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Fenella's POV

𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐈𝐕 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐄. Yet another infection had brought me to the hospital. Thankfully this time Mom was there to drive me to the emergency room. The doctors there already knew me, they had for years. Their only patient with my issues. Those same doctors were sometimes pessimistic about my condition, even pitiful, but I thought my life was alright. I would have to live with my Mom for the rest of my life, but she and I could just work from home.

Things weren't as bad as everyone made it out to be. I likely wouldn't be alive for very long, but that's okay. Death is a natural part of life, and my life will not be spent crying about my short lifespan. Self-pity was not an option.

"Hey, sweetie," Mom said, holding my hand, "You're finally up. doctor Inelli said that you'll be good to go tomorrow. We both wanted to talk to you about something."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere." Mom did not laugh. I hadn't heard her laugh in a while, barely letting out a single chuckle since Dad died. I'm pretty sure they were soulmates, with just how beautifully they worked together. I missed him as well, but he would have wanted me to be happy, to live after him with happiness and humor. "I'm always open to talking with them, you know. If you're uncomfortable with all the doctors you can just say something."

"It's not that, sweetie." Her face turned to a slight frown as she sighed. "This is something I have to be here for. It... Just wait until you hear about the opportunity. It would require you to go a bit far away."

No more words were exchanged between the two of us before doctor Inelli came in. She was one of those doctors that no matter what remained happy. Mom found her to be one of the best due to that very fact. I didn't know much about her, but she knew almost everything about me and my condition.

"Ah, another one," doctor Inelli said with a happy hitch in her voice, "We're happy to see you healthy again."

"Thank you." She smiled and went over to her little computer and chart. "Mom says that you have another treatment idea for me and that it involves me going somewhere."

"Of course. There's a doctor up in Forks, Washington has given you a chance to try out a new treatment. He's the closest certified doctor." I hummed. "Doctor Carlisle Cullen has even offered to host you in his house, if that would be okay with you. It's new, which means that you would need to be monitored to make sure that your body doesn't reject the stuff."

"Fenella, this is up to you. Carlisle was a very good friend of your... father. I trust him," Mom informed, "They have their family up there as well. You would have your own room, your own bathroom, and go to the school their teenage foster kids go to. It's a small town, quiet, off the map."

I nodded, knowing that if I had a chance at prolonging my life or making my Mom happy, I would take it. If I could get better, even just a bit, it would take so much stress on her. After everything that she's done for me, it's all I can do. Maybe she could take some time for herself. I mean, she's been watching me like a hawk for the past eighteen years.

"When can I go, doctor Inelli?" I ask.

"The closest that they can get you in is three days from now. Time to get all your clothes and such together, or anything you want to take with you."

"Any other things I should know?"

"You're all set, miss Nash. You know the drill."

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𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐒, 𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐎𝐍

Carlisle's POV

𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐍, 𝐈 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 𝐈 𝐆𝐎𝐓. It wasn't often that our coven found ourselves together in the living room, with at least one person heading off to their room for some alone time. Mostly Edward. My son likes reading there. Sometimes I can hear him playing piano. Nevertheless, things were peaceful.

That was, until Alice's eyes glazed over.

"Alice?" Edward asked his adopted sister, using his gift to see what was going on. His jaw dropped as Alice started giggling, a smile plastered on her immortally young face. "That can't━ What?"

My daughter came out of her stir, joyous as ever. "This is the best news ever!"

"How the..." Edward trailed off, just looking at the floor, visibly confused.

"What did you see, Alice?" I asked. Her gift had helped us find new people or new bonds, so perhaps she had found someone, or something good for the coven. "Or who, from the sound of it."

"Carlisle I just saw her! She'll be here in town! Bleached blonde hair and doe eyes! She's so pretty. I think my heart is starting to beat again! Can I come see her? When can I see her?" Alice peppered me with questions. My coven turned to me, with Esme raising an eyebrow. "Please let me see her!"

"I don't even know who you're talking about, Alice," I tried to explain, "You haven't told me who you're talking about. Who is she?"

"I haven't heard a name," Alice admits, sprawling out across her mate, "Another mate, by the pull. Oh, Carlisle, it was terrible what I saw. In a hospital. She had been hurt! I didn't see everything, but I know that the doctor mentioned coming to Forks. How amazing! A shared mate for all of us! I'll spoil her to death."

Letting out a deep sigh, I realized just who was coming to our town this week. Fenella Nash, the daughter of one of my old patients, only a mere eighteen years old and terminally ill. If Alice is saying what I think she's saying...

"Sweetie, do you know who it is?" I nodded, sighing once more. I didn't think I would ever find my second mate, or have another patient as my mate. By luck or by the fates, Alice had brought us together. "Wait, Alice, did you say shared mate? As in all of us?"

"Not uncommon for many covens, but rare for a coven of our size," I said, reclining back on the couch, "The Volturi have one as well. Mated to all of the members, some of which are mated to each other. Aro said once that she is what binds them all together, keeping the peace and harmony. Although, Fenella is━"

Emmett cut me off, "Fenella? That's her name? Sounds like vanilla."

"That's our mate you're talking about, babe," Rose chastised her own mate, "Don't be mean to your future girlfriend. And mine. She's definitely mine as well. Don't harass my mate, Em."

"I wasn't!" Rosalie rolled her eyes, scowling.

"Edward will finally have someone," Jasper notes, "You're not forever alone, Ed."

"Very funny, Jaz." Edward rolled his eyes, taking the T.V remote, turning off our large television. "A shared mate should be good. We'll all have to share."

"What are you trying to say, Edward?" Rosalie sounded very offended. "I'm going to share her as long as everyone else does. That's what we do as a coven. To suggest otherwise━"

"I don't think that's what Edward was trying to say, Rose." Esme quelled the conflict. "Edward was just giving out a warning, just in general. Not projected at you or anyone in particular. We'll all love and protect her with all we have."

"Fenella will be here in three days, and is supposed to be staying in our house." I was met with some hard stares from Edward, Rose, and Emmett. "Okay, I know I should have told you that a human would be in the house, but it was a sudden thing and I knew her father. It was the least I could do for Anaya. If anything, I believe it will give us all a chance to get to know our mate, get her used to vampires and our lifestyle."

"Wait, you talked about Anaya once. Her husband had a bad case of SCID, didn't he?" The cheery air of the room dropped, turning to dead silence. Esme soon realized what she had assumed, although she was very much correct about that assumption. My patient had SCID, and a very, very version case of it. "Carlisle, she's ill."

"She is." The rest of my coven took in an unneeded breath. "She had another flare up yesterday. Taken to the hospital in time. That's why I was in my office last night. Fenella will be here, with us in our home, on Monday."

"Our poor mate!" Alice exclaimed, "How dare life make her sick! I want her to be healthy and happy..."

"We all do, Alice," Jasper tried to calm his mate down, "Carlisle will be able to help her, Alice, and before we know it she'll be turned." 

"Still..."

"Everything will be fine, darling, our mate will be here in three days and we'll cherish her with all we have." This made Alice perk back up, kissing Jasper on the cheek. "That's the spirit. When is she coming? We have school, you know."

"Oh, you all can miss one day," Esme insisted, "It's not like you've never taken that class before, or have a degree in most of them."

"Encouraging this behavior, are we?" I joked, getting up from the couch. I would have to play this the right way, to make sure that our mate is comfortable and happy. Fenella would be ours, and she would love us just as much as we love her already. "I have work, so I'll be back in the morning. Do your homework, children."

A chorus of, "Yes, Dad," rang out throughout the room. Ah, it was nice to have kids.

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