I do not own the Twilight story or any of its characters or settings.

I just like messing with Stephenie Meyer's characters in my own plots!

Cheer-Ball: December

December 2

Emmett's POV

I was standing at the San Francisco Airport baggage claim waiting for my parents to arrive. I was supposed to be waiting here with Alice, but she decided it was a better use of her time to play with her cowboy.

"Shit! Now, I have images of Alice riding Jasper cowgirl style!"

I wish Esme and Carlisle weren't working today so at least one of them could have come with me. I did have to appreciate that they were working on a Sunday, so they could be around to spend time with my parents while Alice was at class and I was teaching for the next two weeks.

I wish I could have asked Bella to come with me, but she still wasn't talking to me. After I fooled around with Tanya in front of students and then, Tanya showing up at our house later that night had caused Bella to truly despise me. I told Bella several times through her closed door that I didn't ask Tanya to come, but she still moved over to Esme and Carlisle's house. I thought she would move back in after she had spent a few days in Forks with her father, but she has been back for a little over a week now and she was still staying over there.

I looked at my watch and realized that I still had another five minutes before my parents' flight landed. They wouldn't be down here for another fifteen or twenty.

I pulled out my phone intent on passing the time playing Words with Friends. I pulled up the app and scrolled down. I sat down hard on one of the hard plastic seat when I reached the bottom and saw that Bella hadn't played in ten days. She had forfeited our game without even caring enough to resign.

Twenty-five minutes later, my mother Irish accent interrupted me staring at the blank, black screen of my phone.

"Emmett. Emmett. Are you awake?"

I shook my head clear of the fog it was in and looked up at her. "Hello, Mum. Where is Dadai?"

"He is getting the bags. What is wrong? Why were you just sitting here, staring at your phone?" She asked with a concerned expression on her face.

"Nothing, it is nothing." I said hopping up. "I'm just tired. Let me help Dadai with the bags and then, we will be on the road."

I quickly got their bags in my jeep. Once we were on our way, my Dadai said, "I, sure as eggs, won't be making' it to home without some actual food. All they had on the plane was airplane food. Please, take us someplace close, son."

I laughed as my mother huffed from her seat beside me. "You got it. How does going to eat at Stack's sound?"

The only response was a growling stomach from the back seat.

When we were seated, my dadai immediately ordered him a Mexican omelet with orange juice. My mum ordered the fruit crepe and I got the lox scram.

As soon as the waitress left, my mum continued with the interrogation that she had tried to start at the baggage claim.

"Emmett, what is going on with you? I haven't heard from you in over a week. Then, I find you staring at a blank phone at the airport." She started ranting as my dadai rolled his eyes from across the table. "Have you been sick? Or are you just love sick?"

"What? Did you actually just use the term love sick?" I sputtered.

"Alice told me about some cheerleader coming to the house." She replied in answer to my small outburst.

I swallowed loudly before saying. "There is nothing going on with that cheerleader. She came on her own I did not invite her nor did I want her to come to the house."

"Fine. Fine. You don't have to get so defensive. I was just wondering." She said with a barely hidden smirk.

"What are you thinking now?" my dadai asked her. "You obviously have another theory bouncing around in your brain."

She playfully slapped his arm. "You know me too well. It is just a couple of random happy thoughts."

I rolled my eyes at her as the waitress appeared at our table with our food. While we were eating, our conversation focused on the crazy antics of their neighbors and their flight over.

The short ride back to the house my parents relaxed together in the backseat of my jeep. When I stopped outside the house and turned the jeep off, they were both startled to see it already.

We had just walked into the house and set down the bags when Esme and Alice came running from the kitchen.

"Mummy!" Alice screeched. "I am so glad that you are here. Christmas wouldn't be the same without you!"

"Well, I see someone is happy!" Our mum said grabbing Alice facing in between her hands. "I love this look on you. See if you can rub some of that enthusiasm off on your brother."

"Let go of the child's face, dear." My dadai said with a smile. "Now, where is my Bella daughter?"

I am glad that my parents had fallen in love with Bella, even if they had only Skyped with her. Not that it is hard to fall in love with Bella. What in the hell did I just think? Then, Esme's words interrupted my thoughts.

"Uncail, I'm so sorry you will not get to meet Bella until tomorrow after school."

"Oh, that is a shame. Where is she at tonight, dear?" My mum asked before I could.

I caught Esme looking at me out of the corner of her eye. "She went out to dinner with her friend, Matt. Then, she will crash at Carlisle and my house again. She wanted to let us just have some family time tonight."

Shit! I had hoped that with my parents here she wouldn't be able to get away from me, I mean us. Damn it, I mean me.

December 15

Bella's POV

"Alice, do I have to go Christmas tree shopping with you?" I whined from the cocoon of blankets that I am wrapped in. "You know that I hate the cold!"

"I know you hate the cold." Alice said while attempting to find the edge of the blanket wrapped around me to undo them. "But I need you to come with us to get a tree."

"Why?" I asked shifting slightly so that the only exposed edge was more securely under my butt.

Alice stopped looking at the blanket, placed her hands on her hips and huffed. "Take your pick. I need another woman's opinion. You are becoming a homebody with Matt, the human shield, being so busy with practices and packing to head home for a week. I actually want to see you in the new clothes I helped you shop for a month ago. I just plain want you to go with us!"

She had ended her mini rant with a very whiny voice that told me she wasn't going to give up. I looked again at the determination in her eyes and sighed.

"Fine, but you can't make me sing Christmas carols." I said sliding an arm out of the blankets to unwrap myself. "Let me just go get dressed."

"Do you really think that I will let you go get dressed by yourself?" Alice asked giggling. "I am going up with you, so you don't lock your door and crawl back into bed."

"Damn it!"

Twenty minutes and lots of giggling later, Alice and I joined her family and Jasper over at the main house.

"What took you two so long? We were about to leave without you." Jasper said giving both of them quick hugs.

"We were talking while I forced Bella to get dressed." Alice began.

"She asked me a couple of questions about you from college." I added playfully pointing at Jasper before both of us burst out giggling again.

Jasper turned to Emmett and said, "These two should never be alone together."

"It only looks bad from your side of things." Emmett said clapping him on the back. "Let's load up the vehicles."

Carlisle, Esme, Siobhan, Liam, and Emmett piled into Esme's Hummer while Jasper and Alice hopped into my truck with me.

The three of us laughed and sang along to my iPod on our way to the choose and cut tree farm in Martinez, CA. My lead foot against Esme's caused us to get there almost five minutes before her Hummer. We spent those minutes devising a plan to annoy the rest of them.

Once the big group entered the farm's tree, Alice, Jasper, and I took off running in different directions. Behind me, I heard Emmett and Carlisle groan as they watched us run.

"Mary Alice McCarty, you are in so much trouble! If Bella gets hurt, I am holding you personally responsible!" Carlisle yelled after us.

Alice and I just laughed in response. Then, I yelled, "Ready?"

Jasper answered quickly with, "Santa!"

"Claus!"

"Santa!"

"Claus!"

I paused my running for a few seconds. Through a break in the trees, I could see Emmett and Carlisle conferring with Liam. The way they were pointing and waving their hands around, I could tell they are planning on corralling one or all of us and putting an end to our fun.

I moved on and spotted Jasper yelling "Santa!" through another line of trees. I yelled "Claus!" as I put my arms in a big circle in front of me and then, pulled them closer and closer to my body. He scoffed before we both ran off in opposite directions.

Almost five minutes later, we were still playing our Christmas version of Marco Polo. I had started to see Emmett and Carlisle running through the trees as well. Plus, it sounded like Jasper and Alice were yelling the game words from the entrance.

Suddenly, Carlisle was in the row next to me and Emmett was a couple of rows ahead of me. I started backing up to get away from both of them.

My foot caught on a tree root after I had put six or seven trees in between the guys and myself. I felt my body falling backwards and my head bounced off the ground before I could even scream.

Emmett and Carlisle were by my sides in seconds with the rest of their family there after a moment.

The air around me almost instantly filled with noise

"Bella, how many fingers am I holding up?" Carlisle asked.

"I knew you shouldn't have pushed her to come." Siobhan chastised Alice.

"I should have listened to Emmett when he told me not to let you gals talk me into anything." Jasper chastised himself.

"Carlisle, is she okay?" Liam asked calmly.

"Give me her keys." Esme ordered. "I'll go start her truck to take her to the hospital."

"She will be fine. Plus, playing Santa Claus was your idea, Jasper." Alice said sarcastically.

The voice I heard the best was also the softest. Emmett bent close to my ear and whispered, "You just have to prove that you are a closet klutz sometimes, don't you?"

I started laughing about thirty seconds after his question making all of them think I had now officially hit my head enough to make me insane. Through my giggles, I said, "I'm fine. I promise. It is just a little bump. I swear there is no concussion this time."

I sat up with Carlisle and Emmett's assistance. I looked around at the group standing over me that now includes a couple of the tree farm staff.

I looked straight at one of the farm workers and pointed to one of the trees. "We will take that one."

After tying the tree securely into the back of my truck, Jasper drove my truck as we all headed toward the main house.

The guys unloaded the tree while Esme, Alice, and Siobhan prepared Irish coffee and chocolate, cranberry cookies. I was banished to the couch with ice on the back of my head.

Once the other ladies joined me on the couches, we directed the guys on where to set up the tree and were to put each and every decoration. Several hours and thirty band aids on poked fingers later, the tree was up and in its full Christmas glory.

December 20

Bella's POV

Charlie Swan: Bells- We landed and got our luggage. We are about 15 minutes from your place.

Bella Swan: I'm glad. I can't wait to see you.

Bella Swan: Daddy, can you bring me some Tylenol? The HS is barely out of your way.

Charlie Swan: Send me the altered directions.

I quickly sent him his new route and hoped he would get here soon.

When I was a student, I was always so excited and nervous on the last day of school before a break. I loved having the time off, but I was always nervous that a teacher would give us a pop quiz. Now that I am a teacher, what I used to feel has been multiplied by ten.

I am excited to have two weeks off to relax. I am excited to see my dad and Victoria for an entire week and showing them around the city. I am still excited to open presents like a kid.

Even with all of that to be excited about, I am very nervous to have two weeks off. I have been giving myself a headache all day because I am so nervous and anxious. I am worried because for the next two weeks I have very few solid excuses to spend long amounts of time away from Emmett.

In the part of my brain that is logical, I know I have been acting like a shy, teenage, love-struck, heartbroken girl. I still can't force myself to move back into the same house with him or even carpool with him.

While I was waiting for my dad to show, I was sitting in my classroom with my feet propped up on my desk and letting my class watch "Life is Beautiful". I was sitting there, not watching my favorite movie, but remembering the conversation Esme and I had while Emmett was collecting his parents from the airport.

"Bella, I love having you here and waking up to fresh baked croissants almost every morning…"

"But…"

"But wouldn't you feel more comfortable and less rushed in the morning if you were living in you rooms across the way?" Esme asked as she sat down on her guest bed. "I am sure that Alice or my Aunt and Uncle would be fine staying over here. That way you can stay in your rooms and your dad can have the extra suite. You three could spend more time together and less time running in between the houses."

"Really, Esme? We are going to have this discussion again?" I asked turning toward her and holding up two blouses, one brown, one black.

"The black, it shows off your chest and slim stomach best." She commented before answering my worded question. "Yes, we are having this discussion again and we will keep having it until you tell me what is actually going on. You have been staying over here since you came home from the Eagles verses Raiders game. As I said, I love the croissants and our late night talks, but you will have to deal with Emmett eventually. In my opinion, the sooner you do the better for everyone. Once the parents arrive, you won't really be able to hide from him."

I stuck my tongue out at her after I finished putting on and buttoning my shirt over my camisole. "Black pinstripe pencil skirt or my plum pencil skirt?"

"You know, your ass looks better in the plum. Now, stop avoiding my words."

"Thanks." I said grabbing my plum skirt out of my closet and slipping it on. "I know I have to deal with Emmett soon. I am just not sure how. Actually, I keep planning on times to talk to him and then, Tanya texts me which just pisses me off again."

As I slipped on my black heels, Esme said, "Bella, please explain this to me. Is there something more going on between you two that the rest of us don't know about?"

I sighed deeply and slumped down on the bed next to her on the bed. "There is nothing extra going on between Emmett and myself. For a long while, I wanted there to be more, but he has been, in Rosalie's words, a man–whore for the past couple of months. At the game, I was pissed at him for acting like that in front of the students. I was also extremely jealous of Tanya sitting in his lap. That is where I used to sit when he forced me to watch scary movies."

Esme put her arm around my shoulder and said, "Let me tell you a secret, Emmett is a guy, so he is very stupid. Plus, he is a stubborn, Irish mother-fu…"

Carlisle interrupted her by yelling up the stairs. "Bella, Matt is here."

"We will finish this later tonight or tomorrow." She said pushing me up off the bed. "Have a great time with Matt."

I snapped back to reality and was greeted by the sounds of my students laughing. "What in this movie is that very funny?"

My know-it-all in the front row said, "It isn't the movie, Miss Swan. We are laughing at you phone."

Then, my phone started to ring again. It filled the room with the song, I Shot the Sherriff by Bob Marley.

"Hi, Daddy. Are you at the high school?" I asked immediately after answering the phone.

"I'm here, Bells. Victoria and I are in a navy SUV in the theater parking lot." He answered.

"Give me a minute or two and I will be there. I just have to get a babysitter for the immature students in my class." I said smirking at my class.

Angela yelled, "We aren't the ones that have I Shot the Sherriff as our father's ring tone!"

Apparently, my dad heard her. "Isabella Marie Swan, I thought I told you to change that!" My dad said in his stern, police officer tone.

"Sorry, Daddy. I will be out there in a second." I said sheepishly and then, hung up. "Thanks, Angela. I will remind you however that it might not be the smartest thing to piss off your teacher right before Christmas break. That could result in surprise homework to be done over break." Then, I left the room to go get some relief.

After I texted jasper to watch my class, I rounded a couple of corners and when down some stairs to get to the theater parking lot. I saw my dad in the rented SUV and ran to him.

"Hey, Daddy," I said with relief. "I am so glad you were willing to bring me some Tylenol. Those kids are killing me today."

"Here you go, Bells. We will get out of your hair, so you can finish the rest of your day." My dad said handing me a few Tylenol pills.

"Thanks." I said before leaning up on my toes to kiss his cheek. "Hi, Victoria. Did you have a nice flight down?"

"It was nice. Your dad slept like a baby." Victoria said teasingly. "We'll talk to when you get home because it looks like we have a small audience over there."

I turned to see what she was taking about. My class and Jasper were standing on the stairs leading from the theater.

"I guess I didn't pick a good babysitter." I said with a sigh. I started to walk toward my class as I said "I will see you two at the house."

I reached the waiting group as my dad revved his rented engine. "Mr. Whitlock, you have some explaining to do."

"I have explaining to do? What about you, Miss Swan?" Jasper said in a surprisingly shock and fatherly tone.

I looked at Angela and she shook her head indicating that they didn't tell him that I was meeting my father. "Kids, get back to the classroom. I will be there in a moment." As they walked away, I linked my arm with my old friend.

When my students were back in the room, Jasper started talking. "Bella, please tell me you are not doing anything illegal or icky."

"Really, Jasper, you are going to ask me that?"

"That scene I just saw didn't look good. It looked like that guy just gave you drugs." Jasper said in a rushed whisper.

"Well, he did." I said with a sly smile.

"WHAT?"

"Plus, he likes it when I call him Daddy." I said adding to his confusion.

While Jasper was so angry he could spit, Emmett came up to us and surprised me. "Bella, your students said your dad just stopped by to give you some headache medicine. You didn't need to do that you could have just texted me and not bothered him."

"That was your dad? You are so twisted. I'll see you later for dinner." Jasper said hitting my lightly on my shoulder.

I laughed at him as he walked away and then, turned to Emmett. "I'll remember that you have some medicine the next time I have a headache."

He tried to catch me before I went back to hiding in my classroom, but I was able to brush him off by silently rubbing my temples reminding him that I have a headache.

At the end of the day, Jasper followed me to the house. He had already met Alice and Emmett's parents, but even though we had friends for so long he had never met my dad.

Walking into the house, Alice almost pushed me through the wall to get at Jasper. "Hello to you too, Alice."

"Hey, Bella. Your dad is awesome!" Alice said in between kisses.

I continued on into the house to find both sets of parents lounging in the living room being served iced tea by Carlisle. I leaned over the back of the couch and kissed my dad on the cheek. "So, Dad, I hear from Alice that you are awesome. Please tell me you didn't promise to show her how to shoot a gun."

"I only promised to take her to a range and let her watch me shoot." He answered dryly.

I slapped his chest playfully and said, "That pixie can be very persuasive. Make sure that you take someone beside Alice with you."

"Hey, I don't approve of those statements!" Alice said from the doorway indignantly.

Emmett and Jasper laughed behind her. Then, Emmett said, "Little pixie the rest of us do approve though."

"Now that we all know that my pixie usually gets what she wants, can we discuss dinner?" Liam said from the couch near the fireplace.

"Is that all you think about on vacation?" Esme asked from the kitchen.

"That is my kind of man." My dad adds.

December 21

Bella's POV

I forced my eyes shut tighter when I felt the bed move next to me.

"Bella… Bella… It is time to wake up." Alice whispered into my ear.

"I'm sleeping. I told all of you that I really wanted to sleep in on my first day of Winter Break."I answered as I turned away from her with my eyes still closed. "I have done this since I was elementary school. Let me have my extra sleep and back off!"

She smacked my ass hard and revealed some information. "It is one in the afternoon. I have been waiting for you to wake up since nine this morning."

"I am done with my Christmas shopping, so I won't be going to the mall with you."

"I wasn't going to ask you to go to the mall with me. I am going to hit the sales with Victoria tomorrow while you and Charlie run your errand." Her tone was so honest and conspiratorial at the same time that turned onto my side to look at her. Her face was sincere, but very excited.

"Okay." I said drawing out the word. "I believe that you aren't trying to drag me anywhere. So, why have you been waiting for four hours for me to wake up?"

"You got presents!" She screeched.

"I know." I said exasperatedly as I turned away from her. I yawned as I continued, "We all have presents under the tree. I think your parents brought two suitcases that only had present in them."

The devil pixie grabbed my side and pulled me back toward her. "You are so silly, Bella! You have two NEW presents!"

The surprised and confused look on my face caused her to answer my unspoken question.

"One of your new presents showed up on our doorstep this morning. I guess you didn't tell your secret Santa that you moved across the drive. The other present came in the mail. Odd though, it doesn't have a return address."

"Well? Where are they?" I asked knowing that Alice would have them close. She didn't disappoint. She pulled a medium sized, flat box that I hadn't noticed from my nightstand and she placed it in my hands as I sat up to lean back against the headboard. Then, she turned around, still on my bed, and picked up a large brown paper covered, heavy, flat box from the floor.

"Open the little one first." She said bouncing after dramatically setting the mailed package next to me.

I hoped that I had guessed right at who had sent me this gift. It was wrapped in shiny, black paper with silver fireworks that look like pompoms on it. I took the wrapping off and then, opened the box inside. I took the wrapping off neatly and opened the box. Inside was a black, blank picture frame with a post-it on it. The teal note said "Turn me on!"

Alice couldn't control herself and flipped it on.

Suddenly, the frame was filled with a picture of me and my squads on the football field. Alice laid her head on my shoulder and we watched the digital frame for the next ten minutes. It went through so many fun times that I had already shared with me girls: with Angela on the field at Homecoming, doing push-up on the field and in the gym, curling up under blankets at the Raiders game, and so many more.

When the pictures had looped back around to the beginning, Alice and I were wiping our tears.

"That was the sweetest thing, Bella." Alice said sniffing.

"I know. I love those girls." I said sniffing myself. I set the frame down on the nightstand on my side of the bed. "Okay, next package."

She helped me slide the heavy package onto my lap. I opened the package carefully since I had no clue what it is or who it is from.

As soon as Alice and I could see what was behind the glass, we scrambled out of my bed, ran down the hall, and jumped into bed with Esme who was taking a nap.

"WHAT IN THE FUCKING HELL IS GOING ON WITH YOU TWO?" Esme screamed when we landed on either side of her.

Alice couldn't answer. She just kept saying, "Bad present. That is a bad, bad present."

I wasn't much better, but I finally managed a couple of understandable sentences. "The present I got in the mail. It was an enlarged picture of me."

"Oh, my God!" Esme said wrapping her arms around me tightly. "Let me call your dad to come over."

I pulled away sharply. "NO! No! My dad can't know. He doesn't know anything about this. Please don't call him."

She pulled me close again and smoothed my hair. "Okay, we won't tell him. But we need to get someone to hid that picture while your dad is here."

"JASPER!" Alice suddenly screamed.

"Good thinking, Alice. Jasper knows some of what has happened in the past." I said jumping at anyone else besides my Chief of a father.

A half hour later, Esme, Alice, Jasper, and I were sitting in the kitchen drinking some hot tea trying to settle down. Jasper had put the framed picture in the trunk of his car and was shaken himself because he saw that Alice's hand was in the top corner of the photo.

Esme looked up and in no uncertain terms said, "We forget about this for now. This sounds like something or someone we all need to be worried about. Right now is not the time, though. With the two sets of parents here and Bella's refusal to tell her dad, we will forget about this craziness for now. But as soon as the holidays are over, this will all be laid out."

"Shit, Esme. You can be pretty scary sometimes." Alice said with a small laugh. "Remind me to be really nice to your kids, they will need it."

December 25

Charlie's POV

"Charlie, have you finished wrapping your presents yet?" Victoria called to me from Bella's bathroom. "We are supposed to be meeting your daughter and everyone else downstairs in five minutes."

I was currently on my hands and knees running my hand in between the mattress and the box spring searching for one last illusive gift. I had actually finished wrapping all of my presents before we even left Forks, but she didn't need to know that. "I'm almost done, Victoria. Just give me a minute or two more, please?" I called back to her through the door.

I heard her grumbling to herself as I continued my search. Finally, a large smile spread across my face when my fingers collided with the little blue box that Bella had hidden there.

I pulled it out and fixed the white, ribbon bow on the top. I moved to the end of the bed and looked over sure all of my other presents were piled on Bella's desk. After taking a breath, I said, "Okay, I'm all done. You can come out of the bathroom now."

Victoria quickly opened the door. "It is about time, Char…" She stopped dead when she saw me standing nervously twirling the small Tiffany's box in my hands. "Char… um… Charlie, what are you doing?"

"Victoria, can you come sit with me? I want to give you your present before we head downstairs to open thing with everyone else." I said with my voice filled with more confidence than I actually feel.

She walked over to me, stumbling slightly in her confusion. She sat lightly next to me on the foot of the bed.

"Victoria, I know we haven't been seeing each other for a long time. I know that I may not be the richest or smartest men. I am just a small town sheriff. But even with all of that, I don't want to spend another day or night without you in my life." I opened the blue box and pulled out the velvet ring box. "Victoria Lefevre, will you marry me?"

Victoria gasped and then, stayed completely silent for a full minute. She finally breathed loudly and screamed.

"Yes! Of course, my answer is yes!" She pulled me to her and kissed me with more passion than ever before.

As Victoria became truly aggressive and began lowering us to the bed, Bella's bedroom door burst open. We broke apart so quickly that I slid backwards to the floor.

I looked up at the doorway to see Carlisle, Liam, Emmett, and Jasper standing there breathing heavily. I knew exactly what had happened. They had heard Victoria scream and being gentlemen, they rushed to her rescue.

I shook my head at them. "Are you seriously thinking that I would hurt her in any way, gentlemen? I am a Sherriff for Christ sakes."

I heard Emmett mumble under his breath. "Yeah, but you are a Sherriff in the middle of the woods."

"Watch it, Emmett. Many more comments like that and I will forget that I said I wouldn't tell your secret. You know the one that has to do with…"

"I got it, Charlie!" Emmett shouted stopping me from continuing as we heard Bella, Esme, Siobhan and Alice giggling from the bottom of the stairs.

Victoria lightly smacked my arm regaining my attention. "All of the other females knew?"

"How else would I have gotten you distracted so Bella and I could run off to Tiffany's?" I answered laughing.

Alice yelled from the bottom of the stairs. "I am going to start opening presents in ten seconds! If you aren't down here by the time Bella and I get to your pile, I will open them as well!"

The rest of the guys took her threat seriously and ran down the stairs.

I started across the room, but Victoria stayed sitting on the bed.

"Victoria, are you coming?" I asked wondering what she was thinking.

"I am not a kid anymore." She said smiling. "Besides, I think Bella will help us out and put our piles at the end of the line."

Emmett's POV

I have been watching Bella and Esme as the rest of us open our piles of presents. Even though the two of them made mimosas for everyone and eggs Benedict with crisp bacon, they made sure none of us touched Charlie and Victoria's presents.

Once all of the other presents were opened and everyone was full, we broke up into small groups. Esme and Carlisle took their presents along with Bella's to their house across the way. Alice and Jasper went into the basement game room to hopefully challenge each other on the games they had gotten each other for Christmas. My mum and dadai sat close to each other on the couch nearest to the roaring fireplace checking out the iPad that Alice and I had gotten each of them for Christmas. Bella began to clean up the kitchen after she set aside a couple of egg and bacon sandwiches for dad and his fiancé.

I opted to join Bella in cleaning up. She noticed me joining her and moved over at the sink so I could rinse the dishes. We worked in silence for several moments before she quietly said thank you.

I glanced over my shoulder to make sure no one could hear. "Bella, you don't have to thank me. You shouldn't have to do the dishes since you and Esme made breakfast."

"That's not all I was thanking you for." She said glancing toward the living room over her shoulder.

I stayed quiet, waiting to see if she would elaborate. She didn't. "What are you thanking me for then?"

She slapped her hands down into the soapy dish water. "Are you really going to make me rehash my immature attitude toward you for the past month? Or the fact that you let me have my space, while still being there and reminding me you were ready to be friends again the moment I decided to?"

I nudged her shoulder with mine. "Nope, but let's get these dishes done. Then, we can go kick Alice and Jasper's asses at pool."

She gave me a soapy fist bump before returning to washing the dishes faster.

Esme's POV

I was standing in the hallway and happened to catch the conversation of the two at the sink. Carlisle came in behind me and I silently told him to stay quiet.

"Bella and Emmett have made up." I mouth to him silently.

With a gigantic smile on his face, he whispered, "Does this mean we get our house and Naked Thursdays back?"

I stifled my giggles and whispered back, "I sure as hell hope so. Now, let's go take all of Jasper and Alice's money at pool before those two sharks get done with the dishes."

December 27

Alice's POV

Charlie keeps looking at me in more than an Alice has a gun in her hand kind of way. What is going on in that normally stoic man's head?

"Alice what is going on between my daughter and your brother?" Charlie asked before firing off a couple of rounds. "When Vic and I first got here, they were avoiding each other. Now, I don't know what they are doing really."

"Firstly, he wasn't avoiding her, she was avoiding him." I said trying to aim at the target ten feet away. "Charlie, if you don't stop staring at me like that I am going to turn you in for being a dirty old man. I will do it even if you are newly engaged."

Charlie chuckled in the booth next to me. "I always remember part of Bella's nickname for you, but sometimes I forget the other." After a strange look from me through the glass, he continued. "Just looking at you, I remember the pixie part. I often forget the demon/devil part until you open your mouth."

With as much sarcasm as I can muster, I answer back. "I certainly have the best of friends, don't I?"

"You have to know that Bella only gives nicknames to those she truly lets in." He said in a softer voice tone of voice full of thought. "Demon pixie is her name for you. Matt is Matty Bear. Jasper is Jas or Mr. Whitlock. Esme is elf because she is so cute. Carlisle's nickname isn't very original, it is just Doc Blonde. Rosalie is the Baroness, but I am not sure why."

After a short pause, I swallowed, pulled the trigger of the gun, and then, pulled a metaphorical trigger. "What does she call Edward, Emmett, and Jake?"

"I don't know about Jake anymore. She never talks about him." Charlie said realizing that statement. "Anyways, Edward is just Edward. She said he gives her a tense vibe especially lately. Emmett is just Emmett or Em." He said pulling the trigger again.

"Oh," I said trying to line up my next shot. This shot was going to be much more difficult since my eyes had begun filing with tears.

Suddenly, Charlie's hand was on top of mine. He carefully eased my finger off of the trigger and took the gun from my hand. "He is only Emmett because she likes him so much. Unless she is really annoyed with him at the moment, she says his name with an admiring tone to her voice."

"Really?" I asked excitedly as he set both of our guns down.

"Really."

I surprised him by jumping into his arms and giving him a gigantic hug. "I am so happy to hear that."

"I think the entire Walnut Creek Police precinct knows you are excited. Can I put you down now?"

"Sorry, Charlie." I giggled as I hopped out of his arms.

As we started out of the range, I heard Charlie mutter under his breath. "I am not a dirty old man, but you are almost the poster child for jailbait."

Author's Note~

Please, let me know what you think! Please be kind, my boyfriend typed most of this chapter since I have been dealing with two broken arms all summer. I have been slowly trying to do edits and corrections for the past two weeks.

I have to give credit to my friend, Tamera, for Bella's words when Jasper caught her getting meds from her dad. That actually happened right before the end of the school year last year. ~KaliCali77

Check out the banner for this story made by Christag_Banner at pbckt pW. R1ImZM

Pictures of the house that inspired the McCarty/Swan house are at www. villa vianci Just remove the spaces.

The Stacks' restaurant website is: www. stacks restaurant .com

Picture of the engagement ring Charlie gives Victoria: international. tiffany Engagement/ item. aspx? GroupSku =GRP10015 &selectedSku =23101653#f+ 0/1008/2001/3001/ 4003/4003