Esme Platt. Carlisle loved the way her name sounded; if there was one thing Carlisle happened to be certain about it was that Esme was a remarkable woman. Not just for her lifestyle choice but for her love of human life that was reflected in her daughter's existence. Carlisle knew the thirst of a new born vampire, the sheer determination it must have taken not to kill a baby was incredible, and that to Carlisle was the most remarkable thing. Carlisle saw Esme pause after leaving Kate's hospital room; he could see that she was concerned if not nervous leaving her daughter but Carlisle knew with Edward there Kate was in safe hands.
"Everything will be alright." Carlisle stated smiling toward Esme.
Carlisle knew that Edward however much he denied it found himself attached to Kate. To what extent Carlisle had his own ideas but until Edward spoke to him there was no way of knowing for sure. It was his main reason for leaving Edward with Kate in the first place, for one Edward had the trust of Esme and the second reason was he hoped some time with Kate might be good for him. In the past few days he had noticed a shift in Edward's mood, instead of being sombre and serious Edward now had an air of happiness to him. With that thought Carlisle offered his arm to Esme, she took it freely as they walked towards his office which was to the dismay of half the female nursing staff that glared and cursed as they walked past. Esme had noticed the looks they were getting; she just chose to ignore them. After all she was not interested in their thoughts or opinions she was only interested Carlisle's. Esme held onto to his arm tightly as he turned her into his office. She smiled at Carlisle thankful for all he had done for her daughter. She found herself attached to the man and when he touched her skin it was as if a small jolt of electricity ran though her. Something she had never felt with her previous attempt at happiness that had ended so badly.
"Thank you Carlisle I can't say how grateful we are for you hospitality. You don't need to do this for us. I would not want to impose on you at all. It is a lot to ask of you and your family." Esme said honestly as Carlisle simply smiled back at her.
For Carlisle, it was no trouble and he knew Edward did not mind it at all. Esme was the most easygoing person he knew, there was no effort in talking to her no strained conversations just plain and simple talking. The imposition was nothing as having a human around might be a little different but he was confident in his family's ability to resist human blood. Sending them hunting was merely a precaution to make sure the entire adjustment went a little easier for all involved.
"There is no need to thank me. Moreover, there are no problems either. The house we stay in has two empty rooms and they may as well be used." Carlisle said happily, as he watched Esme sit down. "As for Kate's needs we have a fully stocked kitchen most of the time; however I never had cause to cook but I can learn that I think as she will need to eat. Does Kate have any dietary needs, or allergies?"
Carlisle needed to be sure of what she could eat and drink as there was no use in her not wanting the food or not being able to eat it. Esme could hardly believe her own ears. Was she hearing Carlisle's words correctly she wondered, did he truly care that much to ask about her daughter's needs? Esme was not used to such a caring and considerate person then again this was the first time she had been persuaded to stay in close proximity to a family of vampires. Normally Esme stayed away from her own kind mostly for her daughter's sake but this time it was different. Carlisle was different to other men in so many ways and now he even appeared to care for her own daughter, someone he barely knew. To see someone care so much about two people that they hardly knew was a welcome change. For a moment Esme thought about Carlisle's question but she could not think of anything.
"No she isn't a fussy eater and no allergies that I know of. Though Carlisle, I can pay for our keep please don't trouble yourself with that. You have already done more than we deserve. I only wish I could repay you in some way"
Carlisle chuckled as he shook his head; Esme deserved far more than she knew. In addition to being able to cook for someone who could eat, well it would be a welcome change. The kitchen at the Cullen house was only a prop; it had never been used for anything more than a few practical jokes and a place to meet if the odd party was thrown.
"Good good, it is settled then. You shall not pay for your keep. It is our pleasure to have you at our home and no repayment is necessary. It is nice to meet someone as good as you Esme, especially one of our kind." Carlisle said.
Carlisle was happy to have Esme and Kate over at their house. It saved him from making up excuses to see them more often. Esme watched Carlisle come closer to her as she smiled again. Unlike most other men his closeness to her didn't bother her, it almost felt better to have him nearer to her she mused.
"Carlisle you are flattering me... you're the one who I should be thanking for all you've done. I'm no better than the next person here. It's nice to meet a man as caring as you are."
Esme felt Carlisle take her hand, his silky smooth skin against hers made her hand feel a sudden warmth that she enjoyed. Carlisle was like her knight in shining armour. Esme could not think of another doctor who would have saved her daughter and continued to care. They shared a long moment, which seemed to say what they wanted to each other. The moment ended as Esme placed a small kiss on Carlisle's cheek. For a while Carlisle thought he was in heaven as he smiled at Esme, his smile was returned easily as he took Esme into a tender embrace. He inhaled her scent deeply, a scent that he could not get enough of. Esme found herself returning the hug as she sighed. To their surprise a soft knock on the door of Carlisle's office interrupted their moment. Of course, there would be... just his luck. Esme hardly wanted to end the embrace she reluctantly let go of Carlisle who strode over to the door not needing to put a smile on his face, as he opened it.
"I have taken over your patient list for the next two days Carlisle, go and have a good holiday." Another doctor said before walking off.
Great, what a moment to interrupt to say that Carlisle muttered to himself. Still even with that thought Carlisle felt as if he was floating on cloud nine, his arm reaching for his coat that was on the coat stand by the door.
"Shall we make a move?" Carlisle asked as Esme stood up and nodded happily.
With that Carlisle once again offered Esme his arm which she took. The pair walked from the hospital receiving several glances and heard several whispers of how good they looked together with some other rather rude comments. Neither of them appeared bothered by this as Carlisle escorted Esme to his Mercedes opening the passenger door for her. Carlisle was nothing but a gentleman toward Esme as he made the drive towards his family home. He was oddly jittery about the reception Esme would receive from the others. Alice had already seen a lot which no doubt Jasper knew all about because Alice was never good with keeping secrets. Emmett would most likely be his usual self; still the reaction that troubled him most was Rosalie's. Carlisle knew better than anyone her mood could change on the flip of a coin and for the smallest of reasons. Still there was only one way he could find out if Esme would be accepted by his family and that was to let them meet her.
Esme tried to calm herself as she sat in the car beside Carlisle; the moment earlier was something she had never experienced with another man. She didn't know much about vampires as she only had herself as a base line but there was something about Carlisle that made her feel as if a whole other life was possible. A life that was stable and loving, a life where she didn't have to run from anything, one where she could be herself and trust in those who were around her. Perhaps it was a nice thought or even a delusion but there was one thing Esme believed in and that was love. She had found that with love you could conquer anything you set your mind to and right now with Carlisle Esme felt like her world was filled with possibilities.
"So this is it." Carlisle said making the turn that lead to the house.
The forest was dense and Esme could hear the sound of a river flowing close by. As Carlisle drove Esme couldn't believe that it was possible to live with a family of vampires. When she saw the house she could hardly deny its brilliant construction, the graceful features and an entire glass wall that faced south toward a river took her breath away. Whoever had designed it had a certain vision she thought to herself as she glanced toward Carlisle.
"Your home is beautiful, it really is amazing." Esme gushed before Carlisle smiled, happy that she approved.
"It is what we call home but wait until you see the inside." Carlisle said pulling the Mercedes up in front of the house.
Carlisle flew around to Esme's door opening it and offering her a hand as she got out in one gracefully fluid movement. Esme clutched the bag she had carried tightly as Carlisle took her hand softly and lead her into the house. The hallway was open and there were few walls, Esme glanced around as Carlisle took her bag and placed it by the door. The house was amazing she thought seeing Carlisle motion toward a living room that appeared to hold more books than a library, a huge TV with sofa's and the glass windows looked out into the forest with the river running freely by. There was a staircase off to her left which her eyes followed to the first floor. She cast her gaze upon a grand piano which sat in a raised area in the centre of the large room. To her right there was what appeared to be a kitchen and dining area which Esme assumed was the place that Carlisle aimed to try his hand at cooking, also there was an open balcony that peered into the living room below.
"Do you play?" Esme asked motioning toward the piano.
"No... No, that is all Edward, he is an accomplished pianist and you must hear him play it is wonderful." Carlisle told her beaming with joy, "So this is the kitchen and dining room, as you can see it doesn't get much use."
Carlisle saw Esme chuckle as he motioned for her to follow him toward the stairs.
"So on the second floor we have Alice and Jasper's room, Jasper has a study while Alice wanted an extra room for all her clothes." Carlisle explained as he pointed toward various doors. "This is Emmett and Rosalie's room; it is the same with the study for Emmett and the extra room for all of Rosalie's clothes, shoes and accessories."
Carlisle watched as Esme smiled and nodded listening intently as they passed yet another living room type space with a view of the forest and a balcony door. Esme followed Carlisle to yet another floor of the house. From the outside it was deceptively smaller than the inside appeared.
"Here is Edward's room, it faces south onto the river." Carlisle said as if he was showing the house to a possible buyer, "Well here is my room and study, the library is right at the end of the hall and has an adjoining door to my study but here is where you and Kate will be staying. I will clear this out for you today..."
Carlisle stopped short when he opened the door into one of the two bedrooms. Carlisle expected to see boxes of unused items that he hadn't yet moved into his office and a few dozen books lying around yet what he saw was the most pristine room. There was only one person in the family that could transform a room like that and it was Alice, with a surprised look Carlisle opened the second door expecting to see the same mess and yet his eyes were met with another perfectly arranged room.
"Well I think it might have been taken care of already but these are your rooms." Carlisle explained, "Anything you need all you have to do is ask."
"You know I can't thank you enough for all of this, I must repay you in some way." Esme said unsure how she could even begin to. "I will pay our way here and if there's anything you want me to do, all you need to do is ask."
Esme was deadly serious about paying for their stay. Being a vampire had its perks at times, like not needing food or general necessities that humans would require however her daughter was just that. Her life had not been easy from the start to begin with she had held a job for a few years as a free lance architect but after her first experience of her fiancé finding her Esme gave that up. She worked as an office assistant after that but the same as before it didn't work out when she had to take days off because it was too sunny. Soon she realised that the only work she was going to get was as a waitress for night shifts. For years that was how she paid her way in life and when Kate was old enough she started to take summer jobs or after school work just to help out where she could. If there was one thing Esme knew a lot about it was budgeting and even though Carlisle had offered his home and everything that went with it she was determined to pay her way.
"Esme please, it's our pleasure to have you here." Carlisle replied smiling warmly, "Why don't we take a seat in the living room?"
Carlisle showed Esme down the flights of stairs toward the living room. He motioned for Esme to take a seat as he stacked a few stray magazines on the coffee table nervously before sitting next to her. Carlisle was still amazed she wanted to earn her keep so to speak, there were few people in the world having been offered what Esme had been who would still offer to pay their way. Carlisle knew it was barely going to cost them anything, sure they might need some different food for Kate but they usually kept a reasonably well stocked refrigerator for appearance sake. The fact that they needed to appear at the local store now and again and buy food generally led to it sitting in the fridge for a week or Edward would give it to charity a few towns away to avoid any unwanted attention. For a moment Carlisle stared at Esme hardly believing she was there though the moment she smiled Carlisle felt as if he had won the lottery. Esme was lost as she tried not to stare at Carlisle too much. The whole day had been a little surreal for her; the fact that someone could care like Carlisle appeared to. The way his family was accepting and understanding confused her and amazed her at the same time.
"So what brings you to Forks?" Carlisle asked curiously.
Esme debated her answer for a moment or two, was there any use in letting someone know the truth? She believed that Carlisle was sincere in his question however she didn't know how to answer it without telling the man something she hadn't told anyone for years. Kate was the only person who knew why they moved so often, why they would never stay in one place for long and yet a part of her wanted to confide in Carlisle and another part wanted to keep the entire thing quiet just in case it changed his opinion of her. Esme closed her eyes for a moment as if reliving each experience before answering honestly.
"Forks has a good school and not too much sun." Esme replied pulling a stray thread from her jeans, "That and we can't stay in any one town for a long time, Kate's father always seems to catch up with us every once in a while."
Hearing that last part Carlisle realised what Edward might have over heard in the hospital. A human might not have been able to connect the dots as quickly but Carlisle knew there was more to the story than Esme was letting on. For a moment he wondered if Esme had been abused by her husband, it would explain her reluctance to leave her daughter with strangers and certainly her desire to 'check out' his family before she let Kate get involved.
"I understand." Carlisle said honestly, he reached for her hand and took it in his. "You don't have to explain anything further."
"No, I want to; I should since you have done all this." Esme said waving her hand before taking a deep breath. "I had a fiancé once named Charles. My family thought that he was a good match and so we were pushed together, it turned out that Charles was quite the charmer but behind closed doors not so much. Charles is a lawyer so when I told my family they said it was part of an adjustment period and if I made his abuse public I would ruin his career and his family name."
Despite her best efforts Esme could feel the sting of tears in her eyes yet none fell. Since her transformation she no longer had the ability to shed tears which right then Esme was more than thankful for. She didn't remember too much about her human life however the one thing she did remember was Charles and the horrific things he did. It had taken her a long time to actually let a man near her; she would always shy away if someone raised their voice, that was until her first meeting with Charles. Esme never expected to see him again but Charles appeared three weeks after Kate's first birthday, he was the same angry man she remembered but upon seeing Kate he seemed to realise something. Esme had denied Kate was his daughter but the man knew, to begin with he told her he wanted to be a family and when she refused he became angry. Esme remembered vividly the punch he had thrown at her hitting her square in the jaw. Both to Charles's surprise and her own she didn't feel any physical pain; it was only Charles who she left with a broken hand. The man had retreated in shock but after that Charles had always been able to find them eventually.
"I tried to stay, I made up excuses for him but when he put me in hospital using the excuse I had fallen down the stairs I knew I had to go." Esme continued feeling her throat constrict as she took a ragged breath to maintain her composure. "Before I was to be released I ran, I didn't tell anyone, not even my family and I have been running ever since. We always move every six months or so because Charles, he always seems to catch up sooner or later no matter how careful I am and now with Kate it's..."
Carlisle squeezed Esme's hand lightly unable to respond. Watching Esme talk about her life and her daughter, the absolute fear and absolute love made his next move almost instinctive. Without a word, he reached an arm around her shoulders pulling her gently toward him. The feeling was strange, almost a forgotten pleasure though to his surprise Esme didn't try to pull away.
"This is the first time I've used my real surname since I ran, I wanted Kate to graduate under her real name not something fake." Esme explained as if willing Carlisle to understand, "I'm sorry, next time I pour my heart out remind me to stop, okay?"
Though she tried to pass off her comment Carlisle could hear the anxiety in her voice. Carlisle understood the moving around, his family did the same every few years and he also knew the toll it could take on people. Getting to know friends and then leaving them as though they never existed. It wasn't until Rosalie had joined the family that he had more of an understanding about the abuse people could suffer. For many years Carlisle thought he could sympathise but Rosalie opened his eyes and mind to thoughts and feelings someone who had suffered at the hand of another could have.
"Esme next time you pour your heart out I want you to feel like you can do that at any point." Carlisle said seriously, "Never feel as if you cannot talk to me."
"Thank you Carlisle." Esme replied smiling faintly, "You know despite everything that has happened I want you to know that Kate is the most wonderful child that any mother could wish to have. You need to know that despite everything, Kate is the greatest thing that's happened to me. She's the good thing I have in my life. It's why I wanted to meet everyone and understand for myself that she will be safe here."
Carlisle tried to compose something to say though words had completely failed him. He was completely flawed by the love this woman had for her daughter, her ability to walk away from a life and family she knew and to keep walking no matter what took an unparalleled strength that only a few people had.
"That was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard Esme." Carlisle said.
Esme simply smiled and bowed her head. She knew she probably sounded crazy and over protective but Kate was her life and had been for the past eighteen years. At only seventeen years old Esme realised that she wasn't a 'child' anymore but in her eyes she was still the giggling soft bundle of joy that had been wrapped in a pink blanket all those years ago. Her mind wondered to the reassuring arm that was around her shoulders and the hand that held hers so gently and yet it made her feel as if she was ten feet tall. It was a strange notion that someone's touch could make her feel so safe despite her obvious vulnerabilities she had simply poured out to a man she barely knew.
"Thank you." Esme whispered.
"Were home." Someone called as footsteps could be heard upstairs.
Esme pulled away from Carlisle shuffling to a less intimate distance from him as Esme looked toward Alice who appeared to almost dance as she approached, she was short, incredibly thin and pixie like. Her small soft features and spiky hairstyle surprised Esme though when Alice smiled and spoke it was as if the world was a happy place for her. Esme knew her knowledge of vampires was severely limited but this was a lot to take in, first of all Edward with his mind reading ability, Carlisle who could easily withstand the allure of human blood and now Alice who had the visions according to Edward, though his description of his adopted sister was perfect.
"Welcome home." Carlisle said as he motioned toward a pixie like girl. "This is Alice she is responsible for a lot of the decorations and clothes around here."
"Esme it is wonderful to finally meet you." Alice said hugging Esme before she could refuse or even stand. "Edward's told us a lot about you and Kate."
"Oh, he has?" Esme said surprised, "I hope he hasn't exaggerated anything."
"Never, if anything he hasn't told the truth." Alice said smiling still, "You are much more beautiful than he told me."
If Esme could have blushed she would have turned a deep shade of red. The girl could certainly make someone feel like they were walking on cloud nine Esme thought as she felt Alice take her hand.
"I have someone I'd like you to meet, my husband Jasper." Alice said pulling at Esme's hand leading her up the flights of stairs and back toward the library.
Carlisle followed the two women up the flights of stairs his breath held tightly in his chest. Esme smiled warmly as Jasper came into view in the door way. Her eyes immediately caught sight of the man and the scars that covered his neck and jaw line. Esme couldn't stop herself as she pulled away from Alice and took a few steps back bumping into Carlisle in the process. She held the look of a deer caught in the headlights as she debated if the entire idea was too much for her.
"It's okay Esme, Jasper is well seasoned with our kind and he won't hurt you." Alice chimed softly.
Esme glanced between Alice and Carlisle who were nodding. Carlisle held his hand out for Esme before walking her toward Jasper who bowed and held out his hand keeping a comfortable distance between himself and Esme.
"I'm very sorry for scaring you ma'am." Jasper said in a southern drawl. "I know that my appearance can sometimes be... shocking."
Esme couldn't help but stare at Jasper; there was something strange about him. She could easily see past the scars that told her Jasper was a little more 'seasoned' that most. It was the way he stood which was almost military and even down to the way he spoke Esme could tell that the look of a teenager was merely pretence. Jasper was far older than he appeared to be.
"Sorry Jasper... I...I'm not used to this." Esme said regrettably looking to the floor in front of her feet. "I don't have much experience with other vampires."
Jasper smiled sympathetically moving back slightly giving Esme some more space. For a moment Jasper was disarmed by Esme, the very sight of the woman left him with a warm feeling and yet even when he could feel she was tense there was a part of her that seemed to care very deeply.
"Well I am sure you will get used to us very soon." Alice squeaked, "After all you are staying with us and we have all the time in the world to get to know everyone better."
With that Carlisle shot a warning glanced toward Alice who was pretty much oblivious as she appeared to enter into a trance like state. Carlisle noticed the change immediately knowing what it meant, Alice's visions were something of a normal part of life but at that moment Carlisle was curious to know what was going on.
"We missed something." Alice announced running from the hallway before appearing with a small lamp. "This is for Kate."
Alice placed the lamp in one of the rooms. Esme smiled and nodded a thank you to Alice who danced from the room clapping her hands excitedly before moving to Jaspers side. Esme was still struggling with the idea that a family of vampires could do all of this for two complete strangers and better yet a human stranger. Esme stood unmoving feeling slightly unravelled at the events that had passed. Once again the Cullen family had surprised her. First Carlisle had saved her daughter, then Edward had befriended her daughter and now the family was making her and her daughter feel welcome. It was their kindness that touched her in a place she'd never expected. As Kate's mother, she could only do so much to help her daughter and moving states every so often, never having sleepovers or parties became the normal life. Not being able to make friends and keep them was the worst part though now Esme could see that there was a possibility of making friends. Even if they weren't completely human friends.
"Thank you so much for everything." Esme said.
"Oh it will be fun to have you around Esme." Alice answered, "Besides I have a need for someone to help me with my projects if you wouldn't mind?"
Esme nodded, helping with any project would be good. Keeping busy was how she got through her days, she would watch her daughter sleep for a while once she had finished work, clean and tidy their home but after that she had an entire day to full. So projects were a huge part of her life.
"Great, so first we can work on our other houses, Carlisle tells us you have an architectural background." Alice said almost dancing on the spot.
"Alice!" Carlisle scolded, "I'm sure Esme has other things to do."
"Oh I agree but something's turn out much better when you have the knowhow." Alice answered, "That's if you still want to help with my projects?"
The way Alice asked it was as if a child was asking for help with homework, how could she refuse? It would be good to have a project that could occupy her mind a little, if there was one downfall to being a vampire beside the blood lust it was the lack of sleeping. Having all that time spare meant that projects were the only thing that kept her from going crazy at times.
"Sure Alice, anything I can do to help." Esme replied smiling.
"Here we go Carlisle; this will be house number..." Jasper said trying to count which house this would be.
"Number twenty-three Jasper. Twenty three." Carlisle muttered.
It was crucial to their existence that they moved around and they did have a certain amount of houses at their disposal but Alice was always trying to find the next one. The next great adventure and apparently she had managed to drag Esme into the middle of her projects which could range from a renovation to an entire new build depending on what she had in mind that day. Carlisle glanced toward Esme as he heard a sudden thud downstairs.
"Ooh, I think Rose and Emmett are back." Alice chimed pulling Jasper down the hall. "You must meet the rest of our family Esme."
Esme felt like she was in a daze as Carlisle took hold of her arm gently as they walked down the hall. When she had asked to meet his family she thought it would be easy and now she felt like it was an information overload. Before Esme had returned to the living room a large teenager stepped toward her. He had dark hair, definitely over six feet tall and he looked like a body builder but when he smiled his size didn't seem all that imposing anymore. Esme was surprised that there were so many vampires there all living under one roof. In her experience she had never met more than three that coexisted together.
"So you're Esme huh?" Emmett asked grinning widely.
"Hi, yes I'm Esme Platt." Esme replied holding out her hand to him.
Emmett grinned as he just looked at her outstretched hand shaking it for a moment before pulling her to him. Esme didn't have a choice other than to go or she was sure he would have torn her arm from her body. Before she knew it her feet barely touched the ground as she was taken into a crushing embrace.
"Emmett!" Carlisle warned shaking his head.
"Welcome to the family Esme." Emmett announced before letting her go.
"T..Thank you. You're Emmett right?" Esme asked.
Emmett nodded smirking.
"Edward told you huh. Well if you want to have fun here then I'm your man. Don't let these musty old vampires bore you too much." He joked eliciting a small chuckle.
"Oh you have to meet Rosalie, she's my wife but she wanted to fix her hair before she saw you." Emmett explained, "Typical women."
Esme smiled knowing that she had tried to look her best before meeting everyone though she wasn't sure how good an impression she had made. It was in that thought that Esme saw Rose, the tall, slender and blonde female beauty Esme was sure Rosalie was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. All of a sudden Esme felt totally inadequate, if Carlisle had someone like Rosalie around the house why was he even paying her any attention?
"This is her?" Rose asked looking toward Alice for confirmation of her question.
"Rose this is Esme." Alice replied seeing Carlisle's disapproving look.
If there was one thing that Rose didn't like it was competition. Carlisle was a father to all of them, they trusted his guidance like a child would their parents but for Rose another vampire in the house was someone else to compete with. Sure Rose was the best out of everyone with mechanics and also helped Carlisle learn about new medical advances but there were some things Rose couldn't do. Esme offered her hand again though Rose didn't take it; she simply circled the woman with a look that made it clear she was evaluating her.
"Rose that's not how we treat our guests." Carlisle said firmly walking to Esme's side.
"I'm just looking out for my family." Rose told him with somewhat of a cold stare. "She wants to meet us and I want to meet her for the same reason."
Rose's life hadn't been easy and after Carlisle had found her it felt as if her life was just one big nightmare. Still things changed when she grew to see Carlisle as a father figure and when he turned Emmett she had realised just what family meant to Carlisle. It was why she was so curious about Esme, why was she interested in Carlisle? The man had turned down many women in his life both human and vampire alike so what was so special about this one she wondered.
"I understand that." Esme said feeling Carlisle take her hand protectively, "I think we have the same purpose."
Rose was stunned by Esme, how she could think they had the same reasons for wanting to meet. Sure she had a human daughter but they had been hunting to make sure they wouldn't kill the human. No Rose wanted to know everything about Esme while her mind considered several ways of running a background check on the woman. This wasn't just some act of kindness, Alice had all but seen the outcome of this meeting and yet she felt it her responsibility to make sure that Carlisle was happy and there was nothing bad that could come up.
"You might be looking out for your daughter but we're looking out for Carlisle." Rose announced her eyes running over the woman.
Esme suddenly felt uncomfortable in the room despite Carlisle's comforting presence there. She could feel Rosalie's eyes boring holes through her which wasn't the best feeling in the world. Esme had learned a long time ago that she couldn't please everyone nor would everyone like her but for some reason she had thought Carlisle's family would be as accepting as he was. For the most part Esme thought that they were wonderful and like Carlisle so very accepting of the situation but Rose, Rose was a different story.
"I should probably go and check on Kate." Esme said looking toward Carlisle for a rescue from the silence that gripped the room.
"I'm sure Kate is just resting." Carlisle replied smiling warmly, "Alice would you show Esme back to her room so she can get settled, her bag is by the front door."
Alice knew what Carlisle was doing the moment he reassured Esme that her daughter was okay. Alice knew what it was like to be without the person who made someone feel complete. It was like a part was missing and when they were there it felt like nothing else mattered. Still Alice smiled and nodded taking hold of Esme's hand and leading her from the room followed by Jasper.
"What was that?" Carlisle muttered to Rose.
Rose was stood there looking like an angel. Her almost puppy dog eyes and look of innocence hardly worked on Carlisle anymore, over the years Carlisle had bowed to her every wish knowing she hated her existence as a vampire and blamed him entirely. Yet as time passed Carlisle realised he was only feeding Rosalie's narcissistic and self-centred personality. It had been Edward who pointed it out to him but this was a little too much even for Rose.
"It was exactly what I said it was. I don't like her." Rose answered the moment she realised that her old routine wasn't going to work.
"You really have to understand someone before you can pass judgement Rosalie." Carlisle said doing his best to keep his tone level. "Perhaps if you had spent some time understanding Esme you would realise that you both share a similar past."
In an instant Rose knew what Carlisle meant. The man had never brought up Royce King and even when she killed him Carlisle had been the one to understand and not judge her for the choice she made. He accepted her into his life and family as if she had done nothing wrong. Rose felt Emmett touch her arm as she pulled away from him angry that Carlisle was even bringing up her past.
"Well someone had to make it clear that we would look out for you Carlisle." Rose said defiantly.
With that simple statement Rose turned and left slamming the front door behind her closely followed by Emmett who Carlisle knew would follow Rose to the ends of the earth. The force of the door hitting its own frame made the house shake as Carlisle took a slow breath wondering if this was all a little too much even for him. Even when those thoughts buzzed around his head he could hear Alice clearly entertaining Esme and when Esme spoke to Alice it was similar to long-lost friends talking about past times. The chatter that flowed so easily between the two was comforting and even when Jasper spoke there was a sense of ease about the conversation. Carlisle sank back into a vacant sofa in the living room enjoying the mundane conversation despite not being directly involved. It was somewhat peaceful to know four out of his five adopted children appeared to accept Esme. Now he only had to work on Rose.