Sam never named the baby, and after three days, we were all beginning to wonder why. He spent most of his time at the hospital but claimed he couldn't come up with a name. Leah hadn't told him what she had in mind, promising they'd name the baby when they saw it. She said you couldn't decide until you saw them.

"What if you wanted to name the baby Jack, but they looked like a Jim?"

The sentiment was such a Leah thing to say I knew he couldn't have made it up.

Billy asked Sam to become my official guardian, reminding him it would be best for me to be with one of my brothers and I could help with my nephew, too. Sam hadn't agreed to it yet. I was sure he would, but he said we had to get through this first.

I only stayed with Billy that first night after the accident because Sam asked me to stay with him after that. He surprised me by inviting Bella to stay with me as well. He almost seemed to want her added company, saying it was too painful to be in an empty house. I reluctantly agreed because I knew Mom and Leah would have wanted me to. One of my last promises to Leah was to show Sam I cared about him. I couldn't deny him that now.

I clung to Bella in the three days since the accident, and she hadn't left my side. Edward had called her a few times, but she refused to answer. I normally would have wanted to avoid driving a wedge between them, but now, with all the other issues on my mind, I didn't care. Edward wasn't my problem.

The morning of the funeral, Bella was with me while getting ready. I could hardly contain my nerves. I'd have to face the family members we had seen moments before the accident. Everyone knew I was driving. How would I answer their questions? What if they blamed me?

The official story was that I hydroplaned and overcorrected. It didn't make any damn sense, but apparently, it was the best story we could come up with. We couldn't tell them a trio of hungry vampires had attacked us. Someone could have claimed a herd of deer ran out into the road. Instead, it just appeared my driving skills were the cause.

Expecting other's judgment over the situation was another burden atop too much heaviness on my shoulders. I felt exhausted before the funeral ever began.

First, we had a viewing at a funeral home in Forks for Mom and Leah's friends to attend. I objected, but Charlie asked for it and Billy agreed. It wasn't worth the effort to argue against it. We would regather later for a traditional Quileute ceremony that only the closest family and friends could attend. That one would be much less stressful for me.

Bella sat next to me in the front row of the funeral home in Forks. This felt so wrong. Not just my family all being dead, but being in Forks for a viewing. We are Quileute. We didn't belong here. But, as the building filled with people who loved my mom and sister, I finally understood why Charlie thought this was necessary. So many people had loved them. Logically, I knew they each deserved the opportunity to say goodbye. But, for me, it was day six of the worst nightmare of my life. As selfish as it sounds, I just wanted it to be over.

At some point, Bella had to pull her phone from her purse to turn off the vibration as Edward tried calling again. I clenched my teeth and tried to keep a straight face, but I was becoming annoyed. He knew what was happening today; I was sure.

The Cullens asked if they could come today. I told them they could send Rosalie and Emmett. I couldn't face any of the others, but Rosalie was different. She hadn't left the baby's side, even when Sam was there. Emmett was more for my peace of mind. If we got attacked again, he could provide some extra protection. The pack was exhausted with their efforts, having searched for the redhead to no avail.

I hadn't joined them. I wanted to, of course, but I couldn't leave Bella long enough. She was all that I had now that my family was gone. I hadn't told her about the imprint yet. I didn't even know where to start.

I couldn't help but stare at the bodies in front of me for a long time after we arrived They looked like themselves… but didn't. Mom looked older than she should, and the lack of life in her was palpable. Leah looked younger somehow like she was sleeping, albeit much paler than she should be.

To my surprise, I could smell hints of Rosalie on them both and assumed she'd helped prepare them somehow. When I asked Sam, he said Rosalie had provided the outfits they were being buried in. It was something I hadn't considered, that they would need clothing to be buried in. I would have to thank her later.

It was customary for someone to stand by the casket, to talk to people as they came in, but I couldn't do it. Sam was up there, but it should've been me. It didn't stop others from stopping at my feet to address me, though.

At some point, Bella squeezed my hand. "It's going to be okay, Seth. I know it doesn't feel like it, but it will."

I didn't respond. It wouldn't be okay. How could it ever be again without them?

Eventually, I stood and joined Sam since folks approached me, regardless. Mom's friends hugged me. Everyone told me how sorry they were among other things that repeatedly pierced my heart. Bella came to stand at my side after a while, taking my hand firmly in hers as I needed it. She ushered a lot of folks away before they could say too much or linger too long.

I held it together through the procession. I didn't even cry. Paul cried, though. He absolutely sobbed. I didn't know why he was taking it as hard as he did. Sure, he loved my family, but this was extreme. Again, I had to remind myself that this was the second time he'd lost everyone, and it was probably triggering some painful memories, only adding to his pain. I wanted to talk to him, but I didn't know how. Jared sat beside him in the back row with an arm slung over his shoulder.

Rosalie and Emmett were next in line and the way Sam greeted her surprised me as he welcomed her into his arms. She hugged him before turning to me and wrapping her arms around me. Hugging Rosalie felt like dipping my hands in ice, but I embraced her back without shying away.

Quietly, Rosalie said, "I am so sorry for your loss. Truly, I am. Leah was one of the best people I've ever known."

"She sure was." Sam agreed. He looked down at Leah's body and affectionately brushed her hair back from her face.

"Rosalie," I whispered. "Everyone that's come through today has just gutted me. Please, tell me your favorite memory of Leah. Something that won't hurt."

The line was getting long behind her, but I didn't care. I needed this.

Smiling, she said, "I did Leah's 20-week ultrasound. Sam couldn't be there, and she had asked no one else to come."

I nodded, remembering. Leah came home with pictures and it hurt that she hadn't asked me to go. I imagined her alone in a room, struggling. I hadn't thought about Rosalie being there.

"You know that she didn't want to know the gender." Rosalie continued. "Leah could be crass, though. She said 'No junk shots, my mom is a nurse'. When I said nothing back, she said 'You understand what I mean? No balls or lack thereof in the pictures, please.' That was when I knew we'd be great friends."

I couldn't control the loud laugh I barked. I did not doubt Leah had said exactly that to a stranger. Her sense of humor was what I would miss the most. Even Sam and Bella chuckled. For a moment, I could forget that my sister would never make another joke again.

Suddenly, I heard Emily's snappy voice, and immediately my relief vanished. "Don't you think it's inappropriate to be laughing at a funeral?"

Sam stiffened next to me as I went rigid, immediately angry. "Seth, don't worr-"

I looked at him when he stopped speaking, finding his eyes locked with hers. I could tell by the look in his eyes what had happened and suddenly felt my world collapsing.

"No," I said out loud. My hands went to my hair. "No. No, no, no, no, NO!"

I felt a hand pulling me away and a rush of cold air as I hit the ground outside of the funeral home continuing to scream.

Sam imprinted on my horrible cousin Emily. The same Emily who was so jealous of Leah and what she had with Sam. She got her wish it seemed. Leah was permanently out of the picture, and Sam would be hers.

Paul was the one who dragged me outside. Rosalie, Bella, and Emmett followed us, each looking worried.

"Do any of you realize what just happened?" I demanded, "Do you?"

"Don't yell at them, Seth," Paul whispered, but his tone was harsh. "It isn't their fault. It isn't anyone's fault. Not even Sam's."

I shook my head. "I lost my entire family, and he's going to move on with her like Leah never existed."

Rosalie's cool hand touched my shoulder. "Let me tell you something, Seth. Emmett and I lost our families, too, when Carlisle changed us. It wasn't an easy loss to grieve, but we found solace in each other and the rest of the Cullens. You still have a family, it just looks different now."

Paul agreed. "I promised your sister I'd look out for you, Seth. As long as I'm alive, I will be here for you. Emily may have Sam wrapped around her finger now, but she doesn't control me. Nobody can make me break my promise to Leah."

Bella said nothing. I noticed her silence, but I didn't comment on it. Her actions the last few days were enough to tell me where she stood, I didn't need her to say the words.

"I'll sit with you, Seth," Rosalie said. "Let's go back inside. I know I've been kind to you but I still have a nasty bite. Bella can tell you about it. Emily will never get past me."

Emmett gave me a gentle hug before we went back in. "She's telling you the truth, Seth. Nothing gets past Rosie." He kissed her cheek and left us to sit by Quil, to Embry's dismay.

I returned to the front row between Bella, and Rosalie, trying to ignore Sam as he made doe eyes at Emily all evening. I just sat and waited for it to be over.

Emily approached us later and tried to scold me for laughing again. As promised, Rosalie told her they could settle the issue outside if she'd like. I laughed in Emily's face over it, if nothing else than to prove my point, before she skulked away. I wished she would stay away forever.

There was a formal service after the viewing had ended. I was there physically, but I had mentally checked out for most of it. Sam, Charlie, and Billy spoke about my family, but I couldn't recall one word. I was desperate for this to be over. I couldn't breathe. My clothes felt too tight, the room felt too small. I was suffocating.

I was about to leave amid the closing comments when I saw Paul rise on the other side of Bella. He walked to the front of the room and took Billy's place at the small podium. He had prevalent dark circles under his bloodshot eyes and uncombed hair. His outfit was the only thing that gave any semblance of 'normalcy'. He was barely functioning, and he looked terrible.

"My name is Paul Lahote. I've lived next door to the Clearwaters my whole life. Or.. next to Seth, now, I guess." He stopped for a second and the tears flowed down his cheeks again. "Sue and Harry took me in and cared for me like one of their own when my parents checked out. Even now that I'm eighteen, Sue was doing things for me around the house and ensuring I had whatever I needed. She was the best woman and motherly figure, I've ever known."

He turned around and looked at my sister. "Leah... There were so many things I wish I could tell you. So many things I never had the chance to say. I'm sorry, Leelee. So sorry I didn't protect you. I'm sorry I couldn't save you… I will spend the rest of my life making that up to you. I promise you that as long as I'm alive, Seth and your son will have a family."

He glared at Sam, who sat beside Emily now, before turning back to Leah. "You were the best friend I ever had and I love you more than I can express. I'll spend my life making this up to you."

Without another word, Paul walked over to Leah and pulled something from his pocket to place into the casket with her. When he turned around, he walked straight out of the room. Our eyes met for a moment, and the look on his face told me everything I needed to know.

Rosalie ran after him, but I sat there dumbfounded as I thought over the last few days and the pieces fell into place.

"Seeing your imprint with another man isn't easy."

"I love you, Leah."

"Nobody can make me break a promise to Leah."

Paul was never supporting me as a friend of my sister's. He wasn't grieving the loss of a friend by any means. Leah was Paul's imprint.

I don't know how I held it together as the pack and I carried their caskets to the hearses ready to transport Mom and Leah to La Push for the private portion of the procession. I went numb under the weight on my shoulder, feeling like I was on auto piolet for the next few hours.

Later, when we arrived at my house for the potluck, I finally lost my numb state. Although it hurt to be here without them, being home gave me an unexpected sense of comfort. Seeing our closest family and friends gathered around the inside of our house made it easy to pretend things were almost normal. If I tried hard enough, I could almost swear I heard Mom and Leah bantering in the kitchen as I sat in the living room with Bella and my pack. The sliver of peace I felt didn't last, of course.

To my dismay, Emily showed up at the potluck, too. With Sam. How could he bring her here, knowing how much she'd hurt Leah? Didn't he understand how disrespectful it was for Emily to be here, especially after her behavior at the funeral home? I wished Leah was still here to slap Emily silly. She would have probably sent her out the door on her ass.

Bella tended to me patiently as she had all day, making my plate when it was time to eat and changing the topic when people's words cut too close. When I asked if anyone had seen Paul since he left the funeral home in Forks, they all shook their heads no.

Without asking her to, Bella made another plate, heaping it full for Paul. I'm unsure how she knew where to find it, but she went directly to the drawer where we kept the plastic wrap and covered the heaping mess. I sighed as I stood and walked over to take it from her.

"I can run this over to Paul's real quick," she offered, trying to smile.

"I'll do it, Bells. I need to get some air." I glanced toward the couch where Emily sat beside Sam, looking at something on his phone. I assumed it was a picture of my nephew and cringed at the thought of her raising my sister's child.

Why the hell did Sam have to imprint on her? Why did any of this have to happen? The wolf gods seemed to have gotten it all wrong because I couldn't understand where the silver lining was supposed to be in this situation. The optimism my father instilled in me was failing, and now, looking at Emily, it felt like the forgiveness my mother had taught me died with her.

I really needed to get out of here.

As I crossed the room, plate in hand, I heard Emily whisper, "You know, Sam. I have to be honest. He looks so much like Leah that it's impossible to tell… but are you sure he's not Paul's? I mean, everyone knows how close they were."

The plate of food in my hand cracked under my angry, thoughtless grip as I instantly fumed. Accusing my sister of cheating was a new low, especially when she couldn't be here to defend herself.

Luckily, Bella had wrapped the plate so well that not a drop of food spilled despite the shifting glass underneath that sliced into my palm. I didn't even wince over the sting.

Before I could utter a word, Kim, one of the sweetest, politest women I've ever met, stunned everyone as she said, "You either need to leave or shut the fuck up now, Emily."

Only Bella seemed to notice what happened with my hand, rushing over to take the broken plate and replace it with a paper towel to catch the blood. The mischievous twinkle in her eye and smug grin told me she'd heard it all and I couldn't help but smile back.

Quietly, Sam said, "Kim, don't talk to her like that."

Kim scoffed. "Maybe Emily should learn to respect boundaries and consider whose home she's in. I'm sure she's happy to get her claws in you, but we all know Leah would have kicked her ass for that comment ten seconds ago."

I always knew I liked Kim.

I turned my back, tuning them out as I waited for the bleeding to stop, and watched Bella make a new plate for Paul. As I felt the skin of my palm knitting back together, I went to the sink to gently rinse the blood from my hand.

As Bella retrieved the plastic wrap for the second time, I said, "Sorry about that."

Bella sighed as she covered the plate and carried it over to me. "It's okay, Seth. You're nicer than me. I'd have thrown it at her head." She raised onto her toes, leaned in to peck my cheek, and patted my chest with one small hand. "Don't break this one. Your brothers have everything nearly wiped out already."

She turned and started gathering empty dishes and carried them to the sink. The entire exchange was exactly as Mom or Leah would have done in this situation. It felt like all three of them had comforted me instead of just Bella. It was surreal.

I walked past everyone in the living room and out the front door without a word. I needed to check on Paul.

I jogged to his house and knocked on the front door, but he didn't answer. I let myself in and set the plate in the microwave before checking to see if he'd gone to bed. His room was empty, and with everyone else at my house, I wondered where he might have gone.

I wanted to talk to him about a few different things. Why didn't he ever tell me about the imprint? I supposed I finally understood why he'd hated how patient I was over Bella being with Edward. Paul had watched Leah be with Sam, his pack mate and so-called brother, while helpless to change it. Then, as if the universe had wanted to rub it in, he'd had to watch Sam imprint on Emily today. Paul was burying the most important person in his life while the man she'd chosen over him was already moving on. My heart hurt for him.

I walked around for a long time, checking a few places I knew he and Leah frequented, hoping to find him to no avail. Eventually, I was too tired to keep searching and slowly trudged back home.

As of this morning, I knew Sam expected me to stay at his place tonight, but after everything with Emily today, it was the last place I wanted to be. I didn't want to chance that she'd be there and have to listen to more of her bullcrap.

I sighed in relief when I reached my childhood home, seeing most of the lights off and everyone's cars had gone. Something inside me had shifted today, and the desperation I had felt for any company (aside from Bella) since the accident seemed a million miles away.

Since her truck was nowhere in sight, I assumed Bella had gone home, too. I couldn't blame her after dealing with my sorry state for the last several days, but it also made me incredibly sad. I'd gotten so used to the feeling of her in my arms, that I didn't know if I'd ever get comfortable tonight without her.

I considered that she, like I had earlier, needed some time to herself. Bella had put everything in her life on hold for me this week, and if she needed a night to herself, I could understand that. There were plenty of things I could be patient about for Bella, despite the unspoken, gradual changes between us this week.

She didn't know about the imprint, and I would not tell her until things calmed down. We both needed a little more time. Not to mention her vampire boyfriend.

I kicked off my shoes next to the front door before looking around the living room and kitchen. It appeared everyone had cleaned up before leaving, which I was grateful for. I certainly didn't want to do it. I was heading down the hallway toward my bedroom when I heard a soft whimpering. Pushing open the bedroom door, I found Bella curled up on my bed, asleep, most likely dreaming if her noises and restless movements were any sign.

I grabbed a clean pair of sleep pants from my dresser and went to the bathroom to prepare for bed. I returned to my room and carefully slipped onto the bed beside her. She seemed to sense me there as she reached for me. I slid my arm under her waist and pulled her in, against my chest. Bella tucked her forehead under my chin, nuzzling her cheek against my shoulder like it belonged there.

I was out the moment I closed my eyes.

I woke the following morning to Charlie Swan leaning against my bedroom doorframe and Bella still sleeping beside me. He harrumphed and rapped his knuckles on the door as I frowned over one cracked-open eye, groggily wondering why he was there.

It alarmed Bella to find her dad next to the bed, and she sat up with a gasp. We were both fully dressed and nothing had happened, but I could see why it startled her.

"Dad!" She screeched. "What are you doing here?"

He sat in the chair beside my bed and I thought, 'This can't be good.'

When he followed it with an exaggerated sigh, I muttered, "Oh, this really can't be good."

"Seth, I know it's early and I don't doubt you're still exhausted, but there have been a few changes you need to know about. Sam has decided not to be your guardian."

The words hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew without saying that it had to be over Emily. Sam barely waited until my sister's funeral was over to move on with our cousin. I'd expected it when the imprint happened, but the confirmation still stung.

Charlie said, "But, there's something bigger you need to know."

I met his gaze in disbelief. Bigger? What could be bigger than Sam abandoning me for someone like Emily?

"He's putting the baby up for adoption."