Chapter 14 that wasn't what I meant

Disclaimer: the characters and all recognisable situations belong to Stephenie Meyer- this is a work of fan fiction, except for the legends and histories of the Quileute which, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods.

Thanks to BanSidhe for betaing.

Leah didn't think she had been asleep for that long when the body next to hers started to move. He muttered; and wriggled and jumped. Her eyes opened. Was he having a nightmare?

"Jake?" she asked, "You okay?"

"Thirsty… hot," he muttered.

She went to the bathroom and wet a towel. She rubbed his face with it and around his neck and shoulders like a cool sponge bath. She spread it over his chest and left it while she went to the kitchen for another drink.

Charles came in as she was heading back to the bedroom.

"He slept okay?"

"I think so, but now he is hot and thirsty."

"The medication must have worn off."

Charles examined him. "The breaks are healing well. Did you stay with him?" he asked Leah.

She nodded.

"I think there might be something to this pack therapy. He looks pretty good for two and half hours of healing. We should definitely keep this up; it seems to make a huge difference."

Bella came in at that moment.

"He probably needs to go to the toilet. Can you ladies give us some privacy?" Charles asked.

"I am starving," stated Leah, "Jake you hungry?"

"Starved."

"Fruit, bread and some protein, like cheese if you can," Charles instructed. Jake looked like he had been poisoned. He went to open his mouth.

"And no beer," interrupted Charles.

"Humph," sulked Jake. "Vitamin R heals all."

Charles rolled his eyes.

The girls went off as instructed.

Leah filled a plate with food Charles had recommended. She found a couple of croissants for an extra treat.

"I'll be back," Charles announced as he let himself out.

"Doctor's orders, Jake," Leah told him as she settled herself next to him on the bed. Bella stood in the doorway watching them both. Jake glanced at her, but then his gaze shifted back to Leah.

"Are you going to feed me?" he asked. He was sitting up a little higher in the bed now. His broken arm rested across his stomach.

"Just this once," she assured him as she passed him a bottle of water. He held it in his good hand. She started cutting things up into little pieces. He watched her intently.

The jolt from his eyes when she looked up at him was almost a physical thing. He opened his mouth and never took his eyes off her as she fed him a piece of cheese.

"Drink," she instructed.

He did.

She fed him a piece of apple and his lips touched her finger.

They stared at each other for a beat.

She fed him a piece of croissant and he licked a crumb from her finger.

Bella backed out of the room and ran down the hall to her bedroom.

She climbed onto Paul as he lay in their bed and he let out an 'ouf' noise.

"Jesus woman, what do you want?" he complained.

"Fuck me."

"Okay…" He rolled over and started undressing her. "Why?"

"What do you care?"

He shrugged. "Just wondered, is all."

"I was just watching Leah feed Jake and it was one of the hottest things I have ever seen. Why those two don't just jump each other and get it over with, I do not know," she was helping him tear her clothes off.

"He is injured," Paul reasoned.

"Wouldn't stop you," she told him.

He chuckled, "Probably not," he agreed. "Come here, woman." His voice dropped to that low register she just loved.

Jake and Leah blinked when they heard a moan.

"Christ on a cracker," Leah swore, "Do those two ever stop?"

"When she passes out."

"Yeah right…" Leah stopped and stared at him. "Jesus, are you serious? Okay …I just don't want to know." She fed him some more food. "Drink."

He sipped his water.

"Did Charles give you another shot?"

"No, why?"

"You got pretty spacey on the last one."

"Yeah…what did I say?"

"That you didn't want to fuck Seth."

Jake frowned. "Is that out of context?"

"Maybe."

He raised an eyebrow but she stuffed some more fruit into his mouth. He chewed slowly.

He waited.

"Okay… you said I shouldn't feel guilty because you saved me. That you would have done it for Seth; it didn't mean you wanted to fuck him," she finished in a rush.

Jake tilted his head. "So are you trying to make an honest man of your brother?"

She frowned at him, and then looked down at the plate. "Empty," she announced.

He drank the last of the water and passed her the empty bottle. He patted the bed next to him. She placed the plate and bottle on the side table. She paused and looked at him. He held his hand out to her.

"Please Leah," he asked.

"Isn't it someone else's turn?" she asked. She had no idea why she was so cranky with him.

"One other wolf in the house and," he glanced towards the door, "he seems to be busy."

"Humph," she said. But she lay down next to him. She deliberately put her back to him though. She lay there for a while staring at a spot on the wall. She was behaving like a sulky bitch and he had saved her, it would have been her lying there broken if he hadn't pushed her out of the way.

She rolled over to apologise but he was already asleep. She watched him and then snuggled down next to him. He was still sitting up a little and it was hard to get comfortable against him without disturbing him. She pushed a pillow up against the head board and put her shoulder into it.

She studied him for a while as he slept and then she reached for his hand and held it in hers.

Jake opened his eyes and groaned. Jesus, he still felt like everything hurt. But he could breathe a little easier now. He flexed his fingers. The arm didn't hurt so badly, but the leg was still throbbing.

Leah lay next to him. She was still asleep. She had rolled over at some point during her sleep and was now facing him. She was so shitty with him; she had given him her back. He understood. He had almost admitted to wanting to fuck her under the influence of the medication and when she had pushed at it, he had tried to turn it into a joke about Seth. His effective rejection of her would have hurt. She was still convinced she was worthless after the Sam and Emily debacle.

He studied her. Did he want to fuck her? Absolutely.

There was no doubt in his mind.

Did he want to be with her in all the ways that usually mattered? Sickness, health … you know the rest. He frowned. Why the hell not? She'd be trouble; she would argue with him, she would not let him get away with any shit. She'd be an equal partner, not a subservient one.

Did that scare the life out of him? Absolutely.

He heard the door knob turn. Paul stuck his head tentatively in the door.

"How goes it?"

"I need a piss and a bath," Jake answered.

"I can help you get there for one but will have to check with Charles when he will be back and when those braces can come off, for the other."

"I know."

Leah rolled over, sat up on the bed, stood, grabbed some clothes and walked out of the room without a word.

Paul watched her go and then raised an eyebrow at Jake.

"My fault," admitted Jake in a low voice; too low for Leah to overhear.

"Bella came in and jumped me because she said watching her feed you was one of the hottest things she had ever seen. How did you fuck that up?" Paul looked perplexed.

Jake tried to shrug. "It's just me I suppose." He winced. "Damn this leg hurts."

"I'll bring you something to piss into, might be easier and less painful for you," suggested Paul.

"Yeah thanks. Besides," added Jake, "you should be thanking me."

"Why? Because Bella jumped me?" Paul snorted, "Don't be ridiculous," he said. "My woman is always jumping me. That's how we started our relationship."

Jake had to laugh at that. "Ouch! Don't make me laugh."

FF_2154210_ - 27/11/2010 04:22:00 PM