Chapter 7: You're Right, and You're Welcome

"Okay, so we're here now. What do we do?" Leah casually strolled around my living room. I sat down on the couch and exhaled much harder than I needed to.

"I don't know, Leah, you're the one who comes up with the master plans, remember? I just tag along and go with the flow." She turned to me only long enough to roll her eyes at me.

"Well it was kinda your idea for us to hang out here in the first place, E.C."

"E.C.?" I asked to make sure she wasn't insulting me or anything.

"Your name is Edward Cullen isn't it?" She plopped down beside me. "I'm too lazy to say your full name right now."

"So you call me E.C. and I call you…?" I paused, allowing her to fill in the blank.

"LE-AH," she chuckled as she tucked her feet under herself on the couch.

"Nope, now my goal for the night is finding you an appropriate nickname." I angled closer to her so that our arms were touching;, once again her skin gave me a little buzzing tickle.

"Isn't my name short enough?" She muttered. She was still sort of in a funk, and not her quick witted self. I was hoping that my horrible attempts at humor and entertainment would be able to pull her quickly out of it. I needed that to work, because if she was in a funk there was absolutely no one else that could pull me out of mine.

"Yeah, but I have to find something, to mess with you if nothing else." I snickered to myself and she smirked a little and then sighed.

"Do what you feel E.C.," Leah said casually as she adjusted herself again, this time placing her legs in my lap. She leaned forward and grabbed the remote off the coffee table. I toyed with her socked feet as she tried to settle on a channel to watch.

"Nothing's on." I complained and tapped a little rhythm on the top of her foot.

"Wow, you vampires are SO observant." She scoffed and rolled her eyes playfully, however I could still see the sadness in them. At least she was trying, and for that I was thankful.

"You lady wolves are so rude." I said as I lifted her into my arms and stood up. "I've got an idea." I proceeded to carry her out of the room, fireman fashion.

"Why should I do anything with you? You just called me rude!" She shouted as she squirmed, trying to free herself. She wasn't trying too hard. We'd been through this too many times, she knew I was stronger and that she'd tire herself out trying to escape. She also knew that I was faster than her; if I picked her up she would get to experience my awesome speed, which she was jealous of, yet fascinated by at the same time.

"Trust me; you'll want to do this." I let her down as we entered the music room. I sat down at my piano, and Leah just stood by the door frame, looking unsure. "I want you to sing for me," I urged, as my fingers wondered along the white and black keys. I played a song I knew she was familiar with.

"I don't sing for other people like that… not anymore, anyway," she murmured as she sank down beside me. I stopped playing and turned my eyes to my right, to catch the profile of her face. She was hurting, her teeth were clenched, and her jaw was locked.

"You have to let him go, Leah," I whispered. "He's moved on and you… I've overstepped," I stopped myself mid-sentence and we sat in a room thick with uncomfortable silence. I was afraid that I'd offended Leah. She and I had vented to each other before, but I'd never offered her my opinion or advice. I was afraid that she'd call me a hypocrite, because that's exactly what I was. How could I tell her to move on when the majority of my thoughts were so still wrapped up in Bella? She glanced at me momentarily and thought the same thing, but said nothing. She just closed her eyes and sighed as she combed her fingers through her ebony hair, which had grown long enough to dance along her shoulder blades. I had become fascinated by her dark silk-like locks ever since she mentioned she was growing them back out. She hated her hair short; she consider herself butch enough without having to keep short hair. She didn't care whether she looked like a shaggy dog when she phased. She opened her eyes to find me staring. I was caught up in my own thoughts, I didn't catch on in enough time to refocus my stare. She scoffed the moment off with a bitter snicker, she gently placed her hands on a couple of the keys of my piano. She played, at first off key, and then she played a melody that resembled rhythm and blues, I assumed, since I rarely listened to that type of music… and then she began to sang.

Time on my hands
Since you been away boy
I ain't got no plans
No no no no
And the sound of the rain
Against my windowpane
Is slowly, is slowly drivin' me insane, boy

I was shocked, not only by her ability with a piano, but also by her voice. I remembered liking it in the car at a low murmur, and then witnessing her memories filled with her talent; but actually hearing it with my own ears, it was amazing, even if she wasting it on a song I really didn't care for.

I'm goin' down
I'm goin' down
Cause you ain't around baby
My whole world's up…

Leah's voice muted abruptly when we heard a door close, and voices quickly interrupt what was supposed to be our peaceful, quiet evening. "God my nose is on fire!" Leah complained as she covered her nose. She wasn't lying either, her face was flushed and her eyes were watering.

"Shhh!" I mouthed at her. "If they hear you they will come up here!" She shook her head.

"They are gonna come up here anyway because they can smell me, just like I can smell them!" She didn't even bother whispering. "Besides, it may be interesting to meet another bloodsucker… unless you're ashamed to be seen with me, or something," she teased playfully. I paused hesitantly, sometimes females asked the most annoying questions; ones that can't be answered without causing some sort of offense.

"Okay, well, let's go meet them," I challenged bluntly, calling her bluff. I grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the door, however, Alice and Jasper intruded before we got the chance to leave the room.. I groaned internally. Out of all my family, Alice was the hardest to swallow; most people that get to know her either love her, or hate her. "Leah, this is Alice and Jasper, Alice and Jasper, Leah Clearwater."

A dog! Oh Edward, you've gotten yourself a pet. I read in several books that having animals around helps lift your spirits, but my god, Edward, the stench! Alice thought as I narrowed my eyes at her. Even though we may not be fabulous friends of the shape-shifter kind, she didn't have to be so offensive.

"Alice!" I warned.

"What?" She gave her best wide eyed innocent look. She quickly shot another glance toward Leah, and then a look of concern washed over her face. "You're friend seems ill, Edward." I looked toward Leah, who now had her eyes clenched shut as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Leah?" I took her arms with my hands and turned her towards me, she began to push away.

"It's okay… it's fine." Leah's eyes were watering so much she looked like she was crying.

"Is she crying or something?" Alice seemed panicked now, she rushed to stand by my side.

"She's not crying, her nose is burning," I replied. "I need to get her out of here!" I made my way to the door hoping that once we were outside Leah's suffering would end.

"Or you could open a window?" Jasper offered but made no move to assist. I rapidly unlocked and opened the window, and a gust of wind washed over us all.

"Thanks," Leah lowered her hands, somewhat relieved.

"No problem," I smiled at Leah, for a second I felt like a hero. I'd finally done something to help her, instead of it being the other way around.

"So how'd did this friendship come about?" Alice asked, as though she demanded answers.

"Don't start, Alice!" I hissed slightly. Leah's eyes widened, and then her lips curved upward into her weird, amused grin.

"No need for the dramatics, Edward. Your brother has a stalking in problem, I just happen to be what he's in the mood to stalk, lately. I deal with it, you should, too." Leah shrugged.

"And you are aware- aren't you?" She looked back and forth at both of us as she waited for an explanation.

"That he's an animal -blood sucking, Adele signing vampire? Yeah, I know that." Leah smirked. "I'm more concerned with the fact that he listens to chick music." She and Alice laughed together at yet another dig at my masculinity.

"That he is!" Alice stepped closer. "And you are…"

"I'm the chick that listens to your brother mope at night… and I also morph into a huge wolf." She smirked at me. For some reason this conversation was making me uneasy. I wanted Alice and Leah to get along. It was a lot more important to me than I'd realized. It seemed to be going okay; they both seemed to be feeling the other out.

"Fair enough," Alice stared down my new friend. She was thinking a number of idiotic things, but thing that most interested me was that she was debating whether or not my involvement with Leah was good for me. Alice sighed, and then smirked, "well, at least I know why I can't see much of Edward's future anymore, you must be in it."

"We should be thanking the poor girl, honey; she's the one that our little Eddie has been going to vent to, every night," Jasper pointed out while gathering his wife in his arms. "We should leave these two to their own devices before we are late for our show." He tugged on Alice's arm gently and moved her to the door.

"You're right, and you're welcome." Leah chuckled.

"Nice to meet you, Leah," Alice said looking back.

"Nice to meet you, too."

Author's Note: I really hope everyone is still interested in this story because I'm still very interested in writing it. I have been really sick and now that I'm on the road to getting better I plan to focus some energy into continuing all of my stories, both fanfiction and originals. As always please read and review and no flames! Oh and a big Thank you to my beta for being my grammar magic wand!