(I put this up yesterday, but I guess FF bugged out and didn't put it up. So let's try again!)

A/N: Yay! As promised, another chapter. Thank you for no death threats on the last Author's Note. This chapter is a little shorter than usual, but it sets up the next one which will probably be pretty soon because I'm on a bit of a roll here. This is what happens when you do Relay for Life and stay up from 8 PM to 8 AM and then only get 4 hours of sleep before your roommate wakes you up as she REARRANGES HER SHOEBOX COLLECTION and totally wakes you up. Maybe I should pull an all-nighter more often if it leads to more chapters, eh?

Please pardon any grammar or spelling mistakes. I've ran spell-checker but haven't had the chance to really look closer. This chapter is a set up for the next with the wolves and Victoria (Eeep!). It's a little Carlisle/Esme fluff, a little family time, and a semi-profound conversation between Edward and Carlisle to wrap things up. Hope you like it!

-Wish

P.S. PLEASE REVIEW! (It's a mandatory P.S. by now.)

Chapter 58: As It Should Be

I was home from work before Edward and Alice got home from school today. It was a side effect of working the night shift, and one I wasn't entirely sorry about. Esme met me at the door, smiling brightly.

"Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper went hunting. How was work?" she asked.

"Alright," I replied. "I had three surgeries this morning, all successful."

"That's good." She stood up on her toes and placed a small kiss on my lips. I was reminded of the many times she'd done the same such thing. This year was our eighty-fifth anniversary. It seemed like just yesterday that I'd held her hands up on the altar and promised to love her and cherish her for the rest of my life. Eighty-five years went by quickly when you had eternity. I couldn't imagine being constrained as humans are, to be lucky to have fifty, sixty years with the love of my life. To have eighty-five years was unheard of in human terms.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked gently, running her fingertips over my cheek. I couldn't help but smiled down at her concerned expression. My loving, caring, kind angel, perfect in every way.

"You," I replied, kissing her again, a little longer this time.

Esme chuckled lightly. "You men and your one-track minds," she teased.

"On the contrary," I insisted, "If I had a one-track mind, then I couldn't be thinking about what we're going to do for our anniversary this year."

I noticed immediately when Esme's smile fell slightly. "Let's just try to get through the next few months, first," she whispered back. I could see the worry in her eyes; it was ever more present these last few months. Graduation and Bella's subsequent planned transformation was a constant in all of our minds. I knew Esme was excited for it, just as the rest of us were (even Edward, though he'd never admit it) to finally change Bella, to not have to worry about another vampire like James setting their sights on her blood. Although I already thought of Bella as my daughter and the others already considered her part of the family, changing her would make it final, official. And I know that Edward would eventually get past what he considered to be a "tragic loss" and come to enjoy eternity with Bella. That was the biggest reason I agreed to change her after graduation. Because I knew that it would mean eternal happiness for my son, at last.

The others came home all too soon. Esme and I were sure to make ourselves presentable before they arrived home. Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper returned just before Alice was dropped off by Edward.

"Hey Jazz," Alice said as she walked through the door and was immediately met by Jasper.

Jasper murmured something in her ear that I couldn't catch from where I was with Esme in the living room. Alice answered, equally quiet, before coming into the living room where the rest of us were.

"Edward is with Bella," she said, unnecessarily. Edward only ever spent time with Bella since we'd returned to Forks.

Alice sat down on the floor with Jasper, but there was something off about her manner. She still had the typical Alice liveliness, but there was some sort of undertone that I couldn't quite understand. But I was sure Jasper did, which was why he kept glancing to her in a worried manner.

"Edward needs you to check out Mike Newton's car tonight," Alice said to Rosalie.

Rosalie looked shocked, and then slightly disgusted. "Why?" she asked, her disdain evident.

"Newton's car isn't working properly and Edward offered to check it out for him. But you know Edward's not that good a mechanic."

"True," Rosalie agreed. "What model?"

Alice shrugged. "Nothing fancy. You know Newton wouldn't have a 911 Turbo or anything."

"I'll check it out just so the head case looks good," Rosalie replied.

"Thanks Rose," Alice said. "Oh, and I had a vision at lunch today."

The way she brought it up was almost nonchalant, like it was just an everyday conversation. But then again, in our house, visions and people's thoughts and emotions were everyday occurrences.

"About what?" I asked because I knew Alice was waiting for it.

"Victoria."

The others stiffened. We all knew the female who'd been with James last year and who'd apparently sent Laurent after Bella while we were away, and even had been around just before Bella and Alice went to Italy. To stop Edward, I added silently to myself.

"She's going to be around," Alice added. "Edward is making plans."

"What sort of plans?" I asked.

Alice shook her head. "I can't get a clear vision yet. He's still thinking it over. From what I could tell, he's going to try to use the ticket vouchers you and Esme got Bella for her birthday and take her to see Renee in Florida this weekend. Charlie told her she wasn't grounded anymore."

"Florida?" Esme repeated. "Isn't that a little far?"

"It's Eddie-boy," Emmett said. "He never does anything halfway, you know? So when's this bitch going to be around exactly?"

"Emmett," I scolded automatically. But I was more focused on Alice's answer.

"This weekend for sure," Alice replied. "I don't know what she's going to do, exactly. I'm not sure she knows what she's going to do."

Jasper spoke up for the first time since Alice had gotten home. "We should set patrols."

"Yeah," agreed Emmett, "And you know those mutts down in La Push are going have their undies in a bundle over this too."

The others looked to me, expecting me to make a decision. I would rather avoid a conflict, but we knew that Victoria isn't like us in her diet. And we can't afford to have murders on our hands. Not now when we know the pack is back and growing from what I've heard. There were only three wolves when we'd first made the treaty with Ephraim Black. We didn't have an exact count right now, but it sounded like there were quite a few more this time. And they weren't very tolerant of us to begin with. Suspicious deaths would be pinned on us and could potentially explode the tentative treaty we had between us.

I nodded. "Alright. Jasper and Emmett, work out patrols. But we're going to be careful about this. I don't want this to turn into a fight if it doesn't have to."

"Okay, Carlisle," Jasper replied.

Emmett nodded as well. "Should we include Eddie-boy in this one?"

"No," Alice said suddenly. "They're going to Florida. Oh, and they're coming here tonight."

"Should I make something for her to eat?" Esme asked.

"No," Alice replied. "Bella and Charlie will already have dinner."

Sure enough, later that night, Edward's Volvo returned and he and Bella got out of the car.

"Bella, it's good to see you again," Esme greeted her with a hug. It was such a difference from the first time Bella had visited the house, or even the last time. The first time, we'd been tense and wary, not wanting to frighten her away. And the last time, it'd been the middle of the night, after the near disastrous trip to Italy and Bella had put her immortality up to a vote, despite Edward's objections. That hadn't been the most genial of situations.

"Good to see you too, Esme," Bella replied, returning her hug.

"Bella," I greeted her with a smile. And to my surprise, she gave me a hug just as she had Esme.

"It's good to see you again, Carlisle," she told me.

"The same to you, Bella," I replied, gently returning her hug before she let go.

That night she played chess with Edward, Alice, and Jasper. I was struck by just how easy the scene looked. In the past, Jasper had always kept his distance from Bella because he'd struggled with his thirst. But he'd gotten much better since the birthday party that ended in disaster and now he sat just across a table from Bella, thoroughly beating her in chess.

This is as it should be,I thought. Edward looked up at me momentarily, acknowledging my thoughts and for one of the few times in the last few months, agreeing with me.

He took Bella home after a little while and then returned for the little time he had at home anymore. Most of his time he spent with Bella, but there was a short period of time between when Charlie asked that he go home and when he'd return to Bella at night. I knew my son wasn't doing anything with Bella. That wasn't Edward's character. He was staunch in his belief that physical intimacy should remain between two people in a married couple. From what he'd told me briefly, he enjoyed watching Bella sleep.

"Carlisle," he said, as he stepped in the door. I was in my study, doing a bit of paperwork that I had left over from the surgeries.

Upstairs, Edward, I replied. I heard his light footsteps on the stairs and in the hallway. Come in, I told him. The door to my office opened and Edward stepped inside.

"What can I do for you, Edward?" I asked.

"Alice already told you this, but I'm taking Bella to Jacksonville to visit her mother this weekend."

"Alice has mentioned it," I agreed.

"I just want to be careful, Carlisle," Edward insisted. "You know how Bella attracts danger. I don't want to take the risk of Victoria getting to her."

It's not very likely, I replied.

"Neither is almost getting crushed twice by a van sliding on ice, or being targeted by a tracker that likes to chase innocent humans for sport," Edward retorted.

"True," I agreed. "Do you need anything?"

"No. I just wanted to tell you in person."

I nodded. Go, Edward, I told him. Does Bella know?

"About Victoria, no," Edward answered. "But she agreed to go to Jacksonville."

"Be careful," I urged him, thinking of the sunlight. "Jacksonville isn't like Forks."

"I'll think of something," Edward assured me. "That's all I wanted to talk about." He turned to leave, but paused at the door for a moment before turning back to me.

"Thank you, Carlisle," he said.

"You're welcome, Edward," I replied. For what?

"For understanding, for agreeing to the patrols, for everything you've done for Bella and me."

I nodded, thinking about Bella as she played chess with Jasper tonight, the emotions I felt, the peace of the whole situation. I already think of her as my daughter, Edward.

"I know." And he left.