Leilani

I opened my eyes, taking a deep breath. The light flooding into the room meant I'd actually slept the whole night.

Remembering Jasper, I turned over, sliding my hand across the empty space on the bed. I was alone.

Sitting up, I looked around the room for any signs. He hadn't left anything behind – he'd just disappeared. There was no way I'd dreamt him staying with me, kissing me. I touched my lips remembering the deep and passionate kiss we'd shared. It had been amazing. They hadn't been soft as I expected. Instead firm, though he was so gentle. The kisses I'd shared with others had never been so good.

Maybe he was downstairs? I grabbed my glasses from the bedside table and pulled on my jumper. I remembered throwing it on the floor, but when I picked it up, it was neatly folded on the back of the sofa.

When I opened my door, I was greeted with the smell of bacon and eggs. I glanced at the open bathroom door before going down the stairs. Was Jasper making breakfast?

Smiling, I entered the kitchen, ready to thank him, perhaps even kiss him again.

"Morning, love," my mum smiled, putting a plate down.

It was just my parents. Of course.

"Nice to see you so happy," my dad grinned.

The smile started to fade from my face. Jasper wasn't here? He'd left?

"Did you see my friend?" I asked them. "They stayed the night."

My parents exchanged looks of confusion.

"No?" my mum said slowly. "Are you sure they stayed?"

I exhaled, starting to get annoyed. He'd just up and left? Why did he bother going to sleep next to me? Why did he kiss me back? It didn't feel like something he would do.

"I'm depressed, not delusional." I snapped.

"Hey," my dad cut in. "We don't know what those pills are doing to you."

Were they being serious? "Do you even know what they do?"

"Leilani!" my mum scolded.

I ignored her. "Do you?"

My dad's face reddened as he struggled to reply. "They're supposed to make you happy, aren't they?"

I looked to my mum, keeping my face blank despite my building anger and disappointment.

She stammered, "Yes, don't they help with that?"

"There's meant to help raise my serotonin levels and reduce my symptoms enough so that I can focus on therapy to find out what is really wrong with me." I explained.

My dad scoffed, shaking his head. "All these fancy words and things instead of just telling kids to exercise and eat properly."

I couldn't be in that room with them any longer. Turning around, I left the kitchen.

Behind me I heard my mum say, "there was really no need for that, Will-,"

I didn't care to listen anymore, going upstairs and back to my room. They'd had almost two weeks to look up my illness. They really hadn't had ten minutes to do a quick internet search? I had a dozen leaflets still from Carlisle which I'd left in the living room. They hadn't even looked at them? Didn't they care what medication I was on? So long as I was happy and not a problem?

I slumped down on my bed, pulling my glasses off and sighing into my hands. Where the hell was Jasper?

Jasper

Leilani was so calm when she was asleep. Although I was partially responsible for that. I just wanted to make sure she was as relaxed as possible. After everything she had been through, she deserved a good night's sleep.

I held my breath, resting my hand on her forearm that was below the covers. She was so warm. My throat was aching. I'd only hunted the day before, and I'd have to hunt again. Perhaps I'd be able to rush back before she woke up.

My phone buzzed, bringing me out of my thoughts. Edward had sent a message in the family group chat. 'Family meeting. Now.'

That was the first message he'd sent in a while. My brother had been quite absent lately, spending time at the university to get his work done and then running off into the woods to be alone. He had no interest in being around people at the moment.

As I slowly got up, Leilani rolled over to face the wall. I continued keeping the air around her peaceful and relaxed. She sighed, her heart rate slowing once more as she settled into a deep sleep.

I picked up her sweater from the floor and laid it down on the back of the couch. I retrieved my own and took one last look at her from the window before departing into the night.

At our house, I followed the sound of voices out the back and into the woods. I kept running until I reached them at a clearing. The whole family was there, and apparently the arguing had already started without me.

"Hi Jasper," Esme greeted me, politely.

"What's going on?" I asked them.

"Shouldn't you be telling us that?" Rosalie snarled.

"Babe," Emmett started.

"Edward," I looked at him. His eyes were dark and his hair was a mess along with his dishevelled clothes. "What did you call us here for?"

Alice jumped down from the tree branch she had been sitting on. "Sorry, Jas," she said. "It's my fault."

"I saw one of her visions." Edward exclaimed. "You're in love with a human?"

All eyes were on me. I wasn't sure what to say. Love had never been something I consciously thought about. I cared for Leilani a lot. She had been on my mind almost constantly. Especially since we-

"You kissed her." Edward spoke.

Damn his mind reading powers.

Esme smiled, pleased and happy for me.

"Alright," Emmett grinned. Rosalie slapped his arm.

"Actually, she sort of kissed me," I couldn't help correcting him.

Carlisle was concerned, naturally. "This complicates things."

"What's so complicated, Carlisle? It's love," Esme said.

"What was your vision, Alice?"

She walked over to stand next to me. "I saw her with you," she told me. "And knowing the truth about us. I guess it doesn't matter to her what we are."

I stood there, stunned for a moment. Leilani knowing the truth and accepting us would be incredible. Us being together, her being alive and well, and her completely understanding what we were. Would she become one of us?

"Yes," Edward answered my thoughts. "You'd damn that innocent girl to this life." He growled. "That's not love. That's murder."

I glared at him. How could he say that? A lifetime with Leilani could never be a tragedy. His views were twisted. "I'd never do that to her," I said out loud. Some things were to important to be kept inside. "I'm only interested in what she wants, and you all know I'd never be able to do it myself."

Rosalie cut in, "So that's it. You're just going to tell her without any consideration of us? We just have to accept that?" She crossed her arms, seething with rage.

"No," I shook my head. "Rose, I'm not going to tell her until everyone's ready."

"Well I'm never going to be ready so you should just forget it."

"Babe," Emmett tried to reach for her, but she pushed his arm away, stomping off over a hill.

I looked away. The darkness was lifting as it turned to early morning.

"Do whatever you want," Edward muttered. He jumped up into a tree and climbed away.

Alice gave me a hug. "You know how I feel."

I smiled slightly, giving her a squeeze. "Thanks, Alice."

She skipped away in the direction of home.

Carlisle and Esme came over to me.

"I'm so glad you've found some happiness," Esme kissed my cheek.

"Be careful," Carlisle nodded to me.

I nodded back, turning to Emmett.

"This got a bit out of control, didn't it?" he laughed.

I chuckled, moving past him towards where Rosalie had gone. It was time to confront the beast.

Rosalie was sitting at the top of a steep hill overlooking a stream, throwing a pile of conkers into the water below.

I sat down beside her, grabbing one of the small brown nuts and throwing it in. It landed with a quiet plop.

"You can't manipulate my emotions into making me agree." She muttered, throwing another conker.

"I wasn't going to," I replied, truthfully. After a moment of silence, I spoke again, "What's your issue, Rose? You've not even met her."

"We have a life here, Jas," she answered. "If she tells someone else, or you eat her then that's it. We can't come back."

I smiled slightly. "Trust me, no one wants her to stay alive in this family more than I do."

Rosalie snorted. "True."

We threw a few more conkers into the stream, the anger around Rosalie slowly ebbing away, though her frustration was very much present.

"What if it was Emmett?" I finally said, causing her to face me. "If he survived the bear, and you became close while he was still human. What would you do?"

She didn't answer at first, an uncomfortable feeling rising in her replacing the anger.

"You really love her?" Rosalie said at last. It wasn't really a question, more of a statement.

The morning light was clearer now, brightening up the autumn oranges and browns of the woods. Everything really was clear now.

"I haven't used those words before, but yes. I do." It felt good to say it. I had to tell Leilani. I didn't know when, but soon, when the moment came.

"I can't tell you want to do, Jasper." Rosalie said. "Just promise me, you'll always do what's best for this family."

I nodded. "I will. Always."

She seemed to accept that. "Ok," Rosalie stood up and walked off, leaving me alone on the hill.

My family accepted it, accepted her. Now I just had to hope that Alice was right – that Leilani would accept us. I glanced at my phone. It had just gone eight and I still needed to hunt. So much for getting back before she woke up. I pocketed my phone and ran through the woods.

An hour later, I parked my motorcycle in Leilani's driveway. I'd hunted, showered, and changed. I remembered that Leilani said her parents wouldn't be completely approving of my riding a motorcycle, but I didn't want to push it with my family by asking to borrow one of their cars.

I rung the doorbell and waited. An older woman answered the door. She had the same green eyes and mouth as Leilani, and could only be her mother.

"Good morning," I flashed a smile. "I'm Jasper, Leilani's friend. Is she here?"

The woman looked at me, raising her eyebrows slightly. She was intrigued and pleasantly surprised. At Leilani's name there was a pang of worry, too. Of course.

"Leilani!" She called out up the stairs. "Your friend is here." The woman turned back to me. "Come in," she said, stepping aside with the door open.

I stepped inside. She paused for a moment before shutting the door. "Did you ride here on a motorcycle?" she frowned.

"Yes, ma'am."

She sighed. "Those things are death-traps you know?"

I tried not to laugh, keeping my expression as serious as possible. "I'm very careful, and I've never had an accident in three years."

"Good," she eyed me, walking down the hallway to the living room. If only she knew.

Leilani appeared at the top of the stairs, wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a zip up hoodie over the top. She wasn't tired, but things seemed to have changed. In-between the affection was now confusion, annoyance.

"Where did you go?" she asked, the annoyance in her tone. She started walking down the stairs.

"Home. To shower and get changed. I thought I'd be back before you woke up." It wasn't the whole truth, but it also wasn't a lie.

She didn't seem to accept it, stopping a few steps before the ground so that she was slightly higher than me. Slowly, Leilani took the final few steps, standing on the last one and holding onto the banister. I moved forwards.

"Look," she started. "I was really tired last night. If you want to… I wouldn't mind if…" She trailed off, nervous and unsure.

I leant forwards and kissed her, taking her hand in mine.

Leilani kissed me back, softly. She opened her eyes as we parted, looking up at me.

"I don't regret a second of it," I murmured.

She giggled, looking down at our hands. She was so happy, and so curious. "I really want this, too."

"Good," I replied. "Because I want to take you out today for lunch."

"On your death-trap?" Leilani laughed. She must have heard her mother when I came in.

"You'll be safe with me, I promise." I'd already eaten.