Jacob's lips are firm against mine, and he's kissing me as desperately as I am kissing him, and I don't want to pull away, because I'm scared that if we pause for a second he will come to his senses and stop, or I will come to my senses and stop, but as much as I don't want to, we pull our mouths apart, to breathe…

…but instead of moving away, we stay with our foreheads pressed together, our noses nuzzling, panting hard and breathing each other's air and god I wasn't lying when I told Alice and Roaslie that he smells good, I don't think anyone's ever smelled this good to me, and when I breathe I can taste him in the air between our lips, and I run my tongue quickly along my bottom lip because I want to see if it's swollen or bruised from how hard he's been kissing me, or how hard I've been kissing him, and I hear him give a little gasp when I lick my lip and then his mouth is back on mine and he's kissing me just as hard…

I don't know how long we've been out here when it starts raining. There's water in my hair, and in his, and on our skin… and we look at each other and I giggle. A nervous sort of giggle, brought on by, what? Hormones? The happiness of not being rejected?

"Leah," he says softly, a shy smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, "You giggled."

"Yeah, Jackass, what of it?" I say, but instead of coming out with any kind of bite, my voice is soft and my eyes can't stop roving over his face.

"I didn't know you giggled," and he smiles at me and shakes his head to get his damp hair out of his face. All I can think about is how warm he is, how I want to be as close to his body, his heat, as possible. We're sort of looking at each other, trying to figure out whose nose is going to go where, who has to turn their head, and smiling, both of us. Finally he leans forward and kisses me softly and I know our lips are swollen but I don't care.

"You aren't going to punch me, are you?" he asks softly, still grinning.

"Do me a favor and don't make Bella references right now, please," I tell him, with laughter in my voice and probably in my eyes, because I see it in his eyes, how he is looking at me right now, with none of the fear that's been there for months, just happiness, happiness and wonder, and he's grinning like a schoolboy and we both giggle now, and look away, and then look back at each other and then lean forward—

"Did you hear that?" he asks suddenly, turning away when he was an inch from my lips.

"Uh…?"

He's scooted back away from me like I've electrocuted him and he's looking wildly into the forest. "Jacob, who could possibly be out here? It's probably a deer" I say. And then I see it. Jogging out of the foliage is a chocolate brown wolf.

"Hey, Quil," Jacob says, the pitch and tone of his voice so different than it was moments before. He is the very picture of casual annoyance.

The wolf comes closer and glares, cocking his head to one side and looking generally upset with us. And impatient. Finally he runs behind a bush, the same one Jacob used, and sticks his head up. "What the hell, guys?" He demands.

"So, you going to stay behind the bush or come out at talk to us?" Jacob asks, sounding so nonchalant. Damn him.

"Er, yeah, I think I will just stay over here, okay?" Quil says, sounding pretty aggravated. Jacob raises his eyebrow. "Okay, look! We were really worried! Leah disappeared, and then you disappeared, and we thought maybe you'd been eaten by vamps!"

"So you didn't bring any pants?"

Quil rolls his eyes at us and stays behind the bush. "Why would I bring pants on my daring rescue mission? You two should just be glad that I found you and told Seth and Embry that you weren't dead before he called the other pack."

"Yeah, I am sure Sam would be really happy you interrupted his wedding night to come find me and Leah," Jacob says and then shoots me a glance. "Sorry," he adds.

"What? Oh. You talking about Sam doesn't bother me right now." I say, smiling.

"The hell is wrong with you, Leah?" Quil demands.

"I'm in a good mood!" I yell, and then I stick out my tongue.

"What the fuck? So you two just decide to have a little chat in the forest? Great. Why couldn't you have been in wolf form so we didn't all need to freak out?"

"I started in wolf form, but none of you had phased, so I couldn't tell you we were alright," Jacob says as he gives Quil a very cheeky smile. "Anyway, I seem to recall that I am the Alpha, so I can pretty much do whatever I want."

"Well! Would you guys come back now?" Quil says, and phases into wolf form.

Jacob says, "Sure, sure," and then he catches my eye and mouths "he doesn't know," before going behind the bush. A few seconds later, a massive russet wolf darts off after Quil.

I fall backwards and stare up at the treetops. What. The. Hell. Is. Wrong. With. Me? Oh God. I kissed Jacob Black. And I liked it.

A lot.

And all I can think about right now is kissing him again. He tastes even better than he smells. I could try to convince myself that this is nothing, just a mindless make-out session between me and Jake, that it's just because I am lonely and Sam is married, but I know that isn't it. Or I could say that Alice's is right, and female wolves can't resist Alphas, but I know that's not true either…

As if my life needed any more complications.

I roll over and push myself up with my arms. I take off my clothes, tie them to my shin, phase, and run off after the boys.

I can hear them, of course, Quil is mostly just pissed at having to come find us, Goddamn, why don't you two think? I shouldn't have to come check on you to make sure the bloodsuckers didn't get you.

And Jacob is thinking, Well then maybe you should have stayed in La Push, since I had everything under control.

…Ugh, Leah, drama queen…Quil is thinking. Running off like that…then being all happy when I finally track your pathetic ass down.

Oh, no, I was just, um, pretending to be happy back there, so that you wouldn't know how sad I am…Yeah, oh, god, woe is me, I can't believe Sam, the love of my life, is married to Emily, my own cousin, oh, I could just kill myself but no one would care. I focus all my thoughts on Sam. I'm waaaaay too happy right now to care about stupid Sam, but if I stop concentrating for a second, I will think about—

Oh! The vampires! Jacob's thoughts blare. That was close. Yes! I love hangin' out with Edward Cullen, he's really great, he called me his brother and his son, which is kind of weird, but anyway, they feed me, and gave me a giant doggie bed and—

Dog bed? What is wrong with you, Jacob? Quil snaps. Why are you thinking about Edward right now?!

Sam! Sam! How could he leave me? My heart is broken and it shall never mend, Sam! Sam! Oh, I love him so much. I remember when he gave me that necklace in high school, and that Valentine's Day when he brought me roses because I was so upset on the last Valentine's Day that he didn't do anything really romantic, and the time he told me he had the names for our children all picked out—

Edward! Edward's my friend!

What?! Did you guys hit your heads? I didn't run all the way out here looking for you to have to put up with hearing about Leah's never-ending depression and your mancrush on Edward.

I do NOT have a mancrush on Edward, you obnoxious, little,

Well then why are you talking about him? Why the hell are you thinking about Edward Cullen right now? Thank god we're almost home!

And in an instant, Quil has phased. I know this, because I don't hear him, can't feel his mind there.

Hey, Leah?

Yes?

That was close, he thinks, and I can sense his relief that Quil didn't figure it out.

Edward Cullen? Why were you thinking about Edward Cullen?

Because I was trying not to think about, you know, and when I think about Edward, it's impossible to also think about sex, oh god, why did I say sex? I can feel his embarrassment and it's kind of cute. Why were you thinking about Sam Uley?

Because, moron, everyone thinks I am bitter and depressed all the time. I was being sneaky!

No, you were making me jealous. And his thoughts go blank and I know he's phased.

If wolves could blush, I'd be blushing.

"You okay?"

"Seth, I'm fine," I sigh. My brother is actually a really nice guy, for such a dweeb. He just worships Jacob in the extreme. Oh shit, what am I going to do if my baby brother finds out I made out with his hero? Somehow I don't think that would make him very happy.

"You sure? Quil says you were pretty upset when he found you, actually, he said that you were giggling and acting ridiculous as a cover-up but as soon as you phased he could sense how depressed you were, and you left the reception so suddenly…"

"I'm really, truly fine. Better than I've been in a long time," I flash a quick smile, hoping he will take the hint and leave me alone. "I just…needed to be alone." Under the table, Scott is begging for scraps. I pat his head but of course the dweeb is feeding him.

"You'll spoil him, Seth."

He gets up from the table and pats my shoulder as he walks by. "'kay." He pauses, and then adds, "I hope whatever Jacob said to you cheered you up." Well, that's one way of putting it. So instead I shrug. "So…now you see why I don't hate the Cullens?" he asks.

I shrug again, "Yeah, they're alright."

"You let Alice do your hair and makeup."

"Alice and Rosalie are less annoying than, say, Emily. Doesn't mean I like Bella. Or Nessie."

"I'm glad I'm not the only wolf who likes the Cullens," Seth says

"Jacob likes the Leech Family."

"Now if we can just get Quil and Embry to come over to the Cullens—"

"Then we can be an entire pack of vampire guard dogs?"

"Leah, why are you so mean about it?"

I sigh. "Rosalie is my friend, Seth, and Alice too. And Jasper and Emmett aren't bad, either. Actually, they're pretty funny, especially when they are teasing Edward."

"So why do you still call them 'bloodsuckers' and act like you hate them? They'll think you don't like them."

I roll my eyes at him. "They know how I feel"

"Speaking of Edward, did he and Jacob have a fight?"

My head snaps up at the sound of that. If they had a fight, I can imagine what it was over. "Not that I know of…" I say, slowly, carefully.

"Edward and Jacob and I were going to hang out tonight, but Jacob told me that he didn't want to do it anymore, and then he said, 'I don't think it's a good idea for me to be around Edward right now.' So either they had a fight, or Jacob doesn't want Edward to know what he's thinking about. But Jacob never has anything to hide."

I feign casualness and shrug. "I'm sure it's fine. Maybe they are just being moody with each other for old time's sake."

Huh. So I guess Jacob doesn't want to risk Edward finding out about us kissing. Does that mean that he thinks it was a mistake and he wants to forget about it? Or does it mean he wants me, but doesn't want Edward to know because of the whole Nessie issue?

Ugh. The Nessie issue. Yeah, I really need to talk to Jacob.

Christ. It's like being a teenager again.

"At the wedding, Bella said you were going shopping with her sisters today…and she might go with you?" Seth asks. I nod.

"Yeah, so since you aren't going out with Edward and Jacob, can you look after Scott for me?" Under the table, Scott perks up at the sound of his name. Probably thinks he's going to get more breakfast scraps.

"Just because Jacob isn't going doesn't mean that I'm suddenly not going to hang out with Edward. Anyway, weren't you the one who said I needed friends?"

"Real friends, moron, not—"

"Edward is my real friend. What, he's some how not real just because he's a vampire?"

I roll my eyes. "Yes, Seth, I'm telling you that vampires aren't real. Ugh, you are so dense. I'd throw food at you but Scott would eat it and get sick from eating something that touched your body," I tell him. "And anyway, if Bella the Helpless One goes with me and Alice and Rosalie, then Edward's going to have Nessie, so it's not like Scott will be interrupting your guy time."

"Or Carlisle and Esme will be watching Nessie!"

"What were you going to do with Edward that's so important that you can't bring the kid and the dog?"

"Fine, Leah! Fine! You are so freakin' selfish. I will take Scott! You know, normal people leave their dogs at home when they go somewhere."

"Yeah, well, Scott's a special dog. Just don't let the bloodsucker or the half-bloodsucker eat him."

"Ugh!" Seth rolls his eyes and marches out of the room. Well, that certainly got the attention off me and how I may or may not be feeling after yesterday, thank god.

Instead of running over, I drive Alice's Porsche back—I didn't return it last night after the wedding. After parking it in the garage, I knock on the front door of the Cullens' house and then walk in. Of course the furniture has all been rearranged. I wonder if that's what they do at night—just move the sofas and tables around. I'm slightly envious of how much time they have to do whatever.

No one seems to be in the big room, except for Jasper, sitting in an armchair in the corner, reading The Seattle Times. So I sort of stand there awkwardly.

Jasper glances at me from over the top of his newspaper and says, "Hello, Leah." He moves his eyebrows in such a way as to indicate that I should have a seat over near him.

So I do. Despite his blond prettiness, Alice's husband always struck me as something of a badass. It's the scars, and the fact that I know he's a pretty serious fighter, and that he has the hardest time with the "vegetarian" diet. Calling themselves "vegetarians" is ridiculous. They don't drink the blood of carrots.

I giggle, despite myself. Jasper lowers one corner of his newspaper and says, "Alice asked me to tell you that they will be right with you—they weren't sure exactly what time you'd be over, and apparently there was something urgent that they had to take care of this morning." From his tone, I can tell that whatever it was that was urgent wasn't urgent in Jasper's mind.

I got back to my train of thought. So if these vampires are "vegetarians," are the other vampires "humanitarians?" I giggle again.

Jasper is still watching me over the corner of his paper. He arches his eyebrow. "What are you giggling about?" he asks. I tell him. A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. "You know, you're pretty funny, for a mutt."

"Thanks, parasite."

"So I was thinking about you, after you left for the wedding," he sort of drawls, his accent just barely discernable.

I raise my eyebrow. "Oh? About how you realized that not all werewolves are lame like Jacob and Seth and now knowing how awesome I am, you wish you were a wolf instead of a lameass vampire?"

He just rolls his eyes at me and asks, "Are you familiar with Isadora Duncan? She was born when I had been a vampire for about 14 years."

"Is she a leech?"

"No." Jasper folds his newspaper and sets it in his lap. He seems serious. "She is considered by many to be the mother of Modern Dance."

I nod and keep watching him. "O…kay," I say. Modern Dance? What is Jasper even on about?

"She was tragically killed in France when, on the way to an assignation with her young Italian lover, her scarf got tangled in the car's axles and strangled her."

Okay, what the hell do you say to that? "Well, thanks for the warning. I shall avoid scarves while riding in convertibles."

"That's not what I meant. Anyway, she once said something that reminded me of you." I keep watching him, wondering what he's going to say. This is really not where I was expecting this conversation to go. "She said, 'you were wild here once, don't let them tame you.'"

"Uh……" And there's lots of dumbass comments I want to make about being permanently tamed by a scarf, but… it was actually a really nice thing for him to say. So nice that it takes me by surprise. I have to sit and think about it. You were wild here once, don't let them tame you. Who is the 'them?' I wonder.

So I ask him. He has already started reading his newspaper again, but when I speak, he puts it down and just looks at me. "Who do you think it is?"

"Is this about Alice doing my makeup?" I ask, and he smirks at that.

"Do you really think so?"

Okay, buddy, what's with the Socratic method? "No." I say finally.

"I don't think so either. I did for awhile. I told Alice to give you your space, you aren't Bella, who needs a lot of care" he says, and then pauses. "You understand that I mean that with a lot of respect, for both you and for Bella. She is a very nice girl and having her in the family has made my wife very happy. And Edward, of course." He takes a deep breath, and I know he is indicating that we are switching back to the topic at hand, "No, I think the girls are trying to… untame is the wrong word. Anyway, I just thought of it, that Isadora Duncan quotation. Something about you going off to that horrible wedding…"

"Horrible?"

"Leah, it is pure vanity to expect the woman whose boyfriend you stole to parade around behind you in an unflattering dress acting like you aren't a complete bitch," Jasper says.

"She's not a complete bitch," I tell him, tiredly.

"And the dress did not look bad on you, I just meant, generally, bridesmaids' dresses are known for being unflattering." He says, smiling his strange smile. Strange because I can't tell if he means it ironically, or even if he smiles like that because humans smile and he is consciously pretending to be human. When Jasper smiles, I have the sense that there's more going on there that I don't know about.

"Anyway, you don't have to defend your cousin to me. I can sense emotions, remember?" he continues, and I nod. Of course I remember that about him—again, he must mean it sort of ironically. "You weren't exactly Miss Happy when you left here, yesterday. And do you honestly want to stand up for Emily? Do you really not blame her?"

I shrug. I don't exactly care, right now, about Sam and Emily. I mean, I do care. But if I start thinking about them, then I will lose my Jacob-Happy.

"So you don't think any of this is Emily's fault?" he asks.

I shrug again. It isn't really. "It's not her fault my boyfriend imprinted on her."

He arches an eyebrow and smirks at me. "No, but she had a choice about whether or not to pursue a relationship. Or, do you believe that once imprinting occurs, the element of choice vanishes?" And now he's openly grinning at me, like a cat playing with a mouse. Not eating the mouse. Just torturing it. The bastard.

"I…"

"Leah," he sighs. "Leah, Leah, Leah," Oh, he gets points for the obnoxious head-shaking and tsking. "I know. I mean, I know. You've lighten up like a Christmas tree drenched in gasoline on the few times I've seen you and Jacob in the same room."

"Okay, you and your brother with your freaky powers is so, completely disturbing—"

"No. What's disturbing is when you have my abilities and you have to spend half a century with Edward being depressed all the time. As I said, Bella's introduction to this family is a very, very, very good thing." He opens up his newspaper again, and by that I understand that he has finished talking to me. I am really starting to wonder where Alice and Rosalie are, when Jasper says, over the top of the Times, "I would do anything for Alice. You deserve that."

And right then, there's a sound that is remarkably like thunder, but no, it's just Emmett running down the stairs as noisily as possible. He starts running toward the door and then stops, looks at me, and then plops down onto a loveseat near where I'm sitting with Jasper.

"Hey, what's up, Lady Wolf?"

"Emmett, is Rosalie going to be here anytime soon?"

"Uh, yeah, she and Alice just had to deal with something, I don't know. Why, is my brother annoying you?"

Jasper glares at him over the corner of his newspaper. "I was telling her about Isadora Duncan." And then he goes back to reading.

Emmett leans forward and whispers, very, very loudly, "Jasper is kind of a nerd." I stifle a giggle. "You're in a good mood," he says.

"Uh, yeah, I guess."

"Did you get laid?"

"What the hell kind of question is that?" I say, at the same time Jasper says, from behind the paper, "You should not talk to a lady in that fashion."

Emmett just shrugs and laughs. "I know about you and Jacob," he says

Okay, what the hell? It was one kiss! One damn kiss! Well, a bunch of kisses, but one make-out session! One time! And now everybody knows about it?

"Leah, I know you like him," Emmett continues. Oh, good. So he doesn't know know. "I am not a complete idiot, you know." At that, Jasper makes a sort of coughing noise from behind the Times, but says nothing. "I figured it out," and here he starts waving his finger at me, punctuating every word, "I figured it out when anytime anyone said 'Jacob' Alice and Rosalie would start giggling uncontrollably. And you're the only unmarried chick we know… Well, except Nessie, but if Nessie were involved, then they wouldn't be giggling, they'd be sharpening kitchen knifes."

"Our wives hardly need knives eviscerate someone," says The Newspaper in front of Jasper's face.

"So anyway, I know you are into Jacob, but I wanted to have a serious talk with you before anything happens."

Oh god. Oh god, I do not want the 'you are a devil home wrecker' speech, I do not want to be told that I'm doing something wrong, that I'm hurting Nessie. She's just a child! She doesn't like Jacob like that! It's not my fault that I look at him I see his chest, and his abs, and the definition of his pelvic muscles, just barely visible over the top of his shorts….

…damn.

But Emmet says, "Leah, this is important. When you have sex with Jacob, use a condom."

Okay. That was not what I was expecting. My mouth literally falls open. "Uh…"

"No, no, let me finish," he says, putting his hands up. "We don't have any condoms in the Cullen household, obviously, or Nessie wouldn't be here, but if you want to borrow my Jeep to go to the pharmacy and get some, you can."

"Um…..Emmett….." I have no idea what to say. As weird as it was talking to Jasper, my day just got much weirder. "That's a nice offer…. But….we're not really at that stage. And anyway, I'm infertile."

"We thought Edward was infertile too. Surprise!" Emmett says.

"Um, 'kay, but I don't ovulate."

"Neither does Edward," says The Newspaper. I laugh.

Emmett takes a deep breath and sighs, as if he's about to explain a very hard concept to a very small child. "Leah, condoms don't just protect against pregnancy," he says. "They protect against venereal disease."

"Uh, what?!" I snap. What the hell kind of girl does he think I am?

"No, not you, obviously, but Jacob," Emmett shrugs. "Jacob seems like the kind of guy who might have VDs and I want you to be safe."

I roll my eyes at him. "Jacob doesn't have any diseases."

The Newspaper says, "Other than rabies."

"How do you know?" asks Emmett.

"Uh…because he's a virgin," I tell him, annoyed. Why am I being so chatty with the leeches?

"Wait, what?" Emmett asks. "Really?" he sounds genuinely surprised. I think he forgets how young Jacob is (oh god!) Ok, not that young, but and also how many years he was in love with Bella for.

"He's been in love with Bella since he was 15, Emmett," I tell him. "And then Nessie."

"What is it with Bella attracting these types?" he seems to ask rhetorically. He turns his attention back to me, "Anyway, Leah, venereal disease is a serious problem."

And that's just when Dr. Cullen walks in the room. "Hi, kids."

"Hi, Carlisle," we all say.

"Miss Clearwater," he gives me a head nod. And then he looks like he wants to say something, either about today's conversation or about yesterday's dead strippers. But instead he just walks upstairs.

God, does he just stand outside doors waiting until someone says something awkward and then come in at exactly the wrong moment? No, I realize. His sons are probably always having awkward conversations. Except for Edward. Ha.

And then Jasper pushes down the corner of his newspaper and regards Emmett over it. "Who even says 'venereal disease' anymore?"

"Yeah, I was wondering about that," I add. They ignore me.

"What? 'Venereal disease' is what they are called!"

"Uh, maybe it the fifties," Jasper says.

"These days it's 'sexually transmitted infection,'" I say, to continued ignoring on their part.

"Well, I'm from the fifties! At least I'm not freakishly old like you, you Southern…"

Jasper puts down The Seattle Times and folds it neatly, acting for all the world like arguing with Emmett is a chore. "Oh, yes, mock me for being Southern. And I may be older than you, but at least I can keep up with the times."

"Well…. well……you're a blond pretty boy," Emmett says, with the air of someone who clearly thinks he has just won the argument on the most devastating of insults.

Jasper merely sighs. "Tell me again, Emmett, how you managed to get mauled by a bear?"

Emmett sits up and puts his hands on his knees. "Okay, I don't know how many times I have to tell you, but bears are really dangerous!"

"Uh huh."

"It could have happened to anyone!"

"Anyone with very few brain cells. Were you wearing liver-scented aftershave at the time? Is that why the bear attacked you?" Jasper asks.

"Maybe they don't have bears in the South," Emmett says, to which Jasper rolls his eyes and then acts like he is more interested in the Times than in Emmett. "but they can be totally badass."

"I suppose, if you were even actually mauled by a bear," Jasper says, while still looking at the paper. I wonder if it's just a prop so he can act uninterested in everyone else. Then again, maybe he is actually reading it.

"No, you idiot, I pretended to be mauled by a bear."

Jasper finally looks up. "If you were actually mauled by a bear, why don't you have any scars?' he says, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"….." Emmett's mouth is open, but no sound comes out. "….I was mauled by a bear."

"Uh huh," Jasper looks at the paper again, "A magical bear with invisible non-scarring claws."

"I almost died!"

"I am sure you did."

"Jasper! Maybe I don't have any scars because they healed when I was changed!"

"Or maybe you got drunk and wandered into a pit and don't want anyone to know and so you invented this 'bear story' so no one would think you're a dumbass. And Rosalie is in cahoots with you."

It's Emmett's turn to roll his eyes. "I did not get drunk and wander into a pit. And nobody says 'cahoots' these days except for old women."

"Uh huh. Except that you blatantly did. The pit, I mean."

"Whatever, old woman."

"I have a question," I say, and they both look at me. "What happens if you guys drink the blood of someone who drunk? Do you get drunk?"

At the say time that Emmett says, "We don't feed on humans," Jasper says, "Yes."

I am stifling giggles (it is wrong to laugh about vampires), the door opens and at last Rosalie and Alice come in.

"Oh, hey, Leah, sorry we kept you waiting," says Alice, dragging a large cushy chair up between me and Jasper. It's amusing watching such a little person move such a large chair. Rosalie, meanwhile, is sitting next to Emmett, with her feet up on his thigh.

Jasper and Emmett are regarding them with the same curiosity as I am, so finally Rosalie says, "Alice saw something, but we think it's nothing important."

"What was it?" Jasper asks, the newspaper falling to the floor as he leans forward. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Jazz, it's nothing. It was just a flash. No danger," she says, and he immediately relaxes.

"Alice saw some trees," adds Rosalie.

Emmett laughs and asks, "Wait, trees?" He stops laughing when he realizes no one else is. "Scary trees?"

Alice shrugs and shakes her head, like she's trying to clear it, "No, just… trees. In the forest. I don't know. I can hardly see anything anymore, what with the wolves," she nods in my direction, "and Nessie. But… it was almost like…in the corner or what I saw, there was something that could have been Nessie. I don't know…"

"You think you saw something with Nessie?" Her husband asks.

"Yes… Anyway, that's why Rosalie and I were over at Edward's cottage this morning, to try to figure out what it was about. Edward talked to Nessie, but he can't make any sense of it, and neither can we. Anyway, it might just be a fluke."

"I thought everything you saw…?" I ask hesitantly. I don't really know much about Alice's "gift."

"No, no. Before, I used to see all kinds of things, all different possibilities, and most of them wouldn't even happen. But this is the first time I've seen anything with Nessie."

"So you're sure it was Nessie?" asks Jasper.

Alice shakes her head. "No… it was just this little light part in the corner. With an arm. I really don't know, Jazz, and we can't figure it out…but it didn't look like Nessie or whatever was in any danger."

"An arm?" says Emmett, but everyone ignores it.

"Alice and Bella and Edward and I thought it might just be best not to worry about it," says Rosalie, biting her lip. "We need to distract Alice, so she doesn't obsess…. Anyway," she turns to me, "that's why we left you with the boys so long. I hope they didn't annoy you."

"No," I say, but my mind is still on Alice, "No, they didn't. Well, Jasper didn't."

"I was giving you valuable advice!" says Emmett, sounding happy. I realize I feel a lot calmer, and even Alice is less pale (Okay, not really. Vampires area always pale. But she seems less worried.) She's holding hands with her husband, and he must be calming us all down.

"What advice?" asks Rosalie.

"About 'venereal disease,'" I say, doing little airquotes.

She turns on him and smacks his arm. "Emmett! What do you even know about that?"

He shrugs. "Carlisle has medical books…" he stops talking when we hear a noise on the porch. We all turn and look as Bella, Edward, and Nessie walk in. I shoot Emmett a panicked glare, hoping he notices. Edward can't read my mind—he can't find out about Jacob.

"Hi, Leah," says Bella, smiling at me. Think Sam, think Sam, think Sam. I wave back and inadvertently catch Nessie's eye. (When did I stop calling her Spawn? Fine, I catch Spawn's eye.) She smiles at me, this creepy smile well beyond her years—biological or physical. It's a very knowing smile. But she can't know, can she?

"Know what?" asks Edward. Ugh, wasn't this the guy who everyone says is respectful of privacy? "Emmett, stop it!"

Sure enough, Emmett has this expression on his face like he's really, really concentrating. Edward, meanwhile, looks appalled. "Whatever, Emmett," says Edward, "I have to talk to Carlisle. Nessie, come with me, okay?" and the father and daughter start upstairs. I wonder if this is about Alice's vision.

"Oh, hey, Edward," I call. "When you're with Seth tonight, don't eat my dog."

"….Jacob?" Emmett asks as soon as Edward and Nessie are upstairs. Rosalie and Alice stifle giggles.

"What?" asks Bella. "Where's Jacob?"

"Never mind, Bella," Jasper says, and then adds, "You girls enjoy your shopping trip. Alice, try not to worry." And they smile at each other.

Minutes later, I'm riding shotgun in the BMW, with Alice and Bella giggling happily in the backseat. "Downtown Seattle?" asks Rosalie, and we all agree readily.

"What are we getting?" Bella asks.

"Underwear for Leah," Rosalie says, and I smack her arm and give her The Glare.

"We are not," I say firmly.

As we drive off, I realize I am going to have to find a way of telling Rosalie and possibly Alice what's going on, without telling Bella. Somehow I don't think she'd be happy about this new development.

AN:

Hello! I hope you are still enjoying this story. I can't get this story out of my head, I even dream about this fanfic. Reviews are still love, and thank you for all the really nice reviews chapter 7 got! You guys are the best.

(And now, an unnecessarily long extra author's note that you don't have to read.)

AN 2:

I am so glad you liked Chapter 7! If you were hoping that Chapter 8 would be one giant Blackwater lemon, then I'm very sorry. I just don't see that happening yet, and if I don't believe it then I have a hard time writing it… Which is why Nessie is in this story and Jake is still imprinted on her. I'm trying to make this a cannon, non-AU fic with a non-cannon couple… (Not that Jake/Leah is that uncannon… I think Stephanie Meyer just didn't notice all of the hints. I know she said in an interview that Leah just likes Jacob as I friend, but I shall ignore that).

So yes, this is a Blackwater fic but you might be wondering why it took so long to become apparent. There is a reason for that, and it is that I see this story as being one mostly about Leah getting herself together, growing as a person, and so forth. I don't buy Leah's BD ending, that "well, she's suddenly happier now that she's not around Sam and she's a beta." I think she needed to evolve a bit more and deal with some of her emotions before she would be ready to pursue Jacob. And as for Jacob, as much as I want to just pretend Nessie never happened, she did. I think Jacob is a very, very confused little werewolf right now and needs to get his life in order before he can pursue the fabulous Miss Clearwater.

This is by way of saying that there is more Blackwater coming, and there are even scenes I keep seeing that I know can't happen for awhile yet, since these characters aren't there yet. I will reveal more later, but I just wanted you to know I have a vision of where this is going. And it's not going to suddenly be "They get married and live happily ever after THE END" in the middle of nowhere.

Also, that quotation of Isadora Duncan has been in my head throughout the writing of this story...