MS: Oh my god guys... Looky here, I'm not deceased. I'm so sorry for this longass wait, I mean, it's been MONTHS. Longer than months... I just want to assure everyone that EVEN THOUGH it may have seemed like it, I will not and AM NOT abandoning this fic. I have a summer job see guys, and since I'm waitressing, it's a LOT of work. Along with applying for student loans and everything else, I've been pretty overwhelmed :/ I sat down here on my night off and knew I had to get my ass in gear and write this chapter lol. I miss writing, and I miss allllll my free time :( I mean, I've got the beginnings of a oneshot that I've been working on now for months and it's still not even half done :/ Curse my money-making ways! :) Anyway mah lovahs, I hope you enjoy this chapter; Got a bit of EmbryxLeah friendship goin' on here. REVIEWREVIEWREVIEW!

Important Note: Pleaseeee re-read the roleplaying notice on my profile :) No guys, it is NOT what a lot of you are expecting. Hahaha, believe me; I added some shiz to the note, so go check that out please if you're even the faintest bit interested and then send me a PM! :)


Leah stepped onto the wooden porch of Embry's house.

The third board creaked... It always had.

She'd never figured the sound to be something she would draw on for comfort, and familiarity... But there it was. Leah looked up at the decaying, pale yellow paint that thinly coated the outside of her friend's house and once again she found the sameness of it, the overwhelming awareness that nothing had changed... Very, very soothing.

Well, the house had changed; To some degree. The yellow paint was thinner now in some patches... Completely gone in others and with a downcast look at the creaking wooden boards of Embry's bridge beneath her feet, Leah could see the paint chips and remnants of the color where the wind from those weeks ago had stripped the home of it's cover. Same old wooden shutters, one billowing in the slight breeze but never making forceful enough contact with the wall to make a sound. Same old rickety railing that only encased half of the deck for some reason, the other side, lost and weathered away with time.

And the same old dull melody of Embry's mother's radio playing in the kitchen. Smiling to herself as she licked her lips, Leah knew this house couldn't be anyone else's in La Push, but Embry's. The color, the woodsy smell surrounding it unaffected by the sea breeze or highway asphault... It all meant Embry to her. Quiet, ignorant of what other things life has to offer... Not obliviously, of course.

Leah nervously twisted the plastic bag she held in her hand before taking a deep breath, and knocking on the door.

Embry's home, along with Paul's had been the only one unvisited by her so far. And really, Embry's should've been one of the first. Sam had told her all the nightmare details from their search, the winding paths through the trees, charging through iced-over lakes and battling the snow and hail. Her mate told her that Embry had gotten sick... Pneumonia had settled in on him pretty badly for awhile, while she was still cooped up at the Cullens' makeshift hospital. He was fine now, Sam had said, but at the same time... Leah hadn't known and hadn't thanked him for doing that for her.

Everything she said to him... Everything she did...

Leah swallowed audibly as she heard Embry's footfalls coming closer to the other side of the door.

When Embry pulled open his redwood door, perhaps the only un-shabby-looking applique of his house, to say he was surprised was, well... An understatement.

"Leah...?" Embry could feel his own brown eyes widening a little, none too awestruck to find his old friend standing on the other side of his door. "What are you... I, I mean...How are you...? Are you okay?"

His mind automatically jumped to 'Something must be wrong!'. Leah shook her head and smiled.

"Yeah, I'm fine... It's you I'm here to check in on."

Embry raised an eyebrow in the wake of his confusion. What did he need to be checked on for...? Especially by Leah... His deep eyes took in the form of her, shrouded in a sky blue, soft-fabric sweater and a pair of one of the only pairs of jean shorts Leah'd had left from controlling her temper after phasing. She looked... Good. Very, very good... Outside of some dark circles under her eyes, denoting maybe a lack of sleep or something, besides that... It made him smile a bit, both for himself, and for her because there was a point in time...

Where he doubted he was ever going to get the image of her naked, abused, bloody body out of his mind.

He wasn't the only wolf having that problem... No one worse than perhaps Sam and her brother. Speaking of, Seth and Sam were keeping Leah on a pretty tight leash. Physically, the Cullen doc had declared her healthy as a horse; Er, wolf, whatever way you wanted to slice it. ...It was just the emotional stuff that would take time.

So, Seth and Sam and Sue were pretty content with not letting her go out alone most days now. When Sue wanted to see Charlie, Seth stayed with Leah. When Seth had patrol, Leah spent the night at Sam's. When Sam was occupied with Alpha duties and council meetings, Leah was governed by her mother in a never-ending circle or worship and protection.

Just to make sure nothing that had happened to her, ever happened again.

Embry didn't blame them.

"Why me? I've been okay... Patrollin' and stuff... The usual."

Leah looked pensive, rubbing at the arm where she held a bag suspended from her fist.

"...Sam told me you had hypothermia..."

Embry outright scoffed. "Yeah, I had it for like three or four days... It was no big deal. And it was pneumonia; Not hypothermia." He grinned at her; But she didn't smile back.

"Can I come in...?"

Embry cursed in his head. "Yeah, yeah, geeze, sorry. Come on in." 'Well done asshole, try to cheer her up and you end up looking like some ignorant redneck instead.' The boy was quick to backtrack by about four steps, giving Leah more than enough room to walk in over the worn, splintery threshold of Embry's doorjamb.

Leah smiled again and looked around. Yes... The inside hadn't changed either. Leah looked at the small clock-radio attached to the bottom of Embry's ceiling-running cupboards and noted the low tune of the song being played.

If your lost;
And you need to find some escape;
Or some peace of mind,
Call my name;
When you need a friend.
I'll be there;
I'll be there.

Embry watched her wander around the kitchen, her eyes bright as they roamed over each and every corner of his house. She'd never done that before... Pack meetings were usually at either Jacob or Sam's house, but the pack was still frequent visitors at any and all members of the rez's houses, mostly. And when Leah was present at any house but her own, she usually stood boredly alone in the corner or kept her eyes anywhere else but on someone else's or on their personal property.

Like she felt like an outsider, around her own family.

And yet here she was... Back from the edge of death, and asking whether he, who had a minor case of the sniffles and the shivers... Was okay.

"Leah-"

"Can I talk, first...? Please?"

Embry shut his mouth quite quickly... But then he opened it again and cut her off.

"I think we should-"

"Wait Leah... Let's talk, okay?" Embry took the plastic bag from her and rested it on the table, then lead her by the hand (as gently as he thought it was possible to lead a person) into the living room so that they could sit on the couch.

Once he was sure Leah was comfortable and looking at him with both apprehension and no small matter of wonderment, he began speaking again.

"...You don't need to be here to check on me, Leah... Christ, I... I'm fine... I would get hypothermia- Er, pneumonia every day for the rest of my life if that meant I could've-..." She watched the way Embry's throat bobbed; Heard his sharp intake of breath. "If I could've... Stopped what happened, from happening to you..."

Leah tilted her head, black locks dusting her arms as she took in his words, his sincerity. It surprised her a bit... Hell, it surprised her a lot because... He wasn't the one who should've been apologizing.

Leah had days of bedrest, nights of pain and regret to see that.

"You don't need to apologize."

"Are you serious...? I know we've been through this a million times.. Us, and you, but... We are sorry Leah... We want to, no-.. We need to drill this into your head... We never, ever wanted to see you hurt like that...!" Embry could feel his cheeks enflame, his heart race faster; It was all true, every bit of it.

If they hadn't treated her so unfairly, if they hadn't taken her for granted... Given in to every little whispered whim of her cousin and the council... Maybe they could've saved her.

"I know... I've forgiven you for that, Embry... Besides...," Leah paused, eyes flitting around like earlier before returning to his. The words held onto her tongue, refusing to drop. "...I probably hurt you, more than you've ever hurt me."

If your dreams,
are drenched in sweat,
you can't sleep;
There's too much, in your head.
Call my name;
Anytime, of day.
I'll be there;
I'll be there.

"What...?" Embry didn't want to sound like such a dope, but... There it was. "How in the hell do you figure that...? I didn't run away, I didn't have an ex-boyfriend in love with my own family, and I didn't-... Jesus, I didn't get shot!"

Leah held up her hand, to silence the tyrade before Embry had a chance to continue.

"I know... And I had a father."

Embry stilled; Mouth agape, lips moving trying to form words. But none came out. "Uhh.."

Leah studied his slack-jawed expression, the look of utter awkwardness and discontent in his eyes and she immediately felt the urge to make herself a little smaller. Being back in a relationship with Sam, with an Alpha, well... It carried certain consequences and behaviours. Leah let herself sink back into his couch and shrugged her shoulders. "You weren't one of the mean ones, Embry... Not really, I mean... Sometimes you even helped..." Leah trailed off again; Embry watched her eyes move about the room.

(Apologizing, he guessed, never was and still wasn't an easy trademark of Leah Clearwater.)

"...And all I ever gave you was shit about your Dad..."

"...Well, that's okay Leah... I mean, you had a lot of stuff going on, know what I mean...?" The back of his neck suddenly felt warm and sticky with the sweat of an awkward, nervous conversation. Raising his hand to rub the juncture between his hairline and the neck of his shirt, Embry could only search his mind for the words to say. It took a lot, to finally come out and apologize. ...But it was also an apology that he'd been so resigned to believing he would never ever get from her, that hearing it now made him kinda... Irritated, in the smallest way...?

What Leah'd said to him... It did hurt.

Leah's blue eyes hit the floor for a moment, and the edge of her jeans seemed to attract her attention for a bit. Embry felt sad for a moment; Leah Clearwater was a lot of things; But never shy. Never nervous, never cautious.

Embry guessed this whole... Disaster, that tragedy she barely made it out alive from had beaten her street senses out of her. Or; Beat them back in.

Then she looked back up at him through the razored black bangs of her hair.

"Yeah... And I just had to make everyone else go through the same thing, didn't I..." She picked some more at the tethers of her shorts' hems. "I know I was just being a dick, Embry, I know I was a bitch... I know now that I didn't have to be... And, that's why I've given up blaming you guys for being so mean to me, I guess." That worn, soft smile Leah wore so regularly made it onto her face. "I mean... I was being just as cruel, if not moreso... Then you guys were."

Embry reached out; Placed his hand gently on her's, resting on her thigh.

"It's okay, Lee... It really is."

"But it's not... I can't walk away from this like I did nothing wrong, just because of this whole damn pity-party thing La Push seems to be having for me..." She stroked the hair out of her face and sighed, for the first time now as her irritation shone through did Embry recognize even a bit of her old, macho-fasade. "...You did more for me, then... Then I ever would've imagined somebody I'd treated as friggen plagued and shitty as you, would've..." When her blue eyes opted upwards again to meet the kind, brown orbs of her packbrother she smiled that smile.

And Embry smiled back.

When you can't, carry on;
When the road's way too long;
Know that you're not alone,
I can carry you home.
If you hold on, tonight;
I'll be there.

Embry could recall that night, months ago...

Leaving Sue's house, phasing before their feet had even hit the pavement. He can't really remember the houses, though; That's how fast they'd run. As soon as Jacob had found that sparkling trinket resting on her dusty, forgotten pillow, it hadn't taken the pack long to connect the dots.

Then they were outta there.

Running, for hours. Through snow, through rain, sleet, and hail... He might've fell into a pond once or twice; A stride over ice way too thin to hold his weight. But, the pack hadn't slowed; The pack hadn't slowed, not once.

Not when there was the barest hope that they were going to find Leah alive and well.

Embry cracked something like a smirk.

"I fell through two lots of ice, into freezing water, got blinded by snow half a dozen times, went damn near deaf with the amount of ice that froze in my ears because of the rain and the wind and I'd still do it all again. It was worth it, Leah; Whether you wanna admit it or not."

Leah couldn't help the slow smile that turned her lips upwards; Embry's hand a heavy weight on her own as she interlocked their fingers.

"Good... Because, you know I would've done that and more, if it was you... Right?"

"I know you would've. But it won't be me anytime soon; Paul doesn't have so much hatred and sexual tension towards me that he'd feel the need to call me off. Really, though Lee... You should probably consider givin' the poor guy a mercy throw because whatever Rachel's doing, it's not working."

Leah looked shocked.

'...Fuck... Good job you numbnuts, look what you did now-'

Then she laughed.

If you give, till you've got nothing left;
Wanted more;
But you end up with less.
All your friends;
Have turned away,
but I'll be there.
I'll be there.

The grin that echoed her laugh, growing on Embry's face made her feel warm inside.

When you can't, carry on;
When the road's way too long.
Know that you're not along,
I can carry you home;
If you hold on, tonight.

If you hold on tonight...!

"Fuck Embry...," Leah leant back into the couch and looked up at the ceiling. "...Remember when we were younger, and we used to sneak in the back of your Mom's store and steal those little banana-flavored candy things? And the chocolates with the sprinkles...?"

She could remember the sweet taste; She loved that they could've gotten caught. (Had gotten caught, on many occasions.)

"Yeah I remember... They were good. They were...," Embry laughed to himself. "They were one cent to buy. Why did we steal those...?" He grinned at his partner in crime and she grinned back; Leah and Embry laughed again.

"Well they're five cents just for one now; So I think we had the right idea."

Leah'd expected another grin on Embry's face... He was her friend, she liked to see him smile. Now that she could remember what it looked like when he did so. But... The next smile never came. Instead, Embry's face fell just a little. His eyes drifted too the floor, for a few moments before intently moving back to her own.

"...It's funny how everything works out, to get you from then to here, huh...?" Leah tilted her head, and Embry continued.

"Back then you and Sam were best friends... He was older and it didn't even matter. The crew-... The pack, we were all friends. Even back then... But now... Look where we are. ...Sometimes, or-.." He pursed his lips. "...A lot of the time I wish all those stories and legends, were still stories and legends... Yah know?"

Leah agreed. God, she agreed.

"Yeah... I know."

The weight of the world is too much to take;
Pullin' yah down, like a tidal wave.
I can hold you; I will hold you.
Here, and now!

If you're lost...
And you need to find some escape;
Or some peace of mind...

"I used to think being called the rez bastard and hearing people talk about my Mom, like... Like she was some prostitute who just didn't wanna admit the name of my Dad... I used to think it was such a big deal. I used to think it made my life horrible."

"It wasn't horrible... But I know it had to hurt..."

"Yeah, it wasn't horrible... Compared to what it is- Well, not what it is now, but... How my life, our lives could be...," He looked at her and smiled softly. "Yeah, it wasn't horrible."

"No... I guess it wasn't."

Embry leant back into the couch as well.

"Yah know, I think I'm gonna do it."

Leah tilted her head.

"Do what?"

"Get a test done. One of those parental things... The DNA. I'll ask Sam, Jake, Paul and..." Embry trailed off. Of course, the dumbass would forget that Leah and Seth's Dad, the well-respected Harry Clearwater was also a suspect. ...Embry's Dad (though the most likely suspect was Sam's deadbeat father Josh) had to be someone who carried the wolf gene.

Someone who already was the father of a wolf.

Embry swallowed roughly. "...I didn't wanna offend you Lee, it's just-"

"It's fine." She smiled kindly at him, and rubbed the top of his hand with her thumb. "I know Dad''s in the line-up of possibilities... I know Sam's Dad is the favored, but..." Leah sighed deeply. "My Dad lied to me once, already... I don't care if he was under orders from the council; I don't care if he thought he was doing me some sort of sick favor, or keeping me safe... He lied to me."

Embry nodded slowly, taking in her gracious words.

"...So, maybe... He lied about this. I'm past hating my Mom and Dad for what they did... But I'm not gonna put them on that pedestal, and have the same belief in them... Know what I'm getting at?"

Embry nodded again. "Yeah... Thanks, Leah... So much."

"Your welcome."

Leah raised her hand and pulled two strands of long, raven black hair from her scalp.

"Take it; I got lots more now that the council's gonna let me grow it out."

When you can't carry on;
When the road's way too long.
Know that you're not alone,
I can carry you home;
If you hold on tonight.

When you can't carry on;
When the road's way too long.
Know that you're not alone,
I can carry you home;
If you hold on tonight.

I'll be there...

Embry couldn't help the belly laugh.

"Thanks Leah, but I really don't think I need to have your hair lying around my place while I wait for everyone else to give me some of their's." He stuck his tongue out at her and Leah pulled an obviously fake, stunned face.

"Jerk." She dropped her hair on his carpet. "Bam, look'a that!"

"You're makin' a mess Leah!"

The laughter that the two old friends were able to conjure up would've been infectious, if there had been anyone else around to hear it.

But there wasn't. And they were fine with that. Leah looked at Embry after their riot and smiled softly... Then she hugged him. Embry wrapped his strong arms around her gently in return.

"You know I'll always be there for you... Right Lee? If you need me... I'll be there."

"I know... Me too."

When the world seems wrong;
When you've come undone;
No you're not alone, I'll be there for you.
When the world seems wrong;
When you've come undone;
No you're not alone,
you know I'll be there.

"So what's in the bag anyways?" Embry looked back at his dining room table where he'd tossed the plastic bag Leah'd been towing when she arrived. Looking back at him, Leah shrugs with a smile.

"...I came here to reconnect, and Sam's gonna be patrolling 'til later... I know you're off today, so I figured we'd chill together... Maybe, watch a movie...?"

Embry got up and got the bag.

"'The Hangover'... Nice."

Embry popped in the DVD; Leah and himself sat on the couch, laughed, talked about the pack... Made fun of the fact that 'The Hangover' had a one-man wolfpack.

And knew that that was the farthest thing from possible, even in their fucked up world.