"Leah you need to eat and sleep." Harry said in the Cullen's living room. She sat on the couch nodding. She hadn't slept in days and had barley eaten as well. She had lost over twenty pounds making her way too thin. Her skin was turning grey and her eyes began to sink.
"I imprinted on Embry, dad." Leah began to say. Harry held her hand in his.
"I heard… how do you feel about that?" Harry asked cautiously.
"I don't know." Leah began to cry but Harry wiped her tears away.
"Honey, it isn't something you should be crying about." He frowned.
"I know. I don't feel sad about it happening. I feel worried about how he is doing all the time. I can't eat and I can't sleep. He is so broken with the trauma and he can't see still. I don't know how to fix anything." Leah sobbed feeling helpless.
"Time and care will help him. There is nothing you can fix. You just have to be there for him." Harry spoke holding her hands.
"Baby I know you love him. And I know that you have loved him before this imprint happened. And I know how he felt about you. He chose you from the beginning. I know him, I have raised him. He is essentially my son and I know how he felt for you. You would have always been his choice. I think you were just more skeptical because you had been hurt before. He was always all in with you. You both saved each other's lives in that basement. Fate turned him into a human. Maybe, this is fate returning some kindness into your life and his? Maybe fate knew if he was human you could be together?" Harry offered smiling lightly at her.
"You really believe it was fate that made me imprint on him? That made him suffer like this?" Leah sobbed.
"I don't know Leah. All I know is it doesn't really even matter. Your destinies were flirting with each other for years. Meeting in California was not coincidence. Neither was you phasing or those vampires taking them all. Whatever the case if it was fate, coincidence or free will… he chose you at every turn. This imprint doesn't take away his choice in love… he chose you the moment he saw you." Harry sighed holding Leah's hands even tighter.
"You think him and I will be okay?" Leah sobbed asking.
"Baby girl… I think that he will marry you some day." Harry now sobbed knowing his daughter was in good hands. Leah hugged him into her.
"Really?" She choked out. She was all over the emotional scale… she was fearful, exhausted, elated, stressed and angry. He smiled at her.
"Now go upstairs and get some sleep." Harry smiled at her. Leah hugged her dad once more before going upstairs into the room Embry was in. All pack members that were in there left slowly when they saw her.
"Hey Lee." Embry whispered. She looked confused since no one had addressed her being there.
"I just could sense it. Hearing is stronger now since I can't see." He shuddered pulling on the blankets. He knew what she was thinking and answered her before she could even ask.
"You cold?" Leah asked walking over to his bed.
"Yeah one thing I hated about being a human." He sighed trying to get comfortable.
"I happen to know a nice werewolf who would be willing to be used as a heater." She smirked.
"That a fact?" Embry smiled in her direction and lifted the blanket for her to join him. She slowly got in bed and was careful not to hurt him. He roughly pulled her into him.
"Not fragile Lee. Just blind and human." He tried to smile but sadness was all over his face. She pushed her body closer to his in response.
"You need to eat Lee." He muttered, he could feel her in his arms and knew her body enough to know she was rapidly losing weight.
"I will if you eat too." She argued making him scoff.
"Deal Clearwater." He scoffed.
"Lee?" He asked as she started to close her eyes. She opened her eyes and nodded.
"Is it night?" He asked slowly. She slowly sat up.
"Yeah it's late." She answered. His face seemed shocked and frustrated.
"This shit of day and night not being able to see is fucking with me." He growled. She kissed his fore head in response.
"What can I do?" Leah asked.
"Stay here and sleep with me. Maybe I'll fall asleep too. I am fucked in my head Lee. I am fucked and can't see the vampire doctor who wants to heal me. I am fucked in the head not being able to see. I am fucking human now so I am essentially defenseless." He stuttered.
"You aren't defenseless… we are your protectors now. You have down enough of the protecting. As for being blind, I will be here for you to see." Leah reassured.
"Leah I am saying all of this is fucked up. But I feel better when you are here. I know I should not ask you since how we broke this off before… but I don't give a fuck. I am going to be selfish again and beg you to stay with me. I feel calm like my old self around you." Embry begged. She kissed his hair and hugged him into her. In her arms he slowly fell asleep and she did as well.
Hours passed as the stars in the sky shined. All was peaceful until Embry woke up abruptly sitting up panting. Leah was up in seconds watching him pant and tremble.
"Fuck… fuck… fuck…" He growled out as he started to hyperventilate. Leah realized quickly he was having a panic attack and couldn't see her. She grabbed his hand but he roughly pushed it away freaking out.
"Embry it's Leah. It's me. Embry please." Leah called out to him over and over. He grabbed her hand roughly and squeezed it. He continued to hyperventilate and cry at the same time. He slowly got a hold of it and released her hand. She grabbed it and squeezed reassuring him.
"Sorry." He shuddered wiping his face. She held him tight as he continued to cry in her lap. She had never seen him like this… so broken and vulnerable. Tears escaped her own eyes.
"Nothing to be sorry about. You've been through hell." She whimpered out as she felt his tears on her legs.
"Leah I…" He began before choking out a couple of sobs.
"What?" Leah tried to ask.
"Lee. I am having so many dark thoughts in my head. I am fucked up in my head." He spoke tears running down his face as he tried to look into her direction. Leah's heart broke seeing those grey eyes confess to that.
"I don't want to die Lee. But these thoughts keep running and running and fucking running through my fucking head." He gasped holding her hand even harder. Leah knew in that moment she had to be his protector. She had to help him and put her feelings aside.
"How I help?" Leah asked slowly.
"You holding my hand helps." Embry gasped trying to calm his breathing again.
"Okay. So how about every time you have these thoughts you squeeze my hand. I'll squeeze back and we can breathe out the bad thoughts out together?" Leah offered. It sounded cheesy to him but at the moment of his panic attack he didn't fucking care.
He squeezed her hand and she squeezed back. Together they exhaled all that was bad.
