Hey, remember last chapter when I said it was an extra mini midweek one and to just wait for me not to update that weekend? And then I didn't update for two months? Lol right?

So funny story, I got a new job and now I'm working up to 60 hours a week with a bunch of 15 hour shifts thrown in. I barely have the energy to eat m8! So I can give you no promises about when the next chapter will come out. Just know that it will. Every chapter of this fic is now outlined - subject to change of course. I'm fitting in writing whenever I have the will to do it, and I will finish this goddamn thing if it kills me! (and it might)

Also, I'm sure most of you have forgotten about the AN last chapter, especially since I deleted it after getting some not so friendly messages. Just an fyi, that AN listed some terrible ending ideas that my boyfriend had. They're not going to happen. Please read the whole AN before messaging me about how outraged you are. And why would I tell you the ending? Like why would I do that?

[This chapter was written in tiny bits over two months and therefore is quite shit. My sincere apologies.]

[Oh yeah and I just edited and updated chapter 2! Go check that out! It's actually good now!]

'I have always treasured my memory of Carlisle as a human - it was a large part of why I took to becoming a vampire so easily, I already knew he was a good man.' - Esme

October, 1915. Carlisle.

"Are you sure about this?"

Jasper stiffened. "Yes."

Carlisle sighed and side stepped a child barrelling out of the school gates. He had gotten out of work early and decided he might as well walk Bella home from school. The fact that he knew Esme would be there had nothing to do with it. Of course.

He had to hand it to Bella, or perhaps his future self; he was far more compatible with Esme than he had ever imagined he could be. He had dined with the Platts three times in the past two weeks and every time found her to be interesting and funny and quick witted. She was inherently kind and gentle in a way that made her instantly endearing to everyone she met. But when he looked deeper, he found this devilishly intelligent woman who was full of entertaining observations and secret smiles. He had no doubt that she could hold her own with Jasper and Peter, even when they weren't being perfect gentlemen.

So what had started out as an effort to appease his daughter had turned into a budding friendship that deeply added to his happiness.

Or perhaps more than a friendship…

He hadn't expected this. He hadn't expected to truly develop feelings for this woman. He didn't want to raise any expectations. Especially considering that something could happen and he'd have to move the family with a second's notice. Could he really have a relationship with a human? Could he marry a human? He pondered and pondered but was still unsure.

But it wouldn't be of any note to anyone that she happened to be there while he accompanied his 'sister' home.

Jasper was an unexpected addition though. He apparently had the same idea, although for different reasons. They had met at the gate.

"Look…" Jasper murmured, "Bella has been avoidin' me for two weeks. She won't even look at me, let alone talk to me. She's bein' dumb. So I figured if I show up while she's with Esme, she won't be able to shake me off without lookin' weird."

"And then when we get home? She'll just avoid you more."

"No, she's only doin' it because she's scared I'll jump her or that I'm pissed at her or whatever. It's all fear. So we'll have a pleasant walk home where I show her that there's nothin' to be scared of. Then she'll talk to me again."

Carlisle sighed. "Jaz, I feel like you're ignoring the root cause of all this…"

"Well what am I supposed to do?" His voice lowered into a gravelly whisper. "How else am I supposed to… I never thought that she would actually…"

Leave him...

Carlisle could only swallow the grief he felt for his adoptive son and squeeze his shoulder, very aware of the prying eyes of children around them.

It didn't last long. Bella and Esme emerged arm in arm from the main school building and Jasper's vulnerable expression morphed into a too forced smile.

Esme squeezed her arm. "It looks like you have two chaperones this afternoon."

Bella sighed. "You'd think I can't find my own way home."

"I think it's nice that your brothers care so much for you!" Esme grinned and bumped her friend with her shoulder. "Mine certainly doesn't!"

"Well your brother's a fool."

They finally moved close enough to Carlisle that he didn't have to pretend he couldn't hear them. He cheerily greeted both ladies, inquired after Bella's day at school and Esme's work with the little ones. Esme answered happily, but Bella grew sullen and quiet, her eyes darting back and forth between Jasper and the ground.

The empath sighed and held out an arm for her to take.

"C'mon Bells," he said, then added in a whisper so low Carlisle almost couldn't hear it, "let's leave the lovebirds to it, shall we?"

Bella's head darted up so quickly it was almost comical (if a bit inhuman). A grin stretched over her face as if she hadn't noticed exactly what was happening in front of her. Carlisle couldn't help but feel his chest lift at her joy. Jasper shared a similar expression, his loving eyes fixed on her face and the curve of her cheeks.

She turned and took Jasper's arm, leaving Carlisle to offer his to Esme. At first she appeared somewhat stiff at Jasper's side, she barely spoke despite his attempts to engage her in conversation. But slowly, very slowly, she relaxed on his arm and they started whispering in earnest about topics Carlisle didn't know of and in tones he could barely hear. He got so lost in his children in front of him, he almost neglected the woman beside him. Almost.

She paused in her description of her experiments in how different light conditions were affecting her flowerbeds and grinned at the two they were following.

"What do you think they're whispering about?" She quietly asked.

Carlisle snorted, this was one of the few times where he didn't actually know. They were speaking so quietly he could barely hear at all.

"They're plotting something, most likely."

"Oh?" Esme smirked. "I can only guess what that might mean."

"They enjoy the odd practical joke," Carlisle said, "particularly ones they play on Peter."

"And do you enjoy them too?"

He glanced down at the playful look about her mouth, he grinned back. "I can't lie. Peter's reactions make all the fallout worth it."

She laughed. "How nice it must be to have a close group of siblings. I'm not close with my brother, it has never bothered me. But I look at Jasper and Bella and wonder what I'm missing."

"They are very close…" Carlisle said, careful to skate the line between their cover story and the truth of exactly how close those two were.

"Not just close, I think. You can tell how devoted they are to each other. When they talk it's like listening to two people speaking as one, they are so perfectly in tune. I can only dream of caring for someone that much, and they were just born into it."

Bella's shoulders had stiffened, but she kept walking; perhaps even a little closer to Jasper's side, just as jovial as before. Even she couldn't deny just how true Esme's words were. Nobody who saw them together could ever think them indifferent to each other. He didn't know what Bella was thinking. As if she could hide a love like that.

Who knows, maybe one day he might know love like that. It was something he had never dared hope for, but he looked down at the lovely woman on his arm and...

No. He was thinking too far ahead of himself. His indecision smacked him in the head like a tidal wave. She was a human, a young human woman with her whole life ahead of her. She didn't know what he was, she didn't know what she was getting herself into.

Not noticing his discomfort, Esme resumed her chatter about her adventures with plants and he let himself be drawn back into it. She was truly remarkable. It was all he could do to not look lost as he observed the low lying sun glinting off her butterscotch hair, the pink blush of her cold nipped cheeks, the glint in her eye and the dimple beside her mouth.

Maybe he was kidding himself just as much as Bella was.

They finally, reluctantly, reached Esme's lane and she left his arm, waved happily to Jasper and Bella and walked up her driveway. When Carlisle turned from her, perhaps a little slowly, he found two wry looks directed back at him.

Jasper grinned. "You're smitten."

Carlisle sighed. "I like her, I'll give you that."

"Please, Carlisle. I can feel your emotions. You're smitten, go get her!"

He sighed. "I can't. Not now."

Bella frowned. "Why not?"

"Because I'm a vampire!" Carlisle sighed and gestured for them to keep walking.

His children traded looks he knew too well before rushing to keep up with him.

"Wait, you're a vampire?"

"When were you gonna tell us?"

"Stop it," he grumbled. They gently sniggered behind him.

"But seriously, Carlisle. Why's that a problem?"

He sighed and slowed down so they could keep pace with him without looking suspicious. "Because she's a human. Because being with her would put her in untold danger. Because what life can I give her? One where she has to leave everyone she knows to hide the fact that her husband doesn't age? Or where she has to turn to be with me? I can't ask her to make that decision, she's too young."

Bella frowned and took his hand in hers. "I made that decision when I was 17. I knew that staying with you guys meant I risked being attacked and turned. I decided it was worth it. I chose to leave my family and friends behind and turn into a vampire to be with you and although it was hard sometimes, I've never regretted it. Not once."

Carlisle looked down at his sweet daughter, the best thing to ever happen to him. He extracted his hand from hers and instead pulled her to his side and pressed a kiss to her head. Who cared what the neighbors thought.

"You're remarkable." He murmured.

Bella shrugged. "So's Esme. She might make the same decision, but you'll never know if you don't give her a chance.

A week later, a cloudy Saturday afternoon prompted Bella and Carlisle to take a pleasant stroll around the park before they made their appearance at the market. They had garnered quite the reputation around town for generously donating so much food to the poor. Why, it was almost as if they didn't eat with how much they gave away!

They went to market every week to keep up their human disguise, but this Saturday Bella insisted they go to the park and people watch for a while. Carlisle acquiesced, because who was he to deny her anything? Besides, people watching was rather fun.

They walked at a gentle pace, her arm looped around his, listening to the idle chatter and raging arguments of the people around them. Carlisle made the odd comment about the occasional interesting piece of gossip, but Bella seemed distracted. She kept checking her watch, and then when they passed by a particularly interesting looking tree she slowed down dramatically, pulling him to almost a stop too.

"Bells?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothin'!" She rushed out, just as a very familiar voice came floating in from the distance.

"Oh!" Bella gasped, an odd smile on her face. "Is that Esme? We should wait here and greet her!"

He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. His daughter was truly the worst liar he had ever come across.

Esme had a similar look on her face as she and her friend Claire rounded a corner and 'happened' upon them.

"Oh look!" Claire grinned. "Dr Cullen, Bella! How lovely to see you!"

"And you Miss Stevens, Miss Platt." Carlisle murmured and tipped his hat.

"What a surprise!" Bella beamed. "Claire, I had been meanin' to discuss that book with you!"

"Oh yes, the book!" Claire replied and grasped Bella's arm. "You don't mind us joining your walk, do you?"

"Oh we would be delighted!" Bella linked arms with Claire and they set off down the path. "It was a long book, we have a lot to talk about."

Carlisle was left standing next to Esme, who was clearly trying her best not to laugh. Her shoulders shook, her chest heaved and her lips clamped together until she couldn't keep it in anymore.

"My God!" She gasped. "That was the worst acting I've ever seen!"

Her giggles were infectious and Carlisle couldn't help but join in. "They were awful weren't they!"

"Terrible!" She quipped as her breathing calmed down. "Look at them," she nodded up the lane where the two girls had slowed down and were glancing over their shoulders. "They're worried their plan didn't work, bless their souls."

"Well…" Carlisle smiled and put out his arm. "Shall we give the people what they want?"

She smirked, a light blush still staining her cheeks, and threaded her arm through his. "I suppose we'd better have."

They chatted as they strolled, about this and that and everything. Bella and Claire kept a careful distance in front of them, close enough to chaperone but far enough to give privacy. It was so obviously planned between the two that he wouldn't have been surprised if Esme's mother was in on it too.

Esme said about the same, and Carlisle took great pleasure in teasing her relentlessly about her parents being somewhere around the park with binoculars. She burst out laughing and turned the image to them hiding in the bushes with a periscope, and he couldn't help but feel his heart flutter as she giggled. She was everything he had ever wanted, although he hadn't let himself want in a very long time.

Maybe, maybe it was alright for him to want something for himself. Maybe it would be alright to try.

They finally reached the end of the lane and the end of their walk. Esme grew shy as they drew close to her friend and his 'sister'. She walked considerably slower and ducked her head to hide a blush.

"Perhaps…" she whispered, "perhaps it might be nice to do this again sometime?"

Carlisle beamed, he would have blushed too had he had the ability. He considered for half a second, then he let his heart take over his head - for once.

He released his grip on her arm and held her hand instead, he lifted it to his lips and slowly kissed the smooth skin of the backs of her fingers. He lingered longer than was strictly appropriate and glanced back up at her.

She was scarlet. Carlisle realised he hadn't even answered.

"I would like that." He smiled.

And so followed four months of carefully chaperoned walks, a shared pew at church and pleasant parlor visits. The Cullens joined the Platts for Christmas and the Platts joined the Cullens for New Years. The entire undead family got very good at pretending to eat and Carlisle and Esme just got closer and closer - to everyone's joy.

Expectations were most certainly raised, the town had been gossiping about just when Dr Cullen was going to propose to Miss Platt for months. But Carlisle still held back. Esme didn't seem to be in a particular rush, so he just let himself enjoy it. He enjoyed her. He pulled himself out of his own head and his heart fell for her in its stead.

February, 1916. Bella.

With the last of the snow and ice melted, Esme and Bella finally felt safe walking home without one of the Cullen boys to escort them and protect them from slipping over. Bella would never get over being a vampire that could still trip over her own feet.

They walked arm in arm, shoulders rubbing together as they huddled for warmth. (Although Bella had a feeling that Esme actually got colder being this close to her.)

She loved this friendship. She loved Esme, both the one she had in the future and this one in the present. But she still couldn't help but feel the wrongness of it all. This was sisterhood, and Esme had never been her sister. She tried to get past it, but thus far hadn't managed to.

They came up to the turning into Esme's house, but continued on the lane. Esme was coming to the Cullen house to return a book she had borrowed from Carlisle. She couldn't have just given it to Bella to give back to him, of course not. That would be rude. She had to thank him in person, that was just politeness. Obviously.

Nothing suspicious about it at all.

Bella was distracted by her friend, by her conversation, and her scent pressed so close to her. She didn't smell him or sense him until it was too late.

Roger was back, exactly where she had met him last time - in front of the house. But this was different. His clothes were ragged, matted in blood. His eyes were bright and recently fed. His smile was manic.

Roger was here for a fight.

"Bella," he greeted, "how lovely to see you."

Bella swallowed. She wasn't sure if she should hold Esme tighter or push her away.

"Roger." She replied. "What brings you here?"

His eyes glinted at her discomfort, they flitted towards Esme and his smile grew.

"Is this your friend, little miss Bella?" he drawled, "Such a pretty little human."

Esme flinched, cringing away as all humans did when a vampire did something to illustrate how other they were. Bella stepped a little in front of her and softly touched her arm, careful enough to placate but placed well enough to push her away.

She spoke softly, and forced every ounce of vampire thrall she had into her voice.

"Esme, go home."

She had never been very good at dazzling people, and without eye contact Esme resisted completely.

"But… Bella."

Bella dared to take her eyes off the red eyed man to glance back. She smiled in a way she hoped was comforting.

"I know him. I'll be fine, my brothers are just inside. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Esme gaped at her for a moment more, but Bella couldn't keep her eyes off Roger for too long. She waited until Esme's quiet 'okay' and footsteps faded away to move. Her heartbeat lingered around the corner, but at least she wouldn't see.

"What are you doing?" Bella growled below the human register.

Roger leered at her. "What am I doing? What are you doing? That little human stinks of you. Getting too close to the food are we?"

"She is under our protection. You were told not to hunt in our territory."

"It's not hunting if it's justified." He grinned, there was blood between his teeth. "The Volturi would be very interested to know about this questionable company you keep. Perhaps I'll go sort out the problem for you. Neutralise the threat."

He took a step in Esme's direction, still hidden behind a bend in the road. Bella's hand shot up and hovered over his throat before his foot hit the floor. A threat.

"Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private," she murmured, "there's access to a forest behind the house."

He smirked at her and shrugged. He turned and made his way to the side gate of the house with an arrogance that would get him killed sometime soon. He, of course, knew that no one was inside. He, of course, assumed that Bella was an easy target.

She followed just behind him as they walked through the back yard and into the thicket beyond a hole in the fence. She kept walking until they reached a point where humans couldn't hear the inevitable fight, then stopped. He turned to face her, grinning like he'd already won.

She focussed on her alarm and rage. That overwhelming feeling that thudded in her ears as she processed just how much danger her mother was in. She gathered it and projected it, willing it to be a beacon to draw Jasper to her.

"You seemed so nice when we first met," she whispered.

"That was before your mate disrespected me," he sneered. "I'm not inclined to forgive when someone pisses me off."

He's not my mate lingered on her lips, but there was no point in insisting on it now.

"So… what?" she wanted to feign nonchalance, but had to stay rigid still, muscles ready to spring. "You're going to punish us by killing a human we care for?"

"To start with."

She took a breath, then sensed what she had been feeling out for. There was a ripple in her emotions, a jolt of gold that weaved through the blanket she was pushing out. Jasper had felt her. He was on his way.

She returned her attention to the red eyed monster.

"You know I can't let you do that."

He huffed out a laugh. "Fine. First I'll kill his mate. Then I'll kill his pets."

Bella smirked. "Try me."

He was truly a fool, an arrogant fool. He charged towards her, arms outstretched as if she'd let him crush her. She stood still until the last second, then ducked and skidded to the side. She grabbed his arm as she spun towards his back and kicked him right between the shoulderblades. He went flying forwards. Her grip on his arm wasn't strong enough to rip it fully from its socket, but it let out a satisfying creak as it cracked along the joint. It hung on a thread. Useless.

He jumped to his feet and spun to face her. He roared, venomous spittle flew in every direction.

He ran towards her, one knee bent. He anticipated her going low again, so she went high. She ducked a little so he would lunge to the floor and instead leaped over his head. She span in the air, landing in a crouch and swinging her leg out to sweep his feet from under him.

He kicked her in the ribs on his way down. She went skidding backwards, pushing her weight to the balls of her feet so she wouldn't fall. Still it gave him time to jump up.

He was an idiot, and he was bad at fighting. But Bella could feel cracks starting to form where he'd gotten a blow in on her. She trained often, but it had been a long time since she was in a real fight.

The sound of soft footfalls drifted towards her. Her coven was nearly there. She just had to stall a little more.

She needed a good move. A finisher.

He had ducked into a crouch, searching for her weaknesses. This time she came to him. She took a running leap, as high as she could go. Her instinct was to tuck her legs up but she ignored it and stretched out. To her relief, her aim was true. She crossed her ankles, hooked the heels of her boots over each of his shoulders, then sharply uncrossed as he fell to the ground.

He flipped onto his front. She straddled his back. Dug her feet into the ground. Hooked her arm under his chin and pulled up. She wasn't quite strong enough to contain him and use her teeth.

He snarled and tried to buck her off, so she slammed the small of his back with the palm of her hand. His spine snapped and he howled. He had no use of his legs, for the time being. Internal injuries were so quick to heal.

The running got louder louder louder. She had to contain him for only a moment more before her boys came charging from the cover of the trees.

No words were said as they raced to her side. This was a practiced dance.

Each slammed a knee to his shoulders, wrenched his arms off and pinned him down. Bella was safe to sink her teeth into his neck and rip his head off. It landed several feet away.

He blinked and snarled even as a disembodied head. Howled soundlessly as Peter and Jasper used Bella as leverage to pull his legs off.

They scattered the pieces far apart from each other, so he had no chance to reform while they waited for Carlisle. Jasper searched her quickly for damage, only stepping away when he was satisfied with what he saw.

Carlisle shot through the trees, not as fast as the others but clearly going at his top speed.

He spared a glance at the corpse surrounding them then raced towards his coven.

"What happened?" He barked, fully in the coven leader persona he so rarely let shine through.

"He wanted revenge for the way he was treated last time he was here," said Bella, "threatened Esme and then me."

"Damn." Carlisle cursed. "Are you okay? Is she?"

"We're both fine. I think he killed recently, it might be a good idea to find out who."

"Okay." He paced, eyes intense, rage evident.

Peter slapped his thighs. "Do we burn him?"

Force of habit and built in deference caused them to look to their leader for guidance. Carlisle hesitated for half a second, then nodded.

"Do it. Take him out of the forest so the fire doesn't spread. I'll listen in at the precinct for word of any killings."

He ran back in the direction of town while his children gathered the body parts and made for the plains. It was better to do this under the cover of night, when less would notice a bonfire with sweet smelling smoke. But there wasn't time for caution.

The flames jumped high as they hit his flammable venom. The three jumped back so it wouldn't catch their soaked clothes.

Carlisle was home when they arrived, still clearly agitated.

"Did you find out who he killed?"

"Farmer," he grunted, "police think it was an animal. I checked at the Platt house, Esme is home safe."

"Good…" Bella sighed, "are you okay?"

"No." He growled. "Her life was endangered because of us. Our protection can only go so far."

His indecision was evident, but Peter still felt the need to put it into words.

"So you have two choices. The only other vamp who could pose a threat is now gone. We could leave. Our scent would fade and she'd just look like a regular human. Or you marry her so we can protect her completely."

Carlisle stayed still and silent, as if he had not heard. Bella cringed, internally begging him not to make them leave. Jasper absently grasped her wrist and took the edge off her panic.

"So, what'll it be?"

He sighed and turned to look at his family.

"She deserves to have a choice in this. We need to tell her the truth."

I desperately wanted to call this 'Rogered 2: The Rogering' but was too much of a coward to follow through.