TITLE: Only Time Will Tell

SUMMARY: Carlisle and Esme contemplate Edward's relationship with Bella.

RATING: NC-17

DISCLAIMER: All characters and phrases borrowed from the Twilight Saga books, Midnight Sun draft and movies are the property of Stephanie Meyer and Summit Entertainment. No copyright infringement intended. This is all just for fun.

AUTHOR NOTE: In the two-disk set of Twilight, there is a deleted scene on the special features disk that is Esme and Carlisle watching Edward tow Bella up the tree outside his bedroom window. It's a great little scene between them, only about 30 seconds. I have no idea why they cut it out. In any case, it gave me an idea, as they do actually kiss in that scene and Carlisle tells Esme she is a hopeless romantic.

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Cullen Home

Missing Scene

First Time Edward Brings Bella Home

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We watched out the window as Edward scurried up the tree with Bella on his back. Esme looked at me as we turned. "She's brought him back to life."

"He's been alone too long. But how can it end well?"

"Alice has been wrong before."

"Not often," I replied.

"Carlisle." She leaned me against the wall in the hallway as we exited Edward's bedroom. "Bella is what he wants. It will work out - somehow."

"You're a hopeless romantic," I replied. I cupped the sides of her face and kissed her soundly. It really was amazing how I still felt like a teenager with her sometimes. You would think our passion would have dimmed but it hadn't. I still loved her just as passionately as I had that first time.

She was so lovely, even when she'd been lying broken in that bed after her jump from the cliff. Her long, brown tresses framing her head in big waves. Her wide, full lips were like a magnet to me. I'd been unable to resist trying to save her. After Edward, I knew the mistakes I'd made, and I had done better with Esme, biting her more than once, as much as I could stand and still pull away. The extra venom made her transition faster, although no less painful.

Now, I felt myself get excited by her kiss, as usual. Emmett and Rosalie had left to go for a walk. Rosalie was being a bit bitchy with Edward, but I understood her fear. Jasper and Alice had gone hunting. Jasper needed to after being in the same room with Bella. He'd kept his distance as requested. I knew he didn't want to endanger her. We were past all that now, thank God. I worried about where this was headed though. I'd never turned someone that wasn't on the brink of death, and I really had no intention of doing it now. Then again, Alice's visions were rarely wrong and she saw Bella as one of us. What she didn't see was who turned her.

Esme was holding my hand and tugging me toward the bedroom. "No kids, quick!" she teased.

I laughed and followed her into the bedroom, feeling sneaky and decadent grabbing an afternoon quickie. We stripped and I marveled at her perfect body. I wrestled her to the bed, mock growling in her ear and she laughed, her wind-chime chuckles filling the air. Our tongues dueled for supremacy of the kiss, no one really losing. I moved down and suckled her nipples, first one and then the other until she was squirming with pleasure.

I flipped her onto her stomach and palmed her perfect ass, rubbing my dick in between her ass cheeks and moaning in delight. I reached between us to test her readiness, even knowing she would be wet and slick for me as always. She was foamy and slick. I moved up and braced my knees on the bed, still sitting up and slid inside her with a long, drawn out moan. "Oh God, you feel so good," I whispered.

She humped her ass back against me and I chuckled at her impatience. I began to thrust, my strokes getting harder and deeper and faster, and soon, I was going so fast I was getting dizzy. I moaned again, unable to stifle the sounds of my pleasure. She was whimpering herself and it was music to my ears. I lived for that sound.

I leaned forward and slid my hands under her body, which she'd raised up on her elbows. I palmed her breasts and pinched her nipples. She shouted, "Oh yes!" I felt her walls collapse around me. I held out as long as I could, pumping into her tightness again and again, driving myself deep into her hungry tunnel. Finally, it was too much and I shouted, feeling my shaft expand and then explode deep inside her. I poured into her body, pump after pump, until there was simply no more to give.

I collapsed on the bed over her back, my breathing heavy in her ear and I kissed her hair. She turned her head and we shared a slow, deep kiss of appreciation. I grunted as I slipped out of her and rolled onto my back. She curled up into my side and put her head on my shoulder. "Love you so much, Carlisle."

"I know, I love you too. Just in case you forgot," I joked.

She smiled and kissed my chest. "I really do think it will work out somehow. I don't know how, but honestly, Carlisle, when have you ever seen him like this?" She was back to obsessing about Edward. Like a mother hen, they were never far from her thoughts. It had always bothered her that Edward had been alone for so long. She was afraid that he was too young when I made him and he would never want a grown up male-female relationship. I hadn't agreed with her. I just knew that Edward was not easily impressed. He'd never found anyone that touched his heart.

"I've never seen him like this. Did you hear him laughing?"

"Yes, I've heard that sound way too seldom."

"I agree. She really is fabulous, isn't she? She's not afraid of him at all, not that I could detect. And the way she stuck her hand right out and shook hands with me and you, no fear," I observed.

"She certainly is unique, but I would expect nothing less. She's really cute, too."

I kissed the top of her head. "I think part of the intrigue is that he can't read her mind. It's made him have to actually talk to someone to get to know them. That's a challenge for him. I don't think he realized how much he relies on his ability to guide his actions."

"I think you may be right. I think he's fascinated, and that is probably what started it, but it's more than that now."

"I agree. But that continued fascination, it is hard to understand."

"Not really. She's very intelligent, obviously. Her total lack of fear is intriguing. That had to intrigue him as well. Despite her lack of fear, I can tell he is protective of her."

"What was your first clue? Pushing her out of the way of a speeding van?"

Esme chuckled. "Well, yeah, obviously. But it's his body language. He hovers in her personal space. And when he talks to her, it's like he's waiting for her to bolt."

"I'm sure that's a consideration. At any time, she may hear or see something that sends her over the edge. She could run away screaming. That would be bad for all of us."

"She won't."

"You sound very sure about that."

"I am. He told her about you, about all of us essentially. He told me that he even told her about his time away from us. He asked her if that bothered her."

"What did she say?"

"She said it sounded reasonable."

I laughed then. "Amazing."

"I think there's more to this girl than any of us realizes. Alice may be the only one that sees her clearly. I feel it though. It's like she was designed for him with her ability to shield her mind, her lack of fear, her fascination rather than fear or repulsion of him. If any of us were to want a human to know about us, who would be more perfect than her? She's honest, trustworthy, able to keep a secret, respects the rest of the family. I think she truly understands the importance of keeping our secrets. She didn't even freak out when he described hunting to her."

"Maybe. I'll just have to say a prayer for him. He deserves to be happy."

"Amen to that. Did I tell you he was composing the other day?"

"No!"

"Yeah, he wrote a lullaby for her. It's beautiful."

"A lullaby?"

"I think it was inspired from watching her sleep."

I smiled. There was a gentle side to Edward that people rarely got to see. He was so in love with this girl. It would break him if she left. I could see that now, and it worried me. For, no matter how agreeable she was now, the future was always uncertain. Human teenage girls could be fickle, regardless of how mature they seemed. "I just hope it works out somehow."

"It will."

"I hear Rose and Emmett downstairs."

"We better get up then," she replied. We rose and jumped in the shower and dressed quickly.

When I went into the kitchen, Emmett was standing there, looking out the window. "Hey," I greeted him. He turned and his eyebrows rose and fell twice quickly, in a male gesture that said, 'Way to go!'

I laughed. "Hey, even the rents need some private time once in a while," I joked back. He laughed. He looked out the window again.

"What are you looking at?" He pointed, and I went to stand next to him, looking out the window.

Edward was catching Bella as she descended from a low branch of a tree. He released her waist but then his hands went to the side of her head against the tree, trapping her there. He bent his head, tilting to one side and I stiffened. "Wait," Emmett whispered.

Edward lowered his mouth to hers and she gasped and kissed him fiercely, her arms wrapping around his neck. "Oh my God," I whispered.

Emmett turned to me and smiled with a smug look. "That's some control," he said, with admiration in his voice.

I nodded, watching him pull back. "She smells so good to him."

"I know, but he's apparently found a way to control it."

"It would be so easy to hurt her, get carried away," I said.

"I know. We talked about physical relationships briefly at one point. He said he couldn't even think about it at that point. Guess he found a way."

"That's dangerous."

"Don't worry, I don't think they do anything but kiss."

"I'll have to talk to him about it."

Emmett laughed. "I don't think he needs the birds and bees talk, looks like he's got it figured out," he joked.

I punched him in the arm. "That's not what I meant."

He laughed and turned from the window as they held hands and walked away from the tree. "Carlisle, the boy's gone crazy, but honestly, he's happier than he's ever been since I've known him."

"I know, but it still worries me. Esme says it will work out somehow, but I just don't see it."

He clapped my shoulder. "We have to let it play out. It will work or it won't, but I think the more we interfere or try to prevent it, the worse it could be."

"How's Rose?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"Madder than a wet hen," he joked again.

I laughed. Only Emmett would be able to put up with Rosalie's fierce moods. He just refused to take her vanity seriously, other than his own attraction. He truly did love her. "She's jealous?"

"I think so, but it's more than that. She just plain doesn't understand it. I don't either, but I'm not worried that she will expose us, not anymore. She's as much in love with him as he is with her. It's all over her face."

"I hope it stays that way."

"What do you mean?"

"If she ever leaves him, it will break him I think. He's never had a romantic relationship. It's changing him in fundamental ways. She's already changed him."

"I'll say," he agreed.

"We don't change often, Emmett, and when we do, the change is usually permanent. He's fallen in love with her. Like you love Rosalie and I love Esme. That kind of love doesn't happen twice, not for us."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that he will probably never love again if this doesn't work out. It's not in his make up. If something happens to this relationship, and it goes bad, he'll never get over it. I feel it in my bones."

"Then we all better do what we can to make sure it works out."

Rosalie appeared in the doorway, leaning her shoulder on the door jam. She was scowling. "Speaking of which," I coaxed.

Emmett chuckled. "I'll talk to her," he whispered. He grabbed her hand and towed her out of the room into the living room and sat on the couch with her.

I tried to be inconspicuous in the kitchen, opening cupboards and making a list of dishes and other things I wanted to buy to have on hand. If Bella was going to be here regularly, we needed to do some food shopping. I kept one ear trained on the living room.

"What was that all about?" Rosalie asked.

"Carlisle and I were just talking about Bella and Edward."

"Oh, does anyone in this house talk about anything else anymore?" she said peevishly.

"Rose, this is important to him. Can you try to be nice to her?"

"She could ruin everything!" she hissed.

"She won't. Rose, watch them a little bit, instead of jumping to conclusions. She's in love with him. She won't do anything to hurt him, or expose us."

"She's human. She could slip."

"I think she's smarter than that. More importantly, though, I think she's acutely aware of your disapproval."

"So what?" she asked.

"So … this relationship could make or break Edward, and I think we all need to support him."

"How can you be in favor of this?"

Emmett sighed. "Rose, I love you so much."

"I know that. What's that got to do with anything?"

"Why did you save me?" he asked suddenly.

I almost heard her internal gasp. "What kind of question is that?"

"A fair one. Why did you do it?"

"Because … I saw something in you. You reminded me of my friend's child. You looked so manly and so innocent at the same time. I don't know, I just couldn't let you die if I could help it. I just did it."

"And you love me, right?"

"I adore you, you know that."

"So why were you attracted to me?"

"I don't know. You're my type, I guess."

"Why shouldn't Edward have the same thing? What? He doesn't get to have any love in his life?"

"That's not the point! Of course he does. But for God sakes, it's not like he hasn't had offers. Tanya would take him in a second."

Emmett sighed. "But the attraction has to be a two-way street, Rose. Just like you can't explain why you were attracted to me, you just were. Edward is attracted to Bella. He probably doesn't know why either, but he is."

"It's not logical. She's human."

"Love isn't logical, Rose. It just is," he replied. "We can't help who we fall in love with."

Emmett was a lot more observant than I gave him credit for sometimes. He was also a good judge of character and human nature. I'd never really realized that about him. His joking and happy-go-lucky attitude hid a lot from the outside world, even observant people such as us.

Rose sighed. "I guess you're right."

"I know you and Edward rub each other the wrong way sometimes, but this attitude isn't helping, Rose. And if you keep it up, it's going to piss Edward off. And when Edward is pissed off, we all suffer, you know that," he said, his joking creeping into his voice again.

Rose chuckled. "What is it that you and Carlisle want me to do?"

"Nothing in particular, just stop giving her the evil eye. Quit calling him idiot."

"I don't call him an idiot."

"You think it and he can hear it, Rose. Same thing," he stated the obvious. "There's something about that girl."

"Oh God, not you too!"

"I don't like her that way, and you know it. Don't be ridiculous. But the way it has all fallen into place for him, and he's found this remarkable control around her, it has to mean something."

"When you get deep and philosophical, it worries me," Rose replied.

He laughed. "Well, think of how you react to opposition, Rose. You fight against it instinctively. Edward will do the same. The more you oppose him, the more he'll try to make it work. So just stop opposing him."

She sighed again. "I'll try."

"That's all I ask. Try to make her feel welcome. If you can't do that, then just stay out of the way, at least."

I peeked out the kitchen door into the living room. She was leaning on his shoulder, his arm around her neck. He was so good at calming her down, the only one that could sometimes. They were a perfect match. He'd brought up a good point. Why shouldn't Edward have that? We all had a mate, maybe it was Edward's turn. I sure hoped so.

Only time would tell.