Thanks to everyone for the reviews… Carlisle loves them. I don't own this or use Betas… all the mistakes are my own!
Carlisle POV
When I walked through the door to the living room I could feel the waves of anger rolling off of everyone that occupied the space; Jasper's work at hand. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my cool. I had just seen him trying to take my mate from me, and for that I wanted to kill him, to make sure that he never would lay a hand on Isabella again; on the other hand I did know Jasper, for nearly half a century and I knew Alice, his 'mate,' and I wanted to hear the side of the story that lead to this event.
Jasper glowered at me as I stood across from him, Emmett's hands firmly keeping him in the wing backed chair, Rose still holding onto his arm, for good measure. It gave me a small bit of satisfaction knowing that he could smell her floral aroma on me, knowing that I had done what he wanted to do. Alice stared at Jasper, revulsion and sadness seeping from her body as the thunder rolled outside.
"Well, isn't this nice?" Jasper drawled, thick with sarcasm.
"Fuck you, Jasper!" Rose screeched at him. "I should kill you for what you tried to do! You know exactly how I feel about rape… Unfortunate for me, I will leave the choice of your living or dying to Carlisle."
I heard Alice hiss at the threat, but she made no move towards Jasper to defend him.
My hands massaged my temples, trying not to let my anger overtake me. "You have been holding out on us, not informing us how developed your powers are. That was very underhanded of you. Alice, did you know about this?"
"I knew he was having trouble controlling himself and that he was going to work on it. I did see that he and I were going to have to leave for awhile, I came back here to prepare for it, but I didn't know the reasoning behind it, until he made the snap decision." She couldn't look at me, her eyes trained on Jasper as though he might disappear if she looked away.
"I am not leaving!" Jasper huffed, slouching back in the chair, his eyes were defiant.
"Something you said caught my attention last night, Jasper." I tried to keep calm, but deep inside I wanted to put my hand through his skull and crush it into powder. "You said you would be head of this coven…I am wondering if you want Isabella because she is my mate, and I am the leader of this family. You have always been in a position of leadership…of power. In joining this family, you gave that up." I heard him grunt in dissent. "But you must understand, Jasper, we are a family, not a coven. Covens are based on masters and servants. We are together because we care for and respect each other. I am the leader because I was given that right by our family… as the Father. That position was not taken by force. If everyone agreed that my time, as the head of this household was over, then I would gladly relinquish that role. If you want a coven, with you as the leader, then you need to go make your own; we are a family."
I watched him shake his head. I knew part of it was sinking in, showing him reason, the anger partly ebbing. "You don't understand Carlisle, I need her." He closed his eyes, biting his lower lip, and I could feel desire surge through him, the need to have my Isabella.
"Jasper," I lowered my voice, speaking slowly "You cannot have Isabella. She…is…mine."
He looked desperately to Emmett, "Surely you can feel the pull emanating from her, the draw to her?"
"Course I can, bro. Maybe it has something to do with the reason Edward couldn't read her mind, some kind of latent power." Interesting… "But I love my Rose. I would never disrespect Carlisle in that way. She's my sister!" Rose flashed him a large smile and Alice let out a tearless sob, my heart hurt for the tiny creature.
Jasper's eyes flickered back between Alice and me. He knew he was hurting her and regret filled his face, torn. "Maybe we could share her," he murmured.
"What?" I bellowed.
"Sick, man." Emmett blanched.
"Seriously?" Rose coughed.
"I did it in my last coven, with Charlotte and Peter, when the need was there. Charlotte was resistant at first, but eventually she saw that it was for the best." Everyone turned to stare at the flaxen vampire, his face somber, but hopeful.
"Do you think I would even entertain such a ludicrous idea, after two forced, failed attempts to claim her? Do you think I would subject Isabella to that horror?" My patience was at an end, this was beyond anything I could have imagined from him!
"Carlisle," Alice spoke for the first time. "If you say yes, in the beginning it will be hard, but it could keep our family together." She looked pale, her eyes dark and sunken in.
"You would do this for him?" I asked incredulously.
"If it meant him staying with me, trying to be happy with me, then yes. I would. Please, Carlisle." Her small body looked defeated; her face told me she had nothing left to give to save her mate from this desire he had.
I chewed over her words for only a second… would Isabella agree? Could she be happy?
"No!" I stated firmly. "And I would never attempt to answer such a request for my love. I think you both need some time away, to get a handle on where your relationship is going. Go to Isle Esme."
"If we go," I could see the begging in Alice's eyes "Will you at least ask Bella? For me?"
I knew what she would say, but I did owe Alice for the last fifty years of her light in my life… "Fine, but I make no promises."
I could hear Jasper groan at the concession, at the possibility of being with Isabella and I hissed at him, exposing my venomous teeth, lunging at the chair. My fingers closed in around his neck, but I felt no pursuit from the others, I was completely within my right as the leader, and as a man. "The only reason I let you live is for the sake of Alice," saliva showered him, my anger at the peak. "When and if you return, it had best be with Alice smiling and happy, or I will not hesitate to remove your head from your neck."
Alice hugged me before she left, car packed, Jasper in the driver's seat. "Just protect Bella, okay? I'll be keeping an eye out for her." She ducked into the car and drove off, just before the sun peaked over the horizon. I wandered up to their room. Alice had cleared most of the memorabilia and stuffed it into the closet. I did feel bad, but only for her, not him. Her mate wanted another woman, who just happened to be my mate and her best friend. Isabella was the 'other woman' in Alice's view, but could hold no remorse or hate towards her, after all, Isabella had not encouraged it in any way.
Alice had to watch his downward spiral and know that she could do nothing to help, save it be to share Jasper's affections with Isabella. How could any woman stand that? She must have been on the edge of sanity to agree with such a request. If I saw Jasper again I might kill him just for the pain he inflicted on Alice.
The sun was fully up when I heard my phone, my eyes still wandering around the now empty room. It was Rose and she said only three words to me. "Get here now!"
X-X-X-X
The panic in Rose's voice sent me running as fast as I could push my legs, with Emmett right behind me; he for his mate, and I for mine. The cars were not fast enough, both of us darting through the trees, our breaths even, our minds racing. It was long before we got to Isabella's house that we could smell it; the stink of another male… of Edward.
Instinctively I ran, crouched close to the ground, ready to spring at him with a moment's notice. Emmett hissed and barreled on, his head whipping from side to side looking for any danger. We didn't stop as we neared the house. Charlie's car was there, but he was asleep, his steady breathing in the next room. We both took a flying leap into the open window, me first and then Emmett, landing silently on the wood floors.
My eyes narrowed, looking for the unwanted intruder, but found none. Rose's eyes told me that all was safe, but in her arms, tucked into her lap was my love. Her face and nose were red and splotchy from crying and her hair…her hair!
Long strands of it had fallen to the floor, but in its entirety, it was almost completely gone. Only about three inches of her lovely chocolate mane was left surrounding her head. Isabella began to sob quietly into Rose's shoulder again once she assessed my face. I sat on the bed and pulled her into my lap. "No, no, no, my love. Don't cry. It's just hair. It will grow back." I rocked her like a child. His stink was all around her, on her bed, her clothing, and in her remaining hair. "Are you alright?"
She could only nod, yes, her sobs controlling her voice.
"He didn't do more than hold her," Rose answered. She held out a piece of parchment to me and I grabbed it. "Emmett and I are going to do a sweep to see if he is still out there." She grabbed her lover's hand and they darted out the window.
I opened the note, a growl growing in my chest as I read it;
My beloved Bella,
I am sorry now to be gone once you have awakened, but I know that you remembered my smell, my arms, and my voice. I know that you dreamt about me… what else could it have been about?
I know you have no choice in the matter right now… Carlisle's pull is so strong over you, he is manipulating everything and one day you will see that…but we will be together one day soon.
I love you, so very much.
Forever Yours
E
p.s. Thank you for the memento
It was only Isabella's hand covering my mouth that kept me from screaming a long line of profanities aimed at the writer of the note.
"I didn't know he was here, honest." Her voice was shaky and her eyes fearful…fearful of me! "I didn't know!"
"Oh, God, Isabella!" I rocked her harder, gripping her tighter. "I know…I believe you. I don't blame you… I know that you don't want him! Please don't be scared of me!" I could hear the distress in my own voice; I didn't want her to be afraid of me… of my natural instincts… But, after my reaction last night, I could see how she may be frightened. I needed to make this up to her… she had been through so much lately… I had to make it better. Part of me liked her fear, knowing that I was more powerful, stronger, and more able than she was, but the humans side of me could not bear the anguish radiating from her body.
She had been attacked last night, by Jasper, a person she trusted and now Edward had been in her room. He could have violated her right then and there, or worse, killed her. And now she knew that her home, her refuge, was not safe anymore. Without another word I jumped, with her cradled against my chest, out the window and took off in the direction of my house.
I drew Isabella a hot bath as soon as we were in the house, doors closed behind us, and the shades drawn. I didn't smell Edward on the way in; there were no fresh traces of him to indicate that he had visited the area recently. I felt like we were pretty safe here, I would be able to hear him from long distances and Rose and Emmett would be around in case anything happened.
The bathroom filled with steam, and the mist felt good on my skin, warm and prickly at the same time. I lowered Isabella into the water, her body groaning at the relief it provided. Her chocolate eyes watched me as I found the shampoo and squirted a little bit into the palm of my hand. I slowly lathered it into her hair, massaging her scalp. I could feel the blood thrumming beneath my fingertips as I pushed into the muscles of her neck, her head tipping back at my touch, her eyes closed revealing the pinkish color of her lids. I could sense her worry, her anxiety of the situation we were facing.
"Isabella," I needed to take her mind off of things. "I was wondering, we have never really talked about the wedding, and I wanted to know what kind of wedding you would want."
"To tell you the truth I haven't given it much thought." Why did that not surprise me? "I guess I just want something small, just our families, or better yet, let's just go to the justice of the peace and get married without a big ceremony."
"Are you serious? I thought you would have wanted to a big to-do, with the flowers, the large cake, and a thousand guests."
"Don't make fun," she laughed. "I honestly don't care about the ceremony, as long as you show up." I began hosing the soap out of her hair with warm water, cupping the rim of her hair with my hand to make sure no shampoo would get in her eyes.
"I wouldn't miss it for anything." I began to lather up a mesh loofa with some strawberry soap that I picked up in Seattle for her.
"Are you sure you want a ceremony? It already feels like more than marriage… does a piece of paper really bind us more than we already are?" she raised an eyebrow, the corners of her mouth rising slightly.
"Well, I am a bit old fashioned and granted we may have gone about this the wrong way, from my standpoint, but the act of actually marrying you would make it all the more special for me." I was not exactly sure how to explain it to her… it was just something I had always known… that I would marry my soul mate
"It's all about you, isn't it?" she laughed and it sounded like music to my ears.
"Of course it is!" I chuckled. "Not only that I am planning on sharing my life with you, so everything that is mine would be yours, naturally. And it would make it easier on Charlie, knowing that we were together legally." My hands began rubbing her shoulders with the soapy sponge, and I heard her groan with an Mmmmm! I could feel the fire flickering deep inside of me at the moan, the animal clawing to get out, begging me to set it free. I know when had just been intimate last night, but I did not seem to be able to get enough of her. I wanted her constantly; she was in my every thought and feeling; she was the very reason for my existence now.
My hands trailed lower with the sponge, carefully washing around her soft cream colored breasts, her eyes giving me a playful look as I tried to remain serious, but my thoughts were on her desirable body. I nearly lost control as her tongue slid slowly across her lower lip, her teeth biting down on one side of the soft tissue. My lips found mouth and she parted her succulent lips for me, my tongue sliding against hers, vibrating with a purr of satisfaction. I heard her heart pick up pace as her hand slid around the back of my neck, tickling the fine hairs at the nape.
I could hear Emmett and Rose come in downstairs, Rose whispered up to me, in a voice to low for my love to hear. I knew they could hear the bathtub and Isabella's heart beating upstairs and I did not want an audience; I was not ashamed of what they would hear, I had heard Emmett and Rose plenty of times, but I knew that it would embarrass Isabella, so I pulled back from the kiss.
"You should not kiss me like that unless you intend to keep going," she said breathlessly.
"I'm sorry, darling. The others just got back and Rose informed me that Edward is not in the area, they traced his scent down to the highway, where he got in a car that was waiting for him. And Rose wants to take a crack at your hair; she did do hair in New York for a year, and became very popular. Needless to say, we had to leave right around that time as to not draw attention to ourselves."
Her eyes widened. "Wow, that's not something you hear every day."
"No, but just think of the stories you'll be able to tell one day. They may be even more fantastic than that… maybe you could one day be a famous designer, or cat burglar…I do know a few vampires who have done that. One case was the Carlton Jewelry Store in Cannes in 1994. I do know the vampires involved in that one and they had almost exposed us, as vampires, and they were quickly taken care of by the Volturi."
"Who are the Volturi?"
"They are like vampire royalty, they enforce the one rule that every vampire must obey: keep our existence a secret. If the law is not obeyed then the Volturi step in and take care of the problematic vampire." I moved lower, the sponge making circles on her stomach.
We both heard a knock on the door and our heads snapped in that direction. Rose poked her head through the now open door. "I need to do Bella's hair and Emmett would feel more comfortable if he could do another sweep with you, in case we missed something."
"Yes, of course." I knew she would be safe with Rose. Rose was a pure lady, but I also had seen her angry, and truth be told, I would not want to be on the receiving end of her anger. I don't think that even Edward would be stupid enough to cross her. I lightly kissed Isabella's lips and darted out of the bathroom heading out to the forest.
Bella POV
After I had wrapped myself in a Carlisle's plush robe Rose came in the bathroom wielding a very sharp pair of scissors and had a determined looked on her perfect face. "Well, I will do the best I can, but Edward really did a hack job, the asshole."
I loved it when she cursed. I smiled. She began combing and snipping here and there, her fingers moving faster than I could see. The hair fell down around my neck, making my skin itch. I tried to brush it off with one of the sleeves, to no avail. The robe smelled just like him and I inhaled, his cinnamon scent comforting me.
"Rose, thanks again for this morning. Really, I'm sorry I ruined your shopping plans."
"Not at all. Besides, things really have been more fun since you have come into the family and I have never seen Carlisle happier. He walks around here grinning like an idiot. Actually, I should be thanking you; since Emmett and I have seen the way you and Carlisle are with each other it has… brought back the fire in our marriage. It's had reminded us of how we felt when we first discovered our love for each other. The sex has never been better." Now she was grinning like an idiot.
She moved around me at top speed, shortening my bangs, and doing around my ears. I tried to stay as still as a statue, afraid that if I moved her flying shears would take an ear off. When she was done my hair looked like an Audrey Hepburn with a bit of a modern twist. I hated it…I would kill Edward if I ever saw him again.
"Now, I heard you mentioning the wedding earlier," she led me to her room and opened her closet. Inside were the bags I had packed for the sleepover, she must have picked them up before heading back to her house. "A I know to you it is just a piece of paper, but to him it is so much more, so please just keep that in mind. Did he tell you where he is going to take you for the honeymoon?" She was practically bouncing with anticipation.
"No he didn't tell me."
"He's going to kill me, but I'm going to tell you anyway. He bought a tiny bankrupt town on the coast of Spain and he has been having the buildings remodeled for the last few weeks. That is where he is taking you; an entire village of your own. He renamed it Isabella."
"Really?" It was too much… a whole town he bought just for us…and he named it after me! I could feel my heart pounding in my chest; my heart felt like it was swelling, filling my insides completely and the warmth emanating from my heart was overwhelming. I felt like I my body could not contain so much love for him and the tears began streaming down my face, the release so sweet, and I let out a small sob.
"Bella… you're so emotional for a human." Her stone arms hugged my shoulders, "He just wanted a place to call home while you toured the cathedrals of Europe, and Spain seemed like as good of a place as any to start. If you want to go somewhere else I'm sure he can arrange it." She looked at me apprehensively.
"No," I choked out, trying to stop the tears. "I'm happy! I don't deserve him! How can I make this up to him, I don't have anything to give him." She unwound her arms from my shoulders and walked to her cream colored credenza, the door squeaking as she opened it, and pulled out a manila envelope. Walking back to me she opened the flap and pulled out some paperwork, handing it to me.
It took me a moment, trying to read through the tears, to realize what she handed to me. "Oh, God! Rose! How can I thank you?" I launched myself into hers arms, peppering her cheek with kisses. She pushed me away, looking slightly shocked at my reaction… I guess I have been a bit over emotional lately.
"Just promise me you'll be good to him… he needs your love, more than you know."
X-X-X-X-X
The sun was finally high in the sky when Emmett and Carlisle returned. Rose had made me a lunch of lemon pepper chicken and played Wii with me while we waited. The more I got to know her the more I liked her and after this…I owed her big time!
The sun had broken through the clouds and bounced off his skin in rainbow hues. I felt like I could go blind looking at the sheer magnificence of his perfect face, his smile radiated in my soul… I knew I could never live without him. I ran to him and he caught me in his arms, lifting my face to his. I wound my arms around his neck and kissed him with all my strength, trying to put what the words that I knew I would stumble over into this single action. I could feel the emotions building in me again, the tears threatening to make an appearance. I pulled back needing to see into his eyes, he looked a bit worried, but delighted at the welcome he had just received.
"I want to marry you," I managed to sputter out.
"And I want to make you happy and marry you," he hugged me closer; I could feel his elation at the thought.
"No, you don't understand! I want to marry you now!"
"What? Why?" he looked confused his mouth forming a frown.
"Because you would do anything to protect me, because you try to make my dreams come true, even if it includes buying a town, because you are the man I love, and because I cannot spend another second without being your wife Carlisle Cullen." The tears had begun to fall freely.
"But, it takes three days to get a license and I thought you wanted your parents to be there," he looked torn at the thought of not being able to give me what I wanted immediately.
"You have to thank Rose for this," I smiled at her as I handed Carlisle the license that she had gotten for us. "You want to make me happy… this would make me the happiest woman in the world."
He did not say anything. He looked from Emmett, to Rose, to me, his jaw set. He grabbed my hand and led me to his Mercedes, tucked me into the front seat, and sped swiftly down the road, with Rose and Emmett following closely behind in their own car.
I know, I know… short and no lemons…But there does have to be a bit of a story in between the citrus! But, don't worry… next is the honeymoon night and it will not disappoint! I promise! Bondage… yes/no? Feel free to give suggestions for their first married night! Read and Review please! Oh, yes…should Carlisle share Bella with Jasper for just one night? It depends on you and the reviews you leave!