Watching Carlisle maneuver around the ice with ease had Bella laughing, particularly seeing her friend Jacob's frustration. It was another perfect ending to the day. She was smiling. Really smiling.

Bella pulled Nessy into a hug beside her as they looked on. Her daughter giggled and returned her mother's affections.

"What's that for?" She asked.

Bella shrugged. "No reason."

"You, uh.. you don't think he's even a little.." Renesme whispered and put a hand on the side of her mouth as if she was keeping a secret from the world, "..hot?"

"Hot?" Bella cringed at the word.

"Yeah, you know.. skating around, getting all aggressive."

"Carlisle is not aggressive."

"I saw him lower his shoulder once or twice into somebody," Nessie said with a laugh.

Bella chuckled and looked outward. "Yeah.. I don't know.. he's just.. he makes feel content. Seeing him so unexpectedly.." She shook her head as she thought.

"You're doing that thing, Mom."

"What thing?"

"The eyes closed, head shaking thing when you're flustered."

"I don't do that."

"You just did."

Bella snickered and tucked hair behind her ear.

Carlisle came to a halt, the blades spraying ice into the air as he stopped. He glanced outward at Bella as Jacob Jr. skated fiercely into her arms.

She scooped him up into the air and twirled him in a circle above her head before snuggling him in for a hug. Renesme leaned in and joined them.

Carlisle sighed to himself. It was a beautiful scene to him.

Motherhood suits her, Carlisle thought to himself.

In his moment of admiration, Jacob snuck in and hooked up Carlisle's ankle and tripped him up onto the ice.

"Booooo!" Nessy hummed through cupped hands. "Jake, you jerk!"

Carlisle quickly rose to his feet and gave Jacob a look, but smiled.

"Just makin' sure you're on your toes," Jacob told him.

The banter between the two teams went on for a bit before everyone decided it was time to turn in for the night.

Carlisle skated to the side and unlaced the skates, giving them back to Jacob, before tossing his shoes back on as Bella approached.

"So, what now?" She asked him.

Carlisle raised his eyebrows. "Is there something else planned?"

"Well you and I are the only ones who aren't going to go home and go to bed." Bella cleared her throat, laughing at her own choice of words. "They're all going to pass out.. go to sleep.."

Carlisle looked down and back up with a light laugh. "What are you suggesting?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted, "But I'm not used to having a partner in crime to stay awake with. It's the worst part of the day.. the night."

"That's why I work so many shifts at the hospital. But I suppose I have a house full of others like us to share the lonely hours with." He half smiled. "Why don't you come check out the cabin? I think I have some packs of O-negative if you want something to drink."

Bella hesitated but then realized he was joking and laughed. "Bloody Mary's."

"On me."

Bella nodded. She looked to Nessie to tell them she wouldn't be back on the reservation but Nessie was already secretly flashing a little wink as she gathered up her children. Bella rolled her eyes and then took off into the night with Carlisle.

Just running side by side with someone felt.. good. It was like some part of Bella's destiny. She was destined to be a vampire. That part didn't fade - even after Edward had died so tragically. She felt like she could fully be herself - not that she couldn't with her family; but the bloodsucker jokes did get old after awhile. It was as if she belonged to these two very different family units.

I need to go visit more, Bella knew. That was something she recognized the second she first saw Carlisle.

"Ledge!" Carlisle shouted just before the cliff's edge came into view. Bella leapt, feeling so free when the wind whipped through her long, dark hair. Beside her she heard Carlisle's light chuckle and she suspected having someone to do these types of things with was as uplifting for him as it was to her.

When they landed on the cliff opposite the one they jumped from, Carlisle dug his heels into the ground and stopped, prompting Bella to do the same.

"Hey," she breathed with a smile.

"The place is just up this way," he motioned toward a gravel road that curved and disappeared through a natural arbor of trees.

"Talk about off the grid," Bella approved with a smile. "I can imagine Alice being all about Instagram."

"She has her own ideas for all kinds of social media platforms," Carlisle explained with a laugh. "She's designed an app thats she says will blow Pinterest out of the water."

"I'm sure she has." Bella laughed and then trailed Carlisle down the dirt road until finally an elegant, rustic A-frame cabin came into view. There was fresh fallen snow all around from the days before and decorative pale lighting was strung down the perimeter of the A-frame roof.

"Those are on a timer," Carlisle explained, motioning to the string of lights. "It was kind of what pushed Alice to book this one above a few others." He laughed.

"This is adorable."

The two of them walked past an untouched fire pit with wooden chairs surrounding it and onto a short patio-style deck that led to the front door.

"After you." Carlisle held the door and smiled, allowing Bella in ahead of him.

The living room was cozy with dark, wooden floors and a pair of espresso couches facing a fireplace where an oversized television was perched on the mantle. A pair of old time skis were hung above it in decorative fashion. A kitchen was set back beneath a loft where an oversized ladder lead to the lone bedroom that sat overlooking the living room, balcony-style. A chandelier made of antlers hung down from the tall ceiling into the living room. A wood burning stove sat in the corner opposite the fireplace area.

"Okay.. yeah.. I could stay shacked up in here reading all day while it snows," Bella said, taking it all in. "This is.. adorable."

The two of them made their way to the couch and sat down. Carlisle reached for the remote and left a channel on with a Christmas movie playing.

"You really don't mind me coming back with you?" Bella asked.

"Of course not."

"Have you seen the Denalis?"

"The others have," Carlisle explained. "I've kind of drowned myself in work. It makes me happy to be at the hospital helping people. Keeps my mind occupied. I haven't been to Alaska in recent years."

Bella nodded to herself. She eyed the television and took a deep breath. "I think I might take some time to wander around a little. Maybe after the holidays though." She gave a little smile. "The Cullen house, though.. that's my first stop."

She reached into her pocket and removed a guitar pick that was attached to a necklace.

Carlisle looked down at her open palm as she handed it to him. "What's this?"

"It's a guitar pick Edward kept for.. decades," Bella explained, "You taught him to play and he always hung onto the pick he learned with.. there was this whole sentimental, life lesson type of story that went with it." When Carlisle hesitated she moved her hand in his direction. "You should have it."

"If it's Edward's I think you should-"

"I have a lot of things that are special to me and Edward," she explained. "This one.. you should have it." Bella nodded and Carlisle took it from her hand. It looked like he could tear up. That was another thing Bella took for granted as a human. She wished they could show emotion properly, though deep down she knew it didn't matter.

He cleared his throat and hung the chain around his neck, tucking the pick into the front of his shirt. "Thank you, Bella." Carlisle looked her directly in the eye. "This, uh.. this means more than you know."

Bella half-smiled and pulled him for a hug. "You're a great man Carlisle," she spoke into his ear with a sigh. He hugged her a little harder.

"Thank you for spending this time with me," he said quietly back, not parting from her. "It means so much to me."