I'll be home for Christmas

Chapter 47

Chapter 47 - I'll be home for Christmas

Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods.

Thanks to BanSidhe [ruadh sidhe] and Feebes86 for betaing and pre-reading.

Alex would not believe that Sam was okay with Nate being in a room with vampires until Seth rang him and she heard him say, yes. She wasn't entirely sure that she was okay with it, either. "Vampires?" she mouthed at Seth silently for the tenth time as they were walking.

He looked hangdog and muttered, "I should have told you before."

Seth carried both kids and Alex scurried along next to him as they headed for the tribal hall.

"Bad guys?" she asked.

"I can't tell you, now." He hoisted the kids to indicate they were listening. They did look very interested in whatever Alex and Seth were discussing.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "So it's real?" If kids could hear and be scared, then Alex assumed that the bad guys or bad vampires or whatever they were, were real as well. "I cannot believe this," she muttered.

"I know. It's a lot to take in."

Seth sounded so incredibly reasonable that she jabbed a finger at him and then had nothing kid appropriate to say and just had to grit her jaw. "Oooh," she snarled through her gritted teeth.

"They are a family," he argued. "Esme bakes and Carlisle is a doctor and they are the nicest people. Really, Alex."

"I … I just don't know what to say."

"And Rose is beautiful and fixes cars and Emmett is a giant… okay that might be scary, but he's so squishy and soft in the middle and— "

"They don't have families," she hissed at him.

"How do you know that?"

"I've watched movies," she argued.

"This isn't movies, this is real life."

The kids were glancing between them as if they were watching a tennis match.

"But they're not… they can't be… real."

"They are," Seth argued. "And Alice is tiny and looks like a little fashion fairy and Jasper is… yeah, okay, Jasper is scary."

"Oh, my God, Seth."

"But Edward plays the piano."

"The piano!" she screeched.

But they were at the tribal hall by then, and before Seth put the kids down, she flung the door open and headed inside.

Bella felt like a human ambassador, desperately trying to get the two groups to mingle and not entirely sure that they should be mingling at all, given that they were vampire and werewolf, but that seemed to be her lot in life; to be the link between the two groups. She gave up and went looking for her father.

Charlie was leaning against the back wall with his arms folded and he seemed to be putting an immense amount of effort into glaring at Edward. Leah stood next to him looking amused.

Sue was chatting to Esme and Carlisle. Bella assumed that Sue would be asking about the money side of things. She had to change her mind when Esme followed Sue towards the communal kitchen. Maybe she was going to help out with the catering? Esme did love to cook.