Hey everyone! Thanks for the positive feedback about the last chapter. I realize that some of you think Edward is annoying and that is fair because my Edward has a lot of personality. And the man will do whatever he has to make sure the Carlisle gets to be happy to. But I also think that even though he lived in a different time, Edward is still just seventeen. Forever. He's going to be a little annoying... or at least, tenacious. Also for those of you asking, the Bellisle fic that remains my favorite fanfic almost ever is called Take This Heart by Bookwormbaby2580. It is in ff and ao3. Brutal warning though: it is DARK. Like very, very mature kind of dark. It is not for all people. But it is absolutely beautiful and is so real that honestly, it's canon for me now. Read her ANs at the beginning of chapters because some people can't handle some of the stuff she includes. If you do read it though, let me know. We can fangirl together.

The song for this chapter is Dancing in the Moonlight covered by Jubel.

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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 Sixteen: Dancing in the Moonlight

CPOV

I stared out the window intently, nervous energy building inside me as I waited for Charlie's police cruiser to approach the house enough that I could hear it.

"You know, instead of standing at the window like a creep, you could come help get things ready for them," Edward teased wryly as he helped set the table. I grinned but didn't move from my spot.

"Why do the labor when I have children who can do it for me," I teased back.

"Child labor is illegal, Carlisle," Emmett said in mock outrage. I chuckled to myself as Rosalie hit him in the back of the head.

"No, Emmett, you can't put the centerpiece there! Ugh, just hand it over and I'll do it myself," Alice scolded. She'd been put out with me since I learned that she was planning a themed dinner party and had immediately forbid her from doing anything other than a simple, normal, un-themed dinner. She'd equated my stifling of her creative vision to being put upon by the Gestapo. I'd merely reminded her that Charlie and possibly even Bella were already going to be uncomfortable in the presence of seven vampires without worrying about extra things like a murder mystery. She'd rolled her eyes but conceded.

If only she would give up so easily on our other feud.

"Fat chance of that," Edward scoffed from the dining room and my jaw clenched. Edward had been just as annoying as Alice, telling me about Bella every day after school. He made a point to tell me about how close they were becoming and even though I knew that he was just trying to get under my skin, I still felt that jealous monster rising inside me and willing me to rip his head off his shoulders. He also made sure to point out how sad Bella was and that I could change that if I wanted to. "And I will continue to do so until you change your mind," he vowed cheekily.

"You know, it's annoying as hell when you two have a conversation that the rest of us can only hear half of," Emmett complained and I laughed.

"Whatever, you're just jealous you're not in on the juicy gossip," Jasper said as he entered the house from a hunt. Everyone had gone at some point during the day, except for me. Edward had been hunting every night since he'd returned almost a week ago. He assured me that it was merely a preventative measure for Bella's safety.

"Esme, do you need any help with dinner," I asked as the dining room descended into petty arguing. She was in the kitchen, working on the meal we would all have to pretend to eat. It was a reminder of how food was such a central theme to social gatherings for humans. If there had been the option to invite them over and have it feel natural without having to secrete food into our napkins or, god forbid, actually eat it, I'd have extended that invitation.

"That would be lovely, Carlisle," she answered and I sped to the kitchen to assist her. There were dishes everywhere, some dirty from preparation, others in various stages of completion. Esme was at the counter, layering ingredients in a tiramisu.

"What can I do," I asked her and she gestured toward the oven.

"Would you pull the bread out of the oven?" I grabbed oven mitts from the drawer and pulled out the perfectly baked rolls, placing them on a counter to cool. "Thank you. Now would you be a dear and turn the stove on under that pan to about medium heat? You need to get a nice sear on the scallops." I did as she asked and pulled the sea scallops from the fridge. I worked at a human pace, drying each one with a paper towel before placing them on a cutting board to be cooked and seasoned.

"Okay, so explain this to me, Carlisle," Alice said, entering the kitchen and leaning against the counter with her arms crossed. "I try to plan a nice, fun, murder mystery dinner party that would have been ridiculously entertaining and you say it's 'too much'. But Esme decides to make a four course meal and you are completely on board with that."

"You really wanted to play whodunnit with the Chief of Police, Alice," I asked wryly and she grinned.

"He would have loved it. He would have had it solved before any of the rest of us. Assuming Emmett and Edward didn't cheat," she muttered darkly. I laughed, shaking my head at her.

"We invited them over for dinner, not a show. Although if we get through dinner without something happening, I'll give a very generous check to the charity of your choice." Her tinkling laugh filled the room. We both knew that we wouldn't make it through dinner without incident and that I would write that check regardless.

"Hey, I resent the implication that we are demon children," Edward said from the family room with feigned outrage.

"Of course you aren't demon children," I said and waited for his 'damn right' before continuing. "Because I'm the demon, which would make all of you demon spawn." Emmett began to laugh riotously and I smiled to myself.

Had I smiled this much before Bella was introduced into our lives?

I had enjoyed time with my children and we had certainly had our fair share of fun and jokes. But I felt almost electrified since I'd met Bella. I was more inclined to tease and joke with my family rather than agree placidly or step into the role of father figure. Had meeting her changed me or was this merely the effect she had had on my children, manifesting at home?

"It's her," Edward said, his voice tinged with exasperation. "Alice and I keep telling you how good she is for this family, for you, and I swear, it's like talking to a brick wall."

If you continue to try and force this, I will take you to the roof and throw you off-where are you going, I thought as he began to zip up the stairs to the attic.

"I'm checking to see how high the drop is and decide if it's worth it." I rolled my eyes at his antics.

"Seriously, children," I said, invoking my not often used 'dad voice', "I don't want anyone to make our guests uncomfortable tonight or to try and make anything happen between Bella and I. Unless you have forgotten, it is illegal for a man of even my perceived age to court a lady of hers. We are going to have a nice dinner and you will all be on your best behavior."

"Fine, Dad,"Emmett and Jasper groaned from the backyard where Jasper had convinced Emmett to toss a ball around with him. Rosalie gave a noncommittal response from the family room, where I could hear the pages of a magazine turn. Alice stared at me for several long minutes before rolling her eyes and agreeing. I didn't hear anything from Edward who had taken up my post at the window, watching for the arrival of our guests.

"I'm sure everyone will be lovely, Carlisle," Esme said from behind me. "Right, Edward," she asked pointedly and he sighed.

"Fine," he muttered grudgingly. I nodded, satisfied, and began to place batches of scallops in the hot oil in the pan, searing them smartly before flipping them and waiting a few minutes before pulling them out. Only a few minutes passed before we all heard the engine of Charlie's cruiser turn off the highway and onto our drive. As they neared, we could hear the two heartbeats in the car, the one I recognized as Bella's starting to speed up as they approached.

"Is she nervous about being around all seven of us," I asked Jasper quietly. He burst out laughing while Edward gave a deep sigh.

"You really are an idiot," he mumbled and moved to the piano to begin playing as the engine cut off and we heard car doors open and close.

"I should be out there to greet our guests," I said, looking down at the last batch of scallops I was finishing.

"No," Alice said, moving towards the kitchen door. "Humans aren't as formal as they used to be. It would be weird if you waited to greet them. Let us handle it and you can come out in a moment. It will be more natural and set them at ease." I frowned at the lack of manners but agreed. The doorbell echoed across the house and Alice danced to it to answer.

"Hey, Bella! Hi, Charlie," she greeted enthusiastically before I heard her move and their footsteps came across the threshold. "Let me take your jackets for you." I smiled that at least she was using her manners instead of leaving them to settle in awkwardly. There was rustling of fabric and the closet door opened and closed.

"I brought the salad," Bella's musical voice drifted to me over the music of Edward's hands on the piano.

"Great! Do you want to take it to the kitchen and we'll dish it up?" My body tensed in anticipation of her coming nearer.

"I'm just going to go greet Charlie while you finish the sauce for those scallops," Esme said blithely -too blithely -before leaving the room.

"Et tu, Esme," I said petulantly. She laughed quietly.

"You must be Bella," she said as their paths crossed. "I have heard so much about you. I'm Esme."

"It's so nice to meet you," Bella said graciously. "Edward has said lovely things about you." I smiled at the diplomacy, sure that Edward hadn't been half as generous as he'd like. I heard a low grunt of agreement from the piano bench.

"He's a sweetheart," Esme said fondly. "I'm just going to go say hello to your father. The kitchen's right through there," she said and a few moments later, the door opened and I was assaulted by her heavenly scent.

"Oh," she said in surprise. I looked up at her and smiled, forcing myself to stay frozen to the spot to stop from sweeping her into my arms and placing my face at her throat to inhale her alluring scent. Edward cleared his throat tightly from the piano.

I'm sorry, I thought contritely. Those kinds of thoughts certainly didn't help him.

"I didn't know you were in here," she said, completely oblivious to the thoughts plaguing me. "Not that that's a weird place for you to be since, you know, you live here." She blushed deeply the more she spoke and I couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped me.

"I think it's probably fair to be surprised to find me in the kitchen cooking. I'm still not sure what Esme was thinking, letting me in here." She laughed, the tension in her shoulder releasing and my own tension eased in response.

"I made a salad. Alice told me I didn't need to bring anything but I pestered her into letting me bring this. Made her tell me what kind of salad I should make and that is a mistake that I will never be making again," she said with the faint look of someone who has misjudged horribly.

"Alice has ideas for absolutely everything."

"Even your life," she mumbled under her breath and I sent a string of ungentlemanly words in my mind to Edward who laughed under his breath as he introduced himself to Charlie.

"You can put it over here on the counter. I'm not sure what Esme wants done with it." She moved past me to the open space I had gestured to and I shivered as I felt the heat of her body passing over me. She set a bowl down and then came to look past my shoulder to the stove.

"That smells amazing," she breathed and my own breath stuttered as her chest pressed lightly to my arm, her hair brushing the sleeve of the black shirt Alice insisted I wear.
"No promises on how it will taste," I teased quietly and she gave my arm a playful push. I looked down at her and our eyes held. I was drowning in pools of melting chocolate, our faces growing slowly closer, entranced by her.

"Here, Bella, let me help you," Alice announced loudly as she pushed through the kitchen doors. Bella jumped away from me like she'd been shocked and that was enough to remind me about where we were and who was here. She flushed deeply and turned to the salad while Alice grabbed the plates. "Hey, dad, why don't you go say hello to Charlie," Alice suggested and I noticed Bella flinch ever so slightly at the name.

Did it bother her that her best friends were my children?

I tucked that thought away for later and removed my sauce from the heat.

"Alice, please attempt to refrain from telling Bella how horrible I am for preventing you from killing anyone at this dinner party," I teased with a fond kiss to the top of her head.

"You call it murder, I call it a conversation starter," she said airily and I saw Bella behind her, hands pressed together as she mouthed an emphatic 'thank you'. I bit back a laugh and held up my hands.

"Wouldn't want to commit a murder with the Chief of Police here, Alice. He'll think we're bad influences." I walked out the kitchen door and found Esme and Charlie seated in the family room. Emmett and Jasper were still outside, keeping up the pretense of being invested in their football game. Edward was at the piano, playing softly while Rosalie continued to read on a chair. Charlie stood as I approached and we shook hands firmly.

"Charlie, it is so good to see you again. Sorry I've neglected you. I think Esme is hoping that if I cook, this whole thing will be ruined and she can just order pizza." Charlie laughed and we sat back down.

"Before Bella came to live with me, I was a frequent customer of the pizza place in town. It's a good thing she can cook because I could burn water."

"How is work going," I asked after our chuckles had faded.

"A lot of the same. There's not a lot going on here but they did call to talk to me about the death of the sheriff in Walla Walla."

"I heard about that," Esme murmured. "It's just heartbreaking. Did you know him?" His face had grown somber.

"Not well but he worked in Jefferson County before moving east. I wish I could do more. They aren't sure if the two other crimes that happened the week before are related or not. It's just a bad situation all around." We sat in solemn silence until Alice and Bella emerged from the kitchen a few minutes later just as Emmett and Jasper came in from out back.

"Hey, Bella," Jasper said with an easy smile as he moved over to Alice's side, following her into the kitchen and reappearing a minute later, balancing dishes as he followed her into the dining room.

"Bella," Emmett exclaimed and grabbed Bella to swing her into an enthusiastic embrace. She laughed and leaned up to his ear, breathing words too low for even the rest of us to hear. Emmett froze and dropped her, staring at her in horror before his eyes flew to Charlie and back. I frowned, wondering what she had said to him. I gave Charlie a subtle glance but he had a soft smile on his face. Emmett tried to say something to Bella but she raised her eyebrows at him with her arms crossed over her chest and he finally nodded grudgingly.

"Dinner is ready," Alice announced to the room, brushing past the strange exchange. We all stood and headed to the dining room where everyone found the place card with their name on it. While I assumed Bella and Charlie would find it formal, it's purpose was to help us keep up the charade of eating dinner. Emmett and Edward had secured bags under the table at our seats where we could subtly dispose of our food. Charlie chivalrously helped Esme with her chair and I took advantage of the opportunity to assist Bella, who was seated next to my place at the head of the table with Edward on her left. I pulled the chair out for her and she smiled at me as she took her seat, half standing to allow me to push the chair in. My hand brushed her arm as I went to take my own seat and it felt like someone was shooting carbonation into my blood. I heard her own heart pick up into a frantic rhythm and then subtly shook my head to clear it as I sat. Charlie sat on my other side, adjusting his napkin on his lap.

Salads had been placed on small plates on top of our dinner plates. We all picked up our utensils and began to eat.

Or pretend to in my family's case, secreting small bits when we felt our guests wouldn't notice.

"Bella, this salad is divine. What's in it," Esme asked enthusiastically and I gave her a grateful smile.

"It's a fennel and blood orange salad with a raspberry orange vinaigrette," she replied.

"It's simply delightful!"

"You can thank Alice," Bella said with a half smile. "She picked it out."

"Why do they call them blood oranges," Jasper asked in genuine confusion.

"Probably the color," Edward answered.

"That doesn't make any sense. Who would want to eat something that sounded like it had blood in it," Emmett argued. They began to bicker and I raised my head to the ceiling in exasperation.

"Actually, it's because they grow them in cold weather," Bella broke in and the boys stopped arguing to look at her. "They grow them when it gets cold at night because that's the only time anthocyanins develop which is what gives it that red color."

"How do you know that," Rosalie asked curiously. I watched as the tips of Bella's ears grew red, spreading to meet the crimson growing from her cheeks to her neck. I glanced at Edward worriedly but he merely rolled his eyes at me.

"I, uh, read it in a vampire novel once," she said quickly but we still caught it. Edward coughed and began to choke on the drink he'd been pretending to take. She pounded on his back to try and help rid the liquid from his lungs.

"You read vampire novels," Emmett asked with a huge grin on his face and I could see by the light in his eyes that he was ready to begin a whole round of teasing.

"I used to, occasionally, pick one up when my options were limited," she said with forced casualness.

"Like, vampire romance," Edward asked slyly, shooting me a quick shit eating grin.

Do not even think of pursuing this line of questioning, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen. His smile broadened.

"If it wasn't totally unethical, I would definitely blackmail you with this," Edward teased.

"Right, because you are a shining beacon of ethics," Bella replied dryly and I couldn't hold back a snort.

"Well now I should definitely blackmail you." She looked across the table to Charlie who was watching the exchange with a bemused glance.

"Hey, is it still murder if you warn them first," she asked him.

"That is called a threat," he said with a quirk of his lips.

"Damn," she muttered.

"See, you're stuck with me," Edward said, putting his arm around her shoulders while she glared at him. At the sight of him holding her, a primal desire to rip his arm off his body rose within me and he looked directly at me and smirked.

I swear, Edward, you are over a hundred years old. Could you please grow up, I thought. He chuckled which only made Bella's eyes narrow more, assuming he was laughing at her.

"Go to hell," she whispered.

"And leave you here all alone," he asked with exaggerated confusion and she shoved him back to his seat. I gave him a hard look.

"I'd apologize for my children but apparently they've all been replaced by demon spawn," I said to Charlie, chuckling. Esme and Alice grabbed the salad plates from us and disappeared into the kitchen.

"It doesn't bother me. Bella can hold her own against anyone. Honestly, I pity them because that's a losing battle," he teased with a wink to Bella who shrugged proudly.

"I was raised to take no shit," she said and I smiled at the exchange, noticing the subtle shift in brightness in Charlie's eyes. Alice and Esme reappeared with bowls and a tureen of what smelled like soup.

"Our next course is cream of wild mushroom soup that Edward made," Esme said proudly and Bella turned to look at Edward suspiciously.

"Did you use poisonous mushrooms," she asked shrewdly.

"Yes," he said seriously, "but all the poison cooked out."

"Look on the bright side, Bella. If it kills you, you won't have to look at that ugly mug in Government and Biology every day," Emmett suggested. Edward picked up his roll that Esme had placed on his plate and lobbed it at Emmett who immediately picked up his soup spoon and aimed precisely at Edward's head. I cleared my throat loudly and they stopped, head's down.

"Definitely demon spawn," Bella muttered and laughter broke over the table.

"Your boys remind me of my friends when I was younger," Charlie said fondly. "I didn't have siblings growing up but I was really close with Harry Clearwater and Billy Black out in La Push. We used to fight like that." My family stilled at the mention of the council members on the reservation. Panicked glances were exchanged but I remained calm.

"Friends are the family we choose for ourselves. Do you still see them often," I asked casually.

"We usually go fishing every weekend or every other weekend if work gets in my way. Bella spent more time on the reservation during her summers than she did in town," he said and everyone's eyes flew to Bella, including mine.

"Yeah, Jake and I spent a lot of time getting into trouble. Well, mostly me. Turns out it's really easy to hurt yourself on a beach," she muttered self-consciously.

"Seriously, Bella, how did you make it to seventeen with your proclivity for injury," Emmett teased, subtling guiding the conversation away from the only members of the community who knew what we were and could potentially expose us.

"Wow, Emmett, that was a four syllable word. Did Rosalie teach that one to you," she responded in a voice usually reserved for toddlers. Emmett scowled at her and tried to subtly flip her the bird from just above the table. She started laughing.

"Emmett Cullen, if I see that kind of disrespect again, I won't hesitate to let Bella get up from this table and teach you a lesson," I said sharply and Bella giggled.

"Sorry," he muttered. We continued to eat in silence for several minutes before Bella spoke again.

"Esme, Edward told me that you like to garden? What's your favorite thing to grow," she asked and Esme glowed at the question.

"I have so many favorites and the climate here is wet enough that I have a lot of options. But I will always love growing hydrangeas. Such a simple flower but still beautiful."

"Do you ever grow vegetables?"

"I have a whole vegetable garden. I grow so much that we usually just donate it to local families so it doesn't go to waste."

"Do you ever grow aubergines," Bella asked.

"Sometimes, but they have to be grown in the greenhouse here since we don't have a lot of sun and they need drier conditions." Emmett stood up and pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his bare chest.

"Emmett, what the hell," Rosalie demanded. He ignored her and slipped his shoes off his feet, pulling his socks off next.

"Emmett, put your shirt back on," Edward barked.

"Seriously, what is wrong with you," Jasper snapped. Emmett popped the button on his jeans and started to unzip the fly.

"Son, you need to put your clothes on right the hell now," Charlie ordered and Emmett flinched but still pulled his pants down, his grizzly bear printed boxers now exposed.

"Emmett, this isn't funny," Bella shouted amongst the chaos of everyone insisting he put his clothes back on and my eyes landed on her. Her face was outraged but I couldn't miss the sparkle in her eye. Emmett glared at her petulantly and whipped his boxers down in one quick motion. She had already looked away, her head turned toward me while her hand was pressed to the side of her face to block her view of him. Her eyes met mine and I shook my head at her in amused disapproval. She grinned widely at me and it felt like molten lava moving from my chest to my limbs.

"Dude, put it away," Jasper shouted from his position next to Emmett as he tried to edge his chair away from the nude man.

"That's enough," Charlie said, standing, authority radiating from him. He walked over to Emmett and handed him his boxers. "Put them on," he said gruffly. Emmett hurried to comply, stuttering out attempts at explanation.

"Sir, I'm so sorry. Bella dared me," he began.

"My daughter understands the importance of the law and doesn't cross that line," he countered. Once Emmett had his boxers back on, Charlie grabbed his wrists and placed handcuffs over them while Emmett stared at Bella, wildly, begging for her to tell him. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to place you under arrest for indecent exposure, son." He guided him out of the dining room while Emmett continued to yell over his shoulder at Bella. The rest of the family was following them out, trying to talk Charlie out of taking him and for Emmett to just shut up. Bella and I stood with them, following at a leisurely pace.

"I thought we agreed you wouldn't get my sons arrested," I reminded her loftily. She grinned at me and god, it was the most beautiful I'd ever seen her.

"Emmett was the one who decided to show everyone his terms and conditions," she pointed out. "I'm as shocked as you are."

The minx.

"Don't think that I didn't notice that he was perfectly content being clothed until you said the French word for eggplant," I pointed out and she looked up at me.

"You caught that?"

"It helps that I speak French," I pointed out.

"You speak French? Fluently?"

"Tu est mon univers. Ne pas vous dire ce que je ressens est la chose la plus difficile que j'aie jamais faite," I said reverently, gazing at her face fixedly. Her breathing hitched and the familiar blush rose in her cheeks.

"What does that mean," she breathed. I didn't answer, feeling myself being drawn into her like a star to a black whole: powerless to stop, all-consuming and inevitable. Before I could say anything, Charlie's voice broke into our moment.

"Bella, let's go," he called and she snapped her eyes away from mine to where he stood, obscured by my family -probably purposely -at the driver's side of the cruiser with Emmett sitting in the back, looking lost.

"Excuse me for just a moment," Bella said softly before moving past my family, pulling her phone from her pocket. She walked up to Emmett's window and pointed her camera at him.

"Say cheese," she cooed, snapping a picture of him in the back of the cop car in nothing but his boxers. He stared at her slack jawed before starting to yell through the car door at her. Charlie opened the door, laughing to himself and helped Emmett out, removing the cuffs from his wrists.

"You were in on it the whole time," Emmett asked him, dumbfounded.

"Sure was, kid. Bella told me what her plan was before we left and I suggested taking it to the next level and getting you in cuffs," he said plainly and Emmett stared at him for a few moments before letting out a loud guffaw. Edward and Jasper were congratulating Bella on her successful hoodwinking of their brother while Rosalie shoved the clothes Emmett had left in the dining room into his chest.

"Sorry for interrupting dinner," Bella said to Esme as we began to move back into the house. Esme started laughing and pulled Bella into her side.

"There is no reason to apologize," she said once she had stopped laughing. "That was the best comeuppance I have ever witnessed and Emmett definitely deserved it. He's such a shit sometimes." Bella's eyebrows shot up in surprise and Esme began laughing again. We all walked back into the dining room except for Alice and Esme who stopped in the kitchen to grab the main course. Jasper was teasing Emmett and Edward was praising Bella again. We sat and Esme and Alice placed dishes of the sea scallops I had made along with ravioli in front of each of us. I realized as I pretended to eat this meal that I wished I could have enjoyed this food the way Bella had. I didn't often miss human food -I certainly had no appetite for it now -but I could see the anticipation in Bella's face as she inhaled the smell of the food from the chafing dishes, I wanted to share the experience with her.

"The entree is asparagus and ricotta ravioli and seared sea scallops in a lemon beurre blanc sauce," Alice announced excitedly. Bella leaned toward me.

"Should I be worried this might kill me," she asked, the mischief alight in her eyes once more.

"Most definitely. But since you ate Edward's poisonous mushroom soup, if you do die, he'll take the fall and I'll get away free and clear." She giggled and leaned in to take a bite of food cautiously. I watched as her eyes slipped closed and her shoulders dropped.

"Holy crap," she muttered, low enough that I don't think she meant for anyone to hear her. She looked over at me and I smiled. "This is amazing," she said and I felt unreasonably proud, almost like a peacock ruffling his feathers until his tail was on display.

"Peacock is right," Edward muttered, too low for Bella and Charlie to hear.

Are you sure you want to start comparing ego and hubris, boy, I thought to him warningly and he flashed a quick smile at me.

"You know, Carlisle, I never took you for the type to lose your sanity over a girl," he mocked. I sighed quietly.

Neither did I.

Our private conversation was interrupted by the ringing of a phone. Charlie reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out, frowning at the screen.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this," he said quickly, standing and leaving the room for perceived privacy. He walked out of the house and sat in the cruiser. He pulled up his radio and started to communicate with the dispatcher via codes. It sounded like he was being called in. I noticed that Bella kept staring after him worriedly.

"I'm sure it's nothing," I said soothingly and she turned back to me. Only moments later, Charlie came back in, his face tight with stress.

"I'm sorry, Carlisle, Esme but the station just called and they need me to come in. I hate to cut the evening short but we have to leave." Bella's face fell with the announcement and I felt equal disappointment sitting like a stone in my stomach.

"I could drive Bella home later," Alice offered. "If you're going to be working, she'd just be waiting at the police station anyway. She could stay here with us." Charlie looked over at Bella who must have made some sort of face in agreement because he nodded.

"I'll see you later at home then, Bells. Again, thank you very much for dinner. It was wonderful." I stood up and Bella followed. We walked with Charlie out to his cruiser.

"Is everything okay," she asked Charlie and he gave her a smile but it didn't meet his eyes.

"Yes. Just some scheduling issues," he told her and I heard his heart beating slightly faster and smelled his sweat glands activating.

Why was he lying to his daughter?

"Okay. Be safe, please," she said to him when we got to the cruiser. She wrapped her arms around him and he reciprocated, squeezing her tightly before letting her go.

"Thank you for coming, Charlie. We'll make sure Bella makes it home safe," I promised and he gripped my hand briefly before climbing into the cruiser and pulling out. Bella and I watched his car disappear and I heard when he hit the highway instead of the gravel of the drive and he accelerated quickly towards the police station.

"Something happened," she said quietly, arms wrapped around herself either for warmth or comfort, I wasn't sure.

"Possibly. But this is a pretty sleepy town and your father is very good at his job. He'll get whatever it is sorted out."

"Yeah," she said but I could tell she wasn't entirely convinced.

"Come on," I said to her, gesturing for us to head into the house. "I'll let you skip the entree and just eat dessert if you want." She stared at me incredulously as we walked.

"Are you joking right now? I'm going to eat everything on my plate and probably go back for seconds." Had I been human, I might have taken a leaf from her book and blushed. "You're a gifted doctor. You adopted kids with the same medical condition as you so they could have proper care. You speak French and you can cook. How has some lucky woman not locked you down yet," she asked, baffled. I stopped, staring at her. She walked forward a few more steps before realizing I wasn't with her and turned around. She came closer and I lost myself in the curve of her face and the shine of her hair.

"The right woman just hasn't come along yet," I murmured.

"I can't imagine many women find themselves interesting enough to catch the eye of Doctor Carlisle Cullen." She spoke as softly as I had, a slight breathlessness to her voice.

"No. Not many," I agreed, putting just the slightest emphasis on the last word.

Not many.

Just her.

I reached up and brushed an errant lock of hair behind her ear. There was a buzzing under my skin as my fingertips made contact with her delicate skin. Her eyes fluttered closed at the contact and her breath caught. I gently moved my other hand along her jaw to cradle her face, moving my face closer to hers slowly.

Slow enough to let her stop me.

She didn't try to stop me. Our lips were scant centimeters apart when Emmett's voice broke through my hazy brain.

"Just kiss her already," he hissed, too quiet for her to have heard. It broke through the haze in my brain and I was brought crashing back to reality.

We shouldn't be doing this.

"Emmett, I will murder you," Alice vowed darkly and I pulled my face back from Bella's, not quite able to break off contact completely. Her eyes opened and she watched me, confusion and questions swirling inside the dark irises.

"Let's go eat," I murmured before I let her face go with one final caress to her jaw. I stepped back completely and offered her my arm. She blew out a breath and slipped her arm into mine.

"Yeah," was all she said quietly and I knew that had it not been for Emmett, I would have kissed this beautiful vixen senseless.

I couldn't do that.

Right?

French translation: You are everything. Not telling you how I feel is the hardest thing I've ever done. Technically the first part literally translates to Your are my universe. If any of this French is incorrect (looking at you French readers. I know you are there.) please let me know because my ability to speak French is fading from disuse.