A/N: So I've always said being my pre-reader is a thankless job. That goes double when I have to be talked off a ledge. And I felt bad. So jessypt got some extra Carlisle sex. I'm sure barburella wasn't upset by this. Now what am I gonna do about GinnyW?

Anyway, this takes place shortly after the last chapter and before the epilogue.

"Where are you taking me, Alice?"

"None-ya," her best friend said obnoxiously. She tightened her grip on Bella's arm, drawing her forward.

"I'm serious. I'm so not in the mood." Bella knew she was whining, but she was feeling petulant. Normally, she couldn't have cared less about her birthday, but then this one was special. She was turning twenty-one.

And goddammit, after all the bullshit she'd been through in the last four months, she didn't think it was too much to ask for her boyfriend to be there to ply her with booze for the first time. The first time legally, anyway. She knew Alice would take care of her, but it was Carlisle she wanted.

When she'd started dating Carlisle Cullen - internationally known rockstar - Bella had known it wouldn't be easy. Nearly the second they'd stepped out of her dorm room after their first night together, before they even had a chance to figure out how they were going to work, there were cameras in their face. It didn't get easier sharing.

Alice kept trying to tell her anyone else would be jealous. It wasn't as though Carlisle had blown her off to have beers with his buddies. He'd been asked to perform for the President of the United States and several of his high-powered buddies.

"Nobody's boyfriend is this cool," she'd said, prompting a rather dirty look from Jasper.

And she loved him for all he was. She would never begrudge him the job he loved, that he excelled at.

Sometimes, though, it did suck. Hard.

"You'll feel better once we're there," Alice said, patting her on the back.

Bella resigned herself to at least try having fun. There was no point in pouting when her friend was only trying to-

"What the heck is going on?"

It had begun to occur to her where they were going - one of the small auditoriums on campus. Generally, Bella knew what was going on week to week on that stage. Usually, the stage was reserved for small plays and groups like the string quartet. Since she passed the space every Tuesday and Thursday on her way to her economics class, she tended to memorize that week's events. Nothing was on the docket today, and yet there was obviously something happening.

"Guess you'll just have to wait and see," Alice said in a sing-song voice, propelling her along.

Bella was taken aback when Alice flashed some paper at a security guard - since when did this particular auditorium need security? - and got two bracelets in return. They both had her name on it: Bella's 21st Bash!

"Alice!" Bella hissed, ducking close to her friend. "What did you do?!" She looked around again, noticing the people who had gotten passed security were all her friends, or at the very least, her acquaintances. "Did you rent this place out or something?"

"Or something."

They ducked inside, and someone pressed a drink into Bella's hand, wishing her a happy birthday.

"Omigod, Bella!" a girl Bella vaguely recognized as Jessica Stanley squealed near her ear, hugging her enthusiastically. They ran in the same circles, and she had always been nice to Bella. "I can't believe your-"

"Jessica!" Alice leapt forward, clapping her hand over the other girl's mouth. Her raven-haired friend glared, and Jessica looked sheepish.

"Whoops! Um. Anyway. Happy birthday!" Jessica waved her hand and darted into the auditorium before she could get in more trouble with Alice.

Before Bella could protest again, Jasper appeared, hugging her tight and kissing her cheek. Every other person stopped them to wish her a happy birthday. All the while, Alice kept them moving, and before Bella knew it, she was ushered to the front row. The roped off section indicated it was reserved, but the way Alice ignored it told Bella it was indeed reserved for them.

"Alice. Really, what are you doing?" she asked, tugging somewhat frantically at her friend's arm.

On the other side of Alice, Jasper gave her a comforting smile, looking entirely too amused.

But before she could start yelling, the lights went down.

Music played - one of Bella's favorite songs that wasn't Carlisle's - and she waited, her body tense. This could not be good. Not when a stage, a fair amount of people, and her bratty best friend were involved.

"Happy birthday, dearie," a gravely voice said in her ear.

Yelping, Bella swung in her seat. "Alistair?" she squeaked.

He chuckled. "In the flesh. Come on now, ducky." He proffered his hand. "Follow me."

"What are you doing here?" Bella's thoughts were racing as she put her hand in Alistair's and let him draw her up to her feet. "You should be with Carlisle."

His grin widened, and Bella realized belatedly he was leading her up the steps at the side of the stage. She froze. Getting behind her, Alistair gently pushed her forward.

Just as Carlisle appeared from behind the curtain, catching her up in his arms. The noise she made might have been his name or it might have been an excited, delighted squeal. Either way, she jumped, wrapping her legs around his waist and flinging her arms around his neck. She was oblivious to the hoots and hollers from her friends in the audience.

Beneath her, Bella felt Carlisle's chest rise and fall as he chuckled. "Surprise, sweetheart," he whispered against her ear before he set her down on a stool she hadn't even noticed was there.

The audience laughed when she kept her legs wrapped firmly around him, refusing to let go when he tried to pull away. Obliging, he came back, his hands on either side of her on the stool, and kissed her to the tune of the small crowd's cheers and whistles.

Reluctantly, she let him go after a few moments of this, her brain unfreezing enough to realize where she was and that everyone was watching them. And that Carlisle was dressed and made up in his rocker get-up.

Suddenly, she understood exactly what was going on.

Sure enough, Carlisle brushed the underside of her chin with a finger before he stepped away, clicking on his microphone to address the crowd.

The crowd agreed, they were all there to celebrate Bella's twenty-first birthday, and they sure didn't mind doing it with a private concert. That was how Bella found herself with the best seat in the house, watching her rocker boyfriend own the stage. He sang several of the songs she knew she'd inspired, his eyes landing frequently on her as he played, and his lips turning up into that smile she fell more in love with every day.

And fucking hell, it was all she could do not to jump him right there on that stage. He was so sexy. And hers. And she would be lying if she didn't want every single one of her screaming girlfriends to know it.

In between each song, one of her friends appeared on stage to give her a shot which she dutifully knocked back. So by the time he introduced a new song, a song whose title was simply her name, Bella was blissed-out buzzed.

It was a gorgeous song, and maybe the next day she would feel embarrassed for bursting into tears the way she did, but just then she was feeling no pain. She was happy and loved. As the song drew to a conclusion, he was on his knees in front of her, playing and singing only for her. She slid down off the stool, kneeling in front of him. Both her hands on his cheeks, she swallowed the last word of the song with her fervent kiss.

He ended the mini-concert by leading the audience in a stirring rendition of happy birthday, his eyes teasing as she blushed scarlet, and then tucked her under his arm as they walked off stage together.

No sooner were they out of sight of the crowd than they were all over each other. Bella found herself backed up against the wall, his body pressed into hers. She knocked off his wig so she could tangle her fingers in his hair. They kissed until they were breathless, and only when she was panting did she speak. "How did you do this? I thought you were in D.C."

His lips turned up. "And miss your birthday? I think not."

She kissed him again, softer this time. "I love you."

"I love you, baby. So much."

~0~

After the concert, the party relocated downtown to one of the swankiest hotels in Chicago where Carlisle had rented out the largest suite. There was food, entertainment, presents, and thirty of her closest friends.

Carlisle was endlessly patient, smiling and posing for pictures with all her friends who asked. He stuck by her side for the most part, his fingers stroking her back as they mingled.

It being her twenty-first, Bella got predictably trashed. How could she help it? Hadn't she wished for exactly this? For her boyfriend to be the one to ply her with alcohol and take care of her.

Bella had hardly noticed her eyelids were drooping until Carlisle slid away from her, off the couch. She protested, reaching for him, but he'd only stooped enough so she could wrap her arms around his neck. He straightened, Bella draped over his back, her legs around his waist and her head on his shoulder.

"Say goodnight, Bella," he prompted as he carried her away from her friends.

"Goodnight Bella," she mumbled drunkenly. She was only vaguely aware of her friends giggling at her, wishing her goodnight and happy birthday.

She grumbled again when Carlisle switched her around so he could lay her down on the soft bed. But her head lulled, her vision spinning when she tried to drag her eyes open. She groaned, complacent when he started to undress her.

When she tried to get her limbs to cooperate so she could get him naked too he chuckled, pushing her hands back. "Bella, you're about to pass out."

"Don't wanna," she argued. "Want you. Birthday nookie."

He leaned in - she felt the warmth of his body encroaching in her personal space - and pressed soft kisses across her cheek to her ear. "We have this suite all weekend, baby. There's plenty of time."

A thrill went down her spine, and she wanted very much to pull him down on top of her. She wanted him inside her. She wanted him surrounding her.

But she also wanted to sleep.

"Stay?" she asked.

"I'm all yours, beautiful girl."

She smiled, snuggling under the blankets. "Still want you naked," she warned.

He must have complied because when she felt the bed dip and he gathered her close, they were skin to skin.

Content, Bella let sleep take her.

~0~

The first time she woke up, she only did so long enough to ask where Benjamin was - safe at home with his aunt - and to tell Carlisle if he really wanted to please her, he would turn off the sun because it offended her. He coaxed her to drink something - everything tasted like ass so she had no idea what she drank - and to swallow down some aspirin. She complied, then promptly flung her arm over his chest, snuggled up against his side, and went back to sleep.

When she woke up again it was because there was something amazing happening to her nipples. There was tugging and licking and the slightest hint of teeth making her wake with a gasp. It was making her squirm, the pleasure quickly overriding the slight pounding of her brain trying to escape her skull.

One by one she regained control of her limbs. First her hands. Groping blindly, she ran her fingers up his back, tracing his familiar musculature. She tangled one hand in his hair, flexing her fist when he took her nipple between his teeth and tugged. He tugged, she pulled, and then his tongue would soothe the little love bite while her fingers relaxed in his hair.

When his hand began to travel down her body, moving from where he had cupped her breast, tickling the skin of her belly, she let her legs fall open. She ran the bottom of her foot over his calf, beginning to mumble his name as the power of speech slowly returned to her.

He played her just as skillfully as he would his guitar, knowing how to hold her, how to use his mouth as he moved two fingers in and out of her, using his thumb to stimulate her clit. He knew when to back off, switching his little nips to her neck and shoulder instead.

After he brought her to orgasm, Carlisle lay on his side, a little smirk playing at his lips as he waited for her to regain coherency.

"How's your head?" he asked.

Bella blinked. The last thing she was thinking about was her head. "What?" she asked intelligently.

His smile was patient. "I read that an orgasm is a great cure for a headache."

"I don't have a headache."

He brightened. "Then it worked!"

Giggling, she rolled onto her side, smacking his chest. "You're horrible."

He wrinkled his nose. "Good. Since you already think I'm horrible, I can tell you your breath stinks."

Bella glared, and then she grabbed his head, holding him still as she kissed him soundly.

~0~

It was almost night again before they finally rolled out of bed. One leisurely shower later - they probably didn't get very clean - they had ambled out to the little kitchenette.

Carlisle watched Bella out of the corner of his eye as he assembled their late breakfast. She was sitting on table just off to the side of the kitchenette, her legs crossed, rifling through one of the books she'd received for her birthday.

There was no mystery why this beautiful woman was his muse. When he watched her, talked to her, he knew he could write a thousand songs and they wouldn't be enough. How could a thousand songs ever hope to encapsulate the person she was, and what she meant to him.

He would sing until he was hoarse, and he wouldn't be able to even get beyond trying to explain how very lucky he was.

Their relationship, still young, hadn't been easy to that point. It was so very public, and not everyone understood them. It was maddening and sickening, the way the press and the public decided they knew exactly what was going on and what was best for him, for Bella. He'd had most of his life to get used to it, but she was a very private person. She was famous now too, in a way, and for no other reason than because she was in his bed.

But she'd rolled with every punch so far. She was lovely, passionate, and so smart.

Suddenly needy for her again, Carlisle clicked off the burners and strode toward her.

She gave a little squeal of surprise when he grabbed her sides. But the noise and any protest she might have given was drowned by his fervent kisses. She dropped her book, cupping his neck as she pressed her body against his.

He leaned forward, guiding her back onto the table, and she hummed, the sound vibrating against his lips. "What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly.

"I think I need you," he whispered, his voice gravelly as he hooked his fingers into the band of her panties. "And I'm not going to wait."

Pinned beneath him, her body vibrated as she shivered. She pushed up to capture his lips again, apparently fine with his plan. He pulled her up again just enough so he could pull her shirt up and off.

"I like this," he murmured, pressing kisses to her chin, to her neck, to her clavicle. "See, it gives me visual and tactile access to some of my favorite things." He cupped her breasts, kneading, rubbing over her nipples with his thumbs.

She bit her lip, muffling a moan. "This is why we work, you know. I'm more mature than my age suggests and you're still as bad as a thirteen-year-old boy." She lifted her foot, running it along his side and effecting a teasing tone. "Weee, boobies."

He leaned down and kissed her lips hard. As soon as she began to really get into the kiss, he pulled away, smirking when she pouted. "It's not my fault. Your boobies are fantastic."

She laughed at him and pulled him back to her to kiss him.

This was so nice, he reflected as he stroked her skin, piquing her arousal. It was nice to be so intimate with someone with whom he could giggle and joke during sex. Here she was, entirely exposed to him and teasing him for being a boob man.

She was just so natural and all the more beautiful because of it.

God, he loved her.

He told her so as he lined himself up with her body and slid inside her.

Every time, the moment they were joined just like this was so exquisite, his breath stuttered. Every moment in his past he'd spent lonely, he wished he could have known it was all worth it. He'd been waiting for her almost half his life.

Worth it, he thought as he began to move, watching the way her body rocked. What a perfect creature she was - from her perky little breasts, the lovely flush of her cheeks, to the little noises, the nonsensical words that fell from her parted lips. He loved the way her body bucked when he tickled the skin of her belly. He loved the way she looked at him - how her gaze penetrated him just as surely as he was buried deep in her.

There was nothing else in the world but this, them.

Feeling the need to consume her, his rhythm picked up. He threaded their fingers together, pinning her hands to the table on either side of her head.

"Carlisle," she breathed. Hearing his name in that little moan of a voice would never not drive him crazy. "Please. More."

He gave her more. He would have given her anything.

Slipping his hand between them, he rubbed her clit, bringing her to orgasm before he followed her.

When he'd had a moment to recover, he pulled her up, pulling her into a hug. He swayed them, so filled with tenderness and adoration, he was briefly overwhelmed. She leaned her head against his shoulder, her hands rubbing up and down his back.

With a sigh, he pulled back, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her like she was precious. And she was - so incredibly precious to him. "I love you, you know," he murmured.

"I know." She kissed his cheeks and the tip of his nose. "But you should feed us now." The glint in her eyes was mischievous. "You're going to need your strength if we're going to do that again."

He growled, kissing her hand as he pulled her off the table, setting her on her feet.

"Carlisle," she said as he stepped over to the stove again.

"Hmm?"

"I'm really glad you came home early."

He grinned at her. "Me too, sweetheart. Me too."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed! Let me know.