Author's Note: It's been a while! Sorry about that, high school life has officially taken it's toll. But, hopefully this one-shot will be my way of coming back! I still have a few stories that I need to update, and I promise, I will! Thanks for your patience and Ashleymocha12 WILL be returning to the fanfic archives. :) Please enjoy this Jacob/Leah one-shot, or as they're formally called, blackwater.
Jacob was one of the last to hear the news. Seth Clearwater had been killed by a loose, newborn vampire that had made its way into La Push, and none of the wolves could get to him in time... not even Leah. Jake was a strong boy, but the devastating news that Billy had just informed him with brought tears to his eyes. However, he didn't allow them to spill over.
"I want you to make a trip down to the Clearwaters' house and check up on Leah and Sue. Me and Charlie will be down there in a few," Billy said, wheeling his chair closer to Jacob. Billy knew that Jacob and Leah didn't have the strongest bond with each other, but she needed a friend. He was the closest to that. Despite his thoughts, he nodded and exited the house swiftly. It was pouring out, but he didn't care. He didn't care that he was getting drenched; his mind was focused on one thing.
He hopped on his motorcycle and concentrated on making his way to the Clearwaters'. Once their house came into view, he slowed down the enormous bike and hopped off. He took a deep breath before knocking on the rusted door. After what felt like forever, the door finally opened. Sue stood in the doorway, her cheeks stained with tears.
"Oh Jacob, let me get you a towel," she exclaimed, her voice low and hoarse. Jacob stepped inside, his large frame tracking a puddle on the wooden floors. Sue disappeared into the back and returned with a soft towel, handing it to him. He took it gratefully and dried himself off, wrapping the damp towel around his shoulders.
Sue took a seat on the couch, running her fingers through her long, black hair. It was the only thing that she could do to keep from crying.
"Mrs. Clearwater... I am so sorry," Jacob said sadly, making his way over to sit next to her on the couch. He knew that nothing he said could make her feel better, but he wanted to express his sorrow. Sue took one of Jacob's hands and smiled at him, pain evident in her features.
"He was such a good boy," she said, taking a long breath. Her eyes watered, a tear strolling down her cheek. She let out another shaky breath and closed her eyes. A lump grew in Jacob's throat as he watched Sue, on the verge of a breakdown. He wasn't well at handling situations such as this one.
"I know he was. We... we have some good memories to hold onto," Jacob encouraged, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. Sue sniffed and nodded slowly, her mind trailing off. She smiled through her tears after what felt like forever and looked over at him.
"I remember when him and Leah would argue about who was the tallest when they were younger. Leah always had him by an inch or two, until their transformations. Seth just shot up after that," Sue said, the memory bringing a bittersweet jolt to her stomach.
"He rubbed it in my face for days," a weak voice said. Sue and Jacob looked up and saw Leah standing in the doorway of the front room. Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were flushed.
"Hi, Leah," Jacob said quietly, looking at her sympathetically.
"Jake," she said in acknowledgment, a hence of attitude lurking from her words. Great, her brother had just passed away and she still managed to act like a bitter and pathetic bitch.
"I came to check up on you guys," he continued, hoping to break through to her. She laughed spitefully and wiped away a raging tear.
"Well thanks for paying us a pity visit. Feel free to leave anytime now," she spat.
"Leah!" Sue argued. Leah grimaced and disappeared into the back. Sue started to get up, but Jacob halted her.
"It's okay, I'll go talk to her," he said reassuringly.
"Thank you," she whispered, settling back in her seat. Jake nodded and stood up, making his way into the back. The hallway was narrow, decorated with family pictures. It was painful to look at the ones with Seth, so he quickly looked away. He noticed a cracked room door, and slowly pushed it open.
Leah was sprawled across her bed, her face sunk into the pillow. He saw her back heaving up and down and loud, angry breaths sounding from her body. He knew she was crying. He walked into the room, closing the door quietly after him. Leah heard him come in, but she didn't dare move from her position.
"Leah?" Jacob whispered. She didn't budge. He sighed after a minute, making his way over to her large bed. He took a seat on the edge of it and looked over at her. She was wearing loose shorts and an oversized T-shirt, her silky, black hair laying messily around her. He licked his lips sadly and allowed himself to think of Seth. His silly grin, and his anxiousness to please Jacob. Jacob knew that Seth idolized him, and in some odd way, he idolized the kid as well; he was tough. He found himself missing Seth more and more as each second passed by.
"I understand how you feel, Leah. Seth was like a brother to me," Jacob spoke. Leah shot up, facing Jake with a scornful look in her eyes. Tears ran down her cheeks; Jacob had never seen her so vulnerable.
"He was my brother! My baby brother! No one understands how this feels!" she shouted, jumping up from the bed. She bolted for the door, but Jacob quickly caught her arm. He turned her to face him, angering her. She began to fight against him, but Jacob only grabbed both of her wrists and held them tightly in his fists.
"Let go of me!" she demanded, her sadness turning into fierce anger.
"Leah, just listen to me!" Jacob pleaded, his patience growing low. She continued to struggle to wriggle from his hold, falling unsuccessful each time. Watching her face intently, he noticed the hard front that she was trying to put on. She was pushing him away because she didn't want him to see her at her absolute lowest point; she didn't want to seem weak to anyone, especially Jacob. He did the first thing that his instincts told him, and pulled her up against his chest. He gradually wrapped his strong arms around her thin body, making it impossible for her to writhe away. Surprisingly, she didn't even try.
She was done hiding her feelings, and she didn't care who saw them. At this point, she needed a shoulder to cry on.
"Why did they have to come after my little brother? He was so... so innocent! So full of love and compassion... so caring. He didn't deserve this, Jacob. It should have been me!" Leah cried, her sobs coming out muffled. Jacob shushed her and ran a hand down her back, the other resting on the back of her head.
"You know he wouldn't have wanted that," Jacob encouraged.
"I don't care, Jake! My brother should be alive right now! I'd do anything to take his place. He never chose to become a werewolf; none of us did! It isn't fair," she screamed, wrapping her arms tighter around Jacob. Jacob felt the vibration of Leah's sobs through his chest, holding her impossibly close to him. His lips ghosted over her head before placing a chaste kiss to it.
"You know your brother loved you. No matter what, that's all that matters. He didn't die an unhappy person. He wouldn't have wanted that for you, either. This is a chance for you to be happy, for your brother. For you dad. For yourself," Jacob whispered, his own words surprising him. Maybe he was better at this than he thought. Her crying subsided after a while, and she looked up at Jacob through foggy eyes.
"Jake..." she whispered.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you," she said, resting her head back against his chest. He responded with another kiss to her head. Holding Leah in his arms felt so unexpected...so right. He didn't plan on letting go any time soon. He would stay by her side as long as she needed him, because underneath all of the fighting and hatred, Jacob Black truly did care for Leah Clearwater.
Author's Note: I guess you could call this an extended drabble? It was pretty sad for me to write, since Seth is definitely one of my favorite wolves! Leave a review if you'd like, I'd love to hear your responses!