Just a quick introduction before we get into the story.

This story was inspired from a prompt you will find both here on and on tumblr by an amazing writer with the handle "esmeaplatt". Here on you'll find it under the title "ornate embellishments".

Disclaimer: Permission by the author has been given to expand the original prompt to a longer story.

Esme's POV

This year was the mark of Carlisle's 380th birthday. Ever since his 350th, I had been trying to convince him to make to journey back to London to see his childhood home, the church he had lived in for 23 years. We had gone to London several times since I had joined him and Edward, but it was never for that purpose. It was usually medical conferences. And every year I asked him to make the trip, he had been reluctant, making excuses or making himself busy.

"It's under renovation,"

"I have a conference this weekend,"

"It's not important,"

But excuses of any kind were still excuses.

I knew he was hesitant because of the memories he knew lingered in his unforgetting mind. He had shared a few with me when we first got to know each other. but many he kept to himself, telling me they were darker than I could fathom.

Since his change, he had never really gone back to a church, minus our wedding, despite his frequent bible verse recitations, and prayers he would say silently to himself in moments of hardship. I knew deep inside of my husband there was a shadow of a man who wanted the fellowship of his life back, despite assuring me how happy he was with this one. There was never enough convincing or assuring I could do to get him to go back to church. I never understood why.

This was a week ago when I brought up the subject, like clockwork every year, I was already expecting his normal "No" followed by this year's reason not to do it.

I knocked on the doorframe of the office we shared, where my husband was pining over a book at his desk. He looked up and his eyes met mine when he did.

"Hello, my love," he said with a welcoming smile.

"Hi," I said in almost a whisper, as I approached him slowly, before gently sitting on the edge of his desk. He leaned back in his leather chair, a soft look on his face.

"You look like you have something on you mind, darling," he spoke in his soft tone, touching my leg with a hand. I smiled shyly, looking down at my leg and curling my fingers into his, staring at his wedding band, the silver catching the light.

"Are you going to do it this year?" I asked him. He sighed heavily, squeezing my hand slightly. He slumped back in his chair, pursing his lips slightly. I hung my head, my eyes falling away from his. There was silence between us for several moments.

"I am," his voice broke the silence, and I sharply looked up at him. my face scrunched into a soft twist of confusion, not expecting his answer.

"You are?" I wanted to be sure I heard him correctly. He nodded only two times. My confusion warped into a smiled.

"I booked a flight to London a few months ago," he said, sitting up slightly, "We leave in a week," he added and my smiled warped back to confusion.

"We?" I questioned. He chuckled softly to himself.

"You are coming with me, I hope," he stated, as if I should have known. I smiled widely as he stood up and stood before me.

"I would love too," I smiled up at him and he leaned in to place a soft kiss on my cheek.

I was standing in the office, running my fingers over the antique books. I was waiting for Carlisle to come home from work so we could pack the car and leave for the airport. I often spend my time alone in the office, or in our room, feeling comforted by his lingering scent on objects. As my index finger flittered over the books, I heard the crunch of the gravel in the driveway, the sound of his car approaching the house. I smiled, abandoning the sanctity of the office, to run downstairs and greet him.

I reached the front door just as he stepped inside.

"Hello love," he said with a smile, planting a chivalrous kiss on my cheek. I kissed his lips, before he could set his bag down. He chuckled.

"How was your night?" I asked him as he took his coat off, hanging it up. He shrugged slightly.

"It was quiet, you could say. No emergencies, thankfully," he told me, as he turned and pulled me into his arms. I laughed softly, placing my palms on his chest, my fingers toying with the pen that sat in his breast-pocket, "Are you ready to go?" he asked me, his fingers playing with a strand of my hair. I nodded, glancing to the side where our bags sat, packed and ready to load. He smiled, "Why don't you go find our children, and I'll load the car," she said, placing a soft kiss on my forehead, before releasing me from his embrace, and picking up two bags.

I smiled to myself and turned, heading towards the shop, where Rosalie, Emmett, and Jacob had been working on Emmett's jeep most of the night. So far, I hadn't heard any sudden commotion, indicating that Rose and Jake hadn't tried to kill one another yet over something simple.

Pushing the back door open, I trekked down the stone path through my garden and across the yard to the shop. I approach the shop, hearing the screech of some power tool from within. I hauled the heavy metal door open, and the scent of oil, and grease, and gasoline hitting my nostrils.

They had the big silver jeep jacked up on the rig, Rosalie was beneath it on a trolley, tinkering with something. Suddenly a tool flew past my head, mere inches away, and I gasped, seeing Emmett catch whatever had been throw at him. Jacob turned around and his eyes went wide.

"Sorry Mrs.C! Didn't see you there," he apologized, worried, as he scratched the back of his head, and I shook my head with a chuckle,

"It's ok Jacob, no harm done," I assured him. Rosalie rolled herself out from under the jeep. Emmett jogged over and help Rose to her feet. She was covered in dirt and grease, but her hair, in a tight French braid, was protected by a bandana.

"Hey, Ma," Emmett said cheerfully, "What's up?"

"Your father and I are leaving soon," I said, looking at the three of them.

"Gimme five," Rose grumbled, "I want to get this stupid bolt in place," she said, almost frustrated at the bolt she was holding. I nodded, and swiftly left the shop, heading back to the house.

Inside, Alice was sitting with Jasper on the couch, the two of them snuggled up, watching a movie.

"We're coming," Alice said with a smile, pulling Jasper to his feet before I could say anything. I chuckled lightly and turned heading toward the sound of Edwards piano.

"I'm coming mom," he said, stopping his ballot that he was playing. I smiled sweetly at him as he stood up, closing his piano, and headed upstairs, probably heading to find Bella and Ness.

I wandered back through the house, finding Carlisle at the front door, picking up the last bag from the floor; my purse, and handed it to me.

"Thank you," I said, slipping it over my shoulder, as he held the door open for me, and followed me toward the car. Emmet, Jake, and Rose rounded the corner of the house, approaching us as I set my purse in the passenger side of the car. Alice and Jasper appeared from the front door, with Edward, Bella, and Ness behind them.

I smiled at them all, giving each one a hug.

"The house had better be intact when we get back," I scolded teasingly, looking at Emmett specifically. I chuckled and gave me a bear hug.

"No getting in any mischief," he said and let me go, giving his father a tiny fist bump to the chest. Carlisle shook his head at our son.

"We'll be back in a week," I told them, as Carlisle held the car door open for me. The kids waved goodbye as Carlisle shut the door and climbed into the driver's side. We buckled up and waved out the window as we backed out of the driveway, heading towards the main road.

We didn't live overly far from the airport. Thirty minutes at the most. As we pulled onto the highway, I looked over at my husband, who had quite a firm grip on the steering wheel with both hands. I reached over and gently grasped his wrist, pulling one hand from the wheel and lacing my fingers between his to calm him slightly.

"Relax," I whispered softly too him. He smiled faintly at me and turned his attention back to the road. We drove in silence.

We boarded our flight shortly after getting though TSA and made ourselves comfortable for the roughly 8-hour, over-sea flight.

Carlisle and I settled into our seats in first class, as we prepared to take off. I tuned out the flight attendant over the intercom reciting the safety protocol I had heard a hundred times in my life. I leaned closer to my husband, resting my head on his shoulder, and rubbing circles on the top of his hand with my thumb.

As we reached cruising altitude, I lifted the chair arm between us and snuggled up to his side, closing my eyes and faking a nap, breathing in his scent, talking softly to him as we relaxed.

"I know you're nervous," I said to him, the two of us talking at a volume of which humans around us couldn't hear us. Carlisle looked over at me, "What made you change you mid this time?" I asked him, as he reached up with his free hand and softly brushed a piece of hair from my forehead. He leaned close to my ear.

"I feel like there's a lingering fear in me," he began, and I looked up at him, "of seeing what the centuries have done to the place I grew up,"

"I'm sure everything will be ok," I tried to assure him, but his tenseness didn't seem to dissipate.

"I wish I could explain to you the things I've seen in my years. Especially in my first 10 years that I lingered in the countryside outside the city," he told me. I touched his cheek softly.

"We can have this conversation later if you want?" I offered and he sighed, nodding in agreement. I snuggled back up to him and relaxed in his embrace for the entire flight.