Chapter 24

Will's POV

The six of us stayed right there near the pond through the early morning sunrise. Neah was in heaven. I'd never seen her more at peace. She sat between my legs, leaning comfortably against me, with the back of her head resting on my chest. There was no fire or anything, we just all sat in couples, talking together freely, which was something we wouldn't be able to do once we went back to the house.

"So I'm just going to shoot the shit and be honest right now. I'm hating on Neah and Jady," Erika said abruptly, causing a major harsh in our mellow.

"Uh oh, I think we have another Endora on our hands," Nate teased and Neah chuckled a little, shaking me.

"As long as this isn't about Will than I don't care," Neah added as she rubbed her warm hands along the outside of my thighs.

"It's not about Will. Actually, it kind of is, I'm mad that both of you have imprinted and this one over here," Erika nudged Simon's shoulder with her own, "didn't have the decency to imprint on me!" She pouted, but her pouty expression quickly turned into a grin.

"I don't need to imprint. We both know what this is Erika." Simon threw his arm around the woman who was making so much out of nothing. Neah closed her eyes and inhaled deeply taking in my scent. I buried my nose in her hair and did the same. She smelled intoxicating.

I 'heard' our parents deciding to come looking for us. "Shit, they're coming to look for us." Neah got up and moved to my side to we didn't look so intimate. I did notice that she sat beside me so that her foot was touching my leg. The rest stayed as they were.

"No, Erika, you're the lucky one," Neah mumbled before our parents got too close to hear.

"Hey," Dad said as he surveyed our little group. We all looked up at them as if waiting for them to say something important.

"So you all decided to camp out and not tell anybody?" Mom was a little annoyed, but I couldn't understand why.

"Grandpa was there, you knew we were safe, mom," I grumbled.

"We all had our cellphones," Neah added, "cellphone count!" We all put our phones in the air. Leah laughed but Nahuel didn't.

"Most of you know that danger, our kind of danger, there wouldn't be time for you to make a phone call! This was irresponsible!" Nahuel spoke in a soft yet commanding tone. It made my skin crawl. Neah looked over at me and then back to her father.

"Daddy, no offense but we aren't invalid. We could attempt to fend for ourselves enough to ward anyone off until our super parents came to the rescue!" Neah was the only one with enough gusto to speak to her father that way. Mainly because he was wrapped tightly around her left pinky finger, I was currently wrapped around the right one.

"Even so…" Nahuel started.

"Jady phased last night. I figured you all knew. We thought you all would come out and tend to her. We were surprised when you didn't. We decided to stay out here because the breeze was calming so we could all just hang out." Nate said as he rubbed Jady's back.

"Hold on, Jady phased?" Leah was shocked, right along with the rest of them. "That's not right, Carlisle needs to check her and he will probably need a sample of your venom Peanut." Leah said as she smoothed the navy blue fabric over her bump. Jady chuckled and Nate nudged her. "Sorry, I meant to say 'Nate.'"

"Mom, you've gotten bigger since yesterday!" Neah got up and rubbed her mom's belly. Neah seemed like she was in awe of Leah's pregnancy. Then her thought hit me like a ton of bricks. She was imagining herself this way. Neah wanted to be pregnant! I was going to have to pretend like I didn't hear that one. I was still trying to figure out we were going to expose our relationship with her cousin trying to kill her. I couldn't process getting her pregnant.

"Something wrong, son?" My mom ran her hand through my hair and she sent me a vision of how my face had look. I looked as though I'd seen a ghost. Neah turned and looked at me, she tried to hide the concern on her face but failed miserably.

"There's nothing wrong with li'l Willie, he's probably just gassy. Nothing a big burp wouldn't cure," Neah teased as she clenched my cheeks in her hands. I don't know why she liked messing with my face so much. I stuck my tongue out at her, she rolled her eye, and slapped both of my cheeks playfully. "Silly beta," she giggled.

"Yeah, anyway, we should get back and see about my imprint here," Nate said proudly as he pulled Jady close to his side.

"Imprint?" Leah's focus shifted from Neah to Nate. I think he made the announcement on purpose. He knew when his mother's mind went to work and Neah wasn't doing a very good job of acting the way she used to in Seattle.

"Yes Mrs. Cullen, I imprinted on your son last night. I've had a pretty interesting evening." Jady had her arms wrapped around Nate's waist.

"I see!" Leah voice went a pitch higher than usual. She gathered Jady in her arms and held her for a second. "I'm sorry that I didn't realize what was going on. I would've wanted to be here for you, Jady. I am glad to have you as part of the family and now you'll be connected to my son forever. I don't think the heavens could have picked a better match for my son." Neah and I looked at each other. I had never heard Leah talk so sweetly to anyone. I take that back, she was very kind and gentle with her children; it was others that received her rougher side. "If only the heavens would find someone suitable for my daughter."

"Okay, we better catch Carlisle before he decides to head back to Seattle. He does have patients to tend to." Neah said hurriedly and immediately started back towards the house. I walked beside her, not touching her, but very close. I want her to accept you that way. I want her to say those things to us, she thought. Her face was solemn. Her thoughts began to wander to her cousin, and all the drama surrounding us.

"We are in the midst of the calm before the storm, I'd like to enjoy the peace, and not focus so much on the thunder and lightning in the horizon," I whispered softly. I was sure that the parents would hear me but the statement was kind of vague. I could have been talking about anything.

"I think we are in the storm. I can hear tiny rumbles of thunder but it's the lightening that has me worried." Neah looked up at the sky. This conversation is kind of obvious Will, she thought as she ran her fingers through her hair. "We're back!" Neah exclaimed loudly with a more excited and happy tone.

"Great, because I'm past starving!" Jady ran up and locked arms with Neah. "And later can we … um."

"Hunt? Yeah, I haven't been in a few weeks I'm kind of thirsty too," Neah said as though it was nothing. "Don't you want to go with Nate?" Neah questioned. Nate wedged his way between his sister and girlfriend.

"Yeah, don't you want to go with me?" He placed his arm around Jady and she went into a daze.

"I … I, uh, yeah, but I can't. I need to go with someone that won't distract me with other things." She nudged him before entering the house. "Oh God," Jady exclaimed.

Nate's POV

"Shit, shit, shit, SHIT!" My Jady was standing right in front of me staring at the horror in front of us. Endora and Amber in Forks; just when I was getting used to not having to pretend around people, a human comes and messes the shit up.

"Hello to you, too!" Endora seemed confused by my 'warm welcome'. The others had come in and my immediate concern was Neah. She was standing by Will, but the look in her eyes, that sparkle of life, that I'd seen all day yesterday had melted away. She took a couple steps away from him, which seemed to cause them both pain.

"Weren't you two doing some spa thing or something?" I grumbled as I took Jady's hand and led her into the living room, to the couch and sat down. She sat in my lap, it was weird but I kind of expected her to do that."

"Yeah, Alice tried to tempt me with that, but neither Amber or I felt we needed to go to the spa." Endora and Amber both sat in the living room with us. I could hear Carlisle upstairs, he was still working with Maria and Eli. I had time to pretend to be interested for a few more minutes.

"We are pretty flawless as we are," Amber joked, or at least I hoped she was joking. Erika laughed as she started upstairs apparently she wasn't even going to pretend to be happy to see them.

"Hey, where are you going?" Simon asked Erika, interrupting his sister's story. He watched as his girlfriend walked upstairs.

"To take a shower, if that's okay with you, sir?" She gave him a seductive little smile.

"Right now?" He seemed pissed. I knew he was he planned to watch her and there was too much going on right now for him to sneak away.

"Yup, be back in a few." She raced up the stairs. It was probably for the best that Endora not get a good look at Erika right now anyway. She would probably try to take her head off right here in the living room.

"ANYWAY, before I was interrupted. Amber and I came back that night because her house became crowded with old people and it was really boring. That's when we found out that everybody had come here. I wanted to see Maria's baby just like everybody else." Endora crossed her arms around her chest as she glared around the room as if she were hurt.

"And you thought it wise to bring Amber here?" Dad asked as he ushered Mom to a seat near us.

"Jady and Erika are here!" Endora protested and as far as her knowledge of the situation extended, she was justified. Jady seemed preoccupied with looking at something I couldn't see. I jostled her a little and she laughed.

"Oh, Neah, I left my jacket outside will you go with me to get it?" Jady hopped up and stood in front of Neah who only nodded a response to her. I could feel Neah's sadness and frustration, I was glad the Jady gave her an out. Will, who was closest, opened the door for the girls and then came and sat down beside me. He was obviously hurting and I wasn't feeling any better that he was. There was this odd pressure in my chest; even though I knew Jady wasn't going far, I'd much rather be with her.

"Fair enough, have you been up to see little Eli?" Ren asked the girls and both of them shook their heads.

"Alice and Rosalie are up there now with Carlisle. Emmett and Jasper went out with Charlie and Billy. Sue's cooking breakfast." Endora said lamely with little interest. Just as Endora finished giving us the whereabout of the people that had goine MIA. Bailey and D.J came bursting through the front door. Bailey took a deep breath and then smiled.

"Mom's breakfast; that's something I could get into." Bailey said as she and D.J joined the party.

"Me too, but there's something I need to check on first," Mom spoke absentmindedly. "I need to help them find that jacket."

"Leah, don't move too fast … understand?" Mom looked back at Dad and nodded. I wanted to go too but it looked like everyone was making themselves scarce now that Endora was here. The reason she claimed she wanted to come was actually to be involved with the family. I held my head and tried to think about anything else but the discomfort I was now suffering. Will punched me in the shoulder and smirked. Now I couldn't call him a puss anymore. This was so uncomfortable it was on the verge of hurting.

"So, Will, you miss me yet?" Amber said as she moved in close to Will, she squeezed in between us.

"No, not at all," Will stated bluntly. He got up almost as soon as she sat down. He went into the kitchen. Just when I thought we'd made a bond Will goes and leaves me in no man's land. Shit.

Leah's POV

By the time I made it to where Neah was, she had already broken down in Jady's arms. Jady gripped her tightly with one arm and rubbed her back with her other hand. When the girls realized I was nearby and coming to them, they tried to act as if nothing was going on. However, my sweet daughter couldn't get her chin to stop trembling.

"Sweetie you have nothing to cry about." I collected my daughter into my arms and stroked her hair. "You were so happy before Endora came here." I was cooing to her and usually she hated when I did that.

"We were so happy before you all came here!" Neah sobbed harder. "You just don't understand how hard you are all making it!" She began to tremble. I knew she was angry; it was only a matter of time.

"Honey the only one making this hard is you. If you want to be with Will, just be with him. We'll all support you." My daughter shook her head adamantly.

"No mom, you would all have to choose. It would rip the family apart and I couldn't be responsible for that. I wish Will and I … that we could just escape together." More tears flowed down her beautiful face.

"I don't want you to leave, baby."

"Me either, Neah, you are the closest thing to a sister I've ever had. These past two days have been crazy, but the most fun I've ever had." Jady wrapped her arms around both of us. Neah had stopped crying; she seemed as if she'd gone into some sort of daze.

"Mom, I've imprinted on Will," Neah confessed at practically a whisper.

"Aww, baby," I started to coo her once more. This time she held her hand up in protest.

"And he imprinted on me. That's why our connection is so strong. Just being out here without him is practically unbearable." She worked hard to stifle her tears. "I just know I can't be with him in front of her. It's not right. I don't want to hurt my own blood."

"Leah, Endora will heal, but in this situation you'll only end up hurting yourself. I think you don't have a choice, ya know," Jady said. "Let's go in and try to figure out how we'll tell her."

"That sounds like a great idea." We moved slowly, at human speed back to the house, giving Neah time to have mini breakdowns along the way. By the time we got back to the house it was around noon. Neah still wasn't ready to go in so we walked around the house a couple of times. Just when I was about to ask her if she was ready to go in Will flew out the back door stopping directly in front of us.

"Too long!" He choked out, furious. "Neah Pire Cullen, that was too fucking long!" He grabbed her and shook her shoulders. I had no choice but to let my grasp go. "I couldn't pick up on your thoughts. I was beginning to freak out!" He kissed her right in front of me. He didn't care who saw. After a few minutes they both came up for air.

"So I got you back, huh?" She chuckled.

"Yes ma'am, you totally did," He said grinning, with his forehead connected to hers.

"You could've called… I had my cellphone," she murmured to him. They were in their own little bubble. All of my daughter's tears had evaporated. I guess I wasn't the best person to wipe away her tears anymore. That thought saddened me a little, but I was more than happy that she had finally admitted that William Black was the key to her happiness.

"We have to tell her baby, because I'm not gonna let you leave me."

"Okay," she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I missed you," I heard my daughter whisper to her imprint.

"I love you too," he snickered.