First Light, Second Chances

by KNeu24264

Sequel to Never-Ending Midnight- Set during Breaking Dawn: Still reeling from one of the hardest years of her life, Leandra turns her focus on the challenges of growing up and the importance of strengthening friendships. Facing her own weaknesses head on seems easy with the strength of family behind her, but there is a lot more there than anyone can possibly anticipate. RATED M.

6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Just a drop off, kiddo." My dad told me. "I can't stay. I've got a lot to do. I'll see you tomorrow, though." I smiled over at him.

"Okay." I agreed, giving him a quick hug. "See you tomorrow. Four-thirty. Starts at five, but you wanna get the good seats."

"I'm never late." He smiled in return.

I went inside, closing the door behind me. I hung up my damp jacket, and looked around. I knew exactly where everybody was, but I wasn't in a rush. They were all still out back decorating, and I knew I wouldn't be any help, so I decided I'd just watch.

I stepped out onto the porch, watching everybody busily decorating the back yard. Alice barking at Emmett and Rose, trying to explain where everything was supposed to go. I laughed a little, though my mind was stuck on the change I'd noticed today. I didn't worry about it like I would have before. Instead, I found it much easier to just calm down about it. Though I knew there was no way it could last, I was even a little curious to know where that change would go.

It was much easier to just laugh, and tell myself that nobody stayed the same forever. I was bound to change in more than ways than just physically. That was inevitable, so why bother worrying?

I remembered what Josh told me, and smiled. It was almost hard to believe how right he'd been. How he'd been right about the fact that my life would be a thousand times easier if I just learned not to worry about every little thing I noticed. If I just let go, and let whatever happened, happen.

"He's right." I looked back at Edward's voice, and smiled as he joined me on the porch. "No amount of regret can change the past, and no amount of worry can change the future."

"That would suck, actually." I replied as he approached my side. "I worry a lot about things that turn out to be good things."

"You really do." He agreed, laughing a little. "Can I give you my thoughts?"

"Sure." I replied easily.

"Leandra, these changes you see in yourself.." He said. "Those things have always been there. You were only holding them back because of that worry. You're comfortable now. It's not you that's changed."

That actually made a lot of sense. The night I spent at Josh's house, I called Carlisle just like he said to, and I felt heard. Just like he said I should. That must have been all I needed, because from that moment on, I wasn't scared to work on me anymore.

That, and the real effort I put into achieving that goal I set for myself.

"That was also very impressive." Edward nodded. "I don't think I told you how proud of you I am."

I looked down briefly. The memories did still get to me a little, but it wasn't overwhelming. Like I'd been given a stronger leash over them, and I'd gotten strong enough to hold onto them instead of being tugged along for the ride.

"Really." He insisted. "It takes a really strong person to overcome something like that the way you did."

"I wanted my room back." I shrugged a little. "I was tired of losing because of him. He couldn't have that too."

He nodded. "Now, take that feeling, and compare it to how you felt last year."

I thought back. Last year, I never would have even attempted to take anything back from him. I knew that part. I never would have fought him the way I did. I knew that too, but comparing how I felt now to how I felt back then really showed how far I'd come. Night and day.

It was thinking about it from that angle that proved what they'd been saying. It might not feel like much thinking about it from day to day, but like that, it was completely different.

"Now you see it." Edward pointed out.

"It took me awhile." I shook my head. "I'm pretty stubborn." He seemed to find that amusing.

"I believe that." He nodded. "I've always known that." I laughed a little, and we stood quietly for a moment.

I watched the others working down in the yard. There were sure a lot of decorations going up for just a wedding.

"How many people are gonna be here?" I asked a little nervously, looking over at him.

"Quite a few." He answered with a quiet chuckle. "Alice went a little nuts with the guest list." I pursed my lips to keep from cursing, looking back out over the yard. "On the plus side, you'll be meeting some.. Extended family tomorrow."

I frowned a little, both curious and cautious.

"Our cousins are coming from Denali." He explained.

"Cousins?" I stood up straighter. "Are they like you?"

"They are like us." He nodded with a small smile. "Meaning, they live the same lifestyle we do. We consider them close family, and from what I understand, they're quite excited to meet you."

"No pressure or anything." I muttered with a little laugh.

"You'll be fine." He chuckled. That was a little exciting. I'd never heard of these cousins before. I could kind of understand why, but it was still surprising. I knew he could tell how much he'd just helped me start looking forward to the next day, but that just brought me to another question.

"So what's it like? Being able to hear people's thoughts?"

"It can be confusing at times, it's true." He said. "But over time, I've learned to tune them out, and I've learned how to choose just one mind to hear. The rest is just background noise."

"Have you ever met anyone that can do what you can do?" I asked curiously. I was curious, because of my gift compared to Alice's. I suddenly wondered how rare it was to have two people that can do the same thing meet each other.

I was surprised that I'd never asked him these questions before. I looked up at him, and his smile faded.

"The closest one I've come across, would be Aro." He said, his mood seeming to immediately drop. "I won't go into any specifics, but his gift is different. He can see every thought a person has ever had, but he needs to touch their hand to see it. Whereas I only see what people are thinking at the moment, and I don't need contact."

"Oh." I said, nodding. "I get it." I smiled, laughing again. I was still curious, but I decided not to pry and to turn the conversation away from Aro. Whoever that was. "Is that how you found me that day? Outside the school?"

"I knew where you were going and what your intention was before you even stood up." He admitted. "It really confused me at first, so after awhile, I followed you. I couldn't believe you'd actually do it."

I looked down, remembering clearly how scared I was.

"I remember as well." He said. "I found that concerning also. However useless it was to try to lie, I didn't need to be a mind reader to see that you were afraid of your stepfather." My smile faded this time, and I looked forward. Over the yard.

I was quiet for a moment, studying my hands. "What do you think would have happened if I hadn't hit Rachel that day? I wonder about that all the time."

"I suppose you'd still be where you were. Nothing would have changed." He replied quietly.

"Or dead." I shrugged, glancing back up at him. "I know I wouldn't have survived very much longer where I was. I could be wrong, too. I was too much fun for him to get rid of like that." He sighed, looking away.

"As disappointed as I am in Emmett, I'm not sorry he did what he did. I'm only disappointed that he lost it that way in front of you. I know where his head was at, and I can't blame him for that. None of us can. Not after what he saw." He paused. "To see it happening again, he took matters into his own hands. I'd have done it myself, long before it got to that point, but I was afraid that if I did, I wouldn't stop at him. I was worried I'd fall back into my old ways."

"Ways?" I asked, looking over at him.

"You have no idea how badly it bothers me to know that there are men like Jack still out there." He clarified quietly. "I used to.. Well, suffice it to say I took it upon myself to exterminate men like Jack."

This just got a whole lot more interesting, if that was possible.

"I didn't know that." I muttered, turning to face him.

"It became almost sport." He went on sadly. "The tone of his thoughts, as briefly as I'd seen him, was one I'd heard many times and one I trained myself to destroy."

"Why does that make you sad?" I asked quietly.

"Taking human life is never something to be considered sport, Leandra. No matter the reason."

"Even if it was their sport to hurt people?"

He was quiet.

"I was Jack's sport." I reminded him. "Hurting me in all the ways he did made him happy."

"I know. Believe me, I know that better than most." I heard the way that got to him. "The more I heard from your mind, the more I wanted to end him right then, but that's not the right answer."

He seemed nervous telling me this. Like he was afraid I'd be afraid. Not because he'd just told me he'd killed people before, but because he was telling me that he'd wanted to do the same to Jack.

It puzzled me a little, because he was usually the one calmest about talking about my past. Even Carlisle had always shown more emotion than Edward had, as if Edward knew that him getting upset wasn't what I needed.

What about this discussion changed that? That he was worried I'd be afraid. I wasn't afraid, though. It was something I'd seen many times in many different places since the first day I met Carlisle. Since the day I was saved.

He was worried that by showing how badly it bothered him to know these things on such a real level, it would somehow bother me. He was holding back.

I suddenly had to consider what that must have been like for him this entire time. Holding onto that anger over knowing all the things he knew, just so I wouldn't see it. Both from me, and from Jack.

Edward hadn't been in the same place as Jack since the day I was saved. He'd gotten enough from Jack's thoughts in those short few minutes that fueled that anger and lasted this long, even now. I didn't even know what that could possibly be like.

Edward was afraid of somehow hurting me or bothering me by showing a reaction, but it should have been me afraid of hurting him with the things in my head.

"That's not it at all, Leandra." He was careful again. Calm. Smooth denial. "To be perfectly honest, I wasn't quite prepared to have this conversation with you yet." I'd drawn it out of him.

"If you knew that more than most people.." I continued, ignoring that. "Then you gotta know that if I was Jack's sport, and you hunted people like Jack, all you did was save people like me from the pain they loved to cause." He looked down, so I sighed. "I don't think you're a bad person. That's why I'm not sorry Emmett did what he did. He was doing every single person on the planet a favor. Trust me. Besides Josh and Zack, I mean. That part's the only part that sucks."

"Leandra, I'm sorry. I really am." I looked up, confused. "I should have been here more often, instead of off visiting Bella."

"No." I said, laughing a little in an attempt to lighten his mood. "Don't be. I get it. I would probably do the same. And besides. More family time for me."

That seemed to make him feel a little better. It was true. As often as he was gone, it still seemed like I'd seen him every day. I really didn't feel that overwhelmed about learning this little bit of information from him. I still felt just as safe with him as I always did. Maybe even safer now.

Knowing I needed to change the subject, I turned my attention back to those in the yard, busy with activity, and I smiled.

"I've gotta be the luckiest kid in the world." I murmured out loud. "I can't believe there was ever a time when I really thought I wasn't. I mean, what kid could say that their family will be around forever? I can say that." He smiled. "I just hope I can make them proud when I grow up. If I could just start making the right choices, instead of stupid ones."

After a few moments, he spoke up in reply. "One thing you should realize about Carlisle, and really everyone, is that they.. We are always proud of you. No matter what you do, we're proud of all you've accomplished. It takes work. It's a real struggle to get where you are after going through what you've been through, and you made it look so easy. You may not realize it, but what you've accomplished is a feat most children, even most adults that have been in your situation don't achieve. In many ways, Carlisle admires you."

"Me?" I asked, and I laughed a little.

"You're the very definition of strength, Leandra. The will you have to move on, and live your life after all you'd been through makes you a force to be reckoned with. Just the fact that you exist, and that we have the privilege of watching you become the person you're becoming is such a blessing. The fact that you can't even see it makes it even more astounding."

I didn't really believe that. I shrugged, looking down again. I was about to reply, but before I could, a brief whistle from the yard below us had me look over. Just in time to catch a little bouquet of four or five white flowers right in the face. Surprised as I caught it in my hands, I looked down at Emmett and his grin.

I couldn't help smiling as well, giving him a look as he continued on his way. I knew he'd probably heard every word of our discussion, and that was his way of telling me that.

Rosalie trailed behind him, shaking her head and fighting a smile of her own.

I laughed, looking over at Edward again.

"See?" I asked. "Lucky. I've got the best brothers in the world." I said that last part louder, just for Emmett's benefit.

Edward nodded, chuckling a little.

I decided to return to one of our previous subjects then. I hadn't gotten the answer I needed yet.

"Is it possible, though, for two people to have the exact same gift?" I asked quietly.

He looked at me and took a breath.

"It's definitely possible. It's not as rare as you might think. It is pretty rare, however, for those two gifted individuals to actually meet." He smiled a little. "Your gift is still developing, but I have to agree. I think your gift will surpass Alice's, because you're a newer generation. Your gifts could be completely different. We don't know exactly what yours will do once it reaches its full potential, but we won't see its full potential until you've been turned. If you ever are."

"I never thought about that." I murmured in thought. "So.. You think I am, too?"

"Definitely." He said. "From what has been explained to me, and from what you recall, I see it." I looked forward again as he continued. "It's a glimpse. Just a glimmer of what it will be. It could stay the way it is now, just a feeling until you're turned, or it could change into something no one has expected. There's no telling, but I do know that the family is eager to see what it might become."

I liked his straightforward answers. Instead of beating around the answer, trying to keep from confusing me, he answered directly, and in a way I could easily understand. It made me feel less odd, and eased me into the idea of being gifted. I appreciated it greatly.

He smiled a little. "You're welcome."

He patted my shoulder, turning back toward the house. I gave him a smile, looking over the yard again as he went back inside.

I stood there for quite awhile, watching the daylight fade, and the entire yard full of decorations come together. It was hard to believe that something like that was possible, how beautiful it was. It was easily something from a magazine, or story book. Despite the way it wasn't even finished yet.

A soft breeze blew, only slightly chilly. My hair fluttered slightly over my face, tickling my nose as I watched. After a little while longer, I'd gained Esme's attention, and she left the decorating long enough to join me on the porch.

"Are you hungry?" She asked, and I shook my head a little.

"Nah." I sighed. "I think I ate too many cookies." She laughed. I stepped over, hugging onto her side and smiling a little when she returned the embrace.

"That house is really nice." I went on. "More than I expected."

"Yeah?" She prompted, smiling.

"The backyard is pretty big. Not as big as ours, but it's almost as big." I looked up, smiling a little at the way she was looking at me. "What?"

"Nothing." She shook her head. "I'm just surprised."

"About?" I asked, curious.

"How quickly you've completely turned around." She explained. "It makes me so happy to see you happy."

"Sleeping helps." I laughed, and she followed suit.

Edward's words were still fresh in my mind. They admired me. For whatever reason, they thought I was worthy of admiration. If they believed in me like that, really, who was I to tell them they were wrong anymore?

I was in bed early that night, and though I still expected to be woken up by a nightmare choking me in panic, I was always pleasantly surprised when I woke up in the morning with a deep breath and stretch.

It certainly helped. I'd probably never stop appreciating it.

I watched Esme bake things all morning. I wished I was interested in things like baking. She seemed so calm when she was focused on making things.

Later that afternoon, when I would have been freaking out at expecting so many people over, I was sitting there nibbling on a cookie. Letting Esme do my hair, because Rose and Alice were busy. I actually didn't mind what Esme did with my hair. Alice had passed my suggestion on to her, which I was grateful for.

Little by little, my long auburn hair was lightly braided back out of my face in a sweeping crown across the back of my head. Smaller strands of hair pulled through that braid to 'feather' down. Leaving the rest of my hair down, maybe slightly curled, I liked it better this way.

She secured the braid tightly so it wouldn't come loose until I wanted it to, and I was done. By the time I was done, it was already almost 4:30.

Alice saw my hair while on her way to get ready herself, and gave the final approval without changing a thing.

"Go get dressed." Alice urged, and I didn't argue. "Everything is already laid out for you. You've got ten minutes before everyone else starts showing up." I jogged down the stairs, and dodged Jasper and Emmett in the living room on the way toward my room. Of course, they were already dressed.

"You two look nice." I commented on my way by.

I hardly looked twice at myself in the mirror once I had the dress on. It bugged me, and I kept fixing the way it fell, but I wouldn't put up a fuss today. The one time I did look in the mirror was just before I left the room again, just to make sure I didn't mess up my hair. I was careful while pulling it on, but I had to be certain.

I couldn't believe how girly I looked. Even more than I had for the graduation party. It wasn't so much the girly part that bothered me. It was the way I missed my jeans.

This time, when I came back out, there were two other people in the living room with Jasper and Emmett. I recognized Charlie right away, but the woman beside him, I didn't.

I greeted Charlie with a smile, which he returned.

"Look at you." Charlie commented, surprised. "Wow." I hadn't seen him in months. Not since he was telling me to stop running away. If I hadn't known I'd been growing since then, I definitely would now. "You've grown so much."

I smiled, laughing a little as I found Emmett's side.

The woman beside Charlie held her hand out. "You must be Leandra."

"The one and only." I replied, and instantly, she seemed endeared.

"I'm Renee." She told me. "Bella's mom."

"Oh, hi." I said. "It's nice to meet you." I pulled my hand back, giving her a smile. "I haven't seen Bella yet, but I think she's upstairs."

"I've been up to see her." Renee assured me. "And let me tell you, Alice is amazing at what she does."

"She is." I laughed in agreement. "There's nobody better."

"I can't get over the difference." Charlie commented again. "It's amazing how much better you look."

I knew I was a pretty big wreck the last time he saw me. Road kill looked more alive than I did, so I wasn't surprised that he was so surprised. Then compared to now felt like a totally different person.

"Thanks." I laughed a little. "It hasn't been easy."

"Well, it suits you." He replied. "It really shows."

Even after everyone else made their way out back, I waited inside for Esme. I wasn't quite ready to venture anywhere on my own yet, and when she finally came down, I gave her a smile. I was okay, but a little nervous so I wanted her with me. She took my hand and walked me outside with her, giving me a comforting smile.

I held tight to her hand as we walked around, feeling a little overwhelmed by how many people were here already. The backyard had filled in the time I took. I felt like I had a permanent blush on my cheeks as I looked around.

Lots of people were there that I recognized as friends of Bella and Edward's, but a lot of people I didn't recognize. Probably friends of friends, or coworkers of Carlisle's. I found myself staring up into the trees, amazed by the thousands upon thousands of tiny white flowers hanging from them. I'd watched all these decorations come together, but it was different when I was in the middle of them.

The sound of the river nearby seemed to only complete the setting. Looking around the backyard was absolutely breathtaking, and I found myself fascinated by everything. I briefly wondered how many people had the same reaction as I did.

I'd met so many people, I knew there was no way I could possibly remember all of their names. Still overwhelmed by the beauty of the yard, I hardly noticed when Esme stopped beside three women. Releasing my hand, she reached forward and hugged them one at a time.

"Oh, is this the little one?"

"Leandra." I looked up to Esme. "These are our cousins. Tanya, Kate, and Irina." A blush flew to my cheeks, wishing she had prepared me for this. All three of these women were breathtakingly beautiful, and as nice as I hesitantly considered I looked, I felt my self-esteem drop a few thousand notches at just the sight of them.

"Esme, she's so beautiful." The one she pointed out as Kate said, smiling down at me. That was a very big compliment, coming from her.

"Thank you." I replied shyly.

"And polite." Irina spoke quietly, smiling at me also. "You don't see that in children much these days."

I looked over as Carlisle stepped up, two more I didn't recognize behind him. A man and a woman, golden eyes much like my family's. I smiled up at them, doing my best not to look nervous.

"Leandra, this is Carmen and Eleazar." Carlisle introduced the two others. These two had dark hair, instead of blonde like Tanya and her sisters. Eleazar was handsome, and had sharp features. He greeted me with a warm smile, and he held his hand out to me. I took it without much hesitation, placing my small hand in his, and he shook it gently with a smile.

"She's precious." Carmen commented. Looking back down to me, she continued. "We've heard so much about you, Leandra." Her voice was heavily accented, which I found I liked. It interested me, not having heard many accents in my lifetime.

"Good things, I hope." I laughed a little, as did they. "Because I can be a pain."

"But of course." She laughed. Carlisle's hand placed itself on my shoulder, silently telling me it was okay. She looked up, looking to Carlisle again as Carmen spoke again. "I think it's wonderful that you chose to take this one in. She seems very happy."

"I am." I replied easily.

Carmen's smile widened and she looked down to me. "Well, let me be the first of us cousins to officially welcome you to the family." I smiled wider as well.

"Thank you." I responded, smiling wider as well and leaning against Carlisle's side.

"And," Eleazar spoke. "If there is anything you need, feel free to call on us. Though, I doubt there will be very much you need." He smiled and I found myself liking my new cousins very much. It seemed as if they approved of me, and that made me ecstatic.

"Leandra." Esme called my attention, and I looked to her. She pointed toward the side, and I looked where she pointed.

Zack, Andrew and Josh. Richard behind them, along with Heather and Mark. I really wasn't surprised they got here at the same time.

I looked up at Carlisle, who offered a supportive smile before gently nudging me in their direction.

"It was nice to meet you." I murmured in goodbye to the cousins, and they all smiled in response. I took a deep breath, and started in the boys' direction. Trying not to hurry too quickly.

I'd missed them in the last few weeks. I'd missed them while I was busy, but this time, I hadn't had their help to make me better. I'd done it all on my own.

Heather spotted me first, but she didn't say anything, allowing me to sneak up on Zack. I poked the back of his head, and he yelped.

"Hey." He rounded, trying to disguise his startled reaction. "Not the hair, man."

"Wow." Josh laughed, looking me over. "You know, I never get used to seeing you look like a girl."

"Look at you." I countered, pointing out his suit. Josh looked down at himself. Zack wore one too. His was a little too big for him. Andrew's was simple, but it seemed better that way.

"I think you look nice, sweetie." Heather told me with a small laugh.

"Thank you." I replied, laughing as well. I couldn't help being a little embarrassed.

"You look great, Leandra." Andrew offered, and I gave him a smile.

"Thank you." I replied. "So do you guys."

I looked back, knowing exactly where each of my family stood. Jasper and Alice up at the front of where the benches sat facing, talking to someone I didn't remember meeting before. Emmett a bit down from them, talking with a bunch of Carlisle's coworkers. Rosalie stood on the other side of the benches, talking to Renee.

Esme and Carlisle were both still talking with the cousins, neither seeming to mind my disappearing. By the way Tanya kept glancing to me, slight worry or concern in her eyes, I had a sense that they were talking about me.

I was on my own here, despite how I knew at least part of their attention was on me at all times.

"Uh.." I sighed, looking at the boys again. "Yeah. You guys might want to find your seats soon, because these benches are filling up fast."

"We'll go do that." Mark laughed, greeting me with a brief hug. Richard did the same on his way by, which I didn't mind.

"Leandra." I turned, smiling at Lily as she and my dad came walking up. Rachel behind them with Kaylee in her arm in the cutest little pastel pink dress I'd ever seen.

"Hey." I grinned, returning Lily's hug once she got to me. I looked up at my dad. "Sorry. I thought four-thirty was early enough, but I guess not."

"No biggie." He replied, hugging me next. "We'll find somewhere to sit."

"I love your hair." Lily gasped, admiring the braid.

"Esme did it for me." I told her.

"It's so pretty." She whined. "Mommy, you have to learn how to do that."

"I bet if you ask really nicely, Esme would teach you how to braid like this." I nodded, and she grinned. "Then you could teach your mom how." Rachel smiled, seeming relieved that she wouldn't have to learn right away. She had her hands full enough with Kaylee.

To my surprise, I actually reached for Kaylee's hand, greeting her just as much as I greeted the others. She already seemed bigger. Just a little, but she smiled and reached for me. To my surprise, I was okay with it. I reached for her in return, and Rachel immediately agreed, handing her to me. I held her securely the same way Rachel had been. With my hand supporting her upper back, but she was sitting up.

"Just don't pee on me." I requested, looking to the grinning baby.

"Fresh change, so no worries." Rachel laughed, and I nodded. She was pretty heavy for a baby, so I knew she was doing well. I hadn't really had a chance to look at her the day before.

"I'll go help Mark find us some seats." Heather offered, pausing to give me a small side hug on her way by.

"I will too." My dad offered. "Lily, want to come help?"

She agreed, and took his hand. My dad smiled at Heather in greeting as well, and I knew they had worked things out the last time they saw each other. Probably picking back up their friendship where it'd landed.

I watched after them for a bit before I looked at the boys again. Kaylee looked around curiously, making quiet noises. It sounded as if she were wanting to talk, but couldn't quite get it.

"How old is she again?" I asked curiously.

"Almost six months." Rachel replied. "Already, I know." I laughed a little, looking at Kaylee again, but she had caught sight of the flowers strung above us.

"She moves around a lot." I observed, and Rachel smiled.

"Crawling any day now." She informed me, smiling at Kaylee as she babbled a little louder. "I can't complain. She's such a good baby."

The boys stayed around patiently, their eyes on me until I decided to hand the baby back to Rachel. I didn't want to risk doing something wrong, or dropping her as my arms started to get tired.

She wasn't so bad for a baby. I knew I'd eventually have to get used to her.

"There are so many people here." Zack laughed, looking around as I led them further into the yard.

"I know." I laughed as well. "I don't know most of these people."

Soon it was time to take our seats, and I was placed beside Emmett on the far end of the bench in the first row where I would be sitting. Andrew and his dad sat toward the middle of the group, behind us along with Josh and Zack. My dad and his family a few benches behind them.

We all stood there, watching back toward the house. I couldn't see over all of the people. I was way too short, so I stood up on the bench, and even then, I could just barely see.

I gasped once I eventually saw Bella.

"Wow." I murmured. Emmett chuckled a little, amused by my amazement as she finally made it to the front, where Edward stood. The happiest smile on his face I'd seen in a long while. She slowly walked closer, and I couldn't help the large smile of my own, absolutely floored by how beautiful she looked.

Charlie placed Bella's hand in Edwards, and they stepped up to the very front together. Emmett helped me down, and I watched. We all sat down, watching the two of them together.

I'd never given much thought to weddings and whatnot, what every girl should have been dreaming of from like the time she's born. I'd never had a chance to be a girl, or be picky over clothes. I'd never had a chance to be grossed out by dirt, or be obsessed over the way I looked.

I was raised from the time I was young to not care about how I looked, or even consider the fact that I'd live long enough to get married. I'd never seen a marriage, so I never knew how emotional they could be. Watching this one up close, I couldn't help but stare.

Suddenly, all the decorations and the preparations didn't seem so outrageous for a moment as beautiful as this one. I blushed, watching them kiss after saying their vows. Clapping and standing along with everyone.

However.

I really couldn't understand it. Jasper's small glance my way told me he was aware of my sudden change of emotion. Edward and Bella hadn't even moved from their spot yet, and even through the excitement of the moment, and how much better I'd been doing, a strong sense of dread pitted in my stomach. One that certainly didn't match the mood of the occasion.

A deep, resonating nervousness that told me to be careful. I watched the two of them, trying to breathe after getting punched with that emotion so strong, and still manage to seem like nothing was wrong.

Something was going to go wrong.

I knew that, and I could feel that. It had to do with them, that much I could tell, but I couldn't imagine what could possibly go wrong enough to make me feel this way. Edward would protect her, and there wasn't any threat that I knew of to be worried about. Yet, here I was, and the dread wasn't easing. It didn't make any sense to me.

Before I'd even left the spot I was standing, Jasper was there.

"What was that?" He asked, concerned. I didn't want to say, but at the same time, I couldn't say.

"I don't know." I whispered, glancing around at everyone. Nobody else seemed to notice. "I don't know what kind of worry this is." I really didn't. I looked over as Alice approached as well, looking between us.

"The concerning kind." Jasper replied. He sighed, glancing around as I had done. "We'll talk later. For now, just be careful."

I nodded, letting him know I agreed.

"What's going on?" Alice asked quietly.

"We don't know yet." Jasper answered for me. "We need to let everyone know to watch her."

"Another feeling?" Alice asked, and Jasper nodded. "We'll keep an eye out."

"I don't wanna bother anybody." I whined a little.

"You're not a bother." Jasper immediately replied. "We'll be discreet." I sighed, slightly disappointed, but I nodded again.

The reception was held closer to the house as the sun set, and night started to fall. We didn't dance like everyone else was doing. We walked around, chatting idly with each other, looking around at all the people and stealing a cupcake here and there.

Lily followed us around for a bit, and we did our best to include her, but she broke off. Heading back to my dad's side, not that interested in just wandering the way we were.

Soon enough, it was easy to forget that feeling I'd had earlier, and I really started to believe that it was just left over from all the time I spent as an anxious wreck. Out of all the time I'd spent feeling better, tonight was the first time I was in this mood. The best I'd ever been, really.

Laughs came effortlessly. I smiled more often than not, and the bubbly feeling I couldn't shake was more than enough to keep me warm. I never appreciated it more than I did tonight.

Me and my pack of friends were the only kids there, and I knew everyone noticed. I knew we were watched closely, but I ignored that part. It didn't really matter. Nobody was stopping us from doing what we wanted to do.

"You seem different." Josh pointed out and I looked over at him. It was funny that he'd bring it up.

"How?" I asked, laughing a little. Was my behavior really that different? Yeah, I realized it really was.

"I don't know." He said. "You just seem.. Calmer."

"You're the one that told me to stop worrying so much." I pointed out. "Now it's a bad thing?"

"No." He said, smiling. "It's not a bad sort of different. It's a good one. I like it."

"Leandra." I turned at Jasper's voice. "You doing okay?" I knew he was only checking on me because of the way I felt earlier, but he should have been able to tell. I was doing much better. Better than better.

"I'm fine." I told him anyway.

The way he looked to the three boys behind me told me that he had his suspicions. I could tell in that split second glance that he'd gladly handle anyone who dared to try and ruin my good mood, and I knew he wasn't the only one.

He nodded, taking my word for it.

"Just let me know if that changes." He replied, and I nodded.

"I will." He gave me another nod, and turned, walking away. I looked to the boys with a little laugh. "He's just checking on me."

"Yeah." Josh laughed a little as well. "He's scarier than Emmett."

"Really?" I snorted, and he stammered a bit.

"Well, I mean, Emmett is plenty scary too, but there's something about Jasper that tells me not to mess with him."

"Or his sister." I pointed my finger in Josh's face. "Remember that." His laugh told me he knew I was joking.

"Really, though." I added. "You guys don't have to worry about Jasper. Or Emmett. You have nothing to be worried about, unless you piss me off or make me cry."

"If anyone pisses you off or makes you cry, I'll be someone to worry about." Andrew piped up. I smiled. I knew that. He'd been oddly quiet all day, and I was glad he finally said something.

Glancing over, I met Carlisle and Esme's eyes across the yard, and smiled a little. They returned it, so I knew they'd been keeping an eye on me as well. Probably most of all.

Looking over, I watched as Bella and Edward stood talking with the cousins. Irina seemed tense, but I decided not to ask. I just hoped that wasn't what I had to be worried about.

No, I told myself. Whatever it is, they'd handle it. I wanted to keep this feeling for as long as I could, and to do that, I couldn't afford to notice things. I needed to keep it in my own little world.

We continued our walk around. It was nice just wandering, but my feet were starting to hurt, so as we passed close to the porch, I pulled off my shoes and threw them toward the door. Immediately my feet felt better on the smooth flooring that had been placed on the ground. Nobody commented on that as we kept going.

We next found ourselves at the table holding all the regular drinks. Bottles of water and sodas sitting in bowls of ice. Josh whipped a bottle of water out of the ice fast enough to spray all of us with ice and drops of water. The yelp I made involuntarily was more than enough to make me feel the need to retaliate.

I picked up a stray ice cube and tossed it back at him. Of course, that started something as Zack dropped another stray cube down the back of Andrew's shirt, which gave Josh the same idea given his grin at me.

"Don't you dare." I warned him, but it was softened by the laugh I let escape. He palmed a few cubes and stepped forward. I stepped back quickly, but before I could get very far, Zack got him for me. Dropping ice down the back of his pants.

That prompted a chase. I grabbed my own handful of ice as I darted after Josh chasing Zack. We darted between tables and dodged around people. As far as I knew, nobody seemed too bothered by us running by them.

Josh caught Zack not long into the chase, just toward the back of the group, but I caught Josh at the same time. Knocking into him, and shoving my handful of half-melted ice into his face.

He rounded to catch me, and I jumped back.

The floor was a little more slippery than I thought, and my bare foot slid just wrong enough to make me lose my balance and bump into someone behind me. I was caught, of course, but embarrassed as I turned to look at the kid I'd bumped into. If only to apologize, but his grin was very kind and understanding. It only then registered to me how warm his hands had been on my upper arms. I'd never felt skin that warm before.

He was pretty tall. His skin a darker tan color, and his smile reached all the way to his brown eyes. The instinct I had to fear anyone bigger than me was squashed before it could even get going, just by his smile.

"Whoa." He laughed. "Careful. You okay?"

"Yeah." I laughed in return. "Sorry."

"No worries." He assured me easily. "Hey, you're Leandra, right?" I nodded. "I've heard a lot about you."

"You have?" I asked, still embarrassed.

"Yeah." He replied. "I'm Seth." When I drew a blank, he laughed. "I'm a friend of Jake's." That name I recognized.

"Oh." I muttered, taking a step back. "I don't really like him that much."

"He knows." Seth laughed. "Don't worry. I'm a lot nicer than he is." I could tell. "I'm glad I could finally meet you."

"If you're really nicer than Jake, it's nice to meet you too." I replied. "Tell Jake he's still an ass."

"I heard about what he said to you." Seth replied apologetically. "So I can't help agreeing with you a little bit. That wasn't very nice of him."

I was quiet, glancing back at the boys. I looked forward again in time to see Seth looking at them as well, his smile fading ever-so-slightly. The ice fight had continued while I was distracted, but Andrew stood further to the side, just watching.

I wouldn't have minded continuing to talk to Seth, but the activity had changed behind us, and everyone was taking seats.

"Speech time." Seth informed me. "It was nice talking to you."

"Yeah." I smiled. "You too." He was nice enough.

"Quick question." He said before I could turn to walk away. "Who's your friend?"

"Which one?" I asked, looking back at the boys. "The one standing there is Andrew. The one with his face in the dirt is Zack, and the one sitting on Zack is his brother Josh."

He nodded a little. "Just curious." I smiled in response. That seemed to be enough to satisfy his curiosity, so I nodded and walked away. He didn't call me back so I was sure it was fine.

All four of us chose a table in the very back. Mostly out of the way. Unfortunately, I couldn't concentrate directly on what they were saying, because Josh and Zack got into a mini paper-throwing war. Their ammo of choice being a paper napkin torn to bits and rolled into little pellets.

Of course, they had to include me.

"Stop." I whispered in a laugh, flicking one of their bits back at them. "I'm trying to pay attention."

Of course, another hit my cheek from Josh, and I openly flung it back at him. I couldn't stop laughing now if I tried. The best I could do was keep it quiet, laughing harder than I had in awhile. Eventually, Andrew joined in as well. On my team.

Paper pellets flew for quite some time, and I had no idea what all was said during the speeches. The final straw for my self control was when a pellet I'd flicked bounced off Josh's forehead and landed in some lady's purse at the next table up.

We all snorted in laughter and vacated the table. Ducking away from the scene of the crime, and off to an area where it'd be less obvious that we couldn't breathe around our laughter. More toward the house, further from everyone else. It was darker over here.

"You guys are so rude." I gasped, my voice shaking with the laughs I was trying to hold back.

"Us?" Josh laughed incredulously. "You're the one that hit me in the face."

"I was trying to pay attention." I shoved him.

"Okay," He laughed. "Okay. You're right. I'm so sorry."

"You should be." I shoved him a little. "That was like.. Super important."

Looking to Andrew, watching him smile a little, shaking his head at the ground, I couldn't help it. Once again, my focus was on how quiet Andrew had been all night.

"Andrew." I said, and he looked up. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I had a feeling that if I didn't ask, I'd regret it later. He didn't seem sad or anything. Just quiet. I knew asking him in front of anyone else would ensure he lied, so talking to him alone was the best way to go.

"Yeah." He said, surprised. "Sure."

"Stay here, guys. We'll be right back." I told Josh, and he nodded. I turned, leading Andrew toward the trees. I had to step carefully over the foliage and rocks on the ground, but I was okay.

When we were far enough away that I was sure we could talk without Josh or Zack hearing, I turned and looked at him. I could barely see him in the dark trees, but I could tell he was curious.

"Okay." I mumbled. "Spill it."

"Spill what?" He laughed a little.

"What's wrong?" I pressed. "You've been so quiet all day, and I wanna know why."

"Nothing's wrong." He replied. "I'm just a little tired."

"So tell me about that then."

"It's nothing." He laughed again. "I'm just tired. My grandma's coming to visit tomorrow." Oh.

"Is that bad?"

"No." He replied honestly. "It's been awhile since I've seen her, but my dad gave me a mile long chore list. He got the big chores, but I was cleaning all day before I came here. He said he doesn't want her to see how messy the house can get."

"How come it's been awhile?" I asked, curiously. I knew he was being honest, so I let him continue.

"She doesn't like leaving the reservation." He explained. "She never does. My dad's been so busy, we haven't been to visit her lately." How did I not know he had a grandma living so close?

"Oh." I muttered, nodding. "Okay. I was just a little worried." He smiled.

"Don't worry." He said. "I'm okay. If it was anything huge, I'd tell you." I sighed, accepting that, but I couldn't resist asking. I nudged him a little.

"How come you never told me about your grandma?"

"I dunno." He replied. "It just never came up, I guess. It's not like it's a secret. She's just my mom's mom."

"And she lives on the reservation?"

"Yep." He nodded. "Been there all her life. Her and my grandpa. My mom was born and raised there, and I was born there too. We moved to Forks after my mom first got sick. It was just easier to be closer to the hospital."

"I've never been there." I laughed a little. "I was born here."

"You should go sometime." He smiled as we started walking. "It's so pretty there." I felt a lot better knowing he wasn't upset.

Looking closer at him, I could see it. In the dark brown of his hair, and the dark brown of his eyes. I'd assumed he'd gotten his features from his dad, but finding this out about his mother, I realized that wasn't the case.

I'd just never really noticed the subtle difference of his skin color compared to mine. I always thought he'd just somehow spent more time in the sun than I did. Now that I knew it was there, I could see it.

We left the trees, and to my surprise, Edward was standing there talking to Josh, looking my way as I neared.

"Hey." I smiled. "Where's Bella?"

"Talking to an old friend." Edward answered. "I thought I'd give her some time." I nodded, understanding now. "I was just talking to your friends here."

"Don't do that." I laughed. "They'll drive you nuts."

"No." Zack replied. "We only do that to you."

"Well, you're really good at it." I countered, and he grinned.

"It's a talent." Josh grinned as well.

Edward's attention was suddenly taken by something around the side of the house, and his smile faded quite a bit in an instant.

"Please excuse me." Edward muttered quickly.

"No problem." Josh told him. "Nice talking to you."

We returned to the table and got right back to our paper pellet war, and we laughed freely now. No longer having to be quiet. However, after a well timed teasing comment, Josh led yet another chase through the group of guests. Even barefoot, I still trailed right behind him. I was having fun, though. Not really mad.

"Hey." Emmett caught me on the third round through the group. Plucking me right off my feet and holding me up easily. "Slow down there, shorty."

"He's escaping." I panted, attempting to catch my breath. "I need to hit him." He smiled, knowing I wasn't serious and letting me back down onto my feet with a chuckle. I instantly took off after him, barely managing to avoid running into Zack as he ran by me.

The chase ended by Josh tripping over the leg of a chair, hitting the floor and sliding a little.

I couldn't run anymore, laughing too hard at just the way it looked. I couldn't breathe enough to stand up straight, much less ask him if he was okay. He was laughing just as hard as I was, so I assumed he was fine. I helped him up since Zack was doubled over in laughter and Andrew was nearly the same way.

I needed to take a minute so I pushed Josh at a chair before landing in another. Andrew and Zack followed suit.

"Oh god." Zack laughed after we had a chance to calm down a little. "I thought I was gonna puke."

"Do it that way." I pointed toward Andrew without even realizing it.

"Hey!" Andrew whined, and that only restarted our laughing. I was nearly in tears, which had never happened to me before.

My deep yawn in the following few silent minutes told me exactly how late it was getting. I hated that the night would end soon, but even the best nights couldn't last forever.

"You should come over tomorrow." Andrew told me. "I mean, if it's okay. I know my grandma would wanna meet you."

"You have a grandma?" Zack asked, looking over at him. Apparently, I wasn't the only one that didn't know. Andrew ignored that.

"I'll ask." I replied, and he nodded.

They got to stay long enough to see Edward and Bella off, and a few minutes later, everyone else had to leave. It was already really late, and I had to admit I was pretty eager to get my butt to bed. I hugged them all this time, more grateful than I could ever describe that they came.

They made tonight a lot better, just by being themselves and making it impossible to linger in one spot very long, much less stay stuck in my mind. I hardly felt the anxiety over the many people that attended this little party.

My dad left a few minutes after the boys and their parents, and this time, he didn't even pretend to want to drive home tonight. He was staying the night in town. There was no way he couldn't, with both girls already fast asleep. He hugged me the best he could with Lily sleeping in his arms, and soon enough, he was gone as well.

With my commitments gone, I let Esme know I was going inside, and I was asleep minutes later.

A/N: I liked this chapter. Believe it or not, I kinda like Leandra lol I like it when she's happy. It also makes my job easier in a way.
A few developments in this chapter. I'm not disappointed with how it turned out, though. It helps shape a good bit of the story.
Chapter seven might take a bit. I have some things I need to catch up on in RL, like sleep and mentally preparing for the coming holidays. I just have to regather my thoughts, and seven will probably be out sometime within the next couple of days. No more than a week. ;)
ANYHOO! THANK YOU! To my reviewers. Your awesomeness astounds me! I really look forward to reading what you guys think. :D