Hey everyone! So I did manage to get chapter four written. So some of you have said you think it is moving too fast or asked if it will be a short fic. This will not be a short fic, I am merely getting a head start on Bella and Carlisle's relationship, because trust me it will not be all sunshine and butterflies. They both have a lot of inner demons that they will have to conquer together. So my surgery is tomorrow. I will start chapter five probably today and see where it goes. As for you who are interested to see how Edward feels keep speculating, the wrath that is Edward has only begun. Enjoy and review!

Chapter Four

War Is Many Shades

When Bella got to work the next morning everyone noticed her good mood. She felt sexy and confident, and everyone seemed to take notice of that as well. She wore a pair of snug dark wash jeans that hugged her in all the right places, a violet tunic and knee high boots. Her hair fell in perfect loose curls. As she walked her hips swayed perfectly, making her ass look extremely good. She knew that Carlisle would have appreciated the view. Everyone stopped to stare at her. She swore that she saw a few of the straight guys have an erection, and some of the lesbians' eyes darkened.

"Morning, Bella." Kelly, the receptionist, chimed.

"Morning, Kelly."

"You look good this morning. There's a special delivery for you in your office."

Bella's eyes lit up at the mention of her special delivery.

"Thanks, Kelly. Oh and I am having lunch with Rosalie and a woman named Alice. Alice Cullen has short black hair and she pixyish so when she shows up I would appreciate it if you would just direct her to my office, please."

"Of course, Bella."

Bella felt something vibrating in her pocket and she realized it was her phone. Quickly she pulled it out as she walked towards her office. It was a text from Carlisle.

Good morning, Doll face. I just wanted to tell you that I had an amazing time last night. There's a treat for you in your office and I hope that you like it. –C

She hurried to her office, now curious as to what the surprise was. When she opened her door she gasped. Her office was filled with bouquets of red roses. There were bouquets on her desk, on her couch, on her floor. And then leaning against her desk was a giant teddy bear holding a bouquet of roses that had a note sticking out of it. She realized this is what everyone had been whispering about, no just how hot she looked and felt today. She didn't bother to close her door. She put her belongings on the space available on her desk and then picked up the note that was in the bouquet.

"I thought that this might make you smile. Consider this a thank you for the good time we had last night at the restaurant. I wanted to do something to make you smile, and think of me, so maybe next time I'll be to see your beautiful smile and hear your musical laughter. How does ice-skating at Rockefeller sound for tomorrow night?

Yours truly,

Carlisle."

There was a group "awe" in the background. Her co-workers were peaking in the doorway and listening in. They must have seen him, or whomever Carlisle hired to do this come in with all the flowers. She quickly called him, now needing to hear the sound of his voice. He picked up on the first ring.

"Carlisle." She gasped.

"Did you like your surprise, Doll face?"

"I love it, Carlisle. Thank you so much. No one has ever something so sweet and romantic for me."

"I'm sorry to hear that no man has ever given you something you deserve. I'm all new to romance, so I hope I did it right."

She started to laugh.

"What, did I go over the top?" He asked trying not to crack up.

"Just a little bit, but, Carlisle, this is really sweet. You have no idea how good I felt walking in to work today because of our date tonight, and then your surprise for me was just the icing on the cake."

"I'm glad that you're so happy, Doll face. So what do you say to ice skating tomorrow night?"

"Oh, Carlisle. That sounds perfect. For a romance novice I'd say you're doing pretty darn well. I can't wait to tell Rose and Alice, you know I'm having lunch with them today."

"Oh, yes." Carlisle chuckled. "It's all Alice has been talking about since she got to work this morning. She is very excited about seeing you again. Though I must admit that I am a little jealous. I wish I could be seeing you today, but I have business to take care of. Can I call you tonight, Isabella?"

"Of course, Hot Stuff." She purred.

He groaned.

"Where did that come from?"

"If you get to nickname me I get to nick name you too. I'm thinking about Eye Candy, Hot Lips, Lover Boy, Slick, Hotness, Hot Pants, Handsome, Stud, Tiger, or Killer."

He moaned in esctacy.

"I'm going to have to come up with more names for you, Doll face, all I have is that and Angel."

"I like those names. Though I have one in mind."

"And what would that be, Doll face?"

"Sesso su gambe."

Carlisle moaned.

"I swear it, Isabella. When you call me that, you know it means sex on legs, don't you? I have to use all of my power to restrain myself from fucking you senseless. I don't want to ruin this amazing relationship with sex."

"Aw, Baby, that's so sweet. Why don't we just let things happen as they happen?"

"That sounds good, La mia dea."

"What does that mean, Lover boy?"

"My goddess."

She swooned.

"All right, well I better go, Tiger, before my co-workers trying and raid my office. They are all staring at what you did."

"Well then, Doll face. I'll let you get to work. Have a good day and have fun with Alice and Rosalie."

"I will, Tiger. Have a good day. I'll talk to you tonight."

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too."

"Bye."

"Bye."

…

Carlisle was grinning like an idiot after getting off the phone with Isabella. He leaned back in his large leather chair and smiled happily. He held up the file that he needed to look through. Isabella was the answer to everything. He didn't care that he had a huge gun shipment coming in tonight and that he had to prepare his boys to do his work for him. He was just so giddy because of his girlfriend. He heard a knock on his door.

"It's open."

And in walked Edward.

"Hello, Edward. What a surprise." He got up from his chair and leaned against his desk. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

He was genuinely in a good mood. Edward thought it was a joke.

"You have never said it was a pleasure to see me before, Dear brother."

"Let's just say my girlfriend opened up my eyes last night on our date and made me look at things in a different way. So, I was hoping maybe you and I could start fresh, you know, turn over a new leaf and try to be brothers again?"

"What are you up to, Carlisle? You have never made this kind of effort before."

"I have, too. You just never took notice. I can change, Edward. All it took was a very special woman to make me realize that I don't have to be monster. She's truly special and I am going to do anything and everything it takes to keep her around. She's an angel sent from Heaven. I can actually see a future with her, and I want a future with her."

"So when can I meet her? She sounds like a saint."

"Soon. I'll talk to her about it. She's having lunch with her best friend and Alice today. And I'm taking her ice skating tomorrow night."

"You, ice skating?" Edward laughed.

"I thought it would be romantic."

Edward began to laugh and Carlisle rolled his eyes.

"This is priceless. I have no idea what kind of act you're pulling but this is hysterical, Carlisle. I mean seriously, Alice has been trying to convince you to get a girlfriend for years and all of a sudden you have one after resisting for so long. You really expect me to believe that you would take a woman to the ice rink for a date, and actually take her to dinner, when you normally skip the main course and go right to the bedroom. People just don't change like that. You've said it yourself for years, you don't feel. You just don't turn on the switch to your heart in an instant and then go all Casanova. I mean who in their right mind could love you."

Edward was laughing hysterically, holding his sides and about to double over. Carlisle frowned and looked to the side.

"When the right woman comes along a man can change, Edward. She's changed me. I never thought I could, but she makes me want to feel things. When I am with her I am so overwhelmed with emotions. She smothers me with affections. You know I didn't even sleep with her last night. I walked her to her apartment door and we bid goodnight. I don't want to ruin what she and I have. I really care about her, Edward. At first I was just as shocked as you are, but she brings out this other side of me."

Edward again rolled his eyes.

"So as much as I am enjoying this joke of yours, I am here to talk about the art job."

"Ah, yes. What is it?"

"Aro talked to his friends in Italy. We're all good to go. They just want to talk to you about some details."

"Of course. Did Aro send you?"

"Yes, and he told me to tell you that your signora amico is very charming."

Carlisle smirked.

"Yes, she met Sulpicia and Aro last night at Piccola Sicilia."

"You took your girlfriend on a first date to Sulpicia's restaurant?" Edward gawked.

"She likes Italian food." Carlisle shrugged. "And there isn't a restaurant in New York that does it better than Piccola Sicilia. But I thought we were talking business, Brother."

Edward scowled. His brother was in such a chipper mood it was getting irritating.

"Yes, of course. And are you putting me on the gig tonight for the gun import?"

"Of course. That is unless you don't want to."

"No, no. I want to. I was just double checking."

"All right then."

Just then his phone rang. He saw it was Isabella.

"If you'd excuse me, Edward. I must take this."

He nodded and then left the room. After shutting the door he stood outside listening in on the conversation or trying to.

"Hello again, Angel. It's nice to hear from you twice already this morning."

"Carlisle." Bella swooned. "I have a proposition for you."

"What would it be, Doll face? I like propositions."

"There is a fashion show on Thursday night and I have to go and write an article on it for work. I'm allowed to take one person with me. I was wondering if you would sit through the misery with me."

"That sounds promising, but you know, Doll face, Alice is a fashion addict. You'll soon learn that she has a shopping obsession. Maybe it would be fun to take her."

"I guess that would be fun. I mean Rosalie is in the show. I'll talk to her about it at lunch today. Then I guess I better get back to work."

"All right, Angel. I look forward to hearing from you tonight. Bye."

"Me, too. Bye."

Carlisle sighed after he hung up. He loved hearing her voice. Her taste, her smell, her voice; her touch, it overwhelmed him so and made his thoughts hazy. She was like a drug to him that he constantly needed to have.

Around noon Carlisle felt his phone buzz. He had received a few picture texts from both Rosalie and Alice. He quickly opened them only to find pictures of Bella standing in her office cuddling the bear. In one photo she was hugging it like a little girl, in another she was sitting with it on her couch looking like she was about to make out with it. In another photo she was looking curiously at the roses, her eyes filled with wonder. In the last photo she was sitting on top of her desk, her legs crossed, her hands supporting her weight on the desk and a sexy glint in her eyes and she puffed out her chest. She looked fucking sexy. He wanted to run to her office and fuck her. Now. Then he received one more picture text from Bella. She was sitting on the couch with her legs spread open the bear on top of her and what would be his pelvis pressed against hers and her head was thrown back in ecstasy. There was a text attached to the picture that said: Whenever you're ready, Big boy. Carlisle groaned. He was hard and fully erect at the moment. He had fucking work to do. He guessed that he would just have to take care of this one by himself. He sat down in his leather chair, undid his pants and out popped his extremely hard and long erection. He grasped it in his hand and then got to work jacking off to the picture of Isabella fucking a teddy bear.

…

Alice, Rosalie, and Bella sat at a cozy upscale restaurant in a booth. Bella sat between her new friend and her best friend.

"So, you have to tell us everything about your date last night." Rosalie demanded.

"Yes, you must!" Alice squealed. "I begged Carlisle to tell me but he wouldn't! He told me I had to wait until I had lunch with you."

Bella swooned as she twirled her straw around in her drink. She was love struck by Carlisle.

"He took me to Sulpicia's restaurant and I had the most exquisite food I have ever eaten in my entire life. We talked a lot, mostly about our lives growing up, and things we want to change in our lives. We did a lot of talking about what's hard for us and what we know we need to be open about to make our relationship work. He told me about how he has locked down his emotions for so long and now he's so happy I am with him because he feels like he doesn't need to hold back. His words I bring out the "man behind the monster." He kept kissing and cuddling with me all night and it was so romantic. Now he's taking me ice skating tomorrow night."

"Bella, you're a klutz. I hope you don't hurt someone while you're skating. Those blades are sharp." Rosalie laughed.

"I will try not to hurt anyone." Bella thought about ice-skating with Carlisle and sighed dreamily.

"Someone has been bitten by the love bug." Alice chimed.

"I am not even going to deny that." Bella sighed.

"He has turned her brain to mush." Rosalie laughed.

"I will not deny that either." Bella sighed.

"And somehow you did not sleep with that hunk of man meat." Rosalie gasped.

"I wanted to, Rose, but I just felt like it wasn't time yet. I mean I wasn't going to fuck him on the first date."

"What about the second date?" Alice asked with a smirk on her face. "Oh my God I can't believe I just said that about my own brother." She groaned.

"Maybe." Bella sighed.

"Really?" Rosalie asked curiously.

"Uh-huh. I mean he kept getting major boners when we were making out yesterday. It felt huge! I was ready to take him right there. Do you know how hard it was to restrain myself. Do you know how fucking long it has been since I have had a sexual urge to do anything? Do you know how fucking long it has been since I have none anything more than make out?"

"I unfortunately know." Rosalie groaned. "You haven't gotten any action in so long. It's about time."

Bella groaned.

"He's such a hopeless romantic. He thinks he isn't any good at romance but I think eh is." Bella sighed.

"I think it's really sweet." Alice chimed. "I talked with Carlisle this morning when I got to work and he seemed genuinely happy. He's walking around with a grin like the cat who ate the canary."

"I know this might sound odd, Alice, but your brother looks like a fucking sex bomb. Especially when he wears those scarves, I mean I just wanted to rip his clothes off, but I couldn't do that in front of Rose."

"I wouldn't have minded. I wanted to see his ass. Those buns of his looked so fine in those pants." Rose purred.

"Rose!" Bella scolded. "That's my boyfriend."

"Wow, Rosalie, you sound like my brother Emmett. He's always making sexual innuendoes or crass comments." Alice pointed out as she took a bite of her salad.

"Maybe you should introduce us." Rosalie suggested.

"Maybe I should and maybe I will. He and my fiancé, Jasper, are best buds."

"Hm. I'll think about it. But right now we need to find a way to get Bella laid." Rosalie laughed.

"And find a way to break it to Edward."

Bella paled.

"I sort of forgot about that part." Bella blushed.

"Well someone has to tell Esme about you and Carlisle. When my brother actually remembers going to do that he's going to be scared as shit. You'd think a mafia Don would be fearless, but Esme, when she's angry…" Alice shivered in fear. "You don't want to be around."

"What's so bad about her? And who is she?" Rose asked.

"When Carlisle couldn't find anyone good to fuck or needed to fuck he would call up Esme. They've been best friends since childhood. They were brought up together and are the same age. Her family has been working for mine for a long time, giving us the best assassins you could ever ask for."

"He hadn't mentioned her, but I guess that isn't exactly first date material. I mean talking about relationships on a first date is like death."

"Yeah I guess that's true. So who are you taking to the fashion show?" Rosalie asked.

"Actually, I was just about to ask Alice if she wanted to go with me, since Rose is already in it."

Alice squealed.

"Yes, I'd love to go. When it is?"

"It's on Thursday."

"Awesome! I can't wait." Alice squealed.

And with that Bella knew that she had made a new best friend, and now her dynamic duo had become a trio.

…

Bella couldn't help but be a little nervous as she laced up her skates. Rosalie's words couldn't help but run through her head about being a klutz.

"Isabella." Carlisle whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

He placed a hot opened mouth kiss on her neck. He had been very sensual all throughout dinner before this. She was sure he was going to make a move tonight, and despite her fear of intimacy for obvious reasons, she would let her guard down and have sex with him.

"Those pictures I was sent yesterday." He purred lowly in her ear. "Especially that one you sent, I can't get them out of my head. I got so hard just looking at them. I never thought a teddy bear could be so fucking sexy."

He licked up the side of her neck and she moaned on contact. Automatically she lifted her arm up and laced her fingers through his hair. She was shaking, partially in fear of being pursued, and partially because she was excited.

"Isabella, why is it that you shake like a leaf?"

His voice was much softer and tender now. He walked around the bench and sat on his heels in a crouching position. He took both of her hands in his and kissed their backs.

"I'm sorry, Carlisle. It's just been a while."

He stared deeply up into her large chocolate doe eyes.

"How long as it been, Isabella, since you were intimate with a man?"

"Since the abuse, when he would force himself…" Her voice cracked and she couldn't finish her statement.

She didn't want to cry but she couldn't stop the traitor tears. He stood up and wrapped her in his arms. Carefully he tilted her face up and wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumbs.

"Sh. My angel, there is no need to cry. No one is going to hurt you. We don't have to rush anything, Angel. I am willing to wait. I can't say that I personally understand what happened to you, but I can say that I want to understand as best I can. Intimacy should not be the basis for a relationship and we don't have to rush. We have time."

He offered her his handkerchief and she took it gratefully, wiping away her tears with the cloth.

"I'm sorry, I'm ruining the night."

He gasped and then sat down beside her, taking her in his arms and forcing her to look at him.

"You are doing no such thing, Isabella. We both have pasts, but we both have futures as well. And I really want to make this work between us. And in order for that to happen you're going to have to trust me. You have to trust that I will not treat you like your past partner did. I'm here with you right now because I want to be. So maybe we are not ready to be intimate physically, but the fact that we are communicating like this is intimate. We are getting to know each other in ways we don't usually let others see."

She smiled and leaned into him.

"I just want to be normal for you and not weigh you down with my problems. But I guess that's just silly really. I want to have fun. Let's go skating."

He cracked a smile and then led her out onto the ice.

They entered the rink hand in hand and to Bella's pleasant surprise she did not fall. Carlisle was right by her side to support her. She was happy as could be.

"Let's just have fun, Carlisle. Forget all the seriousness for right now and just loosen up. You know you don't have to act like Mr. Perfect all the time."

She winked and he growled happily.

"Hm. Then if you want me to be more me, then you better be ready. I might be a handful or maybe two."

She burst out laughing.

"That was a terrible joke." She laughed.

"But it made you laugh and it's the truth." He waggled his eyebrow at her.

"Really now."

"Come on, Doll face. Let's move to the center of the rink."

Edward decided to see if Carlisle really would be at the rink. He wanted to know who his brother was seeing. He laced up his skates and then headed out onto the ice. It didn't take him long to find his brother. He heard Carlisle's laughter and his eyes found the source. Standing in the center of the ice was his brother with his arms around an all too familiar woman who had her arms around his neck. She was laughing as well, and it sounded like music. He growled when he saw her face; it was Bella. The woman that broke his heart and refused to love him was here with his brother. Carlisle bent down a little to meet her lips, which she happily accepted. He kissed her sweetly, and with a tenderness that Edward had never seen in his brother before. When the kiss ended Carlisle rested his forehead against Bella's.

Edward was hurt at first, and then he was just flat out angry. He hated both his brother and his ex-girlfriend. He couldn't stop himself from skating up to Carlisle and shoving him onto his ass. He didn't even see it coming. Carlisle went into defense mode, not for himself, but for Bella. He was not going to let her get hurt. He looked up to see the threat staring at Bella who had skated to Carlisle's aid and was crouched beside him.

"Are you all right, Baby?" She asked sweetly.

He nodded and stood up, making her stand behind him for protection.

"I can't believe you!" Edward yelled. "Carlisle, how could she! You go around acting like you have feeling now, yet you don't even stop to consider your own brother's."

"Edward, don't yell at, Carlisle!" Bella yelled as she stepped out from behind Carlisle.

"Shut up, Bitch!" Edward roared.

"Don't you dare speak to her like that!" Carlisle growled.

"What it's true, Carlisle. I'm just warning you. She'll lead you on, make you think she loves you, and then rip your heart to pieces. Leave her now and you'll have your sanity."

Carlisle was pissed.

"You bastardo! You don't even understand, Edward! I am with Isabella now and our feelings are pure for one another. Maybe if you grew up a little and stopped throwing a pity party every time you didn't get what you wanted, then maybe a woman would love you!"

That was it for Edward. He charged at Carlisle and punched him in the eye. Carlisle responded by leaping forward and tackling Edward down onto the ice where he punched in him the jaw. The two men began to beat each other up. Edward was about to flip Carlisle to be underneath him and she knew she had to put an end to this.

"Stop it! Both of you!" She yelled. "You're making idiots out of yourself! You're in public for Christ's sake!"

Both of the men stopped and looked at the woman berating them. She looked like an angry goddess, but only one of them got to claim her as his.

Carlisle got off his younger brother and stood up, and then offered his hand to Edward, who swatted it away.

"I don't need your help, Ass hole." Edward hissed. "And you can keep the bitch. It's not like she's worth anything anyway."

Carlisle wanted to tackle his brother to the ground as Edward stood up, but Bella wrapped her arms around his waist as if to restrain him, not that she had the strength to do so if he moved against her.

"Go home, Edward. We will discuss this tomorrow. Just because I am your brother does not mean you can disrespect me. I am still capofamiglia. So if you cannot respect me as your brother, respect me as your capo, because in that role I will not tolerate this behavior."

"Oh, so you threaten me just because you can't take getting roughed up."

"It's not about me. You can beat the merda (shit) out of me for all I care, but I feared that you might hurt Isabella, and that is not a risk I am willing to take. Lei è parte di me. Lei è la metà mancante della mia anima. So che non mi credi, ma devi sapere che lei è la mia vita, lei è la mia esistenza (She is part of me. She is the missing half of my soul. I know you do not believe me but you must know that she is my life, she is my existence)."

Edward was angry but he couldn't bring himself to argue. He merely walked away, not letting the pain of defeat show. His brother had Bella, but the war was not over for her heart.