Author's Note: I was prompted to write a story during which Carlisle comforts Edward. Here is the result. It's a little slow to start and slightly different to my usual writing style.

Sorry for any mistakes.

Father

"Edward!" Esme called after her 17 year old as he turned on his heel, shouldering his way past Jasper and Alice who had chosen to hover beside him during his momentary stand-off with his foster mother, ready to get involved if the need arose. There was no doubt in Edward's mind that Alice had already seen what was going to happen. Or, at least, what had been going to happen because there was no way that it would now.

Edward barged his way out of the Cullen household. He hovered on the doorstep for a moment, trying to decide where he could go, and then he walked. He knew that running would have been better; faster. But he just didn't have the motivation.

As he walked, he could feel the emotion that was bubbling up in his chest and he knew that, if it were possible, tears would be welling in his eyes, ready to fall down his cheeks.

He didn't know where he was going. He thought it best not to give himself a chosen destination, at least that way Alice wouldn't be able to see him. He found himself coming to a stop in the woods just behind his family home and he launched himself into a tree, settling on a wide branch with his legs up and his back resting against the tree trunk. He allowed his hands to fall between his legs as he forced his eyes to close.

He felt the rain; a light dusting against his bare arms and his face and he turned his head towards the grey sky. He let out a sadistic chuckle as the rain began to dampen his grey t-shirt and black jeans as he thought of how the dreary Forks weather was supplying his tears for him.

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When he returned home from work, Carlisle had been looking forward to joining Jasper and Emmet on a hunting trip. Therefore, he was slightly disconcerted to find not only his wife, but also four of his children waiting for him in the sitting room. He frowned to himself, placing his work bag on the floor and straightening up again just in time to catch Esme as she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his chest and burying her head into the space between his neck and his shoulder.

Carlisle didn't miss the way in which his children, all except Rosalie, lowered their heads and averted their gaze as though ashamed. He held Esme tightly with his left hand buried in her hair and his right rubbing soothing circles up and down her back.

"Would somebody like to explain?" Carlisle questioned, directing his attention towards Rosalie as she was the only one still looking at him. But Rosalie didn't get the chance to speak because as soon as the question has left Carlisle's lips, Esme tightened her grip around him.

"Edward's gone." Esme whispered despite knowing that everybody could still hear her anyway. As she spoke the words, her chest shuddered in a way that would signify crying in anybody who wasn't a vampire.

With regret, Carlisle pulled back from the embrace so that he was able to look into Esme's eyes.

"What do you mean he's gone, Esme? Where has he gone?"

"We don't know." Instead of Esme, Alice answered. She still refrained from raising her eyes to meet Carlisle's concerned gaze.

"He's not been making any decisions, so Alice can't see anything." Jasper added. He had his arm looped around Alice's waist in a bid to comfort her because he knew better than anyone that Alice felt guilty for not being able to help them; sometimes he felt that she put too much pressure on herself. Carlisle shifted around so that he was closer to his foster daughter, turning Esme with him, and he extended an arm towards her. He placed his hand beneath Alice's chin, gently applying pressure so that she'd raise her head to look at him.

"Don't feel bad, Alice." Carlisle soothed. "I'll find him."

Carlisle removed his hand from beneath Alice's chin and eased himself out of Esme's embrace.

"I'll find him." Carlisle repeated, calmly.

"How?" Jasper inquired in a slightly defeated tone, his shoulders drooping.

"I'll find a way." Carlisle assured him, looking between his family members before he turned around and headed back out of the house.

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Edward was enjoying the peace as he remained perched on the tree branch listening to the birds as they twittered around him, going about their business, seemingly unaware of him even being there. His mind was too full to listen to the never-ending train of thought coming from his brothers and sisters, and despite the pain and the stress that his own thoughts were causing him, the break was a welcome release.

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Carlisle had only just closed the glass door behind him when he caught the scent of his son – the scent he had paid no attention to when he first returned home from work. He sniffed over exaggeratedly so that he could get a basic idea of where his son had gone and followed the scent trail that he had unconsciously left behind. The scent grew stronger as he came to the back of the house and the doctor looked around, trying to place where his son was.

And then he saw him.

"Oh Edward," He breathed when his eyes fell on his son, only just visible through the trees. If Carlisle hadn't been looking for him, he wouldn't have seen him up there. Carlisle squinted against the rain as it hit his face. Carlisle's first son had never really been one for talking about how he was feeling or what was bothering him. If it hadn't been for Jasper's talent, Carlisle would spend a lot of time in the dark about Edward's emotions. And that worried him.

Even though Edward was a vampire, he still had feelings like a human being and he tended to try and suppress them.

From where he was standing at the back of the house, Carlisle new that he had caught Edward at a rather vulnerable time. He was sat with his legs pulled up, not quite to his chest but in a way that suggested he was attempting to protect himself from something. His head was bent forwards, facing downwards as though watching his hands. Edward may attempt to hide his emotions but he was as easy to read as a book.

With another sigh and worry bubbling up inside him, Carlisle moved, blurring as he came to the bottom of the tree. He appeared on the branch below his son in the time it would have taken him to blink. His sudden appearance startled the birds, sending them flying with frightened chirps – but Edward just slowly reopened his eyes to look at the man before him.

"Carlisle." He greeted in a soft tone, his voice quieter than usual.

Carlisle simply nodded in greeting. He was too busy trying to figure out a way to broach the subject of his son's upset to actually speak to him.

Edward sighed softly, like he was responding to something that somebody had said and it took Carlisle a few seconds to realise that he must have been listening to what he was thinking. Edward looked away from Carlisle for a few minutes, watching the tree opposite as he thought about what he was going to say before returning his gaze to him.

"Carlisle," Edward began, "have you ever been faced with a situation where you were aware that you had two options and neither option seemed to work for both parties involved?" Carlisle's eyebrows knitted together in response to Edward's words. "And, not just that, but everybody else seemed to feel that the situation called for the only option that you were opposed to?"

"What is the nature of the situation, Edward?" Carlisle inquired, taking in the faraway look in his 'first-born's eyes. Edward's face contorted at the thought and the expression on his face was one of pain.

"Bella," Edward averted his eyes again, avoiding eye contact with Carlisle, "wants to become a –," Edward paused, his tongue moving as though he was struggling to push the word out, "vampire."

Carlisle frowned as his son glanced over at him again, no doubt to judge his reaction to his words.

"She feels as though it's important that, for as long as I remain existing, she must remain with me." Edward explained.

"And you don't feel the same?" Carlisle inquired.

The look on Edward's face was similar to one that would be found on somebody who had just been informed of the passing of a loved one. The pain in his eyes reminded Carlisle of a much younger version of Edward. Of an Edward that was uncomfortable and unsure of himself.

"Of course I wish to spend as much time as possible with my Bella," Edward stated, "however, I don't want her to feel as though she has to give up everything for me. This is not a life that I would have chosen for myself." Edward admitted. "That's not to say that I feel you made a mistake in changing me." He was quick to assure Carlisle – not that he needed it. "But it's not something that I would want for anybody else if they have any kind of choice in the matter. Particularly not somebody that I love."

"But if it's her decision and it's what she wants –," Carlisle left the sentence unfinished as he attempted to provide Edward with a different perspective.

"It would still be a decision that would, in turn, benefit me. That's far too much for me to ask for, Carlisle. Bella has so much left to live for and so many more experience that she cannot miss. Or that I do not want her to miss, at least." Edward let out a soft, sad sigh and Carlisle knew that if his heart was still beating, the sound would have made it ache. "She cannot give up her life for me."

"She would be giving up her human life, yes." Carlisle agreed. "But she would continue to be."

"Life as a vampire is no life at all." Edward mumbled glumly. "There is so much more for her to do and, instead, she wishes to be trapped at this age forever. She wishes to give up her opportunities; her chance at finding happiness to become a monster."

"Edward Cullen," Carlisle reprimanded softly, "Bella Swan is more than happy with you. If not, why would she risk losing everything so that she can remain with you for the rest of her existence?"

"She's confused." Edward shrugged. "I'm a mystery, Carlisle. And to many, I am nothing more than a myth. I'm something that people don't understand and I feel that Bella has found herself wound up in the mystery like so many others who want to get to me because I attract people."

"You feel that Bella is just another statistic?" Carlisle inquired, tilting his head slightly as he watched his son. He hadn't know that Edward was so insecure in himself.

"I feel that Bella is making a mistake." Edward admitted. "And I feel that Bella sees me as something that I am not."

"I believe that Bella is in love with you, Edward." Carlisle answered. "It may have been the mystery that drew her to you, but it was the affection that kept her. If that was not the case, Bella would have left a long time ago. If it were not the case, she would not even entertain the idea of changing herself just to be with you for as long as she possibly can."

Edward shrugged his shoulders, again averting his gaze, avoiding eye contact with Carlisle.

"Tell me what you're thinking, Edward." Carlisle spoke softly. "I can't read your mind."

"I think that Bella is making a terrible mistake." Edward spoke. "But Jasper, Alice, Emmett and Esme all feel that it's acceptable. They feel that it would be best for her to become one of us. They want her to give up everything that she still has to look forward to because, in the end, it would benefit them. I can't believe that they could be so selfish."

Carlisle's thoughts flashed back to the scene that he had walked into in the house; suddenly it all made sense. The way in which his family had averted their eyes, avoiding his gaze. They blamed themselves for Edward being upset – they felt ashamed that what they felt would be the best path to follow wasn't the path that Edward had hoped they would want to take. He had wanted them to agree with him, to say that changing Bella was a bad idea. It also explained Rosalie's indifference to the situation; she knew that she had nothing to do with it.

Not being able to help find Edward, who she knew was upset, would have made Alice feel even worse.

"I wouldn't see it as selfish, Edward." Carlisle spoke. "I believe that they are just thinking of you. They know that both you and Bella would be much happier knowing that there would be no definite 'end' to your relationship. There would be no life expectancy for either of you. Each of us know how upset you will be when the time comes to bury your Bella."

It wasn't a topic Carlisle liked to talk about, but he knew that it was something that needed to be taken into consideration.

"I will not be without my Bella for long."

"If Bella were one of us, Edward, then you wouldn't have to worry about that. Do you see? Whilst changing Bella seems to be a completely unacceptable topic at the moment, in the end, it would be better."

"You agree with them." Edward stated, disappointment painting his face and Carlisle realised that Edward had been hoping that he would have taken his side. "Why does it seem as though nobody cares about how I feel about the situation?" He demanded.

"It's not that I don't care, Edward. I'm just attempting to look at it from both sides." Carlisle assured him. "You don't seem to have realised that, yes, you're right, in the end it will benefit us. But, ultimately, it's you that we're thinking of."

Edward scoffed, turning his head so that he was no longer looking at Carlisle. He was silent for a moment and Carlisle waited.

"And yet, nobody is bothering to take into account how guilty I would feel about it. It would kill me knowing that, because of me, Bella would give up the path that she could create for herself. That, because of me, Bella would no longer be 'Bella'. I don't want her to suffer through all I have suffered through. And most of all, I do not want Bella to be damned if there is at all anything that I can do in order to prevent it."

"There is always going to be suffering in her life, Edward, whether she is a human or a vampire." Carlisle's soft tone was a contrast to the venom in Edward's. "You are not able to rid her of suffering no matter how hard you may try."

"But whilst she is still human I can try." Edward stressed. "I can protect her from suffering, now. I can fight what may harm her. I can comfort her. If she's changed then – that suffering, Carlisle, it will all be caused by me and because of me."

Carlisle sighed at his son's words.

"Sometimes, Edward, you must take another's perspective into consideration. Even if it goes against what you may believe in." Carlisle watched him for a prolonged moment, looked below him towards the ground and then he moved, dropping out of the tree and into a crouch. He lowered himself onto the damp grass beneath, leaning against the tree trunk. "Join me down here, Edward."

Edward did as he was told. Upset, he may be, but Carlisle was still an authority figure and Edward would definitely be damned if he failed to respect that.

"I don't want you to be upset, son." Carlisle assured him, wrapping an arm around Edward's shoulders as he joined him on the ground beneath the tree, pulling him a little closer. "And I can understand why this must be hard on you." For a moment, Carlisle just looked at Edward, pushing a stand of his rain-flattened hair out of his golden eyes. "Is there a way that you and Bella can come to a compromise?"

Edward shrugged in response to Carlisle's words with a defeated sigh.

"Discuss the issue with her calmly," Carlisle stressed, "and get your point across. Ensure that she understands the reasons why you are against the idea. Try and work something out between the both of you."

Edward didn't speak. Instead, he did something that he hadn't done for many, many years.

He leant up against Carlisle's frame. He accepted the comfort that Carlisle was offering. And, even if just for a moment, he allowed Carlisle to no longer be his creator and, instead, to be his father.

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.

Please review and let me know what you think.

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