AN – Here is the next chapter in the one shot that morphed into a story all of its own. I want to first thank all of you for the awesome response to this new story, you guys are amazing. I would normally say I'm sorry for the cliffie I left you with in chapter 1, but for those who have read my other stories, you know that I do love my cliffies. So without more distraction from me, enjoy chapter 2 and I will see you on the flip side.

Chapter 2 -

"Isabella." He said softly, drawing her attention back to his face. "I'm…"

She waited for him to continue, but was dumbfounded when he continued to just stand there. Suddenly she realized that he was nervous. With that shock settling in, she decided to take pity on him and opened the door further for him to walk passed her.

He nodded his thanks and moved into the living room, looking at the chairs but not moving to take one.

"Carlisle, what did you want to talk about?"

He turned to look back at her, looking at her as if he was trying to memorize the way she looked. "Well, I just wanted to make sure that you were ok."

She stood there staring at him, with her jaw on the floor. "Ok? After seven years you want to know if I'm doing ok."

"Well, yes." Carlisle looked down at the floor. "I have been worried about you."

His admission took the heat out of her anger. "I…umm…really?"

Glancing back up at her he nodded.

Sighing, she moved into the room and gestured for him to sit down. Taking the other seat, she pulled her legs up so they were underneath her and she looked at him again, closer this time. She didn't know it was possible, but for a vampire, Carlisle looked tired and worn out. Her heart went out to him, but then she remembered what he did and her heart hardened again. "Why would you be worried about me after all this time? You were the ones who left."

Carlisle visibly flinched in his seat and focused on his hands in his lap. After a few moments of silence he raised his eyes to meet Bella's, meeting her angry gaze with his pained gaze.

"I am sorry if our leaving caused you pain. We only did what Edward said you wanted us to do. If I would have known…"

"Wait." Bella cut him off. "What do you mean what I wanted you to do? I was the one left behind; I had nothing to do with the leaving other than apparently being the cause of it."

"Edward told us that he was going to break things off with you and move away and that we should do the same. He told us that when he spoke with you that you told him that you didn't want to see any of us again. That if he left, we should all leave." He chanced a glance at her face. "Is that not what you wanted, Isabella?"

She slumped into her seat as far as she could go the old wound opening in her chest. She couldn't stop thinking about what happened seven years ago in the woods behind her house.

***flashback***

Bella followed him into the woods until Edward stopped by a fallen tree. He turned to look at her before speaking.

"We need to leave Forks"

Bella couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What? Why?"

"It's time. Carlisle's supposed to be ten years older than he looks; people will start noticing."

She took in a shaky breath. "But…when?"

"Now."

Bella reeled, trying to take this in. "I'll have to think of something to tell Charlie, but I can be ready…"

Edward shook his head interrupting her. "Not you. Us."

Staring at him, she was stunned. "What? No! Edward, what happened with Jasper…that was nothing."

Edward frowned down at her. "Nothing compared to what could happen. You don't belong in my world."

"I belong with you."

"You don't."

Bella drew in a shaky breath. "I'm coming."

Without missing a beat, Edward drove the final nail into her coffin. "I don't want you to come!"

Bella is stung, as if slapped. "You don't... want me."

"No." Edward responded, annoyance clear in his voice.

She stepped back, trying to understand what he was saying, realization of her worst fears coming true written all over her face.

Edward turned back towards her with a pleading look in his eyes. "I'd like to ask one favor though."

Bella looks up, hope flashing across her face. "Anything."

"Don't do anything stupid or reckless. Do you understand?" He paused, watching her face before adding, "For Charlie's sake. Just…take care of yourself."

Still lost in the shock of what was happening, she responded. "I…yes…I will."

She watched as his face softened ever-so-slightly.

He almost looked like he wanted to caress her cheek but refrained. "Don't worry. You're human. Time heals all wounds for your kind. Particularly if you're not reminded."

Desperation wells up in her, overwhelming dignity, she pleaded with him. "No, this is - don't do this. Please."

Edward took a deep breath as his face turned cold again. "Try to understand. Every second with you is about restraint. You're too fragile. I'm tired of pretending to be something I'm not. Reining myself in so I can be with a human."

"If this is about my soul? Then take it. I don't care! I don't want it without you…"

He cut her off sharply. "It's not about your soul. You're just not good for me, Bella."

Bella looked at him. His hard face. His resolve. "I'm not good enough."

"I've let it go on too long. I'm sorry." He looks at her with a pained expression.

Tears stung Bella's eyes. This couldn't be happening, but she had been expecting it.

He stepped forward…kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes.

Resting his chin on her head he made his parting promise. "I promise, it will be like I never existed. Goodbye, Bella."

By the time she opened her eyes…he was gone. She spun, looking for him.

***end of flashback***

Bella was pulled out of her memories to find tears streaming down her face and an ache in her chest, reminding her of what she lost. This she was used to when she allowed that memory to resurface. What she wasn't expecting was Carlisle's reaction.

Carlisle had panicked at the first sign of Bella falling into her memories, he watched as she pulled in on herself, wrapping her arms around her chest. He didn't know what to do as the tears started to stream down her face. He had called out to her, trying to calm her down but it was as if she couldn't hear him.

He stood from his chair and picked her up, quickly taking a seat in her chair with her in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and placed gentle kisses on her forehead, murmuring to her that he was there, that it would be alright.

Bella leaned back and gasped at the pain she saw etched on Carlisle's face. His eyes were closed so he hadn't noticed her stare yet. Reaching her hand up, she laid her palm against his cheek, trying to comfort him and take away some of his pain.

Carlisle opened his once golden eyes to look down at her with eyes darkened with pain. "Did we cause that pain? Was that the affect our leaving had on you?"

She barely heard him, his voice was but a whisper, yet she could clearly hear the sorrow in his words. "That was from a memory of Edward breaking up with me. He took me out into the woods behind my house and told me he didn't want me anymore, I was just a distraction and he was tired of playing at being human. He told me he was taking you and the rest of the family away from me before he left me alone with my despair, standing in the woods."

Carlisle tightened his arms around her, pulling her back into his chest. "I am so sorry, sweetheart. If I would have known, I never would have allowed the family to leave you behind like that. I am so, so sorry."

Bella felt him bury his face into her hair and then he started shaking, sobbing softly against her. She didn't know what to make of this. Had Edward lied to his family and her to keep her away from them? How could someone be so cruel to his family? To the ones he claimed to love?

They sat like that for what felt like forever as they both cried over the pain caused all those years ago. Slowly they both calmed down, but Carlisle kept her pulled in close.

"Isabella, can you ever forgive me?"

Reaching up she rested her hand on the back of his head, gently running her fingers through his hair trying to offer him some kind of comfort. "Carlisle, it is Edward who should be begging for forgiveness not you. He apparently lied to you so that I couldn't continue to be a bother to him."

He nuzzled the side of her neck where his face was pressed into her hair. "Maybe if I had been a better father to him, a better leader, he wouldn't have been able to lie to us. He wouldn't have been able to tear our family apart."

She leaned back, trying to look him in the face. "Carlisle?"

He pulled back just far enough to look her in the eyes. There was so much pain in that one look that she felt her heart breaking for him and the rest of the family.

"Carlisle, what happened after he left me?"

Taking a deep breath, he started to rub circles on her back, soothing her as he tried to sooth himself. "He told Jasper it was all his fault that you wouldn't have broken up with him if Jasper could have just controlled his bloodlust. The guilt that Jasper felt was already intense before Edward added to it. Jasper left afterwards and Alice only heard from him when he sent her the divorce papers. She didn't stand by him when he was being attacked by Edward so he left the family. Emmett was so upset over losing you that he took Rosalie and they left right after Jasper. I haven't heard from them in over five years."

Bella gasped. She hated hearing how the family was torn apart based on Edward's lies. "What about Esme?"

Carlisle flinched as if slapped. "She couldn't believe that I let the family fall apart. She blamed me for everyone leaving. We stayed together for about a year, Alice, Esme and I, but it came to be too much. Alice was having problems with her visions and Esme was spending all of her time trying to comfort Alice and keep tabs on Edward. One day everything just blew up. Esme handed me divorce papers and took Alice to go be with Edward. Her reasoning was she couldn't stand to be with someone who failed his family and that her son needed her."

She didn't know how to react to that. Those weren't the actions of the motherly vampire that she remembered and loved. Esme sounded more like a bitter broken woman. How could anyone do that to someone they loved? Someone they claimed to be their mate?

"So you have been alone for the past six years?" Bella whispered, wanting to understand.

Carlisle nodded. "I have visited Jasper down in Texas a few times over the years, but he is the only one in the family that still talks to me."

Bella was shocked. "Texas? Jasper lives in Texas?"

"Yes, on a ranch with his brother and sister-in-law just outside of Houston." He looked at her and a worried look crossed his face.

"What is it Carlisle?"

"I need to tell you something, but I don't want you to get mad."

She leaned back. She never liked it when someone started a conversation that way. As she leaned back, she finally took note of her surroundings, mainly that she was sitting in his lap with his arms wrapped around her. Deciding to worry about that later, she tried not to cross her arms in irritation. "I shall do my best, but no promises."

Taking a deep breath, Carlisle gave her a squeeze before speaking. "Well, as I said, Jasper moved to Houston to stay with his brother. His brother has a gift, nothing major, he just has the ability to know things that he really shouldn't know. About three years ago, Peter told Jasper that he would need to be outside the library at the UT campus in Houston and he needed to be there around closing time. Peter wouldn't tell him why, but Jasper did as he was told."

Three years ago, that triggered something in her memories. She gasped. "That was when I was being chased by some guy. He came at me as I left the library, but by the time I made it to my truck he was gone."

"That was Jasper. He told me that once he got there, he sensed the guy and his emotions were full of anxiety and excitement. He figured he was just going to deal with the guy and save some unknown person from becoming a victim. He was shocked to find out that the 'would be' victim was you."

"I never knew what happened, but after that I always felt like I was being watched over." Without thinking, she leaned down and rested her head on his chest. "Jasper was watching out for me wasn't he?"

Carlisle rested his chin on her head. "Yes, he spent every night watching over you, making sure that you stayed out of danger. He stopped it before it ever happened."

"Why did he never come talk to me?" Bella whispered. "I missed him so much and I always felt that I needed to tell him that I didn't blame him. I told Edward to tell him, but I can pretty much assume that he didn't based on what happened with the family."

"He was afraid to. After what Edward said to him, he thought that you hated him for trying to attack you. Jasper still loves you like a sister and wants to keep you safe. I know he would be shocked to hear how you really feel about him." He lightly ran his fingers through her hair. "We can call him if you want."

Bella thought about that. She really did want to talk to Jasper, tell him that she never blamed him for what he did and to hug him. She shook her head. "I can't tell him over the phone, Carlisle, he won't believe me. He spent too long being told that he was going to slip up to believe anything I say without being able to sense my emotions to know I am telling the truth."

Carlisle sighed, he knew she was right. Jasper wouldn't believe her over the phone, especially if she used his phone to call him. He would think that she was doing it only at Carlisle's request. Deciding that was something that could be addressed later, he needed to tell Bella something before he lost the courage. This was one of those times that he wished he could drink as having a few shots might make this easier. "Isabella, I need to tell you something."

Bella tensed, it was never a good thing when someone said that. That phrase was just as bad as 'we need to talk' and both caused her to panic. Deciding that not looking at him might make it easier to handle whatever it was he had to say, she kept her head on his chest and tried to calm her racing heart. "What is it?"

He could hear her heart racing and knew that she feared the worst. He needed to get this over with, so he tightened his arms around her and spoke. "It is not a coincidence that I was asked to be a speaker at this convention. Jasper was not the only one who was keeping an eye on you."

Her breathing stopped as she took in what he said. She understood why Jasper was watching out for her, creepy as it may be, but she couldn't fathom why Carlisle would. Was it out of guilt or did he promise someone? Letting out the breath she was holding, she asked, "Why?"

"I am not sure I can adequately answer that as I do not fully understand it myself. You know I had always considered you part of the family and I did my best to protect you. I never noticed how important your mere presence was to our family until Edward threw a wrench into everything. You were the missing puzzle piece that made our family whole. We were happier and calmer when you were around." He rested his chin on the top of her head. "Without you, we all sort of fell apart. I quickly noticed that a part of me was missing and that was even before Esme left me. I don't really know how to explain other than I am drawn to you, Isabella."

"I don't understand what you're telling me." She leaned back to look him in the face and gasped at the emotions playing there. She could tell that he was nervous about her reaction and there was fear there too, but what truly caught her attention was the compassion.

Meeting her gaze he answered honestly. "I am telling you that somehow you make me whole in a way that I don't understand. I didn't fully understand why it hurt me so much when Edward said that you didn't want to see us anymore. I felt like I had failed you in some way, but I tried to respect your wishes. Once Esme left, I drifted, staying with friends or I would be my own company. Everyone thought my depression was due to Esme leaving and my family falling apart, which that did have something to do with it. When Jasper reached out to me after he saved you, he told me what happened and I immediately asked if I could visit. As I made my way down to Houston, I felt the anticipation and joy of seeing you again.

"I was confused by these feelings and Jasper was just as confused by them when I showed up on his doorstep. I tried to explain what was going on to him, but I couldn't find the words." He smiled sheepishly. "Jasper took me with him that night to keep an eye on you and that was all it took for him to understand what was going on."

"Carlisle, what was it?"

To be continued….

AN – so as you may have guessed, there will be quite a few cliff hangers with this story. I blame the muses; they tell me what to write and how to post. I don't really argue though. Let me know what you think so far. As always, reviews are motivation for the muses and writers to post that much faster. Hope you enjoyed and hopefully chapter 3 will be up soon as this story seems to just be on an amazing flow.

Also, there is the FB page for updates and discussions. Just search for Bella & Jasper – Love Under a Blood Moon and you should be able to find it easily. It will be the hub for all Twilight fanfic discussions as I have Darkness and Love Under a Blood Moon as well as one shots that are in the works. If you aren't reading the other two Twilight stories…I highly recommend them, lol, but I may be a bit biased.