Chapter 40

Alice packed up several suitcases full of clothes and piled them by the door. Rosalie was right next to her helping.

"What are you guys doing?" Bella asked. She and Renesme joined them in the living room.

They smiled at each other, "We're sending Carlisle and Esme on a surprise vacation."

"What?" Bella asked. She knew Edward and Esme were both out hunting and Emmett and Carlisle were at work.

"They're leaving tomorrow morning," Alice explained.

Renesme looked up at Bella with a shrug and a smile.

"What about Carlisle's work?"

"Emmett handled that," Rosalie said.

"How?"

"He pretended to be Carlisle on the phone and put in for a week and a half vacation," she laughed. Alice joined in.

Bella let out a snicker, "You guys are crazy."

"Oh, come on Bella," Alice protested, "They deserve it."

"Yeah," Rosalie said, "Carlisle got that island for Esme and they haven't been in like decades."

"That's where they're going?" Bella asked, remembering how destroyed the bedroom was after her and Edward's escapades there.

"Afraid they're going to see how you and Edward destroyed their bed?" Alice laughed.

Bella smiled with a look of embaressment and motioned to Renesme who had a look of disgust on her face.

"From jumping on it," Rosalie said to cover up Alice's blunder.

Renesme was beginning to process witty comments more as she continued to age, and all three of them knew she wasn't buying it.

"Do you think they'll be mad?" Bella asked.

"I'm leaving, "Renesme said. She wandered upstairs to watch TV.

"I keep forgetting how old her mind is," Alice said.

"They already know. It's fixed up," Rosalie said reassuringly.

Relief filled Bella's mind, "Good," but then added, "They know?"

Alice and Rosalie both laughed. "Don't worry about it, Bella," Alice told her.

"Is this everything?" Rosalie asked, looking around.

Alice nodded, "I believe so."

"Does Masen know they're leaving?"

They both nodded, "He made them a video of himself to watch while they're away." Rosalie explained.

"How do you know Esme will even want to leave?"

Alice smiled, "She doesn't have a choice. Everything's paid for."

Bella was shocked, but realized she shouldn't really be. This was typical Alice.

"Enough with the questions, Bella," Jasper entered the room with Masen, "They're almost home."

Alice and Rosalie exchanged somewhat nervous glances at each other.

Minutes later, Edward and Esme entered the house. Right away Esme's eyes were focused on the suitcases.

Edward smiled, and Bella realized he was in on it too.

"What's going on?" Esme asked.

No one said anything at first. Edward and Alice appeared to be having a starting contest. Esme looked around the room at all of them.

"Well, all of us," she motioned to her family members, "We decided that you and Carlisle were going to go on a mini vacation."

She looked confused, and everyone started to smile.

"A vacation?"

Alice nodded, "All of your stuff is packed, and so is his."

"Does Carlisle know anything about this?" she asked.

"He will soon, "Edward told her.

"I can't leave Masen," she said, "Not for... how long are we going?"

"Eight days," Rosalie explained, "And Masen was kind of in on the plan, too."

Jasper handed Masen his phone and helped him send Esme a short video. He then whispered into his ear and Masen smiled, "Don't watch it until you get on the plane."

Esme heard her phone's ringer go off in her pocket, receiving what Masen had just sent her. She looked around at all of them, "You're serious?"

They all nodded. "And before you ask what you were about to," Edward went on, "Emmett called off of work for a week for Carlisle. He has tons of vacation time to use up."

"But Carlisle doesn't know?" Esme asked again.

Edward shook his head, "Not yet."

She looked down at Masen's smiling face, and realized how terribly she didn't want to leave him, especially not for a full week.

"Mom, it'll be fine," Edward told her. He looked at Jasper who began to grin.

"Jasper, stop," Esme told him, trying to hide the first smile she put on since the start of the conversation.

"Go have fun," Alice encouraged, "We'll all be here when you get back. Masen will call and send you videos every single day."

"You deserve to," Bella told her.

Esme looked around, knowing the intentions of them were nothing but good. The feeling of leaving Masen still bothered her.

"We already paid for the tickets and everything, so you can't back out," Jasper said.

"The flight is in the morning," Alice continued.

"The morning?" Esme asked, "As in tomorrow morning?"

Edward couldn't hold back a laugh, "You'll be fine."

Emmett and Carlisle were on the same shift and both of them were packing in for the day. A nurse walked by the room they were in and peeked her head in, "Have a great time on your trip, Dr. Cullen."

He looked back at her confused as she smiled and went on her way.

Emmett looked at Carlisle with a tight mouthed grin.

"What's that about?"

He shrugged, still smiling.

Carlisle turned to face him, "What?"

"Well," Emmett said, "Alice, Jasper, Edward, Bella, Rose and I, we.."

He waited for his son to finish.

"We're sending you guys away. To Isle Esme," then added, "Tomorrow."

Carlisle laughed, "I'd have to take off work. That's not going to happen."

"I already kind of did that for you," Emmett told him, a little nervous at what his response would be.

"What do you mean?"

"I pretended to be you and used a week of your vacation time."

Carlisle's eyes widened, "What?"

"Your plane leaves tomorrow," he repeated, "And it was all Alice's idea. So don't blame the messenger."