ch 32

Carlisle's POV:

"Time of death, 3:47 AM." I said with a defeated sigh looking at the lifeless body of the young girl that lay in front me on the operation table.

A young girl only nineteen years old was attacked in broad daylight during a robbery at a gas station a little outside of town and stabbed to death. The sound of the flatline was echoing through the room, confiding evidence of her death.

Looking down at myself I saw the deep red of her blood sticking to my green working clothes. Looking up again the nurses were already cleaning the operation room and freeing the poor girl of the medical instruments with which we tried to save her.

I took the blood stained clothes off and walked out of the operations room. Once outside on the hallway I leaned against the white wall, let my head fall against the cool surface. Closing my eyes I took a deep breath. A slight burn grazed my throat because of all the blood in the building but it wasn't hard to ignore it.

I would have preferred to deal with the fires of hell in my throat then with what I had to do next. I sighed heavily and opened my eyes about to do the part of this job that I hated. Telling the family about the loss that had just occurred and that they now had to deal with.

After stepping through the white corridor with the light brown banister fastened on the wall I entered the waiting room for the families. The walls of this room were also white but the three big green plants and the ocean blue chairs with silver legs were giving the room some colour.

Looking around the room it was not difficult to tell who her parents were. The dark haired skinny woman and the bulky man next to her were sitting closely together, holding each other and praying for the life of their child.

Hoping for a wonder.

A wonder that hasn't been granted for them and neither for her.

"Mrs. and Mr. Carter." the both of them immediately looked up at me with their tearstained faces. They came up to me with hope shining in their eyes. Hope that I would crush any second.

A heavy sighed escaped my mouth again.

"Doctor," the tear laced voice of the woman broke, she had to swallow hard.

"How is she? How is our baby girl?" Her husband asked with fear in his eyes.

I hated it that I had to confirm his greatest fear, wishing that there was something that I could have done. But this is how things go....people are born, they life and they die. If they are lucky it happens when they are old and had a good life but some times, more often then it ever should, the angle of death takes them before their time.

"Your daughter had severe stab wounds in her abdomen," the woman had already been in tears and now her husband couldn't hold them back as well, already assuming my next words.

"We tried to stop the bleeding, but the damage was to serve." A hiccup build out of hysterics befell the poor woman.

"I'm sorry but at 3:47 this morning…your daughter Linda Carter was pronounced dead."

The mother of the death girl broke down completely in the arms of her husband, who could barely stand on his feet.

"I'm really sorry for your loss." With these words I left the couple to their pain and grief for their child.

In situations like this there isn't more a doctor can do as to give the people the space they need.

There isn't anything anyone can say to make it better. I know what I'm talking about because I know their pain. A pain they will have to live with for the rest of their lives.

I know how it feels like to lose a child, to lose a daughter. I lost my youngest daughter seven long years ago.

It's hard to believe but seven years passed since Anna...….. It feels like an eternity.

Esme doesn't fair good with this loss. Our children are very important to her as they are to me. Neither of our children is from our blood but that doesn't matter to her nor does it to me.

Losing a child is an indescribable tragedy. A tragedy also for our other children Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and Alice who have to deal with the loss of their little sister.

And Edward, my oldest son, my first companion, my friend, he is the one who lost the most, who suffers the most. He lost his mate the reason for his existence.

It hurts every time I think of him, every time I see him. When Anna disappeared Edward did too. Both of them were only lifeless shells.

Heart and soul gone.

All life had been drained from his eyes. Edward is only a shadow of himself. A shell that is falling apart before our eyes and there is nothing we can do about it. I feel so helpless and powerless not to be able to help my son, to help my family.

I had tried everything but there is nothing I can do to bring her back to us. I have searched for ways to bring her back, god knows I have tried to find a way to get to her somehow but it were all futile attempts.

"Doctor Cullen quick Mr. Adams, in room 217, is having a heart attack." Nurse Kelly called from behind me pulling me out of my thoughts.

Rushing quickly into the room in which the emergency was occurring I assessed the situation and started to reanimate the patient. After three shocks and a shot of adrenaline the heart beat returned and stabilized.

"What happened?" Doctor Rosen asked as he entered the room.

"Mr. Adams had another heart attack. Doctor Cullen took over because we couldn't find you." Nurse Kelly was giving him the details.

I nodded at him and was making my way out of the room when a poster on the hallway wall of a nursing home caught my eye and sparkle a memory.

*

Flashback:

*

"Anna, are you alone? Where is Rosalie?" I asked as I entered my house, hearing Anna's heart beat in the kitchen.

"She got a call from a car dealer. He had some parts she had ordered. Rose didn't want to wait till they would arrive with the mail." She explained while pouring some orange juice in a glass.

"Oh."

"But Carlisle what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?" She asked surprised.

"Yes, but I switched my shift to be able to go to the nursing home in Bernville. It's financed by charity that's why it's always short on money. A colleague called me and asked if I could offer them my medical services for today."

"Are you all doing the whole charity thing?" She asked curious.

I had to chuckle.

"Do you think that because we are so rich that we give away millions to charity?"

She shrugged looking with her big hazel eyes at me, urging me to continue.

"I'm sure you know that everyone of us posses shares of companies."

"Yeah, Edward told me that he had shares of his father law firm "Masen and partners" among others."

"Mmm-hmm…we are making sure that those companies are detonating money to charity cases and we also detonate money if we come upon a worthy cause but we can't just blindly pump money in those charities."

"Because of the corruption?" Anna asked after a moment.

I smiled.

"Thanks Alice and Edward that is not a problem but if millions would be detonated over and over again people would start to ask questions and besides there is also another risk by blindly pumping huge amounts of money into the economy."

She thought about this for a moment.

"Right I heard something about it in business class. Inflation?!"

I nodded.

"We could easily crash the economy of this country or even of the whole world. Everything has to be done in moderation." I told her.

She giggled.

"What?" I raised an eye brow at her.

"It's just my mom also used to tell me this. You are a good dad." She smiled at me. Her words warmed my silent heart.

"Mind if I tag along? I don't have any babysitting jobs today nor am I needed in the café. They can use another pair of helping hands, don't you think?" She asked.

I was surprised at that proposal since Anna hates hospitals. As if she read my mind she said.

"I just hate them when I am the patient," and looked at me with her big hazel eyes.

"If you think you are up to it. It would be my pleasure." I smiled at her. She hugged me and went upstairs to change her clothes.

The drive to Bernville took a little bit over an hour and was accompanied by a light conversation about the current music taste of the youth and other things we had on our minds. Arriving at the nursing home we were received by the chief nurse.

"Hello, my name is Getrude Hall and you must be Doctor Cullen, thank you for agreeing to help." She introduced herself in a professional manner. It seemed like she was determinate not to show that my appearance affected her in any way. If only others were also able to pull themselves together like this.

"Oh and this is?" She asked as she spotted Anna next to me.

"This is my daughter, Anna. She is here to help as well." I answered with a proud smile. Nurse Getrude seemed to be delighted to have another helper.

"That's a very nice surprise. Please follow me I will show you around." She told us and gestured for us to follow her.

I had been shown the examination room while Anna had been advised to be with the people outside, to talk to them or play games or just to hear out their stories.

People in nursing homes often don't really have anyone to talk to. Having young teenager come and keep them company is something the most of them are very grateful for.

As noon arrived it was time for lunch break, of cause I didn't need a break but to keep up the human appearance it was needed.

I grabbed my tray with food that I wouldn't eat and went out in the garden to search for Anna. She sat under a tree with a sandwich, an apple and a bottle of coke.

"How has it been going?" I asked her as I sat down next to my youngest child.

"Actually great. I have been talking to the people here. They told me many exciting, funny but also sad stories about their lives." She answered before taking sip of her cola.

"Time passes so quickly for humans the greatest regret people in this age often have is the time they have wasted and will never get back. Something like this can't happen to an immortal, who lives forever." I mused while my thoughts drifted off into my past.

"I think you are wrong, Carlisle." Anna said in a serious and sure voice bringing me back to the present.

"And how so?" I asked interested to get to know the answer. She took a deep breath and seemed to think how to begin.

"Yes, human live a shorter life then a Vampire for example but they aren't the only ones capable of wasting time. Time only moves forward not back. The time that has gone by will not return. You won't get it back. No matter if you are human or Vampire.

Of cause you can object now that Vampires have eternity and can to things in the future not being bounded by time but are you sure you really have it. How can you be sure you really have eternity?"

At that question I was stunned, not really understanding where she was going with this.

"I think I don't really understand what do you mean, Anna?"

"What I mean is you think you have all the time in the world because there isn't a natural time limit to your life as a Vampire but that doesn't mean that you can't die. You could get killed. This planet could get destroyed. You only have a chance of unlimited time but none knows if you really get it.

Sometimes I wish I would have spent more time with my family when I still was in my world. You shouldn't take the time you have with the ones you love for granted. You shouldn't delay things to tomorrow because there might not be a tomorrow."

Anna looked into my eyes with a wisdom that surprised me before she went back to eating her lunch, leaving me to think about what she just said. As an immortal creature time isn't an object, we have a lot of it. I used to say that time is all we have but Anna does have a point. Vampires can be killed.

I was surprised by the level of her understanding of the world and her maturity but also sad that she had been forced to grow up so fast. Landing in our world forced her to leave her carefree teenage life behind for the sake of becoming an adult before her time to be able to deal with everything that was happening to her.

*

End of Flashback.

*

I took the life I had for granted, the time I had with my family. It was that day that I cut my shifts at the hospital back and started spending more time with my family.

I love my job, to save human life but my first priority was and always will be my family, my mate and my six children.

"Doctor Cullen, are you alright?" A nurse asked concerned as she saw me standing spaced out in the doorway.

"What? …Ah…...I mean yes I'm sorry. I'm fine." I smiled a reassuringly at her and walked off to my office.

I guess one could say this was one of the bad days. My family was incomplete, a hole has been ripped into our family when Anna has been taken away from us by the Werewolves, no I had to be fair it was Dylan's fault but that didn't change anything there was nothing I can do to fix it.

Every time I look at Edward I feel like I failed him. I was always the one with the answers. The head of the family. The one who everyone sought advise from but in this case I didn't have one.

I opened the door to my office, went in closing it behind me and took my place in my chair.

My mind was flooded with images of how badly Edward was fairing in the first few months. First as he lost it and nearly killed Sam Uley out of despair, anger and grief and then when the cruel reality of Anna's disappearance hit him with all force, my son broke down completely.

Heavy sobs shook his body. Tortured strangled sounds escaped his lips every time he drew an unnecessary breath while he held on to Anna's empty shell. The pain and anguish in his tortured cries were threatening to end him. Poor Jasper had to leave the house not being able to endure Edward's anguish.

After this phase of first the shock died down so did Edward. As his anguished cries silenced only the dead, empty shadow of my son resurfaced.

It was unbelievably painful to see him like this. Now he truly was a walking dead. Nothing was left inside of him anymore.

All life and light has been removed from his eyes. Edward didn't speak, he didn't move, he didn't feed for months, at least not at his free will.

We had to force him to feed. As time passed on, the caricature that my oldest son had become reminded me more and more of Marcus.

After making that horrifying discovery naked fear swallowed me. I knew what the loss of a mate could do to a Vampire. I had witnessed it. I knew Marcus desire to end his existence because it had no reason or meaning anymore.

I already lost a daughter I couldn't and I wouldn't lose my son too. For weeks we didn't let Edward out of our sight to be sure that he wouldn't try to end his life.

Until one day about after a year Edward spoke the first time again.

"I will not seek death. Not at the hands of the Volturi or the werewolves. I will not end my existence."

At the first sound of his voice I rushed out of my study into his room. The others followed me close behind from everywhere in the house.

"Edward." I whispered as I kneeled in front of him.

Edward was lying on the big kind bed next to his southern glass wall and was holding his mates frozen body.

Back then during the night it happened Edward did managed to find Anna in the furious waters of the ocean but she wasn't breathing anymore and her heart wasn't beating as well.

She was dead or that is what we thought at first. Her body had been broken miserably because the waves had crushed her against the sharp rocks of the cliffs.

Edward wouldn't let go of her from the moment he found her in the ocean. I don't think he was even capable of noticing his surroundings back then. He was just barely functioning we were to drag him home.

He closed himself and the dead body of his mate off in their room and wouldn't make a sound besides the ones of loss and pain and the warning growls when someone tried to enter his room.

A few days went by and I noticed that something was lacking. The scent of death was not tainting our home. Anna's body was supposed to start the decay. I, everyone should have been able to smell it but we weren't.

Curious what was happening I, for the first time, entered Edward's room. The sight before me left me speechless. Anna's broken body was fully healed. Still no heart beat but no open wounds or fractured bones anymore either.

It was the strangest thing. With time we came to discover that she was, just like we, frozen in time but with the difference that we were still here while her soul was gone.

Edward was stroking her cheek with his thumb, looking at her still frame lovingly as he prepared himself to talk again.

My son swallowed while he readied himself to say more. We all waited patiently giving him the time he needed.

"A...Anna," It was painful for him to say her name. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he continued "she would never forgive me if I did that."

He laughed dark and bitterly before saying the next words.

"She told me what happened in the second book. In the book I had been under the impression that Bella was dead and I sought the help of the Volturi to end my life."

My lovely wife gasped at that in shock and I heard defeated sighs from behind me. Edward closed his eyes again and a small sad smile graced his lips.

"She was so made at me. I didn't do anything but the idea of me taking my own life upset her beyond believe. I can't do it. It would be so easy to end this misery but I can't do it. I can't disappoint her like this. I can't do it to her and I can't do it to you either. I can't inflict even a fraction of the pain that I feel on anyone else especially not on my family."

Edward turned his face to me, looked me into my eyes, for the first time in over a year and continued.

"She asked me how it would feel to lose a member of my family. You or Alice or Emmett or Jasper or Rosalie or Esme. She asked me if I could inflict this pain on you."

My son looked at the ceiling as if to stop tears that would never fall, smiling sadly and pained as he remembered his lost love.

"She never left me any room for excuses, denial or self-deception."

With that he rested his head back next to hers, whispering.

"I won't do it." Before going back to his mute self.

A loud knocking on my door followed by my name being called out pulled me out of my memories.

I stood up and opened the door. Nurse Kelly was standing there handing me a stack of papers.

"I'm sorry Doctor Cullen but you have to fill them out." She said apologetically as she placed them on my desk before leaving my office.

Taking the first file in my hands I remembered the time as the Denali Clan arrived in Forks. Tanya meant well when she proposed that Edward should try to get close to Bella Swan seeing as she was once meant to be his girlfriend. I had thought at first that she herself would try a go at him but after seeing the gravity of the situation she thought otherwise.

I was prepared to tackle Edward to the ground as he would have surly to rush down into the living room and attacked Tanya for that suggestion but he didn't have the chance to.

It was Rosalie who exploded at that proposal. Never before had I seen my oldest daughter this vivid and murderous.

Emmett, Jasper and Alice had to hold her back or else she would have ripped Tanya apart.

Rosalie doesn't let people close to her but once she does. Once they are her family she is fiercely protective of them and absolutely loyal.

For her Anna is her little sister and Edward's mate. The sheer idea that someone was to replace her sister in any way was causing Rose to see red.

As to Bella Swan she was asking about Edward after he stopped going to school but got quickly put into her place by Rosalie.

She was going out with the young wolf named Jacob Black but because he didn't imprinted on her she wasn't aloud to know about their secret or ours. The relationship broke apart by the time she went off to college, unaware of the supernatural surrounding her.

About a year ago I accidentally met her and her husband in a park. He is also a Doctor and we visited the same medical conference. She looked happy with her husband and her little baby girl, luckily she never saw me.

My beeper went off calling me to the emergency room. Quickly making my way there I got briefed by Nurse Susan.

"There has been a car crash. We have three seriously injured victims. No further information about the injuries till now. I will go and ask for the blood transfusions."

*

Blood transfusions.....

Substitute blood.

Was an idea that my youngest child voiced. I had never thought about it but ever since Anna mentioned it on our vacation in Japan I had been thinking about it.

I did researches about it and informed myself about the progress that had already been made in that department. After Anna's disappearance I started to actively peruse that idea.

It took me over five years to invention the substitute blood but one day Edward and I, succeeded. I don't know why but about two years after the horrible event he started to respond to my thoughts about that project, just as I had all the information together on the subject that I needed.

I build up a lap in the basement of the house we were living in back then and after some time I was even able to get Edward to come down into the basement.

Of cause he only would leave the side of his mate if someone else took his place by her side so he was able to see her all the time through their minds.

But being able to see her wasn't the only reason he wanted someone by her side. Edward didn't want her to be alone even for a second. Always fearing that if she would be alone, if he didn't see her even for a second she would disappear completely.

Alice and Rose would talk to her as if she was really there. Behave as if everything was alright. I'm not sure if they did it for their own sake because they missed their sister so much or if they did it to help Edward. Either way it was beautiful and heartbreaking at once.

Emmett would joke around, Jasper would read to her out of one of her favourite books and my dear Esme never missed to watch one of Anna's favourite shows with her.

Edward and I would work together in the lap, talk about theories and share our thoughts on certain topics regarding the substitute blood. In these moments he seemed to be a little bit more alive then usual.

I suspect that it had something to do with the fact that it had been Anna's idea and he felt closer to her while helping me with the researches. That he was feeling closer to her while he was helping to realize something that she had initiated.

With time I could see my son becoming stronger. I could see him fighting. He was fighting against the emptiness that was raging inside him, against the pain and the loss. Some times I caught him whispering to himself "for my Anna", pushing himself to be strong for her.

I found myself admiring the man my son had become after Anna stepped into his life. The seventeen year old teenager was gone. Anna made him all that he was meant to be. All that I saw in him in those days back then in Chicago when he was bounded by a terrible illness to a hospital bed.

The strength and grace he was now displayed, he had always possessed. They were always shining behind his wide awake and curious eyes. The strength and grace Anna that made surface and that now was keeping him going.

The substitute blood is more potent to us then even human blood so Jasper confirmed. It covers our needs better and helps to ease the burning in our throats, early erasing it.

The substitute blood can not only be used as our food source but also as a blood substitute for humans, with a little variations of cause.

*

We went out and waited at the entrance for the ambulances to arrive. I was treating the mother who didn't have much luck. She was badly injured and fell into a coma during the operation.

She had serve injuries, a few broken bones, we had to take her left leg and she had several inner organs badly damaged. Even if she would awake from the coma she would have to live a life in pain and handicap.

A life in pain is it worth living?

I tried once to imagine what it would be like for me, a life without my Esme. My entire existence would be a vacuumed void of any sound or light.

Not being able to see her wonderful smile, to hear the sound of her voice, to hear her bell like laughter, to have her respond to my touch and my words, to have her by my side it would be the epitome of death for me.

I would still exist, but there would be no reason to continue existing. Existing would become a struggle a never ending fight to survive from one second to the other, to bear the pain, the loss and the loneliness. Death would be the highly welcomed mercy.

And still it was a mercy I could not grand my son. Vampires are selfish creatures and I was selfish. I couldn't let go of my son even thought I could understand even only a fraction of the pain he had to go through each moment from that horrible day on.

"Dr. Cullen here is a new patient that Dr. Stone wants you to take over." Nurse Kelly said as she suddenly stood next to me holding the file out for me.

"Very well." I took the file out of her hands and walked to the patient's room.

"Hi, Doc today is my last day here so don't mess it up." Said the young man before me.

"I'm Dr. Cullen I will make the final examination and then decide if you can go home." I told him in my usual professional voice.

"That's why I said don't mess it up." He retorted with a big smirk on his face.

I did the exanimation of my new patient, who's name was Rich Foster, he had cancer and nine moths of therapy behind him.

"It looks like you are able to go home. Congratulations Mr. Foster."

The joy was visible on his face at the news.

"Never lose hope."

"What?" I asked surprised.

"It is important to never lose hope and to pray. God hears you when you believe." My patient said as he was leaving the room.

Hope.

I used to think that it was good to have hope but now I'm not so sure. Since Anna's body is still here and is frozen in time Edward does hope that she will return to him. That somehow a miracle will happen and he will have her back.

I did hope as well at first but after seven years.....

At first I thought that Edward having hope was something good but I was to be proven wrong. The pain in his eyes only increased. He hoped everyday that she would return to him but it never happened.

Everyday anew he died. I'm afraid if this goes on nothing will be left of my son. I did something I didn't do in decades I prayed but my prayers had been unanswered.

One day about four years after that day, Jasper came to have a word with me. Still, I don't really know what to make out of the piece of information he gave me.

*

Flashback:

*

"She will come back I know it." My lovely wife stated firmly as she snuggled into my side after we hunted and lay in a bed of wild flowers admiring the night sky.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked helplessly.

"Because she loves him and their bond can't be broken. I firmly believe that," she answered looking directly into my eyes.

"Have faith Carlisle." I sighed heavily.

"I just...I just wish there would be something I could do."

"I know." She reached up and cradled my cheek in her palm.

Behind us Jasper cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but I would like to talk to you Carlisle."

"Of cause," My wife said and graced me with a beautiful smile before she took off home.

"How can I help you son?"

"There is something I noticed now for quite some time to be honest."

"Yes," I encouraged him to go on.

"I can feel her. I mean Anna, her emotions. First they weren't there but since a few months I can faintly feel fractions of feeling coming off of her whenever Edward is away from her to help you in the lap."

I was stunned.

"You mean she is in there somewhere?" Was it possible?!?

He shook his head.

"No, It's not like someone who is lying in a coma it's more like.....how should I put this....like her emotions are from somewhere far away. Like the body that is sending them out isn't the one experiencing them but only gives off a mirror reflection of those original feelings." He struggled to put what he observed into words.

"And you say only when Edward isn't there that she has them?" I wondered.

"No, I'm saying only when he isn't there, I can feel them. Like I said they are very faint and Edward's pain is overruling them."

"Does Edward know?" Jasper shook his head.

He looked up at me, gauging my reaction and preparing himself to tell me something. I had the feeling I wouldn't like what he was about to say.

"What if she went back to her world and her body remained because she isn't.....fully dead for lack of better words and lives her life there, in her world." I had considered the possibility in the past but since her body was still here....

"One of the questions is does she even remember that she had been here with us or not. But what I'm worried about is that in her world she is human and humans die. What will happen with her body here when she dies there?" I didn't like where this was going.

"Honestly Carlisle I'm afraid of Edward's reaction if the worst case scenario will take place."

I opened my mouth but not a sound escaped my lips.

"Our kind isn't made to survive without our mates Carlisle."

He looked at me the worry in his eyes which mirrored my own. The only thing that was keeping my oldest son's sanity remotely at bay was the fact that his mates shell still remained with him but once the last link to her would be gone...….

*

End of Flashback.

*

I didn't even want to end that thought instead I concentrated on making my rounds through the hospital just before the end of my shift.

I felt relief wash over me when I stepped out of the hospital doors. This had been a hard day at the hospital and the patients and injuries had nothing to do with it.

The misty, crisp, cool air that awaited me outside, filling my lungs, helped me calm down and to chase the anxiousness of the day away.

I got into my car and closing the door behind me. I let my head fall against the leather headrest letting myself take another deep breath. I felt myself relax a little. I needed to get my mind off the things I've been thinking about today before I went home. There was no need to make it harder on Edward then it already was.

I was just about to roar the car to life as the ringing sound of my mobile filled the small space of my car, stealing a glance at the ID I put the small thing to my ear.

"Esme, sweetheart I'll be home soon." The words flew out of my mouth but in the background I could hear torturous howling. I recognize it to be Edward's voice producing those sounds. Fear washed over me immediately.

"Carlisle she is gone." Oh god!

"When did that happen?" I asked while my car growled to life and I shot out of the parking lot like a lighting.

"Just about five minutes. Carlisle he is going crazy." The voice of my beautiful wife was shaking with worry and fear for our son and sorrow and grief for our youngest daughter.

"Sweetheart I'm on my way I'll be home soon."

"Please hurry," He whispered desperately before ending the call.

This was what I was fearing all the time. Edward's reaction if she disappeared completely. Heavens only knows what will become of my son now.

I was lucky that it was early in the morning and the streets were empty it allowed me to speed through the country side to were I was needed but could I be of any use at this point?

I was getting closer to home now on the road that was flanked by the forest. As I was in the middle of it I could see a car parking at the side of the road. The warning lights were blinking.

Normally I would have stopped and offered my assistance but I didn't have the time today. I passed the car at neck breaking speed though the physician in me could help but to throw a worried glance in the rear-view mirror.

My foot immediately stepped on the breaks before my mind could even register what I was doing. I turned the steering wheel forcefully and made an action-movie worthy U-turn.

I let my car come to a stop in front of the car with the warning lights on and got out of my car as quickly as humanly possibly. I rushed over to the sight that had me change my plans of getting as quickly as possible to my son who was in pain and a familiar scent ambushed my nose.

The one I never thought I would encounter again.

Carlisle's POV:

Before I even had the chance to stop my car properly Edward was at the passenger side and yanked the door, the only barrier between him and his mate, open nearly ripping it out the hinges.

"Love!?!" He breathed while I finally managed to halt my car. He gazed at Anna's sleeping frame in awe, concentrating on her each intake of air. Carefully, not to wake her, he undid the seatbelt and lovingly scooped her up into his arms.

She whimpered softly and sighed contently in his embrace.

Pressing her closely and securely to his chest Edward buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent, filling his body with her perfume, his life force.

I got out of my car to walk over to my mate who was in awe looking at our reunited children. Her eyes were glazed over with tear that she could never shed. My Esme looked up at me as I approached her.

Her eyes were shining with love and completeness. A big joyful smile was gracing her perfect, pink lips. She was glowing with happiness. In her eyes I could see that my expression mirrored hers. For the moment I forgot all the burning and unanswered questions that just moments ago were rushing through my mind.

I twined my arm around my wife's delicate waist and pressed her into my side kissing the top of her head. As I did so my beautiful mate whispered.

"We are home again."

Truer words have never been spoken. Home for us was where our whole family was complete.