Leeches and Proposal
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Twilight characters.
We finally hear the word that the coven of vampires are on their way. Surprisingly, it is not from the small pixie –like leech called Alice but the scent is picked up while on a visit at Neah Bay, in the Makah rez. You, Emily and I along with your mother and brother are up in the area for a small Young family gathering. Jacob winds up coming as well, much to my disappointment, because you two are now practically inseparable. I tried confronting you again about your relationship with Jacob Black but you blew me off again and we wound up getting into a yelling match. You yelling that I 'have no right' to butt into your life and tell you who is right for you while I yell back that he'll only hurt you, doesn't know you like I do and that this isn't right. I don't understand how you cannot see that I know you better than you know yourself? Did you forget that I wanted to marry you first? You were the only girl for me. I've seen Emily before at the different powwows in La Push, Makah and even Spokane; there was nothing 'special' about her back then. She was just some regular girl, a little too skinny and seemed pretty vain and full of herself. We've talked a few times but that was only because I was being polite while waiting on you to come back from changing back into your normal clothes. Of course, you don't remember it and Emily seems to not remember it either.
But I sit back watching as you, Jacob and Seth all sit to the side laughing and talking amongst yourselves. My eyes lock onto Jacob's and even though there's a huge half-acre yard that separates us I can feel his anger, rage and animosity rolling off of him from over here. I've already spoken to him and the Council about your relationship trying to get them to see reason that you're playing with fire. That Jacob, as the heir of Ephraim Black, cannot be with someone who can't even bear him children. It was a low blow but I had to get them to see the truth behind the whole situation; our lives stopped being normal the moment the wolf heat came in. You can't have kids and the alpha bloodline will end. Sure that means the right will fall upon either myself or possibly Paul but it's something that cannot be overlooked. The remark had incensed Jacob and the two of us wound up fighting and later phasing trying to tear each other to shreds. Both packs showed up and had to pry us apart; it was obvious by the amount of bite marks, scratches and blood that Jacob was the clear victor in our fight and in defeat I had to drop the subject with him and the Council.
I look away unable to keep staring at him as my hip still aches from when he bit into my side and threw me like I was nothing. I can't help but hope that I'm right, that you never have his kids and eventually the alpha line will belong to my sons. My vengeful muses are cut short as you all suddenly stiffen and slowly turn around to look into the forest behind you. Jacob slowly stands up, his body completely tense and the way he raises his head I can tell he's trying to catch a scent. You get up and move towards your mother, whispering a warning to her which Sue only simply nods her head to you. I walk, deliberately, towards you wanting answers but find myself cut short by Seth who glares at me in a warning.
"Some leeches just cut through Makah." Seth states. "It's a coven; probably the coven that Alice warned us about."
"We're heading home, now." Jacob orders and I feel my will bend towards his command. "Lee's already calling everyone back home and she'll let the Cullens know too." Jacob states with a cool air about him.
"How many of them are there?" I ask. My only answer is a shrug and 'a lot' from both Jacob and Seth.
The family gathering is cut short and we all head back to La Push to meet in the Black's backyard. Collin and Brady inform us that they did pick up the scent and it's a fairly large coven of leeches numbering in about 20 or so. Your phone rings and your face pales as you listen to the person on the other end talking.
"Alright, alright it's going to be okay." You coo softly and I wonder who it is you're talking to. "I'm on my way, okay? Trust me E.J." Jacob growls in annoyance and I, along with my pack, all share looks of surprise because you're trying to calm down a leech. "Let's hurry up." You tell Jacob. "The Cullens have already moved out to the meadow to fight them there." With reluctance Jacob nods giving the go-ahead and we all move out towards the forest ready to phase and kill the leeches that are invading our lands. I fall back a little noticing that you and Jacob are still hanging behind.
"You be careful out there." Jacob states with a deep frown. You sigh at him and shake your head. "Don't make me regret letting you go out there."
"When have I ever made you do something that you later regretted?" You ask with a coy smile. You laugh lightly as Jacob frowns as if concentrating on the question posed to him. "See? The fact that you have to think so hard is proof." You wrap one arm around his waist and press your body into his.
"I'm sure there's at least one example." Jacob states with a frown. Looking down at you, he leans down and kisses your lips which you give back to him. The kiss doesn't last long, thank God, as you pull away from Jacob and jog off into the forest away from the rest of the wolves.
"I'm going to hold you responsible if anything happens to her." I growl out.
"I don't need you to," Jacob growls back at me. "She's mine and I'll," Jacob says as his face and shoulders fall at his unfinished sentence. Shaking his head he turns into the woods and phase as I follow behind and join him.
It's interesting to be in everyone's head again as Jacob and I open up the alpha link between us. You are completely focused on any scents that may be heading towards the Cullens' place, Jacob is annoyed with your concern for the small hybrid and as I try to dig in and find out why; I find myself being blocked by Seth, Quil and Embry.
I do not have long to search as soon we come upon the fighting leeches and immediately split up to take out the leeches we don't recognize. Just like last time it's hard to keep up with you as you are darting all over the place latching on to legs and arms on the fly causing the unsuspecting vampire to lose its balance. With this distraction that you provide anyone else is then able to bite or pull the head off of the leech. My pack is also holding their own and the leeches' numbers is much higher than even Collin and Brady anticipated but we all manage to work as a team.
Finally there is only one giant leech left and he bolts running directly towards Jared. Jared holds his ground and we all move to try and circle the fucker before he can get away but he changes his course and heads directly at one of the cubs. He is completely caught off guard that he panics, skidding to a halt and loses his balance, tripping over his still oversized paws. I'm still too far away to provide any help and just as the leech is about to bite down on Eli, Jacob jumps in the way and knocks Eli out of the way. Jacob and the leech collide with such a powerful force that I feel the impact of it both physically and mentally. Shock doesn't last long as you jump on top of the leech and bite into the back of his neck before tearing his head away from his shoulders. The rest of your pack moves in and quickly tear him to pieces as Carlisle and Edward run to check on Jacob and the other Cullnes carry the remaining pieces off to be burned.
You immediately run to Jacob's side and in the attack our alpha link is broken. All I can do is stand and watch you licking his face and whimper; I assume that you're trying to get him to phase back and with much pain and struggling he succeeds. He is quickly carried away by his pack and two of the Cullen boys and a sudden wave of guilt hits me; it's Eli, he feels guilty that Jacob got hurt because he panicked. We all try to reassure him that he's done nothing wrong and that Jacob will be alright. Paul plays over in his head the last battle with the leeches and how badly Jacob got hurt to protect Leah. While he is replaying that memory I pick up a hint of panic, sadness and a flash of your face just before Jacob lunges to pull the leech away from you.
'Wow, he loved her even then.' Jared comments and I see that I'm not the only one to have noticed the emotions involved during that fight. 'Guess it makes sense.' Jared says with a shrug as if the realization wasn't really anything new.
'It does?' Brady asks.
'Oh, yea, Jake has always had a crush on Lee-Lee.' Paul says with a huff and we all begin to follow Jacob's scent. 'Before there was Bella it was Leah. The only problem was that Sam had Leah at the time.' I feel all of the cubs eyes turn to look at me and I keep my mind blank. Years ago they could care less who was dating whom and I guess to hear it now that they are older and actually involved makes it even more interesting.
I head over to the Cullens' in silence and when we arrive it's the same heartrending screaming that haunted my dreams for days years ago when we were all one pack. Phasing we all sit outside waiting on the news to find out how bad this attack was; you are nowhere to be seen. Quil, Embry and Seth are all sitting outside with us while the rest of the Cullens mill about elsewhere and I can't help but wonder where the hell they were, again, this time that prevented them from aiding in finishing off the last leech?
If leeches are supposed to be so quick and efficient killers then why is it that the Cullens, minus the big muscle boy, can't seem to help out more? Do they not want to get their cold hands dirty?
Eventually the screaming stops and you come out looking tired and worn. The hybrid runs directly to you and jumps into your arms, holding on to you tightly, crying and telling you all of his fears. You hold him in a comforting manner and shush him letting him know that everything is alright.
"The collision broke all the ribs on his left side, fractured his arm and his clavicle…its broken too. But Carlisle believes that he'll be back up and running in a few days. There doesn't seem to be any internal damage this time but he'll confirm it later on." You explain to all present as you soothe and rock the hybrid.
There is a sense of relief that Jacob will be alright but there is still a heavy tension in the air. It's palpable but I'm unable to pinpoint the source until I look behind me to see Bella Cullen glaring murderously at you holding her son. The emotion-controlling leech is inside helping keep Jacob calm leaving Bella to feel however the hell she wants. I growl at her, giving her a clear, cut warning to not try any crazy bullshit and she hisses back at me. When I turn back around I notice that all eyes are glaring darkly at Bella as well except yours; you're busy playing a simple childhood hand game with the hybrid.
And in that moment, watching you interact with a child I regret ever wishing that you wouldn't have any kids with Jacob. Despite your cold and harsh attitude you've always held a soft spot for children. They relax and feel comfortable around you. I know it's because you make them feel safe but you don't treat them as if they are incapable of doing certain things. You've always allowed Claire some sense of independence up to a point and instead of telling her she can't do something, you simply tell her to wait or say, 'maybe next time'. My eyes soften looking at you and I'm reminded of what I've lost because of the monsters behind me.
Quil leaves to go inform the Council of the current events and all of the wolves move into the Cullens home to find Jacob laid out on a couch. You grumble at him for not agreeing to rest in a bed like a good patient but he simply states that 'the stench isn't so unbearable down here'.
Over the next few days both packs remain at the Cullens keeping a protective circle around Jacob. Carlisle often times finds it hard to get to Jacob to check his injuries because of the snoozing bodies of the cubs on the floor. Billy stops by to check-up on Jacob's progress and is grateful that he's alright and is being looked after.
You move around the house with the ease of someone who has spent many hours here, helping the mother leech prepare breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything else in between for the wolves. The small hybrid follows you around happily like a puppy. He skips behind you, humming to you and is always eager to please you. He hugs your waist tightly whenever you stop much to the annoyance of Jacob.
He watches your every move around the child with close scrutiny as if at any moment you're going to make some kind of mistake with the child. He doesn't relax until you're seated tucked underneath his arm. The hybrid seems to only frown at Jacob's actions and it is then that I finally get a good look at the creature that you said was not a threat. He has hair like his father but his skin isn't the bloodless pale or even the translucent pale complexion his mother had when she was alive. His skin is tanned and it must be from playing outside. His eyes are a deep brown and I know that they used to belong to his mother. Jacob's thoughts on those same eyes were so strong that for a while there I'd forgotten the color of Emily's eyes. I can't help but roll my eyes to learn that his full name is Edward Jacob Cullen showing that Bella still can't seem to let Jacob go. It's this strange and unnatural attachment to something that isn't hers that seems to be a trait passed on down to her son. Will this E.J. try to find some way to hold onto you?
One night I come out of my sleep to hear you giggling and my stomach churns. I lay perfectly still hoping that sleep will come back and take away the images of you and Jacob getting cozy and grabby on the couch behind me.
"I finally remember an example." Jacob says quietly after planting a kiss on you…somewhere. You must look at him with a questioning look and he continues on. "You made me break my arm – that's something that you made me regret."
"How the hell did I make you break your arm?" You ask is a harsh whisper.
"Easy, you said that you'd marry whoever could climb the tallest tree, the one off the trail to the beach," Jacob clarifies and I feel my stomach clench because I remember that declaration that a then 11-year old Leah Clearwater had made. You were always such a tomboy and you climbed that monstrous tree and tied your favorite ribbon on one of the branches. It was proof that you had climbed higher than anyone else on the rez ever has. You did it because for one, you didn't think anyone would try and two, if everyone failed it meant you didn't have to worry about just marrying any stupid boy on the rez.
"…Yea." You answer and I can hear the frown in your voice.
"Well…I climbed that tree trying to get your stupid ribbon."
"And you fell? Why'd you even try you goofball?" You whisper and I can hear Jacob chuckle.
"Yes, I fell and wound up not only breaking it but dislocating my shoulder too." I remember it well because every boy in the rez came to see Jacob Black and sign his cast or at least tried too but it was a solid black. Everyone, including me, was impressed that he had tried. "I wanted to marry you." Jacob admits and there is pregnant silence that falls in the room. Whether it's my own ears playing tricks on me or what I don't know but I feel my heart racing.
"I came to see you and you told me that you got it cliff diving." You huff and I can hear a sharp hiss escape from Jacob – you must've shoved him.
"I didn't want you to know that I had failed."
"Well I still would've been impressed." You tell him. "Sam later climbed up and got it." And I can't help the proud smile that graces my lips knowing that you remember it. I didn't try until months later after Jacob had healed but that was because I knew he was going to try and get your ribbon again.
"I know, the bastard raced me up the tree trying to get to it first." Jacob states with a low growl. It was one of many triumphs that I had over Jacob Black. Though I guess it really wasn't much when you consider that by his second attempt I was 13 and he was 9. You giggle and I know you're picturing us both as boys racing to climb up a tree for a ribbon you never imagined anyone would bother over. That's how much you meant to the both of us.
"Funny how Sam didn't mention there being a race."
"I came pretty close but, damnit, if his arms weren't longer then mine and he had a much better reach." Jacob explains and despite his loss there was a hint of pride in his voice. I guess there would be because he was telling the truth. He was quick climbing up that tree and his lighter weight allowed him to take the branches without much hesitation.
"Well we know how that turned out in the end." You admit. "But you should've told me and maybe things would've turned out differently."
"Marry me." Jacob says.
"Probably would've." You say back and I feel my back tighten as I slowly realize that Jacob wasn't talking about the possibilities of you agreeing to marry him then.
"No, marry me." Jacob repeats and I feel my heart racing, pounding inside of my chest as if it's bursting to get out.
"Wait…what?" You ask and I hear the couch shift under Jacob's weight.
"You're going to wake everyone up." Jacob scolds. "Marry me, Lee." There's silence and I'm too afraid to turn over and see if he has an engagement ring or what your expression is.
"Say 'yes' so we can go back to sleep." Quil grumbles and there is laughing all around the room.
"Or better yet just say 'no'." Paul adds.
"This is so not romantic." You grumble.
"And since when have we ever done romantic?" Jacob scoffs.
"We do sometimes." You snap back and there goes another hiss of pain. "But, 'yes' I will marry you. But you gotta tell me what I made you regret."
"You made me regret not being big enough." Jacob admits and there's a roar of 'ahs' and 'pussy' from Paul.
"And now look at you," Embry teases. "You're the biggest guy on the rez."
"And I like em big." You state there is a hint of an sexual innuendo in your comment.
"Really then how come you're wasting time with his tiny pecker and not trying to get this?" Paul asks and there is more laughter. Even I have to chuckle at the comment and sit up deciding to join in the moment.
"Your dick and ego are two very different things." You sneer at Paul. "I'm just glad that Rachel doesn't have to worry about waking up sore the next morning." Paul growls at you and everyone begins laughing even harder.
"I help you work out those muscles though, don't I?" Jacob asks easily picking you up and placing you in his lap.
"And that's romantic." You state your eyes shining as you start laughing.
Despite the pain of bearing witness to you accepting the marriage proposal of another man it is nice to see you happy, laughing and joking. This is the Lee-Lee I've longed to see and have missed deeply. You and Paul go back and forth throwing out jabs at one another that cross of the line decency but never cross the line of malicious and spiteful. I can't help but sit back and marvel how the two packs interact.
This is how it should've always been.
A/N: And I think this is my longest chapter for this story yet. ^-^ I'm feeling pretty good about this chapter. It hit me last night after the movies and I woke up early this morning to type up some more and finished it at work.
Let me tell you this is quite the pick me up after what came out of Wake-up Call which I'll finish up the rest of the afternoon working on. If all goes well I should have it done, proofed and ready to post tonight! That's my goal! You hear me brain and fingers! (Very hard to shake your fist menacingly at your fingers) We're going to get this shit done. RIGHT!
…*brain is blank and fingers just sit*
Damn you all! -_-; So cursing yourself and your appendages only makes you look crazy while sitting at your desk….so, yea, don't do it unless you're in the sanctity of your own room. But on the plus side…people will think twice before starting shit with me.
WHICH REMINDS ME! So, a while back I had an A/N where I ranted about some girl who got smart with me. Did I tell you guys this or was it just Cu? Anywho, this chick got smart with me because she wasn't doing her job and I docked her for it. It's one my duties to audit others work to make sure that orders are in order and all that jazz. But she sends me back this sarcastic remark about her score. So I told her supervisor that I don't need this kind of attitude from her. That was me remaining professional because what I really wanted to say was,
"Look, if she was doing her damn job then I wouldn't've had to give her a zero. Tell her next time she got sumtin' smart to say, to come and say it to my face and we'll settle it real propa."
Phew, so I can admit that I've got some ghetto in me despite my very well spoken English. Thanks Catholic school education, thanks. 0=D
But anyways…THE BITCH IS GONE! So it's kind of bittersweet in that I'm glad that I ain't gotta put up her shit no more but also bad because the economy is kinda rough out there. There aren't too many jobs out there to be had. So God forgive me got the slight feeling of vindication and keep her – Amen. P.S. – Good looking out. *kisses index and middle finger and throws them up to the ceiling with a wink*
Alright, so on that note if you could all just go ahead and review. *smiles innocently* I'd greatly appreciate it. It'd make my day even better. ^-^