Disclaimer - I don't own Twilight


Under the Mistletoe

Chapter Six

"Where's Emmett?" I asked Edward anxiously as I entered the playroom at the hospital. The space had been transformed completely. Sofas and armchairs were revolved so that they all faced the farthest side of the room, where the Christmas tree shown brightly in all its brilliance. We'd dimmed the ceiling lights to allow the beauty of the glowing Christmas lights draping the window to be seen. The paper snowflakes had been sprinkled with glitter, and they sparkled…like magic, as one small child had put it. I agreed wholeheartedly.

Then there was one more massive armchair situated near the tree, underneath a red and white striped plastic arch – Santa's chair. If he ever showed up. He'd been due to arrive thirty minutes ago. The party began in another thirty minutes, and Emmett had to be here.

"Don't worry, I just called Rosalie," Edward assured me as he set down a tray of cookies on the refreshment table. "She's putting the finishing touches on Emmett, so they should be here soon." We could never have trusted Emmett to get himself ready, so we were relying on Rosalie to get the job done.

"Fine," I sighed in relief. "Those kids are dying to get into this room. Don't open the door, whatever you do." I chuckled. I'd had to nudge a few children out of the way and then squeeze through the tiny opening I'd made to get in.

"We might have to start this thing as soon as Emmett gets here," Edward agreed. "They're all going a little crazy."

"They have been waiting for this for weeks," I pointed out. Christmas Eve was finally here, and although I was eager to witness the children's delight when they met 'Santa' and received their presents, I was also nervous. Butterflies raged in my stomach whenever I thought of Mandy and the kiss, and I'd felt nauseous for the hours.

Edward noticed. "Are you alright?" he asked anxiously as I flopped down in one of the chairs. "You look a little pale." He came to crouch by me and put a hand to my forehead. "You feel fine, so you can't have a fever." He smiled tenderly. "Don't get sick on me, Bella," he teased. "I can't handle all those kids on my own! Emmett doesn't count, you know.

I giggled, trying to ignore the close proximity. The electricity had gotten worse since the incident in the Cullen's front yard a week ago. Neither of us ever mentioned it, but I noticed the distance Edward had kept carefully between us all week. This was probably the closest we'd been for days.

"Edward-" I began, but then the door swung open to reveal Rosalie. I could make out a mob of eager faces pressing in around her, but she gently pushed them back and managed to get in and close the door before any little people could slip around her.

"It's like madhouse out there," she commented. She stopped when she saw Edward bent over me. I blushed. "Was I interrupting something?" she asked cautiously.

Edward righted himself hastily. "No. Bella…just looked a little pale."

Rose eyed me. "Bella always looks pale." It was true. But I knew what Edward was talking about. I hadn't been myself all day, and I knew exactly why, even if Edward didn't.

"Where's Emmett?" I asked.

"Hiding downstairs," Rose told me. "He wasn't supposed to come up yet, right?"

"Right." I nodded in relief. Emmett would be arriving after we allowed the children and their families entry. After all, we needed to give 'Santa' time to get here in his sleigh.

"Now everyone is where they're supposed to be," I sighed, closing my eyes as another wave of nausea washed over me. I pressed my aching head to the back of the chair and smiled slightly. "Well, except the kids who have their noses pressed up to the door."

Edward chuckled, but I knew him well enough to hear the worry in the sound. I supposed my position on the chair wasn't very reassuring, because when I opened my eyes again he was watching me anxiously. "Maybe you should go home," he suggested cautiously. He was so obviously worried, but he knew how much I wanted to be here tonight. Especially for Mandy…

"I'm fine," I sighed, forcing myself to stand and ignore my throbbing headache. "What else needs to be done?" I asked, looking around the room for anything to occupy my hands and keep my mind off of that kiss.

"Um, calm a mob of Christmas high kids?" Rosalie joked as the noise coming from the laughter and excited chatter outside the door abruptly escalated.

"Ok, how about I assign that job to you?" I teased back, feeling a little better now that I wasn't all alone with Edward. I supposed I was being a little melodramatic. Rosalie stuck her tongue out at me.

The door opened again, and this time Carlisle joined us. "Are you ready in here?" he asked Edward and me, smiling at Rose in greeting. "Most of the parents have arrived, and it's getting harder to control these children." The affectionate smile on his face softened his words. I knew Carlisle thought of them all as his own children, and I was grateful that Mandy was in his care – no better doctor could have been chosen to treat the sick little girl.

Edward smiled. "Yeah, we're just about ready, aren't we Bella?"

I nodded. "We're all set," I agreed.

"Alright, I'll go and announce the good news. Be prepared for some pretty enthusiastic kids. We've heard about nothing else all week." He smiled and turned to go, but, his hand on the doorknob, he looked back at us once more. "I can't thank you all enough for doing this," he said solemnly. "It's very mature of you, and very kind. You can't begin to imagine how much it means to us, to the children and the staff."

Edward smiled at his father and I nodded. "There's nothing else we'd rather be doing Carlisle, really," I assured him, my heart surging with the knowledge that I was able to help in this way. I smiled at Edward as we shared in the moment. I could feel Carlisle's knowing eyes on us before he left.

"Ready?" Rose smirked at us.

"You're helping too," Edward reminded her.

"No, actually, I'm just here for the show. Have fun." She plopped down in a chair in the back of the room with a devious smile on her face. Before I could protest, a mob of children with way too much pent up excitement poured through the door, laughing and grinning like crazy. I forgot to be angry. They looked so happy, and all the time and work we'd put into this was automatically worth it.

Edward grinned at me and tugged me with him to the other side of the room, where the Christmas tree was erected proudly in the corner, its lights twinkling. We stood next to it and waited for everyone to squeeze inside, including the parents and siblings of the hospital kids. The noise hadn't died down – in fact it had only gotten worse now that there were so many people in the small room. Edward had to call loudly to get everyone's attention, but eventually the volume was reduced to the point where we could be heard. Edward and I both knew that we would never get all the kids to settle down completely, so we were taking what we could get.

Edward spoke first, greeting the parents and thanking them for coming, commenting on how wonderful the kids were, and how much work they put in to decorating the playroom. We had decided to keep it short, knowing how impatient the children were for Santa. As Edward's speech came to an end, many of them were staring at us dully, bored. Some of them were pleading with their eyes, and I couldn't help but smile at their adorable expressions.

"Alright," I began when Edward was done. "Now for the moment you've all been waiting for. All the way from the North Pole, making a very special trip to our very own Forks to see all of you in person, Santa Claus!" I waved my hand dramatically in the direction the door. Every single one of the children had their head turned expectantly. I caught sight of Mandy. Even her cheeks were a bit flushed, and she looked happier than I had seen her in ages. She wasn't looking for Santa Claus; she was watching Edward and me. When I caught her eyes, she smiled, like we were sharing a secret.

I realized we were. Mistletoe…

Then the door was thrown open, and a chubby old man in a red suit and fluffy white beard came bumbling in. Even under the beard, I could make out the wide grin on his face. Oh, Emmett. He sauntered in, trying his best to maintain an upright position while balancing at least half a dozen concealed pillows tucked under his belt, and hauling a huge bag on his back. Edward and I shared an amused look while Emmett came forward and tried to fit himself in the chair near us.

The kids' uproarious cheers and greetings were deafening. I felt a little sorry for the parents, who were plugging up their ears with their hands. I raised my hand for silence but was blatantly ignored. I turned to Emmett.

"Alright, Santa, calm them down already!" I strained to be heard over the noise.

He was still grinning. "Naw, I rather like all this attention."

"Ugh!" I groaned.

Finally, Emmett decided to appease me – due in large part to Rosalie's glare from the back of the room – and lifted his hand. Automatically, every child froze, and the excited cries came to an abrupt halt.

"Ahem," Emmett began, over exaggerating the deep voice. I relaxed a little. Although he would joke around with us, Emmett had his serious moments – he knew how important this was for the children, and he would play his part perfectly.

"Merry Christmas!" Emmett continued, beaming at his audience, fairly eating up all the attention. He carried on to engage the children in a rather long conversation that I only half-listened to. The kids obviously adored it. They stared up at 'Santa', positively entranced, giggling and raising their eager little hands to speak out at the right moments.

Finally, a large canvas bag was pulled from behind Emmett's chair.

"Presents!" Almost every child in the room cried out, most of them bouncing up and down in an attempt to contain the excitement.

"That's right!" Emmett boomed. "Now, I hope you've all been good this year," he warned. More little voices shouted the affirmative. Emmett chuckled heartily and reached into his bag, from which he extracted a long box wrapped in sparkling red paper. "Hmm, let's see…" He inspected the tag on the box, and then called out, "Tyler!"

"That's me!" Tyler exclaimed, leaping from his place on the floor. He bounded up to 'Santa' and flung himself into his lap. "I'm Tyler!" he declared proudly.

Emmett smiled at him with a chuckle. "I know. Here you are Tyler, how about you open that up right here?"

"Alright!" Tyler was quick to agree, and he tore through the paper without hesitation. When the track was finally revealed, his eyes widened in awe, and he soundlessly allowed the last bit of wrapping paper to float to the ground. "Wow," he breathed. He admired his present for a moment, stroking a loving hand over it. Then he looked up at Emmett. "Thanks Santa! This is just what I wanted forever!" He squeezed his skinny arms around Emmett's neck in what was probably the tightest embrace he could give. "This is awesome!" Tyler grabbed the track and joined his friends on the floor again. They crowded around eagerly to inspect the toy. I smiled at them, my throat tight. Edward squeezed my arm.

"You're welcome Tyler," Emmett said, and pulled out another gift. "Emily!" he called.

And so the process continued for the better part of an hour. I never tired of watching the grins on their faces as each child received what they had been dreaming of for months. When every kid finally had a present in hand, not a single face was disappointed. I was grinning as widely as Emmett as I made my way through the crowd of happy children, Edward by my side. There was nothing that could ruin the moment.

And then I remembered.

"Mandy!" I cried, whirling on Edward.

His eyes widened in immediate understanding and he whisked around, searching frantically for her with his eyes. Both our desperate gazes turned up nothing. I knew that she was probably physically safe, wandering the halls somewhere. The nurses kept sharp tools out of reach of the children, so there was little to worry about there. But…emotionally? Mandy was torn apart as it was. What would our rejection do to her? I couldn't bear to picture her face, broken and weary, as she realized that she wasn't going to get the only thing she truly wanted.

"Where is she?" I cried as the panic began to overwhelm me. "Edward!" I grabbed his arm. He took my hand.

"We'll find her!" he shouted above the noises of celebration. "Wait outside, I'll tell Rosalie and Emmett to keep an eye on things." Emmett had left after the toys were all distributed, and returned soon after removing his costume.

I nodded, my eyes wet, and hurried from the room. A few minutes later Edward joined me. We spent the next twenty minutes running up and down the Children's Ward, splitting up to search every room, and meeting up again empty-handedly. We arrived back at the playroom in despair, with nothing to show for our efforts. I was becoming increasingly nervous. I originally figured that Mandy was in her room, or somewhere in the halls, but now it seemed that she wasn't in the Children's Ward at all.

"Where's your dad?" I asked Edward. Carlisle might have some idea of where Mandy had gotten to.

He flicked his sleeve up to get a look at his watch. "His shift ended ten minutes ago. He should be inside." Edward indicated the playroom. I lunged for the door handle, but paused before twisting it.

"Edward," I said, taking a deep breath. "There's something you should know." I turned to face him, but I couldn't meet his eyes.

He frowned. "What's the matter, Bella?" he asked worriedly.

"Edward," I spoke quickly, before I could lose my nerve. "The reason Mandy ran off…it's because she wanted a kiss." I stared down at my shoes and fiddled with my sleeves. "I mean, she wanted us to-"

Before I could finish, the door was flung open to reveal Alice. "There you guys are!" she exclaimed. "Where have you been? Never mind." She looked back inside the room. "Found them!" she called.

I was flushed and embarrassed that my confession had been interrupted. I was worried that Edward might surmise incorrectly about what I had nearly told him, but his face was blank and I couldn't tell what was on his mind – not that I could ever guess what he was thinking.

"Come on," Alice ushered us through the door impatiently, tugging on my hand to get me to move faster. I couldn't begin to imagine what she was so eager for.

"When'd you get here?" I demanded, only partly distracted from the despair of Mandy's disappearance.

Alice shrugged. "Ten minutes ago, or something like that. And you weren't here when I arrived!" she accused.

"So?" Edward asked irritably. "We lost Mandy."

Alice snorted – delicately, to be sure. "No one lost Mandy," she informed us with a roll of her eyes. "I just borrowed her for a minute." She nodded towards the Christmas tree. Mandy hovered in front of it, looking expectantly towards the door.

When she spotted us, she…she smiled. I stopped, shocked. My Mandy, the sad, lost little girl who I had fretted over for weeks, was positively glowing. She beamed at us, her eyes alight with joy, and even from across the room I could see the sparkles in her braided hair – likely Alice's doing. They added to the entire effect. I smiled through the wet salt droplets that stung my eyes.

"She looks so happy," I whispered.

Alice touched my arm lightly. "You know why, don't you?"

I glanced at her, confused. Edward and I hadn't kissed, so why would Mandy be grinning like that? I assumed Alice must have done something to get her to look so cheerful…but if it was somehow my doing…?

"What do I know, Alice?" I asked softly, puzzled.

"Gosh Bella, you can be so dense sometimes," Alice grumbled. She took my hand and Edward's, and pulled us with her to where Mandy was waiting. We were a few feet away when the girl limped into my arms – she was down to a walking cast now. I lifted her up with a grunt and squeezed her tightly.

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart," I whispered into her ear. Over her shoulder, I caught Edward watching us tenderly.

Mandy wrapped her arms around my neck and buried her face in my shoulder. "Merry Christmas," she sighed contently. I cast a doubtful look at Alice, unsure of what to make of this behavior, so out of character for Mandy. Alice only shrugged with a secretive smile.

Mandy wriggled in my arms and I set her down. She reached out for Edward, who knelt to embrace her. He kissed her nose playfully and she giggled. My heart clenched at the sweet image they made. I exchanged a look with Edward, but he appeared as confused as I was.

"Alright, let's get this show on the road," Alice muttered, squeezing Mandy's shoulder as she looked out at the sea of people inhabiting the party. The celebration was fading, replaced by the sleepy faces of multiple children, and the adults who were gently preparing to go home or to bed. "Excuse me," she called loudly over the lulling noise. "I'd like to have everyone's attention." After a few more summons on Alice's part, the crowd had turned their full attention on our little foursome.

Alice grinned. "Ok, well, first I'd like to thank you all for coming here tonight. It's wonderful being able to give this to all the children at the hospital." She winked at Mandy, and the little girl blushed as the crowd turned its attention to her for a quick moment.

"But," Alice continued. "I'd also like to remind you that none of it would be possible without the astounding assistance of two teenage Forks residents, Edward Cullen and Bella Swan." She faced us and began clapping. Every person in the room immediately followed her lead. I blushed and stared at Edward to avoid meeting the gazes of anyone in the crowd, and his eyes laughed at my self-consciousness.

I ignored the remainder of Alice's speech, watching Mandy instead. I didn't understand what had constituted such a dramatic change in her behavior. She never smiled like that. She never looked happy – not the way she did now. I scrutinized her face, trying to determine the reason behind this new Mandy that I didn't recognize.

I felt something touch my arm gently, and I glanced up.

"Alice is finished," Edward told me. He cocked an eyebrow. "Were you even listening?" he asked teasingly. I shrugged sheepishly, and looked around the room to see various families preparing to leave.

I took Edward's hand. "We should say goodbye to everyone." He nodded and followed me. Mandy trailed behind us. We made our rounds, accepting the waves of gratitude thrown at us. Despite their exhausted states, many of the kids flung themselves into our arms, praising our efforts to give them the 'Best Christmas Ever!'. I got a little teary-eyed, witnessing their joy.

But at last, everyone who was going home had left, and anyone staying at the hospital was in bed – except for Mandy. She helped us tidy up the room, picking up wrapping paper and the paper cups and plates left lying around. All the while she maintained her cheery state, her brown eyes bright and her cheeks flushed. I didn't think I'd ever seen so much color in her face. I shared in her newfound happiness, but still wondered at the cause. Alice avoided me during the clean-up, so I wasn't able to pull it out of her. I was slightly vexed at the vague answers she gave me when I did finally manage to quietly ask her what was going on.

When the place looked presentable again, Mandy turned immediately to Edward and I. "I want to show you something!" she declared, beaming. She took our hands. "Please?" She looked up into our faces, her eyes wide and hopeful, and of course I couldn't deny her.

I smiled. "Alright," I allowed.

Edward knelt beside her and tweaked her nose. "But then someone has to go to bed, or Santa won't come." She giggled and nodded obediently as Edward got back on his feet.

"Hey, Santa already came!" Emmett reminded us from across the room.

Mandy laughed and looked over at him. "Silly, Emmett. That was you!"

I blinked in surprise, but Emmett was quicker. "No it wasn't!" he defended himself.

"Yes, it was," Mandy told him, unperturbed. "But don't worry. The real Santa will come tonight. Come on, Edward." She grabbed him and tugged him towards the door. I trailed behind with a smile. We left to sound of Emmett's loud protests and Rosalie scolding him for behaving like a child.

"So where are we going?" I asked curiously as we followed Mandy down the hallway.

"You'll see," she said confidently without turning. Edward shrugged at me with his crooked smile. I lifted the corners of my mouth weakly in return.

We ended up back at the playroom, after fully circling the Children's Ward. Mandy looked up at us with a smile.

Edward looked as confused as I was. "What are you up to, Mandy?" he asked her playfully, although I could easily pick out the genuine puzzlement in his words. Mandy smiled shyly and opened the door. She didn't enter, but she held the door open, like she wanted us to go in.

I stepped forward hesitantly. Mandy waited, her face patient. I stopped in the doorway, and looked back at Edward, raising an eyebrow. He shrugged, and followed.

Once we were through, Mandy whispered, "Look up." Then she pushed the door shut on us gently.

I didn't do as she asked, not at first. I looked around the room, but it was empty. "Alice?" I called softly, tentatively, not putting it past her to be hiding behind a sofa or the Christmas tree.

"She's not here," I heard Edward breathe. My eyes flashed open to see him still underneath the doorway. He was gazing upwards, the expression in his eyes unfathomable.

And there, hanging delicately just inside the doorway, was a bout of mistletoe.

Although Edward never removed his gaze from the leaves, he must have heard my sharp intake of breath as I caught sight of them. Several factors slowly clicked into place for me. Alice…that day she'd gone off with Jasper and wouldn't tell us why…and she had 'borrowed' Mandy… and then, Mandy's eager face…and Alice's insistence…and –

"Bella." His voice was a barely coherent, softer than a whisper. Hypnotized by the husky sound, I went to him unsteadily, never taking my eyes off his entrancing face. I stumbled the last few steps, and he grasped me tightly in his arms before I could fall. Always there to catch me.

Then the absurdity of our current situation hit me, and I realized that Edward knew nothing of Mandy's wish. I had no idea what he would possibly make of the mistletoe above our heads, and I was worried that he might think it my doing.

He was still holding me to him, and I had a hard time concentrating with his emerald eyes penetrating me the way they were, but these words were important, and I had to let him know. I didn't want to humiliate him any longer than necessary.

"Oh Edward!" I whispered. "I'm so sorry – I should have told you…Mandy…oh, she wanted us to…she wanted…" But his lips were close again, the way they'd been that night in the Cullen's front yard. Slowly, painstakingly slowly, we moved closer. I tried to think coherently, tried so hard to get the words out. "…she wanted…oh…"

His soft lips brushed mine in a chaste kiss, cutting the words off gently. I inhaled sharply, taken aback, and he started to pull away. I touched his cheek and stared into his eyes. No. Don't go. He gazed back from beneath long lashes, and I stood on my toes to press our lips together once more.

The reasons vanished. Mandy's wish vanished. The mistletoe hung innocently above us vanished. The pent up frustration of the last few weeks…gone. All that existed was Edward, Edward with his arms wrapped around me, pressing me to him, and my arms around his neck, and my hands curled in his soft hair. I had no idea what I was doing, but I could feel, taste, smell him all around me, and it was enough to offset whatever inexperience I had.

Because I was with Edward, my Edward, my soul mate, my forever. And so it didn't matter that I was hesitant as first our lips met, or that I was reluctant when his tongue pressed against my lips, begging entry. He understood. Edward always understood.

It was a reluctant but unanimous choice between to us to pull away. The first, thoughtless words out of my mouth were, "I've never been kissed before." I blushed when I realized what I had said.

He chuckled and pulled my against his chest, kissing the top of my head. "Silly Bella," he murmured into my hair. I laughed with him, in relief and elation. We were silent for several moments, reveling in the unity between us that had finally come to pass.

"I suppose that's why I love you," Edward whispered in my ear at last. I shivered and my heart thumped unsteadily as I realized what he had said. He loved me. He loved me.

"Edward," I murmured, pulling back so that I could look into his eyes. Oh Edward. "I love you too," I croaked, and realized I was crying. I laughed through the tears. "I'm being completely melodramatic, aren't I?"

Edward chuckled and kissed away the tears on my face. His lips reached mine and brushed against them for the third time. "Oh, my Bella," he whispered. "You are utterly absurd."

Then the door was suddenly flung open, and I jumped, immediately trying to disentangle myself from Edward's arms. I failed miserably, due in large part to the fact that he refused to let me go. He kissed my forward and hugged me closer, ignoring whoever was at the door. Eventually, my struggles subsided.

I heard a giggle and looked up. Mandy was smiling in utter delight, her eyes shining impossibly brighter than before. I forgot my extreme embarrassment as I looked upon her happiness. I had never seen her so elated in all the time I had known her. Who knew it would take a kiss to get her to look like that? Who knew that it would take a kiss for Edward and I to realize how desperately in love we were? If I'd known, I would have given in and gotten it over with long ago.

Alice joined Mandy at the door, looking incredibly smug. I ignored the roll of her eyes and let myself relax in Edward's arms, my cheek rested against his shoulder. I wasn't sure that anyone could surpass the complete contentment and love I felt in that one moment.

Then Carlisle appeared behind Alice. I jumped guiltily while he watched in amusement as, this time, Edward let me leave his embrace. Mandy turned and beamed at Carlisle. Alice just laughed. I could see Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper outside in the hall, watching us. Realizing our audience, I blushed. Edward squeezed my hand and glared at his sister.

"What?" Alice giggled. "You two fools would never have admitted it on your own. Nice work Mandy." She high-fived the little girl. I rolled my eyes, but couldn't really be mad at my friend.

"Ahem." Carlisle got our attention quietly. His face was solemn and I immediately became worried. Was something wrong? I hated the idea that anything could ruin this moment.

But Mandy was still beaming, and she grabbed my hand. "I'm gonna live with you!" she exclaimed happily. I frowned at her statement, confused, and her face fell at my lack of response. I looked up at Carlisle for assistance.

He smiled at me. "Esme and I are adopting Mandy," he informed me softly.

I was shocked. My gaze flashed from Mandy to Carlisle to Edward, then back to Carlisle, waiting for the punch line. But Mandy was still grinning, and Carlisle had a satisfied glint in his eye. The only one who seemed as surprised as I, was Edward. He recovered more quickly than I, though. He swept Mandy up in his arms and clutched her to him. She giggled happily and squeezed back.

"When?" I asked Carlisle, still in shock. I had been depressed for weeks, contemplating what could possibly be done to fix Mandy's predicament. For the problem to be solved so…simply…it took me a few moments to process.

"The final details were taken care of tonight, actually. It was a secret between Esme and I until just now." He glared at Alice affectionately. "Someone found the papers in my coat pocket."

Alice held her hands up, defending her innocence. "I was surprised! And I didn't know Mandy had left Bella and Edward."

"Wait. You just found out now?" I asked Mandy.

"Yep!" she exclaimed. Still curled in Edward's arms, she rested her cheek against his shoulder. He pressed a kiss into her hair and smiled at me. My insides melted all over again.

"I got the best Christmas presents ever!" Mandy added, grinning at me smugly. I remembered her little stunt from just moments before.

"You!" I jabbed my finger playfully at her. She wriggled away from me with a guilty giggle.

Edward leaned forward to kiss me, completely ignoring the titters from our audience. My eyes fluttered close. "I would be thanking her, if I were you," he murmured. I allowed a small smile at his words. It was true, after all.

"Thank you, Mandy," I whispered. "Thank you very much."

She reached out to touch my face. "You're welcome," she said softly. We smiled at each other, and Edward wrapped his free arm around me. And, at last, everything was right.

……….

I awoke slowly in a bed that was not my own. Incoherently, I opened my eyes and tried to make sense of my surroundings. I felt a familiar pair of arms wrapped tightly around me, and I looked up into Edward's green eyes.

He smiled tenderly. "Marry Christmas," he whispered in my ear. I shivered as his breath tickled my skin. It didn't help my thought process as I tried to recall the events of the previous night. The kiss was the first thing that came to mind, and I discovered with delighted surprise that I wasn't embarrassed by the memory. Instead, it made me feel all the more content and loved as I lay curled in Edward's arms.

"Mmm," I croaked groggily, pressing my face into his chest. "Merry Christmas." I remembered a little more now. We'd arrived home late, and I called Charlie to tell him I'd be staying at the Cullen's for the night. He would be coming over for Christmas dinner later, but for now, Edward and I had a few peaceful moments alone. I knew it wouldn't last, and I relished it as I scrunched myself impossibly closer to him. Any second and a certain Alice Cullen would happily invade the room, declaring that she'd awaited this day forever and we were not sleeping in.

"How much time do we have?" I asked reluctantly.

He understood instantly. "I'd give it a few minutes. I heard her go into the bathroom just now. Of course, I don't know what Mandy's rules are when it comes to interrupting sleep on Christmas morning. Who knows when she'll come barging in." He chuckled.

I smiled. "I can't believe she's really ours now." Well, not mine technically, but I counted as a Cullen in their minds, so…yes, Mandy was my new sister.

"Yes," Edward agreed quietly. He didn't elaborate, and I sensed that he was thinking about something else. He had a thoughtful look in his eyes that I knew well.

"What is it?" I asked, touching his face.

"I'd like to give you your Christmas gift now, if you don't mind," he said with a shrug.

I frowned. "Didn't I tell you not to get me anything?" I asked irritably.

Edward smiled unashamedly. "How many years will it take for you to understand that there will never be a Christmas where I won't get you anything?" He paused. "Or birthday, or Valentine's Day."

An image of a rose bouquet showing up mysteriously at my door flashed through my mind. "That was you?" I gasped.

He laughed and kissed me soundly. "I love you. Now, are you going to keep changing the subject, or just open the present?" I pouted. "I promise you'll love it," Edward coaxed me.

I sighed. "Fine." The look on his face at my submission was worth it. He reached over his shoulder for something on his nightstand and placed a tiny box wrapped in shiny blue paper in my hand. I was surprised.

"What, no book?" I asked with a smirk.

He chuckled. "Just open it, you silly girl." And he kissed me again.

"Will you ever get tired of kissing me?" I wondered.

"I rather doubt it," he said confidently. But my attempt at distraction didn't last long. "Just open it," he ordered. I sighed and resigned myself to my fate. I tore the paper off slowly, not wanting to damage the pretty blue wrapping. I knew why he had chosen the color – he loved the way it looked on me.

When the box was finally released from its confines of wrapping paper, I inspected it curiously. It was obviously a jewelry box, which was surprising. Edward never bought me jewelry. Hesitantly I opened the box, and found myself peering down at the golden dove I'd seen in the store with Alice.

"How did you know?" I breathed.

He seemed confused. "What do you mean?"

"I saw this when I went shopping with Alice…" I trailed off. Oh. Alice. He grinned, following my line of thought.

I frowned. "That girl is too devious for her own good. First the mistletoe, now this."

"Do you like it?" Edward asked.

"I love it," I responded in a whisper, looking into his eyes.

He smiled crookedly. "Then I think she is perfectly devious." He pulled me to a sitting position and took the necklace from my hands to gently put it around my neck. He clicked the clasp shut and quickly twisted me around to face him again. He was moving fast and I was confused.

"What?"

"This," he said huskily, and leaned down to press his lips to mine in a slow, serious kiss. I clasped my arms around his neck and clutched myself to him. Suddenly, it didn't matter how devious and clever and troublesome Alice was – and Mandy too, now that I thought about it. Because I would always be grateful to them for what they had given us.

When Edward pulled back, I protested automatically, already missing the warmth of his soft lips on mine. He just smirked and glanced upwards. I followed his gaze.

We were kissing under the mistletoe.


Author's Note - I'm so sorry about not getting this up on Friday! I feel terrible, but it was because there was a huge blizzard all Friday to Sunday, and storms always mess up our computers. The internet finally started working today though, thank goodness. I hope the extra long chapter makes it up to you (eleven pages!).

Thank you to everyone who read/reviewed. I really appreciate it. I just looked today and fifty-six people have this on alert! I was very surprised, and, needless to say, very happy! :D Thank you everyone! If you want to, please check out my other story, Someday You'll Know, and my oneshots.

Also...I have a surprise that I will possibly be posting later tonight. You'll love it if you loved this story. So look out for that. :D