"Why don't we have a Christmas tree, Mom? My friend Brittany has one, and it's so pretty," observed Emmalie. "I helped them decorate it last week when I was at their house."
"I don't know, Em, no special reason I guess," Rosalie replied. "Is it important to you?" "No big deal," Emmalie shrugged, and that was the end of the discussion.
Later that week, Emmett and Rosalie went into the forest and brought back a huge Douglas Fir. It was worth the trouble just to see the look on Emmalie's face when they set it up in the family room. Even without decorations, it was impressive. Alice saw it as an excuse for a shopping trip, and she and Emmalie traveled all over the countryside, looking for interesting lights and ornaments. The finished project was a work of art. With all the other lights out, the majestic tree shimmered in all the huge windows. Emmalie couldn't take her eyes off the tree, and it even smelled wonderful. The paper ornaments she'd made at school were up there, along with the expensive boutique ornaments she and Alice had found.
Esme and Emmalie baked dozens of cookies together. They baked chocolate chip, Spritz, butter cookies, peanut butter kisses, and oatmeal cookies. Emmalie knew by now that her family wouldn't eat them, but the Blacks were coming for Christmas Eve with Will and the two little girls. It was a magical Christmas, and one that the children would always remember. There was snow, of course, and gifts were exchanged, and there was peace on earth (or at least in their little corner of the world). Alice tried to get Edward to dress up as Santa, but he flatly refused. He would only go so far in the spirit of the season. He did provide classical holiday music to add to the pervasive feeling of peace and good will.
Winter was Emmalie's favorite season. She and Will got sleds for Christmas, and they never tired of sliding down the hills in the Cullens' yard. The vampires were always quick enough to see that they never hit a tree, and they never got tired of hauling the children back up the hill. Then there was hot chocolate and cookies in the Cullens' big kitchen. It was a magical time to be a child, and it seemed there was always snow on the ground that year.
Will sneaked another peek out the window a few weeks later. It had been snowing for hours, and the forest looked like a winter wonderland. His thoughts kept creeping back to the fun he and Emmalie had with their new sleds in the Cullens' yard. "Mom, can't we pleeease go to Emmalie's this afternoon?" he whined. Bella was trying to be patient, but the combination of a sick baby and a whiny nine-year-old was beginning to wear on her.
"Will, I'm not going to say it again. Laura is too sick to go outside in this weather, so you're going to have to find something to do in the house," Bella called from the baby's room upstairs. "Maybe tomorrow, if Laura's fever is gone. Now try to find something quiet to do, so you don't wake Izzy."
That was the last straw. What did his mom think he was, a baby? He knew the way to Emmalie's house, and when he got there Mrs. Cullen could call his mom and tell her he was fine. He'd never asked for the baby sisters anyway, and they were a big pain. His life had been a lot less complicated before they came along. Will pulled on his boots and bundled up in his coat, scarf, hat, and mittens. Then he quietly opened the back door and slipped out, closing it gently behind him.
The first thing Will noticed as he walked down the driveway was the quiet. Yes, he tried to reassure that nagging voice in his head, this was one of his better ideas. It couldn't be more than a mile or so to Emmalie's, and he'd been there hundreds of times. Of course, he was usually in his dad's car, but the forest looked pure and innocent in its blanket of snow. He caught a snowflake on his tongue and smiled in delight as he walked, staying on the wooded side of the road to avoid any of his parents' friends who might come along. He needn't have worried, since no one was out driving on the reservation in the storm.
Twenty minutes later, when Bella had finally quieted the fretting baby, she went back downstairs to check on Will. "How would you like to help me make some cookies, W…" the sentence trailed off abruptly when she realized she was speaking to an empty room. Frantic, she searched through the house, finally noticing that his coat was missing from its hook by the back door. The small footprints heading out to the street were almost invisible by now, filling in with the blowing snow. There was no sign of the little boy's figure in his bright red coat. She hurried to the phone, panic-stricken, and called Jacob.
Bella walked a fine line in any crisis. Her father was the chief of police, and there were circumstances when she would call on him for his professional expertise. But he was oblivious to the mystical characters in her life, both vampires and werewolves, so sometimes it was their specific assistance she called upon. In this case, the wolves seemed to suit her particular need for finding a lost child – and quickly.
Jacob quickly passed the message on to Embry, who phased into wolf form and sprang into action. Jake started his truck and impatiently cleaned the snow off the windows, anxious to be on the move. Sam connected with Embry's thoughts and hurried back in the direction of the reservation from his distant patrol.
Will was almost sure he'd passed this same corner before. He was becoming disoriented in the whiteness, and he was quickly losing his bravado. He fought back the urge to cry and plodded on, though he was no longer sure he was going in the right direction. Suddenly, the absolute quiet was broken by the snap of a twig, and Will looked hopefully in the direction of the sound. He was ready to be rescued by any adult who came along, and he'd take his punishment like a man.
It was not a neighbor, however, who had broken the stillness. It was a huge cat, watching him from a menacing crouch only yards away, and now he could hear the low growl from deep in the mountain lion's chest. With his acute hearing, Sam heard it too, and he urged his muscled wolf body to full speed, hoping to close the distance before the cat could get to Will.
In a blur of teeth and fur and claws, the huge wolf collided in midair with the mountain lion, just a few feet from the terrified boy, just as Jacob's truck pulled up next to Will. As Will was hauled unceremoniously into the cab, he stared at his father's frightening visage. Will had never seen Jacob so furious before. Jake used his cell phone to let Bella know that Will was safe, and she was waiting by the door when they got to the house. Jake still had not uttered a word, and he closed the passenger door and headed back to his garage to check on Sam and Embry. They were both there, and Sam had a few scratches that were already healing. Jake thanked them with the quiet assurance that any member of the pack would have done the same.
Will spent the endless afternoon in his room, with no entertainment, dreading his father's return from work. His mom had little to say except that he wouldn't be leaving the house, except for school, for two weeks. When Jacob finally returned that evening, the sight of Will's tear-stained face almost melted his heart. He sat down on Will's bed and sternly explained how very irresponsible and dangerous his actions had been. Then he drew the scared little boy into his trembling arms and hugged him close.