Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer is the owner of the Twilight Saga and all of its characters.

My Everything

1.

The Surprise

"Carlisle! Seriously? I don't know what to say!" Esme clutched her hands to her chest as though holding her heart inside. "Oh, dear Lord! I feel faint."

Carlisle grinned and grabbed Esme around the waist. "I know you love the boys with all of your heart, Es, but I also know that you still dream of having a daughter. It broke our hearts when we lost our baby, but Esme, your eyes, they just don't sparkle like they used to. That little girl took a part of you with her that I would give my life to get back." He hugged her to him, burying his nose into her fragrant, coppery hair. "You know we will both always love her - and miss what should've been - but we need to go on. Maybe this will put some sparkle back in our lives." He pulled back so he could peer into her beautiful face. "Besides, she's such a sweet, helpless little thing. She really needs us, Esme."

"Oh, Darling! I cannot believe you've kept this from me for three weeks!" She gazed at her handsome, dark-haired husband. "You must've been bursting!"

"I was! You cannot imagine!" He said with a chuckle, "but I wanted to be sure… of everything, before I brought up the idea. Preemies are always so fragile and, what if we were all prepared and… she hadn't made it?" He peered intently into her face again. "Esme, I couldn't bear to see you go through that pain again. I couldn't bear it! I couldn't! I love you with all my heart and I couldn't say anything until I knew she was healthy. I also had to make sure that she could be ours forever. That no one would come and claim her once we loved her."

"Oh, Carlisle!" Esme squealed and snuggled tighter into his strong, protective arms. "I love her already! When can we bring her home?"

"Not until tomorrow morning. Since I'm not on shift until day after tomorrow, I thought we could go shopping for baby things today. Then we can spend the whole day with our sons and daughter, tomorrow."

Esme's eyes had been glowing with excitement, but they dimmed somewhat. Her expression was thoughtful, but sad.

"Esme! What's wrong?" His concerned blue eyes searched her luminous gold-green ones.

"What about Edward? Carlisle, he took it so hard when the baby died. He has been kind of clingy ever since. Do you think he will be OK with this?"

"What I think, dear wife, is that Edward reflects on whatever his mommy is feeling and will be over the moon to have a new baby in the house."

"When should we tell them?" Her smile returning with the question.

Just then, they heard running feet and giggles as three very healthy young boys ran into the room from outside.

"Boys! What have we told you about running in the house?"

"Sorry, Momma!"

"Sorry, Mommy!"

"Sorry, Ms. Esme!"

"Were there ever three more adorable young men in all the world, My Heart?"

Carlisle and Esme had started calling each other outrageous names after one of their friends jokingly commented that the way they acted with each other, made him nauseous. The more outrageous the name, the more their friend would act up and it became a running joke for a while, then it became a habit, and they had been doing it ever since.

Esme's eyes were, again, bright with joy. "Never, My World."

They both grinned at each other and turned to look at the 'Three Musketeers', as Esme was wont to call them. Usually Carlisle would jokingly reply, "More like the Three Stooges", which always got a rise out of his better half, but today they were just too excited over the wonderful news they had to share.

The three boys stood gazing at them, not sure if they were in trouble, or not.

The eldest, and tallest, Emmett, was a sturdy block of a boy. He had scared the heck out of the kids in his Kindergarten class when school had started this past September. That is, until he grinned. He had the most engaging smile and no one, could resist it. They're first-born was the gentlest, sweetest boy and seemed to just know that, since he was so much bigger than the other kids in his class, he had to be extra careful. This gentleness, along with his father's charismatic personality, dark, curly hair, light blue eyes and dimples, charmed everyone he met.

Edward, on the other hand, was so sensitive and thoughtful, that he appeared to be somewhat brooding. His mother's beautiful hazel eyes and mop of coppery, bronze-colored hair, brought an almost poetic beauty to his face and, together with his graceful, lithe form, he was, at just under three years old, already on his way to being a heartbreaker with the ladies. All the little girls at Preschool followed Edward around like he was the best thing since Barbie, but he didn't even notice them. He was usually too caught up in his own little world or was romping with his best friend, Jasper Hale.

Jasper was a beautiful child. There was just no other word to describe him. He looked like one of those children you see on the covers of the parenting magazines. He had the smoothest, creamiest skin, even for a preschooler. The perfect color of peaches and cream that deepened to a golden brown in the sun, gorgeously complemented by the stunning green of his eyes and the paleness of his shaggy, thick blonde hair. They used to use the term, 'Tow-head' for children that blonde. He was tall and sturdy, not so much as Emmett, but, even at two years younger, he could hold his own. He had a charm and athleticism that promised great things. His older sister, Rosalie, was almost his exact double except, where he possessed charm, she had a feisty spark, and was, in every sense of the word, a girl.

At five years old, she could already wrap anyone around her little finger any time she wanted to. She was the bossiest little thing in her and Emmett's class, but every one of their classmates were in awe of her and she used it to her advantage. Intelligence and beauty to her, were like breathing to everyone else.

Jackson Hale and Carlisle Cullen had been best friends since grade school, and their children were being raised practically as siblings. One, or both, were always at each other's homes and their parents treated them all as their own.

Carlisle and Jackson had also graduated from medical school together and, when they moved back to Wisconsin from Northwestern, had purchased adjoining property on which to build their homes. They both landed positions at the local hospital with plans to open a private practice some day, and put enough money aside for gorgeous engagement rings. When they proposed to their girls, they had wanted to make sure that all would be ready.

Carlisle had already talked to Jackson about the possibility of bringing home the abandoned baby girl from the hospital. He confided everything to his childhood friend, especially when he was worried about something, and he had to know what Jackson thought of the situation. Jackson had been all for it and thought that the 'Hens', as he fondly called Esme and his wife, Lynnette, would be so happy that all of their lives would be simply peachy from here on out, because, as Jackson loved to drawl, "Ya'll know, if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!" To which the kids and 'Hens' would giggle because Jackson didn't really have a Texas drawl, just a slight twang. He had never actually lived in Texas and, since his daddy had moved to Williams Bay, when he was only nine, he hadn't had much of a drawl, either.

"But ya'll know that, them there Texas roots, they grow mighty deep!" Which, of course, brought on more giggles and, the more giggles, the stronger Jackson's drawl became, until everyone was crying and holding their sides.

Esme smiled lovingly at the little rascals lined up before her.

"Hey guys," she said, "how about some cookies and milk while we have a talk?"

"Emmett!" cried Edward. "What did you do?"

"Eddie! I didn't do nothin'!"

"Anything." Esme corrected.

"Anything… how come you always blame me?"

"Cuz, Em," Jasper noted matter-of-factly. "Yer the one always gettin' in trouble!"

Carlisle chuckled. "Come on, boys. No one is in trouble. Go wash your hands while we get your snack. We have something really special to tell you."

"Whoopeee!!" Emmett hollered as he flew up the stairs followed closely by his comrades in arms.

Before Esme could even finish filling their glasses with milk, she heard the boys come clamoring back down to the kitchen.

Carlisle got them seated at the table and passed out cookies while Esme set a glass down for each of them. When everyone was settled, Carlisle asked, "What would you boys think if we had a baby come live with us?"

"What kind of baby?" asked Edward.

"Well," said Esme, not sure what he meant. "A tiny, little baby that doesn't have a mommy or a daddy."

"No, Mommy! A brother baby, or a sister baby?"

"Ugh! I hope its not a sister baby! I already gots a sister and I wish she was a brother."

"Jasper! Rosie ain't a baby! She's a big kid, like me. Don't be stupid!"

"Emmett Alan Cullen!! We don't say 'ain't' and we never, ever say 'stupid'!"

"Sorry, Momma! But Rosie ain't, I mean, isn't, a baby. Me and her are five now and, we go to school! These guys don't know nothin' cuz they ain… aren't big kids like us."

"Well, Emmett," said Carlisle. "I don't think that Jas meant that Rose is a baby. I think he just meant that she is a sister."

Jasper nodded as Esme added, "Just because someone is not as old as you, does not mean they are stupid or don't know what they're talking about, Emmett. Remember how Daddy and I always tell you to treat people with respect?"

All three boys nodded. "Well, calling someone stupid or not listening to what they say, is not respectful, Okay?"

"Okay!" All three boys chimed in.

Carlisle sighed and thought, "Why was it always such an ordeal to have a conversation in this house?" He glanced at Esme who gazed back at him with eyes full of love and laughter.

"Patience, my Darling." she grinned.

"Anyway," Carlisle smiled and tried again. "There is a little baby… girl… " he added at a look from Edward. "that needs a family to love and take care of her. She doesn't have anyone and, Mommy and I thought that, since we all have enough love to share, and two… errr… three, strong big brothers to help take care of her, maybe she could live with us."

"Mr. Carlisle," Jasper said. "Ummmm, does this baby girl need a big sister, too?"

"Yes, Jasper," Carlisle smiled. "She definitely needs a big sister, too."

"Well, I think we should go get her, then." said Emmett. Once Rosalie was included, he was all for it.

Esme glanced at Edward. He was deep in thought with an adorable frown between his eyebrows.

Jasper waited patiently for Edward to say something because, though he knew he was part of the family, he didn't actually live here.

Finally, he could take it no longer. "Eddie! Aren't you gonna' say anythin' 'bout the baby sister?"

Edward looked up into his mom's beautiful soft, hazel eyes. "What happened to the baby's mommy and daddy?"

"No one knows who her mommy is. She was too young to be a mommy and couldn't take care of her, so she left her at the hospital for our Daddy to take care of."

"We don't know where her father is, either, Edward, but I'm sure he would be happy to know that his daughter will be well taken care of." added Carlisle.

"Mommy, will you love the stranger-borned baby sister so much that you won't cry for that angel-borned baby sister any more?"

"Oh, Edward!" cried Esme. With tears in her eyes she walked around the table to gather him in her arms. "You are the sweetest, most thoughtful boy a mommy ever had. Of course I will love her! I will love her just like she was born to us!"

She had been so worried that Edward was going to be upset about sharing her love and affection, and here he was, worried that she wouldn't love the baby as much because she didn't give birth to her. What a delightful boy he was!

"Well," he sighed, "let's go get her then, but," he added firmly, "if she says she don't want no brothers, she's goin' back to that hospital, cuz we got three here and we ain't sending' none of 'em back!"

"Okay, what a delightful, and loyal, boy he was!" Esme smiled.

All three boys nodded their heads. They all had such serious looks on their faces, that, despite the cookie crumbs and milk mustaches, Carlisle saw a glimpse of the men they would become. Esme just looked on with tear, and love-filled eyes, thinking how lucky she was to be surrounded by such wonderful men.