I'll be home for Christmas

Chapter 15

Chapter 15 - 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 had been holed up in her hiding place. Years ago she had made a little space of her own in the forest, away from the pack. As far as she knew, they didn't know about it, or if they did they left her alone when she went there. Her little oasis. She checked out. She wondered where Embry was. Probably running. That was how he dealt with emotional stuff. The fact that she knew that was how he dealt with emotional stuff, that they were so close and it was gone again, made her heart hurt. Imprinting. Done her over, again. And Embry. He had enough crap with the parenthood mystery.

She heard a wolf howl. She felt it in her bones.

She had the feeling that all kinds of crap was going down. It was past sunset and it was time for her to check back in and go home. She stood, undressed and tied her clothing to her leg with practiced ease. She phased and headed for home.

She made a greeting to Paul and Embry, who were both patrolling as she had thought. Paul was still stewing over Rachel wanting to leave and Embry… she left him to his thoughts. Rachel should be back by now, too. Maybe Paul was avoiding going home; like Embry.

Instead of heading for home, she went for the Black house. She had done an awful lot of thinking. She could feel another wolf at the edge of her consciousness but couldn't say who it was. Must be an old timer. Were they phasing now, too? It had to happen, if Billy had imprinted, that was the sure sign that he was going to phase, as soon as he was well enough. Billy; her imprint.

She changed back in the forest and then knocked at the back door. She picked up what smelt like Josh's boots on the way and dumped them on the veranda.

"Come in," Billy called.

He was actually standing. He was holding the edge of the kitchen counter. "Leah." He looked sheepish. A look she could honestly say that she had never seen on Billy's face before.

"You're standing."

"I forgot the chair brake. Tried to stand and now I can't get down again. My knees seem to have locked."

As he stood, the chair must have rolled away from him.

Leah fetched it for him. They almost wrestled without touching. Each incredibly aware of the other. In the end, she made an annoyed huff sound and put his arm over her shoulder. She helped him over and he sat in the wheelchair with a relieved sigh. "I am healing all the time. I told Sam I can feel it happening, but I overdid it. Too eager."

She nodded. "You must be hungry; healing takes calories."

"Ravenous."

"I'll cook."

"There's no need."

"No. I want to." She paused. "Not that I need to, I have no crazy imperative to cook for you or anything, I just…" She stopped talking.

"Want to be busy?"

"Yes."

She found a jar of spaghetti sauce and a bag of macaroni in the cupboard and she started looking in the fridge for anything else she could add to it.

Billy watched her carefully as she rummaged in the vegetable crisper.

"Josh phased?" Leah asked.

"Maybe. Headed off to try it. He seemed ready. Had the skin crawls."

"Ah. Yeah I know what that feels like. I found his boots."