AVitD-Chapter 23

Chapter 23~ Extreme Makeover Vampire Edition

At Jasper’s insistence, everyone backed away from the bed.  It took some convincing to get Carlisle to move with them, but in the end Jasper explained it was better for Bella that way; so as to not overwhelm her.  They stood a few feet from the bed.  Carlisle was in front of everyone else as Bella’s last heart beat echoed in the room.  Carlisle mourned the loss of the sound that had been a constant symphony in his life for the last fifteen months, six days, thirteen hours and forty-seven minutes. 

They stood in wait; watching Bella lie perfectly still on the bed.  No one was breathing.  You could hear the dust motes settling on the surfaces of the room, it was so quiet.

All of the sudden Bella’s eyes shot open.  She was immediately overwhelmed by her new senses and jumped off the bed; throwing herself against the farthest wall away from the group of vampires staring at her.  She didn’t breathe or move as the sheetrock crumbled around her hardened form.  She looked into the eyes of the five unfamiliar vampires.  Her sense of self-preservation warred within her with a feeling of calm.  It didn’t make sense and she let out a ferocious growl that shook the windows in the room.

The males stepped closer together in front of the two females.  Good, she thought.  That meant that they knew she was a threat and may be distracted enough by their protectiveness for her to escape.  She knew she was exactly two feet, seven inches away from the window and she could be through it in less than a second once their attention was diverted.  The door wasn’t an option as they all stood between her and that.

“She’s gonna run.” The tiniest one whispered.

How the hell does she know that?

“Bella?” the blond male closest to her called. “Bella, it is alright.  I know waking to this life can be disconcerting, but you are okay.” He took a tentative step forward with his hand raised in a non-threatening gesture. “No one is going to hurt you, I swear it.” He said as he took another step closer.

Bella growled again and he stopped his advance.  Who was this man and what did his promises mean to me?  Bella felt her rage begin to build and it vibrated through her like an electrical current.

“Carlisle, back away.” The other blond male commanded.  He was covered in scars and he obviously was not one to be messed with.

It killed Carlisle to pull back from her, but he understood that right now he could be perceived as a threat.  He lowered his hand and stepped back until her growling ceased.  She looked them all over again.  There was something slightly familiar about them, but she couldn’t place them.  Even though the big hulking male and the scary blond male were in slightly defensive postures their faces did not look angry or violent; in fact the bigger one was smiling.

She began to allow herself to relax when a phone vibrated in one of their pockets.  The little one stepped forward calling out, “No!”

But it was too late.  Bella saw her opportunity and crashed through the bay window.  She was running as fast as her feet could carry her.  The wind caressed her skin the quicker she sped away.  Her toes barely touched the ground as she propelled herself through the woods.  She could hear the others pursuing her, but they did not seem to be directly behind her.  It felt like they were off to her sides; flanking her.  Though she knew they were there, they gave her a wide enough birth so that she didn’t feel crowded or immediately threatened.  She realized that one of them had broken off and was now behind her, but again whoever it was remained far enough back that she did not feel the need to out run them.

Running felt good.  It calmed Bella’s rage and confusion.  Even though she was being hit with a cacophony of new scents and sounds they all seemed to belong out here in the wilderness.  The predictability of the bird songs and the insects as they climbed the plants and munched on the leaves all fit.  It played like a soft song in the back of her wide open brain. 

Music.  Singing.  Someone playing piano in a far distant, cloudy memory.  This memory was replaced by one of someone singing to her.  She knew this voice.  She would know it anywhere, and she knew it belonged to someone she loved.  She tried to see the picture in her mind of the one singing, but she couldn’t.

Bella felt like she was making connections when she realized that she was the only one running. She contemplated why they all had stopped when a strong thumping sound caught her attention.  She felt compelled to find its source.  Her throat began to burn like she had swallowed liquid fire.  She slowed down and instinctively fell into a crouch.  She moved forward until she was on the edge of a small clearing where a large moose stood grazing.  It was nearly one hundred yards away, but she could see the great animal’s pulse beating in its neck.  Without a moment’s pause she lunged forward and was on the bull’s back.  The moose bellowed in fear, but it was cut off by Bella tearing into its neck; drinking the crimson liquid as it poured into her mouth.  There was so much and she gulped it with vigor. 

She whined as some spilled down her chin.  It was hot and it soothed the fire burning in her throat.  All too soon the moose ran dry.  She felt like she could drink forever, but for now she felt sated.  She ran her hand over her chin catching the last few drops of blood.  She brought her fingers to her lips and licked them clean.  She looked at her hand as she pulled it away and watched as the light reflected off of her skin.  It was kind of freaky but cool all at the same time.

Carlisle stood on the far edge of the clearing.  He had been watching her the entire time and was astonished at how easily she adapted to her new diet.  She looked magnificent as she took down the giant bull.  He was thankful for the fact that they lived so far out of range of any humans.  The way she woke did not allow them to help her on her first hunt.  Surely if a human had crossed her path, he or she would have met their end at her hands.  He was grateful that the others were able to corral her.  It was the best they could do under the circumstances.  He had seen Esme and Emmett go through similar awakenings, but neither of them were as volatile as Bella.  He hoped that now that she had fed that maybe some of her memories would resurface.

It broke his silent heart that Bella did not recognize him.  He always knew it was a risk.  Alice was a perfect example as she did not retain even one human memory once she awoke.  Carlisle prayed that if Bella couldn’t remember him that she might at least give him the chance to win her over again.  He could not lose her.

He watched her now as she discovered the new traits of her skin as the sun sparkled off of her.  She had been a beautiful human, but as a vampire, she was ravishing.  Her hair showed all the highlights of red and blond that normally lay hidden amongst the brown.  The chocolate of her eyes had been replaced with a deep fiery red.  Some might see them as foreboding or frightening, but Carlisle could still see the deep emotions that swam in them.  Her features firmed up, but her face kept its soft, heart shape that he loved.  He could see under the capris and peasant shirt that her muscles were more defined as were her luscious breasts.  He missed being inside her body.  As much as his desire had been extinguished by her pain, now that she was done with the transformation, he wanted her more than ever.  He moaned at this last thought alerting Bella to his presence.

She jumped up from her kneeling position on the ground when the sound reached her ears.  She was caught off guard by his proximity but quickly recovered.  Carlisle’s stance was passive and she instinctively knew that he meant her no ill will.  He stepped away from the trees letting the sunlight hit his bare arms and face.  Bella was stunned at the way he looked.  It was a rainbow of colors reflecting off of him.  Not the white light she had seen before…  With that, the door on her memories blew open.  Everything came rushing back like a tsunami wave.  Her parents, her life in Arizona, her short time in Forks, her friends, Edward, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Esme, Carlisle…Carlisle.  Walking together, long talks, skiing, Christmas, their engagement.  She looked down to her hand and the gorgeous diamonds that sat there.  She looked back up and saw the hopeful smile on his lips. 

A split second later she was kissing those same lips, hard.  He tasted delicious.  She wanted to taste more; feel more.  The fabric of his shirt and jeans tore apart under her fingers like tissue paper.  The destroyed clothing fell to the forest floor and was quickly joined by her own.

Carlisle didn’t know what to say to the drastic shift in her mood, but he couldn’t find it in him to complain.  Her need for him was palpable and considering that just thirty minutes earlier she had growled when he came too close, this change was welcomed with open arms.

A large boulder cracked as Bella forced Carlisle’s back into it.  It could not withstand the force she had exerted as she pushed her body up against his.  She growled in frustration and then grabbed Carlisle around the waist and threw him to the ground.  She was immediately on top of him; straddling his swollen dick.  She moaned into his mouth as she ground her sex down onto it.  Her body felt hotwired, like every synapse was firing and she wanted more.  She didn’t say anything as she reached between them and roughly grabbed hold of his shaft.  Carlisle groaned at the pleasurable pain.  Her vampire grip was a million times stronger than her human one had ever been.  If she was not careful, she could have literally severed his manhood. 

Bella was not concerned with his pain or his pleasure.  He was hers and she would take him how she wanted.  She positioned him at her entrance and sank down on him forcefully.  They both moaned as he was fully sheathed inside of her.  It felt like heaven to him.  He could have lied like this with her for decades, but Bella had other ideas.  She began to ride him hard; pulling up and slamming down with as much force as she could create.  The sound of their bodies crashing into one another was likened to that of thunder echoing off the surrounding woods.  It felt so good and her body only wanted more.  She withdrew and then slammed back down.  She was exerting so much power that she was burying Carlisle in the ground beneath them.  She felt her orgasm coming on fast and she reached between their bodies to pinch her swollen clit.

She released a primal growl as she came around him; soaking him with her very essence.  She stopped her thrusting as it felt like the beast inside of her was finally at rest.  She looked down and saw an unfamiliar expression on Carlisle’s face.  He looked stunned.  Then the realization of what just happened hit her like the world crashing down around her.  She had taken her pleasure from him.  She had used him and never even considered his wants or needs.  She had…raped him. 

Bella jumped up and screamed out in horror. Carlisle was caught off guard by her actions.  He had loved the way she had taken him just now.  It was raw and primal and incredibly hot.  He was just about to say this when Bella turned and tore through the woods once more.  He called to her, but it was no use.  She was already gone.  He knew from her scent that she was headed back towards the house.  His nakedness did not deter him from chasing after her at full speed.  He could hear her sobs on the wind.  He didn’t know why she was crying, but it made him push harder to catch up with her.

Bella was disgusted with herself.  How could she treat the man she loved with such blatant disregard?  I am a horrible, deplorable, monster.  I don’t deserve his love.  He should not have changed me.  I should just die.  These thoughts kept racing around in her head as her perfect recall played the scene over and over in all its horrific detail.  She rushed into the house and into her room where she slammed the door with such strength that she cracked the door jam.  Amazingly the door still stood.  She wanted to go into the wash room and scrub her skin till it peeled off her bones, but then she decided that she deserved to wallow in her filth.  That is what I am after all.

Alice had seen parts of what had happened.  She never tried to pry into the intimate acts of the rest of her family, but when she saw Bella take off towards the house, she knew something went terribly wrong.  She raced back to the house and grabbed some clothes for Carlisle before Bella flashed past her; not even seeing her in the hallway.  Alice quickly left the clothes on the deck and ran back to try and comfort her sister.

She knocked gently on the door, “Bella?  It’s Alice.  Can I come in?”

Bella shook her head and called out a strangled, “No.”

Alice sat on the floor outside the door, “Hon, what’s wrong?  Are you hurt?”

Bella scoffed at the idea of her being hurt when she was the one capable of doing so much damage, “No, I’m not hurt.  Just leave me alone.  I don’t deserve your kindness.”

Alice was thoroughly confused.  Just then Carlisle came in; struggling to get his shirt over his head as he rushed to Alice’s side.  Jasper was right behind him, but when he got close to the door, he stumbled back.  The self-hatred and remorse coming from Bella was so intense.  It felt like he was trying to walk against hurricane class winds.

“Bella, love, please let me in.” Carlisle begged.

She let go of a gut wrenching sob at the sound of his voice.  A great thrashing pain tore at the center of her being.  She did not deserve him nor his endearments.  She closed in on herself to try and block him out.  Jasper gasped and fell to the floor.  Alice was at this side holding him.  Carlisle’s attention was split in two between the door and Jasper.  He didn’t know what was going on.

Alice stroked Jasper’s messy blond hair, “What’s wrong Jasper?  What are you feeling?” she asked.

Jasper gasped like he was struggling for air.  He panted through it and said, “Her emotions, they were so strong and just like that, they were gone.  They’re gone again!”

Alice focused on her love for him while she attempted to see Bella’s future.  It too was gone.  Carlisle was watching her, knowing what she was doing.

Alice looked up into his worried eyes, “I can’t see her either.” She whispered.

Carlisle turned and plowed through the door sending splinters and chunks of wood everywhere. 

Bella jumped at the intrusion flying immediately into a defensive crouch; still completely naked.  Her warning hiss cut off as it registered with her that it was Carlisle.  Just as fast as she reacted to his presence she fell to the floor and curled back into a tight ball.  Carlisle saw the heartache written clearly on her face.  He was so confused by her myriad emotions.  It was typical for newborn vampires to be erratic, but he did not understand what was triggering Bella’s.

He tentatively stepped closer, but Bella shrieked in anguish; the sound tore at the very fiber of his being.

“Bella, sweetheart what…?”

“Don’t call me that!” she screamed; cutting him off, “I don’t deserve to be called that!”

Carlisle stood stunned and watched as she wrenched the platinum ring from her finger and threw it across the room; embedding it into the wall.  If it was possible for him to die another death, then the pain stabbing his heart surely would be his undoing.

“You…” he swallowed past the lump in his throat, “You’ve changed your mind?  You no longer wish to be my wife?” His voice was thick with emotion yet quiet in its tenor.

“You belong with someone better than me.  I am a deplorable monster who should be destroyed immediately before I can inflict any more damage.  You would have been better off letting Victoria kill me.” She whispered, still huddled in a ball.

Carlisle was befuddled.  “I don’t understand.  Bella, why would you say such things about yourself?”

Her head shot up with a look of hatred and astonishment.

“How can you, of all people, not understand?” she asked, her voice was acidic, “After what I did to you!  How can you even look at me right now?”

“Bella, I still don’t understand.  What exactly do you think you did to me?” his confusion was clear; this was not an act to try and placate her.

Bella’s lip quivered as her new photographic memory replayed the scene in her head.  She wanted to close her eyes to the horrific scene, but she couldn’t.  It was there.  It would always be right there.  She knew she could think back on it two hundred years from now and she would still see it with perfect clarity.

“I…I raped you.” Her voice was so quiet that even Carlisle, being only a few feet from her, struggled to hear.

She began to sob as the guilt weighed down upon her.  She wished she could burn again.  Only that kind of pain could even come close to matching the magnitude of the sin she committed against the man she claimed to love.

Carlisle was shocked into silence.  What is she saying?  Rape?  No one raped anyone.  How could she possibly think that?  Then it hit him like a bolt of lightning.

“Bella,” he spoke softly, “You did no such thing.  That was not rape by any means.  I was a fully willing participant.” He explained.

She looked up at him, “How can you possibly say that?  I attacked you; tore your clothes off.  I took what I wanted from you and did not give your feelings or needs a moment’s consideration.” She cried out.

“My love, you are a vampire; not even a few hours born into this life.  You saw your mate and recognized me as such.  You took me and laid claim to me.  For you, I am always willing and to watch you take your pleasure from my body is my pleasure.  I will never be able to express what that moment meant to me.”

Bella sat motionless as he said all this.  His eyes truly were the window to his soul and she could tell that he meant every word he said.  But, she still felt horrible that she had taken him so brutally when he had always handled her with the utmost care.  She ducked her head down against her knees.

He stepped forward again; reaching to caress her hair.

“Ow!” he hissed.

His hand was met with a burning sensation about twelve inches from Bella’s head.  He jumped back and examined his hand.  There was no burn mark, but he swore it felt like he had touched an open flame.  Bella’s eyes flew up in surprise at his exclamation.

Carlisle tried to touch her again, this time on her shoulder, but was met with the same fiery border.  They shared a look of utter confusion.  Neither of them understanding what just happened.

“Bella?” Carlisle asked, “Can you feel a type of heat energy around you?”

“No.” she answered softly, shaking her head.

“Could you feel when I tried to touch you just now?”

“I felt…” she paused searching for the right words, “…a sensation.  Almost like a soft pressure without it actually touching me.”

Carlisle thought on this for a moment.  She obviously had no problem touching him in the woods.  What was different?  He knew Alice and Jasper were still in the house.  He went to the washroom to fetch a bathrobe for Bella.  He set it in front of her and she picked it up and quickly put it on.  She remained on the floor; still bewildered by everything around her.  It seemed easier to cope with if she kept herself small.

“Alice?  Jasper?  Can you join us please?” Carlisle called softly.

They were next to him a split second later.  It was easy to see that Jasper was still struggling to deal with Bella’s emotional void and being this close to her was not making it any better.

Carlisle questioned the gifted couple, “Can either of you get a read on Bella right now?”

Jasper responded, “No, I haven’t felt an emotion from her since before you broke the door.”

“Same with me.” Alice added.

Carlisle looked back to Bella.  He smiled warmly.  He sat down just outside of the invisible barrier.

“Bella sweetheart, I want you to try and focus.  Close your eyes and think about how you felt when you first recognized me in the forest.”

Bella looked at the other vampires in the room. Even though she remembered them, it went against her natural instincts to close her eyes with them so close.  She hoped that whatever was stopping Carlisle from touching her would keep her protected just in case.  She hesitantly nodded and closed her eyes.

“What emotion or emotions were you feeling at that moment?” Carlisle asked but then looked up to Jasper and watched his expression.

“Want, need, desire, possessiveness…” she named off, waiting for a blush that would never come.

Carlisle saw the change in Jasper’s expression and he nodded back at Carlisle.  Alice closed her eyes. A large smile spread across her lips before she opened her eyes and nodded at him as well.  He turned back to Bella whose eyes were still closed.  He slowly reached forward and gingerly took her hand in his.  There was no fire stopping him this time.  He held her small hand within his causing her to open her eyes wide in surprise.  He smiled at her reassuringly.  Everyone remained silent for a long moment before Carlisle brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her knuckles.

“I am so confused,” Bella frowned.

“I think it is your shield, sweetheart.” Carlisle spoke without releasing her hand.

“My what?”

“Do you recall Eleazar and the rest of the Denali’s visiting us back in November?” Carlisle inquired.

Bella scrunched up her forehead and nibbled on her lip as she tried to search through the murky pieces of her human memories.  Everything from the second she opened her eyes as a vampire was perfectly catalogued and saved in her mind, but everything else looked like it had a film over it and not everything was chronologically correct, as far as she could tell.  Then she remembered the blond who had kissed Carlisle and a low growl left her lips as they curled up slightly.

Alice giggled, “Oh, I think she remembers at least part of that visit.”

Bella looked up at her; Alice winked and smiled in return.  Bella took a deep breath to calm herself as the growling ceased.

“Well done Bella.” Jasper complimented quietly.  “You handled that spike in your emotions really well.”

She couldn’t help the smile she had when she realized she did something right.  Bella looked back to Carlisle’s patient expression and nodded her head slowly.

He smiled reassuringly and kissed her hand once more; grateful to have her this way.  “It is alright My Bella.  Some memories may come back to you in time, but some may be lost forever.  We will help you as best we can.”

Alice and Jasper nodded in agreement and Bella found herself being more comfortable in their presence.  Her attention turned back to Carlisle.

“But for now,” he continued, “let’s take it one question at a time.  Eleazar is a member of our extended family and he has a gift that allows him to sense other talents amongst our kind and even in some humans.  When he met you last year, he could tell that you had a gift of sorts.  He called you a shield.  A shield is normally a defensive gift.”

He paused to let Bella absorb this new information.  She was so easily distracted by everything.  She felt like she had a vampire version of ADD.  His voice had a timber that she had never perceived with her human ears.  He had tiny wrinkles around his eyes that changed their size and shape when he smiled.  Not to mention his eyes were not just gold as she had thought.  They had a touch of burgundy and a hint of blue.  They were amazing to look at.  All of this was going on in her mind as he explained what gift she may have.  She was thankful for the great expanse her mind now was; allowing her to receive and process all this information at once.

Bella nodded slowly for him to continue.

“There were a couple of times, one of which lasted nearly nine months, where your shield seemed to have been ‘activated’; for lack of a better term.  We did not know it at the time, but it seems pretty clear now that is what was happening.  Before today, your shield appeared to be only mental, but through your transformation from human to vampire it has adopted a physical manifestation as well.”

“But how did I do it?” she asked.

“That part, my love, we will try and figure out together.  I have a theory that it has something to do with your emotional and mental state at any given time.  For now, I am just happy that I am able to touch you again.” He punctuated his statement as he ran his thumb back and forth over the palm of her hand.

She noticed Alice and Jasper made a stealthy exit from the room leaving her and Carlisle alone.  She heard them as they went out the back door.  She traced their movement through the yard to the back by the gazebo.  She could hear them talking with two other voices she placed as Emmett’s and Rosalie’s mixed with the sound of wood working power tools.  The grating teeth of the circular saw as it tore into the flesh of the wood was amazingly clear.  She could hear the screws twist their way into the layers; making their secure home inside the planks.  The pine needles brushing against each other as the wind pushed them, had its own distinct sound as did the flap of a bird’s wing from overhead.  Its tiny heart fluttered just a touch faster. 

All of the sounds and smells of the world around her were so incredibly overwhelming.  But it was all silenced by Carlisle’s touch.  She relished in the feel of his fingers gently stroking her hand; it was tender and soothing.  It centered her in the moment; blocking out everything else.  She was amazed at how warm he felt.  He had always been cold to her, but now he was as warm as she was.  She smiled as she realized that she was the one who was now as cold as him.

He brought his left hand up and let the backs of his fingernails draw down her jawline; his smooth nails gliding over her flawless skin.  Bella’s eyelids fluttered closed, and she purred in contentment.  Her eyes shot open in surprise.  Carlisle chuckled and leaned forward to kiss her on the mouth.  His tongue traced her rosy lips beckoning her to open them to welcome him in.  He stroked her tongue, but then retracted his back; tempting hers to follow.  She had never been able to explore his mouth before for fear of catching the edge of his teeth.  She pressed her tongue past his lips to dance with his amongst his venom laced teeth.  She gingerly traced them with the tipoff her tongue enjoying the tingling that the venom induced.  This was a pleasant surprise as she had assumed that once she was changed, the venom would no longer impact her.

Carlisle swept her up into her arms and carried her to their bed.  He wanted to replace his most recent memories there with new ones.  He laid her down in the center, and then brushed her hair away from her face with the back of his hand.  Bella mirrored his action running her fingers from his cheek to his hair.  She looked up at him with all the love and desire that coursed through her body.  He had missed her so desperately those two and a half days that she was changing.

Carlisle whispered the words that echoed through his mind a million times every day, “I love you.”

“As I love you.” She responded back.

Carlisle lowered himself to meet her waiting lips with his own.  He loved that he could kiss her properly now that she was less fragile; though she would always be delicate to him.  He reverently loved her mouth before pulling back.  He kept his gaze locked with hers as his hand drifted down her body before releasing the tie on her robe.  It fell open exposing her incredible figure to him. 

He gave her lips one last chaste kiss before he moved to her neck.  He kissed his mark sending shivers through her body.  The smell of her arousal was thick in the air.  Carlisle dragged his eyes down to her chest where he admired her stunning breasts.  They were as perfect as every other inch of her body.  Her paler skin set off the darkened areolas that much more; making them delectable morsels that he planned on worshiping for hours on end in the near future.  He moved down to her toned belly.  She was always fit, but the venom had given her a subtle definition that was not there before.  His breath blew over the lines of sinew before shifting over to her wrist.  He kissed his mark on the left one before doing the same on the right.  James’ scar was nothing but a memory; being replaced by his teeth and venom.

Carlisle continued his southern movement until he bypassed her apex to look down on his final mark.  The last place he injected her with his life ending poison; his eternal elixir.  Unbeknownst to him, Bella had watched as he had made his trek to each of her scars.  She saw the shame in his eyes as he pressed his lips to the bite mark on the inside of her thigh.  She reached her hand down to stroke his flaxen locks.

She whispered, “Thank you.”

He turned so that his cheek rested on her thigh; her heartbeat most noticeably missing.  He looked up at her in confusion.

“Thank you for changing me.  Thank you for having the strength to do what needed to be done to make sure that I came through the transformation intact.  And thank you for loving me enough to want to keep me forever.”

Her words sang to his soul.  He got up on his hands and knees to crawl back up her body until his face was directly above hers.  No words seemed adequate at that moment.  He let his lips fall to hers as she reached up to meet him half way.  He paused to remove his shirt and pants while Bella pulled her arms free of the bathrobe that lay beneath her.  Carlisle slowly descended upon her once more allowing his chest to press down against hers.  The weight of his body over hers gave Bella a sense of possession and security.  Her hands wanted to reach and grab at him hungrily, but she submitted to the unhurried, tender pace that Carlisle was setting.  He continued to kiss her slowly.  Their tongues entwined and danced between their open mouths.  There was no play for dominance.  They were equals.  He was hers as much as she was his.

Carlisle’s hand drifted down her side to wrap tenderly around her thigh.  He lifted it slightly and set his hardness at her entrance.  His need to be inside her was so much more than sexual desire.  It was on a whole different plain.  It was a spiritual need to be connected with his mate; his other half.  Without ceasing his kiss, he thrust his hips forward and penetrated her.  The feeling was like nothing he had ever experienced in his long existence.  It was so much more powerful than it had been when Bella was human. 

He moved slowly within her tightened walls.  She hugged him in such a delicious way.  Her heat no longer scorched him.  It caressed him; loved him.  Her juices now laced with her own venom sent tingling sparks up and down his length.  It was incredible.  He let go of his hold on her leg to wrap his arm around her waist.  He needed to be closer to her, if that was even possible.  Bella felt it too.  She reached around him and tightened her hold until she heard Carlisle grunt and realized that she was holding him too firmly.  She tried to pull her arms away but he shook his head slightly as they continued to kiss.  He would take any amount of pain she could dole out if it meant that he could be that much closer to her.

Bella began to climax as Carlisle pulsed inside of her.  But his orgasm was so much more than a physical release.  He felt himself explode from the inside, and at that very second he knew that Bella felt the very same thing.  It was like his very essence was destroyed and rebuilt blended with hers.

Bella had no idea what she just experienced, but if she had been human still, it would have stopped her heart.  Carlisle was a part of her now.  She could feel him in her; not his venom, but him. 

Their eyes met and they just seemed to know.  They were bonded on a celestial level. Carlisle did not pull away.  Their eyes said everything that their mouths failed to.  Bella moved beneath him; pushing him deeper with her.  He matched her movement and continued to make slow passionate love to her for hours on end.

The sun set on Bella’s first day as a vampire with her warmly entangled with the love of her new life. 

As the sun rose to mark the beginning of a new day, Bella and Carlisle finally separated but only far enough to allow Carlisle to pull her against his chest.  She rested her head over his silent heart as she listened to the air enter and release from his lungs.  Bella looked down at her left hand sitting on top of his soft curls.  Her eyes darted to the ring that remained impaled in the wall.  She whimpered at what she had done.  Carlisle saw what she was staring at.  He kissed her on the top of her head before sitting her up.  He walked to the wall and carefully extracted the diamond ring.  He blew off the dust and observed that the ring miraculously still held its shape.  He made his way back to the bed to find Bella sitting silently as she worried her bottom lip.  Even after everything they just shared, there was a part of her that thought he may not give the ring back.  Maybe he no longer wanted to marry her.

He climbed into the bed next to her as she sat with the sheet tucked under her arms.  He held the ring between his thumb and forefinger as he seemed to speak to it rather than Bella.

“When I first saw this ring, I thought it was absolutely beautiful.  But when I saw it on your finger, I realized it was nothing but platinum and diamonds and it was you who made the ring beautiful; you and your promise to marry me.”

His eyes rose up to meet hers, “And now I can see that I was absolutely right.  This ring holds no meaning, no value when it is not on you.  I truly hope, with all that I am, that you will accept this ring and pledge to marry me?”

Bella felt so much love in that moment that she thought she might scream out her acceptance.  So she nodded and whispered a soft, “Yes.”

Carlisle smiled and slid the ring back to its rightful place.  He kissed her hand above where it sat then he kissed her mouth deeply and passionately.  He laid back down pulling Bella to his chest once more.

They laid together in companionable silence as the sun continued to rise.  The first birds of the morning were singing outside the missing bay window, and Bella smiled at the peace of the moment.  Then a giggle bubbled up and out of her.

Carlisle looked down at her in question, “What do you find so amusing?”

“We may need to get a standing order at Lows.” She said as she gestured to the window and broken door.

Carlisle laughed heartily as he squeezed her a little tighter.  “Oh My Bella, we have had an account with them since they opened their doors back in 1921.  We also own shares in the company that we bought shortly after Emmett joined the family.  It has been one of our most profitable investments.”