Disclaimer: No ownership belongs to me :(

A/N: Hey was going to wait until tomorrow to update but then I realized that I wasn't going to be able to because it's one of my best friend's birthdays (Happy Birthday KT!) and I will not have time with the festivities…sorry it's a little short… so Read. Enjoy. Review…

Bridges

Chapter 37 – Visitors

Isabella Swan

I woke up the next morning in a Carlisle – less bed for the first time in a very long while. I looked around the room for him. He had been there when I fell asleep right? Where'd he go? As my eyes flicked around the room, I noticed that Carter wasn't in his little hard plastic hospital bed and I started to panic as mom walked into the doorway.

"Where're are Carlisle and Carter?" I asked, just about hyperventilating and she smiled at me.

"Good, you're awake," she said as she finished walking into the room, Rosalie behind her and she sunk into a chair at the foot of my bed.

"Where're are Carlisle and Carter?" I asked again and Rosalie groaned.

"Seriously, Bella? The guy worships the ground you walk on, almost literally, he hasn't gone too far," said Rosalie, "The baby woke up about an hour ago and Uncle Carlisle went and took him for a walk so he wouldn't cry and wake you up, I think right now he's asking a nurse for a bottle for him."

I relaxed a little as Lindsey and Carolyn walked into the room, Carolyn and Lindsey sitting down on either side of Rosalie, who was, probably against hospital policy texting someone, probably Emmett. My mom took a glass of water from the side table, which also had a disgusting looking hospital breakfast on it. She handed me the glass.

"Drink up," said Mom and I guzzled down the whole glass, I hadn't realized how thirsty I had been.

"Where's dad?" I asked.

"He and Phil are down getting food in the cafeteria," said Renee.

"Phil flew in? You left him alone with Charlie?" I said incredulously and mom nodded.

"I think Phil can fend for himself," said Mom and I nodded, if I could say that for my step father, it would be that he could take care of himself.

Carlisle chose that moment to enter the room with our son wrapped up in his arms as he fed him a bottle. My heart beat fast in my chest at the picture perfect scene. Carlisle however turned first to the three girls at the end of my bed.

"I told you three to let her sleep," He said as little Carter sucked away on the bottle.

Once Carter had been cleaned up last night we could tell that he looked almost exactly like Carlisle, though his hair was blonde, his eyes were brown like my own. However, the shape of his face and his nose were all Carlisle, and there was no way even his mother could doubt that that kid was his. Her argument was completely trashed and ludicrous as it had always been, but looking at that tiny little premature baby, you knew who the boy's father was.

"We did," said Rosalie.

"She was awake when Mrs. Dwyer came to check on her," said Lindsey and Carlisle gave them a look that screamed that he didn't believe them.

"It's true," I said, but Carlisle just looked at me as if he didn't believe me either, and true enough I would have said it was true even if it were false to rescue Lindsey, Carolyn, and Rosalie and he knew that as he walked over to me, "I woke up on my own accord."

"Mm," he said, leaning down and kissing me deeply as he transferred Carter to my arms and then pulled away handed me the bottle, "Good afternoon anyways."

"Afternoon?" I asked looking over to the clock, which read two, the breakfast was obviously not only disgusting but cold too then.

"Yeah," said Carlisle brushing my hair back, "We didn't fall asleep until well after two this morning."

Carlisle didn't allow me to respond before bringing his lips to mine once more and this time for a longer period of time, and the sparks, stronger than ever, radiated between us and I was blushing as he pulled away, kissing the top of Carter's soft head as he did so.

"Hey you, I saw that," said Charlie only half teasing, as he entered the room, eyeing Carlisle as he said it.

"It's a little late for that don't you think?" said Rosalie as she slipped her phone back into her pocket and the whole room laughed, and Charlie blushed a deeper shade of red than even I had ever accomplished.

"Oh, is it ok if Emmett stops by?" Rosalie asked and Carlisle turned to me for my answer.

"It's fine," I said as I looked down at Carter, who had fallen asleep mid suck and I pulled the bottle out of his mouth and set in it on the side table where my untouched breakfast was.

Carlisle then gently approached, silently asked to hold him, then took him up gently from my arms. He cuddled him gently, careful not to wake him

"Wow, Carlisle," she said, "You're a natural. Charlie was a mess with Bella, he refused to even hold her at first, he was afraid he would break her. Most fathers are with their firsts."

"He's asleep, but sure," I spoke up as Carlisle silently gently passed off Carter to Renee.

The room went silent, and everyone just looked at Carlisle for his reaction while Renee realized that she had said something wrong. Mostly everyone just looked from Carlisle to Renee and back again before Carolyn and Charlie ushered Rosalie and Lindsey out of the room. I kind of felt bad that Renee had been the only one in the room who didn't already know.

"What did I say?" Renee asked, eyeing Carlisle worriedly then looking to me.

"This isn't my first child," said Carlisle and Renee, thankfully just looked at him, shocked, I was glad she wasn't immediately mad, "I was married before, almost eight years ago now, and I had to kids with her."

"You already have two kids?" Renee said, and she seemed a little angry now.

"Had," I corrected her and Carlisle just let out a small sigh, through his nose mostly.

"Esme, my first wife, died in a car crash with the Edward and Alice eight years ago," Carlisle said good naturedly, he was sad but, oddly he seemed more at peace than when he had told me over a year ago.

"Oh my gosh, Bella did you-?"

"I told Bella before I even knew she was interested in me, she's known the whole time," said Carlisle, trying to put my mother's mind at ease.

"Carlisle, I am so sorry," said Renee and I could see the tears start to form in her eyes as she handed Carter back to Carlisle, knowing baby's could sense stress and not wanting to wake him.

"No need to be. I miss them, but I believe in fate," said Carlisle, making a small smile for Carter who had woken up in his arms, "And this is where I am meant to be, and honestly I wouldn't trade being here, with Bella and this little guy for anything."

I felt tears form in my own eyes now. That was something that he had said more for my benefit I knew, than Renee's and I needed it. The mood lightened in a few minutes as Rosalie and everyone else filed back into the room, this time with Phil and Emmett too.

"Look who we found in the hallways," Charlie said, knowing like a good dad that the mood would be stiff when he got back.

"Heya, Bells," said Phil happily, knowing nothing of the previous mood as he went and stood over by Carlisle, who let Phil take Carter, "This little cutie's my step grandson then?"