Twilight 1. Frustration

**AN:** A (hopefully) sweet missing moment from the saga in which Bella celebrates Edward's human birthday before their summer vacation begins.

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**Chapter 1: Frustration  
****Bella's POV**

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**\- Friday -**

"Edward, don't make it so obvious. You don't have to prove anything." I muttered crossly, fully aware that the entire cafeteria had their eyes on us. "As it is, I'm getting enough attention with this stupid cast. "

While I exceptionally enjoyed and _craved_ physical attention from Edward, (considering I'd been receiving so little of it ever since he'd set up new boundaries to our "intimacy"), I didn't particularly appreciate his constant kisses in the public eye.

I wondered if the brace that I'd been forced into wearing after James' attack was depreciating my already low self–esteem. Next to Edward—with his shockingly, jaw–dropping and stunning good looks—I looked _even more _out of place in this ridiculous cast. Even though it wasn't much of a revelation that I looked so unattractive and utterly unappealing when standing next to my "boyfriend", who had the looks better than those of the finest male model, it still made me extremely grumpy.

The heaviness of the cast, the inability to even _walk _properly with that stupid third leg, the sweat building up in my jeans, the self consciousness I felt in Edward's presence, the crutches, the curious looks and fake sympathetic smiles I was receiving, Emmett's regular teasing, Edward's never ending patience that I couldn't even hope to compete with, the looks Edward and I were _both_ receiving because our relationship had gone public now …

I felt like I was going to _explode_.

Aside from the wonder I felt that Edward was still able to put up with my foul mood, his smile was as dazzling as ever.

His breath fanned across my ear and neck which made me shiver in delight.

"I'm not trying to prove anything, sweetheart." he chuckled gently, running his index finger down my arm before linking his hand with mine. "I don't have to. Everyone already—hopefully—knows that you're all mine. And I kissed you because I enjoy doing it."

"What about those _boundaries_ of yours? " I mocked, narrowing my eyes.

"Oh, they're still there, don't worry." he assured me with a wide smile. "Which is why your heart is still intact."

"I'll say." I grumbled, feeling my heartbeat only _begin_ to calm down long after his mind blowing kiss. "And I'm not worried."

He just grinned at me, his eyes slightly darker than normal. I realized that it had been a while since he'd hunted last. I wondered when he would have to make his next hunting trip and winced when I realized that I wouldn't even have school to distract me from his absence since our last day was at the end of next week. I pondered how I would be able to convince him to take a few days off school so that I wouldn't have to sit through a whole day at home by myself.

"I know what you're doing." I said in an accusatory tone, narrowing my eyes, and Edward's eyes went wide with innocence though I wasn't sure if he was faking it or not. "You're making the best of the opportunity – that I'm stuck in this horrible thing," With a grimace, I pointed at my injured leg. "and kissing me when you _know_ that I can't respond as much as I'd like."

Truly, if I hadn't been confined to my chair by this horrendous piece of junk, I would have automatically responded with much more vigor and enthusiasm – perhaps sliding my hand into his hair or climbing into his lap.

That was another reason to add to the list of why I was in such a terrible state of mind.

I knew Edward well enough to catch the smugness on his expression before he concealed it with guilt.

"You caught me," He replied abashedly before continuing on a serious note. "It gets easier to control myself when you're not as persuasive as usual. It should be other way around – you're supposed to be the one to take care of your _own_ safety, but of course the responsibility falls on me."

"And you're doing it perfectly." I responded airily, not caring about the responsibility thing. "I like this self–control thing. Feel free to keep practicing so that one day, your self control will be flawless and then we can –"

He pressed a long finger to my lips softly, silencing me, his eyes alight with humor. "I don't think that's ever going to happen, Bella. It'll take _decades _to even perfect that." As an afterthought, he added, "Of course, you _have_ several decades."

"As a _human_? _Definitely not_." I growled at him.

Ever since I had broached the idea of his turning me into a vampire, and our conversation later at prom, he'd been subtly attempting to squash down my hopes.

I wasn't ever relenting.

"Just wait until I get out of this thing." I warned, thoroughly irritated.

"Can't wait," he sighed. His eyes then brightened up and he flashed me his signature crooked smile at me. "So no more than two days then, huh?"

I stared at him. "What?"

His grin grew wider. "Carlisle says that your cast can be removed tomorrow, Sunday by the latest."

"Really?" I demanded eagerly. "That's the best news I've gotten all day. I hope Carlisle removes it tomorrow. I can't stand or stand _in _this thing."

Edward laughed as if it were the funniest thing he'd ever heard which made me roll my eyes.

The bell rang suddenly, signalling the end of lunch.

"It's time for Biology," Edward murmured to me, ignoring my frustrated groan, before standing up to help me off the chair.

It was utterly embarrassing to constantly have to require his help as I _hobbled_ to my next class, but there wasn't really anything I could do about it. I'd suffered with it for so long; I supposed I could bear it for one more period.

At least today was the last _school_ day I'd have to wear the stupid thing. I'd be back to normal by the next and last week of school.

_Just another day,_ I silently chanted to myself.

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**AN:** This is at the end of Twilight, so Bella still has her brace on. In this fanfic, school finishes in exactly one week.**  
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	2. Thirsty

**AN:** Thanks for reading!

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**Chapter 2: Thirsty  
****Bella's POV**

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**\- Saturday -**

"Hey, Miss Klutzy," Emmett chortled at me as he passed by the living room. "What's with the long face?"

I glared at him, relaxing back against the comfortable pillows Esme had kindly stacked up to support my back.

My leg was stretched out in front of me on the footrest that Edward had demanded of Alice on buying separately. It was completely unnecessary; the soreness in my leg was fading rapidly and I no longer winced whenever I put my weight on it.

True to Edward's word, Carlisle had cheerfully announced this morning that my days of torture were now over. An appointment had been made at the hospital for later this evening. I'd frowned a bit that we couldn't remove the brace here at the house, but Carlisle had insisted that it was a required hospital procedure.

"Well, if you were forced into wearing this bulky thing for _weeks_ in a row, you'd be having the same face, you know." I snapped irritably.

Edward, who was sitting beside me on the couch, rubbed my arms soothingly while shooting his brother a look.

It was Saturday afternoon. Edward had brought me to his house as soon as Charlie had left for work since he hadn't wanted me to be alone. I had been only more than happy to comply.

Just then, Alice flitted down the stairs gracefully and appeared in the doorway to the living room. She grinned at me briefly before turning to glower at her brother.

"Edward, it's been more than two weeks." Alice informed him in a no–nonsense tone, no "hello", "hi", nothing. "You should hunt."

Edward's eyes were completely black now, and though I was incredibly impressed that he hadn't lost and wouldn't lose one bit of control around me, I knew that he was putting himself through extreme pain just to be here for me.

Edward clenched his jaw tightly. "Not today, Alice. I'll go sometime next week."

Alice shook her head firmly. "Esme says that you can't afford to skip any more days of school especially since you and Bella already missed those days . . . before prom."

Even now, Alice still had trouble talking about the Phoenix incident. I understood that it was as sore of a subject for her as it was for me. Her past connection with that vile James … anyone would have been troubled.

"Besides, I've seen that there aren't going to be any sunny days, so it's not like you'll have an excuse to stay home anyway." Alice continued sharply.

Edward sighed impatiently. "Then I'll go after school finishes."

"Edward, you can't hold out for that long. I know you're thirsty; just go and get it over with. Stop being so damn stubborn and stop arguing with me."

"I'm not leaving Bella, Alice." He gritted his teeth forcefully. "Besides, her cast is going to be removed today."

"Well, it's not like you'll actually be physically present there when it happens, Edward." Alice snapped at him. "Remember? Charlie's going to meet her at the hospital, so you're not going to be allowed in the room anyway."

I could see how much this affected Edward. I watched his expression as he visibly tried to keep away the frustration.

"You should go," I encouraged, stroking the purple lines under his eyes. His dark eyes flickered to mine and stayed there. "Alice is right, Edward. It's been several weeks. I don't want you putting yourself in unnecessary pain."

"I'm not in any pai –"

Alice nodded in agreement, abruptly cutting him off. "Good God, Edward, it's not like you'll never see her again. Emmett, Jasper and Rosalie are also taking a trip in a few minutes. Go with them, have a good time, don't overstuff yourself, and return peacefully."

"I have to be here," Edward insisted, his arms tightening around my shoulders. "Bella needs me."

"She can hardly move!" Alice exclaimed in exasperation. After a moment, she added, "No offence, Bella. And what do you think – that you're the only one helping her? What about Carlisle, Esme and I? Are _we_ doing nothing for her? We'll take good care of her while you're gone. By the time you return, she'll be as good as new."

I knew Edward was close to conceding. He needed just a little push. Putting my hands on his cheek, I stared into his eyes, pleading, "Go, Edward," I urged. Sure, I was unhappy that I'd have to survive several days without him, but if it meant ridding him of his pain, I wasn't going to complain about it. "Alice will take care of me. Go hunt some mountain lions for me."

Edward shot me a disapproving look, the way he normally did when I talked so freely and nonchalantly about his diet, but his eyes were shining with some amount of amusement.

"Fine, fine." He held up his hands in surrender, pressing a sweet kiss to my neck. Feeling my pulse throb against my skin, he pulled away sharply, not daring to breathe. Those black orbs seemed to glow darker. "You win."

"Me, too," Alice added with a haughty smile.

"Never bet against Alice," I reminded him in his ear.

He chuckled gently and carefully lifted himself off the couch without jostling me despite my numerous assurances that my leg felt much better now.

Alice came to sit next me with a wide smile, which I played off as just her normal cheerfulness, as Edward breezed through the house, calling his remaining siblings to leave the house for their hunt.

I absently watched whatever fashion shows Alice selected on television, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Alice's commentary and suggestions for each article of clothing.

In a sudden blur, Edward was in front of me, gently taking my hand and kissing the back of it. His eyes burned when he looked at me, but his smile was beautiful.

"Bye, sweetheart. I'll be back as soon as I can." he promised me softly.

Ever since we'd returned from Phoenix, he'd hardly ever left my side which made me feel immensely happy and guilty at the same time.

"Don't," I shook my head. "Don't rush because of me. Take your time. Spend time with your family, too."

Edward rolled his eyes, as if my suggestion was absolutely ridiculous, and lightly sprang out the front door, his siblings already waiting for him. I listened intently for the purr of the engine, and a deep rumbling later, they were gone.

"Well, goodbye to you, Edward!" Alice sarcastically shouted after him before closing her eyes deliberately.

I knew what was happening. She was having a vision. Apart from the obvious fact that she could see the future in the first place, it was interesting that she could _look_ into the future as well.

Fascinated, I stared at her without moving or speaking.

A moment later, she regained her composure. A huge, devilish smile took over her features and her golden eyes opened and turned mischievous.

She turned to me.

_Uh–oh._


	3. Birthday?

**AN:** Thanks for reading.

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**Chapter 3: Birthday?  
****Bella's POV**

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**\- Saturday -**

"What?" I demanded, eying her warily.

Alice continued to grin widely, creeping the hell out of me.

"Alice?"

"Edward's gone now, so –"

I shot out of my seat instantly, landing back with an embarrassing _thump_ when the heaviness of the cast pushed me down. "No, Alice. No, no, _no_."

Her eyes widened with innocence. "_What_?"

"Oh, I see what you've been doing all along." I pointed an accusing finger in her direction. "You sent Edward away on _purpose_ so that you could give one of your stupid makeovers again, didn't you? Make me wear the perfect 'outfit–to–wear–when–I–get–out–of–my–cast". For the last time, Alice, I don't _want _one. You're really sweet and everything to offer, but I absolutely _refuse _to go along with your –"

"For heaven's sake, Bella," Alice cried, sounding exasperated. "As much as it pains me, I am _not_ going to give you another makeover. For now, at least. In fact, I was going to discuss with you something important before you so rudely accused me –"

"Okay, so basically your definition of "important" is hairstyle tips." I fumed. "I don't need any hairstyling tips, alright?"

Alice groaned. "I am not going to discuss anything related to fashion, makeovers or hairstyles, Bella, I promise you. Now will you please stop interrupting me? You're making this a lot harder than it needs to be."

I took a deep breath, still unwilling to believe that Alice _wasn't_ criticizing me of my poor wardrobe, but the earnestness on her expression made me concede.

"Sorry," I apologized. "Continue, please."

"It's about Edward's birthday."

I felt my mouth fall open in surprise. That had been completely unexpected.

"Edward's birthday?" I repeated utterly befuddled.

Funny, I'd never actually thought about him having one. When your boyfriend and his family were vampires, things like birthdays and such seem trivial.

Birthday? His human one or vampire one?

Alice nodded as if she read the question on my face which she probably did in her vision. "His human birthday ... as in the day _he_ was born."

"When is it?" I asked eagerly.

"Next week, Friday. Last day of school. June 20."

"But wouldn't it be hard to celebrate birthdays _every _single year? Like don't you ever run out of gifts to give him?"

Alice grimaced as though she were expecting this question and didn't like it. "Well, here's the thing. We've never actually celebrated it in the first place. There's actually two reasons why don't celebrate birthdays in his house. Like you said, it gets difficult for all of us to plan a surprises, especially for Edward since he can read our minds from ten miles away. I'm usually very good at hiding my thoughts when I need to, but Emmett …" She shook her head, apparently too disappointed to continue as she, no doubt, recalled some party planning gone wrong.

I giggled.

She heaved a sigh. "And like you said, it gets rather boring to celebrate birthdays every year and that too, with the _same_ people. No birthday cake can be baked or eaten anyway."

"In truth, we each have two birthdays – one human, one vampire. Rosalie, in particular, considers her transformation the absolute _worst_ thing that's ever happened to her, even though she has Emmett in her life."

I frowned at Alice, trying to comprehend. Rosalie wasn't happy with her life? But she had everything! She had such a wonderful, loving and caring family. She was the most beautiful person slash vampire ever. She _would _be beautiful for all of eternity, and most importantly, she had the one she loved by her side forever.

Alice continued, oblivious to the battle in my mind. "Edward _used _to share those sentiments until, however, he met _you_. Understandable, of course. He's been alone for _so _long, living without a best friend unlike the rest of us. To live without a companion, especially for a _century_ like he did, is very difficult for vampires. Which is why we're really glad he's finally found you."

I flushed darkly. If anything, _I_ was the lucky one to have found someone as kind–hearted and spirited as him. I hardly deserved him.

"So, why're you telling _me_ this?" I asked curiously. "If you don't celebrate birthdays, then –"

Alice was shaking her head before I could even finish speaking. "Don't you see, Bella? That was before. Edward probably hasn't had his birthday celebrated since his human life, and those memories are probably very dim for him as well. The only time Edward comes even _close_ to feeling human is when he's with you. I was going to suggest maybe throwing a little party for him, maybe this one time. I expect he'll feel very happy since you'll be there."

"Exactly what kind of party are you intending on throwing?" I asked carefully.

I generally didn't appreciate parties, and if it was going to be a family gathering then Rosalie no doubt would be present. I seriously doubted she would be pleased if I was in close vicinity. She tolerated me enough already.

"Not really a party." Alice clarified. "Just a little celebration between you and Edward. Of course I know that he'll be happy just spending the day alone with you, and it'll be a nice surprise for him, don't you think? He can't even listen to your thoughts, so you can pick out his gifts without his knowing."

I was grinning by the time she finished. Finally a chance to know something Edward didn't. To get a chance to _surprise_ him. Alice hadn't said it, but from the way she spoke, I had a feeling Edward wouldn't even realize it was his birthday.

The idea of celebrating my boyfriend's birthday made me giddy. I couldn't wait.

"Oh my gosh," I gushed excitedly which was completely out of my character. "This will be perfect. What do you think I could get him?"

"We'll worry about the presents tomorrow when I take you shopping." Alice explained, and for the first time, I didn't even flinch at the word 'shopping'. Strangely enough, my eyes sparkled. "For now, we need to get you dressed."

I stared at her. "For what?"

Alice met my eyes, hers alight with humor. "For going to the hospital, silly. Your appointment is in half an hour, remember?"

My grin grew wider. "Yes, thankfully. I can't _wait _to get out of this thing."

Suddenly, Esme appeared out of nowhere and helped me up with a smile. I hadn't even realized she'd been the house the whole time.

When I was standing up, Esme hugged me carefully to her stone figure. As she pulled back, I noticed that she was holding her breath cautiously as Alice waited off to the side.

"Thank you for everything, Bella." she said sincerely, holding me at an arm's length. "We're all very lucky to have you in our life. Edward, especially. Alice wasn't lying earlier; he's been alone for so long, I'm happy that he has you in his life now. But we're all very sorry that you're constantly placed at danger and have to suffer so many consequences because of us."

She gestured sadly down to my injured leg.

"This was nothing, Esme." I shrugged it off with a smile. "I've had accidents like this before."

Esme sighed as we both were aware that this was far from just an accident, but I truly didn't care.

"It's not your fault. Any of you." I continued firmly. "You saved me from … him. And you all have been so good to me." I reached out to squeeze her hand. "Thank you for taking care of me."

Esme hugged me again. "Anything for my daughter."

I'll admit, I teared up a little, but Alice didn't give me much time to think about it. She tugged impatiently on my hand.

"Let's go, Bella," She ushered me in the direction of the stairs. "otherwise you'll get late. Charlie's meeting you in the hospital in exactly twenty three minutes."

"Oh, okay." I muttered to myself as I allowed her to drag me along. "I bet if we _do_ run late, it'll be because _you _got caught up in deciding which of _your _outfits would go best for the occasion of driving your friend slash medical patient to the hospital."

"Shut it, Bella."


	4. Crazy

**AN: **Thanks for reading.

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**Chapter 4: Crazy  
****Bella's POV**

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**\- Saturday -**

Despite Alice's warnings that we were going to be late for the appointment, we were actually rather early due to her maniacal driving that reminded me so much of Edward's. I wondered if speeding was a passion that ran in the family.

Alice foresaw Charlie arriving in exactly three minutes so she helped me out of the car to wait by the hospital's front entrance.

"What are we standing here for?" I asked, confused as to why we weren't going inside.

Alice grimaced. "I actually told Carlisle to meet us here; he'll help you inside. I don't think I'll be able to control myself in such a …"

I understood as she trailed off with an apologetic expression. Now that she mentioned it, I didn't know _I_ was going to keep from fainting when there was going to be so much blood around. "Oh. Then what are you going to do during the appointment?"

Alice sighed. "I'll be back at home since Charlie's decided to drive you home."

I had to admit, I was disappointed that my short time with Alice was cut off rather abruptly. When she wasn't being a bossy makeover-ist, I actually enjoyed talking to her.

"Look," she said, gesturing with a nod of her head to the doors. "There's Carlisle."

Edward's vampire father was dressed in his usual scrubs with a stethoscope draped around his neck. With his normal-paced gait and serene smile, he fit in so nicely with humans. It was immensely difficult to realize that he wasn't one himself.

"Good afternoon, Bella." He smiled politely at me and I smiled shyly back. He nodded at Alice who gave me a brief hug before turning to go. Carlisle held out a hand. "Shall we?"

I allowed him to gently tug me along to the elevators which were, thankfully, not too far.

Carlisle went into doctor mode as I hobbled next to him. "Have you been experiencing any pain, Bella?"

"Nothing." I replied honestly. "Why couldn't we have taken this thing off earlier?"

"It's always best to leave casts on even after the bones mend." He explained. "It might seem like the pain is gone, but that's only because you're not putting your leg to use. If you remove your cast too soon then you're more inclined to put additional weight on it despite the bones not being fully healed. That's why I decided to wait, but I think you've been wearing it long enough."

"Yes." I groaned, agreeing wholeheartedly.

Carlisle chuckled and led me into one of the rooms. "Your father should be here in less than a minute, so I'll just retrieve your files."

I sank into the chair, trying not to breathe in the familiar horrible smell of the hospital. There was pungent scent of medicine and _disinfectant _that made my nose crinkle and eyes tear up.

My eyes drifted towards the different posters stapled onto Carlisle's office walls. Strangely enough, there weren't any labels of human anatomy, or warnings of cancer or related things. Carlisle had chosen to go for the more inspirational quotes and sayings, and illusional posters. I figured it was his way of distracting patients from getting needles or injections.

In a basket in a corner, I inspected several toys, unopened and still in their packaging. It was cute to imagine Carlisle working on child patients. He definitely had the patience and ability to.

"Bells?"

I glanced back at the door. "Hey, Dad."

Charlie sat in the seat next to me. "You okay, kid?"

I nodded. "My leg's absolutely fine. But you really didn't need to take waste your lunch break on this."

He shrugged, leaning back. "It's my job to be there for you. No big deal. Where's Edward?" He asked abruptly.

I stared at him in surprise. "He's went on a little camping trip with his brothers. He'll be back on Monday, I think."

Charlie nodded, his expression grim. "That's good. You should get some distance from him."

I didn't say anything. I knew that whatever Charlie had bore towards Edward on the evening of our first date had ended that night itself when I'd announced to Charlie that I'd be moving back to Phoenix.

According to Charlie, Edward was the reason I'd "fallen down the stairs". I didn't blame Charlie for thinking that way, especially since I was his daughter and that he'd only been fed the partial truth, but I still hated his thought process.

Lucky for me, Carlisle re-entered his office, saving me from having to respond.

"Good afternoon, Charlie. It's a pleasure to see you again." Carlisle said swiftly, carrying his medical bag.

"Carlisle." Charlie said gruffly, nodding. "Good to see you, too."

The removal of the cast went fairly quick. It felt relieving to finally get that stupid thing off and thrown away. The tearing of the bandages was probably the only painful thing I experienced, but Carlisle managed to remove that fairly quickly for me to actually process.

It was also icky to look at and feel since my calf was drenched with sweat from being cooped up in that thing for so long.

"Alright, Bella." Carlisle said in his professional tone. "Before you leave, I think it would be best if you could practice walking back and forth - just to see that you have the right footing. It might take a while for your leg to get used to the removed pressure."

I felt rather silly, parading inside of Carlisle's office with him and Charlie watching, but I knew that if I had to stumble at all, it would best to do it in here instead of outside.

"Try going slowly at first," Carlisle advised. "Then increase your pace."

Indeed, it felt rather disconcerting without the bulkiness of the cast, but after a few rounds, I managed to pull through.

"Well done, Bella." Carlisle nodded in approval. "Not to worry, Charlie, she's fine now. Now, if you'll just sign here …"

I droned them out as I thought back to Edward's upcoming birthday. I definitely wanted to do something special for him, not just because I loved him, but also because it would be (hopefully) a pleasant surprise for him; he hadn't had a birthday in so many years.

But what could I get for someone who already _had_ everything?

I needed to talk to Alice.

* * *

**Alice,**

**You still need to give me some suggestions as to what to get him. I've got plenty of ideas, but I'm sure he'll probably already have whatever I have in mind. Is there some book or music CD that he wants? **

**What time are we going shopping tomorrow? I'll need to inform Charlie since it's a Sunday and he'll be home.**

**Reply soon, or maybe even come over. **

**Love,  
****Bella**

**PS: Are you actually planning on throwing a "party" with the rest of the family? Wouldn't that be a little awkward? **

I didn't need to make my meaning – about Rosalie – clear. Alice would understand that.

I quickly pressed 'send', signed off from my email and made my way into the shower. I hoped Alice would have replied by the time I got back.

This was driving me crazy.

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**AN:** Bella will finally find the perfect gift for Edward in the next chapter!


	5. Gift Hunting

**AN: **Thanks for reading!

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**Chapter 5: Gift Hunting  
****Bella's POV**

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**\- Sunday -**

Alice and I were out hunting.

For a _gift_.

Alice had showed up on our doorstep, sharp at eight o'clock this morning, requesting Charlie for us to take a spontaneous shopping spree. She had launched into a excited explanation of some famous designer in Seattle which had made both Charlie's and my eyes glaze over, but he had said 'yes' eventually.

To no one's surprise, Charlie hadn't had any issues with Alice and I taking the entire day to do some shopping. He had encouraged my spending time with Alice without the interference of her brother and this weekend, with Edward away "camping", was the perfect time to go.

I understood his concern but didn't agree with it. Charlie wouldn't even come close to understanding my connection with Edward. If Alice hadn't been with me, capturing my attention by filling me with different theories about Edward's upcoming party, I probably would have spent the entire time brooding at home.

As soon as we'd gotten into the car and away from Charlie's prying ears, I had asked Alice to 'see' into the future for what type of present Edward would appreciate, but she had told me that her visions didn't work that way.

"You have to _decide_ to give Edward something, Bella. Then only can I see his reaction." She had explained. "Since you don't _have_ anything to get him, I can't see the outcome."

I had been disappointed. Did that mean that I had to lift up every single item I see, concentrate on giving it to Edward, and wait for Alice to predict his reaction?

Alice had smiled. "Whatever you choose, you know he'll love it."

"But, Alice," I had protested. "I don't want him liking the gift only to make me feel better. I want him to really like _it_, something's he wanted for a long time, and not just appreciate my _gesture_ of giving him something."

"Relax, Bella. You know my brother just as much as I do. You need no visions or hints to decide on what to give him. There's no reason to overthink this."

We were still driving. To Olympia, Alice had informed me. Why we needed to go there, I had no idea, but Alice claimed that there was a wider of range of stores to shop from.

I supposed in comparison to Forks, anything would have a wider range of everything.

"Even if we don't find anything suitable today, I don't want you to be disappointed about this, okay? I only brought up the idea of giving Edward something because he hasn't celebrated his birthday in so long – he hasn't had a _reason_ to … Now that he's found you, I don't think he'll even _want_ anything more. You're all he's ever wanted, Bella."

I flushed darkly, averting my gaze out the window but not really seeing. The idea of _me_ being the answer to everything he'd ever been denied in his life was absolutely ludicrous. I wasn't even close to deserving of him.

I was only human.

"I just want it to be special." I whispered. I imagined both of us alone at his house, perhaps in his room as I handed him something – a book? A CD?

That would be stupid. He'd most likely accept it with a polite smile and 'thank you' and that would be the end of it. The 'celebration' would probably get over in ten seconds.

Then what?

Now that Alice had brought it up, I pictured us in the meadow. What could we do apart from talking? Kissing, maybe, but that was something we did everyday … and not for too long either because of Edward's ridiculous and unnecessary limitations. That would be entirely acceptable for me – I loved just spending alone time with him – but sure to be utterly boring for him.

"It _will _be special." Alice insisted, pulling me away from my thoughts. "He'll love anything you get him, even if it's nothing but spending the day together in your meadow. He loves being with you especially when you're both alone."

"That's not enough," I mumbled, frowning out the window.

Alice sighed, probably realizing that there was no arguing with me. The rest of the ride was silent but not stony silence. We were both lost in our own thoughts.

"Alice?" I asked suddenly. "What if he comes back early? From his hunt? Won't he realize that we're gone?"

Alice was already shaking her head. "Don't worry. I've been keeping tabs on his future. He isn't planning on returning today. I think Emmett and Jasper also forced him to extend his hunt, and now that's he's already there, he probably thinks there's no point in rushing back. If anything, he'll be back just in time for school tomorrow."

I nodded miserably, slumping back in my seat.

Twenty minutes later, we entered a very crowded shopping center. Lucky for me, Alice seemed to know the area like the back of her hand.

"First, we're going to the bookstore." Alice explained, keeping her cold hand firm around my wrist. "Look around. Take your time, alright? There's no rush."

The bookstore was quiet, reminding me of a library. There couldn't have been more than five people, but I felt at home automatically.

As I scanned the shelves, I didn't find anything of particular interest. Alice had said to find something that appealed to _me_, something that sparked _my _interest, because it would definitely attract to Edward since our tastes were rather similar.

There was indeed a wide variety of books, different genres that might have sparked my attention, but I didn't find anything remotely interesting to _Edward's_ liking.

Instead, I wandered over to the Classics section. I selected several Shakespeare's works and also _Dracula_, grinning as I did so.

"Good choice," Alice giggled softly as I showed it to her. "He hasn't read it, thinking it's rather superstitious to read about vampires, but I _can _see that'll change soon. And you'll give him a nice laugh."

I smiled back at her and paid for the books.

Alice took me out to lunch for about an hour before we went to the music store.

I remembered scanning Edward's music and book shelf when I'd visited his house the very first time. And I could recall his music preferences from our conversations about songs. I knew what his tastes were. It couldn't be that hard.

The more I browsed through the shelves, the more confidence I gained.

"Ooh," Alice gasped suddenly, pointing at the CD I held. "That's a good one. I'm sure he'll love it. Add it to your cart."

"I was thinking the exact same thing," I agreed instantly, a smile slowly spreading on my face. "He likes this kind of music, doesn't he?" I wracked my brain as I struggled to recall, From which year again?"

"From the 50's," she nodded, examining the back of the CD case. "He dislikes music from the 70's. In fact, I don't think he even owns this."

I brightened. "Really? Are you positive?"

"He may have a record of this but not CD since CDs only came later."

There were a few moments of stunned silence as I remembered that Edward was a hundred year old vampire and had lived through the invention of _CDs_.

Like I said, what _didn't_ he have?

Apparently this.

I quickly snatched the CD out of Alice's hands and stuffed it into my basket. Alice had given me an idea. I scanned all the shelves, selecting similar albums and artists. Alice clapped occasionally, clearly approving of my choices, but I had something else in mind.

"Are you really planning on buying all _that_?" Alice eyed my basket dubiously. "That's a little too much, don't you think?"

I ignored that. "Alice, can I ask you for a favor?"

She raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Your future's going all haywire. What are you up to?"

I took a deep breath, knowing I would keep regretting this until it was finally over – and then I could give Edward the best gift _I_ possibly could.

"I need you to teach me how to waltz."

* * *

**AN:** I know absolutely _nothing_ about music from the 1900s, so whatever I had written was purely based on research. I'm willing to correct it if it's wrong.


	6. Idea!

**AN:** Thanks for reading.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Idea!  
****Bella's POV**

* * *

**\- Sunday -**

"Hey, girls," Charlie greeted us from the couch as we passed the living room. "How did the shopping go? Did you have fun?"

"It was great, Dad." I was giddy with excitement.

"We had a lot of fun, Charlie." Alice added politely. Alice, ever the charmer, was on first-name basis with my father as well.

"Well, you sure _look_ like you did," he grinned, eyeing our bags. "I hope you didn't spend my entire paycheck, Bella."

"Something like that," I responded with a vague smile.

As Alice effortlessly carried all of our shopping bags upstairs to my room, I made a beeline for the kitchen. I was _starving_ and I needed some energy before we could practice waltzing.

Alice's reaction in the bookstore had been exactly as I'd expected. First, she hadn't believed her ears as she'd stared at me in shock for about a full minute. And then she'd squealed, completely beside herself with joy.

"Oh, this is going to be so exciting, Bella. I can't believe you're actually willing to do to this. Of _course _I'll teach you."

"Wait, Alice," I had held up my hands before she could have started twirling me around in the store itself. "Edward is coming back _tomorrow_. And we still have one full week of school. He'll probably be with me during my every free time."

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't have been complaining about Edward being with me, but this was a gift I was—shockingly—willing to present to him. And I wanted it to be a surprise. Considering it would be _me_ initiating the dance with _him_, I could only hope he would be proud and happy.

"There won't be that much time." I had concluded, thoroughly disappointed. Especially with me, an amateur at dancing, I would need all the time and help I could possibly get.

"We'll have to make adjustments," Alice had informed me firmly, though even her tone couldn't have possibly lessened her smile.

"Meaning?"

"Maybe I'll call Emmett and ask him to force Edward to stay longer. I'll lie and say that I saw some good game all the way in Canada. Even Edward won't be able to resist that – _hopefully_. That'll buy us another day."

"But didn't Esme say that Edward shouldn't miss another day of school? And I don't think _one_ extra day is going to make that big of a difference."

"Well," Alice had explained confidently. "If we explain the real reason why we're doing this, to surprise Edward, she'll agree. After all, she's a mother. She'll want to do this at least once for him – and for you."

"I guess that's okay, then," I had smiled. "But are you sure Edward will agree to stay away for a while long?"

"Of course I'm sure he _won't _agree," Alice had shrugged, pulling out her phone and sending rapid texts to Esme. "But I'll _make _him stay away."

* * *

Despite what I'd anticipated, Alice and I didn't get to work right away with the dancing. Not only was my bedroom or any room in my house too tiny to practice a waltz—not to mention that Charlie would think we'd lost our minds—, but we didn't have any proper music to practice to.

Alice sat crossed-legged across from me in my bed, frowning thoughtfully at the CDs I'd bought earlier which were now spread across the sheets.

"I'm thinking," I began frustratedly after ten agonizing minutes of thoughtful silence in which we'd made absolutely _no_ progress. "—that we put a bunch of CDs together and I memorize the steps to—"

"Bella, stop," Alice held up her hand. "Dancing isn't about _memorizing_ steps." She leaped off my bed and spun gracefully around my room. "Dancing needs to come effortlessly. If you're constantly distracted of what steps to take next, you won't be focusing on enjoying the moment with Edward."

"But what if I mess up?"

"You _won't_. And even if you do, which I doubt, Edward's there to help you."

I fell back against the bed with a strangled gasp as a sudden thought occurred to me. "When you say he'll _help_ me… do you mean to say that Edward knows how to dance? Like _actually dance_? The _waltz_?"

"Well, I mean, he _is _from the early 1900s, Bella. People back then are quite accomplished in dancing. And you know how traditional he is… "

She continued to speak, but I wasn't even listening, too busy feeling like slapping myself for being so ignorant and stupid. Well, of course, he was an accomplished dancer! Having been alive for over a hundred years, he was probably experienced in everything.

I can't believe I'd thought of something so ridiculous. I would look so foolish trying to dance with _him_. I'd probably stumble and fall over and make him embarrassed of me.

I should've just baked him a custom-made vampire birthday cake. Now, where would I be able to find mountain lion blood . . . ?

"I can't believe what an idiot I am," I whispered. "He already knows how to waltz. I seriously doubt he'll be impressed with _my _pathetic attempt. What the hell was I thinking?"

"Bella, what are you talking about?"

I ignored her question. "Alice, do you know if we'll be able to return these CDs? I'm starting to think this is a bad idea. Maybe we should just forget about his birthday."

Alice groaned. "Not this again. Bella, I'm telling you, _it will be special _-"

"Not that," I interrupted, trying not to sigh in disappointment. "I want to call this whole thing off. I feel like an idiot for even suggesting this. I can't _waltz_ with the waltzer himself. I can't do a simple dance. Or even walk for that matter." I glared down at my recently freed leg. "I'm an _amateur_, okay? I'll look completely ridiculous and he'll just laugh at me. Just forget it."

I yanked my pillow over my face to avoid Alice's sympathetic and knowing gaze on my face.

And mainly because I didn't want her to see the pathetic tears that were escaping my eyes at an alarmingly speedy rate.

I didn't feel her weight sink into my mattress, but suddenly, she was there and tugging the pillow from my clenched fists.

"Bella," she said softly, biting her lip at the hot liquid cascading down my cheeks. "Don't cry… Look, I understand that you stupidly feel inferior to Edward because he's not human and, unlike you, much more capable of . . . -"

"Everything?" I grumbled.

"Different things," Alice finished.

I rolled my eyes, the tears already beginning to subside. "Our relationship is complicated enough as it is. And I'm so . . ." I waved my hand wildly in the air in an effort to describe myself. "Ordinary. I mean, dancing with him? Showing him that I can be physically balanced, coordinated and graceful for one night? That's _worthless _compared what he's done - what he _does _every day - for me.

"You are _not _ordinary, Bella. I can't believe we're even having this conversation. Edward isn't shallow. He loves you, alright? He's not going to focus on those little things. Why can't you just enjoy yourself with him?"

"Easy for you to say," I mumbled, swiping at my eyes. "You're not physically challenged."

"And it will mean a lot to him that you're _trying_," Alice insisted. "Come on, everybody knows you hate dancing, especially Edward, after you threw that fit when he snuck you to prom. _And_ you actually admitted it wasn't half-bad."

"Yeah, I guess," I muttered unwillingly. "But that was _him _leading; I didn't have to do much. What if I make a fool of myself? What if I don't match up to Edward's standards?"

It was just the my "dancing" that wasn't up to Edward's standards. My everything didn't match up either.

"Then Edward will laugh, playfully tease you about it and his birthday will end on good note. Isn't that what you want?"

I didn't respond and Alice as if I were being deliberately difficult.

"Bella, how are you going to have a successful relationship with him if you don't get rid of these little insecurities?"

"But I'm human and he's… a vampire."

"So understandably, there _are_ and _will_ be differences. You need to accept that. _Temporarily_, at least."

"Really?" I whispered hopefully. "Do you really see me becoming like you?"

"I'm only sure if you're sure." Alice responded. "If you change your mind, your future will change."

"Never," I promised. "I want to be with him."

"Well, it's not like it's going to happen right now, so you might as well just make the best of your human experiences." I could tell Alice was getting seriously annoyed now. "Now, are we doing this thing or what? I didn't buy you three hundred dollars worth of dancing shoes for nothing."

I shrieked, "_Three hundred dollars_? Dancing shoes? When did you buy those? You were with me the _whole _time today. Seriously, Alice, what are you – I don't need—"

"Sheesh, Bella, I'm just kidding, but you should have seen your face. Haha."

* * *

**AN: **Mainly a filler chapter here; Alice providing reassurances to Bella's insecurities about her dancing issues and blossoming relationship with Edward. I promise their waltz practice will start in the next chapter. **  
**


	7. Rehearsals

**AN:** Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Rehearsals  
****Bella's POV**

* * *

**\- Monday - **

_Good morning, beautiful_

_I'm so sorry I can't be there when you wake up this morning. Alice said there's better game in Canada. I want to come back anyway but Emmett won't let me. We're on our way there now. _

_I missed you this whole weekend, but I'll be back hopefully by the time you wake up tomorrow morning. Have a nice day at school today. Alice will drive you._

_Be safe for me,_  
_I love you,_

_Edward_

Would it be retarded of me to kiss my cell phone right now? Probably, but I did it anyway and hugged the little device to my chest, sighing in utter bliss. I didn't want to leave the bed; just sit all day long until he returned. I hadn't slept properly last night anyway…

But Alice would be here to pick me up within an hour and I couldn't afford to ditch. It would just be us in school today which was good, because we needed some brainstorming time.

I yawned widely and stumbled to the bathroom, alternately thinking about Edward and Alice. She'd been absolutely ecstatic when I'd decided that I could choose parts of songs from each CD to create one large soundtrack mix, each melody melting into the next. Because I didn't have the proper equipment, Alice had eagerly offered to do it last night and to run it through with me this morning. I wondered what she had come up with.

Charlie wisely chose not to comment on my jittery appearance and quickly left the house. By the time Alice picked me up, I was an emotional wreck.

"Bella," Alice sighed, eyeing me critically. "Is it really so hard to wear something _moderately_ pretty? And do something to your hair, for heaven's sake."

Of course she would zero in on my attire. Some things never changed.

"Forget my hair," I brushed that off impatiently. "Did you get the CD done?"

"CD_s_, actually. There were too many choices. So I made a few. You can listen to them and pick whichever ones you prefer."

I grabbed the stack disbelievingly. There were probably fifteen CDs; more than I'd bought in the first place. "Really, Alice? Where'd you get the time to do all this?"

"Bella, it may have escaped your notice, but I don't need to sleep. And it's not like Carlisle and Esme were any distractions. Everyone else is hunting, so I was basically alone in the house. Trust me, I had plenty of time."

"You spent the _whole _night creating a mixtape?" I asked dubiously, sliding the first disc into her car's music system.

"No," Alice shrugged as a beautiful melody slowly resonated through the car. "I did some shopping. Online of course. Don't worry; nothing major. Your dress is gorgeous, by the way, and you'll look stunning in it."

I sighed and leaned back against the seat. "Is there any point in arguing?" I asked flatly.

"Nope. Think of it as more of a bonus birthday gift to Edward. He adores you in blue."

I could feel the tips of my cheeks heat up.

"Shouldn't have said that," Alice muttered with a frown. When she hurriedly rolled down her window, I quickly realized that she'd been holding her breath in response to my blush.

Whoops.

I bit my lip. "Sorry."

"Don't fret. This is just going to take time to get used to."

"Not just to you," I continued, feeling guilty. "But for Jasper as well. I know he has a hard time being around me."

"Thanks. Don't take it personally, Bella. He just doesn't want a lapse in control around you. He loves you; we all do."

"Thanks, Alice." My face flamed even more. "I love you all, too . . . This music is amazing, by the way." Nothing compared to Edward's compositions, obviously. "How will I get time to listen to all of them _and_ choose the best one?"

"Easy. I've recorded all the songs on the iPod as well into different tracks. Listen to them throughout the day. Let me know which parts you enjoyed so then we can start practicing right after school."

"Oh, shoot!" I exclaimed. "Alice, I completely forgot to tell you. Edward sent me a text this morning. He said they'll probably be back by tomorrow morning. We can't practice around him! What are we going to do?"

"Easy there, Bella. I'm already one step ahead. The dress I ordered for you? It's in New York. I've already ordered their plane tickets to go pick it up for me. And once they get there, Rosalie will want to spend another day shopping, and I convinced Edward and Jasper to let you and I have some girl bonding time – which isn't really a lie. In short, they'll be back no earlier than Friday early morning which leaves us four days to practice. You're welcome."

* * *

Alice frowned down at me as she dropped her bag next to my chair. The reserved "Cullen" lunch table seemed so empty with just Alice and me. I'd missed Edward the whole day, but I tried my best not to sulk.

"You still haven't chosen anything yet!" Alice stated, rubbing her forehead.

I pulled out the headphones and blinked up at her.

"Your future's been driving me crazy." Alice glowered at me frustratedly. "I didn't think it was possible for vampires to get headaches, but you've done it."

"Sorry," I grinned sheepishly. "I'm stuck between these two amazing songs."

"I get it, Bella, but you have to decide on something otherwise we'll have even less time to practice. Edward will be back on the eve of his birthday; Thursday midnight. And the sun's not going to make an appearance until Friday _evening_ which means that he won't have a reason to skip school."

My eyes widened at this bit of news. "Um, Alice? I know I've asked this a million times, but how the heck am I supposed to pull this off? You know I suck at lying and he'll know immediately that something is up."

"We can worry about that part later. First things first, decide on a song! Then we'll go home and practice this afternoon." She squealed suddenly. "This is so exciting! I can't wait to teach you how to waltz; you're going to be a natural."

* * *

" . . . no, no, step _diagonally _with your _left_ foot. Bella, you're the one who will initialize the dance so you need to practice to be the _lead_ and Edward—or me, in this case—as the follower. You have slightly different steps than mine. That's it! . . . _No_, don't let go of my hands . . . Bella, okay, now feet _together_ . . ."

"_This_ is what you call 'natural'?" I hissed, trying to blow off my hair which was matted to my face with sweat. "Some psychic you are."

We'd only started practicing half an hour ago and I'd already stumbled over my feet and stepped on _hers _more than twenty times. Lucky for her, it couldn't have hurt, but I still apologized every time.

"You're doing fine, Bella," Alice reassured me kindly. Her patience hadn't wavered one bit so far, but I knew it was only a matter of time before she became fed up. "Just listen to my instructions… _And _keep an eye on your feet… _And _try your best not to stumble… _And_—"

"Alice!"

"Sorry, sorry," She pursed her lips, thinking. A few seconds later, her eyes lit up eagerly. "I have an idea. I think I finally I see why you're getting so flustered. You're concentrating on too many things at once. Listening to the music, trying to keep up with what steps to take, balancing yourself – you're too distracted. If I just keep quiet and dance, you can follow my steps without any instructions."

"Alice, that doesn't make any sense. I need the instructions more than ever."

She raised an eyebrow. "Edward's always saying how perceptive you are. I know you'll be able to pick up fairly quickly. I'm not going to tell you what to do anymore; just observe my movements."

She vanished from my sight for a quick second. I glanced over to see her restarting the playlist on the iPod which was hooked up onto the Cullens' _ginormous _12-piece complex speaker system.

Taking advantage of the temporary break, I massaged my neck, wincing at the soreness in my back. I glanced around the living room which had been cleared to create a miniature dance floor. Singlehandedly, Alice had effortlessly shoved the couches and unnecessary coffee table back against the walls.

I crossed the room to open the ridiculously large windows and let the gentle summer breeze in. I turned back when the music started playing again. Alice started towards me, froze for a second, before groaning and going to back to pause the music.

"Don't take too long." she ordered me.

"What?"

She nodded vaguely to my right and two seconds later, the shrill ringing of my cell phone made me jump about a foot in the air.

I grinned and grabbed the phone eagerly. "Hello?" I breathed.

A string of apologies burst into my ear. "Bella, I'm so sorry. I know I promised I would be there today, but Alice insisted that we fly to New York to pick up some dress for her." _For me_, I amended silently. "I don't when we'll be back. I'm sorry, I really wish—"

"It's fine," I assured him, pleased at hearing his voice again. "Alice told me everything… and I'm having fun with her." I shared a quick smile with Alice who impatiently mouthed, _Hang up already_.

Edward sighed. "That's good; she told me that you two were having some girl bonding. But don't feel obliged to what she tells you."

I bit my lip and tried not laugh at Alice's offended expression.

"Everything's fine," I repeated.

"I honestly don't know why she needs _all_ of us to pick up just one dress. Or why she can't just have it delivered. Or why it's in _New York_ of all places. I'll try to come back as soon as I can."

"No!" I protested quickly. "I–I mean, you should hunt. It's been a while and I don't like it when you feel uncomfortable."

Edward was silent for several seconds. "Alright," he replied hesitantly. "I suppose I could stay a few extra days."

I hoped that "extra days" didn't include Friday or we'd be celebrating the birthday bash without the birthday boy.

"Good, but don't take too long. Now, I have to go. Homework." I lied.

"Bella, it's the _last _week of school."

Crap. "I know, right?" I laughed nervously. "What's wrong with these teachers? Call you later. Bye!"

Alice resumed the music and skipped back to me, tossing the phone behind her. "Good riddance," she muttered to herself, grabbing my hands and beginning to twirl.

"Um, Alice," I murmured when she didn't explain which feet to move. I awkwardly tripped over my feet again. "A little help here?"

She simply shook her head. Frustrated, I glanced down to copy her movements on my own. Initially, it was hard to know what her next step would be—it would've been nice to be a psychic myself in this particular situation—but she was moving slowly enough for me to anticipate correctly.

Unbelievably, after a whole minute of intense concentration, I finally began to accurately match her positions and step _with_ her – not a second too early, not a second too late, _no _fumbling.

I met her gaze in disbelief. "Alice!"

She was already grinning back at me. "Bella, you're doing it! I told you. All I needed was to stop telling you what to do for you to get it right. This is fantastic!"

I smiled shyly and glanced back down, forming a little chant in my mind based on what I observed.

_Forward left, diagonal right, together, back right, diagonal left, together . . . and repeat . . ._

* * *

"I'm so proud of you, Bella," Alice exclaimed, faking a tear.

We were taking a break, mainly for my sake, obviously. I'd already gulped down three glasses of water. Dancing was hard work for sure. However, practicing with Alice had been fun, especially after I'd gotten the hang of it. Of course, my stumbling feet made sure that I wasn't as graceful as Alice, but it was a start.

Now that I was feeling somewhat confident, I was actually looking forward to dancing with Edward.

"You're going to sweep Edward off his feet."

"Pfft," I scoffed, flushing madly. "Yeah, right."

Alice's eyes twinkled dangerously. "What a fabulous way to start out your summer vacation, Bella. Celebrating Edward's birthday by dancing for him. How romantic!" The blood spilled into my cheeks, but Alice didn't seem to notice this time.

"I'm not dancing _for_ him," I blushed heavily at the unintended implications of the sentence. "I'm dancing _with_ him."

"Speaking of which, we still have to discuss where this big event will be. It's not too late to book a banquet hall; there's a gorgeous one in downtown – Ooh, how about a dance hall—?

"_No banquet or dance halls_," I interrupted. "I can think of an even _better _dance floor . . . _and _it doesn't have a rent fee."

* * *

**AN:** Anyone guess which "dance floor" Bella has in mind? It's pretty obvious and a special place to both of them… I'm thinking of doing the celebration in Edward's point of view.


	8. Setup

**AN:** Thanks for reading.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Setup  
****Bella's POV**

* * *

**\- Thursday -**

"Just once more?" I pleaded. "I need to practice a little more."

Alice laughed. "Bella, you'll do fine. We've been practising for _four_ days now, and you've really gotten the hang of it."

"What if I mess up?"

"Bella, this is a private dance between you and my brother, not the school talent show. A little messing up is fine, but I know you _won't_ mess up. Just relax. I don't need to be Jasper to know that you're being paranoid."

I had to admit, she was right. I was quite nervous now that our dancing practices were coming to an end. Edward would be returning early tomorrow morning, and I would most likely see him before and then throughout school. There was no more time to practice.

While I had missed Edward terribly this whole week, I was rather hoping he would extend his stay, just a little bit more. We'd talked on the phone several times a day, but I had a feeling he knew something was up. The more I would be in his presence tomorrow the more likely I was to slip up with something.

"We'd better get going, Bella." Alice called, grabbing the car keys and nodding towards the Cullens' garage.

I was at the Cullens' house again, as I had been for the past few days. It hadn't been hard to convince Charlie to grant me permission for carpooling with Alice to her house. He'd been delighted to hear the Edward was out of town, and with some persuasion from Alice and many reassurances from Esme, he'd agreed to let me spend my entire afternoons here. Plus, he hated it whenever I was alone at home.

Well, not that I was ever truly _alone_, but Charlie didn't need to know that…

"What about the remaining practice?" I asked pleadingly.

Alice sighed in exasperation.

It was touching that she had so much faith in my dancing skills. It was also rather terrifying that she had so much faith in my dancing skills; I had that many more expectations to live up to.

"Bella, trust me. You'll do fine. But if it makes you feel better, we'll return quickly and do a recap."

I sighed in relief. "Thanks. Now let's hit the road."

Alice and I were driving to the meadow, where I believed having my special dance with Edward would be the most suitable; it was reclusive, secluded and significant to both of us.

I felt rather edgy as Alice drove on the familiar road to the meadow. As ridiculous as it sounded, I felt like I was cheating on Edward somehow by going back to his meadow without him. Ever since my very first visit here, several weeks ago, Edward hadn't brought me back. That had been the most glorious day; when we had confessed our love to each other, when I'd seen him reveal his true, vampire beauty in the sunlight, when we'd shared our very first kiss…

The disaster of James, Laurent and Victoria in the clearing was now a blur in my mind. I tried to block out as much of that terrible night as I could and part of the evidence of that "accident", my broken leg, had been – _finally_ – removed.

There was, however, a much bigger, permanent horror embedded onto my skin remained. I lowered my gaze to my crescent-shaped scar that James had left as a reminder of himself.

The trail leading to the meadow came into view and I allowed myself a smile. This was why we were here. This meadow had far better memories with Edward than the ones I was remembering now.

And I was resolute in creating more memories with him.

"So, how exactly do you know about this place, Alice?" The thought had just occurred to me as she hadn't asked for directions or taking any wrong turns. "I thought this place was private to Edward."

Alice laughed, the visible skin on her face sparkling similarly to Edward's. "I've seen Edward's decision to come here so often that I feel like I've been here myself even though this is my first time. Silly, I thought you would've known by now. No secrets in the Cullen family, remember?"

"Except for some," I smiled in anticipation of tomorrow. "So, um, just so you know, this might take a while for me to hike."

Alice crouched in front of me. "Hop on, you goof."

"But… " I stared at her. Despite her supernatural strength, she was still so tiny!

"No 'buts', Bella. Get on."

I climbed uncertainly onto her back and a second later, we were running. Or rather, _she_ was running.

By the time we reached, I felt faint, just like the last time I'd ridden on a vampire's back.

"You'll be fine," Alice said unconcernedly as she raced across the meadow. I took a few moments to admire it again; its beauty paled in comparison to Edward's, but I knew that tomorrow night, it would look even more beautiful. "I looked into the future before we left to see if I needed to bring a first-aid kit."

"Ha-_ha_."

I recovered quickly, happy that she wasn't hovering over me like Edward would have done. It was endearing, the way he took care of me, but sometimes he could never fully enjoy himself in the moment because of his unnecessary worries.

Kind of like the way I was sure to act tomorrow as well…

But I was determined to follow Alice's advice and try not to let my insecurities get in the way. Despite my lack of grace, self-esteem and confidence, I was willing to put those uncertainties aside to focus on what would be most important first.

"What do we do?" I asked her.

"This isn't going to take long," she explained, setting the wireless boom box between some wildflowers so that it was partially hidden. If I hadn't seen her do it, I wouldn't have even noticed it.

"Remind me again why the setup has to be today and now tomorrow after school? And what if it rains overnight? Won't all this be destroyed?"

"Meteorologist at your service, ma'am," she reminded me. "And Edward is going to be with you the entire day tomorrow. We need to do this now so that I can get your approval on certain issues."

"I'm sure it'll be perfect, Alice," I replied honestly. She smiled back. "But won't he be suspicious when I have to get ready? It won't be such a surprise if he figures out where we're going."

"Leave it to me, Bella; I've got it all sorted out. Now, more importantly… " She held out three picnic blankets which I knew would be useful to only myself. "… which color picnic blanket do you prefer and which side of the meadow should it be on?"

Groaning, I smacked my forehead.

* * *

"This is so wonderful, Bella," Esme clapped her hands in delight. From her expression, I knew that, if capable, she would have been crying. "It's possibly the most romantic gift you can give Edward."

All the details for tomorrow's plan had already been carefully laid out, and I was still a mixture of nervousness, anticipation and excitement.

Alice and I were back to the Cullens' house. Alice had disappeared to make a phone call and mark her siblings' progress on their return and share a quick word with Jasper. Meanwhile, Esme and I had been slowly revolving on their living room floor.

Esme had known from the start about the birthday surprise which was why she'd allowed Edward to skip several days of school. Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper had already graduated – for the billionth time – which was why she hadn't fussed over them. Esme had been just as supportive as Alice when it came to helping me. Unsurprisingly, she was graceful and light on her feet, and I had been enjoying taking turns with both of them.

I blushed deeply, smiling my gratitude. "It's just that he's given me so much – you all have given me so much. I can't think of a way to repay him."

Esme drew me into a careful hug. Despite our emotional closeness that had progressed over the past few weeks, she was still rather hesitant about my reactions to vampire qualities such as the speed or coldness.

"There's nothing to repay, dear. You two are meant for each other. Edward will be so pleased. He hasn't celebrated a proper birthday since, I'm assuming, his human years."

"Edward often says that I bring out the human in him."

"You do," Esme affirmed. "In many ways, I don't even see him as a vampire. There have been… difficult times, of course." Esme's face twisted into sadness and I couldn't understand why, but she hurried on before I could ask. "But even before you, he's always been so gentle and kind, and meeting you has just amplified that."

"Just because you're a vampire, it doesn't mean you _have_ to be ruthless and uncontrollable," I said fiercely, looking into Esme's golden orbs… so unlike the scarlet I had seen in James', Laurent's and Victoria's. "You _all _are an ideal example of that."

Esme squeezed me tighter. "We're all so lucky to have you in our lives. And don't worry about the future; Edward will come around soon enough and everything will work out somehow."

I allowed myself a tiny smile. She hadn't said the exact words I'd been looking for, but I knew that this was her way of saying that she would accept me regardless of the consequences or Edward's decisions. Esme's support meant a lot to me. She was Edward's mother and had always been understanding of the complications that Edward and I faced constantly in our relationship. If anybody could help me convince Edward that changing me was for the better, for _all_ of us, it was her.

"What's going on here?"

Esme didn't appear startled, but I jumped when I heard Carlisle's voice from behind me.

He was still dressed in his work clothes and his eyebrows were drawn into confusion as took in the state of his living room.

I bit my lip to hide my worry; I wasn't sure how much Carlisle knew of the plan, and how much to reveal. Just because I was immune to Edward's telepathy didn't mean that others weren't. Edward was, no doubt, already suspicious of my behavior for the past few days, and Esme and Alice were already in on the surprise. They would have to be extra careful in blocking their thought. If only there was some way I could extend my mysterious mental barrier out to them as well…

"Hi, Carlisle," I waved awkwardly. "Esme and Alice were just teaching me some dance steps."

"What for?" he inquired politely.

"Um… Just because."

"I don't think that's a very good idea," Carlisle began, sounding uncertain. "Your cast was only recently removed. Perhaps you should allow your leg to rest a bit before it gets too stressed."

"It's fine, Carlisle," Alice assured him, bouncing down the stairs. "It's not any intense dancing anyway. Just slow dancing. Waltzing."

"I _wanted_ to dance," I interjected quickly as Carlisle's eyebrows rose in surprise. "My leg doesn't hurt anymore."

"When you say, you _wanted_ to dance… " Carlisle said slowly. "Does that translate to, 'Alice tricked me into agreeing -'".

"No!" Alice insisted, offended. "That is so mean, Carlisle. _She _suggested the idea on her own."

Carlisle was bewildered. "I was under the impression that you had a passionate hatred towards dancing."

I flushed embarrassedly. "I did. But I guess it's not so bad with some practice."

"Any special reason?"

"Edward's birthday!" Alice squealed excitedly.

Carlisle's expression went from curious to surprised and joyful. "That's very sweet of you, Bella. I hadn't realized we were making an event of it… " He trailed off, sounding guilty.

"We're not," I assured him. "It's just my little gift to him - my way of showing him how much he means to me."

"I know that _you_ are gift enough to him," Carlisle smiled knowingly as my face turned red. "But I'm certain that he will appreciate the gesture."

"Thank you," I whispered shyly.

"That's a great idea, Carlisle!" Alice exclaimed suddenly.

I glanced at her in confusion.

"Carlisle was thinking of asking you to dance as a test to see how much you've learned from me so far," she explained giddily. "You better make me proud, Bella… but no pressure."

"Alice," Carlisle chided before holding out a hand to me. "May I?"

I took a deep breath. I hadn't danced with a boy so far, and this was the closest practice I'd get to dancing with Edward.

"Actually," I replied, smiling a little. "_I'm_ supposed to initiate."

I took his cool hand and started to lead as Alice turned up the music.

Carlisle easily fell into step with me, needing no instructions or clues. After having gathered my nerves, I peeked at his face. He was grinning widely.

"I'm impressed, Bella. You're a natural at this. It's hard to believe that you're first-timer."

"I have very supportive teachers," I nodded graciously at Esme and Alice who beamed back. "And the initiative."

Carlisle chuckled at my expression as we continued to twirl. Beside us, Alice had grabbed Esme's hands, and soon, they too were spinning. "Despite what you claim, I believe that you sincerely enjoy dancing."

"Well," I pouted. "I guess I could enjoy it more if I wasn't so clumsy. It makes me feel… unbalanced. Unbalanced on my feet _and _unbalanced next to Edward."

Carlisle pursed his lips, instantly picking up on the insecurity in my voice. "It's silly to worry about those superficial things, Bella. Edward loves you as a whole, and those little human traits make them all the more charming to him."

I let the silence hang in the air as I thought deeply. _Human traits_… I was hoping these traits would cease to exist in the near future.

What was the point in waiting? I wanted Edward, period. And there was only one idea I could possibly come up with that would ensure my forever with him. He was worried about human experiences that I would miss out out on. I needed to convince him, more insistently that I'd been doing, that those were all trivial to me.

Carlisle seemed to sense the direction of my thoughts.

"I know you were quite upset about Edward tricking you into prom last month," he said lightly. "I hope you don't still hold it against him. I know you both had a wonderful time."

I flushed. 'Quite upset' was an understatement, I thought, as I recalled the crying fit I'd thrown.

I waved it off. "I forgave him the second we got there."

Carlisle eyed me, amused. "You're not one to hold grudges, I see."

"Not against Edward, no," I sighed. "But that's his fault. He cheats. But I'll get my payback tomorrow anyway. He'll see how it feels to be in the dark about plans that revolve around him."

Carlisle chuckled. "I promise I'll keep him in the dark with my thoughts. It's not often someone gets to surprise Edward."


	9. Last Day

**AN: **Thanks for reading!

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**Chapter 9: Last Day  
Edward's POV**

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**\- Friday -**

Despite getting well-fed after an uncomfortable two-week period of not hunting, this week had turned out to be quite horrible.

Emmett was frowning at me, Jasper was ignoring me as best as he could, and Rosalie was simply complaining about my pathetic state of behavior.

Nothing new there.

"Will you quit with the moping?" Jasper finally snapped. His hands clenched the steering wheel so hard that I absently wondered if it would break. "You're driving me _nuts_."

"I won't apologize for missing Bella," I told him firmly. "It's not like you're any better when you and Alice are apart. And I've been hearing your _thoughts_ ever since I've known you, so it's even worse for me."

It wasn't just the longing and emptiness Jasper always thought about when Alice was away. His mind often wandered to the activities they would do once they were _together_ again. Sometimes, I wondered if those two were worse than Rosalie and Emmett.

In a whiny tone, my sister piped up, "Remind me again why we had to bring Mr. Broody with us?"

Emmett rubbed her shoulders comfortingly. "Even he needed to hunt. Don't worry; next time we won't bring Mr. Broody with us. You and I will be alone."

"_Mr. Broody_ can hear you. Sometimes a little _too _much." I groaned when their minds simultaneously wandered to their bedroom.

No. Emmett and Rosalie were _definitely _worse.

As Jasper drove, I settled back against the passenger seat and tried my very best to block out the revolting thoughts surrounding me.

Which wasn't hard once I resumed thinking about Bella.

As they week had gone by agonizingly slowly, we'd only gotten a chance to speak a few times. I"d been a little worried by our infrequent and short phone conversations. She'd seemed so distracted every time I'd called her and always, rather abruptly, ended the call each time.

I'd tried talking to Alice during the nights to see if Bella was alright. After all, they'd been spending majority of their time together. On one hand, I was happy that my love and my sister were having some "girl bonding time", which, I assumed, included a shopping trip, some makeovers and a 'slumber party' marathon. On the other hand, if Bella was getting uncomfortable as a result, then I'd needed to put a stop to it.

My worries were unnecessary, Alice had informed me.

"It's nothing," Alice had chimed through the phone one night. "School is just getting out, so she's a little busy trying to catch up with getting her assignments due."

"I thought she was lying about that part," I'd admitted.

"Well, we all know how terrific of a liar she is. And besides, her cast just got removed, so she's enjoying her freedom again. So. Stop. Worrying."

"I don't know, Alice. I think she should wear the cast for some more time; it isn't wise to put too much strain, especially when it just came off."

"You have _no_ idea," Alice had muttered.

"What?"

"Oh, come on, Edward!" She'd changed the subject, sounding cheery again. "She's been wearing that hideous thing for more than two weeks now. No wonder she wanted some girl time with me to recover. And she _and_ Carlisle say it's fine. Give it a rest."

I'd let the matter go, especially after Emmett had flung my phone from my hands and into the river, demanding that I return to some stupid hunting game of his and claiming that I was 'no fun anymore'.

I supposed I had enjoyed myself with my siblings, Rosalie excluded. However I'd hadn't been banking on being gone from Bella for so long. I hadn't even wanted to go in the first place, but Bella's safety was always threatened when I didn't hunt routinely. I'd decided on returning the following night when Alice had called and claimed we'd get better game further north.

And I still didn't understand what had happened this whole week.

How had our hunting in Forks and Canada led to _shopping_ in _New York_, of all places?

Alice purchasing some designer outfits from across the world wasn't anything new. All she normally did was simply open her computer and order everything online to have it delivered here.

(Or personally go herself.)

Why on earth had she gotten _us _involved in this thing?

She'd bought all of _four_ of us plane tickets to pick up _one_ dress. When we'd gotten there, Rosalie had fallen in love with some of the recent shops they'd opened and demanded that we stay there another day.

Needless to say, I'd been in a sour mood the entire time, knowing I had no choice but to remain.

Jasper had taken the opportunity to purchase a gift for Alice for their upcoming anniversary – not that it would be much of a surprise.

I knew it frustrated Jasper sometimes, that he couldn't shock Alice with anything special. It wasn't his fault, partly because Alice couldn't help her visions, and partly because she _wanted_ to know.

It was impossible to plan a surprise for Alice.

Or even me, for that matter.

We were getting closer to Forks now, I realized, recognizing some familiar paths we were taking.

I quickly grabbed the new phone I had purchased in New York and dialed Alice's number. She didn't even bother to greet me when she picked up.

"Bella's still asleep at home. See you at school in a few hours."

I nodded at my siblings before jumping out of the car. "Nice hunting with you guys."

Their partially amused and partially resigned thoughts followed me as I sped through the trees, detouring to Bella's house. When it came into view two minutes later, I grinned like an idiot at the sight of her opened window. I slid through the window, feeling instantly at home when I laid eyes on her.

It felt like I was seeing her all over again.

Being apart from Bella, for any period of time, physically hurt me. I knew it was impossible that she could possibly feel the exact same way, but just looking at her after a week of not being with her, I felt fulfilled.

_Much _more fulfilling than my hunting had been.

My gaze followed every inch of her subconscious form, starting from her wild and tangled hair to the smooth skin of her legs peeking out of her summer shorts. I paused there, eyeing the recently uncovered skin carefully. This was the first time I'd seen her leg without the brace on. It _appeared_ alright and the bruise was just fading, but I would have to ask her if it was still hurting. Perhaps I could request Carlisle to take a quick look at it again, just to be absolutely certain…

Unable to stand the distance anymore, I climbed up into her bed, not at all minding its limited space, and pulled her back into my arms.

She must have showered last night, I guessed, indulging myself into burying my face in her still-damp hair. The thirst for her blood always elevated when she was wet, but I was in complete control of myself right now.

I searched every inch of her face, simply content to hold and gaze at my sleeping beauty. Returning to her had been my only motivation during my hunting, and now that I was back, I was determined to enjoy it.

As she slept soundly in my arms, amazingly not flinching at the iciness of my body, I began to make plans.

Today was our last day of school. It was an important milestone for Bella; completing her junior year. Being so close to graduating high school. To think, after one more year, she would be a high school graduate and ready to begin her life – her _real _life – in college, maybe her job.

The thought made my shoulder droop. I wouldn't be a part of her life, especially if she chose somebody else to share it with. There was certainly no question about how she would live it. I was _not_ condemning her to a life of bloodlust and a soulless existence. She deserved so much better, and though she claimed she wanted to be with me in _that_ way, it was a irreversible sacrifice she could make, and I was committed to granting her all the human experiences she could possibly have.

Which brought me back to my ideas.

I had a whole summer with her. Two months with just her, both days _and_ nights. I had a wide range of activities I could plan. My mind drifted to the meadow; it had been a while since we'd visited it. I wanted to take her there again; spend the entire day with just her. Perhaps prepare a picnic for her. She would enjoy that, and it would give her a break from having to cook for Charlie.

Or at night, we could stargaze. I would show her the constellations and tell her its legends. Since she was so deeply involved with and interested in so-called myths, I had no doubt that she would enjoy a little history.

In return, I would continue my endless list of questions for her. I wanted to know every single detail about her. There was so much I knew already, yet so many unrevealed mysteries from her past. _She_ was the mystery; her hidden thoughts, her feelings, her kindness.

Her.

My gaze automatically refocused on her face when she began to stir. An involuntary smile tugged at my lips when she stretched her arms adorably, and I couldn't hold back the laugh when she accidentally smacked me in the face.

She whirled around at my laugh and the physical contact, and her face broke into a wide smile when she saw me.

"Good morning," I whispered, my eyes trapped within hers. I was glad she was awake now. I'd spent too much time away from chocolate orbs.

She flung herself onto me in response, her lips finding mine instantly. It was always difficult to think about self-control when the kisses started off. And I was much too eager as I crushed her to my chest. As her heartbeat began to thud desperately, almost sounding painful, her health and safety overtook my desire for her.

I leaned back, chuckling at her disgruntled expression. She had no idea how cute she was. I gave a few minutes to recover, also allowing myself some cautious gulps of air to reduce the agonizing thirst for her.

_Stay in control_, I reprimanded myself firmly.

"How did you sleep?" I studied her carefully, stroking her hair. Her eyes were still tired from fatigue, but her smile was brighter than the sun.

"Okay," she whispered, sounding shy. A lovely blush spilled onto her cheeks, and I had to hold my breath, both at the beauty and the blood. "But waking up was even better."

"For me, as well." I told her seriously, watching her roll her eyes. "I missed you this whole week. I wasn't supposed to be gone that long. I'm sorry; it won't happen again."

"No," she protested softly. "I'm glad you spent some time with your siblings."

I rolled my eyes. Having Emmett yell at me for becoming too boring and Rosalie complain all the time didn't qualify as spending time.

"I had a _long_ time with them before you came along." It was unquestionable that I would devote all my time to her now. Siblings could wait.

"Besides," she continued with an excited smile. "You and I have the whole summer. _And _the future."

My answering grin shifted into a scowl at her last statement. "Don't start this, Bella. You're staying human. I'm not going to ruin your life."

She sighed under her breath, before leaning forward to kiss me quickly. "Whatever. You'll come around." she said brightly, before hopping out of bed to get ready. "See you in a few." she called over her shoulder.

I stared after her, slightly stunned by her energetic behavior and the way my comment hadn't brought a more passionate rebuttal out of her. She always argued me with me about what she thought was her prospective change.

Reluctantly, I dived back out the window, landing soundlessly on the grass before taking off to the trees. I supposed I needed to get dressed, too. While my shirt technically wasn't dirty, I'd been wearing it for hunting.

Alice was standing on the porch when I arrived. "Good to have to have you back, brother."

"Good to be back," I grinned back at her, slipping past her to my bedroom. The entire house, the living room especially, smelled like Bella. "I trust you had a good time with Bella? You better not have made her a subject to your ridiculous makeovers."

"They're not ridiculous," she screeched indignantly. "But for the record, no. We had a very productive, Edward-free week." When I peered into her mind curiously, she glared at me. "Which is _none_ of your business."

"I'll get it out of Bella anyway," I shrugged absently. "She'll tell me if you made her do anything she didn't enjoy."

Alice snorted. "Good luck with that."

"Where's Carlisle?" I changed the subject, only just realizing I couldn't hear his thoughts. "And Esme?"

"Esme's at the grocery store; she finally located one of her old recipe books in the boxes and is going crazy over trying out recipes for Bella. You should see the sight of the fridge. Carlisle's had an early shift this morning. There was an emergency. Why?"

"I want Carlisle to double-check Bella's leg."

Alice sighed to herself. _There's no reasoning with him. Poor Bella; it must so annoying to have someone constantly on the edge of a panic attack. I'm glad she got a week off from him. The next two months will be hard for her_.

I knew she thinking that just to spite me. "Shut it, Alice." I growled. "You know her safety is the most important thing to me. And she'll never admit that she's hurt."

"Look, Edward. Regardless of what Bella says or doesn't say, you can trust that _Carlisle _wouldn't have removed it if he wasn't certain that it was back to normal. _Let it go_!"

"Are you two fighting _again_?" Jasper groaned, entering the living room with a large encyclopedia. "It's hasn't even a minute since Edward walked in the house."

"Edward's being Edward." Alice explained simply before grabbing my hand. "Now let's go pick Bella up. She's probably waiting."

That was the only motivation I needed. I sprinted to my Volvo, Alice in tow.

"Enjoy your last day of school, kids." Emmett called from his and Rosalie's bedroom. "Have a little wild streak today!"

I growled. He was taking his accomplishment of graduating for the umpteenth time a little too far.

"Go," Alice urged. "Ignore him. The better mood you are in today, the better you'll enjoy today."

I stared at her quizzically, confused by her redundant and somewhat cryptic statement. "What does _that _mean?"

"It means we'll be late in picking Bella up and _she'll _be mad at you if you don't hurry up!"

"Even if we are late," I muttered, starting the engine and speeding out the garage door. "We'll be fashionably late."

"As if you really appreciate anything about fashion!" Alice scoffed. Of course. Only Alice would pick out the word "fashion" and turn it into an argument. "You just go along with it because you have no other choice."

Alice and I continued to bicker all the way to Bella's house. Once we'd picked her up, Alice grew strangely quiet in the backseat, only greeting Bella briefly before lapsing into a dull silence. Apart from giving a quick kiss to me, Bella didn't interact much with either of us and her expression was distracted. Almost nervous.

Several times, I caught her eyeing me, appearing like she was in a trance, but every time I questioned her, she always shook her head.

I grabbed her hand once we'd reached school, longing for physical contact. I'd gone so long without it.

Like always, the last days of school were so pathetically wild. Regardless of their year in education, everybody was always relieved to have two months of break before possibly returning the next year.

Please. That was _nothing_.

At least they only had _four _years of high school education, I thought with a grimace, thinking back to countless times I'd attended high school.

The day went by fairly drearily. There were obviously no classes, so the teachers allowed us to simply "chill" while others offered to played movies. I didn't care either way. The sooner the day was over, the sooner I could recover my sanity and begin what seemed like a very beautiful summer with Bella.

During lunch hours over the past weeks, I had made some amount of progress with Bella's human friends. Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton were mildly tolerable, given the annoyance I always felt when I could hear their thoughts regarding Bella.

I was more than happy to sit with Bella's more genuine friends like Angela and Ben, which she seemed to appreciate too. I remembered the time, so long ago, Emmett and I had tricked Ben into believing I was interested in Angela. It had been my one way of repaying Angela of being such a worthy friend of Bella, and overall, just a decent person.

My mood escalated drastically during the last period of the day: Biology. It was the only class I shared with Bella. It seemed like so long ago, I'd been sitting in this very room, assaulted by the scent of her irresistible scent, desperately trying not to kill her. Of course, I still faced that challenge every day, but so much had progressed between us regarding our private relationship and my bloodlust. The more time I spent in her presence, the easier it became to resist.

"Trust Mr. Banner to give us homework on the last day of school," Bella grumbled disbelievingly to herself as she lowered herself onto her chair. She placed her backpack in front of her on the desk as if trying to block herself from his view.

I unwillingly tore my eyes away from her face to focus on Mr. Banner who was passing out papers to each student.

"It's not homework," I chuckled, listening to his thoughts. "He wants us to fill out a survey about our thoughts regarding this class. Not that he plans on actually using the feedback."

Bella sighed, reaching into her bag for a pen. As she dug through it, a single CD case slipped from between her papers and began to slide out of her bag. Before it could hit the table – or before I could read anything – she slammed her hand down onto the case to hold it in place, steadied herself, and hurriedly shoved the case back inside her backpack.

Eyes wide, heart pounding and cheeks red, she took out a pen and calmly faced forward just as Mr. Banner passed our row.

I ignored the sheet that was being waved in my face, studying Bella suspiciously. "Is everything alright?"

She nodded briskly. Her actions were so aloof. She was really starting to worry me. "Fine. Why do you ask?"

"You seem a little… edgy." I observed, stroking the back of her hands with my fingers lightly. "Do you feel unwell?"

"No," she sighed. The black circles under her eyes were more prominent than ever. Her disturbed sleep must have been because of my absence; I'd failed her once again. "Just tired. It's just been hectic these past few weeks. The cast. Final exams. Prom. I can't wait for summer to officially start. And I missed you."

I pulled her into a hug, not caring who was watching. Nobody was paying attention to their surveys anymore either. Everybody had segregated into circles, getting their friends to sign their yearbooks. I caught sight of Eric Yorkie even requesting Mr. Banner to sign his.

Bella melted into my hard frame, her arms coming to twine around my head. I rubbed her back soothingly, rubbing the taut muscles and providing as much physical and emotional relief as I possibly could.

"I missed you, too," I murmured into her hair. "You _look _exhausted. How about we start off our vacation with you taking a big nap? I have _big _plans for us these next two months and I'll need your enthusiasm."

Pulling back, Bella's eyes grew wide. I laughed at her expression. "Don't worry. None of these plans include dancing. I know how you feel about that."

She offered me a tentative smile before looking away strangely. "What exactly do these plans include then, if not dancing?"

"New York," I said excitedly, thrilled that she was taking an interest. "You'll _love_ the museums. I just went to a few, two days ago, while Jasper was shopping for Alice. It's beautiful, Bella. Charlie probably wouldn't mind, especially if Alice was coming along. And maybe if it's alright, we can go to even —"

"You are _not_ taking me on an international flight to Europe! Or to visit the pyramids in Egypt!" Bella interjected sharply even though her eyes were alight with humor.

"I was going to say _Australia_," I pouted. "Fine. Maybe the idea is a little far-fetched. So… " I dropped my forehead onto hers. "I'll leave the ideas to you. What do you wish to do?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but just then, Mike Newton pushed his way through the crowd in Bella's direction. He studiously avoided looking at our current position and my feral gaze.

"Hey, Bella," he greeted her cheerfully. His thoughts were wild with desire although he outwardly displayed no inappropriate behavior. "Will you sign my yearbook?"

I sighed and faced the front.

_One_ day, I was going to "accidentally" slip up and just kill the boy.

* * *

**AN: **Sorry! It was getting too long, so I divided it into two chapters, both of which I updated together! Don't blame me if Edward thinks too much. Plus, I thought a little pre-birthday Edward/Bella fluff was in order. So I'm thinking the next chapter (surprise) is the last chapter with no epilogue following because I really have no idea what I'd write for that… I think an epilogue would sorta ruin the sweet ending of their beginning of summer.


	10. Celebration

**AN:** Thanks for reading!

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**Chapter 10: Celebration  
****Edward's POV**

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**\- Friday -**

"Will one of you _please_ tell me what is going on?" I demanded, utterly frustrated. "What 'girly thing'?"

Bella was watching me slightly apprehensively, although her eyes were shining with unconcealed humor. I stared right back at her, completely unamused. It was at times like these when I desperately wished I could read her mind.

"_Bella_." I growled, shaking her gently.

Alice sighed and shoved me towards my car. "_Go_, Edward."

"But I don't _understand_." I said through clenched teeth. "Why can't I just go you with you two? I'll be driving her back anyway. And what is so important that it needs to be done _right now_?"

"If you'll just follow my instructions, you can find out everything under an hour."

"Please, Edward?" Bella begged, turning the power of her doe-eyes on me. "It's nothing bad and you'll find out eventually."

I sighed unwillingly but softening instantly. Resigned, I stroked her cheek and pulled her to me. "I just got you back." I murmured into her ear.

"I know," she whispered sympathetically, reaching up to twist my hair between her fingers. "I've missed you, too, but will you please just trust me?"

"I do trust you." I jerked my head towards Alice. "It's that manipulating pixie I don't trust."

Alice, who was impatiently waiting a few feet away from us, folded her arms, looking offended. She muttered to herself, "This was _her_ idea," she huffed. "First Carlisle, now you. I'm not the bad guy here, people."

"Alice is fine," Bella assured me immediately. "She's been helping me."

"With _what_?"

"I can't tell you."

"Bella —" I began tiredly.

"Yet."

Her eyes were dancing with glee. There was an almost mischievous glint in her gaze, and I knew she was thoroughly enjoying my frustration at this big mystery. I let myself get trapped in its depths for a while, thoroughly enjoying the warmth I felt spreading through me as I got a glimpse of her soul.

I _really_ missed those eyes.

"Fine. I'm giving you two no more than an hour. If you don't drive her back here by –" I swiftly checked my pointing a finger at Alice "– four twenty-eight sharp… actually, no, _I'm_ coming to pick her up."

"Even better." Bella said quickly, kissing my cheek. "We have a deal."

Once again, I tried to get a glimpse of Alice's thoughts, but she was focused solely on something completely off-topic.

"I still don't like this." I warned them.

"You don't like anything," Alice grumbled, too low for Bella to hear. She dragged Bella to my car. "Let's go before he changes his mind."

Alice's thoughts were screaming at me as they pulled away.

_Don't you _dare _follow us, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen! I'll catch you anyway, and you _will _be in big trouble. Don't forget that Bella wants this, otherwise she wouldn't be asking. I know it'll be a difficult task, but try to mind your own business for an hour maximum, okay? See you in an hour. No. Peeking!_

I sighed and turned back towards Bella's house. Despite it being afternoon, nobody was paying attention, so I was free to jump through her window without worry. Only this time, there was no Bella to welcome me.

I couldn't believe my two favorite girls had talked me into waiting here _by myself_ for an hour. I would go insane with boredom.

Bella's scent was most prominent here. I inhaled deeply, letting her tantalizing scent wash over me. If she wasn't here physically, it was next best comfort to me.

I set down her school backpack that she had requested I put in room. My fingers froze suddenly as I remembered her little agitation earlier in class. The CD, I was sure, was still in there, and I had the growing suspicion that she was hiding something from me.

I let my fingers trail hesitantly over her bag, circling the zipper with my index finger.

Maybe just one quick peek… ?

_No_, I reprimanded myself, firmly closing the zipper and shooting across the room to sit on her bed. Bella would surely be terribly sore with me if she ever found out that I had invaded her privacy, and frankly, it really _was_ none of my business.

Even if she was keeping a secret from me.

I hated that I was being kept in the dark about something. I'd been hoping that after school was out, Bella and I could spend the day together, simply relaxing and making up for the time that we'd lost this past week. Now that Bella had other plans with Alice, even if they were for an hour, I couldn't help the feeling of hurt pass through me.

Did she _not_ want to spend time with me?

Perhaps I'd been suffocating her with my presence ever since the incident with James. Maybe she wanted to spend time with other friends too. Mentally, I vowed to myself that over the course of this summer, no matter how selfish I wanted to be and keep her all to myself, I would grant her the space and time with her human friends without my interference.

The seconds were ticking by agonizingly slowly, so to prevent myself from losing my sanity completely, I drifted through her empty house, entertaining myself – even if only barely – by sifting through dusty photo albums and any kind of links to her past.

By the time the hour passed, I think all my hair had been pulled out in my aggravation. I slipped out of Bella's house and into the forest, speeding towards my home where Bella would be waiting.

I met Alice on the porch steps instead.

"I gave you two an hour," I told her briskly, pushing past her. Bella's scent was even more prominent now, evidence of her being here within the past hour. "As per your request."

Alice didn't respond as I whirled through the house. There was no use anyway. I couldn't hear Bella's heartbeat.

"Alright, where is she?" I growled, crossing my arms over my chest. In the back of my mind, I registered that everybody was gone from the house, but I refused to dwell on it.

"I'll tell you," Alice promised. "But first, do her a favor and change clothes."

I bristled impatiently. "Alice, Bella doesn't care about —"

"She does this time."

With that, my sister pulled me up to my room and handed me a navy blue button up with dress pants.

"What are these for?" I asked, confused, but pulling them on regardless.

Alice flitted in between her bedroom and mine, bringing a wet comb with her and proceeding to attack my hair.

"You're doing an amazing job at controlling your thoughts, you know," I observed, irked. "And the hair won't stay. It hasn't been for the past century. So you might as well give up and tell me what's going on."

"Bella's waiting for you." Alice said.

I watched as a familiar place floated up into Alice's mind. My meadow. _Our_ meadow.

For a moment, I was frozen in shock before I shouted, "She's at the _meadow_? By _herself_? How could you let this happen, Alice? What if she gets hurt?"

I didn't even bother to wait for her answer. I could see nothing past the red cloud of fury that there was a chance of Bella being in even the slightest danger.

Throwing myself out my bedroom, I sprinted for the garage and jammed my keys into the ignition. The garage door, I realized with an agitated hiss, was opening at an infuriatingly slow pace, so I simply started the engine and shot right through the door, leaving a gaping car-sized hole in it.

Oops. Esme wouldn't be too pleased about that.

It was a good thing the traffic was light at this time of day because at this particular moment, I certainly didn't give a damn about abiding by the laws. Not that somebody could have caught me anyway; I was shooting past well over one hundred and fifty.

Before I could completely lose my sanity, the meadow came into view and I unintentionally toppled over a young tree in my violent parking.

"Please be safe, please be safe," I begged desperately, chanting the phrase like a mantra.

The closer I got, the quicker it was to narrow in on the familiar pounding of Bella's heart. I latched onto it like a lifeline, my fears instantly dissipating at the soothing, calm and steady throbbing. Her breathing was much quieter, but my ears picked up on it.

Despite my relief, I still burst into the meadow anxiously, my gaze instantly locking onto her, _needing_ to see for myself that she was physically safe.

I let myself relax at her beautiful smile which was now directed at me.

She was safe.

Alright, so perhaps I had overreacted a bit.

"Bella," I breathed reverently, taking a step towards her. "I —"

Only then, as my body began to calm down from my apparently unnecessary worries and the dark haze fully clear, did I notice… well, everything.

With each new detail I took in, my mouth parted that many inches apart. Any words I'd been possibly trying to form died on my lips as my gaze hungrily feasted on every inch of Bella's slender physique.

She was _dazzling_.

My breath hitched as I took in every inch of her. She was sitting down in the middle of our meadow, a thin picnic blanket spread out underneath her. Her body was somewhat twisted in my direction as if she'd been expecting my arrival from this side of the meadow the entire time. She was leaning back, her hands, sheathed in white gloves, were supporting her from behind.

Her hair, which was tied up in a neat bun, was shining the familiar red I was so accustomed to seeing under the sunlight. As a gentle breeze picked up, my eyes zeroed in on the ends of her hair that were loose from the bun. It was impossible to miss the subtle curls in the tips as they fluttered around her face and clung to the curves of her chest. My gaze was trapped there, and as soon as the venom began to pool into my mouth, I finally chastised myself for my ungentlemanly behavior. I moved further down; her legs…

Dear God.

Even as I allowed my eyes to briefly roam each and every visible inch of her pale, smooth and long legs, I had to bite back a groan at the sheer desire that coursed through me at the sight.

Especially when she was dressed like _that_.

I tried my best to limit my ogling, but the dark blue dress was snug and tight against her body. Though the dress was free of any distracting embroidery and bows, the top half was ruffled, brushing against her curves. The sleeves were aboveher elbows which gave Bella a rather old-fashioned look.

I finally met her stare, gazing deeply into the warm depths and surrendering myself to her. It was evident that she had all the control over me.

In that moment, it was confirmed that Bella Swan had been deceiving me all along. She wasn't a human. She was the cross between a goddess and temptress.

"Bella?" I choked out, taking a few hesitant steps forward. "What —?"

Smiling widely, Bella began to stand up, and that was when I noticed a stack of what looked like books and CD cases held tightly together within a ribbon and a bow on top. She walked up to where I was standing, frozen and bewildered, and pressed the stack into my hands.

"For you." she smiled.

"What is all this?" I finally managed to demand, not looking at the books. "Bella, what is going on?"

I sniffed the air curiously. Alice had been here. Her scent was fading which meant that it was probably a few days old.

Now that she was centimeters away from me, I was having difficulty in saying anything. She looked so stunning in her dress and her eyes were dancing with mirth. The sun was doing wonders to her dark brown hair and her pale skin glowed under the bright light. Her lips were rosy and shiny, courtesy of Alice's lip gloss. And her _scent_…

Christ. She was _killing_ me.

Bella didn't reply. She surveyed me with a grin. "I didn't think Alice would actually listen to me," she mused to herself. "I'm glad she didn't force you into wearing a tux." Her heartbeat sped up, pounding against her chest. "This heart-racking enough for me. Wait here."

I got a glimpse of the blood pooling into her cheeks, but she turned around before I could cradle her face in my palms. The dress was doing wonderful, _wonderful_ things to her body as she skipped away, and I hurriedly averted my gaze to my hands as a distraction, so that I wouldn't attack her right there.

I frowned down at the stack, yanking the ribbon off with one swipe. My puzzlement grew as I studied each item. _Dracula_ was included with some other books. Ironic, giving a vampire this particular book. My eyes widened at several of the CDs I found there. Before I could pay them any more attention, I heard a soft click several feet away.

Glancing up, my gaze immediately flitted over to the speaker I hadn't noticed earlier. And I knew why. It was buried in the grass and surrounded by some of the tallest flowers as if purposefully hidden.

Bella was walking back to me now. With a glorious smile, she pushed the books out of my hands and flung her own arms around my neck.

I staggered back, taken off guard, as she raised herself on her toes to press her lips against mine. Even though my arms instinctively went around her middle to pull her closer, my stance was still stiff with confusion.

What on earth was going on?

I was about to ease back, worried that our intimacy was getting a little too dangerous, but Bella pulled away first, much to my surprise. Our faces were inches apart and she was breathing heavily, as was I.

Her fingers were at the nape of my neck, softly lacing and tugging her fingers through my hair. I couldn't think straight.

When she finally opened them, her eyes were dark, shining and loving on mine. "Happy Birthday, Edward." she whispered.

My mouth dropped open. I stared at her, hearing but not comprehending the words

Birthday?

My mind was racing. It _was_ indeed the twentieth of June, my human birthday. How had I not realized it?

I was still gaping like an idiot when she grabbed my hands to drag me to the middle of the meadow.

She slid one hand up to my shoulders while twining our free hands in the air. "Dance with me?" she requested in a soft murmur, her voice shaking slightly.

As soon as the words fell from her lips, a soft melody began to play out from the speaker, slowly filling the meadow with music.

And then, we were _waltzing_.

My jaw was slack as I twirled with her mindlessly. My brain was numb. It was as if I'd been transported to a different world.

"Bella," I whispered in shock.

I hadn't celebrated my birthday in more than a century. Birthdays, to vampires especially, weren't considered momentous occasions. The life of a vampire was forever. It wasn't even a life. Just a mere existence. An _eternal_ existence, and I always despised it. I was a soulless, blood-sucking monster. There was nothing celebratory-worthy of growing old each year to a vampire. We would _never_ get old. We were trapped within our own selves.

If Rosalie and I had anything in common, it was the hateful sentiments we shared towards our existences. Rosalie was jealous of the human experiences she'd been denied. Despite her external beauty, she wasn't too pleased that her chance of becoming a mother and growing _old_ had been snatched away from her. To her, birthdays were just a cruel reminder of what she didn't – could never – have.

Unlike Rosalie, I didn't particularly resent this life because of the human experiences I couldn't have, such as having a family and growing old with a spouse. Until Bella, it wasn't as if I'd ever had the _motivation_ to feel that way.

But now, Bella _was_ in my life. And we were _dancing_, of all things.

I was astounded of her graceful movements. She was doing all the leading, and her steps were confident and bold, yet slightly wary at the same time. Under normal circumstances, I would have enjoyed taking the lead, but just one look at the obvious happiness on her face made me decide to take a back seat. She was gazing down and biting her lip in concentration. It was so beautiful, I couldn't dare to shatter that picture. For the moment, I was extremely content to simply follow and let her remain in her element.

"Bella," I murmured. "Am I dreaming?"

Her soft tinkling laugh echoed in the meadow and my ears. "Vampires can't sleep, remember?" she reminded me, looking up and meeting my enraptured stare.

We pulled apart, still joined by the hands. As we were apart, the sunlight hit my arms, causing sparkles to arise. Bella glanced at it, grinned to herself, and we came together again. Not once did her expression betray any disgust of my unnatural and monstrous skin that I was so accustomed to thinking of myself.

What did I do to deserve this angel? She was so accepting, so selfless, so brave, so graceful…

"Well, then," I ran my nose down the side of her face, inhaling deeply. "This is a very beautiful daydream that I never want to wake up from."

She giggled, twirling around under my raised arm.

"Did you learn how to waltz for me?"

She couldn't have missed the astonishment in my voice.

"Yes," Her blush grew more pronounced, and she dropped her eyes bashfully under my awestruck stare.

"And just when I think you can't get any more selfless." I mused in awe.

Bella difficulties with gravity and balance were dangerous yet endearing at the same time. I knew it frustrated her greatly that she couldn't last two minutes without stumbling. And because I was very familiar with her aversion to dancing, the effort and willingness she must have had to learn waltzing in the first place was the most valuable present ever.

And it was all for _me_.

"I know I'm not very good," She blew out a nervous breath, as if she'd been holding on it for quite some time, looking more and more embarrassed by the second. "I mean, Alice and I only had four days to practice, and everything was kind of rushed. But I didn't want to let your birthday pass by unacknowledged. Alice and Esme told me you've never celebrated one since before your transformation. And I remember how much Prom meant to you. I'm sorry if this is weird for you. I just thought —"

I planted my feet on the ground and halted our movements. She gasped in surprise when I yanked her to my chest to kiss her as hard as I could without hurting her. Her lips were like fire under mine, a very pleasant fire. I expected the venom to pool into my mouth, to send me into a frenzy of wanting to bite down and drink her blood, but the week-long worth of hunting and my sheer love for her overrode any feelings of bloodlust.

Her mouth moved eagerly under mine, and I had to remind myself to break off the kiss before I got carried away.

"Sweetheart," I panted, my breath rough and chest heaving. "This is perfect. _You're _perfect."

"_Thank_ you," I told her earnestly, pressing my lips to her shoulder. I trailed butterfly kisses down the length of her arm, before raising her hand to my mouth for a kiss. "I didn't even realize it was my birthday, and you turned it into one of the best days of my life. A lovely surprise."

"I was only able to surprise you because you can't read my mind."

"Thanks for the reminder," I said sourly, before relaxing into a smile. "Maybe that's true. But even if I were able to read your mind, I know you would still surprise me just by being yourself."

She stared at me quizzically.

"You're so different from other people, humans or vampires; you're _unique_," I explained reverently. "Your reactions, your feelings, your words. Everything about you is a surprise. I know that there are so many mysteries I haven't yet uncovered about you."

"We have forever." she reminded me, her voice sounding hopeful.

My eyebrows furrowed. At the moment, I didn't want this to escalate into our usual disagreement. I simply held her tighter, neither accepting nor contradicting her statements.

I dropped my head to her shoulder. "I love you." I murmured, my voice slightly muffled by the fabric.

"Love you," she mumbled back. After a moment's pause, she asked almost tentatively, "Edward, can I ask you something?"

"Anything, sweetheart."

"How old are you?"

I grimaced before sighing. "Still seventeen."

She sighed, too, and I didn't need to read her mind to know where her thoughts were going.

We stood motionless, just hugging in the middle of the meadow and basking in each other's presence.

"Well, that went well." Bella sighed, stepping back and casting a rueful glance at the stereo. The music was just reaching its final notes before coming to a stop. "I'm surprised I didn't fall. Or die of anxiety."

"Don't talk like that," I scolded lightly. "And I don't think we're done just yet."

"What?"

I cocked my head to the side, hearing apparently the next round of music which was too low for Bella's ears to catch right away.

"There's more." I smiled mischievously. I bowed, determined to take the lead this time. "May I have this dance, my lady?"

Her eyes widened, frowning down at her feet. "There's more? Alice didn't teach me this part."

"Are your feet sore?" I demanded anxiously.

"Only a little," she admitted. "The high heels kill it. But even then, I don't know the steps."

"Oh," I smiled in relief. "Well in that case… take off the heels."

She stared at me suspiciously before obliging. As soon as her feet were free, I grabbed her closer and slid her feet over mine, like the way I had done at Prom. I took her hand and waist once again, and we continued to spin just as gracefully as before.

I took care to spin at a relatively slow pace. I was aware, from experience, that Bella tended to react to my speed with lightheadedness and fainting.

"Better?" I asked, grinning.

Her face was red, but she nodded with a smile.

"Impressive; you're just getting better and better at dancing, you know," I told her proudly.

"Thank you," she said shyly. "Alice is a great teacher."

My thoughts went back to Alice and my conversation with earlier. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there when you had your cast removed. Are you still experiencing any pain?"

"Relax, Edward," she assured me. "It doesn't bother me anymore."

I nodded solemnly. "Let me know if it does; I'll have Carlisle —"

"Shh," she demanded, cutting me off with a swift peck. "No more worrying. You're supposed to be enjoying your birthday with a peace of mind."

"I am," I told her sincerely. "This is the best birthday I've ever celebrated. I love it."

"Did you notice the theme Alice and I were going for?"

I chuckled, lifting her hand to kiss it again. "I certainly did. The early 1900s. Your gloves," I gestured to her hands. "Your hair tied up. Your dress. Speaking of which, did I tell you how gorgeous you are?"

"Um… "

"You've always been insanely beautiful," I said huskily. "And the dress is a wonderful surprise, but it isn't exactly making things easier for me."

She giggled, ducking her head into my chest. "I didn't even see the dress until two hours ago."

"Wait a minute." I paused as it dawned on me. "So _this_ is the dress we were sent to New York to pick up?"

She nodded. "Alice needed you to stay away as long as possible. Sorry about that. But how did you not notice it?"

"It was mainly Rosalie who handled it. And frankly, I was too angry at Alice and busy missing you to care."

"I missed you, too. I'm sorry I was so distant over the phone."

"Don't apologize; I understand now."

She leaned more heavily on me so that her head fit perfectly in the crook of my neck. The warmth of her skin pressed tightly against mine ignites sparks to erupt between our bodies. Our waltzing was gradually fading into slow revolving. The sun was setting beside us. A soft breeze around us made the wildflowers sway around our ankles. The background music was still on, a gentle lullaby to our ears.

_Everything_ was perfect.

"Make a wish, Edward." Her voice was droopy against my shoulder; she was getting sleepy.

"I already did."

"And? Did it come true?"

I hid a smile in her hair and flexed my arms around the greatest gift I could possibly receive. "It sure did."

She hummed, amused. "Happy birthday, Edward."

A very happy birthday indeed.

* * *

**AN:** Your thoughts? _I_ personally think the surprise-reveal could have been better, but I did my best… Well, that's the end! I couldn't think of anything for the epilogue. Thanks for sticking till the end!


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Twilight, Drama, Romance