DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me…they are all the creation of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Cullens spend Christmas at Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia

Christmas 2

"Edward, I'm so excited," Bella said, jumping up and down next to me.

I laughed and wrapped my arm around her waist. "You're going to need to calm down, love. You need to focus and pay attention if you want to learn to ski."

"I know, I know. I'm just really excited to be doing something new with you, especially something I never thought I would do because of my old balance issues."

"You mean your inability to walk across a flat surface?" I teased, winking at her.

"You fell in love with my clumsiness, didn't you?" she asked, smiling.

"And your blush, and your infuriatingly blocked mind, and your heart and soul. I fell in love with everything about you."

"I love you, Edward," she said, resting her head against my shoulder.

"I love you, my Bella."

We continued walking until we found a beginner trail that was empty. I helped Bella put on her skis, and then put on my own. I had brought a few extra pairs in case Bella ran into any trouble with adjusting her strength and weight, but she seemed to be doing fine as she took a few tentative steps.

"Alright, Bella. Skiing is a breeze once you understand the basics behind the movements. Think of your skis as rudders on a small boat. The direction you turn your feet is the direction you will go. When you ski, your feet will be in motion, constantly changing direction, so that you will basically be making an 'S' pattern repeatedly."

"Why can't I just stay pointed straight and go down that way?"

"Because you will pick up too much speed, too quickly. The object is to enjoy your ride down the mountain, not to reach the bottom within seconds."

"That makes sense. Please continue."

"Okay. You will keep your legs bent while leaning slightly forward. As you start to go down the hill, point your legs to one side of the trail, either left or right, it doesn't matter. When you start to get to the edge, turn one foot toward the opposite direction, and then the other foot. This is what will cause the 'S' motion. You will continue doing that until you reach the bottom. When you are ready to stop, point your feet together, but be careful not to let your skis overlap. If you find yourself falling, keep your legs together and lean toward one side."

"I will do my best not to fall."

"Well, if you do, snap your boot out of one of your skis so that you can get back onto your feet. Once you're standing, you can snap it back in."

"Okay. Sounds complicated, but I think I got all of that. Let's try it."

"Would you like me to go down first to show you?"

"Yes, but will it be easy for you to get back up here to go down with me after you're done showing me how you do it?"

"I will be at your side soon after I reach the bottom, love."

I kissed her cheek and then pushed off, heading down the slope. I made sure to keep my movements slow and exact so that Bella could see them and repeat them. When I reached the bottom, I unsnapped my boots, picked up my skis, and raced back up the slope.

"Edward, that was so awesome," Bella chirped, hugging me tightly. "I hope I look that graceful doing it."

"I'm sure you will if you take your time," I told her. "Are you ready?"

"Yep."

"Go ahead and push off then. I will be right behind you."

She took a deep breath and then did as I had instructed her to. I waited a few seconds and then went off behind her. She made her first turn and did well, but on her second turn, she somehow got her feet tangled and fell over.

I bit back the urge to laugh. I knew it bothered her that she wasn't a completely normal vampire, but I loved that she still had so many enduring human qualities about herself. And she really did fall a lot less as a vampire.

I stopped next to her and pulled her up on her feet. "Are you okay, Bella?"

"Perfectly fine. Just a little aggravated that I've already fallen down."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Edward. Do you want to bring me to Carlisle's to get his professional opinion?"

"No," I chuckled. "I was just making sure."

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated."

"Well, don't let it stop you. Push off again and let's go the rest of the way down the slope."

We made it down the slope without any further incidents, but Bella's movements were a little stiff. We practiced going down the slope for about an hour before Bella really started to get the hang of it. I looked around, noticing that the fog was starting to wear off and Bella's face was lightly sparkling.

"Bella, we need to head back now. The fog is fading too much."

"I was just going to ask you if you had noticed that."

"I'm surprised Alice didn't call us."

"Maybe she saw that you would realize it before she even had the chance to call you."

"Maybe. We'll ask her about it when we get inside. For now, pull your hood as far forward as it will go."

Bella did as I said, and we walked as quickly as we could, while still appearing human, and made it into the townhome within a couple of minutes.

"Oh, good! You're both back," Esme said, hugging us as we walked through the door. "That's everyone."

"Alice, why didn't you call us?" I asked her, as she bounced over to us.

"I didn't bother checking on anyone this morning since none of us were going very far. Either you turned your phone off or you've forgotten to charge it again, dear brother," Alice replied. "And Bella left hers in your room."

"Sorry," Bella said, smiling shyly. "I'm so used to never needing it."

"Well, when you two go on vacation, your phones had better be on you and charged at all times," Alice warned.

"Just so long as you aren't calling us every two minutes," I teased, putting an arm around Alice's shoulders.

"Stay out of trouble and you won't need to worry about it," Alice said, poking me in my side. "I'll have my hands full with Em and Rose in Monaco."

"Why do you guys always assume I'm going to get into trouble?" Emmett asked, glaring at everyone.

"Because you always do," Bella giggled. "But you could always make a bet and prove them wrong."

"Bella, don't encourage him," Rose chuckled, as she hugged Emmett tightly. "He's lost enough bets for awhile."

"Girls, why don't we head upstairs and have a little gab session?" Alice chirped. "We can leave the boys to play video games until the fog returns later this afternoon."

Bella gave me a hug and a kiss before following after our sisters. I put away all of our ski equipment and heavy jackets. Then, I sat down on the sofa, next to Jasper.

"What are you guys playing?" I asked.

"Tekken," Jasper answered. "Want a turn after I win this match?"

"Sure," I replied.

"How did the ski lesson with Bella go this morning?" Emmett questioned.

"Pretty good. She only fell once. And just before we came back, she was really starting to get the hang of it," I explained.

"Think you're going to let her snowboard?" Jasper inquired.

"I don't know yet. If she improves with the skiing tomorrow, then I'll probably take her on an easy slope," I told him.

"Very cool," Emmett said. "I can't wait to see Picky on a snowboard."

"You can't wait to see her fall off her snowboard," I corrected.

"That, too," Emmett chuckled.

The three of us lost track of time as we played the game and teasingly argued over who was cheating and who was just skilled. We had just managed to get back into another three way tie, when Alice interrupted us.

"Boys, please head upstairs and change into the clothing that has been left in each of your rooms," Alice said sweetly. We all turned to face her. She was standing at the bottom of the stairs, covered up in a pink, fluffy robe.

Jasper stood up and walked over to her, taking her into his arms. "And why are we changing?"

"Because Rose, Bella, and I have decided to surprise you three for a change. We are treating you guys to a date night," Alice explained.

"Must you recite the words to 'Barbie Girl' backward?" I sighed, looking at our sister.

"Yes. Otherwise, you will be too tempted to try and figure out what the surprise is going to be," Alice chirped. "Now, go on up and change."

"And what about you?" Jasper questioned.

"I am changed. The robe is just to keep my outfit a surprise until you return," Alice assured him, before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

We headed up the stairs and went into our rooms. On my bed was a pair of black slacks and a long sleeve, black, button-up shirt. I was pretty sure Bella had picked out my outfit, knowing how much she enjoyed seeing me in black. I quickly changed and headed back downstairs, Emmett and Jasper following right behind me. The girls came walking out of the kitchen area, all three of them looking gorgeous, but especially my Bella.

She was in a short, black cocktail dress with only one strap across her right shoulder. It made her neck look even more appealing than normal. I walked over to her and wrapped her up in my arms.

"Don't wrinkle my dress," she giggled. "Alice will hurt you."

"I'm sorry, love," I whispered, placing a small kiss on the side of her neck. "You are so stunning that I had to make sure you were real and not just a vision."

"She's already married you and shagged your brains out numerous times. You can lay off with all the cheesy pick-up lines," Rose said, patting my shoulder hard.

I playfully growled at our sister. "They were never pick-up lines, Rosalie. I happen to enjoy complimenting Bella."

"Oh, great reply, Edward," Alice chirped, clapping her hands together. "Rose is just jealous that Emmett can't string together sentences the way you do."

"And you're not the least bit?" Rose asked, lifting an eyebrow at Alice.

Alice wound her arms around Jasper. "Who needs words when you can know instantly how your husband feels about you?"

"Are you girls having a husband battle off? 'Cause I'm really enjoying getting my ego stroked," Emmett chuckled.

"Wow. It sure didn't take long for that conversation to go from sweet to perverted," Bella chuckled.

"It only took that long because Emmett was distracted by Rose's dress," Jasper laughed.

"Bringing the conversation back around," I said. "What do you ladies have planned for tonight?"

"Oh, no," Alice sang, waving her finger back and forth. "It's our turn to torture you guys with suspense. Ladies, please blindfold your man."

Bella chuckled as she pulled out the blue silk scarf I had used on her in Canada. "You'll have to lean down a little, honey. Even with these heals, I'm a bit short."

I chuckled as I lowered my head for her. She quickly wrapped the scarf around my head, covering my eyes completely.

"Rose, what if I just promise not to peek?" Emmett asked.

"Emmett, play along now and I'll play along later," Rose promised.

"Blindfold me, baby," Emmett chuckled.

"Rose, come help me down from this chair," Alice called out.

"Alice, why are you on a chair?" I asked, turning my head toward her voice.

"How else would I get a blindfold on Jasper, silly?" Alice giggled.

"Okay, boys. We're going to lead you outside and to the vehicle, so please listen and trust us. We won't let you fall down the steps," Rose assured us.

Bella took both of my hands into hers. I didn't need to see, to know my wife's gentle touch.

"Come on, honey," Bella said softly. "Time to head toward your surprise."

"What's this for, Bella?" I asked, letting her lead me through the house. I could tell from the slight change in temperature that we were outside now.

"You are always doing sweet things for me, and the last few times, Jasper and Emmett have treated Alice and Rose, too. So, we decided to show you guys just how much we love and appreciate you," Bella explained.

"Boys, watch your heads as you slide into the backseat," Rose instructed, from somewhere up ahead of me.

"Edward, slowly back up," Bella commanded.

I did as she said and the back of my legs soon made contact with the seat. I ducked my head and slid in.

"Much better than Emmett," Alice chuckled.

"Hey, I only hit my head once," Emmett defended.

"Watch your hands," Bella said, before closing the door next to me.

"We are blindfolded with our wives in charge," Emmett whispered. "This could either be really good or really, really bad."

"Bella said they're doing this for all the times we've surprised them," I told him. "I'm sure it will be fine."

I heard two doors open and then the girls' laughter.

"Alright, boys. We're off to our secret destination. If anyone peeks, we will turn this vehicle around and call off your surprise," Rose warned.

"We are your willing, blindfolded subjects," Emmett replied. "Do with us as you will."

"Oh, we plan to," Alice giggled.

"Sit back and relax, gentlemen," Bella said. "We promise you will enjoy tonight."

I didn't have a doubt in my mind that my wife was telling the truth. I couldn't wait to reach our destination to find out what the three lovely ladies in front of us had planned.

EBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEB

Thanks to Knox Driver for the location and notes on skiing and snowboarding.

Thanks to the Cookie League for keeping me entertained during production. LOL!