CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
MEET THE FAMILY

UNFORTUNATELY FOR ELISE, SHE COULD NO LONGER GASLIGHT HER SISTER INTO THINKING VAMPIRES WEREN'T REAL.

Despite his family's hesitations, Edward had come clean and told Bella the truth. Carlisle was disappointed he hadn't waited longer — they weren't pressed for time like and Elise — but was less upset than most of his family.

Either way, Elise was of course invited to Bella's introduction to everyone, and though she felt absolutely dreadful — her body was so much weaker lately, and she knew a decision about her future had to be made soon.

"I'm starving," she commented from her place at the dining table, head on her hands.

It was her own form of entertainment; watching the Cullens cook rapidly, their movements effortless and blurry. They were a supernatural cooking show without words or chatter — their voices too low for her human ears to catch up. Soothing, even. The chopping of vegetables and boiling of the water lulled her into a rhythmic peace.

"It's almost ready," Carlisle responded, glancing over at her from his place cutting pancetta. "Bella likes Italian, right?"

"Sure," Elise nodded, yawning into her arm. "Who doesn't like Italian?"

"Her name's Bella," Emmett pitched in. "That's Italian. Not yours though, El."

"Nope," Elise shook her head lazily, eyes closing. "But my middle name is. Mama was Italian."

"Is Bella's mother?" Rosalie asked, her curious tone laced with bitterness.

Elise thought for a moment. "I don't know," she hummed thoughtfully. "Is Higginbotham an Italian name?"

Emmett burst into laughter at her words. "No fucking way," he cackled, ignoring Esme's 'language', glancing at the human. "Bella could've been Isabella Higginbothom?" He snorted, shaking his head. "I'm gonna hang this over Edward's head for life."

Esme sent him a look and he quieted, still chuckling to himself. "Higginbothom," he said softly, shaking his head.

Elise raised her eyebrows at the man's display, a fond, amused smile pulling at her lips. "Bella Botham," she remarked, and Emmett pointed the knife at her with a grin.

"Now we're talking, Swan."

Carlisle set a bowl of ceasar salad on the table in front of her and she perked up stretching a bit, wincing from the brittleness in her bones.

He leaned down, pressing a lingering kiss to her head, fingers resting on her hair for a moment.

"You can rest if you need," he murmured softly. She shook her head. She was always so sick and she didn't want to do that to Bella.

This wasn't a day about Elise, it was a day for her sister.

"Woo," Rosalie let out a breath, glancing to the door. "Get a whiff of that. Here comes the human."

"I'm right here," Elise commented with a frown.

"You're dead though," Emmett shrugged, and winced when Esme smacked his head. "Dying. Same thing."

Bella came around the corner with Edward, wearing one of Elise's green shirts — and Elise begrudgingly admitted that her sister might've pulled off better — and Elise's nose crinkled up at her sister's boyfriend.

The guy irritated her. Bella could do infinitely better than Edward. He gaslit her all the time about being a vampire — and it wasn't funny like it was for Elise to do. They were siblings, she had free domain.

Edward was...

She didn't like him.

Maybe that was her father getting into her head.

"I can hear your thoughts, Elise."

"Don't listen," Elise countered, scowling at the long-dead teenager as he entered the room, Bella next to him. "No one told you to have a mind-reading capabilities."

"No one told you to think so loudly."

"Maybe you just have big ears."

"I literally don't hear your thoughts from my ears," he frowned.

"Both of you," Carlisle interjected with a small smile, gently tugging Elise's hair. Her eyes widened at the feeling, and she felt a rush of arousal pool through her.

"Oh, god, stop it," Edward grimaced. "Please, I don't need to see that."

Elise scowled at Edward, only picturing Carlisle tugging her hair harder and making her gasp and —

"Elise, quit it," Edward shot her a look and a low chuckle left Carlisle's throat. He pressed another kiss to Elise's head and dropped his hand to her shoulder, resting it there, but his fingers teased her collarbone.

Good lord, this man was not the polite and prim and proper man she'd—

"Elise," Edward snapped, eyes pleading. "Stop it."

"I'm Bella," her sister cleared her throat, looking between Edward and his family.

Intentionally ignoring Elise.

They still weren't speaking.

"Hello," Esme bounced over cheerfully. "We're making Italiano for you."

"Carbonara," Elise added. "I'm so hyped."

"Oh," Bella replied awkwardly to Esme, sending Edward a glance, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.

"Bella, this is Esme," Edward introduced. "My mother for all intents and purposes."

"Bonjorno," Bella replied, fidgeting a bit, sticking her hands in her back pockets.

"Molto Bene," Esme smiled back warmly and Elise stifled a laugh into her salad, ignoring the look Edward sent her.

"You've given us an excuse to use the kitchen," Carlisle spoke up, hand pulling away from Elise to finish the meat. "Elise is here often enough, but it's the first time we've all cooked together."

"I'm not as special as you are, Bel," Elise grinned at her sister. "Even Rosalie's helping. She's never made me a meal."

"I bought you a poptart yesterday," Rose sent Elise a scowl.

"Ah," Elise pointed her fork at the pretty vampire. "But did you make me a poptart? No. Esme and Carlisle are the only people to cook for me. The rest of you suck."

"Literally," Emmett grinned. "Get it."

Elise let out a laugh and held her hand up for a high-five. A second later, he was at her side, gently tapping her hand with his.

"Nice one."

"Point is," Jack spoke up, shaking his head at their antics. "We hope you're hungry."

"All this 'we' is very culty," Elise commented thoughtfully, taking another bite of her salad. "We hope you enjoy your stay in our coven. Ve vant to suck your blood."

"Elise, do you ever stop talking?" Edward asked in annoyance and Elise shook her head.

"No, my humor is my best quality."

"Well, then you must be deprived of anything remotely redeemable because—"

"—Edward," Carlisle cut him off gently, but there was a firm look in his eyes.

Edward sent the pair an apologetic look, shaking his head.

"I'm really hungry," Bella spoke up with a small smile, trying to diffuse the tension that Edward seemed to bring into every situation.

Elise really didn't like him.

What the hell was his problem? He was how old and going after a seventeen-year-old? Were they even mates? Carlisle wasn't attracted to her blood like he'd said Edward was to Bella's, so how could he even know that he wasn't a danger to her sister?

"She already ate," Edward stooped in and Elise sighed, thunking her head down on the table dramatically.

The bowl in Rosalie's hands with the remaining salad snapped between her hands, glass splattering the floor. Elise groaned softly.

"I was going to eat that," she whined.

"Perfect," Rosalie commented, sighing.

"Yeah," Bella backpedaled Edward's comment. "It's just — because I-I know you guys don't eat, so—"

"—Of course," Esme nodded, her voice gentle and understanding. "It's very considerate of you."

"Just ignore Rosalie," Edward told Bella. "I do."

"Yeah," Rosalie nodded, the rest of the Cullens abandoning the food. Only Jack caught her longing look and sent an apologetic smile. "Let's just keep pretending like this isn't dangerous for all of us."

"I—I would never tell anyone, or..."

"I would." Elise said seriously. All heads turned to look at her, only Carlisle had a small smile on his face, and Edward rolled his eyes. "I would, because, I mean, come on. Who's gonna believe that? If you went around saying you were vampires, you could easily form a cult. I know I was joking earlier, but more power to you if you can control humans without ever sucking their blood. Or you guys could be put into mental institutions and then get like an army of mentally incapacitated people. As someone who was once institutionalized, it would be cool to have a purpose that totally makes sense to a diagnosis."

Silence for a moment.

"What the fuck?"

"Emmett, language."

"I'm sorry, but are we just — are we not supposed to comment on that?"

Carlisle was chuckling into his hand, looking over at Elise with fond eyes.

Elise shrugged. "Think about it." She said, taking another bite of her salad.

"Elise's weird shit aside," Emmett spoke up, addressing Bella and Edward, wincing a fraction from Esme's slap to the arm. "You two have gone public now, so..."

Carlisle and Esme exchanged a look and Edward shook his head.

"No, she should know," Rosalie spoke firmly, glaring at Bella. A feeling of protectiveness rose inside Elise. "The entire family will be implicated if this ends badly," she continued, taking a step towards Bella.

Bella nodded, looking down for a moment. "Badly, as in...I become the meal?"

Elise was the first to laugh, then Edward, then Emmett, then the rest followed suit.

"Hi, Bella," Alice's cheerful voice sprang from behind a window, coming in from outside. She and Jasper had gone on a hunt in preparation to meet Bella.

According to everyone, Bella's scent was incredibly strong and while it affected Edward the most, they were all susceptible to it. Unlike Elise. Who smelled dead. Which was a cool way to smell if Elise didn't think about the inevitability of her own demise.

"I'm Alice," she continued, bounding to Bella and Edward. She pulled Bella into a quick hug and Elise hid a grin at Bella's uncomfortable expression. She was so much like Charlie it killed her. "Oh, you do smell good," Alice commented, pulling back.

"Alice," Edward pulled a face, looking at his adopted sister. "What are you...?"

"It's okay," Alice replied easily. "Bella and I are gonna be great friends."

There was an awkward silence following the statement and Elise exchanged a look with Emmett, the only other extrovert in the room.

"Sorry," Carlisle apologized for Jasper's hungered stare to Bella. "Jasper's our newest vegetarian, it's a little difficult for him."

Jasper swallowed thickly, offering a stiff nod. "It's...a pleasure to meet you," he managed, and Elise grinned again. Oh, she should have recorded this entire conversation for Leah. No one would find this more amusing.

Edward sent her an unimpressed expression at her thoughts and she shrugged innocently.

"It's okay, Jasper," Alice assured him. "You won't hurt her."

Edward looked bewildered by his family's odd behavior, shaking his head and looking apologetically to Bella. "Alright, look, uh...I'm gonna...give Bella a tour of the rest of the house," he shook his head at their antics, sighing.

"Well, I'll see you soon," Alice said cheerfully and Bella smiled tensely, following Edward.

"Cute," Esme squealed once they'd left, turning to Jack, who smiled fondly down at her. Alice laughed to herself, agreeing with Esme.

"I think that went well," Carlisle commented, sitting down next to Elise.

Elise made a so-so gesture with her hand. "As well as Bella and Edward could go, considering they're both incredibly awkward people."

"Clean this up," Esme gestured to the mess Rosalie had made earlier. "And you two," she pointed between Emmett and Rosalie. "Finish Elise's dinner."

"Mic drop," Elise whistled, shaking her head.

Rosalie sent her a scowl and Emmett let out a playful groan, but half an hour later, Elise was eating a steaming plate of Carbonara.

Just how life should be.

—

this is the shortest chapter ever but honestly i'm procrastinating because next chapter is baseball and we alllllll know how that'll go and y'all are NOT READY omg but anyways hope you liked guys i have so much planned for this story kfhkldflsfl buckle up gang buckle UP