a/n-you may call this a filler chapter, my dears, but I think I actually have the plot and arc figured out. finally. woot-woot! sorry for the delay.

reviews, as always, are very much appreciated. let me know what you liked, what you didn't, where you think the story should lead, because I always take suggestions into consideration when plotting! :D

I closed my eyes and tried to absorb all of this. Okay, so mythical creatures existed. Got it. And they had epic battles. Check. And people I knew were creatures of the undead. All right. And I was rapidly falling in love with a werewolf. Okay.

I was happy for Edward and Bella though. They had the sort of fairytale romance normally only encountered on the silver screen or in mass-market paperback. Idly, I wondered what Dad would say if he knew I was consorting with people who were possibly damned. Knowing him, he'd probably tell me to invite them to church.

Edward gave an undignified snort. I hadn't noticed him come in, but I knew he had heard me with his gift.

"Something funny, Edward?" Bella asked him.

"Never mind." He waved her off.

"Could I possibly meet Renesmee?" I asked, tongue tripping over the name.

"Just call her Nessie," Seth said in a stage whisper. "We all do."

Bella threw a pillow at him.

"Chill out, Cold One!" He laughed uproariously at his own joke. Bella looked at me with those strange amber eyes, and rolled them exaggeratedly.

I smiled and said, "Don't attack poor Seth. It's not very humane." Seth and I snickered at that and I could hear Emmett's distinctive chuckle from the living room, cutting off as he yelled, "ARE YOU BLIND?"

I looked at Bella.

"Baseball."

"Ah." A crash came from the next room.

"If Emmett's smashed the cable box again, Alice is going to be piiii-ssssseddd," Seth sang out.

I looked at Bella again.

"Days of Our Lives. Somehow she's always surprised."

"Ah."

"Can I get you anything to drink?" Bella asked. I couldn't help it- I flinched away from her. Seth put a warm hand on my shoulder and glared at Bella.

"You scared her!"

Bella's eyes widened and the stunned look made her look even more striking.

"Holy crow, I'm sorry, Angela!" I felt sheepish.

"I'm sorry. I'm only human," I said solemnly, with a shrug. And with that the tension dissipated.

"So," Seth said cheerily. "We've got A positive, Type O, (the universal donor)," he wiggled his eyebrows at me, "or...let's see...."

"'s fine by me."

"Your wish is my command," Seth said, bowing as he exited the room. When he came back mere seconds later, he had a towel draped over his arm.

"Your Dr. Peepeeer," he declared in a truly awful French accent, "eez sairved."

He placed the glass on the table and Bella swiftly put a coaster under it.

"Wow, Seth," came a drawling female voice from the door. "Everyday you reach new heights of idiocy." She applauded. "Congratulations on finally reaching the peak of imbecility."

"I could nayvair aachieve zis wizzout zee help of zee leetle people like you, ma cherie," Seth said humbly.

The girl stepped into the room, a mocking smile on her face. Looking me up and down scornfully, she sneered, rolled her eyes, and said, "What's this, Seth? A female willing to get within three feet of you?" She clasped her hands to her heart dramatically. "Why, this makes me believe in miracles! Though...well, she must not know you. Or maybe she's stupid. Either way, I pity her." She glared at me, with a strangely intense look of dislike, and though I had never met her before, she looked at me as though there were a grudge between us, as if I'd taken something from her and she hated me for it.

"Lay off Seth, Leah," Bella said in a tone that suggested this was an oft-repeated statement.

The girl drew herself to her full height and locked gazes with Bella. She seemed to size Bella up with her eyes, considering a fight, but Bella just smiled blandly at her. Eventually, the girl broke the broke the silence that had fallen with a disdainful snort, turned on her heel, and glided out of the room noiselessly. The smile disappeared from Bella's face, and she looked hurt for a second as she stared after the strange, aggressive girl as though she...pitied her. But soon a smooth mask was over Bella's face, and only those who really knew her would be able to discern her feelings.

I wondered what was with that angry girl, why she seemed to exude bitterness, why she seemed to hate me already.

She must be Seth's sister, the one Kim had mentioned a few times while talking about Jared. What had happened to her that had made her so bitter? I could tell that she hadn't always been like that, that once upon a time happiness must have graced those dignified features, that she hadn't always carried herself with that much tension, at ease and yet confrontational in her very posture.

Seth was staring at the floor. "Sorry she was rude to you, Angela. She's like that to everyone."

I was startled out of my contemplation. "Oh! Oh, it was no big deal." I frowned, and Bella, who knew me so well, said gently, "She's wondering why Leah was so..."

"Bitchy?" Seth finished for her. I looked at him, and he seemed unaffected by what Leah had said, just angry at her behavior towards me.

"Well, that too," I said finding my voice. "But...she seems like she hates me. And I've never even seen her before in my life."

Seth and Bella exchanged looks. Seth gave a reluctant sigh and nodded slightly to Bella.

"Once," he said gravely, "my sister was happy."

I nodded in encouragement- it was obvious that this was something difficult for Seth to talk about deeply, without any jokes to deflect the severity of the topic.

"She was in love. High school sweethearts with Sam. Sam Uley. They were going to get married. Then Sam missed school for a week. Everyone thought he had run away, but no one could fathom why. The Elders figured it out. He was becoming a werewolf. He came back, and though he wasn't allowed to tell Leah what had happened, they made it work. She learned not to ask about his disappearances, though she had doubts. But they were happy. Until...Leah's cousin came. Emily was Leah's best friend. Her sister. Her partner in crime. Sam took one look at Emily and he was gone."

"He..."

"He imprinted. And he couldn't tell Leah what had happened. Leah broke up with him. She was shattered by his betrayal. And Emily's betrayal. Leah and Sam were practically engaged. The next time Leah saw them, Emily was wearing an engagement ring. And Emily asked Leah, had the nerve, to ask her to be her bridesmaid. Her maid of honor. Leah, once she changed, realized what had happened. It didn't change things though. And since Sam was the leader of our pack, Leah had to see their love, hear Sam's incessant apologies--he didn't know how he could make things right--and he didn't want to, he was so madly in love with Emily. "

Seth twisted his face up, and I saw how concerned he was for his sister. He continued,

"So Leah hates imprinting, since it took the pure, true love she and Sam had, and destroyed it in a matter of seconds, for something that was apparently stronger and truer. She loves Sam still, hates imprinting, and hates those who fall into its trap, as she views it. She thinks Sam was weak and Emily was weak and his love wasn't strong enough to fight this. And she lives with it everyday. And that," Seth finished, "is why my sister is such a bitch."