Fic: Loving Leah

Chapter one: Reason to Celebrate

Disclaimer: All the original Twilight characters do not belong to me. Everyone else portrayed in this fiction is mine.

Author's notes: I thought Leah deserved her own happiness, but figured she'd of course fight it when the time came around.

It reminded me of swimming in deep water. Sometimes you lose your sense of up and down and you have to be still for a second to figure out which way is the surface. It was disorienting, frightening and then my gravity settled into place and my world oriented on the man standing across from me.

"Who is that?" I demanded. Karen's boyfriend Brandon stood next to the guy, laughing at something he'd said. Karen looked over to see who I had indicated. She snorted.

"Benjamin Lincoln the third," She said, enunciating each syllable of his name. "Heir to the real estate empire and new best friend with Brandon. He just transferred in and they spend so much time together that I swear if I didn't know how much Brandon loved vaginas I'd consider him a threat." I choked on my coke and spit it back into my cup, wincing as it burned my nose. I sputtered for a second, looking like an idiot before the name clicked.

"Benjamin LINCOLN?" I said too loudly. I looked around to make sure no one had heard me, luckily the party was loud. I lowered my voice, "As in Lincoln Hall, Lincoln?" Karen nodded. "The very same. Both of his parents are Alumni here. His grandfather too. I guess it's a tradition for them to go here, even though he wasn't here as a freshman. Seems like a rich kids like that would be going to Yale or some other Ivy league."

I listened to Karen ramble on with one ear, but all my other senses were trained on the man across from me. He was very tall. Brown hair with some gold highlights, probably from spending the summer on his parent's yacht. The most beautiful green eyes… And most definitely drunk off his ass.

He laughed uproariously at something Brandon said and accidentally spilled some of his beer unto the guy sitting next to him on the couch. I was drawn closer to him, leaving Karen talking to some other friends. Brandon spotted me and waved me over to introduce me. Benjamin turned glazed eyes on me and gave me a drunk smile, showing perfect teeth in his tan face.

"Hey Brandon," he slurred. "Who's the dyke?"

WHAM!

I could see immediately his nose was broken. It bled everywhere for one thing. The profusion of curses erupting from Benjamin's mouth was another clue. My hand didn't even hurt. I added insult to injury by pouring what was left of my backwashed coke on top of his head before turning and storming out of the frat house.

"Idiot," I heard Brandon say as I stalked out of the house. "That's Leah Clearwater. The school track champion. You don't fuck with her."

* * *

I had made it into college. No luck with my grades, but being able to run like the wind had gotten me a full scholarship to a college on the East coast. As far away from the Olympic Penninsula as possible. I'd gotten one other scholarship that paid for some of my other expenses and after freshman year let me move into one of the nicer building that served as off campus housing.

I hadn't transformed in almost 2 years. The urge to do so had been horrible in the beginning. It felt like my skin was too tight, pressed outward from the wolf within me. Stretching me until the skin would split. Now, it was barely noticeable. Another 2 years maybe and I wouldn't feel it at all. I would age. I waited eagerly for a period. Carlisle had told me that menstruating would indicate I was aging again and I would no longer need to worry about phasing. I could be normal. I could go on with my life and put my extremely strange and painful teenage years behind me.

School had been going great for the last year. My two roommates were made of awesome and my grades had been steadily improving as I gained my footing in the world of higher academics. I had even gotten a recommendation from my drafting professor this morning for that internship I had wanted at the architect firm downtown. Dr. Neilson didn't give recs to anyone and I certainly hadn't had the nerve to ask him. I know my mouth fell open when he asked me to come to his office and handed me the heavy, cream colored envelope holding what was almost guaranteed to get me an excellent job – if I didn't screw up the internship, that is. That was why I was at the party. Karen had said it was to celebrate. Jenny had opted out. She had baking class first thing in the morning. It was with the knowledge that she was probably fast asleep that I refrained from slamming the door when I stomped into our small apartment. I had run all the way from the other side of campus. I was breathing hard, but more from temper than exertion. My stomach roared and I winced and went to the fridge. A note was held on with a magnet.

Leah- Grats on the Rec! There's a pie in the fridge for you. Don't eat it all at once! – Jen

I grabbed a plate and after carefully cutting the heavenly looking cherry pie in half, I retired to the couch to watch reruns of sex and the city and contemplate my evening.

I'd imprinted. After almost completely giving up hope of ever achieving the kind of purpose my pack mates had found in their imprints, my whole being had suddenly settled on a man who I had no chance in hell with. I'd actually hit him. I didn't even know it was possible to harm an imprint. All the stories say you're everything they need, a perfect mate. Harming a pack mate's imprint was punishable by expulsion from the tribe, or worse. I laughed at myself as I got up to rinse my plate in the sink. Benjamin Lincoln, I guess you needed a good punch to the face.

I leaned my head against the cool wood of the kitchen cabinets and fought against the sting of tears. I would NOT cry. This was just one other thing I had to get past to put this whole horrible phasing thing behind me. I'm HUMAN. Humans don't fall in love at first sight. I'll get over it and in a few years time it will fade too and I can get on with my life.

Oh Fuck it, I'm eating the whole pie.