Okay, here's another chapter of my newest story! I hope you like it!

2. Can't take my eyes off you

ESME'S POV

"Eh, I know you don't want to spend any more time in the hospital, but… I can't let you go home alone either… so…"

I looked at Carlisle, not understanding where he was getting at. He had lowered his hand and suddenly seemed very self-conscious. It was strange, seeing the young self-confident doctor so shy. "Eh… you don't have to agree if you don't want to… but…" I smiled at him. Hoping to get him to tell me what he was thinking about and what made him so flustered. "You could stay with me…" he finally blurted out, looking to the ground. I was a little startled at first. The thought of staying with a man made me a little nervous, but Dr Cullen was so extremely nice and I just felt so safe with him around… And Edward really liked him… "Okay…" I whispered, looking at Edward. "Hey Edward, what about you? Would you like it if we stayed with Dr Cullen?" I asked him.

Edward frowned in thought and bit his lip. Carlisle kneeled down and explained everything to Edward. "You don't have to agree if you don't want to, but your mommy needs to be watched by a doctor or someone because she hurt her head a little… And since your mommy told me you don't know anyone here I thought maybe you want to stay with me…" Edward nodded and then smiled. "Yes." he agreed. I smiled. If Edward was comfortable with this I was too. "Okay, so I think your mommy still owns you a signature on your cast and then we can go." Carlisle said, looking back at me. I smiled and took the pen from him. Edward quickly climbed on the exam table and held out his arm. "Can you draw a car on it?" he asked. I smiled. "Okay, let's see if I can…" I said smiling and began drawing a car on his cast. Edward watched me closely and when I was done he smiled. "Cool…." He said. I ruffled his hair. Edward then took the pen from me and jumped from the table heading over to Dr Cullen. "Will you sign it too?" he asked. I beamed at Edward. He had never trusted men easily but somehow he seemed to have taken a liking to Dr Cullen. I was very proud of my brave little boy.

Dr Cullen smiled and bent down to Edward. "If you want me too, but I fear I can't draw as good as your mommy." He said. Edward smiled. "That's alright!" he finally said and held out his arm again. I saw how Carlisle signed Edward's cast with his beautiful script. Edward beamed.

CARLISLE'S POV

I signed Edward's cast and then looked at Esme. "Okay, I think we are ready. I just have to get my coat and car keys and you have to sign a few papers and then we're off… Only, I just have to pick the kids up at daycare…" I added. Esme gave me a soft smile. "That's fine." She told me. Edward curiously looked up at me. "You have kids?" he asked. I smiled. "Yes, I have twins, Jasper and Rosalie, they're just one year younger than you… I'm sure you will like them." I told Edward, smiling at him.

I helped Esme out to the reception desk and handed her a few forms to sign, then I quickly headed towards my office where I grabbed my belongings and went back to Esme and Edward. Luckily Dr Chapman was nowhere to be seen, she surely wouldn't appreciate it if she found out I took a patient home with me. But I didn't care. I couldn't. It was stupid and reckless but I only cared about Esme right now, and of course Edward.

"Okay, are you ready?" I asked, looking at Esme. "Yes." She replied simply. "Let's go then." I said, carefully lifting Edward in my arms. He was a little tense first but relaxed quickly, wrapping his arms around my neck. Esme had also stood up. I led her outside but stayed close to her, just in case she felt still a bit dizzy.

ESME'S POV

Carlisle led the way to the parking lot where he headed to a shiny black car. Edward's eyes grew wide when he saw the car. "Wow." He breathed. I heard Carlisle chuckle and smiled. "It's a Mercedes." He explained to Edward before opening the door to the passenger's side for me. I blushed a little while sitting down in the soft leather seat. No one had ever treated me that way. I didn't know men like that even existed. Opening your door for you and stuff.

I watched how Carlisle sat Edward in the back seat and then slid in the driver's seat, giving me one of his beautiful smiles. I blushed again and felt a little tingling in my stomach.

CARLISLE'S POV

I drove towards the daycare center, shooting glances at Esme and Edward to know they were okay. Edward seemed fine, only Esme was leaning her head against the window, she was probably tired. "Just tell me if you're feeling dizzy or sick, alright?" I asked her. She nodded. "I'm not sick… just tired…" she said. I nodded. "I know, but don't fall asleep, you have to stay awake." I told her. Esme nodded.

I stopped in front of the daycare center. "Alright, I'm going to get Jasper and Rose. I'll be right back." I said and smiled at Esme and then Edward. I headed into the building and as soon as I opened the door I was greeted by my two little monsters crashing into my legs. "Daddy!" they shouted in unison. I laughed and ruffled their hair before picking them both up. "You're late daddy." Rose complained. "Yes, I know and I'm sorry. I had an emergency, but I'll make it up to you… okay? We could go to the zoo maybe." Jasper and Rose cheered. "Yes!" they said. "Okay…" I turned to the twin's teacher, a young woman. "Okay, I'm sorry you had to stay so late, watching them." I told her. "It's perfectly fine Dr Cullen, if you ever need anyone to watch them again you can call me. I could even come over to your house…" she said in a suggestive tone. I quickly dismissed that. "No, it's fine." I told her. "Goodbye."

I helped the twins getting dressed and took their backpacks, then we went outside. Before we went to the car I stopped them. "Okay you two. You know I had to work longer because there was an emergency." They both nodded. "Okay, ehm… well, we will have some visitors for two days." "Visitors?" Jasper asked. I smiled. "Yes, Edward, he's just a year older than you two and his mommy. Edward's mommy hurt her head and she has just moved here, so she knows no one. I said she could stay with us, so I can keep an eye on her, alright?" Rose and Jasper nodded. "Okay daddy." They said. I smiled. "You two are great." I said and held out my hands. "Okay, let's get back to the car and Esme and Edward." The twins nodded excitedly.

I opened the back door of the car and placed Jasper and Rosalie in their seats. "Okay you two, this is Edward and this is his mommy." "I'm Esme." Esme told the twins, smiling at them. "Hello!" They both replied politely.

I got back in the driver's seat and drove towards home. The kids were chatting in the backseat. Jasper had discovered the drawing Esme had made on Edward's car and asked Edward about it. "Yeah, my mommy made it." Edward told him proudly. "Cool." Jasper said.

ESME'S POV

Carlisle drove to the outskirts of town and I got a little nervous when he turned onto a path through the forest. He drove along the past for a few minutes before I saw a large house coming into vision. It was huge, huge and beautiful. Three stories tall, white bricks, a porch and large windows. Three large old cedars were growing next to the house. "Well, here we are." Carlisle said smiling before getting out of the car. He opened my door for me and helped me out before getting the kids out of the car. Jasper and Rosalie immediately raced to the front door with Edward following behind them a little slower. I smiled at the three of them. They were extremely cute. "Come on then." Carlisle said gently and walked up to the door next to me.

We entered the house and I was again struck by how beautiful it was, this time inside. The walls were a light vanilla, with light wooden furniture in the hallway. The kids had already disappeared into another room somewhere. I was a little anxious because I couldn't see Edward but he obviously got along well with Carlisle's kids. "Don't worry, they're just in the living room." Carlisle whispered lowly and led me through the hallway into another room. The living room.

He had been right. The kids were sitting on the ground, surrounded by toys, already playing happily. I chuckled as I saw them.

CARLISLE'S POV

It seemed the kids got along very well since they were already halfway buried in most of the toys the twins owned when Esme and I arrived in the living room. Esme chuckled next to me, probably thinking something alike.

"Okay, eh… do you want to see the house first or lie down for a bit?" I asked Esme, feeling a little unsure about how to act around her. The last woman I had had in my house had been Kate. Esme smiled. "Eh, see the house maybe… I think it would be hard to stay awake if I lay down." She replied. I smiled. "Okay, eh, yeah, you already know the living room…" I said grinning. "The kitchen's down there." I led Esme towards the kitchen and then on to the other rooms, showing her everything. Finally we headed up to the second floor. "Okay, my room is over here, next to it is my study…" I told Esme, opening the door for her as I led her inside my study. She stopped in the middle of the room, staring at the bookshelves. "What is this, your personal library?" she asked. I chuckled, admiring her from the door. "Yes, pretty much… I like to read…" I admitted. Esme smiled. "You have a wonderful collection here." She said, scanning the spines of the books. "You can borrow one anytime." I said without thinking about it. Hell, that sounded as if wanted her over more often. And I did. Esme blushed a little. "Thank you…" she whispered.

The last room I showed to Esme was the guest room where I planned she could stay. It was just two doors down the hall from my room and had another smaller room and a bathroom attached to it. It would be ideal for her and Edward. "I thought you and Edward could stay in here… if that's alright." I said, opening the door for her. Esme stepped into the room and her eyes grew wide.

ESME'S POV

The room Carlisle had led me into was wonderful. It had large windows, overlooking the garden and the forest. In the middle of the room stood a huge comfortable looking bed with dark burgundy sheets and lots of cream pillows. The walls were a light cream, the furniture, a closet and a smaller cupboard, a dark wood and a wooden floor in the same dark color. Two doors were leading into other rooms, probably attached to this room. "Do you like it?" I heard Carlisle ask behind me, uncertainty in his voice. I quickly turned around. "This is perfect!" I said, smiling at him. "I'm happy you like it. There's a small room attached to it, through the door on the left. I thought Edward could sleep in there. There's also a small bathroom, through the door on the right." He said, while showing me the smaller room for Edward. It was just as perfect. Decorated in a pale green with a single bed, an armchair in the corner and a closet. "Thank you, again. It's really nice of you to let Edward and me stay here." I told Carlisle sincerely. He smiled. "It's no problem at all. Come on, let's go downstairs again, we should check on the kids, they're too quiet for my liking." I smiled lightly. Quiet was normally a good sign to me, not only from the kids. I loved my old house when it was quiet. I was dreading every sound, even footsteps on the stairs…

CARLISLE'S POV

We headed back into the living room where the kids were still playing happily. Jasper and Edward were arranging Jasper's toy soldiers for a battle. They had built mountains and caves for their soldiers with my books but I didn't mind. Not today. I was happy Edward got along so well and Jasper seemed really happy to have someone to play with. Rose was the easier child in that way. She could play all by herself for hours, while Jasper always wanted someone to play with him. And he rarely played with his sister, at least inside the house. Their interests were really matching. Outside they could play ball or hide and seek or any other game they could think of for hours but inside it was more difficult.

I saw Esme smiling as she looked over to the boys. Her smile was really beautiful. I couldn't look away. Suddenly Rose said something and snapped me out of my staring. "Daddy?" I looked at her. "Yeah, what is it sweetie?" "Can we have some cookies?" she asked, using her best puppy dog eyes. I smiled. "Yes, you can. Just wait a minute." I said and disappeared into the kitchen.

I returned a few minutes later with a plate of cookies and three glasses of milk for the kids. While the kids were happily eating the cookies I turned to Esme. "Can I get you anything?" She smiled. "No, thank you, I'm fine." "Okay, just let me know if you get hungry or thirsty." I said while sitting down in one of the armchairs.

ESME'S POV

I was watching the kids play while I sat on the couch. I was feeling so terribly tired but I knew I mustn't fall asleep and looked for something to distract me from going to sleep. Carlisle had fallen asleep in the armchair a while ago. He looked exhausted but also extremely peaceful in his sleep. His soft blonde hair was shining golden when the evening sun shone on his face, highlighting his handsome face. He smiled softly in his sleep, looking deeply relaxed. I was watching him, a smile on my face. It was like my eyes were glued to his form. He looked like one of Michelangelo's masterpieces had fallen asleep.

"Esme?" I quickly turned my head to find Rosalie looking at me. "Yes, what do you want sweetie?" I asked her, smiling gently. "Eh… I'm hungry, is it dinnertime yet?" she asked. I looked at the clock and realized it was already pretty late. "Oh! Yes, it is! I'm sorry, I wasn't keeping an eye on the time." I said. Rosie giggled. "You were watching daddy sleep…" she mumbled quietly. I blushed a little. "Yes, eh… I am also tired but not allowed to sleep because I hurt my head so I was a bit jealous you're daddy can sleep…" I explained. Rose nodded. "Okay, let's make dinner… Do you want to help me? We could surprise your daddy. I think he is still very tired." Rose smiled. "Yes!" The boys also got up and followed me into the kitchen.

"Okay, Rose, Jasper can you show me where everything is?" "Yes." Jasper said immediately, showing me what was kept where. After a quick scan of the contents of the fridge and cupboards I decided pasta would be great. "Okay, how do noodles sound to you guys?" I asked. All three smiled back at me and cheered. "Right. Then I'm gonna cook noodles and you will help me, okay?"

The kids were helping me a lot with the cooking. Jasper and Rose set the table while Edward stirred the sauce with great concentration. When everything was done I told the kids to wake Carlisle up.

CARLISLE'S POV

"Daddy!" "Carlisle, wake up!" I opened my eyes and looked into the faces of Jasper, Rose and Edward. "Hey…" I mumbled, sitting up a bit straighter. "Dinner is ready…" Rose said smiling. "Dinner?" I asked. "Yeah, Esme cooked noodles and we helped." Jasper replied. Just then I noticed the delicious smell coming from the kitchen. I grinned. "Wow, seems like your mommy is an amazing cook…" I told Edward and got up. He grinned proudly.

When I entered the kitchen Esme was just carrying the noodles to the table. "Let me take that." I offered and took the pot from her. She smiled lightly. "You don't have to do this. It's perfectly alright." She said. Instead of replying I quickly got the sauce and cheese and brought them to the table before Esme could. Then I helped Esme into her chair. "Thanks…" Esme mumbled, blushing a little. I smiled and sat down myself.

The food was delicious, the best pasta I had ever eaten. The kids seemed to think the same since they ate a lot each. After we had finished eating I told the kids to play in the living room a bit more before they would go to bed.

I stood up and started cleaning up the dishes. Esme got up too and wanted to help me but I softly shook my head. "Let me do this, you already cooked." I said. "It is fine, really. I'll help you." Esme said. "No, you're my guest, you shouldn't have cooked in the first place, now let me at least clean up, so I don't feel too bad. I'm already feeling terrible I fell asleep." I said. Esme smiled. "It's fine, Edward made sure I didn't fell asleep." Esme told me. "Good, I have to thank him later…" I said, smiling at Esme.

ESME'S POV

I went into the living room to keep an eye on the kids because Carlisle wouldn't let me help him clean up.

The kids were sitting on the floor, playing. Jasper and Edward had arranged all the little toy soldiers around and on top of the books they had arranged as mountains and caves. Rose was playing with her stuffed animals.

I quickly glanced at the clock and realized Carlisle would probably take the kids to bed as soon as he was finished. I kneeled down by them. "Hey you two…" I said to the boys. "It is really cool what you built here, but you should clean up, it's time to go to bed soon…" I told them. "Really?" Jasper asked, while hiding a yawn. I smiled. "Yes, you can play more tomorrow, I'm sure." Jasper smiled. "Okay." He said. Edward was also smiling. The boys started to gather their soldiers and put them back in the box.

I went over to Rose. "Hey Rosie, what are you doing?" I asked her. "Playing with fuzzy…" she said, pointing to a little white bear with a pink ribbon on one ear. "Fuzzy? She's really cute." I said. Rose nodded. "Daddy got her for me, when he was in London…" she said. "That is really sweet of him." I said. Rose nodded. "He's the best daddy in the world." She said. I smiled. It really seemed like that. "Okay, so what do you think if we get fuzzy ready for bed? She has been staying up really late today." Rose nodded. "Yes, I think she's really tired too." "Okay, so first we get fuzzy ready for bed and then you, alright honey?" Rose nodded. "Okay…"

CARLISLE'S POV

I watched Esme from the doorway. She was talking to Rose, making going to bed sounding like a game to the kids. I smiled. She was lovely. After a few minutes I finally managed to tear my eyes away from her and made myself noticeable. "Okay, time for bed now…" I announced. Edward immediately got up and stood next to me while the twins pouted a little but also got to her feet. "Come on, let's get you all ready for bed…" I said smiling. I ruffled the hair of each of them before leading them upstairs to get ready. Esme followed behind me.

"Okay, let's get your pajamas, Edward, I think Jasper will lent you something, right?" Jasper nodded. "Yes, of course. Come." He said, pulling Edward to his closet to make him select a pair of pajamas. I chuckled at them. They were already best friends. Rose was standing close to Esme, her teddy in her hand. "So, I will help you two getting ready and Esme will help Rose, is that alright?" I asked to both the kids and Esme. She smiled at me. "It's fine." She assured me. "Come Rosie." She said before leaving.

I took the boys into the bathroom to get them washed and then led them back into their room to get changed into their pajamas. Jasper was insisting on getting dressed himself and so I could help Edward, who was struggling a bit with his cast.

ESME'S POV

I helped Rosalie getting washed and dressed in her pajamas and then brought her back into Jasper's room. Edward was already in his pajamas and so was Jasper but he had obviously dressed himself since he was wearing his shirt inside out. I smiled and went over to him. "Hey, I think that's not completely right… Come here, let me change that." I went over to Jasper and helped him pulling his shirt over his head. In the next second I had to bite back a shocked intake of breath. Jasper's left upper arm was covered in scars. The scars went from his elbow almost all the way up to his shoulder. I was startled. From the corner of my eyes I saw Carlisle looking at Jasper, then he quickly looked away. "O…Okay, let's get this right…" I said and handed Jasper his shirt back. He pulled it back over his head and smiled. "Okay." He said. I ruffled his hair.

CARLISLE'S POV

"So, do you want to see your room, Edward?" I asked him. "Yes." He said. I led him towards the guestroom with Esme, Jasper and Rosie following behind. "Okay, this is your room." I said opening the door to the guestroom. Edward carefully stepped inside. "Where are you sleeping?" he asked Esme when he saw that there was only one bed. "Oh sweetie, I can't stay with you, I have to stay awake for a long time, because of my head." Esme explained softly. Edward looked up. "No!" he protested. "I don't want to be alone!" he said, tears forming in his eyes while he held on to Esme. I quickly thought of something. "Eh, okay Edward, maybe you could sleep in Jasper's room?" I asked him. "You would be alright with that, wouldn't you Jazzy?" I asked him. "Yes, that would be cool!" he said. Edward also smiled.

Esme was taking the kids back into Rose's room where they all curled up on the bed and listened to Esme telling a story while I brought a second bed into Jasper's room. After I was done I went into Rose's room to find the kids curled up around Esme, listening intently to her storytelling. I smiled when I saw them all lying there. It looked so natural and sweet.

"Okay, let's get you into bed guys." I made myself known. Together with Esme I put the kids to bed. They all fell asleep rather quickly. It had been an exhausting day.

ESME'S POV

I looked down at Rosalie sleeping, her little white teddy in her arms. I smiled. "What wouldn't I give to be able to go to bed now? I'm so tired." I sighed. Carlisle gave me an understanding smile. "I know, but I fear you can't sleep now. You have to stay awake for at least four more hours. So…" Carlisle trailed off. "Eh, what would you like to do? We could… watch a movie?" he suggested. I smiled. "Yes, let's do this." I agreed.

Carlisle was showing me his huge collection of DVD's which mostly consisted of Disney movies, but there were also some other films among it. "Well, what about 'Up In The Air'?" I asked. Carlisle smiled. "Yeah, alright."

I sat down on the couch while Carlisle put the DVD in the player. Carlisle turned the TV on and joined me, sitting down in the armchair. We had just seen the first 15 minutes of the movie when I felt my eyes drifting shut. "I think a movie wasn't the best idea…" I heard Carlisle mumble. I looked up. "Yeah…" I yawned. "Right…" Carlisle grinned. "I'll turn it off then…" he said and got up.

"So… what are we doing now?" I asked. Carlisle shrugged. "I don't know…" he admitted. "What happened to Jasper's arm?" I asked. The scars had looked bad. Obviously I said something wrong because Carlisle stood up and turned his back to me. "Jasper got… scalded…" he mumbled, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm sorry…" I whispered. "I didn't want to…"

CARLISLE'S POV

"It is alright!" I interrupted her. I didn't want to think about it. My eyes stung with unshed tears. It was my fault Jasper's arm was covered in scars. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder. I flinched. "I'm sorry… I didn't want to…" Esme whispered. I swallowed hard. Her touch was actually helping the pain a little. "It is okay…" I mumbled, trying not to cry. Esme rubbed small circles on my back, not saying anything. "Let's just talk about something else…" I almost pleaded.

ESME'S POV

I instantly felt bad for bringing the subject up. I hadn't wanted to upset Carlisle. I rubbed my hand over his back, trying to comfort him somehow. He wasn't saying anything though, his eyes were closed and he was trying very hard to keep up his composure. I felt bad. I shouldn't have asked this. It was private and I was practical a stranger. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to, I mean, I…" I whispered submissive, hoping Carlisle was not upset, or angry, but stepping away just in case.

"It isn't your fault…" he mumbled, taking another deep breath. When I didn't react he turned around. "Are you okay?" he asked concerned. I nodded. "Yes, I'm fine." I replied, still a little afraid.

"Do you… eh… want to play a game" Carlisle asked a little sheepishly, looking at me. I was confused. "What?" I asked him. "Well, the movie wasn't really helping us staying awake… so maybe… a game would… if you want of course…" he added, looking unsure. "Yes, we could at least try. What game?" I asked. Carlisle shrugged. "You know how to play chess?" he asked. I looked down, shaking my head. "Sorry, no…" I whispered. "No problem, would you like me to teach you?" he asked again. I looked up, surprised. "Yes…" I mumbled. Carlisle gave me another of his breathtaking smiles and gestured towards two armchairs in the corner. "Please, take a seat. I'm getting the board." He said.

I watched Carlisle lifting a chessboard from the top of one of the shelves. He grinned back at me when he caught me watching him. "Jasper likes to play with the pieces, I already lost a dozen of pieces to him. He likes to play battles with them. He says it's more interesting than his toy soldiers." I chuckled. Yes, I could imagine a chess board holding a certain fascination to a 4-year-old boy.

"Well, let's see…" Carlisle said, setting up the pieces. "Okay, these are the pawns… you move them one step ahead, two if it's their first move, alright?" I nodded and Carlisle went on, describing to me how each piece moved and playing an example game.

The game had been messed up since I didn't really know how to play and Carlisle was much too focused on explaining everything to me. But it was fun nonetheless. We laughed quite a few times, mostly because I was confusing the pieces and their moves.

CARLISLE'S POV

Playing chess with Esme was a total mess but a lot of fun. And it kept us awake for a while. But after our little game I stifled a yawn. I also hadn't had much sleep the night before and now I was practically dead on my feet. I glanced at my watch. "It's past 11…" I said. "You can go to sleep now, at least for the next two hours." I told Esme, grimacing. She yawned. "That would be great…" she agreed. I grinned. "Okay, let's go upstairs." Carlisle said.

When we arrived on the second floor I quickly checked on the kids again, Esme looking over my shoulder. All three of them were sleeping soundly. I smiled and closed the door silently.

"Good night." I said to Esme before turning towards my room. She smiled back. "Good night, Carlisle." She whispered, disappearing into the guestroom. I went into my own room, slowly taking off my shirt. Suddenly it knocked. I turned around. "Yes?" I asked. Just a second later the door opened and Esme stood before me. She stared at me and I remembered I wasn't wearing a shirt. I blushed. "Eh… I…" Esme stuttered, still staring at me. "I… I wanted to know if… maybe I could borrow a shirt and some shorts of you… you know, I haven't anything to sleep in…" she mumbled, looking down as a deep blush covered her face. I suddenly felt like a fool. I should have thought about that. "Yes, yes of course." I stuttered, nearly falling flat on my face on my way to the closet.

I finally managed to hand Esme a white shirt and a pair of dark boxer shorts. She smiled shyly at me. "Thank you, good night." She said before disappearing out of my room again. I stood there like an idiot, staring after her. I knew I had behaved ridiculous, but I couldn't help it. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and slowly got into bed, trying to fall asleep.

ESME'S POV

I was still in a daze when I went back into my room. Oh my god. I mean, wow. I was no fool, I had known Carlisle wasn't bad looking. It was easy to see that he was well-built with the perfect fitting shirts he wore, but standing there, without his shirt… It nearly gave me a heart attack, in the good sense of course. He looked mouthwatering. His chest was perfectly chiseled, pale, like one of Michelangelo's sculptures come to life.

I changed into his clothes, noticing how nice they smelt and crawled under the soft covers. I was extremely tired and fell asleep quickly, with a certain blond god starring in my dreams…

CARLISLE'S POV

I had a hard time falling asleep since every time I closed my eyes I thought of Esme. I had only known her for mere hours but I already liked her so much. It was crazy. I tossed and turned in the sheets, wanting to sleep so badly but I couldn't.

I groaned when the beeping of my watch woke me up. It looked like I had fallen asleep after all. And according to the way I felt I hadn't been asleep long. I sighed and got up. I quickly threw on a shirt before stumbling down the hallway to the room Esme slept in. I gently knocked on the door before entering. Esme was lying in the large bed, curled up on one side. I smiled softly. She looked really beautiful.

I gently went over to her and nudged her shoulder to wake her up. Esme stirred in her sleep. Suddenly her eyes shot open and her whole body tensed. She quickly crawled away from me, curling up into a ball. Her eyes were opened wide in fear. "Esme… it's alright…" I whispered, trying to calm her down. "It's me, Carlisle." I said. Esme looked at me, her eyes still wide, then she slowly relaxed, recognizing me. "I'm sorry…" she mumbled, lowering her head. I smiled. "It's not your fault." I whispered. "I was the one who startled you." I said. Esme took a deep breath, probably trying to calm her down more thoroughly. "Okay, I see you're alright. I just had to check on you, you can go back to sleep now." I whispered, smiling softly. Esme yawned. "Thanks, I will try…" she mumbled and laid back down. I grinned and left the room, heading towards my own bed again.

ESME'S POV

I watched Carlisle leave the room, still trying to calm down my racing heart. He had startled me, though unintentionally. It was bad memories coming up. Me being woken up roughly… I shuddered, not wanting to think about it anymore.

I curled up in the sheets again and closed my eyes. I was so exhausted I fell asleep soon.

CARLISLE'S POV

This two hour rhythm was wearing me out. The second time I woke up I was already having a slight headache. I sighed and again went over to Esme's room. I woke her up, asked her a few questions to see if she was alright and left her room again. But suddenly a figure in the shadows alerted me. At first I thought maybe Jasper had woken up but then I saw the cast and recognized Edward. "Edward?" I asked softly. He looked at me. "What are you doing in the room of my mommy?" he asked suspiciously and a little bit protectively. "Nothing. I just have to check on her every two hours and wake her up. She is alright." I told him. Edward was relaxing a little bit but obviously he didn't trust me completely. "What is wrong buddy? Why are you awake?" I asked him, picking him up. "I had a dream… of Charles… " he mumbled. "Who's Charles?" I asked. "A bad man…" Edward mumbled and buried his head on my shoulder. "It's okay now… you're safe here." I mumbled, stroking his hair. "Let's get you back to bed." I took Edward back in Jasper's room and tucked him back in. He was soon again fast asleep.

After that I went back into my room and fell onto my bed, not even bothering to pull the covers back.

The night dragged on and on. On 5 am my watch beeped for the last time. I got up, now with a pounding headache and went to Esme's room for the last time tonight.

ESME'S POV

"I'm awake." I mumbled as soon as the door opened. Carlisle stepped inside the room. "Alright, it's the last check-up anyways. Try to sleep a bit more." He whispered softly. I smiled. "I don't know if I can. I'm feeling awful though… but the kids will be awake soon, I fear." I said. Carlisle smiled. "I hope they sleep a little longer, they had a rough day yesterday." He said. "Well, good night… sleep a bit more." He said before gently shutting the door behind him.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to come over me. It didn't take long. I soon felt myself slipping off into dreamland, when my memories mixed up with my fantasies about a certain man.

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