Angels and Monsters

Maria was busy working over the stove making Adeline's dinner , when the kitchen door opened and two people entered. She whipped around quickly. She was not used to having people in here and the fact that they were uninvited made her heart pump with adrenaline , especially since she lived in a castle with a bunch of vampires. When she faced her visitors she saw a man and woman , they were beautiful and though they did not they oppose a threat , Maria still felt very scared but the blonde headed man put his hands out in a ‘we mean no harm gesture’ and then said “ I’m sorry I didn't mean to cause any problems , we were just visiting Adeline and decided to have a look around”
“That's alright , it's just we’re not used to visitors down here and if there are well it's never for the best reasons... Wait did you say you we're visiting Adeline?”
“Yes”
“Alec only mentioned Rosalie”
“The whole family came, Rose has missed Adeline a lot”
“Yes I can imagine, where are they now?”
“Out in the garden” Maria nodded and then hesitantly asked “you are all vegetarians .. It's just that I trust you all , I’m just a little cautious about Adeline”
“Yes we’re all vegetarians” Esme said and then after an awkward pause asked “Do you need any help with cooking? I can hardly imagine you get a lot of help around here” and with that the three of them remained in the kitchen for the entire afternoon.

At six o’clock Maria called Adeline in for dinner , but before she did she looked out of the window and watched the small girl laughing with people she could consider parents and Maria felt saddened once again about Adeline’s tragic loss. She opened the door and called and Adeline laughed before calling back “Ok Maria I’ll be in two seconds” and then she held her arms up for Rosalie to carry her in. Rose chuckled and picked her up and said “Lets go wash your hands.” Rose carried her into her bathroom and helped her wash her hands, and then took her in the kitchen, where the entire Cullen family where sitting. Adeline sat by the only bowl of food and began eating her food “So did you have a good day Adeline ?” Maria asked, Adeline nodded largely before grinning and saying “It was the best” , Maria smiled and said “That’s good sweetie”
“Where’s Alec?” Adeline asked innocently , her big blue eyes twinkling. “I don’t know sweetie , but I’m sure he’ll be along soon,” Adeline nodded , but everyone could see the drop in her mood. The Cullen family however made her feel better and told her stories and made her giggle , until she feel asleep on Rose’s lap. Rose stroked her hair and kissed her forehead “I should probably take her to bed” Maria said getting up , but Rose said “Do you mind if we do it?”, Maria smiled and said “Of course.” Emmett and Rose walked down the corridor, carrying the sleeping child in their arms. Rose put her pyjamas on her and they tucked her into her bed that made her look tiny. Rose bent down and stroked her ivory cheeks and whispered “You’re so beautiful , little angel , I wish you were mine , I love you so much and I’ll protect you forever , my beautiful little angel” she kissed her head and hugged Emmett close , who hugged her back and they both looked at the little girl they loved so much , who could never fully be theirs. “Can’t we take her with us ? ” Rose asked knowing the answer already. Sadly Emmett answered “You know we can’t , she unfortunately belongs here”
“But she’s so alone , I know she has Maria and Alec , but she has no friends her own age , she has no friends, she’s a child in an adult’s world.” Just as they said their last good byes , Alec came through the door “Oh , what are you doing here?”
“We were saying good night to Adeline , that’s not a crime is it?” Rosalie hissed with anger and her and she stormed out , dragging Emmett with her . Alec rolled his eyes and sat in his chair like always , watching his beautiful Adeline sleep peacefully.

When she woke up the next morning she saw diamonds. No not diamonds. It was like glitter . And when she opened her eyes fully she saw sun streaming in through the window onto Alec and she giggled “Alec you’re all sparkly” , he did not looked amused , she pouted at him and he smiled at her , she clambered out of bed and onto his lap and asked “Why weren’t you at dinner?”
“I was busy” he muttered
“Too busy for me” she whispered hurt, he hugged her and kissed her head and said “Adeline I lied I wasn’t busy I just thought you’d want to be with Rose and the others on your own”
“I always want to be with you” she said leaning on his chest. He smiled wide and said “good because I always want to be with you, I love you, now go get dressed”
“Ok , I love you too” she said and ran off to get dressed. When she reached the kitchen , she found Edward sitting reading a newspaper and Maria making her breakfast “Hey Edward” she said sweetly
“Hey Adeline” he said smiling at the blonde angel. She sat in front of her fruit salad and began eating “where’s everyone else?” she asked curiously , Maria put a croissant and jam and butter in front of Adeline and then went to go and tidy Adeline’s room . “Well Carlisle and Esme are seeing Aro and Marcus and the others have gone shopping”
“Why didn’t you go?”
“They’re all couples , I just don’t want to hang around with them all the time”, Adeline nodded and then said “Why aren’t you married Edward?” , he chuckled and then said “Because I haven’t found a girl I love yet, hey why don’t I marry you?” he joked
“No I’m marrying Alec” she said seriously
“Are you now?” she nodded “Does Alec know this?” she shook her head and said “But he will do.” Edward laughed and then Adeline asked “When you do get married , if that ever happens , will you bring her here so that I can meet her”
“Of course I will, you can be a bridesmaid”
“Really!”
“Yeah if you want”
“Yay! Yay! I ’m going to be a bridesmaid” she said dancing around the room happily. “Woah , calm down Adeline I’m not getting married yet”
“Yeah but when you do I get to be a bridesmaid, but you have to marry someone pretty and clever and fun , because I won’t like her if she’s boring and you can’t marry her if I don’t like her”
“Ok I wont marry anyone you don’t approve of” , she nodded and finished of her breakfast.

She spent the rest of the day playing the piano with Edward , as she had no lessons because Marcus was with Carlisle. At 3 o‘clock however , their playing ceased when the younger Cullens arrived , laden with gifts. “Adeline!” Emmett called to her and she ran over to the man she thought of as her father and he swept her up into his arms and gave her a huge hug , careful not to crush her tiny frame. He let her go over to Rosalie who was carrying thousands of bags . “What are all those bags?” Adeline asked curiously ,
“Well they’re presents , but I can’t remember who for, Alice who were they for again?” , Rosalie said hugging Adeline hello. The girl with a pixie crop said “Hmmm I can’t remember , I think it was for a little girl”
“With blonde hair , I seem to recall” Jasper said smiling ,
“I think it might have been Jane” Emmett joked
“Why did you buy presents for Jane?” Adeline asked crossly , they all laughed and Rosalie tickled Adeline and said “ They’re for you silly, go on open them” Adeline gasped , she only got a few presents from Alec and Maria at Christmas and her birthday , she had never seen this many gifts in her whole life and she had not seen half this many for her. “Really, they’re for me?”
“Yes sweetie , we’re going home today , so we wanted to give you a few things before we go, go on open your presents!” Rose encouraged her. With a cheeky smile , she opened one of the many bags , she gently tore open the pink tissue paper to reveal a necklace with a rose charm “Thank you , I love it” she said hugging Rosalie , who put the necklace around her neck. The next presents that followed were books upon books , all Edwards suggestions including ‘Grimm’s Fairytales’ , clothes from every designer store that sold children’s wear from Alice and Jasper , though Adeline suspected that most of the choice’s were Alice’s and toys upon toys from Rosalie and Emmett and she loved every single one of her presents . She hugged them all thank you and then went to sit on Edward’s lap and then Rosalie came over to her and said “This is your last present and it’s the most important one , you have to take good care of it, will you do that for me?”
“I promise I’ll look after it”
“Good” Rosalie said stroking her cheek and then handed her a small black box. Adeline took the box graciously and opened it to see a small thin silver angel ornament. “This is your guardian angel and she’ll look after you and protect you when we’re not here or Alec or Maria, and if you put her by your bed she’ll keep you safe” Rosalie explained
“Thank you , she’s beautiful”
“That’s ok angel, but sadly we have to go home now” Rosalie said turning to the door where Carlisle and Esme were now standing. “I don’t want you to go” she said blubbering , Rosalie took her off Edward’s lap and pulled her close burying Adeline’s head into her shoulder and said “I don’t want to go either darling , but you have your angel and whenever you see her you’ll be able to think of us , I love you so much little one”
“I love you too” Adeline kissed her cold cheek and was then brought up into a hug from Emmett , “Hey now wipe away those tears , you’ll see us again, I promise” he kissed her forehead and she hugged him tight and whispered “I love you Emmy”
“I love you too Adeline” , she kissed his cheek and hugged the others goodbye and when she was hugging Edward goodbye she whispered “Remember you promised I’d be a bridesmaid”, he chuckled and said “And you will be when I eventually find someone I love”
“You will , I know you will , you’ll get married before I do”
“I should hope so” he chuckled and kissed her forehead and then let her down and into Maria’s arms, who held her while she cried , waving goodbye to her family.

That night as Adeline’s was jumping up to shut her curtains Alec came in , “Alec can you help me close the curtains , I can’t reach”
“Yeah” he walked over and held her up and she pulled the curtains shut. He let her down and then looked around her room to see piles of books and toys “What are all those?”
“They’re called books and toys Alec” she said smartly , while brushing her long locks on her bed. “Very funny Adeline , no I meant where did you get them from?”
“From the Cullens”
“Of course” Alec muttered under his breath. “You know if you wanted more stuff , you could of just asked me , I’ll buy you anything and everything you want”
“I know and I didn’t ask for any of it , they gave it to me as presents.”
“Great” he said rolling his eyes, she clambered of her bed and reached for the largest book and looked up at Alec and asked “Can you read me one of the stories please?”
“Of course” he said and she ran into her bed and under the covers and looked happily at him. He sat in his chair and said “Which one?”
“A good one” she said and snuggled into her pillow. “Ok , what about sleeping beauty?” Adeline nodded and listened to the story with eagerness and once the story was finished she fell into a deep sleep. Alec put the book back and kissed her goodnight and as he was going to sit in his chair , he saw something on Adeline’s desk side table, he picked it up. It was a guardian angel. She did not need the angel . She had had one her entire life.

It was late summer and Adeline was enjoying the last few days of sunshine in her garden , she was skipping with a rope and Alec was sitting on a bench in the shade reading a book . She stopped her skipping and asked him “Alec what’s the world like?”
“That’s a big question Adeline, could you be more specific”
“Fine , we live in Italy”
“Yes”
“ Well what’s Italy like?”
“Beautiful , its different everywhere , there are the big old cities and then there’s the countryside with fields upon fields and there’s the beaches with white sand and clear blue water and then there’s lakes and the food I’ve heard is nice and the buildings have lots of character, Adeline you know you can find this all out in books”
“I know” she said sadly “I just wonder, will I ever , you know ever see it for myself” , Alec hated this , her being trapped in this ancient castle. “Come here” he said to her and she ran over to him and sat next to him and looked up at him “Adeline I promise that when you’re older you’re going to see the whole world”
“But why do I have to be older? All the children I read about they go and see the world and some of them are even younger than me, its not fair , what I have I done wrong?”
“Adeline you haven’t done anything wrong , you’re special”
“How am I special?” she said folding her arms
“You are so special Adeline trust me, how many other children get to live in a castle?”
“From what I’ve read only a few , but I don’t know that much since I’ve never been outside these four walls” she glared at him. His guilt crept up on him again and grabbed him by the shoulders shaking him back to reality , neither of them said anything for a while. “Adeline you have no idea how much I wish you could see the world now” he said looking at the fountain full of pure water that went round in an ever lasting cycle , instead of her, “But its not in my power to let you go.”
“Why not!”
“Because I am not in charge , Aro is and what he says is final”
“That’s not fair , why am I not allowed to see the world?” she said angrily. He grabbed her chin and looked into her eyes and said “Adeline look at me” , she shook her head “Adeline please look at me” she lifted her blue eyes to look directly into his burgundy ones and he took a deep breath and then said “Outside these walls , vampires are seen as mythical monstrous creatures and we cannot let the secret of our existence out and to protect our secret we must make sure that the few humans who know about us either keep quiet or join us and that is why you cannot go outside , I will not have you join us , so Aro says you must be kept quiet.” He expected her to cry , or at least glare but she just nodded and said “Ok.”