»—— act three. eclipse
☽⋅── PROLOGUE ──decision to move ─⋅☾

Several months later, the atmosphere in the Cullen home had settled into a somewhat more normal pace. Eve and Eleanor had taken up residence, though Eleanor's curiosity about the situation was piqued, but she decided to go along with it without issue.

The house seemed livelier, the absence of tension replaced by a sense of domestic comfort.

The decision to move was not made impulsively but rather was a well-thought-out choice. It had been in the works for quite some time. The process began with a relatively normal day at Eve's workplace.

Eve was tending to a patient, a couple who had been involved in an unfortunate accident while distributing flyers for their missing son. It was a flyer detailing Riley Biers, who had gone missing a year prior.

The mother had handed her the flyer after Eve had finished treating her, "He had just completed his freshman year at Oregon University," the man shared, his voice filled with worry. "He even called us to tell us all about it, about his plans to come home before the next semester started, and then he just disappeared."

The couple spoke with deep concern, their voices filled with worry for their missing son.

"We tried searching for him everywhere we could," the woman recounted, tears forming in her eyes.

Eve listened intently, her memory storing every detail they shared about their son - his future aspirations, his hobbies, his dislikes. A small pang of familiarity tugged at the corners of her memory, echoing subtly.

A few hours later, Eve found herself sitting in her office when Carlisle walked in, his observant gaze noticing the troubled look on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

Eve looked up at him, her expression a mix of sadness and reflection. She handed him the missing person flyer.

Carlisle read it over, his eyes narrowing. "He's only eighteen," he spoke, his voice tinged with sadness. Eve nodded in agreement.

"It's been a year," Eve admitted, her voice laced with a hint of frustration and resignation. "And he's the same age as Eleanor."

"It's understandable to feel this way," Carlisle responded, his hands rubbing soothingly at the tense knots in her shoulders—It was a silent gesture from him asking if there was more bothering her.

Eve hesitated for a moment, her mind grappling with a deeper truth, "It's Victoria," she confessed, her tone laced with a mix of worry and exhaustion. "My instincts keep telling me that she's coming."

Eve's voice spoke with a note of anxiety and fear, her words tinged with concern for her daughter Eleanor, "I can't seem to shake her from my thoughts," she confessed, her gaze meeting Carlisle's.

Carlisle reached for her hand, his touch warm and reassuring. "Why don't you and Eleanor come to stay with us?" he proposed gently.

"Oh," Eve blinked, taken aback by the unexpected suggestion. "What?"

Carlisle elaborated, his voice calm and composed. "It would be safer. For you, Eleanor and even Charlie."

Carlisle's words echoed in her mind, her inner thoughts racing. A flicker of surprise and disbelief flashed across Eve's face. "You want us to move in with you?" she questioned, her voice tinged with a mixture of astonishment and scepticism.

Carlisle nodded, his expression serious yet gentle. He reached for her hand, gently holding it. "Yes," he affirmed, his tone filled with conviction.

"It would alleviate your safety concerns," he continued, his eyes meeting hers.

He then smiled gently and pulled her up to her feet, his arm encircling her waist. "And the thought of seeing you every single day is quite appealing," he confessed.

Eve chuckled, a playful glimmer in her eyes. "Oh, is that your true motive?" she joked.

Carlisle chuckled slyly, his expression betraying a hint of mischief. "Well, I must admit there was a bit of truth in it," he conceded. "Especially after our time living together in New York, that was quite... enjoyable."

A light chuckle escaped Eve's lips as she playfully smacked his chest. "And you do realize the house will hardly provide any privacy for us if we move in," she teased.

Carlisle chuckled in response, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "That is true," he admitted, "but the fact that you and even Eleanor will be safe is what matters most."

A flicker of concern crossed Eve's face as her gaze fell. "But I can't bear the thought of leaving Charlie alone," she admitted, her voice filled with a mixture of worry and sadness.

Carlisle's hand reached out, gently cupping her cheek. He met her gaze with a serious expression. "I think you would hate it more if something happened to Charlie."

Eve sighed, acknowledging the truth in his words. "That's true..." She nodded slowly, her arms wrapping around his neck.

"But there's another issue," she added, a touch of hesitation in her voice.

Carlisle's expression remained attentive as he listened to her words. "Another issue?" he repeated, his voice carrying a note of concern.

Eve tightened the embrace around his neck, her voice tinged with a mixture of thoughtfulness and contemplation. "Eleanor has to agree," she clarified, her eyes meeting his.

A moment of silence passed as Eve's words hovered in the air. Carlisle considered her words and then nodded in understanding.

"I see," he said quietly, his voice tinged with contemplation. "We would need Eleanor's agreement, for sure."

Eve's voice held a touch of concern as she spoke, her words careful yet firm, "When will we tell Eleanor the truth about Victoria?" she inquired, her tone cautious. "She needs to know, Carlisle."

Carlisle's gaze met hers, his touch gentle as he cupped her face. He nodded, understanding her point of view, "You know I won't stop you if you feel you can't keep it hidden any longer," he responded quietly, his expression compassionate.

Eve pondered the idea for a moment before shaking her head. "My instincts are still telling me to hold back," she muttered, her voice tinged with frustration.

"But there is one positive aspect of moving in," she continued, leaning into his chest for comfort. "If we do move in, we'll have more opportunities for research than relying just on our time off."

A playful chuckle escaped Carlisle's lips as he leaned in for Eve's soft lips. However, the sound of the pager interrupted their moment, eliciting a groan from her.

"I hate pagers more than anything," she complained, her eyes fixed on his pager as he pulled it out of his pocket, a wry smile on his face.

...

After work, Eve had taken Eleanor out for a dinner date, but her daughter sensed something was off.

A slight flicker of concern crossed Eleanor's eyes as she noticed Eve's unusually quiet demeanour over dinner, "You're unusually quiet tonight," she observed gently, her voice tinged with a touch of worry.

Eve fidgeted with her fork, her gaze lowered before meeting her daughter's. "It's just a long day," she responded quietly, her voice betraying a hint of weariness.

Eleanor frowned, sensing her mother's unease, but decided not to press the matter just yet. "Maybe you should get some rest, uh wait you did say you don't actually need sleep,.." she suggested softly, her voice gentle yet concerned.

Eve's fingers fidgeted with her silverware, her gaze briefly avoiding her daughter's. "It's just been a long day, that's all," she replied quietly, her voice tinged with a hint of exhaustion.

Eleanor studied her mother's expression, sensing there might be more to it than mere tiredness. "Is there something else on your mind?" she asked delicately.

Eve hesitated for a moment, her weary eyes meeting Eleanor's gaze with a trace of hesitation. She sighed lightly before speaking again.

"There's... something that needs to be discussed," she continued, her voice tinged with an air of resignation.

Eleanor's curiosity was further piqued, and she leaned in slightly, her mother's words leaving her feeling apprehensive. "What is it?" she inquired delicately, her voice filled with a soft yet expectant tone.

Eve lifted her eyes, meeting her daughter's gaze as she prepared to disclose something significant. "How would you feel," she began delicately, "if I said that Carlisle had asked us to move in with them?"

Eleanor caught up in the moment mid-bite of her sandwich, nearly choked on her food. Her eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. "Wait, what?! Did Carlisle propose?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with shock.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Eve interjected hastily, waving her hands to calm her daughter's whirlwind of questions. "No, no, no," she clarified quickly, her cheeks flushing slightly. "It's not about marriage yet, El."

Eleanor interjected with a smirk, pointing out the long history between Eve and Carlisle.

"Well, Mom," she playfully teased, "technically you've known each other for centuries."

Eve corrected her gently, blushing slightly. "Only I knew him long ago," she admitted, "he didn't know me then. And we've only been together for a year and a half."

Eleanor shrugged, a nonchalant expression on her face. "So what if you two will be together for a long time? What's wrong with getting married now?"

Eve sighed softly, amused by her daughter's persistent questions. "Honey, we're not talking about marriage right now," she clarified, her tone tinged with a touch of weariness.

Eleanor rolled her eyes playfully. "Mommm," she whined, leaning against the kitchen counter with mock despair, "come on! I'm just saying, a year and a half is pretty serious."

Eve chuckled lightly, shaking her head in amusement at her daughter's retort. "Right, talk to me about relationships when you and Edward finally decide to actually start dating."

Eleanor quickly changed the subject, sensing the direction of their conversation. "So, about moving in," she began, steering the discussion back towards the topic at hand.

Eve chuckled seeing her daughter's intention,  she then began to explain briefly, only giving a partial truth. "We thought it was a good idea; it'll give Carlisle and me more opportunities to research my past being under the same roof."

Eleanor studied her for a moment, her eyes narrowing in scepticism. "Really? That's all it is?" she questioned, her tone hinting at disbelief.

Eve nodded, still munching on her food. "Yes," she confirmed matter-of-factly.

Eleanor rolled her eyes, her previous suspicion dissipating. "Fine, sure, why not," she replied, her expression shifting to one of excitement. "Living in a fancy house sounds amazing anyway."

Eve chuckled at her daughter's enthusiasm, knowing that Eleanor was only looking forward to the luxurious living arrangements. "Yeah, it does sound pretty cool, doesn't it?" she conceded, a hint of amusement in her voice as she took another bite of her food.

Eleanor glanced up at her, a sly smile playing on her lips. "And who knows," she added after a moment, "it might give you and Carlisle a chance to...explore each other a bit more."

Eve shot her daughter a disapproving glare, her cheeks flushing with a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance. "Eleanor Emily Demeter!," she scolded, her voice tinged with reproach.

Eleanor continued to chuckle, clearly amused by her mother's predicament. "What?", she asked again, her tone feigning innocence, "I'm just joking."

Eve let out a resigned sigh, shaking her head in disbelief at her daughter's audacity. "You're playing with fire, you troublemaker," she warned, a mixture of amusement and exasperation in her voice.

Eleanor shrugged innocently. "I'm just messing around, Mom. Lighten up," she teased, still chuckling at the sight of her mother's flustered state.

"You're a menace," Eve declared with a hint of amusement, rolling her eyes at her daughter's playful demeanour.

Eleanor flashed her a cheeky grin, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "And you love me anyway."

Eve couldn't help but crack a smile at her daughter's words, her stern expression softening slightly. "You're lucky I do," she replied, a mixture of fondness and resignation in her tone.

Eleanor's grin widened, clearly enjoying the banter. "Yeah, I know, Mom," she teased, sticking her tongue out at her mother playfully.

The two women's conversation was suddenly interrupted by the sound of the television in the diner. They stopped mid-sentence, their attention now drawn to the news.

As they continued to watch the news report on the sudden rise of missing person cases, an uncomfortable silence settled between Eve and Eleanor. It was a stark contrast to the light-hearted conversation they had been engaged in just moments before.

Eve's face held a mixture of concern and guilt, her thoughts visibly troubled. She fidgeted with her silverware, her gaze occasionally darting back to the television screen.

The atmosphere in the diner grew heavy as silence enveloped Eve and Eleanor. They were both deep in thought, their minds fixated on the news report about the missing person cases.

Eve nodded in agreement, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. The seriousness of the news report weighed heavily on her mind. "It's beyond awful," she replied grimly.

Eleanor nodded, her expression solemn. "It's scary as hell," she agreed, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "The police have no leads, and every missing person file they find is just another tragedy."