23

"This box weighs a billion pounds," Michael whined, and when I looked over at him, I saw him on his knees, trying very hard to push a box of Carlisle's medical books across the living room to the pile of filled books.

"Dude, you're gonna hurt yourself."

I laughed and walked over to him, picking the box up. I carried it over and placed it on top of the ever growing pile of packed boxes. Three days had passed since Carlisle and I met with Benjamin Amun, and we'd made it our mission to get packed as soon as possible. He'd be flying out to San Francisco in a week to close on our sale of the beach house, and I wanted to have as much done as I could before he left. His flight was scheduled to leave at six in the morning, and return by nine that night, but I was still terrified at the thought of him being so far away. He'd already had several offers on the house, so the quicker we could get the sale closed on it, the faster we'd be able to put Forks behind us once and for all. And with Gabriel Varner free, I certainly didn't sleep any easier.

"Dad, you are only going to be here like three days. You don't need three suitcases," Carlisle said as he walked from the kitchen, through the living room, and to the stairs. "I swear you're worse than Bella when it comes to packing."

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" I called out, causing him to laugh and wave me off. I turned to Michael. "Can you believe he said that?"

"Yeah," Michael scoffed, flopping down on the couch and propping his feet up on armrest. "He has a point, though."

"What?" I gasped, walking over to him and pushing his feet off the armrest.

"Sorry, but it's a chick thing," he said like suddenly at the age of six and a half he was an expert on women.

"A chick thing?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. He nodded. "You scare me, dude."

"It's hard being me," he said, putting his feet back up.

I smiled as I turned and walked into the kitchen just in time to spy Tyler trying to sneak a cookie out of the cookie jar. "Caught you!"

Tyler leapt off the chair he was standing on and turned so that he was looking at me with his hands clenched behind his back. "It wasn't me!"

"Was so," I teased, walking over to the counter and grabbing the jar. Pulling out two of my famous, at least to Michael and Tyler, peanut butter cookies, I gave him a look before smiling and offering him one of the cookies. "Don't tell your dad."

"I won't," he promised as he took off through the living room. Less than ten seconds later, Michael was in the doorway to the kitchen, his eyes shifting from me to the cookie jar.

"Here." I had barely held the cookie out to him when he snatched it out of my hand and followed his little brother upstairs to their bedroom.

Laughing softly, I helped myself to a cookie before putting the lid back on top and pushing it to the back of the counter. As I nibbled around the edges, I looked around the kitchen. It was the one room we hadn't really started to pack, seeing as we needed dishes on a daily basis.

"Care to explain why there are two little boys snickering in their bedroom about getting a cookie?" Carlisle asked, leaning against the doorjamb.

I bit my lip as I shook my head. "No clue."

"Mmhmm," he scoffed, walking over to me. He placed his hands on my hips, tugging my body firmly against his. Leaning down, I thought he was going to kiss me, but instead, he took a bite of my cookie.

"That's mine!" I exclaimed, trying feebly to push him away. Carlisle tightened his arms around me, smashing the cookie between us. "You ate my cookie."

"I'm sorry. That was mean of me," he murmured, brushing his lips across my jaw as he kissed his way up to my ear. "Would you prefer I eat you?"

"Carlisle," I moaned, grabbing the front of his shirt.

"Yes, love?" He smirked as he looked down at me.

"Kiss me."

The words had barely left my mouth before his lips were on mine, his tongue stroking mine. I slid my hands up his chest, tangling my fingers in his silky, blond hair. Giving him a gentle tug, Carlisle groaned, his hands sliding down to the back of my legs. He lifted me onto the counter, pressing himself against me.

"Oy, get a room!" Jasper laughed. Carlisle pulled his mouth away from mine and we looked over at him and Edward, both of whom were smirking.

Rolling my eyes, I placed my hand on Carlisle's chest and pushed him away so I could hop down. "Don't you two have anything better to do than spy on us?"

"Nope," they replied together.

"Aw, come on, Bella," Jasper teased. "You're gonna miss us when we're gone."

"No, I won't," I lied, because I totally would. I'd loved getting the chance to get to know Edward and Jasper better over the last week, but they'd be leaving the next day for San Francisco.

"Mmhmm, keep telling yourself that, Swan," Edward snickered, tossing his keys and a letter from the courts on the counter.

"How'd it go with the judge?" I asked. Both Jasper and Edward grimaced. "That bad, huh?"

"No, not bad, just not good." Edward sighed. "The statements from the bank proved that we've paid our rent on time, but the landlord told them that we'd done damage to the property, which is bullshit of course. The place was in near perfect condition when they locked us out. But he has pictures of holes in the wall, and some sort of swing hanging from the ceiling in the guest bedroom. The judge ordered that they release our belongings, but refused to recant the eviction notice."

"A swing?" I asked. "Like a sex swing?" Jasper, Edward, and Carlisle all turned to me, cocking an eyebrow. "What? Rose and Alice showed me one in a magazine."

"Really?" Carlisle smirked. "Were you interested?"

"Can you please not talk about sex toys while we're in the room?" Jasper grumbled. "Seriously. It's gross."

"We're gross?" I scoffed, folding my arms in front of me. "Do I need to remind you about what I was forced to witness the night before last?"

Jasper and Edward shifted their attention to the floor while Carlisle burst out laughing. "Oh, my God, the looks on their faces when you turned on the light!"

"You were supposed to be in bed," Jasper mumbled. "Not sneaking outside."

"We heard a noise!" I exclaimed, throwing a hand in the air. "We went to investigate, and, boy, did we find something!"

"Stop teasing me about it!" Jasper whined, stomping his foot much like Tyler did when he was upset, which just had me and Carlisle laughing harder. "It's not funny!"

"Dude, it's hilarious," I snickered. "But it's okay, it looked like a hot blowjob."

Jasper groaned and turned, burying his face in Edward's shoulder. He was trying very hard not to laugh, but I could see the corners of his lips twitching upward. But what did they expect when Carlisle and I walked out back and caught Jasper on his knees in front of Edward, who had a nice fistful of the man's hair. Though their bodies were angled where we couldn't actually see anything, it was more than obvious what they were up to.

"Okay, okay, I need to run to the store and grab a few last minute groceries for tonight. Anyone need anything that is not on my list?" I asked, giving each of them a look.

"Whip cream," Carlisle said, and when I cocked an eyebrow, he added, "In a can."

"Should I ask why?"

He smiled and shook his head.

"You scare me, lover," I murmured, leaning on my toes and kissing him.

"Not yet," he groaned, trying to kiss me again, but I moved out of his reach. Laughing, I walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, where I found Michael and Tyler watching television.

As I picked up my keys, Tyler jumped up and ran over to me, wrapping his arm around my leg. "Where are you going?"

"To the store. Would you like to go?" I asked, looking down at him. He bobbed his head up and down before he took off upstairs to put on his shoes. I looked over at Michael. "You coming?"

He shrugged his shoulders before saying, "Yeah, I guess," before he followed his little brother upstairs. As he and Tyler ran down the stairs, Carlisle, Jasper, and Edward came in from the kitchen.

"And where do you think you two are going?" Carlisle asked, folding his arms in front of him and trying to look serious.

"With Bella," Michael replied, sliding his hand into mine.

"Oh, really?" he asked. "Do we need to go over the rules?"

Michael and Tyler huffed, and said, "No."

"If she tells me you were misbehaving, I am going to go through your toys and throw half of them away. Understand?"

Tyler gasped. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me, little man," Carlisle said, giving him a look.

"Okay, okay, whatever," he mumbled.

Carlisle laughed and looked at me. "You need money?"

"Nope," I said. "Do me a favor and clean the bathroom, though. You, um, miss a lot."

Jasper and Edward burst out laughing as Carlisle's mouth flopped open. "Isabella!"

"Sorry." I smirked, and winked at him. "Love you."

"You don't, either," he grumbled as he turned and walked upstairs, muttering about how mean I was.

A few minutes later, the boys and I pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store, and headed inside. Grabbing a basket, both the boys squeezed in on the bottom and I headed toward the produce aisle to grab a few tomatoes for the salad. Once I had a three fairly large ones, I placed them inside a bag before putting them inside the basket. Adding a cucumber, some carrots, and a bag of radishes, the boys and I headed toward the dairy aisle. Just as I was grabbing a block of cheese, I felt an arm wrap around my waist and the feel of someone's breath on the back of my neck.

"Ahhh!" I screamed, throwing my elbow into the gut of the person who'd touch me. They released me and I spun around. Bile filled my mouth as I found myself face to face with Gabriel Varner. "You!"

The boys scrambled out from under the basket and rushed around, wrapping their arms around my legs.

Gabriel looked from me down to them, a creepy smile spreading on his face. "You look good, Isabella. Real good," he grunted, taking a step toward me.

I placed my hands on the boys' backs as I scrambled away from him. "Get the fuck away from us!"

And leaving my basket there, I nearly dragged the boys out of the market and out to the car, throwing the doors open and almost pushing them inside. Once I was behind the wheel, the dam broke and my tears fell faster than I could wipe them away.

"Bella, what's wrong?" Michael fretted, and through I tried to speak, it came out as a garbled mess. "Bella!"

However, before I could reply, my attention was pulled to the front of the store as Gabriel Varner walked out without a single bag in his hands. He stopped and looked around, stopping when he saw me sitting behind the wheel of Carlisle's black Mercedes. Smiling, he tilted his head toward me before walking toward us. Quickly, I jammed the key into the ignition and started the car, throwing it in reverse and pulling out of my parking space. Michael fell back against the backseat.

"Bella!"

"Put your seatbelts on!" I screamed, shifting the car into drive and pressing my foot down on the gas pedal. As I drove away from the store, I saw Gabriel Varner run toward a beat up station wagon. I dug my phone out of my pocket and tossed it to Michael.

"Call your dad."

"Why?" he grumbled.

"Just do it," I snarled, looking at him through the rear view mirror. His face crumbled, and I immediately felt guilty for snapping at him. It wasn't his fault, and I shouldn't have been so rude. "Please, Michael, just call him and tell him to be waiting for us outside."

"Okay," he muttered, and made the call. "Dad, Bella said to be waiting for us outside . . . I don't know why, she just said to call you and tell you to be waiting . . . okay. Bye." Michael ended the call and held the phone to me from over my shoulder. "He said he will."

"Thank you, sweetheart," I whimpered, unable to stop the tears from falling as I drove toward the house. Tyler was crying softly, and I hated that I'd scared them, but honestly, I was terrified. Once again, Gabriel Varner had gotten too close.

When I turned into the driveway, not only was Carlisle waiting for us, but so were Jasper and Edward. The three of us climbed out of the car, and Michael and Tyler ran into the house, both of them weeping.

Carlisle looked at them before turning back to me. "What the hell is going on?"

"He was there?" I wept, wrapping my arms around myself.

"Who was there?" Carlisle asked, though we both knew who I was talking about.

"Mr. Varner," I whispered.

Closing his eyes, he walked over to me, wrapping me in his embrace and kissing the top of my head. "Tell me exactly what happened."

As the words tumbled from my lips, and I told him everything, I noticed the way Jasper and Edward were surveying the area, clearly making sure that he hadn't followed us home. A shiver ran through me. Not only had he gotten close to me, but he'd gotten close to the boys. And something told me that he wouldn't let them being there stop him from getting what he wanted.

"That son of a bitch," Carlisle groused, sliding his hands up to either side of my face. "I should have gone with you, or instead of you."

"I shouldn't be afraid of going to the store by myself," I said. "I just . . ." I shook my head and tried like hell to blink back my tears. "Seeing him standing there, the look in his eyes, the way he . . . smiled . . . and leered at me," I whimpered. "I hate him. I hate him so much that it scares me."

"Me, too," Carlisle admitted, but before he could say anything else, Gabriel Varner drove by, making a point of slowing down in front of the house. "Let's go inside."

"Okay," I whispered, nestling myself in his arms.

"Bella, give me your list," Jasper said, holding his hand out toward me.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because I'm going back to the store and picking up what you needed. And on my way, I'm going to pay a little visit to Jake and Sam. They might be interested in knowing that he's following," he explained.

I snorted as I held my list out to him. "Like they give a fuck about me."

Leaving the three of them standing there, I walked into the house and upstairs. Michael and Tyler were sitting on the floor with one of their tubs of Legos poured out in between them. I leaned against the door and cleared my throat, causing them to look over at me. They frowned, and that single look broke my heart. I didn't want them to be sad.

"Can I come in?" I asked.

"Guess so," Michael muttered with a shrug of his shoulders.

I walked over and sat on the floor next to him, pulling my knees up in front of me. "What are you building?"

"Nothing really," he said.

"Can we talk for a minute?" I asked. He and Tyler put their Legos down and looked up at me. "I'm sorry for getting upset with you in the car. I shouldn't have reacted like that."

"Was it something we did?" Tyler wondered, his lips quivering.

"No," I whispered. "That man in the store, he kind of scares me, and I didn't want him to hurt you, or me, so I wanted to leave. Instead of being careful with you, I was kind of reckless. And I am so sorry for that."

"Is he a bad man?" Michael asked, frowning even more.

I nodded. "A real bad man."

"Did you tell Daddy?" Tyler whimpered, climbing into my lap. "Because he said we're always supposed to tell him if a bad guy tries to hurt us."

"I told him," I whispered as a tear slid down my face. "And Jasper and Edward know, and they were going to tell the police, too, so it's going to be okay," I lied. Nothing was going to be okay until we got away from Forks, away from Gabriel Varner, and away from the rest of the poison this town tried to throw at us. "So I don't want you to worry, okay?"

"Okay," they muttered, but I could tell they would anyway.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry. Better go get started on dinner." I kissed the top of Tyler's head before sliding him off my lap and reaching for Michael, who immediately found his way into my arms. "Love you."

"I love you, too," he whispered, kissing my cheek. "Daddy won't let anyone hurt you, Bella. He needs you too much."

"You think so?" I asked.

He smiled and nodded. "Just like you need him."

"I do," I murmured, standing up.

When I walked into the hallway, I found Carlisle leaning against the wall, clearly listening in on our conversation. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I leaned my head on his chest and sighed. "I do need you. You know that, right?"

"I do," he mumbled. "But not like I need you. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, but thank you for keeping the boys safe, Isabella."

"They're my boys, too." Leaning up, I pressed my lips against his. "I will fight to the death for them, Carlisle. I just hope I don't have to."

As I walked downstairs and headed into the kitchen to start dinner, I released a shaky breath. Because something told me that even our move to California wouldn't stop Gabriel Varner for trying to put his hands on me again.

—TB—

"If you come out of that room one more time, I'm going to let Emmett sleep in your bed!" I heard Carlisle threaten just moments before the sound of the boys' door being closed and him walking down the steps.

"Man, he must be seriously pissed if he's threatening to let Emmett sleep in there," Jasper snickered, popping a radish into his mouth.

"No shit," I scoffed, pushing his hand away as he reached for another. "You're supposed to be helping me finish preparing everything, not eating it all before everyone gets here."

Not that I needed help, but Jasper had been hovering over me all evening, ever since he got home from the store. Just as I thought, Jake and Sam said there wasn't much they could do about Gabriel Varner unless he actually tried to sexually assault me again. It didn't matter that he'd put his arm around me, that he'd made his sick obsession with me clear. Nope, the police department of Forks wasn't interested in protecting me from anyone other than the one man who'd never hurt me.

Jasper huffed and grabbed the knife off the counter. "You're mean."

"Aw, poor Mr. Whitlock," I teased. "What are you and Edward going to do without me cooking for you all the time?"

"You know we do actually cook for ourselves when we aren't living with you," he said, bumping me with his shoulder. I smiled, weakly. "And we're not going to be that far away. Practically next door."

"You'll be miles away," I murmured, looking up at him.

"I'll probably see you every day on campus," he argued. "You'll get tired of having me around. I'll be the creepy old guy that everyone makes fun of."

"No, you won't." I turned and faced him. "Are you excited about graduate school?"

Jasper inhaled a sharp breath. "Yes, and no. It's been awhile since I actually had to study for tests, but getting my Master's degree will make it possible for me to teach at the college level. High schools . . . it's not for me. Not anymore. Plus, they've offered me a TA job, which I can't really afford to turn down, either. Edward keeps telling me not to worry about the money, that he'll take care of everything, but I don't like being dependent on anyone."

"Me, either," I admitted. "Carlisle refuses to even discuss me getting a part time job. I get his point: between school and the boys, I'll have a lot to keep me busy, but . . ."

"But?" Jasper prompted.

"Carlisle's kind of a big deal in San Francisco. His family, I mean. I don't want people to think I'm using him for his money."

"They won't," Jasper insisted, but I wasn't so sure. "If you really want to work, I'm sure you could find something part-time, Bella. It's not like he won't give in to whatever you want."

"I know, but we're going to be married soon, and I'll be a wife and a mom," I rambled, shaking my head.

"You're already a mom. Aren't you?"

"I guess, but it'll be, like, official."

Jasper smiled. "Bella, it couldn't get more official than it is now."

"Babe, where'd you put the wine?" Edward asked, walking into the kitchen while fiddling with the top button on his shirt. "Buttoned or unbuttoned?"

Jasper and I looked over at him, and said, "Unbuttoned."

"Seriously, only nerds button the top one," I laughed.

Edward grimaced, but left the button undone. "I am not a nerd."

"Anymore," I added. He reached over and thumped me on the earlobe. "That fucking hurt, jackhole!"

"Big baby," Edward teased, reaching around Jasper and grabbing the two bottles of wine they bought for dinner.

"You're an asshole," I growled, trying to kick him, but he scooted out of the way.

"What the hell is going on in here?" Carlisle asked, coming in with Alice, Esme, Rose, and Emmett behind him.

"He's bullying me," I accused, gesturing to Edward.

"She's being a sissy," he challenged, and when I looked at him, he stuck his tongue out at me.

"How old are you?" I asked, shaking my head.

"Old enough," he said, placing the bottle on the table. "How much longer until foods ready? I'm starving."

Jasper and I shared a look before I gestured to the timer on the oven. "When the big hand gets to zero, it'll be time to eat."

"You're a smart-ass, Swan," Edward muttered.

"Thank you. My father taught me everything he knew."

"Hell yeah, he did!" Alice laughed, pushing past Carlisle, who scowled at her, and over to me. She wrapped her arms around me from behind and leaned around me, kissing my cheek. "I'm gonna miss your mouth, too."

Carlisle moaned, causing all of us to burst out laughing. He hadn't exactly hidden his little fantasy of me and the pixie being together, but that was never going to happen. Alice was blissfully happy with Esme, and I loved him too much to risk our relationship on some wild night of fun.

"If you want to eat, you'd better get the table set," I ordered, pointing the knife I was using to slice the homemade bread I'd made for dinner. When nobody moved, I added a quick, "Now!"

As they scrambled to grab plates, glasses, forks, and anything else we might possibly need, Jasper nudged me with his shoulder again, and when I looked at him, he winked.

Five minutes later, the table was set, the food had been placed in the middle, and plates had been filled. However, before anyone could take a bite, I raised my glass and looked around at each of them. Alice, Esme, Edward, and Jasper were leaving the next morning for San Francisco. Esme's new job started in two days and Alice was ready to get settled in their apartment. Her parents still weren't speaking to her, and though she tried to brush it off, I knew it was harder on her than she wanted to admit.

Edward and Jasper were still looking for an apartment, so in the meantime, Carlisle had offered them the use of the bungalow. Though it was a bit of drive to campus and the medical co-op where Carlisle and Edward would soon be working, it was free and would give them time to find something they wanted instead of settling for the first vacant apartment they found. I had a feeling Sasha was going to be spoiling them rotten.

Rose and Emmett would be joining us in a few weeks. Catherine and William Hale had surprised us all when they offered to pay for Emmett's tuition. Two years at City College in San Francisco and then two more years at UC Berkeley, under the condition that he keeps a 3.0 grade point average. Not only that, but they were paying for Rose and Emmett to share a small apartment just three blocks from City College. When asked why they were being so generous, Catherine Hale simply said, "Emmett's a good investment."

For the first time in the eighteen years that I'd known Emmett, he was speechless. It was the first time someone had looked at him and seen someone besides the goofball, someone with a real future. They saw the Emmett that Alice, Rose, and I had always seen.

"I'm going to try to say this without being mushy," I started, already feeling the tears fill my eyes. "Our lives are about to change in ways that none of us are truly prepared for. We're growing up, moving forward, and I'll admit to being a little scared, but I know that no matter where are in our lives, the eight of us are a family, and we'll be okay. So, I'd like to make a toast to us."

"Damn, Swan, that was deep," Emmett sniffled, wiping his eyes.

"Shut up," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "I was being sweet."

"Should we be concerned that you're giving alcohol to minors?" Rose asked before taking a sip of her wine.

"Probably," Carlisle said with a smile. "You're staying here tonight, right? No one is driving?"

"Yep," she replied.

"Then it shouldn't be an issue." Carlisle slid his hand over mine. "Isabella and I just wanted to say thanks to all of you for everything you've done for us over the last handful of the weeks. It's nice to have people we can count on to be there when we need them, and we hope that you all know that when, or if, you need us, we'll be there for you, too."

"Ugh, so sickening sweet," Alice sang, leaning her head on Esme's shoulder. "Baby, is that what all straight men are like?"

"Yep." Esme smirked. "Aren't you glad I saved you from guys like him?"

"Mmhmm." Alice pressed her lips against Esme's, and I swear I saw tongue. If it hadn't been something I'd seen a dozen times, it'd be annoying, but they were in love.

"Rose, give me your phone," Emmett demanded.

"Why?" she asked, pushing his hands away when he tried to dig into her pockets.

"Because I want to take a video of the hot lesbian action. I bet I'd get like . . . a billion hits on Pornhub."

"Emmett," Alice yelped, tearing herself away from Esme. "Stop being a wanker!"

"Don't wanna," he mumbled.

I laughed. "Oh, Em, I don't think San Francisco is ready for you yet."

"Probably not." He smirked and winked at me.

Though, I was starting to wonder if San Francisco was ready for any of us.

Thank you for all the reviews. One more chapter to go on this one, and then the sequel!