The graveyard that laid behind the old house was small, with only the members of my family buried within its wire gates. The weather had long ago worn the sacred names off of the headstones, leaving very little to read. However, it didn't take much of an effort to determine which belonged to my father. Unlike the others, his grave had a cross on top of the marbled stone. Even in death he demanded respect and to be the center of everyone's attention.

A smaller grave laid beside my fathers. Even with the weathering, it was easy to read my mother's precious name etched onto the smooth stone. Below her name used to be a small sentence written by my father. However, now the space below it is empty.

"Anne, My beloved wife. Taken too soon by complete evil." I said, breaking the dead silence that surrounded me.

Jasper moved from his spot on a fallen tree to come stand beside me. "Is that what it said?" he asked as he ran his hand over the smooth stone.

"I remember it clearly. My father forced me to read it every year of her anniversary. He never wanted to let me forget how my mother died." I said as I laid my hand on Jaspers shoulder for support.

"I'm sure she was a wonderful woman. I mean, how else could you have such compassion and love? It clearly wasn't passed down to you by your father." He said as he sent warm emotions my way.

"I suppose so. But while I'm grateful for the kind words, I have to admit that I wasn't always this way. In fact, I used to be quit the rebel. But I learned quickly to just bottle up those feelings, because they only made things worse in the end. Defiance and stubbornness just angered my father. Just doing what he said made things easier on myself, however, it lead to me doing a lot of things that I regret."

"Like what?" Jasper pressed.

"It doesn't matter!" I grumbled.

"Don't be a hypocrite, Carlisle. I've admitted things to you that I have never told anyone before. I've shared my burdens, and admitted my weaknesses. You told me there was no weakness in admitting defeat. Now it's your turn to let me carry a bit of your load. So, I'll ask again. What happened?" There he goes again, using things that I've said against me. I need to be more careful with my pep-talks.

"Your right, Jasper." I admit. I stalled before a boost of confidence hit me. "I had innocent people killed. I had them killed because agreeing with my father was easier than defying him. He said they were vampire and witches, but they weren't. They were regular humans. Humans with lives and families, and I took that away from them."

"You didn't have a choice, Carlisle. You and I both know what would have happened if you were to defy him. I've been there. You give in and do what you have to do to survive. It's basic human survival instincts."

It was silent for a few minutes. Jasper returned to his spot on the log, while I moved to stand in front of my father's grave. My father used to be considered a hero too many. They truly thought that what he was doing was right. But really, he was just really manipulative and abusive. He was a cruel, unforgiving man who wanted nothing but complete control.

"Like father, like son." I heard whispered behind me.

I turned around to face Jasper.

"Did you just say something?" I asked.

"No, why?" he pressed.

"I don't know, I just thought I heard something."

"It was probably just the wind." Jasper said as he closed his eyes.

But I know it wasn't the wind. It was him. He was here, taunting me. He wanted to see how I would react.

"Carlisle, do you mind if take a quick hunting trip?" Jasper asked.

I shook my head. "Of course not."

I was grateful that Jasper understood my need for space. Or possibly that I was causing another headache of his. Either way, Jasper has helped me as much as he could. It's all up to me now.

The silence after Jasper left was deafening. But even in the silence I can tell that he's here. I can feel him around me.

"What do you want from me? Why, after all this time, do you still think it's necessary to torture me?" I said into the cool wind.

This is ridiculous. Nobody's here. I know that he can't hear what I say. And even if he could, it wouldn't make a difference in the way that he feels about me.

But the shadows beg me to speak. So I did.

"I used to hate you, father. Maybe I still do… I don't know. You were cruel, not only to me but to those innocent people around us. I did nothing to deserve the abuse that you put me through. I never fought you, or tried to stop you from doing the things that you did. I didn't purposely make you angry, or devised plans to annoy you. I just wanted a father. I wanted someone to love me and to protect me from the evils of this world. I'll admit that I was far from a perfect child. But did I really deserve such hate? I know you were upset about mom's death, but I don't think that was the only reason you were the way you were. The people around me always said that you were trying your best, and that you were trying to make me into the best man that I could be. But do you want to know something that I've learned just recently?" I paused as a blast of cool wind blew across my face. I took it as a signal to continue.

"I was raised to think that you had to be powerful and in control of everything in order to me considered a man. But now, I consider a man to be someone who is completely selfless. They would drop everything to help someone in need. A man also looks past flaws, both their own and everyone else's. They don't judge, or hold grudges. A man chooses to look at the good things in life, instead of focusing on the bad. He also loves with everything that he has, no matter what obstacles stood in the way. I'm my eyes, you weren't a man. You were a coward." The wind continued to blow, causing leaves to flow across the graveyard in almost a tornado like manner.

"I don't want to hate you anymore. Not because I don't think you deserve it, but because you're not worth it. You're not worth the energy that I use thinking about you, or the breath I take in order to say your name. I won't allow you to take any more time of my life. You will not affect my life, or the life of my family, anymore. And as proof to the fact that I am not like you, I will say one more thing. I forgive you."

The wind that had been swirling around me came to a sudden stop. The leaves stop their hectic dance on the earth floor, and for once, the earth stood still.

A reassuring hand came to rest on my shoulder.

I turned around to face Jasper.

"I can see that you have found your peace."

Had I really found peace? Was it all over?

I couldn't help but let out a laugh. "You know what, Jasper? I think you're right. I don't what it is, but I feel different. I almost feel lighter, like a huge load has just been lifted off my shoulders."

"It's exhilarating, isn't it?"

I nodded my head, "I never thought something so small would make such a big difference."

Jasper smiled at me knowingly.

"So, Carlisle, are you ready to go home?"

"I think so. There are some things that I need to face back home. And I'm afraid an angry Esme might be one of them."

"I think you'll be surprised, Carlisle." Jasper said as he tossed me the keys.

Hopefully the ride home is faster than the ride here.

I'm not sure how many more chapters there will be, but I think this story will be wrapping up soon.

Also, it may have seemed anti-climatic the way Carlisle finds what he's looking for, but for me, was more on Jasper/Carlisle bonding then anything else.

Hope you enjoyed. Please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion.

As to the questions left in the comment section,

* I'm not entirely sure where in England Carlisle was raised, but in my story he was from a smaller community. In this community, the witch/vampire trials became somewhat of a historical thing (Much like the witch trials in the USA). And since Carlisle's father was not only a pastor, but also a leader in these trials/executions, it only seemed right that the house has been preserved for historical purposes.

*No, Sadly Esme wasn't on the trip with Carlisle and Jasper. However, Jasper has been living with the rest of the Cullens for a very long time. I can only assume that it's easy for him to remember how Esme feels for Carlisle, since he has been around it forever. This makes it easy for him to project her emotions to Carlisle. So when Jasper says someone else sends their love, he means Esme. (Hope that made a little sense.)