Chapter 39: Chapter 39

Juliet put out her fourth cigarette on the wood next to her leg, sighing as her hands trembled when she took out another. The sun was going to set soon, and then it would be too cold for her to stay at the beach. She didn't want to go back to Emily's, to return to the suffocating worry that filled the house. A breeze swept by, putting out her lighter each time she flicked it.

"God fucking damnit..." She mumbled, shaking it lightly before turning in on herself to shield the flame. Finally it ignited, and she straightened up when the tip of the cigarette glowed orange. She breathed out the smoke with a sigh, shoving the lighter into the almost empty cigarette carton, sticking it back in her pocket and leaving her hands there. She inhaled another time, before she heard something behind her. She turned, the cigarette falling out of her mouth when she saw Leah standing just at the edge of the path. "Leah!" Juliet cried, rushing from her seat and scrambling through the sand. Leah met her half way, her arms hot around Juliet's frozen body.

"What the hell are you doing all the way out here, trying to freeze to death?" Juliet heard Leah say over the sounds of her own sobs. "I'm okay, I'm okay." She stroked Juliet's hair, her hand warming Juliet's head.

"You're alive!" Juliet smiled up at Leah, tears streaming down her face. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you inside, come on." Leah frowned, starting to pull her back towards Emily's. "Seriously, Jules, staying out there like that..." Leah shook her head.

"Is everyone else okay?" Juliet asked. "Bella, Nessie...?"

"Everyone's fine, we didn't even have to fight." They reached Emily's house, and the warmth enveloped Juliet like a hot hug. Leah sat at the table, pulling Juliet down onto her lap. The entire pack was scattered around the house, save Jake, eating, talking and laughing. Things finally felt good. "No, the Cullen's plan worked, actually. We were able to make them stop, Bella took Nessie up to the leader-some little back haired freak. And Alice...whew, man. She came through. She and Jasper went to South America and found another half-vampire half-human. Nahuel or something, anyway he proved that Nessie wouldn't be a danger since he was like 150 years old. And get this, he's got half-vampire sisters too. And, just like Nessie, they're not venomous."

"Really?" Juliet breathed, her sleeved swiping across her face to clear the tears. "No way."

"Yeah." Leah smiled widely now. "The Volturi backed off, all those other leeches left, and everything's cool again." A wide smile broke across Juliet's face again. "Oh, and get this, Edward says we're not werewolves-not true ones anyway."

"Wait, what?"

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"Yeah, turns out we're just shapeshifters." Leah shrugged, and Sue chuckled.

"Oh, just?" Sue shook her head lightly, bringing Leah and Seth into a hug again. "Well thank god that's all over, hmm?" She asked when she pulled back. "Seth, you better be going back to school soon."

"Soon, promise mom." Seth nodded. "Unless Jake needs me-"

"He doesn't need you." Leah said pointedly. "Whose second in command here, Seth? It's not you." The pair began to bicker and Sue chuckled, moving back into the kitchen. Juliet followed, giving the wolves their space.

"So you and my dad have Christmas all planned out, hmm?" Juliet leaned against the sink as Sue moved to the stove. "Talked to him on the way home."

"Yeah, he and Billy decided that I should do all the cooking this year." Sue chuckled. "And it's gonna be a lot of work, the whole packs coming. Imprints too, of course."

"Okay, okay, I get it." Juliet chucked. "You don't need to guilt trip me anymore, I'll help."

"Guilt trip?" Sue had a coy smile on her face. "I would never."

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"Okay, okay!" Charlie shouted over the loud rumble of talking. The Swan living room was packed full and tight, there had probably never been more people inside the tiny room before. It didn't help that everyone in the pack was extremely large. "Present time, figure it out yourselves!" The rumble of talking resumed, but now brightly colored boxes were being passed-and thrown-around the room in a state of confusion. Juliet looked over, seeing Jake putting the bracelet he'd made on Nessie's wrist.

"Here." Leah whispered in Juliet's ear as she pulled something from her pocket and placed it on Juliet's lap. "Merry Christmas." Juliet looked down, seeing a small envelope. Juliet glanced back at her, seeing the small smile on Leah's face. She eagerly tore open the envelope, making Leah chuckle-though she swore she heard Edward as well. She dumped the contents of the envelope into her hand, holding it up. A small, gold key sat in her palm-a house key. She looked back at Leah, her hand closing around it.

"It's from us." Juliet looked over at Edward and Bella, who were sitting in chairs next to the couch. "But I wanted Leah to give it to you, since it's as much hers as it is yours." It took a moment for Juliet to process Edward's words. Then, she gasped.

"Shut up, no way." Juliet stared at the key in her hand as if it was an alien object before looking back at Edward and Bella. "No you didn't."

"Esme renovated it a year or so ago, but she loved it too much to truly part with it." Edward explained. "It was really her idea."

"Guys..." Juliet breathed, her head spinning. "You can't just give us a house."

"We can and we did." Bella smiled, leaning over onto the arm of the couch. "Course, I had to work with Leah to get it right for you."

"Well you know how picky she is about books." Leah argued, and Juliet gazed between them with stars in her eyes. "Since you were so adamant about the library, I had to make sure it was right."

"Library..." Juliet whispered. "This is a dream, I'm convinced. I'm dreaming right now." Edward chuckled.

"If you don't like it, we can take it back." He teased. "Bella and I could always use a second place, a little farther away from my parents."

"No I'm keeping it." Juliet's hand tightened around the key again and she held it close to her heart, making the three of them laugh. "But this is insane, Bella. Now I feel like a total schmuck for what I got you."

"Well give it to me then." Bella smiled. "So I can tell you how great it is." Juliet rolled her eyes, leaning forward and picking up the bag from under the coffee table. She held it out, and Bella put it in her lap, carefully pulling the red leather album from the bag. She gasped lightly as she looked at the front. "Jules..."

"Mom's hoarding habits finally paid off." Juliet smiled, leaning into Leah again as she watched Bella flip through the pages. "It's kinda more for Nessie than it is for you, but I figured maybe you didn't remember some of this stuff so well. I know I didn't. Do you remember when dad and Billy took us fishing, and you fell in the lake?" Edward snorted.

"You did?" He leaned over, looking at the pictures. "Juliet, I can't believe you've held out Bella's embarrassing childhood stories from me." Bella groaned, hitting his arm.

"I don't get to know yours, you don't get to know mine." Bella looked pointedly at Juliet. "Don't tell him anything."

"Okay, I won't say a single thing." Juliet raised her eyebrows at Edward, and he covered her mouth as he laughed.

"Juliet!" Bella groaned.

"What!? I told you I wouldn't say anything and I didn't!" Juliet defended, feeling Leah's chest shake with laughter.

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"This was totally too much." Juliet sighed as she settled into her new bed. Leah was close behind her, instantly warming her up. Juliet sighed happily, snuggling closer to Leah. "Way too much."

"Oh totally, but did you really think I was about to turn down a free fucking house?" Leah snorted. "Fat chance. And it doesn't even smell like bloodsucker that much." Juliet chucked, her fingers rubbing light circles over Leah's tattoo.

"Things are perfect, aren't they?" Juliet breathed, looking at Leah's face in the low light. "They'll never get any better."

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Leah smiled, dipping her face closer. "I love you, Juliet."

"I love you too, Leah."