A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed/favorited/followed! All mistakes are mine. I hope ya'll like this chapter! Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

"Make my wish come true, all I want for Christmas is you." – Mariah Carey.

Chapter 13

BPOV

December 2008

I watch Edward and Emmett drive away. I sigh and walk into my house. Tonight has been the longest night ever. I thought for sure that Edward and Rosalie were about to kiss in Emmett's room, but something in Edward's eyes made me believe him when he said they weren't. Everybody always talks about how the eyes are the entrance to the soul and in that moment, Edward's eyes were staring so deeply into mine that I had no choice but to believe him.

The house is eerily quiet when I walk in. I can vaguely hear the TV playing in the other room as I walk into the kitchen. I just want to get a quick sip of water to take the medicine Edward's dad gave me and then I will go to bed. It wasn't until I was about to swallow the pills that I felt someone's presence behind me. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It's Phil. I gulp down the water and subtly hide the bottle of pills in my jacket pocket as I turn around to face him.

"Where have you been all night?"

I stare at him, not knowing what to do. I don't feel comfortable talking to him, I never have. I remain silent in hope that he will get bored of me and walk away.

It seems luck is not on my side tonight. "I asked you a fucking question." He growls at me.

I look him dead in the eyes as I try to think of what to do. I can't just start talking to him out of nowhere. Just because Edward listens to what I have to say, doesn't mean everyone else will. I plead with him with my eyes to drop the subject. It doesn't work.

Phil becomes even angrier. He grabs me by the neck and holds my throat with his two hands. He is not holding my throat tight enough to be choking me, but still tight enough to leave a mark. "Are you going to answer me or not?" His grip gets tighter.

I can just barely breathe now. I start to choke. I am gasping for air when I hear Renee walk downstairs and sees us.

"Put the girl down, Phil. I can't have you leaving marks on her for people to see." She says slightly aggravated.

"Why the hell would anyone care if I leave marks on her? It's not like anyone cares about her." He spits out, his grip on my throat never loosening.

"The boy that's going to get me on television and to do that, he needs her help in school. The girl tutors him. She is to be with him every Friday until 11:30 P.M. until he gets me on TV. The boy and I made a deal earlier today."

I look to Renee in surprise. She is letting me hang out with Edward every Friday?

Phil's grip on my throat loosens slightly. "You say this boy is going to get you on TV?"

"Yes, Phil. You know that's been my dream for forever." Renee whines.

"And letting this bitch tutor the kid is helping you with your dream?"

"Yes. But, if you don't let go of her right now, then someone, probably that boy, is going to notice the marks on her neck. Then, my plan to get on TV will be ruined! I can't get on TV if we get in trouble for hurting this bitch! As much as I know the girl deserves to be punished, I can't have her jeopardizing my way to TV." Renee whines out.

Phil seems to ponder this for a second. After a moment, he lets go of my neck. I fall to the floor, gasping for air.

"Alright. No more marks on the girl." He pauses for a second then continues. "At least not where that boy can see them." He glares at me for a moment then he walks to his wife. "You know I'd do anything for you."

Renee smiles and takes his hand. They walk up the stairs and up to their bedroom.

Relief floods through me. Did I just hear what I think I heard? Did Phil just agree to stop hurting me? Did Renee, of all people, just tell him to do it? I could cry tears of joy as the realization hits me. I'm free. Free from Phil's constant tantrums and angry spells. Free from the constant hitting and abuse from Phil. All because Renee wants to get on TV. All because Edward promised her he would win. All because of Edward.

Edward. How is it possible that I went from not having any friends to having the best person in the world for a friend?

I walk up to my room for the night with my mind on overdrive. So much has happened tonight.

When I start to take off my jacket and shirt, I realize how sticky they are. Tanya threw her drink on me. I lean down to smell the shirt and jacket. I don't have to lean very far because the stench of beer is still strong. How did Phil not notice that I reek of beer? Probably because he did too. I internally cringe at the thought of Phil. There is no way I'll be able to get the smell of beer out of my clothes.

Shit. These were my favorite jeans and this was my only jacket! Maybe I can try and get the smell and small stain out tomorrow. There is no way I can wear it to school if I smell like alcohol!

I sigh deeply. I need new clothes or at least some more clothes. But, how am I supposed to get some? I don't have a job. I don't have any money. I don't have any way to get money. I don't know how Renee will respond if I figure out a way to tell her. I mean, she just stood up to Phil about hitting me. I don't really think I'm in a position to be asking for favors from anyone right now.

I decide just not to think about it right now. Whatever happens, happens. I don't want to ruin this night any more than it already has been. I just want to go bed and not have to think about stuff like how to get clothes when I have no means of doing so.

I slowly climb in to my bed. I try to go to sleep, but part of my mind believes that the moment I let my guard down, Phil will come in here and punish me. I end up falling asleep around 3 in the morning.

The weekend goes by quickly. I cooked and cleaned and kept to myself. I am still very wary about believing that Phil is just going to let me go unpunished. But in the back of my mind, I know he won't. If Phil does anything good, it's doing right by his wife. He loves her more than anything in this world, so what she says goes.

Going to sleep every night gets easier and easier. By the time Monday morning rolls around, I feel as if I have slept more than Sleeping Beauty did.

Edward is patiently waiting for me outside his car when he comes to pick me up. I run over to him and wrap my arms around him. He squeezes me back, but eventually lets me go.

"Where's your jacket, Bella? It's like twenty degrees out here and it supposed to snow tomorrow! You're going to freeze!"

I sigh. I wasn't able to get the smell of beer out of any of my clothes from Friday night. Now I don't have a jacket for winter and I only have two pairs of jeans and one t – shirt left in my closet.

When I don't say anything, Edward sighs and takes his jacket off. He places it around my shoulders. "I wish you would talk to me about these things, you know. I would never judge you, Bella."

I don't say anything. He walks me to the passenger side of the car and opens the door.

We drive in silence to school. We stay in the parking lot like we have been for the past three weeks. Edward doesn't need my help in class anymore, but neither one of us want to stop having alone time together.

Wanting to get rid of some of the tension in the car, I ask Edward the question that has been burning the back of my mind since Friday night. "How did you get Renee to let you steal me every Friday night?"

He looks over to me, studying my face. "I did what I do best."

"And what's that?" I ask, confused.

"I charmed her. I'm pretty sure I could steal you from them completely and she would say yes. I have her wrapped around my little finger." He says with a smirk.

I chuckle a little and turn away. Renee would give me away to Edward if it meant she would still keep the foster parent checks that come in the mail. She'd be happy to hand me over to someone else. To let me be someone else's problem. I sigh.

We talk about random things until school starts.

When we walked in the building, everyone stared at me. I don't think I fully grasped how many people were at Emmett's party until I walked through the doors of the school. Everywhere I walked, I heard someone laugh or say something about me. I hang my head in shame. Edward stops walking in the hallway. He grabs my hand and shouts to everyone in the hallway, "Shut the fuck up! Don't you people have anything better to do?"

And with that, the laughs and taunting got quieter and quieter throughout the day.

One week later.

Edward and I are in his car at the parking lot waiting for school to start.

"Tell me something no one else knows about you." I say quietly.

"Hmm. Let me think." He stares into space for a few minutes and then he finally says, "Okay, I've got a story. You have to pinky promise that you won't tell anyone." I laugh at his words, but agree. "Okay, good. When Alice and I were little, we were literally attached by the hip to each other. We did everything together. We would always play together at home and she would always bug me to play dress up with her. Well, one day I gave into her whining and let her dress me up. We put on her old Halloween costumes, so I ended up being Cinderella and she was Tinkerbell because she was so short. I remember letting her put our mom's makeup on me. I remember her making me dance around with her like I was a fucking princess." We both chuckle at that.

"Then I also remember her saying that my hair was the wrong color and size for Cinderella. So, she went to the kitchen and grabbed some scissors and food coloring. I don't think I'd ever been so scared for my life. I let my pixie of a little sister die my hair and cut it at the same time. I remember when my dad got home and saw what had happened with my hair. Alice started to tear up because she thought she was going to get in trouble. Neither one of us had ever seen my dad so mad. When he asked about what happened, I stepped in and told him that I did everything. To say my dad was shocked, was to say the least. At the time I thought he had believed me, but looking back now, I know he didn't. It doesn't matter though. I became my sister's hero that day. We had always been best friends, but there was something about my green hair and bald spot in the back of my head that made us even closer."

I smile at his story. I wish I had normal stories like that to tell people, but instead all I have is getting beat nearly to death by Phil.

"Your sister sounds amazing, Edward. I wish I had gotten the chance to meet her."

"She would've really liked you, Bella. Especially because you make me happy." I smile at the sincerity of his words. "Alright. Your turn. What's something no one else knows about you?"

I freeze at the question. A million things running through my mind. Phil hits me. Renee lets him. Renee just sits there and laughs when he does it. My parents tried to kill me when I was three years old. Sometimes I wish they had succeeded.

Edward notices my reaction and changes the question. "Okay. How about this one. What is your favorite childhood memory?"

I immediately know what I want to say. "The first day that I started to live with Phil and Renee, they let me have ice cream for dinner." I say with a smile on my face.

Edward smiles at me. "That's a great memory, Bella. My parents always used to let Alice and I eat cookies on Christmas morning for breakfast." He pauses. "What are you doing for Christmas, Bella?"

I sigh. Phil and Renee normally go out and rent a hotel in Seattle for the weekend and I get stuck at home all by myself without food on Christmas. I can't tell Edward this though. I make something up in my head to appease him. I plaster what I hope is a convincing smile on my face and say, "Renee always cooks a nice dinner and Phil gives me fifty dollars to do whatever with. They've never really been into the whole holiday thing."

His smile turns into a frown. "I wish you wouldn't lie to me, Bella. You're terrible at it. You can trust me, you know."

I sigh. The car gets quiet for a few moments. The tension is palpable.

Edward is the one who finally breaks it. "If you could ask one wish, what would you wish for?" He asks.

I think about it for a moment. What would I wish for? What else could I need? Phil has stopped hitting me. I actually have friends now. I'm eating on a regular basis. What else do I need to be happy? I really think for a moment. Then, the answer hits me. My face must have shown Edward that I had answer.

"So what would you wish for?" He asks once more, his voice hopeful. My face falls. I can't tell him this. It's too personal. It's too deep. He'd treat me differently if he knew that this is what I wanted. I think of something else to tell him quickly.

"Uhm, a dog. I would wish for a dog."

Edward's eyes narrow. He knows I'm lying. I turn my face away from his gaze. I can't let him get me to say what I really would wish for.

I feel Edward's hand on my elbow, trying to get me to turn and face him once more. After a few minutes of his constant tugging, I give in. I look at him and expect to see him angry, but I don't. "Bella –"

The bell rings and cuts Edward off. I'm literally saved by the bell. "Come on, let's get to class. We don't want to be late." I say effectively ending the conversation. I hop out of the car and head to class. It doesn't take long for him to catch up to me. We walk the rest of the way to class without another word.

The rest of the school week goes by pretty uneventful. Tanya and her little followers still laugh at me in the hallways. Edward still yells at them when he's with me, but he hasn't said anything about that night. I never told him about what happened to me, but between Rosalie and Emmett, the rumors going around school, and Tanya, I'm pretty sure he already knows.

Our lunch table has grown. I don't think I've ever had so many constant people in my life before. There is Seth who acts like a little brother to me. He always talks to me, only yes or no questions, but he still talks to me about everything. He is such a sweet guy and I am lucky to even know him, let alone sit with him at lunch.

Emmett treats me like I am his little sister. He makes it his personal job to bring me candy every day to lunch. Ever since our table had talked about favorite candies and I told Edward that I had never had a piece of candy before, Emmett has brought me a new piece of candy to eat every day so I can have a favorite. So far my favorite is a Twix bar.

I smile to myself at the thought of Emmett. Lately, he has tried to become closer to me and I don't know how I feel about it. Emmett is such a nice guy all around. I don't want to burden him with all the shit that I go through. I already burden Edward with it enough. There is no need to add another person to the list. Sometimes he makes it so easy to want to talk to him, though. Sometimes I just want to bear my sole to him. He may look like a giant beast of a man on the outside, but on the inside he has such a kind soul. Every day he becomes a bigger and bigger part of my happiness. Well, him and Edward. I have no idea what I will do when Em graduates at the end of this year.

Rosalie and Emmett have become almost inseparable these past few days. I like Rosalie, but I don't like how she seems to see right through me. Every time I flinch I see Rosalie staring at me. It's like she knows why I am flinching. Like she knows that Phil hits me, or at least he used to. She hasn't said a word about it, but I have a hunch that she knows exactly what has happened.

The only person that doesn't seem to like me is Jacob. He always stares at me like I am ruining his life or something. It's really starting to creep me out, but I don't want to tell Edward. I don't want to start something out of what could be nothing.

**TCWT**

It's the last week of school before Christmas break and everyone is excited. Everyone but me at least. We get an entire month off of school which means I have an entire month alone with Phil and Renee. Every year, something bad happens.

When Phil and Renee comes back home from their rendezvous Christmas weekend, Phil always seems to find something to be mad at me about. Whether the house isn't clean enough or the fact that I am "uglying up his house by living there," I always come back to school with new bruises.

So while everyone is talking about what they are wanting for Christmas, I am thinking about how I am going to survive. I have to somehow get some food when Phil and Renee are gone. I have to hope and pray that I get to eat when Phil and Renee are at home.

I tune back in to the lunch conversation. Apparently, Rosalie is going to the Hamptons for Christmas break. Lucky.

Edward pipes in and says that he is going on a cruise to the Bahamas for Christmas. I look to him in shock. He hadn't told me about that. I guess there was no way that I could see him over the break.

I sigh. Edward notices and grabs my hand without getting out of the conversation he was having.

**TCWT**

Today is the last day of school before Christmas break. My stomach is in knots about what is to come in the next month. No school. No Edward. No Emmett and his candy. I am completely dreading Christmas vacation.

Edward and I walk in to the school and I immediately feel a pair of giant arms surround me.

"Get off of her, you big oaf! You're going to crush her." Edward chuckles out.

"I can't! I'm going to miss her so much over the break! An entire month without my Belly-bear! I don't know how I'm going to survive!" I grin at the nickname Emmett has been calling me. Ever since he and Edward took me home after his party a couple weeks ago, Emmett has called me "Belly-bear" every chance he gets. I like it. It makes me feel special.

"I think you'll survive, Em." Edward says.

Emmett pulls back and takes my hand right out of Edwards. He marches me back outside and leads me to his jeep. "I have a surprise for you!"

I look at him, questioningly. He just grins.

He opens his back seat to reveal a giant bag of candy. I mean there has got to be at least 5000 pieces of candy in this thing!

"Damn Emmett! Are you trying to turn her into a piece of candy?" Edward asks from behind me.

Emmett huffs. "No. I just want to continue to give her a piece of a candy every day at lunch. I didn't want to miss it over the break, so I am giving them all to her now."

"Uh, I hate to break it to you Em, but I think you miscounted, by a lot." Edward can't seem to contain his laughter any longer as he finally starts to laugh really hard.

"Yeah, yeah laugh it up, Cullen. You won't be laughing when Bella realizes that I am her favorite friend." Emmett sticks his tongue out at Edward like a five year old would.

"Oh, stop laughing and help me get this to your car, Ed."

I can't help the smile on my face when I realize that for the first time in my life, someone is actually gave me a Christmas present. I wrap my arms around Emmett. He stiffens at the contact at first because my actions surprised him. I've never hugged anyone, on my own will, other than Edward. He eventually wraps his arms around me and hugs me back.

The late bell rings and Emmett lets go. We all rush to get to our first class.

When the lunch bell rings, Edward pulls me to the side and says, "You want to ditch the rest of the day with me?"

I smile and nod my head. He leads me to his car and says, "I thought I'd take you back to our meadow."

"That sounds great, Edward."

When we get to the meadow, the first thing I notice is the blanket on the ground in the middle. He's been planning this.

"Edward, what is all of this?" I ask softly. We walk closer to the blanket and I then notice a cooler on the edge of the blanket. He didn't.

I look to Edward. He's nervously scratching the back of his neck. "I just wanted to show you what it feels like to have a Christmas. You know the other day at school we were talking about our best childhood memories and none of yours were about any holidays. I thought since you didn't have any good memories from past Christmases that we could start our own. Just the two of us."

I can't believe the words I am hearing. He's really thought this out. Why would he do this for me? Why has he done everything he's done for me since I met him?

Because he cares for you. Something in the back of my mind says.

I stop walking. I stop moving. It all makes sense now. The lunch food, staying at the hospital with me, inviting me to the party, kissing me, all the innocent little touches here and there, sticking up for me, being there when no one else was. Something in my brain finally clicked.

Edward stopped walking and turned around to look at me. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" He asks worriedly.

"You care for me." I say, my voice just barely above a whisper.

His face relaxes. He walks over to me. "Of course I do."

"I look up at him. I stare into my eyes. "You really care about me."

Something in his eyes makes my heart break a little. "Bella, I have always cared about you."

"No one has ever cared for me before, Edward. You're the only person who has ever made me feel wanted." I break his gaze and stare down at my shoes.

"Bella. Bella, hey, look at me." I slowly lift my gaze to meet his. His emerald green eyes look into mine. I feel so vulnerable right now. "I care for you. I want you. Never forget that."

I don't say anything. I just nod my head. I pull him in for a hug. I need to feel him right now. I want to make sure that all of this isn't just a dream. I need to know that Edward is really here and that he really cares about me. I pull him closer to me. I inhale his scent as I bury my head into his chest. His arms wrap around me and pull me tighter to him. This moment feels so intimate and I never want it to end. I feel him kiss my hair before he pulls back.

"Come on. Let's sit down. I want to give you something." He smiles sheepishly at me.

I nod and let him pull me to the blanket he has laid out on the ground.

"Are you hungry? My mom made some food for us today, in hope that you would try some of it. She loves cooking for people and she always love their feedback, good or bad. When I told my mom that I was doing this, she jumped at the chance to try out a new recipe on someone other than me and my dad. So, dig in, if you're hungry, of course."

I smile and shake my head. "Your mom knew you were going to do this?"

The way he smiles makes him look like a little boy. "Yeah. She helped me with a lot of this stuff actually."

"You've been planning this for a while, haven't you?" I ask boldly.

"A couple weeks, yeah. Well, part of it at least. I knew I wanted to do something for you for Christmas, but it wasn't until yesterday in my car that I decided to do this."

I start to blush and look away from him. His gaze is just too intense.

I feel Edward's hand lift up my chin, forcing my gaze to reconnect with his. "You deserve to be treated like a fucking princess, Bella. I want to be the one to show you that." I try to look away, but he won't have it. "Please, Bella. You deserve so much more than you get. Let me do this one thing for you. Do you believe me?"

I feel the tears prick my eyes. I try my hardest not to let them fall, and to my surprise, none do. I grab his hand away from my chin and move it to my cheek. "Okay. I believe you."

"Oh thank God." He pulls me in for another bone crushing hug. Since we are sitting down, it's kind of awkward because I basically ended up sitting on top of his lap. Despite the awkwardness, I hug him back just as forcefully. I needed this. I needed him.

When we pull back, I notice his eyes staring at my lips. I unconsciously start to bite my lower lip. Once I do this, he looks back up at my eyes. He slowly leans in and I can feel the butterflies start to flutter in my stomach. He is going to kiss me. As soon as that thought popped in my head, something must have snapped in his head, making him realize what he was about to do. He moves his aim from my lips to my forehead. I sigh in disappointment.

"Why don't you start eating? I want to go get your presents from my car."

I smile softly at him and agree. I dive into the homemade sausage balls, mini sandwiches, cookies, fruit, and granola bars. I also find some sort of cake at the bottom of the cooler. I guess this is the new recipe that Edward said his mom made.

I am so caught up in eating all this food that I don't even hear Edward arrive back in the meadow. With him, he is carrying a giant black bag that is hoisted over his shoulder. All he is missing is a red suit and a beard and he could pass for a skinny Santa Clause.

"I see you liked the food?" He smirks at me knowingly.

I blush. "Well yeah. Did your mom really make all of this?" I ask incredulously.

He chuckles a little. "Yeah. She loves to cook. I think she went a little overboard with it this time, though." He smiles at me. "Are you ready to open your presents?"

I'm speechless. Presents? As in plural? "Edward, you shouldn't have done this. You know I have no way of getting you something. I have no money, no way to go places, no way to –"

Edward stops me by pressing his finger to my lips. "I didn't get you these so you would get me something, Bella. I did this because I wanted to. I want to show you that you are cared about and wanted. I wanted to show you what Christmas is supposed to feel like. And since you can't come over Christmas day, I decided that today, December 19, is our Christmas. Only we can celebrate it on today and we will for the rest of our friendship. That sound good to you?"

I find myself wanting to cry at the sincerity and thoughtfulness of his actions. For the first time in my life, I feel what other people feel every day. "It sounds incredible, Edward. No one has ever done anything this nice for me before. I can't tell you how much this means to me. How much you mean to me. Thank you."

He smiles. "You're welcome, Bella. Now come on, let's open up your presents."

He hands me a bag that is very heavy. "Be careful, there is a lot of stuff in this one."

I eye him suspiciously. I put the bag on the ground and take the first thing I find out of it. I pull it out and look at it. It's a winter jacket. Not like the tiny jacket I have that hardly keeps me warm, but a big, fluffy one that you see in movies about eskimos.

I pause and look at Edward. "Keep going." He encourages. His smile broadens at my reaction to the next things I pull out of the bag. I pull out ten pairs of jeans that look like they would fit me perfectly. I pull out at least 15 different shirts. Some of them were t –shirts. Some were dress shirts. I even think I saw a couple tank tops in there for the rare sunny days in Forks. The next thing I pull out shocks me. I pull out a separate bag inside the big bag that is filled with of bras and panties. How did he know? How could he have possibly known about my need for clothes?

"Edward –"

He interrupts me. "Don't say anything yet, there's more."

More? What else did he get me? He pulls out a box that is wrapped very badly. "Sorry, about the wrapping. It was like 2 o'clock in the morning when I finished wrapping all this stuff."

I smile at him and continue to open the next present. Shoes. He got me a new pair of shoes. So many emotions wash over me in that moment. Before I realize what happened, I feel something wet on my face.

"Hey. If you don't like them, I can take them back and get a different pair. I just kind of guessed on what you might want. Don't cry, Bella."

"I'm sorry. I never cry. It's just that this is the single most amazing gift that anyone has ever gotten me, Edward. I've never really had a real Christmas before and so this is all really knew to me and I don't know how to react. I can never repay you for your kindness towards me, Edward."

He leans over to me and wipes the tears off my face with his thumb. "You deserve to be treated like this all the time. I will always treat you like the amazing person you are. Never doubt that." He presses a light kiss to my forehead. "Come on, there is still more stuff in there."

I smile at him and reach back down the bag. I bring up what looks like a makeup bag. Inside I find makeup, Chap Stick, lotion, perfume, a hairbrush, and a pack of hair bows.

"My mom said that all girls like stuff like that. I never would have known, but I thought you would like it."

"I do, Edward. Thank you so much."

"There is actually one more thing in the bag, Bella."

What? He's given me everything I could ever want and then some. What more could there possibly be?

I reach down the bag and at the very bottom of it is a piece of clothing. I pull it out thinking that a shirt just fell to the bottom of the bag, but instead I find a jersey. It has the number four on the front and the back, and Cullen written on the back of it.

"It was my first high school jersey. I out grew it, but I thought you could probably fit in it. If you want, you know. It doesn't have to mean anything you don't want it to mean. I just thought I'd give you a part of me that you can always have when we're not with each other."

"I love it, Edward."

The smile on his face makes something click in my head. Before I realize what I'm doing, I crash my lips to his.

A/N: Little bit of a cliffe, but hey, I think I deserve it after how long these past few chapters have been. I wish I had an Edward who would give me presents like that. I love Emmett and Bella's friendship. I think it's so cute! Thanks for reading! What did ya'll think? Leave your opinion in a review!