Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephanie Myer.

Hope you enjoy.

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"There, do you see?" Carlisle whispered in a voice that even the sharpest of human ears wouldn't have been able to pick out.

Esme peered further over the undergrowth that was currently concealing them, unable to prevent the gasp of pleasure that escaped her lips at the sight.

The black bear was a juvenile male, with beady eyes and long, curled claws that sank into the soft ground. The creature may seem scary, but it was the confidence in which the predator moved which captured Esme's attention.

She suddenly wished she had her paint brushes at hand, because the colours of this animal were so beautiful - black at first, but her eyes picked out the strands of russet and brown that caught the light - that she longed to capture it.

However, the current screeching sound it was making was enough to make her ears hurt. "Carlisle, what is it doing?" She asked quietly, not wishing to alert the animal of their presence.

"It'll soon be the bears mating season." Carlisle informed her. "This male is young, so this may possibly be his first season. He's practising the art of attracting a mate."

Esme wrinkled her nose in amusement as she watched the bear rub its back repeatedly against a tree, looking as if it was doing a strange sort of dance. "Well, I'm glad you didn't use such a method on me."

Unable to help himself, Carlisle laughed. He quietened himself before he could startle the bear, but the male seemed too interested in scratching itself to notice.

"Would I not have been successful, then?" Carlisle teased.

She shot him a playful glance over her shoulder before turning back to watch. "You have other attributes caught my attention, you would never have to make yourself look like a fool."

Intrigued by this, Carlisle's attention was snapped away from the wildlife and was now fixed solely on the beautiful woman beside him.

"Care to elaborate on that statement of yours, my love?" He asked.

My love, her insides turned uncontrollably into mush as his voice accidently slipped into a slight British accent.

Feeling mischievous, Esme decided to ignore his question. "Carlisle, you said you wanted to show me what Atlanta had to offer. I don't believe that talking about you is educational."

Surprised and pleased at her good mood, Carlisle grinned. "It would be educational for me." He urged her softly.

Twisting around, Esme rested back against the fallen tree they had used for cover as she met his golden gaze. His face was hopeful as he watched her.

"Well…" Esme began thoughtfully, allowing her eyes to map out each individual feature of his gorgeous face. "Your eyes are simply beautiful. At first, they seem golden, but when you look closer, you can see flecks of topaz and honey, and they remind me of the sunrise. They are the one part of your face that always shows your emotion, no matter how hard you try to conceal how you are feeling."

Carlisle smiled, and by doing so, his eyes sparkled in the way that Esme adored. He had never taken any notice in his eyes before, but he was overjoyed to find out that Esme had paid them close attention. The bear was long forgotten.

Esme touched his cheek with her fingers, drawing them down slowly from his cheekbone to his chin. "Your nose, your lips, even your brows - I love every individual part of you. But, it is not only your physical attractiveness that had me completely captivated by you. I love your soul; your compassion and dedication, your selflessness and kindness. You are most honourable and caring man I have ever known, and I will forever be grateful for having you in my life."

Overwhelmed with love and emotion for the woman beside him, Carlisle leaned across the small space separating them in order to capture her lips with his own. It took merely a second for Esme to soften against him, and she kissed him back as sweetly and lovingly as he had done to her.

Soon, when the kiss did not break, things started to heat up. One of Carlisle's hands was in her hair, touching the soft curls and enjoying the way it hung down her neck. His other hand moved to the ground beside her as his entire body weight as lifted and hovering over her. The sudden change of position caused Esme to have to shift slightly - not that she minded - so she was lying practically on her back with Carlisle above her.

When he felt her tongue slowly graze his bottom lip, Carlisle gasped. This caused his lips to part, and Esme's tongue soon found it's way into his mouth, exploring and battling with his. Neither of them had allowed their kisses to develop to this stage yet, and for a moment, their minds were clouded with passion and love as they allowed the sounds of the forest to dwindle into the background.

Esme's back arched with pleasure, pushing herself effectively against his strong chest. Her hands snaked their way to his neck, and her fingers toyed with his blonde curls. Yet, despite the fact that his body was currently pinning her down, Esme did not try to push him away, nor did she stiffen at the closeness.

This is Carlisle, she reminded herself as she enjoyed all the different sensations running through her veins. He would never hurt me. For a while now, she had unconsciously been afraid that she would withdraw from his touch, haunted by the harsh grip of her first husband. Carlisle did not frighten her the way that Charles had; instead, he loved her, so strongly that it was enough to ease her without needing any words of comfort from him.

But, it wasn't long until Carlisle remembered where they were. Quickly, he pulled away, shuffling backwards to create a more respectable distance between them.

Stunned at his sudden movement, Esme looked up at him, moving to lean on her elbows so she could see him. "Carlisle?" She asked, trying to ignore the wave of embarrassment that flooded through her at his rejection.

"Esme, I'm so sorry!" He coughed out, taking in her ruffled hair and wide eyes. How had he allowed himself to lose control like that. "I didn't mean-"

She shuffled back slightly. "Carlisle, you did nothing wrong, I-"

He shook his head, helplessly running a hand through his golden locks. "I should not have done that. It was wrong of me to give into such temptations. Will you forgive me, Esme?"

Temptations, Esme took that as a good sign, having already jumped to the conclusion that Carlisle had backed away because he did not want her. This new knowledge - that he had pulled away only because he was losing his hold on his own self control - filled her with anticipation and warmth.

"There is nothing to forgive." She told him, reaching out to take one of her hands in his. He stiffened slightly, as if unsure on how he would react to her touch, but soon softened as she kissed the back of his hand. "Carlisle, do you not see? I wanted you to do continue."

"Y-you did?" He asked, not able to allow himself to believe her. He had felt horrfied at himself for behaving in such an ungentlemanly way, despite the fact that all of his instincts had been screaming at him to carry on.

She nodded, unsure where such boldness had come from, but she wasn't going to hide how she felt from him. They had promised each other honesty, and that was a promise she intended on keeping.

"It felt…" She trailed off, trying to find a word that would give enough justice to exactly how she had felt from the heated kiss. "Incredible."

Pride almost made him smile, but Carlisle was still battling with himself over what he thought was right and wrong. His guilty conscious took control. "But Esme, we are not married." He reminded her.

Her eyes widened. "Well, I know that-"

"The Bible states that a man and woman must be married before giving into their desires." Carlisle reminded her, knowing that although she may not share his believes, she must have known that.

Esme's mouth went dry. "I don't believe that what we just did was exactly sinful, Carlisle." She reprimanded, hating that he was not allowing himself to enjoy the moment like she was currently doing. However, that buzz she was feeling was slowly dwindling as he continued to speak in a regretful tone.

"In the eyes of the Lord, it is." Carlisle told her. "Esme, I have never asked you to understand my belief before - but now, I will you to see that I will not act upon my desires until we are married, until you are my wife."

"M-married?" She echoed, giving hold of his hand in an attempt to steady herself. "You wish to marry me?"

He was taken aback, and a little stung, but her confusion. "Well, of course I do. Have I caused you to believe otherwise?"

She shook her head, feeling as if the entire forest around them was spinning. "No, you haven't. I just...I can't understand why you would want to marry me, is all."

"Esme, I want to marry you because I love you." Carlisle told her, his voice firm but not harsh. "You are my heart, Esme, and to be able to call you my wife would bring me the greatest joy and pride in the entire world. One day, when we are both ready, I will say to you vows that I will keep for the rest of our existence. From that day onward, you will be my wife and I can honestly say that I cannot wait for that day. Do you not wish to marry me?"

Unable to string a sentence together, Esme simply stared at him with startled eyes for a few moments, before squeezing his hand together. "I love you more than anything, Carlisle." She reassured him, her voice trembling slightly. "But, when you speak of acts of sin, I can't help but remember that I already am married."

He stiffened. "You are no longer tied to that bastard excuse of a man." He practically snarled out.

She refused to allow her face the opportunity to show how startled she was by his choice of language. "Carlisle, although my union with him was not a happy one, I took my vows in a church, in front of a priest and witnesses. Charles and I never divorced-"

"Till death us do part," Carlisle quoted, and Esme flinched as she remembered spitting out those words unwilling on the day of her wedding, the same day that her innocence had been stripped away from her.

With saddened eyes, Esme looked up at him. "But, Carlisle, I never died, did I?"

That threw him off, and Carlisle was unable to answer immediately. Instead, he rose to his feet, taking his hand from her as he started to pace, deep in thought. Wordlessly, Esme watched him, biting into her lip in worry.

"That man also made an oath before God to love and cherish you." He reminded her, turning to look down at her. "He did not uphold those promises either." There was distinguishable hatred in his voice, purely directed at Charles, but he instantly regretted it when Esme drew further away from him.

He dropped back down to kneel before her, his eyes searching out her red ones, which were currently filled with sadness and worry. He had scared her, and now he had to make amends, otherwise he was no better than the man who had produced such a response from him.

"Esme, my love, I'm sorry." He whispered, wanting to touch her, but also fearing that she would pull away from him.

She sniffed. "It's fine, Carlisle. I just...I hate to see the mention of him change you. It is not like you; that anger in your tone. Please, I do not want to speak of him any longer, not today."

He dipped his head. "Esme, you are my life." He told her. "And one day, I want to be your husband."

"I want that too." She told him, softening her body as she reminded herself that Carlisle would never hurt her. "Carlisle, your beliefs are what makes you human, and I although I do not follow the church like you do, I will always respect your beliefs. But, I am not an untouched woman. You speak of waiting till marriage, but can you forgive me for not being completely pure?"

He took her hands in his, drawing them both to their feet before he wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace. "Dearest Esme, how could I forgive you for something that was completely out of your control? What you have been through is not a reflection of your character, but as a reminder of your strength. One day, you will forget the way his hands had felt as he held you, and the harshness of his kisses. I will never ask you to tell me what he did to you, but I promise to spend the rest of eternity proving to you how a man who loves a woman should treat her."

She nestled her head further against his chest, breathing in his familiar scent and seeking reassurance in his scent. "I love you." She whispered.

Carlisle kissed the top of her head gently. "I love you, Esme." He promised, but he was unable to shake off her previous words. I never died, did I?

She had no death certificate, therefore there was no finalisation to her marriage with Charles. Esme would always feel as if she belonged to him, until she knew that their marriage was no longer void. A deep growl threatened to rumble from Carlisle's chest as he thought of Charles again; a faceless man, but one Carlisle despised greatly.

"Esme, in clinical terms, when a person's heart stops beating, they are dead." He told her softly, one hand comfortingly rubbing her back. He then pulled her away from him slightly so he could watch her face in response to his statement. Her red eyes were confused. "Esme, your heart stopped beating as soon as the venom took over your body."

She soon caught on. "So, what you are saying is, I'm technically dead?" She confirmed. "So, therefore, my marriage to him is now non-existent?"

Carlisle nodded, careful not to seem too relieved by this fact. It brought him peace, but he knew it would be a lot for her to process. "He is no longer your husband, just as much as you are no longer his wife. He has no claim on you, Esme. Not now, not ever again."

As much as Carlisle longed to drop down on one knee right there and then to propose, he had to wait. Esme was torn between wanting to have a future with him, while being held back by ghosts of her past. As much as he wanted to, Carlisle couldn't protect her from those ghosts without knowing how. It was battle that Esme would have to fight herself, but he would be there to give her strength.

As Esme took in that small segment of information, Carlisle allowed himself time to focus on the woman stood with him. His love for her was already overpowering, and unlike anything that he had ever thought he could experience. She was his reason for living now, and no harm would ever come to her as long as he lived. Her happiness was paramount to his, and he knew time would only strengthen their bond further.

How lucky was he, to be able to look forward to spending all of eternity with the woman whom he loved so deeply already?

"You are my heart, Esme." He told her, as if he needed to remind her to give himself reassurance.

One thing was for sure, he would be damned if he let anything happen to her, and he couldn't wait for the day where he could finally have her as his wife.

Nearby, the young bear slowly crept into the shadows.

~0~0~0~0~0~0~

It had just struck midday, when the knock on the door sounded throughout the house.

Instantly, Carlisle dropped his pen, abandoning his paperwork as he rushed out of the office and almost collided with Esme, who had been stood frozen in the corridor.

"Esme," He said urgently, wrapping his arms around her to keep her body against his. "Stop breathing, my love." He ordered.

The knocking increased, and Edward answered the door.

"Good afternoon, sir." A man's voice sounded, his voice echoing up the stairway and into the corridor. "My name is Clive Raymond, I am a collegue of Dr Cullen's. Is he home?"

"Come with me," Carlisle whispered to Esme, softly guiding her to his study. She was struggling against him, and he had to move one of his hands over her mouth in order to stop her snarling.

"Get off me!" She spat against his palm as a thirsty burn blazed through her throat. Her nostrils were flaring as the human scent entered the house uninvitedly.

"Esme, focus on me." Carlisle instructed, refusing to let go of her, but knowing that she was much stronger than he was. He had to take her mind away from the situation as quickly as possible.

Downstairs, Edward answered the male visitor. "Unfortunately, you have just missed him. He left only five minutes ago. Is the matter urgent?"

"I did not see another car pass me on the way here…" Mr Raymond said thoughtfully, more to himself than to Edward. The long stretch of road that led to the house had definitely been empty of other vehicles, he was sure of it. "Ah, maybe I wasn't paying attention."

"I believe Carlisle was heading for the store, to pick up some food." Edward lied. "We haven't had time to replenish our supplies here. If you hurry, you may be able to catch him."

Carlisle let out a gasp as Esme's sharp teeth sank into the skin below his thumb, but he refused to remove his hand or let her go. He crushed her against him, ignoring the way she was currently trying to kick out at him with one leg.

"Good day to you, sir." Mr Raymond said, and slowly retreated back to his vehicle. Edward quickly shut the door behind him.

Carlisle did not ease his grip on her until the car had a few miles between it and the house. "Esme, if I let go, will you be okay?" He asked.

She hissed at him, reminding him of where his hand was, so he swiftly removed it. "Let go of me, Carlisle. I'll be fine." She grumbled crossly.

Hesitantly, Carlisle stepped away from her, observing her behaviour. When she had made her mistake in Alaska, she had been beside her with guilt and horror at what she had done. Yet, here she was, seemingly angry that he had not allowed her to make the same mistake again.

"Esme-" He started.

She shook her head. "Is it always going to be this way, Carlisle?" She demanded. "Will I forever have to stay hidden away, only able to control myself if you are there to restrict me?"

"For a while, yes." Carlisle answered her. Of course, he could lie and pretend that she would be able to cope with her own thirst by herself. He didn't, because he had promised her to always tell her the truth.

For a moment, she didn't speak. She simply started to pace, shaking her head occasionally as she growled under her breath. Slowly, she started to calm down.

"I cannot bare it." She said bitterly. "The thirst is too much - it hurts too much. I need to learn to ignore it, but I'm never going to manage that the longer I remain away from humans." She looked over to him with sharp eyes, which were currently a deep scarlet colour. "You have never suggested going into town. Do you not trust me, after the first time?"

He sighed. "I did not think you were ready." He said. "I wanted the decision to be yours to make, for I felt as if the first time was my mistake for pushing you."

The unsure tone in his usually confident tone was enough to cool the rest of her temper off. She stepped towards him, taking his hands in hers, because she knew he was hesitant to touch her whilst she had been angry. Instantly, her gesture reassured him.

"I may be ready, but I may not be ready." She said softly. "But, with you by my side, I want to find out."

His lips twitched in a small smile. "One day, your natural thirst will be merely an itch in your throat." He promised her.

Esme returned his smile, but as she lifted one of his hands to her mouth to kiss it sweetly, she noticed something which caused her to freeze.

"Carlisle," She gasped in shock. "Your hand! D-did I do that?"

Carlisle turned the mentioned hand slightly, so he could see the crescent shaped bite mark that was quickly healing. "Yes, but it is superficial. In a second, it will merely be a scar."

"A scar that I caused!" Guilt washed through her as her eyes took in the white mark. "Carlisle, I am so sorry-"

He shushed her gently, dropping the hand to remove her attention from it. He rested his forehead against hers, rubbing his nose against the end of hers.

"Esme, I have caused you a scar." He reminded her, referring to the mark left forever on her neck.

"That one is different." Esme argued. She had often seen his eyes fall upon her scar when she had been brushing her hair, and she knew it made him feel bad, but she refused to think negatively of the mark. "That scar brought me to you. I will never hate it."

He relaxed. "Well, I can hardly hate you for the small mark on my hand." He teased. He had much rather this upcome, compared to the possibility that Esme might well have killed that man if he hadn't restrained her. He allowed himself a brief moment of pride that came with the knowledge that he had been enough to distract her, and save her from a mistake that would cause her grief and misery. "In fact, I'm rather fond of it."

Esme gave him a little smile that did not quite meet her eyes, showing that she still hadn't forgiven herself. Carlisle's hands cupped her face softly as he leaned down to kiss her, feeling her body finally release the tension it held. He smiled against her mouth as she stepped closer to him, her hand resting on his chest whilst her other moved behind his neck.

As her dark eyes looked into his, Edward's voice cut into their moment.

"I feel like going hunting." He declared from downstairs. "If you wish to join me, please leave your thoughts behind!"