Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction
Owner's note
Bella MacLeod
My Life with The Volturi
The Snow King
My Husband's Brother
Other Things I Have Written
A Caius Challenge Titles
Wizardtho
Worth Every Second
The Natural Path
A Month of Possibilities
Elemental Goddess
My Original
Protecting The Black Wolf's Mate
Tease Me Please Me
HellCat: Guardian Of The Gate >
HC House
HC Weapons
The Deal- An Original Short
The Consequences of Messing With A Whitlock
Life With An English Noble
Isla de Cascadas Hermosas
The Right Way To Turn
When Angels Cry
Finding Truth Behind Legends
This Time Of Year
Mark of the White Wolf
SmutShot Series Challenge
Dreams Of A King
Words On Skin
Spudzmom
Going Greyhound
Is There Somewhere
Call Me Little Bit
Wash Away Those Years
Volturi Shadows
A Soul Darkened
Another Fate
Breathe In Union
Waiting For My Real Life To Begin
The Inauspicious Beginnings Of A Prince
Finding You Finding Me
Alpha's Qahla
SparklingFae
Arrested By You
The Sirens Call >
Something Better Than Forever
Skydancinghobbit
Shadow Song
TwilightAddict71484
The Christmas Shoes
Lonesome Dove
Standing Outside the Fire
Louisiana Love
A Love Thought Lost
Behind Steel Bars
Life's Imperfect Paths
She's So Gone
The Differences Between Us Make Us Special
Dark Warrior
Black Raven Of Poe
by Laura Spudzmom
Carlisle Cullen walked into the door of his home in Forks, WA and smiled at the familiar scene that greeted him.
Esme, his wife, was arranging fresh cut flowers in a crystal vase while Emmett and Jasper battled it out in a video game in the living room. Alice was draped into a chair with her laptop, fingers flying over the keys and Rosalie absently flipped through a magazine while smirking at the boys' antics. It was as though they hadn't left the place at all…
He sighed. The only constant missing was Edward who could usually be found at his piano this time of day.
After moving back in at Alice's insistence, he'd called his first son to let him know. Needless to say, Edward hadn't been happy. He'd been even less pleased to hear of Bella's condition, but curiously, to Carlisle at least, he hadn't offered to come home, instead insisting that they all stay away from her.
A sticky situation since Carlisle was her primary physician, also something Edward didn't appreciate being reminded of.
In the end, Carlisle had agreed to distance the Cullen family from the girl as much as feasible… 'When—if—she finally awakes from her mysterious slumber' he thought.
Placing his bag down by the table in the foyer, he smiled at Esme as she kissed his cheek. "Hello sweetheart. How's your day so far?"
He smirked. "Uneventful and routine."
"Wonderful!" she chirped with a grin. "We like those kinds of days."
Loosening his tie, he muttered, "We do indeed."
Taking a seat on the couch, he leaned his head back and sighed as Esme sat next to him. "And Bella?" she said tentatively. "How is she?"
Cracking open an eye, he turned his head and glanced at her. "The same I'm afraid. All tests come back negative and still, she sleeps. Nothing reaches her, but her brain activity is indicative of conscious thought. It's very unusual. I'm not sure what to make of it."
"That's a good thing though, right?" Esme questioned with a pinched brow. "That means she's still with us, doesn't it?"
"Well, normally I would say yes, but this is Bella we're speaking of and as usual—nothing is quite usual with her. With those kinds of test results, one would expect her to be conscious and holding conversations—it's as though she's there, but entirely disconnected from her body as no external stimuli reaches her. I must admit…I'm stumped."
Alice quit typing and smirked. "She'll be fine," she said and went back to typing.
Carlisle narrowed his eyes at her. "What have you seen Alice?"
She shrugged a shoulder as a smile curved her lips. "Just trust me, she's fine."
"While I'm grateful for your input Alice, that doesn't help me soothe Charlie in the least." He sighed. "The man's ready to transfer her to Seattle for further tests and a second opinion."
She looked up at him and smiled. "Oh, he'll speak to the neurologist there, he's already decided, but the man will tell him you're the best there is, so no worries Carlisle, Bella's staying right here." She went back to typing and Carlisle looked at Esme with raised brows. She smiled and shook her head.
"That's our Alice…"
Rosalie tossed her magazine on the table. "No offense," she began but Emmett cut in with a muttered, "Uh oh." Glaring at the back of her husband's head, she continued, "As I was saying… No offense, but why do we care? She was Edward's little human toy. Now he's tossed her away and isn't interested in coming back. Cut ties, end of story."
Carlisle looked thoughtful before giving a nod. "While I see your point, Edward is part of this family and she is damaged due to his actions." He pointedly ignored Jasper's guilty flinch. "Just because he isn't willing to rectify this situation doesn't mean we should shirk our responsibility. I'll do my part to see her healthy again and then we can reassess."
She pursed her lips and then shrugged with a nod. "That's acceptable," she agreed and picked up her magazine again.
Esme smiled at her husband and grabbed his hand. "Come, let's retire to your study."
He quirked a brow at her but took her hand and followed, curious to find out what she had in mind.
Initially, after saving her from death in that awful morgue by turning her, he'd married her because it was unseemly for a woman to live with two young men without such a proper connection. It just wasn't done in polite society and sending her off on her own as a newborn wasn't something he'd consider so they'd gone ahead with it.
While they were now the very best of friends, the majority of their marriage had been in name only. They'd shared a few awkward encounters in their first year together, but they'd been few and far between, partly due to his less than passionate feelings for her but also due to the emotional damage she'd suffered at the hands of her first husband.
Consequently, they'd both decided they were much better as friends, and they'd left it at that, never bothering to sever the marriage. It was great as a cover story after all and it kept the majority of woman off his scent, so to speak.
Once the door to his study was closed and he'd taken a seat on the sofa, Esme turned to him with a knowing look. His brow furrowed and he waited.
Finally, she leaned against the front edge of his desk and sighed. "Carlisle," she began and then faltered, looking toward the window. She wasn't sure how to broach this subject. Decades ago, she'd found the aged picture of the young woman he kept at the bottom of his desk drawer; a picture of a woman that looked exactly like Bella Swan. That, coupled with the bits and pieces he'd let slip through the years, had allowed her to put the pieces together although she suspected the story to be much more complex than a simple lost love…
Tilting his head a bit, he studied her thoughtful expression for a moment before speaking. "What is it Esme? Something troubling you?"
Finally, she looked back at him. "I've seen the way you look at her, you know?"
The expression on his face instantly shifted to bland indifference and she smiled softly as she watched his defensive walls click into place.
"I'm not sure what you mean."
She tilted her head. "How long have we been friends dear?"
He looked away. "A very long time," he murmured.
She nodded. "Yes, a very long time, so I feel pretty confident in saying I know you backwards and forwards. Put simply, you can't bullshit me doc."
He smirked at her with an arched brow. "Esme Ann, I'm shocked. You've been spending too much time with Emmett and Jasper."
Her expression was flat as she stared him down. "And you're deflecting…"
He frowned and glanced away. "Edward's in love with her," he stated and she scoffed.
"Edward—bless his heart, you know I love him…but Edward is not in love with Bella. Intrigued? Yes. Obsessed? Most certainly… But in love? Not even close."
He frowned and bounced the foot that was propped over his knee, a classic sign of his discomfort, she knew and it made her smile. "It's time for honesty Carlisle, if not with me, then surely with yourself."
She knew she'd gotten through when he hung his head and sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose, another classic sign from Carlisle, one of resignation or less often, frustration. Perhaps it was a bit of both in this instance? She waited for him to speak to decide.
When all she got was silence, she frowned. "You love her," she stated, knowing in her heart of hearts it was true. He clenched the hand that rested on his thigh, his expression conflicted as he raised his head to look at her.
"I don't know what I feel, Es. I don't know what to feel..."
She moved to the sofa and sat next to him, taking his hand in hers and tilting her head down to meet his eyes. "It's her…isn't it? The girl from your past? The girl from the photo?"
"I don't know!" he answered, his tone stressed as he looked up to meet her gaze. "How can it be her—my Isabella—when she only knows me as Edward's father figure? I was a total stranger to her when we met, Es! It can't possibly be her…she didn't know me," he murmured sadly. "My Isabella always knew me when we met through the years…always…and she doesn't."
He planted both feet on the floor and held his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees as he stared unseeingly at the floor.
Esme placed a gentle hand on his back as her heart broke for this man; the man who had saved her from death and cruelty and sorrow, instead giving her life and joy and a family. She had nothing but love in her heart for him; familial love and she owed him so much…everyone in their family did. "Carlisle," she said. "This whole thing is far from over. Alice said Bella will be fine. When she wakes, we'll go from there, but if you have feelings for her, I urge you to give it a chance. If you don't, I've a feeling you'll always regret it."
He sat up and met her gaze before a wry smile curved his lips. "Taking over Alice's job now, Es?"
She laughed and smacked his shoulder. "Shut it, you."
He laughed and they both leaned back on the sofa, her head resting against his shoulder. For moments, they sat in silence, both deep in thought until Esme finally spoke. "Carlisle?"
"Hmm?"
"Why didn't you ever change her?"
She felt him tense and stroked his bicep with her hand as she waited for his answer. He exhaled heavily. "Well," he said, his tone laced with regret, "You know my views on cursing someone to this existence…"
She nodded and settled back to finally hear the story.
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