"Leave in peace, Aro," Carlisle said stiffly. I saw his shoulders were tight still. "Please remember that we still have our anonymity to protect here, and keep your guard from hunting in this region."
"Of course, Carlisle. I am sorry to earn your disapproval, my dear friend. Perhaps, in time, you will forgive me," Aro replied sadly, remorse flitting across his face. I wanted to snarl; I didn't believe him for a second.
"Perhaps, in time, if you prove a friend to us again."
Aro bowed his head, and turned to his guard, indicating with his hands to leave.
"Is it really over?" I heard Bella whisper. There was no way she was letting her guard up that easily.
Edward's shoulders relaxed, and I saw his huge grin as he turned to his wife. " Yes. They've given up. Like all bullies, they're cowards under the swagger," he laughed.
"Seriously, people," Alice laughed with him, her voice like chimes. It was as if she had never left. "They're not coming back. Everybody can relax now."
There was a beat of silence.
"Of all the rotten luck," Stefan grumbled.
Then the air exploded.
Rosalie and Emmett were suddenly locked in a passionate embrace, Benjamin and Tia were wrapped in each other's arms, and Carlisle was thanking the South Americans. I darted to Alice and Jasper, pulling them to me.
"Don't you ever do that to me again," I sobbed into their shoulders, pulling them tighter. "I didn't know where you had gone, I was terrified! I thought we were going to die without you!"
"Esme, we'd never leave you like that," Alice crooned while Jasper rubbed my back. "Honestly. We're yours – and nothing would keep us from you at the end. We love you so much. Esme, we're so sorry."
"We're not leaving you again Esme. We're back with you. We're home," Jasper murmured as I clung onto them.
"Okay," I pulled away, trying to compose myself. "I just missed you both so much. Things weren't the same without you."
"Of course things weren't the same. You had a troop of vampires coming after you," Jasper winked at me. Alice gave me a kiss on the cheek, and then turned with Jasper to greet Edward, Bella and Nessie.
It didn't take long for Carlisle's arms to wrap around me. "Esme," he whispered into my ear, tickling my neck with his breath. "Oh Esme."
"Carlisle, I thought we were going to die," I murmured into his shoulder. "I was so scared to lose you."
"You haven't, my darling. You haven't. And we have the rest of forever to look forwards to." He pulled away slightly, placing his hands either side of my face as his lips came down into a smiling kiss.
I moaned. It had been three weeks since we had been together like this. I pulled him into a deeper kiss, forgetting our children, our friends and our family around us, closing my eyes as my hands wove into his glistening blonde hair. My body pressed closer to his, and I quickly felt the lump in his trousers pushing against me.
"Esme," he drew breath as he came away for a moment. His eyes were wide. They were black with desire. "Esme, I can't. No yet. There are things we must discuss with others."
But I could see his will was weak. He wanted to stay with me. He leant his forehead against mine and took in a deep breath.
"Carlisle?" I mumbled. "You want to come with me?"
"No, I can't. I have things to sort out." His resistance was waning.
"You sure?" I pressed myself to him again.
"Yes," he sighed, taking my hand and leading my swiftly back to the house.
"Really?" I half-laughed.
We hadn't even reached the house yet. Carlisle growled lowly, and pushed me roughly against a tree, attacking my mouth with kisses, pushing his tongue deep inside my mouth.
"Be gentle," I groaned.
"I can't. Not this time. Next time," he grunted, and hitched one of my legs up around his waist. I gasped as I felt his hardness closer to me. I roughly pushed him away with a small growl, and dragged him back to my by his belt. The buckle snapped in an instant and his trousers fell to the ground. I grabbed him towards me, running my hands down through his slick hair, pressing them over his back and thrusting his underwear down to the floor.
In return, he pushed my skirt up around my waist, and tearing away my panties he slid his hand in-between my legs, teasing and rubbing until I was almost crying his name.
"Oh God, Carlisle, just do it," I moaned into his open mouth. He quickly obliged and pushed deep inside me. I let out a cry before he captured my lips in a rough kiss, thrashing with my tongue and pushing again and again into me. Each push pulled me closer, brought his name to my captured lips and groan into my throat. The buttons popped as he grasped at my skirt, tearing away my bra and teasing my nipple.
"Carlisle," I gasped again.
"Esme, oh God, Esme," he grunted with each thrust, each one coming faster and faster as we reached our peak.
Images were flashing into my mind. I was sixteen, sitting on a bed as he felt my leg gently; I was at the top of a cliff, waiting to jump; I was flying through the air, my last human thought of his face; I was awake, seeing things for the first time, he was there, he was the Sun; he was standing against the Volturi; I was in his arms for the first time; he was crying my name for the first time...
I felt my walls clamp down as Carlisle spilled into me, both of us crying the other's name and collapsing onto the forest floor.
We were still for a few moments, taking in the smell of pine, the sound of the nearby river and the feel of each other's skin. I moved myself onto his chest, facing upwards with my head just underneath his chin. A hand slid out from under me and began to rub my breast gently.
"Carlisle," I half-smiled. I moved my hand down across his body and began stroking the top of his leg. "I've missed you."
He carefully turned me over to face him. "I've missed you too darling. But we have the rest of forever. Nothing will keep us apart again. I love you more today than I ever have. I love you like Winter adores the first sign of Spring. You are far better than any woman I ever dreamed of or imagined. Because you are real. You're here. And you're mine."
"Stay with me forever."
"No question about it."
