It's Natural

Leah felt it the moment he phased. The feeling of weightlessness, swaying him back and forth on the very verge of overwhelming happiness.

This feeling was all too familiar and it made her sick to her stomach as soon as she was able to get a sense of herself again. Jacob Black had imprinted and the thought made her sick. It was as though someone punched her real good in the gut and was unable to recover; unable to breathe.

As she felt him phase, she stopped dead in her tracks. Leah was headed straight for the Cullen's at full-speed. It had been a whole two days that Jacob was over there and neither her or Seth had gotten word for him. She was livid with him for leaving them hanging. But, more so, she was worried.

Wouldn't want those precious parasites taking any unnecessary chances.

Leah was about to clear the open field when she felt him...every single bit of him.

She yelped as she felt the feeling overcome her again.

She had been so good at keeping her thoughts to herself - her mind was impenetrable, unable able to be heard. That's the one thing that saved her: her focus.

If not, Jacob would have had a clear view of how badly he was softening her.

How badly she was falling for him...or was she already there?

Leah.

She snapped her head up, shaking herself from her thoughts.

His voice made her all too aware of how painful this was going to be for her all over again. Right when she started to restore her faith in hope, some precious perfect being made just for Jacob Black had to come along and ruin it.

He was closer now; she could feel it - he knew where she was. Her mind was easy to read and he was taking advantage of the vulnerabilty his imprint offered. So, she did the only thing she knew how.

She ran.

In the back of her head, she remembered where she stashed her clothes and she didn't care if Jacob saw her destination - she'd get there first, anyway.

Leah, wait! WAIT!

Of course, it was difficult to ignore the voice of her Alpha. It was so strong and demanding. It made one feel like you were to pay the ultimate price for disobedience.

Leah didn't care though, because Jacob - no matter who or what he was to her - had betrayed her far more than she was disobeying him now.

Damn you, Black. I knew you couldn't be trusted.

She was only twenty or so feet away from her clothes.

As she past the tree, she snatched the bag in her mouth and ran with it - trying to throw him off.

Let me explain, Leah - you don't know the half of it!

Oh sure, I don't. What's there to know? You imprinted - you're just like the rest of them.

Leah could feel Seth's precense. Somewhere in the distance he was watching the two of them run, trying to put together all the pieces. And he was catching on.

Leah snarled.

Don't be angry with him.

Don't you dare tell me how to be!

Finally, she reached a large rock and phased mid-lunge, quickly stepping into her shorts and throwing on her shirt behind it.

Find me now, oh fearless leader, she dared, silently.

She climbed up onto the top of the rock. As she threw herself over, there he was - standing ten feet away, fully clothed. She narrows her eyes, wondering how he got dressed so fast.

"It's faster when you dont have so much to put on," he half-smiled, attempting to lighten the mood. She didn't like that he was able to answer the question.

The tension was tangible almost. Leah's whole body trembled, threatening to phase again.

She didn't want to be wolf right now - she wanted to be Leah. She wanted to show him the raw emotion that was her.

"I can't believe you imprinted," she hissed, "I can't believe it. I can't believe you."

"You know it can't be controlled," he pleaded.

"Yeah, I know. I've heard it before, remember? I'm well aware."

He stared at her, his deep brown eyes reading her every move...her every twitch.

She took a deep breath, "Who is it?"

Jacob looked away, ashamed. Leah raised her brow, taking in another deep breath.

Her body never ceasing to tremble.

"Who is it?"

"Renesmee."

Who the hell was that?

Leah wracked her brain, knowing she had heard that name somewhere before.

And then, there it was - plain as day. Jacob's vision of him sitting beside the leech-lover and the mind-reading-leech...talking about baby names.

Leah had no words. So...she screamed.

Jacob flinched as the high-piercing sound echoed throughout the woods.

"You imprinted on the spawn," she gasped for air.

"I didn't want to...the very thought of her made me sick to my stomach."

Leah shuddered, thinking of the way she felt when he phased. Absolutely helpless.

"And please, don't call her spawn - her name is Nessie."

"You think I give a shit about what that thing's name is?"

Jacob snarled, balling his fist at his side. "Quit it, Leah."

There was a pang in her heart - another blow that made her breathless.

"Why does it matter to you so much? I'm actually happy now...kinda."

"Oh, your happy that you don't have a mind of your own anymore? That's great."

Jacob ran a hand through his hair, aggravated.

"Of course you had to imprint on Bella's child - of course!"

"Shut up."

"You couldn't have Bella, so you had to have a part of her -"

"Leah, seriously-!"

"Are you sure this imprint is real?" she challenged, knowing full well that it was, "Are you sure your not just forcing yourself into this?"

Leah had finally push his buttons. Jacob phased in a flat second and lunged toward the rock to get to her. She refused to phase - she refused to let him in her head. Not until he heard it out of her mouth.

"You couldn't have possibly have fallen in love normally, could you?" she taunted.

Jacob stood before her, his muscles coiled - ready to spring, waiting for her to phase.

But she wouldn't.

"How about if I loved you, Jacob? What would you do about it?"

Jacob's ears when from flat to up and alert.

Crossing her arms, "Don't get too excited, Black."

Leah happened to look at see Seth headed towards them.

"Oh great. Now I've got to explain to him what you did..."

As fast as he phased before, he phased again.

There stood a butt-naked Jacob Black, but Leah insisted upon looking him in the eye.

"Were you being for real?" he asked, his voice soft, but his eyes narrowed.

"Maybe," she answered, stubbornly, "What's it to you? There's nothing you could do about it, anyway."

Jacob looked over his should, noticing Seth's arrival.

Looking back Leah, "Yeah, there is. I couldn't always...fight it. Somehow."

"You wouldn't...you...can't."

"I would try my hardest until I won. I can make it happen..."

"But if Sam couldn't, then -" Leah stammered for words.

"Sam isn't a fighter. I am."

Before she could respond, Seth phased. "I heard Leah scream! Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," Jacob told him, never taking his eyes off of Leah.

"Oh ok, that's good. Hey, Jake?"

"Yeah?"

Leah tried her best not to smile, reveling in Jacob staring her down.

"Was that you that I felt...imprint?"

Ugh, typical Seth - a moment-killer. Jacob closed his eyes. Leah seethed.

"Yeah, it was. But...we'll see how that goes."

"Who is it, Jake?"

Go away, kid! Leah ordered him, to herself.

"You'll see in time," he told him, "Can you give your sister and I a moment?"

Without answering, Seth phased back and made a mad-dash back towards the meadow.

The moment she saw him open his eyes, her eyes were closed.

Jacob grabbed Leah by the shoulders and kissed her, desperately.

Mid-kiss, he took her hand and guided it to his bare chest.

Leah could feel his heart beating; it was unsteady, excited.

"If this imprint meant what it's supposed to mean," he breathed, breaking apart from her, "then my heart wouldn't be doing this because of you."

For the second time, she had no words. So, this time, it was her that grabbed his kneck, bringing him to her to envelope his lips in a passionate kiss.

Leah doesn't know how long they were there, kissing.

But when they stopped, her told her - no, he promised her - that everyday he would fight for her. Jacob told her that she was his breath of fresh air and that he needed her more than he needed anything else.

Leah explained to him - although it took a lot of convincing - that he had softened her and that she appreciates him. Every single bit of him.

He made her his Beta, because he trusted her, because he loved her - no matter what supernatural mythical bond held him somewhere else. He loves her and there was no denying it. But most of all, he felt as though she deserved it. Like him, Leah is a fighter.

Like him, she will fight to keep his heart. She know's she'll win...his heart wouldn't beat like that if she wasn't the rightful owner.

That's why she loved Jacob Black. He's a fighter and he never stops.

That's more than Sam ever did.

And that's the last time she'll think of him or say his name.

She has found her reason to live, her reason to breathe again.

Leah Clearwater will no longer run away, but run to.

She found a reason and it's pure, untainted love.

So, this is love?

Love.

They are worlds apart; night and day.

But, she has come to terms, that there just is no other way.

Oh, it's natural.