Author's Note:

Surprise! Another chapter. That's two in one week! See, I am trying yo make up for lost time!

Thank you guys for reading and thank you to those who have taken the time to leave your thoughts. I love reviews, thank you. It only takes a few seconds but it means a lot.

Well, here comes Thanksgiving!

Thanks for reading!

-Lisa

Chapter Twelve

"Isabella! How are you honey?" Esme asked as she answered the door at her son's house. She rushed over to give Bella a hug. She looked at the kids and Carlisle with a smile. "Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, come on in."

Everyone walked into the foyer where Edward took their jackets. He bent down and gave Bella a kiss on the cheek before walking out of the room. He seemed stressed. Bella blamed the holidays.

"Bella, come here sweetie," Ed said as he hugged her. "Everything all right? Is Carlisle working you too hard?"

"No, he is great. How are you doing Ed?"

"I'm good. Here, have a seat. I'm going to see what Eleazar is up to. He is on the deck," he bent down to whisper in Bella's ear, "He has good cigars that he is willing to share. I'll see you later honey."

"Hi guys," Tanya said emerging from the kitchen. She looked tired. Bella was beginning to think she might finally be pregnant. "Charlotte, Peter why don't you bring those goodies into the kitchen? I'll introduce you to my mom. Ah, Carlisle, Edward needs some help with the fire wood outside, would you mind?"

"No, of course not. I'll be right back," Carlisle promised looking at Bella.

Esme took the time to push closer to Bella and handed her a glass of wine. "Is everything okay? You look think honey."

"I'm good Esme, I promise," Bella smiled.

"Edward told me that the divorce is almost final. Are you doing okay with that?"

Bella nodded her head. "I'm okay with it Esme. It's over and I'm moving on."

"So you have thought about dating again?"

"I have. Actually-"

Interrupting Bella, Esme smiled. "You deserve to be loved Bella. You are kind and lovely. Jacob made a mistake. His lose will be some other man's gain."

Bella began again. "Well actually Esme-"

"Esme, will you leave the poor girl alone? The ink isn't even dried on the papers yet. Give her time," Ed said as he sat next to her. Growing up, Ed always had stuck up for Bella. She considered him a father. He leaned over to give his a wife a kiss when she shooed him away.

"Edward Anthony Masen Senior! You have been smoking! You know you aren't supposed to be. If your doctor knew-"

Ed just sat and laughed at his wife. "Esme, calm down. It's just a few puffs on a great cigar." He turned his attention to Bella. "Don't think you are leaving my grasp. I just thought I'd wait until after appetizers before I began to integrate you."

Laughing, Bella kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks Ed, I appreciate it."

"Ed, how can you joke around? I want our girl to be happy."

Thinking this was the perfect time, Bella spoke up. "Actually Esme, I am happy. I have been seeing someone."

"See Es, she's happy," Ed commented.

"What? Edward didn't mention anything," Esme said a little disappointed.

"Does he make you happy?" Ed asked.

Watching Edward and Carlisle come in with the wood, Bella turned her attention back to Esme and Ed. "Yes he does, he makes me very happy."

"Good, when will we get to meet this young man?"

Bella continued to watch Carlisle take off his jacket and walk back into the living room with Edward. "Probably sooner than you think."

Before either Ed or Esme had a chance to add anything to the conversation, Tanya came into the room. "Dinner is ready everyone."

Once everyone found a seat Carmen, Tanya's mother said grace. Conversation began to flow lightly. Edward and Tanya sat on opposite ends of the table. They seemed strained.

"So Carlisle, how is the wedding planning going?" Esme asked as she ate a piece of turkey.

"Mother," Edward softly scolded her. "I told you they broke up.

Felling herself blush, Esme looked at Carlisle. "I am so sorry. I must have forgotten."

"No worries Esme, it's okay," Carlisle smiled back.

"Well, is it too soon for you to start dating again?" Esme asked.

Before anyone could reply, Charlotte spoke up. "Dad's with Bella."

Esme looked at Bella and dropped her fork. Ed took a drink of his wine. Everyone around the table looked uncomfortable.

"What does she mean Isabella?" Esme asked.

Bella sat up and held Carlisle's hand under the table. "It means Carlisle is my boyfriend. We are dating. We are talking about me moving in with him."

Esme took a long drink from her wine. Before she could say another word, Tanya spoke up.

"Edward and I have an announcement to make. We are separating."

"What?" both Carmen and Esme said.

"What?" Bella added. She looked at Edward. "No, Edward?"

Tanya continued. "We are at the point in our lives where we want different things. I have an apartment in Seattle I'm living in. I'm very focused on my career right now and I'm doing well now. Edward wants," she paused. She felt tears threaten to leave her eyes. She watched as Edward walked out of the room. "Edward is ready for a family and I'm just not there yet."

Bella stood up and walked up the stairs to the office she knew Edward was hiding in. She knocked on the door before opening it. Edward didn't move. He stared out the window. Bella quietly walked into the room and walk towards his desk. She sat beside it.

"You know," Edward began to speak softly as he looked out the window. "This was supposed to be a nursery. It made sense since it was the closet room to the master. The closet space was plenty. When the baby was old enough they were going to move it down the hall where it would have access to an en-suite bathroom. We'd then start again with another one. When we first got married we both wanted a lot of children. That's why we live in this big house. It was going to be our family house."

"Edward," Bella began softly. "Why didn't you say anything to me?"

"I-I didn't want to upset you. With the hell that Jacob put you through, I didn't want you to go through all of the emotions again."

"That's stupid and you know it Edward Mason. You should have said something. You are the closest person to me, even closer than my own brother. You dropped your life to help me move through a few different states. I won't let you go through this alone," Bella promised him as she reached for his hand.

Edward took Bella's hand and pulled her towards him. He began to cry hard. "I'm so sad Bella, just completely sad," Edward bawled. "I love her so much and she is just done with our marriage. I just don't know what to do without her."

Bella rubbed Edward's back. "Stay with me tonight."

Edward pulled back from Bella. He quickly wiped his eyes and took a deep breath. "Thanks but I'm not going to be a third wheel with you and Carlisle tonight."

"It'll be just you and me. No Carlisle."

"I can't do that."

"I am practically living with Carlisle now. It isn't like we don't see each other."

Continuing to wipe his eyes, Edward looked at his friend. "No, I'll be fine. Plus I promised to take the kids tonight. It'll be okay."

Bella nodded. "Okay, how about this, tomorrow night you are mine. We will grab dinner. You then will come with me to my rarely used apartment and we will watched anything you want, even stupid NCIS if you want to. We have a pj night. We'll invite our friends Ben and Jerry and Jose Curevo."

"Booze and ice cream? You're good, Swan."

"You know it wasn't too long ago when you did something similar for me." Grabbing his hand again, she smiled sadly at him. "I don't know what the future for you and Tanya will be, but you will get through this. I know you will."

A soft knock on the door interrupted their conversation. "I'm sorry to interrupt you two, but Bella you have a visitor," Tanya told her while her voice shook.

Looking at Edward, Bella asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Go, I'll see you in a few minutes."

Bella followed Tanya out of the room and down the stairs. Tanya stopped and looked at Bella. "I'm sorry you found out the way you did about Edward and I. We weren't going to say anything yet but I kind of just blurted it out. I just hope you don't hate me."

"Tanya, this is between you and Edward. I love you both. I just wished one of you would have said something to me."

"I didn't think you'd want to talk to me because I know you and Edward are so close."

"Tanya, honestly, from anyone would have been good."

As they reached the bottom of the steps, Tanya looked at Bella. "I'm sorry."

Bella turned to say something to Tanya, however the site in front of her took her by surprise. There standing in front of her was her soon to be ex-husband. "What the hell is going on? What the fuck do you want Jacob?"

Jacob moved closer to Bella. "I just want to talk to you, please?"

"I'll leave you two alone," Tanya promised as she walked away from them.

"Talk now and make it quick Jacob. You are ruining my holiday," Bella snapped at him.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at Bella. "I'm sorry."

"Really? Really? That's why you are here?"

"Stop acting like that and just listen to me, please?" Jacob begged.

Crossing her arms, Bella looked at him. "You've got three minutes. Start now."

Taking another deep breath he looked up at his former wife. "I'm sorry I cheated on you with Leah."

"You've said that Jacob."

"It-I was so stupid. I should have taken you up on seeing a therapist like you wanted me to. I should have fought harder to save us. You, as usual were selfless. You were willing to put your own feelings aside and help me raise the baby. You would have been a great mother."

Speaking softly, Bella looked at him. "It doesn't matter now Jacob. You are going to be a father soon. You are with a woman who you are engaged to and-"

"She isn't you," Jacob said very bluntly. "She isn't you."

Bella took a breath. As she was about to speak, Carlisle turned the corner. He paused. He was surprised to see Bella and who he assumed was Jacob talking. He began to walk away but then stopped. He waited in the corner and listened to their conversation.

"No, your right she isn't me. You had me. I was willing to overlook everything that had happened between you and her and forgive you. You hurt me so badly Jacob. You threw me out of our home so you could set up house with the woman who was giving you a child. You proved to me that you moved on before you even left me. I've done the same."

"What?" Jacob asked surprised. "I mean, I kind of knew because my mom told me she ran into you but I didn't believe her. I thought she was wrong. Is-is he good to you?"

Beaming, Bella looked at Jacob. "He is amazing to me. He is the absolute best. He has these two amazing children who I love."

"How old are they?"

"Twelve and nine."

Taken back, Jacob looked at Bella. "He started young. Was the twelve year old an opps?"

"What?"

"I mean he was what, seventeen or eighteen when the baby was born?"

"He's older than us. He's forty five."

Looking surprised, Jacob shook his head. "He's old enough to be your father."

"I guess but I never thought about it that way."

Jacob placed his hands on Bella's arms and gently shook her. "Bella, listen to me, I've made a mistake. I've made many mistakes. You've had your fling and now-"

"I am not having a fling!" Bella said as she pushed away from Jacob and stomped her foot. "You and I are in the process of getting divorced. Who I may or may not be seeing has nothing to do with you."

"I want you to call off the divorce."

"Are you insane? Have you hit your head? I am not calling off the divorce." Bella paused. As Jacob went to hold her hand she pulled away. "I gave you a chance. I moved away from my family for you after school. You in the end denied me. You left me with nothing. It took me a while to get back into the world of living after I mourned the end of our marriage but I moved on. Jacob, for the first time since Sean, I am happy. I am so incredibly happy." Bella shrugged her shoulders as she wrapped herself into a hug. "You were my first everything. My first kiss, my first boyfriend, my first lover. You made the decision to end things. You are not going to be my last."

Jacob placed his hands in his pockets and nodded. Tears filled his eyes as he looked at Bella. "I miss you Bells. I mean, I really miss you."

"We are over Jacob. You should be in Arizona getting ready for that baby girl to be born. Go. Give Leah my best."

"You have always been like this."

"Like what?"

"Selfless. I ruined your life."

Shaking her head Bella interrupted him. "You didn't ruin my life. You ruined our marriage but not my life. I might have been immobile for a little while but you made me change."

"Are you really happy?"

Smiling, Bella nodded. "Very. I didn't expect to fall in love as quickly I did with the man I did, but it happened. I really couldn't be happier."

"I know you want kids. Will you, I mean have one?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Bella looked at him. "I don't know what the future will hold for me and another child. We've been together since August. The subject of children hasn't come up yet."

"Even though he is really too old for you, he'd be a nut not want to make a baby with you."

Slowly, Bella walked toward Jacob. She hugged him for the last time. "Take care Jacob."

Jacob let got and nodded. He placed his hand on the door knob. He went to open the door when he stopped. He reached into his jacket slowly. "I forgot to give you this," he said hesitantly pulling an envelope. "Merry Christmas Bella. Take care of yourself. Tell that old man of yours that he is the luckiest bastard in the world." With that last comment, Jacob opened the door and was gone.

Bella opened the envelope and saw what she wanted to see, her signed divorce papers. She shoved the papers back into the envelope. She turned around knowing someone was watching her. "All right, I know you are there, come out."

Sheepishly, Carlisle walked slowly towards Bella. "Hi."

Shaking her head, Bella laughed. "I had my money on Edward standing there. You surprised me."

"I didn't mean too. I know it was a huge invasion of privacy. I-I was just curious. He's a good looking, young man."

"I guess so. Are you okay?"

'Yes, sure, I'm fine. We should get back to dinner," Carlisle said as he turned and walked back into the dining room.

As she watched him walk away, Bella slowly walked into the room. She sat next to Edward. "Hey."

"I'm so sorry Tanya let him in," Edward said as he sipped his wine.

"No worries. I got an early Christmas gift, my divorce papers."

"Congrats," Edward said as he looked across the room to Carlisle and the kids. "=

Shrugging her shoulders, Bella looked up. "Where did everyone go?"

"Well, if I know my family well, which I think I do, my mom and Carmen are in the kitchen 'preparing' desert, which is code for questioning Tanya. They are probably telling her that we need to work harder at our relationship. Dad and Elzear are probably on the deck smoking cigars talking about their golf game and whether or not the divorce will impact it. Why aren't you over there with your mister?"

"I think I might have made him angry. He overheard some of my conversation with Jacob. I'm thinking he misinterpreted something. He's barely talked to me since Jacob left. I'll talk to him later." Bella paused and began to laugh. "Oh my god, did you see Esme's face when I told her Carlisle and I were together"

Smirking, Edward nodded his head. "It was funny." Looking one more time at Carlisle, Edward looked at his friend. "Cut him some slack, ok?"

Nodding, Bella stared at a defeated looking Edward. "Are you okay, for real? Be honest with me. The kids can go home if you don't feel like you will make it."

Edward sat upand looked at his friend. "It might do me some good. Tanya is taking her parents to the airport and will be staying at her apartment. They are great. It'll be good to be around them."

As Bella and Edward finished their conversation, Tanya, Esme and Carmen came out of the kitchen with platters of pies and cookies. Chatter filled the room with neither Tanya or Edward taking part. When Edward got up to use the restroom, Bella walked over and sat next to Carlisle.

"Hey."

Carlisle looked at her. "Hi."

"How did you like the pie Peter and I made?"

"It's good. You two did a great job."

Bella looked around her. The children were laughing with Edward Senior. Carlisle wouldn't lift his head. He wouldn't look at Bella. "You don't seem okay. Can we talk?"

"We'll talk later, at home," Carlisle said.

"Let's go soon, okay?" Bella begged as she looked at him.

"Sure," He responded nodding his head.

Soon Tanya left with her parents without much exchange with anyone else. Carlisle was speaking to both older and younger Edward as well as the children when Esme approached Bella. She reached her arm around her. "Some holiday this turned out to be."

"It was certainly full of surprises. How do think Edward really is doing?" Bella asked worried.

Esme sighed. "I think he is heartbroken and he is going to break down eventually. I think he is going to be a wreck for a while and the only person he will break down to will be you."

"He was there for me in a very difficult situation, of course I will be there for him. He's my best friend. He is more like my brother than Jasper is. I love him."

"I know you do sweetie." Esme replied kissing her head. "So I hear Jacob was here."

"He was and after some talking he gave me the divorce papers, signed."

"That's terrific Bella."

"It has actually made my holiday season."

Esme took a breath and looked at Bella. "So Carlisle, are you sure?"

Bella looked at Esme and rolled her eyes. "I am really happy, I promise. He is such a wonderful man. The kids are sweet and I adore them all."

"Honey, he's so much older than you."

"It doesn't matter Esme."

"Are you guys serious? How serious?"

Bella looked at Esme as she answered her question. "We are moving in together after I find a new job."

"I see. How long have you been together?"

"We started dating early in the summer but officially became a couple in August."

Esme shook her head and looked at the woman who was like her own child. She gently pushed a strain of hair behind her ear. "Honey, he's almost twenty years older than you. Are you really truly happy with him?"

"I am. Age isn't important. What is important is how we feel and love him Esme. I really do."

"Of course it isn't important now, but Isabella I know you want babies. Does Carlisle want them?"

"I-I don't know. We haven't talked about it yet."

"I think that's important and you need to talk about it. Before you get too invested, talk to him about it. They are important to you. You shouldn't have to sacrifice what you want."

"I promise I will," Bella said as Carlisle approached her.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked.

"Yes, of course. Bye Esme," Bella said as she gave her surrogate mother a hug.

"Bye honey. Please stop by the house more often. We can have lunch sometime."

"I promise I will."

"Goodbye Carlisle."

Bye Esme, it was nice seeing you again. Happy Thanksgiving."

"You too Carlisle. Take good care of my girl."

Carlisle grabbed Bella's hand and smiled. "I promise I will."

"What a dinner," Bella called to Carlisle as she put the left overs Tanya sent them home with in the fridge.

"It was certainly filled with a lot of unexpected moments." He paused and looked at her again. "I think I want to shower and watch a movie from bed. Do you want to pick one out?"

Bella walked closer to Carlisle. She placed her arms around his neck. "Of course, then can we talk? I know something is bothering you."

Carlisle walked away from Bella. He looked at her for a full second before he responded. "Fine. You know what bothered me? Jacob made a few valid points."

"Jacob?" Bella asked confused. "What does he have to do with any of this?"

"He made some valid points concerning our relationship."

"What would those things be?"

"I'm talking about us and what we want from our relationship."

"Like what?" Bella asked with a slight attitude.

"Like our age difference.

"You are just picking up on that? You are kind of slow Carlisle, you know that?"

Angerily Carlisle shook his head. "Come on, put the sarcasim away for five minutes Bella."

"Jesus Christ Carlisle, what is it then about out age difference?"

"It's a big deal Bella."

"No it isn't. You are making a big deal out of nothing. I don't care. I'm not some stupid young teenager. I'm twenty eight years old. I didn't think it was a big deal for you."

"Does it bother you at all?"

"No! What do I need to do to prove this to you?"

Ignoring her comment, Carlisle continued. "What about children Bella, do you want them?"

"Seriously Carlisle, are we doing this now?" Really?"

"When would you want to discuss this? Tomorrow when the kids are here? Maybe squeeze it in before you spend time with Edward? Yes I want to do this now!" Carlisle yelled.

"Fine!" Bella screamed back. "Yes, all right? Yes I want my own little person to be responsible for. I want to be a mother and get up for midnight feeds and diaper changes. I want to be proud of someone I created and who turns out to be this really great, thoughtful and caring person."

Silence filled the room. Softly, Carlisle spoke up. "Why didn't you tell me this?"

Lowering her voice, Bella answered him. "Because I was afraid you wouldn't want another one."

Carlisle looked into Bella's eyes. He spoke matter a factly. "I don't want another one."

Biting her lip and fighting back tears, Bella nodded her head slowly. "I knew it."

"Seriously Bella, look at me. I'm forty five. I don't think it would be fair."

"Why are we talking about this now?"

"Because I need to be fair to you Bella."

Even biting her lip couldn't stop the tears flowing from her eyes. "Are we breaking up?"

"I-I don't know. I want to do what is right here. I want you to be happy."

"Which I was up to thirty seconds ago. Now I'm pissed."

"I don't want you to be. I want tobe fair to you."

"Yep, I heard that loud and clear Carlisle." Bella wiped her eyes and turned to Carlisle. "Know what? Let me make this easy for you. I'm going back to my apartment tonight."

"I didn't want that."

"You don't seem to know what you want. I'll leave you to your shower and to your movie, enjoy." Bella said sarcasticly as she ran out the door to her car parked in the driveway. As she ran to her car she could hear Carlisle call out to her, but she didn't care. She had to leave.

Once inside her apartment, she shut off her phone which was ringing non stop while she drove home. She didn't even bother to change. She ran upstairs to her bedroom and cried herself to sleep.