A/N: Hey guys! For once I'm actually on time with an update, ha! Hopefully I can continue this otherwise I am sure I'll have some pretty ticked off readers. Thank you so much for being patient with me, it honestly makes me happy. Also thanks to all of you who left a review for the previous chapter and please leave one for this chapter. No special announcements for this week so I will let you read the chapter. It's not quite as long as last chapter, but still a pretty good length.

Disclaimer: I'm really sick of leaving these.

CHAPTER 25:

CARLISLE'S POINT OF VIEW:

When I got home later that evening, I was greeted by my lovely wife and a screaming granddaughter. Apparently the baking soda baths had stopped working their magic after a while and there was nothing Esme could do to soothe Carlie. I quickly kissed Esme before taking the child out of her arms and carrying her up to my study so I could give her the medicine I had picked up from the hospital. Esme was right by my side, of course.

"Let's try some of this, hmm, Sweetheart?" I said as I popped the needle off a syringe and filled it with liquid medicine that was to be administered by mouth.

It was a bit of a challenge, but with Esme's help I was able to get the medicine down. Carlie obviously detested the taste, but it lowered her temperature and helped her relax. If her temperature stayed below one hundred for forty eight hours, that would mean she's no longer contagious and Ella would be able to see her. I felt bad that she couldn't see her daughter, but I wasn't about to have two sick family members on my hands, especially when one of them wasn't at home.

"That ought to do it," I said. Esme's relief was nearly tangible.

"I'll get her to bed while you shower and change and then we can talk for a bit," Esme said.

I nodded. "I'll see you soon, my love."

I took care of the things I needed to before going down and meeting Esme out on the back deck, one of our favorite places to relax and talk after a stressful day.

"How was Ella?" Esme asked. "She wasn't too happy when I got off the phone with her earlier."

"You know, I think she's going to be okay. I've noticed slight changes in her behavior over time, and I do believe it's for the better. She seems to be regaining her grasp on reality after nearly slipping away with drugs. She was upset that she couldn't see Carlie, of course, but I think she's accepted it and understands that it's not permanent. I hope she didn't give you too much attitude on the phone. There was one thing though, that really shocked me. She started crying about how she feels like she's such a disappointment to us and actually said she regrets how she treated us when she was younger," I said.

"Really?" Esme asked, surprised. "Even after all of the countless times we've told her that she could never be a disappointment to us?"

"Yes. And I made sure to reinforce that point while I was there. She needs to know that we love her no matter what, especially at a time like this. Or maybe she's just in withdrawal," I said.

"I don't think she's forgotten that, and I don't think she's in withdrawal. I think she's just . . . lost."

"Lost?" I questioned.

"You know, lost love," Esme said.

I was still confused. "Could you expand on that please, Darling?"

"I think she's lost without love. She misses being in love. She and Alec were so in love and then it ended so suddenly; it's like it happened too fast for it to fully affect her. I mean, she went through the whole breakup blues and everything, but she never really thought beyond that. It never occurred to her that life would still go on without him. The drugs kept her from feeling anything, therefore preventing her from thinking about that, and these last few weeks she's been in survival mode. Now she's beginning to regain her senses, finding her ground, and thinking about the future. What I mean is, she's starting to see a future with someone else. Whether that person exists yet or not, she has an idea of a new future . . . of a new love. The only reason why she's lost is because she's not completely positive that such a thing is possible, so she's being extremely cautious. She doesn't know what to do next," Esme explained, making a little bit of sense.

"So what exactly are you saying, Dear?" I asked. My wife could be such a ditz at times, it was actually quite adorable.

"I'm saying that I think she's found someone," she said.

I had to suppress a laugh. "You're a hopeless romantic."

She gave me a small shove. "I'm serious, Carlisle."

"I don't doubt you are, Love. I just don't think you are correct. Surely she would have said something to me if there was anything going on in her life in terms of love," I said.

Esme snorted. "Oh, please. You're the last person on this Earth she would even consider talking about that kind of thing with. She knows how you react."

"But that was in her high school days. She knows that it would be different now, right?"

Esme smirked. "Pardon me while I laugh my ass off."

My woman was getting sassy.

"Or perhaps it is another person's attitude that I need to attend to?" I suggested.

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Esme teased.

"I will let it go this time, but you know how I feel about swearing," I said.

"And you know how I feel about you," Esme said lovingly.

"I'm not even sure how to respond to that, but that was a very slick way of getting yourself out of a sticky situation," I joked.

"So how was your day?" Esme asked, her light hearted mood suddenly disappearing.

"Never a dull moment, of course. I actually had a pretty easy day until around three. In the morning I just did rounds and a few basic procedures, did whatever needed to be done and helped where I was necessary. Then I had a surgery to perform on a preemie, and that was the most stressful part of my day. It was a very risky procedure and we encountered several serious complications – even lost her for a while – but by some miracle she pulled through all right. I think she'll be just fine," I said.

"You're a hero, Carlisle. A real live hero. I can't imagine how the parents must have felt," she mused.

"I'm sure they were on the edge of their seat the whole time. I sure would be if it were my baby under the knife."

Esme sighed. "Baby."

I sighed myself. Baby. Esme really wanted a baby of her own. She loved our adopted children and our grandchild with all her heart, of course, but she so longed for our baby. Sometimes I wish we could have a child of our own too. I can picture our child, a fair-haired boy or girl with Esme's features. I could picture us running after them and laughing. But then I thought of Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Ella. They were my children. They were the children that I had chased after for years. They are my children. I am content, but in Esme's mind our family will never be complete no matter how many children we adopt.

"How was Carlie today?" I asked, changing the subject. "I know she wasn't very happy when I got home, but surely she was happier earlier in the day."

Esme smiled slightly, the thought of Carlie cheering her up a bit. "She was very good today, all things considered. This morning she had a baking soda bath and ate almost all of the soup I made for her. We even played with dolls for a while. It wasn't until later in the afternoon that she became fussy. I don't blame the poor thing though, being sick and all. She must be miserable."

"She's sleeping peacefully now," I said.

"I know she is. I'm sorry if I seem a bit out of it. I just . . . I'm just really worried about Ella," Esme admitted.

"Worried? What specifically concerns you about Ella?" I asked.

"Oh, now I'm being silly. I guess I'm not really concerned about Ella, rather about what I want her to give me," she said.

"Give you?" I was confused.

Esme sighed. "This is so embarrassing and selfish. I shouldn't even say it."

"Tell me anyway," I insisted.

"I want more grandchildren," Esme said. This was not a surprise to me. "I mean, I love Carlie and I can't imagine life without her now, but I want more little people to love. I want to have a bunch of little ones running around this house laughing and squealing with happiness. It's extremely selfish of me, but I want Ella to settle down and have more babies."

"Esme, it is not selfish of you to want more grandchildren. You are a very loving and motherly person, and since you can't give birth to your own babies, Ella is the next best thing. But you must remember that Ella is only twenty, and nowhere near ready to settle down and have more children. She can't even take care of the child she already has right now because she needs to cure her addiction. Ella is not in a good situation to bring another baby into. I love Carlie as much as you do, but if we could go back in time, even knowing all the things we do about Carlie, I'd want Ella to not have been pregnant. Not yet. Not at eighteen. I'm sure years from now when Ella finds someone who is good for her and will treat her like she deserves, they will get married and possibly have a baby. But you must remember that ultimately there is nothing you can do to change the outcome. You cannot force Ella to have a baby, that is her decision. Maybe she only wants one kid. Right now you have to look at it as if that's the case. Enjoy Carlie and watch her grow, because you and I both know that it happens way too fast these days," I said.

"Ella's only twenty but she seems so much older," Esme said.

"I know. It's easy to forget that really she just became an adult. She needs time to be an adult before she can be a mother to yet another child. There's so much for her to figure out. She needs to finish college, get a job, discover what she wants to do for a career . . . she needs time to do those things," I said.

"Everything seemed easier when she was small and living in Seattle with us," Esme said sadly.

"I know," I sympathized.

"Do you think Carlie will turn out okay? You know, not having a father that is present in her life?" Esme asked.

"I think she will. I'm sure there will be times where she is confused, but I know Ella will be able to explain why things are the way they are and help her understand that she is not the only child in this kind of situation. She might feel a little left out on Father's Day and maybe a bit sad, but the best thing we can do for her is to be very present in her life. In our family, she has lots of options for a male role model. Any of her uncles would be more than willing to sub in, you know that. We will teach her that all of us are always here for her, and we are all she needs," I said.

"But a male figure is so important in a little girl's life," Esme countered.

"To a certain extent, a responsible male figure is important in a girl's life," I agreed. "But I don't think Alec, even if he was here, would be a good example to her. He's probably still getting high and sleeping around," I said, disgusted.

"Carlisle, he's not a perfect person and I definitely don't justify what he did to Ella and Carlie, but deep down I don't think he's a bad person. He's well on his way to being a pediatrician, and when he was with Ella he treated her like a queen. Maybe he'll come back to her someday."

"Is it wrong of me to hope he doesn't?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter what either of us think or hope, it's whatever Ella decides," Esme said.

"I raised her well enough that she should reject him if he ever tries to be her lover again," I said a bit sourly.

Esme was about to scold me, but I held up a hand to stop her.

"I'm afraid we've speculated enough about our daughter's love life for one night. She would be embarrassed if she knew. I think we should talk about something else, like how much I love you and would like to get you into my bed," I flirted.

My darling wife giggled. "Oh you womanizer."

I picked up my beautiful bride and whisked her away to our bedroom. On the way there, I hoped to God that Carlie would be quiet. Apparently there is a God, because we had an amazing, uninterrupted night. (This is where you readers can let your imaginations run wild!)

ELLA'S POINT OF VIEW:

I woke up the next morning with Jackson beside me in my bed. I reminisced the night before, the passion and pleasure, the way he fulfilled my needs. Last night was one of the best nights I'd had in my life, aside from the ones with my previous lover. No one would ever be able to top that. I was so relaxed, yet every nerve in my body was awakened by him. We created sparks brighter than a live wire. We were perfect together. Last night Jackson had allowed me to feel something amazing, and I didn't get amazing very often these days. But these thoughts couldn't last for long, of course, because the panic was beginning to set in. The last thought I had before I fell asleep came back, reigniting my worries. What did I just do?

The killer was that I knew exactly what I had done. I just had sex with a hot boy that I barely knew. And I liked it. No, I didn't like it. There was no word that could describe how I felt about it. I love Jackson. Not just what he does in bed, but him. He was a good person. He might even be better than Alec. No, who am I kidding? No one could ever be better than Alec. It hurt to think the name. I tried to figure out why we did what we did last night, what led to it, but the best answer I could come up with was; it was just in the heat of the moment. It wasn't like we had planned on having sex. Well, I didn't, but did he? Did he come into my room with the intention of getting laid? No, impossible, Jackson wasn't like that. But how could I be sure? I just met him yesterday, after all. This wasn't me. Gabriella Dixie Cullen doesn't have sex with guys she just met. Great, now I'm talking about myself in third person. Jackson is seriously screwing with my head! I'm a whore by definition now. I'm a disgrace to the Cullen family name. I thought of what Dad's reaction would be if he found out and shuddered.

"Hey," Jackson said, raspy yet still attractive with his groggy voice.

"Good morning, Sexy. It isn't often that I actually wake up and the boy I screwed is still around. They usually escape before I can trap them," I teased.

"Trap them how?" he asked, teasing me back.

"Hmm, let's see. Well, getting knocked up with their children usually works. For a while, at least," I joked.

We both laughed. He sat up and dragged me back under the covers with him. It was then I realized that we were still naked. You think it would be awkward, but it wasn't, surprisingly. Maybe Jackson is the one. I stopped that thought while I was still ahead. Didn't want to get my hopes up or anything.

"How do you feel about morning sex?" Jackson asked.

"I can get a little crabby if I don't have breakfast," I warned him.

"Are you saying you're going to make my hold out till tonight?" he asked.

I smirked. "Only seems fair. I have to see if you stick around because of my bed or because of me."

"That's a very smooth way of turning someone down. I'm kidding. How about we get dressed and head down to breakfast, then?" he suggested.

"That's a great idea. Do you want to shower first?" I asked.

"You could join me," he said.

I giggled. "Nice try, but this shower's a bit too small for my liking."

"I see. I guess I will just wait until tonight. I would like to do some water aerobics with you sometime though," he said.

"When we get out of rehab, you'll have to come with me to my mansion in California. The showers there are massive, and quite romantic," I said.

He smiled his breathtaking smile. "I might take you up on that offer."

"Please do," I said as he walked to my bathroom to shower.

While he showered, I cleaned up my room a bit. Made the bed, picked up my discarded clothes, that kind of thing. As I worked, I thought about Jackson. I couldn't help but picture the future with him. Would he keep his promise and stay with me when we get out of rehab? I hope he does. I knew that I probably shouldn't fantasize about a life with him, but it just seemed too wonderful to pass up. I could see us going on dates, I could see Jackson helping me take care of Carlie, I could see us living together . . . I could just see us being together. We would be perfect. I would be okay without Alec. Wow, it doesn't even hurt to think his name. Alec was the past, and now I'm moving on.

When Jackson was done I hopped in the shower. I loved the feeling of the hot water running over me; I always have ever since I was a child. It was relaxing and therapeutic. Just like Jackson. When I first checked into rehab, I felt like I wouldn't make it. I was already so depressed, and the first few weeks here added to that. It was the middle of October now, and I had been here for over a month. April is still a long time coming, but maybe it will be a little easier now with Jackson here. The only good thing about being trapped in this place for eight months was that it would give us time to build our relationship, and neither of us could walk away. We had months to get to know each other and decide if this is what we really wanted. There was time to have fights that we would have to settle, because we would be forced to see each other. Maybe this was just a messed up way of me finding my soul mate, and if it is, I'm okay with that.

After breakfast, Jackson and I had to go our separate ways. He had a meeting to go to, and Tracy would be coming to visit be and check how I was doing. I couldn't wait to tell her about Jackson. I would much rather be spilling the gossip to Courtney, but I didn't want her to know about rehab. Courtney had been a good friend to me all these years, and I didn't want her to think I'm a drugged freak and ruin it. I couldn't wait to get back to Los Angeles and hang out with her again. Once I got out of the place, I was going to be in need of some serious girl time.

A/N: Aww, new love! As usual, please forgive any editing mistakes as I am not perfect. Tell me what you think of Jackson in your review below and please leave any ideas or comments you have for the story. I write for you guys, so you should have some say in the events. Thank you all so much for reading, and I'll see you next Monday!