Carlisle's POV

"We need to be more careful. Bella is closer to finding out that you are her mate than it is intended for her to be," Alice warned me with a troubled expression.

I frowned. "How? We had never hinted that she was," I pointed out.

She nodded solemnly. "Yes we did, but not intentionally. She already thinks that it's strange that I sent you to save her without deciding to go myself. She was already suspicious when you said that the matter was personal where discussing if you had a mate was concerned. And when I told her that I sent you because you were a doctor, and that you could tend to her if she had gotten hurt, she knew that I wasn't being entirely truthful. And she could tell that I was lying when I pretended not to know why she was important to our family. She knows that we are keeping something from her."

Jasper agreed with her. "If Bella doesn't piece this together from the information that you two gave her, or didn't give her, she will in another way."

"And what way is that?"

"You heard her when she told her friend Gabrielle that she thought that she had a crush on you. But now, she is beginning to realize that she is infatuated with you. Bella is really drawn to you, Carlisle, and she craves your presence to the point where she is addicted to it. And that's saying something, considering the fact that she has only known you for four days. In addition to that, I have fed off quite a large amount of bewilderment from her when she is around you."

Alice broke into the conversation once more. "Yes. I had also seen that Bella realizes that she would do anything to oblige you. Plus, she realizes that if she refused to do anything for anyone else, she would do it for you if you asked her to. However, she plans to put all of this to a stop and help herself more often, or let one of us help her, though she is willing to let you assist her at times. Bella does not want you to think that she is too reliant on you, for fear that you will push her away or become distant from her, especially if she thinks that you know that she is infatuated with you."

I scowled in disbelief. "But I would never-!" I began.

Alice held up her hand. "Yes, we know that, Carlisle. The fact is, however, that Bella does not. And you can see where she is coming from. She is very intelligent for her age, as we all know. She knows what could happen if she let herself get carried away by her feelings, and threw herself upon you because of them. Moreover, she doesn't want you to get into trouble, and I can't blame her. If someone thought that you were close to her in an inappropriate way, you would be in trouble. And Bella doesn't want that because she really cares for you," she remarked.

Alice and Bella had a point. "So, what should I do? I don't want to tell her that she is my soul mate just yet," I said.

"Don't do anything. Just pretend as if we didn't have this conversation and keep going as if you don't know how she feels about you. Remember, if she figures out that you know, even the slightest bit, she may distance herself from you. But you know that it will be difficult for her, as your bond is very strong."

"And if she finds out that we are soul mates?"

Pursing her lips, Alice replied, "I don't know, but if she does, I'll know what her intentions are. If it's anything that will get you in trouble, I could waylay her. However, I don t think that there is much chance that I'll have to do that, knowing Bella."

I nodded.

No one did very much for the next few hours. I started to read a medical journal, sometimes drifting out of focus when I was lost in thought.

When night fell, I put on a light jacket and grabbed my keys.

"Where are you going?" Esme asked in curiosity.

"Nowhere of importance. I'll be back soon," I replied before shutting the door. There was something I wanted to do, but didn't tell anyone, though Alice and Edward knew. I left the apartment and stepped into my Mercedes.

Bella's POV

My headache was gone by the time I woke up early the next morning. I sat up and yawned, feeling well rested. I was astounded that I haven't had a nightmare for two nights in a row. I hoped that they would stay away.

It was quiet. For a second I thought that Alice, Jasper, and Carlisle may have been asleep, but then I remembered everything they had told me the day before.

I was about to climb out of bed when I spotted something on the side-table drawer on my right. On four green stems were orange and yellow bells shaped like flowers. I shook them, and the sound of aerial chimes filled the room, making me smile. A book, called Emily of New Moon that was tied with a stripped orange and yellow ribbon, laid next to it. I had never read it before, but it had to be good. After all, it was written by L.M. Montgomery. There was also a dish of Jolly Ranger and chocolate caramel Creme Saver candies, which was placed closer to the bed. Finally, there were a dozen medium-sized glass sculptures of beautiful, sparkling ducks and swans. There was no note saying who gave me these gifts, but somehow, I already knew.

I thought that he was only messing around about giving me bedside presents!

"Carlisle?" I called in a low, soft voice.

There was a knock on the door before Carlisle entered the room. Such a gentleman; he really didn't having to do that. It wasn't as if I didn't know he was coming.

"Yes?" he inquired.

I went over to him and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," I whispered. I didn't want to say that it was unnecessary to give me the gifts. That would hurt his feelings.

Carlisle's POV

My cheek felt both hot and tingly when Bella kissed it. Even when she moved away, the sensation remained, unnerving me. Thank goodness that I could not blush!

"You are welcome, Bella. But how did you know that I was the one who put the flowers and the book and the candy there? It could have easily been Edward," I pointed out.

Bella nodded, considering this. "Yes, that's true. It could have been him, but I don't know how I knew it was you. I just did. But I thought that you and Edward were just joking around with each other," she remarked.

I smiled a little. "We were not joking at all. Well, I was serious about leaving presents on your drawer. Nevertheless, I am positive that Edward, and maybe even Esme, would give you anything that you wanted, if you asked them. As long as it wasn't something that you did not need or wasn't good for you."

"Oh. Well, thank you again, for everything. They are all very nice gifts, Carlisle. I really like them. You are so sweet." She embraced me once more. "But you know that you don't have to-"

"I am pleased that you like them, Bella. And don't worry about anyone giving you anything. It is no trouble at all, my dear." I was still grateful that I could not blush. She thought that I was sweet! I knew that it was silly to feel so elated over a mild compliment, but I just couldn't help myself.

Bella's POV

After a moment, Carlisle planted a kiss on my forehead and backed away.

I did the same. "Well...I'm going to get dressed. I'll see you guys in a bit," I added.

Carlisle bobbed his head and grinned, then left the room.

Within a half an hour, I had taken a shower and put on some clothes. I went to the kitchen to see Carlisle and Esme making breakfast.

"You don't have to cook for me, you know," I declared in a polite voice.

Esme waved her hand. "It's no trouble at all, sweetie. You may sit down and relax," she assured me.

"No really, I appreciate everything you're doing for me. Don't get me wrong. But I'm used to making food for everyone else including myself," I grunted, attempting to edge into the spot between them.

"Hold on. What do you mean?" she demanded in a puzzled voice, laying a hand on my arm to stop me.

"I mean that when I...I lived with my mother and stepfather and visited my dad, I cooked all of the meals unless we ordered out. Besides that, I paid the bills, did the laundry, took care of the bookkeeping, and cleaned the house."

"Damn!" Alice exclaimed. "It's no wonder that you don't know how to have fun! How long has that been going on?"

"Watch your mouth, please," Carlisle admonished.

I glanced at her. "Since I was ten," I responded.

Carlisle frowned. "Did they make you do all of this?"

I shook my head. "No. Mom and Dad didn't know how to cook. My stepdad Phil knew how to a little, but not much. He only knew how to cook "fast food." Mom and Phil were always busy with the work that they brought home anyway, so they didn't have much time to tend to the house. And Dad was occupied too, with all of the paperwork that he used to receive." I tried to take the skillet from him, but he held it above my head. I kept jumping to reach it, which made him laugh. "Come on! Give me the skillet. Please?"

Carlisle stuck his tongue out at me. "Nope! Sorry!"

Esme pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. "Hmm. Well, you don't have to do any of that here," she stated.

"Come here, you stubborn thing," Carlisle murmured affectionately, placing the skillet on the stove. He lifted me up and plopped me down onto a chair at the table. "We'll take care of everything. All we want is for you to relax, have fun, and be a teenager."

"But I hardly know how to be a teenager! And besides, how will I earn my keep?" I protested.

He smirked at me. "We'll worry about that later. And I'm sure that the others, especially Emmett, can show you how to be a teenager."

I relented. I just couldn't refuse him or argue with him, no matter how much I wanted to. "All right."

Carlisle pecked me on the cheek and returned to the stove. I almost wished that he wouldn't give me kisses. My skin would burn and prickle where his lips touched it every time he did, which was odd, because his skin was cold. Truthfully, however, I didn't mind it at all.

Not long afterwards, a plate of scrapple with an omelet, and a cup of grape juice, was laid in front of me. A lump rose in my throat, and tears filled my eyes.

"Bella, what's the matter?" Jasper queried.

I wiped my eyes. "Nothing," I replied in a thick voice. I hurriedly took a bite of my food.

"Something is wrong. Why don't you tell us what it is?" Esme questioned in a soft whisper, stroking my back.

"It's nothing, really. Scrapple and omelets just remind me of Mom. It was her favorite breakfast," I sniffed.

"Oh, I see. If you would like to eat something else, I'll be more than happy to-"

I held up my hands. "No, no! It's okay, I don't mind having this for breakfast. I just felt a little sad for a moment, that's all. I'm fine."

To prove my point, I continued to eat the meal, although it was with a heavy heart. Esme looked as if she wanted to say something else, but decided not to. Everyone else glanced at me in sympathy.

When the last bit of my omelet was gone, Carlisle took my plate and silverware. "I'll wash these for you, Bella. You may do whatever you like," he remarked with a gentle smile.

"I'll help you," I offered, standing up.

"That's all right, Bella, but it won't take long for me to clean up. Go and have some fun," Carlisle insisted.

"But-" I tried to protest. And he says that I'm stubborn. Rosalie is right. He is going to spoil me rotten, I thought to myself.

Alice stepped into the kitchen and took my hand in hers. "Come on, Bella. We'll find something to do," she said, leading me into the living room. "Do you want to watch TV?"

I shook my head. "No," I grumbled, knowing that the only thing that would be discussed or shown was the terrorist attacks. I didn't even want to think about it right then.

"We don't have to specifically watch TV. We have movies, you know. Here-pick a few," Alice requested.

"Okay," I whispered with a sigh as she pulled me down in front of the entertainment center.

There were many movies to choose from. After much consideration, I pulled out Rush Hour, Carrie, and Shakespeare in Love. Carlisle joined Alice, Esme, Jasper, and I before Alice could even turn the DVD on.

Just as Rush Hour was starting, Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie arrived, and they decided to watch the movie with us.

Alice, Jasper, Edward and Esme sat on the couch. Emmett and Rosalie settled themselves on the loveseat. I perched on the floor in front of Rosalie, where I could see the TV better. And as usual, Carlisle relaxed in his armchair.

It was then that I was hit with a sudden thought. Carlisle had to be the most loneliest person in the family. All of his children had found their soul mates, but he himself did not have one after all these years-as far as I knew. Of course, I was still unsure about it because he didn't really answer my question when I asked if he hadn't found his. I hated to see him all by himself. Before I knew what I was doing, I was sitting down before him instead, leaning my head against his knees.

Carlisle stroked my hair, then picked me up and set me on his lap.

I snuggled into him. The floor wasn't very comfortable anyway. "Aren't you getting annoyed by me yet?" I was compelled to inquire.

"No, of course I'm not. Whatever gave you that notion?" he chuckled.

"We seem to hang around each other a lot. I'm sure that you don't want to be bothered by a pesky teenager."

He rose an eyebrow. "Do you really think that you're pesky?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. But I'm sure that you must think that I am."

"I don't think that you are the least bit pesky. Just very selfless and stubborn at times, but in a good way."

"Oh." I sighed to myself in relief. I was glad that he didn't find me irritating.

Carlisle tucked my head under his chin. "What did you come over here for, if you don't mind me asking? Sorry if my question came off as rude; I did not intend for it to be," he remarked.

I grinned at him. "I know that you didn't. You just...appeared lonely to me, I guess," I mumbled, embarrassed by that admission.

"And I thought that I was the sweet one..."

I blushed. "Shut up."

Carlisle snickered and kissed the top of my hair. "Thank you for deciding to keep me company. I was a little lonely."

"Shhhh! Be quiet!" Emmett hissed.

I turned and blew a raspberry at him.

"GRRRR!" Emmett growled mockingly, standing up and hurling a pillow at me.

Carlisle deflected it. "Enough of that. Pick up the pillow, sit down, and watch the movie, please."

Pretending to glare at me, Emmett muttered, "You're lucky that Carlisle blocked the pillow for you."

"Don't get mad at me because he bossed you," I snorted.

Everyone laughed.

Carlisle's POV

How could Bella tell that I felt lonely? Did I make it obvious that I was? Or was it because she noticed that I was sitting all by myself, when Edward and the others were sitting with their mates, and pitied me because she believed that I didn't have one? Well, it wasn't as if she knew that she was my mate. Still, I didn't want her to feel sorry for me, even though I thought that it was very endearing that she did.

Bella's POV

For the next several hours, we continued to watch the movies I had picked out, plus another two that Alice chose to see. By the time they were over, the sun had set. The sky was orange-yellow and pink.

"Well, I guess I better pack my suitcase if I'm going to stay at Emmett and Rosalie's for a while," Jasper declared, heading for his and Alice's bedroom.

She trailed after him. "I'll help. Besides, I have to pack too."

I climbed off of Carlisle's lap, regretting it instantly because I was so comfortable, and made my way to the kitchen. I was hungry and wanted some ice cream. However, when I peeked inside the freezer, I saw that there wasn't any.

I grabbed some money from my purse before going back to the living room. "Is there a store nearby? I wanted to buy some ice cream," I stated.

"There is a grocery market around the corner. As soon as you walk out the apartment, go left and make a left turn at the end of the block," Carlisle instructed. He pulled a wallet out of his back pocket, reached inside, and held out a ten dollar bill.

I pushed his hand away. "You don't have to give me any money. I have some."

He smirked and rolled his eyes. "Please take it anyway, Selfless Bella, in case you find anything else you would like. And here are the keys."

There was no point in arguing. "If you insist." I took the bill with resignation. "I'll be right back."

"All right. Be careful," he warned.

I slid on my jacket and left the apartment.

Carlisle's POV

Edward shook his head at me. "You're acting more like her parent than Esme and I are, Dad," he chortled.

I chuckled. "No. More like a doting, spoiling, supporting older brother," I amended.

Esme harrumphed. "You're right about that," she whispered.

Bella's POV

I found the market with no trouble. I picked up a basket that was standing near the automated doors. After that, I walked around, searching for the frozen foods. They turned out to be in the aisle on the far right.

I put a container of chocolate ice cream inside the basket, as well as cookie and cream ice cream. That was all I meant to get, but then I spotted some bags of fresh green grapes, so I threw one in the basket.

A short time later, I was standing in line with a basket full of healthy things to eat. In addition to the ice cream and grapes, I picked out some baby carrots, a bag of garden salad, ranch dressing, two packs of ground turkey, four apples, four oranges, and a loaf of wheat bread. Carlisle was right to give me an extra ten dollars; the ground turkey cost more than three dollars!

The line moved sluggishly. By the time I made it to the checkout, fifteen long minutes had passed. I quickly paid for the food and headed home, groaning with relief. Waiting in lines for a certain amount of time was so tedious.

I entered the apartment building and headed for the elevator. It was broken, so I had to take the stairs. I went up slowly, pausing to rest and catch my breath on each landing.

When I reached the landing between the third and fourth floors, I could hear thumping coming from the other side of Carlisle's door. I took a deep breath before going up the stairs.

"Is that everything?" I heard Emmett call to someone.

"Yeah!" Jasper yelled to him.

"All right."

Suddenly, the door was pushed open. "Move aside, please Bella!" Emmett proclaimed, tossing a suitcase out of the door.

"No!" I heard Alice scream at the same moment that he said that.

Alice's voice distracted me, and before I could move, the suitcase hit me right in the gut. I lost my balance and flew down the stairs. My groceries bags were jerked out of my hands. The next thing I knew, the left side of my head (where my hair was) crashed into the railing, and I tumbled the rest of the way down. I heard more gasps, and then everything was black.

Carlisle's POV

Seething with rage, I went downstairs to get Bella. Alice and Esme picked up the groceries that she had dropped while Edward, Jasper, and Rosalie were bitterly scolding Emmett.

"Emmett, you nincompoop!" Rosalie screeched.

"Why would you do something like that!?" Jasper demanded.

"Are you fucking brainless!? Have you taken leave of your senses!?" Edward fumed.

I glanced at him. "Language, Edward!" I proclaimed in a stern voice.

"Do you need me to call an ambulance, Dr. Cullen?" my neighbor, Miss Torrington, queried as I lifted Bella up.

"No, thank you. I have everything under control," I grunted.

I laid Bella carefully on the sofa and checked for any broken bones. Luckily, she didn't have any, although she had a few bumps and bruises that (thankfully) weren't visible. There was no internal or external bleeding, and she was breathing on her own. Still, she needed to go to the hospital right away.

When I was sure that Bella wasn't too hurt, I pivoted and yanked Emmett up by his collar.

"How could you be so damn heedless, Emmett!? Didn't you hear her coming up the stairs!?" I bellowed in his face, shaking him back and forth. Jasper tried to calm me down, but his efforts were futile.

He cringed, not used to seeing me this infuriated. "Yes-" he faltered.

"Then why the FUCK did you throw the suitcase out of the door!?" I was not proud of my usage of language, but at the moment, I was too enraged to give a shit.

"I...I didn't think..."

"That is apparent! I swear, Emmett McCarty Cullen, that if I found out that she has permanent brain damage, you will be disowned! DO YOU HEAR ME!?"

"Y-yes, sir..."

Rosalie pulled me away from him. "Let him go! It was only an accident!" she growled defensively.

I took a deep breath and attempted to compose myself. "Fine. Edward, get Bella's medical insurance card, please, and take her to Lenox Hill. I'll accompany you and Esme. Alice, Jasper, you can either stay here or go hunting."

"Can...can we come with you?" Emmett asked, indicating himself and Rosalie.

I squinted at him. "All right," I conceded. "But if I find out that she is seriously harmed, you had better run like hell. Do you understand?"

He nodded. "Yes, sir."

After I had put on a jacket, I carried Bella out of the apartment and into my Mercedes. Edward drove while Esme sat beside him, and I held Bella in the backseat. Emmett followed us in his jeep.

She was still unconscious when we arrived at the hospital a half an hour later. One of my friends from the ER, Dr. Lawrence, immediately had her placed on a stretcher. After we explained what happened, she told me and my family to sit in the waiting room. Edward went up to the front desk to fill out her medical information.

Time seemed to pass by slowly as we waited. I tried to read a few magazines, but it was difficult for me to pay attention to them. I gave it up after a few minutes and paced around the room.

Finally, after more than an hour, Dr. Lawrence entered the room. "Mr. Cullen?" she announced.

Edward and Esme stood, as did Rosalie and Emmett.

"You can see Bella now. She's in room 214," Dr. Lawrence stated.

"How is she?" Edward inquired.

She smiled brightly. "Bella is very fortunate. Other than a mild concussion, and some bruises and a bump on her head, there are no sprains, fractures, broken bones, or any other brain injuries. We will keep her here for the night just to be safe, but after that, she will be able to go home."

Everyone sighed heavily in relief.

I turned to Emmett. "Consider yourself lucky," I hissed at him before we made our way upstairs.

Bella's POV

The first thing I heard as I slipped into consciousness was the familiar beep, beep, beep, of a heart monitor. I could also smell alcohol and hear machines whirring.

I groaned in irritation. I was in the hospital...again, for I didn't know how many times. It had to be more than one hundred. I groaned once more.

"Bella?" the voice of a Greek god murmured. "Bella, are you awake?"

"Mmm-hmm," I grunted. With a tiny effort, I opened my eyes.

Carlisle, Edward, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie were sitting around my bed, their faces creased with anxiety. For a brief minute, I wondered where Alice and Jasper was, but then I realized that it would have been difficult for him to control himself in the hospital, with so many people around and all.

"Bella? Are you feeling any pain?" Carlisle whispered, jerking me out of my reverie.

I did not respond at first. With another grunt, I shifted from left to right a little. A wave of dizziness caused me to stop. "W-Whoa."

"Try to keep still, my dear. You have a mild concussion."

"Oh. Okay." That explained the dizziness. "My head, arms, and legs hurt, and so does my stomach, but not much."

Carlisle grinned. "Wonderful. They must have given you some painkillers, then."

I nodded infinitesimally. "Yeah. How long will I be here?"

"Until tomorrow morning, but only for safety precautions."

Sighing deeply, I mumbled, "I guess that that's not too bad."

"No, it's not. By the way," Carlisle stated abruptly, turning to glare at Emmett, who was on my right. The way that he looked at him made me tremble. "Someone owes you an apology for being the reason why you were brought here in the first place."

Rosalie scowled at him. "Carlisle. You know that he's sorry. Just leave him alone!" she almost yelled.

I was taken aback, and strangely very upset as well, not liking the way she spoke to him. Why was she so angry with him? And why was I more angrier than I should have been?

"Watch your tone, young lady," Carlisle ordered. He shifted his attention back to Emmett. "Well?"

Emmett clutched my hand. "I really am sorry Bella. I shouldn't have threw the suitcase in the first place," he remarked.

"It's okay. I know that you didn't mean to hit me with it. It's my fault for being too slow to move out of the way. I forgive you," I assured.

He smiled in relief. "Thank you, Bella, but it's not your fault. If I hadn't thrown the suitcase, you wouldn't even be here. You would have eaten some cookie and cream ice cream and have gone to bed by now."

I chuckled. "Maybe."

Presently, after a long while, a doctor came in the room. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that you have to leave. Miss Bella needs her rest," she announced.

Esme walked over to me and kissed my forehead. "Edward and I will pick you up in the morning, baby. Love you."

"Love you too, Esme. Bye, guys."

"See you tomorrow, Bella. I love you," Edward stated, kissing my cheek.

"I love you too, Edward."

Rosalie and Emmett both gave me soft hugs. Carlisle did too, and placed so many smooches on my forehead that I began to giggle and protest.

"You coddle me too much," I hissed so that the doctor wouldn't hear, continuing to laugh.

"I can't help it that you're 'codd-able.'" He kissed me on the head one last time. "I love you, my dear."

Heat boiled in my heart, then spread to my limbs. I felt my face turning red. What the fuck? Why did I react to one simple statement so...so powerfully? Hell, why did I react to Carlisle himself so powerfully? I could understand why I would have a crush on him (after all, who wouldn't? He was too fucking handsome!)

But, I suddenly realized that my feelings for him ran far deeper than just a mere crush. It was, for lack of a better word, more like infatuation or obsession.

And it was really beginning to frighten me.

Deciding to worry about this later, I pecked him on the cheek. "You are so corny, Carlisle," I teased, rolling my eyes. Then I embraced him gently so that I wouldn't hurt my arms. "I love you too."

Carlisle patted my hair lightly. "I will see you when you get home in the morning," he muttered.

I nodded, and he and the others left the room quietly.

I wished that Carlisle was able to stay with me.

Carlisle's POV

When Bella said that she loved me, an abundance of joy rushed through me. I had to prevent myself from laughing in exultation and whooping and shouting praises, like I had when I found out that I could survive on animals' blood. That was how happy I was.

Edward grinned at me as we left the hospital. "Your thoughts have been very upbeat lately," he joked, nudging me.

"Perhaps," I said in a half-casual voice, but made no further comments.

We stepped into my Mercedes while Rosalie and Emmett climbed into the latter's jeep. We drove our vehicles back to our homes, then proceeded to go hunting. We jumped across the rooftops of upper Manhattan, moving too fast for human eyes to even catch a glimpse of us, until we reached the city's limits. After that, we quickly bolted into the woods.

It wasn't long before we spotted a herd of deer. My throat was burning so much that it ached, and it took four deer to get rid of the pain. I should not have allowed myself to become so thirsty.

Once everyone had their fill, we headed back to Manhattan. The black sky changed to navy blue as we sped out of the forest. On the way back to my apartment, I stopped at a twenty-four hour market that was a few blocks from there to get a few things for Bella as a "Get well" present. Edward and Esme went back to their house to spend some time alone with each other. Emmett and Rosalie chose to go to my apartment to wait for Bella's return.

After I had purchased what I had intended to buy, I made my way home. Emmett and Rosalie were watching television. Alice and Jasper were nowhere to be seen, but I heard them talking in their bedroom.

"Aww, that was sweet of you to buy that for Bella," Alice called to me.

"Oh, mind your own business, pixie," I taunted flippantly, which made her laugh.

I put Bella's gift in the kitchen. Before she arrived, however, I would place it on her bed. It was too large to set it on her side-table drawer. Then, to pass the time, I checked a few things on my laptop and thought of what Bella might want for lunch-if she was given breakfast at the hospital, of course.

Bella's POV

Dr. Lawrence had a tray of chicken and vegetable soup, saltine crackers, and apple juice brought up to me after Carlisle and the others went home. I did not enjoy the meal. The soup was bland and crackers were partially stale. However, I ate it all because I hated to waste things.

Pretty soon, all of the food was gone. Dr. Lawrence did a brief check-up and asked a few unimportant questions. She was mainly curious to know what it was like to live with the Cullens and if I liked my new adoptive family. When she asked why Edward and Esme had taken me in, a lump rose in my throat, and I couldn't reply. Understanding that I did not want to talk anymore, she thankfully let me be.

For the rest of the night, I slept fitfully. It was difficult for me to get the rest that I needed, as I was uncomfortable. It did not help when I awakened every two hours to keep my concussion from becoming too serious. There were several dreams here and there, but they ended abruptly every time the doctor shook my arm, so I couldn't make head or tails of them. Maybe it was a good thing though, especially if they were nightmares. The last thing I wanted was to have a terrible dream in a hospital and embarrass myself by crying.

By the next morning, I was so exhausted due to lack of sleep that I could barely keep my eyes open. I hoped that Edward and Esme would come to pick me up soon. The only thing I wanted to do was go home and catch up on some sleep.

"Good morning, Miss Bella," Dr. Lawrence greeted. "Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"

My stomach rumbled, so I nodded. Unfortunately, my breakfast consisted of tasteless oatmeal, which was not improved even when I added all of the brown sugar that I was given. After I had eaten, I was allowed to take a shower. The warm water soothed my bruises.

When I had gotten dressed in the clothes that Esme left for me the previous night, I relaxed and watched TV until Dr. Lawrence came back at 9:05.

"Your parents are here, Miss Bella," she declared.

She moved aside, and Edward and Esme strolled into the room. Their eyes, which had been a very dark brown the night before, were bright gold once more. They must have went hunting.

I smiled faintly. "Hey," I murmured.

"Hi Bella," they replied at the same time, giving me a hug and a kiss. "How was her stay, Dr. Lawrence? Is she doing better?" Edward queried.

"Well, she seemed to have some trouble sleeping, but other than that, everything is great so far. Her concussion did not get worse, and no other neurological problems had developed. I'll give her one last examination, and if all is well, you can take her home," Dr. Lawrence stated.

Everything turned out to be just as good as she claimed, and after the check-up was over, I was cleared to leave. "Be sure to take it easy for a couple of days," Dr. Lawrence admonished.

Edward gathered up my belongings and we left the room.

We were halfway out of the lobby when a group of paramedics dashed into the hospital while pushing a stretcher. The man lying on it was terribly bruised up, and he had cuts and wounds all over him. Esme pulled me out of the way.

A nurse sitting behind the desk looked up. "Oh my goodness! What happened to him?" she breathed.

"This man was found at Ground Zero-the World Trade Center ruins," one of the paramedic explained when the nurse frowned at him in bewilderment. "Surprisingly, he still alive, but barely."

My head jerked up and my mouth fell as he said that. Could it be? A World Trade Center survivor?

I leaned to the side to peer at the man more closely. His hair was indescribably filthy, but glints of red stood out here and there. I was disappointed. I was praying that the man would turn out to be Charlie or Phil.

"Well, admit him right away, and I'll send a few doctors to examine him and find out who he is," the nurse remarked.

"Yes, ma'am," the paramedic responded.

Esme linked her arm through mine and led me out of the automated doors. After going to the parking lot, we got in Edward's car and drove home. I couldn't get the man out of my head through the entire trip.

If he had survived, was it even marginally possible that Mom or Charlie or Phil had as well? If they were still alive, that would be so wonderful! I missed them so much, and I would be beyond happy if I were to find out that they had not been killed at all.

For the first time in what seemed like years, I felt a glimmer of hope.

After we had parked in front of the apartment building forty minutes later, Edward opened the door for Esme and I. He lifted me up in his arms while Esme held my bag of clothes and toiletries.

"I know how to walk, Edward," I protested.

"I never said that you did not, but Dr. Lawrence advised you to 'take it easy.' I'm just following her orders. Besides, I don't want you to get even more tired by climbing up all of those stairs," he added.

"But I don't need to be carried. I'm not a baby. Carlisle spoils me enough as it is!"

Edward kissed my forehead. "Yes, you are a baby, Bella; you're mine and Esme's baby just as much as you are Carlisle's."

Aww shucks, here we go. I rolled my eyes.

Esme squeezed my hand. "That's right, and you're the cutest one in Manhattan," she proclaimed.

"Yes. Ga-ga, goo-goo, cutie baby," Edward cooed, tickling my chin.

"Stop," I giggled, flushing with embarrassment. I tried to swat his hand away.

By the time we had made it up to the fourth floor, we were all laughing hard.

Carlisle opened the door for us. "Welcome home, baby Bell-Bell! I'm pleased to see that you are well," he greeted, also snickering. He planted a big kiss on my cheek.

"Oh, shut up Carlisle!" I retorted, cracking up and shoving his head.

"Did you have breakfast?"

"Yes."

"Good. I have her, Edward."

He took me gently out of Edward's arms. "You look very sleepy, my dear," he commented.

I nodded. "Yeah. I didn't get as much sleep as I would have liked," I muttered.

"Well then, I'll take you to your room and you can have a little nap."

After saying hello to Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie, Carlisle carried me my room. Esme followed us.

When I turned to look at the bed, I gasped. A fuzzy woolen teddy bear with a golden, heart-shaped locket around its neck with resided on it. It was kind of large, but still small enough for me to sleep with. A basket of assorted fruits and huge multicolored lollipops was in front of it. I chortled when I saw a lavender-colored toothbrush that was in its package tied to where you held the basket. There was also a Get Well card. A one hundred dollar bill was enclosed, and I had to laugh when I saw that everyone had signed the card and left a brief note.

"Aww guys, you shouldn't have!" I joked. Carlisle, Esme, and the others chortled. "Thank you. I appreciate everything, but I'm sure that I won't need one hundred dollars anytime soon."

"Well, keep it anyway, Bella. You never know when you will," Esme pointed out.

Carlisle set the basket on the floor. Esme took off my shoes, laid me softly on the bed, and tucked me in. "There we go. Are you comfortable?" she asked.

I nodded again. "Yeah."

"How was your stay at the hospital?" Carlisle inquired.

"Not too bad," I replied with a shrug. "Oh, that reminds me. These paramedics had brought a man there from the World Trade Center. Would you believe it if I told you that he was alive, even after a tower collapsed on him?"

He was shocked. "I could, yes, even though I am greatly astounded that he is."

I buried myself deeper under the covers. "Me too, and I was thinking...do you think that my parents and stepfather may have survived as well?"

Esme looked thoughtful.

Carlisle also pondered my question and sighed deeply. "I won't lie to you, sweetheart. I highly doubt that they had...but perhaps they did. If the man had survived, then there is a chance that they may have also."

"Do you think that we could look for them? If they had been found, and they are alive, maybe they could be in a hospital somewhere?"

He pecked my forehead. "Yes, we could, if that is what you wish. I can call every hospital in Manhattan and see if I can locate them."

"And we can all help," Esme added.

They embraced me. "It isn't likely that...things will turn out all right. But don't give up hope, Bella. Don't give up on hope," Carlisle murmured.

I smiled. "Thanks Carlisle, Esme."

A moment later, they let me go. Carlisle stood and went to put the basket in the kitchen. Esme was leaving as well when I remembered something else.

"Esme?" I called to her.

"Yes, baby?" she questioned.

"Why did Rosalie get so upset with Carlisle last night? When he told me that Emmett owed me an apology? She looked as if she wanted to tear Carlisle's head off."

A grin tugged at the corners of her mouth. "You really are observant, Bella. Well, to put it simply, vampires get very defensive and territorial when it comes to sticking up for their mates. Of course, she was frustrated with Emmett for making you fall down the stairs, and so was everybody else. Carlisle was especially furious. You should have seen it then. Rosalie was about to tear his head off when he grabbed Emmett by his collar and screamed at him and cursed him out."

My jaw dropped. Carlisle yelling and swearing!? The idea of it was both astonishing and hilarious!

I would give him back his one hundred dollar bill just to hear him do both!

(A/N: Wow! That was something! I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while. Our computer monitor was causing me and my family a lot of grief and irritation, but we have a new one, so hallelujah! :) PLEASE REVIEW AND/OR LEAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS! Oh, and I set up a poll on the top of my page for this story. Please check it out. Thank you! And thank you for reading my story!)