Thank you all so much for continuing to read and review. I loved your excitement for the last chapter! =)

And lots of thanks to anhanninen for prereading and hand holding and to MelissaMargaret for making this pretty.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters.

Carlisle POV

Esme wiped the tears from her cheeks as we stepped out of the small hospital room, and I had to brush a few off mine as well.

Simply going into a room had never affected me so much, not even with Rosalie and Jasper. Alice actually looked sick – not just battered and abused. That was heartbreaking enough without the added fear I had for this precious baby.

Shelley had said Alice was seven months old, and I wasn't sure if Esme fully noticed, but she was half the size of the average seven month old at most. My guess was that her weight was the product of a disorder, and her parents abandoned her or this was neglect. Neither option set well with me.

I was ready to hear this whole story, and Shelley seemed ready to tell it. She and Carmen were waiting for us, and at our nod, led us back to the room we were in previously. Instead of Esme sitting in the chair beside me, I pulled her into my lap. We needed to be close for this.

"So…" Shelley smiled, waiting for our cue.

"Everything," Esme answered. "Tell us everything."

She chuckled. "Somehow, I knew you'd say that. I'm not going to tell you everything, though," she cautioned. "Partially because I don't know everything myself and because I'd like for you to take a night to think this over once you know at least a portion of the story."

We nodded, having no objections to her plan.

"All right then. I'll start with the basics. Mary Alice Brandon, seven months old, brought in yesterday evening. As you've seen, she's not healthy, but we're still waiting on several factors to say what is exactly wrong with her. Tomorrow is probably the day for that."

"Does she have a physician?" I asked, not liking the idea of wasting time when this baby clearly needed help.

"There is one here, but they've also called in a specialist. Of what, I'm not sure, but he or she will be here tomorrow."

"She needs a specialist? Poor baby." Esme sniffled and laid her head against my shoulder.

Rubbing her back, I placed a kiss on her head. "This is good though," I reminded her. "This means she's receiving the best care possible."

Shelley nodded. "Carlisle's correct. Alice definitely isn't being ignored, and everyone involved is doing everything we can to help her – which brings me to my next point. Because not much is known, there's no way to determine how complicated her long-term recovery will be. I feel like I can't ask for your final decision before we have an idea at least."

As much as Esme or I would want to argue that our final decision was basically guaranteed at this point, Shelley was right. We needed to discuss this privately and with the family. I wanted my Uncle Eleazar's opinion, specifically, and I knew he'd gladly talk this through with us. Everything was happening fast, but that didn't necessarily have to be a bad thing.

Shelley asked if we had any more questions before she had to leave to head to her office, but Esme only had one.

"Can we go back to see her again?"

There were no objections, so after saying our goodbyes to Shelley and Carmen – who promised to see us at home, the two of us walked back to Alice's tiny room.

A nurse was checking on her but smiled and assured us that we could come in.

"I'm just making sure she's comfortable," she explained. "She's a crier at times but doesn't like to be comforted, so we try not to leave her alone for too long."

"Can I…can I hold her?" Esme asked hopefully, sighing in relief as the nurse nodded.

"Of course you can! Just watch the tubing if you move across the room, and feel free to call if you need anything. My name is Lauren, and I'll be here for a couple more hours and all day tomorrow."

We thanked Lauren, and as she quietly left the room, we walked closer to the crib. Esme immediately reached over to touch Alice, running her hand over her arm before finally resting lightly on her head.

"Help me hold her?" she requested softly.

"Of course, sweetheart. Chair?"

She nodded, so as she slipped her hands under Alice's tiny body, I made sure the tubing didn't get tangled or caught on anything. The chair was only a few steps away, and we managed to make it without any problems.

Esme sat carefully, adjusting Alice in her arms until they were both comfortable. Once they were settled, I draped the tubing over the side of the chair and knelt in front of the chair.

"Carlisle, she's so small," she murmured, using her freehand to lightly trace Alice's features. She remained still, totally undisturbed as Esme explored. "She doesn't weigh very much at all – I can barely feel her."

"We'll get her better," I promised, reaching out to rub her knee. She looked up and met my eyes, and I nodded. "After the specialist sees her, they'll make a plan so she can get better."

"I want her."

Chuckling, I nodded again. "I want her too."

"We need to get her some clothes, softer blankets, a better room – someone will stay with her."

"We can stop on the way home."

"Car seat, crib, bedding…"

"I think we have plenty of time to get that done. I doubt she'll be leaving the hospital within the next couple of days." I hated the way Esme's face fell, but I had to be realistic. "This is something that can't be fixed over night."

"But you think it can be fixed?" she whispered.

"I do. With time and love. And the correct diagnosis."

Appeased, she leaned back in the chair, holding Alice closer. She hummed softly as we simply watched Alice sleep. We had an almost overwhelming amount of things to discuss later, but for now, the silence was welcome.

Our silence was interrupted a few minutes later by Lauren. "Dinner time," she said, waving a bottle of formula as she entered the room. "I can feed her or you can."

Without a word, Esme reached for the bottle.

Lauren smiled and passed it over. "That's what I thought. Let me get you a towel, though, because this can get messy. She's not a fan of eating."

I frowned. "She doesn't like to eat?"

Grabbing a towel out of a drawer, she shook her head sadly. "Not usually. She'll get to about two ounces and be done. And as you've seen, Miss Alice really doesn't need to miss any meals. So when she's finished, just call me so I can get the rest of it in her through the NG."

After Lauren handed Esme the towel, we were left alone again. I helped Esme get into a comfortable position to feed Alice with the help of a pillow, but Alice didn't seem to be in the mood to wake up.

"Let's see those eyes, pretty girl," Esme said, lightly rubbing her stomach. "It's dinner time for you, little love bug."

Finally, Alice began to stir, her eyes opening slowly as she stretched. But unlike most babies her age, she didn't focus on our faces once she was awake, choosing instead to look at the ceiling.

I reached over and ran my finger over her cheek, smiling as she turned toward me. Both relieved and still worried, I cooed softly to her. She was a bit old to still have that reflex, but I was hoping it meant we might be able to get her interested in eating.

Esme seemed to understand what I did and ran her finger over Alice's other cheek to get her to turn toward where she had the bottle. Once she did, she gently placed the nipple in her mouth, and we held our breath as we waited for her to start eating.

Alice wasn't thrilled about it, but she did finally start to suck and swallow. I watched carefully, making sure that her problems didn't originate from the feeding technique. I wasn't a pediatrician, but I knew the basics. And from what I could tell, Alice knew how to eat, but just as Lauren said, she didn't like it.

After almost three ounces, she refused to drink any more. Every time Esme tried to coax her, she grunted and turned her head away.

"I guess that's as good as it's going to be," Esme said with a sigh. "Poor baby just doesn't want to eat."

"We'll get there," I assured her. "Want me to do my burp duties while you find Lauren?"

If Esme saw through my poor excuse to hold Alice, she didn't say anything. Instead, she simply placed her in my open arms before kissing my cheek and quietly leaving the room.

I stood, stretching my stiff knees before taking the spot in the chair. I placed Alice upright against my shoulder and rubbed her back. "All right, sweet girl. Let's get the air bubbles out."

She didn't protest, but unlike Pumpkin, she didn't attempt to cuddle up to me. I tried not to let it bother me as I began patting and rubbing her back.

In just a short period of time, I'd noticed a number of disturbing behaviors. Even taking away the weight issue, this baby girl still wasn't on track. I could only pray that the nurses and other doctors had noticed these things too, and that the specialist was one who knew how to handle the big picture.

"Good job," I praised softly as a good bubble of air came out. "Got any more for me?" She did have a few more, and after I was sure she was finished, I lowered her from my shoulder.

With her cradled in my arms, I knew exactly what Esme meant. She was as light as a feather, and once again, she wasn't making any move to be closer to me or meeting my eyes. I was a stranger, but it wasn't as if she was trying to get away from me either. Alice was just…there, and that disturbed me more than anything else.

I couldn't ponder for too long because Esme soon returned with Lauren.

"Don't worry, sweet girl," I said softly as I kissed Alice's forehead. "We'll figure it out and get you all better."

Since it was getting late, I convinced Esme that it would probably be best for us to leave. We had hours of discussion ahead of us, and Alice was already on her way back to sleep as Lauren hooked the feeding tube to the pump.

Saying goodbye was hard because we were ready to just take her home with us. Our hearts were completely captured. But after a few kisses and promising to see her again tomorrow, we managed to tear ourselves away.

We were both quiet on the ride home until I pulled into the parking lot of a store that brought a smile to Esme's face.

"Now? Really?"

I shrugged. "I'm sure Aunt Carmen and Uncle E are holding down the fort just fine. We have some things to buy."

Hand in hand, we walked through the baby store, grabbing whatever we thought Alice needed. We had to guess about sizes for clothes, but she only needed some basics for now. They had her in just a diaper in the hospital, so the warm sleepers would be better even if they were too large.

Tempted to buy the whole store, we settled for the softest blankets and sleepers along with some onesies. Everything else Esme wanted to get could either wait a few days or we had at home. The only thing we couldn't buy that we desperately needed was a larger hospital room. But with plans to mention it to Shelley when we saw her again tomorrow, we were satisfied with our preparations.

The remainder of our drive home was also quiet but slightly less melancholy. With our purchases, the fact that we would get to see Alice again felt surer – like it had to happen.

Instead of joining the rest of the family right away, I drove to our house. Before involving anyone else, Esme and I needed to talk – just the two of us.

As Esme brought the bags into the house and threw the new items into the washer, I poured glasses of lemonade and took them to the family room. I sat on our favorite couch and waited for Esme to join me.

When she came into the room, I offered the glass to her. She smiled in thanks and sat down beside me, sipping the cool drink.

"I'm not sure where to start," I confessed, kissing her temple. She snuggled closer and sighed.

"Alice is very sick, isn't she? More than just the weight."

I nodded with my own sigh. "I think so. I don't even think her weight is the biggest issue."

"Nothing will change my mind though," she insisted. "No matter what the specialist says, I still want her. I just…I know her. Just like with Rosalie and Jasper, Emmett and Edward. Do you feel it, too?"

I knew exactly what she meant and I told her so. "The first meeting with each of my children has been different, but yes, sweetheart. I've felt it every time. Which is why I agree that Alice belongs with us. It won't be smooth sailing, but I don't think that even matters at this point."

"Of course not," she said, shaking her head vehemently. "If anything, that makes me even surer. We can make sure she gets what she needs to recover – whatever that may be.

"I think Shelley knows this," I pointed out. "I don't know what the situation is with the birth parents, but Shelley obviously knew we were right for this."

"Can you believe her feeling?" Esme shook her head with a soft laugh. "That's another thing that makes me not want to doubt this. It's sudden, but really, we were prepared for this back at Christmas whether we knew it or not."

"And we're not pregnant. Not for lack of trying or anything…"

"Carlisle!" she laughed, sitting up to lightly slap my arm.

I grinned. "What? You know it's the truth."

"Yeah, yeah." She leaned back, resting her head on my shoulder. "It is a good point. No new babies coming within the next nine months at least. Pumpkin's becoming more independent, Emmett will be in school every day, Rosalie and Jasper will be at school three days a week. I think we can handle it."

"I think so too, but I would like to talk to the rest of the family, just to see what they think." Their opinions wouldn't change ours, but since we relied on them so much, I felt it was only fair to know where they stood. Knowing our family, they'd probably all be in agreement with us, but it would still be nice to know for sure.

Esme understood right away and nodded. "Definitely. I'd love to know their opinions. Finish up here and head over there?"

I agreed, so after Esme finished up with the laundry, we drove over to Carmen and Eleazar's house.

We found everyone outside – Kate's family included. The kids were running around while the adults sat in the shade to chat. Pumpkin was babbling away in Kate's lap, but as soon as he saw Esme, no one else mattered.

"Mama!" he squealed, struggling to get out of Kate's lap. "Mama!"

With everyone alerted to our presence, Esme wasted no time before scooping him up into her arms and showering him with kisses.

"Oh, I missed my Pumpkin so much! I bet someone's hungry, huh?"

Without a word to anyone else, she carried him inside, but we all just laughed it off. After spending time with Alice, I had a feeling that Esme needed a few extra minutes alone with Edward. It was so easy to take your kids' health for granted, only to be soberly reminded that not every child had that.

I took a seat between Eleazar and Kate, not missing how everyone was smiling expectantly at me.

"So…how much do you know?"

"I know I'm getting a new niece," Kate said as her smile widened. "Mom wouldn't tell us much else, though, so you and Esme need to spill."

I laughed, but after Esme returned with a blanket and settled into nursing Pumpkin, we did spill. We told them everything we knew, which really wasn't much so far. Many of their questions had to go unanswered, but the most important thing was that they understood our feelings.

"So now we just want to know your opinions," Esme finished. "We obviously know what we want, but I don't think we're in this alone."

"You are certainly not alone," Carmen said forcefully. "Eleazar and I will be here to support you no matter what. Alice is already my grandbaby in my heart, you know."

"And we'll be here, too," Kate said as she patted my knee. "Whatever you need, we'll try our best."

Garrett nodded in agreement. "That's what this family does. Takes in anyone who needs it, and it sounds like Alice definitely needs it."

I turned to meet Esme's eyes, and her wide smile was everything I needed. Everything except my uncle's words. I turned to look at him next, unsurprised when he placed his arm around me.

"What do you think, Uncle E?" I asked.

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Son, you and Ezzie don't have to worry about my approval. You'll always have it. This is all very sudden, but does that really matter?" He paused, shrugging. "God's timing doesn't always match up with our timing, but does that make it less perfect? The two of you know what feels right, and I'm positive you'll make the right decision. And I'll be first in line to hold the new grandbaby when you bring her home."

Filled with relief, I could finally relax. Though I'd had a good idea about what he was going to say, hearing the words aloud meant so much. With the whole family behind us, there wasn't room for doubt about our decision. Alice would be coming home with us as soon as she was able.

The only thing left to do was talk with the kids.

After dinner, Esme and I took the kids home. We went through the usual bedtime routine with baths and pajamas before gathering in the family room. Since it was Rosalie's night to choose the book, she brought over her choice and sat in my lap, looking up at me expectantly.

"I want this one, Daddy," she said, dropping her voice to a whisper. "It's the pink book, and Em and J don't like it, but I like it and it's my turn, right?"

"It is your turn," I confirmed, kissing her forehead. The pink, glittery book wasn't the boys' idea of a good story, but they would just have to deal tonight. "But first, Mommy and I have something to talk to you guys about."

Esme scooted closer to me, placing Emmett and Jasper on either side of her. Pumpkin was already out for the count on his duck blanket, but I wasn't too worried about him hearing the news.

Once we were sure they were paying attention, I nodded toward Esme for her to start.

Taking a deep breath, she smiled. "So, you guys remember how Mommy had Pumpkin and we brought him home to live with us?"

"Yeah, Mommy!" Emmett said with a nod. "Pumpkin was in your belly but you didn't eat him and then you went to the hopspital and he was there and we saw him. And he lived with us now. See? He's sleepin on the floor."

I turned my head, trying to disguise my laughter with a cough. It didn't work, though, and my laughter set Esme's off. Getting a glimpse of the world through Emmett's eyes was always a special treat. That boy had such a fun way of seeing and explaining everything.

"You are very right, monkey," Esme said once she'd mostly composed herself. "Pumpkin grew in Mommy's belly until it was time for him to join our family." She paused, appearing to search for the words. We hadn't rehearsed what we would say, and in hindsight, we probably should have.

How were you supposed to tell your children that they'd suddenly be gaining a sibling? I knew we'd done it with Emmett before we brought Rosalie and Jasper home, but I couldn't remember what we said. And he was much younger then, not quite as prone to ask questions. At four and five, these kids loved to ask questions, and I hoped we could answer them.

"So how would you guys feel if we brought another baby home to live with us?" I finally asked. There was no use in beating around the bush.

Rosalie immediately shook her head. "No, Daddy. I love Pumpkin and I want him to stay here."

"Pumpkin is my brodder," Jasper protested. "I love him."

"Me too!" Emmett said, frowning. "He can't go away."

"No one is getting rid of Pumpkin – ever," Esme said firmly. "We all love Pumpkin and everyone else in the family, so we're all staying."

"That's right," I agreed. "But I'm so glad you all want to keep your baby brother." I hoped they'd remember that when he would undoubtedly get into their things in the future. "What about another baby coming to live with us?"

"For forever and ever?" Jasper asked, and I nodded.

"Yes, buddy. It would be forever. She'd be your little sister."

"A pink baby?" Rosalie gasped, leaning her head back to look up at me. "Daddy, yes! I want a girl baby to come live with us." She turned to look at Esme. "Please, Mommy. Can I have a girl baby be my sister now?"

Esme chuckled. "So you would be okay with that, sugar?" Rosalie continued to nod though, so there really wasn't any way to misunderstand her excitement. "What about you, buddy?" She hugged Jasper closer to her side, and he turned to hug her.

"Mommy, girls are okay. You go away now?"

"Oh, buddy," she sighed, kissing his little furrowed brows. "No, I won't have to go away. Well, I might have to go to the hospital some to stay with her, but we'll see if you can come too, okay?"

The worry on his face melted into a smile as he nodded. "Kay, Mommy."

Emmett had his thinking face on, but was quick to let us into his thoughts once we asked. "I like babies and Pumpkin needs a baby friend, but I still go to school?"

"Yes, buddy. You'll still go to school, and Rosalie and Jasper will still go to school, too. The only thing that will be different is that right now, Mommy and I will have to visit the baby in the hospital because she's sick."

Esme was quick to jump in as they all grew sad. "We're going to help her get better, though. Daddy and I will make sure she gets better."

"And Peter can help," Rosalie added. "He makes better, too. What's this girl baby's name?"

And so the questions started. As always, they wanted to know an endless amount of information. Some things we could answer, and the rest just wasn't possible. Bedtime was long gone once they were finally appeased with our promise to let them meet Alice soon.

A late bedtime was completely worth knowing that so far, we had their approval for bringing Alice into the family.

"She can sleep in my room, Daddy," Rosalie mumbled, eyes closed as I tucked her into bed. "Alice will like…the butterflies."

"I'm sure she will," I said, chuckling softly as I kissed her. "Goodnight, baby girl. I love you."

Once I turned her light out, I headed to the boys' room where Esme was saying her goodnights. We traded places, though I was sure Rosalie would already be asleep by the time Esme made it to her room. The boys, however, were still awake.

"Daddy, can we meet Alice tomorrow?" Emmett asked as I pulled the blanket up over him and Jasper.

"We'll see. Maybe for a few minutes. She's sick though, buddy, so we can't be loud all the time, okay?"

He nodded as did Jasper.

"I'm gonna give her a hug, kay, Daddy? Hugs make better."

My smile softened as I kissed him goodnight. "That is an awesome idea, Jasper. I'm sure that will make her so happy."

Proud of himself, he smiled and snuggled under the blanket.

After telling them both goodnight and going through the hug, kiss, "I love you" routine several times until they were satisfied, I turned out their light and went to find Esme.

As expected, she was already in bed, nursing a half awake Pumpkin.

"I don't think he'll go for much longer," she whispered as I joined them in bed. "He's barely awake now."

I leaned over and kissed the top of his head, and he opened his eyes long enough to smile at me.

"Goodnight, Pumpkin. Daddy loves you."

He unlatched and reached for me. "Dada, uhhp."

I did as he requested and lifted him into my arms. Esme smiled and rubbed Pumpkin's back before climbing out of bed and heading to the bathroom.

Edward pushed his head against the side of my neck and placed his hand at the front. I hummed softly, rubbing slow circles on his back as he drifted off. I loved the times when he wanted to fall asleep on me, and after the day we had, it meant even more.

Meeting Alice made me even more thankful for Pumpkin's health, but in return, our loving, healthy baby motivated me that much more to help her. Alice deserved the life we would give her, especially our love and care. And hopefully once we had as many answers as possible, we could start giving her everything she needed.

"You're getting a new little sister soon," I whispered to my sleeping boy. "But don't worry. Mommy and I will make sure you still get as much time with us as you need. We love our Pumpkin so much."

When Esme came back from the bathroom, she took Pumpkin from me and placed him in his crib before turning out the light and climbing back in bed to snuggle close to me.

Sleep evaded us for quite a while, but I was content to lie with Esme in my arms and just think.

Our life was changing yet again with this new addition, but we were prepared as we could be after less than a day. I had faith that everything would work out in the end, though not without challenges.

The most important fact was that Alice needed us. Nothing else mattered or would matter until we had a plan to help her. A plan that I hoped would begin forming tomorrow.

A/N: I feel like I can't thank you guys enough for being so understanding of my crazy schedule. I know it's hard to wait, especially now that we're getting to the good stuff. ;)

I'm still fail with replies, but I loved all of your reviews! They truly help keep me motivated through all the crazy that is RL.

Next update will be in 3 weeks, so I'll see you then!

Also, MelissaMargaret posted a one-shot for my birthday last week called Down the Middle. Check it out if you get a chance because it is so, so lovely.

Thanks again for reading!