Chapter 21
The wide smile that spread across Rose's face as she lingered in the doorway to the living room was unavoidable. The room was a disaster—she had never seen the like of it in Esme's impeccable, tidy house— and while Rose knew the mess bothered her mother more than she let on, Esme said nothing as she observed from the kitchen, her mouth pursed in an effort not to laugh. Rose could not believe the look of wide-eyed disbelief on the child's face—it was both endearing and sad, given the circumstances behind it.
"A real tree?" Bella asked, her eyes fixed dubiously on the coniferous monstrosity that Emmett had all but forced through the door while she was sleeping the night before.
"Yeah, a real tree," chuckled Emmett, setting it upright in its stand. Rose let out a snort. With the little eyes tracking his every move, Emmett had no choice but to pretend to struggle and let Jasper help him bear its weight. Bella eyed the pine needles littering the floor, her bare toes pushing the nearest ones into a pile before she scooped them up and brought them to her nose.
"Why'd you steal a tree?" she asked lightly, letting the needles fall back to the floor. "Look. It's all wet from the snow."
The child was not wrong.
"Because it's almost Christmas!" Emmett whined. "Christmas always means trees."
This, strictly speaking, was not true for their strange family. Rose distinctly recalled the last time their family had put up a tree—it had been during the cold, blustery winter of 1953 in a small cabin in the depths of the Alaskan wilderness. She recalled the way her husband had dragged it inside, much as he had this one, to force the rest of them to decorate it with crepe paper he had purchased from the general store in Juneau…
"Why?" asked Bella.
Emmett froze.
"What do you mean, why?" he asked, blinking at her. Bella began to frown, her lower lip slipping in between her teeth. "Because it's Christmas, that's why."
"Oh."
Emmett stared at the girl and Rose hovered, unseen, in the doorway. She knew her husband was shocked. She had expected the girl's confusion ever since their family had begun to discuss the holiday season and Bella had done nothing but stare, blank and uncomprehending. She had shared these suspicions with Emmett, and they had learned that these were the same suspicions shared by the rest of the family. They had begun to suspect that the child had never been given the opportunity to celebrate Christmas, but despite all evidence to support their theory, Emmett had outright refused to believe them. Rose knew that Emmett had been harboring a secret, wishful hope that they were all wrong. Surely the child would know Christmas. Surely she would be excited for presents, and cookies, and Santa…
"Oh?" Emmett deflated. "That's it? Just 'oh'?"
Bella, nervous now, began to rock back and forth on the balls of her feet and her toes, wiggling on the bare floor, began sweeping the needles into piles again. Rose could see the way her little cheeks were heating up—whether from embarrassment or nervousness, Rose could not tell—and only when she began to tear up did Emmett pull back.
"Oh no…" he said, reaching out a hand towards her. "Oh no, kiddo. Come here."
He abandoned the tree entirely, resting its entire weight on Jasper's shoulders. Rose smirked—their brother was more than capable of holding its weight, but with Bella's wide, tearful eyes fixed on him, he was forced to put on a show of struggle.
When the tree was safely upright, Bella went quietly into Emmett's outstretched arms with wide, confused eyes. He scooped her up from the floor, twirling her to coax a smile, and settled her swiftly on his lap.
Rose, though watchful, was pleased that the girl no longer showed any fear when it came to him.
"Don't tell me you don't know about Christmas," said Emmett finally, his lips pursed.
"We talked about it at school," offered Bella eagerly. Rose recognized the look on her face—the poor thing thought Emmett was upset, and in her own, little way, she was trying to soothe him.
Emmett bounced her on his knee.
"Did you celebrate last year?"
"No," shrugged Bella.
"Oh no," said Emmett again. "No, no, no. That won't do."
The child bit her lip again.
"We're gonna fix that, little one," vowed Emmett, smirking when Jasper emerged from beneath the tree, disheveled and covered in needles. "You've never decorated a tree?"
"No."
"No presents all wrapped up on Christmas morning?"
"No…"
"No Santa Claus?"
"You mean the guy with the hat?" she asked confusedly.
"Yeah, the guy with the hat," sighed Emmett. "Don't you worry, kiddo. We're going to make this right."
"I'm sorry…" she said at once, making Emmett frown. "Did I do something wrong?"
To Emmett, Christmas was a children's holiday. Their family was not particularly observant of any religious traditions, but Emmett had always held a special belief that it was a child's God-given right to wake on December 25th to gifts, stockings, toys...
"No, you didn't do anything wrong. Don't be sorry, kiddo," said Emmett, shaking his head. "All I mean is that now we get to show you what it's all about."
"Oh."
She rested her head on his shoulder.
"First thing's first," said Emmett at once. "You see that tree right there?"
"Yeah?"
"We're going to make it the most beautiful tree you've ever seen."
"You gonna paint it?" asked Bella suspiciously, eying the bins and boxes that had been hauled out of storage. "It's awfully green…"
Emmett barked a laugh.
"No," he said, "we're not going to paint it. We're going to decorate it."
"Oh…" Her eyes went wide.
"We've got balls, tinsel, ornaments…"
"Ornaments?"
"Yeah, ornaments," he laughed. "For the tree, and the mantle, and even maybe outside in the yard…"
Rose could almost see her excitement building. Jasper, no doubt feeding into her joy, stood smirking on the edge of the room, his eyes fixed curiously on the little girl.
"What's tinsel?"
"This stuff." Emmett reached into an open box and brought out a long shiny snake, sparkling silver in the early morning light.
"Ohhh…" The girl was riveted. "Do you have blue?" Her little head, still tousled from sleep, swiveled around to eye the plethora of boxes piled on the floor.
"Somewhere in here, we do," cut in Alice, emerging from the kitchen with a plateful of sloppy-looking cookies. Rose just resisted the urge to roll her eyes—her sister, ever since the holiday season had begun, had been dead set on giving Bella the most traditional, mainstream, Christmas experience. Taking it upon herself to invade Esme's kitchen, she had thrown together some cookies, despite the fact that the girl had not yet eaten her breakfast. Bella, however, did not care that Alice's baking was questionable, and was not one to turn down sugar. She snatched them up greedily enough, holding two in her little hand, and shoved them exuberantly into her mouth.
She got crumbs on Emmett's shoulder.
"Thanks Alice," said Bella, cheeks bulging. "Can we put the blue on the tree now?"
"Soon," laughed Alice. "We need to do the lights first."
"Oh…" Bella began to eye the lightbulbs on the ceiling.
"No, no…" Alice reached down for one of the new boxes of white LEDs. "These lights."
"Baby lights!" cried Bella as Alice peeked inside. "They're just itty bitty ones!"
"That's right," chuckled Alice, tossing the box at Jasper. Dutifully, Rose watched as her brother began to unravel the long string, plugging them into the wall to test them.
"Oh!"
The look on Bella's face as the string came to life made Rose smile. Her joy was almost palpable—Rose could see the cogs turning in her head as she fought against a sudden, almost rabid excitement. In her glee, Bella hopped off of Emmett's lap and rushed towards Jasper's corner where he waited, laughing, until she was by his side, her little hands running over the fairy lights.
"They're so pretty…" she said enviously, eying the tree with careful consideration. "Do they all have to go on there?"
Immediately, Emmett barked out a laugh. Reaching down from the sofa, he plucked a spare box of lights from the floor and waved it at her, letting her stumble over to take it with grabbing hands.
"Here you go, Magpie," he chuckled, letting her hug the box to her chest. "You and your shiny stuff, I swear..."
"I like shiny things," said Bella at once, bringing the box to her face to inspect the picture. "Can I put them in my room?"
"Of course you can," said Esme, peeking down from the second floor landing. Evidently, she had been listening in. "Come with me, sweetheart. We'll put them up around your window."
"Okay!" Bella darted away from the tree. "Thanks Emmett!"
"You're welcome," he laughed. "When you come back down, those lights will be on and ready to go. Then we can start on the blue."
"I love blue!" she squealed, bouncing as Esme took her hand. "Esme, Emmett said that Christmas has presents. Is that true?"
"Yes, darling…" Esme led her away up the stairs, and Emmett, shaking his head, let out a sigh. When the child was out of earshot, he leaned back against the armrest, his hands behind his head.
"Well that's fucked up," he said, making Rose frown.
"Language," she scolded.
"Aw, she can't hear me," he reasoned, stretching his legs out on the sofa. Jasper, moving at his preferred speed, wound the lights around the base of the tree with startling swiftness. "But seriously, babe. What kind of kid doesn't know about Christmas?"
"Plenty of them," frowned Rose, tiptoeing through the pine needles littering the floor. "If she wasn't Christian…"
"Don't give me that," he dismissed, shaking his head. "Charles Swan isn't much of anything when it comes to religion."
"You don't know that," reasoned Rose. "She could be Jewish, or…"
"She's not Jewish," said Emmett. "And even if she was. Even Jewish kids know what Christmas is."
Rose sighed.
"Well, she's learning now," she said. "That's what matters, right?"
"Yeah, but for six years…"
"I know," grimaced Rose. Jasper had the second set of lights wound in less than thirty seconds. "But we're going to show her how it is."
"We've got a big job," said Emmett quietly. "I mean, we've got six years of Christmases to make up for…"
"Don't go crazy," said Rose, though she knew her warning would be fruitless. "We don't want to overwhelm her…"
"Sure, babe."
"I'm serious, Emmett," she scolded. "Don't scare her."
"Presents have never scared anyone," he grinned.
"We don't want to spoil her..."
"Of course we do!" he laughed, sitting back up. "What the hell else is all of this," he gestured wildly around the living room, "for, if not to spoil her?"
"I…"
"Oh, let him have his fun," said Alice suddenly, her eyes bright and mischievous. "We haven't had a reason to celebrate in so long, and you know she's going to love it."
"I suppose…"
"Don't even bother, babe," said Emmett, rising to press a kiss to her cheek. "I'm going to spoil the shit out of that kid, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it."
"They're so pretty!"squealed the little voice from upstairs, and Rose's retort was immediately cut short. "Look Esme! They're all lit up!"
"Yes, sweetheart," laughed their mother, and a bright, languid grin wormed its way back onto Emmett's face.
"You done with those lights yet, Jas?" he asked, not even turning to look. "I can't wait to see her face when we get going on that thing."
"Now remember, sweetheart, we need to save some decorations for the top of the tree, too…"
Esme would have been better off speaking to the wind.
"Look!" Bella had her fingers splayed wide, each one adorned with a shiny metal hook holding a glass Christmas ball. Emmett had helped her do it—Rose had watched in resigned amusement as he had carefully and precisely hung as many balls as her little hands could hold, instructing her to keep her fingers spread wide lest she send them falling to the floor.
Rose was surprised that they'd only lost two so far.
"I see, darling," indulged Esme. "Very nice."
"I'm gonna put them here." She pointed to a spot already cluttered with shimmering blue. "See? That's the blue spot!"
"So it is," laughed Esme. She seemed to be washing her hands of the whole affair—clearly, sensible design had gone out the window in favour of Bella's giddy and enthusiastic response to decorating.
"No, kiddo, here…" Emmett, sensing Esme's losing battle, reached down and plucked her up from the floor, her little feet dangling as he held her out about two feet above his head.
"Put some up there, too. The top half of the tree will be awfully sad if it can't have some blue…"
"Yeah!" The girl began hooking balls onto branches. "You go here, and you go here…"
Rose was glad her husband's arms would not get tired.
"We can rearrange a few after she goes to bed tonight," whispered Rose. "She won't notice so much tomorrow morning…"
"Oh, I plan on it," chuckled Esme, her arms folded as she watched the boys and Bella. Alice had politely bowed down as well, though Rose knew it was killing her not to get her hands in there, but there was something so sweet about the way Emmett and Jasper bowed to her every decorating whim that no one particularly wanted to disrupt them.
"What about this one, Doll?" asked Jasper, grinning. He held out a large silver ball in his hand. Bella stared at it, considering for only a moment, before she pointed to a branch about a foot out of her reach.
"Up there," she decided, reaching down to take it. "I think I can reach…"
Emmett, stretching his arms a little further, hoisted her higher so she could hang the ball.
"Excellent choice," he said, lowering her carefully to the floor again. She rushed to the open bin again, rummaging through. "Any left?"
"Just one!" she cried, emerging with the biggest, shiniest blue ball of the set. "This one needs to go up there."
Following her little finger, Rose saw the only empty space left on the whole tree. Excitedly, and with a certain nonchalance that made Rose's heart soar, Bella rushed to Emmett and lifted her arms in plaintive askance, grinning when he reached down to scoop her up again.
"Up we go…" He held her so high above the ground that Rose had to fight down her nerves. Emmett would not drop her— she knew better than to think he would—but there was something about seeing her dangling so high off the ground, her thick, blue cast hanging by her side…
"There!" The ball was in place. "Look! It's so shiny…"
"Excellent work, sweet girl," praised Rose, reaching down to hug her once she had her feet back on the ground. "It looks beautiful."
"I know!" Bella's cheeks were flushed pink. "What about the other stuff?"
"We'll get there soon," laughed Rose. "Are you hungry yet? You worked right through lunch."
"No…"
Her stomach betrayed her with a growl.
"Come on," said Esme. "It's time to eat. We can continue after you've had some lunch."
"But…"
"We won't start without you, darlin'," said Jasper. Bella was quickly mollified. "We'll just get some more stuff out of boxes, and then…"
"No!" Her little face fell. "Wait for me!"
"Alright, alright…" Jasper held up his hands in surrender, his eyes flitting amusedly to his wife. "We won't touch a single thing until you've eaten your fill."
"Oh, good," she smiled. The girl enjoyed unpacking boxes of ornaments almost as much as she enjoyed putting them up.
Sitting at the table with her hands full of peanut butter, Bella scarfed down her sandwich more quickly than Rose would have thought possible. The girl was usually a very slow eater—she picked at the bread, licked at the peanut butter, and sometimes, when she felt like it, she spent inordinate amounts of time tearing the crust away from the soft centre. Today, however, Rose hovered behind her chair in serious fear for her safety—she took such big bites and ate so quickly that Rose became convinced that she would choke.
She didn't even ask to rinse her plate—a rarity in itself—before she darted back out to the living room and began disemboweling another box of treasures.
By the time Carlisle got home from work that night, the Cullen home had been transfigured. The pristine yard, once the model of homely comfort, had been transformed into a veritable winter wonderland. An inflatable Santa, purchased for an exorbitant price by an exuberant Emmett the day before, held the place of honour on the front lawn, and a sleigh with nine reindeer—one with a bright red nose—had been erected on the roof. Under Bella's careful watch after supper, the snow in the front yard had been commandeered into snowmen, complete with top hats, carrot noses, and plaid scarves. The entire front of the house had been decorated with bright white Christmas lights, and the large cedar tree on the edge of their driveway had been draped in light-up icicles.
Inside, the scene was much the same. Gone was the stark whiteness and clean, modern lines of the living room. Instead, Carlisle entered to find the monstrous tree decorated in blue and silver, looming in the front window. Mistletoe had been hung liberally in all the doorways, and his wife had covered the white sofa with red cushions to mark the season. Carlisle saw a small, glass nativity set arrayed thoughtfully on the mantle, underneath which hung eight embroidered stockings—one with each family member's name. Someone—Carlisle suspected Emmett—had set up a miniature train set on a table in the corner, which was winding its way through fluffy snow around mountains and pine trees.
"Hello?" he called, breathing in the familiar, homey scent of cinnamon. "Is anyone home?"
"Hello, dear," said Esme, her voice low as she poked her head out of the living room. "Come and see what we've done. But be careful… Bella is sleeping."
"So early?" asked Carlisle, checking his wristwatch. "It's not even seven thirty…"
"She hasn't stopped all day," said Esme fondly, gesturing behind her. "But come and see. She tried to wait up for you…"
Taking off his boots, Carlisle padded to the living room in his sock feet. The sight was a treat—his wife and children looked every bit the picture of a happy family. Emmett and Rosalie sat on the loveseat, noses pressed together in quiet conversation. Jasper, standing off to the side near the Christmas tree, was watching the group with a certain calm amusement that Carlisle so rarely saw in him. Alice, legs folded on the sofa, was smiling, running her hand carefully through Bella's hair as she slumbered, curled under Esme's knitted afghan. Bella had her head in Alice's lap, and Carlisle could clearly see the remnants of hot chocolate and what looked to be a plate of cookies.
"Good evening," he said mildly, slipping in to take a closer look at things. "I take it today went well?"
"Oh, she had so much fun," said Rose at once, and Carlisle was pleased to see the genuine joy on her face. "She commandeered the decorating, but we were able to fix the worst of it when she fell asleep…"
"I think it looks lovely," said Carlisle honestly, eying up the towering, glimmering tree. "It's blue… I'm sure she loved it."
"Oh, she did," said Esme at once. "Wait until tomorrow. I'm sure she'll want to give you a blow by blow of the whole thing."
"I'm sure she will."
Sitting on the other end of the sofa with the child's feet in his lap, Carlisle was hard-pressed to remember a time when they had all spent an evening like this—simply being, together, in contented harmony.
"You're saying that a man is going to come down that chimney to bring me stuff?" Bella's voice, dubious even through her excitement, was uncertain.
"That's exactly what I'm saying!" said Emmett. Rose could only smirk. "I'm serious. That's how it works."
"Why didn't he come to daddy's house?"
"There wasn't a chimney," Emmett invented. "He needs to come down one of those, remember?"
"So only kids with chimneys get to see him?"
"No, you don't see him…" Emmett sighed. "You just get things from him."
"That sounds weird."
"No, it's magical…" In a desperate attempt to make her believe, Emmett wiggled his fingers in her face. Rose thought they looked like exaggerated jazz hands—something she never thought she'd see him do—and she let out a loud snicker.
"Shut up, Rose," he chuckled, turning to glare at her as Bella, grinning, clapped her hands together.
Emmett didn't even have to ask why she was so gleeful as he fished out a five dollar bill, slapping it into her hand.
"That's not one," complained Bella, holding the bill back out to him. "One bad word equals one dollar."
"Think of it as advance payment," bargained Emmett. "I'm bound to say some other stupid thing…"
"Okay!" Bella pocketed the money with an easy grin.
The child loved hoarding the cash she earned from Emmett's foul mouth.
"But anyways," continued Emmett, "you're going to go to bed…"
"Five more sleeps!" she chirped.
"Yeah, in five more sleeps, you're going to go to bed, and Santa is going to come down the chimney and…"
"Will be be scared of the roof?"
"What?"
"There's already reindeer up there," said Bella, pulling her covers up to her chin. "What if the real reindeer get spooked?"
"They won't," dismissed Emmett. "But—"
"But what if they do?""
"They won't," promised Emmett. "Trust me. But…"
"Is he going to bring you something too?"
"Maybe—"
"And how does he know that I've been good?"
"He has a list…"
"Is he a spy?" Her little eyes roved suspiciously around her bedroom. "Can he see me because I put those lights in the window?"
"No…"
"Can he see me through the window?"
"He sees everything—"
"That's weird!" she complained, a grimace on her face. "Why would he…?"
Emmett, snorting, clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Shush and let me finish the story," he said, laughing when her eyes went wide. When he took his hand off of her mouth, she kept it resolutely closed, her eyes fixed on his face.
"There," he laughed. "So as I was saying…"
"Santa Claus comes from the North Pole to visit every good kid at Christmas," cut in Rose. "He comes down the chimney with a bag of gifts, and…"
"Shush, woman!" Emmett was nearly shouting. "Go away. This is my story."
"Fine!" Rose raised her hands in surrender, but did not back out of the room. "But get on with it. Keep drawing it out any longer and she's liable to have fifty more questions to ask."
"Yeah, yeah… so as I was saying…"
Bella sat up a little straighter.
"On Christmas Eve, Santa gets his list together of all the good boys and girls in the world."
"But…"
Emmett raised an eyebrow. Bella bit her lip.
"Go ahead," he sighed, conceding her interruption. "What is it this time?"
"How many kids is that?" she asked.
"Lots."
"Does he have time to get to them all?"
"Of course."
"How?"
"Magic."
"But…"
"But when he comes," Emmett cut in, "he brings presents. He knows what you want because you wrote him a letter—do you remember writing yours?"
"Yeah," nodded Bella. "Esme and I did it at school time."
"Right," winked Emmett. "So when she mailed that…"
"She mailed it?"
"Of course!" Emmett smiled. In truth, both he and Rose knew that Bella's first Santa letter was sitting in Esme's bedroom bureau, and had been carefully transcribed for a number of shopping trips into Seattle.
"And now that he knows what you want, he comes to leave you presents on Christmas morning."
"Why does he put things in a sock?"
"Because he does," said Emmett dismissively. "He gives you a stocking full of awesome stuff, and then some presents for you to open after breakfast."
"What about adults?" asked Bella.
"Adults get presents too," said Emmett, "but not from Santa."
"From who?"
"From other adults," he said. "Or kids, or brothers, or sisters…"
"Oh."
"You and I," he winked, "are going shopping tomorrow to find some things for the rest of these yahoos."
He pointed rudely at Rose. Bella giggled.
"Not with Alice?" she asked.
"Hell no."
"That's three dollars left."
"I know."
"Are we going to Seattle?"
"Yes."
"After Miss Williams comes?"
"Yes," said Emmett again, shaking his head. "Although why she's insisting on coming so close to the holidays, I'll never know…"
"Anyways," Rose pointedly cut in, refusing to allow Emmett to criticize the social worker in front of Bella. "If that's all your questions, baby, then it's time for sleep."
"Will you leave the lights on?"
"Of course," smiled Rose. Bella had grown strangely attached to the Christmas lights Esme had graciously tacked up around her large, bright window, and had asked for them to be left on almost every night since. Rose had caught Alice making plans for the post-Christmas season—she was sure there was some scheme involving a canopy and fairy lights to replace them once they had to be put away.
"Thank you. Night night Rosalie."
"Goodnight, honey."
"Night night Emmett."
"Sleep tight, kiddo."
"That tree is very lovely, Isabella."
"Yeah."
"Did you help decorate it?"
"Yeah."
"And what about that mistletoe?"
"Mhm…"
"Are you looking forward to Christmas?"
"Yeah."
"Is Santa going to visit you?"
"Emmett says so."
"That's wonderful."
"Mhm."
"Do you have any questions for me?"
"No."
"Are you excited to meet the Alaskan cousins?"
"I dunno…"
"You seem antsy, sweetheart."
"No."
"No?"
"No," said Bella again, shaking her head. "It's only that me and Emmett are going to go to Seattle to buy presents today."
"Oh. For who?"
"For everyone else," shrugged Bella, glancing conspiratorially behind her. "He says I can pick stuff out and put my name in the "from" spot on the tags."
"How lovely."
"Mhm."
"How's school going? I saw some of the work you've done…"
"Good."
"Are you liking it here at home?"
"Yeah."
"Are you learning lots?"
"Mhm."
"Mrs. Cullen tells me you've been happy."
"Yeah."
"And I spoke with Doctor Jordan."
Bella's head snapped up.
"No, no," Shirelle spoke quickly, shaking her head. "Don't be alarmed. She didn't tell me anything private."
"Oh."
"She just wanted me to know that you've been doing wonderfully well ever since you started homeschooling."
Bella said nothing. Neither human knew that Rosalie was lurking just out of sight in the kitchen—she was supposed to be upstairs with the rest of her siblings—but she just had to make sure that Bella would not be upset by this woman and her incessant questioning.
Bella's first Christmas would not be jeopardized by insensitive prattle.
"Well, if that's all," sighed Shirelle, taking another surreptitious look around the room, "I suppose I'll leave you to your shopping."
"Okay."
"I'm happy that you're doing well here," she said finally, offering Bella her hand to shake. "Thank you for speaking with me."
"You're welcome," replied Bella politely. "Merry Christmas."
"You too, sweetheart," smiled Shirelle. "Now I'll just go and say goodbye to your parents…"
"Leaving already?" asked Carlisle poking his head out of the music room. "All well, Bella?"
"Yeah, I'm good," replied Bella easily, bouncing off the couch. "Can I go and find Emmett now? We're supposed to leave soon."
"Of course, darling," chuckled Carlisle. "You go and have fun."
"I will!" called Bella, loping up the stairs. "Emmett! Carlisle says we can go now!"
Rose heard her husband shout back at her from their bedroom.
"Thank you for having me, Doctor," said Shirelle. "I'm pleased she's adapting so well."
"Of course," said Carlisle. "Did you expect any less?"
"No, but it is refreshing. She's a completely different girl."
"She is," agreed Carlisle. "Especially since her cast was taken off…"
Just the day before, Carlisle had carried Bella through the emergency room doors at the hospital to have the on-call doctor remove the blue cast on her arm. It still surprised Rose to think that only eight weeks ago, Bella had only just become a part of their lives.
How quickly the weeks had passed.
"Is your wife here, Doctor?" asked Shirelle quietly, breaking Rosalie from her thoughts.
"She's upstairs. Shall I grab her?"
"If you don't mind," said Shirelle. "I'm afraid this visit kills two birds with one stone."
"Oh?"
"Of course I was due for a check-in with Isabella, but I also have an update on her father's criminal case."
"Indeed." Carlisle's voice was dry. "Let me just step out for a moment and grab my wife…"
Shirelle, her hands folded tightly in her lap, waited patiently as Carlisle ascended the stairs.
"Esme!"
"Here, dear," said Esme, coming down from the second floor. Behind her were Emmett and Bella, both wrapped tightly in winter parkas. Emmett had stuffed Bella into a woolen hat, a scarf, and a set of mittens as well, and all Rose could see of her face were her eyes and little snub nose as he carried her.
"We're off!" said Emmett. Rose was thankful—whatever news Shirelle would have for Carlisle and Esme, she was sure it would do Bella no good to overhear. No matter what she said—for good or for ill—Rose wanted to make sure that nothing about the girl's holiday was tainted by the memory of that man.
Only once Bella was safely ensconced in Emmett's monstrous Hummer—the winter version of the Jeep he loved so much—did Shirelle begin to speak.
"It's nothing terrible," she insisted, holding her hands up in quick surrender. "I promise. No bad holiday news."
"Go on." Carlisle's voice was low.
"The trial date has been set," said Shirelle gently. "He's had his preliminary hearings…"
"I would have liked to attend," said Carlisle at once, his eyes narrowing. "Why weren't we told?"
"It was quick and easy," soothed Shirelle. "He pled not guilty, and so the case will go to trial."
"When?"
"January 20," she replied. "In the new year."
"I see."
"It will take place at King County District Court in Seattle, and Judge Gary Palmer is overseeing."
"Has he retained counsel?" demanded Carlisle.
"State appointed," said Shirelle at once. "He had a small claims lawyer here in town, but from my understanding, he failed to pay his fees."
"Who's representing Bella?"
"We've got a litigator on standby to handle her case," said Shirelle. "It's pretty cut and dry, if I do say so myself…"
"I'll have our lawyer, Jason Jenks, take care of her."
"Doctor, the state cannot pay for…"
"I'm not asking you to pay for him," scoffed Carlisle. "I'm telling you that I'm going to make sure that this child has the best possible chance in court."
"Judge Palmer is…"
"Eager to reunite families, as you so pointedly reminded us on your last visit," said Carlisle. "I won't have that happening under my watch."
"The court is going to act in the best interests of the child," said Shirelle softly. "They would never presume to return that little girl to a dangerous situation…"
"Be that as it may," said Esme, "we have the right to retain counsel if we so choose. I'm not taking any chances with that girl. Thank you for letting us know, Miss Williams."
"Yes, of course…" The woman was flustered. Rose felt vindicated. "I suppose I'll let our lawyer know to expect a call."
"Indeed." Carlisle offered her a hand. "Thank you for coming."
"Yes, yes…" Shirelle stood up. "If you have no further questions, I'll just…" She pointed to the door.
"No, thank you." Esme smiled sweetly at her. "We'll see you in the new year, Miss Williams."
"Have a good holiday," said Shirelle, slipping into her boots. "I'll be sure to call with any new developments."
"Please do."
The woman slid out into the cold, snowy yard.
"Excellent," said Rose at once, exposing her eavesdropping. Carlisle did not look surprised—he was smiling wryly at her when she left the kitchen—but shook his head nonetheless.
"I should have known," he chuckled. "You don't trust that woman at all, do you?"
"Not one bit," agreed Rose cheerfully. "I wasn't about to let her ruin Bella's Christmas, so I decided to keep watch."
"So you did," he said dryly.
"I wonder," began Esme, "how much damage Emmett is going to do now that we've set him loose with that child in a mall?"
"Oh, who knows?" said Rose, sitting next to her mother. "I tried to stop him, you know…"
"I do know," laughed Esme. She had been privy to the whispered bargaining and pleading that had gone on not even two nights before. "That boy is obstinate—I don't think I've ever seen him this excited to go into a store."
"I know," grimaced Rose. "I warned him to keep it low-key, but…"
"It's Emmett," finished Carlisle with a laugh. "Of course he's not going to keep it low-key. That boy is almost as bad as his sister."
"Hey!" Alice shouted from the upper floor. "I resent that!"
"You know we love you," said Carlisle at once, "but don't even try to deny that you've got a spending problem."
"Oh whatever, Dad," scoffed Alice, earning her a snort from Jasper. "You don't mind it so much when my spending makes us rich on the stock market!"
Carlisle could only shake his head.
"What time are we expecting our guests?" asked Esme quietly, glancing at the clock.
"Sometime after dinner," said Carlisle. "Their flight gets in to Port Angeles at 4:30, and they'll rent a car from there."
"I'm so glad they're coming," sighed Esme, a small, happy smile crossing her lips. "It's so rare that we spend any time together when we're not up in Alaska…"
"I know," said Carlisle. "Carmen and Eleazar are particularly interested in our new arrival."
"Any word from Edward?" asked Rose quietly. "We tried calling him, but…"
"None," sighed Carlisle. "I expect he's out of range. I don't doubt he'll make some kind of contact before the actual day, but it would be foolish of us to expect him here."
"I suppose," sighed Rose. It would be strange, no matter how necessary, to spend the holiday season without her brother. Though they rarely celebrated anymore, it had always been a kind of tradition to spend Christmas Eve together as a family before going off in separate directions on Christmas Day. Rose could not help but think how nice it would be if Edward could be here to play some holiday carols on the unused, dusty grand piano…
Rose could play well enough, she knew, but somehow, it felt sacrilegious to interfere with Edward's music.
"We'll make the best of it," said Carlisle gently. "It's not the first holiday he's missed, and I'm sure it won't be the last."
"Yeah," said Rose.
There was a long, pregnant pause.
"But you know…" Rose began to snigger.
"What?" asked Esme.
"Tanya's not going to be happy when she gets here," blurted Rose. All at once she imagined the surly face of their Alaskan "cousin"—the woman was an succubus if Rose ever knew one, and she'd had her heart set on Edward ever since the human she had been involved with ten years prior had moved on.
"Oh, Rosalie," scolded Esme, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Don't be crass."
"I didn't say a thing!" said Rose, raising her hands in surrender. "It's not my fault she's on the hunt for Edward's…"
"Rose!"
Rose fell silent, pursing her lips as she tried not to laugh.
"Tanya will be a model houseguest, I'm sure," said Carlisle quickly. "She's the leader of their coven, after all…"
"In name only," scoffed Rose. "We all know Carmen's the one who captains that ship."
"Yes, well…" Carlisle shook his head. "The Denalis have only ever been courteous. They're our closest friends—they're family, really—and they've agreed to come to meet our newest member."
"Bella," smiled Rose.
"They're bound to love her just as we do," breathed Esme. "Carmen, for one, has always loved children…"
Rose, without a doubt, knew this to be true. She knew that Carmen, the one Denali that was so like the Cullens' own mother it sometimes startled them, would fall for Bella as quickly and easily as Esme herself had. And where Carmen went, her husband followed, though Rose was less sure of how Bella would react to Eleazar's stoic, silent calm. The sisters—Tanya, Kate, and Irina—were affable enough, and she was sure that once they got to know Bella, they would find her charming and sweet.
And even if they didn't, Rose knew they would never be rude enough to say otherwise.
Without Bella in the house, Rose found that the rest of the afternoon went by in a slow, almost painful procession. Taking advantage of her absence, Rose, Alice, and Esme enclosed themselves in Rose and Emmett's bedroom with wrapping paper, tape, bows, and tags, and took the time to wrap each of the gifts the family had purchased for Bella over the past few weeks. It was extraordinary, really—Rose had been so insistent that no one go overboard, yet she, herself, was one of the worst culprits. Rose had a niggling fear that if they went too far over the top that Bella would be overwhelmed, though she knew that with Jasper's gift and Emmett's childlike Christmas enthusiasm, true holiday panic would be nearly impossible.
By the time they finished, Rose's closet was full to bursting with piles of colourful packages. They had wrapped games and toys, books and clothes… anything and everything the girl had expressed an interest in could be found under piles of wrapping paper in Rosalie's walk-in closet.
"Well, that's that," smiled Alice, scooping up tape and bits of scrap paper. "I can't wait to see what Emmett comes back with…"
"Have you already looked?" asked Rose wryly, knowing all too well her sister's inability to keep her curiosity at bay.
"If you must know," she sniffed, "I haven't. I promised Emmett I wouldn't, and I thought it would be fun to keep it a surprise this year."
"Well, good luck with that," snorted Rose. Alice looked affronted. "We'll see how long you last."
"Challenge accepted!" she crowed, her hands on her hips. "Just because I don't butt out doesn't mean I can't."
Rosalie shook her head.
"They're coming up the driveway!" called Jasper suddenly, his voice echoing up the stairs.
"I win," smirked Alice. "I told Emmett he'd be later than them…"
Rose rolled her eyes.
The living room, having been impeccably tidied by Carlisle and Jasper, was lit by the soft glow from the Christmas tree and the warm, roaring fire in the grate. Carlisle, laid-back with an old novel from his study, had embraced the holiday spirit by lighting a cinnamon-scented candle on the coffee table. Jasper waited with his hands behind his back at the window, his blonde head peeking around the curtains to watch the slow procession of the black SUV along the icy, winding path.
"I suppose we could have salted," he murmured, watching the car slow as it moved around the bends.
"They're coming from Alaska," laughed Alice. "They know how to drive on ice."
"True…"
Rose repressed the urge to roll her eyes… it seemed that the presence of their little human had them reverting to old human sentiments—even if that car rolled over into a ditch, not one of the Denali cousins would come away harmed.
Rose saw Carmen first. Almost before the car had even pulled to a stop, the front passenger door flew open and out popped the tall, slender woman Rose knew from their years up north. She had always gotten along exceedingly well with Carmen—she did not bicker with her like she did with Tanya—and as soon as her knock sounded on the door, Rose was quick to pry it open.
"Oh, Rosalie!" said Carmen, enveloping her in a tight, affectionate hug. "It's been far too long."
"Carmen," smiled Rose. "Come in. Shall we help with the bags?"
"Oh, no…" Carmen brushed her off. "Never mind that. Where is your beautiful niña?"
Carmen, eager, peeked around Rose's shoulder to scan the rest of the family.
"She's out right now," explained Rose, stepping aside to let the other four in. "We expect them back soon… Emmett took her to Seattle for her Christmas shopping."
"Ah, that boy," laughed Carmen, stepping forward to hug Esme next. "What kinds of mischief has he gotten into so far?"
"Nothing horrible yet," said Carlisle. "We're all waiting for the other shoe to drop…"
"Thank you for having us, Carlisle, Esme." Eleazar removed his gloves. "It's been a while since we spent a holiday together, no?"
"Oh yes," said Carmen at once, slipping out of her snow boots. "Quite a while. Too long, I say."
"I absolutely agree," said Esme. "But come inside. We've got a fire going…"
"And a marvelous tree, I see," said Kate. She dusted her snowy jacket on the porch. "I could see it shining all the way down the driveway."
"Not our usual accoutrements, I know," said Carlisle, "but with Bella here…"
"Ah, yes," smiled Kate. "I figured as much. From what I understand, she needs a little joy in her life."
"She's been doing so well," said Esme proudly, standing aside to let their guests through. Jasper and Alice, who had not come to crowd the door, were waiting, heads bent, by the fireplace. When Carmen caught sight of them she hugged them as well—Alice received her with warmth, and Jasper with a little awkwardness.
He had never been one for hugging.
"Come in, come in," said Carlisle, ushering the three sisters in behind Carmen and Eleazar. "Have a seat."
At once, the five of them obeyed.
"I hope you don't mind, Esme," began Irina, speaking for the first time since entering the house, "but we couldn't help ourselves."
Esme, politely curious, raised an eyebrow.
"We brought gifts for the baby," she said quickly, her hands clasped together. "It's been ever so long since any of us had an occasion to shop for a little one…"
"She's hardly a baby, Irina," said Kate. "The girl is what… six? Seven?"
"Six," confirmed Carlisle. "And of course we don't mind. I'm sure she'll love it, whatever it is."
"We thought Bébé might enjoy painting," said Carmen at once. "I remembered how you love it, Esme, and we thought it might be something you could do together."
"What a lovely idea," said Esme at once, and Rose saw the genuine joy on her face. "I'm sure Bella will love it."
"What a lovely name, Bella…" mused Carmen idly. "Don't you think, darling?"
"Of course," acquiesced Eleazar. "A charming name for a charming child, I'm sure…"
"And here she is!" chirped Alice, her head snapping up at the rumble of Emmett's Hummer.
The mood in the room shifted almost at once—it went from calm and peaceful to energetic and curious in an instant. Just as Alice had moved from the front window, Tanya took her place, her bright, golden eyes fixed on the vehicle rumbling down the path. Rose saw Carmen take Eleazar's hand—she wasn't entirely sure that the newcomer would not steal Bella away for herself once the girl came in—and Kate and Irina peeked out over their sister's shoulder.
"She's a little thing…" remarked Tanya, eying the child as Emmett helped her down from the back seat. "And what a sweetheart Emmett is, taking her shopping…"
Rose bit her tongue.
"But I don't see…" Tanya's brow furrowed. Rose did not give her the chance to finish her sentence—instead, she made her way to the door and swung it open, her face a mask of excited anticipation.
"There you are!" she said, accepting Bella's bounding hug as she rushed through the door. Her eyes were bright and glassy—she had evidently been worn out—but her cheeks were rosy and warm, and her smile, wide.
"I got so much stuff!" she giggled, pressing a kiss to Rose's cheek. "Emmett let me buy presents for everyone! Even him!" She pointed back at her shopping companion.
Rose snorted—leave it to Emmett to choose his own gift, using the child as an excuse.
"And even the… new people," she finished awkwardly. "I asked about it, and he said I could." Rose helped her take off her boots. "And then we got them wrapped at the mall by a lady in a funny sweater. Emmett said it was ugly, but I thought it was nice. It had lots of blue on it, and a moose. Or maybe it was a deer…"
Rose carried her into the living room.
"And after, Emmett said six naughty words, so I got four extra dollars. Because he said three here and gave me five dollars, so that means that he had two dollars left over. And I know that six bad words minus two dollars means four dollars."
"Our guests have…"
"And then," Bella interrupted, "we went and got tacos. I never had tacos before, Rosalie. Did you ever have one? Emmett didn't finish his so I got to, and then I was very full. And he let me drink his Coke, even though it was past suppertime. But he said not to tell you…"
Emmett rolled his eyes as he slipped out of his jacket.
"Remind me never to give you sugar after dark again," he chuckled. "She's all hopped up, babe."
"I've noticed," muttered Rose. "But listen, sweetheart…"
"And Emmett said I can put the presents under the tree before I go to sleep tonight. Is that true, Rosalie? Because I'd like to put them there… they'd look so pretty. You should see the pretty thing I found for you. It's a…"
"No!" cried Emmett, his hand on her mouth again. "Presents are secret, remember?"
"Oh yeah," she giggled. "But it is very pretty. And it's got something other than blue."
"I'll bet it does." Rose carried her into the living room. "We've got some people to introduce you to, honey…"
"Did you know that all kinds of things are blue?" continued Bella, bouncing in Rose's arms as if she hadn't heard a word. "Emmett said that Esme's got a blue car. Is that true, Rosalie? I've never seen it. Why isn't your car blue? When I get big enough to drive, I'll make sure my car is blue… oh."
Rose laughed.
"These are our cousins, baby, that we were telling you about," said Rose, stopping in the center of the living room. Five sets of strange eyes were glued on Bella, all inquisitive and all curious.
Bella hid her face in Rose's shoulder, her cheeks suddenly hot.
"I forgot," she whispered, her arms squeezing Rose's neck. "Are they looking at me, Rosalie?"
Immediately, Carmen stood up.
"Hello, Bella," she said gently, crouching down behind Rose to see the child's face. "My, what a pretty girl you are."
If at all possible, Bella blush grew even darker.
"Thank you," she mumbled. Rose felt her biting her lip.
"My name is Carmen," she said. "It's a pleasure to meet you." In a display of solidarity, Carmen held out her white, slender hand towards Bella.
Her rings—numerous and impressive—caught the firelight.
"Those are pretty," said Bella at once, her eyes lifting to stare at the glittering gems. "I got a jewel too. Alice gave it to me."
"Is that so?" laughed Carmen. Bella shook her hand. "Do you like my rings, niña?"
"Uh huh…" Tentatively, Bella's little finger stroked the surface of one of Carmen's diamonds. "They're shiny…"
"That kid is a damn magpie, I swear to god," laughed Emmett, cutting in for the first time since his entrance. Gasping, Bella shot up in Rose's arms, her eyes alight with mischievous glee.
"That's another one," she gloated, her small, chubby hand held out in askance. "If you don't stop saying rude words, that weird chimney guy isn't going to give you anything."
"He is is not a weird chimney guy," protested Emmett, forking over a crumpled dollar bill. "He's Santa."
Bella shrugged.
"There are others here as well," prompted Rose, forcing Bella to look around. "Carmen you've met, but we've also got Eleazar, Tanya, Kate, and Irina."
Bella stared, her eyes flickering between the four others with careful, almost guarded, interest.
"What a special girl," said Carmen, and Rose saw her arms reach out. "Just look at you…"
"She certainly is special," agreed Esme, rising to her feet. "Can you say hello, Bella? Our cousins have come a long way to meet you."
"Hello," said Bella dutifully, though her cheeks had reddened and she was biting her lip again.
"May I hold you, Bella niña?" asked Carmen, her soft, lilting voice enticing Bella forward. With a careful shrug and a cautionary glance at Rosalie, Bella allowed Rose to surrender her into Carmen's arms instead. Bella did not settle as easily with the newcomer as she did her family, but she went without complaint, allowing Carmen to take her over to the sofa.
"You precious thing," she cooed, almost reverently, as she settled Bella on her lap. "Tell me, lovely, what did you put on your list for Santa Claus?"
"Well…" Bella hesitated. "I put a new board game. And I asked for some books. I like books."
"Reading is a wonderful hobby," agreed Carmen. "What else?"
"I dunno…" Her brow furrowed as she thought. "I asked for a baby doll."
"A baby doll?" Carmen grinned. "What kind?"
"A cute one," shrugged Bella. "And blue."
"A blue baby doll?"
"Blue clothes," said Bella at once. "Like mine. See?"
She pointed down at the skirt of her blue dress.
"Blue's my favourite."
"So I see," laughed Carmen. "I like blue too."
Bella beamed, settling in a little closer.
"And…"
"Where is Edward, if you don't mind my asking?" Interrupted Tanya suddenly. Rose could almost feel the eye-roll coming on—she knew her cousin's silence was too good to last—but she was overtaken by Kate, who scoffed.
"Never mind where he is," she said scornfully. "You saw him less than six weeks ago."
"And it was my impression that he was returning home," said Tanya. "He said he was needed here…"
"We had a bit of a complication." Carlisle's eyes flickered to Bella, who was watching the interaction with interest. "It's best if we wait until our little ears have gone to bed."
"I'm not little!" protested Bella, her lower lip stuck out. "I'm a big girl! You even said so."
"So I did," he pacified, smiling indulgently at her. "I apologize. You're very right—you are growing into a very big girl."
Bella sniffed.
"Edward's gone to Hong Kong," she said promptly, earning her a confused frown. Rose suppressed her giggle. "He said so when he was in…Austrolalia."
"Australia," corrected Esme. "That's right, darling. Edward has gone on a trip."
"Why on earth would Edward go to China?" asked Tanya. "And Australia?"
"I asked him too. And he said he was sick… kind of." Bella's brow furrowed as she recalled their phone conversation. "But he said I'd get a picture to make it better."
"Make what better?" Tanya's eyes flickered to Carlisle.
"Dunno," shrugged Bella, toying with the ends of Carmen's long, dark hair. "He was gonna smack, I think…"
"Smack?" Tanya went suddenly still. "You don't expect me to believe that Edward would have sought to harm a child?"
"Jasper smacked him first," supplied Bella unhelpfully, her little eyes alight. "So Edward didn't really smack…"
"Edward had difficulty coping," rushed Carlisle, speaking up before Bella could say anything more. "We had to make… alternate arrangements."
"Well," sniffed Tanya, glancing awkwardly at Bella. "He could have come to us, of course…"
"I think he needed some time alone," said Carlisle. "It was difficult for him to come upon her so unexpectedly…"
"What do you mean?"
"We'll discuss it later," said Carlisle. "But for now… Bella, what would you say to some popcorn?"
"Oh! Yes please!" She bounced out of Carmen's lap. "Can you do it on the stove? You do it the best…"
"Certainly," said Carlisle, taking her hand. "Let's go to the kitchen…"
She went without complaint.
"Are you telling me that that little child is Edward's singer?" asked Eleazar, his voice low and gravelly as soon as Bella was out of earshot. "What an extraordinary coincidence."
"We don't know for sure." Jasper spoke up. "None of us have actually experienced it, after all…"
"Well, it might make sense," reasoned Eleazar. "Given what she is."
"What do you mean?" demanded Rose. Her guard had risen almost at once. "What are you talking about?"
Eleazar turned to her with mild interest.
"I mean," he began, "that the child is extraordinarily gifted."
"What?"
"Did Edward not say he couldn't read her?" asked Eleazar mildly. "One would think that he would have brought it up…"
"No," said Esme at once. Rose saw Carlisle freeze as he listened in, and Bella began to tug on his shirt. "He never said a word."
"Strange," mused Eleazar. "The child obviously has no idea, but when she was sitting with Carmen, I was able to get a good read on her."
"And?"
"And, nothing," said Eleazar. He leaned around to look into the kitchen. "I saw nothing."
"That could simply mean that there's nothing special about her," reasoned Jasper quietly. "Picking up nothing doesn't indicate the presence of something."
"Never, in all my three hundred years, have I read nothing from someone who is ungifted," said Eleazar. "There is a baseline for the average person—I've grown quite familiar with it over the years—and I'm telling you. That child is gifted."
"She's human and she's six years old," complained Rose. "How can she be anything?"
"Look at the Volturi twins," said Eleazar simply. "Physically, they're still in childhood—they were only twelve or thirteen at the time of their change—but even as humans they had extraordinarily advanced gifts that set them apart."
"Gifted how?" Rose voiced the question they were all nervous to ask. "What does that mean for her?" Images of Alice, imprisoned in an asylum for seeing thing she shouldn't, flooded her mind…
"She's a shield," said Eleazar at once. "And a powerful one, if my own gift is correct."
"A shield?"
"A mental block," explained Eleazar. "Not a physical shield, but her mind is near impossible to crack."
Esme frowned.
"Is it harmful?" she worried, watching the child bouncing at her husband's side. Carlisle had the pot of oil heating on the stove. "Is she in danger?"
"Oh no, Esme." Eleazar went to stand beside her. From his new vantage point, he could see Bella as she fidgeted. "Not at all. She probably doesn't even know she's special."
The popcorn began to pop.
"But if Edward couldn't read her…"
"Then?" prompted Emmett.
"Then," Eleazar turned to him, "the lack of a human voice—the lack of conscience that might come with being deaf to her thoughts— might have contributed to his lapse." He chose his words carefully.
"Ooh…" Bella's voice rang out from the kitchen. "Can you put butter on it?"
"Of course, sweetheart."
"Yum…"
"Don't worry for her, Esme," said Eleazar softly. "The child may be gifted, but she is beautiful and loved. You've done a wonderful job with her—she is thriving under your care, and I don't see any reason why this gift would prevent that from continuing."
Rose didn't realize she had been holding her breath until she let out a long, suffering sigh.
"Regardless," she said, putting an end to this strange and sudden discussion, "Edward has left us for the time being. I'm sure we'll hear from him while you're here, but we don't expect him to drop by. It would be too dangerous…"
"Indeed," agreed Irina, nodding. "Of course the child's safety must come first."
Bella returned then, her arms filled with a large silver bowl. Carlisle had outdone himself—there was more popcorn in that bowl than Bella could hope to eat in a week, but as she held it carefully in her arms, Rose understood her scheme. Over the past week, she had grown almost desperate to see them eat—something they had been stoutly and steadfastly avoiding.
"I can share," she said at once, holding the bowl out shyly towards Carmen. "Carlisle made me lots."
"Indeed…" Carmen's smile was glued in place. "Thank you, sweetheart."
And with a practiced slight of hand, Bella didn't even notice when Carmen's piece slipped past her mouth and fell into the sleeve of her sweater.
"Is it yummy?" she asked, taking a handful for herself before she passed the bowl around. "Carlisle always makes it yummy…"
"The best," winked Carmen. "Thank you for sharing, sweetheart."
"You're welcome," chirped Bella. "Emmett?"
"Yeah, kiddo?"
"Can I do the presents now?"
"Of course you can." He took her by the hand. "And while we're gone, everyone else can enjoy their treat…"
Everyone—Carlisle and Esme included—took a deliberately large, generous handful of popcorn and made a show of settling back in. Rose hated fooling her—she was so proud of sharing—but she would not, under any circumstances, ruin her evening by vomiting popcorn in the upstairs bathroom.
Four days after the arrival of their guests, and three days since Bella had become Carmen's constant shadow, the family rose with the sun to find a layer of new, crisp snow blanketing the front yard. The snowmen Emmett had made that evening all those weeks ago were buried up to their waists in white fluff, and the inflatable Santa, still swaying in the wind, was cloaked in six inches of white on his head and outstretched arms. Rose was sure that if she went out to look she would find the rooftop sleigh nearly invisible, and though Emmett had gone outside to create reindeer hoof prints in the snow the night before, she was sure they would be buried.
Still, when the child found the half-eaten carrots left out next to the milk and cookies, Rose was sure her little heart would soar.
"It's already seven," groaned Emmett, sitting impatiently on the edge of the sofa. The entire family had been up for hours. Although they did not sleep, the family made a point of dividing off into their respective couplings during nighttime hours. Rose, in particular, enjoyed spending the evening in her bed, taking the time to meditate and think. She supposed it was a kind of sleep—there was an unspoken rule that you were not to be bothered, and she knew that everyone, her father included, tried to take a break for at least a few hours each night.
So today, when Emmett had grown antsy just after five in the morning, Rose had forced herself to rise with him to ensure that everything was in its proper place for Christmas morning.
There was a cheery fire glowing in the grate—Carlisle had been sure to relight it just as soon as Bella fell asleep. Bella's stocking, hanging heavily in front of the fire, was full to the brim with treats, toys, and crafts—all of which were Esme's doing. The gifts under tree were bordering on ridiculous—even though the tree they had selected was massive, the gifts would not all fit underneath. There were gifts piled on the side wall, collected under the windowsill, and even one, which looked suspiciously like a bicycle, resting by the front entranceway.
"Let her sleep," advised Rose. "The poor girl was exhausted last night…"
"It's not my fault she wouldn't sleep," grumbled Emmett. "Honestly, of all things to worry about…"
"What if he gets burned?" Bella was sitting up in bed, clutching her sheets. "Emmett said he's magic, but that's fire…"
"Bella, he's not going to get burned," said Rosalie, exasperated. "But he can't come at all until you fall asleep."
"But if I fall asleep and he does get burned, then I'll get on the naughty list."
"Santa will be perfectly safe."
"But what if Carlisle forgets?"
"Carlisle won't light the fire until morning," promised Rose. "He knows not to do anything that might hurt someone."
"But…"
"Rest your eyes, Bella."
"What if you don't like my present?"
"I'll love your present."
"But what if…"
"Sleep time, baby, please…"
"But Rose…"
"I know," sighed Rose, unable to help her smile. "But she only fell asleep after midnight. So give her some time to sleep in."
"She'll wake up in ten minutes," said Alice. "Honestly, Emmett, you're worse than she is."
Emmett simply waggled his eyebrows, ignoring the titters from Tanya.
"I'll go and get her," sighed Carlisle, rolling his eyes. "God only knows what'll happen if I let you go up…"
His gaze was fixed on Emmett before he zipped up the stairs.
"Merry Christmas, darling." They could hear Carlisle as he sat on the edge of her bed. "Are you awake?"
"Did Santa come?" replied Bella groggily. Rose could hear her rubbing her eyes. "Is it morning?"
"Yes, it's morning, and yes, I think he did come…"
A gasp, and the patter of little feet on the wooden floor.
"Oh, that's precious," smiled Kate, listening as Bella began to rush down the stairs. Emmett was sitting on the edge of his seat. "It's nice to see her so excited…"
"Merry Christmas, kiddo!" boomed Emmett, just as soon as he caught sight of her. Her hair was tousled and frizzy from sleep and there was a red imprint on her cheek from the wrinkles on her pillowcase, but despite her squinty eyes and stiff limbs, she beamed when she saw the living room.
"Merry Christmas!" she squealed, launching herself at Emmett when he crouched down. "Good morning!"
"I'll get breakfast," said Esme. She had made pancakes—enough for Bella alone—and they were warming in the oven.
Rubbing sleep from her eyes, Bella crawled up onto the sofa next to Rose.
"That's lots of presents," she whispered, eying the stacks of gifts. "Are all of those from Santa?"
"Some of them," said Rose, pulling the coffee table nearer as Esme emerged with a plate of food. "Eat up, and then we can get started."
Bella, taking the fork, shoveled a large chunk of pancake into her mouth.
"Don't choke on Christmas, please…" Rose begged, grimacing when she took another bite. "I know Carlisle is a doctor, but I'd rather he didn't have to exercise those skills today."
Bella, confused, continued to chew.
"Did you get a stocking?"
"Only kids get those," smiled Rose. "See? Look at the mantle…"
Obediently, Bella shifted her eyes to the fireplace.
"Oh…"
She began to eat even faster.
"Alright, alright…" Rose confiscated the plate as she tried to shove a third piece into her mouth at the same time as two others. "Never mind. You can eat later."
"Okay!"
She rushed to the fireplace, Emmett hot on her heels.
"Here we go, kid," he handed her the heavy stocking. "Tear it apart."
She gasped.
"Not for real, not for real…" He laughed at the indignant look on her face. "Just a figure of speech. Dig in."
And taking a leaf right out of Emmett's book, Bella plopped herself down on the floor and promptly turned the stocking upside down.
"A dolly, and paints, and games, and books!" squealed Bella, her delighted arms filled with toys. "Thank you Rose! Thank you Jasper! Thank you Carmen!"
"You're welcome, you sweet thing," said Carmen at once, speaking over Jasper's chuckles. "I'm pleased you like it."
"I never had paints before," she grinned, leaning down to examine the easel and brushes on the floor. "And Esme says we can try together."
"I know," said Carmen. "I heard…"
"And this dolly is blue!" She almost threw it into Rose's lap in her eagerness to show it off. "Isn't she pretty?"
"Lovely…"
"And do you like your present?" demanded Bella, glancing at Alice. Alice had burst into giggles when she'd torn the paper off of the parcel Bella had addressed to her in childish, scrawling writing. A Tinkerbell ornament, straight from the Hallmark store, had fallen out into her lap.
"It's perfect," said Alice, kissing her cheek. "Thank you, honey."
Rose thought the child's smile would split her face in two.
The joy in the girl's eyes—so genuine and unfamiliar—had made this entire morning worth it. Bella had opened her gifts with animated gusto—everything, from the little pack of dollar store pens to the expensive, extravagant bicycle that had been lurking by the front door, delighted her. She adored the baby doll Rose had found for her, and the new video games from Emmett. The stack of books from Jasper had made her nearly dance with glee, and the shy, but still exuberant, thank you she'd given Carmen and Eleazar when she'd unwrapped her paint set had spoken volumes.
And Rose was glad that the rest of the family—Denali clan included—had given Bella the same enthusiastic, joyful response to their own presents. As a rule, they did not buy for each other—they did not often celebrate and furthermore, there wasn't much that they couldn't get on their own. But these beliefs were suspended when Bella hauled out a stack of professionally wrapped gifts from the back of the pile.
For Esme, Bella had selected a tall, glittering figurine made of some kind of crystal. Rose knew she had chosen it because of its sparkle—not even Bella herself denied it—but when she explained to Esme that it should be used to replace the gem Alice had given her on her first day with them, Esme had promptly relocated it to its new place on the living room mantle. Carlisle had received a package of pens—not fancy fountain pens like the ones he favoured at work, or the slim, high-end stationary set he had in his study upstairs, but a set of five brightly coloured syringe-shaped pens designed to look like doctor's needles. Rose knew without a doubt that he would take them to work with him the following day—the nurses would get a kick out of them—and he would proudly tell anyone who asked where they had come from.
For Jasper, Bella had found a writer's handbook. Emmett had to suppress his laughter when she presented it to him, her little face serious and somber as she explained that because he was already such an excellent reader, he should focus instead on making sure he was also an excellent writer. Jasper, resisting the urge to chuckle, had taken the book with all the pomp and ceremony he could muster, and did not laugh until well after the fact, when Bella had gone to sleep.
Emmett had allowed Bella to choose a videogame for him from the new system he'd purchased just a few months prior. Much to Rose's amusement, she had chosen a Lego Avengers game. When Rose asked her why this was—as far as Rose knew, Bella had never watched The Avengers—she had said that "the green guy on the cover was big and strong, and sometimes, he broke things." Rose was confused until she saw the game for herself, spying the image of the big green Hulk.
She supposed it was a fitting comparison.
But it was Rose's gift, as silly and clever as all the others, that really made her day. Truth be told, Bella could have come back with an old toothpick, and so long as she gave it to Rose with that toothy, nervous grin, Rose would have thought it was the best gift in the whole world. But luckily, that was not the case. Rose received her gift last—even after Tanya, Kate, and Irina, who had all received tiaras ("because they're girls!"), and Carmen and Eleazar, who had been given a joint gift of crystal coasters ("Esme always says that moms and dads don't like it when cups ruin the tables"). When Bella had pressed the long, thin package on her, her cheeks flaming red, she had waited with bated breath as Rose carefully slipped the paper away and opened up a long, thin jewelry box.
Inside, she had found a thin silver chain with a red, sparkly pendant attached to it. Rose knew why she had chosen it at once—she was used to getting gifts relating to her name, but somehow, this little jeweled rose made her throat feel tight.
"It's beautiful, darling," she praised, opening the clasp. "Truly…"
"Are you sure?" she asked, biting her lip. "Emmett said you were fussy," Rose's eyes flashed to her husband, "but I thought it looked pretty."
"It's absolutely perfect," she assured her, clipping the necklace around her throat. "Thank you, honey."
"I picked it because it's a rose, like you," she chirped. "And it's shiny."
Rose, unable to respond, simply scooped the girl up and hugged her close, pressing her lips fervently to the side of her head.
"I'm happy you like it," said Bella, her voice muffled by Rose's shoulder. "And thank you for all the new treasures."
"You're welcome, sweetheart."
"Bella?" Esme spoke from her place on the sofa. "Honey, you're forgetting one."
"Where?" demanded Bella, looking around the room. Rose perked up as well… she had not noticed any unopened gifts, nor could she recall anything being missing.
"There," said Esme at once, pointing to the tree. "Look up there, in the branches…"
And sure enough, nestled right at Bella's eye-level, was a large, white envelope and a small, wrapped box.
"Who?" mouthed Rose, frowning as Bella went to scoop it up. Esme simply winked, waiting for Bella to peel the envelope away.
"It's got my name on it," she said, turning it over in her hands. "Can I read it?"
"Of course you can," said Esme indulgently. "See if you can read it out loud to us."
"Oh… kay." Bella slipped her finger into the envelope and tugged, tearing it open. Her little hand reached inside, scrabbling to scoop up the paper, and when it emerged with three different documents, her eyes went wide.
"It's pictures!" she squealed, and suddenly, Rose understood.
Edward.
"What's it of?" asked Esme, smiling. "Take a look…"
"It's a… bear."
"A bear?" chuckled Emmett, stepping closer to take a look. Bella clutched the picture to her chest, as if she were worried he would take it from her.
"Aw, come on… I'll give it back."
Carefully, she turned the first picture over.
Edward, standing in a bamboo field, spying on a lounging, lazy panda bear.
"Lovely," said Carmen, her eyes fixed warily on Tanya. "What's the other one?"
Rose recognized the Sydney Opera House at once.
"There's a letter too," said Bella, unfolding the thick, ivory pages. "It says…"
"You've got it," said Jasper quickly, letting her lean back against him. Bella had progressed in leaps and bounds since the start of her schooling with Esme. "Start with the first one, there…"
"Dear Bella," she read, hesitant. "Even though I am far away across the ocean… did I say that right?"
"You said it just fine," said Jasper. "Keep going."
"Even though I am far away across the ocean, I wanted to write you a little…"
"Missive," supplied Jasper.
"Missive," repeated Bella, "to wish you a very Merry Christmas. That's nice of him!"
"Keep going," laughed Jasper. "Next line."
"Oh yeah." Bella scanned the page. "I want to tell you that I am now in…"
"Taiwan."
"Taiwan," said Bella, "which is an island just off the coast of mainland China. What's a mainland?"
"It means the part that's not an island," explained Jasper patiently. "What else does he have to say?"
"The people here are very friendly, and they were more than happy to help me find a place to have your gift made. I hope you are doing well at school, and that everyone at home is being good to you."
Bella beamed at the group.
"I also hope that you're keeping Emmett in line, as we all know how he likes to break the rules… I'm gonna tell him about how rich I am!" she crowed, smirking at Emmett. "And about all the bad words you've said…"
"Read on," laughed Emmett, shaking his head. "Keep going."
"Rosalie will help you, I don't doubt. So make sure you've got her on your team."
Rose winked.
"Please wish the rest of the family a Merry Christmas from me, and I promise I will call as soon as I can. I hope you got lots of presents and that Santa was very, very good to you. Your friend, Edward."
"That's sweet of him," said Esme, taking the letter from Bella when she held it out. "I had wondered if he'd make contact…"
"Can I open this one?" asked Bella shyly, holding the small box in the palm of her hand. Rose snorted, shaking her head, when she caught sight of the shiny gold paper. It would be a miracle if Bella did not try to keep it.
"Of course," said Esme. "It's yours, after all…"
Bella, mindful of the paper, pulled carefully at the tape along either side. Slipping her little fingers under the flaps, she tore it away and let it fall to the floor. She was left holding a jewelry box with a Chinese engraving on top that Rose did not recognize.
"Go on," she urged, curious to see what was inside. "Open it up."
When she did, Rose felt a sudden and pervasive elation.
Thank you, Edward.
Inside, nestled snugly on a bed of satin, was a small, delicate bracelet made up of filigree squares. The bright silver shone in the light from the overcast sky outside—Bella was tilting it this way and that to watch it glimmer—but what caught Rose's attention was not the iridescence of metal and light. Instead, it was the small charm that lay in between two sections: slightly bigger than the squares themselves was a raised, silver crest—the same crest that each member of the Cullen family wore on their own pieces of jewelry.
"Oh…" said Esme, standing to take a closer look. "Oh, Edward, what a wonderful idea."
Bella plucked it carefully from the box.
"Is this for me?" she asked, all wonder and awe. "It looks awfully special…"
"It is, sweet girl," said Rose, her voice tight. Jasper stepped back to let Rose in. "Here, let me see…"
Bella handed Rose the box and the bracelet. Underneath the satin cushion was a pile of five extra filigree squares, and on the underside the lid was another note.
Bella,
I asked the jeweller to size your bracelet to fit to a child's wrist. I had it made so that more squares can be added as you grow.
Never forget where you belong.
E.
"Give me your arm," said Rose, and Bella carefully extended the wrist that had so recently been freed of its plaster prison. Mindful of her small, delicate bones, Rose took the little arm in her hands, and carefully clasped the bracelet around it.
The Cullen Crest shone bright and clear.
"There," said Rose. "Isn't that lovely?"
"What is it?" asked Bella, bringing it up to her face to inspect it. "It looks like Emmett's…"
Rose saw Emmett's cuff—something he almost never left the house without—wrapped around his own wrist.
"It's our crest," said Carlisle softly. "The one my family had in England so long ago."
"Oh…" Bella examined it a little closer. "What's it mean?
"It means," he smiled, "that you're part of our family now."
"I am?" Bella looked surprised. "The bracelet says so?"
"The bracelet affirms it," corrected Carlisle. "We said so a long time ago."
The girl smiled.
"Esme, can I write him a letter back?"
"Yes you can, sweet girl," she said. "Absolutely you can. I think Edward would like that."
A/N: I hope this monstrosity of a chapter makes up for the wait. Somehow, it ended being 41 pages long.
Let me know what you think!