Darkness Will Come to Light [1]

XXI. Vague Conclusions

Miles into the Olympic Forest, the Cullens came together at their large, decorative table to vote on Melaina's fate.

As leader of the coven, Carlisle started the family meeting by emphasizing the risks of bringing a human into their home. For one, the vampires would lose their save space, their asylum in the woods. Two, Melaina was oblivious to the supernatural world around her.

"As we are all thinking, the next topic of discussion is our immortality and her lack thereof. Alice, have you seen anything about her finding out our secret in the next four years if we take her in?"

Alice paused momentarily to check for any changes in Melaina Jackson's future. "There are many blind spots as the decisions are still being made, but if she does discover what we are, then she will become immortal like us. If she doesn't realize that we are different, then she comes and goes in the next few years."

"That's a vague conclusion, Alice," Rosalie scoffed. "Either she does or doesn't find out that we're vampires. Obviously. How does that help us decide?"

The vampire seer didn't seem bothered by her sister's tone. "What that means is that Melaina can be a part of our family without the interference from the Volturi."

"So, if she finds out our secret, then she's condemned to this life? That's not our choice to make." Rosalie felt for the girl on a level of someone who had been in Mel's shoes. But there was no changing her mind when it came to this life. "She needs to be left alone to make her own choices."

"I already told you, Rosalie, that she will kill herself if we don't intervene."

Jasper spoke up this time, his voice soft and controlled. "How is she any safer with me than where she is now?" No one missed his choice of me over us.

"We can watch over her. And Jazz, my love, I believe in you. She hurts herself to cover the rage and pain inside from her abusive stepfather. You can help her be okay with her emotions again."

"I don't have that kind of control, Alice. To let her into our house is a death wish. Why can't she go into the system where she will be provided with a normal foster family to stay with?"

"She's going to be a big part of this family." Alice looked at every one of her family member before continuing, "All of us give her something that she's never had before. Yes, it will be risky. We will have to be careful ourselves. We will have to care for a self-harming human, but we'll love her. She needs us, and our family can provide for her."

"What if she slips and then we slip?" Alice and Edward exchanged a quick glance at Jasper's words. The future where Jasper attacked Melaina in school was fresh in their minds.

"Her options are this: Mel goes to a human family and kills herself. Mel comes to stay with us and leaves when she's eighteen. Mel stays with us forever as a vampire."

The Cullen family continued to talk of the risks involved, but no one had changed their minds from the start of the conversation. When it came time to vote, every one of the vampires had a solid reason for their decision to accept or decline Melaina into their lives.

"We're going to vote," Carlisle said in his smooth voice, "And the family's majority decision is final. Alice?"

"I saw Melaina in our future, and I'm sticking with it. She is our sister whether she becomes like us or not."

"Jasper?"

The blond soldier brushed his hand across Alice's cheek with an apologetic look in his newly golden eyes. "I don't trust myself enough to see her doing well in our home. I don't want to be the one to ruin us after we get close to her."

"Emmett?"

"I am all for having a new baby sister. You all can be no fun sometimes."

"Rose?"

Emmett's wife glared at the floor as she spoke. "She deserves to be saved, but not by us. We can't take her from her path and make her one of us. You all know it's not what I want for anyone."

"Edward?"

"I hear her thoughts, and I remember the times when I was depressed like she is. Her thoughts get worse as the days go by. She furthers herself from people and takes out her emotions on herself. I think we have the chance to change her for the better, and I can keep monitoring her thoughts for improvements. Maybe if she doesn't get better after a trial period, then we could vote again for her to have a life somewhere else."

"Esme?"

"She's just a child given a harsh life, and we have the power to make it worth living. I couldn't save my baby, but maybe we can save her. Carlisle, if anything, we can put her on a better path where she does not feel alone. We can save her from suicide, like you saved me." Carlisle grasped his love's hand in his own.

"Then we have our final decision. As Edward suggested, we will do a trial period. Melaina's social worker gave us two months to decide if we were the right fit for her, if we decided to bring her into our home."

For the first time since he was changed into a killing machine in 1863, Jasper Hale felt afraid. He forced himself not to spread the feeling through his family. He was afraid that he would disappoint the family. This wasn't just another human life; Alice was already attached to the girl, and Jasper feared breaking his love's unbeating heart if he gave in to his natural instincts. Would Alice ever forgive him if he accidentally-on-purpose killed her new human sister?