A/N: I was able to get this chapter out a little sooner than I thought I would. I finished the college application process rather quickly. I got a few applications out, but I'm still working on one for Duke University and Dartmouth. So I'm unsure about the release of my next chapter.

Overall, this was a fun chapter to write. Sorry if it's a little too long. I had to fit a lot of information into this one.

Well, hope you guys like it. You're one of the main reasons I haven't returned to the Full Metal Panic! Archives. Well, that and the fact that Malakai is totally awesome. Lol.

I'm done rambling now. Read and Review...Or the teddy gets it! (and you know what it is...),

Meech

Bella's red Ferrari slowed to a stop in the Cullen's Christmas-snow covered driveway. Leah and I trudged through the fresh, white powder, toward the door.

I reached for the doorknob and opened the door for Leah. She walked in and disappeared around a corner. I strode in. When I closed the door I was ambushed with a:

"Merry Christmas!" From everyone in the family. They all shouted excitedly. Even Rosalie, who no doubt, thought I sucked more than a cheap whore.

She sat next to Emmett on the third stair from the bottom of the staircase. Esme and Carlisle stood in the hall, blocking the way to the kitchen, both smiling radiantly at me. Jake leaned against the wall with little Renesmee sitting on his shoulders beaming happily. As for Bella and Edward, they were cuddled up against each other next to the stairs. Leah took her place in the back of the...Of my family, smiling the smile that let me know something was on her mind.

Edwards eyes flicked to Leah, substantiating my assumption.

"How come everyone is so happy to see me?" I asked. I wasn't trying to kill the mood. I just wasn't used to anyone aside from my mom, taking that much interest in me. "Oh yeah, Merry Christmas." I said as I removed my arms from the too large coat Leah heavily insisted that I wear out into the cold.

"Because we can give you presents." Rosalie said.

I can't believe she's said more than two words to me that weren't full of hate. Hell, more than two words to me at all. The most I've gotten out of her was a murderous glance or a superhuman shove. I wonder, has she gotten into the alcohol already?

Edward laughed. "No, Rose hasn't been drinking." He said. He was obviously in my thoughts. "You and everyone else's." He admitted pridefully.

Emmett was next to make some humored noises. "Another sense of humor in this place is what we needed. Thank you Kai." Emmett sprang to his feet, throwing his arms into the air in celebration.

Rosalie disappeared. In the next instant, I felt a cold wind breeze behind me. Before I could turn around, a slender, pale-white, cold arm wrapped itself around my neck. Some perfect blond hair fell into my face as she straightened my posture.

"It's not that I didn't like you." Rosalie said from behind me. "Just that I was disagreeing with Carlisle's methods. If we changed you now," She bared her fangs to my neck. "We wouldn't be in any danger."

I studied Leah's calm, sitting on the couch. I guess since Edward was perfectly relaxed, Rosalie wasn't actually going to bite me, and Leah knew that as well. Seeing how Carlisle was so against changing people who had another choice...

"Not that we are." Rosalie released me and went into the kitchen.

"Very observant little brother." Edward clapped his hands. "Malakai has some deductive prowess."

"Really?" Carlisle chimed in. "How so?"

"He didn't take Rose's intimidation seriously." Edward informed Carlisle, and everyone else in the room. "Because you don't like changing people who have another choice, and that I was perfectly calm, reading everyone's thoughts in the room." He gently patted Bella's shoulder. "He knows that I would have been pushing Rose off of him and you would have been right beside me."

"Good work son." Carlisle nodded his head at me as Rosalie returned from the kitchen.

"Thanks," I said. "But, that's all I'm saying thanks for because I refuse to accept any presents." I steadied my stance as I hung the over-sized snow coat on wooden coat tree that stood next to the door.

"Awww, please?" Renesmee chirped from Jake's shoulders. "Everyone else already has everything they want, so we never get to give presents." She pouted and rested her head on her hands in disappointment.

"Don't kill her fun, just take the presents." Jake said, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.

It's pitiful really. Whenever an innocent child, or pretty woman needs me to do something, nine times out of ten, I'll do it. The one time I wouldn't, I would probably be terminally ill, and even then, I'd try. Maybe I'm weak willed, or maybe I'm not as much of a bad person as I thought.

"I think it's option number two." Edward answered my thoughts again.

"Dam-" I had to be more careful of my words around my new parents. "Dang!" I corrected. "Doesn't that get annoying?"

"What? Edward answering your thoughts?" Rosalie asked from the living room.

"Yeah."

"You learn to ignore it." Emmett said. "Where's Alice anyway? So we can give the kid his gifts." He said, changing the subject.

"She and Jasper are outside." Edward nodded at the door. "See Kai, mind reading is useful." He picked up on my new nickname.

"Yeah, whatever." I shrugged.

The door opened behind me, and the wind that caressed my neck made me grateful for the coat Leah forced me to wear on the way over here. Then I was hit by something fast, and knocked from my feet. Instead of falling, I was suspended midair, and being spun around in circles.

"Merry Christmas little bro!" Alice sang as she spun me around. "Didn't you get my texts?" She let me down.

Jasper walked in shortly after. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," I answered as I pulled my new iPhone from my pocket. I tapped the screen to illuminate it, then slid my finger across the bottom to unlock it. I saw the notification that I had three text messages from Alice. I tapped the touchscreen again and thumbed through the texts, each of them said Merry Christmas in one way or another. I looked at Alice and shrugged. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Alice turned her head to Rose. "Rose!" She whined. "I thought I told you to call me right when they got here, if they made it back before me." Then she poked a finger to my temple. "And not being able to see your future is very inconvenient."

"I called you like two minutes after Kai and Leah stepped through the door." Rose answered in defense.

"Whatever," Alice shrugged again, then rubbed my back and stopped with a slap. "Present time!" Alice really was too happy about this. She bounced around the room without a care in the world. She went to the mantle above the fireplace and removed a box from a container cleverly disguised as a black cat head. How ironic.

I sighed heavily and scanned the room. Everyone there looked happy. One smile that stood out from the rest, was Renesmee's. She beamed brightly when she discovered that I'd surrendered my adverseness to accepting presents today.

Of course, Leah's smile stood out to me as well. Her porcelain white teeth gleamed brightly against the contrast of her sorrel skin. Her black, short-sleeved shirt, balanced the two colors perfectly, in my eyes anyway. Then again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

"Rose," Alice's butterscotch eyes darted from the box in her hand, to me, and finally, to Rosalie. "Give him your present first."

"Okay," Rosalie stood, then blurred with speed. She practically flew up the stairs, and back down again. She stood in front of me holding a medium-sized box, wrapped in green and red wrapping paper. "Here."

I took the box from her and delicately tore the wrapping paper from it. I guessed I was taking too when Rose took the box from me, tore tre rest off, then shoved the concealed item into my chest. I caught it and held it in front of me, to get a good look at it.

It was a pair of Skullcandy headphones. Exactly the ones I was going to order; the white fur T.I. Model DJ headphones. That's awesome, now I could ditch those uncomfortable iPhone ear buds, and do it in style. I wonder how she knew the exact model...Edward.

"Guilty as charged." Edward grinned.

I shook my head, then scratched my cheek nervously. "Thanks Rose." I set the headphones around my neck and let the cord hang loose, into my pocket, where my iPhone's jack was anxiously waiting. The fur that lined the inside of the headphones was warmer than I expected it to be.

Then Renesmee leaped from Jake's shoulders. She landed on the floor with a soft thud, and walked over to the couch. She dropped to her hands and knees, and lowered her head to the ground, so she could see under the couch. Her arm trailed under the couch for a moment, then she pulled it out, smiling exuberantly at me.

I smiled back and knelt down. After all, she was the only reason I was doing this without any drama.

Renesmee ran up to me, clutching a piece of paper with her name on it. She held it in front of my face, then turned it around to reveal an intricate drawing of the family, complete with Malakai off on the side, and Leah right beside me. It was amazing how lifelike the drawing was. There was no way a child should be able to draw anything like this, vampire or not.

"I wanted to draw the first family portrait with our new brother," Renesmee's high toned voice said. "I worked all night on it. I want you to have it."

I took the paper from her widemouthed. All I could think was wow. A seven year old girl drew this? I studied the picture, then I glanced at Renesmee. Her smile was still in full effect. "Thank you. It's beautiful."

"You like it?" Renesmee looked like she was about to burst from excitement.

I nodded once.

Renesmee squealed and ran toward me, wrapping her arms around my neck, in a hug. For a moment, I felt good about making this little girl happy on Christmas day. The next moment, I realized that my lungs weren't getting any air because my internal airway was being crushed by the hybrid vampire showing her gratitude.

I flailed my arms for a few seconds, and Jake rushed over to pull Renesmee off of me. I clutched my neck, coughing and gasping for air. When I was finally able to regain my composure, I stood upright and bowed my head to the girl.

"Sorry," Renesmee appologized, looking away. She was embarressed by the looks of it.

"No worries." I assured her. "I'm still alive. No permanent damage done. So don't worry about it."

"My turn!" Alice bounced across the room, holding the small box she grabbed earlier. "But first, Esme and Carlisle want you to have this." She reached into her black, leather purse, extracted her wallet. Then procured a black piece of plastic. She placed it in my hand.

I examined it closely. On the front of it were the words, American Express. Where the card holder's name was listed, it read Malakai Cullen, etched in silver letters.

I shifted my eyes to my mother and father sitting on the loveseat. Esme layed her head on Carlisle's shoulder and they both exhibited signs of happiness.

"I hope you don't mind that I broke it in." Alice put her wallet back into her purse and hung it on the coat tree next to the coat Leah wanted me to wear.

"On what?" I felt my eyebrows furrow in curiosity. "And how much?"

"One question at a time." Alice laughed. Then pushed the hand holding my new credit card into my right pocket. "Come with me and you'll see." She covered my eyes with her cold hands. I bristled away for a second, then my skin was momentarily immune to the frigid temperature of her hands. "And this is from the whole family. We just used your card. Don't worry. Carlisle paid for it."

Alice led me through the house, by covering my eyes with one of her hands, and pushing my back with the other. It was unnerving not being able to see where I was going. For all I know, I could be falling over the edge of oblivion. Or, at the very least, crashing face first into a wall. I heard the taps against the hardwood floor, so the family was probably following Alice and I.

I heard a door creak open and Alice pulled her hand from my face. My eyes needed a moment to adjust to the light, then I was able to see.

A black roadster was parked in front of me. I had to blink a few times, to completely register the giant, red bow that adorned the top of the car.

I jogged around the car, to see exactly what it was. Not that I didn't already, more so for the belief aspect I was having trouble with. When I finished my walk around, one thing was for certain. This was a 2009 Cadillac XLR. Not just any Cadillac XLR, the V-series XLR.

I could try and ask who's it was, but if Alice told me it was mine, I would cry. Not because I didn't want it, but because I have to wait a whole year before I could drive it. I don't think I can wait that long. The black leather bucket seats were calling my name.

Alice poked my cheek. "So, what do you think?"

"Um, it's nice, buh uh." I trailed off, as I knelt to finger the nineteen inch chrome wheels. "I can't drive this. Who will?"

"Leah," Alice answered. "Not that Bella wants her Ferrari back. Carlisle just thought it would be easier if you had your own wheels."

"True." Carlisle confirmed. Then he let his gaze drift off into the forest.

"Thanks?" I said. I tried to sound as monotone as I could, but it was difficult. Truth was, I couldn't wait to get into the passenger's seat of that beautiful piece of machinery. Much rather drive it, but I'll count my blessings now.

One, I'm still alive. Two, my girlfriend is awesome. Three, I have a family to care for me, and I for them.

Not too bad an existence.

When I opened the door, my stomach growled loudly. It was then I realized that I didn't eat breakfast.

"Oh," Esme loosed a sigh and tapped her fingertips. "I'm sorry Kai, in all the excitement I forgot that you, Leah, and Jacob would be hungry."

"No worries, I'll live." I told her.

"I'll go inside and prepare breakfast." Esme started for the door.

"No, it's okay Esme." Leah said kindly. Which for her, was saying a lot. What I noticed, was that Leah didn't really like any of the Cullen's, why, I would never know. "My mom cooked a huge brunch for Seth and Charlie. Malakai and I can go eat over there."

"Are you sure?" Esme swivled around in the snow.

"Yeah, I still haven't seen my mom today so..." Leah tapped her hand on the black gloss paint of the XLR. "Plus we can break this thing in on the way."

"Great idea." Esme clapped her hands together. "So, We'll see Kai later tonight. Right?"

"Yeah." Leah smiled and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Unless you have other plans with my bro." Emmett rolled his eyes. Surely, he had already devised some possible sexual escapades for Leah and myself to possibly enjoy. I would have to take him up on that later...

Edward raised a hand to his face to stifle his chuckle. So he heard me.

Alice tossed the keys to Leah over the car.

Leah caught them, and pressed the unlock button. The doors clicked. Leah opened hers and entered the car.

"Oh, Kai, Tell my dad that I'll bring Edward and Renesmee over later." Bella waved as I got into the car.

I nodded my head once.

"Bye Kai." Renesmee chirped from her perch on Jake's shoulders.

I flashed the peace sign and smiled to her and closed the door.

I looked at Leah, only to see that she was already watching me. My face flushed and I twiddled my thumbs nervously. The way her almond shaped eyes pierced me was always unfair. They were instant, thought-stopping power.

Leah pressed the ignition button and the engine purred quietly. She tapped the clutch and moved the stick shift into the reverse tapped the gas and we were propelled backward. She let off the gas, and shifted into first as she yanked the steering wheel to the right and the car swung around, losing minimal momentum. She hit the gas again and we were gone.

Along the way, I removed the user manual from the glovebox, and read it. Apparently, the neon blue heads up display wasn't a hologram. It was just being projected onto the windshield.

"Kai?" Leah asked. "Since that's what people are calling you. And Malakai is a mouthful."

"I'd prefer baby, honey, or your Highness." I smiled wryly at her. "But Kai will do."

"Haha," Leah faked a laugh. "Very funny."

"I try."

"So, don't you wanna know what I got you?" Leah gripped the steering wheel lightly as she turned right.

"Now I'm curious." I thumbed through the four-page table of contents in the owner's manual.

Leah leaned over and whispered seductively into my ear. "You can have me tonight."

If there was any two things that Leah was good at. One was looking pretty. The other was knowing how to get this puberty plagued, hormonally driven teenager's blood pressure to rise.

I stayed quiet and fumbled with the manual in my hands. There was no use in trying to read it anymore. The information would go in one ear and out the other, right now anyway.

Then my heart literally skipped a beat. Leah took a nibble on my earlobe.

I did nothing. What could I have done? I was frozen in awe. It was silent for a few seconds.

Then Leah broke the silence with a laugh that reverberated throughout the car. "That innocence." She brought up the conversation we had yesterday as she slowed the car to a stop and put it in park.

"Whatever." I sounded haphazardly angry.

"Here we are. Charlie's place." Leah opened her door and got out, stretching.

I did the same.

Leah jogged up to the tattered wooden stairs that led to the front door. She leaped up all three of them with one bound and knocked lightly on the door. Then she pointed at me gestured for me to do the same.

I ran full speed at the stairs and launched myself upward and forward, barely clearing the third step.

Leah nodded approval.

Then the door creaked open and a slender Quilute woman ushered Leah in. "Leah. You came for Christmas." She sounded happy. "And this is?" She was asking about me.

"Malakai Ulf-" Oops. I almost used my old name. I'd have to ger used to the way Culled flowed from my lips. I'd have to make it come out as naturally as Ulfang. "Malakai Cullen. You can call me Kai."

"Nice to meet you Kai." She extended her hand. "I'm Susan Clearwater. And you can call me Sue."

I shook it. "Thank you Miss Clearwater."

"Wait." Sue's head turned to Leah, then back to me. "Come in, I was just about to serve lunch. Would you like some?"

"If it isn't too much trouble." I said and stepped inside.

Sue led me through the family room, and into the four person kitchen. She swept her hand toward a metal folding chair. "You can sit if you like."

I sat, because I liked.

Leah pulled up a chair and Sue went to the oven. She pulled out a honey baked ham that smelled absolutely delicious. She sliced the ham and carried it over to the table, setting it down.

"So Leah, is this him?" Sue finally said. She passed a glance in my direction.

"Yep," Leah smiled. "All one-hundred-fifty pounds."

Sue pulled a few other dishes from the stove and oven. One was a bowl of citrus smelling string beans. The other was a bowl of garlic mashed potatoes. She set them both on the table. "Now we wait for Charlie." She directed the next question to me. "How do you put up with my daughter?"

"Mom!" Leah yelled in a raised tone.

Sue lifted a finger shushing her.

I blushed again. Thinking of our car trip over here, and the morning before we arrived at the Cullen's. Fun times, very fun times. "Truthfully, I don't know."

"Leah," Susan studied my flustered expression. "What have you been doing to this innocent young man?"

I grimaced and Leah laughed.

"What?" Sue looked like she thought she had done something wrong.

"I rest my case." Leah ignored her mother, hitting me with the checkmate in our innocent argument. "Just a little insider, mom. Nothing to worry about." Leah answered.

"Kai, if she gives you a hard time," Sue began.

Little did she know, the time wasn't the only thing around here hard. Oh wow. I'm glad Edward wasn't around to hear that one.

"Let me know. I'll set her straight." Sue flexed her bicep. Then mimicked a punching motion and raised her fist to her eyes, all the while, pointing at Leah.

"Yeah right." Leah rested her palms on the table.

Sue put her hand to my ear, blocking Leah's sight there, and drew her head close to mine. "Some of the things she's told me, you wouldn't believe."

I thought she was referring to Leah's whole, I'm-a-shapeshifter, bit. "Really?"

"Don't let her get her hands on your virtue. Heavens knows that after she's done with you, you may not even be able to speak English."

This time Leah was flustered. "Mom! You make me sound like a whore." Her face grew red.

For once, I was the sane one. Err, not anymore, I just thought about what Sue said. I blushed as well.

"Just saying that you're experienced." Sue stood again and walked back into the kitchenette, smiling.

"It was just with Sam." Leah defended. She was still on the ropes.

Sue had skills when it came to handling the she-wolf sitting across from me. I definitely need to get some pointers from her.

"Just saying." Sue sang.

I coughed uncomfortably.

I heard the tapping of shoes against the linoleum floor. I looked up. To my surprise, there was a fairly fit, middle-aged man with a cowlick in his hair, and mustache freshly trimmed, dressed in a Forks cop uniform. He looked at me and Leah and nodded a hello. "Leah. Long time."

Sue went to the cupboard to gather some plates and glasses for the table. Then, she carried them back and sat down. "Lunch is ready."

"Thanks Sue." Charlie pulled a chair out and sat in it, across from me. "Sorry about not having Christmas off. You know how it is around this time of year." Charlie scooped some potatoes, followed by string beans and the ham, onto his plate. "Is this one of your friends Leah?" He was obviously referring to me because I was the only one here he wasn't familiar with.

"This is Leah's boyfriend, Malakai." Sue teased.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Chief Swan, or Charlie. Whatever you prefer." He had a perplexed expression on his face. "How old are you son?"

"Fifteen." I answered truthfully.

Charlie shot his dark brown eyes from me, to Leah. "Little young? Or is that just how you like 'em Leah?"

"Need to know. Charlie." Leah gave herself a generous helping of food onto her plate. She looked agitated from the question. Well, this was the second time in two days someone accused her of being a cradle robber.

"Ah," Charlie shook his head, shoveling a huge forkful of ham into his mouth.

"Mom, where's Seth?" Leah asked. She nibbled on the string bean at the end of her fork.

"He just left here for the Cullen's about ten minutes ago."

"Ah." Leah finished the vegetable, and moved on to her potatoes.

I sat silently and enjoyed the marvelous food Sue had prepared. The ham was fulfilling, the Green beans were healthy, and the potatoes were a treat in themselves. It was heaven in my mouth. I marveled at the intricacies of cooking; an activity that I was never any good at.

"How's the food Kai?" Sue averted her gaze to my blissful smile.

"Great." I answered. "I don't really know the words to describe how awesome it tastes." I smiled as I complimented her. "Really." I said again. Say it with me now. Re-dun-dant.

"Leah doesn't cook for you?" Sue squinted at Leah, causing her to innocently look away. "I taught her everything she knows."

"Nope."

"Really?" Sue asked again for clarification.

"Mom, wait." Leah began. "It's not my fault. He's always asleep for crying out loud."

Sue raised an eyebrow in Leah's direction.

"It's true! I mean, hell, he's passing out at the end of every chapter so..." Leah defended. (Fourth wall has been broken. Mwahaha.)

"Cook something for him tonight." Sue suggested, slicing the ham on her plate into smaller, more managable pieces.

"Umm," Leah pressed a finger to her chin. I'm not sure, but I think she was racking her brain for an excuse. "I didn't take anything out." Bingo.

"No problem, I brought some groceries over to the house this morning." Sue said. "They're in the fridge, so you should be all set."

"Okay." Leah finally agreed to her mother's request, grudgingly.

For the next thirty or so minutes, I stuffed myself and leaned back, into my seat. After Leah had completed her three full helpings of the feast, we left Charlie's to return to La Push.

We finally arrived at First Beach twenty minutes later. She turned off the car engine, and let the radio play its Christmas music quietly.

Leah touched her warm hand to mine. "Wanna go out for a walk?"

"Sure," We opened our car doors, exited, then closed them. I jogged around the car, to Leah's side.

Leah scooped me up into her arms. "I wanna show you something. It's faster this way." She said, noticing the goosebumps on my arms from the cold. She hugged me a little closer. "It'll be quick."

Leah sprang from the top of the stony path, down to the bottom. It felt like we were flying. She landed with a small tap and hit the ground full speed ahead. Leah strode down the beach, easily, even with my added weight in her arms. "Just a little longer." Leah said as the loped down the beach. She moved easily, even with my added weight on her arms. Then her gaze shot to the right. She stopped abruptly, dizzying me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, working on regaining my sense of balance. I looked straight ahead and recognized the problem.

That old Brazilian guy from yesterday stood in front of us. His black cloak billowing menacingly in the frozen Christmas breeze. He smiled at me wickedly. "I thought I warned you not to smell so delicious then next time I saw you." He said.

Leah positioned herself in front of me, between myself and the man. A defensive precaution should something jump off. "Don't make me do this." Leah threatened. I have never heard her sound like this. Sure she has her moods around the Cullens. But, I've never heard so much warning come from so few words.

"It's going to happen." He said in his Spanish accent. "Do you want to take off your clothes before you phase? Not that you'll be changing back alive. I just wouldn't mind seeing that beautiful body of yours in its entirety."

The perverseness of the statement pissed me off more than the death threat weaved into it. Probably because I knew that the man was no match for Leah. She was my Leah, and no one disrespects her like that. I don't care if you can shapeshift into a fucking giant duck-billed platypus. Do it and I'll do something detrimental to your health. I promise.

Lead didn't move for a moment. Then she unbuttoned her pants, took them off, and set them onto the sand. Then she began to shake violently.

The soon-to-be assailant untied his cloak and threw it to the ground beside him. He was completely nude. He also began to tremble quickly.

Then, they both exploded. For a second, they were nowhere to be found. Gone. They reappeared, seemingly ready for battle. Leah in her charcoal wolf form, teeth bared, still stood between me and...Me and...The Lycan?

The Spaniard stood with his back arched, poised for attack. There was something familiar about this guy. The way his ears unnaturally twitched every few seconds. That crescent-moon shaped patch of light gray fur that was distinctive from his russet fur.

No way. No fucking way. This guy was at my house the day my parents were murdered. I always thought someone was following me as I fled my home in search of vengeance and redemption.

My chance at both are here and I'm powerless to seize it.

Or am I?