(A/N – I do not own the characters in or Twilight in any way, all rights are reserved to Stephanie Meyers.)

The Day My Life Changed Forever

Esme's P.O.V.

I had exactly two hours of free time before I had to get back to my chores. My mother, being the strong-hearted woman she is, was not impressed with what I had intended to do for my two hours of freedom.

"Esme, you're sixteen now. I don't see any of our neighbours' children, or your friends climbing trees and getting so dirty that you're coated in a thick layer of dust."

"Please mother," I begged, again. "Just this once, and I'll swear to never do it again."

Wiping her hands down her apron, she sighed but smiled slightly, shaking her head.

"Your father always wanted a boy," she said out of the blue, "but I guess he came close enough. With a girl he expected a daddy's girl, which you are understandably, but not once do I think he expected this. "You act more boisterous," he tells me, "then any of his brothers did.""

"Is that a yes then?" I asked, eagerly, my hands on her shoulders.

My mother nodded, picking up the tea towel and waving me out the back door with it. "Go on then, Esme," she agreed. "But you have two hours, no longer."

"Thank you, Mother!"

I smiled, as I ran through the crop fields to the tree that had become mine from a young age. A book – Pride and Prejudice, was clutched tightly in my right hand, partly because I didn't want to lose it among the wheat crops, and partly because I had read it so many times before that it was falling apart.

Grabbing the first branch, excitement took over and I started the climb, tucking my book neatly into the small bag chucked over my shoulder. I climbed and climbed, looking down every now and then to see the height I had covered, before stopping and sitting down on the branch that had been my friend for so many years. From this branch I could see for miles and miles in every direction. I usually came here during the sunrises and sunsets, watching as the sun reflected beautiful shades of gold across the multiple wheat fields, causing a sea of Gold to envelope underneath me.

Smiling contently, I leant back against the tree trunk and took my book from my bag, opening it up to the page I had stopped on last night before I fell asleep. It was the page just before Mr. Darcy proposed to Elizabeth. No matter how hard I tried to control my excitement at this point, it came to no avail every time.

Today was no different, however, the results of myself being unable to contain my excitement, resulted in something far less ladylike.

As I read the words, I squealed like a fan girl, clapping happily, before losing my balance completely. Yes. I lost my balance. I tried to catch myself with the branch above where I was sitting, but my fingers brushed it lightly, unable to hold me up. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as I fell from my perch and landed with a concerning crack on the hardened mud below. The pain didn't register straight away; my brain was still far too busy deciphering why I was on the floor.

However, when the pain did hit, the pain made sure to make its presence known. My leg throbbed tirelessly and I bit my lip to stop myself from crying out, and the tears rolling down my cheeks. I knew father would walk past this tree sometime soon because this was the way he made himself home from working at the farm.

"Come on, Father," I gasped, holding my leg as the pain grew worse.

I watched, my leg still searing with sharp impulses, as the sun began to fall back down, the sky casting gorgeous reds and purples across the cloud splattered sky. The moon came up from behind me, nearly full, but still not quite complete.

"Esme?" My lip was now bleeding due to the pain. I hadn't heard the footsteps from behind me until my Father's voice breathed my name.

"Father?"

Arms hooked around me and I was lifted against his chest, my hands still clutching at my leg.

"What happened, Es?"

The book that I had previously clutched in my fingers was now lying on the floor. My father took one look at the pages, now dust stained, and sighed.

"I was reading," I started, sucking in a sharp breath when another pain shot through me.

"Up that tree?" He asked; his eyes were stern.

I didn't need to answer that question. My father tried to walk at an even pace back to the house to keep my leg from further damage. I admired how gentle he was trying to be, but it didn't stop the throbbing in my leg.

"Matthew?"

My Mother's voice rang out from the kitchen, the back door swiftly opening as she came running towards us. Panic was evident in her eyes as she saw me, tears rolling down my cheek, hanging comfortably in my Father's arms.

"My dear, God, Esme. What an earth did you do this time?" I smiled at her words, choosing my words carefully.

"I was reading... in my... usual spot."

Rolling her eyes, Mother shook her head in defeat.

"I knew this would end badly."

"I'm taking her to the hospital," Father replied, quickly.

"No," Mother quipped, "It's too far inland. We can, however, receive a house call."

Nodding, Father led us through the door and into the living room, where the fire was blazing proudly before the armchairs and sofa.

Laying me down, Mother went to the phone, waiting desperately before someone picked up.

"Hospital please," Mother replied, her call now sounding like an odd one sided conservation.

Losing concentration, the pain soon distracted me for the worse.

"It hurts so much," I moaned, my words slurring.

My Father took my hand in his and squeezed it, kissing my now sweaty forehead.

"Definitely more boisterous than my brothers."

I smiled, but found it hard to stay conscious any longer. Darkness consumed me and he pain was just a distant feeling in the black abyss.

~XoX~

When I finally came round, the first thing I noticed was a man – a stranger – stood at the foot of the sofa. His hair was a blur of yellow, and his hand cut off from view because of the sofa's arm rest.

"Miss. Platt?" He asked, his voice calming but full of authority.

"Yes," I answered, albeit shyly, causing a small smile to pull the edges of his lips up. "But please," I continued, "call me, Esme."

"Esme, then," he agreed, "Would you like to tell me what happened?"

I tried to move, but he put a cold hand on my shoulder so quickly that I wondered how he'd got from his original place to being knelt before me.

Familiar pain shot down my right leg again, and I grimaced, my hands shooting to the unusable limb.

"You're leg," he whispered.

I smiled sheepishly as I nodded. And I tried to look away from the doctor's face, but I couldn't. His eyes, those simple organs used only to detect light to allow us to see, had captivated me entirely. Why? I knew exactly why. His eyes, so unlike what I expected, were... Golden. Along with hid neatly combed back hair and eye colour, this doctor represented more of a Greek God then a medical expert.

"You're eyes," I whispered, my throat dry that it didn't exactly sound coherent.

I didn't think the doctor had heard, yet a slight frown caused crease lines on his forehead to appear. Suddenly, I felt more like a air-headed teenager than I did a sixteen-year-old girl, responsible for looking after two younger siblings.

"Esme," he said, warmly, distracting me from my goggling, "Would you like to tell me what happened?"

My cheeks burned with embarrassment and I replied in a rush, "Ifellouttatree."

"Pardon?" The doctor questioned, a grin spreading across his lips.

Breathing in to gain confidence and control the pain, I tried answering again. "I fell out of a tree, Doctor..."

"Oh beg my pardon, Esme. My name's, Doctor Cullen, Doctor Carlisle Cullen."

And I should've known that he would have a beautiful name. For such a beautiful creature couldn't have an ugly name.

"Carlisle," I repeated, ignoring the awkwardness my Father's presence in the room was creating, "It sounds... odd... old fashioned. But..."

"But?"

"But I like it," I finished, smiling at Carlisle.

"Thank you, Esme. I like your name too."

And I realised then how appealing his name sounded rolling off my tongue, just like mine did when he said my name. My father shuffled awkwardly from the corner of the room, clearing his throat.

"Mr. Platt, I would like it if you could leave the room for a moment?" My father stared at him, fumbling with his work hat. "It's less distressing for you if you're not prone to worry all the time.

A moment passed, but he nodded. "I'll be outside if you need me, darling, okay?"

"Yes Father."

I watched my father step out from the room, but Carlisle soon distracted me again. "I'm going to have to see this leg, okay?"

Gulping I clutched the sofa's cover beneath me, nodding nevertheless.

"Just concentrate on me, Esme, and I promise it'll be quick."

And although I had only met this man moments ago, I trusted him deeply. Not because he was a doctor, no, but because he made me feel at ease.

"Okay." My voice was hoarse, but my courage in him not waning.

I made myself stare into his eyes as he cracked my leg back into place, the pain blazing above everything I had felt before. It was just a moment in which he did it, the alien coldness of his hands soothing my leg ever so slightly. A moment though was enough to nearly cause me to black out...again.

"You're doing very well, Esme," Dr. Cullen appraised. "Now I need to set it okay?"

And through the whole experience, he kept talking to me and calming me when the pain rose unbearably higher.

"What do you want to be after school?"

"A teacher," I gasped, clutching his hand momentarily, letting him squeeze it.

"A teacher," he pondered. "Here?"

Smiling, I answered, "No, in the west."

"Ambitious indeed, Esme."

"My Father keeps telling me. But he disagrees; he says my place is as a house wife. I could be killed out west."

Laughing gently, Carlisle shook his head. "It's not that dangerous. You would be a fantastic teacher."

Watching his hands mould the plaster of Paris to my leg, I continued. "I've always loved children. Marriage doesn't seem to fit my personality, being owned by a man for as long as I live."

The doctor sighed, wrapping the last piece around my foot. "You should do what your heart tells you to, Esme. You're young; you have everything to live for."

Carlisle patted my leg, gently, before standing up.

"You're done, already?"

Chuckling, he rolled his sleeved down again on his lab coat. "Indeed I am. See what talking can do?"

A feeling of sadness overwhelmed me for a second as I looked at the doctor who had treated me.

"What now?"

"Well I'm afraid to tell you that you won't be able to climb trees for at least six weeks." I scowled, causing his smile to broaden. "But your imagination can grow with plenty of bed rest."

"Joy," I muttered.

My father burst through the doors again, my mother bustling in after him, flustered of course.

"Six weeks, doc?"

Dr. Cullen nodded, and again I grimaced.

"And she'll be needing crutches, but I'll deliver them to you tomorrow."

My heart jumped at his words and the doctor gave me an odd look before returning his attention on my father again.

"She'll be better in no time."

Picking his coat up again, along with his medical bag, he kissed my hand like a true gentleman.

"It was nice to meet you, Esme."

I could feel my cheeks blushing an embarrassing shade of scarlet.

"You too, Doctor."

My mother thanked him at the door, Father paying him what we owed. And as he left, my heart sank just that little bit. But I knew I would get to see him again.

A/N – This will probably be a multi-chapter prequel to I Won't Lose You Again.

I really hope you enjoyed this first chapter, and if you did, Please Review!

Thanks, Katie1995 :)