A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews. I feel like I repeat myself a lot, but I do enjoy reading them!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

Song for chapter: Broken by Seether

I wanted you to know that I love the way you laugh

I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away

And I keep your photograph, I know it serves me well

I wanna hold you high and steal you pain

Carlisle POV

Hospital couches were not built for comfort. I continued to doze throughout the night, but never fell into a deeper sleep. I tried not to move too much so I wouldn't disturb Esme, but she seemed to at least get some rest. Every time I opened my eyes, hers were closed and she had a small smile on her lips. I couldn't help but smile myself after seeing her so content with her son.

Emmett did sleep soundly through the night, just as I had predicted. I enjoyed listening to the small sighs and other noises he made while sleeping. I was already so attached to this little guy that I had only known for a few hours, and he had been asleep the whole time. I knew it probably wasn't normal for an attachment as strong as I felt to develop so quickly, but I didn't want to doubt it.

My feelings for Esme had always run deep, and I never doubted our connection. Now that we had found each other again, I believed with certainty that it was God's will for us to be together. I also believed that I was meant to be a father to Emmett. Charles Evenson was nothing more than a sperm donor, and Emmett would need a strong father figure in his life. I knew I needed to pray for God to prepare my heart to be anything Emmett and Esme need me to be.

The blinds were closed, but I could tell when the faint light of day tried to peek through the windows. I rubbed my eyes with the palms of my hands and glanced at my watch, seeing it was only 6:15. I looked up and was met with a beautiful pair of hazel eyes.

"Good morning," Esme whispered, smiling at me.

"Good morning," I replied. "How did you sleep?"

"Pretty good considering the circumstances."

"That's good," I said as I stood up and stretched. "Are you in any pain this morning?"

Esme began stretching carefully as to not jostle Emmett. "I don't think so. My fingers are a little tingly, but other than that, I'm okay for now."

I nodded and went to stand beside the bed. I gently brushed a piece of her hair back from her face and leaned down. Esme seemed to sense my purpose.

"Wait. Shouldn't we brush our teeth or something first?" she asked hesitantly.

I smirked and shook my head before placing my lips softly against her forehead. I slowly placed soft kisses on a path from her forehead, down until the tip of her nose, and finally her lips.

"We have years to make up for. Now is not the time to worry about morning breath," I murmured against her.

Esme giggled softly, but I cut her off by placing my lips against hers again. Once we released each other, I reached over and ran my hand lightly over Emmett's head.

"He's probably going to wake up soon. I don't know how I'm going to change him, get him dressed, or feed him breakfast," Esme said in a worried tone.

"Don't worry, my love. I said I would help you, and I meant it. You can teach me everything you know," I said with a smile.

She nodded and I sat down in the chair next to the bed. There was a knock at the door, and a nurse entered. She stopped in her tracks upon seeing me in the room and a baby in the bed with Esme.

"Err…good morning, Mrs. Evenson and um, Dr. Cullen," the nurse said in a frazzled voice. Esme flinched at the name the nurse used, so I squeezed her hand lightly in reassurance.

"Your breakfast will be here soon and then we will be helping you take a shower before being discharged," the nurse continued after gathering her thoughts. "Dr. Snow will coming by to check on you and give you a prescription for pain medicine, and then you will be free to go."

Esme and I both thanked her and she left the room. After the door closed again, we shared a laugh which caused Emmett to begin stirring.

I watched in great fascination as Emmett blinked slowly a few times before finally opening his eyes. I imagined my feelings were similar to how parents feel with their newborn babies- taking in every subtle movement, wanting to learn as much as possible.

Once he took in the unfamiliar surroundings, his eyes filled with tears and a small choked cry fell from his trembling lips.

"Shh. Baby boy, you're okay. Mommy's right here." Esme's quiet assurance was so beautiful in my ears. I could sense the love for her son in every word that she said.

Emmett's tears stopped almost quickly as they began after hearing his mother's voice. He turned over to face her, and a wide smile came to his face.

"Now that's more like it," Esme said as she leaned over to kiss his head. "Good morning, Monkey. Did you sleep good?" she asked him in the same sweet, loving voice.

Emmett scrunched his nose up as his grin grew impossible wider. He placed on of his hands against Esme's lips and she kissed his palm gently. She then turned her head to look at me. I tried to pour all of my love and appreciation into the smile I gave her. I felt incredibly honored to be able to witness her precious moment with her son.

Emmett followed Esme's gaze to me. I knew he would probably be bashful at first, but I smiled and waved at him, hoping he would warm up to me after a while. As I expected, Emmett buried his face against Esme's shoulder after looking at me.

Esme laughed and patted Emmett's back. "Don't be shy, Monk. That's Carlisle. He brought you to see me."

He finally peeked at me from his "hiding" spot so I smiled at him again. He grinned at me, but went back to hiding.

"You silly boy," Esme said and she kissed his head again. Emmett finally lifted his head up to look at his mother.

"Aggie?" he mumbled around his pacifier.

"Maggie's at her apartment. We'll see her later," Esme told him.

He nodded his head and then furrowed his brows. "Wet," he said as he shifted around on the bed.

"Well then let's get you a new diaper," Esme said cheerfully. I stood up and brought the diaper bag over to the bed. I rummaged around until I found a clean diaper.

"Do you need wipes, too?" I asked as I continued looking through the bag.

"Yes, please." Emmett watched me carefully as I went about my task. He didn't shy away from me any more which I was thankful for since I was going to be helping change his diaper.

After locating the wipes, I placed the bag back on the floor. Esme told Emmett to "assume the position" and he quickly complied by lying on his back with his arms stretched above his head.

"I see you have him well trained," I said through my laughter.

"He hates having a wet diaper so that has some influence on his eagerness," Esme explained.

"Well, don't worry, little man. We'll make this as quick and pain-free as possible," I said as I tickled Emmett's round belly. He giggled and squirmed until Esme started unzipping his sleeper.

It probably took longer than normal, but Esme and I worked together and finally got the diaper changed. Emmett stayed still, thankfully, and he clapped for us once we were finished.

Once he was zipped up again, I placed him on the floor. Having him on the bed while he was awake was asking for trouble with Esme's broken arm and bruised ribs.

I followed Emmett around the room as he explored. He didn't say much, but he did examine everything very closely with wide-eyes. Esme watched us with a very content smile on her face.

Breakfast was delivered a few minutes into our exploration. Emmett immediately went over to the bed to check out the food. I picked him up and he leaned toward Esme. She offered him a small bite of her biscuit, and Emmett took his pacifier out to place the bite in his mouth. After he chewed and swallowed, he opened his mouth for more.

"How about I take him down to the cafeteria for breakfast?" I asked. "Hopefully you will have had your shower by the time we get back and then we can get ready to leave."

"That sounds like a good plan," she said. "But are you sure you can handle him?" Her little smirk alerted me to the fact that she was teasing me.

I smirked back. "I'm sure I can manage."

"Well if you're so sure, go right ahead." Esme reached for Emmett and he went to her. "Okay, Monkey. Carlisle is going to take you to eat. Be a good boy and listen. Can you do that for Mommy?"

Emmett appeared to take in every word she said. He nodded, but I wasn't sure if he understood everything she told him. Esme gave him a quick kiss and then smiled at me. I placed the diaper bag over my shoulder and held my arms out for Emmett. He came to me, but hid his face on my shoulder.

"We'll be back soon," I said.

Esme rubbed Emmett's back lightly. "Alright. Don't get into too much trouble."

"We won't." I leaned down to give her a quick kiss before walking out into the hallway.

Emmett held on to me tightly as I walked, still hiding his face from everyone. I stopped walking when we reached the elevator, and he finally lifted his head to look around.

"Hey little man," I said softly. "Can you push that button for me?" I pointed to the down button and leaned over so he could reach it. After a couple seconds, he reached his finger out and pressed the correct button. It lit up and he clapped for himself.

"Good job!" I praised. I held my free hand up and asked for a high five. I wasn't sure if anyone had taught him that before, but I was relived when he completed the gesture.

The elevator opened and we stepped in.

"Buddons?" Emmett questioned, pointing at the multitude of buttons inside.

"Mmm hmm. There are lots of buttons, huh?"

Emmett nodded and I pressed the correct one for the floor with the cafeteria. We exited the elevator, and Emmett started squirming as I walked. I didn't lessen my grip on him and he started making small whiny noises.

"Down?" he finally asked.

"Not right now, buddy. You don't have shoes on." I pointed to his feet which were enclosed in his sleeper, but the thin fabric wouldn't protect him from anything dangerous on the floor. "You can walk around in Mommy's room, okay?"

He conceded by holding still again, and stayed still while I walked.

"Good boy," I said once we entered the cafeteria. I placed a gently kiss on his cheek, not sure of what his reaction would be. To my surprise, he only smiled at me from behind his pacifier and then turned his attention to the new room in front of him.

I picked up a tray and got in line. I had no idea what to get for breakfast since I didn't know what kind of food Emmett ate or liked. Thankfully, he made up my mind for me.

"Pa'cakes!" he squealed happily while patting my back and pointing. I chuckled and paid for the pancakes, bacon, and a banana.

I sat the tray down on an empty table and found a high chair to use. I placed the diaper bag down and went back to get a carton of milk for Emmett and some coffee for myself.

Getting Emmett into the high chair was easier than I had anticipated, probably because he was so excited about he pancakes. I rummaged through the diaper bag and managed to find a sippy cup, a bib, and a rolled up plastic placemat. I didn't want to make things more complicated, so I decided to just let him eat off of the mat with his fingers.

Once everything was set up, I tore up a pancake and a slice of bacon and placed it on the plastic along with some sliced banana. I quickly discovered Emmett loved to eat and I laughed quietly at him as I also enjoyed my breakfast.

Twenty minutes and several baby wipes later, the table was clear and Emmett was "icky" free. I lifted Emmett out of the high chair and threw the trash away. After the diaper bag was packed up, we made our way back to Esme's room.

On this trip through the hallways, Emmett was much more vocal, asking "Whassat?" every few seconds. I tried to answer him to the best of my abilities, but sometimes I couldn't tell what he was pointing to. I probably walked too fast for him to get a good look at everything, but I knew Esme would want to see her baby again as soon as possible.

There were also many things I needed to discuss with Esme. I wasn't sure how she would feel about some of my ideas, but I was anxious for her to be discharged and get the police statement out of the way so we could try to begin a new life together.

Esme POV

The day was definitely becoming one of my favorites and it wasn't even eight o'clock yet. Waking up with Emmett and Carlisle both near me was perfect, and I wanted to experience more mornings like that.

To say I was surprised when Carlisle showed up with Emmett would be an understatement. I had been content with the knowledge that Carlisle would be staying the night with me, but having Emmett with us was even better.

I was not sure what possessed Maggie to let a stranger drive off with my baby, but I wasn't too worried about it. Maggie could generally tell when someone was being honest with her, and I did send Carlisle to get a bag for me although a baby is a bit more important than some clothing and toiletries. She probably had an interesting explanation for it that I couldn't wait to here later.

Having Carlisle around to help was working out better than I thought it would. It was clear that he didn't have much experience, but I knew he was trying to do his best for me and Emmett. It thrilled my heart for Carlisle to want to take my son to breakfast.

My son.

I longed for him to be our son. Carlisle appeared to care for Emmett already, but I was starting to wonder what his long-term intentions were. Emmett needed a father: a daddy to love him and take care of him. Carlisle was everything I wanted for myself and Emmett, but I didn't want to pressure him into filling the role. It was just one more thing we needed to discuss eventually.

After finishing my breakfast, the nurse came back as promised and helped me with the shower. My arm had to be wrapped up to protect the cast from the water which made everything more difficult. The hot water of the shower felt wonderful on my sore muscles. I really didn't want to get out, but my toothbrush was calling my name.

Once I was finished in the bathroom, I dressed in soft yoga pants and a clean t-shirt. The nurse took some blood and helped me get settle back in bed. She also told me that Dr. Snow would be in to see me soon. I sat in bed all of five minutes before I decided I wasn't very comfortable. I turned on the TV and moved over to the couch to watch the early morning news. I wasn't really interested in what they were saying, but I needed something to help me pass the time before my two favorite men returned.

I didn't take long before I heard Emmett's sweet voice outside the door. I smiled at Carlisle attempting to answer his never ending questions about the world around him. Carlisle slowly opened the door and put Emmett down just inside the doorway.

Emmett looked over at me and smiled. I was thankful for the non-slip grippers on the bottom of his feet as he ran toward me. He stopped in front of the couch and tried to climb up to join me. I helped him the best that I could and he finally wriggled his way up beside me.

"Hey Monkey. Did you have fun at breakfast?" He looked up at me with his big brown eyes and nodded. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Carlisle had excused himself into the bathroom to change.

"What did you eat for breakfast?" I asked. Emmett normally wasn't that picky, but I wasn't sure if he would eat with someone he didn't know.

"Pa'cakes!" Emmett answered proudly. I smiled at him, knowing that pancakes was one of his favorite things to eat for breakfast.

"Oh wow! Pancakes! Were they good?" He nodded again and turned is attention to the TV.

"Melmo?" he asked as he pointed up to the wall.

"Okay, baby. We'll see if Elmo is on."

Carlisle came out of the bathroom dressed in jeans and a light-weight pull-over sweater. He changed the channel on the TV and miraculously found Sesame Street. Emmett crawled into my lap and focused on his favorite show. Carlisle sat down next to me and I leaned my head against his shoulder.

"How was your breakfast?" I asked him.

He kissed my temple. "It was good. And you'll be happy to know that Emmett listened to everything you said and was a very good boy."

Just as he was about to lean over and kiss my lips, someone knocked at the door.

An older, gray-haired man in a doctor's coat entered, and I assumed it to be Dr. Snow. Like the first nurse of the morning, he also seemed surprised at my company.

"Good morning, Dr. Snow," Carlisle said as he stood up to shake his hand.

"Good morning to you, too, Carlisle. I didn't expect to see you today." Dr. Snow did not seem to be bothered by the fact that Carlisle was with me. If anything, he seemed slightly amused.

Carlisle laughed lightly. "Well if you would have asked me two days ago, I wouldn't have expected it either." Dr. Snow didn't ask for Carlisle to elaborate and I was glad because I had no clue how to explain our relationship.

Carlisle sat back down on the couch and moved Emmett into his lap so I could get back on the bed. Dr. Snow quickly checked me over and told me that I was good to go whenever I was ready. He gave me the number of an orthopedic doctor for my arm and also a prescription for pain medicine.

A nurse came by a short time later with my first dose of oral pain medication and a sling for my arm. She removed my IV and gave me the discharge papers. I was not looking forward to the bill that would be coming. When Emmett was born, I set up an installment plan so I could pay with cash. Hopefully they would let me do that again even though I technically had no reason to hide anymore. Charles had already found me, so I had nothing to run from.

Emmett started dozing off against Carlisle chest, and it was the sweetest sight. I hated to interrupt it, but I needed to get Emmett dressed so we could leave. I got out of bed and found an outfit for him in the diaper bag. I laid it out on the bed and asked Carlisle to bring him over.

"The police should be here soon to get your statement," Carlisle said as he brought Emmett over to the bed. "They said they would be here around nine."

I nodded and got to work on my task of dressing Emmett. Since he was half asleep, he was mostly still, but it was still difficult. Carlisle and I eventually figured out a system which mainly consisted of him doing most of the work.

"I'm really sorry, Carlisle. I hate having to ask you for so much help," I said after Emmett was completely dressed. He looked adorable in his little khaki shorts, brown sweater, and brown sandals. Maggie could always find the best deals, but I suspected she used a majority of the rent I paid her to buy clothes for him.

"It's no problem at all, sweetheart. I like helping." He gave me a sincere smile and leaned closer to me. Our lips connected in a gesture that was not unfamiliar to us, but felt better each time. I had never forgotten the feel of his lips on mine, but experiencing it in person again trumped all of my memories. The kiss was finally interrupted by us needing to catch our breaths and Emmett waking back up.

"I guess we need to get used to that, huh?" Carlisle asked. He placed another quick kiss against my lips and then lifted up Emmett to place him in my arm. Holding Em with only one arm wasn't necessarily difficult, but it was a bit foreign to not have a free hand. I stood in place and rocked him back and forth, hoping he would go back to sleep. His hand found its way into my hair, and he gripped a handful lightly as he dozed again.

Carlisle insisted on packing up our stuff without my help, but we didn't have that much. I double checked to make sure we didn't leave anything behind, and once I was sure, we left the room and headed downstairs to Carlisle's office.

As we walked, Carlisle kept my close by his side and guided me with his hand on my lower back. I felt comfortable and safe being near him. We just felt natural, right; I didn't have to think about it.

We stepped into his office and I noticed a rather nice leather sofa against one of the walls. I immediately went over to sit down with Emmett. He needed to stay asleep while I gave my statement. I knew it was going to be difficult for me and having to chase Emmett wouldn't make it any easier.

"I'm going to take some of these bags to the car, alright?" I nodded and Carlisle left with all of the bags except the diaper bag.

While Carlisle was gone, I took a moment to look around. His office was a nice size, but it had no character. His space was not personalized at all, so I got the idea that he stayed in here only as long as necessary. I admired his diplomas on the wall, and I was still so proud of him for following his dream. His desk was well organized, not that I expected anything different. Carlisle had always had OCD tendencies and liked to have everything in order.

The desk had one picture frame on it, and I leaned over as far as I could go to try to get a good look at it. I only managed to see half of it, but I knew immediately what it was. The picture was of Carlisle, his aunt and uncle, and me. I knew it well since I had a copy of it. That picture was one of the last ones taken of us before Carlisle went to school. I smiled at the memory, and still thought of it as a family picture. I also started getting excited at the prospect of seeing Carmen and Eleazar again. They had always been better parents to me than my own.

Anxiety began building in me as I thought about having to give my statement to the police. I was more than ready to put Charles behind bars for good, but I was worried it wouldn't be enough. I knew it was unlikely for him to have any pull with the justice system of Washington, so that gave me some hope. I also knew Carlisle would be beside me every step and thought brought me immeasurable relief.

I took a deep breath and shifted Emmett into a more comfortable position on my lap. I watched the clock on the wall and counted the seconds while I waited for Carlisle to return. Once this morning was out of the way, we could begin working on building our life together, a prospect that thrilled me to no end.