Rosalie sat as still as a statue, her beautiful eyes darker than Carlisle found safe. She hadn't hunted since 'the accident'. Her throat craved the quenching blood and her eyes sang the need out. Carlisle observed her silently as the piano continued to ring out in the background. Every once in a while, a tiny flick of a page turning could be heard between notes as Edward flitted through the sheet music.

"That was beautiful," Carlisle said when the song had reached it's end. Edward gave a crooked smile. "Thank you." The elder nodded in response. Esme began to gush about how much she adored Edward and his talent; Bella and Edward could be heard laughing every few sentences. He rose from his seat upon the leather couch and glanced at Rosalie.

"Come to my office," he said in a quite voice to her. He was sure only Rosalie had heard, but Edward could surely hear his thoughts from the other side of the room. Him and the son in question met eyes for a brief moment before Carlisle's swift feet carried him up the stairwell.

He sat at his desk, not expecting Rosalie to meet him for quite a while. Carlisle's trained eyes scanned the document in his hand from the hospital. He would be on call for two days of the following week, but that was not too much of a concern. He had no need for sleep anyways.

A small breeze flew into his office at the silent opening and closing of the door. He did not look up from the paper until Rosalie spoke a moment later. "Carlisle," she said in her angelic voice. Usually, her voice was soft and gentle, but he could hear the needs behind her voice.

"Rosalie," he replied quietly. He wished so badly to pull her into a hug and comfort her, but he knew Rosalie too well. She didn't need to be babied. She wanted someone who she could talk to, but not someone nosy. She wanted advice, but she didn't want to accept help. He had to wait for her to be ready to talk.

"Can I ask you something?" She said finally.

"Anything," Carlisle said. He hid it well, but he was eager to know what she would say.

"What did you and Emmett talk about when he came up here? After he came home that night, I mean."

Carlisle froze. He knew he could not tell Rosalie what Emmett had said. That was something he had trusted Carlisle with. But if he didn't say anything to her fast, she would think she could not trust Carlisle enough to talk to him.

"He said he loved you," Carlisle said through tight lips.

"And?" Rosalie said; he knew she wouldn't accept that answer.

"Rosalie," he said softly, "I can't tell you everything he said, just like I promise not to tell him everything you tell me."

She pursed her lips. "Why do you expect me to tell you anything?"

"I don't expect it," he replied calmly. "I just hoped you would. It's not good to keep things bottled in, Rosalie."

Her blond curls shook with her head. "You'll tell Emmett," she lied. Carlisle gave her a warm smile.

"Have I ever before?" He saw her press her lips together.

"No," she admitted after a moment of silence. He nodded, wondering whether or not she would continue. After another moment of silence, his emotionless eyes looked back down at the document. He knew she needed time.

Her voice came out in a worn whisper. "I can't love someone who…" her sentence cut off. Carlisle looked up at her, but did not press her to continue. She needed to vent when she was ready to. "My whole life," she began, stopping her sentence again.

"My whole life I've wanted children. Emmett knows that. He understands that. He also understands, as do I, that we are unable to have children." Carlisle saw her face crinkle in anguish, but she continued without a pause. "But to take the life of a child? An innocent child?

"How could he? The first two times he slipped up, I understood. I loved him-" He noticed the past tense "-and so I let it slide. But a child? How can I forgive a man for murdering a child?" She took in a deep, straggling breath. "When Alice told us what he was planning, I thought maybe I loved him enough to forgive him. But when he showed up, and I saw the blood staining his shirt… I realized I couldn't forgive him.

"Carlisle," she begged. "Please understand where I am coming from. I loved him more than the whole world, more than anything. He was the only reason I'm existing today. I would have done anything for him. Nothing could have made me stop loving him. Except this."

He waited a moment to be sure her rant was over. When he was sure, he sat perfectly still. "I see," he said calmly. "You used the word loved a lot. Past tense." It was not a question, but a statement. He was clearing up her point of view.

Her face got completely blank of emotion. "I know." Carlisle felt hatred emanating off of her. She was clearly still angry, and not ready to forgive him.

"What are you going to do next?" He asked her. He saw her face flash with a few strange emotions, but they were gone before he could even be sure he saw them. Anger? Sadness? Regret?

"I'm not leaving, if that's what you're implying," she replied at last.

Carlisle gave her a warm smile. "I should hope not. We would miss you too much."

Her face seemed to lift at his words. "I guess we'll just see what happens."

He hesitated, a few thoughts popping into his head at once. "Might I suggest a few things?" He inquired.

Rosalie looked unsure. She bit her lip. "I guess," she replied at last.

"First, you need to go hunting. You're looking very unhealthy, which is not good for you or for the humans around you," he said with his eyebrows creased.

"Got it," she said. He could tell she saw the need.

"Second," he continued, "You need to talk to someone. Someone whose name is not Carlisle. Either Alice, or Bella, or Esme."

He watched as Rosalie thought for a moment. "Got it." He could tell she was thinking, but her face left no indication of her thoughts.

"Third, I want you to forgive him-"

"No," she immediately interrupted.

"Not right now," he agreed. "But be lenient. His heart is breaking-"

"He broke mine first," she said sternly before darting out of his office. Carlisle sighed, opening a book laying on the corner of his desk. He needed time to himself.

"Carlisle?" He heard a small voice say. "Yes?" He answered, his time alone dissipating instantly. Bella and Edward's daughter, Nessie, sauntered into the room.

He grinned. "Hello," he said to her. "What are you up to?"

"I want to play baseball again."