disclaimer: You know the drill. Stephenie meyer all... me sadly nothing.
Carlisle PoV sometime in the past right after Alice and Jasper join the clan.
My Son
Edward. My son. I was sitting at my office at work, the hospital silent. Nobody had yet come in tonight, and I secretly hoped that it would remain that way. I needed time to think.
I needed time to think about Edward. When I had first changed him, at first he seemed… angry. And then reckless. And then reclusive. The only time he ever really came out of his room anymore was to hunt to and to trudge through school. Only when Alice and Jasper had joined our family did he come out for longer periods of time, spending time with them and trying to bond.
I don't know what I am doing wrong. When Edward was first turned, he was my only companion. The only one I could turn to when I had any type of doubt. Time-wise, I may be older than him, but mentally, Edward was far beyond me. He is the anchor of our family and I don't know what might happen were we to lose him.
I don't know what it is about him, but he makes our existences feel safe. It's not just his ability. It is something about his presence… something that no one I have ever met possesses.
I heard something beyond the door and looked up. It was Bridget, my fellow doctor. "Dr. Cullen? I don't think anyone is coming tonight so I was just wondering if you would like to take the night off." She looked at me professionally, but I knew that she was the one that wanted to leave.
"You go ahead, I'll stay here." I said softly, looking back down to my work. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief and backed out of the room. I tried to concentrate on m work, but my mind wandered back to Edward.
When I had changed Esme… something had turned within Edward. He hadn't been a ball of joy before, but when Esme came to live with us… something happened. He withdrew deeper within himself and eventually… he left. For three long years he left us, killing humans for sustenance. I wonder if he would be different now if he hadn't gone.
When he returned and our family was whole again, something had changed. We began to depend on Edward. The entire world says that we shouldn't have favorites, but everybody does. Mine is Edward. I lost him once before, and I'm afraid to say that I don't believe our family could take another blow like that. If Edward died…I could only imagine.
Alice wouldn't laugh. She would recede within herself, never sharing her visions. She might leave, taking away the happiness.
Jasper would follow Alice. He would overpower us with sorrow and guilt. Edward is his idol. Jasper would be as dead as Edward.
Rosalie would leave. Truly Edward was the only thing keeping her with us.
Emmett would stop laughing. He would become silent and withdrawn. He would leave the family with Rosalie.
Esme would be heartbroken. She would go on for the sake of the others but it would never be the same. She would take it the hardest as each of her children pulled away.
And I… I would carry on as each of our children fell away, staying strong but truly being dead in my heart.
I felt a soft brush of wind and looked up. Edward stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. He closed his eyes slowly, drawing in my thoughts. Edward… It was a whisper in the wind.
He smiled at me and spoke. "I'm not planning anytime soon." And suddenly he was gone.
I smiled. I hope not.
