A/N: Ok, so I am trying my hardest to keep Carlisle in character through this situation, but I kind of feel that he would be a little mad, at the very least…meant to post this earlier, but fanfic wasn't letting me sign in… wow these chapters are getting shorter i=with the occasional loner… Read. Enjoy. Review.

Trip Around the Sun

Chapter Thirteen – Powwows

Alice's words struck a cord in me as we stood, and I once again found myself attached to Carlisle's side. Which, I realized was still bare and I felt his arm wrap around my shoulders. My head automatically fell onto Carlisle's strong and rock solid shoulder, I felt his lips kissing my head. I looked up at him and he smiled before pecking my lips quickly. Every little moment with Carlisle always felt so perfect, and I doubted very much that that would ever change.

"I won't let them hurt you," He assured me, his eyes showed me just how much he meant it, "But if you wish to stay in the house…"

"No, I'm coming," I said, and he nodded as if he had expected nothing less.

"She's brave," said Jasper as he peeked out the window.

"She'd have to be," said Alice, rolling her eyes at her husband, "How many did he bring, Jasper?"

"Including himself, three," said Jasper, "And they're in their human forms, they didn't come to fight today."

"Today," Alice repeated and I pulled myself tighter to Carlisle.

"C'mon," said Carlisle, and I relaxed my grip on him so that we could walk easily towards the door, "Let's get this over with."

"Um, Carlisle," said Alice as we reached the door, and we turned to look at her.

"Yes Alice?" He asked and she just kind of rolled her eyes.

"You may want to grab a shirt," said Alice, and Carlisle looked down, he had forgotten, "I realize yours is out in the grass, and Bella doesn't mind you being half naked at all, but they might take offense. Especially if you and Bella are going to be like you usually are. We really can't afford to piss them off any more than we have."

"Oh, right," said Carlisle, and he turned and kissed me lightly before zipping off, only to return a few seconds later with a dress shirt draped over his shoulders.

"Ok," said Jasper, with a mischievous smile as Carlisle buttoned his shirt, "Everyone presentable?"

"Yup," said Carlisle as he took my hand, and led me out the front door.

We stopped a few feet in front of Jake and the other two. I recognized the two boys flanking Jake's sides as Embry, the kid he had been playing Frisbee with on the beach, and Sam, an older kid from the reservation. Embry looked like he had gone through a transition much like Jacob had, and was much more intimidating than he was on the beach. The looks on the three of their faces frightened me a little, and I curled into Carlisle. He let go of my hand and wrapped his arm back and around my waist. I looked up at him, he was glaring at Jake, not too angrily, but almost like he was trying to figure out what Jake was going to say, it was an interested expression.

"Nice to see you again so soon," said Carlisle pleasantly, I didn't catch any sarcasm, but Sam seemed to.

"Right," He scoffed from Jake's right side, "I'm sure."

"No, you misunderstand me," said Carlisle calmly, "I wish you were here under different pretences, quite obviously, I cannot deny that. Though, any friend of Bella's is welcome here anytime."

The three of them rolled their eyes, and I looked up at Carlisle. He looked down worried, like he thought I was mad at him and I leaned up and kissed his jaw to make sure he knew I wasn't. This wasn't going to get us anywhere, and we all knew it. I had to speak to Jake, one on one and the sooner we got this cleared up the sooner we could be rid of this ridiculousness. I pulled away from Carlisle a bit, and watched as Jake's face lightened. This whole group confrontation was getting us nowhere. I needed to speak to Jake one on one and make him understand.

"Alright," I said, once Carlisle was simply holding my hand, then I addressed both groups at large, "Can I speak to Jake? Alone?"

"No way we're leaving if they don't," said Sam childishly and I had to stop myself from snapping and telling him that would be the purpose of both parties leaving.

"Like we would-" Jasper started.

"Of, course. That would be what she asked for would it not?" said Carlisle, cutting Jasper off and I looked around at him.

"Carlisle, I just want to talk to him alone," I assured him and he nodded as he rested his hand against my neck and gently stroked my cheek with his thumb.

"I know, babe," He said, and we ignored the low growls, "I trust you, completely."

"I love you," I said, all I wanted was for him to kiss me, but I knew he wouldn't, not with Jake standing right there, and not now that he knew how Jake felt.

"I love you," He said, his voice honeyed, "You sure about this?"

"I'll be fine," I said and he sighed under his breath.

"Ok," He said, and I couldn't resist brushing my lips against his, "Love you."

With that he disappeared, as did Japer and Alice. I assumed they returned to the house as I watched Sam and Embry retreat back to the forest as I took a step closer to Jake. The murderous look Jake had been giving Carlisle all morning was gone and now he just looked like an adoring puppy – no pun intended – again. He watched me as I stepped closer, and he started to open his mouth.

"What did he mean 'I trust you, completely'?" said Jake tersely and I shrugged.

"He trusts me with his heart," I said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, "We're together, Jake. He trusts me enough to let me talk to you alone."

"But if you want to talk to me alone, it's not his choice," said Jake angrily.

"I only meant that he trusts me enough so that he doesn't worry, he's secure in our relationship, Jake," I said, rolling my eyes, "And it is kind of his choice, if he had requested to stay I would have let him. He's a part of this too."

"Right," Jake said sarcastically, "You totally would have let him stay of your own accord. He's controlling you, Bella, he has you tricked."

"No," I said, "Jake, he's the least controlling guy ever. He's left all the doors open for me to leave if I wanted to, but I don't want to. I couldn't it hurts to be away from him, to not talk to him, to not text him, to not hug him, to not have him to hold me when I cry-"

"Bella, you belong with me," Jake said cutting across me, "Imprinting happens when a wolf finds his true love."

"Jake," I said trying to find the simplest way to put it, "I already have a love."

"No, it's not him, it's me," said Jake and I sighed heavily, "There is no future with him, Bella. He's pretty much already dead, or he should be, it's not natural, Bella."

"Oh? And being a wolf is?" I said angrily.

"More natural than him," Jake spat and I had to control the anger that flared up inside when he was mean about Carlisle.

"Jake, I don't know how imprinting works, but I have to imagine its like L'amore Fatale," I said and he nodded, "Well, if Carlisle asked me to go, even with being his L'amore, I would. I just have to ask you to back off. You having feelings for me might end up hurting him, Jake. I can't let that happen."

"Wait," said Jake, starting to actually tremble with anger, "You two are L'amore Fatales or whatever the vampires do instead of imprinting?"

"Yes," I said and he started to shake violently.

The moment he had begun to shake everyone was back. Carlisle was immediately at my side and his arms flew around me.

"Bella, we must go," Carlisle whispered into my ear before picking me up in both arms as Sam and Embry tried to calm Jake down.

Carlisle started to carry me towards the house, my head resting against his shoulder. I looked over it to see Alice and Jasper watching interestedly as Sam and Embry struggled with Jake. Then, all of a sudden there was a howl, a mixture of pain and anger, and then Jake turned. He thrashed violently as Embry and Sam let go of him and he turned viciously into an actual wolf, his jeans lay shredded at his feet. He had flailed as he changed, and he would have struck me if Carlisle had not come to get me. A snarling wolf now stood where Jake was and Alice and Jasper sped off to avoid him as Embry and Sam directed him off into the woods.

"Bella?" said Carlisle sweetly once he had lain me down on the couch, "Are you ok, sweetie?"

"No," I said immediately and he sat down in an instant beside me, one arm around me, stroking my hair with the other.

"What's the matter, did he hurt you?" Carlisle's voice and face had gone from loving to irrationally concerned in milliseconds.

"No," I said as I curled into his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around me.

"Then what's the matter, darling?" Carlisle asked as I pressed my face into him, and I felt his chin find its resting place on my head.

"I don't want to hurt him, Carlisle," I said, I felt tears start to come as I buried my face into his shoulder and he brought me right into his lap, "I've known him forever, I always imagined him like my brother."

"I know," said Carlisle, his voice had changed with the presence of my tears, it was soft, agonizing, "Bella, I understand."

"Carlisle, I just want this to be simple," I said, pulling my face off his shoulder and looking into his eyes, he looked back at me, his eyes so full of love and concern, "I just want to be with you, and be happy, and for all this to be simple. Like it was."

"Sweetie," He said his hand rubbing circles on my back in an attempt to sooth me, "I love you, and you are with me. It is that simple, love, especially if you love me too."

"I do," I said and he smiled, he had already known that was coming.

"Then what's the problem? So we've hit a little snag," said Carlisle and I chuckled, there was definitely nothing little about Jake anymore, "You think this was going to be easy? You do realize you're in love with a vampire. The fact that I have some not so friendly competition should be the least of your problems."

"No competition, Carlisle," I said smiling at his attempt to cheer me up as he kissed the tip of my nose, "Will you make me like you, just change me. That way Jake will think of me as his enemy, and we will be free from the wolves."

"Bella," He said, sighing, but not breaking our eye contact, "I don't know that that will be quite so painless for your friend. But that's once, ask me twice more and we set a date."