A/N: Hi everyone! Thanks for coming back for a new chapter. I do have some announcements, but I'll save them for the end of the chapter so you can just get straight to reading. I appreciate the previous reviews and favorites and follows! As always, please excuse any editing errors. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight Saga, if that were the case I'd be a millionaire.

CHAPTER 35:

EDWARD'S POINT OF VIEW:

Carlisle and Rosalie came home looking absolutely miserable. Carlisle's forehead was creased with worry and Rosalie looked dreadfully ashamed. Emmett had filled us in on what happened while they went over to Ella's to tell her what my pigheaded sister had done. Rosalie had been known to be pretty theatrical and shrewd about getting revenge, but even I never thought she would actually sink this low. I had great sympathy for Ella. If the roles were reversed and Rosalie was the one being thrown under the bus I would feel sorry for her, and I disliked her more than anyone.

I was surprised when my phone rang in the morning, a call from Ella.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hi Edward, how are you?" she asked politely.

"My answer will always be the same ever since Bella came into my life, perfect," I told her, sneaking a glance at my beautiful wife who was sitting on the bed. "How are you?"

"I'm… okay. I'm just trying to process everything and stay in the right frame of mind. All I want right now is to get high, but I'm not going to relapse. Especially not right now, I'd end up overdosing."

The pain in her voice was almost too much for me to bear. My poor sister had been put through the ringer from the day she was born, and it seemed as though that would never end for her. She was being really strong and not giving in to her addiction, even though she desperately wanted that escape. Carlisle told us Ella decided to not go along with their plan and instead fight Alec the fair way, even though she would inevitably lose the battle. I knew she'd rather die than lose Carlie, but she was also tired of fighting Rose. Carlisle had managed to move nearly every obstacle that has ever come Ella's way, and I knew she appreciated his efforts, but it also made her feel extremely guilty. Ella didn't want to have custody of her daughter because she cheated. As much as I hate to admit it, I think maybe Carlie not growing up knowing her family members are vampires would be in her best interest. Maybe her not being a part of this any longer would be beneficial in the end.

"Hang in there Ella, things will work out eventually. And even if they don't the world still keeps turning. We're here for you Ella," I comforted her. "Now, what's the reason for your call?"

"Oh right. I was wondering if you and Bella would want to take Carlie for a couple nights. Maybe go get a hotel or something. I just want her away from all this drama for a while and I can't think of anyone else better to send her with. Jackson and I need time alone to figure stuff out," she said.

Bella, overhearing our conversation, nodded eagerly. I dazzled her with a smile before replying to my sister. "We would be delighted to have a couple days with her. Perhaps we could take her to the coast and spend some time there."

"She would love that. You guys get ready and come pick her up whenever. Thank you, Edward. Say hi to Bella for me," she said.

"I will. Goodbye." I said before hanging up the phone.

"Where are we going?" Bella asked curiously.

"We can just drive and see what comes along," I said with an easy smile. "This will be a relaxing little vacation for the three of us."

Bella and I threw together a suitcase with enough stuff for a few days, told the family what we were up to, and went out the door to go retrieve Carlie in under a half hour. Bella was really excited to spend quality time with our toddler niece, and frankly so was I. Out of all the Cullens, Bella and I probably spent the least amount of time with Carlie. Before Rosalie had pushed Ella to keep Carlie away from her, when Ella would bring Carlie over she, Emmett, Alice, and Esme would steal her for most of the time. Now we would hopefully get forty-eight or so uninterrupted hours with the munchkin. I drove as quickly as I could through town to get to Ella's. I didn't quite understand why she chose to live on her own in a little apartment when she could live at the mansion with the rest of us. When Dad had asked us all to move home, we all agreed without hesitation, but Ella politely declined and never gave it another thought. It wasn't that easy for the rest of us, perhaps it was because of the coven element we had as vampires. Nevertheless, it didn't matter. Ella was as much a part of the family as everyone else, vampire or not. She was waiting outside with Carlie and a small bag she had packed for her. We didn't have to worry about a booster for the little one because Bella wanted to hold her. Ella thanked us both again before going back into the apartment building to have alone time with her boyfriend. I focused in on Jackson's thoughts. They were erratic, and I couldn't read much. In this moment I wished I had Jasper's talent to feel emotions. I wasn't sure exactly what Jackson was planning, but I could tell something special was about to happen.

CARLISLE'S POINT OF VIEW:

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and I was enjoying my day off from the hospital. I typically worked weekends as well, but I figured after last night's events I was needed here. Everyone was uneasy because of the impending possibility of Alec taking Carlie away from us. I was disappointed Ella decided not to go along with our plan, but it was ultimately her decision and I had to respect that whether I wanted to or not. I tried to see the situation from her point of view and comprehend how she could've come to that decision, but I couldn't truly fathom it. I would never back out of a fight concerning my child. If I were to be honest, in my opinion Ella was being selfish. She was taking the easier path of simply backing out of everything and letting chips fall where they may. She wasn't thinking of Carlie's wellbeing at all. I think Ella refused to accept the situation and would rather pretend it didn't happen and wait for it to go away. My fear was that after everything is said and done, she will regret not fighting for her daughter. I would talk to her later and see if I couldn't change her mind.

"Carlisle, do you have a moment?" a voice asked, breaking me from my musing.

I looked up to see my blonde-haired beauty standing in the doorway of my study. My daughter wasn't quite back in my good graces, but I would never turn her away. "Of course."

She walked in with her head tilted down to the ground and closed the door before slowly approaching my desk. I stood up and reached across to touch her chin, causing her to look at me. Her eyes were full of sorrow and regret. It broke my heart to see my normally proud daughter in such a way. No doubt she was still kicking herself for what she'd done to Ella.

"Oh my daughter," I sighed, walking away from my desk and over to the couch.

She sat down next to me and refused to make eye contact. I studied her hardening face. She was trying to hide her vulnerability. I put a hand on her shoulder and she shrugged it off, physical contact making it more difficult to mask her emotions. I noticed the darkness of her eyes.

"You need to hunt," I noted.

No response.

I sighed and grabbed my daughter's hands and leaned closer to force her to look at me.

"Rosalie I'm your father, talk to me," I said softly.

Venom tears began to form in her eyes and she still didn't say a word. I patiently waited for her to open up, but after fifteen minutes I realized that wasn't going to happen. I decided to take matters into my own hands.

"Get up," I instructed as I stood up, holding a hand out to her.

She looked at me with a confused expression.

"Get up," I repeated, a bit more sternly this time.

She took the hand I offered her and slowly got to her feet. I gripped her hand tightly and took off into the forest. She kept trying to rip her hand from mine but I just squeezed tighter. It must have become uncomfortable for her because she eventually gave up. I loosened my grip and continued to lead my daughter through the woods. I stopped running when we approached a herd of deer.

"Rosalie, you are going to drink from this herd until your thirst is nonexistent, then you and I are going to sit down on this rock for a nice long discussion where you are going to tell me everything that is on your mind, is that clear?"

Rosalie took one look at my no-nonsense expression and nodded before running off to take down a large buck. I watched her take down three more deer before I decided to hunt for myself. I was satisfied after two deer, but since she had not fed for a long while Rosalie finished off the rest of the herd. After cleaning her face and checking her clothes to make sure they weren't soiled, she made her way back over to me. She looked slightly better, but she still looked bogged down by whatever demons were consuming her mind.

I sat down on the huge flat rock and Rose took a seat next to me. She definitely looked better, less pale and stronger. She still didn't want to make eye contact with me – something I couldn't stand – and she certainly didn't want to talk. I was done going easy on her and letting her take her time. We weren't going to leave this spot until she talked to me and I didn't want to sit here all night.

"Rosalie Lillian Hale Cullen, I have had about enough of your silence. I can see something is bothering you, and I have a pretty good idea what it is and we are going to talk about it right now. I don't care if it's hard for you because it needs to be addressed anyway. I don't want to sit here all night, but I will if that's what it takes. We will not go home until we get to the bottom of this. I am a patient, compassionate man Rosalie, and it would do you good to talk to me," I said.

"Dad I don't want to talk," she said.

Well that was a start. "I don't believe that. Now why won't you open up to me?"

She briefly met my gaze. "Because I don't want to upset you more than I already have."

My brow furrowed; I wasn't expecting that. "I'm not going to lie; I am still upset about what you did to your sister, but I am still here for you no matter what. I want you to talk to me Rose. Why are you so down?"

"I don't know. I guess I am just unable to forgive myself," she said, looking down at her hands. "I know Ella has already forgiven me, but that doesn't undo any of it."

"Have you talked with Emmett about your problem?" I asked.

My child instantly burst into tears. Seems I had hit a sore spot. "He can barely look at me!" she cried.

As much as I wanted to berate her on her cruelty towards Ella and lecture her on how the consequences of her actions could come from farther than the person she hurt, my daughter needed a comforting and understanding father right now. I cradled her into my chest as though she were a small infant and rubbed her back while she sobbed into my shirt.

"Shh, shh, shh. Rosalie, Honey, listen to me, Emmett will forgive you. You are his mate and he loves you more than anything in the world. He is upset and just needs time. I promise you if he were here right now seeing you like this would break his heart. He wants you to forgive yourself too," I said.

"Carlisle I don't know how!" she sobbed. "Maybe if someone hurt me as bad as I did Ella then I would be able to call it even and move on."

I paused. "So it's punishment you seek?"

She shrugged.

"Well Rosalie, I'd be happy to ground you and take away your car keys, but do you honestly think that would aid in you forgiving yourself?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, it probably wouldn't. Tell me I can't adopt a baby."

I paused, unsure what to say. "You know I would never do that to you."

"Dad you have to, then I'll feel the same way Ella does," she said.

"I have a different idea," I said. "My punishment for you will be I won't do anything to help you pardon your actions. You will have to find a way to forgive yourself solely on your own. Maybe if you continue to feel the way you do, that will be enough torment to allow you to wipe your slate clean."

"But I can't stand to feel this way anymore!" my daughter cried.

I wrapped my arms around my daughter. "Kitten, no matter what I do, at the end of the day it still has to be you who absolves your misery. In my eyes Sweetheart, all you have to do is let go. You have already taken responsibility for your actions and sincerely apologized for them, and you have been forgiven, and you have been torturing yourself with regret, now all you have to do is just let go."

Rosalie wiped her face and looked up at me. "Does that really work?"

I grimaced. "How do you think I was able to forgive myself for forcing this life on you, knowing you hated me for it?"

Rosalie looked down. "I really wish I did want this life, Carlisle."

I pulled her chin up and gave her a sad smile. "We don't have to go over this again."

The two of us sat there in silence for a while until it started to rain. It didn't really bother me, but Rosalie didn't like to get her hair wet. I stood up and turned to face my daughter. She had her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She appeared to be lost in thought. I didn't want to distract her, so I simply sat back down on the rock. The sound of the rain hitting the leaves and ground was quite soothing to me. It reminded me of my birthplace, London, where it was often overcast and rainy. I hadn't been there since it was just Edward, Esme, and I living in a decent sized flat on the outskirts of town. I absolutely loved the city, but at the same time it saddened me to see how much it changed since I was a boy. Over the centuries it had become much more modernized, but there were still many distinguished features that held the charm of an older city.

"I'm ready to go home now," Rosalie spoke, breaking me from my reverie.

I smiled at her. "Of course. We wouldn't want your mascara to run because of the rain, now would we?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm sure I already look like a raccoon."

We went back to the rest of the family. They were all holed up in their rooms so Rosalie didn't have to face anyone right away. Esme, hearing us return, came downstairs and flitted over to me. Rosalie gave her mother a polite smile before disappearing to go find Emmett. I embraced my wife and buried my face in her sweet smelling hair.

"Is she okay now?" Esme asked.

"I think so. She just needs to be with Emmett right now, as I need you," I said.

Esme smiled and led me over to the couch, where we sat together and watched the rain fall.

ELLA'S POINT OF VIEW:

Jackson and I had spent the day talking. I told him everything that had happened from the time I moved out from my parents' house in Seattle. It was six-thirty now, and Jackson had just gotten back from picking up a lovely Italian dinner for us. I had told him not to get any dessert, but naturally he didn't listen. Men. He brought home a chocolate lava cake, my favorite, so I couldn't scold him too much because a part of me was happy about the treat. We had just finished our plates of authentic spaghetti and already he was cutting the cake.

"Oh Jackson, I'm so full I'm about to explode! Can't we wait an hour?" I asked.

"But I want cake now, and there's nothing more romantic than sharing cake with your lover, don't you agree?" he said.

I rolled my eyes. Guys were like dogs; motivated by food. I gave in and allowed him to set a piece of cake in front of me. I took a tiny bit off with my fork and stuck it in my mouth, while he took a bite that was twenty times bigger than mine. The cake was really yummy, so I began to eat more quickly. I went to slice off another bite when my fork hit something hard. I stopped cutting. "What the heck?"

Jackson got off his chair and got down on one knee. I looked at him strangely. "What are you doing?" I asked.

He didn't say anything so I just shook my head and picked up my fork. That's when I noticed something shiny hanging off the end. I couldn't speak.

"Will you marry me, Ella?" Jackson asked.

I was in utter shock, but I managed to grab the ring off the fork and slide it onto my finger. "Yes," I said, my face spreading into a wide smile. "Yes!"

He got up and pulled me to him for a kiss. I couldn't believe this was happening. I was going to be married!

"Thank you Jackson, the ring is beautiful," I said, examining the sparkly rock.

"I'm glad you like it. I'm afraid it was a spur of the moment thing though, and I didn't ask for your father's blessing first. I drove by the jewelry store a few days ago and knew I wanted to marry you, so I picked out a ring and brought it straight to the bakery to have it put into the cake. It was very difficult for me to keep it a secret from you. If your siblings hadn't been able to take Carlie, I don't know if I could've kept it a secret anymore," he said.

"Don't worry, I'm sure my dad will understand," I said. Actually he would have a conniption fit, but he would just have to accept it.

"When will we tell your family?" Jackson asked.

I shrugged. "Bella and Edward aren't here, but I guess we could tell everyone else tonight."

Jackson drove us over to Mom and Dad's house. I wasn't exactly looking forward to telling them. Well Mom would be excited and happy, but Dad would be flat out pissed. He'd just begun to accept Jackson as my boyfriend, and now we were about to tell him we are set to wed. I'd barely gotten the chance to open my car door when my mother came running out of the house, delighted at our surprise visit.

"It's so nice to see you both!" she exclaimed, giving me a tight hug. "What brings you here?"

"We have something to tell you," I said.

"Oh?" she asked, her expression becoming concerned. "Is everything all right?"

"You'll see. I want to tell Dad at the same time."

"Well then, let's head on inside!" my mom said, practically dragging me into the house with Jackson following closely behind.

"Hi Daddy," I said, giving my father a warm embrace.

"Hello Sweetie," he greeted, kissing the top of my head.

"We have some news for you," Jackson announced. He could barely contain himself.

"You might want to sit down," I said.

My parents shared a nervous look. Dad already looked angry. I was seriously considering chickening out at this point.

"Are you pregnant?" Mom asked excitedly.

"God no!" I said. Dad seemed to relax a little bit at hearing that.

Forcing my body to move, I pulled my left hand out of my jacket pocket and held it out to them. I should've thought to put in earplugs, for my mother's excited screech made me go deaf.

"Ella and I are to be married," Jackson said with a smile.

After squeezing the life out of me, Mom did the same to Jackson. Everyone else in the house heard the announcement, but they were all staying upstairs waiting to hear Dad's reaction. He didn't look pleased, but he also didn't have the murderous expression he'd had when I'd told him I was pregnant with Carlie.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Dad asked me.

"I am absolutely sure. Jackson is a great guy and he will make a wonderful husband," I said confidently.

"I'm sorry Dr. Cullen, I should've asked for your blessing beforehand, but this wasn't planned. Could you forgive me and give us your blessing now?" Jackson asked. Damn he was brave.

My father sighed and almost rolled his eyes. "If Ella really wants this, then yes, you have my blessing."

With that, Alice was the first one to come bounding into the living room. She began talking my ear off about wedding planning. I didn't even try to negotiate, because after seeing Edward and Bella's wedding I knew she would pull off a beautiful ceremony.

"What do you think of a May wedding?" Alice asked, clapping her hands together.

"So soon?" I asked. It all didn't really hit me yet.

"Well I don't see any reason to prolong it, do you? Besides, May is a beautiful month. Do you have a preferred date?" she asked.

"May twenty-second, I like the sound of that," I said. Jackson nodded in agreement.

That was less than a month away. I love Jackson, but I suddenly felt a pit form in my stomach. Something just felt… off. Maybe the Carlie situation just had me upset. I brushed it off and talked about wedding details with my mom and sister.

"I called Alec and told him he can have Carlie. He's coming to get her in a month. I won't have a daughter anymore. You win, Rosalie. I hope you're happy."

A/N: Okay, so now for some announcements. Firstly, I would like to say that I recently published a new story, well, one-shot technically, about Bella and Edward. It's a cute and innocent piece, so please go check it out and give me some feedback. Secondly, over the next few weeks I will be editing Sugar Plum Princess to increase the quality of the writing and make it more interesting. I will mark the edited chapters with the date I edited them so you will know if it's new or not. The edits will not change the story majorly, but there might be some new things that will be worth checking out. I will also be updating the beginning chapters of this sequel as well, as I have grown as a writer since I first started. Lastly, this is kind of old news but the poll is still open for voting, so check it out if you want. Thank you so much for reading, and please leave a review!