Chapter 11

When Bella woke up the first thing was to search the room for Carlisle. He still sat next to her, looking as if he hadn't moved all night. Bella wondered if he ever slept, he never even seemed tired even though he barely had a moment to relax. But before she could think more intensely about Carlisle and his possible lack of sleep she noticed a tray next to her.

There were croissants that were still oven-warm, a can with orange juice that looked as if it had been freshly made and also a lot of fruits that looked delicious. There was also a bar of chocolate, the sort with caramel in it that Bella loved so much and a bouquet of violet orchids. This was a pleasant surprise to Bella considering that she usually ate a bowl of cereals every morning, during the five minutes she usually had between leaving the bathroom and having to leave the house for school. She looked at Carlisle in amazement and asked him "Did you do all this? How did you know that I just love those chocolate bars? "

"Well, I am a doctor, too. I thought it was about time you got something to eat and I thought you would surely appreciate a breakfast in bed, especially on a day as beautiful as this"

He didn't tell her that he had sent Alice to a bakery in France and a market in Spain to get these things, Bella still didn't know their secret and he didn't plan on telling her too soon.

How did he know what kind of chocolate she likes? Well, he'd also sent his sons Edward and Jasper to the Swan's house to get a few of Bella's things, so she would feel at home a little in this aseptic hospital room. Carlisle had set up a strict rule for that visit to the Swan's house: no invasive action whatsoever. He didn't want them to read her diary or to rummage around in her belongings. Their task was to get a few clothes for Bella, maybe a stuffed animal or some sort of talisman and if they found one, they could take an mp3 player, too.

Edward and Jasper came around when they had found these things and seized their chance of meeting Bella. She had still been asleep but for now the guys were content just watching their new companion. Bella's aura was special, they could feel it, too. If they hadn't known that Carlisle had already fallen for her, they would have told him that they seemed to match perfectly, so they just kept their thoughts to themselves. Jasper couldn't stand being around Bella for too long: he was tempted by her blood. And Jasper had another problem while being around her: He could feel what she felt. This had always been his ability, so feel what other people felt and then change and manipulate these emotions. Bella's emotions were far from ordinary though.

He could feel a sadness that was painful and almost made him wince when it took him by surprise, but there was also a feeling that Jasper didn't know. He couldn't find a word for it. "This must be what Alice has told me about" he said under his breath and said a quick goodbye to Carlisle so he didn't have to stand this clutter of emotions any longer. Edward took the chance and told Carlisle what he thought:

"Carlisle, I think you made the right decision. It's dangerous to let her take part in our family life, but I can see why you did this. Seeing you two, there's no doubt that there was a reason that she was brought into your life. This can't be a coincidence. I don't know her yet, there'll be plenty to catch up on later, but it seems that she is a little calmer than the rest of us, just like you are. Maybe she's the ease of mind we've been missing."

"Thank you, son." Carlisle responded and hugged his son. When Edward had left he carefully arranged Bella's belongings , put the stuffed bear they had found next to her pillow and arranged her clothes on a chair so she could change into some more comfortable and more familiar clothes later on. Putting her jacket onto the chair as well he noticed a rustling. First he assumed that Bella had woken up, but when he looked she was still fast asleep.

The rustling came from the jacket. Curious what would be in the pockets and deciding she wouldn't keep anything too private in them, he investigated them and found bars of Bella's favourite chocolate: crunchy caramel…

Bella didn't need a longer explanation right now. She believed Carlisle when he told her about his concerns, perfectly aware that she had barely eaten since she'd awoken from the coma. Usually she would have been embarrassed having Carlisle watch her eat, but she didn't care right now. Bella grabbed the croissant and took a mouthful.

Carlisle watched her eat and smirked, this was just like their first meeting: Bella was all concentrated and seemed to enjoy herself and he guessed she'd be embarrassed later on again, when she realized he'd been there all the time, watching her.

Bella ate it all: the fruits, the chocolate and the croissants, then looked at Carlisle and said

"Carlisle, Thank you. This was an excellent breakfast and I enjoyed it very much. In fact I think I never had a breakfast as good as this in my entire life." She smiled at him and added

"And thank you for the flowers …and for being around."

And so for the first time Carlisle felt he could embrace her, she didn't seem to mind being around him and she had opened up to him, this was a good sign.

He embraced her and so they stood for a while, feeling as if they could rule the world if they wanted to, listening to each other breathing and happy to know they were together and alive.