Carlisle's point of view:

I sat heavily in my chair. Never in my existence, had I ever been so exhausted. I'd been so blessed to have this family. If someone told me one-hundred years ago that I'd have sons, daughters, a wife, and grandchildren, I would've thought they were crazy. I loved becoming a parent over the last hundred years since I changed Edward, and nothing compares to spoiling grandchildren.

The last two days have been hell. I never believed I'd have to heal their re-break their bones and run tests on my precious granddaughters. Not just one of them, but all of my granddaughters in a short span of time. Finding them in that horrid place made my heart ache in such a way that was overwhelming. Placing my head in my hands, I tried blocking out the sound of their cries, the feel their breaking bones beneath my fingers, Nina clinging to Felix in fear, and Arian slipping into the depression she'd had when we first got her, not talking to anyone.

I sighed when the door opened, not wanting anyone to notice me in this state. Lifting my head, I watched Esme walk across my study. Her face looked tired and sad, mirroring my feelings. She approached me, and I extended my arms, accepting her on my lap. .

She sat across it, allowing me access to her full, thick hair that I loved. Breathing in her scent calmed me. I held her like that for fifteen minutes, and I would've held her longer, days if I could, but I knew I didn't have the time. I should've known I couldn't hide anything from her.

"I'm sorry if I worried you, my love," I whispered.

"Nothing to forgive." She kissed my forehead. "We were all so worried."

"Esme … I … I had a hard time working on them," I admitted.

"Harder than all of your other patients?" She pushed her hand through my hair.

"They're our grandchildren." I closed my eyes and put my forehead on hers. "They were in pain. It took Tala hours longer than it should've for her to phase back because she was panicking. Nina was bitten by that half-vampire. I had to re-break Nessie and Tala's bones. Tala's were so bad, I had to do it in stages. She was in pain for hours." My voice cracked, and I cringed at the memory.

"I can't imagine what that must've been like for you."

I felt her lips kiss mine tenderly.

"It was so hard for us to hear that, and their emotional breakdowns, my love, and I know Felix, Emmett, and Edward are taking it especially hard." Esme stroked my cheeks tenderly. "We got them all back, and they're safe now."

We were silent for a long time, and I chose my words carefully.

"I feel like I failed," I whispered.

"Failed, how?" Her brows creased.

"I let them be captured and get hurt. I'm the leader of our family, and I let this happen."

"You aren't to blame, Carlisle. Never," she said sternly. "Do you understand?"

I shook my head and looked away from her. Her hand touching my cheek forced me to look back at her.

"We were all fooled. Do you think Emmett or Edward or Felix should feel guilty?" she asked. "Should I?"

"No, you didn't know …"

"Neither did you," she said, cutting me off.

She was right, even though my feelings were otherwise.

"You're not alone, Carlisle." Her arms circled my neck. "I'll be with you every step of the way."

"How'd I get so lucky?" I nuzzled her cheek, breathing in her scent again.

Just as I went to kiss her, there was a knock on the door. Esme stood as Edward came in.

"Sorry to intrude, I need you to check up on Nessie again," Edward said, standing in the doorway.

"Is her leg bothering her?" I asked.

"Yes."

He was lying, I knew he was. He wanted me to check something else on her. I followed Edward down the hall. His shoulders were tense, as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He took on too much responsibility much too often.

"I heard that," he muttered.

"I know."

"You have no idea what it's like to be …"

"A father?" I put my hand on his shoulder, stopping us outside of Nessie's room.

He turned to look at me, frowning.

I know better than you think, son, I reminded him sternly. You put too much on yourself.

"So do you," he replied.

We stared at each other for a long moment. I allowed my thoughts to run through the doubt I'd been feeling, the burden I felt.

So, we understand each other?
He nodded.

"I'm sorry. I feel like I could do more-should do more. I've been blessed with so much, and it'd kill me if something happened," Edward explained.

"I know how you feel." I took in a deep breath. "When I was turned, I never thought I'd have this-a wife, children, and grandchildren."

"We've come a long way, haven't we?" He gave me a small smile.

"I love you, son."

"Love you too, Dad. Now, will you help my daughter?"

"Of course."

We entered Nessie's room where she lay, while Jacob and Bella sat on chairs placed next to the bed. Edward moved to sit on the arm of the chair that Bella was sitting in.

"Ness, are you feeling better?" I asked, sitting next to her.

"I'm fine, Grandpa." She sighed. "You know my dad."

"Is something else going on? Is your leg bothering you?"

"No. I … uh … need to tell you something." She paused

She slowly brought her hand to my cheek. Images flashed through my eyes: a positive pregnancy test, a heartbeat heard on a monitor, which was slightly faster than a human's, and several ultrasound images that showed a baby's development through the first three months.

Ness took her hand away and looked sheepishly at me.

"I see," I said. "I'm guessing you and Ashley have been working on this?"

"Yes … We both knew enough to keep track of things," she explained.

"You still should've come see me," I scolded.

"I … I just wanted to be normal, just like the other imprints." She looked down at her lap.

"You're not normal, Renesmee," Edward said. "Especially after what happen this weekend, young …"

"That's enough, Edward." Bella placed her hand on Edwards arm, and he shook it off. "We've been through this before."

Nessie's shoulders started to shake, making Jacob move to her side and take her in his arms.

"I'm … sorry, I didn't know that this would," Nessie choked out.

"We didn't know, baby," Jacob said. "You're okay."

"We don't know if she's okay," Edward argued. "She could've …"

"What?" Nessie asked, looking over Jacob's shoulder at her father. "Miscarried? I'm sure you would've wanted that to happen, Dad. For me to go back to your little girl who isn't having a baby!"

"Ness, I didn't mean …"

"Just leave, Dad." Nessie folded her arms.

Edward's jaw clenched, and he stormed out of the room.

"I'll talk to him, sweetie." Bella rose to follow him.

I sighed, shaking my head at my stubborn son's behavior. I trusted Ashley and Nessie to know what they were doing, as a nurse and as a midwife, and Nessie knew her body better than anyone.

"I'm going to go get a few things," I said.

"Okay, Grandpa." Nessie sniffled.

I went upstairs to get my hand-held ultrasound machine. When I first got it, I was very eager to use it, but I never suspected I'd be using it so soon on Ness. I quickly made my way into Nessie's room. Jacob was brushing her tears away as she lay on the bed. As soon as Ness saw me, she gave me a small smile. Her eyes were red from crying.

"You ready?" I asked.

Nessie nodded, pulling up her shirt and exposing her slightly rounded belly. I turned on the machine and poured some gel onto her belly. Moving the monitor around, an embryo a little more than three months along appeared on the screen. A fluttering appeared near the center of the monitor.

Ness reached her hand up to touch my cheek. The heart?

"Yes, that's it," I said.

"Thank God." She took a deep breath in.

"You were worried?" I asked.

She touched my cheek again. A vampire told her he'd rid her of the baby inside of her. I growled.

"I'm so glad we found you in time," I whispered.

"Me too, Grandpa."

We got a few more images before I put the machine away, and Ness sat up.

"I'll have your grandmother bring you some food and blood." I stood.

"But I'm fine, we hunted right before we came," Ness argued.

"It'll help you heal."

"And with …" She put her hand on her belly.

I nodded. After giving Nessie a kiss on the forehead, I put my supplies away before going to check on Brianna.

Rosalie's point of view:

Arian sat still as Carlisle tore her cast off. She didn't even react to him touching her.

"You're being so brave, Arian," Carlisle whispered as he put the cast in the trash.

Arian moved her head to snuggle into my chest.

"Can I check your arm, sweetie?" Carlisle asked, kneeling down in front of us.

Arian's little fist clutched my shirt.

"He's going to help you feel better, Arian," I said, running my hand through her hair.

She didn't respond, so Carlisle gently touched her arm, running his fingers over her skin. There was still bruising there, but it looked normal.

"I think your arm healed, Arian," Carlisle said. "Can I take an x-ray to make sure?"

Arian nodded slowly, not even looking at Carlisle. We walked up stairs to Carlisle's office, which had set up as a medical office instead of a study since the girls were taken. Emmett and Brady followed us, leaning against opposite walls as I set Arian under the x-ray machine.

Under other circumstances, I would've been pissed if he'd imprinted on my baby. I was grateful that he'd been there to save her from the hybrid that picked her up. What would've happened if he wasn't there, since I wasn't there to save her?

Pushing those thoughts out of my mind, I held onto Arian while Carlisle got the x-rays. Arian was here, and I should be grateful. My fault ran through my mind, despite my best efforts. Carlisle got the x-rays, showing us her fully healed bones. She was healed now, at least physically.

We walked down to the kitchen where Ashley was nursing Jordan and Abby eating her lunch.

"Are you hungry Arian?" I asked her.

She nodded, continuing not to say anything to us since we had found her a few days ago.

"Arian eat wif me?" Abby asked from the table.

"See, Abby would like to eat with you," I whispered. "I'll get your lunch ready while Daddy holds you."

Arian nodded and allowed Emmett to hold her. So far she'd only let Emmett or I hold her, and if someone else tried to hold her, she'd start to cry. I pulled out the ingredients for a sandwich, which I quickly made and set it down in front of her. Emmett helped her eat, and I had to be grateful that she still had an appetite.

"Aunt Rose?" Abby said.

"Yes, sweetie?" I asked, looking at my niece.

"Aunt Alice and Uncle Lasper take me zoo," she said with a big grin.

"You're going to the zoo?" I asked, and she grinned. "That sounds like fun."

"It is, Aunt Rose!"

Alice walked into the kitchen, carrying a light jacket for Abby.

"Are you ready, Abby?" Alice asked.

"I be ready!" She hopped off her chair and ran toward Alice.

"Goodbye," Ashley yelled after her daughter.

"Bye, Mommy."

Abby waved from Alice's arms. I smiled for the first time since Arian was taken.

"She's going to be the death of me," Ashley murmured as she burped Jordan.

"I'm going to go rock her," Emmett said, standing up with the nodding off Arian.

We found that she slept the best if one of us was rocking her.

"I'll make her a bottle."

Emmett nodded at me, and stood, carrying our daughter. I stood, walking at a human pace, feeling exhausted. I hated where Arian was now because of me, because I failed to act.

My fault. The hybrid picking her up and breaking her arm ran through my mind again. Her crying out, her yelling mommy, her voice full of fear, and her not talking to anyone since we left for home.

"Rosalie?" Ashley asked.

I started surprised that she was standing by me. I didn't even notice she had moved.

"You need to stop blaming yourself," she said, putting her hand on my arm.

How would you know? I thought.

"I'm sure you're thinking I couldn't understand, but when Abby was born early …" She sighed. "I had such a hard time. I thought 'Why couldn't I keep my daughter in me for longer?' Seeing her attached to those machines, I felt so guilty. I was used to reassuring women that they did everything they could to keep their children healthy, but when it was my own daughter … I had no idea how useless, I felt and like I could've done more."

I looked down at Arian's bottle while Ashley talked. I guess she did understand.

"Things happened to our children that were hard, but they are here now, and they are going to grow up to be strong beautiful girls. They need us to be strong and supportive of them."

If I could've shed tears, I would've been crying by now. Ashley was right. My baby was going to be fine. I had her here, and she'd overcome this with our help. I squeezed Ashley's hand in thanks before going upstairs where Emmett was reading a book to our daughter. For the first time since her kidnapping, she showed interest in the story. A tiny amount of hope rose in my chest that she'd heal from this.

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