*Don't own, Don't sue.*
Chapter 13
Jacob nearly choked on his own spit when he saw Renesmee prance out of Leah's room, and skip downstairs. Leah came shortly after, a slightly amused expression on her face, due to Jacob's reaction. Renesmee was actually allowed in Leah's room? Hell must have finally frozen over. Because the last time Jacob checked, anything with one drop of vampire blood was branded evil to Leah.
"What? Can't I have a little 'girl time' with your 'imprintee'."
She winked, and he could hear the strong quotations in her tone when she said the word "imprintee". He rolled his eyes, as she playfully nudged him.
"Oh God. Don't tell me you were watching reruns of Sister, Sister up there. That would be torture," he teased.
Leah made a mock scowl. "That was my favorite show growing up!"
Jacob grinned, as he remembered watching the show with Rachel and Becky growing up. Being the only boy in the family, and only having one TV wasn't exactly Candyland. Whenever they took a vote on what to watch, he was out numbered. Still, it wasn't the worst show he had to endure.
"So what did you two do?" he asked, curious.
Leah brushed a stray hair away from her face. "Oh, nothing much. Nessie had a nightmare and wanted someone to comfort her. So I did," she shrugged, as if it was no big deal.
Jacob tried to hide his quiet shock and bemused thoughts. So Leah really did like Nessie! At least enough to let her sleep in her room, which was the most forbidden room in the entire apartment. Leah never really had a solid reason to dislike her in the first place, but this show of affection was strange.
"Oh...well Rosalie made breakfast in the kitchen, if you want anything," he told her, jerking his thumb toward the kitchen.
"Okay," she nodded, "thanks."
He watched her leave, and take a seat next to Nessie and Seth, smiling as he noticed how...kind Leah was treating Renesmee lately. Almost...motherly. She helped Renesmee cut her waffles, just as parents usually did for their children. Yes, definitely like a mother. While he noticed this, only one thought went through his head.
Leah Clearwater is amazing.
Leah found herself having a slight interest in Rosalie that she didn't have before. Out of all the vampires, why would Rosalie be the one to come to her aid? She knew that Emmett, no matter how good natured he may be; was only helping her because of Rosalie. Why would she be first one of the Cullens to see the error of Bella's ways? Esme seemed somewhat empathetic when she thought that Bonnie was dead; Esme sent Leah a letter that Leah didn't even bother to open. Carlise had compassion, but wouldn't abandon his family. He was one of the ones that didn't chase after Leah when she ran off with Bella's arm. Alice was strange, a wild card. She was also known to scold Bella for her wrong actions, and Jasper would do whatever the pixie girl wanted. But Rosalie...
Rosalie was angst filled, refined, and prone to dog jokes. But at the same time, she seemed distant. Sometimes this look of mourning would cross her stunning face, and Leah wanted to know why. Why would someone so judgemental, goth, but smart help her?
She was going to ask tonight, after Rosalie got back from hunting. She had made up her mind.
Lucky for Leah, she didn't have to wait long. The mystery blond came back from hunting fairly early, to take her shift guarding Leah. Though she was on the couch right next to Leah, they both seemed too nervous to talk. While Leah tried to gather her nerve, she pretended to read from a book, trying to see Rosalie out of the corner of her eye. Rosalie noticed, but didn't comment.
"Um, Rosalie?"
The blond turned her head in Leah's direction, for the first time all evening. "Yes?"
"I just wanted to thank you for protecting my baby and I. It took courage to do that for me."
Rosalie nodded. "It wasn't for you."
Leah almost smiled, expecting a reply like that. "Then for who?"
"I guess I just like children," she sighed.
Leah nodded but didn't push it for the rest of the night.
The next day, Leah gave it another shot. Rosalie didn't go hunting near sunset, she didn't like overfeeding. Leah laughed as she listened to Emmett and Seth get into a very heated debate over which basketball female basketball player was the most manly. Rosalie just rolled her eyes, muttering a crude insult underneath her breath.
"You seem like a smart girl, Rose. How did you and Emmett end up together anyway; you're polar opposites?"
She shrugged. "Opposites attract, I guess. Besides, he's better than my last one."
This shocked Leah. Even though Emmett and Rosalie were an odd couple, she couldn't picture Rosalie with any other man. "There was someone before Emmett?"
She nodded. "His name was Royce. Royce II. But he's dead now."
Leah couldn't shake the feeling that the different tone in Rosalie's voice when she said his name was detest. But why?
"Oh, I'm so sorry."
Rosalie snorted. "Don't be. I killed him."
Before Leah could stop it, a gasp escaped her lips as she paled. Rosalie smirked at Leah's expression, expecting it.
"It's not like that Leah. There's a story behind it," she insisted, laughing with no trace of humor.
Leah was still confused. "What's the story?"
Rosalie's eyes tightened, and she pursed her lips, warring with herself. On one hand, she didn't enjoy telling the story. On the other hand, if she didn't tell her she might just go running to Jacob, who Bella could have babbled it to. She decided to just tell her; it wasn't like she had else to do.
The blond closed her eyes, trying to phrase her words just right
"I grew up with everything I wanted. I was beautiful, had a family that adored me, and countless friends. My house was large, fancy, and was kept in tip top shape by my mother, who always made sure we had more than enough to eat. I was happy, but I didn't realize that I was because I was too busy lusting for more, I always wanted more," she stopped, making eye contact with Leah.
"But I can't really blame myself. The way I was raised, by two social climbers. My father told me that the Great Depression was just something that happened to lazy people; people who had brought their misfortune on themselves because of their lack of work. I see it as petty and snobby now, but at the time I didn't question it."
Leah nodded, understanding.
"As for my mother, she was a very vain woman. A perfectionist. It was quite clear that I was expected to marry someone rich and classy, because it what I 'deserved'. I was always my mother's favorite, and my beauty pleased her. I was more lovely than her sister's daughter, and my aunt and my mother always had somewhat of a rival relationship. I always had all the attention. Pretty dresses, silk gloves, loads of dress shoes; they gave me everything a girl could want. But I still wanted more, just like they did. My parents were social climbers."
Chuckling at Emmett, who swore loudly in the other room, she paused. When the boys weren't as loud, she continued.
"It delighted me to have so many admirers. I couldn't even go out on the street, without heads turning my way. My friends were all jealous, they didn't understand the life of the beautiful. Every time I had a new suitor, my parents would turn their noses up in disgust. They told me that they weren't good enough for me, that I was a goddess and deserved only the finest. I believed them, and the more I believed the bigger my ego grew. I broke the hearts of many young men that loved me,"
Leah tried to picture all this, a less pale Rosalie in thirties clothes, with many men surrounding her. In her imagination, the younger Rosalie turned away from them, a look of indifference on her face. Leah had a great imagination.
"I pictured my prince charming, a handsome young man with tons riches, enough money to buy us a mansion with lavish furniture. I could see my future, nice dresses, children, and kisses. I was in love with the idea of love. So I was very jealous when my best friend, Vera, married before I did."
Leah raised an eyebrow, but decided to save her question until the end. This was getting interesting.
"She was married to someone my parents would of never approved, a lowly carpenter. A year later, she gave birth to the most adorable little boy I had ever seen. His name was Henry, he was all smiles with dimples and curly black hair. And that was the first time I had ever had reason to feel envy toward anyone in my life. But soon my 'prince' came."
"Emmett?" Leah guessed.
Rosalie shook her head. "Royce. There was only one royal family in Rochester, the kings. And they only had a single son, Royce II. All the girls in town wanted him, but they never seemed good enough for him."
Leah hated men like that. The shallow, inconsiderate, selfish ones. She was glad that she had better judgement than that.
"Royce's father owned the bank that my dad worked at, along with every big business in town. One day, my mother forgot to pack my father's lunch. So she rushed me over to the bank, in my fine white organza with my hair rolled up. I didn't understand then, but that's when later on the flower's started showing up. Royce was watching me. Almost every night, the roses arrived. I even begun to smell like them."
Mentally snickering, Leah thought the idea of Rosalie smelling like roses was funny. All she smelt like to Leah was bleach, with a hint of designer perfume.
"All the girls were jealous. Everyone wanted Royce. With his soft, white blond hair, sky blue eyes and riches, what wasn't to like? He told me that I was lovely, and that my eyes were like violets. Then violets started showing up alongside the roses, overflowing my room. I thought I was in love, and my parents were thrilled. I was finally going to have my prince. I had only known him for two months when we were engaged. We didn't even spend a lot of time together, only at royal parties, where everyone could see us. He was flaunting me. I noticed at the time, but didn't care because I was flaunting him too. I wanted everyone to be jealous. I stopped envying Vera and started pitying her. Her life was going to be plain, when I was going to live in a mansion, filled with servants."
"What happened?" Leah wondered.
"I had been getting back from visiting Vera again, and something had bothered me. It seemed that Vera and her husband had a deeper connection, a bond that Royce and I didn't have. That was the first time I had ever begun to doubt 'us'. I shook the feeling off. Royce was a prince. I would be a princess. Someday, I would be queen. That's when I saw Royce himself."
There was regret in her voice, but her facial expression didn't waver. Her golden eyes darkened to tawny.
"He was...how do you say it these days? Nailed? Pounded?"
"Hammered?" Leah offered.
"Yeah. Hammered with a couple of buddies late at night. I was shocked, I had never seen him drunk before. I knew he drunk wine, but he had always told me that he didn't care for it too much. Another lie," Rosalie snarled.
"They made some rude remarks about my body, that I will spare for Renesmee's sake," she looked at the pale child, only a few yards away, not listening.
"And they..." she trailed off.
"They?" Leah asked.
"Raped me," Rosalie said, so low that no one besides Leah could hear.
The color was leeched out of Leah's skin. They had raped her. They had raped someone who seemed like they could take on the world, with her massive ego. It didn't add up.
"Carlisle smelt my blood and came to my aid. I thought I was dead. He was looking for a mate for Edward, just like he had found a mate for himself."
"You...and Edward?" Leah didn't think that was possible.
Rosalie laughed at Leah's expression. "No. He never had any interest in anyone but that Swan girl. Besides, why would he want a killer for a bride?"
She said nothing, still listening to Rosalie's dark tale.
"I killed them all, one by one without spilling a drop of their blood. I saved Royce for last, so he would no I was coming, so he could have a miserable last few days of life. I wanted his death to be the worst...and I think it worked. He pleaded for mercy, but I gave him none. I wanted his death to be long...painful...and horrible. I didn't want him to touch another woman the way he touched me. No one deserved what he did to me."
"Wow," Leah breathed.
"But I got better. When I met Emmett," her voice grew serene, "he was suffering from a bear attack. He was dying. So I asked Carlisle to change him for me, he had the most innocent face. He reminded me of Vera's little Henry, curly hair and dimples. And we just clicked. It was the first time I was ever in love with anyone," she smiled.
"But I knew we could never have what I wanted the most."
"What?"
"Babies," she groaned. "And that's why I'll protect Renesmee and Bonnie with every last single drop of blood that I sucked in my body."
"I'm sorry, Rosalie. I truly am."
There was a long silence, in which, Leah decided that Blondie wasn't that bad after all. In fact, she pitied her. Poor Rosalie, who was rapped and never would be able to conceive. There just wasn't enough breaks in the world. Rosalie turned to Leah, smug. But she still didn't think until Leah was done absorbing all of her words.
"So what's your story?" There was more than a mild interest in her tone.
Leah shrugged. "It won't be nearly as well spoken as yours. Or as long."
Rosalie laughed. "Come on. I don't bite."
Rolling her eyes at Rosalie's bad pun, Leah sighed. "Fine. Here goes nothing, I guess. Ever since I could write my name, Emily had been my best friend. She was my cousin, but she was more like a sister. Our aunts had been close too. We did everything together. It was like I was a little Emily clone, and Emily was a little Leah clone. I had the kindest most thoughtful father. The best I could of ever had. My mom was lucky to have him. She was happy too, always baking sweets for a younger Seth. Seth could be annoying, but he was otherwise great brother. And though we struggled sometimes, we always pulled through, as a family. It was a simple life, but I had more than most. That's when I met Sam Uley."
Rosalie knew the name. The same Sam that tried to kill unborn Renesmee. She didn't care for him too much.
"He rocked my world. He was mature, smart, and was kind. He brought out a whole other side of me, normally I was shy but with him I was outgoing. Sam made me feel protected, safe. He completed me. And together we shared three blissful years."
"What happened?" Rosalie asked. It seemed like a perfect fairy tale, how could it happen.
Leah chuckled, nervous. "Emily happened. But I'm not to that part yet," she answered, "Then Sam had started acting strange. He ran away for weeks! I was frantic. Sue and I searched for him, but it was helpless. I spent my nights alone, crying over Sam. Finally, he returned with a fever. He was still acting odd; wouldn't tell me where he was or why he left. But I had dealt with it, because I truly loved him with all my heart. I was in love with him."
Leah saw Rosalie's eyes sparkle, seeming almost human like in their appearance.
That's when Emily came down from the Makah rez. One look at her, and I didn't matter to him anymore."
"That basturd. He reminds me of Royce," Rosalie hissed. "and this cousin of yours went along with it? Some friend."
Leah held a hand up to stop her. "He had no choice, I didn't know at the time but Sam was a werewolf. Sometimes, when a werewolf sees their 'other half'...it just happens. Like a spell was cast on him; we call it imprinting. He had no choice. He was bound to her. Forever. When he dumped me, I was alone and confused. I cried. And I cried. And I cried. Even though my dad was there the entire time, saying that there was other fish in the sea. I wouldn't believe him. I went through a depression phase for a week, but then I had an idea. I was going to make Sam and Emily suffer. I was going to be the biggest pain in the ass ever. I was bitter, angry, and turned myself into a bitch to hide my feelings...which I shouldn't of done."
"You had every right to," Rosalie told her, really disliking Sam more and more by the minute.
"Then that's when I saw Emily's face. She had the most ugly, bloody, bruised face I had ever seen. And I could read Sam like a book. I knew he had something to do with this. So I confronted her alone. I asked what Sam did to her. She didn't say anything, told me a story about a bear. I didn't buy it. I yelled at her. I cussed at her. I screamed at her. I made her cry. After that, Emily and I didn't talk anymore. Which was fine by me. Then came the day the stress was too much to bare."
Leah paused, just to make sure she wasn't crying in front of Rosalie. She may have trusted her, but that would be awkward.
"My dad asked me why I hadn't talked to Emily in so long. And that was it. I snapped. I phased for the first time, giving my dad's weak heart an attack. I was so confused. Until, I heard a shocked but calm voice that I knew, telling me how to handle this."
"Sam," Rosalie realized.
"Bingo. After awhile I phased back, to mourn my father. It was the darkest time in my life. Words can't describe the torture life was. I used the pack's one mind to make sure that others felt my suffering. I got my wish. Sam was suffering because of me, but I still had to listen to his endearing thoughts of Emily. And that was enough to make anyone gag. When Emily asked me to be in their wedding, I agreed without batting an eyelash. I didn't want them to believe that they shot me in the heart. So when Jacob and Seth broke off from his pack, I fled like the coward I am. I couldn't stand listening to Sam's constant Emily babble. Then, well, Jacob and I bonded...and I let myself go to far with him...it was a big mistake. I don't even love him."
"Thanks. Thanks a lot Leah," Leah heard a familiar husky voice, filled with pain.
"How long were you listening?" Leah's voice trembled, with guilt.
"Long enough. Not that I was spying on you, I just...happened to be in the kitchen."
"Jacob...I"
"No, Leah. Save the sugarcoating for Renesmee."
Jacob phased, in order to avoid further conversation with her. Leah watched as he dashed out the door, a furry mess.
"I meant at the time," Leah said, defensive.
"I understand."
"I don't love him I'm in love with him."
If Rosalie was human, she would of fainted.
*Longest Chapter I have ever written! ever! :)*