Oh my, I love you all! Thank you so much for all your comments.
At the moment I'm ill at home, that's why it's easy to write and post this often. That sure will change when I'm well again, but for now I'm happy with writing a lot.

"You're staying at home... for the rest of your life!"

Bella couldn't blame Charlie for the outburst leading to this last sentence. She had been gone for three days straight, without telling him anything or even waste one thought on him. Charlie had gone through hell because of her and she hadn't cared at all. All she had been thinking of was, that she needed to save Edward. Edward who wanted to get himself killed, because he had thought she was dead.

Bella remembered that moment as if it had just happened a few minutes ago.
Jacob, who had leaned over to her, trying to seduce her once more, and then the realization of a car standing in front of Charlies house. Shiny and black with shadowed windows.
Carlisle…
Her heart had leaped then and she had made her way out of the truck, away from Jacob. She hadn't cared if he thought it was a trap. The chance had been high that it wasn't.
When she had stood in the darkness of her home, Alice crashing into her and hugging her, she had known that something was not right. She had scanned the living room for more vampires to come, but had seen no one.
"I'm alone," had Alice said.

Nobody came to tell her anything that night. Bella hadn't slept a minute and was out of her mind when she drove to school the next morning, the adrenaline in her veins preventing her from feeling the tiredness.
Next to her usual parking lot stood already Edwards silver Volvo. She let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. They were at school, probably signing in again this minute. Everything would be okay.
Bella grabbed her bag, got out of the car and made her way over to the buildings. Like she had predicted, Edward left the small reception house a moment later.

"Hello, Bella," he said and came over to her, pulling her in his arms. She sighed and let him kiss her softly.

"Why didn't you come over? What happened yesterday? Is everything okay between Carlisle and you?"

"Everything is okay now, don't worry."

His voice was calm, but she knew something wasn't right.
"Tell me! I have a right to know!"

"Bella," came a soft voice from the door and she looked up to see Jasper walking towards the both of them. "Shall we get going? Alice is waiting for us."

That was weird. Jasper had rarely ever spoken to Bella and she had thought he would stay away from her even more, after what had happened at her birthday. She was happy, that he wasn't, though.
"Fine," she told him and got out of Edwards embrace. If he wouldn't tell her anything, she would ask Alice.

When they finally arrived at the entrance hall, she saw Alice waiting for them in front of the stairs.

"Alice…," started Bella, but the bell rang that moment and everyone got into school mode.

"Later, Bella." Alice winked at her and turned around.

"You did that on purpose," accused Bella loudly and rolled her eyes.

What she couldn't see, were Alices pained features as she hurried up the stairs, Jasper and Edward following behind.

A few minutes later, the three vampires sat in the back of their class. Everyone had been watching when they entered the room. Whispered questions had followed them since they had arrived at school.
Alice couldn't blame them, after everything that had been going on, they were the perfect topic for gossip in any form.

"Edward, this will not work out! I can't see it," she whispered quietly, too quiet for any human to register.

"That's because she doesn't know the story yet," he answered.

"What story? It's not the right thing to do! I can't imagine not being with Jasper, only because someone didn't want to tell me that he existed." Jasper looked over to her at that and grabbed her hand compassionately.

"It's not the same, she's no vampire. She's happy with me, isn't she? She loves me and I love her," Edward told her.

Alice sighed. Edward didn't know what he was talking about. He hadn't found his mate yet, so much was clear now. It was true that they loved each other very much, but no love could be truer than that of destined mates. At least for a vampire.
She wondered why she hadn't seen the slightest glimpse. Everyone had believed that Carlisle and Esme were as much the perfect mates as were Edward and Bella. Well, a true bond didn't leave any outward signs. How should they have known? Maybe it was something that you had to feel for yourself to understand what it truly was.
But could she let Edward take that away from Bella? She wasn't sure about that. Maybe Bella would be happy with the love she shared with Edward. Alice would wait and see, she had promised to at least wait some time.
And Carlisle? Alice didn't think he would change his mind. He believed that he did the right thing and he had lots of self control. But still…
She had tried to see anything, but it hadn't done any good. He purposefully seemed to change his mind every few minutes, leaving her with lots of more or less alarming possibilities. She just hoped he would stay safe.

When school break came, Alice sat down with the boys at the table they used to sit at before their departure, fixing her eyes on the big doors. Bella stormed through them only a few minutes later, spotting the three of them and pushing through the already crowded room.

"Bella, here," shouted Mike Newton, but she wasn't even turning her head.

Her bag hit the ground with a loud thump and she sat down in one of the free chairs, starring at Alice: "Where are Rosalie and Emmett?"

"They are gone," started Edward "Carlisle was needed in the hospital he worked at in Denali and Rosalie did want to keep Esme company."

Bellas gaze turned to him then. "How long will they stay?"

"I don't know."

"Why did you attack Carlisle at the airport?"

"He knew that he had to go and was thinking something I didn't agree with," lied Edward smoothly.

Alice gasped and glared furiously at Edward: "Don't!"

"What? What did he think?" Bella was curious now. What didn't want Alice to tell her?

"He thought about leaving us forever, because he didn't want to keep fighting for you. Especially not with the Volturi."

The tray in front of Alice hit the ground with a loud clatter. She didn't care, only stared at Edward with firy eyes, telling him to follow her out now.
Bella noticed only half of it. Her thoughts were running wild in her head. Carlisle didn't want to… to have her there? Friendly, always attentive Carlisle wanted a life without the human attached to them and would even split his family over it?
In her thoughts she saw loyal golden eyes regarding her affectionately, she had trusted Carlisle from the very beginning. This couldn't be true!

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" Alice was furious, barely held back by Jasper who was clearly struggling with it. At least nobody could see anything, since they had rounded the corner of the building.

"I did what came to my mind. It's just the perfect excuse," answered Edward.

"I didn't agree to this! I will tell her! You're not blaming this on Carlisle who willingly let you have her!"

"Let me have her? She was mine!"

"Not anymore! She is his, if he wants it or not. She just doesn't know yet!"
Alice looked positively feral now.

"You won't say a word! You promised you would wait and see how she's doing. What do you even want to tell her? That she can't be with me, because she's Carlisles, due to some weird vampire mating thing? She is no vampire, she doesn't feel any of it right now!"

Alice growled, but didn't say another word. Bella would be alone, if she told her. She probably wouldn't want to stay with Edward, because she thought it was the wrong thing to do and she couldn't be with Carlisle, since he was gone. She probably didn't even feel anything right now, Edward was right.

"Alice?" Edward wanted an answer.

"Fine. I will wait and see. But if she's showing any signs of being unhappy, I will tell her the truth!"