I know I have The Echoes We Carry and Catalyst Rising to work on, but this will be a short, sweet maybe 10 chapter holiday fiction.

"Please tell me you're not watching Sharknado again."

I glanced up from where I was sprawled out on Edward's tiny, questionably clean dorm bed. He was perched at his desk, scrolling through his Canvas grades despite knowing he aced all of our finals. Fucking overachiever is what he is.

"Excuse me," I shot back, pointing dramatically at the screen. "This is art. You wouldn't understand."

Edward rolled his eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching into that crooked grin that had made half our program swoon at least once. Fucking swoon. "The sharks are in a tornado, Bella. That's not marine biology. That's a crime against science."

"It's called entertainment, Edward. Not everything has to be serious." I tossed an empty water bottle at him, which he deflected effortlessly. Annoyingly.

This was us—easy banter, comfortable silences, and way too much time spent in each other's personal space. It had been like this since freshman year when we got paired up for a marine ecosystems project. Three years later, Edward Cullen was as much a part of my life as breathing, and I couldn't picture it any other way.

Of course, there was one small complication.

A few months ago, we'd hooked up—one stupid, drunken, earth-tilting night that we didn't talk about. At all. Ever. It was like some unspoken rule we both silently agreed on: pretend it didn't happen and keep moving forward.

I glanced at him now, sitting there in his old Tampa University sweatshirt, dark hair perfectly mussed like it always was. His glasses were sliding down his nose as he scrolled lazily on his laptop, completely relaxed, completely himself.

The flutter in my chest was entirely unnecessary, and I shoved it aside, turning my attention back to the movie.

My phone buzzed on the pillow beside me. Dad.

I groaned and hit pause, sitting up a little straighter. "One sec, it's Charlie."

Edward raised his brow but didn't comment as I answered.

"Hey, Dad!" I said brightly.

"Hey, kiddo." Charlie's voice was soft, and something about it made my stomach drop.

"What's wrong?"

He hesitated. "Uh, well…you know that big case I told you about?"

"Yeah?"

"It's gotten a lot more complicated... I'm not going to make it home for Christmas this year. I'm so sorry, Bells."

The words hit like a punch to the gut. I leaned back against the wall, swallowing hard. "Oh. Well, um, it's okay. I get it. Work is work."

"Bella—"

"No, really, Dad. I'm fine. You're doing important stuff." I forced a laugh that I didn't feel. "I'll just, you know, chill here."

Even as I said it, I knew here meant alone. Renee was—what, in Bali? Croatia? Somewhere warm and exotic, I was sure, chasing some adventure while I sat in my drafty dorm room.

Bah-fucking-humbug.

Charlie sighed heavily, the kind of sigh only a dad could give—filled with guilt he couldn't do anything about. "You sure? I can try—"

"Don't worry about it, Dad. Seriously. I'll call you later, okay?"

There was another pause before he answered. "Okay. I love you, kid."

"Love you too, Dad."

I ended the call and stared blankly at my phone.

"You're a shit liar, you know."

Edward's voice broke through the silence, gentle and soft. I looked up to see him watching me with that stupidly observant expression of his, the one that made it impossible to hide anything from him.

"What are you talking about?" I muttered, forcing a small smile.

"You're not fine."

I shrugged, suddenly feeling too exposed. "Whatever. My dad won't be home. It's just Christmas, right?" My voice wavered, and I hated it. "He's a detective in major crimes, Edward. He's out there saving lives, doing big, important things. Who am I to pout because he's going to miss one Christmas? Plus, I've got… shitty movies. And leftover takeout."

Edward's lips pressed into a thoughtful line as he studied me. I looked away, crossing my arms over my chest like that could protect me from whatever he might say next.

"You can miss him," Edward said quietly. "It doesn't make you selfish."

I swallowed hard, a lump forming in my throat. "I'm not pouting."

"I didn't say you were."

Edward's face softened, and for a second, neither of us said anything. This was one of those moments where I could feel the line between us blurring, where I was hyper-aware of how close he was sitting, of how his knee was touching mine.

"I know what you need," he said suddenly, a spark lighting in his eyes.

I blinked. "If you say tequila—" Well, then I might actually agree. It's 10:34 AM—that's kind of acceptable, right?

"No." He grinned. "You're coming home with me."

I stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "What?"

"Forks. Christmas. My family. You're coming with me."

"Edward…" I trailed off, shaking my head. "That's crazy. You have, like, a million fucking siblings. You don't need me crashing your holiday."

"Bella, you'd be saving me," he said s. "It's going to be chaos, and you know I need a buffer. You like chaos."

"I don't know if like is the right word," I muttered, but he just smiled—that stupid, smug, panty-wetting smile of his. Asshole. How was I supposed to argue when he looked like that?

"Come on, Swan. I can't let you spend Christmas alone. And besides…" He nudged my shoulder, teasing now. "Think of the free food."

I sighed, pretending to think it over, though my heart was already lighter at the thought of not being alone. About not having to stay in my empty dorm, the deafening quiet I'd have to face, and how easy it was to be here with him.

And, okay, maybe I did like free food.

"And matching pajamas?" I deadpanned.

"Non-negotiable," he shot back, grinning.

I finally smiled, leaning my head back against the wall. "Okay, Cullen. You win."

His face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning, and I had to look away to hide the way it made my stomach flip. "Pack your bags, Swan. Forks awaits."

SEATAC was an absolute zoo, as expected for the holiday rush. I trudged alongside Edward, clutching my overstuffed duffel bag and wondering how I let him talk me into this.

"Tell me again why you refused to check a bag?" Edward asked, smirking as he effortlessly wheeled his suitcase beside me.

"Because I don't trust airlines. They lose stuff. And I've seen Taken," I shot back, adjusting the strap of my bag.

"Right, because your socks are a prime target for international crime syndicates," he teased.

"You'd be surprised," I muttered, trying to match his stride as we made our way through the terminal.

Edward, of course, looked completely unbothered. His hair was artfully tousled, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jacket, and he still managed to look like he belonged in some kind of winter catalog. I, on the other hand, had been up since 4 AM, was wearing three layers of clothing like a human lasagna to save space in my bag, and was approximately five minutes away from collapsing into a puddle of exhaustion and questionable life choices.

As we reached the curb, Edward glanced over at me, smirking. "Stop frowning, Swan. It's not a funeral."

"I haven't slept, Edward," I shot back. "At this point, I might be dead."

He ignored me entirely, the bastard. "And you don't need to look like you're about to meet the fucking Queen. I told you, my family's insane. They won't care what you're wearing."

"Won't care?" I blinked, looking down at my mismatched layers—leggings under jeans, thermal socks poking out of my sneakers, and a hoodie stuffed awkwardly under my coat. "Edward, I look like I wandered out of a thrift store dumpster."

Edward snorted, his smile stretching wider. "Trust me, you're fine. They'll be too busy forcing you into matching pajamas to notice."

I stopped short, staring at him. "Wait, is there actually matching pajamas?"

"Sure is," he replied, far too casually. "It's tradition. Plus, if you don't wear them, you can't participate in the family chant."

I suspiciously thought he was fucking with me, but I still had to ask, because you never know with the stories he's told me in the past. "The what?"

Edward paused, then grinned like he'd just won a bet with himself. "Relax, Swan. It's not a cult chant. It's more of a… cheer. We're big on unity."

I groaned, rubbing a hand over my face. "Your family sounds like a cult, Cullen."

He nudged my shoulder, looking entirely too proud. "If it is, you're already past the initiation phase. Welcome to the fold."

"Great," I muttered. "I'll bring my own Kool-Aid."

"You'll thank me when we get there," Edward replied smugly. "Or after a nap."

Before I could respond, a loud honk echoed through the business of the pickup area. A battered black SUV came screeching to a stop in front of us, and the driver's side window rolled down to reveal a grinning, obnoxiously handsome guy in aviator sunglasses.

"Ed!" the guy shouted, leaning halfway out the window. "You survived Florida! I'm impressed."

Edward's face lit up. "Jasper!"

"Wait," I said, blinking as Edward grabbed my duffel and tossed it into the trunk. "That's Jasper?"

"The one and only," Edward replied, throwing open the passenger door.

"Get in the car, princess!" Jasper yelled, ignoring the glare from the airport attendant behind him.

I raised an eyebrow. "Princess?"

"Don't ask," Edward muttered, guiding me into the backseat before sliding in next to me.

Once the doors were shut, Jasper peeled away from the curb like he was trying to set a land speed record. I lurched sideways, clutching the handle instinctively.

"Jesus Christ," Edward muttered, glaring at his brother. "You're not Vin Diesel, Jasper."

"Calm down, princess. You survived." Jasper's voice was dripping with unrepentant smugness as he shot a grin into the rearview mirror. "Welcome back to Washington, Eddie."

"Don't fucking call me Eddie," Edward growled, narrowing his eyes.

"I'll call you whatever I want," Jasper replied easily, smirking. "I'm driving you around. Chauffer's rules."

From the backseat, I watched their exchange like it was a tennis match. As an only child, sibling dynamics were foreign to me, but watching these two bicker was entertaining. Edward's exasperation was like a permanent fixture, and Jasper was clearly thriving on it.

Jasper caught me looking in the mirror and gave me a wolfish grin. "And you must be Bella."

"Last time I checked," I said, offering a small smile.

His grin widened. "Damn, you do exist. Thought you were a cover story for why Edward has no friends."

I barked out a laugh as Edward groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Can you shut up and drive?" Edward muttered, shifting like he wanted to throw himself out of the moving car.

"Aw, look at him," Jasper drawled, eyes back on the road, but fully smirking. "All red and flustered. Tell me, Bella, is he always this uptight, or does he save the good stuff for special occasions?"

Edward turned toward the window like he was considering chewing his way out. "I hate you."

"I know," Jasper shot back cheerfully. "I love you too, little brother."

I laughed again, unable to stop myself. Jasper was relentless, and Edward, despite his grumbling, didn't actually seem mad—just stuck in that miserable younger brother role.

"So, where are we headed?" I asked, trying to change the subject before Jasper made Edward combust.

"Gotta make one more stop," Jasper said, slowing as he took a corner. "Picking up my girl, Alice. She's staying with us too."

"Wait," I said, glancing at Edward. "You have a Jasper and an Alice in your family? That feels suspiciously like a theme." It was giving Alice and Wonderland vibes, for sure.

"You do get it," Jasper said, his grin wide and wicked. "We've been waiting for someone to figure it out. Next up: Tweedledee and Tweedledum—"

"That's you and Mike," Edward cut in, finally snapping back. Reaching into my catalogue of Cullen Siblings, if I remembered correctly, Mike was… the dog?

Or maybe a younger brother. The way Edward explained him, it could go either way in all honesty.

"Rude," Jasper said flatly. "I have at least two brain cells more than Mike."

"That's debatable," Edward replied.

I snorted, covering my mouth as I laughed, and Edward glanced at me. "Don't encourage him, Bella. He's like a feral raccoon—if you give him attention, he'll follow you home."

Jasper let out a peel of laughter. "That's rich coming from you, Eddie."

Edward sighed like his life was one long suffering event and turned back to me. "On second thought, we could definitely just go back to shitty leftover and movies."

"I'm having a great time, honestly," I said, still grinning.

"Good," Jasper said, glancing in the mirror again. "You'll need a sense of humor to survive the next week."

Edward muttered something under his breath, but the twitch at the corner of his mouth gave him away.

About twenty minutes later, and a concerning amount of threats to kill each other from Edward and Jasper—but mostly Edward—we pulled into the short-term parking lot of another terminal. Jasper hopped out, waving wildly at a petite girl with dark hair and a killer sense of style who was practically bouncing toward the car.

"Alice!"

"Jasper!"

The two collided in a ridiculously over-the-top hug, complete with twirls and laughter. I grinned, charmed by their energy. Edward, beside me, looked mildly horrified.

"This is my life," he muttered.

"I think it's cute."

Alice climbed into the backseat next to me, flashing a bright smile. "Hi! You must be Bella."

"That's me," I said, immediately liking her vibe. She was cute and bubbly, and it was surprisingly infectious.

"I've heard so much about you!" she said cheerfully, buckling her seatbelt as Jasper slid into the driver's seat. "You and Edward are best friends, huh?"

"Unfortunately," Edward said, grinning at me through the rear-view, and I flipped him off.

"I don't know how you put up with him," Jasper added, pulling out of the parking lot.

"It's like adopting a poorly trained golden retriever," I deadpanned. "Loud, needy, and pees everywhere."

"One time!" Edward snapped, turning around to glare at me, and I returned his look with a sickly sweet smile.

Jasper barked out a laugh. "Oh, I like her, Eddie. Where've you been hiding her?"

Alice giggled beside me, clearly enjoying the show, and I settled back into my seat with a grin. Jasper and Alice were already good company, Edward was… well, Edward, and for the first time in days, I didn't feel like Christmas was going to be a total trainwreck.

Forks, Washington, here we come.