Chapter Five: Walked This Floor

Bella's POV

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Professor Michaelson asked as he pulled out of me. "Thanks, dear." He smiled at me as he pulled his pants up and left the room. I laid there, feeling dirty and scarred. I tried getting myself together, but I was shaking so badly I couldn't even move. I heard footsteps coming closer and began having a panic attack as I saw the feet on the floor.

"No!" I shouted as I turned away. "Please, no!"

"Bella?" Professor McCarty's voice asked as he covered me with a cloth. "Oh, god." He whispered as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. I saw his mouth moving, but the world had gone dark. There was no light. No sound and suddenly, I felt myself slipping.

"I Bella, take thee Carlisle to be my loftly wedded husband. To have and to hold. To love and to comfort. In sickness and in health. For richer or for poorer. As long as we both shall live." I cried as I stood in front of Carlisle in a big white dress, right on the beach. He smiled at me, and I brought my hand up to wipe away the tear he'd shed.

"Carlisle and Bella have promised to love each other for always." Pastor Webbed exclaimed. "I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss your bride." He smiled as Carlisle cupped my face and brought my lips to his, giving me a gentle kiss. Our first kiss as husband and wife. Edward cheered from beside Carlisle as Best Man as Alice cried beside me as my Matron of Honor.

Carlisle and I broke apart and turned to face the people who'd come and shared this with us. My mother was crying and my dad was trying to hold it in. We took our first steps as a married couple and walked down the aisle. Carlisle pulled me into hotels lobby, and into a small closet they had near the bathrooms.

"What are you doing?" I laughed as he shut the door. "Alice is going to kill us if..." I started saying before he cut me off with his lips. I melted into his arms as he grasped my hips tightly.

"Hello Mrs. Cullen." He whispered, pressing his forehead to mine. Mrs. Cullen. I was forever Carlisle's.

"Hi, Mr. Cullen." I sighed, tightly wrapping my arms around him. I'd forgotten about pictures and the reception. I just wanted to spend the night wrapped up in Carlisle's arms. I didn't want to move from this spot. Ever.

"Carlisle," I cried as I opened my eyes and everything came into focus. It took me a minute to realized I was hooked up to an IV, in a hospital bed. I looked around to see Jasper and Alice sitting next to me with Professor McCarty standing in the corner.

"Bella!" Alice cried in relief as she wrapped her arms around my neck. "I've never been more happy to see you open your eyes before."

"How do you feel?" Jasper asked, squeezing my knee. I looked around and realized that even now he wasn't here.

"Carlisle?" I cried, just wanting to be back in my dream. It was the best dream I'd ever had. Alice just shook her head sadly as Jasper sat back down in his chair.

"I'm sorry, sweetie." She cried as she began streaming down my cheeks. "Professor McCarty tried getting ahold of him, but everything keeps going to voicemail."

"He's not here." I cried, hyperventilating. "He isn't here."

"Bella, please try and calm down."

"He's not here, Alice." I cried as she hugged me tightly again. "He didn't come."

"I'm so sorry, Bella." She cried as I felt a tear his my shoulder. I looked up to see both Jasper and Emmett on the verge of tears and after a while, saw Emmett storm out of the room. I finally cried myself to sleep after what seemed like hours of sobbing.

"Carlisle?" I asked as I stood in the doorway of his home office.

"What is it, sweetie?" He asked, not looking up from his laptop. He was trying to write a test and I hated bothering him.

"Carlisle, it's time." I whispered, finally getting his attention. His head shot up and looked at me with the biggest smile I'd ever seen on his face. He stood up and ran over to me, passionately kissing me and wrapping his arms around me. Well, as far as they would with my huge stomach in the way. "It's really it this time. I can feel it."

"Me too." He smiled, kissing me again before grabbing my hand and pulling me into our bedroom to get my pillow and bag. "Edward!" He called as he ran around the house, grabbing things he thought we'd need.

"Yeah?" He asked from the living room. Him and his girlfriend looked so comfortable on the couch. I didn't want to disturb them.

"It's time! Get your coat and say goodbye to Alex!" He shouted and I heard Edward scream in excitement and kick Alex out the door. He came rushing upstairs as a contraction hit and since Carlisle wouldn't stay still, I grabbed his hand in stead.

"It's okay, Bells." He soothed, rubbing my back trying to calm me down. "It's okay."

"Let's go!" Carlisle said as he grabbed my hand when the contraction was over and pulled me down stairs to get into the car. Carlisle broke about ten different laws trying to get me to the hospital and we were lucky he didn't get pulled over. Edward helped me out of the car and Carlisle grabbed my bag. He was tugging at my arm so hard I was sure it was going to pop out of the socket.

"This is Bella Cullen and she's in labor." He breathed as we stood in front of the Nurse's Station. "We called while we were on the way."

"Yes, and we have your room open for you, Mrs. Cullen." She smiled as another nurse came up behind me with a wheelchair. "We're going to take good care of you."

"I know." I smiled as they began pushing me to my room.

Fourteen hours later and ten centimeter's dilated, it was time to start pushing. Carlisle put on his scrubs and Edward went to go pace with his grandparents in the waiting room as they wheeled me down to the delivery room. Carlisle gripped my hand tightly as they instructed me to push. And after forty five minutes of pushing, we finally heard our baby's first cries.

"You wanna cut the chord, dad?" The doctor asked over the cries. We decided for the sex of the baby to be a surprise and Carlisle was going to be the first to know and the one to tell me. He nodded his head eagerly and went over and grabbed the small scissors out of the nurses hand.

"It's a girl." He cried. "We have a baby girl."

"Lydia Faye." I cried as they took her to wrap her up in a blanket. Carlisle came back to me and took my hand again, kissing me gently on the lips. Our little daughter was placed into my arms and I burst into tears of joy. "Hi, Lydia." I whispered as Carlisle kissed her tiny forehead.

"We're so happy you're here." He whispered, kissing me again.

"Carlisle," I cried again as my eyes opened to find myself back in reality once again.

"Bella?" I heard a familiar voice ask from beside me. I slowly turned to see Jake sitting in one of the chairs next to Alice, gripping my hand. "Hey,"

"Jake," I sighed tears filling in my eyes. Jake came. Jake was here for me. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw Professor Michaelson being arrested." He shrugged. "I asked one someone who was watching what happened and they explained what happened. When you didn't answer your phone I got worried and I called Jasper."

"You came." I smiled. Jake was the one who came and sat next to me while I was laying in a hospital bed. "You're here."

"I'm here." He smiled, standing up and kissing the top of my head. I felt his body trembling in fear as he gripped my hand tighter. "I'm here, Bella"

I was released from the hospital the next day after receiving the Plan B pill and after they were sure I wouldn't go into shock. Jake held me the entire way down the hospital steps and into his small Station Wagon. I felt safe with him than with Alice since he was twice her size. He drove me to his apartment complex where Alice was already waiting with a suitcase full of my clothes.

It was unusual for someone who went through what I did to want to stay with five guys. But, I trusted them all completely and I wanted to make sure someone would be there to kick someone's ass if need be.

Emmett had contacted Carlisle and told him what happened. But, he wouldn't tell me what he'd said. Only that he knew what was going on. It hurt that he didn't call, but he wasn't going to let anything risk me being in school. He was going to honor the deal he'd made and stay away from me. No matter how badly it hurt the two of us.

"I'm gonna go shower." Jake told me as I was putting some of my things in his dresser. "You going to be okay?"

"Yeah, go ahead." I smiled as he kissed the top of my head. I watched as he closed the bathroom door and continued unpacking my shut, and began blasting Sail, just trying to get my mind off of things. I was so into the music and getting this done, I wasn't paying attention to the door opening.

"Hey, Bella." A voice said from behind me and before I could even think, I whipped around and punched the person in the nose. "What the hell was that for?" Seth cried as he held his bleeding nose.

"Seth, I'm sorry." I cried, turning my music off and rushing over to him. "I didn't know it was you." I cried, my eyes filling with tears.

"Hey, it's fine." He said, as he brought me into his arms. "I'll be fine."

"It was just...just a natural reaction." I explained even though he told me he understood. "I'm really sorry."

"Bella, look at me." He said gently. "It's fine. I'm okay. I don't think it'd broken."

"I'll pay for it if it is."

"Don't you dare worry about this." He told me as he gave me a tight squeeze.

"Hey, hey." Jake's voice said as he came over to me. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Seth snuck up behind me and I punched him in the nose." I cried as Seth handed me over to Jake. "My music was up really loud and I didn't hear him come in."

"I wasn't trying to freak her out." He defended. "I thought she heard me."

"Do you think his nose is broken?" I asked after my sobs had subsided and Seth was sitting on the couch with ice on his nose.

"I don't think so." Jake told me after looking at it. "But it wouldn't be a bad idea to take him to the campus doctor tomorrow before class."

"I can't go to classes." I sobbed. "I just can't. Not yet."

"I wasn't expecting you to." Jake told me, hugging me tightly as cried just a little bit more.

I stayed right next to Jake for the rest of the night as the rest of them made sure I had everything I needed. Paul even bought a new lock for the door and set it up before going to bed. I knew I was safe. Professor Michaelson was in custody and no one was going to think of me being at Jacob Blacks place. But, being with him just made me feel a little bit safer.

"Are you going to be okay by yourself for a few hours?" Jake asked as he gathered his things for class. He offered to stay with me, but I wasn't going to be that person who made him stay with me. "I really could skip."

"No, you go to class, because I'm going to need your notes." I laughed. "And Alice has all afternoon classes today, she's going to come keep me company. That okay?"

"That's great, I don't want you here by yourself." He smiled as there was a knock on the door. Embry got to it before me and I heard how high pitched his voice got when he said hello to her. "Emby's got a crush."

"She's taken." I warned. I finished getting dressed and went out to greet Alice before the guys left for class. once they were gone, she broke out the coffee and doughnuts she'd brought and we sat at the kitchen table in an awkward silence. She didn't know how to be around me and I hated it. Alice always had something to say.

"I'm okay, Alice." I assured her. "Really, the bruises are already beginning to heal."

"It's not the bruises I'm worried about, Bella." She sighed. "I'm worried about you emotionally."

"I'm good." I lied. I was fucking terrified. "Really."

"I figured you'd say that." She sighed. "So I set up a session with the school's therapist."

"Alice, I didn't ask you to do that!"

"I don't care, Bella." She told me. "You were raped and you have to deal with this. Without Carlisle." She told me and the mention of his name made my stomach knot up again, and tears formed in my eyes.

"May I have this dance, my lady?" Carlisle asked as You Are So Beautiful rang throughout the hall. I smiled up at him as I took his hand and he helped me up. He led me out to the middle of the dance floor where Edward was dancing with his beautiful bride, Kayla. I smiled as I saw their heads pressed together, sharing one of those moments.

"I feel old." He laughed as we swayed to the music. "My oldest son just got married.

"He's only twenty two, Carlisle." I laughed. "He isn't even that old."

"But I am."

"You're only forty four." I reminded him. Sometimes he acted like he was almost eighty when it came to age. "You could be a lot older."

"Hush, you." He laughed, leaning in for another kiss. "I can't believe how far he's come."

"Me either." I smiled. Edward had grown up so much since when I met him as a little eleven year old. Ten years can really make a difference. I never thought I'd be a stepmom to an amazing son. He was everything I'd hoped for in a kid and more. I was so blessed to have him and Carlisle and my two youngest kids in my life.

"Daddy?" Lydia asked, pulling at his pants once the song had ended. "Will you dance with me?"

"I would love to." He smiled. "Where's Carter?"

"Right here!" He laughed, running up to the three of us. I bent down and caught him as he ran into my arms.

"Will you dance with mommy?" I asked my little four year old.

"It would be an honor." He laughed as I put him down and grabbed his hands as I Got You Babe began playing. I watched Carlisle with his only daughter and smiled at the life we'd managed to create for ourselves. It was our own perfect world.

"If I go they're just going to make me talk." I cried as she handed me a tissue. "About everything.

"That's a good thing, Bella." She encouraged.

The morning seemed to drag on and as Alice was leaving, Jake was coming in with a Wedny's bag in his hand.

"I can't cook...like anything." He laughed, setting the bag down. "So I took advantage of the Wedny's across the street from the Lit building."

"Perfect." I smiled as I took a bite of fries. "Will things ever be normal again?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, stuffing his face with the Bacon Burger he'd gotten.

"For me. Will I be able to have a normal life?"

"Well, you were doing pretty good after high school..."

"I don't mean with the rape." I told him. "I'm going to get through this, I did it once I can do it again. I mean...with the whole...dating my professor thing."

"I think for it to get better, you have to make it better." He told me. "That creep isn't going to hurt you anymore. You gotta just keep your head up and not listen to what people are saying."

"I dont know..."

"You're stronger than you think, Bella." He assured me. "Much stronger."

"But, I don't think I am." I argued. "I...I don't know how to be without him, Jake."

"Make yourself know." He shrugged, making it sound so easy. "You're making this so hard on yourself, Bella. Don't. Put on your strong face and act like everything's okay. Even if it's not."

"You really think that works?" I asked.

"It worked for me when I was around you for those three years." He shrugged, looking down at his food. "It worked pretty well."

"Jake,"

"Bella, I know." He smiled. It's..." But I didn't let him finish. I cupped his face in my hands and brought my lips to his, gently brushing them against his. "Thanks," He laughed.

"Sure thing." I laughed as I took a bite of my chicken sandwich.