A/N: oK, so quick updates here... and I did start working on trip around the sun's sequel (It's going to be Carlisle's pov) lol I need back to Vampirenes... and two more for this one... ok? Thank you, Missy... Read. Enjoy. Review...

Chapter Twenty: Busy

I sat in a crowd of my peers waiting for Principal Jones to get his speech over with. I kept looking anxiously over at the small group of my friends standing over by the edge of the bleachers. Carlisle was leaning against his crutches in the midst of Jasper, Emmett, Micah, and Rosalie. I was worried about him, he had only been released from the hospital the day before, he had refused a wheel chair, and it was ridiculously hot out.

Carlisle still had remains of road rash on his hands and face, with a slight scar on his cheek under his eye. He was being teased mercilessly by Micah about it, he kept saying that I wouldn't want him anymore. I just told him it looked sexy, which made him blush, but I knew he appreciated it. He was still pretty fragile, which was a word that he didn't like to be used when talking about him, I was just worried. I was getting nervous about the heat and lack of strength from sitting in a hospital bed for almost a month. I managed to get Jasper's attention to tell him to pull a folding chair for Carlisle, which he did for me. Carlisle just gave me a restless look before taking a seat. I mouthed a thank you as he smiled.

The last month of school had been hell, and not just because Carlisle was in the hospital. Edward had not taken kindly to my dumping him at prom, and had started spreading ridiculous rumors. They ranged from my aborting Edward's baby to being pregnant with Carlisle's, to me sleeping around all the time. There was also one circulating that I was a heavy drinker and was waiting on a liver transplant. I wasn't sure if that last one was good or bad, bad in general, considered badass in high school. That was just it though, the rumors were all high school, and high school was over.

I had tried to keep the rumors from Carlisle, Emmett and the guys. However, one day had been particularly difficult, the one that Edward came up with the one about me aborting the baby that could have been his against his wishes. The extra ridiculous part of it all was I had never slept with Edward, but I figured that was why they were sexual. Anyways, I got to the hospital crying because everyone seemed to believe them, and Carlisle had made me tell him what was wrong.

I had to make him promise not to do anything, or tell anyone else to. The last thing I needed was for him to get out of his sick bed to go defend my honor or whatever. My friends and family knew the truth and that was all that mattered. Carlisle didn't feel the same way and had been begging me to at least let him tell Emmett. I wouldn't even let Alice tell Jasper about it. I looked back over to Carlisle who was glaring over at the back of Edward's head. He looked back at me and I gave him a mock disapproving look. He just smirked, knowing there wasn't much I would do about it, he was getting used to being babied since he got hurt. He just raised the casted arm, which I had labeled him mine on and I smiled.

The ceremony droned on and eventually I was standing near my seat, post throwing our caps up in the air.

"Congrats, Beautiful," I heard Carlisle whisper in my ear and I smiled as I turned around, throwing my arms carefully around his neck, kissing him enthusiastically.

"Congrats to you," I said, he had missed his graduation ceremony because he was in the hospital.

"But today's about you," He said, kissing my hairline as he leant against his crutches.

"And you, how are you feeling?" I asked, it was a big day for him too.

"Much better now that we're right," said Carlisle, kissing the side of my neck.

"Parents in the stands," I reminded him and he pulled right away, and I hugged him tight.

"Hey easy on the cripple there, Bella," said Micah as he, Emmett, and Rosalie walked over, Alice and Jasper were over with her family.

"I can't help it, I'm just so happy to have him back," I said, leaning up and kissing Carlisle's jaw.

"You won't break me," Carlisle said, kissing me sweetly.

"Parents are on their way down," Micah reminded us.

"I don't think you've got that many brownie points yet," said Emmett and Carlisle stepped away.

"I don't know though," said Carlisle, "They're letting me borrow her for the weekend. Wedding tonight instead of graduation dinner, and weekend at the family compound? I think I have lots of brownie points."

"You do."

"Please just let me go talk to him?" Carlisle asked as Edward walked by and I shook my head, "Bella, I cannot imagine letting anyone get away with saying that kind of stuff about you. Especially that guy."

"It's over," I said, "It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me," He said, and I could tell it was bugging him deeply.

"Carlisle, Edward won't hesitate to hit a guy on crutches," I said, "And I can't deal with you getting any more injured than you already are."

"What was Edward saying?" Emmett asked, immediately curious and Carlisle just shook his head.

"Just junk that's ridiculous and untrue," Carlisle said, still giving me the puppy eyes.

"No," I said.

"He was spreading stuff about Bella being a slut," Carlisle said and Emmett and Jasper immediately turned on their heals.

"Don't worry, we got it, Carlisle," said Emmett as they disappeared into the crowd.

"Hold on," said Carlisle as he looked around the crowd, "This is something I want to see."

"Carlisle!" I said, "We have to take pictures and then get going, we have yours mom's wedding is at two!"

"Oh and we wouldn't want to be late for that," said Carlisle sarcastically and I rolled my eyes.

"You going to dance with me tonight, Carlisle?" I asked as I hugged him.

"How can I?" He asked, twitching one of his crutches.

"Wheelchair?"

"Bella…"

"But then I can sit in your lap, and you can hold me tight…"

"I can think of quite a few other places where that can be accomplished," He teased and I smiled.

"C'mon," I said, "I'll help you through it, and the docs said you could get smashed if you wanted…"

"Oh, yeah," said Carlisle, kissing me sweetly, "That's healthy."

"You'll be fine," I told him as mom and dad managed to get through the crowd to us, "I won't let you slip again."

"Love you…" He said as Jimmy attached himself to my side, and I picked him right up.

Carlisle smiled as he propelled himself over to stand behind me while my parents greeted me. Mom hugged me tight and was in hysterics. I reminded her that she still had Jimmy while dad congratulated me from behind mom. He eventually got a hug in.

"Ok," I said after we stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, "Carlisle, use your height to find Alice?"

"Right there," said Carlisle as Emmett and Micah returned to the group, looking rather pleased with themselves.

"Where have you boys been?" Mom asked and they shrugged, it was dropped, luckily.

"Bella!" said Alice as she ran over to us, dragging Jasper behind her.

"Sweetie sit down," I whispered to Carlisle as the sun came back out from behind a cloud and I heard his complaints, "Alice!"

"Can you believe it?" Alice said excitedly as she hugged me, "We are done with high school!"

"Finally," I said happily as I released her and she fell back onto Jasper.

"Pictures," Alice's mom called as both mothers pulled out their cameras, "Carlisle, I don't believe I've met you before…"

"No you haven't, ma'am," said Carlisle politely, standing as he shook her hand.

"What happened to you?" she asked, she was always a worrier.

"Bike accident," He explained as mom lead us all over to a wooded and generally unpopulated area off to the side of the football field.

"Oh, biker guy?" she asked, and Carlisle shook his head.

"No, not anymore," said Carlisle and she chuckled.

We posed for pictures for what seemed like hours. They absolutely had to get me with any and all combinations of everyone, then a few with just Carlisle. He was nervous, mom made him pose kissing my cheek, and we were off. Carlisle had his tux waiting at the house and all there was for us to do before we left was change.

I eyed Carlisle wearily all the way to the church. He didn't even flinch, but I assumed it was more to try and convince me he was fine than him actually being calm. I knew I couldn't let him do that anymore, but I also knew that I had to lay off today, today of all days. He would talk to me later, when we were alone in the hotel room.

The hotel room wasn't something mom and dad knew about, they thought we were staying with Carlisle's mother's side grandparents in a condo for the night before going to Carlisle's other grandparents in the morning. Everything in the plan was true, except Mrs. Cullen (For the next ten minutes)'s parents were staying a few floors above us.

"You ready?" I asked as I pulled in front of the church and Carlisle shook his head.

"As I'll ever be," He replied, leaning over and kissing me softly.

"At least they're not making you be part of the wedding party," I said, "You don't have to stand in front with a big fake smile."

"Yeah," He said, thinking it over as we got out of the car, "That's a blessing. But their only letting me out of it because mom's worried I'll fall on my crutches."

"It's a common fear then," I replied as I walked beside him, he was truly getting quite handy on the crutches, but I had a wheel chair in my trunk incase he wanted to 'dance' at the reception.

"Apparently," He said as Jasper and Alice walked up next to us.

Jasper had been invited in the first round of invitations, but he had been hesitant to go. He didn't like Steve and didn't want to go, but I made him. If Carlisle was going to go he'd need a bigger support group than just me.

We walked in the church and found a pew towards the back. Carlisle didn't need a front seat for this. I took his hand the minute we sat down, and he ducked down to avoid Steve's family, who were filing in.

"There you are, boy," said some old woman that I didn't recognize came over to us, "Yes Stevie told me you got into an accident. Zooming around on that bike of yours I'm not surprised. I told him and your mother millions of times not to let you have that thing."

"Bonnie?" said an elderly man as he hobbled over and on a cane.

"Oh, hi Eddie," said Bonnie, I was presuming, "This is Steve and Mary's oldest boy."

"Hi, Aunt Bonnie," said Carlisle politely, I could tell it was taking everything he had not to blow up, I was about to blow up for him.

"You really should be up there as best man," said Bonnie, "You're his son aren't you?"

"No, actually I'm not," said Carlisle kindly and Bonnie looked livid.

"You be greatful boy," she said, "That man up there raised you, knew how to bring you up right. You are who you are today because of him."

"You're right, sorry Aunt Bonnie," said Carlisle, I knew he was just saying it so she would go away.

"It's fine," she said, "You're my little nephy-pew."

She walked away and I just stood up, knowing Carlisle would want to get out, and he did. I followed him out of the church out into the parking lot. We went out of earshot of all the other guests before he threw one of his crutches into a tree. I ran up and caught him before he fell.

"Carlisle," I said as I helped him sit on the curb, "It's ok, let it out."

"What the hell does she think she's talking about?" He said angrily and I shrugged.

"Some people are just annoying," I said and he gritted his teeth.

"I'm not even her nephew," said Carlisle, "You see what I mean though? They all act like dad never existed."

"Yeah, I get that," I said and I wrapped an arm around Carlisle, holding him tight.

"Where the hell they get half the stuff they say is something I wonder about," He said and I nodded.

"You don't have to go back in," I told him, "I mean, I know I told you it'd be good for you to go, but your mom saw you walk in, we can probably get away with just chilling out here until it's over."

"Yeah," He said and I smiled at him.

"We can skip the reception too," I said, "I'm sick, don't you know? You can go with me to the hotel, then I can miraculously be all better by morning so we can go to your grandparents."

"Sounds good," said Carlisle looking over at me and I kissed him.

"I love you," I reminded him and he smiled.

"Love you too, thanks, for this."