Chapter 2, Christmas
Christmas dawned early.
Nessie was already up and dressed when Edward and I came out of our bedroom. She was jumping up and down in excitement. “Can we go yet?”
Our plan had been to spend half the morning with the Cullens then head to Charlie’s around ten. Another five am morning. No one at the Cullens ever slept, so I didn’t suppose it mattered if we were there at five or nine.
I was surprised by Nessie’s early rising. She usually didn’t get up until eight, but excitement was in the air, and I knew she wanted to open her presents.
Edward was immaculate, as usual. I decided I’d better change out of my sweats. Alice would be hurt if I wasn’t wearing something better suited for family pictures.
I’ve never seen such an obsession with scrap books.
I threw on an elegant dark blue pantsuit I thought might be acceptable. I could tell from Edward’s expression when I entered the room that he liked my choice.
Then again, he always looks pleased to see me. I smiled at the thought.
We walked toward the Cullen home, Nessie between us. When we reached the river, Edward picked her up and lightly jumped over it. He released her as he landed. I joined them, hardly getting moisture from the damp earth on my shoes as I landed on the other side.
“Should we call Jacob?” I asked Edward. “This is Nessie’s second Christmas. It won’t be the same next year with her growing so fast… ” I trailed off, waiting for Edward’s answer.
“Good idea. We should give him the choice.” Edward pulled out his cell phone and called Jacob. With Jacob watching Nessie so much, we’d bought him a cell phone so we could stay in contact.
“Hi.” I could hear how groggy Jacob sounded. Edward might as well have his phone on speaker. It was amazing how well I could hear the conversation. I still marveled at my vampire abilities.
“Nessie wants to open her presents. Do you want us to wait for you?”
I could hear Jacob’s brain waking up. “Umm. Sure. I’ll be there in about ten minutes. Seth wants to join us this morning. I’ll grab him on my way up.”
When we walked into the Cullen home, we could hear Alice and Esme rustling in the kitchen.
They wanted everything perfect for Nessie’s Christmas dinner. As Nessie aged, her human side was becoming more evident. She was eating less blood—we had been able to wean her from donated human blood before we moved to New Hampshire—and more human food, and actually liked some of the foods Esme had introduced to her. Having Jacob eat with such enthusiasm had sparked an interest in food for Nessie.
After giving Nessie a kiss and hugging Edward, Alice flitted back to the kitchen to help Esme.
“We’re waiting for Jacob before we open gifts,” Edward announced to no one in particular.
Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper came down the stairs shortly after we arrived. Rose, divinely beautiful, as always, descended the staircase a few seconds later. She hurried over to Nessie and picked her up, adoration showing on her perfect features.
If she’d been able to have children with Emmett, her happiness would be complete. I didn’t begrudge her moments with Nessie.
We headed into the kitchen, Edward’s and my noses wrinkling with distaste. The human food had no appeal to us. Nessie, on the other hand, was showing some interest in the variety of cookies, bite-sized cakes, and candies arranged neatly on saran-wrapped platters. It was obvious that the food was laid out for the wedding, but I knew that Nessie would be allowed to sample whatever she wanted. The Cullens indulged her every wish.
She moved to the oven and peeked through the glass at the twenty-four pound turkey Esme had just put in. The turkey would be done before noon. Jacob and Seth can finish it all by themselves, was my amused thought.
Alice went back to work over some kind of exotic stuffing, and Esme left peeling potatoes to give us all hugs. As quickly as she finished a potato, the pile was going to be finished in a couple of minutes.
Two sweet potato pies and a pecan pie were cooling on the counter. I was sure they had worked through the night on the food, and I knew that they were enjoying every minute of it.
Edward sat at the piano and played a version of “Angels We Have Heard on High.” I moved to sit next to him and started to sing the familiar song. After we moved to Hanover, I discovered that my new voice could actually sing. I had learned by singing lullabies to Nessie and realized I enjoyed it.
Carlisle moved over to sing with us. We were into the third verse when Esme and Alice joined us, apparently finished with their kitchen duties. Jasper joined in as well. Emmett didn’t seem to know the song, but he listened with a bemused expression. Rose sat with Nessie on her lap, combing through her bronze curls.
We had just started into “Joy to the World” when a knock came at the door. Edward continued to play while Carlisle and Esme got up to answer the door. Seth walked in with Jacob. I stifled a gasp when I saw him. He was as big as Jacob, his body a muscular copy of his friend. “Wow, Seth,” I exclaimed, “you’ve grown.”
He gave me a sheepish grin. “It’s the food I keep getting from Esme.” He looked sideways at Jacob. “Have to keep an eye on the place.”
I wonder how often he eats here?
Esme hugged Seth. It was obvious she really cared for him. Seth hugged her back, genuine affection filling his face.
Jacob and Seth headed for the kitchen, the smells emanating from the room an enticement they couldn’t ignore.
I stifled a giggle. It seems odd to have two shape shifters so comfortable in a vampire dwelling that they can simultaneously head for the kitchen, as if it’s their own home.
Esme pulled out a warm plate of immense muffins. The sound and scent of frying bacon filled the air. I wrinkled my nose at the disgusting smell.
“The eggs will be done in a minute,” Alice informed them.
I got the feeling this was a familiar routine. Feeding a werewolf is easier on the Cullen budget than Sue’s, I thought.
A few minutes later, Jacob and Seth were balancing heaping plates of food and moving over to Esme’s antique walnut dining table. I almost flinched while I watched them settle over their plates, but Esme didn’t act the least bit concerned. In fact, she seemed to enjoy watching them wolf down their food—antique table or not.
A feeling of peace and contentment permeated the home. Edward was playing a quiet rendition of “Silent Night” when they finally pushed away from the table, carrying their empty plates to the kitchen. They loaded them into the dishwasher then joined us by the tree. It didn’t look nearly so big with the pile of gifts surrounding it.
Nessie sensed the moment was right, and jumped out of Rosalie’s lap. “Can I open my presents now?”
Edward smiled. “Dig in.”
Nessie had been a reader since before we left Forks for Dartmouth, so she handed out the gifts while hunting for her own. It was hard to buy gifts for vampires, but we made a valiant effort at creativity.
Alice was very hard to surprise since she could see the future, so this time I wanted to surprise her by surprising myself. I had no idea what to get her, and I hadn’t put anything under the tree for her. I figured I’d get her something used of mine at the last minute—how last minute could I get?—but I still hadn’t decided quite what it would be. I would need either Jacob or Seth to help me out. Alice couldn’t see anything that happened when the shape shifters were involved.
Rosalie was fairly easy this year. A confused look came over her face, “Seattle Flight School? What do I need pilot training for?” She looked at the acceptance notice and the tuition paid statement.
Edward grinned at her. “Emmett has a matching gift. I figured you’d both need to know how to fly the Cullen family gift,” and he handed Jasper an envelope.
He slowly opened it, and pulled out the paper, his eyes widened in surprise, “A Bombardier Challenger 300? How did you do that?”
Edward couldn’t hide his d
elighted smile, but he said in a bored tone, “Oh… I just happened to pick up a deal on ebay.”
Alice jumped up and hugged Edward fiercely. He continued, “It holds up to nine passengers, but I figured eight if we’re counting Jacob. With a range of 3,100 nautical miles, I’m assuming,” he gave a meaningful glance at Rosalie, “you’ll pay attention in class. You might want to fly more places than Lebanon, New Hampshire.” A brief cloud settled on us all.
The Volturi are in Italy. Will she ever need to fly there?
But this wasn’t a day for clouds. Alice was ready with her camera.
Nessie’s shriek of delight when she opened her package with her doll brought a smile from all of us. “She looks just like me!” She hugged the doll close, then turned to her next gift.
She’d piled them up around her while she’d been passing out everyone’s gifts. She was surrounded by a small mountain of presents, physical evidence of everyone’s adoration. We watched while she ripped through her presents.
Clothes for her and for her doll, of course, from Alice and Jasper, hair supplies from Rosalie and Emmett, and books from Esme and Carlisle. Nessie paused to finger the wolf amulet, so like mine, that Jacob had carved for her and Jacob moved over to add it to the Quileute promise bracelet he had made for her last year. He enlarged it every so often as she grew, and the wolf amulet became a part of her bracelet just as easily as he had become a part of her life.
Her final gift was the small package I had carefully wrapped for her. She tore off the wrapping and held up the paper and picture nestled in the box. She read it, then looked at the photograph, a delighted smile lighting up her face. “I get my own house? Is it home already?” She turned her brown eyes to Edward, at his nod, she ran over and hugged him tightly, then she turned to me and kissed me. “Thanks, Daddy. Thanks, Momma. I love it already.” She industriously set about stuffing all her shredded papers into the trash bag Jacob had received from Esme. Working together, they had her Christmas mess cleaned up and Nessie was busy changing her doll’s clothes in minutes.
This is my moment. I moved over to Jacob and breathed, “Could you help me out a sec?” He lifted an eyebrow quizzically, but didn’t say anything and quickly moved to follow me.
I ran home and tore through my closet. Jacob shifted from foot to foot and was obviously missing Nessie. I tried to comfort him, “I won’t be long. Thanks for helping me out. I haven’t got a gift for Alice and the only way I can surprise her is if you are with me and I find something used I can give her. If you were around when I bought it, Edward would see it in your thoughts and Alice would know.” My brow furrowed. “What on earth am I going to give her?”
Jacob shrugged. “I think you’re trying too hard. Just let her be unsurprised.” He smirked. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”
I shook my head. This means a lot to me. I walked into Nessie’s room and found just the thing. It was carelessly tossed in a corner, right where I’d thrown it last January. The wedding gift from Aro. The gold serpentine necklace was a fitting background for the sparkling diamond pendant. It was about the size of a golf ball, and the necklace was worth more than the jet we’d bought for the family.
It is priceless—a piece John of England had pawned an age ago. I smiled. This is just the thing. Alice won’t keep it long, but I’m looking forward to her expression when I hand it over. I ran back to my room to fetch the jewel-encrusted antique box it had been delivered in.
We were back in less than five minutes. Since Jacob had been with me the entire time, I knew Alice would be surprised. “Merry Christmas,” I smiled as I handed her the gift.
Alice’s look of stunned surprise was classic. I couldn’t help it. I laughed. Edward joined me, as did the rest of the Cullens. Alice smiled, too. It wasn’t easy to surprise her. She opened the antique box and lifted out the necklace. She smirked. “I have just the outfit for this. It comes in gray and has a hood.”
I laughed again. “Didn’t you once say it’s the thought that counts?”
Jasper, Emmett, and Jacob were looking at me with odd expressions. “Don’t you like your gifts?” I asked innocently.
“Croquet? Since when do we play croquet?” Emmett asked.
The three men were staring at their matching croquet sets with the same stunned expression as Alice.
“Well, if you look carefully,” I said with some amusement, “these are special croquet sets.”
They looked at me like I’d lost my mind. I continued, unabashed, “You’ll notice the solid titanium shafts and heads with a wedge on one end. The wickets are made from solid-tine lightning rods. I thought you could try a new sport.” I paused. “Extreme croquet.”
Edward burst out laughing. He knew what I was talking about because we’d recently discussed an article in the Smithsonian Magazine on extreme croquet. “I’ll set up the course, Emmett. You just might like this croquet, trust me.”
Jacob and Emmett exchanged glances. I could tell they weren’t convinced.
“Just try it once—for me, please.” I didn’t beg often, and they seemed to soften a bit.
Emmett growled, “Well, it can’t be worse than watching Nessie play dress up.”
Carlisle seemed pleased with the original Latin, Greek and Hebrew texts we’d managed to find for him. He was comparing writing from the same time frame to get a closer English translation on various texts.
We’ve given him enough literature to satisfy him for a month or so, I thought with satisfaction.
“Thanks, Edward and Bella,” Esme’s eyes looked up from her gift in delight. We had special ordered cross stitch designs from family portraits. “This will keep me busy.”
She shuffled through the pictures. There were couple pictures of Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett, Carlisle and Esme, and a family picture of Edward, Nessie, Jacob and me. The patterns were complicated, and Esme’s agile fingers would make quick work of them.
We’ll have our family portrait back by the end of the week, I thought.
Edward and I were planning to exchange our gifts later, in private. Edward knew I didn’t like the fuss.
Besides, thanking him in private is the best part of the gift. A very human Bella’s heart would’ve raced at the thought. I had to settle for looking forward to the moment.
Edward and Jasper left to set up the croquet course.
I snickered. Edward will make it as difficult as possible. And with the competitive spirit between Jacob and Emmett, they will really get into it.
I curled up on one of the sofas and watched as Alice and Rosalie changed Nessie’s clothes and hairstyle between pictures. It would be a while before they grew tired of this game, and my gaze drifted to Seth.
He’d received a pile of clothes and several pairs of shoes. Jacob had received an equivalent pile. The shape shifting wreaked havoc on their wardrobe.
They didn’t destroy clothes as often as they used to, but enough to make it hard on the budget. There were always moments where they forgot to strip first.
Sue and Charlie probably have a hard time keeping Seth and Leah dressed.
I wondered about Leah. I hadn’t seen her except in wolf form since we’d left Forks. She was a stunning beauty but very bitter after the love of her life, Sam, had imprinted on her favorite cousin, Emily. She’d never been able to get over the betrayal she felt from both of them.
When Jacob accepted his Alpha status and broke from Sam’s pack, Leah and Seth had followed. With Seth’s deep admiration for Edward, he was a natural fit, but I was surprised that Leah had gone with Jacob. Leah detested vampires with every cell in her body.
Jacob had broken with the pack to defend me when Sam decided I needed to die because I was expecting Nessie.
Leah’s going with Jacob meant aligning herself with the vampires. That must’ve been almost unconscionable for her. Fortunately, when Jacob broke from the pack, Sam decided not to press his attack on the Cullens. After Jacob imprinted on Nessie, everything
changed because one shape-shifter would never intentionally kill another one’s imprinted mate.
We owe so much of our current happiness to Jacob. My heart didn’t beat, but a warmth of appreciation spread from deep inside.
After opening his gifts, Seth nodded off, not bothering to move from the floor.
I wonder if he and Leah still run patrols around the Cullen property. Unless Alice calls an alarm, it doesn’t seem likely that there is enough danger nearby to require patrolling. Quil probably wouldn’t participate since he was as busy raising his little charge as Jacob was with his. Seth, Quil and Embry were still attending high school, so I didn’t think they’d be out most nights. Maybe the five am wakeup call was too early for him.
Emmett and Jacob were at the computer, arguing about which extreme croquet rules they were going to play by.