A/N: Hey, Grammy's doing a lot better right now… thanks for all the support (Though it's still needed… it's a long road… might be a little while before I update again) anyways… I had some time today so I figured I'd type this up for you guys… Read. Enjoy. Review…

Trip Around the Sun

Chapter Seventeen – Churchyard Squabbles

"Ok Dad," I said as I got to the door, "I'll be back around eleven, ok? I want to be able to hang out a little after the Christmas Eve service."

"You sure you don't want to come to Billy's with me?" Charlie asked and I shook my head.

"Naw, I already told them I'd go," I said and he nodded.

"Ok, have fun," said Charlie, "I'll tell Jake you say hi."

"Please don't," I said, then once the confusion came across his face I left, not wanting to have to make something up to tell him.

I managed not to slip on the snow and ice, and get to my truck safely. I drove straight across town, it was still a few hours before we were to be at the church, but I wanted to spend some time with Carlisle anyways. I didn't know that I would be able to spend all that much time with Carlisle actually on Christmas, Billy and Jake usually came over and I doubted that Charlie would let me out of that. Though, at least that was on my turf.

"There you are, Beautiful," said Carlisle as I parked and he opened my door for me, helping me out and to my feet safely.

"Sweetie," I greeted him, putting my arms up around his neck, giving him a quick kiss, then pulling away to look into his handsome face, "Where's Alice?"

"Hold on," He said, looking down lovingly at me in his arms, then adding playfully, "You trying to cheap change me?"

"Never," I replied and he chuckled.

I went up on my tiptoes and kissed him over dramatically, ravaging his lips. When I finally pulled away from him again his head fell onto my shoulder, and thanks to my handy work his hair was just about standing on end, sticking up in ever which way. I chuckled a little as I smoothed it out gently and I felt him start to kiss a path up my neck. He stopped once he reached my ear, and he looked straight into my eyes with a small smirk playing across his features.

"That was much better," He said, kissing me quickly before releasing my body and taking my hand in his.

"Good, glad you enjoyed yourself," I said as we walked into the house and Carlisle helped me out of my coat.

"I always enjoy myself," He said off handedly as he hung my coat on the hook and returning to my side, only to literally sweep me off my feet and lift me into his arms.

"Awe," I said, pressing my nose to his, "You're such a cutie."

"Well you're both so cute that it makes me nauseous," said Jasper as he and Alice walked into the room and Carlisle set me back down on the ground.

"Shut up, Jasper," said Alice, smacking her husband over the head, "Let them be cute, ok?"

"What's the matter, Jasper?" I teased, hugging Carlisle's middle, "Clearly you don't find him as wildly attractive as I do. I really don't know how you of all people can keep your hands off him."

Alice burst into laughter as Jasper just looked at me in sheer horror. I smiled smugly, chuckling slightly as I looked up at Carlisle. If he could have been blushing I knew he would as he stood there frozen. I leaned up and kissed his jaw line and watched him miraculously relax and smiled.

"Well you hog him," Jasper teased back once he had gotten his words back.

"He's mine to hog," I replied and Carlisle nodded.

"Feeling feisty today, Babe?" said Carlisle, knowing that he had better change the subject before he would feel the need to crawl somewhere and die.

"Just a little," I said and he leaned down and kissed me again, this time on my temple.

Before long I was sitting in the backseat of the Mercedes with Alice while Jasper occupied my usual seat up front with Carlisle. Carlisle pulled right into the local church's parking lot and I noticed Angela Weber was handing out little candles to each person as they were walking in the door. Alice and I were out of the backseat before Carlisle had parked the car totally, but we headed in all together. After receiving our candles from Angela, we casually arranged ourselves in a pew so that I was sitting between Carlisle and Alice, with Jasper on the aisle on the other side of Alice.

Carlisle took hold of my hand under cover of the high walls of the pew and the service started. Alice had to tell me that the candles weren't used until the last song, and I nodded as I put the candle I had nearly crushed in my fist down in my lap. We listened to Pastor Weber's readings, the children's choir, and sand along with all the hymns, though I sounded terrible next to the angels that surrounded me. It was all going well, considering it was my first real church-like experience, until about the middle.

The back doors of the church opened and Alice crinkled her nose as Jasper let out a low, almost unnoticeable growl. I looked over my shoulder and saw Jake and Embry sneaking into the back. I watched until they took a pew a few rows behind us and I tapped Carlisle on the shoulder.

"I know," He whispered calmly with a small sigh, "They won't start anything in here, will they?"

"I don't think so," I whispered back and he nodded, "But they're up to something. Jake knows I really don't want to see him right now."

"I know," He replied, still whispering, so none of the people around us would hear him, "Don't worry, it'll all be ok."

I wanted Carlisle to wrap me up in a tight hug, but I knew that to be impossible due to us being in a place to public. He sensed my need, and Carlisle motioned subtly for Alice to lean over and hug me. I knew both of them meant well, but Alice's hugs were nowhere near as comforting as Carlisle's. I doubted that anyone else's ever would be, and so when Alice let go of me I took back Carlisle's hand and squeezed it as hard as I could, signaling my request that he not let go.

He didn't until the last song – Silent Night – when we all stood up and had our candles lit. I had to admit under just the lights from the candles, the Cullens looked a little ghoulish. When the song ended, we tried to make our exit from the church as quick and painless as possible. We had almost made it to the car when Jake and Embry caught up to us.

"Hey, Bella," said Jake through the crowd as we desperately tried to make it to the car, I ignored him.

We reached the car as Jake called for me again, and Jasper sent him a scathing look from over the car. Jake took no notice to the looks and how unwanted he was as he grabbed my arm.

"Ow, Jake," I said angrily, his grip was strong, and Carlisle immediately whipped his head around to glare at Jake, I had never seen that glare before.

"C'mon," he said manically as Embry just stood behind him menacingly, "Let's just go hang out, Billy's party isn't over yet."

"I don't want to hang around with you anymore, Jake," I said angrily and tried to twist my arm out of his grip, but he just gripped around my arm tighter.

"Easy, Jake," said Carlisle, forced calm in his voice, as he tried to pry Jake's hand off my arm without causing a scene, though there already was one, "You're going to hurt her."

"Don't tell me what to do, Doc," said Jake coldly and I gasped in pain as his grip got even tighter.

"You need to let go, Jake," said Carlisle, sounding less calm than before, "You're going to injure her."

"You'd like me to let go, wouldn't you, Doc?" said Jake menacingly as his grip tightened and I winced.

The minute I did a lot of things happened all at once. Carlisle's fist came into loud contact with Jake's face and Jake took both my upper arms in his death grip, smashing me against the car. Carlisle got mad and I felt him snap each one of Jake's fingers to get him off of me. Alice immediately tried to swoop in and bring me out of the way, but Carlisle had to punch Jake again to keep him at bay while Alice brought me over to the other side of the car. I caught a look at Jake, who was bleeding from his nose and eye before he ran off with Embry tearing after him.

"Bella?" Carlisle called turning around as a few elderly women from the church brought me under a street light to examine my arms.

Both of them were entirely black and blue. I couldn't see one square centimeter of my usually pale flesh. I looked over at Carlisle who was making his way over through the crowd that had formed. This was probably the first time ever that I had seen him so pissed. His usual calm and gentle temper was completely lost to his anger as he took my arms in his hands. He held them delicately, like they were made of the thinnest glass. He inspected them thoroughly in complete silence before looking up at me, the anger gone and replaced with concern and sorrow.

"Just badly bruised," he announced, "Doesn't seem like anything's broken. The muscle tissue may hurt for a few days, but you'll be just fine."

I threw myself into his arms, not even caring how many people were watching and started to cry into his chest. I knew he wanted to kiss it all better right there, but he made the comforting seem platonic for the crowd.

"It's ok, Bella," He said, "I promise, it'll be ok."

He bent down and got enough snow off the ground for Alice to hold on my arms and drove us home.

The phone was ringing when Carlisle carried me through the door to the house. Jasper ran to answer it while Carlisle set me down on the couch with a gentle kiss. He left and returned with a bandage for a small portion of my arm and was bleeding. He covered it right up and kissed the bandage lightly before Alice and Jasper walked in, Alice with ice packs and Jasper covering the transmitter on the phone.

I felt Carlisle lay his cool lips against the burning flesh a few times before he helped Alice pack the ice around them, then kissed my forehead lovingly. He turned back to Jasper and was handed the phone.

"Hello?" said Carlisle calmly, "Charlie… whoa whoa, calm down, chief… Charlie there's no need… fine! Why don't you come down here and see what that – kid – did to your daughter… no Charlie, she's not seriously injured… don't panic, see you when you get here."

"What was that about?" I asked and Carlisle rolled his eyes.

"It seems Jake didn't tell your father the whole story, he was about to throw me in jail for attacking him unprovoked," said Carlisle, "Your dad's on his way."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," He said as Jasper and Alice backed out of the room, "I don't mind taking the heat as long as you're ok."

"Will you cuddle me until he gets here?" I asked and Carlisle nodded.

"Of course, baby," said Carlisle politely, that familiar smile coming back across his face as he pulled me carefully into his arms.

He kissed my head as I leaned back into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, carefully enough not to disturb the thousands of ice packs that Alice had gotten for me. He placed a single kiss on one of the more purple bruises on my bicep and then brushed his face against mine. Then he gently nibbled at my cheek.

"So," He said after a second, "Do you want your present right now, or in the morning?"

"Tomorrow," I said and he nodded.

"Your wish is my command, sweetheart," He said and I smiled as Alice walked back in.

"ETA five minutes," She announced and Carlisle sat me back up and I groaned as he knelt in front of me and pretended to be checking on my arms.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," He said sadly, "I just watched him do this to you. I could have done something more."

"Carlisle!" I said, moving my arms to tilt his face so he was looking into my eyes, "I will not have you blaming yourself. Besides, Carlisle, Sweetie, it's just a few bruises, I'll be sore tomorrow, but I'll be fine. You saved me Carlisle."

He smiled and leaned up, about to kiss me when Alice pranced back into the room.

"ETA Half of a minute," Alice said as we saw Charlie's cruiser pull up in the driveway.

"Alice, pack that ice back on for her," said Carlisle as he sprang to his feet and went to get the door for Charlie, "Hello, Chief, Merry Christmas."

"Bells," Charlie breathed, walking by Carlisle, "You ok, Kiddo?"

"I'll be fine," I said as Carlisle took my ice off to show Charlie my arms.

"Ah, hell," said Charlie as he saw the big purple swollen bruises, "Jake did this?"

"Yeah," I said and Carlisle continued for me, "He caught us coming out of the church."

"And you hit him?" Charlie asked of Carlisle, who nodded sadly.

"Just to make him let go of her," said Carlisle, "Though now seeing the damage I wish I had done something sooner."

"Right, of course," said Charlie as Carlisle packed my arms again, "I'm sorry, Doc, I seemed to have only gotten a portion of the story from Jake."

"It's understandable, Chief," said Carlisle politely, "No problem. How did Jake look when he got home?"

"Bloody," said Charlie, "Kid was a mess, you got a past in boxing or something?"

"No," said Carlisle, "I think that's the only 'fight' I've ever been in."

"Really?" I asked, surprised, considering I knew he meant almost four hundred years of no fist fights, "You did good."

"Not so sure that's a compliment, Bella," said Carlisle, "But thanks."

"All right," said Charlie, "We had better get you home, Kiddo."

Carlisle nodded in agreement, Traitor.

"Get lots of rest tonight, Bella," said Carlisle, he sounded weird when he was trying not to have his voice laced with love.

"Will do," I said and he nodded as Charlie and I headed for the door.

"I'll call Billy when we get home," said Charlie, "Tell him what his son did and un-invite them for tomorrow."

"Dad," I said, "It's not Billy's fault, have them over, it's ok. I'll just come hang out over here."

"That ok with you, Carlisle?" Charlie asked as Carlisle opened the door for us.

"Of course," said Carlisle, and I could tell he was excited about being able to spend the day with me tomorrow, "Bella's always welcome here, and we'll be honored to spend the holiday with her."