A/N: My sporadic writing probably drives all of you crazy, but if you're still hanging in there, then I owe you so much gratitude. I want to finish this story, and I'm ready to finally write it all. For whoever is left: you're amazing. For anyone new: I hope you like it!

I tugged at the belt of my thick coat, adjusting it over my waist. Jake looked extremely uncomfortable in a button-down shirt (I'd picked it out for him, despite his objections) and a nice pair of jeans. He slammed the truck door closed, and I glared at him, chastising. He gave me his hang-dog look and grinned, walking to my side of the truck and grabbing my hand. We walked up to Charlie's front door and knocked. I leaned in to Jake's side for warmth; the weather had dropped below freezing overnight, leaving the entire town coated in a layer of white snow and thick icicles.

"Hey, you two!" Charlie was smiling from ear to ear when he opened the door, the Christmas wreath bumping against the wooden door with a jingle. I stepped inside and gave him a hug, one arm awkwardly out at my side as I held on to his present. Then, he gave Jake a big pounding hug, and I was free to get closer to the fire in the living room.

"Merry Christmas, Dad," I said, smiling. I put his present down by the tree. There were a few boxes already there, wrapped a little sloppily but tied with pretty bows on top.

"Merry Christmas, Bells!" His mood was light, and I was glad to see him so happy. The snow had caused a few bad traffic accidents, and I knew he had been stressed at work lately.

"So where's the food?" Jake asked, laughing at himself. Charlie rolled his eyes at me, and I just shrugged, watching Jacob as he floated into the kitchen.

"How've you been, baby?" Charlie asked me, coming to join me in front of the fire. I smiled.

"Things have been really great," I said, and they had: with Jake out of school and the library closed for the holidays, I'd been able to finally unwind from all the things going on. "I got a promotion at the library."

"That's great! You'll be running the place in no time!" I smiled, his mood infectious. Jake popped out of the kitchen doorway, two glasses of eggnog in his hands and a plate full of cookies balancing on top. He plopped down on the couch next to us and handed me my glass.

"What about you, Jake?" Charlie asked, snagging a chocolate chip cookie from the plate. "How's school?"

"Don't ask," Jake said flatly, and Charlie laughed. "I wish I had enough credits to let me graduate now instead of waiting another 6 months." That was the story we'd told Charlie; he had no idea that the counsel was letting him finish early because of the whole wolf thing.

"It's not much longer," Charlie assured. "It'll be over before you know it."

"Did I tell you? Rachel just graduated." Charlie perked up.

"Billy didn't mention it. That's great! Is she coming home?" He always liked Rachel, I think because he always really wanted me to be friends with her.

"She's actually been back for a few days now," Jake replied, popping one of the smaller cookies into his mouth. "She's home with Dad."

"We should go over there," Charlie said brightly. He turned to me. "Is that okay? I know we were going to have Christmas here, but maybe we could go over there later?"

"It's no problem, Dad," I said, smiling back. "We'll head over there after we finish eating here." Charlie dipped his head sheepishly.

"Well, about that," he started, and I rolled my eyes, realizing that he had hoped we'd go to Billy's all along.

"I was wondering why there was no food in the kitchen," Jake joked, and Charlie grinned.

"We can do presents over there too," I suggested, scooping up an armful of boxes. Jake grabbed the rest.

"Well, wait," Charlie started, hesitating. I hovered for a second, my arms full. "I want to give you yours here."

"Okay," I said, feeling almost suspicious. I gently set the presents down on the table and watched as Charlie plucked mine from the pile, a mostly-flat rectangle with a big red bow. In tiny writing, it said To Bella, Love Dad.

"I hope you like it," he said nervously, handing the rectangle over to me. I smiled at him reassuringly and carefully tore off the wrapping paper. It was a picture frame, the back of it, with a crisp $100 taped crudely over the little wooden prop-up piece. A memory of the picture of me and Jacob on the mantle flashed through my head. I turned it over to see the front. It was from Thanksgiving, because I remembered wearing one of Alice's tops from Europe. I actually remembered this one being taken: Charlie and I were arm-in-arm in Emily's kitchen after hours of work, a smudge of pumpkin pie on my cheek, his hair a little messy, but we were smiling so wide. At the top of the frame, burned into the wood in beautiful swirling letters, was the word FAMILY.

"I just wanted you to have a little reminder of me over in your new place," he said, his voice thick with emotion. I looked up from the picture and felt like crying. He was never the sentimental type, so any gesture meant a lot. I wrapped my arms around him in a huge hug, and he cleared his throat, a sure sign that he was getting emotional.

"Thanks, Dad," I said quietly, just to him. He pulled back, his face composed, and reached for the rest of the boxes. He turned to the door to take them out to the car.

"Let me see," Jake said, reaching for the frame. He smiled at the picture. "It's a good one. You two look so alike."

"Did you see the one he has of us?" The picture had jogged the memory loose, and I didn't think I'd shown him yet. "Come here." I reached over for the frame and held it out to Jake. He beamed.

"Man, I look good," he said, and I smacked his arm. He laughed as I put the picture back in place, brushing off the thin layer of dust on top. I took a last glance at the picture, at my and Jake's easy laugh and our closeness, before turning around.

Christmas was wonderful. Rachel cooked a huge turkey, and Billy had bought a few pre-made sides to get out of his own cooking responsibilities. Charlie loved his coaster set, and Billy got choked up when he unwrapped Jake's present, a larger wooden carving of the little wolf on my bracelet; he'd spent days working on it, making sure to finish it in time. Billy gave Jake a new part for his motorcycle, a gnarled and dirty hunk of metal that had Jake ecstatic. He handed me a present too, a tiny box that held a beautiful keychain that I could tell he'd made himself, with earthy gemstones and pounded metal feathers. I put it right onto my keys, at a loss for words for how happy I felt that he'd thought of me. And, of course, Billy and Charlie loved their joint gift, fishing gear that Jake had picked out because I had no idea what they needed. With the dads occupied and the excitement dying down, I grabbed the dirty plates and started rinsing them in the kitchen sink.

"Hey," Jake said coyly, sliding up next to me. His hand unconsciously found the small of my back. "You don't have to do that, you know."

"I want to help," I said, dropping the plate in my hand into the drying rack. "It's the least I can do."

"You wanna get out of here?" He pointed a finger at Charlie and Billy, both still huddled over the equipment like children. "They'll be there for a while."

"Are Sam and Emily doing anything at their house?"

"Sue Clearwater is, actually. The holidays are hard for her, you know, after Harry. I think she's throwing a party to take her mind off of it." I didn't know what to say to that.

"Is Leah home?"

"She came into town yesterday." I slid another clean plate into the drying rack. With the dishes done, I turned off the water and dried my hands.

"I want to go," I said, smiling. Jake grinned back, kissing my forehead. Jake popped back into the living room to tell Billy and Charlie where we were going. Rachel, sitting quietly on the couch with a laptop on her folded legs, looked up.

"Can I come?" she asked, almost hesitantly. Jake glanced over at me, and I shrugged. His face scrunched a little, debating. I knew why. Rachel didn't know about the pack, and Billy had said that he wanted to keep it that way. It was easier with Jake and I living together; he wasn't over enough for her to get suspicious about anything. But I could see the thoughts running through Jake's mind: he was wondering if it was a bad idea to bring her around all of them. It only took him a few seconds to turn back to her with a smile, nodding. Jake changed before we left, throwing on an old shirt he had left behind in the move. I rolled my eyes but let it slide. It was Christmas, after all.

Sue's house was full to the point of exploding. The guys hulked over her tiny furniture, and their massive bodies made everything feel miniature, like a doll house. Rachel was all smiles, happy to see some of the guys that she had been friends with before she left for school. She went to talk to Sam and Emily, and Jake and I squeezed past the guys to find Sue. She was standing against a far wall with Seth and Leah, a glass of eggnog in her hand, laughing at something Seth had just said. When she spotted us, she beamed and pulled me into a hug.

"Well, hello, you two!" She was a little too loud, and I suspected that there was a little something extra in her glass. "Don't you look nice, Bella!" I blushed a little, but smiled back.

"You've got a full party on your hands," I said, glancing back at the room. I caught Embry's eye momentarily, and he grinned at me.

"We're only missing Jared and Paul," Sue nearly shouted in my ear. "They went out to get some more eggnog." I peeked at Leah, who widened her eyes and held back an obvious laugh.

"Do you have any water?" I asked, and Sue motioned to the kitchen, turning her attention back to Seth. I squeezed Jake's arm as I passed him. In the fridge were a bunch of cold water bottles, and I grabbed one in each hand.

"Everybody calm down, the party's back!" I rolled my eyes, knowing without looking that Paul was back. I kicked the fridge door shut and headed back for Jake, glancing sideways at the doorway to see Paul, Jared, and Kim, each holding bottles of different brands of eggnog.

"Will you get inside and shut the door?" Emily chided, poking her head out from behind Sam. "It's freezing out there." Jared laughed, pulling the door closed with a click.

"Is that the eggnog?" Sue piped up, and I had to fight back a laugh. I was back by Jake's side, and I handed him a bottle of water. He winked at me and chugged the whole thing at once. I took a sip and turned back to face the room. Sam, Emily, and Rachel were still talking, Rachel's hands waving animatedly while Emily covered her face, laughing. The entire pack was there, even the new boys. Claire had come too, and she sat on the ground with Quil coloring in a thick book of cartoon pictures. Everyone was happy, the energy in the room light. Bits of conversation floated over to me.

"When school starts back up, I'll lose my mind if I get Teller for English," Embry was saying to Collin, who nodded in agreement.

"Which one, Claire-Bear?" Quil was asking, and Claire pointed at the blue crayon next to his shoe, which he handed over with a smile.

"I think my mom is getting me a car for my birthday," Jared told Paul, who just shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone," Emily said, beaming, as she grabbed Rachel's hand and led her away from Sam. First Quil on the floor, them Embry and Collin, then Jared and Kim. I turned around to ask Jake if he wanted more water.

There was a loud and sudden crash, and then everything was absolutely silent. I spun back around to see what had happened. There was eggnog everywhere, the two glass bottles that Paul had been holding smashed against the wooden floors. He was staring, completely slack-jawed, across the room. I followed his gaze, my eyes finally falling on Rachel.

"Oh, my God," Jake said aloud, breaking the silence. "This isn't happening."

Paul took a few steps towards Rachel, who was looking at him like I'd only ever seen in movies. He held out a hand carefully, and she stuck hers out after a few seconds. He shook her hand while a huge grin spread across his features. I'd never truly seen him smile before.

"Hi," he said, so easy. "I'm Paul." And Rachel smiled back at him, tucking her hair behind her ear with her other hand. It was so simple, but it was so intimate and personal that I felt like an intruder on something private.

"Yeah, Paul!" Jared shouted, slapping him on the back, and then suddenly everyone was talking and moving. I swiveled to face Jake, who just had his face in his hands. I put my hand on his arm, and he dragged his fingers down his face, looking pissed.

"What's happening?" I asked, the pack still loud behind me.

"Paul just imprinted," Jake said flatly. I felt my eyes widen, and I looked back at Paul and Rachel; he was staring at her, the same way Sam looked at Emily.

"That's amazing!" I squealed in an embarrassingly high-pitched voice. "I don't even know what to say, I'm so happy!" Jake made a frustrated grunting noise, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Now I'm literally gonna be stuck with Paul forever," he groaned, and I laughed, grabbing his hand and squeezing as the pack all talked over each other. Sue had a few strings of Christmas lights hanging like garland from the ceiling, and the twinkling made it feel warm and cozy. I leaned into Jake, trying to commit it all to memory, this wonderful day.

"Well, that was eventful," I said finally, breaking the not-uncomfortable silence in the car. Jake and I were driving home, back to our shared little cottage. The party had lasted all day, and we had stayed for hours. Jake offered to drive Rachel home, but she said she'd find a ride, her hand firmly gripped in Paul's. I thought it was fitting; they had a lot to talk about.

"I love those guys, but man, anyone but Paul!" Jake said, still grumpy. I laughed and shot him a sideways glance.

"I'm happy," I said, watching Jake take the twists of the road deftly. "At least now you and Billy don't have to worry about keeping the whole wolf secret from her."

"Yeah, but why Paul?" Jake groaned. I rolled my eyes and faced out the window, the thick evergreen trees whizzing past. The air outside was freezing and still dropping, the darkness of night bringing the cold with it. I pressed my hands to the heating vents in the truck, splaying my fingers out. My pocket buzzed lightly, and I reached down to pull my phone out. It was a text from Alice.

Merry Christmas Bella! I hope you're having a great holiday, and call me when you get a chance!

I typed a quick I will, and merry Christmas to you too! back. For a fleeting instant, I wondered if their family was celebrating, living their lives without me. I shook my head to clear it, focusing back on the trees out the window.

We pulled into the driveway after a few minutes, and I pulled my coat tight around myself as I hurried out of the truck and up to the door. Jake beat me to it and opened the door, and the blast of heat from inside felt great. I hung my coat carefully by the door.

"Are you thirsty?" Jake called, his voice floating to me from the kitchen.

"I'm fine," I replied, kicking off my shoes. He popped back into the living room with a glass of water, already empty.

"You know what we still have to do?"

"Hm?"

"It's Christmas, Bells." He stooped down low, reaching under our tiny Christmas tree and pulling out the two wrapped presents that had been sitting in wait for a week. I smiled. He walked over and handed me my own box, wrapped in bright red paper with a simple tag on top, 'For Jake, love you'. He kept his, a very tiny square box, and held it in both hands carefully.

"You first," Jake said, motioning to the gift in my hands. "I'm impatient." I laughed, handing him the box. He bent down and sat my tiny green box on the coffee table. He read the tag and smiled, leaning to kiss me. I lingered there, not wanting to pull away. It was our first big holiday together, and I wanted to remember it.

I'd spent weeks agonizing over Jake's present. Alice and I had talked about it endlessly, bouncing ideas off of each other. I couldn't think of a single thing that he would want or need. He was so easy-going, so simplistic and happy, that I was at a loss. It was an accident that I had ended up finding it, stumbling across it in the mall when I was shopping for something different entirely. But, when I saw it, I knew it would be perfect.

Jacob shook the box a little and looked at me with a suspicious half-smile. I raised my eyebrows and pursed my lips. He carefully tugged the wrapping paper away from the box and opened the lid. I didn't say anything, waiting for his reaction. Slowly, he wrapped his fingers around it and held it up out of the box. It was an anklet, woven from beautiful threads, all reds and browns and golds. Jake stared at it for what felt like forever. My stomach started to clench. What if he didn't like it?

"Look-" I took it from him, too fast, and pulled on either end of it, the elastic giving, "-it's stretchy, so you don't have to worry about it falling off when you phase." He was still quiet.

"I won't be mad if you don't like it," I said, trying to sound normal. "I can take it back and get something else, I know the shop had a decent return policy."

"Bella, you're insane," he said finally, snatching the anklet out of my hands. He bent down to slip it over his foot, and it looked perfect, like it was made just for him. "I love it more than anything you could've picked out." I felt a smile stretch across my face.

"Really?"

"Really." He grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me, gently and caring and beautiful. I was gasping when he pulled back. "It's perfect. Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it," I said softly, my eyes still half-closed from the kiss. He bent down, keeping his face close to mine, and tucked his tiny box into my hand.

"I guess we both think alike," he admitted, pulling back just a bit. "It's along the same lines." I glanced down at the green box and slid my finger under the tape.

"Did you go to that shop in the mall by the food court, too?" I asked, unwrapping.

"Not quite," he said, his voice suddenly quiet and emotional. I glanced up at him, but he just motioned to the box. He had double-wrapped it, and I pulled off the second layer faster than the first, that excited-anxious feeling of opening a surprise present building in me.

"I'm intrigued," I said, smiling up at him. I flicked open the lid of the little black square box, and sitting on the satin pillow was a thin woven circle. I picked it up between my fingers. The pattern was impossibly intricate for something so small, woven through with threads of a hundred colors. The bracelet was tiny but beautiful.

"I made it," Jake said finally, gently taking it out of my hand. "It's a Quileute thing. The guy makes a bracelet for his girl. It's our version of a promise ring." At that, I felt my eyebrows furrow and my eyes well up.

"Jake," I started, but he just took my hand and tied the bracelet carefully around my wrist, securing it with a tight knot. It fit perfectly, and it looked like it belonged there.

"I know that things aren't exactly perfect," he said softly, his eyes still on the bracelet as his fingers traced the line. "I know we've got a lot on our plate right now. But right now, I know I want to be with you." He locked eyes with me, his expression serious. He grabbed both of my hands in his. "I love you so much, Bella. I want you forever, no matter how long forever ends up being. I want this, and I want you. And I promise, I'll never leave, I'll never hurt you, and I'll always do everything in my power to keep you safe. I love you." I was crying, small silent tears escaping from the corners of my eyes and trailing down my face.

"Jake, I love you too," I said, my voice catching. "I never want to be with anyone but you. No matter what."

"No matter what," he repeated, squeezing my hands.

"I love you," I whispered.

"Merry Christmas," he whispered back, leaning in, our lips meeting perfectly. His arms wrapped tightly around my back, locking me to him, and I ran my hands up around his neck. I kissed him with everything, my heart sputtering in my chest. He gently reached down and picked me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, our lips still moving together. Slowly, he backed into the bedroom, shutting the door with a resounding click. He laid me down gently on the bed, pulling his face away just enough so that I could see him, really see him. God, he was beautiful.

"I love you," he said, and I wanted to hear him say those words to me every night for the rest of my life.

"Forever," I whispered. He kissed me again, and his hands on me felt strong, able. I never wanted to leave this moment, Jacob filling the space all around me, everywhere.

I didn't love Jacob for the things he gave me; I loved Jacob for everything that he was. I loved him for the good and I loved him for the bad. His joking and playful humor, his childish tantrums, his intent listening, his absence when the pack needed him, his quiet strength, his quick attitude, his beautiful eyes, his warmth; I loved all of it. He wasn't my puzzle piece but rather my equal. He wasn't everything that I lacked, but rather brought out the best of me. He made me stronger, braver; I made him gentler, kinder. We were a matched set, molding into each other like we were made together, the moon pulling the tides, complete as one.