Big News & Big Talk
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Twilight characters which is cool cuz I really don't EVER want to be associated with believing that Bella Swan is a POSITIVE *gags* role model. The girl was suicidal people!
Running through the woods I'm grateful that there is no one else around. It's nice not having to worry about putting up a block to keep my thoughts in check. Free to think about anything and everything without someone listening in or asking me if everything is alright. As I'm running to just stretch my legs I pick up a familiar scent – it's sweet, alluring and unique. It's your scent and despite the fact that I've made it a habit to avoid you and Jacob at all costs I still find myself pulled in your direction. Mainly because I do not pick up Jacob's scent anywhere close by. Since your wedding you two have become inseparable, it's as if you've become joined at the hip. And that's saying something considering how you both were before the engagement.
I find you sitting on a fallen log along one of the old trails, alone, with your back towards me and wearing a burgundy hoodie. Quickly I phase and cautiously approach you and call out your name. I'm surprised that you turn around and smile at me – you actually, genuinely and sincerely smiled at me. I can't help the, more than likely, huge, excited and goofy grin that I give back to you and ask if it's alright if I sit down next to you.
I sit down quickly beside you worried that you'll change your mind; snap at me and verbally assault me. Apparently, I sit down so quickly that I misjudge the width of the log and wind up falling backwards. Lying on my back I stare up at the sky and groan internally as I hear your laughter ring out around us. Despite my embarrassment I join in your laughter because it sounds so light, carefree and, again, genuine. To my surprise you reach out a hand and help me back up in a seating position.
"Graceful as ever," You add and suddenly I feel my cheeks begin to prickle and burn. I'm blushing. It's surprising that you still have this kind of effect on me. Emily never makes me blush and maybe it's because I don't feel as self-conscious around her as I do you.
Whenever I'm around you it brings up memories of when we were teenagers. All the picking, teasing and flirting that occurred between us before there was an 'us'. No matter what you'll always be the first female to ever see my cry outside of my mother when I told you about how I hated 'Father's Day'. You hadn't said anything that day but instead you just hugged me. You held me so tightly and made me feel so safe, so secure and warm that I never wanted to let that feeling go – never wanted to let you go.
"How's married life treatin' ya?" I ask looking to break the silence between us. You look at me with a surprised look upon your face and shrug your shoulders.
"I've never been married before but I think it's going pretty good." You answer with a smirk and a glint in your eye.
I won't lie but I tune you out the moment you mention Jacob and just smile at you, nodding my head in the appropriate span of time and chuckling when you do. I can't help but look at your long legs and notice that you're walking around barefoot. The hoodie you're wearing is an old high school hoodie and for a moment I entertain the idea that it's the hoodie I gave you my senior year as the sleeves are much too long for you. You look…cute wearing something oversized. It makes you small, tiny – almost – and fragile.
I wonder if you're still frightened by zombie movies and if you'd try to hide deep within the materials of the hoodie when the hero is startled. I smile because I can remember the pressure of your body, digging and snuggling deep into my side to hide away from the monsters. How afterwards you'd make us sit in the dark and openly debate over whether or not you should sleep with the lights on or off. 'If they're left on it'll draw the zombies but then I won't be able to see them coming', that was the debate that you'd have with yourself.
I can still remember how ecstatic and happy you were when I showed up one day with The Zombie Survival Guide. You danced around, hugging the book and immediately began reading. I laughed at you because the book had succeeded in both calming some of your fears and yet introducing even more. Somehow this simple memory of your fear of zombies leads me down memory lane recalling the survival plan you made me help you pull together, the drills ran through with Seth and Harry, the promises to never leave you behind – and it's small memories like those, all the times I made promises to you only to turn around and break them.
"And so that is why there will be an all pack meeting." You state interrupting my thoughts and bringing me back to the present. My eyes widen as I realize that I've seriously have not been paying attention to a word you've said. "The imprints are invited but it's optional, of course, and we'll understand if she doesn't come." You say standing and stretching. I stare at you wide-eyed in confusion, your hoodie raising up and just barely staying below your ass and I try, fight, to recall what you've said.
"Nice talking to you, Sam. See ya around." You greet and you walk away leaving me behind. I know I should call out to you, ask you to repeat that – the whole thing. But I'm afraid that whatever strides we've made in our relationship will be shattered when you hear that I've ignored you, again, and will accuse me of 'being a mindless imprint fuckface' or asshole…asswipe? Maybe spineless was used at one time or another but either way I don't want to be the one to confess it. And instead I sit, alone, on the log and wondering,
What the hell did she say?
I let our 'talk' fade away with the passing days because when Paul mentions the meeting I am not the least bit surprised. There is still that 'imprint optional' offering but it is completely ignored as Kim and Emily both want to see the newlyweds home so badly. I can admit that Jacob's offering to protect the leeches did have an upside in that they gave a huge chunk of cash to build a home for you, your husband and the pack. With the extra money you two were able to hire people from the rez to help build the house – my pack included. It was great having a job that paid well, hanging out with my old high school buddies and the rest of the men that we usually don't interact with because it's safer to stay away. Or at least so I thought because there were no mishaps and even though Paul lost his temper once or twice during the job, a week, there was no near-call phasing. Maybe Jacob was right in that I worried too much and should trust the pack more.
Gathering up Emily we head over to your house and she is practically bouncing along the way. It'll be the first time she's been inside your home and will have been able to talk to you since the last Quileute Days. I can't help but smile at Emily's wide-eyed expression as we walk into the house. It's not the small, quaint little cottage that you always wanted but is big enough for a pack of wolves, much to your frustration I'm sure.
We are thrown a quick greeting and grab a loveseat to share between us. You're sitting on a huge couch in between Quil and Embry with a deep frown upon your face. You have a death grip on the pillow in your lap and I can hear the low growl of annoyance rumbling from your throat. It seems that we've walked in on the middle of a conversation.
"Just shut it, you two." You growl in warning as your shoulders tighten.
"Oh, c'mon, we can't help it." Embry teases with a laugh wrapping his arm around your shoulders.
"I mean they are huge." Quil adds and I raise an eyebrow noticing how he's looking down your tank top. I frown and choke back my own growl but in all fairness…your tits are huge. I find myself staring at them too and wonder when did they get so big and why? Shaking my head I only brush it off as you just wearing a tank that is just too small which isn't new because it happened once when you were in my pack and Seth had tried his hand at laundry.
Everyone sits around talking, joking and even a few arguments break out but it's nothing serious. This gathering of the whole pack, the sense of feeling whole and complete reminds of the days when we all stayed over at the Cullens while Jacob was being healed. A part of me hates to admit it but I miss this and it wouldn't have had to be like this if I had only stepped down and accepted Jacob's decision to protect Bella. But, his decision to choose Bella over everyone is something that I still cannot morally accept.
"Alright, let's get his meeting started." Jacob says drawing everyone's attention. He had slipped in while Seth and Collin were busy arguing about some girl that they both like but is flirting with both of them. Leah had snapped that the girl was dicking them both around and that they should quit giving her so much attention – I'm certain that the image of Bella Swan had popped up in her head when offering the advice which I'm sure that Seth will follow as she is now the Alpha Female over him.
We all quiet down and Jacob starts talking about how that now the Cullens have moved on, there's a quick uproar of cheers and howls, yours truly is included. Jacob and I have already discussed some about what the meeting is about – recombining the packs. There aren't too many secrets between us wolves and so no one is too surprised by the request. I'm pretty certain that Paul is the one that has let it slip to my pack and it doesn't seem as if too much 'pack related' news is kept from Seth, Quil and Embry.
"So me and Sam,"
"Sam and I," Rachel interrupts with a smug smirk causing Jacob to pause and glare at her with his tongue in his cheek before continuing on.
"So Sam and I both agree that this is what will be best for everyone. Not only will it mean more wolves to split patrol between but we'll be better able to protect the rez, Forks and Makah." There are a few nods and verbal agreements because just having the five more bodies means that someone will get another day off from patrolling.
"Oh! Let's get to the juicy part of this meeting." Rachel says dismissively and moves to sit on the edge of her chair.
I can see the mischievous glint in Rachel's eyes as you and Jacob both glare at her. I can't help but feel confused about what the 'juicy' part could be.
"It has been killing you, hasn't it?" You ask with a small chuckle as Rachel shakes her head.
"It's not even your news to tell." Jacob grumbles.
"Whatever," Rachel grumbles.
"Leah's pregnant!" Sue exclaims cutting off the siblings and only now have I become aware of the brightness in her eyes, the fact that she's been bouncing her knee excitedly throughout the meeting and that she and Billy both have been smiling like the cat that ate the canary.
The room comes to life with the excitement over the news for mixed reasons: (1) nobody believing that Leah could get pregnant and (2) that this will be the first child born to any of the wolves. With a roll of your eyes you remove the pillow from your stomach and reveal to all present your swollen belly. Your tits weren't huge just because your shirt was too small but because they are swelling. You sit embarrassed as the cubs quickly jump up to get a closer look at your stomach; it's so full that your tank barely covers your bellybutton.
I sit frozen to my spot on the loveseat as realization hits me that this is what you were referring to the last time we talked. That you wore that oversized hoodie not just because it was the only clean thing available but to hide your stomach. Most importantly of all, why the meeting was optional for imprints. Out of the corner of my eye I look down at Emily to see her sitting stiffly beside me, her hands balled up into tiny fists and her eyes filled with unshed tears.
"Leah won't be patrolling, will she?" One of the cubs asks looking over Leah's shoulder and down at her stomach.
"No, idiot, there's no telling what that might do to the baby." Someone growls at him.
I can feel my insides churning looking at Emily, looking at you. For once I'm at a loss of how to comfort my imprint as she quickly stands up, her hands clenched into tight fists and her jaw locked.
"Congratulations Leah," She forces out and turns disappearing towards the kitchen. A heavy silence falls upon the room as everyone looks from you back to the kitchen and back to you, again, before finally looking at me. You're giving me a cold, hard death glare that has me shivering because you had told me to let Emily know, give her time to think over the news and decide whether or not she would be ready to hear it.
Getting up I follow after Emily into the kitchen to find her standing over the sink. Her shoulders are tense and shaking slightly. All I can do is walk up behind her and wrap her up in my arms. I feel my heart break as she turns around in my arms and starts crying. She's crying because over two years ago she was pregnant and we had the same big announcement. She lost the baby three months after a stumble down some stairs. It was a heavy blow to everyone but no one more than Emily who felt as if she'd let the entire tribe down. We've not had any luck since then.
I try to calm Emily down by shushing her, rubbing her back and letting her know that everything is okay and will be okay. I want to reassure her, comfort her but can't help but find the situation ironic because when we made the announcement you didn't think you could have children. Emily had wanted to share the news with you so badly but I didn't trust you around her to tell her face-to-face so instead we sprung the news on you. You reacted very much the same way and it was brushed off by the pack as you 'just being a bitch' – do they all think that it's my Emily that's being the bitch now?
"It's not fair," I tense as I hear Emily's hiccups out holding onto me tightly. Her words are a haunting echo of your own and I'm not sure that anything I can will ease the pain. Hearing a deep growl I look back to see you and Jacob standing behind me. Judging by the tense and angered look upon Jacob's face I know it was him that growled while you stand looking down at the kitchen floor with a small frown.
"Emily," You huff out and I can see the hard and determined look in your eyes. Instinctively I hold Emily closer as she tenses up upon hearing your face, possibly fearing that you've heard her words, and feel the need to get her as far away from here as possible. To my surprise Emily quickly wipes away her face and glares at Leah with a deep frown. I've not seen Emily look this upset before and in this moment I can see the same cold, hard eyes that you once held when looking at me and Emily, the happy couple, the perfect pair who were getting ready to start their perfect lives together.
"I meant it." Emily says narrowing her eyes at Leah. And the only thought that is running through my head at the moment is:
Ah shit.
A/N: Alright, so this is a LONG overdue update. *ignores grumbling about other stories* But I did manage to get this one typed up and…*sighs* then just let it sit in my emails for a week. -_-; I was supposed to proof this but didn't do that either. I do have about 1/3 of the next chapter of Wake-up Call done. YAY! So just be patient with me while I make sure that I do have the right emotions played out and get everything that I picture in my head down into words.
I can gladly say that this story is about done. =D I'm about to have a multi-chaptered story complete! W00T! And it'll be one less thing on my plate and I will wake up in the morning and say, "Yes, yes you did follow through on something. Eat a cinnabun." I probably won't eat a cinnabun because then that'll mean more time on the bike and elliptical but you all get me.
I am hoping to either update Wake-up Call this weekend or afterwards and that is because I'M GOING TO VEGAS! WOOHOO! And for some reason being on vacation always inspires me to write. ^-^ But speaking of vacations, inspiration and Wake-up Call which was started almost a year ago while on vacation in Japan I just want to put it out there that if you can help, please do. I've been donating and even taking a trip down memory lane. I absolutely LOVE Japan and have always wanted to go to the city of Sendai just because I've heard it mentioned a couple of times in anime *coughs* Ronin Warriors *cough* and it's just not one of those main 'touristy' areas. But again please help if you can if not financially at least give something. Here in the states spring is just blossoming but it will snow over there! And I'm talking about a LOT of snow…like enough snow that a 3hr drive to Mt. Fuji from Tokyo will turn into a 15hr drive back. Personal experience right here. Alright so enough of my propaganda.
Love you all! Especially if you review and some of you have reviews just crack me up. If you really tell me how you feel, you more than make my day. LOL.