(A/N) Okay, this chapter has the promised ice-skating scene...but I still think I'm hurrying through a lot of stuff...and I'm really sorry for that. This is a long chapter. I was going to cut it off at around 1000 words, but I decided to write a little bit more...so yeah...

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight nor New Moon.

Chapter 18

The next morning, when I woke up, I felt something cold beside me and something heavy thrown over my waist, pulling me against this cold…thing…. My eyes jerked awake, and I suddenly sat up. Where was I? Then, the events of last night floated back to me. I fell asleep in Edward's room. Oh God, please don't tell me…I looked down. Edward was lying on his side beside me on the pile of pillows, an amused yet confused look pasted on his face.

"Good morning to you, too," he said, his voice soft.

"Um…Good morning…um…" I stuttered. After all, what was a girl to do when you wake up remembering that you fell asleep with your love the first time? Was I even thinking coherent thoughts? Then, what thoughts I had were scrambled when he reached up to brush a strand of hair from my eyes. My skin tingled where he touched me. Then, ever so carefully, he brought me down to a light kiss.

I jumped up, hitting my head on the bedposts in the process, my half-hiked up dressing gown gracefully sliding down to cover my legs again. He sat up to, and caught me as a fell from the impact. "Are you okay? You aren't usually this confused in the morning, are you?" he asked, concerned. I just shook my head, the movement bringing a wave of dizziness.

"I'm okay," I mumbled, holding my head. "But my head's not." I felt a bump gradually rise where my head embraced the bedpost. I winced. Great, I just broke my no-bruises record.

He sat up beside me, pulling me into a tight hug. "Better?" he teased. I made a face at him before padding into my room where a freaked-out Sophie was pacing.

As soon as I stepped inside, Sophie's head snapped up. Her eyes widened at my state of undress. "Where were you, Princess?" she asked, her voice full of anger. "And in such a state, too!"

"I couldn't sleep last night," I stated simply. "Help me dress. Come."

She obeyed, but I could see that she was seething inside. As she helped me into a woolen blue dress with a thick sky-blue cloak, something suddenly dawned on me. She was older than me by a few years, and she had yet to be married. Yet, she was in the ripe age of eighteen, and women that age usually fancied someone…was that what Edward meant when he said…?

"Sophie," I suddenly said, "Do you find a liking for someone?" I knew I caught her by surprise. She looked up at me through the mirror, her eyes wide with shock, a tinge of red appearing on her cheeks.

"N-No…B-B-Bella," she stuttered, blushing harder. "W-Why did you a-ask?"

"Nothing in particular," I replied. She was lying, I knew it. Her expression betrayed her. "Tell me."

"Um…"

"Ouch…that's my hair you are yanking!" She seemed so scared and caught that she had not noticed that she was pulling on my braid. She only mumbled a sorry, quickly finished, and left.

As she was going through the rest of my morning routine lightning fast, I thought about all the boys back in the castle that she talked of most often. There's the butler, but he's already wed. The stable boy's too young. The footmen had their noses up too high to truly notice Sophie's beauty. That only really leaves Jacob, the gardener's son. He's of marrying age – about four years older than me, I think. If given the chance, Sophie could talk forever of him. (A/N: I know that in Twilight, Jacob's younger than Bella, but live with me for this change for right now, okie?) As she made her way towards the door, I called out, "Jacob would not be too happy if you're so sad all the time," and watched her reaction. She tripped over her feet, only managing to save herself by the door. She turned to look at me, horror and shock etched on her face.

I knew I was right. Sophie had her eye on Jacob, the gardener's son, and I had taken her away from him. No wonder she's so broody and silent! I would be sad, too, if someone took me away from Edward.

Speaking of him, he appeared at my doorway. "I guess Sophie told her secret," he said. I nodded in reply.

"That didn't turn out exactly as I had wanted to…but…" I just shook my head.

"Are you dressed?"

"Do I look as if I am not?" I realized what I was saying, and blushed.

"Then come, I have a surprise for you." I groaned.

He led me to the stables again. Yet, only one horse was saddled. He tied a blindfold over my eyes, much to my dismay, lifted me into the saddle, swung some other items on, and climbed up behind me. Taking the reins, he led the horse into a trot.

I snuggled to his chest, feeling the grace of the horse as it moved. I wondered where we were going. As time went by, the horse slowed to a stop.

"Can I take off the blindfold now?" I asked, already clawing at it.

"Yes," he sighed, helping me removing the said blindfold. When it was off, I blinked my eyes against the glitter of the snow in the slight sun. It was very bright outside even though the sun was hiding behind thin clouds. Edward was not glittering as much, but his skin had an unearthly glow that made him look godly. I resisted the urge to touch him.

Then, I took in my surroundings. We were in a hilly area with barely any trees. In front was a giant pond that had frozen over in the coldness, its ice very thick and white. I stared at it. "Edward…we aren't going to…um…skate on that…ice, are we?"

He just chuckled as he pulled out two pairs of ice skates. I gulped as he helped me tie them on, and then moved to tie his skates. I wobbled on the steel-edged skates even in the thick snow. When he finished with his skates, he grabbed my hand and led me to the edge of the pond. First, he stepped onto the ice, testing it. He took several gliding steps and skated around the pond once…twice, before coming back to me, grinning. "The ice's thick enough. It'll hold."

I still couldn't believe that he was taking me ice skating. Whoever in their right minds would never even dare to approach me even if I am just carrying a bucket of water, not to say ice skating! Yet, here he was, lifting me onto the ice, holding me tightly against him as I tried to find balance on the slippery ice.

"You are kidding me," I mumbled into his shirt. He didn't reply, only to lead me further away from the snow towards the middle of the pond. "What if it breaks? What if I fall? What if my skates were bent? What if I run into a bush? What if …" I was turning hysterical, but he stopped my running list of 'what if' questions with a gentle kiss. It immediately made my knees grow weak, and I slumped against him.

"Relax. Would I take you here if I can't keep you safe?" I shook my head in reply. "Alright, then, relax."

I did as I was told which was easier than I had thought with him around. And then we were off. He pulled me along the ice, him skating backwards so he could hold my hands, me just trying to not lock my skates as he had told me. Little by little, with his assistance, I gained more confidence on the ice, until he only had to hold me by one hand.

Gradually, we were able to skate faster and faster, until the wind blew through my hair, unpinning the small pins that Sophie had meticulously placed. They scattered on the ice, making small metallic sounds as they hit. Soon, only my tiara stayed on. My waist-length brown hair was blowing free in the wind. Edward stayed by my side, always holding my hand tight as we skated around the ice, dancing a graceful dance…as graceful as possible with my clumsiness…

When the sky began to grow darker, he led me to the edge of the pond, twirling me around once before setting me in the snow. His eyes glinted with life, our breaths fast from the cold weather and the exercise.

The way home was peaceful. He remembered to tether the horse after much reminding from yours truly…I was snuggled into his hard chest the entire way home, laughing at his comments and random ramblings.

Since then, almost two weeks had passed. Advent started yesterday, and Edward had insisted on giving me an advent calendar, saying that it was a tradition. If I dare to reject them, it will be breaking the gift-giving tradition of advent (A/N: Many families have different traditions for advent. I kind of just made up this one for the Cullen family that is modeled from what I know of German traditions and my friend's family, who celebrate the entire December). I countered by saying that I didn't have any presents to give…but I lost the argument completely when Alice came in and said, "You're a guest…a very important guest. Besides, if we're expecting presents, it won't be advent anymore."

I couldn't list all of the presents that the Cullens gave, but I could say that they must have cost a fortune. My personal favorites were this pair of porcelain teacups carved in the shape of a gnome. It seemed almost as if it was caught in the middle of a mischievous trick, its eyes wide in shock and disappointment. The cups were so well-crafted. There was another sculpture – this time in glass – that depicted a wolf howling in the moonlight. It seemed so real that you could almost see the wolf rearing its head and howl for the moon.

As Christmas (Weihnachten) drew nearer, the presents seemed more delicate. The day before the Christmas Ball, Edward handed me a small velvet box in the shape of a heart. The box itself was delicately carved from pinewood, the fresh tangy smell of pine still lingered upon it. A clasp was on one side. I opened the box and nearly dropped it in surprise. Inside was the most beautiful necklace I had ever seen. It was a silver beaded chain with small buttercup-shaped topazes dotted throughout, as well as an onyx star pendant in the middle. The back of the pendant said "Love, Edward" in gold letterings. It was truly beautiful.

Without speaking, he took it from me, helping to me to put it on. I drew back my hair so he could clasp the clasps. To my surprise, he kissed my neck after he clasped it on, his cold lips sending shivers up and down my spine. "Merry early Christmas," he whispered in my ear before resuming to skim his nose along my exposed skin.

My thoughts turned to jelly, as had my legs. His arms around my waist were the only reason why I was still on my feet. "Merry…Christmas…to you…too," I answered, barely managing to get it out in one breath.

"The Faeries said that they'll send someone over for the occasion – someone who had not attended many extravagances for some time. We'll need to be on our best behavior, then," he continued, his cold breath sending more shivers throughout my body. He noticed. "Are you cold?"

I immediately blushed. "N-No." My breath whooshed out of me when he finally let me go. I managed to collapse a little before I finally found my balance…

"Come," he said, grabbing my hand, " Alice said that she wanted you for the day."

"For the day?"

"Yes…something about dress-up and dresses and whatnot. She's already screaming up a hailstorm through her mind and she threatened to kill me if I don't bring you there now." He had an easy smile on his face, which made me suspect that he was more amused by my reaction than he was by the 'hailstorm'.

"So you're giving me away to save your sanity?" I never got to hear his answer. At that moment, we had arrived in front of Alice and Jasper's room. Alice burst out of her room like some bull excited at a cow (with some exaggeration), and dragged me away from Edward as if I was a rag doll. I only heard a chuckle and a muffled 'bye!' from Edward as the door closed behind me. I was alone in whatever torture of 'princess beauty', as she preferred to call it, with Alice until whenever she saw fit.

The next chapter may or may not be up by the weekend. I have a big paper due in two weeks and I'm only about half way done with it so far...so that'll be my main focus for probably the next week. But, if you review, I might be happy enough to finish another fourth of my paper in like 3 days and therefore can spare some time to write another chapter...Review!!!...and the reviews for the last chapter really got me to write my paper - I finished like almost a fourth of it in 3 days...lol Anyways, review!--Cathy