Author's Note: No one feels more disappointment than me that I didn't finish the story far earlier than this. I have no excuses to offer, simply gratitude to express for those of you reading. (I am a terrible, terrible person for taking so long to finish half a chapter!)

Wow, and thank you everyone who put my work out there in recs and nominations. I am very honored that this past May "Moonlit" took first place in the Fanfic-n-tastic Awards for Best Vamp Coven.

Lots of people have been there for me: Bookwormbaby2580, malianani, nixhaw, tinkerbellpatten, mellieurcafe, WoodLily, KT8812, twiread3, and most particularly my beta, AllTheOtherNamesAreUsed. If you love this story, a great deal is due to her strengthening the weak areas and kicking my butt when it needed it.

I'd also like to give special thanks to a reader, Nissa Cullen, who has stuck with my work through every chapter update since she first came across "One Weekend" while it was still a WIP. This September 1st, it became 6 years of faithful reading and reviewing on her part. Nissa, thank you.

~*~ Chapter 36 ~*~

part two

April 4, 2009

The ground was muddy, with patches of snow still present where evergreens created shelter from the sun. It wasn't exactly the best weather to be walking in the woods, but that didn't matter so much. What did matter to Bella was that Carlisle was taking her with him on a hunt.

His cold hand was joined with her gloved one as they moved deeper into the trees on increasingly steep ground. Four days had passed since they'd seen each other again and consummated their relationship for the first time. After all the angst of the last few weeks, Bella was relieved that things between them felt good. They felt right.

Bella wanted to keep it that way by proving she could accept all aspects of Carlisle's vampirism. He'd understood when Bella had asked him to take her with him on this hunt as a part of moving forward together. She and Carlisle had proven they wanted to stay together through everything, so this step was a demonstration that they could land on the other side of the hurdle unscathed.

"This is a good place. You can rest on that tree." Carlisle pointed to where a tree had broken at the trunk and fallen beside what was now its stump. On an incline from the ground, it was wide enough for Bella to walk up and sit just about anywhere along it.

"Alright." Bella welcomed the chance to stop. Her legs were beginning to feel the burn and strain of unaccustomed activity. Bella touched the bark on the tree briefly to gauge its wetness, but as it hadn't rained in days the seat of her jeans wouldn't be dampened by sitting on it.

"Here." Carlisle held out his hands. "Would you like me to lift you?"

Bella smiled at him. "No, thanks." Though she took his hand an instant later to step up. There was a brief give of the log when Carlisle's weight joined hers, and he sat beside her once she was settled.

Bella's hair fell in front of her face and Carlisle stroked it back. They smiled and sat in comfortable silence for a moment. The woods around them were quiet too. There had been no birdsong since the moment they had begun their trek.

"The wood looks a little fresh." Bella gestured to the broken stump.

"Yes. It is. Emmett broke this tree."

"Oh." Bella looked down at where she was sitting. "So he was here already. Is it unsafe for me to be walking around this area?"

"Do you mean because of your scent?" Carlisle asked and Bella nodded. "No, it's not unsafe. If anything, it's an opportunity for him to become slightly accustomed to you."

"By associating me with hunting for food?"

"No." Carlisle smiled at her only partially serious joke. "By making your scent more a part of his environment, even when he's out of the house. We cleared the house of whatever we could that carried your scent before Emmett woke, all but for a few things. They're in storage in town, and we've already reintroduced two items to the household."

"Yikes. Which two items?"

"Your pillow and one of your combs."

Bella nodded and gave a quick shudder. "It's a little unnerving, though completely understandable. Can I have a key to the storage with my stuff in it?"

"Of course. I'll bring a copy the next time I see you. Or have Alice and Jasper give it to you at the college."

"Sounds good." Bella nodded again, looking down at her knees.

After a few beats they spoke at the same time, "Are you nervous?" and shared cute, awkward smiles.

"A little," Bella admitted. "Now that we're here. You?"

"I love you and I'm afraid of losing you. So yes, I'm nervous." This time he was the one looking at his knees.

"Carlisle…" Bella placed her gloved hand on the wool fabric of his nearest knee. With her other hand she lifted his chin and made him meet her gaze. "Trust me."

Carlisle smiled and it lit up his whole face. He took her hand and kissed the leather. "I trust you, Bella."

She smiled back, couldn't help it.

"Ready?" he asked, and she nodded.

After setting her hand down Carlisle kissed her lips briefly and then was gone.

Bella waited.

(~*~)

And waited.

Alone.

In the quiet woods.

Not a thing happening.

How anticlimactic, Bella thought. Her gaze followed the pattern of the bark on the tree she rested on. It was a decent-sized tree and could have gone on living strong if it hadn't been knocked down by Emmett. It was a little bit funny how this unseen person was a part of her life even here. I guess family was family no matter where you went.

"Bella."

She turned toward the sound of her name and suppressed the urge to gasp at what she saw. Carlisle held a deer in front of him, one hand on its head, the other across its flank. Bella thought she saw its hooves spasm slightly, as though trying to break free from Carlisle's hold. But when she looked more closely she realized it was just a dangle of motion. The deer had already given its life to Carlisle.

Carlisle was watching her, dark eyes swirling. Bella could feel her own heartbeat increase as she met his gaze and nodded. Carlisle moved the deer's body onto the ground and then, whether it was deliberate on his part or not, Bella saw him make the same sped up movement she'd seen before as Carlisle sunk his teeth into the doe.

The body jerked as the flesh tore. Bella could see the flap of deer skin move away from Carlisle's mouth as he lifted and bit again, right onto the blood exposed, drinking from the vein. The red gaze stayed on Bella, and she felt her own veins tingle in shocked reaction when she realized he was staring at her as he drank. Bella swallowed and nodded at Carlisle once more. He closed his eyes, neck arching a little as he pursued his food.

Moments went by until with a light thud the deer's body was released and Carlisle stood up. Bella made herself look at the carcass, Carlisle watching. As she stared at the death before her it became less disturbing.

"Is it easy to become accustomed to?" Carlisle asked. Bella looked at him and noted that his eyes had changed color again.

"Yes," she answered. Truthfully, it hadn't been nearly as grotesque as what had happened when Emmett arrived. She had handled it and she would again. To be with Carlisle, she could handle anything.

"What is it?" Carlisle asked her, confused by the expression in her eyes.

Instead of answering, Bella took a step forward, her gaze intent.

"What are you doing?" Carlisle's eyes widened as he watched her take another slow, deliberate step toward him. He took a step back.

"Do you know…" Bella began, still stalking him. Carlisle let his backward motion lead into the tree just behind him and he stopped there, watching her with less alarm and increased amusement. "That…" Bella stopped when she reached him and stared into his eyes, unable to hide a brief smirk. She lifted her thumb and wiped away blood from the corner of his mouth. "I love you very much." Reaching onto her toes, she kissed his lips, moving the hand with the bloodied thumb into his hair.

Carlisle had no hesitation in kissing her back, or pulling her into his embrace, making her body flush with his.

Bella could slightly taste the remnants of Carlisle's meal, but ignored it until it was gone. She moved her fingers under the back of his shirt and scratched her nails lightly along his hard skin.

Carlisle broke the kiss to whisper into her ear exactly what she wanted to hear. It wasn't long before he was lying on his back, his pants undone and pulled below his hips while Bella, stripped down to only her shirt and the bra underneath, rode them both into ecstasy and satisfaction.

(~*~)

May 10, 2009

They made it through the next several weeks able to see each other a few hours at a time on the weekends. Bella resumed having lunches with Anna when she could, and once Barry even joined them. They never spoke of Matt and were kind whenever Bella mentioned Carlisle. Anna had been very interested in the timing of Bella moving onto campus and away from the new boyfriend she'd been living with years. Bella had been able to explain away any concerns Anna had about her and Carlisle running into difficulties.

Her living situation with Carlisle itself would have a new metamorphosis planned during a date one week before Bella's finals were to begin.

While Bella's roommate Jo-Jo was out with friends, she and Carlisle were cuddling on her bed in the dorms, having just spent an hour on Bella's studies. That part of their relationship hadn't changed; Carlisle was still her best study buddy and idea bouncer.

Carlisle had picked up a lock of her hair and was twirling it in the air above their faces while they reclined. "After the semester is over…"

"Yes?" Bella encouraged, somewhat sleepily. She was cozied right up against him and enjoying the peacefulness of the contact. Freedom for the two of them had stepped up a notch. Though there were times Carlisle was free and Bella was not, this was now their third time seeing each other that week.

"Let's live together."

Bella turned her neck to look at him. "Is that even possible this early? With Emm…" Bella's words stopped as Carlisle's expression clued her in. "Not, uh, you mean not with the rest of the family?"

Carlisle turned onto his side to face her and Bella lifted up onto her elbows. "Just you and me. We'll take an apartment in town together when the leases turn over in June. Emmett won't need as many hands on deck for supervision soon. I've guided him through his transition as well as I know how. I should be able to move in with you before July. And then the two of us," Carlisle twined his fingers with hers, "can become just 'us.' A year of me going to work and you finishing out your last year of school. We'll develop a routine, become more intimate with each other's preferences, learn quirks we aren't aware of yet. We can make love, argue, and make love again."

Bella wanted to scream with excitement but there were more important things to consider. "That's sounds very attractive, I admit, but Carlisle—won't you miss everyone? Having the rest of the family around you is part of who you are."

Carlisle brought their linked hands to his lips and kissed them. "We'll only be living across town. We'll still see them, but I think we owe it to each other. We both deserve a year to ourselves. What do you think?"

"What do I think? I want to!" Bella broke free only to throw her arms around him and pepper his face with kisses. "Yes! Yes!"

(~*~)

June 1, 2009

"Bella, where do you want this?" Edward asked, holding a box full of her school books.

"In the living room for now would be great," Bella answered, poking her head out of the bathroom where she was setting up toiletries to see what he was carrying. "Thanks again for helping out."

"Don't be silly. You'd hurt yourself carrying this much up three stories."

"Edward's right," Carlisle added, entering their new apartment carrying, of all things, couch cushions. "Not to mention an extra person helping out makes it look less like I am a high testosterone overprotective boyfriend."

"Carlisle, I hate to point this out," Edward began, "but no one is going to think you're high testosterone carrying that up."

Bella set down the bag she was holding onto the bathroom counter and went into the living room. "But maybe overprotective will stick. Carlisle, I could have carried those."

Carlisle kissed the top of her head. "No neighbors saw my embarrassing trip up with these incredibly bulky and ungainly cushions. Edward, slide that box over there to make room and come help me with the rest of the couch."

"I got it," Bella said and moved the box while the two vampires went back down to the U-Haul.

The weeks were going by fast for Bella. Junior year at Middlebury was completed and now she and Carlisle were moving in together, something she never would have dreamed possible. Not since Rosalie had brought Emmett into their lives.

For Emmett, Bella was aware the weeks were not flying by. Each day for him had been a struggle to control his thirst and adapt to the scent of humans, hers in particular. Constant attention was no longer necessary, but he still wasn't at a safe enough stage to meet her, however. No one wanted to risk it, least of all Carlisle, who finally felt able to shift to putting his own need first. Which was namely her.

It bothered Bella no little bit. Esme and Maggie had been about to get married, yet Carlisle would get to be the one to move out of the house and focus on his relationship. Bella felt selfish and undeserving, but the truth was that Carlisle absolutely deserved it. Maggie and Esme together had paid her a brief visit while she was at work at the café—Esme doing her best to look as though she were recovering from illness—in order to make this fact clear.

"We've been together for 87 years," Maggie had told her, her hand entwined with Esme's. "Carlisle's been alone for longer. We don't mind waiting a little for a wedding."

Alice and Jasper seemed to be the only ones whose love life hadn't been disrupted by Rosalie and Emmett. And now Edward is the only one who's not paired off, Bella thought as she finished unpacking in the bathroom.

"OK, now two more steps and you'll be there!" an unfamiliar voice called out. "Good, Edward. Carlisle, three more steps and you've got it."

Curious, Bella crossed the living room and moved to her open door. A young woman about the same age as her was standing in front of it, directing Edward and Carlisle as they reached the top of the stairs. She turned to catch Bella watching her and gave a friendly smile. "Hi! You must be my new neighbor, Bella." She extended her hand. "I'm Nissa. I live one floor down."

Bella accepted her hand. "Hi, Nissa. Why don't you come in and let's, uh, scoot out of the way?"

"Oh," Nissa said with surprised humor and quickly followed Bella through the living room and into the kitchen doorway.

"Thanks," Carlisle said, suddenly the one in front and backing the couch in with Edward facing forward on the other side. Funnily enough, Edward wasn't watching where he was going. Looking sideways at her new neighbor, Bella noticed his gaze was being met full on.

(~*~)

November 26, 2009 — Thanksgiving

Bella had barely opened the door to the house on Morse Road before. . .

"There's my little sister/stepmom! Finally!" Bella was crushed in a big hug. In the flesh, Emmett was larger than life, much bigger than her memory had made the injured and dying man from months earlier. Jasper was pushing them apart immediately, but Emmett was only laughing.

"You OK?" Jasper asked.

"I'm fine," Bella answered. "Just feeling suddenly small."

Behind her, Carlisle chuckled and began to help her out of her coat.

Tilting her neck, Bella took in the appearance of the newest Cullen family vampire. Emmett stood more than a foot taller than her. His face was handsome, unsurprisingly given his new status, though anything would have been an improvement over the disfigured face from the bear attack. Bella squashed the memory down, denying it the ability to make her stomach churn.

Rosalie came and stood beside Emmett, her arm possessively wrapping around his back and waist. She stared at Bella, her gaze golden and stoic.

"Rosalie," Bella acknowledged by way of greeting.

"Bella," Rosalie responded, and then shuffled to recover her balance when Emmett nudged her with his hip. Her face softened and she spoke again. "I am sorry for forcing you out of the house eight months ago. I acted impulsively and it was not a consequence I meant." She looked up at Emmett and her face underwent such a transformation into true beauty that Bella lost her breath at the sight of it. "Though I can't say I regret my actions."

It was the closest to an apology that anyone had probably ever gotten from Rosalie in her entire life, Bella would think later. In the moment, however, she was too overwhelmed and moved by the obvious love between her and Emmett when he met her gaze to feel anything other than forgiveness.

"Stop hovering in the entrance!" Maggie shouted at the five of them from the living room.

"That's right, there's a party going on!" Emmett detached himself from Rosalie and swept Bella up over his shoulder in a fireman carry. "Come on, little Stepmom!"

"Wha?!" Bella let out and then laughed as Emmett proceeded to parade her around the house, introducing her to every room as though she'd never been there. A laughing and confident Carlisle followed, able to catch when Bella lifted her neck to wink at him before being whisked into the next room. Jasper and Rosalie gave chase, both yelling at him to set Bella down. Alice, Esme, and Maggie simply enjoyed the show, especially after Edward joined in with a "Toss her here!" and caught Bella mid-air.

"Hey, Bella is not a baseball, boys!" Carlisle shouted. Already waiting, Alice opened the front door for Edward as he leapt with Bella out of the house. Carlisle went chasing after and Emmett bent over laughing, not even flinching when Rosalie hit him on the back of his head.

"Are things always like this with your family?" Sipping the tea Esme made her, Nissa smiled.

"It's certainly been livelier around here since Emmett joined us," Esme answered. "But don't worry; Bella's not going to get hurt. Neither are you."

"That's a promise," Edward confirmed, returning alone to the kitchen. He gave Nissa a kiss on the top of her head.

"Where's Bella now?" Nissa asked.

"She and Carlisle are taking a moment together before coming back into the house," Alice answered, leaning against Jasper who had his arms wrapped around her from behind.

"In other words, she's with Carlisle," Maggie added, "where she belongs."