Title: These Gifts of Christmas
Pairings: Alice/Jane, Edward/Jacob, Carlisle/Esme, Emmett/Rosalie, Jasper/Paul, mentioned Alec/Felix
Rating: T, one curse word
Warnings: Slash, femslash, extreme fluffiness, all human, alternate universe
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and places belong to Stephanie Meyer. I only own the plot.
Summary: Alice and Jane travel to Alice's parents' house to celebrate Christmas with family.
Author's Note: Well, this was written for my friend for Christmas that I may have possibly given to her two months late...but it was finished and that's all that matters, right? While this is my first finished and published fanfiction, it isn't my first attempt. Please excuse the excess sapiness, because as I've reread this and edited it, I've come to the conclusion that this is basically a Hallmark Christmas special. My other fics that I will publish someday will probably (hopefully) not be as corny. I won't beg, but I would love it if you would review this and let me know what you liked/disliked and how I could improve. Any and all flames will be properly ignored. Enjoy.
The car ride was quiet, broken only by Alice's soft humming. Snow drifted from the grey sky, coating the trees in glittering blankets and making them look like a picture straight out of a Hallmark card. The scenery was beautiful, but Jane was too nervous to fully appreciate it. Something gnawed at her insides, and she didn't know the reason for it. Sure, meeting your significant other's family was usually pretty daunting, but Jane knew Alice's family. Pretty well, in fact. She'd known them all of her life and was closer to them than she was to most of her own family.
"Stop worrying," Alice chided, startling her out of her thoughts. "It's not like you haven't met my parents before."
"I know, but this is the first time that I am meeting them as your girlfriend," Jane pointed out, though it wasn't the real reason why she was fighting down the nausea that was crawling up her throat.
Disputing her comment, her girlfriend scoffed and replied, "Both Edward and Jasper are gay, remember? I'm sure Mom and Dad will be okay with me being a lesbian. Really, Rosalie is the odd one out. She's the only straight one."
Her reassurances helped to relax Jane, but not all of her nerves were soothed. "I know that they aren't homophobic. But what about what my father said to them after he found out about us? He hadn't been exactly nice."
That was an understatement, really. Recalling the incident, she winced and her unease returned at full force. Her father, and she used that term loosely, had worked with Alice's father at Fork's Hospital since at least the time of her birth. While not having been the best of friends, Aro and Carlisle were rather close, or had been until Aro had discovered Alice and Jane making out in Jane's bedroom. Suffice to say, he had accused Carlisle and his family of corrupting his children (not too long after Jane had been forced to "come out of the closet," Alec had confessed to being gay). One for theatrics, Aro had turned in his resignation to the hospital and moved himself and Jane's mother to the other side of the country, all because Jane and Alec refused to live by his rules and abandon the Cullens. This had occurred right before she had went back to college in for the fall semester, and today was the first time she had been back in Forks since.
"You must not know Mom and Dad very well if you think a few words from a pompous ass will make them hate you," Alice said. She smiled to remove any bite from her words. "They've always taken Aro's words with a grain of salt. I swear, I think they just smiled and nodded at him the whole time he was throwing his temper tantrum."
Snorting, for that image was as funny as it was ridiculous, Jane decided to give up her argument. She could never win one with her girlfriend, but in this case she was glad to lose. Before she knew it, they were pulling up the long driveway to the Cullen household. Even though she had been here at least a thousand times, it still took her breath away to see it during the winter time. The white snow, untouched by humans or animals, glittered and provided a luminous atmosphere to the forest. Snow covered trees surrounded the miniature mansion in a secluded haven, creating a certain feeling of security.
"We're here," Alice murmured unnecessarily, parking next to a large black Land Rover and pulling the key out of the ignition.
The two grabbed the multitude of presents from the trunk and shuffled to the front door, mindful not to slip on any ice. Since turning the door knob was out of the question, Jane had to struggle to ring the doorbell without dropping a present. They didn't have to wait long. The chiming of the doorbell hadn't even finished when the front door swung open, revealing the beaming faces of Carlisle and Esme Cullen.
"Merry Christmas!" Esme exclaimed, ushering them in from the cold. "We're glad you could make it. We didn't know if the weather was going to delay your flight or not."
"We're here, all in one piece," Alice reassured her. She let her father take some of the presents so she could take off her wool jacket. "Is everyone else here?"
Carlisle shook his blond head, giving back her presents and moving to assist Jane. "Not yet. We're just waiting on Edward and Jacob. Apparently they were snowed in, but Edward called a few minutes ago and said that they were on the road now."
Jane's thin arms slightly ached from the weight of her packages (Alice loved to shop) and she was slightly glad that Carlisle had taken them from her. So far, she hadn't sensed any anger or resentment coming from Alice's parents, and she began to feel ashamed for the thinking that they would punish her for the actions of her father.
Her shame only grew when Esme looked around the hopefully and inquired, "Where is that brother of yours, Jane? I was hoping to see him. I haven't seen him in such a long time."
Having known in a way that only twins could, Jane had sensed that Alec had felt similarly to her, that he had somehow let down their surrogate parents by being associated with Aro. He hadn't said as much, but when he had mumbled his plans for the holidays over the phone to Jane, she had known.
"Alec and his boyfriend Felix decided to go backpacking across Europe," she explained. "They won't be back until after the New Year, but I'll tell him to stop by."
"And tell him to bring Felix along as well. I want to meet his boyfriend," Esme told her cheerfully, only serving to make Jane feel silly for being afraid.
"Don't worry, Mom," Alice began with a mischievous tone, gliding to Jane to put a slim arm around her waist. "He's just like Emmett, only better."
"Hey now!" boomed Alice's mock-offended brother-in-law. His towering form stood in the doorway between the front hall and the family room, thick arms folded over a broad chest and muscled legs braced apart. Jane, even smaller than Alice, would have been beyond terrified at the sight of him, but she knew that he really was just a jokester and a teddy bear. "Just because you're puny doesn't mean you can put someone down who's bigger than you."
"You're still married to this big buffoon, Rose?" Alice called to her older sister, who was most likely in the family room. "Lose him while you still have a chance. Find someone better. I mean, you know what they say about the effects of using steroids…"
The Cullen household exploded into indignant roars and gleeful cackles. Even Carlisle and Esme looked amused. Jane snickered at Emmett's outraged expression, yet for all of his sputtering he couldn't come up with a proper comeback.
"I'll have you know that everything works perfectly fine. And I mean everything," Rosalie informed her. Though she couldn't see her, Jane could hear the smirk in her voice. "Above and beyond."
"TMI, Rose!" Alice screeched, covering her ears. "I did not need to know that! Gross!"
Handing back their packages and telling them to go on in to the family room, Carlisle and Esme disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Alice and Jane to follow behind Emmett. A giant of a Christmas tree towered by the crackling fireplace, seeming to fill up the entirety of the room. Ornaments of vast assortments dangled from its branches, gently swinging and occasionally twinkling. Red and green Christmas lights had been twirled around the tree, and a simple cloth angel sat like a crown at its tip. Already a large amount of presents were piling around the base of the tree, begging to be shaken and ultimately ripped open. After they added to that mountain of temptation, Alice and Jane chose to sit down on the couch, which had a direct view of the Christmas tree.
Greetings were exchanged with their couch mates, and Jane still marveled at the sight of Jasper and Paul Meraz cuddling next to him. Paul was an unofficial brother to Jacob since the Black family had taken him in when his parents had died when he was very young. All throughout high school he had followed Jacob around like a lost puppy, and since Jacob had been dating Edward, they both had been at the Cullen household a lot. Paul was hot-headed, arrogant, and sarcastic, often getting into trouble at school for cussing and skipping class. Jane had done her best to avoid him whenever they had happened to be at the Cullens' at the same time, for her reminded her too much of her cousin Caius, a cruel boy who expected everyone to serve him.
Where he was rude to most of everybody else (excluding the Blacks, Carlisle, and Esme, of course), Paul had practically worshipped the ground Jasper walked on. The other boy, introverted, intelligent, and witty, had been just as baffled by his behavior as everyone else.
Jane glanced at them and smiled a small smile to herself. She remembered the Valentine's Day quite a few years ago, when Paul had showed up at the front door wearing the best clothes he owned and a single rose in his hand, looking like he was going to pass out from anxiety as he had asked Jasper out on a date. Six years later and they were still together, which gave Jane the hope that her relationship with Alice would last a long time. Living with Paul couldn't be easy, but Jasper seemed to have a calming effect on him. Paul was less arrogant and more mature. She preferred this tamer side of him.
Jasper smiled at her, quirking his head in amused confusion, and Jane realized she had been caught staring at him.
Blushing, she smiled back at him sheepishly and explained, "I was being a space cadet. Sorry, I didn't mean to be a creeper."
He laughed and shook his blond head. "No need to be sorry. I've gotten used to it, what with my students spacing off and even falling asleep during class. All I do is throw a whiteboard eraser at them and give them a detention. But I would never do that to you."
"What? The detention or the white board eraser?" Jane couldn't help but ask.
"Well, since I'm not your teacher, I couldn't give you a detention. And I don't actually own any whiteboard erasers, so I suppose both." He smirked, looking more like Paul than anything.
Jane only rolled her eyes and grinned. "Good thing I'm a college student, or else I'd probably have many eraser thrown at my head."
"You're studying to be a vet, right?" She nodded. "What could be boring about that?"
"I'm sure you get the question, 'When will I use this in real life?' all the time." She loved history herself, but millions of teenagers would strongly disagree. "I actually do have classes where the chances of me using the given information are close to nil. I only have a few semesters left, though, so I guess I'll deal with it." She sighed, pretending to be extremely put upon.
"You will be just fine. I have faith in you." She couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but the ringing of the doorbell prevented her from finding out.
"That's Edward and Jacob!" Alice squealed, springing her petite body from the couch. Poor Jacob, just as big as Emmett, was nearly knocked off his feet when she launched herself at him. "I've missed you so much! Why haven't you called?"
Relief was plain on Jacob's face when Edward was finally able to persuade her to let him breathe. "I've been…busy," he explained. Two little bodies appeared from behind Edward's legs, and Jane remembered that Jacob's older brother Sam and his wife had died almost a year ago in a car accident, leaving behind two young children. Leah and Seth had been entrusted into Jacob's care since Emily, Sam's wife, had had no other living relatives and Billy was unable to properly care for them because of his disability.
"Running the shop and taking care of these two take up almost all of my time. Sorry. I'll try to make a point to call you."
Alice shook her head and smiled softly. "Don't worry about it. I'll be busy with school, anyway. I just enjoy teasing you."
"Uncle Paul! Uncle Paul!" tiny Seth exclaimed, impatiently waiting for Edward to remove his jacket. Jane was sure he would have stomped his feet if he could, but he seemed too happy.
From beside her Paul opened his arms wide, sweeping the four-year old into a hug when the he ran to him. "Merry Christmas, Seth."
"Merry Christmas, Uncle Paul! Look what Papa gave me!" He thrust his prize proudly into Paul's face. "A car!" Now that she looked closer at it, Jane could see that it was a little red Mustang with black racing stripes. She guessed, and she probably guessed correctly, that the toy came from Jacob, who owned his own car repair shop. "Isn't it cool?"
"That it is so cool!" Paul exclaimed, giving a show of inspecting the toy. "I wish Papa gave me such cool gifts, like a Lamborghini."
"What's a lambu…lambugini?" Seth asked confusedly, stumbling over his words. It was amazing that he could even say the word. Most four year olds probably couldn't even get passed the second syllable.
"It's a very expensive car that Uncle Paul won't ever see except on TV," replied Jacob as he collapsed onto the unoccupied recliner. Seth made an "oh" face, even though he probably didn't really know what his Papa was talking about.
"Ouch, Jake. Straight to the heart, man." Paul made a stabbing motion towards his heart, as if he had a knife in his hands. He fell against Jasper and stuck out his tongue and rolled his brown eyes to the back of his skull. It definitely made Seth giggle. "Come on, bro. We're family, and family takes care of family. I bet you see some pretty nice cars at the shop."
Scoffing, Jacob kicked out the leg rest and pulled Edward onto his lap when his boyfriend just stood next to him. Jane found it amusing that the bronze haired man struggled with such a public display of affection when Emmett and Rosalie were practically molesting each other on the loveseat. "The nicest car I'll ever see is a banged up Mustang that belongs to some stupid rich kid who thought it was a good idea to race it on a gravel road." The native shook his head sadly. "Having a car like that is as much a dream of mine as it is yours."
Conversation lulled after that, everyone becoming absorbed in the football game playing on the TV. Esme and Carlisle were finishing preparing the Christmas dinner, and Jane's stomach grumbled as the mouthwatering aromas wafting from the kitchen tickled her nose. Unfortunately, it was tradition to open presents first before eating dinner. As excited as she was to be opening her presents, she couldn't wait until mealtime.
Finally, when the football game was over and Emmett was crowing over Paul about the team that won, Carlisle and Esme came out of the kitchen and took their spot on the other side of Alice. The six occupants were rather crammed in there, but the couch was gigantic and they were all very comfortable around each other.
"Attention, everyone!" Alice clapped her hands and jumped up enthusiastically from her seat. Usually it would have been Carlisle delegating the presents, but he had apparently given the reins over to his youngest daughter. "It's present time!"
Everyone cheered, and Seth bounced excitedly on Paul's lab. Jane winced in not quite sympathy when the boy almost hit an important body part, making Paul grimace and squeeze his boyfriend's hand.
"This year has been an important year. New members have been added to our family," Jane's girlfriend began, "some of us have come into our own, and our family has grown stronger because of it. So, I've changed the rules a bit because I know that there are some special presents to be opened. Instead of all of us opening our presents at once, each person will open one of his or her presents first. Then we can open all of them. You can pick which present to open, and if you want someone to open a specific gift, tell them." She stood next to the tree so that she could give each person his or her gift. "Who wants to go first?"
"Me! Me! I wanna go first!" Seth exclaimed, waving his tan arm up in the air.
"Shhh, Seth! Wait your turn!" Leah scolded from where she sat on Jacob's lab. Her little brother looked wounded, but he quieted.
"It's okay, Leah," Jacob said. "How about you both go first? Is that all right, Alice?"
She nodded. The four year old boy beamed at his papa and wiggled down from Paul's lap. Peering at the mountainous heaps of packages, he finally pointed to two odd-shaped ones sitting closest to the trunk of the tree. "I wanna open those." Alice handed them to him and Leah once she had made sure they were for them. He tore at the wrapping paper, demolishing the dancing snowmen while Leah moved more sedately.
"It's a wolf!" Seth exclaimed, holding the stuffed animal proudly.
It was big, almost as big as Seth, and its sandy-colored fur was fluffy and soft-looking. Leah's wolf was the same size, except its fur was a light gray. They were both pretty, and the veterinarian in Jane thought they were fine specimens, for toys.
"Who's it from, Leah?" Edward asked, beckoning his adopted daughter closer. "I think there's a tag in his ear."
Since she wasn't able to read yet, the girl let Edward look at it, albeit very grudgingly. "It says, 'To Leah, from Uncle Paul. I hope this little guy will protect you and keep your dreams safe," he read aloud.
Both he and Jacob looked at Paul questioningly.
Two pink splotches colored the other native's cheeks. He looked rather uncomfortable, but when Jasper placed a reassuring hand on his muscular arm, he cleared his throat. "They won't understand it until they're older," he nodded his head at Seth, who was unaware of his surroundings now that he had a new toy, "but…I bought the wolves for them because I thought they might help Leah and Seth cope with…" His voice cracked, huskier than normal. He cleared his throat again before continuing. "I know what it's like to lose your parents, so I know how it feels to be afraid and angry. If it hadn't been for you, Jacob, I'm sure that I would be in jail right now. You grounded me, made me see that there was more to life than being angry, and that's what I think the wolves will do for Leah and Seth. I know they're both still too young to really feel angry, but I believe that having the wolves will give them a sense of security. If they get scared or angry or lonely, they have the wolves to talk to or hold on to."
Paul broke off, unsure of everyone's reactions. Though he had matured greatly, Jane guessed that he was still uncomfortable with explaining his emotions and baring his soul for others to see.
"Paul, man, I…" Jacob choked. His dark brown eyes glistened and he blinked several times. He patted Edward's leg and, wordlessly, his partner scooped Leah up in his arms and stood up from Jacob's lap. Jane felt hot tears prickling her own eyes as the muscular man pulled his foster brother into a tight hug. She couldn't hear the whispered words Jacob gave to him, but she knew that they were for Paul's ears only.
Suddenly, she ached to have Alice by her side.
"Daddy, why are Papa and Uncle Paul crying? Did they want to play with my wolf, too?" Seth whispered confusedly. Though he probably meant to be quiet, he hadn't quite managed it, which caused Jacob and Paul to pull apart with watery laughs.
"No, bud. We were just having a grown-up moment," Jacob explained, trying to discreetly wipe his eyes with a sleeve of his blue, button-down shirt. "It's okay."
The young boy believed him, but before he could become completely absorbed in his stuffed animal again, Alice managed to get his attention.
"Seth, honey, now you and your sister get to choose who opens their present next."
Feeling amused as she watched the four year old take his appointed task very seriously, Jane was not one bit surprised when, after consulting with his sister, he picked Emmett. The three were like the three musketeers, always getting into all kinds of mischief. Though they probably didn't know it, Leah and Seth had Emmett wrapped around their little fingers.
"Pick the present with the teddy bear wrapping paper. It's from me," Rosalie told her husband. When he pointed to it, she nodded. Snatching it up, Emmett plopped back down next to her and tore into his present with as much enthusiasm as Seth had shown. He uncovered a thin flat box, like those department stores used to put clothes in, and took off the lid.
As he just stared at whatever was inside, Jane became confused. Did he not like his gift? She couldn't tell if his expression was of surprise, horror, or something else.
"Emmett? What is it, dear?" Esme worriedly asked, growing concern apparent in her features.
"It's…it's a…" He seemed to be at a loss for words, so he just held up what was throwing him for a loop. It was a little red baby onesie with a little cartoon man flexing his muscles. Having to narrow her brown eyes, Jane just made out the words "My Daddy Can Beat Up Your Daddy" in bold black letters across the chest. Uncertain for a second, for she knew that Emmett and Rosalie didn't have any kids, she gasped in shock when she realized what the gift meant. For the three years that they'd been married, Emmett and Rosalie had constantly tried to have kids. Their efforts had always been unsuccessful, so they went to a fertility doctor to figure out what was wrong. The news that Rosalie was basically unable to have children had been a devastating blow to the two. Alice had told Jane that Rosalie had been inconsolable for days after that. Both she and Emmett longed for children.
So the fact that she had given him a baby onesie could only mean…
"You're pregnant?" Emmett breathed, blinding hope growing rapidly in his brown eyes. "But I thought the doctor said-"
"I went to him to make sure, and he said it was nothing short of a miracle." She smiled so brightly, near bursting with joy. "We're having a baby!"
"We're having a baby," Emmett repeated in a whisper, staring at the tiny onesie clutched in his hands. "We're having a baby. Oh my god! We're having a baby!" He swept his beautiful wife into his arms, twirling her around and peppering her tear-stained face with kisses.
Clearly happy for the couple, everyone just left them to their own little world, so absorbed in each other were they. Alice barely got a name out of Emmett when she asked him to pick the next gift-opener.
"He picked you, Jane," she explained. She smiled lovingly at her and pointed to a small square box with simple, elegant wrapping paper of red and green. "I want you to open this one. It's from me."
Not remembering this particular package, Jane carefully opened her gift, taking great pains to not rip the paper. She didn't know why, but she always liked to save the wrapping paper. Not because she was cheap or a pack rat, but it always was so pretty. Call it one of her quirks, but compared to many of her girlfriend's own quirks, this one wasn't so strange.
She gently opened the black box, and her eyes widened. It was a necklace; a long thin chain with a black pendant designed with the Cullen family crest.
"Here, let me put it on you," Alice said softly, startling Jane as she hadn't realized that she was sitting next to her again. She turned to allow easier access, and when the necklace was fastened properly, the pendant hung between the valley of her breasts.
Emotion thickened her throat. Each member of the Cullen family had a piece of jewelry of some sort with the crest on it. Carlisle had a ring, Esme a pair of earrings, and Edward a leather wristband. Alice had a choker and the twins, Jasper and Rosalie, each had a matching bracelet. She wasn't sure what had been given to Jacob or Emmett, or if Paul had received one, but she felt honored and humbled to receive such a gift. To say that it was a token of being accepted into the family made it seem like an initiation of sorts, something her family would do. No, this gift was more special than that. It really was the Cullens' way of saying that they were honored to have you in their family.
"Thank you," Jane choked out, laughing self-depreciatingly at the tears she couldn't keep from falling. "You have no idea how much this means to me." She turned back to her girlfriend, hugging her tightly.
"It was Mom's idea, actually," Alice sheepishly told her, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "She told me to get you one."
"You've always been considered family, dear," Esme said from Jane's other side. Jane turned to look at her, the woman she considered more of a mother than her actual one. "Both you and your brother are our children, blood or not. With the incident with your father," Jane winced, "both Carlisle and I wanted to make sure that you two knew that we still loved you and our door is always opened to you if you need it. I might have given Alice the idea, but she took it and made it so that is was special to you."
After giving Esme a hug and Carlisle a heart-felt "thank you," Jane took Alice's beautiful face between her small hands and whispered, "I love you."
"I love you, too." They kissed, lips meeting in an embrace that had Seth saying, "Ew, cooties!" His sister hissed at him to shut up, and Jane and Alice broke apart giggling.
"He sure knows how to ruin heart-to-heart moments, doesn't he?" Jane teasingly asked Edward and Jacob. "Does he do that to you, too?" Grumbling was her answer, causing her to laugh outright. Never before had she ever been so care free around anyone other than Alec, Alice, and Uncle Marcus. It must have been the comforting weight of the pendant resting on her chest.
"Choose who goes next," she was ordered by her girlfriend. Bumping her with her shoulder first, she looked over the small sea of eager faces. She did a quick eenie-meenie-minie-moe in her head and announced, "Paul."
The tall native fist-pumped into the air above his head and exclaimed, "Score!"
"I'm so glad that the man I'm dating has the same maturity as my high school students," Jasper commented dryly. His blue eyes rolled heavenward when his boyfriend blew a raspberry.
"Don't worry, Jasper. When tax season comes around, you'll be able to claim on a child." Jacob smirked and Jane giggled. He and Paul loved to bait each other.
"Oh, haha," Paul muttered, briefly glaring at his brother. He picked up a thick package, its sides wider and longer than his huge paws. After he shook it next to his ear, he shrugged and sat back down next to Jasper. Not showing the same care as Jane had, but not quite as frenzied as Emmett and Seth had been, he unwrapped his gift and revealed it to be a thick book of sorts. Jane couldn't see it too clearly, but it looked like a photograph pasted in the center. The binding was a worn, dark brown leather that looked soft to the touch.
She watched Paul stroke the cover with an almost reverent caress.
"It's from Jazz," he murmured. He turned the pages, eyes growing larger the deeper he delved inside. "It's a family tree. My family tree." He paused, then, almost desperately, he asked Jasper, "How did you get this?"
"I asked Billy for help," his boyfriend answered, cheeks pinkening for some unknown reason. "He had told me that you had no records of your ancestry, at least in your house, when you parents died. We spent months digging through documents and calling up people who might have known more about your family. We made it all the way back to the Civil War on both your mother's side and your father's side. I wanted you to know more about who you came from, what kind of history is a part of your name."
Murmuring something to him, Paul pulled Jasper into a kiss. He was clutching the blonde's hand tightly, like he wasn't ever going to let him go.
From beside Jane, Alice coughed into her fist in a not-so-subtle way to bring them back into the real world. The two men pulled apart, Jasper looking embarrassed and Paul looking unapologetic.
"I guess I get to pick someone to go next," Paul stated as he leaned back against the couch and pulled Jasper close to his side in a possessive move. "Let's see…let's go with… Rosalie."
Looking passive like she always did, the blonde bombshell sorted through the pile of presents and picked out a small square one.
"Who's it from?" Alice asked her, bouncing in her seat in excitement. Jane didn't even try to calm her. Trying to contain her enthusiasm was like trying to contain smoke. It just wasn't going to happen.
"It's from…," Rosalie inspected the tag, "Emmett. Huh. I thought we had opened all of our presents at home. Except for the baby, of course."
Her husband nodded. "We did, except this one was being kept here so you wouldn't find it and ruin the surprise."
The blonde peered at her gift skeptically, eyes drifting between it and Emmett confusedly. "You couldn't hide this?" Jane could hear her try to suppress condescending tones out of her voice as she looked at the tiny box, but she didn't quite succeed. Emmett, more used to Rosalie's lashing tongue than anyone else, just brushed it off.
"Just open it. You'll see."
Elegant blond brows still arching in disbelief, Rosalie slowly opened her gift. Her bright blue eyes widened fractionally.
"Keys?" She held up a key ring with one set of keys in a slender, manicured hand. "What are these to?"
You missed something in there," Emmett told her, pointing to the box. He grinned when his wife gasped when she held up a small square photo.
"Is that-?"
"A 1970 yellow Camaro. It's just a little rusted and the paint's been stripped off in some places, but she's a beauty," he nearly purred. Jane knew next to nothing about cars, but if she did know anything, it was that he and Rosalie lived and breathed cars. Maybe that's why Rosalie had warmed up to Jacob pretty quickly and Emmett and Jacob were good friends. "Jake here got me a good deal on it. Wouldn't have ever found her without him."
All eyes turned to the native, who was suddenly almost bashful. The way his tanned cheeks were turning pink and how he turned to hide behind Leah was comical.
"Jake? Did you really…?" Rosalie trailed off, looking at him with such gratefulness it was no wonder he was embarrassed.
"Yeah. Some guy came by the shop a few months ago with her. Said he had no more use for her and asked if he could leave her here." Jacob gave a self-depreciating shrug. "I said sure, if only because I wasn't gonna let this chance pass me by. Jared and I checked her over, she's in pretty good shape. A little rust and scraped off paint, like Emmett said, and the brakes grind a little when you put pressure on them. Other than that, she's perfect."
"She's bee-yoo-ti-ful!" Emmett exclaimed, catching his wife's hands in his large ones. "When you work you magic on her, imagine how it'll it feel to drive her and-"
"Oh no," Paul groaned. "Now they're dirty talking to each other. You've created a monster, bro!" He had his huge hands clapped over his ears.
Laughter filled the air from his theatrics. Jane definitely liked this more easy-going Paul.
Maybe realizing that she had to pick the next person, Rosalie nodded towards Edward. "I choose you, Ed."
Her older brother smiled back, maneuvering Leah so that he could lift himself from Jacob's lap. With ease (most likely from practice, Jane figured) he side-stepped around Seth so that he could crouch in front of the huge heaps of presents.
"Come on, Daddy!" Seth hugged in childish impatience when he probably thought that Edward was taking too long. "Pick one already!"
"I know, Seth. Just hang on a second." Edward's voice took on soothing tones. He was perfect at being a dad, Jane thought. It always seemed like he knew what you were thinking and so knew how to put your mind at ease. Growing up with him had taught Jane that he was a quiet, solitary person, but he would always offer companionship when it was needed. He knew what you needed without you having to say it.
Movement in her peripheral vision caused Jane to glance up at Jacob as he moved towards his crouching boyfriend. A quick look around told her that everyone else was confused as well.
"Ed, how about this one?" Jacob suggested, holding a tiny box in his palm. He dropped down on one knee when Edward turned to face him.
"Alice?" Jacob called. His big brown eyes were focused on Jane's petite girlfriend. "Is it all right if Paul gives his present to Jasper now? We were kinda hoping to do this together."
An inkling of what was about to take place appeared in Jane's mind as Paul procured an identical box from his jacket pocket and kneeled down in front of Jasper. So, too, did Edward and Jasper figure out what was happening.
After he cleared his throat, Jacob took Edward's hands within one of his own. "Ever since I met you, I've always wanted to be around you. You were always on my mind, never giving me a moment's peace. You still are." A wolfish grin took out any bite from his words. "I was the happiest man alive when you agreed to go out with me. Now you're my partner in everything. My best friend, my lover."
He chuckled softly when Edward began to dab his eyes with his sleeves. "I know how much marriage means to you, but we both know that it is very difficult for gay couples to marry," he said a little sadly. "So, Paul and I have talked to our dad and the other council members about a bonding ceremony." With these words he opened the little black box in his palm. A sharp gasp flew out of Edward's mouth, but he was obviously far from upset. "It won't be recognized by the state or anywhere else, but to the Quileutes you are family. We'll have a traditional Quileute marriage ceremony on the beach, and Dad'll serve as the preacher or something, since he bullied me into letting him."
Knowing he probably wasn't exaggerating those last words, Jane still had to stifle a laugh as the image of Billy in his wheel chair ramming into the back of Jacob's leg or on his toes.
"Edward Cullen, will you marry me?" Jacob's nervous, heartfelt question brought a blinding smile to his boyfriend's face.
"Yes," Edward murmured. Jacob's thick, tanned fingers picked up the small silver band and slid it on Edward's slender ring finger. Suddenly, the slimmer male dropped his discomfort with PDA and flung his long arms around the native's neck and kissed him deeply.
Everyone cheered, loudest of all was Seth. He danced around his kneeling fathers, twirling his fluffy wolf above his head. The silence beside Jane brought her attention to the right of her, where she smiled softly. Jasper and Paul were embracing similarly as the other two males. A silver band gleamed from Jasper's left ring finger. Paul must have quietly proposed as well while everyone's focus had been on Edward and Jacob.
"Isn't it sweet?" Alice whispered in Jane's ear. She pointed towards both couples. "It gives the rest of us the hope that we'll be that lucky. I mean, if a hot-head like Paul can find someone who will marry him, then everyone has a chance." Her last words were a little louder, and if Jane knew her girlfriend (and she did), then she had meant to do that so Paul could hear her.
The native grumbled but his fiancée proved to be an excellent distraction. He was barely able to muster an air swat with his hand.
"You just love teasing people, don't you?" Jane mused, quirking a blond brow at her girlfriend.
"It's my job." Her tone was so matter-of-fact. "I have to make sure that no one is too serious. Believe me; if I hadn't been born none of them would know the difference between a joke and an insult."
She wouldn't take it that far, but Jane wasn't going to argue with her.
"Well, since Alice is a little preoccupied, I'll just take over." Esme's brown eyes twinkled in fond amusement, which probably meant she had heard their conversation. "Carlisle and I want to give Edward and Jacob our gift." She produced two thick manila envelopes from somewhere and got up to hand them to Edward and Jacob.
"We thought, with everything going on," Esme continued on after the two had opened the envelopes, "that this would help relieve some of your stress."
"Ten thousand dollars?" Edward gasped, his green eyes wide in his shock.
"Ten thousand for Leah and ten thousand for Seth," Carlisle corrected, motioning to the second envelope in Jacob's hand.
"Money for college we deposited into their accounts. The interest should add by the time they're old enough to take care of most of the tuition costs. They'll be able to go to any college they want to study whatever they want."
"But-" Stuttering wasn't something Edward did often, but it was obvious he was at a loss for words. "This-this is too much!"
His parents shook their head. "Really, it's not enough. But we just wanted to help a little so that you would have less to worry about. Raising children isn't supposed to be a burden, and we could tell that it was slowly becoming just that."
Jane sensed that Edward and Jacob wanted to protest Esme's words, but they were too stunned to do so. She herself was stunned that Carlisle and Esme would give that much money. It wasn't that she thought they were stingy, but that they had that money to give. Carlisle did very well as Forks Hospital's head doctor and Esme ran a successful restaurant, but to drop twenty thousand dollars on two grandchildren that weren't biologically theirs? That took a lot of selflessness and love. It made Jane love Alice's parents even more.
"I think you guys broke them," Emmett's booming voice jokingly pointed out, breaking the silence. Everyone's chuckles seemed to tear Edward and Jacob out of their trance, and the two gave Carlisle and Esme grateful looks.
"It is our turn to choose?" Edward asked of Alice. He looked a little overwhelmed, his green eyes slightly dazed. When Alice nodded, he handed a slim, wrapped package to Carlisle. Rectangular and flat, Jane wondered at what it could be. Carlisle slowly, methodically, as if he was performing surgery, unstuck the tape and unfolded the navy blue wrapping paper. He smoothed the paper out, probably taking more time than necessary just to annoy Alice (surprisingly enough, he did have an ornery side that came out to play once in a while).
"Come on, Dad!" Alice whined, glaring at the blonde. "While it's still Christmas!"
After he smirked at her, her father finally revealed a manila folder, which held, after being opened, several sheets of music.
"Edward?" Esme questioned, looking at her son. "Is this one of yours?"
Edward was a musician; he loved to play piano and he was quite the pianist, if Jane remembered correctly. It had been a while since she had last heard him play, since before he had moved out of the house. She knew from Alice that he liked to compose his own pieces, but he hadn't ever shown anyone anything for whatever reason.
"Yes, it's one I've been working on for a while," Edward answered, his shoulders shrugging jerkily. Pink splotches colored his cheeks. "I wrote it for you, to thank you for everything you have done for me. For adopting me into your family even when you already had three children to take care of. For believing in me and my music when my teachers told me I wouldn't ever succeed. And now for helping me when I have a family of my own. There are no words that I can come up with that can properly express how grateful I am to have you. This finished piece is for you, to show you that your actions have not gone to waste."
Tracing a slender finger across the bars on the page, Esme murmured, "Will you…play this for us? Later?"
That was all she needed to say to show how much she loved the gift, for Edward nodded, his eyes brimming with tears and his lips quivering in suppressed joy. All he really needed was his parents' approval.
She was trying to be quiet, she really was. Jane could tell. Now that everyone had opened a gift, it was finally Alice's turn to open hers. But so not to appear rude, she fussed with Jane's hair, tucking nonexistent loose strands behind her ears and smoothing over invisible bumps. She herself had fixed Jane's hair into a simple plait, so it was close to flawless. However, Jane knew that she was just trying to occupy herself so she wouldn't blurt out anything and ruin her brother's moment.
She really wasn't as successful as she had probably hoped at hiding her excitement, because Alice's father glanced at her and visibly smothered a grin. "Ah, yes. It is finally Alice's turn. Go ahead, princess."
It was a wonder that she ignored the nickname; she absolutely hated it, which is why the family always called her that. Given to her because of the fact that every Halloween until she had been sixteen, Alice had dressed up as a princess, the nickname was one Jane had learned early on that it was not to be uttered from her lips if she wanted to remain in Alice's good graces. Her girlfriend must just be too excited to be opening a present to care.
"Ooh!" Alice squealed. "I want this one! It's the biggest!"
While the others rolled their eyes good-naturedly at her childish behavior, Jane felt a sort of nervous anticipation bubble in her stomach. The gift that Alice held possessively to her chest was a painting Jane had finished a few weeks ago before Christmas break. She wasn't much for painting, and quite honestly she thought her work was mediocre at best, but her girlfriend seemed to love her art. So, knowing how much she did, Jane had decided to paint a portrait for her as a Christmas gift. It was of a quaint boutique nestled between a floral shop and a pet shop. The pastel colors (because Alice said that those were her absolute favorite) blended and swirled just so that it gave the scene a feeling of an afternoon in spring with the sun shining and the sky bright and clear. With bold scripted lettering painted white across the boutique window, Alice's Emporium beckoned the passersby to come in and explore its wonders.
Even before they had begun dating, Alice had divulged in Jane of her dream to own her own shop where she would sell anything and everything. The fashionista planned to create her own line of clothing, jewelry, and perfumes and sell them in her shop. In fact, she was currently getting her Bachelor's Degree at a well-known fashion school, majoring in fashion design and minoring in business management.
When Alice opened her gift, she gasped and her eyes grew as large as saucers. She picked up the small white card Jane had placed on the canvas of the painting and read aloud its contents in a dazed voice. "'Dear Alice," she began. "This is for you to remind you of what you will one day become once you achieve your dreams. This little boutique is just waiting for you to call it your own, waiting to show the world just how amazing you are. Though I do not have your uncanny ability to know things, I do know that one day your name will be among the big names of Gucci and Dolce & Gabana. I believe in you and know that your wonderful ideas are going to go far. I love you always. Jane.'" By the end of the note Alice's voice was wavering and tears were pooling in her beautiful brown eyes. "Thank you so much. It's beautiful."
Carefully, like she would a baby, she set aside the painting and wrapped her slim arms around Jane. "I love you so much," Alice murmured against her lips. Even after they had drawn apart, she remained close to Jane's side, a soft warmth that Jane wanted to wrap herself in forever. She was content to sit back, watch the others open the rest of their presents, and occasionally open her own when her girlfriend brought them to her. All she needed now to complete this feeling of happiness was Esme's home cooking.
Her impatient stomach growled at the thought.
Belly comfortably full, body languidly sprawled across the loveseat, and Alice snugly curled up against her chest, Jane felt content. Soft, melodious music drifted into the family room from the adjacent piano room. Edward was keeping his promise, playing his composition for his parents, who were in the room with him. It was a lovely piece. Jane wondered absently why he didn't write and play more of his own music; he was definitely beyond talented enough.
Edward's fiancée sat on the sat on the floor in front of the Christmas tree with Leah and Seth, playing with them and their stuffed wolves. Seth had announced at dinner that although he still wasn't sure what to name his new best friend, he was thinking that Sandy was a good name because his fur looked like sand on a beach. Watching Jacob crawl around on his hands and knees as he played the "pack alpha," Jane thought that he was a wonderful father for one so young. Even when she and Alec had been very young, their parents had never had the time or inclination to spend time with them. Nannies took care of them or, when they were lucky, Uncle Marcus took them to his house and actually played with them. He was closer to being a father than his brother would ever be, and Jane both admired and loved that he wasn't cold-hearted like the rest of the Volturi family.
Moving her thoughts away from Uncle Marcus so that she wouldn't miss him too much while he was away on business, Jane caught sight of Emmett and Rosalie cuddling on the couch. Probably gushing about their plans for their unborn baby, she thought. They looked so happy, finally getting what they always wanted. That child was going to be so spoiled. She could see it now: if the baby was a girl, she was going to be a beautiful, golden-blond girl just like her mother with her father wrapped around her finger. Or, if the baby was a boy, he was going to be dark-headed and strong like his father and a total momma's boy. Either way, it was going to be a handful.
On the opposite end of the couch of Emmett and Rosalie sat Jasper and Paul pouring over what looked like Paul's family tree. There seemed to be a slight easiness about him now, maybe because he finally knew where he came from. His parents had also died when he was very young, leaving him with little memory of who they were. Little was known about his family for some reason. Jane had heard from Alice who had heard from someone that Paul's parents had been the tribe outcasts because they had done things contrary to the Quileute way of life. Alice hadn't heard what they had done exactly, but Jane was relieved that Billy had been such a kind person to take in Paul when everyone else probably wouldn't have. Despite how his father and mother had acted when they were alive, Paul needed to know what they were like so he could move on with his life.
Alice shifted against Jane, jostling her out of her thoughts and observations. Her girlfriend glanced up at her with tired, but happy, brown eyes. Though it seemed impossible, she actually was tired from overseeing the opening of presents, as she had been bouncing around. A lot. Esme's wonderful food probably made her sleepy too, like it was making Jane sleepy. Good thing they were spending the night there because she doubted that either of them were up to driving to a hotel.
"Did you have a good Christmas, love?" Alice asked her, smoothing over the pendant resting on Jane's chest.
"Of course I did. Did you?"
"Yes. I love the gift you gave me. It's beautiful." Jane blushed at her compliment as she felt pride, too. "Alec should have been here. He missed out on a lot."
"Yeah. We'll just guilt trip him when he comes back."
"I'm starting to rub off on you." Alice slowly grinned. "I like it."
Laughing, Jane swatted her on the butt. "Oh, please! I can't be like you! Crazy isn't a good look on me!"
Her girlfriend scowled, reaching up to flick her on the nose. "You're lucky I love you."
Smiling down at her, Jane pecked her on the lips. "I love you, too."
She glanced again around the room. Edward finished playing the piano, and he and his parents came back into the family room a few moments later. The feeling of being home had never hit her so much as it did right now. Oh, she always felt at home here with Cullen family more so than anywhere else, but she felt it the greatest now that she has truly seen the love its members had for each other. She really did wish that her twin was here with her right now, because what they were missing from their own family, the Cullens gave to them a hundredfold.
Jane truly loved these gifts of Christmas.
the end
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