Hi, so here is another chapter, and i can confirm we are in the end run as there are only five more chapters left of this story. We get a little bit more back to cannon next chapter as the Cullens (or at least one of them) makes his return.

Disclaimer-As always none of this is mine only the character of Lena.

Please Read and Review.

There In The Disappearing Light

Chapter 20-Called In Dead

Lena hears the legends of the werewolves including the story of the 'Cold Ones' as her time in La Push reaches full circle and Billy Black is wise beyond his years (and sick of dealing with the drama). Again, a potentially shorter chapter than the one previously.

It was easy to forget that she was living some sort of mad dream in which she ran from her problems because whenever she was with Embry it seemed like the world was golden. As the first month she spent in La Push turned rapidly into the second one she found that she was unable to relax properly because her dreams, her thoughts and her very essence seemed to be screaming at her to do something about the family that she knew (as Jacob told Embry and Embry told her) was still in Canada finishing the school year.

After that he didn't know because the Cullen's never really moved on until all of them had finished school and Nessie was soon to be enrolled in one. Lena did not know how much time that gave her to figure out just what she was going to do but she thought somehow that time might just stand still for this endless moment…after all time had stopped in her case for nearly everything else.

The time where decisions would have to be made—fundamental decisions and that would effect the rest of her life. Lena was practical enough to know that if she didn't go back to the Cullen's and explain herself soon then any chance she had at being a member of the family was gone.

It was a sobering thought.

She tried not to think upon that on the moments when she was with Embry preferring instead to spend all night awake staring at the ceiling—that was as lie that she told herself when sleep caught up with her and she had…rather embarrassingly fallen asleep at the back of the barn with Embry who had kept her warm by pulling her against his chest and keeping the nightmares and the questions that always seemed to be in the back of her mind driving her mad.

If Embry noticed that she was still feeling torn about the Cullen's (most specifically about Rosalie and Emmett) he didn't say anything but she thought that he had an inkling that something was troubling her even if he didn't say it out loud. She had learnt that Embry was a lot smarter than he made out to be and that as far as she was concerned he was not saying anything that might force a confrontation.

Knowing herself enough to admit that, that was what he would probably get Lena loved him for it. She found despite her best intentions, despite the promises that she had made herself time and time again she was falling a little bit deeper in love with him as each day passed. There was something so natural about being with him that she had seriously debated weather staying in La Push might not be the worst idea.

After all, she had all eternity to get her diploma.

However whenever she had brief snatches of madness when she thought like this, she was confronted with the image of Rosalie's face when she got wind of her dropping of High School for a werewolf and she felt the overwhelming urge to laugh out loud and then burst into tears.

What was even mortifying was that happened once. She thought she did a masterful job of covering it up because Billy didn't mention it at breakfast the next morning but then again Billy didn't mention much at breakfast anyway nor was he the type to mention other people's emotions or subjects he knew (or suspected) to be taboo.

The only thing he had mentioned was that their was to be another bonfire on Friday and that this time they would be telling the tribes legends and that Lena was invited. Lena thought that there was something in his tone that made it clear that she was not to miss it and when she reported this to Embry after meeting him at the beach after school that afternoon he grinned.

"Yeah that's Billy. The legends are sacred only the village elders really kinda know. They've been embroidered over so much that kids all have a different story. But when you hear the real version it's kinda like a welcome into the pack in a way. Your only one of three outsiders."

"Outsiders?"

"Not from the tribe" Embry elaborated as he saw her raised eyebrow. "There's you and Nessie and Bella Swan"

"Bella?"

"Oh yeah, you see when she was human she was living in the town of Forks—that's where she met Edward but then he left and Jake kinda stepped in and then promptly fell in love with her and then she went back to Edward but by that point she knew all there was to know and the council thought why not?"

Lena could think of several reasons why not. It seemed strange that she had not known about this strange past between Edward, Bella and Jacob but now she thought about it she realised she didn't know much about any of the Cullen's. She supposed she had not really stuck around much. She felt another throb in her head and thought wildly for a second that she had might have lost her little party trick just because she had not used it for so long.

She went back and forth between considering that a good thing or a bad thing on most days. And this was not most days.

"But then Bella got pregnant and Jake split the pack in two and then imprinted on her daughter?"

It was amazing how she could say that and actually know that it made sense in her head. Embry nodded wrapping an arm around her shoulder. He was dressed as he always was for school in a pair of jeans and a blue shirt that made Lena want to do unspeakable things (this time in a good way) and he was actually wearing shoes. She realised that she had never seen him wear shoes. She had become so use to what he usually wore (which was very little) it was strange to think that for the most part, there were five days a week were he was for all intents and purposes a normal human high schooler. It was hard to believe that the same could be said about her. The world that they were on the fringes off seemed so very unreal.

Lena dressed for the bonfire with considerable care than she had done lately. She had chosen to wear a good pair of jeans that she knew were clean, her wardrobe was not the most inspiring—she had fled Canada with next to nothing and all the really good pieces were back in that wardrobe at home—providing Rosalie had not burned it all down in a fit of anger in the middle of the night. Her top was of an acid wash dark purple that she had picked up in one of the rather limited shops that had been on the Reservation. But either way once her make up (she had replenished that a long time ago) and her hair (thank God for whoever it was that had made and sold straighteners on the market) was presentable hanging down her back in a straight sheet of gold that was darker than Rosalie's but still enough to bring forwards the resemblance.

Lena sat down to pull on her boots and then sighed. She missed Rosalie more than she could easily admit to herself and she had never been one to admit anything to herself unless she had to. She missed the easy relationship she had, had with her and if she was being honest she had denied for too long the conversation she had overheard between Rosalie and Emmett.

A part of her had not wanted to think about it and a part of her had been unable to think of anything else, even when she was with Embry or trying to sleep. It was like her brain had never processed it. There were times when she felt incredibly guilty for the way she had handled everything and that she had to go back and speak her truth and let the chips fall when they may and there was a part of her that wanted nothing more to do than to stay here with Embry where she felt safe even if never whole.

Because she didn't want to admit the truth, the truth that she could finally admit to herself. Once she'd gained the perspective with the absence between them it had been easy to sort out her feelings—actually that had been easier to admit than the guilt that she had felt over killing those two nameless, faceless cheerleaders, her foster parents and dealing with the constant craving that came in between.

But she was scared. She was scared of going back and being rejected and she was scared of what would happen if she didn't.

Lena was pulled out of her mental agonising by Billy asking if she was ready. He was driving mainly because he liked too (she had learnt early on he was fiercely independent despite his injury) and she didn't know how to (she had also learnt that he was stickler for laws and the like) which made life easier. He was also a good driver so Lena had no problem getting into a car with him. He also didn't pressure her into conversation but instead allowed her to stare out the window as she took in the sights. It was comfortable and she knew that deep down she would miss him if things went the way she wanted them too even though they had not done much in terms of conversation.

But surprisingly enough Billy started the conversation.

"Has Embry took you cliff-diving yet?"

Lena whipped around so much she was sure her hair had nearly ended up in Billy's face. For the most part he looked unconcerned. Actually, he looked rather amused.

"Cliff-Diving. It's a local activity. The pack do it all the time of course for them it's less dangerous. Most of the kids around her jump from a low ledge but the boys tend to do it from the top. The adrenaline rush is supposed to be fantastic…but I know Embry enjoys it, thought he might have taken you. I mean you're the only imprint that's truly unbreakable. Well, the only one whose a teenager"

Lena stared at him. She had never known that things like that were legal. Actually she was kinda furious she'd never done it before even though it sounded exceptionally stupid.

"Things are complicated at the minute" she said trying to be diplomatic. "Not for us…not that there is an us but for me"

Billy nodded.

"Ah" he said finally. "You want to go back to them"

Lena stared at him he shrugged.

"Kid, I've raised three teenagers, one's a giant wolf, one married at sixteen and one never came home unless she had too. To say nothing of the teenagers that have been trapesing through my house since time began. Hell I could write a book on what I learnt from Bella Swan alone. I know when a teenager is brooding over something. You want to go back to them but you what? And don't say it's because you think they don't want you. The Doc's never turned down anyone from that family since he became a vampire. Gotten him into a lot of trouble with his own kind on more than one occasion as well"

Lena took that to mean the mysterious Volturi she had heard so much about when she had first taken her steps into this brave new immortal world. She paused trying to figure out what to say. The bluntness of Billy Black was really not something you could ever prepare for.

"Oh" she said finally. "And it's just…it's hard to…I mean Rosalie did more for me…and she's only…"

"She was born in the 1930s I wouldn't say age is a massive thing" Billy said rather dryly. "And she's done more for you than anyone and that's what makes you feel strange about it?"

"Sometimes" Lena said honestly compelled to speak the truth. "It's hard to imagine it. I've been alone for a very long time and I don't know how to deal with the fact that someone out their wants to be my mother or father. Also…it's hard to imagine that there was once two other people who had claim to those titles, and I killed one, and the other one is still out there knowing nothing or…or maybe not stopping"

And that opened up a whole new box of issues she had not thought about. Billy pulled up at the campfire and stopped the car turning to her with eyes that were kinder than Lena thought she deserved.

"Kid, if you want some advice from an old man whose seen too much in this life I wouldn't go chasing down an avenue that you know is going to cause you pain. Not to mention raise up more questions than you can safely answer. Even if you did find your biological mother, and she did have a family you could never really be a part of it. And as for your father—if you want to give him that title then you do so but I don't think any thing who can do something like that to woman and then leave is someone you can trust. At least Edward loved Bella, loved her enough to die with her at one point. And while he does not hold regrets over Nessie I think there is a part of him that regrets having sex with Bella while she was still human—" he shrugged. "Jacob and he talk a lot know there not constantly at each other's throats. And Jacob knows how much I worry"

There was a pause as Billy suddenly became very interested in his dashboard which gave Lena the privacy to wipe her fingers under her eye and touch up her eye make up. She found that she was smiling and that this time it was genuine for the first time in days.

"Thanks Billy," she said softly "For everything"

"Ah I don't mind having you Lena…kinda nice to have someone in the house. And as long as you leave me that steak and mushroom sauce recipe I'll consider Carlisle and me even on this score. But do me one favour"

"What?"

Billy jerked his head towards the cluster of boys around the fire. One of them was Embry watching them with his head cocked as if desperately trying not to listen in. Lena smiled at him and he grinned back looking like a kid whose hands had been caught in the cookie jar.

"Don't hurt him. He's been hurt too many times before in his life"

Lena turned to look at him and it was on the tip of her tongue to ask him if he was Embry's Dad. Somehow she didn't think he would lie to her in this moment. But before she could she was say anything Sam was already opening the door to help Billy into his chair and Lena knowing when a conversation was at an end followed suite.

The legends were in their own way fascinating. They portrayed a look at the past that was never really explored. Lena had been a history geek all her life but she had never really thought of local history as something that was interesting. But now she could see the way that legends and myths and pride over them integrated into everyday life.

She was aware when the tone changed somewhat. The story of the 'Cold Ones' was as fascinating as the other stories but it's meaning was clear. Lena was aware of Embry's eyes flickering to her face on more than one occasion throughout it's telling and Lena kept her own on the flickering flames of the driftwood fire watching it burn blue and seeing (though she didn't want to) the long haired cold woman screaming and another human woman frail and old and stronger than most plunge a dagger into her heart in order to save the rest of her people. It sounded both true and like the plot to a film in development. Lena did not know what to make of it. She didn't really want to think of it.

She could understand why Embry had not told her about the stories. She'd have never have gotten out the car before.

They walked alongside the beach again in the dark and she paused staring at the stars in the sky and in the dark the cliff top straining out in the dark.

"Embry" she said finally. "I need to tell you something. But first, I need you to promise me you'll do something for me as well"

Embry to his credit looked only a little worried.

Well Lena thought grimly, she had asked to do this and she was now reaping what she had sown.

"You know you don't have to do it" Embry said trying and failing to hide his amusement. "I wont think less of you if your scared"

"I'm not scared" Lena snapped. "Trust me this is the least of my worries"

And just to prove a point—and because she really didn't want to have to think about it, she dove of the cliff.

She hit the water like a cannon ball and Lena had a second to apricate the fact that she had just jumped off a cliff when she hit the water and her eyes and mouth were hit with the salt water.

Blinking furiously her eyes burning she forced herself upwards and hit the surface as Embry did at the same time. Lena flipped on her back glad she was wearing only shorts and a swimsuit that had really seen better days and stared up at the sun beating in the blue sky. It was an uncommonly sunny day and she revelled in it.

She sat back up again and with Embry's help (she could swim of course but she wasn't what one would call a strong swimmer) she made it back to shore and sat down on the blanket he had brought with them.

"That was incredible" she said finally. "Thank you"

She was saying thank you to a lot more than cliff diving but she still did not know how to say the words.

Embry took her hand in his own and smiled at her and she knew he understood.

"You ready?" he asked.

Lena nodded. His warm hand was still encased in his own and she closed her eyes and found through the sparks of minds the one she wanted. She had thought long and hard about which person she wanted to speak to and this she knew was the right choice.

She found the mental switch and flipped it.

There was a pause and then she spoke.

"Hello? Is…I mean are you out there? Cause if you are…I think I want to come home now"

The silence seemed to stretch within her and she found she was gripping Embry's hand tightly though he was drawing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. Just when it seemed all hope was lost she felt something, she heard something.

It was the unmistakable voice of Emmett McCarty-Cullen and when she heard it the disbelief in his tone made something within her hurt a little and though she couldn't put the words to it, she knew what it was now.

She supposed she had always known.

Deep down.

And there it was.

"Lena?"

Lena jumped off the cliff.

And there you are, i hope you enjoyed it. As always stay safe and well and happy and i will endevour to bring you chapter 21 soon.

Next Chapter-Lena and Emmett meet for a summet in which they talk through things. Emmett reaches a decison and plans for the future are made.