Disclaimer – Twilight and its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. We are borrowing them for the sake of pure entertainment. We pledge to return them in one piece. We do not make money, take bribes, or anything illegal from this entertainment piece. The plot and any created characters do belong to us, however, and are not meant to be used to take the spotlight off the original characters.

Summery – After a fun day at the fair Carlisle and Esme have a talk. – 1925

Eternity Together

By:

AngelBabs81 and potterfan2006

Carlisle was off that day. Since the day was overcast, Carlisle met his small family with an idea: Going to the state fair. Esme and Edward jumped at the opportunity and they spent the day wondering around the fair. It gave Esme an opportunity to be around humans and control her thirst and it let Edward be a teenage boy. He did well at the games offered, but only won once. He handed the prize to Esme, who accepted it gratefully. They enjoyed themselves, smiling and laughing. But throughout the wandering around, Carlisle caught little glimpses of sadness in Esme's eyes and face when she saw a family together, with little children laughing excitedly.

By the time they returned home, the setting sun had broken through the clouds, which warmed the temperature up. Carlisle held the door open for Esme and offered, "would you like to go for a walk?" he asked Esme, allowing Edward to move around them into the house.

Esme smiled a half smile, her mind preoccupied with other things. "Sure," she answered simply.

Offering his arm, Carlisle escorted Esme to the back of their house, following the trail in the woods they used commonly to hunt. "Did you want to talk about it?" Carlisle asked when he knew they were out of mind reach of Edward.

"What's there to talk about?" Esme shrugged. "We had a great day. It was fun. I got a chance to see Edward act 17 for once."

Carlisle sighed, slightly in frustration. He moved his arm to walk a few steps ahead of her. "We did have a great day," Carlisle agreed. "We were like a normal family, except with something missing."

Esme stood silent for a while; she knew what Carlisle was referring too but it hurt for her to think about it. She blinked away non-existent tears and cleared her throat. She did not want to end this day being upset. She walked over to Carlisle and put her hand on his shoulder.

Carlisle stopped in his tracks and turned to her. "I know it's hard, Esme. And I haven't exactly shown interest in discussing it. But I am willing to now."

Esme stiffened in posture a little. "Are you talking about what I think you're talking about?"

"I saw the way you looked at the parents with children and babies. I saw the hurt in your eyes when you heard children squeal in excitement. We've never honestly discussed our inabilities to have children because I've never taken you out for so long among our human counterparts."

"There is not much to talk about. Yes, it hurts like hell that I will never be able to give you the child that I want too, but it's the way things are," she said, once again fighting back non-existent tears.

Carlisle nodded his head. "There is plenty to talk about," he informed. "We are like humans in the aspect that we can't keep feelings and thoughts bottled up. If we do, the damage can be 10 times worse than a normal human being."

"But I don't want to talk about this. It hurts too damn much inside," Esme said, grabbing a fist full of her blouse and pressing her closed fist over her still heart.

And it hurts me too, Carlisle admitted to himself. "I know it does. I just never realized how much it hurt you until today."

Esme turned her back to him and wrapped her hands around her middle as a low growl reverberated from her chest. Just talking about it broke something inside of her and she needed to find a way to get herself back together again.

Carlisle looked at her back and knew something was broken inside her. "Forget I brought it up," Carlisle spoke, distain in his voice. He thought Esme had trusted him fully but he was wrong.

Esme lost it. She crouched low and launched herself at the nearest tree, pounding it with her fists and crying out the name of the one person she knew that could help her. "Carlisle!"

Now that wasn't expected. Carlisle watched as she launched herself at the nearby tree and obliterated it. Shards of the tree splintered every which way. Carlisle pounced on her immediately, though too late for the tree. "Easy, Esme," Carlisle spoke soothingly with his arms around her waist

After a few minutes of desperate struggling in his arms, she fell limp as she brokenly sobbed for the children that she and Carlisle could never have.

The entire time, Carlisle whispered soothing words until her body stopped shaking violently. "Esme, it hurts, I know," he whispered.

Esme looked up, "why does it hurt so much, Carlisle? I don't remember it hurting this much when I lost my son. Why is this so different?" she questioned softly.

Carlisle pulled her up to standing position, supporting her and looked at her. "Because the way we complete each other," Carlisle told her. "Because before you, I never thought about it much. But for the first time, together with you, the thoughts of children have crossed my mind more so now than anytime in my 250 years."

"There has to be a way for us to have a family, Carlisle. I want to so bad it just hurts," she said quietly, putting her head back on his shoulder and finally allowing herself to calm down. She was feeling clearer headed now.

Carlisle swallowed audibly. "There is, but no means of sexual reproduction," Carlisle answered Esme. "We have Edward. For now, that has to be enough."

"I will never let go of my dream of my own family with you, but for now what I have with you and Edward will be enough," she said, kissing the side of his face that she could reach.

"If by some miracle, you and I can conceive our own, I will be the happiest man alive, but for now, I am happy and content with you and Edward," Carlisle smiled and kissed her cheek as well.

Esme nodded then laughed. "I am sure Edward is completely worried about us by now, maybe we should get back." She then looked at what was left of the tree around her and laughed again. "Looks like we have more firewood now, boy did I make a mess out of that tree," she laughed.

"Edward is fine," Carlisle assured and smiled, taking her hand and twining their fingers. "More like kindling."

Esme playfully smacked him then smirked. "Next time I get mad, I will try to leave bigger pieces." She giggled, feeling lighter than she had in a long time.

Carlisle loved hearing her giggle and brought her hand to his lips, laying a light kiss on the back of her hand. "So, did you want to discuss it calmly?"

Esme smiled and nodded, "yes we can. I feel calmer now. It feels like the poisonous emotion that had been inside of me is gone now."

Carlisle nodded, and escorted her to a tree that had fallen and used it as a bench.

Esme took a seat and was silent, "why don't you start first, Carlisle? How do you feel?" she asked.

"As I admitted earlier, "Carlisle began, "I feel the urge to procreate with you more than I have in my past years. And, having a child with you would be a wonderful experience, but alas, I know it is not possible. And I've accepted it."

"And I would also love to give you a child. I think he or she would have been beautiful with your blond hair." As she said that, she ran her fingers though his hair. "And with your nose," she then brought her hand to his face. "And your beautiful lips." She ran her fingers over his lips.

Carlisle gave a heart-melting smile to her and kissed her finger that was tracing his lips. "Well, I see that as a boy. But when I see a girl, she looks like you, with your beautiful golden-auburn hair."

Esme smiled warmly. "And what would you name our children if we had them?" she asked, smiling shyly.

"That's a harder one," Carlisle spoke softly, caressing her arm lightly. "I've always liked Mollie for a girl."

Esme smiled. "Mollie is a beautiful name," she said in a gentle voice. "But what if it was a boy?" she asked quietly, a smile still on her lips.

"I don't know... what do you like?" Carlisle asked.

Esme had a thoughtful look on her face. "Seth, maybe," Esme suggested.

"Seth is a good name," Carlisle agreed, thoughtful. The thoughts of how they discussed and described their would-be children brought a smile to his face,

Esme grinned as well. "So, we have some very beautiful names picked ou,t" she commented. "Somehow just talking about this makes it feel a little easier to deal with inside. It still does not take away the hurt but somehow it makes it feel more possible even though I know deep down its improbable."

"You are right," Carlisle agreed, leaning over to kiss her temple. "So, would you be content for eternity with me and Edward?"

Esme rested her hand on his thigh and leaned her head on his shoulder. She sighed in contentment. "Yes, I think I can truly say that I would be content for eternity with you and Edward," she spoke sincerely.

Carlisle smiled, and pulled her against him. They enjoyed the silence of the woods together.

As the sun fully set and it neared midnight, she had realized that they had been gone for several hours and in a low whisper, she spoke, "I think its time we headed back to our son. We have been gone for a while now, but I am too content right now to move," she said in a lazy voice.

"It is nice to just be here, together," Carlisle agreed and stood up with her. "But you are right. Let's go home."

With that they headed back to their home and too their lives together as a family, unaware and uncaring what their eternity held for them.

The end