A/N: I'm am continually amazed by the feedback I'm receiving, so thank you so much! This might be the last chapter for at least a week. I'm going on a road trip to go to a Paramore concert! :)

Enjoy the chapter! (And review if you want to...I'm really close to 50 reviews which is really exiting!)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.

Song for chapter: Lift Me Up by Kate Voegele

So can you lift me up,

Turn the ashes into flames

'Cause I have overcome

More than words will ever say

And I've been given hope

That there's a light on up the hall

And that a day will come

When the fight is won

And I think that day has just begun

Esme POV

As Carlisle drove, I played with the ring that was now on my right hand. While we were at my apartment, I made sure to get my box that contained all of my most prized possessions. My claddagh ring was in the box along with love letters and other gifts from Carlisle. I made sure to put the ring on as soon as I found it. I wanted everyone to know that Carlisle and I were connected.

Carlisle had been a tremendous support for me at my apartment. I would never have been able to handle it without his calming influence. His lunch treat at the Cheesecake Factory was also amazing. I loved how he could still remember what I enjoyed.

It had shocked me when Carlisle asked me to move in with him. I had never believed in premarital sex and I definitely didn't believe in adultery no matter how horrible my husband was. I couldn't help but feel a little guilty every time I kissed Carlisle, but I quickly pushed those feelings aside. I knew I was not going to remain married to Charles any longer than I had to. Once Carlisle explained that we would only be living as "roommates," I consented. I was actually very excited to be able to spend as much time as possible with him.

We stopped at a Walgreens to drop off my prescription for my pain medication. That was another bill I was not looking forward to paying. I loved my job, but I knew now that I didn't have to hide anymore, I needed to get a job with insurance. My prescription was not going to be ready for a couple of hours, so we decided not to wait on it. I was ready to get to the apartment, unpack, and take a much needed nap.

When we arrived at Carlisle's residence, he helped Emmett and me out of the car and walked us to the door. He unlocked the door and escorted us inside before going back to start bringing in the bags.

As I looked around, I discovered that Carlisle lived very modestly. I knew he had enough money to buy any house he wanted to live in, so I had no idea why he would want to live in a moderately sized apartment. The décor was very clean and plain, much like his office. I couldn't help but imagine how I could decorate it to make it more "homey."

Emmett was very excited to be in a new place and wasted no time to start exploring. I had to follow closely behind him to make sure he didn't get into anything he wasn't supposed to.

Carlisle left all the bags by the door and came to stand behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder lightly.

"So what do you think?" he asked me.

"Well…I think it's very nice." And it was. I could already tell this apartment was much bigger than mine, and I had not seen the whole thing yet.

He chuckled at my answer. "You can just admit it. My place is boring."

"It really is nice here. It's just missing a woman's touch," I placated him as I turned in his arms.

He squeezed me to him gently. "Are you offering?"

He seemed hopeful, so I smiled and nodded. "If you want me to, I'll be glad to do it."

Carlisle leaned forward and placed a gently kiss on my forehead. "I would love for you to give this apartment a facelift. Just take it easy, okay?" He caressed my arm over the cast and I nodded. I didn't want to do anything to hinder my recovery since it was going to be long enough already.

We looked beside us to see Emmett trying to crawl up on the couch. Carlisle went to help him up and then sat down beside him. Emmett crawled around the couch for a few minutes before sitting on Carlisle's lap and embracing him in a hug. Carlisle hugged him back and kissed the top of his head.

I was enjoying watching their sweet moment when all of a sudden, Emmett started giggling uncontrollably. Carlisle had started tickling his belly, and he didn't let up.

"You're so silly!" Carlisle teased. "My little man is ticklish, aren't you?" Emmett responded by laughing so hard, his pacifier fell out of his mouth.

I didn't miss the fact that Carlisle claimed Emmett as his. I was elated over the fact that their relationship was progressing so smoothly. Emmett was totally comfortable around Carlisle now, and we were truly merging into a family unit.

Carlisle finally let up on Emmett and rubbed his belly lightly as he calmed down. I sat down on the couch beside them and tried to stifle a yawn.

"Nap time for you, huh?" Carlisle asked.

I really didn't want to take time away in the afternoon to nap, but my body was exhausted and I knew I wouldn't be much help with anything in this state.

"Just let me change Emmett's diaper first, and then I think I will lie down for a while."

Carlisle got up off the couch and carried some of the bags down the hallway. I got Emmett to stand on the couch so it was easier for me to lift him with one arm. I tried to convince myself that it would get easier with practice, but having a bum arm was starting to really frustrate me.

When Carlisle came back into the room, he asked me to follow him. He led me down the hallway and pointed out the different rooms. His master bedroom was on the left as well as a bathroom. On the right was a room he said would be Emmett's and also the room that was now mine.

Emmett's room had no furniture in it; only a few boxes lay on the floor in the corner. The walls were white, and it excited me to know that the possibilities were endless as to what I could do with this room.

My room had white walls as well. The queen size bed was lovely though, with a wrought iron headboard and footboard. A cream, sage, and rose patchwork quilt was spread over it. The rose fabric had delicate flowers on it.

"This quilt is beautiful," I commented. "Where did you get it?"

"Carmen made it," he informed me.

"Carmen made this?" I asked in disbelief. "That's incredible."

Carlisle nodded. "Quilting has become one of her hobbies since she retired. She has made every member of the family at least one. I'm sure you and Emmett will be next."

I smiled at the comment. I had missed being part of a family after being alone for what seemed like so long.

Carlisle brought the diaper bag over to the bed, and I laid Emmett down. We had gotten better at working in tandem while taking care of him.

"Speaking of Carmen," Carlisle said as he threw the dirty diaper in the trash, "I need to call her and tell her I won't be at church tomorrow."

"Carlisle, please don't miss church on account of me. I'm sure we'll be fine here for a couple of hours."

"Don't worry about it," he shrugged as he came back to the bed and picked up Emmett. "I can stand to miss one Sunday. I just need to call and give her a reason. It might look bad for the pastor's nephew to miss without a good excuse."

"Oh! Eleazar is a pastor now?"

"A few years ago he decided to go back to school. He has a relatively small church now that we attend," he explained. "I think you'll like it there, but you need to recover first before we venture out again.

"Go ahead and lie down, and I'll bring you a pain pill, okay?"

I was glad the doctor had given me a couple of pills to take home to use before the prescription got filled. My arm was starting to hurt a little, as well as my chest. I stretched out on the bed, and the soft mattress felt amazing on my tired body. I closed my eyes and smiled in contentment.

Carlisle returned shortly with a glass of water and a pill in his hand.

"Comfortable?" he asked as he handed me the pill.

I sat up again and swallowed the pill with the help of the water. "Very comfortable," I said after I downed all the water. "My body feels like it wants to just stop working."

I put my head back against the pillow, and Carlisle leaned over to give me a short, sweet kiss. He removed the sling from around my neck and helped me prop my arm up on a pillow.

"A nap will help, I promise. And don't worry about Emmett. I'm pretty sure I have it covered." He winked at me and quietly left the room.

It didn't take long for me to drift off into a peaceful sleep.

When I woke up, I was extremely groggy from the pain medication. I really hoped I could switch to something over the counter soon. There was no way I could deal with being knocked out every time I was in pain.

I had only meant to sleep for a couple of hours, but I quickly realized I had been out for longer. There was no longer bright sunlight coming in through my window. Instead, the room was blanketed in a gray light which meant it was late afternoon, possibly even early evening.

I groaned as I sat up. The nap had helped my body, but I was still wiped out. I didn't know how to put the sling back on, so I decided to just forego it. I went to the door and opened it. The whole apartment was much darker now, and I noticed it was much quieter than it should be with Emmett around.

I walked down the hallway, and heard soft, classical music coming from the living room. I still hadn't seen any sign of Carlisle or Emmett, which worried me slightly. Upon entering the living room, I noticed random toys scattered across the floor, so I knew they must not be too far away. I could see the back of the recliner, and it was rocking slowly, so I walked over to see the front of it.

The sight before me brought a smile to my face. Carlisle sitting with his head back against the chair and his eyes closed. He was cradling a sleeping Emmett in his arms with Emmett holding on to a fistful of his shirt. They were both missing the sweaters they were wearing earlier, and Emmett had even lost his shorts, leaving him only in a green onesie. A blue blanket covered them lightly, and Carlisle had a very serene expression on his face as they rocked.

I hated to disturb them, but I couldn't resist placing a kiss on Carlisle's cheek. He smiled and slowly opened his eyes.

"Hi," I whispered.

"Hi," he whispered back. "Did you have a nice nap?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but I don't like those pills. I didn't want to sleep this long. You should have woken me up."

"Maybe you can only take them at bedtime. They might help you sleep." Carlisle solution made sense. Getting pain-free rest was always a plus.

"And I wasn't about to wake you up," Carlisle continued. "You needed that nap. I bet you feel a lot better now."

"Yes. Much better. So how did it go with Emmett?" I was curious as to how Carlisle handled it. I had a feeling he underestimated his childcare skills. From the looks of them, they had a good afternoon.

"Well, we explored some more then went back to the drug store to get your prescription." He nodded his head toward the kitchen, and I saw the small bag on the counter.

"Carlisle, you didn't have to pay for my medicine!" I insisted.

"It's alright. I wanted to. You know I want to take care of you."

"But you shouldn't spend your money on me. I also think maybe I should pay you rent or something. I don't want to be a freeloader."

Carlisle looked at me with an incredulous expression. "Esme, when I asked you to move in with me, I never wanted you to pay me. I know money is something we need to discuss along with other things. And we will tonight after dinner, okay?"

I nodded in agreement and let it go for the time being.

"Thank you. Now, would you like to know the rest of our afternoon?"

I smiled and encouraged him to tell me the rest.

"After the drug store, we came back here and played for a while until he started getting a bit irritable. I fixed him a cup of milk and convinced him to rock with me. He's been asleep about an hour and half. Should I wake him up now? I don't want this to interfere with him sleeping tonight."

I looked over to the clock and saw that it was getting close to six o'clock.

I sighed. "I hate to wake him up, but we should probably eat dinner soon, and I do want him to be able to sleep tonight, especially since we are in a new place."

Carlisle gently traced his finger tips across Emmett's face. After a few moments, Emmett started trying to move away from Carlisle's teasing. Carlisle continued his movements until Emmett finally opened his eyes.

"There he is," Carlisle said softly. "Did you have a nice nap, little man?"

Emmett rubbed his eyes and sat up, only to let his head fall back to Carlisle chest.

Carlisle chuckled and patted his back. "Look, Mommy's awake, too," he told him.

Emmett looked over at me, smiled, and reached his arms out. I sat down on the couch, and Carlisle brought him over to deposit him in my lap.

"Mama," Emmett said, almost in awe. He placed his little hands on either side of my face and gave me a sloppy kiss on my lips.

"Thank you, monkey," I laughed as I kissed him back.

Carlisle went into the kitchen, and I heard him rummaging through his cabinets.

"I'm afraid I don't have much to eat here," he called. He shut the cabinets and walked back to the living room with a phone in hand. "Would you mind if I just ordered pizza?" he asked with a smile. "It's not very healthy, but I'd rather not go grocery shopping this evening."

"Pizza is great," I replied sincerely.

Carlisle called and ordered us a large supreme pizza. He was surprised when I told him that we didn't have to get plain cheese for Emmett, but Emmett really would eat just about anything.

While we waited for the pizza, Carlisle straightened some of the toys that littered the floor, and Emmett and I played with blocks. He was getting so much better at stacking and could now stack four blocks on top of each other before he would knock them down for fun.

The pizza arrived and we sat together at the table to eat. We forgot to bring a booster seat or high chair for Emmett, so he went back and forth between our laps. It didn't bother me in the least for my baby to sit with me, and I don't think it bothered Carlisle too much either. His face would light up every time Emmett reached for him.

After we finished eating, Carlisle and I both cleaned up the mess while Emmett ran around some more. He had managed to get pizza sauce all over his face, hands, and in his hair, so I knew a bath was in order tonight. I was hoping that letting him run around now would make it easier for him to relax after his bath and go back to sleep easily at bedtime.

Carlisle and I sat on the couch while Emmett entertained himself with his toys. We were sitting about a foot apart until Carlisle pulled me to him. I leaned up against his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around me. Our position was both familiar and comfortable.

"You were too far away from me," he murmured into my hair.

I hummed in response and settled deeper into his embrace. We sat in relative silence, listening to each other breathe and to Emmett babble to himself.

"I talked to Carmen while you were napping," Carlisle said after a few minutes. "I told her that something came up and I wouldn't be there tomorrow. She didn't press much for details, but I know she's suspicious about my motives."

"How are you going to tell her about me?" I interrupted. "You know, I'm pretty excited about getting to see her and your uncle as well. But this situation isn't exactly easy to explain."

"Well, Carmen invited me for dinner Monday night. She has me over when I'm off work about once a week. I accepted her invitation, and I asked if I could bring two guests with me."

He then stopped speaking to laugh. "Now she's even more suspicious, if that's even possible. I've never brought anyone home before, so I think she's shocked as well."

"You've never brought anyone home? " I asked in disbelief.

He shook his head. "Nope. I've never had any desire to bring anyone home with me. Except you that is." He nuzzled my neck with his nose and then placed a light kiss there. "At first I thought it was really pathetic, but now I realize it was anything but that. God has rewarded my faithfulness, and I fell so honored that he would give me this amazing testimony."

His simple statement reaffirmed what he had already told me. He had waited on me. In every way, shape, and form. And he was right about his testimony, because mine was amazing now as well.

"So we're eating there Monday night?" I asked.

He nodded. "If that's okay with you. I'm sorry I didn't ask you first, but she wanted an answer right away, and I figured she would need to know how many to cook for. I won't do it again. I'm sorry."

"You already said you were sorry," I laughed. "You don't need to apologize. I would love to eat with them. I've missed them, too. So am I going to just show up and say 'surprise' or something?"

"No, I think we should use a different method. We can brainstorm and figure out a good way for you to be revealed."

"You make me sound like some sort of magic trick!" I accused.

He just shrugged nonchalantly which made me laugh again.

We went back to sitting in silence, but we both knew that a heavy discussion was imminent. Carlisle's chat with his aunt was just the beginning of what we needed to talk about. There were so many things that needed to be dealt with, and hopefully, we could find solutions that everyone could live with.

Emmett started to get whiny, which I took as a sign that he would be ready for bed soon. I squeezed Carlisle's hand and gestured with my head toward the bathroom. He nodded and went to get everything ready for bath time.

"Emmett, come see Mommy, baby." He listened to me and crawled across the floor and onto my lap. I kissed his forehead and he head-butted my shoulder. It wasn't strong enough to hurt, but it did convey his current level of frustration with himself.

I managed to stand up with him, and I walked to the bathroom across from my room, only to find that it was empty. I then went into Carlisle's room and found him in the master bathroom. The tub in this room was much larger than the one in the other bathroom. Carlisle had the bathtub filled with a few inches of water.

"Is this enough water?" he asked me.

I looked closer at it, and it appeared to be at a sufficient level.

"It looks okay to me," I responded. "Can you get him in the tub while I get the baby wash?"

Carlisle took Emmett from me, and I went into my room to find the baby wash as well as a clean diaper and some sleepwear. When I got back to the bathroom, Carlisle already had Emmett in the tub and he was slowly wetting his body with a washcloth. We quickly worked out a system with me washing and Carlisle rinsing. Emmett wasn't in a mood to play anymore, so Carlisle lifted him out of the tub and placed him in a warm towel as soon as we were finished.

Carlisle laid him down on his bed, and we dried him off. Putting lotion on him was a challenge at first, but since Carlisle and I worked so well together, we were able to figure out a way to get it done. I realized that Carlisle could easily be doing all of this by himself, but he wanted me to feel like I had a part in everything. If it wasn't for his efforts, I would probably feel useless.

We put a diaper on Emmett as well as a white onesie. Carlisle picked him up and held him to his chest as he swayed back and forth and rubbed his back. I took the supplies back to my room and picked up a book to read to Emmett.

I went back into the living room and sat in the recliner. Carlisle placed Emmett in my arms, and I rocked and read Goodnight Moon. The soothing baby wash had completed its job, and by the time I was finished with the book, Emmett was mostly asleep.

Carlisle had the pack and play set up, so I carried Emmett into my room. Carlisle gently placed him on his stomach in his stand-in bed. I covered him with a soft blanket and kissed his head as he fell into a deeper sleep. Carlisle also leaned down to kiss him before we turned out the light and left the room.

"Maybe we should get ready for bed, too?" Carlisle suggested. I agreed because I still felt exhausted, and I knew I would be ready to crawl in bed soon. I changed into a pair cotton pajama pants and a t-shirt. My sleepwear wasn't anything close to sexy, but I had never owned anything that could be considered sexy. I hoped that would change in the future with Carlisle.

Carlisle met me back in the living room wearing his own t-shirt and a pair of flannel, plaid pajama pants. I curled up against him on the couch, and he draped a blanket over us. I felt safe while he held me securely in his arms, and I never wanted to leave.

"So, this morning," Carlisle began as he rubbed my arm, "I know you zoned out while the police were talking to me."

I nodded in agreement. I had no idea what they had talked about.

"Well, it turns out that you were probably right about Charles being involved in illegal activity. He's wanted in Ohio for multiple crimes including theft against businesses and individuals. Since he was caught, the state of Washington had the obligation to extradite him right away. But now he is wanted for something here. I think this will help your case tremendously. He will be more likely to agree to a plea bargain, and you could possibly avoid a trail."

I took several minutes to process this new information. So Charles was a crook. It wasn't really that much of a shock to me, but I still had to take a minute to wrap my brain around it. What did Carlisle say about a trail? I hadn't thought about possibly having to face a trail. I never wanted to see Charles again, so I was on board for anything that would help me avoid that.

Carlisle stayed silent and unmoving while I was thinking until finally he kissed my temple. "I'm sorry if this is a lot to take in, but a lawyer will be able to explain it better."

"No, it's okay…I think. So Charles will not be getting out of jail any time soon?" That was what I was most concerned about presently. I didn't want him to have an opportunity to find me again and possibly hurt Emmett.

Carlisle shook his head. "Since he is also wanted in another state, he can't get out on bail. He will be locked up until the send him back to Ohio, no matter what happens in your case."

"So where am I going to find a lawyer?" I asked. Lawyers were expensive, and I did not have excess money to offer one.

"I took the liberty of contacting our family lawyer," Carlisle replied sheepishly. "I should have asked you first, but I guess you didn't have one already. I'm sorry if I overstepped again, but…"

I turned to face him, and cut him off with a slow, building kiss. Our kiss drained some of the tension we were both feeling, and when I released him I felt much more relaxed.

"You didn't overstep. But I'm afraid I don't have the money to pay for a good lawyer," I explained.

"Money is another thing we need to discuss, but you don't have to worry about it in this particular situation. My lawyer agreed to work for you pro bono. He's like one of those TV lawyers: you don't have to pay him anything unless you win the case, except he's not even going to make you pay then. I didn't think I would be able to talk to him until after the weekend, but I contacted him this afternoon and he agreed to meet with us Monday morning."

I turned around to give him another kiss. "Thank you," I whispered. "You're doing so much for me. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"Shh. You don't have to thank me. I want to give you everything I can, sweetheart. This is just the beginning. And you can repay me by loving me forever. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a plan." I settled my head back against his shoulder because I knew we weren't finished talking just yet. I was dreading the conversation we needed to have about money. I didn't want to be a burden to Carlisle, and I hated not having much to offer in the form of money.

"Okay good. So now I think I want to play the same game that we did early where you hear me out before saying anything. But this time, I would appreciate it if you listen to the whole story."

I giggled softly, remembering our conversation in the car and nodded my head.

"Thank you. I know you are worried about money, but please don't. I want to take care of you, and in my mind that includes a place to live, rent free I might add, and anything else you might want or need. If you insist on helping out, I'm sure we can come up with a compromise. Maybe split the groceries for now or something?"

I nodded. His compromise didn't sound bad, and it made me feel warm inside knowing he wanted to take care of me.

"As for your job, I know you enjoy it, so please continue working if that's what you want to do, or stay at home. It doesn't matter. I only request that you continue to take it easy until you are fully recovered. Emmett is going to tire you out easily without any extra work tacked on. And with that cast, I can't imagine it's easy to type."

I shook my head. Typing with this chunk of plaster was anything but easy. The fingers on my left hand were still swollen, and the way the cast went over my elbow made it impossible to even reach the keyboard.

"I'm not sure how your boss is, but if something happens and your lose this job during these weeks, don't get too upset. You don't have to hide anymore, and I'm positive it wouldn't be hard to find another interior design job in Seattle. You could have benefits and even work with the public if you wanted to. It could be a nice change of pace."

So far, everything Carlisle said had made sense. He wasn't trying to make me dependent on him, not working for anything, while he paid for everything. He wanted to be the provider for the family, and I could respect that desire. I knew I wouldn't waste his money which would eventually become our money once we were married. He wanted me to do whatever made me happy

"I think I'm finished now, by the way," Carlisle interrupted my thoughts.

"I see where you're coming from now, and I'll agree to everything on one condition." I turned to see his face, and he looked elated.

"Anything you want," he replied sincerely.

I gave him a small grin. "As soon as we're married, we start a joint account, and you never, ever let me see an itemized statement. Deal?"

He looked at me for a few seconds, searching my face to see if I was serious. As soon as he realized I was, he grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me soundly.

Once he released me, I started laughing loudly. I finally had to put my hand over my mouth so I wouldn't wake Emmett.

"What was that for?" I asked. "Not that I'm complaining."

"I had no idea it would be that easy. I was prepared to pitch my ideas and sit here all night trying to find a solution. Your idea is perfect and I accept."

I brought my right hand up to shake his. "Then I'm glad we have a deal. You know, maybe I give in too easily," I teased.

Carlisle tensed beside me. "Oh Esme, I'm so sorry. I'm as bad as him."

"What are you talking about?" I was really confused as to how his mood had changed so quickly, so I tried to remember what I said that would make him react like this.

"I'm as bad as Charles. I'm telling you my ideas for everything, and you're not getting much of an input. I don't want to control you, please understand. I just…I've never done this before, and I'm at a loss as to how to proceed. Please forget everything I said."

This conversation was spiraling downhill fast, and I knew I needed to save it.

"Carlisle Cullen! Don't you ever compare yourself to that monster! You are nothing like him. You're loving, compassionate, gentle, and he will never be those things. And you are wrong. You are giving me a choice. I don't have to agree with what you say, and I know that. I could easily say no to everything you suggest, but I don't because I do agree with you. What you say makes perfect sense to me. I agree because I want to, not because I feel like I have to. We're communicating, and I think it's wonderful. So do not feel bad about this."

"Yes ma'am," Carlisle replied and kissed my temple. "I won't ever doubt you again, just please let me know if I ever do go too far, okay?"

I nodded and his posture relaxed once more.

We went back to sitting in silence while Carlisle ran his fingers through my hair and massaged my scalp. It felt so good and relaxing that I let out a huge yawn. Carlisle then yawned in turn, and I knew we both needed a night of good rest.

"I think maybe it's bedtime for the grown-ups now," I said as I stifled another yawn.

Carlisle helped me up and pulled me into a hug. He held me for a few minutes while we enjoyed the feeling of our bodies close together. His grip tightened and then he released me.

"You can go ahead and lie down and I'll bring you a pain pill and some water," he said before turning and going into the kitchen.

I walked to the bathroom and quickly relieved myself, brushed my teeth, and washed my face before going into the bedroom. Emmett was still sleeping soundly, so I quietly crawled into bed. The mattress still felt wonderful, just like it had during my nap. Carlisle came in with my pain pill which I swallowed and then laid back down.

Carlisle leaned down and brushed the hair back from my face. "Goodnight," he whispered. "I'll see you in the morning. If you need anything, I'll be right down the hall."

I reached up to cup his face in my hand, and pulled him down farther to my lips. We kissed softly, but I knew I had to let him go eventually since his back would probably start hurting soon in this position. I just couldn't help myself. I was completely addicted to his kisses. I would never have enough.

"I love you," I whispered against his lips.

"I love you, too." He gave me one final kiss, and stood up. "Sweet dreams," he said as he left the room.

It took a few minutes to get my brain to try to shut off. So much had happened on this Saturday. My hope was growing exponentially each minute. I finally managed to relax my body and my mind enough for the pain pill to kick in and lure me to sleep. Even in my sleeping state, I could still feel the love Carlisle and I shared, and I knew it surrounded us always.