Chapter Fifty: Airborne

Ashland, Wisconsin, December 1921

Carlisle

The house was not empty by any means, but it most certainly felt it. The rare Wisconsin winter sun filtered through the windows in gentle beams, as I wandered passed the sitting room. A thousand memories came rushing into my mind as I stood in the wooden archway. Never had a house meant as much to me as this ugly old thing, but truly it wasn't the house that meant the world, it was what the house signified… it was home. I never thought, when I purchased this house, that I would be leaving it with a family. I thought – I hoped – that perhaps I would still have Edward as my companion, but I truly never thought I'd leave with him as my son, and my wife (my wife!) would be with us also.

The little book burned in my hands as I itched to read it once again, so I quickly made my way back to the kitchen, and out through the backdoor that I knew Esme adored. As I galloped down the steps I couldn't help but recall the day that I followed a distant caramel haired woman down this very same route, and when I returned with her in my embrace I was astounded to know that I'd somehow been able to claim her heart.

I dashed to the fringes of the trees, seeing her in my imagination, darting through the trees, swinging on their trunks, laughing with the birds, letting her vampire nature come out in the speed, and the way she could run up the bark and perch on the thin branch staring down at me with beautiful mirth in her eyes.

Choosing a particularly nice trunk to lean up against, I sat down on the damp grass, and inhaled her scent that lingered on the pages of her teenage journal.

I smiled to myself as I opened the fragile cover and let her artistic handwriting engulf my mind, and play with my heartstrings.

Some immeasurable amount of time passed before I was broken from my reverie.

"What are you doing out here?" My favourite voice asked from a short distance away. I looked up from my spot beneath one of the trees on the fringe of the forest in our back garden, to see my wife, in all of her beautiful glory, standing on the bottom step of the porch stairs, gazing at me with an amused smile on her face.

"I'm enjoying the rare, fine day, love. Do you care to join me?" I wondered.

She nodded quietly, before slowly making her way across the grass, the small smile still played at her fine lips. The day had become overcast in the time that I sat beneath the tree, but it had not rained, nor had it snowed, which was still miraculous for an Ashland winters day.

I watched Esme eyeing the journal in my hands as she walked over, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the slightly exasperated look upon her face. Somehow, she couldn't fathom why I enjoyed reading her teenage thoughts so much, but I was sure, if the roles had been reversed and she was in possession of a journal that contained my thoughts, she'd never be able to take her eyes off of it.

I made room for her between my legs when she approached, and wrapped my arms around her waist when she sat down with her back pressed up against me.

She sighed in contentment, as she relaxed back, and I took a quiet moment to press a gentle kiss to her shoulder.

"It's a lovey spot you have here," she murmured.

I nodded, "Yes, the view of the house is lovely. I'm glad you joined me."

A dimple appeared in her beautiful cheek as she smiled, "As am I. Anything to distract you from that journal."

I chuckled, "It's my favourite book."

"Haven't you got that memorised by now?" She asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yes," I admitted with a laugh, "But there's a beauty to reading it…" I paused, a sudden idea sprung to mind, "Will you read it to me, my love?"

She sighed, but I didn't miss the corners of her lips quirk up in a smile. She waited a short while before she replied, but nodded none-the-less she said, "Of course."

I handed her the small book, and she took a deep breath, before she began to read in her beautifully gentle voice.

"I have come to a point in my journey through life where I am able to imagine things in such detail, I can very nearly touch, feel and smell them. My imagined worlds are almost more real to me than that of reality, and dare I say it? I prefer them much more, in truth. Aside from one small detail, that is… One small detail, which I cannot even be sure was real in real life. He is the one inaccuracy in my imagination. Perhaps the reason I cannot imagine him is because he does not seem real at all. He is better than all real things I have ever seen, or smelt, or touched, or felt. I try my best to use all objects at my imagination's disposal to bring him back to the strange half-life of the imagined state, but I fail dismally each time. Yet, I am somewhat tenacious, so again, and again, I try.

"I give him eyes the colour of late afternoon sunlight, I give him teeth as perfect as two rows of sixteen faultless, and glimmering pearls. I have him hair as soft as silk, the colour of the rays of sunlight that filter through the trees out in the orchards during summer. I give him lips the soft pink of peony roses, like those that grew by my grandmother's front porch, and I give him skin as soft and smooth as my mother's finest set of sheets, blowing in the soft breeze near me. Sometimes I even give him something by his side to make him smile. If I'm feeling audacious enough, it will be a sixteen-year-old girl with a broken leg, who somehow managed to make him laugh – a sound finer than any symphony. There is wisdom in his eyes, and kindness in his brow that can never be imagined through anything else but a memory, for he has the kind of gentility that would make even the good Lord envious, which is particularly impossible… but the man who I fail to give justice to in my imagination had such goodness that I have never encountered before that I fear I must admit, I will forever believe that his place is not in a memory, but rather, in front of me, so I can learn all of him, and should I ever find him gone, I would know almost enough to keep me warm when the winter brings its usual solitary loneliness.

"My imagination is flawed, you see, for the thing I want most fervently, is the one thing that it will never bring.

"Therefore! I say, he must be real, for I am not capable of fathoming anything so marvellous from scratch. If there is a Lord, if there is a God, from now until eternity he will forever be proof of that existence. The day he was born, was the day Heaven mourned the loss of an angel, and Earth never knew it should celebrate. So celebrate, I will, for I know, I love, and I see the truth, I have it here, imagined imperfectly, right in front of me, all from a memory of scantly half an hour in his company. I will keep it always with me, as blemished as it may be.

"Good day, good doctor…

"Forever, your Esme."

She paused for a beautiful moment, and then let out a small laugh, "If you think this is any indication of my love for you, I should hastily point out that what I feel for you now is tenfold the amount of what the girl who wrote this believe she felt."

"Will you write it for me?" I wondered quietly.

She considered it for a brief moment, before she turned her head slightly, and captured my eyes with her own, "I suppose I could try, but blank pages would be more indicative, for words could never aptly express it. I should also inform you, good doctor, that I am now more proficient at expressing my emotions in paint, and smudged charcoal. I could draw my love more accurately, if you'd prefer, but it may take me a thousand years even to think of a place to begin. I do think it impossible to paint something that is infinite."

"You could try," I teased, to which she laughed.

"Very true, and perhaps I shall," she reached around to tap me on the nose. Her eyes sparkled with happiness, and I couldn't help the sense of pride that swelled in my chest as I contemplated that I was the reason for such happiness.

"In a thousand years, I'll see if you have decided on a place to start." I murmured, leaning a little closer to her as her eyes flicked down to my lips.

"It sounds like an agreement," she breathed.

I grinned, "I do like our agreements."

"Hmmm? Yes. We make good agreements."

"Do you know my favourite?" I pulled back slightly, and she blinked a few times, before smiling brightly at me.

"I think I have a fair idea, and I think it may be the same as mine, but pray tell."

I chuckled, "My favourite agreement we made was to wed each other."

"And once again, we are in agreement," she murmured, leaning in closer. I beamed as her lips finally pressed against mine lightly. We had to be very careful with the kind of kisses we shared during times when we weren't alone, for innocent kisses had a way of heating up almost immediately.

The sound of the door nearly swinging off its hinges pushed me into pulling away. I looked up curiously to see Edward standing on the porch near the back door.

"Are you two really going to sit out here all day with your sentimental little love stories and leave me to check that we have everything? Leave me to do all of the work?" He huffed in annoyance, and pinched the bridge of his nose, "You're worse than the characters in one of those goulash Austen novels."

"Edward, stop being such a grouser!" Esme called back, "And wasn't it just the other day that you were reading one of those such novels?"

He huffed, "Well I'd nothing else to do."

"I think somebody is a little grouchy because he's anxious to fly his airplane," I joined in, and Edward growled.

"I am not grouchy. I am merely fed up that I'm doing all the work."

"Take a break then, dear," Esme smirked, "Read an Austen novel if you've nothing else to do."

Edward huffed, and I tried to hide my smile.

"You two are acting more like siblings than parents today," he noted.

Esme shrugged in reply, "Yes, well, sometimes that happens when newlyweds get interrupted," she teased.

Finally, Edward's icy demeanour dropped, and his face melted into his regular crooked smile, "You've got me," he muttered.

Esme laughed exuberantly, "You may be the mind reader, dear, but I can read your face. I apologise on behalf of the both of us for getting a little bit carried away."

Edward sighed, "Your apology is accepted, but Carlisle is right. I'm anxious to see my plane."

Esme nodded, and placed a kiss upon my cheek before she stood up, and I followed suit. I couldn't wipe the silly smile off my face as I grabbed my wife's hand and headed toward our son. My thoughts while kissing her hadn't at all been bad enough to warrant such a reaction from Edward, so I could only conclude that hers had been.

Edward shot me a warning glance, which I took as confirmation, and smiled wider. You'll understand someday, son I thought, It's a strange, yet wondrous thing to know somebody loves you like that.

"What are you two discussing?" Esme wondered, looking from Edward to me. She raised both of her eyebrows when neither of us answered and pursed her lips, "I suppose that means I don't want to know, doesn't it?"

Edward smirked in reply, which earned him a reproving look from his mother. I made sure I averted my eyes away from her so she wouldn't catch me with that stare and coax me into revealing everything to her. I'd fallen into that trap before.

She gave up with a sigh not long after, and we made our way into the house. She was a flutter of movement as our final hours at home whittled away. When the afternoon arrived we were all ready to go. Esme had bode farewell to her beloved attic and master bedroom, but didn't care much for the other rooms, so they only got a quick farewell.

"Well, that's it, washroom that they finally let me wash clothes in, kitchen I once cooked things in, dining room guests did dine in," she stood in the middle of the hallway, as I leaned up against the archway that led into the sitting room. Edward sat on the bottom steps of Esme's beloved staircase, and watched her intently.

She's changed a lot in such a short time, hasn't she? I thought, listening to her voice the little differences she made.

Edward gave me a small nod, and his lips quirked up at the sides.

Sometimes, I think it's all to good to be real, I don't want to get used to it in case she disappears.

Edward shook his head.

That's not going to happen, right?

He just smiled at me.

"Conversing without me again?" Esme teased, standing across from me with her hands on her hips.

I shook my head and grinned, "I was merely contemplating how long you will love me."

She cocked her head to the side, and stated as simply as the colour of the sky, "Forever."

"All right," Edward interjected as he rose from his perch on the stairs, "There's plenty of time for that when I'm not around. Shall we head off?"

"Eager for the airplane?" Esme grinned.

Edward chuckled and nodded, "Goodbye house!" He called as he exited through the front door. I knew this was merely to tease Esme, and I would have berated him for it, but she took it in good jest and giggled.

"Are you ready?" I wondered.

She nodded, making her way over to me. I offered her my arm, grinning down at her.

"It's true, you know," she murmured seriously, "I will love you forever. Please don't doubt that."

I bent down to place an adoring kiss upon her lips, "I wouldn't dream of it, my love," I reassured her.

She beamed, "Well, I suppose we should get to it then."

"I'm going to miss this house," I murmured as we walked toward the front door, "More than any other house I've ever owned."

"We can come back," she reminded me.

I nodded, "And we will. I'm sure of that."

Nodding, she reached the open front door, and I committed the scene to memory. The first time I ever walked up those porch steps and through that old wooden door was in the middle of the night with Edward trailing behind me. The house had been empty and somewhat haunting as the wind rocked it from side to side, but it was the darkness that bothered me most. Although my life with Edward was more rewarding and full than the life I lived before, it had not been as full back then as it was now. Now, as Esme stood in the doorway with the bright day behind her, her hand outstretched a little, and a small smile on her lips, I sent a thankful prayer to God for her and all the change she brought me.

"Are you two coming?" Edward called from the car.

I sighed, and Esme chuckled, "We'd better get going."

Nodding, I reached out for her hand, "We'd better."

So she pulled me out of our wooden farmhouse, pausing briefly for me to shut to the door and all the way to the Duesenberg that idled on the driveway. Edward sat in the drivers seat, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel most impatiently, just to let us know how eager he was to get to the small field on the very outskirts of Ashland County where his plane was being stored.

Esme smiled indulgently at our son, shaking her head as she hopped in the car. "This is a big thing for us, Edward. Thank you for understanding."

I hopped in the car, and secured the door shut beside me. Looking over to my two family members I took a deep breath, "Do we have everything?"

"Yes," Edward replied in a monotone, driving forward down the driveway, "Yes we are ready, no, there's nothing we need in town, and no, there isn't anywhere else we'd like to go before we leave."

I chuckled as Edward sped down the windy driveway, but I didn't even get a chance to look back at the house that flipped my life on its head. Esme's hand slipped into mine, and with a reassuring smile from my darling wife, we left our little farmhouse behind.

The small airfield was on the edge of Ashland County, just east of a small town named Saxon. We pulled off the gravel road, and parked the car on the grass beside the road, and clambered out of the cab. The sky was partly cloudy, clear enough for good views while Edward flew, but cloudy enough that the sunlight would not bother us.

A large barn-type construction was at the end of the road, and Edward marched toward it with a grin on his face.

I offered her my arm, which she took with a giggle, and we followed our enthusiastic son toward the bar.

The owner of the field, who had agreed to let me store the plane in his empty barn in exchange for his medical fees to be waived, met us with a wide grin and firm handshake when we knocked on the wooden door. He led us around the back of the barn where he opened two very large doors with Edward's and my help. Sitting there, in all its glory, was a rich green Airco DH.4. It had one large propeller on it's nose, two parallel wings stretching from left to right, in the middle of these two wings was the body, and more importantly, the cockpit, which Edward was all ready climbing into.

"You know how to fly this thing, son?" The owner of the barn asked.

"I do," Edward smiled back reassuringly.

"Good-o," he murmured nodding, "She's nice, isn't she? I wouldn't have minded one of these for myself. No matter, no matter. It'll be enough just to see her fly."

"You can fly one?" Edward wondered, as he played around with the controls inside.

"'Course I can!" The man grinned, "O'course I can. But I'll let you get to it, I'd not be happy if an old joker like myself kept me waiting if I were in your shiny shoes."

Edward grinned, and nodded to the man, as I felt Esme stiffen by my side.

"Are you all right?" I wondered, looking down at her worried face.

She pursed her lips, "Just worried."

"You'll be fine, love," I reassured her, but she shook her head.

"Oh I know I'll be fine, it's just…" She nodded to the plane, "That thing doesn't look safe."

Edward chuckled, and shook his head indulgently toward his mother, before driving the plane forward onto the grass.

The engine putted as he idled on the field, growing louder with every minute that drew closer to his take off. We watched on intently as he fiddled with some switches and levers.

"Will he really be able to fly this thing after just reading books about it, Carlisle? Do you think perhaps we should have got him lessons first? Would that have been safer?" Esme asked with a slight panicked tone to her voice.

"I'm sure he'll be just fine, love," I reassured her, "Don't forget, the human man has flown before, and I'll not hesitate to wager that our son has had a peek into his mind."

"Yes, mother!" Edward called from the field, "Have a little faith in me."

"I have a lot of faith in you dear," Esme called back, "I do not however, have any reason to place my faith in the creator of this plane!"

Edward flicked her a cheeky grin, "Need I remind you this was your idea?"

Esme groaned, and eyed the plane distrustfully, "I didn't think it would be like this."

"What did you think it would be like, love?" I wondered curiously.

"Less… stressful," she admitted in a small voice.

Edward chuckled from the field, "Well, hold your breath mother… here I go!"

The engine quickly grew louder as the wheels of the plane began to move forward.

I heard Esme take in a deep breath and mutter, "Dear Lord!" under her breath, before she turned around to glare at the barn owner.

"Love, he will be all right," I murmured in reassurance.

"I'm sorry Carlisle, dear, but unless you can see the future, I cannot take your word for that."

I let out a little chuckle under my breath, but that earned me a very unhappy look from my darling wife, as she turned to stare back at the plane, which was gaining speed with every second that passed.

I split my attention between my son in the speeding aircraft, and my wife by my side, who was standing a little too still to pass as a human.

"Are you feeling anxious, my darling?" I wondered.

She didn't move, she merely hummed in reply.

Knowing fully well I would earn myself a glare for my next comment, I said it anyway, "May I suggest wringing your hands, or shifting your feet?"

She exhaled in the exact fashion I expected and slowly turned to eye me warningly, "Our son is in a dangerous contraption that is speeding at some dangerous speed to achieve a very dangerous goal, and you think this is time for a lesson on how to act human?"

I pursed my lips, "I'm just being mindful of the human in the doorway, love," I replied in what I hoped to be a soothing tone.

Her golden orbs shifted to the fidgeting old man in the doorway, and then back to me before she sighed, and shifted her feet.

"I apologise," she murmured, "I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."

I gave her a comforting smile, "It's quite all right love, but I assure you, Edward will be just fine. Look," I nodded to the aircraft on the field, "He's about to take off."

She took a deep breath and looked back out to our son. The front wheels of the craft had just begun to lift off of the ground. Only a few seconds later, the back wheels lifted off too, and then, Edward was flying.

After a few short moments of watching anxiously as the plane rose in the sky, the human disappeared from the doorway behind us, and Esme relaxed.

"I don't trust airplanes," she muttered.

I grinned. "Yes, I noticed that."

She pursed her lips and looked up at me, but the glint in her eyes alerted me to her improved mood. I merely smirked back at her until she turned away laughing.

Moments later, she gasped. "Carlisle!" She exclaimed, pointing one gloved hand in the air, "Is it dropping? Is Edward dropping?"

"No love," I murmured, watching the biplane intently – I couldn't see it dropping, "He's not dropping."

I quickly scanned the field for any onlookers, but the place was empty, so I stepped closer to my wife as she asked frantically, "If it crashes, will he be all right?"

I wrapped my arms around her waist and brought my lips to her neck, "He will be fine love, just breathe."

She did as I suggested, and then slumped back into my embrace, "Airplanes were a horrible idea, Carlisle."

I couldn't help my chuckle as I rested my forehead on the top of her hat, "I think it looks quite fun."

"Dangerous is more like it," she muttered darkly.

The Airco-DH 4 could fly for roughly three hours, so Esme and I watched the skies intently as Edward made the most of that time flying far enough away that our observation was useless. He did come back for a sort time every once in a while, possibly to calm Esme's nerves, and possibly to show off. I was inclined to believe the latter when he did a barrel roll on the second time that he made appearance in the visible skies. Had Esme's heart still been pumping blood, I was sure it would have stopped.

After two hours of flying time Edward came back and surprised me as he approached the ground to land. Esme watched anxiously as the plane headed for the grass.

"He's going to fast, he won't be able to stop," she whispered with wide eyes.

I kissed her on the head, "He will be all right, love," I told her for the thousandth time – not that I minded, I loved trying to comfort her.

She sighed again, and let me hug her tighter, as she watched on with bated breath. Edward's landing was perfect, and Esme was most relieved.

He parked the plane on a spot near the runway and disembarked, before jogging over to a us with a wide grin on his lips.

"How would you like a go, old man?" Edward wondered, holding out the key in offering.

I eyed the small metal object with great interest, knowing full well that Edward was completely aware of my eagerness to experience flying. I wandered over to the machine and gazed at it.

"Would you like to come, love?" I wondered, as I brushed my hands along the wing, and looked up to Esme.

She bit her lip uncertainly, "I don't think it's quite safe, Carlisle." Her voice was filled with fear and worry, it pulled at my heart, and I could barely resist the urge to wrap her in a hug.

"Just think mother," Edward injected "If you go with him and crash, you'll die together."

I felt my forehead crease, "Edward, that's a terrible thing to say," I murmured, but he just nodded toward Esme's calculating expression.

"All right," she sighed, taking a step toward the plane, "I'll go."

Edward tossed me the keys and I climbed up into the cockpit. There was only one seat, so Esme would have to sit on my lap. I offered her my hand as Edward offered her his as well, to help her look human as she climbed up into the aircraft.

Having her on my lap was most distracting as Edward leaned into the cockpit and explained how to fly the machine, especially as she squirmed with nervousness.

"Do you understand?" Edward wondered, once he was done with his lesson.

I nodded, I think so… "Yes," I tried to sound confident so not to alarm Esme, but I couldn't deny my slight nervousness.

"It's not hard," Edward assured me, "You'll pick it up, easy."

I smiled and thanked him, hoping he was right. He backed away from the plane and ran back into the hanger.

"So now, of all times, you decide to squirm when you're nervous, love?" I teased.

She giggled, "It takes my mind of this," she confessed in a whisper.

I felt my eyes widen, "You did that on purpose?!"

She turned around a little to place a sweet kiss upon my lips but that really didn't help matters at all.

She took a deep breath, "Let's get this thing going."

I nodded, and worked a moment on calming myself before I started the engine, and guided the plane to the grassy runway.

"At any moment if you want to come back down and hop out, you tell me, all right?" I murmured to Esme, who had become absolutely still on my lap.

"Yes," she breathed.

"Are you all right?" I wondered, but she merely hummed in reply.

Deciding that if she wanted to hop out all ready, she would tell me, I began to drive forward. The aircraft gained speed as we travelled down the runway, until it was going much faster than our car could ever dream of going. I grew more nervous as the end of the runway came in sight, wondering if we would make it up in time, or if we would run into the longer grass. Soon, my nervousness gave into a much different… strange feeling. The speed was not something that was foreign to Esme or I, in fact we could run faster than this plane could go, but the compression when the front wheels lifted off the ground was an entirely new experience. Esme let out a little whine, but remained frozen.

"It's all right, love," I murmured distractedly, focussing on Edward's instructions, "We're all right."

When the back wheels left the ground, a strange feeling of weightlessness came over me, but it was still masked by the compression. I directed the plane upwards, climbing at a quick rate, and Esme stared out the window with eyes the size of saucers.

She came out of shock, and began to breathe heavily; she kept on opening and closing her mouth as if she was trying to fathom words to say, but couldn't.

I grinned to myself, and allowed myself a look out the window. We were still climbing so the angle was strange, but it was a beautiful view already. The dark green grass of the airfields was beautiful in contrast to the grey and blue sky.

When I'd climbed high enough, I levelled the plane so we were no longer at a peculiar angle to the ground, and thankfully, Esme came out of her frozen state.

"This is not natural!" She yelled, surprising me, "Oh my word! The ground is… the ground is so far down! And the clouds are so close! This… oh my word! Oh. My. Word!" She breathed in and out for a short while to calm herself as I flew toward the sea. "This is a better view than at the top of all the trees," she whispered, and then she went into hysterics. She couldn't stop laughing.

So, in turn, I began laughing loudly too, but that panicked her, "Don't crash the plane!"

"Sorry, love," I murmured, but my smile remained.

"This is incredible, Carlisle. This is just… This must be what it's like for birds. Oh, I wish I were a bird. This is just something else…It's not real life. I must be dead."

I chuckled, "Love, trust me. You're very much alive."

"But the ground… Carlisle… We're flying!"

I nodded, resting my chin on her shoulder, and keeping my eyes on the sky in front of us, "That we are."

Her reaction was most amusing, and her endearing observations kept my smile upon my face as I flew toward our old home. It didn't take too long for the small silver settlement to appear on the edge of the green land, next to the blue ocean, and Esme gasped when she saw it.

"Isn't it just the smallest thing?" She cooed, "Oh, it's so cute!"

I chuckled, "I suppose you could say that, all though I know of cuter things."

She grinned, but ignored my comment, "And the ocean, ooh! Look at the islands, don't they just look beautiful?"

I agreed, and circled around the area for a short time as the afternoon came to a close, and the sun dropped low in the sky.

"It looks like we got the sunset, love," I murmured into her ear, and her head whipped around to look out the right window. The most beautiful smile spread across her face as she watched her favourite phenomenon happen over the Apostle Islands that lay near the town we both loved.

As I flew around the area for a while, we took turns pointing out places we'd been. Esme got very excited when she spotted our old farmhouse, so excited, she even started sobbing, "It's just so beautiful up here," she whispered, "I can't handle this much beauty."

I chuckled, "I have to handle this much beauty every single day," I pointed out, "Multiple times a day, and I love it."

Her brow furrowed, "Carlisle, what do you mean? What do you see every day that's as beautiful as this?"

I grinned, and answered simply, "You."

She tried to hide her beaming smile as she shook her head and looked away, but I caught it.

"In fact," I added, "This has nothing on you, love."

She laughed exuberantly, "Thank you, but you can stop now."

I just shook my head, "Never."

After forty minutes in flying over Ashland and the surrounding towns, I had to turn the plane around to give us enough time to get back to te airfield before the plane couldn't take anymore flying. Forty minutes was, however, long enough to change my beloved wife's mind about flying.

"We'll definitely have to get this machine brought up to Halifax if we can, but if we can't, can we get another one?" She wondered.

I reassured her, "Of course, of course we can, love." Because I'd do anything for that wife of mine, and as I turned the plane around and headed back to the airfield, she kept her eyes fixated on the small settlement fading away in the distance below us.

She gingerly lifted one of her tiny hands up to the glass, and a small smile played upon her gentle lips, "For now, Ashland…" she whispered, "Goodbye."

Edward met us with a smirk upon his face as we landed at the airfield when the darkness had reclaimed the land.

"I take it you enjoyed the experience, dear mother?" He teased.

She sighed as she hopped out of the aircraft and took the hand he offered to help him down, "You all ready know the answer to that," she grinned.

Edward chuckled in a very satisfied way, and I soon joined them on the ground. As much as I enjoyed flying in the sky, I much preferred my feet on the ground.

"And you, old man?" Edward wondered.

I took a deep breath, "Well I can definitely tell you that was not something I ever thought I'd do back in the day, but I can't say I didn't enjoy it."

"Good," Edward grinned, "I hope to see more aircrafts in our future."

We three left the plane in the safety of the hanger, with a note on the front thanking the owner of the 'airfield' for taking good care of it, and informing him that in return, he was free to use the plane as he may see fit, after all, we weren't entirely sure if we would ever see it again.

When we made it back to the car I was reminded of the future road trip that I was not overly enthused about. The whole thing was somewhat of a logistical nightmare, and I wasn't even sure if it would work out. The highways around America had improved greatly in recent times, but I wasn't sure that they were quite as extensive as Edward promised they were. It would have been a better idea to just run to Halifax, but I couldn't say no to Edward. He wanted the Duesenberg so much, but I was somewhat regretting my lack of authority as we climbed in the car and began our journey. My worst fear was that I'd put my family in danger, and fail them if this didn't work out.

But Edward was so excited, and I promised we'd try, so there we were. The three of us drove down the dirt road, seated very close to one another in the front seat as Edward recounted his every minute in the plane earlier that day with a large smile on his face, and Esme listened on intently. Their happiness could almost distract me from the nerves in my stomach, but I couldn't quite give myself fully to their light-hearted conversation, so I withdrew, and instead, I watched in the rear-view mirror as the last of Ashland County disappeared behind, and there was only one thing I could think – for now, Ashland… Goodbye.


A.N. Hi guys! This topic wasn't actually going to be a chapter but once I realised how long it had been since I posted, I quickly just whipped this up because it was easy and there wasn't much though that had to go into it. Shall I give you all the excuses for why I've been so long? Nah, let's just say personal sickness and med school don't mix well and result in far too much time in hospitals. Safe to say I don't like being the one in the gown.

When I can get some time to write the next chapter - the family will run into some trouble (Edward's fault), but it will all end in a fun adventure (and Carlisle feeling pretty down on himself) so that's what we've got to look forward to coming up next!Hopefully it won't be too long in the making.

Thanks again for all your support. Much love.