Okay, this took a while and I'm sorry. But I'll always come back to Twilight, don't worry.
I edited the other chapters a bit, since I found some grammar errors and one or two sentences that were just "too much" fluff.
I'm having a hard time with the story at the moment, since I know where I want to go, but not how to achieve it *lol*. We'll see, I think.
Thanks for all your kind words. I'm super happy about every feedback I get from you.
Charlie had been furious that evening. Bella should've been home way earlier. Carlisle talked to him though and Charlie couldn't hide the tiny, pleased smile when he heard that the relationship between Bella and Edward was over once more. After seeing Bella perfectly unharmed and without any trace of tears, the smile broke out full force.
Bella herself had been in a state of shocked silence. She hadn't missed the way Carlisle had flinched away from her after her answer. Even while he spoke to Charlie, she could hear the uneven sound of his normally perfect controlled voice. She had stood behind him and felt like she was packed in a cloud. Everything had sounded damped, apart from his voice, which had broken through as clear as if he had been speaking into her ear.
Charlie had taken her home then and, after she'd assured him hundreds of times that she wouldn't freak out over the breakup, had hugged her tight and let her escape into the quietness of her room.
Three weeks had gone by since then and Bella still couldn't believe what had happened. Carlisle Cullen was her mate. Well, her vampire mate. Practically her mate-to-be, since she was forced to become a vampire. This was so surreal.
Without Edward at her side, she wasn't sure what she should think about anything. Of course she wanted to be a vampire, but what then? What would follow after that? And who would turn her? Alice? Needless to say it wouldn't be Jasper. Carlisle? She blushed, only thinking about it. The biting part suddenly seemed way too intimate. What did she know about this man, anyway? She knew lots, but after his recent teenage-like outbreak, she wasn't sure if she knew the real Carlisle Cullen. She knew him as the father of this family, but in reality he would forever stay twentythree.
Alice and Jasper had tried to entertain her as good as possible over the last weeks, but Bella couldn't think of much else then Carlisle. The only problem was, that he was the topic the two of them tried to sidestep at all costs. Why hadn't he tried to contact her by now?
Bella gasped. A thought had crossed her mind and she couldn't believe, that she hadn't thought about it earlier. She was sitting in her room like a little schoolgirl, mourning about the mean ways of life and love. But this wasn't her, was it? She had to grow up years ago and didn't everyone tell her how it seemed she had been born an adult? The answer to her recent problem was so easy. She only had to do it.
„Get up your ass, Bella. Why are you sitting here? You're not a stupid princess waiting to be kissed," she told herself, voice loud in the quietness of her room.
She stood and grabbed her jacket from the chair in front of her desk, hurrying out of the room and down the stairs.
„Charlie, I need to see Alice. Is it okay when I drive over to the Cullens?" she asked.
Charlie was lying on the sofa, watching the news.
„Now?" he asked, glancing at his watch „It's eight. I thought you said you'ld stay home this weekend."
„I forgot to tell Alice something. You know... girls talk," Bella answered, instantly sorry for the new lie.
„Edward isn't there, you said?"
„Yeah. Rose, Emmett and he are still staying with their relatives."
Well, then it's save I'ld say. Have fun!"
„If he only knew", she thought. „Thanks dad, maybe I'm staying there over night. Is that alright?"
„Sure," he answered, not even looking in her direction again. Some sports expert had just started to talk about the latest football game.
Bella smiled and grabbed her keys.
The drive didn't take long, as usual. The houses lights shone brightly through the surrounding trees and she could see Jasper and Alice through the glass wall of the living room. Both didn't look in her direction, not even when she got out of the car and closed the door of her truck loudly. She knew they had seen her arriving, though and smirked. Always the perfect human behaviour.
„Carlisle! It's for you," she heard Alice call, when she opened the front door. Jasper winked at Bella then and Alice came over and hugged her. „I knew you'ld make up your mind some day. We're going hunting, have fun." With that they were gone.
Suddenly Bella didn't know why she'd come. She stood in the middle of the bright living room and started worrying her lower lip. What if he didn't want to see her? Maybe that was the reason why he hadn't visited her himself.
All thoughts were lost, when he suddenly stood before her. „Hello Bella," he said and smiled this Carlisle smile she was only too familiar with. With that she could work.
„Hey," she smiled back and took a step towards him. Then she blurted: „I missed you."
He stared at her then and she closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. „Sorry."
„There's nothing to be sorry for," he answered.
„Can we talk?"
„Aren't we talking?" He smirked.
She felt the overwhemling need to giggle, but suppressed it with all her might. She needed to get to the point. „About me becoming a vampire, I meant."
The smile left his face and he backed down a step. „I can't."
„But... you know I need to become one of you. The Volturi will come see if it happened. There's no other choice, Carlisle."
„You don't understand," he said „when you become one of us, you won't have a choice anymore."
„What choices do I have? I told them I'ld do it."
„That's not what I'm speaking of."
„Then tell me what you're speaking of!" That had been louder than intended, but she was at the end of her patience. There was no choice to make.
„You have a choice. We can fight. You don't have to do this."
How could he even think about the possibility? „Yes, I do have to!"
„No. Because if you become a vampire, you can't choose anymore. You're not as much affected now...," he started.
„This is about you and me? You can't be serious, Carlisle! You would sacrifice your family over this?"
„No," he cried „but there's no other option!"
She'd never seen him look so forlorn. Why was he fighting this so much?
She wasn't even sure if she had that option he seemed to believe in. Over the last weeks he had been in her every thought and she'd felt the pull constantly. She wondered why it had happened only now. Maybe the bond needed to be realised from the vampire part to affect the mates. That was an interesting theory to think about later, but now she needed him to understand.
Her features softened and she walked towards him once more. „I have no choice," she said and touched her hand to his.
That comforting warmth filled her again and she knew by the way he flinched away from her touch, that he had felt it too.
„I want to become one of you. Be with you forever. I want to become your equal, because I can't stand the thought of someone hurting you. I won't have you three fighting for me, when I know you're fighting for the wrong reasons."
A sigh left his lips and when his eyes met hers again, she knew she had won, but she didn't stop there. „I'll happily give myself to you, if that's how it should be. You are kind and compassionate, so why shouldn't I want to love you? I don't see it the way Jacob sees it and I remember you saying something similar."
She heard a growl and the next thing she knew she was in heaven. He had pulled her to him and captured her mouth with his lips. The warmth spread through her body and she wondered about the softness of his lips on hers. She closed her eyes and breathed in his scent and felt home and safe and accepted.