Chapter Text
Jake was the second wolf to stop phasing regularly, shortly after Sam. Jake and Jen went to UDub at the same time. They hadn't spoken since the summer of their imprint. They dated for two years in college, then split as their lives lead them in different directions after graduation.
Jake and Jen met in Seattle by chance in their forties, both divorced and childless. They fell in love for good and stayed together for the rest of their days but never married. He never marked her. Each day they had to choose each other and to trust each other. It worked for them. Jake never became chief of the tribe. That honor went to Paul and Rachel's eldest daughter.
o.~*~.o
Neither Leah nor Bella ever felt a strong desire to start a biological family of their own so they never did. They took in foster kids from the tribe whenever the need arose. Some stayed for only a few days or weeks. Most stayed for a number of months. Quite a few stayed with them for years.
Those kids were family enough for Bella and Leah. They had renovated the attic space to include two more bedrooms and a second bathroom, although they didn’t usually need all that space. It allowed them to welcome back their kids when any of them needed a place to crash or just wanted to visit.
Their lives were never lonely without biological children. Of course they had their extended pack family too, but that’s a story for another day.
o.~*~.o
Leah continued phasing intermittently long after the others stopped to start a family with their imprints. Even when she was resigned to getting old, she still phased at least once a year, just to make sure that she could, just like Quil Ateara II used to do.
After Bella and Leah had spent over 90 years waking up in each other's arms, they both looked and felt about 60 thanks to Leah’s phasing. One morning in bed, Leah discovered a lump on Bella's neck. The doctors did a biopsy and ran some scans. It was everywhere. They told her she had six months.
Upon hearing that news, Leah ran to the nearest bathroom and phased, damaging the stall walls. Bella ran to their vehicle where they always kept a spare dress just in case. She met Leah in the stall and held her tight.
“It'll be ok.” She said, “We'll figure this all out.”
“How will this be okay, Isabella? Are you in pain?”
“You know that I'm not in physical pain. You'd be able to feel it. But I'm in pain for you right now.”
“What are we going to do?”
“We're going to die, Leah, we're well over 100. I think it's okay.”
They never went back to the doctor again. Leah started phasing every morning for ten years. She just needed more time with Bella. This gave Bella time to find and train a replacement for the library. She chose Seth's great grandson. Leah showed him her wolf several times throughout his training so that he understood the truth of the legends he was studying. They had predicted more vampires would come during his lifetime, so even if he didn’t phase with the next pack, he needed to be prepared for them.
After giving up the apartment, Bella and Leah moved to a small cottage on the outskirts of the reservation. They lived out Bella's final days in bed, gently holding each other. Leah refused to eat or drink after Bella passed. She died four days later.
o.~*~.o
Author’s Note: Thanks for sticking with this to the end!
I’ve started writing the sequel, a Seth/OC. It takes place several years down the road. Bella and Leah will be there, but they won’t be the focus. Let me know if there’s anything you want to see in that story that I didn’t wrap up properly in this one.