Disclaimer: All characters belong to Stephanie Myer.
Hope you enjoy.
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August 1921, Atlanta Georgia
Call it instinct, but Esme suddenly felt a wave of unease wash over her, making her pause in what she was doing, her drawing becoming easily forgotten on her desk. A prickling feeling overcame her, enough that it would have made the hair along her arms stand on end had she still been human.
The feeling was confirmed when she heard Edward shove the door of the house open and exclaim in a loud laugh, "Honestly, Carlisle - at your age, you should know better."
Esme abandoned her attempt at drawing, leaving the room quickly and descending the stairway. The scene which she found was confusing; Carlisle was leaning against the wall with one hand clutching his side, while Edward stood by the banister shaking his head in amusement.
Carlisle chuckled, shaking his head and causing his blonde locks to dishevel themselves. He didn't reply to Edward out loud, which made Esme feel even more unsettled.
Don't make her worry over nothing, Edward. Carlisle instantly looked up at Esme, offering her a smile.
"Care to explain?" Esme asked, stopping at the second to last step and crossing her arms over her chest as her eyes moved from her fiancee to her son.
Edward moved to stand beside her. "Well, we were hunting, and Carlisle's bear was particularly feisty…"
"Are you hurt?" Esme demanded, her gaze now locked on the blonde vampire facing her.
Carlisle looked somewhat sheepish as he met his gaze, straightening up so he wasn't resting on the wall for support. "A few broken ribs, perhaps - but they are almost healed already."
"Broken ribs?" Esme repeated, unable to decide whether she was cross or concerned. Both. She remembered Carlisle briefly explaining to her in her early newborn days that vampires could be hurt, but their bodies healed very rapidly, but this fact didn't make her feel better. He was hurt, and he was playing it off as if he had merely been scratched.
"I'm fine, Esme." Carlisle confirmed, straightening up as if to prove his point. Unfortunately for him, his body winced ever so slightly - the tiny movement did not go unnoticed by Esme, whose eyes narrowed instantly.
Edward cleared his throat to hide his laughter. "Well, I for one am still thirsty. I think I'll step out-" He quickly exited, patting Carlisle on the shoulder - on the good side of his body - as he passed.
After rolling his eyes at the younger vampire playfully, Carlisle regarded his fiancee as she stood glaring at him from the staircase. "You're not honestly mad at me, are you?" He asked, unable to prevent the grin that stretched across his face. He certainly enjoyed the feisty side of Esme, although he had never had it directed at him before.
Esme snorted. "We're getting married in four days, and you couldn't just keep yourself out of harms way for a little while longer?" She knew she was fussing, and that Carlisle would be absolutely fine in a matter of minutes, however this feeling was completely new to her. The thought of Carlisle in danger or injured frightened her, and because of this, she was angry at him for being so foolish in the first place.
"You're very cute when your hot and bothered." Carlisle commented, closing the distance between them. He stood on the step below her, but with their usual height difference, this still meant he was taller than her by an inch. "I'm fine, my love - honestly."
Esme huffed. "Will you let me see?" She had been curious ever since Carlisle had told her it was possible for vampires to be injured, and now the opportunity had arisen that she could see for herself what harm could come to their marble bodies.
Carlisle instantly protested. "Esme, I don't think-"
"Carlisle," She silenced him. "Please, just so I can make sure your okay."
Her clear concern for his well being won him over, much to his reluctance. With a small sigh, he took her hand and led her into the living room. As she sat down on the sofa, he unbuttoned his shirt and lifted the side of it so it revealed the side of his body where his injury lay.
Esme gasped, instantly covering her mouth. His solid skin was cracked, like a vase which had been dropped. Before her eyes, she could see the lines slowly begin to disappear. It was fascinating to her, but also still upsetting to know that he had put himself in a dangerous position. If she hadn't been so concerned about him, she would have allowed her eyes to appreciate the band of muscles that she could see over his back and the flat lines of his stomach.
"Does it hurt?" She asked him, as she lightly traced the lines with a finger.
Her touch was as soft as a brushing feather, but Carlisle had to admit; the wound had hurt. The bear had struck him with a heavy blow, sending him flying through the snow and into a large rocky outcrop.
"A little," He admitted, lowering the material before he enjoyed her touch far too much. Four days, he reminded himself.
She snorted. "Good."
Amused by her temper, Carlisle enjoyed her fussing. Her sharp tongue did not offend him, nor did it upset or anger him. Instead, he found it intriguing; there were so many parts of Esme that he had yet to discover, and he couldn't wait to find out every single thing about her. Clearly, him getting hurt had received such a response from her, and he secretly enjoyed it, although he knew that admitting so right now would end up with her swatting the back of his head.
"Next time your prey decides to fight back," She told him firmly, fixing him with her best glare. "Just let it go."
Carlisle smiled, tucking the shirt back into his trousers. "Now, where's the fun in that?" He leaned down and kissed her sweetly, relieved when he felt her return it. As much as she worried for him, he knew her anger was short-lived. She was just as powerless when it came to resisting him as he was with her. "It's nice to see how much you care, though."
"And you decided that letting yourself mauled by a bear was the best way to do that?" Esme asked as he took a seat beside her. She wanted to instantly lean into his warmth, but feared putting pressure on his ribs, so she simply smiled at him.
Regardless of his injury, Carlisle wanted her in his arms, so he gently wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him. Taking this as a reassuring sign, Esme melted into him.
"Four days," He whispered to her, as he took hold of one of her hands and entwined his own fingers through hers. "Four days time, and you'll be Mrs Cullen."
They had gone to the church, as she had requested, and Carlisle had been just as excited and impatient as she had been. It was rather grand, made out of dark grey stone with beautiful stain glass windows, and it was located practically in the middle of nowhere at the end of a winding track that led back to the village. They hadn't even had to confirm out loud that this was perfect to both of them. After that, Esme had been even more determined to control her thirst, and they had met with the priest only two days ago. Esme had struggled a little at first, but her control was certainly impressive, and so they had booked the date for their wedding. It all seemed like a dream, still.
She shivered at the name that would soon belong to her; not through cold or dread, but through excitement and impatience. "I love you." She told him, leaning her head against his shoulder contently.
He kissed her forehead. "I love you, Esme."
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They were supposed to be hunting, but Carlisle could not help but watch her.
The moonlight touched her hair, causing a silver outline that made the caramel curls seem to glow in the darkness of the night. Her eyes were currently dark as she concentrated on the hunt, but he remembered the golden orbs of excitement which had looked up at him when he had proposed and the warm love which had glowed as she greeted him when he came home from work every evening. In her first few hunts, her stance had been uncertain and hesitant; now, she stalked with precision, and moved with the power and grace that only a true hunter could manage.
How was it possible to love someone this much that it felt like at any moment his emotions would overwhelm him? He was surprised that Edward did not teach him at regular intervals for being cheesy, but Edward simply smirked at him and rolled his eyes.
Nearby, he could hear Edward bring down the final deer at the night. Soon enough, Esme was darting through the trees to catch up with him. She had forgiven Carlisle quickly for the bear incident the other day, practically as soon as his ribs had fully healed, and now her carefree laughter filled with the forest with the most beautiful sound.
Smiling to himself, Carlisle went to join his family.
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The groom was not supposed to see the bride the night before the wedding, a concept which normally sounded pretty simple to Carlisle, before the night of his wedding.
Being with Esme was what got him through the toughest, longest shifts at the hospital. No matter how mentally or emotionally draining his day had been, simply being with her was enough to lift his spirits and make him feel whole again. Every morning when he said goodbye to her, his heart wasn't the same until he returned to her.
Whether they spent their time together cuddled downstairs by the fire, out by their lake in the long grass surrounded by fireflies, or out hunting with Edward, Carlisle was happy as long as she was with him. Her smile caused his own mouth to smile. Her laugh would bring out his, and her calmness would ease all the tension out of his body effortlessly.
He was a follower of tradition, as best as he could be, but this was certainly a tradition that he was not fond of.
"I love you," He told her through the closed door of her room, knowing that like him, she was stood against it, smiling.
"I love you." She said back softly, a finger twirling a strand of her hair absentmindedly. She had been the one to insist they did this, but not only because she knew how much tradition meant to Carlisle. As excited as she was to marry Carlisle, she knew she would need the time to fully prepare herself for what tomorrow would bring. She was going to marry the man of her dreams, and her mind currently felt ready to explode. They both needed these next few hours to themselves to be able to reflect and prepare.
"This is the only thing that will ever keep me from you, Esme." He promised her. "No matter what, you are always my top priority, and nothing in the world is powerful enough to stop me from being with you."
She smiled at that, touched by his words as always. How was it possible for someone to be so wonderful, and for that person to be the man who loved her so deeply? "I know, Carlisle."
"I'll see you tomorrow, my love." He told her.
Esme pressed her cheek against the cool wood of the door and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Carlisle."
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Her bottom lip was pressing so far into her bottom lip that if she had been human, Esme would have easily drawn blood. She soothed the indents out with her tongue, knowing that she was simply fussing, but she couldn't help herself. Her entire body felt tingly all over, as if it was little sparks of energy that now ran through her veins rather than vampire venom.
She had been nervous for her first wedding, but now as she reflected back on that day, she knew she had been nervous for all the wrong reasons. She had barely known her betrothed, she had no idea who the man waiting for her at the end of the alter actually was, and part of her was terrified to even find out. The wedding had been completely out of her control, so she felt detached to it, as if it wasn't truly her day, just a day that her family had rushed to make sure it happened.
Now, however, she was nervous for all the right reasons. She knew the man who would be waiting for her at the end of the alter. She understood him, and she loved him, and she yearned to know every little thing about him. She had all of eternity to know him, and every day she learnt something nice, and it excited her. She finally understood what it meant to be completed by someone else; Carlisle was her other half in so many ways, and she couldn't wait to have him as her husband. Every detail about this wedding day had been her decision; she had fallen in love with the church as soon as Carlisle had taken her there, and he hadn't even seen her dress.
She felt ready, and happy, and in love, and that made all the difference.
"Esme?" A gentle tapping sounded behind her.
She had been stood in front of the full-length mirror, looking at how the amendments to the wedding dress had made it shape her body beautifully, in a way that would have had her blushing if she could. The veil would keep her modesty, but the dress highlighted her narrow waist and caused her breasts to look even rounder.
Esme turned slowly to face Edward who was waiting in the doorway. She gasped softly at the sight of him; he looked so dashing in a suit, and it made his bronze-coloured hair look deeper. "My, my, Edward, you look so damper!" She commented, her voice edged with her excited nerves.
Edward grinned his crooked grin at her, effortlessly putting her at ease. "You are beautiful, Esme." He said warmly.
"Where is Carlisle?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer. Carlisle had left early for the church to meet the priest, Edward had dropped him off so he could use the car to drive Esme there later that morning. Even though she knew where he was and that it wouldn't be long until she was with him, Esme couldn't help but ache for him, just as she always did when he wasn't with her.
"He's exactly where he needs to be." Edward reassured her, offering his arm. "Shall we go?"
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I just had to add that little bit in with the bear; slightly reckless, carefree Carlisle and protective, feisty Esme are a lot of fun to write. Carlisle was only twenty-three years old when he was changed, so it's only fair that he also has moments were he forgets himself and acts more of that act.
I know that it didn't take Esme and Carlisle long to fall in love, and that they married in her first year of being a vampire, but I also wanted to stretch it out over a couple of weeks because there are so many factors that they needed to overcome before getting married; the main one being Esme's self control around humans, as I can't see them getting married with a priest and a church, as Carlisle still holds religion close to his heart.
Wedding chapter coming next, and it will be rated M
- E x