Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephanie Myer.

Hope you enjoy.

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June 1921, Atlanta Georgia

"One time," Edward was telling her. "Carlisle and I had gone hunting - it wasn't long after I had been changed. We managed to stumble across a grizzly, right by the border."

The two of them were sat together in the big living room, with Edward sat on the stool of his piano. He had long given up trying to write a new melody, as he claimed he had been lacking in inspiration lately. Esme, who had been sitting comfortably on the sofa, had closed her book in order to have a conversation with him.

Esme's eyes widened. "A grizzly?" She had seen brief illustrations of the giant bears, but had never had the chance to see one face-to-face. It was something she wasn't sure if she actually wanted to experience or not.

Edward nodded. "I, being the headstrong newborn that I was, wanted to confront it. But, Carlisle held me back. He and the grizzly stared at each other, and for a moment, I did consider that Carlisle had potentially lost his mind. But, Carlisle remained calm, and I think that brushed off on the other hunter. The bear soon stumbled away, crashing loudly through the forest."

"Would you have been able to fight it off, should it have attacked you?" Esme asked.

"Oh, most definitely." Edward answered. "Since then, we've fed on the odd grizzly or two. Carlisle doesn't have a taste for them, though. No, looking back, it was a good thing he prevented me from attacking. They are such magnificent creatures, and Carlisle has a lot of respect for them - as he does with all living things."

Esme could picture the scene in her mind; both vampires facing the predator, but while Edward stood bristling and protective, Carlisle remained collected and sure of himself. She wished some of his patience and calmness would rub off on her. As the days went by, she felt more and more unsettled at home, aware that she still hadn't ventured into town.

Edward suddenly stiffened. "Something's wrong." He said, a far away look on his face which alerted Esme that the problem was approaching the house, not inside it.

Knowing his talent depended on being in earshot, Esme knew that it must be Carlisle.

Sure enough, the door opened, and Carlisle entered the house. He looked into the room at him as he slipped out of his coat - worn simply to keep a normal appearance on this particularly bitter day - but his eyes seemed dark and tired. There was an expression on his face that she was not familiar with; he seemed deeply trouble, even upset.

"Carlisle?" Esme got to her feet, crossing the house to stand in front of him. She gently eased his briefcase from his fingers and set it on the floor. "What's wrong?"

Carlisle sighed, a look of complete defeat washing over his features. Before he could speak, Edward got up as well.

"I'll give you two some privacy." Edward excused himself.

"Edward," Carlisle protested, making the other male pause. "You don't have to leave."

Edward's gaze was soft and understanding as he looked at the man he considered his father. "Don't worry, Carlisle. We can talk about it later - I understand that you need her right now." Sometimes, he showed wisdom that should belong to a man who was much older than him.

Soundlessly, Edward left the house, gently closing the door behind him.

Esme took hold of Carlisle's hand. "Let's sit down." She urged him, leading the way into the living room and sitting down on the sofa. Carlisle dropped down beside her.

She gently brushed a strand of his blonde hair away from his eyes. "Tell me, love." She whispered.

"A girl died today, at the hospital." Carlisle said with a broken voice. "She was only fourteen years old. When I had to tell her family…the mother's scream was the most heartbreaking sound I have ever heard."

Esme's heart went out to this unknown family instantly. She knew the pain that came with losing a child, despite not even being given the chance to spend years with her son to gain memories.

Hoping to comfort him, she squeezed his hand. She also wanted to keep him from getting lost in his thoughts. "I'm sure you did everything you possibly could." She soothed.

"I could have done more." He said, more to himself than to her. "There is always more than can be done-"

"You are not God, Carlisle." She reminded him, but her tone was not harsh. She hated to see him this way; his pain became her pain. "Her family will understand that."

He let go of her hand, in order to drop his head into both of his while his elbows rested on his knees. Wanting to keep physical contact with him, Esme wrapped her arm around his back, drawing her closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder.

"You can't save everyone who is sick, or injured." She whispered softly. "All you can do is your best, and as much as you feel like you could do more, I know you would have gone to the end of the world if it ensured she would have gotten better. Speaking from my own experience, I know she would have felt safe in your care. Her last few moments would not have been ones of fear or unsurity."

Carlisle was silent for a moment, but it was a length of time that seemed to stretch forever for Esme.

"She passed in her sleep." Carlisle told her, and Esme drew a breath at the knowledge that at least the girl had not been in any pain. "Such a cruel illness...you cannot fight it face-to-face. She could not understand what she was up against because she couldn't see it. It stripped her of all the experiences her life would have offered her. All those years she could have had..."

Esme kissed his covered shoulder. "You are a compassionate man, Carlisle, but please do not let this defeat you. She is not the first patient you have lost, and she will not be the last, but you must not hate yourself for this. It is a very sad occasion, and it is the human part of you that grieves for her loss."

She heard Carlisle sigh, and then he sat up. She slid away from him, but leaned close still, a way of reminding him that she was there with him.

He then leant towards her in order to rest his forehead against hers, which always brought him reassurance.

"Thank you, Esme." He whispered. "I cannot understand why you love me, and I don't believe I ever will, but I am eternally grateful for you."

She shushed him, cupping his cheek with her hand, causing him to lean into her touch. "I love you for who you are; a kind, selfless, compassionate man who follows his heart as well as his head." She told him firmly, refusing to allow him to think he was undeserving of her. "You have given me so much strength, Carlisle, and I need you to know that I will always share mine with you, when you need me to do so."

He rubbed his nose against hers. "You are my strength, Esme." he revealed quietly.

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"I really don't think I'm the best person for this job." Edward ruffled his hair with one hand as they moved around the shop. "Honestly, Carlisle, you should have done this while we were in Alaska. Carmen would have been a better idea."

"I need you because I know you will be honest - brutally honest, even." Carlisle said, although he was currently doubting whether he'd be any good at this either. Put in in an important surgery and he could tackle it with a steady hand and clear mind, but put him in a ring shop, and he panicked.

"You know Esme will love anything you pick for her." Edward reminded him. The young vampire had not been at all surprised when Carlisle had admitted to his desire to marry Esme - Edward had been living with those exact thoughts from the blonde doctor for weeks. He had, however, been very surprised when Carlisle had requested his assistance with picking out a ring, something neither of them had any experience in.

"I don't want to get her any old ring and hope for the best, Edward." Carlisle stopped by one of the glass cabinets, peering inside. "I need the perfect one, and you're going to help me find it."

Edward sighed, but Carlisle knew the annoyance was fake. "Okay, fine." The bronze haired teenager said. "But, I'm only doing this because I love you and Esme - not because I enjoy spending my afternoon looking at jewelry."

Thank you, son. Carlisle thought, a warmth sense of pride taking over him as he heard Edward speak of him and Esme with such affection. Now, there was no doubt in his mind that the boy stood with him right now was his son, and having overheard what Edward had confessed to Esme the other night, he wanted nothing more than to make them a proper family. So, seeing as today was a particularly wet and miserable one, it seemed the perfect opportunity for them to venture into town whilst Esme thought Carlisle was at work and Edward was studying.

The rings surrounding him were making Carlisle feel a little overwhelmed, but the reminder he would have Esme by his side for the rest of eternity as his wife - if, he could find the right ring - made him determined to get it perfect.

"Would you like any assistance?" A hopeful woman came over to them, blinking up at Carlisle with fluttering eyelashes. She was young, perhaps twenty - a little too old to be paying Edward much attention - with pale blonde hair styled in tight curls. "My name's Evelyn."

"Carlisle Cullen," Carlisle shook her hand quickly, not missing the smile that stretched across her face. "Yes, thank you. I'm looking for an engagement ring."

The hope in the girl's - Evelyn's - expression dimmed noticeably. "Oh, well, what were you looking for exactly? Clear diamond, perhaps? Or maybe something with a bit of colour?"

"Clear," Carlisle had long made that decision. Esme had so much colour to her, he knew that no ring would ever be able to compete with that. "Something elegant."

Evelyn nodded. "Follow me, sir." She said, leading the way to the other side of the shop. Edward followed behind them, occasionally pausing to look at a watch or two on the way.

"I can tell someone is not too pleased by your planned proposal." Edward teased, too quietly for human ears to hear.

Carlisle ignored him, knowing the meaning of his joke. He joined Evelyn by a particularly large cabinet, containing a variety of rings.

"If you want elegant, I'd go for one of these." Evelyn said, carefully picking out three rings. Their sizes ranged, and Carlisle knew he didn't want anything too big. He wanted the ring to remind him of Esme herself; delicate, bold and beautiful.

On their way to the shop, Carlisle had been concerned that they would be stuck for three hours whilst he tried to decide. But, one ring stood out to him. The band was silver, intricately decorated with engraved swirls. It had five crystals; with the middle one larger with two smaller ones at either side of it running down the band. The ring glistened as it caught the light above them.

He shared a glance with Edward. Well, what do you think? He thought, but knew his heart was already set.

Edward nodded, unable to hide the smile that touched his face.

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Whilst Esme waited for Carlisle and Edward to return home, she decided to spend the time adding the finishing touches to the house. She took great pride in what she had done with the place; it hadn't been bad when they had moved, but Carlisle had admitted he had decided to buy it because he knew it needed care and attention. Esme had been enthusiastic with her new task, and now that it was finished, she wondered how she'd keep herself busy now.

Carlisle had the hospital, and although she missed him terribly when he was away from her, she understood why he needed the job. Edward was invested in his studies and made sure to dedicate as much time to them as possible, which made her happy knowing that he had something to keep him busy.

But, what about her?

Would she get to the stage where she can sit amongst a class of humans and study like they had done? Did she want that?

Yes, she knew that she desired it; she wanted to learn new things and gain the same accomplishments that Edward and Carlisle had achieved. She knew without a doubt that Carlisle would encourage her with anything she decided to do, and that Edward would be no different. It fuelled her hopes to know that she would always have the two of them to help and support her.

Suddenly, a whole world of possibilities opened up to her, and she smiled to herself, leaning against the banister as she considered the different options she could explore. She would have to discuss these with Carlisle once he returned home.

There was a knock on the door which startled her. Carlisle and Edward never knocked. They never had to, this was their house.

But, as she braced herself for the tantalising smell of a human to torch her throat, but it never came. Instead, whoever was outside simply knocked again.

Hesitantly, she headed for the front door and looked through the small peep-hole. She could make out a head of dark hair, rugged but slightly blurred features, and pale skin. She opened the door. "May I help you?"

The man smiled. It would have been a nice smile if it wasn't so...predatory.

Her breath caught in her throat.

His eyes were scarlet red.

"Hello, pretty lady. I'm looking for Carlisle Cullen." The man told her.

Carlisle had mentioned his old 'friend' Alistair, but this man in front of her did not seem to fit the description of the lone, unfriendly vampire. No, this man seemed pleasant enough, charming but cold. Her chest clenched with an irrational fear that perhaps she was currently stood facing a member of the Volturi.

"Who are you?" She asked, raising her chin.

He grinned. "The name's Garrett."

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