Leah watched the pathetic Bella Swan, curled up on the ground and clutching at her stomach, as the anger began to tear its way through her body. Before she had a moment to think about it, she was on her feet and holding the hood of Bella's jacket in her balled up fist. She gripped it tightly, matted hair and all, and pulled Swan to her feet.

"This is bullshit, you conniving fucking…" She spat her words as she forced Bella into the wall behind her, "I don't even know how to sum up the mess of a human being you are!"

Bella's face was twisted in pain as she winced at each rise in Leah's voice.

"Please, Leah, you're hurting me."

"Do I look like I care? You're lucky you're still breathing."

Bella looked over to Jake for help and for a second Leah wondered if she would need to fight him off as well. When she saw Swan's face drop, she knew that Jake wouldn't be a problem.

"Please Leah, for the baby."

"THERE. IS. NO. BABY! You've pulled this out of your ass and you know it."

Her reply was so rehearsed Leah wondered how long she had been cooking this up, or if she really was just that good at lying.

"No, I found out two days ago, I wanted to tell Jake then but he was with you the whole time. I didn't have a chance to..."

"Convenient. So how far along are you supposed to be?" Leah didn't even let her finish her sentence.

"I am two and a half months."

"And how do you know it's Jakes?"

"Leah…," Bella started as she looked over to Jacob, "I have made many mistakes, none of which I can take back, but I was seduced by two notoriously promiscuous men who took advantage of me."

Rose was at Bella's side now, her teeth clenched together.

"Watch what you say next Swan."

…And then came the tears.

"But…," she started, between her exaggerated sobs, "I know for a fact I was careful with the both of them. There is no way this baby could be either of theirs."

"Jesus, you fucking lie as easily as you pull out those crocodile tears of yours. I know you weren't safe with Edward - I saw that nastiness for myself."

Bella's eyes flashed to the floor for a quick second but she recovered too quickly for Leah to catch it.

"That was after and the one and only time it happened. I'm willing to get DNA tests, do whatever it takes. There will be no denying this gift's paternity when he or she comes out a lighter shade of chocolate than its daddy."

That was enough. Leah, with her grip still intact, dragged Bella's bony ass to the front door. Rose opened it for her as she threw Swan onto her front porch. She fell, dramatically as expected, and clutched on to her stomach.

"You were fine when I began asking you those questions you idiot, next time at least try to maintain some sort of continuity."

Rosalie laughed and slammed the door shut as Leah stormed over to the other side of the room and paced back and forth.

"Can you believe her? Seriously! How stupid does she think we are?"

"She's probably used to moron's falling for her schemes. She underestimated us," Rose replied.

"Honestly, I'm offended she thought we were that pathetic."

Leah almost wanted to laugh. The sight of Swan lying on her deck kneeling over in pain - be it real or not - was more satisfying than she thought it would be. Then Rosalie spoke.

"No, Jacob- Don't tell me you're buying this?"

"I don't have a choice."

Leah stopped breathing for a moment. She forced herself to turn and face him.

"Jake, no - you know she was lying, she practically confessed it to us before she snapped into this knocked up act."

"Leah…" He glanced towards the front door and the care that she had seen for her, that same look of concern and worry, had now been passed on to her. "I might be a father Lee. As small as that chance is, I can't walk away from it."

"Jacob," Rosalie snapped, "You have to know she's full of it, right? You can't be that stupid."

Rose continued to speak but her words were muffled in Leah's ears. She knew he was lost. There was no point trying to fight a losing battle.

"Whatever. Go then."

"Leah please - I'm sorry but you know I have to."

"No I don't. Just get out Jake."

She felt betrayed, worse than when she had walked in on Sam with Emily; yet, still accompanied by the same amount of heartbreak. The worst part was that she knew he didn't feel the same way or he wouldn't be leaving her so easily.

"I will be back Lee. I just need to take care of this right now."

"Don't bother coming back. You told me you would be here for me, no matter what. You know all about her lies and yet you're ready to walk out of here when I need you more than I've ever needed anyone in my life. Just because I'm not prepared to beg you to stay doesn't mean that every part of me doesn't want you to."

Her words were so full of pain that she saw Jake wince in reaction. She turned quickly, ashamed at revealing how much she really did want him, need him there for her. She was the girl who didn't need anyone and here she was, practically on her knees before him.

"Leah..."

"You need to leave - NOW. I can't be around you Jacob."

"But..."

"GET. OUT!"

She waited for the door to open - to hear him walk out on her. Instead she felt a large, warm hand wrap around her arm. She pulled away from him as his other hand grabbed her other arm and pinned them to her sides. His face sat just above hers as he spoke slowly, evening out the emotion in his voice.

"Leah, listen to me. I am not abandoning you. Being near Bella makes me physically sick, I promise you that. I hate myself for leaving you now but I have to do it. We need to talk this through and that can't happen here. I don't like what happens to you when she's around, what she does to you. You can use this time for whatever you need while I sort her out. I will be back tomorrow night at the latest…, you can count on that."

Leah had been stunned into submission by his words. The care that she thought had been transferred was still there, and more. He used her silence and continued to speak.

"You are one of the most important people in the world to me Lee, whether you like it or not, and I want you to know something. I love you. I don't mean it like a farewell or an overused saying by superficial girls - I mean the phrase at its purest. I love you to the point that your pain is my pain, physical and emotional, so much so that I feel your wounds on my skin. I love you to the point I'm worried that it's unhealthy, that I will do almost anything to see you recover and be genuinely happy again. I need for you to know and understand that before I leave, or I won't be able to do it."

There was no arguing the sincerity in his voice. She understood that he meant it about their friendship but hearing the very words from his mouth, the emotion behind them, had left her speechless. All she could do was nod her head as she whispered her reply, "I know you do."

He kissed her lightly on the cheek as he headed towards the door. Turning back around, he commented to Rose, "You take care of her while I'm gone."

She nodded in agreement as she replied, her voice quiet as to avoid Bella overhearing. "You just sort this out and get back here with information. Sit with her for the tests- don't let her out of your sight."

Jacob nodded this time as he left, quickly closing the door behind him.

"Well…," Rose said, "That was intense."

"I hate how he makes me feel bad for being angry at him."

"I know I give it to him Leah, but he really is a good guy."

"One of the best - asshole."

Rose smiled.

"So, what's next in your little plan?" She asked as Leah sat down, still recovering from Jacob's words while trying to pretend that she wasn't.

"I'm not just keeping it from you for some kind of power trip Rose - I haven't fully worked it out yet. Well, not at the moment. Bella just saw to that. For now we eat while we wait for Seth to return."

"Strength in numbers - works for me. You're not cooking though - you can just sit back and let me at your kitchen."

"Okay."

Leah smiled. She was surprised at how domesticated Rosalie was for someone she had always thought of as a spoilt princess. There was something maternal in her every action. The harshness of her expressionless face contradicted the softness of her touch or the care in her eyes. It was something Leah found she could relate to.

She sank further into the couch, putting on the TV more as background noise than anything else. She was finally able to think for a moment, to work through some of the thoughts that she had pushed to the back of her mind. She still hadn't figured out how to reunite Emmett with Rose just yet. She needed more information before she could figure it out. It would be nice to plan for something more positive than the carnage she had in store for Swan and Uley.

She had been lost in thought for a while as Rose startled her out of her daze, delivering a tray that she placed on her lap. In the centre sat a large plate which was filled to the edges with a steak and baked potato. A side plate of salad was accompanied by a glass of water and another glass of soda.

"Wow Rose, I mean...Wow! I haven't eaten this well in…, in a while I guess. I didn't even know we had anything in our fridge."

Rose forced a tight smile.

"I did a quick shopping run while you were sleeping."

Leah smiled as she took another bite. Between Jake and Rose she was very lucky.

"Thanks Rose, for all of this. We still barely know one another and already you've been there for me in ways I don't know that I'll be able to repay."

"I know my cooking is good Leah but it's not worth getting soppy over."

"I'm not talking about the food."

"I know," Rose replied.

They both finished their meal in silence, enjoying the peace for a moment. When they were done Rose took the plates to wash up. Leah knew the one way she could repay Rose was by reuniting her with Emmett and she was now more determined than before.

"Hey Rose, if I want to talk to Emmett how can I get in touch with him?"

"Well he's at school in Seattle but he's coming up to Port Angeles tomorrow for rugby practice. He plays in the local league and drives up a few times a week to practice with the guys."

"He does? Some of my friends are on that team. I'm not sure if that'll be a problem yet. Paul especially, it depends on what he thinks happened between Sam and I. He's one of Sam's closest friends. It doesn't matter - we'll head over for practice tomorrow, okay?"

"What?! Tomorrow?! I'm not ready yet Leah. I know I've been waiting for this - but I just, I think it's too soon." Rose had begun to panic.

"He might not even talk to me. Don't get carried away just yet." Leah said it to comfort the girl but she would make Emmett talk to her, to see sense, no matter what it took.

"Okay," Rose said, while forcing down a deep breath, "tomorrow it is."

"Excellent."

The front door opened as Seth let himself in. He had been with Billy and Old Quil for over an hour.

"Hey guys."

Leah could tell he was upset but trying to hide it.

"Seth! Come sit," she patted on the couch, "fill me in."

He sat next to his sister as Rose continued to work in the kitchen. She called out, "You two talk, and I'll have your dinner ready in just a second Seth."

"Oh, err, thanks," he replied, probably equally as surprised that the girl who looked like a super model was removing her dish washing gloves, and plating up food.

"So...?" Leah said, growing impatient.

"So, Lee, I did what you said. I told them I knew nothing and that you were asleep when I got back. I told them we've barely said a word to each other but you seemed down about something."

"And what did they say?"

"They pressed me on everything. They wanted to know what kind of 'down' you were, depressed or remorseful. Honestly, they asked about every last detail."

Leah had expected as much.

"And how did you explain what you did to Sam's car?"

"I told them what you told me to say. I reminded them that when he got engaged to Em I threatened him to not repeat the same mistakes that he had made with you. I made it seem like I was just keeping my word."

"So they think that we had a drunken fling, correct?"

"That's right. Honestly it made me sick not to tell them what had really happened. You deserve more justice than this Leah."

"No, this is great. Now mom won't have to worry about what happened and I won't have to worry about the council covering up for Sam's little 'indiscretion'."

"They wouldn't do that Lee."

"Really? Sam is their golden boy Seth. Whatever conclusion they draw will lead to me instigating this whole thing, especially when they hear the messages I left for him on his answering machine. This way, at least the situation is manageable. If mom found out she would take it to Charlie and then getting the police involved would mean I would lose Sam before I was really able to make him suffer."

"So, you want it this way? Them not knowing, them thinking you were just a...a... slut who encouraged him?"

Leah could hear how bad it sounded when he said it out loud but it was better than the alternative. This put the power in her corner, not the council. She would be able to inflict the appropriate amount of punishment upon Sam without relying on a biased party to let him off lightly.

"Yes. This is fine. Let them think what they want. It buys me some time."

"Okay - whatever. I think Jake is up for questioning next. Speaking of which, where is Jake?"

Rose sat down on the couch opposite the two Clearwater's and exchanged a glance with Leah. She spoke up as Seth began swallowing his food, "Oh, we've had some developments. Get comfortable kid, we have to fill you in."

Sam brushed his hand over Leah's cheek, his body pressed into hers, as they lay on the covers of her bed. She hated that their time together was always so limited. Her parents would be home soon and he would need to leave. Her mom didn't like him - why she had no idea - and her dad didn't trust him.

"I was a teenage boy once myself Leah." He would say.

She always brushed off his comments, neither of them understood. They were in love and the feeling she got from being with Sam, enveloped in his warmth, it was something she looked forward to having in her life always.

"How many children do you think we'll have?" she asked.

"At least five…, maybe ten if we try hard enough." He kissed his way down her neck as she laughed.

"Ten huh? Sounds like a plan"

He continued to place light kisses on her collar bone as his hand moved down to undo the buttons on her shirt. She shivered at his touch as her breath began to quicken.

"Sam, we can't, my parents will be here any minute."

He continued to undo her buttons and suddenly she was half naked below him.

"No, Sam, seriously - not now."

The warmth of his touch changed. It started to burn. Every part of her that his fingers trailed down hurt and she started to fight him off. He kissed her and his mouth tasted like vinegar as she struggled below him.

"No!" She started screaming, "Get off of me!"

He weighed twice that of before, as he pinned her down below him. His eyes were black and empty, but his face was filled with nothing but pure hate. It was as if he was possessed. She was completely naked now, as was he, but they were no longer in her room. They were in a large, empty room and although she couldn't see anyone she knew she was being watched. She opened her mouth to scream but nothing came out. She tried to move her arms, to beat him off, but she was paralyzed.

And then he forced himself into her and she felt as if the pain would burst through her skin. She let out a silent scream as her back arched upwards and her soul escaped her body. She was watching now, watching from above as she saw the room filled with faceless people. She turned away from them as she tried to escape, to climb higher and higher, but a voice called her back.

"Stay and fight Leah."

"But dad, I can't. I can't do this."

"You can, you have the strength. I didn't raise you to quit."

She turned around to see her body being battered below her, watched by hundreds now, as she struggled to try and find her father in the crowd. Then she saw a very pregnant Bella Swan standing at Sam's side, offering him a large butcher's knife. He took it in his hand as he held the rest of his body up on his other arm. She thought about letting him do it, letting him end her for just a second, when she heard her father speak again.

"Stay and fight Leah."

"Nooooo!"

She heard her words this time as she pulled herself out of her dream. She felt the tears in her eyes as she woke and pushed her face into the pillow, too afraid to open her eyes and find she was still trapped in that room. She forced herself to open them, only to see she really was back in her darkened bedroom. She began to catch her breath as she let reality sink in. Looking over at the alarm clock she saw it was 2:15 a.m.

Shit.

As tired as she was she refused to go back to sleep for fear of finding herself trapped in another one of her nightmares. She wasn't alone though. Sitting next to the alarm clock was Rose with a blanket in her lap. She seemed in a deep sleep, even after Leah's little outburst. Not wanting to disrupt her, she made her way into the living room and turned the TV on low as she tried to block out the disturbing highlights of the dream that her brain currently had on replay. She noticed the red light flashing from her answering machine and walked over to check it. There were two messages awaiting her.

"Rose? Rosalie!? Where the fuck are you? I've been trying to get a hold of you all day and now dad tells me you're hanging out with the Clearwater's? What is wrong you?! Anyway, I need you right now. Call me back when you can. Oh...It's Edward by the way. So, yeah, call me back."

Leah thought about deleting it for a minute before she left it on the machine. It was at times like this she wished they had cell reception in La Push. She hit play on the next message.

"It's Edward again. I know its one a.m., and I know I shouldn't be calling but if you could pass this message on I would really appreciate it. Sorry about the shouting and stuff, it's just urgent. Ah... thank you."

Leah checked the caller ID and grabbed the number. She was too tired to talk herself out of dialling.

"Rose?" The voice on the other end answered.

"No, she's asleep. It's Leah."

"She's asleep? …At your place? Are you guys a couple now or something?"

"Wow, I can't believe I wasted my time calling you. You sounded desperate so I thought I'd give you a try. You can go fuck yourself. Bye."

"No wait! I'm sorry - I'm just really tired and messed up."

"Well...what's going on that you felt the need to leave two messages on my answering machine?"

He fell silent for a moment.

"Do you mind if I come over and see you? I need to talk this over with someone."

"What? Um, I'm not a counselor Edward - I don't think that would be such a good idea."

"It's about Bella and I know how you are about her. If not I can just wait for Rose to get up, I just need someone right now."

Leah thought about it for a second. This whole situation was getting messier and messier with every passing moment. She did need something to distract her from her exhaustion though and the mention of Bella had piqued her interest.

"Okay, fine." She answered as she gave him her address.

"I'll see you in ten minutes."