Well, this was hard somehow. I know where I want to go with this story, but I'm not sure yet how to achieve it. We'll see, I think.
White walls, light grey, shiny floor, hospital beds and a neon sign that read South County Medical Clinic.
Alice gasped and got off the sofa in a flash, running to where the computer stood on a dark wooden desk in Carlisles office.
"Alice? What is it?" Jasper had followed her and was now rubbing her back gently.
Alice turned around, while the computer started with a low buzz. "He made up his mind, Jasper. Carlisle chose a place to stay. At least for now," she said.
"That was faster then we thought."
She nodded and, when the computer was finally ready, typed in the hospitals name.
"Quilcene, Washington!" Alice beamed. "That's not so far. It's only a two hour drive."
"Why would he stay so close, when he doesn't want to come back?"
Their gazes met and no one needed to say another word. Carlisle couldn't stay away, so much was clear.
Carlisle stood in the middle of his new hospital office, dragging his right hand through his smoothed back hair.
This was it. His new workplace. Sighing he turned around, considering everything in the room.
The hospital was as small as the one in Forks. That was an advantage, since they always needed doctors in those small towns. Quilcene was in fact the perfect location for vampires with his diet. Only a few hundred people who didn't really have to do anything with one another and the large Olympic National Park right next to it. Still, it was so close to Forks.
He had tried to stay away, had run through forests, bought a car and driven hundreds of miles, only to come circling back to his former home.
Growling, he threw the stupid desk figure of some sportsman against the next wall. She left a small hole, smashed back and, with a clatter, came to a halt next to the door.
What was going on? He used to never loose control, but since the moment he had seen her at the airport, he couldn't hold back anymore as easily as before.
Maybe the hard work would help him to get over his desire to start running through that damn forest until he stood before her, confessing his love.
He sighed, everything would be okay. He needed it to be okay. Edward had lived long enough without any kind of love and he couldn't bring himself to steel that away from his own chosen son.
"No way! He's not going to visit you ever again. Hell, Bells, you are not going to have any boy in your life for the next ten years!"
Charlie was fuming.
"But dad…"
"No! I don't want to see you like that ever again! He's not doing this a second time!"
Bella smiled slightly, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "He won't ever hurt me again, dad. He loves me and I love him," she said.
Three weeks had passed and Bella hadn't been alone in her room after school like Charlie thought she had been, but he mustn't know about that. Now had been the right moment to tell him Edward wanted to come over again. She understood Charlies objections, but still.
"Bella…"
"Please, dad."
Charlie rolled his eyes: "At least I have my gun in the house."
Bella grinned and threw her arms around him. "Thank you."
Half an hour later the door bell rang and Charlie glared at her, when she hurried to open it. He earned a small smile in return.
"Hi," she said when she opened the door and let Edward pull her in for a kiss. She closed her eyes and suddenly she felt dizzy.
The darkness was back and the trees outlines. She heard a low growl and thought she saw a shadow cowering behind the trees. Bella…
"Bella! Bella!" She opened her eyes and saw Charlie pushing Edward away, grabbing her. "What did you do?"
She blinked. "Edward didn't do anything, dad. It's okay. I was just… feeling dizzy."
"Maybe Edward should go, if you're not feeling well."
"No! I mean…," she shook her head slowly, feeling weird somehow.
"You father is right, I'm going," Edward agreed and caressed Bellas cheek, before he turned around.
Charlie nodded and closed the door behind him, not knowing that he would be in her room as soon as he was out of sight.
"Bella, do I need to get you to the hospital?"
Golden eyes came into her mind. A white coat and a pale, slender hand.
She flinched away from his touch, when Charlie tried to grab her arm.
"Bella?"
"No," she shouted a bit too loud. „No, it's okay. I'll just go in my room and sleep. Maybe I didn't drink enough, it's quite hot today," she tried again and made her way towards the stairs.
"I'm here when you need me," said Charlie and Bella smiled at him over her shoulder.
Edward stood, as predicted, in the corner of her room, waiting.
"Are you ill?" He was at her side in an instant, checking her over with his eyes.
"Everything's fine. I didn't sleep well this night, I'm only exhausted."
"Why didn't you sleep well?"
"Dreaming." She averted her eyes. Somehow she wasn't comfortable with telling Edward about the dream.
The forest haunted her every night, never revealing quite enough for her to see what was going on in the shadows of the trees. She felt still save, though. The dream wasn't bad, she just didn't understand what it meant.
"What did you dream?" Edward pulled her down on the bed, burying his head in her hair.
She tried to relax, but remained tense. "The Volturi, I think," she lied and hoped he would miss the tremor in her voice.
"They will wait for our next move. Everything's fine for now." His hands went down to hers and he grabbed one to place a kiss on the back of her hand. "No need to worry, love."
A thought came to her mind, and she turned her head to look him in the eye. "When will you turn me?"
"I don't want to rush things. We have years…"
"Edward, I'm not waiting years! It's now or never."
He was silent for what seemed like a lifetime to her. "There's something… I require. Before I do turn you," he finally said and looked down to their entwined fingers.
"Anything! What is it?" She asked eagerly.
His golden eyes shot upwards again, seeing through her in every way possible. "Forever."
"That's what I want."
"Then marry me."