Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Twilight.

Chapter 26

Christmas Day /Hannah POV

"It's Christmas!" Chala screamed, and I'm positive that her voice reverberated throughout the whole castle.

Immediately there was a loud booming chorus of, "Go to bed!" from every vampire in the vicinity.

"For vampires who can't sleep ya'll sure do spend a lot of time in bed!" Chala protested with a shout.

"Well, I'm not a vampire so I need my sleep! I don't need a little munchkin waking me up at-" Bella griped, pausing to check the time. I buried my head under the pillow in preparation for the screaming. "Chala, it is five in the morning! Have you lost your damn mind?!" Her shriek left me with an immediate headache. I sighed.

"Isabella, language!" Aro called.

"Sorry, Father." Bella called back sweetly. It was still weird that she was calling him that now.

"Baby, come back to bed." Alec pleaded.

"Not until everyone promises to be up by seven." Chala pouted.

"Fine!" Bella and I snapped.

Chala finally went back to bed and we all dozed back off once more.

At 7 sharp, Uncle Aro came to wake us up.

"I really do not feel like hearing her complaints, please get up." he said. We laughed and got up to head to the throne room where the towering Christmas tree was. There were presents everywhere. Chala was jumping up and down with excitement.

"Chill out Pixie, you are way too excited this early in the morning!" I yawned. Chala stuck her tongue out at me childishly and then we all sat and kneeled around the tree to open presents. Chala passed out her presents first. I opened mine and beamed. She had gotten me the most state of the art E-reader in existence already loaded with Star WarsHarry Potter, and Twilight books. She also got me all 6 of the Star Wars movies in a limited edition box set and the same for theHarry Potter series and the Twilight Saga. She must have spent a fortune. I hugged her gleefully. She knew me so well.

Everyone liked their gifts from her and gave her hugs. Then I gave out my gifts. I gave Bella a gift card to Gucci and Chala the trendiest new Gucci purse along with a high quality portable DVD player with 30 movies to go along with it. I gave Felix a personalized ring that matched mine and I gave Alec and Demetri both new outfits. Aro, Caius, and Marcus all got their respective children the newest iPad and their respective nieces and nephews a gift card for 1,000 songs from iTunes. As usual, Aro, Caius, and Marcus had refused any gifts and what could we do? There's not much you can give to three ancient vampires who have seen it all and had it all. At least Alec, Demetri, and Felix tried to keep young spirits despite their many years of existence. Everyone was all smiles as we got out our laptops and started loading up our iPads with music and videos.

We spent hours around the tree and had breakfast delivered to us from the kitchen. Aro came back from his study around 2 pm to check on us.

"Aro, may I ask you something privately?" Bella asked solemnly. Chala and I exchanged a curious look.

"Certainly, my daughter. Let's go to my study so we can have some privacy." Aro replied, and Bella got up to follow him out of the room.

"I wonder what that's about." I mused.

"He knows his study is a bit too far away for us to hear him clearly. Not fair." Alec grumbled.

"Boo hoo," Chala fake sobbed, "It must be so hard not being able to use your superior vampire senses sometimes."

Alec, Felix, and Demetri laughed.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough." I shrugged.

An agonizing and suspenseful hour later, Aro came floating back into the room with Caius and Marcus, Bella trailing behind looking pleased. Oh boy, what did she have up her sleeve?

"Hannah and Chala, we have some news for you." Aro began. Chala and I shared another look.

"What is it?" Chala asked warily.

"Bella has requested that she be allowed to go home to Washington and attend her old high school for her junior and senior year. She will live with her father and brother. Marcus and Caius discussed it with us and we think it is fair, considering she will not have much longer to be around her family." Aro continued. Bella's pleased expression fell a little at this reminder of her future.

I felt sad. Demetri looked devastated. We had all grown to love Bella as family and 2 years without her was going to suck.

"Bella, you can't leave!" Chala exclaimed, springing up from her seat and launching herself towards Bella. Caius stopped her with one strong hand on her shoulder.

"We'll really miss you, Bella." I said sadly.

"That's the beauty of the situation." Aro smiled delightedly. "Brothers." He beckoned, motioning for Caius and Marcus to speak.

"Chala, you will be going with her." Caius said.

Chala's jaw dropped. "Oh hell naw! You can't do that to me!"

"Watch your language, young lady. You're going to Forks with Bella, end of discussion. She told us about what happened with the young people that harassed her, and you're going there to support her in case they try it again." Caius said firmly. Damn. It was going to be lonely around her without the girls but at least I didn't have to go to tiny rainy Forks.

Chala looked furious. "What about Hannah? Please tell me she doesn't get out of this! You're always punishing me instead of her. And the boys? What about them? Don't you think we'll miss them? This is bullshit!"

I blanched. Why'd she have to go and bring me up? I wasn't leaving LDV or Felix for some shitty American hole in the wall.

"Hannah is coming with you all." Marcus replied. I balked.

"What?" I said stonily.

"That's right, dear. Bella needs both of you for support. She's family and we support our family." Uncle Aro addressed me.

"As for Alec, Demetri, and Felix, they will be staying here. We can't just let you all abandon the Academy. After all, you all basically run the place and keep it functioning. They will be allowed occasional visits." Caius continued to explain.

"You have got to be kidding me." I grumbled angrily. Chala looked ready to throw a full on temper tantrum. They boys looked intensely upset as well.

"How do we not have a say in this?" Felix objected.

"Yeah, you can't tell us what to do. We may look like teenagers, but we've lived countless lifetimes just like you three have." Alec asserted, his stance firm.

Bella looked to Demetri pleadingly. I felt sorry for her. She just wanted to go home and none of us wanted anything to do with the situation. But what she wanted couldn't just determine what all of us had to endure. That wasn't fair.

"You know I'll go with you, Bella. I'd follow you anywhere." Demetri assured her, staring into her eyes with determination and loyalty.

"Demetri, Alec, and Felix are staying here. Hannah and Chala, you are accompanying Bella. There will be no further discussion on the matter." Aro smiled, and it was an expression that was just as scary as it was pleasant, if possible. He swept out of the room, followed by Caius and Marcus.

"Well at least we have almost another year until this shit happens." Chala grouched. I sighed heavily. I felt a little resentment towards Bella. Her Christmas happiness had turned into everyone else's Christmas nightmare.