A/N: Okie Dokie So timeline (This is mostly for me in case I need a brief overview) Jacob came in much earlier in Bella's pregnancy than the book. Edward and Bella have only been home three days by this point, so Bella isn't really bad yet, but it's coming.
Chapter 18: First Dates and Gene Tierney
-()-
"I wonder if she thinks she's being subtle?" Leah says to Jasper as they settle into their seats in the movie theater, it was only part one according to Alice. She'd text when the movie was over for part two. Right now she was in the theater in the back row wearing a scarf over her head, and a hat with huge sunglasses. She looked like a femme fatale. Both of them were grinning with warm affection at the ridiculous antics of one Alice Cullen, "She looks like Gene Tierney in Leave her to Heaven," Leah said.
"You enjoy classic cinema," Jasper asked.
"Some of it, not westerns though sorry cowboy."
"No I can imagine not," he said with a derisive snort. Then they lapsed into silence, and it was surprisingly an easy one. Then he asked, "Do you trust me darlin'?"
Leah looked at him a moment, and if anyone had asked her that question even a month ago she'd have said no, but instead she said, "Sure what did you have in mind?"
"Well between my speed, and her being unable to see your future we could probably ditch this movie, and go somewhere else."
"What about Gene, back there?" Leah whispered as if she probably couldn't hear them.
"Well that's half the fun, let's keep her guessing for a while darlin'," he stood up, and held out his hand. Then with one look at Alice, who was looking more surprised by the minute, she took his hand. Suddenly she was on his back, and there was a great gust of wind in her hair. Suddenly they were in front of the Frye art museum, in Seattle, "I noticed you doodling Seth in his sleep, I thought you might like to look at art."
"Well this is nice, I've been meaning to make a trip up here, but our lives aren't exactly calm at the moment."
"That is true. After you," he held open the door for her, and she went inside. They quickly paid for their tickets, and began to look around. The art was beautiful. There was an entire exhibit on femininity, and how it was unsettling. Leah didn't think so Leah just thought it was beautiful. Jasper kept his hand on the small of her back, and never rushed her, but simply reassured her that he was there. They took long moments just staring at the different women. There was a pale woman in a poodle skirt with her head thrown back in mocking laughter. Leah loved it. It reminded her of Alice, for reasons she wasn't even sure about. They moved onto a landscape section, and they stopped short in front of a battlefield. Judging from the uniforms, Leah would have guessed the civil war. They looked at the pained faces, and then Leah looked at Jasper. He looked….furious, "I was there," he ground out, "Confederate. It took a long time to change my thinking from that of my granddaddy's horrific senseless hatred," He didn't look at her when he confessed this. She led him over to the bench, and she simply waited for him to continue if he wanted.
When he seemed to be done sharing Leah figured it was her turn, "I hated you people," he turned to look at her a moment, "I blamed all of you, for all the crummy shit that happened in my life. It's because of the vampires that the latent genes that call to the wolf awaken. The way I see it if you guys had never come here I would have never shifted, the shock wouldn't have killed my father. Which caused my brother to shift. Also my boyfriend wouldn't have shifted, and imprinted on my cousin. I wouldn't be a genetic dead end. I'm twenty years old, and I'm going through menopause basically. Thankfully without all the night sweats and mood swings, but still I can't ever have kids. Granted with how Bella is reacting to it, that's probably a good thing. That was another reason I reacted so badly to imprinting on Alice. I despised you all, and now my imprint is someone who doesn't love me yet, and I can't live without her. And all of this because you all couldn't stay out of my town," she kept her voice soft as she looked at Jasper, and he looked right back at her. He sensed her emotions. She wasn't angry per se. Though there were some. He could tell she had made some peace with some of the issues more than others. Her father, and the fact that she couldn't have children still sent a rush of anguish through her soul. However mostly she just wanted to move on, so did he.
Therefore he said, "Well aren't we a pair, darlin'."
She snorted, "I guess we are, Let's go cowboy," she took his hand, and intertwined their fingers. They looked at more of the exhibits for a while. Until the museum announced they were closing.
They exited the building, and there she was in all her femme fatale glory leaning against an Astin Martin. Alice and found them. Jasper felt the tiny zips of joy that ran through Leah as she saw the other woman, and he had to smile at the infectiousness of it, "Well it's about time you two I've been out here for about half an hour. This was part two of the date by the way." They chuckle at Alice as they climb into the car.
-()-
"How was your date," Bella asked. From the couch Leah could see that Bella had gotten bigger, and worse. Alice must have noticed too because the hand at the small of Leah's back clenched the shifter's shirt in a white knuckled grip, adn Leah heard Alice suck in a tiny breath.
"It went swimmingly, how was your day sweetie," Alice asked, trying to sound casual. She didn't, and Bella's smile faltered a little.
"Fine, he moved a bunch today," her hand rubbed her belly, and Leah felt a bit disgusted. She looked around the room. Jacob was there smiling a strained smile at Bella, as he told another blonde joke to piss off Rosalie, who was scowling at the Alpha. Jacob looked exhausted. Seth was curled up on Emmett asleep on a couch that had not been there this morning, Emmett and Seth must have broken the chair. Edward just looked at Bella, and he looked terrified and a bit insane.
They moved further into the room. Alice sat on the chair, and Jasper at her feet. Leah sat next to Jasper. They leaned against one another, Jasper placed one hand on her leg, the coolness seeping through the jeans. Their backs resting against Alice's legs. Both her hands found their way into their hair. They settled into comfortable silence for a moment letting the television fill up the silence. Leah took another look at Jacob, he also looked to be in pain, like he wanted to leave, but couldn't the reason why was looking at him, while holding the hand of her husband. Leah sighed. She hated Bella for the way she was treating Jake, and the fact that she was going to leave gaping wounds in other people she had grown to care for, and love so deeply she wasn't even sure she understood it. Despite the fact that she could see why Bella was doing what she was doing with whatever monster was growing inside of her. She was just glad she couldn't get pregnant if her and Jasper ever….she stopped that train of thought, and felt her cheeks burn with the thought, and of course that brought thoughts of Alice as well. She suddenly became very aware of Alice's hand cool, and steady in her hair scratching the shifter's scalp mindlessly. It made Leah's spine tingle, and a heat pool low in her belly. She fought the urge to pur as her eyes slipped closed.
"Maybe you three should go upstairs," Edward said with a small grin, and looked away from Bella, probably for the first time in days. Leah looked at him, then the two vampires closest to her. Alice's hands stilled, and Jasper's hand squeezed her leg ever so slightly. Alice looked surprised, while Jasper just glared, "Remember I can read your thoughts." He looked at Alice at that moment, and she glared at him, and Leah desperately wanted to know her thoughts, and if they were along the same vein as the shifters. Judging by the way she yanked her hand out of their hair, crossed her arms and slumped into the chair, they were. Then they all heard it, howls, they were far away thankfully. Leah suddenly worried about Carlisle and Esme. "They're in the city procuring some items and blood for Bella, so we won't have to rely solely on you," Edward answered looking at Leah. She nodded. Then Seth jerked awake so hard that he fell off of his boyfriend and crashed onto the floor. Causing everyone to laugh. Alice put her hand back in their hair. Rosalie walked over, picked up Seth, and gently tossed him back to Emmett, who wrapped his arms around him once again. Then they heard a loud popping noise coming from Bella, who grunted in obvious pain.
-()-
A/N: Alright so here's the next chapter. I'm rereading the fourth book as I go, and boy did I forget how graphic, and dark it was. Jeez. Yet I still get sucked in and genuinely enjoy it. I hope you enjoy this next chapter, again if there is anything you would like to see please shoot me a review.