Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: Suggested Listening: Yellow Light by Of Monsters and Men, Fade by The Narrative, Demons by Imagine Dragons (Seriously, this song gave me so many Embry feels.)

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Corruption of Bella Swan

I want to hide the truth,
I want to shelter you,
But with the beast inside.
There's nowhere we can hide.

Don't want to let you down,
But I am hell bound.
Though this is all for you,
Don't want to hide the truth.

Your eyes, they shine so bright.
I want to save their light.
I can't escape this now,
Unless you show me how.

When you feel my heat,
Look into my eyes,
It's where my demons hide,
It's where my demons hide.
Don't get too close,
It's dark inside,
It's where my demons hide.

"Yeah, yeah I know, man. Just letting you know I'm taking over okay?"

"That's fine, but haven't you been doing that a lot lately?"

Embry turned his head; phone still pressed to his ear and looked at me meaningfully. With my eyes trained through the windshield, I could still feel the heat of his stare burned into my cheek. Everything about him was heat now.

"I don't mind, dude – I'm free and easy from other obligations. Besides, we get along fine." There was a pause, before I heard Jacob clear his throat on the other end of the line. We were parked outside my house, the faint glow of the television flickering through the living room window.

"Yeah, you always did. Can I assume she's not so quick to tear everyone who tries to talk to her a new one these days?"

I frowned petulantly at the unintentional insult, glaring at the phone while Embry stifled a laugh. He took one look at my face and said, "Kinda, but I think you still might be a special case in that regard."

I raised my eyebrows, nodding as Embry's smile bloomed over his features, the knuckle of his free hand making contact with his teeth to keep from laughing.

"Probably," Jacob replied, unaware that I could hear everything he was saying in the confines of my truck. "Let me know if that changes any time soon, okay?"

I rolled my eyes and looked away in annoyance. After what I'd seen today, I should be the last thing on Jacob's mind – at least I wanted to be, now. Hearing him still so invested in my opinion of him made wounds that were better remained untouched throb. If I believed he was better off here, although clearly it wasn't at my side, it dulled the pain a little. My discomfort at hearing his voice through a phone was just proof that I wasn't ready to slip back into his life like I was never torn out of it in the first place.

"Will do," Embry nodded, before raising an eyebrow at me. "Hey, isn't your sister coming to visit soon?"

"Um..." Jacob responded, confused that the left-field change of subject. "Yeah, two weeks, I think, why?"

"Just wondering how you're going to explain how the last time she saw us we were a bunch of kids, and now we look like the starting line-up for the Seahawks," he explained smoothly.

Jacob sighed. "Yeah, that'll be fun. I don't know, I guess we'll have to tell her something." There was another pause. "I thought you were asking 'cause of that crush you had on her in Junior High..." I could detect the smile in his voice from here.

Embry looked at me nervously and scrubbed a hand over his forehead, avoiding my smiling gaze. "Nah, man, she's too much woman for me."

Jacob laughed heartily, and something inside me winced – it'd been a long time since I heard that for myself. I covered it up with a smirk, while Embry clenched a fist at the phone – no doubt frustrated that Jacob was ruining his 'game'.

"Yeah, you're probably right. Gotta watch out for those older ladies, they're kinda irresistible," he teased.

Embry looked at me then, letting his eyes roam over me languidly and smirked. "Damn right, dude." I fought the flattered smile teasing at my mouth and looked back towards the house. "Anyway, I should probably go. Supposed to be on the clock, remember?"

"Cool, yeah. Just take care of her, alright? The red-head's been lying low these past two weeks, and I don't like it."

Embry sobered up as a chill ran through me, his eyes flitting around the immediate area as he nodded. "Yeah, me neither. Don't worry, I'm on it." He pushed his hair back from his face and cleared his throat. "Enjoy the rest of the bonfire, last night of freedom and all."

"I will, man. And thanks, you know, for doing this."

Embry looked to me again, watching my face in the low light. "Don't mention it. Really."

He stuffed the phone back in his pocket, leaning an arm on the side of the truck and blew a breath out wearily. "Well, there's our answer," he said as I pressed my head back against the seat.

"So do we tell them?"

He shook his head, shrugging. "It's tough, I mean, it's two weeks, and they're not exactly head-over-heels for each other yet."

"So if it does happen, it's not like it's going to be devastating since they're not exactly together..." I mused, hoping I was right. It wasn't exactly concrete, but the other option didn't seem so attractive either.

Embry nodded. "And if we tell them, we have to tell them everything."

My eyes widened in dread, imagining how that would go down. "I can't-" I sighed, scrambling for a legitimate reason to protect my secret. I didn't want them to know; I hadn't wanted anyone to know and now Embry did. It was only because of his open mind that I'd come out of it better off. "We could come up with another explanation?" I hedged.

Embry gave me a sympathetic look. "I can see that going well. 'Bella's been reading Tarot cards and she saw Paul's future... maybe... if we're really unlucky.'" He shook his head. "There's no way they'd buy it without the truth." He looked me over, seeing how my body stiffened, my breath coming short and my lip becoming all the more chapped with nervous chewing. His gaze softened. "This is your secret, I'm not going to go spilling it without your say-so."

I nodded gratefully, still wondering how I could fix this or give ample warning without sounding like a raving lunatic. Embry was still pondering aloud, seeing more reasons to keep it to ourselves for long as possible - to protect me. "Not to mention, this is the first time Paul's been anything but a complete dick for once in his life. He deserves a chance too."

It was selfish, but the relief I felt at not having to put myself on display, and tell them all my unbelievable secrets so they could think I was crazy was palpable – but I couldn't make this decision based on how it would affect me. If someone could have warned Leah the first time, I had no doubt in my mind that they would have. It was my duty as a friend, no, as a human being to do all I cold to stop her getting hurt.

"So we let him decide."

Embry looked at me like I'd grown an extra head. "Are you kidding? Major decisions should not be left up to someone whose last big choice was 'Ribbed' or 'Bareskin'," he said exasperatedly, shaking his head. "No, Leah knows the risks, something tells me it'll be a long time before she lets her guard down enough to really get hurt again." He looked resolute, and part of me wanted so very badly to give in and let this whole thing blow over.

"Embry, you're no more sure of this than I am," I accused, my face breaking in a sympathetic smile.

"What if he chooses wrong, Bella? What if he fucks it up without even realising it?" he said, watching the flight of a stray leaf across the glass. There was thought behind his words, a seed of doubt that I didn't think was just for Paul.

"Then he chooses wrong. At least we'll have given him the choice. If he wants her like he says he does, he'll do the right thing." Maybe it would be different for them. Maybe whatever I didn't have, whatever it was that made Jacob turn away so easily was something Leah possessed. Maybe if he knew what he'd be up against before going into battle, Paul would have a fighting chance of getting through it, and being with someone he chose.

Embry studied me again, each time looking like he'd gathered another piece of a puzzle to make up a larger image. I liked that – I wanted him to know me.

"You really believe that?"

"I want to," I said, meaning it with all that I had. "I've seen a different side to Paul, and this isn't a whim for him. If anyone's worth fighting for, it's Leah. He knows it."

"Now who's got faith, huh?" he said, voice cracking wearily.

"Sometimes you have to, because if you don't, you're going to see the worst in everyone, and well, that sucks," I smirked.

He smiled softly. "Give me a heads-up if that faith runs out, 'kay?" he said, and I wasn't so sure we were talking about Paul anymore.

I nodded. "I will," I said, hoping that whatever way things turned out, it wouldn't crumble and take whatever this was right down with it, not before I'd had a chance to explore how amazing it could be. "I, uh, better get inside. Told Charlie I was going for a drive, and that was five hours ago."

Embry nodded. "I'll be outside all night. Howl if you need me," he said with a soft smile.

"Likewise." I moved to get out of the truck, but I couldn't will myself to open the door without doing one last thing. I turned, laying a palm on the side of his face and pressing my lips to his. He was motionless for a second, allowing me to take control before he melted into the embrace. His eyes were still closed when I pulled away, pressing my forehead to his. "Thank you," I whispered.

"I won't be back in time for dinner, tonight, sweetie. I'll just eat at my desk – order yourself some pizza or something. No sense cooking for one."

"Okay," I responded robotically, still replaying how everything had changed in such a short amount of time. It was all down to one person, and more than anything, I was starting to feel grateful for this - grateful to have the people in my life that were still around, and grateful that I hadn't lost as much as I potentially could have, had I changed my choices even slightly. I looked up from the sink to see Charlie slouched in his chair, mug of coffee rapidly cooling in his hand. Frowning, I wiped my hands on a towel and studied him.

"Dad, are you alright?"

He looked back at me and gave a weary smile. "Sure, Bells, we're just a little short-handed at the moment."

"Yeah? Any particular reason?" I asked, bringing over the coffee pot and topping him up. He thanked me and shook his head.

"Different reasons, nothing for you to worry about darlin'," he said softly, moving to stand as he gulped down his second mug, blowing out a breath to cool his no-doubt overheated mouth. "Oh, and Sue's girl called this morning before you got up. She's kind of a pistol, huh?"

I smiled knowingly, only imagining how Leah came across to those who didn't know her well. It was two days after Embry's and my talk, and I'd finally sent her a grovelling message, apologising for my absence and asking if we could hang out again. I knew I had to talk to Paul soon, but instinctively knew it wouldn't go down well that I'd made contact with him before talking to her. In true Leah fashion, she'd let me stew before getting back to me, choosing to call my house rather than risking another shut-out.

"Yeah, but she's not all bad – a little rough around the edges."

Charlie smiled. "Sue was the same at her age, it's uncanny really," his eyes softened nostalgically as he shrugged on a jacket. "Anyway, she said she'd be here today at noon, and you better not be busy or still sleepin' or she'll hunt you down like a she-wolf."

With a sigh of resignation, I nodded, smiling. "Alright, thanks."

He poured the rest of his coffee down the sink, zipping up his jacket and kissed me on the forehead. "Nice to see you livin' again, Bells."

I watched him leave for the door, knowing that even though he was stressed and tired, it was better than the alternative, in every way. "You too, Dad."

Leah sniffed me obnoxiously as I opened the door. "Can I help you?" I said, reeling back from her looming figure.

"Just checking you're not a leech... usually when people disappear for so long it means they're dead, yet here you are, walking and talking," she retorted. I rolled my eyes, closing the door behind her and followed her into the kitchen, where she was already scoping out the fridge.

"I guess I deserve that," I muttered, watching her drain a carton of orange juice as I leaned on the back of a chair.

She looked at me pointedly and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, you do. How come Emo-bry can pull you out of a funk yet your old pal Leah can't?"

"It's complicated," I said, not wanting to divulge something more.

Leah snorted and walked past me back into the living room. I guess I missed the part where she lived here now. "When isn't it with you, Swan?" She flopped down on the couch, toeing off her Converse and settled into the cushions. "Fine, you don't want to do Feelings Hour, no protests here," she said, before wrinkling her nose. "This place smells like him you know. In fact, so do you."

She looked at me accusingly and I turned away, recalling how he'd scaled the tree outside my window two nights ago purely to lean in my window and give me a goodnight kiss. I had no idea where things were headed with us, and part of that scared the crap out of me, but I chose to enjoy the journey. The flip of my stomach and the stutter of my heart each time I recalled how his kisses took my breath away did nothing to dispel the feelings I was discovering in myself.

"We've been hanging out a lot," I defended, moving to pick up and smooth out a pillow on Charlie's recliner before sitting down. Leah didn't leave much room for anyone else when she was sprawled like this.

"Mm-hmm," Leah said, flicking though Charlie's dog-eared copy of Fly Fish America. "You know, when you started giving me the cold shoulder, I thought maybe you had a thing for Paul, and you were jealous."

My eyes widened before I collapsed in a splutter of hoarse laughter, pulling the pillow over my face as I tried to regain composure.

"Yeah, I see now how ridiculous that was. He's not the wolf you're interested in," she said, eyeing me over the top of the magazine. I sobered up in surprise; Embry and I had barely been whatever we were for forty-eight hours and already it was getting out to the Pack?

"Oh don't worry," she said dismissively, "He didn't go telling everyone how you're now touching each other's delicates. I'm just an intuitive and empathetic person," she said proudly, before rolling her eyes. "Plus he's been strutting around singing You Shook Me All Night Long constantly for the past two days, like a fucking eighties movie cliché."

"We're not-" I blushed, too embarrassed to finish the sentence. Leah looked quizzical, but somehow believed me.

"Hmm...Okay, so you're not doing the horizontal tango, but it won't be long. Pheromones are a powerful thing, and you smell like you soaked naked, in a tub filled with the sweat of thirty loose-moralled strippers, at the mere mention of his name."

The cushion was back over my face again, but this time it was to try and hide the deep scarlet staining my sheets "Oh God..."

"Don't be ashamed, Swan. It's not like you can help it. Just think pure thoughts, okay? Abstinence isn't easy, and neither are you."

I glared at her over the top of the pillow, watching the devilish amusement in her eyes. "I haven't even thought about- It's not like we're... Really?"

She gave me a condescending look and sighed. "Embry's a guy, with guy parts and hormones three times more potent than other dudes his age. Plus, there's the fact that he's been pining after you for a while now, and probably can't believe his own luck. I'm telling you, if he hasn't let his paws roam at least once, he's going for sainthood."

"You knew?" I said, surprised. I'd gotten the impression that Embry's feelings for me had been top-secret.

"Please, I've known since the night he showed up at the club like a freakin' hairy Prince Charming, all 'I'm here to protect m'lady' and shit. He did not need to come all coiffed up like an Abercrombie mannequin."

"I assumed that was to get past the bouncers," I mused, and Leah scoffed at my ignorance.

"Sweetheart, we're wolves. If we want to sneak in somewhere unnoticed and remain unseen, it's not that hard. Whether subconsciously or not, the dude was there to spend time with you."

"I seem to remember you leaving us for most of that night," I said suspiciously. "If you're so against it now, why did you let us spend so much time alone?"

"Because I needed to get a little somin' somin' of my own, and I didn't think there was any way in hell you'd actually consider anything more than bumping uglies with him. You could both stand to get a little action."

"And now?"

"Now, I can hear the way your little-Bella-heart pitter-patters just because we're talking about him. You're in deeper than you even realise."

The statement startled me, but I found that instead of being scared, as Leah intended, I was more surprised at my ability to let myself start to feel this way about someone again. "Is there any harm in seeing how it goes?" I asked hesitantly.

Leah scoffed. "It's your funeral, just don't say I didn't warn you - again. Just do me a favour this time?" I frowned, wondering where she was going with this. "Unshackle the chastity belt and have a little fun. At the very least then you won't go to college a virgin. Don't worry, Em won't take much persuading." She smiled mischievously, and I got the distinct feeling she was trying to scare me off of him. "Unless that betrays your fairy-princess morals or some shit. You'd probably have a seizure if you saw what goes through their minds sometimes, you precious Embry-bear included."

I sighed. "I know what teenage guys are like, Leah, I'm not a complete prude," I said defensively, my blush turning to one of flattery that someone like Embry could possibly be thinking of me that way. I hoped that whatever I looked like in his imagination wasn't too hard to live up to.

Wait! Where did that come from? Now I was thinking about Embry and I... doing things? He was right – Leah really was a bad influence.

"I just mean... should I really be thinking about this already?" I asked, growing all the more nervous for her answer. "It's been two days, and it's still all so new."

Leah threw the magazine behind her, narrowly missing a stained-glass lamp still left over from the days when Renee had free reign on the décor, and sat up. The opportunity to frighten some 'sense' into me much too good to pass up. "Swan, you're practically lit up like a neon sign. If you guys are going to keep this on the down-low, you're going to have to keep that shit in check. And shower. A lot."

The urge to run upstairs and change my clothes was rising, but Leah wasn't done. "Remember, that's only if you don't suddenly grow some common sense and realise what a completely stupid idea this is."

I frowned in annoyance – pot, kettle, black, anyone? "Says the girl who's humping Paul like you're going for a world record," I retorted, but instead of being insulted, Leah threw her head back and laughed.

"Oh man, it always gets me when you talk like that!" she chortled, throwing a hand over her nose and practically convulsing.

"Hey, it's true, isn't it?" I bristled. "I'm not the only one in this room revisiting old territory."

Her face straightened as she shook her head. "When will you people get it? It's just sex. I can handle this because I'm not stupid enough to get caught up in the whole thing. You, on the other hand... did you even hesitate before you gave Call free access to your lovelies?"

"Of course I did," I replied petulantly, not bothering to correct her this time.

"And?" she demanded, becoming like a disappointed mother and a weary school teacher all at once.

"And I haven't... there's a lot going on, okay? We're just seeing what happens right now."

"In other words, you're both sticking your fingers in your ears and singing Puppy Love to drown out the six-foot-seven warning sign that's telling you what an extremely bad idea this is. Talk about thinking with your privates."

She was probably right, but the hypocrisy was grating on my last nerve. Still, I couldn't prod too much before I'd told Paul what he needed to know, and before D-day came in two weeks: Rachel's arrival. Getting Leah to realise her potential feelings was just a recipe for disaster.

"So Miss Know-It-All, what do you think I should be doing?"

"I think you need to get out of this damn town for a start. You're still human, Bella. Your options aren't limited to those who don't age."

"Like yours are?" I asked, expecting her to disagree.

"Do you think I'd be doing this with Paul if normal guys could handle me? They can't, and I shouldn't have to change or hold back just to be with someone. Paul - despite his many, varied shortcomings, he gets me, and I don't have to lie."

"You think I should try dating a human? Believe it or not, it's not exactly easy for me to be honest either. I have secrets of my own, and he knows them all."

"I get it, believe me, but it's not a dead-end for you. I think you should try dating anyone who isn't Pack - who isn't Embry - right now."

I studied my hands, realising the answer was glaring, coming more easily than it should have at this stage - but if I could be honest about this with anyone, it was Leah.

"But I don't want anyone else," I said, my voice more quiet than before. Leah sighed, looking genuinely sympathetic for the first time all afternoon.

"That's what I was afraid of," she said. "Come on, I want to show you something."

An hour later, we were armed with tall frappucinos and making our way to, well, I had no idea.

"So what's the huge secret?" I asked, trailing behind Leah as she - for want of a better word, strutted through the gates of a public park.

"We're window-shopping," she replied simply, raising her sunglasses to choose a spot to sit. After spying a free bench, she promptly slumped on to it and crossed her legs, replacing her glasses and bringing the straw to her lips. I followed suit, still none-the-wiser about what the hell we were doing here.

"What for?" I asked, moving to sit cross-legged beside her and balancing my cup on my knee. I regretted wearing these jean-shorts, it was September in Washington, after all. Leah's lips curved, her eyes still shielded by the over-sized shades and she said nothing. Following where I assumed her gaze led, I was met by the sight of eight or nine handsome college-age guys embroiled in a game of touch football. The competition was growing more heated as I watched, and the curious glances thrown towards our bench was a dead-giveaway. They were posturing for our - or probably more likely Leah's - benefit.

"Emily and I would sometimes arrange to ditch school for a day the first week of semester, come here, and just bask in the glory that is the College Guy," she explained, raising her hand in a delicate wave. Several were returned with beaming smiles, but Leah just looked barely interested.

"So you brought me here to perve on guys in the hope that I'd realise I wanted to play the field?" I surmised.

"Just reminding you that you have options, Swan," she said innocently.

"What good do you get out of this?" I asked. noticing that no matter how well-built and classically handsome these guys were, this didn't hold a candle to the various soccer games I'd watched on the beach at La Push.

Leah scoffed. "When I joined the Pack, I was landed with two exes and a bunch of little brothers. I don't exactly faint when they take their shirts off, or when I see them naked. Mama likes some 'strange'," she replied, poking her tongue through her teeth.

"They're cute, I guess," I sighed, knowing already that her attempt to make me see 'sense' wasn't working.

"They're hot, Bella. Don't pretend like you're blind. I just want you to see that there is life beyond Forks, " she admonished. "Least you can do is look around a little before you let Embry Take the Skin Boat to Tuna-town."

I wrinkled my nose. "Are you like, a walking encyclopaedia of euphemisms?" I asked, inwardly shuddering at her latest one. She giggled heartily and shrugged.

"Lets just say Quil and I get bored on Patrol sometimes, and we came up with a game to make the time pass by," she laughed.

"Ugh, I don't want to know," I said, taking a sip of my iced coffee.

"Spearing the Bearded Clam was one," she thought aloud, and I almost covered her in a spray of frappucino. She smiled devilishly and stroked her chin. "Polishing the Rocket, Squat Jumps in the Cucumber Patch..."

"Leah!"

"Burying the Bone.. That one's pretty appropriate for us, don't you think? Bush Patrol was another. Dancing the Mattress Jig.."

"Oh fuck, please stop it," I said burying my face in my hands. Leah laughed in satisfaction at thoroughly and embarrassingly grossing me out.

"Jesus, Swan, if you can't even talk about it, you're not ready to do it. Am I corrupting you or something?" She faked a thoughtful look. "Maybe I should warn Embry that he's in for a major case of blue-balls," she taunted.

"I can talk about it fine, but it doesn't have to be so disgusting."

She shrugged. "Guess that's the difference between us again. Sex should be funny, it should be ridiculous. You don't have to tie it up with feelings all the time."

"I guess I'm just not like you," I replied, seeing her point.

"Exactly, which is why I want you to think long and hard before you get into something there's no coming back from." In that moment, I realised what this had all been about. Leah wanted me to live a little, enjoy a freedom and a life she no longer could, because of what she was. I was grateful to her, but she was missing the bigger picture - the message coming through on my phone was proof of that.

Crap. Got detention for daydreaming my way through a pop-quiz. Don't they get that my life suddenly got 1000x better this week? Damn peasants! I'll show them all! Kneel before Darth Embry! x

A grin stretched across my face as I looked up from the screen, to the eye-candy littering the grass before us. It still didn't compare, and I didn't think Leah would quite understand that. I was enjoying my freedom, enjoying my second chance at humanity with someone who helped me forget that I was constantly stuck in the middle of a whirlwind of adult problems, and even if those problems weren't going away, he halved them. I knew I had a choice like she was telling me, but if I'd chosen to follow her advice, to cut my losses with Embry while I could and run, I'd spend forever wondering 'what if?', and I owed it to myself not to let that happen.

I owed it to Embry not to let that happen.

Now if I could just silence the screaming doubts in my head, everything would be great.

A/N: You guys have no idea how much fun it is to write Leah. Seriously, she's my queen.

This chapter goes out to Ruth, my real life Leah Clearwater, who is responsible for some of the euphemisms you read here. I swear, a good 60% of my Leah is based on her.

So what do we think about the decision reached by Embry and Bella? Is Embry right to be skeptical? Or is Bella right to have faith in her friend? Let me know!