Leah:

"Okay, Edward, I get it now." The tall muscular dark haired man said, grinning back widely and walking towards me with his hand up for a high five. I slapped him one, only wincing slightly from the pain that the action sent down my forearm. This seemed to impress him even more. Edward rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around my waist before dropping a kiss on the top of my head.

Alice skipped over to me next, and a maternal woman with honey auburn hair followed close behind. A blonde super model trailed slowly up to stand next to the large man, curling her fingers into his.

"I can see again!" Alice chimed in a sing-song voice. "Esme this is Leah. Leah, this is Esme. Her and Carlisle are the heads of our family." The maternal woman stepped forward and took my hand in hers and though it was smooth as porcelain I couldn't help but be reminded of the kind elderly woman who had taken my hand in the same way at the hospital earlier.

"Carlisle would be here now but he was in surgery. I left a message for him to call home when he can." She said, smiling warmly at Edward's arm around me. They exchanged a look right as the dark haired man waved awkwardly, catching my attention.

"I'm Emmett, and this is Rosalie." He said pointing to the blonde goddess next to him. She rolled her eyes and looked down at her nails like she was impossibly bored with the conversation.

"Nice to meet you Emmett." I said, smiling at him and ignoring Rosalie the same way she was ignoring me. Emmett just grinned.

"Okay now that you've all met her Leah and I should really be going. Thank you for your assistance." Edward said, nodding gratefully at his family. He turned to walk away, dragging me along with him.

"Nice to meet you all!" I called over my shoulder.

Edward opened the passenger door of the Volvo for me and I stumbled in, shock settling over me as my mind processed through everything that had just happened. Edward was there in a flash, but I was getting used to his unnatural speed and didn't react.

I was silent as he pulled the car around and drove back down the long driveway. Only when he stopped the car again to turn towards me did I realize he had been speaking.

"Leah?" Edward repeated softly, but he didn't reach out towards me like I was hoping he would. I looked at him, confused.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"That's my question for you. Please, if you are frightened I need you to tell me. I want us to always be honest with one another. You don't have to accept these things about me, and I would never expect you to. If you ask me to leave you alone I will."

My eyes widened and I reached for his hand quickly. "Edward, I am not afraid of you. So stop." I said sternly. "I just watched Sam, Sam, turn into a giant snarling wolf. And I'm honestly just struggling a little to process that." I continued and he nodded understandingly before looking up at me with that blind man's look again.

I couldn't help the blush that crept across my cheeks under his gaze. I tucked some loose hair behind my ear and smiled awkwardly.

"You're such a weirdo. Why do you keep looking at me like that?" I asked. He smiled back and shook his head softly at me.

"I've never thought it could be possible for someone to see me as the man I want to be, let alone someone like you. You're so accepting and kind, but also stronger than anyone else I've ever known. I never know what you're about to do or say and I've severely underestimated you so many times. I apologize for that." He said ruefully through his lashes.

"You're pretty amazing yourself you know. You say you underestimate me and I agree, but I also think you've been giving yourself the same treatment." I said, pushing my hand through his perfectly messy hair.

We kissed softly and I felt all the remaining hints of panic wash away. When we separated he set his forehead on mine.

"I don't think I liked being called your friend." He said, frowning slightly at the word as if it were an insult.

"Well I haven't heard you ask me to be your girlfriend yet, I don't know how you feel about labels, and Sam and I did only officially end things yesterday so it felt a little antagonistic to call you my boyfriend the next day to his face but I wasn't trying to-" He cut me off with a kiss, chuckling.

"Leah, it's okay. You're right. But just know what I feel for you is far more than friendship. And I would like to be considered your boyfriend if or when you want me to be."

I bit my lip and nodded, righting myself in my seat. He turned forward and shifted the car back into drive before draping his hand on my leg, palm up. I took it in both of mine so I could play with his fingers.

"Hey don't you have another brother?" I asked as he turned onto the highway.

"Perceptive too." He breathed, and shook his head like he hadn't wanted me to notice Jasper's absence. I wrinkled my brow at him and he sighed before continuing.

"I wonder if the answer will scare you away." He admitted quietly.

I rolled my eyes and squeezed his hand with both of mine, waiting.

"Alright then. Jasper and Alice are the newest members of our family. They only joined us a few decades ago after Alice started having visions of us in their future. When I was created by Carlisle my first hunt was an elk. When Jasper was created by his creator, Maria, his first hunt was several human beings." He cringed apologetically at the horror on my face so I tried harder to control my expressions.

"He struggles the most to this day with our lifestyle. He wants it, believe me" he said, tapping the side of his head- "or he wouldn't stick around. But there's something about your blood specifically.. he can't be allowed around you now. Not until he gets himself under control. Maybe never."

"How could my blood have effected him when we've never even met?" I mumbled, unsure if I should be embarrassed for having particularly smelly blood or not.

His expression darkened and his hand clenched into a tight fist. "Alice… saw things. She's been keeping him away from you. Now that you're going to be around more often he's gone to stay with another group like ours up in Alaska so that I don't kill him. Alice will join him in a few weeks if he still isn't ready to return."

"There's more like you?"

"Yes, but not many unfortunately. Despite Carlisle's best efforts I assure you." His hand slowly relaxed in mine and I traced out his smooth fingers.

He closed his eyes, which was incredibly freaky at 75mph, and let out a soft groan. "I haven't ever been touched that way. You can't know how good it feels." He said, his voice thick and raw. My stomach started doing somersaults.

"I find it very hard to believe that you've never had a girlfriend. Or at the very least some kind of casual encounters." I said without looking up at him.

"That, of all things, is what you find hard to believe?" He laughed. He was right of course and I couldn't help but laugh too. He pulled into the same parking spot from earlier and turned to face me, his golden eyes melting down into mine intensely. My breath caught in my throat.

"You'll come to find that casual isn't in my nature."

He leaned down slowly and kissed me as I smiled against his lips. Then something dawned on me.

"My car!" It was still at the pond. My parents were going to wonder how I was getting around if I had to ask them to drop me off there to get it later.

He smiled and dropped one last kiss on my head before sitting back in his seat. "Alice and I will go get it for you and I'll leave it in this spot. It'll be waiting for you when you come out."

"Thank you that's really helpful." I said gratefully. I dug into my pocket and handed him my keys before climbing slowly out of the car. I didn't want to be away from him but I knew I needed to be inside with my family. Also I was suddenly starving and the sandwiches I had seen in the cafeteria a couple days before weren't sounding like a bad idea.