A/N: All characters and recognizable elements from The Twilight Saga belong to Stephenie Meyer.
The Cold and the Beautiful
All Human
Bella Swan walked out of the rain and through the doors of Forks General Hospital, wearing the light grey scrubs that marked her as an orderly. It was her first day of work. She wished that she was wearing the peach scrubs of the nursing staff, but she hadn't been able to afford college, so that was an impossible dream.
Bella had arrived in Forks that morning, fresh from the Alder Grove Mobile Home Park, the place where she had grown up. Her life had been rather typical for someone who'd grown up in a trailer park, and there wasn't much about it that she was proud of. She was hoping that, with a fresh start in Forks, she could leave that life behind her.
She reported to the Emergency Department nurses station, as she had been directed, and asked for help. She was met there by a very attractive young man in a white coat, with wild bronze hair and brilliant green eyes.
"Hello Doctor," she said as she held out her hand, which he took and shook. "I'm Bella Swan, the new orderly. I was told that if I asked here, that someone could show me around and get me started?" She smiled, brushing a stray hair back from her face. "It's my first day."
The young doctor took a moment to admire her, and felt himself lost in the depths of her deep brown eyes. He couldn't help but think of what it might feel like to kiss her full pink lips, and wondered for just a moment what curves were hidden under her scrubs.
Finally remembering his manners, he introduced himself. "Edward," he said, flashing her a crooked smile. "Edward Cullen. I'm a fifth-year resident. I finished rounds a bit early, I could show you around, if you like."
Bella did her best to hide her thrill, and agreed. As Edward led her around the emergency department, Bella tried to pay attention to where things were, rather than how close Edward stood to her and how much she wished to reach up and touch his chiseled jaw, which was lightly dusted with stubble. She couldn't deny how handsome he was, or how much she hoped that he might be interested in her. She thought to herself that this would be the perfect time to try out some of the seduction techniques that her mother had taught her.
As they reached the waiting room, the last stop on the tour, Bella turned to face Edward, placing her hand on his forearm, and felt tingles rush through her body from where their skin met. She smiled shyly at him, biting her bottom lip just a bit, then thanked him for showing her around. She didn't miss the slight darkening of his eyes as he stared at her mouth, and silently thanked Renee for the one useful skill she had ever learned from her.
Bella was just about to ask Edward if he might like to join her for a cup of coffee during a break later when a gust of wind drew her attention. Both of them turned their faces toward it, and watched as the doors to the waiting room opened, revealing a tall, blonde goddess of a woman, dressed straight off the pages of Cosmopolitan.
Feeling Edward stiffen beside her and immediately take a step backward, one thought crossed Bella's mind: competition.
The blonde strode over to Edward, her gait sure, but not haughty, the smile she offered him genuine. She didn't say hello to Bella, but not out of rudeness, simply because she could see nothing other than her gorgeous fiancée in front of her.
"Hi baby," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I was in the area, thought you'd like to go to lunch with me. Are you free?"
Edward, still feeling rather uncomfortable, and more than a bit guilty about the position he had been in when his fiancée arrived, did his best to make his smile look natural. "Hey, Rosalie," he replied. "I'd love to have lunch with you." He turned slightly, keeping one hand on Rosalie's waist, but opening himself to Bella. "Rose, sweetie, this is Bella. She's new here. Bella, this is my fiancée, Rosalie Hale."
Bella hoped that her disappointment wasn't outwardly visible when the word 'fiancée' came from Edward's lips. She had been convinced since the moment she touched him that the young man before her was the man that she had hoped for all of her life, the one who would take her away from the trailer park and give her the life that she dreamt of, love her, and finally make her happy.
She paused for a moment when Edward said the woman's name: Rosalie Hale. It sounded familiar, and after considering it for a moment, she realized that Edward's fiancée was a high-class socialite, the daughter of Adam Hale, owner of a large chain of banks in Washington and Oregon. That realization told her that fighting for Edward might be difficult, as Rosalie surely had more to offer, but Renee had always taught her that a poor girl could just as easily land a man as a rich one, so there was certainly hope.
The girls said hello to each other, and then Bella politely excused herself so that Edward could join Rosalie for lunch. "I'll see you later, Edward?" she called as she turned to walk away.
Edward didn't hesitate before replying in the affirmative; he knew that he shouldn't, but the pull her felt toward Bella was undeniable. He hoped that Rosalie hadn't noticed his eagerness.
Rosalie, however, had noticed. She knew that the vast majority of people wrote her off as an airhead immediately upon seeing her, thanks to her beauty and tendency to wear the latest names and trends, but Rosalie was actually an extremely intelligent, intuitive woman. She knew that her fiancée was trying to hide something in relation to the new girl at the hospital, but made the decision to ignore it for now, knowing that the conversation she wanted to have with him over lunch mattered to her more.
Edward, his arm still around his fiancée, walked to the hospital's parking deck in silence, his mind trying to silently sort out why he was so drawn to Bella. He loved Rosalie, he didn't question that. She was a wonderful woman, and would make a very good wife. But Bella, who he knew next to nothing about... He had felt something different when she touched him, and was sure that there was someone amazing behind those chocolaty eyes.
Reaching the bright red BMW that belonged to his fiancé, Edward opened the door for her and stood politely, waiting for her to get herself settled in the car before he walked around to the passenger side to take his own seat.
On the short drive to Fig Newtons, their favorite restaurant, Rosalie filled Edward in on the latest news from her father, Adam Hale. Adam was the owner of Hale Storm Pacific Banking, the largest and most profitable chain of banks in the Pacific Northwest. His banks were always used by the biggest and most well-known clients. Today was no different.
Rosalie, who had just heard the news from her mother, Julia Hale, on the way to the hospital to see Edward, was still slightly disturbed by it. Hale Storm Pacific had, that very morning, agreed to loan a very large sum of money to King & Co Autos, the company owned by the father of Rosalie's prep school boyfriend, Royce King III. Rosalie had never told Edward the full story of her relationship with Royce, only that she had ended it on their last day of school, hoping to never see him again, and that Royce had not taken the news well. Adam Hale knew that his business dealings with the King family would make Rosalie uncomfortable, but had insisted that the money was impossible to pass up, and his financial relationship with the Kings would not affect Rosalie in any way.
Edward could hear the tension in Rosalie's voice as she told him about her father's new deal. He had long wished that she would tell him the whole story about her ex-boyfriend, but it was an issue that he never pressed with her, as he could see how much it disturbed her. So, once again, rather than ask the hard questions, Edward simply reached over and rested his hand over hers on the gear shift, letting his fingertips trace the long lines of her fingers, soothing her with his touch. She looked over at him and smiled softly, recognizing the intent of his actions and appreciating it.
A short time later, they were seated at their favorite table in Fig Newtons, Jessica Newton, the restaurant's owner, standing beside their table to take their order. Jessica, despite being the owner, always waited on them when they came here, and had since their very first date. Rosalie had no doubt that this was due to Jessica's desire to hear the best gossip, and her hope that it would somehow grant her entrance into Rosalie's social circle, but she enjoyed the special service too much to complain.
About halfway through their meals, Rosalie set down her fork, reached across the table to touch Edward's hand, and smiled. "Edward, baby? There's something I've been thinking about a lot lately."
He raised a brow at her. "What would that be?"
"I really think that we should try to get pregnant right after the wedding. I've wanted to have a baby for so long, and just think, with the two of us working together, how beautiful our child would be. I know we talked about waiting before, but, I mean, we've already been together five years, it's not like being married will be that different, right?"
Edward stared at her, not speaking. He was only a little bit surprised by her desire. He'd long known how much she wanted to have a family. He wasn't against it in the least; he wanted children as well. But while she was thinking with her heart – and ovaries – on this, he was more practical, and knew that it would be easier for him to begin his career before they added on to their household. There was also a piece of his mind that repeated one word, over and over, that made him question whether he was ready to have children with Rosalie. And that word was Bella.
While Edward was out with his fiancée, Bella was hard at work at Forks General. Being an orderly was far from the glamorous life that she dreamed of during the long nights sleeping in her mother's trailer in Alder Grove, but she still felt like it was, if nothing else, a first step toward that life.
Her job was fairly easy, and she hummed along to the music streaming from her iPod as she worked. Throwing a bloody sheet into the linens bin, she looked around the trauma room and saw that it was finally clean, and smiled. Feeling a bit tired, she looked at her watch and was relieved to see that it was time for her first break.
Fumbling with her iPod as she walked out of the trauma room, she didn't notice the doctor walking briskly down the hall, nor did he see her, and the two of them walked right into each other. His reflexes, much quicker than hers, reacted, and he reached out to save her, his hands firmly gripping her waist and holding her up. Bella, once she felt safe on her feet, looked up at the man who had just caught her, and felt her breath catch in her throat.
He was more than handsome. Probably in his forties, his blonde head lightly streaked with white hairs that seemed to shine in the hospital lights. His eyes, once Bella reached them, were hard to look away from. They were hazel, the specks of green and gold dancing in them completely captivating the young orderly. He was more attractive than Harrison Ford, or Richard Gere, or any other the other movie stars that her mother had always swooned over, yet here he was, holding Bella in his arms.
She finally remembered that breathing was a requirement, and exhaled the breath she had been holding. "I'm sorry," she whispered, looking down shyly, her hands still gripping the doctor's biceps. "I should have been paying more attention to where I was going."
He smiled warmly. "No need to worry, dear. I'm just glad I didn't hurt you." He looked down at her for a moment, seeming to question her stability on her feet, before finally letting go of her waist. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen."
Bella, who had been immediately attracted to the man, looked down at his hands, smiling, before she tilted her chin back up to meet his gaze. "I'm Bella," she said. "Bella Swan. Today's my first day. It's very nice to meet you, Dr. Cullen."
Carlisle Cullen stared at the young woman's lips as she spoke. They looked moist, as if she had licked them recently, and he couldn't help but wonder what they tasted like. There was no denying that she was a beautiful girl, in a very natural, understated sort of way. He found himself wondering how she would look in regular clothes, rather than scrubs, so that her figure would show. He had felt her body when he caught her, and knew that her waist was small, but her hips flared out in a way that he knew, even without being able to see it, would be insanely sexy.
"It's very nice to meet you too, Miss Swan," he said, after a short silence while he was appreciating her appearance. "I'm the chief here in the Emergency Department, and I make it a point to know everyone who works for me. I hope you'll feel very welcomed here."
Bella, seeing an opportunity, decided to take it. "Perhaps you'd like to get to know me better. I have a break now, would you like to get a cup of coffee with me?"
Carlisle did. Very much so, in fact. But the wedding ring that was sitting on the shelf in his office at this moment suddenly felt heavy on his finger. "It's a nice thought, Bella," he said, making the unconscious choice to use her first name. "But I promised my wife a phone call at lunch, so you'll have to excuse me. Enjoy the rest of your first day, dear."
Carlisle offered one last smile before he walked away, knowing that he had mentioned his wife as a reminder to himself as much as Bella, and feeling guilty for it. Bella, feeling slightly disappointed by her second spoiled opportunity of the morning, and not yet realizing that the two doctors she had met shared a last name, watched as Carlisle walked around the corner before she began to move herself.
A few weeks had passed since the day that Carlisle Cullen met Bella Swan, and each day wore his resistance a bit thinner. Bella seemed to be everywhere he was in the hospital, and, even in her grey scrubs, she was difficult to look away from. Carlisle didn't want to be that man, the man who thinks of other women while he lays in bed with his wife, but he knew that it was happening, and quickly. By his third week working with Bella, Carlisle found himself biting his lip to keep from saying her name when he made love to Esme at night.
Bella, on the other hand, was not struggling nearly so hard. She had spent her first week of work at Forks General settling in to her job and flirting with Edward Cullen whenever she saw him. Talking to the other orderlies, especially Lauren and Tyler, who were notorious gossips, had led to the discovery at the end of that week that the two men she was interested in were, in fact, father and son. It wasn't the most convenient situation, that was undeniable, but it wasn't enough to deter her either.
She was slightly disappointed, however, when she reported to work on Monday of her second week to discover that Edward had switched to the night shift, which meant that, if she was lucky and arrived to work early, she'd still only see him for a few minutes before he left for the day.
What Bella did not know, though, was that Edward's shift had been changed by his own request. Carlisle and Esme Cullen had raised him to be a good and honorable man, and he desperately wanted to make them proud. Like his father, though, Edward was having a difficult time keeping his mind off of the hospital's newest staff member. The electricity he had felt at their first touch was something he had never felt with Rosalie, and though the scientist in him wanted to write it off as a static reaction, somewhere in his heart, he knew better. And so his plan of action was simple: avoid Bella at all costs.
Bella Swan was a slightly fickle girl, and thus Edward's plan worked a bit better than he had hoped. With him missing in action, Bella's attentions were all directed, unbeknownst to Edward, at his father. Bella, though the larger part of her preferred the son, was more than willing to spend time with the handsome elder Dr. Cullen. And while their interactions in the beginning were often cut short by Carlisle's guilty conscience, she had noticed that happening less and less as the weeks went by.
Bella had learned many things about men from her mother. One of the most valuable was how to pick up on subtle signals. This knowledge helped her quickly decipher which of her seduction techniques appealed the most to Carlisle, and she concentrated on those.
One Friday, shortly after completing her first month on the job, Bella stood just off to the side of the nurses station during the doctors' rounding time, when she knew that Carlisle would be passing by, freshly applied lip gloss making her lips shine just enough to attract his attention, chewing on the end of a straw as she drank a smoothie from the cafeteria. She had taken her ponytail out and tipped her head down, and when she looked up at the sound of his soft Italian leather shoes as he walked toward her, a small section of her hair fell right in front of her eyes, just as she'd hoped. She reached up to brush it back and caught his eye, smiling as she bit down on the straw, watching his eyes go straight to her mouth. It was almost too easy.
As Carlisle licked his lips, Bella turned and walked away, tossing her cup into the trash can beside the nurses station and adding an extra swing to her hips. She knew that he was watching.
It was time to put her efforts to the test. Bella walked away from Carlisle and directly into the on-call room, where she stood in front of the window, looking out. She was rewarded a moment later when she heard the door open and close behind her. She kept her back to the door, though, letting him make the decision for himself.
He didn't leave her waiting long. He strode across the small room, not stopping until he was right behind her, his body shadowing hers, only centimeters away. She could feel him there, and even without physically touching her, he was making her every hair stand on end.
Carlisle knew it was wrong to be there, but his body was humming with a desire that he could no longer deny.
"Why do you tease me so?" he asked in a low voice, leaning in as he spoke so that his lips were beside her ear.
She shivered and turned around slowly, keeping her eyes slightly downcast so that, when she faced him, she was looking at his tie rather than his face. She reached out and touched the blue silk, smoothing a small wrinkle before she finally looked up at him.
"I could ask you the same question," she said in a gravelly voice, her desire making it hard for her to breathe evenly.
Carlisle raised a brow, tilting his head to the side. "I tease you?" he asked in disbelief. She simply nodded in response, and he felt himself growing hard as she bit her full lower lip. He couldn't take it anymore. He placed his hand on the window behind her and let it bear his weight so that he was leaning toward her, his lips hovering over hers, and whispered, "Let me stop teasing then."
At the same time that his father entered the on-call room at Forks General, Edward Cullen was sitting in the living room of his parents' house with his brother Jasper, fighting his body's desire to sleep while they watched the Mariners game. He could smell the meat roasting in the oven, and, knowing that his mother was otherwise occupied, decided to have a difficult discussion with his brother.
"Jasper," he called, taking his brother's attention away from the television. "Have you noticed that Dad seems a bit...off lately?"
Jasper was only eighteen, still living at home, and so had seen much more of Carlisle than Edward had recently, especially now that Edward was not working the same shift as his father. But that wasn't the only reason that he had asked his brother. Jasper was a very perceptive young man, and always seemed to notice how the people around him were feeling. If there was something different about his father's behavior, Jasper was sure to have noticed.
He did not disappoint. "Yeah, Dad's been off for weeks, since before you went all vampire on us, staying up to work all night." Jasper looked over at Edward with a wink and a smirk. Edward rolled his eyes.
"What's wrong with him?"
Jasper shrugged. "I don't know. I asked him one day, when he came home from work looking frustrated. He didn't answer, and he was fucking crabby about it too. He was tense and distracted, and blew me off pretty quick to go upstairs and change."
"Yeah, he's seemed like that almost every day when I get to the hospital. He always seems like he's on the edge. I don't know what's bothering him though," Edward said, furrowing his brow. He was really starting to worry about Carlisle.
"I know what you mean," Jasper replied thoughtfully. "But you know, he did seem much more relaxed when he came down for dinner. You know," Jasper said, grimacing a little. "I bet he was upstairs jack..."
Edward, hearing the sound of his mother's heels approaching the living room quickly cut his brother short. "Shut up," he hissed, before turning toward the kitchen. "Hey, Mom."
Esme Cullen, the picture of perfection as always, walked into the living room, furrowing her brow with suspicion as her sons suddenly stopped talking and smiled at her. Not that they weren't nice, polite boys usually, but she had seen the urgency with which her elder son had stopped their conversation, and now she wondered why.
"Hello, boys. Are you both ready for dinner? The meat is nearly finished." They both agreed quickly and started to get up. Esme held her hand up to stop them. "Oh no you don't," she said, giving them a fierce look. "You're not eating anything until you tell me what secrets you've been in here telling."
Esme's sons looked at each other, neither sure what to say. Edward, having known his mother long enough to know what would please her, quickly came up with a response. "I'm sorry, mom. I was hoping that you wouldn't hear, as I meant it to be a surprise. Jasper and I were just discussing plans for your and Dad's anniversary next month," he said, smiling.
Just as Edward expected, Esme was thrilled by the idea, and quickly forgot her suspicions, inviting her sons in to the dining room. All three of them looked at the large grandfather clock as they passed it, each silently wondering why Carlisle Cullen was not home in time for dinner.
Five weeks later, Esme was busy preparing the perfect romantic dinner for Carlisle. Their anniversary fell on a Wednesday this week, and she had been able to talk her sons into delaying their plans until the weekend so that she and Carlisle could have the night together.
Once all the food was ready and the table set, Esme went up to her room to dress. She had spent the vast majority of the day before shopping for the perfect dress for the evening, finally settling on a lovely green one that accented her figure as well as her eyes. She was sure that her husband would love it. As she fastened the clasp of her gold heart necklace – a gift from Carlisle for their twentieth anniversary – she took one last look in the mirror and smiled, then walked down the stairs to wait for her husband in the living room.
While Esme was busy preparing a special anniversary surprise at home, Carlisle was pacing in his office at the hospital. He had made love to Bella every day that he had seen her since their first time together, and had finally reached his breaking point. He was a good man. It wasn't in his nature to lie and cheat. He couldn't do it anymore.
What seemed a very short hour later, Carlisle parked his Mercedes in the garage and entered his home. He was taken by surprise when Esme, dressed up and looking more lovely than usual, met him at the door with a soft kiss. For the first time in the twenty-seven years that they had been married, he didn't return her kiss.
The couple separated, Carlisle sighing and Esme furrowing her brow in concern. "Carlisle, darling, what's wrong?"
He frowned and took her hand, leading her over to the couch. "We should really talk."
Those four words had never sounded more ominous, and Esme sat down on the couch, her knees touching his, trying to keep her hands from trembling.
Carlisle took a deep breath before he began. Even as a doctor who often had to give bad news to families, he had never dreaded a conversation more. Finally deciding that there was no preamble that would make the words hurt less, he decided to be blunt. "Esme, I want a divorce."
His wife's mouth gaped open and her eyes were wide with hurt. He felt ashamed of the relief that he felt in having gotten the words off of his chest. Watching as her hand slowly came up to cover her mouth, he reached out to take her other hand, the one on which she wore her wedding ring. The metal felt cold against his fingers, yet it seemed to burn him, and he dropped it quickly.
"I don't understand," she whispered. "Why?"
He shook his head, not wanting to hurt her any more by telling her the truth. This angered Esme immensely.
"Don't tell me no, God damn it!" she hissed. "You can't walk in here on our anniversary, after twenty-seven years married, thirty together, and tell you that you want a divorce without a reason!"
The revelation that it was their anniversary hit Carlisle like a punch to the gut. What kind of man would be so insensitive?
His shock prevented him from answering, and Esme raged on. "Is this a midlife crisis, Carlisle? Just go buy yourself a sports car, or get a tattoo! Don't rip apart your family!"
"I have to do this, Esme. I'm sorry. This is not a midlife crisis. I cannot stay in this marriage," he said robotically, hating every word that he spoke, and hating himself even more for saying them.
"I want a reason," she demanded.
"I'm in love with someone else."
The words seemed to echo through the room, their destructive meaning reverberating off of the walls and bouncing back toward the couple, destroying them more and more with each passing second of silence that followed.
The silence was broken by a loud slap as Esme's hand connected with Carlisle's cheek, her green eyes blazing with rage. "Fuck you, Carlisle! How dare you? Get the hell out of my house this minute!"
Carlisle didn't move, frozen with shock. He hadn't expected the news to go over well, but he had never expected his kind and gentle wife to raise a hand to him. He couldn't deny deserving it, though.
"Go!" she screamed again, pointing toward the door.
Carlisle rose from the couch, and turned to her with sad eyes. "I'm so sorry, Esme. I never meant for this to happen."
"Just go," she seethed through clenched teeth. Carlisle did as she asked, picking up his car keys and walking, defeated, out the door of the house that he knew he had just lost all right to call his own.
Esme stood for several minutes, looking at the door, her hands curled into fists at her sides, her anger the only thing that was keeping her from falling apart. "You have your fun now, Carlisle," she said to the empty room. "You'll be mine again someday."
Esme Cullen, furious that her husband was making a fool of her, contacted a lawyer the day after their anniversary. The divorce was quick and painless – Carlisle gave Esme everything that she asked for without hesitation. He knew that he had done wrong, and felt that he owed it to her for all the years she had stood by his side and the wonderful way that she had raised his two sons.
He may have a guilty conscience, but Carlisle Cullen also had a raging desire for Bella Swan. He had left the house the night of his breakup with his wife, and dialed Bella's cell phone before he had pulled out of the driveway. Within two weeks, she had all but moved into his hotel suite. The new couple spent most of their time together in that suite, doing their best to keep their relationship under wraps and away from the gossiping tongues of Forks. Even Esme herself was unaware of who Carlisle was involved with.
Edward Cullen, despite being on night shift and barely seeing Bella at all, was still having a difficult time keeping his mind off of the orderly that had taken over his thoughts since her first appearance at Forks General. No matter how hard he tried to forget about her while he was awake, he still dreamt of her while he slept. The constant refrain is his mind questioned whether Bella might be "the one".
Edward, however, had seen how broken his mother was by his father's actions, and swore that he would not do the same thing to Rosalie. Now if he could only get his heart to catch up with his mind...
He was more determined than ever to put her out of his mind once and for all on the morning of his wedding to Rosalie. He wanted nothing more than to forget that Bella Swan had ever existed. He was certainly surprised, then, when he walked into the chapel for the ceremony and bumped right into the dark-haired beauty.
Edward's whole body hummed with excitement at the sight of her, and Bella's breath caught in her throat. He looked incredibly handsome in his tuxedo, and, despite having just been in bed with his father that morning, Bella found herself wishing that she were the one who would be walking down the aisle toward him in a few short minutes.
Neither of them was able to find words right away, so they stood there, staring at each other, each lost in the other's eyes. Edward was fighting the urge to scoop her up and run out of the chapel as fast as his legs could carry them; Bella was fighting the desire to reach out and touch his face. They were so caught up in the moment that only the two of them knew that they were having that neither noticed Carlisle approaching.
"Son, the minister says it's time to take your place," Carlisle said as he reached his son. A second later, he smiled, seeing that his lover was standing there as well. "Hello, Bella," he said warmly, walking a step past his son to place his arm around her.. "Edward, I wasn't aware that you knew my girlfriend."
Edward felt his stomach drop at his father's words. The same word that caused Edward so much discomfort made Bella's heart soar. Up until that moment, she and Carlisle had never admitted their relationship to anyone. She turned and looked at him with a grin spread across her face.
"Girlfriend?" Edward and Bella spoke at the same time, though their tones were certainly different. Carlisle, ignoring Edward's angry reaction, smiled back at Bella, happy to see how excited she seemed.
He nodded. "If you'll have me."
Bella, instantly forgetting where she was, threw her arms around Carlisle's neck and kissed him hard. While there was certainly a large part of her that was drawn to and desperately wanted Edward, her practical side knew that he was an impossible dream, and was more than happy to be with the elder Cullen, the one who was willing to move forward with her.
Carlisle returned her kiss with enthusiasm, not noticing that his son was glaring at him, furious that his father's lips were pressed against the girl that he wanted more than anything.
Esme Cullen, peeking through the door to the chapel to see if Edward had yet taken his place at the front, was just as shocked as her son to see Carlisle kissing Bella in the middle of the chapel. Her mouth dropped open in shock for a moment as her mind tried to decide whether to scream in rage or cry. Looking at her son, who stood just behind the couple with his hands curled into fists at his side, the decision was made for her. She jogged briskly into the chapel and directly to her son's side, grabbing his arm to keep him from ruining his own wedding by making a scene.
"Carlisle Cullen," she hissed, just loud enough for her ex-husband to hear and be distracted. "This is neither the time nor the place for you to make an ass of yourself. You and your..." Esme paused, sneering at Bella as she tried to come up with the proper description for the much younger woman who was her replacement. "You and your hussy can mount each other privately on your own time."
"Esme," Carlisle scolded. "I'd appreciate if you'd treat my girlfriend with some respect. I thought that you were more of a lady than to talk in such a way. "
"And I thought you were a better man that to cheat on your wife with a trashy girl who barely appears legal," Esme sneered.
Carlisle began to reply, but was interrupted by his younger son, Jasper, who had seen the commotion and come to put an end to it. "Mom, Dad, you need to stop," he said calmly. "You're making a scene, and people are starting to stare."
Jasper's voice was so gentle that both of his parents were subdued by it, their postures immediately relaxing. Carlisle turned to Bella and apologized for the situation, letting her know that he needed to get to his place so that wedding could start, but that he'd see her at the reception.
Bella nodded her understanding, then turned to Edward, looking into his eyes and smiling. "Congratulations, Edward. I hope you'll be very happy." She then turned to Esme, giving her a rather insincere smile in an attempt to mask her contempt. "It was so nice to meet you, Ms. Cullen." Her piece spoken, Bella walked back to her seat.
Esme, still fuming, gave one last glare to Carlisle before returning to the back of the church in a huff. Carlisle offered a soft apology to his son, then walked back up to the front of the chapel. Edward, feeling a bit like he had just been slapped, stood silently for a moment, trying to collect himself.
"Edward," Jasper called softly. He waited for his brother to look before he continued. "You shouldn't be marrying Rosalie when she clearly doesn't have all of your heart."
Jasper's words took Edward by surprise, and he immediately felt defensive.
"What the hell are you talking about, Jasper?" Edward demanded.
"You're in love with Bella."
It wasn't a question.
Edward straightened his posture, and rolled his eyes at his younger brother. "Rosalie will become my wife this afternoon. And you, Jasper, have obviously lost your touch." He turned on his heel quickly and walked up to take his place at the front of the chapel defiantly.
Jasper stood in the middle of the aisle shaking his head. He knew that Edward was far too stubborn to try to talk to about this now, but there was no question in his mind that his brother was about to make a very big mistake.
A Saturday afternoon two years later found Edward and Rosalie Cullen in Edward's Volvo, on their way home from brunch with Edward's father and his new bride. The ride was spent in silence since the two were angry with each other over the argument they had before leaving the house, in which Rosalie had accused her husband of being interested in the new Mrs. Cullen. While Edward adamantly denied having any interest in Bella to his wife, his stomach turned with guilt over the truth that he knew in his heart: he was not merely interested in Bella; he was in love with her.
Rosalie sat in the car stewing on her anger. She had been silent for over two years, but that hadn't meant that she had been oblivious. She had seen the lingering glances and the way Edward's eyes lit up every time Bella was around. But even more obvious, she had seen the jealousy in his eyes the day his father had married the girl. And it certainly wasn't jealousy over having a nicer wedding – the bride's mother had made quite the scene during the reception, getting herself ridiculously drunk and coming on to several of the guests and the minister as well. She couldn't understand why he would be jealous of the bride either – Rosalie knew quite well that she was a catch – yet in her heart, she knew that it was.
As they turned off of the main road onto the quiet lane that would lead them to their home, Rosalie decided that it was time to change the subject. She didn't want to think about Bella any more than she wanted Edward thinking about her. Turning her body toward his side of the car, she offered an apologetic smile and rested her hand over his on the gear shift.
"I'm sorry, Edward baby. I was out of line at your dad's place. I just... I don't know. Bella makes me uncomfortable. I promise, I'll try harder next time."
Edward felt even guiltier when Rosalie apologized. He knew that he was a terrible man, but making her feel badly just made him feel worse. He smiled back at her, wanting to comfort her. "Don't you worry about it, Rosalie. I shouldn't have gotten angry with you. I understand that what happened with my parents scared you, but I promise, I'll never do that to you." He may have wanted Bella more than he'd ever wanted anything in his life, but he remained as determined to resist her as he had been since the beginning.
"I know you wouldn't," Rosalie replied. "You are a good man, Edward." She paused for a moment, smiling up into his eyes as he put the car in park in their driveway. "Baby? You told me a while back that you wanted to wait until you got started in your career before we talked about kids. Do you think that maybe now is the time?"
Edward knew very well how much Rosalie wanted a family. Truthfully, he did too. He couldn't wait to see little Cullens running through his house, but he believed that any children he had should be brought up by parents who were happy and in love, as his had been when he was young. He knew, then, that he needed to get his head cleared before he could say yes to Rosalie.
"Soon, sweetie. Just give me a bit more time, alright? I've just applied for a fellowship and..."
"A fellowship?" Rosalie asked, surprised. "I thought you were done with school, baby."
Edward shrugged. "I am. Well, I was. An interesting opportunity came about, and I just couldn't pass it up. I know I should have talked to you about it first, but..."
Rosalie was a bit disappointed, but she wanted to be a supportive wife, so she smiled. "It's alright, baby. If it's something you're excited about, then you should do it. I wouldn't begrudge you that."
Edward leaned across the center console and pressed a soft kiss on Rosalie's lips. He knew that he didn't deserve her understanding and patience, yet he was grateful for it. "Thank you, sweetie."
Rosalie kissed her husband back, reaching up to twine her fingers in his wild bronze hair. They might not be ready to try to get pregnant, but that didn't mean that they couldn't practice...
The following spring, Bella sat in a study carrel in the University of Washington's campus library. Marrying Carlisle had been the most incredible thing that had ever happened to the young woman from Alder Grove Mobile Home Park; it had brought her love, but also opportunity. Carlisle's family was quite clearly in a different social class than Bella was used to, and she was certainly enjoying the perks that came with being a Cullen.
At the moment, she was enjoying one of the opportunities that had been opened for her by her new husband: nursing school. She loved her classes, her professors and her fellow students. But there was one thing that she looked forward to most when she went to school three days a week, and, looking at her watch when she heard a soft knock on the door to her study carrel, she saw that it was right on time.
"Come in," she called, closing her books and turning toward the door with a big smile on her face. A moment later, a bronze head popped through the open door, offering her a crooked smile, and Bella's smile grew even larger. "Hi Edward."
The two had come across each other in the library by chance a month ago, and had been spending their last hour on campus together every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday since. Neither one could deny the way the butterflies in their stomachs fluttered as their hour together approached, or the way that they felt drawn to the library almost as if by a gravitational force each evening. Edward knew it was dangerous to spend so much time getting to know the woman that he was so attracted to, but he had been fighting himself for too long already when it came to Bella. If nothing else, he assumed that the fact that they were both married – she to his father, no less – would be enough to keep them safe.
This particular evening was the one that would prove him wrong.
The two chatted for awhile about one of their favorite subjects – music – and Edward noticed every time that Bella brushed a stray hair back from her face. It was something she did even more often that usual these days, thanks to the new hair cut that added side-swept bangs that were constantly making their way into her eyes, and it made him crazy. Every time he looked at Bella's eyes, he felt like he was falling. Bella made him want to be someone other than the man he tried to be. The biggest problem with that was that the person that he wanted to be when he was with Bella felt more natural, more true, than anything he had ever felt before.
As if her physical appearance wasn't enough, Edward thought that there was something entirely erotic about a woman who could discuss the virtues of a riff in a guitar solo or the heaviness of a baseline when listening to music, and it certainly wasn't helping in his efforts to resist Bella. Trying to get a grip on his emotions, Edward changed the subject.
"So, how are your classes going?" he asked, sure that coursework would be a safe subject.
Bella's face lit up with excitement. "I love my classes, Edward," she said with a smile. "I can still barely believe that I'm here, doing exactly what I always wanted to do."
Edward forced a smile back. While he wanted it to be genuine, since he really was happy that she was getting to live her dream, the reason behind that opportunity was a sore spot for him. It was yet another reminder that his father had her. And he didn't.
"What course do you find you like most?" Edward asked through gritted teeth.
"I really like the Care in Illness classes the best – it makes me feel most like a nurse when I'm in those. I'm having a hard time with the Pharmacotherapeutics class, though," she said, sighing at the end. She looked over at the book she had just closed with a frown. Bella may not have always made the best choices, but she was an intelligent girl; that was the one thing she'd always had going for her. Struggling with this course made her doubt herself, and she didn't like that at all.
Edward reached across the table and slid the book toward him, opening it. He flipped through the pages for a few minutes, then looked up at her. "Well I can help you with this, Bella," he said, flashing her his trademark crooked grin and patting the seat beside him. "I am a doctor, you know. I know a bit about medicine."
The way he smirked at the end made Bella's knees weak, and she had to grab on to the edge of the table for support. She hoped he hadn't seen. Renee had taught her many things about men as she was growing up. One of those lessons was to never let a man know just how much he affected her.
When she once again felt steady on her feet, Bella moved around the table to sit beside Edward, as he had requested. She immediately noticed their proximity. As she leaned toward him to open the book to the correct page, she could feel the warmth of his body heat on her skin, and all of the hairs on her body stood on end as he exhaled, his breath a warm breeze across her exposed shoulder.
Fighting to pay attention to his words as he explained the dosing requirements of the drug she was studying, Bella felt like her entire body was tingling. She and Edward had never sat so close before, and though they weren't actually touching, her body was reacting strongly. Edward was having a very similar reaction, though he, too, kept silent about it. He could feel the blood pulsing hard through the veins in his hands, which were gripping the textbook and the seat of his chair tightly. His heart pounded so hard in his chest that he swore he had just completed a sprint, and he toyed with the thought of sprinting away from Bella. He was dangerously close to losing the battle when it came to resisting her.
Trying to keep his mind on intellectual pursuits, Edward asked her about possible side effects of the drug. He watched, amused by the endearing sight of her forehead furrowing and her eyes staring up at the clouds while she searched her mind for the answer. Struggling to find the answer, Bella unconsciously bit down on her lower lip, and Edward, seeing this, groaned softly.
The sound may have been soft, but Bella still heard it. Her breath caught in her throat, and, completely forgetting the medicine about which he was quizzing her, she slowly let her eyes travel to his face. When her eyes reached his, she saw in them everything that she herself felt. Edward's eyes had darkened to a deeper shade of green and were burning with desire. Glancing down at his lips, she saw that they were parted slightly, and she could see his chest rising and falling heavily with each breath. Bella moved her eyes back up to his, and let her tongue moisten her lips in anticipation. The rest of the world was forgotten.
Edward made the final lean, his lips meeting Bella's in a moment that he swore transcended time. The kiss had none of the softness of a first kiss, but instead the utter desperation and need of two people who had waited years for this moment. He was kissing her the same way a man stranded in the desert drinks water when he finally finds it.
As Edward turned his head to deepen the kiss, he reached down and grasped Bella around the waist, lifting her out of her chair and setting her down in his lap. Her knees gripped his hips tightly and she pressed her chest into him, holding his bronze hair tightly as she lost herself in their kiss. Edward's hands were everywhere; his open palms pressed hard against Bella's body as he moved them down her back, pulling her even closer against him, then moved back up, finding her face and holding her cheeks. She moaned deeply into his mouth as she felt his hardened length press against her, and he reached down quickly, grabbing her hips and holding her against him, his head falling back as he gasped for breath.
Bella, panting, leaned her forehead against his shoulder. She had never in her life experienced a kiss like the one she and Edward had just shared. Her whole body felt hot, as if the kiss had set her on fire and consumed her.
"Edward," she breathed, wanting to find the connection to him again.
He reached for her face, tilting it back up to him, and began pressing soft, open-mouthed kisses against her lips. He spoke between them, whispering the words into her lips. "Bella, it's so wrong. I shouldn't... But I can't stop. You have to stop me."
She didn't want him to stop any more than he was capable of doing so. Bella pressed her lips harder into his, skimming his lip with her tongue, desperate for more. Edward willingly gave it to her. Holding her tightly against him, he rose from his chair and set her on the edge of the table, never breaking their kiss.
"I want you, Edward," she panted, crossing her ankles against his back. "So fucking badly."
Edward felt the same way. He brought his hands up to the back of her shoulders, supporting her, and pressed his lips against hers, putting pressure on her to lean her down, lowering her until her back was on the table.
He rose a little, looking down at her, and whispered, "I have wanted you for so long." He pressed his fingertips against the hollow place at the base of her throat and then traced a slow line down the center of her torso, smiling as he watched her back arch into his touch.
"Take me," she moaned, her body desperate for more of his attention. She was on fire, and only he could save her.
He reached down, unzipping his pants and shoving them and his boxer briefs down to his knees, then grabbed Bella by the knees, sliding her down so that her ass was at the edge of the table, and reached under her skirt, pulling the lace of her panties down and letting them drop to the floor. She looked up at him wantonly, and he knew that it was finally going to happen.
Edward placed his hands on the table and bent at the waist, bringing his face right above Bella's wet sex. He had dreamt of what she might taste like. It was time to find out. Pressing the flat of his tongue to the bottom of her slit, he slowly licked his way up, moaning at her delicious flavor when he found her clit with his tongue. The moan vibrated against Bella's sensitive flesh, and her whole body shuddered.
Bella moaned and panted as Edward's tongue worked her over. Her hands searched everywhere for something to grab that would help her stay in control, since she knew quite well that the study carrolls were far from sound proof. She tried the edges of the table, her shirt, and even Edward's hands, which now had a firm grasp of her hips, before finally settling her hands in his wild hair. She bit her lip and did her best to stifle the moans as he teased her mercilessly, lapping at and circling her clit with his tongue just enough to make her crazy before switching methods, over and over again until she finally cried out.
"God, Edward! Please!"
He kept his tongue moving, but lifted his eyes up to her, a glint of mischief in them.
"Please, Edward. I need you. Please, baby."
For the tiniest fraction of a second, the fact that she used the same pet name for him as Rosalie always did caused Edward to stiffen. But with one look back at Bella's dark brown eyes, hooded with desire, he pushed those thoughts from his mind.
He straightened himself up, and stepped between her parted thighs. He took himself in hand and placed his tip at Bella's entrance. He looked up at her face, and as he slipped into her, their eyes were locked and their moans were spoken to each other as sighs of relief.
Edward stilled once he was all the way inside her, and one look at her face told him that both of them felt how right it was. He leaned down and gave her one soft kiss, then rose again and began to rock his hips into her, holding tightly to her hips to keep her at the edge of the table. Bella wrapped her legs around his waist, her arms held loosely to his shoulders. Both of them closed their eyes and let themselves get lost in the moment. They had both had sex many times in their lives with others, but neither could deny that this time was different.
They moved together slowly, Edward thrusting hard into her, his pelvic bone rocking against her clit each time, and she began to writhe beneath him as she neared her climax. She called out his name in whispered pleas, needing more, harder, faster...him. He began to grunt, and she felt the muscles in his back tightening and his thrusts becoming erratic.
"Fuck, Bella...oh god," he panted.
Those were the last words either said before their voices became intermingled into a melody of moans and gasps, crying out their pleasure until Edward collapsed on top of Bella, his head resting on her breast as he attempted to calm his heart.
When he finally caught his breath, he lifted his head, and leaned forward to place a kiss on her lips. "I have waited so long for that," he whispered.
"Me too," Bella replied, running her fingers through his hair. "Thank you for not making me wait any longer."
Suddenly remembering that they were in the library, Edward stood quickly and grabbed his pants, pulling them up and fastening them, then picked up Bella's panties from the floor and handed them to her. A quick look at his watch told him that he was already quite late getting home.
"I have to go," he said.
Bella smiled. "See you Wednesday?" she asked with a sultry smile.
"You couldn't keep me away."
Three months later, Bella was in the dining room of the home she shared with Carlisle, preparing for a family dinner. She had invited Edward and Rosalie, as well as Jasper, who was home on leave from the army, and even Esme. Though there was no love lost between she and Carlisle's former wife, he had somehow managed to repair his relationship with Esme, and so, for the sake of family harmony, Bella put up with her.
With the table set and the candles lit, Bella took one last look at herself in the large mirror that graced her hallway. She smiled at her reflection, and, satisfied that everything was ready, went in to relax on the couch until everyone arrived.
Carlisle was the first to enter, and he walked over to greet his young wife in the way that was his custom: he sat down on her side, wrapped one arm around her waist and reached the other hand up to cup her cheek, and then leaned in to give her a soft kiss. She smiled against his lips. While it was true that Edward made her feel something that no one else on earth ever could, Bella still loved Carlisle as well.
His greeting completed, Carlisle leaned back onto the couch, pulling his wife into his side, and asked her about her day, then listened happily as Bella filled him in on the latest happenings of the University of Washington's nursing department. He loved hearing about her life at school, because he could hear in her tone how happy it made her. He was thrilled to be able to give her that joy.
A few minutes later, the rest of the family began to file in. There was no hiding the awkwardness of many of the greetings, but certainly attempts were made. Carlisle saw the discomfort in his wife's posture as she hugged Edward hello, but wrote it off as lingering tension between the two over Bella's role in Carlisle and Esme's divorce.
Bella invited everyone to sit down at the table, and then began carrying in the platters of food, as well as an open bottle of champagne and one flute already poured, which she set down at her seat. She walked around the table, pouring the sparkling liquid for everyone else, then took her seat, smiling at Carlisle, who always led the saying of grace before family dinners.
Carlisle looked at Bella with a raised brow. "Champagne?" he asked.
Bella smiled. "I have some news that I wanted to share with everyone. It's cause for celebration."
A smile warmed Carlisle's face. "Well then, don't keep us in suspense," he urged.
Bella smiled. "Alright then." She turned to their guests, taking Carlisle's hand in hers, her face lit up with happiness. "I'm pregnant."
Carlisle could barely believe his ears, and jumped up out of his chair to embrace her. As the happy couple kissed, Jasper sat back in his seat, shaking his head as he watched the other two women at the table glaring at Bella while Edward sat with his mouth hanging open, looking like he had just been punched in the gut. This was going to be interesting.