Bella sat before Carlisle obligingly, watching him prepare an array of tools from his black leather bag, which was now open on the grand oak desk. Bella could see the thermometer and stethoscope in the pile. No doubt for my benefit she thought. She doubted very much that Carlisle needed the stethoscope to hear her heart clearly.

Carlisle's study was softly lit by an antique brass lamp on Carlisle's desk, casting a warm, golden glow that highlighted the intricate woodwork of the shelves and the rich, leather-bound volumes that lined them. The scent of aged paper and leather permeated the air, creating an atmosphere of timelessness and quiet intellect.

An icepack was pressed into her hands.
"This will ease the swelling." Esme smiled, moving a hair away from Bella's face kindly. Her hand moved to rest on Bella's cheek, thumb stroking the reddened skin in a soothing motion. Bella let her head sink into her cool hand. It seems the whole family had heard the conversation outside. Damn that vampire hearing.

"Gosh, she is warm, isn't she?" Esme said, turning to Carlisle, her brows furrowing in the same way his had. Her thumb continued the motion on Bella's cheek, as if trying to ease the soreness away; she'd always been the mothering type.
Carlisle only nodded, preoccupied by something in his bag.

"I'll bring you up a warm tea once you're finished." Esme said, and with a parting reassuring smile to Bella, closed the door behind her. Bella got a small glimpse of Edward through the open door for a fleeting second. His eyes caught hers and he gave what he clearly thought was a comforting smile, although it looked rather forced. He'd been removed from the room by Carlisle, who didn't want Edward to be tempted by blood, nor for Bella to be agitated with her worry for Edward on the subject, so instead, Edward was pacing the halls back and forth, sweeping his hand back through his hair in agitation. He'd always been overly concerned with Bella's health.

Bella held the icepack to her cheek. The ice was refreshing, and numbing, the painful throb still eminent, but appeased slightly.

"First thing's first, Bella. I want to take your temperature." Carlisle turned to her with the thermometer, which he pressed into her ear. There was a short beeping sound, and he removed it.
"102." He frowned. "Higher than I'd like it, but manageable. You must be feeling a bit uncomfortable." He said, sympathetically.

"A bit" She conceded. He gave a sympathetic grimace, before turning back to his black bag. Bella saw him take a needle and a small vial from inside it. She felt her palms sweat in anticipation.

"Do you trust me, Bella?" He said, golden eyes seizing hers again. She nodded, albeit a bit reluctantly. She was sure he could hear her heart beating out of her chest. It was threatening to break through her ribs.

"Umm, I'm not big on needles." She admitted, her fingertips combed through her brown hair, brushing it back away from her face. A self-soothing motion. Carlisle chuckled.

"I know, Bella, but dental infections can get into the blood stream. I think it's best we cover our bases." He motioned to her to roll up her sleeve a bit and pressed an alcohol swab to the crook of her elbow. "Okay, deep breath for me." His hand moved toward the needle. Bella looked away.

She felt a small pinch and kept her eyes on Carlisle's bookshelf, brimming with original copies of books that had appeared long before her time. There was a wide selection among them. The office was filled to the brim with literary treasures, some of which pertaining to his medical career, others of pure fantasy. She let her eyes wander over the titles. A few classics she recognised: Wuthering Heights, Frankenstein. Others she was less familiar with.

"You're a fan of the classics?" she asked, eyes fixed on the shelf. Anything to distract herself.

Carlisle glanced up from his work, his expression softened by the nostalgic ambiance of the room. "Indeed, I am," he replied, his voice tinged with affection for the collection surrounding him. "There's something profoundly grounding about the wisdom and stories of the past."

Bella watched him with avid interest. Carlisle rarely shared much of his history or interests. He was an enigma in that way, usually buried in textbooks, making notes in a handwriting reminiscent of a style only the Victorians could call home.

He smiled slightly, enjoying her interest. "I was always interested in reading." He added. "Although, of course, back then they were just considered books. Nothing classic about them." He said mildly, removing the needle and the vial and stowing it away in his black bag. He turned to her again, eyes acutely studying something in hers. "Do you want to lie down for a bit, Bella? Your heart rate is rather quick." She'd noticed a coolness on her wrist. He'd pressed his fingertips to it, and was looking at his watch. His mouth was a thin line once more.

Bella was trying to keep her heart rate steady. She could smell the blood still, even now that it had been tucked away. The room was spinning and she inwardly cursed. This was not the impression she wanted to give him. Weak human, fainting over a tiny needle. She could feel his gaze scrutinizing her.

She hadn't had a moment to say anything before she was lifted off the chair, her head eased into a plush pillow. Her vision steadied, and she realised she was on the leather sofa in Carlisle's study. A cold body was pressed up against her, eyes staring into hers with concern. She let herself focus on the amber tone within them.
"Edward?"

"I'm here, Bella." He was stroking her face with gentle motions, wary to keep away from her sore cheek. His eyes were full of concern, his arms bent protectively around her. She realised he was trying to cool her. Her heart skipped, the familiar fluttering sensation intensifying under his scrutiny. She saw the edges of his lips curl into a smile. Her heart skipped again.

Carlisle interrupted her train of thought. "I'm going to go and get this tested at the hospital and pick up some antibiotics. Keep her cool and calm, Edward. Let me know if there are any updates." He picked up his black bag and made for the door.
He turned "you'll have to see to that tooth once she's a little recovered."
Edward gave him a firm nod, and they were alone.

"Sorry, Edward. I don't know what came over me." Her voice barely a whisper. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable." She was caught in his gaze, taking in the chiselled cheeks and brown hair like she was seeing it for the first time.

"You're not, Bella. I'm okay, just concerned for you." Edward leaned in closer, his forehead resting gently against hers. "I just want you to feel better," he murmured. "Your well-being means everything to me."

"I know" she smiled. Feeling the dizziness ebb away.

"Will you be okay for a minute if I go and get a few things? I want to take a look at that tooth," Edward said, his voice soft but firm. He planted a tender kiss on her forehead before disappearing from the room with a blur. Within moments, he was back, standing before her with a small bag in hand.

"I want you to rest your head in my lap while I take a look, okay?" he asked, his tone full of reassurance and love.

Bella nodded, shifting her head to lay on his lap. She watched Edward set out some tools on a paper towel on the leather chair next to her. He had begun to assemble what looked like a very complicated headlamp, strapping it over his tousled brown hair with a practised ease. Bella couldn't help but release a small laugh, the sound light and filled with affection.

"It's a good look on you," she teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Edward's lips curved into a crooked smile, the one that always made her heart flutter. "Glad you think so," he replied, his fingers brushing a lock of hair away from her face. "Now, let's take a look. Open up."

Bella took one more look at her vampire boyfriend, flawless and dazzling, even with the headlamp and metal tools in either hand. She let her mouth fall open, and even blushed slightly as Edward's hands brushed over her lip.

He began with a routine glimpse around her other teeth, not quite certain that the man had left no other damage behind. He let his tool catch on the contours of her teeth, each one as white and as beautiful since he'd seen them last.
No he thought conclusively. It seems there was only one tooth that was treated by the man. His explorer caught the edge of a tooth on the right side of her mouth. She moaned slightly, brow creased with the pain.

"Sorry, my Bella. I'm just taking a look." His eyes frowned with sympathy. He moved his headlamp slightly, and tilted her head even further back, trying to get a good look at the offending filling. What caught his eyes shocked and disgusted him. Among the neat rows of white teeth and composite fillings, he saw a blackened tooth. The amalgam that filled it was overflowing, its dark, metallic surface starkly contrasting the pearly teeth that surrounded it. The dark colour pervaded even the enamel that encased it, like a dark shadow in her mouth, looming over the others with a sense of morosity and foreboding.

He tapped his tool gently on the surface, noting the way it clung to the tooth and overflowed at the sides. His touch, however gentle, was met with a moan and a gasp from Bella, who now writhed in his lap. She was trying to stay still for his benefit, but each touch was an explosion of pain. She could feel his tool scratching the surface of it, and the sensation was one she was keen to overcome.

"It needs to be removed, Bella." His eyes were concentrated on her mouth, mirror retracting her cheek for a better look. He kept his explorer well away, knowing any further prodding would cause her more pain. She looked up at him desperately.
"The filling" He clarified. "It's infected, and needs to be removed. We can't wait any longer, Bella."
He removed his tools and lay them gently on the sheet beside her, moving to turn off his headlamp. He smoothed the concern in her forehead, and planted a kiss on her nose.

Bella looked up at him. His mouth was a thin line, like Carlisle's had been, concern etched into his porcelain face. Maybe even a touch of anger, she thought. Bella watched the cogs turn behind those golden marbles.

"We need to go to my office."
She nodded. She knew this was coming.

The evening had now stretched into night, and Bella found herself peeling down the driveway with Edward.
Instead of in a warm bed, snuggling among the blankets and surrounded by the sounds of the forest, she was in Edward's car, speeding down the road and towards the famous or infamous Cullen clinic, a building she seemed to see so often it had become a second home.

When they arrived, he carried her into the first room on the left, and set her down on the chair. Bella took in the soothing sage green colour and comforting armchair at the side. She knew she was in good hands, but wasn't exactly relishing the moment.

"I'm going to make this quick, Bella. I don't want you to suffer any more." Edward had readied the needle and handpieces in a blur, donning himself in the usual protective garments: gloves, mask and headgear once more. She nodded away two tears the streamed down her cheeks on either side. Edward wiped them away.

"Okay, Bella. Open for me." The chair had reclined, light placed over her mouth. She opened almost immediately, ready for the sensation to stop and for the offending alien in her mouth to be removed.

Edward began with the injection. He pulled her cheek aside, giving her one last reassuring look before injecting the novocaine, his thumb tracing her lip in comforting circles as he did so.

He then moved on to isolating the tooth, using a dental dam at his side. With these types of fillings, he knew their removal could be unsafe and he had to be careful, especially given the sheer volume of material used to pack her tooth. Bella squirmed slightly, uncomfortable at the presence of the dam in her mouth, but tried to distract herself once more, taking the opportunity to study how Edward's hair reflected the light above him. It seemed all of him glowed.

After isolating the tooth, and preparing what looked like a suction device to remove the mercury filling, it seemed that Edward was ready. He took his explorer and tapped the top of her tooth once more.
"You feel any sensation, Bella?" She shook her head, eyes looking up at him in fear, her hands squirming in her lap. Edward pulled his mask down momentarily to offer her a kiss on the forehead. She felt pained that she couldn't return the affection, mouth too numb for any movement at all.

"It'll be okay, Bella. I'm going to fix it. Just try to relax." He murmured. She nodded, relaxing in the chair slightly.

He reached for the handpiece, checking it twice before letting it enter her mouth. It let off a high-pitched whir, but somehow felt less terrifying than it had at the dentista. Maybe it's about the who, and not the what Bella thought curiously. She trusted Edward with her life, and had done before.

Edward began to drill away the amalgam carefully, checking every so often for indications of pain in Bella's features, but she gave none.
She'd closed her eyes, trying to imagine herself anywhere else, willing herself to be in the Cullen's manor, resting on the sofa in front of a good movie with Alice and Edward, a warm cup of cocoa in her hands. Later.

As Edward was drilling away the metal in a cross-like motion, he couldn't help but feel a deep pit of anger boil in his stomach. He knew that if he were to meet the man that had done this to her, there'd be no hesitation in his mind. The things he'd do. He tried to focus on the task at hand, reminding himself that Bella's health was paramount. Revenge could wait.

The procedure continued, Edward's precision and expertise evident in every movement. The suction device whirred as it removed the fragments of the old filling, and Edward's touch was gentle yet firm with the drill, almost like a lulling vibration in her mouth. He moved onto the slow-speed handpiece, taking extra precaution what with the filling being so close to her nerve.

Bella seemed unaware of his concentration, trying instead to focus on the sensation of his cool hands against her skin, the gentle pressure as he worked, and the reassuring presence he always brought her. She knew that Edward was more than capable, his abilities far surpassing any human dentist. Still, the vulnerability of the situation left her feeling exposed, reliant entirely on him.

"Almost done with this part, Bella. Tilt your head back a bit for me."
She obliged, and he opened her mouth a little wider with his free hand, mouthpiece still working away the last remains of the filling.

Finally, the drilling stopped, and the handpiece was removed. The area was cleaned and readied, Edward making sure for a tight seal.
Bella felt herself breathe a bit easier; she hadn't realised how tense she'd been. She was relieved that part was over, the offensive thing removed.

Edward prepared the filling material, packing the tooth carefully and shaping it as he had her others. He was conscious of how large the cavity was, and worried about what that might mean for future appointments. Perhaps a root canal, he thought grimly. He could discuss that another time.

Bella opened her eyes and looked up at Edward once more, observing those cogs working behind his golden eyes. Despite the invasive nature of the procedure, Edward's presence was soothing, his every movement was filled with care and tenderness, an action that didn't go unnoticed. She felt grateful, even thought a little uncomfortable at the situation.

After the final blue light cure, the filling was set and polished. A beautiful composite like the others he'd given her. Another piece of him with me forever she thought.

He leaned back, admiring his work. "We're all done here, Bella. How does it feel?"

Bella moved her jaw slightly, testing the new filling. "Much better," she mumbled, the numbness still lingering but the pain gone. She managed a small smile, relief flooding her body. It was over.

"You can rinse and then we can go home. I'm sure Esme has already made tea." He smiled warmly.
She returned it, or thought she did. She wasn't sure what with the numbness. A smirk from Edward confirmed her clumsy attempt.

In a familiar blur, he whisked her out of the chair and carried her back through the main doors, resting her carefully in the passenger seat of his car.
"You did great." He said, buckling her in. She said nothing, her heart doing that sinking thing once more. He quirked a smile. "I love it when it does that."

Back at the house, Bella was planted into the cosy Cullen sofa, a warm tea pressed into her hands by Esme. She savoured its aroma, allowing herself to relax under the cosy blanket.

Alice bounded in, with a selection of 3 films, all of which chick flicks. Bella rolled her eyes, before settling on Mean Girls. Alice squealed with excitement, her eyes sparkling as she darted around, setting up the movie. "You are just going to love this!"

As the opening credits of the movie rolled, Bella felt a sense of calm settle over her. Despite the chaos and danger that often surrounded her life with Edward, moments like this—simple and mundane—were cherished. Alice plopped down on the other side of Bella, a bowl of popcorn in her lap.
Vampires don't eat like humans do, Bella knew, but she appreciated the attempt at normalcy, and regarded Alice gratefully. Alice was of course too busy engaged in a rapid monologue about the actors and their love lives to notice.

On her right, Edward was sat, arm around her, his hand tracing circles on her back this time. The gentle motion was soothing, and Bella leaned into him, feeling the tension from earlier start to melt away. Carlisle had given him some strict instructions pertaining to antibiotics and rest, and he felt confident that Bella was on the up. She would feel better in a few days, the infection only minor.

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice low and soothing.

"Better," Bella admitted. "A lot better. Thanks to you." He smiled.

As the movie played on, Bella let herself relax completely, her head resting on Edward's shoulder. She felt safe, surrounded by the people who loved her most. The pain and discomfort from earlier were now a distant memory, replaced by warmth, laughter, and love.

After the movie ended, Alice was already chattering excitedly about what to watch next. Bella smiled, feeling too tired to respond. She regarded the Cullens around her once more, before shutting her eyes and letting herself drift. Despite the challenges they faced, they always found a way to make her feel at home.