Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or plotlines of the Twilight Saga and the following is a form of fiction based on the brilliance of Stephenie Meyer's work.
Author: ToryD
Beta: Splendorous Night Unfurled
Title: A Forbidden Forever
Chapter Fifteen
Edward ushered Bella through the double doors with a wide grin on his face while balancing several brightly wrapped packages.
"Careful," Bella cautioned lightly as she took the package tagged for Carlisle and Esme from the top of the pile. "This one is breakable."
"Bella!" Alice called excitedly as she danced forward to embrace Bella in her arms.
"Merry Christmas Alice," Bella greeted the pixie brunette as best she could with the present within her arms. Her eyes almost bugged out of her head at the sight of Alice's over the top Christmas sweater, for across the entire front of the pink sweater was a huge Santa face, with some bizarre fiber optic lighting effects flickering into a vast array of colors.
"Hurry up! I want to open my presents!" Alice instructed as she pulled Bella by one hand into the living room.
Bella followed and froze in place as she took in the picture the Cullen's made with their matching Christmas sweaters, for her brain didn't seem to be able to process seeing a group of such astonishingly beautiful people dressed so absurdly. Esme, who Bella had come to love in their short time together was decked out in a navy blue sweater that had a large poinsettia flower emblazoned across her chest, what made it worse was that the flower must have been battery powered as the flower flickered with alternating white and red lights.
Carlisle, who Bella had only seen dressed in the most classic of designer clothes was wearing an ivory sweater with a huge Christmas tree on it, and as with Esme's it too was flickering in a wide array of multicolor. Emmett who stood silently next to the always perfect Rosalie, was wearing a red sweater adorned with a large snowman, and unlike the previous sweater's that Bella had observed, Emmett's seem to have a running lights mechanism so as to make his snowman appear to be dancing. Bella's eyes drifted over to Rosalie who must have gotten to choose the least hideous of the sweaters as hers was only embroidered with a small group of holly leaves, with the red berries flickering a little more discreetly than the rest of the Cullen's sweaters.
"Here let me take that from you," Jasper offered as he came in from the kitchen.
"Thank you," Bella chocked out as she let Jasper take the large package from her hands to place under the tree while his pale face was flickering in the glow of the red and white lights twinkling on his candy cane embellished black sweater.
"I can see that the Cullen family really gets into the Christmas spirit," Bella observed as she turned to look for Edward, wondering what he wore under his leather jacket since she had not seen him without it as of yet.
"Don't worry Bella," Alice said as she held out a beautifully wrapped package that suggested that it held an item of clothing. "I've got you covered," she said with an impish twinkle in her eyes.
Bella smiled slowly as she looked down at the present as if it held away from her as if it were a snake. "You really shouldn't have Alice," Bella said softly.
"Oh yes I should, you're as good as a part of the family already so you have to have your very own sweater," Alice answered with an excited smile. "Open it!"
Catching on to Alice's enthusiasm, Bella embraced the craziness and took a seat so she could open her sweater.
"You don't have to wear it Bella," Edward advised from his position beside the tree.
Bella glanced up at her always perfect and gorgeous Edward and couldn't stop the abrupt laugh that escaped her lips at the sight he made in his ridiculous, red nose blinking reindeer sweater. "Sorry," she apologized to him softly as she continued to fight the laughter that threatened to escape a second time.
"Open!" Alice whined as she took the empty seat on the sofa next to Bella.
Bella un-wrapped the present and paused briefly to draw in a preparatory breath before she opened the box to reveal what she assumed to be a lighted sweater of her very own. As she pulled back the tissue a pale blue sweater was revealed with a soft faced angle upon its front.
"Here, let me turn it on for you," Alice said anxiously. Bella watched with stunned eyes as Alice lifted the sweater from the box and deftly pushed a tiny button on the inside tag. "There, now go and change," she instructed as she handed the sweater back to Bella.
"All right," Bella said somewhat shell shocked as she rose to do Alice's bidding.
Edward followed and stood outside the bedroom that Bella had used on her previous visit while she changed into Alice's gift.
"How do I look?" Bella asked as she struck a seductive pose for his benefit against the door frame.
Edward couldn't help but laugh at her as her sweater flashed its blue and white lights obnoxiously. "I'd say that you are one hell of a sexy angel!" he growled hungrily as he reached for her.
Bella laughed at Edward's response as he kissed his way down her neck. "Um, that feels nice," she whispered huskily into his ear as she slid her hands slowly up his hard chest to twine them around his neck.
Edward felt a heated flush of instant desire shoot through him that far outweighed the burning thirst in his throat that he normally felt when holding Bella so close. Pulling back slightly he stared down into her beautiful face with an almost pained look. "As much as I hate it to break this up my family is waiting for us," he said with a disappointed tone to his velvety voice.
Bella leaned up and stole a quick kiss before she took his cold hand and walked back towards the living room where the rest of the Cullen clan awaited.
"Bella!" Alice exclaimed as the couple came into view. "I knew that color would be perfect for you."
Bella smiled and thanked Alice graciously for both the gift and the complement.
"Okay," Alice said as she walked over to the large tree. "Emmett, Jasper if you could please help me pass these out," she instructed as she reached greedily down to grab a gift that was marked for her.
Bella watched with a soft smile as Jasper and Emmett tossed the Christmas gifts to each other in an almost adolescent manner.
Edward rose to rescue the one gift that Bella had noted as breakable before his misbehaving brothers could reach it. "This one if from Bella," he said as he handed the beautifully wrapped gift to his mother.
"Oh Bella, you didn't need to get us anything," Esme imparted with a gentle smile as she began to un-wrap the gift.
"It's nothing much," Bella responded softly.
"Carlisle look!" Esme exclaimed with a genuine look of enjoyment as she held up the delicate crystal snow globe depicting a winter village scene.
Carlisle leaned over his wife's shoulder and smiled softly at the village that reminded him of London where he studied medicine in the 1820's. "It's beautiful Bella, thank you."
Bella watched as Alice began to un-wrap a very small package with a look of long awaited satisfaction that seemed a little odd. "Jasper!" she exclaimed as she jumped to her feet to race to his side. "It's just what I wanted!"
Jasper smiled smugly as he accepted Alice's grateful kiss on his cheek. "See how nice it is to be surprised," he whispered into her ear so softly that only she could hear.
"Humph!" Alice answered as she rushed over to show off her new flawless emerald earrings to Bella.
"Oh Alice, they're so beautiful," Bella smiled as she looked down at the exquisite earrings.
"NO WAY!" Emmett's voice boomed out as he jumped to his feet in excitement to rush over to grab Bella into a huge bear hug.
"Emmett," Edward growled as he watched Bella wince slightly at the tight embrace that Emmett was unknowingly inflicting upon her.
Releasing her abruptly, Bella almost lost her balance before Emmett reach out to steady her. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "But I just can't help myself," he grinned as he held up the season tickets for the Seahawks' 2009 season.
"I'm glad you like them," Bella said as she looked up at Edward's big bear of a brother. "If Mike's team wins today he promised to get me tickets for something called the wildcard game," Bella added with a smile.
"The wildcard game?" Emmett asked with a look of complete awe on his handsome face.
Bella nodded as she bit her bottom lip to stop the laugh that threatened at the little boy look on Emmett's face.
"Rosalie is opening her gift Emmett," Edward said dryly as he pushed his stunned brother towards the direction of his wife. "Okay?" he asked Bella gently as he rubbed her shoulder soothingly.
Bella leaned into his chest as she smiled contently. "Sure," she said as she picked up an oblong gift box and handed it to Edward. "Merry Christmas," she wished softly.
Edward smiled gently as he took her offered gift. "I have something for you as well," he said with a velvet tone that served to accelerate her heartbeat.
After Edward had retrieved a flat box from under the tree he sat next to Bella on the sofa and handed her his gift with a gentle look. "Merry Christmas my Bella," he whispered softly as he reached out and caressed her cheek tenderly.
"You first," Bella instructed as she watched his perfect face with a soft smile upon her lips.
"Alright," Edward replied as he began to un-wrap her gift to reveal a pair of soft black leather gloves. "Thank you," he said as he tried them on for a perfect fit.
"You're hands always seem cold so I thought they might help keep you warm," Bella said as she watched a strange look cross Edward's face that he quickly hid in a flash, making her wonder silently if she had just imagined the odd look.
"They're perfect," Edward announced as he leaned over and kissed her lips softly while his alarmed mind raced ahead to the necessary upcoming conversation that he knew he had put off for far too long. A conversation that would either bring him an unequaled happiness that he knew he didn't deserve or the unbearable despair of facing the endless future of his existence in a state of loss without Bella at his side. "Now please open you gift," he suggested taking the gloves off as he pushed his fear aside so as to focus on the woman he loved.
Smiling excitedly Bella began to un-wrap the beautifully wrapped package to discover a thick black box. Lifting the lid, she placed it gently on the floor at her side before she pushed aside the delicate tissue paper to reveal Edward's gift.
Edward watched Bella closely as she starred down at the thick navy leather bound family album that had the Swan name etched in gold lettering across its front. The album that he himself had spent the last few days painstakingly assembling out of pictures he and his staff had collected from friends and acquaintances of Bella's parent's past.
Bella's hand rose to cover her lips to keep in the gasp that threatened to escape as tears began to well within her soft brown eyes. Lifting her other hand she carefully opened the thick album to reveal a picture of her parents on their wedding day, a picture she had seen all through her childhood that she thought had been lost forever at the vindictive hands of Laverne Gardner. "How…" she began only to have her voice break as a wave of intense emotion overcame her.
Knowing exactly what she was about to ask Edward gently reached out and wiped a tear from her left cheek before he answered her silent question. "I traced your parent's history and found some of their old friends who were only too happy to supply me with copies of pictures that they had of you and your parents within their possession."
Bella continued to slowly turn the pages of the album as they revealed a multitude of pictures, some that she had never seen. Pictures of herself as from tiny baby to eight year old awkwardness, pictures of her parents from their respective childhoods to adulthood, pictures of them all together as a family, pictures showing a soft gentle life filled with lots of love and laughter. As she reached the final page of the album she saw a picture of her and her parents as they posed before a Christmas tree, their last Christmas as a family. Reaching out she traced the edge of the picture tentatively as if her touch would somehow make it disappear.
Edward waited silently as Bella remained unmoving for what appeared to be an eternity even to himself who measured time in a much broader way than the beautiful fragile human beside him.
Esme watched as she held onto Carlisle's hand tightly, wondering if Edward's gift was a little too much to be given to Bella at such a public family gathering. 'Is she alright honey?' she sent her silent thought to Edward.
Edward wondered much the same thing as he read his mother's worried thoughts. "Bella," he called to her softly.
Bella quickly looked up at the sound of her name into Edward's too perfect face that currently held such an anxious expression as he seemed to be fearful that he had erred in his choice of a gift. Carefully closing the album, Bella replaced the tissue and box lid and then she placed it gently upon the side table to her right before she turned her full attention back to the beautiful man who had just given her a part of her long lost past. With fresh tears in her eyes she reached out with a trembling hand and caressed his perfect lips. "Thank you," she said the two simple words with such undeniable heartfelt emotion that if it were possible for vampires to shed tears there would not be a dry eye in the house.
Edward smiled gently as he pulled her tenderly into his arms reveling at the feel of her as she molded perfectly to his side. "I love you Isabella Swan," he said softly into her hair.
Rosalie stood silently frozen in pain as she watched Edward hold Bella so tenderly that her unbeating dead heart felt as if it fractured into an irreparable crack beneath her chest. Knowing that she needed to put some distance between herself and her gifted family if she were to preserve any dignity for herself, she quickly orchestrated an escape. "I need to hunt, I can't be here with her in the house," she whispered urgently into Emmett's ear as she feigned an intense thirst for Bella's blood that appeared to be so undeniable that she was about to spring on Bella at any second. Glancing sadly one last time at Edward, Rosalie breathed in deeply past the painful lurch in her heart before she turned and raced away with her unhidden vampire's speed to the back door of Edward's mansion. Once she was outside she allowed her pain free reign as she raced through the dense forest not bothering to hide her pain drenched thoughts as they played out in her mind, thoughts of Edward and what their life could have been if he had returned her love, thoughts of her gentle sweet Emmett and how she wished she could love him as he so devotedly loved her, and finally thoughts of Bella, the human who so undeservedly taken Edward from her forever. Bella, who now held onto Edward's heart, a heart that should have been rightfully hers as it was intended in the beginning.
Back at the house Esme frowned as she shared a concerned glance with Carlisle wondering if Rosalie would ever be able to accept Bella within their family. Standing, she walked into the kitchen where Alice was busy basting the turkey. "Do you know where Rosalie went?" she asked her daughter so softly that Bella, who was preparing a pie crust per Alice's instructions, couldn't hear.
Alice frowned as she answered her mother, "She's just running. I don't think she is really heading anywhere in particular, at least she doesn't seem to have decided to run anywhere in particular," Alice added to clarify what her gift was telling her.
"Will you let me know if you see anything?" Esme asked softly as she looked out the window towards the darkening forest.
"Of course, you should ask Edward though, he may have a better read on her," Alice suggested as she looked back over her shoulder at the concern still reflected in her mother's gentle eyes.
"Carlisle is speaking with him now," Esme responded as she stood back to watch Alice pull a large dish of sweet potatoes out of the oven. "That looks delicious honey," she said in a louder voice so that Bella could hear.
"It smells amazing Alice, sweet potatoes have always been one of my favorites," Bella added her complement as she executed the last pinch on the pie crust's edge. Beaming from Bella's complement on her dish Alice pushed thoughts of Rosalie aside and enjoyed her moment.
"What can I do to help out?" Esme asked as she looked at the multitude of pots and pans simmering upon the stove top.
"Well Bella is making the dessert so I guess there really isn't much else to do," Alice said as she smiled with a satisfied look on her face.
"I'm through here, what else can I do to help?" Bella asked as she wiped her flour dusted hands on the Christmas themed apron that Alice had designated for her use.
"You can start mixing the filling ingredients for the pie, the recipe is over there on the counter," Alice said as she motioned towards the left of Bella.
"Oh, you mean this recipe for Sheppard's pie?" Bella asked with a skeptical look on her face as she looked at the recipe card that was laid out on the counter for surely Alice didn't intend to serve such a savory pie as the dessert course.
"Yes that's it," Alice said with a toothy grin that Bella found so endearing. "Don't you like Sheppard's pie?"
Bella quickly hid her aversion as she didn't want Alice's feelings to be hurt, "It's one of my favorites," she responded with a bright smile while secretly cringing at the thought of eating a slice of the pie after a large meal.
"I'll go check on the guys," Esme said as she shot Bella a sympathetic glance.
"Honey," Carlisle called Esme to his side once she entered back into the living room. "Emmett is watching the game with Jasper," he advised as he could see that she was cautiously looking about the room.
"How is she Edward?" Esme asked as she leaned against her husband's side.
"She is in pain," Edward said with a resigned sigh. "I wish I could do something that would help her but I…" his voice trailed off as he gave up his pointless quest for anything to help the situation.
"It's not your fault Edward," Carlisle soothed gently. "She is just going to need some time so she can accept things as they're meant to be."
"And in the mean time?" Esme asked with a saddened look on her beautiful face.
"In the mean time both Alice and I will be watching," Edward responded with both an edge of concern and determination flavoring his words.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Rosalie continued to run until she reached the edge of the Quileute Indian reservation, the very reservation she knew was off limits, for the Quileutes and the Cullen Coven had long held a tentative understanding that as long as neither encroached upon each other's lands they would coexist in a guarded peace.
A slow calculating smile began to spread across Rosalie's perfect lips as she sank down into a low crouch and leaped sixty feet over the imaginary line into the forbidden reservation, for here was the one place where she could let her hatred for Bella spill forth without having to face any consequences from her family; the one place where neither Alice nor Edward's gifts could invade, the one place where she could allow her fantasies of Bella's ultimate elimination run freely through her mind without fear of discovery. If only she could stay here forever, if only she could lure an unsuspecting Bella here, then perhaps things could return as they should be before Bella came and ruined everything.
Rosalie leaned heavily against a huge cedar tree as dark thoughts began to swirl through her head, thoughts that she knew without doubt that she would soon act upon. Closing her eyes she gave herself over to the sinister thoughts as if they were her only friend, as if they were the only answer to put an end to the unbearable pain that was crushing in upon her like an unforgiving merciless vise.
Rosalie felt a strange feeling of calmness wash over her as she finalized her plans, plants that ended with a human's death, a human's death at her very own hands.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Edward looked up at Alice with an alarmed look in his golden eyes.
'She just disappeared," Alice's silent thought translated down the length of the table.
Edward nodded his head slightly as he too had lost his trace of Rosalie, as if someone had flipped a switch.
'What do you think it means?' Alice asked with a worried frown on her pixie face.
Shrugging his shoulders slightly Edward communicated his puzzlement silently to his sister, but he couldn't help suppress a feeling of unease as he strained his mind to once again seek out Rosalie's now hidden thoughts.
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
A/N Thanks for everyone's guesses but hey no one got it. I did like the idea of the sky diving lessons though! Next chapter…Rosalie is still AWOL and Edward will finally have the talk with Bella. DUN DUN DUN! Please leave me a review. Thanks!