Sorry that it took me this long. D: I was trying to work on a different story, and then we had another freak storm.. Which means no computer.. Which means I have to read forever.. and now my internet is being stupid.. Just blame my computer and the weather. xD BY THE WAY.. I have over 500 reviews ! I LOVE You people! xD This chapter is going to be written a little differently until Carlisle shows up.. Like.. she's talking to herself in her head, you know? xD So I apologize if any of you get confused. I'm just writing this in the way that I think to myself. Like.. I talk to myself like I'm talking to an audience. I always ask questions, like I'm waiting for someone to answer. So, once again, I apologize if you get confused!

Chapter Nineteen

The next few days were hell. Reason one: It was storming the whole time, which meant lightning, and me, seeing things. Two: Every time Carlisle left he room, and it happened to lightning, I swear on my god-damned grave that something was there. And three: Carlisle was worried sick about me, and I hated making him feel like this.

It was now June, and I had been doing better.. Except for right now. Carlisle was out hunting; He'd put it off for as long as he could so that he didn't have to leave me. And it was storming. Bad. Bad, bad, bad.

I was completely fine, watching TV on the couch, underneath a soft blanket.. You know, that is.. until the power went out. That is when the overwhelming paranoia started, and the wishing for Carlisle to just come home. I didn't care if he ate me. I really didn't. I just didn't want to be in the dark with the lightning alone.

Especially when I'm seeing my ex-boyfriend in the lightning flashes, looking flipping insane, and like he might kill me or something delusional.

And if you call me insane, I'm going to behead you.

..That sounded insane, didn't it?

So I am currently sitting on the couch, curled in a ball, waiting for Carlisle to get back.. And that's when the lightning flashed for the first time since the lights had gone out, and I stifled a scream, because I knew for a fact that in the corner of the room, there was someone standing there. Someone who was six foot two, with bronze hair and golden eyes.

From what I could see when the room went dim again, I was alone. And you all wonder why I think I'm going crazy. Now you see why?

I braced myself for the second flash, but not for what came next. He was at least twelve feet closer to me than the first time, and when the lightning was gone, so was he.

I really am nuts, aren't I?

I was starting to get frantic. Carlisle wasn't home yet. Was something wrong? Was I just hallucinating? Dreaming? High? Delusional? I considered all but high, unless someone had slipped something into the vents. Possible, but unlikely. Unless Edward had finally lost his Animal Crackers.

Animal crackers? Okay, I really needed Carlisle. This was getting to be too much.

Lightning flash three. And this time, I screamed.

And I mean, screamed. Why? Because he was right in front of me, and his eyes were wide. And crazy. And they were black.

And all I could think was, Please, please let the black part be a trick of the light.

I was now so scared that I was shaking, and I jumped at least a foot in the air when I heard a loud thump. "C - Carlisle?" I asked shakily. But I knew that Carlisle wouldn't make a noise like that.

The thumping noise got louder.

One final flash of lightning, and this time, I passed out from sheer terror, because the last thing I saw was a pale, demon-like face with dark, black eyes and deep circles under the eyes not more than five inches from my face. And I'm pretty sure that there was bronze hair in that mix somewhere.

___

"Bella? Bella? Can you hear me? Bella? Please wake up," a voice frantically begged from behind me. I was on someones lap.

"Ungh," I mumbled. My head felt like there was a little man in there, stabbing me relentlessly with a serrated knife.

"Bella?" I opened my eyes, and found the most worried Carlisle face I have ever seen not more than two feet above me, his golden eyes filled to the brim with worry. "What happened?" He ran his cool fingers through my hair as I squinted into the light that was above him.

I wracked my brain to remember, and when I did, I winced.

"Bella.. What happened?" he repeated again. This meant he was extremely worried.

"I was on the couch, watching TV.. And I remember the power going out.. And me starting to freak because I was alone.." I grimaced again, trying to think. It was like my memory was all fuzzy. "And I remember that there were four flashes of lightning.. And thumping.. And that the first flash started out with a figure in the room.. in the very corner of it, and with every flash, he got closer.." I shuddered, and Carlisle squeezed my hand, while using the other to run his fingers through my hair. "And the third.. he was.. like.. right.. in front of me. Black eyes. I remember black eyes. And, uh.. The fourth one..," I trailed off, closing my eyes, trying to remember exactly what I saw, and when it popped into my head, I jumped. "White face. Demon-like. Dark circles. Black.. Pitch black eyes. Not more than a foot in front of me. And then it all went black."

I hadn't realized I was shaking until Carlisle pulled me up against his chest.

"Bronze hair," I mumbled.

"Hmm?" Carlisle asked, rubbing my back and stroking my hair.

"The figure had bronze hair," I repeated louder. "I could swear. Either it was bronze, or reddish blonde." Carlisle stiffened again.

"Bella, I'll be right back, okay? I'm just going into the kitchen." I watched Carlisle walk out of the living room and into the kitchen, and I heard the distinct sound of phone buttons beeping.

I waited what seemed like an eternity - I don't even think I blinked. My eyes hurt - for Carlisle to come back into the room. He looked.. calm. Or that was his angry face. I couldn't tell. I'd never met an angry Carlisle, and I hope I don't ever meet one.

"Are you hungry?" I could still see the worry in his eyes.

"A little." My stomach squealed. Again with that noise.

He laughed. "What do you want?"

"Eggs."

"Again?"

"What? Eggs are good!" I protested, getting up, and wrapping the blanket around me. I wobbled a little, and crashed into Carlisle.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Yes, the worry in his eyes was evident.

"I'm fine," I promised, kissing his lips softly. "I'm just a little shook up." Or maybe a little rattled in the head. I wasn't quite sure yet.

While sitting at the dining table eating a plate of eggs the size of Seattle, a random question popped into my head. "Carlisle?"

"Yes, love?" It still made my heart skip a beat when he called me that.

"When.." I tried to put this right, and not sound like a ditz. "When did you start.. having feelings for me?"

"Hmm." Carlisle clasped his fingers together, and rested his chin on top of them. "Well, I would have to say that the first time you interested me was the first time I met you." My eyes widened. "It's not that I immediately liked you like that.. I just found you interesting.. and could feel that there was either something deep buried there, or something was going to happen eventually." He laughed. "Maybe having lived with Alice for so many years has rubbed off on me."

I smiled. "When did you start thinking.. like.. more along the lines of closer than father and daughter?"

He "Hmm"ed again. "I would have to probably say.. when Alice, Jasper, and you went to Phoenix. I was beyond terrified that something would happen to you, and I had absolutely no reason why. I loved you like a daughter then, but I could.. I guess I could feel it growing to be more than that, and that confused me somewhat."

"You know, the first time that I ever.. Thought of you in more than that way.. was on my eighteenth birthday," I said, looking at my plate of eggs. "Before the damn paper cut happened, I remember just looking at you.. And .. I saw something." I blushed. "Something I hadn't seen before. And when I saw the Mercedes parked across the street, my heart did little flip-flops. At the time, the only person other than Edward that I had wanted to see was you, and maybe Alice."

I looked up, and Carlisle was gazing at me with a smile on his face. His eyes were molten amber, and my heart fluttered, stopped, and picked up twice the speed. Carlisle chuckled, hearing this.

"I think it's time you went got some sleep. You've had a hard day," he said, scooping me up into his arms. I squeaked, not expecting this.

"Ooh. I get carried to bed. I like this."

"Silly Bella."

"Silly Carlisle."

"Oh, haha, very funny."

"I know. I should take up being a comedian, shouldn't I?" I asked sarcastically as he put me on the bed, and climbed in with me.

"Bella?"

"Yes, Carlisle?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

I fell asleep to Carlisle singing again - The best way to fall asleep ever, especially when you can hear his velvet voice rumbling throughout his chest, and the rhythmic motion of his breathing.

Since the moment I spotted you;
Like walkin' around with little wings on my shoes.
My stomach's filled with the butterflies. Ooh, and it's alright.
Bouncing 'round, from cloud to cloud. Got the feeling like I'm
never gonna come down. If I said I didn't like it,
Then you'd know I'd lied. Ooh.
Every time I try to talk to you, I get so uptight.
Turns out that everything I say to you comes out wrong and never comes out right.
So I say, "Why don't you and I get together? Take on the world, and be together forever?
Heads we will, tails we'll try again.
So I say, "Why don't you and I help each other? Fly to the moon, and straight onto heaven.
Cos without you, they're never gonna let me in."

I'm making Edward sound like some creepy stalker dude from some horror movie, aren't I? XD I guess I still have sour feelings from New Moon that I'm still working out of my system. xD Heh.. xD How fluffy. :) XD Edward will be back later, I promise. XD But we need some more happiness.. and there will be a surprise, unless you've caught on already. xD Subtle hints, my friends. Subtle hints. And whoever can tell me the name of that song gets the next chapter dedicated to them! Well, whoever's review I open first. xD Read and review, my little readers ! xD :)