A/N: I'm really really sorry this took so long. I've been to Georgia, back home, down to south Alabama, back home, back to Georgia, and then Eclipse came out. But I'm finally home again...at least until next weekend! Thanks again for the reviews!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Twilight.

Song for this chapter: I Run to You by Lady Antebellum

We run on fumes

Your life and mine

Like the sands of time

Slipping right on through

And our love's the only truth

That's why I run to you

Esme POV

I love you.

Those three simple words had just turned my life around. Carlisle loved me. Me. He waited for me. I was still having problems wrapping my brain around it.

He also wanted to help me get away from Charles and wanted to know more about Emmett. I wasn't sure how the day could get any better.

I quickly signed on to my e-mail account on Carlisle's computer. I didn't have any new messages, so I quickly sent one to my boss explaining that I was ill and might be a couple of days late with the next project. I wasn't expecting there to be any problems. I had been working for close to two years and only needed extra time on a project right after Emmett was born.

Once I finished that message, I sent one to Maggie, my neighbor and landlord, giving instructions for Emmett. It was still difficult for me to be without him. I had not gone without seeing him everyday of his entire life, and now I was spending a second night by myself. With Carlisle missing from my room, the loneliness crept over me.

Maggie responded to my message just minutes after I had sent it. She assured me that Emmett was fine and she would be able to watch him as long as I needed her to. I appreciated her offer, but I knew she had other things to do.

Maggie had truly been a life-saver when I moved to Seattle. She and her husband Benjamin never asked questioned, even though they saw my bruises and sensed my fear and nervousness. I couldn't help but wonder if they offered me a lower rent out of pity, but I never questioned them about it. I was proud, but I would do anything to provide my baby a better life.

My apartment was small, but perfect for Emmett and me. But after everything that had happened there yesterday, I wasn't sure if I would ever feel comfortable going back. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I would always feel unsafe there.

I also wasn't sure how I was going to take care of Emmett. Chasing after an active eighteen month old was bound to be a challenge with only one arm working. But I could do it. I had to. Emmett had no one else to take care of him. I would definitely find away to work around the inconvenience of the cast.

I was pulled out of my mental pep talk by a knock at the door. A large smile came to my face as Carlisle entered the room, and he wore an equally impressive grin. I almost laughed at his habit of coming into my room with a goofy grin on his face, but I was thrilled that he was always happy to see me.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart? Are you in any pain?" he asked me as he looked over my chart.

I blushed slightly at his endearment before thinking about his question. I wasn't really sure how I was feeling anymore. Hopeful would most likely be the correct word, but it had been so long since I had truly had hope that the feeling was almost foreign. But I was assuming that Carlisle was asking me how I was physically feeling.

"I'm fine," I responded softly. My answer was only a white lie. My ribs were still throbbing and my arm was starting to hurt more, but I didn't want any pain medication that would make me sleepy again. I was not about to waste any more time with Carlisle.

Carlisle looked up from my chart and raised one of his eyebrows. I knew it would be more difficult to convince him than a nurse since he still knew me so well.

He walked over toward me until he was standing directly beside me. Having him near dispelled all my previous feelings of loneliness. I closed my eyes as he began meticulously examining me. His touch on my skin was soothing as he checked the injuries on my face as well as the glands in my neck. Carlisle presence almost totally distracted me from the physical pain until he pressed lightly on a particular tender spot on my ribs.

I winced and sucked in a large breath which made the pain worse. I shut my eyes tightly as I waited for the pain to ease. When I finally opened my eyes, Carlisle was looking at me with a worried expression.

"'Fine,' huh?" he asked. "That sure didn't look like 'fine.' Let me get you something to help," he said as he turned to look in the drawers in the cabinet.

"Please don't," I begged. He turned back around to look at me, and I continued to beg him with my eyes. After a few seconds he sighed and took my right hand gently in his.

"Sweetheart, I know you're in more pain than you are telling me because you haven't had any pain medication today. And you may have been through worse before, but you're here with me now and I hate to see you in pain. So please let me help you."

I had been resolved to not take any more pain medicine, but as Carlisle looked at me with his worried and loving expression, I felt that resolve waver.

"Carlisle, please," I pleaded. "I don't want to sleep. I'm already stiff from this bed now. And I don't want to waste anymore time…" I trailed off.

He smiled and nodded like he understood, but turned back toward the cabinet and filled a syringe with clear liquid. When he turned back to look at me, I begged him again with my eyes, but he just chuckled lightly.

"Relax," he said as he brought his hand up and ran the back of it over my cheek lightly. "I understand. I won't give you anything that strong. This will just dull the pain and make you more comfortable. Please." His eyes playfully mocked my expression.

I started laughing at him, but immediately stopped as another wave of pain crashed through me. I smiled sheepishly at him and reluctantly nodded.

"Thank you," he responded. He pulled the cap off the syringe and injected the liquid into my IV line and then went to toss it into the box on the wall. I noticed the medication taking effect, easing my pain to the point where I could take a deep breath without feeling like someone was stabbing me.

Carlisle came back to the side of the bed and carefully lifted my casted arm. He bent my fingers gently and seemed satisfied with what he saw.

"The swelling in your fingers will go down in a couple of days and you will be able to use your hand some. The cast will probably stay on for about six to eight weeks and then you will probably get one put on that doesn't go over your elbow. As long as everything heals okay, you shouldn't need surgery."

"Six to eight weeks?" I questioned. That seemed like an incredibly long time to not be able to use my arm.

He sighed, gave me a small smile, and nodded. "I'm afraid so. Both of the bones were fractured right across here," he said as he traced a line in the middle of my arm. "The bones weren't crushed, though, so they should heal nicely. I'm actually surprised this is your worst injury from what you've told me."

"I am, too. Normally when he's drunk, he's more powerful, but something was different this time. Maybe he had something else in his system."

"You could be right. The police probably know. And speaking of police, I need to talk to you about that."

I tensed up at his words. I had been fairly positive that the police had gotten Charles, but I could have been wrong. What if Charles got away? What if he was hiding? I was tired of being afraid of him, but I was starting to think that this would never end.

Carlisle pulled the chair up close to me and sat down. He noticed my frantic expression and held my right hand again. I closed my eyes and tried to regulate my breathing. I focused on Carlisle's touch and reassured myself that Emmett was safe with Maggie and I was safe here with Carlisle. He would never let Charles hurt me again.

Once I was calm again, I reopened my eyes. I squeezed Carlisle's hand to let him know it was okay to talk now.

"I'm sorry about that. I should have clarified. The police have Mr. Evenson in custody. I needed to talk to you because they need for you to give your statement sometime soon and I wanted to make sure you were feeling up to it."

I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding and smiled. Carlise seemed confused by my expression.

"Carlisle, I would love nothing more than to give my statement. I can't wait to be rid of that monster for good," I said as I continued to squeeze his hand.

"Well, alright then," he chuckled. "I'll call them later and set it up for tomorrow morning."

He then turned serious. "There's one more thing I need to ask you. I know you eventually lost consciousness, but I need to know if Charles hurt you anywhere else. I didn't want to put you through an exam if I wasn't necessary, but now I need to know if he raped you," he finished in a whisper.

I could tell by the look on his face that the possibility pained him to think about. Luckily, I knew I was able to end his worries.

"I'm almost 100 percent positive that he didn't touch me anywhere else. If he had, I would know it," I said confidently. Normally an encounter with Charles left me in extreme pain, but the only places I was hurting were my arm and ribs.

"Thank God," Carlisle murmured and kissed my hand tenderly.

"I've been doing that a lot lately," I said, thoughtfully.

"What's that?" he asked, looking up at me again.

"Thanking God. For being alive, for sparing Emmett, for you. I have many things to be thankful for."

"As do I," he said and kissed my hand again. Carlisle stood up and moved the chair back to its original place.

"A nurse will be in soon to check your vitals," he said as he looked at my chart once more. "The nurse will also remove the heart monitor and other cords so you will be free. I'll be back after my shift and maybe we can take a walk around the halls."

"A walk sounds wonderful," I replied. Lying in bed was getting extremely uncomfortable and stretching my legs longer than to go to the bathroom sounded like a fabulous idea.

"I'll see you soon," Carlisle said. He leaned over me and kissed my forehead. He let his lips linger for a few seconds before lowering his cheek to rub it against mine.

"I love you," he whispered softly into my ear.

I carefully raised my hand to run it gently through his soft hair. "I love you, too," I whispered back.

I knew Carlisle didn't want to leave because I felt the same way. But at the same time, we knew that the sooner he left, the sooner he would return. Eventually he stood up, and after one last kiss to the top of my head, he was gone.

The loneliness returned, but I was able to stay optimistic. The nurse came in and disconnected the saline drip from the IV in my arm. She also disconnected the heart monitor and it felt good to get the stickers off of my chest.

I didn't know what to do with myself to pass the time. I turned on the TV, but couldn't find any shows on except talk shows and soap operas. I decided to check my email again and found that Maggie had sent me one. I opened it and smiled when I saw the attachment. She had taken a picture with her Blackberry of Emmett eating lunch. She had given him chocolate pudding and he had it all over his face. His precious smile made him miss him more. I needed to ask Carlisle when I could get out of here.

About an hour later, another knock sounded at the door. Carlisle entered this time, minus the lab coat, in just his dark blue scrubs. He was carrying a hospital gown, a sling, and a pair of slippers. I eyed him speculatively, but he just smiled.

"Ready for our walk?" he asked cheerfully.

I then understood the sling and the slippers, but I still wasn't sure about the other gown.

"The gown is open in the back, so I brought this one to put over it. I figured you don't know any of these people well enough to give them that view," he joked.

I was immediately relieved that he was thoughtful enough to bring the other gown.

"Thank you," I said, sincerely grateful for his gesture.

"No problem," he said. I sat up in bed and he helped put the second gown on me and tie it in the front. He also squatted down and placed the slippers on my feet. After putting my arm in the sling, he helped me get off the bed and we headed out the door.

Carlisle and I held hands as we walked down the hallway. My hand felt so right in his, like it was finally where it belonged. Like I was finally where I belonged. We joked and laughed the whole time, acting like the old friends that we were. Carlisle was still my best friend even if we were more than that. It felt good to have someone who would listen to me and support me no matter what.

We eventually made it downstairs to the cafeteria. Carlisle got us both some dinner and we went to an empty corner to eat in private. We held hands and bowed our heads as he said the blessing. I smiled to myself as he prayed. Carlisle thanked God for our food, of course, but he also thanked Him for my safety and for bringing me back to him. He said everything I was feeling, and I loved how in tune we were with each other.

Carlisle and I continued to chat animatedly as we ate and our conversation turned into a trip down memory lane.

"Do you remember the time you broke your leg that summer?" he asked me with a smile.

I smiled back. "Of course I do. I'm still saying that bird did it on purpose. I promise I know how to climb a tree." The summer before Carlisle went to college, we went to the park one day. I had the idea to climb a tree to sit on a limb and read. As I was climbing, a bird flew into me and I fell off. I broke my leg when I landed and Carlisle had to take me to the hospital. He teased me about my tree climbing skills, even though it was the birds fault.

"Sure you do," he teased me. "But you know, that was the day I finally decided to be a doctor."

"But Carlisle, you always said you wanted to be a doctor like your father," I interrupted.

"I know, but that was the day I was sure about it. You were so scared, and the doctor in the emergency room didn't try to make you more comfortable. But I was able to calm you down. I then decided that I wanted to be a doctor. It made me feel good to be able to help you, and I wanted to help others. I never wanted anyone to be as scared as you were at the hospital."

"You always did know how to make me feel safe," I said thoughtfully.

"I love the fact that you feel safe around me," he said as he reached across the small table and held my hand. "Actually, I love everything about you," he amended.

Once we were finished eating, we walked slowly back to my room. I didn't want to get back into bed so soon, so we sat together on the couch that was up against the wall. Carlisle got the pillow off the bed and used it to prop my arm up after he took the sling off.

Carlisle opened his arms to me, and I slid as close to him as I could get. I laid my head against his should and he circled his arms around me. I sighed in contentment and we sat in comfortable silence.

"Tell me about Emmett," he said, effectively ending our silence. I smiled against him, still excited about him wanting to know.

"Well I would say Emmett is the perfect baby, but I'm probably biased."

"No," Carlisle said, shaking his head. "I bet he is perfect. He is yours after all."

I snorted at that comment which made Carlisle laugh. His laughter shook me which caused me to join in.

"You think I'm kidding?" he asked, then continued before waiting for my answer. "Well I'm not. Even if he's not perfect, I would love him. I love anything that comes from you."

I felt a tear fall from my eye at his sincerity. I leaned up and gave him a watery smile. He smiled back and kissed the tear away.

"So tell me about him," he urged. "Start from the beginning. How was your pregnancy?"

I continued smiling at the memory. "Well, I think Emmett knew how long I had to hide him. I didn't get morning sickness until after I left. And it wasn't just morning sickness; it was more like all day sickness. It didn't stop until he was born."

"I bet he had favorite foods, didn't he?" Carlisle asked.

"Oh yes," I agreed with a nod. "The only foods I could stomach were peanut butter crackers, green beans, bacon, and sometimes dry toast. It was so weird."

My interesting menu made Carlisle laugh again. "So how was your labor?" he asked, still honestly wanting to know.

I groaned at that memory. "It was so painful and so long," I complained. "My water broke early in the morning and I had to wake Maggie and Benjamin up so they could take me to the hospital. I was able to eventually get an epidural, but I was in labor for 18 hours."

"Wow. He didn't want to come out, did he?" Carlisle asked.

"Nope. And if it hadn't been for the pain, I probably would have said to leave him in there. But after I saw him and held him for the first time, I knew the pain was worth it. He was big though: nine pounds and seven ounces."

"Nine pounds!" Carlisle sounded shocked. "Did your doctor know he was going to be that big?"

I nodded. "She told me I had 'birthing hips,' whatever those are. She assured me he would fit. I think I said some pretty colorful things to her about those hips while I was giving birth."

Carlisle laughed again. I wasn't aware that I was so funny, but his laughter touched my soul somehow; it made everything okay. "Es, I can't imagine you saying anything 'colorful' to anyone, but I bet she has heard worse."

"Oh, she told me she has. I apologized later for my outbursts and she laughed at me and told me it was okay. Apparently, I wasn't as colorful as I thought."

Carlisle kissed the top of my head and sighed against me. "I wish I could have been there with you," he said sadly.

"I wish you could have been there, too. But I was thinking about you the whole time. Well at least while I was having coherent thoughts. You know, I didn't put a father's name on Emmett's birth certificate, but I was tempted to put yours."

"What's his middle name?" Carlisle asked.

"Matthew," I answered, very confused as to why he was asking. "Why?"

"Emmett Matthew Cullen," he mumbled. "I like it. It has a nice ring to it."

I was about to go back to my original theory that I was dreaming. There was no way I was here with Carlisle and he was talking about my son having his last name like it was no big deal. But somehow, I knew I was awake and this was really happening.

"Carlisle, what are we going to do?" I asked, leaning my head back against his shoulder.

"About what?" he asked as he ran his fingers through my hair, which must have been filthy even though he didn't seem to have a problem with it.

"About us. I just don't know. I'm technically married and I have a son. How can we be together? If that is what you want."

He tightened his hold on me. "Of course it's what I want. I have prayed everyday for eight years for God to bring you back to me. I'm not letting go ever again. We'll figure it out somehow. I have a feeling this is God's will for us. Whatever we are about to go through to be together will be worth it. If we can make it through separation, we can make it through anything. I'm positive."

We sat in silence again, letting his words sink in. I realized he was right. Why would God bring us together again if He didn't have a plan for us? The next part of our lives would not be easy, but we would make it through. I had Carlisle by my side, and I wasn't going to let him go just like he would never let me go.