A/N: A quick thank you to everyone who added this story in their alerts and/or added it to their favorite list. It truly means a lot to me.

Chapter 20- Another routine day?

Carlisle's POV-

It was a routine day, well, as routine as can be in the life of a three hundred- and sixty-six-year-old vampire; yes, that's right! I had aged a complete year; Alice having decided to celebrate my birthday in the month of October. While I didn't exactly remember my correct birthdate, her guess was as good as mine, and so up we go a year!

Either way, like I was saying, it was another one of those 'nothing special' days- one of the plenty if you consider my extremely long life. I was back at the hospital in Ithaca- a double shift welcoming me in this not so sunny day, glad to just be here and do what I do best. Esme was at home, decorating our guest room to perfection, Eleazar and Carmen being our prestigious guests for the weekend. Rose and Emmett were in Africa, celebrating their umpteenth honeymoon- their wedding having been a hush-hush affair a few days after my three hundred- and sixty-sixth birthday. And Jasper and Alice were down in Texas, visiting Jasper's brother- Peter- leaving Esme and I alone in the mighty big house.

Not that I was cribbing about that!

With all these 'kids' in the house, the moments of peace were few and far. And hence, any moment of silence and lack of a problem was cherished like the Holy Grail. Trust me, these past few months had been horrible and extremely testing for all of us alike!

One problem after the other, it just never seemed to end.

But things had finally began to settle down, fortunately, with the kids going back to their busy lives, letting me spend some quality time with my wife and brother like- friend. Work was good, too. Nothing new, but that was to be expected.

Of course, though not everything was back to normal.

Edward was not normal.

Heck, he was in one of his moody phases, this one having lasted long enough to give the rest of us a constant headache. He was somewhere in South America- I don't know- doing something I had not a clue of. All I knew- from Alice- considering he had destroyed his phone irreparably- was that he was alive and had no immediate plans to end his life. Which was a good thing, considering everything that had happened these past months.

And so, I let him live out his rebellion, not focusing much on it but making sure that nothing drastic occurred. He was an adult after all, if not in human years than in vampire years. If he was prone to moodiness, he better well face the consequences of his decisions.

And frankly, I was exhausted. I needed a break!

I needed the monotony.

Craved it, in fact.

A long weekend with my beautiful wife and no disturbances seemed like heaven at the moment….a heaven I wanted to sprint towards without a second's delay….if only my double shift would end any time soon.

With some luck, nothing would be out to destroy my happiness this time around…

Just on cue, my phone rang, a sigh leaving my lips almost immediately.

Had been too quick to call it!

"Dr. Carlisle Cullen speaking," I spoke into the phone, an eyebrow raised as I waited to hear the voice of my patient- or their kin- aware that this was a work call, this being my official contact number registered with the hospital, my family generally preferring to contact me on my personal contact number. "Is anyone there? If you don't tell me your symptoms, I will not be able to be of any help." I sighed, running a hand over my forehead, knowing that I was being rude but tired enough to not care, the long pause on the other end making me wonder if this was even a genuine call or not.

The hospital wouldn't share my number without checking first, would they?

This could be a prank call, for all we knew.

And honestly, I was really not in the mood for one!

Now, I hadn't always been this low on temper…but believe me when I say that I was now out of patience.

I so could not deal with one more problem.

I wanted to go back to those days when my only problem in life would be Edward listening to angsty music up in his room and ruining any hope of happiness in the house by playing sad songs on the piano all day long.

I mean, just imagine, I am trying to make sweet love to my wife, and there is Edward, playing the funeral march on a volume that everyone in the neighborhood can hear, adding the unnecessary gloominess and sadness to it.

Yeah, my sex life had faced a major hit, needless to mention!

Now, don't get me wrong, I love that kid with all in me, but it is still a mystery to me of how someone could be this….what is that word….emo. Yes, exactly. That.

Edward was that typical hormonal teenager who while does not behave like a one, is a closet goth, the angst in him simply incomparable and unmeasurable…..and of course, unneeded.

He had been better these past few months- an almost smile creeping onto his face every now and then, but now we were back to square one.

I had no idea how much I could tolerate of him this time around.

Emmett had boldly suggested that Edward needed to loosen up, more like pay Tanya a visit, but the boy had instantly disagreed, a look of sheer melancholy appearing on his face, not to disappear that easily. I did not even bother to ask, but Esme did, the rest of us being subjected to a two-hour session of why Edward Cullen had the worst luck on the planet, and why he was doomed to hell.

Believe me when I say, Jasper looked ready to strangle him when he finally finished speaking, and even Rosalie was glaring at him, mentally plotting his murder in the easiest way possible.

I wasn't that harsh in comparison, but I won't lie; I did contemplate throwing him off the nearest cliff. Of course, it wouldn't kill him. But I would derive the satisfaction of doing the deed, and that was enough.

Have I mentioned of how much I love the boy?

I do. I really do.

"I am going to cut the call now," I let out a sigh, my fingers twitching to press the end button, having given more than enough time to the person on the other side to speak.

"No."

What was that?

It was nothing more than an incoherent whisper, but of course I had heard it.

"Who is this?" I demanded to know, letting a bit of politeness seep into my tone. "I want to help you, but you need to talk to me for that. I can't help you if you don't tell me what the problem is."

I was well aware that this wasn't an emergency; the hospital wouldn't be as careless as to directly give out my number had it been one. But still, this could be someone who needed the help. I wasn't averse to house calls, often preferring to go to the patient's house, and the hospital knew of this.

"You…" a soft voice suddenly began to speak, every inch of my attention now diverted towards it. "You owe me."

Oh.

"Bella?"

It was her.

I could never forget that voice. I had once believed that she would be part of my family, a misconception that Edward was quick to break. Nevertheless, my vampire memory would not give me the permission to forget her or her pain filled voice.

"How have you…"

"Please," she interrupted me, an unfamiliar firmness in her tone. "Let's keep the formalities aside. You owe me, and that is why I have called."

"How…how did you get this number?"

How hadn't Alice seen this happening?

Why hadn't she called to warn me?

I would have been prepared.

Bella gave out a humorless chuckle, the silence almost deafening, "Being the chief of police's only daughter does have its advantages! But that is not why I have called…."

"Edward is…" I winced, running a hand through my hair. "He is not here, Bella. I am sorry… but you should try to move on. That is what he would have wanted…"

"Oh," she laughed, almost evilly, surprising me with the nonchalance in her tone. What had happened to her in these past few months? Why did it seem like she was not the same Bella that we had once known and loved? "Tell him to stay where he is. I don't even want to see his face."

"Bella, you don't…."

"I mean exactly that, Carlisle. Don't try to be my father!"

"I am sorry," I winced. "I wasn't trying to do so. It is just, this is a surprise."

"I agree," she commented, an unknown confidence prevalent in her tone. "Look, I don't have time to waste. You owe me, and you have to help me out!"

Okay…

"Are you unwell? Is Charlie…"

"No." she sighed, a brief pause taken, "He saved my life. And now it is my turn to payback. He needs a doctor to…"

"Bella, I am sure that there are many capable doctors out there in Forks. If you want, I can have a word with Dr. Gerandy."

"No." she fervently protested. "It has to be you. Carlisle, you have to do this for me. You left me. All of you did!"

I let out an exhausted sigh. "He will not like this."

"I don't care."

And that was it.

"You need to be here as soon as possible. Once you reach Forks, give me a call."

And with that, she ended the call, leaving me a blabbering mess, clueless of how to call Esme and tell her that the plan had changed- that we were going to Forks….