So... I did a post-Breaking Dawn lemon already, but I got a PM/request on tumblr to do one with some good romance so I thought, why not? :) Had to dig a little deeper because I already went in a different direction with a post BD Car/Es scene (it's a little difficult to write the same idea in a different way) Hope this is okay! As always, I hope you enjoy. :) Happy New Year to everyone.

Post Breaking Dawn...

Alice broke down and spilled the news about her vision to everyone individually. The day the Volturi had come to town was almost the day their lives would have changed forever. It was too much for her to bear on her own and so she let her family members in on the devastation that thankfully only happened in her mind.

Edward had already seen it for himself, but everyone else had been itching to know what could have happened. Alice had saved Esme for last because of what could have happened to Carlisle. Their conversation had been short and to the point, but she made sure to answer all of Esme's questions. For a short time following, Esme had kept to herself. She wasn't at all mad at Alice for telling her. She felt like her heart was ripped out from the mere thought of Carlisle's life ending.

Exactly one week passed by. Esme sat alone in her room with her knees pulled up toward her chest beneath the covers. The lights were off, but the television played repeats of one of the modern day cop shows that she found mildly amusing. The episode was more than half over but had someone asked, Esme would not be able to explain what it was about. She wasn't paying attention. Her thoughts were on Carlisle as they never failed to be since Alice had told her about her vision. Renesmee was the only thing that managed to keep her mind occupied for long enough to suppress the depressing feelings.

Edward checked in with her several times over the course of the last couple of days. She said she was fine and was sure her urges to cry would have passed but they didn't.

The clock next to her read nearly midnight, as the one week anniversary of the Volturi's visit was about to come to a close. Carlisle was on his way home from work and was expected home at any minute. Esme had engrained the sound of his car's engine in her mind and always knew when he was right around the corner. When the steady rumble of the Mercedes echoed through her eardrums, she straitened up her posture and took a deep breath.

Carlisle was well aware of what Alice saw and did his best to keep Esme in good spirits. The lack of success he had in doing this weighed on him and he hoped there was something he could do to light up her spirits again. He tried just about everything he could think of, but nothing seemed to work.

He walked in the house through the garage entrance and put a hand up toward Emmett and Jasper. They played cards at the kitchen table and waved back.

Esme heard Carlisle taking his time up the staircase and she braced herself as he clicked open the door to their room. She wished that she would have turned on a light so she wouldn't look like someone in mourning.

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Hey," she said back.

In his hand were a bouquet of flowers and he crossed the room slowly, handing them to her as he planted a kiss on her lips. He pulled back for a brief second before leaving Esme with another.

She clutched the base of the roses and clung to his collar with her other hand. His kiss was exactly what she needed, but all the same his gesture made her want to cry. It reassured her that she couldn't live without him and the feeling suddenly made her feel paralyzed.

"What can I do?" Carlisle asked her in a whisper.

Esme pulled him to her in a hug. "I love you. You don't know how much I love you."

He closed his eyes and held her in his arms, feeling the ruffle from the plastic of the roses as it brushed against his jacket. "I love you too."

She sighed into his ear and traced over his face with her fingertips. Her lips found his again and she closed her eyes, moving her tongue gently in unison against his. The temporary depression had been blinding her desire for him. The fact that she began to feel that feeling again made her feel as though she was making progress.

Carlisle hadn't removed his jacket or shoes upon returning from work, but made no efforts to resist Esme as she helped him onto the bed with her.

"Should you put the flowers on the table?" he asked her.

Her hand moved against the plastic wrap again and she nodded, "Yes. Thank you for getting them Carlisle."

"You're welcome." He leaned back and took the small sentimental gift from her hand and crossed the room to place them on their dresser. He then proceed to kick off his shoes and tossed his jacket on the back of a chair for the time being.

He sat back down on the edge of the bed next to Esme and ran a hand through her hair. "Are you okay?"

"Better," she admitted, but it didn't convince him. She placed her hand over his as it laid on the pillow next to her and ran her hand up his arm before locked it across the back of his shoulder.

Carlisle allowed her to kiss him again, easily getting caught up in her touch but a part of him hesitated.

"I need this Carlisle," Esme said, sensing his hesitation. She knew he was concerned with her well-being, but she had to let herself get lost and go with what she was feeling. "I haven't been able to get past my own thoughts. I need you right now."

He breathed her scent in through his nostrils and closed his eyes, feeling almost nervous. Her touch made him shudder as she slid her fingers beneath the collar of his shirt. Carlisle leaned his face back down and took her lips against his.

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered to her in between kisses. His hand gently touched the side of her face and he laid himself down on top of her.

Esme grabbed him as if she didn't believe his words. His lips against the sensitive skin on her neck sent shivers down her back. At the same time, his hands caressed the skin on the lowest part of her stomach, working their way up her body. The t-shirt she wore began to ride up and she put just enough distance between them to remove it.

Carlisle kissed her hard, though stayed careful in the way he pursued the situation. Esme's hands pushed and pulled at his clothing and so he did as she wanted and removed what he could without breaking their embrace. Finally his lips broke away from hers to pull his shirt over his head, as the remaining pieces of their clothing scampered onto the floor.

Esme flipped the cover across Carlisle's back and held him tightly against her. Carlisle kissed her gently and ran his hands down her body, setting one carefully onto her back and the other on her hip. For some reason a flashback of the first time they were together crossed his mind, as Esme's emotional state seemed to match. Her eyes were closed shut tightly as she kissed him with urgency that made his heart skip a beat.

Carlisle pulled back from her a few inches and closed eyes, positioning his head downward for a second. Esme opened hers and looked at him.

"It's alright," she assured him.

He opened his eyes and looked back up at her.

"I'm finally snapping out of the mood I've been in," Esme continued, placing a hand by his face.

Carlisle took in a deep breath and leaned down to kiss her once without saying anything back initially. After several seconds he moved his lips to her ear, "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too." Her hands clawed at his back and she swallowed hard.

He sighed when he felt her move slightly so he could proceed. Without thinking more in depth about it he upped their intimacy to the next level.

Esme closed her eyes and sighed lightly. He could be dead right now, she thought to herself, then tried to shake off the feeling. But he could, she argued with herself in her mind.

Carlisle stopped and looked her in the eyes, "Are you okay?" He could tell she wasn't herself.

"Yeah." She tried to sound reassuring, but wasn't successful.

He looked down, about to get off of her so they could talk, but Esme decided that enough was enough. She had to get past the horrible things that could have happened and focus on what actually had. The present day was good. Everyone was alive. Renesme was okay. Bella had survived the pregnancy. They were a more complete family than they'd ever been. Carlisle was alive and well and in her arms.

For a moment Esme could sense his hesitation, though it didn't take her long to bring him back into the moment. She flipped them so she was positioned on top of him and kissed him hard without separating them. He lifted his head from the pillow, kissing her passionately as his eyebrows pressed together and his eyes shut tightly.

Esme sighed deeply into his mouth before feeling his lips press against the center of her neck, and then down to her collarbone. She had the urge to say his name aloud, but thought they had been successful thus far in keeping their evening quiet. Because of that she refrained but pressed her fingers deep into his back to let him know how she was feeling.

"Esme..." Carlisle's voice spoke quietly, leaving her wishing she'd let out his name just a second or two before. He laid back down, moving his hands from the base of her back to the top so she would lean down and kiss him again. Without warning, he flipped them back to their original position so he could get back on top of her.

She didn't mind, typically preferring him on top of her, but all in all it didn't matter what position they found themselves him. Esme just needed to feel him up against her; to be reminded that this was real life, and not the tragic end that could have been. Alice had plenty of visions and she never dwelled on the ones that didn't come true. Why should this be any different?

Because Carlisle almost died, she answered her question in her mind before a wave of pleasure washed over her body that she couldn't ignore, jolting her back to reality. A light moan escaped her lips though she managed to regain her composure, internalizing the pleasure she was experiencing. It was a practice the two of them had mastered, so they thought, due to the close living quarters they lived in with the rest of their family.

All Esme could think from that moment on was how perfect he felt in every way. She discontinued her solemn thoughts and just held him as his hands, lips and every part of him took care of her and brought her back to life. It wasn't her life she was living, it was theirs; their life together. One without the other didn't make sense.

There is nothing like the feel of his hands, she thought, nearly grinding her teeth from trying to hold back everything she wanted to let out. The focal point of her mind revolved around the amazing physical feeling he provided her, the sound of his edgy breaths that he took every so often and the feel of his smooth skin against the palms of her hands.

"Carlisle," she whispered, letting her bottom lip linger against his neck. He squeezed his hand against back and moved with a gentle, fluid motion.

Esme opened her eyes, seeing his mouth hang partway open with his eyes closed before his jaw clenched for a moment and his mouth fell partway open again. She imagined she must have looked the same way.

Time passed, but Esme felt like they had just begun their evening. Once or twice she recognized the break of the sun through the blinds in their room, which later faded, gradually leading into darkness again.

Did a full day pass? she wondered without actually caring what the answer to her unspoken question was.

Less than a minute had passed since Carlisle brought their time together to a brief halt, something he'd done a few times throughout the course of their time together, but always resumed rather quickly.

Next to the bed, their cell phones sat side by side and she reached over for hers. Carlisle pushed himself up onto his hands and watched her movements, looking down at her as she read what was on her phone.

"What is it?" he asked, seeing the shock on her face.

Esme shook her head, then looked at his. "It's Friday."

Carlisle moved off of her, but stayed close, keeping their bodies in contact. He reached for the phone and she handed it to him, seeing no expression on his face at first, but smirked to herself when he smiled and placed it back on the night stand. He immediately wrapped her back in his arms and rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him. A laugh rippled through his body and he placed his hands on the sides of Esme's face, "It's been three days, huh? If I had been counting correctly I would have said two."

Esme found happiness in his laughter and joined in, laughing truly for the first time in days.

"Is that a smile?" Carlisle asked.

The glow on her face didn't fade, "First one I've been able to manage in awhile."

"I'm glad I could help."

Esme pushed her lips against his, captivated by his radiant smile and the tender touches he continued to trace along the outline of her body.

"Let the past be the past," he said, "We can continue living for today, tomorrow and... forever."

"Forever..."

"If that's not long enough, we can try to think of something."

Esme smiled and her phone went off. Carlisle reached for it before she could and read the text message that came in from Emmett.

"Who is it?" she asked.

He laughed and showed it to her.

Esme read the sentence out loud. "You guys okay? Still alive up there?" She laughed and Carlisle took the phone, clicking it to the 'off' position before doing the same with his phone.

"I don't have to hunt for another couple of days," he told her, putting his arms snugly around her.

"What about work?"

"I took the week off. I have plenty of vacation time." He ran a hand through her hair and they shared a smile. "No looking back," he said.

Esme nodded in agreement, feeling like a weight had finally been lifted from her shoulders and appreciated her time more than ever with Carlisle.