Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight
A/N: Hey so here we go with Carlisle… hmmm I wonder what'll happen… Read. Enjoy. Review… (Song's by Backstreet Boys)
Where All the Pain Goes
Chapter Eight – More than That
Carlisle Cullen
"No, Alice," I said, starting to get aggravated at her as she pouted there in front of me in the living room, this argument had started in the upstairs hallway.
"Why not?!" She demanded, stomping her foot and I rolled my eyes.
"Alice, you're getting to be a young lady, these sleepovers at the twins' house have to stop," I said, trying to reason with her and she just glared at me.
"But Daddy," She whined and I rolled my eyes, "Please? Just one more?"
"Alice, you're about to start middle school," I said, "It's time to stop, ok?"
"No," She said, "It's not ok."
"Well," I said as the doorbell rang and I waved off the maid and headed over to answer it, "It's ok for you to think whatever you want about this, but I said no. Why don't we hang out tonight?"
"Daddy, I want to hang out with Jazzy and Edward," She said.
"I'm sorry," I said as I pulled the door open and my jaw dropped.
Bella was standing on my doorstep eyes red from crying, but still utterly breathtaking as I stepped aside for her, and she stepped in. I watched her for a second then she was about to walk away and I took a step forward, wrapping both arms around her and she started to cry into my shirt.
"Shh," I tried to sooth her as I set my chin on the top of her head, and I started to rub circles on her back and she just cried harder into my chest.
I tried to calm her for a few more seconds before I felt her leaning against me for support and I lifted her up bridal style. I kissed the top of her head and carried her over to sit on the couch, but refused to let go of her as I looked over at Alice, who was frozen in shock near the door.
"Alice, you can go, be good, listen to Miss Whitlock," I said quietly as Bella continued to cry into my shoulder, I needed to know what was wrong, and I knew my ten year old didn't need to, especially if she had been physically hurt, "I'll expect you back in the morning before I go to work."
"But dad you said-"
"Go, before I change my mind," I told her and she picked up her little backpack and went out the door, and I turned my attention back to the beautiful and sobbing woman in my arm, "Shhh, Bella, are you hurt?"
She shook her head as she started to pull it together and I tilted her head up so that we were making eye contact with her. I took on of the arms from around her and wiped her tears away, I was about to ask her what happened, but then I just gave her a reassuring smile. I wanted to know, I just wanted her to want me to know what happened. And it really didn't matter at that moment what had caused her sudden appearance, what mattered was she was here, and she was upset.
"No one – physically – hurt you?" I asked and she shook her head again, "Did you eat dinner yet? I can have the maid heat you up some of our leftovers if you want."
"I don't feel like eating," she replied and I shook my head.
"Not even ice cream?" I asked, "Alice just made me get about six gallons."
"No," She said and I nodded as she removed herself from my lap and leaned against the arm of the couch, and I gave her a sad look.
Luckily she misunderstood the reason behind my sad look. Thinking I was sad that she wouldn't eat anything rather than the sadness that came with the loss of contact with her. I stood up and she rolled her eyes.
"Ice Cream?" I said, deciding to go with it, "I know I want some."
"Fine, cookie dough?" she said, wiping a stray tear from her own face, and I nodded, "Where's your bathroom, so I can clean up?"
"Down the hall and to the right of the stairs," I told her, pointing toward the left hallway with a cheering up kind of smile and headed off to the kitchen.
I scooped a rather generous serving of cookie dough ice cream into a bowl for Bella before getting myself some Rocky Road. I dropped a spoon into each bowl, picking one of Alice's old care bears one into the cookie dough one, figuring that would get a smile out of her, before I walked back into the living room. Bella was already back on the couch, head in her hands.
"Ice cream delivery," I said as I slid hers down the coffee table in front of her before leaning back with mine.
"Care Bears?" She chuckled, mission accomplished, "I used to love these guys when I was little."
"Really?" I said as I swallowed a spoonful of sweetness, "Alice did too, of course she's too cool for them now."
"Oh yeah?" said Bella, "You're never too cool for Care Bears."
"I was a Ninja Turtles guy myself," I said, making her smile again.
"Really?" She said and I nodded.
"I think my mom still has all my little figurines up in the attic," I said and she nodded.
"Where'd you grow up?" She asked as I spooned a large chunk of ice cream into my mouth and I swallowed quickly so that I could answer.
"Massachusetts," I said and then continued after a small silence that told me to continue, "It was a small farm town south of Boston, and I mean really south. You?"
"Forks primarily, and Phoenix," she said and I nodded.
"Forks?" I asked questioningly.
"Miniscule town West of Seattle, and almost onto this Indian reservation near the pacific," she said and I nodded.
"Far cry from Phoenix?" I asked and she nodded.
"They couldn't be any different," she said as I looked over at the clock.
"When is Max expecting you home?" I asked, it had been no secret around the office that he was starting to step it up a notch.
I was glad when I first heard the news, I was a little sad, because it meant I had absolutely no chance with the beautiful woman in front of me, but it meant that she was happy. Then, as I looked at her face as she paused before she answered, my heart sank. A few tears had escaped her and she put her bowl down on the coffee table again and I sighed heavily.
"Ok," I said, getting that he had done something to cause her presence here, and I could only imagine what it was, "So, changing the subject, well unless you want to talk about it…"
She shook her head slowly and I took a deep breath.
"Ok, so…" I said racking my brain quickly for something to take her mind off whatever Max did, or who he did, "Do you want the guest room or Alice's room this evening? Alice was extremely upset last week when she discovered that the guest bed was more comfortable."
"Carlisle, you don't have to…"
"Bella," I said with little authority, "You're welcome to finish your ice cream and go, but it is getting dark, and I have a feeling you don't really want to go home."
"Ok," she said, "And I'll trust Alice's judgment and take the guest room."
"That's perfect," I said with a smile, before calling kindly, "Cynthia?!"
"Yes, Sir?" she asked as she came around the corner.
"Could you please tell me where the bed sheets are so I can fix up the guest room for Bella here?" I asked as I finished off my ice cream.
"Mr. Cullen," said the old maid sternly and I shrugged.
"C'mon you never let me do anything," I said, "Except cook, occasionally."
"I will do it," she said before looking over to Bella, "Nice to meet you miss Bella. Are you a close friend of Mr. Cullen's, because if you are I don't see why the guest room would be necess-"
"Enough," I said, cutting her off, and hoping I wasn't blushing too badly, though Bella was blushing slightly too, oh, so beautiful.
"No," said Bella, "I'm not really."
"Shame," said Cynthia as she turned on her heel and walked out of the room.
"Sorry about that," I said to Bella, "She and Alice have been trying to fix me up for months."
"It's fine," she said graciously, why had I felt the need to explain that to her?
"Umm, the guest room has a bathroom attached, the towels should be in there," I said, "And I'm sorry, I don't think you're quite going to fit into Alice's clothes. You can borrow a t-shirt and PJ pants from me if you want. Or, your about the same size as Miss Whitlock next door…"
"I'll just borrow from you, if that's ok," she said and I ran upstairs only to return with clean PJ's for Bella.
"Here you go," I said handing them over to her and she smiled.
"Thanks," she said, "Where did Alice go?"
"Sleeping over her little friends' house next door," I said, she had clearly missed that when she was crying.
"Oh," she said, she didn't look like she felt like sleeping just yet.
"You wanna watch a movie or something?" I asked and she nodded eagerly as she set down the borrowed PJs on the back of the loveseat before we sat down on the couch.
"What do you have?" She asked and I rolled my eyes playfully.
"I think the 'what we don't have' list would be shorter," I replied, motioning over to the gigantic DVD rack over on the opposing wall, "Alice has just about every chick flick that she's allowed to watch, and all the kids ones too, though I don't think those will come in handy… Then miscellaneous."
Bella got off the couch and walked over to the shelves. She started going through them, and I just leaned back and watched her as she looked through the DVDs, and then she came back with Pocahontas.
"Don't laugh," she said, "I haven't seen this since I was six."
"Ok," I said, "I'll pop it in."
I sat there with her, an arm around her as she leaned a little on my shoulder, and the whole thing felt so perfectly right. The movie ended and she was in tears. I knew it was a sad ending, but really, it was a cartoon, I knew something was up. I looked over at her and she desperately tried to hide her tears.
"Bella?" I asked as she turned and hid her face in my chest, tears coming again and I rubbed her back gently.
"He… and … Lauren?" She said, "I really thought he was changed, Carlisle, I thought that my Max was back."
"Shh, I know," I said as I pressed my cheek to the top of her head, "Please don't cry, he's not worth your tears. They're much too precious, they're breaking my heart here."
She pulled away from my chest and I looked down into her puffy red eyes. She just looked up at me, both of us gazing into each others eyes. Then, she pushed all my thoughts out of my head as she craned her neck up and pressed her lips to mine. She brushed her tongue sweetly against my lower lip, and I opened for her, letting her right in. The kiss intensified and I had to pull away for air, so she kissed down and attached herself to my neck.
I felt a shot of adrenaline run through me like a bolt of lightning as I felt her unbuttoning the first few buttons on my shirt, and I ripped away. Bella looked a little confused, and a little worried as she looked at me, and I regained my composure.
"Bella, I am in love with you," I said, keeping my tone light and sweet as I took her left hand in both of mine and scooted back over towards her, I brought her hand up and kissed Max's ring, "But you're not mine. I want you to be, but you have to figure out whether or not you're going to forgive him again, and he needs to know it's over. Good night, sweet Bella."
