10 - Merry Christmas Everybody - Slade.

"So here it is Merry Christmas,
Everybody's having fun.
Look to the future now,
It's only just begun."

It amazed Bella how quickly her mood and entire outlook of the festive holiday could change in the fraction of a second. It may only be for a couple days, but Edward was home for Christmas - Bella wont have to put on a facade for her children to hide her pain of their separation.

Skyler's face was a picture when she noticed that the man behind the beard was in fact Daddy. It wasn't even Christmas Day and she had already received the only gift she wanted. Caleb was a little slower in understanding - Edward had to creep a step closer and remove the hat before his son's faced morphed into a smile so large. "It's Daddy!" He cheered.

Edward thought of himself as a strong man, but he didn't shy away from the emotions that seeped through when his little family of three enveloped him in the largest group hug. They had two days together before all three men were flying back across the globe, which is why Edward promised his wife that they'd make this the best Christmas yet.

That evening, as snow fell delicately past their window, Bella, Edward, Skyler and Caleb all looked up into the night sky.

"There! I saw him!" Sky pointed and called enthusiastically and followed the flashing light which she was certain was Father Christmas. Her parents knew it was probably just a plane, but why ruin their daughter's festive fun? "He's in this country now, Daddy!" Skyler had not let go of her father's hand all evening, and he wasn't going to be the one to let go first.

"You know what that means then?"

"Yes." She sighed and dropped her head. "We gotta go to bed now, Caleb."

Caleb was dressed in his winter onesie and had cuddled up in his momma's arms. He wasn't far away from passing out. "My...my r'n'deer... food." He yawned and held out a cellophane packet which had a mixture of oats, glitter and sequins inside it.

"Oh yes," Edward agreed, accepting the packet from his son. "We can't forget about this, can we? Do you want to come and help me, Buddy?"

Bella watched in awe as her husband and children huddled around the front porch. Edward tore open the cellophane packet and poured the half of the mixture into Sky's hand and the other half into Caleb's. As both children sprinkled it onto the ground, Edward read the poem that came attached.

"Sprinkle onto the lawn at night, the moon will make it sparkle bright. As Santa's reindeer fly and roam - this will guide them to your home."

"But this isn't on the lawn!" Sky panicked. What if Rudolph doesn't see the glitter? She might not get any presents!

"It's okay, Princess." Daddy encouraged her. "There's too much snow on the ground, but Rudolph will see this on the porch here."

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As they lay in bed that night, with the house ready for Christmas morning, Bella snuggled into her husband's side - she still couldn't get her head around the fact that he was home.

"How long have you known?" She asked as a finger gently stroked over the fading wound on his forehead. He was right - the wound was nothing major, Bella had just thought the worst when she saw it through Skype.

"A couple weeks," he kissed her forehead twice and then her lips, because she was right there, in his arms, and he hadn't been able to kiss her soft skin in almost seven months. Edward made a silent pact there and then - he was not going that long without his family again. He'd stay in the Military but would find a job which ensured a lot more home time.

"And you never told me."

"I wanted to surprise you. Plus what if I couldn't get the time off? I couldn't put you though that pain."

Her husband's arms tightened around her. It reminded her of the what was to come when Edward flew home for good in February.

When the children woke them up at the crack of dawn and begged to go downstairs, Bella would have rather stayed in bed. For once the idea of presents didn't excite her - she was more interested in the man that lay next to her. She could get presents any day of the year, but Edward's surprise visit was a one-off occasion.

As a family they opened their gifts, cuddled together on the couch to watch movies and ate far too much food. The entire day was full of smiles and laughter and Bella knew it would not have been that way had he not come home.

It showed her that you could asked for the biggest present that costs the most money, but all in all it's family that makes Christmas as wonderful as it is.

It was hard to say goodbye only a short couple days later, and it was even harder watching Edward get on the plane along with Emmett and Jasper and watch the plane take off, but within ten weeks they'd all be home again.

An email arrived for Bella one week before his homecoming. It was from Edward and the last few lines said:

...Do you remember when I first left, and how I said I'd be home before you know it? Well baby, it's been hard, and long, but we did it. The end is in sight.

Six days, Bella. Single digits.

I love you, and the kids like nothing else. Give them a kiss from me.

I don't see the need to put ''til later', so instead I'm going to end it with this...

See you soon.

Love, Edward.

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I'm sad to see this story go :( but I'm so pleased with how it has turned out. Thank you all so much for your incredible comments that you left and how you became a part of the characters and felt their pain just like I did.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and to those like Edward who cannot be home let's think of them the most. I'm a military/naval child myself, so I know what it's like for my Dad to be away, but I'm lucky to have him home now.

Final thoughts?