A/N: I hated that the series ended with Leah alone! Yeah, she was taking the first steps towards healing from Sam, but still! I decided to write this story not just for my own peace of mind over the poor wolf-girl, but for every other woman left heartbroken because the man she loved found someone else to be his soulmate. Hope you like it. As always, your reviews are greatly appreciated.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything. If I did, Bella would have ended up with Jacob. Hot-bodied wolf-boys are soooo much better to hold than ice cold bloodsuckers.

And There He Was

Chapter One

Word spread like wildfire through our ranks: the Volturi had been defeated. Not so much by force, but by sheer numbers and might. A most unusual group of upstarts had stared down the biggest dog in the pack and lived to brag about it. Not that they were. Oh no, the Volturi themselves had provided the dozens of witnesses who were now busy slandering their power and singing praises for the Cullens.

Admittedly, I was fascinated. Rarely had I met those of my kind willing to forgo human blood, most believing that to do so would weaken or even kill them. To learn of an entire coven, no, family of vampires who have done just that for nearly a century piqued my dormant curiosity.

I traveled slowly, relishing the wind tangling through my auburn curls as the dusty old Harley roared westward.

* * *

Moist earth gave way beneath my paws as I raced against my heartbeat. A rare bottle green canopy whisked by over my head, the sweet scent of northern winds rushing my nose. Running was freedom, especially with the unusual silence echoing through the halls of my mind. Losing myself within the wolf offered a sort of peace, a much needed escape from the emotional hazards of human life.

After a week of being cooped up with every woman in our family, Emily's wedding gown was finally completed today. Mom decided that forcing me to attend the dreaded event wasn't torture enough, and ordered that I help. Emily was beautiful, naturally. Imagining her wearing that dress on the day she married Sam, my Sam, nearly broke my heart all over again.

And so I ran. I pushed my body until it burned, mile after mile, yearning for the freedom I sometimes glimpsed in Jacob's memories but not brave enough to leave. Despite my talk of running away and starting a new life, I knew I was trapped; what was a wolf without her pack?

If you ever did decide to leave, you'd tell me first, right? Leah? Halted with shock, dirt sprayed up into the air in front of me. I hadn't even sensed Jacob phase. It worried me that I'd been so absorbed with my own thoughts; anything could have happened. I don't have the right to ask you not to go, but with the new kids and all-

Chill, fur ball. I'm not going anywhere; I can play nanny forever if you need me. I could feel the relief emanating from his end of the connection. Too bad he didn't get sarcasm. The Clearwater babysitting service was closing soon, and nothing he did or said would change that.

There were quite a few extra pups to train after our showdown with the big vamp badies. A good number of them rankled under Sam just as much as we had so they defected to our pack. The oldest was fourteen...the youngest was eight. Eight years old and he was condemned to be a monster for an indeterminate period of time, possibly forever. Life not only wasn't fair, sometimes it was down right cruel. Here's to hoping the poor baby didn't imprint so young as well; the older wolves seemed to be dropping like flies.

The children (what else could I think of them) were unruly and wild at times, tempers short and explosive. Accidental phasing was at an all-time high. It had gotten to the point where some of the less reliable pups had to be placed in a special school, wolves only. My mother and I were placed in charge of their education until such time as they could control themselves. Mom was chosen because, as a retired teacher and one mean bitch, she was the most qualified. I was thrown into the mix because I was her daughter and the only female wolf. Sexist pigs in charge thought that little bit might make a difference. Good thing I'm an even bigger bitch than my mom, because it didn't. Hormonal preteen werewolves were insane, but insanely powerful as well. We were this close to using all that pent up angst to stage a rebellion. That's what the dottering fools deserved for relegating the Clearwater women to this hellish babysitting duty.

Hahahahaha.... Jacob's rolling laughter snapped me out of my lovely daydreams. I could see him through the trees now and his furry sides actually shook with mirth. I can totally see Sue leading the charge. She'd be in head-to-toe camo waving a machette in the air! Hahahahahaha...

I gave a wolfy grin at the image he sent as I loped closer, then wiped it off quickly and snapped at his nose.He jumped back, yelping pathetically.

Damn straight, and just you remember it! United, we will be free! We fell into laughter then, giggling like the children in my proposed army.

* * *

It wasn't until I returned home exhausted and glowing that I realized exactly what he'd done. Leave it to Jacob to use absurdity to make you forget the unpleasant. With a grateful smile on my face, I was about to jump in the shower when a knock rang out from the front door. Figuring it was Charlie calling on my mom, I wrapped myself in a robe and prepared to send him on his way, grinning the whole way there.

Still relaxed and smiling, I swung the door open, the bright greeting on my lips dying when I saw who had disturbed my afternoon.

"What are you doing here," I asked with hostility, the shock quickly morphing into a scowl. Thanks anyway, Jake, I thought bitterly. Freaking bastard just can't seem to leave me be.

"We're calling an emergency meeting of the council and both packs. Seth's gone to tell Jacob and Sue asked that I come get you." Sam shuffled his feet uneasily, barely able to return my unfriendly gaze.

"What could possibly be that important, oh spineless wonder," the hostility in my voice thickened with suspicion. His face crumpled and he hugged himself, just as he always has when intensely upset. Seeing such a defensive and familiar gesture, I regretted letting my bitch free. "Sam, what happened?"

"I-I don't want to have to go through this twice," he chocked out, his voice cracking. I opened my mouth to object, but his plea halted my words. "Please, Leah." Searching his face, I saw how much that had cost him. In all the time we had known each other, I'd only seen him this close to crying once: when he'd hurt Emily.

"Okay, pull up a seat and just wait for me to get dressed." I opened the door wider to let him through and hurried off to dress. I didn't bother waiting to see if he'd take the invitation to enter. Once within the relative privacy of my room, I collapsed on the bed and fought to hold back violent sobs as I cried.

I didn't want an almost crying Sam sitting in my living room. I didn't want the sight of his distress to affect me this strongly. More importantly, I didn't want to feel this overwhelming urge to rush back out there and hold him, to still love him enough that his pain affected me this way. Eventually gaining control over myself, I wiped my eyes and dressed quickly.

Quietly, I shuffled out of my room. The living room was empty and the front door still open. Going out onto the porch, I closed the door behind me and found Sam hunched into a ball on the steps. I couldn't stop myself. Before I was really aware of my actions, I was kneeling on the rough wood next to him, my arms wrapped around his shoulders. At that moment, I wasn't thinking about our turbulent past or Emily; I was offering comfort to someone who had been my entire life, once upon a time.

His arms lifted and I prepared myself to be pushed away, relishing the last moment of having Sam in my arms. Shock coursed through me when, instead of removing himself from my grasp, he crushed me against his chest and pressed his face into my neck. The fingers of his left hand buried in my hair and his shoulders shook. I was drowning in his scent, trying to remember why we were clinging to each other.

Barely, over the pulse pounding in my ears, I heard him murmur apologies over and over again. They obviously weren't for me, so I ignored his words and fought the urge to pretend he was still mine. I knew that if I did, the pain would be unbearable once reality came crashing down. I held him as he took what comfort he needed, doing so in the only capacity left to me: his friend.