Author's Note: Though it didn't make it into the final rounds, "One Weekend" was nominated for three Indie Twific Awards! The categories are: Best Secondary Characterization, Love Conquers All Novella and Completed Canon or AU That Knocks You Off Your Feet. Thanks to all of you who sent some love my way. I am more grateful than I can say that my story is being enjoyed.

Bella lay on her bed and thought of having sex with Edward.

She and Edward had already discussed this. What Bella wanted more than anything was this one human experience before she was changed into a vampire. She wanted to make love to him. She knew that he wanted her, too, but was afraid for her. To Edward, she was everything he wanted in life and what he dangerously desired. He would never want her to be hurt, and especially did not want to be the reason she was hurting. Edward had never forgiven himself for the pain he had caused her when he had left her behind in Forks.

The whole family had taken off with him. Carlisle, Esme, they had left out of love for Edward and love for Bella. She didn't realize it at the time, but they were all of them looking out for what they hoped was her best interest, as well as Edward's.

Now that events had conspired around the whole Cullen family so that it was mandatory by Volturi law that Bella be turned into a vampire, Edward wanted to delay it as long as possible. He wanted her to have human experiences, he had told her, to live as much of a human life as possible.

"Then give me this one," she had bargained with him. "Give me this one experience. I want to feel what it is like before who I am changes." Bella knew that she had finally cracked his determination by playing the human experience card. It was what Edward wanted for her, and God, it was what she wanted. What made it so difficult was that Edward wanted to protect her so damn much.

She didn't care that he thought she might get hurt. She trusted him to be able to resist her blood and control his physical strength. She was going to make love to him, and she was going to do it with her human body. Feel him while she was still warm-blooded, while her heart could still race and her breathing quicken. Every time she and Edward had kissed and touched, it was maddening that he would draw back just as her blood began to race for more.

And so she had forced his hand and demanded to lose her virginity. Edward had given in. He loved her and consented that he would find a way. Sighing, Bella rolled onto her side and picked up her Jane Austen collection. It did her no good at the moment to dwell on her hope, as much as she looked forward to Edward fulfilling his promise. Best to calm her mind before Charlie got back.

It was a Friday afternoon and Charlie would be coming home from the police station in a couple of hours. She had some chicken thawing in the fridge, intending to make a rice dish for her dad once he arrived.

The house phone rang, and Bella let her book drop to the bed as she bounced out of the room to get it. It was Edward.

"Bella," she could hear the love in his voice and smiled. That beautiful musical voice that she would love forever. "I've got it figured out."

"Got what figured out? I thought you were going hunting with Jasper and Emmett."

"I am. Actually, Esme is coming as well. Listen, Alice called your father at the station and cleared you for a weekend getaway."

Wariness seeped into Bella. "A weekend getaway? Am I being kidnapped again?"

Amusement entered Edward's voice when he answered after a beat. "Yes, you are. Carlisle should be at your door momentarily."

That took Bella by surprise. "Carlisle? Carlisle is helping Alice kidnap me?"

"Just trust me, Bella."

"Hmm, I don't know. Maybe I should go down to La Push and see Jacob instead."

A low growl came from the other end of the phone. "Trust me, Bella. Go with Carlisle."

Pleased at being able to tease him, the seriousness of Edward's tone made her suppress it from her voice. "All right. Hey, I think that's him pulling up to the house now."

"Good. Talk to you later, Bella."

"Bye-" but he was already gone. Bella looked down at the phone in puzzlement before hanging it up and heading to the front door. What was going on?

Her bemusement only increased at the sight of Carlisle and his Mercedes S55 AMG in her father's driveway. Carlisle stood about 6'2" tall and was as beautiful as the rest of the Cullen clan. Unlike Edward his hair was blond and fell into place in attractive waves thick enough to run fingers through. Beautiful and pale, it was when Bella first met Dr. Carlisle Cullen that she realized all of the Cullens must have the same secret. The patriarch of the family, he had the same ethereal beauty as the rest. Factoring in Edward's surprising superhuman abilities in addition to the almost superhuman attractiveness the family shared, it was impossible to believe that Carlisle was not aware of it all.

Carlisle himself proved to be no more alarming than she had ever found Edward. In fact, she always felt comfortable and safe in his presence. Full of kindness, compassion and a strong reasonable mind, Carlisle's warm heart made him the Cullen that Bella trusted the most. So why was he here today, a participant in another of Edward's contrived kidnappings?

"Hello, Bella." He said in a steady and strong voice that made Bella feel soothed. Whatever Edward was up to, Carlisle wouldn't be participating in anything that would infuriate her. Even when it came to her choice to become a vampire, he had been on her side.

"Carlisle." Bella's smile was genuine.

Carlisle walked around to the passenger side of his Mercedes and opened the door for her. Knowing that she didn't need to grab anything as she had all she would need at the Cullen house already, Bella locked the door behind her and stepped over to Carlisle.

"You look lovely today." Carlisle's appealing voice continued to relax Bella even as she looked down ironically at her denim shorts and plain tee. Sliding into the vehicle the corner of her mouth gave a quick smirk. Within seconds, Carlisle was behind the wheel and backing out of the driveway.

The uniqueness of being given a ride by Carlisle struck Bella. She was used to being in Edward's Volvo. The Mercedes had a different feel to it entirely. It was far ritzier and yet elegant. The butter smooth leather made her seat much more comfortable to sink into. "I don't think that I've ever driven with you before. How is it that you've become a part of my kidnapping today?"

"Kidnapping?" Taken by surprise, Carlisle raised his eyebrows.

"Well, this isn't the first time that Edward has had a member of the Cullen family take me for the weekend when he's away hunting. What exactly am I going to be doing with Alice?"

"It's not Alice that you're going to be spending the weekend with." Carlisle's tone was gentle and somewhat cautious as he revealed this new tidbit. He looked over at Bella with compassion for her confusion. Bella imagined for a split second that his gaze flickered over her.

"I'm not?" A slight bit of nervousness began to edge into her brain. Bella's eyes darted around, and she realized that the road around her was not what she expected. "Carlisle," Tightness enclosed around his name, "why are we not heading for your house?"

Carlisle looked over at Bella and reached out to put his hand on her knee. "Please, don't be worried, Bella. You'll be spending the weekend with me. We are heading to a cabin I have in Montana. It's best to give you the full explanation once we're there. You may consider this an abduction, but please believe that nothing's going to happen that will harm you."

Bella was most definitely taken aback. A weekend with Carlisle? Possibilities ran through her mind: an important telling of something from the Cullen family history she didn't know, or maybe even her transformation. Carlisle had agreed to change her, after all. But Edward wanted to delay that, had promised to do it himself after…

Carlisle looked into Bella's eyes, patiently waiting for her response. His hand still rested reassuringly and intimately on her knee. "Of course, Carlisle," she looked back into his earnest gaze. "I trust you."

Carlisle withdrew his hand slowly, the tips of his fingers sliding across her knee, as he turned back toward the road. Bella leaned back into her seat and tried not to let her thoughts run rampant with speculation. She focused on Carlisle instead.

He was beautiful. It was impossible to deny it. Bella imagined that Carlisle was beautiful even before becoming a vampire. Strong cheekbones, earnest and compassionate eyes all contributed to the appeal of his lean, muscular build. Like the Mercedes, Carlisle always had about him a sleek sexy elegance. Delicious and musky, a faint scent she thought must come from the car reached Bella. Her eyes moved from Carlisle to the dashboard. Did Carlisle drive like the rest of the Cullens? As the digital speed read 98 miles per hour, it was safe to assume that he did. Bella didn't want to think about how fast they were going.

Looking back at Carlisle, Bella remembered the last time she had been alone with him. The only time actually, and it was because no other vampire could safely be near her as blood oozed out of her arm. Nervous as Carlisle removed several shards of glass from the wound, Bella had changed her focus by asking Carlisle questions about himself.

"What are you thinking?" he asked her, looking at her with an unexpectedly shy smile. Bella's lips twitched a bit. It was a question she was very much accustomed to being asked.

"I was remembering the last time we were alone together."

"And?"

"I distracted myself by focusing on you."

"True. You did ask me some very good questions. I remember you were the first one to agree with me about acceptance in heaven."

"It's hard to imagine heaven not approving of you."

Carlisle's smile was very warm, and he turned his head to look at her full on. "Thank you, Bella."

Bella stopped breathing as his eyes locked onto hers. They were ocher turned into gold, with depths that Bella started to sink into. It took just a second for her to draw breath again. Blinking, she felt a bit of a flush hit her cheeks. Did Carlisle just dazzle her? No, he couldn't have, not deliberately in any case. Heart skipping a little bit more quickly, Bella frantically tried to think of something to say.

"Chicken!"

Carlisle looked genuinely startled. "What?"

"I left the chicken thawing for Charlie in the fridge. He's never going to cook it himself. It's probably going to go bad by the time I get back." Bella didn't really care, just a small thing that she didn't think of before leaving the house. "I should have thought about it."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Carlisle's reassurance contained a note of humor.

Another thought struck Bella. "Um, Carlisle? I thought that we were heading to your place. That is to say I didn't bring any clothes. I mean -" Bella tried to stop babbling like an uncomfortable teenager with a crush. "I figured I wouldn't need any, as there's plenty for me at your house. Or, at least, extras that Alice has."

"Alice will have plenty in her closet for you in Montana. I'm sure she won't mind that you wear some." Carlisle was very amused and continued to smile at her. The musky scent in the car seemed to be more noticeable. "Do you always cook for your father?"

"Yes, it took him awhile to get used to it. Without me he'll order take out and eat on the couch in front of a game. It's unhealthy to do that too much. It was the same when I lived with my mother, Renee. I always cooked for her, too. Her kitchen experiments weren't particularly edible." Talking about her parents steadied Bella. She couldn't believe that she'd just had such a clumsy hormonal moment with Carlisle.

"You seem to always look after others, Bella. It's a very attractive trait."

"Coming from a doctor." Bella demurred. She wanted to deflect the attention away from her. Having Carlisle state that she was attractive in any way was not comfortable for her right now. "A vampire doctor. When it comes to helping others, Carlisle, you win the prize."

"Being a vampire doesn't make any act I do more meaningful than you cooking for your parents."

"You've saved lives."

"And you haven't? Bella, more than once I've known you to walk towards death because you thought it would save someone you love. That's very praiseworthy."

"You've also known me to get paper cuts, trip and fall, get nearly crushed to death by a van and deliberately jump off a cliff."

"You certainly seem to add to your repertoire." Again, looking over at Bella, Carlisle reached out and touched her knee. "Don't dismiss yourself so easily. You may feel like merely a clumsy human, Bella, but you are quite extraordinary. As much as I care for you as a member of my family, I admire you equally well."

Bella was still, caught again in Carlisle's gaze. This time it served to soothe her, counteracting the self-conscious discomfort his words had given her. She wasn't any more at ease receiving compliments than she was at receiving gifts. Yet, it disarmed her to know that a person whom she so highly regarded could think so well of her. She never thought of the Cullen family as accepting her for any more reason than Edward's love for her. She knew Alice enjoyed her company, for they were best friends. Esme was ecstatic at Bella's relieving Edward's loneliness. Emmett found her amusing. Even Jasper, whose appetite was the hardest to control, treated her very decently. Rosalie had yet to thaw, but Rosalie's world always consisted of herself first.

That Carlisle, the one that everyone in the family looked up to and turned to, could say that he admired her was a compliment beyond expectations.

Then, of course, there was his dazzling gaze and his hand on her knee.

"How long will it take to reach Montana?" she asked him.

Carlisle put his hand back on the wheel and looked at the road. "I can get us there in nine hours."

Oh boy. It was going to be a long drive. Thankfully she could be human and spend a chunk of it sleeping.