Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews! A special shout out to QuirkyAlice because she just rocks my socks! I don't own these characters but I do love them with a passion. Thank you to vgjm for validating so often for me also. There are no songs for this chapter so just enjoy it for what it is.

BPOV/NOVEMBER 28TH

I heard the men working outside on the lights as I was putting the finishing touches on the gingerbread house for the Palmers. We all were up early to get the food done for their party for tonight. Next year I will say no to a party right after the holiday as I was grumpy as hell and just wanted to go back to sleep in Edward's arms. The crazy women kept changing the menu and all it did was piss me off. Everyone had been over at Rosalie's and Emmett's help get things settled a little more. Rose was nesting big time and barking orders as to where thing needed to go. I heard Jasper come in the front door looking for Alice and mumbling crazy women. I popped my head out and told him to look upstairs in the storage room. He told me they moved the damn tree 6 times and she still was not happy. I told him wait till Alice is pregnant and he told me to have him committed. We laughed as he also told me he would never admit to that either.

I went back to icing the cookie orders we had to go out and going back over my lists for the Palmer party. I heard the front door open and assumed Jasper found Alice. I went back to my world of icing and paper work. Angela and Ben were downstairs looking for more platters. I knew we had some down there but didn't know where to look. It was past dinner time and we all had enjoyed sandwiches in between the cookie orders we had to get out. I kept telling myself one more page of paper work and then finish up. My neck was killing me from leaning over the desk and my wrists hurt from holding the icing bags.

I must have been off in my own world because I was startled by a pair of hands on my shoulders. I screamed and the papers went flying as I fell of the chair.

"Oh Bella I didn't mean to scare you. Did you hurt yourself and do you need some CPR?" Edward's eyebrows went up and down. I just looked at him with a scowl but forgave him instantly when he helped me up.

"I am ok other than my heart beating out of my chest." I checked myself out and noticed icing on the ass of my jeans.

"I am so sorry Bella. I saw you sitting there working looking so incredibly sexy with your hair out of place and a pen in your mouth. Remind me to tell you about my secretary fantasy." I swatted him when he said that and turned a shade of red.

As much as I loved Edward I was still embarrassed at how open he was with me. I loved kissing him and receiving his kisses. They were like kissing an angel because his lips were soft like clouds. Sleeping next to him in my bed was an experience in itself. We held each other and just laid there enjoying what our bodies did to each other. One night he farted so loud that I fell off the bed because I was laughing so hard. At least he feels comfortable around me to do those kinds of things. I was still holding back from the fear of letting Edward down. I knew he was taking it slow because I wanted to but I don't know how much longer I can hold back from all of these emotions I was feeling. Hormones, emotions of love, lust, and friendship rocked me to the very core of my being. The fear of losing him put me into panic mode to the point I had to use a brown bag to calm myself down.

What I loved about Edward other than he was a fucking god in my eyes, was that he helped whenever I needed. It was like he knew what I needed before I needed it most of the time. He would come over and just watch me move about in the kitchen. It was weird to have someone watching me but erotic at the same time. He helped me take the gingerbread house downstairs and he made sure all the appliances were off. He checked them many times and I realized he was just as neurotic about it as I was.

We took our time walking back to the coach house. I kept trying to catch snow flakes on my tongue but kept getting them in my eyes. Edward laughed at me as he watched me with my tongue hanging out. I felt his arms wrap around my waist and he held me as the snow fell on the world around us.

"I have always wanted to do this." He spun me around and put his arms around my back. He held me tight as his lips touched mine softly. Our lips mingled with each other as the snow fell on our hot faces. I never felt so cold and so hot in my life. We pulled ourselves apart and slowed our breathing down. I put my head on his chest and we just stood there alone on the sidewalk. We had our moment and walked back to the coach house. I really wanted to know why he had not kissed his Sarah in the snow.

Alice and Jasper were already in bed but we could hear giggling coming from her room. I turned the lights off and set the alarm. Edward held my hand as we walked up the stairs. I was walking into my bathroom when I noticed the damn sex books were back on my bed. I picked them up and through them out the door.

"Alice your Jimmy Choos are going to die a slow and painful death!" I slammed the door behind me and then the roars of laughter from her room.

I heard snickering coming from my bed and turned around. Edward was in his t-shirt and flannels again trying to hold back his belly laughter. I just looked at him and then blushed from bottom to top.

"I don't see what is so funny in all of my embarrassment." I walked into the bathroom but was stopped by his hands.

"Bella it was funny but I will get Jasper back for you ok! When we make love it will not be by the book I promise you on that." He placed a sweet kiss on my lips and I went in to get ready for bed.

I came out and saw that he was leaning back on the pillows with his hands under his head. He looked so peaceful but so hot at the same time. I knew that this New Year's needed to be special for us. I was finally going to give into all the feelings ravishing my body. I crawled into bed and snuggled into his chest. Sleep found us both slowly and silently.

BPOV/NOVEMBER 29TH

"Bella! Bella! Did you hear me the phone is for you?" Angela was waving the cordless in front of my face.

I shook off my euphoria and took it out of her hands. She turned around to go finish the other gingerbread house for another client.

"This is Bella how can I help you?"

"Bella this is Mrs. Palmer I need to make some changes for tonight. I think some of the things I picked out are not going to be right for what I had in mind." Was she fucking kidding me? The damn party was 4 hours away and she wanted to change the fucking menu again?

"Mrs. Palmer I love your family and I appreciate all the business but there is no way in hell I am changing a menu four hours before the party. You picked out what you wanted four different times and now you do this to us! We will have the food there for your staff to put it out. If it is not what you want then do what you will but this will be the last time I ever do a party for you again." I hung up and felt a huge scream escaping my body almost like a daemon escaping the pits of hell.

I ripped of my chef's coat and threw it on the table. I went through the parlor to run up the stairs to get some of this frustration out. I felt a hand on me and I stopped.

"Bella what is wrong? We heard you all scream from outside." He had the look of worry and concern on his face.

"Edward all I can say is that damn Palmer woman….." He let me go and I ran up the stairs to the work out room.

Ben had a punching bag installed so he could build up his arm strength. I was happy to see it as I needed to imagine her face on the damn thing and beat her to a bloody pulp. I cranked up the stereo as I grabbed the gloves that Ben got for all of us and put them on quickly. I pummeled that bag till all the rage was gone. I heard Angela say my name through the loud music and stopped.

"Bella I don't blame you for doing what you did. I realize she gives us a lot of business but how much are you willing to put up with? I am glad you told her off but you will never guess who is on the phone for you."

She helped me take off the gloves and we walked back down to the kitchen. Edward handed me the phone as he places a kiss on my temple and whispered in my ear if I felt better. I nodded yes to him as I answered it.

"Bella this is Mr. Palmer I want to apologize for my wife and her stupidity. You have done nothing but the best of work for us and I hope you will accept us back. I will make sure that you will deal with me from now on as I have put her on restriction from now on. Any plans she wants to make will go through me and then I will get them to you. Again I am sorry for all of this and there will be a huge bonus in it for you. I look forward to continuing to work with all of you." I told him thank you and we both hung up.

I shook my head and told them what he said. Angela said the woman was off her rocker but what an expensive rocker it was. We all laughed at that.

"You feel better now Bella?" Edward looked at me with a smoldering look in his eyes. Angela saw it and shook her head as she headed downstairs for more supplies.

He walked towards me with his green eyes glaring at me. He pulled me into a hard embrace and started pressing his lips into me hard. I loved kissing him as it was euphoric and damn shmexy to me. We pulled apart trying to catch our breath again.

"What can I say you all red, hot and bothered then hearing you box was sexy as hell." I felt him kiss my temple.

"Who would have thought you had a feisty side to you. I want to see more of it."

"Ben bought it but I use it more than he does. The adrenaline rush I get from it makes me high." I knew another thing that I wanted to make me feel high but I wanted to wait till New Year's.

"You thought me being pissed off was sexy. Remind me to get pissed off more often. As for being feisty you have seen nothing yet." I pulled myself out of his embrace and went to get the hot chocolate I had made for them. I heard him moan as I handed it to me.

"As for someone being as pure as you are, Bella you are a vixen through and through. You are making this very hard on me." He smirked at me and took the thermos. We exchanged a kiss again and we both went back to work.

We loaded up the van for the Palmer's and Ben was happy to take it all over for me. He knew that I if I saw her I would do more damage. I told them to go enjoy dinner on me. They were thrilled at the idea but Angela was worried about leaving me with all the work to do. I told her that all the orders were ready to be delivered tomorrow and to enjoy the evening. She said they would as they had shopping to do anyway. I hugged her as they went out the door. I heard a knock on the front door and went to answer it.

"Miss Swan we are finished with the lights but we would love for you to see what we did." The man was older than I thought but still friendly. I grabbed my coat and joined the work crew outside.

I didn't realize just how dark it had got. I tend to enter my own little world when I worked and the time of day passed me by most of the time. I walked out to the porch and he showed me the switch and the timer. He made it easy on us so we would not have to worry about things. He also said that if one light went they would not all go out like most lights. The one thing that I liked about this company was that they used energy saving lights and were not harmful to the environment.

He had me walk to the other side of the street but I stopped him. I wanted everyone to see this when I did. I quickly walked around to see them sitting on the porch drinking the hot chocolate. I told them to hurry as the main house was done. I ran into the kitchen to grab the check and a plate of cookies for them. They all got up and Emmett went to get Rose from their house. She was inside for the day with Esme making lists of what to order for the babies. Alice had been helping too till she saw Jasper dangling from the roof.

I told the man we were almost ready as I saw Emmett and everyone else come out. Every coupled off into the arms of their beloved. I told the man we were ready and he flipped the switch. I heard everyone gasp as the lights sparkled underneath the darkness and the soft snow.

Each one of the bushes was carefully striped to look like candies. The fence that went around the front garden was made to look like individual candy canes. The walk way was lined with miniature lollipops and old fashioned ribbon candy. The porch was wrapped in garlands with gumdrops, wrapped candy, gingerbread men and more suckers. The lights went all around the house and made it glow in the darkness. On the lawn was a gingerbread house all lit up and sparkling. The whole scene was just perfect and just what I saw in my mind. I had them do Emmett and Rosalie's house too but just in a simple theme. The whole street glowed from our lights.

Everyone turned around and looked at me. I looked at them back wondering if I had something in my hair again.

"Bella it is beautiful! Who knew you could come up with this theme. I am going to come to you for ideas more often now. "She hugged me and was bouncing up and down.

"Alice I am glad you all like it. I have always loved the dance of the sweets and it just came to me." I noticed the men packing up their equipment. I gave them the check and the plate of cookies. I made sure there was a tip for all of them. They told me thank you and drove off.

We all admired the work they did and realized I had ornaments to finish for the tree. I smacked my head when I realized that I still did not have a tree yet.

"Bella what is wrong? I don't think you could have added anything else to the display to make it more dazzling." Edward kissed the back of my neck.

"I forgot to order the tree. We are going to need a big one and so far I have not found one tall enough to put in the parlor." I noticed a grin come across everyone's faces.

"Follow me Bella dear we all have a surprise for you." Alice grabbed my hand and pulled me out of Edward's arms. I frowned and she laughed at me as I stuck my tongue out at her. Everyone followed us as they took me to the back yard. I saw the glow get brighter as we walked on. The coach house, our home was beautiful. I don't know how Alice knew but it matched the theme I had done for the main house. All the bushes were made to look like candy, the gazebo looked like an odd gingerbread house and it was all wonderful. They must have worked so hard on it and I loved them even more for doing it for us.

"Alice I guess great minds think alike huh? It is beautiful." I hugged her as she pulled me further out the back of the garage.

"I know how freaky are we? But this is not the surprise I have to show you." She had a smile on her face when I saw what she was talking about.

There in Jasper's truck was the most gorgeous tree I had ever seen. If a tree could be any more perfect it would not be real. In the past we had the Charlie Brown Christmas tree but this year was going to blow everything out of the water. I walked up to the back of the truck and ran my hand over the soft needles. I didn't know what to say but I wanted to know how this all happened. Tears started softly falling and I felt arms wrap around my waist.

"Bella are you ok? We wouldn't have done this if we knew it was going to upset you." Edward kissed the back of my neck when he moved my hair out of the way.

"I don't know how or who did this but thank you all. The tree is beautiful and I couldn't have picked out a more perfect tree."

Everyone was looking at me looking at the tree and crying. Who knew a tree could evoke such emotion from these people?

"Alice told us about the trees you had with your parents so we all got to work to find the best one we could find. " Jasper had Alice in his arms while telling me this.

"Thank you all it makes Christmas even more special. Boy do I have my work cut out for me to decorate it though." Everyone laughed at me. Esme told the boys to carefully take the tree inside and set it up for me. Angela and Ben would love seeing this huge beauty but hate me for all the decorations we were going to make for it.

The boys carried it in with Carlisle supervising their endeavors. Esme said she made some stew and was getting cold. The boys joined us as we finished looking over the outside job they had accomplished. We all tromped into Emmett and Rosalie's and sat down for some yummy stew. Rose said she made the biscuits but was afraid to have me try them. I told her they were wonderful and made sure to get the recipe for them.

We sat around their dinning room table and made plans for the month. I know that dress shopping would take up one weekend and I wanted to make sure we had time to exchange gifts with Angela and Ben before they left. Everyone had to go into the office tomorrow to have a meeting with the Japanese clients. Rose would do the meeting from the house as Emmett put his foot down about her going into work.

"So what did you and Alice decide to get them. I asked Alice but she wouldn't tell me what you picked out for them." Jasper bit into another biscuit.

"We got them an all expense paid trip to Hawaii as a honeymoon trip. They can take it before or after the wedding." They were all in awe of such a gift from us. Alice said it was all my idea and she just did the leg work for it. I gathered up the dishes, made sure the kitchen was clean and put food away. I started yawning and everyone noticed how tired I was.

"I am sorry with all the work I did and battling that crazy Palmer woman I have no energy left." I laid my head on Edward's shoulder and listened to him tell the story behind the phone call. They were all in awe that I told her off and they came back to us. Emmett was impressed with my boxing skills.

"Remind me never to piss you off Bella." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Just wait till the babies come and then I will teach Rose a thing or two." Emmett had a smirk on his face at thought and looked at Rose.

"Pervert but I love you just the same." She kissed his hand and we all laughed.

I got up and grabbed my coat. Everyone else took my cue and got ready to leave to go home too. I wanted Edward to stay but we both had busy days tomorrow. I waved to Esme and Carlisle leaving as Jasper gave Alice a piggy back ride home. I noticed Ben and Angela were home and in bed. I hoped they had a great evening out. I was so comfortable with them living in the main house I never worried that the lights would be left on or the alarm not set as Angela was a freak just like I was.

We were all alone in the back yard once again. Snow was falling quietly and it made everything look ethereal. I was still not comfortable with being so open with Edward and everyone else but it was coming natural as time went on. I was not feeling like the third wheel anymore or grimace at the affections of love from the others.

"Bella I know we have not spent much time alone but would you go to dinner with me tomorrow night?" His green eyes were more sparkling with the snow falling around us.

"Our first official date and I would be more than happy to have dinner with you." A smile was on his face when I told him that.

"I will pick you up at 7pm and wear something nice. I plan to spoil you rotten."

"Edward you don't have to spoil me as time with you is just what I need." He started pouting and I thought touché hunk of mine.

"Ok you win how can I resist those juicy lips of yours." I looked into his eyes and noticed snow flakes on his eyelashes.

I put my hand on his cheek and place a soft kiss on his lips. I never wanted this to end but I was dead on my feet. We broke apart and he walked me to the porch. He told me to have a great day creating my dreams and kissed me again. I shook the electricity off as he laughed going to his car.

I ran up the stairs and saw all the boxes in the living room. I knew Alice was going to decorate the inside tomorrow. She was sitting at the dinning room table drinking tea. I took my coat off and shook my shoes off. I got myself a mug of hot tea and joined her.

"Bella you just amaze me you know that. From now on I am going to ask you for ideas for parties because you are a natural at it. "She took a sip of tea.

"Alice I am more than happy to help you but the kitchen is my area of expertise. I do have something I need help with though. I want to buy something special to wear New Year's Eve for Edward. I want that night to be our night together."

Alice nearly fell of her chair when she heard what I said. I had to help her back into it and she just looked at me.

"Bella I don't want to be a busy body but are you sure? Sex is a huge step and knowing what I know now I don't want to see you hurt." She put her hand on my hand softly.

"Alice I am tired of being afraid of being intimate. I know we both have emotional baggage but I am dealing with it. We both opened our hearts to one another and I am not willing to ever let that go. I know he loves me and I want to take the next step. All I know is I want to spend the rest of my life with Edward. I don't know if he wants that or not but he is my beginning, my middle and my end."

"Bella I am so happy for you. Does this mean a shopping trip?" I nodded at her and she was beaming.

"I will be on my best behavior when we go out. What do you have in mind anyway?" She got up and put her mug in the sink.

"He is taking me to dinner tomorrow night and said to wear something nice. I really don't have anything nice for dinner out and lingerie of course." I got up and put my mug in the sink with hers.

"I know we are going to both be busy tomorrow but how about a shopping lunch date just the two of us? I know Miss Kellie would have some spectacular things you could try on." Alice went to get her cell phone and sent a quick text to who knows who.

I nodded at her that it was perfect and I was actually looking forward to this shopping trip. I wanted this night to be one of many.

"Ok all set for tomorrow. We can have lunch at noon and then head over there. She knows we are coming so she will put out some special things for you."

I yawned and told her goodnight. I knew she was going to be up late tonight as she had a party to finalize for next weekend. We both were going to be busy up until the week of Christmas. We had so many calls for that week that I said no way in hell was I going to work myself to the bone and fall asleep at Christmas dinner. So from December 21st till January 3rd we were going to be closed. Ben and Angela were going to be gone and we both wanted to relax. I got myself ready for bed and noticed that Edward sent me a text. I was happy to see it.

Bella I can't wait for tomorrow night. I miss you already.

I love you with all my heart.

Edward

I sent him a text back saying I was looking forward to it and that I missed him too. My bed was going to seem lonely without him in it.