A/N: Here's the first part of the final chapter. I wanted to be sure to get something up for you guys before midnight my time. There's definitely more coming! Happy New Year's Eve, everyone!

~*~ Chapter Thirty-Six ~*~

part one

March 27, 2009

There's something invigorating about the changes spring brings once it arrives. With the milder temperatures comes a sharp taste of life underneath the scent of the air. It made you feel happier, more energetic, and willing to embrace the world around you. It made you and the neighbors open the windows.

Even through 1,098 feet of woods, the neighbors smelled delicious.

"Alice, grab his other leg!" Jasper shouted as she slammed the final window downstairs shut again.

"Coming!" she shouted.

Emmett growled and tried to use the leverage of pressing his free foot against the floor to buck against the three family members who were holding him down. Jasper grabbed his ankle when the floor started to crack. Emmett twisted and jerked his foot to get it out of Jasper's grasp. There was a loud snap before Alice was there, using her whole body to keep his leg down, bracing her feet against Rosalie, who had Emmett's left side and torso. Carlisle had hold of Emmett's right arm, and Jasper resumed his focus on Emmett's right leg, a slight deep yelp the only indicator of his pain. Alice tried to ignore the sight of Jasper's detached hand inches from her head, making its way back to her beloved. Her energy had to remain on the thrashing brother beneath her.

"It's going to be alright, Emmett," Rosalie was telling him in a soothing voice that belied the tension of her body over his. "Look at me, Em. Look at me."

Emmett turned his head toward her, but wasn't able to focus. "It's dry and burns. I need them!"

The neighbors through the woods were a happily married couple, whose body temperatures were currently higher than normal as they made love. Carlisle could understand why their scent was so appealing, even after the windows had been shut. A new waft of their scent came into the house as the front door opened. Carlisle immediately braced, and he was able to hold his ground when Emmett thrashed again.

Edward came rushing up the stairs, two squirrels with broken necks in his hands.

"That's not going to be enough!" Jasper said.

"It's a start to help tide him over through the lovemaking until we can bring larger game," Edward responded. Carefully, he set down one of the squirrels and used both hands to press the other to Emmett's mouth, Rosalie moving her head and neck out of the way.

Emmett calmed slightly when his teeth made contact with the fur and cut through. His tongue lapped at the blood greedily. Edward held the rodent in place so that it didn't fall aside from the working efforts of Emmett's mouth and tongue. The first squirrel was quickly replaced with the second, and Emmett showed no difference in intensity. Once the second was gone, however, Emmett let out a keening cry. His expression was one of misery and frustration.

"Hurry, Edward," Rosalie urged, moving in closer, resecuring her hold on Emmett.

It went on for hours, long past the end of the neighbors' scent-increasing activities. It was exhausting for all of them, whether they were the ones doing the holding down, hunting, or fighting the thirst.

Edward returned with a half-starved coyote. It was a greater help to easing Emmett's thirst than the squirrels had been, but Emmett's throes of newborn hunger were still intense. He'd been able to hunt before, but catching a whiff of the neighbors was always dangerous. They'd had to wait until they could be certain the house across the woods was empty before they dared take him out to teach him hunting. His was not the safest newborn experience in any way.

Rosalie was about to propose that with their help, Emmett might be controlled enough to ease into the mountains, when Esme and Maggie finally returned with a buck. Alice let go, and when Emmett nearly broke free the others released him. They followed as Emmett rushed downstairs into the living room where he immediately set upon the buck with a ferocity that sent bits of viscera spraying about the room.

Carlisle leaned against the wall with a sigh. He looked down at his arms where the cracks in his skin were healing themselves.

Blood was needed—for all of them, but especially himself, Rosalie, Alice and Jasper. The continual physical strain of holding back Emmett made each of them require blood more frequently. Once Emmett was sated and could be left in reduced company, the four of them would be heading out themselves. It had only been three days since the last time Carlisle had gone hunting, but he could feel the thirst pushing at him, demanding he replenish himself.

Though so very grateful that she wasn't in the house, Carlisle missed Bella very much. In that moment of sheer exhaustion, he just wanted to rest his head in her lap.

(~*~)

March 31, 2009

Bella sat on the twin-sized bed and leaned against the wall with a sigh, twisting the silver swan ring back and forth on her finger.

It was strange living in a dorm for the first time. Her roommate was a stringy-haired freshman girl named Josephine, but you could call her Jo-Jo. Or just Jo. Joey was OK, too, but she wasn't too keen on that. So then, no, not Joey, if you didn't mind. Her middle name was Bird, which was her mother's maiden name. So Jo-Bird was OK, too. But not J-Bird as that meant something completely different. Or JLo either, even though her last name was Logan. So no JLo, Joey, or J-Bird. No offense; you don't smoke pot, do you?

Josephine Bird Logan's first roommate had dropped out. Presumably it wasn't due to an inability to study in the dorm, though Bella would not have been surprised, given the ceaseless chatter kept up by her new roommate.

The room was smaller than Bella's bedroom at the house, and she only had half of it. On her side was a bed, a desk, a chair and a closet, all of which were mirrored on the other side of the room. Jo-Bird had a few posters up (none of Jennifer Lopez) and a sarong that hung like a tapestry over the head of her bed. Bella didn't think she'd be decorating her own side. Only two and a half months in the room just didn't seem to make it worth the effort.

Bella had actually called Anna and Barry, but only to connect a bit, not to ask them if she could move in. In fact, she didn't even tell them that she was moving—that was something that could be saved for another time. Barry had answered Anna's cell phone, and though the brief conversation with him had been stilted, he wasn't unfriendly. And when Anna had asked her how things were going with Carlisle, Bella had told her everything was fine. The two girls made plans to meet up for lunch once she and Barry got back from spending Spring Break in New Orleans.

However, meeting up with Anna again wasn't the reunion Bella was currently worrying about.

Bella realized she was twisting the ring on her finger again, and she stopped. Looking at it, she noticed it could use a little polishing. After all, she almost never took it off—which was more than a little telling, even if she hadn't realized it. Matt had even pointed it out to her, not long before she'd called it off with him.

Bella grimaced. She wasn't proud of herself. It couldn't have been easy for Matt, being in a relationship with her and knowing all along there was someone else. He really deserved better. It hadn't been fair, but it also couldn't be helped. Bella knew she made the right decision, and she honestly hoped that he would find happiness with someone one day.

And the break from Carlisle… it was also necessary. The two of them had to recognize the difficulties in their relationship and commit to overcoming them. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a strong relationship—and what she and Carlisle had together was definitely strong.

The knock she had been waiting for finally came. Bella dropped her hands (when had she started playing with the ring again?) and walked over to the door, opening it eagerly. But as quickly as she had moved, she came to sudden stillness when she saw him.

Even though they'd only been apart for little over a week, and had spoken on the phone as often as possible, seeing Carlisle in the flesh again was like a full-on emotional body slam. From his pale skin and the symmetrical features so knew so well to the long blond hair that was as unkempt as she'd ever seen it, this was the man who was so essentially a part of her. His golden eyes were staring right at her, lighting up with his smile as though he, too, had felt the missing part of himself click into place.

"Bella," he said, his voice full of warmth.

Her heart was beating so hard and fast that she could feel it. Bella knew she would never, ever want anyone else.

She stepped back, realizing that she was keeping Carlisle waiting, and gestured into the room. She shut the door once he was in, and her face was full of smiles when she turned to look at him.

Immediately reaching out to hug him, she found Carlisle meeting her partway. "I missed you," he said, arms going around her as hers went around him.

"I missed you, too," Bella answered and raised herself to kiss him, heart still pounding. Joy infused her when her lips touched his again, and he pressed closer, opening his mouth. It felt as if her whole being was welcoming the return of that familiar taste— exotic, cool, otherworldly and yet home. Bella ran her tongue against his to taste more, and she felt a slight tremble in Carlisle.

Carlisle's arms tightened around her. She got lost in his response, didn't even sense the two of them moving before her back hit the wall. Even then neither stopped kissing. Their hands stroked across each other's clothes as the awakened lust rising between them became increasingly desperate. Bella pushed the coat off his shoulders, but it didn't go far as Carlisle wouldn't stop touching her to let it slip from his arms. His right hand ran up and down her left thigh while his left hand pulled on her leg. Taking the signal, Bella placed her right foot on the end of the bed beside her and swung her left leg up onto Carlisle's hip. Taking advantage, Carlisle pressed himself closer.

"Say you're mine, Bella," Carlisle whispered against her lips, and then kissed them once more. "Say you are mine."

"I'm yours. Only yours."

Carlisle shed the coat then, using his hips and mouth to hold Bella in place against the wall. His hands found their way to the curve of her bottom and his lips to her neck while Bella's fingers scratched at his back, pulling on his shirt. She abandoned that pursuit when Carlisle gave her cheeks a squeeze. The lick on her neck made her throw her head back, and her hands came forward to undo his belt buckle. She couldn't stop her vocal appreciation when Carlisle continued to focus on that one spot while he moved one of his hands to his belt buckle. Bella quickly got her own hands out of the way, placing one on the back of his head, the other on his shoulder. He'd pulled his hips away to pull the belt out, and Bella felt the loss of him. The heat between her legs wanted Carlisle back between them so she could rub against him. Bella attempted to leverage herself, so that she could pull Carlisle back toward her with the muscles in her left leg, but Carlisle's hands on her hips stopped her.

He pulled his head back to look at her, and Bella met his gaze, panting. Her right foot was still up on the end of the bed, and the position stretched the loose denim between her legs taut. Neither of them looking away, Bella sensed Carlisle's left hand move there, though she couldn't feel it. Then there was a simultaneous tug and tearing noise. Bella felt two more tugs as the new hole in the crotch of her jeans was widened.

Her eyes closed against Carlisle's hot gaze when she felt his finger through the cotton of her panties. A whimper of need escaped her and the words "Yes, Carlisle" were about to fall from her lips, but his mouth reached them first. His lips pressed against hers hard, his tongue seeking her out. Desperate, Bella opened her mouth to feast on the taste of him. Carlisle, her only, her mate.

Her panties were pushed to the side with just enough lack of force to keep them from ripping into her hip, and the air in front of her was soon filled with the feeling of cool, rounded hardness. Bella went wild, keening eagerly in her throat with her tongue touching his, tightening her grip on his shoulders and wriggling her hips closer, welcoming, trying to push herself forward to take him in. Carlisle saved her and slowly and smoothly she felt herself filled with the long, cool solid length of him.

"Carlisle." She pulled her mouth away from his to make eye contact again, this time through half-open lids. Carlisle was opening his own eyes and when he looked at her Bella didn't feel her body could contain all the emotion expanding between the two of them.

"Bella," he answered.

Carlisle pulled out and pushed in again, the motion causing her body to bounce upward against the wall. Bella let out a little gasp, and her right hand automatically went to the low ceiling to brace herself. There it remained through thrust after thrust, with each bounce against the wall, with each filling of the best thing she'd ever felt in her life. Their gazes had remained locked until her eyes closed in pleasure. Carlisle's forehead fell against her chin, and he continued to move in and out of her, strong and determined strokes, no slowing of pace. She kissed his skin and bit his hair and then lost touch with both the ceiling and the bed when her orgasm hit her. Her body relied entirely on Carlisle's to hold her up as she went through, not a little death, but a bursting of vitality. And when she came down, it wasn't to exhaustion, but support, her body encouraging Carlisle's own as he continued to thrust into her. She got both legs around him and used the wall for leverage to meet him. Caressing every part of him she could touch, she grabbed the back of his hair and kissed him when his moans picked up speed and pitch. He cried into her mouth, and she could feel the pulsing inside of her as he reached his climax.

"Bella," he said. Murmuring her name a couple more times, he eased them both away from the wall and onto the bed. "Thank you."

Bella laughed and gave his shoulder a small, playful shove. "Don't thank me. That was…" Though he was no longer as hard, she could still feel him inside of her. "… Perfect. That was perfect."

"I didn't even hesitate about destroying your jeans," he pointed out.

Bella smiled at him until the expression in his eyes became less uncertain and more prideful. Lifting her hand, she stroked his hair away from his face. "I didn't mind."

A/N: Yes, there's more coming! Again, I just wanted to make sure I had something up for you before midnight my time.

No, there's not going to be a pregnancy. I figure the timing for the womb has got to be right whether it's a vampire sperm or not. I may or may not work that into the latter half of this chapter (I know I should, because the possibility of pregnancy is already discussed in the story) but I wanted to put that out there here in case I don't.

Thank you thank you thank you.

Oh, and "jay bird" is slang for a marijuana joint. In case you didn't get that. Sorry, I couldn't conveniently take out what I'd written months ago about Bella's dorm roommate. Her info is a bit excessive for someone we never meet, but I just gotta keep rolling forward. (I'd considered moving it down as actual nervous dialogue at the end of this scene, but I didn't really want B & C walked in on during the afterglow.) Thank you for reading my humble offerings despite it's lack of the usual quality!