I. Graduation and Freedom

WendyPOV

This day was going to be special, she had struggled a lot with her school work throughout the years and she felt like giving up so many times but she was finally here, ready to walk the stage and move forward onto the next part of her life. The tears sprang before she could catch them, she had never been a crier, not really. Angry, aggressive, anxious but definitely not a crier. This was a major step and she knew soon she would leave behind her childhood home, her friends and family. That was the worst part, she had been working part time and focusing on school, doing whatever she could to keep her mind of the fact that she was growing up. It made her heart ache in ways she did not care to think about, leaving Paul and Bella wasn't something she was ready for. As carefully as she could, Wendy dabbed at her eyes, so as not to smudge her make up, it had taken her forever to get her eyeliner perfect. Just as she was cleaning herself up, Paul walked in. He gave her a worried look and it made her all the more upset, so much for her make up. Without saying a word he wrapped her up in one of his bear hugs and let her cry, she could always count on Paul for comfort, he had taught her everything he could for her to protect herself but he was understanding that some things, like her nightmares and memories, were something that even he couldn't save her from, however he had always been there to comfort her and to guide her through those times, she was really going to miss him.

"You're going to be alright out there you know." He said it with such confidence and pride she almost believed him. Wendy shrugged and awkwardly wiggled herself out his arms. "You really think so? I mean I've never been away from you or Bells since..." and she didn't like thinking about her time spent outside of her community because it was a time she had worked very hard to block out, she was only a little girl but the overwhelming anxiety the memories brought up made it hard for her to breathe properly. Paul did his best to soothe her. "Of course I think so, Wendy you're the strongest kid I know and a few months away from us at a time is nothing if you really think about it." She couldn't help but to smile, his logic got them through some of their hardest times throughout the years, he had always been able to make sense of things her or Bella couldn't, even when it really didn't make much sense.

"Bella and I will come to see you every other weekend and I know Embry and Leah are already talking about coming up the other weekends, after a month I can guarantee you'll be up to your eyeballs in homework and friends you wont even remember us" She laughed, he was probably sort of right. It was comforting to know that they were only a couple hours away but it still left her feeling a bit empty. Paul hugged her again before pointing her to the door where Bella was waiting, were they trying to make her red and splotchy on purpose? Well she knew they weren't but it was still hard to look at them on what was already such an emotional day. They were the reason she was here, she couldn't imagine what her life could have been like had she not been saved by the two of them all those years ago. Bella approached her with a box of tissues, she noticed her eyes were red, she had been crying too Paul had quietly shut the door leaving the two of them alone. Just like Paul had done, Bella wrapped Wendy in a warm hug, she had always been the mother Wendy never had.

"I am really going to miss you Bells." Wendy managed to choke out through sobs. "What if I get kicked out for sleep walking or sleep talking, what if I say something about him in my sleep, then everyone will know and I don't want people to think I'm some freak they have to tip toe around." Because it was all true, Wendy had been a sleep walker until she was about 14 and it stopped but she feared it would begin again when she left home. It had always been a fear, it was part of the reason she didn't do sleepovers, the other part was the abusive childhood which instilled a fear she was aware she may never overcome. Going away to college was a huge step for her, staying in dorms with people she hadn't met yet was a milestone, and of course if there were other options available, such as her own apartment, she would have happily accepted but the fact was she could not afford that option so this was it and driving to and from classes was not something she could afford either. Bella squeezed her a little tighter as she pulled her down beside her on the bed. "Those things could happen, I wont lie and say they wont but you've come so far, if I didn't think you could handle being on your own I would move us all there in a heart beat but I know you can do this Wendy." They had offered to move with her to Seattle but she would never ask that much of them, after all they had already done for her, she wouldn't ask them that.

Wendy had been in therapy and counseling since she was placed in foster care, she had only needed to go to one session every other week since she turned 17, it was a pretty big deal. Not to say she wasn't grateful for the many things she had learned in those sessions, she had overcome a lot because she had professional help and an insane amount of support from her big brothers and their partners, as well as the many other people she had come to know as family over the years. Paul and Embry were a part of a pack, she had learned about it pretty quickly and it probably should have been weird that two of her brothers had once turned into wolves but it wasn't. They had been pretty upfront with her about the legends and she did question whether it could happen to her, there were no definite answers, they did choose to teach her about what to expect if it did happen, she hoped it never would but there was a real possibility and then they let her know that if it did she could always stop, and they would be there to teach her if they ever had to.

Bella helped her clean herself up and then happily took on make up duty, even if she wasn't big on wearing makeup herself she had been the one to show Wendy the simpler stuff and she could tell how much she enjoyed it. When it was time for her to leave for the ceremony, Bella hugged her again, she had always been affectionate, even the days where Wendy hated being touched Bella found a way to show her she was loved. Those Friday nights they spent binging on junk food and her favourite movies were memories that kept Wendy going, she knew she was loved and it helped her through her very worst days when she felt the shame of her past creeping up on her.

Bella had always put Wendy before herself and she had felt guilty when she really understood how much she had given up for her but she was always told she was worth it and as long as she continued to move forward, knowing she was loved, it was all that mattered. Of course Bella was determined and had returned to school for nursing after Wendy was old enough and doing well enough to manage it, and it helped having Paul move in with them eventually. They were a great family unit, she never referred to them as her parents because it never felt right, they were a part of her in a way she could never explain to anyone, they were put in her life at the very right moment and she was just so glad for it.

The ceremony was beautiful, because the community was still quite small the graduating class had been under 30 and they were able to hold the event in the community hall. Each graduate was allowed to wear traditional regalia if they chose to, Wendy embraced her culture it was everything she was and she was proud of that. She wore a beautiful dress which Bella had helped her choose and over that she had worn her blanket which had been gifted to her by the Clearwaters when she had entered womanhood. The blanket was worn around her like a shawl, it had a wolf with buttons sewn into and around the design, it had been her first piece of regalia she had ever owned and she really was so proud of it.

As her name was called and Wendy crossed the stage she could only hear the loud hoots and hollers of her big brothers and the rest of the pack, she barely made it off the stage before she was swooped up by Paul, it made her want to burst with pride. Yes she was proud of herself for once, all the night terrors, the flashbacks and memories of a terrible time in her life could not hold her back. A grandfather who had done everything to destroy his family and himself no longer had that control. Wendy cried again in the arms of her brother, she had worked hard for this moment and was proud of herself. This was a moment she could look back on and remember with happiness and nothing but because she finally felt free.

There was a dinner that followed the ceremony and Wendy enjoyed the atmosphere of the evening, as she looked around herself surrounded by her family and friends she knew she could move forward without the weight of her childhood on her shoulders. Of course it would always be there but it did not define her, she wasn't just some poor rez kid who was abused, she was not another statistic she was so much more than that and she planned to prove it to herself no matter how long it took. This was the first step towards the rest of her life, she knew it would not ever come easy but she was strong, she could and would push through because she absolutely deserved to enjoy every moment of freedom from here on out.

II. Love and wedding drums(BellaPOV)

As she stood there from beneath the tarp that was put up last minute, staring out into the pouring rain she caught sight of him on the beach. Her heart picked up speed and her breath hitched as he shook the rain from his hair, laughing. Today was their wedding day, he had proposed finally after Wendy's first semester was done when she was home for the winter break, their family and friends were all there, he popped the question in the middle of everyone laughing. The ring had been designed for her, there were three stones, representing their family, her, Wendy and Paul it was perfect.

The air was warm, humid and slightly sticky even with the rain, they had done everything to plan for the perfect wedding, everything but prepare for rain. Bella smiled as she stared out to where Paul and their friends and family were waiting. Charlie approached her his hand extended to take hers beneath the most colourful umbrella she had ever seen. "You ready Bells?" Charlie smiled warmly at her like she was his little girl again, it made her eyes well up with tears. This journey she had been on since deciding to live with her father had been incredible and she was never more grateful for him than she was now. Taking a deep breath Bella hooked her arm into her dads and began walking toward her future.

There were drums beating in time with the rain, she could hear someone singing in Quileute but all she could focus on was Paul. His smile made her heart stutter and she could see the love and pride in his eyes. She was everything to him just as he was to her, they had been brought together by something otherworldly and connected in a way she couldn't explain. They were more than what fate had intended and she would always be thankful for supernatural world which had bound them together, even if it wasn't instantly. His voice cracked and wavered as he declared his love and commitment to her, she cried. His hands shook as he placed the ring on her finger, she giggled. He made no mistakes when it came time to kiss her. It was perfect and even if the rain poured down all around them, they were happy.

Wendy had approached Bella about bringing a date to the wedding a few weeks earlier, she had been really nervous about it but of course they wanted to meet anyone who was making Wendy this excited and anxious. Neither Bella or Paul were really surprised when her date turned out to be a girl. They never pushed or grilled her about who she was dating because they knew when she was ready she would come to them. It was a new relationship but the way Wendy looked at her made Bella think it may be more serious than she even realized. It made Bella's heart leap to know that Wendy was really handling this adult life better than she had ever dreamed, she was happy and regardless of where this relationship goes, she had come so far out of what was safe and comfortable. Wendy caught her staring and smiled knowingly.

As Bella looked around at her family and friends, members of her community she couldn't help but be overwhelmed with the sheer joy she felt. Everything she had wanted and dreamed of was within reach. Today may have been hers and Pauls wedding day but it was also another reason for their community to come together and celebrate. In a few more months they would be celebrating the birth of Embry and Leah's son, and then again when Sam returned with his fiancé and her children, the reasons to celebrate were endless and she enjoyed every chance she got to spend with her family, they were her past, her present and future, without them she wouldn't have Paul or Wendy, there was no end in sight for all she had to be grateful for.

Someone in the room started tapping their glass with a spoon and then everyone was doing it, she had attended enough weddings to know that it meant she would get to kiss her husband again, Bella blushed as Paul held her face in his hands, he could still make her blush and she hoped he would always have that affect on her, although she was positive that was exactly how it would be. Paul had given her life a whole different direction than what she had planned, it was chaotic at times but she could not have imagined anything better.

The reception lasted well into the evening and the skies had cleared up enough to see the stars, it was one of her favourite parts of being somewhere so remote. She had only stepped out a moment for some air before she was joined by Paul. The smile he had worn all day hadn't left his face. He held her and they said nothing, as wonderful as the day was she knew he was just as tired as she was, they enjoyed each others silence because they had a lifetime of conversations ahead of them.

Bella sighed happily as she thought about Wendy close to finishing up her degree in social work, dating beautiful women and just living her life the way she was meant to, it made her feel complete. Those years of just getting through each day, the hurt and pain she felt watching Wendy become numb and hollow. The sting of rejection every time she told her she loved her, that she would always love her and not always hearing it back, even when she wasn't sure she could continue to keep doing it. It had all meant something and she felt whole knowing that her fight to keep Wendy above water had been worth it.

Those days of fighting were what made Bella as strong as she was, she had more patience than most people she knew and could certainly wait out just about everything. Wendy was worth it, Paul was worth it and Bella could proudly say that she herself was worth the battles fought and won for their happiness.

Their evening ended, and she curled up in her husbands arms and fell asleep, content with what had been left behind and excited for what came next, her heart was full and her mind was at peace the way she had fought for it to be.

III. Imprints and Shadows(PaulPOV)

You would think that the happiness would last forever, that things would and could go the way you planned for once but you would probably be wrong. As Paul paced the waiting room of the hospital he could not hold back the anger and the tears. It wasn't fair and it wasn't supposed to be like this. He flopped down on the nearest plastic chair, it felt like years before the doctor finally came out. His stomach was in his throat. "Mr. Lahote, she's still unconscious, we managed to pump out the contents of her stomach, it'll probably be a few hours before she comes to but it looks like she'll be okay." Paul nodded silently, before thanking the doctor. Bella chose that moment to burst through the front doors. He could see that she had been crying.

"Oh my god is she okay? Please, please Paul tell me she's okay." Her voice shook and she looked completely terrified. He quickly filled her in on what the doctor had told him. The relief and sadness washed over them both. Wendy had fallen into a deep depression after her second year of work, they had been by every chance they could but it wasn't enough. Her girlfriend couldn't handle the stress and left and it was just the last straw for Wendy. Paul wished he could take it all away, he wished he could suffer so she didn't have to, it broke him to see her like this. And to see his wife who was in her second trimester with their first child, she was supposed to be taking it easy, she was so upset it just killed him. This was not how things were supposed to play out.

They waited until things were stable before going into her room. Seeing her like that just tipped Paul overboard and he crumpled up and bawled until Bella got down beside him and held him. He felt just as useless as he did all those years ago, it hurt. They sat quietly waiting for her to wake up, Leah and Embry showed up with Tiffany, their children were home with their other grandma Sue. Wendy twitched and bolted upright screaming and crying, it was heart breaking. Bella was the first to her side, soothing her like she used to. Nurses came in to dope her up because she couldn't calm down. A psychiatrist eventually showed up to ask them all questions, they were not going to release her without an evaluation and although they all understood it was for her own safety it didn't make them any less angry or upset.

Bella blamed herself for not seeing the signs, for not acting quick enough, he did his best to to calm his wife, to assure her this was not something they could have stopped. But he wasn't sure, she had been spiralling for weeks and her partner had told them both that she was worried about Wendy, maybe if they had taken her more seriously. Hadn't they though? Paul had been by every day that week to make sure she was okay, that's how he found her, thankfully he was able to act quick. This was not the first time she had attempted to take her own life, he remembered a time just after she turned thirteen, she found pain killers somewhere and brought them home, Bella had caught her that time, that time she had changed her mind and started trying to puke them back up. They knew she was suffering back then but they made the mistake of thinking it would just go away. The nurses had sent them home, Bella had been a nurse long enough to know that there really wasn't anything they could do for her at that moment but it didn't stop her from demanding that they call when she woke again. It was a point she had always made with Wendy, being there.

After a restless night with very little sleep, Paul and Bella were back at the hospital. Wendy was awake and Paul could see the shame in her eyes. Bella dropped everything and hurried to her side. "I'm so sorry Wendy, we should have been there." The two women cried and Bella just held her as tightly as she could, promising to do better next time. "It's not your fault, its no one's fault. I..."Wendy spoke through tears. "I knew what I was doing. I should have been taking my pills, I should have been going to therapy." Paul moved to her other side and grabbed her hand. "I just didn't want to remember it anymore." Paul breathed out a heavy sigh. It had and always would be a struggle and no matter how much he tried to fix it he couldn't.

"Maybe you should consider a different job." He finally said. Bella glared at him and Wendy shook her head sadly. "Listen Wen, I know you love those kids like your own and you want the best for them but you're putting yourself through hell to do it." Social work was not a job that just anyone could take on, there were so many aspects of the work they did he could see why so many of the older ones checked out. Wendy was great at her job, she cared but it was also draining her, changing her. "I know you want to make a difference but maybe now's just not the time, consider taking some time off for a while." He wanted to get down on his knees and beg her not to go back but he couldn't. "Just consider it please Wendy." For her own sake he hoped she would. Wendy just nodded silently. "I'll think about it Paul." Was all she said but it was enough because maybe she would.

Embry and Leah came by again, Wendy cried a lot, he knew she felt bad but he also knew it was not something she should feel bad about. It happened in a moment she felt out of control, she could not be fixed or cured it was something he knew she could pull through because she was much stronger than she clearly remembered. Wendy had decided to take some time off work, much to Paul and Bella's relief. She had arranged to get back into therapy and change her meds, she was handling herself and Paul was really proud of her.

The next few months had been trying, she had many bad days but she had reached out for help every single time, he was hopeful. It took several trials with different combinations of pills before she started to feel okay. Bella had gone into labour a month too early, their beautiful baby girl who they named Lucy was born a few ounces short of three pounds but she was a fighter and Paul was so proud of his wife, so happy that they would both be okay. This also became a turning point for Wendy, she hadn't meant to stress Bella or Paul or anyone out, he knew this but she was really trying to get things back on track for herself. They spent every day between the hospital to visit their daughter, Wendy's, work and home that Paul was exhausted. It felt like it would never end and he began to feel guilty for feeling frustrated and tired through everything but Bella had reminded him that he was human, he had his limits. His wife was his rock through it all and he hoped she could say the same for him, he tried.

It was a few weeks before they were able to bring Lucy home, when the day finally came he was overjoyed. Their home had been a place they slept and sometimes ate, it didn't feel much like a home. They pulled up to pink balloons lining their drive way, there were decorations everywhere when they stepped into the house. Wendy was waiting for them with a large basket filled with pink and frilly things, she had told them she was too busy to help them today but she had obviously been planning the greatest welcome home they could have imagined. Bella stood in the doorway stunned for a few moments before she pulled Wendy in for a hug. Paul carefully took his daughter out from her car seat, and placed her in Wendy's arms. It wasn't her first time holding her niece but she hadn't been by to visit in a while, they understood and gave her the space she needed. It made Paul's heart swell in his chest to see his family all in one room in the same home where it all started. Life had gone up and down for as long as he could remember but it seemed to him that these days when it went down, he found his way back up more quickly.

Wendy had switched from working cases over the next few months and moved between the youth center and the elders center, these jobs had given her a different sense of purpose and helped draw back her stress and anxiety. Working with groups rather than individuals was a perfect fit for her and Paul noticed how much more energy she had. She still had days where she went from work to home and right to bed but she had been better at reaching out for help when she needed it. Paul still stopped in every day, they did their best not to get in her space if they felt she was okay but he knew Bella would worry and he would too if she didn't call, text or stop in at least twice a week.

The first year of Lucy's life had gone by so quickly he and Bella could hardly believe it some days. Being a preemie she had hit her milestones a little bit later but she surprised them when she had taken a step only a couple weeks after she started crawling. Bella had screamed from the living room and scared the shit out of him, when he came charging in he startled his daughter and ended up missing it, the next few times she did it everyone else caught it but him, then one day she was just walking and then running. It amazed him how fast she was growing and how constant her personality seemed to change. Wendy had been in a much better head space and took Lucy for trips to the park when it was sunny and to the library or car rides when it rained, Lucy adored her aunt and Wendy clearly had fallen under Lucy's spell as so many had. Paul was really glad to be moving through life with fewer bumps but there was always that fear that when things were going great something bad was about to happen but it never did.

After Lucy's second birthday Paul and Bella found out they were expecting again, they were having another daughter. Only a few months after their second daughter Lilliana was born Paul had been playing with his girls on the floor of their living room, Bella shouted from the bathroom that she was pregnant again, he was happy of course but Lucy had just gotten out of diapers and Lilly was just rolling over, they were going to be outnumbered and it was a bit terrifying. Though he figured Embry and Leah could do because these days they were jugging five kids and both still worked full time, then they could definitely do it too.

Wendy had been in a pretty serious relationship with a woman from Forks when their third daughter Amaya was born, Paul was definitely outnumbered. There were very few days him or Bella had time for themselves, every room in the house had dolls and teddy bears but he couldn't imagine what life would be like without them. They had decided together that three children was a lot of children and since Bella had already been through enough in so few years it was up to him to take a more permanent step in preventing them from getting pregnant again. One quick and slightly painful procedure later and Paul was officially "fixed".

It was just before Lucy's fifth birthday that Wendy announced her engagement, they were thrilled she had found an amazing partner. They were great together and Paul felt like Wendy was really in the best hands, it took so much weight he hadn't realized he'd been carrying off his shoulders.

Their wedding was small and intimate, she had asked him and Embry to walk her down the aisle and they both happily agreed. With everything his sister had been through all he wanted was for her to be happy and when he had to face facts that she could be happy but she could also be thrown down into the pits of hell at the most unexpected times. It eased his heart and mind to know that she had someone who would be there when she awoke from her nightmares, someone who would not give up on her when she hit her lows, someone she could count on through the good and bad, she had found her other half and he could finally let go. Wendy would always hold a place in his heart as much as his daughters and wife, she was his family but now she had a place in someone else's heart too. Paul would always be there to protect her and love her, she had come into his life when he needed her the most and he had tortured himself for years over their beginnings. Had he not looked at her, not talked to her, he couldn't and refused to imagine that possibility. Something powerful had been at work that day to bring these two women into his life and he was grateful whether it was an imprint, or a shadow of that, he had to thank whatever gods or fate had brought her there, brought Bella and him there because he knew his life wouldn't have been what it was without them.

The years would continue to fly by faster than he could probably keep up with but Paul was sure that given his experience he could handle whatever life had to throw at him next. His end would come eventually but he would go knowing that he had accomplished everything worth accomplishing through his family.

END.

A/ N: Hi again, sorry this one took forever. I had read a comment that it felt like I rushed through the ending too quickly and honestly I felt that way too. I probably should have completed this story with the chapters I had planned to write but I wanted it complete and I really jumped the gun by just ending it the way I did because I missed on some huge plot lines in terms of where it would end. I chose to break this into three separate parts, in three separate times because I thought it might help tie up the loose ends, I hope I did that. Thank you for your patience, kind words and everything.