A/N: Hey hey! Long time no see. Sorry about that. No excuses. Let's just get back to the story shall we?

I sat in front of my mirror just staring at myself. I skipped out of school early so I could have time to get ready for prom. Sighing, I picked up my brush and hair dryer. I blew it out straight and then began curling my hair into big, loose curls. The back of my dress was completely open so I wanted to show it off by pinning my hair over one shoulder.

It took forever for me to get my hair just right. I wasn't sure why it mattered to me so much when I normally didn't care very much. Pulling out the big guns, I sprayed it down with a ton of hairspray so the curls wouldn't fall out before the night was through.

I brushed a light powder over my face so it wasn't shiny and then applied a pink blush. Working on my eyes was a bit harder because I wanted to look cute without looking like I did on any other day. After getting my makeup just right, I slipped out of my robe and into my dress.

The gown Angela talked me into was something I never would have chosen for myself. The long sleeves and floor length gave it the illusion of being more demure than it was. The dress was backless, the material was cut so low it barely covered my ass.

The material was silver sequins and very shiny. I was going to stand out in this dress, which was another thing I wasn't used to. I knew Jamie would have all the jocks looking at him and his date as the couple of the night. He was practically king of the school and tonight I would be the queen. I hadn't really thought much of it and now I was extremely nervous.

The knock at my door startled me. My dad poked his head in.

"Hey Bella, your date is here. Wow you look... that dress is very..." he stuttered over his words.

"You hate it?" I asked my face crumbling.

"No!" He shouted. "Well yes, but only because, wow, that is revealing."

I reached over and put on my shoes. "Help me up." I held out my hands for him to lift me to my feet. I busted out laughing finally noticing he was in complete cop uniform. "Dad, seriously!" I whined.

Charlie looked to his feet, blush coloring his cheeks. He reached down and grabbed my hands pulling me up. "I can't help it Bella. He needs to watch himself."

I rolled my eyes and huffed "Okay Dad. But I'm sure Jamie will be on his best behavior."

My dad walked ahead of me down the stairs, I wouldn't be surprised if his hand didn't twitch towards his gun belt.

Jamie was standing at the bottom of the stairs holding a box with a corsage. He looked really nervous until Charlie stepped out of the way. "Bella, you look amazing."

"Thanks, you look very handsome." He did look good. His tux was white satin and matched pretty well with my shiny silver dress. Jamie leaned in, and I'm pretty sure he was about to kiss me until my dad cleared his throat.

"I will be on duty tonight, so no funny business. I know how you kids get, with it being prom and all, but I still expect you to be on your best behavior. Absolutely no drinking, or drugs of any kind, and she is to be home by 1 am, not a minute later. You hear me?"

"Dad," I whine.

"Yes sir, I understand," Jamie said, backing up a half step and looking chastised.

I looked over at my dad trying to give him my serious face, but was failing miserably. I loved knowing that he cared about me, I just didn't want him scaring Jamie off before we could even get out the door.

Jamie was fidgeting with the box in his hands. "Here Bella, I got this for you. Angela told me about your dress, I hope you don't mind," he said, pulling out a white rose with silver glitter on the band for my wrist.

"I don't mind, it's kinda perfect, actually," I said, holding out my hand for him to slip the corsage around my wrist.

Charlie looked out the door, "I think your ride is waiting." he said as he waved to the people outside, in a not so friendly but more intimidating gesture.

"We're going to the Weber's house for pictures first, you're welcome to come along, Sir." Jamie looked all too uncomfortable extending the offer to my dad, but I appreciated it nonetheless.

"It's not every day your little girl goes off to prom," my dad said with a hint of a smile. "And, well, since I'm headed that way to get to the station. I'd really like that."

"Okay then, that's settled," I clapped my hands together. "Let's get this show on the road."

Jamie extended his arm so I could loop mine through his.

We jumped in the limo, with my dad trailing us in his police cruiser, and headed to Angela's house. The ride was short but slightly awkward. Jessica, Mike's date, was staring daggers at me. Mike was joking with Tyler, who was completely ignoring Irina his date. I talked and laughed with Irina about gym, and how I'd return her gym shorts some time before we graduated. Jamie just sat trailing his fingers up and down my shoulder that was closest to him, ignoring everyone.

I was more than happy when we pulled up to Angela's house. Jamie was the closest to the door so he got out first, and gave me his hand. Once we were all on the Webers' lawn, the atmosphere lightened. We got together for a few group photos, then individual couples.

Angela, Irina and I struck a Charlies Angel's type pose. Then my dad had to get in on it. "Well I am 'Charlie' you know," he grumbled then laughed.

"You kids better get out of here," Mrs. Weber shooed us away. "Don't want to miss the dinner."

She was right, if we had stayed any longer we would have missed the dinner and pictures at the hotel.

Walking into the ballroom of the hotel, I was floored. It was decked out in our school colors, which on any other day I would have thought tacky, but they used the richer blues and golds to make it warm and inviting.

Mike ran ahead and grabbed a table for us, intimidating the couple that was already seated into leaving for another one.

I felt him before I saw him, a light electrical feeling flowed through me. Turning to my left, Carlisle was sitting at a table with other faculty members, eyes trained on me. Jamie pulled out my chair and I sat, thanking him for the kind gesture.

There was a low hum as more Forks students arrived at the hotel. Jamie and I lined up in front of Angela and Ben for pictures with the photographer. When it was our turn, I snorted and laughed at the ridiculous poses they were trying to put us in.

"Can't we just um..." I bit my lip, not trying to offend the photographer. "Stand like normal fucking people?" Jamie supplied for me. I was thrown into hysterics, I could hardly catch my breath. Jamie spun me, some weird ballroom dancing type spin, and as I crashed into his arms laughing the photographer snapped our picture.

We waited for Ben and Angela to finish their pictures before we headed back to the table. I could still feel Carlisle's eyes on me, but chose to ignore him and have fun.

Everything was going great; we ate dinner and danced a bit. Jessica stopped her pouting and bitch face towards me. We were having fun.

I was getting slightly overheated, and Jamie wanted a smoke. A few of us from our small group went through the hotel lobby and out front for a much needed break. That was when all hell broke loose.

"Hey sweetheart, remember me?" The douche bag from outside the dress shop accosted me when Jamie walked to the side of the building with Mike for a smoke.

"Ugh, unfortunately I do remember you," I scoffed.

"Well, I'm pretty hard to forget," he said waggling his eyebrows. "Wanna get outta here with me and I'll give you a little something extra to remember me by?"

"No." I laughed in his face.

"What's the matter, can't handle a real man?" he stepped closer and Ben jumped between us.

"Hey man, why don't you get out of here?" The guy threw his fist out and hit Ben right in the face.

"Fuck you! I'm not going anywhere without the girl."

Angela was at Ben's side in an instant and the asshole grabbed my arm. "Get your hands off me!" I yelled trying to shake him loose as a few more guys we didn't know walked up.

"What do we have here? Forks prom? Seems like a great party to crash," one of the loud mouthed jerks sneered. The douche from outside the shop still hadn't let go of my arm.

"Hey asshat, mind asking your friend to let me go?" I spat.

"No need for such foul language to come out of such a pretty girl." The douche shook my arm. Jamie and Mike came around the corner and if the look on Jamie's face could have killed, the guy holding me would be six feet under.

"Well well well, Davis, didn't think I'd see you at the prom." the asshat party crasher smiled.

"Rybak, I didn't think I'd see you at our prom. What? Didn't get enough of an ass kicking this season?" Jamie taunted.

I looked more closely at this Rybak guy and realized he was the catcher for Port Angeles' baseball team.

"Um, hello, douche over here won't let go of me," I shouted, trying to convey my annoyance and anger with my eyes.

"Lane," Jamie growled. "Let go of her."

"Or what?" Lane taunted.

Before I could blink Jamie lunged at him, knocking Lane to the ground and I fell in the process due to his tight hold on my arm.

Fists were flying and more people were spilling out from inside the hotel. In the scuffle, I slipped off my shoes and ran to go back inside, but so many people were fighting their way outside I had no way of getting back in. I ran to the side of the building, hearing footsteps behind me, I ran faster.

Just as I made contact with the handle on the door to the side entrance someone grabbed my side. I squeaked and turned ready to sucker punch the person grabbing me. "Are you okay?" It was Carlisle, I sagged in relief into his arms.

Straightening, I huffed, "I'm fine. Not like you care anyway." I turned and opened the door slipping back inside the hotel.

"Bella, wait! I'm sorry. I do care," Carlisle shouted, coming down the little hall after me.

"Yeah, well you have a funny way of showing it. I think you're full of shit. You got what you wanted out of me. A good fuck. Was that all I was to you?"

"God, no!" he shouted, grabbing at his hair.

"Maybe that's all you were to me. Hey, I mean, we had our fun but that time is over now."

"Bella, don't be like that. I said I was sorry. What more do you want? I really truly am sorry." He pleaded with his eyes for me to believe him.

"What more do I want?" I asked rhetorically. "Nothing! I want nothing more from you!" I shouted, stepping closer trying to be intimidating.

"Then why are you here still fighting? I can see it, you're fighting for us." Carlisle reached forward to place his hand on my cheek.

"There is no 'us'." I hissed and turned to stomp down the hall.

I got a few feet away when what Carlisle said stopped me dead in my tracks. "Esme knows. She knows about us."

"What.. I mean how.. how does she know?" I stuttered over my words.

Carlisle walked closer and grabbed my hand. "She saw us. The day I dropped you off at Angela's house. She saw me kiss you at the car. I begged her not to tell anyone. Esme wanted to run straight to the principal and the school board to tell them about us. I pleaded with her, I couldn't stand to see her hurt you like that. We made a deal, if I didn't see you again she wouldn't tell anyone. As much as she wanted to tell people, I convinced her that it wasn't the best option. I'm so sorry Bella. You don't know how sorry I truly am. I wanted to tell you."

I interrupted him. "So why didn't you? Why didn't you tell me, save me from the heart break? From the hurt, I hurt, my heart ached for you. It was like you didn't even care."

"But I do care, I care so fucking much. It hurt me just as much. To see you, to have to ignore you. To then watch you with James Davis, of all people!" Carlisle yelled.

"If you would have told me in the first place, that never would have happened!" I shouted back.

"I wish I could go back, redo everything," he whispered. I cried out, pulling my hand away. I didn't understand how he could say such things.

"No, Bella! God that's not what I meant," he grabbed me, pulling me into his arms. "I just mean, redo everything by not being so careless. You mean so much to me, and knowing my carelessness put you in this position... I don't know if I can ever forgive myself."

"It's okay, I understand. I don't like it, but I understand. You were just trying to protect me, protect us." I stepped on my tiptoes, still holding my shoes from when I took them off in the scuffle, and leaned forward pressing my lips to his. "But I have to get out of here. No doubt the police will be here soon and I've gotta get back to my date." Carlisle's face fell. "I need to be honest with him, break it off. I obviously won't tell him about you, but I need to let him know that I can't return his feelings because I feel that for someone else."

"I don't want to let you go," he whined.

"You're just going to have to trust me that everything is going to be okay." I kiss him soundly and without another look back, because it would hurt too much to have to look away a second time. I walk out of the hotel and into the end of the fight.

Jamie, Mike, Ben, Tyler, Lane and Rybak are all handcuffed and sitting on the curb by the valet station. Jessica was even sitting in all her prom glory, with a smile on her face and her hands cuffed behind her back.

"What happened?" I asked Irina.

"Jess popped that loud one in the face when he had Mike in a headlock," she said, pointing to Lane.

I laughed as my dad walked over, "Where have you been?"

"I ducked inside the hotel during the fight. I didn't want to get knocked down a second time."

"Second time? Damn it, Bella! What happened?" His face was getting redder by the second.

"Are you asking me as my Dad or the police chief?" I lightly joked.

"I'm not kidding around here! What. Happened?" he demanded.

"Dad I'm fine, I'll give my statement. Okay?" I put my hands up in a surrender motion.

He pulled me into his arms and I could see Lane scowl over his shoulder. "Yeah, this is my Dad, asshole! You messed with the wrong girl."

A/N: Mucho thanks to my beta girls laureate04 and NaughtyHisBella. They have started a new venture with their story A Little Motivation, it's in the early stages but I really think you'll enjoy it, I know I do! Go, read, tell them I sent you. s/8690674/1/A-Little-Motivation