Chapter 8: Getting Back Up
The next day Leah was one hundred percent. For which she was thankful, she really liked going to the bathroom by herself. She sat up slowly after waking up, and other than a small twinge in her left side there was nothing. She then slowly stood up. Then she took a step, and another. She felt pretty good. Also hungry. She went down to the kitchen, and saw Esme and Alice making eggs. Alice looked up first. She looked shocked a moment, then she looked determined with her hands on her hips, and an arched eyebrow, "What do you think you're doing Leah Clearwater."
"Following my nose," Leah said like she was stating the obvious.
"You had several broken parts not even twenty-four hours ago, and now you're standing," she said with a small growl of frustration, "Did you at least check with Carlisle?"
Leah just shrugged, "No I feel fine, really I peed by myself and everything, now those eggs look good."
"Fine, here," then she pushed a plate towards Leah, who immediately shoveled a forkful of eggs into her mouth. She regretted it immediately. The eggs were rubbery, and bland. Then she looked at Alice's hopeful face, and since that was her soul mate, and Leah would rather impale herself than disappoint her she said, "Mmmm, these are delicious," as she made a mental note to cook for herself tomorrow. Then she stopped short, tomorrow. She was well enough to go home, but she couldn't, and what was to keep Sam from putting her into traction yet again. She swallowed the eggs as she heard Alice say:
"Oh good, I hear Seth," and sure enough the young wolf sat on the stool next to Leah, blindfold firmly in place.
"Do I smell eggs?" he asked with a small smile, nudging Leah with his shoulder, "Sis what are you doing out of bed?"
"Accelerated healing bro. Now I have a favor. I know I don't have a right to ask, but I can't go back to the rez, so can I stay here until I can find a job and an apartment?"
"Of course, Carlisle and I discussed it last night, you and Seth can stay as long as you need. Though I have to ask what you intend to do about the rest of your belongings."
"I'm not sure, I guess I could go there when Sam isn't, but he rarely leaves."
"We could call Charlie, he is a police officer."
"He's the sheriff of Forks; he doesn't have jurisdiction," Leah pointed out, "Plus is that a good idea I mean you all are about to turn his daughter," the other vampires in the room looked a little sheepish.
"Yeah but him and mom are friends. We can tell him a human version, Sam won't try anything as long as there is a civilian at home," Seth said, and maybe I can get him to alpha order, so I don't have to walk around like Matt Murdock for half my life."
"That's a good idea. I just wish one of us could go with you. I mean Charlie is great, but if Sam loses control you're screwed, and Bella will not appreciate us getting her father hurt," Esme says watching Seth suffer through his own eggs. He was smiling weakly in Esme's general direction, and throwing a thumbs up in her direction.
"I wish we could bring some extra padding too, but that would be breaking the treaty, which would make everyone fair game, and I'm not going to risk you Alice."
"Well we can at least accompany you to Charlie's. We need to pick up a few things for Bella anyway," Alice said, staunchly ignoring the pang that went through her chest at her statement.
"Why can't you go to the elders or council or whatever it is, and make him heel. I mean he assaulted you for heaven's sake," Rosalie said walking into the kitchen and looking at the two shifters, and ruffling Seth's hair.
Leah was surprised, it hadn't been an assault...had it, "No he didn't assault me, it was a fight, and I did say some not kind things."
"Did you provoke the violence with violence?"
"Well no but I did insult him, and he's never been good at handling his temper."
Everyone stopped and looked at her a moment, "Has he ever attacked you before," Alice said Gripping the marble counter very carefully.
"No, he was never violent. Not really."
"What do you mean 'not really'?" Rosalie growled, and Emmett came into the room. Seth took her hand.
"Well I mean he would throw tantrums sometimes, but he didn't hit me or anything."
"He just sounds super," Rosalie said with Sarcasm, and an eye roll, "But what about what I said about the council."
"Yeah Le, mom is a part of it because of dad."
"Maybe we can ask her when we get there."
"We should go to Charlie's, see if we Can get him to help us. Since he likes me I'll go with you."
"Thanks."
Charlie had been cleaning his gun when he heard a knock on his door. He got up, and answered the door honestly surprised that it was Alice with...Leah, "Well hey girls how can I help you?"
"Hey Charlie can we come in," Alice said with a smile, "Now Bella called me and asked if we could grab some stuff for her, and Leah needs to ask you something."
"Sure thing, come on in."
They went inside, and sat on his couch, and listened to the patter of the rain. Before Alice looked at Leah, hoping she would say something, "Would you like to come with me to see my mom, you're friends right I mean Sam said you were um friends."
Charlie looked a little surprised for a moment before he cleared his throat, "Uh yea we are, but I heard you left town for a while, and now you need me to come with you to see your mom. Why don't you tell me what really is going on ladies."
"Sam attacked her," Alice said. Charlie looked at Leah and anger flashed in his eyes.
"Alice," Leah hissed just as Charlie says, "Oh did he now."
Then he took a deep breath, "Well I know I don't have jurisdiction on the Rez, but I could shoot him for you, or get you a restraining order."
"Um no thanks, but he won't come around if you're with me, and I need to get my stuff, I'm not going to be welcome back...So i need my stuff, and hopefully explain it to my mom. Maybe get her to talk to Sam."
"Yeah get him to chill," Alice said under her breath.
"Sure kiddo, I'll be glad to come with you, we can even take the cruiser and make that asshole nervous."
"Thanks Charlie," Leah said, grateful to the man in front of her. He smiled softly at her, and truly he was happy to help. He liked Sue, and Leah seemed like a nice person, and he had never liked Sam, the kid seemed too big for his britches.
They were in the car about to pull up to the reservation, "So...you want to use the siren," Charlie joked.
"No thanks," Leah said with a small snicker, "Any time; kiddo."
Then they pulled in front of Leah's house, and Sue came out to greet them. She looked a little confused at the fact that her daughter was with the man she had sort of been going out with.
"Sweetie," she asked, but Leah, who had, had a rough 36 hours, just really wanted to hug her mom. She wrapped her arms tightly around the older woman, and squeezed as hard as she dared, and then sagged into the familiarness of her mother. Sue hugged her daughter just as tightly, she was not sure why her daughter was so upset, but she was going to find out.
"Come on you two lets go into the house."
After leading them into the house Leah says, "Mom can you help me with something in my room."
"Sure, Charlie, make yourself at home."
They walked away to the back of the house, and she closed her door once both her and her mother were inside, "I need your help to pack, I'm pretty sure I've been banished, but I need you to get Sam to take the ALpha Order off of Seth because he's at the Cullens, and can't look at me until you can't."
"What happened yesterday?"
"Sam didn't take my news very well. Lets just leave it at that please. I'm going to stay with the Cullens for a bit until I can find a job, and an apartment."
"That's unnecessary, let me just take it up with the elders, or talk to Sam myself-"
"No," Leah cut her off, stopping her frantic shoving of clothing into a duffel, "You can't tell Sam I'm here right now. I don't think my ribs can take it," she muttered the last bit under breath, but Sue heard it.
""What do you mean by that?"
"I mean he went berserk, and nearly killed me and Emily."
"H-he did," her mother sounded so surprised.
"Yea he did," then it finally sank in, "and that was not my fault."
"Of course not, I'll call a meeting today, and there will be consequences, I promise."
"Thanks mom, but until I know for sure i'm going to stay with the Cullens," with that she zipped up the duffel, and pulled out another, her mother went over to her closet, and began to help her.
"So you and Alice are going to give it a go since you're staying with them and everything," Sue asked tentatively.
"Nope, she is still with Jasper, who isn't so bad once you get to know them," they finished with the other duffel.
"That's most of my clothing. I'll come back for the rest of my stuff later, thanks mom I'll call you tomorrow, and you can tell me how the council meeting goes."
"I will baby I'll fix this I promise."
"At this point I just want him to unapha Seth, I'm done with his bullshit."
"Alright, now I'm going to say hello to Charlie, if you need to grab anything else, and need help let me know."
"Thanks mom," After her mom left she got a few other personal items, like her stuffed animal, Mr. Wiggles, who is a donkey, and a few other things. Then she wandered out to the front of the house. Where her mom was being held by Charlie swan in a less than platonic fashion, "Mom?"
"Oh um, honey, we were going to tell you about this, it's just, with your dad being gone, and everything. I didn't think you'd take it well."
Her mom looked nervous, and Leah took a moment to just think. She loves her dad, but he is gone, and that is mostly her fault. She could not begrudge her mom this, she just said, "Yay Bella's going to be my step sister," in the most sarcastic way possible. Then added, "Does Seth know?"
"No, we'll tell him in our own time."
"You got it mom. Charlie I hate to break this up, but we need to go."
"Sure thing Leah. Babe I'll see you later," then they walked out of the house.
On the way back to Charlie's place, where Alice said she would wait for Leah, Charlie said, "You know Newton's Sporting goods is hiring since Bella and Mike had to quit."
"Really, that's great, thanks Charlie," his cheeks tinged pink.
"Well, you know. Hey listen kiddo, I just wanted you to know I like your mom, and my intentions are completely honorable."
"Sherriff I don't think you have a dishonorable bone in your body, but if you hurt my mom, I'll probably rip you to pieces."
He huffed out a laugh as they pulled up to the house. They walked in, and saw Alice leaning against the counter staring off into space bankly before making a self satisfied noise, and seeing them walk in.
"Good you're back I've gotten the things Bella wanted, and we'll just go put your bags in the car."
After everything was loaded into Alice's maserati, they set off for the Cullen house, and all the anxiety from the day bled out of Leah as she said, "Let's go home."
A/N: Alright here's the next chapter. Alice drags Leah shopping in the next one probably. Hope you like it please comment and Kudos let me know what you think.