Disclaimer: Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. She's made millions off them. I haven't made one penny.
A/N: Okay, there's only (I think) one more chapter and an epilogue to go. Thanks for all your reviews. I was kinda nervous about this story so I'm glad to see that you're all enjoying it. (Especially since it's breaking my heart writing it *sob)
Chapter Ten
It takes him six hours to convince her to go as far as New Orleans with him, then he promises to take her home. He made up some rubbish about always wanting to visit the French Quarter but he's just grabbing every straw he can see.
His feelings haven't faded with the knowledge that hers have. They only burn brighter, stronger, because now he knows that there is a very strong possibility that he might lose her. He wont begin to consider that he might have already.
"I've called Jacob and told him we'll be home within the week. I don't even want to think about facing my mom yet." She's just walked back into the motel room and dropped onto the bed beside him.
"Please don't give up on me." He can't help the words, he knows they're out of place but he's too desperate to think of that.
"I'm not giving up, Sam. Honest. I'm just being rational about this. If you've beaten the imprint then, fine, we'll be together but running for the rest of lives isn't something we can do."
"Why not?" He knows he's pouting, he knows he gazing at her with complete, puppy dog adoration, and desperation, but there is little pride in love.
She laughs and snuggles into him. "Because we have a life. And whether we like it or not, that life involves werewolves and vampires and duty...and my mother, who'll probably hunt us down if we're not back within a few months."
He shivers at the thought of Sue Clearwater on a mission to get her daughter home. "Then why don't we take a few months? We could settle down somewhere, rent an apartment, get jobs."
"I'm ready to go back," she says firmly and he knows he can't win this argument. "I don't want to be a housewife, or live in some grotty place with a dead end job. Yeah, I know nobody has been anti werewolf as much as me, but this trip has made me realise how much I miss it. I miss running around and yelling at leeches. I miss the pack. I miss my brothers. Don't you?"
He nods. Of course he does. He misses his pack, he misses her pack. He misses his mother and he still misses Emily. But he knows he'll miss Leah more, and he'll never miss her as much as when she's standing in front of him on someone else's arm.
"Come on," she says, standing up and grabbing his duffel. "Help me put the bags in the car."
"What...all two of them?"
And suddenly they are laughing like they never stopped.
New Orleans is exactly the way he imagined it to be. Though it is still ravaged in places, from Hurricane Katrina, there is a vibrancy and light that he can't imagine ever being diminished.
He springs for the nicest hotel they can afford, because if it's their last moments together, he wants it to be special for her, something worth remembering.
"Do you want to go for a walk?"
She's hanging her clothes in the wardrobe. They are few and far in between but they've been living out of bags for god knows how long so he lets her have her novelty.
She smiles and grabs her jacket. "Sure, lets go."
The amble along with no destination in mind. She holds his hand, like she used to do the first time they were together. To the world outside, they probably look like a normal couple, chatting happily and enjoying their time together. How could anyone realise the curse that's been thrust upon them? How could anyone understand what's at stake?
"I love this place. It's so cool."
He smiles at her enthusiasm. "Yeah, Emily always wanted to come here."
He curses the words, tries to grab them back before they reach her but to no avail. She lets go of his hand, practically pulling it from hers. They don't speak for a while. She is obviously hurting and he is cursing his own stupidity but she no longer falls into step beside him. She lags behind slightly and when he falls back, she moves forward. She wants to get away from him but she doesn't want to hurt his feelings.
"I'm sorry, Lee. I really am."
Her glare is a surprise to him because he's sure she knows that he didn't mean it. "You're always sorry. You're always sorry but nothing changes."
"What do you mean?"
She shakes her head, and walks away laughing bitterly. He runs to catch up to her. "You know I didn't mean it."
He almost runs into when she stops in her tracks. She's angry but he can see she's trying to keep it together. A swell of pride settles amongst horror and the overwhelming fear that they wont come back from this. "You really don't get it do you? You can't break it because you don't really want to."
He doesn't understand because he's never wanted anything more.
"The thought of being with me scares you. Hell, it terrifies you because you won't have control anymore. With Emily, you know everything that's gonna happen. You know what to expect because it's all mapped out for you. You don't have to do anything but sit back and enjoy it."
He runs his hand over his face. He feels old, tired and weary. "Then why am I here, Leah? If it's so easy and wonderful, why am I here?"
"You're not," Her voice is soft and somber. There's a undernote of grief and realisation. "Because the Sam I knew, my Sam, was never afraid to take chances. He would have fought for me, he would have won for me, but you took him over before he even knew what was happening. I can forgive you for destroying me, but I can't forgive you for destroying him."
He doesn't follow her when she walks away. It takes all his strength not to fall to the pavement.