Thank you all so much for sticking with me and for your sweet words and congratulations! You guys are the best. =)

And a million thanks to MelissaMargaret for making this pretty and to anhanninen for prereading.

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

Carlisle POV

I could tell Esme was nervous about today without her having to say anything to me. The past couple of weeks had been a rollercoaster – yesterday especially with Emmett's mishap. Esme had handled it like the amazing mother she was, but the whole experience left her a bit shaken. I'd volunteered to stay home from work today to help get ready for Alice's appointment with Dr. Gerandy, but she'd all but pushed me out the door – yet another reminder of how strong she was.

For once, I wasn't nervous about what Dr. Gerandy was going to say about Alice. If nothing else, she definitely hadn't regressed since we'd brought her home, and I was sure the appointment would be positive. I knew it could be easy to miss small day-to-day changes in Alice, but I noticed enough to know we were making the right kind of progress.

Regardless of my confidence, my mind remained preoccupied throughout the morning. Focusing on patients took more effort than usual, but I managed.

The truth was that yesterday had shaken me as well. Seeing one of my own children become a patient would never be easy. However, Emmett had handled everything like a champ, and really the fracture he sustained was minor. He was back to normal by the time we left the office, especially after eating the ice cream Esme had promised him.

The fact that such a normal childhood injury had shaken us more than anything else we'd dealt with before was almost funny. We had dealt with so much more, though the good news was that Esme and I could handle anything together – big or small. Everything we went through made us stronger in the end. The appointment today would be no different.

Thankfully, my morning didn't drag and soon I had seen all of my scheduled patients and it was time for me to head home.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I said as I stuck my head into Peter's office.

He looked up from the chart he was filling out. "Appointment with Dr. Gerandy today?"

I nodded. "Yeah. First follow-up after discharge. I'm not sure what all will be involved, but I'll ask him about vaccines and have him get back to you."

We'd discovered that Alice was behind on all of her vaccines which was not a surprise. Esme and I weren't willing to jump right into that and neither was Peter. The best solution was to ask Dr. Gerandy so he and Peter could collaborate on the best schedule for her.

"Sounds good. If he wants to handle it himself, that's completely fine. I'll be here to do whatever I can to help Miss Priss."

I chuckled at his very fitting nickname. Alice definitely had no problem letting her opinions be known. She might not have been healthy yet, but she was spunky.

After thanking Peter again and saying goodbye to everyone else in the office, I drove home, happily finding Esme and the kids waiting for me by the door.

"Daddy!" they all seemed to scream at one time. Laughing, I knelt down and opened my arms for whoever would fit.

"Hi, guys," I said as I hugged and kissed them in turn. "Did you have a fun morning with Mommy?"

They all nodded, but Jasper spoke up first. "Yeah, Daddy. We talked to Aunt Sea on da screen and Mommy let us build a pillow fort to watch movies in."

"Good movies, Daddy," Emmett added. "Tales and Mouse 'Tective!"

"Wow. That sounds like lots of fun," I agreed, standing with Pumpkin. "What else did you do?"

I knew Esme had wanted to keep them inside today, and it sounded like she had kept them successful entertained.

"I played with baby Alice when she was on her belly," Rosalie added, hugging my leg. "And Pumpkin tooked a nap but I didn't!"

"Was that a good nap, Pumpkin?" He looked like he was still sleepy as he grinned and babbled, finally laying his head against my shoulder.

I patted his back and walked over to kiss Esme. "Is your version of the day the same?" I asked before kissing her again. She giggled and nodded, leaning into me as I hugged her.

"Yes, it's pretty much the same. Chelsea did say that she booked her flight. It's in two weeks, and she'll be staying with us at first since Alec now has to wait and come the next week. Everything's ready for them to move in, but they still plan to do it slowly."

I nodded. "That's probably the best idea. But they'll have plenty of helpers."

Alec wasn't starting his new job until September so he'd have to go back and forth until then. Since Chelsea's due date was in October, they wanted her to be settled here and comfortable with a new doctor as soon as possible. This meant moving slowly and having Chelsea stay with us for a while, but we certainly didn't mind. The kids were all ecstatic to have their aunt staying here.

"How was Em's arm?" I asked as we followed the kids into the family room.

Esme snorted. "If it wasn't for that cast, you'd think nothing was wrong. He hasn't asked for pain medicine all day, and every time I ask him about it to be sure, he says it doesn't hurt. He's played fine and uses it like it's normal. Besides almost whacking Jasper in the head a few times, it was a usual day."

Chuckling, I shrugged. "He's doing a broken arm in Emmett fashion, I guess. Were we expecting something else from him?"

"I guess not," she agreed, gently pushing me back against the couch. "Now, how about you spend some time with Alice while I make sure everyone is ready for their sleepover tonight."

With a smile, I let Pumpkin slide down into the floor and took Alice from her. Pumpkin quickly took interest in what the other kids were playing with, so I had time to focus on my baby girl.

"Hi, sweetheart," I said softly, kissing her forehead. "Daddy missed you today. I bet you were a good girl for Mommy, huh?"

She looked up at me, blinking slowly as she sucked on her pacifier – a sign she was ready for a nap.

"All right, baby girl. I see those eyes closing. Daddy loves to see them, but I understand." Carefully standing, I grabbed one of her blankets that was folded on the couch and moved to the recliner so I could rock. I settled her against my chest, and though it wasn't exactly the same as kangaroo care, she calmed without much fuss and easily fell asleep.

As I waited for Esme return and let me know what the plan was, I enjoyed my time with Alice, humming softly to her as I rocked. One thing she had progressed with fairly quickly was cuddling. No longer did she just lie limp in our arms, instead curling her body as close to ours as she could get. It was amazing to see and even more amazing to know that the bonds were forming.

When Esme came back downstairs, she loaded the kids' overnight bag into the van, completely ignoring my offer to help.

"I could do it," she whispered after she was finished, kissing my lips and then Alice's forehead. "You need Alice time."

"Well, thank you for that, sweetheart. Do we have plans for lunch?"

"Carmen is making sandwiches for the kids and she said we're welcome to join them."

"Is your heart set on sandwiches? I know my aunt is a good cook, but what do you say to going on a lunch date with me?"

"I say that beats any sandwich any day," she answered with a wide smile.

It didn't take long for us to load the kids into the van and drop them off at Carmen and Eleazar's. Kate and Garrett's kids were there for the night as well which had prompted an afternoon of babysitting to turn into a sleepover. We certainly didn't mind the peace and quiet for a night and with school starting for almost everyone soon, we wanted the kids to enjoy as much free time together as possible.

Alice's appointment wasn't until three, giving us plenty of time to enjoy a lunch date. I asked Esme for her location of choice, and she chose one of her favorite cafes. We managed to arrive in the middle of the lunch rush, but getting a table and our food didn't take long at all.

"This is nice," Esme said between bites. "I don't think we've been out like this since we brought Alice home."

"It is nice," I agree, reaching over to hold her hand. "I think we almost have our groove back so we should be able to do this like we used too."

"Our groove?" she asked with a laugh. "I don't know if that makes me think of disco or that llama emperor movie the kids like." She looked down at Alice and rubbed her back. "Baby, your daddy is so silly sometimes, but that's why we love him, right?"

I heard Alice's soft grunt as she contentedly watched Esme's face, and that was more than enough confirmation for me. "Well, as long as you love me, I'm fine with reminding you of a llama." I chuckled and squeezed Esme's hand one more time before we returned to our meal.

The food was delicious and as always, the company was even better. We finished in plenty of time to drive to Dr. Gerandy's office and even then we had time to spare. There was a park conveniently across the street, so we passed the time walking hand-in-hand, enjoying the nice day.

Alice was fine being in my arms until it was time for her to eat. Finding the nearest bench, Esme pulled out a blanket and settled Alice under it to nurse her. As she ate, I wrapped my arm around Esme's shoulder and held her close.

We talked about the appointment and what we were both expecting which was basically the same thing. Alice's weight and attachment would definitely be discussed, and after that, we had no idea. But Esme and I would support each other, and after reassuring her of that fact, she seemed to relax slightly. I knew she didn't doubt what we could do together. Hearing it again never hurt, though.

Deciding not to move until we had to, we soaked in the summer sun on the bench. Alice fell asleep once more after her belly was full and her diaper was changed and didn't even wake when we stood and walked back across the street.

The waiting room in Dr. Gerandy's office was fairly empty as we entered, and a nurse was prompt in calling us back. She showed up to an exam room, taking a few of Alice's vital signs and weighing her before leaving.

Only a few minutes later, Dr. Gerandy entered the room. Alice's chart was in his hand, and his smile was wide.

"Good afternoon, Dr and Mrs. Cullen. How is everyone today?"

We both stood and shook his hand, instructing him to call us by our first names. We had no need for formalities, especially with people we knew we'd be seeing often. Once the introductions were over, we all sat, Dr. Gerandy's kind manner immediately putting us at ease. Esme had confessed to me that she thought he seemed more like a grandfather than a doctor, and I had to agree.

"I'm happy to see you and Miss Alice again," he said, smile still in place. "And I'm especially happy to see her weight. We'll get a more exact one without clothes, but still . . . wow."

"Good 'wow', I'm assuming?" Esme asked, her smile growing along with mine.

"Oh, yes. Definitely a good one. Just roughly estimating with what she's wearing, I'd say she still gained as much as – if not more than – she did in the hospital since she's been home with you. And that's incredible."

"We knew she was gaining consistently but I guess we didn't realize it had been that much," I said.

"Whatever you're doing is working, that's for sure. Mind if we talk about that first?"

Both Esme and I agreed, and we spent the next few minutes answering all of his questions. They were the ones I'd expected. Was Alice still breastfeeding, had we used the NG at all, how often did she eat – the usual questions. We did surprise him with our own weight chart which we'd brought to show him.

"This is great," he said, point to the paper after he looked over it. "I wouldn't have thought to suggest this, but it's a great idea both for your peace of mind and for us to be sure her weight continues to go up."

"It has been nice to see," Esme said. "I imagine with bottle feeding, it's pretty easy to see how much your baby's getting. Not having a measurement worried me a little until we started doing this."

"I think that's the most incredible thing." He shook his head as he looked over the numbers again. "This is from exclusively breastfeeding with no supplements through the NG at all, correct?"

I chuckled and nodded. "Correct. We haven't used the NG once since we got home. Really, we've just been worried one of the kids would accidentally pull it out."

"Could we maybe talk about removing it?" Esme asked hesitantly. "Alice assured me yesterday that she doesn't need it."

Dr. Gerandy laughed loudly as he looked back up at us. "I definitely saw what happens when she doesn't get her way, so I'll be considering it. Honestly, I wasn't expecting this so you caught me off guard. If you would have asked me before seeing her when I thought the NG would come out for good, I would have said in another month or two. But her weight and willingness to breastfeed is making her opinion known." He took a deep breath as he thought for a second. "Tell you what. I'll continue thinking about it as I examine her and come to some conclusion before you leave. I'm not one for unnecessary interventions so we'll just see. Sound good?"

We were more than happy with his conditions. The fact that removing the NG already was even on the table was huge progress anyway.

"Good. Now, I hate to make her mad at me so soon, but I'd like to get an accurate weight to start us off. And I have a feeling she won't sleep through that."

He was right – not that we were expecting anything else – and Alice woke as soon as Esme started undressing her. She was content enough with a blanket wrapped around her as we followed Dr. Gerandy back to the scale in the hallway, but as soon as Esme laid her down on the paper, she was not a happy camper.

When Esme was no longer touching her, she knew right away. In a couple of seconds, her whimpers turned into a full cry with her little arms and legs stiff and flailing around, showing exactly how unhappy she was. Esme picked her up right after Dr. Gerandy wrote the numbers down, and Alice calmed quickly – probably much to the rest of the office's delight.

"Her lungs certainly aren't an issue," Dr. Gerandy joked, leading us back to the exam room. "And her weight isn't either. It's about what I expected it to be and just shy of a pound overall."

"Is the initial goal still four pounds?" I asked as I helped Esme get a diaper on Alice and wipe the tears off her face.

"Yes, I'd like to keep it there, but she's going to reach it much sooner than I originally thought."

Esme grinned. "My love bug knows what she's talking about."

Dr. Gerandy chuckled and nodded. "I would have to agree. And if it's okay, I'd like to quickly examine her so the clothes can go back on. Don't want her too mad at me."

Even with the pacifier in her mouth, Alice wasn't happy about being on the table instead of in our arms, but the exam went by quickly and smoothly. Though she was angry, we appreciated the fact that he was thorough and were once again assured that he was the perfect doctor for Alice.

"Everything looks and sounds perfectly fine," he said as he pulled his stethoscope out of his ears. "And as for the NG, I have some conditions. I'll go ahead and remove it now, but if she stops gaining, I trust you'll insert a new one. Do we have a deal?"

Esme nodded right away. "We can completely agree to that. I think she'll be so much happier without it."

He nodded and grabbed some gloves off the wall and a paper towel. Humming softly, he gently removed the tape from Alice's face and one quick tug later, she was tube free. She was startled, though, and made her displeasure known loud and clear.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Alice, but I'm all finished with you now. I'm sure Mommy will make you feel all better." He passed her to Esme, and I scooted closer to wrap my arms around her since she looked like she was ready to jump up to get to her baby. "While you're getting her dressed, I'd like to talk about her attachment, if that's all right."

He went through another list of questions, and all of our answers were met with positive responses. The more he asked, the more I started to think and realize that the attachment was definitely there. With both of us, too. Alice was very much attached to Esme and me already. Whether it was to a healthy point was another story.

"I think this might be even more incredible than the weight," Dr. Gerandy admitted. "We knew it wasn't likely for her to make much progress without first establishing an attachment. And while you might not be all the way there yet, the basis is strong. She accepts your comfort, responds to the sound of your voice, and clearly knows you. Have you experienced her pulling away at all?"

I looked over at Esme and we both shook our heads. "I'd say it's the opposite. She would rather have us holding her than anything else while she's awake." I glanced down at my baby girl who had been content in my arms since Esme redressed her and calmed her down. "We're getting eye contact for longer periods of time and plenty of cuddles."

"All of those are excellent signs," he confirmed. "I think you'll be able to tell if something not 'normal' is happening and feel free to call if it does. I don't think it will, but I don't want you to hesitate either. Alice is surpassing all expectations so far, but it's okay for her to not be a superstar in all areas."

That was very clear in the next subject we discussed – Alice's development. It was hard to not feel disappointed when we couldn't answer any of the questions in a positive way. Apart from the bit of social development we'd seen, there hadn't been any noticeable progress since the hospital, but Dr. Gerandy wouldn't let us be discouraged.

"Remember what I said about attachment. It has to come first. And now that you have a good start on it, I think the rest will come with time. I'm much more than pleased by where she's at today, but we can discuss early intervention programs next time if you'd like. To give you my honest opinion, I'm not sure you'll need them. With siblings to watch, I think she'll catch on by herself."

After speaking for a few more minutes, Dr. Gerandy didn't have anything else to go over so we said our goodbyes and thanks. He also agreed to consult with Peter about the timing of the usual "well" baby things, which gave us even more comfort.

"I think that went really well," I said, squeezing Esme's hand as I drove toward home, Alice once again asleep in her carseat, likely worn out from all the poking and prodding.

"I think so, too. There's still so much to think about, but she's getting there. And hopefully Alice will show off even more when we come back next month."

The rest of the drive home was spent in silence, both of us lost in our thoughts. Overall, there was a sense of peace in knowing we were helping Alice thrive. There wasn't much else we could have asked for at this point, and we were so relieved.

"That appointment wore me out, too," Esme said with a sigh as she carried Alice into the house and headed to the family room. "I'm too wound up to nap, but I could use . . . something."

"Wanna go have a bath?" I suggested. "There's no one to interrupt you today. Well, except me, but I'll try to behave."

She laughed and grabbed my hand, pulling me down next to her on our favorite couch. "I don't know if I could ever get mad at you interrupting me, but that does sound nice."

"Go, then. Enjoy yourself, sweetheart. You deserve it and more."

Leaning over, she gave me a long kiss. "I love you so much."

Responding the same, I gently took Alice from her arms and settled against the couch as Esme walked up the stairs.

"What should we do now, baby girl?" I whispered as she continued sleeping. I softly ran my free hand over her cheek, enjoying her soft skin no longer being marred with tape.

Now she'd no longer look so sick to a stranger. The few times we'd taken her out of the house, we'd seen the looks from curious people silently wondering what was wrong with our baby. We still knew the truth, though – that Alice wasn't simply a healthy two or three month old. But at least now we had progress we could easily see.

"I'm not sure how long I can keep behaving," I admitted to Alice after a few minutes. "Your mommy is the best company, you know. You're going to have the best time growing up with her."

Alice sighed in her sleep, moving her hand up to rest it on top of her pacifier but otherwise not acknowledging me. I took that as a sign that she'd be sleeping for a while longer which gave me the perfect opportunity to misbehave.

I could smell the bubble bath Esme had chosen as soon as I walked into our bedroom. Grabbing Alice's bouncy seat, I quietly entered the bathroom. It wasn't quiet enough for Esme to not hear me, as evidenced by the smile that appeared on her face.

"Did you come to interrupt, Dr. Cullen?" she asked, automatically scooting forward to make room for me.

"Of course I did, Mrs. Cullen. Sorry it took me so long."

She laughed and laid her head on her bent knees, opening her eyes. "I was wondering where you were but I figured Alice must have woken up or something."

I shook my head as Alice didn't make a peep after I settled her in the seat and positioned it next to the bathtub. "Nope. Just being a little slow today. Please excuse me, ma'am."

"Always, kind sir. Just hurry up."

Chuckling, I pulled off my clothes as quickly as I could and slid in the warm water behind her, pulling her back to rest against me. "Mmm. Perfect."

She sighed and tilted her head back to kiss my chin. "Perfect. This . . . and today. Us. I loved it. Thank you, Carlisle."

I kissed her head and hummed in agreement. The past couple of days had been busy, but we'd managed to reconnect like we hadn't since Alice was added to our family.

There had never been a question of if we would reconnect or not. We always made our relationship a priority. But sometimes with as many things as we had to juggle, timing was the unknown factor. Though we hadn't planned, this timing had been perfect – plus we had a whole night almost to ourselves for as much continued reconnection as we wanted.

"I love you," I whispered, wrapping my arms around her to hold her even tighter. "And as much as I love this, what do you say we move to the bed until dinner?"

She laughed softly and raked her fingernails over the top of my thighs. "I say I love you too and I am more than okay with your bed idea."

We chose to move at the right time because just as I finished enjoying wrapping Esme in a towel, Alice woke up and demanded her evening meal. A few minutes later, the three of us were snuggled in bed and I watched in proud fascination as Esme nursed Alice, talking softly to her the whole time. She was such an amazing mother and wife, and as soon as Alice was content, I'd be showing her how much I loved her again and again.

Our life was definitely a ride – full of unexpected twists and turns. Seeing the family we'd built together grow and thrive made everything worth it. I knew through all the challenges that Esme and I would always come back to this, back to us time. And we would make the most of every minute of it.

A/N: Sorry for another long-ish wait. I had most of this finished and then the holidays happened. Plus I've been trying to get a job and that stress is never fun. Hopefully the next will come quickly but even if it doesn't, you guys know I'm good for it eventually. ;)

I'd also planned to do review replies before posting this but failed. I do appreciate every review and sweet word. I say it a lot, but you guys are seriously the best readers.

Movies mentioned include: Veggie Tales, The Great Mouse Detective, and The Emperors New Groove. I don't own them either, except DVD/VHS copies.

Thanks SO much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!