"Ok."

Bella had been on cloud 9 since Carlisle agreed to being a couple. They had spent all of Friday together on the couch just talking and telling each other about their lives. She'd told him about Renee and Phil, about Phoenix and her life having to maintain bills and grocery shopping, at least till Phil had come into the picture and took over for her. Carlisle told her about his father, his transformation into a vampire and his early life as one.

He told her how alone he'd been.

He went on to tell her how he'd sired Edward in hopes of having a companion, then later Esme. She learned that after turning Esme, Edward and her bonded and though he was happy for them, he had been left as the third wheel. As he spoke, he would smile retelling the happy times they had, but there was still an undertone of sadness that she felt through their growing bond. He'd enjoyed their time together, enjoyed having them around, but he still felt alone.

Even with the addition of Rosalie, Emmett, Alice and Jasper, his loneliness had persisted. Being the only unmated person he had to watch the happy couples and wait for her. Feeling a little guilty, though she knew there was no reason to, she apologized for making him wait for her. Carlisle, of course, laughed and assured her he wasn't upset at having to wait, that she was worth the wait. She wasn't so sure about that, but didn't want to argue with him over it.

They had ended up in his study after a while, Bella recollecting the books she'd returned, minus the one she had finished, and Carlisle picked out a few new ones for her to try. They spent a few hours in his study sitting side by side and reading quietly, both content with the silence between them.

It was nearly 4 pm when she finally tore herself away from Carlisle, though not before getting the man's phone number and promising to text him over the weekend. He'd walked her out to her truck, gave her a goodbye kiss, then watched her drive down the driveway. She'd watched him in the rearview mirror until he'd vanished around a bend, she already missed his presence.

Jacob texted her Saturday wanting to hang out, so she drove out to the rez, and they spent the day chatting, eventually ordering a pizza that Jacob ate most of. She was used to it of course; the kid always had an appetite. They ended up heading out to the garage where Jacob worked on this old motorcycle he was fixing up while Bella watched, having no clue what majority of the parts even were. For most of Sunday she spent reading while Charlie watched sports and though they didn't talk much, it was still nice to spend some time with him.

While she was finishing up breakfast on Monday morning, she noticed Edward's car drive up and park in front of the house. Confused and a little hurt that he hadn't responded to her in days, she grabbed her bag and headed out to his car. He climbed out and held up his hands in surrender.

"I come in peace."

Using a textbook, she smacked him on his upper arm. "Why haven't you called me or texted me? I was freaking out and needed you and you up and vanished on me."

At least he had the good sense to look guilty and ashamed. "I'm sorry Bella, I wanted to text you, I really did. We were kind of in panic mode of whether we'd have to leave or not. We also thought it might help to give you time to process it all, well, that and Carlisle wanted to be the one to talk to you about it."

Her fury cooled a little, though she was still tempted to smack him again with her textbook. "Promise me you won't up and vanish like that again."

"I promise, Bella." His voice was full of sincerity which helped quell the remaining anger inside her. He motioned to the car. "Your chariot awaits."

Stuffing her textbook back in her bag she let him open her door and hopped in. Once he'd jogged around to get in, she turned to him. "I get what you meant by your family is unique now."

Edward laughed. "Yeah, we're one of a kind, that's for sure. I have to say your taking this all surprisingly well."

"How should I be taking it?"

"I don't know, yelling, screaming, running to your father to tell him what we are. Something other than pissed about me not texting back."

Thinking about it for a moment, she understood his point. Though, if she had gone to Charlie would he have believed her or just thought she'd gone insane. Up until last week, if someone had told her vampires were real, she'd probably have thought them insane herself. Now, here she was, in a car with one.

"I was afraid, but not of you." She looked over at him. "I was afraid of losing you. It freaked me out at first that vampires were real, but you'd had plenty of time to kill me but didn't. So, I figured you couldn't be all that bad."

"Would it make you feel better if I told you the first day, we met I almost did kill you?" Edward grinned a little lopsided grin.

She stiffened. "Really?"

Nodding, he pulled into the parking lot of the school. "Yeah, you have a very appealing smell, and I hadn't hunted in a while, so I wasn't prepared for someone that smelled as good as you."

"I'm sorry, do you still…want to kill me?" She shifted slightly nervous now.

"I wouldn't say that." He parked before grinning at her. "You're more like a temptation, like smelling your favorite baked good but not being able to eat it."

This got her laughing as they got out of the car. "So, what, I'm a cinnamon roll to you?"

"Basically." He chuckled as they headed inside.

They split up, each heading to their own classes, and the first half of the day passed normally. Jessica had pestered her about hanging out soon, as they hadn't really done that yet, so Bella invited her to the girl's night Alice had wanted to plan. This seemed to appease her, and they agreed to have it that weekend, since the next one would be Valentine's Day. She wasn't too sure what to expect for the girl's night, having not had a lot of female friends before, and made a note to tell Alice to not go overboard.

At lunch, she was surprised when Mike took a seat in the spot Edward normally occupied. Giving him a polite smile, she glanced across the cafeteria to where Edward was currently getting his 'lunch' that he'd likely pawn off on her when no one was looking, and he didn't look happy. Mike turned to her, leaning an arm on the table and placing his head in his palm.

"So, Bella. You and Cullen huh?" Mike asked awkwardly.

Nodding she picked at her food. "Yeah."

Mike shook his head. "I…I don't like it. I mean, he acts so possessive of you, it just rubs me the wrong way."

Keeping her face neutral she shrugged. "He knows I'm klutzy, so he hovers a bit. That's all." She wanted to grin thinking of Carlisle's possessive claim on her from their talk Friday. He'd made it very clear that he saw her as his and only his. It did make her wonder what he'd do if someone tried to encroach on his territory, though she wasn't sure they'd fare well against a vampire. On the other hand, he had to maintain an air of indifference while she was still his student, so maybe he wouldn't do anything.

"It's more than that, it's like he's trying to keep everyone away from you. The way he stares down other guys, like he'll eat them or something." Mike continued.

Bella snorted at his use of words, glancing over at Edward who had a smile on his face. Mike, however, didn't look amused.

"Bella, I'm serious, how much do you really know about him? What if he's one of those possessive freaks that lock people in his basement?"

Shaking her head, she turned towards Mike. "Look I appreciate your concern, but I think it's misplaced. I've met his whole family, and they are super sweet and caring. So, you don't have to worry."

Mike opened his mouth to respond but stopped as Edward approached. Snapping his mouth closed Mike slid around the table moving closer to Jessica who was busy rambling to Angela about the girl's night. Edward took his seat, leaning over to whisper to her.

"I leave you for a moment and the vultures swoop in."

Chuckling, she snatched his fruit cup and tore it open and started eating it. "He's not wrong to be worried. For all I know you might have a dungeon where you all sleep in coffins or something freaky like that."

Edward braced his elbows on the table, hiding his laughter behind his clasped hands. "We don't sleep, but Emmett and Rosalie did have a dungeon of sorts at one point."

Shuddering, she shoved him. "T.M.I."

"You brought it up."

Alice and Jasper joined them before she could respond. Remembering the girl's night plan, she ignored Edward's mocking grin and turned to Alice. "Hey Alice, would you want to do the girls night this Saturday?"

The pixie girl looked thrilled. "Sounds perfect."

"One thing though. Let's keep it low key, nothing over the top."

Jasper and Edward both chortled as Alice pouted. "I would never."

She didn't believe the girl for a second. The rest of the day was fairly boring, and she was glad when the final bell rang, and she was able to collect her things and head out. Edward dropped her off at home, even walking her to the front door, though she told him he didn't have too. Heading inside, she started working on dinner for her and Charlie, and once they'd eaten and cleaned up, she retired to her room. About an hour later, her phone dinged.

Carlisle: Would you be up for a visitor?

Grinning, Bella typed back.

Bella: If it's you, then I wouldn't mind.

Carlisle: Unlock your window, then step back.

Curious, she climbed out of bed and unlocked the window and stepped back as requested, and a moment later, Carlisle appeared, climbing into her room with the gracefulness of a cat. He'd barely cleared the window when she threw her arms around him hugging him tightly, his arms wrapping around her.

"I take it you missed me." Carlisle teased as he kissed the top of her head.

Nodding into his chest, she took a deep breath, reveling in that spicy scent with a hint of musk that was all him. It felt like home. Humming contently, she stayed in his arms for a few more minutes, before she finally pried herself away from him. Taking his hand, she led him to the bed, where he sat propped up against the headrest.

"So, what brings you by?" She inquired, sitting, so she was facing him.

He grinned, placing a hand on her knee. "I was missing you. I know its early in our relationship, but with the bond so new it's hard to be apart from you."

She found herself returning his grin at the admission. Part of her had worried she might be clinging too hard to him, the want to be near him so strong that it was almost painful to ignore. Knowing he felt the same way eased some of her worries. Taking his hand in hers, she linked their fingers together.

"You're always welcome to come by like this."

His grin widened as he gently maneuvered her until she was cradled on his lap, his arms securely wrapped around her, and her head resting against his shoulder. They sat like that for several hours, sometimes they talked, mostly they just enjoyed the closeness of each other. As time ticked by, her eyes grew heavy as she curled closer to him until sleep finally took her.

She woke the next morning tucked into bed and alone. Her only proof he'd been there was the scent of Carlisle's cologne lingering in the sheets. Nuzzling her face into the smell she found herself smiling at the thought of him possibly coming again tonight. She really hoped he did. Her phone dinged, making her groan as she rolled away from his wonderful scent to see who would bother her this early in the morning.

Carlisle: Good morning, sweetheart.

A giddy sort of happiness filled her at the message. She quickly forgave him for texting so early. Deciding to tease him, she replied back.

Bella: Morning, it's too early to be good. Maybe after coffee.

She could almost hear his chuckle as she pulled herself from her bed and headed down to start said coffee. As with the day before, Edward showed up to drive her to school, his timing almost perfect as he pulled up just as she was walking out the door. Like always, he held her door open for her and once they were settled, he drove them to school.

The week passed in a surprisingly normal way, which felt strange since she was spending most of her time around vampires. School was its normal headache, the only good parts of her day were history with Carlisle, and lunch with Edward, Alice and Jasper. On Wednesday she'd gone over to the Cullen house, at Carlisle's request, so that he could officially tell the family about their intention to date. Rosalie had voiced some opposition, but once she'd learned the bond was already forming, she relented, all be it begrudgingly.

To her delight, Carlisle showed up every night to spend time together until she fell asleep. Sometimes he'd bring a book and read while she worked on homework, other times they'd talk, but her favorite part was always the time she spent either in his lap or nestled up to his side. She loved the way his arms felt holding her to his chest or his fingers running along her arm or back as she lay cuddled up to him.

It was peaceful.

Saturday morning, she was up at her normal time, replied to her 'Good Moring' text from Carlisle, and was cooking breakfast by the time Charlie came down the stairs. He nodded to her and grabbed himself a cup of coffee while she plated him up some breakfast and set it at the table in the kitchen for him. Joining him, he scanned through the newspaper as he ate. They were almost halfway through breakfast when he set aside the newspaper and looked at her.

"So, what are you planning for the day?"

She shrugged. "Nothing much, but Alice and some of the girls from school were planning to come over for a girl's night, if that's ok?"

"Girl's night?" He inquired. "What does that all entail?"

"Not really sure." Bella admitted. "Probably just going to watch movies, maybe do our nails, talk, hang out. Normal teen stuff."

Nodding, he finished off his breakfast. "Well just be responsible and stay out of my beer."

"Can do."

Charlie stood, patted her on the shoulder and set his plate in the sink before grabbing his jacket and headed out. She watched him pull away in the cruiser and once he was out of sight, she got to work cleaning up. Feeling nervous about the girl's night, she tried to ease her nerves by cleaning, but that only lasted a couple of hours before she'd run out of things to scrub. Pacing, she tried to keep her anxiety in check. It was just a bunch of girls hanging out, why was she so nervous about it?

Her phone dinged.

Carlisle: Take a breath, you'll be fine, just have fun tonight.

Taking a slow breath, she tried to slow her beating heart. Through the bond, which had been growing stronger the more time they spent together, she could feel his presence trying to comfort her. It was reassuring knowing that even though he wasn't there physically, he'd be able to reach her through the bond. Letting his calm wash over her, she found herself relaxing. If she tried hard enough, she could almost smell him there with her. It was comforting, and she appreciated it.

Bella: Thank you, I needed that.

Carlisle: I'm always here for you.

Bella smiled to herself. The novelty of knowing this god like man was into her had not worn off yet. Granted, it had only been a week since they agreed to date, so it made sense she was still a bit smitten with him. Honestly, she hoped she never grew out of this faze.

It was a little after 4 when Carlisle texted warning her that Alice had left the house with Rosalie and Esme. Thanking him, she took a deep breath and waited until she heard the engine of Rosalie's Mercedes outside. Bella met the women at the door, both Alice and Esme looking excited, while Rosalie looked indifferent. Letting everyone in, she led them to the living room where she figured they'd spend most of their time.

It was only then that she realized they all had bags in their hands, and there seemed to be a lot of them. She watched as they set the bags on the coffee table and started sorting through them. Esme took several to the kitchen, while Alice and Rosalie started setting up a beauty salon worth of items up on the table. Following Esme, Bella watched her unpack different snacks for the night, ranging from crackers and assorted cheeses and meats to popcorn and chips.

"You didn't have to do all this." Bella insisted as she helped put the food onto plates and bowls.

Esme smiled at her. "Alice insisted, plus, I wanted to make sure you had a fun night. The very least I could do was make sure you girls were properly fed."

"Will you be staying?"

"No, I'll let you girls have your fun. Might be a bit odd to have your fake boyfriend's mother around during a girl's night."

Stuffing her hands into her pockets, she shifted from foot to foot. "About that, does it bother you that we're pretending to date?"

Esme shook her head, reaching out a hand to rub one of Bella's arms. "Not at all. It gives people something to stare at. If he says he has a girlfriend but never shows her off, then people start digging, but if he has someone that he can be public with, they don't look as hard."

Nodding, she shuffled her feet a little. "Is it hard trying to be with someone younger than you?"

"It can be." Esme gave her a motherly smile. "You don't have to worry, while we can't be open here in Forks, there's always Seattle and when we move Edward will often play a college student so we can be public then. You and Carlisle will only have to worry about that for now, but once you've aged a few years it won't be a problem anymore."

Smiling, she nodded and helped grab the food and moved it out to the living room where Rosalie and Alice were discussing what movies to watch and in what order. They'd apparently gotten a stack of romantic comedies for the evening and had a slew of beauty products all over the coffee table. Bella gawked at it all, looking to Esme for support. The older woman simply smiled, shrugged and waved goodbye and headed out.

Rolling her eyes, Bella flopped onto the couch, tucking her legs under her to watch the argument over the movie list. It went on for quite a while, only stopping when there was a knock on the door signaling the arrival of Jessica and Angela. Bella let them in, and they found places to sit as Rosalie and Alice finally settled on a movie. They watched for a little while, Bella feeling a bit awkward and unsure what to do as they sat quietly munching on the snacks Esme had set out for them.

Alice came to the rescue and soon they had broken into the nail polish and were working on each other's nails. Rosalie, to Bella's surprise, offered to do her nails for her giving her a chance to actually have a conversation with the other girl. They'd never really talked before, other than pleasantries in passing, so Bella hoped this meant she could get to know the other girl.

"So, I hear your really into cars."

Rosalie flipped her hair over her shoulder as she leaned closer to Bella's hand as she worked. "Yeah, I maintain the family cars."

"That's cool, oh, I never thanked you for fixing my truck." Bella offered her a smile.

"It was nothing. I owed Carlisle a favor."

Nodding, Bella fell quiet, not sure what to say to that. She watched the others for a bit as they laughed over something Angela said. Getting an idea on how to possibly bond with the blonde, she turned back to Rosalie.

"Would you be willing to maybe teach me how to maintain my truck?"

Rosalie paused at that, looking up at her with a hint of surprise in her golden eyes. "You'd want to learn how to work on your truck?"

"Yeah, I really like my truck and want to keep it running as long as I can. Jacob normally works on it, but he's got school and what not, so it would be nice to know how to do it myself. If you don't mind."

"Hm. I'll consider it."

They fell silent after that, Rosalie quickly finishing up painting Bella's nails a bright red color that stood out sharply against her pale skin. Bella hoped this was the beginning of a possible friendship with the blonde, but she couldn't be sure. Rosalie seemed to be naturally standoffish and only seemed completely open with Emmett.

After they were done with their nails, the three human girls tried out the moisture masks that had been brought while Jessica went over the local gossip, Angela weighing in now and then when she could. Bella mostly listened, only offering up her opinion when asked, while Alice was more than happy to join in the conversation. Rosalie mostly just listened in.

Charlie came home about an hour into the girl's night, changed and then informed Bella he'd be at Billy's for the night, so she and her friends could have the house. After the masks, the girls decided Bella needed to learn to use make up and proceeded to try and teach her all the ins and outs of the different products and how to apply them. By the end Bella felt like her head was spinning slightly but she thought she had the basics of it and was able to apply her own make up without making herself look like a clown.

Having just finished their makeup tutorials, Jessica turned to Bella with a mischievous smile. "So, have you and Edward done it yet?"

Her first reaction was 'eww', but she quickly schooled her features, shaking her head. "No, it's still a bit early for that. Don't you think?"

Jessica's mouth dropped open. "Seriously? You two disappeared from the dance like, super early, and you didn't even do anything?"

Bella shrugged, a light blush tinting her cheeks at the memory of her and Carlisle's first kiss. "I didn't even want to go to the dance, Edward was nice enough to not make me stay that long. That's it, we just sat in his car and talked for a while after we left."

"Lame." Jessica exclaimed. Angela nudged her giving her a look that clearly said 'leave it alone' but Jessica ignored it. "If I was with a hottie like Edward, I'd be all over him. I bet he's great in bed, you should totally hit that while you can."

Frowning she turned to the girl, a twinge of anger in her voice. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Jessica seemed oblivious. "Guys get bored easily. You're pretty, but so are a lot of girls in our school, and if you're not putting out, he'll find someone that will. It's normal guy behavior."

Her frown deepened, feeling a bit offended not just for herself but for Edward. "He's not like that; you'd know that if you got to know him." Bella snapped at her.

"I'm just trying to help." Jessica held her hands up in surrender. "He already dumped his other girlfriend for you, who's to say he won't do it again?"

"Maybe we should talk about something else." Angela tried to interject, looking uneasy.

Alice looked like she wanted to jump in, while Rosalie looked irked at Jessica's audacity to talk about her 'brother' like that. Bella shook her head and stood. "Look, you don't know anything about Edward other than rumors, I know him. He's not that kind of guy, he's loyal and faithful and everything a woman could want. So, I won't let you sit there and talk badly about him. If you don't like that I'm not jumping into his bed, you can leave."

The other girl scoffed and stood. "Fine, but don't come crying to me when he dumps you. Angela, let's go."

Jessica stormed out with Angela apologizing for her friend's behavior. Once the door shut, Bella flopped back onto the couch with an angry huff. What did Jessica know about Edward that gave her a right to talk about him like that. Bella had seen the love and ardor in Edward's eyes when he was with Esme, how he was drawn to her when she entered a room. It was charming and lovely and gave her hope that it would be like that with her and Carlisle.

What she'd said, it did make her worry a little. Would Carlisle get bored of her if she didn't offer herself up to him. She wasn't new to sex, having lost her virginity last year, but would that bother Carlisle, or would he be fine with it. Would he want her to put out sooner rather than later, or would he be more traditional and want to wait?

Groaning, she dropped her head into her hands, frustrated by her racing thoughts. A cold arm wrapped around her pulling her into a hug. Lifting her head, she was shocked to find it was Rosalie.

"Don't let what she said get to you. The Cullen men are all perfect gentlemen, and if they step out of line, Carlisle is always quick to correct the behavior." Rosalie let her go, rubbing a hand over her shoulders.

Alice nodded in agreement. "Carlisle loves you for you, not your body. He'd be appalled if you offered yourself up because you felt you had too to keep him interested."

Bella looked at Alice hopefully. "Really, you think so?"

"I know so, I get visions of the future and when you were trying to decide if you should offer yourself to Carlisle, I got a glimpse of him being upset that you thought he was only interested in your body."

The news that Alice had visions should have surprised her, but after Edward's mind reading, she was beginning to think they all had something special about them. Brushing off the mild shock of the revelation, she absorbed what Alice said. So, Carlisle wasn't only interested in her physically, that was a weight off her shoulders.

"So, do you think he'll get bored of me after a while?" Bella asked nervously.

Both women laughed, Rosalie recovering first. "Not a chance, you're almost as big a book worm as he is, you two are made for each other. That and the bond doesn't just form willy nilly, you two are meant to be together."

Smiling, she relaxed. "Thanks, that's helpful, and sorry about Jessica."

"Thank you for sticking up for Edward." Alice smiled at her. "Now, let's get back to having fun."

The topic changed and they hung out for another couple of hours, before Alice hopped up saying they should leave. They cleaned up and the two girls left leaving Bella very confused as she headed up to her room.

Lounging on her bed, waiting for her, was Carlisle. He smiled at her as she entered the room, closing his book as he got up and came over to her. "You look lovely."

With a smile she kissed him. "Are you why the girls practically ran off?"

Giving her an innocent smile he headed back to the bed. "I would never interfere with your girl time. I simply came to check on you, Alice heard me coming and decided to head out."

Bella laughed. "So, you did interrupt."

Carlisle resumed his lounged position. "Only a little."

Climbing onto the bed with him she laid her head on his chest. "Well, I'm glad you're here. Girls' night was a bit stressful."

"If it helps, next weekend I have a Valentine's Day date planned for us. You'll be able to relax and enjoy some alone time with me."

"What do you have planned?" Bella asked glancing up at him.

"It's a secret." He brought a finger to his smiling lips.

Sitting up her brow furrowed. "I don't like surprises."

Carlisle tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Humor me this one time."

Grumbling, she settled back against him, determined to get the information out of him before the day came. As it turned out, it wasn't as easy as she expected.