Thank you so much IamTheAlleyCat for beta'ing and Ncsupnatfan for pre-reading.

The response to this story has been amazing. I never expected to see so many old names still in the fandom, and it's great to see so many new ones. Twilight was my first home, and you have all made me so welcome on my return. The amount of you getting in touch is overwhelming. For my Supernatural stories, I hope for 100 reviews total for a story - and my stories usually exceed 20 chapters - and I am almost to 100 with only two chapters posted for this story so far. It has meant so much to me. Thank you all for reading, especially those of you that are reviewing. You have my endless gratitude for it xxx


Chapter Three

Bella

I was on my way out of the gym, my bag slung over my shoulder, when my cell rang. I quickly swung my bag across my chest and pulled the phone from a side pocket. I smiled as I saw the name flashing across the screen. It was still surreal to me to have him in my life again. I felt a thrill every time I was reminded that he was back. "Hi, Carlisle."

"Bella, how are you?"

"Buzzing with endorphins."

"You are?" He sounded confused, and I could imagine the frown lines creasing his perfect brow.

I laughed. "I just got out of the gym. What can I do for you?"

"There is a showing of the film we were talking about at the Astoria Gateway tonight. Would you like to accompany me?"

"I can't," I said with real regret. I would much prefer an evening with Carlisle than what was lined up for me, but I made a promise to a friend and I had to see it through. "I have a date."

"That sounds nice."

"Yeah, he's from Warrenton, and he's a friend of a friend. A cop, so we'll have a lot in common. But I really do want to see the movie, and you, so rain check?"

"Absolutely. You enjoy your evening. Make sure he pays, and if he doesn't hold a door open for you, ditch him."

"Wow, an old-fashioned vampire. Imagine that," I said lightly. "Things have changed, Carlisle. Us girls pay our own way now. Independent women and all that."

"Be that as it may, he can still open a door for you. Independence is one thing; a lack of manners is another."

I shook my head fondly. "I'll keep that in mind." I checked my watch and groaned. "I'm going to have to go. I've got to get ready."

"Very well. Enjoy your evening."

"I'll do my best. I'll call you tomorrow."

"I shall look forward to it."

We exchanged goodbyes, and I stowed the phone in my pocket and continued on to my car.

My friendship with Carlisle was new and exciting. After the first meeting, which had been a coincidence, we made plans to meet again and then after that we met again. At least a few times a week, we would see each other— before his shifts, after, in a variety of places. I hadn't been to his home yet, though I knew it was on the edge of the forest, and he hadn't been to mine, though he also knew where it was.

We spoke about almost everything, the only exception being what had happened after he'd left. I thought I knew how it had been for Edward after he had left me—Italy sounded like a great place to find distractions—but I hadn't told him what happened to me.

Part of it was selfishness, I didn't want to show Carlisle that weak side of who I had been, but the other was to protect him. I didn't want to add to the shadow in his eyes by telling him about Victoria. He had been so set on protecting me from James when he'd been tracking me. I didn't think that the urge to protect would have disappeared just because he did.

One thing that became clear after a few meetings was that Carlisle had hidden his true self from me before. Perhaps because I was young then, perhaps because he was playing the part of a father to us all. The man I was getting to know was funny, articulate in almost every subject we happened upon, and laughed often and freely. There was no pretense now. He was who he was at heart—a young man, not a centuries-old vampire.

My thoughts of Carlisle carried me all the way home, and when I got into the house and caught sight of my reflection in the mirror above the table, I saw I looked happy—hair damp with sweat and face still flushed, but happy. I smiled at my reflection and headed upstairs to shower.


I was blow-drying my hair when the phone rang. I hurried into the lounge to answer and saw the local number for the station house. Nerves making my stomach flutter, I answered.

"Swan?" a gruff voice replied, and I recognized it at once as the chief. "We need to talk."

"Yes, Sir," I said, falling into formality.

"It's not official yet, we'll to meet in person for that, but I wanted to give you the heads up. The investigation is complete."

"And?" I said quickly and then tacked on a respectful, "Sir."

"You're in the clear. It was decided that you acted in the best interests of the public and yourself."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, good news," he said. "There were conditional advisements that I'll need to go through with you when you're here, but you're good to come back to your proper duties Monday."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Yeah, you can cut the Sir crap now. You're not in trouble anymore."

I smiled. "Thank you, Chief."

"That's better. You can do me another favor. Call up your father and let him know. My phone's been going off the hook with him these past weeks."

"I will," I promised.

"Oh, and, Swan, there's one more thing. I can say this now it's over: you did good. You protected lives without ending one. I'm not saying you should risk that again, but in that moment, you made the right call."

"Thank you."

I had thought a lot about that day in the intervening weeks, and I hadn't faltered in my belief that I had done the right thing. I hadn't killed. I never wanted to do that. I had still saved. I had protected people, the very reason I wanted to be a cop in the first place.


I made an effort to look nice for my date—wearing a new dress and shoes that I would never have once risked—even though I had no real expectations that the date would be a hit.

I had been spoiled in my life with romance. Edward had been the first and most intense relationship in my life. I had loved him with everything in my being. I thought he had known me. He hadn't though. Not really. If he had, he would have known that I wasn't going to forget him. And I never had. My feelings had changed, my love had changed, but it had never left me, and I had never forgotten him.

After Edward came Jacob, and that was different in its intensity. He had saved me in the most literal sense, and I loved him for it. I had tried for more with him. We had both tried. But it wasn't right. We didn't belong to each other the way lovers should. We had both changed and moved on, but I still loved him. He would always be my family.

With that history of love in my life, there was little chance that I would find it again. I had resigned myself to second-best—someone I loved and that loved me. That was how most people spent their lives.

My lack of enthusiasm became something so much worse when I actually got to the restaurant. We had arranged to meet at my favorite seafood place in town. He was waiting at the bar, a bottle of beer in hand. I recognized him from Mandy's description and took him in surreptitiously before approaching him. He hadn't made an effort to dress for me. His shirt and pants were creased, and his hair was untidy, and not attractively as someone's I had once known had been. I wasn't a snob, though, so I made my way over to him.

"Rich?"

He turned. "Bella?"

I nodded, and he leaned into my space and planted a wet kiss on my cheek. I grimaced, which morphed into a polite smile as he pulled back and grinned at me.

"I've heard a lot about you, Shoulder Shot Swan."

My smile faded. "Pardon?"

"Don't be shy. We all heard what you did. Personally, I think you were crazy, but hell, it worked out, didn't it? Shall we sit?"

I was tempted to walk out there and then, but I reminded myself there were other people in the world that had said and done worse to me, and I wouldn't walk away from them for putting their foot in their mouths.

He caught the eye of the hostess, and she came over. "Table for two?" she asked.

He rolled his eyes and pointed at me and then himself. "One. Two. Yeah, I think that covers it."

"He means yes, please," I said to the hostess.

She led us to a table in the center of the room. His gaze moved to the booths that lined the restaurant, but I quickly sat down and picked up my menu. I didn't want privacy to encourage him.

He sighed but sat opposite me and picked up his own menu. He gave it a cursory glance and clicked his fingers at the waiter who was lurking discreetly by the kitchen door.

"So, Shoulder Shot," he said, "what made you go for pain instead of plugging him?"

I closed my eyes and pressed fingers to my temples. This was not going to work.


Carlisle

I was at home, sitting in my study with a book in my lap. My thoughts were elsewhere, however, with Bella. I had enjoyed the last weeks more than I had any time in the previous five years. Bella's company was stimulating, sometimes exciting, better even than my perfect memory recalled.

I wondered if she was enjoying her evening. She hadn't seemed enthused when she had spoken about it.

Then, as if my thoughts had summoned her, my phone beeped with a text message. I read it quickly and frowned. Call me ASAP. Emergency. B x

I didn't even pause to think of what the emergency could be. I just dialed her number and waited for her to answer.

"Carlisle?" she sounded a little confused, not as if she had just sent me a 911 text asking me to call.

"Bella, are you okay?" I asked urgently. "What's wrong?"

"What?" she asked, her voice pitched higher than usual, anxious. "Are you okay? I'll be there as soon as I can. You just hang on, okay?"

"Bella? What on earth is going on?" I asked.

"Don't worry, Carlisle. I'm coming."

The call disconnected, and I was left staring at the phone with a furrowed brow. What on earth had just happened? Whatever it was, I needed to know. I snapped my book closed and set it down beside me, then got to my feet and made for the door, dialing Bella's number at the same time.

I kept calling, but each call went through to voicemail for several long minutes before she finally answered, the echo of her voice and hum of an engine voice telling me I was on speaker in the car.

"Bella, are you all right?" I asked fervently.

"I'm fine," she said, sounding completely relaxed. "I just needed an out, and you were the only one I could think of."

"You needed an out?"

She laughed gently. "The date was a disaster. I had to get out of there, and he didn't take a hint. Sorry if you were worried."

I relaxed. "As long as you are okay, all is well."

"Thanks, Carlisle. Look, it's still early, and I'm dressed as a girl for a change. I'm going to get ice cream and beer, and then I'm going home to veg. You want to come over?"

"Hmmm. Ice cream and beer do sound tempting," I teased. "I'll be there presently."

"Great," she said cheerfully "I'll see you there."

I smiled as we said goodbye, and then I made for the door.

She was dressed as a girl. I wondered what that meant.


Bella's house was on the edge of town, near the forest. I knew the address, but I had never seen it before, despite my curiosity. It was modest but well kept, with a neat lawn and no flowerbeds. I guessed there was little time for her to tend a garden given the hours she was required to serve the community.

As I pulled up in front, she opened the door and waved at me. I immediately understood what she had meant by 'dressed like a girl'. She was wearing a knee-length, deep blue dress, and her hair was pulled back from her face and pinned up. She grinned at me as I climbed out and walked along the path to her door.

"You look…"

"Like a girl?" she asked, then laughed. "It happens very occasionally. Coming in?"

I nodded, and she stepped back. I hadn't given much thought to how Bella lived now, but as I went inside and looked around, I saw that I should have expected nothing else. The hall was lined with bookshelves, with a vast array of titles on offer. Her old favorites, the classics, were there, along with a variety of contemporary novels and non-fiction. In the lounge was a plush couch and mismatched armchair. I was accustomed to Esme's preference of matching couches that complemented the rest of the furniture, but Bella's eclectic mix worked just as well. It all suited her personality.

"What do you think?" she asked, gesturing around the room.

"I think it's charming."

She smiled and flopped down on the couch. On the coffee table was a bowl of chocolate ice cream and a bottle of beer. As I took a seat beside her, she picked up the bowl and stirred the melting dessert.

"So, what happened tonight?" I asked.

"Men are pigs," she said.

I raised an eyebrow. "I take offense at that."

She laughed. "You know I don't mean you. You're not a man. You're a vampire."

"I take offense at that, too." My smile took any heat and believability from my words.

She elbowed me and then winced and rubbed the spot. "He called me Shoulder Shot Swan."

I laughed but quickly cut off at her scowl.

"He was a jerk! He treated the waiter like crap, sent back his meal twice, and told me I'd look better blonde."

"He was wrong," I said with a teasing smile. "You're much better brunette."

She shook her head, amused. "Thanks. Not the point, though. He was horrible, and I am not seeing him again. I don't even know what Mandy was thinking when she set me up with him."

"Are you sure she's a friend?" I asked. "She couldn't be holding a grudge for something?"

"No. At least, I don't think so." She shrugged. "I'll call her tomorrow and give it to her for it."

She leaned forward and picked up her bottle of beer. She took a deep draw on it and gasped. "I got a call from the chief today."

"Oh. What did he say?" I asked, hoping against hope that it was good news.

"I'm back in," she said, turning to grin at me. "I report on Monday. There are still hoops, apparently, but I'll be on duty at least."

"That's wonderful news, Bella. I am so pleased for you."

"Thanks."

"And Charlie will be pleased, too."

"He will," she said softly. "God knows I've given him enough grief to last a lifetime."

"I'm sure that's not true," I said. Bella hadn't exactly been a troubled teen when I had known her,

"It is," she said, turning to look at me. "I hurt him. I hurt a lot of people."

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask what she meant, what had happened, but perhaps she saw the question coming as she said, "Not tonight, Carlisle. One day, yes. But not tonight. Tonight, I am happy."


So… That was a pretty bad date. I've not written Bella in a situation like this before, and it was a lot of fun. There's a lot to be said for a human life.

Until next time…

Simaril xxx