Chapter 14

The Decision

"They who go feel not the pain of parting; it is they who stay behind that suffer - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Leah and I sat silently in Billy's kitchen, each of sipping some hot tea and smiling sporadically at one another. Jake had left to gather the pack, which left me and his…wolf soul mate alone together. There was so much I wanted to ask her, unanswered questions, doors that had yet to be closed, but most importantly, I wanted to know what he had told her about me. After all, Jake and I hadn't left on the greatest of terms.

"So, um, Leah," I said, making every attempt to sound casual and failing miserably each time. "Wh-Wh-what did Jake tell you about…me?"

I wasn't self-involved, and I certainly didn't have any lingering feelings for Jacob other than friendship. However, after everything I had done to him, all the ways that I'd hurt him, had he bad mouthed me in anyway? It would have been deserved, which I knew all too well, but I just had to know. I had to know if he resented me, even just a little.

I was greatly surprised when Leah smiled and said, "You're wondering if he shared all the gory details about you two?"

I swallowed heavily and nodded.

"Bella, you don't have to be nervous," she said, reaching across the table and gripping my hand lightly. "I think he finally realizes how hard it was for you."

"What about you?" I looked at her, expecting her to tell me to never speak to Jake again. She'd be in the right; I was 'The Vampire Girl' after all, friends with their sworn enemy.

Leah's laugh was natural and earthy, very human, unlike the Cullens and the McRaes. "Believe me, I know and understand what you and Jake have been through. You probably don't know this—I used to date Sam Uley."

My eyes shot up, but I wasn't really surprised. Leah was so pretty, I couldn't imagine it was hard for her to attract attention from men. She released her long, black hair from the butterfly clip and I frowned slightly; the way her hair danced and flowed, like an ebony river, reminded me so much of Ary. The hole in my chest blazed hot and I tried my best to listen to the rest of her story.

"The entire reservation was fairly certain we'd get married," she said and rolled her eyes. "At the time, I was very much in love with him and thought everything was perfect."

"But…" I knew this story wasn't headed toward a good spot. After all, Sam was engaged to Emily now.

Leah sighed. "My cousin came down for a visit and Sam imprinted on her the moment he laid eyes on her. I'm fairly certain you've met her—Emily Young, soon to be Emily Uley."

"Wait…so, he left you for Emily?" The words were vile coming out of my mouth and I couldn't understand why Leah was sitting there with a smile on her face. Wasn't she upset? "How could he do that? You must have been devastated!"

"Devastated, crushed—you name it, I felt it." She finished her tea and carried our mugs to the sink, where she started to wash them carefully. "There was a short time when I wasn't sure if I was going to make it, but I got through it. It didn't come without a price, though. I became a bitter, jealous person and snapped at everyone who tried to be nice to me."

I listened intently, soaking up Leah's story like a sponge. She seemed like the nicest person in the world, I couldn't fathom her being as judgmental and harsh as she claimed to have been. I was touched that she was so willing to share her story with me, especially when she explained what happened when she first phased.

"I had just lost my dad," she said and her face displayed the hidden anguish that was buried deep inside. I still didn't understand how she could be so collected; if I ever lost Charlie, I'd be a blubbering mess, "and, one night, I was feeling particularly angry. I walked outside to get some fresh air and happened to see Sam approaching the house with Emily. They were bringing my Mom some things from their garden. I'm not sure what happened next, but all of a sudden I transitioned into another state of being.

"I heard thoughts that weren't my own pounding in my head, and for a moment, I thought I'd gone crazy." She shook her head and laughed. "The others were just as shocked as I was. So, by the time Sam had phased, our mental connection was like a high school hallway."

"So, was it weird?" Jake had told me he'd imprinted on Leah a week ago; however, according to Leah, she'd been part of the pack for almost a month. What had it been like for her to have a front row seat to his thoughts of Emily? "You know? With Sam's thoughts?"

"Yeah, for a little bit," she admitted and cringed. "To be honest, I wasn't the greatest pack member during my first couple of weeks."

"How so?"

"I was so angry at Sam for everything," she said, lowering her eyes and twiddling her fingers. "Even though he was finally able to give me a logical explanation, I was still hostile. So, there were some occasions—too many, now that I think about it—that I brought up things that shouldn't have been shared. Sam's real father, my own insecurities—you name it and I probably mentioned it."

I was silent, not sure what to say; I had never been one of those girls. I'd never gone out of my way to mentally and emotionally tear someone down. That was a job for Jessica Stanley or Lauren Mallory.

"So, how did you and Jake come to be?" I tried to redirect the conversation, mainly because it'd gotten too uncomfortable and awkward for me. "You said that you phased a month ago, right? What happened that made him…uh…imprint?"

She laughed. "I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. Usually it's the moment you lay your eyes on someone—at least that's how it was with Sam, Paul, and Jared. Billy thinks that maybe Jake just didn't see me until that moment, whatever that means."

My mouth fell open a bit. "Wait, hold on…Paul and Jared have imprinted?"

Her hand covered her lips as she giggled. "Oh, that's right—you haven't heard the new tribal gossip."

I shook my head and silently implored her to continue. It was a little surreal for me to be acting like this with Leah; I'd never been the type to gossip, at least before I moved to Forks. However, as I sat here, smiling and talking with her, it almost felt right. There'd been a few times when I'd done this with Alice, but she'd usually find a way to make it unbearable—like manicures or putting curlers in my hair.

"Both Paul and Jared's imprinting was a bit…um…scandalous, to a certain degree," Leah said. "So, last month, about a week after I phased, Paul paid Jake a visit—video games on his day off, guy stuff—and ran into Rachel."

Rachel Black…Jacob's older sister.

"Bam!" Leah startled me when she slammed her hand down on the table, not too hard but enough to make a noise. "He falls on his butt—figuratively, of course—completely in love with her."

"Jake's sister?" My eyes were wide in disbelief. "That's so…uh…what did Jake think?"

"What any brother usually thinks when one of his friends calls his sister 'hot'," Leah answered and chuckled. "I mean, he eventually understood, but it was very difficult for him."

"I'll bet." I couldn't really relate in this instance, seeing as I'd never had a biological sibling. However, I did view Jacob as a sibling of some sort, but it wasn't the same thing. "So, what about Jared?"

"He imprinted on a girl named Kim," Leah said, with a decent amount of displeasure in her tone. After a few seconds, she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "She's the tribe skank."

My eyes widened at the term and I blushed. "Tribe skank?"

"She's very promiscuous," she clarified and growled a bit. "Of course, she claims that she's a changed girl now that she has his attention."

"You don't believe her?" It was hardly a question, even though I tried to form it as one.

"No, I don't." Her answer was stone, solid, and left no room for error. "Let's just say, we have our history."

More awkwardness; it was time to change the topic again. Thankfully, I didn't need to; the sound of the front door opening silenced us, and moments later, the entire pack walked in. They were all in cut off jean shorts…and nothing else. My ears burned as I tried to find somewhere to look that didn't have a bare chest, but it was almost impossible.

"Bella." Sam smiled at me, but there was caution in his eyes. I was in bed with the enemy, literally, and they had to be careful. I understood. "It's good to see you."

"Hi Sam," I acknowledged and glanced at everyone else. There were more wolves than there were in March. "Wow…there are more of you."

Jake scoffed. "Yup, looks like almost every teenage boy is phasing these days."

Even though I wanted to find out more about the new members to the pack, there were other matters that needed to be dealt with. So, I squashed my curiosity and refocused my mind.

"I'm sorry for the abruptness of this visit," I said, feeling nervous as all eyes of the pack fell on me. "There's something that's been happening…and something that's going to happen…" I turned to Sam and remembered how the McRaes had fought with him many months prior. Did he remember? "Sam, do you remember the vampires that moved to Forks after the Cullens left?"

His jaw tensed.

"Other vampires?" Jake's gaze cut between Sam and me, the confusion radiating off him. "Sam?"

"Everyone go outside," Sam said to the pack, the commanding alpha coming out in full force. "Leah, Jake, Paul, Jared—stay here."

With a series of grumbles, the younger boys shuffled out of the kitchen and out the front door. When Sam was satisfied that they weren't in hearing range, he turned back and addressed Jake and Leah.

"What Bella's saying is true," he admitted, receiving nods from Jared and Paul. "When the Cullens left, a large group of vampires moved in south of town. We made a decision to investigate and see how many there were. One of us grew a bit zealous"—he gave Paul a scathing look—"and attacked the house they were staying in."

"We were outnumbered," Jared said, abashed. "So we took off, decided to try a different route."

"Yeah," Paul agreed. "I don't love leeches, but I give credit where it's due and those things could move."

"A day or so later, they ended up in La Push," Sam commented and his gaze met mine, "with Bella."

Jake's head snapped in my direction. "Bella? What? More leeches?"

"What happened?" Leah rested her hand on Jake's bicep, which visibly calmed him.

"We fought," Sam said but his face fell, "and we lost."

"Badly," Jared remarked, earning him a dark look from both his Alpha and Paul.

"I remember that," I muttered, nodding. "I'd been invited to go to La Push with my friends…my human friends. I knew that the Cullens had a treaty with your tribal elders and assumed that all vampires should stay off your land. Of course, that was before I knew about you guys." They all broke out into smiles. "One of my friends invited the McRaes to go with them and they accepted."

Sam and the others nodded.

"Why are you bringing them up now, Bella?" Sam asked imploringly. "Why haven't you mentioned them before, is what I mean."

"Well, it's a bit complicated," I answered, not sure how to explain the special abilities that Avarice and Lazarus harbored. "They made it so I couldn't remember them."

Silence.

"I beg your pardon?" Jake leaned forward, eyebrows arched so high that they almost merged with his hairline. "Could you elaborate on that?"

My stomach turned as I faced their wanting expressions and was faced with a dilemma. Would it be acceptable for me to spill the McRaes secrets? I'd opened up about the Cullens, but it felt different when it came to Ary's family. They were obsessed with their anonymity; they probably wouldn't appreciate the sharing of their secrets.

Then again, I hadn't come here for show and tell; I'd come here to gather help.

"Not now, Jake, I'm sorry," I said and turned back to Sam. "I came here with the specific purpose of asking for your help. There are vampires out there that aren't as docile as the Cullens, aren't as forgiving, and they're poised to attack Forks. The Cullens and the McRaes are planning on fighting them, but they need help."

Again, silence.

"There's too many of them," I explained, my voice growing a bit desperate. "They're skilled fighters, but so are you guys. Will you please help?"

The five of them looked at one another, a silent conversation passing between them, and they seemed to agree on something. I sighed deeply, assuming that they had decided to help my friends and smiled. Unfortunately, I had read too far into their faces.

Sam sighed and shook his head. "This is not our fight."

"I'm sorry, what?" I was in a state of disbelief, but noted how Jake and Leah held hands and refused to look at me.

"These leeches must defend their own land," Sam reiterated, crossing his arms over his chest and frowning. "I'm afraid our answer is no."

"How can that be your decision?" I was almost yelling now, unhinged by the ridiculous ramblings of the wolf pack Alpha. How could he think this wasn't their fight? "You're part of this world, aren't you? If the McRaes and the Cullens are defeated, the Pure Bloods will destroy Forks and La Push."

"Nonsense." Sam waved his hand in the air and sneered. "If these creatures are after your precious leeches, they'll be satisfied with their demise."

I couldn't believe what Sam was saying; had he lost his mind? After seeing the lengths Victoria had gone to, did he really believe that it would stop with the McRaes? My stomach turned as I stared at him, completely flabbergasted that this was his choice; he was perpetually leading his people to a slaughter. This turn of events was so unexpected; I didn't know how to process it. Instead, I sat there, mumbling like a fool.

"I'm sorry, Bella," Sam said, an air of finality in his voice, and lowered his head. "Perhaps you should go."

It was a good idea; there was nothing left for me here. However, as I turned to leave, there was a loud snarling outside. Without stopping to think, I dropped any thought of convincing Sam to help and rushed outside, fearing the worst.

Sure enough, the moment I exited Jacob's tiny house, I realized that the worst had come to pass. Eric, for some reason, had appeared outside and the young wolves had phased in response. Now, I could see him laughing as they bore down on him, ready to rip him apart.

"No!" I screamed, but I knew it was futile. These were young wolves who knew very little of the treaty and vegetarian vampires. They were going to rip him apart simply to prove their worth in the tribe. They circled him but didn't attack and I immediately saw my opening.

Without stopping to think, or heed the caution from Leah or Jake, I sprinted through the mass of fur and took a position between Eric and the wolves. After having protected him before, I was more than willing to put myself in harm's danger again. However, I didn't realize what I was up against. One of the smaller wolves barreled towards us, jaws open and ready to tear into flesh. I stood my ground, but the terror crept into me, and I screamed as the beast came closer. My eyes closed and I prepared myself for the pain.

But it didn't come. Instead, I was met by the most painful yowling that I'd ever heard.

My eyes popped open and I came face to face with Lazarus's agonizing grimace. His teeth ground together and his eyes were squinted shut while a wolf snarled behind him. The werewolf, in an attempt to attack Eric—or me, I couldn't decide—had slashed at him with its massive paw. Somehow, Lazarus had intercepted the blow with his back, which now had three wolf claws imbedded n in it.

"Lazarus!" I screamed, even though it did little good, and snarled at the beast behind him. "Let him go!"

The wolf growled and shook its head, seeming to deny what I had asked. The anger surged through me and, without thinking about repercussions, I lurched forward and slapped the creature across the cheek. The stinging feeling shot up my arm, a cry resonating from my lips, and I fell back into Eric's arms.

The wolf, in the meantime, reared back, an unholy noise echoing through the air, and glared viciously at us. My entire being trembled when it opened it mouth, revealing row after row of sharp, spiny teeth, and knew that this was the end. Would the Cullens and McRaes seek retribution? It was more than likely.

I was so focused on my own life ending that I didn't notice Lazarus rise from the earth. The dirt surrounding us billowed, like a sheet being rolled out, and was thrust into the wolves faces. It took me a minute to realize what was happening, but as Lazarus grabbed onto me, I realized what had occurred.

Lazarus had used his telekinesis, over inanimate objects, and thrust dirt into the wolves' eyes, which gave us an ability to escape. Without comprehending what was happening to me, Lazarus hoisted me into his arms and dashed through the woods, Eric moving close behind us. The trees moved past us at incredible speed and I shut my eyes when I felt that familiar nausea in my stomach.

I didn't recognize anything about the landscape, but ultimately didn't care. The wolves had proved what kind of allies they were and there was nothing else to be done about it. My thoughts drifted to the truck that I'd left outside of Jake's house, but decided that I'd send Charlie for it later on. The revulsion and betrayal hurt too much for me to worry about my transportation.

The seconds ticked by and the incessant howling faded into the distance. I knew that we had crossed the treaty line and were safe in the Cullens' land. I leaned back into Lazarus's arms and groaned, finally realizing what his presence meant.

If he knew that I had been to La Push then it meant that Edward knew that I'd been there. I knew that he didn't approve of my friendship with Jacob, which meant he'd be upset that I went to the reservation without his knowledge. Knowing this, I prepared myself for the fight ahead. Although, I hoped that hearing that Jake had imprinted would soften the blow; I'd secretly wondering if Edward was jealous.

Lazarus abated his speed and I immediately found myself standing before him on solid ground.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Lazarus glared at me, something he'd never done, and I didn't know how to react. "What's wrong with you?"

"I…uh…well…"

"And you!" He shifted and pointed a finger over my shoulder, which turned out to be aimed at Eric. "You would knowingly risk her life?"

"What about you?" Eric moved forward at vampire speed and pointed at Lazarus. "You would keep information from her, sneak around behind her back, with claims of protection?!"

Lazarus wheeled back and narrowed his eyes. "I beg your pardon?"

"I beg your pardon!" Eric rebuked and imitated Lazarus's accent perfectly. "Bella and I both heard what you said to the Cullens—you may think that she's incapable of handling the truth, but I don't."

I shook my head and curled my hands into fists, not caring about Lazarus and Eric's dispute. All I could think about was how the wolves had turned their back on me. I knew that the treaty with the Cullens was a hesitant one, but I couldn't believe that Sam wouldn't agree to help. As the angry flame within me blazed hotter, I tried to convince myself that I didn't care what happened to the wolves from that point on.

Thankfully, no one bothered me when I stormed through the Cullens' front door. Even though Edward appeared displeased, he said nothing. The sun was starting to set when I got out of the shower and changed into my pajamas; I didn't want to leave Edward's room for the rest of the night. When my supper was brought to me by Esme, I tried my hardest to be amicable. After all, she hadn't done anything wrong.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" She placed the food on Edward's desk and smiled.

"Not very good," I answered, honestly. "I just wish everyone would stop going behind my back. It's really getting old."

"I understand it must be frustrating," she said and patted my shoulder. "Would you like me to talk to Edward about it?"

"No," I mumbled and took a sip of water. "Thanks anyway."

"Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you." With that, she left.

The food was delicious, as always, but I was in too sour a mood to enjoy it. When I was done, I settled into bed and fell asleep.

Even though I slept for ten hours, I still felt restless; my dreams had made me even more stressed than I was. All I could remember was that the wolves were standing idly by while the Cullens and McRaes were destroyed. I screamed and screamed, but no sound came from my mouth. As I brushed my teeth, I cringed when I thought about the decision Sam had come to.

After I finished in the bathroom, I trudged out to find Alice practically hopping up and down. "It's Graduation day, Bella!"

"Oh, right." With all the excitement, I'd forgotten all about it. I glanced at the bed and noticed that Alice had already chosen my ensemble for me, complete with matching shoes and jewelry. Despite the fact that graduation from high school was the last thing on my mind, I was grateful that I didn't have to spend time picking out my own outfit. "Thanks."

"My pleasure!" She said and hugged me. "I actually wanted to talk to you."

Oh, great, here we go. "About what?"

"About everything," she said and shrugged. "How are you dealing with it all?"

I picked up the dress off the bed and slipped it on. "I don't know, honestly—I don't know what to think."

"What about Eric and Edward?" She smiled shyly at me and sighed.

"That's the big one," I answered with a sigh. "Alice, I don't know what to do. I care about them both equally, but I don't want to hurt anyone. I feel like I'm stuck in between a rock and a hard place."

"Well, obviously I'm on Edward's team," she said and I appreciated her honesty, "but, as your friend, I think you should follow your heart. No one can make this decision for you."

I nodded and sat down as Alice pulled out her curling iron. The next half hour was spent curling my hair, applying my makeup, and making sure that I could walk successfully in the shoes Alice provided me. The pain from my leg injury had subsided, mainly due to the painkillers Carlisle had been giving me, but I still had issue walking on the balls of my feet. After a few pained stumbles, Alice put me in a pair of ballet flats. Thank god for small favors.

When I walked downstairs, assisted by Alice, the first thing I noticed was that the McRaes and the Cullens were all in the same room. The second thing I noticed was that they were all dressed nicely. All the men had tailored slacks, dress shirts, and sport coats on, while the women had on simple, classy dresses. Standing side by side, they all looked as if they could be related; it was slightly unsettling.

Eric swayed forward, wearing a pair of black slacks, a black shirt, and black coat. He grinned and brushed a piece of hair away from my face. "Well, don't you clean up nice?"

I smiled and rolled my eyes. "I could say the same for you."

Over Eric's shoulder, I noticed Edward leaning against the wall, grey slacks and a blue button up shirt, scowling at nothing in particular. Even though he'd kept something from me, again, I couldn't stay mad at him. So, I crossed the room and stood in front of him, taking notice how his scowling ceased immediately.

"Ready to graduate?" I asked and, humorously added, "Again?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Absolutely."

The next hour and a half was a whirlwind of emotion and excitement. I sat beside a blubbering Jessica Stanley as the Superintendant and other Education Officials gave speech after speech. It was an experience that I had been anticipating, but, now that I was here, I was counting the seconds until it was over. After I crossed the stage and accepted my fake diploma—students were given their real ones the moment they walked off the stage—I breathed a huge sigh of relief and tuned out.

The hats flew and the tears poured. As I navigated through the sea of golden robes, I found Edward standing with his family and the McRaes. I was also surprised to see Charlie standing among them as well. Lazarus had informed me that he'd be "fixing" Charlie, but he never said when.

"Dad!" I smiled and hugged him. "I didn't see you before."

"Yeah, you can blame Avarice for that," Charlie remarked and clapped the younger McRae brother on the shoulder. "We were talking football."

"You two?" I motioned between them and gave Avarice a perplexed look. "Football?"

"You look surprised," Avarice said, the pleasantness in his voice was strange to me. "Just because I'm Irish doesn't mean I'm not privy to American sports."

I shook my head, laughing humorlessly, and turned my attention back to my dad. "Are you okay, Dad?"

"Yeah, fine," he answered, his brow indenting. "A little tired, though—work's been hectic."

"Yeah, I bet." I frowned and turned my eyes to Avarice. "Maybe you should go home and get some sleep."

"You might be right," he said and suppressed a yawn. "You're going to be at the Cullens' all night, right?"

"Yeah," I said and groaned when I remembered that I had the graduation party to look forward to. "Alice is throwing a party."

He laughed. "Well, good luck with that."

After an additional hug, and an assurance from Avarice that he'd get him home safely, Charlie headed across the parking lot towards the cruiser. Lazarus leaned in, whispering something about the lingering effects of mental tampering, but I didn't pay any attention. The seriousness of the situation—the pure bloods and the newborns—crashed down on me. Charlie was in danger, as was every family in Forks. Something had to be done—but what?

"Where's Alice?" Carlisle interjected and everyone stopped.

I glanced through the bodies, but couldn't see her unmistakable spiky black hair. Seeing as there was a party due to start in less than an hour, her lack of presence was very strange. "Yeah, where is she?"

Edward laughed. "She said she had something to take care of, prior to the party."

"What is it?" Avarice's voice was steely and he narrowed his eyes. "Where did she go?"

"I don't know," Edward answered, affronted. "She found me after the ceremony and left."

Without warning, Lazarus spun around and gripped Jasper's neck. Edward lurched forward but only made it a few feet before he froze. Avarice had stopped his dead in his tracks.

"Where did she go?" Lazarus's voice was hauntingly melodic. A few seconds passed, but neither of their expressions changed. "What is she doing?"

My eyes wandered around and, thankfully, no one was paying any attention to what was happening amidst their celebration. When I turned back, Lazarus's expression had changed; he looked absolutely horrified.

"What is it?" Avarice touched his brother's shoulder and Jasper was released, gasping for breath. "Brother?"

"She left the area," Lazarus whispered. "She wants to see what will happen."

"Take Dante and Melena," Avarice growled and indicated Jasper with his head. "Take him too—don't come back until you find her."

They left without saying a word, pushing Jasper with them, and I was guided in the other direction. Edward and Skye were navigating me out of the gymnasium, even though I resisted.

"Wait, what's going on?" I tried to look over my shoulder, but I was forced to keep my eyes forward to prevent tripping. "Edward? Skye?"

It was Skye that answered me. "Alice has gone missing—Lazarus extracted information from Jasper. She left the area to try and get a vision."

My brow furrowed. "What does this mean?"

"It means that she'll be late to the party," Edward remarked as we approached the Volvo and I knew I wouldn't be getting anything more out of them.

Just like the ceremony, the party was a whirlwind of excited teenagers and music. Alice had truly spared no expense on this and it showed. It was hilarious to see my human friends walk into the mansion, eyes lit with curiosity and nervousness. Then again, it may also have something to do with the Cullens and McRaes themselves. Under the strobe lights, the vampires truly looked like supernatural.

I smiled and waved to my friends as they danced in the main room. Moving from room to room, I kept looking for any of the Cullens, or the McRaes, but didn't see them. I pursed my lips and sighed angrily—they were keeping me out of it again. As an hour ticked by, I headed to the kitchen, needing to get away from the music and lights, and leaned against the counter.

What did they expect me to do? Was I simply supposed to dance like nothing was wrong? Why did they expect me to be so apathetic?

The backdoor creaked open and I turned, expecting to see a few hormonal teenagers trying to find so privacy. I gasped at what I saw; Alice was standing in the entrance, a withdrawn expression on her face, her clothes torn to shreds.

"Oh my god!" I ran over to her. "Alice? What happened? Are you all right?"

She said nothing.

"Edward!" I cried, even though I knew he would hear me if I whispered. "Alice? Please talk to me."

"I'm so sorry." Her voice was so small, I wasn't sure I'd heard her. "It's my fault."

"What?" I gripped her shoulders. "What's your fault, Alice? What happened to you?"

"They're coming," she said, her entire body starting to quiver. "Bella, they're coming here!"

Author's Note: On the imprinting…I don't think that Jake or Quil were 'pedophiles' as so many twi-haters love to believe…but I don't think that having them imprint on children was fair either. In my opinion, Leah and Jake needed one another because of what they'd both gone through. It would have been life altering if they had imprinted on one another.