Wanting to practice my writing, I came up with this story here. The chapters will generally be short scenes, but I hope they will be of interest for anyone who reads.

I take most of my inspiration from the Vampire Diaries, a show of which I enjoyed the first two seasons of. My vampires need blood to survive, however, in many ways they are still very human. They are not cold to the touch, they can be injured but heal quickly, and the venom in their systems is capable of absorbing a few substances outside of blood. Oh, and no sparkling!

I hope you enjoy!

Daddy has a Date

For five days they had taken in the disturbing change of their father. Carlisle Cullen was a respectable man, a doctor who always carried himself with a professional air on and off the job. He didn't go about sighing dreamily or humming old love songs. Certainly, he didn't bail on Friday movie night with his boys or brush off their requests for help on their homework.

That is, until he met her.

Esme stepped into the living room with a gentle smile, her hands clasped before her as she bowed slightly in the perfect image of a proper lady. Her brown hair fell silkily over her shoulders.

"I am very happy to meet you." her sparkling gold eyes drifted to each face. "Carlisle has told me so much about you."

Three different expressions greeted her, but none which were exactly welcoming.

Edward crinkled his nose as if he'd caught a bad smell. Emmett, almost always the cheerful one, looked downright pouty. And Jasper, the eldest, had gone full soldier mode, his cool eyes boring into the strange new vampire and daring her to make any sudden, suspicious moves. She had the audacity to not look the least bit intimidated.

They didn't think the day would ever come. Outside of their family, vampires who fed off animals instead of humans were practically nonexistent, making the chances of Carlisle ever finding a mate who'd want to share in his peculiar lifestyle a hopeless dream. Yet here she now stood before them, a picture of loveliness with her pure eyes devoid of any trace of red.

The mere sight of her was enough to turn the stomach.

"This is-"

"No, no, let me guess," Esme sweetly cut off the father. If his sons tried that they got "the eyebrow", but of course his response to her was a nothing else than an adoring smile. Gross.

"Jasper Whitlock," she pointed at the tall blond and he raised his chin.

"Emmett McCarty," she again rightly guessed, pointing at the brawny teen who had very short, dark hair.

"And last but certainly not least, little Edward Masen," she beamed at the smallest boy. His gold eyes went wide and his nostrils flared. Little Edward Masen? Little Edward Masen?!

"You got them all right," praised Carlisle, neither grinning adult noticing the indignation written plain on the offended child's face. "Well, boys, what do you think?"

Cold silence answered him. Edward was actually curling his lip now.

The seconds ticked by. Esme finally showed a hint of nervousness, her smile faltering as she shot a glance at Carlisle. He bristled.

"Boys?" he called again, a warning just beneath the surface of his calm tone.

Edward gritted his teeth, Emmett averted his eyes to nothing in particular, and Jasper's posture stiffened even more than it already was. They could only push the man so far.

Well, fine. Leaning forward in a bow of great reluctance, they muttered in unison, "Pleased to meet you."

The pretty brunette brightened once more and Carlisle visibly relaxed.

Good boys, he thought in satisfaction. Edward heard this and scowled.

Barely five minutes in her presence and he already knew he was going to hate Esme Platt.