Bella whisked the mix furiously and poured a generous helping of chocolate chips into the almost overflowing bowl. When her oven had preheated to a suitable temperature, she spooned the mixture into individual cases that were artistically decorated with animal prints and slid the cupcakes onto the already greased tray, savouring the sweet smell that permeated her small kitchen.

When she was done she changed into a clean pair of jeans and a chequered shirt and sent a brief text to Carlisle. He responded immediately by knocking on her front door.

'Zero vampire stuff,' she stipulated quickly, throwing an apron at him as he pulled her into a close embrace. He nodded his agreement and wordlessly tied the black garment over his navy tee and listened to her instructions as she set out the utensils they would need.

Two hours and a batch of blueberry muffins and buttered scones later, Bella fell lazily onto the sofa and flicked on the television. They sat in companionable silence, neither wanting to ruin their mutual agreement to ignore what she had seen. Within minutes, her head was on his chest and her eyes drooped as she fell into a peaceful rest. Holding her gently, Carlisle remained perfectly still so as not to rouse her statuesque form as her chest rose as fell rhythmically.

When she reopened her heavily-lidded eyes a little over an hour later, Bella was pleasantly surprised to find that Carlisle still had his strong arms wrapped around her waist. She curled into him and almost purred as he kissed her forehead lightly, the gesture making her smile with its innocence. She yawned tiredly and individually stretched each of her limbs before looking up into his steady gaze.

'I trust you,' she whispered honestly, and it was clear from her open expression that she meant it.

'Bella.' It was more a groan than a word and Carlisle looked pained as the tears spilled from her long lashes. He kissed them away, soothing her, reassuring her and pledging that he would always protect her. Somehow, he tried to vocalise what their separation had done to him, but he knew he would fail before he even started; there just weren't the words to express the extent of his misery. 'These weeks without you, I can't explain, I've been lost, I don't, I just can't…'

She hushed him lovingly, knowing already what he had been through. Unbeknown to him, she had seen it, every day waking up to the same vision of the broken man in his study, unmoving and silent. His eyes had dulled as his refusal to hunt progressed and even now his irises were black with only tiny remnants of the gold flecks that reflected the lifestyle choices he had made.

'Bite me,' she begged, her eyes pleading. He looked horrified and immediately pulled back, withdrawing into himself. It was clear on his face that he had shut down, unwilling to even entertain her suggestion. The rejection stung.

'I'm not a monster.' His voice cracked as he realised that she believed he might actually do it. Bella pulled herself up so she was sitting on his lap and levelled her gaze with his. She placed her hands on either side of his cool face and ran her fingers through the back of his hair, savouring the closeness between them and thinking about how best to continue.

'Please, Carlisle.' He tried to turn his face away from the fierce determination he saw etched on her small features but she held firm, holding him in place.

Although she could see the conflict unravel before her and Carlisle was clearly stuck in between a battle of his morals and his instinct; she refused to move. His protruding fangs were proof that there was at least a tiny part of him that lusted after her blood, and it was this desire that emboldened Bella to lean in towards his neck and whisper longingly.

'I need this.'

A low growl reverberated in his chest and the sound sent shivers down Bella's spine. Once upon a time his raw, otherworldly nature might have terrified her but she knew now that she needed to overcome that fear if they were ever going to be able to move forward. She couldn't live the rest of their relationship not knowing whether or not he might someday lose control, scared that her vision might actually come true. By forcing it to happen now, she hoped to prevent it from ever having to happen again. Crashing her soft, warm lips into his firm, cold ones, she tried desperately to communicate this, willing him to understand.

Carlisle ran his hands up Bella's forearms and across her shoulders before finally allowing them to fall protectively around her waist. He pulled her into him, as close as was physically possible until there was no part of them that wasn't touching. Deeping the kiss, Bella released one of her hands from his soft, cropped hair to undo the top two buttons of her shirt.

Carlisle moaned as she flattened her collar and exposed her delicate pale throat. She knew that he could hear her blood pulsing tantalisingly underneath her creamy, soft skin and she turned her face away from him, guiding his lips to her neck.

He peppered feather light kisses along her jawbone before eventually moving lower.

'Bella, please. I can't.' Each sentence was punctuated with a guttural sound that raised goose bumps on Bella's exposed skin. She knew that this was torture for him.

'You can,' she coaxed readily, 'just one little bite, that's all it will take.'

He grazed his fangs along her neck, inhaling her scent the entire time, allowing it to permeate his senses and burn his airway. She knew it must be agony, any finally she repeated the words that she knew would push him over the edge.

'I trust you, Carlisle. Please do this for me.'

With a hiss the doctor pulled away from her, all remnants of humanity gone from his entirely feral features. Just a she thought he was going to push her away; Carlisle exposed each of his terrifyingly sharp canines and bit ravenously into her throat.

Bella screamed, more out of surprise than pain and clung desperately onto the vampire's broad form as he sucked the crimson nectar greedily out of her willing body. She moaned as he extracted the fluid and tugged at his hair as he lifted her from the sofa and replaced her underneath him, where he could hold her securely underneath his own weight. In that instant she didn't know if she would have been able to escape him even if she wanted to.

Slowly, Carlisle's frantic, dominating movements became slower and he placed one hand on Bella's cheek, pushing her face away from him to better reveal the wound he had created. His lips were latched to her papery skin the entire time, and Bella placed her own hand on top of his as he started to suck more rhythmically.

It was minutes later that he finally pulled away from her, a tangle of limbs sprawled, intertwined, across such an ordinary setting. His fangs were still showing and her blood was visible on his lower lip and chin, but the most obvious change was his eyes, which were crimson.

'I know it's stupid and selfish and wrong,' she whispered into him as he licked clean the gash he had created moments before, 'but you look incredibly hot right now.'

With another growl he bit her again, all control lost as her blood flowed so freely, so willingly. Bella screamed again, louder this time, and held onto him tightly as he ravaged her, taking from her all of the fluid she was able to provide. When he pulled away for the second time the compassion had returned to his features, but his eyes still glowed their new, deadly shade. It made Bella weak at the knees, and she said as much.

Carlisle groaned.

'You ask too much of me.' His voice was gravelly, and low. Bella wanted nothing more than to continue to explore the new, physical side of their relationship but she knew already that she had demanded too much, and although she trusted him completely she knew that he would draw the line now that he had already complied with her wishes.

He wiped his face clean and as he kissed her, forcing her tongue into his mouth without bothering to ask for permission, she could taste the metallic tang of herself on his lips, and it made her want more. She kissed him harder until he fell back on the sofa and when, after several minutes, she didn't let up, he finally asked what she had been waiting to hear.

'What do you want, Bella? Tell me.' His hands roamed over her clothed body as she pushed him back further into the settee.

The answer he got was not the one he expected.

'Blood.'

Bella traced the visible puncture marks on her neck with a satisfied smile as she locked her front door. When she turned around, having returned her key to her pocket, she was surprised to find Jacob looking morose at the bottom of the stairwell.

'What's up, Jake?' She asked cheerfully, pulling her satchel onto her shoulder.

'You seem happier,' he observed monotonously, observing as her fingers lingered thoughtfully on the small raised dots on her throat. Instantly aware of what had happened, he roared furiously.

'He did this? He did this to you? Bella, how could you?'

She stammered, searching for the words that would pacify him, but giving up when she found none.

Jacob turned his back on her and started to walk away, too disgusted to even look at her.

'This is nothing to do with you, Jacob,' she shrieked after him angrily, 'NOTHING!'

The werewolf whirled back towards her, emanating hatred and whispering with resentful speed.

'He's broken the treaty, Bella. And now I'm going to kill him.'

Sorry about the delay in posting this chapter, I promise I'll get them up much more quickly from now on.

Anyway, let me know what you think about the new Doctor Cullen, I thought it only fair to let them have a little fun after recent events have been a little depressing!

Thanks to all who have reviewed so far, you guys are the best :)