Hehe, I'm bad. Sorry. I know this is late, but I'm sooo wrapped up in LTL. It'll be done soon, though, and then this will be my main priority. Reviews, I don't own, and thanks Lucas! I totally got the Dromio thing, and I'm glad you liked my little bash-fest as much as I did.

Charlie and Renee insisted that their kids stay with them the night before their birthday -which was Monday, and that meant we were cutting it close on birthday gifts- since, as Charlie put it, they'd 'have all week to waste time on friends', but Sunday was pretty fun. We goofed off around my house, playing hide and seek and getting in trouble when we turned my closet upside down (sue me for climbing to the top and making noises to screw with their heads). Bella almost found the gifts, but I was able to roll off the shelf and scare the wits out of her. It was pretty epic.

Sunday night, after Bella and Emmett went home, Jasper and Rosalie stayed late. We wrapped all the birthday gifts we'd gotten the Swan twins, and I got to see what everyone else got them. Emmett was to be receiving a new video game from Jasper, a jersey of his preferred football team from Edward, and a gift card to the local sport shop from Rosalie. Bella -who didn't like gifts- would be getting a classical music album from Edward (weirdo classical music likers), the dress and a pair of strappy black heels from Rose, and beautiful silver heart locket from Jasper.

We sat in the kitchen for a while, making small talk and occasionally peeking in on our parents talking. When Vicky and Mother finally decided to stop gabbing, the Hales left, but before that, something interesting happened. Rosalie was standing and stretching, getting ready to go, and of course Edward wasn't letting her away from him. After she stretched her arms above her head, she put them on Edward's shoulders and in a second they were fused at the lips, causing Jasper and I to cringe and make faces. Jasper went into the living room to get his shoes, then it happened.

"I love you," Edward said to Rosalie, who smiled.

"I love you," she said, wrinkling her nose as Edward kissed the tip of it.

My eyes popped comically, then I turned away and went into the living room to get away from it. When did that happen? I was totally unnerved. What I couldn't believe was that my brother -my dorky classical music obsessed brother- and beauty queen of Forks Rosalie were saying it. Well, when you think of it that way, I make it sound so dirty. But it was a big deal! When and how did that happen? I guess it made sense. Rosalie liked status, Edward liked security. They each got what they wanted. But still! I had some undercover work to do…

Okay, so my undercover work was cornering Edward. He was getting ready for bed when I caught him in the laundry room, looking for a clean pair of socks in a pile of unmatched ones.

"Uh, Ed?" I said, losing my huge speech at the last second.

"Yeah, Al?" he asked distractedly holding up one of my neon pink ankle socks.

"Um- Those are mine," I pointed out, as he began studying a newly matched pair of plain white socks.

"Can I borrow them?"

"Are your feet sized six to eight in women's?"

"I take it women's feet are smaller sized?"

"Yes."

"Than I guess I'm not," he said, looking stumped.

I walked over to help him, looking for a pair for myself. Hardwood floors aren't exactly kind to feet in the winter. "I had a question."

"Yeah?" he asked, picking up a deformed black sock, then muttered, "Dad's."

"Um, earlier, you and Rose were-" I wasn't sure how to ask it right.

"When I told her I loved her?" he guessed, not looking up.

"Um, yeah. Uh, why?"

He laughed. He laughed. "You're so weird. I've said it to her a few times. It's just nice to remind each other once in a while."

"But you're fourteen," I said, looking at him seriously.

"Well, we've been together since we were twelve, it's come out a time or two," he said, smirking.

"But why?" I asked, confused as heck still. "Why has it?"

He looked at me like I was nuts. "Because it's true."

I was exasperated. "I mean, why do you say it?"

"So she'll know," he said. "It's something people who -I don't know- love each other do."

I shot him a glare. "There are other things people who love each other do, and you don't -or at least better not -do."

His turn to glare. "Well, Rose is an affectionate person. She likes to know she's loved, and sometimes telling her is the easiest way."

I suddenly felt really guilty and really stupid. "Oh, okay." Grr, why was he so smart? Why didn't I know how to use my inherited brains?

Edward looked at me, smiling knowingly. "Hey, Alice, you know it's okay if you don't say it, right? I've seen you two, I know things."

"I guess," I said forlornly. "But what if I'm the problem?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking at me confusedly.

"What if I'm the one not saying it back? What if he's already been ready, but I'm not?"

"Well." Edward looked thoughtful, confused, and contemplative, all at the same time. "He knows it, but maybe he just wanted to say it to you. Take your time, he really cares about you, so it won't bother him."

"Thanks, Edward," I said, not feeling any better. "Well, 'night. Big day torturing Bella."

He gave me a bemused look. "'Night, then."

Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep.

We had a small birthday celebration for Bella and Emmett Monday afternoon. Our parents came around occasionally, around work schedules, but we all spent the afternoon at the Swans' house. Bella and Emmett loved their gifts -Bella was speechless by Jasper's locket and my picture now has a place of honor on Emmett's bedside table- and we all loved the cake my mother made. After we were successfully stuffed, we split off with an order to behave and leave bedroom doors open so anything unpleasant could be heard. Emmett and I chose to hang out in his room, of course. I helped him study his driver's manual for a while.

"Yield means?" I asked, looking at him over the top of the book.

He was getting bored. "Stop."

"When do you stop?" I pressed.

"You just stop."

I made a buzzer noise. "Wrong. You stop only if…?"

He screwed up his face, like he was thinking. "You just stop. It's just like a stop sign, right?"

I made a face. "No, because it would be a stop sign if it was. You only stop if there are other cars coming."

"Same difference," he said, with a roll of his eyes. "It's my birthday, I don't want to study."

"What do you want to do then?" I asked, closing the book and setting it down on his bedside table. I was leaning against his pillows, and he was sitting in front of me, leaning back on his arms.

He sat up and leaned on his knees, making me lean back as he hovered over me, bracing himself on his headboard. "Well, I have my incredibly beautiful girlfriend in my room, on my bed, and it's my birthday. Do the math."

I gave him a challenging look. "There are several ways that could turn out. I can tell you exactly what will not be happening, but there are some other possibilities that I wouldn't say no to. For instance, I could throw you off before you move another muscle."

He grinned, lowering himself to where he was about an inch from me, everywhere. "Well, I know something we'd both like."

"And what would that be?" I asked, smirking up at him.

He smirked back, then brushed his lips over mine teasingly. "Well, that. Or you could be a meanie and push me off."

"Hmm… I think I'll push you over," I said, grabbing his forearms and rolling us over so I was lying on his chest, on the pillows, being careful to hold my weight off his ribs. "Better." Then I kissed him.

He smiled into the kiss and wound his arms around my back. I moved my hands up to his neck, drumming my fingers against the sides. After a while, he let up a little.

"Hmmm… It needs to be my birthday more often."

"Well, my birthday is coming up," I said, pulling back a tiny bit and chewing my lip. "Maybe there can be a repeat performance."

He smiled, then said with a tragic British accent, "I think that's a novel idea."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh shut up, Dromio. Your accent sucks. It's like Rob Pattinson trying an American accent."

"Who?"

"Exactly," I said, nuzzling his neck with my nose. "You gonna kiss me more, or give me more and more reasons to get up and leave?"

"I'll take the kiss for five-hundred, Alex," he said, seemingly unable to help himself.

I rolled off of him and stood up. "Buh-bye."

"No!" he said, sitting up quickly. "Sorry, I won't do it again."

I challenged him with my eyes. "You mean it?"

His face strained with the pain of holding back his next joke. "I…"

"Emmett, swear?" I demanded, suppressing laughter.

He looked down, shook his head, then looked back up and threw himself off his bed, onto his knees. "And I swear, by the moon and the st-"

"Goodbye, Emmett," I said, turning and walking out.

"Fine, don't stay," he said, standing up. "I don't want someone who doesn't appreciate my jokes in my room anyway."

I smirked as I walked to the door.

"You're bluffing."

"Bye, Teddy Bear."

"Pixie Princess, I order you to stay!" he attempted, trying to sound as ferocious as his size indicated he could be.

I turned around, grinned, fluttered my fingers in a 'ta-ta for now' gesture, then walked out. I went to Bella's room, across the hall.

"What are you doing in here?" Jasper asked, upside down, where he was laying with his upper body hanging off Bella's bed.

"Proving a point," I said, flopping down into Bella's pink beanbag chair.

Edward smirked from his place, sharing a chair with Bella, who was listening to her new CD with him, one bud in her ear, one in his. "What would that be?"

"That I can resist his cheesy jokes longer than he can go without kissing me," I said, picking up a Guidepost off Bella's floor. "Bella, you really need to read a fashion magazine."

"Yeah," Rosalie said, looking up from one she had, laying next to Jasper, but not hanging off the bed. "This is inspirational and all, but would it kill you to learn what kind of jeans would look best on you?"

"Yes," Bella said, casting a quick glare at us. "And you'll definitely win that one, Al."

"I know," I said, flipping a page. "Aw, cute puppy."

I heard heavy footsteps and looked up. Everyone else were (a) rolling their eyes, (b) shaking their heads, (c) ignoring it completely, or (d) a combination of the above. Emmett stood in the doorway, pouting at me childishly.

"Come back," he said, giving me his puppy-face.

"Play nice," I said, turning my attention back to the Guidepost. "Maybe I'll come back."

"Please!" he whined, lifting a hand to his chest and rubbing it, as if soothing his broken ribs.

My protectiveness kicked in, and I hopped up and rushed to him, before I realized he was faking. "You're a dirty liar!"

His pout increased. "Well, what if I really was hurting?"

I glared up at him. "You're going to be if you don't behave."

"Please come back, Alice," he said softly, looking down at me.

I resisted the urge to both slap him and hug him. "Play nice."

He lowered his head to mine. "Please?"

I shook my head. "Swear you'll behave, no jokes, and I'll come back."

He brushed his lips over mine. "I swear, happy?"

"Dude, you're whipped," Edward said, rolling his eyes.

Jasper grinned, still upside down. "Welcome to the club, man."

I turned around, gave them both death glares, then traipsed out, back to Emmett's room. I sat in his computer chair. "I won," I said, when he came in after me.

He gave a goofy grin. "I let you win."

"No, I won fair and square," I insisted, leaning back and spinning the chair around.

Emmett walked over and stood behind me, as I spun the chair so it was high up. "Fine, you won. But not fair."

I shook my head. "Whatever. I think it's fair. I outsmarted you, that's fair."

"You're smarter than me," he said, pouting. "Not fair."

I grinned. "I've trained you well."

"Yes, I know. Now will you please play fair?"

I grinned wider and bit my lip, making him groan in frustration, but I cut his groan short with a quick kiss. "Fine. Happy birthday."

A/N: To those who didn't get the Dromio thing, I had originally put Romeo, but Lucas McDrake suggested make it Dromio. Dromio, to those who aren't obsessed with Elizabethan literature and Shakespeare, is the name of twin characters in the play Comedy of Errors. They are very wild and weird, but extrememly hysterical. I suggest reading it or seeing it, if you have the chance. :D

~Sidney