Summary: Esme was sixteen when she met Carlisle. What happened between them? This is an exploration of their relationship from the moment they met, fell in love, married, and shared many other experiences. The rating may be changed. Please R&R.

Note: I am not Stephenie Meyer nor do I own the Twilight series.

Hey guys! I always loved Carlisle and I wanted to find out what happened between him and Esme. Hope you like it!

"Ah!" I screamed, instinctively biting down on my lower lip. The force was more enough to break it, and, sure enough, I felt a trickle of blood run down the side of my chin. Uncaring, my teeth continued bearing down on my broken lip until the trail of blood on my chin began dripping on my blouse, each drop adding a grotesque, almost morbid stain to the pristine flowers stitched on my hemming.

What would have been a searing pain in my lower lip was drowned out by the horrific, excruciating fire consuming my leg.

Unable to move, I cried out, tears streaming down my cheeks, blurring my eyesight, as the pain flared to a sickening degree.

"Oh my God! Esme? Are you alright? Help! Oh, God—somebody please help!" A panicked voice cried out, capturing my attention for a moment before the fire began building again.

I recognized the voice to be Alexandra's.

Suddenly, the events leading up to the fire in my leg were crystal clear in my mind—as if hearing Alexandra's voice had made all the difference in the world.

Because of my current, tortured state of being, only snippets of earlier, subsequent events played through my mind. I was grateful for the distraction—no matter how small it may be—of anything to ease the pain.

"Come on, Esme! It will be fun—I promise." Alexandra laughed, her smile a flash of white teeth. She pushed me forwards towards the tall, intimidating tree in my backyard, with very few branches as far as I could see.

"I'm not so sure about this, Alexandra…" I trailed off, my voice growing more apprehensive by the moment.

Alexandra wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Oh, Esme, you aren't worried, are you?" Her forehead wrinkled in mock surprise.

Of course I was worried. Who wouldn't be worried before climbing a twenty foot tall tree for the first time in their life?

"I'll be right here to catch you if you fall." She assured me, excitement once again filling her voice. "Please, Esme! You'll do fine—I swear."

I banished the paranoid stream of thoughts that every chancy activity seemed to trigger. Alexandra was always such an enchanting girl to be around—carefree, beautiful as she was. I could be like her, but first, I had to stop worrying.

"I'll do it." I grinned, my voice sounding much more confident than I felt. I had no idea where the words came from, but I welcomed them fearlessly.

I steadied myself on the lowest branch, slowly, carefully reaching up to the second. Feeling surer of myself, I swung my legs up around the second branch. I grinned in spite of myself.

The third branch was easy—I perched atop it almost effortlessly.

The fourth.

The fifth.

Triumph was a strange high. Despite the fear-inspiring distance from the ground, and the way I hung precariously from the sixth branch, my mind soared at the freedom.

Sucking in the heady air, I heaved. I pushed.

I fell, air whizzing by me at an alarming speed.

Air.

Leaves.

Grass.

Ground.

I landed on my leg, shocked that I had fallen. At first, I felt nothing, only hearing a sickening snap before realizing what had happened, just as the intense, excruciating pain burst into life.

"Alexandra." I gasped, my voice raspy.

"Yes? Yes? Esme? What do you want?" Her hands shook from panic, and her frenzied eyes silently begged me to be okay.

"I need…"—gasp—"…a…"—sharp inhale—"…doctor." I managed to communicate to her, heaving from the effort.

"Right. Of course. A doctor. I'll take care of that." Her voice wavered, her eyes frantic, and I could see that her response was equally directed at herself.

Suddenly, the flames lashed out, engulfing me, causing the world around me to spin. I was vaguely aware of the frenzied shouts of confusion sounding around me, some from my parents, some from Alexandra. My eyelids fluttered shut, a somehow finalizing my unconsciousness.

Blackness surrounded me, numbing and deadening the fire in my leg.

I was only vaguely aware of the hum of a car as we drove to the hospital.

Hey guys! This is only the BEGINNING of the Esme/Carlisle story I have in my head. Please be patient! I wanted to show the events leading up to Esme's visit to the hospital, and, inevitably, her meeting with Carlisle.

Carlisle will be in the next chapter, I promise!

Please, please, please leave me reviews! It helps to know that people are reading/liking my writing. Also, I love constructive criticism!

A MILLION thanks to all of my reviewers! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be writing.

-xxtwilight