It's the little things that make it all worth it. Watching everyone smile and laugh around the dinner table, the smell of homecooked food filling the house, the lights on the Christmas tree bright and beautiful, and, of course, the pitter patter of little feet on the hardwood floor.

These days were different; we made sure of that. After Kaya and Ephraim left, we went to work on making the reservation better and safer for all of us. The pack went back to training, running patrols, and picking off every one-off vampire passing through; Jacob and I started to work on identifying weak spots in our own leadership; and the Council partnered up with us to better determine the future for the next generation. Just in time too. After Edward threatened to go after Bianca to trick us into killing him, all of the wolves who had imprints kind of had this moment of panic and appreciation for them.

We had a bit of a baby boom. Rachel, Kim, and Bianca all got pregnant within the year. Emily gave birth to Nathaniel Asher Uley on December 8 of that year and he was an absolute sweetheart. He took after Emily a lot more than Sam, I think. He was a natural nurturer; while Emily and I will probably never settle things between us, I can still see how his nature mirrors hers. He loves to give hugs and share his snacks with whoever's with him and pat your back when he's upset. The whole pack was waiting in the lobby the day he was born, waiting anxiously for the first of the new generation of our family to be born.

"Mama!" a little voice cried out. I could hear her little feet running toward me from the back room. That's my little girl. My little Hadley. Born May 25 at 5:25 in the morning. I know right? Her timing was…very spot on. And those little things didn't stop there. Everyday, it felt like we were learning something new about her and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Carlisle arranged for us to deliver at the hospital after my absolute refusal to give birth in the same room Bella died in. I didn't care how much he sterilized that room; every time I walk into that house, that's all I can think about. I wasn't about to bring my child into the world in that room, absolutely not. And then after Paul made the horrendous joke that she was going to come out as a wolf pup, Carlisle made sure our room was super private and secure. Despite that panic, Hadley Sarah-Violet Black came out 7 pounds, 6 ounces of pure perfection.

She's special though. Very special. After the initial shock (of everyone else except me and Jacob, of course) that she was not a boy, we found out pretty early that she was an empath and could hear our thoughts. Our normal mind walls weren't working with her; we had to figure out how to make them stronger for all of our sake. A solid year around the pack and my little daughter's second word—right after "Dada"—was an emphatic "fuck!" after she fell down.

"Mama, I wanna help!" Hadley said. She looked up at me with big, beautiful brown eyes and a wide smile as she settled herself right beside me, her leg pressed to mine. "Can I help wrap presents, mama?"

"Of course, you can, baby girl," I grinned at her. I handed her the stick-on ribbons to stick on top of the already wrapped presents. The gentle Christmas music played in the background as I continued to wrap presents for the pack. Everyone would start arriving soon and I wanted it to be a great Christmas Eve. Our pack family was growing more and more by the year; the more we grew, the more traditions developed. It was only right. When everyone is kicking vampire ass by day, we all knew how important it was to keep our family together. So, every Christmas Eve for the past few years, everyone would come to our house for food, drinks, and we'd all play games with the kids and then watch them open one present before the end of the night.

Being a mom is so different. It's a kind of chaos that I would love to welcome every single day. She keeps me on my toes, for sure, and she has Jacob wrapped around her little finger. At 5 years old, Hadley is the most confident, brave little girl I'd ever met. Jacob said that she took after me in that way; now that I'm on the maternal side of it, it's so much different. But she has this sweet side to her that's all Jacob. When Hadley loves, it's with her whole heart and nothing short of that.

While we wrapped presents, I happily listened to Hadley as she chattered on and on about the adventure that Uncle Sam took her and little Nathaniel on the other day. "…and I didn't phase not one time!" she said, proudly. She might not have come out a little wolf pup but, she was already phasing and that was terrifying to me. Imagine your two-year-old bursting into a little puppy and then phasing back in a minute's time on a normal Sunday afternoon. We think her phasing is triggered by her getting excited so we had to teach her how to control it pretty early. Good thing she caught on quick or else we'd be in trouble.

"Where are my girls?" Jacob called as he came through the door. His keys jingled in the door as Hadley jumped up and ran to greet him. I stood up from the ground, following right behind her and smiled as the love of my life came into view.

"Daddy!" she said gleefully. "I missed you today!"

"I missed you too, lovebug!" Jacob said as he picked her up in a cradle position and giving her kisses all over her face, her sweet giggle filled the room. Hadley swung herself around to climb his back for a piggyback ride, burying her face in his neck. Jacob met my eye and grinned, taking three large steps to get to me. He took my face in his hands. "And I missed you, Mrs. Black."

"Welcome home, Mr. Black," I said, leaning up on my tip toes to give him a kiss. We got married about a year after Kaya and Ephraim left. I remember the day we both looked at each other and realized that it was stupid to wait. Wait for what? We planned the whole thing in about 6 months. We didn't want a big, fancy wedding that would take forever to plan; we ended up getting married on the high cliff overlooking the water with everyone present and dressed up. I didn't want to be pregnant, but I didn't want to wait and we both wanted the baby to be part of the wedding. It was the most wonderful day of my life.

There were flowers everywhere and this beautiful arch that Paul and Embry made for us. Billy married us, naturally. There was part of me that didn't care if it was rainy or sunny that day because either way, it would have been perfect. And after three days of straight torrential downpour, on our wedding day, the sun shined bright on us all day. Thank you, Kaya and Ephraim and all of our ancestors who were looking down at us that day.

"Everyone should be here soon, so go ahead and settle down while you can," I told him. He had just come home from running the last patrol for the night and I could feel his residual adrenaline draining from him. He kissed my forehead before leaning down to kiss my belly.

Oh, right. I'm pregnant again! Baby number two is on the way and due in about three months. It's a baby boy this time. Harrison William Black. Or William Harrison Black. We haven't decided yet. We just knew that we wanted him to be named after both of our fathers. Everything really is turning out just like that vision Ephraim gave Jacob. And we were loving every second of it.

"Mama let me help with the presents," Hadley told her daddy.

Jacob feigned a gasp. "She did? I hope you didn't peak! Or else you'll ruin the Christmas surprise!" he said, peaking over his shoulder at her. She looked more like me if I had brown eyes, but she had all of his sunshine. Jacob was an amazing partner and even more wonderful father. "We both gotta get ready for the party, lovebug. You wanna see how fast we can run up the stairs?"

"Yeah!" she bounced a little on his back.

He winked at me before standing in a runner's stance. "Get ready…"

"Get set!"

"Go!" Jacob took off up the stairs, making it in no time at all, Hadley giggling up a storm on his back the whole way. I chuckled as I watched them, my heart swelling. As they got ready for the night, I finished up the last-minute preparations. I was working as fast as I could so I, myself, could get dressed for our Christmas Eve party.

Pretty soon, everything was in full swing. Little ones were sneaking candy and cookies not so discretely and chasing each other around the house. Hadley told me before people started arriving that she picked out her dress all by herself and that Daddy braided her hair the way she liked it. And then the doorbell rang, and she ran to answer it, not needing any help from anyone. She was so independent, it was insane. She was never the shy type; she didn't hide behind Mama or Daddy when the room was crowded. She just owned it.

Bianca and Embry, who eloped in California, arrived with their kids. Twins. Bianca really bought into the alliteration, cutesy names for her daughter and son, as to be expected from her. Cassidy and Cameron Call were so polar opposite, it was like they didn't come from the same womb. Cassie was this deep thinker; she loved to sit with the adults and observe. She had this maturity about her, as if she'd been here before. And then Cameron was a wild child; he liked to run around and get dirty and make trouble. After having the twins, Bianca swore off of children forever. She had always dreamed of a big family but, after "shooting two humans out of my poon-tang,"—her words—she was over it.

Unlike what happened with Jared and Kim who had four under five. Four boys, nonetheless. Wyatt, Hunter, Jace, and August. They're all insanely smart but they're insanely rowdy toddlers. Kim wanted to have them close in age so that they could all grow up together. It took several of us to talk her out of names like Oakley and Koi (yes, like the fish) because she loved natural, bohemian names so much. Over the past few years, I worked to repair the relationship that I had with the imprints. We were all family and it was time that the women in this family acted as such. Kim was a tough cookie to crack though; she still held everyone except for Jared and Emily at arm's length. I don't know what it was, I just couldn't figure out how to break past her wall.

I was able to repair things with Rachel though, which was a surprise. After Rebecca left, my relationship with Rachel was pretty nonexistent. I think she resented both of us for leaving, even though I came back. But, once you start to understand how much bigger life is than little grudges, things change. It started out small and then it turned into pretty regular conversations and visits. Rachel found out she was pregnant with Gabriel a couple of weeks after I found out I was pregnant with Hadley. After Gabriel was born, she took a break for a few years before Paul got her pregnant again. The way he tells the story is that it was fate that they have another baby; the reality of it was she was on anti-biotics for strep throat and wasn't on her birth control pills. Little Audrey was born, and I've never seen Paul so mesmerized by something in my life. That little girl is so loved and spoiled, it's adorable to watch.

We were all growing up. Our family was still growing. Collin had gotten a girl pregnant about a year ago and fully leaned into his paternal duties, driving up to see his little daughter in Forks every spare chance he got. Brady imprinted on a girl that had recently moved to the reservation to visit distant family. Now they're living together. Sam and Emily just had a baby boy named Alexander in July, Seth started dating this girl that he liked enough to bring around, and even Billy started dating someone new. That one was an adjustment, but he was really happy. Mama and Charlie were still going strong; even though we all missed Dad every single day, Mama let Seth and me know that it was alright to be unashamedly happy despite his absence. It was definitely easier to put that into practice knowing that he was up there watching us. Watching our family build and watching our legacy come to fruition.

And sitting in a home that we built, surrounded by everyone we loved was just more perfect that I can describe. Bianca was sitting right next to me, Cassie close to her side. B had two glasses in her hands because, as she says, "I'm doing you a favor! I'm drinking for both of us!"

"The guys have been working so hard to get the new location open, I've barely seen Embry in weeks," Bianca said. The boys decided to open another Wolf Motors in Forks so they could get more customers. They all had big hopes for it, it was really exciting for them.

"Well, they're always busy around this time of year, B. Christmas is a crazy time for all of us."

"I know," she pouted. "I just miss him."

"Oh!" I suddenly remembered. Pregnancy brain. "Did I get those papers to you last week?"

Bianca frowned at me, her perfectly filled-in eyebrows coming together. "You wanna talk about work stuff now? Really, Leah? This is quite literally the one day out of the year that you're not supposed to be thinking about that stuff."

"I just keep remembering things too late," I hit my head. "It's like I can't keep my days straight."

Bianca chuckled and shook her head, "Yes, you brought me the paperwork before your appointment with Dr. Cullen. Now stop worrying about that and enjoy the party please."

So, one more piece of big information before we wrap up. Your girl went back to school. I actually finished college after Hadley was born. I got my degree in History at Peninsula College so that Bianca and I could start our own nonprofit right here on the reservation. Conservation of Quileute legends and art became like a passion that we both bonded over and, before I knew it, Jacob was packing my backpack and a lunch and patting me on the butt to get myself back into class. While I was there, I actually met a professor that was fascinated by the culture and helped to invest in our project. Our little piece of history right at home.

Hadley ran up to us, grabbing Bianca's hand. "Bebe," she called, "Can Cass come play with us? We want to decorate the cookies in the kitchen."

"Of course, Hadley bug!" Bianca booped her nose. B turned to Cassie and asked if she wanted to make cookies. Cassie was thoughtful for a second before deciding that she did want to decorate cookies with the rest of the kids. I smiled as they ran off toward the kitchen, Paul, Embry, and Jacob setting up their plates on the table.

I sighed loudly but contently, "How did we get here, B?"

She shrugged, cheery, "Just blessed, I guess."

The rest of the night was great. Billy told the legend to all of us with Hadley perched on one knee and Aubrey tucked in the crook of his arm, still the amazing storyteller that he is. The kids sang songs for us and we watched them open a present before it was time for bed for everyone. I left the Christmas tree lit as Jacob and I swiftly cleaned up the rest of the house. Then we took our little baby to bed and tucked her in for the night. Her big, brown eyes heavy with sleepiness. I ran my hands through her thick, dark hair as she settled into her bed. Jacob had a protective hand on my belly and another hand rubbing Hadley's back. "Goodnight, lovebug," he said quietly.

"Sweet dreams, sweet girl," I whispered, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead as she began to doze.

When we were sure she was asleep, we stealthily backed out of her room and headed downstairs for some alone time. B was right; since the boys were opening up a new location, their hours were later. Jacob was absolutely sure to be present for family time, but, by the time that's over, he's exhausted. And I'm pregnant so we both go straight to bed. But tonight was different. Tonight, we could both just sit on the couch and just breathe for a second. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and held me close.

"Is there anything better than this?" Jacob asked out loud.

I turned to see his smiling face looking down at me. I reached up to kiss him, feeling his love wash over me. "I think this is my happy place," I said against his lips.

"Anywhere with you is my happy place," he responded, pressing his forehead to mine. This was perfect. He was perfect. Like I said, it's the little things that make it all worth it. I wouldn't trade this for the world.

XXXXXXXXX

So…that's the end!

Thank you all again for being so receptive to me coming back to this after a million years. This was so much fun and I really enjoyed getting back into writing. If you want to, if you like meeeee, I have a Leah/Paul fanfic going on right now; it's called Stand Still. Aaaaaand I'm currently working on the first chapter of Bonded: The Legacy! It's all about 16-year-old Hadley and her journey to potential Alpha-hood and growing up supernatural. The new generation, new wolves, new rules…new guy? Who is he? Does he love us? Do we love him? You'll have to find out! Teaser? Well, alright, if you insist…

Bonded: The Legacy:

I was 6 years old when I saw my first vampire. I was also 6 years old when I realized why my family and I could turn into wolves. It didn't take much for me to be able to understand that we existed to kill vampires. But things in the world are a little bit different than they were when my parents first became the most powerful Alpha couple any pack had ever seen.

The existence of shape shifters had stayed underground for a while until the Volturi became aware of my family's pack after they let the wrong bloodsucker get away. He got a little too close to me and my mom before Daddy came out of left field and chased him into Canada. At the time, my parents didn't think anything of it, but then the rumor of the first child ever born of two shape shifters started to spread like wildfire in the vampire community. That's me. Hadley Black. Daughter of Jacob and Leah Black. One of a kind. It's like I've had a bounty on my head my entire life. It was like one of those freak occurrences like Renesmee, who's half-vampire, half-human. The Volturi is afraid of what I can do, so wouldn't it just be easier to eliminate me to reduce the risk of a teenage girl being an actual threat to all vampires?

I had an amazing life though. I had a loving family, great friends, and a fulfilling sense of community that I couldn't imagine getting anywhere else. One day, hopefully, I'd be able to run my own pack like my parents. I've watched them do it for so long, I felt like I knew the ropes enough to bring in the next round of wolves. I was excited to see who the first one to phase would be. Ever since we were old enough to understand, our parents were honest with us about what we come from. My Grandpa Billy was the best storyteller I'd ever known; he continued the tradition of telling the legends at every bonfire. And, after Mom and Dad Bonded, they started an initiative for our written history to be archived and housed in The Quileute Legend Center, which you may know as Kaya and Ephraim's old house. No one lived there now; they felt that it was too important to keep using so my mom and BeBe—my aunt, Bianca—created the nonprofit center to protect what was left of our past and our future.

Before I could even understand what it meant, they always called me "the future of our people." I still don't even know what it means, honestly. It felt like a lot of pressure though. I mean, all I wanted was to lead my own pack and keep my happy ass alive. I understood that my abilities were different than what the next generation of wolves would be able to do, but I had two other siblings who could do the same things that I can. I guess being the first born makes it different. Will, who was 6 years younger than me, had absolutely no interest in wolf business, and Melody was only 4 so she was only interested in Doc McStuffins reruns and getting marker all over my stuff.

Despite there being a pretty big bounty on my head, I lived a very normal life for the daughter of two shape shifters. I went to school, I hung out with my friends, I sparred with my father and my uncles sometimes. Normal stuff. My parents tried to make sure that people didn't treat me different. I wasn't this prodigy child that needed to be protected at all costs. I was just Hadley. Your normal teenage girl.

That being said, every year the Council and the Alphas have a meeting about how the current pack should be preparing for my generation. We hadn't had a lot of vampires stay in the area for a while, but that was starting to change, which meant that people around here would start to change. Mama said I wasn't allowed to go to these Council meetings, but sometimes I would perch outside the council hall and listen in anyway. Gotta love super-hearing.

"Absolutely not!" my mother yelled. I heard a chair aggressively scrape against the old hardwood floor; I imagined that my mother shot out of her chair to accentuate her point. She liked to be a bit dramatic.

"Aileah, please," I heard my grandfather sigh. "This isn't easy for any of us."

"Did you actually expect us to be alright with this? What was the thought process here? Because I'm not seeing one," she snapped.

My grandmother, Sue, was the next to speak. "Historically speaking, the pack has always been run by a man."

"That's so far from the truth. Kaya ran her pack for years after Ephraim died," my father argued. I could practically see his stone hard face challenging them with his arms crossed over his chest. He sounded like he meant business.

"It was still Ephraim's pack," Sam countered, sounding reluctant. "In the text, it's still referred to as his pack."

My mother started to mumble under her breath, "Jesus fucking Christ," before she said, "It doesn't matter what the text says. Kaya and Ephraim ran that pack together. Jacob and I have been running this pack together. It's no more his pack than it is mine. The fact that this is even a conversation is blowing my mind right now."

"All we're saying is that if Hadley is going to be an Alpha one day, she will need a male counterpart," Grandpa Billy concluded.

"She's 16," my mother emphasized, her hands making a loud thud on the table. "You're talking about having our 16-year-old daughter—wait, sorry, your 16-year-old granddaughter—Bond before she's ready. If she had been born male, this wouldn't even be a conversation. Hadley has been thriving in this environment. You've said for years that you're impressed with what she can do."

"But now that it's time for a new set of wolves to start phasing, you're having doubts about her being able to handle the responsibility. Honestly, I'm disappointed in all of you. This is completely absurd," my father finished. I felt a triumphant smile cross my face as I quietly pumped my fist in the air. I had heard murmurings of there being a difficult decision between me or my cousin Nathaniel becoming the new Alpha when my parents step down. Nathaniel was born first so the Council believed that he would be the first to phase like his dad, Sam.

From what I understood, the Council, which was now made up of Grandpa Billy, Grandma Sue, and now Uncle Sam—Rest in Peace, Old Quil—only felt that I could handle being Alpha if I had a mate. They weren't pressuring me to Bond like right now, but they wanted me to be at least attached to someone so that when it was time for me to Bond, I would already be mated. Almost like an arranged marriage. How archaic. But that rule only applied to me. My brother, Will, wouldn't have to do it that way. Nate certainly wouldn't have to do it this way. "What are you doing?" I heard behind me.

I gasped and whirled around to see Nate towering over me. I shushed him quickly, putting a hand over his mouth, before leaning back toward the council hall. All of the arguing back and forth had completely ceased. Crap. I was hoping they hadn't heard that. Nate started to fight against my small hand; I shook my head at him, silently begging him to be quiet. He asked me again what I was doing, only muffled this time. I glared at him before putting my finger to my mouth and shushing him again. Hadley, I heard my father project a warning.

Rolling my eyes in frustration, I palmed my forehead before answering in the sweetest voice I could muster, Yes, Daddy?

Go home, young lady. This meeting isn't for your ears.

I sighed out loud, Yes, Daddy.

I let go of my cousin's face before cursing quietly, "Damn it. Busted."