One - Now and Forever

by S.H.Walker

The third and final story of Leilei and Jacob. No lemons but adult language.

4. Chapter 4

~24

"Mom has the schedule and she'll meet us at the station," Yutan said as we looked out the windows of the train.

"Schedule?" Mari asked.

"For parties and stuff. We are the grooms' family, so there will be stuff and introductions," Leilei said. "And the cards have our names and relationships to the groom in English, Swedish, Suomi and Kai. And Jacobs' are also on Quileute."

"So I'm the odd one out," Mari guessed after watching the rest of us sniffing the air and smelling the scent of reindeer, cloudberries and the big northern forest.

"Nope. Rehka's younger sister, Angela is a normal human. And so are some of the aunts and uncles. Most of the people gathered here are normal. No matter where we are, we are the weirdoes. So don't say anything, we don't know who may speak English," Kolohe said as a warning.

"Hi kids. Everything is here and we're all set," Nona greeted her kids. Relieved that Mari decided to become one of them. She'd be a beautiful bride.

"Where's Travis?" Jacob asked.

"With the men. You guys go that way. Check to see if your tuxes are here. I'll have your things put into your rooms. Girls, you're together and you're being fitted about 4 pm today. Dinner is at 8. Dress is casual. Jeans are fine. Your cards are in you rooms," Nona gave them all the info they needed. "This is Angela, the bride's sister. This is Mari, she engaged to Kolohe. This is Leilei; you've met each other at my wedding. There are snacks. Try on your dresses and get acquainted."

"These don't look Swedish?"

"They are what the bride wanted, traditional Suomi. But a little toned down," Angela said. She was there to translate. The dress maker came in and did an initial assessment of her work and needed a translator to be sure things fit the way they should.

Then it was time for dinner. "Family," Harkoni called across the dining room in the hotel. "Here," he pointed to a table near where we all could be seen. "Together. So everyone gets a good look at us. Jacob, here on the end."

"Why?" he asked.

"You're a Red Indian chief. Indians here in Europe are from India and eat curry. A real Native American. Everyone wants a good look at him," Harkoni said aloud. So everyone could hear what he was saying. Dinner was buffet and Jacob was a hit.

"They are all staring."

"Well . . . you know vamps by name," Leilei sent back as they ate dinner. Some of the other pack leaders nodded in our general direction. "They don't know whether to hug you or kill you. Make sure they hug you."

"So what's gonna happen for the rest of the week?" Mari sent while touching Leilei under the table.

"Meetings, wedding rehearsals, girlie parties and stuff. Tonight is the pack meeting. They will go out alone. Show and introduce themselves. They will question Jacob about them. He has a phone to call scheduled with Carlisle and Esme."

Hello Hello

"Esme and Carlisle, my hosts have decided not to show themselves," Jacob said loud enough for everyone to hear. The men were in the woods for this meeting. It was midnight in the artic as bright as noon.

"Fine. First congratulations to Travis and the Honshiro family and the Angstadt families. Enjoy your wedding," Carlisle hoped to curry some favor for being polite.

"Thank you Esme, Carlisle. Questions anyone?" Jacob got right to business. Most of the pack leaders had heard the Cullen stories from Bishop and Harkoni. They'd read the stories that Leilei told of her loving with them and they knew the Emmett story.

"You sir, have you ever traveled to Sweden?"

"I was in Sweden in 1743 but I was on my diet when I visited your lovely country. It's very beautiful."

"How many years did you kill and feed on humans?"

"Too many before I tried deer and found that I could live on it."

"When did you become a doctor?"

"The first time in 1830. I've return to school about every 50 to 100 years or so to keep current."

"You felt guilty?"

"About my previous way of life, yes."

"You made a 'family'?"

"Yes, I was lonely. Alone. Some of our family found us, a couple in fact. The others are mine."

"But there are others?"

"The Volturi, yes. But they are cruel and if I can say, inhuman. To them humans are food and you are animals to be broken and tamed to serve them and their agenda."

"Their agenda . . . which is?"

"To remain anonymous and in power," Carlisle admitted.

"Power?"

"They control the town where they live."

"Volterra, we have heard of it."

"They would probably like to expand from Italy into other parts of the world."

"So we are all in danger?"

"Yes," Carlisle said reluctantly. "To some extent." Then there was a pause.

"Will they, the Cullens be attending Leilei's wedding?"

"Yes, we were her guardians. Leilei explained that we would be required to attend. My wife and I and the rest of our family will be there. Jacob said he would give his permission for us to come to the reservation for their wedding. We're looking forward to it. They are a good looking couple."

"Anything else?" Jacob asked.

"No, thank you both Carlisle and Esme. Have a good day," Harkoni ended the call.

"They are educated and civilized. They live in a house that borders the forest. They help the Quileute and continue to assist my people,' Jacob mentioned to the assembled pack leaders.

"They almost killed Leilei. Emmett . . . the big one without powers," Solomon mentioned aloud.

"He hugged her without malice. Harkoni didn't believe that. It was difficult time for us all. Carlisle offered to help heal her but I refused. She was healed the Kai way. Now no human goes to their home alone," Jacob countered. The truth just needed to be repeated.

"That you know of," he responded.

"They've moved further south out of Forks," Kolohe followed up.

"Your second is with them?"

"Yes, he's imprinted on the youngest Cullen. You've read her story," Jacob continued.

"The human grandfather if you will, Charlie Swan, is he still meddling?"

"Tokar! Wonderful to see you!" Jacob moved and shook hands with him.

"I wouldn't miss this wedding. Solomon, Harkoni, Stellen. Gentleman. Yutan! Outstanding! Wonderful to see you, young one," he said shaking hands with him.

"Tokar, you have doubts?" Stellen asked.

"Yes. He, Carlisle hasn't been human in a long time. But neither is he one of us. I have fewer reservations, concerns about Carlisle and Esme than I have for the remainder of his family. They were all turned as teen agers. I doubt their control. It was one of teens that hugged Leilei and almost killed her. He claims he was unaware of how hard he hugged her. Leilei said she believes him. Her word is good enough for me."

"Anything else?" Harkoni asked.

"What are you doing?" Mari asked watching Leilei pack a bag as they got ready to head to a party in the woods for the imprints and pack members only.

"Nothing. There was a request so I'm doing it."

"What? A request from who?"

"Not gonna tell you," Leilei teased. "Whom, I think."

"Is it a Kai cultural thing?" Mari wanted to be let into the secrets that Leilei wouldn't tell her.

"This time nope." After a quick wedding rehearsal and another dress fitting and family pictures we all took a nap before dinner.

"Why are you dressed that way?" Leilei was wearing leather moccasins and skirt. With a cotton shirt and ribbons woven in her hair.

"Quileute traditional circle dance. They wanted to see something traditional Quileute, beside Jacob. So Jacob and I are gonna dance." After dinner we headed out to the woods to the place where the men had their talk. And after a thank you from the bride and groom to be there was a special introduction of Jacob and Leilei. Jacob explained that his people lived in the big forest south of Western Canada. That the wolves were his people's protectors and this was a dance of his people. Leilei circled the fire not looking at him and didn't stop to look at him as he stood there trying hard not to smile. Then he began to follow her around the fire. She stopped and let him catch her right in front of Rehka and Travis so they could take the lead. Kolohe and Mari followed us. And as we were traveling around the circle Leilei saw some girl looking at Yutan.

"Hey! She's checking out my little brother."

"No. He isn't just your little brother. He's a kai warrior at his brother's wedding."

"He'll always be my little brother." After 2 circles around the fire, the drumming was turned down and the techno was turned up. We were sure they heard us in Stockholm.

"What's up for tomorrow?" Mari said as we headed back to the lodge. "Today," she corrected herself.

"Mani-Pedi's, haircuts, final dress fittings and a Swedish sauna," Leilei giggled. "Girl stuff."

"Ladies, no one here is white," The sauna attendant said.

"Not white?" Mari asked.

"Speak freely," Leilei said aloud. "Everyone here in this tepee is a woman who knows. Who knows what we know."

"Leilei is an ola wahini, a healer," Rehka said. The ladies stood. Her mother, a woman who was pretending to be an aunt who was actually Stellan' mother. A couple of women who were related in some way to Solomon and Tokar's 3 wives Carmen, Peke and Ne'a.

"Oh sit down. Please. We're all naked in here. I'm Kolohe and Travis's sister. And Yutan is my new furry little brother," Leilei said in a calm and easy way,

"Is he?"

"Yes, he is like my dad," Leilei glowed.

"You're so lucky," someone said.

"Yes. I am very lucky. I'm part of a great family. And I'm marrying into a great family too. The Quileute are wonderful people."

"What is Forks like? The Quileute?"

"Forks . . . there are big forests like here. It's quiet and beautiful. The Quileute live on a reservation outside of the town in permanent prefab houses. They are treated like all aboriginal peoples. They work in town, in fishing, lumber. Just like here. With the re-emergence of the wolf packs the people have their spirit back. Their connection to their stories and history back. It's a great thing. "

"We all know how good our families are, what are the Cullens like?" The women were curious about them. Most of them had never seen a vamp 'alive' up close before.

"He's a dad and she's a mom Dr. Carlisle and Esme. The kids are teens and they will always be that way or at least the elders say so. But the Dr. and Mrs. Cullen act like elder parents. They are wise and patient and understanding. Esme's is so a mom. But the way you want her to be . . . almost too much that way sometimes. Nice and understanding in a mom way."

"How do you? How does that happen?"

"I sit at the counter in the kitchen with a cup of drinking chocolate. She usually has jasmine tea."

"She doesn't drink it does she? They don't drink? Do they?"

"Nope. She holds it. She likes the smell and talks with you like the pack leaders wife does."

"Do you have a Quileute leader's wife to talk with? I mean instead of her," their level of disgust was evident.

"Yes, Chaska's wife Tara is in Forks now. And Emily, the other pack leaders' wife lives on the reservation. And my mentor is there, Chief Sue Clearwater. Her husband was a tribal chief and her son is Jacob's second. His name is Seth. We talk often," Leilei reassured the pack leaders wives that she hadn't been mind fucked into thinking the Cullens were the best thing ever.

"How did they become a family? The Cullens I mean."

"First there was Carlisle. He doesn't talk about how he became what he is. Edward was next, his son. Then Carlisle turned Esme. I kinda feel sorry for her, her baby boy died due to fever. She killed or meant to kill herself. He turned her before she 'died' died. Rosalie was next. Seth says Rosalie was brought home for Edward."

"No!" Mari said. "That wouldn't have worked at all."

"It didn't. Alice and Jasper just showed up one day. She found him and they just knocked on the front door."

"Emmett?" Mari asked taking a drink of water.

"Rosalie found him mauled by a bear. Then there is Bella. That's the one that joined chose to become one of them, the one who had the baby. She was human when she married Edward. They went on their honeymoon and they boinked. And about a month later Nessie was born and Bella got turned. That's the Cullens. One big happy family. They lived in a house on the outer part of the town of Forks for about 10 years. Then they moved when we graduated from secondary school 4 years ago. So now they live in a new house. The kids are going to a new secondary school. They do that everywhere they move. We stop by to visit maybe once or twice a month. The pack members visit more often than I do."

"Are they coming to your wedding to the chief?"

"Yes. Carlisle and Esme stood as my guardians at the inquest. Carlisle understands honor. He said they will be there."

"Are you letting them, her, take part in the wedding at all?"

"I'm still deciding. My mom is planning our wedding, Jacob and mine. I'm not sure if she's inviting me to it. The receptions are mine to plan. I want them see our wedding ceremony but . . . they smell. So Jacob and I are working things out."

~25

"I can't do that!" Steve sputtered red faced and angry.

"What can't you do? I'm not laughing with you. I'm laughing at you. You aren't us. You know about us but you aren't us ok? Stellan Angstadt is a pack leader. Harkoni is a very special pack member. So yes, the wedding was big. But . . ." Chaska sputtered trying not to laugh too much.

"But what? Mari said there were hundreds of people there."

"It was wedding season in Sweden. I was there."

"You went?" Steve questioned. How much money did these people have?

"Travis is my pack. Yes I . . . we were there," Chaska continued to chuckle. "Wedding season. The couples get married whenever they want to but during the short summer they have ceremonies near the same time. So all of those people that were there weren't all invited. If somebody knew somebody they would go. It's nice to get out of the house in the summer. They also hold a summer festival at the same time."

"But look at this," Steve handed him . . .

"It's the wedding book. The happy couple put this book together: a picture of them as adults, baby pictures and pictures of their families, a wedding invitation. And a little 'story' of how they met. Everyone who went to the wedding got one. If you want a copy of the DVD you fill this out and send it here to the photographers."

"But . . ."

"Computer printer with photo paper. You're better than this Steve. What's the problem?" Chaska got serious.

"I can't afford this for my little girl," Steve admitted.

"Don't worry about that," Chaska blew him off. It was just fear.

"But . . ."

"Whatever Mari wants she'll have. If she wants to get married in Port Angeles Pioneer Park with just family and a few friends wearing a silk pantsuit with Kolohe in a tux then dinner at Petrini's for the reception. Fine, but if she wants 175 people and a church wedding with 3 bridesmaids and a 4 hour reception and a 6 tier wedding cake. Fine. She'll have that too."

"I can't afford that."

"You'll get help. Get Mari and Kolohe together and decide what you all want. We're flexible. We'll help with the money. Don't worry."

"But Leilei!"

"Leilei is the princess royal. Harkoni is very important in our world. So her wedding will be a very big deal. People will be coming from Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. Harkoni and Nona's only daughter. Her marriage to a young Quileute chief, his father's only son. This will be very very big. Don't worry about competing with them. And our Kai traditions are ours. You're not us. So there will be hula dancing, conch shell blowing and lots of parties for Leilei's wedding. Some of the far away guests are planning excursions to Las Vegas. These people have never been to the states so there are trips being planned. It's going to be a 2 week thing. You won't be able match it. Nona's been planning this for a century or so," Chaska said in a calm tone to try to keep Steve from blowing a gasket.

"The money they're going to spend."

"It's not yours to worry about. But . . ."

"Don't but us. It you decide that Mari's dress budget is like $200.00 and she finds her perfect, 'Say Yes to the Dress' dress for $2,000. We'll buy it for her, no problem. Happy bride."

"What? This is the wedding for your oldest daughter. It's her special day. Kolohe will do whatever he can to make her special day. We'll even put up with Pastor Jamie."

"Jamison," Steve corrected Chaska.

"He's stopped by. We're not the church going types. You know that right?" Chaska chuckled.

"So you're the groom?" Pastor Jamison asked Kolohe knowing who he was already.

"Yes sir," Kolohe said. He and Mari were meeting Pastor Jamison for the 'Pre-Marriage Meeting' interview. To have him perform the ceremony they had to take classes with him at the church. And he had to approve them together before he agreed to perform the ceremony.

"Mari was a good church going girl until she met you."

"I'm good people sir," Kolohe kept insisting. It wasn't doing him any good.

"What religion are you young man?"

"Shinto and Buddhist. My father is Japanese, sir."

"And your mother is?" The disapproving tone continued.

"A shaman. She's Hawaiian, a native."

Both Kolohe and Mari saw the eye roll. "To be married in my church there are classes you will have to take," Pastor Jamison began to push papers to them across his desk.

"On the weekends please. We'll be living in Port Angeles," Kolohe mentioned calmly.

"Living together?" His eyebrows disappeared into his hair. "You two together . . . Unsupervised?" His voice rose in timbre.

"I have a job there and Kolohe and thinks that me driving back and forth would be stupid. So we'll come back to Forks on the weekends," Mari said trying to be calm.

"Living in sin. Mom, that's what he said," Mari said almost in tears. "Living in sin!"

"Mari honey, he is our Pastor," Grace said not knowing how to comfort her. Steve just came into the room when he heard her crying.

"So what am I supposed to do? Live here and work in Port Angeles and drive back in forth with the price of gas?" She spat back at her mother. Mari knew that Steve would understand why they planned to live in Port Angeles.

"So how was it going to work with you and Kolohe?" Steve asked.

"The day I come to the library here, Wednesday, he and I were going to ride together. The other days I'd be in Port Angeles and he said he'd ride a motorcycle back and forth. And we'd come out here together on Friday or Saturday and have Sunday for family dinners and stuff," Mari laid out the plans in a logical way.

"Yeah. That makes sense. What else did Pastor Jamison say?" Steve asked.

"Well, he doesn't like Leilei and Jacob living together. And the fact the Honshiro family isn't Christian. And he wants Kolohe to convert from being Buddhist but he said wouldn't believe him even if he did."

"Well that's wonderful. Nona is here on her way back home and I've invited her to meet him tomorrow," Grace said trying to comfort her daughter.

"Pastor Jamison, this is Nona Harkoni," Grace said as the ladies sat at the table for lunch in the diner. Nona was there with Sue.

"So we're here to discuss wedding details ladies," Pastor Jamison said as he took a seat. "Why are you here Sue?"

"Jacob and Leilei have asked me to stand in for Jacob's mother for their wedding, so I'm meeting with Nona about Quileute things that she needs to know."

An eye roll preceded, "When are they getting married?"

"After their house is finished being built, next June," Nona said. "So their wedding is scheduled for September. I'm thinking Labor Day weekend."

"That Saturday?" he said looking at his calendar. There were other couples that were planning weddings for that weekend. He might be able to fit them in.

"No, normally we get married on Friday and have parties on Saturday and Sunday. Yes, there are 3 receptions. There are lots of people, my husband's friends and business contacts will be coming from Japan so we're expected to entertain," Nona filled them in.

"And there will be a Quileute gift giving ceremony on Saturday. Leilei wants to highlight the Quileute culture," Sue said proudly.

"Leilei and Jacob are settling in on what they want. But we're not here to talk about them; we're here to talk about Mari and Kolohe," Nona said to change the subject. Her new daughter was what they were there to discuss. "I understand Mari wants to be married by you but you refuse because my son isn't a Christian?"

"Well, that is the truth," Pastor Jamison knew he had to preach to the unbeliever and get her to see the light. "He said he'd become Christian if I required him to do so as a condition to marry them. He doesn't love God; he loves Mari and would say or do anything to have her marry him."

"I don't doubt my son's heart or his love for Mari, or his respect and fear of God. So are you saying you won't marry them?" Nona wanted to clarify for herself.

"I am a man of faith, full faith in God. And I won't marry them if they are living in sin. He will have to convert and give up those unchristian ways and they cannot cohabitate."

"May I join you?" A voice that Nona was glad to hear behind her.

"Grace, I don't believe you've met . . . What how do I explain what you are to my kids, Bishop?" Nona asked relieved.

"I'm your kid's fake grandfather. That will do," he smiled at the table.

"This is Bishop Price. He's consented to marry Jacob and Leilei next September," Nona explained giving Grace a choice for the preacher for her daughter's wedding.

"Are you ordained?" Pastor Jamison asked.

"Yes I am ordained. But I limit my duties to officiating marriage ceremonies. Bringing two families together in happiness is just a wonderful thing to do," Bishop said waiting for his honeybun.

"You're going to take the sacred ceremony of marriage and turn it into a joke. Bishop, I'm giving your this opportunity to come to Jesus. To be washed in the precious blood of Jesus," Pastor Jamison thumped his bible.

"You will be disappointed, if you plan to sit here and make demands of me. Others have tried. Don't waste your time," Bishop said calmly.

"If you've only heard the truth . . ."

"I am not the focus of this discussion," Bishop interrupted.

Nona interrupted, "The topic is whether or not you will marry Mari and Kolohe next year?"

"We're talking about their eternal souls and yours."

"I understand that . . . but we are who we are," Bishop said leveling an eye at him. He wouldn't be worth the time it would take to take him apart. Logic would rule here.

Pastor Jamison almost reached his breaking point, "Sue . . . Sue isn't there anything that you can say that will convince him to . . ."

"The word you want Sue to say is, submit," Bishop interrupted. "We submit only to God, not to men. Especially men driven by their own ego. You have your rules to gauge our worth as people. And we fall short on your scale which pleases me to no end."

"Would you perform the ceremony for Mari and Kolohe?" Grace asked seeing that there wasn't any progress being made in their discussions.

"If they asked me to, of course," he continued. "Kolohe knows there isn't anything I wouldn't do for him."

"Even though they plan to live in Port Angeles in the same apartment together before marriage?" Jamison said raising his voice.

"Yes, no problem at all," Bishop answered as calm as Jamison was ruffled.

"Have you no morals man?"

"Lower your voice. You're making a scene," Bishop said in a low voice that meant trouble if Jamison pushed any harder. "If they ask me to be a part of their special day, it will be an honor. Grace, you're the mother of the bride. This is your decision. Pastor Jamison, I'm sorry you feel we need your approval to be who we are."

"It's not me, it's God who will judge," Jamison shook his head at the stupidity of this 'man'.

"Yes she will. She knows my heart and yours," Nona spat. She'd had had enough. This was a wedding not the coronation of a king. "Grace, I'll be in town for another week or so. Call if you need me. Have a good day. Sue we'll have lunch tomorrow, ok?" Nona leaves them sitting at the table.

"You can leave now too, Pastor Jamison," Bishop said sternly. "We are not sheep,"

"Sue, don't you have anything to say?" Jamison sputtered.

"No . . . Nothing. I don't have anything to say to you. I forgot who I was for a moment. I am a Quileute chief and I'm not a sheep either," Sue said as she didn't like the fact that he was trying to bully them. As Sue remembered who she was Pastor Jamison left the table.

"Oh God! What do I do now? Mari will be crushed," Grace sputtered.

"Easy," Bishop said. "Can you rent the church for the ceremony and the hall for the reception? Don't worry. The Honshiro family will help with the expenses. You've got is 8 months to plan this. Tonight or better tomorrow night let's get together for dinner and talk at Petrini's in Port Angeles. Tomorrow at 6 pm. Our happy couple, Steve and yourself and Nona. I'll bring her, she gets angry sometime."

"Will Harkoni be here?" Grace asked.

"No, as the father of the groom only had to do what his wife says," Bishop said taking another bite of the honeybun.

~26

"Are you going?" Mari asked aloud. Not wanting to be there alone.

"Me? No! You're the bride. I'm just the sister of the groom," Leilei said in response. Mari didn't understand that this was all about her.

"But I'd like you to be in the wedding," Mari said. But she didn't know that Leilei would do anything for her brother. Being in the wedding. Easy.

Thanks. Really? "Thank you."

"But you'll have to wear a dress," Mari said waiting to hear the protest. Wedding dress hunting meant hunting for bridesmaid dresses too.

"Fine."

"You're not fighting me about this?" Mari was now wary. Leilei didn't wear dresses often.

"No. Get that look off your face! You're the bride," Leilei giggled giving her a hug. "You get what you want short of Cirque du Soleil skydiving acrobats. Lori is your maid of honor right?" Leilei said nodding yes at Mari.

"Yes."

~27

"But what can I do?" Mari started to whine. Hunting for the 'perfect' wedding dress was taking its toll on Leilei as well as her mother. "I can't spend like way too much money."

"Maybe we can go and see Alice?" Leilei offered. Esme would help twist Alice's arms if necessary to get her in a dress that she would love. "I'll call Esme and Jacob in that order and we'll see what can be done."

"Really?"

"You're the bride and calling to ask wouldn't hurt," Leilei said thinking that this may have been a set up.

"What's wrong with it?" Alice asked with Mari on a foot high stool with a dress on that she liked. It needed help for her to 'Love' it. "Ok, what do you want it to look like?"

"Like this," Mari showed Alice a picture of what she wanted the back of the dress to look like.

"How's the house?" Rosalie asked Leilei as she sat on the kitchen stool watching the girlie antics go on.

"I don't know," Leilei answered watching Alice and Mari get all worked up over how long the sleeves should be. "I'm not allowed to see it until it's finished."

"When will that be . . . I mean how long?"

"Right now we're all about Mari and Kolohe. Please Rosalie?" Leilei sent to Rosalie.

"So Mari what are your wedding colors?" Rosalie asked turning her attention to Mari.

"I'm wearing white and the brides' maids will be wearing, 'Dusty Rose'," she said getting a silly smile on her face that Leilei knew she'd be seeing for a while.

"Leilei's wearing a dress?" Alice asked aloud. Then slowly turning her head to look to see if she was scowling.

"Yes I am," Leilei pronounced loudly. "Have you decided whether or not you're going to get a dress for the reception?"

"A second dress?" Esme asked while both Alice and Rosalie both seemed shocked.

"I've been trying to talk Mari into a dress for the reception," Leilei started on a story they she knew they would all love. "That way she can keep the wedding dress for her sister or her daughter."

"Leilei, don't say that," Mari giggled and she and Alice started another discussing all together about the second dress.

"Why not talk about you and Jacob?" Esme asked with a gentle foot touch under the table.

Rosalie was good Leilei didn't see her tell Esme anything. "Her father is comparing what my mother has planned with what he's able to do for Mari and its freaking him out."

"She's invited us you know."

"Yup. "

"Problem?"

"Not really, unless you go up I smoke when you walk into a church. Kolohe knows – no problem."

"Leilei," Alice called out showing her the dress that Mari wanted for the bridesmaids. "Fitted or wiggle room."

"Wiggle room. We're going to dance right?" Leilei asked getting up to walk over to look at the sketch that Alice made for Mari to approve. "At the reception. I mean regular dancing. If you go with the dress change – say into a muumuu, there's more room in it to dance. I'm just saying . . ." Leilei gave her another thing to think about.

"Is Leilei wearing flats or heels?" Alice kept pushing.

"Heels," Mari interjected before Leilei could say anything.

"Great!" Leilei said to the open mouthed shock of the assembled vampire women. "I'll by eye to eye with my man."

~28

"Forest River Pack of La Push!" Leilei called aloud while standing on the back porch of her house. This was her first visit to the finished house. Her finished house. "Quileute warriors, I dedicate myself, my heart, my blood and my life in service to you. Welcome to our home," she gushed to Jacob's pack and the imprint girlfriends that were there to celebrate Jacob and Leilei having a home.

"As your second boss man, I have the pleasure to inform you that you are on vacation for 1 year starting now. Congratulations!" Seth said with a big hug to Jacob when Leilei finished her welcome.

"Welcome!" Jacob and Leilei called to their pack family.

"Oh, before we eat, family! Sunday dinners! They will be here instead of Billy's house from now on. Thank you dad, for coming here tonight and for putting up with us for so long. It's not that he doesn't love us all but he'd like less crazy in his life. So dinner will be here starting Sunday."

"Meetings here too?" Sean asked standing with the bachelor guys who were upwind from the Nessie.

"At the bunk house," Jacob settled that issue. "It's out of the rain and close enough for snacks. So it's all ok? Let's eat."

Nessie asked, "Ok so you get the house. I get that but what did you get him?"

"The story goes, the woman get the house. She needs a place to raise the kids. He gets something to help with his ability to earn a living. So I got him a 10 ton hydraulic car lift for his garage," Leilei explained. "It was Rosalie's suggestion."

"Why is everyone looking at us like that?" Jacob asked.

"They know we haven't . . . you know. And they know that we're gonna," Leilei giggled back covering her giggles with nibbling on the wild boar spareribs.

"OMG really? You'd think that they wouldn't be worried about that. Well, I'm the pack leader and so they are worried," Jacob admitted. It was his connection to each of his pack that was their cohesion. They shared memories if someone lost focus. Now it would be Jacob learning to focus so the intimate memories, thoughts of him with his wife wouldn't be known to all of his pack. Billy left the party first about the same time Sam came to congratulate Leilei and Jacob on the house. He and Emily had already accepted an invitation to a dinner party later. Jacob left Leilei's tour of the rest of the house for later.

"Is this our bedroom?" Leilei asked standing in front of the locked door. Another of the stories that Jacob learned was that only people who were conceived in the master bedroom could go into that bedroom. So after the house was finished being built and decorated that door was locked. And no one toured it during the open house.

"Yup come on in. I think you're gonna like it. Well, I wasn't sure about the colors, Alice suggested those big lacy bed covering things and . . ." Jacob sputtered aloud.

"Jacob be quiet," Leilei said walking into their bedroom. Berber carpet on the floor. A fireplace in the corner of the room with the flat screen TV over it. "A space for a chair."

"Chair? Esme wasn't . . ."

"Shhh. Let me look." A huge Alaskan King Size bed was against the far wall. With a hand carved headboard, it looked vampire made. Emmett maybe? The bed was covered with silk sheets and girlie pillows. Jacob sat on the bed and let her just walk around and look. "Closet space for all of our clothes. I love the baby space."

"Baby space?"

"This area is perfect for a basinet. Where's the bathroom?"

"That way. It has a shower too."

"The tile work is beautiful," she sent smiling at the detail.

"Yutan and Travis did it. A gift for you from your brothers."

"Travis? He came here to do the tile? The sink in here is great. Yup, big enough to bathe a baby," Leilei sent placing her arms in to measure the length. "This is really nice."

"So, I did good? We did good?"

"Yes you did, you all did great!" she said giving him a big hug.

"We don't have to have dinner here on Sunday, if you don't want to," Jacob said watching his fiancée, actually his wife walk around their bedroom. Not a yurt, or a room in someone else's' house or in a noisy apartment. "We'll have plenty of time to do that."

"It's my duty to the pack. Your pack and the Quileute. It won't be a problem," Leilei smiled at Jacob, "And everyone will want to see that we're fine. Things worked out well and you know, we have successfully boinked."

"I want to spend the time making sure you and I are ok in the right way," Jacob talked around the topic.

"Well, we are married. Does the furo work?"

"I . . . well . . . we should try it out," Jacob decided getting into the furo and being together would be a start.

"So Mrs. Black, how much do you love your house?"

"Well, Mr. Black, it's stunning! It's like my mom's house crossed with a wolf den. It's dark and comfortable. I can't wait until it's full of kids and family and . . ." Leilei started all excited about being a family like the one she grew up in.

"Not just yet. Can we have some time just alone? You and I?" Jacob fussed back at her. Now he understood why the pack leaders got to go on 5 year vacations.

"Yes! Of course Mr. Black. Is the water hot enough yet?"

"Come and sit over here with me," Jacob said getting into the warming water. They'd tiptoed naked from their bedroom to the furo on the wrap around porch at the back of the house. "So tonight's the night?" he asked.

"Yup. The first night of our lives together. It doesn't have to be at night you know. Morning is good too," Leilei giggled getting settled in the furo with him.

"Sit," Jacob said taking a seat on the rug. "Sit down and let me dry your hair. I think we need a bear skin rug or something right here," he said getting comfortable in their room together.

"I think we need a carpet, something magical," Leilei said looking at the layout of the room.

"Something magical? Oriental maybe?"

"Sometimes you're just so . . . Surprising." Jacob wanted an oriental rug for their bedroom! Kissing him she moved to sit on his legs facing the fireplace.

"So, you knew everything."

"Well . . . you do too don't you, right?" Leilei sent back letting him get in a good hug and squeeze while watching the candles burn in the fireplace with her back to his chest. "Yeah, it's ok to kiss me but don't tickle me." The tickle fight turned into a pillow fight and ended with them both on the bed. After a quick grab Leilei let him win. Jacob knew that. She let him pin her down on their pillow covered bed and she pretended to protest between giggles. "Don't tickle me too much . . ."

"Ok, then tickle time is over," Jacob sent. So the stuff on the bed went on the floor and Jacob closed his eyes and let his fingers do the walking.

~29

"Oh my God really! This is your house," Mrs. Jackson asked. Leilei'd invited the Jacksons to dinner. They needed to see the house before Nona descended for the wedding.

"Come in. This is Emily Utley, Sam's wife, and baby girl Cree. Come in," Leilei ushered them in the front door.

"Hey Leilei," Mari said as she shyly gave Kolohe a kiss.

"Leilei," Emily asked, struggling with her fussy 10 month old. "Where can I put her down? She's kinda whiny."

"I'll take her," Tutu Tanaka spoke up.

"Mom . . ." Grace interjected watching her mother take the infant from Emily.

"No problem," Tutu said making faces at the baby.

"She's a Grandma, she's got this," Leilei said not worried about Tutu and the baby.

"So how is it out here?" Emily asked knowing we didn't like living in the city.

"It's a little quiet out here. But we like it," Leilei answered watching Grace and Steve just walk around gawking at the house. Kolohe decided to go with them to show them more than what they were just peeking at.

"How is it going to work?" Steve asked after taking the Kolohe tour. "You two living way out here?"

"I'll be working on the farm 2 or 3 days a week. Maybe 1 or 2 days at the Pain Center in Port Angeles. With Sundays off for family dinners like usual," Leilei answered.

Jacob spoke up then and said, "I'll be at the garage and maybe working on the farm if need be. You know tribal chief stuff will take some time too. With the little woman working on the farm she'll be bringing home some of the groceries." Leilei finished cooking dinner while Jacob fixed a fire in the fireplace.

"And the shed up there?" Steve asked.

"For Jacob's boy toys: motorcycles and dirt bikes."

"Mom is due any split second," Kolohe said. "Are you going to keep her here? I'll pay you and we'll switch in September," he bargained. Nona was a bit nervous about Kolohe getting married. The incident with Pastor Jamison put her off just a bit. And the fact that Grace wasn't let in on anything made her uneasy.

"Yeah, ok deal," Leilei agreed. But she knew that would never happen.

"Can I lay her down?" Tutu asked. Cree had stopped whining and was quieting down.

"Sure . . . right here on the couch," Leilei moved to clear a space. Alice accentuated the décor with throw pillows and what Leilei called 'couch scarfs'.

"I can't," Tutu said while Emily just shook her head, "No."

"Yes you can. A house isn't a home until there's baby slobber on the couch. Put her right here so we can all watch her," Leilei insisted. It would help to get rid of that new house, Cullen smell.

"No, I . . . Leilei! No."

"It's all washable you know that," she told them both.

"Have Dr. and Mrs. Cullen been here to visit?" Grace asked.

"Yes actually they were here the other night." It was the night when the pack came to see Jacob give the house to Leilei. After the pack finished having dinner the Cullens arrived to see it all finished.

~30

"Why is the floor stone?" Steve asked.

"It's the only flooring material that's werewolf resistant," Chaska told him over coffee in the farm kitchen. He'd almost become a regular for coffee since Mari and Kolohe got engaged. Chaska was there to answer questions and keep the father calm as it got closer to the day his daughter got married to one of 'them'.

"Resistant. Not werewolf proof?"

"Nothing is werewolf proof. Have you ever seen the guys up close?" Chaska answered him.

"No."

"The house was built to last a couple of hundred years at least. To be the headquarters for the pack. Leilei and Jacobs' house, home for their kids and Billy if he decides to move in. Parties for the packs too. And no you will not be invited. Only the human girlfriends," Chaska continued.

"So Mr. Jackson," Leilei asked him. "What kind of shoes are you wearing?" Then he showed her his feet. "Ok. I will. Jacob said ok. He would let you see him. Come with me," she said faking a call on her phone.

"We're not going by truck?" He asked as they headed out the back door of the kitchen and headed out to the shed.

"I rode my bike, motorcycle here. Helmet for you," she handed him one.

"Where is he?" Steve asked anxious about his first view of a 'real werewolf'.

"He told me to go the tomato field," she said getting on one of the quads that they had on the farm.

"Is he nearby?" she nodded and headed out to the southeast on the 'paved' farm roads. "What's that?"

"The guys going to the house for lunch," she said watching them run thru the fields back to the house.

"How fast are they running?"

"About 30 mph. Well d'oh," Leilei giggled. "Vampires run about 30 to 40 mph. Werewolves run them down and catch them and kill them. So they have to be at least as fast. And wolves are pack hunters. The scouts circle out and get in front, so they are even faster."

"Oh my God! What is that?" . . . Steve said leaving his mouth open. He'd gotten his first glimpse of Jacob.

"'Jesus' is the word I think you're looking for." Leilei loved the look on his face. The sheer SHOCK!

"No, that isn't it," he finally said.

"Yes it is."

"But he doesn't look like they do in the movies," Steve finally sputtered now able to say something as Leilei touched him on his shoulder. She decided to give him the 'family' treatment. She allowed him to hear the inner conversation.

"Hey Boy!"

"Hey Boo! Mr. Jackson," Jacob sent.

"What is all that?" Steve sent into the link before jumping away from Leilei.

Leilei explained, "The guys communicate telepathically when on all 4's. So they were talking about stuff."

"Hi Mr. Jackson," Jacob said standing on his 2 feet.

"Good God Man! You're naked!"

"Ok . . . Well . . . What were you expecting? My clothes to shape shift with me?" Jacob asked.

"Leilei . . . you . . . you grew up with this . . . right?" Steve was there scared almost shitless, eyes bugged out but his mind was working.

"See ya tonight. Good luck. Love you Boo," Jacob said. After a quick kiss he went all fuzzy again and jumped over the fence and headed back out.

Leilei gave Steve a moment or 2 or 6 before she asked, "So . . . are you ok to head back to the farm house?"

So a few moments later back on the quad, "Kolohe is as big as Jacob?"

"Yup."

"Mari knows this?"

"Yes, the high school attack, remember?"

A few more minutes of quiet lead to, "So now I know everything?"

"Yes, that I'm going to tell you right now. Lunch?" Leilei offered.

~31

"So how many of your people are coming to the wedding?" Steve asked in a worried tone over a sandwich.

Leilei took a diplomatic tone, "I don't know that depends on how many are invited. My wedding is more important to the people in our world than Mari and Kolohe but lots of people will come I hope . . ."

"But I can't afford that," he continued.

"You don't have to. They'll come to the wedding but not to the reception. Don't worry. It's ok. We know how to act. No one will be out of control," Leilei promised Steve.

"OMG! Aunt Diane is coming to help mom plan the wedding!" Mari screamed when Grace told her.

"Great. She's your fathers' sister right? What's wrong with family?" Leilei asked.

"She's volunteered her daughters as the flower girls."

"Great!" The look Mari gave Leilei almost hurt. Apparently Leilei didn't know that Aunt Diane was a bitch.

"She's . . . she's impossible."

Leilei looked at Mari not understanding the hysteria, "You're marrying a pack leader worthy Hoku Ao member. You're having a vampire make your wedding dress and you acting scared of your fathers' sister. You're the frigging bride," Leilei curbed her language just because she wasn't sure who might be listening. "Put your foot down. Go Bridezilla on her. Sorry . . ." Leilei took a breath. Now there were other things to do. Wedding dresses and reception muumuus for the girls. "What sizes are the girls? The flower girls need to be dressed like us all. I'll call Alice and see what she can whip up."

"Oh God!" Mari said watching her aunt and uncle drive up to her family home trying not to hyperventilate.

"It's ok. It's all fine. Find you inner Bitch. All of the plans are set. Nothing can be changed," Leilei reminded her.

"Aunt Diane! Uncle Curtis! Hello! Thanks for coming!" Mari greeted the members of her extended family. Her fathers' 3 brothers were normal. Diane was the only sister.

And to her and their surprise Leilei joined in, "Auntie Diane! Uncle Curtis! Hi!"

"Who are you?" Aunt Diane snapped.

"I'm the grooms' sister, Leilei," she introduced herself.

"Oh . . . you're her," Diane said nodding to who had to be Uncle Curtis.

"Yes ma'am. Where are the girls? I have sample dresses. Our dressmaker sent them over, for Samantha," Leilei turned to the girls.

"I'm Sami," said the 8 yr. old who was acting like a teenager. She had her phone and didn't seem to notice anyone.

"And that means you're Riley," Leilei turned to the other girl, a 4 year old who gawked up at her with a great smile.

"Yes. Come with me and we'll try on dresses. Princess dresses," Leilei said to win them over. "Come on."

"Well that's his sister. He's who again? Cocoloko? What's with the marks?" Diane sniped as Grace came outside to greet them.

"She's tattooed," Mari said watching Sami react to that.

"Oh Good Lord!" Diane snapped for dramatic effect.

"Diane you knew that already. So good to see you," Grace said giving her a hug.

"So when is the wedding rehearsal? I'll need to meet the preacher," Diane started in on 'helping' as they all moved indoors. Leilei shot Mari a look that meant, 'Get in there and draw a line in the sand'. Silence.

"You'll meet him, Auntie Diane. He's at my house," Leilei volunteered. Bishop was staying at her house on the rez.

"Your house?"

"Yes, ma'am. My parents are there too. I'll send these pictures to Alice. We're having our final fittings tomorrow," as Leilei turned to her phone.

"Will I get a dress that fits?" Sami asked.

"Yes, Samantha."

"Sami," she insisted.

"Yes, this was just a test to check for size." Then Leilei turned to the mother, "My mom wanted me to extend a dinner invitation to you all tomorrow night. So don't make any plans."

"So who is this dressmaker?"

"She's a designer not just a dress maker," Mari began to rise to defend Alice.

"Where is the groom?" Diane continued to press.

"Heading here I think," Leilei said knowing that Jacob had just sent that they were on their way.

"Auntie Diane, he's a very responsible man," Mari began to rise to defend Kolohe.

"When is the bachelor party?" Uncle Curtis asked.

"It's on Thursday night. I think Jacob and Travis are planning one," Leilei nodded at Mari. "Nothing wild."

"Hookers and strippers?" Uncle Curtis asked. "Hookers and strippers?! It's a bachelor party right?"

"This is Forks, Uncle Curtis," Leilei struggled to say. "Cigars and married man advice most likely. My dad isn't a 'hooker and stripper' kind of guy."

"What? Nothing to drink either? Oh yeah that's right – you guys don't drink. Baptists or Mormons? Are ya Baptists or Mormons?"

OMG! "No sir, neither. We just don't drink," Leilei struggled to try not to laugh at him. "Hey Boy!" Leilei called to Jacob who arrived to pick her up.

"Hey Boo!" he called back to her.

"Damn! How tall are you son?" Curtis called to Jacob. Diane gave Jacob a look that said, WTF!

"Uncle Curt!" Mari quipped. "He's a Quileute tribal chief."

Jacob smiled pretending not to be upset, "I'm Jacob Black sir. 6'8" and I'm Leilei's fiancée."

"This Aunt Diane and Uncle Curt, Sami and Riley," Mari did the introduction.

"I'm a flower girl," Riley said.

"Congratulations," he smiled at her.

Then there was the sound of a motorcycle coming up the street, "That has to be Kolohe," Leilei said way past ready to leave.

"What kind of name is that?" Diane, this time.

"Hawaiian," Mari answered.

"What does it mean exactly?" Curtis asked.

"Troublemaker. Really!" Leilei said when they looked in disbelief.

"Nice bike," Uncle Curtis said. Kolohe had a Ducati like Jacob.

"Hey woman," Kolohe greeted Mari. "Momma Grace," he hugged his mother in law.

"Hey you, Good luck. They're a pair," Leilei sent to her brother. "Good luck."

"Are you parents coming over tonight?" Grace asked.

"Yes ma'am. Mom and dad are on their way," Kolohe reassured them.

"Leilei, are you and Jacob staying? Please?" Mari asked.

"I've got things to do. You know, sister of the groom stuff. Later . . . bye. Nice to have met you all. Remember tomorrow about 11 am we'll be heading to the designer."

"So your daughter is marrying that Indian guy?" Curtis asked about Leilei and Jacob after Harkoni and Nona arrived.

"He's a tribal chief and yes, they're getting married Labor Day weekend in September," Harkoni said in a calm voice. Curtis was trying to be a big shot but he was playing that game with the wrong man. "But we're not here to talk about Leilei and Jacob. Our focus is Saturday, Mari and Kolohe."

"So what's left to do for the wedding?" Diane asked when they were getting ready for dinner.

"Nothing . . ." Grace said.

"I was talking to Mari," Diane turned to the bride.

"Nothing," she said. "Mom and Mrs. Harkoni have everything done. All we have to do is get to the end of the week."

"So this Alice Hale, she's a designer?" Diane continued to hunt for something to pick on. "Well is she any good? I'd hate for you to waste your money."

"Alice made my senior prom dress. She's very talented," Mari continued to be on defense.

"I'll handle this," Nona sent to her daughter in law to be thru touch. "Diane, thank you so much for offering to help with the planning but at this late date all of the arrangements and tastings have been done and paid for. You're just the mother of the flower girls. Sit back and enjoy the wedding. That's your job."

"Grace, say something," Diane whispered to Grace.

"Diane, they're helping with the wedding costs so yes, they have a say. And what Nona said is true. Just sit back and enjoy the wedding," Grace said quietly after Nona got up and walked away to get something from the sideboard.

"I don't like her," Diane sniped.

"I don't think she's worried about how you feel," Grace said glad that Nona put her foot down. "She's worried about making sure everything comes off well. Her son is the groom you know."

"Then she should calm the fuck down."

"Well . . ." Grace decided to be a bit more up front with her sister in law than she usually was. "You've shown up here with less than a week to go and are trying to get involved. We're done with all of that. You should just relax."

"So, are we there YET?" Sami asked for the 15th time. Apparently she couldn't get a signal on her phone most of the way to Shelton.

"We're here, Shelton. Alice Hale lives here," Leilei said.

"Hello everyone," Esme called from the porch. "Come on in." She'd agreed to be invaded by the bride and her entourage for the last fitting. She was in heaven.

"That's Mrs. Cullen. And we're here just for our fittings," Mari said aloud to remind everyone, Auntie Diane especially, why they were there. After dinner the night before Mari decided to find, if not get in bed with her inner Bridezilla. Her aunt and uncle were not the politest people to her in laws to be or Kolohe.

"Are the little girls here?" was Esme's next question then Rosalie took notice.

"This is our junior bridesmaid Sami. And our fairy princess flower girl Riley. Ages 8 & 4," Leilei beamed at Esme. She knew she loved children and 2 little girls in her house for the afternoon would be pure joy.

"This is my Aunt Diane, the girls' mother," Mari said.

"Are these the dresses for the wedding and reception?" Diane scoffed. "Oh my God! What is that?"

"My formal muumuu for the reception. The Honshiro's are Hawaiian so Leilei convinced me I needed a muumuu for the reception," Mari beamed at the dress Alice made for her.

"Ok," Leilei gushed. "Let's play dress up."

"Oh my God!" Diane gasped.

"I've got makeup for that," Alice said not paying much attention to what Diane was pointing to. She was looking at Sami who was more interested in the fact she had Wi-Fi again. "Are you going to do it up big?"

"Yup, I've got the same conditioner we used for the prom. Enough for the girls, everyone," Leilei said. The bridal shower was going to be a sleepover.

"When is beauty day?" Rosalie asked helping Riley get into her dress.

"Thursday night. Tomorrow," Mari said trying on her muumuu again. Realizing that tomorrow was tomorrow, "The wedding rehearsal is on Friday.

"So you'll be at the church Saturday early?" Leilei asked Rosalie.

"Well . . ."

"You know you love weddings. Who's gonna do my hair? You know I'll wear it in a ponytail," Leilei threatened.

"Like 10 am then," Rosalie acquiesced.

"Will I get to wear makeup?" Riley asked aloud wearing her pink princess dress.

"Just as much as me," Leilei promised. She was aware that Alice would makeup them and glitter them almost to death for the wedding.

"Every time I see her in that dress I get all," Grace started to tear up.

"Mom don't. It's ok," Mari teared up as she responded.

"Cookies and tea, ladies," Esme said to change the mood a bit.

"A tea party? We're having a tea party?" Riley asked all big eyed and happy.

"Yes, tea and cookies," Esme said. Leilei asked her for small cookies since the girls were young. And small cookies were easier to hide when you were faking eating.

"Don't fill up too much. We're headed to my house for a dinner party," Leilei reminded them. After lots of slight of hand with the cookies and faking drinking the pink lemonade tea, they got ready to leave.

"Thank you more that I can say," Mari said hugging Alice. "The dresses are perfect." There wasn't too much whining about 4 more dresses, 2 each for each of the girls.

"We'll be there, don't worry," Alice confirmed.

"How much did her dresses cost?" Diane asked before we got off the porch.

"Rude question Diane," Grace snapped back.

~32

"This is your house?" Diane asked with her mouth hanging open.

"Yes," Leilei said proudly. "Kolohe designed and built it. I'm thinking of calling it the little brown house in the big woods."

"He built it?"

"Yes, he was here. Dry wall, plumbing, electrical, stone work. Come on in," Leilei said enjoying how stunned she was. "Hi mom, dad!" she called entering her own house.

"Hi girls. Everyone. How's Mrs. C?" Nona called from the kitchen where she was cooking.

"We had a tea party with cookies," Riley said happily.

"How special was that?" Nona asked the littlest girl.

"Come on in. sit down," Leilei said to Diane. "Sami come here. You can recharge your phone over here and we have Wi-Fi so you can get back on line. It's hard around here because of the mountains."

"How big is this house?" Diane asked when her mouth could work again.

"7 bedrooms and 4 baths, I think," Grace said glad Diane had her mouth shut for a minute.

"But this is a really nice house," Diane continued in shock.

"You were expecting what? Jacob is a tribal chief," Leilei started quietly. "He has responsibilities beyond just being a man on the rez. We host parties and tribal meetings. He needed to have a place big enough for stuff like that. Jacob asked Kolohe to design and help build it and he did."

Diane's continuing shock was broken up by the sound of car horns blowing, "Who is that?" Riley asked pointing at the boy who was outside on the porch.

"That's her brother the 6'3" Yutan," Mari said watching Diane shake her head.

"I'll be right back," Leilei called heading outside. "Park on the rocks and come on in."

"That's daddy and Uncle Steve and . . ." Riley stopped because she didn't know anyone else.

"And Tutu Tanaka, my daddy and Jacob's daddy and Bishop Price," Leilei said pointing at people. "Mr. and Mrs. Angstadt, Travis and Rehka, Angela and Moa, and Lori. Come on in the house, mom has dinner almost finished." Dinner was chicken parmesan, lasagna, garlic bread, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken fingers with wedding cake cupcakes for desert. Bishop was inspected by Diane and Curtis. He passed.

"Kolohe built this house," Diane tried to whisper to her husband, but she was overheard. Werewolf hearing even in that crowd.

Jacob answered her when he interrupted their secret conversation, "He and some of the guys from the rez helped to build it for us."

"Did I see a hot tub?" Curtis asked.

"Yes, Leilei wanted one . . . so she got one," Jacob shrugged.

"So what happens next?" Nona asked when the adults were seated for dinner.

"Well, tomorrow is the bridal shower or as Leilei calls it Beauty Day. And Friday is the wedding rehearsal and the luau," Lori said.

"Luau? Like with the tiki torches and hula dancers?" Curtis cackled loudly almost unable to stop laughing.

"We take our hula seriously," Nona said hands on her hips staring him down. "All of my kids took lessons from the time they could walk. And we luau really well too. You'll see on Friday. Steve will all of the rest of your family be here by then?"

"Yup, they'll all be here by then," Steve managed to get a word in. He was the youngest of the four brothers so he was overlooked in some areas. Now he got to show off for his family. Dinner was relatively polite, if not contentious. Tara and Chaska showed up about the same time desert was being served. That was when Mari decided to stay for a while. Jacob offered to lead the family back to the main road so they could head back to the Jackson house.

"I'll bring her back home safe and sound Mr. Jackson. You know I will," Kolohe reassured him.

"Tonight?" Mari asked. "We're gonna do it tonight?"

"Yes tonight. This will probably be the only time we have before the wedding. Tonight," Tara said. "I'd really prefer midnight but we'll take 9pm."

So we all headed out to First Beach, "Why here?" Mari asked.

"It's the closest place to Hawaii," Tara said. "And the sisters are waiting here to do this. Tonight you'll join us."

"Don't worry. It's not what you're thinking," Leilei teased. "I've been to these things before. It's like joining the girl scouts," Leilei giggled.

"So you're a girl scout?" Mari asked.

There was a sound of the conch shell and there was some drumming echoing while the waves pounded behind us. "Mari, this way," Tara said guiding Mari thru a maze in the sand into a circle of fire, symbolic of the journey of a human into the knowing of the Kai. "I am Tara, the wife of the Hoku Ao pack leader. All of us here are sisters to each other. We are the wives of the pack members. We are the sisters of pack members. We are the mothers of the pack members." As she spoke, women that were there nodded. Mari recognized some of them from her trip to Hawaii. Others she'd met as some of the people that Kolohe invited to the wedding that she'd seen at Leilei and Jacob's house. "Soon you will join us by marriage to Kolohe, a member in good standing of the Hoku Ao. You know who we are, you know what we are. We welcome you, our sister to be with us in joy: getting married, having babies and in sorrow, we all know loss. We are your strength and you are ours," with that Tara sprinkled Mari with some sea water. And gave her a hug. And gave her a lei and said, "Welcome to a granddaughter of the Momoa!" Then each of the women there gave her a hug and said welcome. Then Leah walked up to her.

"Leah?" Mari asked. "You've got Seth," she said remembering that may be why she was there. Maybe the Quileute had different rules for the sister membership.

"Ok, something that you don't know," Leah smiled. "I'm a . . ."

"No," Leilei interrupted. "You are the . . ."

"Thanks Leilei. What she says is true. I am the fuzzy girl. I can faze, shift, like the guys do. The Kai consider me to be something, someone really special and so Kolohe asked me to come and welcome you to the sisters. Out of consideration to him and the Honshiro family, I'm here. The sisters call themselves, Ke Ao Nei," Leah said. She'd taken the role of Ali'i seriously. She'd visited all of the Kai strong holds and met all of the pack leaders. "Ke Ao Nei means, The World. You are, 'the world' for the man who has imprinted on you. You are his world. Thank you for standing strong with our people."

"This is a really great honor," Christiaan said nodding to her daughter Rehka. Mrs. Angstadt never met the Ali'i. She'd heard there was one but this was the first time she'd seen her.

"Please," Leah said calmly as the circle of women knelt. "I'm Leah Clearwater and there's no need to bow or anything. We're all here for Mari."

"This is a very big deal," Leilei sent giving Mari a hug. "Thank you Ali'i Leah."

"So now Mari say something?" Tara offered.

"Thank you. I don't know what to say. Lei you didn't tell me about this," Mari struggled to know what to say.

"I asked Leilei not to say anything. We will always be here for you. All you need to say is thank you. If you need to talk or have any questions just ask," Tara said aloud.

"I do have one question. How do you handle 'the naked'? I mean how do you . . . I mean?" Mari stumbled over her question.

"That's easy," Tara said. "You look only once. I mean look at each guy, you look. Admire the ink and the build. But the next time you meet him you don't look."

Thursday was about the Honshiro's meeting Steve's 3 brothers, their wives and the kids and grandma and grandpa at the farm. As everyone came into town, they stopped at their motels and went to Steve's house and got directions to the farm for lunch and family reunion. It was just a regular weekday lunch at the farm: Hamburgers, hot dogs, and bbq chicken and all the normal fixings. Leilei gave the kids a tour of the farm and the orchard. They got to look at the chickens, pigs and rabbits and the sheep. The Jackson clan was impressed. Steve got approving nods from his brothers and his mother said she was impressed with them, the people that Mari was going to marry into.

About 5 pm Leilei got the girls together to leave to go to her house for the "Beauty Day" bridal shower. Sami decided that she needed to have her cousin Emily come to the bridal shower with her. Diane decided she needed to come along to take care of her girls. There was pizza was for dinner and they played girlie movies on the wide screen TV the boys usually watched sports on. Tara insisted on one of the movies they played was The Scorpion King. She had a thing for The Rock. The pre-teens thought the pizza party was lame but there isn't a lot to do in Forks. They spent most of the night ragging on stupid they were. Riley was more fun. She and Leilei, Lori, Rehka and Mari sat together practiced putting on makeup and giving each other mani/pedis. Riley helped make the brownies and she got eyeliner tattoos that freaked her mother out. She ate too much popcorn and giggled most of the night until she fell asleep. They all slept on the floor in the living room in the carpeted area where the couches formed the sitting area. Riley helped flip pancakes for breakfast too. Then Sami started to get it. Family was about doing lame stupid things and if that meant eating macadamia nut chocolate chip pancakes shaped like Mickey Mouse then that's what you do.

The men, Jackson and Honshiro, got together for a smoker at the farm. Steve's brothers, John, James and Thomas drank but Curtis liked it more than they did. They found the hard cider that Chaska served and Harkoni's Padron cigars just enough for their discussions about what makes a happy marriage. Sam showed up later in the evening, Harkoni'd invited him to the party, as it was. Much to his surprise Curtis waited all night and no strippers appeared.

On Friday about 4 pm the wedding rehearsal started. Grace couldn't quite control her tears but everyone made it thru the practice. Gladys and Raymond Jackson, the grandparents were happy. Nona gave the boys from the rez their assignments, ushers and church cleaners when everyone left the rehearsal. They started to decorate the church for the happy couple. A tent would go up on the lawn and about half a truckload of flowers were going to decorate the little stone church and hall. They were tying ribbons on the trees on the way to the church. And starting to get the hall ready for the reception with the caterers.

Back at the farm the luau was announced by the 3 Honshiro men in loin cloths blowing conch shells while Jacob and Chaska were drumming. That became a Honshiro haka. After 5 minutes of scaring the crap out of Curtis, Steve walked forward to pick up the gift that Kolohe left on ground between the 2 families. Steve said aloud, "I was coached to pick up the offering. If you don't it means you came to fight. We came to party!" Then Mari, Rehka, Leilei and Nona began with traditional welcome dance. There was hip wiggling and hand gestures. Leilei stood with Steve and helped Riley with the dance movements. Sami and Emily copied the movements when the second round of the dance started again. Then dinner was served. Laulau, pipi kaula, sushi, kalua pork and roasted fish. Poi, and fried taro chips and Leilei's favorite spam musubi. Auntie Diane was not happy about the loin cloths but only she seemed to be distressed.

"Now? It's late!" Steve whined. It was after the wedding rehearsal dinner. They were all at home getting ready – the wedding was gonna start at noon. Mari was home upstairs in her bedroom for the last time. When Steve answered the phone and headed into her room for the last time.

"Dad, go with them . . . they don't do this often. You were curious so they decided to let you see," Mari pushed him. Now he gets all shy about meeting her new family.

"Get in," Leilei called from the truck. "We're heading to the farm. They were going to come to your house but you have way too much company."

"I'm your son in law," Kolohe said after he fazed. Steve wasn't as freaked out as when he saw Jacob. He knew not to expect clothing but he didn't realize how much he was tattooed.

"I'm his brother, Travis," he said after he fazed.

"Meow," Yutan said climbing down a tree in the back yard.

"Who's that?" Steve asked looking eye to eye with a snow leopard with head 6 ft. off the ground.

"Yutan. He's my son," Harkoni said after he fazed. Father and son together looked formidable.

"Who?" Steve asked standing and pointing shaking his finger and what was walking toward him in the darkness.

"Tokar . . . and Chaska," Leilei said nodded to them. "You know more, much more than most. Remember your daughter knows what she knows and has chosen to join us."

"Honey? What's wrong?" Grace asked Steve when he came back to bed.

"Nothing . . . Everything. Our little girl is getting married."

"You saw them didn't you? They showed themselves to you," Grace asked once he seemed to settle in bed.

"Huh? What? NO!" he sputtered.

"It took me a while but I recognized the tattoos," she said to stop him denying it. "I remembered the stories my mom told me as a child. I've touched them. Kolohe, he's too warm. So are Leilei and their parents. Are they all . . . fuzzy?"

"No, just the guys," Steve admitted.

"Does Mari know everything?" Another question he didn't want to answer.

"Yeah, she does," he decided against telling her all that he knew.

"Good," she said settling back to sleep.

~33

"God you stink!" Kolohe spat when Leilei entered the room where the groomsmen were. All of the Honshiro men were there as was Rehka's dad Stellan and Jacob.

"Beauty is painful," Leilei said wearing a dress that she didn't particularly like. And shoes that she thought were too tall for her to be wearing. But it's a wedding and the bride gets what she wants. "You guys look so good. I had to come and see you. Don't faint when you look at your bride," she said giving her brother a hug that put some glitter on him.

"I won't faint. Thank you for everything . . . I don't know what . . ."

"Stop or I'll start crying. If I ruin my makeup Alice will kill me. See ya in the church."

Just before noon Bishop Price walked down the aisle of the little stone church to take his place at the altar. In a quiet voice he announced, "Kolohe Halopalo Honshiro, the groom." And Kolohe entered from the left and stood on the X he knew was on the floor. "Seifu Harkoni and Mrs. Nona Honshiro, the grooms' parents," Bishop continued in his quiet voice. Then came, "Mrs. Kaila Tanaka, the brides grandmother escorted by Tokar Dwyer. Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Mary Jackson, the brides' grandparents. Mrs. Grace Jackson, mother of the bride escorted by Chaska Kinau. Mr. Yutan Honshiro, the best man escorting the maid of honor Ms. Lori Jackson, the brides' sister. Our junior bridesmaid Ms. Samantha Wright. Mr. Travis and Dr. Rehka Honshiro the grooms' brother and sister in law. Chief Jacob Black escorting his fiancée Ms. Leilei Honshiro with our fairy ballerina flower girl, Ms. Riley Wright. Please stand for the bride."

"So what took so long at the altar?" Diane whined as we were standing out on the lawn taking pictures.

"Kolohe bought her 2 wedding rings. So it was taking of her engagement ring and surrounding it with the wedding rings. Excuse me please and don't miss this," Leilei warned her as she headed to the front of the lawn to get Kolohe in the right place. "Kolohe come with me. Now!"

"But!"

"Now! Right here. Stand right here," Leilei demanded. Then the sound of conch shell began to peel. "It's a request from the bride so shut it. Hey HEY! Kora WA!" The haka began. Members of the Hoku Ao and the guys from the rez who were there as ushers and others who came to the ceremony decided to join in honoring the couple in a way that they knew Kolohe would appreciate. They'd formed a line opposite our happy couple and began to chant.

At the end it was Travis who extended the gift wrapped in a ti leaf. "It's from the bride," he grinned at his brother. Kolohe pulled out a gold chain to show everyone. Then 1 quick kiss and they disappeared into a tent just as appetizers were being passed. 20 minutes later the happy couple walked into the church hall with Mari in a formal white muumuu. Her shoulders were bare, her hair pulled up with flowers on her left side carrying another bouquet. She and Kolohe, minus his tux jacket, danced onto the hall to 'Celebrate' from Kool and the Gang while the crowd cheered. So began the reception.

"Great wedding Mr. and Mrs. J! Congratulations!"

"What have you been doing?" Grace asked.

"The same thing I'm doing here, kinda," Leilei said. The wedding party decided to travel from table to table during the reception like they did at Rehka and Travis's wedding. "First, my mom and dad are hosting a party at my house later tonight with dinner if you'd like to go. Just so you know Tutu said she'd go to my house tonight for a while."

"What's going on there?" Steve pointed to where his sister began to look distressed. Slightly more than usual.

"Oh nothing much. My mom is telling Diane and Curtis that after the cake is cut to go to your house and get their stuff. We have a hotel room for them, so you two can relax in your own house tonight. Lori will be with me by the way, I'm hosting a party for everyone who's younger than 100. We're gonna make it a sleepover at the farm after the RCMP's come down here to tell us to quiet the party down. The girls will be in the house and the boys will camp out in the tent. Chaska and Tara are playing house parents. So, if you decide to stay at home in your house, there is Caesar salad, lobster angloitti, veal masala with potato gnocchi and tiramisu with the right wine in your fridge at your house. And there's been someone there all day just to make sure no one went shopping in your living room. And tomorrow morning, we're having breakfast at the farm and about 11 am the happy couple will be joining us to view the wedding video."

"Where are they staying tonight?" Steve asked still in shock. The wedding came off without a hitch that he knew about.

"The Cullens have a cabin nearby. Dr. and Mrs. C are letting them stay there for a few days," Leilei answered.

"Us too you know."

"Shhh. I'm trying not to think about that."

~34

"She doesn't like it when you do that you know that right?" Jasper said to Bella about trying to be 'nice' to Leilei. It was a few weeks after the Honshiro/Jackson wedding. Leilei showed up to thank Esme, Alice and Rosalie for their help again and show some of the wedding pictures and Bella tried to be nice. But it didn't come off that way to Leilei.

"What did you mean by that?" Leilei said rolling her eyes. "You were invited. I know you were invited. Your entire family was invited. You didn't RSVP. When Jacob and I stop by here – you're never here. You stopped 'trying' to be friends. And now you're saying that's my fault. When was the last time we've even seen each other face to face?"

"But how . . . what can I do? I want to be friends with her and she's so . . ." Bella complained to Jasper.

"Yes. She is bitchy whiny moany and a pain in the ass but Leilei and Esme get along because Esme wants to understand what it's like to be the mother of a human teenager. Leilei can do that and explain what the teenager is thinking. Alice and Leilei will only get along as long as Alice keeps under control. When Alice gets into 'Dress up Leilei Mode' Leilei gives up," Jasper spoke strategically. Leilei learned how to get his attention and she used her ability when she felt she had to. "And I come along and remove my wife before she removes Leilei. Rosalie and Leilei are pretty much exactly the same. They both love being what they are and nothing will change that. But, but you knew Jacob when he was human and you thought he was vulnerable. You wanted to protect him, keep him safe. Leilei has only known him as a pack leader becoming the man his people need him to be. And she's willing and wants to help him do that. If you and Jacob were together him being a pack leader may not have happened. It is possible that you would have talked him out of being a pack leader or even a pack member and Leilei wants him to be the best he can be. It doesn't help that she has the memory of what was said when you visited her at the farm stand but that was a long time ago."

"No, not really. Girls don't forgive or forget," Bella said thinking about the girls she knew and what happened in high school. Before Forks high school.

"So, give it some time. Take it one little conversation at a time," Jasper paused. He knew what he had to say it so, "The thing that would clear up a lot of the problems would be to answer the question, what were you doing on the rez the night that Tokar was being introduced to the Quileute?" Jasper asked without feeling.

"It was personal," she said glad that Jasper couldn't read her mind. "It involves Charlie."

He held his reaction to her reasoning. She was responding like a human. Something he couldn't relate to anymore. "They are going to have to know why and it's only going to make them hate Charlie more."

"But what will happen to Charlie? I mean it was me and . . ."

"It may have been you but you did it for Charlie and he's tried long and hard to stick his nose into their business. And they don't like that. Think about it. Would you like some human telling us what to do? Sitting in on family meetings? It's what Charlie wants and they can and will threaten him as long as he threatens them," Jasper paused. There was only one thing left to say. "You'll have to let Leilei read your mind."

"What?"

Jasper backed up his logical conclusion again, "Like she did with Emmett. It's the only way she'll believe you. It's the only way they'll believe you. It would have to be done in public. With the pack members present."

~35

"Bella?"

"Leilei!"

"What can I do for you? You called me. Talk."

"Well, I decided for the good of us all I've decided to tell you why I showed up at the pack meeting, "Bella opened the conversation.

"Hold it. You can't tell me. You have to tell the pack. Oh holy fucking shit. Hey! HEY! Listen!" Leilei interrupted Bella trying to explain. "You . . . YOU interrupted a pack meeting. You violated the treaty and you were carrying a cell phone. You owe them an explanation and an apology. Don't you know anything about respect and honor?"

"But the reason is . . ."

"NO! What part of NO don't you understand? You can't violate pack sovereignty and decide to phone in your excuse to the pack leaders' wife 5 years later. You have to do it in person. . . . Charlie is involved isn't he?" just a shot in the dark.

"Well . . . yes."

"So Charlie gets to come to a pack meeting after all. It's that special?" Leilei snarked.

"Charlie has to come?"

"To verify your story – yes. You're saying he's involved then he has to be here."

"So, I'll come right over . . ."

"No! Jacob will let you know when the meeting will be. You don't get to dictate to the packs what they will or will not do. Who do you think you are? You understand you'll have to come alone right? But nothing. You came to the pack meeting alone didn't you? Jacob says Thursday night at my house, midnight. And drive a car please. My animals don't like the smell. It freaks them out," Leilei decided she didn't need to be too diplomatic. Her chickens wouldn't be laying eggs for 3 days afterward. The smell.

"She's such a bitch. I thought you'd be with me on this?" Bella said to Rosalie who was laughing at Bella while she was on the phone.

"Really? Why? All they want is to be left alone. They want to have their parties and whatnot out there in the woods and not have anyone bullying them about what they are. Just like us. And then there Charlie is throwing his 180 lbs. around at 350 lb. Samoan werewolves. Telling them to get out of town. Leilei said she goes out of her way to warn everyone in town that needs to know that they are coming. The woman who owns the diner and the couple that owns the pizza shop to expect extra people. They go grocery shopping and spend money in town, hang at the farm and stay out of the way. Then they leave. Perfect guests and Charlie goes around and antagonizes them. How long are you and Edward going to babysit him? He and Sue had an argument. All married couples have them. Are you going to glamour her into forgetting so she'll go back to Charlie or are they going to be able to live their own lives? You chose your life. Let him live his."

"Wow . . . this is really a nice house," Charlie said coming in the front door of the house for his first visit.

"Thanks. Come on in Charlie."

"So where's Bella?" he asked walking around to look at the first floor.

"Not here yet."

"Jacob?"

"They will be here when they get here. Coffee?" Leilei asked as she was getting snacks together.

"Everything in here is . . . oversized," Charlie judged the furniture and furnishings.

"Not oversized. Sized for people that are taller. That's all," Leilei explained. "Here they are. Let's go outside." Into the back yard pad a very large pack of werewolves, some 40 in number. Tan, brown, black and a few of various colors with white patches. Jacob fazed and the guys formed a circle in the yard. Like a big group of puppies that were oversized too.

"Charlie," Jacob nodded in greeting.

"Jake," Charlie said in return.

"That's pack leader Jacob," Leilei whispered as he stood there in the clearing. Leilei and the boys could smell the fear Charlie had. He was very nervous. This was the first time in a long while he'd been with 'the boys' as he called them, outnumbered and not on the best terms with them either.

"We'll be waiting for a few others," Jacob said as he listened to the sound of footfalls heading our way. Out of the distance came an all-white Siberian husky, Chaska. He was there as part of the honor guard for Leah. She decided to show for this meeting. She wanted to know what was up between her mother and Charlie from the horse's mouth.

"I wouldn't miss this for anything," he sent as Leilei touched his head. Then the chickens and goats started to scream.

"What's that?" Charlie asked.

"Bella's here," Leilei said. Then she touched Charlie on the arm, "The animals sense something not right, unnatural about her. They smell her and she smells dead to them and she's a vampire after all."

"Hi everyone," Bella says cheerfully. "Dad."

Jacob stood in the cool air just waiting. "Paul, good. Thanks for coming." Sam was on duty that night. "Now that we're all here," Jacob started to relive an embarrassing moment for him and Sam. "It was about 5 years ago when Bella came to First Beach at the welcome for Tokar uninvited. She's come here to tell us why she came to the meeting . . . Bella."

She swallowed. Human reflex probably. She knew she didn't need to swallow. "I came to the meeting that night because Charlie told me was worried about Sue. She was becoming more involved in the pack activities and he thought he was losing her. Charlie knew about the meeting and he knew that Sue was going and she wouldn't tell him anything about it."

"Charlie is a human. He has no right to demand anything from us or Tokar. At some point there would have been an introduction but to violate our sovereignty for something that stupid. It's a good thing Carlisle paid the fine," Paul spat after he fazed.

"Fine? What fine?" Charlie asked.

Bella rolled her eyes. The Cullens didn't tell him the entire scope of the repercussions. "We paid a fine to the Quileute for my being on the rez without permission."

"Ok, are you both ready?" Leilei asked.

"For what?" Charlie asked.

"I need to see the instances where you and Bella had discussions about how involved Sue was in pack activities back then. Bella, you first," Leilei said as she pulled out her silver chain and she moved to Bella first.

When Leilei was finished with showing their memories Chaska shook himself and stood on 2 feet, "What the fuck?" he spat. Then he moved into the circle made by Leilei's silver chain on the grass. "You are such a stupid little bitch," he said looking at Bella. "You did this . . . all of this . . . is your fault!"

"Hey you!" Charlie spoke up to defend his daughter.

"I have the floor if you want to speak you wait until I'm done," Chaska snapped.

"But . . ." Charlie sputtered.

"This is a pack meeting Charlie. You wanted to be here with us 'boys' – so obey the rules. Chaska has the floor," Jacob said.

"Oh! Where was I?" Chaska paused. "Stupid little bitch. Your daddy whines to you that he's worried about losing his wife and you swoop in like some kind of dead superhero and decide to fix it. So you violate the treaty, common sense and your vampire instincts to show up at a pack meeting just to see what your fathers' second wife is doing. And he's all worried about is whether or not if Sue has seen a werewolf cock. One of the first things we Kai noticed about the Quileute was that they weren't as comfortable with being naked. So meetings where women would be present were designated, 'wear pants'. I'm sorry you didn't get the memo but neither of you are not on that email list. So you violate the treaty, almost send us to war and all for the ego of this man. This is the perfect example why most humans aren't allowed to know anything about us."

"Steve knows," Charlie said in his defense.

"So does my dad and he isn't here. Neither is Old Quil. Your point?" Jacob said.

"They may want to be here but they understand their place in our world. Charlie, you've decided you belong wherever you choose to be because you have a daughter that can back you up. Threaten me again and I'll find a place for you. And yes, that was not a threat – it was a promise," he said looking directly at Bella.

"Why you . . ." Bella began to move vampire fast.

"Remember your place Bella!" Seth said moving vampire fast too. "This is a pack meeting. You are a guest."

"You asked to be here. You can't tell us how to run our meeting. Or tell people what to say," Jacob continued.

Leah fazed and the guys went to their knees. "Oh get up," she said. As she moved into the circle of silver on the ground. You were obligated to speak the truth in that circle. Leilei was there to enforce that if necessary. Wrapping a sarong around herself she said, "So, all of the shit my mother went thru in the last few years was over nothing. Bella you could have told Esme what was bothering Charlie. She would have let Leilei know and things would have been solved but you just had to get involved. What the fuck?" Leah spun and took Charlie to the ground. Her paws on his chest growling in his face. She snorted and walked away leaving her sarong on the ground. "I'm going to my mom's". She sent and she headed into the forest trailed by Chaska.

"Anything else?" Jacob asked as Seth moved to help Charlie to his feet. He paused and waited and no one said anything. "This is something that Harkoni warned me about. Letting small things escalate into big things by trying to fix them. We, pack members have to understand that we're not supermen. Our families, our human families are going to have problems. And he told me to let them work it out themselves. Thanks everyone. Night."

"There are snacks in the house," Leilei said picking up her chain.

"Was that all? The meeting is over?" Bella asked.

"What were you expecting? What do you want? Thanks for waiting 5 years to come clean about something this trivial? Does Carlisle know it was you meddling in Charlie's life that caused all the problems?" Leilei asked.

"Jacob! . . . Jake!" Bella called after him.

"Bella?"

"Was that all? I mean, Leah hit him," she said watching Seth with Charlie.

"She's angry. She has been angry for a while. She didn't know why Sue and Charlie broke up. Him worried about what Sue was doing at secret pack meetings? Really? Do you tell him what goes on at the Cullen house in all of your meetings? Obviously not since he didn't know about the fine. Does he know everything about what happened when you and Edward were dating? So, somehow he's supposed to be in on all of what we're doing? He knows where is wife is when she isn't with him. She's with us. Exactly what she is doing is pack business. If he can't live with that then . . . that is for Sue and Charlie to work out." Jacob let that sink in.

"So that's it," Bella's voice almost begged. She was waiting and whatever she was waiting for didn't come. "But he's your friend. God, Jacob you've known my dad all of your life."

"That's true . . . but my life since I become a pack leader, is different. In town, he's the police chief. Out here, I'm the pack leader and if he wants to hang with the werewolves, you have to hang tough," he answered her back.

"Ok then, tell me that it's all back to the way it used to be. Us, all of us," she followed up.

"I can't say that," he shot back too quickly for her. "Leilei is making wedding plans, there will be a lot more Kai in town for the wedding and if Charlie goes around pulling people over just because, some of them may bite his car tires to teach him a lesson. Some of them might bite him. If you're worried about his safety – get him under control."

"By the way," Leilei interrupted, "We expect him not to allow Sam to come to the wedding or the receptions either, so it doesn't matter what he does. We've made other plans."

Then Bella realized that Jacob wasn't the same Jacob of the past. He'd become a pack leader. He was focused on his people. He was standing in his house, fist bumping with pack members that came to the 'inquest' into the Tokar incident, in the house he shared with his wife, naked and unashamed. "Thanks for having me here. Good night." She walked back to her car and headed back into the night.

Meanwhile Seth helped Charlie get into his car. "Are you ok?" Seth asked.

"I'll be fine. I've got to get out of here," he sputtered.

"Take it easy. Leilei said if you're sore you can call her about the pain. Here's her card. She works in conjunction with the hospital," Seth said as he pulled out of the yard and headed back toward town.

"I am so disappointed in you young man. Really!" Bella went all old school mother on Seth when he got back to the Cullen house.

"Young man?" Seth mocked Bella's tone and volume as he went hands on hips the same way she was standing. "What's with the attitude? We're about the same age now?"

"Both of you, in the dining room. NOW!" Carlisle bellowed. "What now? What happened?" He was aware that something was going on. Bella was going to the rez for some kind of meeting. He didn't push to find out what was what. If Bella and Leilei were making friends then that would be wonderful.

"Well . . ." Bella started. "Leah hit Charlie. And she was in wolf form when she hit him and she knocked him down."

"Oh my God! Is he alright? We should go and check on him," Esme said concerned about his welfare.

"He's fine," Seth filled them in. "He got home just fine. He'll be sore in the morning but if you play with werewolves you might get hurt. It could have been much worse. The kai would have let Leah kill him but she just walked away. Another legend of the Ali'i Leah is born."

"Bella, dear. What happened?" They waited and she didn't immediately speak up.

"What happened was this," Seth decided to clear the air. Bella was hiding what she was actually up to. "Charlie and Bella arrived for the pack meeting and Bella explained why she crashed the meeting so long ago. It seems that Charlie was all upset about my mom not telling him what went on at the pack meetings. And Charlie thought that she was seeing too much werewolf cock so he was jealous. Charlie got so desperate he asked me to let him know what happened at the meetings. I told him no. What was I supposed to do? Betray my pack leader's confidence by spying for my mother's second husband? So, Bella crashed the pack meeting. That just happened to be the first high level meeting between the Kai and the Quileute. She successfully punked Sam, Jacob and all of us Quileute in front of a Kai elder. Well anyway, when Bella and Charlie were finished with their testimony Chaska said everything was Bella's fault and he called Charlie an asshole and Leah lashed out at Charlie for putting mom thru so much shit for the last few years over something so petty. That's . . . pretty much all that happened."

"You two get in here," Esme snapped at Rosalie and Emmett. They were listening in the kitchen and giggling.

"Bella," Carlisle struggled for calm, "When this meeting is over I'd like to talk with you in my study."

"Seth, you're wrong about . . ." Bella started.

"Well, don't you think if my mom was offended by naked werewolves she would have said something to someone? Tara or Leilei or Jacob or Tokar or me, if there were too many naked asses in her face? Do you think we'd disrespect my mom that way? You think that my mom's that stupid? Well, I guess you do think we're that stupid, that disrespectful. And if Charlie can't handle my mom knowing things that he doesn't well then what Nona said is probably true."

"What did she say?" Esme asked.

"That maybe the problem with their marriage maybe Charlie."

"You take that back!" Bella snapped.

"Why? Your mother divorced him? Maybe he's just too controlling."

"Is there anything else?" Carlisle wanted to finish this discussion. Rosalie and Emmett were having too much fun at Charlie expense.

"So . . . just for the record how much werewolf . . ."

"Emmett!"

"Sorry . . ." Emmett muttered snickering out loud.

"Bella? Bella," Carlisle pointed to the chair. The one everyone sat in for the Carlisle morality lessons. "First and foremost you can't tell Seth what to do. He is his own man. Speaking down to him, like he's your son isn't going to work. He is not your son. He is an equal. And more importantly, he will never spy for us against his pack ever. They would kill him for that. He knows that."

"Carlisle . . . I know but," Bella tried to explain.

"There is no but. Charlie is part of your past." With that he paused. She needed to understand that most of all. "I understand you still have feelings for him but his life is his. If he's having problems with his wife, that is his problem. We can't interfere."

"I know but . . ."

"2 million dollars. The years of suspicion and mistrust because Charlie wants to know what his wife is up to for 8 hours a month. Was it worth it? You tell me. In 10 years, will this make a bit of difference? 50 years? You must cultivate the idea that they, humans, don't matter. Not to us. They are like the weather – they will come and go. They aren't that important. Maintaining a good relationship with the Quileute is important." Carlisle paused and let the meaning of what he said sink in. "And yes, I'll stop by and see if Charlie is ok but remember Charlie doesn't get a free pass on everything he wants to do at your say so. There are always repercussions. Always."

"Emmett! What's your problem," Rosalie asked. He'd been laughing since the family meeting was over.

"Don't you understand? Charlie is worried about his size and a pack of teenage boys know that. They will tease him until he goes ballistic then they'll tease him some more," he managed to say before busting out laughing again.

"I'll call Jacob and ask him not let them do that," Bella concluded.

"No, don't," Rosalie shot back. "How often are you going to call Jacob and ask him to bend the werewolf rules for you? How often? First it was visiting us. Becoming one of us. Nessie. When has he ever called you for a Cullen favor?"

"So," Emmett managed to stop laughing long enough to back Rosalie up. "You want to call Jacob and tell him to make his guys act a certain way because you said so. If you're going to do that, then why not challenge him for the leadership of his pack already and get it over with. What you want is for Jacob to use his leader power so they don't laugh at Charlie. But you were the cause of Charlie's problem. If Charlie just let her go to her fucking meetings it would be over. But NO! Charlie wants Sue at his beck and call and you want Jacob on speed dial to do what you want. When are you just going to slap your leg and say here boy!"

"Well, how am I?" Charlie asked after Carlisle checked him over.

"You'll be fine," Carlisle answered. He found just a few bruises. "A little sore but you're fine. I'd suggest going to go and see Leilei about the pain."

"No! That's not going to happen," Charlie snapped.

"I think you should. What the pack picked up from you is that you're not worried about Sue getting hurt by werewolves; you were more concerned about her looking at the guys . . . privates. That means they may tease you about information they learned about you," Carlisle spoke slowly so Charlie would understand what he was trying hard not to say.

"What?!"

"Everything you showed them, they know. When Leilei used that silver chain they ALL saw your memories. Your thoughts. The boys will tease you about why you are reacting the way you did," Carlisle said knowing that if he couldn't get Emmett to shut up in front of Bella. The werewolf boys would be just as hard to get under control about the teasing. And there were more of them.

"So they all know . . ."

"Yes . . . they all know," Carlisle confirmed watching Charlie get dressed.

"Oh fuck me! Now I've got more trouble with them. And some of the guys there were from the farm. So now everyone thinks I'm worried about my dick size."

"That's why I think you should go and see Leilei. A few words from her could probably take all of the wind out of those sails. All you have to do is say you were a stupid idiot and you're not werewolf pack material. And for 8 to 10 hours a month for Sue being with them is nothing. It's your decision," Carlisle left him with a decision to make. He hoped he made the correct one.

~36

"What is the significance of this invitation?" Carlisle asked after looking at the lovely handmade rice paper calligraphy.

"Well they, the pack leaders, would like to see you all in a neutral place to meet you before our wedding. Eleven of you and eleven of them. So Seth suggested the baseball field," Leilei responded.

"You won't be there?" Esme asked.

"No, I'm human. We women aren't equal in ability, if you catch my drift, so I'll be at home."

"So it's, 'Hi! How are you?'" Alice asked.

"Will Emmett be ok?" Rosalie asked.

"He'll be fine."

"But your dad?" Rosalie said concerned.

"My dad is a dad," Leilei said. Carlisle nodded. She understood that Carlisle would explain that to them later. And they should know that she told her dad what she learned from him afterward. "Anything else?"

"3 invitations?" Rosalie asked looking at the package of invitations.

"No, one invitation in 3 languages."

"Sue is in the wedding party?" Bella asked.

"Yup. I'm really happy that she decided to do it. To step into the space that Jacobs' mother would hold. She's there as a female tribal chief and as the mother of pack members. My people put the mother of the Ali'i in a special category. So it shows that the Quileute have accepted me in the role of being a chief's wife," Leilei said proudly.

"And potentially the next Sue," Rosalie went with what seemed normal.

"No, I'm third. Emily is second."

"You're third? I mean . . . Your people. You are really important to them," Rosalie just couldn't didn't let it go.

"To them, my people yes, I am important. But I know my place here. I'll be . . . do . . . whatever I need to do to make it easier for everyone."

"You can do that?" Emmett asked knowing that it seemed to be Leilei taking a back seat. Not standing up for herself.

"It's just learning what to do and how to best do that. Thanks . . . anything else?" Leilei asked wanting to leave, being a bride was a pain in the ass.

"One more question Leilei?" Bella stopped her from leaving. "Why is Sue in the wedding and Charlie just invited? They're getting back together."

"I know but they have different roles," Leilei said hoping she didn't snap at her too much.

"He's also a friend to Jacob and Billy so why . . .?"

"I get it," Leilei said then she slapped her leg while snapping her fingers. "Here girl! Sit. Heel."

"No! . . . But . . ." Bella started bewildered by what set Leilei off again.

But Leilei cut her off, "Let me make this perfectly clear. My father is putting his ass on the line to allow you to come to the ceremony. Jacob too. The object here is for you, 'Cullen family' to be seen as people with an 'Unusual Lifestyle choice' not the 'Red eyed demons that should be killed on sight'. If I was marrying just a pack member or a tribe member having Sue in my wedding party wouldn't necessary. But Jacob is a tribal chief. So this is a big fucking deal. Melding families, making ties between my people and the Quileute that can't be broken, hopefully. This will be your big introduction to the Kai hierarchy who don't understand why you decided to become a 'Cullen'. They don't get why Charlie let that happen to you. They don't get why you all didn't move away when Edward and Bella got married. They don't understand why the Quileute let Bella live when she crashed the pack meeting. They don't understand lots of things. And they know Charlie has been on our collective asses to let him in 'Our World' based on the fact he's married to a tribal chief. Sue will be sitting next to Billy during the ceremony and the receptions, plural. Meanwhile you will be expected to sit at the wedding ceremony, smile and make small talk and prove you all don't deserve to be killed for letting the Volturi know the Quileute live here. And yes, they blame you for that too. They will be deciding whether or not to come here and help when the Volturi show. And if they think the Quileute jump whenever you snap your fingers, they will let the Quileute die when the Volturi get here. And you stand there asking me about what your father should be doing in my wedding? I guarantee if he makes a scene . . . it won't be pretty." With that Leilei turned to leave.

"Sue will be seated next to Billy?" Esme asked for a further explanation.

"The guys have built a platform," Leilei snapped reflexively. Then she realized that Esme was actually interested. "Where we'll be getting married. So when the Black family is up there with my family everyone will sit for the ceremony . . ."

"Leaving all of their heads at the same height. That's very thoughtful. I understand completely. We will all be on our best behavior," Esme said nodding like any mother would when the kids would watch the kids' behavior.

"Does Steve know about us?" Edward asked.

"Not to the best of my knowledge. But what you know from using your ability I have no control over. Grace, Mari's mom, is a bit curious why Esme never eats when we're together but she's never asked me anything. I have let her know that you have a problem with gluten. And I wouldn't tell her anything, my hand on silver. We don't out people. If someone chooses to out themselves, that's on them. And I don't know if any of my people can read your minds. Just so you know," she giggled to herself. She was sure none of her people could read their minds without touching them but letting them worry would be good.

"So this totally political?" Jasper asked as if he was wondering. He knew better and Leilei knew that.

"In a lot of ways, yes."

"Beginnings are difficult times," Carlisle said going all, 'Father knows Best' on them. "I'll have a chat with Charlie so he understands the seriousness of this situation."

"On a scale of 1 to 10 how important is this?" Jasper asked as Leilei reached for the door knob.

"1500."

~37

"Hello Carlisle, Esme. Cullen Family," Harkoni announced them to the assembled pack members.

"Harkoni, Congratulations! Leilei will be a beautiful bride," Carlisle beamed back.

"Before we begin, Emmett," Harkoni beckoned.

"Sir?" Emmett answered nervous.

"No, thank you sir," Harkoni started. "Leilei told me you manned up and she believes you meant her no harm. I believe her. But please remember she's breakable."

"I will. I do. Thank you sir," Emmett moved and decided to go ahead and he gave Harkoni a hug.

"Thank you Emmett. And thank you Esme, Rosalie and Alice. Leilei is very very happy and she's very excited about her wedding. I don't know what you're planning and I don't want to know but Leilei is happy as a 5 yr. old planning her birthday party at Disneyworld," Harkoni smiled at them. He was glad that things seemed to be working out. Leilei and Nona were planning the wedding, 3 receptions and everything that went with that and having the Cullens at the ceremony and the most important women in his life hadn't killed each other and he knew Esme, Rosalie and Alice had something to do with that.

"Would you like to know what we're doing? "Alice asked. Maybe there was some concern that he wasn't voicing.

"No, thank you. I'll wait for the surprises. There has to be more than one right?" Harkoni joked.

"It's a lovely surprise, by the way," Esme teased.

Harkoni said. "Introductions . . ." he began to do formal introductions. The parents first, Dr. Carlisle and Mrs. Esme Cullen. Rosalie and Emmett, Edward and Bella and Alice and Jasper hale.

"Which one of you is related to Charlie Swan?" Toi interjected impatient. The entire situation with the Cullens and the Quileute didn't make any sense to him.

"That's me. I'm Bella Swan Cullen," she spoke up.

"Oh, I see," he responded.

"Why do you want to know?" she asked.

"I just wanted to be sure who you were. Charlie's made himself known to us. He's been insisting that we don't cause any trouble while we're here in town. He should calm down. We're just here for the wedding," Toi said.

"Well, Sue is in . . ." Bella started.

"Sue should do what? Declare Charlie an official tribe member. Tell him he's an official pack member too. Decide that he is correct and let him do whatever he wants? If I get pulled over again, I'll do more than talk," he continued.

"This is not Bella's fault. The fault is mine," Carlisle said. "Yes it is. We should have left Forks after Bella and Edwards wedding.

"That wedding? I've looked at a timeline of the Cullen family in Forks. You should have left after signing the treaty the first time. Returning here was asking for trouble. Why here?" Chaska asked not having the opportunity before.

"The weather," Esme admitted. "It's foggy cloudy most of the time. We get to live a somewhat normal life . . . lifestyle."

"So living in a house is why you moved back here?" Chaska repeated.

"Yes . . . As I said it is my fault," Carlisle decided to do most of the talking. He would keep the focus on his mistakes keeping the kids out of the conversation. "We could have moved to Shelton. Or La Grange."

"Or Alaska. Anywhere. But you moved back here. You could have left when you actually did leave but you returned," Chaska wouldn't let it go.

"We . . . I was worried about Bella. We returned to protect her," Edward jumped in before Carlisle could continue.

"Reactive, not proactive. Victoria right? Was that the Victoria incident? You should have killed her, Laurent and James when you met them," Toi concluded.

"What?"

"Well they are all dead dead now, aren't they?" Chaska asked.

"That's true," Emmett spoke up.

"Edward, did you read James' mind and know what he, they were capable of?" Stellan asked trying to figure out why they did what they did. Or rather didn't do.

"Yes, I knew what James was capable of. I knew what his thoughts were," Edward admitted.

"So why not kill them when you met them? Don't you have some kind of bat signal that means family get ready – kill'em?" Stellan continued. "Leilei didn't hesitate to contact Kolohe and Jacob when she sensed something was wrong with Mari. We don't hesitate."

"I respect and honor life so much that I abhor violence," Carlisle took the conversation back from Edward.

"So you hesitate and cause more pain and problems long term because in the moment, you refuse to act. And because of that, the Volturi know the Quileute are here. And now you've moved away," Toi concluded.

"It's not like that," Carlisle added.

"Then why not move away earlier, before the Volturi showed up?" Stellan chose to follow up.

"We didn't know they were coming," Esme jumped into the conversation. "It was a member of our Alaskan family that told them about Nessie. They came here to assess her and our situation."

"Didn't you know your family member was going to them? To rat you out?"

"No," Carlisle answered.

"Why did she do it?" Solomon asked. What was so wrong with this 'family' that they ratted each other out?

"She was pissed off. She blamed the packs for killing her mate, Laurent," Carlisle offered the answer.

"Well, we did," Seth answered. "She was angry when she came to Bella and Edwards' wedding. I went with Charlie and Sue."

"Should we have killed Irina?" Esme asked.

"She's dead dead isn't she?" Solomon answered.

"The Volturi killed her," she answered.

"Did you know why she was so upset?" Solomon followed up looking at Edward. The ability to read minds was a formidable weapon. It could be used to great advantage.

"I chose not to pry," Edward said.

"Re-active not proactive," Solomon spat angrily. "So you have the ability to know when you are in danger but you don't use it effectively and because of that, your allies the Quileute are living under a death threat from the Volturi. And so as long as the Volturi don't think the word, 'Cullen' they could be in Seattle right now heading here and you wouldn't know and your first reaction would be to talk with them. Anyone who travels 8,000 miles across the planet isn't there to talk."

"It's that attitude that could get you killed. When they . . ." Carlisle came to his families' defense.

"It's that attitude that has helped us survive for literally thousands of years," Solomon stated incredulously.

"So if the Quileute call you and say, 'They are here', you'd have to think about what to do. And then decide what you will do especially since it isn't a direct threat to you. Great!" Toi repeated.

"So they'd have to give you a 2 week notice. I could swim here from the Philippines faster than that. Brain dead mother fuckers. It's their fault and they defer. Fabulous!" Takeda continued.

"Their Alaskan family won't be any help either," Sam continued.

"How do you know that?" Takeda asked.

"Leilei said she could taste their hatred," Sam relayed to them.

"So, the Quileute are on their own and you feel really really bad about outing them and all but oh well . . ." Toi concluded.

"No, it isn't that way at all," Carlisle jumped back into the conversation.

"Then how is it?"

"Carlisle has admitted telling Charlie to leave the packs the fuck alone but he doesn't listen. And there isn't any punishment for not listening. Bella showed up at a pack meeting and her excuse was, 'I got lost' and she was there because her daddy was worried about what his tribal leader wife was up to. And Carlisle didn't even know that was the reason until recently. Carlisle is a weak leader. He'd never make it in our world. He's pathetic," Stellan concluded.

"No! He's . . . We have a wonderful life. We're a family like any other family," Edward blurted out of reflex to support Carlisle against the statements that he was weak.

"No you're not! You're a coven of vampires!" Solomon continued cutting Edward off. "You have responsibilities beyond cutting the grass and paying the property taxes. Your mere presence causes problems, Charlie for example. You should recognize that and stop pretending to act 'human' and take responsibility for the shit that happens because you are what you are. I've had enough. End this Harkoni," Solomon said aloud.

"Thank you for your time Cullen family," Harkoni thanked them. He did admire their bravery. They did show for this meeting. They had to understand that they were not understood in a logical sense. "Leilei has made some changes to the house. She'd like you to come over and see. We'll meet you there in about an hour."

"What do we do now?" Esme asked. She understood that the meeting didn't go well. They were not understood or respected as a family. There were just a bunch of vampires that seemed to be nice.

"Go to Leilei's house and see the changes," Carlisle said as they headed back to their cars. "And be nice."

"What did she do to the house so we know what to compliment?" Rosalie decided that praising what the changes were would be a good thing.

"It's the rugs and furniture," Seth began to explain.

"Are the wives there?" Carlisle interrupted.

"This is important, they, well most of the wives have never seen one of you," Seth said changing thoughts in mid-stream. "Nessie and I brought a crystal bowl with flowers as a gift. We're going to in the front door. It's a respect thing."

Knock knock

"Hello, come in everyone," Leilei said grinning holding open her double front door. The Cullens were here for the pre-wedding meeting. Now they would learn what was going to happen on that Friday.

"Thank you. Thank you for coming," Leilei repeated. "This is Dr. Carlisle and Mrs. Esme Cullen, my guardians emeritus. Dr. Edward and Mrs. Bella Cullen, they are Nessie's mom and dad. Mr. Emmett and Mrs. Rosalie Cullen. Mr. Jasper and Mrs. Alice Hale. The Full of the Kai council."

Then Jacob took over. "You already have met, Bishop Price. Kailu Sapuloa and his wife Mia of Samoa. Takeda and his wife Cheyenne with Ms. Tiare." Cheyenne smiled holding a great grandchild. A slightly fussy 5 month old baby girl. "Seifu Jun and Mrs. Hada of Taiwan. Lio and his wife Alys of Mindanao. Keda and Sian of New Zealand. Tokar Dwyer and his wives: Carmen, Ne'a and Peke. Caleb and Karin of Tahiti. Toi and Maria Pahi. Sam and Emily Utley. Solomon and Zera and Stellan and Christiaan Angstadt."

"And who is that with you?" Esme said to break the tension.

"He just woke up. He's so impossible," Leilei commented.

"Look at how big he is. Your grandson Tokar?" Esme continued watching him wiggle.

"Ryne," Leilei did the introduction. "Great grand but yes he is big. His dad is Samoan. You'll meet their dad at the wedding." Then all the babies started to cry. There were 4 toddlers asleep on blankets that were not asleep now. "When one wakes up they all wake up. Sit down make yourself comfortable."

"Since the house warming parties," Kolohe added to cover the awkwardness of the silence that happened when the Cullens were introduced. "We lifted the tiles, dug up the floor over here and put in heating elements. Like the kind they use in most Japanese and Korean homes."

"The imprints complained they were cold and since I can't feel it, we decided to redo the floors in here and the bathrooms. We can control the temp so this is the nap space for the babies and toddlers. Huh Cree?" Leilei said bouncing Emily and Sam's little girl on her hip. "So while everyone is here, I've got wedding details."

"Please Leilei, I love you but please no live squid at the reception. Just for me, honey? Babe?!"

"Mom!"

"Baby!" Nona laughed at her daughter. "This is not a Bridezilla moment."

"Fine," Leilei pouted. "Then I agree no live squid at the wedding reception. But at the other receptions I reserve my right to have what I want."

"That's my girl," Nona said.

"Ok, the rehearsals well be on Wednesday and Thursday with Wednesday being the Beauty day," Leilei began to run down the details. "After the ceremony there will be about 30 minutes for pictures. Then we'll change for the reception."

"Will there be . . .?"

"Yes on the snacks, Kolohe the stomach that walks. The same ones that you and Mari had at your wedding reception," she continued. "Yes. So about an hour after the end of the ceremony, we will enter for the reception. I'll give you a list of names. And then I'll do my thing. And yes stay for that," Leilei grinned at Esme.

"Then I'll do mine," Jacob surprised his wife/bride.

"What?" she looked at him all surprised.

"Bouquet and garter," he said trying not to smile. "Then we'll move the tables back into place and commence with the recepting."

"After that we'll disappear," Carlisle mentioned quietly.

"What will you tell Mrs. Jackson?" Esme asked.

"We'll sit her and Mr. J next to his sister and her husband. Diane and Curtis are coming. And with Tutu Tanaka at the same table. That should keep them busy," Leilei hoped that would be enough.

Chaska said, "Tara and I will sit with them."

"Thank you," Leilei and Jacob both said.

"Do something wonderfully outrageous," Chaska said. "Make it short of going fuzzy in public, but . . . What is it with the evil grin you two?" he actually spoke the run on sentence.

"Nothing," Jacob and Leilei said at the same time again.

"We'll stay thru the table re-arrangement," Carlisle said watching the grinning going on.

"I'll announce it. Will I know when the end is?" Bishop asked taking notes.

"Yes. It will be obvious," Leilei said holding hands with Jacob.

"Family, let's go," Carlisle said with a smile. "Leilei is still making wedding plans. Maybe we shouldn't hear everything." He paused for a moment to let it sink in. Then he repeated, "Emmett, Rosalie . . . let's go." They'd moved to sit on the heated carpet and Emmett was letting the kids crawl all over him. Rosalie wouldn't give him too much grief about the baby slobber on his clothes.

"He likes me," Emmett said. Ryne was hitting him like a toddler would.

"Most people do," Seth said watching Emmett play with the baby boys.

"Yeah big man, even me," Yutan added kicking him to get his attention on his wife.

"Thanks for coming," Leilei gushed giggling.

"Thanks for inviting us," Esme said giving her a hug and reaching for Nona to hug next.

"Nice meeting you Cullen family," Jun said.

"Boss man you need me?" Seth asked heading out with the Cullens.

"No," Jacob nodded. "We're cool. Tomorrow night like usual."