Sorry for the slow updates. The littles infected me with their gross, stupid germs and it makes it hard to write anything that isn't Bella drowning in tissues and questioning various at home medical procedures to relieve sinus pressure.

The song for this chapter is Poker Face by Lea Michele and Idina Menzel. It'll make sense.

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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 Nine: Poker Face

CPOV

I'd never been more grateful for my ability to perform my job without having to think about it. I'd spent all night with Bella occupying my thoughts and nothing changed when I prepared for my shift at the hospital. I replayed every moment with her from the night before, the feeling of her hand gripping mine as we shared the painful truths of our past. Today had been especially busy at work, a logging accident filling the emergency room and surgeries with injured men and women. And yet through every patient I had seen, I still hadn't been able to dismiss her beautiful face from my thoughts. I just wanted to get home and see if maybe Alice was over at her house again so I would have an excuse to see her.

As I pulled up the house, I slowed down, confused as the sounds of the house met me and I picked out a very human heartbeat amongst the noise. I pulled into the garage and turned off the car, listening to the chaos before I made an appearance.

"Raise," Emmett said confidently and I heard the click of plastic chips hitting each other.

"Call," Jasper said and more chips clicked together.

"Call." I shouldn't have been surprised to hear Bella's voice but hearing the sweet sound in the place I often found solitude from the world was unexpected. I felt a warm approval washing over me in a wave and I clenched my hands in frustration.

I should not -no, could not -be having these feelings for her. Regardless of my advanced age and her being little more than a child, societal norms forbid it. Not to mention the danger that would be imposed on her if she found out what I was. The Volturi were not forgiving and secrecy was valued above all else, especially human life.

I couldn't steal her life from her.

I made my way from the garage to the front steps in a flash, my body betraying my determination to maintain an emotional distance. I walked into the foyer, putting on a show of shaking out my jacket and settling in before pretending to notice Bella. Her eyes were fixed on me and when the smile came automatically to my lips, her skin grew a delectable rosy pink and her heart rate picked up.

"Oh hey, Carlisle," Jasper greeted. "I forgot today was your short day." It was a bald lie. He couldn't have forgotten if he'd wanted to.

"Hello, kids. Bella, it's so lovely to see you again." Her blush deepened.

"Ooooh, what's the matter, Bella? Cat got your tongue," Emmett teased. I gave him a hard look. I was about to verbally rebuke him when Bella spoke.

"Hey Emmett, want to play some video games again," she asked sweetly but there was a hard edge to her voice. His smile disappeared and he glared at her.

"No. You cheat," he pouted.

"Come on, Emmett. We'll make it an even thirteen to two," she taunted and that small glimmer of attraction grew as I watched her hold her own against Emmett's antics.

"Now, now, you're already kicking Emmett's ass at this game," Rosalie reminded them teasingly.

"What game would that be," I asked, moving further into the room, pretending to look at their set up curiously.

"Texas Holdem," Rosalie said. I tried to hide my disapproval but I could feel the frown on my mouth.

"Really, children, gambling. What kind of examples are you setting for Bella?" In a volume lower and faster than she could hear I said, "It is supremely unfair of you to gamble when you can hear her heartbeat," I chastised.

"It would be if her heartbeat gave her away," Jasper agreed in the same register. "But her heartbeat doesn't even stutter. She's kicked my trash twice already."

"Actually, poker was my idea," Bella admitted. "Emmett got tired of losing during video games." Emmett stuck his tongue out at her.

"Getting suspended from school and gambling, huh? Should I be worried that you're going to turn my children into delinquents, Miss Swan?" She went red again but I noticed the way her heartbeat sped up when I said her name and her eyes dilated.

"Not much of a journey for some of them," she countered with a smirk. I laughed so hard I half expected to feel tears in my eyes.

"Well, don't let me get in the way of your corruption. I'm sure you're doing it all in the name of job security for your father," I teased with a wink.

"In a town this small, we have to make our own trouble," she sighed mournfully. I felt electrified by her banter and I had to physically root myself to the spot so that I wouldn't sweep her into my arms and place the passionate kiss to her lips that I was aching for.

"Could you stop flirting with my dad so that I can blow your mind with this hand," Emmett complained. I gave him a dark look while Bella just smiled sweetly at him, the picture of calm.

"By all means, let's finish." Emmett laid his cards down first, looking gleefully pleased with himself.

"Who's ready to party because I got a full house. Suck it losers!"

"Emmett, I suggest you remember a semblance of manners or you'll be sleeping in a tree tonight," I warned and Bella giggled to herself.

"Damn, Em," Jasper drawled. "Full house. That's hard to beat. Luckily for me, I have Ace and three of his friends." He laid his cards down and Emmett swore. I slapped the back of his head and he grumbled to himself. "Maybe you shouldn't assume ya'll could beat a Texan at Texas Holdem."

"You're from Texas," Bella asked him interestedly and I felt an irrational surge of jealousy. Jasper smirked at me knowingly.

"Yes, ma'am," he said, exaggerating his accent.

"That's so cool! Where in Texas?"

"Galveston. It's down on the coast."

"My mom and I went there a few years ago. It was the beginning of our Civil War tour when she went through her historian phase." I saw Jasper's eyes light with interest.

"You went on a Civil War tour?"

"Yeah. We started in Texas and made our way East. We visited Georgia, Fort Sumter, Vicksburg, Manassas, Appomattox, Chattanooga, Gettysburg; most of the major historic sites. It was one of the most interesting phases my mom ever went through. I learned way more than I did when we covered that chapter in my history class."

"Right," Jasper said passionately. "It was such a complex war and most people miss that."

"Jasper's a Civil War buff," Rosalie said fondly. "He and Carlisle could talk about it for hours, even if Carlisle is more of a Revolutionary War man." Her eyes turned to me in amusement.

"The Revolutionary War, huh? That's really fortunate," Bella said with a smirk.

"Why is that," I asked, my own smirk forming unbidden on my own lips.

"Because the Revolutionary War was declaring freedom from King George the Third. And I just happen to have a royal flush." She flipped her cards over to reveal her hand and Emmett began to utter a string of expletives until Rosalie kicked him under the table.

"HOW ARE YOU SO GOOD AT THINGS? YOU CAN BARELY WALK WITHOUT TRIPPING? YOU COULD LITERALLY TRIP OVER YOUR OWN SHADOW!"

"Hey, my shadow is a tricky little bastard. He's always trying to bring me down to his level."

"BUT SOMEHOW YOU BEAT THE EVERLOVING SH-CRAP OUT OF ME AT HALO AND POKER?" Her triumphant grin faltered and Jasper inadvertently rubbed at his chest where his heart was.

"There wasn't a lot to do in the hospital. We spent a lot of time there and these were some of the things my mom had the energy to do with me," she admitted quietly and Emmett slumped in his seat, embarrassed and ashamed. I was filled with an almost crippling sympathy for her, wanting nothing more than to take this pain from her. Everyone was sitting silently and it was only then that I realized we were missing someone and her presence wasn't heard elsewhere.

"Where's Alice," I asked suddenly. My children froze but Bella's eyebrows shot up.

"She went to Alaska and didn't even tell you?"

"She went to Alaska," I demanded, eyes settling on Jasper.

"She's on some sort of mission. All she told me was that she had to talk to Edward. She promised to be back in a few days." I pinched the bridge of my nose. I had been happy to find that my children were connecting and bonding with Bella but now I was feeling supremely annoyed that none of them seemed particularly concerned about maintaining the details or appearance of our family hierarchy.

"Do you normally wear your scrubs home," Bella asked me suddenly. I looked up at her sincere face.

"What?"

"Most of the doctors we saw wore normal clothes. Only the interns, residents and surgeons walked around in scrubs." I looked down at myself. I was wearing a pair of the hospital's navy scrubs.

"No actually. I very rarely wear scrubs but I had a patient today with a kidney stone who got sick on me. Normally I have spare clothes in my office but I must have forgotten to replace them the last time I wore them."

I hadn't forgotten.

I'd gone to the small locker in my office, expecting to find a stack of neatly pressed shirts and slacks and found nothing instead. "I should probably change," I said.

"You don't have to," Bella answered and I raised an eyebrow at her. She blushed deeply. "I mean, don't feel like you have to change on my account," she amended. I half smiled and sat on the couch, near her but not close enough to touch her, even though I was nearly itching with desire to. Rose and Emmett got up and headed upstairs, making an excuse about Emmett licking his wounds. Jasper made an excuse about going to call Alice and disappeared. Once again I was alone with Bella.

"How is your foot," I asked her, gesturing vaguely. She rolled her eyes.

"I don't know how I'm going to handle not putting any weight on it. Rose and Emmett wouldn't let me do anything today." I was warmed by the effort they'd taken to keep her comfortable. "But I know that they can't just skip school until this heals. So I guess tomorrow will be a day for reading and binge watching tv." I chuckled.

"You know, most kids would love to get out of school for two weeks," I teased.

"Yeah, well, I've never really been like that. My mom was such a free spirit, I learned from a young age to be responsible." Her words were meant lightheartedly but I was filled with a profound sadness at the knowledge that she had given up her childhood to be the responsible party in her family. It was easy to see now why she was so mature, so responsible. "Anyway, I should be getting home soon. Charlie is supposed to be home in a few hours and I need to make dinner. Plus, I have to dream up all manner of things for Emmett for his losses."

"What exactly were you kids betting with," I asked, folding my arms in mock disapproval.

"We were betting with dares," she said casually. "Whoever won got to pick a dare for the loser." I barked out a surprised laugh.

"What kind of dares?"

"Oh no. No I'm not going to spill to you because familial loyalty dictates that you have to side with Emmett and Jasper which means you would be obligated to warn them. Nope, can't take that chance." I grinned at her.

"What if I promised to ignore that loyalty and take your side," I offered. Her eyes twinkled at me.

"Well then, my dear doctor, I'm afraid I couldn't tell you because you might need plausible deniability." I laughed again, overwhelmed by the fizzing in my blood.

"Planning something illegal, are we?"

"Never," she said, eyes wide and face the picture of innocence but it was impossible to miss the mischief shining in her eyes.

"Try not to get the boys arrested. The paperwork is such a headache." She giggled and I wanted nothing more than to wrap myself in the sound of eternity.

"I can try but they're so troublesome," she lamented. I chuckled.

"Well, may I give you a ride home so that you may commence with your evil plotting in peace?" I held my arm out and she hooked hers through it.

"ROSE, I'M LEAVING," she shouted towards the stairs and there was the sound of stomping feet before Emmett appeared at the bottom of the stairs and rushed us.

"Bye, Bella! Thanks for coming over today, even if you're a dirty cheat. Don't worry though. I already have so many ideas for what I'm going to make you do." He swung her into a hug, twirling her around.

"You're crushing my spleen," she complained.

"You don't even know where your spleen is," he said. He set her down and Rose gave her a hug.

"Text me when you want to hang out. I promise I don't have to bring this big idiot with me next time."

"Please, Bella loves me. She would be devastated if you left me out."

"I don't think that word means what you think it means," Bella deadpanned.

"Alright, kids. I'm going to drive Bella home," I said. "Please don't destroy the house while I'm gone."

"Whatever you say, dad," Emmett teased. I led Bella out of the house, guiding her to my car. I opened the door for her and helped her climb in, placing her crutches in the back seat. I got in and pulled out of the garage and down the driveway.

"Your kids are pretty great," she said quietly after a few minutes.

"I'm fairly fond of them, even when they're testing my patience."

"Emmett and Rose said that you and Edward are super close." My heart stung with the reminder of Edward's absence.

"We are. Edward has always been able to understand me, even when I don't vocalize those feelings or thoughts. I'm feeling… off balance without him."

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"Whatever for?"

"He left because of me. I mean, I know that he's got stuff going on but if I hadn't run into him, he probably wouldn't have ran for the hills."

"Bella," I said seriously, looking at her creamy skin growing pinker, "you have absolutely no reason to be sorry. Edward's need for space has nothing to do with you running into him and everything to do with his need to work through his thoughts and feelings alone. Please do not blame yourself."

"When is he coming back," she asked and I felt the ugly green monster of jealousy rear its head at the idea that she cared about when Edward was returning. I quelled the desire to mark her as mine, to press my lips to hers and plunder her mouth.

"I don't know," I replied honestly. "Things are more serious than we realized. I don't want him to come back before he's ready but I do miss him."

"I get that," she breathed. I pulled up to her house and parked.

"Do you need help in," I asked and she shrugged.

"I'm fine. Really. Not my first time on crutches."

"I'll see you to the door," I said and hopped out of the car to grab the crutches and open her door. She thanked me quietly and we made our way up the walk to the front door. She moved her crutches to take another step but the foot of the crutch slid on the slick pavement and she was falling. I reached out and grabbed her before she could hit the ground. In doing so, she wrapped one arm around my neck and we stayed suspended for a moment, faces mere inches apart, my arms around her waist, her arm at my shoulder. I stared into her warm eyes and felt like I was being lit on fire by the desire shining in her eyes. I closed my eyes and forced a deep breath. I lifted her back up and let go despite my arms begging to continue feeling her soft curves.

"Are you okay," I asked, voice slightly strangled.

"Yeah," she said breathlessly. "Just clumsy." I handed her crutch back to her and we finished the journey to her front door. She dipped and retrieved the key from under the mat and unlocked the door. She turned me after she'd opened it and stepped inside. "Thank you," she mumbled, smiling shyly at me.

"Always a pleasure, Miss Swan," I said with a small bow. She laughed and I smiled at her before turning around and getting into my car. I watched her in the mirror as I pulled away from the house until she went inside and shut the door. I pulled out my cell phone and hit number three on my speed dial.

"Alice," I bit out when it went to voicemail, "I know what you're up to. It's not going to work, young lady. Get home. Now."