The Lounge

Carlisle was sat on one of the soft cream leather sofas, his hand idly tapping against its arm, as he gazed out of the window. It was about seven in the morning, and the rest of the family were mooching about in the house, or in the woods somewhere, and he had just got back from his nightshift at the hospital a couple of hours ago. It was a lovely day outside, the sun was shining brightly already which made a change from the usual rainy weather that his family had been accustomed to in their two year stay at Forks. The downside of this weather meant that he and his family would be unable to go into school, or into the town of Forks, and as it was a Thursday that they would all be housebound, not that it bothered him at all.

He smiled softly to himself, feeling completely content. Life was good at the moment, his adoptive sons and daughters all seemed to be happy with this town, and Edward was no more brooding then usual. His wife was as happy as ever, everything was positive. The shapeshifters were the only ones that really bothered him, but it appeared that as long as his families intentions were peaceful, which of course they were, the two species would be able to coexist without any conflict, which was ideal.

Carlisle pushed himself off his chair, curious to see what everyone was getting up to.

Pushing the handle down of the glass back door, Alice swept into the living room with a smile on her lips. She had just come back from hunting which made her happier as the pain in her throat had died down for now and she had no reason to worry about it at all.

Jasper was also very safe in her visions, and she did love it when none of the family were in danger. Everything was perfect, like it should be.

She saw Carlisle standing in front of the arm chair and she skipped over to him. "I saw you and thought to keep you company." she exclaimed, still smiling.

Alice's carefree smile was always a welcome sight to Carlisle, for it was Alice that the family relied on to alert them if something bad was going to happen, and if Alice was happy it was extremely unlikely anything bad was happening, which was always a reassuring thought. It put his mind at ease.

"I saw you and thought to keep you company."

This was very typical of Alice, always thinking of others, much like the rest of his family, of whom he was so proud of. It was so different from the Volturi, who he had spent a lot of his life with, as a young vampire. This was more... close knit, they all genuinely loved each other, like a real family. It was certainly nothing like the cold indifference with a grudging respect he had at the Volturi. He was infinitely glad that he left them, thinking back on it.

He smiled at Alice, his eyes crinkling around the edges as he spoke, "It's good to see you Alice, did the hunt go well?"

Carlisle sank down onto the armchair opposite the sofa, placing his hands to rest on the armrests as he listened to what Alice had said.

"The shift went well, there were no fatalities, nothing too exciting" Carlisle replied, smiling at the mention of his work, something that had greatly helped him through his early years as a vampire, and something he still found rewarding. It had helped him a great deal with coping with and resisting the bloodlust that had haunted him in his earlier years, and that as a result did not bother him at all anymore.

"Your right about needing to hunt further inland," he added, nodding slightly, "It's been in the local papers recently, about the diminishing number of local wildlife, though I think they're blaming it on cold winter we've just had. Though I agree, it'll become suspicious soon if we continue."

Alice beamed as the closest person to a mother entered the room. She loved Esme, and she knew Esme loved her back in such a motherly way. It was hard for anyone who came across her not to love her, especially any of the Cullens - not that they wouldn't want to. She gave of the certain aura that showed the was ready for you to be close to her, and she already loved you with all her heart.

"I just got back from hunting." Alice explained, giving her a short hug. "And I was just saying to Carlisle how we need to start hunting out of town - just for a while."

She noted the wild flowers, smiling, knowing what she would be doing with them - since she could see.

Esme's worry flowed away like a plug being pulled from her feet. It just drained out.

"okay," she said, perfectly happy to go further. "And yes, Alice," she started with a mock sigh, "you can help make the garlands. I want them pink, purple, yellow, white in a repeating pattern to hang down the curtains at the edge of the window. Of course, you already knew that. But you can help."

Esme pulled her daughter in for second hug, holding her tighter this time and breathing in her soft scent, kissing lightly the hollow in her neck.

"Love you," she whispered quiet enough in her vampire voice for only Alice to hear.

Then she moved to Carlisle. Her smile could have been considered seductive as she approached him slowly for a vampire, and folded him in her arms, kissing him properly this time.

Edward made his way down the stairs at a humanly pace, not feeling the need to rush. Spending too much time in one room tended to take a toll on him, so he decided to see where the rest of the family was.

He could hear the minds of Alice, Esme, and Carlisle as he reached the bottom of the stair case. Turning the corner, he saw them all sitting in the living room talking amongst themselves like any normal family.

They tried acting human in every way possible, which made them feel more at ease with themselves.

Seeing the couch closest to the window open, he walked over and sat down.

"How is everyone today?" he asked, with a elegant smile upon his face.

Alice smiled while moving over to the other couch. She sat down, starting to work on the garlands with the wild flowers that now sat in a basket on the floor.

"Great!" she beamed happily at her brother. He had probably heard their conversion just now from upstairs.

"And yourself?" Alice asked, already almost halfway through one garland for Esme, placing each flower perfectly, making sure the colours all matched.

Edward smiled to Alice "I'm doing well".

It was peaceful in the living room, Alice placing garlands on Esme, and Esme's warming smile in return.

Edward had nothing on the agenda today other then hunting later with Emmett and Jasper. Fork's was a small town, much never happened even with vampires living down the street from the humans.

Looking at the flowers then over to Alice, Edward was wondering why Alice had all those flowers. He chuckled under his breath "You trying to cause bee's Alice" like a bee was any concern to them

Alice knew that joke had been coming. Edward would see that as a mistake.

She continued to smile at him. "They are garlands for the curtains, and since you seem so interested you can help."

Alice stepped over to Edward and dumped the basket of flowers next to him, sitting down beside him on the couch, before giving him a lecture about the order of the different flowers.

Edward pulled his eyebrows together as Alice dumped the basket of flowers next him. There were so many of them laying all over the couch.

"This isn't what I had in mind Alice" he looked at the flowers then back up to his sister.

She began explaining the order of the flowers and how they should be. Edward didn't mind helping Alice out but he enjoyed making her think otherwise.

Edward picked up a few flowers and just looked at them sitting in the palm of his hand. Something so small and delicate was in the hands of something so hard and destructive. It was ironic how that seemed to work out and that made him laugh.

Esme chuckled, hanging a few garlands around Edward's neck and straightening them so they draped perfectly in line over his shoulders. She stepped back, examined her work and giggled.

By now, Alice was blurring through her work and the garlands were almost done.

Esme hung them from the curtains with help from Alice, and went upstairs to find Carlisle, leaving Alic and Edward by themselves.

Edward chuckled as Esme placed the garlands around his neck. It was always nice to see her smile, it was spectacular to witness.

Esme had left Edward and Alice alone downstairs while she went up to Carlisle. Edward was closet to Alice when it came down to his siblings. She was small and sometimes annoying but he still cared for her as a sister.

Edward picked up the rest of the garlands that he had left and placed them beside Alice "There done"

Rosalie strolled in the front doors of the Cullen house and snorted at the sight of Edward wearing flowers.

"Love that on you," she said with just a hint of a smile.

Esme twirled alongside him and put a leftover flower in his hair. Rose cracked, breaking a smile exposing her beautiful white shiny teeth. Her golden curls rippled down her back in entrancing waves, capturing the bright light that shone through the windows just as her skin did, throwing it back in rainbows.

Her usually hard, cold face warmed, as her humored smile warped into a real gleaming, loving smile as she gazed upon her brother fondly.

She looked at the flowers again and shook her head disbelievingly, the humorous smile licking her face again. She perched on one of the cream leather sofas beside Esme, looking up at her happy face and returning her adoring smile.

Edward shook his head side to side at what Rosalie had said.

"Yeah thanks Rose" he chuckled.

The flowers didn't bother Edward so he left them put.

He looked over at Rosalie who was now sitting next to Esme.

"Where's Emmett?"

"He found some grizzlies," Rosalie replied to Edward, rolling her eyes. "Well, I thought I'd let him have his fun and leave him be. Maybe he'll get torn up and burned.

"If we're lucky." She said jokingly.

She could just hear his sarcastic 'Oh, thanks' in the back of her mind.

"So, what's everyone else been up to? 'Part from making garlands," She added, winking at Edward and his new look.

She walked over to Edward and grabbed one of the garlands from his neck. Then, she wove it between the long spikes on his head, so his red-bronze hair was infused with pink and purple and yellow.

"Oh, I love that," Rose said, stepping back and admiring her work. She winked at Esme and Alice, cracking a smile.

Edward let his smile grow as Rosalie messed with the garlands around his neck. He looked pretty ridiculous but he didn't mind it.

"You ladies are having fun with this aren't you" he asked jokingly "Where are the guys when I need them" he laughed

Rosalies loving smile surfaced again on her perfect face, giving the Cullens a rare sight of the beauty that her smile holds. She had been in such a bad mood lately for no evident reason and she felt much better for letting her guard down and messing around with her Brother.
"So you admit that you need them to help you when you are up against us!" She teased him.

"Of course he does! None of them could survive!" Esme called as she breezed down the stairs.

Carlisle trailed behind, being tugged by the wrist, chuckling.

Esme winked at her girls, and went to ruffle Edward's already-messy hair (that was just how he wore it every day. 'fashion', huh!) twiddling with the garlands circling his neck. "Beautiful," she said in a sarcastic, mocking way. She smiled mischievously and winked at him.

"Anyway, we were going to propose a family game of Cluedo later, discounting Edward, though Alice can be included as it's not a thought game, it's a strategy game. Unless we team up and have one on each side... Anyway, agreed? Good!"

And Esme breezed away into the kitchen, dragging Carlisle with her, chuckling lightly. They returned, soon, though, and she broke her grasp on Carlisle's wrist to go and stand beside Rosalie (who was in a surprisingly good mood) and hold her hand.