Chapter 52 Xmas, Swan Style

BPOV

"Okay, enough with gushing women, Edward, do Carlisle's next." I nudged him on his shins and he jumped up and took over the master of ceremonies role from Carlisle for a moment.

"Have a seat dad." Edward gestured to his now vacant seat and I scooted along the floor so I could watch him open his gift from front on.

Edward took the large square box off the floor and put it in front of Carlisle's knees. "Hope you like it." He said, a cheeky grin on his face.

Carlisle slowly unwrapped the box, much too slowly for Alice' liking, she huffed and whined through the whole ordeal. Finally he had the lid of the box open and he pulled out a full-length khaki jumpsuit. He pulled it to him and studied the badges and tags that were sewn onto the front of it. "It's very nice." He said, confused.

Edward was laughing softly and the others were all twittering because they knew the joke, he did not.

"It's a flight suit Carlisle." Jasper told him.

As the information sunk in Carlisle began scratching around in the box. He'd been through this routine enough times to know there was more to this gift than just the initial object. He pulled the envelope out of the bottom of the box and began to read it aloud, without waiting to be prompted. That's why he was head of the coven I giggled.

"The bearer of this certificate is to present himself to Phoenix Airbase, February 21 to begin Air Combat Training. You will be instructed, over five days, on air combat controls, a full three-day air combat mission scenario including defensive, offensive and neutral air combat tactics. Your aircraft will be the Mig 29." He reread the card again and then smiled broadly at us all. "I think I liked Renee's reaction the best. Holy shit! Sorry Esme."

We all called for him to stand up and show us the suit properly, something he did readily and with great pride. He'd look good in it too. My mother was ogling him appreciatively, I wanted to thump her and pull her out of her catatonia but I figured I'd let her ogle, he was pretty hot.

Carlisle looked to Esme and she winked at him. Something told me they'd get a lot more use out of that flight suit than for just the eight days of his trip!

EPOV

I relinquished my MC duties to Carlisle once again.

"Not many left now, seeing as both Edward and Bella's gifts are outside that only leaves you Rosie sweetheart."

I had no idea that my gift was outside, I knew Bella's was, but I'd not had an inkling of my own. They'd all done very well hiding it from me this year. I conceded there was a lot going on around us; it wouldn't have been hard to hide the thought from me this year. It was nice to have an actual surprise for once.

Carlisle handed Rosalie yet another envelope, this one a large A4 sized one. It had a bright blue bow on the front, which she promptly ignored and tore it open. "Jesus." She whispered as she read the sheaf of papers. "Really?" She looked around the room at all the nodding faces. "Wow." It was the most animated I'd seen her for quite a while.

"Come on, spill." Emmett growled. He knew what it was but everyone had to read his or her papers out loud at Christmas.

"All right, give me a second, jeez. To dear Rosalie, After seeing your work we decided to get you something more permanent to play with. Enclosed is a share certificate. You are now the co-owner of Sam's Garage and Automotive Body Shop, Forks Washington. You are expected at work Monday January 10th at 8am sharp. P.s Sam owns 51%, you'll answer to him, play nice." She laughed so loudly Renee had to cover her ears with her hands to block it out!

"What do you think Rosie?" Emmett asked hesitantly. The gift had been his idea and he'd thought it was a good one all the way along, right up until the point where we all realized that Rose was going to have to answer to Sam. Then, well, lets just say that we were all holding a collective breath until Rose said she would do it.

"I think it's the best present I've been given since I found out I was going to be an aunt!" And with that she lunged at Emmett and took him clean off the ottoman with her. They came to a crashing stop at the base of the Christmas tree, which wobbled ominously in its barrel. Everyone looked away and made small talk while the couple expressed their delight at the gift in an animated and slightly sick making way for a few seconds.

Eventually Rose surfaced and stood in the middle of the room with the stack of papers in her hand. "I love it, great idea, it'll give me a goal and it will be a challenge to play nice. Thanks so much, I love you all." And then she plonked back down onto the ottoman as if she'd never moved.

"Right, well. That concludes the indoor presents. Renee, Charlie, would you like to get your coats and come outside for the last two?" Carlisle asked.

While everyone was gawking at their gifts or talking I pulled Bella into the dining room and pushed her up against the adjoining wall. 'You're so fucking beautiful. I want you so badly. I want you for Christmas.' I told her silently as I assaulted her mouth with mine.

She had only just begun to kiss me back properly when Emmett began yelling from the front door. "If you don't put my sister down right now Eddie I'll open your present for you."

I let Bella go, reluctantly, very reluctantly and pulled her hand into mine as we headed out the door. "Don't call me Eddie." I growled playfully at him as I came to the foot of the stairs.

"Hope you like it." Bella whispered as she kissed me on the cheek and pulled her hand out of mine. She walked away and went to stand beside her mother. I knew my mouth was hanging open but I couldn't help it.

In the driveway stood a brand new BMW Z4. It was a shiny chrome color, not silver though, chrome. So highly polished it looked like it was made of a silver mirror backing. It had an enormous red ribbon that stretched from its back end to the hood. Now, I loved my Veyron, I adored it. But this was, this was …shit…this was, well it was magnificent.

Bella giggled which snapped me out of my reverie momentarily. I took a step forward and ran a hand over its top, down the door strut to the curve of the hood. A momentary flash of Bella sprawled out along it shot through my mind before I had time to curb it and I heard Bella hiss over her teeth as she read the thought in my mind. I turned and flashed her a smug grin. She winked.

"It's…and it's for me?" I asked, turning to look at the faces that curved in an arc around the car. They were all nodding. "It's fantastic. Thank you all so much. It's…I don't know what to say…" I really didn't either. "It's more than I deserve. I have the others, you didn't need to do this for me." I told them truthfully. I had the Aston, the Veyron and the Guardian and I'd only just gotten rid of the Volvo, so I was in no desperate need for another car, but that didn't mean I didn't want it. Oh I wanted this car, desperately. I'd seen one on the road coming back from Port Angeles the night I'd taken Bella to the gallery and I'd coveted one ever since. Oh, Bella did this. She'd read me that night, she did this.

"Yeah." She whispered softly, having read that in my head just now. I flew to where she stood, wrapped my arms around her and kissed her soundly.

'Thank you baby. There is only one thing it's missing.' I was chuckling in my head as I told her that, she pulled away from me and looked at me questioningly. 'You're going to be my hood ornament.'

I let her go and left her standing beside her parents with her mouth agape, her lips in a little o shape.

BPOV

Jesus, how was I supposed to just stand here and act naturally after that?

If the baby weren't already doing flip-flops in my tummy I'd be feeling the butterflies as they twisted and turned with desire for him.

He was right, I had heard his thoughts when we'd passed this car on the highway that night. He'd loved the look of it, even though that one had been black. He'd run over its specs in his head as he followed it for a few miles then he'd recited its speed and handling information as we passed it. He wanted this car. I'd known it then and I knew it now as he got into the drivers seat and revved it.

My father was in the passenger seat clucking his tongue about how much the speeding tickets were going to cost in this car.

Emmett and Jasper begged for a turn to sit in it so pretty soon they were fighting with Rose to see who could sucker Edward into letting them have the first drive. Once he'd driven it for himself of course.

It was a testament to my persuasiveness that he knew nothing about this car. I'd kept him 'busy' when it had been delivered this morning and I'd kept him busy again this evening while Rose had driven it around to the front of the house and put it's ribbon on.

Edward flew out of the drivers seat, grabbed me by the waist, flung me around in a circle twice, kissed me firmly on the lips and told me he'd make a lap with each passenger and then we'd give me my gift. All I could do was giggle.

One at time they went out the driveway to the corner, turned right, right again, right again and then back into the drive. Charlie was tutting and muttering about how fast he'd probably need to drive to get through each lap so quickly but after he'd come back from his turn he was strangely quiet. A sort of sparkly, distant, slightly impressed look to his face. He said nothing.

With a last spray of gravel Edward parked the car at my feet and pulled me to him. "I love it, thank you all." And with that he took my lips with his, again. 'I'll show you privately how much I love it.' He told me and I shivered.

"Right, if you'd all come this way we'll give Bella her gift, shall we?" Carlisle announced.

We all filed into the now empty garage. All the cars were parked in a neat row at the front of the garage, the wide door open. I didn't see anything inside, it was just empty. Edward steered me to the centre of the garage space and turned me to face the sidewall. "In you go." He said.

"Go where?" I asked.

"Through that door Bella." He chuckled and nodded towards the door to the side of the garage. I assumed it was just a door that led back outside. Sort of like if you didn't want to open the entire garage door you just used the side door.

I went to it and turned the handle. It was dark inside so I reached for a light switch. There wasn't one. I stuck my head back out.

"No light?" I asked. They were all shaking their heads so I went inside anyway. I could see okay, I didn't really need the light that much. It took a few seconds to register what I was looking at, but when I did I gasped in shock. "Holy shit!" I yelled.

It was a darkroom. Where the door opened back on itself had hidden a deep metal trough with taps and containers lined up on a little shelf above it. Opposite that was a wide bench area with drying containers and a peg line for drying proofs and prints. At the far end of the room was a built in desk area, set back into a little recess in the wall. Complete with a slide out chair there was space for my laptop and a huge laser printer sat squarely on the surface. Overhead shelves held ream after ream of photo paper and boxes of ink. A lower shelf held software in neat little cases. I read the spines of a few and found they were photo editing suites. All kinds. Some for black and whites, some for people, some for scenery some for turning photos into other things like magnets and calendars and gifts. Everything was there. Scissors, tongs, pens and pencils. A thermometer hung on a cord from the side of the door; there was a light box and frames for proofing, towels trays and a timer clock.

I couldn't believe it. I could process and print my own work, at home, without having to drive to Seattle!

I went back out into the garage and threw myself at Carlisle. "Thank you so much daddy." I found Esme and hugged her tightly, "I love you so much, thank you for giving me a piece of your home." Next was Edward, who'd managed to keep this a secret. I knew how hard that was for him. "Thank you. I love you so much, it's perfect." I told him as I kissed him.

"Well, then, it sounds like she likes it." Carlisle concluded.

EPOV

Bella positively glowed. Now she'd be able to work from home, never having to worry about the baby. I'd be able to relax knowing she didn't have the long drive to and from Seattle or Port Angeles to print what she wanted. She'd be able to stay here and do as she pleased.

I wanted so much to take Bella up to bed now, but there was one more family ritual that I knew I'd not be allowed to miss. Carlisle shepherded us all back into the living room and we all took up our seats once again. This time Bella took centre stage, this was her idea. Sort of.

Last week we'd all woken to a note passed under our bedroom doors.

The Swan family had a tradition at Christmas too and Bella wanted us to be a part of it. I had been assigned Emmett, the note said. My name and his had been drawn from a hat in accordance with the rules, whatever they were. I wasn't privy to these rules.

I was told I could spend what I liked but the gift had to be a joke and it had to be relevant to that person. It had to mean something to them. I wasn't allowed to do or provide anything illegal, in deference to Charlie being the law, and I wasn't allowed to do anything nasty, hurtful or crude. That narrowed the fucking list I can tell you!

I knew that the others had been given the same instructions and had been assigned their receiver. I'd wracked my brain for a week to find something for the big lug and had eventually found it in a shop in Port Angeles two days ago. Up until then I'd had no clue what to get him. But I was happy with my choice now.

"So, everyone has bought their gift I hope? Now, you can hand your gift to who you drew or you can put it on the table and we'll do it anonymously, which do you prefer?" She asked with a smile.

"I'm okay with them knowing." I told her honestly. The others all agreed. It would be more fun if you knew who'd bought you what and why.

"Okay then. To be fair we always do it alphabetically. So that makes Alice first. Who drew Alice?"

Renee raised her hand and handed over a square parcel wrapped in bright red paper. Alice tore at it excitedly. Then she laughed her head off. "It's a ouija board set! Oh Renee it's fantastic. Listen to the card. 'So you don't miss anything, hope it helps.' Thanks Renee, I love it!"

"You're next Bell's." Charlie announced because Bella started with a B. "Who drew Bella?"

Emmett raised his hand and Bella groaned, loudly. Emmett tossed her a flat pack wrapped in tissue paper. She tore the ribbons off then eyed Emmett warily as she pulled the paper away. Then she laughed like Alice had. "Oh god Em, that's priceless, what a cack. Look, it's a pack of necktie napkins. The card says, 'While you're newborn the hunt can get a bit messy, hope these help.' They're brilliant Em, thanks." She ran and hugged him tightly. Everyone was still laughing as she put one around her neck. They were made out of the usual disposable napkin paper but they had large neckties printed on them. So when you tucked it into the top of your shirt it looked like you were wearing a rather formally tied tie. What a classic. Trust Emmett to find something so funny.

"You're next Carlisle. Who drew dad?" Bella asked. Rose raised her hand and passed a small box over to him.

He opened it and stared into the box in shock. "Oh god Rose. Where in gods name did you find this?" He said. Out of the box came a little desktop stationery set. But this was no ordinary desktop stationery set. This was a little plastic toilet with a little plastic man sitting on it. In his hands he held a roll of tape that was designed to look like a roll of toilet paper. The cistern part of the toilet was a note pad and penholder.

"Lift him off his throne Carlisle." Rose called.

Carlisle pulled the little man off the seat and clinging to his ass were half a dozen paperclips!

You'd be forgiven for thinking something horrible had happened because the noise of the laughter was shockingly loud as Carlisle made his little man pick up paperclips one after the other, to louder and louder catcalls.

"I'm going to take this and put it on my desk at work." Carlisle said proudly. "It's fantastic Rosie, thanks sweetheart." He beamed at her and she was very pleased that she'd given him a laugh.

'That will be hard to top. You're next dad, who drew Charlie?" she asked as Jasper raised a tentative hand. "Why do you look worried Jaz?" She giggled.

"You don't have your gun with you do you Chief?" Jasper asked with a chuckle as he passed Charlie a gift wrapped in bright blue paper.

"No son, it's at home. But I can ring for reinforcements if I need to." Charlie joked. Out of that little box came a metal tin. On the side of it was a printed picture of bacon. "Oh fuck me dead." Charlie crowed as he spun the tin in his hands. "Oh shit, sorry Esme." I don't know what cracked us up more, Charlie swearing like he did or that he too felt he should say sorry to Esme. Either way we all erupted. "It's a tin of Bacon Band-Aids. The card says, 'For the law enforcement official who has everything, Bacon Band-Aids. When there just isn't enough pork in your day.' Thanks Jasper, I'll be sure to think of you when I use them at work!" He leaned over and cuffed Jasper on the shoulder playfully.

"You're welcome, sir." Jasper said, very, very relieved that he'd not offended Bella's father. "Also, they not only look like a real rasher of bacon, they smell like one too!" he added for good measure which set everyone off again.

BPOV

They all seemed to be enjoying our little family game. We did it every year, but with only a couple of us it was never this much fun. The Cullen's all had a wicked sense of humor and I could tell that my parents were enjoying themselves a lot.

My beautiful boy was next. "Who drew Edward?" I asked excitedly. Edward groaned when my dad raised his hand.

'Shit.' Edward exclaimed in his head and I couldn't help laughing out loud. For all his bravado he was shit scared of my dad. It was rather cute really.

Charlie handed Edward an envelope with an evil grin. "Hope you make good use of it, son." My dad clapped him on the back then sat back to watch him open it.

Edward's laugh echoed around the room as he read the certificate in his hand. "Wicked Charlie, that's wicked. It's a gift certificate for defensive driving lessons. The card's a hoot, listen. 'Every family has one lunatic driver, yours has several. This year you get this, next year one of the others will. I'll be checking you used it, Chief Charlie Swan, Officer in charge, Forks Police Department."

Edward shook Charlie's hand and laughed out loud with everyone else. "It's brilliant Charlie, thanks so much. I'll look forward to terrorizing the instructor." Edward chuckled.

"Hey, old Tom Rogers is a real good guy, he'll have a heart attack if you drive like you did with me." Charlie laughed.

Edward shrugged as if he didn't care and tucked the gift certificate into his pocket. "I drew Emmett, he's next." Edward said before I had a chance to ask. I could tell he was eager to give Emmett his gift and I knew he'd put a lot of thought into it.

A rectangular box was passed down the sofa until it rested in Emmett's huge hands. He shook the box but no sound came from it. He sniffed it then put his ear to it. "Just checking it's not an explosive device, you gotta watch Eddie." He chuckled.

"Don't call me Eddie asswipe. Sorry Esme." Edward hissed.

Emmett tore off the paper and held out a pair of what looked like dirty, used y-fronts. Almost everyone screwed up his or her faces in disgust. I looked to Edward and was about to ask 'what the fuck' when Emmett began howling with laughter. "Oh jeez Ed, that's fucking fantastic. Sorry Esme. But shit, I've never seen anything like this, what a classic. Thanks bro." He was laughing so hard half of what he said sort of slurred out the side of his mouth.

"What the hell Em?" Rose asked, pointing at the undies cautiously.

"It's a dirty underwear safe Rosie. For when I'm traveling. Look." He held them out in front of himself and unzipped the y-front part to reveal a little hidey-hole. "When you're traveling you put your money and valuables in there and then you zip them shut. You put them back in your suitcase. Aint nobody gonna go looking through the front of dirty jocks to find your goodies are they?" That set the whole room to laughing as we all got the joke.

Charlie clapped Edward on the back and told him it was inspired. Calls of 'hard to top', 'blood smart ass' and 'what the hell was the guy who invented those thinking' shot around the room as everyone had a look at Emmett's new toy.

"Esme's next, I drew you Esme." I told her and plonked a long, flat box into her lap.

"Um, thank you." She said, a little nervous after watching everyone else unwrap his or her novelty gifts. She slid the bright pink bow off the box and opened it to reveal a naughty nurses costume.

"Thanks Bella!" Carlisle yelled from beside his wife.

That set all the ladies to giggling. Esme just stared up at me. "Good god." She whispered. "It's very cheeky. Look, it's even got a stethoscope. Not necessary for us but I could use it to tether you to…oh, oops…" and that started everyone to laughing. "Thanks Bella dear." She managed to squeak out between giggles.

The loudest laugh was Carlisle, but nothing could eclipse the smile on Esme's face. She winked at me as I was about to ask for the next gift giver.

"Jasper's next, who drew Jaz?" I asked. Carlisle raised his hand and threw a small parcel to his son who was perched on the floor with Alice between his knees.

He tore open the package to reveal a bright, neon green thumb wrestling ring. It was an exact replica of a real ring complete with guide ropes, side skirts and the WWE logo stamped in the centre. It had two small holes where you poked your thumbs through. The loud peal of a bell would sound for round one as he flicked the tiny metal button underneath. "Brilliant Carlisle. If Shrek here can fit his thumb through it we'll have a monumental Thumb Wrestling World Championship bout." He nodded towards Emmett who looked offended at being likened to a giant ogre but shrugged when he realized he did have enormous thumbs.

We watched as the two of them fought for a few minutes before it descended into an all out brawl as Emmett dived off the ottoman and launched himself at Jasper. It took Esme threatening to ground them from the Xbox before they broke apart and sat back down.

"Mom, you're next. Who drew Renee?" I asked as the boys took their seats.

"I did." Sang Esme happily. She passed a small box to Renee and we all heard the clink of metal as Renee shook it carefully.

"Hmm, definitely metal." Renee said as she undid the ribbon and slid off the paper. "Oh god, Esme, you shocker!" she gasped as she pulled from the box a pair of fur lined handcuffs. "There's a card. 'What good is having the law on your side if you can't exploit it.' Thanks Esme, I'll put them to good use." And with that she jangled them in front of my dad's face, which was now puce.

Loud calls of 'way to go Renee' and 'take him down officer' rang around the room as we all laughed in unison.

Who knew Esme had it in her?

That only left Rose, which meant Alice had bought for her. I'd been eager to see this one, I didn't quite know what sort of sense of humour either girl had. This would show me.

"Alice, you have Rose, right?" I asked and Alice tossed a small parcel to her sister that landed daintily in her lap.

Rose shook it and sniffed as Emmett had done with his, but noted nothing significant. She said it felt heavy but other than that she had no idea what it could be. Once she'd discarded the paper she began laughing, loudly.

"Oh god, you witch." She laughed at Alice who was beaming at her sister fondly.

Rose took what looked like an ordinary construction workers measuring tape out of the little cardboard box. She held it out so we could all see it, then she read from the box. "The Dumb Blonde Measuring Tape. The card says, 'When the blonde in your life needs a little help, this is sure to suffice.'" She pulled the tape out and started laughing again.

There were no numbers on it at all. At the one foot mark there was the picture of a single foot, at a foot and a half there was a foot and a half drawn, at two feet there were two feet etc. Rose was laughing hysterically and hugging Alice to her tightly.

"I love it little sister." Rose crowed and kissed Alice resoundingly on her cheek. Alice wiped it off with a grimace but anyone who was watching could see the love between them, even if one was picking on the other with a gag gift.

I went and sat back down between Edward's knees as everyone began to play with their respective gifts. I read over the gift certificate Edward had gotten from my dad and I ribbed him good naturedly about needing to do the course before I'd let him take our baby in a car.

My dad was busy trying to undo the handcuffs my mother had put around one of his wrists and Esme already had her nurses hat perched on the crown of her head. Carlisle was watching her lasciviously, a giant smirk on his face, his desk set sitting on his knees.

Alice was pushing the little upturned glass around the outside of her ouija board and making grandiose predictions in a fake clairvoyants voice.

Jasper and Emmett were thumb wrestling, of course. Rose was trying to referee but the boys were cheating, as always.

I looked around the room at all the people I loved, they were all here, all having the time of their lives. As Edward bent down to kiss me I had only one wish, that Seth was having a nice Christmas too.

EPOV

"I'm going to take my fiancé up to our room to exchange our personal gifts. We'll see you all tomorrow. Good night everyone, thank you for all the gifts." I waited until Bella had kissed everyone goodnight and then I took her hand and led her up to our room.

I pulled her down next to me on the sofa and kissed her soundly. "I love you beautiful girl, thank you for all you did for me today."

"You are most welcome. It's so hard to keep a secret from you!" She teased.

"I have something for you, would you like it now?" I asked tentatively. After the enormous and more than generous gifts we'd been given from the family sometimes our more personal gifts could seem slightly lacking. I'd waited a long time to give her these though, and I was eager to see her wear them.

"You didn't need to get me anything else Edward." She huffed. "But yes, I'd like it now." She giggled.

I took her hand and kissed her fingers, "Then you shall have it now." I told her.

I went into my closet and drew out the two parcels I had hidden there. I put them into her lap. "With the wedding so close it was hard to choose something to give you now, something that I wasn't already planning to give you on our wedding day."

She put the presents on the coffee table in front of us and went to her beside table and drew out two wrapped parcels herself. When she came back to the sofa she put them both in my lap. "I'm the same. I had an awful time trying to think of something for now and then something original for the wedding."

It seemed we were both in a tight spot. "Lets open the first one at the same time." I suggested and she smiled in agreement. I counted us down, from three to one, and then we both ripped the paper off the first of our gifts.

I held in my hand a leather bound book. It had my initials stamped in it the same way my satchel did. E.A.M.C in gold embossing stood out from the front cover. I opened it and it was filled with blank music grids. Page after page of possibilities. "Thank you Isabella, it's perfect." I told her with a kiss to her temple.

I looked over to where she held the pair of sapphire earrings between her fingers. "They're gorgeous Edward, thank you." She whispered.

As she hung them from her ears I told her they had been my mothers and I wanted her to have them and wear them as her something blue on our wedding day, as my mother would've wanted for her future daughter-in-law. Bella told me she'd be honored to wear them and kissed me soundly.

"Let's open the other one the same way." She suggested this time. She counted us down and after she'd counted down to one I held in my hand a letter.

It was a letter telling me I had time. Recording time. A booth had been reserved for me at the Seattle School of Music recording rooms. I had six hours of recording time to use to put my music onto disc. "Isabella." I whispered, stunned. "Thank you." I didn't know what else to say other than thank you. She'd stunned me. I'd never thought of doing it, never thought to see if it was possible. But she'd known, she'd found out, she'd done this, for me. "I love you." I told her quietly.

"I love you too Edward." She replied, looking down at the children's atlas she'd just unwrapped.

"Read the inscription on the front page my love." I told her by way of explaining the strange gift.

"For Isabella, I've colored in Italy. Point to where you wish to explore next and I will make it happen. You are my world, Edward." She ran her hand over my signature at the bottom of the inscription and then threw her arms around me. "Thank you Edward. But I want to start in Italy, again. As soon as we're able, will you take me back and explore it with me again?" She asked. As if I could deny her this.

"That inscription is an IOU Bella, I meant every word of it. You point to where you want to go and I will take you. Anywhere. But Italy is a damn fine start my love."

I carried her to our bed after that. With one last pat to her belly I showed her just how much I loved her that night.