A/N: Here's the next chapter in the whole Birthday party. I'm not going to post the third part until tomorrow, unless you guys give me a bunch of reviews (wink, wink). No, really, I'm only posting these two chapters today because my hands hurt from this typing. Sorry, but I hope you review anyway. Please?

This chapter covers the tense part and the first section of Bella and Carlisle's talk. I hope you like it. Sorry in advanced for typos, but I really wanted to get this out to you guys ASAP. Again I hope you like it!

-Wish

P.S. I won't be writing for a while because I'll be backpacking from June 26th to July 11th in New Mexico. Yay! Unfortunately, no computers and notebooks are HEAVY to carry, so that's out. Sorry, but I'll update as soon as I can when I get home.

Chapter 41: Happy Birthday

Upon arriving at home, I found Alice in a frenzy. She alternated between having a vision and rearranging the living room. Jasper sat on the stairs, watching. He was out of Alice's line of sight, but still able to see her. Something told me this was a strategic move so that he was not caught up in Alice's wake.

"Carlisle." I heard Esme's whisper, but only barely. She was in the kitchen. I set my bag down on the hall table and slipped into the kitchen, not wishing to get in Alice's way any more than Jasper.

Esme was waiting for me in the kitchen with Rosalie and Emmett!

"Hey, pops!" Emmett greeted me. He gave me a whole-hearted hug and a thump on the back that probably would've broken my spine had it been a bit more fragile. As it was, it hurt.

"Welcome back, Emmett," I replied smiling. It was wonderful to see my biggest son again. He and Rose had left at the beginning of the summer for Africa to live alone for a little while. They must've returned while I was working.

"Hi, Carlisle," Rose said. She stepped forward and gave me a hug too, though she was tense. Obviously she didn't want to be here, most likely because it was a party for Bella. Rosalie still held animosity towards her.

"It's good to see you again, Rose," I told her. I stepped back and addressed the two of them. "How long are you staying?"

"A week tops," Emmett replied. "We didn't want to miss Bella's party. This can only be good." He grinned. Rosalie's expression didn't change from one of measured cool. Obviously she could've missed Bella's party.

"Carlisle! What are you still doing like that?!"

Alice had seen me.

"You have to get changed now! Bella's going to be here at seven!"

I looked at the clock in the kitchen. It was four PM. "Alice, that's three hours from now. Why don't—"Esme laid a finger over my lips, giving me a warning look and glancing back at Alice. The message was clear. Just do as she says. I took my bag and ran up the stairs at vampire speed. There wasn't any doubt in my mind now why Jasper had been hiding from Alice. And I was going to take a leaf out of his book until around seven, when Bella and Edward arrived.

"Carlisle!"

"Alice, there is no need for that; I can hear you perfectly well," I replied in a normal tone. Alice was downstairs, but we all had vampire hearing. Shouting was unnecessary. I descended the stairs to meet Esme. Alice took a look over my clothes and pronounced them "passable". I was dressed in one of my nice suits, one that Esme had picked out. I joined Esme by the door, taking her hand in mine and giving her a light kiss.

"They just pulled in," she whispered. I could hear Bella's truck even three miles away. It was easy to make out the rumbling as it drove down our driveway, to the house. I assumed Edward was driving; Bella would never negotiate our twisting drive that fast.

Rosalie and Emmett waited just behind us. Emmett fidgeted excitedly. Jasper and Alice were a little farther away. Jasper decided to keep back, for safety again. He and Alice had been hunting earlier in the week.

As the truck stopped and its exceedingly loud engine cut off, we could hear Edward and Bella better.

"Sure," Bella muttered, in response to some sort of comment. We heard the thunk of a door and another click half a second later. "I have a question."

I didn't hear Edward's response, only Bella. "If I develop this film, will you show up in the picture?"

Emmett snickered and Esme smiled. It was an old vampire superstition that we don't show up on film or in mirrors. It was entirely false, just look at the pictures in my office.

Edward laughed too. We heard them on the steps (Bella's footsteps and Edward's laughter) and the door opened.

"Happy Birthday, Bella!" It'd been a lifetime since we'd said that to anyone, much less a human. The last birthday party had been Emmett's in 1935; Alice and Jasper hadn't been with us then.

Bella looked around at Alice's decorations. Her expression looked like she was being led to the execution block, rather than her own birthday party. Esme gave her a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

I stepped forward and gave her a light hug before whispering in a loud voice. "Sorry about this, Bella. We couldn't rein Alice in."

Esme and I stepped aside for Emmett and Rosalie. Emmett couldn't have a wider grin on his face. Rose just looked passive, not greeting her, but also not attempting to rip out her throat or kill her with a look.

Bella blushed, but smiled at Emmett.

"You haven't changed at all," Emmett teased. "I expected a perceptible difference, but here you are, red-faced just like always."

Bella's cheeks went from a light pink to a deeper red, but she smiled. I glanced at Jasper to make sure that he was alright. He didn't seem to be bothered too much by Bella's blush. "Thanks a lot, Emmett."

Emmett's deep guffaw boomed through the house as it hadn't for months. "I have to step out for a second," he said, winking conspiratorially at Alice. "Don't do anything funny while I'm gone."

"I'll try," Bella replied dryly.

As Emmett left, Alice flitted forward, smiling brightly. Jasper smiled to Bella from his position near the stairs, staying cautiously back.

"Time to open presents," Alice told her, taking her by the elbow and dragging her towards the table by the piano that held the small pile of silver-wrapped presents and Alice's and Esme's cake.

Bella looked like someone had just condemned her to be burned at the stake (I would know what that looks like). "Alice, I know I told you I didn't want anything—"

"But I didn't listen," Alice interrupted.

She never does, I thought. Edward grinned at me.

"Open it," Alice ordered as she replaced the camera in Bella's hand with a square box, the largest in the group. This was Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett's present. Bella ripped off the paper and stared at the box, dumb-founded. It was a car stereo, a really nice one. Emmett was outside, installing it. But Bella didn't seem to realize that. She opened the box to find it empty.

Rosalie smiled, amused, and Jasper laughed at her expression. "It's a stereo for your truck," he told her. "Emmett's installing it right now so that you can't return it."

Bella actually grinned for real. "Thanks, Jasper, Rosalie. Thanks, Emmett!" she called outside.

Emmett laughed from the driveway.

Alice didn't wait before starting Bella on another present. "Open mine and Edward's next."

Bella glared at Edward. "You promised."

Emmett returned as we all moved in closer to get a good look at what Alice and Edward had gotten Bella. I didn't know about this one. "Just in time!" Emmett squeezed in just behind Jasper.

"I didn't spend a dime," Edward swore.

Bella took a deep breath. "Give it to me," she said, turning to Alice.

Emmett chuckled as Bella took the package. She rolled her eyes at Emmett as she began to tear off the paper.

Bella jerked her hand back as the silver wrapping paper bit into her finger. I immediately smelled the blood and a split second later, Edward dived in front of her.

"No!" Edward screamed as Jasper lunged. Bella was thrown backwards as Jasper collided with Edward. Bella fell on the table, which shattered, and threw her arms out to stop her fall. The glass shards sliced open her arms, drawing more blood. Edward struggled against Jasper, who was snapping and snarling ravenously as he attempted to get to Bella. Emmett grabbed him from behind, pulling him off Edward.

"Emmett, Rose, get Jasper outside," I ordered.

Emmett nodded once, serious. "Come on, Jasper."

He hauled his brother out the door as Jasper struggled, overwhelmed by the bloodlust. Rosalie got between Jasper and Bella and followed Emmett out the door that Esme held open. I could see the struggle on my angel's face. She wanted to star and help Bella, but at the same time, she was fighting her own bloodlust.

Edward crouched over Bella, not breathing, defensive. He was prepared to stop anyone else who lost control.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," Esme apologized, before following Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper out the door.

I turned towards Bella, but Edward still crouched in my way. "Let me by, Edward," I said. I'm fine and she needs me, I added silently.

Edward nodded and relaxed, letting me approach Bella. I knelt to look at her arm. There was too much glass in it. All of it would have to be removed. Thankfully, it looked like no major arteries had been severed, but there was still too much blood. We needed to stop it to avoid blood loss and to remove temptation.

"Here, Carlisle," Alice offered me a towel. I shook my head though.

"Too much glass in the wound," I explained. Since I couldn't apply pressure with all that glass, I would have to use a tourniquet again. This was the second time this year. Tourniquets should really be a last resort. I ripped off a strip from the bottom of the table cloth that'd been over the gifts table, and tied it just above Bella's elbow, tight. Bella already was pale, but she'd lost any color in her face.

"Bella, do you want me to drive you to the hospital, or would you like me to take care of it here?" I'd rather have taken care of it at the hospital where I could have a sterile environment and not be at risk for a rampant, bloodthirsty vampire to crash through the wall and attack me.

"Here, please," Bella whispered.

"I'll get your bag." Alice raced up to my office where I kept my doctor's bag and a few extra medical supplies I'd gotten after Bella's attack last spring.

I looked to Edward. He still wasn't breathing and I could see the tension in his posture. "Let's take her to the kitchen," I said to him.

Edward supported Bella while I kept the pressure on her arm to slow the blood flow.

"How are you doing, Bella?" I asked.

"I'm fine." She seemed to be lucid, which was a good sign.

Alice waited with my bag and a desk lamp on the kitchen table. Edward placed Bella in a chair and I pulled another around so that I could easily work on her arm. I pulled out a needle and painkiller and began measuring out a proper dosage. Edward watched protectively.

"Just go, Edward," Bella told him. She could see the tension in him too.

"I can handle it," Edward replied.

"You don't need to be a hero. Carlisle can fix me p without your help. Get some fresh air."

I stuck the needle into her arm and Bella winced. "I'll stay," Edward declared.

"Why are you so masochistic?" Bella murmured. I could see this was going nowhere.

"Edward, you may as well go find Jasper before he gets too far," I suggested. "I'm sure he's upset with himself, and I doubt he'll listen to anyone but you right now."

"Yes," Bella agreed. "Go find Jasper."

I went to work with a set of needle-nosed tweezers on the glass embedded in Bella's arm. The painkiller should've numbed it enough by now.

"You may as well do something useful," Alice interjected.

Edward focused on us as he looked at Alice and my thoughts.

Go, Edward. I'll take care of her, I promised him.

He nodded once and left out the kitchen door.

I continued picking out the pieces of glass. There was a lot. As much as Joanie, if not more! A few moments later, Alice gave up the fight and followed Edward out. Now it was just Bella and I.

"Well, that's everyone," she commented. "I can clear a room, at least."

"It's not your fault," I replied, laughing quietly. "It could happen to anyone."

"Could," Bella corrected, "But it usually just happens to me."

I laughed at Bella's sarcasm. She did get into a lot of trouble. She'd managed to find the largest coven of vampires in Washington State, if not the continental U.S. And this was the second time in not even a year of knowing our family that she was seriously injured.

"How can you do this?" Bella asked. "Even Alice and Esme…" She trailed off and shook her head.

"Years and years of practice," I replied. "I barely notice the scent anymore."

"Do you think it would be harder if you took a vacation from the hospital for a long time? And weren't around any blood?"

"Maybe," I shrugged. "I've never felt the need for an extended holiday." I smiled at her, "I enjoy work too much."

"What is it that you enjoy?" Bella inquired.

"Hmm." Nobody had really asked me that. It was an interesting question. "What I enjoy the very most is when my…enhanced abilities let me save someone who would otherwise have been lost. It's pleasant knowing that, thanks to what I can do, some people's lives are better because I exist. Even the sense of smell is a useful diagnostic tool at times." I grinned as I thought of one such case earlier in the week. Mr. Hudson, a surgery patient, had caught pneumonia during his recovery. I'd smelled it on him and had ordered the proper tests. We'd caught it early, and so he was able to avoid a possibly life-threatening illness.

I examined the wound closely in the light the lamp gave, not seeing any more glass. I wiped off the tweezers with a disinfectant wipe and replaced them in my bag before pulling out a needle and the proper thread for sutures. Bella spoke again as I began sewing the gash closed. This was the second time today, I thought, ironically.

"You try very hard to make up for something that was never your fault." I glanced up at her face as I pulled the thread through. She seemed to be focused on mine, avoiding looking down. She continued, "What I mean is, it's not like you asked for this. You didn't choose this kind of life, and yet you have to work so hard to be good."

"I don't know that I'm making up for anything," I disagreed. "Like everything in life, I just had to decide what to do with what I was given."

Bella sighed, "That makes it sound too easy."

I looked over her arm as I tied off the stitch and cut the thread. "There. All done." I swabbed iodine over the sutures and then covered it with gauze.

Bella prodded further as I taped the gauze to her skin. "In the beginning, though. Why did you think to try a different way than the obvious one?"

"Hasn't Edward told you this story?" I asked, thinking back to when Bella had first visited the family.

"Yes," Bella replied, "But I'm trying to understand what you were thinking…"

I think we'd gotten to the base of Bella's questions. She was trying to understand why Edward refused to change her.