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Chapter 6: Meeting of the Minds

Jacob sighed. So, it looked like everything had went back to the way it was. He was having a blast at the Cullens, playing with Renesmee, hanging out with Bella, and running patrol with Seth. Every time he saw Seth, he felt a pang in his gut. He had let the kid down by allowing Leah to leave, though he knew that was what she wanted and needed. If he had attempted to keep Leah in La Push, she would have tried to kick his ass. And he would have probably let her.

It would have been so easy to fall back into the groove of things if it had not been for Leah. He thought time would make him forget her; her smell, her feisty-ness, her overall being. There wasn't another woman in the world like Leah Clearwater, and Jacob missed her terribly. He had been sitting on the floor with Renesmee while Edward made her lunch in the kitchen. The little girl was blabbing about The Daily Show, something Emmet had let her watch behind Bella's back. Jacob smiled and nodded as she talked, until a pounding on the door stopped her mid-sentence. Jacob concentrated. The smell was werewolf, that pine-musk scent, and the footfalls on the porch were steady and measured. Sam. He supposed it wasn't a shock when he heard Sam pounding on the Cullen's door. They missed Leah, too. Bella had been ascending the stairs and was reaching for the knob when Jacob got to his feet. "Be right back." He told Renesmee, and jogged to the door.

Bella hesitated before she went to answer the door. She knew on the other side would be Sam Uley, and she wasn't sure how she should react. Why was he here? They had never been the best of friends, in fact, she was sure that he didn't even like her. She was about to put her hand on the doorknob, when Jacob pushed past her.

"I'll get it, it's Sam."

Bella eyeballed him, "What does he want?"

"Guess we'll find out." Jacob pulled open the door, and Sam was standing on the doorstep, looking apprehensive. The rest of the pack were on the Cullen's lawn, looking glum.

"Jacob, Bella." Sam greeted.

"Hey," Jacob said. "What's all this?"

"I need to talk to you... we need to talk to you. We could use your help."

Jacob nodded. "Okay. Just give me a minute."

Sam gave a nod and joined the pack on the lawn. "Meet us just off the trail."

Jacob nodded in agreement as the guys took off. Their shadows blended together as they walked, forever solidifying them as a group, a pack. Jacob wondered if his shadow would have blended so easily.

"Jacob?" A little voice asked.

Bella was standing just behind him, her arms crossed, eying him thoughtfully. Jacob turned and found Renesmee peering out at him behind Bella's leg. Her little hands were clinging tight to Bella's jeans as if she were afraid she would get ripped away. Her eyes were full of wonder. But still, it was weird how much had changed. He couldn't get over the feeling that he was just babysitting and hanging out, instead of taking care of his future wife. Was this how Cate Blanchett felt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button? No child should ever have the look of anxiousness that her face held. He bent down to her, "Yeah, Ness?"

"Everything okay?" Her voice wobbled on the last word.

Jacob felt his heart break. In her eyes, Jacob was the world. He scooped her up and kissed her cheek. "Of course every thing's okay. Don't you worry about anything, ever." He then turned to Bella and handed her over. "I have to go talk to the guys. I'll be back as soon as I can." He hopped down the steps, and was about to strip when he heard Bella behind him. She was alone, having tucked Renesmee safely inside. She looked oddly vulnerable for a vampire, her emotions creasing her marble skin. Though she could no longer shed tears, Bella's eyes sparkled in the afternoon sun. The skin that was exposed from her three-quarter sleeve blouse glittered as if the tears she could no longer cry danced on her skin.

He turned, raising his eyebrows.

Her head was bent, and she was kicking the dirt with her foot. "You sure every thing's okay, Jake?"

No, everything is not okay. He wanted to say. He wanted to tell her everything, like he used to, when he could, when it was just Jacob and Bella, not werewolf and vampire. But there was no way he could do that. She wouldn't understand. "Yeah, Bell. Everyone's real worried about Leah, though."

Leah...

Bella gave a short nod, and said, "If there's anything I can do..."

"You'll be the first to know."

She nodded again, and turned back to the house. Jacob bent over to untie the drawstring around his waist.

"Jake?"

He froze, still bent over, he turned back to her.

"I love you." She said. She wrapped her arms around herself, something purely out of habit. He was sure that Bella didn't feel the nip in the air. He would have given anything to hear her say those words a year ago, before all of this, when he had loved her the way a man should love a woman. Now, he loved her as much as anyone could love a friend.

"Love ya too, Bella." He said, and turned back around. He heard rapid footsteps behind him, and turned just in time for Bella to fling herself on him, burying her face in his bare chest. The old Bella would have tripped over her own two feet, this graceful Bella danced through the air and into his arms. He remembered how soft she used to feel. She felt smooth and hard now, like a rock. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to her new skin, of not hearing her heart beat. Essentially, he held a dead girl. But she was Bella. Her essence, her soul, whatever it was was strong inside of her, something he had thought he would have lost forever when she had become one of the eternal damned.

He sighed, "What's wrong, Bella?" He stroked her long brown hair. Something was definitely eating at her, and he had a sinking feeling that part of it was Sam's sudden appearance. She was worrying about Jacob, always worrying.

"I've got a bad feeling, Jake, that something horrible is going to happen to you."

He laughed his throaty laugh and said into her hair, "Nothing's going to happen. You still worry too much." he placated her, and patted her head.

She bit her bottom lip, and pulled away from him.

His fingers played with his drawstring, and he cleared his throat.

"I better let you go." She said."Edward might get the wrong idea."

They both chuckled, and she turned back to the house, her brows still creased together. Jake pulled his sweatpants from his body, through them in the air, and phased. Before they could drift lazily to the ground, he caught his pants in his mouth and bolted to meet the guys.

As he ran, a dozen scenarios played out in his mind. What was this meeting about? Had they found Leah? Was she on her way back? The landscape rushed by him in a whirl of color. He approached the clearing, and slowed his pace.

Embry and Quil's thick black lips turned into wolfy-grins when they saw Jacob trot up. His answering grin made theirs wider.

'Hey, guys.'

'Hey, Jake.'

It had been too long since he had seen them. Technically, they were all civil now, but there was always that underlying tension of what had happened in the past. Jacob wanted nothing more than to put it behind them, to re-accept his brothers and their unity on keeping La Push safe. He positioned himself in between the two, and settled down into the cool dirt. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other guys begin to phase back into their human forms. Jacob dropped his shorts, and phased too.

They were all in a circle around Sam; Jared to his left and Paul to his right. Forever his wingmen. Seth was uncharacteristically quiet, staring down at the dirt.

"I think we all know why we're here," Sam said, and all eyes turned to him. "We're missing one of us. It's time we find her and bring her home."

Jacob felt a large knot in his stomach. So this was what the meeting would be about. Hunting down Leah and bringing her back.

No.

Jacob's mouth formed into a straight line. Sam was wrong. They should not go out and force Leah into anything. That would definitely be the wrong thing to do. Hadn't she suffered enough?

"It is a lot quieter without her here," Paul jabbed.

Sam narrowed his eyes, "She's your sister."

"It's not like I want anything bad to happen to her," he replied, "I'm just saying it's been quiet..."

Jared eyed Paul shrewdly, and shook his head.

Jacob ignored Paul, and his eyes fell on Seth. The poor kid's shoulders were slumped, and he looked like he carried the weight of the world.

"I've been phasing on and off throughout the day, seeing if I could catch her with the consciousness... but I've been unsuccessful." Sam said. "I want to set up a perimeter. Two of us will always remain here in La Push, but the rest of us will be out searching..." His eyes fell on Jacob, "Does that sound fair to you?"

Jacob eyed Sam, "You're asking me?"

"You're an Alpha. You've had your own pack. Besides, I'm not sure Leah's connected to me anymore through the consciousness."

Jacob bit his bottom lip, well, here goes everything to hell, "Sam, I don't think this is the best way..."

All eyes snapped to him, including Seth's.

It looked like he was on his own on this one. Which was fine, he had gone up against Sam once before when he had thought it was best to get rid of a pregnant Bella. He had forgiven Sam for that. Mostly. He remembered almost idolizing him after he first phased. He owed the guy a lot, he had saved his sanity back then, but this was something else. Jacob knew that Sam did still have feelings for Leah, and perhaps he felt that she still belonged with him in a way, that he still knew what was best for her.

Jacob knew what was best for her, and that was time away from this madness., and he'd fight to get her that.

"Look, Leah's a big girl. She has a lot of bad memories here. If she wants to go, I say let her go."

"Man, I thought I was harsh..." Paul mumbled.

"Jake, what's wrong with you?" Embry whispered to him.

"You're going to say that while her brother weeps?" Sam demanded.

Jacob met Seth's eye and turned away. He couldn't stand the guilt that he felt knowing that he was part of the reason Leah left town in the first place. Seth was a good kid, he didn't deserve all of this grief. Hell, none of them did. But he wasn't going to drag Leah back here kicking and screaming.

"This is a different situation." Jacob said. "Leah ran, she wasn't kidnapped. Have you stopped to think what would happen if we drag her back here?"

"Leah is one of us." Sam said, "She belongs here. She has duties and responsibilities."

"Would you want to stay here if you were her?" Jacob countered. "It's not like she's had the best luck, is it? Losing you, losing her father, losing m..." He was about to say me, and caught himself. He didn't need to go into that with the guys. If he was going to tell anyone, he'd tell Seth in private. Seth had a right to know, and a right to hate him. "She has a right to a life outside of this."

"Says who?" Jared asked. "What right do any of us have outside of protecting La Push? Where have you been, Jake?"

"She'll come back." Jacob said, "But on her own time." He knew that to be truth with every fiber in his being. Everything in him told him he'd see Leah again, and he believed that whole heartedly.

"It's been a month." Paul added, "That's a long enough vacation."

As if thinking the same, Sam sighed and turned to Seth. "Say something, Seth."

Seth peeked up at the guys around him, and said in a low voice, "Leah's always looked out for me. Even before any of this." He gestured wildly with his hands, "I want to return the favor."

Sam turned back to Jacob, "Will you help?"

Jacob looked at his pack brothers, wanting nothing more than for them to see reason. What good was bringing Leah back to misery? "I'll stay and watch La Push."

There were groans in unison. Seth was shooting daggers with his eyes.

"Fine," Sam snapped, "Seth, you take first watch with him here. The rest of you, come with me. We need to set boundaries..."

Jacob watched as the other guys followed Sam into the darkness. He felt Seth staring at him, and turned.

"I thought you cared, Jake." Seth said angrily.

Jacob sighed, "I do. I care too much to bring her back here. You know how unhappy she was."

"My mom hasn't slept in weeks." Seth said. There was a sudden wetness under his eyes, and Jacob looked away.

Jacob didn't know what to say to that, so he said nothing at all. He knew the Clearwater family had been through a lot recently, and Leah wasn't making it any easier.

"So, maybe it's not all about Leah." Seth said quietly.

To Jacob it was. He had only thought about her feelings, and how she was dealing with things. In passing, he knew that others would miss her, but as long as Leah was happy, that's all he was thinking of. It seemed silly now. Of course her mother and brother would miss her. And Sam, and the guys, too. He just never thought about how much, how it would be nearly almost as much as him. "There's no doubt in my mind that she'll come back soon," Jacob said.

"When the guys find her."

"Sam isn't always right." Jacob said.

"Well I think he's right this time!" Seth yelped, "That's why I went to him, I was glad Emily said something! At least Sam is doing something! I tried to go to you, but you shook it off! You may not care about my sister because she can be a pain at times, and a liability, but Sam cares!"

Jacob got to his feet, and the words were exploding out of him before he had a chance to process what he was saying. So he was going to play the Sam card, was he? "Where was Sam when I stood not far from here, begging your sister to stay here with me? Where was Sam when I chased her down, talked to her, found out what her problem was? Do you know how much crying she did that night? Does Sam? Do any of you even care? No, you just want her back because you think you have a claim over her... that La Push does, that our genes do--- but you know what? If Leah can get out of here and live a happy life, I say God Bless her, because not one of you can say you care about her until you know what she's been through!"

There was a silence between them. Jacob was breathing heavily, his hands balled into fists. Seth sat staring out the ground, and Jacob felt guilty. This wasn't Seth's fault. He relaxed his hands enough to scrub his face.

Seth busied himself burying his hands in the dirt. He didn't meet Jacob's eye when he said, "So what is her problem, if it's not Sam?"

"Me," Jacob replied, and plopped down in the dirt.

"You?" Seth asked questioningly.

"Turns out Leah was in love with me."

"You?" Seth repeated in disbelief.

"You're really flattering, Seth."

"But you and Nessie..."

"We can't help who we love," He said with a small shrug of his shoulders.

"I didn't know..." Seth said.

"Either did I."

"And how do you feel?" Seth asked, his large eyes growing wide.

"Words can't express what I feel for your sister." He mumbled, "There's been a pain in my chest since she left. At first I thought I was having a stroke."

Seth's lips twitched up into a smile, and a small laugh escaped him. Jacob laughed too. And then Seth was rolling in the dirt, cackling, clutching his sides.

Jacob shook his head, "It's not that funny."

"Sorry," Seth said, wiping his eyes. It was apparent he hadn't laughed in some time.

"You're forgiven," Jacob replied, "But I don't think that pain will go away until your sister comes back. I just don't think it's right to drag her back."

"Because she'd be coming back to nothing." Seth said, all the humor gone from his voice.

"Seth, I don't know what I'll do when I see her again. I wish I could tell you I'd run off into the sunset with her. I want to. I want to make her happy."

"But...?"

He sighed, "But there's Nessie. If I had only gone with Leah before Nessie was born, I..."

Seth put a hand on Jacob's shoulder. "I know."

"You can go ahead and hate me, it's what I deserve."

"I don't hate you, Jake. Not now that I know everything." He sighed, "But I have my mom to think about, and Emily too. What if she's... what if she's hurt?"

Jacob hadn't allowed himself to think like that. He just kept a running mantra in his head that Leah was tanning on a beach somewhere. "If that's the case, I'll never forgive myself." Jacob said simply. How true that was. He couldn't stomach thinking of Leah in pain, physical pain. It was why he had saved her from that rogue vampire during the fight with the Red-Head's army. He had nearly gotten himself killed just so she remained unscathed. And then there was his temper. Leah was a beauty, and if any man, Sam included, raised his hand to her, well... he knew that he'd never be able to stop himself from returning the favor.