A/N: I am sorry it has taken me so long to update. I hope you like this chapter as that it is shorter than the previous three but I don't believe in dragging things out for the sake of a word count.

A/N: As always I own nothing but the OC's

The Hawks

-Chapter 4- An Understanding

Esme stood facing the trees her back to Carlisle; arms folded she wasn't in the mood to listen or agree to any of the compromises that he had come up with so far. "I don't see why I have to share you with anyone, you are my mate and she is just some tramp that is trying to take you away from me and you're letting her!"

Carlisle wrapped his good arm around Esme "Love, please let's just go hear her out. I am not going anywhere; trust me even though I can feel a pull to her, you are the only woman I want right now." He pressed her against him so she could feel his excitement and leaned in to kiss her neck. "Do you see what you do to me; she didn't do this. . ." He turned her around and ground his hips into her "You did, you have the ability to drive me wild, I love your temper; you should bring it out more often."

"Carlisle, promise me that you won't let her talk her way into our relationship." Esme pleaded with him. "And stop trying to distract me."

"Who's trying, I can see the silly grin on your face. I know I am distracting you"

"Oh do you now." Esme smiled, caving in.

He pressed his lips to her forehead "Yes," he kissed her then moved his lips to her ear placing gentle kisses on it. "I am; I know this because you are no longer angry." He smiled at her, moving down her neck "Even though I still think you are cute when you are angry." He paused at the base of her neck and lightly sucked making her moan.

Esme quickly caught her senses and then smiled "Then maybe we should get back to our conversation about this child so you can continue to seduce me into submission"

"Ouch," Carlisle smiled "Let's keep the punches above the belt shall we." He leaned in and kissed her "Beside can I help it if I am succumbing to my desire for your breath taking body."

"You're changing the subject again and you don't need to breathe anyway." She frowned at him

"True, so back to the topic then" He smiled at her "then can we get back to my 'topic' please"

"If you answer me correctly" Her face was clearly displaying the fact that she was scared and angry "Do you have any feelings even similar to love for that child?"

"Yes," His excitement faded at the hurt on her face. "I now understand the wolves a lot better." He sighed as the hurt faded "it's nothing like my love for you but it is just as intense; it's just. . ." he smiled and leaned in closer to her "don't tell the wolves or Bella this, I'd love to keep it from Edward to but I doubt he will mention it to anyone so. . ." He chuckled at the curiously confused look on her face. "The feeling of imprinting on someone or being imprinted on is very similar to lust."

Esme giggled lightly "well I think I can handle that; I mean I do know how to distract you from so I am pretty sure I can pull your attention away from another woman." She leaned up against him "but do you think she is permanently in our lives now Carlisle?" her face grew serious again "I can promise you that I won't kill her but I can't promise that I won't be attempting bodily harm."

Carlisle chuckled "My love, I know that with you, that is as good as I can ask for." He kissed her deeply "thank you." He pulled her close and kissed her deeply.

Pulling away Esme frowned "now let's get you home and look at that arm please."

Sam, Jacob, Paul, Leah and Seth arrived right on cue rushing into the clearing in wolf form. Liberty was stunned; 'what are they . . . They are huge!' Terrified Liberty dove under the nearby bushes screaming and shrieking.

"Impressive" Jasper rolled his eyes "Now would you please change out of the flea bag forms so you can help us. We are trying to calm her down and we were on the verge of getting some answers here." He frowned "We need to understand what just happened; that means getting her to talk, not scare her more."

The wolves rolled their eyes and disappeared into the woods only to reemerge in their human forms. "Alright, we are here and human now what is the non-emergency?"

Rosalie smiled "I would like to introduce you to Carlisle's imprint" She waved her arms in a model like pose towards the quivering and whimpering bushes. "We had her calmed, but then you all came."

"Rose, be nice they are here to help." Bella scolded then looked at Sam "Her name is Liberty; she is a shape shifter we were hoping since you have something in common you might be able to help."

"From what I can tell from her hummingbird thoughts she has no clue as to what is going on, maybe explain it to her."

Jacob frowned "Where's Carlisle?"

"He is off trying to calm down Esme." Emmett was sitting on a branch swinging his feet like he was bored. "You missed the fight; I was this close to kicking blonde boy's ass . . ."

"In your dreams Emmett; you have yet to beat me in a fight," Jasper growled.

"Hey I could have taken you; come here and I'll prove it!"

"Enough!" Edward glared at them "Separate corners now!" The two slowly sauntered into separate corners of the field like little children that had just been scolded and spanked as Rose tried to dig the quivering mess out from under the bushes. "From what I picked up Carlisle still has the exact same connection to Esme" Edward pinched his nose in frustration and took a deep breath.

"He feels the same for Esme that he always has; but he now has strong feelings for Liberty as well." Jasper confirmed from his corner "I did notice that according to the emotions he was feeling that Esme is first in his heart and Liberty is now just a shadow so to speak."

Growls erupted from the wolves "Our imprints are mere shadows on our hearts? You seriously have a death wish don't you." Jacob reached to the side without a glance and pushed Paul back. "You might want to rephrase that."

"I am sorry I didn't mean to imply . . ." He glanced at Paul who was now shaking "Carlisle see's them in order so to speak; Esme is first then there is Liberty. I meant that she is Esme's shadow so to speak."

"I agree with him" Edward positioned himself in-between Paul and Jasper, "If Esme doesn't approve she will be nothing more than what Esme will allow; he has already decided that."

"Everyone," Rose looked right at the wolves "this is Liberty." She pulled her out from under the bushes and held the kicking and crying mess tightly.

"She's tiny!" Paul was starting to calm down. "You say she's a shape shifter?" The Cullen's all nodded "She's too small to be a wolf."

"Wolf?" Liberty's voice was small and shaky "Who's a wolf?"

"We are," Sam stepped forward "My name is Sam; this is Jacob, Paul, Leah and Seth" We are some of the wolves from the two Quileute packs."

"You are the big bears, I mean Wolves I saw earlier?" Liberty was starting to relax.

"Yes," Jacob folded his arms across his chest "we didn't mean to scare you."

"You are clearly not a wolf when you phase; what are you." Leah was intrigued this was the first female shape shifter she had come across; other than herself.

"No I'm a Hawk."

"Dude, you can fly!" Suddenly Emmett was no longer bored; he jumped down from the tree limb and stepped closer to Liberty. "What do you eat; Birdseed?"

Alice slapped him up the back of his head and Rosalie smiled at her for it, "thank you." She turned her gaze on Emmett "Em, you are already on my shit list; keep it up and you might as well move out for the next 6 months because you won't be getting anything from me."

"Harsh," Seth laughed "You go blondie." Jacob glared at him "what? He deserved that."

"Actually," Liberty interrupted them with a smile and a giggle "My mother was half Vampire so I tend to love meat, I have had some blood but humans make me vomit and I can't stand anything from a bird, even eggs make me sick."

"What was your father?" Sam was even more curious

"I know that he was a shape shifter and that he wasn't from the area but I wasn't told any more than that." She frowned "Sensei knew but he wouldn't say. I do know that he had a tribal mark on his arm so I had it put on the small of my back." She turned around and lifted up her shirt at the waist, "See."

Gasps came from everyone. "This is the mark your father had?" Jasper was suddenly starting to understand why the monks had sent her here.

"Yes; why?"

"Well for starter that is our pack mark." Jacob turned so that she could see his mark on his arm. "All of us wolves have it." He turned to Sam; does this means that she is half wolf?"

"A Wolf-Hawk; flying, howling, a beak with fleas" Emmett laughed

"I don't have fleas" Liberty frowned at him.

"Alice hit him again" Bella said just as she heard a smack followed by an 'ow hey'.

"But who," Seth was confused "Who could be her father; I thought all the men were accounted for, Oh. . ." He glanced over at Sam just as everyone else thought the same thing.

"What happened to your father?" Sam choked out his question.

"He was killed with my mother; there was a big tribal war going on. At first everyone thought that the other village wiped out my parents' village but within a few months of finding my parents village burned with everyone in it, they found the other village in the same state." She wiped a tear "the only reason I survived is because I was outside the village when whomever burned it."

"Sam," Leah grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't Leah its fine." He dropped his head looking at the ground

"I'm sorry I don't understand?" Liberty frowned "I'm sorry I upset you."

"Sam's father is the only possible option; the only one not accounted for." Concern was evident all over Seth's face as Sam sunk to the ground.

"I'm Sorry Sam," Liberty smiled cautiously at him. "So does this mean that I am your sister?"

Sam looked up at her and smiled "something I thought I would never have."

"Why, don't we take this back to the house." Alice finally piped in

"Yes, Liberty you are coming too, so please don't feel abandoned; we would never leave you out in the woods alone." Jasper smiled "I doubt you could survive on your own."

"I don't know about that" Edward smiled "I saw the memory of her fight with Carlisle before she imprinted and she might be able to take you."

"Liberty you might just be my favorite person now." Emmett smiled "I want to watch that fight; Butthead vs Bird." Emmett chuckled "Ow, hey if everyone keeps hitting me I'm just going to stop talking to you."

"Good" Everyone even Liberty and the wolves replied in unison.

Carlisle and Esme made their way back to the house slowly. When they came in the door they saw Emmett in the corner sulking and everyone else laughing as Liberty stood front and center reciting War and Peace. They watched for a second amazed that nobody had noticed them yet. Esme smiled letting out a giggle when Liberty got overly dramatic with a few of the boring lines.

The show stopped suddenly and Liberty looked nervous. "Are you going to try to kill me again?" She looked longingly at Carlisle. "What's going to happen to me?" She looked sadly at the floor.

Carlisle melted and rushed to her side stroking her face with his good arm he glanced back at Esme pleadingly.

"Everything will be okay Liberty; you will stay here with us but you are not allowed to refer to Carlisle as your mate or imprint or hint at an intimate relationship with him outside of this house. You will follow our rules and go to school with the rest of the kids. Is this all understood?"

Liberty nodded eagerly as Emmett broke his vow of silence "Dude, I want a second wife too!" Emmett frowned till he saw Rose's face "Just kidding babe; I've got my hands full with you."

"Maybe you can get a dog; she'd fit in beautifully in the particular house you are in right now" Rosalie said growling at him.

"Are they always like this?" Liberty asked

"Only on the good days" Seth replied "They always make life entertaining." He smiled "Personally I am rooting for Blondie on this one."

"Both of you calm down" Esme pointed between Rosalie and Emmett then looked over at Rosalie "trust me I know the feeling of wanting to rip his head off, but later if you do you will regret it."

"Oh I know that besides its more fun to deny him sex." Rosalie smiled in his direction as he pouted "and trust me he will be missing that for a while"

Liberty giggled and blushed and Esme smiled at her response then looked over at Carlisle "Well that makes me feel better actually."

Emmett pout turned into a sly smile "Please babe I give you 48 hours before you pounce on me and beg me to take you" He chuckled as she growled at him.

"I wouldn't bet her if I were you; remember what happens when you do?" Jasper smiled

"What happens?" Liberty asked

"She is stubborn; she will prove him wrong just for the sake of him being wrong." Esme stated "Now can you tell us what's wrong with Carlisle arm please?"

"Oh that; it's nothing. . ." She giggled "We Hawks have venom of sorts that is in our talons it delays healing in shape shifters and can parallelize the part of a vampire that gets scratched." The room gasped "Oh don't worry it will wear off at the most it will take a week, it will sting like crazy the entire time though."

"Well it serves you right" Esme smiled at Carlisle playfully then grabbed Liberty by the arm "Come on you are a mess; it's up to the bath and then bed?" Carlisle expecting a fight as Esme dragged her up the stairs.

"Okay" She smiled trying to keep up "is it going to be a warm bath or a cold one like they have at the monastery?"

"Warm bath," Esme smiled "you will always have a warm bath here." She released Liberty's hand as she pranced up to Esme's side happily "with bubbles if you like?" Esme asked.

"Bubbles; what are bubbles doing in a bath?"

"Oh now you shouldn't have asked that because now I am going to have to spoil you." Esme smiled "the things those prehistoric vampires denied you are deplorable."

"They are getting along?" The two girls disappeared out of sight and Carlisle turned to face the awaiting audience in the room "I'm doomed."