A/N: Once again, I am sending out my thanks to those reading this fic and adding it to all sorts of favourite lists. But of course, I am forever grateful to those who take the time to review. Like always, this message is a completely inadequate way to thank you. It truly is the least that I can do to show my gratitude. This week I bought Chupa Chups for my students, so let's just imagine that you are all getting Chupa Chups as well :)
From your reviews, I can see that you are all loving the sweet stuff that has been occurring between Jacob and Leah- and I love that. But, I do feel a slight need to point out that this fic is in the Angst category. I want to warn you that troubled times are ahead for our favourite wolves.
On that note, I had better leave you alone so that you can continue reading. Let me know what you think.
Music: Catch the Wind- Donovan, Fall, Fall,Fall- Razorlight, Plans- Bloc Party
Some eight months ago...
Sue sat in her chair, her back erect. She looked strong and stoic, like she was ready to face anything. Those who were walking past, and did not know, did not give her a second glance. She looked fine. There was obviously no tragic reason for why she was here.
But Billy, Charlie and Sam knew better. They knew that it was just a facade. That she was fighting furiously to stay calm as doctors worked on her husband behind closed doors. That if she would only allow herself, she would break down in a second. But they knew she wanted to stay strong. For Harry, for Leah, for Seth...and for herself.
"Charlie." Her voice was hoarse, quiet, but it still startled them all. "Could you please get me a coffee? I just...I need...please just get it as strong as you can."
Charlie nodded, and Sam stood up with him. "I'll go with you- we'll get something for all of us," he offered.
When the two of them had disappeared, Sue turned to Billy. He noticed that she was starting to slip, that she was wringing her hands in her lap and that agitation was written all over her face.
"I need to talk to you about something, Billy," she started.
He reached out, putting a hand on her upper arm. "What is it?"
"Seth phased," she said, her voice breaking slightly.
Billy blanched. Seth was just a baby. To be fourteen years old and have this responsibility placed upon him...He was incredibly proud of his heritage, but at times he struggled to understand. "Ok, well, he is part of the bloodline. We knew that it would happen. We'll just have to make sure that the older ones take care of him, teach him well. Sam will be able to keep him safe."
"That's not all," Sue said.
"What do you mean?" Billy asked.
Sue looked him in the eyes, fear written all over her face. "Leah did too," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Billy inhaled sharply. "What?"
"Leah phased too," Sue repeated, her voice stronger. "What does this mean, Billy? In all the time that this has been raised in council meetings, in all the history and mythology there has never been a female wolf. What does it mean? What is going to happen to my daughter?"
"I...I don't know," Billy admitted, his mind working at a mile a minute. "But it makes sense now... why Sam didn't imprint on her...he couldn't..."
Sue nodded. "I know, but we need to assess how we are going to approach this. I do not want my daughter becoming the freak of the reservation, Billy. It has been so hard for her in the aftermath of Sam, and now with Harry...who knows..." she broke off with a quiet sob. Clasping a hand over her mouth, she inhaled deeply, fighting to keep herself calm. "I do not want her to stick out, to have some stigma attached to her."
"Look," Billy's hand moved to Sue's back, moving up and down in comforting circles. "Given Leah's...interactions, I don't think it needs to be a concern of ours. Let's just keep this information amongst us- you, me, Quil Snr and Harry, and if the time ever comes, we will take action then."
XXXXX
Sue stepped up to the open front door, and peered inside. "Hello? Anyone home?"
"Come in," came Billy's slightly muffled reply. "I'm in the kitchen."
Sue did so, finding him seated at the table preparing vegetables for what she assumed was that evening's dinner. "Would you like to come around to my place and do that when you're done?" she joked.
"Yeah, so I can butcher both of our dinners," Billy chuckled, putting the knife down. "How are you, Sue?"
"I'm good," she said. "I was just after Jacob. He did some work on my car, and I need to give him money for the parts. Is he around?"
Billy snorted. "Is he around? Nope. Haven't you heard? Jacob is never around, anymore. He has more pressing issues at hand." He paused. "What those issues are, I am not sure."
"Tell me about it," Sue laughed. "Leah is always doing something and whenever we actually get an opportunity to sit down and talk she is so evasive."
"Same old Leah, hey?"
"See, that's the thing," Sue said, sitting down next to him. "She is different. I think that she might finally be over the whole Sam thing. Two weeks ago she actually went away with Emily. I didn't think that I would ever see that friendship repair itself. And she doesn't seem to be freaking out about the whole wolf thing, either. She is actually content with herself, Billy. It is such a relief."
"Well, you know what? Maybe we are actually doing something right as parents. Jacob seems to have turned a new leaf as well. He still spends a lot of time at the Cullen's, but I think that he has accepted his friendship with Bella. He's happy."
"So Jacob has been at the Cullen's a lot?" Sue queried and Billy nodded. "Leah has been going over there frequently as well- to see Seth. She never mentioned seeing Jacob."
Billy raised an eyebrow. "Come on- those two? They would be trying their hardest to avoid each other at all costs."
Sue leaned forward slightly, cupping her chin in her hand. "But..." she trailed off, deep in thought.
Billy's eyes widened. "Oh, come on. You cannot possibly be thinking—"
"And you cannot ignore the fact that certain things are lining up. We both said it- extreme changes in our children at the same time. Maybe I have a suspicious nature, but I cannot help but see the coincidence in all of this."
"Sue, stop it," Billy's tone was firm. "There is nothing going on, because there cannot be anything going on. You know it as well as I do."
Sue nodded. "I also know that we don't have that sort of control, Billy. Nobody does."
XXXXX
Leah settled herself down into the v-shape of Jacob's legs and leaned back against his chest. The sand beneath her still felt warm from the earlier rare sunny day. Closing her eyes, she tilted her head upwards, imagining the rays hitting her face. She wondered when she and Jacob would get the opportunity to sit on the beach during the day. Wondered if they would ever get to enjoy the sun in public.
She felt Jacob head lower, nuzzling her crook of her neck. She shivered, loving that he could cause such reactions with the slightest of touches. She clasped his hands, bringing his arms tightly around her.
"Hey," he whispered. "Do you feel like a swim?"
Leah laughed softly, curling her toes into the sand. "Not really. That water is cold enough during the day- no matter how much sun we get. I don't even want to think about what it would feel like at 2am in the morning."
"Weakling," Jacob teased. "You got that hot wolf blood running through your veins and you are scared of a little cold water."
"Ok then, why don't you get in first and tell me what it's like."
Jacob was silent for a few moments, before tightening his arms around her. "Nah," he said. "I think I would much rather stay here."
"Yeah, that's what I thought," Leah replied with a smile, and then tilted her head up to look at him. "Can we talk about something?"
"Oh oh, should I be scared?"
Leah shook her head. "I've just been thinking..."
"Did it hurt?" Jacob could not help but interject, earning him a slap in return.
"Shut it," Leah admonished. "I am trying to be serious here."
"Ok, ok. I'm sorry," Jacob said, pressing his lips onto the top of her head. "Tell me."
"I was just thinking about us...about our permanency."
Jacob frowned slightly, wondering what she was getting at. "What are you talking about?"
"I don't just want to assume, but we're it for each other...aren't we? For now, for however long we want it to be that way, right?"
"Leah, are you trying to say—"
"Don't," Leah cut in, twisting herself around so that she could face him directly. "I don't want to get into the whole 'will you be my boyfriend' talk. That is just awkward and uncomfortable and so not us...but I guess that I was seeking some clarification. I wanted to hear you say it. We're it, right?"
Jacob nodded. "For as long as you will have me," he said.
Leah paused. "So, it's official- we are serious?"
Jacob leaned forward slightly. "Deadly," he murmured before pressing his lips into hers. Leah allowed herself to savour the touch for several moments before pulling away.
"There is still more," she said. "I don't want to hide anymore."
Jacob reached out, clasping one of her hands. "You want us to start telling people?"
She nodded. "What is the point of hiding? We know that we have something now. I want to see you whenever I want. I want to enjoy what we have as much as possible. I am sick of the sneaking around and I hate that I have been lying to mother."
"Ok then," Jacob agreed. "How do you suggest we do this? "
Leah shrugged. "I thought that we could just start with our parents, and then let the news spread naturally. With the way that people gossip it should only take a couple of days for the news to spread."
Jacob snorted. "A couple of days? Try a couple of hours."
Leah grinned. "True..." she trailed off, running a hand down his cheek. "So, we are really going to do this, hey?"
Jacob nodded. "Uh huh...so I guess that we'd better prepare ourselves. The staring, the whispers, the rumours..."
"Pfft," Leah let out, waving a hand. "Been there, done that. Going public together is going to be a walk in the park. We can totally handle this."
"Together," Jacob clarified.
"Together," she confirmed.
XXXXX
Jacob hovered nervously outside the living room. He wasn't sure why he was so apprehensive. He knew that Billy was going to be surprised. Hell, he was still under the impression that he and Leah barely tolerated each other. Jacob knew that he could handle shock, laughter even. But there was something tiny irking him. Telling him that something was off, that everything was about to blow sky high.
'Quit avoiding and take some fucking control,' he told himself. He wished that Leah was here with him. Why they had decided to do this separately, he did not know. If she were here she would know exactly what to say to make him feel stronger.
'She would say what you have been telling yourself. Now walk into that room and speak up.'
Drawing in a deep breath, Jacob took several steps forward, until Billy fell into his view.
"Dad," he said and Billy looked up. "Are you busy?"
Billy shook his head. "No. Why?"
"I need to talk to you about something."
XXXXX
Leah walked out of her bedroom and headed towards the backyard, where she knew Sue was, hanging out the washing. She was full of energy- to the point of being jittery. She wanted to blurt her news out as fast as possible. Then she could allow Sue a quick girly celebration before setting off to see Jacob.
To see Jacob and have her mother know exactly where she was and what she was doing...well, maybe not exactly.
"Hey mum. Do you want a hand?" Leah asked, jumping down the back steps.
Sue nodded. "That would be fantastic."
Leah stopped at the washing basket and picked up a towel. "Can I talk to you about something, mum?"
"As long as you keep hanging towels, you can talk about anything you want."
XXXXX
Billy took in the serious look on his son's face. "What is it? You're not in trouble are you?"
"No,no,no...nothing like that, dad," Jacob replied. "It's anything but trouble."
"Well, then out with it. You can't taunt an old man like this."
Jacob grinned. "Um...I've been seeing someone, dad."
Billy's eyes lit up. "I knew it. Took you long enough to admit it, though. I thought you were never going to let me in."
"Well, there's a little bit more to it. It's actually someone you know."
"Who?" Billy asked, his head cocking to one side.
"Um, Leah Clearwater," Jacob said, watching his father closely for a reaction, but Billy said nothing. All expression dropped from his face as he stared at his son in an incomprehensible silence. "Look, I know that this is a surprise," Jacob continued, hurriedly. "We never got on in the past, but this snuck up on us and believe it or not, dad, we really work together. I was as surprised as you are now."
"No," Billy said. The seriousness of his tone made Jacob's stomach drop.
"What?"
"This can't happen. You need to stop."
Jacob frowned, completely confused. "I have to stop what? I am not joking, dad. I am serious."
"I know that you are not joking, Jacob," Billy replied. "And that is why you need to stop this relationship now."
Jacob stared at his father. "I don't...what?"
"You and Leah," Billy said. "It can't happen and I will not allow it to happen. You need to end this relationship today."
* m47e47l cowers, preparing herself for the onslaught*
