Forgotten Forever? (Twilight Fan Fic)

Carlisle's Fake Shame

After another very long talk, Carlisle drove Emmett to the hospital to get his car, then offered to drive me home. So that's where I am now, in the familiar feeling front seat of Carlisle's Mercedes.

"Bella!" Charlie comes running out of the house the moment I step out the car. Carlisle gets out too, and Charlie smiles at him. I grin at my two father's getting along. "Doctor Cullen," Charlie greets him.

"Please, Chief Swan, call me Carlisle," Carlisle replies politely, while shaking his hand.

"Then call me Charlie," Charlie laughs. "I wasn't expecting you home so early Bells, school hasn't finished yet. And Mrs Newton said she saw you two and the McCarty kid down at the graveyard," Charlie adds, raising his eyebrows.

"Oh," I blush. How can we explain to Charlie without revealing everything?

Carlisle shifts uncomfortably, as do I.

"Well?" He asks.

"Oh, um," Carlisle stutters. If Edward were here then he'd have the perfect excuse.

"And," Charlie starts again, "Mrs Newton also said she saw you three going up a dirt track in the forest just outside of town. McCarty's parents already know."

Oh God.

"Chief Swan," Carlisle says, realising this is not a good time to use my dad's first name. "We can explain."

I nod in agreement, but Charlie sneers and grabs my arm, pulling me away from Carlisle. "Bella has nothing to explain. You, however, do. If you don't explain now then I will arrest you for child harassment."

Carlisle looks really worried now. Crap. Crap. Crap.

Wait...

"I am not a child! And Carlisle has done nothing wrong!" I fold my arms and pout slightly, a trick I learnt off Alice. Out of the corner of my eye I see Carlisle chuckle slightly.

"Bella... If Doctor Cullen has touched you in any way, I need to know. You don't have to be afraid," Charlie says as if I'm three.

What?

WHAT?!

Just as I am about to slap my father for even thinking Carlisle, kind, compassionate Carlisle, would ever hurt me in any way, a car comes down the road and stops outside the house.

Surprisingly, Emmett gets out the car along with two other people I can only assume are his parents. "Chief Swan," Emmett's father says, and then he spots me and Carlisle. "I see you already have him," Mr McCarty smiles slyly at Carlisle, who sighs, and lowers his head.

"Emmett won't give us an explanation about why he was with Cullen today," Mrs McCarty moans.

"Nor will Bella," Charlie says. "Or Doctor Cullen."

"Mum, I told you! We went to see Carlisle because Bella broke her hand!" Emmett cries, this is obviously something he's been saying for a while.

All the adult's heads snap to look at Emmett. "What now?" He whines.

"Why are you calling a grown man by his first name, boy?" Mr McCarty growls, glaring at Carlisle.

Oh. Shit. We've messed up real bad.

"Because we're friends with him," I say, giving them a 'duh' look.

Charlie turns to look at Carlisle, "Why do you allow children to call you by your first name? And how do they know it?"

Carlisle sighs, but it seems he has an answer for this one. "Well, my nametag says 'Doctor Carlisle Cullen', and I never really thought about it because I just got out of school, and I'm used to it. I'm only 22."

Everyone exchanges a glance, except for Emmett and I, who are giving Carlisle apologetic looks.

Suddenly Charlie pulls out his gun, takes off the safety, and points it straight at Carlisle's face.

"Either give us an explanation, or skip town," Charlie snarls, and Mr and Mrs McCarty smile, after a short silence Charlie speaks again, "Get in your car, stay away from our kids, or any kid for that matter, drive away and never come back. Or," Charlie does something to the gun that makes a threatening clicking sound, "I'll put a bullet through your head."

Emmett and I try to suppress our smirks as we are the only ones who know that the bullet would definitely not go through Carlisle's head, just bounce off.

But, instead of risking exposure, Carlisle gets in his car and drives away.

"Would you guys like to stay for dinner?" Charlie asks, and Emmett's family agree.

Once we're inside Emmett offers to help me cook, which makes us both laugh. As vampires we found the concept of food disgusting, and now we're both making lasagne to feed five people.

"You know what this means, right?" I whisper once the adults are seated in the living room.

"If we don't fix the curse then we'll never see Carlisle or Esme again," Emmett concludes.

"Exactly," I murmur, but that causes more tears to spill. Wow, I've been crying a lot lately.

At the sound of my sobs the adults rush in to see me sobbing in Emmett's comforting arms. "Bella!" Charlie exclaims, rushing over to me, "Its okay now Bella, you don't have to worry about Doctor Cullen anymore. You're safe."

He tries to take me in his arms, but instead, I slap him.

"Bella!" He yells, and I whimper when I realise I slapped him with my broken hand.

"HOW DARE YOU!" I scream. "HOW DARE YOU THREATEN CARLISLE WITH A GUN, HOW DARE YOU DRIVE HIM OUT OF HIS HOME?!"

"Bella-" Charlie tries again.

"NO!" I cut him off, "The reason we went with Carlisle was because we went to see his sister's grave with him. We were talking about paintings and things and he offered to show us his sister's grave, because she was a great painter. Then we went up the dirt track to his house to see her paintings. Look! He even gave me one!" I pull a picture of Carlisle I drew at lunch a few days ago. I think it's quite good.

Beside me, Emmett looks mightily impressed; I was always the worst liar in the family and I just picked one off the top of my head.

"That's the reason?" Charlie asks, looking embarrassed. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Becuase," Emmett answers for me, "He feels responsible for her death. Her husband died and then her baby died and Carlisle was too wrapped up in medical school to realise how depressed she was getting. He wasn't there for her and in the end she committed suicide."

Yay! Now everyone looks embarrassed, and sorry. So they should.

"I'll go apologise," Charlie stutters, leaving the house and jumping into his cruiser, while I rush upstairs to call Carlisle and tell him about the lie.

When I finish explaining Carlisle sighs, "Bella, I'm already gone."

"What?" I cry.

"Its time for me to move on," Carlisle says, and I can hear the sadness in his voice. "Keep an eye on the house and Emmett for me will you?"

"Of course," I murmur, fresh tears pooling in eyes.

"Oh, and Bella?"

"Yes?"

"Make sure-" But suddenly Carlisle's voice is replaced by his screams.

"Carlisle? Carlisle?' I ask frantically.

When his screaming finally stops the unmistakable voice of Jane Volturi flows through the phone.

"You're next."