The Twilight Series belongs to S. Meyer, no copyright infringement is intended. I'm just playing with the characters.

It had taken less than two weeks from the moment she said goodbye to Sam and accepted a new person into her life for it to all fall apart. She fell in love—harder, faster, and deeper than what she had experienced with Sam. And it wasn't because he was her first. It was everything about him. How he could read her mind, anticipate her next move, and never rushed her decisions.

They decided for the summer to tell everyone that they were just friends. When school started back in the fall, she was going to be taking courses at Peninsula College in Port Angeles and he would return to the tribal school. Fall would be soon enough for them to share their relationship with their families and friends.

Both of them worried how it would be perceived if she went immediately from a relationship with Sam to someone else. Their decision made based on protecting her reputation. She couldn't help her feelings nor him, his. Fate had pushed them together—it was the way things were meant to be.

It didn't mean they didn't have a few close calls. Seth charging to her room with excitement over a new game sent from their relatives in Boston. They had fallen asleep in bed together; both of them as naked as the day they were born. His body curved around hers; her hands clinging to him.

Thankfully she had locked her bedroom door. The jingling of the handle and Seth's pounding woke them up. They jumped out of bed and pulled their clothes on. The moment he was dressed, he scurried over to her window and she was grateful her dad kept the house well-maintained as the window slide open silently. He climbed out the window and flashed a smirk while crooking his finger in a gesture for her to come closer.

"What are you doing? We're going to get caught," she hissed as Seth's pounding grew louder. Turning away, she yelled, "Just a sec, Seth."

"You didn't say goodbye to me yet," he pouted.

She leaned forward those final few inches, touching her lips to his. The kiss got away from her as it quickly turned from sweet to needy. Breaking away she told him, "There I said goodbye. Now go. I'll talk to you later." She finished by sticking her tongue out at him.

"I'd be careful if I were you; else I'll put that tongue to good use."

She huffed in indignation. Her hand reaching out to smack him but he turned and ran from her window too fast. Striding towards the door, she unlocked it and glared at her brother. Her sour expression didn't last for long as her brother's enthusiasm soon had her smiling.

If only she had known what was going to happen only days later. Maybe she wouldn't have fought so hard to keep their relationship secret—but then again she probably would still have made the same decision. She didn't have all the facts at the time and didn't realize this wasn't the only difficult truth she was going to need to swallow.

She had managed to secure a part-time job at the diner in downtown Forks. Being a waitress wasn't something she particularly enjoyed but it gave her extra money. She was at an age where he parents no longer gave her an allowance as she was old enough for gainful employment. Chores were still required but there wasn't a monetary reward to them.

It had been a busy Saturday morning. There was a craft and art show going on and they had served more customers than usual. She was exhausted and half dead on her feet by the time she got home. Her shoes were slipped off at the door and she headed to the bathroom to wash the scent of grease from her body.

The shower relaxed her and soothed some of the aches her muscles had. Finding a comfortable outfit she headed out the living room to watch some TV. Her dad had went fishing with Charlie and Billy; they would most likely be gone the whole day. Her mom had a shift at the hospital. And Seth, he could be anywhere but chances were he was somewhere on the rez and he wasn't one to raise hell—so she didn't worry about his whereabouts.

The sound of the doorbell ringing caused her to jump. As she headed to answer it; she frowned. She hadn't made any plans with anyone and usually Seth's friends and he met up on First Beach.

Opening the door, she gasped. Eyes widening with shock as she glimpsed a ghost in front of her. Her life coming full circle as the past two weeks flashed in her brain. "Sam..." was all she got out before she crashed to the floor. Giving into the darkness for the second time.

This time around she stayed still as she came too. She refused to open her eyes. It was very likely this was a nightmare because if this was reality—she wanted nothing to do with it. What had she done to cause Fate to want to fuck her over?

"Leah, honey," her body instinctively twitched at the sound of her mom's voice. The child inside of her reached out for the comfort of her mother's voice; knowing the safety of her arms. The one place where nothing bad could ever happen.

"Mom," she cried out. Her eyes misted with tears and she blinked rapidly to clear her vision.

She took in her surroundings and recognized it as the living room in her house. Sitting up, her hand reached up to hold her suddenly pounding head. Vertigo swamped her senses and her stomach churned.

She groaned as she swung her legs off the couch and buried her head in her knees. Trying and failing to get the nausea, dizziness, and headache to recede. Deep breaths she reminded herself. This all just a bad dream. You just fell asleep after work and your overactive brain made it all up.

"Leah," a hot hand on her knee accompanied the familiar deep voice. "I'm sorry I scared you, baby. I wasn't thinking."

She wanted to die. Horrified at the events of the past two weeks. It wasn't like she purposely chased after him or tried to fall in love with him. It just happened. Their relationship developing like leaves fell from the trees in fall.

The hot tears that rolled down her cheeks were in horror, relief, anger, and astonishment. She couldn't take the suspense any longer; her sickness pushed to the back of her mind as she lifted her head up. Dark eyes meeting dark eyes—only these weren't the ones she had gazed into for the past two weeks.

He looked so different—bigger, broader, older, and somehow underneath all that she got the feeling he had been through a war. A battle of some kind in which there were no winners or losers. His once long hair was buzzed short; this was Sam but wasn't.

A stranger in front of her. She flinched when his hand reached to touch her face. The reaction involuntary on her part. She twisted her hands in her lap; the gesture an attempt to quell her nervousness.

"I'm sorry...it's just...unreal...how..."

His story was unbelievable and a part of her wondered if it was half-truths. There was more to where he had been and what had happened then what he said. She even suspected her dad knew more of the story; perhaps even the tribal council too.

Even though Sam was bigger and stronger; a part of him seemed vulnerable and scared. It was that part that forced her hand. How could she abandon him in his time of need? Though she never meant for it to go where it did.

Two days after his miraculous return they were sitting on the porch swing at his mom's house. He had been more fidgety than normal—though even that was difficult to gauge because since returning he seemed to have preternatural senses; in tune with everything happening around him. Looking for danger when none was present.

Her heart thundered, skipping several beats when he got down on one knee in front of her. One warm hand reaching toward hers and covering her tightly clenched hands. He wouldn't be offended if she threw up on him, would he? she thought; suddenly terrified that was exactly what she was going to do.

"Leah Clearwater, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I've talked to your father and asked his permission. Will you do me the greatest honor and become my wife?"

She knew her mouth dropped open in shock but she wasn't sure if her skin turned the green color she felt like it turned. What the hell was she supposed to say to him? Time had stood still for him while he was gone. He had always known she was alive but—she didn't know. At some point, she had to say goodbye and she did. Never expecting what happened next.

So, she answered how she would have answered six weeks age when her life was simple and easy. Plastering a smile on her face; one that didn't reach her eyes, she told him, "Yes."

He didn't see the tears shimmering in her eyes as she realized what she had to do next because he pulled her into a too tight embrace. His warmth was too hot and uncomfortable; giving her no sense of security or peace. He whispered promises in her ear; telling her nothing would keep them apart. How sorry he was and that he never meant to hurt her. She was his world and how he would spend every day of their life together showing her how much she meant to him.

FF_8756144_8 12/08/12 3:04AM