Miracles and Mischief by Esme Mom Cullen

Miracles and Mischief

Miracles and Mischief was voted not only the overall fan favorite in our Fornicatin' Father's Day Contest, but also a judge's pick and the Best Lemon. As the overall winner, not only does Esme Mom Cullen get banners and eternal bragging rights, but a full review of her story. We thought it was great and decided to make it our Pick of the Week this week.

Summary: What if Carlisle and Esme were granted the wish that was always out of reach? On Father's Day, Carlisle has a new reason to celebrate and revels in the delights of the changes in his wife.

Review:

I was more than a bit surprised (pleasantly!) that we got more than one canon entry in our Contest, and then extra thrilled that everything wasn't Bella and Edward. I do love our original OTP, but I have grown to appreciate (and sometimes favor) other pairings just for a change. Believe it or not, this is actually a canon oneshot wherein Esme and Carlisle become parents.

There's a lot of extra/new mythology in this story dealing with Nahuel and his familiy and the other South American vamps, along with a pretty incredible vampire gift, that leads to the miracle of Esme's pregnancy. One of my favorite bits of the story happens before they even discover she is pregnant:

Edward was tinkering at the piano, when he started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Bella called out in Portuguese before I could ask the question.

"I'm sorry. It's Esme. Her mind is wandering in a very strange fashion." He looked over at me. "Has she said anything about trying her hand at caricatures?"

"No, although I'm sure she would be very good at it."

"She's thinking about animated versions of the family. It's quite peculiar, and she seems to be focused on that and nothing else."

Carlisle goes upstairs to discover Esme isn't just thinking about caricatures - she's actually fallen asleep and is dreaming about them. The sleeping is the first of many symptoms that alert the rest of the Cullen clan that something isn't quite right. Carlisle seems to experience the epitome of utter befuddlement for a thankfully short period of time before a relative of Nahuel's, Khalida, shows up to explain. I won't give away the explanation because that's half the beauty of the story.

The other half is the absolutely reverent way in which Carlisle worships Esme in celebration of their first Father's Day together. It's sweet and endearing and comfortable, the way a couple should be after 60+ years together. At the same time, it's still refreshingly new.

I slid off the bed to start removing my clothes. As I began to unbutton my shirt, she sat up a little and called to me sweetly, "Do you want some help with that?"

"No, my love. Just relax." She required rest now. She couldn't make love for hours on end like before. Honestly, before we never had to stop, and there were times on her island when we had marathon sessions that lasted for days. I could never get enough of her, but now our time had to be limited. Her energy needed to be reserved. "Save your strength," I teased with a wink as I finished undressing.

She rolled her eyes at me, crossed her arms, bent her knees and pulled them up, and attempted to suppress a smirk. In a complete state of undress, I crawled from the end of the bed toward her knees and rested my chin on them and looked at her adorable face. She pressed her lips together, trying to suppress a laugh. Her attempt to look put out was very charming. I kissed both her knee caps, which must have been the secret password, because she slowly began to separate them. As her legs moved apart I trailed kisses down in between them until I reached those purple panties.

Be sure to check out our Interview with Esme Mom Cullen and then go give the story a read!

As always, thanks for reading!

@TwiFicDataBase staff

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Beautiful Sorrow by DreamOfTheEndless

Beautiful Sorrow by DreamOfTheEndless

Bella is a mess. Her life is a mess. At 22 years old, she's a recovering alcoholic, a recovering anorexic, she has almost 24-hour care and a shrink who comes to her house twice a week for therapy. Her abusive husband (Carlisle) barely speaks to her and she can hardly muster the energy to speak to anyone else, including her therapists.

If you like character development and tense, anticipatory build-up, this story is for you. We see snippets of Bella's life "today" - her nutritionist bargaining with her like a child to eat her meals ("If you can tell me the secret ingredient, I'll leave you alone at lunch") an uncomfortable birthday phone call with her parents in which Bella tries to remember the lies she told about her last birthday.  The worst for me was the midnight inspection by her husband.  It happens at the end of the very first chapter and really sets the tone for the rest of the story.

She woke up in her bed later that night with a distinct feeling that she was no longer alone. She could sense the presence of her husband sitting across the room, watching her from his usual spot. [...] She trembled in fear, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest. She clenched her eyes shut. Maybe she was only imagining his presence. Maybe it was only a nightmare.

"I know you're awake, Isabella." [... his eyes] were dead; completely devoid of any hint of life or hope. They didn't even show any glimmer of anger or rage. Just hard, cold nothingness.

I did this to him. I made hiim this way. I deserve all the sufferings in the world.

As he requires, Bella then gets out of bed, moves to the center of the room and strips. She stands before her husband, naked, embarrassed, afraid, and, despite his presence, alone. He hasn't visited her in her room in months so she has no idea whether this night will be one of physical or emotional abuse.  Turns out, that night it's psychological.

After that, the author spends quite a bit of time going back in time and showing how Bella and Carlisle met. Back when he had at least the appearance of being a good man and before the mistake she made that brought them to where they are today. I'm not going to share the few details with you that I know about the mistake, but I will say that it involves Edward. Truly though, the details are sparse. With as little as Bella interacts with anyone, she's mainly in her head, remembering better times and trying to escape, since a physical escape is impossible.

Though I don't have first-hand experience with either alcoholism or anorexia, DreamOfTheEndless seems to handle both difficult subjects with maturity and grace. Neither is glamorized, nor are they vilified.  The author recognizes the shades of grey in life, though not all of her characters (*ahem* Carlisle) do. You can't help but sympathize with Bella even though she certainly deserves to feel every ounce of guilt coursing through her system.  If you're looking for hard-hitting angst and a well-told story, look no farther.

Thanks for reading!
@TwiFicDataBase staff 

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Beautiful Sorrow by DreamOfTheEndless

This Fan Fave review is brought to you by @IcarusToSun

Beautiful Sorrow by DreamOfTheEndless

Bella worshiped Carlisle, so when he proposed she didn't think twice before accepting.
But then she met Edward, her fiancé's half brother & the other part of her soul.
Will they be able to survive the consequences of their betrayal?

Boy, why do I love this story?

I love the slow (oh so very slow) build and the sad, matter-of-fact way the pain and sorrow of a broken woman (Bella) is laid out. Very few stories could pull me in with just a handful of chapters as this one did. It's definitely a story for angst lovers. The undefined pain and tragedy is so palpable that it nearly cripples you. I really love it!

The story opens with a terribly broken and damaged Bella, with a deep insinuation of spousal abuse. As a reader, it nearly makes me want to scream at the screen to find out what's holding her to the cage. Would love to see how this turns out and I have feeling, it will be good.

The author is new and could use the love and encouragement as well.

I strongly recommend it.

PLEASE Stay Tuned!!!

Beautiful Sorrow is slotted to be a POW later this summer!!

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The Inadvertent Voyeur by FFReaderRW

The Inadvertent Voyeur by FFReaderRW

Official Summary
Although tortured by guilt, Carlisle cannot stop watching Edward from his kitchen window. He feels an indescribable connection to him that takes him years to comprehend. AU Vamp slash. WARNING: Some child abuse is briefly mentioned.

Review
For those of you who don’t know me, in addition to working as part of the TwiFicDataBase staff, I’m one of the lucky women behind the Vampslash blog/contest. (Shamless plug, I know. It couldn’t be avoided.) So when FFReaderRW submited The Inadvertent Voyeur as a Pick of the Week candidate, I was all over it!

This story features a vamp Dr. Carlisle Cullen and Edward Masen as a human teen. As their next door neighbor, Carlisle is afforded the opportunity to watch Edward quite closely. Half the time Carlisle doesn’t even realize he is watching Edward, he gets so caught up in the young man’s actions that he is unaware of his own.

His heightened senses also allow him to pick up on goings on in the Masen household to which no one else is privy. We get a brief glimpse into a slightly darker Carlisle than we generally imagine when he overhears Mr. Masen’s form of discipline.

“I began monitoring the house from my kitchen window when I was home from work. Two days later I heard the distinct slapping of a strap and a child's pitiful cries begging for forgiveness. It took every ounce of restraint to keep from rushing into their house. I had never felt such hatred for any living creature.

I began planning that animal's demise. I waited patiently until he was alone before confronting him. It was late and he had gone outside that evening to smoke a cigarette. His eyes widened in horror when I suddenly appeared in front of him, growling out his name. With my right arm, I grasped him by the throat and lifted him high off the ground.”

After the not-so-unfortunate demise of Edward Masen Sr., Carlisle becomes a more active participant in young Edward’s life, encouraging his intellect and artistic abilities. Carlisle’s feelings for Edward are chaste and paternal in the beginning. He only wants Edward to be comfortable, safe and happy - it is all he has ever wanted.

Eventually, as Edward grows to physical maturity, Carlisle recognizes that it is not just his favorite human’s mind to which he is attracted... Edward’s subtle flirtations also do not go unnoticed by the good doctor.

An unexpected heartbreak is what finally brings these two together. Carlisle is Edward’s only companion in his deepest time of need.

"She's dead, isn't she?" His voice is rough. His eyes are glassy.

He has made it easy for me. I simply nod. I sit on the table in front of him and take his hands in both of mine. I need to comfort him in some way. My hands are abnormally cold, but he is so numb right now that he doesn't seem to notice. He stares at the waiting room door blankly, as though he expects [her] to walk in any moment. [...]

For several minutes we sit together and he cries unabated. I try soothing him by stroking his back. I have never had to deal with something like this and I'm at a loss as to what to do. His arms are wrapped so tightly around me that if I were human, I would be in physical pain. [...] His face is buried in my neck and I can feel his hot tears rolling down over my collarbone and down my abdomen.

The Inadvertent Voyeur is a beautiful story - a tale of love and loss and bone-deep need. If you’ve never read slash, or you love slash but have been wary of a Carlisle/Edward pairing, please don’t let that stop you from reading this little oneshot. You’ll be amazed at how naturally this pair fits together.

Author’s Interview

What gave you the idea for this story?

We have a young, handsome pool guy come around once a week to clean our pool. He lets himself into the backyard through the gate and one day I watched him as he worked. He had his earbuds in and seemed totally oblivious to anything going on around him.

Are there any fanfic authors that inspire you?

Yes there are many, but for C/E stories I have to say that Pace is the trick (idylchild) is my favorite. Her vision of all things Carlisle is truly amazing. Like her, I cannot believe that after being alone for more than 200 years, Carlisle would choose to change a human male for purely platonic companionship. Two other Carlisle writers that are favorites are giselle-lx and EliseShaw.

What was your main inspiration for your lead characters?

I can’t think of anything in particular that inspired their personalities in this story. It’s simply the way I’ve always imagined those two.

What do you think it takes to make a fic special and stand out to a reader?

The emotions have to speak to the reader. The story can be completely far-fetched, but the emotions the characters feel have to be realistic.

What did/do you find the hardest about writing this story?

I didn’t want Carlisle to sound like a pervert. He would have to be human for that. I wanted readers to see that as a vampire his attraction to Edward was instinctual. Edward was his mate.

Why do you think people should read this story?

I think the story is warm and sweet and, if a reader likes that sort of thing, they will enjoy it.

What cliches do you feel authors should avoid while writing fanfic?

I haven’t been a writer long enough to feel comfortable giving other writers advice.

Do your RL friends and family know about your love and obsession with all things Twilight?

My husband is a Twilight fanfic reader. He understandably doesn’t care for slash, but is completely obsessed with Bella/Edward stories. This is one little family secret that we share. However, none of our other family knows. It’s fun having a secret from them.

Have you got any other projects going on? Any planned for the future?

I am completely committed to finishing my Edward/Jasper WIP first, but I want to write another C/E story afterwards. It will probably be a sequel to this story.

Do you have anyone that you'd like to thank for helping and supporting you through this fic?

Bbeyedgirl has been the best pre-reader and beta ever.

When you aren't writing which fics are you reading right now?

I am reading a lot of stories right now, but I drop everything when Errors and Omissions or Mergers and Acquisitions post new chapters.

How were you introduced to the fandom? Do you remember which story was the first you read?

Like most everyone, I was obsessed with Stephenie Meyers’ books. I read a copy of Midnight Sun on her website and that got me hooked on Edward’s point of view. Surfing the internet for more information on the books, I accidently came across fanfiction. At the beginning, I read the usual Edward/Bella stories. I don’t remember which story was the first one I read. However, I do remember the first slash story that caught my attention shortly after I started reading fanfiction. It was Over The Top by starfish422. I never went back to het stories after that.

Is there any information that you would like to share that was not already covered?
THANK YOU!!!!

Thanks for reading!
TwiFicDataBase Staff
@sapphirescribe

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