Summary: This is about Edward coming back from his break with Carlisle and Esme. This is pre-Bella. Carlisle and Edward bonding fic. CarlislexEsme.

Recommended music: You'll be in my Heart Phil Collins. I do not own Twilight (or that song either).

Coming Back

It has been several years since Edward left. Several years since he denounced Carlisle's ways and decided to…act according to instinct, not care about killing humans. No, that is not entirely correct, Edward had promised him that he would only hunt the evildoers. There is danger in that; Edward could easily slip up. He probably has. And after one slip-up, what's one more?

If only these oppressing thoughts would let him be!

"Carlisle, dear?" asks his wife, Esme, "What's the matter? What are thinking about?"

He shakes his head, "Nothing."

"Nothing? You can't have a face like that tell me you aren't thinking about anything important."

"It's nothing important." As he speaks the lie burns his throat. Of course Edward is important. He and Edward will always have a unique bond. Edward was his first creation, his first. Because of that, he and Edward share something that Esme can't understand. No doubt she misses him, but for him it's different. That bond is there and they had worked so hard together to plant that bond deep inside. Apparently, it wasn't enough. Edward still left, and Carlisle felt as though he failed.

"Yes it is," says Esme, "Are you thinking about him?"

Carlisle can't speak. He opts to sit in his chair in their cozy apartment and put his head in his hands.

"It's alright," she says soothingly, "He's alright."

"How do you know?" asks Carlisle, head still in his hands. "He was so angry when he left. That fight, it was so horrible. He'll never return."

He senses Esme moving closer and feels her arms wrap around him. "He might," she whispers.

He doesn't respond. He continues to sit, letting the oppressing thoughts consume him. He knows Esme is nervous and wants to help, but she can't. He had been ignoring the pain and burying it. Now, it's come to hit him at full force. He has to face the pain sooner or later, or else he'll never move on. He wants to be happy with Esme, the most important aspect of his life. He doesn't want Edward's departure to stop him.

Suddenly, something changes. A brand new scent fills the air, another vampire. Both he and Esme tense. The vampire is still a little ways away, so they can't pick out an individual scent. They strain all their senses, searching for some indication about the newcomer. Then scent becomes less obscure and familiar. They let out a sigh of relief; it's someone they know, but they cannot identify whom. Carlisle senses it first.

Edward

He's back? Is it a game? A trick? Something playing on his senses, perhaps? He looks to Esme. Her eyes shine brightly with obvious recognition. So, it is Edward. What does he want? Is he okay?

They hear a knock on the door. Carlisle rushes to answer it. It is Edward, and Carlisle notices that he keeps his eyes down. They stand awkwardly for a moment; neither knows what to say.

Edward speaks first, "Carlisle…"

"Yes?" Slow and hesitant.

"I…"

He has never seen Edward struggle so much for words. Esme stays quiet; she knows Edward must make his apologies to Carlisle before talking to her.

"I'm sorry." Swiftly Edward looks up and red eyes bore into his golden ones. Red eyes, eyes of that monster that was born in 1918.

"I don't want to be a monster, not anymore," whispers Edward.

Carlisle looks deeper into the red monstrous eyes as he had when he first created Edward. He struggles to see past the monster. Why is it harder now? Perhaps, because Edward chose to live outside his rules. Does that make him a bad vampire?

His golden eyes continue to search Edward's red eyes and then he finds it. A boy of seventeen, lost, now wants to be found and included in Carlisle's family. The boy wants to be part of family united by love, not convenience.

He embraces Edward warmly and feels Edward hug back. "I'm so sorry, Carlisle. Please forgive me."

He smiles at Edward, and Edward knows he's forgiven.

"Welcome home, Edward," says Esme.

Author's comments!

A recent review inspired me to write this fanfic. I didn't expect it to turn out like this, but it's, at the very least, better planned than that Sweeney Todd fic I posted last night. If you like the Todd/Lucy pairing, you should read it. I like the bond that Carlisle and Edward seem to have in the book and I believe that Meyers should have had more of that in her books.

So, if you liked it or if you didn't like, review. And if you clicked on my story for the heck or it, what did you think? Review!