"It was not your fault but mine, and it was your heart on the line. I really fucked it up this time didn't I my dear."
'Little lion man' by Mumford and Sons.
When Sam was with Leah she always wore the same woven bracelet. Weird how he remembers but that one bracelet was the cause of a lot of their fights. It was given to her by a childhood friend and she never took it off. If it was any other friend Sam probably wouldn't have minded so much but it was a present from Jacob. Jacob Black was in love with Leah Clearwater and she was the only one who didn't see it. Sure he was four years younger but when they were kids he was her best friend and nothing could separate them. On their second anniversary he bought her a fancy silver charm bracelet that set him back a few pay checks. She wore it occasionally but still never took off that damned woven one claiming that it was 'special' to her. He decided that if he couldn't get her to remove it he would have to give her something else, something that showed his love.
Sam Uley presented Leah Clearwater with a ring, a promise ring. It was a promise that one day he was going to put a real ring on her finger and make her his wife. A promise of forever.
Shortly after receiving it she had a massive fight with Black and he threw his bracelet at her claiming they would never be friends again and that he hated her. That was the day she stopped wearing hers. It was another two years before he put that engagement ring on her hand. Even after he left her for Emily, Leah continued to wear the promise ring. Like she was trying to hold onto what they had. He would never admit it but Sam loved knowing that she still cared. He no longer had the engagement ring; it was on Emily's finger, where the imprint told him it belonged. No-one knew it was the same ring, except for Leah and himself but it was only because he couldn't afford a new one and she had thrown that one back in his face. He felt horrible as soon as he seen Sue Clearwater force Leah to tell Emily that the ring was beautiful. Her eyes filled with tears and he felt sick, how could she not recognise her own daughters ring?
The promise ring was broken the first time she phased and he could tell that it upset her greatly. He was hurt that it was gone and once again felt the weight of the imprint pull reminding him that it doesn't matter- but why did it hurt so much?
A month or two later it was back on her finger. She sometimes wore it on a chain around her neck, one long enough to stay on even while phased but only when she needed to. Sam smiled the whole day and decided to bring the pack cliff diving and have a barbeque. It made no sense but the feeling of happiness that he got from knowing she still cared about the ring and what it meant, enough to get it fixed and never have to take it off, made him feel like he was flying.
It was months after the non-existent battle with the Volturi and they bumped into each other in town. He greeted her warmly and much to his surprise she responded in kind. Then he noticed that her hand was bare. His eyes instantly shot to her neck but there was no chain in sight, he fought the urge to reach forward and search for it. He had heard rumours about her and Jacob Black but knew them all to be false because Jacob had imprinted on the half-leech but maybe she had met someone else. It was wrong but Sam felt betrayed. He was forced to give up on them but surely she hadn't forgotten all her promises to love him and only him forever, had she?
It was three weeks and four days later the next time he saw her. A joint pack bonfire had been organised and she came with Jacob, Seth, Quil and Embry. She looked amazing in summer dress and gladiator sandals, Jacob had also been letting her grow her hair out and it was now just past her shoulders and flowed freely in the light sea breeze. Yet the first thing he noticed was the bracelet on her wrist. Jacob's. He looked and sure enough Jacob wore Leah's. She still wasn't wearing her ring. He made an excuse up to Emily about having to patrol and left early. He phased as soon as he hit the trees and was glad everyone else was at the beach. He took his anger and pain out on the tree's around him and there is a section of La Push forest that will never forgive him. What did it mean? First she stops wearing her ring and now she has that damn bracelet on again! Doesn't she realise how much she's hurting him? Anger clouds his mind until reason breaks through and he realises that they're just friends and that Jacob has his child bride so there's nothing to worry about.
It's Christmas and everyone comes to his and Emily's house for dinner, they've also decided a date for the wedding so there's even more cause for celebration. Leah turns up late with a pouting Jacob Black behind her. She stops and whispers something in his ear that causes him to grin and they continue to greet everyone. She is chatting animatedly with Rachael Black, using her hands a lot and he notices she has the ring back on. Joy fills him instantly and he begins to look away when it clicks, his ring wasn't silver, it was gold. Really cheap gold but most definitely not silver. He sees red and a searing heat travels along his spine. Heads snap in his direction and he is about to walk over when he can feel someone lightly touching his arm. It is then that he realises he is growling and close to phasing all the while glaring at the ring on his Lee-lee's finger. The fourth finger on her left hand, it was an engagement ring. His eyes meet her confused stare and instantly fill with pain, jealousy, anger and betrayal. Someone whispers something to him and he turns his head instantly missing the eye contact. It is Emily and he is once again brought back and begins helping her serve the meal. It is at the end of dinner and Emily looks at him expectantly. They stand up and give a little speech announcing the date and are instantly met with congratulations. Leah manages a slight smile and suddenly it brightens considerably. It is in that moment he sees a hand interlocked with hers and he follows the arm along the torso to a face. The face of Jacob Black. The next few moments are described differently from each person present but all had one thing in common. Sam dived across the table in rage with a look of murder in his eyes.
When all was over there was a bloodied former alpha lying on the floor beaten and broken left with only his thoughts and fiance.
Their fight had been brutal, at first Jacob had simply been on the defence but then words came into play and viscous things were said. Then it was an all out attack on each other. Pretty soon they were in wolf form and half of the house was destroyed. Outside it continued, the sound of growls, clawing, tearing, howling and the occasional whimper filled the night sky. It ended when he fell for the final time. His opponent had won. Won his title, his dignity, the fight and most importantly the woman he had chosen to love.
Over time Sam had learned to keep some things in his mind secret. It wasn't that he didn't trust his brothers but because he was ashamed. In his imagination it was not Emily he woke up to, who cooked for him or planned his wedding with but Leah. When he walked up behind her sliding his arms around her waist and kissed that spot behind her ear that always made her laugh yet all that escapes is a happy sigh his dream is momentarily broken. He has had to bite his lip so hard it draws blood more times than he could count so as not to scream the wrong name out while in the bedroom. Emily's was not the body he pictured wrapping himself around at night and she was most definitely not the beautiful woman that filled his dreams. No all these titles and more belonged to Leah Clearwater. He was ashamed yes, but not of her, never of her only of himself and how easily he had given in. He had broken just as easily as that ring and by not wearing it Leah showed him how much she had let go and moved on. He was such a long way from being that strong and didn't know if he would ever reach it.
Left it open for Leah or Jacob or even Renesmee (see I can use it's- I mean her name) but I don't know if I'll continue.
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