I'm asking you to trust me here.

It's important to remember that things left unsaid are often more revealing than the things we do say, It's impossible to know the truth when you don't have the whole story, and just because we assume something to be true, doesn't mean that it is.

"I'm really happy that you decided to stay and meet with them." Bella and Mike were finishing up with the nightly routine in the store. It took some prodding, but Mike finally agreed he should be a part of this. Bella tried to convince him by telling him about Emmett's work with at risk youth, hoping he would feel some deeper connection to this project. Mike kept to himself the resentment that Emmett was getting to fulfill Mike's dream job, and Emmett was able to do it in a much more significant way.

As Mike went to his office to deposit the cash float into the safe, three Cullens entered the shop. Emmett and Carlisle Bella expected. Edward, she did not. This made her nervous, she hadn't thought of the possibility of Mike and Edward interacting. She was afraid of so many things, but the thought of him accessing Mike's private thoughts concerned her the most. Then she remembered her invitation yesterday: read his mind. She had told him to verify he was a good man and worthy of Bella. He was making good on her request. "Please don't..." she wanted to say make a scene, but thought that sounded too harsh and was likely to cause one, "make things awkward." Bella's request was little more than a whisper.

"I won't. I could leave, if that would make you more comfortable." He wanted to prove to her that he could be near her without losing his mind, but knowing Mike was here made him rethink his idea.

"You can stay." Bella was pleased that he was willing to leave to make things better. She saw this as a sign that perhaps things could improve between them. She stepped back to address the three of them, "Come on back to Mike's office. You can go through the grant with him there, I've got some things to finish up here first."

While Emmett won Mike over with his genuine enthusiasm, Edward and Carlisle remained quiet. Carlisle, who was skilled at reading his son, watched him grow increasingly agitated. He assumed Mike's thoughts were the cause; he was partially correct. It was a single thought Mike had when seeing Edward for the first time that he was aching to ask Bella about. For the most part Edward had managed to stay out of Mike's mind; he was too lost in his own. Carlisle correctly sensed that it was time to get Edward away.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Edward and I have another appointment we need to get to. Mike." Carlisle reached out and clasped his hand, "It was good seeing you. I'm looking forward to our continued partnership." Edward didn't approach the desk, but gave a vague wave on his way out of the office. Emmett looked up from the paper work and gave Edward a not at all subtle thumbs up.

"Are you two leaving?" Bella looked up from the shelf she was tidying as an act of procrastination rather than necessity. She wasn't ready to be in a room with Mike and Edward.

"Yes, we have somewhere we need to get to." Carlisle could feel the tension rolling off Edward beside him. He knew why he had asked to come along, and truthfully, he had lasted longer with Mike than Carlisle expected. You've done well son, say goodbye and then we can talk about it away from here.

"Why does Mike think I'm the reason you can't have kids?" Carlisle closed his eyes in frustration. He sensed this wasn't going to go well for Edward.

Bella's eyes grew wide, and then angry. "I am not discussing that with you!"

"The minute I walked into his office, that's what he thought about. Bella, why does he think I'm the reason you had a hysterectomy?" This information shocked Carlisle also. A hysterectomy performed on such a young woman was unusual and extreme; why would Edward be to blame?

"Oh my god." Bella put her hand over her face, she was mortified.

"Did you have a hysterectomy because of me?" Edward was whispering, aware that Mike was in the other room. His tone conveyed only his confusion, there was nothing accusatory in his question.

"Look, I'm not going to talk to you about this. But no, I did not have a hysterectomy. Not because of you or anyone else."

"He was pretty explicit in his thoughts in that matter. You don't have a uterus. He thinks that's my fault."

"I will say again: I'm not talking to you about this."

"Bella-"

"I'll talk to Carlisle ok? Not to you. This isn't something I want to discuss with you. It's a medical issue."

"Are you ok?" Edward's tone was pleading now.

"I'm fine, I promise. I'll tell you this: I don't want kids, and I can't have them anyway." Bella kept to herself that as far as Mike knew, seventeen year old Bella came home from the 'accident' in Phoenix unable to have children.

Carlisle said nothing to Edward as they left the store together. He didn't need to. He didn't censor his disappointment at Edward's outburst. They got into Carlisle's current ride, a Mercedes S Class Coup, a hand-me-down from Rosalie who decided she wanted something a little sportier.

"That's not how I was hoping to walk out." Edward spoke up, disturbing their silence.

"You were so close." Carlisle said lightly. There was no point in berating Edward, he was the master at doing it to himself.

"I was surprised. I have no idea why he would blame me for that. The Lord knows there's so much more he could blame me for. And thank me." He added wryly. "I'm worried there's something wrong with her. If she doesn't come to see you, do you think you could still talk to her?"

"I'll see what I can do."

They were pulling up their long driveway as Carlisle made a tenuous commitment to seek out Bella if she didn't come by within the week. When they got out of the car, Edward made no move towards the house.

"I need to hunt."

"You're coming back?"

"Yes. I just need some time alone to compose my thoughts. I need to go and explain myself to her. I've done a shit job of that so far." It was unusual for him to curse, especially around his father. There was just no other way he could think to describe his conduct so far.

He spent the night satiating his thirst and thinking about the things he needed to say to Bella. He needed to be far more collected than he had been so far. He was contemplating how he would accomplish this when he detected Rosalie nearby. He stopped running and waited for her to catch up.

"Emmett told me about the meeting." There was never any preamble with her.

"Are you here to mock me? Rub it in." He had so much work to do on his self-control.

"You don't get to take it out on me."

"You're right, I'm sorry." He turned to look at her.

"Actually he said, all things considered, you didn't freak out too much."

"Rose, I don't know how to be around her. The loss of control I always feared? I keep hurting her, and any chance we have, every time I open my mouth."

"I have some advice, if you're willing to hear me out."

He remained silent, but nodded.

"Oh you are desperate." She teased him. "Do you remember what it was like before her?"

"Lonely."

"I know. I remember what it was like for me, before Emmett. Compared to you I was alone for a blink of an eye. But do you remember anything else?"

Again he remained silent, but this time shook his head.

"While you did tend to be a bit morose, you weren't always. You were actually quite funny. In that dark, sarcastic way you have. You were interested in things. You were passionate about music and learning. Remember the fifties? You immersed yourself in poetry and philosophy and we teased you about the beret you took to wearing?"

Edward let out a self deprecating half laugh as he put his head down in embarrassment.

"And then you met Bella. It was intense and passionate and full of psychological torment. Again I can't imagine what it would be like to love Emmett like I do and not be able to physically express it. And to fear losing him with each passing minute? I don't know how you endured it. I know that I was a bitch about it. But it wasn't because I didn't want to see you happy. It was because I didn't want to see you like this." Rose stepped closer and took his face in her hands, her thumbs swiped at his cheeks as if clearing away his invisible tears. "Try and find the person you used to be. That's who she fell in love with."

"Do you really think it will bring her back?"

"I don't know Edward, but it might bring you back."

After deciding and then changing her mind several times, Bella found herself pulling into a parking space near Forks General on her day off. She wasn't sure yet if she was going to tell Carlisle everything, but she wanted some answers for herself. She knew Carlisle would be able to give them. She hoped he could do that without giving away secrets she wanted to keep.

She quickly found his new office after inquiring at reception. He was waiting for her at his door.

"Alice?" Bella still wasn't convinced she wasn't being watched.

Carlisle just shook his head, and tapped his finger to his nose. "Come on in, I suspect I know what you would like to discuss with me." He closed the door behind her and moved to sit behind his desk. Bella grabbed his arm as he walked by her, stopping him.

"Before I say anything, are you able to keep thoughts away from Edward? I don't want him to know what we say in here. I need you to keep doctor-patient confidentiality." Carlisle was concerned at the slightly wild look in Bella's eyes. She was obviously desperate.

"Yes, over the years I've developed ways to keep some thoughts to myself." Instead of moving to behind his desk, Carlisle sat down in the chair closest to where he currently stood. He pointed at the chair beside him, "Please, have a seat. I promise you I will keep this between the two of us."

"Thank you." She sighed the words as she sat down.

"Your husband thinks you had a hysterectomy?" He figured he would get straight to the point before she got skittish and changed her mind.

"Yes."

"But you didn't."

"No." She murmured.

Carlisle's curiosity was peaked, but he refrained from asking about Edward's involvement.

"Do you know why he thinks that?"

"Because that's what I told him, before we were married. Before we were dating even. I had no way to explain that I couldn't have kids, so I just said that. It's true enough."

"Bella, I'm confused. Why can't you have kids? Why is saying you had a hysterectomy 'true enough'?"

Bella didn't answer right away. When she came here she wasn't sure how much she would tell Dr. Cullen. But sitting in his office she knew she had a chance to confirm what she had suspected for a long time. She decided to start at the beginning. "My periods stopped around prom. They were always irregular. I didn't notice that I never had one until after Edward left. In the beginning, I just chalked it up to stress. I wasn't eating, I was a mess. As I got better, they never came back."

"Bella have you ever seen a doctor about this?"

"No."

"Bella, this can be a sign of something significant. I'm sure you know that. Have you not menstruated once in ten years?"

"Not once."

"Is this about your aversion to hospitals? I need to do some tests. We can do them here, I can probably bring what I need to get started up here, rule some things out at least."

"I never get sick. I haven't had a cold or flu or infection. Nothing. In ten years."

"Bella, just because you are seemingly healthy doesn't mean that-"

"Edward mentioned he doesn't struggle with blood lust around me anymore." Bella interrupted, "It doesn't sing to him like it used to."

Carlisle tilted his head while he thought about why Bella would bring that up now. She looked at him expectantly, like she was waiting for him to put something together. They continued to stare at each other until Bella sighed.

"I didn't go to a regular doctor because I was afraid." She held her arm out to him, palm up. "Is it different?" Carlisle reached over and held her forearm, he didn't lift her sweater up, but he brought his nose down to the part of her wrist that was exposed. She smelled like Bella.

Then his eyes widened, he couldn't disguise it and her fears were confirmed. It was incredibly subtle, even with his superior nose he barely detected it.

"You smell it don't you?"

"It's very faint. If I wasn't looking for it, I would never have noticed. I don't know what this means. How long have you suspected?"

"After Edward left, I'm sure you heard, I was with Jacob. You know Jacob Black, Ephrim Black's grandson? Not long into our relationship he changed." Bella didn't need to explain the change, Carlisle's shocked expression let her know he understood.

"He wasn't the first, was he?"

"No, but he was the last."

"But Bella, what does that have to do with this?"

"While I was away at school I got to thinking. I just thought it was strange, why he would change when there were no vampires around? Why he was the only one to change after you left? There was something that he would say to me, at first I just thought it was jealousy. But I started putting things together, I thought maybe there was something more to what he was saying, something that we didn't realize at the time."

"What did he say Bella?" Carlisle was sure he knew the answer, he just needed Bella to confirm it.

"He told me that he could still smell Edward on me. He said I smelled like a vampire."

Even though he knew what she was going to say, the calm way she told him stunned Carlisle. Then her panic kicked in.

"Carlisle, you have to keep this to yourself. Please, I don't want anyone to know."

"But Bella, I wonder what this means? Let me do some tests."

"Please, nothing much has happened since that year. It's just my periods stopped, and I have very good immunity. I can still get hurt. Even my sleep hasn't changed. I feel the same, honest. I have a theory though: I think when James bit me, my system started to react to the venom. And Edward pulled it out and it stopped. I think it may have worked like a vaccination."

Carlisle was stunned by what Bella was saying, the scientist in him wanted to experiment, but the father in him gathered her in his arms when she started to cry.

"I guess it was a good thing Edward left. We couldn't have stayed human and vampire forever. Eventually I would have begged someone to change me. And then what? When it didn't work?"