Chap 10 is up! Lot's of thanks to Cindy who wants to beta this for me, thank's girl! And also to my faithfull folowers, you!

I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.

Bella wished she could speak but the tears would not stop, they kept coming. Carlisle let his hands comfortingly sliding up and down her back, up and down, up and back down again. Bella clung to him just as she had done last night. After what she felt was an eternity, she calmed a bit and seemed to have herself under control. Carlisle took her head in his hands and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. Bella looked at him and tried to smile. He leaned forward slightly and the next thing she felt were his lips on her cheeks, he lovingly kissed away her tears. He looked at her again and kissed her on the lips this time. The kiss began cautiously and slowly.

After the kiss, he looked at her, waiting for what she would do, how she would respond. Bella responded to him by kissing him back. She pressed herself against him, she felt Carlisle's lips move against hers, it felt like they were made for each other; they fit perfectly together. When he ran his tongue gently over her lower lip Bella opened her lips slightly and when their tongues touched she sighed longingly.

Bella turned her head and deepened the kiss. Carlisle slowly let his hands slide up over her back. Bella put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Carlisle let his hands slide down and he unconsciously made contact with her skin. It made Bella jump and she pushed him away.

"I'm sorry," Carlisle said, "I didn't ... I ..."

"It's okay," Bella said.

"No, it's not okay. You tell me the most horrible experience of your life, you relive your grief at the loss of your parents, make yourself vulnerable and I just go and..." Carlisle sighed and took her hands in his, "I don't want to take advantage of you."

"You're not," Bella said, and she laid her hand on his cheek. Carlisle put his hand upon hers and leaned against it. "Maybe we should just slow down a bit," Bella suggested.

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked.

"I mean that we should think about your kids, too."

"My kids are crazy about you, Bella," Carlisle reminded her.

"And I am crazy about them, too. You know that," Bella assured him, "but for them I'm just a friend, it's a completely different story if I would become your girlfriend. Maybe we should just keep it simple for your kids and tell them we like each other and want to know what our feelings towards each other really are. "

"That sounds like a good idea," said Carlisle and leaned towards her and gave her a kiss on her cheek. "Go out to dinner with me tonight," he whispered in her ear.

"I would love to," Bella laughed, "but who's watching your kids?"

"Esme," said Carlisle.

Belle suddenly stopped laughing and looked at him with wide eyes.

"You're kidding!" she said.

"No. I 'm not, She did come back to spend more time with them."

"And with you," Bella pointed out.

"The only one who I want to spend more time with, apart from my kids, is you."

"She is not going to like this," Bella warned.

"Leave Esme to me."

"Gladly." Bella laughed.

"I am supposed to meet her in a few minutes, I'll ask her right away," said Carlisle.

"Okay," she replied.

Carlisle gave her another kiss before he walked away. Bella followed him outside and watched him until he was out of sight then she walked back in, closed the door and leaned against it. She sighed and ran her fingers over her lips . She could hardly believe what had just happened, he had kissed her, and what a kiss. She was brought out of her thoughts by the phone.

"Bella speaking," she said cheerfully.

"So… you sound happy." She heard at the other end of the line.

"Susan!"

"Yes, it's me. Are you coming to work today? We could really use you here." she asked.

"Oh yeah, sure. I'll be there soon," Bella said.

"Good, I want to know everything!" exclaimed Susan.

"I have a lot to tell."

"I can not wait to hear," said Susan.

It was mid-morning when Bella walked into the coffeehouse and it was very busy. She quickly put on an apron and went to take orders. Only after the it became a little quieter and while Bella was cleaning a table, someone placed a cup of coffee in front of her.

"Oh, I could use one of those," she said.

Bella looked over and saw Susan standing next to her.

"Sit down and spill."

"Spill what?" Bella said as innocently as possible.

"Bella!" Susan replied.

"Okay okay, gee, where do I begin?"

"You said something about a sexy guy in a swimsuit?" Susan reminded her.

"Hmm, yes, good enough. You know most men shouldn't have such tight shorts but the way Carlisle wears them..." Bella sighed and got this dreamy look in her eyes.

"Continue," Susan urged.

Bella told her about the picnic, that Carlisle had to go suddenly and she had to watch the kids and how she suddenly panicked after Emmett was gone. She hesitated a moment and looked at Susan.

"Where was Emmett?" Said Susan.

"He was standing at my doorstep some time later,"

"Thank god."

"With his mother." Bella continued.

Susan nearly choked on a sip of coffee.

"What?"

"Yeah." Bella said and took a sip from her coffee.

"What did she want?" Susan asked and leaned slightly towards her.

"More time with the kids, and Carlisle. She wanted them to go home but Alice was already asleep, and Carlisle did not want to leave her alone so he and the kids stayed for the night."

"How did she respond to that?"

"She was not pleased. She came by again the next morning and they took the children to school. When he returned, he told Esme that if she wanted to talk to him, she had to wait until he has the time. After all, she was the one who left him. "

"Then she should realize that she can't expect him to drop everything when she suddenly reappears."

"No, indeed."

"I can not imagine anyone leaving him though."

Bella laughed and said that she thought the same, she also said that Esme left because she had too much trouble with the fact that he was always working and she felt that she was on her own.

"So she just left? Without talking to him?"

Bella nodded. She took another sip of her coffee and sighed.

"He treated her so coldly, as if she were a stranger to him," she said.

"I can imagine, but what does he want?"

"He says he wants to spend more time with me," Bella said and a smile appeared on her lips.

"Really?" Susan said incredulously.

"Yes, that night I had a nightmare about what happened and, well, Alice was lying beside me sleeping, I scared her a lot," she said softly, "Edward took her to the room where he and Emmett were sleeping. I just didn't want to be alone. "

"So he stayed with you," Susan filled in.

"Yes," replied Bella, "the next morning after the kids had gone to school, I told him about what happened."

"How did he respond?"

"Very sweet, he took me in his arms and comforted me and..."

"What?" Asked Susan, who hung on her every word.

"Then he kissed me." Bella said.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Wow. And now?" Susan asked.

"We decided it take it easy, he does have three small children and now I am just their friend but if I would become their father's girlfriend .."

"Are you afraid they will think that you want to take their mother's place or something?" Susan asked.

"I don't know, Susan," said Bella, and she leaned back, "I have no experience with these things. He wants to take me out to dinner tonight."

"You have said yes, right?"

"Yes, but now he is going to ask Esme if she wants to watch the children."

"So he can go out with you?" Susan said, laughing.

"Yes, she will not like it, I think."

"No, I'm sure she wont," Susan said, still laughing.

"Susan listen, I know I promised to tell you what happened and I still plan on doing that."

"Honey, it's okay. I'm just glad that someone knows," she said as she grabbed Bella's hand across the table and squeezed it, "So, where are you going tonight?"

"There's this new Italian restaurant that just opened a little further down the street, I wanted to try that."

"Sounds good," commented Susan.

After Bella had finished her coffee she continued cleaning up the tables and Susan went into the kitchen to help clean that. The rest of the day was fairly quiet and at the end of the afternoon, Susan walked up to her.

"Why don't you go home, so you can make yourself pretty for your date," she said laughing.

"You'll be okay here?" Bella asked.

"Yes. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow."

On the way home Bella realized that she was really looking forward to the dinner, it seemed already years ago that she had last been out. She had been in school, her mother had stood by the window when she was picked up and her father had stayed up until she got home, then he quickly went to bed. He denied, of course, but Bella had seen him looking through that same window. Without knowing she had stopped walking. Her parents, they would have been happy for her, but they would never know him, never know what a great guy Carlisle was and how great his kids were.

"Bella?" she suddenly heard.

She turned and looked straight in the eyes of Jason from the bakery.

"Jason, hi."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes," Bella said and she smiled at him, "everything's fine."

"I saw you coming and since you're crazy about chocolate croissants, I still have one left."

"That's nice of you Jason, but I'm going out to dinner tonight."

"Oh well, good for you, and who is the lucky guy?" he asked.

Bella suddenly didn't know what to say, Carlisle was a respected member of the community and had the respect of people. What would they say if he, the father of three small children, was going out with someone?

"You don't have to say if you don't want too," he said.

"It's Carlisle," she said suddenly.

"Dr. Cullen?" Jason said, surprised.

"Yes."

"Really? I didn't know he was dating again," Jason said, surprised.

"He'll pick me up later, I wanted to go to that new Italian restaurant."

"That is supposed to be very good, enjoy it and have fun, Bella," he said laughing, "and take this with you, put it in the fridge for tomorrow morning." He said before he walked back to his bakery.

Bella laughed and walked back home.