Chapter 3 Aftermath

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 and the Makah that, of course, belong to them. I pay my respects to their gods.

Thanks to BanSidhe for betaing.

Deputy Clearwater stood frozen; she stared at the accident.

The silence was deafening.

She was the first officer on the scene. Someone had called in the vehicle accident to the emergency number and she was the nearest car. It was anonymous. Maybe they were driving past or something and didn't want to stop. The ambulance and the EMTs arrived a few minutes after she had. They were already working on the people in the car.

Initially she had it pegged as caused by the driver just driving too fast, but she could smell her brother's wolf scent in the car. A smell so familiar to her, that it took her a little while to identify it here. It was so familiar and so out of place at the same time. Like seeing someone you knew, in the wrong city. The driver did not smell of alcohol so she could rule that out too.

A phone with stickers and a decorative tassel was on the passenger side floor. It must be the girl's phone. Leah picked it up carefully and checked the last number dialled. It is 911. She lifted the phone to her nose and scented it.

Seth.

She didn't know what was going on, but she sure as hell was going to find out.

Without even thinking about it too hard, she deleted the number from the 'numbers dialled' list. She placed the phone back on the floor. She sincerely hoped that act didn't bite her on the ass in the future. There is no way anyone in the car could have phoned it in. She will protect Seth, even if she didn't know why, yet.

He must have had a reason why he was here. It was not his patrol area. He must have phoned emergency services. He used the girls' phone. She could smell him on it and it is on the floor with 911 as the last number dialled. But why? Why was he even here?

She stood and looked around in the surrounding forest, but she cannot see any sign of him. Why didn't he stay? Guess it would be hard to explain what he was doing here; but what was he doing here?

The mother had some minor injuries from the glass, and a broken thumb where the steering wheel turned so hard and she was still trying to hold it. She was lucky she didn't break both thumbs.

Her daughter was not so lucky.

They resuscitated her at the scene; got her heart started again, but her vitals signs were poor. They got them both into the ambulance as fast as they could. Forks was the closest hospital, they will take them there.

Leah stayed at the scene to wait for Charlie Swan.

"What the fuck is going on Seth?" Leah demanded. "Why were you even there? It was not your area for patrol. Fuck, it wasn't even your night for patrol. You ring emergency services and then fuck off…"

"I don't know," Seth mumbled. His head was down.

"You chase cars now?"

"No." He shook his head as if he was confused, "I can't explain it. Something made me be there. I run and I just end up there. Every single time…"

"Oh please," Leah was sarcastic, "Are you trying to tell me it is fate, karma, or some shit like that? The great wolf made you stand in front of a car." She looked at him suddenly.

"Were you on the road, Seth?"

He didn't answer.

"Did you cause the accident?" Leah demanded.

He made some small wounded noise.

"Were you trying to kill yourself?" She was incredulous and half concerned.

"Jesus, no Leah. I'm not suicidal or depressed you know that," he blustered.

"As if being hit by a car could kill us anyway?" he pointed out.

"Then why?" she demanded.

He didn't answer her. "I don't know okay?" He put his hands over his face.

Jake padded silently into the room. He could hear them easily enough but he thought he should intervene. "Is this pack business?" he asked.

"Yes," said Leah.

Seth said, "No," at the same time.

"Okay," Jake was tentative.

Pause.

"Why don't you tell me what you are fighting about and let me sort it out?" Jake suggested.

Leah started, "Seth was playing chasings with a car and now a woman is injured and her daughter nearly died."

"Harsh, Leah," whined Seth.

"True Seth," she bit back. "She's in a fucking coma!"

"Stop it," Jake ordered.

"Would you have told us you were there at the accident?" Leah demanded.

"What do you mean?"

"I scented you, but if I wasn't on duty… would you have told us about this?"

He didn't answer her and that was answer enough.

Jake looked puzzled. He looked at Seth.

"This isn't like you Seth… what's wrong?"

"Jeez Jake, he doesn't deserve your sympathy; that family does."

"Shush Leah," he grabbed her arm. "Look at him… really look at him."

She did.

He looked shattered. Like he had been broken and put together but the pieces just didn't fit well enough to make her Seth. She hadn't seen how upset he was before, because she was so busy being angry with him. She flipped instantly to his big sister.

"Seth baby? What's wrong?" she tried to hug him.

"I almost killed them… I saw that car turn over... I thought they were both dead… the noise … it was a horrible noise… the metal actually groans… she was looking right at me…"

"What were you doing there? It's the middle of freaking nowhere…" Leah asked.

"I don't know; I told you… I don't know!" he was so distraught. "I just knew I had to be there, at that spot… I can't explain it." He looked as confused as they did. "I told you… every time I run I end up there… that same spot… every time…"

Jake and Leah looked at each other.

"Can I go see her… at the hospital?" Seth asked.

"The girl? She's in a coma, Seth. But I'll see what I can do." This was her little brother and she would do anything for him.

"Why don't you go have a shower Seth, that might make you feel better," Jake cajoled him.

"Yeah… all right," Seth wandered off, but he still looked damaged somehow. He looked rudderless.

Jake spoke; he hadn't taken his eyes off Seth as he walked away. "Leah, we need to find out everything we can about this girl. Can you check the Police database for me?"

"Why?"

"Seth was there for a reason; maybe it was… mystical… but something made him be there."

She looked like she was going to argue.

"Please Leah," he added.

"This isn't what I am supposed to be doing; searching police files for the pack," she blustered.

Jake thought that it was exactly what she was supposed to be doing; but he knew better than to say that to her.

"If it helps Seth it will be worth it; won't it?" Jake tried.

Leah looked doubtful.

Jake looked at her and held out his arms. "Hey, come here." She did.

He wrapped his arms around her.

She let out a little noise; almost a whimper.

"What if the car had hit him? What on earth was he doing there? He could have blown the whole secret if she starts blabbing about gigantic wolves to everyone."

"It's Seth… he must have a reason. The driver's not making much sense right now is she?"

"No, they think she just had the scale wrong. They know she swerved to avoid a wolf, but not one nearly as tall as her car. They are just putting it down to shock. Nobody believes her and they have all forgotten the giant bear sightings of a couple of years ago. Remember when a couple of hikers saw us and said we were giant bears?"

"You sure no one has mentioned it?" Jake checked, "Charlie doesn't miss much."

"No one has mentioned them, or put it together, yet."

FF_2154210_ - 11/03/2011 12:24:00 PM

FF_2154210_ - 30/08/2011 07:27:00 PM