Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Twilighted Supervisory Beta: qjmom

Twilighted Junior Validation Beta: oceanwaters2006

AN: First let me say I apologize for the delay. I know how frustrating it can be when you do not get updates regularly. I wish I could be as awesome as the authors that have their act together and update weekly. That being said I will never abandon this story and it will get finished. My computer died and I lost everything so that put a major kink in the works. For those of you that are still willing to read thanks for your continued support. There are just 1 or maybe two chapters left.

Chapter 19

EPOV

Christmas Day

I slipped out of bed while Bella was still curled up under the warm covers and quietly made my way down the stairs. I wanted to make sure that everything was perfect for her when she woke up. This was our first Christmas together and my first Christmas with someone I loved. I wanted to make it special for her and for me.

Once I had had decided on what to get Bella for Christmas, I knew that to pull it off I would need to have some careful planning. I had enlisted the help of my family and friends over the last few weeks and by some miracle it was ready. I hoped that Bella truly liked it.

Alice and Rosalie were skeptical and thought that I should get her an expensive piece of jewelry, but I knew that Bella was not that kind of girl. First of all she rarely wore anything other than her watch and some simple earrings. Not to mention that I had been told several times that my spending money on her was NOT necessary. She had been quite emphatic about that point mind you!

When she had found out that the skis she had used for our first 'lesson' were actually not rentals, but a pair that I had purchased for her, she was less than enthused. She couldn't figure out why I would spend that kind of money on someone I hardly knew at the time, or on someone who was just learning. I decided that trying to explain my reasoning was futile and I settled for promising to not make "outrageous" purchases for her in the future. Outrageous being her word not mine.

I had just put the finishing touches on everything when I heard her moving around upstairs. It was only a few minutes until Bella appeared at the top of the stairs and made her way down to where I was sitting in front of the fireplace.

"Merry Christmas, handsome," she greeted me with a soft kiss on my lips before snuggling into my side next to me on the couch.

"Merry Christmas, baby," I replied hugging her close to my body and enjoying the quiet moment together.

"So when do you want to exchange gifts?" I asked her. I was hoping that she would want to do this before we joined the rest of my family at my parent's house for dinner. I didn't think I could wait much longer. It had been difficult enough to keep it to myself for as long as I had already.

"Well by the sound of your voice I am guessing that you would rather it be sooner than later," she teased.

In a great display of maturity, I simply stuck my tongue out at her before pulling her into to my lap for another kiss.

"You guessed correctly, Miss Swan. I have been told quite emphatically that gift giving is not allowed by you on most occasions, so I will take any opportunity I can get to be able to give you a gift."

"You did stick to the rules didn't you?" she asked with one eye brow in the air. I knew she was certain that I wouldn't follow them, but I had. Well I had in my own mind anyway. I may have stretched the rules a little bit.

The rules were as follows:

No purchasing of hundreds of ridiculously pricey gifts that I will never use and/or need.

No more than three gifts.

Alice/Rosalie/Esme may not choose the gifts, but they may offer advice.

In reality, the rules weren't that hard to follow, but I did have to chuckle to myself at that last one. Bella knew the women in my family well! They had been only to enthusiastic to offer advice.

"Well how do you want to do this?" I asked her not sure how to proceed.

Bella wrinkled her forehead in thought.

"Why don't we each take turns opening a gift?"

"Sounds good to me," I replied as I leaned around her to the table and picked up a wrapped box that I had laying there. I was seriously proud of myself that I had managed to wrap it myself.

"Hmmmm," she mused as she gently shook the box by her ear.

"Just open it you silly girl."

"You are no fun," she accused before she tore into the paper with wild abandon.

Once she had it completely unwrapped her eyes began to tear up, "Oh Edward it's wonderful."

I had taken a picture that Esme had taken of the two of us together and had it framed in a silver frame and at the bottom our names were engraved with the message "Our First Christmas". It was cheesy I know, but I wanted to mark this moment in time in some tangible way.

"I thought we could put it on the mantle, so that we could always look back at our first Christmas together," I whispered.

Bella jumped off my lap and walked over to the fireplace and carefully placed the photo on the mantle before stepping back and taking a look at it,

"It's perfect," she whispered to no one in particular before returning to my lap and snuggling in close for a moment.

I had to agree the picture and the meaning behind it were indeed perfect. I was extremely happy and content in my life at this moment. The only thing that would make it better was to make this situation permanent, but I knew that for know that it had to wait. Even though I hated waiting!

"So do you want one of your gifts now?" Bella whispered against my neck.

"Sure," I replied. My curiosity was getting the better of me and I wanted to see what Bella had come up with for my gifts.

She climbed off my lap and went to the tree coming back with a flat package that she placed in my lap before climbing back onto the couch beside me.

The package was smaller than a typical clothing box and slightly heavier than I would have predicted. I carefully tore off the wrappings and was left with a leather bound book that was tied together with a satin ribbon. As I turned it over in my hands I realized that it was slightly worn. My expression must have clued Bella in that I was slightly puzzled.

"It's not a new journal. It's my old one. I use it when I am struck with a thought or creative moment. It's not organized in anyway, but it is a pretty good look into the person I am and the person I was. I wanted you to be a part of everything in my life and I couldn't think of a better way."

I was stunned to say the least. Bella was for the most part a private person. It had taken me months to get her to open up to me, but this was heads and shoulders above all that she had told me. This was letting me in to her whole being. I was truly speechless. Unfortunately Bella took more astonishment for something else entirely.

"I'm sorry. It was a ridiculous idea," murmured Bella as she looked at her hands that were sitting in her lap.

As her words sunk in I realized that I had to fix this and fast.

I wrapped my hands around her waist and pulled her sp that she was straddling my lap. She didn't resist me, but her head was still looking down at her lap. I gently cupped her chin and lifted her face to look at mine.

"Baby this is the most amazing gift you could have given me. I feel so blessed that you want to share yourself so completely with me, I love you so much that there are no words."

My words must have had the desired impact because she leaned forward and kissed with so much love and passion that I was seriously tempted to carry her back upstairs and forego the rest of our Christmas celebration for awhile, but I knew our time was limited before we were expected at my parent's house.

Slowly we slowed our kisses and just snuggled together for a few moments.

"Well would you like the rest of your gifts now?" Bella asked me.

"Sure." I was curious as to what else she could have possibly gotten me that would top the journal.

Bella leaned forward and grabbed another small package with brightly colored wrappings and ribbons.

I carefully unwrapped the package and slid the lid off the box. I looked inside and was honestly puzzled at what I saw.

"Uh Bella, I'm not sure that I follow this one."

Bella giggled at my reaction. Obviously she was enjoying my confusion. I reached into the box and pulled out the dark blue string bikini that had been nestled in the paper.

"It was Alice's idea to wrap up the suit just to see what you would do. I have to say that the look on your face was priceless though!" she continued to giggle.

Apparently the joke was on me, but I was still clueless as to how a bikini was supposed to be a present to me, unless of course Bella was laying on a beach somewhere wearing it. That would be a fantastic gift!

Still confused I looked to Bella for more explanation, "So this is just a gag gift then?"

"No silly, the bathing suit is for me. Your gift happens to go with it though," she explained as she handed me an envelope that I hadn't noticed before.

I tore open the envelope ready to have this little mystery solved before I got anymore confused. When I read the paper that was enclosed in the envelope it all made sense, and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face.

When Alice and Bella had been shopping and Bella wasn't sure what to get for Edward, Alice had pointed out a display in a travel agent's window. The poster itself was just a generic looking tropical scene, but the idea was there. The y spent so much of their time surrounded by cold and snow that Bella thought a nice vacation in a warm, sunny place would be great.

"Seriously? We are going to the Caribbean? When? " Edward asked in rapid succession.

"Well, I wasn't sure about the timing, so the agent is holding several options open for us. I figured we could take a look and make the final decision together."

Edward just grinned and nodded his head at her before landing a giant kiss on her lips.

"I don't really have a preference as long as you wear that bikini and I get to take it off later!"

"God you are such a man!"

"I can't deny that! I would gladly prove it to you, too if I didn't have another gift to give you." At this point I was a mix of excitement and unease. I still wasn't sure what Bella would think of my gift. Knowing that it was now or never, I stood up from my spot on the couch and placed Bella on her feet in front of me, I covered her eyes with my hands and told her that she had to let me lead her to the location of her next gift.

She grumbled at me, but followed my path that led through the house to the garage. I opened the door with one hand and talked Bella through going down the two steps into the garage.

Bella had obviously figured out where we were headed when she said, "Edward Cullen you'd better not have bought me a snowmobile or something equally ridiculous!"

I just chuckled because if I had my way I would have bought her something much flashier than a snowmobile, but I knew that she would have killed me. In time I was hopeful that she would let me shower her with various gifts, but I was willing to bide my time. Hopefully a lifetime!

Keeping her eyes covered I leaned closer to her ear before speaking softly to her, "Now you have to promise to accept this gift no matter what because it follows all of your guidelines. I don't want to hear one argument from you. Do I have your word?" I had purposefully whispered the last phrase into her skin, knowing the effect it would have on her.

She simply nodded her acquiescence before I removed my hands from her eyes and watched for her reaction.

Her eyes slowly blinked open and adjusted to the slightly dimmer lighting of the garage before I heard her gasp in surprise. I was hoping it was a good kind of gasp, but I was waiting until she said something to be sure.

"Oh my god, Edward! How did you -? I mean --."

The words just came out in jumbles. It was amusing and endearing to watch her surprised reaction.

I knew that a new car was not allowed in her rules, although I wanted nothing more than to buy her something fun and useful to drive around, and maybe in time she would allow that to happen. In the meantime, Bella needed a car and I wanted to do something that would make her happy, so I had enlisted the help of my family and friends, and had her truck restored from the accident.

The ironic part was that the restoration of the truck was more expensive than most new cars that Bella would have considered, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Bella's whispered voice brought me out of my reverie, "Edward how did you do this?"

There were tears on her cheeks as she asked her questions. I silently wiped the tears away with the pads of my thumbs and kissed each of her cheeks.

"Well I knew that you would never allow me to buy you a new car, and I knew how much you adored your beast of a truck, so I pulled the guys together and we got it back to its perfectly horrid condition!" teasing her slightly in my explanation.

She reached up and slapped my chest before pulling me in for a fierce hug.

"Edward this is the nicest, most thoughtful gift anyone has ever given me. Thank you so much! I know you would have rather gotten me something shiny and too fast, but it means the world to me that you did this for me," as Bella spoke she reached up and grabbed the back of my neck to kiss me deeply and passionately.

God I loved this woman!

We finally broke apart after several intense minutes of passionate kissing. Our breathing labored as we rested our foreheads together just enjoying each other's presence.

"Well I am beyond thrilled that you like you gifts, that is all that is important to me," I whispered in her hair.

"Edward I would love to show you just how much I love my gifts, but we need to get ready for lunch at your parent's house, However I will make sure to save my thanks for later tonight!"

I groaned at her innuendo, "Woman you are going to be the death of me. Let's go before I say screw 'em and we are late for lunch!"

She giggled at my statement and took off onto the house with me in hot pursuit. I knew we couldn't have a full round of fun, but who says that we couldn't fool around a little!

AN: Again thank you for those that are still reading! I really do appreciate your reviews and thoughts!