I'll be home for Christmas

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - I'll be home for Christmas

Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer - this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods.

"Leah?" Embry asked again.

She turned around to look at his face and she looked lost. Her hands reached out to touch him. "Em?" she checked. "I'm…" And then she just stopped, blinked quickly and shook her head.

Embry clenched his fists, glared at Billy and looked like he wanted to punch something, but then he glanced down at the clearly distraught woman in front of him. His face went from angry to resigned. "It's not your fault," he whispered to her. "It's not anyone's fault."

"B-But-" Leah started.

"It's okay." He hugged her. "We knew it might happen sometime."

"I don't deserve you," she muttered into his chest.

No one else seemed game to move until they saw how Leah was going to react.

Bella was hoping that Embry didn't add this to the list of things he thought was wrong with him. Leah hadn't ever imprinted on him - nor he on anyone else.

"Was that…?" Billy gasped out.

Jake nodded. "An imprint? Yeah."

"Oh." Billy held his hands in front of his body. They were shaking a little.

Bella felt like crying. She had been pleased over an imprint with Josh, but Leah had been with someone else and she'd known Billy all her life. This was going to be very hard on everyone. Oh, my God. Sue was going to flip out. Imprinting had done Leah so much damage before.

"Guess that means you are going to join the pack," Jake said to his father.

"I guess." Billy still didn't look like he was handling this well. He glanced at Leah but her face was still buried in Embry's chest.

"Billy? Are you all right?" Bella asked.

He looked nonplussed. "I f-feel… kind of tired," he said.

"I'll help you get back to bed," Jake said. "And then, I think we need a pack meeting. Sam's place. Thirty minutes. Just the basic pack," he added. He looked at Embry and Leah. "Can you guys find Paul?"

Bella suspected Jake had just given them some time together.

Embry nodded. "Quil should be back soon, too."

They all went off to do things, leaving Bella standing alone in the kitchen. She sat down on a kitchen chair and rubbed her face. Jake was back in just over a minute. He stood at the sink with his back against the counter.

"Jake, I don't know what came over me with the twins. It wasn't my fight."

"I think it kind of is, now. It all seems to have something to do with you coming back, but thanks for sticking up for me." He gave her a look. "Only Rachel left and you will have punched all the Blacks."

"At least I didn't break my hand this time. I attacked Paul that time, too." She gave a nervous laugh. "Will they be okay?" she asked.

"Who?"

"Yeah. Pick one."

He sighed. He listened for a second. "Dad is asleep. Josh is still out, too."

"Paul can pick a fight with his imprint?" She had the idea that imprints were perfect and never argued.

"Paul can pick a fight with anyone."