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 4

The next day dawned nice and foggy, with only a few clear areas. Bella and I headed down to the slope we had been practicing on the day before, but this time, our siblings accompanied us.

"So, Edward said you did pretty well yesterday, Picky. Think you'll be ready for snowboarding by the end of the day?" Emmett asked.

"I hope so," Bella replied, smiling happily.

"Just remember that we have plenty of time for that," I cautioned her.

"Of course," she said, reaching up on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. She turned her head to look at our siblings. "You guys really didn't have to come. I know this slope is way too tame for you guys."

"We want to hang out with Edward and you," Alice stated. "We don't really care about the different types of slopes."

"Maybe we could all go tubing this afternoon," Jasper suggested. "I'm sure you would enjoy that, Bella."

"From the way Alice and you described it the other night, it did sound like fun," Bella replied.

"Well, for now, let's see you ski, sis," Rose said, dropping her own skis to the ground.

"Bella," I called, holding my hand out to her.

She took it and I pulled her closer, giving her a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Time to buckle your shoes in, love," I told her. I held onto her arm to keep her balanced as she buckled herself into her skis. "Do you want me to go down first again?"

"Rose and I want to go first," Emmett announced.

Bella chuckled and carefully moved to the side in her skis. I shook my head, smiling at our siblings as I moved away, as well.

We watched as Emmett and Rose took off, racing down the small slope.

"Rose wins!" Alice chirped when they reached the bottom. "See! I can wait to announce the outcome as after it happens."

"Who said you couldn't?" Bella asked.

"Emmett bet me," Alice shrugged.

"What did you win?" I inquired.

"A piggyback ride as he snowboards," Alice answered, smiling brightly.

"Really?" Bella cried, sounding excited.

"No way," I said sternly. "Forget it, Bella."

"I thought you liked giving me piggyback rides," Bella pouted, sticking out her bottom lip.

"I do, but I don't want you doing that with Emmett while he is snowboarding."

"Silly vampire," Bella laughed. "I would never expect you to allow me to do that with Emmett. Your nerves would never make it through that. I was talking about you giving me a piggyback ride if I can't snowboard on my own."

"Now that you two have it all worked out, would you mind getting down the hill so we can have a turn?" Alice teased, grinning at us.

"Yeah, sure," Bella laughed.

"You remember what I told you yesterday?" I asked, standing next to her.

"Yep," she replied, smiling.

"Go ahead, then. I'll be right behind you."

Bella pushed off and headed down the slope. I waited a moment and started after her. She did really well at first, but halfway down the hill, something went wrong and she started tumbling, head over feet, down the rest of the hill.

"Bella!" I shouted, not knowing what else to do. I could hear Alice and Jasper coming down after us and I could see Emmett running toward my tumbling Bella.

Emmett reached her seconds before me, scooping her up to stop her from falling anymore. Her skis were broken in a few different places and one of her poles was bent nearly in half.

As I reached them, I could hear Bella coughing and gasping.

"I've always hated swallowing snow," Bella grunted, looking up at Emmett.

Emmett threw his head back and laughed, his entire frame shaking from it. I took Bella from him, cradling her against my chest.

"Are you okay, love?" I asked, checking over her face and body.

"I think so. I hurt my ankle, but it's already healing," Bella informed me. "I'm not sure what made me fall in the first place, though. But then again, I've never seemed to need anything," she giggled.

I chuckled as I pressed my cheek against hers. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too, Edward." She lifted my face up. "Can we still ski? It was only a small tumble."

I looked around at our siblings, all of them encouraging me with their thoughts to let her continue. I looked back down at my wife. "Yes, we can keep trying."

Bella smiled and hugged me tightly. "Thank you. I know you're still working on not being overprotective."

I nodded to her, before turning toward our brother. "Jasper, will you unhook what's left of her skis?"

"Sure," Jasper chuckled.

Bella seemed to realize for the first time that she had broken them. "Oh, I'm sorry, Edward."

"It's okay. That is why I brought multiple sets. Although, I thought it would be a control issue with your strength and weight, and not a falling one," I teased, winking at her.

She laughed and rested her head against my shoulder. "Yeah, only me."

"I don't mind in the least, you know," I whispered, for only her to hear.

"I know. I love you."

"I love you, too, Bella."

"All done," Jasper said, holding up what was left of the skis.

"Damn, Picky," Emmett chuckled. "You sure mangled those."

"Try rolling down a hill in skis and see if they survive for you," Bella challenged.

"Oh, let's roll down the hill together!" Alice chirped, jumping up and down.

We stared at her, wondering what had gotten into her.

"Not with the skis, you silly people. Just rolling for the fun of it," Alice explained. "I saw some kids doing it yesterday and it really looked like a lot of fun."

"How?" Rose asked, looking from the slope to Alice.

"You lay on your side, tuck your arms into your chest, and then just start rolling," Alice replied.

"Let's go in pairs and race," Emmett said, rubbing his hands together.

"Emmett and me first!" Bella announced, wiggling out of my arms.

"You sure, Picky?" Emmett chuckled.

"Em, with all the practice I have at falling and rolling, I'm sure I can take you."

"Let's see it, then," Emmett laughed, scooping up Bella and running her up the slope.

The rest of us stayed at the bottom so we could have the best view of the winner. Alice was refusing to announce the outcome, so we would just have to wait and see. Bella waved to me from the top of the slope and I returned it.

"She's having a great time," Jasper said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "I haven't sensed any changes in her emotions since before we left Stony Creek."

"That's excellent to hear," I told him, feeling extremely relieved.

"She's tougher than she knows," Alice said, looking up at Bella.

"She sure is," Rose agreed, nodding.

"I never did get to thank you both for what you did in the woods," I told our sisters. "I have no idea what you two said to her, but it made a world of difference."

"We were glad to be able to help," Rose said, putting an arm around my shoulders and leaning her head against mine. "I know it took me awhile to come around, Edward, but I hope you know just how much I love Bella."

"I do know. And so does she," I replied, pulling Alice into the hug.

"Our brother is hugging us," Alice cried. "We are in the Vampire Twilight Zone. Ooooh!"

"Alice," Rose laughed.

"Here they come!" Jasper announced, pointing up the slope.

Bella and Emmett were both laughing as they rolled down the slope. Emmett's body was getting covered with snow, while Bella was quickly passing him and gaining distance. As she reached the bottom of the slope, I took her into my arms, holding her against me.

"Are you dizzy?" I asked.

"Vampires don't get dizzy," Bella said breathlessly.

"But are you dizzy?" I repeated.

"Yes, but it's because you're so close," Bella giggled, putting her hand against my cheek.

"She beat you," Rose told Emmett, as she brushed the snow off of him.

"Yeah, she's so little that she was practically floating on top of the snow."

"My turn!" Alice chirped, taking ahold of Jasper's hand. "Come on, Jazzy. Let's roll."

Emmett stood on the side Alice would come down on and I stood on Jasper's. We watched as they came barreling down the slope, Alice mere inches ahead of Jasper. He somehow managed to even up with her again, before reaching the bottom, but little Alice was lighter and ended up speeding up again. Emmett caught her just as she reached the end of the slope while I grabbed ahold of Jasper's arms to stop him from rolling any further.

"How was it?" I asked.

"Fun," Jasper chuckled. "She beat me, didn't she?"

"Yep," Alice chirped, before jumping down into Jasper's lap and kissing him sweetly.

"That leaves you and me," Rose said, patting my shoulder. "Up to challenging your sister?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow at me.

"I thought you'd never ask," I teased, grinning at her. We raced up the slope, with me winning, of course.

"Enjoy that little victory, because I will win this part," Rose said, lying down in the snow.

"What makes you so sure?" I asked.

"I used to roll down hills when I was a little girl."

"You actually remember that?"

"I have a few of my best human memories still. That's one of them."

"I never would have pictured you for a child that played outside much."

"I was young," Rose laughed. "It must have been before I discovered I was beautiful."

"And now?" I chuckled.

"And now, I remember what it's like to have fun with you, and our siblings. So shut up and race me, Edward."

"You asked for it," I laughed. "Ready. Set. GO!"

We started rolling down the hill. I saw a flash of blonde and knew she was just a little ahead of me. I tucked my arms in further, trying to cut back on the wind resistance. She must have done the same thing, though, because I never managed to catch up to her.

Jasper stopped me at the bottom and then Bella sat down on top of me.

"Did you have fun?" she asked, brushing snow from my hair.

"Yes," I replied, leaning up on my elbows. I looked over at Rose, seeing Emmett gently brushing the snow from her clothes and hair, as well. "Good race," I called to her.

"Yeah, I enjoyed beating you," she laughed.

"It was interesting to be defeated for a change," I told her.

"Edward," Bella said, drawing my attention back to her.

"Yes, love?"

"Can we have a snowball fight now?"

"I thought you wanted to learn to ski?"

"As you said, we have plenty of time for that. Please?"

I smiled and hugged her against me. "You might as well have skipped the question and just said that word. Of course we can have a snowball fight instead."

"Yes," Bella cried, pulling away enough to kiss me. She turned her head toward our siblings. "Snowball fight!"

"Yes!" Emmett bellowed, pumping his fist in the air.

Bella got up and started making snowballs. I made a small one from where I was sitting and gently tossed it at her back. It hit her and she gasped. She turned to me, smiling wickedly, and before I could move, she pounced on me, knocking me back into the snow.

"Gotcha," she whispered, before playfully biting my neck.

I rolled us so that I was on top and returned the bite. "And now, I have you."

"You've always had me," she sighed, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Ever since I first saw you in that cafeteria."

A snowball hit me in the lower back and I turned my head, growling playfully.

Emmett was smirking as he bounced a snowball between his hands. "We're having a snowball fight, not watching you make out with Picky."

"We are, aren't we?" I chuckled, as Bella slipped a snowball into my hand.

I turned at vampire speed and launched the snowball at Emmett. He tried to duck, but I still hit his broad shoulder.

"You always were the best target," Jasper laughed, launching his own snowball at Emmett.

"You guys are dead, now," Emmett laughed, throwing snowballs at everyone near him.

Bella moved to my side and the two of us worked together to pelt our siblings. The sounds of my family's laughter filled me with happiness.

'Look at them.' I turned at that thought, looking up to find Esme and Carlisle watching us from the top of the slope.

"Emmett," I called, low enough so Esme and Carlisle couldn't hear. I nodded my head toward the top of the slope and Emmett looked up, grinning. We each launched a snowball, hitting Carlisle and Esme on their legs.

"Get down here and defend yourselves," Emmett chuckled.

Esme leaned over, made a snowball, and tossed it at Emmett. He danced away from it and laughed. "Come on, mom. Get down here and show us how it's done," Emmett pleaded.

Soon enough, all eight of us were at the bottom of the slope, pelting each other with snow and laughing happily. This moment, with all of them…This was what we would be fighting for if things came to that this summer. But maybe Emmett could allow Aro to see this and then he would know that this was all we wanted, that we would never be a threat as long as we were allowed to live happily and peacefully. But for now, I banished all thoughts of Italy from my mind, thinking only of my family. I smiled deviously. Right now, Aro didn't matter…I had family members to attack with snowballs.

EBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEBEB

For all of those that want some action, it's coming on Sunday! Then on Tuesday, the chapter that is a new personal favorite of mine will post--the fallout of the action that happens. And on that Thursday, we will have the first ever chapter in Emmett's POV, and I think you guys are going to like it.

GIANT THANKS to E.C. Cullen. She was completely slammed yesterday and still managed to Beta this chapter for us all.

For all of you worried about Italy... Come on! Did you really think I was going to give anything away? LOL!