hey all.. thanks a lot for continuing to read my series... i hope you end up liking the one i'm in progress of writing. i appreciate all the feedback as well... :)
Chapter 2
Alexandra looked out the window from upstairs, recognizing her mother's laughter as her parents emerged from the edge of the woods. Carlisle carried Esme securely on his back and her arms draped around his neck before he set her down easily onto the grass as they entered the back yard. Immediately, he linked his hand back up with hers and whispered something to her that caused another laugh to echo through the morning air and the two of them shared a couple of quick kisses before lazily making their way back up toward the house. She smiled to herself, enjoying the happiness that radiated out of both of them.
Michael quickly scooted up to Alexandra's side and placed a hand on her shoulder with a smile, "Hey," he said with a grin.
"Hey," she said back, putting a head on his shoulder.
"They're happy," he told her, nodding in the direction of her parents, who had yet to reach the back porch.
"Yeah," Alexandra agreed, "They deserve to be after all they went through in the past couple of years." She looked down toward an envelope she held in her hand and fiddled with it enough to catch Michael's attention.
"What's that?" he asked, tilting it upward slightly. He read Alexandra's name across the front and noticed the envelope was opened across the top in a ragged, diagonal tear.
Alexandra looked down, "Nothing," she shook her head, "It's just something I have to ask my dad about."
Michael looked a little concerned, recognizing the slight edge in her voice. When she smiled at him, he felt a little reassured and decided not to pry too much.
"I'll talk to you about it when we're alone," she said, lowering her voice.
He nodded and leaned in to kiss her forehead, then nudged her with his elbow. She nudged him back then took him by the hand to go greet her parents.
Alice had already cornered Esme, asking her to get details for Masen and Leah's wedding, who were yet to even set a date.
"They said this summer," Alice's voice came from the kitchen. She then spoke to herself, "I'll have to get Leah to myself one of these days." She placed her knuckles over her mouth and stared into space as if she were devising up a plan on how to do that.
Jasper came out of nowhere and joined up with her at the hip, "Leave them be," he teased her, tapping her lightly on the nose with his pointer finger, "They have their hands full with the little one over there. Masen's lucky he doesn't have to sleep. I can hear her crying for miles."
"She is loud," Alice agreed with a grin, "Seems to be aging slightly less than Renesme but faster than a human child would."
"She's still a baby," Esme said with a smile, "And she's almost two months old."
Carlisle wrapped an arm around her shoulders again, then turned as Alexandra and Michael eased their way into the room.
"Dad," Alexandra said with a closed mouth smile, "Can I talk to you?" Her hands were behind her back and she leaned forward on her toes.
His body stiffened slightly and he looked to Esme before he pulled away and walked across the room to their daughter, "Of course. What's going on?"
Alexandra looked around the room at everyone's wondering eyes, "Upstairs," she said to him.
Carlisle nodded and let her lead him up toward his office. She closed the door behind him as he walked in, though she knew it wouldn't do much good to hide their conversation.
"What's going on Alex?" he asked again. His eyebrows creased in the middle of his forehead.
"Um, well," she removed her hands from behind her back and held up the torn envelope with her name on it, "I just wanted to ask you about this."
Carlisle's memory immediately jogged back to the first time their family was forced to encounter Olivia and her army. A replay of events washed through his mind, ending with Esme crying on top of the cliff on Isle Esme. His shoulders slumped slightly at the thought, then he let his mind drift toward the first time he held baby Alexandra in his arms.
"That..." he shook his head and placed a hand at his hairline, "I wrote that before you were born in case..."
"Was this before the fight at Lake Superior?"
Carlisle snapped his head up, "Yes." He figured it was probably Masen or Michael that gave her the details about that event because he and Esme kept those details short and sweet with their daughter.
"Did you read that?" Alexandra nodded, "I'm sorry. I was bored looking for something to read and I went through a couple of the desk drawers."
He smiled and snickered, referring his eyes to a half open drawer that was pulled open.
"And I read Mom's too," then added, "It was already open. I didn't read Masen's, and I'm guessing he didn't either from the fact that it's still sealed."
"I probably should have gotten rid of them," Carlisle said, "I don't want to bring up any bad memories, or create any unnecessary worry for you. I'd hoped none of you would have to read them."
"So, why'd you save them?"
Carlisle looked around the room before shaking his head, "I don't know."
"So what happened with all of that?" she asked him.
He looked down, "You don't have to get into the details of it. We're here now and fine, that's all that matters."
"Why'd you let mom go down to the island alone?"
Carlisle's eyes softened and again, he was drawn the day he pulled out of the driveway after kissing Esme goodbye, giving her a reassuring wink as he left, though at the time, not believing the calmness of his own gesture. "She wasn't alone," he told Alexandra, "She was with Rosalie. And Maddy and William."
"Yeah, I know," Alexandra continued, "But how come you didn't go with her?"
He recognized the seriousness in her eyes and sighed, "Your mother was pregnant with you at the time. She needed to stay out of harms way and I knew she'd be safe there. Masen, because of his gifts, went with us all on the fight against Olivia. I couldn't let him fight without me there to make sure he was okay. It was the hardest decision of my life, but I knew Mom would be safe on the island with Rosalie, and that she could deliver the baby in case I wasn't there in time. It wasn't fair to her, but it also wouldn't have been fair to Masen."
Alexandra saw the painful expression in his eyes that were now far away, reliving the experience, "I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to bring this up. I just read the letter and-"
"You have ever right to ask," he told her, "And, like I told Mom, I'm sorry that you even had to read it."
She decided to ask about the lighter side of the subject; something that was happier, "So," she smiled, "How long was it before you met me? After I was born, that is."
Carlisle smiled and thought for a second, "It couldn't have been longer than a day." His eyes squinted as he thought and he smiled again, "The first time I held you, you kept squeezing my thumbs. It was the same night Masen proposed to Leah."
"Really?" she asked with a grin.
He nodded, "Yeah. Things worked out fine after that big mess. If it weren't for Michael, it could have been a lot worse."
Alexandra smiled wider, "Is that why you let him take me out in the first place?"
"That... and I do trust that he's got a good heart."
She nodded, not wanting to talk too much about boys with her father, "Did Mom think you were dead?"
"You're very inquisitive today," Carlisle said, raising his eyebrows.
Alexandra smiled, "I get it from my Dad. I want to know as much as possible."
He laughed then held out his arms to give her a hug and kissed the top of her head as she hugged him back.
"I'll quit while I'm ahead," she told him, "I love you Dad. I'm sorry for all you and Mom and the others have had to go through."
"We're fine," he assured her, "And I love you too."
Alexandra held the envelope out in front of her, "Here."
Carlisle took it back from her, "What should I do with it?"
"Don't burn it," she said with a smile and left the office.
Carlisle stood with the letter in his hand and stared down at the half open drawer.
"What's that?" Esme asked him, as she entered after a brief chat with Alexandra in the hallway.
He shook his head, "Nothing."
She put her hands on her hips and stared at him until he broke down with a snicker and turned the envelope so she could see the writing across the front of it.
"Ohhh..." Esme said, letting the word drag on as she spoke.
"You see," he said, "I should have stuck with nothing."
She sighed and rested her hand on the side of the open door.
"Don't be sad on me now," he said, knowing she was most likely going down the same mental path he had moments before.
Esme smiled at him, "I'm not sad."
Carlisle raised his eyebrows with a closed mouth smile.
"I'm not," she laughed, "It's just a bittersweet memory, that's all. But the good thing is the sweet part came last, so all in all it was a good memory; a happy ending."
He nodded and put the envelope back into the drawer and closed it.
"Did Alex ask about it?"
Carlisle nodded again, "Yeah. She read it."
Esme's facial expression was suddenly curious, "What does it say?"
He shook his head, "Don't read it now."
"Save it for a day when I'm in a crying kind of mood?" she asked with a hint of laughter.
"Yeah," he said, grinning, though trying to hide back his own emotions.
"Okay," she agreed.
His eyes shifted toward the picture of him with the Volturi and Esme quickly darted across the room to break his gaze so it fixed on her. She gently put her hands on either side of his face and looked him directly in the eyes, "Don't let your mind wander."
Carlisle placed his hands over hers and took them into his own, then smiled and brought his lips to hers, "Provide me with a distraction."
Esme laughed and continued to kiss him, "You need to go to work doctor."
He looked over her shoulder at one of the several clocks in the room, "What horrible timing."
"Mmm-hmm," she agreed and kissed him again.
Carlisle tilted her chin toward his and kissed her once more, "Sunset to sunrise again?"
"Sunrise, definitely," she said with a smile, "But we're babysitting until around nine tonight, so we might miss the sunset."
"Babysitting, huh?"
"Masen and Leah are taking Charlie and Sue out. It's their first time away from Cassandra."
He smiled, "Well, I guess that's acceptable substitute."
"Will you accompany me for the remainder of the evening?" she asked with a smile, throwing her arms around his neck.
"Of course," Carlisle told her. He kissed her a few more times, then went to get ready for work.
