Chapter 18: Leah - The Nasty

Alice's POV

The 'meeting' broke up, but Edward and I remained behind in the living room. He was slouching in the seat he'd occupied with Bella, with his head leaning back and his arm over his eyes. He was acting like the world was ending, and not because of the logical reason – the upcoming battle, but because he had girl issues. This wasn't the best time for him to be going through this. He seriously needed to snap out of it and I willing to help as much as he'd let me.

"Alright brother dear, here's my shoulder, you may begin to lean," I teased. He chuckled a little and lifted his arm to peak at me.

"I don't need a shoulder, but I do need some insight. What do you see happening, Alice?" I paused and took a moment to consider the situation. Lately, all I could think about was war and newborns. It took me a moment to really focus on anything besides that. I thought of Edward, I saw him and Bella holding hands in a meadow, smiling at each other lovingly. They seemed at peace and looked together. That thought, surprisingly, saddened me. I wished that I could read Leah. I honestly felt that she was a better fit for Edward; she was more loyal and real. She forced him outside of his comfort zone, and he allowed her to do it. I wanted to know if she would be okay with this; if she would end up being friends with Edward, even if he chose Bella.

"I choose Bella?" He seemed to be in disbelief. I watched him, gauging his expression as he read my thoughts. I knew that by now he'd realized that I preferred Leah for him. I just thought he needed her in his life; maybe they would stay friends or maybe things changed.

"That's not what I saw, Edward. I saw the two of you in a meadow. That doesn't mean that you choose her. I can't give you those types of answers, Edward. You have to decide, and it's clear you haven't. Anything I see is irrelevant until you make some concrete decisions."

"Decide? What's there to decide? Bella is the one that needs to decide!" He countered angrily. I rolled my eyes and wondered why he was trying to lie to me. My opinion didn't matter, plus I knew that he was full of shit right now.

"I'm not full of it, Alice, I chose Bella." His eyes seemed stressed.

"And she hasn't chosen you yet. I love Bella, but she's kind of… she's being a jerk, both to you and Jacob. But if she's going to make you wait, you can check out other options."

"Alice, stop," Edward warned. I didn't know why he wanted to talk to me, he wasn't listening to me. If he wanted me to just agree with what he was thinking, or sit here and watch him brood, he had another thing coming. I had some place I had to be. I stood up and headed toward the door.

"Where are you going?" I didn't answer. He knew full well where I was headed. He was quick on my heels and tried to stop me from opening the door. "What are you doing, Alice?" He hissed. I knew he probably didn't want me interfering or even talking to Leah at this point but again it was one of those things he just didn't have any control over.

"I'm going to talk to my friend, Leah. The one that Bella thinks I've been hanging out so much with. I think she needs to know about everything that's about to happen. She needs to decide for herself what she's going to do. I already know she's going to fight, you might as well accept it. She is loyal; she'll fight to protect her tribe and her brother. Not everything is about you and what you want." I started out the door and he followed me outside. Luckily, I'd parked out front so he would have the chance to do something stupid like block the garage door. I pressed the button on my keys to unlock the doors.

"I know that! I just really don't want Leah in this mess!" I didn't know why he was telling me this. I'd already told him what was going to happen. Leah would fight. I didn't need to be a mind reader or be able to predict the future to know that; I just knew her, I thought he did, too. Apparently I was wrong; there was no way that he was going to be able to convince her to stay away from the fight.

"I'm going with you, Alice, I'm not going to just stand by and let this happen." He said as he let himself into the passenger side of my car and had the nerve to slam the door.

"Right, of course you are." I murmured as I opened the door, hopped in, and started on my way. We were off to Leah's to add color a drama to her night. .

Edward's POV

Leah answered the door before Alice had the opportunity to knock. She looked at both of us and then moved to the side to let us in.

"Seth called. I'm guessing you two are here to ask for my help, too." She sat down on the couch and Alice sat beside her, in my seat. I sat on the chair beside Alice.

"We were just here to tell you about it, really," I butted in before Alice could even start.

"So is this fight about Bella, too? I mean, all Seth really said is that a war may be coming. and that Jacob said that we all need to help." Leah shrugged and glanced in my direction, but I knew she wished I hadn't come.

"Yeah that's pretty much the bulk of it. There's also the threat that newborns are being made," Alice informed her, and Leah became confused. She envisioned little infants with fangs destroying Forks.

"She means new vampires, not vampire babies." I laughed and Leah glared at me.

"Yeah, no. They aren't babies or else the creator of the newborns would be dead." Alice chuckled a little. "Immortal children are a big no-no, by vampire law."

"So what's the big deal about these newborns, are they bigger or something?" Leah asked as she reached for her coke on the coffee table.

"Newborns are stronger." I explained and Leah pinned me to my seat with her eyes. God, I forgot how powerful her stare was.

"But shouldn't they have less knowledge of their abilities?" Leah pointed out.

"Very true," Alice nodded, "but we aren't used to fighting newborns, so we are going to need a little practice. Jas is going to train us." The two girls raised their eyebrows at each other, and were sharing some weird Rocky joke, from what I could eavesdrop.

"Y'all going to get your Rocky on!" Leah hopped up and adjusted her grey leggings, Alice followed her lead and started humming the theme song and they started throwing fake punches and giggling. I couldn't help but laugh. I wanted to join but I was more than sure that if I joined in it would ruin their good time. So I just watched and enjoyed watching a happy Leah.

After a while they both plopped down and Leah sighed. "I'm going to have to cut my hair or I'm going to be tripping over my own fur during battle."

"So you're going to fight?" I blurted and she narrowed her eyes at me.

"Of course! My little brother is going to be out there, duh, Edward." Hearing her saying my name, after having not heard it for so long, affected me in a way that I was not prepared for.

"I don't want you fighting, Leah!" I needed her to understand how I felt, and stay out of this.

"I really don't care what you want, Edward!" she blustered. "You're going to be protecting you Bella and I'll be protecting my brother!"

"No you won't. I'll be protecting both of them, and I'll tell you how it ends afterward." I tried to look menacing and scare her into submission, but all I accomplished was causing my sister to burst into peals of laughter. Leah and I both looked at her as if she'd lost her mind. Once she'd settled down, she finally thought the thing that she would have enough common sense never to say. You two argue like you're married.

She got up from the couch and placed her hand on Leah's shoulder. "When you're ready to cut your hair, let me know. I want to do it. I know a style that would look perfect on you. I'm leaving Edward, are you walking home?"

"Just give me a couple seconds." I stared at Leah, trying to think of a way to make her understand.

"Fine, I'll be in the car. Hurry up and make a fool of yourself so we can go home." She left the apartment, and the room became filled with a different tone all together. It was hard to believe that literally minutes ago it had been filled with laughter. I sat down beside Leah on the couch and she cringed. Her body language told the tale as her shoulders drew up to her neck, her arms crossed, and she crossed her legs. She didn't want me here and knowing that hurt me.

"Leah, I don't want you hurt. I couldn't stand it if-" I started, and she put her hand up.

"Please, you don't care about me or else you wouldn't be here. You were right when you told me that vampires are self serving. You, Edward Cullen, are by far the most self serving of them all. You invaded my life and now that I want you gone, I can't get rid of you. You think you can control me, but you can't. I will be protecting my own, because that's what I was raised to do. I will be killing vampires, because that's what I've been created to do. I will be ignoring you from here on out, because that's what I want to do! I don't control me, Edward, you don't!" She stormed toward her door. "You need to leave! Go tuck Bella in, I'm sure she misses you, but you better call first to make sure the Jacob hasn't taken your place." Leah sounded so cold and nasty. This was the Leah that all the others had seen for so long. This was the first time I'd had to witness to her with my own eyes. The only difference was that the others seemed to think she enjoyed saying the things she said. The Leah I was looking at now was hurting. A tear ran down her cheek as she banished me from her apartment. I was stunned and speechless as I stood outside her door.

"I care about you, Leah, and I don't want you involved in this mess! What do I have to do to prove it?" I whispered to the door hoping that with me out of sight she may answer. She said nothing and I walked away; not because I wanted to, but because it was what she wanted.

Author's Note:

Hey all! I hope you all love this chapter! We are so close to the good stuff now I can taste it! Please give me your reviews they make me happy! We made to 100 reviews I'm so happy! I want to thank all the people who read one or more of my stories it really means a lot that you like the crazy stuff the rolls around in my brain. Anyways, read, review, and no flames.