Chapter 1 – The Gathering

Carlisle:

Thanksgiving has come and we have invited Billy, Charlie and Sue over to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. Of course, we vampires don't eat, but we provided our guests and Leah, Jake and Seth with the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Esme wanting to have enough food had two 16 lb. turkeys, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberries, gravy, brussel sprouts, corn, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. The house is full of the aroma of Thanksgiving dinner. All of the girls helped Esme with dinner. It wasn't long and Charlie, Sue and Billy were at the door.

"Come in, Happy Thanksgiving," I said to them as I ushered them in.

"Thanks for the invite Carlisle, it's nice to spend this holiday with our children," Charlie said to me.

"Of course, I wouldn't have any other way," I said to him.

"Let me take your coats," I offered. They all handed me their coats. Jake and Seth came to help.

"Hi Mom," Seth said to Sue.

"Hi ya Dad," Jake said to Billy. Jake then wheeled Billy into the living room where the boys were hanging out and staying out of the way of the kitchen.

Sue went to the kitchen to help. She had brought a dish with her. Charlie and Billy settled in the living room. Jasper, Emmett and Edward greeted them. Jake then plopped down next to Billy on the couch with his legs splayed out. Seth and I returned from hanging their coats up. I almost stumbled over Jake's legs.

"Jake, please sit like a civilized person," I said to him.

"Why?" Jake asked.

"We have guests, now sit right," I said to him.

"Oh all right, it's just them," Jake said pointing at them with his thumb.

"Well, 'Them' are the most important guests of all, they are family, and they deserve to have our utmost respect and manners, now sit on the furniture instead of the floor," I said to him.

"Geez, you want me to change into a suit while I'm at it," Jake said getting up and flopping on the couch next to where Billy was sitting in his chair.

"Hey, watch your mouth," Billy said smacking Jake on the side of the head.

"You could have worn better clothes today," I said to him.

"You could put a tux on and be our waiter," Jasper said teasing him. The others all laughed.

"Ha ha! A wolf waiter," Emmett said laughing at Jake.

"See what I have to put up with," Jake said to Billy.

"Yes, you really have a hard life here," Billy said shaking his head. "All Carlisle asked was for you to act like a gentleman," Billy said to him.

"You would take his side," Jake said to Billy. "Don't encourage him."

"You could use some manners from what I've seen," Billy said.

"And what we have smelled in the past," Edward said grinning.

"They're ganging up on you, boy," Charlie said to Jake laughing.

"This happens when you have brothers," Jake said with disgust.

"He loves it," Emmett said laughing.

"He does," Seth said giggling. "Hey, Charlie, look at this picture of Jake! We took it on our camping trip earlier this month," Seth said bringing the picture of Jake with his pink butt over to show him.

"Aww, man!" Jake complained putting his head down.

"Ha ha, why does he have a pink butt?" Charlie asked. Emmett and Seth happily told the story of how it came to be. Everyone was laughing except Jake.

"Put it back on the wall, now Seth. You don't have to embarrass Jake," I said to him.

"Oh now you say something to defend me," Jake said to me.

"Is everyone ready to eat?" Bella asked coming in. "Hey Dad!"

"Bells, you look lovely," Charlie said getting up and hugging her.

"Come on, Mom has the table all ready for you guys," Bella said ushering us all in.

Entering the downstairs study, we had turned that table into a large dining table and it was decorated beautifully by Alice. She and Leah set it up. Everyone had a place and they all commented on how lovely it was. Scanning the chairs, Charlie looked up at us in wonder.

"Why are there only 6 chairs?" Charlie asked.

"Uh, the…uh…Cullen's don't eat," Billy answered.

"Don't eat? What do you mean?" Charlie asked now looking at Bella. "Is that why they are so pale?"

"Uh…yeah…that's part of it," Billy said not knowing how to respond.

"Charlie, this is part of the 'don't ask' issue. Can't really explain it," Sue answered.

"What…I don't get…how can they not eat?" Charlie went on.

"It's…it's uh…complicated," Billy said again.

"But Bells loves Thanksgiving, and…" Charlie said and looked at Bella who now looked kind of sad. "Okay, not asking," Charlie said. "Sure looks and smells good."

"Please everyone help yourselves," Esme offered. "Just tell Rosalie what you would like to drink along with your wine."

Rosalie came in and stood there looking at our guests like she was put out to be asked to perform such a menial task.

"Oh look, our waitress, Miss Petal Puss," Jake said laughing.

"Shut up you fur ball," Rosalie snarled to Jake.

"Rosalie, ask our guests what they would like to drink," Esme said to her.

"Yes, what would you like? We have soda, tea, coffee, water, juice, and doggy treats for Jacob," Rosalie said smirking at Jake.

"Rosalie!" I said sternly to her. She looked at me and saw the look I was giving her and began acting as she should.

They gave their drinking preferences to her and she went to bring them what they asked for. Jake was still snickering at his clever reference to her.

"Jacob, that will be enough from you," I said to him.

"Dad, I was just…" Jake began but I stopped him.

"This time you started it, now I'm stopping it. Understood?" I asked him now giving him a look.

"Yes sir. Geez, no fun even at Thanksgiving," Jake grumbled.

I noticed Bella was not around Charlie. I decided to check where she was in case she was feeling the urge for blood. I walked into the kitchen and talked to Esme.

"Where's Bella?" I asked my wife.

"She's been very quiet. She walked outside on the porch and has been standing there staring out and hasn't been in since we served dinner," Esme responded.

"I think I'll go talk to her," I said as I let myself out on the porch. Bella didn't even turn around but kept staring out into the woods and really didn't notice me coming and standing next to her. As I walked up and stood next to her, she noticed me. "Beautiful scenery isn't it?" I asked her.

"Yes, it is," Bella replied.

"Bella, why aren't you by Charlie?" I asked her. "I thought you would be with him the entire time."

"I thought I needed a break, so I came out here," she said.

"A break from what?"

"That," she said pointing the kitchen.

"Oh, you're first Thanksgiving as a vampire," I said knowingly.

"I loved Thanksgiving and all the food. Now I can hardly look at it, much less be in the same room with it because of the smell," Bella explained.

"Yes, it was hard for Edward, Esme, Rosalie and Emmett their first time also. The memories were hard to forget even though our human lives usually fade from our thoughts. You are right here with it right in front of you. I'm sorry Bella, this is the one holiday that really upsets newborn vampires like yourself," I acknowledged to her.

"It's not that I regret being changed, but…" Bella began.

"I know, you don't need to explain, Sweetheart," I said putting my arm around her. She leaned her head in against my chest. I kissed her forehead and stood with her for as long as she needed me.

"I miss it, at times, my old life," Bella admitted.

"We all do Sweetie, every once in a while something will trigger a memory or a feeling or a smell. It's like a death, we mourn what we have lost," I explained.

"Do you ever regret it Dad?" Bella asked.

"At first, I hated what I had become. I tried to end my life but I couldn't. I was miserable until I found Edward. He gave my life meaning and I could share it with him. He was so young to be losing his life to influenza. He changed things for me. I had a son who I loved and could share my life with forever. Then when I met Esme, my life was even more special and enriched. I had a loving wife and we became a family. When Rosalie and Emmett came along, our lives were fulfilled. Alice and Jasper were an added and unexpected gift. Now you are with us, and our family is complete. With the addition of Jake, Leah and Seth, we have been given even more blessings and our family is larger and even more satisfying. I've never been happier and I can't even imagine my life now without all of you in it. What began for me as a curse, has become a wondrous gift that I treasure every day," I explained to her.

"Wow, makes me feel like a jerk for bringing it up," Bella said.

"Don't ever feel that way. Don't ever hesitate to talk to me when things get too heavy or you are having doubts or are troubled with this new way of life. It takes a while to get used to. You are doing a great job adjusting to this life Bella, and I'm very proud of you," I said kissing her again.

"I put you through hell and back," Bella said looking at me and giving me an embarrassed look.

"Yes you did, and you still do at times, but so have Edward, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett and all the rest of your siblings, including the wolf children. This Thanksgiving, I'm most thankful for all my children, every one of you, and my wife. I'm thankful our family has grown again, for the better, and now we are friends with the wolf pack and we have extended family in Charlie, Sue and Billy. Look at Thanksgiving that way instead of through the food," I encouraged her.

"Yeah, I kinda like that. Thanks Dad," Bella said kissing me on the cheek.

From the window, Charlie had been watching the scene between us unbeknownst to us. Sue came up to him and put her arm around him. He put his arm around her.

"Looks like Bella doesn't need me much anymore," Charlie said to Sue.

"Don't be silly. Bella loves you," Sue answered him.

"I feel like I've been replaced. Carlisle is a better father than me. He's had a lot more experience at it and has more kids. All these kids adore him. All he has to do is look at them and they straighten up. I've always been lost as a father. Never really got the chance to be a father with Renee running off with Bella when she was so little," Charlie stated.

"I'm sorry, but I know Bella adores you. No one will ever take your place in her life. You watch and see," Sue said to him.

Bella and I turned to watch Charlie and Sue as they walked away from the window arm in arm. We could hear their entire conversation unbeknownst to them. I looked at Bella.

"You heard them," I said to her.

"Yeah, he's right Dad. You and Mom treated me more like real parents from the first time I met you," Bella expressed.

"Charlie and Renee did the best they could. Don't fault them for that. They both love you more than life itself. You will be our daughter forever, but you need to go and let Charlie know you love him and he will always be your father. You need to do this for him and for you. Do it while you can, because someday you won't be able to," I said to her and gave her a little shove toward the door. Bella walked to the door but turned and looked back at me.

"You realize you just proved me right," she said to me.

"How so?"

"Only a true father would say what you just said to me," Bella said and then walked in the kitchen.

I just stood there smiling after her, swelling with pride that my daughter had just once again reminded me of how wonderful my life has become and how thankful I am to have all of my children and my wife.

Bella spent most of the rest of Thanksgiving with Charlie as did Leah and Seth with Sue and Jake with Billy. After a while they all left and we walked them all out to the car. Everyone had a good time and for once we didn't have an incident. That was probably the most I was thankful for this Thanksgiving. Now it was time for Christmas to begin at the Cullen's.

"All right people, gather round," Alice said to her siblings and Esme and I. "This is how Christmas is done in the Cullen household."

"Oh please! Not this crap again," Rosalie said disgusted.

"Oh hush, Miss Scrooge," Alice said to her. "Our Wolfies were not with us last Christmas and they need to know that we get all of our decorations out and decide how and where we are going to put the Christmas tree this year," Alice said with excitement.

"Ha ha, Miss Scrooge. That's perfect with that snarl," Jake said pointing at Rosalie.

"Oh shut-up you fleabag. If you're really good, maybe Santa will bring you some flea powder this year," Rosalie laughed.

"Is that all you got? You must be slipping," Jake said to her. Rosalie just put her nose up and walked over to Emmett who was laughing along with Jake and the others. Rosalie smacked Emmett on the arm.

"We should put the tree over there this year, and Emmett, you are not messing around and moving the tree every time I turn around like you did last year," Alice said with her hands on her hips.

"What? You kept moving the tree? That's a good one," Jake said laughing with Seth. "I wish I would have been here to see that."

"You just may see things this year too," Emmett laughed. They both smacked hands in agreement.

"Daddy, make them stop it right now before they start," Alice pleaded to me. "Last year Daddy made Emmett stand in the corner and the rest of us decorated him like a Christmas tree," Alice laughed in her pixie way.

"Yeah, remember the song I made up, "Oh Emmett tree, oh Emmett tree, how ugly are your branches!" Edward laughed.

"Emmett, Jacob and whoever else has any ideas, you better stop it right now and let Alice decorate the tree or you will answer to me," I warned them all.

"All I see is decorations. Where's the fricken' tree?" Jake asked.

"Silly! We have to pick it out yet," Alice answered.

"Where from the mountain side?" Jake asked.

"Of course, we always have a live tree," Alice said.

"Why kill an innocent tree," Jake asked.

"We like the smell of a live tree. It reminds us of the woods," Alice explained.

"We might hike our hind legs at that tree if we phase into wolves," Jake said laughing. Seth and the boys cracked themselves up.

"Oh gross! Only you disgusting freaky wolves would think and say something like that," Rosalie spat at them.

"That's awful, you two hounds," Leah said to her fellow wolves.

"What a picture," Bella said.

"I'm embarrassed to call you my brothers," Alice said to them.

"Jacob and Seth, I should wash your mouths out with soap," Esme scolded them.

"There will be no watering the tree, you two," I said to them shaking my finger at Seth and Jake. The boys all dissolved into laughter and I couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Carlisle Cullen! You're no better than your two wolf sons," Esme said to me.

"Oh now they're my wolf sons," I said back to Esme.

"Okay, come on. Let's get this Christmas tree search started," Emmett said waving all the boys toward the door.

"Carlisle, you go with them so they don't bring a tree back that's so big, they will want to cut a hole in the roof to let the top through," Esme said to me.

"Yes dear, I hear you," I said to my wife. Unfortunately, she was speaking from experience. Let's just say, Emmett + huge Christmas tree + saw + roof = disaster!

Alice:

"Bella, we have some Christmas things at the cottage. While Daddy and the boys are looking for our Christmas tree, and Momma is tidying the kitchen and emptying the dishwasher, lets us girls go and get the rest of the decorations," I said.

"Sure, let's go," Bella said.

We got to the cottage and got the decorations out of the attic. We were all sitting in the cottage talking amongst ourselves, since this would be Leah's first Cullen Christmas.

"Remember last Christmas with Jessica," Rosalie said.

"What happened? You mean your friend from town, Bella," Leah asked her.

"Yes, she came home from college on Christmas break and ended up in the ER. The dr. called Dad and he went to the hospital. Turns out she was drinking energy drinks to keep her awake and help her write reports and do homework. She had been partying too much," Bella explained.

"Why did Dad care?" Leah asked.

"Well, she stayed here a bit when we were all on our trip to Denali before Bella and Edward's marriage and Daddy got to know her," Alice explained.

"Dad almost became a surrogate father to her since her parents don't give a crap about her," Rosalie said.

"Yeah, he even paddled her a few times and when he found out she was taking energy drinks, he let her have it again. She stayed with us while her parents were away as usual, to get back on her feet. Those energy shots really did a number on her system. She was sneaking them again and Dad caught her. She really got it then," Bella said.

"I wonder what they would do to us." Rosalie wondered.

"Not much, it probably wouldn't have an effect on us," Alice said.

"Liquor does," Rosalie said.

"Maybe we should try one and see what it does," Leah said. "They probably won't affect me since I'm a wolf."

"How do you know?" Bella asked.

"I'm still human. It will probably just be dissolved by the extra energy we wolves have anyway," Leah answered.

"We better not, Dad would have our hides if he caught us," Bella warned.

"He won't know, besides they won't have an effect on us anyway" Alice said.

"Listen to what you're saying. Dad always finds out," Rosalie said.

"Not this time. Leah, get some of those energy shots when you are in town tomorrow and we will meet over here and try them out," Alice said to her.

"Okay, how do we come over here without the others wondering what we are doing," Rosalie asked.

"We will just say we are decorating the cottage and having a girl's night, a sister's night," Alice corrected herself. "Otherwise, Momma would join us."

"Okay, we'll try it. We better get back before the guys get back and start putting the tree up themselves," Rosalie said.

"Oh my, come on. Hurry girls! Oh this is going to be so much fun!" Alice squealed.

To Be Continued…

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