Chapter 20

Carlisle had spent most of the day with Alexandra. The two of them had gone hunting, he showed her a lot of the land around Forks that she had previously been unfamiliar with, and to end the day they caught a movie together before returning home. It was a day they both seemed to enjoy, and Edward smiled as they entered the house laughing together.

"Haven't see you all day," he commented, still grinning.

"Dad, daughter day," Alexandra said, flashing her movie ticket stub.

"Sounds nice."

"I'm so happy for Nessy and Jacob," she told him, "I told her congrats like a hundred times."

"I'm happy for them too. Alice seems to think they want to get married right away."

"I hope so. I want to see what a wedding is like. I've only seen pictures. Yours looked so beautiful Edward."

"Thanks," he said, "It was. Alice did a great job. Everyone did really. They made it pretty special. Masen and Leah probably will soon."

"He said not for a couple years," she shrugged then looked at Carlisle, "Thanks Dad. I had fun today."

"Me too."

She hugged him and headed to where she heard Rosalie and Alice talking down the hall.

"Doing okay?" Carlisle asked Edward.

"Yeah," he said, "I really am. I've come around to the idea that she's grown up. Jacob's a good guy... and traditional in many senses that I've been able to see in his thoughts."

He nodded and patted his son on the back, "I'm happy for them, and for you and Bella. And I agree, Jacob has a good heart."

"He does," Edward agreed, then changed the subject, "Where are you taking Esme?"

Carlisle smirked.

"Sorry," he apologized for reading his thoughts.

Carlisle looked down and told Edward his plans through his thoughts so he wouldn't spoil any surprises he had for his wife, nor take the attention off of anyone else. He expressed his intentions and Edward nodded with a smile.

Esme had finished packing a bag, upon Alice's request earlier. She hadn't elaborated on anything, but made sure she was ready for when Carlisle got home. As he made his way up the stairs, he was surprised to see her sitting already ready to go, wearing an elegant flowy dress.

"Alice?" he asked with a grin.

"She didn't give me any details," Esme smiled, "But suggested I pack an outfit or two. She picked out the dress."

Carlisle smiled, "You look beautiful.I just have to pack a few things myself."

"How was your day with Alexandra?"

He shuffled through his closet and threw a few things into a gym bag, "It was great. We had a good time."

"Good. I'm glad. I think you needed a nice day with her like that."

"Yeah," he agreed, changing into semi-formal attire.

Esme watched him as he zipped the bag shut that he'd packed and threw it over his shoulder.

"We probably could have fit everything in here," he said, "We'll be back home tomorrow."

"Let's take our time," she told him.

Carlisle pulled her to him and gave her a kiss, "Ready?"

"Yeah. Does Alexandra know that we're leaving?"

He nodded, "I told her we'd be back tomorrow."

"I just have to say goodbye to her."

Carlisle nodded and waited for Esme to rejoin him by the front door.

"Bye," Edward said with a smile and a wave. Bella had just returned from a hunt and joined him on the couch, attempting to enjoy a baseball game he'd put on.

"See ya," she smiled.

The two of them headed out the door and Carlisle popped the trunk to put their bags in before opening the passenger door for Esme and then allowing himself into the driver's seat.

Esme had no idea where he was taking her, and had asked a few questions in the beginning of their trip before deciding to stop when he didn't answer any of them directly. Almost two hours had gone by before he pulled the car over on the side of the road across from what appeared to be a beach.

"Where are we?" she asked.

Carlisle smiled and quickly jumped out of the car, opening her door and reaching for her hand. She took it with a smile and allowed him to lead her down the beach a little ways, before they crossed through a path made in the sand, decorated on both sides with trees, before emerging again by the water on the other side.

Two rows of torches were set up, creating a perfect walkway that lead up to an alter where a man stood and waited quietly. Behind him in the darkness, waves crashed against the surf and slung up onto the beach sand.

"What's going on?" Esme asked him with a smile.

Carlisle turned and faced her, caressing her jawline with his thumb, "Before everything happened with Olivia and that whole ordeal, I had something planned for the two of us... and everyone else. I wasn't sure at the time if I was even going to be back, but I planned a ceremony here for this date."

Esme smiled at him shyly and found herself already wanting to lunge at him, thinking he looked extremely handsome in the flickering flames that provided the only real light where they stood.

"When Masen proposed to Leah, I decided that I didn't want to ruin his moment. It didn't seem right, because now is really their time.. and then last night with Jacob and Nessy.. again, it's their time to experience the earliest stages of loving somebody, and going through the process of being married. I really didn't want to take the spotlight off either of them. I just, at the time I planned this, had no idea that any of that was going to happen, especially with Masen."

Esme nodded and felt him take her hand in his. She continued to try reading his expression.

"The day before we all left and you went down to the island with Rosalie, I ordered this ring," he held out a simple, silver band, "I wanted to do something that was long overdue, in my eyes, which was to renew our wedding vows. It's been over ninety years that I've been blessed to have you with me, and I think it would be a shame not to acknowledge something like that."

She smiled at him, though he continued to portray a serious expression, "I wanted to have everyone here," he said again, "But I didn't think it would necessarily be the right time, considering all that has gone on, like I said with Masen and Renesme's engagements. So I figured the two of us could share it together, just the two of us."

Esme put a hand on his perfectly combed hair, then ran it down his face, "You're such an amazing man, Carlisle."

"You're an amazing woman," he told her, holding out his arm. She took it gladly and allowed him to escort her down the sandy isle.

"There's no ring for me to give you," she told him.

Carlisle reached in his back pocket as they walked and slipped her the ring she would place on his finger during their exchange of vows. It was a thicker band than hers, but very similar. Both of them had the number 92 written on the inside, standing for the number of years they'd been together.

Esme felt like she was back in the early 1920's again, about to marry the man of her dreams. Butterflies fluttered around in her stomach as the two of them stood facing each other, repeating the sacred words they'd once shared with each other nearly a century ago. She never broke eye contact from him, and he focused on her with a soft intensity that she swore made her heart start up again in her chest. Before she knew it, he was sliding the silver band onto her finger and she closed her eyes as he melted his mouth onto hers.

When the intimate ceremony was over, Carlisle thanked the gentleman for performing it for them.

"You two look a little young to be renewing your vows," he said with a grin, "God bless you both."

"Thank you so much," Esme said to the man, "This was amazing. Thank you."

He nodded, "You're very welcome."

Carlisle lead her back toward the car and Esme pulled him to her when they were in their own space, "I can't believe you did all of that."

"I love you," he told her, "This should have happened a long time ago."

"It did," she told him, flashing the ring he'd given her decades and decades ago.

He brought her lips to his and pressed his body against hers. Esme's hands tugged at the fabric on the back of his shirt and clawed at his hair as they stood entwined beneath the starry night.

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand.

Esme let him lead her back to the car before they were off to their next location. "We're not going home yet are we?"

Carlisle laughed and held her hand as they drove, "No."

They were only in the car for five minutes or so before he pulled up to an elegant, beachy hotel by the water. He whipped the car into a space and lead them to the front desk to pick up a room key that lead them to the top of the twelve floor hotel.

The view, as they entered their room, overlooked the open ocean and had tons of space. A bottle of champagne sat on a small table, sitting in ice and the typical odds and ends sat around the room.

"What a view," Esme's voice beamed as she looked out the set of large windows.

"Yeah," Carlisle agreed, tossing their bags to the floor before immediately pulling her into a long, intimate kiss, "God, I love you Esme. You have no idea."

Esme opened her eyes for a moment, "Oh, I do, Carlisle. Go close the blinds."

He grinned and threw the curtains over the window, "I love you liked the view," he teased, literally sweeping her off her feet so her back rested firmly in the middle of the king size bed that sat against the wall in the middle of the room.

"I think I'll enjoy the one in here a little better," she told him, then looked at him in the eyes again, "Thank you. This was so.. amazing Carlisle. I can't believe you went to all this trouble."

"It's no trouble," he assured her, "The pleasure's all mine."

Esme let him slide her out of the dress Alice had picked out for her earlier that day, followed by his own, as their dressy items of clothing glided onto the floor and he quickly slid them both into the comfort of the sheets.

"I know what you're thinking," Carlisle told her, teasing her with his body.

"I don't even care at this point who hears what," she told him, pressing herself against him.

"Well, as far as I know," he said through slightly gritted teeth, "There are no vampires here with super hearing."

"Mmm..." Esme said back, pressing on his lower back with her hands to urge him on, "But we have super... strength."

"I intend to take my time," Carlisle told her, getting things started as the last word left his mouth.

Esme smiled and sighed, closing her eyes as he carefully explored her body with every part of his own. He did as he promised, paying attention to every little detail and embellishing every motion he'd perfected over the years that sent his wife into a frenzy for him.

Carlisle knew what every sigh and move meant as they carried on, and pulled himself back the first time he sensed she was close to the edge, making the moment last by replacing what he was doing with simple touches a few quiet whispers until he knew she was ready for him to resume.

Two or three times he carried on in this fashion, eager to please Esme and make their first time of the night together last. She was beginning to melt under his teasing touch, and he could tell from the way her reactions to his actions became more intense, that it was time to let her win the battle, as she clawed to keep him from parting from her each time he did.

Her moaned whispers begged for his touch and he found it harder and harder to maintain the controlled pace he'd set for the two of them when they first started. Esme fixed herself to him and he knew instantly from the way she clutched his back and moved that he was safe to follow suit and experience the same feeling that had been bottled up in the pit of his stomach for awhile.

Carlisle tried his best to keep his hands from even slightly touching the headboard, for the concern that he'd destroy it. Instead, he found it somewhere in his consciousness to clutch one of the pillows with his free hand, tearing it open in the process before before muffling a loud moan into another pillow just beneath Esme's shoulder.

Both of them let out a simultaneous sigh, before Carlisle flipped them so she laid quietly on his chest.

Esme glanced down at the ring he'd given her earlier that night, "I still can't believe you did all this," she told him.

"I'd do anything for you," he said, rubbing her back, then added, "Let's keep it between us, so we don't take the attention off the kids."

She kissed his chest several times, "You got it Dr. Cullen."

Carlisle laughed and rubbed the ring on her finger, letting his hand cover hers, "I love you Mrs. Cullen."

"I love you," she kissed the back of his hand, "Thank you for everything."