Thanks to Mopstyle and Regina for helping me out of the corner I wrote myself into in this chapter. Also thanks to my ever present and timely beta, Sharebear.

"Okay, Chelsea. This has gone on long enough. They aren't working it out between them. You have to do something. Before one of them kills the other."

I listened to Marcus downstairs. Renata and Suplicia would be able to hear him too, wherever they were lurking in the house. I resented not being able to control myself. I was a woman, not a bitch, but that leech could summon the bitch as easily as Marcus could banish her. She was driving me insane. It had been four weeks since they arrived on my door step. My wedding would have been tomorrow if we hadn't postponed it, indefinitely. I was really glad I had now. It was almost guaranteed she'd make me destroy my dress. I'd kept that. It would fit in two years as well as now. It would fit in twenty years as well as now if I kept phasing, which it seemed I would.

Marcus was right to worry for us. I'd completely dismembered Lucia, as we were calling her in public, no less than four times. I'd even gone scrounging for a lighter in town when Marcus came and stopped me. She had bitten me once. Marcus had been able to draw the venom before it could poison me, but that could have easily been the end of me. She's also broken many more bones than Marcus. I'd missed a week of yoga while my leg knit itself back together.

I tried. I really did. I would attempt to start polite conversation when we went hunting with Renata. Sometimes she would take offence at my questions. Sometimes I took offence at her answers. Sometimes we'd just step on the others' toes. Sometimes we didn't bother to try, and those were the best fights. Those were the ones that ended in broken bones and dismemberment, but not before we each got a good five or ten minutes of bickering out of our systems.

Even though the bitch burned in me and I felt her rippling down my spine, I felt good fighting with Lucia. There was a sense of rightness to it. As though, I were ridding the world of the worst of all creatures. Of course, I wasn't. I didn't feel guilty for attacking Lucia or defending when she attacked me, but I knew that I shouldn't do it. I kept wanting her to attack a human so I'd have a reason to tear her apart instead of the excuses I kept giving myself. She never did though. As far as I could tell, she wasn't even as tempted as the others.

"I know, Marcus. I am trying."

"You already are? How long?"

"I've been trying to break it for the last week."

The last week. I hadn't actually dismembered her last week, and she'd only broken my arm. But we'd had twice as many spitting matches as the week before. I smiled remembering them. They really did make me feel good. There was something very cathartic about laying all my frustration, all my anger, all my hate on her. I wondered if it was the same for her. If it was, it wasn't surprising we were constantly egging the other on.

"What are we going to do?" Marcus moaned. "Split up? The out building isn't anywhere near finished, but maybe we can find a hunting shack somewhere."

I came down the stairs. "We aren't going to kill each other." I rolled my eyes. "The out building will be fine when it's finished. And I'm not leaving Renata and Suplicia here alone. I'm still guarding Churchill."

I met his golden eyes and made sure he understood me. I was not going to leave vampires, who had fed on humans for centuries, alone in a town only two years after taking on their new diet. There was no way.

He nodded sadly. "Well, what should we do then?" he asked with another sigh.

"I'll help with the building. Getting out from under the same roof will help."

"I will help, too." Suplicia came out of the office which I never used any more. I'd taken all of my files and books to the yoga room. The office reeked.

"You will? But you hate manual labour," Marcus argued.

"She is right. The sooner it is done the better."

Hold the phone. Did she just say I was right? My heart did a victory lap.

"So, foreman, lead the way." I pulled him out the door. The sun was up, but a spring squall was blowing in, so there was a bit of cloud cover. He set me to drywall, something I'd done on our house. He worked along side Lucia, pulling wiring through the walls opposite me.

He stepped out to pick up the electrical boxes which left just Suplicia and me in the room. Not wise.

"I don't understand how he can stand doing this. It's so... menial," she whined.

"I don't understand it, either. I wouldn't have figured him for a carpenter." He did a lot more than that, but working with wood was still his favourite past-time. My words were a little garbled by the nails in my mouth. I finished nailing up the piece I was working on and went to get the next. It wasn't heavy, just awkward. "Give me a hand with this?"

She clapped.

That irritated me more than anything. My lips folded back and I growled. I took the edge of the gypsum and swung it. She dodged and laughed at me. But now the piece was pointed at where I needed it for the wall.

"Thanks, Lucy." She hated when I called her that. She wasn't a huge fan of Lucia, but she accepted it. Lucy made her bat-shit crazy. I watched her fume as I pushed the piece into place.

Marcus returned then. I smiled at him. So did she. Then we scowled at each other. He looked honestly surprised. Probably that there weren't holes in any of the walls. I went back to nailing up drywall.

The sun had set when I yawned. "I think I'm done for the day."

Lucy muttered something I tried to ignore. For once I succeeded, maybe things were working out between us. Maybe Chelsea was finally breaking down this anti-bond. I could almost see it. Some black thing that, rather than pulled, pushed. Something that made snapping at her all the more satisfying.

"Come with me?" I asked Marcus.

He cocked an eyebrow. He wasn't actually questioning me, was he?

"Why don't you go? I'll be right behind you. I'll get Suplicia started on shingling.

I sighed and wandered off. Lucy was ginning at me. I snapped my teeth in her direction, making her jump.

"Leah," Marcus growled.

"Okay, I'll save the biting for you." I put a seductive smile on my lips and watched him melt again. God, it was nice to have that kind of power over him. I turned and left him with Lucy.

I passed Renata in the house. "How's it coming over there?" she asked. She had taken up a part-time job with one of the hotels, cleaning rooms of all things. She said she liked to acclimatize to the smell with no actual blood nearby. I didn't argue it. She worked alone, so she didn't need a sitter, and it kept her busy for a few hours a day. Now she was folding my sheets. What the hell?

"It's good. We have the dry wall and wiring done. The floors are next I think. Marcus is setting Lucia up on the roof to shingle now."

"Do you think it'll take two of us?" she asked, creasing the sheet in a perfect line.

"You don't have to do that," I told her, taking the sheet.

"I know. I like lines." She smiled.

I shook my head. "Then you should definitely help shingle. Lots and lots of lines." I smiled at her. She nodded and moved past me out the door.

Chelsea was in full lotus in the yoga room. "Can I talk to you?" I asked her.

"Of course, come in."

I folded myself into half-lotus beside her. I was still in jeans. "Is there any change between Lucia and me? We just jabbed one another without fists flying. That's good, right?"

Chelsea chuckled at me. "Yes, that's good." She straightened her legs out in front of her. "There isn't any change in that bond. It's still there; it's still dark. If anything, it's pushing less. Did you feel that before?" she asked me. "Could you feel it pushing the two of you apart?"

"Yep, but pulling too, which is why I kept lunging at her."

Chelsea nodded. "It isn't doing that anymore. Just sitting." She bended full over her legs and then sat back up, leaning onto her palms behind her. "What are we doing tomorrow?" she asked.

"I thought another game of Ptarmigan tag would suit."

She laughed. "Ptarmigan tag it is! God those little birds are funny to watch."

It was true. They had an odd way of walking, being relatives of turkeys and chickens. They weren't that fast though, so most of the tagging was us trying to stop each other from getting the bird first. We hadn't played with Suplicia and Renata yet. I wondered what that would be like.

"Thanks, Chelsea. I'm heading for bed."

"Good night, Leah."

I stripped down and did a sun salutation of my own before Marcus found me. He came behind me and put his hands over mine in prayer. He tipped his head down to put his mouth to my ear. "You look good enough to eat."

I turned in fake horror, my hands going to my throat. He dove between my legs though. "That's not what I thirst for," he murmured against my skin.

My legs didn't hold me long. He'd gotten far too good at pinching and pulling the sensitive skin of my groin. I was burning even as my lower lips began to numb with the chill of his mouth. His tongue ran one long line over the length of me and I shivered, collapsing on him. He caught me easily in his hands and carried me to the bed.

"Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me," he murmured.

I laughed at him. "Happy names day." It wasn't until tomorrow, but still. "I'm sorry I didn't wrap it," I teased running a hand down my chest, my abdomen, to my crotch.

He growled and popped the buttons to pull off his shirt. I clicked my tongue. I hated mending. He was a little more careful with his pants. At least he didn't strip the zipper, those were a bitch to fix. He decided to work his way up his present, giving me another chilly kiss between my legs before slowly making his way to my navel. I squealed when stuck his tongue in and I tugged on his hair. I squirmed in anticipation as his mouth came to my breasts. I could feel him, hard, so close to my entrance. I shifted and he slapped the outside of my thigh. I gasped and stopped moving.

I moaned as he moved the hand to my nipple, pinching it and pulling very slightly. Then he pinched harder and I clutched at his hair again, crushing him to my right breast which he continued to devour. I felt his teeth grazing so carefully on my skin. It made me shiver in a way completely different from his cold touch. It was fear. Fear and trust. I knew he wouldn't bite me; I knew he wouldn't break the skin. I knew my nerves raged when I felt that razor touch. I cried for him then and bucked my hips to his abs. He moved between my legs, rubbing me. I groaned and screamed as he pinched me again, one nipple with fingers, one with lips. I arched my whole back, pressing my breasts into him as well as my hips.

"Happy birthday to Marcus." He was still singing. What a dork. My eyes rolled even as my brain fought to hold onto the funny thought. I tried to laugh, but it was stuttered and shaky.

"You sound divine." His lips moved to my throat now, and I turned my head from him, exposing it. He ran his teeth here, too, and I shuddered even more convulsively. So dangerous, so hot. I grabbed his ass and pressed myself to him. His shaft rubbed the inside of my thigh. He was so close. He just needed to come up that half inch. Or I could slide down...

I tried and was halted with a hand circling my thigh, holding me in place. I whined in frustration and ground against him. He continued to lick and suck my neck. I continued to thrash as much as he allowed. Tonight was for him to play. I'd have my fun at his expense another night. He was enjoying himself.

"Happy birthday to me." He thrust into me on the last syllable and I almost lost it on him right then. I clung to him, quivering.

"Yes, Leah. You can come for me. And then again," he kissed me, "and again," his lips didn't leave mine, "and again."

I moaned and knew how true it was. So I obeyed. I let my insides clench and release in volatile thrusts. I let my eyes roll and my hands scrabble on his back. He simply held me and waited. When my quivering stopped he started moving. He was so good at this. He claimed it had been a long time between Didyme and me, but he remembered everything, and he'd definitely picked up some new tricks along the way. I was putty in his hands, and he moulded me in all the best ways. I built slowly with each of his careful deep thrusts, my breath following his movement. My hips rose and fell to meet his and he pulled up one of my knees, striking deeper, harder. I felt myself bruising and only wanted more. He gave. I found myself jerking on him a second time as he held my leg tightly, not giving me an inch of mobility. All of my movements were internal and all of them felt divine. He twitched inside me and sent me spiralling in even higher pleasure.

He let me rest a little after that one, curling beside me and letting his chill body cool my overheated, oversensitive skin. "You always know just what to get me," he teased.

I laughed. "I did get you a real present."

His hand stopped its gentle circles on my belly and then resumed. "You didn't need to do that."

I rolled my eyes. "Obviously, I didn't need to. I wanted to, so I did." I shrugged. "It's not big or expensive or anything. I mean, we buy things together all the time."

"Now I'm curious," he murmured pulling my earlobe with his teeth. I turned and rolled on top of him.

"Well, if you want to know before tomorrow, you can always torture Chelsea until she tells you." I sat back letting myself sink over him. We both groaned at the exquisite feeling of being connected. "I'm not going to tell you a thing." I sat back and leaned on my wrists, not moving, just squeezing him with my kegals.

"You are a demon woman," he told me, starting to sit up. I put a foot on his chest, intending to push him down. He took the hint and didn't rise. I ran a hand down myself while he watched. My insides squeezed again, this time not entirely voluntarily. I found my clit and gave it a quick pass. His eyes bulged as mine narrowed, everything turning a shade of pink for a moment. I took a deep breath and did it again.

He growled and sat up, holding my legs to him. I fell back, my head on the bed between where his legs had been. He was on his knees now, still holding me by the hips. I gripped the sheets in my fingers as he started fucking me with abandon. My lower back was going to give me grief for a few hours, but it was worth it. He dropped one my hips and moved his hand to my breast, pinching and rolling the nipple. I screamed for him. He thrust harder, bringing his hand lower and brushing my clit himself. I screamed again. "Leah," he whispered, and I lost it.

He let me sleep after that. I woke to find him dressed and watching me.

"Happy birthday," I said sleepily.

He kissed my cheek. "Thank you. Good morning."

I yawned and stretched. Then I grabbed the mug on the nightstand. I had it good. I sipped the still steaming coffee. I must have made waking up motions for him to have it brewed and up here already. "How was your night?"

"Lovely. The ladies have the new place shingled and plumbed. We'll be able to move in sooner than we hoped."

I sighed with relief. Three vampires that weren't Marcus really made this place stink. He watched me as I dressed. I made sure to choose light fabrics. Although it was still cold enough for most humans to want layers, I wanted speed today, and it was warm enough that I didn't really need anything on. I always got a little self-conscious when he watched me dress. Never when I was undressing, which was, of course, more common. I didn't quite understand it. Still, he just licked his lips. I shook my head and pulled on my socks.

"Ptarmigan tag?" I asked him.

"Yes, Chelsea said something about that last night. The ladies all know the rules."

"All right. Is it cloudy enough?" I peeked outside. There were clouds around, but at the moment the sun was bright and clear, so clear in fact that I could see sundogs. We'd have to sneak out or wait for the clouds to cover. I padded down the stairs, maybe the clouds would move while I got myself some breakfast.

Lucy was in the kitchen. I narrowed my eyes. This was not a room I liked the other vampires in. They had no need of anything in here, and their smell made everything unappetizing. "What are you looking for?" I asked as she poked in my cupboards.

"Salt," she said.

I ripped open a door and thrust the box at her. "Out."

"What if I don't want to leave?"

"What if I don't want you to stay?"

We growled at one another for a second before she slipped past me and out the back door. I had no idea what she wanted salt for and didn't care as long as she stayed out of my kitchen. I fried up eggs and made toast, humming to myself. I caught Lucy's stench just before the box thumped on the counter spilling all over my frying pan. The smell of salt burning on the element scorched my nose.

I took the spatula in my hand and threw it at Lucy. It actually wrapped it's aluminum handle around her neck. I started laughing. It looked like some really odd piece of jewelry. She caught her reflection in the shiny metal surface of the fridge and chuckled too. Then she stopped abruptly, pulled the utensil off and threw it into my pan.

I growled as I turned, but she had left the room. I made do with only toast. I didn't even finish as the clouds rolled in halfway through the second piece. I pulled on shoes and ran after the group in the temporary shade.

We made it out of sight of Churchill before the clouds broke again, blinding me slightly as my friends threw off reflections. Luckily, that just flushed us out a nice plump male bird, his head bobbing and he skittered across the ice.

"Game on!" I cried running after him. Marcus collided with me, sending me skittering across the ice.

Chelsea made a bee-line but was quickly tackled by Renata who jumped on her back. Suplicia circled, appearing to stalk the bird, but Marcus kicked out her legs and turned back to the waddling chicken.

This game was so ridiculous. We must look like such freaks to anyone who saw us, and that was disregarding the freaky reflective skin and super speed - at normal speed it would look funny.

Renata was nearing the ptarmigan's tail. I tried to catch her, but her shield threw me off. Marcus tried to tackle her and was thrown off as well. She scooped up the bird and cradled it in her arms.

"Cheat!" I hollered.

"What?" she asked, turning to us.

"We can't stop you but you can tackle us. That's hardly fair," Chelsea pointed out.

"Oh!" She giggled. "I'm sorry. Here." She threw the bird away from her and he flapped his wings to slow his descent. We let it wander away. "Now, my shield won't stop you while we play."

I furrowed my brow and looked to Marcus.

"She can retract it," he told me. "It's normally in place, but she can remove it if she wishes."

I nodded and crouched, waiting for someone to give the signal.

Renata did, which made sense after she halted the game. "Game on!"

I ran to the east. The ptarmigan had gone far enough we would have to find him again. My nose wasn't quite precise enough to pinpoint him, but I knew he'd gone this way. I ran out, not hearing the others behind me. They must have gone straight, tracking. I tread over the frozen lake and heard a crack just before I was dunked in freezing water.

I kicked quickly to where I'd fallen in. Or I thought I had, but there was no opening. I continued kicking moving my hands over the ice. Come on, hot hands, I thought, melt me a way out of this. I wasn't having any luck and I was running out of air.

I let myself sink and kicked hard, hoping to punch my way through, but instead strained my neck. I was just considering phasing, I had no idea what that would do to the little breath I held, when a fist broke through the ice over me and grabbed my hair. I reached up and wrapped both hands around the ice cold wrist that pulled me out. I gasped for air as soon as she hauled my head free of the water. My skin was scraped open on the sharp edges of the ice, but healed as soon as I was on the surface again.

I looked into the golden eyes of my savior. Suplicia. "What? Why? How?" I stammered, still trying to get breath.

"I followed you. I thought you must have had some reason for going this way. I couldn't let you die," she said, standing up and walking back the way she had come, on the thickest ice. I stumbled after her. "Marcus finally has something to exist for. I wouldn't let that be taken from him."

I coughed, still fighting the water that had made it up my nose. "But-"

"And it seems you give me something to exist for too. Even if it is only making your life miserable." She smiled so broadly, so ferociously, I flinched at first.

Then I thought better of it. She was still looking scary, but I laughed loudly. I laughed until I coughed again. "Well, compared to losing Aro, I suppose I can't make your life much worse can I?"

She chuckled. "No, certainly not."

We weren't friends, we weren't even acquaintances, we were people who tolerated one another for the sake of our mutual friends. Yet we could tolerate one another. Knowing that she enjoyed my taunts didn't really make me angry, which it should. When had Marcus turned me into a sap? I stomped along until Suplicia grabbed my elbow to stop me. "Do not break the ice. I might not be so dense as to save you twice," she warned.

I chuckled. "Right."

When we got home, I changed into dry clothes and brought out my gift to Marcus while he sat with the ladies. I hip checked Lucia right off the couch. She growled and I suppressed a chuckle. "Marcus. This isn't something women normally give men. But I'm obviously not a normal woman."

I smiled broadly and heard Lucia mutter, "Obviously not. Hell-bitch."

"This is a symbol of love in my tribe." I pulled out the braided throng and tied it to his wrist. I'd had to talk to Seth to make sure I got it right. "This is the earth." I traced the deep green thread of the weave. "This is blood." I slipped my finger tip to the maroon strings. "This is breath." The light blue threads wove with the others. "These together make life. I give you mine. As long as you wear this, I am yours." I met his eyes.

"Then I will never take it off." He kissed me and I heard Suplicia make a gagging noise. I threw one of the cushions at her without breaking the kiss.

"Happy birthday," I told him.

Yes, that's the same bracelet Jacob gives baby Renesmee. Awww.