Moonlight
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
A/N-thank you very much to everyone who kindly read and reviewed the last chapter.
Chapter Forty-Three-The Clearwaters
It had turned into one of those rare fine days in La Push. Bella welcomed the unexpected warmth as she locked up the house and began to stroll toward the treeline. Jacob had promised her that one of the wolves would be on watch nearby, she assumed it would be either Embry or Quil, they were his closest friends and the ones he trusted the most. So, she was rather surprised when Jared appeared from between the trees. The sun glinted on his tan skin, highlighting the black strands of his shorn hair as he jogged over in her direction. He was dressed in the usual cut off sweats, which hung low on his hips. His feet were bare.
"Hey, Bella, where are you off to?" He asked as he drew near. "Is everything okay?"
"Hi, Jared." Bella gave him a warm smile. "I just wanted to let you know I'm going to pay a visit to the Clearwater's."
"Want some company?" Jared offered. "I'm due a break."
"That would be great." Bella was touched by his thoughtfulness. "Thanks."
"You're welcome." Jared gave her a playful grin. "It'll give me a chance to grill you about you and Jake. He's been keeping us entertained all morning." He made pretend kissy noises.
Bella rolled her eyes and swiped at his shoulder. She didn't know whether to be annoyed or not. She supposed she should have been embarrassed, but there was little point when you hung around a pack of werewolves who shared a telepathic connection when phased and could hear each other's thoughts. She hoped that whatever Jared and the others had seen inside Jacob's head hadn't been too revealing.
"I'm only teasing, Bella." Jared continued, laughing. "Jake is better at concealing his thoughts then the rest of us. We've just been having fun winding him up, that's all. It passes the time."
"I get it." Bella laughed along with him. "I bet they've ribbed you enough about Kim, huh?"
Jared's eyes turned soft as soon as she brought up Kim. Bella had only met the girl in passing, so hadn't really formed much of an impression of her. But Jared was clearly head over heels for her. It was lovely to see.
"Did Jake tell you guys about the bonfire party? You'll bring Kim, right?" Bella asked as they began to meander leisurely in the direction of the Clearwaters house.
"Yeah." Jared confirmed with a half-smile. "She's dying to meet everyone properly…it's just she can be quite shy and finds being around so many people overwhelming."
"Don't worry, I'll take charge of her." Bella promised.
"Like you do all of us?" Jared's eyes sparkled with mischief when she gave him a mock glare. "Oh, come on, Bella. You're bossy. Accept it. You even manage to put Paul in his place when he acts up. That's some skill, girl. I know Kim will be in safe hands with you."
"I suppose there's a compliment in there somewhere." Bella said grudgingly.
"You know there is." Jared smirked.
They ambled the rest of the way to the Clearwaters bantering back and forth. As she walked, Bella revelled in the warmth of the sun on her skin, and the picturesque view as she looked up at the sky. It was one of those baby-blue skies, not the psychedelic candy-blue nor the washed-out grey so characteristic of wintry mornings. She watched the puffy white clouds eddy across the sky. They moved, choreographed by the wind, in perfect time with one another.
Before she knew it, they had reached their destination. The Clearwaters home was much larger than Jacob's tiny little redwood house. Although it was all on the same level like the Black's, the building's structure was much larger, Harry having added on several outbuildings over the years.
"I guess I should get back now that I've delivered you straight to the door." Jared joked as he watched Bella climb the porch steps.
"You make me sound like a parcel." Bella complained good-naturedly.
"You said it!" Jared snickered. "Later, Swan." He gave her a mock salute before running off toward the trees that surrounded the Clearwaters property.
Sue Clearwater's smile didn't quite reach her eyes as she greeted Bella at the door. Her shoulder length black hair was swept up in a messy bun on top of her head and her face was devoid of its usual makeup. "I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting visitors." She said apologetically as invited Bella in. "How are you, Bella?"
"I'm okay." Bella said hesitantly. "If this is a bad time….?"
"Not at all." Sue hastily assured her. "Please, come in."
"Thanks." Bella stepped inside the dim hallway. The curtains were drawn against the bright sun, the gaps only letting in minimal light. She followed Sue into the large, open plan kitchen, where the older woman offered her a drink. "I'm not really thirsty…but thanks anyway."
Sue was restless. She began to talk too fast, her hands winding around each other in a nervous fashion as she rambled on and on. Often, she glanced at the overfull sink full of breakfast dishes, as if feeling guilty that it had been left to soak and spoiled the pristineness of the kitchen. "Harry always promised me we would get a dishwasher someday." She said, the corners of her eyes tightened slightly in pain. "But I always said we didn't need one, he was quite capable of doing the job."
"You must miss him so much." Bella said softly. "I know my Dad does. He and Billy talk about him all the time."
Moisture glimmered in Sue's dark brown eyes. "This house is too quiet now he's gone." She looked around the room hopelessly as if seeking her husband's larger than life presence in the shadows. "It's been hardest on the children. Seth is always so serious now….and Lee…. she's become so moody and withdrawn."
"I can talk to her, if you'd like." Bella offered cautiously. "I know Leah and I don't know each other too well…but maybe it'll help."
Sue kept up the nervous hand wringing as a small smile of relief broke through the sadness on her face. "Would you? You were so good with Lee at the funeral…. she's in her room right now. I have to warn you she's been feeling a little under the weather these last few days…. she seems to have a permanent headache and has been a little feverish. Not that she'll let me check her over. I'm a nurse for goodness' sake." Sue rubbed her temples in frustration, sighing. "Anyway, she still seems to have a hearty appetite, so she can't be all that bad. I'll go and get her. Excuse me."
Bella watched as Sue slipped out of the kitchen and headed down the narrow hallway to fetch her daughter. It was obvious the whole family was collapsing under the weight of Harry's loss. He was the glue that had held them together. Sue had always seemed such a strong woman to Bella-now nervous and fidgety, she was like a shadow of her former self. It hurt her heart to see them all suffering so much.
When Bella laid eyes on Leah, the first thing that struck her, once again, was how absolutely stunning the other girl was. Her beauty was the equal of Rosalie Hale, though hers had a more exotic, down to earth quality which was more appealing.
"Mom says you wanted to see me." Leah said listlessly. She was dressed in a simple white tank top, and form fitting shorts which displayed her long, shapely legs to perfection.
Bella felt short and skinny in comparison to Leah's supermodel figure, and immediately felt guilty that such a vain thought had entered her head. "Hi, I was just passing and thought I'd check in with you."
"Just passing? Right." Leah muttered sarcastically. She grabbed an empty glass from the drainer and filled it with water. "Mom asked you to talk to me, didn't she?"
"No, she had nothing to do with it." Bella refuted firmly. "I wanted to see how you were doing."
"Why?" Leah demanded. "You don't know me. We're not friends. Just because our fathers used to hang out together, doesn't mean you're obligated to reach out to me."
Bella frowned; this was proving more difficult than she expected. She could see why Sue was so worried about her daughter. Leah was moody and defensive and clearly didn't suffer fools gladly. "You want honesty?" She asked.
"Yes." Leah leaned against the kitchen counter and eyed Bella warily.
"I came here because I had a feeling. Like something's wrong…I don't know…. or something is going to happen…." Bella sighed, annoyed with herself that she was failing to explain things properly.
The glass of water in Leah's hand wobbled slightly and she was forced to put it down to stop the clear liquid from sloshing over the sides. "You mean like a sign? An omen or something?"
"I guess." Bella said uneasily. "Is there something wrong? You can tell me."
Panic flitted across Leah's face momentarily, before she quickly locked it down. "How do I know I can trust you?"
"You don't. You're just going to have to take a leap of faith. I can promise you I've had a lot of practise in keeping secrets." Bella responded earnestly.
Leah fell silent as she took time to consider Bella's words. After a while, she seemed to have come to a decision. "Not here." She whispered urgently. "Outside."
"K.'" Bella was pensive as she followed Leah out of the house.
Outside, the day was still postcard perfect. The sun still beamed down, white heaven-bound birds were as brilliant rays, their brightness amid otherwise infinite blue, gliding as free souls. Bella paused, let the serenity of quietness sink in, and breathe. That's when she felt it all the more, sensed the energy from the trees, the birdsong and the very soil upon which she stood. They say the universe is all connected, as we all are, and in that moment, it felt so tangible, so real. One glance at Leah confirmed to Bella that she felt it, too.
"I've grown inches overnight." Leah said in hushed tones. "I'm hungry all of the time. I mean, I literally can't stop eating, but I don't put on any weight. And I'm hot….so hot…I tried taking my own temperature because I'm worried, I'm running a permanent fever, but the thermometer exploded in my hand."
"Leah." Bella breathed, her eyes widening slightly in disbelief. The symptoms she was describing were all too familiar.
"And I'm so angry, more than usual. I lock myself in my room because I'm so afraid I'm going to lose control. I nearly hit my mom." Leah confessed in shame. She lowered her head, her hands curling into fists. "She's worried about my dark moods, she thinks its grief over losing Dad, but its more than that. I don't know what's happening to me and I'm afraid I'm going to hurt someone. I'm crazy, aren't I? Its no wonder Sam dumped me for my cousin." She tagged on bitterly.
The pain in Leah's voice made Bella's heart clinch in her chest. She sounded so lost, so alone. She reached out and put a tentative hand on Leah's shoulder. It was like putting her hand on a stovetop. Leah's skin was burning hot and slick with perspiration. Bella was forced to snatch her hand back, but she kept close to Leah, trying to make her voice sound as calming and soothing as possible.
"I know you're terribly afraid right now, Leah. I promise you are not going crazy. I know people who can help you make sense of all this. I…."
"Lee Lee?"
Bella's head whipped around at the sound of Seth Clearwater's voice. Her eyes widened in astonishment. Little Seth wasn't so little anymore. His long, gangly build reminded Bella of a much younger Jacob. The resemblance caught her by surprise, and she shook her head to clear it.
"Hi, Bella, what are you doing here?" Seth's tone was full of confusion as he looked worriedly between his sister and Bella.
"Hello, Seth." Bella smiled shakily. "I just came to visit Leah. You should head on inside."
"Why? I know something's going on. Lee Lee?" Seth questioned stubbornly.
"Do as she says, Seth." Leah replied hoarsely. "I'll be in soon."
"No!" Seth snapped. "Stop treating me like a kid!"
"Then stop acting like one!" Leah snapped back. Fine tremors began to run up and down her arms, and she clenched her fists by her sides in an effort to calm down. "Do as you're told and go inside!"
"Stop ordering me around. You're keeping secrets. I hate secrets. I want to know what's going on." Seth argued in frustration. He copied his sister's stance, with his hands balled into tight fists at his side.
This was all escalating beyond anything Bella could have imagined. It dawned on her with horrifying clarity that the fever wasn't only affecting the older Clearwater sibling, but the youngest, too. She stepped in-between them, trying to act as a mediator and calm them down. "You need to separate and cool off." She urged them.
"I'll cool off when you all stop keeping secrets from me and treating me like a child. I'm fourteen now. I'm almost a man." Seth's own arms began to vibrate alarmingly.
"Like hell you are, baby brother." Leah scoffed. "Go inside!"
It was like Seth popped out of his skin. He fell forward, vibrating violently. Halfway to the ground, there was a loud ripping noise, he exploded. Sandy fur blew out from Seth, coalescing into a shape three times his size.
In the same second, there was another tearing sound, Leah exploded, too. She burst out of her skin, shreds of her clothing blasting up in the air. It happened so quickly that if Bella had blinked, she would have missed their whole transformation. As it was, she was suddenly confronted with two massive crouched shapes-one sandy, one grey-smaller than Jacob and the other wolves, but still big enough to instil fear into any innocent bystander.
The scraps of Seth and Leah's clothing fluttered to the ground at Bella's feet. She stared in wonder at the trembling masses of fur and teeth crouched on the ground only feet away from her. Their panic was coming off of them in waves.
Feeling no fear at all, only a deep-seated empathy for both Clearwater siblings, Bella closed the gap between them and reached out to the frightened brother and sister. She laid a calming hand on each of their quivering muzzles and stroked them gently.
"Its okay." She assured them softly. "Listen to the voices in your head. They're your brothers. They are coming to help you. You are both going to be alright. I promise you."
A single tear, like a shining diamond in the bright sun, rolled down the greyish wolf's thick fur. Bella saw it and wiped it away.
A/N-thanks for reading! Please review.