I do not own Twilight or any of its associated characters, they belong to Stephanie Meyers. The poem titled 'Antigonish' belongs to the great William Hughes Mearns.

Summary: Leah and Jacob had been in love. They had loved each other like they hadn't ever loved before. But like all fairy tales and happy endings, the story must end somewhere. Most people think that it is magic when you find the person you love with all your heart, but for Leah, it was magic that took that love and killed her. Enter: IMPRINTING!

Last night I saw upon the stair

A little man who wasn't there

PART l FOUR

Leah sat on the bed, watching Ethan happily gurgle and coo. She had put him in his little blue cotton shirt with the writing 'I love my Aunty' written in block letters on the front and his tiny black cargo shorts. Leah rolled her eyes looking at him wriggle around in the shirt Rachel had gotten him from Seattle when she and Paul had gone the previous weekend. Leah knew Rachel was smitten with Ethan and loved him like her own. Paul too had surprised her by bonding with the little boy, happily burping him after feeds and even getting up in the middle of the night to tend to him and letting Leah get some much need rest.

Leah knew she had a responsibility now and she needed to get her life back on track. She didn't have him, but she had Ethan, and Rach, and Paul, and Billy. Leah had never felt closer to the Black family as she had right now. Her son was a Black and she was proud he would carry on Billy's legacy.

Billy had visited every day for the last week, sitting with his grandson and studying the small boy. Leah knew that Billy was mesmerised by Ethan and the splitting image he was of his father and also due to the fact he was hypnotised by his eyes. They were so bright and loving, just like Sarah's, like his son's, and now his grandson.

It had taken every day of coming over and pestering Leah, for her to finally contact her mother and Seth to invite them over for a lunch at Rachel's house, and to ultimately meet Ethan. Leah had no worries avoiding Seth as he was always tending to his imprint, and well, Sue was harder. She was like a dam hawk. Leah had actually hidden behind some shelving down at the store to avoid her mother earlier in the week. She hadn't been ready then, and truthfully she wasn't ready now. She would have given everything to wake and for all this mess been a dream, but when she looked at her son, their son, she was somewhat grateful, that she had even the smallest time with Jacob.

In reality he had given her everything she could have wanted. He had loved her, he had trusted her, he had confided in her, he had even left Leah with something never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine she could or would have.

Ethan.

Though in the back of Leah's mind, Jacob would always be there. She couldn't let go of him, not just yet. He was still fresh in her mind; she could still feel his handprints on her skin, the heat of his breath, his smell, his aura, his voice, his everything.

Leah picked Ethan up under the arm pits and steadied him in front of her, bouncing his feet up and down on the bed as if to imitate walking, playing with the constantly happy baby.

"Hello, mummy's little boy" She said blissfully to him and he smiled his toothless smile at her, reaching out to grab at something. She brought him forward and kissed his chubby cheeks, lingering there for a moment inhaling his scent.

Leah had made sure Ethan slept in the same bed as her. He didn't like to sleep in the cot across the room, and he slept better if he was able to play with her hair. She would sometimes wake up and he would already be awake and touching her face and trying to get to the necklace that hung around her neck.

She touched the necklace around her neck and sighed. Jacob had given her the necklace, which felt like a whole other life ago. Another universe, another dimension, somewhere happier and simpler. She fingered the small pendant and closed her eyes.

~Flashback~

Leah furiously unwrapped the little gift. It had been a long time since she had received a gift from someone other than one of her family members for her birthday.

"Calm down babe, it's not going anywhere!" Jacob laughed as he kissed her forehead.

Leah blushed at his remarks. He was right the small package wasn't going anywhere, but still that didn't make the utter excitement die down, of wanting to know what was inside.

As soon as all the paper had been torn off, Leah thumbed the small box in her palm. Her fingers were trembling as they touched the blue silk of the box. She looked up at Jacob and he smiled, nodding his head at her, edging her to proceed.

"What is it?" Leah asked moving into Jacob's lap on the couch. He wrapped his long, strong arms around her waist and pulled her closer, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Open it and find out" He whispered, kissing the bare flesh under her ear on her neck, while his hands slipped under her shirt, running his warm fingers back and forth across her flat stomach, stroking the smooth skin there.

Leah clutched the box and snapped it open. Her eyes widened at the gift sitting inside. A small sliver necklace sat in the box, with a small pendant, dangling from it. She pulled the necklace out and studied the pendant in her hand. It was a small sliver key with the words 'Forever' engraved in it. Jacob spoke, as he saw the confusion of Leah's face.

"Leah, it's the key to my heart. And since you have stolen my heart, I have given you the key. Forever" He whispered into the crook of her neck.

Leah smiled looking down at the key, she was glad to have Jacob's heart. Jacob didn't need a key to hers. He had stolen it, every single day they had been together. He had stolen it, with one look, one word, one touch, one kiss. Her heart would always be his, no matter what.

"Thank you Jake" She said kissing his full lips. She savoured the sweet taste of his mouth, creating a spark within both their insides.

As Jacob pulled away, he kissed her nose, her eyelids, the corner of her mouth, then grabbing the necklace from her, and clasping it around her neck, kissing the back of her neck and sighing.

"Did you notice the extra links on the chain" Jacob asked leaning in to re kiss her neck, holding her hips snuggly.

"Yeah, I did. What's it for?"

"The extra clips are to add more charms. The lady at the store told me that every time something happens in our lives, I have to get you a new link. There's one for love, one for marriage, and one for...well-"

"One for what?" Leah asked turning around in his lap, and throwing her arms around his strong shoulders and neck, to stare into those brown eyes.

"One for…for every child, we have" He said smiling down at the woman in his arms.

Leah's face dropped immediately and her eyes shot downcast. "Jake you know I can't, well we think I can't-" Jacob hushed her, before the tears started to fall. They both knew there was a possibility that she would never be able to have children, due to the wolf inside her, but that didn't stop Jacob from hoping.

"Leah, we are going to have children and we will love them. I'll be there for every birthday, for every milestone, for every boo boo, for every tear, for every laugh, for every first day at school, for every sick day. I'll be there to scare away my daughters prom date, I'll be there for my sons first football game, for their graduation. I'll be there. I'll be here. Together" He said intertwining their hands and cupping his free hand to her chin. "I love you Lee, and I love our children already."

~End Flashback~

Leah perked up at the sound of a car pulling up in the drive way. She picked Ethan up, kissed his little face and pulled him up to her shoulder and patted him lightly on the back. She slowly made her way down the stairs to be greeted with Rachel ushering in both Sue and Seth through the door. Her steps down the stairs faltered a bit and the sound was instantly picked up by Seth's shape shifter ears.

"Sis, hey come on, get down here, I haven't seen you for-" Seth's eyes widened at the little boy in Leah's arms. He noticed the boys pitch black hair and russet coloured skin.

Sue had been happily talking to Rachel about the trip she had taken with Charlie, when she heard Seth call out to Leah, only to stop mid-sentence. Sue walked into the house and stood beside Seth, looking for Leah. When Sue's eyes followed up the steps to where Leah was standing, she too stopped, and watched the baby in Leah's arms.

Sue gasped and raised her hands over her mouth looking up at her daughter. "Lee…Leah? What is this?"

Leah took several calculated steps and turned the boy around to face her mother and brother. "Mum, Seth, this is Ethan, my son!"

Ethan happily gurgled and reached out to the two people in front of him, twiddling his fingers. Sue stepped forward and looked over the boy. Sue knew those eyes. She knew them well. They had belonged to her dear friend Sarah Black, they had belonged to her son, and now they belonged to her grandson. Sue slowly reached out for the boy and he smiled toothlessly at her, reaching as well for the small woman.

"Oh Leah, oh my god… I – I, he's perfect!" She sighed, placing her hands under his arms and scoping him out of her daughters hold. Sue hugged him and kissed his rosy cheeks, savouring her grandson.

Seth stood open mouthed staring between his sister and his…nephew? Seth immediately felt bad. How his sister could have had a baby and he knew nothing about it? Was he that selfish to let his imprint take over his mind, not fleeting a care in the world for his sister. He had left her and gone off to Seattle. He hadn't bothered calling because he thought that if something was to happen she would at least call him, or their Alpha would tell him. Had he been too wrapped up in his own relationship with his imprint to not even care what happened to her?

"Sis…what the hell? When the hell? What the-" Seth stuttered trying to get the words out, before he swallowed them. "You have a lot of explaining to do Leah" Seth said sternly, trying to sound mature and sure of himself.

"I know" Leah said moving down off the stairs and embracing her brother. "I miss you Seth" She sighed into his warm shoulder. Seth patted her back and stared at the boy in his mother's arms over his sister's shoulder. "I miss you too Lee" Seth knew he wasn't lying per say, it was just that he already missed his imprint more than his own sister. He felt like his heart was breaking because Leah could hear the uncertainty in his voice. His sister had been alone for so long, after she had been his everything. His rock, his friend, his protector, his confidant. She had been there more times, than he could poke a stick at, but in her time of need, he was nowhere to be found.

Billy rolled out into the hallway with a smile on his face. "Now that you have met our grandson Sue, let's move into the dining room for some lunch"

Seth pushed his sister away and held her shoulders, studying her face, looking for the truth on the words billy had just spoken. "Jacob's...?"

Leah looked down and nodded. The full impact hit Seth and made his head spin. His sister…had a child with their Alpha? Their imprinted Alpha? The same Alpha that had imprinted on a girl he used to loves daughter?

Seth pulled his sister back in for the hug and felt her trembling against him. He could hear her heavy breathing and the small sobs that escaped her mouth. "Oh Leah, I am so sorry" He said into her hair, kissing her head. Seth at the same time felt a twinge in his heart. Even though this was his sister, he felt the imprint pulling him back from making any kind of physical connection with her. It wasn't like he wanted to do anything remotely sexual with her, he just wanted to comfort her and love her like a brother should. But the imprint had different plans; he sighed and pulled away from her, leaving her standing in the middle of the hall, with her arms wrapped around herself.

"I am sorry Leah, I can't…um… hold you for too long, it... ah... it hurts me" Seth said looking at his sister with pain in his eyes. He wanted so much to hug her and stay by her side, tell her that everything was going to be okay. But he knew better. He knew that she would know he was lying. She didn't need to be lied to.

Leah nodded dejectedly as Rachel came up to her and engulfed her in a hug and did all the things Seth couldn't. "It's okay Lee" She cooed stroking her long wavy hair. "It's going to be okay, we will always be here for you. Me and Paul, Billy and Sue, we will always be here for you" Rachel's eyes gave Seth a pity glance. She had left his name out for a reason. She knew Seth would never be there for his sister, the way she wanted him to be. Rachel knew what the imprint felt like, the pull, the link, the chain mesh surrounding two souls. But her and Paul where different. They could still function without each other for a while; they could still comfort others, though Paul left it up to Rachel more often than not. Half the reason might half been that both Rachel and Paul fell in love with Ethan the moment they laid eyes on the little boy.

"Come on Lee, let's eat. I am sure your mother has many questions" Rachel said taking her friends hand and leading her into the next room.

After a long lunch, Leah and Sue decided to take a walk, strapping Ethan into his pram and taking the trail through the woods. Sue explained that she used to take walks with Leah when she was just a baby. Sue said that Leah had always been an adventurous baby and that she would be in awe, taking in the surroundings and trying to reach out and touch all the leaves and branches, watching the small animals scurry around the woods.

"Leah, can I ask you something?" Sue said pushing the pram, eyeing of her daughter who hadn't said very much during lunch.

"Sure, fire away!" Leah said with a small frown.

"Has Jacob seen him? Does he… um… know he has a son?" Sue said cautiously, well aware that her daughter was a shape shifter and could easily be overcome by anger.

Leah breathed a long hard breath before speaking. "Yeah he knows, he just doesn't seem to care enough to see him. He is too wrapped up in the leeches kid, to see his own" She said bitterly.

"Oh Leah, why didn't you tell me you were pregnant? I could have been there for you; I could have stayed with you instead of going on the trip with Charlie"

"As much as I would have like that mum, you have a life too. And you need to get on with your own things. Charlie makes you happy, and you needed that after dad. I didn't want to waste your time"

"LEAH! You would not have been wasting my time!" Sue scolded.

"I know mum, it's just I didn't need you, I needed… I needed him" Leah said as the first tear fell.

Sue stopped the pram and pulled Leah in for a hug. "Shhh…baby. I know, I know! It's okay Leah, you'll move on, get better, maybe you'll even find your own Charlie." Sue smiled at her daughter, hoping for the best.

Rachel sent Paul off with a kiss, to take her father home while she cleaned up the table and dishes from the afternoon's luncheon. As she scrubbed the roasting tin, she heard a soft knock at the door. Rachel washed her hands of the remaining soap, wiping her hands on a tea towel, and headed for the door.

She smiled as she opened it wide before realising who was standing there. Her face dropped immediately and turned into a scowl.

"What are you doing here?" She asked the large man at the door, who was currently craning his neck over her to peek into the house. She closed the door slightly, blocking his view, and pushed again. "I said 'What the fuck are you doing here?'"

"Rach, what the hell, I was just coming by to see how you are?" He said with a pitiful smile.

Not ever did she think she could hate the man that stood in front of her. He had grown up with her, they had been close, like best friends. But there connection ran much deeper than that. He was her blood, her brother and the father of her beautiful nephew.

"What do you want Jacob?" She said moving out on to the porch, closing the door and crossing her arms in front of her.

"I – ah – I just wanted to know how you're doing? Everything alright? Everyone all right?" He asked lowering his eyes to the floor.

"If you're talking about, what I think you're talking about, then no. Everything is not alright" She hissed violently at him.

Jake brushed the action off and looked up at his sister with pain in his eyes. "Have you seen it?" He asked cautiously.

"It? It? It is a boy Jacob. A little beautiful boy. He is funny, loving, caring and happy" She glared at him.

"What's his name?" Jacob asked as he thought about the little boy. His eyes lit up, and sparkled with a sense of pride knowing he had a son.

"You really think you deserve to know? You haven't even seen him for fucks sake. His is your son Jacob, and I see him more than you do! Paul spends more time with Ethan than his own father does" She all but screamed at him.

Jake felt the tinge in his heart for the son he was still yet to hold. He had really thought that everything would be alright. Jacob had been happy, in love and had a child on the way. He never in his whole life expected to find someone like Leah and he thought she was always something he could never have.

And he was right.

Imprinting took her away. But more retrospectively, Imprinting took him away. It took his love away, his life, his son, his soon to be wife. It took him away and gave him to a woman, no a girl, a child, that knew nothing about real love, nothing about hardship, nothing about heart break. The universe had tied him, to his first mistake. Loving the mortal Bella Swan. She had broken him, Leah had fixed him, and now his love for Leah lay towards the daughter of a girl that had broken him.

It hadn't been fair on either of them. Jacob had made so many promises to Leah, and the universe made sure he would never ever let those promises become a reality.

"Ethan-" Jacob breathed as he thought about the little boy. Did he look like him? Like Leah? What did he do when he was happy? Did he smile? Did he laugh? What about when he was sad? Did he-

"You need to leave" Rachel said coldly to her only brother. "You need to leave before Leah comes home"

"Leah lives here? With you and Paul?" Jacob quizzed unsure of why Leah would be caught dead anywhere near Paul, let alone live in the same house as him.

"Not that it is any of your bees wax, but yes, she does! Now run along back to your blood suckers" Rachel said turning towards the door.

Jacob caught her upper arm and spun her back around to face him. "You think this doesn't hurt me? You think I wanted this Rach? You think I wanted to stay away? We were going to get married-"

Rachel gasped and threw her hands over her mouth. Leah hadn't told her that they had planned to get married. She didn't realise that Leah had gone through exactly what Sam had done to her. Again.

"I can't fix this Rachel, I just can't! I never wanted to leave Rach, you have to believe me" He sighed, releasing his grip on her arm and running a hand through his messy hair.

Rachel couldn't help but to pity her brother. She had never seen him so distraught and afraid. He was supposed to be chief, Alpha, the Alpha. But all he looked like was a scared little boy.

Rachel sighed "He looks like you Jake. He has mum's eyes, your eyes. He is so beautiful Jacob, I think you would have loved him" She said as a tear escaped her eye.

"Would have? I do love him, I do!" He cried out in frustration pulling the ends of his short cropped hair. "I just – I"

Rachel placed a hand to her brothers shoulder carefully "I understand Jacob, you love him, but you love your imprint more."

Jake shook his head and tried to get rid of the tears forming in his long lashes. "I didn't mean for this to happen Rachel. I didn't want this, I wanted Leah. I did!" He said sadly as he wiped the tears away with the back of his hand.

Rachel tried to console him some more, by talking about Ethan. "Dad loves him, and comes over almost every day to give Leah a break. While I am at work, Dad is here, and then when he goes home it's either me or Paul. He his strong Jacob, like his mother, like his ancestors. He laughs when you tickle his belly, he likes playing with Leah's hair and he loves slapping Paul in the head." Rachel smiled thinking back on all the times Ethan accidentally hit Paul. "He is healthy, his is always hungry and he loves pear and apple puree." Her voice dropped low as she tried to hold back a sob "Dad tells him stories all the time. About Mum, and about you. Dad says he looks exactly like you did when you were little. He tells him that Mum would have loved to see him, and that she would be so proud of you and Leah." And with that Rachel dropped her hand and stepped away from Jacob.

Jacob's heart was heavy with pain, with sorrow. Guilt washed through his veins as he tried to push words out of his mouth. He swallowed hard and looked up at his sister, who was now backing away from him.

"I am sorry Jacob. I want to feel anything towards you but hostility but I can't. Ethan needs us, he needs his family. Leah needs us too. If she knew that you were here, I would never see my nephew again. I can't let that happen Jake. I love him, and I don't want her to leave. Please understand that you're my brother, my blood, but doing what you did, making the choices you did, you're as good as dead to me" Rachel opened the door, not waiting for a reply and shut it in Jacobs face.

Jacob stood there unable to move his feet. He was stuck in place by her words.

'You're as good as dead'

And she was right. Jacob knew that. He was good as dead. He had lost everything he had held dear to him and there was not a god damn thing he could do about it.

He sighed and set the small package down on the porch and walked towards the woods to phase and run back to the Cullen's. He knew he shouldn't have left it there, just like the package he had sent to the hospital. He knew he would only be hurting Leah, but he wanted her to understand, that even though he couldn't be with her, that he never forgot all the promises he gave her. It would have only been a small token, but it was the only token her could give her now.

It had felt wrong on every account, but he had to give her this one thing.

Leah felt refreshed after going on the long walk with her mother, and after she bit her a due, by helping her into her car, she sat on the porch steps and rocked little Ethan in her arms. Seth had long left to go back to his imprint and Leah knew Rachel would be inside carrying out some kind of chore. Leah hummed an old Quileute lullaby to her son, as he happily played with the length of her hair. As the sun set, she gathered his things and headed into the house to feed him and put him down for the night.

Leah didn't notice the small white package sitting on the front mat as she opened the door and went into the house.

If she would have, she would have found a small box containing a charm. A charm of a little carriage engraved with a simple word from a man that had her beating heart in his hands, a man that had once loved her beyond all reasonable doubt, just because she was her and he was him.

She would have run her hands over the chiselled metal and remembered all the times they had and even worse, that they could have had. Those words, no matter how small, would haunt Leah for the rest of her life.

Because how can you have a 'forever' when everything was gone?

AN – Okay I am a baby and I cried while writing this! I also want to say thank you to all those that have reviewed, and that I love that your optimistic about this story! But *sighs* I don't think you will find any redemption here my loves.

Review?