Absolución teaser from chapter 15

"I must give you credit, Carlisle, for your choices," Caius said snidely. "You choose to be a doctor. You choose to only give our gift to those dying. You choose when to break your own standards when you conveniently find a human who will clearly be outstanding in our world. I wonder how many dying humans you have really changed?"

Carlilse spun to face him, horrified that anyone could even think like that. He and Caius had never had any sort of friendship beyond polite acquaintances, but they had at least had respectful regard toward one another. He had never realized the true depth of Caius' ruthlessness.

"You know I would never do anything like that," Carlisle said trying to keep the sharpness from his tone.

"Do I? Hmm." Caius continued to needle him in a blatant attempt to prove to the Guard once and for all the real dangers the Cullens represented. "Did you choose to become a teacher to evaluate the young humans to swell your ranks then? Find more of those who would be gifted? Indoctrinate their minds early into your way of thinking?"

Carlisle gaped at him now understanding the depth of the paranoia within Caius that Rolle had warned them about. He saw now how easily Caius' rumormongering could have pushed Aro into action and created these suspicions within the Volturi guards that would encourage them to act on their own.

Absolución teaser from chapter 14

Aro stopped suddenly and met Caius' intense expression. "And what would you do exactly?"

Rage flashed in Caius face at the perceived disdain Aro was implying. Of the three of them, Caius was the only one without powers and it dug in his side like a festering thorn.

Aro allowed his intentional needling to linger a moment before saying the exact opposite to support another option entirely. "If I disappear, then you will have your answer. You will know the boy is too dangerous to keep, and you can do with him what you will."

Absolución teaser from chapter 13

"So you are the one who attacked Carlisle's coven?" Aro's words were matter of fact, but his tone was stiff. "And the one who reportedly killed our own Demetri!" he added with a curious light in his eyes. His voice almost sang as his hands clapped together.

Absolución teaser from chapter 12

"And, Carlisle, I want you to swear that you will not leave me alone in this existence. Don't protect me if you put yourself in harms way. Don't push me away when I stand beside you. You promised we would be together forever... and I can't...." Her voice shook again and she stopped to dig deep for her strength to say what needed to be said. "I can't bear the thought of it without you."

"Esme...!" Carlisle cried softly. His heart broke at her words.

"You promise me that we'll be together forever, even in death," she said so low her voice was barely a hiss. She couldn't stand even the thought of it and she dropped her head onto his shoulder.

"Shh," Carlisle soothed, stroking her soft caramel hair. "Shh." He kissed her hair, nuzzling his nose against her until her gentle shuddering stilled. "I have no wish for death, my love," he assured her. "I just feel lost. Like time has swept me up and spun me til I'm disoriented and dropped me to the ground again. I'm only stumbling, Petal, but never doubt that you are, and have always been, the reason I haven't fallen."

Esme raised her head from his shoulder searching his face for reassurance.

"I swear to you, we will always be together," he said earnestly. "In this life or another."

Shh! It was a SECRET!

Back in December, Lola and I worked on her "Gift Exchange fic", but I couldn't tell anyone about it until after the gifts had been revealed. This was written for ScarlettLetters.

I even tried my hand at making a banner for this story when I found this ridonk awesome-funny picture of a mitten sweater.

Absolución teaser from chapter 11

Carlisle's eyes were apologetic and sad, but he smiled and brought Bella's fingers to his lips, kissing them as he reached out to cup her cheek in his hand.

"You always surprise me," he said, his voice breaking. He looked around at his family. "All of you. Each one of you..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "So remarkable, so full of love." He looked at Rosalie, then Emmett. "Fiercely loyal, and so compassionate." His eyes wandered around the room to Alice, Jasper and Edward. "So bright, strong, determined."

"You gave us that," Esme whispered, leaning over her husband's chair.

Carlisle shook his head. "No, you were always like this. All of you."

"You nurtured those things in us," Rosalie said unexpectedly. "You made it... safe for us to be those things," she added quiet and uncomfortable, but wanting him to know the truth.

Emmett beamed up at his wife, rising to stand with her and pulled her into his arms.

Surprise and gratitude colored Carlisle's face. As he gazed at Rose, it all melted into affection. He looked back at the gentle fingers still caught in his own, and looked up at Bella's expectant face.

"We have a friend to help," he said simply, and Bella's face broke into a warm smile.

Absolución teaser from chapter 10

Alice took a long slow breath as if it caused great exertion. "This is how it starts," Alice whispered back.

"How what starts?" Bella asked before remembering what Alice had said about happiness and worry going hand in hand. She had said that when you're happy, your only worry was losing that happiness. Bella stroked Alice's hair and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you," Alice said.

"I love you, too, Alice," Bella told her and squeezed her tighter, before asking again, "Please tell me what you see."

"The Romanians will be here in less than an hour," Alice whispered. "They're going to tell us what they know about Rolle, and then Carlisle will decide that it isn't safe for anyone if Rolle stays with the Volturi so he'll go to Italy."

Bella tried to understand the worry behind Alice's vision, but could not find it. "Why is that bad?"

Alice started to shake in Bella's arms. "I don't see him coming home," she breathed, her voice filled with fear.