Disclaimer: I don't own twilight although I wish I did. :)


As soon as Carlisle heard the pained cry of his wife, he was out of his chair in his study and was by her side within two seconds flat but because Esme was still standing in their sons bedroom doorway in a state of shock, he couldn't see what the actual problem was and his wife's continued silence was beginning to frighten him.

"Esme? What's the matter?" He asked all too quickly and too shaky for his liking.

"He's gone." His wife simply replied.

Carlisle's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "What? Esme, you're not making any sense-"

"Edwards gone because of you!" Esme suddenly turned around to face her husband and Carlisle admitted that he had never seen his wife this angry in all the years they has been together but, that didn't stop him from being confused.

"He's not in his room." He muttered more to himself, but, thanks to her vampire hearing, Esme heard him very clearly.

"Well done Sherlock." She responded sarcasm dripping from every syllable.

"And you're blaming me? Esme, I don't understand-" he began only to be interrupted by his mate.

"He must have heard your thoughts, he must know what you had planned with the spa-his punishment." The usually softly spoken woman spat the word 'punishment' out like it was poison in her mouth.

"He wouldn't have been able to understand what I was thinking. My thoughts were in Latin." Carlisle defended himself. A deep frown was set on his face whilst he pondered the reasoning behind his sons disappearance. Then, something inside him suddenly clicked. "Rebellion has kicked in." He said more to himself but, of course, Esme heard his whispered words.

She cut her eyes at him and crossed her arms across his chest. "Are you telling me you think he deliberately defied you? You have no faith in him what so ever, do you?" She asked and Carlisle could tell by her tone of her voice that she was feeling hurt on behalf of her precious baby boy.

"Esme, he's not as much of a saint as you think he is. His attitude earlier this evening should have been proof enough for you to believe that." The man, now desperate, begged for his wife to find truth in what he was saying.

Instead of replying the worried mother walked straight past her husband leaving him confused. "Where are you going?" He called after her.

He followed his wife down the stairs but halted his actions once he reached the bottom step. Carlisle's expression became even more perplexed as he saw his wife standing in front of the door and when the matriarch reached out for the doorknob the patriarchs eyes widened into two saucers whilst he processed the possible outcomes of his wife's actions. "Whe-where are you going, Esme?" He all but started, repeating his previous quiestion but in a more desperate tone. His beautiful wife Esme wasn't leaving him, was she? No. She wouldn't do that, would she?

Esme retracted her hand and turned to face Carlisle with a stiff, defensive posture. "I'm going to find Edward." She replied icily before reaching for the door handle once more.

As soon as she stepped out and onto the front porch her husband followed right behind her. "I'll come with you-"

"No you won't. I don't want you near my son until I know he's ok and not afraid of you. You're staying right here." The strong headed woman insisted.

'Huh, so he's her son now?' Carlisle thought stunned and, admittedly, slightly hurt. "Esme, he's my son too. In fact, he's more my son than he is yours. After all, it was my venom that runs through his-"

"I can't believe you just said that. You're just being as petty as Edward, in fact, I'd go as far as to say your words have hurt more than Edwards ever had. At least he didn't pretend he accepted me as his mother, unlike some." Esme practically sneered looking Carlisle up and down with disgust whilst she spoke the last two words.

"Esme, I didn't mean-"

"Save it carlisle, I'm going to go look for 'your' son. I suggest you stay here but I guess my opinion doesn't mean much to you." His hurt wife interrupted him before finally turning her back on him and speeding away from him and into the forest. "I'm coming, Edward. Don't worry, darling." She thought hoping that wherever he was, her baby was within 'hearing' distance.


The boy in question was sat against an old tree trunk pondering the days events. He couldn't believe how disastrous it had become.

He hasn't meant to disrespect Esme. It was just that she was just so...motherly and it just infuriated him because her affection confused him and he didn't like feeling confused. Edward felt that if he did accept Esme as his mother then that would mean he was replacing his biological mother, Elizabeth. Also, if he accepted Esme as his mother then it would mean he would have to accept Carlisle as his father and he just couldn't see how that could work out. A father and son wasn't meant to argue in a daily basis, after all.

Deep down Edward knew that somewhere in his heart he had already had accepted them as his parents and there was a part of him that craved to call them 'Mom' and 'Dad' but something inside of him wouldn't allow it. There was one part of him that put this fear that he would lose them into him. After all, he had lost his human parents both within a matter of days and honestly Edward knew that he could not bear to lose another mother and father.

A part of him also thought that he wasn't good enough to be their son. After all, he wasn't as smart as Carlisle or as loving as Esme. Nor did he have the same amount as compassion as the mated couple possessed. They both had no trouble with their bloodlust where as Edward, well he was disgusted with himself. All he could ever think about when he saw Carlisle's visions of gaping wounds was how succulent the precious rubies would taste on his tongue.

No, Edward Masen certainly wasn't worthy enough of the Cullens parental love.

Edward let out a sad sigh as he closed his eyes and rested his head against the sturdy tree trunk. 'Quit this nonsense, Edward. You don't want their love, you don't even need it, you're a nomad now - a free spirit!' A negative voice in his head berated his foolishness.

'Oh come on, you're not seriously going to believe him are you?' Another voice asked in an incredulous tone.

Edward groaned as the voices in his mind continued to quarrel amongst themselves. He tried breathing in deeply to clear his mind but there was no need to breath out the calming breath as both the voices stopped short when they both, along with Edward, took notice of the scent in the surroundings.

Edwards eyes snapped opened once he realised how familiar and comforting the scent was and swiftly looked around him but couldn't find who he was looking for. There was just one name he could think of whilst he breathes in that sweet smell.

Esme.

Instead of trying to see her, Edward instead decided to search for her 'voice'. He didn't have to wait long however and sure enough Esme's soft tone distinguished the mocking voices that were once taunting him.

"Oh Edward, baby, don't do this. Where are you, darling? There's no need the be frightened, I'm not angry, Carlisle's not angry either...Edward?!...I could have sworn I just caught his scent...yes, that's definitely his scent...Edward! I'm coming, honey. I'm coming."

Edward's tough exterior suddenly crumbled after listening in to her pain filled thoughts but it wasn't just her pain that prompted him to break down into sobs it was how relieved she was to have finally found him. If she was that relieved to have found him that must have meant that she was incredibly anxious whilst she was searching for him.

That was when Edward realised what that level if anxiousness could mean, you only felt that desperation when you cared for someone deeply or, dare he even say it, loved someone like how a mother would he child.

Edward drew his knees up to his chest and curled up into himself in order to comfort himself, he was so wrapped up in his anguish that he didn't realise that Esme was standing mere metres away.

The thing that finally made him look up and over to her was when he heard one simple phrase slip from her mind.

"My baby."


A/N: please read and review, I would like to know what everyone thinks so far! :D x