Oh, hey. An update, two years later. And now officially, solidly AU.

The old man didn't know anything. Neither did the council. She was convinced of that. Destiny doesn't leave anyone behind? She'd heard that before, at the bonfires and gatherings. The men of La Push liked to use it as a way to explain away life's troubles, though it was always destiny leaves no man behind.

Old Quil had the good sense to change it to anyone lest he offend the feminist sensibilities of history's only female werewolf. But regardless of pronouns, Leah was quite sure it was bullshit. Bad things happened to good people all the time. Destiny had certainly cut her father a raw deal.

Leah paused in her aimless wandering to look up. It was officially dark. When she'd left Old Quil's she was just running late. Now she was actually late. The pack was set to meet almost an hour ago. She had stayed human for that hour, needing a reprieve, letting her mind wander to every dark, angsty corner without an audience. It wasn't any surprise the others hadn't found her. They'd have completed half-hearted attempts at Sam's order—she'd heard howling not too far in the distance—but they let her stay lost. Nobody liked her—she made sure of it—so an hour without her must seem like a gift.

Leah scowled, plopping on the ground to lean against the base of a tree. She was all too happy to give them the gift of her silence for as long as she could manage that night.

It wasn't because they hated her. It wasn't that she didn't want to appear weak or emotional. She wouldn't—couldn't—share this with them. If she was sloppy she might use it as ammo against Sam—look what you and your stupid werewolf crap took from me.

But she wouldn't. They wouldn't understand. Not because it had to do with periods and her uterus and other gross girly things those idiot boys couldn't handle.

They all had futures, every one of them, especially those with imprints. They knew how their lives were meant to be. They would protect their community. Settle down with their soulmates. Produce the next generation of protectors. They were heroes.

Leah had no idea who she was. She didn't know what her future held, or even if she had one. She was a dead end.

It was such a basic function, having children. Women had done it for thousands of years—would do it for thousands more. It wouldn't mean anything to the pack if she couldn't. ("Who'd want kids with you anyway?") But it was one more tie to normal, one more bond to a life that made sense, which was gone now.

At this point, she was just good for taking up space, she figured.

A low rustle in the brush pulled her from her thoughts. She sighed. The solitary night was too good to last.

Sam in his wolf form stalked out of the bushes, a growl starting low in his throat, ready to escape before phasing to his human form to chew her out for being so damn irresponsible.

But the sight of her left the growl to die before reaching his teeth. Something about the way she was slouched—legs sprawled in front of her, arms limp in her lap—and the resigned look in her eyes told him not to phase. He wasn't sure what he was intruding on, wasn't sure why he should even care given her generally terrible way about everything lately. But standing in front of her fully human, looking her in the eye as a man, just seemed wrong. Cruel.

She sighed and looked up at the wolf.

"I know, I know. I'm late." She paused for a second, letting out a bitter snort at a joke he didn't understand. "I'm coming."

The wolf gave her a long look. She stood up, ducking behind the tree to change out of her tank top and cutoff shorts. "Don't give me that look," she called around the tree. "Just… put your bullshit hero complex on hold tonight, all right? I'm fine."

She threw her clothes up in a nook in the tree and phased.

'Then why were you late?' She could feel him trying to prod at her thoughts.

'Fuck off.' They moved swiftly through the woods to where the others were gathering.

'C'mon, don't start that shit already. I'm the Alpha. You were late. I want to know why.'

'And I want you to fuck off.'

Her head was already full of so much bullshit chatter from phasing. It was hard to keep a lid on the conversation with Old Quil, so she started humming in her head all those stupid Fourth of July songs she'd learned in school as a kid, focusing on every individual note, trying to keep control.

'This land is your land, this land is my land…'

They reached the rest of the pack, none of them shy in sharing their disgust that not only was she so damn late, but that she'd bother to come at all, just when they'd gotten used to the pleasantness of a night without her.

Jacob glared at her. 'Nice of you to show up, Clearwater.'

He was in a foul mood. They were going over the plan that night for an upcoming fight with the Cullen clan against some bitch vamp freak and a bunch of newborns. Veronica, Victoria or something, was pissed at the Cullens for ripping apart her boyfriend and was coming back to Forks to exact revenge. She didn't see what this had to do with the pack, other than Jacob's pointless crush. As long as they weren't coming to the rez, let the Cullens sort out their own mess.

'It's our job, Leah,' Jacob said with disgust.

'Why were you so late, anyway?' Seth asked gently. 'Everything OK?'

'Fine,' she ground out before taking up humming in her head again. They all groaned.

They went over the plan, Sam giving out orders and explaining timing and formations. Jacob stared hard in front of him through the whole thing, ready to do whatever it took. Leah stared just past Sam's shoulder for the talk, paying just enough attention to get by, ready for the night to be over so she could crawl into bed. Judging by the scents they were tracking, the confrontation would happen the day after tomorrow. They should all be ready, Sam said before dismissing them. The boys all left to go home, running off in the directions of their houses. Jacob threw one last nasty look her way before taking off.

'Lives are on the line,' he spat at her. 'Don't fuck this up for us.'

She kept her face hard as she looked at him, refusing to break eye contact before he did first. Lives are on the line. Did he think she was stupid?

She tried to think of when things had gotten so fucked up that even Jacob Black didn't like her anymore. He'd always liked her. For years, he'd come over to hole up in Seth's room with his action figures, and invent reasons to linger just outside her open bedroom door. She'd enjoyed the attention back when she was young and light and happy. She'd make a point to stand tall, hip slightly cocked, and brush her long hair in front of her mirror, a silly grin on her face, knowing she was putting on a show for him. She'd catch his eye in the mirror and give him a coy look that said keep this to yourself or my boyfriend will kick your ass. Then she'd giggle. It was just a silly game. He was a cute kid. They'd all been cute, and fun to tease in that Seth's older, pretty sister sort of way.

She remembered how he sat with her at lunch sometimes, during her last year or so of high school, especially after Sam broke up with her. They hadn't talked much, but her sadness had been plainer then, and not so laced with anger. Jacob had a thing for damsels in distress, if his obsession with the leach lover was any indication.

But Leah wasn't much of a damsel anymore. Just a bitter harpy.

Honestly, the harpy act was starting to get a little exhausting. But at this point, she didn't really know how else to be. And it was easier for the boys, she told herself. They'd never realize it, of course, but they were all so simple. Imprinting, damsels, soulmates, harpies. They knew what to do, how to act, what to say, with a bitch.

Leah shook her head, pulling herself from her thoughts as she reached the edge of her yard.

Maybe the whole not fucking it all up thing—maybe she'd give that a shot just this once.