Chapter 12: The Prodigal Son

Esme and I settled into life as a young married couple with their first house in Minneapolis. But it didn't take long for us to realize we couldn't have any children. My theory on the issue was based on the fact that vampire bodies don't age. We are suspended in the state we were when we changed. A vampire can't have babies because we're stuck how we were when we changed.

Esme became depressed, lamenting our own sterility, and the loss of the one who had come closest to being her son, to a different life. A life neither of us agreed with. Even I could not cure her of her sorrow, and I doubted medicine would do anything. Years passed with just the two of us. Esme took a job of her own as a school teacher. Being with children helped to ease her pain. And the students adored her. Slowly, I watched her depression ease as she came to love her students. It never really ceased, but it no longer consumed her.

Esme and I had stayed in Minneapolis for four years when we first got a hint of another vampire. An unfamiliar scent greeted us when we returned after a hunt. It wasn't a human either. It was too sweet, and definitely not tempting. What's worse was that it was in our house. Neither of us were fighters, we didn't want to get into a disagreement. Esme and I agreed to keep an eye out.

The next day, we were confronted as we ran back towards Ashland to check back at the old house. We were running through the trees, heading northeast, back towards Wisconsin. We heard them before we smelled them, two vampires, male and female. They were taking no measures to conceal themselves, so we stopped, hoping that they wanted to only talk.

We paused at the base of a towering pine, probably older then I was. Three seconds later, the pair arrived at the pine also. They were mature vampires, with blood red eyes. They followed the regular eating regimen. Although they travelled as a pair, I did not think that they were together in anyway, except perhaps out of convenience.

"Can we help you?" I asked politely.

The male spoke up. "I am Randall, this is Mary. We were merely curious. We had not heard of any others in the area. Maybe the humans are losing their touch."

He meant the human police. They hadn't seen any murders. "I am Carlisle, this is my wife Esme," I replied. "And I don't think the police would find anything from us. We do not feed from the typical source."

"Is that why you're eyes are such a unique shade?" Mary asked, gesturing to her own blood-red pupils.

"A side effect," Esme explained. "We feed from animals and the blood turns our eyes this gold shade."

"Interesting," Randall commented. "You must have a lot of control to avoid feeding from humans. More than I have." He chuckled at his grime reference. It was all almost sinister.

"It is difficult," Esme admitted. She smiled at me, threading her fingers through my own. "But worthwhile."

"Yes well, we wish you luck," Mary said. "We were just curious, as Randall said. We will let you be on your way. Just…don't bring any others into the area. We'd hate to have to ask you to leave." Mary's double meaning was obvious. They didn't want the competition, and as long as it was just Esme and I, they would remain peaceful.

Mary and Randall left, heading back towards the city. Esme and I were wary from their exchange, but we continued on towards Ashland, placing the gathered information from the conversation away in our vast memories.

"I guess we know who had been in our home," Esme commented as we ran.

I nodded. Randall had been the vampire the unknown scent had belonged to. "Yes," I agreed. "And I think we'll have to forgive them for their insinuations."

Esme sighed, "They were just curious Carlisle."

We arrived back at our house a few minutes later. All thought of Mary and Randall was torn from our minds when we walked in. The prodigal son had returned, and sat in the living room, waiting as if he'd always been there.

"Edward!" Esme cried out. She darted around the couch and embraced her returned son.

Edward looked horrible. His eyes were dark, only slightly red. He hadn't fed recently, from human or animal. The dark circles under his eyes stood out in stark contrast with his pale skin. He looked haggard. But the expression on his face was one I'll never forget, even a thousand years later. His face was full of sorrow and penance. Sorrow for all the lives he'd taken in the four years he'd been gone. The time had taken a great toll on him, emotionally, mentally, perhaps even physically. As he embraced Esme, he looked to me, uncertain. Slowly he pulled away from Esme and walked around the couch to stand in front of me.

"Carlisle," he said. "Could you ever forgive me for making such a horrible mistake?" He bowed his head in shame. But he didn't realize that I'd already forgiven him.

"Edward," I sighed. He looked. There is nothing to forgive.

Edward's face lit up and relief played across his features. Relief that we forgave him. Relief to be home. Esme embraced him once more, and this time Edward really returned the gesture.

"Let's go," I said. Edward nodded, reading the explanation from my mind. We don't live here anymore. And you look like you could go hunting.

"I could even have deer right now," Edward agreed. The three of us left the Ashland house and headed southwest, hunting along the way. By the time we returned to Minneapolis, it was time for my shift at the hospital.

Edward fit back into our family as if he'd never left. With the exception of the first night when Edward told us everything, we didn't talk about his years away. Six months later, in December, we moved to Rochester, New York. Esme was sorry to leave her students, but there was nothing else to tie us to the area. Edward had returned, we could move on now. We moved to New York where Esme and Edward pretended to be brother and sister. There we lived peacefully until 1933.

Sorry for not updating so quickly, but now that I'm back in school, I have other work to do. I'll try to stay on it but fear not, I've written up to Chapter 17. I just need to type it up. Keep with me and don't forget to review!

-Wish