hello everyone.

im sorry about no updating fo so long. lots of personal issues (like getting the computer taken away from me for my grades..) but better late then never, right? anyways here's my second most favorite chapter in this book. it's more than half way done now..): i can't predict how many chapters are left but probably like five or more. idk really. now i'll try to update more often but i can't make any promises.

anyways you know the drill. enjoy.

I DO NOT own twilight or it's characters. And I DO NOT own Ex-mas by Kate Brian. I am simply not creative enough to get my own story line.

Chapter 10

Old Vintage/Retro Shop

Seattle

December 23

4:47 P.M.

Bella POV

"I'm not sure," I said in the most serious voice I could manage, keeping my voice down so I wouldn't end up getting any more dirty looks from the other shoppers. "I think it really is you."

I exploded into giggles.

"I know, right?" Edward asked grinning like the Cheshire cat. He threw his hip out and posed with a pouty lip-serious expression. He flipped up the fur-lined hood. "I don't fear fashion, I embrace it, girl! Mmmmhhhmmmm." He said in a high pitched voice, snapped his fingers in a zig-zag motion.

We had decided we were way too far north to mess with the cold in our Southern CA clothes. Edward parked the car at the Amtrak Station and we shivered our way over to an old, outdated clothing mall- which was happily just across the highway. Then we had procceeded to walk into an old vintage/retro clothing store that was full of used clothes all the way back in the fifties, and try on winter clothes.

But only the most ridiculous winter clothes we could find. Like the down-stuffed ski overalls Edward had first tried on. Or the flanal body suit I'd modeled till the smell of moth balls became too overpowwering and took it off. Or the bright purple and green, floor-length parka Edward was modeling at the moment.

"I d-dare you to wa-walk around in that." I laughed, wiping my eyes.

Edward took another theatrical turn down the aisle, the parka swung out around him like a cape. The pulled the fur hood a little tighter around his face like an Eskimo.

"You have no idea how cozy this is," He told me petting the think-down filled material like he was seriously considering buying the thing.

"You look like Barney's long lost Yetti brother." I pointed out.

"Whatever," Edward pretended to sniff. "But just because you have no vision whatsoever, doesn't mean I have to suffer."

I snickered and turned away from him. I trailed my fingers down the rack of winter coats, taking in the different monstrosities. There was an asortment of plaid, ugly bright colors, the fakest fur you've ever seen, and things that should have been illegal for even old people to wear. (Oh no, I sounded like Alice. And surprisingly, I'm okay with that..)

Then I saw it. The thing was so outrageously awful, it demanded I stop and gawk at it. It was royal blue except for across the chest where it looked like a Shetland pony had died and there was lepord print fringes on the sleeves. It was half cape, half coat and had what looked to be a lace train hanging in the back. Grinning widely, I pulled it off the wrack, closing my eyes to gather courage and zipped it on.

"Ta-da!" I cried, jumping from behind the wrack and shocking Edward. His eyes widened and he set down the God-awful puke greenish-brown scarf he'd been looking at.

"Oh, wow," Edward leaned against the closest wrack and gestured for me to twirl for him. I did and threw in a dramatic pose for fun.

"You like?" I sashayed toward him like I was on a runway.

"That…" He trailed off first lingering on the Shetland pony to the leopard, to the cape then continuing, "is the most fantastic thing I've ever seen! Definitely tops Barney's Yetti Brother, I'm sorry to say."

I walked down the overstuffed aisle towards the dusty, grimy full-length mirrors propped up against the far wall in the back of the store. I caught sight of myself in the middle one and was almost paralyzed momentarily. Edward wasn't kidding- the coat was insane.

"This could probably be the coat that ate Seattle."

"Yeah, ate it, puked it back up, and made a coat out of it," Edward said.

"That's revolting."

"And so is your coat." Edward walked up behind me and I watched frozen in the mirror as his long hands came to my shoulders and smoothed their way down my arms. I held in a shiver that threatened to escape, I could almost feel the heat of his hands through the jacket.

Breathe, a little voice commanded sounding breathless even in my head. It'd be really embarrassing to pass out from a guy admiring a coat... Well a cape... A coat-cape? Oh God, what's happening to me!

"Who would even wear something like this?" I asked, spreading my arms out watching the lace train fan out like Dracula's cape.

"I think the better question is, who would create something like this in the first place?" Edward asked, chuckling.

I smiled at the sound, then went still when Edward's long graceful fingers made their way up to my neck. I could feel his rough but surprisingly warm fingertips brush against my soft skin. A flash of heat traveled up my body, stopping and fixing itself on my cheeks. I would have been even more embarrassed at how my body was betraying my emotions but I was too busy trying to focus on how to breathe.

Deep breath in, deep breath out.

He reached down and flipped out the tag behind the collar. I could practically feel his touch all over my body. I glanced up and met Edward's brooding gaze in the mirror and was rapidly aware of my thundering heartbeat, the warmth from his closeness. His eyes bored into mine, like he could see through me, to the secret pain I'd thought I'd kept hidden all these years. I watched my mouth drop slightly and the dazed look in my big eyes.

And then he stepped back, the moment was gone and I felt oddly cold in the warm little store. I turned to look up at him, he was wearing that familiar heart-breaking crooked grin but his green orbs were distant and shielded.

"It has a label, Bella. And you know what that means." He told me.

"What?" I asked him, busying myself by taking off the hideous contraption and re-hanging it in its original place.

"Think, Isabella." He grinned when I frowned. "It means there are more."

-***-

We did not buy Barney's Yetti Brother or even the coat that ate Seattle- though Edward made me put it back again and pose (like Victoria Beckham, one foot forward, pouty lips) and took a few pictures with his iPhone for proof.

"Proof? Proof of what exactly?"

"One day when you'll be thinking about that time we went to that old vintage shop and you tried on that coat you'll say to yourself, 'Oh yeah, that was that really ugly coat' but you'll never be able to remember how it had been 'that ugly' instead of just ugly. And when that poor, sad days comes along-" He waved his phone at me, "-I will send you these pictures."

Edward ended up with a perfectly normal black coat that almost looked like he'd owned all his life, along with a gray thick knit wool beanie and a pair of black gloves and he was ready to go. I drug Edward through the small mall and into a Plato's Closet and bought a pair of unexpensive, 'nice'( well atleast that's what I thought when I walked out of the dressing room, asking for Edward's opinion, giving him a view of how the jeans fit from all angles, including my backside which earned a set of widened green eyes, a cleared throat, and a quiet 'They look nice'), dark-washed American Eagle jeans, a small black hooded pea coat (60% off, can't beat that!) and a pair of tan gloves (to match my Uggs).

Outside a light snow dusted the sidewalks and covered the older, heavier inches of snow on the ground. But I couldn't fathom how it was actually snowing now, small, fluffly flakes dancing in the brisk air was they fell from the white winter sky.

"It's so beautiful," I whispered, almost scared if I spoke to loud it would dull the peaceful, sparkly snowflakes that swirled around us. I stuck my tongue out and caught a few.

"A lot different from the mall, huh?" Edward smiled down at me, my child-like excitement and behavior making him grin. I laughed because he was so right. Back home, Leah and I went to West Hollywood around this time to experience the Christmas season at the Grove, an outdoor mall. It had Santa's house and workshop, reindeer in the sky, special holiday performances and every other hour or so, fake snow would fall from above. I'd always loved it. But the real thing was so much better.

We walked along the busy shopping street and I couldn't decided which made me happier- the colorfully lit shop windows, glittering in all colors of the rainbow, or the crispness of the air around us. I loved the way the snowflakes clung to my coat and found myself giggling as an idea came to me.

While Edward thoughtfully peered into a window of a music shop, I scooped up some snow with my gloved hands and packed it together, just enough to hold.

"Hey, Edward?" I sang and waited till he turned toward me and lobbed the snowball right into the center of his unsuspecting face. "Merry Christmas," I crooned sweetly, wearing a smug expression.

Edward stood dead-still for a moment then wiped his face. He met my gaze and the look in his eyes made me squeal with excitement and terror.

"You better run, Bella. This means war."

We dodged in and out of stores while chasing each other down the street, hiding behind a parked car or tree every once in a while.

"Gotcha!" Edward crowed, jumping over a park bench way too fast and tackling me into a snow bank.

"Oooff!" I grunted as the breath whooshed out of me. "It's not as soft as it looks," I narrowed my eyes at Edward who was sprawled on top of me, "And neither are you." I lunged to the side, trying to ignore the way his hard body was pressed against every inch of mine, and scooped up a handful of snow and tried to mash it into his face.

"Nice try!" Edward said, laughing. He swung his leg over and straddled me, easily pinning my wrists on either side of my head. I struggled to move my wrists out of his steel control but he didn't even budge. I grew frustrated and finally gave up, sticking my tongue out at him. "What's your plan now?" He taunted me.

I gazed up at him. The city seemed to face away around us as I got lost in his moss-green eyes. He never looked more beautiful than he did now: his cheeks ashened from running in the cold wind, his gorgeous lips curved up into a big grin showing off teeth that were as white as the snow around us, his bronze locks spiking up in front of his beanie, and his eyes sparkling more than the ice crystals in the air. My body molded into his in the most perfect ways, leaving me breathless. He leaned closer, bringing those perfect lips closer to mine. My heart stopped beating. He moved closer.

Is this really happening? He gave me that crooked smile and I held my breath as the butterflies swarmed my tummy.

From the corner of my eye, I saw a hand come up.

Then there was frost and ice on my eyes and nose and snow in my mouth- and Edward was whooping with laughter.

"I'm going to anilhate you!" I promised threateningly and scrambled to my feet. My cheeks were stinging and chilled as Edward laughed louder and jumped out range. He took off running and damn him, he was fast!

I ducked my head and charged after him.

"Muahahaha!" I laughed evilly in triumph minutes later when I nailed him from my hiding place, behind a tree, from a good distance. "You forgot- I used to kick ass in Little League!"

"I didn't forget, how could I? The only girl with a good arm but couldn't run through a base without tripping to save her life! Remember that time you made a home run but ended up falling head first into the home plate! Man-" I cut him off as I barreled into him for making fun of my clumsiness. He picked me up and hauled me over his shoulder with ease as if I weighed ten pounds instead of one hundred and ten. He pretended to throw me into traffic, which made me scream and beat his back with my fist until he set me down, still looking unfazed and we wrestled for a few minutes. I had to prop myself up by a tree once I wiggled out of his grasp in order to catch my breath. He took my moment of weakness as a chance, he didn't need a breather, he was hardly winded! He leaned down to pack a snowball, the winced. He looked down at his knuckles, flexing them. I looked down too and what I saw made me gasp. Edward's knuckles were raw, red, and two were split open and bleeding. The fresh cut left a streak of red on the snowball.

"Edward, you're bleeding!" I yelled concerned, watching the blood ooze from the cut. Then the scent hit me like a ton of bricks.

Rust and salt.

Blood.

The world around me started to spin, the lights blending around me looking like a merry-go-round. My stomach flopped making the bile rise in my throat but I dizzily clenched my teeth to keep it down.

"Bella!" I saw the ground coming up to my face and dizzily pondered how this was possible.

Then the world went black.

-***-

Edward POV

"Hey, Edward?" Bella's voice sand sweetly bringing me out of my daydream, about the wedding and how I played our song for Bella, as I looked at the music shop window. I turned my face to her voice and was immediately hit with something freezing and wet. It exploded onto my eyes and cheeks once it hit my nose, also filling it with ice. "Merry Christmas!" She cooed with a very smug smile on her face.

After the momentary shock wore off, I wiped my face with my sleeve.

She's going down. I stared at her with my game face and she squealed in terror before running off.

"You better run, Bella. This means war."

I chased after her for a couple of minutes dodging people on the street, hiding behind cars and trees as she tried to hit me again. Finally I caught her and tackled her into a snow bank. She tried to get me in the face but merely hit my arm since I was sprawled on top of her small soft and warm body.

"Nice try!" I laughed, before swinging my leg over her and straddling her. I pinned her wrists at her sides and watched with amusement as she struggled to get free. I hated to admit it but I was a man, and I was straddling a beautiful girl, so dammit it I didn't enjoy every second of it.

After giving up and sticking her tongue out at me in a childish way I taunted her, "What's your plan now?"

Her gaming tactic changed and she stared intensely up into my eyes. Her long brown waves were fanned out above her head, her pink lips were parted, and her warm brown eyes melted like chocolate pools. I realized how her body molded into mine from below me and for a moment I enjoyed it immensely. Hello, I am a guy. But then I wondered if this was just her way of throwing me off, this was a game.

So I switched my tactics too, she wasn't getting out of this one. I leaned closer to her face, watching her eyes widen and her full lips part a little more. My mouth was dangerously close to hers, I could feel her warm, sweet breath fanning my face.

Can't get distracted… all a trick… do not kiss her!... find the will…the game…perfect, pink lips…don't get distracted…the game…DO NOT KISS HER!

The only way I could stop myself was by putting my hand in the snow beside me, and the cold snapped me out of the hypnosis. Grinning crookedly that I'd won, I flung the snow into her face and jumped off her before I could jump on her again. I whooped in delight at her flushed face.

And the chase began again. I ran and she chased, I ducked, she hid, then she got me from a distance and she cheered in triumph till I reminded her of our childhood. She barreled into me from the teasing and it only made it easier to lift her tiny body onto my shoulder with ease. I pretended to almost throw her in traffic and she beat his tiny fists on my back till I set her down, then we started to wrestle. After a minute of squirming her way out of my grasp, I leaned down to get another snowball when a sharp pain shot through my knuckles on my right hand.

I looked down and noticed the knuckles were raw, red, and already bruising but the biggest problem was the way my two knuckles were split open and gushing blood.

The smell permeated the air and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bella move.

Sway.

What's wrong with her? Is she ok-

Oh God, how could I forget that?! It's the only thing that ever caused her to stop, run away, or make her sick.

Blood.

And there was a lot of it right now.

I focused on Bella now, hiding my right hand behind my back. Her body swayed side to side, her face as white as the snow with a light tint of green to it, her jaw clenched, her eyes glassy and dizzy looking.

"Bella!" I shouted concerned as her body swayed too far too the left causing gravity to pull her down. I caught her with my left arm before she hit the ground. Her eyes were closed and her body was limp.

"Bella!" I yelled again, holding her by her tiny waist close to my side. "Are you okay?"

She opened her chocolate-kiss eyes and focused them dizzily on me.

"I think I need to lie down," She croaked. Carefully, so not to make her even more dizzy, I lifted her into my arms bridal-style, first winding her arms tightly around my neck, and walked over to a bench where I set her down. She decided then she wanted to sit up and slightly swayed to the side. I caught her quickly.

"Bella? Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I forgot how much blood affected you. Do you need me to get you some water? Something to eat? You look so pale, I'm so sorry. How are you feeling? I could get you-" I rambled on concerned as hell, asking her if she needed anything. If she did, I'd do anything to get it for her. She looked so pale and weak, unlike the hard as stone Bella I always see.

Bella held up a small, shaky hand.

"I'm fine, just a bit dizzy. Edward. What happened to your hand? Are you okay?" Bella asked, staring at me with a concerned frown on her face.

The girl just passed out, almost threw up, took a face dive towards the ground, and is asking me if I'm okay. She's insane! Always caring for others instead of herself, acting like…

The Old Bella.

Stunned by my discovery I glanced back down at my hand quickly before re-hiding it behind my back. After I'd punched Fido, I realized my hand was bleeding and a bit sore (okay.. a lot sore…) but I cleaned it up with some napkins from his car the sneakily at a gas station in the bathroom when Bella fell asleep. She didn't need to know, it wasn't that big of a deal. Until now, I'd completely forgotten about it.

"I'm fine." I repeated her words.

"Yeah, except for the fact your hand was just gushing blood, "Bella shuddered, then a though occurred to her and she stared horridly at me. "I-I didn't do that to you, did I?" She whispered hoarsely, concern leaking in her voice.

"No! Not at all, you didn't do anything, Bella." I assured her. I didn't want to tell her this and make her even more angry, but she hadn't even winded me let alone made me bleed.

"Then what happened?" She asked me worriedly, her brow wrinkled over her eyes.

I straightened. Should I tell her? What if she gets mad at me? What if she tries to defend him? Oh man, I couldn't take it if she tried to defend that lousy piece of-

"Tell me, Edward." Bella said softly, gazing deeply into my eyes with undoubted concern.

"I… I didn't just take the keys from him." I shrugged casually, never breaking eye contact.

Get ready to face the music.

She looked puzzled, her head cocked slightly to the side, her brow furrowed. "So you…what? I don't get it."

"I suggested the one way he would make it up to you was to help us out. I mean It was the least he could do from being all over that skank right in front of you." I said disgustedly, the smirked at the next thought. "He was happy to help."

"You suggested this…" Bella spoke watching me carefully, and her eyes flickered behind my back, to my hand. It stopped bleeding but was still extremely sore and swollen now. She raised her delicate eyebrows at me. "How exactly did you 'suggest' this?"

Well, here it is. No turning back now. After this she'll probably call you stupid, defend Muttly, and never speak another word to you the rest of the trip. No seeing Bella's perfect pink lips spread into that pretty smile, no more watching Bella's doe-like eyes light up with emotions, no more seeing that beautiful blush creep across her cheeks, and no more hearing that sweet wind chime laugh I was now addicted to hearing. I loved that lau-

Wait, love?

Do I love her laugh? Smile? Eyes? Lips? Fiery and stubborn personality? The way she became a child again today? The way her body melted into mine? The way she fainted at the sight of my blood? The way she held on tightly to me? The way she had concern in her eyes at the thought of me being hurt?

Do I love those things?

Of course.

But do I love her?

I-

"Edward?" Bella asked, again. Oh, right. Reality.

"I punched him." I said defiantly, unashamed because I wasn't ashamaed. "Then I kind of demanded his car keys."

Bella stared at me. My emotions were raging inside me. I kept myself as in control as I could trying to ignore the negative thoughts the seized my mind.

How had I gone from hating her, to wishing she wouldn't hate me? How is that possible? After all we've been through? How could I possibly care if she hates me?

I don't know but I do.

I looked up at her again.

Silence.

I knew it. I knew this would happen. I shouldn't have even said a-

"Well good-riddens," Bella said finally while I stared at smiling face in awe. "He deserved it."

"Yeah, he did." I quickly agreed. My voice was serious, gentle and most of all: protective. At that moment I promised no matter what happened, I would always protect Bella, if her smile was my reward.

I wanted to make her smile again.

I grinned devilishly up at her as I bent down to gather another snow ball.

Bella, feeling a surge of energy after her faint, ran.

It was now all clear to me, everything I needed to know. The reason why it mattered so much to me if she hated me or not. It had been staring me in the face all along.

Bella ran around, dodging my attempts smiling and laughing.

That sweet wind chime laugh that I was addicted too.

That sweet wind chime laugh that I loved.

-***-