Author's Note: Woah, this is crazy, here I am with an update after all this time of being a horrible, undedicated writer. If you would like to scold me brutally, feel free to do so. To everyone hanging on to this story and having faith in me, I would like to thank you very dearly.

Here's a shoutout to some of my reviewers who have been consistent in reading and keeping up with this story so far: brankel1, Glykal, and IntialsLK. Thank you all so much for your thoughts and support!

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I only have claim over my own thoughts, plots, and O/C's.

Please enjoy!

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Chapter Four

"So, you're going to be graduating this year. How do you feel?" Leah asked from the table, dipping her spoon into her bowl of cereal.

Seth wrinkled his nose. "Like it's not really a big deal. I mean, after taking down vampires and fighting for my life in, like, epic battles, school is kind of boring."

Leah smiled. "Yeah, well, normal life had to come around again sometime. And it's not something to be ungrateful for."

Seth shrugged. He popped the last bit of his toast in his mouth. He was standing in the kitchen eating breakfast with her and honestly, she had to agree it was a little strange. It was strange simply chatting with her baby brother before he went off to school - interacting like a normal family again. She was sure this is how a lot of sibling dynamics went when the world wasn't rampant with vampires and children weren't too busy turning into werewolves to have moments like these.

She dropped her spoon back into her bowl after chewing on her last bite. She leaned back in her chair, staring at her brother. "So, college?"

Seth's face twisted up and he shrugged again. "I don't know about all that. It's kind of expensive and after missing almost a whole year of school, I don't know if it's really in the cards for me." He didn't say it as if he pitied himself, but that wasn't how Seth was. He was so optimistic. He stayed on the brighter side of things. She knew he was realistic, like he was being right now about college, but he had never been like her. Life didn't keep him down. She hoped he never had to suffer like she did, but she didn't really think he would. He was different than her. He handled things so much better. He handled turning into a wolf better. He handled their father's passing better. If life didn't go his way, well, that was okay with him, he would go with the flow with a smile on his face. Even if that flow would make most other people cry and yell and stamp their feet about how unfair it was, he wouldn't. He was strong.

"So, what do you want to do then?"

He went to grab his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder. "I haven't decided yet, I guess. I don't know if I could leave La Push, like you could. But at the same time, I don't know if I want to stay." He hesitated, looking at her with worry. "And, well, if I do stay. I think I might start phasing again. I… kind of miss it." Leah tried to process that, but found she didn't really need to. It didn't surprise her. She'd always suspected he would go back to the pack. He loved being a wolf. To an extent, she loved being a wolf. It was in their blood. But she didn't like everything that came with being one, like the shared group thoughts.

But Seth hadn't minded it so much. Even though her brother loved her, she was sure that without her there, he would've gotten along a lot better with everyone in the pack mind. Instead, he'd been forced to endure either hateful thoughts about her, or lustful ones. The latter something no brother should have to withstand.

"Would that upset you, Leah? I wish it wasn't Sam. I wish it was Jacob, but…"

"But it's not."

"Yeah."

With a sigh, Leah stood up and gave him a hug. "I just want you to be happy. You weren't angry with me when I left. I won't be angry with you for staying and doing what you want. You're an adult now and you have to make decisions that you think are right for your life. I won't ever be unhappy with you doing something that makes you happy."

He hugged her back tightly. "Thanks, sis."

She pulled back, holding him by the shoulders. She stared at him intently. "But, if anything, and I do many anything, happens and you get hurt. I will be kicking some ass, I don't care if I phase anymore or not." Seth laughed and stepped out of her hold.

"Yeah, Yeah, okay, you have my permission. But I won't get hurt. I'm not a kid anymore. And I'm stronger than you think."

She smiled lovingly at him. "Yeah, I know."

He suddenly snapped his head to the clock on the wall. "Oh, shit, I gotta go. I'm gonna have to run to make it on time."

"Whatever gets you out of talking with your big sister," she said with a wave of her hand. Seth rolled his eyes in response. He grabbed another piece of toast off the plate on the counter, stuffing it in his face as he made a beeline for the door.

"If you see mom, tell her I'm going to be home late! I'm going over to Collin's to play video games," he yelled, his mouth full, as he rushed out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

And then she was alone.

It was surprisingly nice. Being alone for two years wasn't as hard as some people might think it would be. She had missed her family greatly, but other than that, it hadn't been all that bad. Basically, since she was fifteen she had been attached to the hip with Sam. After that, they'd only been apart for a relatively short time before she'd phased. After she transformed, she was never really alone anymore. Any private time was instantly corrupted as soon as she phased into the pack mind. Being by herself had been lonely, but she'd been lonely for a long time even surrounded by others. It was nothing she wasn't already used to. It was only in her solitude that she was finally able to sort herself out.

Coming home the day before, she'd been in a frenzy. All of her senses were on haywire and she kept sniffing the air for the scent of something sickly sweet. She hadn't caught even the slightest whiff of anything though. Maybe it really was just a false alarm? Regardless, after she'd come home and found Seth sitting ignorantly in the living room, playing a video game with lots of guns and violence, and after she'd called her mother, who was safely over at Charlie's, she felt a lot better.

She hadn't told Seth. It wasn't just that she didn't want to worry him. Sure, he would be worried, but it went much deeper than that. She had known, to a degree, that he missed his wolf and the hunt, just like she did, but perhaps even more so. The conversation today had only solidified her assumptions. The school year just started, and she wanted him to have whatever time he had left to be a kid and grow up before he returned to the pack. It was hard to suppress the urge to phase, at least, it was for her. She knew once he started it would be hard to stop again.

As soon as she saw Paul again, she planned on asking him about what happened. Did they take down a vampire? Was it still on the loose? Was everyone safe?

She knew she wasn't in the pack anymore, but she was still a wolf in blood. She wanted to know what threat was out there. There wasn't any danger in telling her, she wasn't someone outside of the loop. She knew all the nitty, gritty, dark secrets of the world. If there was something going on, she deserved some answers. Even if she didn't deserve them, she was going to get them. Leah Clearwater was stubborn, a trait she'd picked up from her mother. And while it was a vice at times, it helped push her forward as well.

The phone ringing startled her out of her inner monologue. She jumped as the sound pierced her sensitive ears.

She walked to the kitchen counter, picking up the receiver with a sudden sense of dread.

"Hello?"

A crackle on the line and then silence. She tried again.

"Hello?"

No one answered and before she got the chance to curse whoever was prank calling them, they hung up. The dial tone played loud and long in her ear before she finally sat the phone down.

For some reason, the call set her on edge. Well, she'd already been on edge, but it certainly hadn't helped. Rationally, she knew it was probably nothing, a prank caller or wrong phone number, but still, a dark feeling coiled in her gut.

That was it. She was finding Paul and figuring out what in the hell was going on.

XXXXX

Leah knew where Paul lived, but before she went traipsing over to his house uninvited, she decided she would take a stroll through the woods. If he was on patrol, hopefully she would pick up his scent. If anything else was out there, hopefully she would pick up on that as well.

The forest was quiet. It set her at ease, the sounds of rustling leaves and wind whistling through the trees accompanying her. The foliage crunched audibly underneath her feet. Earth and moss drifted into her nose and she breathed deep, calming breaths.

The further she got, the more that ease faded into anxiousness. The scents of her brothers were faint, as if no one had been on patrol today. She kept her nose to the air, hoping the wind would carry with it the scent of someone familiar. No birds chirped innocently in the trees and for some reason this bothered her. Sure, she herself was a predator. But animals knew when to escape from what threatened them. On the fateful day they killed Laurent to keep him from attacking Bella, the birds and squirrels had been noticeably absent in their lack of chatter. It had been just as eerie as it was now.

Leah began to jog, keeping her eyes sharp on the surroundings around her. If there was a vampire she would smell it well before she saw it, but she couldn't help feeling off, her skin prickling uncomfortably. She kept all her senses on high alert.

All of a sudden, she caught the scent of something and her eyes went wide. She turned heel and headed in the direction of it.

Her feet pounded hard against the ground, breath catching in her throat. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be.

Still, her nose wouldn't lie. She wasn't imagining things, was she? At most, this was a cruel trick played by her psyche. But she wouldn't let herself believe that as hope bloomed sharp in her chest.

Finally, she saw him. She couldn't help herself and she leaped, tackling the person to the ground.

"You're here!" she cried loudly and happily, surprising herself as tears came to her eyes.

"Come on, Leah, off of me," he ground out. She laughed, forcing herself to let go of him. She stood up, brushing dirt and leaves off her clothes.

He climbed to his feet, casting her a wide grin. "Didn't think you would be so happy to see me."

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up, idiot. I've missed you, Alpha."

It was Jacob's turn to roll his eyes. "I guess I've missed you too, Beta." Suddenly his face cracked a little. "Wasn't too sure you did. Wouldn't have hurt to call. I gave you my cell number."

She looked away. Despite the fact they hadn't always gotten along the best, Leah had been his second and Jacob had been her alpha. There was a bond and trust there that would never be broken. She didn't want him to feel like she'd abandoned him, but she also didn't feel truly apologetic for her actions. She needed a break. From everyone. She needed to find herself and she wasn't sure she could do that with any of her past weighing her down.

"I'm sorry, Jake. But I needed time-"

He shook his head. "You don't need to defend yourself to me. You've done that for long enough. I just want you to be happy, Leah."

She hugged him tight again. "I am. At least, I think so. I know I'm better than I ever was before. And I have you to thank for that." Suddenly, she wrinkled her nose and stepped back.

He shrugged. "I know. Vamp stink. Comes with the family though." She tilted her head up, but didn't catch a whiff of anyone else nearby. "Yes, they're here. Some of them are, anyway. Bella wanted to see her dad." His face was defensive. She knew he was expecting backlash from that. He wasn't wrong to. Sam and the council wouldn't be too pleased to learn that the cold ones had returned to their neighboring land.

No one would be pleased. Even after all that had happened, the rift between species was too deep to be healed simply because of Jacob's actions. But she wouldn't be one of the people bringing him down because of history. She knew what it was like not to be accepted because of things that happened that were beyond your control. She wouldn't do that to Jacob. They hadn't been alive when history had been set in stone. And her alpha had been young when everything with Bella happened. He'd been too young to make the choices he'd had to make. Then, just when he was starting to actually grow up, he imprinted. And that wasn't his choice.

And he was happy now, after all the heartache he'd had in his life. And being happy wasn't something to be taken lightly. It was hard earned and she wasn't going to be the one to take it away. It had been taken from her far too many times.

"Well, can't say I'm too happy about Bella, but maybe Edward will finally buy me that car he promised all those years ago."

"He promised you a car?" Jake asked quizzically. Then he waved his hand and shook his head, a sour look on his face. "Never mind, he bought Ness a new car simply because she got a scratch on her old one. And he tries to buy me a new motorcycle everytime they release a new model. Why am I asking that?"

Leah shrugged. "The Cullen's have always been charitable, whether we wanted their charity or not. Then again, we were once the only people standing in the way between them and a war with the pack. So maybe they feel like they owe us."

"Why don't you do it?"

She snapped her head to Edward. She snarled. The bloodsucker should stay out of her thoughts.

He smiled apologetically. "I'm sure you know by now I can't always control it." Leah huffed. He was hunting and she was accompanying him and Esme in order to keep them safe from the other wolves. It had been hell and highwater apparently to convince the leach to hunt, but Jacob, Bella, and Esme had all managed to persuade him. Not that Leah cared if he sucked innocent animals dry or not. But the vamp was looking as even a werewolf might be an appetizing choice for a meal. "Even if I hadn't fed for a thousand years, I still wouldn't be the slightest bit tempted by your blood." She grumbled out what was a laugh.

It was quiet for a moment before Edward said something again. "When this is all over, I can give you money, even get you a car. You can disappear if you want to."

She couldn't leave this place. It was her home. Besides, now that she was in Jacob's pack, things weren't so bad. But Edward was right, Leah had been picturing that exact scenario just moments ago. Vanishing into thin air, going to a place where werewolves and vampires were just fairytales.

None of that mattered though. If her brothers ended her life to get to the Cullen's she wouldn't have a care in the world. She'd be dead.

Why did he want to help her anyway?

"For choosing to leave your pack to help protect my family."

Well, it was really more to get away from Sam. This just happened to come with the job description.

She didn't want his help though. She was picturing leaving now and Cullen wouldn't want her running away at this particular moment. He needed her. As he'd just said, she was here to protect his family. To stand guard over his unborn parasite and his soon to be dead (one way or another) bride.

Edward hissed.

Leah pictured him using her dead body to barricade the door against the other wolves. She smirked.

"Despite your distasteful thoughts and visions, my offer still stands," he growled out.

She had to give him props. She would have sank her teeth into someone for far less by now. Edward definitely had more anger control than she did.

"Well, you're certainly giving me a run for my money," he responded quietly.

Leah snorted. Maybe the man wasn't so bad after all. For a vampire, anyway.

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Okay, and here we are. This is something and I have wrote it and you have read it and I thank you for reading it and also I'm sorry. I know I'm terrible at time management and also I have huge writer's block, but this is an update! I did write something! So, small victories? Right?

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you think! Until next time (whenever that may be)!