I own nothing in the Twilight world, that all belongs to SM. I also do not own any Bobby Darin songs. All I own in this plot.

AN: Thank you so much to all of you who continue to review and put this story and more amazingly, me as an author on alert. Your support means so much. Please keep doing it. As I have said, this is my first AH and I'm taking it in baby steps and do need a hand to hold now and then to get me over the bumps.

CPOV

"Helllooo, young lovers wherever you are, don't cry for me cause I'm alone. All my good wishes go with you tonight, cause I have had a love of my own…yesss, I have, had, a love of my owwwnnn."

It is a long drive from Washington, but it gives me a chance to give some of the forgotten favourites in my record collection, not to mention my, even if I do say so myself, awful singing voice a workout. The children, most notably, Alice and Emmett, would use my love of Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin as further ammunition in their now continuous teasing about my advancing age and upcoming birthday. And whilst I am not thrilled by the more intense aches and pains that follow sustained bursts of physical activity, the fact that as much as I still loved spicy food, it no longer loves me or the extra grey hairs and lines that seem to appear almost overnight, I am not, in too bad a shape for nearly fifty. George Clooney is my age, more successful than ever and still able to attract a beautiful, thirty year old Italian woman. Not that I want a woman in my life, despite Aro's insisting that fine wine and badwomen were the keys to his long life.

I haven't been a monk since Elizabeth died. But I am a little set in my ways. The children tease me about not liking to stay out "past my bedtime", but I have my work and my family and, I am a man of simple tastes when it comes to socializing. A few beers whilst watching the game with Charlie and Billy, dinner with Carmen and Elezar in Seattle or if I'm feeling really adventurous, like I had been on Wednesday night, a chess game and long intense discussion about politics, religion, new medical procedure , or whatever else the old man has an interest in with Aro in Washington. The only problem with the last one being, the discussions can take awhile, which was how I was only now heading home, a full 48 hours after I left. And women, even ones near my age, find that a little limiting, whilst I have never met anyone I felt the need to change for. Until now.

Emmett and Rose and Alice and Jasper had come home for a long weekend, so Bella had decided to cook a roast dinner, much to Emmett's delight. I was expected home by seven at the latest as they wanted to head to a club in Port Angeles to watch a band. I was in plenty of time, it was six thirty as I approached the outskirts of Forks. But then movement by the side of the road caught my eye. A woman was standing by a car, that judging by the thick clouds of smoke billowing from under the hood, was not going anywhere in a hurry. But that wasn't what had concerned me. Ever the doctor on call, I had noticed immediately, the way she was waving her hand about and trying to cradle it under her arm.

Pulling over, I approached her.

"Are you alright."? I asked. Dumb question, but you have to start somewhere.

She spun round and for a moment I was speechless. She was dressed in jeans and a button down shirt, her hair tied in a low pony tail, with loose whisps falling round her face, but as the last rays from the setting sun caught the highlights in her hair and illuminated her face, I had never seen a more beautiful woman.

"Do I look alright"?she snapped.

Apart from the obvious pain her hand was causing her, she looked far from alright. Her face was pale and too thin and there was a wary, hunted look in her eyes as she looked me up and down, sizing up whether she could trust me. I had known her for thirty seconds, but there was a large part of me that wanted to sweep her off her feet, take her home and look after her.

"Do you know anything about cars."? She asked finally.

"Very little I'm afraid, but I can help you with your hand.I'm a doctor."I added the last part quickly, in the vain hope it would make up for the fact that I wasn't manly enough to know about cars. It took her a minute, but the pain in her hand, exhaustion and by the way she staggered slightly as she almost fell into the passenger seat of the Mercedes, lack of a good meal, overruled any pride. She sat sideways in the seat, allowing me to take her injured hand gently in mine. The burn didn't look too severe, but it was hard to tell for sure in the fading light. She had looked so lost, so fragile it made my heart clench. I had suddenly been overcome by the urge to kiss away the pain in her hand, before kissing her and reassuring her, that I would look after her and make sure that she never wanted for a thing.

"Look," I said, trying to pull myself out of my mad rambling mind."I can't look at your hand properly in this light. Why don't you let me drive you to my clinic, you can call a tow truck and then maybe I can buy you dinner."?

"I'm not hungry." She had shot back quickly, only for her growling stomach to betray her. "I had smirked, like an idiot, which had made her defensive once more. "'I'll pay for my own dinner". She had insisted firmly. I was just glad, that apart from making sure she ate something and taking care of her hand, that I would get a chance to spend a little more time with her, so I raised my hands to show I wouldn't argue. She sat properly in her seat, whilst I went to her car, which looked like it was held together with crazy glue and a prayer, even before it had done the god knows how many miles from where she'd come from to here.

Her bag was a small, it looked like something that was given away by stores or companies doing promotions. The zip was half broken, allowing me to see the few clothes and worn shoes inside. What had caught my eye however, where the two pink pawn broker tickets sticking out of the front pocket. Who was this woman? What or who had bought her to this state? I had to know. I returned to the car and stowed the bag in the back seat.

"So doctor,"she began finally, exhaling noisily. She was still nervous, her tired caramel coloured eyes were darting around unable to settle. "Do you often pick up strange women on the side of the road?" It was a fair question.

"Not often." God. Why couldn't I have just said no? Not often made it sound like it was something I did on weekends or certain public holidays.

I had told her my name, wanting to try and put her at ease. I was after all, known for my bedside manner at the hospital. But this lady and she was, despite her circumstances, the definition of a lady, had had her ability to trust and I had been guessing, beaten out of her along time ago. I understood. But that didn't stop her "Well Dr, Cullen" from feeling like a slap in the face. Alice had then called.I could almost feel her vibrating with curiosity down the phone, especially when my guest had insisted that she be dropped in town and I go home. It was crazy, I hardly knew her, she didn't know me and had obviously been traumatized by a man. But I couldn't pass up the chance to keep her close, help her.

"My house is closer than the clinic and I really do want to dress that hand. If you have dinner at my house, we don't have to argue about who picks up the check. There is a Mariner's game on tonight, so Marilyn Monroe could need a tow and Billy still wouldn't move. And the nearest motel is ten miles in the opposite direction." I began.

She muttered something, becoming even more agitated and nervous.

"You haven't told me, your name."I had said softly, trying to distract her

"Esme." She replied quietly, it was if she was saying something wrong. As if she were ashamed of her own name.

It was a beautiful name. She looked so surprised by the pleasure in my tone as I said it. I want to look after you Esme. Please let me I thought.

"Esme, I don't want you to feel pressured, or creeped out. I know we have only just met, but I have a spare room at my house…"

She'd brought up the motel. I'd had to do it. Be cruel to be kind.

"I don't think you can afford the motel Esme."

What I didn't expect, was the physical pain it caused me when she had started to cry.

"Please, don't cry.I didn't mean to insult you, or upset you…" I had begun rambling and reached over to touch the top of her arm, only to pull away when she had winced in pain. She had looked up at me and admitted that she was broke, before saying something about getting a job to pay me back. I hadn't really heard it all, as I had been left almost breathless at the charge of electricity that had charged the air as we looked at each other. She had then said something about Elizabeth and the children. I had told her that Elisabeth had been dead for fifteen years, which had caused her to show real concern for me. I had made a joke about the children not minding because Bella always cooked enough food for two armies. It wasn't what she had meant and I knew it. The children, as they kept telling me, where grown up, I just hoped that they could act like grown up's till I could explain.

And, so far they had. Alice had popped out of the kitchen. I knew it was part curiousity, but it was also her usual behavior when any of us came back from a long drive. She had to check that we had come home in one piece. After a squeaked hi, she had disappeared back into the kitchen and we had headed up to my office, where we had come face to face with Edward, who was just coming out of my office.

"Esme, this is my son Edward, he works at the clinic with me…"

She had nodded her head shyly. Edward had been the gentleman he was, he had shot me an enquiring look, but had understood my silent answer and gone back downstairs. Esme had then asked for a moment in the bathroom, allowing me, to check the burn kit and wait.

The door opened and she appeared. I motioned for her to sit on the couch.

"I need you to roll your sleeve up." I said. She did, slowly, awarkdly. Her pale skin was covered in bruises in various stages of healing. I tried not to stare, and she looked away, embarrassed.

"Who hurt you Esme."? I asked. Please tell me, so I can hunt him down, rip him limb from limb and then burn the pieces.

She sucked in a deep, ragged breath, then turned to look at me. Her tired, haunted eyes, shining with unshed tears. Our gazes locked.

"Someone I hope, I'll never have to see again." She whispered.

My anger was fast being replaced by my earlier feeling of wanting to hold her close and promise to love and care for her. Love her? It was crazy, but it was true.

"What type of life will it be? Running, constantly having to look over your shoulder…" I hadn't realized it until I felt her breath on my face, but I had been leaning into her as we talked, bringing us dangerously close.

"I don't know, but at least it will be MY life…"

"DAAAAD"!

I jumped back and she began fussing with her sleeve, the moment was lost.

"All done, you'll need to keep it dry…" I muttered. She nodded. Awkwardly, we made our way downstairs.

The air was heavy with the mouthwatering scent of roast lamb and all the trimmings. Bella really was an excellent cook. In all that happened, I had forgotten just how hungry I was. We entered the dining room, all eyes upon us. Esme's place had been set on my right hand side. Alice gave me a cheeky wink.

"I always thought that doctor's were supposed to visit the patient on a house call, not the other way round." Emmett said, raising an eye brow.

"I did try and insist your father drop me off…" Esme began hurriedly, blushing.

"Don't mind Emmett, he only opens his mouth to eat or change feet." Rose said. Unable to slap the side of his head as she usually would, she gave him a hard kick under the table. I nodded my thanks to her and glared at Emmett. Bella, always the one to care for everyone else and by the look on her face, remembering her first dinner here, began passing dishes around, deliberately missing out Emmett.

"I hope you're hungry…uh…" she said looking at Esme.

"Oh, it's Esme and yes I am." Esme smiled at Bella and spooned a small amount of vegetables onto her plate, she then looked across the table at Emmett who was sulking like a three year old.

"Emmett, I really am sorry for keeping you from your dinner."

"You would think he was half starved the way he carries on, but on the way here we stopped for pizza…"Rose snorted.

"That was hours ago." Emmett argued.

"And he can't help it, he's a growing boy." Esme said, her face straight, but with a smile twitching the corner of her lips.

"That's right. And after next month, it'll be three months, maybe longer before I get the chance to have one of Bella's roast dinners again." Emmett pleaded. Esme looked at me curiously.

"Emmett is in the military. He ships out for a three month tour of Iraq the end of next month." I explained quietly. He was defending his country, was well trained and had the luck of the devil, but that didn't stop me or the rest of the family from worrying.

"Esme, from the moment I saw you, not only where you beautiful, kind and considerate, but you were patriotic too. You understand the importance of the phrase an army marches on it's stomach. It's the duty of all service personnel's families to keep up morale. And the best way to do that for me, is to feed me now, so I have something tasty to visualize, when I am trying to eat army rations in the middle of the desert."Emmett said, his tone like that of a recruiting film.

"Em, if you keep eating, you won't be marching on your stomach, you'll be dragging it along the ground." Jasper teased, throwing a bread roll at Emmett's head. Emmett caught it and took a large bite out of the roll.

"You're learning Jazz, slowly but you're learning."Emmett said, showing us the half chewed contents of his mouth as he spoke.

"EMMETT." The entire table chorused, but he merely smiled and carried on eating. I turned to Esme.

"My apologies. Believe it or not, sometimes, my adult, children and I are able to have dinner, without it turning into feeding time at the zoo." I said, glaring round the table. "You've met Emmett, the beautiful and remarkably patient woman by his side is his wife Rose. I said indicating across the table to where Emmett and Rose sat on my other side. "Next to Rose, is the talented chef responsible for this wonderful meal, my daughter in law Bella, next to her my son Edward who you met briefly, who is also lucky enough to be married to Bella. Next to you, is Alice my daughter and next to her, is a man with more patience than a saint, my soon to be son in law Jasper. Brief greetings and smiles were exchanged. And then for a long while, the only sound was off clinking cutlery as people ate and no doubt thought of what to say. It was, as I had expected it might be, Alice who finally broke the silence.

"How did you hurt your hand."? She asked shyly.

"Wow Al, a full half an hour before you start the interrogation. I'm impressed."Edward teased. Alice stuck her tounge out at Edward, before turning to smile sweetly at Esme.

"The engine of my car over heated. Popping the hood seemed to work before, but I guess this time it was hotter than I thought." Esme replied. From across the table, Bella sucked in a breath and grimaced, shaking her head.

"What's up Bells, getting flashbacks of all the times the beast did that to you.? Emmett asked grinning.

Even I had to smile at that. Esme looked confused.

"When I first met Bella, she owned a…"Edward began

"Prehistoric beast…" Jasper offered

"Of a truck." Edward nodded and continued.

"Heh ! You leave my truck alone."Bella pouted, slapping Edward hard in the chest.

"Anyway, Esme is going to be spending the night here. Even with my limited knowledge of cars, I don't even think Billy and Jake will be able to work their magic. But we'll see in the morning. And if not, then Esme is going to get a job and earn enough to replace it." I said in a rush. I was a grown man, it was my house. Why the hell was I behaving like a teenager who had done something wrong? Maybe it had to do with the six shocked faces staring back at me. I turned to Esme who was staring at her plate, her hand shaking, her blush covering her face and neck.

"Esme, do you need something to sleep in"? Bella asked finally.

"No, tthankyou, I have my own things."Esme whispered.

I turned to Bella and mouthed a silent thank you.

"Guys, if we are going to make the club, we had better go…" Jasper said.

"What about the dishes."? Alice asked.

"Since when, have you ever worried about doing the dishes"? Rose demanded.

"I meant loading the washer. Esme can't do it with her bad hand…"

"Look, I know you guys think that because I'm nearly fifty, I've suddenly become decrepid and senile, but I think I can manage to load the dish washer. Go."! I said. There was a moment of silence, then loud scrapping of chairs as they all got up. All the girls either kissed the top of my head or my cheek and the boys patted my shoulder. And all of them said a friendly goodnight to a still embarrassed Esme.

"Drive carefully." I called after them. Then the door slammed and Esme and I were alone. Neither of us spoke for a long moment. It had seemed a good idea at the time, inviting her to stay, but if she had been as traumatized by a man as I thought she had been, would she be ok being alone with me?

"Lead me to the kitchen, I may not be able to load the machine, but I can supervise." She said smiling.

"Yes m'am." I said.

It didn't take us long to have the table cleared and the machine loaded. Esme sitting at a stool by the breakfast bar.

"You have a lovely family." She said softly. I looked up from the machine.

"Yeah, their good kids." I replied.

"You're all very close." There was a tone to her voice I couldn't place. Was it jealousy, regret?

"We weren't always so close. When the children were little, Elizabeth my wife did all of the hard work. I was working, trying to establish myself. I just got to see them scrubbed, ready for bed and on their best behavior, if I was lucky enough to be home in time for their bedtime. After Elizabeth died, I had to be mom and dad. It was weird, they were seventeen and fifteen, teenagers, but I had to start getting to know my own children."

"So, if you're almost fifty…" Esme said with a slight smile " and Emmett, unless he looks younger than he is, is thirty…"

"Thirty three. Emmett and Alice are believe it or not, twins. They're not my biological I love them as if they were. Edward is mine and Elizabeth's. He's thirty, not long finished his residency in Seattle. He works with me at our practice in town, he's a pediatrician . We adopted Emmett and Alice when Edward was five and they were eight. Their parents, Elizabeth's sister and her husband were killed in a car accident. Alice was trapped in the car with them for four hours."

"Oh my god"Esme gasped, her hand covering her mouth.

She doesn't remember that much. But she has a thing about always being the one to drive in a car. And she can be a little highly strung and clingy at times, but she's a wonderful girl. And very talented. She's a buyer at Macy's in Seattle now, but she hopes to open her own boutique soon. She has a real flair for design. And she puts her need to shop, regularly in designer boutiques down to being research." I laughed. Esme smiled.

"You do have a lovely home." She commented.

"Thank you, it's partly Elizabeth and more recently Alice. It's was a bit big, with just me. But Edward and Bella have moved back in for awhile. They are having a house built near by and Bella teaches English at Forks High School.

"I would have thought she was a chef or at least a cook somewhere, that lamb was delicious."

"True, but even more delicious than her lamb, is her chocolate fudge cake, would you like some? I shouldn't especially this late, it's very rich,"

"I won't tell if you don't, why don't we share a piece."Esme suggested.

"Great minds…" I said, causing her to blush and look at her hands. I moved to the fridge and pulled out the cake.

"Bella is definitely a very talented cook, but her love has always been books and writing. She's great with the kids she teaches, but I think that Edward would love it if she gave it up and started on the novel she wants to write. If only to keep her away from all the hormonal teenage boys that have crushes on her." I joked. We were now sat, either side of the breakfast bar. I was determined not to make her feel pressured or trapped.

"She and Edward seem very much in love, have they been married long."?

"Nearly a year. But they were high school sweethearts. Together since the age of sixteen, bar a break in their senior year. I swear, I don't know who suffered more during those six months, them or the rest of us. As I told you, after their mother died, I had a lot of ground to make up with the children. But I couldn't stop Edward, who was very close to his mother, from becoming extremely introverted. His only comfort was his piano. He met Bella in music class. She sings beautifully. She was as shy as him to begin with, but somehow, she reached him. Saved him. Helped all of us. I'm sorry, I must be boring you."?

"Not at all. I think the least I can do for the man who has taken me, a total stranger in and offered her a roof over head, the first decent meal she's had in along time and I suspect, the first night's sleep she's had without the fear of being…." She stopped herself, shaking her head, as if to clear a bad memory. I was so desperate to touch her, hold her hand, anything to reassure her that she really would be safe here. "The least I can do is listen to you tell me about the family, you are so obviously proud of. You must be very proud of Emmett." She said.

"Yesss."

She raised an eyebrow at my uncertain tone.

"Oh don't get me wrong, I am proud of him, but I'm also scared to death. This is his second tour. It just gets more and more dangerous out there. Emmett looks intimidating and can be loud, obnoxious and a real pain in the ass, but he has a big soft heart underneath and he loves us so much and gives each of us something, that if we lost it I…don't know how we'd cope."

It took me a minute to realize, that I had silent tears running down my cheeks and that Esme was holding my hand. I hadn't realized how worried I had actually been about Emmett and how desperately I needed to voice those concerns to someone. The look in her eyes was that of genuine concern and compassion. I could so easily loose myself in those eyes. She gave my hand a squeeze and then moved it away.

"Rose is very beautiful…" she said quietly.

"She used to be a model, in all ways, shallow vain, hard as nails."I said wiping my hand across my face, then moving away taking the empty plate to the sink. "She still is to a certain extent, but usually only with strangers. She was in a club being hassled by an over eager fan. Emmett stepped in and the rest is history. Rose has issues and as I said, despite outward appearances, Emmett has a big heart and can talk a lot of sense. They balance each other out. A lot like Alice and Jasper. Jazz teaches history at USW. He's a true southern gentleman, calm, controlled and able to calm a lot of Alice's fears." I washed up the single plate and stayed leaning against the sink.

"Is there anything you can tell me about yourself Esme."?

She seemed surprised by the question at first and her eyes began to roam the room nervously again.

"Um, I'm not far off a big birthday myself, although I plan to claim there was an administrative error and stay 39 for at least another year…" she rambled nervously "I've wasted the last fourteen years, the best years of my life on a man, although after meeting you, I feel like I'm insulting you, by calling Ch…him, a man…." She exploded bitterly.

"Esme, I'm sorry, please, you don't have to say anymore."

"Oh, but I do, you've taken me into our home, you deserve to know. I'm a 39 year old woman, who doesn't even have her own bank account, because for the last fourteen years, I have had to beg the man I'm married too for money. But it wasn't that, or the almost daily slaps, kicks, punches and sexual degredation that finally made me leave. It wasn't even the mental abuse, because I really must be stupid to have stayed where I was for so long. NO, it wasn't that, that made me sell my mother's jewellery, what there was of it, buy that crappy car and drive as far as I could. Do you want to know what made me leave? What made me realize, that if I didn't leave right then, that that bastard would take the rest of my life by making me kill him and then end up in prison"?

"Esme, Esme, calm down," she was becoming hysterical. I came round the breakfast bar. She raised her hands, warning me off from coming any further. She was looking right at me, face twisted in pain, eyes wild with grief.

"He killed my baby." She whispered. He punched and kicked my baby out of me. My poor, baby…" she wrapped her arms round herself, as if she was trying to hold herself together and began to rock. "He didn't have to do that Carlisle. He wouldn't have had to look after it. I would have done that. I would…I would have loved that baby….so much. Because you see, I went to college, even worked, had a good job before I met him, but all I have ever wanted was a man that loved me and a baby. All I have ever wanted was someone to love me and someone for me too love. I'm not a bad woman. I deserved that much didn't I"? she demanded, her voice dropped suddenly from the high pitched shriek it had been, to a frighteningly soft whisper. I closed the distance between us, holding her arms as tightly as I dare with the bruising she had there.

"Esme, you deserved that life and a lot more."I said firmly.

"So why then? Why did I end up with a bastard who killed my baby"? she demanded.

"Sweetheart, I don't know why evil bastard's like your husband are allowed to walk around and remain breathing. There is a part of me, that wants to hunt him down and rip him limb from limb for what he's done. But at the moment, you are much more important to me than he is. Esme, please believe me when I say, that we're not all like him and that you're safe here with me. I know it's crazy, I know we've just met, but please Esme, please, let me look after you, just for awhile. Let ,me show you, that you don't have to be afraid anymore."! I pleaded. There were tears running down my face. Esme looked stunned by what I had said and stared at me for a long moment. Please god, please don't let me have frightened her away. Suddenly, I was knocked backwards onto my heels as Esme flung her arms around me, burying her head in the crook in the crook of my neck and began to sob. I held her or a long moment, wrapping my arms around her.

"I'm so tired Carlisle…" she hiccoughed into my neck. As I looked up from dropping a kiss on the top of her head, to see my children standing silently in the kitchen doorway, tears streaming down their faces. I realized that I would not be alone in my quest to rid Esme of her nightmares, no matter how long it took.

AN: So, what do you think? Please press the little green button and talk to me. This chapter was quite hard to write, especially the end. What do you think? I need to know, but please keep it constructive.

I have no military background, but I'm guessing that a three month tour is probably rare if not impossible.

I know Esme's emotions are up and down, and blurting all that out to Carlisle so soon may be a little quick, but I think poor old Esme will swing back and forth with her emotions for awhile and as battered physically and emotionally as she has been, there is a part of her that wants to hope.

Ok. Please keep talking to me.