Disclaimer: Hey, not Stephanie, sorry if you're disappointed, but I don't think this is exactly a ship she would encourage…

A/N: Hey, so sorry this took a little while, but hey… it was a tough chapter for my little heart to write, I knew what was going to happen, and I didn't want it to… lol… Read. Enjoy. Review…

Inside Out

Chapter Twenty-Five – Forgotten?

Dr. Carlisle Cullen

Over the next few days, after my big birthday bash, I noticed just how much everyone in the house was getting to Sam. I really didn't like it one bit, Alex had stopped growling at him so much and Rosalie and Bella were hanging around him like he was some sort of celebrity. I especially didn't like how close he and Bella were getting, they were often seen when I got home out in the front yard playing with Carter and with Rosalie. Rosalie was Sam's daughter, a certain level of attachment was called for, but Bella was starting to worry me.

It wasn't a romantic attachment, merely a close friendship, one a lot like the one she had had with Jacob Black before he told her how he felt. It wasn't that I was worried about that either, it wasn't like it was such a bad thing she was paying a little less attention to me. He occupied her during the day when I was at work, and she shoved him aside when I got home. I wasn't jealous of their relationship. I was just concerned at what the outcome would hold when he decided to disappear again.

"Bella," I said one night, once we had put Carter to sleep, and I was waiting on the bed for her while she took the elastic out of her hair and placed it on her dresser.

"What?" She asked as she walked over, sat down beside me on the kissing me sweetly, the way that always left me craving more of her.

"I just wanted to remind you not to get too attached to Sam," I said and she looked at me like I was crazy.

"Why not?" She said, "He's a good guy."

"Bella, darling," I said as I reached up and tucked a misplaced hair behind her ear, "I've known this guy a long time. He's not a good guy."

"He's changed," said Bella, "You should see him, he's really very sweet. He's amazing with Rosalie, and Carter."

"Bella," I groaned as I let myself fall back onto the bed and she crawled up under my arm, "Just promise me you'll start keeping a little distance?"

"I will not," said Bella, "He's a good friend to have, Carlisle."

I groaned dejectedly and gave in. I had never really gotten into a fight with Bella, and I wasn't going to let Sam have the satisfaction of knowing that our first was over him. I would much rather us fight over something like Carter wanting to get a tattoo or something when he was older. I hated having to let Bella learn this one the hard way.

"I love you," I simply stated as she rolled over and hovered above me, hands on either side of my head.

"I love you more," she replied and she lowered herself slowly to attach her lips to mine.

I woke up the next morning and Bella was still sleeping like the angel she was in my arms. I kissed her head gently before carefully extracting myself from the bed, and her arms, which were surprisingly tight around me. I was trying not to wake her, but she did anyways and I kissed her before she could say a word.

"Good Morning, Beautiful," I whispered into her ear before giving it a little nibble.

"Mornin'," she said sleepily, her eye lids were heavy.

"Go back to sleep," I told her sweetly, "I'll be home around seven, ok?"

"Mmmm, ok," she said and I kissed her again before hopping out of the bed and heading for the shower.

I got dressed for work quickly before heading down the hall to do morning prep with Carter for Bella. I walked in softly and Alex raised his head to see me, then laid back down. I walked over to the crib and rubbed his stomach a little before lifting his sleeping form over to the changing table. Carter slept right through his diaper change, and was back in his crib within ten minutes. I went down to the kitchen and ate a quick breakfast before heading out to work.

"Good morning, Sheryl," I greeted my favorite nurse as I reached the nurses' station.

"Is it really?" said Sheryl as I sat down in one of the swivel chairs.

"I guess not," I replied, looking up at her concernedly, "Is something wrong?"

"No," she sighed, "I'm fine, how's the ex-brother-in-law?"

"He now has even Bella eating out of the palm of his hand," I replied and she looked at me as if to ask 'seriously?', "Though I take comfort that Carter still screams his head off when he tries to pick him up."

"As he should," said Sheryl and I chuckled, "Did you warn Bella?"

"Tried to last night," I said as one of the other, flirty nurses handed me a clipboard with a wink, but I ignored it.

"Eyes in your head, Lynn, or I'll have to glue them inside their sockets," she said angrily to her before turning back to me, "Tried to?"

"She wouldn't listen," I said, "I don't ever want to fight with her either, especially with something so trivial, that will settle itself out in a few days when he falls off the planet again."

"Nonsense, Carlisle," said Sheryl, as though what I had just said made absolutely no sense to her, "you fight for your girl."

"She's not in love with him or anything close," I said.

"Yet," said Sheryl, "Don't underestimate the power of geeky charm. It's how I ended up with Five kids."

"Mmm," I said, and shivered at the thought of Bella with Sam, I must've looked pretty off to Sheryl.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it, Carlisle," she said teasingly, in an attempt to erase what she'd said, "That girl has her head on straight. You two'll be fine."

I knew it was ridiculous anyways. I had already won her heart, it wasn't on the market anymore, and we had Carter, and she had her engagement ring. In about a month we would be husband and wife, and that was all there was to it.

I went through the rest of my day, happily joking around with Sheryl and whoever else she allowed to join us. She truly was Bella's eyes and my body guard while I was at work. We even got to save a few lives, all in all, it was a good day.

That is, until I walked into the kitchen at home. I walked in to quite a sight. Sam was helping Bella cook dinner while Rosalie fed Carter his dinner. I stood there in the doorway, until, finally, Carter noticed I was there and started to clap. I walked over to him and kissed the top of his head. I held a finger to my lips at Rosalie to tell her not to say anything. Bella was, to her defense, gazing out the window peeling a potato.

"Thinking of me?" I whispered suggestively into her ear as I snuck up behind her and kissed her cheek, placing my hands on her hips.

"Oh, hey Carlisle," she said as I leaned in for a kiss and she walked away, "I didn't here you come in."

I stood there for a second with my lips puckered up and my eyes open as I watched her shove the potato peelings down the garbage disposal. I frowned a little as she turned back around, so she wouldn't see me just hanging there, and went back over to take over feeding Carter.

"Well at least somebody's glad to see me," I muttered as I picked him up so he could sit on my knee while I fed him.

The kitchen was silent other than the occasional dialog between Bella, Sam, and Rosalie. After about a half hour Carter was full and I cleaned him up and put him to bed. I came down and they were all chatting and eating and laughing, Sam was in my seat between Rosalie and Bella. I grabbed a plate then sat down on the other side of Bella and started to eat. I was almost completely ignored throughout the entire dinner conversation, as they were talking about their trip to the mall earlier that day. As it sounded, they had treated Sam to just about every purchase, and when I said they, technically I meant I.

"Carlisle, you coming to Bed now?" Bella asked as she set her plate in the sink and Rosalie and her headed for the entrance to the living room.

"I'm going to do the dishes," I said as I finished up and headed over to the sink, "I'll be up in a few, love."

"I'll help you with those, Carlisle," said Max and he met me at the sink, "You rinse I'll put in the dishwasher?"

"Sure," I said rolling my eyes as he handed me a sponge.

"You really have to work at some of the pots before you put them in," he said and I nodded.

"I know," I said, kind of irritated.

"Ok," He said as he watched me, "You know, Carlisle, Bella's some girl, you should pay more attention to her."

"I don't think that's humanly, or superhumanly, possible," I said, who was he to give me advice on maintaining a relationship?

"That's true," said Sam, as though I had had to convince him.

"So when are you heading out?" I asked quizzically, "You know, back to wherever you came from."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," He said and I dropped the pot into the sink, this ought to be good, "I'm not going to, you are."

"Excuse me?" I said.

"Carlisle, my man," He said irritatingly, "You're never around. And frankly, we don't need you around here anymore. Bella and Rosalie agree."

"You talked to Bella and Rosalie about this?" I said, words could not describe what was going through my mind.

"I did, they agree, you're not needed around here anymore," said Sam, "Bella even said, if it wasn't that she needed your money for Carter and her… so if you could just leave the money when you go… don't let the door hit you on the way out…"

"Hey!" said Rosalie from over near the entrance to the kitchen, Bella wasn't too far behind her, "You cannot talk to Uncle Carlisle like that! We did not agree to any of that! How could you ever talk to Uncle Carlisle like that? He practically raised me while you were off wherever the hell you were, and he was dealing with his own pain at the same time."

"Carlisle," said Bella, her heart breaking in her eyes, she looked on the brink of tears, "I would never, I love you…. Sam? How could you?!"

Bella walked across the kitchen with Rosalie behind her and they stood beside me, Bella attaching herself to my arm. She was just about in tears over Sam's words. I slipped my arm soothingly down around her.

"Carlisle, Honey, please look at me," she pleaded and I looked down at her looking her lovingly in her eyes, trying to instill into her that I knew she was telling the truth.

I hadn't realized that she thought I was trying not to look at her. Like I could ever do that to her, even if what Sam said had been true.

"I know, sweetie," I said as I dipped my head down and kissed her briefly.

"Sam!" said Rosalie angrily as she attached herself to Bella's arm, forming a chain, "You need to get out. Now."

"Rosalie, baby girl?" He pleaded and Rosalie just looked at him in disgust.

"Now," she repeated herself with authority.