The day had finally come.

Fuck Thanksgiving promised to be a wild ride, and after three weeks of pure boredom, Leah was determined to have a good time. Carlisle cleared her for a drink or two if she chose, though he recommended she not imbibe too fully. Carlisle worried about her depressed state and her recent tendency to be easily overwhelmed. It would be her first time among a crowd since Leah had gone to see Tom.

Alice came by to fix her makeup and hair before shoving her into a pale pink dress with delicate gold embellishments. The bodice criss crossed over the chest in gauzy material that cinched at the shoulders. The dress was beautiful, even if it made Leah look more fae than human when Alice was finished. However, she appreciated Alice's dedication and was happy to wear what she had chosen. Strappy gold heels finally finished the look, leaving Leah wondering how quickly they would be lost after the alcohol appeared. Leah took a picture of herself to send to Hodie. Doubting he would see it anyway, she deleted the message instead. Hell, his number could be recycled by now. Don't need to be sending strangers pictures. The truth was, she would be doing the same with Hodie. The further away he ran, the longer he stayed away, the more Leah realized she didn't know much about him. She still missed him, missed the ease of being with him. Leah grew frustrated, trying to remember which of her feelings about him were accurate. Her memory of the last night she saw him was skewed now. It had been tainted by her dreams, his behavior turning hateful and frightening. Leah scrolled past the picture of her wounded body to the last one he had sent. His handsome face streaked with tears did not make her feel any better. Leah sighed, pushed back her melancholy thoughts, and walked out to meet Quil.

As Leah exited the house, Quil's mouth slowly fell open as he gaped at her. A wide grin crossed his face, and he slowly turned to Alice, hesitant to take his eyes off of Leah.

Alice beamed with pride as Quil said, "Damn, Alice. The guests aren't supposed to outshine the bride."

"Nothing will outshine my mom today, Quil," Leah said as she held up one leg to adjust the strap of her shoe. "She and Charlie were meant for each other." Quil was blatantly gawking at her long bare leg on display through the sheer pink material. He handed her the keys to her Nissan, and for the first time in a month, Leah climbed behind the wheel excitedly.

"We will see you soon," Alice called after them before Leah drove them home.

Bella's house was more crowded with dishes and people than it had been the year before. Leah was impressed to see a full band set up next to a collapsible dance floor in the backyard. The space was tented with tables and chairs set up on the opposite side of the dancefloor. White and pale pink fabrics were draped around the reception area among traditional, colorful autumn decorations. Delicate strands of gold and white lights gave the space a calm, romantic feeling. Portable heaters kept the area comfortable despite the cold weather and lingering threat of snow.

When she realized most of the women were inside the house, Leah left Quil standing among the pack, staring after her as she went to find Sue. Even though it was her family inside, Leah hesitated at the door anxiously. She jumped as a warm hand gently wrapped around hers, then sighed with relief at the familiar, rough fingers.

Quil whispered, "What's wrong, Leelee?"

She whispered, "Just wondering when I became such a chicken shit."

Quil chuckled softly behind her. "You have never been a chicken shit. You have been dealing with trauma. These things take time," Quil said. His other hand slid along the back of her neck soothingly, and Leah turned to face him. She glanced back toward the pack and scowled as they all looked in different directions, pretending not to listen.

"Jacob Ephraim, your friends are a bunch of nosy fuckers," Leah grumbled. The rest of the pack laughed, hearing her clearly despite her low voice and emphasizing her point. Leah looked into Quil's soft green eyes and smirked.

He teased, "See? It's already coming back. By the time we leave, you'll be back to your snarky old self."

Leah said, "If this night goes how I hope, I just might be sleeping in my bed here. I want a few drinks and to see if it is as comfortable as I remember." From the raucous laughter coming from her pack and the grin on Paul's face, Leah assumed he had made some lewd remark. She rolled her eyes and turned back toward the door.

When she continued to hesitate, Quil whispered, "Worried you'll get surrounded?"

Leah nodded silently, hating her lingering trauma for making her feel less than she had been. The tick that attacked her took something from Leah that day. For the first time ever, Leah could finally understand the timid mouse Bella had momentarily become after almost being murdered by vampires not once but three times.

Quil asked, "Do you want me to come in with you? Help keep you from getting swarmed?"

Leah turned back toward him gratefully and nodded. Quil followed her inside, tightening his grip on her hand. She assumed most had been warned to not overwhelm her as her loved ones approached her cautiously and were careful not to crowd her. Even Rachel grinned with relief upon seeing Leah, although her eyes frequently glanced down at Leah's hand securely wrapped in Quil's. After a few minutes, Leah had relaxed enough to let go of him and thanked him for his unwavering support. Quil gave her a wink and slowly made his way back outside.

The imprints were gathered around the living room, each woman either holding a baby or her own pregnant belly. Leah sat down next to Emily and happily accepted Beth into her arms. Leah's namesake looked up at her and yawned, wrapping her tiny fist around Leah's pinky finger.

Rachel turned toward Leah from her seat on the new sectional and said, "So? You and Quil?"

Leah glanced over at her cousin and said, "Not together, Rach. He's been my rock through all of this."

Sitting next to Rachel, Kim asked Leah, "How are you holding up?"

Leah said, "Better. Not perfect. My memory is still messed up, and I'm more anxious than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs some days."

Tentatively, Bella asked, "Have you heard from Hodie at all?"

Leah shook her head no and said, "Not even once."

Rachel said, "I still can't believe he ran off."

The comment immediately irritated Leah as her wolf bristled defensively. "Hodie did what he felt he had to do," Leah snapped. She still wasn't happy with Rachel or her gossiping mouth, and Hodie had already been a sore topic for Leah all day.

Kim asked, "Does he know you were hurt?"

Leah said, "Yeah, he knows. As far as I know, he thinks I'm dead."

Kim asked, "Have you tried to reach him?"

Leah "Of course. I tried to get him to stay and let us protect him, but he has been running for years. He did the only thing he knew how to do."

Kim asked, "What about your imprint? Is it causing you pain?"

Lead admitted, "Yeah. I miss him, and it hurts, sure. There isn't really much I can do about that, though." Leah still didn't want to think about the snap she had felt as she drove away from him on the night he took off.

Rachel scowled and said, "That's really fucked up." Leah glared up at her, meeting her eyes. "What? I'm sorry, Leah. It is," Rachel said. "I can't imagine running off on Paul like that, knowing how much pain the imprint causes."

Leah asked, "Hodie never knew that shit about the imprint. Rach, what the fuck would you do if getting close to people got them killed? What if you did leave to protect Paul and then believed he had been killed? Would you run back and endanger more people? If you barely knew anyone else but Paul, would you even consider coming back if you thought he was dead?"

Leah began to tear up and carefully handed Beth back to Emily. Leah had come close to spilling out her darkest thoughts about the situation. Hodie never saw the video. He never tried to contact her after finding out she had been hurt. His message to the Leech made it pretty clear he believed her dead, and he had not contacted anyone at all to make sure of it.

What if he never came back? Ever? Leah could feel the anxiety attack coming and reminded herself to breathe.

Jacob leaned into the living room doorway and asked, "Leah, honey, are you okay?"

"No," she snapped and stood, trembling. No, Leah was not okay.

Hodie thinks I'm dead. I have no way to find him. He could have left the fucking country for all I know. She rushed past Jacob and down the hallway to the bathroom, fighting back angry tremors like she had not felt in a month. Her wolf snapped in the general direction of the living room as if knowing where Rachel sat. The sound of Jacob bitching at Rachel over her big mouth made Leah laugh bitterly. She focused on her breathing to calm herself as she held onto the bathroom counter for support.

A knock on the bathroom door made her huff with irritation. "Give me a second," She said, a little harsher than she had intended. Leah carefully blotted her tears away with a tissue and sighed. She pulled the door open to find Rose leaning patiently against the frame. Rose stepped in and pushed the door shut before pulling Leah into a hug. Leah chuckled awkwardly when Rose's icy skin brushed against hers as she pulled away.

Rose asked, "You okay?"

Leah sighed and nodded. "Just hard knowing it is really over, and I'll probably never see him again."

Rose gave her a soft, sympathetic smile and said, "We don't know that, Babe. Besides that, he is kind of famous, right? I bet we could find him eventually."

Leah scoffed, shaking her head. "So what's up? I thought all of the Cullens were playing bodyguard until the wedding was over."

Rose said, "I am. I just … we were close enough to this corner of the house to hear what was said. I got pissed because you were upset, so I just wanted to check on you."

Leah chuckled and nodded again, unsurprised. "Yeah, that was Jake's sister doing what she does best," Leah said quietly. "Giving her fucking opinion when no one asked for it."

Rose grumbled, "Too bad she's human, or else I would slug her for you."

Leah laughed outright and said, "If she wasn't human, I would slug her myself."

Rose asked, "Will you be okay? I'm going back to my post, but I can send Quil in if you want?"

"No," Leah said a little too quickly, "It's supposed to be a good night. Quil worries about me enough."

Rose grinned and said, "That he does, sister. That, he does." She opened the door and was down the hall in a flash, letting the back door bang behind her like a gust of wind. Leah had no doubt Rose had done it on purpose, letting her anger at Rachel be known.

As Leah walked toward the back door, Charlie and Billy came out of Billy's room in nearly matching suits. She beamed at them, surprised as both looked more handsome than she had ever seen them. Leah hugged them both, with Charlie hanging on a little longer than usual.

Charlie asked, "You okay, kiddo?"

She said, "Yep. Just don't mention Hodie, and everything will be fine."

"Noted," Charlie said and smirked. He pulled his flask from the inside of his suit jacket, and Leah laughed as he handed it to her. She knocked it back quickly, nearly coughing as the alcohol burned down her throat.

Billy nudged his best friend and said, "Time to go, Chief. Get your ass in there and marry my cousin."

Charlie looked at Leah and said, "Getting bossy in his old age, ain't he?"

Leah laughed and tugged him toward the living room. She said, "Come on, Dad. You two waited long enough."

Most of the guests were already piled into the room. Rachel stared after Leah guiltily as she walked past. "It's fine," Leah said to her and hoped that would be the end of it. Sam had taken the seat next to Emily, so Leah chose to stand at Quil's side by the door to the spare room. His hand slid gently around hers again, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

The ceremony went over like a dream. Sue had been a vision in a simple, flowing dress. It was similar to Leah's in white and gold with a longer, fuller skirt and heart-shaped bodice. The vows were full of love declarations and inappropriate jokes. After a kiss that left Bella blushing and half of the imprints swooning, the ceremony ended with the happy couple surrounded by cheers. A few pictures were taken of them in their formal attire before the festivities began.

Before dinner, those who wanted them were given a shot of wild turkey to toast the happy couple. Even Bella and Seth had participated, though neither had been very impressed with the experience. A few guests were given a second shot before everyone filed into the reception area to fill their plates. Leah sighed as she realized Rachel was acting as the bartender for everyone and approached her cautiously.

Rachel was distracted and adjusting the skirt of her dress, the bottom of which had frilly, intentionally long, and jagged pleats. Leah silently admired it and stepped up to the make-shift mini-bar.

Rachel was startled as she looked up at Leah, and a nervous laugh fluttered from her. "Leah, I'm sorry," Rachel said sincerely. "I really didn't mean it the way it seemed."

Leah sighed heavily, holding Rachel's stare. She forced a smile and whispered, "Make me something strong that looks weak so that no one bitches at me, and we're good. How about that?" Rachel grinned at Leah conspiratorially and grabbed a cup for her.

Leah nodded toward the dress and asked, "You snag that from Bella's mall?"

Rachel blushed and said, "Yeah. My procrastinating ass waited until the last minute." Rachel then made Leah the strongest Caribou Lou she had ever seen. "Might want to take it slow," Rachel whispered as she slid the drink to Leah.

Leah guffawed and said, "Fuck that." Rachel laughed as Leah pulled a long drink through her straw and walked to her table. It didn't take long for Bella, Jacob, and Seth to join her. Jacob eyed her cup suspiciously, though he didn't comment. He held his beer up toward her. Leah rolled her eyes and played along, tapping it with her cup. She took another long drink and sighed.

Jacob asked, "You staying here tonight, Sis?"

Leah said, "That, I have not decided." She took a bite of homemade stuffing and moaned. "Bells, I miss your food. That's probably why I barely eat these days. Quil cooks like shit."

Across the room, Quil yelled, "Hey!" He finished filling his plate and sat at the table next to theirs, grinning at Leah. "See? Getting meaner by the minute out here," he said and winked at her.

Leah's belly growled loudly, and Quil laughed as she took another bite. "I guess the wolf missed it too," she said after swallowing.

Bella said, "Well, we really miss you around here, Leah."

"I don't," Paul said as he sat down by Quil. He shot Leah a brilliant smile and stuffed a piece of Turkey in his mouth.

They continued their usual banter, eventually joined by Embry and Angela. Bella observed them all silently, grinning between bites and content to be with her family. Leah had hoped to not feel so singled out about her appetite as Bella and Angela's plates were nearly half full when they finished. When Leah was finished, she passed her largely untouched plate toward Quil.

She asked, "Still hungry?"

He scowled as he took it from her, and she quietly warned, "Don't make a big deal about it."

Quil sighed and said, "Well, that's more than normal, at least. What did you do, take one bite of everything?"

Smirking, Leah said, "Not even. Ate that fucking stuffing, though." She took a drink and winked at her sister.

"Well, you did better than usual anyway," Quil said and dug into what was left.

"Hurry up over there, fucker," Paul said to Quil as he discreetly made dirty gestures at Rachel across the room. "We have shit to do." Rachel tried to scowl at him and failed, laughing and cradling her pregnant belly as she hurried toward the back door.

Quil said, "Aw, you made her ink."

Leah wasn't sure if he was quoting Finding Nemo or saying Rachel looked like a squid in her frilly black dress. Either way, she laughed so hard she had to lay her forehead against the table and catch her breath. Leah sat up as Paul, Jacob, Quil, and Embry rose from their seats and made their way to the band equipment. Leah's jaw dropped as Paul sat behind the drum set. She turned to Bella and said, "No way."

Quietly Bella admitted, "They have been practicing for weeks."

Leah asked, "When did Paul start on the drums?"

Bella said, "Since he was a little kid. He just didn't tell anyone."

"At least Jake's old garage has a purpose again," Angela cackled and winked at Leah. Leah could feel her face flushing as she groaned and turned her chair slightly to watch the boys play.

There were smiles to be had all around as they began. The sudden interest in country music now made sense as well. They sounded far better than most seemed to expect as distant relatives and family friends watched them play for the first time. Jacob and Embry had both improved a great deal. With Paul on drums, the effect was heightened, their overall sound improved. Charlie and Sue were called up to have their first dance, and Leah recognized the notes Quil had been practicing so diligently. Nearly everyone gaped in surprise as Paul began to sing one of their favorite songs.

How in the hell did I not recognize it when Quil was learning it? I've heard it a million times this year. Her eyes filled with happy tears as she watched Sue and Charlie stare at each other like there was no one else in the room. Leah glanced around at her loved ones, finding every set of eyes on Sue and Charlie except for one. Quil played his notes flawlessly without looking down at all. Instead, he watched Leah's every smile, noted every happy tear she brushed away. The adoration on his face was evident, his love for Leah on display for everyone to see.

The cheers and applause were thunderous when they finished. The pack looked back to the treeline and laughed as Emmett hollered and cheered for them. Leah spotted him up in a tree and cackled as she pointed him out to Bella and Angela.

The alcohol hit Leah like a bus as she stood. She pretended to keep watching the boys play until the lightheaded sensation passed and then carefully walked toward the drink area. As she approached, Leah said, "Another." Rachel grinned as she made Leah a second drink. What the hell? I'll play nice. "So," Leah said, "Paul can fucking sing. Who knew?"

Rachel handed her the drink and said, "Hey, I didn't fall for him because he's funny." Leah snorted, chuckling as she left the reception area and went into the house. She walked back to the bathroom, locked the door, and sat down to pee. Leah stopped mid-stream at the sound of her name in the nursery.

Emily's sweet voice carried through the wall as she asked, "Did you see those two out there? She looked so damn happy."

Sam said, "Yeah, she did."

Emily asked, "Do you think she knows?"

Sam sounded distracted as he asked, "Knows what?

Emily said, "That she loves him, too?"

Sam chuckled and said, "Now, Em, don't go poking. Leah has always known her own heart. I'm sure she is more than aware of her feelings for Quil."

Emily said, "I just worry about her. She's so sad about Hodie."

Sam said, "I don't know about Hodie. I don't know the guy, but I do know Quil. Hodie took off and left her in danger. He assumed she was dead instead of trying to check on her. Quil would never do that."

Emily asked, "Are you saying you like the idea of her with Quil more than Hodie?"

Sam said, "I just like the idea of her being happy. Considering the lengths that Quil has gone to just to make sure she is safe …"

Emily giggled and whispered, "I can't believe he has been getting dance lessons."

Leah gasped in surprise. I knew it. I knew that fucker was catching on too quickly. Why the hell would he lie about that shit?

As if answering her question, Sam said, "He didn't want to make a damn fool of himself when he asked Leah for 'em."

Leah thought back to Quil's insistence that she show him some steps. Did he really plan that shit? Where the hell had Quil even had the energy to get fucking dance lessons? He was at her side more often than not, even running back to sleep at the guest house when he didn't actually have to. Butterflies took flight in her chest, and Leah was at a loss for words.

Emily said, "I think it's sweet that he wanted to dance with her." Leah could practically hear her hopelessly romantic cousin swooning over the idea. Leah had to admit to herself that it certainly did seem like a romantic gesture in the grand scheme of things. Her head swam with the information as a distracted Leah washed her hands far longer than necessary. She crept from the bathroom quietly and fled the house, snatching her drink off the counter on the way.

The guys played a few more songs before taking a break, and someone's playlist was connected to the sound system. Guests danced, joked, and continued to pick at the food tables as with any other gathering. Charlie and Sue cut a pumpkin pie instead of a wedding cake, laughing about how Bella and Emily made better desserts than any $300 cake anyway. Later, Leah had a slightly awkward dance with Charlie as her mother danced with Seth. Leah and Charlie took another shot from his flask, noting that they somehow seemed less intoxicated than most of the pack. A large trashcan had already been filled by the pack with an abundance of beer cans, a detail that Leah and Charlie found far too funny in their inebriated state.

The instruments were packed and put away quickly when it began to snow. The tent sides were lowered and tied down to protect the dancefloor underneath. As temperatures fell, the space heaters were eventually no match for the bitter chill outside, and nearly everyone pitched in to clean up quickly. Paul announced he would be opening the bar for a few hours afterward, promising to continue covering drinks for any wedding guests.

Skeptically, Leah asked, "Really? It's snowing, and it's a major holiday. Are you sure you want to open the bar?"

Paul chuckled and said, "Lonely people still exist on holidays, Leah."

Bella shoved multiple wrapped pies in his hands and said, "Here. Let your lonely customers eat some pie." She laughed as she slapped an unopened tub of whipped topping on top of the stack and walked away.

Paul leaned down to Billy and grumbled, "Customers, hell. Our freezer." Billy chuckled as Paul put them on Billy's lap before pushing him out the door.

Leah searched for Quil and found him quietly staring into the fireplace in the living room. He looked up as she walked into the room and grinned.

Leah asked, "How drunk are you?"

Quil sighed and said, "Not drunk enough. We could probably drive back now before the roads get terrible, I guess."

Leah said, "I think I would rather stay here. We should go to Paul's for a bit."

"We're going," Jacob piped up from his spot on the sofa. "Bells, Angie, Embry, and me."

Incredulously, Leah asked, "Bella is going to the bar?"

Jacob laughed and said, "Seth is staying here to watch Sarah. He's going to sleep in Billy's room. Bella put clean sheets and stuff on your bed in case you decide to stay, too."

Leah asked, "What do you say, Quil? Wanna go?"

Quil gestured to her dress and asked, "You wearing that back out in the snow?"

Leah grinned and said, "Might as well get what I can out of it." Jacob left the room and returned with a black leather jacket, holding it up for Leah to put on. She turned up the collar and chuckled.

Jacob said, "You look like a punk rocking fairy."

Quil winked at Leah and said, "A beautiful punk rocking fairy."

Leah smirked, rolling her eyes as she tried not to laugh. She turned to Jacob and said, "I can not believe you are letting Seth babysit."

Jacob said, "As long as he keeps the tv down, she should sleep through the night just fine. He is gonna keep the house locked up tight while we are gone and let us back in when we get home."

Quil said, "Sounds like a good plan, brother."

Jacob said, "Of course it is. It's mine."