Author's note: Thank you for visiting my story! Not only do I want to share my writing with others, but I greatly appreciate any time you take to leave comments or reviews. This project of writing a series about Carlisle & Esme Cullen is not only because I love them as characters, but I am constantly striving to improve as a writer.

Part 1: The Fall

~Chapter One~

Esme pulled herself up with a forceful heave. Getting her feet up onto the first branch was always the hardest, but it was well worth the effort once she got to her favorite spot half-way up the ancient maple. It was slightly more of a challenge since it had rained earlier in the day and the branches were slippery, but no mind; she had climbed this tree more times than she could count. After she had her footing, she made her way up quickly, the late summer breeze dragging loose strands of her caramel colored hair across her face. Irritated, she balanced herself in her spot and brushed the hair away from her eyes. Shifting her weight until she was comfortably settled, she breathed in the warm evening air deeply, letting it out in a long slow sigh.

She relished these moments of isolation, of listening to sounds of nature around her, having escaped the house after dinner and her chores. As much as she loved her family, it was a relief to be alone with her thoughts, without having to please anyone. Surely her parents would disapprove of her climbing trees, especially at her age. At sixteen, she was expected to act like a lady, but there was some adventure left in her still, and she intended to enjoy it.

Letting all her thoughts go, she gazed out through the leaves at the changing dusk, watching the colors of the sky go from blues to golds as the sun dipped all too quickly toward the distant hills. This was her favorite part of the day. The summer was fading quickly and soon there would be no more evenings like this one for months. However, school would resume shortly and she wouldn't feel so idle, so restless in the evenings with lessons to work on.

The colors of night began to settle in as the gold bled into red, then purple and she knew it was time to make her way back home before someone came looking for her and scolding her for being out. She began to slide back down the tree. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of something, of someone standing across the field, looking at her as she climbed down. For some reason, it startled her—perhaps because she hadn't realized that anyone was there—and her foot slipped. Instantly, her other limbs reacted to regain her balance, but it was too late. She fell quickly, almost before she had time to realize what was happening. Panic didn't truly register until she hit the rough ground with a thud and a crack. All the air was forced from her lungs with a sound of shock and helplessness. The sound made her stomach turn, just before the pain set in.

She pushed herself up on her arms until she was sitting, looking down at the length of her body. Her left leg was tangled in an awkward position beneath her. Taking a few deep breaths to try and right herself, she brushed her hair out of her eyes before pulling her skirt up to her knee and pulling her stocking down. Broken, most likely, she sighed as she realized that she couldn't move her leg, but the skin was intact. That was good.

Esme sat for a few long moments, looking around, trying to see if whoever it was that had been watching her was still there, but she saw no one in the fading light, just the vast open field. The house was well out of sight and it may be some time before anyone came to look for her. She decided that the best thing to do was to try to move, to get back home somehow. Maybe her leg wasn't really broken, just hurt. Perhaps if she could just get up, she thought, licking her lips and concentrating on pushing herself up onto her feet. She tried to use the tree trunk as leverage, but it was to no avail, her leg was surely broken and she could put no weight on it. Finally giving up, she leaned against the tree and let the pain wash back in. It really hurt, it was worse than any pain that she had ever felt, but she was determined not to cry.

She began to get angry at herself as she sat there helpless. Apparently, her own imagination had startled her because there was no way a person could just disappear in the vast field like that in the few seconds that it had taken her to fall. The dread of what her parents would think started to set in as her eyes scanned the landscape in hopes of spying help. She willed that someone would come to look for her soon because, despite the season, a chill began to settle in the air.

Time seemed to drag on regardless of the swift descent into the night. Her nerves became increasingly on edge as she sat there, fighting the pain, the chills racing up over her skin. The damage was worse than she had realized at first as bruises began to bloom over her legs and arms. Her nails where broken, her hands and arms scratched and bloody.

Finally, she heard someone calling her name and she yelled back.

"I'm here!" she cried with all the force she could muster. Her voice sounded so quiet and weak even to herself.

Within moments, her cousin had flown to her side. She didn't realize that her aunt, uncle, and cousin were supposed to be visiting this afternoon and was surprised then that no one had some looking for her sooner.

"Esme! Oh my goodness! What happened to you? Are you alright?" her cousin fussed, standing over her.

"I fell out of the tree," she replied with a defeated sigh. "I can't walk."

"Oh dear Lord, Esme Anne Platt!" the other girl fretted as she attempted to help her cousin to her feet. "Your mother is in a state! Imagine what she will think when she sees you!"

"I think my leg is broken," Esme complained as the world danced before her eyes while her cousin pulled on her.

"Let me go get your father. Stay here and don't move."

It seemed like an eternity before her father arrived with her cousin to carry her back to the house. He didn't scold her nearly as much as she imagined he would, though he looked at her with deep disapproval as she told him what had happened, minus the part about thinking someone was watching her. She didn't want him to think that she was childish and afraid.

Once he had her back inside, he checked her leg and confirmed her fear that it was probably broken. Everything was a blur of pain, light, and noise as everyone fussed around her. Her mother was on the verge of hysterics because she was well aware that the doctor was away and there was no way of knowing when he would return. Setting her leg could not wait; it would have to be done tonight.

"We will have to take her to the hospital in Columbus," her father said.

"Oh, I wish that the doctor was not away," her mother interjected, "it will take so long to get to Columbus!"

"You can take my motor car," her uncle said her father. "It will be faster."