Lovies... I have no patience. Dropping this one early, too. I hope you enjoy. Leave me your thoughts!
Ps. The Song I chose for Leah's dance was Nightmare by Halsey.

The following week was one of the busiest of her life as Leah worked three jobs and prepared for the upcoming Halloween Party. She stayed at the guest house a few nights to save herself time and travel. Hodie, of course, had welcomed Leah to spend the night with him whenever she liked, but Leah worried about interfering with his routine. Another issue was that they could not seem to keep their hands off of each other when they were alone, which only left them both going without enough sleep.

Though he had not attempted to kiss her again, Quil began openly paying more attention to Leah at the garage. She was grateful that Sam was still taking time off with Emily and the twins. Despite his promise to try to let her go, she had no doubt that the open leering and flirty comments Quil made would have earned him another ass-beating from Sam. As it were, Leah was not untempted to do it herself. The disrespect Quil showed toward Hodie as her significant other was blatant. Half the time, Quil would not even use his name. Quil referred to Hodie as that motherfucker when speaking to anyone except Leah. He and Leah were both slowly adding a small fortune to Bella's swear jar. In the meantime, rumor had it that Claire had begun spending a great deal of time with Emily and the babies in the hopes of seeing Quil. Leah finally gave in and asked Jacob to talk to him. She had enough going on and did not want drama at work.

Leah was happy to be dancing, despite her anxiety over the nearing performance. She truly loved it and caught on to the new choreography quickly. Her toned muscles supported her easily as Leah learned how to lift and flip herself. Chelsea had kindly agreed to teach Leah what she could in the short time they had to prepare. Leah had intended to ask Amara to teach her, hoping to build better communication with what seemed to be the only close friend that Hodie had. However, Amara was going through her own battle. She showed up at work Friday night with a black eye and busted lip, claiming her boyfriend was at fault. No stranger to ugly bruises, an infuriated Leah did her best to help Amara mask it with makeup before her performance that evening. Again, Leah had offered to gladly fight the bastard. Instead, she convinced Amara to stay with Hodie until she could figure out her next move. Hodie had called Leah on Tuesday night in a panic because Amara had left hours earlier and not returned. On Wednesday, they had both been saddened when she showed up at the Club to quit. Amara said she still intended to work the night of the Halloween party. To Leah, Amara had decided, recklessly, to put her abusive boyfriend and his insecurities above her own finances and safety. Infuriated, Leah and Hodie both assured her that they were angry with her boyfriend and not at her. Leah boldly told Amara that she could come to either of them at any time if she needed help or somewhere to go. Leah offered to take her home to La Push if it was necessary. Amara thanked them as her large brown eyes had filled with unshed tears, and she hugged them both before leaving. Neither had heard from her since, although Hodie had made numerous attempts to check on her.

When the day of the Halloween Party and Benefit for Rick finally arrived, Leah spent a good two hours getting ready with the dancers. Alice had shown up early and attended to each individual look for the night. The results were incredible under her skillful touch, even convincing Red to swear off her trademark lipstick. Amara, unfortunately, never showed up.

Tom had been impressed enough with the results to ask Alice if she wanted a job styling the dancers regularly. While Tom could be generous with those he favored, the idea of a styler for the dancers seemed absurd to Leah. The women were all beautiful as they were. Leah suspected Alice's lure as a vampire had something to do with it. Alice had beamed proudly, her windchime giggles tinkling across the bar. She turned it down, of course, but did give him her personal card should other events occur, declaring herself an enthusiastic philanthropist with pride. Alice had genuinely enjoyed getting to know the girls a bit and looked forward to other opportunities. She explained that she and her husband traveled far too much for her to agree to long-term employment. Tom had been lost for words when she refused any form of payment for all the hard work she had done. Tom could not seem to fathom anyone willing to put themselves through so much expense for sheer enjoyment and without compensation. He had been shocked again when Leah privately explained that Alice came from the kind of wealth that made the Royal Family look like paupers. Needing to hunt, Alice left shortly after but claimed she may return later in the evening to see results.

Numerous events went off well, if not better than planned, and the evening was proving successful thus far. The time Leah was supposed to perform was approached quickly. Leah was sweating like a sinner in church, buzzing with both excitement and anxiety. She was thankful that Alice had the forethought to put her in waterproof makeup. She would have looked a hot mess with her own cheap eyeliner, wearing raccoon circles on her face by now. Her knees were knocking harder than they had in any vampire battle. Leah stood with her back to the bar, watching across the sea of patrons. Chelsea and Tricia occupied the stage and danced more for each other than anyone else. It turned out that Tricia was not such a terrible dancer after all. Not only had Chelsea convinced and taught her, but she had also awoken a sleeping monster in the tiny blonde bartender. With Chelsea feeding her encouragement, Tricia had joined the dancer lineup on Fridays, replacing Amara. Rumor had it that Chelsea and Tricia had every intention of finding a man to invite home with them. Leah had been killing time amusing herself with trying to predict who it would be.

His low, raspy voice in her ear made Leah shiver as Hodie said, "You look hot as fuck, Darlin." She tilted her head back toward him as he leaned over the bar to kiss her cheek. Leah turned around and gave him a dazzling smile, receiving the same in return.

Leah pouted her bottom lip and asked, "Are you still going outside while I'm up there?"

Firmly, Hodie said, "Yes, Ma'am." He tried to smile as he said, "If I see all these fuckers drooling while you are up there, I'll just act like a jerk about it later. I'll be wondering who is trying to hit on you every damn time I recognize someone trying to talk to you afterward. Mostly because I am a paranoid bastard. I know how bad my jealousy gets, and you don't deserve my bullshit. This is your experience to have, and you should enjoy it. I will be outsi …" Hodie paused, looking up at the entrance in alarm, and said, "Outside. With your Dad."

Leah shrieked, "What?!" She spun around to find Charlie, Billy, and half of her pack walking in the door. She turned back toward Hodie and hissed, "No, no, noooo …" What the hell are they doing here? They are supposed to be taking the party bus around La Push and Forks tonight, not hitting up strip clubs in PA.

Tom sat a few barstools away, chuckling at her predicament. He teased, "Well, Leah, so much for not wanting your stepdad here for the night."

Leah choked out a nervous laugh as the rear door swung open wide. The grins that Jasper and Emmett wore gave the guilty culprits away. Leah pointed her finger at Jasper in a warning, and he burst out laughing. He made his way over to her quickly and innocently said, "What? I thought the guys would like to go somewhere a little less … boring." Tom glanced over at them and did a double-take, obviously comparing Emmett to Hodie as the two shook hands.

Leah turned to Hodie and pulled him away from Tom, quietly pleading, "Take Charlie outside with you, please? And Billy. I honestly don't give a damn about the pack. They have all seen me in way less, but Char-"

His ears instantly went pink as Hodie interrupted, "Excuse me?"

Leah whisper-yelled, "You have seen me wear less in front of most of them at home. Also, Hodie, what happens when I phase? It's not personal. Hell, Jasper saw my naked ass a couple of weeks ago, and you were there. All I am worried about is getting Charlie the fuck out of here until it's over with. He doesn't need to see me shaking my ass up there." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in her attempt to calm down and not kick herself for the word vomit she had just dumped on her jealous boyfriend.

Angry now, Hodie looked away and nodded silently, biting his upper lip as he tried not to argue. Guiltily, Leah said, "I'm sorry, Hodie. I say stupid shit at the wrong time when I'm freaking out."

He grumbled, "Well, you weren't wrong. What you said just caught me off guard." He looked up, wide-eyed again as a throat cleared behind her. The mental picture of Leah in her costume made her cringe. Leah and the dancers were all decked out like saloon girls, wearing similar outfits in a variety of different colors. The strapless black and blood-red one piece that Leah wore was corseted up the back. It had a see-through ruffled fabric bunched at the hips to hang enticingly over her round, firm ass and hips. The midriff of the corset was a fine netting, leaving her caramel skin peeking through. Her long legs were on display from hip to toe, accentuated by black fishnet stockings held up mid-thigh with lacey red garters and matching red shoes. Her large breasts were squished and lifted in the bodice, the swell of her cleavage on full display. Alice had slapped a Cleopatra-type wig on Leah, making her seriously consider the idea of bangs in the future, despite the annoyance of her long lashes brushing against them. Heavy winged eyeliner and red lips completed the look, leaving Leah with a sultry, romantic appearance. Hodie had not been able to stop gawking at her, bringing a smile to her face every time she felt his eyes leaving trails of heat across her skin. If she had not been the only indigenous female in the place, her family probably would not have even noticed her. As it were, it was a damn good thing she had taken a piss ten minutes ago.

Like I wasn't nervous enough. Leah rolled her eyes and slowly turned to face her family. Every single face among them gaped at her in shock, glancing between her and the dancers. She clearly matched the girls on stage.

Hodie forced a welcoming smile at them and said, "Hey, guys. What can I get for you?"

A chorus of greetings came from all but two. Quil glared, tight-lipped as he stood behind their group. His scrutiny bothered Leah only slightly more than Charlie as he gaped at her awkwardly.

Sheepishly, Leah said, "Hi. Dad." Tom immediately burst out laughing at her and Leah had to bite back a laugh.

Charlie chuckled awkwardly and said, "Nice costume. Thought you were a bouncer, kiddo." All but Quil snickered behind him as he pulled out his flask and took a long swig. He handed the flask directly to Leah, and the others watched wide-eyed as she knocked it back.

Returning the flask, Leah said, "You know what? Hodie, set us up, baby, please? All of us. Bourbon. The good shit."

Charlie and Billy happily cheered. Leah glanced back at Quil, who eyed her suspiciously. God, I don't want to deal with him being pissy all night. Leah smirked and winked at him playfully. Leah mouthed, "Behave. Please?" She watched him break out into a rueful grin as the action had its desired effect. Quil visibly calmed and shook his head at her, turning away.

Leah turned to Jacob and said, "Sam, Paul, and Seth patrolling?"

Jacob barked out a loud laugh and said, "Yeah. Rachel and Emily weren't really down with the whole bar-hopping scene."

Looking at the stage, Embry quipped, "You mean the stripper scene?"

Leah nudged her step-father and sarcastically said, "For a bachelor party? I'm so surprised."

Hodie said their shots were ready, and she handed them out. Quil took his silently, letting his fingers brush along the back of her hand before shooting her a flirtatious grin and holding it up in cheers. Shots taken, lights over the stage began to flash in a warning. Leah groaned loudly.

Hodie hopped over the bar and said, "Okay, fellas. I'm going outside for this next … eh, performance."

Taking his hand in hers, Leah begged, "Charlie, go outside with Hodie, please?"

Quil glared at her and asked, "Are they seriously fucking paging you to the stage right now?"

Leah huffed and said, "Yeah. We are earning money for Rick Clark tonight. I am not getting naked, and it's a one-time deal."

Under his breath, Quil grumbled, "Might as fucking well be."

Leah snapped, "Listen, Alice picked these costumes out for tonight, okay? Be glad I'm not standing here in tassels." She turned to Charlie and said, "Just please go outside for like five minutes with Hodie?"

Charlie sighed and said, "So, what you're sayin' is that I don't have to tell your mother her daughter is a stripper?"

Leah cackled and said, "Yes. One-time deal. She never needs to know about it. I'll go back to my normal clothing and toss out the riff-raff afterward."

Charlie grumbled, "Thank God. You fucking kids, I swear…"

Jasper was grinning as he said, "We are uh, gonna find a table." He and Emmett had either ordered a beer or swiped bottles to look the part.

Jacob was cackling as he swung his arm around Charlie's shoulders. He said, "Come on, Pops. I don't wanna see my sister up there, either."

Hodie turned to Billy and said, "Hey, Billy, right?"

Billy said, "Yup. That's me." He gestured toward the door and said, "I'm just gonna …"

Hodie said, "Yep, let me give ya a hand." He kissed Leah on the cheek, wished her good luck, and pushed Billy toward the front door after Jacob and Charlie.

Laughing, Charlie called out, "Good luck, kiddo." Embry and Quil slid onto barstools, smirking.

Leah asked, "Seriously, you two are going to watch?"

Quil grinned at her lasciviously and bragged, "I've already seen it. Why isn't he staying?"

Leah said, "Because he respects me, Quil. You should try it sometime." Quil narrowed his eyes at her angrily but remained quiet. Leah asked Embry, "So why are you staying?"

Embry rolled his eyes and laughed. He said, "No offense, but I've seen you in much less. Besides, if I didn't tell Angie about this with an accurate description, she would gut me later."

Leah snickered and said, "Suit your fucking selves. Just don't let me catch it in your spank bank, or I might have to kill you."

As she walked away, she heard Quil whisper, "I hope she doesn't flip upside down. Her fucking tits will fall out."

Embry chuckled and said, "Dude, you are obsessed with her boobs. Give it a rest."

Damn Quil. He had to know how much it would unnerve her to have his eyes on her the whole time. He had watched her dance plenty in the past, but Leah suspected he was going to flip shit when he watched her swing around a stripper pole the way Chelsea had taught her. As it was, Leah had enough electrical tape attached to the underside of her breasts that falling out of the corset was the least of her worries. As she made her way to the dressing room, Tom lurked outside of his office door, smirking at her. He motioned for her to follow him and turned into his office. She was surprised to find a bottle of bourbon opened on his desk with two double-shot glasses filled to the brim.

Leah asked, "What is this about?"

Grinning, Tom said, "I don't think that one shot out there was quite enough for your nerves."

She chuckled, rolling her eyes as she asked, "However could you tell?" He handed her one of the glasses and clinked his own against it. Leah knocked it back in one gulp and sighed as it burned all the way down.

Tom said, "Hope it helps. Good luck." Leah winked and gave him a mock salute as she hurried out of the office and toward the stage entrance.

The announcement of her performance was met with cheers from coworkers and regulars before she ever crossed the stage. She had chosen the perfect song for it, the lyrics describing how she felt about her own life all too often. Leah smirked as the buzz from the alcohol began to hit her. The song started as colorful lights swung and bounced around the stage. Leah shocked them all with the choreography she and Chelsea had worked on all week. Tom had come back out to the bar and gaped almost as wide as Quil while he stared. Leah was suddenly very, very glad that Hodie had gone outside as she flipped herself and swung around in an upside-down split. An open-mouthed Quil jumped out of his seat only to get tugged back into it by Embry. When the first chorus began, Leah was sliding to the front of the stage on her knees. She kicked her legs out from under her, arching back and spreading them wide. The move was a classic and never failed to be a crowd-pleaser. Emmett raised his eyebrows in surprise as he glanced at Jasper and let out a low whistle. Leah glanced toward Quil and his apparent inability to close his mouth. She somersaulted backward from her vulnerable position and stood. Two bouncers lowered her from the stage to the main floor, and Leah danced through the sea of patrons toward the far corner of the room.

Of all the tables they had to choose. Leah hip-checked the table as she passed, grinning as Emmett reached out to stop the beers from splashing them. Jasper gave her a shit-eating grin as she stepped between his legs and up onto the table. Emmett cheered her loudly, laughing while Jas blatantly gawked appreciatively up at her partially exposed ass. Leah glanced over as Quil scowled and turned his back to order a drink. Embry had his cellphone out, recording every second of the performance. He burst out laughing as Leah flipped him off before Jasper stood to help her step down from the table. Leah made her way back to the stage and was lifted up with enough time for a few more well-timed moves before her song ended.

The cheers were thunderous when she finished, and she hurried back to the dressing room where she had hidden a change of clothing. She could hear the DJ yelling for people to show their appreciation for the performance while the tip jar was passed around the room. Panting, Leah unlaced the corset and quickly redressed in her usual jeans and tank top combo. She pulled her cigarettes from the pocket of her jeans and rushed past the crowd toward the back exit. Now that it was over and she was overflowing with adrenaline, Leah desperately wanted a minute alone to calm down. The experience had been one hell of a rush. She immediately lit her cigarette as she burst through the back exit and leaned against the brick wall. A minute later, Hodie poked his head out at her and grinned.

Hodie said, "You brought the house down, Darlin. Got Chelsea nervous about going back out there."

Leah said, "Well, tell her she taught me. She has nothing to be nervous about." The smile on his face switched from amused to affectionate on a dime as he sighed. Leah said, "Hey, I'm really sorry for earlier. Are you upset with me?"

He said, "No Darlin." Hodie stole a drag off her cigarette and handed it back quickly. He exhaled, kissed the tip of her nose, and said, "Gotta get behind the bar. Love you." The door clicked shut behind him, and she chuckled, shaking her head. She jumped as something banged against the heavy door, and it swung open wide. Quil and Embry stepped out, and Leah rolled her eyes.

For fuck sake. Are two minutes alone too much to ask for?

Cackling, Embry said, "Great fucking show, Leah."

Leah warned, "Yeah, I saw you, fucker. You better not show anyone that video except Angie."

Embry said, "I can't promise you Angie didn't forward it to anyone already."

Leah groaned and said. "Send it to me. If there is a chance to watch it myself, I might as well. See how ridiculous that was."

Frowning, Quil said, "It wasn't ridiculous. You've never looked ridiculous when you dance."

Embry glanced between them suspiciously. "I don't even want to know," Embry said and shook his head. "I'll send this, though." Embry went back inside, leaving Leah alone with Quil.

Smooth, Embry.

Quil asked, "So, how come you didn't tell anyone you were doing this tonight?"

She said, "Because I didn't want you all here?" Leah smirked up at him for a moment as she took another drag.

He asked, "Why didn't you ever say it was a strip club?"

She raised her eyes to his face again, glaring suspiciously. "It's more than that," she said. "They have club nights and regular bar nights here, too."

Scowling, Quil said, "Fucking semantics, Leelee."

Leah teased, "Your fucking face is gonna freeze like that if you don't chill the fuck out."

He rolled his eyes and tried to hold back a grin as he asked, "So why did you start smoking again?"

Leah huffed in aggravation and said, "God damn, Quil. Why all the questions?" He laughed outright, giving Leah a rare glimpse of the playful Quil that she once knew. He suddenly froze, turning to glare toward the woods behind the back parking lot. Leah was about to ask what his problem was when a familiar scent drifted toward her.

Leah said, "That is just the neighbor. He's a yellow-eyed vamp. Hasn't been a problem."

Quil said, "How do you know he wasn't involved with the ones that attacked you and Hodie?"

Leah said, "They were red-eyed, for one. And, I've talked to him. He is indigenous. Probably from one of the tribes around here or Canada. He is fine, trust me." She flicked her cigarette butt across the lot and turned to head inside.

Pulling her back by her hand, Quil said, "Hang on. Aren't you worried at all about your safety here? About him?" Quil nodded toward the bar, clearly indicating Hodie.

Leah scoffed and jerked her hand free as she said, "Are you gonna try to push that narrative again, Quil? I am not quitting this job."

She went inside and straight to the bar where the rest had gathered together. Customers who knew her cheered again, exclaiming their surprise at her talent as she made her way through. She finally reached her family standing at the bar and leaned across to kiss Hodie quickly before ordering more shots.

Hodie grinned and asked, "You planning on getting a little drunk, Darlin?"

Leah gave him a dazzling smile and said, "I'm already a little there, Darlin."

Hodie laughed and said, "You've had two shots and a beer tonight."

She admitted, "I had two shots and a beer out here and a double shot in the office with Tom." Hodie raised a brow at that but started pouring out the shots.

Emmett walked up behind Jacob and yelled, "Like triple those. These guys take a lot to get hammered. It's on me."

Jacob said, "If I get home hammered, Bella will put your nuts in a vice."

Charlie burst out laughing as Emmet asked, "Bro, has Bells ever seen you drunk?"

Jacob said, "No, actually."

Emmett said, "Well, me neither. There is a first time for fucking everything,"

Leah handed Jacob a shot and teased, "You guys are in a party bus, and Jas would never let you guys do anything too stupid, would he?" Leah glared hard at Jasper. For inviting them in the first place. Ornery fucker.

Jasper burst out laughing and said, "Well, of course not, ma'am."

Leah rolled her eyes and said, "It's really a shame you two can't get drunk."

Emmett said, "We could, actually. Depending on the blood-alcohol level."

Jasper said, "Did you know this fool once bought a soda stream and made carbonated blood?" The pack members cringed collectively and groaned. Emmett grinned and nodded like an idiot.

Leah giggled and begged, "Please don't go into specifics. Half the pack drinks warm soda."

Hodie grinned up at the sound from across the bar. He teased, "Drunk."

Leah said, "Jas, you should tell Alice to come back over. Let her see her handiwork in action."

Keeping his eyes on Chelsea, Jasper said, "If I do that and she sees you out of your costume, she will be mighty disappointed."

Jacob said, "Actually, it's probably about time for us to hit the next spot. And, we have a long ride back home."

Leah said, "You guys have been here like half an hour. You should go watch Chelsea for a while. She's our best dancer right now."

Jasper grinned and muttered, "Agree to disagree."

Emmett said, "Well, I'm calling Rosie. She'll love this shit. She'll be sad she missed that costume on you, too." Emmett laughed as he and Jasper headed back toward the corner table they had occupied earlier.

Embry said, "Guess it's a good thing I recorded it, eh?"

Jacob, Charlie, and Hodie all chorused, "What?"

Leah burst out laughing and winked at Hodie, who immediately calmed down a bit. Embry, however, was cringing under Charlie's gaze. Leah grinned affectionately down at Billy, who was silently chuckling at the idiots around him.

She asked, "Hows 'bout it, Billy? One more shot with me?" Leah turned to Charlie and said, "Dad?" Jacob cleared his throat and tapped the bar. Leah looked down at the two rows of shots still waiting and passed them out. There were three extras on the bar, and Leah realized that Quil was nowhere to be seen.

The group stood around bullshitting for another ten minutes before deciding to head back to Forks. Leah said goodbye to all but Quil as they prepared to leave before hugging Charlie and Billy. She carefully grabbed the three remaining shots and carried them with her to sit down. Leah plopped down by Jasper, nudging him playfully with her shoulder.

She grimaced and laughed, rubbing away the pain of her poorly-planned decision. Leah said, "Ouch. I forget you guys are freaking glaciers."

Jasper scoffed and said, "How did you get this drunk that fast?"

Leah said, "Shots. Like seven shots." She lifted another and tossed it back. "Eight."

Although the concern on his face was sincere, Jasper teased, "Maybe your next shot should be water."

Leah grumbled, "Listen, just because you're dead, that doesn't mean you gotta be boring." Emmett roared with laughter and playfully slapped the tabletop.

Jasper winked and said, "Ain't all 'a me dead, sugar." He grinned at her lasciviously as she guffawed loudly, making Emmett lose it again. Jasper said, "I really shoulda asked one of the girls to dance for Charlie. It is his bachelor party, after all."

Leah said, "Listen, if you ever do that, please not when I'm here. I have actually heard him and my mom going at it, okay? I do not want visuals. I don't need to see him in his happy pants any more than Charlie needed to see me dance."

Emmett had covered his eyes with his hand as he laughed, muttering, "Happy pants. Fucking nut."

From behind her, Leah heard Rose say, "I agree with that sentiment." Leah grinned and turned around to greet Rosalie, who smiled and waved at Hodie as Alice danced up behind her. The smile fell from her face as Alice realized Leah wasn't in costume anymore.

Jasper chuckled and said, "I told you, Leelee."

Leah turned to him and said, "That nickname is a privilege, you know?"

Jasper grinned and said, "Well, it suits you." Alice was still pouting as she made her way around the table.

Attempting to appease the tiny vampire, Leah said, "There's a video of my dance, Ali. I'll show you when I get it from Embry."

Her mood immediately lifting, Alice said, "Ooh! Good!" She clapped happily and sat at Jasper's opposite side. Rose sat down on Emmett's lap and turned to watch the stage.

Rose said, "The costumes you picked are beautiful, Alice." She turned to Leah and said, "I better get to see that video, too, bitch. I could fucking kick Emmett for not calling me the second he found out it was happening." Rose turned to glare at her husband playfully, and he leaned forward to kiss the tip of her nose.

Alice asked, "Did it go off the way it was supposed to?"

Leah grimaced and said, "Yeah … Although, you two might, uh, not like the video that much, now that I think about it."

Rose laughed and said, "I doubt that, but why?"

Leah admitted, "Well, I kinda shook my ass in their faces for a minute. Mostly because I wanted to annoy Quil and make him pick his jaw off the floor before gathering flies. Which worked, by the way. Honestly, though, it could have been anybody. It was part of the routine. They just picked the wrong table."

Alice giggled as Jasper said, "No, we picked the right table." Leah blushed, unable to hold back her surprise despite how often she had watched Jasper openly flirt with Emily - in front of everyone except Alice, that is.

Rose said, "Leah, we have been couples for a lifetime already. They can stare all they want. It doesn't make a difference to us. Hell, I stare too. Seems a bit of a waste to spend a century together only having vanilla sex lives."

Alice said, "Amen."

Leah laughed and asked, "Ever stripped, ladies?"

Rose asked Alice, "God, could you imagine? A vamp stripper."

Emmett said, "Jas, we are going to home depot tomorrow. These ladies are gonna need some industrial-strength stripper poles."

Jasper barked out a loud laugh and said, "No shit! Spins starting campfires."

Emmett joked, "Burning holes through the floor and shit." Jasper and Emmett laughed hysterically at the idea, and the girls shook their heads in amusement.

Alice asked Leah, "Why did you take off the costume?"

Leah said, "So I could finally have a cigarette and not ruin your masterpiece. Practicing for the wedding, you know?"

Alice beamed at her happily. She said, "I heard Charlie and Sue are getting married at Bella's house."

Leah said, "Yeah. They're getting married in the living room where he proposed."

Rose said, "That's cute, I guess."

Leah laughed and said, "It's boring."

Alice asked, "What would you do if you got married, Leah?"

Leah tossed back a shot and waited for the burn to subside before she choked out, "I don't know, bitch. You haven't planned it yet."

Jasper rolled his eyes and sighed. He grumbled, "Lee, she will hold you to that until the end of fucking time. You realize that, right?"

Leah said, "Well, then I'll never have to worry about it. Right, Ali?"

Beaming, Alice said, "You're officially my favorite wolf."

Emmett teased her, "Wait until I tell Jacob."

Alice said, "Make sure you tell him I said he might get his spot back if he learns to wear something besides black and jorts. Besides, I am pretty sure he already found his vampire match made in heaven."

Rose laughed and said, "Seriously, right? Emmett is like a little kid with his first pup around Jake."

Emmett laughed and said, "Pretty sure we all have our favorites. Jake's a good dude."

Leah agreed. "He's a damn good Alpha, too. He runs the pack with respect rather than dominance, and we all appreciate it."

Jasper asked, "Who is your favorite, Rose?"

Rose laughed and said, "From the current pack? I have a soft spot for Paul and that god-awful mouth of his. However, I love Jacob like a little brother now. I don't think Bella could have done better if she had hand-picked him."

Alice cringed sadly and slapped a smile back on her face so quickly that Leah almost missed it.

Leah asked her, "You miss your brother, don't you?"

Alice admitted, "I really do. Edward and I were incredibly close. I loved the happy, kind side of Edward that others didn't know so well. Hard not to be close to someone when you can see their future, and they can hear your thoughts, too. Not that we never had any secrets or anything, but-"

Leah said, "I get it, Ali. No matter how much Paul pisses me off, it's hard to hate him when we share thoughts. I don't always like him or the things he does, but that does not mean I love him any less." Leah turned to Rose and teased, "Just don't tell him I said that."

As the others laughed at her request, Alice said, "Exactly! I'm glad someone gets it. The rest of our family isn't always so … forgiving. Carlisle and Esme miss him a lot, but they don't really talk about it anymore. He was far from perfect, but he wanted to be better."

Rose interrupted, "Ali, no one judges you for missing our brother. Sometimes, I miss him, too. He hurt a lot of people, though. He did right by me over time, but he never really tried to mend a lot of the problems he caused."

Jasper said, "We have all hurt people. Metaphorically and literally. Me, more so than any of you. I made a lot of bad decisions as a newborn. Hell, I made a lot of bad decisions as a human, too. There is a lot of shit I'll never be able to make amends for and they keep me in my head a lot. Being an Empath can help me understand what someone is feeling in the moment, but I can't always judge their intentions by them. That's why Ali is my balance. She can see someone's intentions once they've made a decision. I work with the immediate while she plans ahead. Her cheerful personality keeps me happy, and when she has hope, it gives me hope. She healed me a great deal. Bella did that for Edward. She made him a better person. It was hard for him to realize she was only meant to touch his life and not stay in it. I personally wish Edward had allowed himself some forgiveness for his own ignorance and the mistakes he made. In the end, he hated himself more than anyone else ever hated him."

Emmett admitted, "I don't hate him, but I'm still pissed at him. Knowing how much he hurt Bella when he left her in the fucking woods turned me against him in the end. Something flipped in me that day. As if I saw an entirely different person than the one I believed I knew. Before Rosie insisted on coming back to talk to Bella, I would have blindly had Ed's back regardless of anything he had done. But damn near getting Bella killed? Again? Abandoning her when she was in danger, again? Seeing just a tiny glimpse of how different she was when we came back? It suddenly made all the bad shit he had done seem ... amplified, somehow. I'm glad she has Jacob. I really am."

Jasper said, "It was like that for all of us, bro. We left her behind to keep her safe. He damn near killed her while our backs were turned. He betrayed all of us when he convinced us to leave without saying goodbye and then left her in the woods like that. The things he said to her were almost worse. It changed my view of him, too. Even if I did believe we left because I was the problem."

Emmett said, "Can I tell you guys something I have never told anyone? Bella reminds me of my little sister, Lydia. She did from the very beginning. It's why I felt so protective of her from the first time I met her."

Rose grinned and said, "I honestly can't believe you never told me that. You never talk about your biological siblings."

Emmett admitted, "Leaving Liddy behind was the hardest part of being turned, which I have told you before. She was the main reason I had Eddie leave all that money for them. I knew my dad planned on marrying her off because we were poor as hell. He thought it would ... I don't know, save her somehow. She was like Bella, my sister. Thin and pale. Kind of frail, really. Dark curly hair. Blue eyes, though, like me. Like Hodie's. Seeing Bella and Hodie standing close together that day blew my fucking mind. I still can't believe we are related."

Leah said, "Yeah, neither can he. I mean, it is kind of hard to fathom the idea of meeting your own great-uncle when he has supposedly been dead for over eighty years." Frowning, Rose looked away from the group and toward the stage, purposely tunning out and turning her attention on the entertainment. The conversation now felt much too heavy, and Leah stood to get herself a drink. She chuckled as she wobbled unsteadily. Jasper was on his feet quickly, gently placing his arm across her shoulders to steady her.

Leah said, "I need another drink."

Jasper chuckled and teased, "Like a hole in the head." He walked with her to the bar, keeping his arm around her. Hodie looked up and grinned as he walked toward them.

Jasper laughed as Leah playfully shoved him away and said, "Water for her."

Leah scoffed and said, "I want a beer, baby."

Hodie narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously and poured her a glass of water.

Incredulously, Leah asked, "Seriously?"

Hodie grinned and said, "Drink half of that, and I'll let you have a beer."

Leah rolled her eyes, becoming annoyed. "You guys have no idea how quickly this shit burns off for us." Leah took a large gulp of the water. She narrowed her eyes, leaning over the bar toward the sink, and asked, "What the hell does that label say?" Hodie turned to find what she was looking at, and Leah quickly dumped half of the water into the sink. She was swallowing the rest as he turned back around while Jasper cackled beside her. Hodie stared at her suspiciously before handing her the promised beer. Leah twisted the cap off and took a swig. She turned in alarm at the sudden uproar behind her. His amused laughter could be heard across the bar as Emmett watched two patrons throw punches at each other. As Leah turned to charge toward them, Jasper slung his arm around her waist to yank her back.

He laughed and said, "Nope. No, ma'am. You are supposed to be off tonight." His cold hands nearly burned against the exposed flesh of her lower abdomen and she shivered.

Leah grumbled, "Killjoy." She turned her back to the fight and took another drink of her beer. Jasper laughed and yanked her back toward their table as security ushered the fighters out the back door.

Leah sat bullshitting with the Cullens until closing time and then went to the dressing room to gather her stuff. Chelsea and Tricia passed her in the hallway, giggling conspiratorily together. Leah snagged her belongings and returned to the bar to wait for Hodie. They walked out to her car together, looking up in time to see Chelsea driving out of the lot with a tall, dark-haired man in the back seat. Leah froze in her tracks, recognizing his form in an instant.

Hodie glanced toward the car and asked, "Something wrong?"

Leah said, "I guess they found someone to take home with them for the night."

Hodie laughed and said, "I wonder who that crazy bastard is."

Leah resumed walking toward her car, wishing she did not know the answer. She handed Hodie her keys and moved toward the passenger side. The expression she wore brought an instant scowl to his face as Hodie sat behind the wheel.

Tentatively, Hodie asked, "You know who they left with, huh?"

Leah knew who the girls had chosen to take home with them precisely. They had unknowingly chosen the one person in the bar besides Hodie that could bother her the most. Someone who had disappeared hours ago and Leah believed had left. Someone whose voice, scent, touch, and soft green eyes she knew as well as her own. Someone who had continued to make it blatantly clear that he still wanted her.

As she pulled on her seatbelt, she said, "Yeah, I do."

Hodie asked, "Who?"

Her one-word response left him shaking his head silently as he pulled out of the parking lot. "Quil."