Disclaimer: The original characters and plot are the property of the author, Stephanie Meyer.

"Is everyone here?" Carlisle asked, looking around, silently counting to make sure. "…five, six, seven…. We are missing someone, Esme!"

We all looked around, searching the barren ground for her….

"There's someone over there," Rosalie said, pointing to a body lying immobile on the ground a distance away.

Edward picked me up and ran with the rest of the Cullens over to where the body lay on the ground. The body was covered in red crescent-shaped marks and saturated in mud. It was Esme, dear, caring Esme! She was squirming and rolling on her back with such a look of pain and agony on her heart-shaped face. One hand was pulling at her hair whilst the other was trying to reach her back.

"Esme?" Carlisle said brokenly. "Esme?" he pleaded but she didn't answer. She didn't even open her eyes. Carlisle looked at his family around him and said, "Let's get her home."

I hadn't realized that Edward had put me down until he leaned towards me to pick me up in his arms once again. I turned my head to look at him and then back to Esme and I found I could not take my eyes from her face; she was in so much pain, poor Esme. Carlisle had lifted her up so gently and carried her back to his car. Edward and I followed behind.

Edward quickly settled me into the back seat of the car whilst Carlisle gently laid Esme in the middle. Edward climbed in beside her and gently laid her head in his lap. No sooner had Carlisle slid into the driver's seat but we were travelling at break-neck speed through the winding roads.

I looked out of the tinted windows of the Mercedes. They made everything outside look really gloomy, even gloomier than usual although it was the middle of a bright sunny day. That was saying something for the weather in this part of the country, even on sunny days the clouds remained floating endlessly across the sky.

The humming of the engine and Esme's continuous groans of pain were the only other sounds.

Suddenly, I felt something sharp digging into my leg and I let out a yelp of pain.

"What is it, Bella?" Edward asked, looking over at me.

I looked down and saw Esme's hand tight around my leg, even though she was in pain her grip was strong, almost like a vice and not wanting to let go. I tried to take her hand away but it was impossible.

"Edward…her hand," I breathed with a pleading not in my voice.

"What?" Carlisle looked back.

"Her hand. She's…holding onto my leg, it hurts."

Edward tried to unclench her hands. "Esme, let go," but her hands were unmovable. "She's not letting go," Edward said to Carlisle.

"Bella," Carlisle said, "hold out your leg so I can reach it." He leaned back in the seat and reached out with one hand, keeping his eyes on the road, and softly touched Esme's hand. "Esme, Esme, please, you're hurting Bella, sweetheart. Please, let go." Slowly the pain in my leg subsided and her hand loosened its grip. I must have been holding my breath because I felt myself exhale slowly. "I'm sorry, Bella," Carlisle apologized. "She didn't mean to."

"I know, it's all right, I'm fine," I replied. "Really, I am," I said when Edward gave me a questioning look, as though he did not believe me. Always so protective.

We arrived at the house in no time at all: I had never known Carlisle to drive so fast! He was usually the safest of all the drivers in the Cullen family, but then it was not every day when his Esme is hurt and in pain. The rest of the Cullens were right behind us.

Edward lifted Esme's head from his lap and gently laid it down on the seat. He then got out of the car and ran around to the other side to open my door and let me out. Carlisle then cautiously lifted Esme from the back seat. I turned and walked toward the house along with Edward. Suddenly, there was a scream from behind me and I stopped short.

"Carlisle…move…your…hand!" Esme said between clenched teeth, fighting with Carlisle's arm underneath her back.

"Sorry, sweetheart." Carlisle swiftly moved his arm from underneath her back.

I anxiously turned my head towards Edward. He looked down at me and must have seen my horrified expression because he reached out to comfort me. "She's going to be all right, Bella, trust me…." He trailed off, hugging my shoulders.

I thought to myself… Would she be all right? It was all my fault. They had fought those other vampires – I shivered – to protect me and now Esme's hurt. What if Carlisle couldn't do anything? What if

Esme di… No! I told myself. No, she couldn't, she just couldn't. Carlisle can fix anything! He'll fix this, he will.

We walked through the front door, Carlisle following close behind. As he walked through the house he called out, "Rosalie, Alice, please come with me," he said.

"Can I come, too?" I asked suddenly.

"Of course, Bella, I just didn't think you'd want to."

All three of us followed Carlisle upstairs while he carried Esme in his arms.

I didn't really realize where we were going until we got there, my mind was on Esme. If anything happened to the sweet woman who I loved like a mother, it would be all my fault.

"Bella, Bella…." Alice broke into my reverie.

I was in a wide, large, beige coloured room with old looking paintings. Everything just felt…warm, comfortable. It must be Esme and Carlisle's bedroom.

Suddenly there was another scream. I looked around and saw that Carlisle had laid Esme down on the bed on her stomach. He had lifted up her shirt. I saw red marks all over her back and I started to feel a little queasy. Oh, no, I thought, blood!

"Rosalie, my bag, please," said Carlisle. Rosalie turned to fetch his medical bag and handed it to him.

I turned my attention back to the present situation. Esme's face was in the pillow and she was holding onto it so tightly that her nails were ripping through it. I walked over to the bed, next to Alice and whispered, "Is she going to be okay?"

"Yes, I think so," Carlisle answered, but the look on his face was unsure. "Esme, honey, you're your head up for me." Esme lifted her head up slightly and Carlisle put his hand under her chin. "Here, take this." He was giving her some kind of pill. "No, Esme, swallow it." Thirty seconds passed and Esme went limp.

"Okay, let's do this fast. I'm not sure how long it'll last, with the venom."