Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the songs I make reference to. If I did own Twilight, this story would be sold in stores everywhere with less grammar/spelling mistakes and I'd be rich… Damn :(

EPOV (Edward)

"No," Bella said it simply, without emotion; to her it was simply a fact.

I paused, thinking of another alternative. "Okay, what about a car?"

"No." She continued to clean her kitchen at human pace. She had already washed the dishes and put them all away, now she was filling the sink to mop the floor. She was barely focused on the conversation at hand.

"What about college; I could pay for her tuition and all that college entails; books, board, food, entertainment…" I didn't want to add too much to the list; that wouldn't help my situation.

Bella turned off the sink and retrieved the yellow mop from her pantry calmly. "That is not a birthday gift, Edward."

Does that mean I can pay for Renesmee's college someday? I'll explore that option later.

"How about a trip; maybe Europe, or Isle Esme?" I knew Renesmee wanted to see another beach and this is one where none of us had to hide.

She paused for the briefest second, probably at the mention of Isle Esme, but she recovered and turned to stare into my eyes. I got lost for a second before she spoke again. "No, think of something more realistic."

"A new computer?" Theirs was nearly seven years old and they weren't the first ones to own it.

"No!" Her annoyance was evident with her tone; I had pushed her too far. "Edward, she's twenty; she does not need to be spoiled with expensive, material things. I know you want to get her something special, but think of something else! You can get her something, but it will mean more if the gift isn't just something pretty, or expensive. She would rather spend the day with you than getting no-limit credit card."

She had a point; I suppose that suggestion was a bit rash. However, I intended to spend time with Renesmee on her birthday; and any other time that I could. Alice was already planning a family birthday party that night, but I still wanted to get her something she could unwrap.

"Alright, I get it, Bella; I really do, but… I want to get her something." She sighed while she dipped the mop into the sink to begin her cleaning. "What about a cell phone? It's a gift for you and I as much as her; we can get a hold her whenever she's not with us and if there's an emergency, she can get a hold of us, too."

I was running out of ideas. It's not like a CD or book would do. I had missed nineteen years of birthdays and other holidays; I wanted to make it up now.

Bella turned and glared in my direction, but didn't meet my eyes. "Fine, but… you better not get the most ridiculous one on the market. All she needs is to make phone calls and maybe text; that's it."

I nodded.

She would also need to check her e-mail and access the internet. She would probably want to download music or TV shows too…

***

BPOV (Bella)

The entire house was spotless. I had washed the floors, vacuumed, dusted, and scrubbed every surface in the house.

I was still stewing about giving in to Edward, but I had to admit… the cell phone was a smart idea. Out of all his options, it was the best alternative. It was worlds more reasonable than his ideas about getting her a car or a new house.

The only problem was that I still had no idea what I was going to get Renesmee for her birthday. We always did small things for our birthdays, but now with Edward and the Cullens, those days were gone.

For my birthday, Renesmee had given me a homemade scrapbook with pictures of us from the past twenty years. Last year, I had given her Florida 'snow globe.' I promised that we would go back there one day to see the beaches again. The year before that, I had given her a refurbished iPod; and she was grateful.

We didn't flaunt money and rarely used it to buy things for ourselves, or each other, except when it came to what was needed.

I looked at the calendar by the use-less refrigerator; two days. I had two days to find a gift worthy of the "Cullen competition."

I heard Renesmee open the front door and head my way. "Hi honey!" I called.

"Hey Mom, what you doing?"

"Just thinking; did you have fun with Alice?" I couldn't believe how often they were shopping. It had been two weeks since our first shopping trip and they had already been on five more on their own; Rose and I refused to accompany them until they became more reasonable about their shopping habits; i.e. the amount of time and money spent in each store and the number of stores visited in a trip.

"Yeah, we had fun. She got me some clothes for my birthday…"

"Yeah?" I bit my tongue not to ask how much she brought. I had already tried to rein in Alice, but anytime I attempted to argue my side she played the Angela card; or the credit card-card.

"Yup." Renesmee started to turn to head to her bedroom.

"Well, what do you want for your birthday, hun?" I usually didn't ask, but I was running short on time.

She halted her movements and slowly turned, which immediately made me tense. "I don't know if I want anything, but there's something I want to do…" She seemed nervous about asking me, which in turn made me nervous.

"Well, what is it, sweetie?" I smiled, letting her know we could do almost anything if she wanted to. She smiled sweetly in return; almost too sweetly. It must be something I'm not going to want to do. "Just say it, Renesmee." I laughed, trying to ease her nervousness; and hoping that she would just spit it out.

Renesmee giggled slightly before taking a deep breath. "I want us all to go to… formal?" It came out as a question; she knew how much I hated dances, but she didn't know I had actually attended one before… with her father. And I was not going to reveal that little fact.

"Really?" I attempted to not sound unhappy, but it was difficult. I hated dancing, always had.

"Yeah," she said hesitantly. That's when I focused on her statement. Beyond the announcement of the formal, she had said 'all;' which I could only conceive to mean that the entire family would go; myself, Renesmee, Edward, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, and Emmett.

Oh my.

"All of us?" I asked.

"Well, yeah. I think it would be really nice for everyone to be together. And, David asked me to go…"

David.

He was a junior in our gym class and he blatantly stared at my little girl nearly every day.

The vampire within was impending death to the boy who was pursuing my daughter, but my common sense was explaining the consequences of those actions. Maybe Edward can listen to his mind a bit…

"Mom?" I looked to her again, momentarily distracted from plans for the high school boy who had asked out my daughter.

"What did you say?"

"I told him that I would check to make sure I could and let him know. I really want to go. Mom; I like him. And I think it would be fun for everyone to go together. Please?" The pout was fully in place.

I fought it with everything I had, but I was sorely lacking in the resistance department. It was what she wanted for her birthday. And I had to admit that with the entire family there looking after her, especially Edward, Emmett, and Jasper; she would be protected if the boy tried anything. Unfortunately for him, he would not be so protected.

"Okay, we'll go, but that's not a birthday present, Renesmee. The dance doesn't even fall on your birthday; it's nearly a month after."

She smiled brightly. "But that's what I want. I want the entire family to go and for us all to look amazing and have a wonderful time."

"That's not a gift." I wanted to give her something that was from me. If everyone went, it was a gift from everyone, not just me.

"Well, how about you convince everyone to go." She mumbled. "And I pick out your outfit…"

Oh, I'm going to regret this…

"Okay; happy birthday." I sighed, completely defeated. Renesmee squealed and threw her arms around me in a hug.

***

Two days later, Renesmee's Birthday Party. (Still BPOV)

Renesmee and I were headed over to the Cullens' for Renesmee's party. She was bouncing in the passenger seat and I had given up trying to calm her down. She wasn't excited about the food or the gifts, or even them fawning all over her. She was just excited to spend time with all of them again.

She had spent many shopping trips with Alice and saw Edward and Jasper everyday in classes. On top of that, we all 'had lunch' together at school. She also went over to their house at least a few times a week to visit with Esme and Carlisle.

I hadn't gone over since my last talk with Edward, but some of them had come to see me.

But she was overjoyed to spend the entire evening with everyone all together.

I, on the other hand, was nervous.

I know it's stupid, but there it is. I was nervous because everyone, including Carlisle and Esme, knew that Edward and I weren't together; and that there were no plans of that status changing. I was nervous because I had seen Alice with her scheming face on whenever she looked to me or Edward. I was nervous because Renesmee was having a birthday party, with the Cullens, and I distinctly remember my last birthday with them. I was also nervous at the various, and very extravagant, gifts she was sure to receive from everyone. At least I was able to tame Edward's gift a bit…

We pulled up to their estate and were immediately greeted with Fuchsia and brown streamers surrounding their wraparound porch and nearly every surrounding tree. There were foil stars covering the windows and door.

I could only imagine the inside. Alice.

Like she heard me call her, Alice appeared at the front door wearing a rather large smile, especially for my daughter and suddenly, I didn't care. Spoil her, go ahead.

Renesmee jumped from the car and ran inside with Alice. I, instead, walked casually to the front door to see Emmett waiting for me. "Bringing back memories?" he laughed.

"Kind of." I fell into the bear of a hug he was giving and just willed myself to relax.

Just like so many years ago, I saw the extravagance that they could go to for a simple occasion. There were more stars hanging from the ceiling and lying on every surface that was not covered in various wildflowers, which were Renesmee's favorite. Now upon, closer inspection, I realized the stars weren't foil, they were metal… but not just any metal, no, they appeared to be silver, possibly white gold. I banished the thought and continued to appraise Alice's work. She had gotten a large double decker cookie cake, with minimal frosting. There were also streamers draped over all of the banisters, one of which appeared to be brand new, and mantels.

There was an iPod playing music in the background and I recognized a song from Renesmee's playlist; although I didn't know the title or band that was playing it. Fuchsia Christmas lights were piled in clear vases and bowls, creating interesting lighting effects.

I did notice, however, that there were paper plates instead of glass. Even the vases and bowls appeared to be plastic. I laughed at the irony. I may be impenetrable to shards of glass, as is Renesmee, but the thought struck me as hilarious and… meaningful.

Emmett nudged me out of my reverie, "what's so funny?"

"Nothing." I simply shook my head as I greeted the rest of the Cullens.

"Okay," Alice began. "It's present time for my lovely niece. You already know what I got you, but here it is anyway." She handed Renesmee a gigantic box; nearly as tall as Emmett, and nearly as wide around.

"It's clothes, can we skip to something more interesting?" I thought Emmett would be slaughtered at that very moment from the look he was receiving from Alice. Both Rosalie and I stepped in front of him, providing a horrible excuse of coverage from her wrath.

"Don't ruin my fun, Emmett, or I'll ruin yours." Alice glared, while Emmett just nodded and continued to laugh and make comments to both Rose and me.

After what felt like an hour, Renesmee was handed her next gift from Jasper. "It's from me and Em."

Renesmee giggled as she slid the sadly tied ribbon from the golden box. It wasn't large, but actually pretty small, for which I was grateful, but then again, that didn't mean much. There could have been a platinum credit card in there, or thousand dollar necklace.

She flipped the top to where only the contents were known to her and the givers. "Oh my god, you're kidding! I wanted to go to this one so bad." She threw her arms around Jasper and kissed his cheek. He smiled as she ran around me to hug Emmett as well.

"What is it, hun?" I finally asked.

"Concert tickets… to U2 and Muse!" She was jumping up and down as she shoved the tickets in my face.

"It's this weekend, and it's just you, me, and Jazz. Some uncles and niece bonding time." Emmett declared proudly.

I wrapped my arm around Jasper, as he had made himself closer to me. He leaned in, to whisper in my ear, "We'll protect her from all the lowlifes."

"I know," I squeezed him around the waist showing my gratitude.

"Okay, Grandpa and I next." Everyone laughed as Esme presented Renesmee with her and Carlisle's gift. The box was larger than Jasper and Emmett's, looking to be the size of a briefcase, and more properly wrapped. The butterflies racked my stomach and Jasper sent me calming waves.

As she opened the wrapping, Renesmee's lips curled into a smile. She knew what she was getting; that much was obvious. As she pulled the paper away, I saw the emblem I had been fearing; Dell. A new computer; something I distinctly told Edward, he was not allowed to get her. But this was from Esme and Carlisle… I looked to Edward who was fighting a smile, but refusing to meet my eyes. I shook my head while releasing a warning growl; just for his ears.

Way to get around the rules, Edward.

"This is perfect, thank you!" Renesmee hugged both Carlisle and Esme tightly and kissed both of their cheeks. "Mom, it's great, right?" Everyone looked to me, no doubt waiting for the shit to hit the fan. They all had heard the growl, except Renesmee, but chose to ignore it.

I rolled my eyes and produced the smile I knew Renesmee wanted. "Yes, it is honey. It's very generous." Everyone relaxed, as well as myself, thanks to Jazz.

"Here's a gift from me." Rosalie handed her a greenish, bluish box. I instantly recognized the color, and only because of Alice's shopping habits; even this store was out of Renesmee's preferences. It was from Tiffany's.

I took in a deep breath willing myself to calm.

They're not doing anything wrong. Each of them has only gotten her one gift. It isn't outrageous. They've missed her previous 19 birthdays and Christmases; this is okay. I repeated the statements over and over within my mind, willing myself to believe wholeheartedly, instead of only half, as I was now.

Renesmee gasped when she saw the jewelry, which immediately caused me to tense. I trusted Rose; please don't be a million dollar diamond necklace… please…

I opened my eyes, not even realizing that they had closed, and saw Renesmee had turned to box for everyone to see. It was a silver charm bracelet with three stars dangling off of it. Two of the stars were carved from some sort of gemstone, while the third was molded from silver. It certainly was fancier than the leather bound charm bracelet I had given her, but it was completely Renesmee; it was beautiful.

Renesmee looked to me in approval, clearly hoping that she had it, since her smile was a mile wide. "That's incredibly beautiful, Rosalie. I know she loves it." Renesmee smiled at me as she hugged Rose and then insisting that she help her put it on.

"Alright, I guess your Dad gets the honor of going last, huh?" Edward joked as he handed a medium sized box to her. It looked to be the size of a cell phone box so I calmed down without Jasper's help, which I'm sure, he appreciated.

I wasn't even aware Renesmee had opened the gift until I saw her jumping up and down in small circles. "You got me an iPhone! Oh, thanks Dad!"

He what?! I glared into Edward's retreating figure. Where the hell does he think he's going? Jasper lost his grip on me and I chased after Edward's form heading through the kitchen entryway. "I said a basic phone, Edward," I hissed, trying not to catch Renesmee's attention. Thankfully, between the phone and the family, she was completely distracted.

"No, you said not to get her the 'most ridiculous one on the market,' and this isn't. It's a newer model of a phone that came out years ago. There are many other phones that do more ridiculous functions that I immediately crossed out per your instructions."

Oh, the tone is so not helping you…

"Don't talk to me like that." I growled.

He sighed. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to talk down to you. But… look how happy she is. I know she'd be happy with any old phone; although possibly not now since she has this one. But just look; I did that. I made her that happy. That's all I wanted to do."

Damnit.

I didn't want to relent, but what choice did I have? How the hell can I really argue with that? Oh, right… I can't.

"Okay, just… don't blindside me like that, okay?" He nodded his head, smiling that damn crooked smile. It made me want to melt.

"So what did you get her?" He asked, while leaning up against the kitchen counter.

I took a seat on the closest bar stool, getting comfortable for the conversation; such a human and unnecessary thing to do. "I didn't really get her something, rather I promised her something."

"Which was?" He looked at me hopefully.

"She wants to go to the formal next month. And she wants us all to go with her." He nodded, smiling widely. "I swear if you laugh…" He knew how much I didn't want to go; past experiences should make that obvious.

"Sorry, I won't laugh," he mumbled as he bit his lip. "You really agreed to that?"

I rolled my eyes at his failed attempt to convey a calm, neutral stance on the subject. "Unfortunately, she's never been to a dance and she wants to go. And I want to make her happy." He nodded at the sentiment.

"Well, I believe that all can be arranged; Alice will be thrilled." He smiled that damn smile again.

"Yeah, probably." I sighed, dreading what I had to do next. "I need a favor…" He looked up expectantly. "I need you to listen in on David Sander's thoughts for me; about Renesmee."

His eyes darkened a few shades. "Why?" His voice was menacing; good.

"He asked Renesmee to the dance and I want to make sure I don't need to kill him prior to then."

"Excuse me? He did what?" The rage was evident as he gripped the granite counter top; creating dust in the wake of former stone.

"Esme will be pissed," I muttered, pointing to his hands. He instantly stopped and brushed away the powder he had created. "Look, I don't like it any more than you do. And I know this is all new to you, but we can't cage her up."

"Why not?" I laughed at his serious response.

"Because she's good at sneaking out." He gaped at me. "No, seriously, she's twenty years old and has had a boyfriend or two; boyfriends which I scared silly. They were never problem though and it's good for her to have someone to be around that isn't family. Someone that she can just be with. Remember, I'm playing a sister here, you're not even family in our little back story; just do the research, I'll take of it." He looked to me, completely dejected. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "Next time it will be different, but this time… that's how it has to be."

I left the kitchen to return to the party. It took several seconds for the words to click in my brain. Did I just say 'next time?'

A/N: Okay, if I ever made it sound like Renesmee was already 20, I'm sorry, but now she is. Got it? Good.

I hope you all like where the story is going and maybe you can guess as to what is developing here. Or maybe not, I'm trying hard not to give anything away so I may just be confusing you. :)

In case you haven't seen the "Extras and Outtakes" for this story, check them out. I have added two mini-chapters. One is between Rose and Edward/Emmett and the other is between Edward and Carlisle. There will be more coming to that "story" soon.

Also, I want to thank everyone for reading and reviewing. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have nearly 1100 reviews. I have officially been shocked to the point where I'm speechless. You all rock and I hope you all continue to review and let me know what you think about the story. I hope to not wait so long to update again, it was just a very crazy week.

I also want to thank everyone who wished me good luck on my job and my move. I am moved in to my apartment now (it's wonderful). I am not-so-patiently waiting for my job to start, it should be any day now, but who knows… I'm waiting for the other person who I'm taking over for to go on maternity leave and she's being stubborn.

As always, Read, Review, Comment!

~ kmwhyte