Disclaimer: Edward and company belong to the all-powerful Stephenie Meyer. Not me, sadly.

Columbus, Ohio-1921

Edward, strip the sheets off my bed. Carlisle thought about a minute before he burst into our apartment. I stopped breathing once I smelled human blood. In his arms was a young woman covered in bruises and blood. I didn't recognize her, but Carlisle obviously did. His mind was running through pictures presumably of this woman several years ago. She was beautiful, and I could tell that Carlisle intended to save her.

I could hear her heartbeat faintly, and I knew she was on the verge of death. Carlisle hurriedly bit her neck and left her like that. She didn't even flinch or move at all. Her previous injuries seemed to have caused her brain to shut down while it tried to heal whatever was wrong. I hadn't hunted in awhile, so I knew I couldn't last long stuck in this small apartment with her.

He looked at me. Your eyes are black. Go hunting. I nodded my thanks and left him there holding her hand gently. Carlisle was lucky. He could stand being around human blood because he'd been a vampire for so long. From his thoughts, I could tell that he was in love with her. He wouldn't have done this otherwise.

Carlisle wasn't working as much here as he did in Chicago, so we spent more time together. In the beginning, he spent all of his free time educating me on how to control my senses and understand all there was to know about our lifestyle. Now, we just read a lot and didn't talk much. Lately, I had been noticing that he'd been getting lonely. I knew it wasn't me, but that he wanted a female companion.

If it worked out with this mystery woman, he would be a lot happier. I was glad for him, but I was also dreading what future images I may see in his mind. I physically shuddered at that thought. It also made me wonder if I would ever find someone.

I mulled those thoughts over as I hunted. I cleaned up after myself and fed until my eyes were pure gold. All-in-all, my hunting trip only took a few hours, and I headed back. Carlisle's thoughts were becoming clearer with each step I took starting when I was a few miles away.

The bruises were healing up, but almost all of her bones were still broken. I got there, and he was talking to her and holding her hand. It was touching, like something out of those romance novels I read. This would be the best time to talk since she wasn't lucid enough to know we were discussing her. "Who is she?"

"Her name is Esme. I treated her once, several years back, before I met you." His facade was calm, but his mind was all over the place. I could feel his tension and knew how nervous this made him.

"What happened? How did she get this way?" Esme looked like she had been run over by a car, but I could tell from Carlisle's mind that wasn't the case.

"She either jumped or fell off a cliff. They wheeled her into the morgue, but she wasn't dead yet. I couldn't let her die. I remember her from all those years ago."

"You love her." It wasn't a question. I knew it by the direction his thoughts were taking. Carlisle only nodded. Yes. "How long do you think this will take?"

"Yours took three days, and you were only sick. Hers will probably take longer due to the severity of her injuries. I would guess around four days?" Carlisle looked uncertain, but I knew he'd already thought this all through. He saved her hoping she would feel the same about him. Our term for that is "mate". However, I always found the word inappropriate. Vampires cannot reproduce, therefore we do not "mate". I think a better way of saying it would be "soul mate". Especially if you truly love them your whole "life".

With Carlisle's caring nature, it would be hard to believe she would turn him down. He had many women at the hospital swooning over him. He turned them all down politely, but they kept trying. Before now, I wasn't aware of Carlisle falling for any woman. This was news for him, and I wished him the best.

His guess about four days was correct. The next three days were pretty uneventful. Carlisle stayed by her side except when he was at work, and then I did. Esme was relatively calm despite the pain I knew she was feeling. She whimpered and tossed and turned once her bones mended, but there was no screaming. That we were thankful for.

On the fourth day, Carlisle didn't have to work, so he was at her bed all day. He spent the time holding her hand and talking to her. Evening came, and I started hearing coherent thoughts in her mind. Esme acknowledged that someone was speaking to her and thought he sounded nice. The fire was dwindling, and her heartbeat stopped. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she looked straight at Carlisle. They were blood red, but other than that, she was as beautiful as Carlisle's memories. Perhaps even more so.

"Are you an angel?" He put his hand on her cheek. She settled her face into his hand. Her eyes mirrored his feelings. Esme's thoughts were also of love, and I felt like an intruder. This was not something I wanted to get in the middle of. If I left though, even quickly, Esme would be alerted to her new abilities and would come out of her fantasy world. So I stayed right where I was.

"Esme, how are you feeling?" Carlisle was even more cautious with her than with me three years ago.

"Good. The last thing I remember is jumping off the cliff. How did I get here?" She hadn't noticed me yet.

"I'm not an angel, but I did save you. You almost died, so I changed you into a vampire." That declaration didn't change her mood at all.

"A vampire? So I am dead?"

"Yes and no. You heart isn't beating, but you are conscious and able to essentially 'live'. Does that make sense?"

"Yes. Thank you for letting me live. You look familiar. Do I know you?"

"Yes. My name is Dr. Carlisle Cullen. You saw me for treatment several years ago.

"Oh, yes. I remember you now. Have you been one long? Or is this recent?"

"I was one then, too." Surprisingly, Esme was taking this all really well. She trusted Carlisle more than anyone ever. From her memories, I think she had always been like that. I wondered why she had jumped.

"May I ask why you jumped?" Her mind focused on a beautiful baby and then on a small casket. I gasped audibly, and her attention switched to me.

"Who's that?"

"I'm Edward. I guess you could consider me Carlisle's son. I am also a vampire."

"It's very nice to meet you, Edward."

"It's nice to meet you as well. You don't have to answer his question if it's too painful."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry, but I can read your mind. I already know what happened. I'm very sorry about that as well."

"It's okay. I jumped because my baby died from a lung infection." Her thoughts were sad, but she was determined to be stronger. Especially now that she had a second chance at life.

We spent the next few hours explaining everything. Our diet, abilities, and ages. Esme took it all in without anger, resentment, or confusion. She merely listened and asked questions for clarification. I could tell from both of their minds that they would be very happy together.

I liked her. She was a good addition to our little "family".