How appropriate to post a chapter about Christmas Eve, on Christmas Eve! :D Happy Holidays everyone!

BELLA POV

Edward and I laughed as we saw Emmett and Jasper trying to arm wrestle on Christmas Eve. Jasper and Emmett were fairly even, though Emmett was a bit stronger than Jasper. Edward and Alice already knew who was going to win, but still watched anyway. We were all gathered around the dining room table that was usually used for family meetings. Carlisle and Esme wanted to have a Christmas Eve party, so they invited Charlie and myself over. Charlie watched with wide eyes as Jasper and Emmett were growling at each other. Finally Jasper gave up and Emmett emerged victorious. Emmett flashed a perfect smile to Rosalie and she flaunted Emmett around on her arm. Charlie and Carlisle were watching basketball in the other room and looked to see Emmett rubbing his victory in Jasper's face.

Esme made a mountain load of food. I was stuffed full of the best food I had ever consumed. I was so surprised watching all of the Cullens consume their food. They had smallish portions, but it was a human sized meal. Edward looked at me and said, "Do you want dessert?"

"Ugh, no not now. I think I gained twenty pounds just from that meal."

Edward laughed and said, "I know, I think this food will not settle with my stomach either, but we did it to be polite."

"I know you did, and thank you Edward, it was very nice of you and your family to make sacrifices."

"It wasn't that big of a sacrifice, just means we'll all have to hunt later tonight to get the tastes out of our mouths."

"As long as you'll be okay, I was pretty concerned at first. Though the food was delicious, too bad you couldn't taste it."

"Yeah, everything tastes like dirt to me, so I guess I'll take your word for it."

"You should become a chef, if you guys are capable of making good food, but can't eat it. Restaurants won't have to worry about their employees stealing their food."

"Nice try, I don't think cooking is really my thing though." Edward laughed again and squeezed my hand. He then lead me to the piano and started to play my lullaby. Then he bridged into Esme's favorite song, and finally merged into Christmas music. Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice all came into the room then and started singing along. Though the Cullens weren't religious, this was all apart of their charade. Edward told me once that they celebrated the winter solstice, however that day passed a couple days ago. Everyone sang except me. I refused to make a fool out of myself in front of everyone.

"Bella, come on, join in!" Alice said shaking my left shoulder.

"Oh, no way, you are not going to get me to sing!" I started to shake my head and crossed my arms.

"Please Bella? Do it for me?" Alice started to make the puppy-dog-pout face; she knew my weakness.

"No Alice, don't do that to me." I turned my head away and debated joining Charlie and Carlisle watching basketball.

"Bella, you don't have to do anything you don't want to, though this is for you." Edward replied softly.

Edward really knew my weakness. I sighed and said, "Okay, just pick one that I might know all the words to please."

Edward flashed a crooked grin and began playing 'O Christmas Tree' and I was thankful I watched Charlie Brown Christmas every year when it was on tv. I reluctantly sang along and when the song ended everyone turned and stared at me.

"Bella, you have a beautiful voice," Emmett commented.

"Oh you're just saying that to make me blush," I spat back.

"No Bella, he's right." Jasper said.

The rest of the Cullens shook their heads in agreement and looked at me in awe. My voice of course did not compare to theirs but they still looked at me anyway.

"Bella, I didn't know you could sing so well," Edward said grabbing my hand.

"Well I sing in the shower all the time, and I used to sing all the time when I was little, but I never thought I was any good."

"Bella, you are extraordinary!" Esme said walking into the room. "I was cleaning up dishes and I could hear your voice. It's very lovely."

I blushed madly and said, "Okay, enough singing for one night."

"I guess we shouldn't torture her anymore, though we should get her enrolled in a choir class!" Alice said.

"It's time to open presents anyway," Esme said and then clapped her hands twice. Carlisle turned off the tv and came into the room. I went and grabbed the presents I got for each of the Cullens. I thought about it long and what to get, and I know Alice already knew what her present is. I hoped Edward didn't ask Alice what his present, I want to see him surprised.

"I'm not opening any presents until all of you open your presents!" I said passing out each present to the corresponding Cullen. Each took a seat in a circle, and Edward remained on the piano bench.

"I'll go first!" Alice said. She delicately unwrapped the paper and revealed a small box. She opened it and said, "Oh how great Bella! This will be a blast!" Alice was an excellent actress, I knew she actually liked her present, but she seemed very surprised so Charlie would not be suspicious. I had gotten Alice a pair of concert tickets, and the plan is to go together. We discovered a new band together and loved them so much we wanted to see them in concert. "Thank you so much Bella, I'm so excited! Maybe we can meet the band..." I knew the rest of us had lost her to fantasies.

"I'll go next," Jasper said, breaking the silence. He opened the box to find a very nice burgundy sweater. "Oh Bella, what a great color! I've been running low on sweaters." I had been apprehensive getting Jasper clothes, but I could not think of anything else to get him. He liked it all the same, and that made me happy.

"Okay, my turn then," Rosalie said quietly. Even though Rosalie and I do not normally get along with each other, we still exchange gifts, and I felt the need to put some thought into it. She unwrapped the paper as delicately as Alice had and revealed another small box like Alice's. She opened it and gave me a sincere smile. She lifted a necklace out of the box and revealed a beautiful pink butterfly pendant attached to it. She put it on and it looked perfect against her pale skin. "Wow, Bella, it's so pretty. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it." I was surprised to get that reaction out of Rosalie, those were the most words I have ever heard her speak to me.

"Well since Rosalie went, it's my turn!" Emmett said triumphantly. He tore through the paper, yet still delicately and opened the box. He pulled out a U of W sweatshirt and held it against his chest. "Alright Bella! Thanks!!" He slipped it over his head and said, "You even got the size right, it fits!"

"I had a little bit of help with the size, but glad you like it Emmett!" I winked at Alice because she knew what size to get Emmett.

"Edward, would you like to go, or should Carlisle and I open our presents?" Esme asked.

"You two go ahead, I want to be the last," Edward replied.

Esme opened her present and got a U of W sweater. "Bella, this is so sweet of you, thanks very much." Esme bowed her head in my direction.

Carlisle opened his gift and received a book. "It's for your library," I said. "It's a new author and I found it at the bookstore. It looked interesting, so I hope you like it."

"It looks very interesting, I'll be sure to start reading as soon as I have time." He winked at me and I knew he would start it tonight. It warmed my heart knowing Carlisle liked his gift too.

"Okay, now for my turn," Edward said as he began to unwrap his present. He opened the box and found a picture frame with the two of us smiling widely. The picture was taken a couple days ago and the picture frame said 'love' along the outside. On the back of the frame there was an engraving on the wood. It said:

Edward, I love you so much, always and forever. I am so lucky to have met someone as wonderful as you. Love, Bella.

If Edward could cry, he would have. He looked up at my face and gave me the biggest smile I have seen ever. "Bella, love, this is wonderful. This present has everything, and all you ever needed to give me was you." He bent down and kissed my forehead.

"I'm glad you like it Edward, I spent forever thinking about what to get you."

"Well, now it's time for Bella and Charlie to open their presents!" Carlisle said grabbing some of the presents under the Cullen Christmas tree.

"Oh you guys didn't have to get me a present," Charlie said.

"Oh no no we insist!" Carlisle said.

Carlisle set a present in front of Charlie and said, "All of us pitched in to get you this, we hope you like it."

Charlie unwrapped the present and opened it. He was in shock, his eyes permanently glued to the box. It was a new laptop that Charlie had been eyeing since it was released. "Oh my gosh! This is such an expensive gift, you guys shouldn't have done this. Wow, this has only been out for three weeks!" Charlie was now giddy and excited.

"Okay Bella, time for your presents!" Esme said. She handed me a couple boxes. She pointed to one and said, "This one is from Carlisle, myself, Emmett, and Rosalie." I carefully unwrapped the paper being cautious the last time I unwrapped presents around the Cullens I almost died. I opened the box and found a new iPod Touch!

"Holy crap!" I exclaimed. "This is amazing, thank you all so much! I can't believe it, I've wanted one of these for so long!"

"This is to replace your lame CD player," Emmett said.

"Thanks everyone, this is really wonderful!"

I reached for the next box and saw it was from Alice and Jasper. I unwrapped the paper and found a gift certificate of one hundred dollars to Macy's in a little box. "Wow, thank you so much Jasper, Alice. You guys do know how much I need new clothes." I gave them hugs and sat back down looking at the iPod.

"Bella, you get to wait for my present until it's actually Christmas," Edward said. I wondered immediately what Edward could have possibly gotten me, I already have everything I need.

"In that case, thank you all so much, this has been wonderful," Charlie said. "I'm afraid it's getting late though, we should let you guys rest and leave you alone." Charlie got up and shook Carlisle's hand and gave a short hug to Esme. "Come on Bells, let's get going, I bet you're tired."

Disappointed that we already had to leave, I turned to everyone and said, "Well thank you all so much, you guys are very generous. I'm sure I'll see you all tomorrow!"

Everyone gave me a thanks in return and an early 'Merry Christmas'. Charlie and I went home and before Edward came through my window I started putting music on my iPod. Charlie already went to bed so I knew I would not have to worry about him telling me to go to bed. I assumed Edward was out hunting to get rid of the dirt taste in his mouth. I became anxious and could not breathe for a minute. Eventually he slid through my window as quiet as a mouse.

"Ah, there you are!" I said trying not to be too loud. Charlie's snoring picked up slightly.

"I'm sorry I made you wait, I needed to hunt a couple deer, now I'm doing okay."

"Good to know. Wow I can't believe your family gave me an iPod, this is so generous of them."

"Well your gifts are generous too, after you left everyone either put on their gifts, started reading them, or in my case I put it on my desk in my room. I really love the gift you gave me Bella, it's perfect in absolutely every way."

"I wracked my brain trying to get something that would send the right message, and I guess that did the trick."

"Yes, because you are in it and it came straight from your heart." Edward wrapped his arms around me and kissed my cheek. I looked at the clock on my wall and it said eleven fifty-five.

"Five more minutes until Christmas!" I said.

"Well you're not getting your present 'till morning, and I think you're going to like it."

"Now I'm anxious, do I get any hints?"

"No!" I already knew that was coming, but I thought I would try anyway.

"Well there is one more surprise for you," I said.

"What is it?"

I walked over to the door and pointed up to the ceiling. There was a mistletoe hanging that I installed just that morning. The whole thing seemed cheesy, but I wanted to do it anyway.

Edward laughed and said, "Wow, you really want to enjoy everything about Christmas, don't you?"

"Yes indeed, this will be my last Christmas as a human, I'm getting the most out of it." Edward's smile disappeared.

"So, you are still going through with it at the end of the school year?"

"Yes Edward, forever is where I want to be as long as it's with you. This is what I want, and I hope you'll be happy for me."

"Of course Bella, anything that makes you happy, makes me happy."

"Well, it's midnight, and I'm standing under a mistletoe..."

"Oh, why no one should be left underneath a mistletoe!" Edward said sarcastically. He waltzed over to where I was standing and put his arms around my waist. He bent down slowly and kissed me with a great joy. This kiss lasted a full minute and when Edward finally pulled apart I had to sit down because I was so dizzy. He came and sat next to me on my bed and caressed my cheek.

"Merry Christmas Bella. You are my one and only love, and I'm glad I can spend this magical holiday with you." He started humming my lullaby and rocked me back and forth in his arms. Within seconds I fell into a deep sleep and dreamed of egg nog and Christmas carols.