Title : Battered and Broken
Genre : Hurt/Comfort
Characters : Paul, Leah
A/N : Like always, thank you to jarms and her beta-fairy-dust for making this better. Mwah! 33
"Sam dumped her. I wonder why they still hang out. Is she trying to snatch him from Emily?"
"Have you seen her with those guys? Does she 'do' all of them?"
"The other morning, I saw her near the forest with Paul Lahote."
"Good thing Harry Clearwater didn't live to witness this. It would have killed him anyway."
"She's a stone-hearted, husband-stealing, bitch."
Taking a swig of whiskey, Leah tries to wash down the painful memories closing in on her, but the alcohol doesn't help like she thought it would. Her throat constricts—the precursor to tears—and her grip on the bottle tightens. The glass cracks, splintering into a million tiny shards that pierce her palm.
Losing all control, she crumbles to the ground, faint whimpers and weak sobs filling the air.
Her father, her Sam, her Emily, her life, her dreams, all the potential of the unborn children she will never have… Shattered, like the bottle in her hand.
She feels ridiculed and betrayed.
Violated.
The final string tethering her to an inhospitable reality snaps, plunging her into a darkness that consumes everything.
Lost in the abyss of time, her mind drifts, until two warm arms reach for her. Strong and sure in their pursuit to rescue, they cradle her body.
"Jesus! What have you done?" his voice is barely a whisper.
Leah remains perfectly still. Mostly numb. Uncertain of her surroundings. Something cool moves across her forehead, beckoning her eyes to open. Paul wipes her face with a wet cloth, but she doesn't thank him. She just stares at the ceiling, letting the tears fall.
He places the rag on the table and lies next to her, his fingers lacing through hers—no words spoken, no questions asked.
The first to break the silence, she admits, "For once, I want to feel normal, ya know?"
There's a long pause, complete silence except for their rapidly beating hearts, but it doesn't feel foreign.
"Then let's leave." His request draws her attention, and she turns to see Paul staring at her with eyes that don't reflect disgust or pity. Instead, they hold something she's always wanted…always needed.
Understanding.
"Just us," he offers. "If you want, you can go your own way once we're out of here. I'm sick of it all, and I don't want to live like this anymore." His voice is soft; even hopeful. "I've been thinking about it. All this warrior-wolf-hero crap was good, but for once, I want to live for myself, Leah. I want to give myself a chance to make something of my life. I don't wanna regret without even trying"
If she accepts this proposal, she'd have to leave her family, but Sue had Charlie, and Seth had more people than she cared to count. Their lives wouldn't stop without her, and she's tired of compromising…
Of settling.
Sighing, she nods, "I'll meet you in an hour."
Leah leaves his bed but stops at the door. "Paul…Thank you."
And for the first time in what seems like forever, their smiles are genuine.
A/N : I wrote this months ago, but never got a chance to post it. Whew! Finally!