Author's Note: Sorry that this chapter took so long to get up. Maybe it's old or something… Anyway, I added quite a bit to it because it was going to just hit the highlights of Christmas, but I decided that I wanted to know all the details. I had to make a big spreadsheet to keep track of the gifts and the game that they played. I hope it doesn't get too monotonous. With Emmett there, though, that would be pretty difficult. His part was my favorite. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did. Also, this chapter is much longer than my other chapters. It's a bit of funny fluff. I like it as a tension breaker from all of the other difficult stuff in the other chapters.
Chapter 8 – Presents
It was November, and I decided to make all of the Christmas presents I was going to give away. I had never done artwork like this. I had always worked with clay or bronze, but this time I was working with copper wire. I wanted to make personalized ornaments for all my friends and family, but the bronze would be too heavy and weigh down the boughs of the Christmas tree. With this technique, I would bend the copper wires around to make a shell of the shape I was intending. I hoped that I could stretch myself a bit with this project.
For Charlie, I made a fish, a boat, and a police badge. The fish was my favorite of the group. I thought that he would like it as well. Renee was harder. She had so many and varied interests that were constantly in flux. I decided to make her a sun, because she loved to be where it was warm and sunny, and one that looked like her favorite hat, a cell phone, and an apple because she was a kindergarten teacher. I made Phil one of a baseball bat, a glove, and also a sun because he played for the Suns. His sun was different, though, because it was stylized to look like the logo on his jersey.
I also made ornaments for the Cullen's and Jacob. For Jacob, actually gave him that half Jacob/half wolf statue and a copper dream catcher, kind of like the one he had given me for my birthday. Alice's were the easiest to come up with because I knew her the best. I made her a shopping bag, a pair of stilettos, and a crystal ball. For Jasper, I made a gun and a sword like he would have carried in the Civil war, and a horse. With Jasper, I had to ask Alice what he was in to because I didn't really know anything about his past. It was fun getting to know him a little better as I made Christmas presents for him.
For Emmett, I made a bear, a football, and a video game controller. For Rosalie, I made a mirror, a hairbrush, and a car. For Esme, I only made one because it was so elaborate and because I had helped on another present for her. She got a replica of the Cullen home. Carlisle got a crossed hammer and chisel to commemorate his love of woodworking, a cuckoo clock, and I almost made him a stethoscope, but guessed that he probably had plenty of those, instead I made a caduceus. Yeah, I didn't know what that meant either until I Googled "symbol for medicine." It's that winged staff with the snakes that symbolizes the medical professions.
That just left me Edward. I almost didn't make anything for him, but in the end, I decided that he was still a part of my life, and even though he was frustrated by me, he really did help shape the person I had become. I decided to make him sort of a pair of mesmerized eyes, a piano, and a mountain lion. I wasn't sure if I should give them to him though. I would be kind of a bummer if he just destroyed them. I hoped that Alice would tell me if he planned on doing that.
This gigantic project took almost all of my free time right up to three days before Christmas, and I lost a lot of sleep because of it, but that was actually okay with me especially since I found a snake in my room one night. I didn't even want to go in there for a week after. I am completely terrified of snakes, even the non-poisonous variety. I barely made it to the phone in a panic and called Charlie who came to kill the snake for me. I debated about calling Carlisle instead, but then I would have to confess my deep fears to him, and probably also tell him that I suspected that Edward had something to do with the unwelcome snake. I knew that if it was true, Edward would be kicked out of his family, and I didn't really want to be the reason that he was kicked out.
The snake night was one of the few nights I didn't get any sculpting done. I had to take an Ativan to calm down enough so that I could sleep, and even then, I slept on the couch. Almost every other night, I was in the basement sculpting.
I did set aside time to spend at the Cullen's house during this time. I would have felt badly if I had neglected my friends for the purpose of making them presents. Most of the time, I went to their house, and I didn't see Edward. He was there, but he spent most of the time in his room. Sometimes, I did see him, but he was on the outside looking in. Carlisle, Esme, and I were the only ones who ever tried to include him in anything. He usually looked around the room at the disapproving faces of his siblings and headed back upstairs to his room.
I also spent time in La Push with Jacob. In fact, the day I finished with the ornaments, I drove out to see him to give them to him.
"Hola hombre lobo," I teased him calling him a werewolf in Spanish.
"Hola yourself, chica torpe," He countered, calling me a clumsy girl. I think he must have used babelfish on that one. He had been coming up with more and more elaborate and crazy things to call me like cara pálida (pale face) or muchacha flaca y blanca (skinny white girl).
We ate lunch and laughed for awhile, and then I gave him his presents. He loved them, but he was worried because he hadn't gotten me anything. I settled for the maiden voyage in his nearly finished VW.
Afterwards, I headed home and mailed Renee and Phil their presents. I had to pay extra to get them there on time, but I didn't want to give them to her late.
The next day, two days before Christmas, I had planned on going to the Cullen's house to give them their presents, but Charlie had just been informed that he would need to be at the station on for the next two days due to some unexplained animal attacks in the woods, and asked me to do Christmas with him early. I agreed as long as he didn't mind that I spent the next two days at the Cullen's. Alice even managed to call in the middle of our negotiations and invited me over for Christmas, insisting that I wasn't imposing.
Much to my surprise, Charlie had gotten me a smart phone for Christmas. It was awesome. I spent the rest of the afternoon downloading my music and a few aps. Charlie loved the ornaments I made him. He called them a real work of art. I blushed furiously.
On Christmas Eve, I drove to the Cullen's house. Alice had planned a real family time. Even Edward decided to join us, but he seemed defeated, like he had lost his will to live. We played board game, and card games, and of course, I lost all of them, miserably, but I had fun.
I ended up going to bed around two, but still, Emmett came screaming down the hall at five-thirty in the morning to wake me up for presents. He insisted that we all wear our ridiculous footed pajamas down for present time.
Alice organized present giving time. We were all numbered by year of our birth. Carlisle was one; Jasper, two; Esme, three; Edward, four; Alice, five; Rosalie, six; Emmett, seven; and me, eight. We all got a paper sack with everyone else's number. Starting with Carlisle, we would pick a number, ask that person any question, and give them the gift they had gotten for them. The only rules were that the answer had to be truthful, and you couldn't ask the same question someone else had already asked.
"And you can't search the future to find out what we're going to ask and highjack our questions." I took the opportunity to amend the rules.
"Or pluck them out of our heads…" Jasper added, looking at Edward.
Everyone agreed, though Alice and Edward didn't seem too thrilled with our additional rules, they agreed as well.
Carlisle was first. He drew number four. Edward groaned. It looked like he already hated this game.
"What do you like the most about your power?" Carlisle asked in all seriousness. Edward looked surprised that Carlisle didn't ask something a lot harsher.
"I like… being the most well informed person in the room." Edward shocked me that he was actually being honest.
Carlisle, satisfied with Edward's answer, handed him the present.
Edward opened it. It was an iPad.
"It has composition and mixing aps already on it." Carlisle told him.
"Thanks." Edward barely looked at him. I think he was starting to feel ashamed for his behavior, but I didn't really know if I could believe him.
Jasper went next, and drew number four as well. Edward groaned once again.
"What one thing that you've done do you regret the most?" Jasper scrutinized him while Edward tried to think of something.
"That's hard to say, Jasper." Edward sighed heavily. "I guess underestimating all of you, especially Bella."
We all took that to mean that he wasn't upset about hurting us, only that he had gotten caught. Jasper threw Edward's present at him. Edward caught it easily and opened it. It was a very ugly Christmas sweater. Instead of a Christmas tree, it had a black tree-like shape on it, and at the top was perched the all-seeing eye of Sauron. I assumed that Alice hadn't picked this one out.
"Thanks." Edward said again, this time with much distain in his voice, but the rest of us snickered a bit.
It was Esme's turn, and much to the amusement of everyone, except Edward, she picked out number four as well.
"Is my number the only one in there?" Edward asked Alice.
"No," she laughed and shook her head, "you saw me put all the numbers in."
Edward rolled his eyes and looked at Esme awaiting her question.
"Why didn't you tell Bella that I'm gay?" She wondered.
Edward sighed before answering, "I didn't want Bella to know that Carlisle was available. He was interested in her, and I didn't want her to choose him."
I looked over to Carlisle and saw that he was clearly embarrassed at Edward's revelation. I wondered why he didn't say anything, but then remembered that I was seventeen at the time. It would have been weird and possibly illegal if he were dating me. Now, however, I really wanted to know if he was interested in me. He seemed a little flirty at times, and I was definitely wanted to pursue a relationship with him.
Esme handed Edward her present. It was a new stereo system for his Volvo. He seemed rather appreciative of it.
"Thank you." He kind of smiled at her.
He sighed before pulling a number out of the bag. He chose number seven, Emmett.
He got a wicked grin on his face and asked, "If you had to cheat on Rosalie with either Alice, Bella, or Esme (if she were straight), who would it be with and why?"
"You are so going to pay for that." Emmett laughed heartily. It seemed like Emmett was starting to be willing to have fun with Edward. "Alice because, no offense to Bella and Esme, but at this point in my existence, I wouldn't want to break either one of you in."
"No offense taken." I mumbled. I didn't want to be "broken in" anyway. It looked like Esme shared my sentiments.
Edward handed Emmett an envelope. At first I thought that he might have only given him money, not wanting to put any thought into his choices, but then Emmett yelled and pumped his fist. Edward had gotten him good seats for a Seahawk's game, apparently in a skybox.
"Thanks, man, but I'm still going to get you back for that question." Emmett cheered.
"My turn!" Alice squealed and drew number one. If she had picked Edward as well, I was going to laugh, but she didn't. She picked Carlisle.
"Have you ever kissed a human on the lips?" She asked him. I blushed for him, wondering if she was hinting that we should kiss. I hoped that he thought we should as well.
"No," he answered quickly, looking shocked that she had asked such a thing.
Alice wagged her eyebrows in my direction before handing Carlisle an envelope. He opened it and read it to us. It seemed an anonymous donor had paid to update all of the computers in the hospital and provide tablet computers for the doctors to do charts on. He was very excited.
Rosalie made a big flourish before picking a number out of the bag. It was my number. I swallowed, knowing she could make me really squirm with a super personal question.
Rosalie eyed Edward and asked me, "Would you have asked Carlisle to have Edward destroyed if he had actually used his Jedi mind trick to force you to have sex with him?"
"No." I answered. "I couldn't force Carlisle to kill his own son."
Her head snapped around to me. She was surprised by my answer. I didn't think she would like it, seeing as how she had killed those who raped her, but she actually nodded in approval at what I had said.
"Your present's in the garage. It's more safety features for your truck. You know, brakes and an airbag. I'll install them before you go home." She told me.
"Thank you." I smiled at her.
"Come on number four!" Emmett chanted as he reached into the sack. He pulled out number three. "Damn."
"Should I be offended?" Esme laughed.
He shook his head at her and scratched his chin, trying to think of a good one.
"How many women have you been with?" He finally asked her.
"Three." She admitted, with her head ducked down. I didn't know why she was embarrassed. Three wasn't exactly a huge number for as long as she's been a vampire and known she was a lesbian.
"So… your gift was going to be breakfast in bed, but Rosalie told me that bringing a deer carcass into the house would upset you for some reason." Emmett teased her, and we all laughed at him.
We were all still laughing at his joke when Emmett handed her some papers. They were the deed to a Victorian style house that needed to be remodeled. Esme squealed.
I took my time pulling the number out of the sack. Much to my chagrin, I chose Edward. I knew that at some point, I would choose him, but I hoped to get some easier ones first.
"Go on, Bella, now's your chance." Emmett cheered. "You can finally get some answers."
I shook my head. I didn't come here today to torture Edward. I came to enjoy time with my friends.
"If you could stop mentally hearing one human at school, who would it be and why?" I asked.
He didn't look as grateful as I had hoped when he answered, "Colby Atchison."
Jasper howled in laughter. I didn't think that he would find anything Edward said funny. This must have been good.
"Why?" Several of us asked at the same time.
"Because he's gay and in love with me. I'm pretty tired of seeing me give it to him in the ass." Edward winced as he said it.
The rest of us joined in laughing with Jasper.
"I would pay money to see that thought." Rosalie giggled.
I handed Edward his present. He opened it and just stared for a moment.
"Thank you, Bella, they're beautiful." He smiled at me, but looked like if he could cry he would.
Carlisle took his turn next, and pulled out number five, Alice.
"What's the biggest mistake you've made because you've trusted your vision?" He asked her.
"Hmm…" She looked unsure. "When I thought that we had made the misstep that sent Bella to James. She almost died because of it."
I shook my head at her. I almost died because of me, not her.
Carlisle threw her keys to a car.
"A Lotus Esprit?" She squealed. "And it's pink. Thank you, Carlisle."
Jasper picked Esme next.
"What's the best thing about being a mother?"
"Being able to love you all so much and rejoice with you in your successes." She told him.
He carefully gave her a box. When she opened it, she gasped. I had actually helped Jasper with this one. It was part of the reason that I only gave her one ornament.
"Where did you get this?" She asked him. She held statue of her infant son who had died shortly after he was born. It sort of looked like her.
"From sketches of him that you have drawn over the years. I took them to Bella, and she helped me sculpt it for you." Jasper answered.
Esme flew across the room and hugged Jasper. "Thank you so much." And then she hugged me.
After Esme had regained her composure, she drew my number.
"Where did you learn to sculpt?" She asked.
"Books, and community courses." I answered.
"I put your present in your basement." She smiled. "It's new sculpting material."
"Thank you. I always need more clay and bronze." I hugged her.
Edward picked Rosalie. "Who would you have chosen, Carlisle or me?"
"You, but only because I didn't see the real you." She spat at him.
Edward looked upset with her assessment of him. Maybe he did want to be a better vampire.
When she opened Edward's present, she found a car part, that she had been looking everywhere for. She nodded her thanks to him.
Alice picked Jasper next.
"Besides me of course, who do you most enjoy feeling and least enjoy?" She asked.
"Least is Edward because I'm not sure if what I feel from him is true, and most is a tie between Carlisle and Bella. They are both so generous in spirit. They get a real joy out of doing and giving to others." He smiled at us.
I blushed and looked away.
Alice's gift for him was the Confederate flag that hung in the town where he was born
Rosalie drew Alice. "What's your favorite sexual position?"
"Damn, Rose." Emmett laughed. "Good one."
"Reverse cowgirl." She answered it, but saw my confusion and felt the need to explain it to me. I kinda wished she hadn't. "The woman is on top facing away from the man. It really helps hit the G-spot."
Rosalie gave her a shopping trip for both of them as well as Esme and me in Paris. Although I didn't really want to shop, I was excited to go with them.
"Yay! Spring Break will be cloudy almost every day! We are so going then!" Alice cheered.
Emmett got Rosalie this time. I winced knowing he would ask another embarrassing question.
"Where would you most like to have sex that we haven't yet done it?" He wagged his eyebrows at her.
"This better not be the gift, a trip to whatever I answer." She narrowed her eyes at him, and he shook his head.
"Inside the Great Barrier Reef." She told him with confidence.
"Awesome." He answered.
He gave her new rims for her car. They were beautiful.
I picked Jasper.
"What did you think of Alice when you first met her?" I wondered. I knew that Alice could be a lot to take in, especially when meeting her for the first time.
"I was curious about her. I had never met a vampire anything like her. I was of course, attracted to her, and excited that a wonderful woman like her could ever be interested in me." He kissed her after he answered.
Jasper, of course, loved the ornaments I had given him and he politely thanked me.
Next, Carlisle chose Rosalie.
"Would you be willing to accept Bella as your sister and part of this family?" He asked her, though he mentioned nothing about changing me.
"I already do consider her my sister, though, I would still advise against changing her. She still has so much she can do with her life." She answered.
Carlisle seemed satisfied with her answer and handed her an envelope with a picture. It was a picture of a large garage in Detroit and the title to it. Rosalie squealed.
"I'm so glad I have some real space to work when I need to!" She rejoiced.
Jasper picked Alice.
"What naughty fantasy do you have that we haven't played out yet?" He wagged his eyebrows at her.
"Peter Pan and Tinkerbell." She laughed at him
"Only because I refuse to wear the damn tights, pixie." He scowled.
"You asked." She reminded him.
He handed her a box which contained a bunch of nail polish.
"Where did you find these?" She asked in shock. "They are so rare and expensive."
"Only the best for you, baby," he kissed her on the lips.
Esme picked Carlisle.
"If you couldn't develop the control to become a doctor, what would you have become?" She smiled at him.
"Before I could control myself enough, I moonlighted as a shoemaker. I worked so quickly that the local villagers thought that I had elves helping me. It's where the fairy tale comes from." He chuckled nervously at the memory.
Once our amazement at Carlisle had died down a little, Esme gave him his present of new wood carving tools and more finish for the wood. He was very appreciative.
Edward picked Esme, but looked defeated as he asked her, "If you could change one thing about our family, what would it be?"
I think he was begging her to not pick him from the sound of his voice. It looked like he knew that most of the family had already given up on him and wished he wasn't here. I was confident that Esme wasn't one of them. I was sure that she had at least started to forgive him. She had the remarkable ability to love both Edward and I completely even when he had hurt me. I knew that she still loved him, even then. I admired her.
"I would have liked to have been able to fall in love with Carlisle the way he loved me." Her voice shook as she answered. "It hurt me so much that I couldn't give him myself."
Carlisle and I rushed to her side. Of course, he beat me by a mile because he was so much faster than I. We both hugged her. I couldn't help being drawn to the hurt she was casting off. I hugged her fiercely, clinging to her pajamas, wanting desperately to take her pain away from her, but I couldn't.
After we had settled down, Edward gave Esme a grandfather clock. It was gorgeous.
Alice picked me.
"Of all the outfits I bought you for senior pictures, which is your favorite one that you didn't wear?" She gave me a knowing look.
"It was a red sweater dress." I told her sighing. "The only reason I didn't pick it because I didn't have any shoes to go with it."
She giggled as she handed me a box. When I opened it, I laughed with her. It was a pair of low heel red shoes that went perfectly with that dress.
Rosalie picked Esme.
"Have you ever been in love?" She cocked her head to the side, honestly wanting to know.
"No." Esme admitted, but looked wistfully away.
Rosalie handed her a picture of a beautiful keyhole fountain that Esme had been looking at for awhile. Esme gave her a big hug.
Emmett picked Jasper. I thought about plugging my ears so that I didn't have to hear it, but Carlisle scooted next to me and whispered in my ear.
"Best if you just listen to it." He breathed in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. "He'll be worse on you if you don't."
"But you'll protect me, won't you?" I flirted with him a little.
"Absolutely." He kissed the top of my head, and I blushed.
"Anyway…" Emmett waited until we were all paying attention. "Have you ever felt so much lust coming off two people that it made you cum in your pants?" Emmett asked with a surprisingly serious face.
"Don't flatter yourself, son." Jasper teased. "You and Rosalie are not that horny all the time."
"Answer the damn question." Emmett growled.
"The answer is, no." Jasper laughed.
Emmett threw Jasper a box. It was some sort of Army video game thing, but Jasper liked it.
I picked Alice.
"What's your favorite thing about Bella Barbie?" I tried to understand he a little better.
"Easy," she smiled at me, "spending time with you."
I gave her the ornaments I made for her, and she loved them.
Carlisle picked Esme.
"Have you been trying to avoid finding love because you feel badly that you couldn't make yourself fall in love with me?" Carlisle looked worried.
"Somewhat." Esme nodded. "I just feel so guilty that I couldn't be…"
"Don't." He shook his head at her. "I have only ever wanted you to be happy. Find someone. Be happy."
He handed her what looked like a bill of sale. She squealed. "It's the assets from a remodeling business that has declared bankruptcy. Carlisle bought all of them for me!"
Jasper drew Carlisle's number.
"What's your favorite surgery to perform?"
"Brain surgery, though I only really get to do that as emergency surgery in small hospitals because larger hospitals have neurosurgeons on staff, and if it isn't an emergency at a small hospital, they will send them to the larger ones." He explained.
Jasper handed Carlisle a rather large book about modern breakthroughs in chemistry.
Esme picked Rosalie.
"What is one thing you truly hate about being beautiful?"
"I seem to attract the attention of lecherous men." She looked sad.
Esme handed Rosalie a picture of a beautiful antique bed and said, "I know you and Emmett broke the last one."
"And the one before that, and the one before that," Emmett told her suggestively. "What's the over/under on how long it takes us to break this one?"
"Three weeks." Alice admitted reluctantly.
"I take under." Edward smirked.
"I think that you're screwed if you break that bed. I got over." Jasper winked at Rosalie who nodded back to him.
"What do you think, Bella? Carlisle?" Emmett asked.
I blushed and looked away from him.
"It's tradition, Bella!" Emmett complained.
I shook my head.
"Emmett," Carlisle's quiet but authoritative voice broke me out of my embarrassment, "I know that there isn't a lot of privacy in our family, but I would prefer it if Bella and I were left out of this asinine bet."
"Esme?"
"Sorry, Em, but I'm with Jasper. I'll take over as well." Esme shocked me by actually betting.
"Excellent." Emmett rubbed his hands together.
Edward picked Jasper.
Edward smiled wickedly at Jasper before asking, "If you could burn one outfit that Alice bought you, what would you choose?"
"Sorry, babe, but it's that ugly pink shirt." He answered.
"It isn't pink." Alice bristled. "It's salmon."
"Like I said, pink." Jasper laughed.
Edward handed Jasper a very old copy of The Art of War. Jasper smiled appreciatively.
Alice picked Rosalie.
"What's the most risqué place that you and Emmett bumped uglies?" Alice smiled brightly.
This was getting out of hand. I thought we were trying to get to know one another better, not see which of them could turn me the deepest shade of red.
"Daytona winner's circle." Rosalie answered.
Alice handed Rosalie a pink slip for a boat. It was docked in South Africa.
Rosalie picked Jasper.
"Who is the best smelling human that you've resisted?"
"They all smell pretty good to me." Jasper admitted.
Rosalie gave Jasper an antique lithograph from the civil war.
"Is… that me?" He pointed at the picture. "Rosalie, this is wonderful." He breathed in awe.
Emmett finally picked Edward.
"Awesome!" He pumped his fist. "If you had to have sex with one of the men in the family, who would it be and why?"
Edward rolled his eyes at the question.
"Jasper because he has long beautiful hair." Edward answered quickly and turned toward Jasper. "Sorry, man."
Emmett gave Edward a letter. Edward read it in awe. It was a hand written and signed letter from Debussy.
My turn. I picked Esme.
"Out of all of the places you've lived, what is your favorite?"
"Here." She smiled. "Right now. I feel like my family is complete here in Forks."
I gave her the large ornament that looks like their house.
We took a break before the fifth round because my stomach growled. The married vampires decided to take the time to relieve a little tension. I also took the opportunity to talk to Edward in private.
"I wasn't actually trying to embarrass you with that question." I told him apologetically.
"I know." He sighed. "And I am also aware that you could have been so much more vindictive with the question. Especially after I heard the way my answer to Jasper's question sounded to everyone else."
"What do you mean?" I was confused.
"When I said that my biggest regret was underestimating all of you, especially you, I didn't mean your ability to figure out the truth. I meant that I regret underestimating your value as a person." He explained. "And I deeply regret the things I did to you."
"What?" I asked very bewildered by his admission.
"I have come to see that I have been incredibly immature and foolish for some time now. I now see that you are an amazing woman." He told me. "I was wondering…"
"Time to start again!" Alice dragged me away from him.
Alice pulled me to my former spot, next to Carlisle and directed him to pick another number.
Carlisle chose Emmett.
"If you had to trade lives with a fictional character, who would you pick?"
"Tough one, dude." Emmett paused thoughtfully. "James Bond or Captain Kirk? Hmm… better go with Captain Kirk. He gets laid all the time, and he gets to fly a fucking space ship."
Carlisle stood and unveiled the largest plasma TV I had ever seen. I would have sworn that some stadium somewhere was now missing their Jumbo-Tron. Needless to say, Emmett was excited.
Jasper picked me and grinned slyly at me.
"If it wouldn't have injured your foot, would you have really kicked Edward in the balls that day?" Jasper, obviously talking about the day we all figured out he was lying.
"No, not right when I got to school, I probably wasn't mad enough to do that until later in Carlisle's office, but I definitely would have done it anyway if Alice hadn't held me back." I remembered, thankful that Alice had held me back.
Jasper handed me a book with lots of different sculptures in it.
"This is wonderful, Jasper, thank you." I hugged him, briefly, not wanting to make him suffer.
Esme picked Emmett.
"If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?"
"I'd want to be able to give Rosalie children." Emmett smiled sadly at Rosalie.
Esme handed Emmett an orange football jersey with number sixteen on it. I had no idea what that meant, but Emmett seemed excited.
"A real Peyton Manning jersey!" He hugged Esme. "You are awesome!"
Edward picked Alice and smirked at her. She narrowed her eyes at him, not wanting to ask the question that was on his mind.
"How often do you tell people that you've had a vision because you know that it will get you what you want?"
"I think you already know the answer to that one." She muttered. "Quite often, okay. Maybe once or twice a week."
We all laughed at her, mainly because we all already suspected as much. She had just never admitted it.
Edward gave Alice a pink diamond tennis bracelet. She was slightly mollified.
Alice picked Esme.
"What's the most important quality your dream girl must have?"
"She must love my family." Esme smiled at us.
Alice handed Esme two books, the first about Scotland, the second about Scottish clans. No one had any idea why, and Alice wouldn't elaborate, but she insisted that Esme read them.
Rosalie picked Carlisle.
"What's the worst excuse you've ever heard as to why some so-called virgin is suddenly pregnant?"
Carlisle thought for a moment, then chuckled. "One young lady told me that she and her boyfriend never had sex, but she was pretty sure he might have masturbated in her bathroom. She must have used the tissues he cleaned up with when she ran out of toilet paper."
We all were reduced to a fit of giggles.
Rosalie handed Carlisle an antique chess set.
Emmett also picked Carlisle. Emmett wore a smile that would make a sailor blush.
"On the subject of medicine… What's the weirdest thing you've ever had to dislodge from somebody's ass?"
"I didn't ask for a story, because I didn't want to know, but the weirdest thing was a tuba mouthpiece."
"Ewwwwwwww!" We all yelled at the same time.
Once our disgust had subsided, Emmett gave Carlisle a very old book with home remedies. Most of them were ridiculous knowing what we know now.
I picked Rosalie.
"What kind of car would you like to drive that you haven't driven yet?" I asked her.
"Bugatti." Rosalie moaned like it was making love to her. "That is like a vampire's wet dream."
I blushed, and Carlisle threw Rosalie a dirty look.
I gave her the ornaments I made for her, and she thanked me.
Carlisle picked Jasper. I knew that meant that he would pick me on his last turn.
"When you were training newborns, was there a certain quality that made specific newborns harder to teach?" Carlisle asked him.
"The ones who thought they were especially gifted were always more of a challenge. They felt entitled." Jasper briefly threw a look at Edward when he said this, but Edward let it slide.
Carlisle handed Jasper a pocket watch. It looked very old.
"Is this yours?" Jasper was astonished. "You're giving me your pocket watch?"
"Yes, son." Carlisle hugged Jasper. "I want you to know without a doubt that I consider you a son and am very proud of you."
I remembered from To Kill A Mockingbird, the passing on of a father's watch was very symbolic of a father's pride in his son. Jasper, being from a different time grasped the meaning as well.
After Jasper composed himself, he chose Rosalie.
"What's your favorite naughty Halloween costume?"
"I like the angel." She caught Emmett's eye and he nodded in agreement.
I so did not want to know about that.
Jasper gave Rosalie an open wheel racing experience. She was so excited.
Esme picked Alice.
"Who's your favorite person or vampire to give a make over to?"
"Easy, Bella." She smiled at me.
Esme and Carlisle had obviously coordinated because she gave Alice a license plate for her new car. It said PINKTINK. Alice loved it.
Edward picked Carlisle.
"If you could have a real power…"
I cut him off, "What do you mean real power? Like you're special, but he's not? Because let me tell you something, Edward Cullen…!"
"I'm sorry Bella, poor choice of words." Edward threw his hands up in surrender. "What I meant to say was, if you could have a supernatural power, what would you want it to be?"
Carlisle stared at me with his mouth open for a few moments before he regained his composure and answered.
"I guess I would like to have super diagnostic skills, like House without all the kidney failure." Carlisle told him.
Edward gave him new cufflinks and some expensive ties. I could tell that he meant it as a surrender, that Carlisle was indeed his father, much like Carlisle's symbolic gift to Jasper. This meant something more than just the gift.
Alice picked Emmett.
"Which Hollywood celebrity do you get in the most trouble for ogling?"
"Yvonne Strahovski from Chuck." He said as he dodged a blow from Rosalie.
Alice giggled as she gave Emmett a trip to Australia.
Rosalie also giggled when she realized that Alice knew she wanted to have sex in the Great Barrier Reef, and had set it up for them by giving her a boat and Emmett a trip to Australia.
Rosalie picked Edward. I could see by the look on her face that she wasn't anywhere close to forgiving him yet. I knew that her question was going to be brutal.
"How many girls did you sleep with while you were dating Bella?"
This time I couldn't help but cover my ears. I didn't want to know. Carlisle pulled me toward him so that I could bury my face in his chest. I started crying softly up against him, and he hesitantly stroked my back.
By the time Carlisle let me know that it was over, Edward had a rather disgusting looking fruit cake in front of him.
I asked for a bathroom break so that I could wash my face. I took my time to calm myself down. I felt much better when I returned.
When I sat down, Emmett had picked my number. I groaned.
"If you had to lose your virginity…"
"Emmett, that's enough!" Carlisle cut him off tersely. "Bella clearly isn't comfortable with that kind of question."
"What's your favorite food?" He asked lamely.
"French toast and bacon." I told him, but thinking of the other question he almost asked me, I nearly said, Carlisle. That would have been mortifying.
Emmett smiled, handing me a rather large box. I opened it and groaned. It was a case of bandages. It had roughly four thousand Band Aids in it. Hilarious.
I picked Emmett, but there was no way that I could embarrass him the way he had tried to embarrass me.
"What human food would you least want to have to eat?"
"I would eat a lot of things on a dare, but I would never, ever eat a banana." He wagged his eyebrows at me.
I once again blushed.
Carlisle didn't pick a number. He knew it was me. He turned to me, but hesitated trying to work up the nerve for something.
"Would you accompany me to a museum in Seattle?" He sounded very formal as he asked.
"I would love to." I smiled brightly at him.
He then gave me one of his hand carved cuckoo clocks and an envelope. The cuckoo clock was exquisite. It was so detailed and beautiful. I would hang it up in my room when I got home.
The envelope held an acceptance letter to the Yale school of fine art. I hadn't even applied there. Carlisle admitted to sending my sculpture to the head of admissions. He immediately fell in love with it and was coming to Forks to meet with me in three days to discuss my future at Yale.
Jasper knew he had Emmett, and had apparently been working on a good one for this occasion because he was smiling when he asked, "Has Rosalie ever caught you masturbating?"
Before he could answer, Alice was giggling.
"Yes, several times." He mumbled.
Apparently it was possible to embarrass Emmett. I smiled at Jasper, and he winked at me.
Jasper handed Emmett tickets to Mixed Martial Arts. Emmett did a dance around the living room.
Esme looked at Jasper.
"Is there anyone you have a hard time manipulating with your gift?"
"Pretty much anyone who knows about it. I'd say Edward is the hardest because he knows when I'm doing it." Jasper was honest in his answer and didn't really say Edward's name like a curse as he had just a few days ago.
Esme retrieved a Confederate rifle and handed it to Jasper. He smiled appreciatively.
Edward also had me as his last turn. He looked really nervous as he asked me, "Bella, do you think you could ever forgive me?"
"I already have, Edward, a long time ago." I admitted. "I don't think we can date, but I'm not opposed to trying to be friends."
His face fell a bit when I said that we couldn't date. I think he must have been hoping that we could once again be together.
He handed me an envelope. Inside were two letters. The first was to me, he apologized for all of the horrible things he said and did to me while we were dating and afterwards. The second was a letter that he addressed to Jacob. It was also an apology for attacking him in my house and pretty much causing him to injure me. This was truly the best gift Edward had ever given me, and though it cost him a considerable amount of pride, it didn't cost him a dime of his money.
I knew that Alice had Edward, and that she was still pissed at what he had done to Jasper, but she looked like she was debating something with herself.
"What did you hope to accomplish by hurting Jasper and Bella?"
Edward sighed deeply. "I hurt Jasper because his gift was something that I hated having to live around. I hurt Bella because I wanted to break her heart, hoping that it might crack her shield or at the very least, she would welcome me back with open arms and be more compliant. It was a mistake, a very big one."
Alice handed Edward tickets to the symphony. He thanked her quietly.
Rosalie had Emmett.
"Which girl in our family would you most like to see me make out with?"
Emmett eagerly jumped in, "B…"
That earned him an angry glare from Carlisle, and he quickly changed it to. "Alice."
Rosalie gave him a hunting week with the guys that they could go on while we were in Paris.
Emmett had Alice.
"If you were going to have sex with…" he paused and looked at Carlisle who was growling, "…Rosalie, would you go sixty-nine, or would you take turns?"
I turned my head toward Carlisle. "Please don't let them tell me what that means." I begged him.
He covered my ears once again while Alice answered. He unplugged them once Emmett was retrieving Alice's present. It turned out to be pink luggage.
My last turn was Carlisle. I really didn't know what question to ask him. What I wanted to do was ask him if this trip to Seattle was a date, date, or if we were just going as friends, but I chickened out at the last minute. I finally decided to ask him something simple.
"What should I wear to this art exhibit?" I asked him.
"I'd say that red sweater dress you were talking about." He smiled at me. "That sounds just about perfect.