Chapter 21.

"Don't be afraid, Melody. You'll be feeling wonderful when you wake up," Carlisle assured the nervous young woman on the bed. He smoothed her covers and motioned Jasper and Edward into the hallway.

"Where on earth is Lucas? I'll have to inject her soon and I had hoped it would be his venom. At the very least, she'll want to see him."

"I just got off the phone with him," Esme said, "he's on his way here. He got held up in traffic."

"Traffic? Couldn't he have just ran here?"

"Now, Carlisle, calm down. He didn't see it coming. You seem almost as jumpy as Melody."

Carlisle was nervous only because he wasn't sure if Melody's brain damage would be healed by the venom. If she became a vampire and still had brain damage, the results would be ugly. She would have to be locked up for the rest of her life.

"I'm here," Lucas's voice said, making them all breathe a sigh of relief. His skin was ashen under the fluorescent lights, an indicator that he was afraid as well.

"Would you like a moment alone?" Carlisle asked. Lucas nodded and went inside the hospital room.

"It's beautiful, isn't it? It's like a fairy tale," Esme sighed, caressing Adam's back. The sleeping vampire toddler looked absolutely angelic in his white romper. His dark hair framed his little round face perfectly like a dark halo.

"I admit it," Carlisle said, "I never thought I would see the day that Melody ever went anywhere besides servitude. I'm happy for her."

He looked into Esme's now golden eyes, love shining in his own.

"I know this hardly seems the time or the place, but God chooses the moment," Carlisle said, dropping to his knees, "Esme, will you marry me?"

Everyone stopped talking and turned.

"Of course I will," she gasped, trying to get her voice past the surprise that blocked her throat.

Cheers erupted in the hallway. One of the patients that was in a wheelchair gave a loud whoop. Someone from another room whistled sharply. A nurse gave them a slightly annoyed look, but she couldn't stop the smile that overpowered it.

Esme felt as if some inner glow filled her chest. Her knight in shining armor wore scrubs instead of metal. Everything he had ever done for their fragmented family stood out in her mind like a pile of glowing coals. Now, she, Bella, and Alice were going to be family as well. Sleepy Adam woke up for a moment as they embraced, then fell back into his peaceful slumber.

"Are you sure you don't mind having a son?" Esme asked, looking down at him.

"If I minded, I wouldn't have tried to get him back for you in the first place," Carlisle teased, "he doesn't look like me, but love is thicker than blood. He'll be mine and yours as much as if we'd been the ones to make him."

Lucas returned to the doorway, puzzled.

"Did I miss something?"

"Carlisle and Esme are getting married," Edward said, "as if that was a surprise."

Bella and Alice cornered him.

"You knew and you didn't tell any of us?!" Bella demanded.

"He made me swear," Edward said half-heartedly, "otherwise, it would have ruined the moment."

"You're lucky you're cute," Bella muttered.

Edward grinned devilishly and kissed her on the cheek.

"Forgive me, my princess," he teased.

Alice stood back and watched them all. Strong arms surrounded her and she recognized Jasper's scent immediately.

"Professor let us out late," he said, an edge of guilt in his voice, "I didn't want to miss it."

"How long were you standing there?" Alice asked.

"I heard Carlisle pop the question."

The three brothers shared a knowing look with each other.

"All right, Lucas, are you ready?" Carlisle asked.

He gulped loudly.

"I think so."

The two men went inside and closed the door.

"Let's go," Alice said nervously, "I don't want to hear her screaming."

They went to a nearby waiting room where the noise wouldn't be so bad.

The machines beeped and whirred as Carlisle turned them all on. Melody didn't seem so agitated with Lucas there and she still wore the locket around her neck. Lucas would have been sweating if he'd been mortal—he had never been so scared in his life. Memories of the vampire who had changed him before they ruled the world still haunted his nightmares. Now, he was doing the same thing to poor Melody.

She'll forgive me, he thought, she'll know I'm only doing this to help her. She's barely living a half-life anyway. Oh, God, I wish there were some way to keep her from feeling the pain….

"Don't worry," Carlisle told him, "she'll likely go unconscious after a little bit. We're working on an experimental anesthetic that dulls the sting of the venom. She'll be all right."

He pulled Melody's hair out of her face and away from her neck, securing it in an elastic band borrowed from one of the other girls. Then, he uncovered her wrists and ankles. Melody's heart rate went up a little bit and Lucas's resolve was quickly shaking to bits.

"The neck first," Carlisle told him.

Before Lucas could do it, he kissed Melody passionately, hoping the happiness and the passion would counteract the awful pain she would face. Then, he snapped his teeth hard into her neck.

Melody gasped, but did not scream. The warm blood gushed into Lucas's mouth. He couldn't restrain himself and continued to draw it out as the venom pumped from his gums.

"Lucas, stop!" Carlisle said firmly.

But he couldn't.

Carlisle seized Lucas and pried him loose. Horrified, Lucas staggered backward, blood still dripping off his lips and down his chin. Knowing that the timing was crucial, Carlisle did the bites on her wrists and ankles. It was then that Melody started to whimper and tears began to pour out of her squeezed-shut eyes.

"Oh, my God…" Lucas felt sick.

"It's all right, Lucas. You didn't get more than a couple of mouthfuls. Go and clean yourself up; I'll bandage her neck. It happens; it was just an accident.

Lucas shuddered as he stepped into the bathroom. His own reflection startled him; he still had the coldness of the vampire instincts in his eyes. He looked like the same monster that had murdered his parents in cold blood before trying to take his life.

Thank God for Carlisle…he thought weakly, cleaning away the stains, at least I know it can't ever happen again.

When he came out of the bathroom (which had been a long time), Melody's muscles were as tight as a drum. She was convulsing violently, her eyes glazed over and unfocused. It broke Lucas's heart to see her strapped to that bed.

"You should go home, Lucas. I'll keep you updated on her condition," Carlisle assured him, "she's going to be all right."

Carlisle gave the young vampire a reassuring hug as a strangled sob escaped Lucas's throat. Trying hard to compose himself, he nodded and left without a word.

"Is he okay?" Alice asked as Lucas passed them.

"He's having a tough time, honey," Jasper told her, "he's feeling guilty because he had to see her hurt."

"He lost control," Edward specified, "and Carlisle had to get him loose."

"Oh…"

A chill came over Alice and she lay her head against Jasper's shoulder thoughtfully. Bella seemed unbothered by the situation, but Alice felt the tiniest pang of fear. It became clear to her that all of them did have a dangerous side. For the longest time, she had convinced herself that Jasper, Edward, and Carlisle weren't dangerous. Lucas didn't seem dangerous, either, but instinct, not malice, had been the deciding factor here. Would they one day lose control as well?

The uncertainty she felt washed over Jasper like a cold ocean wave. He rubbed her back with one hand, trying to calm her fears. He wasn't much for words, but he wanted to let her know that he loved her and wouldn't dream of hurting her.

"Let's go," Esme told them, "Carlisle has to get back to work and we have things to get done at home. And Adam's fussy and needs his bottle and I don't have an extra."

A growl from Adam confirmed this. They all got in the car after Carlisle stole one last kiss from Esme.

"See you tonight," he whispered silkily.

Excitement grew in her belly. He was going to be hers, all hers. Suddenly, the future wasn't such a frightening thing.