Chapter 16: Muskoka

Stephenie's, not mine.

February 13, 2014

Angela's pov

Valentine's Day was fast approaching, and by evening, we were all packed and ready to go. The Denalis, ever-enthusiastic, had loaded us up with small gifts for the Cullens. The Denalis had promised to behave themselves while we were away. They were having a sauna and outdoor jaccuzzi installed while Ben and I were in Muskoka.

A large package had arrived at Christmas, bearing four first class plane tickets, a voucher to cover freight for extra suitcases, and a matching set of luggage for the children. We were thrilled.

Ben was under the impression that the Cullens suffered from a rare medical condition, that did strange things to their skin and eyes and internal organs. He was prepared to find that they would not look any older than they did on the day we got married.

I spent the day packing the last few items we would need, and the four of us went to bed early. It was a shock when the VOIP phone rang at 4 am. Ben answered it shakily. Was somebody dead?

"Okaaay," Ben said in response to whoever was calling. He went out to the sitting room and flipped on the computer and the webcam. A few moments later, Bella and Edward's grinning faces came onscreen. There was a lot of noisy talk and music in the background. It sounded like a party. Of course, it was probably 'afternoon' in Muskoka.

"Twins!" Edward and Bella shouted together. I fell into the chair, gobsmacked. A delighted smile broke over my face and I squealed with excitement.

"Cool!" Ben enthused, "Welcome to the club!"

"Girls or boys?" I demanded.

"Girls. Wanna see?" Edward looked at me coyly.

"Yes! Now!" I ordered.

Carlisle passed one tiny, wriggling infant to Edward and one identical such to Bella. The babies were adorable, with heads of hair like a couple of black fluffy dandelions. Edward held up the first infant, "This is Charlotte Rose Cullen Black, 4 pounds, eight ounces, 16 inches long and very demanding for somebody who's only 30 minutes old," he announced. "They're calling her Lottie."

"And who's this?" I asked, pointing at Bella's other granddaughter.

"This is Valentine Alyssa Cullen Black, 4 pounds, 6 ounces, 15 and a half inches long, and very competitive for somebody who's only 28 minutes old," Bella laughed. "They're calling her Tina."

"I love it. And how are the parents faring?"

"Well, Jacob is naturally over the moon and totally full of himself, but he's a little anxious for Nessie. She fell asleep right after the birth and her body temperature immediately dropped. Her heart rate is changing and we can't wake her. We assume her body is freezing. We will have to monitor her very carefully for the next few days, but everything seems pretty normal, based on our history. She might be in isolation when you arrive, though," Edward cautioned.

"Well, hopefully she will be awake before we leave. Oh, I can't wait for morning!"

"Yes, we're eager to see you, too. The rugrats here can't wait to meet the boys. You should hear Claire!" Bella said.

"How are all the Cullens and Hales?"

"Just as you would expect. You can hear them partying with the Quileutes. We are all on cloud nine, and certain of us are fighting over the infants already." Edward kind of giggled. How out of character!

"Alice and Rose?" I guessed.

"And Esme, and Bella, and Carlisle and me."

"Then who is keeping you all in order? All the usual leaders have entered the fray."

"Jacob, Leah and Sam." A typical, wry eyeroll ensued.

"Ah. Well, I had best let you get back to it. Thanks for calling. See you in a few hours," I gushed. Edward waggled his fingers at the lens and confiscated both babies.

"We can't wait to see you. Rose and Alice will pick you up at the airport in the minibus, and drive you here. We have carseats, so don't bother packing any," Bella advised.

"Awesome. Wait! You still have the minibus?"

"Well, we have so many people here that it became useful to have one. It's not the same one we took to Niagara, sadly, but it's quite similar. Same size and number of seats. Rosalie and Jacob modified it for us and gave it a custom paint job. It has a tv and a DVD player and a powered cooler for long trips, and the seats are like you'd find in a Greyhound. They recline and everything."

"You guys are amazing. I can hardly wait to see your place, Grandma."

"I always said Esme was a genius. And go easy on the 'Grandma' will you? I haven't adjusted yet. Neither has Charlie."

"Edward has," I teased.

"Edward has been old forever. His family is just catching up and making him reveal his true age. Fortunately, he is totally blissed out, and you can hear him thanking God under his breath about every 2 minutes."

We laughed, and Ben looked a little perplexed.

"See you shortly, Little Angel. Don't forget how much all of you are loved," Bella grinned cheekily and wiggled her eyebrows as she quoted Edward's usual line to me.

"We will never be allowed toforget that, and same back atcha, Archangel!" I returned.

We said goodbye and I sat, smiling, in front of the computer as I shut it down. Then, I thanked God for the mythical creatures who taught me so much about what it meant to be human. And I thanked Him that the babies were strong and well, and that Nessie appeared to be safe and on the road to recovery.

Then, I called Charlie and Billy and congratulated them on becoming a great-grandfather and a grandfather, respectively, before they were even 50 years old. They, like me, were too hyped up to sleep.

I looked at the clock, counting the minutes restlessly until we could leave for the airport in Seattle. Suddenly, the Denalis were at our front door, making me jump. I guess they'd had a vid-call, too. We sat and celebrated, and they handed me a couple of gifts for the babies. How was it that they were always prepared with gifts that were always thoughtful, if not always socially appropriate?

I jumped up. I needed gifts! I went to my closet and unloaded the pristine girl clothes that had been gifted to me before the boys were born, and hurriedly stuffed them in two large gift bags, grabbed the card I'd bought months ago, signed it, and put everything in a spare suitcase.

Shortly, it was time to depart. The Denalis helped us load the Neon with the luggage and the kids. There was barely room to breathe. Then, we kissed and hugged everyone but Kate goodbye and they wished us Godspeed. Kate squished herself into the back seat, between the boys. She's be bringing the Neon back from the airport for us.

Yes, I prayed God would speed us to the Cullens, and see us safely home again.