Carlisle perched himself near the top of a tall tree as Esme remained on her own by the cliffs. He knew it wasn't his business to watch over her; heck, she might have even been offended by his actions if she knew he still lingered in the woods. Still, Carlisle wouldn't be able to sit still at home knowing Esme was out in the woods alone after dark.

Not only were there the townspeople who had gone on a streak of mad, dangerous paranoia, but there were also *his* kind that wandered the earth. While he hadn't been alerted to any other vampires near Salem, Carlisle knew it wasn't a stretch to think one could pass through.

It was close to an hour before Esme rose from her seated position and decided to make her way home.

Good, Carlisle thought to himself. The last thing he wanted was for trouble to come her way and he be forced to reveal himself for the sake of her well-being.

Esme whisked down the short path to her home, completely unaware of the guardian above where she walked. She held her breath as she closed in on her house. The atmosphere was so consistently tense that it had her imagination regularly running to the darkest places.

What if someone is in my house? What if.. enough. Esme had to actively tell herself to stop thinking so negatively.

You're as paranoid as they are, she scolded herself. Esme entered through the front door where a few candles still glowed to greet her. When she felt the comforts of home settle her worried mind she allowed herself to indulge in more pleasant thoughts - thoughts of a friendly, handsome doctor.

Esme smiled to herself. She indulged in their brief interaction and scrunched her nose as she pictured his smirk as he asked why she was out so late - as late as he was.. in the same place.. contemplating the same things.

The thought would have been easy to run with and romanticize. She allowed herself a few minutes of fantasy before deciding to turn in for the night. It didn't help that Carlisle Cullen appeared in her dreams that night.

...

Carlisle had lingered close to Esme's house until early hours of the morning. Again, he felt like he was intruding on her but with all that was going on he would have hated to see someone try to bring harm to her.

Still, eventually he made his way back to his own house and got himself ready for the day. Going into the center of their little town felt chaotic, even at the start of the day. Carlisle could hear conversations that he cared not to.

More hangings were set to take place. The darker half of him wanted to intervene. Carlisle knew violence wasn't the answer. Still, removing the main culprits from Salem's current insanity problem would have made a world of a difference.

Take lives to save lives.. it wasn't a motto Carlisle could live by in good faith. He didn't have it in him to kill anybody - good or bad.

Sooner or later, Carlisle knew he would have to stand up for what was right. The problem was he didn't have the support. He didn't have the numbers behind him to make a difference.

Maybe that's where I start, he thought to himself, I need people who will want to make a difference; who will want to stop these baseless hangings.

As he prepared to go into his office he turned to look over his shoulder when he heard a, now, familiar voice.

Esme made her way down the main roadway in town. She chatted politely with another woman and Carlisle smiled to himself.

Maybe she can be the start, he thought. Esme had shared his views when they spoke the evening before.

When she glanced in his direction, their eyes met briefly and Carlisle looked back towards the took he had been attempting to enter. He swallowed hard and shook his head at the awkward, abrupt head turn he had made when she locked eyes with him for that split second.

That is if I can get it together, Carlisle thought.

Of all the years he spent harnessing his lust for blood and learning the art of medicine, it blew his rational mind that he felt nervous in the presence of perhaps the most peaceful woman in town

Still, Carlisle smirked to himself - a paradox.