Side Note: Hey, FF community! This is my first story, a Twilight one-shot (or probably a one-shot, anyway. See below.). There is an inferred Jacob/Leah, but of course that could never be. x) Please review; I would love to hear what you guys think! I am OK with criticism; honest is better than nice! Depending on the kind of response I get I *might* add another chapter to this story, probably in Seth's POV.
Jacob POV: AN UNEXPECTED VISIT
It was raining that night; that part I remember clearly. And it was snowing.
The snow and the rain spiraled around my giant, russet paws and tickled the end of my nose. It was almost sundown, and the trees had an odd orange glow to them. It was like traveling through a giant popsicle.
I picked up the pace and made a quick short-cut, snapping a fallen branch in the process. I hadn't been in this part of the territory in a while—I hadn't even been in La Push in what, two, three, five weeks? It was getting hard to remember.
I had moved in with the Cullens about two months ago. The imprint I had on Renesmee—Nessie, as I called her—was growing stronger as she developed. She looked like an early high-schooler, about 15-ish. Sam had told me that my feelings for her might change soon. It hadn't happened yet, and I was partially glad. The awkwardness of the situation wasn't something I was prepared for. Not yet, anyway.
The vampire stench at the house was hard to ignore, but with Nessie it was like it wasn't even there. I wanted nothing more than to please her— and with her constant complaints that I don't come over enough—it was becoming harder and harder to stay away. When Carlisle offered me a room in their house, I didn't give it a second's thought.
The trees began to thin out and I was quickly approaching Billy's house, my destination. I had broken the news to him when the move was first made; he hadn't seemed at all surprised, but the disappointment was evident on his face.
I phased behind the last set of large trees, yanking on my old pair of black sweats, quickly getting soaked as the rain poured. Alice would have a heart attack if she saw me; I laughed quietly at the thought.
I peered out from the cover of the trees to see if anyone was around—for it would be very suspicious to see a guy running around half-naked in the freezing weather—then darted out and to the tiny house.
Billy was inside, watching the Sports Channel with adequate interest. I shut the door behind me, and he jumped, wheeling around.
"Hey, Dad." I smiled tentatively.
"Hello, Jake." He was wrapped in a bundle of old quilts, and, out of pity for the old man, I went to stand beside him, placing my arm around his shoulders. He shivered violently from the heat. "Thanks, Jacob."
I shrugged. "Of course."
He looked up at me. "Why are you here?" I expected malice, anger—something that hinted at his emotions. What I got: curiosity.
"I left some CDs in my room from the...move. Was going to bring 'em back to the Cul—" I stopped short when he looked to the ground.
"I called the Cullens, actually, but they said you were out. A bit worried, I must say." He spoke to his feet.
"Worried about me? You sound like Bella."
"I'm not worried about you, Jacob."
"Then who—"
"She dropped by to see you about an hour ago. She's waiting in your room."
I raised an eyebrow. "What is Sue—"
"No."
"Then how about—"
"No."
"Well then—"
"No, Jacob. Now go—you've been keeping her long enough."
"Why didn't she stay down here with you?" I asked, one last desperate attempt to reveal the unknown hiding from me down the hall.
"She didn't want to."
It took me maybe a second to reach my bedroom door. Using a quilt I snatched from the sofa I dried myself off, hoping to be some-what presentable. I knocked; somehow that seemed the most appropriate thing to do. Even if it was my house.
No one answered, and I knocked again. Two minutes. Five. I raised my hand to knock again.
"JACOB!" I heard Billy call from down the hall.
I took a large breath, mentally preparing myself, and opened the door.
-------------xx
Leah—Leah, Leah, Leah—was on my bed, sitting on the edge and facing away from me. She was slumped slightly, and her hair was in a messy bun. I immediately knew something was wrong.
I hadn't seen her in a while; four months to be exact. She had left soon after the battle—or the Confrontation, as Carlisle called it—leaving only a note to Sue and a small present for Seth.
I wondered where she had been spending her time. Her clothing wasn't particularly interesting; a T-shirt with a pair of jeans and sneakers. She had cut her hair shorter; that much I noticed. Maybe she hadn't really left at all; hiding might be a more accurate term.
"Hello, Jake." Her voice was the reality of the tone I had expected Billy to use. "I've been waiting for you." She turned around, and I got the full horror of the situation; she was crying.
The tears were streaming down her cheeks, hot and fast. A Red-Alert flashed in my head, telling me to run, get out before the situation really started.
"Can we talk?" I had never seen her so…breakable.
"Er, sure, Leah. What's…up?" I came slowly into the cramped room, eyeing my CDs stacked on the corner of my bed. I sat down next to her, making sure there was enough space to avoid any physical contact.
"Why did you do it?" She asked, turning to face me with red, puffy eyes.
"Do what?" I couldn't understand why this situation scared me so much. I had fought with vampires, gone through the transformations of werewolves—excuse me, shape-shifters—and this girl comes along with some tears and I completely breakdown? Nuh-uh.
"Imprint on that thing? That half breed leech. "
"Nessie isn't—"
"NESSIE?" She snorted, sounding like a crazed woman. "You gave her a nickname?"
I could feel the heat coming on. I took a deep breath, taming it. This would not be the best time to go bursting into a wolf. Even if she was calling my Nessie a…
Calm, Jake, Calm. I scolded myself.
"Could you just tell me what you want, Leah?"
She looked to the wall as she talked. "Don't you remember that conversation we had in the forest? Where we talked about well, you know, Sam and Emily…and imprinting…"
"Yes…?" I was truly interested now, so much that I didn't notice I was leaning in closer.
She took a shaky breath. "I thought that we…made a connection. I thought we were friends. I thought—"
"We are friends, Leah."
She turned to face me, slowly. I saw pain in her eyes—stabbing at me before I could think it through—and something in my mind clicked.
I stood up, taking a step back with my hands raised. "Woah, Leah, let's not have a Hallmark moment here—"
"MAYBE I WANT A HALLMARK MOMENT!" Leah screamed at me. She stood up, too, her hands clenched in fists. "When I joined your pack, I felt…whole again, Jacob. Better. Like how I used to be…Happy Leah."
"What are you saying?" I wondered if I really wanted to know the answer.
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I thought the three wheels could make their own car."
My mind when completely blank. I stood there, staring at her, my mouth hanging open in silent shock. Leah loved me? Leah. Loves. Me. How did I feel about that? Leah loves me…
"Leah, I don't think…not to say I'm not…" My voice trailed away. I cleared my throat, feeling oddly thirsty, and tried again. "I don't think I'm the one you want. With Nessie and the Cullens, it would be…"
"You don't have to fall in love with me, Jacob. I just…I need someone to be my sun. Like you did for that Bella."
"I'm sorry Leah." And I was truly sorry. I knew what it felt like; loving someone who didn't return the affections. But I wasn't going to be a Bella. I wasn't going to string her along—no, I would give the truth, no matter how painful, knowing that, in the end, it would be for the best.
"I can't do that. What I had for Bella was…And now with Nessie…it would just end up hurting you more."
She looked to the ground, calmer now. "If Bella hadn't come into the picture, could things have been different?"
"Maybe."
She nodded, walking past me and to the door.
"Oh, and Jacob." She talked over her shoulder. "Please don't think about this around the mind-reading one."
I nodded, feeling dizzy. "Bye, Leah."
And then she was gone.
I took a step towards the bed, picking up the CDs and flipping through them randomly. Could things have been different? If I had never met Bella, but the Cullens still came…I would still be a werewolf, but would Leah have changed, too? And even if she did, would we still had had a close relationship?
I sighed. I guess you'll never know will you, Jake?