Boilerplate: The Twilight universe belongs to Stephenie Meyer – I'm just playing in it. I don't own anything except my laptop computer.
This is a lot less with the funny and a lot more with the bitchy, which is to be expected, since it's a Leah-fic.
I hope you enjoy it anyways…
"The Mouse and the Lion" is one of Aesop's fables. I borrowed the theme.
***
"I'm going out," Leah yelled up the stairs.
Sue appeared behind her. "No you're not," she said sternly. "Not dressed like that, young lady."
Leah was wearing loose, low-hanging cargo shorts and a white tank top. It was 45 degrees and lightly raining outside. She shrugged. "What's wrong with this?"
"Besides the fact that your top will be soaked through in minutes? How about that Sadie caught you sneaking around outside that Paul's house completely nude the other night!" Sue crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Really, Leah, I know your —circumstances—but imagine what the neighbors think when they see you flaunting yourself around. Now go and put on a sweater, at least, and some shoes."
"God! Who cares what the neighbors think? You know what I was doing—running patrols, trying to keep all the nosy bi—people on this rez safe from vampires and God knows what else."
"We do not take the lord's name in vain in this house," Sue said. "And you should care what the neighbors think, like it or not we are part of this community, Leah Clearwater."
"What about Seth? Is Seth part of the community, too, or does he get to do whatever he wants because he's a guy?" Leah spit back.
"Seth wasn't caught sneaking out to meet his boyfriend on more than one occasion," Sue replied, coldly. "Don't think I don't know what you get up to. You had a real future and now look at you—throwing it all away and for what? Sam Uley?"
"I didn't choose this!" Leah's voice shook with anger.
"I'm not talking about being a wolf, Leah." Sue's face was stern but Leah was in no mood to placate her mother or justify her self-pity.
She pushed past her mother. "I have to go."
"You do not have to go anywhere. Don't forget this is my house and as long as you live here you will follow my rules." Sue called out at Leah's retreating back.
Leah slammed the front door behind her. The fights with Sue came more and more frequently now. They have never gotten along well, she had always been more of her father's daughter, but since her change and her father's death, the fragile peace had been shattered. And the worst part was, Leah knew that she made things more difficult than they needed to be but she couldn't bring herself to give in to her mother's demands. It would feel too much like admitting her guilt, admitting that maybe she played some part in her own misery.
Things were simpler when she could play the victim—this had all been done to her, and they would all pay.
It was her night to run the Forks border. Jacob usually volunteered to run with her, which both pleased and annoyed her. She enjoyed his company more than some of the others. He wasn't afraid of her like Quil and he didn't seek out fights like Paul. And when his thoughts turned to dwell on Bella Swan, as they inevitably did, she more than any of them could understand the pull of unrequited love. She had more sympathy than the others, even if it seemed to her that Bella was just a tease.
What was her deal anyways, thought Leah, as she lit up a cigarette and walked down the road to the clearing where she usually met Jacob.
The wood sorrel and moss were soft under her bare feet as she pushed walked up through the close growing trees into her clearing. Large glacial stones formed a semi-circle that felt cozy, like an outdoor room. She stubbed her cigarette out on the nearest rock and had lifted the bottom of her shirt, ready to strip off and phase, when out bounded a chocolate brown wolf.
"Quil! What are you doing here?" asked Leah, caught off guard. She lowered her shirt. "Where's Black?"
Quil cocked his head to one side and opened his mouth in kind of a wolfy smile. His tail was wagging in an extremely undignified fashion.
"Right," said Leah with a small smile. "You can't talk. Hold on."
She turned her back to Quil. Sue's chiding words and pleas for modesty still rattled in Leah's head and if she stripped down with more enthusiasm than was strictly necessary, well, Quil certainly wasn't complaining.
Leah kicked her clothes to one side and phased. She felt the familiar sticky edges of the packmind reaching out to her. The packmind had been the hardest thing for the intensely private Leah to learn how to deal with—and she was still learning to deal with it. Knowing that guys thought about girls was one thing but being privy to their every disgusting thought was another. She had gotten better at blocking out or ignoring the idle fantasies of her packmates. But that was on a good days, of which today was not one. So, when she caught the image of her nude body flitting through Quil's mind it was one thing too many for her to handle; she took it personally.
Quil reacted in surprise as Leah bit him on the leg and rolled over to the other side of the clearing, shaking her loose. He pounced on her playfully, enjoying this new game. Leah wasn't typically one to tussle with the guys but tonight she jumped and bit and slammed into Quil, giving back as good as she got. After a few minutes, she managed to capture his neck in her jaws and he backed down into a submissive posture. They pulled apart, panting.
Don't do me any favors. Leah thought at him. I know you pull back because I'm a girl but I can take it.
Jeez, Leah, I thought we were just playing around but if you want me to pummel you into a pulp next time I will. Quil thought back, exasperated.
Whatever. Leah felt embarrassing memories of her wanting to join in pack games bubble to the surface and she tried to push them all down before Quil caught them. Where's Jake? She asked a bit too loudly.
Quil pulled up an image of Billy. Billy took a fall. Jake's with him in the hospital.
A flood of memories of Harry swamped the packmind—heart attack, hospital, funeral, guilt.
Quil walked over to Leah and nuzzled his head against hers. She shoved him aside and called up the most vicious memory she could grasp—anything to stem the flow of her most private thoughts. Teeth met cold, hard flesh. Rotten tendons snapped as limbs were severed from the body. Sluggish blood seeped from torn flesh. The smell and feel of the dismembered vampire was as vivid to Quil and Leah as if they had been there themselves. The pack memory was that strong.
They stood still for a few minutes, reliving the kill. Quil howled and Leah joined in, their voices piercing the damp air. Leah bounded off ahead of Quil, a renewed determination giving her energy and her senses at full alert. Quil followed close behind as they ran along the border, passing deer trails, cougar, bear, and the scurrying scents of smaller creatures. They wanted one thing and one thing only: the sweetly putrid flesh of a vampire.
Leah slowed as they reached the main road. They had to be careful of traffic along here. She trotted to a halt, giving the air a good sniff.
Quil, do you smell that?
A slight breeze wafted by, carrying the overly ripe smell of vampire.
What do you think? Cullen? She asked him.
Probably. Bella came by earlier to pick up some stuff for Jake. Maybe he followed her—Quil brought up the memory of solemn, brown-eyed Bella cracking a shy smile at one of his jokes—we should check with Sam.
Screw Sam! I'm fucking tired of following orders—don't kill this leech, don't smoke, be a good little girly like Emily and do what I tell you. Fuck that! Let's get this leech. What if he's waiting for some new innocent girl to walk by so he can eat her? Are you going to let that happen?
All the rage and anger Leah had been holding back, more or less successfully, all day was channeled into her bloodlust. She let the putrid vampire smell stir up the deepest and darkest corners of the wolf's mind, calling forth grizzly visions of Edward's face being chewed off; his chest split wide open and the rotting organs spilling out onto the ground; his limbs scattered; her muzzle warm with the thick, sticky, heart blood of a vampire.
Leah, stop, we can't—I can't—it's too much—
Lost to the frenzy, Leah ignored him, his words hidden under cloudy pools of blood and body parts. She took off down the road and Quil gave in and followed her. The images faded as Leah refocused all her energy on tracking. She got a few miles down the road before the scent faded. Panting, the two wolves came to halt.
We need to go back. We weren't supposed to go this far over the border.
If you want to puss out, fine, but I'm going to find the leech and rip his throat out. She started sniffing around deeper into the woods, trying to pick up the trail again.
Leah! Please! Just come back. We'll talk to Sam and come up with a plan. You can't take on a vampire by yourself—Quil moved in front of where Leah was sniffing. She gave a low growl.
Don't tell me what to do. The fur stood up along her back.
But Sam—Quil started to back away.
NO! Leah pulled one of the most painful memories she had and flung it towards Quil. She was sitting on top of Sam, riding him. His hands clutched her back trying to pull her down towards him. She teased him, pulling back, but he pulled her down again. She loved feeling him deep inside her. She was close to orgasm; she was happy; she loved him.
"Emily," Sam moaned into her ear.
And Leah left Quil standing there with that playing through his head. She took off away from the road, not willing to give up the search for the cathartic release of the kill.
The packmind was quiet.
Leah ran and ran until she couldn't run any further. She was entering Forks—forbidden territory. The vampire trail was long gone but she didn't care. She wasn't ready to go back. Quil would call Sam and he'd force her to return soon enough. She may as well enjoy freedom while she had it.
Leah quietly picked her way through some scrub brush and found herself at the bottom of a small incline behind Bethlehem Church. There were some kids playing basketball in the floodlights around by the side door but the back was quiet. The building was fairly new but it looked like some construction was going on around the back windows because they were boarded up. Maybe they had been blown out in that last storm. There was a wheelbarrow parked by the back door and Leah could see that rainwater had collected inside and she realized that she was extremely thirsty.
Her tongue hanging out, she crept delicately up the incline and over to the wheelbarrow. She lowered her head and lapped up the water as quietly as she could, not wanting to alarm the playing kids.
She caught glimpses of Quil crossing the border back into La Push. Sam's alpha voice would be calling her back soon. She gave a low growl of frustration.
Something hit her back right leg and Leah startled. She turned around quickly, knocking over the wheelbarrow and sending the water spilling down the small hill. A sharp pain cut through her front left paw. Two small boys, twins, were looking at her in shock and fear—their basketball had come bouncing around the side of the building. It was now resting directly underneath her.
"Angela—" called one of the boys, his voice quavering, "our ball—"
"What did you do?" laughed Angela as she walked around the corner. She was tall, with brown hair and a kind face. Her cheeks were rosy with exertion and she was wearing scarf and sweater to keep out the chilly weather.
"Come on, boys," she said, calmly, her eyes not leaving Leah. "Let's go see dad."
Leah should have run away but she didn't. She was tired—her energy drained from chasing her demons. She leaned down between her legs and pushed the ball towards the boys with her nose.
They grabbed it and ran off, giddy from their brush with danger. Angela stood for a moment longer, looking at her curiously.
Leah started to walk back towards the woods but her front paw was sore. She limped a few steps.
"Wait!" called Angela after her. Leah stopped. "Did you hurt your paw?"
Leah looked down at her paw. There was nail buried deep within the pads. She tried to bite it but couldn't get a grip with her teeth.
What do I do? She asked, hoping Quil was still listening.
Angela took a step closer. "Let me see," she said kindly. "Maybe I can help."
Leah limped backwards, scared of this girl.
Let her look at it, you big pussy. Leah had never been so glad to hear Quil's thoughts in her entire life.
She took a deep breath and held out her injured paw. Angela approached slowly, not wanting to spook the wolf. She grasped Leah's paw gently and turned it over in her hands. The nail glinted in the floodlights.
"I see why you're limping. Poor thing," said Angela, stroking the paw. "I can take this out for you but it might sting a little. Will you be okay?"
Leah nodded yes and looked Angela intently in the eyes.
"What a funny wolf you are—if I didn't know better, I would have thought—well, okay, here we go."
Angela pulled the nail from Leah's paw in one quick motion. Leah didn't move a muscle as Angela inspected her foot.
"It looks okay to me but—" she pulled her scarf off and wrapped it around Leah's paw, knotting it tightly.
"Just in case," she said. "You don't want dirt getting in there."
Angela dropped Leah's paw. Leah lowered her head and Angela hesitated for just a second before she began petting the silky fur behind Leah's ears. Leah gave a sigh of contentment. Her earlier anger lost in this small kindness.
The feel of fingertips running through her fur was heavenly—this girl was content to give and take pleasure without guilt or self-consciousness. Leah basked in the simple touch.
Leah licked Angela's face and she giggled. "You aren't so scary after all. Come back and visit anytime." She patted Leah good-bye on her flank and Leah ambled back into the woods.
What on Earth have you been doing, Leah?! Sam had phased. Do I need to come drag your butt back to La Push?"
No, I'm on my way home. I just got sidetracked following a leech trail. Isn't that right, Quil? Leah hoped he was still listening. You bet me a six-pack of beer—uh, ROOT beer—that I wouldn't find him and you were right. I owe you.
Just a six-pack? I remember there was some pizza thrown in there, too. Quil was going to play along.
Sure, sure. Leah breathed a sigh of relief. I'm—I'm sorry, Quil.
No worries. It was almost worth the fuss so I could, um, win the bet.
Are you idiots done? Sam broke through. Leah, I want you back here NOW and you are on extra duty for the next two weeks. If I ever catch wind of you going off on a BET in the future—
You won't. Leah picked up her pace, breaking into a run when she reached the trees along the main road.
Aside for some major scolding from Sam, the rest of the evening passed uneventfully. When Leah got home, tired and hungry, everyone was asleep, but there was a note on the table.
Check in the oven. –Mom
Inside was a tinfoil covered plate. Dinner.
***
The next morning, Pastor Weber arrived at Bethlehem Church to find a pink scarf, folded neatly on the doorstep, lying next to bouquet of wildflowers. The noted pinned to it said simply:
For Angela.