Disclaimer: All the Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

Chapter 7 Birthday

BPOV

Carlisle smiled, knowing I was remembering last years party and said, "We did try to reign Alice in and Edward didn't let her get away with too much!"

Edward and I got into the car with Phil and my mom and Carlisle and Esme got in the Mercedes for us to follow them so that they could show us the way to drive to my house. Though Edward was in the car with us, it was just easier to follow another car. The others simply headed down the path and I knew that they would be there long before I ever got there!

It was a short drive to Edward's and my house. It seemed longer because we had to go down the mile long curvy driveway of the Cullen house, get on the road for a mile, then drive down our I had no idea how long drive. Walking, it was barely a quarter of a mile up the path - just outside of vampire hearing range, purposefully on Edwards part. He had wanted me to not always feel like someone was listening and in truth, he probably wanted some distance from them hearing us as well.

"This is just a beautiful area, Bella! I am so excited to see your house! I just can not believe it even when I say it, my baby girl has her own house! Edward it is just amazing! I am so glad you two worked out whatever differences you had! I love seeing you both so happy!"

Edward squeezed my hand and smiled at me. He must have read something else in my moms thoughts as well. Mom pulled me into a hug when she saw the house. It was so perfect, English Tudor in design, two story, a creamy white color with dark brown woodwork on the outside and a stone foundation. The second story roof line was steep and the stone fireplace chimneys stood tall at either end of the house. It had the most beautiful roof, slats of wood overlapping each other giving it the look of belonging in the woods. The hand laid stone walkway leading to the house curved and twisted gently with flower beds placed in each curve. It even had flower boxes flowing over with colorful impatience in each window of the downstairs. Edward had outdone himself. Our house looked like something out of a fairytale, the ones that end in '. . . and they lived happily ever after.'

Edward held his arm at my waist as I managed the few steps up to the front door. Stairs were still a slow process even with the smaller cast on my leg. I would be so happy to be able to actually take it off to sleep tonight! Edward would be so surprised. He had never said anything, but making love would take on a whole new dimension when I could actually bend my leg!

I walked into my house, listening to my mom tell me how beautiful my house was and how she could not believe that Edward had surprised me with a house. I was met with a round of

"Surprise! Happy Birthday!", from my family.

As much as I had hated surprises in the past, I loved them for it. The living room of my home had been transformed into a wonderland. Wildflowers in vases covered every available surface and hung from garlands that were draped across the room and a buffet style dinner was set out on the counter with a birthday cake in the middle of the dining room table, also covered in wildflowers! I should have known something was up when Alice excused herself to go back for the package she said she forgot. Vampires forget nothing.

I tried not to think of my last birthday party, of course. So many people had suffered as a result of decisions made because of that party. lt hadn't really been the party, just the clashing of our two worlds. The Cullen family's choice to rebel against their nature did not change the fact that humans were the natural food source for vampires. Edward's idea of keeping me safe had been to deny me his presence and that of his family. It was in the past now and I refused to let it ruin the day. I had told Jasper to let it go and I had to do the same.

Edwards arms around me and cool breath on my neck did worlds to comfort me. "You look amazing in that outfit, love. I am not sure we will be staying at this party for long!", he growled into my ear.

"Thank you, all of you!", I blurted out, trying to fight back the tears. "Edward turned me towards him and cupped my face in his hands. "Happy birthday, wife!", he said lovingly, then he kissed me. In front of the entire family, including my parents, my husband kissed me as though we were alone. It was a gentle kiss, but it expressed so much, he was trying to wipe away any memories of my last birthday, he was proclaiming his love for me openly, unabashedly for all to see. I fucking loved this man.

"Let's have dinner so that we can open presents!", squealed Alice as she tried to contain herself from jumping up and down. Alice will be Alice, she is a force to be reckoned with!

The buffet set up was a perfect disguise to keep the Cullens from having to actually eat the food. They were pros at making it look like they were eating, and the trash cans under the table and in the kitchen were filling fast. Charlie and I along with Mom and Phil did actually enjoy the meal. It was amazing! I had no idea that my vampire family knew how to cook roast beef or spaghetti squash or even mashed potatoes without me helping, but everything was perfectly cooked and seasoned!

"Esme, this meal is amazing!", I said in front of my mother, "I had no idea you were even cooking! You must have done all this while we were in town shopping!"

"I did cook this morning while you were out, dear. I hope you don't mind me cooking in your kitchen! Yours seems to be better supplied with utensils and cookware than mine has ever been!", she laughed. "Edward!", I said simply as an explanation, as I laughed knowing the secret behind the statement. The only supplies in Esme's kitchen were for show, and what had been needed to cook for me while I had been recuperating there. Edward knew I loved to cook and had supplied every tool and gadget imaginable in the gourmet kitchen he had built for me here.

"Time for cake!", Alice trilled, "And since we did not have a chance to have a wedding cake for the two of you, this one is going to double as a birthday and wedding cake!"

It was a beautiful cake and now that I looked at it, it was indeed a wedding cake. Three layers on pedestals were adorned with the most intricate blue flowers trailing in garland like arrangements down the sides of the cake.

Alice lit the candle that was on top of the cake, in the place where the bride and groom figurines would have been, and the lights dimmed for me to blow it out. Everyone there sang happy birthday to me as Edward played it on the piano for them to follow. Before I had even finished making a wish in my head and started to blow the candle, Edward's arms were around me from behind. He softly kissed that spot just under my ear and whispered,

"Happy Birthday Isabella. I love you! I will never ever leave you again."

When the clapping stopped and the lights came back on, Alice brought out a knife and insisted that we both put a hand on it as we cut the cake together. We did as we were instructed, there is no point arguing with Alice. When two slices were cut, she handed us each one and insisted that we feed each other cake.

"Go ahead, love", Edward said as he shrugged his shoulders. We bit the cake from each others hands and grinned like fools with the icing smeared all over our mouths. "I love you more every day", Edward said just before he kissed me just so that he could smear the icing around our faces and make an even bigger mess! I loved playful Edward! He had even cheerfully eaten cake with me and there had been lots of photos snapped to remember it!

Now it was time for the presents. Carlisle and Esme wanted to give me theirs first. It was an envelope, just like last year.

"Once again, Bella, you have been looking a little pale lately, so we thought you and Edward might like this', and said lovingly as she squeezed my hand and handed me the envelope, along with a letter opener.

I could not help but snicker at the letter opener! I looked at my vampire family and they were all trying to stifle their grins and amusement that I had been given a letter opener this year to avoid the paper cut that let to blood spilling and Jasper taking a snap at me last year at my birthday party. Though the memory of the event wasn't funny, somehow the letter opener was!

The envelope contained a letter, written in Carlisles' perfect script.

Dearest Bella,

We are so happy to welcome you into our family!

You are the other half that we had hoped Edward would find.

May you always feel sunshine in your life,

as you have brought light and warmth to ours.

We never got to give you a wedding present,

so we hope you'll share this birthday gift

with Edward, and it can stand as both gifts.

Happy Birthday Daughter,

Carlisle and Esme

I wiped tears from my eyes as I crumpled the note in my efforts to get to them and hug them to me. "I love both of you so very much!" I kissed them both on the cheek and pulled out the rest of the contents of the envelope. It contained two airline tickets with a post it note attached that read -

Bella,

Carlisle gave me this island as an anniversary gift,

we would like you and Edward to use it for your honeymoon.

Love, Esme

The airline tickets were to Rio de Janero. Brazil. Esme owned an island off the coast of Brazil. This family would never cease to amaze me. Obviously Edwards generosity was a learned behavior!

"You are giving us a honeymoon on a private island that you own off the coast of Brazil? Are you serious?", I grabbed Edward and hugged and kissed him as I was bounding up and down with excitement! Edward thanked his parents as well for their generosity and thoughtfulness.

"You can go whenever you like, sweetheart", Carlisle said, "As soon as you get the clearance from your doctor!" He chuckled along with everyone else at that statement, as HE WAS my doctor!

Charlie was standing with Renee and Phil, astounded. They literally had their mouths open and were dumbstruck!

"Well, it no vacation in a tropical paradise, but this is from me, kid", said my dad as he handed me a small box. I opened it to find a beautiful set of diamond earrings. "Dad! You shouldn't have! They are just beautiful!", I wrapped my arms around my dad and kissed his cheek. Charlie wasn't one for emotion or displays of affection, and the beet red color he turned made that very clear! Still, he was smiling and seemed really happy with my reaction.

I opened a large box from the table next, it was wrapped in purple and I suspected it was from my mom. Inside was a quilt she had made from al my old t shirts from competitions and trips and such! "Mom, I love it!", I told her as I hugged her. "I thought you might enjoy a memory to keep you warm!", my mom said with tears in her eyes. We looked over the quilt for a long minute, remembering things the t shirts represented, then I reached for another box.

Kind of a strange shape, like a packing box of some form. Inside I found two mitts, hats, jerseys and balls, each with my name and Edwards name written or embroidered on them. "Your dad said that Edwards family liked to play baseball, so I had some of my teams colors personalized for you! Hope you like them!", Phil allowed. "They are great, Phil. Thank you and yes, Edwards family loves playing baseball!" There were all around murmurs of approval from the entire family!

There were two presents left on the table, and the smaller one looked like an Edward gift, I would save it for last. I opened the manila envelop that was the other gift to find that the contents were from Jacob. He had remembered my birthday! He had wished me a happy birthday in his scribbily handwriting attached to a handmade dream catcher. I had seen them before and wanted one, and it was obvious he had made this one for me himself. There was another envelope. I opened it with the mail opener, snickering again at Carlisle, and found a formal invitation and tickets for the entire family to the VIP section of the Rockingham Racetrack for the October Drag race. The invitation was to invite me personally to the race, sent out by the All Harley Drag Racing Association. I was being honored at the event. Wow. Emmett and Rose were high fiveing that they would get to go to another race, but the expressions on the rest of my family's faces were not as positive, especially Edwards. I looked at them all and said, "Edward, Mom, Dad! It's not an invitation to race, it's to give me an award of some kind! Something about my winning all the races in Phoenix last spring! I probably get a trophy or something!" Edwards relief was visible. His fists uncurled and his eyes were changing back to a soft gold.

Emmett chimed in loudly, "We didn't wrap our present, Bella , but Jasper and i built you a gazebo down by the lake! Thought you might like to sit out there and read or whatever!"

"Really! How did I miss you building it for me! That's perfect guys, I love you both!"

Now for the last gift. It was a small box, really, exquisitely wrapped in blue with a soft white bow on the top. I unwrapped it and opened the blue box from Tiffany's. It was a necklace, diamonds and blue sapphires encased in white gold. It was beautiful. The amazing thing about the necklace though, was the design. It was the letter E, capitalized and fully covered with small sparkling diamonds. The capital letter B overlaid the E, as though you had put the top half of the B over the bottom half of the E and shifted it slightly to the right so that both letters showed. The B was encased in blue sapphires. The two letters fit perfectly together, each forming a portion of the other. It was so small, smaller than a dime, but it was so intricately done.

"Edward", I said with tears streaming down my face, "I have no words, I just love you so much!"

I wrapped my arms around his neck and he buried his face in my neck and held me as I sobbed.

"As I love you", he answered.

He took my face in his hands and kissed me lightly, reaching for the box and took the necklace out. He snapped the clasp around my neck and lifted my hair over the chain. The E and B hung over my heart, exactly. He briefly placed his hand over the necklace on my chest and said for all to hear,

"You are always in my heart."

Everyone admired my gift and complimented Edward on his taste and asked how he had found the perfect necklace. He admitted that he had drawn it and commissioned the jeweler to make it for him. My Edward. Damn I loved that man. He thought of everything.

Carlisle announced that he did have one other thing that he wanted to give me.

"Bella, I spoke with the principal at the high school in Forks after going over your grades and classes at the school you attended in Phoenix and there at Forks High."

Here it comes, I thought. I knew someone would bring up the fact that I had left high school without graduating. I had missed the last few months of my Senior year and I knew my dad was desperate for me to make it up. I wanted the diploma, anyway. Edward and I might decide to attend college at some point, and I might need it. Anyway, Carlisle continued-

"The Principal concluded that you had enough credits to graduate . . . with honors."

Carlisle handed me what appeared to be my diploma!

"Congratulations, Bella! You're a high school graduate, and with honors so that you can apply to whatever college you choose, if you intend to go on to college!"

I just stood there with my mouth hanging open. He was serious. I looked at the surprised face of my mom and dad - they obviously knew nothing about this. Even Edward looked surprised.

"Carlisle, what made you think to check on this for me?"

"Well, it was actually Edward. When you were in the hospital, we spent lots of time talking while you slept, and he was concerned that you would feel silly having to go back and finish your Senior year, but he thought that you and he might like to attend college at some point, that you might enjoy it as he knew of your love for books and reading. It got me to thinking about it, so I called and checked. Sure enough, you had already earned all the credits you needed. I guess we should have made that cake a birthday/wedding/graduation cake!" We all laughed as I continued to look at the diploma, astounded. Was there no end to the caring and concern this family showed me.

"I love you all, thank you for a wonderful birthday!"

Everyone mingled and chatted, the two families getting to know each other better. No one would let me help clean up the dinner dishes or the kitchen.

I heard music playing on the back patio and I wandered out there to look around. Twinkle lights were in all the trees by the patio, giving it a magical look with the stars showing above.

"Would you like to dance, Mrs. Cullen?", a familiar voice asked.

"Why Mr. Cullen, I would love to dance with you!"

I took Edwards hand and played with the soft hair on his neck that I loved so much with the other hand. I couldn't really dance with my castm but we swayed to the music, and I got to have my arms around him.

"Have you enjoyed this birthday?"

"I have, thank you for making it so special for me, Edward "

"I would do anything for you, sweetheart. I have another present for you."

"You do? And what would that be?"

"It's waiting for you upstairs in your bedroom, Mrs. Cullen, would you like me to escort you there and show you?"

"Well, my husband might not like that. He is a bit over protective and somewhat possessive!"

"Damn right he is!", Edward's head snapped up off my shoulder and he growled. "I bet he would rip anyone to shreds that he caught in your bed, Mrs. Cullen. I'd wager that he would quite literally tear them limb from limb!"

"Well, you had better come along with me and make sure no one else is there, just to be sure, huh!"

Everyone had joined us on the porch, Renee even asking Charlie to dance with her!

EPOV

The party seemed to go well. I tried to drowned out the majority of the thoughts around me, wanting to pay attention only to Bella. Some thoughts and conversations caught my attention, in spite of my best efforts to ignore them.

Charlie had taken Renee aside and they had words about their daughter. Charlie suggested that Bella needed to come home with him and Renee, God bless her, she almost slapped him. She told him that they would talk tomorrow, but that he had better not do ANYTHING that would ruin this evening for Bella. I knew I liked that woman!

Carlisle and Esme had surprised even me with the diploma for Bella, they had not let on anything about it beforehand and I was thrilled that my dad had taken the initiative and solved that problem for us. We had not yet spoken of it, but I wanted Bella to have the option of going to college if that was what she wanted to do. God knows I had been to enough school for any lifetime, but I was more than willing to do it again with her! I just didn't want her being with me to keep her from experiences that she wanted to have.

I was excited at the idea of taking Bella to Isle Esme. She loved the sun and my skin in the sun. I smiled at the thought of her running her fingers over my stupid sparkly skin and her enjoying watching the rainbows that it gave off. It would be warm there, and I would not feel so cold to her, though she never complained. Ever. I thought about changing her. She would ask one day, I had told her I would do it myself, that all she had to do was ask. I intended to keep that promise to my wife. I could not possible have just one lifetime with her, I needed her more than I needed blood.

I watched as she danced with her father, laughing and seeming to have a good time. Rose and Alice said goodnight, as did Carlisle and Esme. Phil and Renee were looking tired and they would be turning in shortly, they had a long drive to get here earlier this morning.

Bella walked over to me and whispered, "I'm going to say I'm tired and need to go up to bed. My boyfriend is meeting me at the foot of the stairs, if you are interested!"

"Where is he, I'll eat him for a snack!", I growled for only her to hear. She laughed and walked away to say her good nights.

Charlie POV

I just didn't know what to think. My daughter seemed to enjoy her party, in fact she seemed to have fun. Everyone had been so thoughtful with their gifts, and she had gotten so much better at accepting them! Phil and Renee had gone to bed a hour ago, and that crazy Emmett and Jasper had stayed to finish the movie with me, leaving me to watch the news alone. The last scores of the games today were announced and I flipped off the television, turned out the lights and headed up the stairs towards my room when I heard her scream.

"Edward!"

I covered the stairs two at a time and as I got to the door to her room, just before I grabbed the handle to open it, I heard Edward cry out her name. Her name, and some words I don't usually use. I paused for a moment at the door, my hand on the doorknob, as I heard my daughters voice again. This time there was no mistaking it.

"I love you so much, baby, please can we do that again!"

My hand retracted to my side as if I had been burned by the doorknob. My daughter. They were obviously making love, though they had gone to bed several hours ago. She had said she was tired and Edward had carried her up the stairs with her face nuzzled in his neck. Huh. I really was either blind or stupid if I thought she was ever going to come home with me, without him.

This really was going to be a lot harder than I thought.