A/N: This is a sequel to Angel, just a short little interlude from Carlisle's point of view. This is a series now – the one after this a short piece from Esme's POV. Hopefully after that I'll have another one from Carlisle's POV, but I'm not that far yet...

Anyway, thank you to Mirane and garnius for your reviews on Angel – my email wouldn't let me do review reply. :( For anyone who's interested, there's a longer version of that story here: http:// twilightarchives .com/viewstory. php?sid1750 (take out the spaces).

Onto this story!


The city was just starting to stir as I hurried home from the hospital. Chicago was a big place, big enough to lose yourself in, but I wanted to draw as little attention to myself as possible. Sparkling when the sun hit my skin was not a good way to do that. I smiled wryly.

At least I had someone I could be myself with, now, even if Edward was a little… well, I had no choice but to be myself around someone who could read minds.

I turned my thoughts to the night that was just ending. A quiet night, which was unusual. And… hmm. I'd treated a young woman with a broken leg, who reminded me of another quiet night in another place… but Esme Platt had been a different type of person than the frightened, bruised woman I'd helped tonight. Miss Platt had been so full of life, so vivacious. I couldn't shake my memories of her, or the aura of simple happiness that had surrounded her.

My mind was still in Columbus when I entered the narrow house that Edward and I shared. He was sitting in a chair, intent on a book, but he looked up when I came in the front room.

"Did you have a good night, Carlisle?" he asked.

I nodded. "Not very much to do, though. Since the influenza epidemic ended, there's so few people in the hospitals. It feels like there's something big going on we're missing out on." I smiled, trying to make the atmosphere a little lighter, and Edward smiled faintly, acknowledging my efforts.

Heaven knows the boy was having a hard time adjusting to his new life. He missed his parents, his humanity – but I tried not to think about him when I was around him. Instantly, my thoughts jumped back to Miss Platt.

The newspaper thudded against the door, and Edward went to grab it. He scanned the headlines, then tossed it to me.

Nothing too interesting here, either. There was nothing to interesting in Chicago, after the epidemic and the war ended. We would move soon – it would be good for Edward, to get away from the place he lived when he was human. I grimaced mentally for thinking about Edward again, and once more my mind jumped to Miss Platt.

I looked up to see Edward smirking.

"What?" I demanded, a little irritated that my thoughts were so entertaining.

"Have a lady friend you should be telling me about?" he asked, grinning.

I sighed. The only thing worse than a teenage boy, I decided, was a psychic one.