Disclaimer: I am not Stephenie Meyer. I do not own the characters or book series...obviously.
P.S. I was going to just wait until Christmas to post this but I'm too excited about it to wait that long... :D
Snow was resting on the windowpane. The smell of pine and freshly-baked pie lingered throughout the recently decorated home. It was Christmas in Forks, Washington. The one day everyone couldn't help but smile and have a good time. The day Santa was worshipped and snowball fights commonplace. A day of cheer and innocent fun.
It was a magical day. Except at the McCarty household.
"God dammit, Emmett! I specifically told you to get a turkey!" A very pregnant Rosalie screamed at her husband of three years.
"Why would we get a turkey? We just had one for Thanksgiving and the roast beef was cheaper" He tried to explain. She picked up an empty pie pan and threw it directly at him. Emmett quickly moved out of the way and remained a safe distance from his wife. Bella moved to defend the poor man but paused when he shot her a warning look.
"Baby, come on, it's Christmas. Let's just have a good day" He pleaded. Rosalie put her hand to her forehead and stalked back and forth across the kitchen.
"I want to have a good day, Emmett, but how can I when you don't even follow simple instructions?" She asked. She stopped pacing and rested against the stove. "Don't you want to make me happy anymore?" Her hazel eyes teared up and her hands shook.
"You used to do anything to make me happy" She accused him. "Now you just ignore my feelings and tell me I'm ruining Christmas" Her voice getting louder as she continued. "Well, fuck you, Emmett McCarty! I'm going to have a great Christmas with my friends and family and I'm going to have a goddamn turkey and you aren't going to be invited!" She yelled. She stormed past him, into their room and slammed the door. A minute later she breezed back out with a jacket and her purse. She grabbed Bella's hand and dragged her out of the three bedroom home, slamming the front door on her way out.
"Fucking thinks he can tell me what to do." She mumbled angrily. Bella followed silently and prayed Rosalie wouldn't turn the attitude on her.
"Just who the hell does he think he is?" Rosalie proclaimed, rather loudly, in Bella's opinion. A curtain across the street flickered and Bella laughed silently to herself. Old Mrs. Herscht would get a kick out of this. They walked to Rosalie's bright red Mercedes and got inside. Once the car was on and Rosalie flew out of the driveway, Bella turned the knob for the heat and waited silently.
"He's such an ungrateful bastard! I try to make a nice Christmas dinner for him and our family and he tells me I'm ruining Christmas!" Rosalie made a sharp turn and sped through a stop sign.
Bella waited a few minutes, listening to the Christmas music playing quietly. She had gone through a situation almost exactly like this one just two weeks ago. Luckily Rosalie seemed to calm down pretty quickly.
A few minutes later they parked in front of Cal's and hurried in. The familiar bell chimed as they stepped inside and a teenager quickly ushered them to a table in the back. The smell of bacon and coffee hit Bella's nose. Ah, the diner. She remembered back to high school when her father used to take her to Cal's almost every weekend.
"I just wanted this Christmas to be perfect" Rosalie whispered a minute later. She folded her arms on the table and rested her head upon them, her straight blonde hair forming a curtain around her face. Bella snapped her phone shut after sending a quick message and returned her attention to the hormonal woman before her.
"I know, and he does too. He's just a guy, you know? Guys do stupid stuff like this all the time" She told her. Rosalie looked up and smiled. She straightened her back and flipped her hair out of her face.
"You're right. That's why God sent me here to guide him" She laughed. The teenager stopped by the table to take their orders then scurried off.
"Poor kid has to work on Christmas" Rosalie observed. Bella strained her neck to look at the young boy again and laughed.
"I think he's Jewish" She replied.
"Forks supports more than one religion?" Rosalie asked. Bella laughed and nodded. She had always been entertained by Rosalie's views on Forks. It had been interesting seeing her small-town home from the eyes of someone who hadn't lived there their entire lives. Rosalie spoke of the places she had been when they first met, just four years ago. Sighed about Paris and Milan. Always spoke of all of the places she hoped to visit someday. And Bella had always enjoyed listening to Rosalie's dreams of seeing Greek statues and Italian vineyards because she knew she would never have that passion. That desire to leave and explore new parts of the world. She just wanted to stay in Forks, Washington, home of the Spartans, the place where she felt she belonged, the place that was home to the person she belonged with, the family she belonged with.
Rosalie pulled the year-old cigarette box from her bag and pulled one out. She rolled it between her thumb and index finger, just remembering the feel of it. It had truly been a challenge for her to quit smoking, but Rosalie had always enjoyed a good challenge. If she hadn't always been one to fight for something she wanted, she wouldn't be where she was today. Because Emmett McCarty was definitely a challenge. Always had been, always will be.
"I suppose I may have overreacted" She sighed. Bella watched her friend and smiled. "I really did ruin Christmas, didn't I?" She moaned a few seconds later. Bella reached over and grabbed her hand.
"No you didn't, Rosalie. Emmett loves you very much and we all understand what you're going through" She told her. Rosalie squeezed Bella's hand and shook her head. She put the cigarette back in the box and returned the box to her bag, swinging it over her shoulder in the process.
"No excuse. Come on, I need to go apologize. The guests will be there in an hour" She stood up, straightened her outfit and glided out the door. Bella left a few dollars for the coffee and followed her out. She smiled to herself as she got into the car.
"What are you smiling about, Swan?" Rosalie asked as she pulled out. Bella didn't bother trying to correct her on the last name anymore. To Rosalie, she would always be little Isabella Swan.
"You've always been so strong, Rosalie. It's one thing I've always admired about you" Bella told her. Rosalie glanced at her for a moment before turning her eyes back to the road.
"Shut up. God, now I'm back to crying" She laughed. There was a moment of silence before Bella asked the question she had been withholding since they left.
"Rosalie?" She began. Rosalie turned to acknowledge she heard. "Where did you learn to throw a pie pan like that?" They were both laughing at the question when they pulled into the driveway.
"You pick things up as you go along, I suppose" Rosalie finally answered as they walked to the front door. When the door opened, the distinct smell of cookies breezed by.
"Emmett?" Rosalie called out. She dropped her purse on a nearby table and moved toward the kitchen. Bella closed the front door and waited by the couch.
"Rosie?" Emmett called out and a moment later stepped out into the living room. "You're back" He sighed excitedly. He had his arms wrapped around her in an instant and kissed her chastely.
"I'm sorry, baby. I got the turkey you wanted and I fixed it up and put it in the oven. I didn't realize how important it was and I was just trying to save some money to get that new baby bouncer thing you wanted. I'm sorry" He said and kissed her repeatedly as he said it over and over again. Bella didn't have a hard time believing he had managed to buy a turkey in the short time they were gone with his driving habits.
"Emmett" Rosalie cried. "I'm sorry too. I've just been so worked up about Christmas and wanting everything to be perfect." She wrapped her arms around his neck and moved her head to rest on his shoulder. They remained like that for a few minutes until Rosalie moved back and fixed her hair.
"Let's get to work. Stop crying and set the table. The guests will be here shortly" She commanded. Emmett smiled, kissed her cheek, and followed orders.
Bella's phone buzzed in her pocket.
Is it safe yet?
She smiled and sent a positive reply, then waited by the door. Rosalie would be insulted if she tried to help anyways. 'I'm pregnant, not an invalid' she would say. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door and Bella quickly called that she would get it. And after she opened it, she couldn't help but smile at her favorite boys.
"Mommy, look what Nana gave me" Her eldest said excitedly as he held out the truck that lit up and made noise that he had been coveting for the past few days. She picked him up and rested him on her hip.
"Wow, did you say thank you?" She asked. He nodded and gave her a toothy grin before wriggling free. When she turned back to the door her husband was waiting with a smile and their youngest in his arms, fast asleep.
"Aren't you lucky?" She said. "They already got the argument out of the way and you got to play in the snow" She teased. He laughed and shifted their son before reaching over and shaking some snow into her hair.
"I also got to have cookies" He replied. Bella rolled her eyes and fixed her hair.
"You're having such a rough day, Edward" She said sarcastically and closed the door behind him.
"It's been horrible. I should get a treat for handling it so well" They followed their four-year-old into the living room where he immediately began racing his fire truck around. Edward carefully placed Charles down on the couch and pulled the blanket from the top over to cover him. Once the infant was tucked in, he turned back to his wife and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"So how about that treat now?" He smiled and pulled her closer. Bella brought her arms up to wrap around his neck but kept some space between them.
"I don't think you really deserve a treat" She teased.
"Mommy. Look" Aiden called. She turned her head to face him and waited. He giggled and crashed his truck into the entertainment center. "Boom" He shouted. Behind them, Bella heard Charles moan and kick at the blanket. Edward quickly turned her to face him and pulled her in for a kiss.
"I'll go help Emmett" He smirked, knowing he had won and walked into the kitchen. Bella smiled and shook her head before turning her attention to her baby.
"It's ok Charles." She cooed. "Did you have fun at Nana's" She sat on the couch and picked him up to sit on her lap. She bounced her legs up and down and had him watch his older brother.
"Look Charlie, it lights up, see?" Aiden asked as he put the toy up to his little brother's face. Charles giggled and grabbed at the light. Aiden smiled over at his mother, proud that he could entertain his baby brother and Bella reached over to gave him a kiss on his nose. The bright green eyes he got from his father shined.
Rosalie walked into the room a few minutes later and fell into the couch beside Bella.
"Hey little man, do you want to watch cartoons?" She asked Charles. He giggled and grabbed at her hair, giving her a kiss on the cheek in the process.
"I'll take that as a yes" She laughed and reached over for the remote.
"I wanna watch SpongeBob" Aiden told her before crawling up next to her. He placed his hand on her belly, like always, and rested his cheek on her shoulder.
"Ok buddy, SpongeBob it is" The television flickered to life and moments later the popular underwater cartoon appeared.
"What do you say, Aiden?" Bella reminded the little boy. He leaned over and kissed Rosalie's cheek.
"Thank you Auntie Rose" He recited before turning back to the cartoon. Rosalie gave Bella a watery smile and pulled Aiden closer.
"So Emmett finally managed to kick you out, huh?" Bella guessed. Rosalie laughed and nodded.
"Promised me a foot rub later" She winked and rested said feet on a stool she pulled up. They settled into a comfortable silence, the children's show providing entertainment.
"Break out the mistletoe, I have arrived" The door slammed open, partly due to the wind, mostly due to the person that opened it.
"Auntie Alice!" Aiden shouted and sped toward her.
"How easily I'm replaced" Rosalie laughed as Alice picked up the child and threw him in the air. "Damn, she's strong for such a little thing"
"It's the sugar from last night" Her fiancé replied as he closed the door behind him. He dropped the two large bags he was carrying to remove his jacket, then moved them under the brightly colored Christmas tree.
"Merry Christmas" He said once everything was settled. Alice gave everyone a kiss on the cheek with Aiden resting on her hip, then moved into the kitchen. Moments later laughter could be heard. Joy just seemed to follow her.
"How have the holidays been treating you Jasper?" Rosalie asked, now free to get up and give him a hug.
"Just fine. Alice has been dragging me across the country to meet all of her friends, family and acquaintances, but other than that, just fine" He laughed. Rosalie smiled and held on a bit longer before pulling back and getting a good look at him.
"I'm happy for you. She makes you happy" She stated. He smiled and nodded, reaching down to give her a kiss on the cheek. Bella smiled at the two, glad that they got to see each other again. Being siblings, they always had a connection that nobody could break. One that Bella sometimes envied, being an only child.
After Rosalie moved to Forks to live with Emmett, she always said that the only thing she missed about Los Angeles was her older brother. Then, when she invited him down for Christmas two years ago, he met Alice. Alice had been working as an intern for a fashion magazine at the time and ran into Jasper in a book store in Port Angeles. Rosalie had been showing him around, giving him an inside look into her new life and took him to the only book store near Forks that carried every kind of book.
Jasper paid for Alice's book on business, invited her out to dinner, and the rest was history. That New Years he invited her to the block party where she was introduced to everyone. Being Alice, of course, she was an instant hit.
"Well, Bells, you going to just stare at me or what?" Jasper asked. Bella smiled and stood up, placing Charles on her hip.
"It's good to see you again Jasper" She told him and gave him a hug with her free arm. He kissed the top of her head and leaned down to look at Charles.
"Well, hello there Charlie" He said and tickled the toddler's stomach. Charles smiled and reached over to touch Jasper's face.
"Say hello, Charlie" Bella whispered in his ear.
"Hi" The baby giggled. Jasper smiled and ruffled his hair. The television clicked off and Rosalie walked back into the kitchen.
"Hey man, how's it going?" Bella turned and smiled as Edward walked in.
"Pretty good. Just got that new phone everyone's been raving about. It's pretty sweet" He replied. Bella smirked at her husband. He pouted and placed an arm around her waist.
"Better than the IPhone?" He asked. Jasper smiled and nodded. Edward turned to Bella and sighed.
"Please" He asked one last time. She shifted Charles and shook her head.
"Not until we get the car paid off" Jasper laughed and patted Edward on the shoulder.
"Maybe the next phone, man" He teased before joining everyone in the kitchen.
"We'll get the car paid off with my next paycheck" He tried again. Bella, once again, shook her head.
"It's my money" He grumbled. She gave him a stern look and turned to walk into the kitchen.
"Okay, okay, sorry" He laughed and pulled her back. She turned back to face him. His emerald green eyes shined and his mouth was in that familiar smirk.
"You look very beautiful today" He told her, making her smile. Her blouse had been crinkled from Charles' legs and her pants were wet on the bottom from walking in the snow, but when he told her she was beautiful, with that lopsided smile and one hand rubbing the small of her back, she believed it. Because it was Edward that said it. Just like it was Edward who told her he loved her at prom and who promised to cherish her at the altar. Just like it was Edward who didn't leave her bedside when his children were born and got up every time one would cry, just to let her rest. Because it was Edward, the man she had loved since his family transferred to Forks her junior year.
"And you look very handsome" She replied. He rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair, still not quite comfortable with compliments. She smiled and gently touched his lips with hers.
"Daddy. Potty" Charles whined and grabbed onto his father's bronze locks.
"Alright, big guy, come here" Edward sighed and removed his son from Bella's arms. He smirked at Bella one last time before taking the little boy to the bathroom. Bella watched them disappear behind the door before joining the party in the kitchen.
"So then I told him to take his stupid 'puppy-licking-a-lollipop' idea and shove it right up his—" Emmett spotted Aiden and paused. "be…hind?" He tried. Bella sighed, but nodded at his attempt.
"Did you really say that, Emmett?" Jasper laughed.
"Well, no, but I thought it" He replied. His arm was wrapped around Rosalie's waist and he had her pulled in close to him. Alice was still hugging Aiden to her hip and Jasper was relaxing against the island. Bella moved toward them and he shifted, relaxing his arm over her shoulders.
"Did Larry accept the idea?" Alice asked while playing with Aiden's fingers.
"Of course not" Emmett laughed "Even he knew it was crap. I don't know why Mike even tries anymore" Rosalie laughed as well. Even in high school, Mike Newton had been…misguided, and after Rosalie met him for the first time at a company picnic and tried listening to his stories during the bingo tournament, she never doubted any of Emmett's 'Newton Horror' stories again.
"The company ended up going with Edward's idea….again" Emmett grumbled. Rosalie rubbed his arm but smirked at Bella. Emmett had always been competitive with Edward, claiming it just wasn't fair that he had actually gone to college like he was told and Edward just skated by with his 'crappy romantic ideas.' Then Rosalie would remind him that going to college in L.A. brought her into his life. Then Edward would say something cocky and piss Emmett off again. And the cycle would continue.
"Him and his stupid romance crap" He mumbled. Alice giggled and bounced Aiden up and down. Jasper watched the two with a smile and nudged Bella with his hip.
"You've got some pretty cute little kids, Bells" He remarked. Bella smiled and watched Aiden, seeing Edward in almost every little thing he did.
"It's mostly Edward in there. I guess maybe the clumsiness is from me, though" She laughed. Alice turned to them and smiled over at Jasper.
"Jazzy, I want one" She proclaimed. Jasper's eyes widened and Emmett's loud laughter rang out. Alice looked at Aiden and tickled his stomach, a large smile across her face.
"Jassy! Jassy!" Charles called out. Everyone turned to the doorway and saw Edward walking in with Charles reaching out to Jasper. He handed Jasper the little boy and took his place beside Bella.
"Auntie Alice! Come look at what Nana gave me" Aiden whispered loudly and pointed to the living room. The two of them walked out and Jasper turned to the remaining four, his eyes still wide.
"What do I do?" He asked frantically. "I just got up the courage to propose and now she wants a kid? She was just joking, right?" He picked at his jeans with his free hand. Emmett laughed and patted him on the shoulder, jostling Charles a bit.
"At least you know she wants to be with you, right?" He teased. Rosalie laughed along then pulled Emmett back.
"We need to finish the table" She reminded him. He nodded and punched Jasper's arm one last time before helping his wife put the food on the large dining table. Jasper then turned to Edward and Bella.
"Guys?" He begged. Charles wriggled and pushed on his chest. Jasper placed him on the ground before returning to the couple. Bella watched closely as Charles stumbled off toward his older brother.
"I'm sure she's willing to wait until you're ready, Jasper." Edward teased.
Jasper looked even more worried and Bella decided to take pity on the poor guy.
"She was just kidding Jasper" She told him and pinched her husband's arm. Jasper waited a beat, then let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank God" He told them. A knock from the front door sounded throughout the house. They heard Alice open it then loud shrieks as the boys recognized who it was.
"Santa!" Aiden yelled and Charles could be heard copying him just a moment later. Bella turned to Edward and smiled. Carlisle and Esme had arrived.
"Ho ho ho" Carlisle boomed. The three of them walked into the living room to greet the last of the guests.
"Is that Santa?" Edward asked Charles. The little boy laughed and ran over to his father.
"Santa, Santa" He chanted. Edward laughed and walked over to Carlisle. Esme was dressed in a similar outfit and holding a small bag as opposed to the large one Carlisle was carrying.
"I'm just here to drop off a few presents. Have you been good boys this year?" He continued. Aiden nodded enthusiastically and Charles yelled a yes.
"Let's see if you're on my list" 'Santa' said and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "Are you…Noah?" He asked Aiden.
"No" Aiden giggled. "I'm Aiden" Carlisle looked down at his list once more.
"Aha! Aiden Masen?" He asked. Aiden nodded and practically bounced up and down.
"I'm Charlie" Charles yelled. Carlisle looked down at his list and laughed.
"Aiden and Charlie! You're both on my list! Presents for both of you" He told them and reached into his bag. He pulled out two large presents and put them under the tree then pulled out two smaller presents and put them under the tree as well.
"Ho ho ho. Have a Merry Christmas!" He said. Esme gave Aiden and Charles a candy cane each then disappeared out the door with her husband.
"You can have those after dinner, alright?" Bella said. Aiden nodded and put his on the table. Charles already had the candy cane in his mouth, wrapper and all. Edward whispered something in his ear and removed the candy. Charles hid his face in Edward's shoulder and wrapped his arms around his neck. Bella grabbed the candy cane, wiped it off on her pants and placed it next to Aiden's. A few minutes later there was another knock on the door and Carlisle and Esme were let in again, only this time dressed as themselves.
"Nana! Papa! Santa was here!" Aiden told them excitedly. "Look! See the presents! Charlie and I were on Santa's list 'cause we've been good all year!" Esme smiled and greeted everyone while Carlisle listened to Aiden's tale.
"Hello, Bella. How have you been, dear?" She asked when she reached her. Bella leaned forward and gave the woman a hug.
"I've been good. The classes at the community center have been a huge help. Aiden is allowed into the pool with me now and the women in the daycare adore Charles. I'm very thankful for the suggestion." She told her.
"I'm glad. It's nice to get out every once in a while. I was thinking of actually stopping by a few days of the week to maybe join a dance class" Esme replied. Bella smiled and told her she wished she was physically capable of walking with her two feet, let alone dance with them.
"Well, you danced beautifully at the charity gala last spring" Esme told her.
"I'm afraid that was all Edward" Bella replied and looked over at the man himself. He was still holding Charles and was listening to something Carlisle was telling him. Aiden had followed Alice out into the snow and Jasper was nursing a beer with Emmett. Bella remembered back to her senior year of high school. Edward had just turned eighteen and was excited to finally be an adult and have his freedom. His father had died just a year before. His mother, feeling too claustrophobic in Chicago, moved to Forks almost two months later.
The loss was hard on them both. Then, Edward met Carlisle Cullen. Known as Dr. Cullen to the residents of Forks, Washington. He found out about Edward's case after Edward crashed his car and ended up in the hospital. Bella was worried sick and warned Edward that in order to have freedom, he had to stay alive.
When she asked what he was thinking he told her he just wanted to 'feel free.' Carlisle talked to Edward about the crash and his father, knowing how the loss of a huge role model could affect one's life. A few years later, after Edward and Bella found out they were pregnant, Edward went to Carlisle for advice, this time being introduced to Esme, who helped him become confident in his role as a father by taking him step-by-step in the expectations of one.
Bella couldn't thank the Cullen family enough for what they had done for her own family.
Jasper and Emmett had been introduced to Carlisle after Rosalie went in to the hospital about a year ago. She had gone in complaining of feeling weak and shaky. Carlisle had walked her through the steps and helped her form a plan around her diabetes. Then he comforted the two men in her life and told them how they could help. The next day, Esme brought pamphlets and her famous meat loaf.
Carlisle and Esme were family to everyone. And Christmas wouldn't have been the same without the two.
"He's a wonderful father. I knew he would be" Esme commented as, she too, watched Edward. Bella smiled and nodded. She had always known Edward was capable of anything. He just had to figure it out on his own.
"Carlisle, Esme! I'm so glad you came. Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes" Rosalie said as she walked into the room. "Emmett, sweetie" Emmett looked over. "Would you get some sodas from the garage" He nodded and walked out. Rosalie smiled at his back, then turned to Esme and Bella once he disappeared.
"Esme, you look lovely. How have the renovations been going?" She asked as she tried to give the woman a hug.
"They've been great, the west bedroom in almost finished. You and Emmett should stay during the summer. Carlisle and I can take the baby for a few weeks." Esme replied. Rosalie laughed and fixed the bright red dress she had changed into.
"I might just take you up on that" She told her. She nodded her head to something Jasper asked, then turned to Bella.
"Would you help me finish decorating the dining room?" She asked her. Bella nodded and followed her out of the room. Christmas music played softly through the living room and the soft chatter of conversations flowed with it.
The dining room table was decorated with bright red napkins and a small, green Christmas tree as the centerpiece. The turkey was placed to the side of it and a bowl of potatoes on the opposite side. There was another bowl filled with several types of fruit and on the ends of the table were green beans and cranberry sauce.
"This looks amazing, Rosalie" Bella told her. Rosalie gave a wide smile and swept her hair from her face.
"Thank you. Let's get these streamers on the walls" She replied. The streamers were red and green and had ornaments dangling every other inch apart. Bella got a chair and started taping the streamer to the wall. She was almost finished when Emmett stormed in.
"What the hell, Rosie? What are you doing?" He asked and moved to stand next to her. Bella turned to see her standing on a chair on the opposite side of the room, hanging the streamer.
"I'm decorating the dining room" She laughed. He sighed and pulled the chair back. He took the streamer from her hands and finished the job for her.
"Go sit down" He told her. She raised an eyebrow before sighing and taking a seat. The room was finished in only a few minutes and Emmett told Bella to sit down while he gathered everyone else.
Bella waited in the seat on the far left, fixing her plate and silverware and talking to Rosalie.
"It smells amazing in here" Alice said as she walked into the room, Aiden still firmly attached to her. She took a seat on the end and Aiden sat in the one next to her.
"Looks like you've been replaced, Jasper" Rosalie laughed. Jasper shook his head and sat down next to his sister in the seat across from Alice. Everyone else filed in and filled the seats with Charles in a high chair next to Bella, Edward across from her and Carlisle and Esme across from each other in the middle. Emmett took the remaining seat between Rosalie and Carlisle.
"This looks delicious, Rosalie" Carlisle commented as everyone passed the food around.
"Hey, I helped" Emmett reminded him. He scooped a large portion of potatoes on his plate before passing it along. While eating dinner, everyone joined in conversation about holiday stories and New Year's plans before individual conversations were formed.
"Charlie, eat your fruit" Bella told her son. Charles pushed it around his table and reached for his drink. She pulled the cup away and pushed the fruit back toward him. "Eat your fruit" She repeated. He whined and pushed the fruit back again. Edward rubbed her hand before reaching over and grabbing a piece of fruit.
"Charlie, if you eat your fruit, you get to open your presents soon" He told him. Charlie stopped crying and opened his mouth. After chewing with a disgusted look on his face, he swallowed dramatically and reached for another piece. Bella chuckled and looked to her husband.
"It's all in the technique, baby" He teased and she went back to finishing her own food.
"Daddy, can I have more soda?" Aiden asked from across the table. Edward looked over at his plate.
"Did you finish your green beans?" He asked. The four-year-old frowned at his plate and shook his head.
"They taste weird" He replied. Edward smiled and looked to Bella. She shook her head.
"Finish your green beans and then you can have more soda" He told him. Aiden groaned but stabbed the food with his fork. Alice leaned over and whispered something in his ear, making him smile and plug his nose.
"So, do you always take orders from your wife or is this a special occasion?" Emmett teased. Edward sighed and looked over. "Did she tell you what you could say before you came over?" The man added. His loud laugh rang out before his wife punched him in the gut, successfully silencing him.
"Eat your turkey" She scolded. He murmured a 'yes, ma'am' and remained silent, making Edward chuckle and finish off his wine.
"I'm done" Charles proclaimed and squirmed in his seat. Bella reached over and told him to wait a few more minutes. He waited a few seconds then began squirming again.
"Sweetie, would you go get his candy cane?" She asked Edward and he nodded and returned a few moments later with the candy. She unwrapped part of it and handed it to Charles. He quickly quieted down and ate his candy.
A few minutes later, everyone had finished the meal and relaxed comfortably in their seats.
"That was wonderful, Rosalie, thank you" Esme announced. Rosalie smiled and blushed a little before standing up to gather the plates.
"I've got it" Jasper told her and motioned for her to sit down.
"You'd think I was handicapped" She grumbled. Emmett smiled and kissed her cheek. After the table was cleared and the music turned back on in the living room, everyone stood up from their seats and moved to the Christmas tree. Emmett brought blankets and pillows out from a linen closet and placed them on the floor as seats. Jasper and Alice sat down on the right of the tree, Esme and Carlisle on the left. Emmett sat with Rosalie on the couch and Bella and Edward sat behind Aiden, who was directly in front of the tree. Charlie relaxed in Esme's arms, the candy cane still in his mouth.
"Can I be Santa's helper, please mommy?" Aiden asked as he bounced on his knees. He turned to his mother and held up his hands as if praying. Bella got confirmation from Rosalie before nodding her head. The four-year-old beamed and bounced up, grabbing presents and handing them to the designated owner. Once everyone had one present, they began opening them one at a time, beginning with Charlie.
He tore at the snowman wrapping paper with a little help from Esme.
"Puppy!" He giggled and pulled out a box with the picture of a colorful toy puppy inside. Esme opened it up and handed Charlie his new toy. Immediately the toy began singing the alphabet. He shook it up and down before hugging it to his chest.
"Say thank you to Nana and Papa, Charlie" Edward reminded him.
"Thank you" He yelled and gave Esme a wet kiss on the cheek.
"My turn, my turn" Aiden chanted and shook his present. He ripped at the paper and uncovered two DVD's.
"Toy Story, mom, it's Toy Story!" He shrieked and ran over to jump into Carlisle's arms.
"Thank you, thank you Papa" He said over and over again. Carlisle laughed and patted his back, happy to see the four-year-old liked his gift. The adults quietly opened theirs and thanked each other while Aiden grabbed his next gift.
"I figured you would like that one. It reached the bestsellers list last week and I know you like mysteries" Rosalie told Bella. Bella smiled and got up to kiss Rosalie on the cheek.
"I love it, thank you" She told her and sat back down. Edward smiled at her and put his arm around her waist.
"I think our son is going to have a heart attack pretty soon here" He whispered in her ear. Bella laughed and watched as Aiden bounced on his spot, anxious to open his present.
"This one is heavy Charlie. Be careful" He told his little brother before he ran back to his large gift in front of the tree.
"Big" Charlie yelled. "Daddy" He cried and threw his arms out. Edward got up and sat beside Esme to help his son open the present.
"Would you like to help me, Mommy?" Aiden asked after witnessing the exchange. Bella nodded and moved over to him. After the Buzz Lightyear wrapping paper was off, Bella turned to Esme and Carlisle, her eyes wide. She had seen this toy in the store and it wasn't cheap. When she saw what Charlie had received she didn't feel any better.
"Thank you Carlisle" Her husband said for her before smirking at her. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, making Edward's smile even wider, before turning back to her oldest son. The process continued with Charlie receiving a toy vacuum from Alice and Jasper and a tricycle carried in by Emmett, and Aiden receiving a remote-controlled dinosaur from Emmett and Rosalie and a Toy Story slip 'n slide and a superhero toy laptop from Alice and Jasper. The only thing that kept Bella from giving everyone a hard time was seeing how happy her two little boys were.
"They enjoy spoiling them" Edward whispered in her ear. Bella nodded and remained silent. After all, it was Christmas.
"Rosalie, you have one last gift" Emmett told her before getting up and running into the garage.
"What is that man doing?" She asked the room. The adults pretended not to hear, instead watching Charlie ride back and forth on his new 'rock and scoot' zebra and Aiden making his dinosaur hit the wall. A few minutes later Emmett brought in a large present and placed it directly in front of her.
"Did you guys know about this?" She asked. The only noise made was Charlie's giggling and the robot dinosaur growling.
"Everyone pitched in" Emmett told her a moment later. She eyed it warily, slowly taking the paper off. Once it was revealed, tears threatened to fall once more.
"The stroller I wanted, but how—"
"I saw you looking at it a few days ago when you thought I was changing" He told her. Rosalie smiled and jumped up, throwing herself into his arms.
"Thank you" She told him, then pulled away. "Thank you" She said to everyone. Rosalie opened the box and, with her husband's help, pulled the pink stroller out of the box. While they assembled it Bella turned to Edward and handed him his gift.
"Merry Christmas" She murmured, sat back and waited.
"You first" He said and handed her an envelope. She couldn't help but be confused as she lifted it to the light.
"You didn't spend any money?" She warned. Edward smiled and nodded. She opened the envelope, pulled out the piece of paper and stared.
"I got them in the company drawing" He told her. She read over the paper one more time before putting it down and smiling at him.
"Thank you. New York sounds amazing" She replied.
"Alice and Jasper volunteered to watch the kids" He added. Bella moved closer and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Sounds perfect" She whispered and brushed her lips against his. His hands rested on her back while hers tangled in his hair.
"Open yours" She told him as she pulled away. He was still for a second before he smiled and unwrapped his gift.
"No way" He laughed as he held the box to the phone he wanted. Bella laughed as he pulled the phone out of the box and turned it on. When the screen came to life he froze.
"I got the phone from a giveaway as well" She told him. His eyes remained on the screen.
"Do you have more of these?" He asked. Bella was confused for a moment before she remembered the picture she had set as his background.
"Yes" She mumbled. "They were the back-up plan" His head shot up and he smirked.
"You have this outfit at home?" He clarified. Bella nodded and giggled at the goofy grin on her husband's face.
"Daddy, I think Charlie is tired" Aiden called out. Bella looked over and saw that Charlie was currently curled up with his new toy puppy in Alice's arms. She checked her watch and sighed.
"We should probably head home" She told Edward. He nodded and stood up, walking over to grab the sleeping two-year-old. Once everything was in the car and Aiden and Charles buckled in, Edward and Bella said goodbye to their family and wished them a 'Merry Christmas' one last time.
And as they drove home, Bella looked out the window and smiled. Merry Christmas indeed.
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Reviews are appreciated.
If you liked this then you will be happy to know that I am currently working on another one titled...Aiden's first day of school. :]