A/N:1. I do not own Twilight.

Thanks for the reviews for Chapter 1. They are very much appreciated.

Adjournment

Chapter 2: The Cullens

Carlisle

"You've been different these past few weeks. What's going on with you?" Carlisle looked into the tired eyes of his oldest friend and current boss. He looked troubled to his very core.

A deep sigh preceded his own question. "Have you ever wanted a life outside of this agency?"

"Ed, I have a life outside of this agency. I always have. Do I wish some things had been different? Of course. My biggest regret has nothing to do with my career choice. You know this."

Edward Masen Senior looked as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Carlisle knew that his friend's regrets ran deep and that they all extended from choices Ed had made – the choice to put his job above family. Choices that had destroyed his family. "Six years. It has been six years and still feels like yesterday. I miss her."

"You, my friend , are coming over for dinner tonight. Esme has been worried about you."

"I don't want to intrude."

Carlisle huffed. "When has that ever stopped you? Besides, Alice is bringing a guy over to meet us tonight. You can help me scare him away."

Ed's lips curled into a slight smile. "What does this one do for a living? Another artist or does this one have a real job?"

"I wish it was another artist or even another semi famous rock star. This one is a marine. So now you see why I need your help in scaring this one away."

"I don't think you need my help at all. Rosie should be able to take care of this for you. That girl kind of scares me a little."

"Nothing scares you Ed," Carlisle snorted. "Besides, Rosalie has a date tonight. She seems to be pretty serious about his guy. I have a feeling I'm losing both of my daughters soon."

Ed considered the statement before contributing his own opinion. "I actually thought Rosalie would be married before now. Back in our day, beautiful women didn't go to college. They married for money."

"You mean back in your day, old man."

"Yes, sometimes I do forget the age difference my friend. Fifteen years can be a lifetime."

"Almost twenty years," Carlisle started to laugh but then the thought hit him like a ton of bricks. "Twenty years." He whispered and suddenly felt as old as Ed was.

"I'm sorry, Carlisle. I didn't mean to bring up the past."

"Yes, you did," but the words were not accusing in any way. "Six years since your wife died, twenty since my daughter vanished."

"You still have hope." This was not a question.

"I will always have hope." Carlisle knew that there was no other option for him or his family. "Have you spoken to them recently?"

"My sons?" Ed confirmed. "The oldest, no. Junior? I receive very thorough reports from him via e-mail. I haven't actually spoken to my sons since her funeral. There have been a couple of really ugly screaming matches though."

"I actually needed to speak to you about Emmett."

"What's he done now? Something to get himself suspended?" It wouldn't have been the first time his oldest had gone against protocols.

"No, although it was a close call on if I killed him or not when I found out what he was doing."

"And what has he been doing?"

"He's been dating Rosalie for almost a year. They kept it from the family. Rosalie knows how I feel about my daughters dating field agents."

Ed was quiet for a full two minutes before he smirked, "I'm sorry, Carlisle. However, I do know that if any woman on this earth can keep that boy in line, it's your daughter."

"Yes, that's why I decided to let him live."

"She is a remarkable young woman, Carlisle."

"I am constantly amazed by that one. So, come to dinner at the house tonight?"

"Of course."

"We can speak more after – about why you have been so different these past few weeks."

"We will." Ed promised as his friend left his office.

The loneliness was what killed him the most. Ed had always thought his life would be full of family and for years it had been. His wife and sons were his world. Then Lizzie had discovered what a monster he really was. That night changed everything. The night she died. His sons had no idea what horrific truths pushed their mother over the edge, but they knew it was Ed's fault. Him family was lost to him and at his own hands. There would be no more family dinners for him, no Christmas gatherings. No grandchildren providing warmth and laughter for his home. The warmth had left with the light that was his Elizabeth.

****adjournment****

"Really, Alice? You are still so young. Do you seriously think you're ready to settle down? You really think this guy is the one?"

"He is the one." Alice assured her mother.

"I think you and your sister are trying to force your father into an early grave." Esme grumped.

"Don't you guys want grandchildren?"

Esme almost choked, "Mary Alice Cullen. Until you have graduated college, please do not speak to me about grandchildren. I swear you're trying to kill us both." Esme took a deep breath and then looked right into her daughter's eyes. "Swear to me that you will finish your degree before you even think about getting married. You are twenty years old, Alice. Twenty. Do you know what I was doing when I was your age?"

"Yes. You had already been married for two years."

"Yes. My parents were fully insane to have allowed me to make such decisions when I was still a child." Of course those words were for her daughter. Esme had never regretted marrying the love of her life at the age of eighteen.

Alice rolled her eyes, "Is it safe for me to speak now?" Esme nodded. "Mom, I promise to finish my degree before getting married and starting a family." She waited until she observed an air of relief from her mother. "You do realize that I graduate next year. Right?"

"The death of me, I swear." Esme mumbled and returned to the kitchen to finish cooking dinner.

Alice smiled after her mother left the room.

"Is this the part where I remind you that Mom had finished her medical degree before she started having children." Rosalie quipped as she came down the stairs looking picture perfect for her date with Emmett.

"I'm not going to medical school," Alice reminded her sister. "I never said we were eloping to Vegas. I simply informed our parents that I had invited a man over to dinner to meet them because he is important to me."

"Yes, well, you didn't have to freak out Mom and Dad right after they found out about Emmett and me."

"At least I didn't hide my boyfriend from them for almost a year."

"You try telling the parents you're dating the one kind of person they asked you not to."

"And you think bringing home a marine sniper to makes us feel any better?" Carlisle asked as he walked into the family room.

"Dad, look at it this way. At least you know he can protect me from anything." Alice reminded him.

"Yes. Anything except him," Carlisle quipped.

"If I didn't know that the two of you are going to love him from the start, I would be very upset right now. Please excuse me Daddy. I need to go upstairs and change before he arrives."

"Are you going to change into a daughter that is not driving me crazy?"

"Funny. You are just too funny." Alice smiled and bounded up the stairs.

"And you. You're still dating a federal agent?" He turned to Rosalie.

"Yes, but look at it this way. I'm not the daughter that just spent thirty minutes discussing with Mom how ready I am to get married and have children." Rosalie nodded as her father choked on – nothing. "Do you think it means something that both of us are dating guys that carry guns?"

"It means you had forethought enough to make sure they can defend themselves when I commit to a plan to murder them."

"Or it means that daughters really do go for guys that remind them of their fathers." Rosalie pecked him on the cheek. "Gotta go. Later old man."

"Do I want to know where the two of you are going tonight?"

"Classic car show. Don't wait up." She smirked as she left.

Carlisle took a couple of deep breaths before heading into the kitchen to find his wife.

Esme smiled when he entered. "You look stressed. Which child did you bump into on your way in?"

"Both actually." He wrapped his arms around his wife. "How is it that I have been at work for ten hours dealing with budget meetings, agent evaluations and reports to people that run the nation and I never feel quite so stressed as when dealing with our children?"

"Because at work you have power. Here you have none. Any other questions?" she smiled.

"What's for dinner?"

"Tomato basil chicken."

"Is there enough for one more?"

"You got Ed to agree to come over? I'm concerned about him. He seems so lost."

"Elizabeth was everything to him. When she committed suicide, I think he lost part of himself. The boys haven't made his life any easier."

"Those boys are hurting just as much as Ed. Losing their mother in the most tragic way- I don't blame them for being upset."

"It's more than that, Esme. They blame him. Sometimes I think there's more to the story that we haven't heard about."

"Maybe you can get him to talk to you tonight."

"That's the plan. So, Rosalie said Alice was talking about marriage? Is she serious?"

"Don't get me started again. That girl has lost her mind. Please, let's just get through this evening and maybe they will break up soon. She was serious about that artist kid too. That lasted all of three months."

"One can only hope." Carlisle agreed as they both heard the doorbell ring quickly followed by Alice calling that she would get the door. "Deep breaths." He whispered in his wife's ear as he guided her into the foyer to greet their guest.

Alice was practically beaming when she turned to greet her parents as they met the younger couple in the hallway. "Mom, Dad, I would like you to meet Jasper Whitlock."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." Jasper smiled at Esme and offered a firm handshake to Carlisle.

"Please, come in. Alice can show you to the family room. Carlisle, will you get everyone settled with drinks? Dinner will be ready in about half an hour." Esme made her way back to the kitchen to check on the food. When she hadn't joined the rest of the family after a few minutes, Carlisle went to find her.

"Honey, what's wrong?"

"I'm just trying to come to terms with the fact that our youngest has found her other half." She gave a watery smile.

"You know this from seeing the boy for less than a minute?"

"No. I saw the way they look at each other. The way we have always looked at each other. I am telling you that man out there is our future son-in-law."

"I am so not ready for this. Maybe Ed can help me get rid of this kid." The doorbell rang once more alerting them to the arrival of their other guest. "Great. Reinforcements have arrived."

In spite of the fact that Carlisle wanted to hate this boy that would dare to take his little girl away from him and the fact that Esme did not want to admit that maybe marrying young ran in her gene pool, the dinner was very successful.

Jasper was had charmed all of them with stories of his days at a military school and growing up in Texas. He was polite, intelligent, and so genuine that by the end of dinner, Esme had scooted him and Alice out the door to continue their evening alone. This was Carlisle's opening to take Ed into the library to continue their discussion from the afternoon.

"I asked you earlier today what was going on with you. Are you ready to talk about it?" Carlisle asked as he handed Ed a glass.

"I think you know what I want to talk about."

"You want to retire."

"As you pointed out earlier today, I am an old man Carlisle." Ed sighed heavily. "I have worked at the agency through six presidents, countless superiors, through name changes, through policy changes, through every change possible. I have nothing left to give. I want to retire in three months. I have already spoken to the committee and they want you as my replacement."

"Why now?"

"It's just time. I will be selling the estate, dividing up the assets and giving the boys their inheritance. Emmett may retire when he receives his share." Ed laughed.

"And what about Edward. Do you think he will stick around?"

"Of course. Edward thrives there. He was born to do this. Just promise me one thing. Don't let him go back to undercover work. Please."

"Three months?"

"Yes. There is one case that I want to finish out before I leave and I think three months will be enough time if we pull all of our resources."

"What case would that be?"

"Sebastian Jamison. I want him taken down before I leave the agency."

Carlisle was shocked into speechlessness. He could only stare at his mentor, mind racing.

"I know. We have a lot of work to do. I will need all available agents working on this." Ed nodded and finished his drink. "So, my office. Seven tomorrow? I'll see myself out."

Change was coming for the Culllens and the Masens.