Chapter 5

The bloodsucker's eyes were like dried blood, his angelic face twisted into a hideous mask in death. Jacob's nose was on fire from the sweet smell overwhelming him, the entire clearing was filled with it, and the strange smoke. Everyone was in motion, giving orders, watching the captive, talking in low tones. But his mind was focused on Seth's thoughts streaming through his mind, informing them of the other battle going on. A sudden gust of wind pushed the darkened clouds faster across the sky. A moment before he heard the howl Jacob's shackles rose.

Leah.

He followed her thoughts around a bend to find her on the ground nursing what looked like an injured leg while another one of the newborns crouched above her, growling low, then, seeing Jacob, suddenly readied to lunge. Jacob didn't think, he moved to shove her out of the way, but something stopped him. It was like his paws were frozen to the ground, and he watched in horror as the creature closed in on her, his hands going around her neck. Leah howled again as the sound of cracking bones reached his ears-

And he awoke breathing heavily, his heart pounding. He looked around his small darkened room, but couldn't shake the eerie feeling, so he decided to call. The phone rang four times, the longest moment of his life, before she picked up.

"Hello?" Leah said, her voice thick with sleep.

"Hey, it's me." Jacob said with a sigh of relief.

"Jake? Do you know what time it is?" Jake cursed under his breath, checking: 3:36.

"I know, I'm sorry. I was just… calling to make sure everything was ok."

"Mm, aside from the fatigue, yeah, why?"

"Nothing. I just, I mean, I was-"

"Is everything alright?" she asked, her voice suddenly more alert.

"Yeah, yeah it's fine, just a bad dream."

"Do you want me to come over or something?" he laughed lightly.

"I'm supposed to be the one comforting you." she laughed back,

"I'm serious. What kind of dream?"

"It was nothing. It just, spooked me." there was silence on the other end. "Leah? Are you asleep?"

"I'm still here. Just thinking."

"Ok, well I'm sorry I woke you. I'll go now."

"Alright. You sure everything's ok?"

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok, bye."

"Bye." She hung up first. Jacob sat in the darkness of the room for a while longer. His mind was racing. He wasn't really sure why the dream had spooked him so much, he knew it hadn't really happened that way. I'd been there in time, I saved her. And with that thought he drifted into another restless sleep.

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"A burger is supposed to be made out of meat."

"Says who?"

"A veggie burger is like… a woosy burger."

"Jared you're being such a close-minded idiot." Leah huffed. Jared rolled his eyes,

"Leah, I'm not telling you not to eat your blasphemy," at this everyone laughed, "I'm just saying, it seems unnatural for a burger to be made of…vegetables."

"Whatever." she replied, but there was a smile on her lips.

The pack was in Sam and Emily's backyard, evidently eating burgers. Jacob had watched the argument unfold like all their others. Everyone had learned not to get involved by this point.

"I like veggie burgers Leah." Kim said.

"Girls…" Jared muttered, but he couldn't keep the light from his eyes when he looked at her.

Well, nearly everyone. Leah smiled gratefully at her.

Overhead the sky was a clear sunny blue, extremely rare in Forks, so they were taking full advantage of it, all set up in lawn chairs and on the grass. A light breeze was blowing through the surrounding trees, and all in all, it was a perfect day.

Jake watched as Leah left the barbeque and made her way over to him. He yawned again when she sat next to him on the ground.

"You look tired." she said, placing her plate on her lap, "and you haven't really eaten much." He looked at her wryly,

"I'm fine mom." he said. She narrowed her eyes and smacked him upside the head. "Hey!"

"Stop being a tool. I'm just worried about you. After that call last night I could barely sleep."

He sighed. He knew she was just looking out for him, but he'd rather she didn't worry. It's not like it was a big deal.

"I'm fine, really. A little tired maybe, but fine." She laughed after swallowing a bite of the burger.

"Jacob Black, you are infuriating." she said not unkindly.

"That's why you love me." Their gazes met for a moment, and she smiled,

"Mhmm, which is why later, you're going to tell me exactly what's bothering you."

"Leah I-"

"Hey Leah, can you help me with something." Emily called as she walked into the house.

"Sure." she replied. She kissed Jacob lightly on the cheek, then got up and went inside.

Jacob tossed his used plate in the garbage and walked over to the barbeque where Sam was finishing the last of the burgers. He nodded in greeting,

"Hey."

"Hey." Jake replied, his eyes narrowing slightly from the heat coming off the barbeque.

"So, Leah still hasn't talked to me." Sam said, no strong emotion showing in his voice. Jake nodded,

"Yeah I know. She just needs some time I'm sure. "

"Mm, I suppose you're right. I just wish there was something I could do. But I don't wanna force the conversation and screw everything up." he stated, flipping a patty onto a bun. "Who wants it!" he called.

"Sam, she's a girl, they always do things on their own time." Sam chuckled as Seth came and grabbed the burger.

"Too true man." he replied, then looked up to meet his eyes, "But how are you guys doing?"

Jake thought about it; they were… great together, they felt utterly comfortable with each other, they also argued all the time, and were both incredibly stubborn. But he wouldn't trade being with her for being with Bella ever.

"We're great." was all he said. Sam smiled wryly,

"Fair enough."

Just then Leah and Emily exited the house, laughing loudly. They made their way over to the pair.

"So Sam, " Leah said, mischief sparking in her eyes, " I hear your phone isn't working."

Sam frowned, glancing at Emily who looked like she was trying to hold back laughter,

"Yeah…"

"Emily tells me it's because it had crumbs in it… and you tried to wash it!" the girls then burst out laughing.

"Dude, you did what?" Jake asked, grinning. Sam scowled,

"It was dirty ok?!"

"Yeah but… it's not like a pair of shorts or something."

"Are you sure you don't want me to barbeque?" Leah asked,

"Yeah, I'm not sure we can trust you with appliances." Jake added.

"Ha…ha…ha" he said dryly.

"Oh no, you've hurt his feelings." Emily said, scolding playfully.

"Are you all done yet?" he asked.

"One sec," Leah said, pausing to laugh again, then, "Yes, now we're done." Sam rolled his eyes. Jake was glad at least that Leah was joking with him again. He could tell she was still accustoming herself to being around him again. Just then her cell phone rang.

"Hello?… Oh hey mom…. Mhmm… yeah like ten minutes. Sure no problem…ok bye." She looked at them after she'd hung up. "My mom needs me to pick up some things from the store, so I'll just head out now. Seth can find his way back right."

"Aww, so soon?" Emily asked. Leah nodded.

"I'll go with you." Jacob said.

"Alright."

They quickly said goodbye to everyone and headed around the front of the house and towards Leah's car that was parked in the driveway.

"Can I drive?" Jake asked.

"I'll rock, paper, scissors you for it." she replied. They faced off and he knocked her scissors with his rock.

He grinned as she tossed him the keys and they hopped in the car.

"That was nice." she stated, lying back and closing her eyes.

"Yup."

"I'd forgotten how much fun Em and I used to have. I used to tell her everything, everything. We were closer than any of my friends at school, except…" she trailed off, breathing in the fresh air.

"Euh, speaking of which," he said. She opened her eyes, looking at him,

"Yeah?"

"Are you gonna talk to Sam about, you know, stuff?" she laughed lightly.

"Stuff?"

"You know what I mean." he replied, running his fingers through his shaggy hair as the tall trees passed overhead.

"Yeah, I will. Soon. I just need… some time, you know?" Jake laughed, remembering his and Sam's conversation.

"Yeah, I know what you mean."

After about five minutes they pulled into the small plaza on the main road. There was a small grocery store, a convenience store, a gas station, and a local restaurant.

"I just have to pick something up at the gas station, I'll meet you inside." Jake called. Leah nodded and headed to the grocery. Jake stuck his hands in his pockets as he crossed the street. A light breeze whipped his long hair into his eyes. He pretended to ignore the looks he got from the store manager when he bought the Tylenol; he knew he probably looked like some kind of miscreant, but he'd gotten used to it by now, riding a motorcycle and all. After that he headed back over to the store. Inside smelt like produce and plastic, with the constant sound of "beeping" from the scanners in the cash lines. He began walking down the aisles, looking for her when something about chocolate brownies caught his attention. While he was trying to decide whether to get simply classic chocolate, chocolate with nuts, or double chocolate mix, a familiar voice reached his ears from another aisle over.

"Yeah… I know it's been a long time." It was Leah.

"It's like you disappeared off the face of the planet or something," came a female voice that he thought he'd heard before, but couldn't remember where.

"Well… I had a lot of things to deal with." Leah replied. Jacob walked down the aisle and around the corner to find them.

"No offence, but like some guy is no reason to totally ditch your friends."

Jacob turned the corner at that moment to see that Leah was talking to that Serra girl, he couldn't remember her last name, but she'd gone to his school and hung out in the same circle as Leah and Sam and their old friends.

Leah's back went rigid,

"What are you talking about?" she said. Jacob froze,

"We all know you went away because of Sam."

"You don't know what you're-"

"And honestly, that's pretty pathetic, everyone thinks so."

"Serra? Oh there you are!" a guy called from down the aisle, Carl something, "Is that Leah Clearwater?"

"Yeah I just ran into her."

"Wow, I haven't seen you since Sam…." and there he trailed off, coming to stand next to Serra. "Is it true you moved to Boston?"

"What?" Leah asked, scowling at them.

"That's what I heard."

"You didn't even go to commencement."

"I had better things to do." she replied darkly.

"Like what?" Serra asked, they had both cornered her. Jake continued to watch, he didn't want to step in, he knew how much she hated people thinking she was vulnerable.

"Like none of your business." The pair looked taken aback, but Carl spoke,

"Shit, you don't have to be such a bitch about it."

"Yeah, just because everyone knows Sam dumped you for some other chick."

Leah's eyes narrowed, but she didn't speak.

"They were all talking about it at that party last week remember?" Serra said, turning to Carl,

"Haha, yeah I think Pete brought it up, he was totally smashed, but he had the hots for you since like grade nine." Serra laughed with him,

"Pete probably wouldn't have dumped you!" she giggled.

At last it seemed Leah was cracking, Jake noted. His blood was boiling at their words, they were a couple of jocks who had no idea what they were talking about.

"Listen, just leave me the hell alone, you don't even know me." she said in coldly, but her voice broke at the end of her sentence as she turned away from them, wiping fiercely at her eyes.

"Some way to treat your friends!" Carl muttered.

At last Jacob stepped out as Leah was nearing the end of the aisle. Her head was bowed, her shoulders tense. Jake moved in front of her, wrapping his arms around her.

"Hey, are you alright?" he said quietly. She nodded into his shoulder, holding him tightly. The pair stared at them for a moment, then quickly walked off, whispering to each other. "Forget them babe, their just parasites." he continued. She sniffled, pulling back,

"I know," she said wetly, "but I really did used to be friends with them. And to think I once trusted them. Eugh… it's disgusting." she wiped at her eyes again, looking up at him, "Thanks for being here."

"I wish I'd stepped in sooner." She shook her head,

"No, I needed to face my demons sooner or later." Jake nodded. Her eyes were far away, he could tell she was thinking about something else, so he simply kissed her lightly.

"Come on, I feel like buying brownies."

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A/N: Hey everyone! Ummm… I know you're all like, BAHHH why did you take so long?! Haha, anywho, I'm sorry for that. I am also sorry that this chapter had little development, and was not very fluffy either. I hit a tiny block, but it's going somewhere, fear not (though I'm all ears for any advice you have ;). Also! I need to thank lizuhbethh for informing me that I made a mistake: yes Kim is Jared's not Paul's girlfriend, sorry for that! Lastly, thanks sooooo much to the sudden influx of reviewers, you guys are awesome! I really appreciate the encouragement and advice, please keep it coming! I want to know what you guys want to see happen. Lastly, in response to mickeymoused57 , hahah, I would love for them to get married and have kids, and if the story reaches that point, who knows? WELL, THANKYOU, again. Till next time!