Choice
Chapter 3

Sam:

I couldn't believe the news when they told me at the council meeting. I was hoping it was some sick joke and at any moment you were going to laugh and yell, "got ya". But this was something you wouldn't joke about...something you didn't joke about. It was apparent in the glow of your skin and the smile on both of your faces how completely honest and excited you two were. I swallowed my scream of denial and unfairness and offered my congratulations hoping I put on a good mask to fool you. The picture of me standing by your side accepting handshakes and well wishes for the baby's future nearly had me crashing to my knees. It was a picture I had painted in my mind years ago, before the wolf pack, before imprinting, before I was told their was only one woman I was allowed to be with and it wasn't you. That picture came back to me now, it was one I shared with a different woman only a year ago. That was until she lost the baby. Doctor said she couldn't carry to full term and that her and the baby would both be at risk if she even tried. Why Emily and not you? Why did fate not give me a choice but gave Jacob one? Why isn't Emily enough for me? Why...

"What's that?" Emily asked trying to sound happy and failing miserably Sam thought.

They were invited to the baby shower probably at Sue's request rather than Leah's or Jacob's. Sam had wanted to say they were too busy, unfortunately Emily disagreed whole heartedly, believing that trying to move on from their disaster was best done by celebrating other's joy. All it did for Sam was make him miserable and jealous. He turned and looked at what Emily had pointed at knowing exactly what it was. Thick black lines on the poster with dates and inches written next to them made his heart drop.

"They're pregnancy lines. They show how much the baby has grown in my belly over time." Leah answered softly.

He knew she would never wish the type of pain Emily has suffered on anyone, not even her worst enemy. Though they would never be friends again like they once were, they were civil and understanding of each other's feelings now. That was all Sam could ever hope for. The silence was broken as he watched Jacob walk in smiling at Leah while holding a Winnie the pooh bear that read 'baby's first bear' on the front of the bright red shirt.

"Hey babe, look what Rose brought to us." Jacob said as he handed Leah the bear.

Sam's eyes narrowed at the name. Rose, as in Vampire Cullen Rose? He was aware of the closeness of the families since Seth's imprint on the child and Jacob's friendship with Bella and Edward. Leah had been drawn into the close-knit family, but was she truly friends with the Ice Queen? He thought once Seth and the Cullen's moved away to Alaska so Nessie didn't draw any more attention, that the separation would mean less contact. As Sam glances to the bear again, he sighs, guess not.

Leah laughed, "Is she serious? We have hundreds thanks to her."

Leah looked back over at Sam and Emily and her smile faltered for a moment, "Sorry. Rose insists on spoiling this baby through the roof."

Emily gave a nervous laugh and then pulled her own present from behind her back. Sam smiled fondly at the gesture and was proud of the hard work and effort his wife had put into the present. Leah gratefully took the gift and opened it right there in the nursery. They were all in private currently because Emily had asked for a tour of the baby room before everyone showed up. Leah tore into the bag and pulled out the gift. It was a small red and blue sweater the size fit for a small toddler. The colors would match the colors that were on Leah's baby blanket that Emily's own mother had done for Sue when she was pregnant with Leah.

Leah held the sweater in her hands and kept running her eyes over all the stitch work. Sam was dying to know what she was thinking and if she was angry they gave her something so personal or happy that Emily thought of it.

"I love it Emily, thank you." Leah said and did the something very unexpected.

Leah Black walked forward and hugged Emily Uley. The very idea probably made hell freeze over. Sam smiled and hoped that this was one of many more in the future. He liked the idea of Leah back in his life, it was why he tried so hard to keep her in his pack when the separation happened.

He was hoping she would also hug him. But soon came to the conclusion that the not even the devil himself could make her do it. She pulled away from Emily and looked at Sam, instead of moving forward she moved back and into the circle of Jacob's arms. Sam stood awkwardly next to Emily thanking god he hadn't held his arms out like an idiot, and the silence reined throughout the small room.

The doorbell broke the tension and Leah and Jacob gracefully excused themselves to answer it. Sam looked down at Emily who was staring at the dark wooden crib. Currently it had a Winnie the pooh theme all around it because Jacob and Leah refused to know the sex of the baby before it arrives. He watched as Emily slowly smoothed her hand over the soft shiny wood and smiled to herself.

"We can try again." Sam said softly.

Emily's smile died on her face and she turned to him, "No. I don't think we should."

"Emily, please..."

She looked up at him, tears falling from her eyes. It tore his heart to pieces to know his imprint was so unhappy, yet why did Leah's smile just cross his mind?

"Please what Sam? No child could love a face like this!" She strains her voice trying to stay quiet yet also get her point across. She emphasis her face by gesturing her hand at it and moving it closer for him to see. "This is what we deserve for what we did to Leah, we destroyed the woman she once was...all for our own gain!"

Sam moved to try and hug her, to offer some semblance of comfort that he needed himself. The idea that she hated him for the accident made him feel guilty. He wanted to blame Leah. It was thinking of her that made him unable to control the wolf inside if him. He wanted to break the imprint so badly, to walk away and follow through on the promises he'd already made to Leah, yet instead found himself wanting to make the same promises to Emily. The turmoil in his heart was making the wolf in his soul agitated and while Emily had been standing so close he phased. The ramifications of that night have haunted him for years and would forever be etched as a reminder on Emily's face, but never did he think it would cause Emily to believe she wasn't able to have a child love her.

"Okay, one: Leah is a happily married woman, and two: it is your heart and soft touch that a child loves, not the look of your face, and three, last but not least: I love you, and if we're careful I think we can do this." Sam said counting each fact and theory on his fingers.

Emily smiled, tears dripping down her scarred face. She ran to him and threw herself in his arms while whispering okay over and over again in his ear. Sam closed his eyes and sighed, holding tight to both Emily and his secrets. Because he knew, truth be told, the biggest regret he had, was not fighting hard enough for Leah.

~Yay, Chapter 3! I love this chapter and mostly because of the turmoil I put Sam through! lol, I know I'm evil. Thanks again for the reviews, they're really sweet. I can't wait to hear what you think about this one! Anywho Review!

~Smo