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Beta: This chapter is coming to you un-betaed. All mistakes are mine. Sorry in advance for any you see.

Chapter 37: Thanksgiving Part 1

Bella's POV

I stuffed my shampoo into the bag and prayed it wouldn't pop open during the drive. I only wanted to take one bag since this was only a three-day trip. It was the first Thanksgiving in many years that I was looking forward to. Sue and I had already planned the menu, and I was excited to have help in the kitchen for once. We would have lunch at Charlie's and dinner would be a joint effort at the Cullen's. Luckily, our families had blended well.

"Do you have everything, love?" Edward asked as he took my bag.

"I think so," I told him as I looked around one last time.

"I'm going to take this to the car. I'll be back in a minute." I nodded as I walked to the kitchen. I transferred the cookies from the cooling rack to the container. Edward came back in and swiped one from my spatula.

"Hey!" I tried to get the cookie back, but he'd already stuffed it in his mouth. "That wasn't for you." He smiled sheepishly.

"You made them for the station. I work at the station." He had the gall to try to defend himself.

"I made them for the guys at the station that are working the holiday." He leaned forward and kissed me soundly.

"I love you." I tried to scowl at him, but I couldn't suppress the smile.

"I love you, too, you distracter." He smiled my favorite crooked grin. I snapped the lid on the container and put it in a bag with the other five containers. "Will you grab the chicken and turkey from the fridge?"

"Already in the car."

"Can you grab the corn casserole, green beans, and potatoes?"

"In the car." I turned to look at him. "What? I knew it needed to go, so I figured I might as well get started." I grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him to me. I planted my lips firmly on his. He kissed me back while pulling my body into his. I pulled back before we could get carried away. Things since Halloween had heated up.

"Thank you." He smiled and kissed me chastely once more.

"You're welcome. Are you ready to go now?" I nodded. "Great." He slid his hand down my arm and grasped my hand. I could feel his hand dwarf mine. I loved that. It made me feel safe, protected.

I pulled on my jacket. The air was biting cold. Edward locked the door for me and led me to the car with a hand under my jacket and on the skin of my lower back. I slid inside after he opened the door and took the cookies from him. Once he was in the car, he turned the heat towards me and drove to the station.

I had made a few dishes that could easily be warmed up. I felt bad for the guys that had to work and couldn't spend the holiday with family. I figured home-cooked food would help make the day bearable. We took the food to the kitchen and left a note on the refrigerator. Everyone was out on a call, so we didn't get to see them.

We got back in the car, and Edward started towards Forks. It was the day before Thanksgiving so Edward drove the speed limit since cops were out in high numbers. Traffic was heavy, and it took an extra forty minutes to get outside of Seattle. It probably wasn't thirty minute after that I drifted to sleep.

"Love, it's time to wake up," I heard Edward saying softly. I could feel him caressing my cheek. I opened my eyes and tried to stifle a yawn. He chuckled when my attempt failed. "We're here. Are you sure you want to stay here?" I took a deep breath to try to wake myself further.

"I'm sure," I answered. "I need to spend some time with my dad." His face was slightly forlorn and bottom lip jutted out in a pout. I smiled and patted his cheek. "I still love you."

"I know. I just want you next to me when I sleep." I smiled at his comment. "It doesn't feel right to wake up and not see you."

"I know. Same here." He kissed me and pulled back to grab my bag. "Come on." He got out and jogged to my door to open it. We ran to the porch to get out of the rain. I grabbed the key hidden above the eave and stepped inside once the door was unlocked. I shed my coat and hung it on the coat rack. "Where's Charlie?"

"Probably at the station. The cruiser's gone." I looked at him curiously when he got a wicked grin. "What?" He took my hand and pulled me up the stairs. "What are you doing?" He didn't answer me but pointed at my bedroom door.

"Yours?" I nodded. He opened the door and dropped my bag by the desk. Before I could ask him again, he pulled me into his body and kissed me. He nipped at my lips and roamed my body with his hands.

"Edward," I said, but it came out as more of a moan. "We can't." He kissed his way from my neck to my ear.

"Of course we can. Nobody's here to catch us. Come on, Bella. Be bad. Take a chance." My eyes rolled back as he sucked just behind my ear. Ungh. "That's it. Just feel." He walked me backwards. I fell on the bed as my knees made contact with the mattress. Edward crawled over me and moved his kisses down my chest. His hand traveled upwards from my waist. I tangled my hands in his hair as he suckled the swell of my breast. Just as his hand brushed my breast, I heard a car door. We froze.

"Shit!" I pushed at Edward until he backed off me. "Go. We have to go downstairs." I stood up and rushed him to the living room. He laughed the whole way. Just as we reached the bottom of the stairs, I heard the door open.

"Bells?" Charlie asked. I rolled my eyes. Who else would it be?

"Yeah, dad." We walked to the door.

"Sorry I wasn't here when you got home."

"Don't worry about it. We just got here." Once he hung up his gun and utility belt, he pulled me into a hug then shook Edward's hand.

"Thanks for bringing my little girl home. Did you have any problems?" I was 25, and my dad still referred to me as a little girl.

"Not really. Traffic was pretty heavy leaving Seattle. Bella slept the rest of the way. I passed one accident," Edward told him. Dad laughed.

"She never could stay awake during long car rides."

"I think she's stayed awake through two trips here total." They were both chuckling.

"Hello," I said. "She is standing right here. You don't have to talk about me like I'm not in the same room."

"Sorry, love. I hate to do this, but I need to get home. Mom is expecting me."

"Okay." I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him close for a hug. "I think Esme's meeting us at Billy's to show off the remodel. Will you be there?"

"Of course. I love you."

"Love you, too." I kissed him and heard Charlie shuffle around awkwardly. "Bye."

"See you later. Bye Charlie."

"Bye, Edward." I watched as he pulled away. "Sue's coming over, Bells. She wants to talk to you about the wedding."

"Sure." I sat down on the couch as he settled into his rocker. I wasn't surprised when he turned on the television to see it was already on Sports Center. "Do you know what she wants to talk about?" He shrugged.

"She and Esme have been working on that stuff. I just told her to tell me when and where to show up."

"Dad!" He looked at me with a blank expression. "You need to be more involved."

"Why? I don't care as long as she's there." I smiled knowing for my dad that was saying a lot.

"Come on, dad. You need to be more involved. Sue would really appreciate it."

"She said she was okay with it." I shook my head. Men could be so dense.

"You have so much to learn. I can't believe I'm about to give you relationship advice. Okay. Next time she's working on wedding details, turn the television off, sit next to her, and ask if you can help."

"Then?"

"Then you help her. She'll ask you questions. Answer her, but don't say, 'I don't care.' Have an opinion. She'll really appreciate it."

"Maybe." He turned back to the television. I rolled my eyes.

We watched television in silence for twenty minutes. I didn't really care about sports, but I'd learned long ago that Charlie wouldn't change the channel. Luckily, Sue came in, and I could ignore the television. She hugged me before walking over to kiss Charlie hello. He held her cheek as he did. I smiled at the tenderness of it. It reminded me of Edward. She sat down next to me and pulled a binder onto her lap.

"I'm so glad you're here, Bella," she said. "I was hoping I could show you all the wedding stuff and get your opinion."

"Of course," I assured her. I caught Charlie's eye and gave him a stern look. Now was the perfect time. He pursed his lips but did as I said. I fought to suppress my smile.

"What are you doing?" Sue asked and looked at him curiously.

"Can I help?" he asked.

"Oh Charlie, you don't have to."

"I want to help. I love you, and what's important to you is important to me."

"Really?"

"Really." She smiled and kissed him lingeringly.

"Thank you." She opened the binder. "Okay, here's what I was thinking."

We spent the better part of an hour going over what she had decided and what she was having trouble with. Charlie listened, gave his opinion when asked, even asked a few questions, and made a few suggestions. After the first few minutes, Sue leaned her head against his shoulder, he draped an arm over her shoulders, and I was all but forgotten. I smiled at the scene. It was so nice to see my dad happy. He deserved it.

After lunch, Esme called and asked if I wanted to meet her in La Push. I agreed and invited Charlie and Sue to go along. They hadn't seen it since she finished the hallway so they decided to join us. We took dad's truck and were in La Push fifteen minutes later. Edward opened the door for Esme then pulled me into his side. Billy came outside and down the new ramp to greet us. He pulled me down and hugged me tight. I thought I would feel uncomfortable being back at the house after everything with Jacob, but knowing he couldn't get to me made it feel safe. Edward was helping too.

"I can't thank you enough, Bella," he said quietly. "I never thought I'd see the day."

"You're welcome," I said simply. I didn't know what else to say. He pulled back and hugged both Sue and Esme then ushered us in. "Wow." It didn't even look like the same house anymore.

"I know. It's so different isn't it? Look. I can actually reach." He wheeled over to the kitchen and turned the sink on then off. He was smiling widely. He looked happy.

We spent an hour in La Push. Esme, to my surprise, had also built an enclosed back porch. She even put a mini-fridge out there and stocked it with dad and Billy's favorite beer. As Sue, Esme, and I visited, I heard the guys, Edward included, discuss where they could put the TV on game days. I laughed. Men.

That night, after I showered and changed, I crawled into my twin-sized bed and curled into a ball on my side. I tossed and turned constantly. I couldn't get comfortable, and I knew it was because I didn't have Edward. I was surprised when I heard my phone beep and checked the clock to see it was 12:45am. I opened the message; it was from Edward. 'I miss you. I can't sleep without you. I love you.' I smiled as I dialed his number.

"Hi, love," he answered on the first ring.

"Hey," I said on a yawn. I was doing a lot of that today.

"I didn't mean to wake you."

"No. You didn't. I was awake. I'm having trouble sleeping too." I pulled a loose pillow in front of me to hug. "Tell me about your day after La Push."

"Umm. We actually played Monopoly, and Rosalie kicked our asses." I laughed. "I helped mom with dinner while dad, Emmett, and Rosalie worked on his car. It's close to being finished. After dinner, Emmett, dad, and I talked about Med School."

"I bet he loved that."

"I think he did. It was as if he was reliving his glory days. He told a bunch of stories. Mom finally shut him up by forcing him to go to bed. He could have talked for hours." I giggled, because I could just picture Carlisle stuck in his memories.

"I'd like to hear some of his stories. I get the feeling that Dr. C wasn't always so prim and proper." Edward laughed.

"No, he wasn't, but I don't think I want you hearing those stories."

"Hey, no fair." My words trailed off as a yawn escaped.

"You need to sleep, love. We've got a long day tomorrow."

"Okay," I said reluctantly. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Bella. Buona notte, angel."

"Goodnight, Edward." I placed my phone back on the bedside table and hugged the pillow again. It was times like this I wished Edward was with me, but I needed to spend time with Charlie. I yawned again, and luckily fell asleep rather quickly.

I groaned when my alarm woke me at 7:15. It had been late when I finally got off the phone with Edward meaning I didn't get sleep. I drug myself out of bed, grabbed clean clothes, and took a long, hot shower. I finally felt awake after fifteen minutes under the spray. After tossing my clothes in the laundry room, I made my way to the kitchen to start on dinner. Seth, Leah, and their other halves were joining us as well. I was in charge of desserts and two sides. The vanilla bean cheesecake would take a while to make then set up in the refrigerator.

"Oh!" I heard Sue say as I turned the corner. Not knowing she was there, hearing her surprised exclamation scared me. I jumped back into someone who grunted on impact. I turned around to see Charlie clutching his stomach where I'd accidentally elbowed him. I looked between the two and started laughing. Sue did as well.

"Good morning," Sue said as her laughter died down.

"Morning," I said. Charlie grunted as he walked to the coffee pot and poured a cup. He was useless before two cups. He kissed Sue on the cheek before disappearing to the living room. "It smells good in here."

"I made waffles, eggs, bacon, and sausage. Help yourself while I make your dad a plate."

After Sue took a plate to Charlie, she joined me at the table with her own. We talked about the lunch and dinner menus and decided on a plan on action for cooking. We started as soon as we had eaten. The house seemed full when everyone arrived.

Billy came with his daughter Rachel. It was a bit awkward. I got the impression she blamed me for Jacob's absence. I didn't take offense though. He was her brother after all. Once lunch was over, Sue and I went back to cooking while the guys watched sports, and Leah and Brenna sat in the kitchen to keep us company.

Rachel went back home. She'd decided to stay home instead of joining us for dinner at the Cullen's. It was nice to spend some time with Leah and Brenna. Leah was going to be my sister, and if Brenna stuck around, she'd be in the family too. I could already tell things were serious between her and Seth. It was obvious they had a strong bond.

"Bells," dad yelled when the phone rang. "Could you get that, baby girl?"

"Sure," I yelled back and excused myself to answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi Bella!" Alice said cheerily. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. How is Alaska?"

Alice and Jasper had gone to Alaska to spend the holiday with her mom, Garrett, and Corrine. Liam and Siobhan even went with them. I was so happy that Alice finally found Kate. She may have always said she didn't care not knowing, but now that she did know her mom, there was a sort of lightness to her that wasn't there before. Alice also liked that she'd gained a younger sister. Corrine had absolutely loved gaining an older sister. She and Alice talked at least weekly, and she'd even come to Seattle to spend a weekend with her back in September.

"Alaska's cold," she said, and I could hear her pout. "Kate and Garrett are cooking dinner. Corrine and I are about to make snow angels. Jasper is on a call with Jared. They're talking about the practice."

"Is everything okay?" Jared and Jasper's practice was set to open for the New Year. I hoped nothing was wrong.

"Everything's fine. They're just excited. How is your day so far?"

"Good. Sue and I made lunch. Her kids and their S.O.s , Billy, and his daughter Rachel came as well. We're cooking now to take food to the Cullen's for dinner."

"Combining the families already, huh?" I chuckled.

"They combined on their own. Esme and Sue have been working together on wedding details, and Carlisle, dad, and Billy have been fishing together and working on the car."

"At least you know they'll get along."

"True. Do you have plans to go shopping tomorrow?" She laughed.

"We're flying to Seattle after dinner. Kate loves shopping just as much as I do. We're getting a hotel room and hitting the stores early then flying back in the afternoon." That was not something I would have ever done, but I guess Alice had to get it somewhere. "So how are you? How are things going?" I smiled.

"They're great. Everyone's getting along, I have help in the kitchen this year, and I'm getting to know my new family. Things truly are great." I walked over to the stairs and sat down so my conversation wouldn't interrupt anyone.

"How's Edward?"

"He's good. I'm staying with my dad, so I had to listen to him whine a little." I laughed remembering his pout. "Other than that, things are great."

"You two have been different lately." I furrowed my brows trying to think about what she'd seen differently.

"What do you mean?"

"When you two are together, there's such a calm ease about it. You're very interesting to watch. You two are so in sync, so connected. You orient yourselves to the other. I've never seen two people like that. I can see that you two love each other too. It's written all over your faces and in the little things. I don't know. I've just never seen it before." I could feel my cheeks heat up.

"I don't know what to say, Alice."

"You seem content. For the first time, you seem truly and completely content. I've never seen it before. There was always something hidden behind your eyes, something keeping you from being at ease."

"I feel like there's no longer a weight pulling me down. I don't have secrets anymore; I'm not hiding anything. I don't have to worry about it anymore. I can be happy. I am happy. I could die today and die happy. I never thought I'd feel this way." It was true. I didn't think any of this would be possible.

"I'm happy for you. I really am."

"Thank you." We talked about her visit so far, and she told me she and Jasper would be staying in Alaska a few days longer. I was so glad she was enjoying her time getting to know her mom and sister. "Okay, I need to get back to cooking. Have fun, and I'll see you on Thursday."

"Bye Bella. Tell everyone I say Happy Thanksgiving!" I hung up the phone and decided to call Angela. She answered her cell phone on the third ring.

"Hi Bella!" she greeted. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Hi Angela. Happy Thanksgiving to you. How is Port Angeles?"

"It's good. We've got a lot of family over, and we decided to combine the Weber and Cheney families so there're even more. People are eating all over the house. David, don't run! Mom told you that already." I giggled. Her little brothers always gave her trouble. "Sorry about that."

"No worries. So everyone is over for lunch?" I heard her shuffling around as she talked.

"Yep. We thought it'd be better this way, give us time to clean up leisurely afterwards instead of having to rush. What are you doing for meals?"

"Billy, his daughter Rachel, Sue, her kids, and their S.O.s came over for lunch. We're all going to the Cullen's for dinner."

"Blending the families as well I see. At least you don't have as many people to worry about, and the Cullen's house is colossal. You could fit the whole town in there." We both laughed at her quip. "So, have you heard from Alice yet?"

"Yep." I told her about Alice's Thanksgiving plans. "Are you ready for next Thursday?"

Rosalie's birthday was coming up on Tuesday, December 1, and Emmett's was the next day. To celebrate, we were going to Las Vegas on Thursday for three nights. I was flying to New York with Katelynn on Monday to meet with literary agents. She had a few friends that were agents we would be meeting, but she had also scheduled meeting with others. I would fly back to Seattle late Wednesday night only to get on a plane the next day to Vegas.

"Of course," she said. "Who wouldn't be excited for Vegas? Ben and I were thinking of staying here until Tuesday, so we won't see you until Vegas."

"Okay."

"David, stop it!" I smiled at the admonishment. "I better go, Bella. I've got a little brother that needs killing." I laughed aloud.

"No worries. Have fun!"

"Oh, I will. Bye."

AN: Hi all! Happy December. I think it's crazy that it's already here. This was a short chapter. It was orignially too long, so I broke it into two parts.

S.O. stands for significant other. Did you like finding out that Corrine has visited Alice in Seattle? Did you like that Bella paid for Billy's renovations? How awkward would it have been for Bella to have lunch with Rachel when Rachel obviously still blames her for Jacob's absence? Next is Thanksgiving from Edward's POV. I really think you're going to be pleased. ;)