A/N: What can I say. I love Leah/Emily drama. I just hope I did it justice. This was actually written a while ago, but I wasn't happy with the ending then. I feel better about it now.
Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. Thank you, casualcruelty and thir13enth from PTB for all of your help.
Peace Offering
I stand outside the bride's changing room with a small, white box in my hand. As I stare down at the gift, I wonder if I should have chosen the pink bow instead of the blue. No, blue is her favorite color. I internally kick myself when I realize I'm stalling. Taking a few breaths to help calm my nerves, I knock lightly on the door.
There is a lot of commotion going on behind the door, but it's to be expected. It is a wedding after all. After knocking again with no response, I slowly crack open the door. Women are fluttering around, preparing for this special occasion.
The bridesmaids are all dressed in a deep shade of blue. Yep, blue is still her favorite.
My sudden appearance earns me a few double takes. Some stare with open mouths, others look at me with fake smiles.
"I can't believe she actually showed up," someone whispers behind me. I try to ignore it, but their comments still sting.
After rounding the corner, I see the bride sitting in a chair while Rachel Black adjusts her veil. She's beautiful, even after everything that's happened to her. Her skin is a glowing bronze contrasting with her bright white, strapless wedding dress. Waterfalls of thick, jet black hair tumble in curls over her shoulders and down her back. She was never one to wear a lot of makeup, and today is no exception. It's just enough to accent her beauty. She smiles so radiantly when she looks in the mirror, it lights up her face like a glowing star.
A feeling of jealousy washes over me as I watch Rachel fluff the bride's hair.
That's supposed to be me helping her get ready to celebrate the happiest day of her life, I grumble internally. We had always promised to be maids of honor in each other's weddings. That was before destiny tossed our worlds around.
Because I'm in a trance, I'm not paying attention and have knocked a bridesmaid off balance.
"Oh, I'm sorry," I say and reach out a helping hand. Instead, she grabs onto someone else, and they both tumble to the ground. A table with makeup and perfumes hits the floor, wafting the scent of flowers into the air. "I am really sorry."
I try to help her up, but she pushes my hand away. "I got it!" she snaps and lifts herself up. Then she assists the one she dragged down to her feet.
The entire room is silently staring now, but only one person concerns me. I stare into her eyes, trying to read her emotions, but she's just looking at me. Her lovely smile has faded away, leaving a look of shock.
"Emily!" My Aunt Sue breaks through the crowd of dazed women to get to me. "I'm glad you made it!" She gives me a warm hug.
"Hi, Aunt Sue." As she pulls away, my eyes go back to the bride who hasn't moved an inch since she saw me. Her expression reminds me of the day when she caught Sam kissing me. I will never forget how the mixture of hurt, anger, and betrayal altered her face. Guilt washes over me, and I feel like I've ruined another important event in her life. "Hi, Leah," I say and cautiously move forward.
"Hey," she says stoically.
It's the least I deserve for my part in destroying her life. Eight years ago, the man she loved with everything she had imprinted on me. She knows it wasn't my fault, but that didn't make things easier. While her life fell apart, my new life began. While Sam expressed his adoration for me, she lost her father. To add insult to injury, she became the first female shape-shifter of the pack, forced to listen to Sam's thoughts of me and forced to join a pack that didn't know how to deal with her pain. As her phasing began, her cycle ended, leaving her fertility up in the air. Havoc rained down on Leah, but instead of hiding she faced it, taking each blow with her head held high.
Now she's getting married to a man she loves and trusts; a man that helped restore her faith in love, bringing back the beautiful woman I still envy.
We now have an audience, watching and waiting for something to happen. It's so quiet I can hear the ticking of the clock on the wall.
"We'll give you two a moment," my aunt says. She pats my shoulder and shoos everyone else out of the room. Aunt Sue is a godsend, and the sole reason Sam and I were even invited. I'm almost certain that Leah didn't want us there.
The silence is thick like a giant glacier freezing the room. She turns away quickly and starts fiddling with her hair. It's gotten so long; it nearly reaches her waist. She's always had beautiful, silky hair; the kind that you see in Pantene commercials. Rumor has it her groom likes her hair long so she decided to let it grow, even though it makes her fur thicker.
"Wow," I say. "You look beautiful."
"Thanks," she answers as she looks down her dress. "The dress was a present from the Cullens." She's still not looking at me, but she's being civil. She hardly looks at me anymore. It's been years since we've actually made more than small talk.
Now that I'm here, there are lots of things I want to ask her. Like the moment when she knew she was in love. Where did they go on their first date? How did he propose? Things she'd share with me if things hadn't become so complicated. I have no right to those answers.
She stiffens as I take a seat next to her. "So, you're finally getting married."
"What? You didn't think anyone would want to marry the 'bitter harpy'?" Her voice is laced with venom.
"I…just…" I gasp at her tone. Oh God, she still hates me.
"No." Leah looks down as if ashamed. "I'm sorry, Emily. I know you didn't mean it like that. I'm just a little…um…surprised to see you here."
She's the last person who needs to apologize. If anything, she is owed the apology; me for my betrayal and abandonment, the wolf pack for their lack of understanding, and the Powers-That-Be that decided that she would have to sacrifice so much.
"It's okay, Leah." I smile to let her know that I understand. "Are you nervous?"
"Surprisingly, no," Leah answers, and a smile slowly creeps over her lips. "There are so many uncertainties in life, but Daniel is my constant star. He's more than I've ever wanted, and everything I needed. I can't wait to be his wife."
The sincerity in her voice makes my eyes water, but I don't want to cry. There will be plenty of time for that later.
According to Seth, she'd met him when she moved to Seattle to attend college.
She needed to get away from everything and heal, so her Alpha, Jacob Black, let her go. Seth said she was happy there and sounded like she did years ago. She'd finally let go of all the pain and moved on. She'd visit the Rez, but she never came to see me.
I couldn't blame her.
"If you don't mind me asking, did you imprint?" My hands toy with the bow on the package. "You almost sound like one of the wolves after they've imprinted."
"Nope." She laughs lightly. "I'm just head over heels, clumsy-crazy in love with him." Her eyes wander off. It's obvious she's thinking about her groom. "The elders agree that since my phasing probably ruined my chances of having children, the chances of me imprinting are very slim since it's about building a stronger pack."
"Are you sure you can't have children?" It's unfair that she should lose that too.
"Who knows?" Leah shrugs. "Daniel says that we can always adopt, and I haven't phased in over a year, so we'll try in a couple of years. I'd love to give him a son, though." She's sad, but only for a moment.
"He sounds like a good man."
"The best." The look of love takes over her features. "I don't think I've ever felt like this. Maybe that's what imprinting is like." She shifts uncomfortably. "I don't know."
"I brought you a gift." I lay the small box in front of her and clasp my hands in my lap.
"Emily," she says as her eyes glance over at me. "We have a table for wedding gifts. You didn't have to leave Sam to come see me."
I laugh lightly at her remark. She has no idea how much things have changed between Sam and me. She doesn't know that his loyalty to stay with me is far stronger than any love he may have had for me.
Her brow crinkles as she studies me. "Everything is okay, right?"
My heart skips when I see the look on her face. It's fierce and protective, ready to take on the world to fix what is bothering me.
"Yes, everything is fine," I say, pushing a lock of hair behind my ear.
She narrows her eyes at me because she knows I'm lying. I could never lie to Leah. She doesn't push, though. There was a time when I could talk to her about anything. Telling her my problems with my "perfect" life would be asking too much.
God, how I miss her.
"I wanted to give you this before you got married," I answer hastily to dissuade anymore talk about my marriage. I push the box closer to her. "Open it."
She exhales slowly and reaches for the box. The ribbon is free, and she's pulling the top off. Her eyes widen when she sees what's inside. A heart-shaped locket rests on a silver chain in a bed of white padding. Her shaky hands open the clasp to reveal a photo of the two of us when we were younger. When our faces held huge smiles and our hearts held big dreams. "Emily…"
"Do you like it?" I ask anxiously. "If not, I can take it back and get something else."
"It's beautiful," she finally whispers as tears fall down her cheeks. She finally looks up at me, and she's smiling. "I remember when we took this picture."
"Me, too," I say and pull the locket that sits around my neck so she can see it. It's just like hers. "That was when we snuck to Seattle to see Nickelback in concert."
Before we left Seattle, we squeezed inside a photo booth to take those silly pictures. God, we were so happy, then.
She looks at my necklace and laughs. "You know, my mom still doesn't know about that?"
"Yeah, mine either. We had so much fun that night." The memory making the long drive down the highway flashes in front of me. I thought for sure we were going to get lost, but Leah was confident we would make it there safe and sound. It was one of the best nights of my life.
"Today is your day, and I wanted to give you something special. I'll always be here for you, Leah. No matter what. I can't take back what happened, but I wanted you to be happy. Are you happy?"
"Yes," she says with conviction. "Daniel is a good man, and he puts up with me and all my baggage." She exhales then says, "He chose me. You have no idea how freeing it is to know that he wants me with him."
Her last statement forms a lump in my throat. Daniel chose her. There was no cosmic intervention. No promises of the perfect mate, just two people who did it the old fashioned way and found their way together.
I notice a few black tears gliding down her cheeks. "Oh, your makeup is running a little."
"Oh, shit." She wipes it, smearing it more. "Rachel insisted I wear mascara. I hate this crap."
"May I?" I ask tentatively as I grab a tissue. She nods and leans forward. I gently wipe away the black rivers trailing down her face. "Look up." I tilt her chin upward and grab the tube of mascara. Her lashes are so thick on their own, she doesn't need this.
Carefully, I reapply the mascara then turn her toward the mirror.
"There, all better." I move behind her. "I knew you'd be such a beautiful bride, Leah."
"Thanks, Emily," she looks at me in the mirror.
"No problem," I answer as I squeeze her shoulders. Her body is warm, but not quite as warm as the rest of the wolves. Maybe her wolf is going dormant again. The image of my scarred face appears behind her. It's a constant reminder of the things we all had to sacrifice for the good of the pack.
I turn to leave when she stops me. "I never hated you, Emily, and I'm really sorry about what happened with Sam and the accident." Our eyes lock as I realize what she's saying. "I need you to know that."
"I know," I say. We'd never talked about that, but I always knew that as much as she felt I betrayed her, she didn't want anything bad to happen to me. That's not the person she is.
I finally make it to the door and exit. A whoosh of air escapes my lungs as I wander to the hallway. Her wedding party is gathered outside, and the conversation suddenly stops. Rachel gives me a weak smile before she rushes back inside.
As I head back to the main hall, I think about my own wedding. It was one of those days when the sun decided to make an appearance. All of my family and friends were there to share in my special day. Including Leah Clearwater. Some will argue that it was cruel to ask her to be in my wedding. I was marrying the man she was still in love with.
Listen, I'm not naïve. I know that people around town think I'm a horrible person, and that I deserved the scars. But, it was my day, and I wanted her to share it with me. She's one of the most important people in my life. How could she not be there? Through it all, she held her head high as Old Quil performed the ceremony.
It wasn't long afterward that Leah moved away.
Jacob granted her wish and let her leave, something that Sam could never do.
Sam didn't talk a lot about Leah after she left, but I felt his sadness. When we found out that she'd left town, he spent a few days in his wolf form in the woods. When he finally came home, he didn't tell me where he was, and I didn't ask.
I know he still loves her, and a part of him always will.
I see Sam sitting near the front. His long arms are draped across the chairs on either side of him. He's handsome. He's always been even when he wasn't mine. Back then, I wanted to find a man like Sam, not take him away from Leah. I guess I didn't make my wish clear.
"How did it go?" he asks as I sit next to him.
"It went okay."
"And how is Leah doing?" he asks cautiously. "Does she have cold feet?"
"No." My heart aches when I realize he's secretly hoping the wedding won't go on, that some catastrophic event will keep it from happening. "She's eager to see him and to be his wife. It's really sweet, and I'm happy for her."
"Yeah," he mutters. "Me, too." His response is less believable.
I sigh and wonder how my life had become like this. One moment, I had dreams of having a family with a husband of my choosing. Dreams of Leah and me growing old, sharing recipes, and taking care of our kids together.
"Are you okay?" Sam's looking at me warily, and his finger tilts my chin up. "Is something wrong?"
"I'm fine." I push his hand away, keeping my eyes away from him. "I'm just a little tired."
"No, that's not it," he says a little more forcefully. "Did something else happen back there?" Now he's on high alert, because his imprint isn't content. He moves like he's going to stand up and confront her. In other words, he's about to make an ass of himself.
"No, Sam!" I warn him. "Don't you dare ruin this day for Leah!"
He backs off, but he's still eyeing me cautiously. I can't help the anger that rises within me. The need to make Leah's day as joyful as possible becomes my mission. I will take on anyone who gets in the way.
His constant hovering has landed on my last nerve. I can't do anything without him worrying about me. I know it seems like a great thing to have my husband bending over backward to fulfil my every need, but after a while, it gets tedious.
I remember Leah telling me stories about Sam, and how they used to do exciting things like cliff diving. Sam would never take me cliff diving because, "It's too dangerous." Our arguments never last. I used to find ways to pick a fight with him, just to get him angry at me, but it never worked. He always conceded.
"I'm sorry," he says, trying quell my anger. "I just don't want to see you hurt." The imprint is talking now.
"Trust me, I know." My eyes roll, and I know he sees it, but I don't care. "I'm fine. Please just drop it."
"Okay," he says uneasily. His hand squeezes my shoulder, trying to find a way to ease an ache that he can't understand.
I look over at the groom, standing next to Old Quil. He's a handsome man, about six feet tall with black hair and a honey golden skin tone that makes his hazel brown eyes pop. As he stands there in a black tuxedo with a royal blue bow tie, I notice he's not nervous either. His eyes dart toward the door constantly, eagerly waiting for his bride.
We'd met him officially last night. He was nice and polite, although I did see him hold Leah a little closer when Sam shook his hand.
Aunt Sue and Chief Swan had known him for years. Seth always had good things to say about him, so it shouldn't have been a surprise when they decided to get married.
The music starts, alerting everyone that the wedding is about to begin. The room has settled, and the groom looks on. As the groomsmen escort their bridesmaids to the front of the room, I think about the situation we're all in. Jared is standing across from Kim, glancing at her. But she's not looking at him. Instead, her eyes dart to the crowd where another man sits. She smiles at him warmly, and it pains me. She's been cheating on Jared for over a year now. She even confided in me that she's in love and thinking of leaving Jared. That will destroy him.
This brings me to Jacob Black, the Alpha wolf of the other pack. His imprint, Bella's daughter, Renesmee, left him about a year ago. The whole imprinting sort of took her for a loop, and she didn't know how to deal with it. Especially since Jacob was in love with her mother at one point. Bella was certain that she just needed space. Sam told me that Renesmee has found another vampire that she loves and is willing to convert to a vegetarian diet to be with her. The act of standing up there takes a lot of his strength. His normally russet skin pales so much, he resembles a vampire. The dark circles around his eyes make him look about ten years older than he is.
It's not all bad news. Rachel and Paul seem to be getting along well. She's always dotting on him and saying how proud she is to be his wife, but even he looks different. His temper has simmered down quite a bit over the years, and others will joke about how his reputation has changed since he met Rachel.
The music changes to the wedding march, and the audience rises. Leah Clearwater stands there, holding on to Seth's arm. Her brother leans down, whispers something in her ear, and then kisses her cheek. Taking choreographed steps, they walked down the aisle.
I gasp as Leah walks past me. The locket is around her neck, resting against her chest. When I look at her, she's smiling back at me. Then her eyes look forward and land on her future husband. That's where they stay until they reach the front of the hall.
They are reading their vows, and I start to cry. I'm not the only one. Aunt Sue is a mess. Even Seth is wiping his eyes.
Once Old Quil announces that they were man and wife, her new husband kisses her and it seems like love is bursting from them at the seams.
As I watch them walk down the aisle hand in hand, it hits me. Maybe destiny has always had a plan for Leah. By taking everything away, it gave her a chance to get the life she didn't even know she wanted. She was able to leave and follow her dreams.
It just proves that her destiny was bigger than this, bigger than us.
A/N: As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)