A Twilight Christmas (2007)
Author's Note: Who cares which year this was? It doesn't quite flow if you look from a time point of view, but hopefully you can ignore that. And don't mind if it's a little OOC, I haven't done this in a long while. Apologies.

I'm not sure if there are any errors it this. I haven't checked it well.

Disclaimer: Twilight not mine. Christmas not mine either! O.o;

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"Christmas, the time of giving!" Bella exclaimed and turned to see Edward looking at her strangely. "What?"

"You were acting extremely… bizarrely." Edward replied, straight-faced.

"It is the time of giving though," Bella protested.

"Very true." Edward chuckled. "Does that mean I can give you something then?"

Bella scowled at him and started to storm off but Edward was by her side in an instant.

"Sorry, love. I know you don't want presents, but I still want to give you things."

"So do I!" Alice added as she whizzed through the door. "Emmett's putting up the tree downstairs. I can't believe we left this so late! Ah!" She turned as they heard the front door close. "That'll be Esme back from getting the decorations."

Bella frowned, "The shops aren't open though!" She called to Alice's disappearing back.

"They'll be old ones," Edward explained.

"Edward!" Esme called up the stairs. "Bella! Come help with the decorations!"

Obediently the started downstairs and picked up the fairy lights so they could put them up. Alice was already zooming around the room swiftly, putting up decorations at vampire speed. Who wouldn't wish to be able to do that?

"Hmm."

Bella jumped as she heard Edward's voice and his breath tickled her neck. He smiled at her.

"Does this mean you have a present for me too?"

Bella blushed and Edward disappeared with a chuckle to get more fairy lights. Now that she thought of it, she hadn't finished wrapping her presents. Hm, problematic. She would perhaps have to… slip away?

After the fairy lights had been put up, Bella slipped out the door and was in her truck in an… well, not really an instant, with vampires around, but as fast as she could anyway. She started up the engine, wincing at the loud noise and hadn't even moved a metre when a cold hand closed around her wrist.

"Where are you going, Bella?"

Edward was sitting in the passenger seat, expression unreadable and the door was still closing. Bella looked sheepish, he had caught her trying to sneak away.

"I… I need to do something at home." Bella stammered.

"What do you need to do?" Edward asked, frowning, but letting go of her arm.

"Uhm…" Should she tell him she hadn't finished wrapping her presents? Not to mention that she actually hadn't gotten him a present yet, completely sapped of ideas when she had tried to think of something. She hadn't wanted to think about it. She was also pretty glad that Alice hadn't thanked her for the presents before she got it like one of those times past. "Look, Edward. If you let me go home, I'll let you give me a present."

Edward raised his eyebrows suspiciously, but smiled. "Well, I was going to give you a present anyway, but it's better when you actually ask for it." He sighed. "I'm assuming what you need to do, you need to do it alone?"

"Yes, please." Bella replied and Edward got out of the car with exaggerated slowness for him.

"Be safe." He told her, like he had once written on a slip of paper for her.

Bella nodded and pulled out of the driveway, driving home. She needed to wrap quickly and think of a present for Edward. Then she paused. Should she also drive down to La Push and deliver her present for Jacob?

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Bella leaned back with a sigh. She had managed to finish wrapping all the presents. She glanced at a wrapped present on one side and frowned, contemplating what to do. She had given her classmates presents early on and sent her mother's and Phil's to Arizona, but had saved presents for the Cullens and her father until the Cullen's Christmas Party – which she hadn't really wanted, just that Alice had gone crazy as usual.

She had also left Jacob's present though – and Billy's – not having seen him in a while and not having the courage as of yet to go down to La Push to give it to him.

Grabbing one present from the pile, she proceeded downstairs to give Charlie his present. He was in front of the television as usual, happy to have a day – or many days – off to relax. He turned as she entered.

"Here, Dad. Merry Christmas."

Charlie took the present with some perturbation. "Thanks, Bella." He pulled a present from its hiding spot and Bella raised an eyebrow. "Merry Christmas to you too."

Bella accepted the gift, gave her father a hug and returned to her room. You were supposed to wait until the 26th to open presents, really, but noone really followed that so much anymore. She pulled apart the wrapping rather carefully and took a look at the present.

She had been given a very prettily decorated wire photo frame. It looked more like something Renee would give to her, but who was she to question? And it went with the scrapbook and camera she had from them quite well. She had half a mind to take out a photo of Edward, but that was perhaps going a little too far.

She put the frame next to the present her mother and Phil had sent to her a while back. It was a couple of movie tickets that she and Edward could no doubt use up easily if they went down to Seattle for a day or a night.

She stared at Jacob and Billy's presents again for a while before deciding. She would go down to see him. No doubt Alice would now see her future vanish and know what she was doing, but she had to deliver this present, or else send it by mail, and that was not really fair.

She ran out to the truck, presents in her arms, and opened the door to get inside. Dumping the presents on the passenger seat, she started the truck and drove down to La Push with, surprisingly, no mishap. There was no furious Edward driving by or appearing inside the truck, but all the same, she felt slightly bad as she drove over the 'border'.

As arrived at Jacob's house and took the two presents from the heap on the seat. Clambering out, she went to the door as she saw Billy glance out of the windows and then go over to let her in.

"Hi, Billy. Merry Christmas." She handed Billy a present. "Be careful not to tip it too much. Where's Jacob?"

"Thanks. Outside working on his mechanics again, probably." Billy said with a jerk of his head.

Bella gave a smile and nod and headed outside. Jacob was in his workshop and he looked up as she approached.

"Bella," He greeted her with a smile.

"Merry Christmas." Bella handed Jacob her present.

Jacob took it, pleased, and began to open it. Bella hid a smile. He pulled out a wolf pendant, but it was not one that a girl would usually wear. It was more one that a boy – or man – would wear. Jacob smiled at her.

"Thanks. You know there's something else I would've liked better though."

Bella felt slightly uncomfortable and tried to change the subject. "So you're saying you don't like my present?"

"Oh, no, no." Jacob insisted. "Just not as much."

"That's still insulting."

"Sure, sure." Jacob waved a hand at her and started for the door. "Hey, I have something for you too. Come up."

Bella followed, wondering what on earth he had gotten her. He passed her an unwrapped globe of crystal. She looked inside curiously, holding it to the light. Inside was a running wolf, suspended and looking wild.

"Thanks, Jake. It's beautiful."

Billy was pleased with her present of cookies also and then Bella bid them farewell, even though they asked her to stay for a while.

"I have a party to go to." She explained, "Sorry."

Bella drove away and to the Cullens', wondering what Edward would say when she arrived. She had, after all, not simply gone home, but had also gone to La Push.

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Bella pulled up at the Cullen's house, still early and went inside, leaving the presents in the car in the meantime. She was not ambushed by angry vampires though and walked up the stairs with a little surprise. The door swung open before she could do anything else and Alice raised her eyebrows at Bella but let her inside anyway.

"Er, Alice?" Bella asked.

"Edward's not home." Alice replied. "I couldn't tell him anyway."

"Doesn't Edward have a phone?" Bella asked.

"He didn't take it." Alice replied, rubbing her head. "Anyway." She returned to her quirky self. "We've finished all the preparations. Now we just have to wait for the time to pass."

"This place does look good." Bella commented, looking around at the decorated walls and giant tree.

"And the outside too." Alice said with a hint of a smirk.

Bella sighed inwardly. Alice would have gone overboard again, but she liked doing this. Who was she, Bella, to argue? Especially with a vampire.

"So…" Bella turned to Alice again after a while of staring at the decorations. "Did Edward say where he was going?"

"No, he didn't." Alice said, frowning. "And I can't actually see anything. Visions don't come at your call. Not really."

Bella sighed and sat down to wait and watch Emmett and Rosalie lob baubles at each other.

--

The party had started some time ago and Bella was moping – ever so slightly. The continued disappearance of Edward made her anxious although he obviously could take care of himself.

Alice handed her a piece of fruit cake and Bella glared at her. Alice was going to stuff her because she couldn't eat it herself? Or was it just to put her mind off other things? Charlie was also there, eating enthusiastically as the Cullens made food magically disappear as they chatted to him. At least Charlie had agreed to come this time, since it was less of a party and more of an occasion to swap presents and… 'eat'.

A car quietly pulled up in the driveway with the soft crunch of gravel and a door opened and closed. After the right amount of time, the door opened and Edward appeared.

"Sorry I'm late." He murmured to the people who were listening – Charlie and his group were a little distracted – and walked over quietly at a human pace to where Bella sat.

Edward slid into the seat easily and Alice passed him a plate, which he put in front of him although he didn't fill it.

"Where were you?" Bella asked in a whisper as she continued eating cake.

"Getting your present." Edward replied, chuckling quietly. He glanced over at Alice for a minute and raised eyebrows at her but was still smiling as he turned back.

Alice clapped her hands as she stood up. "Let's give out presents!" She exclaimed.

Bella fetched hers from the bag next to the wall behind her. She had gotten them out of the car a while ago. The Cullens retrieved theirs as Charlie held onto his one larg-ish parcel.

Then they began the present swapping.

The Cullens each had a present for Bella, or otherwise it was joined with their partner or brother/sister and had a family present for Charlie, Bella had presents for everyone – excluding Charlie as he had received his earlier and Edward, at the moment – and Charlie had one for all the Cullens. The Cullens would give presents to each other later, Bella assumed. Although Bella had received a present which was jointly Alice and Edward's, Edward was smiling as she glanced at him. He still had his own to give her and wasn't going to give it to her now.

Charlie soon took his leave, told Bella to get home soon and left in the cruiser. The Cullens and Bella had a good time opening presents and thanking Bella. Edward then drew Bella away outside and they got into the Volvo, where it was quieter and they could be alone.

Edward turned up the heater as Bella shivered and then handed her the small box with her present in it. She opened it tentatively and saw a necklace in the box, with sapphires and diamonds in the intricate gold design.

"It's beautiful, Edward. It must cost a fortune." She frowned. "But how did you get it? Why were you gone so long?"

"It was something of my mother's." He admitted. "I had to go to another place to retrieve it."

"I can't accept this."

"Of course you can." Edward said. "It's a present, Bella." He smiled now. "Do I get your present now?"

Bella blushed and got out a small box of her own. Edward glanced at her and took it, opening it to reveal the bright blue ribbon with gold edging coiled inside she had grabbed earlier. He looked at her curiously.

"It's very special to me." Bella told him, not quite meeting his eyes. "And so I'm giving it to you to protect it."

Edward smiled, understanding the sentimence behind it, somewhat and closed it again.

"I will take good care of it." He said solemnly.

"Oh, I forgot." Bella said, remembering. "Merry Christmas!"

Edward chuckled. "Merry Christmas to you too."

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Well, hope you enjoyed that, weirdness and all. The ribbon was supposed to be symbolic, in a way. If you understand.

Y'know... people complain about having two colds every three months, and that its bad, but it happens to me frequently. Twice every three weeks even. I get a cold at the beginning of every season. Is that bad? Urgh... -sniffs- Not even winter here...

Review please?

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h t t p / w w w . e x p l o s m . n e t / c o m i c s / 2 8 0 /

You might like it... I don't know. I kind of did. If it appears...

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