Chapter 3: From the Beginning

When Esme had arrived at Carlisle's home, they really didn't get a chance to speak since she was exhausted from her ordeal. They both ended up going to bed early that night because of the events. The next morning, Carlisle was grateful it was Saturday and he wasn't supposed to be at the hospital. It was great for him because it gave him a chance to speak with Esme.

While he was sitting at the table drinking his coffee, he heard the stairs creak a little. "I have made tea for you, it could help with your nausea," he told her as he looked over his shoulder. She was dressed in a pair of gray baggy sweat pants and a long t-shirt, but to Carlisle she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life.

"Um…thank you," she answered before she sat down.

"I hope you slept well?" he asked.

Nodding her head slowly, she poked at the lemon that was in her tea. "Yes…I did thank you. I hadn't slept like that in…years," she murmured softly as she lowered her head. Carlisle let out a sigh, feeling his heart break a little more for the woman he loved since he was a kid.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

Shaking her head slowly, she sat back in her seat. "Not really, I had been explaining my story since yesterday afternoon," she replied. Reaching across the table, he gently rested his hand over hers in understanding.

"Just know that I am here to talk Esme. You don't have to go through this by yourself," he said softly.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Smiling softly, he got up to put his cup in the sink. "I didn't make the dinner he wanted," she blurted out, making him turn to look at her.

"What?" he asked.

"I didn't make the dinner he wanted, that's what made him hit me in the head," she replied as she pointed to the bruise along her hairline.

Carlisle was unsure of what to say, so he just stared at her which he could tell made her uncomfortable. "Sorry…so that's why you ran to my house?" he asked.

"No, that was a different reason," she replied softly.

"Why then?" he asked.

Sighing, she started fussing with the hem of her t-shirt. "I was home late…I had gone out with a friend. I just wanted to release some stress, wanting to forget for just an hour, but an hour turned into three hours. He was still there…waiting for me…" she whispered. He watched her hands begin to tremble as she recounted what happened. Pulling out his chair, he sat across from her again. "I don't remember what happened, he threw me into a wall. I know a vase broke and there was so much screaming, my ears rung because he was screaming so loudly," she whispered, lowering her head.

Esme let out a shaky breath with tears in her eyes. "I remember fighting him this time though. I remember scratching his face," she said quietly, "then when he punched me in the lip that was when I ran out. I ran, I didn't even know I was at your door."

"What gave you the courage to tell me the truth yesterday?" he asked.

Sighing, she rested her hands over her stomach. "My baby," she replied. Letting out a shaky breath, she looked up at him. "I didn't want anything happening to him or her," she said softly. Standing up, Carlisle made his way over to her side of the table and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Esme, you are welcome to stay as long as you need," he murmured.

"Thank you," she said softly.

She ran her hand over her stomach again as she let out a shaky breath. "I want my baby to be safe," she whispered.

"I'll keep you both safe," Carlisle reassured her.

Smiling, she nodded her head slowly and let out a sigh when Carlisle's beeper went off. "Sorry," he told her. Nodding, she watched as he went and called whoever just called his beeper. After a minute, he came back. "That was th hospital, there's an emergency," he told her.

"It's okay, I understand," she assured him, smiling softly at him.

Carlisle gave her hand a squeeze. "I have to get going to work, are you going to be okay?" he asked. She nodded her had slowly, still smiling at him even though inside she was terrified. Seeing that she was terrifed, he hugged her close. Esme hugged him back, wrapping her arms tightly around his back before letting him go so he could leave for the hospital.

Later that day after a day at work, Carlisle arrived home to find that the room looked a little…different. Hanging his jacket up, he looked around when he realized what was different. The furniture was rearranged in the living room. "Esme?" he called out.

"Right here," she answered, walking down the stairs.

Carlisle smiled a little. "I see you changed a few things," he commented.

"Yeah, I didn't really want to venture out. The last thing I needed was Charles finding me and dragging me back home," she answered.

"Charles is in jail, he won't hurt you," he told her.

"His parents have money you know they got him out," she answered with a sigh.

She rubbed her hands together nervously. "I'm trying to figure out how to get him to agree to a divorce without him finding out about the baby," she murmured, "if he finds out he'll do everything to take it away from me."

"Esme he went to jail for abusing you, if you continue to press charges he will go to jail you can get the divorce then," he told her as he sat beside her.

"What if he doesn't agree to it then? Then I'm trapped in a horrible marriage with this man for the rest of my life," she told him tearfully.

Carlisle shook his head slowly. "The courts will grant it, especially in your case because it was abuse," he answered. He rubbed her arm gently. "You're doing such a brave thing Esme," he said softly.

"I shouldn't have married him in the first place," she answered standing up.

"You were young," Carlisle told her as he sat across from her again.

Esme sighed, pushing her hair from her eyes. "I feel so stupid Carlisle," she whispered.

"Don't, because you're not," he answered.

The young woman sighed as she rested her hands over her stomach. "I endangered the life of my baby, what kind of mother does that make me?" she asked.

"You left him, you saved your baby's life," he answered.

Seeing that she had a hard time believing she had saved her child's life, Carlisle stood up and got down on his knees in front of her. "You saved your baby, if you would've stayed you would've endangered the baby's life. You left him, you reported him. You are the strongest woman out there for doing such a thing. A lot of women wouldn't be able to do what you did," he told her. Esme was silent as she stared down at her still flat stomach.

Reaching up, Carlisle caressed her wrists gently and kissed her knuckles softly. Sighing, she touched his face gently. He was just as handsome as she remembered in high school, if not handsomer. Carlisle smiled as he rested his hand over hers. "Come on, you need rest," he murmured.

"Okay," she answered softly.

He held her hand before he led her up the stairs. As he watched her lay down to rest, she looked at him. "Could you lay with me? I don't want to be alone," she said softly.

"Of course," he replied.

Walking over, he moved beside her on the bed and wrapped his arm around her waist gently. She leaned back against his chest and closed her eyes. Carlisle rubbed her back gently and watched as she fell asleep. Sighing, he rested his forehead against the back of her head and fell asleep with her.