This is my assigned chapter for the Breaking Dawn Screenplay Challenge. It is Chapter 24 - Surprise. Thanks to Rhianna Blackburn and Strudwicke of PTB for being my betas.
INT. CULLEN HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - FACING WINDOWS - NIGHT
BELLA with baby in arms, holds key. ALICE facing. EDWARD approaches.
BELLA
(shaking head)
No, no way! No, this doesn't count. I stopped aging three days ago. I am eighteen forever.
ALICE
(shrugging)
Whatever. We're celebrating anyway, so suck it up. Are you read for your present?
EDWARD
(swinging key)
Presents.
ALICE
Mine first.
EDWARD
Mine is closer.
ALICE
But look how she's dressed. It's been killing me all day. That is clearly the priority. I know! I'll play you for it. Rock, Paper, Scissors.
(laughing)
EDWARD
(deadpan)
Why don't you just tell me who wins?
ALICE
I do! Excellent.
Edward looks at JACOB and SETH asleep on couch.
EDWARD
It's probably best I wait till morning anyway. I think it might be more fun if Jacob is awake for the big reveal, don't you agree? So someone there is able to express the proper level of enthusiasm?
ALICE
Yay! Bella, give Ness - er - Renesmee to Rosalie.
BELLA
Where does she usually sleep?
ALICE
In Rose's arms, or Jacob's, or Esme's. She has never been set down in her entire life. She is going to be the most spoiled half-vampire in existence.
BELLA passes baby to ROSALIE
ROSALIE
(laughing)
She is also the most un-spoiled half-vampire in existence. The beauty of being one of a kind.
ALICE tugs BELLA'S arm.
ALICE
Let's go. Let's go.
ROSALIE
Enjoy your gift. It's from all of us. Esme especially. We'll give you a chance to appreciate it, alone.
ROSLIE exits with baby, laughing.
ALICE and BELLA exit, EDWARD follows. Run through dark night, blurring, cut between ALICE, BELLA and EDWARD to ALICE standing, waiting.
EXT. FOREST - NIGHT
ALICE
Don't attack me.
ALICE jumps on BELLA'S back, covering her eyes.
BELLA
What are you doing?
ALICE
Making sure you can't see.
BELLA
Alice...
ALICE
Don't bother Bella. We're doing this my way.
EDWARD takes BELLA'S hand.
EDWARD
Just a few minutes more, Bella. Then she'll go annoy someone else.
ALICE
You might be a little more appreciative. This is as much for you as it is for her.
EDWARD
True. Thank you again, Alice
ALICE
Yeah, Okay. Stop there. Turn her a little. Yes, like that
ZOOM IN — BELLA
BELLA
I'm ready.
ALICE
Surprise!
PAN - COTTAGE
grey stone, small, two story structure, chimney, thatch, vines growing up sides.
PAN - GROUND
large stones in pad walkway.
ALICE
What do you think?
BELLA opens her mouth, but doesn't speak.
EDWARD leans over BELLA'S shoulder.
EDWARD
Esme thought we might like a place of our own, but she didn't want us too far away. And she loves any excuse to renovate.
ALICE
Don't you like it? I mean, I'm sure we could fix it up differently, if you want. Emmett was all for adding a few thousand square feet, another story, columns and a tower, but Esme thought you would like it best the way it was meant to look. If she was wrong..."
BELLA
Shh. (BELLA pauses) You're giving me a house for my birthday?
EDWARD
Us, and it's no more than a cottage. I think the word house implies more leg room.
BELLA
(grouchy)
No knocking my house.
PAN OUT - ALICE
ALICE
You like it?
BELLA shakes her head.
ALICE
Love it?
BELLA nods.
ALICE
I can't wait to tell Esme!
BELLA
Why didn't she come?
ALICE
We all remember how you are about presents. No one wanted to put you under too much pressure to like it.
BELLA
But of course I love it, how could I not?
ALICE
Well, your closet is stocked. Use it wisely. I guess that's everything.
BELLA
You aren't coming inside?
ALICE
Edward knows his way around. I'll stop by later. Call me if you can't match your clothes right. Bye!
ALICE runs off in a blur.
BELLA
That was weird. They didn't have to stay away. Now I feel guilty. I should go back and thank Esme...
EDWARD
(interrupting)
Bella, don't be silly. No one thinks you're that unreasonable. Alone time is their other gift. Alice was trying to be subtle about it.
BELLA
Oh.
EDWARD steps around BELLA who follows his movements.
EDWARD
Let me show you what they've done.
EDWARD opens the door, turns and sweeps BELLA up in his arms.
EDWARD
Thresholds are part of my job description.
EDWARD and BELLA kiss as he carries her into the cottage.
INT. - COTTAGE - MAIN ROOM - LAMP AND FIRELIGHT
PAN ROOM TO BELLA AND EDWARD
Stone walls are covered in paintings and pictures. Plush furniture, loveseat, chair, upright piano, fireplace with fire burning, large area rug on tile or stone floor.
EDWARD
I'm curious. Tell me what you're thinking right now.
BELLA
Everything! All at the same time. Right now I'm thinking, Esme is an artist. It's perfect.
EDWARD
We're lucky Esme thought to add an extra room. No one was planning for Ness- um, Renesmee.
BELLA
(frowning)
Not you too.
EDWARD
Sorry, love. I hear it in their thoughts all the time. It's rubbing off on me.
EDWARD nibbles BELLA'S ear.
EDWARD
I'm sure you're dying to see the closet. Or at least I'll tell Alice that.
BELLA
Should I be afraid?
EDWARD
Terrified.
EDWARD carries BELLA out of the room and down a hall, pausing at an open door. The room is empty.
EDWARD
This will be Renesmee's room. Nothing's been done with it, what with the angry wolves...
EDWARD growls and huffs in BELLA'S hair. BELLA laughs. EDWARD turns to the door at the end of the hall.
EDWARD
And this is our room. Esme tried to bring some of her island back here for us. She guessed that we would become attached.
INT. - COTTAGE - BEDROOM — MOONLIGHT
Large white bed with canopy, light color hardwood floor, light blue walls, french doors showing greenery of a garden.
EDWARD
The closet is through those double doors. I should warn you - it's bigger than this room.
BELLA presses her face close to EDWARD'S.
BELLA
(whisper)
We're going to tell Alice that I ran right to the clothes. We're going to tell her I spent hours playing dress-up. We're going to lie.
BELLA and EDWARD fall to the floor, BELLA on EDWARD.
SFX: tearing clothes
FADE OUT
BELLA and EDWARD, both sitting up on the bed, still moving slowly.
BELLA
How long does this go on? I mean, Carlisle and Esme, Em and Rose, Alice and Jasper, they don't spend all day locked in their rooms. They're out in public, fully clothed all the time. Does this (BELLA pauses) craving ever let up?
EDWARD
Everyone is different and, well, so far you're the very most different of all. You're such a natural at this, Bella. I forget how strange and new this all must be for you. I wish I could hear it. I wish I could hear you.
EDWARD nips BELLAS shoulder making her gasp.
BELLA
You can hear me. How long?
EDWARD
Well, with the average vampire, after that first year, other needs make themselves known, but neither thirst, (lustily) nor any other desire, ever really fades. Rosalie and Emmett were the worst. It took a solid decade before I could stand to be within a five-mile radius of either of them.
(laughter)
EDWARD
Esme built them a house, too. Much grander than this, but she knows what Rose likes, and what you like. Carlisle and Esme simply had to kick the happy couple out. Even they were having trouble stomaching it.
BELLA
So after ten years everybody is normal again?
EDWARD
(chuckling)
Well I'm not sure what you mean by normal. You've seen my family going about life in a fairly human way. But you've been sleeping nights. There's a tremendous amount of time left over when you don't have to sleep, allowing you to (EDWARD pauses) balance your interests. There's a reason why I'm the best musician in the family, why, aside from Carlisle, I've read the most books, studied the most sciences, become fluent in the most languages. Emmett would like you to believe I know it all because of the mind reading, but the truth is, I've just had a lot of free time.
BELLA
Yes (BELLA pauses) I think I can find better uses for that time.
FADE OUT
EDWARD hovers over BELLA on the bed, close on faces.
BELLA
Do you miss it?
EDWARD
Miss what?
BELLA
All of it. The warmth, the soft skin, the tasty smell. I'm not losing anything at all, and I wondered if you were sad that you were.
EDWARD
(laughing)
EDWARD kisses BELLA.
It would be hard to find someone less sad than I am now. Impossible. Not many people get every single thing they want, plus all the things they didn't think to ask for, in the same day. You are warm.
EDWARD runs hand over BELLA'S neck and shoulder.
You are soft.
EDWARD'S hand moves to BELLA'S cheek and body moves up over hers, noses touching.
And as for the scent. I can't say I miss that. Do you remember the scent of those hikers?
BELLA
(grimacing)
I'm trying not to.
EDWARD
Imagine kissing that. So the answer is no. I am filled with joy because I am missing nothing. No one has more than I do now.
BELLA
I don't know about...
EDWARD interrupts her with another kiss.
FADE OUT
INT. - COTTAGE - BEDROOM — DAWN
BELLA leans down to kiss EDWARD.
BELLA (V.O.)
As I saw the sun rise for the first time with my new eyes, it really hit me. This was the first and the last day of forever.