AN: Ok, I know, it's been a while since I posted the first chapter of this set of one-shots. I'm getting back into the Christmas spirit. I'm soooo ready for it!
Ok, so you know the drill, I'm NOT Stephenie Meyer, nor do I claim to be and none of the characters are mine. I'm just thankful she lets us play around with them a bit!
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A Trip to See Santa
"So, what are you and Renesmee doing today?" Edward sighed into my ear as he pulled me closer. We were still lying in bed as the sun rose over the stone wall to our private garden outside our bedroom.
We didn't sleep, couldn't was more like it, but that didn't stop us from spending most nights wrapped in each other's arms in the large bed in our cottage. I knew by the placement of the sun that our daughter would be up soon.
"Alice, has this idea of taking Renesmee to the mall today to see Santa." I wrinkled up my nose a bit. I didn't mind that part. I mean, wasn't it a childhood rite of passage to go and sit on Santa's lap at Christmas time and have your picture taken? I had wanted this Christmas to be everything that the last one wasn't. So far Renesmee and her aunts, Nana and I had baked cookies and she had made tree ornaments with her aunts. I just didn't like the idea of spending the day at the mall with Alice. That would mean we might possibly have to rent a U-Haul to drive home.
Edward's mouth turned up into his signature crooked grin and then he placed a gentle kiss on my crinkled nose. "And why does that idea offend you love?"
"Do I even have to say it? Alice and a mall? That's charting dangerous territory. Plus, I have a feeling that Alice has rubbed off a bit too much on Renesmee. They are both scary when the word shopping is mentioned. I hate to see it get any worse." I sighed. I knew it was a lost cause. At least my daughter and I shared our love of books, and she was learning a love of music by the tutelage of her father. I guess it would only be right if she learned to love shopping by the hand of her aunts.
Edward laughed then. "Your worst nightmare, that you would end up with two people in this family that would want to play Bella Barbie with you." I grinned and then buried my head into his chest. Sure that I would blush slightly if I still could. I nodded and he stroked my hair.
"I like the idea of taking her to see Santa, perhaps we could finish up a bit of shopping for the rest of the family?" Edward asked, whispering into my hair.
I moved my head back so I could look at him now. "I suppose so. I guess we need to get up and get dressed and get her ready. I'm sure Alice will be waiting on us."
I slowly untangled myself from Edward's arms and went into the closet that Alice was still stocking for me and found a comfy pair of stretch jeans and a cute red top. It was Christmas after all. I brushed out my hair as I left to go down the hall to wake my daughter and dress her. I slowly opened the door to her bedroom and stood there for a moment watching her sleep. I had never understood Edward's fascination with watching me sleep every night when I was still human, but now I think I understood. I could watch my daughter dream every night. It was a bittersweet feeling knowing that eventually, like us she would no longer need sleep, once she too stopped aging.
I turned to her dresser and there sat a white box with a note addressed to me. I picked it up and recognized Alice's handwriting at once.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! We're going to have a great day! I thought this would be a cute outfit for Renesmee to wear. See you at the house shortly.
Alice
I sighed and opened the box. There was a beautiful Christmas outfit for Renesmee. A corduroy green dress with a band of red smocking that included holly leaves. A pair of red tights and her black shiny mary janes were sitting next to the box. Alice had even included a ribbon to place in her hair. I quietly walked over to my daughter's bed. A beautiful wrought iron four poster bed. A smaller version of the one that still resided in Edward's room in the large white house. She had long outgrown her crib even if she was just slightly over a year old.
I ran my fingers through her soft curls and slowly her eyes opened with a sleepy blink. She clutched her teddy bear, a gift from her Uncle Emmett, tighter and yawned.
"Morning princess." I smiled down at her.
She quickly climbed out from under her covers and snuggled into my lap, teddy bear and all.
She placed her hand on my cheek and showed me the dreams she had had. They included memories of decorating the large Christmas trees that were now placed all over the large white family house through the woods.
"What are we doing today?" She asked in her musical voice as she pulled her hand away from my cheek.
"How about a trip to the mall?" I asked smiling. The returning smile was worth having to follow Alice to her own personal Mecca.
Within moments she was out of her white cotton night gown and I was pulling her new dress over her head. I turned to gather her shoes and the ribbon off of the dresser but instead found Edward there holding both.
"You go and find your shoes, I'll get these on her and put her ribbon in."
I smiled and nodded. Edward had actually become quiet the proficient father. He could actually tie her hair ribbons in straighter than I could. This amused Emmett and Rosalie both. I had never been a ribbons kind of girl growing up, but Renesmee had grown to wanting one to match any outfit she wore.
Even though Renesmee was clearly capable to dressing herself and doing most anything that a child much older than her could, she still allowed the occasional babying from us. I believe she was growing to understand as much as the rest of us how little of a childhood she actually was going to get.
When I returned Renesmee was already in her father's arms and they were waiting on me to head to the big house.
Renesmee climbed around to her father's back once we were outside. Edward took my hand as we ran through the forest towards the big white house. Renesmee giggled as always when we jumped the river leading up to the back yard.
Of course, Alice was waiting on us at the back door. Her frame was blurred slightly due to her high level of anticipation.
"Calm down Alice, we're going. I promise. I'm not putting up a fight." I sighed as we reached the porch. Renesmee jumped down from her father's back and with one more swift movement landed in her aunt's waiting arms.
"You're going too?" She asked Alice as we made our way into the house.
"Of course!" Alice chirped as Renesmee smiled at her. I noticed the quick assessment my sister in law did of my daughter's appearance making sure I had included everything she had placed in the box and beside it.
I rolled my eyes and Edward chuckled under his breath.
Renesmee was happy that she could have her preferred breakfast since we didn't have time to hunt this morning and it had been two days since our last trip. She needed to feed more often with her growth rate and we tried to take a small hunting trip every other day or so. Obviously Alice had already let Esme know of our plans for the day and she had a cup with a lid and straw ready for Renesmee as she came into the kitchen. Esme picked her up and placed her on the counter and handed her, her breakfast.
Renesmee held her cup tight in one hand and placed her other on her grandmother's cheek and smiled around the straw. Esme smiled down at her and placed her hand over the smaller one, holding it in place.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked warily.
"What do you mean?" Alice asked as she rocked back and forth on her toes.
"I know you've seen it all, so give me the run down, what all are we doing today?" Alice gave me a rundown in her over excited manner. As she was speaking Rosalie with Emmett trailing behind her came into view. Shortly after Jasper came by to give Alice a good bye kiss and he and Emmett left to go hunting for the day.
Renesmee finished her breakfast and looked around expectantly. "Well, let's get going." Edward walked around the counter and Renesmee climbed back into his arms. I followed with Alice and Rosalie both in tow.
We piled into Edward's Volvo, Alice griping about not getting to take the Porsche. Edward had buckled Renesmee in with Alice and Rosalie taking up seats on either side of her. I climbed into the front. Once we were out of the garage and headed down the long driveway I took Edward's right hand in my left one and looked over my shoulder to see Rosalie, Alice and Renesmee all three hunkered down over some magazine.
I sighed and leaned back into my seat knowing that the drive to Seattle would take no time at all. When we were almost there I noticed a billboard for the University and I quickly turned in my seat.
"Alice! What if we see someone we know? Angela and Ben? They are here going to school." I panicked slightly. No one other than my father and the wolf pack had seen me since I had gotten married and changed and certainly no one else knew of Renesmee. Our story for the public if anyone asked was that she was Edward's niece and that we had adopted her upon her parent's death. But anyone who had known me as a human would clearly see through that story if they looked closely. They just wouldn't understand the how.
"Relax Bella!" Alice chided. "I told you, I saw it all. Angela and Ben are actually both already back in Forks for the holidays. We won't see anyone we know. Or else I would have had us go somewhere else."
I nodded contented for the moment.
We reached the mall of Alice's choice and Edward swiftly pulled us into a parking place in the parking deck. We made our way into the mall with Renesmee being carried by Edward and I was holding his free hand. Alice of course was along, because any trip to a mall where she wasn't included was an atrocity in her eyes and Rose wouldn't have missed such an import rite of passage in Renesmee's life.
We quickly spotted where we needed to be. A long line of mother's with strollers, crying toddlers and fidgety elementary school age kids. A few of the older boys were scowling and I noticed a few toddlers near the front of the line who looked scared of the big man in the red suit. The lady in the front of the line was now trying to coax a screaming baby before placing him in Santa's arms. I eyed Alice warily.
Alice just responded by grinning at me. We took our place in line to wait. Renesmee was looking around, watching everybody in her view. I could tell she was having a silent conversation with her dad. She was still in his arms so she could place her hands on his neck and ask him questions in her own way and no one would be the wiser. He answered so low only our family would be able to hear.
Rosalie and Emmett had taken to showing Renesmee as many Christmas movies as they could find over the past couple of weeks, so she understood that this man in the big red suit brought presents on Christmas morning. Edward was explaining to her where his legend came from. I loved to watch them interact in their silent ways.
The line inched forward quicker than I imagined it would. We were finally next. Renesmee seemed a bit hesitant.
"What do I do Momma?" She turned in Edward's arms to look at me.
"You just go and sit in his lap and tell him what you want him to bring you for Christmas. Just like in those movie's you've seen with Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett. And then that lady there will take your picture."
She smiled and nodded. "Anything?"
I moved her curls behind her shoulder. "Yes, anything you want for Christmas, you tell Santa."
Alice elbowed me then and I looked over at her. "I want to sit in his lap and ask him for the whole spring Gucci collection. Do you think I could?" She was smirking up at me.
"Alice, I think you could manage that on your own. Actually….." Rosalie leaned in towards the two of us and whispered so only we could hear. "I'm sure if you sit in Jasper's lap and ask him nicely, I'm sure he'll have no problems fulfilling that request."
Rosalie just smirked, Alice grinned and I just shrugged my shoulders.
"Our turn." Edward's smooth voice broke through our moment of sisterly picking.
Alice and Rose quickly made their way over to where we would exit so they could watch the whole proceeding. Alice already had her small digital camera out and taking pics of the whole process.
Edward sat Renesmee down and we walked her up to Santa.
"Hi there little lady, what's your name?" Our daughter looked once up at her father and then at me and I nodded telling her to go on.
"Renesmee." She responded softly in her musical voice and then grinned up at the gentleman. I saw in the corner of my eye as he flinched for a minute taken aback by her voice and smile. He quickly composed himself and grinned back at her.
"That's a very unique name. A pretty name for a pretty young lady. Do you want to sit in my lap and tell me what you want for Christmas?"
She nodded quickly, taking her hands away from ours and climbing expertly into his lap. She twisted around and beckoned him to turn his ear so she could whisper. She cupped her hands together and whispered her request to him. He smiled back down at her.
"Have you been a good girl this year Renesmee?" He questioned.
She looked back at her father and I questioning with her eyes. I'm sure she was silently asking her father that question in her mind. Edward grinned from ear to ear.
"Yes sir, she's been a very good girl. She is well behaved." I smiled down at my daughter as she beamed back up at Santa.
"Well then," he grinned and then spoke back to her. "I'll definitely see what I can do for you."
Renesmee asked him then if his beard was real like the one in the movie she had watched yesterday with her aunt. The kind Santa laughed and nodded. Knowing exactly which movie she was referring to, Miracle on 34th Street. "Of course it is." He leaned in towards her ear and asked. "Do you want to check and see?"
Renesmee smiled and wrapped her alabaster hand around some of his beard and gave a slight, soft tug. The Santa pretended like it hurt. Or at least I hope he was pretending. Renesmee was stronger than your average child. I glanced at Edward. I took his hand quickly and with the quickness I had learned, pushed away the guard on my mind quick enough to ask him the question and then let it go again. He nodded back ever so slightly and smiled. Good, she had not hurt him.
Renesmee was all smiles now as Santa handed her a candy cane and told her the lady in the green elf uniform was going to take her picture. He asked if we would like to join her.
I looked over at Edward and he nodded, grinning. "Sure." I said.
Edward moved to stand on one side of Santa's chair and I on the other, placing a hand on my daughter's arm as we bent in for the picture. The click of the camera and a flash later we were finished. Renesmee gave the Santa a hug before reaching her arms up for Edward to take her. We told the Santa and his elves good bye as we walked over to Alice and Rosalie.
We took our picture ticket with us and noted the time in which we could come back and get them.
"I've got tons of pictures!" Alice chirped as she practically skipped beside us as we moved further into the mall. We spent the afternoon finishing up our last minute shopping. I had to restrain Edward, Alice and Rose from purchasing the toy store in its entirety. One, Renesmee was too intellectual for most of the toys and two, she just flat out didn't need them.
Renesmee skipped through the clothing stores with Alice at her side. She rode the carousel in the middle of the mall a grand total of ten times, and we even talked her into tasting the roasted nuts at a small stand that filled what seemed to be the entire mall with their aroma. She crinkled her nose a bit at them, but said she liked the sugar coating, just not the actual nut.
We gathered up our packages and her pictures and made our way back to the Volvo. The ride home was quiet and it was dark when we pulled up the long driveway. I turned in my seat as Edward turned off the quiet engine.
"She's out like a light." Rose whispered to me. I nodded. She got out and gathered Renesmee into her arms in the process and then handed her back off to Edward. Alice, Rose and I gathered our packages and we headed into the house.
Emmett and Jasper were playing a video game, which they quickly abandoned once their wives walked into the room. Carlise and Esme were curled up on the couch together, watching the boys and idly flipping through a book together.
"Did you have a good day?" Esme asked as we walked through the room. She stood up and stroked Renesmee's hair as we passed, planting a soft kiss on her cheek.
I nodded. "Very good. She was worn out by the time we left the mall. Which as you know, that takes a lot for her to be this tired."
I fished around in one of my bags. "Here, this is for you and Carlisle." I passed her their copy of the photo we had taken with Santa. We had purchased enough to be able to give to family members, including Charlie.
Carlisle stood up then and looked over Esme's shoulder so he could see the picture. Carlisle smiled his warm fatherly smile and then looked up at the three of us. "You make a beautiful family."
I knew if I could still blush I would have. "Thanks," I murmured.
Edward nodded and smiled. "We're part of a larger family. It takes us all." Esme smiled up at him and placed one more kiss on Renesmee's head. She stirred, but never woke.
"You might want to get her into her bed." We both nodded and waved to the rest of the family as we made our way out the back door and towards our little cabin in the woods.
We entered and I went to place our packages in our closet. Edward took Renesmee to her room and dressed her quickly in her nightgown, never waking her and when I arrived he was tucking her into bed as she snuggled her teddy bear closer. We both kissed her goodnight. Edward had retreated to the door frame and as I went to go by him, he wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me so that my back was to his chest and he placed a kiss on my cheek as we stood and watched our daughter sleep for a few minutes.
"Thank you….." he murmured in my ear as he took my hand and lead me down the hall to our room.
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