A/N: This fic is a twist on the song Family portrait.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight SM does. The song Family Portrait -which this fic is based on- is the property of Pink, I don't own it.
Family Portrait -Past, Present and Future
Leah Clearwater
Not many people know this but before my dad… passed away, he and my mother were on the verge of splitting up. Personally I think that it was my dad's heart problems, and Seth and I that stopped them from going through with it.
How do I know this, I hear you ask. Well, let's see…
Flashback
Momma please stop cryin, I can't stand the sound
Your pain is painful and its tearin' me down
I hear glasses breakin as I sit up in my bed
I told dad you didn't mean those nasty things you
said
The sound of my parent's shouting at each other penetrates the walls of my bedroom as I hug my little brother Seth against my chest. He's only ten and has to put up with this.
I try to soothe him but his silent tears and sniffling don't stop, no matter what I do. I wince and Seth yelps as the sound of glass breaking reaches our ears followed by the sound of our mother sobbing and dad storming out of the house, probably to round Billy Black's to calm down or whatever he does round there. I draw in a shattering breath as tears sting my eyes. Seth and I hate it whenever they fight, it always ends in tears. Some our mother's but mostly our's though I try to be strong for Seth. I really do.
I tell Seth to stay in my bedroom and that I'll be back soon. I go downstairs and see my mother crying at the kitchen table, I sit beside her and pull her into a hug. Each sob is a tear in my soul, I beg her to stop crying, to talk to dad when he comes back. Eventually her cries fall silent and after telling me to go to bed she goes upstairs. I debate going to my room and soothing Seth to sleep or waiting to my dad comes home.
I decide to wait -Seth could do without me for one night- and while I do I wonder what my parents were fighting about this time. After a few hours, I hear the front door open. I get out of the chair, my legs stiff, and walk down the hall to see my dad taking off his shoes and wet coat. He smiles at me and asks what I'm doing up so late. I tell him that mother didn't mean what she said, that she loves him. He says he knows, and that they fight because they have different opinions. He hugs me and says that everything will be alright. And I believe
You fight about money, bout me and my brother
And this I come home to, this is my shelter
It ain't easy growin up in World War III
Never knowin what love could be, you'll see
I don't want love to destroy me like it has done
my family
The sound of fierce whispering greets me as I step through my front door after a long, dreary afternoon at school, in detention of all things. Seth and I should have been home an hour ago. The whispering stops abruptly and I walk up the stairs to my room not knowing or caring, what they're fighting about this time, though I can only guess. I suppose the school phoned ahead
"Leah?" My father's deep voice calls from the living room and I sigh knowing that I'm in deep trouble. But, if I'm honest… I don't really care.
"Yea?" I call back as I descend the stairs, biting my lip in worry. I'm in a lot of trouble these days at school… for fighting. In my defence; I was provoked and that Jared had it coming. And from what I hear from Rachel Black via Jacob; Seth is too. In fact I had to leave him back at the school 'cause his detention was longer than mine. Poor sap.
I step into the living room to find my mother and dad sitting at opposite sides of the room. Sue's head is bent as if she's in deep thought. Or crying. I breathe in sharply through my nose.
"Seth there?" My dad asks, his dark eyes -eyes that Seth and I inherited- boring through me. I shake my head, lean against the doorway and brace myself for the lecture. But there is none… yet.
My parents wait till Seth comes home -and he's exhausted just as I am; damn school making us clean up rubbish- to start. I tune out of it mostly as I vaguely hear dad say how 'bad it looks for the children of someone on the council to act up at school- fighting of all things', my mother had stayed silent and let dad do most of the talking until he said that.
She frowns and mutters, "Why of course that's all you care about, Harry. How good you look for the damn council."
My thoughts exactly -I could care less about the damn council… but if I makes dad happy I'll behave. I'm not a daddy's girl for nothing.
The arguing starts again before Seth or I can get a word in. I take that as my -well our; I can't leave Seth here to face this alone; that's just cruel, even for me- cue to leave and drag Seth to the front door, leaving our schools bags on the hooks by the door.
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't
leave
Daddy please stop yellin, I can't stand the sound Make mama stop cryin, cuz I need you around
My mama she loves you, no matter what she says
its true
I know that she hurts you, but remember I love
you, too
I ran away today, ran from the noise, ran away Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
Don't wanna go back to that place, but don't have
no choice, no way
It ain't easy growin up in World War III
Never knowin what love could be, well I've seen
I don't want love to destroy me like it did my
family
I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything
Can we work it out? Can we be a family?
I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't
leave
I wake up to silence. Oh, blissful silence. Their fighting seemed to wake me up these days; it was like an alarm clock. Then a terrible thought comes to me as I jump out of my bed and bolt down the hall to my parent's bedroom. I stand outside the door and listen… I can only hear one set of light breathing. It's Sue; so where's dad? It's only around seven; it's too early for him to be up. My panic increases as I hear heavy footsteps downstairs going in the direction of the front door. I rush downstairs to see my father standing before the open front door, wearing a coat and rain boots over his usual shirt and trousers.
He's leaving; my breath stops at the thought as I step forward to grab his arm. He turns in surprise and I blurt out, "Don't leave!"
His shock increases as I fall to my knees, shivering, "Daddy please don't leave. I promise I'll be better. I'll stop getting into trouble at school, I'll-I'll help around the house, anything just please-"
"What? Leah, I'm not leaving." He picks me up off the floor, looks me straight in the eyes, and says, "I'm just going out to get milk. We're out."
"But the coat you-"
"Leah, it's freezing outside."
"Oh." Ignoring my shivers, I hug him tightly, "It was just a misunderstanding then?"
"Yes Lee," He says using my childhood nickname, "Just a misunderstanding."
Present Day
In our family portrait, we look pretty happy
Let's play pretend, let's act like it comes
naturally
I don't wanna have to split the holidays
I don't want two addresses
I don't want a step-brother anyways
And I don't want my mom to have to change her
last name
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
Let's play pretend, act like it goes naturally
I wish dad hadn't died, it was all my fault.
I wish I wasn't a damn shape-shifter.
I wish I had someone to hold me at night and tell me it would be alright. Just like Sam used to do.
Those thoughts assault me as I stand in front of the congregation on my mother's wedding day. On the day of her wedding to Charlie Swan, Chief of police, my dad's best friend and lastly Isabella Cullen's father.
I hate them; those damn Cullen's. Especially Isabella, my soon-to-be-step-sister. Great, just great.
They were the reason Sam phased and imprinted on Emily, my ex-best friend, my cousin.
They were the reason I shifted and caused my father to have a heart attack that killed him.
They tore my family apart.
My hands shake and I can see and feel everyone's eyes on me. Especially that damn mind reader.
I hardly have anything against Charlie; he helped my mother out of a dark place -I wish I had someone to do that for me- it was those damn Cullen's I hated.
Well, not all of them. Rose was alright; we understand each other, Emmett, well he's like a veggie-leech version of Seth. And a perv. More surprisingly, Jasper and I got on well enough -we're both detached (though how an empathy can be detached I do not know) and fiercely protective of family and -in my case- pack mates. Then Esme and Carlisle like the aunt and uncle I wish I had.
Alright, so I admit it; they're not all bad.
It was more their presence that got to me, as I mentioned before. I don't really care if Jacob had imprinted on their freak of a spawn. Though it was funny how well me and Nessie got along. Two freaks among lesser freaks.
"I'm fine." I call out as Embry moves as if to step towards me from across the aisle. He was a good kid; he looked out for Seth when they were at school - I still owe him for that. And I truly did feel bad about how I used to bad mouth his father - whoever he is. He forgave me for that though.
The wedding goes off without a hitch and now at the reception, I'm sitting alone -by choice of course.
My thoughts are on the past -again.
I open my purse and stare at a miniature version of the family portrait that stands on the living room mantel that I always carry with me, everywhere. We look so happy, so normal back then. Way before all this crap started.
My parents beaming at the camera, their arms around each other. Younger versions of Seth and I crouched by their feet, our long dark hair neat, smiling -though his is wide and contagious and mine is slightly smaller and controlled. It seems I was reserved and only looking out for Number One even then.
My eyes sting with tears that I refuse to let fall. Someone's warm arm drapes across my shoulders, and the scent is woodsy and calming. I look up excepting to see Seth's warm, dark brown eyes but instead I see Embry's cinnamon eyes staring into mine. I almost shiver at the intensity of his stare, almost.
I'm not known as the bitter bitch of La Push for nothing. I feel the mind reader staring at me, probably in puzzlement. So I think clearly, hey leech, yeah you mind reader, go take a walk in a burning forest. And take your wife with you.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Edward scowl and I smirk.
I shrug off Embry's arm and my smirk widens when he pouts.
"What are you doing here?" I ask in confusion.
He shrugs, "Talking to you."
I roll my eyes, "You don't say, Call."
He shrugs again, stands and holds out his hand to me. "Come on Clearwater dance with me."
I snort, "Dance?"
He nods eagerly, a wide grin on his face, and I sigh in faux-exasperation, "Alright then Call, I will."
So he takes my hand in his, leads me to the dance floor and we dance to an up-beat song. It was quite fun dancing with Embry, so we end up dancing to four more songs. After that we end up nearly falling over laughing at Quil and Jacob trying to dance with their imprints standing on their feet. I smirk at Seth as he led Angela Weber onto the floor, he ignores me, and… was he smiling at Angela the same way that… Sam does with Emily or Jared with Kim or Paul with Rachel.
I nudge Embry who ignores me in favour of stuffing his face with chicken wings. So I yell in his ear and he jumps whining. I tell him that he can be a pig any day of the week then I grab his shoulders and spin him around so he faces the dance floor. I point at Seth and Angela swaying slowly on the floor and Embry smirks.
"Has he…"
"Yep, my baby bro has imprinted." I hoped that the envy wasn't easy to hear in my voice but judging by the way Embry slung his arm across my shoulders…it was obvious.
Damn it.
The only bad part of the night was near the end when Bella walked up to me and tapped me on the shoulder, after Charlie and Sue drove off the their… honeymoon -ugh. For the second time that night everyone's eyes were on me. I scowled, why don't you all just take a trip to the underworld. And stay there.
"Um… Leah?" Bella's unnaturally musical voice interrupts my train of thought.
I turn around to face her, draw myself up to my full height -which is just a bit taller than her, I notice smugly- and give her my deadliest glare. Her amber eyes widen slightly, "I-I was wondering since we're now step-sisters if…um…"
"Well? Spit it out Cullen. I haven't got forever to wait for whatever it is you have to say -unlike some people." In a nutshell… you.
As the remaining guests (the two wolf packs, their imprints, the Cullen's, half of La Push and Forks and some random people who work with Charlie and Sue) start to whisper -probably about bad and bitchy Leah Clearwater chewing out the precious Isabella Cullen- Bella starts to stutter and I have to restrain myself from sneering at her.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the bitch is back.
Edward glares at me from behind Bella; he rubs her back trying to sooth her. His smooth, restrained voice reaches my sensitive ears in a low whisper, "You've got that right; she is indeed back."
I scoff, yeah? Well actually Edward… I think she never left.
He continues in a slightly louder voice, "I thought we were making progress."
Well… guess what? You were wrong.
"Bella only approached you to ask you a question, so the-"
I cut him off. "Tell me Bella," I lean in towards the female leech ignoring the burning stench, "Has anyone ever said no to you?" I whisper in a voice so soft, no human could hear.
Bella gapes at me, Edward's glare hardens, and behind them I can see the rest of the Cullen's. Out of them all only Carlisle, Esme, and Alice look remotely shocked by my perfectly reasonable question. Jasper looks curious, while Emmett and Rosalie share smirks.
Edward looks behind him suddenly -to glare at a few of them I'll bet- and Rose's face takes on an innocent expression.
"What?" She asks her 'brother' in an equally innocent voice.
Edward lets go of Bella -who just stands there still in shock- and walks towards his family. Someone grabs my arm and I turn around to see Embry gawking at me. The rest of the packs and their imprints are behind him, some with laughter on their faces and other with indifferent expressions. I'm vaguely aware of Jacob gaping at me with Nessie -who's in his arms, where else?- looking around confused, Sam whispering to Emily -telling her what I said to Bella, no doubt- who then shakes her head slowly in shock.
"What?" I ask sharply, looking at Embry but directing my question to all of them. I yank my arm out of Embry's grasp and he finally manages to squeak out, "I can't believe you asked that."
What it just me or was he laughing?
"I want to know." I turn my back on them to see Bella glide towards the Cullen's, tell them she's leaving and then -yeah, you guessed it- she leaves. Probably to go cry her eyes out in her cosy, little, cottage. Or at least just wail a bit since vampires can't cry.
"I guess that's a no then." I whisper knowing that she'll hear me. Well... her and the rest of the supernatural freaks in here.
"Leah…" I hear Seth whine where he sat with a confused Angela at a table near the side.
I roll my eyes and was about to leave myself when I hear two familiar pairs of footsteps coming towards me from behind me, one pair light and delicate and the other pair heavy. Sam and Emily.
As they come nearer, I wonder if I should just walk away now, and ask questions later.
Oh, to hell with it. I start to walk away but Emily grabs my arm from behind. Big mistake.
I whirl around and rip my arm out of her weak grasp; Sam glowers at me while Emily looks up at me determination in her eyes. I sense Embry behind me as he grabs my hand and tries to pull me back; I ignore him as I stare down at Emily, raising an eyebrow impatiently.
"The Leah I know wouldn't have done that. What's happened to her?"
I step forward so that we were nearly toe-to-toe and glare down at her, "How dare you! What I do and what I say is none of your business anymore cousin." I snarl in anger, whispers of heat trailing down my spine.
Embry has finally let go off my arm and I drag him over to the door -because I just know he won't let me leae by myself like this- before looking over my shoulder at a crying Emily who Sam is trying to calm down in vain.
"And to answer your question; she died when her father did."
And with that I walked out of there with a silent Embry by my side. He took my hand and entwined our fingers. And I let him because it felt good to have someone outside of my family care for me in the way that I know Embry did.
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
(I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do
anything)
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)
Let's play pretend act and like it comes so
naturally
(I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't
leave)
In our family portrait we look pretty happy
(Can we work it out? Can we be a family?)
We look pretty normal, let's go back to that
(I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't
leave)
I still wish that I had been able to shift back to my human form as my father lay on the kitchen floor, his life slipping away.
But I couldn't -I wasn't calm enough to phase back according to Sam, but honestly what did he expect? - So I had to watch my dad die through the eyes of an animal, not as a human.
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Turn around please
Remember that the night you left you took my
shining star?
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Daddy don't leave
Don't leave us here alone
My dad dying was the turning point of my life, and the cause of my anger and bitterness -not my ex, who I'd been engaged to before he disappeared, running off with my cousin, my ex best friend, as some believed.
Though that certainly had a part in it. Finding out that they were soul mates, destined to be together didn't help at all.
Then there was the whole I-can-phase-into-to-a-leech-killing-humongous-wolf-when-angry thing that I had to deal with. It really, really didn't help being the only female in a pack of young men, hearing their thoughts, having them hear mine, and having my ex as my alpha, my leader. Those were just the last straws that broke the camel's back. Or should I say broke the she-wolf's back.
Anyway, the night he died, I fear he took my sense of reason with him. So I lashed out, at any and everyone who was foolish enough to cross me -my own brother and mother included, sadly.
But now, I hope that things will start to look up for me.
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