A/N: I hope you don't get tired of me repeating myself, but thank you so much for all of the reviews! I did say that this chapter would be out sometime on Sunday, and at the moment, it's still Sunday where I am! ;)
Based on the reviews, I think this chapter might surprise everyone. I really hope you enjoy the chapter and aren't disappointed!
I feel like this chapter needs a warning of some sort, but I don't want to give anything away before you start reading. Just be warned that things get a little heavy towards the end.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters.
I don't have a song for this chapter. Instead, here's a Bible verse! Psalm 82: 3-4
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless;
Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
Deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
Carlisle POV
Witnessing the short moments when Esme would allow herself to become discouraged was heartbreaking. Her sorrow was my sorrow, after all, and I had vowed to stay alongside and cry with her.
Esme was not dwelling on the fact that we hadn't conceived, but it still hurt her nonetheless. Of course, every time Emmett would get in her lap and tell her that he loved her, I knew all her worries disappeared at least for the moment.
I couldn't help but want to try to make the situation better, but I was at a loss. An answer to my internal dilemma; however, came in the form of a speaker at church.
During the Christmas season, our church took up donations of money and toys for one of the local children's homes. Carmen invited the director to speak one Sunday morning, and it was truly heartbreaking to hear the woman mention some of the conditions the children lived in before going into foster care. She emphasized that most of the children were starving for love and permanence in their lives, which caught my attention. Wasn't that what Esme and I wanted? To open our home and hearts to more children?
I couldn't stop thinking about it all week, and I noticed that Esme seemed introspective as well. By Saturday morning, Esme's pondering expression had turned to one of fierce determination, and I couldn't wait to find out what was going on in her head.
"What's on your mind, sweetheart?" I asked as we decorated the Christmas tree in the family room together. She had seemed distracted with her new found determination, and I still wanted to catch a glimpse into her mind.
"Huh?" she asked as she came out of the daze she was in. "I'm sorry, Carlisle. What did you say?"
I laughed at her confused expression. She smiled back, and I was glad I had her attention.
"You've just looked like you have something on your mind this morning. Carmen gets the same look when she makes up her mind to do something, and I just wondered what you've decided to do."
Her expression turned to one of worry, and she sighed before grabbing my hand and leading me to the couch. Observing her worry and silence made me nervous about what she was thinking.
We stepped over Emmett as we walked. He was sleeping in the middle of the floor on a pile of bubble wrap. It had been time for his nap, but he insisted on staying with us. He had chattered happily for a while, and we only knew he was asleep when the "Hey, Mommys" and "Hey Daddys" had stopped. We didn't want to move him until Esme got a picture because he looked too cute all cuddled up with pieces of plastic.
We sat on the smaller couch in our usual position. My arm was around her shoulders as she sat as close to me as she could, but her head did not rest on my shoulder. Instead, she continued facing forward, eyebrows furrowed as she stayed deep in thought. I placed a gentle kiss on her temple and waited patiently for her to speak when she was ready.
"So has it been that obvious that I've been thinking?" Esme asked softly.
"Well, maybe not to everyone. But I probably know you better than anyone else, so I notice when things are different. I could tell you were thinking because you're very quiet and slightly unfocused," I explained with a small chuckle.
"And your eyebrows furrow," I said and reached my hand up to trace over her eyebrows which were behaving exactly as I had described.
"But then this morning, it changed. I could tell you weren't thinking anymore, and I got the feeling that you wanted to talk to me. So here I am, sweetheart," I offered softly. "You can tell me anything."
Esme relaxed the lines of her face, and gave me a beautiful smile before laying her head against my shoulder. "I have been thinking about something, and I do want to talk to you about it, but I don't want you to be mad at me," she explained in a whisper.
I gently coaxed her head off my shoulder so I could look into her eyes. "Esme, when have I ever been mad at you?" I asked while looking at her incredulously, but still slightly smiling.
She studied my face, and broke out into another smile of her own. "Never," she said while shaking her head. "I'm always the one who gets mad."
"I wouldn't say you get 'mad.' You're just very passionate about almost everything you do or don't do. It just gets translated in angry ways sometimes."
She laughed, and I was glad our joking had lightened the mood.
"Now," I stated and placed her head back against my shoulder. "I promise I will not get mad if you want to tell me what you've been thinking."
She nodded against me, and took a deep breath before snuggling closer.
"So you know that woman who spoke at church on Sunday? The director of the children's home?" she began, still whispering.
"Yes," I answered in what I hoped was an even tone. I was glad her head was against me, and she couldn't see my face since I was having a difficult time hiding my smile. I had a feeling I knew what she had been thinking about considering that I had been thinking about the same thing.
"Well, all week I've been thinking about what she said. Those children in foster care have been through so much, and they need love. Love that…maybe we could give them?" she finished in barely a whisper, but I heard her loud and clear.
I immediately started laughing, and planted a loud kiss on her cheek. As soon as she looked at me; however, I knew that was definitely not the reaction she had been looking for. She placed her hand on her cheek, and stared at me, the look in her eyes somewhere between shock, confusion, and hurt.
I sobered myself as quickly as possible, and placed a much gentler, reverent kiss on her forehead.
"I'm sorry I laughed, sweetheart," I said. "It's just that I've been thinking about that all week, too. I just find it amazing how in-tune we are all the time."
Her face relaxed, and her expression changed to one of wonder.
"And I think maybe we could," I said, finally answering her question. "We should probably pray about it for a while first, though. Bringing a child into our home is a big commitment, and we need to be completely sure about it."
"Oh, Carlisle," Esme cried and threw her arms around my neck. I chuckled softly at her exuberance, and hugged her tightly.
"I love you, so much," she mumbled into my neck before leaning back. "And I agree with you about being sure about it first, but I already feel so led to do this. I think this is what God wants us to do."
"I do, too," I said with a large smile. "A little time will only make the feeling grow stronger if it's right for us."
Our excited talking had apparently disturbed Emmett, and he began waking up from his nap. After he sat up from his bubble wrap bed, he rubbed his eyes and looked around for us. When he saw Esme and me sitting on the couch, he smiled before standing and walking over to crawl into Esme's lap.
She kissed his head, and he yawned and rubbed his eyes once more.
"I fell 'sleep on the bubbles, huh?" he asked me.
"You sure did, little man," I said with a chuckle. "Did you have a nice nap?"
He nodded and reached for me. I pulled him into my lap, and gave him my own kisses. "Do you want to finish helping me and Mommy decorate the tree?" I asked.
He nodded, and jumped out of my arms to run over to his pile of bubble wrap. Esme and I also got off the couch and went back to hanging ornaments on the tree. She seemed even happier than usual after our talk, and I was glad we were on the same page once again. It continually surprised me how perfect Esme and I were for each other. We were truly two halves of the same whole, and it was almost scary how far that went for us.
The rest of the Christmas season was definitely as bright and merry as the previous one had been. The required activities of decorating, shopping, baking, and wrapping filled all of our free time.
Esme really went all out on the decorations for the house. The apartment had been rather small, so I could tell she loved having the space inside to decorate as much as she wanted. The outside of the house also had all the trimmings. Our large front porch was lined with garland and bows, and seeing them when I got home from work always reawakened the Christmas spirit inside me after a long day.
Christmas day was once again spent at Carmen and Eleazar's house, and our day was full of food, family, laughter, and even gifts. The kids were once again spoiled by the grandparents which made the den almost overflow with toys.
Many pictures were taken, and it was fun to see how much the kids had grown in a year. Corin hadn't changed much, but she was taller and had learned so many things in a year. She was still incredibly sassy, but it was difficult not to laugh at some of the things she said. Riley was also taller, and his vocabulary had marginally increased. Since Emmett could also speak in clearer sentences, the two of them talked non-stop about everything and anything they noticed. The biggest change; however, was in Jane. She had grown a lot, even from when we saw them in the summer. She was around the same age that Emmett was when he came into my life, and it was a little bittersweet to remember him at that age. Jane's personality was different from Emmett's, though. She was incredibly laid back and mellow, not really causing a fuss over anything. She wasn't nearly as active, and when she did get up and walk, it was only to choose a different lap to sit in.
Esme and I decided not to share our new plans with everyone until we were absolutely sure. We knew our family would support us in anything we decided to do, but we thought it was best to focus on where God was leading us and not include outsider opinions just yet.
Even though we never said anything to them, I had a feeling they could tell something was up, especially Carmen. Esme and I were always happy, but the prospect of change just intensified that for us, and Carmen was perceptive enough to possibly notice it. She never did say anything, but I did notice several wistful looks from her toward Esme and me. I finally caught her eye and smiled to try to convey that she would find out eventually. After that she seemed appeased, but I knew she wouldn't have been upset either way. No one in their right mind would have argued with the happiness that surrounded us.
New Years was also spent with the family, and we also were able to include Chelsea and Alec. Everyone tried to make sure they felt welcomed, and it appeared that we succeeded. The more time I spent with my brother and sister in law, the more I could see how sincere they were in their efforts to be a part of mine and Esme's life. I had been a bit skeptical at first, only out of my need to protect Esme from anything that might hurt her, but they constantly proved me wrong.
Since the night Alec had further apologized to Esme, he was more at ease around us. I knew he would probably hold on to a small amount of guilt for the rest of his life, but we tried to show him that he was totally forgiven. No one was perfect and errors in judgment were made, but we weren't going to hold it against him.
Emmett loved having his Uncle Alec and Aunt Chelsea around along with his other family, and it was sad to see everyone leave at the end of the holidays. The worst part was always saying goodbye, especially when we didn't know exactly when we would see each other again. Esme and I joked with Garrett and Kate about moving closer to us, and the look that passed between them gave us hope that one day it might happen.
As we continued to think and pray about our decision to foster a child, our desire and determination only grew, leading us to believe that we were choosing the direction God wanted us to go in.
Once the holiday season had died down, we knew it was the right time to get the process started. We talked to Liam first, just to let him know what we were planning on doing. He once again recommended that we talk to Mary Randall, but we were already planning on that anyway.
Esme also went to talk to Siobhan. She hadn't been going regularly for quite a while, but wanted to just to get an unbiased opinion of the situation. Siobhan was very supportive of our decision. Esme's past gave her a way to relate to children who could have faced similar situations with abuse, and Siobhan thought it was a great idea to use that to reach out to others in need. She did recommend that we talk to Emmett and make sure he was okay with us bringing another child into the family. Since he was used to having us all to himself, it would be a big adjustment for him to have to share. Even though he was only three, he would still have an opinion, and we needed to listen.
When we contacted Mary Randall, she was also supportive and very excited to help us. She explained that some of the process would be very similar to what we went through for me to adopt Emmett, but it wouldn't be as easy as step-parent adoption. We didn't really know a whole lot about the situation we were getting into, but Ms. Randall helped us get everything straight.
We decided that instead of becoming foster parents, we would instead adopt from foster care. There were too many uncertainties in foster care, and I knew it would be difficult for us to constantly be living with the question of whether or not the child we were taking care of would get to stay. Neither Esme nor I could bear the thoughts or falling in love with a child only to have them taken away to go back to their biological parents or to another home.
The basics of the adoption process were familiar to us, and we were able to get started right away. The biggest differences were that this time, Esme and I both had to go through all the background checks and everything was a lot more thorough.
Everything went smoothly for us, and the only road block was when the no-contact order against Charles was discovered. Thankfully, we had Liam to further explain the situation and back us up when we said that Charles was not a threat to us. Once we cleared that up, the process was back on track.
By early spring, we were already finished except for the home study. It had been over a year since the first one we did, and we had also moved. The new house needed to be inspected to make sure the environment was safe and that we had plenty of room. I wasn't worried, though, because we had four extra bedrooms and all of the rooms were childproofed already for Emmett.
We finally decided to talk to Emmett since it wouldn't be much longer before things would be changing. I wasn't sure what we were going to do if he was opposed, but we were never going to know if we didn't talk to him about it.
We waited until a Saturday since I would be home all day, and we were all in good moods. Esme and I were sitting in the floor of the family room with Emmett, playing happily together with some of his plastic blocks. The large fortress we were building appeared to be almost complete, and Emmett was sitting quietly as he thought about what he wanted to do next. It seemed a good of a time as any to talk, so I looked over at Esme and nodded to signal for her to begin.
"Hey, Em," she began, conversationally, as she stacked two blocks together to hand to him. He hummed in response and took the blocks from her.
"How would you feel about another little boy or girl coming to stay with us?" she continued softly.
Emmett didn't pause at all as he continued his building. I wasn't sure if he heard her or not, and Esme also looked a little confused. Normally, Emmett always had something to say about everything so his silence was definitely different.
Esme was about to ask him again when his little head popped up so he could look at her.
"Like when Riley comed over?" he asked with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"You mean when Riley came to spend the night here?" I asked to clarify. During the holidays, we had brought Riley back to our house one night to stay we Emmett. They had had a lot of fun together, and Esme and I had gotten our first taste of what it was like to have more than one child running around the house.
"Uh huh," Emmett said with a nod. He stood up and walked over so he was right in front of me and grabbed my hands in his. "Riley sleeped in my big bed, and Mommy readed stories, and we played a lot!" he said all while jumping up and down.
I smiled at his excitement, and pulled him in closer for a kiss. He giggled as I blew a raspberry against his cheek, and when he stepped back, I could tell he was waiting for an answer.
"It would be kinda like when Riley stayed here," I answered with a nod. "But this little girl or boy wouldn't have to leave. They would live here with us."
"That's right, Monkey," Esme interrupted. I pulled Emmett down into my lap and turned so we could face Esme.
"You would be a brother," she continued. "And we would be Mommy and Daddy to another little boy or a little girl. Would that be okay?"
Emmett looked down and grabbed my hands again to place them in his lap. As he played with my fingers, I couldn't tell if he was thinking about what we had told him or not. I knew it was quite a lot of information for him to absorb. Basically, we were telling him that life as he knew it was about to change.
I looked over at Esme who was watching Emmett's face carefully. She looked up at me and gave me a small smile which I took to mean that he was thinking about it. It was just so different for him to think about something for so long, and it was nerve racking to wait to find out how he was processing everything.
After a few seconds, which felt more like hours, he finally looked back up at Esme. "But you be my mommy and my daddy?" he asked softly, pointing to himself.
"Of course we will baby," Esme said and reached for him. He climbed out of my lap and scooted over to sit in hers. "We'll always be your mommy and daddy," she said as she kissed him. "But someone else will call us 'Mommy' and 'Daddy,' too. Is that okay?" she asked once more.
Emmett's thoughtful expression returned, but he did nod before standing back up and going back to his blocks.
Esme's expression was one of confusion, and I could tell she was trying to decide whether to be relieved or not. It seemed almost too easy for him to agree.
"Daddy," Emmett said, interrupting my thoughts.
"What is it, buddy?" I asked, turning my attention back to him.
He was still looking at his blocks as he stacked them, but then he looked up at me with the beginning of a grin.
"They play with me?" he asked hopefully.
I immediately smiled and nodded. "I'm sure they would love to play with you."
"You can share all of your toys with them, too," Esme added as she moved over to sit closer to me. "I'm sure they would love to see your cars and trains."
Emmett's grin grew at hearing Esme's enthusiastic ideas, and he started his jumping again. "We play trains and eat pancakes and play bubbles and go swim at Nana house and watch Melmo and…"
I wrapped my arm around Esme's waist as we laughed at all of Emmett's exciting plans for his new brother or sister. I knew he couldn't possibly be fully prepared for the changes since some things could only be figured out with time together, but it was still a relief knowing that he was excited about the prospect of another family member.
As the days passed, my excitement also increased. Knowing the beginning process was almost finished made both Esme and I impatient for the time to come when we would actually get to find which child would be joining our family.
The Tuesday after Easter I was sitting at my desk in my office during my break, looking over a snapshot that had been taken of our family on the holiday. Esme had us dressed in matching pastel blue, and I couldn't help but think about our next family picture that would possibly include another. My mind wandered to little boys with brown hair and little girls with curls, trying to imagine who would fill the space in our lives.
A knock on the door interrupted my day dreaming. I called out my consent for the person to enter, and the door opened to reveal a very tired looking Peter. He stepping inside, closing the door behind him before walking over and sitting down on my leather sofa.
"Is everything alright?" I asked as he leaned back against the sofa and placed his hand over his face to rub his temples. "Is Charlotte okay?"
"Charlotte's fine," he said quickly to relieve my worry. "She's a little tired today, but other than that, everything is good."
I smiled and nodded. Charlotte's pregnancy had been progressing with no complications. She was at 25 weeks, so she was passed the stage of morning sickness and had had more energy for the past couple of months. They had found out that they were having a girl, and Esme and I were very excited for them. Charlotte already had a well defined baby bump and often let us feel the baby kick.
Even though everything was fine with Charlotte, I could tell that something else was bothering Peter. This job could be tough at times, but I had never seen him look this troubled before.
"Is everything else alright?" I asked again. "I'm here to listen if you need someone to talk to."
Peter and I often talked about difficult cases together. Having both witnessed death, we often supported each other, especially when we didn't want to take work home with us. I still discussed hard days with Esme, and I was sure Peter and Charlotte talked as well, but it was nice having someone to listen who had been in similar situations.
Peter took a deep breath before sitting back up again. "Have you watched the news recently?" he asked.
I furrowed my eyebrows and shook my head. "No. We've been pretty busy this past week and weekend. I don't think we turned on the TV at all. Why?"
"Last Wednesday, a woman named Lily Hale was shot and killed in her home," he began. "She had apparently gotten mixed up with the wrong people recently, and a man she owed money to decided to use his nine millimeter to help collect his payment."
I was still really confused. It was a sad situation, but Peter worked in pediatrics which wouldn't have anything to do with a grown woman.
"Her two year old twins were in the house when it happened," he continued and leaned forward to place his head in his hands. "The man and a woman he had with him found the children and kidnapped them."
I couldn't contain my gasp at the horrible events, and I immediately turned the computer on so I could read this news I had missed on the internet.
"Were the kids okay?" I asked hesitantly, not knowing if I really wanted to know the answer to my questions.
Peter looked back up at me, and I could see how much this troubled him; the anguish was written all over his face.
"Yes and no," he answered softly. "The man took them to some abandoned house, and the police found them early Saturday morning after neighbors complained about noise they were hearing. I was called in early to come to the ER once they figured out who the kids were. I've actually been their pediatrician since they were born."
I then knew exactly why Peter felt the amount of distress that he did. Any case with children was tough, but this was made exponentially worse by the fact that he had watched them grow during the past two years. The situation was so much more personal and heartbreaking.
"What were their injuries?" I asked, knowing that there probably wasn't much hope that they got away totally unharmed.
"The little boy, Jasper, escaped with only a few bruises and scratches. The little girl, Rosalie, also sustained bruises and scratches along with moderate sexual trauma."
"No!" I gasped as he whispered the last part. I immediately felt tears begin to well in my eyes. This girl was only a baby, and the horrible monster had hurt her in unimaginable ways. I watched as tears fell from Peter's eyes as well, and I knew he was thinking of his precious little girl.
"Their physical injuries will heal," he continued in a broken voice. "But emotionally, I have no idea how this will go for them. They were held for two days being abused and denied food, and it's a miracle the police managed to get them out when they did."
"Do they have any other family?" I asked. "A father or grandparents or anyone?"
Peter shook his head and stood up to begin pacing in front of my desk. "She was a single mother and didn't know who the father was. The police haven't been able to find any other relatives which doesn't surprise me. Lily always seemed like a loner when she would bring the kids in, which wasn't very often. I was more familiar with babysitters than her. I guess the only option now is to put them into foster care when they get out in a few days, but I'm trying to keep them here as long as possible."
When he mentioned "foster care," a spark immediately went off in my brain. "So they're still here?" I asked curiously.
He nodded. "Jasper could probably leave at anytime, though. His injuries are superficial and are already mostly healed. Rosalie, on the other hand, has been lightly sedated most of the time with pain medication. As long as she's not in too much pain, I might decrease the dose this afternoon so she can wake up for a little while."
"Would it be possible for me to go up with you when you go back?" I asked with a small smile.
Peter looked at me for a few seconds before smiling and nodding, and I knew he could probably tell what I was thinking.
"I'm probably going back to check on them now if you want to cut your break a little short," he said as he looked at his watch.
I immediately shut the unused computer back down and jumped out of my chair. Peter laughed at my readiness, but then his face sobered once more.
"I have to warn you," he said softly. "Charlotte and I have been trying to stay with them as much as possible, but Rosalie is extremely traumatized at this point. When she is awake, she won't allow any men near her. She was actually in a full blown panic attack when the paramedics brought her in, and that was why we originally had to sedate her. I think she only lets me within five feet of her because she recognizes me, but even I can't touch her."
I swallowed back another lump in my throat and nodded. I hated that even though she had been rescued, she still had to deal with what that monster did to her.
"What about Jasper?"
"Charlotte's been spending a lot of time with him since Rosalie has been asleep," Peter said, his smile reappearing. "I can't really tell how he's doing emotionally, but he does smile and play with Char which I think is a good sign. He'll probably be happy to see another visitor."
I smiled at the prospect of brightening the little boy's day, and then followed Peter up to the pediatric floor. I spoke to the nurses that we passed, and my smile grew as we reached the colorful hallways.
I always enjoyed my rotation in pediatrics, but it had been a lot more difficult for me since I had Emmett. When dealing with the children, it was easy to imagine each one being my own. Seeing the patients made me all the more thankful for Emmett's health, and after hearing the sad story from Peter, I knew I was going to be holding Emmett tighter once I got home.
Peter stopped in front of a door that was cracked open, but then went to the nurse's station that was right across from it.
"Is she still sleeping?" he asked the nurse sitting at the desk.
"She is," she said with a sad smile. "I went in a few minutes ago and gave her a small dose of morphine before I changed her diaper."
"How did that go?" Peter asked with a worried look.
"It wasn't bad since she slept through it, and I still haven't heard a peep since then."
Peter nodded and thanked the nurse before walking back to the door. "I figured we could peak in on Rosalie first, but I should probably warn you. She still has a few bruises on her face, so…"
I nodded, understanding his warning, and followed him inside the room. As we walked in, I could see a regular hospital bed off to the side, but it was empty. However, in the middle of the room against the wall, there was a crib, and I could see the little body sleeping inside. Peter led me over closer, and the tears returned once I could get a clearer look at the small girl.
The little angel was sleeping peacefully, her blonde curls spread out behind her head. Her face was displaying some large, fading bruises, but they could do nothing to take away from her beauty. As she slept, she sucked lightly on the pink pacifier in her mouth, and I smiled as the movement reminded me of Emmett and his own pacifier that had been gone for quite a few months.
I was mesmerized as I watched her chest rise and fall with every breath, showing how much life she still had, how much of a fighter she was. I knew she was going to need all of her strength to overcome everything she had been through. The blue gown she was wearing looked like it was swallowing her whole, and I grimaced when I saw her perfect little hand marred by a necessary IV.
I couldn't stop my hand from reaching over the side of the crib to lightly hold her free hand in mine. She squeezed my hand reflexively and sighed. My heart clenched knowing that she would never allow me near her when she was awake. I brought my other hand down and gently brushed some of the hair from the side of her face, leaving my hand to cup her cheek. She looked so innocent, so vulnerable, and all I wanted to do was wrap her in my arms and make all the pain go away.
"She's beautiful," I whispered to Peter.
"She is," he whispered back. "Just wait until you see her eyes. They're so big and blue. Jasper's are the same, though, so you will know what I mean when you see his. Are you ready to go meet him?"
I nodded and reluctantly removed my hands from her face and hand. Thankfully, she didn't stir as we quietly left the room. We walked down the hall, passing two doors before stopping in front of one with a completely closed door. Peter knocked, and I heard Charlotte call for us to come in.
When Peter opened the door and we entered, I immediately noticed the same set up as Rosalie's room with the two beds. Both of these beds, however, were empty. Instead, Charlotte was sitting in a rocking chair holding a little boy in her lap as she rocked and read a book.
Charlotte looked up and smiled as we walked further into the room, and Jasper's small head also popped up when he heard us. I was amazed by how much he looked like his sister. He was around the same size and had the same blonde curls, but the thing that caught my attention was his eyes. They were big and blue, just as Peter described, but it wasn't just the vibrant color that was attention grabbing. His eyes were full of such depth, showing so much emotion. I had no idea a toddler's eyes could be so expressive, but his clearly showed the fear he was currently feeling.
As he watched us, he tried to get closer to Charlotte, but her stomach prevented him from getting any closer than he already was. Peter went to take a step forward which made Jasper whimper before hiding his face on Charlotte's shoulder.
"Shh, sweetheart. It's okay. They're not going to hurt you," Charlotte whispered as she dropped the book to place both her arms around him. She rocked him back and forth until he was quiet once more, and then gently coaxed his head off of her shoulder.
Peter held her hands up as he walked forward to show that he meant no harm, but Jasper's eyes still welled with tears. I could only imagine what he went through in those two days, only to be taken to the hospital where he was still scared by everything going on around him.
As Peter continued to walk closer to him, I saw his eyes dart around the room, no doubt looking for some sort of safety. When his eyes locked with mine, he whimpered once more and his little arms reached out for me. I only contemplated what to do for about a second before I went over to scoop him into my arms. He held on to me tightly as I swayed back and forth, trying to make him feel protected.
Charlotte and Peter looked on with matching smiles, and Charlotte stood up to offer me the rocking chair. I was reluctant to take the seat from her, but I could feel Jasper's tears falling against my shoulder, and I knew rocking in the chair might help calm him down.
I sat down while continuing to hold him tightly against me. I rubbed his back as I whispered soothing words into his ear. He shivered against me, which Charlotte noticed, and she handed me a blanket from the bed. I wrapped it around him, hoping to both provide him with warmth and make him feel protected.
It almost scared me how quickly I had formed a connection with these children. The only thing I could think of was protecting them, sheltering from all of the evil in the world, evil that they had unfortunately experienced a taste of.
At the same time, I remembered how quickly I had connected with Emmett. He truly felt like my son after only knowing him for mere minutes. Was what I feeling the same thing? Was my connection with Rosalie and Jasper the same kind I had with Emmett?
My head and heart were swimming with so many different thoughts and emotions, so much so that I almost didn't notice Peter backing toward the door. When I finally did catch his eye, he smiled at me again and halted his movement.
"I'm going to finish my rounds," he explained. "I'm guess you're going to stay here for a while?"
I nodded and smiled back at him, and he left the room, closing the door behind him.
Charlotte pulled up another chair and sat beside us. I frowned as she moved it, but she gave me a warning glare.
"Don't you start, Carlisle," she said in a stern, yet playful voice. "I didn't lift anything, and the chair isn't that heavy."
I laughed at her efforts to prevent my scolding, and when Jasper heard me, he lifted his head from my shoulder. The tears were no longer falling from his eyes, and I gently reached over to wipe the drying ones from his cheeks. He sniffled once and then began carefully studying me. I was happy to see that his brilliant blue eyes held no fear, and he even returned my smile with a small one of his own. After he finished his studying, he reached a hand up to rub his eyes and then placed his head back against me.
No introductions were needed between us. For some unknown reason, he was already comfortable with me. It could have been the fact that I had never been one of the doctors or nurses who poked and prodded him, but I was still wearing scrubs. There was nothing to set me apart from everyone he feared.
I tried not to question it as I rocked, and after a few minutes, I felt Jasper's breathing even out. I looked down, and sure enough, he was sleeping peacefully. I placed a kiss against the top of his head, and turned to look at Charlotte. She had her hand over her mouth as tears spilled down her face, but I could still see her large grin.
"What's wrong?" I asked quietly. I wasn't sure if this was just an example of pregnancy hormones or not.
She shook her head and wiped her tears away. "Nothing's wrong," she whispered. "Something is most definitely right."
"They need you, and you and Esme need them," she continued. "I told Peter just last night. We've been so worried about them, not knowing what will happen next. I think all of our prayers have just been answered."
She stood up, and patted my shoulder. "Are you staying here for a while?" she asked, and all I could do was nod. "Okay. Well, I'm going to sit with sweet Rose for a while. Just put him in his bed whenever you need to leave."
I nodded as she left the room because I was completely speechless. Was this really the answer to all of our prayers? I couldn't imagine it being this easy, but I also couldn't deny my feelings. As I watched the sleeping boy in my arms, I realized the last thing I wanted to do was release him from my grasp to put him in bed.
My mind was working in overdrive as I tried to figure out the next thing I needed to do. I looked at the clock on the wall and saw that my break was long over, but I had a feeling Peter had taken care of it. I only had a couple of hours before my shift was over, and I knew I wanted to get home as soon as possible to talk to Esme.
There was no way I could sit back and do nothing for these precious little ones, and I knew without a doubt that Esme would feel the same way as soon as she was aware of their story. It wouldn't be easy, but if Esme wanted this as much as I did, I knew we wouldn't let anything stand in our way.
A/N: So are you surprised? I really appreciated all of your wonderful hopes and predictions, but this is how the story has been planned all along! I'm going to go ahead and say that Esme and Carlisle will have a baby...eventually. Again, all the major events are already planned and outlined; you'll just have to wait to watch everything play out!
I'm going to be busy again next weekend, but I won't keep you waiting too long! The next chapter should be posted late Sunday or early Monday!
Go ahead and review to let me know what you think! :)