A/N: AU and Slightly OOC. Set post Breaking Dawn 2. I hope you like it, and thank you for reading!

Chapter 3-

"You are planning to get married to him? And to move permanently to South America?!"

The expression on her mother's face was indescribable, as Leah for once cursed the suddenly risen maternal side of her mother. It was so unbelievably strange and part hilarious that the only time Leah would have loved to face no opposition, her mother had to play spoil-sport.

"He is my imprint…"

It was a weak excuse; she knew that.

Her mother wasn't a dumb woman; Leah had known Nahuel for less than a whole two hours. It was simply unimaginable that someone with even the slightest bit of common sense would agree to a marriage proposal in such a situation.

Yet, she had to try.

She desperately wanted this escape.

The elders wouldn't let her leave La Push otherwise, sprouting some bullshit about tribal laws. In their mighty opinion, her being a shape-shifter was enough reason for her to lose her freewill and any desire to live a good life.

Rebecca Black could leave town, with not a single soul capable enough of stopping her. But not Leah.

Leah wasn't as privileged enough to attain that right.

She was destined to be a mere puppet, forced to live a life she would rather not even witness in a nightmare.

But not for any longer.

She had her escape in front of her, and damn it was she going to take it!

"Mom, I…I know it is too sudden and…"

Her mom had shushed her, refusing to listen to anything she had to say.

God. This was bad.

This was worse that bad.

Horrible. Yup, that's what it was!

Great! She wasn't going to get her escape. She would die an old, lonely maid in this stupid town!

"Oh, my baby! I am so happy for you. This is such great news!"

Huh.

"He is perfect for you. You make such a beautiful couple!"

Well…

"When is the wedding? Can I help? Have you shortlisted on a venue? There are a few good venues in Forks. Charlie and I visited them recently. We could help you out with everything."

Yeah, she really didn't wish to know why her mother was scouting wedding venues.

Anyhow…

"Mom, take a breath." She scolded. "Nahuel and I don't really want anything big. We wish to start our new life together as soon as possible. We were thinking something on the lines of getting our marriage registered. We really don't want the show-off and the whole suit- gown business…"

"You don't want a ceremony?"

Her mother looked strangely troubled by that revelation; her mouth dropped wide open as she stared at her daughter. "But I wanted to be a part of the festivities! You are my firstborn and…."

"Mom," Leah out a sigh. "You will still be there with me on my wedding day. And you could always pester Seth to have a grand wedding. That's the whole reason why people have two or more kids." she let out a playful wink.

Her mother thankfully smiled back. "Are you sure about this?"

Leah wasn't sure whether her mother was referring to her small- rather none- celebration, or the fact that she had agreed to marry Nahuel. Irrespective, it was not something she had a choice in.

With her father no longer in the world, she could not imagine walking down the aisle alone. Or requesting Billy or God forbid- Charlie to do the deed. Also, it wasn't a real marriage to deserve all of that.

She just wanted to get it done with.

"Yes." She firmly admitted. "I want this."

She wanted the freedom.

She craved it.

Her mother smiled, nodding her head briefly. "I am happy for you. Just," she let out a pause, "I will miss you. I know I have not been the best mother out there. I have made mistakes. Several of those. The biggest of them…" she trailed off, a hand on her belly, confirming what Leah already knew to be true. "I had wished for an escape from the constant pain and sadness. I was lonely. I wanted to be loved. If only for a night. This wasn't supposed to happen. He is a good man, though. We are going to make this right."

Leah had nothing to say to that. She couldn't truly sympathize with her mother; why hadn't they used protection?

Yet, in some strange way, she had come to respect her mother's decision. Yes, the circumstances were unexpected, but she wasn't running away from them. She was facing them. Accepting them. Finding a way to resolve them.

"Look after Seth."

He would need the support and care. He was so young yet. Her sudden departure would be hard on him.

"I will."

Leah nodded her head at that, a sigh leaving her lips. "I am going to go and…um…pack my bags. Nahuel has already filed for the license."

Seems like he too was desperate to get his aunt out of his house!

Her mother nodded her head in agreement, silence settling over the room as Leah walked up the stairs to the bedroom, she had called hers for the past nineteen years. She wasn't truly attached to anything in there. She had thrown away everything of importance after the devastating breakup she had experienced with Sam. Now, all that remained was a few clothes she had no attachment to, no memories coming to mind when she looked at them, her packing completed within ten minutes of first picking out a suitcase.

How much time did it even take to pack five pair of clothes?

Though, she had packed a few photos too- especially those which had her father in them, and a few other souvenirs that reminded her of her childhood and of her mother and Seth.

There was nobody else in this small town that she would come to miss.

Her few, selected friends- she did not even wish to think about them. They were as good as not to be there in her life. And the pack…there was too much anger and pain in her to remember them fondly.

She would rather make a fresh start.

She was clueless of what the future held; where her feet would lead her once she reached Nahuel's house in some small region of South America. But whatever it be, she was excited to experience it.

She would be free to make her own decisions. Her life would once again be in her control.

She would grow out her hair- no compulsion to keep them short. She would once again wear those pretty dresses and long earrings that wouldn't seem weird on her masculine- figured body.

And most importantly, she would stop phasing.

She would retire as a wolf, choosing to live out her life as a human.

She didn't want the wolf. It had been forced upon her, with not a choice but to accept it.

And now, when she had the choice…she was grabbing it with both hands.

"Leah, Nahuel's here to see you."

Her mother's voice rang clear in her ears, Leah settling down on the bed, as Nahuel knocked on the door of her room.

It was so unusual to see a half-vampire walk freely on her lands, Renesmee setting a precedent for that one.

"Yes?" Leah raised an eyebrow in question. It wasn't like she wasn't any happy or sad to see him. Rather, she was indifferent to his presence or absence. "You had some work with me?"

He ran a hand through his hair, those shiny long tresses of his that he straightaway refused to part with, reminding Leah of the offensive way he had laughed when she had ordered him to chop them off.

He had refused. Point blank.

He was not in love with her to fulfil her whims and fancies. It was an agreement, and the term she wished for, was unacceptable to him. She could have fought him on it, but on a deeper thought, she needed this agreement as much as he did. She could not afford to piss him off.

At least not yet.

And so, she had no choice but to adjust with an uneducated tribal-man.

Wonderful.

"Yes." Nahuel admitted. "The date has come. Jasper Cullen had some influence apparently; I don't know how he pulled it off. Anyhow, we get married tomorrow morning. In Seattle."

Leah nodded her head in response, a sense of finality settling in.

She was doing this.

She was getting married tomorrow. To him.

"Are all your papers in place?"

Did he even own a proof of identity?

And what was the birth year on it?

Heaven knew, it couldn't be the real one!

"Jasper."

Apparently, that one word was enough of an answer, silence once again their preferred zone to retire.

"We leave tomorrow evening for…um…home. Huilen, er…my aunt, she is not coming back with us."

"She is not?"

"No." Nahuel hummed to himself. "She wants to give us the time to adjust. She is going to Alaska with the Denali coven. She is quite taken with Tanya Denali, the attraction seemingly reciprocated."

Oh.

Leah hadn't known that Huilen swung that way.

"Okay." She offered her agreement. "I will be ready."

Nahuel nodded his head once, walking out of her room and house, the conversation having ended with neither of the two having anything to add.

Leah let out one last sigh, her mind on the preparations as she came to terms with the fact that she would be a married woman within twenty-four hours from the minute.

If only it was in name.