Chapter 7. Shock Waves

Shockwaves Noun:

A sharp change of pressure in a narrow region travelling through a medium

Pairing: Leah/Jacob

Soundtrack choice: Wilhelm Scream by James Blake

Note : Sorry for taking so much time to update, life stuff, y'know how it goes, so forgive me for any lingering errors. Enjoy.

Jacob gently picked Harri up from where she sat on the hood of the car and put her down on the floor. He watched silently as Leah bent down and held her arms open. Harri deftly ran into them with a giggle and a shriek.

"Hey Peanut, Did you have fun hanging out with Rachel?" Leah asked, planting a soft kiss against her daughter's forehead.

Harri nodded.

"Good." Leah said setting her gaze upon Jacob who stood innocuously with his hands in his jeans. She couldn't quite read his expression but the warm glow he had possessed when she'd entered his work shed still remained on his face, much to her surprise."Sorry if she disturbed you." Leah said apologetically.

"Don't be." Jacob said sincerely"…We had fun."

Leah couldn't stop herself from smiling softly, her heart felt full. Despite what her mind told her, she couldn't help but be filled with a sense of hope. Today had proved that. Hadn't it?

"We had fun." Harri repeated making both Jacob and Leah laugh.

The sound of their combined laughter made them both pause for a second. It seemed like forever since they had laughed together, but they had, once upon a time. But the memory wasn't enough to lull Leah into a false sense of comfort, because suddenly Jacob's expression changed. His brow furrowed and his eyes turned to turbulent ebony. As if her proximity hurt him."I'm really busy, cars to fix and everything, maybe you could…"

Leah got the message loud and clear, he wanted them to leave, more specifically he wanted her to leave. Her presence was burdensome to him, Leah didn't need to hear his thoughts to feel it. Her heart hurt. One step forward and seven steps back always seemed to be the name of the game in her life. Leah scooped Harri up and turned to leave,but doubled back around, she took a deep breath."I was going to tell Rachel to pass on the message , but since you're here and I have your attention I thought that I should tell you that we're having a small naming ceremony for Harri on the Beach tomorrow at 11am,we hope you can make it."Leah looked over at Jacob who didn't say a word for several seconds instead his gaze lay on Harri who had nestled her head on the nape of her mother's neck.

"I have a lot of work to do…" Jacob said quietly looking down at the ground, afraid that his emotions would betray him. He owed Leah absolutely nothing. At least that's how he saw it but the pull he felt towards the woman who at this moment had his heart both literally and metaphorically in her hands, was almost more than he could stand. He so wanted a drink right now.

"Oh..I understand , don't worry about it. " Leah said quickly,feeling like she'd been punched in the gut. She needed to get out of the shed as quickly as possible, she couldn't breathe. "C'mon, Harri we have to go now. Say Good bye to Jacob."

Harri scowled and stuck out her bottom lip out in a defiant pout. "No."

Jacob couldn't help but smile at his beloved Leah in miniature. The girl could do stubborn with the best of them. Before Leah had a chance to move, Harri began thrashing and twisting her body in an unexpected fit of rage. So intense was the movement of the child, Leah had to set Harri down.

Leah flushed with embarrassment. Harri wasn't one to throw fits and have tantrums; for the most part she was an easy going child.

Harri immediately ran to Jacob and wrapped her arms around his leg. "I stay here." She declared eyeing her mother defiantly.

At that moment Rachel and Paul walked through the door. Relief plastered on their faces. "There she is." Rachel said joining Leah.

"C'mon Harri, the ponies are waiting for us at the Beach." Leah implored.

Harri shook her head and held tighter to Jacob's leg.

Jacob smiled softly and with complete ease, pried Harri from his leg and picked her up. "Why the fuss baby girl? "

Harri pouted and shrugged, Sniffing for emphasis whilst resting her head on Jacob's shoulder.

Leah couldn't help but stand in amazement as she watched her child wrap Jacob Black around her little finger. What she was witnessing was textbook 'Daddy's' girl' stuff. It occurred to Leah that anybody walking in on this would assume that Jacob and Harri had never been apart and hadn't in fact met for the first time less than an hour ago. Clearly Harri had a connection to him. Blood was Blood after all.

Leah fought back tears. She could only forsee pain for her daughter's future ,she couldn't let Harri get attached to a man who said he wanted nothing to do with her.

"If you're a good girl and you do exactly what you're mommy says, I promise you can come back and help me fix my cars."

Harri lit up and beamed. "Promesh ?"

Jacob held his little finger out and linked his with Harri's tiny one. "I promise." He said as he lay a small kiss upon their entwined fingers.

-x-

It wasn't long after Leah and Harri had bid Rachel and Paul good bye , Jacob had chosen to remain in the shed working, that Rachel turned to Paul and held out her hand expectantly. "That'll be $30 ,please."

Paul shook his head but pulled out his wallet, counted the money out and laid the bills on his fiancée's palm.

Rachel smiled and pulled out her Cell phone from her jeans pocket, she dialled the familiar number and waited for Bella to pick up. "Operation Blackwater is officially in full effect."

"So it worked?"

"Just like I said it would."

No one outside of them three would know that today's encounter had been meticulously planned. That Bella had planned to agitate Jacob to send him home to his shed . That Rachel had spent the morning laying a trail of chicken grease from the back porch all the way to Jacob's car shed, in the hope that the dog would follow the trail, taking Harri with him into Jacob's shed, and that Paul had managed to disassociate the latch on the door so it wouldn't lock behind Jacob, in the hope that it'd still be open to allow an old dog and a small child access to her father who wouldn't be able to stop him self from falling in love with her the moment he saw her.

As audacious and completely outlandish as Rachel's plan had been it had actually worked. Nobody had thought it would work, not even Rachel herself despite how well she knew her brother. Paul had practically begged her to 'leave it alone' but she was far too emotionally invested and had told him in no uncertain terms that she would do as she pleased.

Bella smiled, she was rooting for Jacob and Leah .She had gotten her happy ending, it was time that they had the same. "So what do we do now?"

"Sit back and wait. " Rachel said pensively, her fingers crossed .

-x-

Leah stood with Harri hoisted upon her hip, surrounded by her family and friends trying hard to, but not really listening to Abel Green, their tribal elder preach about the importance of cultural inheritance, and familial and spiritual wealth.

She had hoped in her heart of hearts that Jacob could have found it within himself to be at Harri's naming ceremony, but as she looked around at all the familiar faces her heart couldn't help but sink a little. He had made his position clear in no uncertain terms and Leah knew she had no choice but to accept it. Thank God for Rachel,Paul and Billy Black who had turned up looking slightly apologetic. There had been no need to explain Jacob's absence.

They stood proudly besides Seth, Charlie, Miguel, Angel and her mother, and for that Leah was grateful. Leah caught Rachel's eye and gave a small smile. Rachel nodded and smiled back. Leah then gently kissed Harri on the forehead and tried to tune into Abels deliverance on foundations and community.

"What is this Childs full name?" asked Abel Green

"Harri Sarah Qahla'Lei ….

"…Black."

Everyone paused and slowly parted like the red sea at the sound of the authoritative bark. "Her Name is… Harri Sarah Qahla'Lei Clearwater-Black."

"Who claims this child?" Abel asked.

Leah was stunned into silence. When a moment passed and she still hadn't said anything Jacob step forward a little more, now they were standing next to each other. "We do." He said. "We're her parents."

He had come.

A surge of happiness raced through Leah.

Then in the ancient language of their people, Abel Green bestowed his blessing on their child and them. Once he had read out the beautiful blessing, he passed a small pot to Jacob in which held a mixture of plants, herbs and earth from the land in which their ancestors had lived and loved.

Carefully Jacob dipped his finger in the pot and with the brown mixture atop his finger he gently drew a line across Harri's cheek. Then it was Leah's turn to do the same as they recited the Quileute promise of unconditional love, taken from the passages of ancient Quileute Lore .The words that all parents spoke to their children at their naming ceremony. Yes, but also the words that were recited on wedding days between two misty eyed soul mates, the words that were whispered between two enraptured lovers in the throes of passion on their wedding night.

Leah shook with the knowledge, it never occurred to her that Jacob would be thinking the same thing until their eyes met over Harri's head. Their hearts syncing together as they had before, in the silence. Everyone else seemed to melt away as they recited the words of an unconditional, uncompromising unending love.

It was a cough that broke the spell.

Leah and Jacob looked around at the half embarrassed, half amused crowd of well wishers and blushed.

Once all the rites had been read, and Abel Green and the rest of the elders had been thanked it was everybody's turn to bestow a kiss on Harri's forehead and wish her well. Whilst Leah took Harri around the semi circle of people, she remained aware of a set of eyes following her, boring into her back. Jacob.

This time it didn't bother her. It felt nice, warm even. Hope was a hell of a drug.

Harri soon got tired of all the fuss and reached for Miguel who happily retrieved her from Leah's grasp and carried her towards the car, with Angel and Sue in tow.

-x-

The house buzzed with members of the Quileute tribe who had turned up full force to welcome Harri into the fold and celebrate the newest addition. Leah ,Angel and Miguel busied themselves setting up the buffet table and making sure everyone had a plate and a drink in hand.

When Leah got a tap on her shoulder, she smiled when she saw Jacob beckoning her outside to talk.

Once outside Leah turned to Jacob."Thank you for coming. You didn't have to but you did and that means a lot to me. Have you seen how much food my mom and Angel have made? Are you Hungry? Have you eaten? I can get you a drink…"

"Stop, Leah."

Leah drew breath and stopped talking immediately. Although he was no longer her Alpha, it surprised her how the tone of his voice still had the power to stop her in her tracks. Leah could feel herself deflate a little.

"I didn't come for you." Jacob said matter of factly, not quite meeting Leah's gaze."I was talking to Nora and she said a few things that made sense."

"Oh."Leah inwardly grimaced at the mention of Nora's name, "What did she say?"

"She said I should get my head out of my ass and man-up." Jacob chuckled a little, then stopped. He went silent and looked out towards the horizon "She asked me to imagine Harri 15 years from now, standing in front of me, asking me why I never gave a damn."

Leah looked down at her feet. "I didn't make this easy for you."

Jacob leant against a wall ."I watched her reach for your friend Miguel today and it bothered me ,I didn't think that it would but it did .It should be me she reaches out for when she's tired or scrapes her knee, it should be me who rocks her to sleep and teaches her to ride a bike. I'm her father."

Leah nodded, silently trying to catch every one of the words falling from his mouth.

"What are your plans?"

The question caught Leah off guard "What do you mean?"

"After your Mom's wedding, what are your plans?"

Leah watched the sunset on the horizon, "We'll head back to Cali, I guess."

"I figured as much. That's why I called a Lawyer." Jacob said, his eyes hard and uncompromising. "That's why I was late to the ceremony."

Leah's mouth dropped open in shock and then she closed it in anger. "What!"

Jacob straightened up and got off of the wall " I wanted to know what my rights are.I want to play a part in my daughter's life."

"As far as you were concerned , up till yesterday you didn't have a daughter. Now you're calling Lawyers ! ? " Leah stared incredulously at the man, who at this very moment ,she hated more than she loved.

"You give me no choice, You kept her away from me for two and a half years and now you're doing it again." Jacob countered, the pain etched in his voice.

He had a point that Leah couldn't argue with but she couldn't put Harri through a custody battle, she couldn't put them through one either ,she loved him too much."I don't want to take her away from you.I want you to be a part of her life. There are Christmases and Summer holidays and Thanksgivings…we could skype and there's always the telephone."

It was Jacob's turn to be incredulous. "That's not good enough for me."he said through gritted teeth. Jacob bit down on his tongue to stop himself from saying everything that begged to be unleashed. What he wanted to say was that he'd do whatever it took to make them stay in LaPush, because he was certain that being without Leah and Harri again would finally kill him, because no matter how much he hated Leah , he loved her more.

"Be reasonable Jacob, we have a life in California…I have a Job,Harri is happy and flourishing."Leah tried to muster some sort of composure.

Jacob shrugged " I am being reasonable that's why you'll be hearing from my Lawyer."

And with that he began walking up the driveway towards his car, not once checking on the damage he'd left behind.

It wasn't until Jacob drove away that Leah was able to function. She had truly been left reeling. Slowly she turned only to be met with an unexpected figure watching her.

It was Billy who had seemingly heard the whole altercation. "He's scared of losing you again."

Leah grimaced. "He has a funny way of showing it. No…He hates me, he wants to make my life as difficult as possible. I don't blame him."

Billy disagreed; he wheeled his chair out of the shadows and aligned himself with Leah. "Tell him that you Love him. Tell him that you'd stay for him, with him, if only he was brave enough to ask."Billy said.

Leah studied the wise older man, who she loved and respected a great deal, before throwing her hands up. " Sure I will Billy, when you work up the courage to tell my mother that you've been in love with her for years and that you'd rather she married you and not Charlie Swan."

Billy stared at Leah completely flabbergasted. The colour drained from his face .He looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"Not so easy, is it?",Leah said as she opened the door and went back inside to find Harri.

TBC.