen.”

“Well…hopefully Miss Elizabeth and Miss Eleanor can fill you in. Joseph will just play around as usual and not get to the point,” she said, flinching when she felt a sting on her back.

“I know you did not just hit me,” she said, looking towards the side where Joseph was standing, smirking.

“You bet I did, baby sis.”
“Unbelievable,” she said. It made Catherine chuckle.

“I see this is going to get interesting.”

“It is,” she said before turning around. She made it two steps away when her back hit the stone wall, a hand around her neck. She couldn’t breathe.

“It’s very foolish to be alone in a place like this, darling,” an accented voice said. She clawed at the hand, the sight of red eyes scaring her witless.

“Don’t worry, this will be painless,” he said, his red pupils raking down her neck before finding the silver chain. His eyes widened, and he immediately let go of her, the girl gasping for breath as he stepped further away.

“You carry the Cullen crest,” he said. She coughed a bit.

“I do.”

“Why? How do you know the Cullens?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.

Mirabel got up, Joseph standing in front of her as he glared at the man who couldn’t see him.

“Gosh I want to kick his arse.”

“Carlisle is my father,” she said. He scoffed before noting the seriousness in the air. He got a good look at the girl, noticing he caramel hair and doe golden eyes that resembled the Cullen matriarch…why did she look so much like Esme Cullen?

She had a sharp jawline and high cheekbones…Her eyes…childlike, but they carried a deep and reflective gaze in them…that was purely Carlisle.

“well, I’ll be damned. You are saintly Cullen’s daughter…but you’re human,” he said in both awe and confusion. How was it possible?

“Yeah, I don’t even know how it’s possible, but I’m just rolling with it,” she said.

“A little too well.”

“Shut Joseph,” she hissed to the side, his eyes narrowing.

“There is no one there.”
“he’s there, being a pain in my ass,” she said as Jospeh smirked at her.

“Who exactly are you?”
“I can ask the same of you, especially since you almost drained my blood just a few minutes ago,” Mirabel said with a raise of her eyebrow, arms crossing.

“Don’t do that.”

“I’m not doing anything.”

“You’re doing that eyebrow thing Carlisle does and it’s creepy,” he said. She just rolled her eyes.

“You’re a sassy lady. I wonder how Carlisle dealt with you,” he said, leaning on the wall.

“With compassion and grace,” she said, shrugging.

“The name’s Alistair. Who might you be, young Cullen?” he said, dipping into a bow and extending his hand. She took it with a smile that belonged to Esme.

“Mirabel. I see you know my parents,” she said, shaking his hand before he stood up straight.

“I knew Carlisle when he was a newborn vampire. Very lonely fellow before he left London. I see his family continues to grow and branch out internationally,” he said, referring to her name.

“Well, he isn’t the only international one in the family now, is he?”

“You’re witty. I like that, but you’re far away from your parents. Do they know you’re here?”

“No. They don’t…but I’m going back home after this trip,” she said, moving her hair. He analyzed her. The golden gaze. The wispy light that seemed to move under her skin.

“You’re not exactly human, are you?”
“Not at all,” she said with a scrunch of her nose. It made him crack a smile.

"Well, young lady, I will let you go.”

“Thank you, kind sir. I hope to see you again one day,” she said as he stepped to the side. He gently stopped her.

“Be careful out there. It’s a dangerous world out here.”
She smirked, and it made him step back when her eyes turned black for a bit.

“What’s life without a little danger?” she said before walking down the alley, skipping into Jun.

“You done?”

“Yup. And I’m hungry. I want fish and chips.”

“You’re the only person who can randomly change the subject,” Joseph said as he draped his arms over her, his chin perched on hers. When Jun wasn’t looking, she elbowed Joseph, making him double over since he could feel her touch.

“Not cool, Halo.”

“Deal with it, Haze.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carlisle was sitting in his home office, staring at the photo of his daughter smiling in the cutest outfit he had ever seen her wear, her eyes bright as she posed in front of a snowy backdrop.

It was his favorite photo, and he immediately took it before Esme hung it up on the wall.

He gently brought it to his eyes and imagined himself and Esme there with her. It could have been them…had they taken her to Denali that day.

He put it back down and fell back into his chair, covering his eyes with his hands as he let out a breath.

He felt defeated.

He heard the sound of footsteps and looked up, his eyebrows rising when he saw nothing. More footsteps…a childish giggle.

He got up and looked around. He knew that giggle.

Suddenly, the footsteps started running before something hit the front of his legs.

 He stumbled backward before regaining his step. He looked down and felt the world stop…because looking up at him from around his legs with the most adorable eyes and smile ever…was a much younger version of his 16-year-old daughter.

Her curly caramel hair was in pigtails, a dusting of freckles across her cheeks as she smiled up at him…pure love and adoration in her gaze.

“Mirabel?” he asked softly, a pressure building in his body as he heard her giggle wildly before she reached up with grabby hands.

“Hi, daddy.”

He felt like his still heart skipped a beat as he immediately complied, lifting her into his arms. Holding her close as she cuddled into his neck, she pulled back, and gold stared into gold as her small hands grabbed his face.

Her smile was beautiful as she nuzzled her tiny button nose against his.

He couldn’t help but press a huge kiss to her cheek as she squealed.

“Don’t you look just like your mama,” he said, his lips pressed against her temple as he swayed. She just cuddled up to him.

“I love you, daddy.”

“I love you, princess.”

He held her a little longer…not wanting to let go as she fell asleep against his neck…her breath light…

His eyes opened when the morning sun hit his face from the window. He looked around…he was still in his chair. Was it all a dream?

He moved to get up when he felt something in his hand…a ribbon. The same one she wore in his memory. He held it up to his cheek, just relishing in the strawberry and sugar scent that clung to it.

Downstairs, Esme was rearranging the cabinets. She tried to keep busy so as not to let anything get to her. Their older children were out doing who knows what, and Renesmee was with Jacob.

She let out a sigh as her head fell against the closed cabinet door.

“Can this get any more depressing?” she said as she closed it before heading to the garden. Maybe that will help her.

She picked up her gloves and moved to the roses. She hoped they had started growing again after the harsh weather.

She gently got to her knees and began her human pace of pulling out the weeds slowly, dirt getting on her cheek when she would wipe at her cheek. Something kept poking at her.

She groaned.

“Seriously. I’m not even human,” she said as she tried to find the source of what was poking at her. She just heard a giggle.

She paused and sat back. Her caramel hair was shining in the morning sun as her golden eyes flitted around the area. Was she hearing things?

She blinked. She heard it again…this time a squeal of excitement.

She got up, following where the source was coming from, the carnation rows near the wall of the house.

She squinted, hearing the continuous giggles. She looked between the rows where the noise was coming from, and she faltered, her hand coming up to her mouth.

"You found me, mommy!” the little voice squealed as she jumped, her blue overall dress flurrying around her as her curls bounced.

Esme fell to her knees, and the younger version of Mirabel ran straight into her open arms. Esme held her tightly as she cradled her baby’s head to her neck, the girl nuzzling her. She sank against the wall of the home, Mirabel firmly tucked against her.

Her arms tightened as she inhaled the sweet scent of strawberries and sugar.

“I miss you, mommy,” the little voice whispered against Esme’s neck.

Esme tucked her closer. “I miss you more, baby.”

She pressed a sweet, gentle kiss to the girl’s head as Mirabel sat up and held onto Esme’s face.
Esme swallowed unnecessarily. “You’re not real, are you?”

Mirabel shook her head. “I’ll be back soon. Right here where I belong,” she said, nuzzling her nose against Esme’s, the woman savoring the contact.

“Come back quickly. Promise?”

“Promise!” Mirabel giggled before she flopped into the woman’s arms again.
“I love you, mommy.”

“I love you too, baby.”

Esme opened her eyes, looking down at where she was sitting. There was a stem in her lap…one large blooming carnation with a smaller one barely blooming right beside it.

She smiled as she held it up to her nose to smell it.

She got up and walked into the house, where Carlisle was walking downstairs, ribbon in his hand.

Immediately, they walked towards each other, her arms going around his neck and his going around her waist as they shared a kiss. His hands come up to caress her face gently, bringing her back when she pulls away.

“She’ll be back. I know it,” she whispered as he held his wife closer to him. They stood in silence for a bit longer before his phone rang.

“Pick it up. What if it’s her?” Esme said urgently, and he complied, his thoughts racing as he picked it up without hesitation.

“Little one? Is it you?”

“Last I checked, I’m older by 3 centuries,” the voice said. Carlisle let out a frustrated sigh.

“Nice to hear from you, Alistair.”

“Alistair?” Esme said, confused.

“I know. It feels weird calling you.”

“You learned how to finally use a phone?” Carlisle joked, and  Esme stifled her laugh.

The man growled.

“Don’t test me, Cullen.”

“It’s just funny that you finally stepped out of the attic and into the modern world.”

“You know what…I’m hanging up. I was going to be so kind as to tell you about the golden eyed girl I saw in London but since you’re pissing me off—”

That made Esme scramble.

“No, no, please! Tell us!” she said urgently into the phone that was on speaker.

They heard the man sigh.

“You truly are a mother.”

“You saw her? You saw our girl?” Carlisle asked. Alistair grunted in agreement.

“Yes. Almost killed her if I didn’t see the Cullen crest.”

“WHAT?!” Esme and Carlisle exclaimed.

“She’s fine now. I’m watching her leave…”

“Where is she going?” Carlisle asked, full of worry.

“I’m not sure…she’s a supernatural one. Did you know that she has your habits on your wife’s face? It’s creepy.”

“We’ve been told she looks a lot like Esme,” Carlisle said, arm wrapped around his wife.

“too much. Anyways…she’s a part of a dance group…don’t care about the name. She’s a good performer.”

“You watched her performances?” Esme asked.

“Every single one. It wasn’t hard to sneak in and hide. Funny thing is that she knows I’m watching and just teases the hell out of me when we speak to each other.”

“Is she ok?”

“She’s fine. Talking to thin air half of the time but otherwise ok.”

Esme and Carlisle shared a look. Ok…new worry.

“Well…this has been a lovely talk, but let’s not make it a habit,” Alistair said before hanging up abruptly. Carlsile raised an eyebrow before putting his phone away.

Their kids suddenly walked in, pausing.

“What happened?” Edward asked, reading their thoughts.

“We know where Mirabel was…but we don’t know where she’s heading next,” Carlisle said. Roslaie immediately took out her phone, writing down whatever Carlisle said.

“Well, where is she?”

“We were right about Europe…she was just in London. Alistair called to confirm it,” he said, making the kids look up.

“Alistair finally came out of the basement?”

The two parents chuckled.

“Seems so. He’s been looking after her...” esme said though her thoughts drifted and Edward sucked in a break.

“He almost killed her?!”

“WHAT?!”

“She’s fine now! She’s going somewhere new. Where? We don’t know,” Carlisle said.

Jacob and Renesmee came in, the girl running toward her father with her phone. She gave it to him, her panic evident.

Edward looked down at the phone, and his eyes widened, his muscles just relaxing in what looked like disbelief.

“What? What did you find?”

Edward bit his lip.

“Renesmee is following the dance team Instagram… they’re heading to Italy next.”

That caused chaos as Esme tried not to scream.

“Should we intercept? We can bring her back!” Emmett said.

“Not unless we want to start another fight with the Volturi.”

“But she isn’t heading to Volterra, right?” Rosalie asked, worried.

“It doesn’t say,” Renesmee said. Everyone looked towards Alice.

“It’s just the sunflower field…Tuscany,” she said with a sigh of relief. Everyone else relaxed.

“You don’t think they’ll seek her out, right?” Esme asked softly.
“No. They would never leave Volterra unless it defied all rules.”

“I’m sorry. You have a supernatural daughter who looks exactly like your wife but is human. How is that not defying all of the rules?” Rosalie said impatiently. Carlisle went to say something but paused. She was right.

Mirabel wasn’t a hybrid or a vampire. She was pure human… so it would turn heads to see a carbon copy of Esme and him walking around Italy.

“So are we intercepting?”
“Alice?”

“She should be fine. All my visions are of her coming back to you,” Alice said to Esme, the woman relaxing.

“We’ll keep a lookout on social media. We’ll watch the chicken nuggets every step,” Jacob said, the entire family looking at him.

“What?”

Esme and Carlisle’s eyes twitched.

“Chicken nugget? You nicknamed my daughter after a fried food item?!” Carlisle said indignantly.

“Now you know how I feel,” Bella said exasperatedly.

Jacob blinked.

“Yes? She likes chicken nuggets.”

“Wow. I’m not even her, and I take offense to that.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“ok, it is so sunny out in Tuscany,” Matteo said as he applied sunscreen on his face, making Himari laugh at him. The 13 of them sat in the backyard of Aadan’s friends from abroad, the man having welcomed them into his home for their visit.

Mirabel was sitting on a chair drawing the sunflowers that were in front of her when Benicio flopped on her.

“How are the extra guests?”

Mirabel looked to the side and saw Joseph fooling around in the fields, Elizabeth and Eleanor chatting on the ground about their children.

“comfortable. Joseph is being stupid,” she said with a smirk as she heard him whine.

Suddenly, her back stiffened as her eyes lost focus

She let out a gasped breath, walking through the halls of the dark place. Stone and water dripping.

She was in front of double doors…pushing them open. She stood in front of multiple vampires… red-eyed. Black clothing.

Her nightmares.

But there was one person who looked out of the ordinary…a woman with blonde hair and golden eyes. She was like her family.

Mirabel let out a heavy breath as she came back, Benicio’s face in front of hers.

“What did you see?”

“She’s stuck. She wants to go home but doesn’t know how.”

“Where?” he asked, getting his phone.

“I didn’t get a name. But it’s all stone,” she said before looking at Giovanni, who was bringing lemonade.

“Giovanni?”

“Ahh occhi Dorati. How can I help you?” he said.

“You’ve been to every town in the Tuscany region, right?” she asked. She felt lost without her notebook and pen.

“Of course. What are you looking at specifically?”

“Someone told me to visit, but I don’t remember the name. It’s walled. Very medieval. All stone and brick,” she said, watching how the man froze.

“You speak of Volterra?”

“Volterra?” Benicio asked as he looked at her. She looked intense. He felt a cold presence by him and knew it was one of the spirits that she kept with her.

“I don’t usually visit Volterra…not with the rumors of supernatural.”

“Supernatural?” she asked…begging for confirmation of something she knew.

He looked around and noticed it was just the 3 before he leaned into the space and whispered, “Vampires. A coven older than you and I.”

Bingo.

“What have you heard?”

“They’re powerful according to legend. They never leave the city but feast on the blood of the innocent, except for one.”

She leaned forward.

“The Stregoni Benefici. The good vampire was more human and compassionate than the others. He was on the side of goodness. According to rumors from long ago, he had Golden hair and golden eyes, much like yours. He was like the sun.”

Mirabel smiled.

Dad.

“How would I be able to go to Volterra?”
“It’s a 40-minute drive…But I can recommend other places?” he said, trying to divert her.

She shook her head.

“I have someone waiting for me there as promised.”

Minutes later saw Benicio was down the road, the 4 spirits sitting in the back rows of the 8-seater car.

“I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“She needs help, Joseph.”

“Mirabel is the only one to see her.”

“What are they saying?”
“Joseph says that this is a bad idea,” Mirabel told Benicio.

“I agree…a coven of vampires. I didn’t know vampires existed. Did you?” he said as he drove down the road. Mirabel was silent.

“I did.”

“You knew? How?!” he asked. How the fuck did she know?

“Because I’m a part of a coven. I’m the baby,” she said softly, leaning on her palm. Benicio was silent for a while.

“he did not take that well.”

“Joseph.”

Suddenly, he took a breath. “Well, no wonder Dr. Cullen seems so hot after so many years. I thought I was going crazy, or he just had a good skincare routine,” he said, making Mirabel choke. He quickly hit her back.

“Sorry.”

“You can’t just say that about my dad!”

“Is that why you ran back to Rochester? The fight with Renesmee?”

“Yes. But now I regret it. I should have heard them out,” she said softly. He grabbed her hand and smiled.

“What happened has happened. You can’t change the past, but you can change the future. Their secret is safe with me. Just fill me in on our guests.”

So she did. She told him about Catherine and Carlisle. Told him about Edward and his mother. Told him about Rosalie and her mother.

“And Joseph?”

“he’s my older brother,” she answered, taking the hand that was resting on her shoulder.

“Older brother? As in—Esme’s son?” he asked cautiously.

“Yes. She was married before her vampire life…but he was abusive. She wanted a good life for her baby away from him…sadly, he passed 2 days later after his birth,” she said.

“That is a lot to take in…how the heck did we pass 40 minutes?” he said as they drove into the city.

“Because you talk nonstop.”

“True,” he said as they got out of the car. Mirabel stopped and looked into the back seat.

“Stay here.”

“Excuse me?!”
“We can’t just leave you!”
“That isn’t wise!”

“I’ll be fine! Nana, look after everyone. Especially Joseph,” she said.

“Hell no—”

“Stay,” she said, pointing at the set before she locked the car and ran off with Benicio. She walked through tourists who were smiling and laughing. No clue in the world.

“ok, weird. Should we split up?”

“You want to split up in a place where you can be eaten by vampires?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. She deadpanned.

“Right, you’re gifted. Ok, 10 minutes. If we can’t find anything, we go back—HEY!” he said when arms grabbed him and Mirabel tightly, dragging them into a building. No one watched. No one followed.

She was pushed up against the wall, her eyes wide as she stared into another pair of red eyes.

“I knew I smelled something delicious.”

“Maybe we can share her…it’s like a cake.”

Her lips curled as her eyes glowed that bright gold.

“Alec…leave her alone…Aro needs to see this,” a voice said before she was dragged with Benicio beside her. She can feel the bruises blooming on her arms and wrists.

It was cold…the water dripping down the walls as they walked through the double door, as she saw in her vision.

She let out a heavy breath as they were pushed in, her hands catching her before she fell face-first. Her caramel hair fell around her as she stared at the ground.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” a voice said. It made her shiver. She saw the dark shoes in her vision.

“Look up, my child.”
She bit the inside of her cheek as her head dragged up, gold eyes meeting red. It made everyone gasp.

“Impossible.”
The man had dark hair and pale skin, wide eyes staring down at her as he helped her up.

“Who are you?” a blonde-haired man said, eyes burning into her.

“Caius, we must not scare the child,” the man in front of her said, turning back to her. His eyes took in her features that he recognized from anywhere. There around her neck, was the Cullen crest.

“It seems we have a young Cullen on our hands. She bears the crest around her neck,” he said, stepping back.

“Oh my. You’re a younger Esme Cullen with Carlisle’s gaze,” Marcus said as he got a good look at the girl.

“How is it possible? She has golden eyes but a beating heart!” Caius cried out.

Aro watched her closely before taking her hand. She stiffened. He looked into her eyes and pulled back…intrigued.

“You, my child, are much more powerful than you know. You were chosen,” he said.

“Aro, it isn’t—”
“She was chosen for our dear friend Carlisle and his wife and carries in her a gift so supernatural…how have you been able to maintain it?” he said as he stepped back.

Mirabel’s eyes blinked before they found the spirit she was looking for…standing right behind the blonde-haired man. She had sadness in her eyes. She took in a breath.

Aro followed her gaze.

“What are you looking at?” he asked. She didn’t answer. Just following whatever was behind Caius. He growled softly before he called Jane.

“Jane, darling…maybe she needs to be reminded that it is rude to…ignore the host,” he said. Jane’s red eyes flared with happiness as she looked at Mirabel, whose eyes fell on her.

“Pain,” she said with a twisted smile.

The entire coven waited. They waited for her to gasp in pain…to fall….to bleed because she was human.

Nothing. She just raised her eyebrow. A very Carlisle thing to do.

“Am I supposed to feel something?” she said sarcastically. It made everyone gap.

“This isn’t possible. She’s human!” Caius said.

“Maybe she’s a special human…she is a Cullen after all,” Marcus said with wonder.

She was special…very special.

“It seems so…tell me, my dear…why didn’t I know about you before? It isn’t like Carlisle to form a bond with someone and not inform me. Especially when you exhibit some powerful traits,” Aro asked, quizzically.

“Family protects each other…parents just so happen to be overprotective of their baby,” she said softly.

“I see…and the boy?” he said, Jane moving her line of vision to Benicio, who was still held captive. Mirabel stepped in front of Jane, her pupils turning black as she hissed, the floor shaking.

“Hurt him, and the last thing you see is your arm when I beat you with it,” she said, growling. The sound made the windows vibrate. The loose pieces of stone and pebbles clicked against each other. Aro clapped happily.

“Magnificent. Carlisle won’t know a thing. You would make a perfect addition to this coven—”

“I already have a coven. I’m only here for her,” Mirabel said as she pointed to the corner. Everyone looked.

“There is no one there,” Caius said before her blackened gaze turned to him.

“You were the one who killed her…she made a simple mistake and paid the price…” she said as the fire of the torches grew.

Marcus’s eyes widened.

“Irina~”

“How?” Caius said as she smirked, the walls were shaking.

“You tell me.”

Aro immediately tried to diffuse the situation.

“It seems we received more than we bargained for. Young Cullen…we will let you and your friend go,” Aro said as Benicio was let go, running behind Mirabel as she grabbed his hand. She backed away, growling at anyone who looked at them funny.

“I hope to see you…Soon,” Aro said with a creepy smile.

“I hope not,” she said as she looked over her shoulder.

They went out the doors and down the halls, running towards the entrance they came from. He pulled her to the window and sat her down.

“Down girl. Calm down,” he said as he began to panic. Her eyes were slowly coming back to the golden hue as she whimpered. She couldn’t…it was too much.

She looked up and her jaw dropped softly.

“You came,” she said. Benicio just got up and walked out the door to give her privacy. Maybe he’ll go back to the car. Yeah, that was a good idea.

Mirabel looked up at the woman who looked down at her. Her golden eyes were full of sadness.

“You’re a brave little girl. Braver than I have ever been,” she said softly. Gently, she rested her hand on Mirabel’s face, the girl held it there as the tears fell.

“Why did you stay here?”
“I didn’t know how to go home ~ ~ I was afraid. I never got to say goodbye, didn’t get to apologize properly,” Irina answered as she knelt in front of Mirabel.

“Are you ready to leave?” Mirabel asked, Irina’s eyes widening.
“I can?”

“You’re free from this place. I came here to find you,” she said as she held onto the blonde’s face.

“Are you ready to go home?”
“Yes.”

She walked through the streets and into the car where Benicio was waiting. She can see the red eyes watching her closely from the shadows. She looked back, Irina sitting between Elizabeth and Eleanor.

She let out a sigh as Benicio looked at her…

“Benni?”
“Yes?”

She took in a shuddering breath as the tear fell down her face.

“I want to go home.”

Chapter Text

Renesmee was virtually upset when she walked into town. It’s been half a year since her best friend left. She didn’t know if she wanted to be mad or cry.

She tugged her sleeve as she walked into the bookstore, trying to clear her head. She skimmed the titles, finding them either too boring or too complicated.

When she walked into a secluded area, someone grabbed her arm. She would have shrieked if the hand hadn’t covered her mouth in time.

She would have fought back, but she recognized that scent…she recognized those eyes and that face and—

“I’m going to let go. Please don’t scream,” she asked. Renesmee nodded as tears accumulated in her eyes. Slowly, the pressure was gone, and Renesmee launched herself into the girl, who was now taller than she remembered.

“You’re back! You came back!” she cried into the girl’s shoulder, holding her tightly.

Mirabel just held onto her tightly, her smile watery as the two embraced tightly.

Renesmee pulled back and looked at Mirabel’s face.

“damn, you do look like Grandma,” she said, making Mirabel chuckle.

“So I’ve been told.”

The two just stood there.

“Where were you? Do you know how worried we’ve all been?” Renesmee asked. Mirabel shrugged as a sad smile filled her face.

“I thought I was protecting them and myself…But I was only hurting us more. I needed time to…find out more about myself.”

“Yeah, well, no shit you look nothing like before.”

“Do I look bad?”

“You look beautiful,” Renesmee said as she hugged her again.

“Are you staying this time? For good?” she asked softly.

“I am. I didn’t accept my UW acceptance for nothing, you know,” she teased.

“We get to go to school together?!” she exclaimed before hugging mirabel again. She just chuckled.

“Well, come on! Let’s go see grandma and grandpa! They’ll be so excited to see you!” she said, trying to pull Mirabel out, but the girl stopped her.

“Not yet.”

“It’s been 6 months! What do you mean, not yet?!” Renesmee complained.

“I have practice all day for our performance tomorrow night. Please, keep it a secret,” mirabel pleaded. Renesmee glared at her before she relented.

“Fine. Fine, I’ll keep your secret,” she said with a pout, making mirabel giggle.

She reached into her bag and gave Renesmee an envelope.

“What’s this?”

“front row tickets for tomorrow night. I hope you can come,” she said with a wink as the girl got the message.

“I’ll make sure everyone comes! Even Jacob!”

Mirabel just smiled and hugged the girl again.

“See you tomorrow, Nessie,” she said, pressing a kiss to the girl’s temple before leaving. Renesmee clutched the envelope in her hands and jumped with a squeal. She immediately left the bookstore and ran back home. When she got to the porch, she calmed herself down before entering.

“I’m home!”

“Welcome back. Did you find anything interesting at the bookstore?” Jasper asked.

“Nothing. They haven’t even reshelved yet,” she said dramatically.

“They will soon,” Bella said as she ruffled her daughter’s head.

She reached into her pocket.

“Oh, by the way! My friend has a performance and invited our entire family to go!” she said, waving the envelope.

“That sounds like fun. We do need to get some type of entertainment in our lives, and making fun of Edward is getting boring,” Rosalie said, as Edward pushed her.

“Children,” Esme scolded as she took the tray of cookies out of the oven.

“When is it?”

“tomorrow night.”

“What time? I might have to go after I get off my shift,” Carlisle said.

She opened the envelope and checked the time.

“7:45.”

“Oh, we have time then.”
“What type of performance is it?” Edward asked.

“Think like a concert. So singing and dancing,” she said with a smirk.

“I’m down,” Alice said with an excited chirp.

“Sounds like fun. Any dress code?”
“Come as you are,” she said with a smile. She took out her phone, reading the message.

Bestie:

What did they say?

Nessie:

They said yes.

Mirabel smiled during practice as she took a break from the dance routine. Zara was teaching Eunji the ending movements for the bridge.

“You’re happy,” Himari said, her orange hair bright in the light.

“I’m happy to be home,” she said as she got back up to work on the run-through again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The drive to Port Angeles was a quiet one, especially for Carlisle and Esme. Jasper, Alice, and Rosalie rode with them while Jacob, Emmett, and Renesmee rode with Bella and Edward.

Carlisle let out a heavy sigh.

“You’re thinking of her again?” Jasper asked softly.

“Aren’t we all? She’s been gone for half a year,” Rosalie said, Carlisle reaching over to take Esme’s hand in hers.

“I can’t believe it’s been so long without her,” Alice said as she looked out the window.

“I miss her. So much,” Esme said as she stared out the window.

It was silent before Rosalie smiled.

“If she were here right now, she would be talking about lying across our laps to hide from the police,” she said with a snicker, Alice following.

“She would try to talk her way into us, hiding her,” Jasper said as he shook his head.

“Esme and Carlisle would be scolding us because they want their baby girl to be safe and not touch the dirty ground,” Rosalie teases.

“No child of mine is sitting on the ground without a seatbelt, thank you,” Carlisle said, making everyone, even Esme, laugh. 

“Do you think she knows how much we miss her?”

“I think she knows,” Jasper said as they arrived at the venue. Renesmee was already bouncing on the tips of her toes as she handed out the tickets.

“You’re excited?”

“Who wouldn’t be?” she said as she ran. They all shrugged and followed, getting their tickets scanned.

“Wow, your friend must really like us,” Jacob said as they sat in a specific order. Carlisle and Esme were front and center, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper flanking Esme, while Edward, Bella, Renesmee, and Jacob flanked Carlisle.

“She probably was forced to include you—”
“Rose,” Esme scolded.

Esme sat back and played with Carlisle’s hand when she smelled it. She immediately sat up straight.

“Esme?” Carlisle whispered as the lights dimmed. Suddenly, the screen lit up with scenes from an adventure. Sunflowers, fields of flowers. The camera zooms in closer to the leader of the group.

“We’re OR13N. A group of 13 people with different histories,” he said, his name and title at the bottom with his age. (Aadan, Group leader/vocal leader, 22)

“Wait a minute—this is her group!” Esme exclaimed as she and Carlisle looked at each other.

“We come from different parts of the world.” (Jiji, Girl unit leader/sub rapper, 21)

“We have different lives and expectations for each other.” (Eli, Lead rapper, 20)

“Sometimes we may disagree with each other on every little thing.” (Zara, Main rapper, 20)

“That’s her group!”
“wait—”

Esme looked up at her husband.

“Do you smell it?” she whispered.

“I do.”

“But at the end of the day, we’re still a big group of brothers and sisters. “(Matt, lead dancer, 19)

“We’ve traveled Europe together. From London to Tuscany.” (Kaipo, main vocal,19)

“and we know exactly what each of our members likes and dislikes.” (Lian, sub rapper, 19)

Esme felt like she was going to pass out.

“What was the age range again?” Edward asked.

“22-16.”

He did the math…

“She’s the last person.”

“Sometimes we find each other annoying and hard to deal with.” (Benni, Main vocalist, 18)

“Sometimes we fight and don’t make up as quickly as we want to.” (Himari,  Main vocalist,18)

“But as a family, we make sure we are all seen and our voices are heard.” (Noa, Main dancer, 18)

“Can they hurry up?”
“Why do they have so many 18-year-olds?”

“I don’t know?”
“Rosalie, calm down.”

“No.”

“13 hearts mean there’s a lot of feelings…but there’s always an option to choose.” (Sael, sub vocal, 18)

“Welcome to OR13N, our Novas. Where you shine bright as we hit the stage.” (Jun, Main Rapper/Rap leader, 17)

“We’re 13 different stars, but all together we make one beautiful constellation.” (Mae, Main dancer/ Dance leader, 16)

Esme felt her vision blur, something falling down her face. She wiped it…tears?...TEARS!

Carlisle looked at her in excitement as they looked up at the screen where their daughter was smiling before it blacked out, the crowd cheering.

The sound of a violin filled their hearing as the crowd cheered.

"Caprice No. 24 in a Minor" by Niccolò Paganini?! How the heck was this sampled?!” Edward asked in awe and shock.

“That is an interesting song,” Jasper said.

“Port Angeles, are you Ready?!” a voice called out. The silhouette of 4 girls popped up, and they ended up walking down the steps to the front row.

Esme could smell the strawberry sugar scent, but she couldn’t place where she was. The melody of the voices singing was distracting her a lot.

She didn’t even know what her baby’s singing voice sounded like.

She was moving around a lot, and the lights on the stage weren’t helping.

“I can’t find her!” Rosalie said.

“I can smell her, but it’s hard with the movements —” Emmett said before she let out a loud cheer when the four girls perfected some complicated moves in front of them.

Alice was watching closely… “a sweet plié. Now we gon' be the maestro of your heart.”

Her eyes flitted toward the girl who was running to the steps in the center of the stage, and immediately, she began to reach for Esme and Carlisle.

“What--?”

She let out a squeal before “MIRABEL!!!”

Everyone’s head snapped toward the center stairs, where the light and cameras focused on the girl standing in the middle. Her curly caramel hair was tied in two pigtails, long and cascading down her back with curls hanging in front of her eyes.

Her golden eyes pierced the crowd as they went wild.

“Welcome to my zone, 무대 위 we savage
원한다면 더 밟아줄게 no lavish
So ravished (what?) 활을 올려 더”

“Baby sis has flow!!!” Emmett said as he cheered. Suddenly, chairs were brought out and aligned perfectly, Mirabel walking them like a model as she moved her hands before jumping down and dancing again.

“Oh my gosh, her pitch is amazing!” Edward said, Bella recording.

“Do you see her dancing?! She’s crazy!”

“Give me that do, re, mi, give me that symphony
Give me that opera, please (pitch it), oh, na-na-na-ah”

Mirabel’s arms perfected the moves above her head as she stood right in front of Renesmee, pretending not to notice the girl bouncing in her seat.

Getting to the bridge, she and Himari did the adlibs, walking towards each other in a way that drove the crowd crazy but almost made them burst out laughing.

“Oh, my mic is my baton. I'll be your maestro,” Mirabel sang, hitting a high note that brought chills down her family’s backs.

“I need to talk to her stylist,” Carlisle said.

“Why? She’s rocking this!” Alice said, and Rosalie agreed.

“She’s 16! She doesn’t need to wear something like that or show skin!” he said, referring to the cropped shirt and waist-high skirt that showed off her legs and midriff.

“Damn, I didn’t see she had 11 line abs,” Renesmee said as the song ended.

Alice and Rosalie were yelling for Mirabel when she came on the screen before the stage turned dark.

Do you think she knows we’re here?” Edward asked as his siblings cheered for the male dancers.

“I don’t think so,” Renesmee lied. She thought of something random from the night so her father wouldn’t be suspicious.

“My baby girl…she’s so tall,” Esme said as she leaned into Carlisle.

“She looks just like you,” he commented, pressing a kiss to her head. The performance ended, and the lights turned off, the sound of the crowd echoing before the lights turned back on, the 13 members coming back on stage. Everyone in the Cullen family was cheering loudly when she saw mirabel waving at everyone, her eyes looking up.

“Esme’s twin!” Rosalie yelled.

“Port Angeles!” Aadan yelled into the mic as the crowd screamed.

“Stars apart, constellation together. We are...”

 “OR13N!” the team said all together as they bowed.

“We are back in Washington for a kickoff before our European competition, and we are so excited to see you all here,” Jun said.

“Thank you so much for supporting us. Here are the rules. Between our performances, we will have a moment to talk and do a Q&A or challenge section with the questions you sent last month,” Mirabel said as she swayed from side to side with a cute smile on her face.

“My baby girl,” Carlisle said.

“I have the box, so let's see who our victim is,” Benni said as he shook the box, Zara picking a name from the box.

“It’s our baby girl, Mae!” she exclaimed as Himari shook her. Matteo came out with another 2 boxes, Kye pulling out one paper from Q&A.

“Ok, Q&A. Mae. I have been following for months, so I have to know. Is there something between you and Jun? I feel some chemistry,” Kye said maniacally.

Mirabel deadpanned.

“No.”

It made everyone laugh, Jun pretending to be wounded.

“You wound me.”
“Good. Stay wounded,” she said. That made Rosalie and Emmett snort.

“Right through the heart,” Jun said dramatically before he fell to his knees in front of mirabel.

“나의 사랑.” (My Love)
“꺼져,” she said, making Eunji snort in laughter. (Fuck off)

Zara took her arm and shook her before the four girls ran to the side of the stage.

“Wait, where are they taking her?” Esme asked, almost getting up from her seat.

She just saw her baby. Did she know she was here? She was standing right in front of them…she should have seen them!

“Dude, you’re a simp.”
“I will accept that,” Jun said as they continued.

Alice held onto her mother’s hand to stop her from running just as the lights turned off and a new song started.

“I love this song!” Emmett said, cheering loudly.

“Emmett, what do you know about Wonderland by Ateez?” Renesmee said, flabbergasted.

“Randomly heard it one day…fell in love.”
“I pictured you as a stray kids person,” Jacob said randomly, making Edward and Bella look at him.

“What? Can’t a guy have a hobby?”

“Do you think she’ll come back?” Esme asked, Rosalie looking at anyone to get the answer as well.

“I think so. I think they went to get changed for the next song.”

“I need to see her…I need her to see that we’re here,” Carlisle said.

“She’ll come back out…I promise,” Renesmee said with a smile.

It actually took longer for them to see Mirabel. Once the first song was done, the group cut down, and the smaller unit performed.

“Carlisle, stop glaring.”
“I can’t help it,” he hissed at Edward as Jun jumped from the stage to the bottom floor.

“Rosalie, stop glaring, too. Jeez,” Jasper said.

“He touched my baby sister.”
“On the waist—”

“I don’t care if it’s her ear; he doesn’t get to touch her.”
“Agreed.”

“You boys and Rosalie are too much. She’s a growing girl,” Alice said with a roll of her eyes. That only made Carlisle hiss even more.

She was only 16. She was still a baby and lived under his roof.

No boys for his princess.

Esme rolled her eyes playfully before bringing Carlisle down for a kiss on the cheek.

“You’re being protective, Daddy,” she said teasingly, waiting for the reactions. She wasn’t disappointed.

“Eww.”

“Come on.”

“Seriously?”

“disgusting.”

“We’re in public.”

Carlisle just wrapped his arm around her as the crowd boomed with cheers. The lights on the stage went off again, and as they came on, everyone started screaming, taking them out of their bubble.

There she was…sitting on the center steps with the other girls in a red and white ensemble, her hair carrying little white bows in the pigtails as she adjusted her mic pack. She looked so focused, her cheeks puffing out as her lips formed into a pout.

“That’s pure Esme right there!” Jasper said, hitting Emmett as they all beamed.

“We’re in charge of the 6-minute break before our songs, so while Mae fixes her pack, we’ll just talk instead of answering boxed questions,” Zara said as she stood up, her white pants flaring around her.

“Wooo, it feels so nice to be back in Forks.”
“We were only gone for 2 months.”

Yeaha…that was long.”

“we’re very excited—to—uh--4인 1조로 공연하는 것을 어떻게 말하나요?” Eunji said, looking at Mirabel for help. (How do you say perform as a group of 4 people?)

“We’re very excited to perform as a group of 4,” Mirabel said with a smile as she looked up before returning to the task.

She finally fixed it before having Eunji clip it to the back of her skirt.

“Another skirt…someone kill me now,” Carlisle said.

“She looks adorable,” Esme said. The red and white colors were adorable on her.

“Anyways…What’s up, Port Angeles?! How are we doing tonight?!” Himari said as the crowd exploded.

“We are so excited to perform for you guys. We have struggled to perfect these songs and our voices---well, we struggled. Not Mae,” Zara said, making Mirabel turn to her and stomp her foot.

“She’s like a toddler.”

“Hey! I did struggle!”
“Did not! We had to do three test runs, while you got it in 10 minutes!”

She went to say something, but she just turned around and sat again, making the entire crowd laugh. Eunji just began to put her hair up.

“I hate all of you guys.”

“No, you don’t. Anyways, we are so excited tonight after coming back from Italy as a break,” Himari said.

“We missed being able to perform, and I was getting tired of hearing Mae dancing with Benni at night—’
“Hey, she dances better than you,” Zara said, the entire crowd oohing as Himari admitted defeat.

“I agree. I agree,” Himari said, picking up Mirabel so she could hug her, but the girl resisted.

“Hug me, you little shit!”
“Nooo!”

The crowd watched as Mirabel ran, Himari chasing her.

“Go Mae Go!” Zara yelled.

“Go, baby sis!” Emmett said as Mirabel side-stepped Himari, her combat boots heavy on the floor before she was grabbed, laughing loudly.

“Accept the love!”
“You’re not my mom!”

Esme smiled brightly, her eyes twinkling as she watched her daughter.

“I technically raised you!”

“Jiji raised me!”

“I raised her!” Eunji said as Mirabel escaped and ran behind the woman, giggling.

“little—”

“ok ok! Let’s get to performing!” Eunji said as the 4 stood on the stairs together, Mirabel and Himari in the front.

“Totally forgot what I was going to say,” Zara said, making the girls laugh as the background music played.

“Well, I want to know, do my ladies run this?” Himari said as the crowd cheered.

“I love this song!” Alice said as the chant started.

“Ayy Mirabel is killing it!” Bella said as she watched Mirabel give so much attitude.

“All of my girls lookin’ good and they got they own money—”

“POP YO’ SHIT,” Alice yelled with Emmett as the girls gave a pop, Mirabel’s facial expressions on point.

“Oh my gosh, her face! That’s Carlisle’s expression!” Edward said as Alice yelled.

“Whole team be gassin on us. You sit too far down on those charts to even ask me who's in charge,” Mirabel sang before Zara popped out and began Doechii’s rap.

“These girls are crazy!” Jacob said.

“DO you see Mirabel’s facial expressions? That’s a professional dancer there!” Edward said.

“Misbehaved, miss, push my pen. I can’t tame my passion for him. Can’t keep up what happened to them. We lapping the men,” Zara rapped as the girls created a diagonal line before—

“GET IT LADIES!!” Renesmee said when the girls circled their hips as they made a slow stepped circle as they transitioned in a diamond set, Mirabel on her knees in front, as the music cut out. The music had a different feeling to it.

Eunji stood in the center as they snapped. “A-B-C, Do-Re-Mi 만큼 착했던 나. 그 눈빛이 싹 변했지. 어쩜 이 또한 나니까.”

“They’re doing a Blackpink solo turn!” Jasper said as Eunji began to sing.

“Just how much does Mirabel practice because she’s really good?” Jacob asked.

“붉게 타버려진 너와 나. 난 괜찮아, 넌 괜찮을까? 구름 한 점 없이 예쁜 날. 꽃향기만 남기고 갔단다,” she sang as they perfected the dance moves. (lyrics to Flower by Jisoo:)

(You and I, burned red. I'm okay. Are you okay? A beautiful, cloudless day. They say it left behind only the scent of flowers.)

“I can’t! Her little hip sway is so adorable,” Rosalie said as Mirabel moved.

“She’s so classy,” Edward said. They all looked towards Carlisle and Esme, who were both entranced by the dance.

The lights turned pink as Mirabel and Zara knelt, all of them swinging their arms in sync—"채영이가 좋아하는 랜덤 게임, 랜덤 게임 Game start!” (APT by Rose)

The 4 girls started dancing together as Himari popped up.

“Kissy face, kissy face sent to your phone, but I'm tryna kiss your lips for real,” Himari sang as she kissed Mirabel’s face after singing, making the girl scrunch her face.

“This is so like ’90s pop,” Emmett said as he tried to copy the dance moves.

“Don't you want me like I want you, baby? Don't you need me like I need you now?” Himari sang as the girls followed her, Mirabel’s skirt flaring as she spun.

“She has safety shorts!” Bella yelled with thumbs up.

“Doesn’t matter!” Carlisle responded

“Apateu Apateu,” Rosalie sang softly as her head bopped side to side, watching Mirabel’s infectious energy get to her.

That was her baby sister. Might as well get into what makes her happy. The way her pigtails were flying around and the bright smile on her face made a special picture in her heart.

The music cut out.

“Ok, we’re done—”
“Nah nah nah nah nah. YOU have the special one,” Himari said, grabbing Mirabel’s cardigan and making her laugh as the crowd chanted her name. She shrugged, and then the lights cut out and the music started.

“OH MY GOSH! She’s doing “FUCK UP THE WORLD!” Bella said, taking out her phone to record as Mirabel took off her cardigan, the fitted asymmetrical crop top and matching arm sleeves on full display as she pulled out her pigtails.

It made the crowd go wild as the other girls took off their stuff as well before they got into position.

“Ok, what the hell?! Her body is so tea!” Renesmee yelled as they watched Mirabel dance to the opening lyrics

What does that even mean?!

“I’m not…hey—”

“ Carlisle!” Esme scolded when he tried to stop the older girls from touching his baby girl.

“She’s 16—”

“and she’s a performer! It’s her job,” she said as they watched muscles move. Her facial expressions were vicious, sinister, like the Joker.

“Just walked in and made jaws drop, see me wearing it and watch it pop,” Mirabel sang as she walked to the end before sitting down…

Right on Alice’s lap.

The pixie-haired woman just held onto her as she sang, squealing as Mirabel looked down at her with a smile that meant “I see you.”

“Give them a look, now I’ve got them all staring, Give me the crown, so I might as well wear it, uh,” Mirabel said, Alice tapping her hip when she got up before she started dancing.

“Is anyone recording?!” Jasper said as Mirabel flipped her head back when she was in a body roll.

“Bella and Emmett! Renesmee is taking pictures!” Jacob said as Mirabel’s lip curled into a snarl, as she hit her head.

“Walking causing havoc, yes that is a habit, bad on bad, I’m tragic. Woke up feeling like like—”

“fuck up the world, fuck up the world!” Bella and Jacob yelled together.

“Bella, what the fuck?”

“I'm sorry, but do you not see her?” she pointed out as Mirabel stood in front of the stairs, posing and curving her body as she sang.

“She's a force, but jeez dial it down.”

“Are you not gonna say anything to Emmett?”

“What—”

“LETS GOO MAEEE!!” he yelled, standing up as they ended the final chorus, Mirabel's curly caramel hair flying around.

The lights turned red as her outline filled the place, the crowd going wild when the lights turned back on. Her eyes shifted as she smiled and waved at the crowd.

That was Esme’s excited smile on her lips before she pouted and…  cried. Esme almost got up, had Rosalie not held her down as the crowd cheered for her.

The other girls wiped their eyes as Eunji petted her hair. They gently pushed her, and she took off her earpiece, running down the stairs.

“Where is she going?” Esme asked before she realized it.

She immediately got up, and Mirabel ran into her arms with a sob.

“Oh my baby girl,” Esme said as the tears slipped down her face, pulling back and cleaning her eyes.

“Mom,” Mirabel said.

Esme let out a wet giggle.

“Hi, my baby,” she whispered as the group came out, Benni right behind her.

“Come on, let’s give you a private moment,” he said, Carlisle getting up to follow his wife and daughter.

The three of them went into the dressing rooms, where Benni stood guard as Mirabel took off her mic pack and earpiece with shaking hands.

She turned around, and Esme’s eyes looked at Mirabel as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

“I’m sorry—I'm so sorry,” she cried, but Carlisle instantly picked her up and spun her around, holding her close to his neck as she sobbed.

“My little princess. You have no idea how much I missed you,” he said as he held her tightly.

“Daddy.”

“Shhh, it’s ok. It’s ok. You never have to be sorry. We should have been there,” he said as Esme wrapped her up in her arms, the three stuck to each other like glue.

“Why are you like this?” she cried.

“Like what, baby?” Esme said as she wiped her face. Her cheeks were red, her eyes were splotchy. Red rimmed but glowing, that beautiful golden color.

“How can you still look at me like I’m your entire world when I almost made it crash and burn?” she asked.

Carlisle just held onto her face as Esme stroked her hair.

“Because you ARE our world, Mirabel.”

“You complete us. When you left, you took half of our hearts with you, and we have been waiting for you to come back,” Esme said.

“How can you still want me?”

“Because you're our bonded daughter. It was hell when you left,” Carlisle said.

“I cried for you…I saw you when I was—was going through detox ..ijist…I’m so sorry. I know I’m a mess, but I want to come home. I don’t want to leave again. Please don’t let me go,” Mirabel said as she held onto their hands.

“What makes you think we’re going to let you go this time? You’re stuck with us forever,” Esme said, seriously making Mirabel cry again, wrapping her arms around her tightly.

“I love you, mama.”

“I love you mor,e baby.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She just stayed stuck in their arms for the entire performance that the boys had. She didn’t want to leave.

“Look at how grown you are. You’re so beautiful,” Carlisle said as she smiled shyly.

“Esme’s twin.”

“Everyone says that,” Mirabel said, her head stayed in Esme’s neck, the woman having kept her there.

“Anyone who says otherwise will have to look closely cause this is my baby.”

“Hey, I’m her father, and she doesn’t have much of me,” Carlisle tried to pout, but it failed.

Mirabel giggled.

“Don’t worry, Dad, I have your brain.”

"That's right.”

“She has your cheekbones and jaw structure, Carlisle. She just happens to look like her mama,” Esme teased, kissing Mirabel's cheek.

They looked towards her neck and saw the small silver pendant on her necklace. They both felt that broken part of them that ripped open when Mirabel left come together.

Esmes eyes filled with tears, one falling.

“You’re crying,” Mirabel said softly.

“I love doing that when you’re around,” she said in a hushed whisper just as Mirabel’s fingers wiped the tears away, a warmth left filling her cheeks.

“You're so magical, baby,” she said, Mirabel pausing.

It concerned them when she kept her hands on her lap after.

“What? What happened?”

“It’s a crazy story,” she said.

“You're the baby of the Olympic vampire coven…we handle crazy,” Carlisle said, making her giggle.

She bit her lip.

*Is it about your abilities, honey?”

She looked up at Carlisle.

“How did you know?”

“We had a hunch for the longest time, princess. We all felt it when you came to us.”

“What gave it away?” she asked.

“Well, for one, vampires don’t need sleep…and you put your mother to sleep one too many times,” he said, making Esme laugh.

“So all those times we woke up together…you had actually fallen asleep?” Mirabel asked incredulously. Back then, she just thought the woman liked comfort.

“Yes. We don’t need sleep, but when I’m with you…We all feel human again. We haven't cried in a century... but with you, we cry. We eat, we sleep. We do human things,” Esme said as she caressed the girl's face.

“You're one special girl, and we still have so much to learn about you. Also, I want to talk to your stylist about putting pants on you,” Carlisle said.

“Daaad~~ I dress myself,” Mirabel whined.

“Then we need to have a serious discussion.”

“mamaaa~~” Mirabel whined, but Esme was just watching her with so much love that it hurt.

How could she ever leave them behind?