-1A/N: does anyone know Renee's surname so I can edit the prequel to this accordingly?

Bella's POV

I waited until Cassie had gone to sleep before heading out. The photo was clenched in my hand as I drove. I pushed my old truck to it's top speed, silently praying that Carlisle would be home and everyone else would be out.

Beep, beep!

I glanced at my phone. There was a text from Alice.

It's done. Carlisle in study. Everyone else hunting. You owe me.

I gave a strained smile. Thank god for Alice. I drove, reaching the house in the wood. It was silent and in darkness. I parked and sat inside the truck for a minute. Perhaps this wasn't a good idea, part of my mind whispered. The other part urged me forward. If it really was Carlisle, surely he'd want to know.

I forced myself out of the truck and up to the front door. It wasn't locked, it never was. The Cullen's didn't really have to worry about burglars. I tiptoed into the living room, stumbling into furniture in the dark. I couldn't find the light switch so I was slightly surprised when a lamp was switched on. Carlisle was sitting in an armchair, a book in his arms, watching me.

"Bella. What are you doing here? Everyone's gone hunting"

"I know" I took a deep breath "I'm actually here to see you" he put the book down on the coffee table and looked at me curiously.

"Yes?" he gestured to the seat next to him. I sat down and took a deep breath.

"Did Edward tell you about my cousin, Cassie?"

"The nonhuman girl?" I sighed and nodded "What about her?"

"She…well, she never knew her father. Anyway, before she came here she found a box of stuff belonging to her mum. Letters, pictures and things that he'd given her. This was one of them" I handed him the picture. I saw his eyes widen briefly and then grow sad in a second.

"Ah, my sweet Rachel"

"You remember her?"

"Yes. I'm a vampire Bella, we remember everything" he smiled slightly "of course…I didn't know she was your aunt. You never told me your mother's surname and when Edward mentioned Cassie, the surname was different"

"Yeah. She changed it when she was six, after getting into a fight. Not legally, but if anyone asked she always said it was Blake. She got it from a book" I almost laughed "I never knew what her real surname was. I was three when she was born. Rachel never mentioned it. It was just there. I guess that's why she didn't object to Cassie changing it. So…what happened?"

"It was November when I met her, 1994. I'd just arrived in England. The hospital had requested me as a temporary replacement while their head of medicine was on a sabbatical. Esme was working on a house in Italy, Alice and Jasper had gone with her and were honeymooning in Venice. Rose and Emmett were staying with the Denali clan. Edward was getting a degree. It was about the only time in history that we separated completely.

She was working as a nurse. She was so young, so beautiful. Nothing happened until the Christmas party. It was a masked ball. She kissed me. I didn't really think anything of it. I was used to having the nurses flirt with me" he smiled sheepishly "Then, in March, she came to my office and we…" I nodded, understanding "We had a relationship for the next couple of months. She knew I was married and she didn't care. I felt guilty, of course I did but I couldn't stop myself. She knew I'd have to leave eventually but she didn't expect it to be for a bit longer. I told the head doctor my wife was ill and I had to leave"

"Because you felt guilty?"

"No. Because I knew Rachel was pregnant. I could smell the change in her hormones. I was afraid. So I ran"

"You knew all this time that you had a daughter?" I gasped.

"I knew she was pregnant. I assumed she must have slept with someone else. I didn't know that I could even father a child!" he exclaimed. He sighed and slumped back in his chair. I'd never seen any immortal look so defeated, especially not Carlisle.

We sat in silence for a bit before Carlisle spoke again.

"What's she like?"

"Cassie? She's…like you. She looks like you"

"How?"

"She's got your hair, longer obviously and curly. She's pale, eerily pale I guess and she's got light silver eyes"

"My eyes were silver when I….before" he whispered.

"She's got my kind of face, we used to look like twins except for our hair and eyes"

"What kind of person is she? What does she like to do? Tell me about her"

"She's very kind, very caring but she hides it. She's afraid to get close to people. She was always the aggressive one of us, lashing out to defend us both or when she got scared. Most of the time she's quiet, sensitive. She loves to dance. She used to do ballet but she stopped. I know she enjoys it she just doesn't do it anymore. She enjoys drawing, sketching things. She's very good at it. She started after breaking up with her first boyfriend. Her first and only boyfriend. She's afraid of heights. Other then that she's totally fearless" I stopped.

"My daughter. A whole life without knowing me"

"She tried to find out about you. Rachel would never let her know anything. She only stopped after she got dragged back by the police after running away, age twelve. She gave up searching but she never gave up looking. Maybe you could try and talk to her?"

"Explain the fact that I still look exactly the same as I did fifteen years ago?"

"Well, she's got to be part vampire. You'll have to explain to her sometime" he shook his head.

"No. she's better off without me. And if I tell her then I have to tell Esme. I'm ashamed of what I did and I don't want to remember"

"Oh"

"You think I'm doing the wrong thing?"

"Well, fifteen years is a long time without a dad"

"Bella, with all respect, I think you should go home" his voice has taken on a slightly cold tone. I nodded and stood up. He walked me to my truck. As I stepped in, he put a hand on my wrist.

"Perhaps…can you let me know if anything happens with her?"

"Of course Carlisle" I smiled and stepped into the truck.