Things were finally looking up again after several months of constant stress.

Following his long awaited return to La Push, a large party was hosted at the Uley house to celebrate Marshall coming home and, as luck would have it, his birthday. It was the first time everyone was able to really unwind with one another without having to worry about anything since the whole pregnancy debacle happened. Strained relationships had officially mended. Personal struggles were talked out, making way for proper healing. And, to make life even better, Marshall was given a special, unexpected present from his husband.

After getting proposed to, Paul appointed himself with a very serious mission. He remembered how, the night of their wedding, popping the question hadn't been a planned ordeal. There had been no prior preparation or carefully thought out arrangements. There hadn't been any keepsakes to give upon their agreement to marry. Because of that, neither he nor Marshall received an engagement ring since, after getting a simple matching set, they went straight to city hall to wed. Now, however, with Marshall having proposed and giving his own gift, Paul felt he should do the same to make up for not being able to in the beginning.

Much like Paul's, the band in its entirety was stunning: white gold was mixed with normal gold as sleek metal had handmade etchings carved into the outer surface, depicting bundles of floral vines; the inside had a single pawprint engraved at the bottom; and a group of six, smaller white diamonds surrounded a singular, blush pink, heart-shaped one.

A beautiful ring for a beautiful man.

Receiving another important memento gave the perfect opportunity for them to announce their newly established union, as well as a desire to begin preparations for a real wedding.

Now, with Marshall and Paul's relationship back on the upswing, Brad felt it was an appropriate time to start opening himself up in terms of his own bond with Leah.

***

"So, I'm thinking when it comes to this section of instrumentals, we could incorporate a few solos before moving into a full composition." Marshall circled a list of instruments under consideration for their new song. "Because it's a slower, more sensual tune, I was thinking along the lines of, like, trumpet, guitar, saxophone- not sure about tenor or alto just yet, and then bringing them all together with some percussion before swinging back into a dual chorus."

Brad rubbed his chin with one hand, while the other rested on the table, his fingers lightly tapping against the surface. "I'm cool with those instruments. I think having them in the order of guitar, trumpet, and saxophone would be really nice. We could try out a flamenco guitar if you want a deeper, grittier sound. Ooh- or we could try a vihuela guitar if you want a brighter sound. And if you want to have a richer sound because this is a Spanglish song, for the percussion, you can't go wrong with castanets and bongos on top of the normal drum set."

"Add castanets and bongos..." Marshall murmured while writing. "For some depth, we can incorporate a double bass part too during the solos which could lead into the big band section." 

"I like the way you think, hermano."

He flipped his hair in an exaggerated fashion. "Lo sé. Soy inteligente cuando quiero serlo."

Shaking his head fondly, Brad couldn't help but glance at the front door when catching a plethora of scents.  There was the signature aroma of wet dog coupled with something creamy, something syrupy, and something with a bolder, more savory fragrance. His heightened hearing also caught wind of approaching footsteps, laughter, and paper bags as they crumpled in peoples' grasps.

His interest piqued when watching a few members of the pack entering the house with an excited pep in their step. They were all wearing sneakers, black sweats, and red, yellow, and blue jerseys with Spain's Coat of Arms embroidered on the left side of the chest. As they walked further inside to get situated, it was noticed how everyone's last names had been printed on their shirts too.

"Wow. I haven't seen so many people represent my country since I moved away from Andalucía."

"Oh, do the jerseys look authentic? I really hope so- we got them for today's game," Leah responded, walking over to the table with her own bag in hand. 

"I didn't know you guys watched like that," Brad responded, impressed.

"Normally, we don't. But Marsh told us you get really excited, so I thought we could do something nice. You know, make it a tradition for all of us to get together to support a part of your heritage."

Leah reached into the bag, careful to not jostle any of the papers on the table. She pulled out a large bundle of extra jerseys, seemingly for everyone who hadn't gone shopping with her. A bit of redness formed on the tips of her ears as she presented Brad's jersey with a shy smile. 

Their hands touched, extreme heat meeting extreme cold and settling on a pleasant warmth.

"This...was your idea?"

"Yeah. I hope it's not weird or anything."

"It's not. For real-" Brad's expression softened, his stomach filling with butterflies. "That's actually really sweet of you."

Leah rubbed the back of her neck, looking toward the ground. "It- it's nothing. I just figured, you know, because you've been really open when it comes to our customs that, well, maybe we could start learning some of yours."

"...Thank you."

Brad was taken aback by the sentiment. 

When he first moved to the States, he expected to have to adopt an entirely new cultural identity since North America was so different from Europe. Becoming friends with Marshall had given Brad the chance to preserve the aspects of his heritage he grew up with. He was also able to find that same sense of understanding, close companionship with Paul after the three of them started living together. 

When it came to the other pack members,  Brad's Spanish pride usually only showed itself through his cooking. Getting a chance to appreciate his homeland in other ways with everyone else was like a dream come true.

"We also stopped by a Spanish restaurant to grab some snacks. I figured if we were going to experience this, we should do it right."

Brad stood up, taking off his t-shirt to replace it with his new jersey. "Hey, if you want to go all out, you have to represent your country by wearing the flag as a cape."

Leah didn't say anything. Instead, she shielded her mouth with the back of her hand in an attempt to keep her laughter at bay.

Brad's excitement increased ten fold.

*

Completing household chores was a lot more fun with 1) company, and 2) music. Brad liked cleaning on its own, but having people around to get everything done with him made the task more entertaining. Although it wasn't his house they were cleaning, with how much time he and everyone else spent at Emily's place, he had no issues in lending a hand when necessary.

Emily herself had already finished cooking and was in the process of washing dishes. Sam stood beside her, drying and organizing when she needed him to. Paul was currently in the process of reorganizing the refrigerator. Marshall had just finished clearing off the table so he could start polishing the silverware. A round of sweeping was completed, leaving Brad with the newly appointed task of mopping.

A mixed playlist switched from an upbeat hip-hop tune to a Latin salsa party song.

Brad froze as soon as he heard the first couple of seconds.

Then, without being able to control himself when it came to good music, he began dancing. 

It started out with his head bobbing up and down. Then, he started shimmying his shoulders to the beat of the song. Soft hip shakes gained momentum as instrumentation picked up even further. Next thing he knew, he was using the handle of the mop like a microphone stand, maneuvering the wooden stick around his body the way he would a dance partner.

Marshall was on his feet, shaking his hips and twirling his rag in the air, less than a minute later.

Like the true chaotic duo everyone knew them to be, they temporarily stopped cleaning in order to really commit to their unplanned routine.

They were so occupied with each other, neither of them noticed when a few of their pack mates entered the house.

"Hey, Rafa, do you mind if we-"

Leah stopped short as she caught sight of what was going on.

Brad nearly froze when hearing her voice. Not because he was embarrassed at being caught in such a silly state, but because she'd actually called him by the old nickname abuelita used to use.

The only other person who ever said it was Marshall before he decided on using Romero instead.

Hearing the name Rafa coming from Leah...

Well, with the endearing way she called him, it was actually pretty nice.

And if they were at a "using nicknames" type of phase, then...

"You came at a good time, hermosa. Come dance with us!"

Leah's understanding when it came to Spanish wasn't great. She couldn't grasp anything if Brad spoke to her in full sentences, or anything passed the usual, "Hola", "Buenas tardes", or something simple like that. She did, however, remember a few words from her old classes when she was still in high school.

"Hermosa" was a word she often found delightful because it sounded pleasing to the ear.

Having the title given to her, by her imprint, no less, made her want to run away and go scream into a pillow.

Brad beckoned her over with cute little grabby hands.

Rolling her eyes, Leah allowed herself to be pulled over by Marshall so they could rejoin Brad together.

*

"Okay, let's see..." Paul's eyebrows scrunched in concentration while looking through a small itinerary. "The apple, grape, and pear orchards are available. Corn picking is available. The pumpkins are still up too- kind of close by to the petting zoo. It says here that the shop is selling fresh batches of cider and pumpkin donuts too, so we can check that out before we leave. We have another forty minutes to hang around before the next hayride shows up."

"Do you guys want to stay together or split up?"

"We can split and just meet back here in, like, thirty minutes. I know Marsh wants to go look at the pumpkins before going to see the baby goats."

Brad nodded in agreement. "That works. I wanted to go take a look at the apple orchard to see if I could pick something up to make a nice pie later."

"Sounds good. We'll see you guys in a bit then. Be safe."

"Of course. Have fun!~"

Brad offered a small wave as he said goodbye to his two best friends. With them gone, he was now left alone with Leah. A small red wagon was nestled between them, waiting to be filled with freshly grown produce.

"You good to go?" he asked her, taking a moment to brush a stray piece of hair out of her face.

Snuggling into one of his old jackets, Leah nodded. She happily took hold of the arm presented for her to grab. Together, they walked past the entrance to a large cornfield over toward the long, spacious orchards.

With November having rolled around, a lot of the fruits and vegetables waiting to be picked were being sold at a discounted price since they were about to go out of season. This presented a great opportunity to buy loads of organic foods with the intention of using them for special, homemade concoctions. Pies, soups, pastries, drinks—there were a lot of interesting possibilities to choose from. 

Brad bypassed the normal red apples to take a gander at the golden delicious ones. When he was still human, he preferred green ones when it came to snacking and yellow ones when it came to baking. Being a connoisseur of sorts made him look with a keen eye for the slightest of imperfections to indicate possible spoilage. Bruising was easy to notice, of course. If needed, he gave a light squeeze to see if some apples were more firm or squishy than others. 

He was moving to take one down when he noticed Leah trying to do the same. The fruit she was aiming for was higher up—slightly out of reach.

Brad took it upon himself to wrap an arm around her waist to get her attention. Then, he reached up to grab the apple she was trying to get. Once it came free, he held it near her face so she could get a closer look.

"Nice one?"

"Yeah. There are a couple others I'd like to get down. If you don't mind, I mean."

"Not at all."

Giving a gentle side hug, Brad reached up to grab another apple.

*

"Sorry if I took long. I wanted to make sure the caramel was hot enough before mixing it into the popcorn."

Brad placed a tray of snacks onto the coffee table, careful to have everything on a coaster to not ruin the wood.

Leah's small living room was cozy with how it was decorated: walls the color of cantaloupes had bookshelves, tapestries, and framed, preserved insects on display; tall windows were completely covered by long blackout curtains; hardwood floors were mostly hidden beneath a wide medallion rug; a red couch had a comfortable throw blanket waiting for them to snuggle under. 

Rather than having a television, Leah used a projector in order to watch movies, play games, and things of that nature. An older horror movie was waiting on the title screen as the two got situated together. 

Both were clad in pajamas even though only one of them was capable of sleeping. Brad's curls had been pulled up into a messy bun. Leah's hair had been worked into a french braid with short strands framing her face. They had on matching cat socks with pink toe beans on the bottoms of their feet.

Leah reached over to grab the blanket to drape it over their laps. 

Her attention darted toward the kitchen, though, when her doorbell rang.

"That's weird- I'm not expecting company right now."

Brad turned his head, taking a quick whiff. "Smells like a human, if that makes you feel better. Actually, they smell a lot like you."

"A lot like m-"

Leah's eyes widened. As if realizing who was waiting for her, she jumped up from the couch to run toward the kitchen. With Brad getting up to lean against the counter, she continued on until reaching the front door. Pulling it open revealed quite the unanticipated guest.

"M- mom," Leah stammered, clearly caught off guard. "Uh, what're you doing here?"

"I just wanted to drop off some dinner to you because Charlie and I had a lot leftover. Is it a bad time, though? Were you busy? If so, I can always leave."

"No- no, mom, you're fine. Sorry- you just surprised me. I can tell that you're cold, so you can come in. I have some extra hot chocolate on the stove, if you want it."

"That would be nice, honey."

Leah's mom walked in with a grateful smile. She gave her daughter a sweet kiss on the forehead and moved toward the dining table with a glass container in hand.

Only then did she notice a certain someone standing in the kitchen.

"Oh, hello! I didn't know you had company, sweetheart."

"Yeah, my bad." Leah motioned between both people to introduce them. "Brad, this is my mom, Sue Clearwater. Mom, this is Brad Romero. My...imprint."

"Your- oh!" Sue blinked. "You're Marshall's friend, right? Seth talks a lot about you guys."

"Ah, yes, that's me. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Clearwater."

"You can call me Sue, dear."

They both reached out to shake each other's hands.

Sue jumped slightly in response to Brad's touch.

He took his back with a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that. I'm used to the pack not acknowledging my temp. I kind of...run pretty cold, so."

Sue couldn't help but giggle. "Aww, you're such a sweet boy!~ I already know what you are, honey. When I say Seth talks about you and Marshall all the time, I mean all the time. The only thing I didn't know about you was what you looked like. It doesn't bother me that you're a vampire. If anything, I really admire how you're able to push aside your natural instincts to be around the wolves. I'm sure it must be difficult."

"It really started that way. But I've gotten used to it. Having a good support system has helped me with the transition. I'm just glad everyone so far has been welcoming."

"That's good. I know for certain vampires that...resisting the urge can be impossible. Especially if they've decided to ignore their humanity."

Brad's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He shared a brief second of eye contact with Leah. When seeing a similar expression on her face, both people moved toward the dining table to sit down with Sue.

Leah carefully wrapped her fingers around her mother's wrist. "Mom? Have you been targeted by vampires recently?"

"It's not that I've been targeted. It's just..." Sue's carefree demeanor changed to something much more tense. "Now that Charlie and I are seeing each other, I've been going to his house more to spend time with him. He hasn't been doing well since he stopped hearing from Bella after her wedding."

The simple mention of that woman's name made Brad's hair stand on end. It was because of her that the pack members had gone through so much. It was because of her that Marshall had to make the decision to kill his old coven mates. It was because of her that Brad and Leah were separated for so long.

If Bella was mentioned, it would always mean trouble.

"I honestly thought she'd died after everything happened. But...apparently, she didn't. Because she came to the house a couple days ago."

"For what? Did she threaten you? Were you hurt? Did Charlie get hurt?" Leah asked, worry heard clear in her voice.

Sue rubbed her daughter's hand to calm her. "Bella didn't threaten us. But she did get into an argument with Charlie. She said something along the lines of, now that Edward was gone, she didn't care about anything else. She blamed Charlie for constantly being overbearing when it came to her relationship, and how he was one of the reasons why they used to fight so often. Bella told Charlie she didn't need him or want to see him ever again. And she left after pretty much stomping his heart into the dirt."

So...Bella actually had survived in the end. And now, she was roaming around as a rogue vampire with, apparently, no coven. Since she was tearing apart her dearest relationships, it was possible she was no longer traveling with Carlisle or Esme.

Or her child.

Brad made a mental note to contact Marshall as soon as he could.

For now, he offered a kind smile. "I can tell you have more you'd like to get off your chest. How about I grab you some cocoa, and we can talk all this out?"

Sue looked between his golden eyes and relaxed. "That would be nice, Brad."