Two new chapters up again, folks. If you came here first, go read 19!

Present Day

Leah woke up in her dark, small bedroom, confused as hell. She could swear her lips tingled as if the kiss Quil had left in her memory still lingered there. Leah groaned as she looked at the clock.

I only slept for two hours? Ugh. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes before pulling her pajamas back on and grabbing her cigarettes. Leah crept outside quietly, unsurprised to find Seth had patrol, her mother in bed, and Charlie snoring on the couch. It wasn't long after lighting her cigarette that Charlie stepped outside to check on her.

He stood there in silence for a moment before asking, "You alright, Lee?" She turned around to look up at him and patted the spot next to her. Charlie walked over and sat down, sighing. He said, "I'm sorry about the way that all went earlier. Probably seemed like some kind of intervention or something."

Leah laughed and said, "More like you were heading an ambush you didn't realize was an ambush. I know you didn't mean anything by it. You were worried. I blame Quil."

Charlie grumbled, "Seems like Quil has been making an awful lot of trouble for you these days."

Leah asked, "Has Billy been giving you the full tribal gossip column?" She side-eyed her stepfather and offered him her cigarette. Charlie snickered as he took it from her.

Charlie admitted, "A bus full of drunk guys all talking shit, Leah. I heard more about all of you last night than I ever wanted to know. Including about you and Quil." Leah groaned, and Charlie continued, "All because Quil insisted we leave him behind to hang out with some girl he met."

Leah grumbled, "Girls. Plural. I work with them both. They are a couple and were wanting to find a guy to take home."

Charlie muttered, "Ass." Leah snorted, and Charlie said, "Embry started cussing at Quil about you and Hodie. My dumbass had to ask what the fuck they were talking about." His cheeks were pink as he took a drag of her cigarette and immediately commenced coughing. Leah was chuckling beside him quietly and reached over to pat his back. He handed the cigarette back to her.

Leah said, "Sorry, Dad."

Scowling, Charlie added, "Also, I have never been happier in my life that I made Bells promise she would never have sex when I was in the fucking house. I had second-hand embarrassment for half of the night listening to those ornery-ass kids. It was bad enough that they aren't even technically of age, and my ass would have been grass if anyone had bothered to card them. I learned my lesson about drinking with the pack, that's for sure. Now I know why Bella cusses so much these days. God damn." Leah could not contain her laughter, earning a genuine smile from Charlie.

Charlie said, "Embry is a mouthy drunk. I can see why some people suspect he is Billy's kid."

Wiping away tears of laughter, Leah asked, "You heard that rumor too, huh?"

Charlie said, "Yep. Last night, loud and clear. You know he ain't, though, right? I have never known Billy to see anyone but Sarah. Like Jacob with Bells. That boy is his dad all over."

Leah nodded in agreement and said, "Other women don't even exist for Jacob."

Charlie said, "I know it. I never have to worry he's going to cheat on her or abandon her. As a parent, I can't tell you how much of a relief that is. Anyway, Embry thanked me for taking Ethan when your mom and I kept Sarah. He said Ethan wouldn't have grandparents if it wasn't for me, your mom, and Billy. Billy told Embry he has always loved him like a son, even if he is not his father. Seemed good enough for Embry."

Leah chuckled softly and said, "It always has been. You and Billy are alike that way, you know? You both had daughters far away that would not come home for years. You took the love you had for them and gave it to the rest of us. Now Embry and Angela have you, too. It's a pretty cool thing. Billy gets a lot of credit for it, but you? You don't get nearly enough."

Leah glanced over and saw Charlie trying not to tear up. Rather than leaving an awkward silence, she nudged him with her elbow and said, "Most of us think Embry is Sam's little brother. They are similarly built, though Sam is bigger. Besides that, the wolves sort of show who belongs to who."

Charlie asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Leah explained, "Jacob is red and tan. Sam is solid black, and Embry is black, white, and brown. Paul is brown and tan, but Quil is black and brown. I'm mostly white and gray with red. Seth is red, brown, and tan. Jared has red, too, and he's on the Black side. I guess the red comes from the Black bloodline. Stands to reason that Embry would have red on him somewhere if he was related to Jacob, too. He could be an Ateara with his coloring, but he and Quil do not look a damn thing alike."

Charlie said, "You have really thought about this shit, huh?"

Leah said, "We all have. We care about each other, you know? Plus, Josh took off when Sam was little to go get his kicks."

Charlie said, "To tell you the truth, Renee was friends with Allison back then. She used to have coffee with Allison and Sarah in the morning sometimes. That was before she became an addict. That didn't happen until after he took off, but Josh was out getting his kicks long before he split. I would not be surprised if Embry is not the only one to tell you the truth."

Leah said, "Oh, God. If there are more, I sure as hell hope they are not wolves. I could not imagine going through that shit without anyone around to help. It was fucking hell, even with help."

Charlie nodded and said, "That is a scary thought, kiddo."

Leah grinned at him and said, "I'm sorry you had to be so traumatized at your bachelor party."

Charlie grinned and said, "Well, I got to do some shots with my favorite step-daughter, anyway."

The sound of someone approaching on foot caught her attention, and she looked around quickly. She could hear Paul and Quil bantering and turned to face Charlie, rolling her eyes. She watched confusion, recognition, and finally annoyance all cross his face as they came into view. When Charlie rolled his eyes back at her, Leah had to fight to control her laughter. Leah lit another cigarette, and Paul immediately yelled her name. She looked directly up at Paul, blatantly ignoring Quil as he stopped and hovered near the porch.

Paul did not stop. Instead, he yelled at her as he walked past, "Stop doing shit that makes me worry about you, god damn it!"

Laughing, Charlie stood and asked, "You gonna be alright out here?" He glanced toward Quil and back.

She said, "I'm fine. I'll be in soon." Leah turned to face Quil as Charlie stepped inside the house.

When the door shut, Quil smirked and asked, "He takes his step-dad role seriously, huh?"

Leah glared hard at Quil and snapped, "Charlie is the best fucking thing to ever happen to my family."

Quil rolled his eyes and head dramatically. He said, "Jesus, Leah, I'm not insulting him. He is my fucking cousin." When Leah did not respond or lose her annoyed expression, Quil scoffed and said, "I was hoping we could talk for a minute since you are up, but I can already see how this is going to go. Fucking forget it." Despite his dismissal Quil remained where he stood, waiting for her to react. Leah could feel her temper licking at her, her wolf encouraging her to snap back. This was the game they seemed to play, however. Back and forth, the attack and the chase. He was expecting her to lose her temper or become sad, and engage her into another emotional scene.

Cat and fucking mouse. I'm done chasing after you, V. Leah stood and flicked her cigarette butt to the ground between them. Without saying a word, she walked inside and shut the door. She did not look back to see if he continued to hover outside. Leah crept to her room and crawled back into bed. She did her best to force her thoughts toward Hodie. Instead, she fell into a restless and memory-filled sleep.

A Year And A Half Ago

She was back on the cliff edge, catching her breath with her legs dangling over the side. Somehow, in her dreams of Quil, she always ended up here. It was frustrating to know you were dreaming as you were dreaming, especially when those moments felt so physically real. The thought of Quil immediately brought back the feeling of his hands on her thighs, and she groaned.

Despite how much she tried to fight it, she was drawn to him. He had been as diligent as she had been, keeping any thoughts outside of friendship clear of his mind since the night he had kissed her in the garage. When they were not phased, he was frequently careless with his comments. Luckily, most of the pack were well used to his flirtatious jokes and commentary anytime a female was near. Most laughed, not considering much of it when something slipped out toward Leah. Still, however, Leah feared he would say or do something Sam was suspicious of. Quil had begun to find the slightest of ways to touch her or brush against her when he could. Though she had not given him a definite answer yet, he seemed as determined as ever to entice her.

The night of the Cullen party had Leah on edge. She was far too sure that something was going to go wrong without knowing how. She had come to her secret place to be alone. Leah had hoped that dancing for a couple of hours would help her work through her anxiety while everyone else was distracted.
She held her breath at the sound of something heavy heading toward her. Leah quickly tossed her music player into her bag with her clothes and phased. She looked up in time to see the big tick and the one Jacob called Blondie fly past her in all of their formal-wear glory. Leah huffed a sigh of relief and unfortunately regretted it as the stench of Leech hit her. Now that the space was contaminated with their scent, she felt no pressing need to stay longer. Leah snatched her bag between her teeth and headed for home.

She was preparing to phase back near her house as a howl ripped through the night. Leah ran straight to the house, tossed her bag into her bedroom window, and immediately searched for her pack. She had tried not to panic as she learned the little psychic had finally announced when the battle would take place. Leah, like everyone else, quickly made preparations. She had written letters in advance for this day, hoping like hell that no one would ever have to read them. Leah pulled them from their usual hiding spot and moved them under her pillow, knowing Sue would eventually find them should Leah not come home. Sue arrived home after the end of her work shift in a good mood and unaware the decision had been made. Informing her had been an emotional scene as both had cried bitter tears.

When there was nothing left to do except wait, Leah grew restless. The wolves had to avoid the clearing as long as they could before the battle so that they could take the newborns by surprise. There were still a few hours to kill before sunrise. Leah found herself on the usual paths, slowly ambling along as she tried to battle the fear in her mind. She was coming upon the Black property as someone ran up behind her. Startled, Leah spun to face them and sighed with relief at the sight of Quil. He was panting, frantically assessing her as he approached to ensure she was alright. In a rare display of emotion, he choked out, "I have been looking for you everywhere. I had to help Embry get Angela home, then come up with a fucking excuse for not coming home tonight. All I could seem to do was worry about where the hell you had taken off to. I was just on my way to the beach to see if you were there."

Joy, his mother, was unaware that the wolves and vampires truly existed at that time. Quil had to make a million excuses for why he was never home anymore, putting a lot of strain on their relationship. Joy was worried her son was just another La Push deviant, especially since he had been reunited with the troublesome peers that deserted him. Despite the strain in their relationship, Leah was grateful that Sue was well aware of the truth. Leah had enough bullshit to keep hidden without that added stressor.

Leah forced a sympathetic smile at Quil and said, "I'm just trying to kill time now." She quickly brushed away tears and looked away from him. She gasped in surprise as he yanked her against him, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. Leah hugged him back eagerly as she tried to keep it together.

Softly, Quil admitted, "I'm scared too, Leelee. We have to believe it's going to work out, and everything will be okay." While the cynic in Leah felt the notion was slightly naive, she did not have the energy to argue. The weight of the impending battle made her feel old and weak, wishing she could go to bed and fast forward through the next day. Quil rubbed her back soothingly as she kept her face buried against his chest.

As he pulled away from her, Quil said, "Come on." He reached to clasp her hand in his and began walking toward the garage.

Leah asked, "Why are we going here?"

Quil said, "To relax for a bit. Jake and Bella are up at the campsite already. Half the pack is camped out around the Cullen house. I came looking for you as soon as I realized you weren't out there."

Leah said, "I came home to talk to my mom. Just in case, you know?"

Quil nodded in understanding. They ducked in the side door to avoid setting off the motion light in front. The street lamp near the road provided just enough light to navigate, illuminating the cluttered garage in a soft orange glow from the only window. Quil pulled an iPod from his pocket and hooked it up to Jacob's stereo. He gave her a dazzling smile as Leah perked up to the Amber Run song crooning from the speaker. Quil set it down next to the radio and sank on the couch. He held his arm out for Leah, and she curled up at his side.

Quil asked, "So what do you want to do when you get older, and you don't have to worry about this phasing bullshit anymore, Leah?"

Leah chuckled, unable to help herself. The absurdity of it all never failed to amuse her. Why can't I just have a normal fucking life, damn it? Leah said, "I honestly don't know, Quil. I really don't want to talk about anything like that now. I just want to get through tomorrow. First, I have to get through the next few hours, and my head won't be quiet."

Quil stroked her side soothingly, his hand pushing closer to her hip with each repetition. She looked up into his face, stunned to find him staring down at hers. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead, kissing her tenderly. When he pulled away, he stared back down into her eyes, remaining silent. His face was etched in sadness, needing the same comfort he was desperately trying to provide. Leah tentatively reached up to run her fingers through his short curls. Quil closed his eyes and smiled, leaning into her touch. She had not realized she was trembling until then.

What if we fucking die tomorrow? What if this chance never happens again? Leah did not want to contemplate something happening to Quil. She found herself shaken by how much she wanted him to hold her, to touch her. More than that, she ached to let herself get lost in him. Leah needed to be touched, to be held and caressed. Leah needed to feel she truly mattered to someone, even if it was only for a few minutes. That simple, basic need had somehow shattered any reservations she still had. Quil was not making her love-sick promises or playing games with her heart. He was a friend she trusted that made her feel safe. She needed to feel that way now, even if it was the last time that she would get to feel safe.
Especially if it was the last time she would feel safe.

The cool night air felt thick between them, the fog from outside slowly invading the space. Cupping his cheek, she whispered, "Quil?" She glanced down at his lips, unconsciously wetting her own with her tongue. Leah asked, "Do you still ..." How the hell do I finish that question? Hey pal, do you still want to fuck me before we die?

Quil glanced down the length of her body before staring her in the eyes. The corner of his mouth turned up in a slight grin. As Leah was about to force herself to finish the question, Quil said, "Hell yeah, I do." He gave her another dazzling smile before lowering his lips to hers. They moved together carefully as Leah laid back on the couch. Quil crawled over her, sliding one knee up to rest between her legs. Leah lifted her hips to move back farther, accidentally rubbing her sex up his lower thigh. She trembled as the sensation shot through her and pooled back to her core. Quil moaned into her mouth as he lifted the sides of her shirt and lightly slid his hands upward to cup her breasts. Leah shivered as his thumbs brushed over her nipples through the thin fabric of her bra. Leah whimpered, arching into his hands as he slid them back down to her waist. She ground herself against him again as he pulled her bottom lip between his teeth. He ventured lower with one hand, grazing his fingers across her sex and then dragging his nails up the inside of her thigh. He pulled away to look down as he lifted her left leg and rubbed his hand back up the outside of her thigh. He slid his hand up the leg of her shorts to cup her buttocks in his large, hot palm. The heat of his hands felt incredible in contrast to the cool night air. She sighed as he crushed his lips back to hers, welcoming him eagerly. Instinctively, she raised her hips to grind against him again and his grip on her ass cheek tightened. Quil pushed his other knee between her legs and spread them apart. He rubbed his erection against her sex and let out a low lust-filled growl. Leah could feel her shorts getting wet from the craving she was quickly drowning in. Leah ran her hands under the back of his shirt to his shoulders. She lightly scratched her nails down his back, and he sucked in a sharp breath. She moaned as he ground against her again. Quil pulled away from her lips and lowered his mouth to her neck. His breath whispered across her flesh as he kissed his way down her throat, leaving goosebumps in his wake. Leah pushed him back so she could lean forward to pull off her shirt. He watched her wide-eyed as she reached to unclasp her bra. Quil hurriedly yanked off his shirt as she slid the bra off and dropped it to the floor. She pulled him into another kiss as he massaged his way along her torso. He tried to hold back his grin as he lowered his mouth to her right breast first, wrapping his lips around her nipple. His eyes closed as he swirled his tongue around it and teased her by pulling it between his teeth as he had done with her lip. Leah gasped as she reached to clutch his hair. She could not stop now that they had begun. She didn't want to. Leah was very wet and becoming impatient, aching for more connection, for the kind of frenzied coupling she had grown so used to. She did not hesitate to lift her hips for him as Quil removed her shorts. Leah blushed as Quil chuckled at her lack of underwear and shrugged. She had few pairs left after bursting out of her clothing so often. He stared down at her lustily as he ran his hands back up her legs and under her ass. She arched toward him, the cool night air puckering her saliva wetted nipples. She yearned to have his warmth back on top of her, weighing her down. She wanted to feel him inside of her.

Leah reached for his shorts and slid her hand inside. She wrapped her hand around his shaft, and he chuckled as her eyes flew open. He was girthier than Leah had anticipated. It was not like she had never seen her packmates naked, but Leah did not go around checking out their junk. As his thick member twitched in her hand, Leah suddenly wished she had paid attention.

This is going to hurt.

In some twisted way, it seemed fitting when considering their current circumstances. Quil shoved his shorts down as she stroked him and pressed his lips back to hers. He reached between them, sliding his thick fingers between her folds. She bucked toward him as he teased her clit, making him chuckle into her mouth as she growled at him. Quil slid his middle finger inside of her and moaned as she gasped and whimpered. She raised her hips toward him, urging him to keep going. Her pleasure building quickly, she cried out in frustration when he removed his hand.

In a husky tone that she had not heard from him before, Quil said, "I have to taste you, Leah." He lifted her hips and lowered his mouth to her sex. Quil slid two fingers inside of her, stretching her as he lapped at her clit with his tongue. Leah writhed underneath him, needing more. Heat flooded her body, and her stomach muscles tightened from the pleasure building in her. Quil suddenly sucked hard on her clit, the sensation almost painful. Leah cried out loudly, gasping as she came. Leah clenched around his fingers as Quil pulled his mouth away. She was trembling from her release, practically in a stupor as he moved to reposition himself between her legs.

Leah looked between them as he rubbed the head of his cock against her wet folds, slickly coating his skin. When Leah looked back up into his eyes, she found herself drowning quickly in the soft green pools staring back at her. God, this is really happening. Leah yanked Quil down to kiss him. They both melted into the kiss, quickly building a renewed sense of urgency between them.

She moaned loudly as she pulled away and said, "I want you."

Quil growled out, "Oh, Leah, I fucking want you, too." He slowly pushed the head of his cock inside of her. There was a slight burning as her walls stretched for him. He paused for her to adjust a bit, and she clenched involuntarily, sheathing him further. Quil moaned from the pressure, squeezing his eyes shut. He began a slow, shallow rhythm, pushing himself slightly deeper into her with each thrust. Leah was panting, lost between how good it felt to be wrapped around him and marveling over how impossibly full she felt. Leah screamed as Quil suddenly thrust his whole length into her. She took deep, slow breaths, blinking back tears as he stilled and waited for the discomfort to subside.

Quil wrapped his arms around her torso and pressed his broad chest to her breasts to hold her as closely as he could. The look he gave her at that moment sent butterflies through her chest. Quil pressed his lips back to hers for a languid, tender kiss. When she moaned into his mouth, Quil carefully began to move again. It didn't take long for his pace to change in tune to the sound of her cries. His strokes became longer, faster, shaking the couch and bouncing her breasts as Quil increased his rhythm. When Quil lowered his mouth to suck on her neck, Leah closed her eyes and lost all sense of place and time. She raised her hips eagerly to meet him again and again. Quil reached up to grasp her hair and tugged to expose more of her throat. She unconsciously held her breath as he shifted his position, causing his shaft to slide across her clit repeatedly. An overwhelming heat exploded through her limbs as she gasped for breath. Expletives flowed from her mouth during what she now understood to be the most powerful orgasm of her life thus far. His semi-hard cock pulsed inside of her, and she realized he must have cum with her. He was staring down at her, both panting heavily. Her eyes finally focused upon him, and she could not help but giggle awkwardly.

Quil lowered his mouth to hers again as he simultaneously pulled out of her. She kissed him back eagerly, clutching onto him tightly and unwilling to relinquish his warmth against her just yet. Eventually, they both stood and dressed silently, neither of them sure of what to say. When finished, Quil pulled her back into his arms. Leah embraced him back eagerly, wishing they could just remain where they were. Quil leaned down to give her a feather-light kiss before pressing his forehead to hers. She closed her eyes as she leaned against him and hummed.

Eventually, Quil pulled away and said, "If we live through tomorrow, I want a repeat of that." He reached down to grab her hand and stuffed his iPod in his pocket.

Leah chuckled and said, "Quil, if we live through tomorrow … You'll probably get it."

She let him pull her out of the garage by her hand and held onto him until they could not go any farther without phasing. Instead of going straight for the Cullen house, Leah led Quil to the swimming hole in the creek on the edge of the Cullen property. Each discreetly washed off as well as possible in the cold water and finally left to join the others.

Just to be safe, Quil made a show of his concern over how anxious Leah was when they arrived. Her worried face and inability to stop trembling were all the confirmation the others needed. He laid down next to her in wolf form, siding up to her just close enough to keep anyone from finding it suspicious if they noticed the mixture of their scents in the morning. Neither one acknowledged anything out of the ordinary as she surprisingly drifted off to sleep at his side.

The battle was a nightmare come to life. Dozens of newborns charging at once was frightening enough as the pack and most of the Cullens fought fiercely. Leah was doing well, despite a few minor injuries like many others. When a small group of newborns managed to seclude Leah with Jasper and Alice, Leah pushed past her discomfort so they could protect one another. It was an unexpected, almost instant understanding. Jasper sent frequent reassuring glances her way, almost denoting a sense of pride every time she was tossed out of the way and charged headlong back into the battle. The most challenging part of the ordeal had been ignoring the drama unfolding at the campsite. Seth seeing Edward kiss Bella, once reflected through Jacob's mind, was like a punch to the gut, renewing the rage throughout the pack. As everyone began to run around gathering body parts to burn, Jacob charged headlong toward the campsite to help rescue Bella. Seth provided a first-hand account of the monster that their acquaintance had become. It seemed that none but Jacob felt any hesitancy about destroying them.

When Alice warned that the law of Leechkind was on their way, the wolves were advised to leave immediately. Leah caught the instant terror on Bella's face and turned toward where she stared. The lone newborn had been well hidden on the edge of the clearing. He silently charged straight for Alice as she was distracted with her vision.

Leah plowed into him as Jacob screamed, "Leah, don't!"

Jacob slammed into them both, and Leah was thrown out of the way. The newborn was faster than he had let on and had his arms around Jacob in a second. The clearing was utterly silent, with wolves and vampires all gaping in horror. The sound of bones being crushed and the wave of pain Jacob unintentionally sent through the pack made Leah's stomach roll. She damn near vomited right there. Bella's screams ripped through the air like a knife as Jacob collapsed unconscious in the grass.

Later, Leah had waited with Bella on Billy's couch, sitting hand in hand as they all listened to Jacob scream. Bella was taken to see him shortly after his bones were reset. Sam had surprised everyone when he left Leah in charge while he escorted Edward and the doctor out of LaPush. Leah waited silently among those of the pack who remained hovering worriedly around Billy's until Sam and Dr. Tick returned with morphine for Jacob. Once they were inside, Leah darted for the back door, eager to make her escape. Unable to look Quil in the eye when she found him leaning against the house outside, Leah walked past him toward the trails. Sam charged after her and ordered the others to say where they were. Quil remained as he was told but stared suspiciously after them both.

As they were not phased, Sam could have caught up to Leah easily. Instead, he waited until they were near the garage before reaching out to grab her arm. She stopped and turned toward him slowly, all the fire in her exhausted.

Seriously, how much can happen to a person in just twenty-four hours? Nearly all of it had been nothing but terror and rage, bouncing around in the pack mind at an incredibly confusing rate. It wasn't until that moment that Leah realized how lucky they had all been that day. They were all going home to their families, including Jacob. Bella was still alive, and the redhead was finally gone for good. Her relief was overwhelming.

Sam gathered Leah into his arms as a heartbreaking sob ripped from her. He held her tight against his chest and let her cry. Sam kissed her forehead and rocked her where they stood for a few minutes, attempting to soothe her as he had once been able to do. Physically and emotionally exhausted, she took comfort in the familiar, letting Sam try his best. Eventually, she got her bearings and pulled away from him.

Genuinely concerned, Sam asked, "Do you want to talk?" Now that his arms were not around her, his hands had moved to his hips in his Alpha stance.
Leah said, "Not really, no. I just need to wrap my head around everything that happened today." As she moved to turn away from him, Sam grabbed her hand.

He said, "You are practically dead on your feet, Leelee. Do you want me to walk you home? Will you be alright?"

She did her best to not laugh outright. Samuel Uley hadn't bothered to walk her anywhere except onto her back in over a year. Despite that, she found herself largely unbothered by his sudden sense of chivalry. She said, "I will be fine. You should probably go home to see Emily. I'm sure she has been worried."

Sam stared at her in surprise for a moment. It was the first time she had mentioned her cousin without either anger or resentment fueling her comments in a long time. Leah turned and walked toward the treeline where she waited for him to leave. As soon as everyone was back inside the house, Leah made her way back to the garage. She ducked inside and curled up on the old couch with her face tucked away from the light. Everything was different. Everything had changed. And yet, it was all exactly the same.

Well, not exactly, she thought. Leah was grateful she had been able to ignore the soreness between her legs throughout the morning. She smiled at the memory of Quil, the only beacon of hope she had been able to hold on to throughout the day.

Who would have thought that sleeping with Quil would be the most unbelievable part of this day? Or that it would have been so good? She peeked one eye open as someone stepped into the garage and shuffled toward her. Speak of the devil. Before she could say a word, Quil was lifting her off the couch into his arms. He turned around and sat down, holding her in his lap.

Sleepily, Leah asked, "What are you going to say if someone comes in here?"

Quil said, "They won't. They are all going home. Besides, it doesn't matter. No one else's business, anyway." He reached up to brush the hair from her face before tightening his arms around her. Leah slowly melted against him, burying her face into his shoulder rather than the couch. In less than a minute against his warm body, the last of her energy waned, and Leah drifted off to sleep in his arms.

Present Day

Leah woke suddenly as her alarm shrilled beside her and promptly rolled unceremoniously to the floor. She rubbed her freshly banged elbow as she stood, glaring at her too-small bed. She looked up and stared around her also too-small bedroom.

This shit just isn't cutting it anymore. It's no wonder I keep dreaming about the fucking couch. My damn bed isn't much bigger.
Again, Leah considered the idea of having her own house built on the LaPush border where she could have an actual adult-sized bed and a bedroom door she did not have to keep locked. Leah quickly sent Rose a message about being spoiled by the bed at their guest house and pushed open her bedroom window. In no mood to give a damn, Leah hopped outside. She discarded her pajamas on the windowsill and phased to head out on her morning patrol.

Quil, who had not slept, wisely chose not to seek Leah out during patrol or work. Regardless, the intensity of her dreams the night before kept her on edge. Mid-morning, Leah had been lost in thought, contemplating all that had changed since the night before the battle. A set of keys were slapped onto the counter in front of her, startling her. She could feel her cheeks become heated as she looked up at Quil. He glanced back at her suspiciously but said nothing.

Another distraction for Leah throughout the day was silence from Hodie. He finally messaged her when it was time for him to get ready for work, telling her he had been in bed with a headache all day. Leah wondered how much of that stemmed from the night before and the coming shitty conversation they would have soon. She couldn't keep what Quil had done from Hodie forever. He deserved to know what the others knew and how they found out that information. The only thing that made Leah hesitate was knowing it would only make the situation with Quil worse. By the end of the day, Leah was mentally exhausted. She made her way from the garage to the house and found her sister in the kitchen as usual.

As Leah sat down at the kitchen island, Bella apologetically said, "You look exhausted."

Leah said, "I am. I did sleep some last night, but I had really intense dreams. I don't think I actually rested at all."

Bella looked up from the pan she was prepping and asked, "What were you dreaming about?"

Leah groaned out, "Ugh. The past. Last night it was about how everything started between Quil and me. I dreamed about the battle. It felt like I was there. All over again." Leah buried her face in her hands for a moment before rubbing her temples.

Bella said, "Sort of makes sense, I guess. My dreams are usually just really shitty memories. Other people have weird dreams about random things like flying or their teeth falling out. Not me."

Leah said. "Same. I heard your scream all over again, Bells. When Jacob got crushed?"

Bella shuddered and held her hand up in a silent plea for Leah to stop. Bella said, "I'm sorry, sweetie. I can't …"

Sympathetically, Leah said, "I get it. Anyway, the battle was only part of it. Most of it was about Quil. I could still feel him when I woke up. It's been bothering me all day. I think Hodie feels it, too. He's been in bed with a headache all day."

Bella said, "Wow. That sucks."

Leah said, "Bells, who knows about that shit last night?"

Bella grimaced and glanced at Leah sympathetically. It was the only answer Leah needed.

Leah said, " I'm sure Quil told Embry what he found out about Hodie and I imagine Charlie had talked to all of you about it before I got home. Paul yelled at me last night, so I suppose he knows. That means all of the pack and imprints probably know, too."

Bella chuckled and said, "Well, if they do, it's because of Quil. I haven't said shit."

Leah forced a smile at Bella and said, "I know, sis. Do you mind if I snag a nap here before I go back on patrol?"

Bella said, "Of course not. Find a comfy spot and I'll wake you before four."

Leah made her way to Billy's room and collapsed across the bed. She quickly fell into a deep sleep.

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