They survived falling in love and having four (count 'em, FOUR) children. Now, Geekward and Nerdella are parents of teenagers. Say a prayer for them for they are in for a bumpy ride. Kyra is being a brat, displaying actions akin to her uncle who is nearing the end of his life on death row. Owen is a geek, like his dad. Then there is Mia and Masen, the twins. They're still cute and adorable. Well, as cute and adorable as twelve year olds can be.

Let's not forget Alice, Jasper, Adam, and Gianna (the Whitlocks), Justin, Alex and Demetri (the Volturis), Esme and Marcus (the Volturis), Tim, Rose, Ava and Lucas (the Napletons) and our antagonist, Jacob Black. Emmett will also make a brief appearance in this story, too. But he's not causing drama. His final goodbye, as it were.

Chapter Two: Parties and Working Stiffs

EPOV

The next few days in our home were much better. Kyra and Owen were talking again. Their relationship was improving but still had a long way to go. The relationship with us, however, was on thin ice. Kyra ignored her mother and tried to sweet-talk her way with me. The behavior of my oldest daughter was troublesome. I hated this distance that it was wedging between us. Bella was cranky and moody. I had a shorter fuse and was over it.

On Friday, my wife and I were hosting a party for everyone in honor of Alex and Demetri's fifteenth wedding anniversary. She was cooking tirelessly in the kitchen for the party with the help of my mom and Mia. Masen, Owen and Kyra were currently scouring their rooms and the rest of the house for the party. I was putting some finishing touches on the decorations in the backyard, which was set up with a large tent, dance floor and a DJ station. Justin was in my office, editing a video for his parents as his present for their anniversary.

"Uncle Edward," came the deep voice of my nephew.

"Yeah, Justin," I replied as I turned to him. He was tall with toffee colored skin and light brown eyes. His hair was in curls that stuck up from his head. His dad was African American and his mom was white. Justin was a striking young man. He had many people who crushed on him, both male and female. Though, he's struggling with his sexuality. Being raised by two gay men and molested by his mom, encouraged him to be turned off to women. However, he wasn't all too keen about being in a relationship with a man, either.

"I need help," he said. "I can't get this to line up to the song I chose." I followed him into the office and saw the video program opened. "I want the final montage to start with 'When I Fall In Love.' I've tried it several times and it just isn't jiving."

"I'll see if I can do it," I said. "I'm not much of a video guru. That's my sister."

"You're better than me," he chuckled. I fussed with the video and got it to work to Justin's approval. "Uncle Edward?"

"What's up, Justin?"

"Can I talk to you about something?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"You can talk to me about anything, Justin. Why don't you want to talk to your dads?" I gave him an encouraging crooked grin.

"Because, it's about a girl," he said, his skin darkened slightly. "I love my dads but their view on love is a little skewed. I mean Dad calls you his straight boyfriend but loves Pops."

"Alex is definitely a character," I laughed. "Anyhow, what about the girl? What's her name?"

"Meghan," he said. "She's in my biology class and we're partners. She's really sweet and pretty, not to mention brilliant. I don't know how to go about talking to her outside of class. I mean, I'm socially retarded when it comes to girls since I've never, EVER felt this way about anyone because of my mom and what she did to me." Justin's eyes darkened with the hatred for his birth mother. His hands were clenched in rigid claws.

Gently massaging his shoulder, I looked at him and gave him a reassuring glance. "Justin, you just need to be yourself. Don't change who you are because you like this girl. Anyhow, perhaps after class, invite her out for a coffee or lunch. Get to know each other as more than just a lab partner. As for the other stuff, take it slowly with her. If she truly cares about you, she won't push you."

"I'm afraid that if she knows about my past, she won't want to be with me," he said, running his hands through his curls.

"Justin, get to know her first before you air out your dirty laundry. If you see a future with this girl, then talk to her about your past. Okay?" I advised.

"Yeah," he said. "Thanks, Uncle Edward. I appreciate it since I was stressing over this for a couple of weeks now."

"Let me know what happens, yeah?" I smiled.

"Cool," he replied as he finished his video, loading it onto a DVD. "Can I leave this here? I want to head back to the house to change before the party."

"I'll make sure it's by the projector," I replied. "See you in a few hours, Justin." He gave me a hug and left the house. I put the DVD outside before heading into the kitchen. Bella was putting finishing touches on the vegan meal she had prepared for Justin and Alex. For the rest of us carnivores, she made prime rib with garlic mashed potatoes. I wrapped my arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck. "Smells delicious, Bella."

"Thanks," she said as she put the prime rib into the warming oven. "I hope everyone likes it."

"I'm certain it will be perfect, Bella," I murmured. "Care to join me in getting ready?" I thrust my hips against her ass. She giggled. "Please?"

"Ugh, you two are obnoxious," Kyra grumbled as she put the dust rag she was holding onto the kitchen counter.

"Obnoxiously in love," Mia laughed. Kyra rolled her eyes, huffing in her teenagery-way. "They're cute. So many of my friends' parents are divorced and bitter; Mom and Dad are awesome."

"Whatever," Kyra snarled.

"You better be on your best behavior, Kyra," Bella warned. "Your charming display right now is not boding well for you. Pardon your dad and me for loving each other. We shouldn't have to defend our feelings to our seventeen year old daughter."

Kyra was getting ready to mouth off to Bella when Mia grabbed her sister's arm. "Come on, K. We need to change for the party. Plus, I need your help in curling my hair. I can never get the back just right. Please, K?"

"Fine," Kyra said as she followed Mia up to their rooms. My mom pushed Bella and I out of the kitchen as well to get ready, too.

Upstairs, in our bedroom, Bella grabbed her underwear, clutching it to her chest. "What can we do about Kyra, Edward?" she whimpered, staring at me. Her dark, chocolate brown eyes were filled with tears of frustration. I was right there with her.

"I don't know, gorgeous," I sighed, pulling my wife into my arms. She sniffled, burying her nose into my neck. I felt some tears fall onto my bare skin as I had already removed my shirt.

"I never had this teenage rebellion thing," Bella muttered. "I don't get it. I loved my mom, unconditionally. Even when I met my dad for the first time, I felt something. Not necessarily love but a respect and joy that I had finally met him. Also, I was always respectful to my elders. Never like this."

"Me, too, baby," I sighed. "We'll figure this out together, Bella. We'll get to the bottom of this and try to understand our principessa."

She nodded and hugged me close. Carefully, I picked her up and carried her into the bathroom. We took a joint shower. However, there was no nookie in the shower since we weren't as flexible or as young as we used to be. I did get a blow job. We also promised each other to have some naked fun time after the party.

Bella and I changed into our attire for the party. She wore a beige sweater dress with a pair of red heels and a set a ruby earrings that dangled from her ears. I was in a gray pin stripe suit with a white shirt and burgundy tie. We headed downstairs and noticed that guests had started to arrive. Matthew and his wife, Christina were chatting with Esme and Marcus. The boys, Edward and Embry, were already running around with Masen, heading to the basement to play on Xbox.

Charlie and Sue showed up next with Tim, Rose, Ava and Lucas following close behind. "SGD!" Rose bellowed as she danced over to me, wrapping her arms around my neck. "How are you?"

"I'm good, Rose," I chuckled, kissing her cheek. "How are you?"

"Excellent. I'm heading out to LA in a few weeks for another planning meeting for the latest movie based on one of my novels," she smirked.

"Which novel is this?" I asked.

"My latest trio of novels about witches, The Charmed Ones, Forever Charmed, and Charming Endings," she replied. "If all bodes well, they'll be premiering next summer. I'm so pumped."

"Congrats," I smiled, hugging her warmly. Turning to Tim, I held out a hand. "Hey, Tim."

"What's up, Edward?" Tim said, giving me a man-hug. "Place looks great."

"Thanks. You did a wonderful job with the renovations. How is your business?"

"Booming! I've got nearly ten crews out on fifteen different jobs, not to mention the crews I've got working on the various foundation sites," he said. "Speaking of which, I do need to set up a meeting with your wife about a couple of the sites, arranging for the openings and such."

"I'm available whenever," Bella called from the kitchen. "Call me next week and we'll chat, Tim!"

"Bellini!" Rose yelled as she darted into the kitchen. "Thank GOD you're cooking meat. If you made us eat some vegan crap because Alex and Justin want to eat like rabbits, I'd kick your ever-living ass."

"Did she cook vegan food?" Tim asked, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"She did but it's just for Alex and Justin. We're having prime rib," I chuckled.

"Tofu is nasty ass shit," Bella grumbled as she arranged some hors d'ouvres on a tray. She swiped Masen, pushing him out to the backyard to deliver the tray to tent. The other boys came to help. Bella handed them trays as well.

Rose squealed, taking my face and kissing my lips soundly. "I love you and I love your wife for being carnivores. Damn vegans. Cows and pigs were put on this earth for us to eat them, not stare at their magnificence. They're not magnificent. They're yummy."

"Rose, stop manhandling my husband," Bella barked, glaring at Rosalie. "You have your own hubby to molest."

"I was just merely saying that I was happy that you are serving cows," she said simply, ruffling my hair. Rose stood on her tiptoes, hissing my ear. "Give your woman some good hard fucking tonight, SGD. She's too uptight."

"When everyone leaves, Rose, Bella and I have a date with our bedroom," I smirked.

"Good man," she snickered. "I don't want my agent to be a raging bitch on our business trip."

"You're leaving in three weeks, Rose," I snorted.

"Excellent. Have lots of smexy times," she said. With a squeal, she grabbed Tim's arm and dragged him into the living room where the rest of the party was congregating until we headed outside.

"Uncle E? Where's Owen?" Lucas, Rose's son, asked. I still can't believe the Rose is a mom. She never really changed after she had her babies. They're a few months younger than Kyra and six months older than Owen.

"I think he's in his room. Tell him that he and his sisters need to get down here, Lucas," I said.

"Cool," he said as he darted up the stairs.

"Edward, can you start moving everyone out into the tent?" my mom, Esme, asked. "Bella got a text that Justin is on his way with Alex and Demetri. They suspect something. Or at least, that's what Justin said to Bella."

"Kay," I smiled, kissing her cheek. I strode into the living room and began guiding everyone toward the backyard where the lavish tent was set up for the anniversary party.

"Older!" Alice chirped. She danced over to me, hugging me closely. "The house looks good. But, you look stressed." She stared at me, smushing my cheeks together. "Talk to me."

"It's nothing, Younger," I said, barely able to get the words out because of her hands on my face.

"You're lying, Edward. I know that tone of voice," she chided. "Tomorrow. You. Me. Lunch. Got it?"

"Bossy as ever, Ali," I sighed. "But, fine. It's been too long since I've lunch with my favorite sister."

"Your only sister," she quipped, kissing my cheek. "We shared a womb, Edward. We've got a bond that most don't have."

"You're right, Alice," I said as I hugged her. "Now, get your scrawny ass outside before Alex and Demetri get here. We don't want to ruin their surprise."

"Okay, Older. Love you!" she squeaked as she danced out of the living room, dragging Jasper along with her. Gianna and Adam followed close behind. Once the room was empty, I turned off the lights. Scampering through the kitchen, I checked to see how the food was coming. The kitchen was gleaming and the food was now outside with the assistance of the catering company we hired. I flipped off the lights before walking out to the backyard, closing the screen door to the porch. Bella was texting on her phone.

"They're almost here," she said. "Justin said that they're pulling into the subdivision now."

"Oooh! I'm so excited," Alice and Esme squealed, hugging each other.

"Now, I know where she gets the damn squeal," Jasper said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I've been married to her for how long?"

"Deal with it, Jasmine," I snorted. He flipped me off, scowling slightly.

"They're coming!" Mia said as she bounced on her toes. "I just saw lights pull into the driveway."

"Whoopty-doo," Kyra said flatly.

"Kyra!" Bella hissed. Our oldest child rolled her eyes and stomped over to the bar. She better not even THINK of trying to get anything alcoholic. I'll send her to a fucking nunnery. Alice's eyes captured mine and she knew what was giving me stress. She frowned in Kyra's direction, giving me a sympathetic smile.

"They're not even home," Demetri's voice grumbled from inside. "Why the hell did you drag us here, Justin?"

"Maybe Uncle Edward and Aunt Bella are running late," Justin said. "They wanted to go out with us for your anniversary, Pops. It's been fifteen years."

"Of wedding bliss," Alex cooed. A wet kiss was heard along with some very pornographic moaning.

"Ugh, Dad. Stop," Justin snapped. "Seeing you two lick each other's faces is NOT what I want to see right now." The smile in his voice was unmistakable.

"Sorry," they both grumbled.

"Come on, let's head out back. It's a nice night and I've been inside all day," Justin said, turning out the outside light. Justin opened the screen door (hence our ability to hear his conversation with Demetri and Alex). With a flourish, the DJ began playing the song that they danced to for their first dance as husbands. Alex's hands flew to his face as he stared at all of us, screaming 'surprise!' Demetri's brown eyes were wide with shock. Justin stopped in front of them, holding his arms open, yelling that he loved his parents.

"Holy shit!" Alex screamed, jumping into Demetri's arms.

"Love, you're not as small as you used to be," Demetri grumbled, putting Alex on the ground. "But, you're right. Holy shit!"

"Congratulations," Bella said as she wrapped her arms around Demetri's body. He hugged my wife, kissing her cheek sweetly. Alex jumped into my arms. I barely held him up. He really wasn't as small as he used to be.

"Straight boyfriend!" he smiled as he kissed my mouth. "You did all of this for us?"

"Of course, Alex," I said as I hugged him, placing him on the ground. My back groaned as I bent over. "You're my brother-in-law and you guys deserve it. Besides, you and Demetri helped me with my surprise trip for me and Bella for our fifteenth anniversary. It seemed fitting."

For our fifteenth wedding anniversary, I took Bella to Europe for nearly two months. Demetri helped me plan the trip without Bella knowing on the days I was at Whitlock Technologies. Alex packed Bella's bags. When I surprised her with the trip on Thanksgiving, she was flummoxed. We were leaving bright and early on Black Friday with no return date. The kids were with us for the two weeks they were off for school for Christmas. Demetri and Alex were staying with Marcus and Esme in Italy. They flew back with the kids, watching over them while we celebrated our anniversary. We went to London, Dublin, Paris, Nice, Barcelona, Madrid, Brussels, Salzburg, Berlin, Rome, Tuscany and Athens. However, after two months of constant traveling, Bella was anxious to get home to our children. She felt like a neglectful mother. We flew back to Chicago, laden with gifts and treasures from our European second honeymoon.

"Brother," Demetri bellowed, hugging me tightly. "Thank you. You are an amazing man, Edward. I'm so blessed to call you my brother. I'll never forget this. I love you."

"I love you, too, Demetri," I murmured, squeezing him tightly. "However, it wasn't my idea. Justin was the one who approached us about the notion of having a surprise party for you two."

"You both deserve it, Pops," Justin said, giving Demetri a smile. "I love you both and Uncle Edward and Aunt Bella were willing to host it. Not to mention help with the money issue. Being a poor college student makes it difficult to pull off this kind of shindig."

"I'm shocked that you were able to keep this a secret, Justin," Demetri teased. Justin was a bit of a blabber mouth. He acquired that trait from Alex.

"Aunt Bella threatened force feeding me beef," Justin cringed. "Come on!" He tugged on Demetri's arm and dragged him away along with Alex.

Bella sidled up to me, twining her fingers with mine. "I'm glad we were able to do this," she whispered, kissing my cheek.

"Come on, gorgeous. You can do better than that," I teased, puckering my mouth.

"I don't want to smear my lipstick," she giggled, placing a chaste kiss on my mouth.

"Fuck the lipstick," I growled, pressing my mouth to hers. She laughed, tangling her fingers in my hair. We were starting to get carried away when the snooty sound of Kyra fell over us. She scoffed, stomping back to Ava with a drink in her hand. "I'm going to check to see if Kyra's drink." Bella mashed her lips in a tight line. "Relax, gorgeous. I've got this."

"If she's drinking, I'm not…" she said, her face turning a bright red. "You deal with her. You are more even-keeled than me, angel. I'm going to get everyone to sit down so dinner can be served." We kissed one last time and separated. Kyra was hissing to Ava, obviously upset about something. Ava was nodding sympathetically, rubbing Kyra's arm.

"Kyra, a word?" I said brusquely.

"I'm talking to Ava," she said snidely.

"It wasn't a request," I snapped. "Excuse me, Ava."

"Sure, Uncle Edward," she nodded, scampering away.

"Thanks, Dad," she snarled. Kyra downed the rest of her drink, slamming it on the small table next to where she was standing. "I was having a conversation with my friend and you had to be a jerk about it."

"If anyone is acting like a jerk, it's you, Kyra," I said as I picked up the glass, sniffing it. No booze.

"Jesus, Father, I never realized you didn't trust me," she growled. "I'm over this farce of a party. I'm going to my room."

"Like hell you are, Kyra," I said, barely able to contain my temper. "With me. Now." My voice was calm and cool, but my ire was quite apparent. We walked into my office and I closed the door. Kyra was staring out the window. I crossed my arms over my chest, waiting for her turn around. I'd wait all night if I had to. When Kyra turned around, she saw my posture and my angry face. She shrank back. Very rarely did I get upset with my children but when I did, it wasn't pretty.

"Daddy?" she whimpered.

"Don't 'daddy' me," I said quietly, narrowing my eyes at my daughter. "I don't know what's going on with you, but I'm so disappointed in your behavior and your attitude as of late, Kyra. Are we really that horrible? We love you unconditionally, provide you with a warm home, a quality education and would do absolutely anything for you. However, you repay us with snide remarks, condescending comments to your siblings and complete lack of respect for your mother and me. Your mother is tired of it and incredibly upset. I'm shocked at how you've behaved and a little ashamed at your rude behavior. We raised you better than this, Kyra. What do you want? Complete freedom?"

"That would be nice," she grumbled.

"You're seventeen, Kyra. You made mistakes and there need to be consequences for those choices you made," I said as I sat down heavily on the couch. "I see the effort you're making with Owen but your behavior toward us is…"

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she whispered.

"If you were truly sorry, you'd stop acting like a brat," I said, staring at my daughter.

"I'm not," she argued, sitting down next to me.

"Yes. You are. You're a senior in high school. You think you know everything but you don't," I sighed, running my hands through my graying hair. "I don't know what to do with you, Kyra. The punishments aren't working. You're behavior isn't improving. Perhaps, taking things away isn't the answer."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that on Monday, you are going to find a job," I said sternly. "You've had everything handed to you and now you have to realize that you have to earn it. With that money, you will be paying for your own clothes, cell phone and entertainment. In addition to having this job, you will maintain your GPA. You've been accepted to Northwestern but that's contingent on keeping your grades up."

"But…" she squeaked.

"No buts," I said, arching a brow. "My decision is final."

"I don't have a car to take me to my 'job,'" she pouted.

"Well, you can have the old Volvo but you will be responsible for paying for the car insurance and gas money," I said. "Now, in regards to the party, you will go back out there and be the pleasant, sweet girl that I know you to be. Tomorrow, you will spend it cleaning up after the party. Sunday, if you want to start looking for a job, I'm more than willing to let you use the car."

"What if I can't find a job?" Kyra asked, her golden eyes filled with tears.

"You'll find one," I said, getting up from the couch. "You've got fifteen minutes in here before I come back to get you." She wiped her face, nodding somberly. I left the room and walked back out to the backyard. I set an alarm on my cell phone before I began walking around, mingling with the guests. Kyra didn't need me to come get her. Ten minutes after our discussion, she came back out and sat down next to Mia and Owen at the table for our family.

The rest of the evening was fun. We all shared anecdotes about Demetri and Alex. Everyone got a kick at how Alex adored his husband but I'm his 'straight boyfriend.' Demetri chimed in saying that he pretended to be Bella's boyfriend while she was on her trip with Rose the summer we first met. More stories flew before Justin set up the projector for the tribute video for his parents.

When Demetri and Alex started getting overly amorous on the dance floor, the party ended and everyone left. Justin decided to stay with us since he knew his parents were going to be quite loud, obnoxious and horny once they got back home. We let Justin stay in the small apartment we had above our garage. We still kept an apartment just in case of another situation like what we had to deal with Emmett. With the reappearance of Jacob, the apartment may be needed if he doesn't get a clue. Jacob, that is.

Before we went to bed, I told Bella about what I told Kyra. Bella agreed and said that she'd pull up some age-appropriate jobs for Kyra on the computer, possibly taking her to fill out applications tomorrow after the party had been cleaned up. Despite the promise of sexy times, we were too exhausted to do anything. We languidly made out until we decided to go to sleep. I curled around my wife, whispering my love for her against her curled hair.

xx STTD xx

I was sitting in the lobby of The Clubhouse, waiting for my sister. It was located at a local mall. Afterwards, we were going shopping for Christmas. Yes, it was October, but my sister was addicted to shopping, almost to the point of insanity.

"Older!" she called, bouncing into the restaurant. She wrapped her arms around my neck, kissing my cheek. "How goes the party cleanup?"

"It was nearly done when I left," I said as I led her to the hostess station. "Owen dragged everyone up at the ass-crack of dawn, wanting to surprise Bella and me. When we woke up at around nine, the tent had been taken down and removed from our backyard, the dishes were put away and Owen was waiting for the rental company to pick up the tent, tables and whatnot."

"Owen is such a sweet boy. He reminds me so much of you at that age," Alice said wistfully as we walked up the stairs to the dining room. "But, I know that Kyra is the reason behind the mass of gray hair on your head, Edward."

I pulled out my sister's chair and sat down next to her. I pinched my nose, sighing deeply. "You're right, Ali. Kyra is pushing every single one of our buttons with her snotty attitude and rude behavior. Bella and I are done."

"When did this start?" Alice asked.

"In September. Right before homecoming," I answered. "She was getting a poor grade in chemistry and lied about needing the car. Bella had said no and Kyra wheedled me for the car, I said yes. Long story short, Kyra has turned into a watered-down, female version of Emmett."

"What?!" Alice shrieked. The patrons in the dining room glared at us.

"Keep your voice down, Alice," I hissed. "I'd like to get through lunch without getting kicked out."

"Oops, sorry," she muttered, shooting a sheepish look at everyone. The waiter came and took our orders before leaving us to continue our conversation. "What do you mean that she's turning into a female version of Emmett?"

"She's teasing Owen, being rude and disrespectful to Bella and me, and acting like a total brat," I said, sipping my water. "Last night was the final straw. She made one too many underhanded comments. I pulled her into my office and told her that on Monday, she was getting a job and that she was now responsible for her own cell phone, clothes, and entertainment. Additionally, she's getting my old Volvo, paying for the car insurance and gas."

"She's had everything handed to her and now, you're making her see that she needs to work for what she wants," Alice said, smiling widely. "Good job, Older."

"Thanks. It should hopefully help with her bratty attitude," I said. "But her disrespect toward Bella and me is…I don't know what to do about it."

"Every teenage girl goes through a rebellious phase," Alice murmured, putting her hand over mine.

"You didn't. You were always sweet and respectful to Mom and Dad," I retorted.

"No, I wasn't," she laughed. "In college, I was a raging bitch. You never saw it because you stayed at MIT, avoiding Emmett and Carlisle. But, I was hell on wheels. I'm surprised that Mom and I ever got along after the summer between my freshman and sophomore years. Every day, we fought. I was this close to flying out to Massachusetts to stay with you and Jasper."

"What did you fight about?"

"Boys. Freedom. Money," Alice sighed. "I wanted to go out as much as I could because I was in college. Dad wanted me to get a job. Mom was trying to control my every move. Ironically enough, it was Emmett that convinced the parentals to lay off and give me my freedom. We did have a ton of arguments leading up to that and it was not a pleasant summer, at all."

"I get the rebellion thing, but were you ever blatantly disrespectful to Mom and Dad?" I pressed.

"During the fights, yes," Alice cringed. "I snapped and bellowed at them because they were looking out for my well-being. I was the youngest girl and I was being treated as such. I was done."

I sat quietly, pursing my lips at what Alice just said. When did this period of rebellion end for Alice? Obviously, the relationship with Alice and my mom was strong now but how long was it strained?

"I can see you thinking, Edward," she whispered. "You're trying to figure out how long this nonsense with Kyra is going to take."

"Whatever the case maybe, I just hope that it gets better soon," I grumbled. The waiter arrived with our food, setting the plates in front of us. I wrinkled my nose at my bland grilled chicken and vegetable medley, penance for the rich food I ate yesterday. "Ugh, rabbit food."

"Deal with it, Older," Alice snickered as she dug into her salad. "Grilled chicken isn't all that bad."

"I miss eating food with flavor," I pouted, poking at my rubbery chicken and sad vegetables in an uneven pile. I speared a green thing. "What the hell is this? It doesn't even look like food!"

"It's a wax bean, Edward. They're good," Alice chided.

I popped the 'wax bean' into my mouth, grimacing at the complete lack of anything associated with it. No flavor. No texture. No nothing. My eyes were frantically searching for the waiter, wanting to beg him for a hamburger with some greasy French fries.

"Don't think about it, Edward," Alice said sternly. "Bella will know. Do you want to spend a night sleeping on the couch?"

"No," I frowned. "Fucking cholesterol. I work out every single day. For the most part, I eat right. Yet, my cholesterol sucks. It makes no sense."

"I'm dealing with the same thing, Edward," Alice sighed. "However, my doctor put me on pills. You can at least get away with modifying your diet. Come on, Older. Let's eat and then go shopping for our families. I want to have my Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving."

"Why?"

"Because, I just do," she snapped.

"Younger…" I frowned. "I shared my stress and drama. Now, it's your turn."

"Everything's fine," she sighed, sitting back against the chair. "I just have this feeling that something's going to happen. You know?"

"What do you mean, Ali?"

"I've got this sense of foreboding," she replied, wrinkling her nose. "I don't know who it's going to affect, but…Let's not dwell on that." She shook her head and plastered on a genuine smile. "Now, what are you going to get Bella for Christmas?"

"I have no clue. What are you getting Jasmine?"

"He needs a new watch," Alice smirked. "Come on. Let's finish our lunch and get Jasper his watch, plus something sparkly for your wife." I rolled my eyes and gestured for the check. I paid for our lunch, boxing up the remaining of my rubber chicken and wax beans. We wandered around the outdoor mall, buying Jasper's watch from Neiman Marcus. Bella's present was bought from Tiffany's and I managed to get some things for my children before Alice declared that we were done for the day. With a kiss to her cheek, I drove back to my home in Wheaton.

I parked my car in the garage, noticing that Bella's car was gone. Carrying in the bags from the mall, I slipped inside of the house, dumping them into the closet in my office. "Dad?"

"Yeah," I replied, turning to see Masen standing just outside of my office door. "Hey, Mase. How are you?"

"Good. Mom wanted me to tell you that she's with Kyra, looking for jobs," he said. "You're in charge to make dinner."

"Good thing we have leftovers from the party," I quipped. Masen laughed, rolling his eyes. "How was Kyra with your mom?"

Masen wrinkled his nose. "Her usual charming self," he said wryly. "What's her deal, Dad? I mean, she's okay with Mia but she's turned into a bit of a bitch."

"Language, Mase," I chided.

"Sorry. But it's the truth, Dad," he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

I sighed. "We're working on your sister. Something's got to change. If not, the next few months in this house are going to be hellacious. Promise me, little man, that you will never, ever turn into that."

"Never, Dad," he said giving me a crooked grin. "You and Mom are awesome. Yeah, you're strict, but you have our best interests at heart. You'd never treat us unfairly. I love you. We all do. Even Kyra, even though she doesn't outwardly show it."

"How did you get so smart?" I asked, laughing lightly.

"From Mom," Masen snorted. It was true. Masen acquired my wife's kind heart and warm soul. He had my vision. Poor kid. He had thick glasses but wore contact lenses. He also had my brains for science, math and music. "Also, I wanted to remind you about my upcoming choir concert. It's in two weeks. I'd really like you and Mom to be there. I've got a solo. Well, a couple of solos: one vocal and the other on the guitar."

"We'll be there, Mase," I promised.

"Cool!" he said. With a crooked smile, he bounded out of the office, bellowing to Mia. I used the opportunity to finish hiding the presents, locking Bella's bracelet in the safe.

An hour later, Mia, Masen and Owen came downstairs, asking if they could watch a movie. I nodded and said I'd join them. We decided to 'Geek' out and watch all of the Lord of the Rings movies on blu-ray. It was going to take two days. Six movies that are all about three hours long? You do the math.

We were taking a dinner break in between the Lord of the Rings and The Two Towers when the door flew open and Kyra ran inside, sobbing. "I hate you all! You're single-handedly ruining my life!"

Bella walked in after her, weary and tired. Her brown eyes shocked at Kyra's outburst. "What happened?" I asked.

"Kyra got a job," Bella replied.

"Where?" Mia asked innocently.

"At fucking TACO BELL!" Kyra screamed from the upstairs. "I'm going to be handling dog food!"

"Kyra, Taco Bell isn't that bad," I replied. "Think of it this way, you can rise through the ranks and be a manager by the time you graduate."

"I don't want to rise through the ranks," she wailed. "Mom, did you work when you were in high school?"

"I did," she replied. "I worked at a diner."

"Dad?" Kyra snarled.

"I made my money by fixing computers and writing stupid games for the Nintendo and Atari," I answered.

"K, I give private lessons for piano and violin," Owen chimed in. "Masen and Mia help out around the neighborhood with shoveling and doing yard work. You're the only one who doesn't work."

"That's because we're millionaires and shouldn't have to," she spat, getting into Owen's face.

And that was the crux of it. My oldest daughter was a spoiled brat. The problem is, how do we fix it?

A/N: Kyra's acting like a brat. How many of you want to smack her? *Raises hand! ME! ME!* She reminds me so much of the kids I teach who feel entitled to everything, when they don't. Anyhow, tips on how to handle a bratty teenage girl, please send 'em my way. I'm not a parent (just a teacher). Up next will be Bella's take on all of this. Plus, her expedition on finding Kyra a job.

There are some pictures of this chapter. Their outfits are posted on Polyvore (tufano79). You can check out my blog (link in my profile). Also, check out my Facebook group: Tufano79's Fanfiction Appreciation. Good fics are discussed there along with teasers and such. Finally, find me on twitter: tufano79. Leave me some!