Seth is filled with joy when he opens his eyes to see Poppy sitting next to him. After a long parameter run he felt exhausted and fell asleep in Poppy's arms in the living room. Her face glimmered golden as a piece of sunlight made its way out from the clouds and shined on her. She twirled his hair as she threw her arms up cursing at an unknown gameshow. The room was semi-silent with only the sound of the TV, Bella and Jacob talking, and the constant hum of air condition. Seth sighed and nestled into Poppy more.
"Did I wake you?" She asked looking down at him. He shook his head and smiled up at Poppy. Her gorgeous hair was down in a messy braid reminding him of his mother. He had been thinking about her quite often now that he wasn't a part of the tribe pack. Had she felt him leave? What was she doing right now? Had they told her, he betrayed the pack? There were so many things going through his mind that he thought about every day. Noticing his worried expression Poppy held him close and rubbed his head soothingly.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked.
"Nothing," he started brushing his thoughts under the rug, but stopped himself. He didn't want to make Poppy feel like he was hiding something. Nor did he want to actually keep something from her. "I'm just worried about my mom." With his head against her chest he could hear her abnormal heartbeat. To everyone else it sounded like a broken metronome, but to Seth it sounded like a music box playing a different melody with each thump. He could tell she felt uneasy about what he had said which was true. She didn't know how to respond and often thought about Sue as well. She'd rather have him at home with her, but Poppy knew that he would never leave her side with the danger she was in.
"I'm sorry." Was all she said as she hugged him tighter. Returning her embrace he shook his head once more.
"It's not your fault. It isn't anybody's fault." They stayed in silence till the sun began to finally go down. Suddenly standing up Jacob turns to Seth and Poppy. His face is solid and cold, but filled with gentleness.
"Let's go Seth." With a nod he sits up in Poppy's arms.
"I'll be back later." She nods and he gives her a kiss on the forehead before leaving with Jacob. Once the sun went down Jacob, Seth and Leah would go on checks just to make sure Sam's pack wasn't trying to get in from anywhere else. They hadn't caught whiff of anything so far and now are just waiting for Bella to give birth so they can end this. In all seriousness none of them thought that Bella was going to survive; there was no way she could.
"Enjoying your new family?" Leah asks Seth as they watch the river. Jacob sent the brother/sister pair to watch the river dividing the two territories while he went on a run to check the rest of the parameter. Leah was the only one who wouldn't set foot in the Cullen's house or take anything from them. She would've been starving if she hadn't been able to catch a wandering deer once.
"Shut up Leah." Seth said. He was always irritated at how she couldn't come to terms with his situation. They had gotten past her being a total bitch to Poppy, but there was always a coldness towards she oozed out at her. Seth knew that she resented all vampires because of her father's death, but he wanted her to move on. Of course she had every right to feel bad for adding to the heart attack, but the mourning period was up and over. Even their mother was starting to move on and accept their father's death. It also irritated Seth that he couldn't help her in anyway. He always had to watch her suffer alone, unable to feel the length of what she went through.
Suddenly the bush across from them rustles and Paul, in his wolf form, come outs beside Jared, in his human form. "We need to talk." He says. Leah looks to Seth deciding weather it is a trick or not, "We need to talk to all of you." He says this time extremely adamant. The pair howls a warning signal to Jacob, who replies almost immediately. They all move to another location deeper into the woods were the river ends and nothing but trees scatter around them. Jacob gets there and his pack forms a small triangle to make a stance. Jared, still in human form, Quil, Paul, and Collin emerge from the forest.
"It's nice to see you guys." He says with a sarcastic smile. Jacobs keeps an intimating face on and plants his paws deep into the ground. "Look, Sam wants you guys back; all of you. You guys are tearing the family apart over this thing that may not even be alive." He starts to get angry, but calms himself down before going any further. Seth thinks about what he's saying a little more. He was scared of doing anything to the family and didn't want this to escalate. He only wanted to do what's right and protect Poppy. Jared sniffles and huffs before continuing, "Sam says the threat that the unborn child possesses can wait until it separated from Bella. We just want you guys to come back home." Jacob's look softens and he looks around for his best friend, Embry, but doesn't see him. He doesn't feel him hiding in the darkness either.
'Leah, go double check the parameter.' Jacob says suddenly. He wouldn't put it past Sam to try a sneak attack during this negotiation. She nods and scurries off into the darkness closer to the Cullens house. Once she's gone Jacob phases out of his wolf form and stares up at Jared, "Leah and Seth are free to go if they want, but I'm staying no matter what." Jared looks at Seth and nods his head.
"Are you coming home, Seth?" He looks to Jacob and back at Jared and his lowers his wolf head. He steps back, but stays on Jacob's side, "You're really gonna stay here!?" Jared yells.
"The situation isn't just about my feelings for Bella." Jacob says, "It's about protecting those who should be protected. I'm not angry with Sam anyway, but there can't be two Alphas in one pack." Something flashes in Jared's eyes as he realizes that he won't be able to get through to Jacob; he turns to Seth again and shows a sinister smile as Leah comes back to them.
"You're really gonna leave Sue like that?" Jared throws a low-blow at Seth, "After Harry just died, you really want to leave her alone." Seth is stunned at what he says, but Jacob steps in noticing how wounded he is by the statement.
"Sue is surrounded by the Elders so she's not alone. Also she has yet to come and get neither Seth nor Leah" Jacob smirks as he puts a dent in Jared's plan to use the guilt trip. "Sue is stronger than any of us. I'm sure she's fine." He looks at Seth and see's the reassurance on his face.
"And what about you Leah! You hate the Cullen's, so why are you even here?!" Jared exclaimed. He sighs, "Come on Lee-Lee." He says softly using her old nickname. "Sam wants you back where you belong. If you really wanted to protect your brother you'd come back to the pack." At this point he's desperate and starts to over play the message given to him by Sam. Unexpectedly Leah growls lightly forcing Jacob to step in again.
"I think Leah is able to make her own choices on where she belongs." He said what she was feeling. She hated being told what to feel or where to be, especially when it came from Jared. Jacob feels the defeat coming from Jared and steps a little closer, "We know that we are all family, but right now we're in a feud that will pass. Tell Sam that in order to prevent any unnecessary bloodshed or misunderstandings; it would be wise to keep to our own sides of the line. If communication is necessary we'll howl to call a meeting, but there will be no crossing of sides." Jared nods.
"Let me ask you, where is your land? Are you guys a part of the vampire's family now?" Jacob simply smiles and turns around. He knew that Seth was feeling at home here, but as for him and Leah it was a complicated situation. As Jared and his guards leave Jacob turns to them again remembering something.
"Hey, why isn't Embry here? Did he not want to come?" he asks. Jared spits on the floor and glares back at Jacob.
"You're no longer privy to pack business." With another spit he takes off. Quil hangs back and looks at Jacob with sweet eyes.
"I miss you and Embry too. Now go home." He says to Quil. He hesitates, but follows after the others leaving Jacob, Seth, and Leah alone under the starlight.
"What was that about?" Leah says. They've shifted out of their forms and are having a little pow-wow by the back steps of the Cullen house.
"The only reason Quil was allowed to backup Jared tonight was because they're probably holding Claire over his head." He says gently throwing rocks around.
"Why would they do that?" Seth asks starring up at Jacob from the rock he's sitting on. "Wait, did he want to leave too?"
"Probably or they were afraid of me trying to convince him. But he won't come because he has Claire to go back to." The three stare off into the distance thinking about how crazy the situation has gotten.
"That's why Embry wasn't there." Leah states staring at her shoes. Jacob nods, but Seth tilts his head to the side still thinking about it.
"Why wasn't Embry there?" Seth asks
"Oh gosh really?!" Leah shouts to him. Jacob laughs and shoves Seth lightly.
"Sam knew that it'd be easier for Embry to just leave with us since they don't have anything keeping him there." Seth nods in understanding, "Did you really not get that? How are you so slow?" Seth takes offense and shoves Jacob jokingly.
Leah laughs, "Mom dropped him a lot when he was a baby." They laugh together outside until Seth goes inside to hang out with Poppy. Leah offers to do another parameter check just in case Sam's pack went against their words and Jacob agrees. As Jacob walks in Poppy and Carlisle ask to speak with him in the reading room.
"What is it?" he asks. The hand him a signal packet of o-negative blood and look at him with worried faces.
"This is the only pack we have left. She'll need much more if she has any chance of surviving." Poppy says.
"I just spoke with some of Sam's guys, but we haven't cleared the area yet." He says.
"But they've agreed to keep away?" Carlisle asks.
"They haven't gotten it back to Sam, but I'm pretty sure he'll okay it. You guys just need to sit still until we find out." Poppy shakes her head.
"They need to go now if they want to be back in time. Bella could deliver at any minute. Carlisle also needs to feed." Carlisle looks at her with questioning eyes. "You need to be at your strongest for her. They need to go tonight."
"Carlisle if they don't know about our negotiations then they won't hesitate. You will be slaughtered." He looks out the window to see if Leah has made it back, but sees nothing.
"We'll go right now. I don't care what's out there. Emmett will accompany us as well," he turns to Poppy, "Go and tell your brother to get ready." Jacob watches Poppy leave and looks back at Carlisle.
"You would do that for her?" he asks. He was stunned that they would even consider going these lengths to help Bella.
"Of course she's a part of our family now. We'll do anything for her." With a nod Carlisle disappears after Poppy. They get Emmett and Esme to go with Carlisle on the feeding trip. Poppy hands them a back pack, to carry the blood in, before they head out into the unknown. Even if they didn't know what dangers awaited out there they knew that losing Bella not an opinion. Poppy stayed behind to look after Bella and hoped… prayed they would come back quick.