A Place Only We Know

By: Forgotten Sunrise

AN: So as soon as I got back form my date, I started working on this. So like for about five hours now? Yah, I'm just that cool :D I'm glad that people like this story! I have drafted all the way up to chapter 11 so far, but I will be taking a short break to finish drafting my other three stories that I'm working on at the moment. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed and gave me a piece of their minds; you guys rock! Now I think I had something else to say, but it's 1:45 and my brain is shutting down, so I hope you enjoy the fic and read on!


Chapter 3: Fall Fast. Fall Free. Fall For Me

Three months after the bar, Leah and I seemed to be getting closer and closer with each passing day. We were at the point now where we would meet up just about every day, just a after biology to talk about our project and more often than not now, our lives. Sometimes Mike would join us. But most of the time, Mike had to take off to finish some 'business'.

That boy was stupid if he thought he was pulling one over anybody.

And the women in front of me must have been in a state of denial; there was just no way that she could've been oblivious to what he was doing.

That meant that I must have been a coward for not saying something about the situation. The last thing I wanted to do was piss Leah off though. I was afraid of losing the friendship I had with her over Mike.

Me and my selfish ways.

I was honestly surprised at how much I had fallen for Leah in just this short amount of time. But if I thought about it, it wasn't all that surprising. She was exquisite both in body and mind.

"So explain this thing about genetic mutations you were telling me about again please?" She asked me from across the table. We were currently at her favorite coffee shop on the Avenue, working on her Bachelor's research paper. I had offered to give her one of my old essays, but Leah refused. Leah, unlike the rest of her pack brothers, she lived for academics. She took great pride in her work and continuously pushed for accolades.

She would go far, that much was for sure.

"What I was talking about was the change in the nucleotides due to high exposure of ionizing radiation, causing Rapid Somatic Hypermutation, which seems to be carried form on the Y chromosome from generation to generation, unlike standard SHM."

I could see the gears of her brain beginning to turn, and hear her thoughts organize the information I gave her.

"So you're saying that certain immune mutations may be transferrable? But how is that possible? I mean Darwin's theory kind of explains for it, Darwin's evolution doesn't work on the species as a whole, it's for the individual. An example please?"

I couldn't help but chuckle some. Leah refused to change topics until she sucked out every last detail from me.

"There's only one so far; Vampiric acid."

Leah rolled her eyes and snapped her notebook shut.

"Well I can't every well use that as a base for my research paper Edward. Good God, you're almost as bad as Jake."

"Oh ouch! There's no need to be rude. Thank you works just fine."

She laughed softly under her breath and shook her head.

"Thanks for the help, Edward" She said with a sigh and stretched her arms above her head.

"Yah, no problem Lee, any time. So what are you doing this weekend?"

"I don't really know yet." She answered nonchalantly, but her thoughts told a different story.

Mike and I were s'pose to go to Gold Bar this weekend, but apparently he has something better to do.

My lips pressed into a thin line. Of course Mike had something 'better' to do.

"I wouldn't necessarily say better. And besides, it's the middle of winter, its too cold to go to Gold Bar."

Leah rolled her brown eyes and sat up in her chair some.

"Right, because I'm going to get cold and die of hypothermia. Oh the tragedy."

It was my turn to roll my eyes.

"Oh, shut up Leah. You know what I mean. Anyways, I'm heading up to Forks this weekend, so if you were going to go up that way, I was thinking that we could car pool."

She mulled it over for a few seconds, and then nodded her head.

"You know what? I think that's a really good idea. Jacob has been screaming for me to come back home for about two weeks now, and I just really want to get away from the city for a bit. When are you leaving?"

I looked at my watch, but I already knew my answers.

"Let's see, its 12:45…so now."

"Now? But Edward! We still have another class, and then there's study group at 4:30!"

"How many days of class have you missed since you started college?"

"Well, none, but-"

"Good. So this one time isn't going to hurt you." I said getting up and pulled on her iron hot forearm, forcing her out of her seat. "Think of this as therapeutic."

"Therapeutic? Edward!"

"Don't even say it Leah. It's bad enough that you thought it. You don't need your books or your papers or your cell phone."

"Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what I do and don't need?" She snapped, lowing her brows toward me in a V-shape and placed bawled fist on her hips.

"I think I'm Edward Cullen."

Leah just folded her arms and stuck her tongue out at me.

Whatever. But I DO need to stop by my dorm to get a few things and check out with my DA.

"Glad you came to your senses, Leah." I said smiling down at her. We walked to my flat first since it was only two blocks away from the coffee shop and hopped in my Volvo.

"Which dorm do you live in anyways?" I asked once I realized that I didn't know where she lived.

"Pierce. The one just off the I-5 exit." I nodded my head. She was only a five-minute's walk away, at a human pace.

I pulled up right outside of the dorm and Leah jumped out.

"Be right back."

"Uh-huh," She thought I was waiting for her.

Once she entered the building, I left the car and went over to the side of the dorm. She would have to live somewhere on the fifth floor, because that's where all senior girls lived in that dorm. Finding her room would be a matter of just seeking out her scent.

It proved too easy. I made it to her room before she did. Leah was just too set to her human ways. I shook my head as I picked her lock and entered her dorm. Her pine scent was everywhere and it was refreshing. She would make the prefect air freshener.

By the time Leah finally made it her dorm, I had already packed a gym bag full of cloths for her. She took one look at me and frowned.

"What the hell Edward!" She yelled as she snatched her bag from me. "This is my room! It's bad enough that you can invade my mind, so leave my room alone!"

"I don't invade your mind, Leah. You broadcast your thoughts to me. So really, it's you that needs to leave me alone."

"Watch it leech…" She muttered as she peered into the duffle bag. I didn't take the term 'leech' to heart. She always called me that when she was mildly annoyed. Which was more often than not.

"Well it looks like you got everything at any rate. How did you get in here anyways? I would have seen you enter if you came through the doors?"

"You still act too much like a human Leah," I said as I opened her window. "I came in through the fifth floor window."

"What did you do? Scale the side of the building?"

I rolled my eyes. For the way she was talking, she could have been a mortal.

"Now you're making me sound like Spiderman. Please, stop with all the flattery, Leah." I said sarcastically.

"No, seriously. How did you get the fifth floor window?" Her curious side was coming out again.

"I jumped."

"You just, jumped?"

"More or less. I climbed a bit too. But mostly jumped."

Her minded was still a bit boggled, but she just shook her head, as if to clear it.

"Whatever. Let's get going, okay?"

"Agreed. See you at the bottom." I said as I jumped from her window and landed lightly on my feet below. I looked up to see Leah's hovering head out the window as she looked down at me.

"Stupid Vampboy." I heard her mutter as she shut her window. It brought a smile to my face.


The ride to Forks seemed shorter than normal. Conversation between Leah and I seemed to flow a lot easier than what anyone could have expected. Sure we had a lot of banter, but it was friendly. And I could talk to her about anything; she would have something insightful and charming to say back.

All and all, Leah was rather pleasant to hang around. She wasn't the same girl I knew four years ago, a woman scorned by the very nature of her kind, and full of hate and bitterness.

This Leah was more forgiving. More willing to let go and let live.

I was almost sad when we entered the town limits.

I was going to drop her off at La Push, but I soon realized that her pack wasn't there. Everyone was at Charlie's house- from Leah's pack to my most of my own coven. Garrett of the Denali coven too.

That was odd.

Odder still, there seemed to be no animosity between the groups either. It was all rather peaceful.

"Slight change in plans Leah," I said as I prepared to exit the freeway.

"Oh?" She asked and looked up from her window.

"Everyone's at Charlie's."

She arched an eyebrow at me.

"You mean the whole pack's at Charlie's house?"

"Not just your pack. But my family as well."

Leah's thoughts went dire for a moment and I could feel her grow tense beside me.

"Jacob would have told you if something was wrong Leah, don't worry. There's not a blood bath. It's really harmonious over there actually."

She relaxed some in her seat, but only some. She was still a bit skeptical. Renesmee birth and Jacob's original imprinting on her gave us all something to fight for, and Jacob's and Bella's marriage brought a little more peace to the two groups, but the pack still wasn't that comfortable with the vampires. Besides the Clearwater's and the Black's of course.

We turned in to Charlie's drive way and were greeted by Emmett, Quil, Seth and Garrett.

Garrett was the first to reach the car and immediately went to peer in the passenger window to look at Leah. His eyes locked on hers and for a few intense moments didn't break gaze.

Leah just stared back at him, but she felt really uncomfortable and tensed up again. Her only relief was that Quil and Seth were there too.

"Goddamn it!" Garrett exclaimed, backing up from the door after an odd amount of time. "There goes 200 bucks!"

"But, but how?" Seth stammered as he looked at his sister as well.

"It's not fair! She had to have cheated!" Quil protested. "Maybe she lied. "

"Nope. She's never been able to do it before." Emmett said a bit perplexed.

How on earth did Alice see her? He wondered.

Alice saw Leah?

"Um excuse me," Leah said as she opened the door to get out the car. I soon followed her. "But just what the hell are you guys talking about?"

"Why, you pretty lady!" Garrett said, eyeing her with his still somewhat ruby eyes.

"Yah sis. We made a bet with Alice."

"Well that was stupid." Leah answered

"Tell me about it. I'm just glad I had enough sense not too." Said a husky voice from behind.

"You? Have sense? That's a first…" Leah said turning around to hug her Alpha. The connection between the two was uncanny. At times, it was as if they were one person.

"Ouch, man. Right off the bat, Lee! Not even a hi."

She grinned and patted his chest lightly

"Yup. Now where is mom?"

"She's in the kitchen, with Alice and Bells."

"Thanks. So why is everyone from the Northwest magical community here?" She asked as she walked into the house.

"The Denali's were already on their way here when Quil and Emmett made the bet with Alice, then Garrett heard about it and wanted in, so they all came down here to wait for you. And when Nessie heard that you were coming down she wanted to come too. Thus, the most cracked-up family reunion."

Jacob couldn't have been more right.

"Leah! It's about time you came back home!" Sue Clearwater exclaimed as, barging out of the kitchen to wrap her arms around her daughter's slender frame.

"Heya mom," She said and hugged the older women back. "I'm sorry I haven't been back sooner. You know, the insurance still refuses to get me a new car. Six freakin months later too! Apparently, I staged the whole thing…" She rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen, where Alice and Bella were idly gossiping. Alice had the biggest grin on her face as we walked in, but her mind was blocked. Bella must have been protecting her from me. But why? The look on Bella's face was borderline murderous though.

"It's about time you showed up!" Alice said, waving at Leah. "This, of course, means a trip to the Bellingham Mall. They have this dress that would look just gorgeous on you!"

"You can see me?" Leah questioned, sitting down.

"Now I can!" Alice cheered and wrapped her up in her awkwardly in her arms. "And we're going to have so much fun together too!"

"Um, thanks…Alice?"

"No, I can't see them. Just you. But that doesn't make you a freak of nature; everything happens for a reason"

Leah was a little taken aback by that. She was just getting use to the idea of me answering her questions before she spoke them, and now it looked like she would have to get use to Alice too. Leah didn't really know what to say back. She wiggled her way out of Alice's grip and gave her an awkward thanks once again.

"So Edward, how is life in Seattle?" Bella asked me but her tone wasn't sweet. I could tell she had an angle.

"It's fine."

"Just fine? How are the bars?" Her tiny fists were clenched and she was gritting her teeth. Alice shot Bella glance and reached across Leah to grab her forearm. But that didn't stop her from bearing her pointed teeth and snarling at me. None of this scared me though; I'm the one that showed her how to roll her upper lip back like that.

"Bells, really?" Jacob drawled and rubbed her shoulders a bit. She just batted him away.

"Yes really! How could you Edward? She's my only daughter and you know how I feel about her going out!"

Bella looked like a true vampire at the moment, and the sight reminded Leah of Victoria's vampires. Slightly bothered by it, she bolted to my side in the blink of an eye. I couldn't help but smile to myself as I lightly placed a hand on her shoulders. She could have easily moved to Jacobs side, but she went to mine instead.

"Bella, stop over reacting. Nothing happened. I wasn't going to let anything happen."

"In Edward's defense, Nessie does have the mind of 21 year old, a body of a 17 year old and Leah was there too. Nothing would have happened to her." Jacob said, trying his best to calm her down. It was pointless though; when Bella was on her rampage, there wasn't a force in heaven or earth that could knock sense into her.

"She my only daughter too Bella. Do you really think that I would let anything happen to her?"

"I know that you wouldn't want anything to happen to her." She said bitterly. I was a little taken aback by that. Was she trying to insinuate that I wasn't carful enough when it came to Renesmee?

"What's that supposed to mean?" I could feel my own lips pull back. Had we still been married or if I was still heartbroken over her, I would have never snarled at her like that. But oddly, even the last if wasn't true anymore. Bella was now like a sister to me. And I've fought both of my sisters before.

"It's means that maybe you should-"

"Mom! Dad! Stop it before Grandpa has to buy a new house!" Renesmee yelled from the doorframe as she dragged Jasper in with her. Immediately a sense of peace fell over the kitchen, and with in seconds, Bella and I had both mellowed out.

"Jasper! Ugh! Why did you clam me down? I wanted to rip Edward's head off." She rolled her eyes, and then looked back at me. "I'm sorry Edward. Just forget the last thing I said. But please…She's only five. I don't want her growing up so fast."

"Oh, mama! You can't blame dad for that! He can't help the fact that he's a vampire and that his chromosomes made me develop at a rapid pace." Leave it to Nessie to make everything so matter of fact.

"No, I guess I can't can I?" She looked sheepishly down at her hands, and had she been human, I knew her face would have been red from embarrassment. Classic Bella.

"I forgive you Bella."

I tried to feel for Leah's reaction to the whole thing, but now her mind was blocked too. I liked it better when Bella didn't know how to use her power.


We didn't stay at Charlie's long since everyone else quickly left back to La Push, so that's where we traveled.

The reservation had a family feel to it; Esme had been cooking all day long with the help of Rachel and Rosalie and Charlie, Garrett, Carlisle and Billy were out on the porch, debating the odds the Seahawks had at going to the Super Bowl the this year. Emmett found a sparing partner in Paul, Alice and Eleazar were immersed in a conversation about tribal history with Sue, Quil, Kate, Embry and Jasper were playing cards, Tanya, Carmen and Renesmee were googling over Crystal and Ashle, Sam and Emily's new born twins and Bella, Emily, Sam and Jacob were talking about family life.

Had we all been together like this six years ago, there would have been bloodshed.

Then there was Leah. I couldn't read her mind because Bella was blocking her Alpha's mind, but she had a rather complex look on her face. She set down in the over grown grass with her hair falling around her face, pulling up blades and waving them together, forming a grass crown of sorts. I stepped out from my spot on the porch and came to sit by her on the ground.

"You were right Edward." She said without looking up at me.

"Of course I was right. But for the sake of humor, what was I right about?" I asked, readjusting myself next to her on the grass. She continued to weave the blades together for a few moments longer then sighed, still not looking at me.

"I really wish Bella wouldn't block Jacobs mind…"

"Then that makes two of us. Did she scare you?" I asked.

I could fell the air around her change as she set up some.

"I wasn't scared, but angry leeches aren't too pleasant to be around. I know Bella wouldn't hurt me, but still…it's an automatic response on my part."

"So you felt saver by me?"

"If she did decide to attack me, who better to stop her than you?"

"That would never happen. The only time Bella had human blood was when she was human. Me on the other hand…"

"Yahyahyah. You think you're going to relapse soon huh?"

I looked at her and gave a toothy grin.

"Maybe."

I would have thought it impossible for her to see me through her thick hair, but she punched me in the shoulder.

"Now you're trying to scare me."

"No, I'm not. It will take a lot more to scare you. I'm just trying to figure out what I'm so right about."

She let out a heave sigh and put she grass crown down.

"Sometimes it's easier having you just invade my mind."

"Yes, though I thought that we came to an agreement that it was you who was invading my mind."

"I do believe that I told you to shut up in response." She laughed, and then gave me a quick glance.

If I were human, then I would have thought that everything was just fine. But my vampire vision allowed me to see the traces of red in the whites of her eyes and the smeared trails of tears that had fallen down her cheek.

She had been crying.

"Leah, what-"

"Don't you dare ask me that here," She said sternly. I didn't need to read her mind to understand; she didn't want anyone else to know why she was upset. Probably Mike. He would wake up one day only to find that he had been emasculated.

"Alright then," I got up and then pulled Leah to her feet. "If not here, then where?"

"Edward, don't worry about it. It's my problem. Go have fun, okay?" I was going to protest, but then I saw her cell phone poking out of her front pocket.

"Okay then. I'll have fun," I said, and took her phone in one swift motion. "Didn't I tell you not to bring this?"

"Edward Anthony Cullen, if you don't give that back right now…"

"So we're on full name bases now? All right then Leah Anne Clearwater; what? What's going to happen if I don't give it back right now?"

"Oi, stop acting like a fucking child and just give it here!"

"No, I don't think I will."

The scene that we were causing was making Leah blush with anger and embarrassment, and Jasper, who wasn't even trying to clam Leah down like he had with Bella earlier, thought the whole thing was amusing.

"Edward just give it back!" She attempted to snatch it out of my hand, but I was much stronger than her when she was in her human form. I jump back and waved the phone in her face.

"You're not getting it that easily."

She lunged at me again, but this time I took off running.

"Edward! Get back here! I'm not at all in the mood! UGH!" And then she was right behind me.

"Run Edward, Run!" I heard Emmet yell.

"You are so dead when I catch you!"

"Go get 'em Leah!" Jacob cheered.

Leah ran fast in her human form; I had to push myself to stay just a few steps in front of her. Soon we were out of their hearing range, but I didn't stop running. We ran through the forest and blinding speed, dodging trees with ease. After about 6 miles, the forest cleared and became a steep rocky platform. I went up to the peak and peered over.

So this is where Bella jumped over all those years ago then? It should have killed her. It really was a testament to her strength. I looked at the phone in my hand and flip it open with my thumb. Leah was screaming at me to just give it back and pulling at arm, but I just ignored her, because what I was reading made me want to go back to Seattle right then and commit murder.

Leah had sent a message to Mike, but she received a message from his girlfriend. His other girlfriend.

I could hear the rapid thumping of her heart against her chest and heard her choke up behind me. This weekend was suppose to make her feel better, to make her feel happy. But instead Mike, yet again, ended up bring her to tears.

I turn around to look at her, and sure enough, even with her face turned from me, I could see the tears were cascading freely down her face.

"I really didn't want to tell anyone about that." She said after a moment. "I guess I can understand his reasoning though."

"Really? Because I can't Leah. You were more than he deserved and we both know that."

"Yah, well, it doesn't matter now does it? Because it's always the same story with me…Just…just give me my phone. I'm going to head back to Seattle."

Mike shouldn't have been able to hurt her this much. I made the decision there that I would personally make sure that karma got back to him as soon as possible.

"No, Leah. I brought you here because you needed a break. Not Mike, or anyone else for that matter, is going to ruin your weekend. I'll see to that."

She started to speak, but ended up chocking up again. In one motion, I had her gathered up in my arm and cradled against my chest and just let her sob there.

Days could have passed and neither of us would have known.

"It's all going to be okay now," I whispered into her hair when she had finally stopped crying.

"Really? Can you promise me that?"

"No, not really. But I can promise you that I will all way be here and that I will never be the one to make you cry like this. I'm much smarter than that. Jacob would kill me."

But I would probably beat him to it.

She looked up at me with red-rimmed brown eyes and smiled. I could have sworn that I could feel my own heart beat.

"Thanks Edward." She said, then pulled away some. I could still feel her warmth against my body.

"No problem Lee. Ready to go back now?"

She shook her head 'no'.

"There's just one more thing I have to do."

"Oh really?" I asked as I arched an eyebrow.

"Oh yah." She said with a wicked smile, and then pushed me. But not before I grabbed her hand.

The fall down wasn't that long at all, but I could have spent the rest of forever suspended there, just being with her. She hadn't forgotten Mike-she was still in pain. But she was here with me, holding my hand, falling with me.

Then we broke the surface, and the freezing water of the Sound surrounded us.

There was a moment when I caught her eyes through the murky waters and I felt my world shift away from beneath me. I was free falling again, and falling fast. I understood then why it was so hard for me to leave her when she was lying in that hospital bed, or why I felt the need to kill Mike for even thinking about doing something that might hurt her, or why I wanted to be the one to comfort her when she was sad.

The same thing happened to be when I fell for Bella.

I was falling for Leah. Not in some small crush way. No, this feeling was legitimate.

She pushed up to the surface for air, and I was soon behind her.

"What was that for?" I asked her. In all honesty, I didn't mind one bit why she did it. And I don't think she was mad at me for bring her down with me either.

She swept some of her matted hair from her face and smiled.

"I don't care how sweet or comforting you are. You took my phone. You had to pay."

"Ah, I see. Was it enough?" I asked. She seemed to ponder my question for a moment or two, and then splashed me with water, as if she could get me more wet than I already was.

"Now, you've paid enough." She laughed and began to swim up to shore, leaving her phone to sink to the bottom of the ocean floor to be forgotten.


Our journey back to La Push was measured in hours, not minutes and by the time we got back, the sky was painted black and the only people still outside were Bella and Alice, who were animatedly chatting.

"Well now, it's about time you two got back." Alice waved at us as we came into view. "We were starting to get worried that maybe you two killed each other. That one would have been hard to explain to Sue." Bella nodded in agreement.

"Or Nessie. She's been complaining about you two all day long. Apparently you have a game of Jenga to finished, Leah."

"She still remembers that? God, that was like three years ago!"

"She has a long memory, she still remembers being born. I can barely remember my life before I became of vampire." Bella said getting up to go in the house.

"I can barely remember what happened before I left today…"Leah said as she followed behind Bella.

"Don't keep her up too late Bella, we have a trip to Bellingham in the morning!" Alice yelled after them.

"I will, I will…" Bella muttered from inside the house. She never did like the shopping trips Alice dragged them too.

"And you, Mister Edward, come and sit by me." She patted the seat next to her, motioning me to sit down.

"Are you about to tell me my future?" I asked as I sat down.

"Maybe, not really. It's not clear, but here's the camcorder you wanted." She said handing me the tiny device that I hadn't even asked for yet. "All I really wanted to tell you was that, if the time comes, were all willing to go with you." She said with a sad smile and patted my shoulder. This was the problem with Alice; she was always giving cryptic messages. And I couldn't read her mind because Bella was still blocking it.

"Now tell me what's life in Seattle like?"

" I will, just as soon as you tell me how you started seeing Leah?"


AN: Oh it's love! But don't start to think that this story is close to finish! Edward and Leah aren't getting together that easily folks. Please let me know what you think, especially about the cliff scene. It's overplayed and I would normally not use it, but I think I used it well for a playful romantic scene, instead of an emo like one...