Broken Promises

Leah finds sympathy in a surprising person.

"Was he like that with you?"

Rosalie's piercing eyes stared at Sam Uley and his new wife. He cradled her baby bump with amazing tenderness on his face. Emily's eyes shone, and she glowed happily, smiling down at her husband. The way she absently touched Sam's face when he rose to kiss her….

Leah looked away, ducking her head. Rosalie didn't miss the flash of pain that flitted across her beautiful face. Rosalie mused if she didn't scowl all the time maybe somebody would look at her like that too.

"I know you heard me," she shook her blond hair and Leah tried not to let her sticky sweet smell bother her. After all these weeks she'd figured she should be used to it.

"I heard you," she grumbled, wondering if the whole world knew about her once being with Sam.

"Well?"

Leah looked again. Sam was practically glowing himself. Esme was standing at a distance, smiling a genuine smile, listening to Sam's plans for their first child. It was amazing the comrade that now stood between wolves and the vampires.

"Yeah," she whispered softly. "Without an imprint, Sam let me be his world."

Rosalie didn't cut her eyes for once. She didn't have anything mean to say, because she knew that kind of pain. It haunted her every time she watched her brother, and new sister kiss their child goodnight. To not have something that you know in your heart belongs to you.

"Did you fight for him?" Rosalie leaned against the wall, trying to appear natural as the Charlie's eyes lingered on her in wonder.

"Tooth and nail. I begged. I pleaded. I accused, threatened." Leah barked a humorless laugh "It didn't matter. You can't fight an imprint." Rosalie nodded. Emmett was wrestling with a wolf in the background. She hadn't ever seen him lose, but that's where it was headed. A woman, a beautiful woman, more of a girl watched him with horrified eyes. It had to be his imprinted love, she guessed, by the way she flinched every time he was hit, and the way she gasped when Emmett landed a particularly hard blow. She wondered briefly if that's what happened to them all. First with Esme, Carlisle hadn't been able to imagine being with another. And then Emmett was perfect for her, Bella and Edward, Alice and how she found Jasper….they were all tied to their mates with something more than love. Stronger than fate.

"How did you cope?" Rosalie didn't even notice she had whispered.

"I didn't." Leah kicked off the wall and headed to the back. Rosalie waited a moment, then followed, remarkably curious. Leah was beautiful, in an exotic way that made Rosalie just a hint jealous. Her hair shone like black gold, her skin was brown and smooth and it glowed in a way that was natural and perfect. Her eyes were shaped prettily and her mouth was full enough to be inviting, but it was the sadness, it was the sadness hiding deep in her eyes that scared people away. Well, at least if her mouth didn't do that first.

They watched the fight for a bit, with Rosalie smirking at Emmett's growing anger. Paul was strong, but his power was in his viciousness. His fiancé continued to lookeon through her fingers with Emily now at her side, rubbing her back and assuring her it was just sport for them.

Then Leah met Rosalie's eyes and they walked on, a faraway look contorting Leah's lovely features. Edward raised his brow at her as they passed, to which Rosalie just smiled innocently and told him to get out of her head.

When they were alone, nestled behind Esme's garden, Leah broke down.

She spilled the story like it had been choking her. How they met in high school, how it was almost love at first sight. Leah remembered the first time he told her he loved her, and the first time he held her all through the night.

She remembered with such painstaking detail that Rosalie didn't feel pity, because pity was misplaced. She felt her sorrow, and decided to share it, to unburden the shewolf for a few precious moments.

"So when did it happen?" Rosalie was crouched beside her, hating the smell of wolf, knowing Leah was hating her scent as well.

"He started getting angry over little things. He grew at least 3 inches in one night. He was scared to death when the fever hit. He just burned all day and all night, tossing and turning and complaining his body felt like it was ripping itself apart. He refused a doctor, only wanted the elders to see him. He's very into protecting our heritage." She gave another humorless bark.

"They took him away for a while. I called and called but I could never get a straight answer. I sulked, went out for a few revenge dates. Sam didn't show up. Then after almost a month he just pops up, but he wasn't the same. He was dark. Angry. Bewildered. He wasn't the man I loved. He wouldn't tell me where he'd been or why he was different. But I was still so glad to have him back it didn't matter for a little while. But he started staying out later. He left clothes at my house, and I'd wake at four in the morning to him climbing into my bedroom naked, scratched up and exhausted. He never had an explanation. We fought a lot and it always ended in him storming away."

Leah's face hardened like stone, the suddenness of the change startled Rosalie. She began to shake, but when Rosalie attempted to get up Leah put her overly warm hand on Rosalie's frozen arm and told her she was alright.

"I called Emily, to set things right. I knew I wasn't helping always nagging and picking fights. But I didn't want to lose him. I grew up with her, she was like a sister to me." Leah sighed, "He didn't come over for a few days after our latest fight. Emily was actually leaving that day, and he came to apologize. I accepted of course," Leah touched her lips, "And he kissed me with so much passion I thought I'd come undone," tears pricked into her eyes, "And he said he wished he could tell me what was going on, so we could be ok. And I saw Emily standing there shyly, and I re-introduced them," Leah hung her head.

"And it was over." Rosalie's voice was as final as the moment was.

"Yeah. He looked at her and he just kept blinking. Like he was stunned. He met her before so I knew he wasn't gawking because she was beautiful. But it was unnerving, he just stared and she stared back, like she was transfixed. He shook himself and took her hand, and he just held it in his and then I noticed. He was looking at her like he looked at me. And he was holding her hand the special way he held mine. I didn't know what to do so I left."

Rosalie's mouth fell open, "You left!"

Leah pelted Esme's daylilies with rocks. "What would you have done?"

"I would've dragged her out my house!" Rosalie's eyes darkened. "You left her in there with your guy drooling all over her."

The you-deserve-what-you-got tone didn't even bother Leah. She was learning that the blond shedevil was blunt.

"My first reaction was to fight," Leah shrugged, "But something deep within me knew it was hopeless. Emily left and Sam begged me to bring her back. I couldn't eat, couldn't sleep. Sam tried to comfort me, but he seemed to be in pain too. Just not over what he'd done to me. "Leah had taken out half the bed of flowers. "My father had to tell me what really happened, he thought I was going to kill myself," she snorted in a way that Rosalie knew her father had been right, "I was the first to know Sam's secret." A bit of smugness leaked out, "It didn't bring me peace though. Sam apologized, but I never felt he meant it. He could he? I learned later that an imprint because your water, your air….there wasn't enough room in his heart for me. So, Emily moved back within a few weeks. They were always here, together. Emily asked for my blessing but I couldn't give it. We've never been the same." Leah rose to her feet, cleaning the dirt off her jeans. She smiled down at Rosalie who sat contemplating her strange story.

"So now I'm just the annoying bitch who hasn't figured out how to let her ex go," she grinned a grin that wasn't anywhere near convincing.

"You deserve more than their anger," Rosalie's nails dug into the ground.

"It's better than their pity. That's why I act the way I do. I'd rather them hate me than stare at me with those god awful pitiful expressions."

"I know what you mean. It's easier to be hated," Leah took a moment to stare into the face of an unlikely empathizer. There was something she had learned about the Cullens, mostly through what Bella told Jacob. Most of them didn't have the decision Bella was allowed to make. They were forced to be what they are now. Bella seemed like she'd finally found where she belong, Bella made disturbing sense as a vampire, as if she'd been born to it. Emmett too, but the others. There was something in the other's eyes that made Leah finally make the connection.

They didn't want the life they'd been given.

"You do get it," Leah's amazement poured out of her voice.

"I get it."

"What do you miss most?" Rosalie wasn't expecting the girl to be so perceptive, but she smiled anyway and met her eyes.

"Living the dream."

Leah looked at the mansion-like Cullen home, "You would seem to have it."

"There are some holes," she whispered the words softly, "Existing instead of living isn't….isn't the way it's supposed to be. Everything has their time in this world and then they move on. But here we are rebelling against that," her voice was disgusted. "I'd do anything to live again, not knowing what the next day held." Rosalie fell into silence, and Leah let her words sink into her. She now had more time than she had ever dreamed of having. It wasn't the time that hurt Leah, it was the loneliness.

"You're not as bad as everyone says you are," Leah said the words with more truth than she had intended.

"Touché." Rosalie was surprised at how sincere she felt.

Rosalie rising from the ground made Leah think, ridiculously, of the sun rising over the mountains. But she stifled the curious thought to enjoy the lightness in her chest. She'd run around so long with a gaping hole she'd forgotten it was there.

"Do you think you'll imprint?" Rosalie's question was oddly hopeful.

Leah watched her, and for the first time, could see the woman Rosalie had been before she became a Cullen. She saw the assurance of a planned life, the comfort of beauty, and the arrogance of security in a world of chaos. Everything had been ripped away by the only people she loved and trusted now. She walked a path she didn't choose. There was an ironic similarity to their story, one that didn't even tempt a sardonic smile.

"I hope not." And she meant it with all her heart.

I love the two of them because I think they're so misunderstood! I know a lot of people think imprinting is romantic, but I hate it. The whole idea of it. What is love but slavery if you don't get to choose?

A/N: After going back over book 4 I actually read quite a few of this there. Go figure. Like the not wanting to imprint and stuff. I think I may go somewhere with these two. They have so much untapped potential.