Chapter 3

Carlisle had just finished his shift when he had gotten a call from Alice, letting him know that they had a visitor. Carlisle was curious because of this stranger as he didn't show up at all in Alice's visions.

He bid goodbye to his co-workers and made his way outside and into his car. He had a feeling something big was going to happen in the future centring around this one person. Alice had told him that the stranger was looking specifically for him.

He knew many people in his long life and whomever he knew, his family also knew. If they didn't know who this man was... that meant he, more than likely, didn't either.

Alice also said that the man had blonde hair and red eyes. Which mean that he was probably a nomad. Carlisle turned into the parking lot of his home and exited the car. Immediately, he was assaulted with a scent so powerful and familial that he felt like his non-beating heart had given a lurch.

He sped to the door, opening it as quickly as he could and when his eyes landed on a young man with his features, his eyes widened into saucers.

"Father?" The boy said and Carlisle froze, daring to believe that this was his Hadrian... his little boy.

Carlisle slowly inched forward, barely believing his eyes, "H-Hadrian? Is... is that really you?" Carlisle asked softly. He wanted to engulf the boy in his arms but he had to be sure.

"Yes! It's me... I have a lot to explain." Hadrian returned, a solemn look on his face. Carlisle couldn't help but bring his gaze over every inch of Hadrian before he sped over to Hadrian and brought him into his arms.

He knew... he knew this was his boy. He could smell the familial scent all over Hadrian. This was his son. "Son... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to leave you, I..."

"No! I know, Dad. I've always known you didn't abandon me even after grandfather painstakingly tried to ingrain it in my head. He—" Hadrian explained but was cut off.

"What's going on, Carlisle?" Rosalie demanded. Carlisle looked over at his children and he noticed that Jasper and Edward weren't there amongst them.

"Rosalie, please!" Carlisle said painfully. He wanted to have time with his son... he still couldn't believe his boy was here with him.

"But, Carlisle—" Rosalie persisted.

"It's alright, Dad. You can explain to them what is happening, I will be sitting here." Hadrian said.

Carlisle wanted to do no such thing but decided against demanding them to leave so he could reacquaint with his son. "This—" Carlisle gestured to his son, "—is Hadrian, my biological son. When I was turned, I had to leave him when he was only about a year old. It broke my heart but I was afraid of hurting him."

Hadrian cut in, "Trust me, it wouldn't have made a difference," he said darkly.

"What do you mean, son?"

"Grandfather—" Hadrian said, screwing up his face in disgust, "—was under the impression that I was a witch and had to be burned at the stake; I was five."

Carlisle's dead heart sunk. He couldn't imagine what his son had to go through since he had left. Alice gasped and Emmett gave his son a sad look. Even Rosalie shifted in her position a little. "How dare he —?!" Carlisle hissed, "I knew leaving you with him wouldn't be good for you but I hadn't thought he would...!"

Hadrian's crimson eyes gazed down at the floor, "My best friend turned me in... Alcott his name was. He was climbing in a tree and I told him to get down or he might fall but he wouldn't listen. Last going off, he really did fall and I used my magic to help him to the ground."

"You really do have magic?" Carlisle asked, amazed.

Hadrian nodded, "As soon as I used it, Alcott shouted out that I was a witch and that was when grandfather heard him. I ran but someone caught me and then they brought me to the main stake—" While Hadrian spoke, Carlisle could see him reliving the memory. It made him sad that Hadrian had to go through such hardships, "—and then..." Hadrian stopped for a second to take a pointless breath, "Alcott asked grandfather to tie me. I can still remember the vindictive pleasure he had while doing it, can you believe it? I saved him and he wanted to kill me!"

Carlisle's molten gold eyes turned down and he sat down next to his son, bringing Hadrian into his chest. He didn't know what to say, "I... I'm sorry. It's all my fault."

"It's not! If I hadn't used my magic then—"

"No, if it didn't happen then it would have happened in the future. My father— your grandfather was an evil man. I can't believe I left you with him, I can't..." Carlisle wanted to cry but he couldn't and that made him frustrated.

"Anyway," Hadrian continued, "Grandfather approached me with a torch and—" Hadrian gave a choked gasp at this, "—he said that I am a disgrace to the Cullen name."

"That's not true!" Carlisle immediately shouted, "Don't believe that, you're my son; a Cullen."

Hadrian nodded, "Anyway, he lit the stake and I remember wishing that I was anywhere else but there and I ended up in the future, 1981."

Carlisle couldn't believe what he was hearing... time-travel? He couldn't believe it but it was staring right at him in the face. His son wouldn't be there sitting next to him if what Hadrian was saying wasn't true.

"What have you been doing since coming to the future?" Carlisle asked, not gracing the time-travel part with a comment. It was only him though that had the sentiment.

"What! Time-travel, you've got to be kidding!" Rosalie exclaimed, "Carlisle, he has to be lying."

"I believe him, Rosalie." Carlisle said, "Also, he smells like family. That's more than enough proof that this is my son." Carlisle smiled at Hadrian.

"Dude, you're my brother now!" Emmett shouted, his arms coming around Hadrian and patting him on the back. Carlisle didn't miss the flinch that the action caused.

"Yes! I get to go shopping for my new brother." Alice interjected, excitedly.

Carlisle couldn't help but smile proudly at his children. He was confused though by Edward and Jasper's absence. Esme had gone away for an architecture project in Seattle and hadn't come back yet. Carlisle remembered that Esme had said she would be back in a couple of days.

"Where are Jasper and Edward?" Carlisle asked.

"Jasper is hunting and Edward is with his human," Rosalie said, disgust lingering on the last part.

"His human?" Hadrian asked.

"Edward met a human at school who's blood calls to him and he doesn't understand that the human is his singer. Edward believes that Bella is his mate." Alice explained.

Hadrian nodded in understanding. "Can you continue, Hadrian?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, of course. Anyway, a man and a woman found me when I travelled to the future and they adopted me. Their names were Lily and James Potter and they renamed me, Harry James Potter."

Carlisle didn't know how to feel about that. On one hand, those people helped his son out when he desperately needed it but on the other, he didn't like the fact that his son changed his name. Hadrian was his son and as much as he was grateful to the Potter's, Hadrian would always be a Cullen. "Do you go by that name now?" Carlisle asked.

"No, not anymore. The adoption has been terminated and the only thing I share with the Potter's are their vaults." Carlisle nodded, "So... when they took me in, there happened to be a prophecy about a boy that would time-travel in time to the future and defeat the greatest Dark Lord of all time. That was me, frankly."

Carlisle could only stare, "They put you in a war?" Carlisle demanded, "How dare they!"

"It's alright, Dad. The Dark Lord is dead now, I killed him." Hadrian said, smiling happily. Carlisle didn't like that his son had killed people and the fact that his son had crimson eyes told him that the Dark Lord wasn't the only person Hadrian killed. He felt sad that his son didn't have him around to lean on before. "I lost many of my friends in the war though," the smile turned to a deep frown.

They only thing he could think was thanking every entity in the universe for the return of his son; that Hadrian lived to see him. That was when Carlisle heard a car drive into the parking lot of their home. "That's Edward," Carlisle commented lightly.

"And his pet human," Rosalie couldn't help but bite out.

Hadrian couldn't help but snort at Rosalie's retort. Carlisle shook his head and continued to hold his son in his arms as they heard footsteps approach the door. The door was slammed open and Edward stalked in with Bella behind him, her face an expression of confusion.

"Carlisle, what's that smell?" Edward had a look of deep longing and complete confusion at his current predicament.

"What do you mean, Edward?" Carlisle asked. Hadrian looked up at him and Carlisle could only smile as he patted his son on the back. "There is a lot to explain but I want you to meet my biological son, Hadrian Cullen."

All of a sudden, a low growl was heard and all eyes turned to Edward as Carlisle met eyes with him. Carlisle was confused by Edward's behaviour but didn't comment on it. Hadrian's grip around him tightened as his eyes turned a deep coal.

Carlisle could only watch as Hadrian glared at Bella and shook his head. Carlisle guessed that having Bella here was testing his son's hunger, so he stood up, ready to bring his son somewhere Bella wasn't but another growl entered the air... a louder one.

"What has gotten into you, Ed?" Emmett grinned, patting him on the back.

Edward's gaze didn't leave Hadrian's until he heard Emmett's voice. Edward cleared his throat unnecessarily, "I... um... have to..." Edward's gaze went to Hadrian again, "Bella and I will be up in my room. You can explain everything later," and not one person commented on how unusual Edward had acted or why his hand shook as he pulled Bella up to his room except for Rosalie.

"Anyone else going to say anything about how weird Edward was being just now?" Rosalie brought up. The room continued to be quiet though. The only thing Carlisle caught was how his son continued to trail his eyes on Edward's back as Edward walked away.

Carlisle had a feeling this was only the start of trouble.