Edward's POV

Emmett's huge grin was contagious and I could barely keep from laughing out loud. I was trying to keep on a straight face and listen to Bella. To try to get her to understand.

Jasper was usually more proper than this, but he indulged Leah, and I wasn't picking up many thoughts from him. His thoughts were practically nonexistent, pictures of what he and Leah were doing right at that second being the only thing filling his mind.

The loud thumping sound of my old black couch rocking against the floor and hitting the wall had Rosalie smirking beside her husband. You'd think since Jasper didn't have a bed they'd be quieter. No headboard hitting the wall. But it wasn't. I think Bella could even hear it faintly. The couch was rocking with the force of what they were doing and I blinked when a vision of Leah being pounded down into the cushions flashed through my mind. Suddenly, the sounds stilled and I heard a faint grunt from Jasper and then "GOD!" Leah screamed. "JASSSSSSper!"

Emmett dissolved into hearty guffaws and Rose snickered. Alice bit back a giggle and I just smirked. "Is she okay?" Bella asked hurriedly.

"More than okay." Emmett said so smugly you'd think he was the one that had Leah screaming.

A faint squeaking started up again and I groaned. I could hear Leah's panting breath and Jasper's murmured endearments. "Right therrrre...God!" She was trying to whisper now, but it wasn't working.

I realized suddenly that no one was talking. We were all just waiting around and listening.

"So..." I interrupted, pushing Jasper's visuals to the back of my head. The whimpers I could hear were not helping at all.

Emmett's POV

Leah and Jasper came outside not even ten minutes after their couch-session had ended. Jasper's hair was a little ruffled but his clothes were straight and tidy. Leah, on the other hand, had smoothed her hair down and finger-combed it to perfection but she was still working on lining the seams of her jeans up and smoothing her shirt's wrinkles out.

Jasper rose a brow at Bella still being in the yard.

"She's still not getting it." Rosalie answered his questioning look.

"What's not to get?" Leah wanted to know, looking to my wife. Rose just shrugged in that way that said 'I have no idea, girl.' They really were too much alike. And at the same time, so different. The ice queen of disdain and disgust and the hot-headed bitch of fury and outrage. That outrage wasn't so hot right now, just a simmering exasperation with the human. She glanced to Bella. "He does NOT love you. He loves Alice. He does NOT want you. He wants Alice. He does NOT need you. He needs Alice. He wants you to leave him alone. It's not that difficult, Isabella."

"Leah..." Jasper started.

Not acknowledging his warning/pleading and not waiting for Bella to find words to dispute her claim, Leah glanced to me. "Was she waiting for an escort again?" she asked, motioning to Bella. Before anyone could answer, she was loping down the steps and catching Bella's arm in a punishing grip. Leah never stopped her fast pace, causing Bella to whirl around with the momentum and stumble forward with the she-wolf.

"HEY! Let me go! Stop! You're hurting me! Edward, help!" Bella was crying out, the whole time Leah continued to drag her toward her truck. The door was flung open and once again, Bella was unceremoniously tossed inside.

"Watch your feet!" Leah called, already shutting the door. Bella shuffled backwards hurriedly to avoid the door slamming her ankle. Her eyes turned murderous and she reached for the handle to get back out. Leah leaned against the door. "Bella, please. Just go away." she sighed, sounding annoyed and tired.

"MOVE!" Bella demanded. Leah rose a brow. "Move." she said again, her voice sounding a little more respectful, but also very firm.

Leah chuckled. "Go home." she demanded right back. "Now, Bella, before you try my patience."

"Excuse me?" Bella shrieked. "You have no say in this! You're not a Cullen! You're not even a girlfriend! You're just Jasper's new fuck-toy."

I could see Jasper step forward in the corner of my eye, expecting the worse, but when he untensed a little, I figured the words hadn't been able to set Leah off. To look at her, you'd actually think she was highly amused by that statement. "Isn't that exactly what you've been here being for over the last two hours?"she asked Bella in a smug, but amused tone.

Bella looked shocked for a second before sputtering indignantly and huffing. "I LOVE Edward."

"And I love Jasper." Leah replied calmly. Jasper tensed again and I smiled a little. We knew Leah loved Jasper. She had to, because of the Imprint. But it hadn't sounded like that. It sounded like she was saying it. Like her mind, body and heart loved him too, along with her soul.

"You've barely known him a week."

"And I've spent more time with him in that week than your dates with Edward and the little notes you pass him in class add up to."

"You TOLD her that?" Bella demanded of Edward. But my brother looked pretty shocked by Leah's insight, so when Leah began chuckling, I had to join in.

"I've barely spoken to Edward. It's just something very teeny-bopperish to do." She shrugged. "Figured you did it."

Bella's face flamed bright red in humiliation. "LOOK, you l-"

"No. YOU look! I'm tired of you! You come here, starting argument and little scenes and we can't get any peace. You're psychotic, delusional, stalkerish and plain fucking pathetic. Even if Edward didn't have Alice, which we've all told you several times that he does, why would he ever want to be with someone like you?" Her face was twisted in disgust and I was finally getting a clear view of why she was called the Bitch of La Push. Sure, I'd seen her being brave and unafraid, fighting viciously, and stubborn as a mule, but never ahd I seen her being downright mean. "Why would anyone want someone like you?" she finished.

Bella threw herself against the door suddenly, trying to get out. She looked absolutely furious, her face burning with anger and embarassment. When Leah didn't budge, she started to scoot across the benchseat to the passenger door. Leah reached in and gripped her hair. Bella stilled with a little whimper of pain.

Edward moved forward but was stopped with a hand on his shoulder from Jasper and a scowl from Rosalie.

Leah's voice was practically a growl when it came out next in a low warning. "Last chance, Bella. Leave now. Because if you get out of this fucking truck, I'm going to make it my life mission to beat you black and blue, whether it happens here or I have to track you down to do it." She glanced over her shoulder at our assembled family. "Edward is too much of a gentleman to let me at you, but I promise, he can't protect you all the time."

If I was struck dumb, Edward and Jasper were utterly shocked. Alice looked heartbroken over the whole ordeal, and Rose looked like she'd just got her Christmas present early...a kindred spirit.

Bella sat shocked for a moment until Leah released her and pulled her hand out of the truck's window. Another moment of silence went by before Leah bounced on her feet like an excited child and double-tapped the roof of the truck. "Buckle up!" she said cheerfully, coming back to us quickly. She wrapped an arm around Jasper's and leaned into him. "You're not mad, are you?"

Her little pout on her face as she looked up through her eyelashes was enough to send my into hysterics again. "Geez! I don't think I've ever laughed this much!" I announced.

Bella's truck flared to life and we all watched as she spun gravel as she turned. I don't know if it was panicked fear or an attempt to show her anger, but I laughed anyway. Leah and Rosalie joined us soon and then Jasper, the whole time shaking his head as if we were silly children. Edward joined after a moment and I even heard a few titters from Alice before we managed to sober up. Finally, we all headed back into the house.

Edward's POV

Alice and Rosalie were reading fashion magazines. Jasper and Leah were reading from different books and Emmett was watching the Sports channel. After finishing my book, I stood and crossed over to my piano. The song I played was something I'd wrote myself, with the soft soothing melody of something destined to become a classic.

Leah looked up from her book suddenly, a look of complete wonder on her face. A pleased smile spread across her face and I could barely believe how innocent she looked for a moment. She set down her book on the coffee table and stood before coming around the couch. She leaned against the back, her intense eyes on me, and I faltered for a split second, wondering what she saw.

"You're really good." she finally said. "I thought that was just decoration."

"Well...we're pretty old. We have an appreciation for the classical."

She looked like she was trying to decide if I'd just insulted her or not, and I realized that it probably sounded like I was calling her people savages or something.

Finally, she just shrugged and said, "Me too."

"What's this then?" I asked, glancing down at my hands roaming over the keys in graceful coordination.

"Never heard this one."

I smiled. "Trick question. I wrote this."

Her eyes widened. "You wrote this?"

I nodded and she walked forward a little, closing her eyes like I did many times, as if she were trying to feel the song. And then suddenly, she was swaying with the music, her hips going from side to side in a smooth motion. I was a little apprehensive, thinking that any moment she would break into some crude hip-grinding, but she didn't.

Unexpectedly, as her hips swished to the right, her arms seemed to follow, coming up above her head in graceful arcs. Her left leg rose behind her and bent, as if circling her body and she came up onto the toes of her right leg. The pose looked easy enough, but difficult too, at the precision she used, but despite that, it only took her a second to do it, and then she was shifting poses, going from one to the next with such fluidity, that it looked like a coreographed ballet.

And I just kept watching, starting the song over and over so she would continue. Finally, the song ended for the fourth time and she went onto tip-toe and bent her other leg, placing her foot against her knee, her arms outstretched as she spun around.

She stopped at the last cord, her hair falling back down to surround her face. Her eyes were sparkling in excitement and she was slightly flushed.

I dropped my hands from the piano and started to clap, hearing my siblings join me soon after. Leah's face turned bright red and I had to smile. I'd never seen her look anything but angry or confident. Worried, yes, but never actually embarassed. She bowed awkward, but with a goofy grin, and smoothed her hair back self-consciously.

"I..uh, took ballet for awhile."she revealed uncertainly.

Leah, even when viciously attacking someone, made it look feminine. Like a very agressive female. Which I guess, she really was. But I think I liked this dainty side of her.