Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or anything else from the franchise. All characters belong to S. Meyers. All I own is my imagination.

Through The Fire of Enlightenment

Chap 1: The Heart That Bleeds No More

"I'll see you tomorrow. It's been some time and I need some air and to spend some time with my pack."-Jacob said, kissing Nessie on the forehead.

"No Jake, stay."-Bella said reaching out to him. He removed her hand from his arm and gave her a small, tired smile.

"Sorry Bells. I'll see you guys tomorrow. I want to hang outside it stinks in here. I'll just be on the grounds I'm not going home. I can't."-he assured her, sadly mumbling the last part to himself. It smelled so bad all around the Cullen grounds, but most of all inside the mansion. Jacob desperately needed some fresher air, and time away from leeches. He hastened his walk to get to the door when he felt a tiny hand grab his hand, stopping him.

"Stay."-Nessie said with a pout. And with that one word, Jacob's body went back over to the couch and sat down against his will. He buried his head in his hands.

"Nessie, please just let me have a few hours to myself with my pack. I'm not going anywhere."-he begged her with pleading eyes.

"I want you to stay with me."-she smiled. And with that Jacob had no choice but to stay.

"Can I just have one minute to myself?"-he shouted at her into his hands. Edward whooshed into the room with a disapproving look but didn't say anything. What could he say? He could see and hear in his head how exhausted and stressed out Jacob was. Jacob ignored him all together.

Bella frowned but Nessie went over and sat on Jacob's lap with her back to his chest, completely oblivious to his distress. She handed Jacob a book and he sighed and started reading it to her in a hoarse, tired voice.

Leah heard the exchange from her spot in the woods and could see it through the open window. She watched with a sad face as Jacob sat back frustrated and defeated. She could tell he wanted to tell them to leave him alone and go to hell before ripping the door off its hinges, storming out of there. But he couldn't. He was bound by his invisible leash and shock collar called imprinting. Cursing them all out meant hurting his imprint and he wouldn't do that. Jacob was newly imprinted so he was extra sensitive to the well-being and pull of his imprint.

Bella had the little leech three months ago and Jacob had been stuck in the house, glued to Nessie the entire time. He was still in love with Bella but his imprint was pulling on him tightly. He was newly imprinted so he freaked at the thought of her being out of his sight, unhappy or being away from her longer than it took to use the rest room. He was at the little vamp's beck and call and by extension, her family's.

Edward didn't want Jacob around and certainly didn't want him imprinted on his daughter, neither did Bella, but Edward new Jacob being there meant he had a pack of wolves to protect his family. Sam and his pack were waiting for the opportunity to kill them. It was selfish but what was he to do? Bella was happy that she'd managed to get everything: Edward as her husband and Jacob as her best friend despite him being imprinted to her daughter. All Nessie knew is that if ever she wanted anything all she had to do was look at Jacob and he'd move heaven and Earth to get it to her.

Leah had been silently observing the changes in Jacob over the last three months. She knew about imprinting of course, how could she not, but to actually see it happen in real time and see just how much it changes a wolf and snatches away all of his free will was devastating…and enlightening.

In reality, Jacob was nothing more than a lap dog to most of the Cullens. Namely Edward's little family. He wasn't welcomed by Rosalie who hated all things wolves nor Alice who couldn't see now thanks to the wolves' presence. Emmett felt threatened due to Jacob's larger size and power, but arrogantly assumed he could beat him due to being a vampire. He always had something condescending to say to the alpha wolf and was patronizing. The rest pitied Jacob, but they too were glad he was there because they knew they'd be worse off if he left. In all, they were selfish and inconsiderate of Jacob, his heritage, his pack, his time, his life, and his humanity. That's how Leah saw it and told them all just that at one time. Bella of course ran to Edward who yelled at Leah who cursed him out, then he ran to Jacob who cursed him out and instructed him to leave Leah alone.

Leah could barely stand to see Jacob become property to a halfling leech of all things. Bella's kid of all things! She thanked God every day that she wasn't cursed with imprinting and knew deep in her spirit warrior that she never would be.

She and Jacob didn't get along or hate each other at first. They just coexisted for the most part. He'd groaned and grumbled when she joined him. He didn't want to be alpha in the first place so when Leah of all people came to his pack he was annoyed. And, if she and Seth came then that means anyone could and Jacob would end up being alpha anyway despite trying to avoid it. Like clockwork Embry and Quil eventually managed to break free from Sam, who was busy with the two new wolves, Collin and Brady, and they've been their own pack since.

It had been five months since they became the Cullen's watch dogs to protect a pregnant Bella and now Nessie. Seth was the only one who wasn't completely repulsed. But eventually it got old even to him. Five whole months without living indoors, breathing fresh air, seeing their friends or families and not being on edge. Jacob was there because he loved Bella then Nessie, Seth was there because he idolized Jacob, Embry and Quil were there because Jacob was their best friend, and Leah was there to get peace away from a large pack and to get away from Sam and Emily.

Giving Jacob one more sad look through the window, Leah walked off into the dark night with a lot on her mind.

"Hey, where are you going?"-Quil asked, jogging over.

"I'm just going for a walk to get some fresh air."-Leah mumbled absentmindedly.

"Don't go far. And stay away from the border."-he said frowning. Leah looked thoughtful…too thoughtful. The kind that would have you wondering not really paying attention to where you were going. They no longer had that luxury.

Jacob's little pack now had to obey the invisible treaty line the Cullens had to follow. They couldn't go on their own land thanks to Bella! Or was it Jacob? Leah hated Bella with everything in her because she was truly and completely the cause for everything. Heck, even Edward left her at one time when he saw it was just too dangerous for them to be together! No, it was all Bella's fault…and Jacob's. Leah made sure they knew it.

For the first month or two in their new pack, Leah never let Jacob forget that he'd helped create this whole mess and displace them from their homes. He'd then remind her that he never asked her to join him in the first place and it wasn't his fault she was a genetic dead end. Once she calmed down from her anger and Jacob calmed down from his stress, they became friends. Eventually Leah really calmed down realizing Jacob wasn't really an alpha and so it was easier for her to finally adjust to being a wolf. They didn't have a patrol schedule, Jacob never alpha commanded them or gave orders, and Leah could go anywhere she pleased…within the Cullen grounds and surrounding woods. It was better than being in Sam's head.

Sam.

Leah had been walking for three hours thinking about everything that had happened in the last year and continued to double back to Sam.

She could smell the scent of Sam's pack strongly and realized she'd ended up at the border. Now that she was, she knew there was something she had to do. Her heart began to beat in her chest from anxiety. She was all alone and she needs to cross the border. There was a low growl and she looked to the right to see Jared in wolf form.

"I need to talk to Sam."-she said with her hands up. Jared barked and growled again with his ears back. Leah took a cautious step forward.

"I really need to talk to Sam Jared. Please."-she said urgently. Jared didn't know if this was a trick or an attack. He stopped growling and watched her, considering it. He went behind a tree and came back.

"Why?"-he asked suspiciously.

"None of your business."-Leah snapped. She knew he had a right to ask. She would've done the same but this was very personal. Jared watched her for a few minutes before nodding.

"Ok, but you go with an escort."-he added. She frowned. An escort to step on her own people's land.

"An esc-"-she stopped short when Paul came out glaring at her.

"Let's go."-he said shortly.

With a heavy sigh she walked on to La Push soil after five months of being gone. She missed it. With a heavy heart she walked the four miles to Sam's house with Paul growling at her from behind for most of the way.

L+L=L+L=L+L=L+L

When she got to Sam's front yard she readied herself. With a look over her shoulder at Paul who'd stopped with his arms crossed, she walked up the path to the front door.

"Thanks."-she thew to a confused Paul. It worked in disarming him but made him suspicious.

"Leah?"-Sam said having smelled her before he even opened the door. "What's wrong? What did they do to you? Are you bitten?"-he fussed as he looked her over. She rolled her eyes and slapped his hands away.

"I'm fine."-she huffed and he sighed relieved. He looked over her head for any sign of her pack. He looked to Paul who shook his head, signaling she was alone and Sam nodded. They stood there looking at each other awkwardly. Leah kept looking away and Sam just grew more confused.

"Can I talk to you."-Leah finally asked quietly. Sam's heart pounded in his chest and he nodded dumbly and stepped aside to let her in.

"Hi Leah."-Emily smiled cautiously. Leah growled.

"Let's go outback."-Sam suggested as he hurriedly moved Leah to the yard.

"So, what's up?"-he asked curiously. His heart was so loud it sounded like it was in his ears and his palms were sweaty. This is the first time Leah has voluntarily talked to him, sought him out, and wasn't scowling or growling at him in a long time. She took a deep breath and turned to him on the bench they were sitting on.

"Jacob imprinted on the leech,"-she started and Sam growled. She laughed which made Sam stop and give a small smile. "I was there to see it all. He went from stupid and kind of selfish but a carefree lovestruck teenage heartthrob, to a lost puppy being choked by a leash that wasn't even there." Sam nodded knowing exactly what Jacob was going through. She looked down for a pause before grabbing his hands. Sam yelped and jumped up not expecting it. Paul raced around to the side of the house but calmed down when he saw them laughing. He decided to stay and eavesdrop. If those two were laughing together then he had to know what was going on.

"Sorry. You just took me off guard."-he laughed nervously. Leah rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. She folded her hands in her lap. Sam's hand twitched wanting to hold her hand again.

"I hated you with everything in me. I hated you, Taha Aki, Emily, everything. And when I phased…."-she shook her head. "I didn't understand what was going on as a mere human but when I phased I learned about imprinting and all that crap. Although they said you couldn't help it I just didn't care, I didn't believe it. I felt like you didn't fight for me, for us, and went off into the sunset without a second thought. I never once stopped to really think about it."-she continued.

"Leah, you didn't know…"-Sam started but she put her hand up stopping him.

"After seeing Jacob's entire will snatched, stolen from him with just a look at a vampire I hated imprinting even more. But these last three months of watching him have to bend to the Loch Ness-"

"Loch Ness?"-Sam asked amused.

"Yeah, Bella's spawn."-she continued and he laughed. "Three weeks ago he wanted to go outside to stretch his legs but started panicking at the idea of not being right there beside her, it. You know, just tonight all Jacob wanted to do was go outside and hang with his friends, get some air and forget about worrying about his imprint for just a couple of hours and guess what?'-Leah asked, pursing her lips.

"What?'-Sam asked wearily.

"He couldn't. With just one word, one stinking 'stay' and Jacob was bound to the house. After three months of being at their beck and call, worshiping her, he finally wanted to come out of the house to hang with his pack and you know what the leech did?"-she asked and he shook his head but he knew. He'd lived it. "She told him to stay and read to her! Jacob, true alpha, descendant of Ephraim Black begged a leech if he could go outside and play with his friends and she denied him and made him read to her!"-Leah was disgusted as was Sam.

"Dang."-He mumbled. He had no idea of what was going on over at the Cullens' since the link was severed, but he never dreamed Jacob was such a house pet. Even though he too was an imprinted wolf, he felt for Jacob, pitied him. At least his imprint was a human.

"Yeah. I couldn't believe my eyes. Even after he begged Loch Ness didn't let him go. He yelled at her and immediately I could see the anguish on his face. He has no free will when the imprint is involved."-she said and her eyes glossed over with tears. Sam carefully scooted closer.

"Leah why are you telling me this?"-he asked confused, hesitantly grabbing her hand. She squeezed it.

"After seeing the way an imprint works firsthand I get it now. Like I really get it now. I never took the time to see it through your eyes. All that you went through and all alone. You had no idea what was happening and when you did you still had no one to talk to who could relate. You did it all by yourself. And then, and then you imprinted! Watching Jacob made me think of how terrified you must have felt and how torn you were between Emily and me. I always said you should've tried harder to fight it but if an alpha has to beg his imprint just to go outside then there is no way you could've fought the imprint let alone broken it."-she was crying now. She had so much anger inside for so long that realizing that Sam really did love her but just couldn't fight fate made her feel guilty. It also helped her to finally let him go.

"I really did try Lee Lee. I tried so hard but it hurt so bad. I ran to Harry to tell him what I was feeling and he was devastated. He and the council told me about everything the book of legends said about imprinting. They didn't tell when I first phased because they didn't want to freak me out and thought it wouldn't happen. Harry went to talk to Emily to tell her about the imprint and asked her to do the right thing and choose me as a friend."-he paused remembering how hopeful he was during that time. "Eventually he told me to stop fighting it because it would do more harm than good. She'd made her decision. I never wanted to leave you Leah. I tried so hard but I couldn't help it. I couldn't even tell you why I broke up with you and got with your cousin."-Sam said, crying. He was glad that finally, finally Leah understood what he went through and that he had no choice. If he did, he'd choose her in a heartbeat.

"Sam, I am so sorry for the way I treated you. I can't apologize from before I phased because how was I to know. But, for all the things I've said to you, done to you, thought at you, I am truly sorry."-she cried. He hugged her to him tightly.

"I'm sorry too Lee Lee. I can call you that now right?"-he joked. She laughed and sighed into his shoulder.

"I'm not there yet."-she mumbled and then they laughed. This was the first time they'd laughed together since his phasing and the first time they'd hugged since Emily. He was savoring every moment. Now they could begin to move on the right way and hopefully become friends again.

Paul leaned against the wall on the side of the house thinking about his own imprint. He didn't like his choice taken away but he didn't really hate imprinting like the rest. He never really knew it was like that for the others because Rachel wasn't like the other imprints which made it easier…he figures. He is imprinted after all.

AN: Hope you like! She…is…back! For real this time…maybe…hopefully. It's been years! For no reason at all I think sometime last week I just got back on here and read some of my stories. I was cracking up, crying and cringing. This short little diddle pop popped into my head in-between reading and I knew I had to write it. It feels weird to be back 0.0 Be patient with me as I find my footing and pray my writers block doesn't hit me again. That's right I've had writers block this whole time! Plus I just forgot I even wrote on here *looks at you sheepishly* I will finish SA and all my other stories. I'm determined even if I don't write on here ever again afterwards. For all of the reviews, messages, faves and follows thanks sincerely.

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…so I need you to read then I need you to review…or I'll breathe on you without a mask. Show of hands of who's sick and tired of this virus China, Bill and Melinda Gates and Fauci created? Don't believe me? Go research it and then go ask India how welcomed those three are after what they did to them *looks at you pointedly* If you're stressed depressed or suicidal please call friends family or a hotline or find something within your home to help you survive this madness.