Three years ago

Emily rolled her eyes as Leah repositioned waist-length hair in a pile on top of her head for the third time. Emily said, "Seriously, Leah, just cut it off."

Leah grumbled, "You know why I won't."

"Because you are the living embodiment of the Disney version of Pocahontas?"

Leah scoffed, rolling her eyes at the long-running family joke. Since childhood, she had kept it shorter than most because the weight triggered migraines. However, she had refused to allow more than a trim over the last few years for one reason alone.

Emily mocked Leah as both girls recited, "Sam likes it long." She said, "He must really be something for you to put up with those headaches. It is not like you put up with crap from anyone else."

"He is," Leah said. "You will like him, I promise."

Skeptical, Emily said, "You guys argue all the time."

Leah shrugged and countered, "We are both stubborn, but I love him. My parents and Seth love him. Hell, even your bitchy ass mom loves him." Emily chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. Her bitchy-assed mom barely even likes her own family, let alone anyone else. Emily looked up in alarm from their spot on the front porch swing as a police cruiser pulled into the drive. Leah's father, Harry, climbed out of the passenger seat and shut the door. Chuckling, Leah said, "That is just Charlie. He is practically an honorary tribal member." She watched with amusement as her father opened the can of beer in his hand. He raised it in cheers toward the cruiser.

"Oh my God." Emily laughed as Charlie waved and backed out of the driveway.

Leah said, "He is one of dad's best friends. Fishing buddy, poker pal. Whatever. They and Billy are together all the time."

Emily asked, "Billy, your Chief?"

"Yeah, Jacob's dad," Leah said. It had been years since Emily had seen Jacob, but she had known him well enough as children. "Do you remember that girl I told you about that Jake is in love with?"

Emily smirked and said, "Yeah."

"Charlie is her father. The whole tribe basically hates her boyfriend and his family. Princess Swan. I would like to beat her ass, but I can't disrespect Charlie like that."

Emily asked, "Is she a real bitch or something?"

"Actually, no," Leah said. "Bella has always been a relatively nice girl, but Jake is her best friend. Life-long best friend, mind you. Like us, you know?" Emily nodded in understanding. "She gets a boyfriend and just poofs on Jake. As if he doesn't matter. It tears him up, and that pisses me off."

Emily asked, "You think a lot of Jake, huh?"

"Well, he is technically another cousin of ours. He is more like a kid brother to me, though. We are all pretty close around here."

Emily said, "I can understand why my mom wanted to move down here. We don't really have a lot of family connections back home. It is ironic, considering she doesn't actually like spending any time with anyone."

Leah chuckled and said, "You say back home like it is a million miles away." It was an hour and a half drive one way, but not impossible to visit.

Emily grumbled, "It might as well be." Emily had put aside her schooling to move to LaPush with her ailing mother. She was homesick for what she had always known and missing her own friends. Leah was determined to integrate her favorite cousin into her inner circle quickly.

As he stumbled past them into the house, Harry said, "Hello girls." The screen door slammed shut behind him, and Leah shook her head.

"They better not fight tonight with you here. Dad is already shit-faced. I can tell."

Softly, Emily said, "So I take it things have not changed much on the home front."

Leah scoffed and glanced toward the door before she whispered, "I am not sure what mom would do without Charlie. He always manages to calm one of them down when it gets bad. No one knows it, but when things get shitty around here ... she calls Charlie. He will take Dad and Billy out fishing somewhere or miraculously drop by. Sometimes I think he is more her friend than Dad's."

Always one for a secret, Emily whispered, "What does that mean?"

"Honestly? I think they dig each other. But he has never, ever hit on Mom. At least to my knowledge. He would never disrespect Dad like that." Leah shook her head with conviction, the mere thought unfathomable.

Smirking, Emily asked, "How can you be so sure?"

"He is younger than Mom, right? By like, a year, but still. He, Dad, Billy, and Quil IV were all best friends. Growing up, he was always around even though he lived in forks. Usually a really upbeat guy, despite being a cop. He is the Chief of Police in Forks. He used to let all of us kids tackle him in the yard and shit. I think he liked being around all of us because he never got to see the princess. Charlie always remembered our birthdays and stuff. Kind of like the cool uncle of the family." She laughed.

Emily asked, "So he didn't see his daughter very often?"

"Her name is Bella," Leah explained. "Her mom took her and ran off when she was little. She spent the summers with Charlie up until a few years ago. Some shit like that. Anyway, I followed him around a lot when I was little. I have walked in on some pretty serious conversations between him and Mom. She has always confided in Charlie. I have never known him to disrespect her. Or anyone, for that matter. He pretty much took care of Jacob and Billy when Sarah died."

Emily wrapped her hand around Leah's and said, "Well, he sounds like a good friend to have."

Leah hung her head sadly and said, "He is. To be honest, if I was ever really in trouble, I would probably run to Charlie before going to my Dad." She glanced up at Emily guiltily and asked, "Is that terrible?"

"No," Emily said and squeezed her hand affectionately.

"I love my Dad, Em," Leah said. "He is just hard to live with sometimes."

Emily chuckled and asked, "You do remember that our parents are cousins, right?"

Harry and Sue were a happy, loving couple as far as the rest of their family was concerned. Behind closed doors, they did not even sleep in the same room. Harry had been quite a bit older when they had met and did not have the best habits where his health was concerned. His genetic disposition and love of junk food had given him heart issues. He seemed determined to ignore his doctors, blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Sue had been the sole breadwinner in the house for as long as Leah could remember, frequently leaving Leah in charge of Seth. Leah felt lucky that she and her brother were incredibly close rather than resentful for his being constantly left in her care. Arguments with her father often left Leah feeling torn. Harry was rarely sore with his children, and they loved him immensely. Harry was, however, often unkind toward his wife. Fiercely protective of her mother, his behavior toward Sue had been the one reason Leah and Harry had bumped heads her entire life.

Leah could not help but smile as her thoughts drifted back to Sam. Her fiance was helpful where her father was concerned, often keeping Harry in good spirits. His enthusiasm for the Tribal histories could keep Harry talking for hours. Sam also helped fix things around their house, which Sue and Leah appreciated greatly. Harry tended to abandon projects halfway through. Currently, the master bathroom was partially dismantled. Harry had not touched it in three months, now. Sam planned to finish it for Sue over Thanksgiving break if Harry did not finish it by then. Unfortunately, it would not be his first Holiday spent repairing something for Sue. Sam had been going to school for engineering over the last two years. His mother, Allison, had walked out on Sam when he was seventeen and never looked back. Sam had lived alone since, relying heavily on family to get by at times. His education was riding on a small scholarship and government aid. In the meantime, Sam also worked odd jobs as often as he could. His busy schedule meant he and Leah had not been able to spend as much time together over the last year. Though she feared the backlash it would cause if her parents knew, Leah had been sneaking out late at night to see Sam on the weekends. While their relationship was no secret, the hours they kept to see each other had to be. Neither Harry nor Sue would have been happy to know their daughter spent so many nights curled up in his bed.

The only people Leah could ever confide in had been Emily and Jacob. Leah was more than happy that Emily would be around now since Leah had not seen Jacob as much. His heartbreak over the princess had made him a bit less willing to get into any serious conversations lately. It was something Leah tried to respect, letting him seek out her company when he felt up to it instead. She had been surprised to run into Jacob the day before. He had gained another inch or two in height since she had seen him last. While Jacob was becoming a giant, he was not yet as tall as Sam. Many of the boys on the reservation had been going through rapid growth spurts lately. Sam had been the first among them to do so, seemingly gaining inches in height and bulk overnight on more than one occasion. For the last few weeks, some of these particular guys had been very moody as well.
Especially Paul. Fucking hothead is becoming a bigger jerk than ever, strutting around First Beach like he is God's gift to women these days.
Rumors had circulated, claiming steroids were possibly a problem among the Rez youth. Sam had laughed at even the worst of these rumors at first. Over time, they had begun to bother him as members of his own tribe began to treat him differently. Leah knew Sam was not into drug use after being raised by Allison Uley. As far as Sam was concerned, drugs had robbed him of his mother long before she walked out. Still, Leah could not help but notice the changes in his temperament as of late. His mood swings, body aches, and fevers had left Leah just as curious about what was going on with Sam as it had everyone else. Leah sincerely hoped Sam would be in a good mood when he finally met Emily. Emily meant a great deal to Leah. She wanted more than anything for them to all be able to spend time together.

Pulling Leah from her thoughts, Emily asked, "So, when do I get to meet Sam, anyway?"

Leah whispered, "Well, as long as my drunk father doesn't start acting like a jerk and run you off, you should meet him tonight. He is supposed to come over for supper."

Emily scowled in disappointment. "Does that mean that he might not show up?"

Leah said, "It depends. His summer classes are ending soon. He has some tests coming up and stuff."

Emily asked, "Are you thinking about college at all?"

Sarcastically, Leah asked, "The college of hotel maid or waitress? We can't afford tuition, Em."

"You could apply for financial aid," Emily encouraged.

Leah grumbled, "That only covers part of it. God forbid any extra money gets cut from the Harry Clearwater Beer Fund. I would be working my way through, regardless. I might as well just work for a while and try to help my mom out. Better than wasting money on an education I could not afford to finish anyway."

"You know there has to be something out there that you are interested in besides law, LeeLee."

"Dancing, but that will never happen either," Leah grumbled. "I am too busty and broad-built for ballet. Apparently, my landings are too hard. I am too tall to be easily lifted. Blah, blah, blah."

Emily scoffed and asked, "Is that why you quit?"

Bitterly, Leah confessed, "It is what the instructor said. Said I had a snowball of a chance in hell of being a professional dancer someday. She would say embarrassing shit about my boobs being too big, my hips too wide. My long legs were lovely, but my ass got in the way. Complained when I missed class for a migraine once. Said I lacked dedication because I could not push through it."

Raking her eyes across Leah's muscular frame, Emily grumbled, "That is absurd."

"I still dance, though. When I get the time to be alone, anyway. Not much enthusiasm for ballet around here."

Emily pointed her thumb behind her toward the house and asked, "In this little bedroom?"

Leah barked out a laugh and said, "No way. I have my own little private spot. I will have to show you sometime."

Emily grinned and said, "Sounds like a plan."

Present Day

Leah sat at Bella's kitchen table, lost in thought of the fateful weekend Emily had moved home. Leah had carried so much hope for the future then, despite the difficulties of her circumstances. She had been engaged to the man that her cousin and ex-best friend was now married to. She had hated Bella. Harry had still been alive.

Emily called out, "Earth to LeeLee." Leah was yanked from her thoughts, raising an eyebrow at her cousin.

"Yes?"

Emily asked, "Where did you go?" Bella giggled across from her, gently bouncing a happy, plump, seven-month-old Sarah on her knee.

Leah admitted, "I was just thinking. You moved down here three years ago, tomorrow." Emily glanced up at the puppy calendar on the kitchen wall. Leah looked over at Bella incredulously and laughed.

Bella said, "Gift from Jasper. He thinks he is so funny."

Leah laughed and asked, "And you are actually using it?" Bella grinned, her cheeks pink.

She shrugged and said, "I needed a calendar anyway. Besides, it annoys Paul."

"And we love anything that annoys Paul," Leah agreed and laughed.

Standing, Bella said, "You know who little miss Sarah loves? Her Auntie Leah." Bella held Sarah out for Leah to take her and jogged toward the bathroom.

Leah yelled after her, "Oh lord, you are not pregnant again, are you?"

The bathroom door swung shut as Bella called out, "Very funny."

Laughing, Emily said, "She still pees a lot."

Leah said, "All of you pregnant women are starting to make me wonder if I want to ever even try it, I swear." Despite her complaint, she grinned down at the happy baby she held in her lap. Her skin had darkened considerably since her birth. Sarah had looked like Charlie a great deal when she was born with her chocolate eyes and curls. Lately, more of Jacob's features were beginning to show.

Affectionately, Emily said, "She sure is a cute little shit."

Leah agreed, "Yeah, she is. Yours will be, too, I'm sure." The eight-month-pregnant Emily smiled at her cousin happily. There was no sarcasm or resentment in her words. They held none of the hatred she had harbored toward Emily over the last few years. Their relationship had greatly improved once Leah had moved past her feelings for Sam. While Leah still tended to keep Emily at a distance, she could not help but care for her cousin and ex-best friend.
It is really fucking hard to trust someone who stole your fiance right out from under your nose, though. Leah shook the thought from her head quickly. She refused to purposely put her mind back in that negative space. Two years of it had been enough.

Cautiously, Emily asked, "So how are things going for you lately? Seeing anyone?"

Quick to change the subject, Leah said, "Nope. I was thinking about all the shit that has happened in three years. You know, that weekend you moved down, we talked about how good Charlie was to Mom. If someone had told me that day that I had less than a year left with Dad ... or that Mom would be engaged to Charlie less than a year after Dad died? I would have probably slapped the shit out of them."

"You love Charlie, though," Emily teased.

Leah grinned up at her and said, "Yeah, I do. I mean, I miss Dad a lot sometimes, no lie. Charlie is better for Mom, though. He just is." She continued to bounce her happy niece. The sound of a wailing infant filled the room through the small monitor on the kitchen counter.

Bella emerged from the bathroom and called out, "I got him."

Leah glanced back at Emily and whispered, "How has Angie been doing, anyway?" Ethan was nearly two months old. Angela had only been back to work for two weeks, but Bella had taken over a great deal of his care since birth. Angela battled depression before his arrival, which stemmed heavily from her own parental abandonment. Postpartum had only exacerbated her depression, making her anxious to get back to work.

"I think being back to work is helping. Angie is very social. Bella said she has been coming home excited to see Ethan and spend time with him since going back to work," Emily said.

Bella walked into the kitchen with a screaming Ethan as Leah said, "Well, that is good, I suppose."

Emily jumped as Jacob sprang through the back door and practically leaped in front of Bella. "Hey, hey, hey," he crooned as he reached for Ethan, holding his arms out.

Bella chuckled and said, "You can hold him after you clean up." Jacob jumped and spun, grinning at his smiling daughter. "Same goes for Sarah," Bella warned him. "Baby clothes are hard enough to keep clean. You get axle grease everywhere, and I will have to just throw them away. We have to save everything we can to pass down."

Jacob grumbled, "Alright, alright." He leaned over to kiss her cheek and swiped his grease-covered wrist across her nose.

Bella squeaked out, "Jacob Ephriam, you fucker." She slapped her hand over her mouth and chuckled. Emily and Leah both cackled as Leah handed Bella their now infamous swear jar. Bella held it out for Jacob. He grinned down at the jar in her hand as Emily finished making a bottle for Ethan.
Jacob asked, "What? I'm not the one who said it."

She shook the jar and challenged, "It was your fault." Jacob laughed and shook his head as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket. He removed a dollar bill and shoved it in the jar opening.

As she began to pull it away, he said, "Wait." Jacob quickly tucked two more dollars in it.

Bella asked, "What is that for?"

"An advance. For later," Jacob said. Thwap. His open palm connected with her ass cheek as he walked toward their bedroom. Bella turned her red face toward Leah and Emily, shaking her head.

Emily teased, "Someone still likes dirty talk, huh?"

Bella laughed and hissed, "Hush!"

Emily held up the ready bottle and said, "Here, let me take him." She sat down at the table and used her very round belly to help support Ethan as she fed him.

Leah stood, handing Sarah back to her mother. She sighed and said, "It is about time for me to head home."

There was a whine in her voice as Bella asked, "Are you going to Port Angeles tonight?"

Leah chuckled and said, "Yes, I am." There was a nightclub Leah had grown fond of recently. Her age had not mattered when she first checked the place out. She had felt almost offended when the bouncer did not bother to card her. She soon found that the club offered her the opportunity to dance and enjoy herself without the prying eyes of anyone she knew. Sam and Quil, in particular. Though she had been safe thus far, Bella worried about Leah going alone after suffering her own nightmare experience in PA. More than once, Bella had stayed up fretting like a nervous hen until Leah let her know that she had returned home safely. By the third time it happened, Jacob teasingly told Leah to stop telling Bella when she was going out. Leah, however, refused to lie to her sister.

Bella pouted and said, "I still really hate that you go alone."

Leah smirked at Bella and asked, "Why? Do you wanna go? Have a baby break for the night?"

Bella pointed at herself and said, "Not even. Still a singer, terrible dancer, and a danger magnet. If I want to be surrounded by wolves, I can go to Paul's place. At least there I can go to the bathroom alone."

"You know I would protect you, right?" Leah scowled at her sister. "I mean, you are right. You would definitely not go to the bathroom alone. You know I would never let anyone hurt you, Bella."

Affectionately, Bella said, You just worry about protecting yourself. Love you. Text me when you get home."

"Yeah, yeah, Mom. I promise. You are turning into your mother."

Bella gaped at Leah incredulously and asked, "Renee?"

Leah laughed at Bella, bringing an instant smile to her face as she answered, "Esme." Leah waved to Emily as she stepped out the kitchen door onto the back patio. Not looking up as she walked behind the house, Leah was startled when she rounded the corner and nearly smacked face-first into Quil. Each attempted to move for the other, stepping in the same direction. Quil looked into her eyes, and Leah felt the air rush from her chest. His soft green eyes seemed to burn right into her. Leah silently cursed herself as she fought to keep a straight face. She wanted to smile at the bastard, damn him.

Quil stepped closer to her and teased, "Do you want to dance?"

"Why?" she asked sarcastically. "You don't have any rhythm." She stepped around Quil and sprinted for her car, almost daring him to follow.

To say things between them had been awkward for quite some time was an understatement. When Leah and Quil had begun fooling around the year prior, it was all supposed to be good fun. Their arrangement had been passionate, pleasurable, exciting, and a complete secret. Secret sex with Quil had quickly become an addiction, and they had gone at it like rabbits for months. Their dynamic changed when Quil admitted his feelings had changed. Quil insisted more than once that Leah was still in love with Sam. He began acting forward in front of the others and getting jealous. Eventually, it became too much for him, and he dumped her. Leah had gone after Quil a final time with the support and insistence of Jacob. She had tried to reconcile what they had started, but Quil had told her there was no point.

You're not my imprint, Leah. We are just going to hurt each other later, anyway. For the second time in her life, being a wolf rather than an imprint had made her disposable. Once again, love alone had not been enough for her lover to fight for her.

These days, Leah and Quil had come to an unspoken agreement and avoided each other as much as possible. While it was difficult for both pack and coworkers, it was not entirely impossible. She kept to the receptionist area at work while he kept to the garage. They took specific lunch breaks to avoid being stuck in the kitchen together alone. Avoiding each other when phased was easy because of the pack mind. They could not think about their secret relationship at all during patrol. It had helped keep Leah from dwelling on her anger at Quil, something she had worked very hard to control over Sam. Leah secretly longed for the day she would stop phasing altogether. The fact that she had not imprinted nor been imprinted on was not lost on her. Leah was convinced that no longer phasing was the only possible way to ever have children. It was a theory that could not be proven until she stopped phasing for at least a year. Her mother, Sue, believed that since her monthly flow had stopped when the phasing began, it stood to reason that it could be reversed later on. Leah held on to the hope that her mother was right. More than anything, Leah wanted the opportunity to have a family of her own. And, if she had to, she was more than willing to do it alone.

I really hope to see some thoughts from readers on this story. Remember your reviews can only help me improve. xoxo