Two Edges of One Sword (Carlisle Cullen/Reader/Charlie Swan)

IV

You looked out the window and couldn't help but let your jaw drop.

The car jolted slightly, and it rolled into a stop. Looking outside, the foliage welcomed you into a momentous-looking home, decorated neatly with modern windows on its sides. Dr. Cullen clicked his keys out of the ignition, letting the car's hum die naturally.

"Excuse the introduction," he chuckled, "I try to remain humble."

Your head whipped around to face him and you opened your mouth to question him. However out of the corner of your eye, you spot the door of the home slide open. The two of you halt for a moment when two people exit out.

"Try not to say anything if you can," you hear Dr. Cullen murmur.

A woman with long, dark-hair strides across the lawn and approaches the car, behind her a younger-looking woman with shorter hair. She reaches your window and stops, then points to you to put it down. You glance at Dr. Cullen and he nods to you, giving you the go-ahead. You swallow and press the button, the window gradually slipping down.

"Carlisle, where have you been? It's been dark out for hours now. We haven't heard from you since this afternoon, we were terribly worried." The woman places a hand on the car's window sill and looks past you, straight to the man sitting in the driver's seat.

All he says is, "I apologize, Esme."

"Who is this?" Her eyes flick to you and you can feel her scanning you for a moment before her eyes widen and she brings a hand to her dismayed face. "Oh my goodness, your eye... what happened?"

"This is one of my patients," he gestures to you, "we met only earlier today. I was returning home from the office when I heard her screaming for help in an alleyway." He points to you. "She's got a bruise on her eye, it'd be wrong to not help her."

The two women silently stare at him for a few moments.

"Carlisle..." the woman sighs after a moment. "While you are kind enough to help this girl, shouldn't you have taken her to a... proper doctor?"

Dr. Cullen raised an eyebrow and offered an almost smug smile. "Are you saying I'm not proper?"

"It-It's just that," the girl behind the woman butted in, her head now poking in through the car window. She didn't seem to pay any attention to you. "Jasper is here, and so is Edward..."

"Edward can control himself, I doubt he'll pay her a second thought," He turns and opens the car door, stepping out and standing before saying, "Alice, you and Jasper can be with me. He can learn how to control himself as well." He giggles at his own sentence.

The girl doesn't say anything, only nods in response. She glances at you for a second and you stare back. Only then do you realize you've both stared a little too long. She clears her throat.

"Excuse me," and she swipes her head back out the window. You gulp and watch her walk back inside, hands to her side.

"Carlisle," the woman finally says again, "I don't think it's a good idea for her to be here."

Dr. Cullen laughs. "Don't be rude, Esme."

She frowns but doesn't say anything. She stands there for a moment, then you watch as she turns to join the other woman inside, and after a moment, she is gone inside the house as well.

"Don't mind my wife and daughter," Dr. Cullen casually saunters over to your door and swings it open for you. You hesitantly step out and let it slam shut behind you. "They're the socially awkward type," and he smiles softly. You couldn't help but return it, albeit more somber than his own.