An... Hello everyone. LOOOONG time no see. I am so very sorry! RL has been a bear.
I won't bore you with the details. It isn't important in the long run. I got this done,
and I hope to get more out next week, as I have 3 days off in a row. NOT promising,
but it IS my plan.

My most sincere thanks to Prettyflour. She is the one who helps ensure that the
finished product that all of you read is prettied up, and flows coherently. I
appreciate her so much. She is the jam that makes my jelly roll! ;) ILY, Woman!

Thank you to all who have stuck with me through this journey, I hope that all
of you know how very much I cherish each and every one of you! (Even the
lurkers!) I love reading your reviews. They have brightened my days, and
have fed the fires of my passion for this story.

Chapter 32

Forgiveness and Consequences

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Leah POV

After discussing the changes that we knew about and the impending answers from the blood work that Carlisle had sent out, an awkward silence descended on the room. No one seemed to know exactly what to say. So much had occurred in such a small amount of time that I don't think that anyone could wrap their head around the situation, or the possible ramifications in the future. There was already a large 'target' painted over Bella's head by the Volturi. They were expecting the Cullens to change her. I doubted that this change would be welcomed by them. The anomaly that was Bella and me would surely be considered as a sacrilege.

I was feeling on edge. I couldn't keep still, fidgeting with my hands, bouncing my legs, biting my lips and playing with my hair. I couldn't fight the draw I was feeling to Edward. Since he had left to help Carlisle with the medical paperwork just over two hours previous, I began to feel his absence, but now; it felt like it was eating a hole in my brain.

"Leah, sweetheart! What is wrong? You are acting like you are going to crawl out of your skin!" my mother placed her hands over mine to stop my restless behavior.

"I'm sorry. I just need…" I closed my eyes, and breathed in deeply. "I need to go to Edward. I can't shake it, and I DO feel like I could 'crawl out of my skin.'"

"Then go to him, babygirl." She cupped my face in her hands and looked into my eyes. "He is your imprint, and you need him." The understanding in her eyes was all the permission I needed to leave.

"Bye everyone." I said to the room as I rushed to the door. I stopped half way through and turned back to look at Bella and Jacob. "Hey, can you guys come with? I know you can't wait to spend time with Charlie, Bella; but there is so much that needs to be done before…"

With only a nod of understanding, they got up from the couch, and began to follow me.

"Am I ever going to be filled in on whatever it is that is about to happen? I know it's gotta be big." Charlie asked, sounding both defeated and exasperated.

"Call my dad. He has his instructions on how to keep you and Sue safe. I'll tell him to fill you in." Jacob told him as we left the house, making out way to the Cullen's house. By the time we got there, it was nearly eleven at night. As soon as we were within range, I reached out to Edward.

I'm coming, baby. I told him.

Hopefully not without me! Was his playful response. Bella and Jacob looked at me like I had sprouted a third eye when I suddenly burst out laughing just as Jake turned the Rabbit onto the Cullen driveway.

You are a dirty boy tonight, huh? Is that a promise? I teased, ignoring the glances that I kept getting from the front seat, as I giggled again at the silent exchange.

Count on it! Edward assured me, and I giggled again.

Suddenly, I sensed a flash of anger and tension from Edward. Before any words formed in his mind, I heard it… there was a low growl from the tree line, and a flash of silver darting in a parallel line to the car.

Paul. I shook my head in frustration as I thought again over how foolish it had been for me to want to punish Sam. We had all jumped so harshly at him, but we had let Paul slink away without consequence, even though it was he who suggested raping me. The more I thought back to it, the more I realized the shock in Sam's mind when it was suggested.

I'm almost there, baby. I will take care of this menace once and for all. Edward assured me.

"Jacob, stop the car!" I yelled.

The car skidded to a halt within about ten yards, sending dust, grass and pebbles flying. I jumped out of the car quickly, phasing and on guard.

Yeah, about time you faced me! Paul thought loudly. You vampire loving WHORE! We should have used you according to the old ways, you would never have had the chance to imprint on the enemy, and you would have known your place.

My place? I growled. My place is by the side of my imprint. If you had any sense of your own humanity, you would realize that you just said the same thing about any Quileutte woman of the right ancestry, includingYOUR imprint, Rachel! How would you like it if any of your brothers had thoughts of holding her down and forcing their way inside of HER?

Don't try to reason with him, love. His mind is too far gone. He is depraved and has been thinking about tearing out your throat since he got into range. Edward's mind sounded enraged and more than ready for a confrontation.

Jacob and Bella shot out of the car, and phased as soon as they registered what was happening. There was momentary silence from Paul's mind as he watched Bella phase, he was completely in shock.

Oh, great! Another vampire whore joins the pack.

You bastard! Jacob sprang, pinning Paul to the ground quickly. Paul knew that he was no match for Jacob, as had been proven time and again. He was hoping that he could face off against me. He was hoping to get the opportunity to kill me, knowing full well that the consequence of this would be his own demise.

Let him up. I demanded. He wants to try to take me out, let him!

Jacob allowed Paul to get up, and shook his head back and forth with a grin.

It's your funeral! He laughed at Paul.

Hers first! Paul thought.

Leah, no! You can't do this, I won't allow it! Edward ordered me. I laughed.

We HAD this discussion Edward. I will NOT be ordered around by you!

Please! Don't do this. I can't think of you being hurt.

Edward. We have a battle the day after tomorrow, against a newborn army. I am going to be fighting in that battle… for my SISTER! Do you seriously think that this unhinged pup stands a chance against me?

Pup? Paul spat. Bitch, I can take you in a heartbeat.

Talk, talk, talk… Didn't anyone ever tell you that actions speak louder than words? PUP? I taunted him.

Fuck you, you little cunt! Your leech is right; I am So going to rip your throat out.

Suddenly, a blur of chestnut toppled Paul. The night sky was filled with a loud yelp, followed by several soft, airy whining noises before blood sprayed, and a gurgling sound filled the air. In the final moments before the light faded from Paul's eyes, his vision was filled with Bella's face.

After phasing back to her human form, she stared into Paul's eyes, and uttered words I would never forget.

"Family is everything, Paul. You lost that somewhere, along with your humanity. You deserved better than this. Better than what you allowed yourself to become. I could not allow you to try to harm my sister. I release you of this curse, and I hope that you find redemption."

Tears fell from Bella's eyes as Paul died. Sobs wracked her form as she allowed the pain of it all to engulf her. I knew that it was tearing her up to have taken a life. I watched as Jacob took her into his arms, and rocked her gently.

Edward and I made quick work of disposing of Paul's body, burying him in beneath the river floor, where the elements would take care of his remains quickly, and he would not be discovered. It was a harsh reality that he had brought this upon himself, and it saddened me that he had chosen this path. I hoped that Bella would recover quickly.

"She will be okay, Leah. Her sobs are already quieting, and she seems to be relaxing." Edward assured me.

"Keeping track of her through Jacob's thoughts?" I asked.

"And Carlisle's. He got Jacob to bring her into the house."

"We have to release Sam to be a part of the pack again. His only wrongdoing was holding me down." I reached up to touch Edward's cheek as he encircled my waste with his arms, pulling me tightly against himself.

Will the drama ever end? His mind wondered softly.

I hope so. I sighed deeply and buried my face in his neck, breathing in the masculine, sweet scent that was unique to my Edward.

"Let's go get Jacob, and talk to Sam. We will need him tomorrow for training, and we certainly need him for the fight." Edward acknowledged.

I began to slip out of his grasp, and turned towards the house when he quickly pulled me back firmly against himself.

His hands found their way into my hair as his thumbs stroked my cheeks. His lips covered mine softly in a tender kiss that seemed to communicate his heart.

"I am sorry." He told me after breaking off this kiss, resting his forehead against mine. "I know that you are strong and independent. I know that you are capable of defending yourself, but I will always try to protect you, and keep you from harm. You mean more to me than… all of everything, ever! Nothing matters to me except for your life and safety."

"Your family matters." I corrected.

"It's not the same, and you know it. I love my family, and would do anything in my power to defend them, but love…" he kissed me gently, "You are my priority. Forever. You are my heart. I cannot live without you. I would be devastated if I lost a family member, but I would cease to exist if I lost you."

"I know. I understand. Just the little while that we were apart this evening was difficult for me. I cannot conceive of the pain of losing you." I squeezed him tightly, pressing myself against him.

"We should go. We need to take care of this business with Sam quickly, so that we can have some time together before tomorrow's training. I need you, so much. I need to…"

"I know, I need you too, baby." I assured him.

We ran into the house, finding Bella seated on the couch. She had showered and was dressed in clean clothes. Esme was beside her, holding her in a motherly embrace and speaking softly to her. Rose and Alice were seated beside them with tender expressions on their faces. Jacob was across the room talking with Jasper, who was flanked by Carlisle and Emmett. They appeared to be strategizing.

"Jacob, I hate to interrupt, but can I have a word with you?" Edward asked, effectively breaking up the meeting.

"What's up?" Jake's expression was weary.

"No need for alarm." Edward reassured. "It's just that Leah and I were talking, and agreed that we need to give Sam the opportunity to rejoin the pack. What he did was wrong, but not unforgiveable. His mind was not set on hurting Leah."

"I kind of figured that. I had a hard time seeing him wanting to harm her. He never really stopped loving her, you know." Jake looked over at Bella, concern knitting his brow.

"I think you should leave Bella here with Esme and Rose and Alice." I told them. "I want to go and talk to Emily. I need to let her know that Sam didn't hurt me. I am sure she is a mess."

"Sam will need to hear of your forgiveness as well, love." Edward hedged.

"I know. I planned to tell him." I knew that he would need to be assured by me that everything was okay, and I bore him no enmity.

"Alright, let's go get this done." Jake agreed.

Bella told us to go, assuring us that she was fine, and would be back to herself by the time we returned. Jake enveloped her tenderly and kissed her before we left. The bond between them was evident. I noticed when they arrived at Mom's house that they were in constant contact. I sensed an intense energy between them, and every time I looked at them they were gazing into each other's eyes. There was passion there. I recognized it, as it was exactly the way that Edward looked at me. I imagined that watching them together was like watching Edward and I.

A monumental sense of trepidation was rolling off of Sam in waves as we approached him. He was sitting on the stoop of his small house, smoking a cigarette in long, desperate drags. His eyes darted back and forth from me to Edward to Jake, then back again. There were dark circles, and bags under his eyes. It was obvious that he had gotten no rest.

When we came to a stop in front of the house, Sam's head dropped onto his arms, which rested across his drawn up knees.

"I'm sorry. I so fucking sorry!" he cried softly into his lap, repeating it over and over.

I need to go to him, and make this right. I sent to Edward, looking deeply in his eyes for understanding.

Go. He nodded, kissing the top of my head.

I walked carefully to Sam, and place my hand on his head. A sob erupted from his chest when I touched him, and he fell at my feet, wrapping his arms around my waste, and sobbing against my stomach.

"You hmph do fergm mmph ah nbrh mnd do hurd you." He mumbled against me unintelligibly. I heard the translation through Edward's mind.

"I forgive you, Sam. I know you would never hurt me. I was just so scared that day. Scared, and shocked at what Paul said… and you were keeping me down. I was terrified, but I know, Sam. I know you would never hurt me. I know that in another life, another universe you and I would be married right now. I know that you loved me, and I need you to know that I don't hold anything against you. It's all good. You and I are good."

Sam looked up at me, tears running down his face. "You have to know, I would never have allowed him to do those terrible things to you. I only showed you what happened with the other females so that you would know how differently I treated you. I was so angry, thinking you didn't trust me, and I lost it. I should never have held you against your will. Jacob was right to take over as Alpha."

"Sam, it really is okay. I understand, and I forgive you." I hugged him to me tightly for a brief moment. "How is Emily?" This brought a fresh wave of tears.

"She left. She went to her mother's. She told me she needed space to think."

"Oh, Sam! I am sorry. I'll go to her right now." He started shaking his head, to tell me not to go, but I ignored him. I asked Edward for his shirt, and unlaced my tennis shoe, tying his shirt to my ankle.

"Leah, you don't have to do this. She was right to leave…" Sam began.

"No. All of this ends now." I cut him off. "You are the father of that child she is carrying, and she is your imprint. This will not be 'right' until she is here with you where she belongs. I will make her understand."

I went a ways into the trees, before I undressed, leaving my clothes neatly piled at the base of a large maple tree that Sam and I had spent many an evening under while we were together. I phased, and ran swiftly to Emily, reaching her within a half an hour.

Emily answered the door quickly despite the late hour, her eyes were still puffy and bloodshot from her tears.

"Leah!" she exclaimed when she saw me on the porch, throwing her arms around and exploded into a fresh bout of tears. "I'm so sorry. I can't believe he..."

"Stop!" I demanded, cutting her off. "Sam kept me pinned, but he never hurt me, he never would have hurt me. I'm not saying it was okay for him to keep me pinned under his order, but it was Paul that wanted to hurt me. Sam froze up, and panicked over the very insinuation, and that is when Edward found us. He didn't have the opportunity to explain. I already talked to him. He is broken, and he needs you." My words all tumbled out quickly. Emily just stood there looking at me with a confused expression.

"I didn't know what to think. Edward reads minds, and he told Jacob to strip him of his position and ban him from the pack. I figured he wouldn't do that without reason."

"Emily, Edward is extremely protective of me. The fact that he had to remove me from the weight of the alpha order was enough to convince him at the time of Sam's guilt, but after he thought it through, he realized like I did that we had overreacted. It was not Sam."

"He needs you. Please, come back with me. He hasn't slept, and he looks like hell." I pled with her.

"Can you give me some time to think this through?"

"Emily, I am sorry, but you really need to realize how badly he needs you. You know about the battle Saturday?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Then, you know that he needs to be relaxed and combat ready, and he has had NO sleep since this happened?"

"I… " Emily broke. Sobs ripped their way from her throat, and she crumpled against the door frame. "I miss him so much. I couldn't believe that he betrayed me. I have done nothing but cry."

"Come with me, you can tell him." I encouraged.

She wrapped her arms around me, and gave in. "Take me to my Sam."

I phased and she climbed on my back. Forty minutes later, Sam and Emily were wrapped tightly in each other's arms, giving and receiving forgiveness, and letting go of the mess that misunderstanding can leave in its wake.

~~..*..~~

Reviews are Welcome and Wanted.
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Fic Rec time!

Little Green and Easybella by BettiGefecht Summary: She only remembers a silent kid, he doesn't remember her at all. When they meet again, they feel a connection that isn't of this world - ExB; AH; lemons, no smut; autism; age gap; true love; virginity - "Cherry Exchange" contest entry, now continued

This one is so incredibly tender and FUKING HAWT... OMG! It is So worth the read!

Torn by Dooba Summary: Bella Swan has survived a living hell, twice. She no longer speaks. Nobody ever listened. The Cullen family take her into their care. Bella fights to leave her past behind, but will she be able to let love in? AU/AH M-rated for violence, content, language

You might want to consider buying stock in the Kleenex company before reading the first 20 or so chapters of this... That being said, it is a beautiful story. I want to know this Cullen family. Edward is so gentle and thoughtful, and all I want to do is take Bella into my arms like Esme, and show her her innate value. You will too.