So... chapter twelve. I just need to tell you guys this ahead of time: I just got this freaking huge English project assigned today in class (I also have a Global paper due at the end of this month _)... so that's gonna be eating up my time until it's due in the end of April, then directly after that I have a chorus competition out of state, so I'm pretty tight for time as of now. But I promise you all that I'll try to scratch some chapters down during all of this. I've got an eleven hour bus ride down to the chorus comp, and since I'm unable to sleep at night on a moving vehicle, I'll have quite a while to write some things down XD I greatly apologize for this.. I feel like I'm always saying the same thing over again, that I have very little time for my fanfic... I hate that this happens. _ I'm sincerely sorry. This school year is eating me alive.

But... well.. enjoy chapter twelve :P

Carlisle Cullen

Knock, knock. A gentle smile greeted me on the other side of the mahogany door only a few seconds after I rapped my fist against it. She was dressed in attire very much opposed to her usual; a thin white pullover, along with a pair of fitted dark blue jeans, only a shade or two darker than the stunning midnight blue eyes that accompanied her smile.

"Hi," Esme said as a soft greeting. I leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Hey," I responded, pulling back with a grin spread across my face. "Is your sister around?"

Esme's brows raised in question as a small smirk slid onto her lips, "You want to meet her?"

"Of course."

"All right, then... she's a bit shy at first... sometimes." She then turned and called her sister's name up the stairs. Loud pounding came from the floor above before a little girl with sleek, black shoulder-length hair appeared at the bottom. She was only about a head shorter than Esme, and at a first glance, one would never think that they were related in any way. Esme's facial features were soft, rounded and heart-like, almost, in opposition to her sister's, which were much more sharp and pixie-like. It made me wonder as to how she was only ten years old.

"Alice, this is Carlisle," Esme told her, making a small gesture in my direction. Alice looked up at me, studying my face before her eyes swept over the rest of my body, taking in the awkward and gangly form of a mid-adolescent boy.

"So you're her boyfriend?" the young girl asked, her dark eyes lifting back up to meet my gaze.

I successfully hid a small smirk that was threatening at the corners of my mouth before answering, "Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you." I gave her a warm smile and held out my hand for her to shake with her much smaller one. She hesitated for a second before tentatively taking it and giving it a light, nervous shake.

"Ez said that you're really sweet," Alice said next. The smirk pulling at my lips finally won the battle and slid its way into sight.

"Did she now?" I glanced at Esme standing next to who, who looked towards the floor and blushed tremendously.

"It's true," she murmured, then afterwards looking at Alice, "so has he earned your approval?" Alice scanned my body and face once again with her eyes, before letting a small smile slide onto her lips and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Yup," she giggled. "You two seem cute together. Now keep it that way." She grinned once more before bounding off in the direction of the kitchen. Esme took in a deep breath as soon as her sister left, then let it out in a sigh of relief.

"That went better than I thought it would," she commented.

"Did you think it would go badly?" I questioned.

"No. She just tends to make things... kinda awkward sometimes." Esme laughed nervously. "You want to go out for a little while? Take a walk or something?"

"Sure." I smiled once more and gently took her hand in mine, turning to make my way out the door. She gratefully held onto my hand and followed me, shutting the door behind her.

"If I didn't know that she was your sister, I honestly would have never thought that you two were related," I commented, walking down the sidewalk that led into town.

"A lot of people usually say that," Esme responded. "She looks more like my dad... I resemble my mother."

"Personality-wise, too. She seems very..." I let my sentence trail off, unsure of what adjective to describe the young girl.

"Bubbly?"

I nodded, "Yeah. Bubbly."

Esme took in another deep breath, letting her eyes wander, "She has kind of a blabber-mouth too, sometimes. Well, all ten-year-olds do, but... I just hope she doesn't... let anything slip."

Knowing exactly what she meant, I gave her hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "Nothing bad is going to happen. You can trust me on that."

"I hope so." It was at the we reached the heart of the town and headed towards the café. I bought us both cups of coffee, and after getting my change back, proceeded to walk back out into the relatively warm spring climate. Esme willingly followed me, catching up to my pace and falling into step at my side.

"I saw Erin again yesterday," she commented a few seconds later.

"You did?"

"Yes. She gave me this look, like he knew about you and I or something." With my free hand, I reached out and gave hers a gentle squeeze.

"I can assure you that she has no idea. Ryan would never let that slip; especially since we told him not to," I reassured her while she took another small sip of her coffee.

"You're positive?" she inquired, her voice acquiring a hint of uneasiness.

"Absolutely." I gave her hand another squeeze and smiled lightly.

"I'm hoping that Alice won't tell, either," she continued softly. "You know how kids her age can be. They let things like that slip easily."

"Your father won't be able to hurt you if he finds out, Esme," I responded. "Not with me on your side. I doubt anyone else would let that happen, either. You have nothing to worry about."

"But what if he tries to hurt you?" Her voice grew quieter with each word and contained less of am apprehensive tone, but more of one of concern for my behalf.

"He won't," was my simple answer. "He won't lay a finger on you or I."

"You don't know that, Carlisle. He's unpredictable; you never know when he's around the corner." I felt her fingers tighten around mine while her gaze remained fixed on the ground before us. "I just don't want you to suffer because I have a messed up dad." By then, we'd reached a more secluded area of the town; only a few people inhabited this far-off region of what I assumed was still the town park.

A gentle smile slid onto my lips, "What do I have to do to make you believe me?"

Esme lightly shook her head, "I don't know. This has just been bothering me a lot lately." I set my cup of coffee down on a picnic table, before turning to face her and lightly wrapping my arms around her rather petite form. Suddenly, I felt as if I were being watched by an unseen being from behind the thick lining of trees, but I did my best to ignore the awkward sensation of a pair of eyes resting on my back.

"Don't stress yourself out," I murmured, slightly tightening my arms around her body. "Nothing bad is going to happen."

"If anything does, I'm blaming myself," Esme mumbled in response.

"No, you won't. It's not your responsibility to take the blame for something that won't even happen. It's my job as your boyfriend to be able to protect you." I paused for a moment or two, contemplating my next move. It can't be that bad... she won't mind... After dismissing the thought from my brain, I said softly, "It's also my job to do this." I lightly put my finger under her chin and tilted her head up towards me, then tentatively bowed my head and delicately brushed my lips against hers. To my pleasant surprise, she did not pull away and, lightly as a ghost, placed her hand on the back of my neck. A soft rustling sound came from the foliage behind the two of us as the unseen being from a few moments before silently crept out of his cover. Once again feeling the sensation of being watched, I grudgingly pulled away from the kiss and let my eyes wander over to the dark form standing about twenty feet away from our position by the picnic table. Watching as the villain raised his arm and pointed some sort of weapon in our direction, I quickly shoved Esme behind my body as the pace of my breathing picked up.

"Esme, go," I rasped, "Run. Get the hell out of here." Before she could even open her mouth to protest, a gunshot echoed through the quiet air as the dark man pulled the trigger of his weapon.

Everything then seemed as if it were in slow motion; the microscopic bullet whistled through the air, its path heading straight for my upper body. My feet suddenly become concreted to my spot in the grass, so I instead tried to shove Esme further behind me, hopefully forcing her to run away. I didn't recall whether or not she had escaped from the scene before the small object shot its way into the side of my head, the impact feeling as if a thousand crystal bowls had just been shattered inside of my skull. The sound of the agonized noise that escaped my mouth was soon drowned out by a sudden onslaught of red-hot pain as my body hit the ground with a muted thump and the entire world was plunged into darkness.

… I know. I'm evil.