A Tale of Growth and Learning

Leah

I growled softly through clenched teeth as I watched Jacob walk into the house, joking around laughing with Edward and Emmett Cullen. We had just come back from the meeting with the Volturi and everyone was on a euphoric high because we had not been killed, and we had not had to kill anyone from their side.

I turned around and stalked off into he forest quickly losing myself in the deep dark greens, slowly phasing shedding my clothes as I ran swiftly through the trees until I had fully phased and I was at a full on sprint through the trees. I kept running, not stopping for anything, I could hear Seth's voice in my head.

'Leah, wait up! Where are you going?' he yelled mentally after me, running swiftly.

'No Seth, leave me alone! I need to be alone!' I screamed back to him.

I heard him back off sighing loudly and phase leaving me alone to wallow in my anger and sorrow, I faintly heard him say he would ask me tomorrow before he closed his mind. But I knew I wouldn't be there in the morning or the next, I couldn't stand to be around my people and what they had become.

Friends of vampires, our enemies.

Renesmee

3 years later

I watched as Seth walked outside with a frown on his face. Ever since Leah had run away three years ago he had been distant, not as fun and jokey as he had been when she was still around. Everyone told me not to worry about either of them, but I was not as stupid as they may have thought. I could see the worry on their faces; they felt that something had happened to her.

I tried to believe that she would come back, but I could not. Part of me felt that it was my fault that she had left. I had brought our kinds together, werewolves and vampires, old enemies' new friends. I knew dad could hear me when I thought this and the look on his face whenever I thought it tried to tell me it wasn't, but I still believe I had something to do with it. She was the only one to never worship me for what I was, the child of a vampire and human.

Ii sighed softly as I turned around and looked into the empty house, everyone had left hours ago to go shopping or hunting in the males cases and I had been left behind with Seth, who after being here an hour ran out because we had started watching a movie where the main characters name was Leah. I growled softly as I remembered my mother telling Seth not to let me out of his sight. Sometimes I think she forgot that I had the mind and body of a thirteen year old and still thought I was a four year old munchkin who had to be watched to make sure she didn't fall and bump her knee.

I narrowed my eyes slightly at the thought and turned and sped out the door, the clear blue skies tantalizing me too much and I ran to the large field where we play baseball when a rainstorm comes through.

As I reached the field I twirled quickly falling into the grass chuckling softly breathing in the air that I say rarely got to enjoy alone. My family was strict on how often I went out, and where due to my rapid growth. I had no friends, and I wasn't really allowed to talk to anyone other than the family, because no one could know I existed until I was 'eighteen'. I sighed softly as I looked up into the sky and slowly drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Leah

I sighed quietly as I walked into through the old familiar forest. It had been so long since I had been here, but it felt like I had never left. I had spent the past years living in and out of forests, only staying in human company for a day at a time.

As I had been gone I thought about everything. Not just Renesmee and our families, but about me. Why I had been chosen to be a werewolf, the only girl to ever do so that we know of. I looked out in front of me and sighed happily as I saw a glimpse of light ahead of me. I had been walking/running for 5 days straight with really no rest and I knew that up ahead was an open space where I could rest before I went home. As I reached the area I sensed another presence in front of me and I looked forward and saw a small pale girl, no older than thirteen. I walked closer to her and gasped softly. She looked exactly like her father, golden bronze hair, pale sharp features. Renesmee Carlie. I smiled softly as she mumbled in her sleep, like I had heard her mother did in her human days. I watched her carefully until she woke up. When she woke she sat up slowly not really paying attention and then stood and turned and jumped when she saw me.

"Hello Nessie," I said softly, "It's been a while."

Renesmee

I stared in shock at the woman sitting in front of me. It was Leah, the person I had fallen asleep worrying about, and now here she was safe and sound, a little dirty and thin, but safe in front of me and smiling!

I shut my gaping mouth and threw myself forward hugging her, "You're okay! Thank God!" I whispered into her neck.

I felt her hands hesitantly wrap around my waist, before she gripped me tightly. We stood there for a few moments hugging each other before I let go and stepped back. I scrutinized her carefully.

"Where were you?" I asked her.

"Thinking" she said quietly.

I laughed softly, "That's all I did while you were gone, think about being such an anomaly in this world. What about you?"

She laughed quietly, "It's a long story"

"I have all the time in the world" I said smiling lightly.

She smiled and launched into her story.

"As you probably know, I'm the only female of my people to ever become a werewolf. It was always seen as a male thing, that when the enemy came, the males would rise and fight them, not the males and a female would rise against them. I hated myself and my family for what they had done. I was an outcast to my pack, they didn't like that a girl could hear all their thoughts, especially Sam. I felt that my ancestors were cursing me, that I had done something in my life and this was my punishment, to become like a boy. I became engrossed in the pack and its traditions. And so when the time came and my pack split because of you I immediately blamed you in my mind, saying you had ruined our family."

I flinched softly as she said this and she looked at me with apologetic eyes.

"That's why I ran. Even though the pack…packs became close again I still couldn't stand the thought that we were now two different peoples, and that we had allied with vampires…cold ones. I thought that if I left, maybe you all would realize that my kind weren't the best to ally with. But it didn't happen, I stayed in the forest and listened and watched as you and Jacob became closer and he told you about imprinting and you figured out that he had imprinted on you and that was when I realized that my kind would never leave yours. Our kinds would always be mixed together now, forever and eternity."

I blushed softly; Jacob didn't know that I knew about his imprint on me. My father knew and wasn't very happy, but as soon as he saw deeper into my mind he saw that it didn't scare me, that it made me ecstatic. I ripped myself from my thoughts as Leah continued talking about her adventure.

"It took me almost a year to really realize this and then I began to think about myself. I had never really been able to do it by myself, due to the whole linked in the mind thing. As I thought about it I thought about the legends of our people. Women had always played a large part in our peoples past and that's when I began to believe that I had been placed here as a wolf for a reason, a definite purpose. It seems to me that our gods knew that our people would be divided by something and there would need to be a buffer person. Someone who is not on the traditional side and someone who is not completely on the 'new' side. Someone that would be that thin line of connection between the two. I hadn't wanted to leave Sam's pack, but I couldn't let Seth leave me alone with them he was my brother. So, I went with him and Jacob, even though I strongly disliked your family. When I finally realized all of this, that I was needed in this world, in the wolf world, I knew I needed to return so I rushed home quickly as possible, not stopping for anything." She finished quietly, sighing.

I looked at her softly, "you've matured it seems"

She chuckled, "yes I have, I've come to terms that your family is good and can be trusted, I'll just have to get reacquainted with the smell" she grimaced.

"O, don't even try, Seth still has problems, but Jacob doesn't, since he's always at the house." I blushed softly at his name.

Leah chuckled, "tell him, now it's getting dark let's head to your house"

I looked up at the darkening sky and gasped, "I'm going to be in so much trouble"

Leah laughed, "I'll give you an alibi"

I grinned up at her and narrowed my eyes, "race you, first to the clearing of the house wins"

"What do we win?" she asked getting ready to phase.

"I don't know yet, but ready…set….go" I yelled and she phased and we were off.

Leah

We burst through the front door laughing, the Cullen's and the wolves whirling around in shock.

"That was a tie, rematch tomorrow" Ness gasped.

"Ok, but be ready to loose" I said chuckling.

"Get ready to eat your words" she said straightening up.

I heard a clearing throat and looked up to see Sam walking towards me.

"Leah?" he asked quietly.

"Hello brother" I said quietly.

Renesmee

I watched as everyone hugged and smiled and then looked around the room for Jake. When my eyes fell upon him, my father looked at me and nodded, approving of my decision. I walked over to Jacob and lightly touched his arm. He turned around and I turned my head towards the still open front door, letting him know I wanted to talk. He nodded softly and we slipped away from the crowd unnoticed.

"Let's go to the meadow" I said, referring to the meadow my parents had shown me we I was technically 2 years old.

He nodded softly and grinned, "Run?" I laughed nodding and we ran into the trees. By the time we had reached the meadow we were laughing hysterically. I collapsed to the ground and he fell beside me gasping. After a few moments he turned to me, who was still laughing, "so what did you want to talk about?"

I instantly stopped laughing and looked up at the stars.

I thought about my words for a moment before speaking.

"I know why you told me about imprinting. I'm not stupid, and you not good at covering your feelings in your eyes. At first I was freaked out about it, I mean I was a baby when you fell in love with me. But when I thought about it, I didn't have any faults about it. You were so nice, but at the same time so annoying; you were…are cute and of course I'm not going to argue that. It took dad forever to accept that I had already chosen you, but all he said was as long as you're happy, and I was…I am happy with my decision," I finished quietly, not being able to look at him.

He was silent for a few moments and I began to worry. Had he decided to give up on me? I turned my head away from him, the tears swimming in my eyes.

"Are you crying?" he asked quietly.

"No" I flinched as my voice cracked.

"Aw, Ness, don't cry!" he said grabbing be in a hug. I wrapped my arms around him tightly and let the tears go down my cheeks trying not to go into hysterics. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I never noticed" he whispered into my hair.

I chuckled softly, "I guess that shouldn't be surprising" I said grinning.

"Hey" he said.

I giggled and hugged him tightly, kissing him softly.

30 minutes later

We walked through the front door and I glared at everyone who looked like they were about to go "aw" and they immediately looked the other way. I looked over to Leah and smiled mouthing Thank You and she nodded smiling.

The next day

I looked out the window smiling as my family went to go play in the open field; I believe a game of football. I watched as Jake and my dad messed around with the football throwing it over Emmett's head and my mother and Leah shook their heads at their immaturity. I laughed softly, no matter how much they got on my nerves this was my family and I loved them.

Leah

I laughed as Emmett wined and tried to reach the ball as Edward threw it to Jacob. I grinned as Bella grabbed my hand and pulled me after her, trying to tell me something. Even though I had been gone for three years they had let me back in with open arms and I felt more accepted that I ever had and I finally knew that this is where I belonged. Here in Forks.