A Diamond Legacies Epilogue: Laureline

A post Diamond Legacies extra. With the introduction of Gabriel and Laureline in Eternal Dawn I wanted to release this explaining exactly why Nicholas and Eden have a human daughter.

(11 years after Diamond Legacies, 6 years after the Nicholas epilogue)

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 Eden Balev, New York, 2237.

Laureline.

The daughter I never expected to have.

“Are you sure about this little swan?” my husband whispered over my shoulder as I stared down at the infant in the basinet. She was fast asleep. She had fallen asleep instantly the second I had started singing an old Bulgarian folk song my mother used to sing to me. The same one my grandmother sang to her as a baby. I looked over to the cot next to us where our son slept. He didn’t look much older than the baby before me, and yet he would be fully grown before the child in front of me reached middle school.

Human. My daughter was human. And so so fragile I was scared id break her.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything” I whispered as I continued to watch the baby sleeping. Her little eye lids were fluttering as if she was dreaming. Would she know my face yet? We had had her a day. Only a day since her mother, my sister-in-law, had turned up on our doorstep with a dirty towel and an exhausted expression on her face.

“Take it.” she’d ordered to Nicholas who stood at the door of our large home in shock.

“Jasmine, come inside, you look…” he didn’t have chance to finish that sentence. The towel fell open and the scent of blood hit both of us like a truck.

My husband was incredibly good at controlling his thirst, over the years we had worked on it together, with a bit of my ability and some training with my aunt Bella and uncle Jasper, Nicholas had mastered his thirst around humans and even been exposed to human blood once over his years of vampirism. But never this much. Never a towel soaked in it. I saw his thirst flare immediately in his essence. I reached forward, my hand on his back as I tucked my infant son into my chest to hold him back from turning towards the blood himself. I immediately began draining Nicholas’s thirst, well his impulse to pounce at least, from his essence. Trying to control it so he didn’t rip his own sisters throat out at the door.

Then came the wail and my head turned to the towel to see a newborn baby, barely a few hours old in the towel. The way Jasmine was holding it wasn’t maternal, there was no care or love in her arms as she scrunched her face up at the sound of the child.

“Take it. Just take it. Put it into foster care for all I care. Just get rid of it. I don’t want it” she said and pushed the bloody towel and infant towards her brother. Nicholas stumbled but he extended his shaking arms.

“Here” I said to him stepping in the way and handing him our son instead. “I’ll take the baby” I said and our eyes locked and I saw the burning there. The overwhelming urge to restrain himself and suddenly the immediate relief and gratitude I had stepped in. He could hold our son, holding Gabriel would stop him doing anything stupid. I knew that much and so he took him. Our infant son turning towards the scent he also gravitated towards. I pivoted back to my estranged sister-in-law and took the bloody towel in my arms. The infant within had no clothes on, no diaper, she was bare and bloody.

“I was on the way here when the thing slithered out of me in the taxi. I was going to go to a hospital to have it, to your hospital, but I didn’t get there in time. When it was born, I knew I’d have to claim it, to tell the doctors what happened but I didn’t want to deal with that. So I asked the taxi to bring me here. To you. You’re the one with the doctor parents. Please just deal with it so I don’t have to” Jasmine said, her voice was emotionless, her eyes were empty. She was clearly high as a kite.

Jasmine had struggled with addiction for years, ever since her twin died and her brother and sister found their ‘happy endings’. I remember watching her at my wedding. The wedding that had been a three-day spectacular event, the happiest days of my life despite the pompous parties and the events. I had done it because I knew who I was marrying. I had done it to tie myself to Nicholas forever, after he’d made the sacrifice to become immortal for me it was the least I could do. Especially when we had to placate his family. We had told his family my true heritage and name. It was the only way they would approve of their golden heir marrying an ‘nobody’. The deal was they wouldn’t tell anyone else my true name, that they wouldn’t expose me for that would only bring questions and speculation on the Disney family and whether they were after control of yet another empire. They had agreed and despite Nicholas’ family giving their blessing we had little to no contact with them since. Nicholas had been given his empire, on the stipulation I had zero control or influence of course, and was running it exactly how he always envisioned, and we were happy. My god were we happy. That was until Gabrielle died. My husband’s childhood nanny and the woman that raised and loved him well into adulthood.

We knew that when we had children that our child would be named after her, female or male, they would have her name to honour the wonderful woman who had raised my prince charming. It had been only a year ago that we had finally decided it was time to start a family. Gabriel had been born a few months later and was now nearly one. We knew we had to keep Gabriel hidden from Nicholas’ family; there would be too many questions about his growth, but he had told his sisters. Tessa was oddly understanding and asked very little questions. My best friend Lara did the same although I knew she was itching to know why her honorary nephew grew so fast. Jasmine was the last to be told, Nicholas had a good relationship with both his sisters but the one with Jasmine began fracturing ever since our wedding. I know she struggled with the idea her siblings were moving on with their lives whilst she continued to fall into depression over her dead twin and her life being not what she expected.

We had tried to help her, both Nicholas and I offered to pay for counselling, therapy, rehab, retreats everything. And we had. She had fallen to drugs and alcohol and sex. Especially after her father had cut her off due to her ‘inappropriate’ activities. I knew she had sold her body for money. When a girl grows up as rich as Jasmine, you get used to certain comforts, comforts you would rather die than live without. Nicholas had begged her so many times to help herself, to let us help her but she had run away every time. No matter how many times Nicholas dropped her off at a rehab centre, she’d check herself out after a few days of a nice bed and some meals only to go back on drugs on the streets.

We didn’t know she was pregnant. Not until she landed on our door with that baby. That beautiful perfect baby.

“Jasmine, you need to be checked over.” I said looking to see her grip the door for support.

“I’m fine.” She mumbled but immediately stumbled. I reached for her, the baby in one arm as I wrapped the other around her. She flinched and tried to push me away but there was no way I was letting her do something stupid like die from blood loss. Her deflated bump was clear as day. This baby was probably not even an hour old. The umbilical cord still dangled from the infant chest, the other end of it lay against Jasmine’s leg. She hadn’t finished the birth. My heart slammed in my chest with worry.

I’m on my way. My sisters voice radiated through my head when I showed our joint mind exactly what I was dealing with. Luckily with our repaired relationship, Nova only lived down the road from us in New York. She worked at the Cullen Manhatten hospital just minutes away.

“Sit Jasmine” I said and brought her over to our informal living room.

“I don’t want to get blood on your furniture” she frowned at the nice cream couch.

“I don’t give a shit about the furniture Jasmine; it can be replaced. You can’t” my husband’s voice was tight and angry. He stood at the door, not wanting to come in closer to the scent of blood, I was sure. He was clinging onto Gabriel like a lifeline, as if holding him was keeping him from doing anything stupid. The baby in my arms began wailing yet again.

“Don’t let her leave. Nova is on her way. I’m going to check the baby” I said looking at Nicholas by the door. He nodded but his eyes didn’t leave his sister sitting hunched on the couch. I carried the baby up the stairs and into my son’s nursery. Attached was a small bathroom where I entered and immediately began running lukewarm water. I washed the crying baby, singing the Bulgarian folk song I sang to Gabriel every night. The baby began to settle in the warm water and the sound of my voice. I dried her quickly and dressed her in a diaper and one of the baby grows Gabriel had grown out of. She immediately settled but I could see her aura showed me she was hungry and wouldn’t stay settled for long. We didn’t have milk for an infant. Gabriel was part vampire. He fed on blood, not formula. I tucked the newborn into my body heat and made my way back down the stairs to see Nova coming right through the front door. She had a bag of supplies, and I didn’t even have to tell her where to go. She walked straight into the living room and over to my sister-in-law.

“I said I was fine!” Jasmine glared at me as I followed Nova into the room. Her eyes darted to the clean newborn in my arms just for a moment before she turned to scowl at Nova in front of her.

“You are not fine Jasmine. You haven’t passed the placenta” Nova answered for me.

“Just let her make sure you’re okay please.” Nicholas said with a frown as I walked over to her and my sister.

“Do you want to hold your daughter?” I asked her but she scowled at the child in my arms.

“Hell no.” she said but relaxed enough for Nova to examine her.

“Both of you, leave, give her some dignity and space” Nova turned to face us as she pulled gloves on and set out her bag. “I need some towels and a bowl” she ordered me, and I nodded, pushing Nicholas out the door and towards our kitchen.

“Here, hold your niece. I need to get what Nova asked.” I said but Nicholas seemed speechless. He did as I asked, taking the infant in his other arm that wasn’t holding Gabriel and I disappeared for a few seconds and handed Nova what she needed.

When I returned, I felt like someone had hit me hard in the stomach. Nicholas was seated at the breakfast table, Gabriel in one arm and the infant in another. The pair of them were staring down at the baby, both with awe on their faces. Gabriel reached out a chubby finger and gently stroked the skin of the baby in his father’s arm. He looked fascinated and Nicholas looked like he was in love.

Gabriel was so gentle. So unbelievable gentle for a child so young. I remember being reasonably intelligent as a baby but seeing it for myself with my own child was a whole new experience. He looked suddenly so much older than he did an hour ago. Next to his newborn cousin, my son looked fully grown. My heart ached.

“Baby” Gabriel said looking at me expectantly

“Yes, my little prince, it’s a baby” I said softly reaching to stroke his long dark hair out of his eyes.

“She’s beautiful” Nicholas murmured but he hadn’t looked up at me yet. “Do you think she’s okay? Do you think she’s healthy? Jasmine could have taken God knows what during her pregnancy” Nicholas said and suddenly his head shot up to look at me. The worry in his eyes told me in that moment, without doubt, if Jasmine wasn’t taking this baby with her, there was no way in hell it was going into foster care. Nicholas was already head over heels for his niece. That baby would be staying with us. I didn’t doubt or question it for a second. And I would wholeheartedly stand behind him.

“I’ll call my mother” I said giving him a reassuring nod. “If anything’s wrong my mother will know, and she’ll fix it” I reassured him, and he gave me a nod in return as I went to get my phone. I didn’t know how long Nova would be with Jasmine. But I knew the best care for the baby would be Ivana.

I had barely been on the phone to my mother for thirty seconds before Nicholas’ panicked voice called me across the room.

“Eden she’s shaking. She’s… Eden!” Nicholas called and I was over by him in a second. The infant was silent, her eyes closed but her body, her tiny little body was convulsing violently.

“Mama, the baby. She’s having a fit. What do I do?” I asked her over the phone.

“You get her to Cullen Manhatten. I’m on my way to Esther’s. She’ll teleport me there. I’ll be waiting for you… Don’t worry Eden, I won’t let that baby die” she said but had already hung up before I could answer her.

“You go, I’ll update our sisters. I’ll be right behind you” I said. Nicholas didn’t even answer me as I took Gabriel from Nicholas’ arms. He was gone before I could blink, so I turned and entered the room with Nova and Jasmine.

“We’re just about done, Jasmine has minimal tearing, she’ll recover just fine with no external help” Nova said but her words trailed off at the look of horror on my face.

“The baby, somethings wrong with the baby.” I stammered and Nova immediately stood. “Nicholas is already on the way to the hospital; mama is meeting us there. Jasmine… lets go” I said reaching for her hand to help her up.

“No.” she said, and I couldn’t help the wave of anger that flooded my very soul at her words. It was her fault. Her fault that what ever was wrong with that little girl. She had poisoned her with her addiction, drugged her, done something to harm an innocent child.

“This is your fault” I almost yelled at her.

“Woah, Eden.” Nova said and her arms reached for me, it was then I realised my son was reaching for his aunt. Wanting a hug from his favourite person I had no doubt. I loved my sister’s bond with her nephew, the pair of them were thick as thieves. Nova had no children of her own, not yet, but she loved my son like her own.

“I didn’t want it. I never wanted it. I didn’t know I was pregnant, not until it was too late. When I found out, I stopped. I was clean for a few months. I knew I wasn’t fit to be a mother, but I certainly didn’t want to kill it when it was already a baby.” She said trying to explain herself. “I knew I was giving it up. I tried to stay clean” she said but she began sobbing.

“That baby is going through withdrawal. You weren’t clean. Not the whole time” I said trying to keep my voice controlled.

“The last month was hard” she said, and I could feel the shame coming from her in waves. I knew better than to beat an already beaten down animal.

“Jasmine, listen to me. Nicholas will not let that baby go into foster care. He already loves his niece; he is ready to fight for her and love her. That is your daughter, she is your flesh and blood. It doesn’t matter how she came to be; it doesn’t matter why or how she’s here. What matters is she is here; she is innocent and she needs her mother. I’m not telling you; you have to be her mother now. I’m not saying you have to completely turn your life around in an instant, I’m trying to tell you that we’ll help you. You can move in here with us, we’ll support you, we’ll be there for you and the baby. You have a choice here. If you want to walk out of her life I completely understand, but if there’s a part of you, a small part that might want to know her, we will help you every single step of the way” I said as I sat next to her, I tried to keep my voice as controlled as I could. I was emotional over the subject, but I tried not to let my prejudices dictate my words. The woman needed help; she’d always needed help. Maybe this baby was finally her answer to it all, maybe she’d get better for her.

“Eden,” she said, and her voice broke as she reached a hand for me. “you’re so amazing, you’re so sweet and caring and my brother is so lucky to have you in his life. You have been there for me so many times, even though I’ve given you no reason to be good to me. Thank you, for being the best sister-in-law I could ask for.” She said but her bloodshot wide eyes couldn’t focus on me in front of her. “But I am in no fit state to be a mother, I never will be. I don’t want to be a mother; I have never wanted to be a mother. And that’s not going to change whether I’m high or not. Nicholas knows that; he’s always known I never wanted to be a mother.” She said gripping my hand with very little strength.

“If you don’t want to put her into foster care, you can keep her. If you want, I’m okay with that. More than okay actually. You can be her mother” she said but my eyes danced across her essence to see if any part of her was lying. It wasn’t. “I’ll sign whatever I need to. I don’t want anything to do with her, I don’t want to be her aunt, I don’t want to be her mother. If you decide to tell her who birthed her that’s up to you, but I will never want anything to do with her. Is that clear?” she asked, and it was strange really. How I loved her brother so much despite who his parents were, I saw those parents in the girl before me. The selfishness, the desperation and the elitism hidden deep within. Some people should never be parents and that was okay. Jasmine was headstrong and confident in her choice. She knew she wasn't the kind of person that needed or wanted a child. I was proud of her for knowing that, for not falling to societies expectations of her. For knowing her truth and knowing she wasn't the maternal type. Not everyone was born to be a parent, I absolutely and completely supported her in that fact.

“It’s my choice” she said echoing the word.

She was right. It was her choice. And I knew had she known she was pregnant sooner she'd have used that right freely and without hesitation, but she had said she found out too late for a termination. Something that happened far more often than people realised. I felt for her, my heart ached for her, she was doing her best. I knew she had tried, that's all that was important now. 

“I need to go check on her. I need to make sure she’s okay” I said thinking of that small baby in Nicholas’s arms. “Stay, please, just for one day. So we can talk, so we can sort everything out. I won’t ask you again to keep the baby. I won’t tell you to be her mother. But we need to do this right, if Nicholas and I are to keep her, we need to go through the law” I explained, and she gave a soft nod.

We hadn’t even discussed it. Nicholas and I hadn’t even said the words to each other in that short hour our entire life got turned upside down. But I knew without a doubt that baby would be ours, that we would raise her as our own.

My mother checked on the infant, helped with her withdrawal and insured us the baby was lucky and had no real long-lasting consequences of her birth mother’s habits. Ivana eased the pain for the baby and stayed with her for several hours to make sure she recovered fully. Nicholas and I went home to our son who was being cared for by Nova and was grateful to see Jasmine had done as she promised. She’d stayed.

After the same speech from before with Nicholas present, we had both agreed with Jasmine that we would adopt her daughter and call her our own. Within hours my grandfather Carlisle had brought us the documents necessary and less than a day after her birth, Laureline was mine.

I had a daughter.

We had named her Laureline Nova. It was Nova that suggested Laureline after Nicholas’ sister, after the baby’s auntie she would never meet and her birth mother’s twin. Nicholas had turned to grin widely at my sister, a warm emotion flooded his essence at the name.

“Laureline Nova.” He said echoing my sister’s suggestion and it was my sisters turn to beam with pride at the words.

“We should tell Jasmine her name.” I said making my way to the door.

“She’s already gone” Nova said stopping me.

“What?” I asked in shock. Nicholas immediately stood up, the baby still in his arms feeding.

“She asked if she was okay to leave. I told her there was nothing medically wrong with her. She’d already signed all the papers. And she said she couldn’t stay in the house any longer. I told her to come say goodbye, but she looked… she just… she didn’t want to” Nova said, and I saw the pity she had for my sister-in-law on her face and in her essence. “She said she’s happy. Happy that the baby will be loved and have parents like you. She said she’s glad she came to you, that she thinks she’s made the right decision for the baby” she said with a sad smile. I couldn’t help the tears that rimmed my eyes at my sisters’ words. “She just didn’t want to say goodbye.” She added and Nicholas relaxed back into the chair.

“Thank you, Nova. Thanks for taking care of her” I said speaking the words I knew my husband couldn’t speak right now. Nova gave a soft smile and reached for me. I hugged my twin and let out a shaky breath.

“Congrats on your new daughter sestra” she chuckled as she pulled away. I smiled at the thought as I turned to look at Nicholas cradling the human infant.

Human, what a crazy journey that would be.

And I had been right.

It had been hard, so much harder than I thought it would be. Everything we had learnt with Gabriel went out the window and it was like learning to be first time parents again. Laureline was so much more maintenance than our angelic independent part Luna Bambini son. But she had been worth every second, every sleepless night and every moment of worry. I considered myself insanely lucky I had a vampire husband who didn’t need to sleep. Whilst I spent the day with our children, he worked and then would come home and do the night shift whilst I got to sleep. Of course, as a mother I rarely got good sleep, but at least most of the time I could roll back over knowing Laureline was in good hands.

Nicholas was incredible with them. Both of our children, he was so patient and understanding and knew exactly what to do every time something new came up in our lives of parenting. Sometimes I couldn’t quite believe I got to call him mine forever.

And even though we were raising vastly different children, I had no doubt they’d both grow into strong confident caring wonderful individuals, I would make sure of it.