I promised a Christmas Chapter!

Here it is!

Enjoy!

A Merry Christmas to you all!

Reviewers:

GraceEllingson - Thank you sweetheart! I know, I hate it when people push and pull around and ignore when that person is right in front of them...it is so maddening.

Kat Smith - Share your pop corn with me, lol. Also, you got lost at Costco? Ok, ok, I won't laugh...too much. And I can't bear if one of my dearest readers die, so I will definitely make a book 4 :D Thank you for the Christman presents...here's yours! *Gives chapter*

All was set.

Ben and Angela and Mike and Lauren were set to leave with the tickets I'd given to Stephen. Bella and Charlie were going to be in La Push with Billy and the two youngest wolfs and Stephen was coming with us.

I had spent hours with him, brain storming anything and everything that could go wrong, going as far as making flow charts and it had made Alice so antsy, seeing so many versions of the future through me and she'd finally ripped the papers out of my hands and practically shoved me to Edward's room, where he's tried hard to reassure me.

"I know you're worried, but can't you just focus on us for tonight? I need to be able to take some time with you before I have to leave." He whispered seductively, a hand trailing slowly down my back while the other moved to my hair, massaging it delicately.

I sighed, closing my eyes when I felt something cold and metallic against my wrist. I opened my eyes to see his fingers clasping a silver bracelet on my left hand, a crystal heart swinging from it.

"It was,"

"Your mother's," I said softly.

He nodded, "I inherited some family jewelry over the years and I wanted you to have it. To represent my heart in your hands, if you will," he said, stroking the inside of my arm as he stared at the bracelet.

"It's beautiful." I whispered.

"Not as much as you," he said, making me snort.

"No, you don't understand. You think I'm joking but trust me; you're too beautiful for your own good. Not just in the face, but your soul…I'm always afraid of making a mistake that would have me lose you." He said.

"Don't be silly. I'm too stubborn and reckless to be handled by anyone but my over protective and over reactive boyfriend."

I pulled myself on to his lap so I could wound my arms around his neck to press my lips gently to his. We sighed at the same time in relief, the lost intimacy rekindling again as he moved his hands to my waist, holding me to him enthusiastically, returning the kiss. His lips moved faster, making me pull away for breath as he trailed down my neck, dipping into my collarbones as I let out a small whimper.

He stopped immediately, feeling me wrap my legs tighter around his thigh, grinding down on it. His eyes widened, looking up at me in shock before closing his eyes tight, a growl erupting from his throat.

"Don't do that." He snapped suddenly.

I froze, looking at him in surprise as his eyes softened at my expression. "Just…you're making it so hard to resist you right now." He breathed. I just stared at him before smiling. "Well, who says you have to? We're alone and Stephen doesn't have super human hearing…" I leant down to kiss his ear lobe and he laughed.

"Of all the things to be thinking of tonight…" he sighed, when I hummed along his cheek.

"You wanted me to think of us, right? I'm thinking of us." I said.

"Yes, but," he trailed off when I began to press kisses against the column of his neck, leaning into him so he sat back against his pillows, my legs straddling him. His breath deepened with each kiss and I had to admit I was enjoying myself. It had been so long since he'd touched me and I wanted him, I wanted more of him.

"I want you." I said.

"I'm already yours." He said, craning his neck to frown at me.

"That's not what I meant." I said, rolling my eyes, watching his cheeks color in amusement.

"Oh…"

"What's wrong? You're not going to ask me to marry you to sleep with you, are you?" I asked, severely, ready to get off of him but his hands shot out, gripping my waist so I didn't move.

"No, of course not; I'd probably get smacked. I just…I don't want you to feel like we're rushing into it," he said, tilting his head so he could watch the rain from his window.

I raised my eyebrows. "Nearly a year of a relationship is rushing into it for you?" I asked.

"No, but making love on the eve of a battle is…I don't want you to do it because you're scared." He frowned.

"I'm not scared. I know you'll come back to me," I touched his cheek softly and he sighed, leaning into it. He opened his eyes to look at me.

"Not tonight…I've already coveted you so much, I won't covet this. I will do it properly."

"Please don't propose." I begged and he laughed.

"I maybe old, love, but I have kept with the time. You have me, mind, heart and whatever is left of my soul, why should I deny you my body?" he smiled, just a tab bit suggestively which I returned.

"Oh yeah, after all, it's a sexy body." We both giggled as I leaned forward, this time pressing a sweet kiss to his lips before snuggling into his chest.

When I woke up, I was surprisingly on his side of the bed before I remembered that I had fallen asleep on top of him. He'd probably gone to hunt. I lay there, still in the clothes from last night thinking about what had happened.

Did we just agree to sleep with each other after this was done? I shivered as an unintelligible feeling coursed through me. What it would be like, I wondered. He didn't have a marble body like in the books; it was as supple as a human's so there wasn't a chance of brutalizing me…which was probably why he had been so open minded in the beginning.

Another thought popped up of how many times he'd done it…I tried to keep from feeling jealous and succeeded…mostly.

I could hear conversation downstairs so I quickly moved to my bag before going into his bathroom to get dressed.

By the time I came downstairs, Edward had returned, his smile radiant as he wrapped an arm around me, a standard for all mated vampires I noticed. Everyone had their arms around each other, except for Stephen, or maybe it was just battle nerves.

"Ok, so here's the plan. Stephen and Tulika will walk straight through the clearing; we will follow in parallels so it doesn't seem like a trap. Once we've set a path for the Army to follow, the wolves will take them to the safe house that's been prepared for them to spend the day in." Carlisle said.

I took a look around my new family and extended ones. They looked calm, even Laurent didn't once look at me, focusing on the tall blonde Cullen head.

They picked up their bags, swinging them onto their shoulders and headed out while Stephen and I slowly followed.

We stopped at the edge of the clearing. "You'll be very safe. Both of you; Jasper will keep an eye on Stephen and I will always have an eye on you." Edward said, digging into his jacket pocket for a beanie and pushing it down on my head, tucking in my hair carefully. "Start heading north," he said.

I nodded turning to face the forest face before pausing, looking up at Stephen to see him looking equally lost. "Uh…"

Edward smiled kindly, pointing out the right direction and I grasped Stephen's hand tightly, in reassurance as we began to walk along our designated path.

"So, you sure you don't hate me for this?" Stephen asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You know…coming with you. I know how you get when I try to be stupid with you."

"You're already stupid, Steph. I can't stop it." I said giggling when he squeezed my hand, chuckling lightly.

"I just didn't want you to be in any more danger than you already are in. you should've gone to La Push." I said.

"Tulika, I love Bella, I do…but I would never forgive myself if I ever let anything happen to you…and that involves having my neck snapped by a vampire." He muttered.

I sneaked a peak at him and he made a face…

"In theory, of course,"

There it was.

About 100 yards in, Edward was suddenly next to us, waiting with one hand stretched in front of me as the tree line broke, revealing a large russet brown wolf, watching our stance in amusement. I huffed, reaching out to push Edward's hand down as he gave me a look before nodding at the wolf.

"You know where to take them?" he asked.

The huge wolf head bobbed up and down.

"I'll see you later," he said, leaning down to kiss my temple before looking at Stephen. "Stay safe you two," he mumbled before fading back into the trees as Jake, enormous wolf Jake bent down.

"Wait, are we going to ride you?" I asked, horrified.

Jacob rolled his eyes before nodding again.

"Come on, we don't have much time." Stephen said as he drew me to the side, lifting me up easily and putting me directly on Jacob's back, behind his shoulder joints as he clambered behind me, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

Jacob shook with laughter under us as he got up and Stephen and I both said 'jerk' together.

He turned his head slightly as if to say Hold on tight before he started running.

We were thrown back and if it wasn't for my tight hold on Jacob's pelt and Stephen's hold on mine we surely would've toppled off as he streaked past the trees, heading up the mountain.

The air was silent, no animals to be seen or heard as my skin froze even through all the layers Alice had put on me, my fingers numbing with the cold and the amount of pressure I was using.

Soon we were on top of a side mountain, the ground mostly still dirt and rocks as Jacob trotted to a stop, in front of a large wooden cabin. I gaped at it as Stephen slid off, waiting for a second as Edward walked out, flashing to my side to help me off.

"A cabin that big…are you sure it's inconspicuous?" I asked.

"Yes, its way away from the path you've set and by the time the storm hits, my scent will fade away. Now come on, let's get you inside. Thank you, Jacob." He said and Jacob shrugged before looking once at me and then taking off again.

Enjoy your Christmas you guys!