/ Author's Note: I don't own Leah Clearwater or any of the Twilight characters/universe. SM - feel free to sign Leah's rights away to me any day now.

Enjoy!

Chapter One

There was finally a date.

Almost exactly two weeks from today, December 31st, 2006 the eagerly anticipated Uley-Young wedding was finally happening.

With the newfound peace of the Volturi not destined to kill them at any moment, Sam and Emily had decided only hours ago that it was time to end their engagement and finally throw their greatly anticipated wedding. Luckily, in a small town, it didn't take much planning to throw everything together, even though Emily had been picking away at the little things since they got engaged.

Leah remembered the day vividly.

Her mother called her downstairs one morning after Seth had left for school. It was just the two of them, but she had cooked Leah's favourite homemade chocolate chip pancakes. Leah could smell them as soon as she walked out of her room and made her way down to the kitchen. Her mom had two plates put out on the island in the middle of the room along with fresh coffee, and lots of syrup.

"What's this for?" Leah asked skeptically.

Leah's relationship with her mother had grown immensely since her dad passed away. Things had been rocky with her and both her parents for a while after the break-up, but Harry told Sue she would be fine – it was just been her lashing out. Leah was always so mad that her dad seemed unphased by Sam leaving her – surely, he would make good on his threats to Sam when they started dating about what happened if he hurt his daughter. But nope; Harry seemed to understand, which irritated Leah to no end.

Sue tried to believe Harry that their daughter would come around… at least until Leah phased in their living room, destroyed their couch, and Harry had his fatal heart attack. Leah was forever indebted with guilt, and after her mom was able to finally explain everything to Leah – including Sam and Emily's imprint, Sue and her daughter began to rebuild their relationship and Leah finally understood why her dad didn't kill Sam for breaking her heart – he knew it wasn't his fault. Well, not consciously anyway. Only now, it was too late to make amends with her father.

"I thought we could use a girl's morning – Seth ate before he left for school."

Leah nodded apprehensively and sat down with her mom. She felt a strange feeling of anticipation hanging between them, but they made enough small-talk to cover the time it took to eat their pancakes and Sue started to clean up.

"I have something to tell you, Leah," Sue turned to her daughter who was sat at the island, nursing her coffee. Leah nodded, and her mom frowned, leaning against the countertop. The look on her face alerted Leah back to the heavy feeling in the air and she wondered what new blow her mom could throw at her now that would even matter. In the grand scheme of things, losing Sam and her dad had been enough for her to deal with, accompanied by turning into a large dog in the pack that her ex-boyfriend ran. What could make this any worse? "Emily's mom called last night."

"Oh yeah? About time she decided to check in considering her daughter ran off with my boyfriend." Leah found it hard not to be bitter, despite doing her best to forgive them both after finding out about the imprint. It still wasn't fair.

Sue took a deep breath in. She was rarely nervous, but she knew how much Leah had been through in the past few months. "Sam proposed to Emily last night, Leah."

The words felt like a shot in the chest and she dropped her mug just as she was about to place it to her lips, the pieces shattering on the island, coffee going everywhere. Why did it seem like every time things couldn't get worse, fate decided to hit her with another impossible situation? Sue jumped, grabbing the dishtowel on the counter to wipe up the mess.

"What did she say?" Leah's earlier attempt at a pleasant disposition now failed; her voice was cold, and Sue almost cringed as she wiped up the liquid and tried to gather the broken mug. Sue hesitated, which only made Leah angrier, tears formulating in her eyes. "Mom! What did she say?"

"Yes," Sue uttered softly, eyes closed. "She said yes."

It made sense – they were imprinted, but a part of Leah still wished Emily would tell Sam to go fuck himself and be the best friend she grew up with – be there for her. Choose her.

Leah felt the shiver go down her spine, and she got off the barstool at the island, stepping back immediately.

"Leah – breathe," Sue said quickly. "Just breathe. Let's talk."

But it was too late. Leah turned on her heel and ran out the back door, into the back yard as the dark red blur flashed through her eyes. She managed to disappear into the trees before her wolf exploded and started running. It was the first time she tried to escape La Push, but she was trapped. As far as she tried to go, she felt the pull of La Push, dragging her back – her Alpha calling her home to her prison.

Nine months later, Leah was still on the fence about why she had agreed to be a bridesmaid at this thing. She had reluctantly agreed to Emily's request to try and mend their broken relationship, but she had come to terms with the fact that they would never mend to the point of being unaltered. As the day grew closer, however, she was wondering if it was too late to back out. Saying yes to make Emily happy seemed like the right thing to do at the time but putting herself through this now seemed like a cruel punishment; one she bestowed upon herself.

The two packs had returned to La Push after the Volturi confrontation only six hours ago, but there had been no decision made as to what was going to happen from here. They could all hear each other again, just as they had been permanently rejoined, but Leah was hopeful Jacob may decide to stay separate despite her happiness at reuniting with her mom again. It was easier to forget Sam Uley had ever existed when she was in Forks. La Push had too many memories that she couldn't escape.

Tonight, however, they had more pressing matters. It was New Year's Eve and Seth had convinced Sue to let him throw a party at their house to celebrate them being home and out of harm's way – for now, anyway. The earlier Volturi confrontation was long forgotten by her younger brother, even though they had potentially been seconds away from death this morning.

Leah couldn't care any less about the festivities, but Seth's palpable excitement was hard to ignore. Sometimes, she wished for her brother's innocence back. It had been a long time since she had been as carefree as him.

"Leah!" Sue called from downstairs.

Getting up off her bed from watching some crappy movie on cable, Leah padded downstairs at her mother's call. She did need her own place, but that was hard to do with no education or job considering she was at the pack's beckoning call 24/7. If not for the whole wolf thing, she would have vacated La Push long ago to pursue her education and get a fresh start. The community college seemed like a more enticing option every day she approached her mid-twenties, but she wished she could attend a college outside of La Push for the serenity and privacy it would bring, plus the community college was scarce with course offerings. She had no idea what she even wanted to do, but anything outside La Push seemed favourable in comparison.

"Yeah, mom?" Leah went into the kitchen where she heard some pots clattering together. Charlie was washing dishes – because if he wasn't at the Cullen's with Bella and Renesmee, he seemed to have claimed their house as his own; and her mom was boiling something on the stove. They had only gotten home an hour ago from the fishing trip that Edward and Bella had insisted Charlie take so he was out of town during the Volturi's visit. Once Seth called Sue to let her know everything was fine, she convinced Charlie to end the trip early so they could come back to see their children. Sue didn't worry often, and she tried not to show it on their trip, but she had been terrified she would come home to an empty house.

"Are you going to be around tonight?"

"I guess so. Where else would I go?"

"Try to have fun tonight, Lee," Sue looked over her shoulder at her daughter who stood in the door frame of the kitchen. "Maybe this year can give you some new opportunities."

"One can only hope," she said dryly. "Are you and Charlie going to be hanging around?"

"We will be here for a little while – Renesmee is going to come over for a little bit with Jacob, but we're going to drop her home around ten, then we'll get out of your hair for the rest of the evening. It's been a hectic day and you all deserve to have some fun."

"You're staying at Charlie's?" Leah asked. Surely, Charlie's late-night visits when she and Seth had run off to join Jacob's pack hadn't been missed by anyone in La Push, however, it was different now being faced with the seriousness of her mother's new relationship head-on.

Sue's cheeks flushed slightly, but she was too busy trying to cook dinner for Leah to notice the crimson colouring. "I wanted to give you guys some privacy."

Leah knew better than to comment, but she raised a brow. Leah looked between the two, inquisitive. "When did this officially happen?"

"Charlie kept me company when you and Seth were gone - we got very close. We can talk about this later, Leah."

She didn't want to consider her mom with someone other than her dad just yet. She was glad for Charlie's company for her mother when she and Seth were gone, but he wasn't her dad and she really didn't want a leech for a sister. "I'd rather not," the younger female stated.

Sue nodded understandingly, "How are you doing from earlier?"

"Fine, we all just stood around in a field and then went home."

Sue knew her daughter wouldn't admit if she had been scared, but she smiled proudly at her strength. "Well, have fun tonight. Try and relax and enjoy yourself, Leah."

Leah nodded. She was probably just going to hold up in her bedroom for the night. After all, she had enough fraternizing with everyone trying to prepare for the possible Volturi battle to do her for the next century.

The she-wolf turned on her heel and went back upstairs. As a teenager, a party without adult supervision had been the dream – not that her dad let that happen. Harry hadn't been too strict, but when Leah got a boyfriend, he had become more protective of his little girl. That hadn't stopped her from finding loopholes, though; she just had to be more creative.

Finishing the movie on TV, Leah heard the door open and got up off her bed to look outside her window. Rachel, Paul, Jacob, Renesmee, Jared, and Kim were there. Did she have to make an appearance? She ran her brush through her short, straight hair and decided to throw on a pair of black, form-fitting jeans and a tank top that she found at the back of her closet. It was full of silver sequins and she felt it suitable for New Year's Eve. It showed enough cleavage to be appropriate, but also made her feel somewhat feminine – something she struggled with since erupting into a massive dog. She barely wore anything in her closet anymore; her attire mainly focused on dresses that were easy to get on and off for phasing. Regardless, it hugged her tiny, curvy frame nicely and she decided to go down to show her face before Sam and Emily got there just to say she did to appease her mother.

"Leah!" Rachel said happily, seemingly already have had a couple of drinks in her as she bounded over to engulf her into a hug. She and Rachel had been very close growing up. Harry and Billy had been good fishing friends, so Sue and Jacob's mom, Sarah, had many play dates with her, Rachel, Rebecca, Seth, and Jacob while the men were gone. Leah remembered Sarah's death well as did Rachel and Rebecca. Jacob and Seth got the easier end of the spectrum by having been young enough to not have a very vivid recollection. The two girls hadn't been as close since Rachel left for college, but Leah still felt comfortable with Rachel; almost sisterly. She couldn't blame her for running as fast as she could from La Push years ago but now, she envied her ability to have the opportunity to do so.

She hugged Rachel back tightly, however, and smiled. "Hey, Rach."

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked, looking her over. "I was so scared, Lee."

"I'm fine," she promised. "Nothing to worry about."

"You mean a whole lot to worry about. My best friend, brother, and boyfriend were out in that field today waiting to see if they were going to make it out. I've never been so worried in my entire life. Paul and Jacob said goodbye to me before they left - I wasn't sure if I would see them again. I think I sobbed until they got home – and then for an hour after because I was so relieved."

Leah honestly hadn't realized how difficult it would be for the imprints - it wasn't the first thing that was on her mind today through all the commotion, but now she realized how terrible it had been for them. She reached over to hug her friend again. "I'm sorry, but we're all okay."

Rachel pulled back and smiled as she reached down, into her purse to pull out a half-drank flask of tequila. "You're doing a shot with me. I've got more where this came from. We have to celebrate, and I need to calm my nerves."

Leah smirked, "I think I'm okay with just hanging out."

"Not happening, you're having fun tonight. With me."

Kim and Rachel spent a lot of time together now since they had both been imprinted on, but Leah knew Rachel would rather hang out with her. Unfortunately, they didn't get to often because Rachel worked from home in the daytime and usually hung out with Paul in the evenings and Leah had been away with the Cullen's, but now that she was home, maybe having a drinking buddy and catching up with an old friend was exactly what she needed.

"Fine, but be careful, remember the last time we drank together?" Leah had stayed up with her all night in her bathroom to make sure she was okay. Granted, they had only been seventeen at the time.

"I've got a stronger tolerance now. College didn't just give me a diploma," she teased.

Leah rolled her eyes and smirked. "Well, you're going to need more than that to touch me now." Her heightened temperature being a wolf burned everything off so quickly, so she would have to drink quite a bit to maintain any kind of buzz at all, but by the amount of beer that was on her kitchen table that the guys were trying to fit into the fridge, she was willing to bet there would be quite a few drunk wolves tonight if they kept up their pace. Maybe it was reckless considering the earlier events, but they deserved a celebration. The Cullen's were on alert if anything were to happen, but Alice was certain that they wouldn't be bothered anymore by the Volturi - and most of the other leeches had left to retreat home except for Nahuel and his aunt. They were safe to let loose for now.

Rachel giggled, already feeling the shots her and Kim took earlier. "I still can't believe my brother imprinted," she said as her eyes wandered over to her little brother on the couch, Renesmee on his lap. She looked about ten now, and although Nahuel stated he grew until age seven, Carlisle was convinced she was going to grow much faster. She was already over halfway to seventeen and she was only a couple months old.

"Especially on the half-breed," Leah said. "It's bad enough Quil imprinted on a child, but a half-leech?"

Rachel shrugged, "I guess they have a little more to figure out down the road. Can I tell you something?" Rachel's attention turned back to her friend.

"What's up?"

Rachel lowered her voice and leaned in. "I think Paul is going to propose soon."

"What?" Leah's brow furrowed in surprise. She had no information to either confirm or deny her suspicions because she hadn't been in Paul's mind since she left La Push. "Did he say something?" It wasn't out of the realm of possibility, of course; he had imprinted on her. She just hadn't been expecting it so soon and by Rachel's expression, neither had she.

Rachel flushed, "With Sam and Emily's wedding coming up he just keeps mentioning that maybe we'll be next. I mean, I love him, I do, and it's a nice idea, but I was hoping we would be long gone from here and settled down first. He's been acting pretty strange lately, too, so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it or not but he's giving me anxiety," her tone was joking, but the look on her face told Leah how apprehensive Rachel was to marriage in general, not necessarily with Paul.

Leah hadn't been in an imprintee's head, so she wasn't quite sure how it was for them, but she knew there was more work behind their end than the imprinters. Sam had gone after Emily immediately after meeting her, but she continued to push him away at first, which told Leah it wasn't as immediate and unbreakable as the imprinter's side. Of course, Emily had succumbed and realized her feelings had been there, but it wasn't as immediate. "I get that," she said softly. "Him not being called in the middle of the night to fight a leech may be nice, too."

"—And not sleeping on the couch at Billy's," Rachel added, causing Leah to laugh.

"Maybe he meant it in a... futuristic way? You could be jumping to conclusions." Oddly enough, she didn't feel the hostility toward Rachel at the idea of her being engaged as she did toward Emily. Then again, Rachel wasn't going to be engaged to her ex-boyfriend that she couldn't seem to get over.

"As much as I do see a life with him, I was hoping for a little more normalcy, first. Not to say I would say no-"

"I get it, don't worry, but don't get too hung up on the details. As much as Paul and I butt heads, I know he loves you, I see it; frequently," she smirked. "Everything else will work itself out." She just hadn't seemed to find the reasoning behind her own failed relationship yet.

"Sorry for putting this on you," she said softly. "I just... I know Kim will end up saying something to Jared if I tell her and I don't want Paul to think I don't want to, I'm just a little nervous, I guess. I want forever with him, but it's not exactly how I pictured it. I know you've got a lot on your plate, though. How are things with you?"

Leah shrugged, "Well I'm back here, which I'm unsure is a good thing or not."

"I missed you. I honestly have never seen your mom so... undone as when you and Seth left."

"Charlie was here, so I guess I'm grateful for that. Then there's Sam and Emily's love-fest playing out in two weeks," she added.

Charlie and her mom were over talking to Renesmee and Jacob, but a part of Leah wished her mom would hate everything Cullen-related as much as she did.

"I'll be there to drunkenly fill you up with shots. I'll even hold your hair back for you if you get sick." She winked, a grin playing on her lips. "I promise, you'll get through it, you're like the strongest bad-ass woman I know; just like your mom." Rachel said idly as both girls watched Sue reach out to experience Renesmee's gift.

"Just not as resilient as her," Leah commented. It didn't matter what life threw at her mother, she got up and threw back. Leah, on the other hand, was stuck on Sam since the moment she laid eyes on him as a teenager. She wished she could get over the long-haired boy she fell in love with at sixteen who had since turned into a man – and found his life partner, but every part of him pulled her back in. His chest, his voice, his hair, his scent. She was brought back to her time in Forks – she greatly missed the peace of not worrying about seeing him. Even the thought of him coming tonight made her chest tighten.

Rachel shrugged, "I left after my mom died like a coward. I left Jacob to look after dad and me and Rebecca bolted. I'm not proud about how I managed things, and I hate wanting to leave again seeing how happy my dad is now that I'm home, but I just... I can't handle the memories here. Everywhere I go I see her. You're stronger than I am; to put up with the memories of Sam and your dad... I can't imagine and I'm incredibly sorry I wasn't here when you needed someone."

"You're here now," she said as Rachel hugged her again – it was probably the alcohol running through her veins that allowed her to be so open. Rachel was always carefree before her mom had passed and she managed to keep her loving persona even through her heartache. Leah was envious how everyone else seemed to stay so pleasant when something bad happened, yet her heartache had turned her into someone she barely recognized anymore.

"I am, and we're getting drunk, come on." She led Leah into the kitchen and pulled out a couple of plastic shot glasses from her purse. "Got any lemon?"

Leah smirked and went over to the fridge. The girls got the salt and cut the lemon up before Rachel filled the glasses. "Oh, God," Leah groaned. "You know what tequila does to me." One minute she was fine, the next she was on her ass. Every. Time.

Rachel giggled, thinking back to their teenaged adventures. "Well, we're older now." Rachel raised her shot glass, "To new memories, a new year, and new opportunities," she proclaimed.

Leah picked up hers and grinned. "And maybe a shiny diamond ring," she teased Rachel.

They licked the salt off their hands, hit glasses and downed the liquid inside before grabbing the lemon to suck on.

"Fuck, I forgot how potent that was," Leah's face was scrunched up. Rachel had enough shots already to get used to the flavour and just giggled as Kim entered the kitchen.

"I didn't know where you guys went," Kim whined. "The guys are talking about sports."

"Come take a shot," Rachel smirked, refilling the tiny shot glasses. Unlike Leah, Kim's annoying qualities didn't phase Rachel.

"I think I'm good for now," Kim protested.

"Aw, c'mon," Rachel complained. "You only had, like, two."

Kim rolled her eyes but obliged and all three girls downed more shots, laughing and reminiscing on old times before they heard a knock on the door. They stayed in the kitchen, but Leah heard Sam's voice, along with Embry, Quil, and the younger wolves as the house filled up. It was only 9 o'clock, but everyone was here now.

"You okay?" Rachel asked Leah seeing a nostalgic look on her face.

It was the first New Years Leah had spent with Sam since their break-up. It was also five years today that she had lost her virginity to him. They got together in September in sophomore year and it didn't take long for them to get close in every possible way. It had been one of the few nights that her parents decided to go out together. Seth went over to one of his friends from school for the night and it was only Leah left in the house. She had promised her parents she wouldn't have a party, but she hadn't promised she would be home alone.

"Fine," Leah said softly.

Rachel poured up a shot just for Leah, deciding her and Kim probably needed a few minutes to let the liquor settle. "Here, liquid courage," she offered.

Leah took it much more easily as Emily came into the kitchen. "Hey, the guys said you were in here."

"Hey Em," Rachel smiled warmly. Despite the hostility between the two cousins, Rachel, Kim, and Emily always did get along.

"Is everything ready for the big day?" Kim asked happily. Sometimes, Leah wondered if she forgot about the thick animosity the subject caused between her and Emily or just did it to annoy her.

Two weeks.

"Getting there," Emily said simply, being forgiving of Leah's presence. Part of her desperately wished Leah could be excited for her – this was something they had always talked about since being kids. She knew her cousin tried, and she had every right to be upset, but Emily still wished for her best friend back.

"Want some tequila?" Rachel offered, swinging the almost-empty flask around.

Emily shook her head, "Maybe later."

Seth poked his head into the kitchen. "Leah, can I grab you for a minute?"

Although Leah wanted to stay in the safe-haven of the kitchen to avoid Sam, her curiosity got the best of her– and the opportunity to skip overhearing any wedding details. "What's up?"

"I need to ask you something."

Seth led Leah out the back door. "I need you to come with me; Paul asked me to grab one of the girls – aside from Rachel."

"What for?" Leah was a little annoyed he didn't grab Kim or Emily, because anything involving her and Paul usually ended up in an argument.

"Just come with me."

Leah sighed but followed her brother. They walked the five-minute walk down to the beach and Leah's brow furrowed. "We're not setting off fireworks for another three hours, Seth."

But then she saw Paul on the beach, the frost covering the rocks and sand with a white blanket. He was looking out toward the ocean but turned when he heard them approach. "Really, Leah? She is the most unromantic one of them!" Paul cried, throwing his hands up like a child.

"What do you want?" Leah asked rashly, walking down to meet him on the beach with Seth. "You're lucky I'm even here, so make it quick."

But then she saw it; there were pink and red string lights on the winter ground only a couple feet away, in between where the guys had placed the lanterns earlier so that they would have enough light for the fireworks. They were attached to a plug that Leah traced back to Jacob's rabbit so they would light up.

"Is it not enough?" Paul asked nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, wishing Seth had gotten anyone but Leah for this.

The lights spelled out, 'Rachel, will you marry me?'

"I told him it's fine," Seth interjected. "But he wanted a girl's opinion."

"Yeah, like Emily or Kim," Paul whined again.

"It's just enough," Leah ignored him. "She'll love it." Leah hoped Rachel didn't feel too overwhelmed. She understood her friend's concerns, but nothing happened as you pictured it, after all. "Trust me; I've known her since we've been born." She had never seen Paul so nervous; even though he imprinted on Rachel and everything seemed perfect between them and he knew realistically, she would say yes.

"Thanks, I'll be up in a few minutes, okay?"

Seth nodded and he and Leah started walking back to the house.

"Sorry, Lee," Seth said softly. "I figured it would be easier to grab you – plus it's 'kinda cold out and Emily or Kim wouldn't be immune like us."

"Whatever," Leah said teasingly. "Rachel is kind of expecting something – not tonight, but she mentioned that Paul's been asking some weird questions."

"It's nice to start the year off with something happy, though, isn't it? Especially after earlier today."

Leah nodded, "I am happy for them." She was being honest.

"Maybe this year you'll find someone?"

"Doubtful, little brother, but thanks for the optimism," she ruffled his hair before they got back to the house.

Charlie and Sue had just left with Renesmee, so Jacob, Embry, and Quil were on the front porch, outside having a beer. It was growing close to ten o'clock and Leah would be happy when the New Year was here so her house would be empty again.

Seth stopped on the porch with the guys, so Leah decided she may as well stay out there with them, but she was craving a few more tequila shots to get through the night. She also had to find Rachel later and try to slow her friend down, so she wasn't too drunk for what was to come later.

"Hey Leah," Jacob said contently.

"So that answers our question!" Embry cried.

"What?" Leah asked, raising a brow as he studied her. It was a long-known fact that Embry had a little crush on Leah. It was probably just because she was the only girl he saw often and was forced to socialize with. That, and he had seen her naked while phasing. Leah wasn't about to enter any kind of relationship with an un-imprinted wolf, though, and Embry didn't exactly tickle her fancy. Sometimes she wasn't sure if she would ever feel the way she did for Sam for anyone else.

"You do own actual clothes!" he teased. She and Embry liked to tease each other since they managed to strike up a sort of friendship in Jacob's pack. Embry blamed it on her being away from Sam making her more tolerable, but he enjoyed the she-wolf's company - most of the time. He knew a lot of the guys used to be jealous when Sam had Leah – and despite her shorter hair and her permanent scowl lately, she used to be pretty fun-loving and the guys tended to forget with her spiteful personality that she was extremely good-looking.

Leah rolled her eyes at his futile attempt to make her laugh. "Shut it, Call."

"One more night for old times," Quil mentioned, gesturing to the five of them. "I guess it's time to settle back into La Push with Sam and his disciples." His tone was joking, but there was a hint of curiosity in his voice; as though he was egging Jacob on for any details he may have on their impending future.

Leah was immediately interested, wondering if he knew something she didn't, but Jacob's words confirmed they were still uncertain of everything.

Jacob shrugged, "We'll be having a meeting after the wedding to iron everything out, I know you guys have questions, but Sam and I still have a few things to decide on first."

"There can't be two alphas, can there?" Leah asked.

"No, definitely not," Jacob replied. "We're working on it." He took a sip of his beer, leaning against the railing, his face deep in thought.

"How's Renesmee?" Seth asked.

"Good," Jacob smiled. "They think in only a few more months she will be full-grown."

"So does that mean you guys can be together soon?"

Jacob shrugged, "We will have to wait and see." He was aching to have a normal imprint.

Leah slipped inside, deciding she was tired of the imprint talk, and she had to find Rachel. It wasn't hard; however, as the music blasted some new pop song and she saw Rachel trying to teach Kim choreography in the middle of the living room amongst everyone. Leah couldn't help but grin as Kim tried to follow Rachel's movements.

"Since when do you dance?" Leah smirked, watching Rachel move to the music.

"I found it good for expressionism!" Rachel yelled over the music. "And it keeps me busy when Paul's on patrol!"

Leah shook her head as the song came to an end and Rachel turned the music down. Jared came up to sweep Kim away and Emily was sat beside Sam on the couch, heads turned to watch the girls, laughing along with them until Leah had entered.

"You should come with me sometime," Rachel said happily. "I go to class just outside Forks every Tuesday and Thursday evening when Paul patrols. You'd be surprised at how much energy it releases."

"I traded in my ballet shoes in sophomore year," Leah pointed out. When she met Sam, the only thing she had wanted to do as an extra-curricular activity was… well, him. Ballet seemed childish and she wanted Sam to see her as the mature woman she was becoming; the type of woman he wanted at his side.

"C'mon, it would be great to have a friend there. It's a beginner's adult class and they're still accepting people. It's only a small class and everyone there is great." Her voice lowered, and she grinned, coming up beside her friend. "Plus, there's a really hot guy there named Jeremy who teaches it. I think if he can get enough people interested, he's going to have a little recital here in La Push in the spring."

"I'll think about it," she said; mainly just to get Rachel off her back. "I don't need a match-maker, though. Plus, I don't know what our schedules will be yet." Her ability to imprint was the only matchmaker she could tolerate and that wasn't exactly working out in her favour. She did mention to Jacob about attending a meditation or yoga class, so maybe it could be a good idea to try to take out all her emotional energy into a dance class instead. At least she would have Rachel. "How are you feeling, Rach?"

"Lovely," she giggled. "Just drunk enough. What about you?"

"Good," she smirked. She felt the warm feeling in her tummy from the tequila but wasn't near as drunk as she would like to be.

Rachel went and hauled another almost-full flask from her purse. "Drink this and you'll feel much better."

So she did. Rachel went into the kitchen with her and sat on the counter while the she-wolf downed shot after shot and Rachel took one now and then. When they finished the flask, she finally felt her head become heavy from the alcohol.

Paul had long since come back from the beach but figured hanging out with the guys may numb his nerves a little – and more than a few beers, so he was happy to let Rachel hang out with Leah. Admittedly, the she-wolf was having fun, despite her reluctance earlier. Rachel always seemed to be a breath of fresh air – at least when she wasn't cozied up with Paul.

The girls talked and laughed and didn't leave each other's company until someone called out that it was almost midnight and they had to start walking down to the beach to celebrate the arrival of the New Year.

Leah jumped off the counter and felt the ground move, the room spinning around her. Rachel reached out to steady her as both girls started laughing. Leah knew the drunk feeling wouldn't last long; however, she was feeling pretty pain-free for now. Maybe being a wolf also upped her tolerance for tequila's undesirable side-effects she always had when she was human.

"Are you going to be able to walk?" Rachel giggled, causing Leah to only laugh even more.

The girls stumbled out of the kitchen, laughing and Jacob met them in the living room doorway.

"Leah?" Jacob asked, smirking at her glossed eyes. "How much have you had to drink?" He grinned as Rachel steadied her again. It was kind of amusing to see the older Clearwater let loose, he decided.

"Just enough," the girls laughed.

Leah was like a brand-new deer trying to grow into her legs. Jacob let Rachel off the hook and grabbed Leah's arm. "Are you okay?" Jacob asked her. He hadn't had a chance to really talk to her alone since returning to La Push and in preparation for the battle, he made his pack mates run with Sam while he helped the Cullen's, so it was very real that Leah had been intentionally avoiding him for making her go back to Sam and not knowing where they stood currently. He was pretty positive he wanted to stay in La Push, which he knew she would resent, but it was their home, and if negotiations with Sam worked out in his favour, there was no reason for them to go elsewhere.

Leah looked up at Jacob and pulled her arm away. "I'm fine," she said before almost tripping over her own two feet, causing Jacob to grab her.

"You're drunk," he said. "Let me help."

Leah rolled her eyes but didn't fight him as he took her arm again. Tequila tended to hit her hard and maybe she did overdo it, but she wanted the buzz to last and it was the first time she drank as a wolf, so she didn't know her wolf-limits.

Thankfully they managed to get down to the beach and Rachel smiled when she saw Paul. She had been with Leah most of the night, which was fun, but she missed her imprint.

"Did you know about this?" Leah asked Jacob, who was still at her side to steady her, as Rachel approached Paul. She and Jacob got down far enough, watching as Embry and Quil set up the fireworks. Leah felt the alcohol burning off slowly, but Jacob kept her arm to make sure she wasn't about to fall flat on her face.

Jacob nodded. "He actually asked me and dad for permission. It was probably the humblest I've ever seen him. I don't think I'll ever let him forget it," he mused.

Leah smirked and watched as Rachel went over to Paul, "That would have been something I would have loved to see." Jared was up in Jacob's truck and it roared to life as Rachel got down to where Paul was stood, lighting up the ground with the Christmas lights strung out in the sweet words every girl wanted to hear someday.

It took Rachel a second to realize what was happening, and as she saw the lights illuminate and Paul got down on one knee, everyone around to watch, her hands went up to cover her mouth that automatically fell open like every romance movie ever. If Leah wasn't so happy for her friend, she would have been annoyed at how cliché it was. "Paul..."

"Rachel, I knew you were it for me from the moment I laid eyes on you. You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and I want you to be mine forever. Today put into perspective how fragile life is, and I want to spend whatever is left of mine with you; forever. Rachel Black, will you marry me?"

Leah felt tears spring to her eyes, but she blinked them back. She was supposed to be this happy for Emily, she thought idly. But it made her happy to watch as Rachel started to cry and nodded quickly. Despite her friend's concerns earlier, she knew they would figure all the details out over time. When you found your person, you just knew, right?

"Of course, yes!" She said as Paul opened the small black box in his hand. He breathed a sigh of relief before taking it out of the box, throwing the box to the side, and slipping the small silver diamond ring onto her left hand.

Paul picked her up and spun her around as she cried before pulling back to place a heated kiss to her lips. The guys smirked and lit the fireworks and started the New Year countdown.

Ten.
Nine.

At least Rachel had someone to kiss on the New Year; a new fiancée. Leah pointedly kept her eyes away from Sam and Emily.

Eight.

Jacob stayed with Leah and Seth came up beside his sister, wanting to make sure she was alright.

Seven
Six
Five

Four
Three

Two
One.

The fireworks set off and the imprints grabbed their other halves and kissed them. Although she desperately tried not to look, her eyes made their way over to Sam and Emily, lip-locked and happily in love. She felt Jacob's eyes on her, and he sighed, getting ready to give her a lecture on having to move on when suddenly, the she-wolf felt her stomach flop.

She pulled away from Jacob and emptied the contents of her stomach into the nearby greenery sticking up from the snow, holding her hair back from her face. Thankfully, the fireworks were more of a spectacle than her, so she didn't draw too much attention.

"Ooh, Lee," Jacob groaned. "Good timing." At least they were outside.

Seth couldn't help but laugh. "At least she'll feel better."

"Happy New Year!" The guys called as they stopped sucking face.

Maybe next year Jacob would be able to share a New Years kiss with his imprint. But this year? It looked like someone had to take care of Leah. Seth ran off with Collin and Brady, Rachel having retreated with Paul, and the other imprints happy on the beach watching the fireworks explode, it meant it was just him to ensure the she-wolf didn't die from alcohol poisoning, he thought spitefully. Quil came up to Jacob with Embry, and Embry frowned seeing Leah sick. "Is she okay?" Embry felt squeamish when it involved vomit, but he did feel the pull to try and help her.

Jacob smirked. "Just drank a little too much, serves her right."

Jacob was about to go over to her, but Leah groaned and stood upright, feeling her stomach emptied. "It was the fucking tequila, and fuck you, Jake."

Jacob started chuckling and rolled his eyes.

"You know what they say about tequila," Embry teased. "Start stripping, Clearwater."

Leah glared at him. "Only in your dreams, Call."

"Party's over," Quil said, ready to get home.

"What a way to start the New Year," Leah groaned already feeling a headache coming on.

"I'll take her home, you guys can go."

"I'm fine," she protested. "Really; I can get myself to bed."

"I want to talk to you, anyways," Jacob said. "So, walk with me." Jacob started walking away from the beach and she begrudgingly followed as Quil and Embry went down to spend what was left of the night with the others.

Although her head was still a little fuzzy, she was steadier on her feet. Jacob still had to grab her arm a couple of times, but she was a lot better than before. Wolf temperatures did burn things off super-quickly.

"What do you want?" Leah asked as they walked.

"I was going to ask you the same question. I haven't seen you around much, so I wanted to check-in."

"While you've been tucking your precious imprint in preparation for the battle, I've been on the late-night patrols, with Sam's pack, which you already know considering they're your orders. Doesn't leave much time for socialization with the feeling of impending doom looming over everyone."

Jacob tried to ignore the hostility behind her words. "I know you may not be thrilled about being back in La Push, but I need to discuss some things with Sam after today to see where we go from here. If it's any consolation, I'll try to keep Paul off your patrol, in the meantime. Until we figure things out. That should earn me some brownie points, right?"

Leah looked up to him, feeling her stomach growing a little nauseous again and trying to ignore it. "Where did you get that phrase? Brownie points? You have been spending way too much time with kids lately."

Jacob sighed and forced the urge to roll his eyes; she was drunk, but her hostility was, admittedly, kind of valid. "I just wanted to check in and make sure there are no bad feelings. You're still my Beta, after all." He had learned a lot about the infamous Clearwater when they were on their own, but some part of him believed he had still only scratched the surface.

"Nope, no hard feelings," she said, her words laced with sarcasm as her defence mechanism. She wasn't a big fan of him right now, but she could hardly tell him that she resented him for imprinting and dragging her back to La Push.

They weren't far from Leah's house when she felt her stomach tighten again. "You should go, I'll be fine."

"You look pretty green, Lee," Jacob admitted. "Are you-"

Leah hung back as he kept walking and felt her stomach expel more of the golden liquid she had downed. Jacob did go over to her this time and he managed to hold her hair back for her. "Jesus, Leah, how much did you drink?" Seeing Bella deathly ill on Renesmee caused his stomach to harden, and he did feel a sense of responsibility for his pack-mate so he wanted to make sure she got home okay.

"A full flask of tequila," she said softly as she started to feel a little better again. "And then some."

She stood upright, but her head was spinning a little and she stumbled. Jacob put a steadying hand on her back and chuckled. "Are you having fun being stupid and reckless?"

"Whatever, amuse yourself now because don't worry - I'm never drinking tequila again," she said softly, taking a deep breath in. She felt his hand on her lower back and her muscles tightened in response. "You don't have to be here for this, I'll survive."

Jacob chuckled. "You're almost home, now, come on."

They made it the short distance back to the Clearwater's house – which seemed much longer than usual to Leah. "I'll nurse my hangover from here, thanks, though." Jacob was about to turn and leave – satisfied she could get herself to bed before Leah smirked. "I would be wary about going back to your place, though," she mused.

"And why's that?" He turned to face her on the front step.

"The newly engaged couple may be there, so be careful to what you're walking into," she smirked and turned the knob to her front door.

Jacob groaned, "Really, Leah? Mental images!"

"I'm sure Paul will have plenty; you should probably avoid him during patrol, too."

"Sometimes I'm jealous of all the people who haven't met you," he mused.

Leah just smirked. "I would slap you, but that would be animal abuse."

"How long have you been waiting to use that one, Clearwater?"

"Did you like it?"

He shook his head in response, but there was a hint of a grin playing at the corners of his lips. "You'll go far someday; hopefully you'll stay there."

"Trust me when I say that will make the both of us incredibly happy," she mused, the honesty of her woods seeping through their banter.

"Goodnight, Leah," Jacob called before turning on his heel. "Don't let the vamps bite."

Leah rolled her eyes and went inside and downed a couple of glasses of water before collapsing on her bed and quickly drifting to sleep, hoping her hangover headache would be short-lived.

Jacob went over to Emily's early the next morning for him and Sam to discuss their packs. They had a lot to decide on to figure out where to go from here and with neither alpha backing down, Jacob could tell today would probably be long and fruitless, too, but they needed a decision soon. Sam's wedding was only two weeks away and then he would be gone for two weeks with Emily. They were only going into Port Angeles, but Sam promised Emily (emergencies aside) he would step away for those two weeks and spend the time focused on them.

Sam came down over the stairs after pulling on a t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. He had over-slept for the meeting because he and Emily had been up late together. "Hey, sorry," he opened the door to let Jacob inside.

Jacob was a little surprised that he didn't smell breakfast cooking. Emily was always up with the birds to ensure they were fed - Emily was the pack's backbone. He sat at the kitchen table as the woman in question arrived downstairs, hair up on top of her head, after having thrown on a robe over her pyjama pants and a tank top.

"Morning, Jacob," she said happily. "Bacon and Eggs?"

Sam kissed her cheek as she entered the kitchen and she smiled. "That sounds perfect, Em, thank you."

Emily took out some pans and got the ingredients out of the fridge and Sam took a seat opposite Jacob. "Late night ringing in the New Year?" Jacob teased.

Sam chuckled. "You could say that. I think my and Emily's talk last night may benefit our conversation."

"Please bestow me with the opportunity of learning how your pillow talk could benefit the pack?" Jacob asked curiously.

Emily was within earshot, but she tried not to eavesdrop. She turned on the radio to listen to the news as she cooked. She enjoyed taking care of the pack; it helped her feel important in the grand scheme of things – like she had a purpose other than being a housewife and part-time college instructor. She always wanted an important job, but once Sam imprinted on her, it was very clear where she belonged.

"I need you to keep this between us," he said sternly. "And I don't want Leah to know yet, not until Emily and I can speak with her."

Jacob raised a brow. "Okay?"

"The pack's growing numbers have given me a little bit of a headache," he admitted. "I've managed, but with you guys back there are another five wolves again and it's been a little hectic for me to manage everyone and tend to my home life. We both know you're the rightful alpha, which means with the growing numbers you'll have a much easier time managing them. Emily and I were talking last night and we've decided it is time for me to take a step back from the pack, so despite our... earlier disagreements, I'm well aware the pack will be safe in your hands and I am intending to step back after the wedding. I'm handing the reigns over to you, Jacob."

Jacob was so confused. "What caused this change of heart? Are you doing this for Emily? And what does this have to do with Leah?" Was he going to give up just like that?

"Emily," Sam called. "Can you come over here?"

Emily left the stove and went over next to Sam, his arms wrapping around her waist. "Emily and I are expanding our family." He said happily, beaming up at the beautiful woman. Emily flushed a deep scarlet but looked extremely happy at Sam's words.

It frustrated Jacob a little to see everyone moving on and getting engaged, married, and having kids when he was still on babysitting duty himself. He loved Renesmee, but he wished he could have the normal relationship everyone else seemed to have. That thought alone also caused him to question his imprint – Quil didn't complain about Claire being a child, he was quite eager and willing to wait as long as it took to be with her. He, on the other hand, always seemed to be questioning his imprint and wishing for normalcy. It didn't sit well with him, but he tried to push that feeling away.

Only a few more months, he told himself.

"Congratulations," he said uneasily. "So… you decided this last night?"

Emily nodded, "Well, actually, we found out three weeks ago that I'm... uh, already pregnant. I'm eight weeks along as of tomorrow."

Jacob's eyes instinctively went to her stomach, but there was nothing to see - she looked the same. "Wow, I mean… that's awesome news. I'm happy for you guys."

Sam beamed up at his wife-to-be as she spoke, "I don't want to take him away from the pack, that's not my intention, but Sam and I decided it would be best to be home a little more because I haven't been feeling the best – and he knows you're very capable."

Jacob grinned despite his kind of lame win, but then realized the underlying message here: Leah. "So that's what this has to do with Leah."

Emily frowned at the mention of her cousin. "I want to be the one to tell her."

"No worries," Jacob replied. "I certainly don't want to be the messenger on that one."

"We're going to wait until Emily is farther along to tell her after we have our first ultrasound when we get back from our honeymoon," Sam said. "We're going to wait to tell everyone then, but we wanted to let you know the reasoning behind our decision. When Emily brought it up last night, to step back, it finally felt right."

Jacob sighed. Leah finally seemed like she was in somewhat of a good place, and he felt bad for the she-wolf. She was getting hit with more than she deserved, and the year had only just started. Honestly, it was bound to come sometime, surely, she knew that, but he knew it would still sting. Her infertility was something they all knew she struggled with. This would be a double-edged sword.

Jacob felt bad for himself, too, knowing he would be the one to deal with her after she got the news; him and the other guys. So much for their newfound peace and quiet. Emily retreated to cooking breakfast and he sighed. Maybe he would have to exile himself to the day shift with Paul, and exile Leah to the night shift, even if it meant listening to Paul's obsessive inner monologue about his sister. Neither option was desirable at this point. Leah's broken heart knew no bounds, and Paul loved to test Jacob's patience. Maybe he should just put them on the same shift, that could solve everything… except Leah would probably kill him, or she and Paul would kill each other.

Jacob turned his attention back to the current topic of discussion and decided to take the punches as they came with his pack-mates. "Well, I'm happy for you guys - and very happy we've come to an understanding. When will we get everyone else together?"

"I want you to take some time to think about things, first. You're going to want to alter some things to your preference, so I figured the morning after the wedding we could call a quick meeting before Emily and I go out of town. That will give you enough time to think it through and pick your Beta."

Pick his Beta?

"Leah is my Beta." Or was, anyway.

Sam nodded, "I know she was, but if you're merging the packs there are other options so I didn't know what you were going to want to do in regards to that."

He was right, there were more options now than there had been in his pack for Beta, but... well, Leah had shown she was worthy. She listened, obeyed orders, and kicked his ass when needed, though Sam was right; there were stronger fighters to pick from. Not to mention the hostility he would face from Jared if he didn't keep him as his right-hand man as Sam had. "I guess I never really considered it."

"That's why I want to give you time before we try to answer questions from the others."

Emily went back to cooking breakfast, in a complete daze of happiness thinking about the small baby growing in her belly. It only made her love Sam more and she was so excited to be a mom. It still nagged at her, though, that she was living Leah's life. Every good thing that happened between her and Sam, she remembered Leah telling her all about how she couldn't wait for it to happen for them. Being intimate, getting engaged, married, kids. It all was something Leah had claimed with Sam and it was so hard to be completely happy when she knew her happiness was making her cousin – and best friend, miserable. Emily tried to give it back to her as soon as Sam started pursuing her, but… well, there was chemistry. Strong, intense chemistry that made it impossible to stay away from the imprint. She felt whole with him.

Jacob sighed. "Well, I would advise you stick to the day shifts for the next week," he said. "Leah's going to be doing nights until the wedding. That, and I could use the extra authority to shut Paul up about him and Rachel." The night of the wedding the Cullen's would be on alert.

"Noted," Sam said. "I wish there was something I could do for her."

It took him a second to realize he was talking about Leah. Jacob shrugged, "It's not your fault."

"No, but she still blames me."

"Yeah, well, she's hurt," Jacob said as though it wasn't the obvious elephant in the room every day.

"She told you that?" Sam asked, frowning. His happiness always seemed to be clouded with his broken heart for Leah. He knew Leah was still hurting, but she wouldn't admit it – especially not to him who she tried to avoid as much as possible. He wished he could do something, anything, to make her happy again. The she-wolf always masked her true feelings, so Sam found it surprising that her and Jacob - of all people, had gotten that close in such a short period of time.

Jacob nodded hesitantly. "I tried to send her back here when she joined my pack, but she refused. She said she would rather take orders from me and protect the Cullen's than stand in the way of your happiness – and her own. I guess it was the first time that I actually felt bad for her, so I let her stay." He hoped she did start taking those classes she mentioned because she was going to need an outlet for her energy. Unlike him, she couldn't break off and run away to Canada just because she was unhappy - the long-standing joke of the pack.

Sam was well aware it was his fault the fun-loving girl he knew and loved was so unhappy and it killed him, but he was forever loyal to his imprint.

"Maybe I can talk to her?" Emily asked innocently.

Jacob shrugged, "Maybe it's best to leave her be for now. Anyhow, I should get going."

"Do you want breakfast?"

"I'm good, but thanks, Emily – I'm exhausted. I'm going to go home and try to get some sleep."

"You've been up all night?" Emily asked, concerned for him.

"Yup, thanks to our favourite female wolf."

Sam raised a brow, "What?"

Shit. That didn't come out right. "Leah decided to tell me it probably wasn't a good idea to go home – considering dad was out and Paul and Rach were already gone, and when I got home the lights were on so I decided to curl up in the woods in my wolf to avoid walking in on anything, but I didn't really get much sleep."

Emily smiled. "It's sweet what Paul did for her."

"Not when you have to live with them and now, they'll be worse than ever," Jacob noted.

Sam chuckled. "Well when Nessie gets old enough, I'm sure you'll be sickening, too," he grinned.

"Yeah, whatever," Jacob groaned. He would do anything for Renesmee and loved every minute with her, but it was so hard to be stuck waiting for his own happily ever after to start. "For now, I think it's best if we just keep my pack on the night shift and keep you and your pack on the day shift. Until I can figure everything out and then do up a new patrol schedule."

Sam nodded, "That works. I want to be home with Emily in the evenings, anyways."

It was an easy decision, but also one that came to him whilst wondering how to mediate Leah with Sam and Paul for the time being. Keeping them separate wouldn't be possible long-run, especially since he would need her to delegate some of his responsibility as Alpha if he chose her as his Beta, but for now, until they told everyone else what was going on and he for-sure decided on his pick for Beta, it worked and he, too, could avoid Paul's obsessive inner-monologue about his sister.

"Glad we finally got this resolved," Jacob said, extending his hand to Sam. "And congratulations to you both."

They shook on it before Jacob retreated home to bed.

/ Thank you for getting this far, I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think in a review! There's more to come! :)
~ Becca