"We did it! We showed them! Aaaand kicked their asses!" Alice was doing the cabbage patch and jumping around.

Leah smiled and thought that becoming an angelic being didn't give you poise and grace, but Alice's moves were contagious and soon Leah joined her doing the running man.

"Are you sure it's over? I mean, Carlisle didn't seem too pleased and he didn't know he is about to become a grandpa."

"It's over. After that little fight with Charlie, both sets of wives are going to put them in the doghouse for a while. They won't let them protest about their new found status either. But they'll probably fight for the nickname of 'pops'." Alice grinned with the last word.

"Why are you this happy? Does this happen with every mission?"

"Well, yeah. But you have to understand. It was eons ago the last time I beat Jasper. He's a meticulous strategist, as you could see by with how much anticipation he moved his pieces on the board. That little fight between Edward and Bella, that was all his fault. And he encouraged that boy Michael too. Though Charlie becoming lazy was a bit too easy."

Soon, Leah found out they weren't alone.

"Ladies." Jasper appeared with his charming smile. "Miss Leah Clearwater, I just came by to say 'touché' and acknowledge a great opponent. It was a pleasure to work against you." He said and curtsied.

"Hmm, well, thanks." Leah couldn't fathom what he was doing here. Sure, the limbo was no man's land, as Alice explained before. But Alice also told her it was over.

"Oh, no. I really came to congratulate you. It was so long ago that Alice won a case against me, that she probably forgot that I always exchange pleasantries with the winner."

Alice huffed.

"And now, I'll part. Until next time, Miss Clearwater. You'll be a great rival in future missions. I hope you find closure and forgive your cousin, you know, to settle her score." And with a poof, he was gone.

"Sore loser!" Alice waved her fist against the cloud of smoke.

"Settle her score?" Now Leah was really perplexed.

"He wishes it was that easy. Nope, your forgiveness is only for you. No pending business with the living, remember?"

Leah nodded, still unsure of how to deal with all the emotions the mere thought of Emily evoked. "Erm, Alice, I think I'm able to deal with visiting my mother's grave."

Alice's eyes were round as plates. "That's something... you can't yet... let's start with something easier. We can go to her house."

xxx

Alice was following Leah through the little house, handing her tissues. If this was the easy task...

"This is little Seth, right?" Leah pointed to a picture over the chimney's mantle. It was a young boy with dark hair in full baseball gear, he was hugging Leah's mother and she had the biggest smile. This wasn't the first picture of him that Leah found.

"Yeah, he became your mother's light and joy. He's a really good kid."

Leah was torn. Her mother kept her pictures hanging on the walls, which made her aware that she was still a pretty important part of her life. And the thought that she missed the last twenty years of her mother's life broke Leah's heart. But then, the impressive amount of pictures depicting Seth's grow made Leah glad that her mother wasn't alone and found another source of joy. It also helped that Emily was only in a few selected pictures... and here wasn't a trace of Sam.

"Well, Emily took the majority of the pictures, that's why she doesn't appear. And Sam... your mother slapped him when Emily came crying hoping to divorce him. That marriage was broken too fast."

Leah had a lot of curiosity but wasn't sure she really wanted to know. Alice, on the other hand, knew Leah had to know about Emily's life in order to gain closure.

"Oh, come on! If it isn't now, then when you're going to find out? The truth is as soon as she gave birth, Emily had to get back to work. Sam got fired from every job. And the straw that broke the camel was when Emily came back from a grueling shift to find Sam passed out drunk and baby Seth laid forgotten in his crib." Alice was shaking her head. "The idiot tried to demand custody of Seth, to make Emily pay child support. Like someone would leave an infant with him."

As much as it hurt, Leah finally accepted that she was so much better without Sam. Still, she felt betrayed by Emily. It didn't matter how high was the cost she paid for cheating on her with Sam. But she felt some kind of affection for little Seth.

"Look, this is Emily." Alice showed her the picture of Seth's high school graduation, probably because it was the more recent one.

Leah gasped at what she saw. Long gone was the vibrant teenager that came to her home so long ago. This was a woman, that despite being five years younger than Leah, seemed at least ten years older. The life sucked out of her, but her eyes shone with pride for the young kid at her side.

"Let me tell you a little tale. Once you left, things changed a lot for your mother. You remember she cooked desserts for the dinner, right? Well, there was a change in management and they didn't need her services anymore so your mother was left living off her pension. Mind you, it was fine for just herself."

Alice stopped to let Leah wrap her head around the fact that her mother needed her help and she wasn't here to help.

"Then, of course, Emily dumped Sam. She came back here because your mother offered. And it turned out fine, that way, your mother cared for Seth and Emily went out to work. Babies are expensive, so Emily was running like crazy with two jobs and even three when the time arose. But, it was fine."

"Did Emily ever try to... I mean, she was young. She could find a boyfriend." Leah was curious.

"Just like you, but no. Emily devoted her life to Seth. I told you, everybody turned their heads the other way when she came around. So she didn't have friends. Nor she looked out for friendships."

"But Seth needed a male figure."

Alice just sighed. At least Leah showed worry for the poor kid.

"With time, finding a job in Forks became difficult. Emily commuted every time further and further away until she ended up staying weekdays on Seattle and coming back for the weekends. She briefly considered to move over there but then your mother got sick."

Leah gasped.

"Nothing serious. Just her blood pressure went up, she developed osteoporosis. Just those pesky ailments that come with age. But with those, she needed help and more money. Those checks you sent on her birthday came very handy and boy if they made every penny count."

Now Leah felt something else, regret. Leah was doing rather well financially. She could have helped.

"So now you have Emily with two jobs in Seattle from Monday to Friday, coming back to Forks only to work a few hours in the community center. Seth also started as a busboy at the dinner. Life wasn't easy over here."

"I could have helped."

"Yeah, and she could have asked for help. It's a two-way road. I just want you to understand how Emily, Seth and your mother got closer. The didn't do it to spite you, it was more of a necessity."

"Still..." Leah recalled her vacations. She traveled all across Europe and many places around the country. Any place but Forks.

Alice stood in front of Leah and hugged her. "I didn't bring you here to drown in your misery. It happened and it wasn't only your fault. That's just the way life turned out."

Leah cried for many minutes more, until she felt the weight on her chest didn't hurt. Then she walked to what she recalled was her mother's room. She opened the door and gasped. It was almost the same!

What brought the tears again, was an urn laying on her mother's dresser.

Alice was there, and something in her touch made Leah let go of all her sadness and regrets. She never imagined it would feel like this to face her past.

"This is when everything gets tricky. When your mother passed away, Emily had a hard time trying to reach you. Your mother hid your address and your cards from her from fear she would want to ask for forgiveness. Your relationship with her was so fragile that she didn't want to disturb it anymore."

"So that's why I never find out."

Alice nodded. "Then, the reading of your mother's will happened. Now, I don't want you to get mad, but she left the house and her savings to Seth."

Leah found it logical. And surprisingly, it didn't hurt. Because, well, Seth need it. And Leah was away and doing fine.

"Sure, those little trinkets and things with sentimental value were supposed to be handed to you. Alas, Emily didn't have a clue of where you were."

"It seems to me that there's something more. Why are you telling me this?"

Alice exhaled. "This is the crux of the matter. Your mother named you executor of her will. She made the will when Seth was still a minor, and in fear something happened to Emily too, she thought you could manage her belongings for Seth. Then, of course, there was the fear that Sam came back trying to get his hands on the little inheritance."

Leah's mind was spinning. Ok, she was the executor but now Seth was legally an adult. So why...

"Then there's the task of scattering your mother's ashes. Emily knows you need to be present. Despite your anger toward her, Emily wouldn't dare to hurt you anymore. She's been waiting for you to organize this room with all of your mother's belongings." Alice walked to the closet and opened it to show Leah how it was still full of clothes. "Emily had been looking out for you desperately. She got a third job in order to hire a private investigator. He provided her with your phone number."

A memory sparked on Leah's brain. The calls from an unknown number. She was too busy to answer and hoped they left a message but they didn't.

"That was Emily?"

"Yep. But it wasn't easy for her. How do you leave a message stating 'hey your mom died. Can you come home?'. Emily wanted to tell you in person, but given the circumstances, a call should do it. And she knew if she left a message and you saw it was her calling, you wouldn't call her back."

"So this was 'settling the score'? or how is it related to... Why was I assigned to help Bella and Edward?" She was getting more confused. As much as was getting an inkling on what she was supposed to do on Emily's side, then there were Jasper's words and the fact that she still didn't know why she was chosen to help Bella and Edward.

Alice huffed. "I swear I'm going to kick Jasper's ass next time I see him. You're not related to them at all, but it may have to do with Emily. See, I told you Emily moved to Seattle and worked there, on Volturi Inc. Where Bella and Edward were interns. Well, she was in charge to deliver the internal packages between the company. One night, when she got tired of calling you and not finding you, she decided to ask the investigator to find your address. She spent the whole night crunching numbers to find a way to afford the trip. The next day, she was tired, with the beginnings of a cold, and distracted. Very, very, distracted. So the package where Edward's job offer was detailed... she had to deliver it. That day Edward was busy and she couldn't find him. She received very specific orders from HR, to give the package without making Edward's work partners aware, because, well, it was an offer not available for them. You see where I'm going? She had to leave work on time to get to the investigator office, so she was in a hurry. Long story short, to save time, she gave the letter to Bella. Unprofessional, sure. But who better to deliver the package to Edward than his girlfriend."

"Oh."

"Yep." Alice opened a window, where the scene played. An exhausted Emily handed Bella the envelope. Bella called Edward who told her to open it, thinking it was something different. Bella left her phone on her desk and read the letter... and Mike took the opportunity to hide Bella's phone.

"Oooh." Now Leah understood how a little detail, not related at all, brought everything down.

"Certainly, it was bound to happen. I told you, Jasper is very meticulous, I barely managed to stop everything he tried to break them up but that little accident moved things along. So, in a very convoluted and farfetched way, Emily caused the break up to happen. But she wouldn't be so distracted if it wasn't looking out for you. Sure, it needed to happen, but still."

Leah was tapping her chin. "And why did you choose me? This case started before I died, and really it isn't related to me. So why me?"

Alice was pulling her hair. Leah was very perceptive and Jasper played with her mind to make it more difficult.

"Well, my last partner decided she couldn't do this anymore. I don't know if I mentioned it, but we don't always win. Many, many times the good we try to fix gets wrecked, and the mess gets bigger and bigger. Sometimes we have to admit that it's out of our hands to save a situation." Alice was almost crying. "But we have to keep the faith and try again. But it came too much for Lisa and she decided to help humanity in another way. So, I was alone. Then this mission came. I started to check on Emily by accident. And, erm, the few chosen to help this way have to have certain qualities. Not everybody is capable. In checking Emily, and trying to help her, I found you. You were dying, and the moment you used your last minutes on Earth to help that poor girl to escape and saved her, I realized you were the whole package. You're selfless, intelligent, have a heart of gold. So, well, I may have had got in the way of the angel coming to get you and asked for you. My superiors agreed this was a good way to prove yourself and help you to settle your earthly businesses. It was win-win for everyone involved."

Alice left Leah alone for a bit. She needed to come to terms with so much...

"So this is it." Leah paced around what used to be her childhood home. "Well, with my mother gone there's nothing keeping me here." Then she turned and looked at the same picture. Her mother and Seth smiling to the camera. "Seth has the same straight hair as her." Leah touched a strand of her own hair. "Well, I have it too." That little similarity made her realize he was the last family she had left. And it hurt.

She turned and walked over 'her' side of the wall. Pictures depicting her childhood, her moody teen years, the beginnings of adulthood. She was happy in all of them. Then she noticed the few pictures she sent after she left. The smiles she wore on them never reached her eyes. Except in this one. She was posing with Waffle, her dog. Was it sad that the only true happiness she showed in the last twenty years stemmed from a dog?

She called to Alice. "Can we check on Bella and Edward, please?"

Alice appeared again and nodded sadly. "Sure. Anything you want."

"I'm just..." Leah shrugged her shoulders. "I need to know that what we did mean something. Because right now, I feel like I didn't do anything with my life. Just wasted it. In twenty years my existence will be forgotten."

Alice was by Leah's side in a second, hugging her. "Oh, that's not true. You left a mark on the world. And you can still do more."

"Just... just let me look at them, please."

xxx

The Cullen's home at Forks became the Swan-Cullen's wedding headquarters. After the Christmas party debacle and an extensive discussion, Bella and Edward decided to marry on Valentine's day. A small, private wedding. Edward accepted the LA job, and because he was supposed to start to work in March, they wanted to get married before moving. It helped that Rosalie offered Bella a job as her assistant while Esme and Renee found an affordable apartment.

The table in the dining room was covered with magazines, fabric swatches, flower catalogs. And a chatty group of women, discussing the best hair do for Bella.

"But Edward loooves her hair down." Rosalie pointed, letting a few curls of Bella's hair loose.

"Awww!" Esme, Sue, and Renee cooed.

"Aww." Charlie mimicked batting his eyelashes to Carlisle, who was confined to the couch just like him.

"Shut up!" Carlisle snapped, shaking his still bandaged fist.

The result of their fist fight was that Charlie's leg went back to the cast, both sets of hands sprained, Carlisle also had a concussion, a bruised rib, and his sciatic nerve was pinched. Not to mention two bruised egos.

"Isn't she lovely?" Esme led Bella to where the men were bickering. They were taking advantage now that Edward went out, to try the dress and hair for the wedding.

Bella twirled and curtsied, happy to fit in the dress.

"Oh, my baby!" Charlie cried.

"You look beautiful." Carlisle wept. He became quite fond of Bella once he was given the chance to really meet her.

"And it still has room in case the baby bump starts to show." Renee pulled the fabric around Bella's waist.

Charlie grumbled a few curses. That Cullen boy should be thankful Charlie Swan wasn't in shape to kick his ass for impregnating his daughter.

"Daddy, you don't like it?" Bella wondered; the tears about to spill from her sad eyes.

Now the rest of the women were glaring at Charlie, and Sue elbowed him.

"No, no, no, baby." Charlie was shaking his head. "You look like pretty."

"Bella, you look stunning. Like a princess." Carlisle interrupted Charlie nervous ramblings. "My son is such a fortunate man to have you by his side."

The women swooned after Carlisle words while he gave Charlie a smug smile.

"Now let's change you back to your jeans before Edward gets back." Renee pushed Bella back to the stairs. "Ah, by the way, your friend kate called. She asked me to tell you that the mission was accomplished. What did she mean?"

xxx

Leah sighed and turned to Alice. "What did she mean?"

"Kate was supposed to make sure Michael saw the wedding invitation. Trust me, he saw it."

"Ah." Leah exhaled. "Alice, I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" Alice still had doubts.

"Yeah. I believe I'm over what Emily did to me. I honestly can think of her and Sam together and not feel a bit of pain."

"A-ha. And..."

"I feel bad for the time wasted, but I'm aware that it's done. It's time to move forward. What do you want me to do about Seth?"

Alice smiled. "Well, it's kind of cheating but... you have to make Emily aware of your death. Do you have a will or something else pending?"

"I have a will, but, I'm sure my lawyer is already working on it. You know, the way I worded it, all my belongings may come to Seth too. I left everything to my mother or in her absence, my last living relatives." Leah smiled too, thinking of giving Seth the chance to chose the college he wanted to. The chance to see the places she visited. The chance to choose his future. "Do you think if we left the newspaper with the picture of my accident, Emily will notice?"

xxx

Emily opened the door to the Forks' home. She was exhausted and still didn't have a clue of how to pay for the trip to Buffalo.

"Seth, I'm home!" She dropped her keys on the coffee table.

Seth came to greet her with some old newspaper on his hands. "Mom, is this about Aunt Leah?"

The headline said 'Gruesome accident caused by the storm'.

"Oh, God!"

xxx

Leah gave a last glance to her childhood home. It was time to go.

Suddenly, she felt her chest about to burst out of joy. She was making the life of those remaining there easier.

Soon, she felt as she shook off the weight she was carrying. And she was getting lighter and lighter...

Then, there was only light.

"Welcome to your new home, Leah." The voice came from everywhere.

Alice materialized suddenly and she wasn't alone.

"Waffle!" The dog ran to Leah, jumping into her arms.

"He was waiting for you, the little rascal." Alice's beaming smile

"Waffle, my sweet boy." Leah's tears got lost between Waffle's licks.

"You will never be alone, Leah. You'll be surrounded by love."

And she certainly was.

So, that's it. Just a little epilogue left. If you want to know about the future of any character, just ask me and I will include it.

What do you think? Did you like it?