No way! An update on "Moonlit? !" Yes folks, I'm finally providing chapter nine. I know it's taking me two months, and I'm sure you don't want to hear my specific excuses. Allow me to say that shortly after posting chapter eight I had two major life events happen (and I don't use those words lightly) that took some time to recover from. I hope you've been understanding. :)

Per reviewer request, a recap: "Moonlit" is a Twilight AU created by the fact that characters made different decisions with their lives. In the previous chapter Bella, a frequent visitor to the ER, has finally confessed to Carlisle that she figured out the truth about his family.

~*~ Chapter Nine ~*~

Carlisle usually enjoyed his commute from the hospital to home as a time to think, though this trip found his mind more preoccupied than any other. Never before, in over three and half centuries of living, had a human approached him with his own secret. Though thoroughly innocent, it was such a dangerous thing to have happened, and a small part of Carlisle still couldn't believe that he had spoken so rashly. It hadn't even occurred to him to deny when Bella confessed her suspicions – no, her knowledge. Once he'd asked how, there was no point in retracing his steps.

In all honesty, it had felt natural to be open with Bella Swan. He sat there, utterly invested in every word falling from her lips as she told of hearing the Quileute story when she was a child. The story had stayed with her, to the point of giving her dreams both before and after she'd moved away from Forks.

"When I first saw you, I actually thought that you looked pale from overwork." Bella smiled at him wryly, earning a similar twitch of his lips in return. "Yet, even then, I think, the memory started to tug at me."

"Then you are truly observant, Bella." Carlisle answered. When Bella shook her head at him, Carlisle pressed on. "I am sure you are, just as I'm sure you'll believe me when I say that I have never had a conversation like this before."

Bella shrugged, obviously uncomfortable with the compliment. "I guess I do, but it's hard to believe that no one has really noticed before that your family is never seen in the sunlight."

"Humans have a tendency to dismiss what they can't explain or reason away what is outside of the normal way of things. My family and I may never be around the town when the sun is shining, but we are seen both day and night. It's easy for minds to pass over what they actually do not see."

Bella looked thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded at him. "I think I understand what you mean. Why would someone notice you not being somewhere, when they weren't expecting to see you anyway? That must be why you keep to yourselves so much. If people expect to see you socially, they'll notice when you're not there."

This from the girl who does not think that she is observant. "It's one of the reasons," Carlisle answered grimly. A foreboding began to settle on him that he did not want to explore with Bella sitting across from him. So he'd returned to the original topic and expanded on it. "It's also easier in modern times when science is so prolific and people are less inclined to believe in the supernatural."

Now that he was alone in his car, Carlisle's thoughts could dwell on the danger of what had happened. The law of secrecy was absolute among the enforcers of his kind. Should Bella's knowledge become known outside of his family her life would be forfeit. Human death on behalf of vampires disturbed Carlisle greatly, and was something he had built a lifestyle avoiding. The idea of Bella paying the ultimate price for her awareness was a painful thought. Intentional or not, Carlisle had come to care for this honest and smart young woman. He needed to be certain that she could be protected. Perhaps after he talked with the rest of the family, he might ask Alice if she would be willing to keep a watch on Bella.

He'd have to call a family meeting, of course. An occurrence like this could not go without being discussed. Though Carlisle didn't personally think that it would be so, they would all have to decide if it was necessary to pick up and move again. Carlisle was confident in Bella's discretion, yet the rest of his family might not be. They might view her as a sign that Forks held a threat to them, though Carlisle was equally confident that none of them would seek to silence Bella. His family was his family not only because of their mutual affection, but also because of their shared belief in the sanctity of human life – with the exception of Edward and Rosalie. Carlisle felt a unique surge of gratitude that Edward and Rosalie did not actually live with him. He couldn't be sure how either of them would feel about Bella. Though they'd have to be told eventually.

Arriving home, Carlisle cautioned himself to address his worries to the more immediate concerns of the moment. First things first.

Alice was at the door, a grin beaming off her face, as Carlisle approached the house from his car. It was a little disconcerting to see her happy face when he had such serious news to share. Soon she would not be smiling as she was right now. He was somewhat surprised that she hadn't already known what transpired, but he had to conclude that the joy on her face indicated that she was not aware. "Alice," he spoke by way of greeting when she stepped aside to let him through the open doorway.

"She talked to you today." Alice's voice was very close to being an excited squeal. Jasper stood by her, silent and stoic.

Carlisle paused almost imperceptibly as he took off his coat. It was never safe to assume that you knew what was going on in Alice's mind. Her words just now were obviously about Bella, and clearly more prescient than current. Carlisle's serious gaze took in Alice's knowing eyes and, perplexingly, her joyful smile.

"How long have you known that Bella Swan is aware of us?"

"Almost as soon as she did," Alice answered before hurrying on in her excitement. "I am so glad that she's finally decided to speak up! Of course, there was no question that she would go to you when she did. You have a better relationship with her than either Jazz or I do."

"Alice, this is very serious. Why on earth did you not tell us sooner?"

"What is going on?" Esme asked, appearing in the entryway of the living room. She was a figure of loveliness. Light brown locks that fell beyond her shoulders and a round yet slender figure made her quite beautiful. Her strongest inner beauty, her caring heart, was reflected in the concern that showed in her eyes.

"There is a human girl," Carlisle explained, "a patient of mine and a classmate of Alice's. She knows about us."

"What?" Esme's voice held both alarm and dismay.

"It's fine," Alice insisted, eager to reassure. "It's going to be fine."

Carlisle raised his arm slightly, indicating further into the house. "Let us take this discussion into the dining room, please."

Carlisle sat himself directly across from Alice, Esme by his side across from Jasper. Maggie was absent from the house, having left that morning to hunt in the northern woods. Carlisle regretted her not being present for the discussion, but he would make sure that Maggie was completely brought up to date once she returned home.

"Carlisle," Esme began. She could see a tension brewing between him and Alice, and wanted to get it resolved quickly. However, she wouldn't know how to help until she knew what had actually occurred. "Please tell me what happened with this girl today."

Carlisle nodded. He wanted to demand answers from Alice, but he couldn't move forward until Esme's confusion was erased. "Bella Swan has been a frequent patient of mine since she returned to her father's house several months ago. She is very accident-prone."

"This is the police chief's daughter?" Esme's concern grew. "She is the one who knows about us?"

Carlisle nodded. "Yes. Apparently she has known for some time, and only decided to speak up just today. She came and visited me in my office."

"Good Lord. What did she say? How did she know?"

Carlisle briefly rested a hand on Esme's in reassurance. "Her source is the Quileutes, actually. Just before she and her mother moved out of the area, a childhood friend told Bella their legend about us -well, our kind- the interaction their wolves had with other vampires long before our family ever crossed paths with them."

"Then how did she equate that to us?" Esme pressed. Alice and Jasper remained silent on the other side of the table, one curious, the other keenly interested.

"The story had impressed her enough that it stayed with her. I imagine it might have lingered more in her mind because it was one of the last things she heard of before her life altered so drastically. Think of an eight-year-old girl seeking comfort and familiarity with a friend while her parents are becoming more and more distant with each other. Then that friend frightens her with a scary story that is supposedly true. Right afterwards she is taken away from the home and friends she has known all her life.

"Bella told me that she dreamed of the Quileute 'cold ones' for some time after the move. I think that her subconscious clung to something a little more supernatural as a way to deal with the reality of her newly broken home. Rather than feel pain while awake, she fought monsters in her sleep."

Both Esme and Alice spoke at once. "She thinks we're monsters?"

"Did you have to psychoanalyze her, Carlisle? Bella's seeking friendship, not therapy."

"I hardly had Bella recline on a couch and tell me her dreams." Carlisle's defensiveness was the equal of Alice's. "I am just sharing my perceptions. And no, Esme, I do not believe that Bella sees us as monsters. She was very warm and open, actually. Once she got over her nervousness."

"Well, I'm certainly glad to hear that she doesn't view us as enemies." Esme began to smooth the waters. "Alice, you said that she is seeking friendship?"

"Yes, Alice. I am very interested to learn what you have to share about this." Carlisle resumed a measure of calm. It wasn't fair to feel unhappy with Alice when she had yet to explain herself.

"Do you remember an accident in the high school parking lot back in late March, Carlisle? A teenage boy slid on the ice and lost control of his van."

"Tyler Crowley, yes. I was on duty when he came in."

"Bella was very nearly involved. If she hadn't changed her mind on where to park at the last minute, she would have been out of her truck and hit by that van."

"Good God."

"That was when I first started having visions of Bella. They were fairly vague at first, but they always involved her and our family."

"In what way?" Esme asked.

"Always in a positive way." Alice smiled at everyone, determined to transmit her confidence. "I see her and I laughing and enjoying each other's company. I see her talking for hours into the night with Carlisle, and I see you comforting her, Esme, when she's in tears. Those images are solid, not faint wisps of might-have-been. Bella is meant to be a part of this family."

"As a vampire?"

Alice shook her head. "I can't completely determine that. I don't see that far into the future with her. I can, however, safely say that Bella is human for at least the next few years."

"Alice," Carlisle spoke again. The truth behind her visions had unnerved him, in more ways than he could analyze. "Why haven't you told us about this earlier?"

"To do so would damage the strength of her bond with us. Carlisle, would you have been able to look at her the same way if I told you how integrated she would be with our family, how much we would all come to love her? It would be setting up expectations before the foundation was laid. To quote Herbert, 'the thing must take its course.'"

"The foundation is safely laid now, then? Only three of us have even met the girl."

"She's spoken to you, hasn't she?"

"Yes, she has. Do you realize, Alice, how dangerous this is for all of us?

"Bella isn't a threat to us, and never will be."

"We are a threat to her! A threat that could have been prevented if you'd spoken up earlier about her interest in us. How can we take a human into our family? As soon as it is discovered her death would be mandated." Stress leaked through every syllable that came from Carlisle's mouth. "She already has people of her own kind that care for her a great deal. Do you want to hurt them, too? How about the father that just got her back into his life?" Carlisle had been happy for Chief Swan, particularly since the night that he had first seen him and Bella together. Carlisle thought of the Chief losing Bella due to her association with his family, and felt the cruelty of it.

"This situation seems to be getting out of hand," Jasper spoke for the first time. "It's clear to me that both Carlisle and Alice are feeling protective of Bella. You two just need to realize that neither one of you is going to hurt her."

"Of course I'm not going to hurt her," Carlisle said, surprised at such a suggestion being laid at his door. He was calmer for Jasper's words and, he suspected, Jasper's influence as well. "I just fear that Alice already has by not preventing her becoming aware of us. Don't you realize," Carlisle directed at Alice, "that her life is in danger now?"

"We're not going to hurt her, Carlisle, certainly the least of all by telling the Volturi about her. I know you have bad memories of the punishments that were carried out during your time with them, but that is not a fear that relates to us right now. Bella is meant to be a part of this family. I love her already because I see how much she'll come to mean to all of us. You hurt her, and me, and this whole family, if you deny Bella her destiny to know us."

Carlisle shook his head, grateful that Jasper was keeping at bay the tension that wanted to emanate from him in waves. "If this girl should be in our company, it is not us that I fear will report to the Volturi. Not only would we have to hide her from our friends, like the Denali coven, but also nomads pass through here frequently enough. What would have happened if Bella had been with us during our baseball game in March? Instead of a friendly game, it may have become a showdown. Five against three are odds only slightly in our favor should we have been called upon to defend her. I also don't wish to move forward hiding anything more about my life. We hide from the humans to spare them from our own kind. If we hide from other vampires to spare the human, then we are at opposition to both sides."

"I don't intend to hide anything." Alice stood to emphasize her determination. "I don't intend to hide from Bella what we are, and I will not hide from Tanya or Peter or anyone who knows us that Bella is a part of my life now.

"Carlisle," Alice continued, plea and persuasion coloring her voice, "I need you to continue to have faith in me. I would not feel the way I do if the future I see holds death and unhappiness. It's love and companionship, and a certain kind of freedom that we haven't been able to experience yet. Was it not comfortable for you to be able to drop the charade in your office with Bella today?"

Carlisle said nothing for a long moment. Being with Bella had felt good. She was thoughtful, intelligent and he already had acknowledged to himself that he cared for her. Alice had every right to call on his faith in her. She had never steered anyone in the family wrong, and if what she saw was something good, then there was hope of a positive outcome. Continuing this argument was only causing the family stress, and that was something he did not want to be the perpetrator of. Yet, he couldn't quite let go of his sense of worry for Bella. Finally, he nodded, standing up and turning to face the window. "It did feel comfortable."

"I think that the only one of us who is going to be uncomfortable is me," Jasper interjected, deliberately giving Carlisle the chance he needed to be alone with his thoughts. "Alice knows, and I know from previous experience, that I am not a threat, but I cannot deny that I am instinctively aware of how good Bella smells. She has a uniquely appealing scent."

"Oh, no, that's the last thing that we would need," Esme commiserated, then laughed. "I certainly don't envy you the challenge you face, Jasper. We all know that changing lifestyles has been hard on you, harder even than it was for Maggie."

"For Alice, nothing is too hard." Jasper grasped his beloved's hand and kissed her fingers. She smiled down at him, as Esme beamed at them from across the table.

"She does smell good," Carlisle's words floated across to them from the window, almost as if he hadn't heard the last interaction. "Like waterfalls and flowers."

Esme looked at his back, startled. Hearing Carlisle speak of an awareness of any human's scent was not anything she had ever experienced in nearly 90 years of knowing him. Alice's reaction was different, and only Jasper saw the smile of smug satisfaction on her face.

Abruptly Carlisle turned on his heel and faced the family again. "Alice, you said that Bella will never be a threat to us."

"That's right."

"I've heard you say that about an unnamed schoolmate visiting Port Angeles, not too long ago."

Alice stilled for a moment, then nodded her head. "Yes, Carlisle."

The knowledge that Bella had been attacked created a hard surge of anger in Carlisle. Moving slowly, he sat down again, quelling the feeling. Anger was not an emotion he ever found to be productive. Allowing anger to lead your thoughts or actions rarely led to anything good, as Rosalie was a prime example of. "Was Bella hurt?"

"Not very much. She was bruised for awhile where he held her arm to her back."

Again, Carlisle felt anger rising. His face was stony and silent as he repressed the feeling.

"I'm missing something." Esme was frowning at them.

"Bella was the girl in Port Angeles that Alice and I rescued," Jasper answered.

Carlisle made eye contact with Jasper, who was watching him intently. "These men are in jail?"

Jasper nodded, hesitantly. "I believe so, yes."

"The leader is," Alice piped in. "Alonzo Calderas Wallace. He was wanted in two different states. Edward and Rosalie dropped him off in Oklahoma City, in a side street not far from the police station, and made an anonymous phone call. He's already had his trial. I believe he is also being extradited into Houston to stand trial there."

"Good."

"He'll be in jail for a long time, Carlisle, serving back-to-back sentences."

"What about the other one?"

"Clifford Pendleton. Rosalie was quick to drop him off outside the Port Angeles station. He didn't have a record like Wallace, but he was wanted for misdemeanor theft. He is also incarcerated."

"I'm glad to hear it," Esme said, returning her glance from the window to focus it back on the family around the table. "This girl sounds like she's been through a number of events in her young life. I am also certainly inclined to believe in Alice's predictions as well as Carlisle's faith in her. Yet, I have to ask, since she is so young, are we certain that she is going to be discreet? That's the first element that we need to deal with, after all. Is Bella Swan going to treat us normally in the community or are her actions going to raise suspicion against us – if they haven't already?"

"She hasn't done anything, Esme, other than ask a friend to tell her a story he'd already told her."

"I can assure you that Bella is an intelligent and self-composed young lady. She is not the type to tell tales outside of school."

"Ah, but Carlisle, did she not break her friend's confidence by talking to you?" Esme countered.

Carlisle frowned. "I suppose you could look at it that way. Though since Jacob Black did not believe in the story he told her, and she did not speak to someone outside of this family, I am inclined not to see it as a betrayal."

"Jacob Black, as in Ephraim Black?"

"Yes."

"Well," Esme sat back in her seat. "This story certainly gets more and more interesting. It's a relief to know that the current Quileute leader hasn't spread his beliefs to his son, but knowing that makes me worry more that Jacob is the source of Bella's knowledge. I have to say, Carlisle, I don't agree that her behavior isn't revealing. I want to know what her intentions are."

"Friendship, Esme," Alice answered. "She is going to be a part of this family. Bella doesn't mean us any harm."

"Why don't I just ask her?" came a voice from the front door of the house. Esme smiled, for she had heard her beloved coming, more easily than the rest of the family had. Maggie appeared in the dining room, and grasped the hand that Esme held out, coming to her side. The movement was natural, a congenial motion of a couple long-since happily conjoined. "If the possibility of her being a threat is as minimal as you seem to believe, then let's eliminate it first before doing anything. Do you agree, Carlisle?"

Carlisle looked on his old friend, a vampire with a millennia more experience than him. Her wisdom reminded him of the advice that he had given himself before entering the house: deal with the more immediate concerns first. He nodded. "Yes."

(~*~)

Nothing had gone wrong. Dr. Cullen hadn't dismissed her or laughed at her; he didn't throw her out of his office or threaten her. He had actually sat and listened and talked with her. Things had gone well. So why then couldn't Bella sleep?

Bella shifted and punched her pillow into a better position of support for her head. As she lay on her side, she could feel the rat-a-tat-tat of her heart pounding in her chest.

Maybe it was the knowledge that the entire Cullen family was probably discussing her right now. What were they thinking? What would Alice and Jasper feel about her having talked to their "father?" What were Maggie and Esme, women whom she had never met, going to think of her intrusion on their privacy? Would they really think that she was intruding? Wait – was it right to call them women if they were vampires?

Bella, if you start second-guessing what you can call them in your own mind, then you are seriously way too wound up. Relax. Rolling onto her back, she closed her eyes with a deep sigh. Being with Dr. Cullen in his office today hadn't made her this nervous. Bella could feel the gradual relaxation of her muscles and the slowing of her heartbeat into a more steady rhythm as she thought back to their conversation.

"It's also easier in modern times when science is so prolific and people are less inclined to believe in the supernatural."

Sitting across from his desk, Bella had frowned at the words. Inclined to believe in the supernatural. She had never really thought of herself in those terms. The image they created in her mind was that of a fool, someone not terribly advanced in her ability to think. Like she was some sort of pagan who had never scene a lighter, and thought of it as magic. "Huh. I guess I never thought of myself that way."

Dr. Cullen smiled at her. "It does not mean that you're not smart, Bella. It just means that you are open-minded, and that is a very good thing."

Bella's eyes shifted uncertainly, but she thanked him for the compliment.

"Might I ask you a question?"

"Of course! Please, I'm the one that's imposing on you."

"Not at all." Dr. Cullen folded his hands on the desk in front of him. The gesture somehow made her think of being in a teacher conference. "When you first walked through my door, you were nervous but not afraid. Do you mind if I ask why?"

"You want to know why I'm not afraid of you?"

"Yes."

Bella thought for moment before answering. "Well, I guess I could start by saying that you have always been kind to me. I've never really felt uncomfortable around you. When I realized what you were, and learned that you only hunt animals, it made things more… relaxing, I guess. Then I asked you once why you are a doctor, and you told me it was because you wanted to help." He nodded at her, confirming the memory. "That moment I thought of you and your family, choosing to be among us and not hiding, but helping. It – it made me feel proud."

There was a brief second before a quick astonished chuckle came out of Carlisle. The smile on his handsome face was a nice thing to see. It made him look more natural and approachable. "You felt proud of me- and my family?"

"Well, yeah."

"Bella, that is just unprecedented, and very remarkable."

Bella wasn't quite sure how to feel. Maybe it was a little embarrassment accompanied with a desire to squirm. Yet, she knew that Dr. Cullen wasn't looking down on her. He seemed more impressed than anything.

"Well, it was definitely a better turn for my mind to take than wondering how easily your fingers could crush my ankle, or how quickly you could move." Bella tilted her head to the side as she looked at him. "If I could ask you a question now – how long have you been practicing medicine? How old are you?"

There was a brief moment of hesitation before he answered. "I've been learning medicine for a very long time. Dating from the year I believe I was born, I am three hundred and sixty-two years old."

Bella stared at him. Dr. Carlisle Cullen was nearly four hundred years old. He'd been a part of this world not only before her father, and Jacob's great-grandfather, but even before the founding fathers of the United States. Three hundred and sixty-two years. That made his birth year… 1643. Carlisle Cullen had been around since the first English Civil War, since Isaac Newton. He was older than the concept of gravity.

"Does that bother you?" Carlisle broke the silence.

"No," Bella answered truthfully. "It makes me feel safer."

They watched each other in what Bella felt was a comfortable silence and mutual pondering.

"I want you to feel safe, Bella."

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen."

He smiled at her then. "I think, under the circumstances, it would be alright for you to call me Carlisle."

"Carlisle." Already unconscious, Bella curled onto her side again, the name whispering from her lips unheard.

(~*~)

The weight of Bella's stomach was heavy again as she approached the cafeteria for lunch. It had been like that all day, but somehow it seemed even heavier as she knew she was about to cross paths with Alice and Jasper again. She had not seen them in the halls at all, but the sky was overcast so she was certain that they were in attendance.

Unless they hadn't come to school today because of her? A whole new pressure began to weigh on Bella at the thought. What if they stopped coming because they didn't want to risk exposure to her, because of her? What if the entire family was moving away? Bella felt grief at the thought, a kind of coldness that she didn't like. Yet Carlisle hadn't given her any hint that he might take his family away. He'd invited to her call him by his first name. Surely that was a sign of acceptance? She hadn't left his office unhappy.

Jessica had been chatting rapidly by her side, but Bella hadn't really been paying attention. "Hello, Earth to Bella."

"Sorry, Jess." Bella gave her friend a rueful smile. "I got lost in my thoughts."

"I guess. You've been doing that a lot lately."

"I have?"

Jessica stepped in towards Bella and hooked an arm through hers. "C'mon, tell me what's on your mind."

Bella quickly tried to come up with something believable that wouldn't exactly be a lie, but drew a blank as they passed through into the cafeteria.

"Is it a guy?" Jessica asked. It might have been a bit gossipy, but Jessica really had redeveloped a fondness for Bella, and had been getting concerned about her lack of dating.

Bella's eyes had automatically looked around for the two vampires, and she'd found them just as Jessica's question registered.

"A guy? No."

Jessica wasn't entirely unobservant, and she followed where Bella's searching eyes had landed before looking back at her.

"The Cullen kids? Oh, Bella, please don't tell me that you have a crush on Jasper. He's so taken, it would just break your heart."

"No!" Bella answered emphatically in a loud whisper. Both Alice and Jasper had turned toward their heads towards her and Jessica. Jasper looked back at Alice and gave a small, amused smile. Bella felt her face turn red.

"Um…" Jessica hesitated. She, too, looked over and noticed that the couple was looking their way. She steered Bella towards the lunch line, effectively putting both their backs to the pair. "It's not Alice, is it?"

"Jess! Jesus." Bella was beyond mortified as she selected a drink for her tray with her bandaged hand. "I'm not interested in anyone, and certainly not in inserting myself between a couple."

"Ok, fine. I'm sorry I asked and upset you." Jessica's regret over upsetting Bella was genuine, but at least she felt that she had a questioned answered. Bella was not a lesbian. "So, seriously, what is on your mind?"

Bella sighed, and then waggled her hand at Jess. "I'm tired of getting hurt so often. I was trying to think if there was anything I could do to train myself to be less of a klutz. Like taking tai chi or yoga or something."

"Aw, Bella." Jessica gave her a sympathetic smile. "Try yoga before any martial arts. More meditation and a little bit less moving around. Then, of course, going barefoot will help you from forgetting to tie your shoes."

Bella rose to the bait. "I did not forget to tie my sneaker. It just came undone."

"At least you got to go see that hot doctor again." Bella almost rolled her eyes at Jessica's almost inevitably single-track mind. Yet, she did have a point. If Bella hadn't seen the doctor again, she wouldn't have become motivated to tell him the truth. So far, she hadn't regretted it. Bella cast another glance at Alice and Jasper as she sat down at the usual table with Jess.

"Are you talking about Dr. Cullen?" Lauren asked, having overheard the last thing Jessica said. "Gosh, Bella, I almost want to start leaving my own laces untied just to get to go to the ER during school hours and see him."

"He doesn't always work school hours," Bella grumbled.

"I think the Cullens are all strange," Tyler said, a little resentful of his girlfriend's admiration. "That doctor is way too pale and has weird eyes. They all have weird eyes. Has anyone noticed that?"

Uh-oh, Bella thought. She didn't instigate this conversation, but she wasn't happy about it.

"Can't say I've seen all of them," Mike chimed in. "But I don't think there's anything too weird about them."

"You don't?" Eric was surprised.

"Nah. Well, okay, it's weird that the two foster kids are dating each other, but they seem pretty happy and the family's okay with it. We've all got weird stuff in our closets. I just freaking found out that my mother's grandmother married her cousin. That means that my great-grandmother and great-grandfather had the same grandparents."

"Yuck," Jessica frowned.

Mike draped an arm across her shoulders and gave her his most charming smile. "You don't think I'm any the worse for it, do you?"

Jessica melted like butter left out in the sun. "No, I don't," and she leaned in and pecked his lips.

"How'd you find that out?" Eric asked. As Mike started to explain, Bella could only feel grateful for the change in topics. God bless Mike Newton. Yet, she was still a little uneasy. The Cullen family was still conspicuous despite their efforts at blending in. It would only be a matter of time before people started asking questions more often. Bella wished that she had thought of something herself, but being quick-witted wasn't always her strong suit. She'd have to think up a few excuses to have at the ready next time she heard talk like this. She needed to be certain that the Cullen family could be protected.

Glancing over at Alice and Jasper's table, Bella was a little startled to find them gone. That was it then. No changes. Bella sighed quietly to herself. She supposed that it was just as well.

In her next class Bella found herself wondering why she had bothered telling the truth at all. If the family was just going to ignore her as usual, she might as well have kept silent. Yet, at least she'd cleared the air with Carlisle, and he no longer thought of her as a love-struck teen. What was with people getting curious about her love life anyway? Surely she wasn't the only girl in Forks High not dating.

Bella just wasn't the type to be trolling around guys looking for a date and hoping for love. She had only ever gotten a crush on a boy once. His name had been Tom, and he'd completely humiliated her. Well, actually, she wasn't sure he'd even noticed her existence apart from her failed attempt to talk to him. She'd been fourteen, he'd been sixteen, and when she'd plucked up the courage to approach him in the cafeteria she'd tripped on some kid's backpack and spilled her lunch tray all over him. Typical Bella, awkward adolescent. Tom's reaction had not been friendly. She'd cowered away from him until she'd gotten over her crush. Seeing him making out in the hallways with his girlfriend had certainly helped with that. Maybe the whole situation of an impossible crush had turned Bella off seeking out guys; maybe it's just that Bella had other things in her life that she prioritized more. Surely there was nothing wrong with being only eighteen years old and never having dated?

Shaking her head as she walked to the final class of the day, Bella tried to dispel her thoughts. Thinking about the Cullens and thinking about past humiliations weren't exactly where she wanted her mind to be dwelling.

Yet the Cullens were to be on her mind anyway. Unexpectedly she felt a cool hand wrapping around her upper arm. Bella blinked at Alice as she stepped them both away from the door.

"Hi," Bella said uncertainly. Alice's demeanor was friendly, but the unexpectedness of her arrival made Bella uneasy. Somehow, she thought only about how easy it would be for Alice to simply squeeze and crush the bones in her arm.

"Bella, I just want to tell you one thing, quickly," Alice said as she let go of Bella. "Don't be scared."

"Don't be scared?"

"No." Alice smiled. "Everything's going to turn out okay. Alright?"

Bella nodded, a little jerkily. "Alright."

"Good!" Alice beamed at her one more time before turning away and disappearing around the corner of the building.

"Huh," Bella said, which was pretty much her reigning thought all through the last class of the day. Was Alice simply saying that she had nothing to worry about from their family? That could very well be, and that's exactly what Bella would have taken it as if Alice had said that to her in the cafeteria. Yet, Bella got the feeling that something was about to happen instead. Alice usually tended to give her the feeling that she knew something Bella didn't, and this last exchange was no different. No, Bella didn't think that Alice simply meant not to worry. She meant not to be scared when something happened. So what was about to happen?

"Miss Swan!" Bella looked up at the teacher and realized that he'd been calling on her.

"Yeah?"

"It's time to stop daydreaming, Miss Swan, and pay attention."

"Yes, Mr. Meyer."

It was good advice, but Bella didn't really follow it. Walking to her truck, she reflected on her gratitude that both Carlisle and Alice seemed to be friendly. Whatever Jasper's attitude was toward her, Bella was still uncertain. Bella wondered why Jasper hadn't been with Alice when she'd delivered her message, coloring a little again at what he'd overheard Jessica say at lunch.

Climbing behind the wheel of her truck, Bella shut the door behind her and stuck the keys in the ignition.

"Hello, Bella," a soft feminine voice greeted from her immediate right, and Bella let out a squeal of alarm as she jumped and turned. Sitting beside her in the truck was a tiny woman, shorter than Bella. Her red hair was curly, blending beautifully with her pale skin, pink lips and the slightest trace of freckles dotting across her face. The feature that struck Bella as most important, however, was her golden eyes.

"Hi," Bella gulped, still calming her racing heart.

"You know who I am?"

Bella nodded. "You must be Maggie."

"Good." Maggie smiled at her in approval, but there was very little openness about the gesture. "Go ahead and start your truck, Bella, and let's go for a drive. I'd like to talk to you."

Slowly turning to face the wheel again, Bella turned the keys in the ignition and the engine started. While Maggie was not very physically imposing, Bella was still nervous about the sudden appearance of an unknown vampire in the passenger side of her cab. This also marked the second time she'd been caught off guard by a member of the Cullen family inside of two hours.

Don't be scared, Alice had told her. Taking a deep breath as she pulled out into the aisle with a stranger by her side that could kill her hours before Charlie would even come home to find her missing, Bella tried to take Alice's advice.

Some of you may be surprised by Carlisle's behavior in this chapter. I feel it's justified by where his character has been, and most importantly, still hasn't had the benefit of. I am a firm believer in the soothing and supportive nature of being loved. Loving and being loved in return just makes you a happier person, period. Being without love doesn't make you a bad person, but you might find yourself more tense when you don't have that special someone to offer you understanding when you're alone together. Feel free to share your thoughts if you agree or disagree. I'd love to hear them! Especially since this concept will be fairly important to the story.

If you check out my profile you will find links to images of several characters in this story, even some we have not yet met.

You'll also find a fun poll, which I like to think of as Celebrity Deathmatch: Blond Vampire edition. If you're familiar with multiple types of vampire lore, cast a vote on who's most likely to win. If the idea fires your imagination, feel free to write a one-shot. I'd like to read it! :)

Please review and let me know what you think about anything!

Next chapter: Bella meets the Cullen family, and we just might find out what's up with Edward and Rosalie.