Midnight Sun ❖ (Embry Call - The Twilight Saga)

2.05

Three heavy knocks suggested that Carlisle had made his way over to the Call residence and in the swiftness of three seconds, overtime raced to open the door. It was Paul who had successfully managed to push everybody out of his way, opening the cream-white front door to somebody just a pale. Paul nodded before stepping aside to let Carlisle inside, gently shutting the door behind him.

     "Carlisle." Emilio breathed, his hands fidgeting slightly as he gained sight on his old friend, unsure whether the label would still apply or not.

Carlisle nodded, taking in his presence. "Emilio."

     "Wait. You both know one another?" Gracie asked, flicking her gaze between her father and Carlisle.

     "A long time ago." Emilio spoke softly, only to his daughter.

     "A really long time ago." Carlisle added. "It's good to see you again, with your family."

Jared's crunch of a rice cracker was loud over the piercing silence, everyone turning to him in annoyance.

     "Gee, sorry!" Jared sat up straight, balancing the packet of crackers on the arm of the chair. "Can't blame me for being a little hungry."

     "You're always hungry." Gracie said finally before resuming her questions to Carlisle. "Why didn't you tell me you knew my real father?"

Carlisle looked down. "You had no recollection of your past. I respected what you didn't know, for your own safety."

     "Fair enough," Embry hoarsely whispered, looking at his wife who wore a sympathetic face. "It's not like that prevented anything from happening to her."

Ignoring Embry's comment, Sam decided to speak up. "Hunters. What do you know about them?"

     "I have come across a few in the past; highly skilled, fearless and will not stop until their prey is dead. They're just as deadly as the newborns we fought." Carlisle answered.

     "and won." Paul cheered.

     "Don't set yourself up to fail." Emilio said just before Carlisle could say anything, exchanging a nod to recognise each others concerns.

The baby began to cry loudly from his room, waking up from his slumber.

Embry got up with a heavy sigh. "That's my cue to leave this dead end of a conversation."

Emilio looked to his daughter, waiting until Embry had left the room completely.

     "You couldn't have picked something with more optimism?"

Gracie looked to Sam first before Emilio. "He's out of sorts because we finally had peace. The first chance of having a normal life and we're back to this. Hiding and living in fear. He almost lost me more than once. He's frightened. We all are."

     "So, what's the plan?" Sam asked, standing up from his seat.

—-

A week had passed, the flowers in full blossom. The warmer weather was gracing through here and there and with that came a few thunderstorms so loud that little Riley cried and screamed just as deafening as the thunder claps. Emilio was able to stay at the Cullen's house, since they had more room than the homes on the reservation. Embry hadn't mellowed down at all - his stress seemed to gain more and more each day. And he had every reason to. Every night Embry would confess to Gracie how scared he was to lose the only people he's ever had a real connection to and scared of the wolves to whistle when it was time. The hoped they'd never hear it, but reality called the next day.