Sorry this chapter was kind of late, a billion different things all came up this weekend, and then it was the Super Bowl, and...yeah. So please forgive any errors or mistakes since I worked really fast to get this chapter out to you guys.

So I'm starting to see the end of this story come up pretty soon, which means only a few chapters left. Unless I can think of some more creative places to go within the plot, the end is near (I say that both sadly and happily, ha).

I still haven't figured out the link for the bracelet yet, but I really want you guys to see what it looks like, so I'll keep trying!

Thanks!

~MissSingItAll

Disclaimer: Twilight is the property of Stephenie Meyer.


EPOV:

"Trapped in a room with Jasper and Alice, or trapped in a room with Emmett and Rosalie?"

"Oh God, neither really. But if, and only if I had to choose...definitely Jasper and Alice."

I shuddered at the thought of being forced to stay with either couple for any extended amount of time. I was sitting with Bella in her living room Sunday during the later part of the morning. Chief Swan had gone out fishing, so I didn't have to worry about him lurking during our time together. Bella was cradled in my arms as we were cuddled up on the couch, watching random cartoons on tv. She nuzzled her head against my chest.

"Well...from what I've seen, I think I'd pick them too," she said, chuckling. She turned a little so that she could look at me. "Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"I was wondering...well, if you maybe wanted to try going down the stairs again with me," she asked meekly.

"Do you want to?" I asked back. She gave a little nod. "Wanna try right now?" She nodded again, and we both slowly stood up and headed for the front door. Bella left the door open as we walked out to the porch. We started out at the top of the stairs, just like before, and I tried as best I could to distract Bella from anything other than me. We had actually made it to the second to last step before the pathway before Bella finally looked up at me with that look of discomfort that indicated that she was done. She lead me back inside, and I leaned in to kiss her gently on the cheek to reassure her. She smiled at me and turned to go the kitchen, stopping only when the phone rang as she passed it.

"Hello?" she answered. Then a small grin crept upon her face, and she looked back at me. "Sure," she replied to the person, and then extended the receiver to me. "It's for you," she said.

I took the receiver, confused. "Hello?" I asked. An all too familiar voice screeched in my ear.

"Edward! Why didn't I get any details about last night?! You come home with a huge shit-eating grin on your face and don't say a word, and then you're out the door after breakfast?" Alice was a mixture of anger and excitement. I laughed then, remembering how I had quickly downed a cup of coffee and grabbed a bagel before leaving the house in a flurry this morning.

"Sorry Alice, I'm kinda busy," I teased. I heard her frustrated growl echo on the line.

"Just tell me this," she sighed, antsy for any kind of information. "Are you and Bella together now? Like, actually together?"

I looked over at Bella, who was fussing around in the kitchen as the lunch hour came nearer. She wasn't looking at me, but I could see that her overall expression was happy and lighthearted. She moved with a kind of lightness that wasn't present before. It made me happy to see her at such peace.

"Yes," I declared into the phone, feeling as if I had won a major victory. Alice cheered in my ear, making me hold the receiver away.

"Edward, this is wonderful! I knew you could get through to her!" she squealed. I rolled my eyes at Bella, who was watching me curiously. She giggled silently and turned back to the kitchen.

"Now, when can I come and see you two? Or, maybe we could have a double date at Bella's!That would be so fun!" I could imagine Alice's eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Calm down, Alice. I really just want to take this slowly," I cautioned.

"Okay, but what about Christmas? You've got to get her an amazing gift."

Christmas? I pulled out my cell phone and checked the calender. Was it really only a week and a half until then? I really had lost track of all time, and I know that it was mostly due to Bella. I realized then that I didn't even notice all the Christmas shopping displays and decorations when I was out looking for Bella's gift yesterday. Now that I recalled, however, there were bright colors, overdecorated Christmas trees, and cheery holiday music in every store that I had walked in.

"I have to think about it," I implored, already trying to come up with ideas.

"Can I talk to Bella now?" Alice quipped. I walked over to Bella and handed her the phone. They spoke for a few more minutes, and then Bella finally hung up.

"Ready for lunch?" she asked, and I nodded back. I followed her into the kitchen where she had made us grilled cheese sandwiches. We sat at the large dining table together and began to eat. I quickly discovered then that Bella was an awesome cook.

"This is amazing," I complimented, and Bella blushed.

"It's just grilled cheese, Edward," she said, shaking her head a little. I only smiled back, loving the way her cheeks had flushed in embarrassment.

"So Alice was thinking about maybe having a double date with us and her and Jasper sometime," I mentioned, taking in another bite of the sandwich. "Would you be okay with that?"

"Yes, that would be fun," she replied, and I could see that she was being honest. We were both staring at each other, goofy grins plastered on our faces. It was so peculiar; only one day ago I was worried that I would never be able to see Bella, and now it felt like we had ages to spend time together.

This was how things were for a while. The days leading up to Christmas were spent with Bella since school was on break. Sometimes it was just me and her, and sometimes Alice would come and bring Jasper along. Occasionally, Rosalie and Emmett would stop by when they weren't locked away in Rosalie's room at the Hale's place. No one minded that we didn't actually go anywhere, and I could tell that Bella was grateful for this.

We practiced going down the stairs a few more times, but since it was the dead of winter it was hard to get motivated to go outside in the freezing cold.

Alice and Bella had progressed to being best friends. Bella was the quiet, gentle rain to Alice's raging thunder and lightning. Their contrasts only helped them get closer. I could see that Alice was trying to help Bella try to be more comfortable within her own skin.

Jasper was also starting to become fast friends with Bella. They would discuss deep things; philosophy, books, ideas of all kinds. She brought out in him a side that I had never seen before. Sometimes Jasper would even refuse to leave until he had finished explaining something to Bella, annoying both Alice and myself. Bella loved the conversations, though. She wanted any chance to talk people, even though she was still very shy.

Emmett liked being around Bella, too. He constantly teased her, which made her embarrassed and me pissed off. But it was all in good fun, and Emmett treated her as he treated Alice: like a little sister. His silly and sometimes slightly dumb nature always cheered Bella up whenever she was feeling sad. Rosalie, however, was pretty much indifferent. She didn't hate Bella, but they weren't besties either. She instead stood by quietly while we all interacted with Bella, sometimes watching with an expression of curiosity on her angelic face.

On Christmas Eve, my family engaged in our usual yearly tradition. My mother would bake tons of different kinds of desserts; lemon bars, sugar cookies, brownies, fudge, and more would cover every surface in the kitchen and dining room. Then we would package everything and make the rounds to our neighbors, giving them the gift of my mother's home cooking. This year we all piled into my father's Mercedes (an uncomfortable feat as Emmett took up half the backseat) with the treats and visited all of the family friends.

As we pulled up to Bella's, I got my present for her ready in my coat pocket. I didn't want Alice's help for this; I knew that whatever she came up with would be flashy and expensive, things I knew Bella would not appreciate. Although, if Bella was that kind of girl, I would gladly buy her anything she wanted. Our family was very well off, what with my father's large doctor's salary and the extra income that came from my mother's part-time interior design business. But I had a feeling that Bella would be unhappy if I spent any large sum of money on her, so I looked for other alternatives.

We made our way up to the front door, which had a medium-sized wreath tacked hastily onto the front. We were greeted by Chief Swan himself, who led everyone into the living room. Emmett and Alice helped my mother carry in tins of cookies to the kitchen. Bella was standing in the middle of the living room, and her whole face brightened when she saw me. She was wearing a lavender sweater and blue jeans, and as she raised her arms to embrace me I saw that the bracelet that I had given her was draped delicately over her small wrist.

We hugged for a few seconds, and then stepped back, listening as my family made small talk with Chief Swan.

"Carlisle, Esme, how are you two? Been a while since I've seen you," Chief Swan said cheerily.

"Oh, just fine, Charlie. Is this your lovely daughter? The kids have said nothing but good things about her," my mother exclaimed, moving toward us. She extended her hand to Bella. "I'm Esme Cullen."

"Hello," Bella greeted shyly, taking my mother's hand. "I'm Bella. Nice to meet you."

"And I'm Dr. Cullen, but please call me Carlisle," my father said, also shaking Bella's hand. She smiled timidly at the two of them. My mother was staring at me though, and she had a knowing look in her eyes. She beamed at me, seeming to already know the connection I had with Bella.

"So Bella, Edward seems to be quite taken with you," my mother said coyly. Bella blushed and I could feel my face heat up. My father simply laughed and Chief Swan's eyebrows raised so high it seemed like his eyes grew twice their size.

"Oh really? When did this all happen, Bells?" he was asking her but he was looking at me. Bella looked very uncomfortable with all the attention, so I cleared my throat and helped her out.

"We met through Alice, sir," I responded, trying to sound very polite. Chief Swan nodded, eyeing me suspiciously. My parents, however, were oblivious to his scrutiny.

"It's very kind of Alice to help drop off homework," my father placed his arm around my mother. "It seems like the two of them are really great friends."

"Oh yes, Bella and I have loads of fun," Alice popped into the conversation, nearly skipping to my side. "But you know, Chief Swan, you have to try the cookies we made this year. They're absolutely amazing!"

Chief Swan, who couldn't resist Alice's bubbly charm and the thought of fresh-baked cookies, only nodded again and started to follow my parents into the kitchen, never taking his eyes off of Bella and I until he had rounded the corner. Alice turned to us and smiled.

"Thanks," I said, glad that she was there to stop any further questioning from Chief Swan.

"No problem, I could tell he was headed in that direction," Alice replied. She winked at the two of us and skipped off back into the kitchen. Bella sighed next to me and I took her hand in mine, lacing our fingers together.

"Once you guys leave, I'll be facing the Spanish Inquisition," she groaned.

"I'm sorry about that. I guess I should have told my mom to be more subtle," I walked her over to the couch, where we both plopped down.

"Your mother is very kind," Bella remarked. "I like her. You're very lucky."

"I am," I agreed, rubbing circles into Bella's hand with my thumb. She leaned her head on my shoulder, and we listened to the casual chatter between our parents. Emmett came bounding into the room then, two cookies enclosed in his meaty hand.

"Emmett, we have plenty of food at home. You don't need to eat stuff from the neighbors," I teased. He rolled his eyes at me and took a large bite.

"Did you tell Bella about our trip yet?" he asked, crumbs flying out of his mouth.

"Oh, I almost forgot," I said, amazed that I hadn't said anything about it yet. Bella looked at me questioningly.

"Every year during the second part of the holiday break our family goes up to visit relatives in Alaska," I explained. We stayed with our Aunt Carmen and Uncle Eleazar and our cousins Kate, Irina, and Tanya. Normally I liked spending time with them, but for the past couple of years Tanya kept trying to set me up with some of her friends, and it was starting to get annoying. "We'll be leaving right after Christmas, and we'll be back after New Year's."

"Oh," Bella breathed quietly. I could tell that she felt the same sadness that I felt at the thought of being away from her for any period of time.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I tried to get out of it, but it's like a family tradition," I said apologetically.

"Yeah, he cried," Emmett smirked, both cookies gone. He waggled his eyebrows at Bella, and she giggled. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I did not," I countered, and Bella looked at me once again. "I promise, I'll be back before you know it."

"Okay," she resigned. Emmett stomped over to us and sat down heavily next to Bella. He wrapped his large arm around her shoulders.

"Don't worry, Bella," he smiled. "I'll keep Edward in line."

I reached over with my free hand to smack him in the face, and Bella laughed once more. Emmett jumped up and tried to kick me in the shin, only to lose his balance and fall, making a loud boom echo across the room. Bella and I laughed heartily, and Emmett stood back up, flipped me off, and dashed into the kitchen, starting to explain what had caused the loud sound.

Shaking my head, I turned back to Bella. "Would you like your Christmas present now?"

"Edward, you didn't have to get me anything," Bella responded. "You don't have to spend any money on me."

"I promise, I didn't spend much at all." I stood up so I could reach into my coat pocket. I pulled out her gift, clumsily wrapped in Christmas themed wrapping paper, and handed it over to her. "I hope you like it."


BPOV:

I was very curious as I took the package from him, smiling slightly at the mess of paper and tape. After getting through it, I pulled out what appeared to be a small leather-bond journal. I flipped through the pages, expecting them to be blank and fresh. Instead, they were worn and covered with ink, words and phrases decorating each page. I looked up at him, astounded.

"I don't remember if I told you or not, but I play piano," Edward said, his hand running through his hair. "That was sort of a songwriting book to me. I can't sing worth crap," he laughed, "but I would still come up with lyrics for a lot of the songs that I wrote. I haven't been playing much lately, but when I did before a lot of the songs were about you." His voice was tender, and his eyes were a light shining green. "They're not finished or anything, but I thought you'd like them."

My eyes had filled with tears, and as I looked back down at the book, I started to pay more attention to the words written there. One phrase stood out and curled up the side of the page in thin lettering: When I find you, I find me.

"Thank you," my voice broke, and I stood up to embrace him. I breathed in his honey and vanilla scent, feeling him close his arms around me and nuzzle his head into the crook of my neck.

"I'm glad you like it," he said gently, and he pulled back to look at me. He leaned in and pressed his lips gently to mine for a quick moment. We were both conscious of our parents in the next room.

As we parted, everyone emerged from the kitchen. Charlie looked very pleased; he seemed to have a high respect for Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. Alice bounded out, and grabbed me for a quick hug. Emmett came by and ruffled my hair with his fingers, and everyone waved as they moved through the front door. Edward pecked me on the lips once more and left with a "Merry Christmas," promising to keep in touch while he was gone on his family trip. The door shut, silencing the loud sounds of family and cheer.

The rest of the evening was spent watching holiday movies with Charlie. As I suspected he questioned me about Edward, but he seemed satisfied when I confirmed that Edward was nothing but a gentleman. I took this time to truly enjoy Charlie's company, since it seemed like he didn't really have any for a long time. We laughed at all the classics and downed a few cups of eggnog before finally heading up to bed.

Christmas Day was quiet and peaceful. A light snow had fallen over everything, making the light coming in through the windows extra bright. We exchanged modest gifts and ate as much of all the food that I had prepared as we could. Edward called me during the afternoon, and I realized that I had never gotten him a gift due to the fact that I couldn't go anywhere. He tried to assure me that it was alright, but I still felt really bad, and I vowed to get him a gift when he returned.

Edward and his family left for Alaska the day after Christmas. He promised to call everyday that he was gone, and for that I was grateful. I tried not to voice how desperate I was about being without him, but I think that he could tell that I was trying not to break down and cry. I could sense his reluctance to leave as well, and that made me feel slightly better.

Without any of the Cullens or the Hales here, I soon realized how lonely and solitary my life was before. Sitting in my room reading was what I normally did for fun, but now it seemed like something to distract me from my loneliness. The only part of the day I looked forward to was Edward's phone calls. He would tell me about his day and the crazy things his cousins tried to get him to do. He always sounded relieved whenever I answered the phone, and we would talk for as long as he was able to get away from his family. Usually I could tell when our conversations were over whenever I heard Emmett or Alice teasing Edward in the background.

When I wasn't talking to Edward, I was still connecting to him through his gift. Every single page in the journal was covered with words, and I worked to read them all each day of his absence. There were fragments of phrases and sentences written all over the pages in every direction.

Crawling up one side of a page: If I don't say this now, I will surely break.

Stretching across another page: Hold me down, sweet and low, little girl.

Sometimes there was actual music written in the margins, notes dancing up and down a hastily drawn staff. I would trace every swoop and curve with my fingers, feeling his words as if he had spoken them aloud to me. His journal told me the story of his thoughts, his ideas, and his feelings for me. I felt like I was seeing a special part of Edward that he had never shown anyone else.

I also called Alice; I needed her help in finding a belated Christmas gift for Edward. She was super eager to help me, as Edward apparently forbid her from helping him. I wanted to give him a present that showed him how much I cared for him. We were both coming up empty with ideas, so I tried to sit on my own and think of something.

On New Year's Eve, Charlie left for work, braving the swirling winter storm that had not let up for the past couple of days. He had to get ready for all the alcohol-induced trouble that was bound to occur in town. I mostly kept to the living room, switching back and forth between reading and watching those multiple end of the year countdowns on tv. I was expecting Edward to call during the afternoon, and as the hours passed I started growing more and more anxious as the phone remained silent.

It was late afternoon and I had already starting setting up for dinner, knowing that I needed to make extra for Charlie since I knew he wouldn't be home until late. Then it was fully evening, and the snow fell a little faster against the house as I cooked and glanced repeatedly at the phone. Then it was close to midnight, and I was still up waiting, only barely listening to the New Year's Eve special playing on the tv. As my heart was about to give up hope, the phone finally rang at five minutes to midnight. I lunged for the phone, nearly slipping on the floor as I stopped in the hallway. I really needed to invest in a cell phone.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Happy New Year, Bella," Edward's voice melted over the phone. "I'm sorry I didn't call earlier, but I wanted to wait until midnight." I sighed in relief.

"Hi Edward, how are things over there?" I asked, trying to get rid of any trace of distress I had earlier.

"Fine, I guess. Emmett somehow snuck up some booze from my uncle's special stash, and now him and my cousins are just the slightest bit tipsy."

"Sounds like fun," I said, smiling to myself. I missed them all so much, it was ridiculous.

"Fun to watch," Edward agreed, "but I really just want to be with you right now."

I shivered at the slightly husky tone his voice had carried. "I wish you were here."

"I know, Bella. But for now, we can ring in the New Year together," he assured, and I turned to look at the clock sitting in the kitchen. It was one minute to midnight. I shook my head in disbelief. Edward was such a romantic. I could hear the countdown start from the tv in the living room.

"Happy New Year," we both said at the same time as the kitchen clock finally struck midnight. I could hear Emmett's booming cheer in the background, and a bunch of girls giggling after that. Edward chuckled and sighed, and I could imagine that he was shaking his head.

"Emmett really needs to stop mixing alcohol and loud noises," Edward said, and I laughed. We talked for a little bit more, but exhaustion finally caught up with me and I eventually bade him goodnight. I fell into bed that night, overcome with the feeling of excitement at a new year with Edward.

The next morning, I was anxious for New Year's Day to be over. The whole day was a blur of cooking, cleaning, and constantly glancing at the clock, wishing for the end of the day. I ignored Charlie's questioning looks every time I hopped into the kitchen to glance at the clock over the stove. I was never this restless before; it was like my body and my mind were already ten minutes ahead of time itself.

I thought that I would feel at least some relief as the day of Edward's return finally came, but I was wrong. Everything seemed to move slower, and I was almost to the point of madness as I waited for Edward's flight to land at one o'clock, just as he said. He promised to come over to my house as soon as he was unpacked. As noon passed, I spent the time rereading Edward's journal, trying to memorize my favorite lines. There was one line that really hit me every time I read it, and no matter how I said it out loud, it had the same power to make me want to cry and laugh joyously at the same time.

Scrawled across the bottom of a page read: Though love can change the weather, no act of God can pull me away from you.

This line was so emotional, so powerful that I could literally hear Edward speaking the words to me. I knew that I would ask him to eventually. One o'clock had finally arrived, and I decided to give them some time to get home and unpack. I waited to allow them this time, and after about forty-five minutes, I called Edward's cell phone. It rang and rang, the dial tone cutting eventually to his voicemail. I hung up and tried again, hoping that he just didn't hear it.

The phone kept ringing and cutting to voicemail. This was when I got worried. It had been a little over an hour since their flight had landed. Maybe Edward wants to surprise me or something, I thought, trying to reassure myself. I took in deep breaths, trying not to panic. I went over to sit in the living room. Yeah, I told myself, he'll probably be on his way soon. It'll be just like New Year's; nothing to worry about.

It was hard to keep telling myself this after three and a half hours had passed. The sun was casting a dull glow through the thick dark clouds in the sky. I had been reduced almost to a strange kind of madness: I was moving back and forth between the phone and the front room, listening for the sound of a car engine. Finally, the sound of a large grumbling car grew louder and louder until it seemed to be right in front of the house. I dashed to the front door and wrenched it open.

Instead of a silver Volvo, a large Jeep truck was parked haphazardly on the curb. I stared, confused, as Alice hopped out of the passenger door. Emmett stepped out from the driver's side. To my disappointment, it was only the two of them. Alice met my gaze first; she looked exhausted, and her normal fresh and put-together appearance was tarnished by the messiness of her hair and her disorganized clothes. I could tell something was wrong.

"Bella," she said quietly, "something's happened."


A/N: The songs in order that were mentioned are:

~"When You Find Me" by Joshua Radin

~"Look After You" by The Fray

~"Sweet and Low" by Augustana

~"Chances" by Five for Fighting

I definitely recommend that you all go listen to these songs, especially within the context of this story. They are all completely amazing and beautiful.

Reviews would be lovely!