Archive of Our Own ^beta

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Bella and Leah were sitting in Leah’s room, Bella tucked into Leah’s front. Bella was reading ‘Perks of Being a Wildflower’ for school, and Leah was reading ‘The Book Thief’.

“I’m thinking of cutting my hair, like- a lot of it,” Bella said when she got to the end of a chapter.

“Do it,” Leah answered immediately. “How short are you thinking?”

“Almost all of it… I’m thinking Winona Ryder short… but a little longer on top.”

“Oh like… Reality Bites?” Leah asked.

“Yeah!” Bella nodded excitedly. “I dunno, I've never had my hair short like that. Ever. I’m worried it won’t look good.”

“I bet it’ll look amazing. And if it doesn’t, it’ll just grow back,” Leah shrugged. “You’re white, so for you it’s just hair. You should get a little crazy.”

“My hair grows pretty fast. Wanna come with me? If I don’t do it today, I don’t know if I will,” Bella snorted.

“Let’s go. Right now,” Leah shot her a wild grin, eyes shining with excitement. “I’ll drive. We’ll get coffee, too.”

“Great,” Bella put a bookmark in and they both scrambled up to start getting ready to go. It was mid-March and it was finally warm enough outside to not need a heavy jacket. That could also be the lack of needing to stay in freezing cold houses or cars, shivering as she tried to spend time with the Cullen family and Edward. 

Bella shook that thought away, focusing herself fully on Leah instead. Leah’s hand was familiar in her own now, warm and safe as she pulled Bella out to her car. It was warm inside, smelling like salt water and Leah’s body spray, something spiced and pleasant that Bella had smelled in the men’s section. Leah was wearing her new usual outfit of cut off shorts and a muscle shirt, one of her old band tees that she’d chopped up herself that fit her like a glove when it used to be baggy. Bella looked out the window, still trying to figure out why the sight of Leah made her mouth dry.

Forks only had one barber shop, if it could even be called that. It was a small place with two chairs, one sink, and no options beyond cutting and the occasional dye job if you brought your own box. But Sandra was free when they got there, putting Bella right down in her chair.

“What are you looking for, hun?” She asked sweetly, fluffing out Bella’s hair and getting her supplies ready. Bella started talking about the hair cut she wanted. 

“I know this is crazy, but could we also shave the sides?” Bella asked, gesturing wildly to her head how she wanted it to look.

“Honey, after my first divorce I shaved myself bald and dyed what was left bright green,” Sandra told her. “We can absolutely give you a mullet. A good post-break up haircut solves all of your problems, you know. It refreshes you, gets rid of the bad energy. Come on, let’s get you washed up and we’ll get started.”

It took about twenty minutes of Bella facing away from the mirror, seeing lock after lock of hair getting chopped off before Sandra started styling. Leah’s smiles grew wider and wider the more was chopped. She was giving Bella encouraging thumbs up and couldn’t stop talking about how cool it was going to look. 

“All finished,” Sandra spun her around and Bella let out a surprised laugh. 

“Oh my gosh-“ her hair was shaved short on the sides, she had some length on top, and then she had a little shag in the back that grazed her neck. “I love it. Leah?”

“This was a great idea. You look beautiful,” Leah told her, watching her with a softness that made it hard for Bella to breathe. 

“You look great doll. If you don’t love it in a week, I have hair oil and take vitamins to help your hair grow back faster,” Sandra joked. Bella checked out tipping Sandra a little extra and Bella shivered at the new chill on her neck. 

“You sure you like it? I don’t look absolutely terrible?” Bella joked, touching her shaved side. 

Leah’s fingers gently carded through her hair, toying with the ends of it. Bella got dizzy, lightheaded and struggling to breathe as Leah touched her. “Trust me, it definitely doesn’t. You look amazing, Bells.”

“Good,” Bella squeaked out. She didn’t know how to think with Leah this close. The last two weeks of proximity and near-constant touch had left Bella more confused. She had too many feelings and she didn’t know what to do with them. “I- I’m glad you like it.” Bella didn’t want this moment to end. 

“I like everything you do. I haven’t seen you have a bad idea yet,” Leah said softly, not moving away. Thunder rumbled in the distance. “We should head back. That storm’s coming in fast.”

“I guess we should.” Neither of them moved still. “Or… we could go cliff diving?”

“Okay remember when I said I like everything you do? I take it back,” Leah told her flatly. “You really still want to do this?”

“I think we should see if he’s even still summonable. I’ve been hanging out with this hot wolf girl who makes me happy, he might not even be around anymore,” Bella smirked. 

“You think I’m hot?” Leah smirked back. “You said it out loud. I’m hot, no takebacks.”

“You are- hot,” Bella doubled down despite her stomach flipping at the way Leah looked at her. 

“I can think of a few other ways to piss him off other than cliff diving,” Leah told her in a low voice. “But I’m not gonna stop you if you wanna bait your ex into astral projecting so you can dump him and banish him.”

“Oh really, you can think of other things… like what?” Bella baited. If Leah had been thinking about things then she wanted to know. 

Leah’s gaze dropped lower and Bella swore she was looking at her lips. Leah licked her own and Bella fixated on the motion, the quick flash of a pink tongue and the curve of Leah’s mouth. She stared at Leah’s mouth more than she cared to admit, memorizing how it curled in happiness and anger. She knew that curve better than she knew her own mouth now. She knew everything about it except…

“Things that aren’t going to happen until you decide you want them to,” Leah answered. “I told you, Bella. You hold all the power here. Anything that happens, happens at your command.”

“I- I don’t know what I want… just as long as it involves you.”

“I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere until you send me away,” Leah swore. “I’m never leaving you again.”

The first raindrop fell, landing on Bella’s freshly shorn head. “Wow, that's cold!” Bella cringed under the droplet. 

“Come on, let’s go,” Leah laughed, pulling Bella back to her car and getting her into the passenger seat. She took her own, starting the Subaru. “Back to my place or to the cliffs?” Leah asked. 

“The cliffs please,” Bella asked sweetly. 

“Alright. But only because I need to make sure you don’t do it when I’m not around,” Leah snorted, starting to drive. 

The road was familiar, one Bella had taken multiple times back and forth between La Push and Forks, but she’d never taken this turn onto a dirt path before. It was bumpy and loud, Bella swore her teeth were rattling in her skull at a few points, but Leah’s old Subaru handled it like a champion. She parked, looking out at the rough seas. Bella was nervous about taking the dive, but she was also excited. This didn’t feel like a bad or reckless thing to do in a negative way. She was doing something because she wanted to, not because she felt forced.

“Okay,” Leah sighed softly. “I’ll be right behind you. Just far enough away that he might not see me. The moment you go over, I’m coming after you. Listen to me. You need to jump as far out as you can. Don’t surface right away, swim away from the cliff first. When you hit, hit feet-first and keep your arms tight against you. If you get flipped around underwater, follow the bubbles. Don’t swim blindly or you’ll drown,” Leah coached, looking stressed and concerned. 

“Be a board, follow the bubbles, and stay calm,” Bella nodded. “This’ll be fun.” Bella was really excited about doing this. 

“This is going to be stressful. But when you want to go cliff diving on days that don’t look like someone pissed in God’s Cheerios, that’ll be fun. I’ll take you to the taller cliffs, let you really have some fun,” Leah promised. 

“When it’s the middle of summer you can talk me into it then,” Bella bartered. “This is just a test, one jump and then we’ll be on our way back to reading,” she promised. 

“One jump,” Leah agreed. She grabbed Bella’s hand in her own, kissing the back of it. “Be safe. I’m right behind you.” Bella’s whole body did a hard reset when that happened, her brain shutting off and everything getting fuzzy. 

“If it’s true that I’m just hallucinating. Just find a good nut house for me… somewhere that has clean rooms,” Bella joked weakly as she left all the extras she had on in Leah’s car. 

“I’ll keep you in my room and feed you soup and crackers, take you out for walks,” Leah promised. “I’ll take care of you forever.”

“That sounds better,” Bella smiled softly. “Alright. I’ll see you in a few minutes.” Leah nodded, not looking any less nervous as Bella got out of the car. It was weird without Leah right next to her as she walked alone to the cliff edge. The waters had gotten a little choppy since they drove up from the beach, but in Bella’s head it still looked manageable. 

The cliff itself was more intimidating once she was overlooking it and the wind was picking up. 

“Don’t do this,” Edward’s voice projected from behind her. 

“You wanted me to be human- you lied to me-“ it was weird confronting him in this way. He didn’t even have the decency to actually face her. He had to do this astral projecting shit. 

“Bella, step away from the cliff,” he told her. “I’ve never lied to you. I love you, I need you safe.”

“No- you just need me miserable- and I’m not miserable anymore-“ she said back, trying to control her angry stammer. “I don’t want you anymore. I don’t want to see you anymore.”

Edward was silent for a moment.  “You’ll never be happy without me, Bella. Not really. Think about this, think about what you’re doing. Nobody will ever love you like I do,” his voice said coldly. Edward softened, giving her that gentle look that used to make her crumble. “Get back in the car, go home, tell the mutt you don’t want to see her anymore, and I’ll forgive you. I just want you to be safe and happy.” 

“You don’t control me anymore. You broke up with me, and if you come around me again? You’re gonna regret it,” Bella said as she looked at the cliff again. She had to jump soon before the waves got too bad. 

“Bella don’t do it,” Edward warned. “You’ll regret this. She’ll never love you like I did. She’ll never stay.”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to take that risk,” Bella let out a small breath and took a running jump. 

The fall was terrifying, but short. Her feet hit the frigid water quickly and she didn’t sink down much. Bella reemerged quickly and started laughing hysterically once she realized what had happened. 

I did it. 

She laughed again. Now for the hard part, swimming back to shore. As she slowly started, a wave came out of nowhere. Bella didn’t have enough time to dive under it before she was slammed close to the cliff wall. She just had to stay calm, the beach was closer than it looked. 

Fuck-

Bella had enough time to dive underwater for the next wave, but as she dove under she saw Victoria. There was no mistaking that bright red hair. She wasn’t panicking before, but she was panicking now. As she frantically tried to swim away, she met the edge of the cliff wall. 

A form dove through the water like a knife, grabbing Bella’s arm and dragging her away fast. Bella barely had time to process before she was suddenly on shore. Leah was cradling her gently, setting her down before turning towards the waterline. Her body rippled, smoothly changing into the light gray wolf and she let out a piercing howl. She stayed between Bella and the shore, snarling and snapping her teeth at the water until the pack arrived. She saw a flash of red hair appear for a moment before disappearing again. 

“Bella!” Jake rushed over, crouching down next to her. “Leah said she saw Victoria in the water! Are you crazy?! What are you doing cliff-diving in this weather?!” Leah snapped at him, crouching protectively over Bella with her ears pinned back. Jacob put his hands up. “Easy, I’m not gonna do anything to her.”

“I was-“ Bella took a deep breath trying to calm down. “I was trying to see if he would show up- he did-“ Bella said. “Leah has some extra clothes in her car, between you two we can walk back up.”

“Leah saw him,” Sam told her, coming out of the trees with a pair of shorts on. “He really was there. Astral projection.” Leah growled again, pressing against Bella firmly. Her furry body was even warmer than her human one, which was nice because it was freezing cold. The wind was always stronger on the beach than high up. 

“Leah, let’s go. You can get dressed and take Bella home,” Jacob told her. The wolf turned her head, gently nuzzling Bella with a small whine. 

“I’m alright thanks to you. No one tell Charlie,” Bella said.  

“Sue’s friends are coming in today so we’ll get more answers then,” Jacob said. Leah moved away, laying down and looking at Bella expectantly. “She’s offering you a ride on her back so you can get to the car faster.” 

“Uh-“ Bella chuckled. “Sure-“ this was absurd in a good way. She carefully climbed on top of Leah. “Oh my gosh you’re tall,” Bella laughed. Leah let out a bark, shimmying slightly, and Bella gripped the coarse fur around her neck to hold on. The moment she was secure, Leah took off. Bella let out a laugh, pressing close to Leah’s back as they darted through the trees. She was just as fast as the Cullen’s, maybe even faster as she easily navigated the forest. Bella heard the howls first, turning her head and seeing the pack running around them. Sam overtook them, leading the way, and a russet wolf kept close to Leah’s side. His tongue lolled out goofily, looking over at Bella with a canine smile, and Bella immediately knew it had to be Jacob. 

The once-half hour walk to the car took only a matter of minutes, and the other wolves disappeared as Leah crouched next to the car. Bella stumbled off, body shaking and still laughing. The wolf disappeared around the Subaru, and Leah popped up a few moments later in a sleeveless shirt and some basketball shorts. 

“You alright?” She asked, coming over to hold Bella steady as she caught her breath. 

“Yeah- I’m- I’m great,” Bella laughed. “You- you’re amazing.”

“It’s all the wolf,” Leah chuckled. “I love running like that. It’s… it’s indescribable. When I first shifted I thought it had ruined me, that I was a beast, something horrible, but how can it be horrible? I have my brothers, my pack, I can see and do whatever I want… and I still have you. That's all I need.”

“Thanks for confirming that I’m not crazy,” Bella said softly. She was holding onto Leah tightly.

“I knew you weren’t,” Leah told her. “Let’s get you back so you can change. Can’t have you getting sick.”

“Not again,” Bella said softly. “Thanks for saving me again.”

“I’ll always save you,” Leah promised. “And don’t listen to the demon: I’m never, ever going to leave your side. I swear.” 

“Good because I don’t want you too.” Bella didn’t let go of her. There was only one thing that she could think of. There was one thing she wanted to do. 

Bella raised onto her toes to kiss Leah. 

Leah stiffened for a moment before pressing closer and kissing her back. Her lips were soft and felt like a home she never knew, and when she wrapped her arms around Bella to pull her in Bella felt like she was finally where she belonged. But it didn’t last long, Leah pulling away with a ragged gasp, resting her head against Bella’s but not letting Bella kiss her again. 

“I’m really, really glad you finally did that,” Leah said softly, voice husky in a way that had Bella melting into her. “But you’re soaking wet and there’s a massive storm coming in. We can kiss when you’re not about to get hypothermia.”

“Damn,” Bella whispered softly. Leah let out a small chuckle as she moved to her trunk to grab a blanket, wrapping it around her. Leah gently led her to the passenger's seat, helping Bella into the car. “Sorry I didn’t ask first.” Bella said, feeling high. 

“It was perfect,” Leah smiled as she started driving. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while but I needed you to make the first move. You’re the most important person in my life, I didn’t want you feeling forced or pressured. You’ve been pressured too much,” she said softly. She reached out, taking Bella’s hand. Warm and familiar, fitted perfectly like her hand was made to hold Bella’s own. 

“Did- did you imprint on me?” Bella asked. “I’m not mad if you did, I just wanna know.”

Leah fell quiet, the car silent beyond the tap of rain on the windshield and the sound of the tires on the ground. Bella waited, but her silence seemed like all the answer she needed.

 Leah did. 

“I don’t own you,” she finally spoke. “Just because- just because I saw you that day at Jake’s after I changed… I don’t own you, I can’t claim you and trap you. But I can’t pretend like it didn’t happen. I saw you and- it was like gravity. Everything else holding me to this world disappeared, and the only thing left, the only thing that matters, is you. This imprint, it means whatever you want it to mean. You’re the one in control here.”

“The week I didn’t see you was the worst week of my life. And I spent three months completely comatose. I wanted to call you so many times… probably like 100 times a day.”

“Can I admit something that’s gonna come across as creepy?” Leah asked with a wince. 

“No such thing as creepy between us anymore,” Bella smiled. 

“I hung around your house a lot. In the forest. I never got close enough to see you or risk you seeing me, but… I couldn’t let you go. I’d lay out there for hours wondering if you missed me as much as I missed you, wondering if I’d ruined it all. I was just too scared of hurting you to get close,” she confessed. 

“I was laying in my bed the whole time wondering if I had done the same thing.” Bella gently squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

“I deserved it,” Leah snorted. “I’m sorry I hurt you. It’ll never happen again. Literally never. My soul belongs to you, Bella Swan. I couldn’t leave or hurt you even if I wanted to, and I definitely don’t want to.”

“You didn’t hurt me- I was just- I thought you and Sam had gotten back together and I felt led on,” Bella explained. 

“I will literally throw myself off a cliff before I get back together with him. And not a recreational, fun cliff. A cliff with rocks and shit at the bottom,” Leah stated flatly. “He’s so obnoxious now, it’s the worst. He’s Mr. Alpha Man Pack Dad and it’s impossible to talk to him without it turning into a lecture where he imparts his wisdom.” Leah rolled her eyes so hard Bella swore her head rolled with them. “But I can understand the end better now. He shifted and imprinted on Emily. He belongs to her now, and when I imprinted on you… I got it.”

“But I think it’s cool… that you and me- we’re gonna be together forever. I can’t see my life without you,” Bella said. 

“Are you sure?” Leah asked softly, pulling to a stop in front of her house. “I don’t… I don’t want you to feel like you have to be with me because of this. I want you, I want you so much it’s an ache inside of me, but I’m okay with whatever relationship you want in return. Billy said the imprint is always reciprocal but- I just- I don’t like the idea of taking choices away from you.”

“You’re not taking anything away from me,” Bella said softly. “I- I was having these feelings before, I just didn’t know it.” Leah brought Bella’s hand up, pressing her lips to it tenderly. 

“Me too,” she smiled slightly. “Let’s get you dressed. And I’ll tell the pack they can finally acknowledge the imprint. I just didn’t want them to say anything until I’d talked to you myself.” 

Bella looked around. “Oh good Charlie’s not home yet. I wanna cook for you tonight, will you stay? Or do you have to go back?”

“I’ll stay,” Leah agreed immediately. “I’d love to have dinner with you. After you’ve had a hot shower and put on dry clothes, please.”

“I will,” Bella promised, a smile creeping on her face. They both piled out of the car. Leah on high alert as she escorted Bella to her house. 

“Wait-” Leah stopped her before Bella pulled out her keys. “Someone’s here.” She inhaled sharply, baring her teeth for a moment. “Unlock the door but stay behind me.”

Bella followed her instructions, dread freezing in her chest. It couldn’t be Edward, could it? He wouldn’t come back that fast. Before the thought of him showing up was all she wanted, but now the thought filled her veins with ice. Leah stepped silently through the door, keeping Bella between her back and the wall as the entered the house. A familiar figure stood in the living room; short and pale, with pixie-cut hair and wide, golden eyes focused on the two of them. 

“Bella,” Alice sighed, crumpling in front of them. “Thank the gods, I thought you were dead! Your future disappeared-“

“What are you doing here, Cullen,” Leah snapped, cutting her off. “You’re not welcome.”

Alice met her glare, straightening out. “I’ll let Bella decide whether or not I’m welcome, dog.” A harsh growl tore out of Leah’s chest, her entire body vibrating with rage. Bella grabbed her arm, holding onto her so she didn’t lunge.

“Alice, don't call Leah that! And you’re not going anywhere until I get some answers!” Bella said firmly. 

“Bella,” Alice sighed, sitting daintily on one of the couches. “I’m just here to make sure you’re alright. I’m not supposed to be contacting you. If Edward knew-“

“If Edward comes back here, he’s a goddamn dead man,” Leah spat. Alice smiled slightly, a dark look on her face. 

“Well that we can agree on.” The room seemed to freeze at her words. Leah’s shaking stopped, her rage overcome by confusion.

“What are you- what?” Bella asked. 

“I agree. Edward’s a dead man if he shows up here,” Alice repeated. “I don’t want him to find out I’m here because if he knows I defied Carlisle he’ll take it as an excuse to do the same. But I saw you throw yourself off a cliff, and your future disappeared. I needed to make sure you were okay,” Alice told her softly, looking her over with worry. “I’m guessing this… Leah saved you, and since I don’t know her I couldn’t see you with her.”

“Yeah, Leah was with me because Edward’s been astral projecting to make me feel like I’m crazy,” Bella said. 

“That son of a-“ Alice clenched her jaw. “Of course he was. Why would I expect anything else? He was supposed to cut all contact with you and leave you alone.”

“He left her alone alright,” Leah growled. “Abandoned her in the middle of the forest after dumping her. If I hadn’t found her she would’ve frozen.”

Alice rubbed her temples. “He wasn’t supposed to do that, either. He was supposed to leave you safe and sound in your house. I swear I’m going to put a muzzle and a leash on him.”

“I’m freezing and I need to think. If I leave you two here for five minutes will my house still be intact?” Bella asked. She was starting to shiver uncontrollably and she couldn’t think. 

“Go,” Leah told her gently, voice filled with concern. “Warm up, get dressed. I won’t attack if she won’t, and she doesn’t seem likely to.”

“I won’t. Best behavior,” Alice confirmed. “Go take care of yourself. We’ll be good.” Bella gave them both one last look before heading upstairs. She grabbed some warm, comfortable clothes and went into the bathroom, cranking the shower as high as she could get it. The steam warmed her first, and then the hot water finished driving the chill from her body until she could feel her fingers and toes again. She didn’t waste time, quickly drying off and putting on her clothes before rushing back down the stairs. Alice was still sitting in the same spot, statue still, while Leah had moved to the kitchen. 

“I made you some tea,” Leah told her, coming over with a steaming mug and guiding Bella to the couch before passing it to her. Alice tilted her head, eyes glazing over. 

“Would you rather me explain now or in front of an audience?” She asked. “Charlie will be home in an hour, he’s got friends with him.”

“Just- start from the beginning,” Bella gratefully took the mug.

“We didn’t know Edward was feeding on you,” Alice said, jaw tense. “He had us all convinced he just cared about you. I should’ve known better, I should’ve seen it, but I’ve always had a blind spot for him. When James hurt you, we thought it was a lapse and he swore it wouldn’t happen again, but Carlisle started watching you more closely. He saw what Edward was doing and tried to get him to stop. On your birthday, when Jasper lost control… he didn’t need to do that. We could’ve gotten Jasper away without you getting hurt. But he threw you intentionally into that glass and that was when Carlisle decided enough was enough. He forced us all to leave so Edward couldn’t hurt you anymore. Edward split off and Carlisle had me tracking him to make sure he wouldn’t come back for you.”

“You don’t smell like the demons are supposed to,” Leah stated. “Why?”

“I’m not a demon. I’m a witch,” Alice answered. “A seer. I can look into the futures of the people around me. Carlisle saw my usefulness and asked me to join them. He’s not like Edward, he really is trying to be better. Him and Esme. Rosalie… Well, Rosalie’s a succubus, her nature can’t be changed, but she at least only targets the filth among the humans.”

“Why did you all lie about what you are? The whole vampire thing never really made sense if I’m being honest,” Bella said softly. 

“That-“ Alice sighed. “It’s easier. We all lie and pretend and we don’t have to admit that we’re all a loose collection of various monsters. Edward said vampires, and we just… went along with it. I’m sorry, we shouldn’t have. That was on us. It’s all on us. We should’ve stopped him when we realized how far he was going. All I can offer are apologies, and tell you that whatever happens next I’m on your side.”

“And we’re just supposed to trust that?” Leah asked flatly. 

Alice shot her a glare. “What does it even matter to you? Who are you?”

“I’m her girlfriend,” Leah shot back. Alice’s eyes widened. Bella felt a small mix of happy emotions when she said the word. 

Alice looked between them before letting out a small laugh. “Honestly? She’s an upgrade. Well done. But you really can’t stay away from the supernatural creatures of this world, can you?”

“I think I’m in it forever,” Bella chuckled. “You two mind joining me in the kitchen while we keep talking? I’m starving and I need to make dinner.”

“Yeah, need any help?” Leah asked softly, holding her hand. 

“No, it’s alright.” Bella needed to do something with her hands, needed a way to process all the information she’d been given.

“I should probably actually go before Charlie gets home. I think you have more to explain to him than me being back,” Alice told her. “Here. It’s my new number. Call it if you need me to come back.”

“You sure?” Bella took the paper.

“Yeah. I-“ her eyes glazed over again, freezing for a few moments. “You’re gonna have more important things to discuss. Don’t worry. I’m not going to disappear this time. I’m just going to look into a few things, but I’ll be in the area.”

“Alright,” Bella nodded. She didn’t know if she could trust Alice completely, but she was here. And Bella had Leah and Jacob in her corner. Alice gently squeezed her arm before moving to the door. She was gone the moment it closed, disappearing into the dark. Leah’s arms wrapped around her, holding her steady. She was Bella’s rock, her anchor, the solid and warm place she could go when things were too much. 

“If you need to sit down for a while, I can cook,” Leah offered softly. “I know that was a lot.”

“No, I need something to do, to keep my mind busy,” Bella said softly. “You called yourself my girlfriend.”

“Sorry, I hope that was okay. It just kinda slipped out,” Leah said sheepishly. 

“I- I liked it,” Bella said softly.

Leah held her face, looking down at Bella tenderly. “Be my girlfriend?”

“Yeah, I want to be,” Bella smiled wide. Leah smiled back, leaning down to kiss her softly. 

“Cool,” she whispered. “Food time. You need to eat.”

“So do you.” Bella bullied Leah into sitting down while she pulled out everything to make Leah’s favorite. 

“Just let me know if you need help,” Leah chuckled. “Otherwise I’ll just be sitting here, admiring how beautiful you are and wondering how I managed to get so lucky.”

“Oh hush,” Bella blushed, gently shoving her shoulder. 

“Never,” Leah grinned. “I get to be with you. I’m never gonna stop telling you how beautiful you are and how happy I am to just get to be near you.” Bella chuckled and started getting everything together. By the time her dad got home she was putting the lasagna in the oven. 

“Hey, Bella. Hey, Leah. Your dad is here,” Charlie told them. 

“Hey, girls,” Harry greeted. “Smells good in here, Bella.”

“Thanks, I made a tray of lasagna, garlic bread, and I’m making a salad,” Bella listed off. “What are you guys up to?” Bella turned around to see their faces. She had forgotten in everything that she had gotten her hair cut not too long ago. 

“You got a haircut,” Charlie said, staring at her. “You… I don’t think I’ve seen it that short since you were a little girl. Looks good.”

“It’s certainly a statement,” Harry chuckled. 

“She looks amazing,” Leah said firmly, giving her dad a withering stare. 

“Didn’t say it didn’t,” Harry responded. 

“When did you decide to do that?” Charlie asked.

“A few hours ago,” Bella said. 

“Huh. Well,” he shrugged, nodding. “Looks, looks good.” Charlie was always awkward about things like this. He didn’t know how to compliment hair or clothes or really anything. But his smile was genuine, and his hand squeezed Bella’s with that familiar warmth and pride. 

“Thanks dad,” Bella nodded. “Are Sue’s friends here yet?”

“They stopped off at the rez,” Harry told her. “They’ll be here in a bit. We wanted to get here first, let you two know they were coming.”

“Good-“ Bella nodded. “Hopefully I made enough-“ she said. “Maybe I should make some pasta salad too-“ she said going over to the pantry. 

“You made plenty,” Leah said quickly, catching her and making her sit down. She passed Bella some water. “You don’t hydrate enough. You can get up after you drink that.”

“Alright,” Bella reluctantly sat down and started drinking. She was admittedly feeling a little stiff after standing for so long. Leah was sitting close, touching Bella gently like she couldn’t bear to be too far from her. Bella looked over, seeing both of their dads watching them closely. 

“Ready to find out if you’re magic?” Charlie asked Bella. He seemed almost too unphased by how Leah was treating her, as if it were entirely normal to him.

“Yeah- it’s weird to think that we could be,” Bella chuckled. 

“It is. Never thought our family was all that special outside of you,” Charlie chuckled. “Guess we might be after all.”

“What were you two up to today?” Bella asked as Leah hovered around her, making sure she was actually relaxing. 

“Harry was testing my skills or something,” Charlie snorted. 

“I wanted to see how strong his magical tracking was, so last night I had Sam run around and leave a trail to a specific spot. Charlie found his way there in just a few hours,” Harry told them. “Then target practice, he can shoot things that move faster than a regular human can track the motion of.”

“Suppose so,” Charlie mumbled. “What about you two? Get up to anything other than the haircut?”

“Read some books, Bella did some homework,” Leah answered casually, looking over at Bella to see if she would say more. 

“Anything else?” Charlie asked, giving Bella a knowing look. 

“Um- nothing- nothing to-“ Bella stammered feeling conflicted about not telling her dad. 

Charlie narrowed his eyes suspiciously, leaning forward. “Bella Marie Swan, you promised.”

“Leah’s my girlfriend.” Bella blurted out. 

“Oh,” Charlie blinked. “Alright. She finally told you about the imprint thing?”

“You told him?” Leah demanded, giving her dad a betrayed look. 

“I didn’t! He put it together!” Harry defended. 

“Oh come on, you weren’t being subtle,” Charlie snorted. “Leah’s all over Bella all the time, she acts like she can’t bear to be more than a foot away, and we hear this story about werewolves finding their soulmates with their magic and I look over and see Leah staring at Bella like she’s her entire world? I’m pretty sure Bella was the only one who didn’t put it together.”

“I didn’t really know lesbians could be a thing!” Bella defended. 

“Your mom never told you about gay people?” Charlie asked, confused. “When we first met she was traveling with a lesbian couple. It was a big group, but I distinctly remember them because it was the first time I’d seen two girls kiss and it threw me off.”

“Used to be a lesbian in La Push,” Harry said. “She moved to Seattle like twenty years ago.”

“Who was the lesbian?” Charlie asked in confusion. 

“Helen Uley.”

“Helen Uley was a lesbian?!” Charlie gaped. Leah sighed, resting her head on Bella’s shoulder. 

“I hate small towns,” she chuckled. 

“But that’s all that happened today,” Bella said. Her dad didn’t need to know about the cliff jumping.

“Glad it finally came out,” Charlie nodded. “No more sleepovers and the door stays open at all times.” Leah let out a quiet groan, pouting heavily. 

“All we do is read!” Belle defended. “Just watch movies.”

“And that’s going to stay all you’re doing. I’m an equal parent. If I’d put this restriction on a boy, it’s on Leah too,” Charlie told her. 

“This is so lame,” Bella groaned. Before she could protest further there was a knock at the door. 

“That’s probably Sue’s friends.”

Charlie went to open the door and Bella and Leah carefully looked to see who it was. 

Two Mexican women stood in the doorway, they could be twins if it wasn’t for the comical height difference.

“Hello, I’m Luna and this is my sister Sol,” the shorter one introduced. “You must be Charlie and…” the woman looked right at Bella. “And Bella.” 

“Yeah. Thanks for coming,” Charlie nodded. The taller one, Sol, walked right up to Bella and grabbed her by the face. Leah immediately shoved between them, a warning growl leaving her. 

“Calm down, shapeshifter,” Sol snorted. “Bella, tell your mate to stand down so I can inspect you.”

“Is this how you normally operate?” Bella asked.

“Yes,” Luna answered. “Excuse my sister, she's eccentric.”

“I need to see your head,” Sol grunted, trying to reach around Leah. “What are you made of, fuckin’ concrete?”

“You can touch her when she gives you permission,” Leah snapped. Sol groaned. 

“Bella, can I please grab your head?” She asked, each word sounding like an inconvenience. 

“Uh- sure-“ Bella said. “I don’t know how this helps you see.”

Leah reluctantly stepped to the side, and Sol grabbed her again. Her piercing dark eyes felt like they were seeing right through Bella and she instinctively shied away from it. “Stop that,” she said. 

“Stop what?”

“Shielding yourself more. It doesn’t help if I can’t see anything.”

“I’m not doing anything,” Bella protested. 

“Not intentionally,” Sol hummed. “Definitely a shield! A powerful one, too. I can’t see into her head, and I’m not easy to stump. It would take a lot of effort to break through that, but I’m lazy and don’t wanna.”

“We’ve also got a latent tracker,” Luna called, tracing her fingers across Charlie’s hands. 

“So we got a witch and a watered down hunter,” Sol clapped her hands together. “That’ll be easy.”

“What?” Charlie asked, looking uncomfortable. 

“Your magic is tuned towards hunting and tracking. I don’t sense Hunter blood, so you’re not a birthright kid, but you’ve still got some abilities that match,” Sol explained. “But Bella here has some powerful protection abilities, stronger than I’ve seen in a while.”

“What does that mean for them?” Leah asked. “Because Bella’s got vampires and demons after her. Can she use it to protect herself?”

“Oh yeah,” Sol nodded. “Herself and others. With practice, Bella can extend her mental protections to other people to defend from any sort of psychic attack. I’d wager you could even turn it into a physical barrier if you tried hard enough.”

“Like- a shield- like something out of He-man?” Bella snorted. 

“No,” Sol laughed. “More like- like Violet from The Incredibles. An invisible barrier that you can put around you. The mental shield you have is a psychic version of that barrier, so magical creatures can’t enter your head to read your mind or affect your thoughts or memories. Which is probably a good thing, considering the demon mark on you.”

“The what on her?” Charlie asked, immediately concerned. 

“Demon mark?” Luna walked over and touched Bella’s chin. Bella was starting to get really uncomfortable with the amount of eye contact happening. “Oh yeah, look at that. Huh.”

“Can you get it off her?” Leah asked immediately.

“We can’t, but Bella can,” Luna said. 

“How? What do I need- how can I break it?” Bella asked, grabbing her arm. She was sick of Edward’s control, sick of the nightmares, sick of every mark he’d left on her. Edward Cullen had left a bloodstain on her soul, one that she couldn’t rid herself of no matter how hard she tried. Like scrubbing spilled wine from a white shirt, the mark would never leave her. 

She needed him gone.

“Ow-“ Sol said. “First things first, we gotta find out what your base magic is. It’s obvious your shield is what’s keeping you safe, but it’s a brick on the foundation of your magic.”

“Charlie yours will be easier. But Sue said you want to learn how to fight our kind, meaning you’re going to have to train. Hard,” Luna told him. “All of your gifts are physical. You need to learn to hone them.”

“We can start tomorrow,” Sol told them. “We’ll meet up after you’re done with your day jobs and show you the ropes. We’ll need the shapeshifters.”

“You mean the werewolves?” Leah asked. 

“Were- you’re not a werewolf,” Sol laughed. “Not even close! You’re a shapeshifter, it just happened that your other form is a wolf. It could’ve been literally any animal. Werewolves turn with the full moon into uncontrollable monsters, and they have a silver allergy.” She pressed her hand into Leah’s arm before pulling away. “This ring is silver. If you were a werewolf, that would’ve burned you.”

“Huh?” Leah stared at her, confused. 

“Boy howdy you’ve been isolated too long,” Luna said. “Tell you what, we have a few friends, we’ll teleport them in tonight and tomorrow we’ll have a bonfire. Sound good? Tomorrow night? We’ll leave a note on your doors?”

“You can just tell us? Why are you leaving notes on doors?” Leah asked, even more baffled. 

“Where is your whimsy? Your sense of adventure and mystery?” Sol demanded. 

“Also we haven’t figured out what time yet,” Luna said flatly. 

“If you tell one of us the whole pack will know. With our mind link,” Leah clarified. 

“Psychically connected shapeshifter pack? That’s fun and also a new one for me,” Sol snorted.  “We’re still leaving notes. See you all then, my little sister and I have work to do!” They swept towards the door quickly, bickering in Spanish before disappearing right in front of them. 

“That was… weird,” Charlie commented. 

“Beyond,” Bella agreed. She went to pull the lasagna out, Leah immediately sitting down with an excited look on her face. 

“That smells amazing, thank you for cooking,” Leah told her, eyes fixated on the tray. 

“We’ll eat and probably head out. Leah’s got pack business to handle,” Harry added. Leah frowned. 

“Bummer, but I’ll see you tomorrow,” Bella said softly as she grabbed plates for everyone. 

“Yeah,” Leah agreed, looking as bummed as Bella felt. She helped Bella serve everyone, all of them sitting down to eat. Leah was patient, waiting for everyone else to eat their fill and for Charlie’s lunch to get packed before devouring the rest of the tray. With how much her girlfriend ate, Bella realized she was going to have to adjust her portion sizes when she cooked. 

“I’ll make sure to make a mini tray just for you next time,” Bella said softly to Leah.

“You don’t have to,” Leah told her softly. “You’re an amazing cook, but I can just eat more later.”

“Please feed her more,” Harry begged. “I haven’t had a full pantry between her shifting and Seth starting to show signs. I’ll give you money to feed her if it means sending her home full.”

“I can’t help it,” Leah complained. “I’m hungry all the time. After shifting it’s like my stomach is a black hole. It’s never satisfied.”

“I have many recipes I wanna try out so I hope you’re a willing participant,” Bella joked. “I’ll have Charlie make us some steaks and I can make all the sides. He can make a mean ribeye.”

“I’m a grill master,” Charlie nodded. “I’ll pick up a family pack so Leah can have a few.”

“Really you don’t have to,” Leah told them. “I mean- I’d love to have dinner here again, and I’m more than happy to taste any and all recipes, but don’t break the bank for my eating habits. I have other ways to get food.”

“Please I don’t eat much meat.”

“I’m rich from being a bachelor.” Charlie said flatly. 

“Alright, alright,” Leah conceded, smiling at Bella. “Only because you said please. I’m too soft for those big brown eyes of yours.” Bella made a mental note of that. 

“You should get going or else I’ll never let you leave,” Bella said softly.

“I’d stay forever if you asked me,” Leah told her. 

“No you won’t. You need to report back to the pack,” Harry reminded her. “You have responsibilities.”

“Ugh. Responsibility is the worst,” Leah grumbled. “Walk me out, Bella?”

“Yeah,” Bella started following Leah back to her Subaru. “I know today accidentally turned insane, but thank you for being there.”

“Always and forever,” Leah responded. “No matter how crazy things get, I’ll be here for you.” Leah looked around, leaning close. “Can… can I sneak into your room later? I just want to cuddle, I promise. Nothing nefarious.”

“Yeah, you- you wanna sneak in?” Bella asked just as quietly.

“If you’re okay with it, yeah,” Leah nodded. “I miss you when you’re not around.”

“I’ll leave my window open, just come on up.”

“Okay,” Leah grinned widely. “Think Charlie would freak out if I stole one more kiss before I left?” Bella reached up again, kissing Leah softly. 

“That is going to get addicting very quickly,” Bella whispered. Leah nodded, kissing her again and again. Bella felt her back press against Leah’s Subaru, gripping Leah’s arms and falling into it. It was like fire, spreading from Leah’s lips and completely consuming her until she couldn’t think. 

A car horn split the air, startling them apart. Harry was still in his truck, honking a few more times. 

“Alright!” Leah hollered. “See you tonight, Bells.”

“See you tonight, Leah,” Bella stood back so she could get in her car.

Bella watched as Leah’s car slowly disappeared into the mist. As she walked back inside she saw her dad cleaning up.

“I cooked, I can get that,” Bella said. 

“No, you cooked. I’ll clean. That’s fair,” Charlie told her. “Wanna watch a movie or something? Bet we can find something on, or you’ve got all those DVD’s and tapes. You can pick whatever.”

“Yeah a movie sounds good,” Bella nodded.

Her and Charlie got settled into the evening. They decided on this cheesy buddy movie from the 80s. Her dad almost made it through the whole thing before falling asleep. Once it was over, they said their good nights and Bella went into her room and quickly opened the window. She wasn’t expecting Leah for a while so she got out her book and started reading. She became engrossed in the pages, not even noticing time passing until there was a quiet thump in her room. Leah closed the window behind her, wearing what Bella was starting to call the werewolf uniform: shorts and a muscle shirt with no shoes, unphased by the cold outside. Leah walked over laying down next to her. 

“I’ve got patrol early in the morning,” she told Bella softly. “I’ll probably be gone by the time you wake up.”

“Are you sure you wanna stay here then?” Bella asked. “I don’t want you to be tired.”

Leah’s arms wrapped around her, the woman letting out a contented breath. “I just wanna hold you for a while. I’m trying really hard to be normal but I swear it’s like I can’t be away from you for more than five minutes without going crazy,” she chuckled. “The pack hates me. All I think about is you.” Bella got comfortable in her arms, turning off one of the lights in her room but leaving the other on for a nightlight.

“All I want to be is with you. When I’m at school, I just want you there as a decoration,” Bella joked. 

“If I could be, I would be. Sam said this phase of the imprint passes in a few weeks, but until then we’ll both be clingy,” Leah mumbled, nuzzling her shoulder. “I could start dropping you off and picking you up? Or meeting you wherever. Anything to spend time with you.”

 “What? No, you have actual responsibilities. I don’t want to bore you with school stuff.” 

“My only real responsibility is to guard you and keep you safe,” Leah snorted. “Sam knows I can’t stay away from you anymore than he can stay away from Emily, so he put me on Bella duty. Hope you don’t get sick of seeing my pretty face because it’s gonna be around a lot.”

“Alright you can pick me up from school,” Bella snorted. Leah smiled, wrapping herself around Bella fully. She was warm and soft, and Bella slowly relaxed into her touch. This was completely new to her, cuddling someone who’s skin didn’t freeze when she touched them. Leah’s warmth and the sense of safety she exuded wrapped around Bella, her eyes slowly drifting shut as Leah’s steady breathing lulled her to sleep.