This was all meant to be one story, but both 'Christmas Present' & 'Happy New Year' were nominated for TwiFanfictionRecs Top 10 in Dec 18 & Jan 19 respectively. xx

So now these will be a series of one-shots throughout the year under the umbrella of 'Celebrations'. Looks like they evenly space to 1 every 2 months xx

Thanks to twi nana for her choice of event for Rose, making her first xx Alexis

"Hey Lily, are you doing anything for Women's Day?" asked Terri,

"Woman's Day, what's that all about?" Rose answered, remembering to answer to her new name.

"Where you been living? Under a rock, you Americans are crazy, you know that!" Terri says exasperatedly to her new friend of sorts.

Lily was and still is a hard nut to crack and although she said little about her past. Terri thought there might have been some serious trouble, family trouble back home in the States. If it had just been a man she'd have mentioned her family, but she was tight-lipped about it all.

When they first met she had barely been approachable, but Terri wasn't put off. Damn and people said the Scottish were dour, Lily took the proverbial biscuit. That had been the first time Rose had cracked a smile in months, this girl was unafraid and even had said,

"Don't be trying that hard faced bitch look on me, I'm immune. My mother's got it down pat!"

When asked by the pushy young woman, Rose had said her name was Lillian Rosalie Chalmers, Terri had laughed and said

"Okay, that's your Sunday go to Church name, what am I to call You?"

Rose had been taken aback and shrugged her shoulders; Terri had dipped her head to the side saying,

"How about Lily? There's something flower like about you and lilies are pretty nice. Not the white funeral one's mind, but the other ones, they're elegant like you, so Lily it is. I'm Teresa, but don't call me that, call me Terri. There that's all sorted"

From then on whenever Rose's had gone into town, she seemed to meet Terri, granted it was a small town so she wasn't surprised. That had been two months ago now and her car business was just getting off the ground locally, but she had her online one as well so money was starting to flow in and she began to breathe a little easier so to speak.

Little by little Terri picked away at the hard crust surrounding the new girl. Rose had never meant to get involved with humans, especially after all she had said about Bella and all the nasty things she'd done. Unlike before when there were so many of them popping in and out of the local supermarkets, petrol stations and post offices you didn't have to get very involved. But as she was visiting constantly, Terri wouldn't take no for an answer and Rose was lonely, needing someone to talk too.

So for the first time since Vera, she had a friend. Unlike Vera, Terri wasn't interested in settling down, the idea for having children made her laugh, she as Bella had been, was a modern girl who didn't want what her mother and grandmother did. Rose was beginning to see she had held Bella up against her own standards, no wonder the poor girl failed, anyone would have.

This was not the 1930's but that was still Roses standpoint, she was beginning to grasp it was she who was wrong, she who was out of step and out of touch with humanity. Like yesterday when that man had whistled at them and made a crude gesture, Rose was annoyed, angry even but said nothing, Terri, on the other hand, had shouted back at him,

"Hey fucker, Awa' an bile yer heid!" then gave him the finger, without breaking stride or her conversation with Rose.

Rose had only ever done that when Emmett was there to back her up. Women today said what they wanted and didn't assume all men knew better or could handle things better, as Rose was brought up to believe. Was that why she believed Edward because deep down she was conditioned to do just that? Today's women spoke their minds and swore if they wanted too.

Esme's constant correcting them in the past was just as outdated, Rose now saw this clearly. Whereas Carlisle, Emmett and Jasper embraced each decade as it arrived, Rose, Edward and Esme clung to the past like limpets. Alice has marched to a totally different drummer unseen by the others. Rose now understood she had fallen into the, any man is better than no man at all trap.

Her relationship with Emmett had been for show rather than true love. She had cared for him greatly and he in his way had her, but he wasn't the one and they had both settled for each other rather than go looking for their soulmate. Shaking her head to break out of her reverie, Rose made a decision.

She would get involved with Women's Day, she may be a vampire but she was a woman first. Without realising it Rose had taken a monumental step in growing up as a woman and vampire. Unaware of the thoughts in her friends head Terri explained,

"Well, the official spiel according to this leaflet is,

'International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity'

Anyway, the town has a fun run, which is no damn fun at all, cause it's so flipping cold. But there's stalls and stuff in the town hall. All the businesses are run by women and you could set up a stand and offer free oil checks and all that malarkey for female's customers only.

It wouldn't do your business any harm and help you get to know more people. I'll be there my mother wants me to run our farm stall. We sell eggs, spuds and seasonal veggies, you know! So what do you think?" Terri asked and Rose didn't stop to think.

"Alright, I'll do it. Who do I speak to about a stand? Can we do that now?" She said impatiently, now the bit was between her teeth.

IWD

"Carlisle? Do you think I'm fit enough to take part in the Port Angeles fun run for International Women's Day, on the 8th of March?" Bella asked looking up from the flyer in her hand,

"If you don't push yourself and go at a steady pace, yes sweetheart you'll do great" He replied kissing her on the cheek.

Bella felt she had to get involved with everything before she left Forks forever. Almost like leaving her mark and showing people how happy she'd been here.

"I'll see if Angela and some of the others want to do it with me, it should be fun. Well if the rain stays off it should be!" Bella said laughing and pulled out her cell phone that Carlisle insisted she needed, so they could keep in contact at all times.

The time for her departure from Forks, hell America was looming on the horizon. Carlisle never begrudged her the time she was spending with Charlie or her friends, he was not Edward. He wanted his mate to be happy and at the end of the day, that was all that mattered. Her heart was big enough to share around and that made him happy as well.

IWD

Rose spent the next few days printing glossy leaflets, easy how-to guides for women. Not that women didn't understand car terminology; they just wanted the facts quickly,

How to check the oil, How to change a tyre, How to top up the antifreeze, How to keep the windscreen washers working, How to fit snow chains. She even did one on things to always carry in the boot (trunk) for emergencies. Getting used to the difference in names was strange to Rose, but she had now stopped calling things by their American names, like a bonnet instead of a hood and of course a boot instead of a trunk.

The slang terms for things too had her baffled but she managed to get to grips with them as well. This was a rural community and the cars tended to be older, manual drive and far more prone to problems. The weather causes lots too, rust was the enemy here. Without realising it she was doing things for others first instead of herself, this was a new approach to life for the old Rosalie Lillian Hale!

So to were her eating habits, here in Scotland there was plenty of game to be found. But they were protected and damn they even counted them. If a deer was killed on the road it had to be reported to the Police. So Rose had decided she had to accept it and feed from humans, that way it would be less frequent and the cities held just as many criminals here, as they did at home. Her reasoning before had been childish and petty, 'I'm better than you' syndrome basically.

The strangest thing she found was how being pale here was not commented on at all. Scottish people were by definition pale and pasty anyway. The lack of sun was truly on her side here, even on good days it tended to be weak and as the locals said 'Dreech'. A new word for her vocabulary and she was amassing quite a few. All in all, Rose didn't stand out quite so much here and even having red eyes didn't faze people, they just assumed she was an Albino who dyed her hair blonde to alleviate the startling whiteness of all her features.

"Hell woman I'd rather have red eyes like you, than red hair and freckles! But we deal with what we're given. Life's a bummer and then we die!" Terri had said laughingly and it never was raised again.

Little by little Rose was beginning to see for herself all that Carlisle had tried to impart to them. But because she had refused to put her head above the parapet before, Rose had never grasped it back then. Now living amongst strangers she was seeing it daily. Humans are not lesser beings; they were just as different and diverse as vampires. She was saddened that it took the destruction of the family to finally make her see and learn the truth.

IWD

As March the 8th approached, Carlisle wanted to be there for Bella. He wanted her to see him as she crossed the finish line. He wanted to be her moral support and he just found a way. The University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle was having a symposium and he wangled an invite, having worked there recently as a consultant. They were having a break on the morning of the 8th so the female doctors who'd enter the Port Angeles fun run could attend.

This was his excuse to be there, but he knew he better give Chief Swan some warning. Bella had explained how her father had reacted to their departure and Edward's dumping her in the forest. To say he was mad was an understatement. So he gathered up his resolve and called the station, once transferred through the coolness of the Chief's voice could not be hidden.

"Doctor Cullen! This is a ..., surprise. What can the small, boring town of Forks Washington do for you today?" Charlie said not hiding or caring how his sarcasm was taken,

"Hello Chief Swan, I just wanted to apologise for any pain and displeasure my old family caused you and your daughter!" Carlisle said softly.

"Old family? As in not family anymore? What the hell Carlisle?" Charlie said reverting quickly back into the easy friendship they'd once had,

"Yes well, it appeared I'm a better Doctor than I am a judge of people's character! My trust fund and status were a bigger pull for my wife and family than I was!" Carlisle explained to the stunned Chief.

"All of them? Jesus that's harsh!" Charlie commiserated,

"No not quite, Jasper was on my side and possibly Emmett would have if Rose hadn't convinced him to go along with the others. But Esme, Edward and Alice tried to fleece me for every dime!" Carlisle huffed it still hurt badly.

"Damn, Edward I understand, that boy was a pompous asshole! But Esme and Alice, shit!" Charlie said pulling no punches, did everyone see through that boy but me, Carlisle mused?

"That was all part of why we just left so suddenly. But I swear I never thought he'd take it out on Bella, Charlie! What he did was unforgivable and so typical of the spoiled brat he was! Esme has control of those two now and the others went their own way. I am no longer funding their laziness or keeping any contact!

Except for Jasper, he's gone home to Texas, he found out his real brother is there and he wanted to build a relationship with him" Carlisle said and Charlie could hear the softening of his tone as he talked about Jasper,

"Well your still young, thirty-three's not old. The right woman is out there just waiting, Carlisle" Charlie said meaning every word,

"Actually I'm only twenty-eight! Esme was older and made me tell everyone I was the same age as her. The medical board knows of course and it's on my documents but ..., Jesus I was a fool and no mistake!" Carlisle said laughing dryly.

"Damn you're only ten years older than Bells! In that case, the world's your oyster, Carlisle. So what brings you back here?" Charlie asked amicably,

Carlisle told him about the Symposium and the Doctors running in the fun run. Explained he didn't want to turn up unannounced, and then he acted surprised when Charlie said Bella was partaking too. The made plans to meet at the finish line and ended their call.

IWD

The 8th finally arrived and although Rose didn't feel any different on the outside, on the inside she knew she had started to change. Hell in the three months she'd been here she hadn't had her hair done or gone to a spa. She hadn't wasted money on clothes she didn't need or want. She'd instead decorated her new home, also gotten the garden ready for a few plants, that kind of thing.

She was becoming an independent woman, one who was capable of solving her own problems and at the end of a long day was happy in her own company. This was a far cry from the Rose of old and she knew it would never have happened if she'd gone elsewhere. Scotland had a tradition of strong hardy women and it had rubbed off on her it seemed.

She joined everyone else to watch the fun run, cheered on the townspeople and then spent the next few hours giving help and instructions to several young women and a couple of older ones who found they now needed to know these things for various reasons. She chatted, discussed and generally made acquaintances, realising it wasn't a bad thing at all.

That when she finally moved on, people would remember her not because she was different or standoffish, but because she'd been kind and helpful. This was what finally brought it all home to her, she had succeeded and the one person she wanted to share that with she could not. Because she let greed and selfishness destroy her relationship with him, she had truly lost her father figure for all time.

IWD

When Bella and her friends together, finally staggered over the finish line her eyes landed on the two most important men in her life, her father Charlie and her mate Carlisle standing side by side. Everyone was agog, at how young Carlisle looked, how happy and relaxed he was. He congratulated everyone and prayed no one noticed when he hugged Bella for a tad too long.

"You have no idea how proud of you I am Isabella, you've come a long way from the clumsy teenager I first met in the E.R," he said laughing and of course she blushed all shades of red,

"Thank you, Doc..., Carlisle. I'm so happy to see you here today too" she answered smiling happily.

While the girls headed off to change Carlisle introduced some of the Doctors from Seattle to Charlie, but all good things, as they say, must come to an end. So as they returned he said his goodbyes promising to drop by next time he was in the area. Finally, with a little squeeze of Bella's arm, he strode off to meet up with the rest of his party.

"Wow, he seemed so different!" Jessica said in an awe-filled voice,

"And so young looking," Angela said kindly.

"Yes, he said he's actually only twenty-eight. His ex-wife didn't like anyone to know she was older than him!" Charlie mumbled, watching his daughter, watching the Doctor's retreating back,

"Well, who'd have guessed the heartthrob of the Cullen family was actually the father figure!" Bella said taking her own father's arm and dragging him along to see all the rest of the sights for International Women's Day.

IWD

Nobody was celebrating International Women's Day in the citadel of Volterra, Italy. Today was just the same as yesterday and it would be just the same tomorrow for Edward Masen. He was a broken shell of the arrogant, pompous child he had been three months ago. In the hierarchy of the Volturi, Edward was the lowest you could possibly go. He now cleaned the feeding room unaided, no one wanted to talk to him, no one wanted to help him.

Few things are prized by vampires, but loyalty is one of them. Years of co-existing are built on trust and loyalty, Edward had proved he respected neither and thus was shunned by all. He could not read their minds without inflicting longer and longer bouts of pain on himself. After the idiot's last attempt he was ripped apart and left for two weeks in a cell in the dungeon. One thing for sure was, Edward was a very slow learner!

Caius wanted to just rid themselves of him, but Marcus and Aro refused. They would carry out Carlisle's punishment and maybe one day many years from now Edward would be a real candidate for the guard. He needed to understand and accept his place in the grand scheme of things, but that was a ways off at present. He just needed fifty years or so, he'd see the light they hoped by then.

If not, well as they say in Italy, 'Quel che sarà sarà'

IWD

As the day drew to a close in Scotland, Rose felt a sense of achievement. She had taken part in something bigger than herself; she had stood shoulder to shoulder with other women, knowing around the world so to were millions of others, for a common cause. It put all her petty thoughts and acts from the past firmly behind her once and for all. She now saw why Carlisle always gave back to the communities they had lived in.

These women were temporary and fleeting in the passage of time, but she was eternal. She would participate more, give back more and enjoy her time in each place while it lasted. With that in mind, she emailed Jenks in Seattle and asked him to set up a similar trust for her, like Carlisle's.

But this would benefit women the world over. She had endless time to help those who really were less fortunate than she ever was. The abused, the homeless, the uneducated and the forgotten. One day all who asked would be given a helping hand from 'The Lily & The Rose' foundation. For the first time since her change Rose had a purpose a mission and one day maybe Carlisle would see she had changed and become the woman he knew she could always have been.

Awa' an bile yer heid! (Scottish) - Away and boil your head!

Dreech (Scottish) - weather that is damp, cold, grey.

International Women's Day (IWD) has occurred for well over a century, with the first IWD gathering in 1911 supported by over a million people in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. Prior to this the Socialist Party of America, United Kingdom's Suffragists and Suffragettes, and further groups campaigned for women's equality. (Information is taken directly from the IWD, UK website)

Quel che sarà sarà means 'whatever will be, will be'.

The most common translation is closest to Spanish Que sera, sera, but it really was Italian in origin. ...

Mother's day with Esme will be next on the 12th of May as in the USA (after Norway & the UK's, but before Sweden. It's the same day as Denmark) So 4 reminders for her xx Alexis