The search: Esme & Carlisle

Esme darted out of the door and into the forest without a second thought. She took off running as fast as she could, trying desperately to track her husbands scent.

It wasn't too easy, there were so many familier scents in the area from when they had all been out looking for, and bringing Anna back home, that things were getting muddled in her head.

Esme stopped dead, tried to compose herself whilst she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. Inhalling slowly, trying to pick up Carlisle... His spring dew and fresh mountain stream smell. His essence.

Yes. There is was. And he wasn't far from where she was.

"Carlisle... My love" she called softly. Knowing that if he were within a ten mile radius, he'd hear her, and perhaps call out back, leading her to him.

Please please let him be okay she silently prayed, looking up to the stars, hoping that everything would fall into place. She could not even begin to consider a life without him.

Carlisle heard her call to him and his stone heart wanted to leap for joy. She was coming for him, she really did love him.

"Esme." He called back, not entirely sure how close she was, but knowing that she would hear him calling her name.

She opened her eyes as she heard him call out to her.

Esme spun around and took off in the direction of his shakey voice. His scent grew stronger as she reached his hiding place.

She was so close now... He had been here... Where was he?

She peered into the rock formations, sniffing the air gently.

"Darling" she whispered.

Somehow they had passed each other in the dense forest and Esme's voice was now coming from behind him, back in the direction of the cave.

"Keep talking." He called out, as he headed back toward her.

She sighed in relief when she heard his sweet voice once again.

"I'm here my love, please, come to me"

He saw her as he came out of the bushes. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, catching her beautiful scent. This was her, his wife, his lover.

Esme gasped as she looked at her husband as he slowly emerged from the bushes. He was naked, hunched over. He looked... Cold. If that was possible. What on earth had he done to himself.

"Oh my darling" she whispered, walking over to him slowly. She wanted so much to run to him and fling herself around him, to protect him, to love him. But he looked so weak and unlike himself... She didn't want to frighten him.#

"What have you done to yourself"

Why wasn't she coming to him? He wondered, maybe she did hate him, then he realised she must, they all must because he had killed Anna.

Esme gazed deep into his eyes. He suddenly looked hurt. She carried on walking slowly towards him, reaching out her right hand slowly, urging him to come to her.

"Darling, please..." she whispered, scared for him. He looked a state.

She was reaching her hand out to him, he wanted to take it so badly, wanted to hold her in his arms.

"Oh Esme." He cried out, emotionally exhausted, as he closed the distance and scooped her into his arms.

"Oh my love" she replied as she held him tightly. They fell down to the ground on thier knees.

She kissed his neck gently and looked up into his eyes. He looked so sad. He never looked low. His eyes were dark, almost black.

"What have you done to yourself darling" she asked again.

"I'm so sorry." He dry sobbed into her neck. "I didn't want to kill her... She asked me to."

He wrappe his arms around her waist pulling her closer to him. He was a broken man and only Esme could fix him.

She pulled away from him and cupped both of his cheeks with her hand.

"But you didn't kill her Carlisle... She's.... She changed"

He looked at her intently, considering her answer. He was sure he had killed her.

"She's really alive?" He asked, staring into her beautiful eyes.

Esme nodded, her fingers stroking his face tenderly.

"Yes my love, she is like us now. You changed her my darling. The transformation was very quick"

He shook his head sadly.

"It doesn't change a thing, my love." His hand stroked her face. "I still yelled at her, I left her there, if I had been more compassionate, followed her, this would never have happened."

He sat back on his heels.

"God, Esme, the blood... So much blood. And itching, all the itching."

His nails began frantically scratching at his dirty skin again, trying furiously to rip it from his body.

She looked at him in horror as he started scratching at himself...

"Shhh... Love, Shhh.. Stop it, please" she said to him. This had been the first time he'd even come close to draining somone. He had only ever bitten to save and turn people before. This time he had drained. He'd DRANK blood. He didn't want it inside if him.

"Perhaps we should hunt... Lets try and rid your body of this..."

He collapsed onto her, his shoulders shaking.

"I can't get it out of me... I can't get her out of me." He swallowed hard, breathing in Esme's scent, his mind clearing slightly. "What have I done?" He wailed.

"Oh darling" she whispered, her hands falling to his arms, rubbing them tentively.

She knew of the guilt factor. In her early days as a Vampire, she had slipped up and fed from a human. And felt guilty. But Carlisle had NEVER fed before.

Blood in her body after a feed had felt amazing, but her husband was so aversed to feeding upon humans that he was utterly discusted with himself.

"It won't last for long love, perhaps if you feed you will feel better?" she asked him.

She didn't want to mention to him the current colour of his eyes. It would only make him feel worse.

"I can't." He replied, shaking his head. His torment had left him physically and emotionally drained, all he wanted to do was curl up in a ball.

All he could picture in his mind was him bending over Anna as he sucked the life from her.

Esme just didn't know what to do. She felt distraught, but she could not let him see that. He needed her at that moment. She had to help him.

"You need to be strong, beleive in yourself my darling. It's all going to be okay. You were trying to help her, she knows that, and she is FINE" she tried to reassure her husband.

She placed a kiss to his forehead and wrapped her arms around him, rocking him as she would a child.

His body molded with hers as she rocked him, her arms encasing his body made him feel stronger.

"I'm so sorry to do this to you, my love." He said, kissing her cheek. "This must be so hard for you."

She kissed him again.

"Please don't worry about me my love. This isn't about me at all. It's all about you" she muttered to him under her breath, still running her fingers through his hair.

"Look at me, you are so amazing Carlisle. Please don't do this to yourself. Please" she amost begged. "See the goodness in yourself, come through this, please"

He looked deep into her eyes, feeling stronger every second. "What did I ever do to deserve you." He smiled, standing up and holding out his hand to her.

"Let's hunt my love." He said, putting on a brave face as the itching overtook him again.

She smiled at him, taking his hands. "I ask myself the same question... What did I do to deserve having someone as wonderful as you in my life" she said to him, starting to walk away at human pace. She knew he needed a little more time... And he'd need to find a change of clothing to replace his lack of when they arrived back at the house.