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Chapter 208

Party Time ... Yes, Again


Leah


I dreamed of the 'Jezebel'. It was a bit curious, because Jezebel did a first-class tap dance on the tables. At some point I was looking for my cell phone. It had danced flat and fallen off the table. Like everything else. Glasses were not broken, but also flat. I scrambled under the table to pick it up, looked up and had two dark eyes right in front of me. Marcus and I were sitting together under the table, and we couldn't get up either. We had other things to do.

Nice dream, but I noticed how it was slipping away. How I became more and more awake.

What a pity ...

However, the actual events penetrated more and more into my consciousness, while I felt a tender caressing touch over my spine. Then gentle lips in my neck.

It felt so real that I opened my eyes.

A hand. A caramel-colored hand. It rested on the bedspread. And the bracelet with the wolf was attached to it. Was I still asleep? Was I still dreaming? Had my dream only changed?

Indecisively, my fingers went to the hand. I braced myself for the hand to then fizzle out.

But it remained. I felt the warmth of the skin, the slight trembling of the wrist due to the unrelaxed posture, the pulsation of the heart in the veins. Marcus was actually here.

"Then I wasn't dreaming? You're back?" I murmured cautiously. The fact that he was here didn't automatically mean that he was back.

"If you still want me," he said tentatively.

If I still want him, I thought matter-of-factly as I turned around. The question was so wrong. It was not in question at all! How could I not want this handsome adorable boy!

To vividly illustrate my opinion on this, I practically rushed into his arms. The bedspread was still hanging around me, he was also partially sitting on it, my legs were somehow in the way. So we tumbled off the bed and he banged his head against the nightstand, which rumbled against the wall. The picture of Nanuk also toppled with quite a clear bang onto the wooden surface.

But I didn't care about anything and apparently Marcus didn't either. We sat on the floor, laughed at each other, kissed each other, hugged each other. I didn't know where to put my joy.

But the joyful rush was abruptly interrupted when my room door flew open.

Jake and Becky stood there very scantily clad and with their jaws dropped, staring at us in disbelief. Jake looked completely horrified. A little out of breath, too.

He must have literally rushed over here.

We got up from the floor, but we continued to hug.

I was not sure if I would ever let go of Marcus again. I had planned nothing of the sort.

As so often in life, however, things turned out differently.

All of a sudden Marcus and I were knocked over. We fell back on my bed together with Jake.

I have rarely seen my brother laugh so enthusiastically. And Becky then jumped into bed as well. The two of them took turns cuddling us several times until Jake looked at me in the midst of the frenzy of joy.

"Why?" he merely asked.

"Because I love him. I have all along. However, I only realized that yesterday," I replied.

"And Nanuk?" he dug deeper in a whisper.

I shrugged my shoulders.

Only now did I notice that his picture had tipped over.

Wrapped in my comforter, I got up and went to the nightstand. I picked up Nanuk's picture and looked at it for a moment.

Nanuk smiled charmingly. As always.

The merriment behind me died down and I felt the stares of all three of them on the back of my neck.

"It would be easy to say there is nothing left. But it's not that simple," I said, putting the frame back in its place. At the moment, I didn't know how to explain this so that I would be understood.

"I would say that it doesn't matter at all. You're together again, no matter what's happened before," Becky said after a moment of oppressive silence.

Was that it? I wasn't sure and looked indecisively at Marcus. Could he live with the fact that I could not simply forget Nanuk? As if he had never been there? Never played a role in my life?

With a loving look, he held out a hand to me. He smiled gently. I took it and he pulled me in front of him.

"It may be not all that matters, but Nanuk has nothing to do with the feelings between us," Marcus said, looking tenderly into my eyes.

I nodded and kissed his soft lips.

I could confirm that without a doubt. The fact that I loved Marcus more than anything had absolutely nothing to do with Nanuk.

"And why are you wearing my sweatpants?" then Jake stated.

"Edward gave me these. I guess my suit from yesterday is still wet. Leah and I spent some time yesterday in the rain discussing us," Marcus explained on this.

"Discussed? With Leah? ... That must have been quite comfortable," Jake reflected with a laugh.

"She growled at me!" Marcus complained playfully.

"And? It seems to have worked after all!" chuckled Becky.

"Since you just mentioned Dad. Where's our coffee?" I then remembered.

As if he had just been waiting for it, Dad knocked on the door just then.

"Breakfast is ready," he smiled.

Jake and Becky then jumped up and ran back to his room.

I had to put some clothes on in general first, but just quickly pulled some baggy clothes out of the closet.

When I turned around again, Marcus was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at the picture frame with Nanuk. He seemed thoughtful, but responded to me immediately when I tried to sit on one of his legs. He made room for me, and his arms wrapped around me.

"Part of your heart will always beat for him, won't it?" he asked, but it didn't sound accusatory.

"I think so. It's hard to put into words what goes on inside me when I think of Nanuk," I nevertheless replied apologetically.

"I can even really imagine that, but you don't have to talk to me about it, Leah."

"Maybe we should talk about that, though. About all the last weeks," I reflected, however.

"There are certainly things between us that have not been said so far. Be it so that this curious situation doesn't escalate, because we didn't want to hurt each other more or didn't want to show how much something hurt us. But if it's too close to you, which I can understand, we don't need to talk about it anymore ... I love you, Leah. No matter what's happened the last few weeks. And I respect your connection to him. Understand that you can't cut him out of your life, and don't ask you to."

"And I love you, Marcus," I said, kissing him. "But I think we should talk about everything. Better now than someday. We're back together and I'm not going to let you leave. We should not build on this, that we both still want to get rid of words or impressions from the past, but in the end do not say it. Let's rather get it over with right away," I said, however.

"Then we'll talk," Marcus nodded affirmatively, at which point I growled.

Well, my stomach did.

"After breakfast," Marcus added, chuckling. "So the Spirit Warrioress doesn't starve!"

He pulled me against his lap and stood up with me.

I had completely forgotten that pretty much every fiber of my friend was well-trained, so that such small exercises hardly required any effort from him.

Therefore, I wrapped my legs around his hips and so we went down.


Ced made us a funny little scene when we got to the bottom floor like that.

He had been told so many times that Marcus and I were just friends now, that it was apparently too much for him now.

"There! Marcus and Leah!" he said indignantly.

"Marcus belongs to us again," Dad said, looking at me.

I nodded.

"Just like before," he added.

"My big brother?" asked Ced, pointing backward at us.

Marcus lifted me off his haunches and squatted down to my baby brother.

"Are you okay with that?", Marcus asked him.

The answer was clear, and he also extended a hand to me so that he could hug me laughing joyfully.

Ced was very excited about this. He had never really understood all this back and forth anyway and was glad that it was over now.

But he also gave us his gift.

What I witnessed from Marcus had become much stronger. I felt how much he had to struggle with it himself when he had left me. His longing, which almost hurt him. His admiration because I had handled Nanuk's death so well. His reminders to himself that he must not desire me again. I was forever forgiven by the imprinting, and he had to let me go. But he had not been able to fight this feeling. Every time we had seen each other, respectively when he had left, he only realized anew how much he loved and missed me. To have me back now - according to some unknown explanations of my parents from this morning even without having to have a somehow bad conscience - brought his feelings to a level that I didn't know. So deep and pure. But what emanated from my side was also more intense. These many ups and downs of the past weeks had tugged at me and changed me. There was nothing I would take for granted anymore. Especially not that this man, who looked deep into my eyes, was mine again. I could hardly comprehend my joy at this, this happiness at having him back. But I knew that our love would now outlast everything. It was strong, it was honest, and it was unshakeable.

And then Marcus keeled over.

Oops ...

I hadn't been able to react because I was struggling with my own steadiness. Dad still had an arm around my waist supporting me as he took Ced from Marcus' arm in a flash. But I was standing and would remain standing.

Marcus was already sitting upright again, shaking his head, and looking at me slightly confused.

I squatted down to him.

"Sorry," I said apologetically. I had already sensed in the approach that Ced's gift was different this time than I had experienced before. No comparison to before, but it was also different than with Nanuk. It was impossible to describe.

"Never apologize for something like that!" he murmured to me, pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

But after Emma's instruction we had breakfast.


It was Saturday, so actually for the men of the house tinkering in the workshop would have been on the program. However, we postponed that until tomorrow.

Mom needed to be seen at Zoey's and Dad wanted to see what else needed to be prepared for tonight.

We wanted to help - it was our party after all - but we weren't allowed. Dad threatened to take our cell phones away if we even got too close to the room. Nevertheless, we ran over with him.

Ced wanted to go swimming - with his new toy that Mom and Dad had brought him from Chicago. And that's exactly what Dad had to forget and turn around again. In the rain.

When we reached Carlisle's house, Jake and I shook the rain out of our coats. While Marcus and Becky had stayed mostly dry through their rain jackets so far, they were now pretty wet as well.

I got something to drink from the kitchen and went up to the attic with Marcus. He already went ahead when I made a stop in a bathroom.

When I reached the attic, music was playing softly and Marcus was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows with his arms folded in front of his chest, looking out into the rain.

"What are you thinking about?", I asked.

"The last time we needed to talk and were up here, it was raining too," he smiled at me.

"Maybe it will end up like back then," I reflected with a grin. Back then we had slept together for the first time. It had been very nice. My second time ever, but I guarded it in my memories as if it had been the first time. At the thought of sex with Ben, which had actually not been bad, I was now only angry.

"Maybe," he smirked as well.

We sat down and talked.

What Marcus had said earlier was true. I had always adhered to Dad's advice that I should be very honest with both Nanuk and Marcus. Still, I hadn't been completely honest either. I had always told Marcus everything, but had held back my feelings about it so as not to unsettle Marcus. Especially since I had not known what I should have done with my feelings at that time myself. I hadn't wanted it that way and had resisted it.

But now we were really honest with each other. I revealed all my impressions and feelings of the last weeks ... as well as Marcus. Therefore, the time in the attic was quite emotional.

The imprinting itself and the first approach with Nanuk afterwards. Our reunion a day later. Our first real meeting at the lake. The visit to the Native American village, mainly the cake eating part and the ride on Sitara. What it had done to me when Marcus had broken up with me ... All the way to Nanuk's death and how that had split the world for me. How Marcus had brought me out of that broken world, and I felt better after each of our reunions.

Hours passed during which we cried and laughed. We lay on the floor and stood in front of the window. Hugged each other tightly and bitched at each other.

Meanwhile, we sat on the floor leaning against the sofa.

"What I feel for you now is basically the same as before or during my time with Nanuk. It's just gotten stronger. Maybe because I imprinted and thus have the certainty that it can't happen to us again," I explained when it was already afternoon. "But I also feel something for Nanuk that is very similar to that. It sounds strange, I know, but I can't describe it any better than that."

"You know, I woke up feeling that I did everything wrong. That I destroyed everything that had been built up between us after Nanuk ... I wanted to be honest, and I tried to explain to you why I wanted to leave. Being honest meant admitting I still loved you, but also addressing Nanuk to make it clear I wasn't getting my hopes up. Jake showed me how engaging imprinting is, in this respect I was really convinced about what I said yesterday. That you could never escape that power ... You were going to say you loved me too, but I just took it for a desperate cry for physical closeness. A call for love even when there was no hope of it. Triggered by my words, talking about Nanuk. Then I would have taken advantage of your situation, solely to satisfy my own desire. The wrongest thing I could have done. It would have been pretty shitty of me. Selfish and despicable ... Your parents told me a few things about it this morning, though. Edward has been following our discussion in front of the 'Jezebel' and so he knew that we would very likely end up in bed if nothing stopped us."

"But if Dad had listened to us, he wouldn't have let us drive in the first place if he had been of that opinion, too," I interjected.

Marcus looked droll.

"True ... I didn't think that far ahead yesterday or this morning," he admitted. "In any case, we seem to have become the ubiquitous topic of conversation after Becky's parents left and everyone else was able to talk openly. They all agreed on a theory. In short, we should consider the human and the wolf separately. You as a human love me ... Edward even called it soulmates, because our love is said to have been very intense from the beginning," he continued to explain, smiling meaningfully.

"Soulmates," I mused a little. Our hands, placed on the sofa, intertwined. "I never thought about that term ... But it somehow sounds completely logical to me now. After the vampire attack on you, where you didn't check in for a few days, I was really messed up. It took more out of me than the thing with Ben, with whom I had been together for almost half a year. But we had only known each other for two weeks. Also, I couldn't imagine my life without you pretty quickly."

"Yeah, it all happened pretty quickly. Our first sex up here was quite ... unexpected. And after that, I was with you most of the time. Almost every night. Maggie once called me on it because I was with you more than I was with her, as was the plan," he recalled with a grin.

"On Thanksgiving, the thought also occurred to me. But it all felt so right with you."

Marcus nodded in affirmation and breathed a kiss on the back of my hand.

"This theory is also an explanation for the others that you so vehemently resisted your imprinting. Sam Uley didn't do that, but submitted to his imprinting."

"Each has submitted to his imprinting. Paul, Sam, Quil, Jared. Jake and Akai, too," I said.

"Each. Except you ... Because you already had your counterpart," he leaned over to me a little.

"You," I approached him.

"Mmm ... mmm ... And you would have gone to college with me. Even at the risk of being far away from Jake," he murmured.

"Mmm ... mmm ...", I did likewise and kissed him.

Until there was a knock at the door.

"We brought you something," Dad warbled cheerfully, setting the tray down on the sofa behind us.

"Oh ... yummy! Cookies!" I said enthusiastically and immediately grabbed them.

"Watch out! They are ...", Dad wanted to warn.

"HOT!", I yelled out and threw the cookie back. The warning had definitely come too late.

All three of them laughed at me. Especially Ced, who was lying on his back, rolling with laughter. So I helped with the laughter a bit more and tickled my baby brother. But they left us alone again.

Marcus changed the music, I poured the cocoa into the cups and added marshmallows. But during the cookie nibbling I remembered something else.

"Nanuk also resisted the imprinting, didn't he? Does this theory also say something about it?", I asked.

So Marcus explained the rest of the theory to me.

That Nanuk had joined my fight perhaps only because of me and also that the imprinting one the perfect counterpart perhaps only pretended. That this whole imprinting story possibly only aimed at strengthening the wolves and in my case also to unite different packs. If I looked at the previous imprints so, that would make sense.

"If I really am your soulmate - and you, of course, my soulmate as a result - that also explains why you were able to handle Nanuk's death so well after you woke up again," Marcus reflected.

"Sure. Because you were there. The purpose in life of the human inside me," I confirmed.

He kissed me for this answer.

"But the wolf in you is very strong and she will always miss and mourn Nanuk," he then said.

"This is exactly what expresses my feeling, which I could not put into words this morning. I love you and I'm not giving you away anymore. But a part of me longs for Nanuk and mourns him. Possibly forever," I replied.

He nodded and took my face in his hands.

"I will never ask you to put Nanuk's picture away. Never blame you for thinking about him. I will hold you in my arms, hold you and comfort you when you cry for him," he promised, a tear actually rolling down my cheek.

Because of Nanuk. He hadn't said it like that at the time, but had acted on it directly when I had sadly told him that Marcus had broken up with me.

And Marcus stuck to his word, gently pulling me into his arms and holding me.

But I needed only a moment to detach myself from this memory and then went to the nearest bathroom first. To the toilet, but also splash a little water on my face.

And the girl in the mirror smiled happily.

Marcus had also been in the bathroom, but had already returned to the attic before me. He stood there with his arms folded in front of his chest and a serious look on his face.

"Then there would be only one point to settle between us!" he said very calmly.

"And what?", I asked anxiously.

"You growled at me yesterday!" he said, very offended.

"And? It worked after all!", I took Becky's words from this morning.

"That was pure calculation!" he complained.

Oh yes. It was. I knew how much it turned him on when I growled at him. "Can you prove it?", however, I asked appeasingly.

"Maybe," he reasoned, taking a threatening step toward me.

I took one step back. We repeated this for about three steps until it degenerated into a chase across the entire attic. He just couldn't get me.

But it was also unfair to want to win something like that against a wolf. Or against a vampire. But actually I wanted to let him get me.

So then we lay together in the many blankets on the floor and rolled back and forth smooching, when he then got me after all.

How could this have happened?

I growled at him.

His eyes then sparkled greedily every time. Just what I needed right now.

I quickly had him out of Jake's sweat jacket when my cell phone rang.

Who had actually invented this nonsense? Always rang when you could not need it!

Offended, I scrambled to the small table where it lay.

Dad sent a text message. I should not forget Renée.

"Then I will take advantage of the moment and drive home," Marcus commented.

"What?!", I screeched far too exaggeratedly. But ... What did he want there?

He smiled.

Probably about my tone of voice.

"I'll be back later, Leah. Don't panic."

"Then you might as well stay right here!", I snapped. To his home and back meant about an hour that he would be gone. And that was just the pure driving time!

He stood up and pointed down at himself in an evidential manner.

"I would hate to show up at my girlfriend's birthday party like this."

"Huh ...?"

"These are Jake's clothes! I didn't take a shower! I haven't even brushed my teeth!" he made clear.

"Then you should bring everything back with you," I grumbled playfully. Yes, I realized that, but then I also wanted to take precautions that something like that would not happen again.

Smiling, he squatted in front of me, put a hand to my cheek and looked at me.

"So we'll pick up right where we left off?" he asked, velvety smooth.

"Anything wrong with that?"

"Oh, yes ..." he looked at me seriously.

I probably peeked rather confused, but also intimidated.

"But my objection would rather go in the other direction. We are apparently soulmates," he teased me.

"And what would you want to change?"

"I don't know yet. I'll think about it. I have time on the way to Saco," he murmured and pressed his lips to mine promisingly.

I took the now empty tray down with me.

At the dresser, he took Jake's jacket and his key. He bristled when he picked it up.

The remote control for the gate and the two front door keys were hanging on it again. As if he had never been away.

Dad leaned casually in the doorway to the living room and he and Marcus gave each other a very amicable sentimental look.

I wasn't the only one excited about our relationship status. Carlisle was kind enough to drive Marcus to our house. Since we had come here on paws, the Audi was there in the driveway.


I didn't chat with Renée for that long.

I thanked her for participating in last night's birthday gift and said what a shame it was that she wasn't there. I also told her that I was back together with Marcus - after she had asked. She knew we were separated, even if she didn't know all the background to it.

Jake talked to her much longer. He had to give a detailed account of his marriage proposal.

While Jake paced around the house phoning, I sat with my grandparents.

"How does Renée actually know so much of what's going on around here right now?", I inquired, standing in the living room.

"From me. I spoke to her on the phone," Charlie commented.

After a few minutes it came out that - after everything had been discussed with Renée - he had preferably talked to Phil about baseball. He had asked for inside information about the new season. But one also dug up the topic that they had all talked about me and Marcus yesterday.

It had been Mom's idea that maybe the human and the wolve should be considered separately. Because she had never been able to make out a real difference between Jake and Becky and Marcus and me, even though the supernatural power was at work in my brother, and I was supposed to be a normal teenage couple with Marcus. But we had never been, as Jasper had known for a very long time.

The topic ended when Akai, Phoebe and Tom arrived.


We ran far out into the woods in case any guests wanted to come much too early.

Em and Jazz had a lot of fun with us. They annoyed us more than anything to do with training. Fortunately it had stopped raining in the meantime.

However, we slipped constantly. The rain had made the branches and trunks lying around, some of which were covered with moss, slippery. That led to my little bro stumbling over Mom's genes again. Fortunately, though, he quickly recovered. According to Carlisle, it was just a pinpoint hit with Akai's fangs. Otherwise, Jake would hardly have noticed.

After this unpleasant incident and some sandwiches brought by Carlisle, we went to take a shower.

Jake made his room available for Akai and Tom here at the house and we walked over to our house with Becky.

Sure, I could have showered in my room at Carlisle's house, but I wanted to put as much distance between Tom and me as I could while standing naked under the stream of water. I would have preferred to run to our house in Saco, but then I thought that was overkill.

So I quickly took a shower and then stood in my closet, undecided. After about ten minutes, I called Alice and asked for help.

Since it was just a party among our friends, we had told her not to buy or sew any clothes for us. Normal casual clothes would be more than enough. Right now I was regretting this decision.

But Alice picked out something suitable from my closet.

A black skintight jumpsuit, over it a flannel shirt in white and pink plaid and my pink sneakers. Chic, but not dressed up. She also tousled my hair with three moves of her hands. A perfect mess. I wouldn't have been able to pull it off that well.

Becky and Jake came out of his room similarly casual, and we walked back over to the big house.


Marcus was already there again. He was chatting with Phoebe and Akai when we came through the door.

I jumped right into his arms.

I had not seen him for over two hours.

He had already told the two of them that and how we were together again. They were especially pleased that I had left mourning for Nanuk behind me.

"Well ... Part of me will always cry for him," I said, however.

"And that's perfectly fine, too. You just can't let it keep you from your real life," Akai reminded.

"I won't," I snuggled up to Marcus.

The doorbell rang.

Actually, it was still a bit early for our guests. Just half past six. We had indicated a start time of half past seven and expected that everyone would be there by eight o'clock.

I was sent to the door with Jake.

"Hi ...", I said, confused.

David, Sonya, and all their children.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Jake more specifically.

"They hired me to cook tonight," David replied.

We twins collectively did not have a clue and just looked at each other in confusion.

"And we want some of it, too!" interjected Luces.

"Besides, you haven't gotten our birthday present yet," Sonya stated.

We let them come in.

But we didn't understand the cook yet. David could cook, yes, but that was not so exciting and extraordinary ... Except at the grill. Jake probably had the same idea.

We grinned in anticipation.

After general greetings, Emma handed us an envelope.

What came to light were cinema tickets ... Um... That was really nice, I always liked going to the movies, but somehow that wasn't David's style. But we were used to completely different gifts from him.

"They are disappointed," Dad announced our mood.

"I thought so," David chuckled.

"Take a closer look at the cards," Sonya advised.

Cinema voucher.

Any performance with popcorn and soft drink.

At the 'Vista Theatre'.

Mmm ... I didn't know it at all, so I looked for the address. I found it quite small in a lower corner.

4473 Sunset Drive ...

"... Los Angeles?!", I read the rest aloud in disbelief.

"I have to go to Los Angeles on business before Easter ... And you're coming with me," David then clarified.

Jake was apparently still sorting out the info, while I fell around David's neck. I hugged him and Sonya in turn.

Wait a minute. How many cards had been in the envelope? We had only pulled out one each, but it hadn't been empty.

Then, while Jake realized we were flying to California, I took the envelope from him.

There were four cards.

"Becky and Marcus are coming, of course," David confirmed.

Los Angeles! How cool was that?! And then even the four of us together!

I hugged them both again, with Becky and Marcus now joining in.

Actually, Jake and Becky had wanted to fly to Forks for Easter. Becky's parents had given them the flights for Christmas. That could certainly be combined with each other, so that they would not have to fly over the whole country umpteen times.

At some point I also ended up in Marcus' arms.

We began directly to imagine it.

China Town. Beverly Hills. The Santa Monica Pier. Universal Studios. Disneyland. The boys wanted to see an 'LA Lakers' game, Becky and I wanted to see Rodeo Drive. The beach with lots of sun. Surfing in the Pacific Ocean. Wonderful. Just a pity that it was still a few weeks until Easter.

"I've got something for you, too," Marcus said after the euphoria subsided.

"But I already got something from you," I said.

"The chocolate was appropriate for a friend. Not for MY girlfriend!", he explained, kissed me briefly on the lips and went back into the hallway.

I had already taken very benevolent note of his bag, which was there on the wardrobe.

With a small box he came back.

I found these very pretty. Black with pink patterns.

"Thank you," I said and kissed him.

"You don't even know what's in it yet," he teased me.

"I like it already, though," I said.

I opened the bow, lifted the lid away and saw two rings arranged on a small pillow.

"Our rings," I murmured. The rings he had given us at Christmas.

Surprised, I looked up.

"I hope you'll forgive me for going into your room without you and rummaging through your new jewelry box," he murmured carefully.

"You do belong to me again," I smiled.

I took the rings down from the pillow and set the box aside.

It was a strange feeling when we put our rings back on each other. I hadn't worn it for five weeks. Half an eternity. But it immediately felt like it had never been gone. Like he was where he belonged. Like Marcus was where he belonged. In my arms.

"There's something in there, though," Marcus smiled gently.

I took the box and lifted the small pillow away.

I could only stare at this noble little package without moving. Under the pillow was a small jewelry case. The same one Jake had had. I actually didn't dare to look inside. Somehow I was afraid of it.

Gently, Marcus slid his fingers to the small casket and opened the lid of it.

A beautiful simple ring.

Marcus's hands tightened on mine, which continued to hold the box tightly.

Marcus knelt down, which I followed standing a little beside me and I held my breath.

"I love you, Leah ... The last few weeks have not necessarily been easy for both of us. Many things have happened, but our love has survived it all ... I don't want to lose you again. That's why I'm asking you to be my wife!", he said velvety softly in his deep voice.

I breathed again as tears ran down my cheeks.

I felt a little woozy from holding my breath, but it faded away immediately. Somewhere in my mind I knew we were standing in the middle of my family, but I didn't have time to think about that right now. I was busy formulating my response to it. Or rather, getting it articulated, because I knew what I wanted to say.

"Yes, damn it!", I whimpered more than I said it.

I hugged Marcus.

Despite the box in my hands, despite the fact that he was still kneeling on the floor and also despite the fact that there was quite a smirk around us. I suspected the exact wording of my answer behind it.

Very firmly and so stormily and shakily at the same time I fell around Marcus' neck that we landed on the floor and the jewelry case rolled out of the box.

Cookie was already on the way – it could have been something to eat – and I looked after him somehow indecisive. Just a moment until I growled at the dog.

That was MY ring! My engagement ring!

Emma had already made her way to the etui, though – as had Dad – and Cookie made sure he got away. Emma returned the ring, we sat up a bit, and Marcus gently slid the ring over my finger.

I was engaged!

"I love you!", I breathed and kissed him.

At some point I remembered that we were not alone. Somewhat embarrassed, I looked around me.

All smiled.

Partly touched, partly surprised, but mostly simply delighted.

Just like last night with Jake and Becky, a little congratulatory and hugging chaos broke out. Mom and Dad hugged both of us, Jake rather jumped into my arms, I was handed a handkerchief.

It had been so surprising. But I snuggled up to my fiancé, completely happy. I would probably really never let go of him again.

"How about a double wedding?!" clapped Alice's hands together excitedly.

"Why don't you let me get it through my head that I'm engaged first," I said.

Alice, however, chattered on.

I wasn't really listening to her, I only had eyes for my fiancé.

"Can we give our kids their present then, too?" asked Dad after a while.

Our guests for the party were starting to arrive and Alice seemed to have all the options for our weddings planned out. She was just pondering the text of the invitations.

Mom and Dad left the living room with Ced, and they came back with white envelopes that our baby brother was carrying. He gave one to each of us.

Jake, Becky, Marcus, and me.

I pulled out a folder that had a white sheet on top with just a name on it.

Jacob William Black. Um ... we switched among ourselves until everyone had the folder that had their name on it.

I flipped through the pages, but didn't understand it for a long time.

'Edward Masen' Foundation. Pictures of buildings. Lists of courses. Site plan. Scholarship ...

"We're going to Dartmouth?" Becky was the first to understand.

"All of us together?!", Marcus dug deeper.

Baffled, I looked at my parents.

"Yes," Dad replied.

"That's ...", Jake wanted to say, but apparently he had forgotten how to speak.

For that, we jumped into Dad's arms at the same time.

"Thanks, Dad!", I said emphatically and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.

"You can thank Jasper. He set this up," Dad said.

We repeated the grateful hug at Jazz.

"Edward commissioned it that way," he appeased, slightly embarrassed.

"Now I'm curious," Becky's granny interjected, stepping up to my parents. "Did you know or suspect that Leah and Marcus would get back together?" she asked.

Curious, I looked at my dad.

"No, we didn't suspect anything like that," Mom opined.

"We made this arrangement before Leah imprinted ... and we had already considered choosing another college for Marcus. After the further events, that Leah and Marcus wanted to remain friends on both sides and this also worked out wonderfully, we have refrained from such considerations again. But of course we are very happy how it has now turned out!", Dad explained.

"What exactly do you mean by 'arrangement'?" echoed Becky.

"That'll be our secret!" remarked Jazz, to which Dad just nodded.

And then Ced came in from the hallway again. He held a key ring in his hand and jingled it.

"What else are you bringing?", I asked him.

"Key," Ced replied.

I smiled.

Yes, they were unmistakably keys.

He handed them to me.

Looked like four identical ones.

Seeking an answer, I looked to my parents.

"You have to live somewhere while you're studying," Mom simply said.

"A little more context wouldn't be bad," Becky opined.

"We own a small cottage in the Etna area, about a twenty-minute drive from Hanover. Esmé will update it to meet your needs during your studies," Dad explained.

Esmé nodded in affirmation.

This time we then fell around her neck first and then Mom and Dad.

That was typical of Dad all over again. Thought of everything. Not only would we be going to the same college together, we would also be living together in a nice house that would certainly be conveniently located for the wolves near the forest. However, I had strong doubts that it was really a 'small cottage'. I already knew my family so well nevertheless.

"Since your friends will be arriving any minute, we need to get rid of our gift as well," Rosalie toned.

Rosie, Em, Jazz, and Alice excitedly pushed us down the long hallway until we arrived in front of the great hall. Everyone came along.

"Happy Birthday!" dad's siblings said at the same time and then pulled open the doors.

I don't know what I expected. Actually, that the room wouldn't look much different than it did for the wedding a few days ago. Obviously a mistake. It looked like a modern club.

Hip music was already playing - albeit still fairly quietly in the background - music effects everywhere, a fog and bubble machine were briefly turned on in a demonstrative manner, a bar that appeared to have various drinks available, and so on. Many of the flowers from the wedding were still there, at least on the ceiling and walls, but it had real style even in this club atmosphere. A large dance floor in the middle of the room, surrounded by stand-up tables and benches. Snacks and water were already ready everywhere. I saw the photo corner.

Cool idea!

Next to the DJ booth were lots of big pillows arranged into a cozy corner. And the candy bar where Granny, Sonya, and the kids were already standing to snack.

"You're giving us a party?!" stated Jake. Shocked and excited at the same time.

So the thank-you hugging started all over again. One mentioned in passing that the food would be served next door again.

We went to look. And I got hungry right away.

David was standing in the doorway to the outside, had an apron on and was just putting fresh 'Pulled Pork' roasts into a designated box to rest. Outside, an awning had been set up so that the three charcoal grills were in the dry and a small space heater so that our today's cook wouldn't get too cold.

Apart from that, there were also other foods appropriate for the guests of our age group.

Hot dogs, chicken wings, burgers, wraps, and whatever else went with them, various salads, dips and sauces, breads, herb butters, desserts, ...

"That's just ...," Jake stammered.

"... the hammer!", I ended.

"So you wanted some of that!" noted Marcus to David's children.

The three boys nodded enthusiastically.

Emma was still too small to understand this exaggerated enthusiasm for the food as such. She had rather liked the whole shebang we had made on the last 'Pulled Pork'. The fact that we had all been together from two o'clock in the morning until the following dinner, and that we had kept ourselves busy together.

I asked where the grills came from, which David told me.

One of them was his, which he had brought in last week on the occasion of the bachelor party. The other two Dad had purchased. One for our house in Saco, one for here. Or rather, we'd probably take one of them with us to Dartmouth. David also lamented his sorrow that he had been called regularly since five this morning because the vampires had been overwhelmed with preparation. He would not guarantee anything!

We were thanking him for his sacrifice when our guests arrived.


Our circle of friends knew this house, but not everyone else. Therefore, they had arranged to meet in front of the entrance gate and our vampiric relatives had guaranteed that they would all go home.

Except for our friends. They would stay here tonight.

So all the guests came in one fell swoop. One greeted us, presented us with various packages, congratulated, thanked for the invitation, marveled.

Therefore, we did not find the time to report our news for the time being.

"Did we really invite all of them?", I asked my twin skeptically when everyone had passed us both, pointing to the quite crowded hall.

All our friends in one bunch were quite a crowd. I had not been so aware. However, some had their partners with them, who were not necessarily among our closer acquaintances.

"Apparently," Jake grinned.

So we jumped into the fray and the party got going right away. As befitted hosts, Jake and I first made various rounds through the room. We chatted here for a while, got something to drink, danced there in a big circle, snacked at the candy bar, had our picture taken, and went to kiss our fiancées.

I also visited David to check the quality of our food in detail.

He had a lot going on. Seemed to taste good to all.

In between, we also went over to the living room where our parents and grandparents were sitting with the children. The humans among them had already gotten their dinner from David.

Daniel, however, was mostly at the party.

Before Emma could be persuaded to go to bed, she wanted to see what all the teenagers were doing. She also needed a goodnight kiss from her daddy.

I could understand that.

Emma ran to Jake and Marcus, who were standing not far from the door.

"What do your friends actually say to Marcus, since you're my girlfriend at school? That must have already irritated them at the party on New Year's Eve," Dad, who had accompanied Emma and me to the party room, asked.

"I have no idea!", I simply said.

Nobody had spoken to me about it, although I had already picked up the one or other strange look. Even tonight, when I had already been seen with Marcus. Guys who were known for not taking fidelity so seriously still approached me at school. The same was true of my dad. There were also disapproving or even indignant looks. Occasionally also envious looks, but that was rather rare. I cared very little. Our closer friends knew that the thing with Edward was just a show to keep other boys away from me and to spare Edward various pick-ups.

"Shall we shock them a little more?" smiled Dad mischievously.

"And how?"

Dad nodded in the direction of the dance floor.

I grinned.

A cuddle song was playing.

Dad pulled me into the fray, and we adopted the familiar couple guise.

Without kissing of course, after all he was my dad, but we swayed embracing to the music.

"So, how many are staring at us?", I asked.

"Almost all of them," Dad suppressed a giggle.

I ventured a curious glance over my arm at Dad's shoulder. I chuckled.

He had not exaggerated.

I caught Marcus's gaze. He smiled gently.

Something distracted me and made me look at my hand. The stone on my engagement ring had reflected something from the light effects.

"How do you feel with that declaration of love on your hand?" asked Dad.

"Great!" I laughed happily. How had I been able during the last few weeks to overlook the fact that I still felt the same way about Marcus as I did before Nanuk? That it hadn't changed a bit. The love had become even more intense.

"If it's any consolation, Jazz and I didn't notice either … You were very consciously involved with Nanuk. With the thought that you were meant for each other and what consequences that has for you now. With a life without Nanuk and how you can cope with this. You didn't seem to allow any other thoughts. Marcus's closeness did you good. You knew that all the time and we also saw this again and again. But why it was like that, we all found no solution. Until the moment when he wanted to leave again. Out of pure self-protection he wanted to leave," Dad explained.

Self-protection. Marcus hadn't mouthed the term, but that's what he had wanted to express when we were standing in the rain last night. And it had been that very moment. When Marcus wanted to leave, to leave me again - this time for good - he had opened my eyes to what was going on inside me. Why I wanted him near me. Fortunately, I was too stubborn to let him go!

"And how are you guys doing with the fact that I'm planning on getting married now, too."

"Well, it may have been a little surprising, but I'll tell you the same thing I told Jake: We're excited. Marcus is already part of our family, after all. And a marriage certificate don't take away your youth or change anything about the way you feel about each other," he said.

I gratefully hugged my dad a little tighter for his approval.

From Jake, my parents had been forewarned about his proposal and Jake had also talked to Becky's dad beforehand. I thought that was a bit old-fashioned, but somehow also cute. Marcus had probably thought about it on short notice.

"Marcus has thought about this more thoroughly than you think," Dad whispered, and I stepped back a little to look at him.

I was amazed.

"Jake and Marcus went to the jewelry store together. Just after New Year's Eve. It was a pretty spontaneous decision originally, but they agreed it was the right thing to do. They had planned together from the beginning to propose to both of you on Valentine's Day, and Marcus had also intended to talk to us beforehand. It is quite unusual in this day and age, but since I come from a different time, he saw it as indispensable to ask my permission ... Marcus had no serious hope that anything more could develop between you than the friendship on which the two of you had now built. His mind forbade his feelings, knew it was impossible after Nanuk. Still, he could not bring back the ring. It was yours, little one! He didn't want to imagine that he returned it to the jeweler and then some other girl would wear your ring. That's why he kept it ... With an excited heartbeat, he stood in front of us earlier, when you weren't there yet."

Dad smiled and put a hand to my cheek to add a little emphasis to his words.

At least that's how it seemed to me.

"His proposal may seem impulsive and rash, but it wasn't. Your talk - but also just that moment when Ced connected you - gave him certainty. Marcus believes in your love and that it will last forever. Because the worst thing that could have happened to you, you imprinted on another man, is already behind you. A supernatural force against which he cannot and could not do anything. Everything else that can happen in a relationship - jealousy, distrust, everyday life and boredom, arguments - he can fight against to never lose you."

His words moved me, so that a tear rolled down my cheek, which I wiped away a little embarrassed.

Actually, I wasn't that sentimental after all.

Somehow - as if caught in a dream - I turned around and wanted to look for my fiancé, but he was already there, standing right in front of me. Immediately my arms were around him. As tightly as his were around me.

Marcus obviously didn't know what inspired me to make such a gesture, which probably came out of nowhere for him.

"What's wrong?" he asked in a comforting whisper.

This made me giggle because I didn't need any consolation. I was just in love and happy that Marcus was there. Nothing more.

"You're here!", I summarized briefly, looking at him.

He smiled.

We danced the running song together, but since I was co-host, I had to be seen with all the others after I picked up a pretty hot kiss.

I was sometimes here, sometimes there, dancing, getting a drink, visiting David regularly, snacking at the candy bar, chatting with the book club, standing in the photo corner with my volleyball team, making out with Marcus in the cuddle corner.

Our grandparents and parents also stopped by briefly to see what we were up to. But they didn't want to disturb the 'spring chickens', as Ciara put it.

They played a very old song, suitable for their generation, with all our vampires showing our friends what dancing really was. Elegant and sensual, exciting and entertaining, if you could do it like them. Dad took Ciara for it. With Mom he was not allowed to show himself so intimately in front of all our friends. Instead, Marcus danced with Mom and David left the grill briefly to float with Sonya over the parquet.

People asked how this constellation came about, that we celebrated at Carlisle's house and why Edward was so little with us, instead mostly with the adults. Our group knew the truth, but everyone else just didn't. We hadn't even thought of an explanation for this, as we were quite shocked to discover.

But Dad had one.

"Bella, so Jake and Leah's mom, is together with my dad. A brother of Carlisle's. He's on a business trip at the moment, though," Dad said casually.

"I see. Then that's why you two get along so well and sometimes look like you're together," one of our friends commented.

One who once had it in for Edward, too. Like pretty much every other girl at our school. I had twigged fast enough.

"Yes. Edward and I hit it off right away. He's a super ... brother," I got into it. I almost said dad. That explained why Dad had always come to our games with Mom. After my first game, at which our director had seen the two of them, my parents had always behaved quite distantly in public. In that respect, it fit.

"By the way, that's about the same thing, Bella, that Renée said on the phone this afternoon. Only without my part as your stepbrother in it. She still knows me from back then, so she's not allowed to see me again," Dad said, before the adults took off again.

We would talk about what that story was more specifically over breakfast.

Around half past nine the last guests arrived.

Abigail, among others.

She still had to eat with her stepmonster, because it was her birthday today. Her arrival had been hard to miss. She ran squealing through the whole room and jumped into Jake's arms.

I stood next to Becky as she did so, and we chuckled at her, as usual, impulsive way of greeting. The chuckles died down and turned into smiles as Abi still clung to Jake. Another minute later, Becky peeked rather skeptically.

"Maybe you should remind Jake that you're engaged to him," I said to Becky.

Immediately, she started moving.

But it was just Abi's way.

She had only been waiting for Becky, knowingly challenging her and greeting her very cheerfully, before Abi then joined me as well. After that, Abi had mainly only eyes - and hands - for her friend Jessie, who had come earlier with the others.

Ryan had also just arrived - our host from New Year's Eve - as had Case, our gay friend since kindergarten.

Ryan went straight into a general round of greetings, marveled appreciatively at our party, and found himself in a lengthy technical discussion with Alice about the organization and design of various parties.

The two had sought and found each other in this regard.

With Case I sat directly with a cocktail at the bar and chatted.

We got together so rarely. Except for parties, our interests diverged quite a bit, which is why we drifted apart a bit since high school. But when we did see each other, it just fit. He was passionate about cooking/baking and interested in art. In fact, he painted very well himself.

That was his birthday present to us. He would paint us. With our partners.

I had already introduced Marcus to him.

Case had been flirting with Marcus, which I noted with amusement, but had let Marcus flee quite quickly.

"Most straight guys can't handle being hit on by other men," Case laughed about it. He did it a lot, just for fun, to see the reaction. "But that's one hot stuff you got yourself. Almost as hot as your little brother!", Case looked at them when Marcus had arrived at Jake's in a hurry.

"Mmm ... mmm ... But he's mine!", I stated in response.

"I doubt I could take him away from you even if I wanted to," he said.

I guessed if he was really going for it, I might not be sooo sure about that. Case was no less hot. Not quite my type. Tall, very muscular, but blond with blue eyes. However, it was probably not so common among men to at least try this same-sex thing. Since Abigail had it perhaps a little easier. After all, I had kissed Abi before. I had been drunk.

"Do you have anyone?", I asked once.

He had broken up with his last boyfriend before New Year's Eve, I could still remember that. That one had been too jealous and had always made a scene when he approached other boys. It was enough if he only asked for directions or something banal.

When I asked him, he smirked meaningfully.

"I have a breakfast date with someone tomorrow."

"With or without the night before?"

He shrugged his shoulders with a smile.

So it was probably not final.


At some point I sat with Rosalie, Lisa, Abi, and Jessi highly concentrated in a corner, already quite buzzed and we were spinning tops from the wonder bags on the floor. Two meters next to us sat three boys and made an airplane out of it. Flummis were jumping around the whole time. Becky and Phoebe lay relaxed in the cuddle corner with children's binoculars, in which new colorful patterns were constantly being created as they spun. Foam ammo flew through the air, as did soap bubbles and water from water guns. I now also had a tattoo and was officially one of the tough girls! A glittering unicorn. Well, it was a sticker, but it was decoratively emblazoned on the back of my hand. The wonder bags were a real hit. Damn, it was silly, but totally fun. I also wore a very exclusive, very elegant necklace. Made of sugar-rings. Marcus kept coming to snack on me. By the way, he had a little crown on from a goody bag.

"If I kiss you, will you turn into a unicorn?", I dug deeper. Yes, the story actually went differently, a frog appeared in it, if I wasn't completely wrong, but who cared about such trifles when it was about a unicorn?

"Try it!" he said promptly, which I did immediately.

Devotedly, but no unicorn came.

"Maybe something else will help," Abigail reasoned, rummaging in her purse.

I quickly put my hands in her path and looked at her meaningfully.

I knew what Abi would very probably have with her. What did 'very probably' mean? With deadly certainty she would have weed with her! ... But we didn't want anything like that at our party! We really didn't need drugs! Never!

"You're lying worse than your own mother right now!", I heard Dad whisper not far away.

I stubbornly looked at my hands and chewed on my lower lip.

I hadn't even realized that he was here.

"What's wrong with you guys?" inquired Rose.

Guiltily, I peered very cautiously in Dad's direction. He was standing at the DJ booth with Jasper and looking at me very seriously.

"Oh nothing," Abi had understood my exasperated look and turned her attention back to one of the spinning tops between us.

Marcus merely chuckled.

Dad squatted down to me and raised my eyes to him.

"You are big enough to decide about such things on your own. As long as you don't overdo it, I won't forbid you on appropriate occasions," he smiled.

"Thank you," I merely said and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

However, he said we shouldn't stand right here in front of the door so as not to give other of our guests similar ideas.

So our group of friends stood together with Abi and Jessie on the opposite side of the house.

Except for Jason and Claire. They weren't into smoking pot, which was a good thing.

"So, let's cut to the chase!", Brandon started and lit the joint. "You're back together?" he asked as he exhaled the first smoke with relish, looking at Marcus and me.

"More than that!", I replied, showing my hand.

Lisa immediately yanked on my arm, and I stumbled after her.

"Wow ...!" she marveled, turning the sparkling ring in all directions.

We roughly summarized the past twenty-four hours as the joint wandered on.

"So how are things with you guys right now?" asked Brandon then, casually turning to Jake and Becky.

Becky pushed her hands to Jake's cheeks so that her ring could be clearly seen.

"Very similar," Becky said in love.

Our closest and best friends cheered us on, got Jason and Claire to join us, and we toasted our double engagement.

"What does your ma say about it?" asked Claire of her cousin Marcus.

"She doesn't know about it yet," he replied.

"She's probably going to keel over."

"Probably."

The party continued to be cheerful and boozy.

I was pretty drunk. I even made a world-changing observation: Tom became really likeable under the influence of alcohol. However, I wasn't sure if it was his alcohol level or mine.

David closed his barbecue kitchen around midnight and joined the others in the living room.

Jasper came with us on our next joint and pulled as well. He coughed quite a bit while doing it.

Rosalie had temporarily taken over the music equipment and fulfilled music requests, while Emmett showed that he had once been a bartender.

That's why I was so drunk.

Dad was with us every now and then in the meantime and then mostly took care of the photo corner, which enjoyed great popularity. But also otherwise he snapped photos through the area when he was here. My dad could even dance.

So after modern club sounds and what we heard here so preferred.

When Alice wasn't dancing or grumbling about the awful music, which was just our taste, she was at the bar handing out drinks. It was a raucous party.

About three o'clock in the morning the last of our friends were driven home by Carlisle, when Akai, Tom, and Phoebe had also set out through the woods.

So we staggered over to our house with our closer friends. Even Claire was allowed to stay over tonight, after Marcus had assured her parents that he would take care of her.

Had he kept to it.

Lisa, Jason, and Claire were amazed at first when they got to know our house.

They had never been here before.

We spread out in my loft on the large lying area and soon fell asleep.


Thank you for reading!