I'm sorry that updates have been a bit sporadic. Real like if working hard to drain me. Okay so it doesn't have to try that hard. I've been going to bed instead of staying up and writing. Promise that won't keep happening because we have fun things coming up!

The song for this chapter is Everything At Once by Lenka.

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Disclaimer: I'm only doing this for a friend. I don't get anything from it but her undying appreciation. I certainly don't get to have fun with Emmett and the boys in my head.

Chapter Eleven: Everything At Once

BPOV

Carlisle Cullen in scrubs should be illegal.

It'd been a week since he'd come home to us playing poker and I couldn't get the image of him out of my head. His arms, thick with toned muscles, straining against his sleeves. I could see the definition of his chest straining against the scrub top and the pants hinted at the muscular thighs hidden beneath. The color had highlighted his pale skin, making his honey hair even more golden. His topaz eyes had sparkled and glowed.

I was hopelessly falling for him.

I'd been surprised that for the last week, none of the Cullens had come over. Alice had texted me everyday. She was still in Alaska but she wasn't being very forthcoming about why. But she texted to check in on me and ask if I needed anything. I told her about my poker game and she was helping me come up with suitable dares for the boys. I missed her. I hadn't realized that not seeing Alice would hit me quite so poignantly. The grief from losing my mom had subsided somewhat with the introduction of her father and family but without them there, I fell back into the depression that plagued me since before coming to Forks. I limited myself to watching home videos of her to a single day but for some reason, I missed her even more than before. I could guess why.

Carlisle.

If my mom had been alive I would have asked her about my growing feelings for my friends' father. She would have probably encouraged me. Age had never been an obstacle in her mind. Phil was ten years younger than her. Although he walked out on us so maybe that wasn't the best example. But I feel like she would have encouraged me to see where that was going. It was just another way she and my dad differed in their parenting approaches. Charlie would have an aneurysm if he knew what kind of thoughts and feelings I was having about the local hottie doctor in town.

Then he'd shoot Carlisle for good measure.

I set aside the book I'd been reading and sighed, too distracted to concentrate. I leaned out of the bed and dragged my backpack across the floor. I finally pulled out the missed work from my first week of suspension and dived in. It worked for about an hour and a half but I finished all too soon. In Phoenix I had been enrolled in mostly AP classes but Forks didn't have an AP or advanced program. I flung myself back on the pillows and sighed deeply. My phone began to ring and I picked it up without looking at the ID.

"Hello," I said, not bothering to hide the mind numbing boredom in my voice.

"Are you dying without me," Alice asked through the phone and huffed out a laugh.

"My brain is going to shrivel up like a raisin. I can already feel it." Her tinkling laugh echoed through the phone and I smiled at the sound.

"Well then come open your front door and I'll fix that!" I sat up suddenly.

"You're back? When?"

"I got in today. Came to see you first. Now, meet me downstairs!" I flung my feet off the bed and hurried down the stairs as fast as my crutches could carry me. As I reached the bottom, I spotted Alice tucking the key under the mat before coming in and closing the door. She pulled me into a tight hug and I dropped my crutches to hug her back.

"I missed you," I exclaimed, eyes hot.

"I know. I'm sorry I just disappeared. But it had to be done." She pulled back and helped me into the den. We both collapsed on the couch.

"Why did you need to go to Alaska," I asked her suspiciously. She rolled her eyes good naturedly.

"I was just talking Edward into coming back."

"Did you," I asked, remembering how sad Carlisle was without his son.

"Yeah, I think so. He just needs a little more time."

"And what are you recruiting him for," I asked and she turned to me with a grin.

"So they told you. It's an argument I'm having with Carlisle." I scowled and she laughed. "Relax, Bella. It's for his own good."

"And as his daughter, I'm sure that completely falls in your prerogative."

"Imagine if Charlie had the opportunity to do something that would make him beyond happy, like the happiest he's ever been in his life. Wouldn't you push him to do it?" My stomach twisted into knots.

"What do you want Carlisle to do? Did he get offered a better job?" I tried to keep the panic from my voice but by the way Alice rolled her eyes at me, it didn't work.

"Relax. We're not going anywhere. This is about Carlisle's personal life."

"Oh." I stayed silent, not sure I wanted to draw attention to the strange obsession I had with her dad.

"I want him to give something a chance and he just won't listen to me."

"You can't force your dad into things, Alice," I chastised her and she shrugged.

"It's the best thing for him. If he'd stop being so stubborn and just listen, I wouldn't need Edward."

"You act like Edward coming back will change everything," I said skeptically.

"Oh it will. Edward can talk Carlisle into -and out of -anything."

"For some reason, that doesn't reassure me." She rolled her eyes at me.

"Relax. Edward just knows exactly where Carlisle is coming from. And that is the exact advantage I need to get Carlisle to stop being a stubborn butt baby."

"You know, Alice, I haven't spent a ton of time with your dad, but 'butt baby' is certainly not a way I would describe him."

"That's only because he's been on his best behavior around you. Bring up religion sometime. Then you'll see what I mean." I shook my head at her antics with an eye roll. "Anyway, enough about Alaska. Let's talk dares. Have you decided what you're doing yet?" I smiled gleefully.

"Oh yeah, I know what I'm going to do. I'm kind of worried about the two hands that I lost though. You know Emmett is going to come up with something beyond embarrassing."

"True. But if you own it, you turn it around on him. The problem with Emmett is that he isn't the least bit self-conscious. It's almost impossible to embarrass him because he just makes everything a joke. So you either need to accept that he's going to love whatever it is you dare him to do or… you need to figure out what gets under his skin."

"You're just a little bit evil, you know that," I said and she laughed maniacally.

"Be happy I'm on your side. Speaking of my siblings, I need to get home and see Jasper."

"I guess I'm just honored you came to see me before him," I teased and she winked.

"I'll text you later!" She danced out the door and I leaned back with a sigh.

Edward was coming home.

I wasn't completely sure how I felt about that knowledge. On the one hand, I knew that Edward probably wasn't a monster. Carlisle had admitted how much he missed his son and I trusted that Carlisle wouldn't defend his son if he wasn't a good person.

And yet…

My only interaction with Edward had been the unfortunate run in I had with him at school and honestly, the memory left me feeling a bit scared. His reaction to my running into him had been murderous to say the least. I was having a hard time believing that it was an isolated incident. People didn't just react that way to an accident. Even if he'd had other things on his mind or had been struggling with more serious issues, it just felt like such an overreaction that it was hard to dismiss the fears and doubts from my mind.

I got up to make dinner and hopefully allow my mind a reprieve from the circles I was cycling through.

It didn't work.

Cooking merely allowed my mind to wander more and reflect harder on my one meeting with Edward Cullen. I was so wrapped up in remembering the feral desperation in his face as he had strained for me that when Charlie came home, I didn't even notice until he said something and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Whoa, take it easy there, Bells. I didn't mean to scare you," Charlie said with a concerned laugh.

"Sorry. I was thinking and didn't hear you come in. How was work?" He placed his gun belt on a hook in the hallway while I started to dish us up.

"Not too bad. How was your day?"

"Pretty boring. Alice stopped by."

"That was nice of her. What did you girls do?" He grabbed our plates and took them to the table, settling into his chair while I hobbled my way over.

"Just talked. She was just stopping by on her way home."

"Oh yeah, you said she went to Alaska for some family stuff. How was it?"

"Okay, I guess. She didn't have much to say about it other than her brother and aunt should be coming home soon. So I guess they got everything figured out." I didn't know why I was lying to Charlie. I certainly had no reason to protect Edward Cullen but I couldn't shake this feeling that his family didn't want everyone knowing their business.

"Good, good. How's your foot?"

"Better, I think. I should probably make an appointment to get my stitches taken out." He nodded and we ate in silence, both of us occupied by our own thoughts. He thanked me for dinner and took his plate to the sink before moving into the den and turning on a game. I finished eating at a slower pace and then stood up and rinsed my plates off. I had just finished placing the dirty dishes in the dishwasher when the doorbell rang.

"You expecting someone," Charlie asked me on his way to the door. I shook my head at him. I heard the door open and the low hum of male voices before Charlie reappeared. "It's for you, kid," he said and stepped aside to reveal Carlisle Cullen, still in a suit from work with his black medical bag at his side. My heart fluttered at the sight of him and I noticed the corner of his mouth tip up, almost like he could hear it.

"Hello, Bella," he said and it was only then that I realized my father was standing right by us, watching him.

"Hi Doctor Cullen," I said quickly, aware I had been staring and desperately hoping Charlie hadn't noticed.

"I know it's terribly rude to just barge in like this but I realized it's been a little over a week and I remembered that your stitches probably need to be removed." He remembered? My face felt like it was being heated from the inside out by lava.

"Oh, um, thank you. I was going to try and make an appointment for this week but this works." He smiled warmly at me and gestured to a chair. I hobbled over awkwardly and sat while he placed his bag on the table and began to remove various tools.

"How is work going for you, Charlie," he asked while he prepped. Charlie pulled his chair up and sat in it.

"It's been pretty quiet. Outside of that logging accident a week ago, it's mostly just been the usual run of the mill things. How has the hospital been? Pretty slow, I imagine, if you're making house calls." Carlisle laughed at the joke and I imagined that the sound was the equivalent to drowning in chocolate.

"It's been fairly routine. Alice mentioned that Bella was probably fed up with not walking and asked if I'd make a professional exception for her. I was happy to oblige. I know a week of not walking starts to test one's patience." He winked at me and my blush deepened. I hated that my body betrayed me so readily. He sat in a chair and pulled my foot into his lap. "You might feel some pressure," he warned me. I just nodded, goosebumps exploding across my flesh at the feel of his hands on my skin.

"She's a real special girl, your Alice," Charlie said and I noticed his own blush. My eyes immediately met Carlisle's and we both tried not to smile.

"Yes we are rather fond of her," he said.

"Even when she's being a bossy know-it-all," I challenged him and he laughed.

"Even then." He worked efficiently, pulling on the thread and then snipping it.

"How's your sister doing? Bella mentioned some family stuff up in Alaska?"

"Yes, our cousin took a bit of a spill and Edward and Esme went up to help her get back on her feet again. Alice went up briefly to give Esme a bit of a rest before coming home."

"I'm sure you're excited to have them come home soon," I said and he smiled warmly, still focused on my foot.

"I am. It will be nice to have everyone together again. In fact, you two should come for dinner once they get home."

"Oh, we wouldn't want to impose so soon after they've been away," Charlie muttered gruffly and I could have kicked him for refusing.

"It's really no trouble. Alice and Rosalie have been hounding me to be more sociable. I'm afraid that while I'm quite happy to see patients, I tend to be more of a homebody. I'm sure it hasn't helped us integrate into the community very much." I looked at Charlie and gave me a questioning look. I gave him a pleading look and he smiled.

"Well, that's very nice of you. You just let us know when and what we can bring."

"I will. And the good news is that you, Bella, no longer have to rely on crutches to get around," he said with a winning smile and I looked down at my foot. There was still a slightly pink line from my injury but it no longer looked like something Doctor Frankenstein was using in his latest monster experiments.

"Thank you," I said fervently and he chuckled.

"Still take it easy. No strenuous activity, no marathons."

"I hope that doesn't exclude Netflix," I teased and he laughed.

"Netflix is definitely doctor approved." He packed his belongings while Charlie stood and moved around the table, rubbing my shoulder as he passed.

"We really appreciate it, Carlisle. Bella's been cursing those crutches all week."

"It was really no trouble. I'm just happy to help. You two have a wonderful evening. I'll have Esme and Alice work out the details for dinner and get in touch." He gave me a final smile in farewell before heading to the door, Charlie following behind. I heard them say their goodbyes before the door closed and Charlie came back in and leaned on the door frame.

"That was nice of him," he commented and I stood up, reveling in my newly gained freedom.

"He seems really nice," I mumbled and Charlie chuckled.

"Really easy on the eyes too," he teased and I blushed.

"Dad! He's Alice's father," I said emphatically but he just laughed harder.

"He is. I'm just teasing, Bells. Plenty of ladies in this town have become smitten by that man's smile. Don't be embarrassed if you have too." I blushed deeper and he just laughed to himself as he made his way back into the den to watch the game. I leaned against the sink for a minute, smiling to myself as I replayed the visit in my head. Then I quickly made my way upstairs and collapsed on my bed. My phone buzzed with a new message and I opened it.

I can't wait for dinner! Would it be weird if I made it themed? I'm thinking of a 20's Gatsby vibe.

I laughed at Alice's antics and shot off a reply before getting up and ready for bed. As I drifted off, I imagined Carlisle in a dapper suit while I was dolled up in a flapper dress, smiling at each other while he held me in his arms and guided me in the steps of a dance.