Leah lay awake in the early hours of New Years Day, reliving the previous night's party at the Cullens'. She tossed and turned, but sleep eluded her. Her mind kept returning to the party and the feelings that were awakened in her as she danced the night away in Jacob's arms. His warm, muscular body had felt so good, so right, pressed against hers.

On the other side of the reservation, Jacob was having his own problems with insomnia. His sheets were tangled up in knots, and his eyes remained stubbornly open. He had known Leah his entire life, and for the last few years she had been downright bitchy, so he had never thought of her in that way. Until now. Her dark eyes, the short red dress that clung so attractively to her curves, the subtle scent of her perfume…arrrggghhhh! He punched his pillow and rolled over one more time with a groan.

Sue was surprised when Leah came downstairs at 7 a.m., dark circles under her eyes, and flopped down in a kitchen chair. Sue put her hand on Leah's forehead and asked "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just couldn't sleep," Leah grumbled as she poured a cup of fresh coffee and fished out a box of cereal. She poured cereal in a bowl and added milk as Sue poured her own coffee and joined her at the table.

"Wasn't it a nice party?" Sue asked. They had stayed at the Cullens' until after 2 a.m., and Seth would probably be unconscious until at least noon. "I think your brother really enjoyed himself."

"Hmmph," Leah answered noncommittally.

"They have a beautiful home, don't they? And Carlisle and Esme are such gracious hosts. It was nice that Charlie got to come for a while."

"Mmmm."

Sue laughed. "It was nice having this chat with you, Leah. I'm so glad you and I agree."

Leah chuckled. "Sorry, Mom. I'm just sleep-deprived and confused. Wanna hear something weird? I couldn't sleep because I couldn't get my mind off Jacob Black, for heaven's sake. What the heck is THAT about?"

Sure enough, Seth came stumbling down the stairs at noon, headed for the kitchen. "Hi, Mom – great party, huh? Got anything to eat? I'm starving!" Sue laughed and kissed the top of his head as he sat down at the table. "Give me five minutes, and brunch will be served." She broke a half dozen eggs in a bowl and scrambled them quickly, while popping some toast in and warming fat sausages in the microwave.

Seth whistled as Leah walked in the kitchen. "What are you all dressed up for?"

Leah blushed. "I'm not dressed up. I got this sweater for Christmas, so I figured I might as well wear it." She was wearing jeans and a pale blue cashmere sweater, and she had uncharacteristically bothered to apply eye liner, mascara, and lipstick.

Right on cue, Jake appeared at the back door. "Hi, Jake, would you like some breakfast?" Sue asked. "No thanks, I'm not hungry," Jacob replied, but he reached for the cookie jar unconsciously though his eyes never left Leah.

Sue laughed. "I think I feel a disturbance in the Force! Makeup on Saturday, Jake's not hungry, is everyone going mad?" Seth looked from Jake to Leah, shook his head, and tackled his breakfast.

"Hey, Leah, do you wanna go for a walk to the beach?" Jake asked. Seth, oblivious to the tension in the air, suggested "Give me five minutes to finish my breakfast and I'll go with you."

Sue jumped in. "Seth, I have some chores for you to do first. You can go to the beach later." As Jake and Leah went out the door, Seth whined "Mom, why do I have to do chores and Leah gets to go?" Sue laughed and mussed his hair. "You don't actually have any chores, honey. I was being diplomatic. I just had a feeling they'd like to be alone right now."

Seth simultaneously dropped his fork and raised his eyebrows. "Leah and Jake? Ewwww!"

They walked along in companionable silence, and Jake reached out and took Leah's hand. "Good party, huh?" he asked finally.

"Yeah, it turned out okay," she agreed with a smile. "But you still owe me." Leah stopped walking and leaned against a tree, still holding Jake's hand.

"Okay, I'll pay up," Jake nodded, turning to face her, "if we can agree on a price."

Leah pretended to be contemplating the cost. "How about two…no, three kisses?" she purred.

Jake smirked. "Make it four, and you've got a deal." He leaned down and gently kissed her, making her blood rush and her toes curl. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, not wanting the moment to end.

"Jake, what are we doing?" she murmured into his lips. "You're only 18, is this crazy?"

"What are you, 47, 48?" he asked with a smirk, knowing she was 22. "I don't count my age by human years, anyway. I've had to mature a lot since I phased." As Jake made the second installment payment on his debt, Leah sighed happily and decided it was only a number after all.

There was no such thing as a secret in the werewolf community. The next time the wolves gathered, Leah and Jake were bombarded with a cacophony of good-natured wolf whistles, wisecracks, and guffaws. Seth was mortified, and he refused to phase for a week until the frenzy died down. A good part of that time he spent with Paris, just walking, watching TV, or hanging out at the Cullens'.

Sue found herself with more alone time than she really ever wanted. She got some projects done around the house, but she was relieved when the newness of the relationships wore off a little and the kids started hanging out at home again. Jake had been a fixture at the Clearwater house since he was a baby, and Sue came to enjoy Paris' company as well. Even Leah eventually warmed up to the shy, quiet, but sweet and friendly teenager. For the moment, everything was copacetic at the Clearwater house.