A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks so much for the reviews for the previous chapter and I hope you all are having an awesome day. I want to mention that I have a new poll up on my profile and I'd really appreciate it if you would go check it out. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga but he plots in this story are my own.


CHAPTER 29:

CARLISLE'S POINT OF VIEW:

"Move it to the right . . . no that's too far; left . . ." Esme was instructing me to hang Carlie's birthday banner. She was standing a good fifteen feet away to make sure it looked absolutely perfect. The kitchen, dining room, and living room were adorned in pink. Everything from balloons to streamers, tablecloths right down to the party cups, nothing was done halfway. The table was fully set even though Carlie would be the only person eating anything tonight. Esme had certainly gone all out, and I found it quite amusing how she fussed over every little detail. This was Esme's chance to experience a baby's life, so who would I be not to celebrate with her? Rosalie was upstairs dressing the guest of honor in her undoubtedly pink party dress. Edward and Bella would be showing up soon along with the Denalis . . .

"There!" Esme exclaimed. I immediately stabbed the nail into the wall. "Now get down and come stand back here and tell me if it looks good."

I flashed over to my wife and dipped her down to the ground, so low her hair brushed the floor, and kissed her perfect lips. Her hands gripped my hair and she jumped her legs onto my waist. I stood up and pressed her back against the wall. We were kissing passionately. Even after a century, this never got old. This was always refreshing and exciting and new. We stopped kissing only when the kids began to clear their throats pointedly.

"So it looks good?" she asked.

"You look good," I said, smiling.

"I think Edward and Bella are here," Emmett purposely interrupted.

Someone was here, but it wasn't Edward and Bella. Emmett opened the door to reveal Jasper and Alice, which was a surprise as they were supposed to be on the other side of the world touring China right now.

"Alice! Jasper! What are you guys doing here? Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Esme asked, happily surprised.

"Oh Mom you should have known. Did you really think we would miss our niece's second birthday?" Alice said.

Right on cue, Rosalie came down the stairs with the birthday girl in her arms. Alice danced across the room to meet them at the bottom of the stairs. She took Carlie from Rosalie and cooed at her, gushing about how cute she looked in her little birthday outfit. Jasper over to me and smiled at him, he returned the gesture. Jasper was the relatively calm and quiet one of the bunch. He's more open and vocal when he's with Alice, of course. He is very intelligent and is quite the leader when it comes to strategic planning; I have had conversations with him in the past about how to deal with the Volturi should they ever come and try to cause trouble. He was getting better about controlling his thirst for human blood, but he always preferred to stay a small distance away from Carlie and Ella. He often hugged Ella when she was a child and held Carlie now and then, but it was never for more than five minutes or so. I believed that he wasn't putting enough faith in himself, but when we talked about it he was adamant about not being able to control his thirst. He hunted a lot more frequently than the rest of us – typically daily – which I thought was a bit much, but if it made him more confident that he could control himself it was all right. I thought of him as my son and he called me Dad sometimes so I couldn't help but be concerned for him. He's my brave solider and my little Alice's mate; I had to care for him.

"Is Irina going to come with the rest of the Denalis? I know she isn't particularly fond of us," Jasper said.

"I don't know son. All of us have gathered together many times before but she does tend to be a bit despiteful, so I guess it depends on today's attitude. You'd think she'd be present for Carlie's sake," I said.

"Edward and Bella are here!" Rosalie announced as she went to greet them at the door. Edward and Rosalie glared at each other for a few moments and the Rosalie and Bella embraced. They had become very close after Bella's transformation. I shook my head and Edward and Rosalie's rivalry. After all these years they still had a hard time getting along. I gave my firstborn a quick hug and my newest daughter a kiss on her forehead. The kids didn't like too much affection from me as they were adults but I was granted a hug every once in a while. Ella often cuddled with me and I hoped that would never stop. She will always be my baby.

We heard a car turn into the drive; it must be the Denalis. I was excited to see our "cousins" as it had been a while since our last visit. They all adored Carlie. Kate had recently found love with an old friend of mine, Garrett, so he would be coming as well. He was quite the character and I knew he and Emmett would get along very well. There was a little awkwardness between Bella and Tanya because of Tanya's interest in Edward, but they were still civil. Edward sometimes got annoyed by her thoughts about him but she did her best to not think thoughts like that. Kate and Rosalie were good friends which was pretty spectacular since there are very few people that Rosalie tolerates. Carmen and Esme were very close, and I considered Eleazar a brother. We were all happy that Carlie would get to have more extended family members since her biological family only consisted of her mother at the moment. They were all coming to see her, but I would be quite shocked if we made it through the evening with no family drama.

"Welcome, it's good to see you all," I said, hugging the four women and clapping Eleazar and Garrett on the back.

Carmen went over to Esme who was holding Carlie. They exchanged hellos before Carmen took Carlie from Esme and brought her over to the rest of the Denalis. Each of them took turns holding her before passing her back to Rosalie. We all sat around and talked and laughed with each other. Just like last year Carlie smashed her cake before eating it. Once she was done we all went into the living room for presents. From Carmen and Eleazar she got a snowsuit with real wolf fur that was made in Alaska, and they said that she would have to come up to visit them soon. They also got her a few stuffed animals – as if she didn't have enough already – and a pair of snow boots to go with the snowsuit. Tanya and Irina, though I was sure Tanya was the only one to even think about gifts but gave Irina credit anyway to be polite, got her a box of unique gemstones which I'm sure she will appreciate more when she is older but even now she was interested in them. Kate and Garrett got her eight Barbies that were custom made to look like each member of our family. No doubt Kate just wanted to get Carlie some Barbies and Garrett put this twist on the idea. We all got a kick out of it anyway and many jokes were made. Alice and Jasper got her several outfits and accessories – all designer of course. Bella and Edward got her a small version of a grand piano. Emmett and Rosalie got her a lot of outdoor toys including a pink Jeep which I assumed was courtesy of Emmett. It would probably take a while to teach her how to drive it since she was only two but she was very smart for her age. Esme and I got her a huge stack of toddler storybooks and a necklace with the Cullen family crest on it. Carlie seemed to enjoy the party and all of her gifts. Rosalie took Carlie upstairs to put her to bed since it was getting late and the rest of us were able to socialize for a while before the Denalis would have to leave.

"How's Ella doing?" Tanya asked me.

"Rehab seems to be helping with her addiction she isn't feeling too much withdrawal anymore so that's good and she is anxious to leave. She gets to come home next month so we're all ready for that. It's been a long eight months. I know she's upset about missing out on experiences with her daughter. We take Carlie to see her as much as possible but that's still not enough. She really wishes she could be here to see you," I said.

"I wish she would allow us to come visit her," Tanya said.

"She won't even let her own siblings come see her. She is ashamed of what she did and doesn't want anyone to see her in rehab."

"Have you heard from Alec at all since he left?" she asked.

My tone changed as I didn't like to think of that sad excuse for a man. "Nope. Not a word. I don't know if he will ever come back and attempt to know his daughter. He just left her and Ella behind. I think Ella's about over him but she feels bad that Carlie's father won't be around."

"Well we are all here to support her in any way that we can," Tanya said.

"Thank you."

"Speak for yourself, Tanya," Irina said. "I don't give a damn about Ella or the baby. Hell I don't even care about the Cullens."

"Irina!" Kate admonished.

"Well I don't. They killed Laurent. I will never be able to forgive that," she said.

"Again, he was going to kill me if they didn't stop him," Bella interjected.

Oh boy, here we go.

"You were just a pathetic little human in a complicated relationship with a vampire. I was honestly surprised that Edward didn't kill you himself. I thought it was just some fling, and I still believe that to some degree. What Laurent and I had was true love," Irina said.

"There was nothing true about that guy. He was just James' lying, unfaithful minion. Not to mention he didn't get the concept of wearing a shirt under a jacket," Rosalie said.

"He was a good person! He never wanted to obey James!" Irina defended.

"Which is why he tried to help Victoria," Edward said sarcastically.

"He was doing a favor for a friend! And he wasn't planning on killing Victoria as she wanted to do that herself but he was thirsty and it was just bad timing. Can't you give anyone the benefit of the doubt?" Irina asked angrily.

"James died trying to kill Bella, Laurent died trying to help Victoria kill Bella, and Victoria died trying to avenge James. My point, anyone who tries killing Bella dies," Emmett said.

"Weren't James and Victoria the names of the vampires who tried to kill Ella when she was a child? Too bad they didn't succeed," Irina said.

"Yes, those were their names. But don't you dare say anything about my daughter. She never did anything to you," Esme said going into protective mother mode.

"Laurent is dead!" Irina screamed.

"Maybe you should join him!" Edward yelled back.

"Enough!" I shouted. "This is nonsense. Irina, we all understand that you are grieving Laurent, but he chose his fate the minute he decided to side with Victoria. No one who is a threat to my family lives. The boys did what they had to do to save Bella. They tried to talk to him and stop him but he was out of control. As sorry as I am that my family has caused you pain, I will always protect them first. We also did not know you were involved with Laurent at the time so do not take it as a personal attack on you for that was not the case. I will not have all this arguing going on in my home, especially on my granddaughter's birthday. We have talked about this issue before many times, and talking about it more will not bring him back. We consider you family and we respect you, Irina, and I wish you would do the same for us."

There was a moment of silence.

"I think it might be best if we leave," Tanya said.

"Maybe that would be for the best. We'll call you later?" Esme suggested.

As they all made their way out the door Eleazar turned to me and said, "I am so sorry about Irina."

"It's not your fault," I assured him. "What's a gathering without some family drama?"

Within minutes they were out of earshot.

"God I hate that bitch," Rosalie complained.

"Rose," Esme said.

"Well she is! We were celebrating a two year old's birthday for crying out loud and she decided to pull crap like that! It's not fair to Carlie. I love the rest of them, but couldn't we just rip her head off and be done with it?"

"Rosalie as much of a nuisance as Irina may be sometimes, she is still family to us, even closer to her sisters. They may not like her at times, but she is still their sister and Tanya and Kate would never forgive us if we did anything like that. Irina truly loved Laurent and he was taken from her so quickly; you have to give her some sympathy. She has good reason to be angry," I said.

"I just don't see how they could stand to be around someone so vindictive," she said.

"We still keep you around, don't we?" Edward said. Rosalie glared at him.

"Edward, don't fight," Bella said.

"Whatever. I'm going to go be with Carlie while she sleeps. She always puts me in a happier mood." She started for the stairs and Emmett followed her.

"I made rooms for each of you, you know. Please stay here, at least for a few days," Esme asked of the kids.

"Of course, Mom," Edward said. The other three nodded in agreement.

"I think we should move back in for a while. I know that's what you've been talking about Carlisle," Bella said.

"That would be lovely," Esme cheered happily.

The rest of the night was spent simply bonding with each other. All of us loved history so we had a few conversations about different topics. This felt so right, so normal. We all needed this. I respected the kids' wishes to live privately away from us, but I loved having our whole clan together. Most vampires preferred to be alone or only with their mate, but I think we are all happiest when we are under one roof. This was the family that I was told I could never have. This was the family I thought I could never have. I've never been so happy to be wrong.

ROSALIE'S POINT OF VIEW:

Morning came, and Carlie began to wake. I stood next to her crib watching, waiting for her to open her gorgeous eyes. I would've held her all night long, but Emmett had wanted my attention and honestly I wanted attention from him too so we spent the night together doing our usual activities. Emmett was planning to go on a hunting trip with Jasper and Edward now that we were all living together again, so my entire day would be spent taking care of Carlie. Ella would get out of rehab in about two weeks, so that was all the time I would get to pretend to be Carlie's mother. I've always wanted a baby, and while gaining a niece did help with that yearning for a while, it also made me even more jealous for a child of my own. Adopting would be a nice compromise, but Carlisle said that we were already pushing our luck with the Volturi by having Ella know about vampires, and Carlie is still unknown to the Volturi but who knows how long we'll be able to hide her for. The Volturi will only be so lenient. I would never put my own desires before Carlie's life so adopting definitely was not an option. I wish someone would kill the Volturi so we wouldn't have to fear them anymore. It would take a huge army to accomplish that though, for they were a thousand years old and very strong.

"Morning," Carlie said in her scratchy morning voice, distracting me from my thoughts.

"Good morning Little Princess," I said and picked her up out of the crib. "Let's change your diaper then get you dressed."

It was another chilly March day so her outfit was a cute yet warm sweater top over black leggings. I took her downstairs to the kitchen to make her breakfast and feed her. Then I played with her until it was time to put her down for a morning nap. While she slept I sat in the rocking chair and watched her. Everyone made fun of Edward for watching Bella sleep when she was still human but now I understood the fascination. Every second I spent with this child made my envy more potent to the point where I was angry with Ella for having such a miracle in her life that I didn't. I loved having Carlie to myself, but she would be taken from me in a couple weeks. I wasn't ready to let go of my fantasy yet. I wanted to be her mother for a little while longer. But as soon as Ella leaves rehab I wouldn't be able to have any control anymore – I would have to give her back. Unless something were to happen and Ella couldn't leave rehab. I shut out the idea immediately. No, I couldn't do that to my sister. She had been stuck there for eight months already, it would be cruel. But I let my mind wander and before I knew it I had a simple, yet flawless plan on how to keep Carlie. I toyed with the idea for a while. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it. And the fact that it would work made it all the more tempting . . .

"Is she still asleep?" Dad whispered coming quietly into the room.

"She's been sleeping for about an hour so she'll be waking up pretty soon," I said.

"Good. Ella wants to see her today so I'll take her before I have to head in to work," he said.

"Actually, Dad, would it be all right if I took Carlie to see Ella?" I asked.

"Rosalie you are not supposed to be leaving the house or driving since you are grounded," he said.

"I know, but I think it would be good for Ella and me to have another face to face conversation. Just let me go, it'll be the last time. I promise I will follow the rules of restriction for the rest of my time," I pleaded.

"Call her first and make sure she wants to see you. If she says yes it is fine with me, but this is the last time I am breaking your grounding," Dad said.

"I understand," I said. He seemed satisfied and left.

I went into my bedroom and dialed Ella's number. It rang a few times before she picked up.

"Rosalie?"

"Hey Ella yeah it's me. I know that I don't usually call you but I was just wondering if you wanted me to bring you anything. Dad said that I could take Carlie to visit you today so if you let me I could also bring you something, if you happened to want anything."

There was a pause. Come on Ella, take the bait.

"Well, actually there is something you could bring me," she finally said.

"I'll bring you whatever you need. What is it?" I asked, trying not to sound too eager.

"When I tell you what it is you can't ask questions or tell Mom and Dad, okay?" she said.

"My lips are sealed," I promised.

"Okay I just need a box of condoms," she said.

"Done. Easy. I'll see you soon," I said.

"Thanks so much Rose. You're always there for me when I need you. See you," she said.

I hung up the phone and went back to the nursery. Carlie was just waking up from her nap. Perfect. I got her ready to go and told Dad I was taking her to see Ella and getting my keys from him before going out to my car. I drove to the drugstore and grabbed a box of condoms for Ella and put them in my purse. Instead of going to the rehab center, I drove downtown towards the community college. I cruised around the campus until I found the group of people I was looking for: the stoners. Showtime. I opened my jacket and tugged my top down a few inches to expose my breasts. I'd rather give them a wad of cash but Dad had cut me off from all my finances so that was out of the question. I told Carlie I'd be right back and shut the car door. I briskly walked over to the group.

"What can we do for you, Darling?" one of the guys asked.

"I need drugs," I stated.

"Well you've come to the right place. Though I have to warn you, we aren't cheap," he said.

"I don't have any money at the moment, but perhaps we could work out a different arrangement," I said seductively, brushing my hand across my chest.

He smirked. "Perhaps. What do you need?"

"I'm not picky. Cocaine, Ecstasy, Heroin, doesn't really matter," I said.

He gave me a decent size bag of powder cocaine then reached for me to collect his payment. I whipped around and knocked each one of them out before heading back to my car. I put the drugs into the condom box. Carlie was perfectly content in the backseat so I drove to the rehab center. Security did the usual check, looking through my purse and patting down my jacket pockets. I got the drugs in undetected.

"Hi Carlie!" Ella cheerfully greeted her daughter when we arrived.

"I brought what you asked for," I said showing her the box of condoms.

"Thanks Rose," she said, taking them from me and putting them in the top drawer of the nightstand. While her back was turned, I grabbed a water bottle off the counter and dumped some of it on Carlie.

"Um Ella, Carlie spilled some water on herself. I didn't know she wasn't the best with water bottles. Sorry," I said.

"It's all right. I'll just dry her off really quick," Ella said. She took Carlie into the bathroom to dry her off with a towel.

I looked over to make sure she wouldn't see me before going over to her nightstand. I opened the drawer and took the cocaine out of the box of condoms. I poured some of the powder into a new water bottle and stuck it back in the fridge. Ella didn't use the bottom drawer of her nightstand, so I put the bag in there. I closed the drawer and hopped over onto the couch just before Ella and Carlie came out of the bathroom. They inspected the rooms every week, and Ella's room would be looked at tomorrow. My plan was nearly complete. Once the counselor checked the drawer, there was a pretty good chance that Ella would have to stay here for a while, thus Carlie being in my custody for longer.

Nobody gets what I can't have without paying a price.


A/N: Ooh, Rosalie is playing dirty to get what she wants. And poor Carlie can't have a birthday without some sort of drama. Tell me what you thought of the chapter I would really like some feedback. Thanks so much for reading and I'll update as soon as I can!