"I can't believe you talked me into this," Leah said, nervously watching the tech build and shape her last nail before glaring at Bella.

Bella's nail tech giggled with her just before the buzz of an electric nail file made them all jump and laugh before Leah redirected her worried stare to her hands.

She asked, "If something should happen, like… an accident where these all ripped off. Would that shit hurt?"

Bella cackled, picturing Leah bursting into her wolf and her fake nails flying. It felt odd visualizing something so insane after a decade of distance.

"Shrapnel. I wonder if you could learn how to aim."

"Listen, if returning to my prior occupation is ever necessary, I'll only be 'aiming' for whoever is responsible." She looked at Bella, feigning a threatening glare but unable to withhold her grin.

Bella laughed. "If you do, it won't be my fault."

That was for sure. Bella hadn't had contact with a Cullen or any other Vampire in nearly a decade. Florida had plenty of vampires and undead roaming the streets. Just not that kind. Too sunny.

"Glad ya kicked the habit."

"Speaking of which… How much alcohol should I take to this bonfire?"

"I don't have a clue, Swan. You know, reunions are in the air. It looks like everyone plans to come, though. Their wives and kids. Loads of people…"

Bella interrupted her, hissing, "Are you trying to help or hinder me here?"

Leah turned to flash her mischievous smile. Scowling, Bella glanced towards her nail tech, who looked very confused, and her facial expression made Bella snort.

"My apologies. My stepsister likes to give me shit."

Leah winked at them. "Hey? What are sisters for? I have a decade of lost time to catch up on."

Bella sighed. She was growing increasingly affectionate toward the brassy she-wolf. "Why did I invite you today, again?"

"Because you're a sweet little pussy cat, Bella, darling."

Bella cackled. "And you're a bitch."

"Indeed, I am," Leah said smugly, looking back toward her hands.

A door opened somewhere behind them, and a familiar voice asked, "Bella? Bella Swan?" Bella tried to twist in her seat as someone rushed around her side.

"Oh my God, it is you! I knew that was your laugh!"

Long, thin arms suddenly hugged her neck and shoulders as Bella cluelessly glanced toward Leah. Leah shook her head and shrugged as if she were as clueless as Bella.

She doesn't know her, either? Still, the voice was familiar. As Bella finally leaned far enough away to see her side profile, she screeched, "Oh my God, Angela!"

Angela Weber had aged beautifully - as in hardly at all. The most notable changes were her very pregnant belly and shoulder-length hair. She said, "I just finished getting a pedicure - can't really see my toes these days - and heard your voices. Then the laugh. I thought I was hallucinating. You look amazing, Bella. Welcome home!"

Angela had barely taken a breath, leaving Bella in a short-lived stupor. She shook her head as she tried to bite back a nervous laugh. "Um… Thank you. You look great, too. It's so good to see you. Congratulations, as well. When are you due?"

"Any day, and I can't wait," Angela's cell phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and hit the ignore button. "I'm already running an hour late, Bella, but I'd love to catch up with you. We have so much to talk about. You are here for the reunion, right?"

"That would be really great," Bella said sincerely. Angela had been one of Bella's few genuine friends at Forks High School. "And, yeah. The Reunion is part of it. Visiting with family."

Angela grinned at Leah and nodded before asking Bella, "Hey, what are you doing tomorrow night? A few of our school crowd are meeting for dinner in case this little karate champ kicks his way out before the reunion. You should come with us."

"Oh. Wow," Bella said, feeling very put on the spot. "Um, can I get back to you on that?"

"Sure." Angela chuckled and swiped her phone screen. "What's your number? I'll text you sometime tomorrow?"

Bella rattled out her cell number. As Angela typed, the tip of her tongue stuck out the corner of her mouth, an unconscious habit while concentrating. Bella remembered it well from when they'd studied together senior year, and it made her smile.

Without looking up from her phone, Angela muttered, "Cunt."

As Bella's eyes widened in surprise, Leah whispered, "Whore," and laughed. Bella spun toward her sister, mouth agape as Angela giggled.

"I thought you didn't know who she was?"

Leah shrugged. "I never said that. In fact, I know Angela a little too well. How was birthing class this morning?"

Angela sighed. "I'll tell you all about it later. And what the hell are you doing in here, anyway? You won't come with me, but you'll come with Bella. I see how I rate."

"Oh, whatever."

Angela grinned at Bella. "I really have to go before Quil blows a gasket. Junior is getting into everything he's not supposed to lately."

Bella's nail tech gasped as Bella accidentally jerked her hand free, yelling, "QUIL?"

She immediately turned to apologize to the tech for the new puddle of polish on the table and Bella's hand.

As Leah howled with laughter, Angela patted Bella's shoulder. "I'll let Leah explain that one to you, Sweetie. Like I said, we have a lot to talk about."

Bella watched Angela leave, stunned, as the tech began removing the smeared polish from her pinky.

Angela? And Quil?

Glaring at Leah, Bella asked, "You couldn't have told me that Quil's baby mama is Angela Weber?"

Leah scowled. "Well. Bella, first, you didn't ask for names or about any women you don't already know. I assumed you didn't want to know too much since you have no intention of staying here. Second, I'm glad you're here, but what you don't know about isn't my fault. You and I are still learning to trust each other, so how am I supposed to know what you want to know if you don't ask?"

Bella sighed, immediately feeling well and rightly told off. "You're right. That's fair, and I'm sorry. I just…"

"Didn't expect it. I know, Bella. You're gonna learn a lot of shit you didn't expect… but most of it isn't my story to tell. The obvious things like who has kids or still lives around here - that's one thing. The rest is up to them to tell you."

Bella nodded. "Yeah, I know. I get that. It's not like they know anything about me, either."

"Yeah, and you certainly have your own secrets."

She sighed in relief at her finished nails and wiggled her freshly manicured fingers. "Man, I hope I don't accidentally poke an eye out with these suckers."

They chuckled as Leah held them closer to her face to inspect them better.

Bella asked, "Is there anything I should know about? So I don't accidentally freak out or make someone else upset? Are any of your other family members in a relationship with one of my friends from High School?"

Without looking toward her, Leah deadpanned, "All your other friends from high school are my family, Swan."

Bella snorted. "Touche."

Suddenly apprehensive, Leah said, "So. I don't know everything about everyone since I'm not really…" she whispered, "Involved anymore. You know what I mean? There are two things I can warn you about so you don't stare or get uncomfortable, but that's about the best I can do."

"I would appreciate that," Bella said sincerely. "So, what are these two things I should be warned about? Charlie warned me about Billy's health and amputation this morning, but I don't know if that was one of your concerns."

"Hmph." Leah frowned. "You know? I didn't even think about that, but it sort of… ties into one other."

One of the… What's that supposed to mean? The mere possibilities filled her with dread. Had Jacob become permanently injured or disfigured? Her husband and Seth had not, but had the others been as unscathed?

"Remember me asking about birthing class?"

At Bella's nod, Leah said, "They're doing a home birth. Quil wants to catch the baby properly, one-handed."

"Whatever for? Is he planning on having a camera or something?"

Leah grimaced. "Quil lost his left arm about three years ago, Bella. Occupational hazard, apparently. He's handled it really well. He's right-handed, luckily. Mostly, he just tries to go about everything normally, and he does a damn good job of it. Baby number two has him worried, though. One hand, two kids?" Leah grinned as she gestured a 'weight scale' motion to emphasize the comparison.

Bella couldn't fathom it. Regardless of her occupation and the multiple personal health stories she heard daily, Bella could not visualize the patience necessary when adjusting to the loss of a limb. A broken leg at seventeen had been unbearable enough.

"Quil is kind of… a superhero." What else could she possibly say? A vampire had severed Quil's arm, and he continued to thrive, building a fully lived life for himself.

"God, don't tell him that." Leah rolled her eyes. "He's cockier than ever and the biggest flirt. I swear, Quil almost likes it. He's still pretty. So, that missing arm gets him all kinds of pity."

Bella laughed and nodded, vaguely recalling how flirtatious Quil had been in his teens. He was bold, almost to the point of embarrassment.

"Angie didn't fall in love with him until after he lost his arm. That's how co-parenting turned into their 'situation-ship.' Don't feel too terrible for him, Bella. He's probably happier than most of us."

Bella wondered if Quil could still phase since Seth said everyone's wolf had remained with them. She would need to remember to ask Leah, but she couldn't do it here.

"So, the other thing," Leah whispered. "It's about Sam."

"Oh, fuck." Bella sighed. "What? Was he hurt? Do I really want to know?"

"Um…" Leah chuckled. "You'll find out either way with this one, too."

She groaned. "Lay it on me, then." Bella couldn't help but grin as her nail tech snickered and looked toward her hands. "Oh! That's awesome."

Bella had chosen a deep blue with a pale gold shimmer that should match her dress for the reunion well - one that had hung in her closet for far too long but now fit her curves where it hadn't before. And she was bold enough to skip the stupid sweater this time.

She had wanted to strangle Alice for shoving her into the cocktail dress for prom at seventeen. It was slightly too big and had to be pinned in the back under her sweater. Bella wasn't even sure why she bothered keeping it all of these years, somehow unable to part with it despite her hatred for it. She had repressed so much about that time in her life over the years, but curiosity had gotten the best of her while packing.

Bella stayed awake too late that night, removing the bottom flounces to shorten the dress. She wondered if anyone would recognize it when she barely recognized it herself. She had every intention of burning it after the reunion. It was the last piece of her Alice Cullen wardrobe and would finally get worn somewhere because Bella wanted to wear it. Then, destroyed where its story began.

She worried the entire time she worked on the dress and hoped her return trip didn't destroy her, too. Now, she was here, becoming far more familiar with everything she left behind than she ever intended.

"So," Bella said, refocusing on Leah's smug face. "What happened to Sam?"

"It's honestly not funny, and even though he's a royal douchebag most of the time… I feel for him. I really do. Body insecurities suck. That being said… he stopped working out before the rest of us. And, since he stopped, his natural genetics sort of took over. His metabolism isn't like the rest of us."

"Are you trying to say Sam got fluffy, Leah?"

Leah tried not to laugh as she nodded. "And there's nothing wrong with that. He's still a handsome douchebag, all the same. But he's self-conscious. So when you see him, maybe stroke his ego a little? Be like, oh, man, you look so good. I don't know. Flirt with him or something."

Bella scoffed. "Yeah, and make Emily pissed at me? No way."

"No, Bella," Leah said, appearing entirely serious now. "You don't get it. Like… it's kind of sad. He has all this guilt for her scars, and so he sort of built up this pride in looking good for her because he wanted her to be proud to be with him, especially after the… um, accident. His self-esteem issues are screwing with their relationship a little. She encourages women to flirt with him now. He gets all big-headed about it and goes home to her."

"I…see. Kind of. She gets the rewards of his lifted ego, and he gets to believe she sees herself as beautiful because she's his."

How very Gaston of him. She wasn't sure she understood the logic - but to each their own. If they were happy with their arrangement, who was she to judge?

Recalling what else Leah had told her about Sam, Bella teased, "Are you trying to help her get pregnant with number four? Is that what's happening here?"

Leah shrugged. "We joke that she's trying to have enough for the both of us since I can't have any."

"You two have come a long way," Bella said, impressed. "Sam never seemed conceited before, though. I did not know it was an issue for him."

Leah frowned. "He's kind of turned into a flirt because of it. So I'm not sure that it actually helps anything… but she's stuck with that fucker for life instead of me. Good riddance. Whatever makes them happy, I say."

Bella laughed. "Well, I will keep those details handy when I see them. I certainly don't feel like being run out of the area a second time."

Leah blanched as she turned her full attention and body toward Bella. "What are you talking about?"

"You know? Right before I got married? When the guys ran me out of La Push?"

Leah suddenly appeared as clueless as Bella had felt when Angela surprised her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I tried to see Jake before the wedding, and the guys wouldn't let me. They literally made me turn my truck around and leave. Sam said Billy would see me at the wedding, and I wasn't welcome on the reservation. I thought you knew about that."

Leah shook her head as she glared across the room. "They hid that from me somehow, those little fuckers. Seth, too, or he'd have shown me. Seth wouldn't have done that to you, anyway. And regardless of how I felt about your decisions, I supported your fucking autonomy."

"Oh, I know that. Seth was always kind. The Cullens were all very fond of him. That's why he stood on Edward's side at the wedding. Edward would have made Seth his best man if it hadn't caused a fight. We didn't want Seth stuck in the middle of anything like that."

Leah scoffed. "Ew. I really hated him trying to get close to my baby brother. No offense."

"None taken. Trust me, I learned the hard way that he's far from what he seems."

She was still unsure if she had told Leah about her honeymoon while drunk, but a curious glance from Leah made Bella wonder if she'd kept some secrets after all.

"Is that why you ran to Florida after you and Cullen split? Not actually because of them, but because of… us?"

"Well, yeah," Bella admitted bitterly. "That was part of it, anyway. What else was I supposed to do? Come home and beg for forgiveness? Beg them to let me see my best friend when all I ever seemed to do was hurt him? No. I had already done enough of that. I wasn't doing that shit anymore."

Leah smirked. "Home, huh? You only lived here for a year and a half compared to everywhere else but still think of Forks as home?"

The question knocked Bella for a loop. While she could understand their belief that Forks and La Push had meant little to her, that couldn't be further from the truth. It wasn't even the Edward of it all that had made such an impact. It was Charlie and Jacob… They were what made each place feel like home.

She blinked away tears as she tried to recall the happiest times of her life. Despite her endless love for her mother, Bella's childhood in Arizona was far from ideal. Her experience with Renee in Florida was even worse.

After moving to Florida, Renee's marriage to Phil took some getting used to. He'd traveled constantly when they first married, but his leg injury kept him down for months. He was still in a cast at her wedding to Edward and needed months of physical therapy afterward. Financial worries and finally being forced to deal with each other daily, things became strained between Phil and Renee quickly. Insert Renee's newly married/separated traumatized teenage daughter, and chaos follows.

The fighting in the house was constant, and Bella swiftly sank into a deep depression. Only her newfound bitterness with Edward kept her from returning to the zombie state Jacob had once saved her from.

Bella assumed Alice's continued visions had inadvertently come to her rescue. Before she knew it, Bella had a fortune she didn't want and seemingly endless freedom.

First, Bella paid off her mother's property taxes and mortgage, saving Renee's marriage by removing an immense financial burden. She had unintentionally purchased the property from under them by doing so and was essentially their landlord. While Phil had been somewhat annoyed by it, Renee was thrilled. Without the house payments and lack of rent, they could live comfortably. And, with the size of her newfound fortune, Bella was good with that.

Bella enrolled in college and moved to her apartment within the year. She began working at her job while still in college, eventually changing her major to gain a higher position for the same company.

And after all of that, after seventeen years of barely there visits beforehand, Forks was still the place that felt like home. La Push felt like home, even though she'd never truly belonged there. Not then, and not now.

As Bella absently stared down at her slowly drying nails, Leah said, "Maybe we should finish this conversation in the car."

"Yeah. Maybe we should."