Chapter Two

A/N- Thanks to all my reviewers, including brankel1, akira m and She-Wolf-Heiress! The dividers on my previous chapter (Thanks for bringing that to my attention akira m!) were, well, killed by FF. Because of this I'll be using periods to separate sections (as apparently dashes and underscores don't work.) This chapter only has one section, and this could be good or bad, depending on your view. I've edited a lot of the plot in this story since I typed the first draft, not as much grammar as ideas. Some things have been added and some subtracted. Also, I just wanted to add that just because you're a Twilight fan doesn't mean you can't enjoy this story. As a matter of fact, you'd probably appreciate the break from some of the stuff you've read on here. *cough cough, Twila Da Gurl Who Wuz In Love Wif A Vampyr* (did I get that right? -shudder-). I appreciate sane Twilight fans and Antis and I love you guys! I just don't appreciate rabid Twilight fans trying to eat me... Well, thanks to all! Every review is another tool in my belt, so to speak. Criticism is welcome and reviews are loved. Cookies to all!

...

Tick-Tick-Tick...

Leah Clearwater was pissed.

While this wasn't rare for her, it was still a frightening sight to behold. Leah Clearwater was furious, upset, angry, and yet she couldn't help but bursting out laughing. Inside she wanted to strangle someone, preferably Seth, her younger brother. However, she couldn't help but feel amusement at the whole situation. Leah Clearwater, the freak of the tribe, the only female shape-shifter. She was wrong in many ways- bad temperament, not pleasant. She wasn't a good female, or whatever they expected her to be. But she was a good sister, and that was all that mattered.

Bitter, the people whispered. Bitter, unlovable Leah, they hissed into her ear.

But this wasn't about Leah.

This was about her dumb brother Seth. It was now four-o'clock, about an hour after school let out. She was let out after her brother was, and she had returned only to find a poorly-scrawled note in Seth's handwriting. Gone to train with Jacob, he had scrawled, and she had laughed despite her anger.

'Train'? More like 'play' and wrestle. She didn't like him hanging out with the tribe, even though she knew- she knew he was one of Them. She just-...It wasn't time for him. Not yet. It didn't matter that he was technically a shape shifter already.

She did not think it was time for him to begin going out with the tribe and officially becoming 'one of the guys'. Seth was all Leah had left. Emily had left a long time ago when Sam imprinted on her. The worst part? Leah couldn't blame either of them.

It wasn't Sam's fault, as much as it felt like it was. He had imprinted and turned into a monster- at least, that's how it seemed to Leah.. Nor Emily's. She was just trying to be polite, get Sam to leave. It hadn't worked. Exhibit A, the huge scar across Emily's face.

Leah wanted to protect Seth. He was hers. Not the tribe's, nor was he anyone besides hers. She was part of the tribe now, but that didn't mean he was. She fed him, took care of him, she was almost, almost like a mother to him. Who had the right to take him away and put his life at risk?

She stood up, no longer laughing, and ran outside. She could hear laughing- but not from the forest. She looked around and saw Jacob coming towards her house, her territory, with her brother in tow. Seth was laughing and looking like, for lack of better words, a playful monkey, and Jacob looked mildly amused as well- he caught sight of Leah, her arms folded and looking angry, and chuckled.

"I think I found your brother," he said, smiling, as he met Leah in front of her house.

Seth wriggled and Jacob put him down, laughing. Seth pouted and sat down on the grass.

Yup, Leah thought. Still a kid.

Jacob stared at Seth in a way that said, 'well?'. Seth pouted even more, if that was even possible, and stomped his way to inside the house. As soon as Seth had entered the house, Leah felt like blowing up and chewing Jacob out. So what if she had a temper? This guy- he deserved to be punched in the head and-

A chuckle.

She was no longer staring at Jacob. She was glaring now, which only seemed to fuel his laughter. After what seemed like at least a minute of non-stop laughing from Jacob, he finally paused to look up at Leah yet again. He gave a final chuckle and wiped a tear of mirth from his eye.

"Jacob-" she began.

He smiled. "Sorry, Leah," he said in between laughs. "It wasn't my fault this time," he said, looking like he was trying hard not to begin laughing again, "honest. I was just hanging out in the woods, in my normal spot, when Seth came running up and tackled me. I almost crapped myself," he admitted.

Leah stared. He gave a teasing smile, which just incited her wrath more. Instead of choking him, however, she listened.

"Well, after I recovered from the shock of having a young shape shifter attack me from behind, I asked him why he was there. He told me he was bored and I told him you would be upset and that he should go home. He said he had left a note, told me what it said, and I carried him here with him wiggling and moving, trying to get out of my hold. He wanted to play."

Inside, Leah felt like the whole thing was a Catch-22. She probably seemed like a psycho and controlling sister, who didn't want her brother to have any fun, and would seem even more like one if she made Seth stay inside. But if anything happened to Seth while Mom was gone, and if she ever lost control and he stop listening-... Plus, if she allowed him to go out and play, she would be letting him know that he could get what he wanted by pouting, and-

"Leah?" Jacob said.

Leah looked at him with a look of mild annoyance. "Hm?" she grunted.

"Are you angry at me?" he asked, looking- was that irritated? After a moment's pause, she spoke. "No," she began, slowly. "I'm just upset that Seth ran off without telling me."

The silence was unbearable. Jacob was still watching her every move, staring at her, waiting for her to say something reasonable and not psycho-crazy. She knew it. She was thinking of saying something when he began to speak.

"I understand," he said. "He's- what- ten? And he's your responsibility now. You have to be his mom too, I guess. Not just a sister." He smiled and began to walk back towards the woods.

She stood there for a moment, feeling like the stupidest person in the world, and even angrier that she didn't know why she felt like such an idiot.

As the teen walked away, Leah called out. "Jacob, stop."

He turned around, an inquiring expression on his face. "Hm?" he said, looking faintly amused. Leah was suddenly aware of every sound- the leaves rustling, the wind sweeping across the land.

Leah sighed. "I'm going to go tell him he can come out now."

Jacob chuckled, and Leah felt like flinging something at him. Instead, she walked inside, retrieved Seth, and put a few dollars in his hand. That way he could get ice cream, or something. She knew that Jacob usually did that kind of stuff with Seth- well, didn't they? As they turned around and began to walk away, Jacob paused. Seth continued. Jacob turned around and spoke.

"Leah," Jacob said.

"Yes?" she asked, agitation lingering in her voice.

"Seth's like a little brother to me," he said. "He doesn't really have anyone to play with his age, y'know? So it's nice for him to hang out with me. He feels older. Cooler, or whatever. So don't think that he doesn't like you or anything."

She stood there for a moment and sighed.

"I'm trusting you with my brother, Jacob," she said, sounding irritated. "Don't screw it up."

He laughed and began walking with Seth next to him. Seth was chattering away- probably about school, what happened on the playground, in class, his newest grade.

Leah was still pissed. The worst part was that she knew her face wasn't red from anger; at least, not completely.

This pissed her off even more.

...

"Work! Stupid...gah!"

A very frustrated Embry was busy smacking his computer monitor. It hadn't been functioning for at least a few days; he needed to use it, and he wasn't a computer technician. While his somewhat minimal experience with cars had taught him that kicking and punching a non-working vehicle (or any object for that matter) was not going to fix it, he didn't care.

"EMBRY. WASSUP."

"Oh. Hey, Quil," Embry grumbled, rolling his eyes. So maybe Quil could fix it.

"Hey, can I use your computer?" Quil asked impatiently, rocking back on forth on his heels. Before Embry could reply, Quil had jumped in the computer seat, knocking Embry out of it. Embry suppressed a groan and instead watched with mild interest from the floor as his friend tried to get on the computer.

"What-" BANG- "the-" BANG- "hell-" BANG-BANG, "IS WRONG WITH THIS THING?" BANG!

So maybe Quil couldn't fix it.

...