A/N: Thank you Edwardsfavoritebrunette and Batgirl8968 from PTB for your mad beta'ing skills!
6
Leah was in her creative workspace, her safe haven. The garage had been converted into a large office to house all of her computer equipment that she required for her photography. There was even a darkroom sectioned off in the corner.
The music of one of latest Edward's CDs floated lightly out of the speakers as she worked. His music was calming and helped her concentrate on the task at hand.
She sat in front of three large monitors, her legs folded underneath her as she perused the many photos from the bonfire the weekend before. This was part of Angela and Embry's wedding gift. She'd agreed to take the photos for their wedding (at no fee), but she planned to take shots of them leading up to the big day. Then she would compile them in a book, a timeline leading up to the wedding. This way she could present them with the photos from their wedding as well as the book.
There were some really romantic shots from that night. She found a great shot of Embry and Angela, his arm protectively holding her as he placed a soft kiss on her cheek. There was another picture of Jacob and his new girlfriend, Eden. Their eyes were locked together, sharing a secret passion that only they could understand. Renesmee and Collin were roasting marshmallows, his large hand steadying hers as she held it over the fire. The light from the flames caught the slight blush on her cheeks caused by Collin's closeness.
And then there was Rachel and Paul whispering in the corner. Since Billy had asked her to be on the council, she'd been privy to all the secrets of the pack. Understandably, it was quite a shock when she saw the men she'd known as boys transform into giant wolves, but she'd gotten used to the idea. Paul, who'd always had a thing for Rachel, had volunteered to be her official pack ambassador and show her how things worked. Their relationship blossomed beyond friendship. However, they hadn't told Jacob yet. He was too wrapped up in Eden to even notice what was going on under his nose.
There was so much love in the air, Leah thought she had been transported to the set of Love Actually. Truthfully, she was envious and silently kicking herself for ruining things with Matt. He was a recurring thought in her mind, and even the theme song to Friends couldn't get him out of her head, which was why she'd begged Brady to take her shift. Renesmee still held firm to her advice. Just go talk to him, Lee!
Like it was so easy.
She missed him. She missed the way they talked and actually listened to what the other had to say. She missed his touch, the way he held her when they kissed. His scent was so inviting and peaceful, reminding her of summers at the lake. There were times when it seemed like the wind carried it to her, reminding her of that moment when things were clear. Being around Matt gave her hope—hope she was afraid to have, but was there. Hope that she felt slipping away the longer she was away from him.
The clunk of a car bumped down the road, and Leah knowingly shook her head. Her mother was on her way in that death trap that she refused to trade in.
Leah saved all of her work and headed in through the door connecting to the kitchen. She grabbed a teakettle from the cabinet and started heating up some water. Her mother always enjoyed hot tea when she came over.
"It's open, Mom!" Leah shouted at the door before Sue could knock. Wolf hearing was a great asset sometimes.
The front door opened and closed and Sue made her way to the kitchen. She carried a large casserole dish covered in foil, her purse slung over her shoulder.
"Honey, you should really keep the doors locked," her mother admonished as she set the dish on the counter. "Two young, single women who live alone should be more vigilant of their surroundings. There are psychos everywhere."
Leah snorted. "I'd feel bad for any idiot that tries to break into the home of a shape-shifter and a vampire-human hybrid."
"What if something that's not human comes by?" Sue narrowed her eyes.
"One of us would sense them before they got close enough. Besides, a locked door isn't going to keep the big bad uglies away."
"Just humor me, Leah." Sue sighed. "Keep them locked, okay?" Sue looked around the house. "Where's Ness?"
"She went to the movies with Eden," Leah said, leaning against the counter as she stared at the teakettle.
"I thought she'd be out with Collin. They've been spending a lot of time together."
"Yeah, when she's not physically with him, she's on the phone talking to him." Leah smiled. Even though she was skeptical of Renesmee getting involved with one of the wolves, they were good for each other.
The teakettle whistled and Leah poured the hot water in a mug then grabbed a tea bag from the cupboard and the container of sugar. She walked to the other side of the counter and placed the hot water in front of her mother.
"I brought you and Ness something." Sue took the cover off the dish. "I know how much you both love it." The scent of peach cobbler floated in the air, attacking Leah's senses. The sweet aroma was brutal, and Matt's beautiful face popped in her head. She stared at the peach cobbler as she let out a slow and steady breath to ease her heart and slowly dropped on the stool before she fell.
"Honey, are you okay?" Sue moved toward her.
"Yeah." Leah nodded as she felt her mother's hand rubbing her back. "I'm fine."
She looked up at her mother, whose expression went from concerned to all-knowing. "All right, what's his name?"
"What?"
"I know what lovesickness looks like, and it's all over your face." Sue reached over and put her hand on Leah's cheek. "Remember when you didn't think Sam was interested in you? You lost your appetite for a week. Who is he?"
Leah looked up at the ceiling and blew out a frustrated breath. "It's a long story." She tried to fight the tears. Damn it! She'd promised herself that she'd never let herself get that way again. Not after Sam.
"Well, I've got time. How about we talk about it over some tea and peach cobbler?" Sue got up and cut them both a slice of cobbler and finished preparing her tea.
They made their way to the living room, and Sue waited patiently as Leah took the first bite of the cobbler. It was delicious, but it made her miss Matt even more. She took a deep breath and the whole story spilled out of her like a broken dam. Her emotions came with it.
"Well, he is handsome," Sue commented, looking at the picture on Leah's tablet.
"He's also smart." Leah felt the pride swell in her chest. "He works real hard and doesn't take himself too seriously. You'd like him." Leah held the tablet in her hand, gently caressing the photo.
"Then I think you should go talk to him," Sue said, pulling the tablet out of Leah's hands. "You deserve to be happy, too. Maybe this is your chance."
Leah's vision became blurry at her mother's words. "Mom?"
"Yes, honey?" Sue reached over and wiped away a rogue tear.
"It has been so long since someone has seen me as me, not just Sam's castoff. For years, I listened to whispers of how people felt sorry for me. I just want to be me again, not some girl who couldn't get over her boyfriend leaving her for someone else." Leah paused for a moment, trying to fight the tears, but losing the battle. "I don't think I could take it if he saw me like that." Leah dropped her head in her hands and sobbed. She hadn't cried that hard in years. "Do you think he could see past that and still love me?"
"Oh, Leah." Sue gathered Leah in her arms as the sobs hiccupped through her body. "Of course I think he could love you. Any man could fall for you. Even though Sam imprinted, it doesn't mean that he didn't love you. On some level, I think he still does." Sue pulled back and lifted Leah's head. "You just have to be brave enough to give it another chance. Life gives us pain and sorrow, but there's also love and happiness. If we don't let the bad in, how can we appreciate the good? I think Ness is right. You should go talk to him. Tell him that you want to give it a try, but you need to go slow. From what you've said about him, I think he'd understand."
"Until he finds out I turn into a giant wolf and kill vampires." Leah wiped her nose with the back of her hand.
"Maybe he'll understand that, too. Angela's love for Embry helped her accept him." Sue gave her a knowing look. "Rachel is okay with Paul turning into a wolf. Besides, this is not your whole life, honey. Maybe you could stop phasing. I'm sure with Eden in the picture, Jake's thinking about it also."
"Maybe." Leah stood up and grabbed their plates. "But vampires will always be a problem, Mom."
"It doesn't mean it has to be your problem anymore. You all did your duty, and it's time for you to live your lives. Enough sacrifices have been made, especially yours, Leah."
Could she really be ready to give up her wolf? She'd helped Leah through the worst of things with Sam and was brave enough join Jacob's pack. What if letting her wolf go didn't bring back her chance to have a family? It was a fear she'd been suppressing for years.
"When Jake doesn't need me anymore, then I'll consider it," Leah said, making her way to the kitchen. "Mom, you want another piece?"
"No, I'm good." Sue took a sip of her tea. "So, what do you think of the cobbler? Probably not as good as Matt's, huh?"
"It's great, Mom." Leah cut herself another piece. "I've always liked your peach cobbler."
"What if I told you I didn't make this?" Sue asked, slowly.
"Oh yeah?" Leah plopped down on the couch. "Who made it? Charlie?" Leah laughed and wondered if that was where Renesmee inherited her cooking skills.
"No, Emily made it." The fork froze in Leah's hand, as she stared down at the dessert. "Yeah, there was a big accident out on the interstate and I didn't have time, so I asked Emily."
"It's good," Leah simply said, using the fork to twist the food on her plate.
Leah wasn't the only one who made a name for herself around town. A few years back, Emily Uley decided she wanted to start her own business. It took a lot of courage, seeing as most of the town still thought she was a home wrecker, but she refused to stay cooped up in her house hiding from the world. Her catering company, Miss Emily's, was doing very well. She was even responsible for that glorious display of food at Embry and Angela's engagement party.
"She wants to write a cookbook," Sue said, studying Leah's face. "Something to pass down to her children."
"That's great. She should do it." Leah took another bite, chewing slowly. She sensed another revelation coming.
"She wants you to photograph her food, but she'll never ask."
Leah knew what her mother was doing. Sue had been trying for years to erase the gap between Leah and Emily. It wasn't like she was still angry. She barely thought about Sam like that, but the humiliation still stung. Plus, Emily was a constant reminder that maybe she wasn't meant to find love.
"It can't be like it was," Leah said softly, scraping the cobbler on the plate.
"That doesn't mean it can't be something different." Sue brushed a lock of hair out of Leah's eyes. "You two were inseparable when you were younger, before all this imprint drama came up. She asks about you all the time, you know?"
Leah looked up at Sue. "Really?"
"Yep." Sue nodded. "She also has a few of your photographs hanging in her office."
Leah had no idea, but she figured Seth was behind that. He'd been known to show off her work to people. Although she was surprised that Emily had some of it.
"Just think about it, okay? Maybe it will help you get your mind off Matt."
Yeah, right. Leah had a feeling that Matt had a permanent home in her mind and heart.
Leah talked with her mother a little longer before Sue headed out. It felt good talking to her mother and getting things off her chest. Now, she wondered if she was strong enough to face Matt again and the consequences if he rejected her.
~*}{*~
When Collin got home, he found his roommate buried under a pile of paperwork at the dining room table.
"Hey, Seth," Collin said as he set his things down.
"Hey, man." Seth looked up. "How did the interview go?"
"I think it went well." Collin loosened his tie as he walked to the kitchen. "But there were hundreds of applicants. Who knows?"
Collin graduated from college a year ago with a degree in engineering and was lucky enough to be offered a job at the firm where he interned. However, due to budget cuts, he was laid off. He dreaded moving back home, especially after gaining freedom from his overprotective parents, so when Seth offered him a room, he took it. Jacob had offered him a job as a mechanic until he found something else.
Connie Littlesea, Collin's mother, was not fond of Seth Clearwater and his relationship with the Cullens. In her mind, they were the reason her son was drafted in the war against vampires. Sometimes it seemed that she hadn't realized that Collin was an adult.
Collin was born premature and spent the first eight weeks of his life in an incubator. He'd always been smaller and weaker than everyone, and he got sick a lot. One day, he started to grow in both height and bulk. After the fever set in, he phased into a giant wolf for the first time. Jacob helped him calm down and phase back, then he explained the legends again and how important their job was to protect their people.
Mrs. Littlesea knew something wasn't right with her son and knew that her brother, Billy Black, held the secrets. So she confronted him and after he'd been evasive for as long as possible, he finally came clean. After her initial shock, she demanded to be a part of the council to make sure her son didn't have to fight unless he absolutely needed to. She'd been keeping an overprotective eye on him since.
"Hey, thanks again for patrolling for me tonight." Seth scratched his head. "I really need to get these papers graded. You didn't have plans with Ness tonight, did you?"
"No." Collin shook his head as he poured himself a glass of water. "She's hanging out with Eden, but I told her I'd stop by afterward. She sent me a text before my appointment, wishing me luck." Collin beamed. He'd been doing that a lot since he started dating Renesmee.
"Things going well?" Seth raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, they're great." Collin said, taking a seat across from Seth. "What about you? Have you talked to Jake, yet?"
Seth narrowed his eyes at Collin, his gaze steady. "No. I'm going to wait. I'm not ready to tell Roe yet, so I don't need to tell Jake, either."
Seth was keeping a secret, a secret that Collin accidently stumbled upon when he came home from an evening with Renesmee. He'd opened the door and found his roommate entwined with another man on the couch. Both of them were shirtless and things would have probably progressed further had Collin not walked in on them.
After some awkward introductions, Seth had walked Roe out. When he had come back, Collin was waiting for him. After some gentle coaxing, Seth had come clean. Collin assured Seth that he didn't care who he dated, but he did tell Seth that he needed to tell Jake so he could lift the alpha command. Things were obviously getting serious and he needed to be honest with Roe too.
"Okay," Collin conceded. He wanted Seth to be honest, but he wouldn't force the issue. Most of the pack didn't know about Seth's new relationship, and they weren't going to hear it from Collin. Seth needed to be ready to tell them.
Collin quickly changed the subject. "Who's patrolling with me tonight?"
Seth looked down at the papers and shifted uncomfortably. "Er…Aaron and Tommy."
"What!" Collin exclaimed. This was the last thing Collin needed. Listening to Aaron whine about how much his life sucked because of the Cullens with his brother chiming in was going to make this shift a lot longer.
"I owe you," Seth said quickly.
"Yeah, big time." Collin slowly rose from the dining chair. "I'm talking four racks of baby back ribs, for starters."
"Deal. I'll even throw in a bowl of potato salad," Seth shouted as Collin headed back to his room.
Collin sighed and closed the door. He knew that Seth wouldn't ask him to do this if he wasn't really in a jam. Seth Clearwater was one of the most honest, hardworking people he knew. Seth never asked for help unless he needed it and always offered it, no questions asked.
Collin quickly traded his shirt and tie for an old pair of sweat pants.
He said his goodbyes to Seth, who thanked him again for covering for him, then headed out on foot. Once in the confines of the woods, he undressed and placed his sweat pants in a crevice of a tree to keep them from getting wet. Strapping them to his leg always made him uncomfortable and most of the time they got torn or soaked from running in the woods.
He looked around once, twice and then called upon his wolf. The world became clearer and brighter, even in the fading sunlight. The last tingles of his phase dissipated and he began making his rounds.
Nothing really happened since the Volturi left, not that he was complaining. It was hard keeping up with all the night patrols and his grades. Once things slowed down, he got back into his routine and graduated high school at the top of his class. He lessened his patrols during college so he could focus on school, but once he graduated he took his normal shifts.
The faster they finished patrolling, the sooner he'd be able to see Renesmee. He couldn't wait to see her smile. He remembered meeting her for the first time. They'd met at a party Seth had thrown to celebrate him moving in. He'd heard about Renesmee and even seen glimpses of her, but it wasn't until that night that he really saw her. From that moment, he was smitten. She was so beautiful in her light pink shirt that almost blended with her skin and her dark jeans. And that red hair! It was like liquid flame that looked like it would burn if touched. However, he knew from experience how soft it was when it glided through his fingers.
Oh, God! Please stop! I do not want to spend the night watching you and that bloodsucker get freaky!
Aaron.
Tommy laughed in the background.
Aaron's voice grated on Collin's nerves when he was human; it was even worse when he was a wolf. It seemed to project and echo in his only thing that made it bearable was that they weren't in front of each other.
Collin sighed and decided to ignore him.
Oh, did I hit a sore spot? How's your mom taking it? We all know she was one of the loudest voices on the council against the spawn walking on our lands.
That's none of your business.
She doesn't know, does she? Aaron snickered.
It wasn't like he was keeping Renesmee a secret. He just wanted to ease his parents into the idea, maybe invite her over for dinner so they could actually get to know Renesmee.
Yeah, like that's going to work. Aaron laughed at Collin's thought. There was no privacy in the pack mind. We all know how much your mother hates the Cullens. There's no way she'll accept that little demon and you know it.
Stop calling her that! Collin felt the flames boil under his skin.
What are you going to do about it, Littlesea? Aaron taunted. Have you thought about what her leech parents are going to say? Do you really think they'll want "a dog" dating one of them?
The Cullens aren't like that. At least he didn't think so. Honestly, he didn't know. He'd never been around them when he phased. After the threat of the Volturi came and went, his mother used as much of her influence on the council to keep Collin away from them. Then he went to college and Jacob decreased the amount of patrolling. He hadn't officially met Renesmee until he moved in with Seth.
Yeah, we'll see. I'm sure they have a collar picked out for you! And maybe if you're a good boy, they'll let you come inside when it rains.
You're just mad because you lost your scholarship and couldn't go to college, Collin retorted.
It was their fault! If they hadn't come here to begin with, then I wouldn't have phased and I'd have gotten out of here! But no! They had to come here and bring all those other leeches with them. And then they procreate that demon spawn! Now she's allowed to walk on La Push because she only drinks animal blood. That's bullshit!
Aaron didn't have a great family life. Unlike Collin's parents, his mother wasn't on the council so she didn't know about Aaron's wolf. She just saw him as a screw-up that brought his brother down with him. There was no hesitation in telling him, either. All the wolves had seen the way his mother degraded him.
There were other opportunities, Aaron. You could've gotten another scholarship, but you chose to spend all your time pointing fingers.
Shut the fuck up! Aaron shouted in Collin's head. You don't know what you're talking about.
Take some responsibility for your own actions.
Collin whipped around at the menacing growl behind him. A black wolf appeared from the darkness, his green eyes glowing with anger.
Collin sensed a fight brewing. You really wanna do this?
Are you chicken, Collin?
Collin lowered to a fighting stance when a loud scream sounded in their heads. They both froze as the shared feeling of dread ran through the pack mind. Another scream, a combination of a human screaming and wolf howling sounded again.
As they looked in the pack mind, they saw large beasts snarling, scratching, biting. It was hard to make out. They were just large animals with dark fur that blended in with the night.
Tommy! Aaron's attention went to his little brother.
It looked like he was on the cliffs, surrounded by the feral animals that were taking turns clawing at him. They could feel each claw digging into Tommy's skin, scraping through like nails on a chalkboard.
Tommy, hold on! I'm coming! Aaron frantically shouted.
Their paws pounded into the earth with the wind blowing through their fur. They ran as fast as they could, but it still didn't seem like enough.
The screaming in their heads stopped; only the sounds of howls rang in the night.
As they broke into the clearing, two large beasts surrounded an injured man. Collin took a closer look. They had large heads that looked like wolves, wolves who stood on their hind legs. Their paws looked more like hands, with talons instead of fingernails. Suddenly, Collin felt small.
Children of the moon! Collin passed to Aaron.
What?
Werewolves! Real ones! Collin explained.
I thought…
There's no time to explain. We have to get Tommy and get the hell out of here!
Tommy lay there, barely conscious and covered in blood. They had to get him to Kim before it was too late. But how were they going to take on these monsters? They were larger than anything he'd ever seen.
One of them sniffed the air and spun around, its yellow eyes glaring at them, a mixture of blood and saliva dripping down his muzzle.
Oh shit! Aaron said. What do we do?
What we were born to do, Collin words sounded braver than he felt. But he knew what he had to do. These monsters were close to their homes and their families. The pack was created to protect and they couldn't shirk that responsibility. He wistfully thought of Renesmee and realized he was keeping her safe too.
Collin saw in Aaron's mind. He was on a different page. He'd seen these monsters rip his little brother apart and they had to pay. It was revenge that was fueling his fight.
The two werewolves stared at them hungrily, daring them to make the first move. It almost looked like one of them was smirking, and that just made Aaron angrier. Collin lowered into a fighting stance, Aaron falling in line behind him and prepared to fight.
Things moved quickly after that. The roars of the beasts were loud and savage, bouncing off the trees. They were light on their feet, practically floating. One of them pinned Collin to the ground, trapping him so he wasn't able to move. He swatted with his paws and tried to get the large animal off him. Then he heard the snap as pain flared in his leg. He saw his leg lying at an awkward angle.
Collin roared again when the beast bit him in the throat. A dizzying feeling came over him and he unintentionally phased back to his human form. The sounds of the fight around him grew louder as he became weaker. He felt the blood soaking his skin, and he raised his hands and saw all the digits broken and twisted. His vision blurred at the pain coursing through his body. There were bones broken and he wasn't healing.
Suddenly the great weight was gone, replaced by a soft thud next to his head.
"Hey, buddy," a male voice said as he gently nudged Collin's shoulder. "You okay?"
Collin tried to speak, but everything hurt. Even blinking seemed to throb.
"Niko!" the man shouted. "We need to finish this and get them out of here before more of them show up!" He turned back to Collin. "We're going to get you out of here."
"Two…others…" Collin muttered.
"Don't worry about that right now," the man said. "Let's get you out of here first."
Collin didn't have it in him to protest anymore. The pain was too great, so he floated into darkness.
A/N: I'd love to hear your thoughts.
