Dinner had been a rather small family affair compared to the rest of the party. At dinner was Carlisle and Esme, Jasper and Alice, Emmett and Rosalie, and of course, Edward and myself. But there was also some of the Cullen's extended family, who had flown in from Alaska, Edward's Aunt Carmen and Uncle Eleazer and their girls, Tanya, Kate and Irina.

They had been fun to talk to. They informed me of many stories about Edward that came from the summer months that he'd spent in Alaska. Kate was full of laughter. It was fun to spend time with her, though I thought that she was enjoying the pain that she was inflicting on Edward. "When we were seven, Edward and Tanya were convinced that they were going to get married. They had it all planned out, right down to the names of their children."

I watched Tanya glower at her sister as Edward grimaced. "I think I want to hear these names."

Esme giggled and Carlisle chuckled. They exchanged a glance from across the table as Edward ducked his head to mumble his answer. "We were going to have a boy and a girl; Elizabeth and Edward Jr."

I smiled, Elizabeth, I may want to hold onto that name. I reached under the table to squeeze his hand. "And who ruined that beautiful dream for you?"

He could see my amusement in the situation and I could tell that he was caught somewhere between annoyance and relief. I couldn't figure out where the relief came from, but I couldn't blame him for being annoyed. "That would be Mom. I think she said something about long distance relationships never working out."

I couldn't help but giggle. Of course little Edward would be discouraged by that. Kate continued with her stories throughout dinner. There was one about Edward falling into the freezing cold ocean in only his underwear after some kind of bet he made with Emmett. Then, of course, how he'd locked himself in the guest bedroom for three days because Irina had broken his Debussy CD. Even the memory made him pout. I had to remind myself not to lean over and capture his pouting bottom lip.

When dinner ended, Alice, Rose and I helped Esme clear the table as the boys moved the furniture and the Denali's placed out the snacks that would be for the rest of the guests when they arrived. We barely had the dishes cleaned when the door bell began to ring. Alice flitted to the stereo system and put on the best mix of Christmas music I'd ever heard. It ranged from Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin to Celine Dion and Shania Twain.

I helped Esme open the doors for a few minutes before Edward claimed me. He shocked me by spinning me out into the middle of the living room floor. "Edward," I whispered in a panic. "No one else is dancing."

He smiled and looked over at his father who was walking toward his mother. "Just for a minute. Everyone will be out here soon."

He was right, of course. After Carlisle and Esme joined us, the rest of our little college family made their way out. The members of the community followed in our lead. I noticed some of the women eying Edward and I specifically. I knew we'd be a source of gossip soon. There would be the 'What do you think she's got on him?'s and the 'Do you thing she's pregnant?'s. I figured there would even be a few who wanted to know if the Cullens moved here after I started dating Edward.

I was able to quickly push those thoughts aside as Edward kissed my hair. "What are you thinking about love?"

I let a giggle pass my lips. "Everyone's staring at us."

He looked around a shook his head, "That guy's not. Oh, wait, he just looked."

I giggled again and he gave me that crooked smile that caused me to go weak in the knees. I glared up at him slightly when he tightened his grip on my waist. He knew how that smile affected me

The song changed and Edward finally led me from the floor. My grace had not yet improved, and it was humiliating when I stepped on his foot or tripped over one of my own. We went around the room greeting the adults, trying to be good hosts.

While I was in the middle of a conversation with my old Biology teacher, Mr. Banner, the door bell rang again. I was a little surprised, since the door bell hadn't run for a few hours. I watched as Esme opened the door to reveal several Quileutes.

I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. "I knew you could like a surprise," Edward whispered in my ear.

I didn't care that I'd been talking to Mr. Banner anymore. I threw my arms around Edward before making a beeline for the door. I hugged each of the boys there and the few girls I knew. There was Jacob with Leah, Quil with Clair, Embry with who I assumed was Rebecca and Seth. Seth seemed blissfully happy even if he didn't have a girl on his arm. He reminded me of the Jacob who had been my best friend in high school. Now he was so wrapped up in Leah, I barely got a word out of him.

"Bella, you look great," Seth said as he pulled me into a hug. "I'm so glad that we got invited. This place is amazing." Then his eyes fell on the table of food and I was no longer able to hold his attention. I giggled as all the Quilleute boys followed their noses to Esme's food.

Leah sighed and shook her head with mock sadness, "It seems that I'm always loosing my men to food. First Sam to Emily and now Jacob to Esme." I was glad to see that she was joking. I knew that the whole Sam ordeal had been hard on her.

Alice bounded up to us, dragging Jasper with her, "Oooo, new people," she said excitedly.

Leah stepped back slightly as if she'd been confronted by a rattle snake. I understood her shock. Alice was a bit much. I reached out to grab Leah's hand, "Sorry for the little Pixie. This is my roommate Alice and Rose's twin brother Jasper. They were the only people not with us when we were discussing my truck." I knew my face dropped slightly with the mention of my truck. I still hadn't gotten over the loss.

Leah tried to smile. She still looked scared of Alice, but she tried to push past it. "Hi Alice, Jasper. I'm Leah. This is Clair, Quil's girlfriend, and this is Embry's date, Rebecca."

Rose and Emmett had approached us by this point. I was a little shocked when Rose and Leah hugged each other and walked away. I couldn't figure out what had brought on such a camaraderie, but they seemed pretty happy in each other's company. This of course left me to deal with Emmett. "So Mom tells me that you're spending the night with us."

I popped him upside the head. He pouted, "Ouch, Bells. What was that for?"

I glared at him. "Have some decorum, Emmett. You live in a small town now. Girls spending the nights with their boyfriends is kind of frowned upon, and we just so happen to have some of the biggest gossipers in the room."

He looked up at me sheepishly, "You're not mad at me, are you Bells?"

I rolled my eyes, "We'll see how many people around town are talking about where I sleep, and then I'll decided."

His shoulders slumped as he walked over to where Rose was talking to Leah. I almost forgave him as I watched his dejected figure walk away. But then I caught sight of Mrs. Crowley and changed my mind. She was eying Edward and me skeptically.

Edward again pulled me from my thoughts by spinning me back onto the floor. "So are you really spending the night?"

There was excitement in Edward's voice, which kind of shocked me. I thought I'd told him. "Well if you want me to. Charlie's not going to be home until Tomorrow morning and I think your bed is a little more comfortable to sleep in than mine. Mine's barely big enough for me. It's always cramped when we're both in it."

He smiled at my response. "Thank you."

I watched him carefully, "For what?"

He kissed my forehead, "For staying. It's the best Christmas gift that you could have gotten me."

I shook my head, "That's not my Christmas gift, silly. We do that too often for it to be your gift."

He brushed his lips over my eyes. "You shouldn't have gotten me anything, Bella."

I raised an eyebrow at him, "Just as you shouldn't have gotten me anything, but I know for a fact that you did."

He laughed nervously, "Well, I only bought you one of them."

"One?" I nearly shouted. Most of the room turned to look at me and I blushed. Once everyone had gone back to what they were doing, I looked back up at Edward. "What do you mean one of them. Why are there multiple gifts?"

He blushed, "Just don't judge me on it yet, okay? I have my reasons." He used the full power of his emerald eyes on me. I was rendered speechless, so I merely nodded.

Edward kept me dancing most of the night. Around ten o'clock, the crowd began to thin. I said goodbye to my Quilleute friends, noticing how the boys lovingly thanked Esme. If she missed her sons during the year, I knew that they would be willing to stand in for them.

Mrs. Crowley stuck around until the crowd was dwindling, and then she approached me. "Dear, does Chief Swan know where you are tonight?

I blanched, "Of course he does. He was there when Edward picked me up tonight and was invited to come as well."

She shook her head. "That's not what I meant. Shouldn't your father know that you are spending the night with your boyfriend?"

I was thankful that Carlisle had been standing close by. He came up and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Surely you are not implying that I allow such things to happen under my roof."

Mrs. Crowley's eyes bugged out of her sockets for a moment as she tried to figure out how to pic up her jaw from the floor. I understood the affect he was having on her. Esme was a lucky woman. "You see, Mrs. Crowley, you must understand my concern for a young lady with the equilibrium which Bella here has. Since her father will not be in the house tonight, I would find it much more comforting to have her here. With so many guest rooms, you cannot think I would begrudge Bella a place to sleep."

After Mrs. Crowley walked away, thoroughly dazed, I turned to Carlisle. "You're quite a smooth talker, Dr. Cullen."

He shrugged his shoulders. "More than twenty years in a hospital have taught me how to deal with people. Women with the 'better than thou' attitude have always bothered me." He smiled and returned to his wife's side. By 11:30, everyone had left with the exception of the Hales, Alice, and the Denalis, "Well, that was interesting," Rosalie said.

I rolled my eyes at her. She wasn't the small town type. "They were nice people, Rose." Esme chided.

She blushed and ducked her head. "I know, Esme. They all just seemed rather closed minded. I guess I'm just not used to being around people who live in a town where everyone knows everything about everyone."

Soon, everyone was heading to their respective homes and rooms. I hugged Alice Rose, and Jasper as they headed toward Seattle. They, like me, needed to be home for Christmas morning. The Denalis were staying in some of the Cullen's guest rooms, so those of us who remained began to get ready for bed.

After washing my face, brushing my teeth, and putting on a pair of my sweats and one of Edward's shirts, I grabbed Edward's present and waited for him to join me on the bed. When he finally did, he had three gifts. I shook my head and tried to remember that he'd only bought one of them. He placed them in my lap and took the one in my hand, watching me sheepishly. I knew he was waiting for me to blow up at him for the number of gifts, but I was trying to be gracious.

"Open yours first," I looked away from the gifts in my lap. Maybe if I let it sink in for a few more minutes, it wouldn't bother me so much.

He nodded and began to remove the paper. He placed the paper next to him and pulled the lid off of the box and looked inside. I bit my lip waiting for his reaction.

He leaned forward and captured my lips, letting his fingers move into my hair and hold me against his lips. "It's perfect, thank you." I had found a place that specialized in music. They personalized staff paper, so I got him several hundred pages. The paper looked kind of antiqued with twelve staffs which could be connected and written on. On the top of every page it said Music by: Edward Cullen.

Edward picked up a package out of my lap. "Open this one first, it's the only one that I bought."

I knew he wanted to get that out of the way first, considering my reaction. I picked up the package, surprised by it's weight. It wasn't any bigger than my hand, yet it felt heavy. I pulled off the paper and opened the box inside. I ran my hand over the case. It looked like a jewelry box, but it was a long rectangle. I flipped open the lid and gasped. Inside was a crystal blue pen. It had a roller ball, which always wrote smoothly, and a gold clip. In the clip was inscribed Isabella Marie.

Edward's fingers trailed my cheeks, spreading moisture I hadn't even noticed was there. "Do you not like it?" There was fear in Edward's voice.

I looked up into his eyes, "It's beautiful, Edward."

He smiled, "I figured you'd be happier if I bought you something practical. You can use this pen when you start writing for big name papers and companies."

I smiled, closing the box and moving on to the next one. I tore off the paper to see a thin blue CD case. There was no CD inside, and I looked at Edward with an eyebrow raised. He reached for a remote on his bedside table and aimed it at the entertainment center. I smiled as his compositions began to fill the room.

He brushed some hair from my face. "You once mentioned that you wished that I could play at school. Since I can't I hoped that this would be a good substitute."

I cupped his cheek. "Nothing could substitute for actually being in the room with you when you play, but thank you." He leaned forward and touched his lips to mine for only a moment before he looked nervously at the box left in my lap.

I picked up the box curiously. The box was nothing like the others. It wasn't wrapped and it didn't look new. In fact, it looked very old. It looked like an antiqued wooden box. I traced my fingers over the floral design that was carved into it. It reminded me of an old keepsake or jewelry box. I unhooked the clasp on the side and pushed the lid back. Inside was a bracelet that I'd never seen a match to. It had a silver chain, where each of the links were so closely linked, that it appeared more of a band than a chain. I picked it up and examined the single charm that hung from it. It was a heart cut out of a clear and colorless crystal. The light from the hallway hit the heart and sent rainbows scattered across the wall. "Edward," I breathed.

"It was my grandmother's Edward said. "She left it to me when she died."

I looked up at him. "Edward, I can't take this. It's far too valuable." I placed it in his hand, afraid that I might cause some harm to it.

He shook his head, undid the clasp, and placed it around my arm. Even though I knew that I should give it back, I couldn't help but admire the colors that were cast on my wrist by the little heart. "Bella," Edward placed a finger under my chin and forced me to look up into his eyes. "You're being ridiculous. I want you to wear it."

I shook my head, "Edward, you shouldn't give me something worth so much. With my luck, I'll lose it. I don't want to lose something that's been handed down in your family."

He sighed, his sweet breath washing over me. "Bella, will you please wear it, for me? It's beautiful and deserves to be out of that old box. I'm not going to ever wear it, and I can think of no other place that I'd want it than on your wrist."

I looked back down at the bracelet, adjusting myself to the idea of it sitting on my wrist. It was so beautiful. The chain was both beautiful and sturdy. The thickness as well as the angle of the connections made me believe that it was made to withstand someone with my luck.

"Will you wear it?" Edward broke into my inspection.

I looked up into his pleading eyes. The emeralds that I'd grown to love more than any other gem in the whole world. They pleaded with me to accept his gift. The longer I looked at them, the more worried they got. "Please." He breathed.

My breath caught in my throat and I couldn't speak. I nodded my head and watched as his crooked smile spread across his face and his eyes sparkled. He leaned into kiss me, sending shivers down my spine. "Thank you," he breathed against my lips.

I giggled and he pulled away to look at me questioningly. "You aren't supposed to say 'thank you' when you're the one who gave me the gift."

He shrugged his shoulders. There was some emotion that was hiding from me, hiding under the surface that I couldn't quite read. He leaned over and flicked off the light before I could capture the emotion. He placed the packages on his bedside table and pulled me toward him. I laid my head on his chest and closed my eyes.

"Goodnight, Love," Edward said as he kissed my hair.

I sighed and lifted my head so that I could capture his lips. He laced his fingers in my hair and held me to his lips. I parted my lips, to catch his bottom lip. I sucked on it causing him to moan. I smiled, pleased with his reaction. He struggled with himself for a moment before he pushed me away. "If we don't stop, I can't be held responsible for my actions."

I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder. I reminded myself that we were in the Cullen's house and that the bedroom door was open.

I looked over at the clock on his bedside table, 12:30. I smiled. "Merry Christmas, Edward."