A/N: Hey guys... Welcome to the new year!
Hope you all had a safe night...and i bet most of you probably still have a headache...thank god i don't drink, ever. Anyway, i hope you all have a wonderful year!
~Jen
(I don't own any of this) :D
Carlisle and a Wedding
(BPOV)
Carlisle led me to a small garden full of roses before he stopped and looked at me. "You are by no means happy with this decision are you?"
"I—" I closed my mouth. I could be up front and rant to my father, but I couldn't do the same with Carlisle and I knew it. "It's not my place to argue with any decisions that are out of my control."
"Says the woman who committed treason for the betterment of her people, knowing full well the repercussions that would come from it." Carlisle chuckled.
"Uh…true…" I sighed. He led me to a bench and we both sat down in silence for a moment.
"You have always made your own place in this world, Isabella… I'm sure being forced into something is eating you up inside."
"You have no idea…" I whispered then I covered my mouth. "I'm sorry. It's not my place to complain."
"Isabella…" Carlisle stated. "You don't have to keep all of your feelings hidden away."
"For the sake of my people, I say otherwise." I told him seriously.
"Ah…I see… Would you speak of your problems to me?" Carlisle wondered. We sat in silence for a few minutes.
"I don't want this…not at all… But fate at least was somewhat kind… Edward was the only kind man in the group… at least I won't be murdered in my sleep." I rolled my eyes.
"Edward wouldn't dare hurt you." Carlisle practically growled. "And if he did I would give him more than just a piece of my mind. You needn't ever worry about him hurting you."
"I trust you raised him well, Carlisle… I just don't want to be forced into something."
"I understand that…"
"I wanted to choose for myself… Fate doesn't smile on me though… It truly never has."
"Who would you have chosen, had you had a choice?" Carlisle wondered.
"Edward…" I whispered quietly. I knew it was the truth. He was the only man I knew who I cared about more than just a friend, the only decent man I knew who wasn't already married. The only man who had ever made my icy heart melt.
"Mm…" Carlisle sighed. I was thankful that he didn't judge me. I knew that I sounded strange, saying I hated the idea of my wedding being tomorrow, while admitting that I would have picked Edward to marry anyway. "Have you told Edward?"
"We spent several hours talking about many things… I have to thank you for not telling him what I told you. You kept a secret for me…for many years."
"I would never divulge a secret." Carlisle smiled.
"Worse could happen to me I suppose…" I stated quietly. "So many bad things have happened to me… I guess this was as good as fate could afford to give me. It took my choices from me, but at least it chose someone morally sound."
"At the very least, he is lovable…" Carlisle smiled slyly at me.
"You're not going to drag that out of me so fast Carlisle. I never said I loved him."
"But you never said you didn't either." Carlisle winked teasingly.
"Ugh, you're worse than my father." He chuckled loudly.
"It's your choice, Bella… I just want you to be happy. You deserve happiness."
"I can't run away from this… My people need support… I can let them see my fear of not having choices. It would cripple them. I won't do it… But I will not ever say that I am happy to be forced into a corner. I would have liked to have had the chance to walk up to Edward and get to know him, before I was told I was to marry him."
"Did you get to know him today?"
"A little…" I nodded.
"Any problems?" Carlisle asked.
"Not with him…" I answered. "Though, I fear my—overly strong—personality might hurt him."
"He's a tough kid, he needs someone who can stand up to him and outsmart him." Carlisle smiled. "If I may be forward, I think you might just balance him out." I blushed lightly. He pulled me into a fatherly hug. "Isabella, you don't ever have to feel afraid. Edward will understand if you only speak to him. All of the Cullens are here for you, alright? No need to be shy." Carlisle pulled away from me and smiled.
"Thanks." I grinned back.
"You've grown up… I failed to mention that. The time you visited my palace you were a young girl… You are grown up now…"
"Did you like me better as a sixteen year old…or now?" I asked teasingly.
"Hmmm…. Now I think… You seemed to have too much on your shoulders back then. You've grown into it now." He smiled and helped pull me to my feet.
"At least I know I'm not becoming a worse person… Some days I feel like I am getting worse…." Carlisle took my arm in his gently.
"You're a good person, Isabella…don't let yourself think any different." Carlisle sighed. "That's why I could never be more happy that you are marrying my Edward. You will be good for him."
"Bella…" I said after a moment. He seemed to understand because he smiled down at me.
"I will be happy to have you in the family, Bella."
"I am glad to have earned the approval of someone so wise." I bowed my head.
"It was easily given, Bella." Carlisle smiled at me sweetly. I had a feeling that he would be the most amazing father-in-law I could ever hope for… Perhaps life wasn't all that bad.
888
I could feel Angela's hands run through my hair slowly. She was pinning it up into soft curls in the back. "You look beautiful, Bella." Angela said softly.
"Thank you…" I whispered quietly.
"I thought you would have left, kicking and yelling by now." Angela commented as she pulled me to my feet.
"I thought it was better not to fight—" I doubled over in pain, holding back a rather unladylike curse as Angela tightened a corset around me.
"Are you alright, Bella?" Angela asked worriedly.
"The fight yesterday…I can feel the bruises now… They hurt…" I complained. Most of them hurt, but one in particular was being a pain. It was on my right side…one that had been given to me by Edward's sword.
"I'll be gentle…" Angela replied simply. "I thought Phoenix never got bruises." Angela teased as she worked quickly, leaving the corset slightly loose around me, thank God for that.
"Phoenix gets hurt sometimes." I told her quietly.
"I guess the chap does get hurt at times…you poor little thing… I don't know how you take such a beating all of the time." Angela commented.
"Some days I don't know how I do it either…"
"You are just a strong woman is all… I think there should be more people out there like you." Angela smiled.
"Did you know in the uncontrolled lands in the Amazon most woman are the hunters rather than men?" I wondered.
"No… I didn't… Where did you hear this?" Angela inquired curiously as she went to my closet.
"On my trip to the country of Rio… I passed through the Amazon…I met some of the people there… They have quite a perspective on life… They all thought good of me for what I did… I fit in according to their culture." I smiled.
"Someday you might just fit into our culture as well… Ideals change over time." Angela grinned at me.
"I doubt I will ever truly fit in." I laughed. "I don't think there will be a time in my lifetime where people will accept who I am."
"I accepted it." Angela stated.
"You didn't talk to me for a month, Ang." I retorted playfully.
"You have a point…" Angela smiled at me. "People might not take to it too well…"
"People didn't take well to a princess using the authority of a king, but I did it anyway." I winked.
"Most people enjoyed it though… Come to think of it, have you left any rules unbroken?"
"A few…" I stated. A very small number… maybe five…
"Well, you're not so bad…even if you are a bit of a rebel, you at least take care of everyone else before you, that has to count for something." Angela smiled.
"It must…" I agreed. "I'm only a bit of a rebel…I feel insulted." There was a knock at the door as Angela helped me put on the overly ornate dress.
"One moment!" Angela called loudly. She began to tie the back of my dress and made sure there were no flaws before she went to the door. Alice stepped into the room and her jaw dropped when she looked at me.
"Oh…my…God." Alice gasped.
"Do I look that bad?" I wondered, the dress was obscenely gaudy.
"You look beautiful…" Alice stated with wide eyes. "I'm jealous."
"Alice you shouldn't ever feel jealous of anyone." I told her. She blushed but shook her head.
"You look amazing." Suddenly Rose came around the corner.
"Oh my…" Rose raised her eyebrows. "You are going to knock everyone dead. You look wonderful… You're needed downstairs." Rose stated. I took a deep breath and began to walk down the stairs towards where the wedding was supposed to take place. I sat down on my way there just to think for a moment.
"I could kidnap you if you'd only ask…you don't have to do anything you don't want to do." I heard a voice that was half-serious, half-teasing tell me.
"Jake!" I shouted before running up to him and hugging him.
"You look beautiful." He smiled at me when he let me go. "The offer still stands. I'll drag you away while you pretend to kick and scream." He winked.
"While the offer is tempting…everyone who knows me well will know that I allowed it to happen… They will know I was afraid." I frowned. Jake lifted my head and looked at me.
"If he ever hurts you, tell me… I'll beat the hell out of him and I'll burry him in my backyard." Jake stated. "Sorry for the crass language."
"What crass language, I didn't hear anything bad, did you?" I asked teasingly. "If he hurts me I'll beat him up and send him to you alright?" I asked.
"Okay…but I get dibs on killing him." Jake grinned. He kissed me gently.
"Bella, come on…" Charles called me. I'm glad it was him. He knew Jacob and I were friends if anyone else would have come around the corner I would forever have the word whore written on my forehead.
"Go on…" Jacob nodded, hugging me one last time before sending me to my father…
A/N: Got any cool new year's resolitions?
Did you like the chapter?
Hmm...what's going to happen next chapter...
Well, talk to you soon... Maybe you will see another update today :)
