A/N: Maggie and I wrote this in just over a week sitting on the floor in her bedroom and a pint of ice cream between us. Sometimes it was candy. There were a lot of distractions, discussions about one thing or another and she's a mother to four incredible kids. She's truly amazing and this turned out so much better with her at my side. I love you all over, my dearest Hot Lips!

Ankita was bombarded with photos hoping we'd make her jealous and she'd come join us. She laughed and we laughed with her. While she couldn't be with us in the physical sense, she was with us in spirit. And she did promise to join us next year! We're holding you to that, girl!

"Get your asses out of bed! It's Christmas, baby," Emmett hollered.

Edward jerked awake, his heart pounding. It was too fucking early, the sky still dark with only the hint of false dawn lightening the eastern horizon.

"Shut up, Em!" Bella yelled at his side. She grinned at him sleepily. "He hasn't grown up."

"And he's gonna be a father soon," Edward said and wiped the sleep from his eyes. He turned to face her, his fingers ghosting across her cheek.

"Morning." She turned into him, a yawn escaping from her lips. "You've survived my crazy, dysfunctional family."

"I've got my eye on the prize."

She chuckled softly. "I'm not much of a prize."

He leaned in close, his lips brushing hers. "You should see it from my perspective."

The door swung open and Edward groaned, shooting a glare towards Emmett.

"Dude! Get your horny, humpin'…"

Edward flung a pillow towards Emmett. The fucker cackled, picked it up and tossed it back. The door closed.

"I said no milk…" Bella's father yelled from down the hall.

"... Without buying the cow! We know Dad," Emmett recited.

"We should have installed a lock on that door."

"Like that would have stopped him. Then he would stand there pounding on it until one of us opened it." Bella sighed. "I guess we better get downstairs. Em's not gonna quit before we're all seated around the tree. In fact, it'll only get worse."

"So much for getting my fifty percent worth," Edward said with a smirk, running his fingers up her inner thigh, but stopping just short. He rolled off the bed and went to the bathroom, laughing at her growl of frustration as the door swung shut behind him.

Dressed in pajamas, they all gathered around the tree. Renee brought out a tray full of coffee mugs and handed each person a cup.

"Are you putting milk in your coffee, son?" Charlie asked, his lips pursed, his eyes glaring.

Edward looked to Bella and she rolled her eyes, grinning. "Yeah, Dad. He's having lots and lots of milk. Cream, too. And butter."

Edward bit his lip to keep from bursting out in laughter at the shocked and irritated expression on Charlie's face.

"Charlie, let it go." Renee handed him his cup that read Still Nifty at Fifty. "They're adults. I'm sure Mike has plans to propose soon, right? Bella isn't getting any younger." She winked at Edward as if they shared a secret.

Bella choked on her coffee. She coughed, her face turning red. "What the fuck, Mom?"

"Language!" her mother scolded.

"I'm not that old."

"Maybe not, but I just want you to be happy. Settle down. Have a family…"

"Mom, seriously. Stop!"

Renee turned her focus on Edward. "Mike, you do plan on marrying my daughter, don't you?"

"When Bella's ready for me to go all in, I'll be 100 percent on board." He grinned, then yelped when Bella pinched his thigh.

Emmett dropped a gift in Edward's lap. "Present time. You go first, Mike."

Rubbing his thigh to erase the sting, he took the gift and tore open the wrapping. He eyed the sports jacket warily.

"Try it on," Emmett encouraged, grinning in anticipation.

It looked too small for Edward's broad frame, but he put it on, the fabric tight around his arms and stretching across his chest and shoulders. He was sure he heard a small tear.

Renee pursed her lips, while Jasper tried to contain his laughter. Emmett pouted and Bella, along with Rose and Alice, snickered.

"You owe me a hundred bucks," Jasper wheezed, stretching his hand out towards Emmett, who begrudgingly dug out the cash from his wallet.

"I thought you said he wore medium." Renee pulled on the too short sleeves, trying to button the coat and failing.

"He's been…" Bella's paused.

"... hitting the gym lately," Edward finished for her. The same excuse she'd given Alice and Rose.

"Oh." It seemed to appease Renee. "Well, exercise is good for you. I'll just exchange it then."

Jasper winked at Edward, thoroughly amused. Edward shot him a glare as he struggled out of the jacket.

Emmett didn't pass out the gifts in any particular order, but the family only opened one at a time. Jasper and Alice were the first ones to open one of his gifts. While Jasper had driven Edward to his friend's print and frame store, he hadn't seen the images, only the frames. The look of wonder and peace on his face was transcendent. The kiss the couple shared was even sweeter than the one Edward had captured down by the decorated pond.

"Thank you, Ed… Mike," Jasper said, barely catching himself in time.

"It's okay, son. I can't remember his name half the time either," Charlie said, winking at Edward as if to apologize for his verbal blunders during the first day of his visit.

Edward laughed along. He was pretty certain that those 'slips' hadn't been slips at all.

Rose actually came over to give Edward a hug when she and Emmett saw the picture of them at the Nativity scene. When she sank back down onto the sofa, Emmett caressed her belly softly, then mouthed a 'thank you' to Edward. There was a new kind of respect in his gaze. Hopefully that meant he would stop barging into their room before Edward and Bella had even gotten out of bed.

Charlie wiped moisture from his eyes, his mustache twitching, when he and Renee opened the large, oak-framed picture of them surrounded by lights. "I didn't want to say anything quite yet, but this is just… dammit, it's wonderful. This was the last year. I'll still put up lights, still pipe music out across the lake, still have hot chocolate and cider out for the kiddos and their parents that stop by, but I'm not entering the contest anymore. It's time for somebody else to get some recognition. So this… well, this picture just makes it all perfect. Yes it does." He sniffled again, and took the tissue Renee handed him to blow his nose.

Bella slipped her hand into Edward's and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I can't thank you enough," she said, her voice cracking slightly. "That's the most perfect gift ever. And dad's impossible to shop for. The last time he reacted even half as strongly was the year Emmett bought him that freaky singing fish."

"Big Mouth Billy Bass!" yelled Emmett, laughing. "He was the best. Whatever happened to him?"

Renee shushed him frantically. Evidently, she did not want the singing bass making a comeback.

Charlie was deaf to it all, though, still shaking his head and staring at the picture. "Renee, honey, just look at this picture. You look radiant. Prettier than the day I met you. That's talent, son. Real talent."

Renee fell silent, and Edward saw where Bella had gotten her brilliant blush.

He'd learned a lot about many of his subjects over the years, but this was completely different. He'd gotten to know each of them and was immersed in their lives. He was emotionally tied to those images. He still existed behind the camera, but parts of him were trapped inside the frame. He felt a tugging in his chest. Not painful. Not entirely unpleasant. But unsettling.

There was one gift left, a small silver-wrapped box. Edward had hidden it beneath the tree skirt to ensure that he was the one to hand it to Bella.

She took it hesitantly. "You didn't have to."

"I know," Edward murmured and watched her peel back the wrapping.

Bella gasped as she lifted the miniature frame with the restored photograph of her grandparents. She traced a finger delicately along the edges. "This is… it's just… how did you..." she met his gaze, a tear trailing down her cheek.

Edward brushed it away with his thumb. "I have a digital copy for you, too. So you can add it to albums or frame it properly on the wall."

She hung the new ornament in place of the damaged one, then turned and kissed him on the lips. "This is unbelievable. So beautiful," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Thank you. Just… thank you." Bella kissed him again, her fingers weaving into his hair as he deepened the kiss.

He was getting accustomed to the smell of her hair, the taste of her lips. His hands knew the curve of her spine. His eyes were closed, but he was certain he knew exactly what expression she was wearing. Desire. That was one image he wanted to capture and keep forever.

Jasper cleared his throat comically. "I would tell you to get a room, but you already have one. Maybe you can wait until you're in it?"

This time it was Bella who retaliated by throwing a crumpled ball of gift wrap at her older brother. A paper fight ensued, with Rose laughing from the safety of the couch.

Edward pulled Bella aside when Renee finally called for a truce between the combatants. "Later," he promised her with a wink. "I'm vying for fifty percent now."

After a delicious dinner and an evening of lounging in front of the fire as the snow blanketed the ground outside, Edward and Bella said goodnight to the family and headed upstairs.

The moment the door clicked shut, Bella spun on her heels and kissed his lips furiously. Surprised, Edward stumbled backwards, his back hitting the door.

"Bella," he managed between kisses. "Bella," he tried again, but her body was such a distraction.

"I don't care," she murmured against his mouth, slipping her hands beneath his shirt. "I don't care about the agreement anymore. I want it all… you… I want you tonight. One hundred percent."

His body ached. He wanted to be with her, but his heart was conflicted, his mind at war. All of this had started as a charade, a few white lies intended to make her holidays a little easier. And he had jumped at the opportunity to have her. Edward wanted her body, but now as his eyes flickered between hers, he realized that in under a week — the time spent with her family, her, all of it — the charade had become real to him. Too real.

Edward cupped her cheeks and kissed down her neck, afraid that she would see the panic in his eyes. Reality, separation, was two days away. She'd go back to New York, back to her life, while he was heading to South America, worlds away from her.

He swallowed as his lips traced her collarbone. Her scent — cinnamon and vanilla — was intoxicating. Those scents used to remind him of everything he'd lost. From now on, it would always remind him of her.

"Let's stick to our original arrangement," he whispered and squeezed his eyes shut, the words painful.

"But… ," she started to argue.

Edward drew back and shook his head, pushing her backwards towards the bed. "Fifty percent tonight. The rest is for tomorrow."

The lie tasted foul to him, but far better to lie tonight than to take what she offered him and still do what he had to do. He couldn't hurt her like that.

Slowly, he began to undress her. Her shirt fell to the floor. Her fingers combed slowly through his hair as he kissed down to the swell of her breasts. He unclasped her bra and slid the straps off her shoulders, letting it go to land at her feet. Edward inhaled sharply. Bella bit her lip as she peeled off his shirt.

"I was right. Beautiful. Sexy." The words he'd uttered in the bar at the airport. His lips brushed lightly across her nipple, then she cried out as he sucked at her. Desire was painted so clearly on her face. Edward's hands slid down to her hips. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," she answered after the briefest pause.

Retrieving his camera, Edward adjusted the light of the lamp on her nightstand and opened the curtains, the flickering light dancing through the room and across her skin.

"What are you…?"

He cupped her cheek. "Do you trust me with your body?"

She leaned into his touch. "Yes." A whisper.

"This is just between you and me." He kissed her slowly, deeply. "No one else," he promised.

He sat her down on the edge of the bed, adjusting her posture until the light landed perfectly, her skin practically glowing. Adjusting the aperture and white balance, he lifted the camera…

Click!

Bella bit her lip and watched him as he circled around to her other side. He couldn't think of another time his subject had been this alluring, this captivating. He swallowed, fingers gripping the camera.

"Lie down," he murmured after a moment. He was almost crippled by the need to strip her down, to take her and worship her body. "Put your arms over your head, on the pillow."

Click! Click! Click!

"So fucking beautiful."

She diverted her gaze. Her body was reacting to the low timbre of his voice. Her fingers curled into fists and her nipples tightened into points. Her stomach muscles clenched, the smooth planes of her belly disappearing beneath the waistband of her jeans. Her breasts, her hips, the tension in her thighs… He captured it all. The shifting light accentuated the contours of her body, each picture highlighting another feature. He felt exultant. Adrenalized.

Yes!

Click!

"I need to see all of you," he whispered, lowering the camera.

"Edward…"

He bent to kiss her, his body trembling with need. "I promise. Just you and me."

Slowly Bella reached for the zipper of her jeans. The camera focused on her hands, her graceful fingers. Edward held his breath as she gripped the fabric, wriggling a little as she slid her jeans and underwear down, unveiling the curve of her hips, the long muscles of her thighs, her calves. All of her.

Click!

Bella sat up and reached for his jeans, pulling him closer to stand between her knees. Edward groaned. He could see everything. Her mouth hung open, saliva glistening on her lower lip, and he ached at the thought of her mouth on him. Instead he focused on her hands, and the shutter closed just as she undid the button. It was almost too much.

He set his camera on the nightstand and cupped the back of her neck, his mouth finding hers, and laid her back. He covered her body with his own, feeling her breasts rising and falling as she breathed. He thrust his hips against her with a hiss as her nails scraped from his scalp to his neck and down the span of his back. She was marking him, parallel trails of ice turning to fire. He burned with lust.

Edward kissed slowly down her throat, nuzzling her neck, lingering at her breasts. He teased her until she whimpered and squirmed beneath him, his name falling from her lips in a desperate plea.

He moved down between her legs, kissing her inner thighs, inhaling her delicate scent. Bella panted his name, fingers curling into the sheet, her hips rotating, inviting him closer.

"So beautiful," he murmured softly as he kissed her hipbone. He grabbed his camera and placed it on her stomach, aimed at her face.

With one finger on the shutter button, he kissed her inner lips. She gasped and…

Click!

Each cry and moan he documented on film as he pleasured her with his tongue, pushing her closer to oblivion. She grasped her breasts with her hands, pinching her own nipples and arching her back.

Click!

He could only hear her, only feel her, his senses consumed by her as she finally tumbled over the edge with his name falling from her lips.

Slowly, he moved back up her body, kissing her warm skin until he reached her lips. "That's fifty percent," he said with a teasing grin.

"You're incorrigible," Bella murmured, her eyes fluttering closed, a content, satisfied smile on her face.

"You have no idea." Edward drew the blankets over her body and kissed her forehead. He stroked her cheek as she snuggled deeper into the covers, sleep already claiming her.

Later that night, with his bags packed and waiting by the door, Edward retrieved his old weathered notebook and began to write:

Dear Bella,

My plan this Christmas was to sit in my condo in the city, alone, doing some editing, preparing for my next assignment. It was just another day or week in my calendar. Nothing special.

These last few days, I've come to cherish this time of year again. The lights, the festivities and even your dad's bizarre restrictions on milk products. But none of this would have been the same without you. You gave me a sense of belonging. I haven't felt that since my parents passed away.

I only wish that we didn't have to pretend. I wish I could have introduced you to my parents. I wish I was the kind of man who could have given you a ring. And I wish for so much more...

Our lives intersected for a brief moment, just a handful of frames in a time lapsed video. I wish it didn't have to stop here.

I'll always think of you!

Merr…

"Edward?"

His pen froze, hovering above the page. Edward slowly turned to face her, knowing he couldn't hide what he was feeling. The muscles of his face, strained and trembling, displayed all the pain and conflict that burned inside his chest.

She crawled closer, naked, eyes darting to his messy scrawl on the page. He knew she was reading every word, but he couldn't bear to look at her, already knowing that tears were trailing down her cheeks.

"What were you going to write at the end?" Bella asked, her voice thick with emotion.

He shook his head and gripped the pen tighter. He felt exposed, raw.

"Please tell me." She moved to straddle him, cupped his cheeks and kissed his lips lightly, eyes darting between his. "Say it."

She knew. Of course, she knew.

"Merry Christmas, Bella." His voice broke on the last syllable. Those were words he hadn't spoken to anyone since his parents died, now uttered into the stillness of her room.

She seemed to understand the significance, even without an explanation. "Merry Christmas, Edward," she whispered against his lips, but what he felt was a promise. Love. Family. Hope. If he was willing to accept it.

"I don't care about our agreement anymore… A trade? Payment? I don't want that." He held himself back as she tried to kiss him again, although every part of him wanted to be closer.

Bella caressed his neck and shoulders, leaning her forehead against his. "I'm only interested in one hundred percent of you."

The notebook landed on the carpeted floor with a thud. Bella stood and tugged on his hands urging him to his feet. Edward towered over her, clothed before her unashamed nakedness. With sensual kisses and soft caresses, she peeled away his defenses until he stood before her, vulnerable and trembling with need.

Her fingers traced the planes of his chest, nails scratching lightly across his lower abdomen. So close. Edward hissed. He gripped her hips, pulling her closer and onto his lap as he sat on the edge of the mattress.

"One hundred percent," he murmured into her neck, eyes closed, feeling her warm and wet against his thighs.

She positioned herself above him and slowly sank down with a whimper. He groaned, fingers tightening on her hips. Each thrust drove him higher. Her whimpers fueled his need, and when she started moaning his name, he followed her over the edge and into the abyss.

Spent and out of breath, Edward drew the blankets over their naked bodies and let sleep take him. For the first time in nineteen years, he looked forward to the future. It didn't seem so lonely anymore.

The next morning, Edward took Bella's hand as they headed downstairs and into the kitchen. The entire family sat around the table, mugs of coffee in hand.

"Mom. Dad," Bella started. "I have a confession."

"Oh my god, you're pregnant," Renee shouted.

Edward's eyebrows jumped. He knew he'd made her see stars, but he hadn't thought any further than that moment. Was the burning in his stomach caused by terror, or excitement? What if she…?

"What?! No! Geez, Mom. I've been on the pill for 10 years and you know it."

Well, that answered that question.

Emmett and Jasper laughed, but one glare from Bella silenced them both. "I broke up with Mike…"

"What?" Charlie stood. "Then why is he still..." he pointed at Edward, brows furrowed.

"... And this is Edward," Bella finished with a smile, her arm looped through his.

"You mean to tell me that there's been a stranger sleeping in my house?" Charlie's hands twisted into fists, his face pulled into a grimace.

"He's not a stranger. Not to me. Not to any of us."

"Bella," Renee started with a shake of her head. "I thought Mike was the one!"

"Why would you think that? None of you had even met him! And if I had brought him here this week, you wouldn't have that photo hanging above your mantle," Bella retorted, folding her arms across her chest. She wasn't backing down.

"I don't understand." Renee continued. "Why would you feel like you had to lie to us?"

"Have you met you?" Jasper asked loudly. Emmett nodded in agreement. "She's your only daughter, and you have such high expectations of her. Any time she calls or visits, she can barely speak without you hounding her to 'find a man and settle down'. Why do you think she moved so far away, Mom?"

"But… I…" Renee started, eyes pleading as she looked at each of her children. "I only want what's best for you."

Charlie finally shook off his surprise and took a step in Edward's direction. "You've been guzzling milk, haven't you? That's why you came stomping down those stair like you… you…" His voice tapered off, and he seemed to notice how close Bella was standing, comfortable with Edward's hands on her hip and shoulder. Supporting her. Protecting her. But allowing her to face down her family on her own terms.

Charlie ground his teeth, caught between his own protective instincts and acknowledging the evidence of his daughter's happiness.

Bella, searching for anything to divert her parents' attention, pointed towards her brother. "Dad, Emmett wants to name the baby Dasher."

Emmett spun around and stared at her, slack jawed.

"What? Emmett, why…"

Everyone turned to Emmett, including his wife. He glared at Bella, but accepted that she needed the distraction, and started arguing his case. With the combined athleticism of both parents, his son was sure to be a fast runner. And they all loved Christmas...

Laughing, Bella pulled Edward into the living room. She leaned against the wall and pulled him closer. "I might need your assistance again. I need to escape from my dysfunctional family."

"Oh yeah?" He pressed closer. "My time is worth quite a lot."

"Twenty-five percent." She kissed his lips. "Thirty-five percent." Her hand cupped his cock. "Fifty percent?" She ran her fingernail down his zipper, one eyebrow raised in invitation. She tipped her head towards the stairs, lacing her fingers with his.

Edward chuckled and brushed her lips with his own. "Maybe I should take you back to my place. If you really need to escape."

She looked up at him and swept her tongue across her lower lip. "One hundred percent worth it."

"Merry Christmas, Bella."

"A very Merry Christmas, Edward."

A/N: We thank you for reading, the reviews, the faves and follows. But most of all, thank you for supporting the Naughty or Nice Contest!

As we hit the 'complete' on this little ficlette, we want to wish each one of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year. May it be filled with joy, laughter and health. Encourage each other!

xoxo

Chrissie (purpleC305) & Maggie (NewTwilightFan)