Charlie Winters

When Charlie became aware of her surroundings she noticed she was lying on a soft surface. She stayed still waiting for death to take her, she was wondering if he was anything like the version that Terry Pratchett wrote about. But he didn't come. All she could remember was excruciating pain, she felt like she was burning from the inside out. After an indiscernible amount of time she inhaled and could smell freshly fallen rain. She couldn't remember being able to smell that well. Curious she opened her eyes and saw the collar length blonde hair of Carlisle Cullen. She had to admit to being slightly surprised.

"How are you feeling?" he asked though his tone was light she could tell there were some pressing issues on his mind. "I bet your thirsty" Charlotte, who much preferred Charlie sat up on the bed she had been lying on and quickly observed the room. She seemed to be in the Cullen household which was odd as she was sure she had been in the hospital. She hadn't been to their house now in many years, her Mum was close to Dr Cullen and when she had been younger she used to stay at the Cullen place of residence occasionally. She had been prepared to accept death but now she realised where she was she knew that she it was unlikely she would find out about him.

"There is a burning sensation in my throat." Charlie informed him. He nodded his head in acceptance, not mentioning the fact that she had ignored his question completely. "What happened?" she asked, she knew that though her brain wanted to know her heart didn't.

"I was asked to save you" was the reply she received. She had known about the Cullen family quirks since she was young. Her mother had discovered the secret and it only led her mum to trust the family more than she had before she knew. Charlie used to follow him around his household asking questions, she had a feeling now that it may have annoyed him but he was too caring to mention it to her. The questions she had asked were not probing and he was perfectly happy to tell her small meaningless bits of information as she would go home with a huge smile on her youthful. That had been many years before and she hadn't seen him in far too long. He helped her too her feet and she was surprised that the hand she held which was once cold to the touch was now the same temperature. Charlie had a feeling that if he hadn't had hold of her she would have fallen to the floor in shock. He guided her down the elegant staircase and took a seat on the lovely furniture. Her once aquamarine eyes met his golden orbs and Charlie could see regret in his eyes.

"What I am about to tell you is very serious." Though he didn't not have the ability to she could tell that he would be doing so if it was possible. " Your mother died three days ago" Charlie was shocked she didn't know what to do or say. "I am very sorry there is nothing I could do" Charlie wanted to start crying she was actually sobbing but no tears would come. Carlisle heart was wrenching at the sight of the girl he had seen grow up in such grief. She knew that if there was anything he could have done to save her mum he would have done. "She wanted me to tell you she loved you dearly and as a last wish do for you what I refused to do for her." She looked at him surprised. She knew that he would have done anything for her mum she was like a sister to him "there were a few other factors in the desicion to honour your mother's last wishes but they are private and not my secret to tell. She wanted you to survive more than anything and for me to tell you every day that she loves you no matter where she is." Charlie looked at Carlisle in understanding he didn't need to tell her any more she had worked out by now that she was a vampire and that her Mum had wanted this for her so she decided to embrace the opportunity with both hands and remember like her mum always said to look on the bright side.

"Now you will never get away from my annoying questions." Charlie said a smile on her face despite the sorrow in her eyes. When Carlisle saw that look on her face he smiled in return, he knew that she would hurt for at least a few months but Charlie was Charlie and she would eventually be happy again, just as her mum would want her to be.

"I am sure I will live" was his ironic reply she nodded her head as requested that to be escorted while hunting. She knew that she would not have much control to human blood for a while so she was resigning herself to be babysat for a couple of years.

It was hard for Charlie to believe that the conversation she had been recalling had taken place over fifty years ago. The Cullen's, of which Charlie was now one, had moved around Alaska they had only recently left as now Charlie was used to the smell of human blood so it was safe for her to go to school again. She was currently locked in an argument with Emmett. The other Cullen's barely even noticed the arguments anymore, Charlie and Emmett were either fighting or not talking to the other due to an argument that had taken place earlier.

"I HATE YOU!" Charlie screamed at him not noticing the large muscularly man flinch at her words. "You only ever think about yourself! You are the most self-centred..." here Charlie paused and Emmett opened his mouth to reply to her unfounded accusations. However before he could start talking she continued her sentence. "there is not even a word which is appalling enough to describe you with." She shouted, pouring all her frustration at him into every word she said hoping he would understand where she was coming from. Charlie was sure on some level that Carlisle wished he hadn't changed her on that fateful day, Charlie and Emmett upset the harmonic balance that had been in the household before the change.

Emmett had done it this time she was never going to talk to him again. As she stormed upstairs he lay down on the sofa in the living room and stared at the ceiling unseeingly. He could never do anything right where she was concerned. He put his hand in his pocket and took out the beautiful ring he had bought her. As much as he wanted to give this ring to her he knew that it was wistful thinking and he should return it. He had thought that after every argument that the two had taken part in since he bought it but still hadn't returned it.

When Charlie got to her room she started to wreak her room and pull all of her belongings to pieces. She was trying to calm down in one of the few ways she knew how and unfortunately the room which had been lovingly designed by Esme was the first thing in her way. When she had worn out her anger she sat down in the middle of all the destruction. There was smashed glass all over the floor and her once beautiful bed was in pieces. Her head bowed and golden eyes closed not wanting to look upon the destruction within the room any more. She heard light footsteps on the floor and a quiet knock. The reason everyone knock was to give each other a semblance of privacy after all anything that was said by anyone under the roof could be heard by everyone else.

"Can I come in?" Charlie immediately recognised the melodic voice as belonging to Alice so she whispered her acceptance quietly not wanting to disturb the silence which was the one peaceful thing in this destruction. Alice carefully picked her way through the damage that Charlie's anger and produced and sat down next to her in silence. She knew that when Charlie was ready she would speak.

"Alice, why?" was all Charlie said. She didn't need to say anymore Alice understood perfectly. But then Alice always did, she often knew the result of the argument before it happened.

"He doesn't know how to show he loves you" was her reply. There was silence again for a few moments and the Alice continued. "he wants to protect you all costs" was all she added. Charlie didn't know how to respond. She started forming arguments against Alice in her head and she heard Edward chuckling from his room next door.

"You know she is right. Please just give in so I don't have to hear your arguments against Alice. Besides these ones are worst than normal." His laughing at her unarticulated arguments increased as she insulted him in her head for being both nosy and right.

"It is the first day of school tomorrow" Alice informed her, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Do you want to come shopping with me, I need some new things to wear" Charlie was not really a fan of shopping, she never had been, this regrettably contrasted drastically to her love of spending time with Alice which inevitably led to shopping.

"Ok" was her reply though her tone betrayed her feelings about going shopping. They walked down the stairs together and Alice was chatting excitably. She suddenly stopped walking and a blank look came into her eye. Charlie knew that she was having a vision and kept eye on her as she was on the stairs, not that any harm would come to her. Charlie heard Edward and Alice gasp simultaneously and then noticed Alice had finished her vision. Alice now had a large smile on her face and Charlie wondered what it was that she had seen to make the normally cheerful Alice into an ecstatic one.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs which had taken a lot longer than usual Emmett walked out of the kitchen and he accidently shoulder barged Charlie out of the way. Charlie walked out to the car ignoring his attempts to apologise. She sat on the concrete drive way legs crossed hugging her legs to herself. It was obvious to anyone that if she could be crying tears would be streaming down her face.

Alice watched them both a sad look on her face, she knew that they would make up, they always did. She saw Charlie sit down and hug herself on the ground outside and Emmett lay back down on the sofa and look at the ceiling in despair.

"Emmett," Alice said, his head didn't move he only grunted in acknowledgement. "You need to talk to her" there was a very small movement of his head and Alice knew that he would talk to her soon. Alice then made her way outside and saw that there was nothing she could do to help Charlie. So she wrapped her arms around her and guided Charlie back into the house knowing that Charlie would have continued to sit outside if Alice had let her. When they got to the sofa in the living room and Charlie saw Emmett lying on it, she left the arms of the girl she treated as a sister and made Emmett move. She lay on the far side of him, lying mostly on top of him clinging to him for comfort. He just held her content to do so. Alice left to go shopping, there were now many things that she would need to buy.

The two lay there in each other's arms for over an hour in silence. Emmett's arms were wrapped around Charlie and her head was resting on his chest, if he had been alive she would have been able to hear his heart beat. They just lay there taking in the calm of each other and the comfort the other was offering.

"I am sorry" Emmett told her she knew that it was always difficult for him to apologise as it took away some of his ego. Charlie nodded her head acknowledging his apology. "Am I forgiven?" he asked her. She could hear the smile in his voice and she knew if she looked at his dimpled smile she would instantly forgiven. Charlie lay there for ten minutes without moving. She nodded her head slightly, the movement was so little that he wasn't sure that she had forgiven him. After a few more moments lying there she turned her head to look up at him.

"Do you know where Alice is?" Charlie asked him a relaxed smile on her face. He smiled his dimpled smile at her and he knew he was forgiven. She had a feeling that he knew he was completely forgiven for now.

"I think she went shopping without you." Charlie nodded her head. "She probably knew it would take a while before you were back to your normal self." He said. She nodded a smile on her face, sometimes having a sister that could see the future was useful. Charlie then got up and had a quick look around the house. She saw Esme in the kitchen and linked arms with her. Esme instantly knew that Charlie needed to talk to her and the conversation had to take place outside of the hearing range of the rest of the family. "Emmett Esme and I are going for a walk." He nodded his head not asking where or why they were going. Once they were out of hearing range of the house Charlie started talking. " Esme, I am sorry for the state of my room." There was a small grin on her face. Charlie knew that though Esme acted annoyed at Charlie for the state her room ended up in when she was angry. Emse actually enjoyed redesigning Charlie's room, sometimes even Emmett's if she had been in the room during the argument.

"Don't worry about it Charlie. I am sure you didn't destroy everything this time." The warm maternal smile on her face made Charlie feel guilty, she had broken everything. Esme was one of the best role models anyone could ask for. She accepted everything as it was such as Charlie's issues with controlling her anger, or Jasper's issues of controlling his blood lust. But she just accepted everyone as they were and she didn't try and change us. Charlie ignored Esme's comment about her room and she started talking about what was on her mind.

"I don't know what to do anymore." Charlie informed her placing her head on Esme's shoulder looking for some comfort. Esme stayed silent and Charlie assumed that Esme was confused as to what she was referring to. "With Emmett" she clarified. "I mean I just don't know where I stand with him, ever. Look at today, one minute we are arguing like cats and dogs, the next moment I was holding on to him and he was comforting me." Esme looked Charlie amusement in her eyes. Charlie noticed this and asked "What?" Esme smiled and Charlie instantly knew that she wouldn't be told.

"I will leave you too your thoughts. Maybe you should talk to Emmett." Was all she said. Charlie frowned even more confused. "Ask him about your change." Charlie was even more confused but she looked at Esme even more confused. Charlie looked at the clearing that she had been left in and saw for the first time the beautiful waterfall in the corner. Charlie started walking around the clearing attempting to sort out the many thoughts whizzing around her head. She closed her eyes and focused on the relaxing sound of the waterfall.

She went through the argument that she had just forgiven him for. All she could remember was how he looked when he was angry with her. Remembered the heat she saw in his eyes the anger there made her feel like she was the only person in the world in his opinion. His eyes became alive with something that was missing when he wasn't annoyed. She realised what it was. She wished that he always had that look in his eyes. The look was one of passion. Passion that she had caused.

"Hey" Charlie looked over her shoulder and saw the man she had been thinking about. It was then that she had a moment of epiphany. Charlie realised she was in love with him. It was the reason she argued with him so much. She wanted his attention and no attention in from him was bad attention. It was another reason that when they were told by everyone to avoid the other they just couldn't. It was like gravity was pulling her to him. Charlie knew it was pointless to wonder if he felt the same, there was no chance. Not with the way she had treated him. She would just have to get on with it and hope that she would one day get over him.

"Hello" Charlie replied simply and sat down watching the water gushing down the waterfall and into the water below.

"You ok now?" he asked. There was some concern on his face and it made her heart ache. He knew that the reason she had gone out for a walk with Esme, he knew that she needed to talk to her about something. Charlie nodded in response.

"Yes" was her succinct reply. Her mind wandered for a few moments and then settled on what Esme had said to her. "Do you know why I was changed?" she asked him. He looked surprised at the question. I hadn't mentioned it for fifty years. Her Mum's death had affected her for a while but now she was over it, Esme though she would never replace her Mum was one of the best substitutes for her. He nodded his head in silence and saw her curiosity in her eyes.

"Would you like to know?" he asked her. Neither of them looked at the other both were worried that their feelings would be written all over their faces . Charlie nodded her head apprehensively. She had a feeling that whatever was about to be revealed would affect her and Emmett's relationship for a long time. Emmett took in a large unnecessary breath preparing himself for what he was about to reveal. He turned his large body to face her and she copied the movement so they were face to face.

"When you mum died she asked Carlisle to turn you. It was her dying wish." He paused she knew this but she didn't know how the family had come to the decision. "We had a family meeting about it. You had met all of us at one point or another, even if I had only met you once. After that time I knew I didn't trust myself around you." Charlie looked at him even more confused so he decided to explain in slightly more detail. "You were my blood-singer, which made it difficult to be around you. Your smell was so intoxicating so if I knew you were going to be around I made myself scarce. Whenever I left I felt like a coward, but I didn't want to hurt you in any way, you were so innocent so I stayed away." She looked into his eyes and saw the guilt in his eyes. He then continued talking not once breaking eye contact with her. "Though it was your mum's dying wish for you to be saved and made into one of us. Which Carlisle had already promised, Rosalie had an issue with it. At the time I didn't understand why. As everyone else had agreed and the majority rules your Mum's wish was granted." I looked at him confused. Rosalie no longer lived with us, in fact I hadn't seen her since I had become a vampire. He could clearly see the question in her eyes. "before you were changed Rosalie sat down with me and told me she was leaving."

"I am sorry" Charlie interrupted him assuming correctly that she was the cause of the break up.

"Don't worry about it" he told her making her feel slightly better. "no one was feeling happy with Rosalie at that point anyway. She wanted to break a promise to a dead woman and everyone thought she was being selfish." Emmett became pensive and after a few moments of thought he started speaking once more. "I didn't understand why she had left then I recently realised she was right. When you were changing I never left your side though I hated seeing you in that amount of pain I just didn't want to leave you by yourself. Rosalie had seen something that I hadn't. I wasn't in love with her anymore. I hadn't been in love with her for a while, I did still love her but I wasn't in love with her." He sighed and Charlie frowned wondering why his body language had changed to nervousness. "I was in love with someone else." Was all he said. There was a smile on his face and she couldn't help but smile back at him. "The girl who I had fallen for without even knowing it had been turned. I could live for eternity with her." Charlie was confused but didn't say anything. He leant his forehead on hers and closed his eyes. "Charlie I'm in love with you." Charlie opened her eyes in surprise she stared at his face and saw the look of honesty on his face. A grin spread over her face which she had attempted to fight but failed.

" I am in love with you too." Was her reply. She knew she had taken him by surprised as he opened his eyes with a huge dimpled smile on his face. He suddenly placed his hand in his pocket and pulled a small box out. Charlie's eyes became really wide and she looked at him suddenly nervous. He opened the box and inside was a beautiful platinum ring with a small glittering rose upon the band.

"Charlie, I love you so much and I can't live without you, please spend the rest of eternity with me." Charlie tried to take a breath but found it difficult to inhale. It was lucky she didn't need to breath or she may have died from the lack of oxygen. She was completely speechless. His eyes were pleading with her to answer his question. "Please marry me?" he clarified. She didn't need the clarification but she just nodded her head still too shocked to answer. A large smile spread across his face and he rapidly stoop up picking her up and spun her around in joy. He passionately kissed her and she felt like she was on top of the world.

The two of them wouldn't live happily ever after, there is never a happy ending for all of eternity. They would still fight but no matter what happened, it didn't matter as long as they had each other they would get by.