Who is still with me? Now much farther to go, guys. How do you feel about how this story developed? Anything you are anticipating will happen? Leave your thoughts in the review section below. As always, I own nothing and the Twilight universe belongs to SM.

Leah woke late in the morning to a knock on the bedroom door. Bella's voice called out, "Leah. We have visitors. Come out for a bit?"

Warm and snuggled against a warm, broad chest, Leah sighed. She whispered, "It's probably Carlisle. I should kick your ass."

Quil chuckled and kissed her forehead. "When you can phase again, you can kick my ass all you want."

Leah groaned as they got up and dressed. Quil shot Leah a mischievous grin as she pulled on a new pair of leggings, the sleek blue material clinging to every curve like a second skin. She shook her head at him and warned, "No. Do not get any ideas about ripping these. These aren't cheap."

Quil leaned over to appreciate her backside and teased, "Don't worry, I won't." He reached out to slap her ass cheek, and she laughed as she finished dressing. Quil followed Leah into the kitchen, where Sue and Charlie were chatting with Bella. Sarah played happily in her new walker, scooting across the kitchen floor. Bella stood at the kitchen counter, chopping vegetables on her cutting board. Leah bent down to kiss Sarah on the head, and the nine-month-old squealed up at her. The high pitch of her voice made Leah wince and then laugh as Sarah shrieked, "Eeeeee."

"Hello, my sweet little monster," Leah said and sat down across from Sue and Charlie.

Quil said, "I'm going to run home and check on grandpa real quick." He bent down to kiss her cheek boldly. She shot a quick glance toward her mother and blushed. Quil said, "Bella, text me if you guys need anything before I get back."

Focusing on her task, Bella said, "Will do. Thanks, Quil."

Leah said, "Take my car if you want. Keys are in my hoodie from last night." Quil grinned and ran back to the bedroom to grab her keys before leaving through the back door.

Charlie chuckled awkwardly and asked, "So, what was that about?"

Sue watched her daughter suspiciously as Leah shrugged and said, "It's … complicated."

Sue said, "Hmph. Looks like it." She scowled in the direction Quil had taken, and Charlie chuckled at her.

What the hell am I supposed to do now? Leah had never been comfortable enough to admit anything to Sue about Quil in the past, and with good reason. Charlie had heard talk about her relationship with Quil. Sue, however, could only suspect. Quil's reputation around LaPush was similar to how many once viewed Paul. Paul was a flirt, a clown, and had no goals in mind as far as Sue was concerned. She had said more than once that she did not envy her cousin Billy for his eventual son-in-law. However, her opinion of Quil had improved somewhat after he had cared for Leah with such dedication. After everything that had happened in the last few months, Leah was exhausted with secrets. She's going to find out soon enough, anyway... Leah took a deep breath and blurted out, "Mom? You know what? We love each other. Me and Quil." She shrugged again as Sue gaped at her in shock. Leah smirked and said, "I know you at least suspected something, Mom. I'm not dumb, and neither are you."

Her voice was filled with concern and a touch of anger as Sue said, "You both have an imprint."

Leah said, "It doesn't matter."

Sue nearly shouted, "How can you say that it doesn't matter? What about Hodie and Claire?"

Leah said, "Quil doesn't want to be with Claire, and she is with someone else. Hodie thinks I'm dead and will probably never come back. Quil and I messed everything up once before. I don't want to lose him again."

Sue asked, "Again? So, when you and Quil spent all that time together last year, you were …"

"A thing," Leah said as she tried to remain calm. "Not technically a couple, but yes. We only hid it because of Sam."

Incredulously, Sue asked, "Yeah? I guess you two have decided you don't care about the rules the council put in place?"

Leah said, "You mean that Sam put in place? Fuck that rule."

Sue spat, "Leah!"

"No offense, but that rule is ridiculous and no, I don't give a damn anymore," Leah said. "Everyone else is fine with it, including Sam. Hodie even knows about my history. He and Quil weren't the biggest fans of each other, of course."

Sue asked her, "What if Hodie comes back?"

Charlie blurted out, "He will come back, Leah."

Leah looked up at Charlie suspiciously. She asked, "How do you know that?"

"Leah …" Charlie said and hesitated before continuing, "I got some alerts about Hodie I wanted to talk to you about."

Leah's stomach rolled with dread, yet her wolf perked up with interest. So little seemed to entertain the wolf lately, though it appeared to take as much comfort in Quil as Leah did. She asked it, What is going on with you? I know you are grieving, but I don't understand what you need anymore. How was she supposed to comfort the wolf when Leah could barely hear Hodie being mentioned in passing without wanting to cry? Focusing on the void that Leah felt in his absence only made the ache worse. Don't you understand that? I miss him, too. The wolf huffed at her and settled again, remaining silent. Leah thought It wouldn't kill you, you know? To guide me a little fucking bit?

Pulling Leah from her internal monolog with her unwilling spiritual counterpart, Charlie said, "Hodie has to come back to Port Angeles, Leah. Voluntarily, hopefully, but he is expected to comply."

Leah asked, "Why? What the hell is he being accused of now?"

Charlie said, "Right now, it is only for questioning, but it looks very similar to his past problems. Of course, it isn't like I can tell the Port Angeles PD to go looking for a vampire. Leah, do you know someone named Amara?"

Her stomach rolled again, and for a second, she could not breathe. Bella stopped chopping and asked, "Sis, are you okay?"

Nervously, Leah answered, "I'll be fine." She turned to Charlie and asked, "She is okay, right? Amara?" Leah thought of the night she caught Amara as she fell and of how tiny she was. She could barely defend herself against her abusive boyfriend, and, according to rumor, he hadn't been much bigger than her. A leech could dispatch her in a millisecond.

Charlie said, "I'm sorry, Leah. She was reported missing over a month ago. No one has seen or heard from her in weeks. Hodie was the last person she tried to call."

Leah yanked her phone from her pocket and pulled up Amara's number. She asked, "Who reported her missing? Amara doesn't really have anybody except Hodie. She does have an abusive ex. I offered to beat his ass, but she said no. In fact, I saw Amara the weekend I was attacked. Quil did, too. Hodie had already left town. Amara said she left the woman beater and gave me her new number that night."

Charlie said, "The police file only has one number for her that I saw. Her most recent employer is who filed the missing person report. Did you know she and Hodie shared a phone plan?"

Leah looked up in surprise and said, "No, but I bought his current phone. It is the same type as mine. They are both prepaid phones, and the receipt is in my glove box if you want it. Could that help trace him somehow? Track the phone itself or something? I'll report it stolen if that helps."

Charlie said, "There really isn't much we can do with a burner phone, Kiddo. If it was contracted, locked, and could have a locator turned on, that would be a different story. There is a lot of red tape with that kind of search, and no judge or district attorney is going to mess with that when there is no evidence of a crime. Besides, I don't think Hodie needs any extra help with getting in trouble. Seems to have enough of that all on his own."

Leah looked down at her phone and scowled. Flustered, she said, "Yeah, I wasn't thinking." Her mind was frantic, worrying about whether or not Amara was safe somewhere. Leah quickly sent a generic text, hoping to get a response. As the message failed to go through, she said, "That is odd."

Did Amara block me or something? Leah texted Quil and asked him to hurry back. It went through exactly as it should have. Oh my god, Leah thought. The Leech had my phone for days. Her mind was racing with a new list of worries. Has the tick gotten to Amara? Had it used my phone to find her? Did Amara know where Hodie was? Had she run off to hide or follow him somehow? Leah had always been oddly suspicious where Amara was concerned. How much more was there to their friendship that Leah hadn't been told? The memory of Hodie comforting a nearly naked Amara made her stomach roll. Her wolf snapped at her, instantly irritated by her suspicion. Again, Quil's warning came back to Leah like a slap in the face.

You don't fucking know him, Leah.

Leah searched her phone settings and was far past the point of frustration when she finally located the blocking feature. The others jumped when Leah gasped, and her phone slipped from her hand, clattering against the tabletop. She scrambled to pick it back up, hoping she had imagined it, but no. Amara's new number and the secondary number Hodie had used to contact Leah were blocked. If either had tried to send her anything in the last few weeks, it would not come through now, and the tick must have known somehow that Hodie planned to drop the old number if it only blocked one of them. Leah sucked in a sharp breath as she struggled to fight the panic attack she could feel building.

Leah yelled, "Goddamned Tick!" Her family looked over at her in surprise as she burst into tears. Shaking with anger, Leah could barely hold still enough to unblock both numbers. She scrolled back to her messages and resent the text to Amara, hoping like hell that Amara was alive and answered. Leah sent a generic greeting to both of Hodie's numbers. If he was using either anymore, she could only hope that he would respond.

As she struggled to breathe, her stomach rolled. Leah covered her mouth with her hand as it watered from nausea and ran for Billy's bathroom. She hung over the toilet and wretched to the point of pain. Though her stomach was empty, the impulse would not give. By the time the heaving finally stopped, her stomach cramped, and her throat hurt from the strain. The wolf circled and snapped at her in irritation as she tried to catch her breath. Leah felt dizzy, clammy, and weak. She lay down on the floor, letting the cool tile ground her. When the spinning finally stopped, she looked up to find Sue leaning over her with concern.

Sue asked, "Leelee, are you alright?"

My dumbass didn't even have the forethought to make sure the tick had not fucked with my phone. If Hodie doesn't think I'm dead, he at least thinks I probably hate him. Fresh tears burst forth, and Leah curled tighter up in a ball on the floor. Not for the first time, she wished she could just phase and flee.

Sue asked, "Honey, can you answer me?"

Leah choked out, "Please just leave me alone for a minute so I can calm down." She buried her face in her hands, shutting everything out around her as she focused on her breathing and the sound of Sue's retreating footsteps.

After a few minutes of absolute quiet, her tears and shaking finally ceased. Leah slowly stood and went to the sink to rinse her mouth and splash cool water on her face. She checked that the bathroom was back in spotless order before washing her hands and walking back to the kitchen. Sarah was now in Charlie's lap with a bottle, and Bella prepared another dish. She stopped what she was doing to slide Leah a can of ginger ale and a package of saltines.

Bella said, "It will help ease the nausea a little bit. I drank it often with Sarah, and I keep some in the house for the imprints, just in case."

Getting right to the point, Sue asked. "Is this still happening a lot?"

Leah forced a grateful smile at Bella as she opened the ginger ale and asked, "Anxiety attacks? Yes. They aren't all like that. The really intense ones make me sick sometimes."

Charlie asked, "What did you start yelling about, Lee?"

Leah immediately teared up again. Charlie's face quickly filled with worry, and she held her hand up to indicate she was alright. Leah took a deep breath and said, "The tick stole my phone. He had it for days. He blocked them both from contacting me. Amara and Hodie. That's probably why Hodie never answered me. I wonder how many messages I missed. What if he thinks I'm alive and just abandoned him?" Leah looked up at Bella and caught her quickly wiping away frustrated sympathetic tears.

Redirecting the conversations, Sue said, "I'm concerned about these anxiety attacks. What seems to help?"

Leah listed, "Silence, focusing on my breathing or holding one of the kids. Quil."

Charlie guffawed and asked, "Quil? Doesn't he piss you off all the time?"

Leah chuckled despite herself and nodded. She said, "Yeah, Quil. He pisses me off a lot, but I trust him. He always has good intentions at heart, you know? Sometimes he just hugs me and stays silent until I can calm down. It helps."

Sue asked, "Why only Quil? Wouldn't someone else be able to help the same way?"

Leah opened her mouth to answer and hesitated. It was a perfectly logical question, wasn't it? What was it about Quil that made his particular comfort so much better than anyone else? Even Hodie had not been able to comfort her the way Quil could, even though her relationship with Hodie had been far less argumentative. Hell, all Hodie and I seemed to do was work, eat, sleep, and fuck like rabbits. Leah shook her head, chasing away the memories.

"It's amazing to see, actually," Bella said, and they all turned to look at her. "Quil calms her so fast."

"Yeah, but he can set me off just as quickly," Leah said and chuckled. "Piss me off and make me laugh, all in the same second. It drives me fucking bonkers."

Leah glanced down at her cell on the table and scowled. She reached to turn it back on and glanced up to find Charlie closely observing her.

"It lit up a few times while you were in the other room," he said softly. "If checkin' it is just gonna upset ya …"

Leah reached over and wrapped her hand around his, and he chuckled. She said, "I'm tougher than I seem lately."

Charlie said, "Yeah, I've known that shit since you were four."

Bella shoved a baking dish into the oven and shut the door as she set the timer. She walked over to sit down as Leah finally opened her messages. Leah sighed, feeling relief and disappointment, realizing each had been from Quil. She sent a blank text to Hodie's number and hoped it would receive some sort of response. There was nothing else to do where he was concerned now except to wait. Leah gave Charlie the current number she had for Amara, and thankfully the conversation changed until Quil returned.

As he sat down, Leah asked if Quil remembered Amara. He described her appearance the day she had come to the club to talk to Tom. After explaining the situation, Quil reached over to rub her back soothingly and said, "Maybe they're hiding together somewhere for now, huh? We can always hope they are both safe, right?" Leah gave him a grateful smile and wrapped her hand in his, resting them together on her thigh.

Charlie asked Leah, "Do you plan to go back to work at the club?"

"I haven't decided," Leah said and leaned on her opposite elbow with her chin in her hand. "It doesn't feel the same anymore. Besides, I'm pretty damn sure Chelsea would prefer I didn't. She wasn't exactly thrilled to see me last night."

Quil said, "Yeah, I heard some of her and Tricia's fight."

Leah rolled her eyes and said, "I wondered what they were fighting about."

Quil said, "You. Well, us, actually."

Leah sat up straight, and in a harsher tone than intended, she hissed, "What about us?"

Quil narrowed his eyes at her and asked, "Are you gonna get pissy, or would you like to take a breath for a second?" Leah scowled at him for a moment, biting her tongue. Quil gave her a mischievous grin, and she couldn't help but laugh at him.

Leah said, "I hate you sometimes."

Bold as brass, Quil said, "You love me, though."

Charlie chuckled awkwardly and asked, "You gonna finish the story, son?"

Quil glanced up at a visibly annoyed Sue and grimaced, making Bella bark out a loud laugh. Sarah squealed happily at the sound, finally bringing a smile to the sour expression Sue had worn since Leah had admitted her feelings for Quil.

Quil turned to Leah and explained, "Well, it seems Chelsea, at least, thinks you were cheating on either me or Hodie with the other one. She thinks it's the real reason Hodie left. She also, apparently, thinks I'm the one that beat the hell out of you that night because she saw the bloodsucker behind the building when she left. The one you call Red did, too."

"I can't really blame her for any of those things," Leah admitted. "The tick did look like you, and Amara had told all the girls when Hodie and I broke up because of you. Half of them suspected I was a cheater because of that anyway."

Tentatively, Sue asked, "Did you cheat, Leah?" There was clearly disbelief in Sue's voice, but even being asked brought another scowl to Leah's face.

"Of course not. Hodie jumped to conclusions, and we fought over some misinterpreted texts from Quil." Leah shot Quil a glare and said, "I don't play games like that."

"Nope," Quil said in agreement. "Leah has always been a one guy kind of girl."

Is that supposed to be a challenge? He doesn't think I can be with them both?

Sue glared at Quil and asked, "So what are your plans, Quil? Are you planning to work out your imprint when you're done chasing my daughter?"

Quil leaned back as if she had slapped him.

Leah snapped, "Mom!"

Both women glanced over at Charlie for support, and he leaned away from them. Making a halo sign over his head, Charlie said, "Nope. Switzerland."

Quil said, "Sue, I never had bad intentions with Claire. I avoided her the best that I could for a long time. I messed up with her, and I know that, but I tried to keep her out of it all."

Leah said. "Until that night when Hodie and I fought."

"And then we fought," Quil admitted, nodding.

Sue asked, "Do you two understand why being together is a problem? How do you both plan to resolve everything?"

Leah whipped around to glare at her mom. "This stuff was already dealt with. It's old news. Literally, no one in the pack gives a damn if we're together. I don't patrol or phase anymore anyway."

Sue snapped, "Come again? When did you stop phasing, Leah?"

Leah winced, wanting to kick herself. Great, now I'll probably get more Carlisle comments. Leah begrudgingly admitted, "I can't. I haven't since Hodie left. I tried it like a week ago. It hurt like hell, and my wolf went apeshit. It doesn't want me to phase for some reason. I don't even really have the urge anymore. It disappeared weeks ago."

Sue snapped, "And no one has said anything to the council until now?" She scoffed, stood, and walked outside angrily.

To no one, in particular, Leah asked, "What the hell is her problem with this? She knew I wanted to stop soon anyway."

Bella said, "I think she's just worried. She's your mom." Charlie nodded in agreement, though he remained silent.

Leah stood and said, "Hmm, I don't think so." She went outside after her mother and found Sue sitting on the picnic table.

Leah sat next to Sue and asked, "Why are you so upset?"

Sue said, "You're choosing a difficult road for yourself, Leah. He is meant for someone else."

Leah snapped, "Bullshit."

Sue asked, "How do you expect he will stay faithful, Leah? Do you remember when Sam explained to you how impossible it was to fight it? Because I do. I remember your heartbreak, too. And, Quil? How many times have you made comments about the girls he chases after?"

Leah said, "I say a lot of shit when I'm jealous. I've said some pretty horrible shit about a lot of people, but you don't question my judgment about them."

"This is different, Leah," Sue huffed. "You don't normally fight your own common sense this way. It's not going to end well."

Leah said, "You don't get it, Mom. The whole reason I never told you about us is that I knew you wouldn't get it. I fought like hell to stop caring about Quil. I chose Hodie, and I stuck with that, but I never stopped loving Quil."

Sue said, "A month ago, you were in love with Hodie."

"I love them both. Hodie ran from me, mom. I begged him not to. Even if he was blocked on my phone, he could have called literally anyone else to check on me. There has not been as much as a peep from Hodie since he found out I got attacked. He didn't even try to find out if I was still alive. Quil has been by my side every single day. He has taken care of everything I have needed emotionally and physically while I was too fucked up to do it myself. He is the only person that has brought me any kind of comfort during this bullshit. He even ran back to the guest house after patrolling nights to make me feel safe. He could have stayed home or gone to the bar, but he came to me instead."

Sue argued, "That doesn't mean he won't still end up with Claire, Leah."

Leah said, "I know he might reconnect with Claire eventually. I'm not willfully blind, mom. Right now, neither of us want to be apart, and I would rather focus on being with him than without him."

"Have you and Quil actually discussed all of this?"

"The entire pack and half the imprints have discussed this," Leah huffed. "Everything came out in the open the day Sam beat the hell out of Quil over me."

Sue shook her head in confusion and said, "You mean Claire? I was told Sam beat Quil's ass for fooling around with Claire."

Leah rolled her eyes and said, "No, mom. He got in Quil's face over Claire, but Sam didn't hit him until Quil admitted he was in love with me."

Sue shook her head in disbelief and rubbed her hands over her face in aggravation. Before she could start another string of complaints, Leah rushed out, "We have spent the last year wasting time hurting each other because of the inevitable imprint bullshit. I was already with Hodie when I found out about Claire, and it didn't hurt any less. Right now, Claire doesn't want anything to do with him. Her dad forbade Quil to see her, even if she did."

"Can't really say I blame him," Sue said and scoffed. "She's only sixteen, and look at his reputation."

Leah rolled her eyes. "I have some bad news for you, mom. I was definitely banging Sam at sixteen, and we all know the entire town was wrong about Sam and the boys being on drugs. Reputations around here aren't worth much, and they're usually nowhere near the truth. If you knew half the shit you think you know, you wouldn't like my fucking reputation either. Jacob and Embry both had a baby on the way at seventeen. Seth runs around with potheads. Jared, Paul, Embry, and Sam's parents all abandoned them in one way or another. I had more to do with raising Seth for a few years than you and dad did. Every one of us has had to grow up too fucking fast around here. When was the last time you took a good look at us, mom? Does Quil look nineteen? Do I look twenty-one to you?"

Sue asked, "Why do you think I'm worried that you stopped phasing? You could be cutting years off your life by stopping now, Leah."

Leah leaned away from her mother, glaring at her as she asked, "You would rather I stay miserable than give up four or five measly fucking years?"

Sue snapped, "It's more than that, Leah. It's your youth, your health, and your ability to protect yourself … Do you know how much you could accomplish? If it wasn't for the wolves' healing abilities, you wouldn't even be alive right now."

"This shit is all a moot point, mom. If the wolf doesn't allow it, I can't phase. I don't know what the hell you expect me to do about it," Leah huffed.

Sue asked, "What if it's because Hodie is gone? What if his absence is why you can't phase now? What do you plan to do if he comes back and you start phasing again?"

Leah didn't know how to answer these questions. She hadn't even considered those possibilities until Sue asked. Could that even happen? None of the other wolves had been separated from their imprints long enough to know. Jacob and Bella had taken a break for a few weeks, but he spent half of that time curled up in the woods behind her house. None of them had their imprint run so far and so fast that they literally felt their connection snap, either. Quil once asked if Leah's imprint with Hodie might have been broken. If it hadn't, what else could that have been? The wolf was obviously still interested in hearing about Hodie, but other signs of their connection had been lost. The body aches, the severe depression, and difficulty healing had all improved since more of her real memories had come back. It was the anxiety, nausea, dread, and occasional holes in her memory that lingered.

After a long silence, Leah said, "I don't think he will unless he realizes I'm not dead somehow. Even then, after the attack, I'm not so sure he would risk it. If he does … I will have to figure it out when the time comes, just like everything else."

Sue said, "Honey, you heard Charlie. He will come back to the area. He has to."

Leah said, "Then I guess we will see if he decides to seek me out when it happens. It doesn't change what I want."

Sue scoffed and asked, "You're really determined to take this path? Go through all this trouble to be with Quil?"

"Yes," Leah insisted stubbornly, "I really want to go through all this trouble to be with Quil. You don't understand how much he loves me at all. Hell, I barely understood it. Over the last month, he has been everything I have needed him to be or better. He knows me better than I ever realized, and he tries really, really hard to just keep me happy and safe." Leah teared up explaining this, wanting her mother, of all people, to understand what she had only recently realized for herself. Quil loved her without condition despite her many flaws and had been breaking his back to prove it. "Hodie ran from me, mom. He shut me out. Quil runs to me. I come first for him, and not even the imprints have changed that."

Sue said, "You don't have to love him just because he loves you, Leah."

Tears escaping, Leah snapped, "That is not what I'm doing. I loved him already. I just didn't realize until recently how much he actually loves me." Leah stood and wiped the tears from her face, shaking her head.

Leah said, "I don't want to fight with you, Mom. I refuse to do that. This is my choice, no matter who likes it or doesn't. I'm getting a loan from The Cullens and having a house built out here."

Sue looked up at Leah, wide-eyed with surprise. "When was this decided?"

Leah said, "I've thought about it for months but only discussed it with Rose in detail yesterday. I would be closer to work, the pack, the kids. All of it."

Incredulously, Sue asked, "The kids?"

"Yes. I'm supposed to start spending a couple of days a week helping Bells with all the kids soon. I told you that months ago," Leah said and rolled her eyes. She doesn't listen to a damn thing I say. "If my place is nearby, I can be there quicker or just watch them at my house altogether so she can get a real break once in a while."

Sue asked, "How does Quil feel about that?"

Leah scoffed and asked, "Why would Quil give a shit? Everyone in the pack knows what my plans are for helping Bells with the kids. The pack does actually discuss these things. They may not always like it, but my opinion matters. Even Paul cares about my happiness."

Holding her hands up innocently, Sue said, "Just asking."

It was such a Charlie mannerism that Leah couldn't help but laugh. Leah softened her tone as she asked, "Please just give him a chance? Try to put aside all the preconceived shit and just … watch."

Sue smirked and asked, "What am I watching for?"

Confident that it was the truth, Leah said, "You'll see it. How much he loves me, mom. Forget all the shit you think you know about him for a second."

Sue interrupted, "Honey, I saw how much Sam loved you, too. Loving someone doesn't make the problems go away. You understand that, right? I am your mother. I will worry about you whether you like it or not."

"I get that. I get what you're saying more than you would ever guess. I'm not saying there are no risks or whatever, but I want to be with Quil anyway. I have been fighting myself about this for months. Instead of worrying, could you just try to enjoy letting me be happy for a little while?" Leah's voice broke as she choked out, "Do you not understand how miserable I have been?"

Sue stood and embraced her daughter, hugging her with more strength than Leah recalled her mother having. Sue said, "I love you. Of course, I want you to be happy. I still don't like this, to be clear. If Quil wants me to believe he won't break your heart, he's going to have to work really hard to prove it. Don't make me turn him into a bad smell in the attic, Leah."

Leah burst out laughing at the threat, trying to visualize Sue being remotely violent. Wiping away tears, Leah said, "If you were going to do that to anyone, it would have been my dad like ten years ago."

Sue pulled back and gaped at Leah in surprise before biting back a laugh. She said, "You're probably right."

Leah took another step back from Sue, silently scrutinizing her mother for a moment. It suddenly hit her what she could say to make Sue understand what Quil meant to her. Leah said, "Quil is my Charlie, you know?"

Sue scowled, looking almost offended as she asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Leah said, "He gets me. He protects me. Quil calms me when everything becomes too much for me to handle by myself. He chases the bad shit in my head away. He loves me, mom. Unconditionally. Quil saves me. He is my safe space. Hodie was supposed to be my forever, but I love Quil, too. I don't want to wait twenty years for my Charlie." Sue's face fell for a moment, and as she teared up, Leah knew she had finally hit her mark.

Sue hurriedly brushed tears away and sighed. She nodded at Leah and said, "You're an asshole, you know?"

Leah grinned and wrapped her arm around her mother. She turned Sue toward the house and grumbled, "Yeah, well, you raised me."

By the time Bella had supper done, Jacob still had not returned home. He called and told them to go ahead without him as he was helping Paul put new boards down on Billy's wheelchair ramp. Bella had only grinned as she set aside three plates of food, covered them, and put them in the oven to stay warm. The rest ate together peacefully, avoiding serious topics where they could and laughing over Sarah's enthusiasm with her food. Quil shocked the hell out of Bella when he began cleaning up after dinner without being asked, insisting she left him the mess.

Leah chuckled as Bella shot her a curious look and said, "He helps me with this kind of stuff all the time now, Bells."

Quil said, "Hey, I'm pretty positive I've matured a bit over the past month."

"I'll say," Bella teased him, and he snickered. She stood on tiptoe to press a peck to Quil's cheek and said, "You're still my favorite cousin, Quil."

He snickered as he loaded the dishwasher and said, "I'm your only fucking cousin, Bells."

When Jacob finally got home, Paul and Billy were with him. Bella retrieved their plates from the oven while they gathered at the table with the others.

"I heard you got to keep Sarah last night," Billy teased Charlie as he got situated at the table.

Charlie chuckled and said, "Yep. Pops is tops, remember?"

Billy said, "Better soak it up, Pops. Once I move here, I will be the favorite for a while."

Charlie teased back, "Just because you both prefer bottles and naps does not mean you will be her favorite." Jacob crowed with laughter, making Sarah cackle with him. Even Quil turned to grin at the child.

Bella said, "It does not matter that she has no idea why he's laughing. If Jake laughs, she does."

Jacob grinned down at his daughter and said, "Cos she is my baby girl, huh, Sarah?" She squealed happily at her father, holding her hands out for him to pick her up.

Charlie asked, "How long until the twins get here, Paul?" Quil rejoined them at the table next to Leah, and his hand found hers, again resting them clasped together on her thigh.

Paul said, "Eight weeks or so, but her doctor said twins often come early. If she can hold out for about a month, everything should be fine."

Sarcastically, Billy said, "If she doesn't murder you first."

Jacob said, "No kidding. She was scary before pregnancy hormones. Paul could not even breathe right as far as she was concerned today."

Paul laughed and said, "Every day, bro. Whoever said imprinting was supposed to be a perfect match was full of crap."

Leah smirked at her mother, and Sue rolled her eyes. Paul glanced down and spotted Leah and Quil's hands. He grinned at them mischievously and asked, "Do any dancing last night, Leah?"

Leah laughed as Quil smacked his knee against Paul's as a warning. She said, "No. Just was not the right atmosphere without your nosy-assed interference." Billy's laughter was enough for Leah to realize Paul had already told Billy about setting them up at the bar.

Annoyed, Sue nudged Billy with her elbow and asked, "Do you have to find out everything before I do?"

Billy teased, "I'm older, Susie. Learning things first is just how it goes."

"Bologna," Sue said but grinned at her favorite cousin anyway. She glanced at Leah before asking Billy, "Are you not concerned at all?"

Billy pursed his lips and shook his head no. He said, "The kids will all stop phasing eventually. Taha Aki's second wife was his imprint, but he loved his third wife best. Sometimes," Billy nodded at Charlie before looking back at Sue, "fate has different plans than we think. Sometimes we have to let go and move on. Sometimes people are just meant to be, even if it isn't forever. Sometimes lovers become different people and grow apart. Sometimes those we love choose someone else or choose not to stay. Sometimes, an illness or a drunk driver takes them away. Sometimes," Billy added as he glanced pointedly between Charlie and Sue, "we wait as long as it takes to finally be with the right person." Charlie cleared his throat awkwardly, and Sue chuckled at him.

Leah looked at her sister and shook her head, annoyed that Billy's opinion had gotten farther with Sue than her half-hour argument had. "Bells, next time I have to admit something, remind me to just ask Billy to do it."

Billy grinned and said, "I'm not the Chief for nothing."

The others did not stick around much longer, and Bella went about her nightly routine to get Sarah to sleep. Quil decided to go to bed since he had patrol in the morning, and Leah followed behind him. She undressed and crawled into bed next to him happily, hoping like hell that Sue was wrong and she would not regret the choice she had made. Charlie warning Hodie would eventually return filled Leah with longing and anxiety.

If Hodie comes back, he won't be able to hide in La Push if he is considered a suspect. He would have to go to Port Angeles. Would he be brave enough to stay there? Will he expect me to come running to him? More importantly, would she be able to keep from doing so? Her wolf quickly became irritated with the endless what-ifs and shifted around uneasily.

What are you hiding? What are you so determined to keep me from by not letting me phase anymore? There had to be a reason besides just missing Hodie. Nothing was ever that simple for Leah. The wolf snapped at her questions, making it clear it had no intention of giving anything away. It curled back up into a ball inside of her and growled another warning.

It's as if it is guarding something priceless, she thought and rubbed her still full, hard belly. Leah finally pushed her thoughts away as Quil pulled her back against his chest and softly kissed the back of her neck. It didn't take more than a few languid caresses and his mouth on her skin for Quil to have her in a frenzy, begging for more. He seemed to need her just as much, slowly teasing his shaft across her slit from behind. When he slipped between her wet folds but didn't enter her, she growled in frustration. Quil chuckled softly into her ear and shoved her onto her stomach. He braced himself over her and continued the slow, torturous thrusts, though he still did not push into her.

Leah moaned as he pulled at her hair, and she arched back toward him. "Quil," Leah warned sharply, "I swear if you don't stop poking around and fuck me already..."

Quil burst out laughing and reached between them to position himself. Leah sucked in a sharp breath as the head of his cock pushed into her warm center. Though still somewhat painful, her body was adapting to his size. It didn't take as long for Quil to rock his full length into her, and she cried out as she sheathed him to the hilt. Leah whimpered as he resumed his torturous pace. She growled again as he suddenly pulled out and kneeled.

"Turn over," he said firmly. The command sent a shiver through Leah, and she turned onto her back. Quil lifted her hips, wrapping her legs around his waist. Quil looked down to watch his cock slowly disappear into her body. Leah sighed, lifting her hips higher to meet him as heat flowed through her.

"You feel so fucking good," Leah moaned as Quil increased his pace just a bit.

"Look at me, Leah," Quil said. Leah opened her eyes to stare into his as he plunged into her. She threw her head back and bit her lip to keep from yelling. Quil leaned down and slid his large, warm hands up her torso. He caressed her breasts for a moment before continuing upward. Quil gently gripped the back of her neck in one hand, directing her attention back to his face. Leah scraped her nails up his back, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he moaned.

He said, "Mmm, don't rush me, baby. This pussy feels too fucking good." Quil grinned down at her wickedly as he locked eyes with her again. The emotion she could see in his face cut through her very soul. He continued his slow but powerful rhythm, caressing her body with his free hand while avoiding the places he knew would get her off quickly. She felt so full, so warm and alive. Leah was drowning in him, in the waves of both love and lust that engulfed her. Her eyes filled with tears, and she tried to blink them back.

"I love you, Leah," Quil said. The declaration should not have caught her off guard, though it made her breath catch as her heart leaped into her throat. It wasn't as if he had never said it before. Quil had insisted he loved her many times. Never, however, in the throes of such intimacy, buried into her body and torturously creeping toward release. This wasn't just sex for Quil. He was worshiping her. Cherishing. He was inside of and around her, engulfing and overwhelming her.

Her tears spilled over, and she said, "I love you too, Quil."

Quil grinned and let go of her to lift her legs to his shoulders. He snatched her roaming hands and pinned them down above her head, pinning her knees to her chest. The position change made him hiss as he resumed pumping into her. Quil dramatically increased his pace, and Leah whimpered with every inward thrust reveling in the pleasure and pain of it. The combination of emotions and physical sensations chased away any coherent thought Leah still had. Quil leaned in to press his lips to hers, and despite the burning strain of her thighs, Leah returned his kiss passionately. She began whimpering into his mouth as her whole body trembled. Her knees squeezed his shoulders, and her inner walls clenched around his cock as she came. Her orgasm washed over her in a rush that left her seeing stars, exhausted, and out of breath. The intensity of it made her accidentally push him out of her as he came, and he spilled out over her folds instead. They groaned and chuckled softly, knowing it was neither the first nor probably the last time it would happen. Leah carefully lowered her legs as Quil stood shakily, love drunk.

"Try to, uh, not move much," Quil instructed, chuckling and still breathing hard. He put his shorts on quickly and pulled the door closed behind him as he left the room. Quil returned a minute later with a warm, wet washcloth. Before she could object, Quil crawled over her and gently removed the sticky mess. He looked up into her flushed face and laughed as he tossed it into the hamper.

"Uh, thanks," she said as she pulled down the corner of the fitted bed sheet that had somehow been yanked from the mattress. He left the room again as she finished fixing the bed linens. Leah was about to crawl back into bed as he returned with a bottle of water and muffin in hand. He offered her each and chuckled as she only accepted the water. They sat on the edge of the bed while he ate.

"God, I want a cigarette right now," Leah groaned.

Quil smirked and shook his head at her. He said, "Don't expect me to start enabling you all the time."

Leah asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"

His mouth full, Quil pointed at the top dresser drawer. Leah walked over and pulled the drawer open to find a new pack of cigarettes and a lighter waiting. She sighed happily and grinned back at Quil before yanking her clothes back on.

Quil said, "You snuck out to smoke at the club, and I figured if you wanted one bad enough to risk it, you might as well have some for backup. I got those after checking on grandpa."

Leah thanked him and packed the cigarettes before pulling just one from the container. Quil followed her outside and sat on the steps with her again. He told her about visiting Old Quil and picking up around the house while he was there. Leah offered to start helping him out when she could. She had helped clean Billy's for Bella numerous times and did not mind keeping house.

When she was finished smoking, Quil took her hand in his and held the door open. It didn't take long for either of them to fall asleep with her face pressed against the side of his neck and his warmth soaking into her side.