Karma
Summary: The apple never falls far from the tree. Like mother, like daughter.
Sue Clearwater glared at the house in distaste.
It had been a few years since Sam had broken up with her only daughter. Her only daughter had also turned into…one of them just yesterday. The day her husband died. The day both her daughter and son had to start the battle of a lifetime, Leah especially. She knew the battle would be harder for Leah; having to spend almost every day sharing her secrets with everyone, all the boys sneering and calling her crude and a compassionless shrew. And Sue did not like these big, mean boys picking on her little girl.
And if there's one thing you don't want, it's to get on Sue Clearwater's bad side.
She perched her wide-rimmed sunglasses atop her head and marched up the steps to the pleasant-looking house. She knew that it wasn't pleasant at all. It was the house of a home wrecker. She curled her fingers into a fist and knocked on the door. Emily answered the door with a smile. Sue smiled back.
Fake. Always fake. Just like Emily.
"Dear! Hello," Sue told Emily as she hugged her hello. She pulled away. "Where are the boys?"
"We're in here, Sue!" She smiled and watched Emily continue cooking. She smirked and waltzed into the living room.
"Hello boys. How's the planning going?" She beamed. They all smiled back. Perfect. It was always so much fun to crush someone's spirits if they were in a good mood. It was also more of a challenge. Sue loved a good challenge.
"Oh, good. It's just too bad there's so many of us. If those stupid leeches would just go away, we wouldn't have to keep adding more wolves. And then we wouldn't have to put up with…" Sam trailed off. Sue narrowed her eyes, a playful smile gracing her lips. All the guys looked at Sam and Sue nervously, not sure what to say.
"And then you wouldn't have to put up with Leah and her tormenting thoughts, right?" Sue took the tea cup from Emily as she handed it to her. Emily. Of course she chose that moment to come into the room. Any bit of gossip that included Leah, she stuck around for.
"Would you hate me for saying yes?" Sam asked. He winced. Sue pasted on a big fat smile.
"No, of course not, Sam. That's such a silly reason to hate you." I have bigger reasons. She smiled and sipped her tea. A large breath was let out of the room and the tension drained.
Sue looked around the room at all the men and boys. All so muscular and shirtless, wearing barely nothing. She grinned. Of course they'd be going in and out of Emily's house…
"What are you doin' here, Sue?" Paul asked. Sue skimmed all the characters that filled every chair, couch, and floor space. Sam. Paul. Jared. Embry. Jacob. Quil. She stopped sipping her tea and put it down, sighing contentedly.
"Well…as you all know, my husband died yesterday." The room grew silent. Water boiled in the kitchen. "And…well, the elders need every person they can get right now. And, not to brag, but I am now on the council." All the boys nodded respectively and smiled their congratulations.
"Leah and I have been having a lot more in common lately. It's easier to see why she gets so upset and frustrated." The room stopped being so easy-going and got tense even quicker than before. She smiled and picked up her tea. She could see Emily leaning to look through the doorway to hear better and see the boys' reactions to that little comment. "It's a good time for us. A lot of understanding there. I'm the first woman on the council ever. And she's the first Quileute she wolf." She took a sip. "Ironic, isn't it?"
"As you all know, Harry and I are…were…high school sweethearts. I could be sympathetic for Leah when…well, you know." She paused to take another dainty sip, letting that hang in the air. Then she continued.
"I never understood the…immense heartbreak. I didn't see what the big deal was." Her eyes narrowed and focused in on Sam. "But now I understand what it's like to have your heart broken by a man that promised you forever and cut it short. No matter what the difference in consequence."
Sam looked away from her. Everyone looked to the kitchen. Emily jumped as everyone looked right at her. Sue chuckled.
"Ah, Emily. Always the inconspicuous one." She gulped down the rest of her tea and placed it back on the saucer. She leaned forward and placed her elbows on her knees.
"Okay, look boys. I'll make this as quick and as painless as possible."
Sam sneered. "Unlikely."
Sue looked over at him. She smiled, stood, and walked over to Sam, standing behind him as he sat in the light brown recliner. He watched her over his shoulder. She began rubbing his bare shoulders, smiling at the other boys who sat in front of Sam. She could feel Emily's gaze boring into her back.
"Sam. Always such a kidder."
"I'm not kidding, though." He turned to look up at her, a smirk playing at her lips. She beamed at him right away.
"Of course you're not." Sam stopped smiling.
Sue suppressed laughter and downgraded her Cheshire grin to a small smile. Step one? Agree with them when they're turning you into the punch line of the joke.
She leaned down, wrapping her arms around the front of his neck, leaning down to his ear. She knew all the boys could hear, but Emily couldn't.
"Keep in mind, Uley, I am on the council. You take one step out of line, and the rightful reign as Alpha goes to someone who is much more fitting for the position. Someone like…Jacob perhaps? He is the one that has the better bloodlines, correct?" Sue turned her head to look right at Jacob. A growl came from the back of Sam's throat as he looked to Jacob as well, his eyes narrowing at the thought of a fellow brother stealing the crown. Jacob looked stunned beyond belief.
"Stay in line, sweetheart. Treat Leah nicely…fairly. I'm not saying treat her like the princess she is." All the boys snickered. She smiled with them and those stupid smirks were wiped clean. "But treat her with some respect. You're a strong man now. Not the same little boy you were back then. But. I can see you still care about Leah, and why not? She was your first love. You can be nice-ish while treating her the same as the other guys and not break her heart again. Can't you, Sam? You're man enough for that, right?"
All the boys looked at Sam as he started shaking. Paul jumped up and started toward him slowly.
"Sue. Back up slowly," Paul told her evenly. Sue threw her head back and laughed a little. She walked around and sat on the arm of the recliner. She stroked his cheek fondly.
"Now, now. You boys. You amuse me. Sam won't hurt me. Because the second he does, he'll be out of this town before you can run a mile. In wolf form." She continued stroking his cheek. Emily stood behind him, in the corner of the living room, looking at Sue with wide eyes. She dropped her voice to a soothing level. "Now Sam. Don't do anything you'll regret."
He pushed her arm away as gently as he could manage. "Maybe I won't regret it." Sue blinked at him, truly surprised. She brought her hand to cover her heart.
"My, my, my, Sam. I had no idea you had such a strong distaste towards me. I mean, I was practically a mother to you. When your mother left…well, there I was." Sam winced at the thought of his mother. Sue smiled and stood, walking to the window slowly.
"Leah…I can understand why you'd be upset with Leah. She's been making you and Emily miserable since the day everything changed. And think. It's only going to get worse." She opened the draped a little and looked outside into the woods. "I truly do feel for you boys." She turned to them and smiled. Some looked incredulous. Some angry. Some thoughtful.
"Of course, I told her to be careful. I could tell right away what Sam would be and what would happen. I just never thought it'd be you, Emily." Now her gaze darted to Emily, still standing in the corner, wide-eyed. Sue glared icy daggers at her. Emily quickly scampered into the kitchen.
"Okay, Sue. Thank you for the warning. Now…leave. You know where the door is. Don't let it hit you on the way out." Sam stood quickly and pointed at the door, raising his chin superiorly at the mention of his love and item of idolatry.
Sue narrowed her eyes. Her scheme wasn't going according to plan. She stood there for a moment, trying to think of something to say to that. Finally she thought of something. When Step One doesn't work, hit them where you know it will hurt. The weak spot.
Now, most would feel guilt at what Sue was about to bring up, but Sue felt none. It was true that she had always treated Sam nicely, even after the break up when Leah had moped around feeling sorry for herself and bringing everyone else down with her. He had it coming sooner or later. Sooner rather than later, Sue decided then. She had been saving it for a special occasion.
"Of course, Mr. Alpha." She did a mock bow and held it for a moment. "Whatever you command, it will be done."
She smirked and grabbed her purse from the chair. Sam glared at her as she breezed past him. She stood in the kitchen doorway a moment, waiting for him to sit down. He did, and she turned to look back into the living room. All the boys stared at her blankly. Sam turned in his chair to look at her.
"I'm sorry, just one more thing before I go." Sue took one more step into the living room. Sun shined through the window. Rare, and not fitting for the occasion. She frowned. To her true fortune, it clouded over almost immediately, as if the clouds sensed her bad mood. There was utter silence in the house, due to the pasta that had been boiling earlier being dumped into the strainer in the sink.
"Leah and I aren't the only parent/child match, Sam." She stared right at him as she said what she had been waiting to say since she had met him.
"You definitely are your fathers' son, Sam Uley. Love 'em and leave 'em, right?" Sam had turned around, but she could see his tense shoulders poking up over the edge of the chair. His hands were clenched into fists on the arm-rests. She used the faces of his brothers to monitor his reaction. Judging by his brothers' response to her words, there must be tears on Sam's face. Good. As it should be.
She smiled simply at the boys and went into the kitchen. Emily stood there, a gaping expression on her face as she held a tray of glasses filled with water for the boys.
"Sue. How could you say something that…that awful? And to Sam?" Emily looked at her in horror. Sue smiled.
"Yes, well…karma, I suppose." Sue smiled once more at Emily as a plan brewed. And it was a beauty.
Sue raised her hand. Emily winced away, thinking Sue would hit her. Sue shook her head at how naïve Emily was. She lowered it slowly. Emily stopped wincing and looked at Sue.
And before anyone could see what had happened, Sue had brought her arm up underneath the tray, tilting it towards Emily, knocking the drinks onto her, spilling it all over Emily. The glasses hit the floor, breaking separately. The tray was the last thing to drop, the metal screaming CLANG! as it hit the floor last. The only sound was the water that dripped from Emily's clothing. Emily looked at Sue, tears threatening to pour. Sue held a finger to her lips, eyes wide. Slowly, she cupped her hand around her ear.
"Hear that?" she asked Emily in nothing but a soft whisper. Emily leaned forward. Sue leaned closer to her as well. "That's what Leah's heart sounded like when you stole her boyfriend, you little slut."
Emily let out a loud sob and shot up. She shook her head in disbelief. "How could you call me that? You've known me since I was a little girl. I would never…why are you being so bitter towards me? What did I do? Fell in love? Well, I'm not going to apologize."
The smile slowly turned sad on Sue's face. "Well, good. Because I don't want one. All of your apologies are trash. Just like you. The good news is there's no way Leah could ever say that to you. Because even though you stabbed her in the back, she still cares. She always will. I don't see why, but she will. So the best part of this is that the worst is over. For now."
Sue raised her eyebrows, daring Emily to consider it. She turned for the door, but stopped and turned to face Emily one more time, slowly.
Why not cause just a little more damage? One more slap wouldn't do much. Except bring Emily crashing into the real world.
"Oh. And the next time you look in the mirror, remember that scar is what karma gave you. Believe it or not, it's an even bigger bitch than me." She chuckled lightly. "Karma. Keep that little factor of life in mind next time you decide to jump into bed with your best friends' ex. Someone you hardly know, need I remind you."
Emily crumbled to the floor. Sue looked into the living room. All the boys looked incredulous. Sam was shaking violently, though no one seemed to be stopping him this time. His back was still facing Sue.
She smiled sweetly at all of them. "Have a wonderful day. And remember…be nice."
With that, Sue pulled her sunglasses down to cover her eyes. One last smile, and she was out the door.