Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Twilight.
A/N: This is the sequel to a Night Out, where Carlisle tells the story of his night out with Esme. Reading the first story is not necessary to understand this one, but if you're looking for a laugh you might enjoy the original!
A Night Out: Carlisle and Esme Style
I noticed a change in some of my children as they filed back into the house after their night away. "Mommy," Renesmee exclaimed, as she bounded across the room. "Daddy."
I smiled at my granddaughter's enthusiasm. "How was your evening?" I asked.
They all seemed to momentarily freeze and I resisted the urge to look in all of their eyes for red. "It was fun," Alice exclaimed. Of course Alice would have had fun; she has fun everywhere she goes.
"Did you dance Mama?" Renesmee asked.
"Yes she did," Edward answered, smiling at his daughter. "And she was very good at it."
My eyes travelled across all of my children and I noticed the biggest change came in the form of Rosalie. I had never seen her seem so at peace. Even on her best days she always had shadows of doubt lingering in her eyes; she always seemed to be fighting an internal battle of self-hatred. Today she seemed… happy. She looked at Emmett and the way she smiled at him was like nothing I'd ever seen her do. It was as if millions of pounds were lifted from her shoulders.
"You all seem very refreshed. I take it this night was sorely needed."
"That it was indeed," Edward said and his eyes trailed to his siblings. I knew I was missing something.
"You should really consider taking a night out of your own," Alice offered. In my peripheral I saw Esme smile at the idea. I had to admit the idea did sound wonderful; just a night out with my beautiful wife.
"That isn't a bad idea Alice," I said.
"When will you all learn I never have bad ideas?" she asked. Jasper chuckled in response. Edward shuddered in response to one of Jasper's thoughts.
My admission that Alice had had a good idea led to two straight weeks of Alice planning the perfect night out for us. It would have been amusing if it wasn't so exhausting. We are eternal beings who have no use for sleep and yet around Alice we can sometimes feel as though we do. I wondered how Jasper could always be so patient when she had one of these ideas, but of course his love for her would make him strong enough to handle her tirades.
"Yes Alice?" I called to mine and Esme's closed bedroom door.
"Esme's dress is here and I need her to try it on." I looked over at Esme and smiled. She rolled her eyes but then kissed me on the nose and got out of our bed. She slipped into some clothing before opening the door to Alice who was waiting impatiently on the other side.
"You're going to love it," she said, as she took Esme's hand and led her towards hers and Jasper's bedroom.
I figured I may as well get out of bed as well since I wasn't getting my wife back anytime soon. I went downstairs to find Renesmee playing a board game with Emmett. "Hi Grandpa Carlisle," she exclaimed when she saw me. She jumped down from the chair she had been in to greet me.
I picked her up and kissed the crown of her head. "Hi Renesmee. What are you playing with Emmett?"
"Operation. He is losing."
"That's why he never became a doctor," I whispered.
She giggled and then I set her back down so she could continue her game. Jasper entered the room looking a little irritable. "What's the matter Jasper?"
"Alice kicked me out of our room."
"Don't worry, once Esme and I leave tomorrow you'll get your wife back."
"Only 24 more hours," he sighed, before lying down on the sofa to continue his book. Emmett snickered. "Watch it or I'll tell her you and Rosalie are ready for her to start planning another wedding."
"Sorry Jasper," Emmett said quickly. I laughed and went out onto the deck to watch the sun rise. It was always so peaceful out here; it was nice a break in the chaos.
A few minutes later I felt a pair of soft hands slide against my shoulders. "As annoying as Alice can be, she does have a good sense of fashion."
"I'm glad you like your dress Esme," I said, as I gently tugged her hand and pulled her around to sit on my lap. We sat in silence together watching the rays of light peak over the horizon.
"I love you," Esme whispered, once the sun had fully come out of hiding.
"I love you too," I said, as I pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "How mad do you think Alice would be if we snuck off for a little while?"
"Jasper can handle her," she said as she stood so we could go for a walk into the woods.
Hand in hand we walked past the river and through the trees until we reached a small recess among two trees and some boulders. We loved to spend time here alone. I took a seat on the soft ground and Esme nestled against my side. I kissed the top of her head, and she intertwined our hands together.
"I do wonder what Alice has planned for us," she said.
"Knowing Alice it will be extravagant, and also exactly what we need."
"She's good at what she does."
"Annoy us?" I teased. Esme laughed.
We stayed like this for hours, just talking and laughing. As the sun began to set Esme leaned up and kissed me passionately, her tongue dragging against my lower lip to gain access. I kissed her back fervently, before gently laying her down on the soft bed of leaves.
As the sun rose in the sky again I could hear the sound of someone approaching us. I instinctively knew it was Alice. "Yes Alice?" I called.
"I need Esme," she said, sounding slightly miffed. "I have to do her hair."
"Its first thing in the morning Alice," Esme called back.
"Yes, I know. We're behind schedule. I'll do my best with it."
Esme rolled her eyes again, and then I helped her stand, pulled our clothing back on and then together we emerged from our haven to find our daughter frowning and Jasper looking like he wanted to crawl into a hole and die. "All right Alice, I'm ready."
The four of us ran back to the house and I didn't see Esme again for hours. Jasper, Emmett and Edward found it quite amusing that I tried to distract myself with medical journals, and yet couldn't stop glancing at the clock. To pass the time I read stories with Renesmee, well she did most of the reading as she seemed to get bored as the listener.
Finally Alice appeared at the top of the stairs with Rosalie right behind her. The whole family assembled to watch Esme descend the steps. She was dressed in a long flowing green dress that wrapped tightly around her slender figure. Alice had put gentle waves into her caramel hair and tied part of it back so that more of her face was exposed. I tried my best to control any thoughts, or my feelings of lust to spare my sons.
Esme smiled as her gaze met mine and our eyes never left each other's until she reached me. "You look stunning," I whispered, as I took her hand and kissed it. Her smile deepened and her eyes truly seemed to sparkle.
"You look dashing yourself my love," she said, her eyes sliding down to take in my suit and tie.
"So, where to Alice?" I asked, as I turned to look at my daughter.
"Jasper will drive you," she said, throwing him the keys to my Mercedes.
Jasper smirked at us, as he opened the door for us and led us out to the car. Renesmee came running after us, tears in her little eyes. "You didn't say goodbye…"
"Oh Sweetheart," Esme said, as she lifted the little girl into her arms and kissed her cheek. "We won't be gone too long. We'll miss you."
She gave Esme a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll miss you too Grandma."
The little girl was handed to me and I gave her a hug and kiss. She touched my cheek and showed me how much she would miss us but that she was happy to see us so happy. "You are a very special little girl," I whispered.
"You are a very special Grandpa," she whispered back before I handed her to Alice.
Esme and I got into the backseat of the car and then Jasper slipped into the driver's seat. "Any hints Jasper?"
"I would like to keep living, and Alice made me promise not to tell you anything."
"She won't know…" Esme said.
"Are you kidding? She knows everything I do." We both laughed and felt a stab of pity for our son. He really couldn't have any secrets, not that he really seemed to mind. We didn't have much room for secrets in our world.
Jasper sped along the highway and every once and a while I'd catch him looking at us and smiling in the rear view mirror. Either Alice's plans were amusing, or amazing. I wasn't sure what to expect, Alice could sometimes have an interesting sense of humour.
I turned back to Esme and ran my hand down her bare arm. She turned to me and smiled. "I don't know what I've done right, but somehow I was blessed with you," I whispered. Jasper politely pretended he couldn't hear us.
"I think I'm the blessed one Carlisle."
"Eternity isn't enough for us to be together," I replied.
"We'll just have to make the best of it," she teased, as she laced our fingers together.
We stayed absorbed in each other, losing complete focus of where we were. Jasper interrupted our moment a while later to let us know we had arrived. "Everything you need for this evening is here," he said handing me a manilla envelope. "I will be back to get you tomorrow."
"Thanks Jasper," I said, as I stepped out of the car and gave Esme my hand to help her out as well.
"Have fun," Jasper said, before I shut the door and he sped off. I looked around and realized we were at a pier. I slipped open the envelope and pulled out two tickets for a sunset cruise and then a key to a hotel room, along with a note.
You wanted a night like ours and I'll try my best to give it to you. I've given you a night of dancing. What we didn't tell you about our evening out was that some of us dealt with our pasts and insecurities. You have a chance this evening to reveal what you have not and heal. Whether you do or not is up to you. Have a wonderful night and I hope it rekindles more passion between you like it did for us.
Love Alice.
I was surprised by the note and Esme looked at me curiously. "I thought Rosalie seemed happier when they returned," she said.
"I had noticed it too. They all seemed at peace."
"Well Carlisle, this is our night to find peace of our own."
"Lead the way Mrs. Cullen," I whispered into her hair.
"With pleasure my love." I slipped the room key and note into my pocket, while holding our tickets in my hand so we could board the boat.
The boat was full of many well dressed patrons and even without Jasper's gift I could sense Esme's absolute delight at what lay ahead of us. We hadn't been out dancing in some time, and last time I had had to remove her from the dance floor after one of the dancers had fallen and started bleeding. It had been over a decade since that event.
While we were dancing I caught the scent of many hormones related to pregnancy secreting from the woman next to me. I glanced over at her and Esme followed my gaze, her eyes landing on the swollen belly of the woman dancing in her husband's arms. Without even thinking Esme dropped her gaze to her own flat belly, her hand touching it gently as her eyes grew sad. I took her hand and led her off the dance floor and onto the deck of the boat where the moon's gentle reflection cascaded across the water and provided a small, romantic source of light.
"It still hurts to think about him," she sighed. I gently caressed her cheek and nodded.
"I'm sure it always will Love."
"It's gotten a lot harder since Renesmee's birth. I couldn't help but think to myself if you had been my baby's father, my son would have been strong enough to survive."
"It wasn't possible then."
"I knew you when I was young. I've loved you since I was a young girl. I just can't help but wish you had been my son's father. If he had been your child we would still have him." The heartbreak and desperation in her voice clawed at my own heart. I pulled her into my arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"I am so sorry Esme. I can't even begin to imagine how hard that would have been for you. If I could wish for anything in this life, it would be for you to still have your son."
"I'm never going to see him again Carlisle. He's just gone. I can barely remember his tiny little face, or the way his little fingers would squeeze around mine. He had been so strong and then so terribly weak. I look at Nessie and I see what my son could have been."
"It wasn't possible. Even if I had been your son's father, you may not have lived. We didn't know this was possible."
"I would gladly give my life for my son. Every day I wish it had been me that had been weak; that I could have given him my strength to live."
"I wish I could give him back to you, my Love. I'd die tomorrow if that were possible."
"Do you think… If you had been his physician, could you have saved him?"
"No. I was there when your son was ill."
"What?" she exclaimed, her shocked eyes searching mine.
"Edward and I had just arrived. I looked at his chart. There was nothing medicine could have done for him."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want to upset you. I didn't think talking about being there would have made a difference. There was nothing I could do."
"Did you hold him?"
"Yes."
"Tell me about it."
"I held him on several occasions. I examined him myself. I tried to think of any way to save him, but we knew it was only a matter of time. I held him the first night you cried yourself to sleep."
"Why didn't you come see me?"
"I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to tell you that your son wasn't going to make it. I stayed in the hospital every night until he died. I stood outside your room the night he died, while you held him. I wanted to come in and comfort you, but I thought I didn't deserve to because I had failed you and your son."
"Oh Carlisle. You have never failed me. You did not fail my son. He was sick. He was weak. You didn't do anything wrong."
"Neither did you my love. You were the most devoted, most loving, most wonderful mother I've ever encountered. You still are. Our children are lucky to have you."
"I love our family. Every day I'm so proud of our sons and daughters. I feel so blessed to be their mother, and your wife. My son will always be a void in my heart and no one will ever replace him, but our family helps keep the pain at bay."
"And you know, from what I'm gathering in my research Renesmee will be able to have children. We have will more children to love in our family."
It surprised me when Esme laughed. "I can't wait for Edward to become a grandfather."
"I can. I'm not ready for that… boy to touch our little granddaughter."
"Who says it will be him?"
"In case you haven't realized by now my dear I believe in destiny."
"I believe in luck," Esme said, before kissing my nose.
She spun around in my arms, leaning her head back onto my shoulder as we looked out over the vast expanse of water. Together we swayed to the music we could hear reverberating inside the cabin; her hips grinded gently against me. I growled in her ear and heard her laugh lightly.
I pressed a kiss to her neck and she moaned softly. "Come now doctor," she whispered seductively. "Are you trying to seduce me?"
"I wouldn't dream of it my dear," I said, adopting my old English accent. She inhaled sharply and spun back around to face me.
"Dr. Cullen, I am a proper lady," she admonished me playfully.
"We'll just have to see about that Madam."
Her smile expanded and she pushed me into the railing as she started to kiss me. "Now Mrs. Cullen, are you trying to seduce me?"
"I'm not trying," she whispered inches from my ear. The control in her voice sent me reeling and I moaned as her lips lightly grazed my earlobe.
"Esme," I sputtered.
"Yes Carlisle?" she purred.
"We…" I couldn't finish as she kissed along my jaw, and then grazed her tongue along my lower lip. I had no control anymore.
Suddenly she stepped away from me, and I tried to bring myself back to reality. "We should go back inside."
I looked behind her to the couple who had stepped outside. "As you wish my love," I said, before taking her hand and leading her back onto the dance floor. The cruise couldn't end fast enough.
The music was too slow for the way I wanted to dance with her, the way we used to dance following Esme's obsession with Dirty Dancing. A part of me wished we had joined our children in the dance club so that we could have danced the same way. Of course from what I was piecing together about their evening it was probably for the best we weren't there.
I twirled Esme out and as I was about to pull her in I felt her tense. I followed her gaze to a couple at the edge of the dance floor and focused on what they were saying. I realized then that his whispered words were menacing and hinted at violence behind closed doors. I released my wife's hand so I could make my way over.
I tapped the man on the shoulder and he turned to look at me. "This is none of your concern," he spat, as his cold eyes met mine.
"I would beg to differ," I stated, holding his stare. He took a step back from his partner and turned to me fully now.
"You need to mind your own business. I was having a private conversation with my wife."
"When I have a conversation with my wife she doesn't cower in fear," I retorted, my eyes boring into his.
"We're fine really," his timid companion sputtered.
With my eyesight I could see the discolouration on her left cheek where a bruise had almost fully healed.
"You heard the lady," the man snarled.
"You know what a man is who hits his wife?" I asked. He said nothing so I answered my own question. "A coward. An empty, shallow, coward. Hitting someone smaller than you won't make up for your failure in life."
I watched him clench his fists, itching to hit me. "You don't know anything about my relationship with my wife."
"I know all about what you are. It's not a relationship, it's a dictatorship. So what is it? What makes you take your anger out on her? What are you hiding? Or repressing? Why don't you get help instead of pretending you don't need it."
"You're the one that needs help, getting involved in other people's business."
"I can assure you that my wife and I are happily married and I would die before I'd lift a hand to her. Violence is never the answer. It won't make up for your inadequacy."
That did it, he lifted his hand and I let him get close before I lifted my own hand, grabbing his arm and using my body to slam him into the wall. I used only the force necessary, not causing him any actual damage. I was glad my sons were not here for this because neither Jasper nor Emmett would have been able to handle this calmly enough not to cause damage.
"Hitting me won't help you," I stated, as I stared him down. He finally looked away.
"Let me go," he growled.
I pushed just a little harder, allowing my eyes to flash with danger, a serious warning. I could tell he was now afraid, realizing that I was actually a danger. "Let me make one thing clear," I said, so only he could hear me. "If you ever lay a hand on her again, you will answer to me. I am your worst nightmare."
I released him then and looked behind us to the crowd that had gathered to watch. I had only eyes for one person in the audience and that was the beautiful woman who had bound herself to me for eternity. Her eyes were haunted with memories of her past life, where I had not been there to save her from her husband's tyranny.
Together we walked away from the others where we could be alone. "Are you all right?" I asked her.
"I should be asking you that."
"I'm fine. I am sure Alice saw this so I can have her keep an eye on this man and make sure he never touches her again. However, this didn't open any wounds for me."
"It's hard not to remember. My memories of that life are so faded and yet I can still feel the fear. The way it would slide down my spine and I would wish for anything to save me. It's something you can't forget."
"I'm sorry that ever happened to you."
"There is no point in dwelling on it now. It never would have led me to you. It's in my past, but you and your chivalry are my present, my future, my forever."
She stepped closer to me and I pressed my lips to hers. We were immediately interrupted by the couple expecting the baby. "That was a wonderful thing you did," the woman said.
I smiled politely at the couple as she touched my hand. "I am sure anyone else would have done the same."
"Sadly, I don't think that is the case," she said, her eyes betraying a sadness I couldn't place. Her husband gently touched her elbow and I saw in his eyes the same love and adoration I saw in my sons or my own when we looked at our wives. Whatever her experience of abuse was it was clearly not with this man.
"Carlisle is still a gentleman at heart," Esme complimented me.
"You are a hero," the woman stated. "It warms my heart to know such good people exist."
"When are you due?" Esme asked, her eyes falling on the woman's belly.
"Not for another four months. Do you have any children?"
"We have six foster children," Esme said proudly, the undertone of pain would not be caught by human ears.
"Wow that must be really rewarding."
"They are a blessing," Esme agreed. "Our son recently blessed us with a grandchild."
"You are both so young," she said, gesturing to the both of us.
"That's what happens when you adopt the older children."
"Well congratulations. Let me tell you pregnancy is not all it's cracked up to be."
The pain that flashed across Esme's face was evident, even to the humans. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that," the woman squeaked.
"It's okay. It's not your fault," Esme assured her. "We are not able to have children."
"We have friends who saw a fertility specialist who worked a miracle," she said, ripping open her purse to find the card.
"Carlisle is a doctor and he can confirm that biological children are not on the table for us," she said, touching my hand and squeezing it as a request to get us out of this conversation.
"We really appreciate your kindness," I said gently. "Although we cannot have children of our own, we have been very blessed with six wonderful children. We love all of them as our own."
"You really are wonderful people," she exclaimed, before leaning into her husband. "I feel very blessed to have met you." Then she and her husband turned to walk away.
"Well that was…" Esme didn't finish, but I could see in her eyes so many demons.
"I am so sorry Esme."
"Do me a favour? Please stop apologizing to me for things that are not your fault. You can't save the world Carlisle. You can't keep me from remembering the things I lost. I will never stop loving my son, but I don't regret losing my human life. Children are not on the table for us, and although that yearning may never cease we have children, we have a family and for eternity I will always be grateful. I just want to be happy with you."
"I love you," I whispered. She smiled at me, and leaned her cheek against my chest.
"I love you too," she replied.
The hours started to slide by and I could not wait for the boat to dock at the harbour. Esme and I spent the rest of the cruise entwined on the dance floor, moving to the gentle beat of the music. I admired my wife as she moved in my arms. I had never known a more beautiful creature. Her caramel hair shimmered in the moonlight and her golden eyes sparkled with life as they met mine.
When the cruise ended and Esme and I stepped off the boat we were met with a limo and driver who addressed me as Dr. Cullen. He held the door open for us, offering us a bottle of champagne. For a moment I felt sadness, wishing that for just one night Esme and I could experience these human moments, such as going out to a fancy dinner and drinking too much champagne. I considered all the human moments we would never experience. As annoying as Alice could be about having human experiences, I completely understood it. The world we now lived in was so different from the world I experienced centuries before. There were so many things I wished we could do, and yet a part of me remained thankful. If I were human Esme and I would never have met, neither would Rosalie and Emmett, or Edward and Bella, and Renesmee would never have existed. I would trade all of those human moments to have my family any day, unless of course I could have provided each member of my family the happy ending they had desired in their human lives.
"Alice is so amazing," Esme said, as she leaned her head on my shoulder.
"She really is," I agreed, as I pressed a kiss to Esme's bare shoulder, my hand sliding down her arm and resting on her leg. She turned her head to kiss me, her hand slipping into my hair and pulling me closer.
She had such an intoxicating effect on me. I never felt more alive then when I was with her, touching her, tasting her. She was everything to me. I trailed kisses along her jaw and down her neck. She leaned back in the seat and started to unbutton my shirt. I caught her hands and held them, avoiding us making a scene in the back of the limo, as much as I wanted to. "Let us get to our room first," I whispered hoarsely.
"Then he better hurry," she replied, as she kissed my ear lobe. I bit my lower lip to keep from making another sound. We should have ran to our hotel room, it would have been faster.
I was ready to jump from the vehicle when we stopped. Instead I politely waited for the driver to open our door. I handed him a bunch of bills I had pulled from my pocket and we went as quickly as was appropriate for humans inside and into the elevator. "You know what I miss?" Esme asked.
"What?"
"The times when we weren't followed everywhere on camera," she said gesturing to one of the corners.
"That has never stopped Rose and Emmett."
"Nothing stops Rose and Emmett."
The doors slid open and once we were in our room we finally in gave into our desires, barely managing to shut the door. I would definitely be thanking Alice for this night later.