Chapter Ten: Christmas with the Cullens

I plonked myself down on the sofa and yawned forever.

"I think I just saw Antarctica down there." Jasper sat across from me reading. "It's seven thirty, are you going to get dressed today?"

"Nope. I'm gonna stay in my PJ's all day." I yawned again. "I am so tired." I looked around. "Where's everybody else?"

"Our clan aren't out of their rooms yet. Kate, Garrett, Carmen and Eleazar went over to the cabin early, so I expect they're out showing Brad how to hunt."

"He's cooked?"

"He's cooked!"

"Good! More chocolate for me!"

"You'll get fat."

"No I won't."

"Yes you will."

"Shut up!"

"You are getting so lippy in your old age."

"Well you'd know all about old age." Jasper was the second oldest of our family behind Carlisle. He'd been born in 1844 and had served during the Civil War. Like Carlisle, he was a walking history book that I had plundered at every opportunity.

"Are you going to hunt while you're here? Or merely eat repulsive things like chocolate?"

"Chocolate is not repulsive!"

"It smells it."

"I was going to hunt tomorrow, actually."

"Alice and I will come out with you if you'd like the company?"

I nodded. "That would be nice." I hadn't hunted with another vampire in months.

Alice appeared on the arm of the sofa next to her husband, wearing a gold dress and holding a plum coloured sweater and skirt out to me. I suspected that my plan of spending the day in my PJ's did not meet with her approval.

"As I'm dressing to match my eyes today, I thought you might like to dress to match your hair."

"She says she's spending the day in her pyjamas." Jasper grinned. He knew, as well as anyone that fighting Alice over clothes was futile. Better capitulate now than suffer the indignity of being pinned down and forcibly dressed in what Alice wanted me to wear.

"I guess my plans have changed." I grabbed the clothes.

"Good girl!" Alice approved "I knew you'd see sense."

Washed and dressed in the predictably lovely outfit that Alice had picked out, I went back downstairs to find my family assembled. I claimed a round of hugs and kisses from them, the unpleasantness of the last few days pushed to one side. As Christmas mornings went it was Hollywood movie-scene perfect. Snow falling outside; a log cabin exquisitely decorated for the event and immaculately dressed beautiful people sat around a roaring fire, exchanging gifts. There was also the obligatory, slightly over-excited child with a chocolate smudge on her face – me. I loved Christmas!

From Dad there was an extra present. From a small box I extracted a key which made me gasp and laugh at the same time. I couldn't believe what I held in my hand. The key to his classic Aston Martin Vanquish!

"I'm giving it to you. It needs somebody to look after it. As it's just sat in the garage in Forks, who better to have it than you?"

His prized car and it was now mine! I put my hand over my mouth as a hundred different wonderful memories of the car tried to fight for attention in my head. His hand rubbed my back and I leant up against his shoulder. He kissed the top of my head. I didn't think I could reliably trust myself to speak without blubbing; so I said the words I wanted to say in my head.

"Thank you! I love you!"

"I love you too Nessie." He whispered.

"Don't get the idea he's turned all magnanimous, Ness," said Rose. "He's got something else on order, but he irritatingly won't tell us what it is."

"Thanks Rose for spoiling our daddy daughter moment, there." He snickered and I sat up to look at him, searching his eyes trying to figure out what the new car was, from them. He smirked back at me. "I'm not telling you, you can wait and see like the rest of them."

"It's probably some hideous limited edition Volvo." Emmett scoffed.

"No, it's not a Volvo."

Ha! Alice would know, she would've seen his decision!

"Alice?" She shook her head at me.

"Your Mom extended her shield. I didn't see what he chose."

"Bollocks!" I said.

The frequently issued expletive that tripped casually from Dan and Jess's tongues did not find a ready welcome in my family. The jokey environment evaporated in an instant.

"None of us want to hear language like that Ness." Carlisle spoke with quiet authority. "Please do not use it in our presence again."

"Sorry."

"Just because you're trying to fit in with your human friends," he continued, "does not mean that you need to drag yourself down to their level. You're a Cullen. That means something in our world. We would all be grateful if you'd remember that.

"Edward, is there any sign of them arriving back? I'm sure we're all anxious to see Brad."

"Not yet. They are going for one more hunt."

"Ok." A look passed between Carlisle and Dad and I saw Dad nod almost imperceptibly. Carlisle changed the subject. "Ness, I looked at the video on your band's website and read the reviews; looks like you're doing well there."

"Thanks, yes. I enjoy it."

"I take it the Jess in the band is your friend?"

"Yes."

"She's British?" I nodded in reply. "And new to the area?"

"Yeah, she moved over last August."

"Whereabouts in Britain is she from?" Carlisle had been born in London; he was British himself, although the accent had long since disappeared.

"They're from Cumbria."

"That's one of the most beautiful areas of Britain. I've been there, but it was a long time ago, now."

"Just after the last ice age!" Jumped in Emmett. We laughed and the tension eased a little. But the look on Dad's face didn't and Mom too was tense. I thought my apology again. Carlisle's reproach had made me feel very contrite.

"They are on their way back," called Alice. "They're about two minutes away."

Everyone got to their feet and I found myself behind a wall of vampires. Emmett, Jasper and Dad deliberately took up position in front of me. Mom stood beside me, Alice and Rosalie behind. Carlisle and Esmé stood in front of our group. I couldn't see very well and tried to move out a little. Rosalie grabbed my arms and pushed me back behind Emmett and Jasper.

"Do not move from here" she said. "Brad is a neophyte, we need to establish that he can control himself before you go anywhere near him." Of course, I wasn't as durable as the rest of them. "Not everyone has the self control your Mother did."

Those remaining seconds ticked by so slowly, but finally the door opened and in came Garrett, Kate, Carmen, Eleazar, then finally Tanya and Brad hand in hand. Tanya looked the happiest woman on the planet, clearly in awe of her newly-minted vampire husband. Brad looked a little bewildered. Carlisle stepped forward, Esmé followed and my Grandfather extended a hand to the newest member of the Denali coven.

"You're looking good Brad. How are you feeling?"

Brad shook his head in disbelief and a nervous laugh burst through his lips. "It's going to take a bit of getting used to."

"Yes, it will. How did the hunting go?"

"That's going to take some getting used to too."

"He did really well." Tanya was bursting with pride. "I'm so proud of him." She kissed him on the cheek. Brad whipped round to face her, responding to a physical desire within.

Emmett laughed. "Hey, not in front of the kid!" He could talk.

"Brad?" Carlisle claimed the new vampire's attention back from his wife. "We're going to be slightly protective of Nessie until we establish that you're coping with her being here. Can you pick out her scent?" Brad nodded. "Can you focus on it and inhale, please?" Brad obeyed. "Jasper? Edward?" Everyone remained still and silent for a moment.

"He's ok." Said Jasper, I'll stick close by and keep an eye on his mood, but I'm happy with it. Edward?"

"Yes, I am too." The wall parted in front of me.

I'd never seen my Mom in her original non-vampire state; my gestation had inflicted heavy damage on her body and I'd only seen her as a healthy human in pictures. It was only now that I appreciated the changes that a vampire conversion made in the human appearance. Brad, a good-looking guy to start with, had been perfected through the transformation. He still looked like Brad, but his facial features were sharper, his jaw line more defined and his skin was flawless; vampire white with the faintest hint of colour from the blood he had recently ingested. His movements were the quick vampire reactions of my family and he would need to re-learn human ways of responding. His eyes - once soft brown - were now red and almost neon in their intensity. It would take a year for the red to change to gold and who knew how long until he mastered his thirst. I was aware that even after fifty years drinking animal blood, there were days when Jasper struggled around humans.

The rest of us drifted over to greet Brad. Mom caught my hand and Dad; always Mr Careful shielded me slightly as we approached. Dad greeted him first, then Mom and then it was my turn to meet the new vampire. There was suddenly a crowd. Jasper was on the left, Dad on my right. Emmett appeared behind me and his arm snaked around my waist, ready to pull back should a change be sensed in Brad's demeanour. I held out my hand, Brad held out his and we shook.

Brad laughed. "You're so warm and soft! You feel completely different to the rest of them. And your scent is… I can't find the right word!

"Our Nessie is so special, so rare." Purred Tanya.

"I can see that." said Brad. "I guess all the chocolate's yours now, huh?"

"I'll make sure it goes to a good home." I grinned at him.

"So, introductions over." Said Garrett. "We'd better let you and Tanya have a little 'get to know you' session." A snicker went round everyone. "Cabin's back that way." Garrett pointed out the door.

"What's wrong with our room?" Asked Brad.

Garrett slapped his new brother on the shoulder" You're gonna want some privacy."

"And a room isn't enough?"

"No, we'd prefer to have a functional place to live after you've finished."

"Garrett we have done this before." Brad whispered, but everyone could hear him.

"Not as a vampire you haven't." Garrett spoke equally quietly. "Trust me, things respond differently."

"Oh." Said Brad suddenly understanding. "Cabin it is then."

"Yep. See you later."

Tanya pulled her husband eagerly out of the door.

It wasn't long afterward that the house phone rang. It was for Eleazar and he spent twenty minutes or so talking to the person on the other end. He emerged from the study looking concerned.

"That was Mahesh, an Indian vampire that I knew whilst I was with the Volturi. There has been a revolt within the ranks and several members of the guard have left. The organisation is in disarray."

"A revolt?" Carlisle was stunned. "What precipitated that?"

"Mahesh does not know the details, but Aro has been looking to increase his dominance and control. Looks like not everyone is happy to go along with his plans."

"Has the old man finally lost it?" Asked Garrett.

"Nothing so simple my friend. Aro is a complex character; but he is egotistical, as those who have been in charge a long time without opposition get. Mahesh told me that in recent years he has been seeking to shore up and increase support for the Volturi, by fair means or foul. Especially after the events concerning… Renesmee."

"Me? Why would I be a threat to the Volturi?"

"You mean apart from posting 'How to' clips on You Tube."

I whipped around to face Emmett "That wasn't me!"

"It was you in the video."

"Yeah, but I didn't put it there!"

"Em, we've been through all this. Drop it please." Mom said quietly.

I turned around to face Eleazar again.

"Not you specifically, my dear;" he continued, "it's more the way that a significant number of us stood to witness for you, in direct opposition to the Volturi. They have always held the upper hand but Mahesh suspects Aro feels that opposition more keenly these days and is seeking to redress the balance. It would appear that his efforts did not go well.

"Our simple choice to drink animal blood rather than human blood is enough to mark us out as those who will not fall neatly into line. We will not blindly obey him. Aro does not like that."

"Do we know who has left?" Dad asked.

"No, not yet; although Mahesh told me that Alec has not been seen for several days." I'd seen Alec before, on the field where the confrontation Eleazar had referred to had taken place. He was Jane's twin brother. "He will let me know if he has more news." Eleazar looked at each one of us, a grave expression on his face. "Disturbances in the Volturi are never a good thing; you never know what might transpire as a result."

"Are we under attack again?" Rose curled her arm around her husband.

"Not at this moment, I don't believe that we are the focus of Aro's current difficulties, but who knows the way that man thinks? I would certainly recommend that we keep alert."

"Alice?" Carlisle turned to her. "Are you willing to keep an eye on Volturi decision-making again?" She nodded.

Eleazar continued. "As I said, there is no indication that there is any animosity towards us, or anyone else who witnessed for Nessie that day. But the Volturi are unpredictable and we do not know the agenda, if any, that this rebel element has."

"Maybe they got tired of Aro's bully boy tactics and just quit." Emmett always saw things simply.

"That would be too much to hope for. I need to pass the word on, please excuse me." Eleazar disappeared back into the study.

The group dispersed. Some, Mom and Dad included, stayed to talk by the fire. Others went to their rooms. I went to mine and decided to read for a while.

The stand-off with my family had happened when I was barely four months old, and in the time that had elapsed, I had come to appreciate what exactly other people had done for me that day and the seriousness of it all. They had stood as witnesses for my continued existence and that witness had come at a price.

We had lost one of our own that day, Irina; a member of our Denali family. She had been killed when she'd provided the Volturi with incorrect information about me. She believed that I was an immortal child – a child changed into a vampire. It was against the law to create such things and she had reported my existence to the Volturi, which had been the reason for their visit, to destroy me. But I was not an immortal child. I grew, I changed and so many people had stood with my parents and my family to witness that fact. Sadly, Irina's error was at the cost of her life.

I was glad then, that Tanya had finally managed to find a mate in Brad. She had been a single vampire for a very long time, possibly over a thousand years but it's not polite to ask ladies above a certain age how old they are.

Afternoon turned into night, but outside it had been dark since early afternoon. At this time of year at this latitude, it felt permanently like evening. Around ten thirty I decided I was too tired to continue reading, pulled on my pj's and wandered back downstairs to say goodnight to everyone.

Esmé and Carlisle, Carmen and Eleazar were dancing in one corner to what sounded like a Glen Miller track. Mom and Dad were heading out to hunt with Kate and Garrett; while Jasper and Alice, Emmett and Rose had maps out, doing more planning for next year's vacation. I did the rounds of them for goodnight hugs and kisses and disappeared off to bed, but sleep was in vain. As I closed my eyes, the eyes I had seen in the aurora made their appearance behind my eyelids once again.

I slept fitfully for an hour, but the eyes would not leave me and my head would not settle. I sat up, irritated. I was tired, I was thirsty – I absolutely would need to hunt tomorrow - and I was hungry too. I'd eaten my way through the chocolate, but I knew there was something in the fridge with my name on it. Bacon!

I grabbed my mp3 player and headed out of my room. It had just gone midnight and the main area was empty. I stuck the earphones in my ears and with nobody around to watch me, I selected one of my favourite dance tracks, slid up the volume control and danced my way down the stairs.

In the kitchen I stuck the bacon under the broiler, skipped the track on to another and flung myself around the kitchen in time to the music. There was nothing better than the feeling of dancing. I knew my family loved all that twirling your partners around the dance floor stuff, and I could do that; but for me; this was where it was at. This type of dancing was what I loved!

I mimed along to the words, grabbing a wooden spoon out of the utensil holder on the counter top and pretending it was a microphone. Jess and I had done this countless times in her bedroom and we were quite the double-act. We laughingly thought of ourselves as Forks' answer to ABBA. One blonde, one brunette and our interpretation of Dancing Queen was second to none!

I checked on the bacon, it needed another minute or so. I spread ketchup on the bread and managed, in my usual way, to get a dollop of it on my pyjama top. I tried to lick it off. Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun came on and I pulled out the bacon so it wouldn't burn. I danced around to the track. It one of Jess and my absolute favourites and thinking of my friend made me appreciate just how much I missed her; I couldn't wait to get back to Forks!

One minute I was in girl heaven twirling around and the next I was pinned against a wall, buckling under the most hellish pain imaginable.

I gasped and grunted as I fought against it. I opened my eyes; I couldn't see, tears were swimming in them and my vision was blurred. My head was locked in position by a hand around my neck and I was looking at the ceiling. However much I tried to struggle and fight off my attacker, it was futile. The rest of me was not responding, it was like I had been paralysed. I heard a disembodied scream.

The pain was almost beyond reason and I could barely keep focus. There was only one pain that could be this bad. This was the pain of transformation. I'd been bitten. My nose gave me the scent of Brad.

Almost instantly there was shouting and pulling. Brad suddenly released me and I slumped to the floor, writhing around under the onslaught of the fire now tearing through my body. Hands grasped my head, trying to hold me still. Through the tears I recognised Carlisle and he was repeating words over and over again at me. Another set of hands ripped at the neck of my pyjama top. I tried to concentrate, to get a fix on what he was saying. Phial? Where is the phial Nessie? Where is the phial? Around my neck! I couldn't make my hand go to my neck, they hung limply exactly were they were. Time was ticking and I was converting to a full vampire. I needed that phial! Why were they not breaking the phial?

Carlisle again, he held my head and I fixed what vision I could on him.

"We can't find your phial, where is it?"

"Neck."

"It's not around your neck." Rose can't find it in your room. Where is it? Did you put it down? Did you lose it? Is it in a bag somewhere?"

Bag? Yes! It was in a bag, I remembered putting it in the pocket! Oh no! I managed to get out one word.

"Forks."

It was in the pocket of the bag containing my stage outfit that Grampa had taken back home.

"Get Edward!" Carlisle roared. "Tanya how long do we have?" There was someone else crouching down beside me now. Rosalie. She picked me up, cradling me on her lap. I writhed, bucked and grunted continually, but she held me tight, trying to do what she could to soothe the pain and panic she could see in my eyes.

"Daddy's on his way sweetheart, hold on, he'll be here." I closed my eyes, squeezing tears out from the corners of them. "I know it hurts, honey. Not much longer now. Carlisle, how long does he have?

"One minute forty two." Came the reply.

"Come on Edward, come on!" Rose held me tighter to her, lips pressed against my forehead.

Eternity passed on the floor of the kitchen. Faces came and went before my teary eyes. Grandma came and sat by Rose and stroked my hair.

"Thirty seven seconds." Anguish now in Carlisle's voice.

"Edward where are you!" Rose shouted! "Your baby needs you!"

More silence.

Sobs.

"That's it, that's three minutes fifteen. Rose, let's get her somewhere more comfortable. There's nothing more we can do."