Author's note: Hellooooo! I'm back with another update.

I have to quickly say thank you to someone who left me the loveliest of reviews for Chapter 30, but, I completely forgot to thank them. They were signed in as a guest, so I couldn't PM them, which is why I'm doing it here. Thank you so much, whoever you are and I'm flattered and glad that you like my story and writing so much.

Now, on with the story!

Chapter thirty two

Relief and nervousness engulfed me in equal measure. Sitting in the front passenger seat of Carlisle's Mercedes, I was thinking through everything he had told me about the meeting with the tribe. The cause of my relief was obvious: the Quileutes were going to help us. My nervousness was due to the fact that Sam Uley wanted to talk to me. I knew why, or the main reason for why, but, our last moment of interaction hadn't exactly been amicable-even though I'd done nothing wrong-and now he wanted to question me further. Well, I had compiled a few questions of my own. Top of the list: what the Hell was going on with Jacob?

Part of me was intrigued, but, the other was scared about discovering the truth. It was hard enough coming to terms with the fact that the Cullens were vampires, but, I hadn't even known them for a year and, from the very start, suspected there was something different and mysterious about them. Jacob, however, I had known since childhood and the idea that he may not be the person I thought was difficult to accept. I couldn't really begrudge him his secrets, but, it meant I had to re-evaluate everything I thought I knew, not just about the Blacks, but, pretty much reality in general. That was a rather tall order.

I could tell I was unusually quiet during the drive home, because, when a squeeze of my hand pulled my attention towards the man beside me, I was met by Carlisle's questioning gaze.

"Thinking," I replied, with a tired smile of reassurance. I really was exhausted, mentally, as well as physically and, although I resented spending a night away from Carlisle, I couldn't deny how much I needed a good night's sleep.

"Anything you want to talk about?" he asked, interlocking our fingers.

In all honesty, I wasn't entirely sure what to say. He knew no more than I did about the nature of Sam's intended discussion, so there was little he could offer in the way of comfort. "A little nervous about talking with Sam, I guess." I eventually explained, before slyly adding, "And letting my imagination run away with me."

Carlisle's eyes focused on mine and his eyebrows raised a little, as he sought elucidation.

"Jacob," I clarified. All manner of theories had been going through my mind about what the deal was with Jacob and there was a morbid curiosity nudging at the edges of my thoughts, making me wonder what might have happened if the other three tribe members hadn't arrived when they did.

Carlisle let out a gentle sigh, before running his thumb across my knuckles, the gesture almost apologetic. "You know I would tell you if I really could." Although his tone made it sound like a statement, his expression turned it into more of a question.

As frustrating as it was, I couldn't hold his secrecy against him. If anything, it only cemented my belief in his loyal character. Despite the hostility between the two species, Carlisle refused to betray the Quileute's trust, even to the woman he loved, whom he knew would never spread the word. I would just have to be patient and seek my answers from the source and, after everything I'd seen and heard, I refused to be fobbed off with any bullshit.

With the sensation of cool skin running across mine, I remembered that Carlisle had kind of asked me a question and I set about easing his concern. "I understand," I said, squeezing his hand in return, before adding a little humour into the mix for good measure. "I've just got to be patient...which is going to kill me."

Carlisle let out a soft chuckle and I was glad to see my efforts had worked a little. The rest of the drive home continued in more relaxed silence and I leaned back in my seat, absently watching the shadows caused by each streetlight we passed. It was almost hypnotic, the way the dark shapes glided over the car interior and I followed them, my gaze halting when it reached the beautiful profile of the vampire sat beside me. The shadows would hit the sharp tip of his nose first, before travelling along the sculpted contours of his cheekbones and running over his swept back hair. They never seemed to reach his eyes, however. Even though the shadows were almost pitch-black, his amber irises refused to be concealed and defiantly shone through the darkness. I could feel myself becoming lost in them, not for the first time. The deep purr of the engine, combined with the rhythmic rocking of the vehicle and the mesmerizing allure of his features, started to lull me into a state of drowsiness and, before I knew it, consciousness left me.

000

Isabella...

A gentle, melodic sound filtered into my ears and it held a resonance that even angels would fail to recreate. I sighed in contentment and hoped the sound would grace my eardrums once again, which it did, several times. Something hard, but smooth ran across my skin and the second of my five senses was awoken. It was enough to make my eyes open, in the hopes that a third sense might benefit from whatever provoked such delight.

As my lashes fluttered upwards, my vision connected with the face of my beloved Carlisle and I felt a smile spread slowly across my lips. Being greeted by such a sight was enough to make me want to fall asleep again, if only to wake up to it once more. The middle knuckle of his forefinger ran softly along my jaw line and grogginess wasn't the only reason for me remaining still; I was enjoying the feel of skin on skin contact too much to want to move.

Eventually, he stopped, which would have been cause for complaint had his knuckle not been replaced by the gentle press of his lips. Soft kisses ran along my cheekbone, down to the tip of my nose, before gracing my philtrum and hovering over my mouth. My lips parted immediately and Carlisle accepted the invitation to capture them in a deep, slow, delicious kiss. Without needing to think about it, my hand slid up his chest, until my fingers reached the hair hanging at the nape of his neck and tangled themselves in the soft tendrils. I felt his arm snake around my waist and pull our bodies closer together, which only made me want to increase the passion of our kiss. I was starting to feel a familiar urge inside, that almost made me insist he drive me right back to his house, but, I realised I couldn't wait that long.

Unfortunately, Carlisle pulled away, before I could start tearing his clothes off and finished the embrace with a lingering kiss on the forehead. When my eyes opened again, I saw him returning the smile I had given when I woke and it sent a thrill through me.

"We're outside your house, Bella," Carlisle informed me, his voice just above a whisper. I wondered if he was simply stating our location, or warning that it was an inappropriate place to fornicate. Probably a bit of both.

I looked over my shoulder to find his statement proven correct and saw the glow of artificial light peeking through the gap between the closed curtains. That meant Charlie was home and I inquired as to the time.

"It's almost midnight," Carlisle answered. "And you need to get yourself to bed as soon as possible."

I swivelled my head to face him again, my lip curling in displeasure. "That means I have to move," I whined. I was far too comfortable in the front seat of his car and the distance between the vehicle and my bedroom felt infinite.

"I could give you a fireman's carry," he suggested. "But, that might alarm your father."

I giggled, his proposal planting a rather enjoyable image into my head. I swore Carlisle Cullen had turned me into some sort of nympho. He recognised the look in my eye and scowled with mock disapproval.

"Miss Swan," he tutted. "Your mind is spending far too much time in the gutter these days."

I bit my lip and giggled again, feeling my cheeks warm up.

"And, if you do not exit this vehicle soon," he continued, the expression on his face enough to melt my insides. "I will end up having to reupholster the entire car."

Although the words were spoken in jest, I could see the truth lying beneath them in his eyes and flashbacks of last night invaded my brain. Our second round of love making had resulted in another set of bed sheets ending up in the trash, as well as a mattress and I could only imagine the damage that might be done by having sex in the Mercedes.

Trying not to pout too much, I stretched my limbs as much as the confined space of the passenger seat would allow, before shifting position to reach for the door handle. The door opened a crack, allowing a gust of chilly night air to seep into the vehicle, as I took one final glance at Carlisle. He didn't say anything, but, the expression on his beautiful face was so full of love that my breath hitched and I was unable to look away.

I was suddenly reminded of the very first time I laid eyes upon Dr Carlisle Cullen. Once again, his amber eyes held me spellbound and it felt as though I was falling into them, diving into the uncharted depths of his soul. I was so lost in those eyes that I failed to notice his hand reach up, until I felt his palm cup my cheek. His thumb ran back and forth, which sent a shiver of joy down my spine. God, I loved him. The rest of the world was losing significance and I found myself frozen to the spot, unable to muster the will to leave.

The only thing capable of attracting my attention rang through the air, cutting through the moment like a knife slicing through soft butter.

"I will call you in the morning," he said and I relished the way his tone caressed my eardrums.

I nodded, still unable to speak, knowing my voice would sound harsh and uncouth in comparison.

"Sleep well, my love."

It was the first time he had every referred to me by that term and the motivation needed to release me from my frozen state, before propelling me forward to plant a farewell kiss against his divine lips.

"I love you," I whispered, as we finally broke apart.

"I love you, too," he parroted and I near enough had to physically drag my eyeballs away from him in order to actually get myself out of the damn car.

There was no way of restraining the goofy smile on my face, as I waved goodbye to Carlisle, before heading for my front porch. Only moments ago, I had felt heavy with drowsiness, but, now I was as light and buoyant as a feather, striding towards the door, with the sensation of true love running through my veins. What had I done to deserve such luck?

I briefly remembered that there would be a couple of tribe members stationed outside the house from now on and considered glancing around to see if I could spot them, but, decided against it. I wasn't sure who they'd assign the task to and, in the unlikely event it was Jacob, I preferred not to encourage a second encounter for the day. In the corner of my eye, I saw the interior lights of the house extinguish and I guessed Charlie was getting ready for bed, so tried to open the door as quietly as possible. When I stepped inside, he was stood at the foot of the stairs and a smirk played across his features, as he regarded me.

"Howdy, stranger," he quipped and the humour in his tone was genuine, if a little sarcastic.

"Hi," I replied, closing the door behind me, before shrugging off my jacket and hanging it on the hook. "I saw the light go out. Are you going to bed?"

"Afraid not," he said and it was then that I noticed the uniform he still wore.

"What's going on?" I asked, worry starting to well up in my gut.

"The Ripper's struck again," Charlie explained. "Got the call a minute ago."

My mouth fell open in shock. With all that had happened, I'd almost forgotten about the serial killer residing in our town and, apparently, they hadn't moved on. Did that mean Edward was still here? I wasn't sure which I feared more: the murdering lunatic or the Volturi member, with the potential to destroy the lives of many I held dear. In some ways, the Ripper was less of a threat than Edward, because, at least he or she wasn't actively looking for me. The alarm must have been evident on my face, because my dad took a step forward and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"You okay?" His brow creased in concern. "If you don't wanna be alone, you can see if someone might stay here with you or I can take you to the Res."

"Oh, no, it's okay," I insisted. The reservation was the last place I wanted to be. Well...second to last. In Edward's clutches was the very last. "I'll just lock the doors and batten down the hatches."

"Sure?" he double checked and I shrugged his hand away.

"You need to get to work," I said, stepping aside so he could reach the door. "Don't worry about me."

"Alright," he relented. "But, call me if you need to, okay?"

"Okay," I agreed.

"I'm not sure when I'll get home," Charlie said, as he stood in the open doorway. "But, hopefully I'll get to see you some time tomorrow."

I felt so sorry for him, as he already looked exhausted and now had a whole night of work lined up for him. I decided to spend tomorrow evening at home, or the first part of it, anyway, if only to cook him a decent meal after what I knew was going to be a nightmare shift.

"See you later, Kiddo," he called, making his way to the cruiser.

I waved, before closing the door and turning the lights back on. After a second of letting the news settle, I immediately set about ensuring every single window on the ground floor was closed and locked, before making my way upstairs. My bedroom window was saved for last and, as I made my way back down the staircase, I pulled my phone out of my pocket to call Carlisle. Alice may have already been aware of the situation, but, there was no guarantee and, at worst, he'd just receive the same news twice.

I was checking the lock on the back door when I pushed the call button, leaning against the wall, as I waited for him to pick up. The moment I heard his voice, I interrupted to start explaining, before realising the call had gone straight to voicemail. I hung up and was about to try again, when a rapping at the front door reached my ears. My heart rate immediately sped up and I wondered who'd have cause to visit at this hour? My imagination immediately feared the worst. Was it Edward, come to play more terrifying head games with me? It couldn't be, though, could it? I mean, there were Quileutes guarding the house and, whilst I may not have been able to see what deterrent they could be to superhuman vampiric intruders, the Cullens certainly seemed to have a lot of faith in their abilities. The knock came again and I knew I would have to find out who it was sooner or later.

We didn't have a spyhole on the door, but, I could keep the chain attached, which might help impede the entrance of any undesirables. Erring on the side of caution, I decided to grab a bread knife from the kitchen drawer, in case the chain proved unsuccessful. My heart was hammering against my chest by that point, as I quietly advanced towards the door. With the knife clutched tightly in my left hand, I used my right to turn the door handle and opened it.

Relief hit me so fast that the breath left my lips in an almost hysterical laugh. Golden eyes peered through the two inch gap and I flung the knife to the floor, before fumbling with the chain to open the door fully. Carlisle stood in the doorway, but his gaze was fixed on the bread knife. When he looked back up at me, his brows quirked in query and I shrugged defensively.

"Unlike you, I don't have psychic cousins," I remarked. "What are you doing here? I just tried to call you."

"About the Ripper?" he asked. "My psychic cousin already beat you to it."

Thank the Lord for Alice Brandon.

"I saw your father's car drive past me and did not feel comfortable leaving you alone in the house," he explained, stepping inside. "Not that I have any doubts about the capabilities of the tribe-" he began.

"It's just your worrywart tendencies acting up again," I finished for him.

The front door closed once more and I knew I was in for another sleepless night. This time, however, it wasn't going to be for reasons of lust.

Unfortunately.

A/N: A shorter chapter than usual, I'm afraid, but, the sh*t is very soon to hit the fan, so, I'd better get writing the next chapter! Toodle-oo for now, folks :)