Leah entered the house and closed the door behind her. Her body was numb. Partly due to the cold, partly to what she had just witnessed. She wasn't ready to go to back to bed yet. If Bella was as menacing as Rosalie had implied then her rendezvous with Sam was dangerous. The two people she hated most in the world meeting in private, in the early hours of the morning, was too much of a coincidence to not involve her in some way.

Sam wanted her back and everyone knew it. It had reached the pathetic level a long time ago. Emily was nothing more then a conquest for him but he hadn't planned on getting caught. At first he acted as if it was Leah's loss, like he had "upgraded" as he once said, making sure he was within her earshot. Then, when Leah and Embry had started dating, things got messy. Sam started drinking. A lot. He started fights, made accusations, was a jackass all round. But when Embry moved in it all fell apart.

On Sue's final Sunday in the Clearwater house, before she moved into Charlies, they decided to have a family barbeque. Seth, Charlie, Embry, Leah and Sue were all in attendance. It was a farewell of sorts as well as a new beginning for the soon-to-be unsupervised Clearwater children. The men worked the barbeque. Charlie, with a beer in hand, the two minors, a soda. Sue and Leah, spent an hour or so in the kitchen together making their side dishes and reminiscing about the times Harry would pull out the old barbeque and spend over an hour getting it started. It was a happy affair overall, with a touch of sadness, as to be expected. The day turned quickly, however, when an uninvited guest turned up.

They heard him first. He had stumbled into the back yard, bottle in hand, as he started screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Sho what?" He slurred "I'm not part of you guys's family party now? No invitation for old Sammy? Four years, Sue. Four years and then POOF! All's gone 'cause of some stoopid mistake."

Sue had held Leah back as she picked up the large chopping knife she was using for the vegetables. Embry walked towards him, his hands up as a gesture of peace.

"Whoa, you've had one too many Sam. Best I take you back to your place, okay?"

Sam's fist connected with Embry's jaw a split second after he finished his sentence. Embry fell back, stunned. Charlie's police training kicked in and he had Sam face down on the ground in seconds with his hands behind his back. Leah dropped the knife and ran out to Embry to make sure he was alright.

As Charlie helped Sam to his feet, hands still secured behind his back, Sue walked up to him and stood within an inch of his large frame. She was much shorter than him and yet her presence added inches. Her voice was low and controlled, laced with venom as she spoke.

"You're as bad as your scumbag father, Sam Uley. You stay away from Leah and away from my family unless you want to end up in a cell like he did."

Charlie fought to hold down Sam's arms as he tried to break free, no doubt to give Sue a cracked jaw just like he had done for Embry. His dad was a very touchy subject as after months of trying to locate him, with Leah's help, they had found he was in a prison cell. Leah almost flinched at the cruelty in Sue's words but her anger outweighed any sympathy she had for him.

The look on his face was of pure hate as his nostrils flared and he tried to slow his breathing. He knew better then to pull anything with the Chief of Police holding his arms behind him. Instead, he turned to look at Leah as she nursed a pain stricken Embry in her arms. A snide grin fell across his lips as he called out to them.

"Hey Embry, just remember, all that stuff she does for you? She learnt it from me. When she's sucking your cock, that thing she does with her tongue right near your...ARGHH!" he cried out. Charlie had managed to bring him to his knees with a move too quick for Leah to even notice.

"You're under arrest Sam Uley, anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law..."

Charlie continued to read him his rights. Sue helped get him in the car. Seth and Leah took Embry to the hospital. The food they had spent the best part of the day preparing sat out in the sun, untouched and wasted. Their last family dinner together was ruined.

The memories were still fairly recent. The wounds, at least, were still fresh. Sam had apologised formally to Embry, Leah and Sue individually. He also made a spectacle of his public apology which was at the request of the tribal council. They still saw him as having great potential and gave him allowances they wouldn't give others for some reason. The apologies were accepted to keep within the council's good graces. Embry and Seth were still protective of Leah around him but for the most part they just avoided one another as much as possible in a place as small as La Push.

Now though, this was different. Bella would know all about Sam, information probably provided innocently by Jacob. If she was trying to get her where it hurt, Sam Uley would be a pretty good place to start.

Leah realised she had been leaning against the front door for a good five minutes as she relived the memories of Sam's gatecrashing. She made her way towards the couch to sit down when she heard a door open. She sat down quickly and listened to the heavy footsteps coming out of Seth's bedroom. He dragged his feet along the hallway and into the kitchen. When his face appeared she saw his eyes were still pretty much closed as he made his way straight to the fridge. She sat perfectly still, hoping he wouldn't see her. After rummaging around for a minute or two he emerged with a plate in hand and placed it on the counter. Opening a loaf of bread, he started to build a sandwich of leftovers. She swore she saw him put a whole roast potato in it and exhaled with disgust. His eyes flashed up to meet with hers.

"Jeez Leah, why are you sitting in the dark being a creeper at three in the morning?" He asked sleepily through squinting eyes.

She jumped to her feet shh-ing the boy as she made her way towards him.

"Keep your voice down, Bre is asleep. What are you doing making a three-course-meal in a sandwich at three in the morning?"

He smiled his goofy, gleaming smile at her and squished his sandwich down into a more reasonable size. Potato, meat and pumpkin spilled out over the sides as he put some gravy on the plate like a dipping sauce. Cutting the sandwich in half, he held up one side and offered it to her proudly as she recoiled and scrunched her face up. He rolled his eyes at her and grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her towards the couch. Disappearing for a second, he returned with a blanket that he wrapped tightly around her. He then pulled the large oil heater in front of the two of them and turned it on as he placed his sandwich on the table to his side.

"You're freezing Lee. You feel like death. Look it too."

Plonking himself down next to her, he inhaled half of his giant sandwich in only two large bites.

"I really wish you'd chew occasionally Seth."

He rolled his eyes again and placed the plate back down to focus on her.

"Can't you give the 'mom' act a rest for even a little bit?"

She really couldn't. She was so protective of her little brother and although he wasn't so little anymore she still felt that she had to look after him. Sue had left them together in confidence. Had it been just Leah and Embry she knew there was no way they would be sharing the house alone. Seth needed Leah just as much as she needed him. The both knew it. Neither ever said it.

"What's wrong sis, honestly? We're alone now, just tell me." He begged.

Although the directness of his question startled her, she knew there was no point in lying to him. He could usually tell when she was anyway.

"I'm not sick Seth. I found out something I shouldn't know and I can't tell anyone about it."

"You can tell me. You knowyou can tell me."

"Its not that I don't want to kid but I can't have something like this weigh on your conscience too. It's something I have to sort out"

Some sort of realisation filled his face as he kept his head down and quietly mumbled his next question.

"Are you sure you're not sick?"

"Yeah, why? What, you'd rather I was sick? What's up with the sad face?"

He looked like he was choosing his wording carefully as he continued to stare at the floor below him.

"Embry thinks you're pregnant." He finally answered. "He was so excited about it he almost had me convinced. At first I wanted to rip his head off for getting my sister pregnant so young, but he was just so enthusiastic, and genuinely happy that I…I just couldn't help but hope maybe it was a good thing after all."

Leah wanted to cry. She remembered all the things from the past week that now made sense. The cooking, extra effort in cleaning, everyone suddenly being concerned for her health, Charlie insisting on her picking up some leftovers, Sue making her favourite meal.

Sue.

"Shit, Seth, please don't tell me mom thinks I'm pregnant?"

He looked at her with his eyebrow raised.

"Are you joking? Embry wouldn't be walking if she thought he knocked you up."

She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, good."

She relaxed into the couch and saw Seth had returned his eyes back to the ground. He seemed to be taking the news harder then she expected and she wondered exactly how long they had accepted this theory. She put her hand on his leg and looked at him curiously. He lifted his sad eyes to her and forced a small smile to cross his lips.

"Kinda sucks. I would've been a great uncle you know."

Leah couldn't help the smile that fell across her own lips. She grabbed him towards her and forced him into an overly tight hug.

"You willmake a great uncle kid, just, give me some time okay? And by some I mean a lot."

She squeezed him harder and he cried out.

"Oww Leah, get off."

"Weakling." She said jokingly as she released him from her grip.

He pretended to be annoyed for just a second before smiling a 'thanks' at her.

"You have to tell him Lee."

"I know."

"Don't let him know I told you though. We've been getting on pretty well lately."

"I won't"

That was something she would have to add to her list of 'why my life sucks', to deal with later. He pulled some of the blanket from her side to draped it across himself. He squashed himself against her cold body and she used his arm to rest her heavy head. She was surprised to notice it was hard and solid. Her scrawny little brother had bulked up a bit.

"Whoa, you've got some guns there."

"It took you long enough to notice." He said as his face broke out in his typical goofy grin. He proudly flexed for her and rolled her eyes at him, pulling his arm back down so she could use it as a headrest once again. They sat in an easy, comfortable silence for a few minutes more before Seth attempted his concerned brother role once again.

"So...this thing that's upsetting you, does it have something to do with Embry?"

"No Seth."

"…Jake?"

"Seth, I'm not talking to you about this."

Jakes name had struck a nerve. Seth was smart, just like their father. They were both too observant for their own good and they did it in such a way that they would let you think they weren't paying any attention. He wasn't completely to blame though. She never was good at hiding her feelings. Her father would always tell her that.

Your eyes talk more than you do Leah. They tell me all I need to know, sometimes without asking a single question.

Both Seth and Jacob seemed to know this better than anyone else. Sam hadn't seen it, Sue still misinterpreted something's but these two boys often saw more in her then she wanted them too. Still, somewhere inside she knew she was lucky to have people who cared enough to read her, especially since she wasn't one to talk about her 'feelings' much.

She squeezed his arm tightly taking in his warmth. He was always warmer than her, physically, but there was another warmth he gave her that she needed most right now. He had such a pure and caring nature it was impossible to be around him and not feel it inside your soul. It was a gift he had, not just with her, with everyone. She didn't spend as much time with him as she should and Bella's threats now tainted their time together, making it feel bittersweet. She didn't want to lose this ever. She had to figure out a way to have Bella Swan out of her life.

"Bella is a bitch." Seth announced.

Leah's eyes shot up to meet with his as he wore a matter-of-fact look across his face. She wondered for a second if she had said anything out loud before realising it was a completely stand-alone statement. She couldn't help it. It was so unexpected that she started laughing. It wasn't loud and it wasn't for long but he managed to pull it out of her from somewhere. She punched him playfully on the arm while he shrugged innocently.

"What Lee, just saying."

"She sure is Sethy. More then you'll ever know."

A little flicker of curiosity passed through his eyes and Leah knew she had said too much already.

"I better get back to bed before Embry wonders where I am. Thanks though for,err, for.."

"You're welcome" Seth smiled at her.

"I'm ready for another sandwich anyway-I could do without you gagging every time I go to take a bite."

"Alright, alright. Try to chew occasionally though, as a favour to me."

"If you insist" he replied with a grin on his face as he picked up the other half of the sandwich in front of him.

Leah exhaled a sigh and moved on to the bedroom. Embry was sleeping, blissfully unaware of the last hour. Leah slipped under the covers, unable to shake the worry that Seth had managed to distract her from. She cuddled up to Embry as she tried to maintain the warmth that Seth had left her with. All she got was his body heat, as expected. She knew she would never find the other warmth with Embry. She'd tried looking for it before.

He turned to roll away from her, still in a deep sleep, and her arms broke from around him. She bunched up the blankets and curled herself into a ball. Unable to sleep, she lay awake with her thoughts, building an action plan for the day ahead.

Leah waited until Embry's car was halfway down the road. He had just left for work. The first step was to call Rosalie and ask her to meet. Rose agreed and they organised a late lunch together in Port Angeles that afternoon.

The second step was to try Sam and gauge from his voice whatever she could. It was a long shot but she didn't want to meet up with him if she didn't have to. She felt the bile rising in her throat as she dialled the number she still had memorized.

It went straight to his answering machine.

The message was short and grumbled but she heard his name in the brief five seconds. She tried again with the same result and decided to leave a message.

"Sam, its Leah, I need to talk to you. Call me."

She had to force the message out to disguise the hate in her tone. It was rushed and sounded slightly desperate but she could care less. The quicker he called her, the quicker she could get the information she needed and the quicker she could get Sam Uley out of her life once again.

For now she had to plan her meeting with Rosalie Cullen. She was finally going to find out what exactly happened for her to lose the boyfriend she was so close to and how it happened at the hands of Bella Swan.