These flashforwards are all excerpts from chapters to come so will be shorter.

Thank you so much eeeeaud and sailor. sadness (I had to add the space because it deleted it first time posting!) for your reviews! Yes, eeeeaud, I love Charlie and his man-crush too! Don't worry, we'll get more Charlie content as we go along, and Monica too!

IMPORTANT: I've noticed sometimes (like yesterday's chapter) the site doesn't show that the story's been updated on the summary. I'm updating daily, so if you missed that one please go back and check it out. I like to think this chapter shows a bit of what poor Esme had to deal with in the books.

Chapter 10 - Forks, 12th September 2005

(FLASHFORWARD)

Carys stood facing the large mirror suspended above the countertop in Carlisle's bathroom. She dotted moisturiser around her face and then began to stroke it into her skin as Carlisle watched her from where he lounged against the wall.

His fascination with her nightly cleansing and moisturising had once been a little strange to her, but once he'd explained his reasons she'd very quickly come to love the routine they maintained no matter whose house they spent the night in. It even helped in a way as it made her remember to cleanse her face properly, but she wasn't going to admit that to him.

"So Alice has decided to have a birthday party for Bella tomorrow night," Carlisle murmured, appearing behind her suddenly and wrapping his arms around her waist as he gently kissed her silk-clad shoulder.

Carys paused, hands stilling in front of her face as she met his eyes in the mirror. "And what does Bella think about that? I thought she didn't like celebrating things?" She asked him, massaging the last of the cream into her hands and frowning lightly.

"I don't know yet... Actually..." He sighed and bit his lip as he gave her a sheepish look in the mirror, ruined by his grin. "None of us know yet...?"

Carys swatted at his stone-hard shoulder, gasping her shock, and he loosened his hold so she could turn around to look up at him. "Carlisle! No! That poor girl! Tell me Edward's planning on telling her tonight at least?"

Carlisle shook his head, quaking with silent laughter when she swatted lightly at his chest this time, her mouth dropping open.

"Carlisle! You can't let them do this to her." Carys told him quietly before she ducked out of his arms and headed swiftly out into his bedroom. "Alice!" She called a second later, ignoring the loud boom of Emmett's laughter from a couple of rooms away or how silly she felt calling a 104-year-old vampire as if she was truly the 17-year-old she was pretending to the world to be. "Mary Alice Brandon-Whitlock-Cullen-Hale, whatever your full name is, you get in here right now!"

"Darling-"

"Don't you darling me, Carlisle Cullen. There is absolutely nothing about Bella Swan that screams she'd enjoy a party, let alone a surprise one."

"She will like it!" Alice announced, making Carys jump out of her skin, not helping herself as she appeared suddenly at the human's elbow. "I've seen it!"

"Have you now? And this seeing-" Carys motioned quotations as she spoke, "-would that have anything to do with Jasper's power over her emotions, I wonder?"

Alice looked to be momentarily at a loss before she seemed to find the bedside cabinet incredibly interesting. Then she looked to Carlisle in appeal.

"Don't look at him. He is not going to be able to help you."

Carlisle moved quickly, though she knew for him it was likely incredibly slowly, away to join Jasper by the door. They wore matching expressions of interest and mild fear which would usually make Carys laugh, but she chose to ignore that as she raised her eyebrows at the tiny teenage vampire in front of her and tried to steady her heartbeat.

"Well," Alice began, bouncing gracefully on her tiptoes and looking at Carys with wide pleading eyes before she continued excitedly, "Bella will love it! And it's been so long since we've properly celebrated a birthday! You and Carlisle already got her a present she'll love and I've sorted out the decorations and the cake - we'll have a great time!"

"We had a party for my birthday less than three months ago," Carys countered, quietly sighing and willing herself not to pinch the bridge of her nose, "and liking a present doesn't mean wanting a party, Alice."

"No! We had a tiny little lunch and watched one film, and then you and Carlisle went off to Seattle to-" Alice broke off, her eyes widening slightly as she realised her mistake.

"We went off to do what, Alice?" Carys asked, her voice lowering in what she could only hope was a threatening tone but likely didn't come close judging by Jasper's snigger.

Alice's eyes darted to Carlisle before she tipped slightly to the side and shot Carys a rueful grin. "Go on... Holiday...?"

"Yes, because we don't talk what you saw about my birthday, do we?" Carys asked, having to try harder than she wished to keep her blush from taking over. Not to show that she noticed how much Jasper was struggling with his laughter, or how Emmett and Rosalie had joined him and Carlisle in the doorway to watch the scene unfold. Rosalie seemed to be trying not to show her interest, but the fact she was there at all spoke volumes.

"No..." Alice conceded, smirking whilst she flicked another glance at her siblings and father which Carys only just caught.

Carys sighed, trying to keep control of what she called her mum voice as she put her hands firmly on her hips. "You have to tell her, Alice."

"Can I tell her at school in the morning?" Alice asked her hopefully with an overbright smile. Something in her face suggested she'd been planning to do that anyway.

Jasper snorted. Emmett let out another laugh. Rosalie smirked. Carys narrowed her eyes.

Carlisle nodded. "That sounds like an excellent idea, doesn't it darling?"

"Hmm..."

Alice spoke so quickly it seemed to Carys as if all the words blurred into one. "Okay-great!-Bye-mom!-Sleep-tight!"

"I wasn't fin-" Carys broke off and sighed as she was suddenly left alone in the bedroom with Carlisle and a firmly closed door. "Carlisle, what if she hates it?"

"Do you trust Alice's visions?" Carlisle asked her, pulling her against his chest and dazzling her as he stared deeply into her eyes.

Carys wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded. She did, she had to. Alice had seen them together long before she'd realised Carlisle was her destiny, and subjective or not she couldn't see how she could be wrong about something happening as soon as tomorrow if she'd been so right about Carlisle and herself. "Yes... But I really can't see Bella liking it, Carlisle. You know how she is."

"I know, but it'll be nice for the kids as well."

"Fine... But Alice has to tell her. I'm not going to let them scare her to death on her birthday."

"They won't," Carlisle assured her, his eyes darkening as his gaze began to roam her body and he tugged lightly at the tie of her silk dressing gown. "Not when you've just laid down the law so brilliantly..."

Carys feigned ignorance as she turned her face away from him, but smiled slyly as he began to kiss down her neck slowly, knowing he could hear her heartbeat speed up again as he did so. "The kids...?"

"Otherwise engaged." He murmured the words against her skin with a smile.

Carys bit the inside of her cheek and pulled away, Carlisle letting her go reluctantly despite the two of them knowing full well he didn't have to. He was rewarded a moment later when Carys walked towards the bed. She let the dressing gown drop to her feet, revealing the matching slip and turned to shoot him a coy glance over her shoulder. "Don't rip this one, Dr Cullen, I like it."

"I can't make any promises, Miss Vale." He spoke quietly, intently, as he removed his watch and began to unbutton his shirt. "And we both know that lying is a sin, don't we?"

A/N: Well I'm just going to drop this here like it's hot and I've forgotten my oven mitts... As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one.

P.s. saw Oliver Stummvoll's Instagram today, and got some lowkey Carlisle vibes, just if he had darker blonde hair and far paler skin.