A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you for all your reviews on the last chapter, glad you all enjoyed it! And welcome to our new readers and followers! We do quite a bit of POV jumping here, catching up with some of our other characters. Enjoy!

Come A Little Closer Part 3

Leah finished her run, her head aching from Quil's incessant chatter, and phased back to human once she knew he was gone. She couldn't bear the run home with him still in her head, needing some peace that was hard to come by these days. Yanking on her shorts and tank top she began the walk home, enjoying the quiet of the forest as her bare feet padded silently on the ground. She wished her mind could be as peaceful as the woods; her thoughts were racing around in circles and making her dizzy, especially the ones she was doing her best to ignore. They focused mainly on Sam, which she was desperate to block out and think about anything else. A snap of a branch rescued her from her thoughts and she spun with a growl, peering into the woods. "Quil I swear if that's you I will break every appendage on your body!"

She heard an unfamiliar chuckle and watched as someone eased out of the brush, surprised when Damon's eyes met hers. He gave her a sheepish smile, his hands in the air in a nonthreatening gesture, and she slowly stood from her defensive crouch, watching him warily. "What are you doing out here?"

Damon lowered his hands, gesturing to his cargo pants and hiking boots with an embarrassed look. "I guess I wandered too far in the woods. Easy to get turned around."

Leah raised an eyebrow at him, her tone dry. "You got lost. Aren't you a shifter?"

Damon nodded, shrugging his backpack off and setting it beside him as he sat beneath a tree. "I try not to depend purely on those abilities. We won't shift forever, nice to have some skills for after that. And it gives me an advantage that can come in handy against a leech."

He waved to the space next to him, pulling a bag of jerky out of his pack and Leah stared at him in bemusement. "Wait. I know nothing about you except you're my brother's imprint's long lost brother. You show up in the woods, nearly give me a heart attack, and now you want to have a picnic? Are you mental?"

Damon quirked an eyebrow at her and shrugged as he bit into a piece of jerky. "I just thought you might be hungry after patrol, I know I always am. You're welcome to share with me and maybe show me back to the house or you can go and I'll find my own way home. Your choice."

His almost casual dismissal of her made her temper flare briefly, her hands clenching at her sides as she growled at him. Damon raised an eyebrow at her before returning to his jerky, leaning his head back against the tree and closing his eyes. Leah seethed for a minute, half tempted to mangle his leg and see how well he made it home, even turning to walk away. Something held her back, her mind turning over the options. She knew Seth wanted to know more about Mikahla's mysterious brother and Leah was curious herself, feeling protective of the girl she saw as a little sister. Plus, if she had her guard up with him it would keep her mind busy and thoughts of Sam buried deep where she wanted them to stay. Sighing she turned back and slowly approached Damon, sitting stiffly on the ground about three feet away from him. He tilted his head towards her, eyes still closed, and a sardonic smile crossed his face. "I won't bite you know. And based on what Mikahla's told me, I'm pretty sure you could take me in a fight."

Surprise filled her at the compliment, she wasn't used to guys being so relaxed about her ability to hold her own in a fight and she eased a little closer as she stared at his profile. She was used to being able to get a read on people pretty well, but Damon was difficult for some reason and it irked her. "Like what you see?"

His voice made her jump slightly, scowling as she snatched the bag of jerky out of his hands. Before she could grab a piece he yanked it back, causing a threating growl to rumble in her chest. He opened his eyes to meet her angry gaze, a look of cool amusement on his face. "You didn't say please."

Leah glared at him, a look that usually had members of her Pack cowering into the woods rather than face her ire, but Damon simply stared with an expectant look on his face. Gritting her teeth she ground out, "Please."

Snorting softly he pulled a piece out of the bag, popping it into his mouth before meeting her outraged look. "That didn't sound very sincere. I don't think you really meant it."

Leah could feel her muscles twitching agitatedly, the urge to phase and wipe that condescending look off his face rising strongly within her, but she dug her nails into her palms as she determined not to let him get under her skin and win. Swallowing her pride she straightened and forced her voice to remain frigidly polite. "May I have some jerky please?"

Damon grinned, making her jaw tick, and handed a piece to her with a wink. "Now, was that so hard?"

She rolled her eyes; half tempted to walk away and leave him there, but decided his grating company would be worth her hard earned snack. She studied him as they ate, at this point not caring if he thought her rude for staring. He shared several facial characteristics with his sister, the eyes of course but also the shape of their mouth and nose. She would guess they inherited those from their mother, their father's native blood giving them the usual angled faces. He was darker than Mikahla too, not as dark as the Quileute, which she found interesting since he obviously spent much of his life outdoors. Once his eyes closed to enjoy the peace she let her gaze move below his face, begrudgingly admiring the usual shifter physique that filled out his Henley. He was slightly wirier than the men in her Pack, no less strong she'd guess but he seemed to do more physically than just patrol. Her eyes drifted lower, over the cargo pants that had a variety of survival tools strapped to his waist and down to the well-worn hiking boots, still carrying a layer of red dust that hadn't been washed away by the La Push weather. Bringing her gaze back to his face she found his eyes open, perusing her with the same intensity she was him. She straightened reflexively, her guard up as she leaned away and he gave her an almost approving look as he tucked the food away. "You have a hard time opening up to people don't you?"

She snorted in derision, crossing her arms as she gave him a pointed look. "I barely know you. Why in the world would I open up to you?"

He chuckled lightly, lacing his fingers behind his head as he leaned back against the tree again. "Who better to open up to? Someone who knows nothing about you, anything about your past, who can't judge you before they hear your side of the story? Seems like a golden opportunity to me."

Leah frowned at him, turning his words over in her mind, and glanced up at the canopy. "Storm is on its way. We should probably head back unless you want to practice your survival skills."

He laughed at her dry tone, moving gracefully to his feet and holding a hand out for her. Leah snorted and batted it away, standing on her own and scowling at Damon's dismissive shrug as he grabbed his backpack and hoisted over his shoulder. "Lead on then."

She could practically feel the steam coming out her ears, something about the man grating on every nerve she had, and stalked away from him, half hoping she'd lose him in the woods and he'd get eaten by a bear or something. He easily kept pace with her, silent as she was, and face thoughtful as they walked. The farther they went, the more Leah began to relax, against her will, and she slowed from an angry march to a slow walk. She loved being in the woods right before a storm, the hush that fell over the forest and animals soothing to her. She wished she could calm her own turmoil as easily, instead of the constant whirlwind of anger and pain that she dealt with every waking hour. She could feel Damon's gaze on her, some niggling feeling on the back of her neck making her feel that he could read her like an open book. It annoyed her, that someone who didn't even know her could slip so easily past the walls she'd built to protect herself and she tried to mask her feeling to prevent him getting any kind of read on her. He chuckled softly behind her, making her grit her teeth, but before she could snap at him they emerged from the woods outside her house. Damon wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, peering at the black clouds above them. "Looks like we made it back just in time. Thanks for showing me back, I enjoyed the company. Maybe we'll do it again sometime."

Leah scoffed, making him shake his head with a soft grin as he walked away, her nails digging into her arms as she fought the urge to knock him flat on his back. She didn't know what it was about him that put her off balance but she was determined to overcome it. She headed for the tree below her window, not feeling like facing anyone in her current mood, and scaled it with easy practice, sliding her window up with the faintest squeak. She slid through, not bothering to change out of her clothes, and collapsed on her bed and closed her eyes. Just before she drifted off she realized that she hadn't thought of Sam once while in Damon's company.

Bella grit her teeth, trying to focus like Jen told her, growling in frustration as she stared at her empty palm. "Argh! This isn't working!"

Jen sighed patiently from the stump she was perched on across the yard, giving Bella an encouraging smile. "It takes practice Bell. Most witches and warlocks are trained from birth and have stronger bloodlines, you're coming late to the game but you'll catch up. Let's take a break."

Stalking over to the table where her water bottle sat she snatched it up and took a long drink, her frustration and the physical tax of trying to summon her magic having taken its toll on her. Jen stayed where she was, knowing Bella well enough to leave her to fume in peace until she calmed slightly. Bella fought the urge to slam the water bottle on the table, huffing as she turned and stalked towards the woods. "I need some air."

"We're outside!" Jen's annoyed comment faded into the background as Bella ducked beneath the trees, jogging into the depths as she wove between the trees. Her breathing eased a little, clearing the frustration and anger from her head. She'd felt off ever since waking from the venom induced coma, not like before. Now it was like her senses were heightened slightly, enough to overstimulate her brain if she didn't find some quiet. Not that it was easy to do with the Pack constantly coming and going, one of them almost always present. While she understood their need for reassurance that their Pack was solid and safe, sometimes she had to bite her tongue as she slipped out of the house for five minutes peace. Jacob offered comfort when he could; usually kicking everyone out when he came home from a day patrol, but that didn't help her much the rest of the time.

Stopping in a small clearing she leaned against a tree and sucked in a deep breath, trying to reign in her anger. She almost seemed to have a hair trigger temper these days, even with Jacob, and it was bugging her. Normally she was an even tempered person, it took a lot to get under her skin, but now the tiniest things sent her flying off the handle. Growling in frustration at herself she sank to the ground and ran her hand through her tangled hair and leaned against the tree trunk, closing her eyes as she tried to let the sounds of the forest ground her. She knew part of the reason why she was so on edge, actually several reasons, only one of them being the heightened senses.

Old Quil had refused to meet with her the last several days, according to Quil the old man was holed up in his archive study and denied entry to anyone. Bella and Jake were especially aggravated by his behavior, both wanting answers to what exactly had happened to her. She was about ready to storm the Elder's office and drag him out by his ponytail, she'd find the answers herself if she had to read every scrap of paper he hoarded in that room of his.

The other reason was that Jacob had been so busy and tired, and so many people were around, they hadn't had more than a few precious minutes to themselves the last few days, putting a strain on both of them. She rubbed the mark under her t-shirt, shivering at the slight pleasure that raced down her spine, but knew only Jacob's touch would bring any real relief. Sighing she reluctantly stood and brushed her clothes off; knowing she should head back before someone came looking for her. A rustle in the underbrush made her freeze, gaze darting around as she pressed her back against the tree, tracking the sound with her heightened hearing.

She knew better to cry out; she was too far from the house for Jen to hear and doubted any of the wolves were on this side of the Rez at this time of day. Holding her breath she listened as the rustling noise got closer, muted slightly by her pounding heart, and she watched one of the bushes shake across the clearing. Clenching her teeth she threw her hands up and watched as a wave of fire left her palms, blasting the bush into a fireball. Sagging against the tree she frowned when nothing emerged from the burning plant, her head snapping around when a chuckle sounded from behind her. Jen emerged from the trees, grinning as she crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow at her. "Told ya you could do it."

Bella sagged against the tree, glaring at her friend, who shrugged and waved her hand at the bush, a splash of water extinguishing the burning leaves. "You were trying too hard while we were practicing, I needed you to relax so you could focus and prove to yourself you can do your magic here, not just the spirit realm."

Jen's forehead wrinkled as she mentioned the spirit realm, besides Bella and Jacob, only Billy, Paul and herself had been told the full story of what happened while Bella was unconscious. The witch had been shocked at Bella's tale, explaining that witches weren't supposed to be able to access the spirit world, much less use their magic there. It was one more mystery in Bella's life, one that she was desperate for answers to. Sinking to the ground she scowled at her hands, the spark that she had felt earlier was gone again, and Jen gracefully sat next to her as she patted her shoulder. "Don't worry; you'll get the hang of it. Sorry if I scared you, I wanted show you that you can use your magic before you gave up. I figured you would be able to defend yourself."

Bella snorted softly, leaning against Jen's shoulder as she scowled at her hands. "Apparently that's all I can do. It was so easy when I fought James, why can't it be like that now? I've got too many questions and no one seems to want to answer them."

Jen patted her leg in sympathy, idly swirling her hand over the ground and causing a few delicate flowers to push though the grass. "I wish I could help Bella. I know you're frustrated. All I can really do is try to help you learn to control it for now."

Bella smiled slightly, pushing herself up and holding out a hand for Jen. "Well let's get back to it then."

As they trudged through the underbrush back to Jacob's, Bella watched her friend out of the corner of her eye and casually asked, "So, talked to Paul lately?"

She didn't miss the falter in Jen's stride, turning to face her as her friend ran a hand through her short blond and blue hair, violet eyes refusing to look at her. "No, not lately."

Bella rolled her eyes, grabbing Jen's arm to pull her to a stop as she gave her a pointed look. "C'mon Jen, you know me better than that. What's going on with you two now?"

Jen shrugged, pulling on her sleeve as she kicked idly at the tall grass. "I don't know. Since he woke up he's been friendly, polite mostly, but he's kept his distance like we're just friends. I don't know what's going on with him."

Bella frowned thoughtfully, watching as Jen rubbed her chest. "What about the bond? You guys still have it right?"

Jen nodded, sadness in her eyes as she glanced at Bella. "Yes, unfortunately. I can't cast the spell to break it till the next equinox so until then we're stuck with it. But it feels different, stronger and yet weaker at the same time." Huffing in frustration Jen through her hands up helplessly. "It's not like I have anything to go on, I can't contact the Council about it and have nothing to go by as a reference."

Bella nodded, following Jen as she started stomping though the underbrush again. She'd noticed Paul was treating her friend differently, less intense and more casual. She'd only seen him be friendly to her, like Jen said he was polite, but something seemed off about it. Since Jen was as clueless as she was, it looked like she'd have to drill Paul for information next time he stopped by the house. As they emerged from the woods her head snapped up with a smile, her feet moving faster of their own accord as she hurried across the yard to throw herself into Jacob's arms. He chuckled, swinging her around before setting her on her feet and bending down to press his lips to hers in a searing kiss. Jen clearing her throat behind them broke them apart and Bella stuck her tongue out at her friend before smiling up at Jacob. "You're home early."

He nodded, jerking his head towards the front of the house. "Came to get Billy for the bonfire, the guys are already at the beach getting set up."

Bella glanced at the sky, surprised to see how low the sun was. "I didn't realize it was so late, we were just talking."

Jacob looked at the bottles across the yard and Jen's sheepish look before meeting Bella's gaze with a pointed look. "What are the targets for then?"

Bella felt the blush rise on her face, ducking her head to avoid his gaze. Jen passed them quietly, disappearing into the house, leaving the two of them in the backyard. Jacob tipped her head up, his eyes full of concern and frustration as he took a deep breath. "Bells, I thought we talked about this."

She pulled her head away, crossing her arms stubbornly as she stepped away from him. "I don't want to hear it Jacob."

She watched as he sighed, rubbing his face as he stepped back a few more steps before looking up to meet her gaze. "Bells…this is dangerous. We still don't know what happened while you were unconscious; we don't know anything about why this is happening. I thought we agreed to wait on the magic until we talked to Old Quil."

Bella scoffed, feeling her temper rising but ignoring it as she glared at him. "So we wait twenty years while he holes up in that stupid office of his until he decides to grace us with his presence?! I need answers now Jake! This is my life, this is happening to me! Something that apparently I was born with and no one warned me about. Of anyone I'd expect you to understand!" He flinched at that, his face darkening in anger, and Bella turned away as she breathed hard through her nose to try and calm her temper.

"I have to go help at the bonfire. I'll see you there."

Jacob's voice was cold with suppressed anger and Bella heard him stomp off around the house, the familiar sound of his clothes ripping as he phased and disappeared into the woods. She sighed, her anger deflating rapidly, and ran her hands through her hair in frustration. Glaring at the bottles across the yard she latched on to the spark of magic she could feel and launched three fireballs from her hand, watching with dim satisfaction as they melted the plastic into burnt piles. With a sigh she trudged inside, no longer looking forward to the bonfire.

Seth smiled, watching Mikahla tackle Quil to the ground and wrestle the football away, her laugh carrying over the beach. He was glad that she seemed to be fitting in with the Pack, Jacob had even agreed to let her start training on day patrols and she was holding her own with the others, obvious as she scored a touchdown. Shaking his head he took a drink of his soda as his eyes roamed the beach, watching the Pack as they relaxed and enjoyed themselves. He saw Bella, sitting by herself at the edge of the circle, a mix of sadness and frustration on her face as she stared out at the ocean. He'd noticed Jacob's angry demeanor when he'd come to help set up the bonfire, coupled with Bella's mood he guessed they had some sort of fight. It was becoming the norm the last week, ever since she awoke from her coma she'd been on edge, not that Seth blamed her. She'd been through a lot since she'd come back, more than the rest of them, and was bound to crack at some point.

"Hey Seth."

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Damon's voice, turning to face his imprint's sibling with a guarded expression. "Damon."

The man sighed, taking a drink of his beer, before meeting Seth's gaze steadily. "I know you don't like me. Or trust me. I'm sure Mik told you about our dad." Damon paused until Seth gave a short nod and took another drink before continuing. "You can't imagine what that was like. I know you're the youngest, but you know that Leah would do anything to protect you. Imagine being willing but unable to do it because of an Alpha order. We couldn't even talk to her. And believe me, we tried everything to get around it, but our dad isn't stupid. He covered all the bases. She's been isolated and alone for years, she managed to get some relief when she moved in with Liz but it wasn't until you showed up that she really escaped."

Seth started when Damon clapped a hand on his shoulder, a solemn look on his face. "We can never thank you enough for getting her out of there Seth. Even if it is just because of the imprint, you saved her. And she gets to be a part of a pack now, part of a family. So thank you."

Seth nodded, trusting that Damon was telling the truth, and turned to watch Mikahla again. "Just so you know, it isn't just the imprint. Mikahla is…she's amazing. And I will take care of her and protect her."

Damon nodded, sipping his beer before clapping a hand on Seth's shoulder again, squeezing harder. "I respect that. But just so you know, if you knock her up before you're both legal, I will kill you."

Seth rolled his eyes, although he was pretty sure Damon wasn't kidding, his distrust of the shifter lessening slightly.

Bella felt Paul plop down in the sand next to her, sighing as he leaned back and took a swig of his beer. "Hey."

She didn't answer, hoping he would leave her alone if she ignored him, watching idly as grains of sand ran through her fingers. She could practically hear him roll his eyes at her, shifting his body to stare at her profile as he waited with annoyance. She refused to meet his gaze, growling as he grasped her chin and forced her to turn to face him. "What do you want Paul?"

He rolled his eyes at her attitude, studying her carefully before releasing her face. "What's wrong? And don't say nothing; I can feel the tension on the other end of the beach. Besides, the fact that Jacob isn't here is proof enough something is going on."

Bella bit her lip, pulling her knees to her chest to rest her chin on, and saw Paul copy her pose from the corner of her eye. Slowly, she explained to him what had happened that afternoon with Jacob and her magic, and the heightened senses and temper that she had been struggling with. Paul listened silently, watching the waves crash at the edge of the beach, frowning as she finished. Turning to face her he placed his hand on her forehead, making her raise her eyebrow at him. "What?"

Sighing he rubbed his face and glanced around to make sure no one else was close by. "Old Quil still hasn't talked to you guys?"

Growling again she shook her head, clenching her fists in her lap as she fought her temper at the thought of the elder. Paul watched her carefully, a troubled frown on his face. "I'll try and see him tomorrow; maybe he'll talk to me."

Bella glared at him. "Don't you dare Paul. Tell me what's going on, I'm sick of secrets."

"I don't know what's going on Bella, honest. But…" He hesitated until she glared at him expectantly. "It sounds similar to what we went through before we phased. And with the wolf you spoke to in the spirit world…I don't know what's going on but you need to be careful Bella. Between that and your magic, Jacob has a right to be worried about you, we all do. We're trying to help and keep you safe. None of us want to see anything happen to you again, I don't think Jacob could handle it."

She flushed angrily, knowing he was right, and rose to her feet abruptly. "I'm going for a walk. Don't follow me." She stalked away from him, ignoring him as he called her name, a little surprised when he didn't follow her as she expected. She hurried away from the bonfire before anyone else could stop her, determined to get some answers.

Seth approached where he'd seen Bella, surprised to see Paul pacing there as he watched the woods anxiously. "Paul? Where's Bella? I thought she was here just a minute ago."

Paul turned to face him, worry and disbelief on his face. "Seth, where is Jacob?"

Seth shrugged, confused at Paul's behavior, and watched the older man rub his face worriedly. "What's going on Paul?"

"Bella just told me not to follow her."

Seth raised an eyebrow in confusion, and Paul took a deep breath. "You don't understand Seth. She didn't just tell me. She Alpha ordered me."

Bella stalked up the steps to the Atera house, pounding on the front door. "I know you're in there! I'm tired of waiting, I want answers!"

She heard footsteps on the other side, heavier than the Elder's, and was surprised when Jacob pulled the door open, his face troubled as he met her gaze. "Bells. Come in, Old Quil has something he needs to tell us."

She followed him inside after a moment of hesitation, the door shutting behind them with a click.

A/N: Dun dun dun! The mystery continues...and I'll be honest, I'm still working it out as we go. Although I think I have it figured out, although I don't remember all of the facts from the Pack's family lines so I might be making some of that up. But hey, that's what fanfics are for right? Thanks for reading, drop a review to let me know what you think! Until next time!