A/N: Hello my readers! I apologize for taking so long to get this chapter up. I was so sick for about a week where I could hardly sit up let alone be creative. This chapter is a bit shorter than previous ones and you could probably consider this one somewhat of a filler, but it consists of some very sweet moments and is kind of the last bit of calmness before things really get interesting! Thanks for sticking with me! As always, please forgive any editing errors.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga but the plots and ideas used in this story are my own so please don't copy.

CHAPTER 19:

ESME'S POINT OF VIEW:

It was a little after seven in the morning, and I was standing in the kitchen window watching the sunrise. I absolutely loved the morning hours, how everything seemed so fresh and new. Perhaps my favorite advantage that came with being immortal was that I'd never miss a sunrise ever again. I'd never miss another moment because of sleep. The downside of that though was never being able to escape the world if it got to be too much to handle. I was too caught up in my thoughts to notice Angel's presence until she wrapped her arms around my leg.

"Good morning Sweetie," I greeted her, smiling down at her.

"Morning Mommy."

"Are you hungry?" I asked her.

"Not yet," she said, and stretched out her arms for me to pick her up.

I gently lifted my daughter into my arms and set her on my hip. She stared out the window with me and commented on how beautiful it was. I agreed; Carlisle couldn't have gotten me a better island. The cost of the purchase was well over eight hundred million, and the paradise lived up to every dollar. When he'd brought me here for the first time and told me it was mine, I'd told him I couldn't accept such a generous gift, but then he told me he would enjoy it just as much as I would, so then I didn't really have a solid argument. Who would I be to tell him what he could and couldn't spend his money on? This island was more than just land; it's symbolic of Carlisle and mine's love that we now get to share with our precious daughter.

"Why don't you and Daddy live here all the time if it's your favorite place to be?" Angel asked.

"We don't live here because it's simply not practical to be away from civilization. You know Daddy greatly enjoys being a doctor, but there's no hospital here with people in need of help. I have my interior design business that I enjoy running and I need to be in town for that once in a while. And you, my little girl, have many reasons you need to be in a city. We are here on a long vacation because we all need a bit of a break from the real world, but we will have to go back eventually. This is most certainly a beautiful place but we can't stay here forever," I explained.

"Daddy has plenty to keep him busy while we're here," Angel grumbled, gesturing to the injuries she sustained yesterday.

"Do those feel okay? Daddy will check them later but do they hurt right now?" I asked.

"Not really, I'm just a little sore," Angel said. "Can I have scrambled eggs for breakfast please?"

"Absolutely, I'll get them started," I said and began to cook my daughter's breakfast.

"How are my beautiful ladies doing this morning?" Carlisle asked as he walked into the kitchen. He came over to the stove where I was still holding Angel while cracking two eggs into the pan.

"We are doing great, right Sweetie?" I said.

"Yes," she agreed.

"Hello, my love," I greeted my husband, giving him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Good morning, my beautiful bride," he said with his dazzling smile. We kissed again, more passionately this time.

"Ew," Angel commented, clearly not appreciating being squished between the stone bodies of two hopelessly romantic vampires.

Carlisle and I chuckled at her remark but respected her wish and separated. Angel's food was going to burn if that handsome man kept distracting me. It didn't matter how much time we spent together; we were never going to ever be able to keep our hands off each other.

CARLISLE'S POINT OF VIEW:

"Well Angel Baby, what do you say about allowing mean old Dr. Cullen to take a look at your injuries?" I asked.

"Does he have to?" my sweet complained.

"I'm afraid so Darling. But I promise I'll be quick and then we can start our day," I said.

"Okay," she gave in. "But then Dr. Cullen will go away for a while right? I can just be with Mommy and Daddy?"

I smiled at my little girl. "As long as we manage to keep you out of harm's way Dr. Cullen won't come around until it's time for the next bandage change."

"Angel, you know Daddy and Dr. Cullen are the same person, right?" Esme asked.

Angel turned to her mother and whispered loudly. "I know that Mommy, but I don't think Daddy does so I'm just playing along in order to not hurt his feelings. I think he's confused."

"I believe you are correct Angel. I suppose people can only be twofaced for so long before the lines become blurred," my clever wife jabbed at me.

I gave her a look of disbelief. My wife was a calm, soft-spoken soul… until a brilliant smart remark popped into her brain. I shook my head at her and gave her a look as if to say I'll get you back for that one.

"All right, my sweet, let's get you to that study before your mother's brassy attitude rubs off on you," I said, propelling her down the hall with my hand. I looked back and gave my wife a playful smirk.

All jokes aside, the fact is that my poor child is very afraid of anything regarding medical care. One would think she'd be used to it by now because of everything she's had to endure, but from another perspective the reason she's so afraid is because of how many bad experiences she's had. She was becoming more comfortable around me, and for minor things like cleaning up wounds she didn't put up much of a fight. I always made a point of telling her exactly what I was going to do before I do it, no matter how many times she's already been through it before. If she was uneasy about something, it was my responsibility to help her. As I expected, when we reached the entrance to the study Angel halted as she realized she was going to be a patient for a few minutes.

"It's okay Sweetie, it's just a little checkup for your owies. I'll do it the same way I have many times before, and it will be over quickly. You can help me replace the bandages this time if you'd like," I said.

"Daddy I really don't want to," Angel said, and the tears began to flow.

I got down on her level and put my hands on either side of her face. "I know, my little girl, I know. Believe me I hear you and I wish we didn't have to deal with this but if we don't properly take care of your wounds they will become infected. The better care we treat them with, the more swiftly they will heal and then we can get back to swimming. Now I think your breakfast is done, would you like to eat while I take care of you or wait until we get through?"

"I'll wait," Angel sniffled.

"Okay." I brushed the hair out of her eyes. "Here, give me a hug."

We hugged for about a minute until I gently pulled away and led her over to my desk. She hopped up and I sat in my chair and began to grab the supplies I needed. I always tried to remember to sit down when treating her because it made her feel more relaxed, rather than towering over her with my height.

"Let's see how this big cut is healing up," I said and carefully began to take the bandage off her leg. "I'd say it is healing quite nicely. No sign of infection. I'm going to put some more medicine on it and also some anti-itch cream to make you more comfortable."

"Will it hurt?" she asked me.

I shook my head. "It shouldn't."

Angel squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for the worst. Once I started to apply the medicine, she realized it wasn't bad and relaxed. She seemed intrigued by what I was doing, so I stayed true to my earlier statement and allowed her to assist me in bandaging her wound.

"Now you don't want to secure the bandage too tightly, but you don't want it so loose that it comes off. The goal is to keep dirt and germs out while letting as much air reach the injury as possible," I instructed. I guided her hands as she placed the bandage on her leg. "Perfect."

"Are you gonna check the owies on my arms?" she asked.

"I think those are okay for a couple days. They're mostly scrapes, and as long as none of them are hurting too bad it's best to leave them alone. I would like to take a look at the bump on your head though," I said.

I carefully prodded the area around the bump. It was getting smaller, which was good, and there were no scabs or anything to show she had been picking at it. I gently pressed directly on it which resulted in a wince from Angel.

"Tender?" I asked.

She nodded. "A little."

"All right my daughter," I said, setting her down on the floor. "We're all done. Let's get you fed now."

Angel managed to stay out of trouble over the next few weeks. No new injuries were sustained and we were all enjoying the good quality family time together. The main purpose for coming here was to give Angel some separation from the world that had beaten her relentlessly until she was battered and bruised and provide her with a safe, private environment to heal from it. We hadn't talked about any of the bad things since coming to the island so I really wasn't sure how Angel was doing on that issue. I'd almost brought it up a few times, but my daughter just seemed so happy and I didn't dare ruin that. I hesitate to mention because I don't want to cut open old wounds, but on the other hand if Angel still wasn't at peace I needed to know. There was just no easy, painless way of finding that out.

Esme was at the mainland making another grocery since it had been a while, so I figured now would be a good time to have that tough conversation with Angel. If it didn't go very well, Angel would at least have her mother as a source of comfort while being furious with me. I stood in the doorway of my daughter's bedroom, watching as she happily played with her dolls. Her back was to me and her beautiful blonde hair cascaded down her back in loose waves. Our hair really was similar in color, and I smiled at the fact that people probably think Angel is my biological daughter because of that prominent shared physical feature. I opened my mouth to speak and get her attention, but no words came out because I wasn't strong enough to tear her out of such a content moment. But it had to be done.

"Angelica, could you meet with me in my study please?" I asked. Like her bedroom back home, I wanted this room to remain a safe haven for her.

She looked up curiously and immediately followed after me to the study. I sat down on the couch and she took a seat next to me. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, not at all Sweetheart. The two of us need to discuss something, but unfortunately it is not going to be an enjoyable conversation. It has to do with your past," I began.

She froze at the mere mention of it and I felt terrible and scared because her face got that blank, distant expression, but then she closed her eyes and regained her composure. "What do you want to talk about? I thought we already went over everything."

"We did," I agreed. "But I need to know how you're doing, processing it all, handling the burdens that must come from being put in such a situation."

"I don't know, I mean I guess I'm okay. Honestly I haven't thought much about it since we got here. I feel safer here because I know my attacker is far, far away and he doesn't have the means to find me here. I felt safe at home in Minnesota too because I know you will always protect me, but I am definitely more at ease here. I've accepted what happened and really I just want to move on and have a normal life," she said.

Hearing this made me feel a whole lot better. I felt guilty for bringing up something she just wanted to move on from, but it was such a relief to know that she was all right. Esme would be ecstatic to hear it as well.

"Baby girl it makes me really happy to hear you say that," I told her. "I will do my best not to bring it up anymore. I only ask that if ever you find yourself troubled with something from the past that you let me know right away, okay?"

"Yes Daddy," she agreed.

"Would you like to get some swimming in before the sun goes down?" I asked.

"Yes!" she cheered excitedly. "I'll go get my swimsuit on right now!"

I laughed and left my daughter to go change into my own bathing suit. I smiled every time I picked up my swim trunks because somehow my wife had managed to swap out the ordinary black ones I had packed with a pair of bright blue Hawaiian print shorts. It was a harmless prank, but it goes to show how mischievous my gazelle of a bride could be.

"Daddy can you tie me please?" I heard my daughter call from her bedroom.

I walked down the hall and back to her bedroom where she was waiting for me, holding the bikini top over her chest with one arm and holding her hair up out of the way with the other. I swiftly tied her swimsuit and we were all ready to go. After I slathered her with sunscreen, of course.

"Whoa! The current's strong today," Angel said, gripping my arm as we stood ankle-deep in the water.

"Indeed. We will have to be extra careful. I don't think today is a good time to practice swimming, but as long as you let me hold onto you we can stay in the water."

Angel didn't seem happy about my statement, but she didn't argue. After playing in the surf for a while, she requested to be picked up. I set her on my hip and she laid her head down on my shoulder. She was getting tired. I just stood there holding my little angel as the water crashed around us like I was a rock. Over the roar of the waves I could hear the low hum of an engine letting me know Esme would return in about fifteen minutes. The bright orange sun was quickly replaced by a glowing moon. I felt something warm and wet drip onto my shoulder then proceed to trickle down my chest.

"What's wrong Sweetie?" I asked in a calm tone.

"I love you so much Daddy," my daughter choked, and more tears came.

"I love you too Angel, now why are you crying?" I asked.

I attempted to pull her away to look at her, but she clung to me so tightly I couldn't detach her without hurting her. I desperately wanted to know what was wrong, but she wasn't telling me. I knew she wasn't hurt, not physically anyway, and she had been a happy child all day, so I had no idea as to why she was crying.

"It took forever to find you," Angel said. "Don't ever leave me Daddy."

There was a lump in my throat as I spoke. "I'm not going anywhere Angel, I promise you."

A/N: Well there you have it! Personally I don't feel that this chapter is up to par but it is a transitional chapter and I really think you guys are going to like what I have planned next. Please leave a review and go check out my recent one-shot Quiet Place about Edward and Bella and show that some love as well. Thank you for reading and I will update soon!