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Beta: TwilightDramaTeach

Chapter 32: Party Weekend Part 3

Bella's POV

"Wake up!" I heard from the other side of the door. I must have fallen asleep, because the pounding had startled me. I groaned as Alice continued to pound on the door. I knew she wouldn't stop until we answered so I moved to answer the door. Edward pulled me back to his chest with a disgruntled noise and buried his head in my neck. "I'm not kidding, you two. You have two minutes to answer or I'm coming in."

"She won't go away," I said to Edward. He sighed before releasing me. I crawled out of the bed to answer the door.

"Hi sleepyhead!" She was absolutely too cheery. "I'm stealing you to get ready for the party. Edward, your costume is in Emmett's room. You have to be dressed and in the living room at 7:00. It's 4:00 now."

"Too early," Edward grumbled. I smiled at how childish it sounded. I would have to ask Esme to tell me about him as a boy.

"Beauty takes time. Nice ass by the way." I looked back and realized when Edward turned onto his side, the sheet had slipped down his body. He scrambled to cover himself.

"Hey! No ogling my boyfriend's ass. How would you like it if I looked at Jasper's ass?"

"Not happening," they both responded in unison.

"Let's go, Bella," Alice said and grabbed my hand to pull me down the stairs.

She pulled me into the guest room she and Jasper were using. Rosalie and Angela were already there getting ready. Alice plopped me into a seat unceremoniously and commanded me to sit still. The next two hours were torture. Rosalie and Alice combed, straightened, curled, pulled, twisted, and pinned my hair. I tried not to whimper when they tugged a little too hard.

"So," Rosalie said. "What have you been up to that's had you behind a locked door?"

"Edward and I were sleeping," I answered truthfully.

"Um hum. What happened before the nap?" I blushed and looked down. She and Angela squealed. Alice felt left out so Rosalie explained our conversation before we disappeared.

"Bella, what did you do?" Alice asked with an evil grin.

"I made him feel good."

"Did you give him a blow job?!"

"NO!" I covered my mouth when I realized I yelled. "No. I only touched him."

"Go Bella. You gave your man a hand job. I'm so proud of you."

"Oh God! I'm not ready to have this conversation."

Rosalie grabbed four garment bags from the closet and hung them on the door. She opened the first one and pulled out the first costume. I knew it was hers immediately. The top was a silver bustier with dangling beads. There was a sheer red skirt with a wide silver waistband. She stripped where she was and put on the costume. With it on, I noticed the skirt was four different pieces of material attached only at the waistband. She looked hot. There was no other way to explain it.

"I love it, Alice," she said as she twirled before the mirror. "Emmett's going to die." We all giggled knowing it was true. She grabbed another garment bag and handed it to Angela. "This one is yours." Angela pulled out her costume. There were extremely baggy pants made out of some shiny material, which Alice explained was appropriate for the theme.

"What exactly is the theme?" Angela asked. Alice pulled an envelope from one of her many bags.

"Take a look at the invitation," she said. Angela pulled it out and read the first line.

"We invite you to spend a night under the Arabian stars."

"Arabian Nights. Esme and I looked through a lot of things and finally decided to go with this."

"The invitation is gorgeous Alice."

"Thank you. Now put on your costume." She pulled the pants on the top. It was sleeveless, orange and showed off her midriff. There were tassels hanging from the bottom of the top and the v-neck set very low. It was, compared to Rosalie's, very modest. "You look great."

"What does yours look like?"

"Pull it out Rose. Show it to them." Rosalie pulled out a green outfit. The top was similar to Angela's but had sleeves. Instead of pants, there was a skirt with flower design. It was a long skirt that reached her feet. I could just picture it on her. She'd look cute.

"Wait ," I said. "I'm seeing a theme. I'm not wearing something that's going to show my stomach."

"Silly, Bella. Do you really think I'd do that to you? Rose, grab her's. She needs to get dressed as it is." Rosalie pulled several pieces out of the last garment bag. The first was a pair of baggy pants like Angela's but in red. The shirt was a white peasant top with three quarter length sleeve. There was a short green-striped vest and green cumber bun-like thing that laced in the front. Last, there was a red and black skirt. "What do you think?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I'd have to see it on."

"Then get dressed." She ushered me to the costume and sat down to work on her hair. I grabbed everything from Rosalie and started to leave the room. "Just change here. It'll be quicker." They had seen the scars. I wasn't trying to hide. It was just an ingrained reaction. I walked back over to the bed and laid everything out before changing. I stood in front of the mirror and twirled in a circle.

"I really like it Ali." She smiled at me in the mirror. "You did a great job on everything."

"Thank you. Just wait until you see inside the tents." She giggled to herself.

Once we were all dressed and dolled up, we went downstairs to meet the guys in the living room. We walked downstairs, and I had to smile when I saw them. They all had matching costumes. They wore baggy black pants with black boots and a red vest with an oriental print. The waistband of the pants was made from the same pattern as the vest. Oh, they weren't wearing shirt underneath. They all wore a solid gold wristband on each wrist as well. I walked over to Edward whose eyes had yet to leave me.

"I really like your outfit," he said as he pulled me to him for a kiss.

"I think you look hot," I said. He rolled his eyes.

"I look ridiculous."

"I do not make things that are ridiculous," Alice defended. "Suck it up, and be a man." I covered my mouth to hide my giggles.

"You do look good though," he said as he turned back to me. "It's a cross between Arabian and gypsy." I smiled and pulled back to twirl in front of him.

"Rose, baby, do we have to go to the party?" I heard Emmett try to whisper. "I can think of some things to do that would be a lot more fun." She smacked the back of his head.

"No," she said matter-of-factly.

"Okay, all," Alice said bringing the attention back to her, "the invitation told guests to arrive by 7:15. Dinner will be served at 7:30, and everyone can mingle after that. There are two main tents. The one closest to the house has all the dinner tables, and the one closest to the water has a few bars, finger foods, and pictures of everyone.

"There are four smaller tents on the corners of the yard. Each one is about one of the couples. I'm not going to tell you what's in them. You can figure that out on your own. Dinner's first, though, so no trying to sneak off. Any questions?" No one spoke up. "Let's go greet our guests then."

Edward took my hand and led me outside. I gasped at what I saw. There were freestanding pillars throughout the yard. Colorful twinkling lights wrapped around them and were strung between them. Little tea lights were floating in the creek at the bottom of the property. Paper lanterns in reds, oranges, and golds hung from trees and the tents. It was just light enough to mute the effect since sunset was an hour away, but it already looked gorgeous.

Dad and Sue were walking from the front of the house. Sue wore something in bright colors, and Charlie wore a shirt with an Arabian design. I smiled at the sight. He was trying. Sue was pushing Billy who was in a shirt matching Charlie, and I couldn't hold in my laughter. I wouldn't be surprised if Sue had just bought two. She and Charlie had been taking care of Billy. Rachel, Billy's daughter, had moved back home to help as well. That reminded me; I needed to talk to Esme.

"Hi!" I greeted them. They all greeted us back while Charlie pulled at his shirt subconsciously. I giggled which caused him to roll his eyes. "You look good, Dad. Same to you, Billy. Sue, good job picking out the shirts."

"Hey!" Billy said. "Who says I didn't pick them out? I got style." We all laughed. Alice came over to greet them.

"My, don't you two look handsome," she said as she kissed Billy and Charlie's cheeks. I watched as Charlie blushed a little.

"Hello, Edward," Charlie said as he shook his hand.

"Chief," Edward greeted back.

"I told you to call me Charlie." Edward nodded. "You been taking care of my little girl?"

"I try, but you know her. She's got an independent streak a mile long."

"I'm standing right here, you know?" I said, causing everyone to laugh. They were talking about me as if I wasn't standing next to them.

So many people arrived in the next ten minutes. A few deputies, Lois who worked at the station, Jamie who worked at the diner, Seth and his girlfriend Brenna, Leah and her boyfriend Brady. Liam, Siobhan, and Maggie came next. They brought a few friends that hadn't seen Alice in a long time. She was so funny jumping around in that costume. Rosalie's parents and a few of her aunts and uncles came. They were excited to be able to celebrate since they couldn't make her graduation. Most all of Angela and Ben's family came since they were from Port Angeles. They were all close enough they could drive here and back without worrying about getting a hotel room. Edward and Emmett had the most people arrive though I realized most were for Carlisle and Esme's sake. Both had very prominent jobs.

"Edward! Emmett!" I heard someone yell. I looked over to see a little girl running towards us. Edward dropped my hand to grab the girl as she jumped toward him.

"Hey Corrine," he said as he spun her in a circle. She giggled before Emmett grabbed her away from him.

"I want my turn," Emmett whined. The little girl giggled again.

"Hi Emmett," she said.

"Hi Corrine. How are you?"

"I'm great."

"She's hyped up on sugar," a woman said as she pulled Corrine from Emmett's arms and sat her on the ground. The woman was beautiful with long jet-black hair, a heart-shaped face, and she was rather short. She kind of reminded me of Alice. Edward pulled her into a hug. When he let her go, he pulled me to him.

"Bella, this is my Aunt Kate and Uncle Garrett," he said. "Aunt Kate, Uncle Garrett, this is Bella, my girlfriend." Kate pulled me into a hug.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Bella. I get to hear all about you what with Carlisle and Esme's stories from the ER, and when I do get to talk with my nephew, you're all he talks about" she said in one breath and held me at arm's length. "Edward, she's as beautiful as you said." I felt myself blush and ducked my head. "We're going to get along swimmingly. I just know it."

"Honey," Garrett said as he pulled her away from me. "You're embarrassing the girl. Ease up." I looked up to see him smile apologetically at me. He extended his hand to shake. "I'm Garrett. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Sorry, she gets carried away sometimes."

"That's okay," I assured him. "You should meet my friend Alice. She's just as outgoing." We all laughed. Esme walked up and pulled Kate into a hug then Garrett.

"Kate," she started, "your brother has been looking for you. Come on before he gets too anxious." She pulled them away.

Charles and Makenna arrived next. Edward greeted them, but nothing beyond formalities were exchanged. Peter, Randall, Riley, and Sasha arrived next. They were all from the hospital. Dr. D and his wife Carmen showed up as well. I hadn't seen him in a long time. Tia, Zafrina, and Sulpicia arrived. They all had worked with Esme at some point in their careers and became friends. Those were the only names I could remember. About five minutes before dinner was to be served, we made our way to the tent.

Inside was beautiful. It looked like an explosion of golds, bronzes, reds, oranges, burgundy, and black. The tables sat close the floor and were covered with rich colored cloths. There were long, overstuffed pillows placed for seating. More shiny, deep-colored fabrics covered the walls of the tents so no white was showing. The ground could not be seen for ornate rugs lined the tent. There were a few chandeliers hanging around the room while white twinkle lights were strung from one end to the other. It didn't feel like I was in Forks.

Edward tugged me along. I hadn't realized I'd stopped to look around. I followed him to the table at the front of the room. It was reserved for all of us. Alice started by welcoming everyone and thanking them for coming. She explained about the four tents for each couple and encouraged everyone to look after dinner. The food was all Arabian-inspired. There was flat bread, dates, and dried fruits. Lamb was served for dinner as it is considered the most popular meat in Arabic cuisine. Asparagus, spinach, and artichokes were served with the lamb. It was really good. I looked over once at Sue and Charlie to see him pushing his food around with a frown. It made me laugh.

After dinner, we all went to the other tent. It was the same size as the first one and decorated similarly, but there were couches and pillows, places to sit and visit. Edward went over to the bar to get Sue, Leah, Brenna, and I drinks while I spent a few minutes with them. Edward came back precariously balancing four drinks. I took mine and handed Brenna hers. Leah took hers, and Sue grabbed hers with a thanks. I reached out and stilled her hand.

"Holy shhhhhnykies," I almost slipped. "When did this happen?" She was sporting a beautiful engagement ring. I looked up to see her blush. Charlie tried to act nonchalant about it, but he was fighting a smile.

"Wednesday," Sue said. "He asked me Wednesday."

"Congratulations!" I pulled her into a hug then did the same to my dad. "You did good, Dad. The ring's beautiful."

"Ring?" I heard Alice say from somewhere. I swear that girl had super hearing. She came skipping over. She squealed as she grabbed Sue's hand to examine the diamond. "Can I design your dress?"

The rest of the night was wonderful. Once the sun set completely, the lights were brilliant. We were lucky that it didn't rain. Edward and I found our tent down by the creek. It was decorated with UW Med School stuff and U of Seattle things. Edward's acceptance letter, which I'm not sure how she got, was framed. Cliché doctor decorations also littered the place. There was a short note explaining my book was being sent to publishers. Writing decorations were also around the tent.

Lastly, there were photos of us that I didn't even know had been taken. There was the one Edward had on the refrigerator at the station. The others I didn't know about. It was a bit embarrassing being on display. Everyone was visiting each tent. They would all see this at some point. I just shook my head and tried not to think about it.

The rest of the night slipped by quickly. I talked to more people than I would be able to remember. Alice and Sue spent an ungodly amount of time talking about the wedding, which Charlie informed me would be on December 14th. The last people left around 11:30 that night. Kate, Garrett, and Corrine were spending the night at the Cullen's. Corrine had been put down around 9:00. She fell asleep in Edward's arms. He had carried her up to the guest room she was staying in before joining us in the backyard again.

We all decided to go to bed since we were celebrating Edward's birthday tomorrow starting early. Esme and Carlisle were talking with Kate and Garrett when we left for bed. Esme asked Alice and Jasper to stay behind. I hugged them goodnight and followed Edward to his room. It didn't take long to pass out.

We woke the next morning around 9:00. I took a shower and dressed. Edward took a shower and joined me in the living room. Jasper and Alice were next to join us, and Rosalie and Emmett finally came around thirty minutes later. Esme, Carlisle, Kate, and Garrett came in from the back porch. I looked outside and noticed the backyard was completely cleared. I wondered when that happened. Esme clapped her hands when she saw everyone gathered.

"We can do presents now that everyone's up," she said.

She grabbed all the presents that had been stored in the dining room. She sat them in front of Edward and motioned for him to start. He picked up the first present, which was from Emmett and Rosalie. They renewed his subscription to The New England Journal of Medicine. We all laughed but knew it was a thoughtful gift. Alice and Jasper bought him clothes. We all laughed when Alice explained they were 'doctor clothes.' Ben and Angela bought him a one-year subscription to Sirius Satellite Radio. Kate, Garret, and Corrine gave him a homemade card. Corrine explained that she wanted to the one in charge of the gift this year. He thanked her and said it was the most beautiful card he'd ever gotten.

The last two gifts were from his parents and me. He opened the gift from his parents to find a stethoscope. Apparently, it was a really nice, high end stethoscope. I didn't even know there were that many different kind. I would have to learn that stuff, since I was going to be around it from now on. I got nervous when he picked up the gift from me. I hoped he liked it and didn't think it was corny. He opened the box and pulled out the watch. I had really debated on this.

"You've been talking about needing a watch for when you start at the hospital," I tried to explain. "I tried to get something that's not going to be heavy or bulky. I also wanted it to look professional, since you will be at work. If you don't-" He cut me off by kissing me. He was smiling when he pulled back.

"I love it," he assured me. "It's perfect. Thank you." He pulled it out of the box and flipped it over to try it on. He stopped when he saw the back and turned it around to read the inscription. He pulled me back to him for a longer kiss. I could feel my cheeks heat up. His family was in the room. "Bella, it truly is perfect. I love it. I love you."

"I love you too." He put it on and showed everyone.

"Ewwwww," Corrine whined.

"What did it say?" Emmett asked. Everyone laughed at their very kid-like whine.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Edward taunted.

"I would. Show me." Emmett reached for his hand, but Edward pulled away.

"Boys, none of that," Esme chastised them as she stood up. "I'm going to start breakfast. It'll be ready in about thirty minutes." Kate shifted in her seat, and I realized she had been watching Alice. Corrine looked up at her mom then to Alice. She looked at Alice for a long time before looking back at her mom.

"You said I have a big sister somewhere," Corrine started. "Can Alice be her? I like Alice."

Kate looked up at Alice with wide eyes then looked between Garrett and Carlisle. She looked scared, but I couldn't figure out why. I looked between the two and gasped. I couldn't believe I hadn't made the connection before. They were so similar, in looks and mannerisms. Edward had explained she was Carlisle's sister meaning she'd have been Kate Cullen twenty-five years ago. She and Garrett had been married eighteen years. I looked at Alice who was smiling.

"I guess now is as good a time as any," she said before grabbing Jasper's hand. She looked at the group and took a deep breath. "I received some good news yesterday." I watched as Kate grabbed Garrett's hand and started to tear up.

"Alice, is she…Kate, are you…" I asked and trailed off. Alice wore a huge grin as she nodded.

"Kate's my mom."

AN: I hope this finds you having a good week. I hope you enjoyed it. Many things happened in this chapter. We learn Seth and Lean are dating someone, Charile proposed to Sue, Bella gives Edward the watch with the inscription (Can you guess what it says?), and we learn who Alice's mom is. There was only one person who guessed that Kate was Alice's mom, and they guessed it many, many chapters ago.

Check out my blog for pictures of the costumes, tents, and a picture of Edward's watch. Please review, and let me know what you think. I'll send you a sneak peek of the next chapter. If you didn't catch it in the last AN, I put up the first outtake for this story. Hope over to my author page to check it out. :)

P.S. RL sucks. I caught a bronchial infection from my dad and start a new job on Monday. I can't write right now, because my brain just isn't in the right place. I'm going to take a few weeks off from writing to recover and get things worked out. I'm sorry about this. :( I hope you all stick with me.