Sorry everyone for the late chapter again. Please don't let this stop you from reading. I've had a lot of trouble deciding where to go after chapter nine, and every draft I come up with I'm never 100% happy with. So this is something that I've had in my head from the beginning to post, but never really had a place to put it. It's another past event, so hope you enjoy! xoxo

Disclaimer: Don't own Twilight, just a fanfictioner.

Leah sat down on her bed, realizing that this could be the last time she would be here. Exhausted she lay down, haunted by the decision the elders had come to. And tomorrow it would be carried out….

(The Past)

"Hey, you kept me waiting long enough." Leah smiled wrapping her arms around Sam's neck and pecking his lips with hers before he could say a word. She enjoyed the smell of him as the kiss lingered a moment more, and the heat he generated as it warmed every part of her. He'd been distant since Leah had been busy looking after her cousin Emily who had come to town, and anytime she had a moment with him she tried her best to make up for lost time. She pulled back, his lips unresponsive under hers. If she had known it would be her last kiss with him, the same kiss that haunted her every day after she would never have let it end. She would have somehow found a way to live in that moment again.

Looking up, his face was tense. 'Sam. What's wrong?' he looked quickly away like he couldn't bare the sight of her. His hands were on her waist, balled up into tight fists. Panicked and instantly self-conscious Leah tilted his head so that he looked at her. She wanted him to embrace her like they normally would, to lay his hands on the flat of her back and kiss her temple. Do something, anything to show he loved her, that everything was okay.

Instead, she placed her hands over his balled fists in an attempt to unclench them. Her voice serious, 'What's happened? You're shaking, Sam is someone hurt…?'

'No, everyone's fine. I just... came to talk.'

Leah calmed instantly yet still a sickening sense of dread settled around her, 'Well, let's go inside then yeah? My mum took Seth with her into town and my dad's going to be at the lake all day with Billy and Charlie' She smiled, putting her hands on his chest and playing with his shirt, 'we have the whole house-' she stopped, this time he was looking down at her, somehow attempting to search for something. Hopelessly, as she looked at him she could feel him pulling away from her. Unaware that she was grasping at the parts of herself that were falling away.

It felt awkward; normally Sam would play along, smiling and teasing. She attempted to kiss him again but he pulled back. Her hands clumsily gripped his fists pulling him towards the house. 'Leah…' he continued a failing game of pushing her away, 'Leah stop…' panicked, Leah leapt for a last kiss and desperately with shaking hands tried unbuttoning his shirt.

Sam froze, grabbing Leah's wrists and haling her away from him as though she had just slapped him. Tripping she fell to the soggy ground. 'Fucking stop Leah!'

'What's wrong with you?! No, don't touch me, just leave Sam I'm going inside.' Not waiting for a response she gathered herself to go inside, the bitter sting of Sam's rejection compressing her chest. However, she fought back tears as his grieving voice called out behind her.

'Shit, Lee. I've messed up. I umm…I was.. Lee I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry..' He was reaching for her now, attempting to reclaim some part of her but she could see in his eyes that he had already given up. There was nothing left in him to fight for her. Yet it was then that she actually looked at Sam, his bloodshot eyes, sweaty skin, the dark circles under his eyes, there was defiantly something wrong. Worried for his health and despite how angry he had made her, she would never leave his side when he needed her. This time as she pulled him towards to house he followed. Like a lost child he let her take his hand and listened to her smoothing voice. Taking in every part of his Leah. She pushed him to sit on the sofa and before he could say a thing about her fussing she run up the stairs. Her long legs taking her up the stairs two at a time. He watched her move, hearing the sound of her movements as she ran to her bedroom stripping her bed then as she came bounding down the stairs with her duvet bundled in her arms. He smiled to himself imagining that she would make a great wolf, yet luckily she would never be cursed the way he was. Bound by supernatural laws he didn't understand. For so long he had kept his secret from her, and still now he would have to break her heart and lie. She laid the blanket around him so that he was nestled in the couch. She waited patiently but he couldn't talk.

"Do you want me to get you something to drink? Its not that flu again is it? I don't want to cause an argument about this again, but you've been completely off for the past few months now. Not only with me but everyone. I mean I love that you've taking your work out seriously, and I won't argue with the physical benefits, but you sure you're not taking this a little far. You're in great shape, but even the other week you randomly attempted to start a fight with that Cullen, Emmett. The guys a bulldozer Sam. And I mean you don't hang around with your friends anymore, I hardly see you at night and you won't even come near Emily. You're seriously giving the wrong impression and distancing yourself from everyone. Even me." He unwrapped himself and reached out for her. Instantly she took his hands and sat beside him. "Sam your burning up?! Shit! We have to get you to a doctor!"

"No. No Lee I'm fine. I need to tell you something, ok. So just listen." She was so patient, so calm and level headed. The girl he loved and had fallen in love with. Had. He'd never seen her loose her temper, whatever came at Leah she'd deal with practically and calmly. She'd never been in a fight, even when it was with him she usually walked away and gave them time to calm down before something was said that they could never take back. But Sam's next words just confused her.

"I met with Emily."

"OK…good, she's my cousin and I've actually been worried about you both not getting along. And don't be upset but I actually told her about the engagement. I know we were going to keep it secret, but I really need someone there when I tell my parents." She smiled sheepishly and twirled her fingers between his.

"Leah… I mean.. Look this doesn't have anything to do with Em-" he said shuffling out of the nest Leah had made him and struggling to gather some space. "Well I mean it does, but I can't explain the whole story to you, but she's a part of it now and… Her and I…

"Em?" A knot of jealously whirled inside her chest at the cozy choice of nickname. "What.. did something happen between you both?" She attempted to laugh, struck deathly still as Sam turned to look away.

"Did you cheat on me?" She knew the answer but the words couldn't help but escape her lips. She wanted him to be shocked at her accusation to tell her she was jumping to impossible conclusions. Yet Sam just sat there, not looking at her.

"It wasn't like that we just, happened. I was-"

"Just what Sam?! Are you and my cousin, doing something behind my back?!"

"I can't do this anymore. We can't be together. Its nothing to do with her Leah, leave her out of this. You said it yourself, and I can't explain it, but it's me ok. It's something, this thing…" he caught the mug Leah had thrown at him. The cold morning coffee drenching the carpet. Frustrated it hadn't hit him, she caught the blanket rom underneath him and wretched the thing out. Forcing Sam on his feet she leapt at him. He was huge and she knew her feeble attempts to push him weren't working; yet he took every kick and punch in the chest. "Lee don't do this. Christ Leah. Look I can't explain it Lee. I love you but.. I just can't be with you. I can't explain what I have with Em, but it's so much more. I… I love her Lee…"

She stopped, tears streaming down her eyes. She watched motionless as Sam backed up towards the front door, "Lee, I'm sorr-"

"-Get out." Her body felt foreign to her as she shakily reached for him. She wanted him to turn around and grab her, to take her in his arms and just hold her a moment more before he left. She wanted to live in that first kiss again. She didn't want his words of apology, she just wanted him, someone she had trusted to catch her tears. In a matter of moments she had been taken from a previous life of safety, happiness and love to one where the harsh light of reality made her feel cold and alone.

"If you leave now, you'll never understand what you've done Sam." The words came out crooked and she chocked back her sobs. This time he didn't try to say sorry, he didn't give her a last hug or kiss. He watched her tears fall and the way she gripped the banister to keep herself up. He hated himself, he hated he couldn't tell her the truth. And in the weeks that preceded it was Sam who had to watch as she changed, distancing herself from everyone she had trusted, not willing to be hurt again. He wouldn't know it then as he gazed at the fragile small-bronzed girl, that it would be last time he would see the person she had been. The quiet girl, with friends and family and a normal life.

Instead he turned his back to leave, as Leah clutched at the small delicate sliver ring on her finger.

(Present)

Light streamed through the delicate net curtains as Leah awoke to knocking at her door. They were here. It was time.