DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me…they are all the creations of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer. All are human.

Christmas Eve - Morning

I heard a low chuckle as something tickled my ear. I absently brushed it away. I cuddled closer to Bella, putting my nose against her neck and inhaling her sweet scent. I was not ready to wake up.

I was almost successful in my attempt to fall back into a deep sleep. Then I felt that same tickling at my ear. I groaned with aggravation. I waved my hand around the area, hoping to slap away whatever it was. Bella stirred from my movements. I put my hand down immediately, not wanting to wake her.

Someone snorted and the other chuckled. Understanding came to me slowly this morning. Bella and I had fallen asleep on the couch in the living room. We were easy targets in the wide open space. Jasper and Emmett were not capable of passing up a chance to mess with me.

I felt the tickling again and heard the laughter. "If you two buffoons wake her, I'll make you regret it," I growled at them. "And Emmett, you're already on thin ice with Rose. Don't make me get her involved."

"Stop ruining our fun, Eddie!" Emmett chuckled.

"God help you if it isn't a decent hour," I muttered. "What time is it, Jazz?"

"Seven-thirty," he answered.

"Are you kidding me?" I hissed. "It's the first day we don't have school or work and you're waking me up at this hour."

"We have to go to the store and you have to come with us," Emmett whispered.

I finally opened my eyes, turning my head to see them leaning over the back of the sofa. Emmett was twirling a feather in his giant hands.

"Why? It's Christmas Eve. Your shopping should be done."

"It is, but one thing wasn't ready before today," Emmett explained. "And you need to come because I need your expertise."

"About?" I sighed. I was certain I would have to give in and leave Bella's side. I didn't want to do that, but Emmett was my friend and he seemed to really need me.

"I can't tell you here," Emmett said. "Someone might hear us."

"Fine!" I managed to slide over the back of the sofa without waking Bella.

I gently pushed her further onto the sofa so she wouldn't roll off if she turned. I kissed her cheek and whispered that I loved her. Then I ran up to my room. I dressed quickly and ran back down.

Emmett and Jasper were whispering near the front door. We left and climbed into the Jeep. Emmett sped off toward the mall.

"We need to pick up Rosalie's big gift," he informed me.

"Which is?" I asked.

"I need to get her engagement ring from the jewelry store. I'm going to propose tonight," Emmett announced, smiling brightly. "I already asked Jasper for permission."

"And you gave it?" I laughed.

"Edward, don't be mean. Emmett's feeling nervous today. Cut him some slack," Jasper said.

"Why was I brought along?" I asked.

"Well, you know how to say all that romantic crap. I see the way Bella looks at you when you tell her that kind of stuff. I want you to help me figure out how to phrase the question perfectly. I want to make it where Rose can't possibly refuse," Emmett explained.

"That's not likely to happen," Jasper assured him.

"I'd rather hedge my bets," Emmett chuckled. "Rosalie is everything I ever wanted in a woman and I want her to be my wife."

"I'll think about it, Emmett," I told him. "I can't promise I'll come up with something."

"I appreciate the attempt, Edward," Emmett said. "Oh, and thanks for last night. You would have had every right to deck me, but you put Bella first and made sure she was okay. I don't know what came over me."

"Raging big brother hormones!" Jasper grinned. "You didn't realize your sister was a hot young woman. I realized early on with Rose because of how she likes to dress up. Bella's more reserved and it surprised you."

"I feel awful though. How many guys can say they bruised a rib on their own sister?" Emmett sighed.

"She's tougher than you think," I told him. "She was certainly capable of being rough with you last night when she grabbed you by the shirt."

"Speaking of last night …" Jasper started.

"Hee Hee," Emmett chuckled. "She might be a little miffed with you this morning, Eddie. I'm not sure because we all know Bella can be weird, but …"

"What are you two talking about? What could I have possibly done? I fell asleep before that movie even ended," I said. I smacked myself in the head as realization dawned on me. "How badly did you guys embarrass her?"

They roared with laughter. I put my head in my hands. She asked one thing of me and I fell asleep. Was she going to be angry? Would she use this as a way to refuse her other gifts?

"It wasn't too bad. She was having a dream about torturing Mike the Fly. She was trying to swat him and yank off his wings," Emmett explained.

"She did mention how unhelpful you were," Jasper said, winking at me. "Does she talk every night?"

"Yes," Emmett and I answered at the same time. We looked at each other and laughed.

"How would you know?" Jasper asked. "You were sleeping like the dead last night."

"I usually wait until after she stops talking," I admitted.

"What kind of stuff does she say?" Jasper questioned.

"Depends on the dream," I shrugged.

"What's the most interesting dream she's had that you know of, Edward?" Jasper asked.

I laughed to myself. "Probably the first night when she was telling Emmett to not staple wings on a pig. She said she'd rather you have your bacon."

Emmett snorted. "I love her, but damn she can be weird!"

"What about you, Emmett?" I asked, truly curious.

"She once dreamed waffles were attacking her. She woke me up screaming for the waffles to not dip her in syrup," Emmett laughed.

"What brought that dream on?" Jasper chuckled.

"My mom wasn't the best cook. She bought herself a waffle iron and attempted to make a perfect batch of waffles. The entire table was covered with plates of burnt waffles. Bella was maybe eight at the time. I think it scarred her for life! She still hates the sight of a waffle," Emmett explained.

"I am so getting her a waffle iron," Jasper grinned, rubbing his hands together.

"Do it at your own risk," Emmett warned. "Bella can dish it out as well as she can take it in."

"You almost sound scared of your little sister," Jasper joked.

"She's seen all my pranks and she's a hundred times smarter than me. Of course I'm scared," Emmett quipped. "You should be too, Edward."

"I'll keep that in mind," I chuckled. I wasn't planning to ever upset her.

"I just hope Bella is cool with me proposing to Rose." His grip on the steering wheel gave away just how nervous Emmett really was.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," I said, remembering her dream from the other night.

"Why did you say it in that way?" Emmett asked.

"What way?" I replied, pretending to be clueless.

"You said it as if you already know how she'll react," Emmett explained.

Jasper noticed my smirk. "He knows something! And he's being smug about it."

"Edward, come on," Emmett whined. "Dude, I'm letting my baby sister date you."

"Let's be perfectly honest, Emmett. No one lets Bella do anything," I said.

"Fine," Emmett agreed. "But you still need to tell me what you know."

"Bella had a dream the other night. She was yelling at you and telling you to make Rose her sister. She also instructed you to get a pretty ring," I told him.

"Hot Damn!" Emmett yelled, slapping a hand on the steering wheel. "And I was worried Bella would run Rose off."

"Don't tell Bella that!" I chuckled.

We made it to the mall in record time. Emmett was all smiles as he marched straight into the jewelry store. The cashier brought out the ring for Emmett to overlook before releasing it to him. It was a very nice ring. It was a platinum band with a marquise cut three carat diamond. It screamed Rosalie. Jasper and I both patted Emmett on the back for making such a great selection.

We hurried home, hoping to get back before our disappearance was noticed. We were lucky. Esme was the only one moving around when we got back. She was in the kitchen making her traditional Christmas Eve pancake breakfast.

"Edward, please wake Bella. I let her sleep in a little, but she needs to get ready for breakfast. Find out what kind of pancakes she likes," my mother instructed me. "Jasper, Emmett, please set the table. Alice and Rose are upstairs getting ready."

I walked out into the living room. Bella was still soundly asleep. I sat down on the floor and stroked her hair, moving a few loose strands away from her beautiful face.

"Bella," I called softly. "It's time to wake up."

She stirred slightly and sighed, but didn't seem to have any intention of waking up. I chuckled as I got up on my knees. I cupped her face and kissed her gently. She started to return it and I could tell she was waking. I let her go and called her name again.

"Bella. Time to wake up."

She groaned and stretched herself out. She winced and tucked herself to her right side. "Damn," she muttered.

I chuckled and she turned to me, smiling brightly.

"Good morning, Edward."

"Good morning, Bella. Esme is making a pancake breakfast. She would like to know what type of pancakes you would like."

Bella sat up and her smile grew wider. "I haven't had pancakes in ages! Does she have chocolate chips?"

"I believe so." I laughed softly at her glee. It thrilled me to see her so happy. "Do you need help up the stairs to get ready?"

"Yes, please." She held her hand out for me.

I stood and gently pulled her to her feet. Wrapping an arm around her back, I walked her up the stairs and into my room. I released her and grabbed her bag from my closet. I put it on top of the bed so she wouldn't have to bend over to get her things from it.

"Would you like me to start a shower for you?" I asked.

"Please!"

I walked into my bathroom and turned on the shower. I stuck a hand in and made sure the temperature was just right. I pulled a fresh towel off the shelf and hung it near the shower door. Bella walked in and smiled at me.

"There are some extra towels up here if you need them," I said, pointing at the shelf. "I've already hung one by the door for you. Do you need anything else?"

"Is Alice up yet?" she shyly asked me, her face blushing.

"Esme said she was dressing. Why?" She blushed darker and my confusion increased. "What's wrong, Bella?"

"Nothing's wrong," she sighed. "I just … I can't take off or put on a certain article of clothing on my own right now without hurting myself."

I could feel the crease in my brow and Bella was getting frustrated with me. It dawned on me and I nearly slapped my head. "I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. I didn't understand at first."

"It's okay. You're not anymore used to this than I am."

"Do you want me to get one of the girls or Esme?"

Bella bit her lip while she weighed her choices. She suddenly sighed angrily and shook her head. "It'll just take too long. Here's the deal, Edward. You're going to lift the back of my shirt just enough to see the clasp. You'll undo it and that's it. And when I get out, you'll lift my shirt again and just close it. Okay?"

"Are you sure?"

"Are you going to be anything other than a perfect gentleman?"

"No."

"Then I'm sure."

Bella turned her back to me. I lifted her shirt enough to see the clasp of her white bra. My fingers started shaking with anticipation as I realized I would be touching Bella's skin. I took a deep breath and put my fingers on the straps. There were only three clasps, but it seemed like they were the three most stubborn things in the world. I finally managed to unhook them and dropped her shirt quickly.

"Thank you, Edward. I'll be done in about fifteen minutes, okay?"

"Okay. I'll go down and tell Esme about your pancakes."

She turned and kissed my cheek quickly. "Thank you. You really are a gentleman."

I left the bathroom, closing the door behind me. I closed the bedroom door, too. I had just been touching her! I had just been touching her bra! What was wrong with me? I was twenty years old! This should not be affecting me so much. It was just a bra … but it was on the woman I loved with all my heart.

I ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Bella would like chocolate chip pancakes."

"Edward, your face is flushed. You shouldn't run down those stairs," my mother chided.

I quickly left the kitchen before she could say anything else. I was not going to explain to my mother why my face was red. I made my way over to the dining room where my sister and friends were seated at the large table.

"Where's Bella?" Alice asked.

"Showering," I said, dropping down into the seat next to her.

"Does she need help?" Rosalie asked, glaring at Emmett.

"She didn't say she did." I was lying through my teeth but I was not going to admit to having already helped her once and agreeing to do it again.

"Edward, please go tell your father breakfast is nearly ready. And make sure Bella gets down the stairs safely," my mother ordered.

I ran back up the stairs, wanting to keep that as my cover. I knocked on the study door. "Come in," my father called from the other side.

I poked my head in. "Mom says to go downstairs. Breakfast is ready."

"Thank you, Edward. Please let her know I will be right down," my father said.

I closed his door and ran up the remaining stairs and into my room. Bella was attempting to rub her hair dry with her towel, but was not having much luck. She kept sucking in a breath and grabbing at her side.

"May I?" I asked, pointing at her towel.

She shrugged and handed it to me. I put her hair in the middle of the towel and gently rubbed the towel against her damp hair. I moved the towel around, getting as much of her hair as possible. I hoped I was doing it correctly.

"Would you prefer one of Alice's hairdryers?"

"No. It will only make it frizzy. Could you help me get it into a ponytail?"

"I can try." I was really getting myself into strange and new territory now. I had never messed with a girl's hair before. This would probably end up as a disaster!

"My bag is on your bed."

I reached into the bag and pulled out her brush and a hairband. I gently ran the brush through her hair, pulling the strands to the middle of the back of her head.

"You're good at this. I hardly feel it," she said.

"Thank you. I hope I'm doing this correctly." At least I wasn't hurting her. I brushed the last piece down and wrapped the hairband around the hair held in my fist. "Have a look and see if it's okay."

Bella stepped into the bathroom and came back out a moment later, smiling brightly. "You did an excellent job. Ready for the last part?"

I nodded. I wasn't ready at all, but Bella didn't need to know that.

She turned around so her back was facing me. I lifted her shirt, once again feeling my stomach churn. I gripped both sides of her bra and pulled them together. It was a lot easier to close the clasps than open them. This bra was prettier than the other. It was a deep blue lace and looked beautiful against her skin. I dropped her shirt down before my mind could consider her any further.

She turned to face me. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." I kissed her forehead and led her out of my room. I wrapped an arm around her again and helped her down the stairs. "Are you feeling any better after your shower?"

"Much. It was just what I needed. It was a little awkward with my side hurting, but I think I managed pretty well." Bella stopped at the bottom of the stairs and sniffed the air. "It smells wonderful."

"Esme will be glad to hear it."

I led Bella through the kitchen and into the dining room. We sat on the same side we had last time. Bella had a large stack of chocolate chip pancakes in front of her. "Thank you so much, Esme! They smell wonderful."

"You're welcome, Bella. I hope you like them," my mother said.

Bella cut a piece with her fork and took a big bite. She smiled happily as she chewed. She swallowed and turned toward my mother. "They're superb!"

"Thank you, Bella," my mother said proudly.

"What kind do you have?" Bella asked, smiling up at me.

"Strawberry," I replied.

"I didn't think you could do strawberries in a pancake."

"My mother is the only person I know who can pull it off. I would certainly never try it in a restaurant. Would you like to try a bite?"

"I don't know …"

"Don't you owe me for the Twizzler incident?"

"Dang! You remember that?"

"I have an excellent memory." I cut a piece with my fork, speared it and held it out to Bella. She wrinkled her little nose at me. "You promised," I reminded her.

She closed her eyes and opened her mouth. I tried not to laugh at her. I put the fork against her lips and she closed her mouth around it. I gently pulled the fork away from her mouth and she licked her lips. It was ridiculous, but I thought it was probably the most sensual thing I'd seen in my life. I barely stopped myself from kissing her soft, full lips.

As she chewed, she opened one eye and then the other. She swallowed and smiled. "Not bad. But I'm going to stick with my chocolate chips."

I laughed at her expression and she chuckled with me. I looked up, taking notice that we were not alone and that everyone was staring and smiling at us. I quickly focused on my plate and did my best not to turn red. Bella seemed oblivious as she continued to eat and smile to herself.