[Fic inspired by Beside You- Mariana's Trench]

[Warning:This doesn't follow canon.]

Chapter 1:

I walk into Jake's garage without a word. I sit down on his stool and put my feet on a clear spot on a work table cluttered with various tools. Jake lifts his head from under the hood of the Rabbit and he smiles to me. "How was patrol?" He asks and begins working again.

I sigh, "boring, nothing happened." He chuckles. "When are you going to take Alpha? I'm tired of obeying Sam." I say agitated.

"Why, what happened today?" He asks, looking up suddenly concerned.

"Don't worry Jake, nothing too big. Same old same old. Alpha's orders are the law, there's no way around them." I say. He raises his eyebrow. "I'm not allowed to go to Port Angeles tomorrow. He says I'm needed here, in case something drastic happens, which isn't going to happen. So my night will be ruined once again." I say.

"Why do you want to go to Port Angeles?"

"I was going to meet an old friend there, now I have to cancel, they are going to hate me." I say.

Jake raises his eyebrow again. "Who?"

I raise my chin, "you don't know them Jake."

On cue the familiar roar of a pickup truck fills the room. I roll my eyes and look to Jake. He doesn't say anything he just looks back to me.

Bella rushes into the garage with a smile on her face. She stops when she sees me and her smile falls just for a second and it's just long enough for me to catch it.

I stand up. "Don't worry, I'm leaving." I announce. Jake looks to me. I shrug.

I walk outside and Jake calls me. I stop and turn around. I try to hold back my anger.

He grabs my arm and pulls me close. He leans down to my ear. "Don't think I've forgotten, your birthday is this weekend." I smile at his words. "I've got a good surprise for you." He says and his lips brush my ear as he speaks and it sends crazy, tingling nerves throughout my body.

He moves away with a big smile on his face. I smile back to him and I wrap my arms around him. "I'll see you later Jake." I say and I walk away.

I decide not to go home yet, I begin walking toward Forks. I stop when I hear giggling. I turn and see Alice and Jasper gracefully dancing, their skin sparkles like a thousand diamonds as the sun begins to set. I jump when a twig behind me snaps. Cold hands gently place themselves on my arm. I spin around and look up to see Edward. I smile to him.

"I wasn't spying I swear." I say.

He smiles back, "Neither was I."

I give him a questioning look. "What on Earth are you doing?" I ask him.

He chuckles. "I should be asking you." He raises an eyebrow.

I look around and notice Alice and Jasper have left. "I was actually going to go see you guys; I haven't seen you all in a while." He nods. "Bella's with Jacob. I got kicked out of the garage." I say. He smiles. "Why haven't you asked her to marry you yet?" I ask as he spins me around and begins leading me toward his house.

He chuckles. "So you don't like her? You don't want her with Jacob? But it's fine for her to be with me?" He asks.

I shrug, "I never thought you would be miserable with her. Are you?" I ask.

He shrugs, "There's some things I'm so unsure of anymore." He whispers to me. "It's so easy for her to go to Jake, I'm not sure I'm okay with that." I nod. "Anyways, I want you to meet the new member of the family, Carlisle saved him at the airport in Port Angeles last weekend. That's what I was doing out here, we've been having to take him on hunting trips every night."

"Oh," I say and smile a little bit.

When we get to the beautiful house, Edward leads me in. "Declan, there's someone I want you to meet!" he calls and a thunderous noise erupts throughout the house. I look up and see someone standing on the banister preparing to jump. Edward grabs my arm and pulls me out of the way so the person doesn't land on top of me. I give him a gracious smile and then look to the new member.

First I catch his pale blonde hair as if he's been on a beach for years. Then I recognize him. "Declan?" I ask scrunching up my face.

"Leah?" He asks enthusiastically. He runs to me and wraps his arms around me. He lifts my toes off the ground and spins me around. He finally sets me back down. "I can't believe it! You're here! And you can know! She can know can't she?" He turns to Edward.

Edward has a perplexed look on his face that is priceless. "You two know each other?" He asks.

"I went out East last summer to visit some cousins of mine and I met Declan. He was coming to visit me." I say suddenly feeling guilty. "What happened Dec?" I turn to him.

He looks down. "I was on my way to my hotel to call you but I heard someone crying. I went over to her and she slowly lifted her head with a smirk. Her eyes were blood red and I started moving back. She grabbed me quickly and pinned me against the wall. I tried to fight her off but she was too strong. She bit into my wrist and continued drinking for what seemed like forever. The Cullens showed up, they had been visiting, Alice had a vision and they could hear my cries from a few miles out, they saved me. She was going to drain me Carlisle says, she almost did, I had a few milliliters of blood left, Carlisle says in the rush She accidently put her venom in me and that's what changed me. Carlisle and Emmett restrained me while the Cullens scared her off. Then the transformation began."

I notice my hand has gone to cover my mouth in shock. "It's all my fault." I whisper. "You shouldn't have come to visit, you would still be…" I fade out. Declan wraps his arms around me.

"Shh…" he soothes. "There will be no talk like that." He whispers soothingly into my ear. "I'm here now, with you, and truth is, I kind of like this vampire thing, aside from the being a monster thing."

We release each other and I look to Edward. "He's going to be okay right? He's doing fine on the diet? He's not suffering anymore?" I ask.

Edward nods. "He's great. One of the best transitions I've seen."

I glance to Declan and it's as if he's been waiting for me to look to him. He's got that look in his eyes that I love, that look that tells you they think you are beautiful it makes me calm, and stops my worrying. "I still can't believe you are here." I say.

"Well believe it; I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." He says and his hand trails down my arm until it finds my hand and he locks our hands together and intertwines our fingers. I smile to him. A familiar roar of a pickup truck pulls next to the house and my smile falls. She always seems to find the right time to interrupt. I sigh. Declan's eyebrows pull together in confusion.

"Edward's girlfriend." I mumble.

"And a friend of yours," Edward mumbles just before the door opens.

In this moment a lot of things happen, Alice dances down the stairs, Jasper follows her with his famous smirk, and Bella and Jacob enter. Jacob freezes at the sight of me and his eyes automatically go to Declan and my hands intertwined, from there his eyes scroll up Declan's arm to see who I'm holding hands with.

"Jacob, this is Declan, a new member of the Cullen family." Bella introduces.

Jacob's eyes go to Edward. "Is it broken?" He asks.

I look back and forth between them. "What?" I say.

Jacob gives me a quick look but focuses back on Edward. Edward shakes his head. Jacob crosses his arms over his chest.

"Jacob, what are you doing here?" I ask.

"I was given orders to find you and bring you home," Jacob says.

"Orders," Declan laughs a little but when no one else laughs he stops.

"And I needed to talk to Edward. Bella mentioned Declan. She wasn't informed of the story."Jacob continues not acknowledging Declan's comment.

"Oh well he was changed by a vampire in Prot Angeles, the Cullens didn't change him, that's one job done. And I don't follow your orders, you know that Jake." I say.

"Well, I don't necessarily have a choice in the matter." Jake says solemnly. "We have to go Leah." He orders.

I read his face and see that it is serious and I nod. "Just give me a minute I have to talk to Alice for a second." I say.

He nods. "I'll wait outside." I watch as he hugs Bella tightly and I walk away, pulling Alice into the kitchen.

"Thank you Alice, I know you guys found him because of you." I say. "I can't believe what I would do if…" I fade out.

Alice's hand touches my arm sympathetically. "I'm just glad we got to him in time. You guys had such a beautiful… friendship." She smiles.

I smile a little. "Tell Carlisle thank you for me. I better get going, Alpha's orders are Alpha's orders and Jake doesn't have much choice."

She smiles, "Come visit more, I miss you Leah" she says and hugs me.

"Will do." I say and walk out. I tell everyone bye and Declan gives me a hug and I leave.

Jake's waiting on the far side of the yard. As soon as he sees me he morphs. I get a running start and I morph in the air. Jake takes off as soon as I morph and I wasn't even ready to run yet. He knows I'll be going home so he's not too worried and he doesn't want to talk to me.

Jake.

No answer.

Jake.

No answer.

Jake.

Leah, get home now. Sam orders through my mind. I sigh and begin running harder and faster.

Jake…