Chapter 21

Carlisle looked down with disappointment at their late arrival, and Esme looked at her son to confirm their suspicions as to what he was currently happy to share with them, "What?" she asked, "What did you do?"

He continued to smile despite their lack of enthusiasm, "I just healed like seven kids," he whispered, "Randomly around the hospital. I don't see how it will ever get back to me."

Carlisle finally looked up to make eye contact with his son.

"Dad," he said with a shrug, "Come on, I mean, I just saved those kids. I won't come back here for awhile. It won't get out to the Volturi or anything."

Alexandra and Edward joined them momentarily after hearing the exchange of their few sentences. Edward's expression made Masen's thoughts run a little deeper than they had in response to Carlisle's displeasure.

"Mase..." Alexandra said, "You didn't do it, did you?"

"Do what?"

"Let's take the conversation outside," Carlisle suggested, not wanting to draw any attention to themselves.

They all entered the elevator together and stood silently as a group on the short ride. Masen began to get leery of everyone's stares, and the looks in particular on his mother's and sister's faces. Carlisle and Edward both remained calm, though their expressions were hardened. Michael still seemed unsure of what was going on.

Without saying much else until they arrived at the car, they left the hospital and piled into Carlisle's car. Edward gave Esme the front, and hopped in the back, sitting across the way with Masen and Michael, who had Alexandra on his lap.

Carlisle pulled the car out of the parking lot and got far enough away before pulling the car off the road by the edge of the woods on a rather deserted road with no streetlights. The sun was just about tucked away for the night, though there was a very faint glow that lingered in the sky.

He got out of the car first, followed by everyone else at once.

"What's going on, guys?" Masen asked, now somewhat more anxious than he had been.

"You can't use your gift anymore," Alexandra told him.

"Why? The Volturi-"

"It has nothing to do with the Volturi," Edward told him, shaking his head, "It's about your health. The more humans you save, the weaker you become. It seems to be irreversible."

"I've been healing people forever," Masen protested, "Dad, come on? How is this possible? It's been years."

"Up until recently you've generally only healed vampires," he told him, "Aside from that one human boy Kenny years ago, and a sparing cold if Charlie or someone had one."

They all looked around at each other.

"Seven people?" Esme asked, "You healed seven today?"

Masen's eyes were now more thoroughly worried, "Seven kids, and an old man who was struggling after a lung transplant."

"You need to stop using your gift, Masen," Alexandra told him again, shaking her head, "For some reason, I can't help you with that, even know I know that's what you need to do. I can't... shut your gift off, if that makes any sense at all."

Carlisle thought about his religious practices from the past and began to think of Masen's abilities. His acts resembled those of the martyrs who gave their own lives for the sake or safety of others.

Edward stood close by Carlisle reading everything he was thinking then said, "It doesn't have to be that way."

"Maybe that's why Alexandra can't give him what he 'needs' by taking his gift away."

The word 'martyr' continued to play over and over in his mind. If his son was truly a martyr, as some saints and patrons were, would his fate be to die for the betterment of others?

"I feel fine," Masen told them, breaking the silence.

"You should stop using your gift," Carlisle told him, "At least for now so we can see if this is truly the reason for your illness."

"It's not an illness, Dad, it's a cough."

"That could get much worse," he explained, "Masen... I don't want to keep bothering you about this. I really don't, but we're talking about your life here. It may not seem that way now, but it Alice and Nicole have both seen events in the near future. We want you to be safe, so please do this for us, and even more so for Cassie and Leah."

His words seemed to hit home and Masen nodded, "Okay. I won't. I won't heal anyone anymore." He shifted his eyes to his mother's.

They all stood together and Edward nodded to Carlisle, signifying Masen was being honest in his answer.

"Mom," Masen said, "You should probably get home. Couldn't stress trigger you to go into labor early?"

"You should get home," Edward agreed right away after Masen said it.

Carlisle nodded and Esme sighed, "I'm okay." She looked at Masen. He could sense that she didn't want to leave him.

"I'll go home and get Leah and Cassie," he told his mother, "Then we'll come by the house for a little while until I have to work."

His words seemed to satisfy her and she nodded in agreement, "That sounds good."

"Okay. I'll get home by foot. We're only a few miles away."

"I'll go with you," Edward offered at the same time as Michael.

Masen snickered, "Sure."

The two boys accompanied Masen on his run, while Alexandra stayed back and took the ride home with her parents. They drove in silence and no one said much as they slowly cruised the nearly empty Forks streets. Only a few cars passed by in the opposite direction.

"Hey," Alexandra finally said, "Did you settle on the name we talked about, Mom? For the baby?"

Esme turned around to meet her daughter's eyes, "I think so. Do you like it?" A little life entered her face at the mention of their unborn son.

She nodded and gave her mom a little smile.

"Which name?" Carlisle asked.

"It wasn't the ones we talked about," Esme admitted, "But Alexandra and I got to talking and she came up with the name Caleb."

"I looked it up on a naming website," Alexandra told them, "In the Bible, it says he is one of two people who has kept his faith. He was a great man from what I read. I know your faith was important you, Dad. I mean is important to you."

Carlisle couldn't help but smile and nodded, "Then Caleb it is."

"I'll bring up his story on the computer when we get home," she continued, "Caleb Cullen. It has a ring to it, right?"

Esme smiled and ran a hand along her stomach.

"It does," Carlisle agreed, "I think it's perfect."

They pulled into the driveway and he killed the engine. The three of them got out of the car and Esme sighed again, thinking of Masen immediately.

"At least we know what's causing this," Alexandra told her parents, "Even if this somehow makes him a little weaker, he can stop now and be fine."

"You're right," Carlisle told her, giving her a hug. His eyes met with Esme's and they didn't show the same, carefree ring as his voice gave his daughter. He kissed her on the top of the head before she went over to Esme and ran a hand along her stomach, "I can't wait until you have him."

"It won't be long," she said with a sigh, "Thanks for picking out the name."

Alexandra smiled, "That was a mother-daughter team," she said, "We named him."

Esme smiled and reached in to give her a kiss on the cheek before Alexandra made her way inside.

Carlisle cupped his hands around the frame of Esme's face and kissed her forehead. Her hands settled on his waist for a moment before they shared a hug.

"I hope that wasn't it," she said to him.

"What?" he asked.

"Masen. I hope that wasn't like the final blow, or the straw that breaks the camel's back."

Carlisle ran his hands along her back, "I'm not sure how quick the effects take place, but he looked alright. Maybe in time he does recover. He may just need time to regain his strength."

"What if it's permanent and this puts in him into a critical condition?"

He sighed, "We just have to hope that's not the case right now."

Esme squeezed him tighter with her hands before he leaned his face back and kissed her, noticing her eyes were black in the process.

"You need to eat," he told her, looking around the woods, "I'll go hunt something down for you and bring it back here."

She sighed and nodded, "I think I still owe you six days worth of hunting from that football bet."

Carlisle smiled, thinking back to lighter days, "I told you, I withdrew my end of that bet." He kissed her once, "Go inside. You'll be able to tell when I'm back by the smell of the blood. Just make sure the others know it's for you." He smiled, "Masen will be over soon."

Esme nodded and kissed him again, "Thank you."

He winked, "You're welcome."

Esme watched as he turned and ran into the woods before heading inside.