A/N: Now for some more Bellisle time…and for the record… I am so updating blind here… while others are getting error pages when they try to sign in, I'm not able to see reviews all the time, like the counter works but other than that it doesn't let me read them.. so hope you guys are still liking it… and hopefully FF fixes soon… Read. Enjoy. Review (anyway).

Trip Around the Sun

Chapter Fourteen – Camping

"Remind me again why we're leaving tonight?" I asked, it was Friday night and I was exhausted as I sat on my bed while Alice helped me pack for our trip.

"Because if we waited until tomorrow we would be leaving fairly early in the morning, and then you would be complaining it was too early," said Alice as she zipped up my duffle bag, and she dropped her voice and added, "Besides it gives us one more night under the stars with Carlisle and Jazz."

"Right," I said, though I wasn't sure how much I was going to be enjoying it if I was conked out in the tent, but I smiled anyways, "When are they coming to pick us up?"

"Twenty-eight minutes and five seconds," said Alice dutifully and not even looking at the clock, I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks," I said, getting up and throwing the last few necessities into my backpack and zipped it up.

"Hey girls," said Charlie as we leaned against the doorframe that led into my room, "So, this camping trip, you girls aren't just going with Jasper, right?"

"No," said Alice, "Dad's coming too. Well, he's bringing us."

"Ok," said Charlie, clearly lulled into a perfectly false sense of security, I half wondered how he'd feel if he knew the whole picture.

"That just wasn't fair," I said to Alice softly once Charlie had vacated the area, closing the door behind him and Alice chuckled.

"Oh, he'll know as soon as he can," said Alice once she had stopped chuckling, "Carlisle will be sure of it. Oh, and you will most likely be grounded for about a week from the day you turn eighteen."

"Great," I replied sarcastically, and Alice smiled.

"You'll find a way out of it, don't worry."

We chatted for a little while, and then Alice grabbed my pillow and backpack, leaving me with the duffle bag, leading me downstairs. Just as perfectly as she had planned it, the minute we reached the front door we had to open it for Carlisle and Jasper. Before I even realized it, Carlisle had taken the duffle from me and the pillow from Alice, who passed me back my backpack. Then Carlisle and Jasper led Alice and I out to the jeep they had rented for the trip. Carlisle was keeping our relations to a minimum, as Charlie was not too far behind Alice and I, but there wasn't much that could be done about how we looked at each other, so we avoided glances. Carlisle finished packing up the back of the jeep and gave Charlie a smile as he closed the back hatch, pretending just to have noticed him.

"Hey Doc," Charlie said as he shook Carlisle's hand, "You going to be able to handle all three of them?"

"I sure hope so," said Carlisle as though he was actually worried.

"Bella," said Alice, pretending not to be interested in the conversation, "You take shotgun ok? I wanna sit with Jazz."

"Ok," I said innocently as I slipped into the front seat, and Alice and Jasper hopped in back.

"I still don't know how you three managed to convince Bella to go camping," said Charlie and Carlisle shrugged.

"It wasn't that hard," He said and Alice grinned from the backseat.

"You just have to have the proper leverage," said Alice mischievously and I shot her a glance, luckily Charlie wasn't the perceptive type.

"Yes, well," said Carlisle, "We better get off then."

"Alright," said Charlie as he came over to my door, "Have fun, kiddo. And I'll be here or down on the res. if you need me."

"Ok," I said as Carlisle walked around the car and sat down in the driver's seat, "Bye dad."

"Bye Bells," said Charlie and Carlisle started up the jeep.

Carlisle leaned over the center consol of the jeep and gave me our usual kiss of a greeting as soon as we exited Forks. He then rested his arm around my shoulders and we rode in comfortable silence while Alice and Jasper talked lightly in the backseat. Carlisle drove us right up into the mountains, which were, according to Alice, going to be in Indian summer mode while we were there. Though, just in case the back of the jeep was stuffed with blankets and sweatshirts for me if I got cold. I drifted off to sleep as it got dark, and woke up again to the sound of my love's voice.

"Babe," He whispered as he brushed his lips against my cheek, "We're here."

I opened my eyes and looked around. The tents were all set up perfectly. We were settled a little ways up one of the smaller mountains and there was a lake that met with the clearing that they had set up camp in. There was a cooler in the middle of the two tents, and I knew it was filled with food for me. There were little lanterns scattered like lampposts around so that I could see pretty easily and I smiled. It looked almost exactly like an L.L. Bean catalog picture. Carlisle's face was still quite close to mine, and I turned and kissed him passionately. We pulled away as a camera flashed and Alice was smiling from in front of the jeep.

"C'mon you two," said Alice with a smile as Jasper came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"Right," I said as Carlisle and I climbed out of the car, "Because you two are so much better."

Carlisle chuckled a bit as the four of us headed to our tents. If anyone asked after seeing the pictures approved to show people – the ones that were not of Carlisle and I kissing or cuddling or doing anything coupe like – the first tent near the lake was for Alice and I, not Carlisle and I, and the second one was for Carlisle and Jasper, not Jasper and Alice. Though it had always clear while we had been planning that I would be sharing with Carlisle, as part of the leverage that Alice had mentioned before.

I yawned as Carlisle undid our zipper door and led us into our tent. It was a decent sized one, but not overly huge. He had arranged my sleeping bag so that it was unzipped and lining a bed area, with a blanket and pillow on top. Then over in another portion he had all my stuff with a little lantern style flashlight.

Carlisle ducked outside the tent so I could change into a sweatshirt and flannel pants to sleep in. I called for him to return, and he did, having changed himself into his version of pajamas. This act on his part really wasn't necessary, seeing as he didn't sleep, but it was something he liked to do. He liked to keep up with human habits, even if he didn't need to.

"All ready my sweetheart?" Carlisle asked as He swept me right up, effortlessly into his arms.

"Yes," I replied, kissing him tenderly.

"Mmm?" He said as he fell so gracefully onto the makeshift bed that I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't realized we were lying down.

"I'm suddenly not so sleepy," I said as he removed his arm from behind my knees and held me tight.

"Oh really?" He said, kissing my forehead, "Because you were exhausted before."

"Eh," I said, rotating around so that our noses were touching, and I was looking straight into his amazing eyes, "I love you."

"I love you too," He murmured as he took my mouth once again against his.

This time it was more passionate filled. I loved the feeling that I got each time I felt his tongue dancing around mine. It was cool and tasted like peppermint, classic, just like my Carlisle. He pulled away slowly, kissing my nose and forehead while I caught my breath. I then cuddled my face into the crook of his neck as he continued to hold me tight.

"Sleep well, Darling," He whispered, and the last thing I felt before I fell asleep that night was his lips pressed against my ear.

I slept peacefully for the first time that week. The way Carlisle held me, and I suspected the way he left random kissed on my skin in the night, always contributed to my utter realization with him. He managed to make me forget all the troubles I worry about on the daily and hourly basis, Jake, Charlie finding out, how Phil was doing on his marriage promises, whether mom would end up without Phil after all. They all just seemed to disappear When I was with Carlisle. When I was with Carlisle none of that stuff mattered, because I was with him, and if it did, he could make me feel better, nothing could hurt me, nothing could ever possibly go wrong when he was there. I knew he tried very hard to keep this up, fix everything for me, but there was eventually going to be a day where he couldn't, and for that day I was fearful. Carlisle was my life, and I couldn't – wouldn't – imagine my life without him. If anything ever happened to him, I was sure that I wouldn't last, it had all come so quickly, but still I knew that he was the reason I was here.

The next morning he woke me up early, like before the sun was even up.

"What are we doing up so early?" I asked for about the seventh time as we walked out of our tent.

"It's a surprise," said Carlisle, his hand wrapped tightly around mine, and he led me towards a path.

"I am irrationally in love with you, Carlisle Cullen," I said, "But I think this is the first time I am actually questioning my own sanity."

"If you're questioning your own sanity, you're perfectly sane," Carlisle pointed out, "You're only insane if you don't realize that you are."

"Philosophical," I grumbled and he chuckled.

"Would you like me to carry you?" Carlisle asked and I shook my head.

"No," I said as Carlisle assisted me by hand over a medium sized boulder, "I think I got it."

We were hiking for a good hour before we reached the top of the particular mountain. This, from the view was clearly the smallest mountain in the area, though even with that considered, the view was absolutely breathtaking. Carlisle must have planned this with Alice because just as we reached the top flattened area, the sun was coming up on the horizon. I looked over at Carlisle, who was beginning to sparkle with the new sun rays, and kissed him, immediately realizing what his surprise was. He smiled against my lips before gesturing over to the edge, were a blanket was waiting for us to sit on. He carried me over to it and I leaned against him as he sat.

"Blanket compliments of Alice," He said with a small smirk as I felt his strong arms wrap around me.

"It's beautiful," I said, and I felt his lips meet the base of my neck.

"I couldn't agree more," He replied in a mere whisper as his lips brushed my ear.

Later that day we went canoeing on the lake with Alice and Jasper, though we all ended up in the water after a splashing fight anyways. I laughed as I treaded water next to our tipped canoe that Jasper had felt the need to tip over after cannon balling and soaking us anyways. Alice started throwing a temper tantrum. Luckily the water wasn't too too cold.

"Jasper Hale!" She just about screamed as she swam after him.

"Swim, Jasper, swim," Carlisle advised, "Last names are never good with that tone."

I laughed as I swam over to Carlisle as we watched Alice tear after Jasper through the water. I heard Carlisle's song-like laughter as Alice caught up with him and jumped playfully on top of him. Jasper then sunk, presumably to the bottom, and they emerged a few minutes later laughing.

"Good to know," Carlisle said mischievously, "So if I'm ever in trouble by you, if I let you false drown me you won't be mad anymore?"

'Carlisle," I said as I wrapped my arms around his neck, "I don't think you're ever going to be in trouble by me."

"But if I am?" He asked wrapping his arms around me, kicking to keep us both a float, "For future reference."

"Just hold me like this," I said and he smiled.

"Now lets get you out of this water," He said, kissing me quickly, "You'll freeze on me."