A/N: I've been wanting to write a Jasper/Leah piece for awhile now. They are a pairing that really interests me. I really hope you all enjoy it.

I do not own any Twilight characters, I just like to mix things up.

Twenty Minutes.

The voice of my wife pushed me further with each passing second.

She gave me twenty minutes; twenty precious minutes to say and do the things that I should've done a year ago. Why? Because my wife is ridiculously unselfish, offering me things that I didn't deserve what so ever. Instead of reeling over losing her husband for the past year, she has accepted it, bowing out gracefully. However, none of that may matter in the long run if things turn out to not be in our favor.

I ran with everything I had until I reached the clearing; our clearing. It was the perfect place, a spot we stumbled upon on accident. A place that belongs on neither this nor that side of the border. It is hidden, away from any prying eyes that may come our way.

I stood in the middle of the clearing, nervously pacing back and forth, counting down the seconds in my mind. Time has never meant much to me over the decades but, at this very moment, it meant everything. Silently cursing each second that passed, I was beginning to wonder if I should even be here right now. The fate of my entire family rested with Alice and myself and yet, here I was, waiting for someone who may or may not…

All train of thought was immediately cut off when that undeniable scent filled my senses; a scent that could only belong to one person, to one woman. My eyes narrowed quickly to where she stood, watching me from no more than twenty feet away. Her head was tilted in confusion when she saw the wild, frantic look in my eyes.

"I would've been here soon but I was taking…" she began but I didn't let her finish. We don't have time for useless words. I was across the clearing in a matter of seconds, my arms around her, my lips capturing hers in what could only be called a desperate kiss. She was shocked for a split second but all that faded away when I opened the floodgates, allowing all the passion and desire I have for her flow between us. Her hands wound their way into my hair, pressing herself closer, tighter to me. I ran my tongue across that delicious bottom lip of hers, practically begging to let me in, which she eagerly complied to.

As much as I could spend hours in this very spot doing this very thing, I knew that time was of the essence and I couldn't waste anymore. To both of our dismay, I pulled away from her, my hands holding her face as I gazed into her brown eyes.

"Jasper?" my name fell from her lips breathlessly "what's wrong?" now that she can see me clearer, she knows something's not right. I don't even have to say anything and she knows. Why is that? According to her, it's because of the unspoken bond the two of us have. A bond that neither of us asked for and yet, here we stand together.

"Leah" I began, suddenly aware that I have no idea how to go about this. I quickly decided that it'd be best to just say it "I'm leaving." I watch helplessly as her entire face drops, sadness and fear resonating off of her in droves. I understand each emotion perfectly; for I feel them as well towards her.

She is afraid because there is impending battle on the horizon, bound to happen any day now. We've spent months preparing, training both vampires and werewolves once again in hopes that things will turn out okay.

It is not the battle that she is fearful of however. No, Leah is a warrior, a fighter like me. She is strong, relentless and I know that she will be able to hold her own. No, what she is fearful of is losing me. Yes, she is scared of losing me just as I am terrified of losing her. Which is why this sudden departure on my part has to be one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

"Yo..you can't leave me" she stammered and for the first time, she is at a loss for words "not now Jasper, I need you."

"Leah, we don't have much time." As much as I wanted to explain to her everything, I knew there isn't enough time. There are much more important things on hand to discuss.

"Why Jasper?" she sighed "why are you leaving me?" the hurt in her voice was something I wish to never hear again, especially now that I know all that she went through with the first love. I promised that I would never hurt her like that and now here I am, basically breaking that very promise.

"I'm not leaving you, Leah." I leaned down slightly, pressing my forehead against hers, the mixture of her hot and my cold always amazed me and I took a few seconds to bask in it all, knowing this very well be the last time we see one another. "I wish I could tell you but I can't but, please understand that we're doing this because it will perhaps give us a better chance at succeeding, at winning this battle. A chance at protecting our family."

I felt her tense at the mention of family. She knew exactly who I was talking about; the newest two members of the Cullen family. Leah isn't exactly Bella Swan's number one fan. She still hates her for what she did to her friend Jacob and hated her even more when she gave birth to a child, a child that Jacob just so happened to imprint on.

Such a foreign concept, imprinting. However, I myself have witnessed it firsthand. In fact, I am Leah's imprint. That's how this all started. The day we met a year ago, whilst preparing for the previous battle, she imprinted on me and hard as she tried, she couldn't stay away; and ultimately, I couldn't stay away either.

Hatred turned to lust; lust turned to passion.

Unlike any other person however, she accepted me, understood me on a level never reached by anyone else. She had become more than just a friend or a lover, she had become my everything.

We stood for a few moments in silent before she looked up at me "you'll come back won't you?"

My silence was enough answer for her before pulling herself away from me, turning her back as she buried her head in her hands. Leah didn't like people seeing her weak and vulnerable. To her, it was a sign of weakness. Being the only female in the pack, she felt she needed to be as tough as them, ruthless. However, her emotional state to me just meant she was compassionate; it meant she was human.

"Leah, please" I approached her, placing my hands on her shoulders "please look at me, we haven't much time." I repeated.

"You came to say goodbye didn't you Jasper?" her voice was hoarse as she tried to control her tears "this…this might be the last time I see you?"

She had asked the one question I hoped she wouldn't but knew she would.

"There is a strong possibility that Alice and I may not make it back before the Volturi arrive, yes." I was completely honest with her "but Leah, there's also a good chance that even if we do make it back, we can still lose this battle."

"But, you've trained us all so well. We're all ready, prepared to face them."

"Perhaps but they have a hell of a lot more experience than we do, abilities that we don't. We're at a disadvantage Leah." My hands still rested on her as I looked up towards the sky, wondering just what the end result of all this would be. "please Leah, time is running out and there's something I must tell you because I may not have another chance."

She slowly turned around, tears glistening in her brown eyes as she silently waited for me to continue. My hand had slid down from her shoulder so that I could lace them with hers as we stood there.

"I know that everything that happened between the two of us wasn't exactly planned and in the beginning, neither of us really wanted to accept what was going on but, over this past year Leah, I've come to see just what a truly amazing woman you are." I knew that everything coming out my mouth sounded incredibly cliché and I knew that if I had more time, I would've taken the time to come up with something more original, unique just like her.

"I don't know if we'll ever see each other after tonight Leah. It's a possibility that I don't want to think about but at the same time, I know it might just be a reality. I could lose you, you could lose me and I don't know which is worse to be honest. Living an eternity knowing that I couldn't save you would be too much."

"Life without you would mean nothing to me too Jasper and you know it." I knew she truly meant that. Life without your imprint was like living a life with no water, no air. Without one's soul mate, what else was there to live for?

"I know and either situation wouldn't be ideal. So, it's now or never that I tell you this. Leah Clearwater, if tomorrow never comes and we don't ever see one another again, know that I love you and I always will." I squeezed her hands tightly as an audible gasp passed her lips. Even though I knew she could tell the truth in my words, I let her feel just how much I loved her by letting emotions run freely between us. So much so because all those tears she had been holding back suddenly became a river spilling down her cheeks. Hands still clasped, I leaned forward, kissing away as many as those tears as possible, trying to ease her pain.

"I…I love you too, Jasper." She choked out "more than my imprint, you are my life."

An idea suddenly dawned on me as we stood there. I had originally only come here to tell her how I felt so she would forever know but now, standing here with her, I knew this is was where I belonged.

"If we both make it through this battle Leah, we will be together do you understand me?"

The shock that flashed in her eyes didn't go unnoticed. She began to open her mouth to say something, most likely protest but one of my hands quickly let go of hers as I pressed a cool finger against her lips.

"People already know Leah, it's not that big of a secret and you know it." It was true. For her, what she saw, her pack saw. Although not everyone approved of this relationship, most of them did, wanting nothing more than to see Leah happy. And then when it came to my family, it was pretty hard to keep any secret with a physic and mind reader under the same roof. The rest of the family wouldn't be too hard to convince that this, Leah and I, was the best thing for both of us.

"Is that a promise?"

"No" her face fell once more "I cannot promise you something I may not be able to keep but, what I can promise you is that if we do make it through all this, you and I will be together as soon as it's all over."

She seemed satisfied with this answer, knowing it would be the only thing I could offer her at the moment. Neither of us knew what the future held.

"How much time do we have?"

"Five minutes or so, Alice wants to leave as soon as dawn breaks, before anyone can figure it out and try and stop us."

"Then" she came closer, touching my face with her hands "let's not waste it?" she stood slightly on her toes, pressing kisses all across my face and neck as my arms wound their way around her waist, holding her as tightly as I could against me.

As the minutes began to dwindle down, the kisses became less fervent and more intimate, loving before she started tracing her fingers over my eyes, my cheeks, and down to my neck where she skimmed over various scars, a sad smile spreading across her face. "My solider." She murmured softly as she pressed and equally soft kiss to one of them, causing me to slide my eyes shut, relishing in the contact and feelings she gave me. When she pulled away, it was my turn.

I remained fixated on her dark brown eyes, moving down her face, my fingers tracing over her lips, down her neck before coming to a rest on her pulse point. It noticeably increased as my lips moved up and down the other side, both wanting to taste and take as much as her scent in as possible. Letting my teeth graze ever so slightly against her skin, she moaned lightly, knowing I had marked her as mine.

Five minutes passed far too quickly for my taste and we both knew the exact moment when it was time. There were no words needed, no reminders of my impending departure. Lifting from her neck, I brought her into one final embrace, holding her tightly than I ever would any normal human. I buried my face in her hair, wanting to get as much of her as possible.

"A reminder" I stated simply when we finally pulled away "a reminder of what I must come back to." I ran my hand over her cheek and she leaned in to it immediately.

"Your ass better come back to me Jasper." She gave me one of those rare smiles, showing off her true, radiant beauty. Though the mood had been lightened somewhat, the reality of the situation still hung thick in the air.

"You must take care of yourself Leah; remember everything I have taught you. Fight with all you have but always be aware of your surroundings. Be brutal but don't take on too much at one time. Don't be stubborn, let your brothers help you if need be." I gave her a knowing glare and she just nodded. I suddenly realized that it was like I was back in the war, giving instructions to my soldiers, preparing them for battle.

"You must be strong my little warrior." I kissed the tip of her nose, allowing me perhaps one more time to call her that, my own nickname for her.

"You know I will Jasper. I'll fight with everything, if it'll somehow bring you back to me, and only me."

I gave her a quick nod, knowing there was absolutely no more time left.

"Until tomorrow?" I asked and she knew that tomorrow didn't mean twenty four hours from now. No, it meant the next time we would hopefully see each other again.

"Yes, tomorrow."

"And if it doesn't come?"

"Then we'll die knowing how we each felt for the other Jasper, I know."

With those final words, I turned slowly from her as I began to walk away. I knew she was watching each step I took away from her. When I was halfway between the clearing and where I was to meet Alice, I turned quickly. I could still see Leah standing there, her stance tall and brave as she watched me. Even from where I stood, I could see single tears rolling down her face as she stood with a smile on her face before she quickly waved towards me. I did the same before she turned, and began to run towards home.

Alice was waiting for me, a bag in her hand and a small smile on her face.

"Tomorrow has to come Alice, it just has to." I spoke quickly to her as we began our journey.

"I know, Jasper I know and I'm going to do whatever I can to make sure it comes."

With that, we fell in to a comfortable silence. As much as I knew I needed to do this for my family, I knew I needed to do this for Leah too. She was my family now too in a way. I would do whatever it took to make her safe, to come back to her.

If tomorrow never came, at least I would know that our love had not gone unspoken. However, if tomorrow did come, I would make sure she knew how much I loved her every day for the rest of eternity.

Win or lose, she now knew of my love. And that, that's all I needed. Her love would be all I would ever need; today, tomorrow…the rest of my existence.