My Brother's Keeper

by Seylin

Leah spends some time remembering when she became a sister.

Title: My Brother's Keeper
Author: Seylin
Summary: Leah spends some time remembering when she became a sister.
Rating: G
Warning: None
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Stephenie Meyer. No money is being made from this fan work.

My Brother's Keeper

"Leah!" I looked up from the book I was reading under my favorite tree. Seth was running toward me, a happy grin lighting up his face. The shorts he wore were too loose and he had to hold them up with one hand. His shirt, an old and faded gray t-shirt, had the sleeves cut out. That shirt had belonged to our dad but it had long since lost his scent. He slowed down just before he got to me and then fell in the grass beside me.

"What's up squirt?" I asked, I marked my place with my finger and closed my book.

Seth made a face at the nickname; he hated it, which of course was why I teased him with it. After a moment the smile came back. "When school gets out next week, Jazz said he would take me skiing. It's gonna be a blast!"

I smiled. I was glad my brother was happy. If that vampire ever hurt him… I sighed. It was hard to imagine that my baby brother was sixteen. I could still remember the months leading up to Seth being born like they had just happened.

I knew something was up the day Dad brought a load of wood planks home in his truck…

-x-

Jumping off the tire swing in the back yard, I ran over and hugged him around his legs. He laughed and picked me up; tossing me in the air a few inches before bringing me close for a hug. He smelled like the woods, my favorite smell.

"Hey Lee, did you have fun at school today?"

I nod my head. "We started working on subtraction…it's a little hard," I admitted biting my lip. I noticed my uncle, Lucas, and some other men from the tribe approaching the house both in their trucks and on foot. "What's going on?"

"We're going to add onto the house."

I blinked in confusion and was about to ask why but my uncle got out of his truck and started talking to Dad. I backed away as all the men gathered around, discussing plans. I watched them for a moment and then headed inside to find my mother.

At first I couldn't find my mother. Usually at this time she's in the kitchen making supper but today she isn't there. "Mom?"

The door to my parent's bedroom opened a moment later and my mother came out looking a little pale. But, she gave me a smile. "I'm here sweetheart. Do you need something?"

"Daddy said he and the other men are adding onto the house. Why?" I questioned.

"We need some more room, especially another bathroom as you get older," she answered.

"Oh."

"Do you want to help me with supper?"

My eyes widened, before my last birthday I had never been able to help with supper, aside from licking the occasional cake batter bowl. But since my birthday, my mother had been asking me to help more and more, it still came as a surprise. I nodded enthusiastically.

-x-

I sat in the middle of the living room floor having a tea party with my two favorite dolls. I would have rather been playing outside but it was dark, almost bedtime, so everyone had already gone in for the night. And, contrary to the belief of many on the reservation I did like dolls. My mother sat on the couch, sewing what looked like a blanket, but I couldn't be sure. A chuckle brought my attention to my father; he was sitting in his chair reading some magazine. It had been a couple of weeks since they had started building the new bedroom and I still didn't understand why we needed it. I looked between them with a frown. They were hiding something… well, now was good enough time as any to ask.

"Mommy?"

"Yes sweetheart?"

"What are you making?"

"A blanket," she answered.

"What for?"

When silence was my only answer I looked up at my mother, who was looking at my father. They looked like they were talking to each other but not speaking out loud.

"Better go on and tell her Sue, she'll find out soon enough," he said.

I frowned. "Tell me what?"

Mom sat her sewing aside. "Come here sweetheart."

I abandoned my tea party and climbed up onto the couch next to my mother. Mom wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close to my side. I smiled and snuggled into my mother's embrace.

"Leah."

"Hm?"

"You're going to be a big sister."

The words took a moment to sink in. Slowly, I sat back and looked up into my mother's face. She was smiling, a hand on her stomach.

"What?"

"I'm going to have a baby, in about five months."

I stared at my mother and then over at my father. He smiled too. "Is this why we needed another bedroom?"

Both of my parents laughed. "Yes, this is why we needed another bedroom and bathroom. Your mom and I are going to move into the new bedroom when it's finished and you're going to move into our room," he explained.

"Why do I have to move?" I asked. I knew it sounded close to a whine but I liked my room. I could see the sunset and the shadows of the forest as they grew at night. Those shadows would scare some, but not me.

"Well," Mom started. "You could stay in your room but then the baby would get the bigger room."

I thought about that for a moment. A baby was small. It didn't need a larger room. "I'll take the bigger room," I decided.

"I thought you would say that," she laughed.

"What's the baby going to be?"

"We don't know yet."

"What you like it to be Lee?" Dad asked.

"Hmm…" I thought. "I want a baby brother."

"Not a sister to play with?" Mom questioned.

"Nope, cause I can teach a boy how to play rough."

Both Mom and Dad laughed. "That's our little tom boy," Dad said fondly.

-x-

As the months passed, I watched my mother's stomach grow with fascination. I squealed with delight when the baby kicked against my hand for the first time. When I wasn't outside playing or going to school I was helping my mother get ready for the baby's arrival. Most of all I looked forward to the rainy afternoons when my mother would let me sew pieces of my own blanket together for the baby. When the new bedroom was finished I helped move everything I could lift, which was mostly just little boxes that my mother had packed, and then moved things from my old room to my new one.

One afternoon, after my mother had picked me up from school and we were headed to the store for paint, I asked, "What will the baby's name be?"

"We haven't decided yet but since we do know it's a boy now…" She smiled down at me and I smiled back. I was getting a baby brother just like I wanted! "That narrows it down a bit. What do you think of Luke?"

I made a face and shook my head. Sue ran down a list of about ten names but not one of them struck me as something I would like to call my brother.

"Well, what would you like to name him?"

It only took me a moment to reply. I had been calling the baby this in my mind for the past couple of months. "Squirt."

My mother laughed so hard that she had to sit down for a moment. I frowned. I didn't know what was so funny about the name I had picked out. She must have seen the look on my face because my mother wiped her eyes and though she was still smiling, she didn't laugh again. "Squirt is a fine nickname Lee, but we can't name the baby that."

"What's a nickname?" I asked.

"Something special that just you or the family calls someone, like how daddy and I call you Lee."

"Oh." That made sense, I wouldn't want anyone but mom or dad calling me Lee…it was special. "I can call the baby squirt though right?"

"That's right."

"Can I think about another name for the baby?" I asked.

"Of course, now let's go pick out the paint for your brother's room. We only have a few more weeks until he arrives." She stood and took my hand, leading me to the paint section of the store.

-x-

A couple of days later, we were all sitting at the kitchen table eating supper when I said, "I've decided on the baby's name."

Both of my parents blinked at me for a moment and then my dad said, "You have, have you?"

I nodded. "My brother is gonna be named Seth."

They were both quiet for a moment. "Seth," my mother finally said putting a hand on her large belly. "Where did you come up with that name Lee?"

"I saw it in a book," I answered. "Is that name okay? Or does it have to be a nickname?"

My mother looked at my father and they both smiled. "Seth is a fine name," Dad agreed. "What about Seth Lucas?"

"Seth Lucas Clearwater," Mom said. She smiled. "The baby likes it, he just kicked."

"Can I feel?" I asked. My mother nodded. I got out of my seat and came around to her side, putting my hand on her stomach. She moved my hand a little to where she had felt the baby kick. "Seth." Another kick and I giggled.

-x-

My room was pitch black and I was sound asleep, having a really cool dream about wolves, when I felt something warm on my shoulder and heard my name in my father's voice. "Lee." It took him a couple more times of calling my name before I opened my eyes. "C'mon Lee, it's time, we're taking you to aunt Sarah's."

My father pulled the covers back and gathered me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck, not really understanding why I was woken up in the middle of the night just to go to my aunt Sarah's. I yawned and tucked my head against his neck as he wrapped a blanket around me. I was asleep again by the time we got in the truck.

The smell of eggs and bacon woke me up the next morning. I yawned, stretched and then opened my eyes. My eyebrows drew together, this wasn't my room… I sat up and looked around. This was Aunt Sarah and Uncle Billy's house. Kicking the blanket away, I got up and went to the kitchen.

"Aunt Sarah?"

My aunt was tall, so tall it felt like I had to look up forever to see her face. But she was beautiful, her hair long and almost always pulled back in a braid down her back, and her brown eyes sparkled. My cousin Jacob had gotten her eyes. "Morning sweetie. You're going to be a big sister today!"

My eyes widened. "I am?"

Aunt Sarah nodded, smiling. "Your mom is at the hospital now. We'll go see her later okay?"

I climbed up into a chair at the table, the wood had been worn smooth from years of use. "And Seth will be there?"

"Seth will be there." I smiled.

-x-

It was almost supper time before we went to the hospital. Aunt Sarah made Uncle Billy, Jacob, Rebecca and Rachel stay in the waiting room. She held my hand as we walked down the halls and finally stopped in front of a closed wooden door. "Are you ready?" She asked looking down at me.

I nodded and reached for the door handle. Pushing the door open, I called out, "Mommy?"

"Come in Lee," my mother said.

Around a curtain, I found my mother sitting up in the bed and my father sitting beside her in a chair. There was a bundle of blankets held in her arms. Both of my parents smiled at me and I ran over to my father. He lifted me up and set me on his knee.

"Were you good for Aunt Sarah?" He asked. I nodded.

"The best, she helped me clean up the kitchen after breakfast," Aunt Sarah told him.

"Very good Lee, I'm proud of you."

I beamed in response. "Where is Seth?" I asked.

"Right here," my mother answered. Aunt Sarah moved to her side on the other side of the bed.

"Oh Sue, he's precious!"

"Thank you." My mother smiled. "Harry, help Leah up here, I'm sure she wants to meet her brother."

My father nodded and stood, setting me on the bed. "Careful now," he warned gently.

My mother adjusted the bundle to her other side so I could see my baby brother's face. He was small, much smaller than I had expected. His head was covered by a cap but I could see just a little black hair poking out from under it. I didn't know what color his eyes were, but I suspected they were the same as mine since he had black hair. There was a pacifier in between his lips that moved quickly as he sucked on it.

"Why is he so small?" All the adults around me laughed and I frowned. "I can't play with him like that." I had wanted to teach my brother to play rough, none of the other boys in the tribe would really play with a girl the way they would the other boys.

"No, Lee, you'll have to wait a few years for that. But you can teach him other things in the meantime," my mother said.

"Like what?"

"Well, he'll need help learning how to crawl, and walk, and talk," she explained.

My eyes widened. "He can't do any of that?"

"Not yet," she said with a smile.

"Think you can help him Lee?" My father asked.

I looked at Seth's face, thoughtful. "I guess so. Doesn't sound like much fun though." They laughed again and Seth started to cry. "What's wrong with him?"

"Just hungry," my mother replied.

"We'll take Leah to get some supper and then come back. Think you'll be up to seeing Billy and the kids?" Aunt Sarah asked.

"For a few minutes, not long though, I'm pretty tired," my mother answered. Aunt Sarah nodded and helped me down off the bed after I had kissed my parents.

-x-

It wasn't until Seth had been home for over week that I was allowed to hold him for the first time. I wasn't really sure I wanted to, honestly. Since he had come home all he had done was cry, eat and sleep…and make some really stinky diapers. He was not fun at all, but mom assured me that that would change. I just had to be patient.

Since Seth had come home I had to be really quiet when I came in from school because he was usually sleeping. But today when I peaked over the edge of his sleeper in the living room, his brown eyes were open. Mommy said that he couldn't really see me quite yet, it took awhile for babies eyes to focus or something. But today, it felt like he was looking right at me. And then…he smiled.

I smiled back and settled down to make faces at him.

That was how mommy found us however long it was later, I wasn't really keeping track. I just knew that Seth was still awake and still laughing at me. "Lee, what are you doing?"

"Making Seth laugh."

She smiled at me and then scooped Seth up, kissing his cheek. "My little boy is awake today." She then looked down at me. "Would you like to hold Seth, Lee?"

I bit my lip. "Is it okay?"

She nodded and moved over to sit on the couch. "You'll just have to be really careful and I'll be right here okay?"

"Okay." I got to my feet and climbed up on the couch next to her. She showed me how to hold my arms and then transferred Seth into them.

"He's heavy!" I exclaimed.

Mom laughed. "He'll get heavier too as he gets older, be sure to hold his head up."

I thought Seth would cry, he did a lot of that. But when Mom gave him his pacifier, he started sucking on it and just watched me with those brown eyes, a few minutes later he fell asleep.

"What do you think of Seth, Lee?" Mom asked softly putting her arm around me.

"I love him," I whispered.

-x-

"Penny for your thoughts LeeLee?"

Now it was my turn to make a face. I thought he had grown out of using that nickname. Seth laughed and once again I was reminded of that day. "You know I didn't love you when you came home from the hospital?"

He blinked those brown eyes up at me, a bit of hurt shining in them. "Really?"

I nodded. "You were so boring!" I laughed. "I thought I would be able to play with you right away, man was I disappointed. And you cried…so much!"

Seth chuckled. "But?"

"But, there was a day when you had been home for over a week but not quite a month I don't think. I came home from school and for once you were awake. You smiled at me for the first time that day."

He was quiet for a moment. "And you couldn't resist me after that?"

I ruffled his short hair. "Yeah, squirt, I couldn't resist you after that. Did mom ever tell you what your first word was?" Seth thought for a moment and then shook his head. "Lee."

Seth laughed, "You're making that up!"

"Kid you not! You were about seven months old, you didn't want me to leave for school and just as I was walking out the door you yelled 'Lee!'."

"What did mom and dad say?"

"They just started laughing."

Seth smiled and stared up at the sky. "Hey Lee?"

"Mm?"

"What do you think of Jazz? Really?"

"Seth, we've talked about this before."

"Yeah, yeah, he's a blood sucker but okay I guess," he quoted.

"I still stand by that."

"Nothing else?"

I sighed. "He's still a blood sucker, nothing is going to change that. I worry about you okay? What if he has a slip and bites you? What if something happens with the imprint?"

"Nothing is going to happen…"

"How do you know? Wolves are supposed to hunt vampires…not mate with them." He's quiet because he knows I'm right. "But, so far he's been nothing but good to you and kind to me and mom. He's polite and smart. That's the best I can say okay?"

"Okay."

"If he ever hurts you…"

Seth laughed. "I got it Lee, you'll tear him limb from limb."

"And burn his sparkly remains." We laughed together even though both of us knew I wasn't kidding. I was Seth's sister after all and I had to look out for him.