I think you turn, turn the clock, but I don't really know

And I can't remember caring for an hour or so

Started crying and I couldn't stop myself

Started running, but there's no where to run to

I sat down on the street, took a look at myself

Said, "Where you goin, man. You know the world is headed for hell?"

Say your goodbyes if you got someone you can say goodbye to

"How far we've come"

-Matchbox 20

Chapter 14:

Bring it on bitch

I quickly changed my direction, racing towards where my brother was. Whoever was coming was closer to his end. That made my heart jump into my throat. The pack wouldn't attack him, would they?

Seth answered my thoughts with a confident No.

I was relieved when I felt Jacob phase. His thoughts were fixed on both the looming attack and Bella. I choked back vomit when I saw Bella chugging down the blood. Ugh, seeing it once was enough. I didn't need a close up from Jake's thoughts.

Disgusting, I grunted.

She looks better. Seth was delighted.

We could see from Jake's mind that the blood had done Bella some good. She actually had some color back in her cheeks.

Whoop-dee-do. I'm so thrilled. The bitch isn't dead yet, I grumbled. Can we focus on the more important matter please? I referred to the wolves that were racing towards us.

Jacob snarled softly when I spoke poorly of Bella, but he let it go. He knew our attention needed to be fixed on what was coming.

What's going on? Jacob asked for an update on why we'd howled.

Incoming. Seth turned his ears slightly. Three, maybe four.

I listened closely and realized that Seth was right. That didn't seem like a very smart move on Sam's part. Why would he split them up? Was this some weird war tactic? I increased my speed, nearly blowing my lungs out. I didn't care. I wasn't about to watch my brother get ripped to shreds by a group of testy werewolves.

Jacob was impressed with my speed, which only helped me to increase my pace. Even when the other wolves seemed to slow down, I kicked my velocity up a notch.

What are they doing? Jacob was as confused as I was about this odd maneuver. The intruding wolves had slowed to a near trot now. There was a slight difference in their approach. Someone had phased.

Got your back, bro. I flew through the trees into the clearing where Seth was waiting and slammed on the brakes. I was going so fast that I nearly skidded out, losing my feet from under me. I was able to regain my balance rather quickly.

Jacob wasn't far behind me. He warned Seth and I not to do anything stupid.

Define "stupid" I toyed with a few ideas.

If you looked it up in the dictionary, your picture would be next to it, Jacob grumbled.

Ouch. Good one. I had walked right into that.

I could feel that Seth was starting to get nervous. They were almost right upon us. Jacob assured us that he was just mere moments away. He was starting to get worried that something might happen to the two of us. He tried not to let his thoughts stray to what would happen if they attacked us. I heard him mumble something about castrating anyone who touched Seth and I.

Aw, look who's getting all paternal, I teased him.

Focus, Leah. Jacob wasn't in the mood to play anymore. I knew that if he didn't get here in time, it would be up to me to keep Seth safe. I quickly let him know that nothing would happen to my brother on my watch.

Watch yourself, too, Jacob warned. You annoy me, but if something happened to you, I'd… He couldn't finish the thought.

Only three are wolves, Seth decided. One of them phased.

Nice ears. Jacob appeared in the clearing. He immediately took point. Both Seth and I were relieved at his presence. Seth quickly jumped to his right side.

Since when had we decided ranks? I thought this wasn't a pack. I grumbled at Jacob's choice for his right hand man. I had been at this longer than Seth.

Jacob just shrugged, He was here first.

First come, first serve, Seth smirked. Besides, you never got close to being Sam's third in command. Consider this an upgrade.

Since when is following orders from my kid brother an upgrade?

I always was the better child, Seth shrugged.

Hey, Donny, Marie…I hate to interrupt your little family variety hour, but we should probably focus on not getting eaten. Jacob quieted our bickering. I don't care who stands where. Just get ready.

Right. Sorry. Seth immediately apologized.

They were just a few yards away now. We waited quietly. I looked at Jacob.

Donny and Marie? I questioned. You know the Osmonds by name? I teased him.

Shut up, Jacob growled.

My laughter quieted as soon as Jared came into view a few seconds later. Paul, Quil, and Collin were just a few feet behind him on all fours.

Jacob and I immediately had the same thought: Where's Embry? It was odd that Sam had sent Collin instead of someone who actually knew how to fight. The only thing I could think of was that this was some kind of diversion. I faced Jacob.

Are the Cullens aware of the situation?

Jacob nodded, I'm sure Edward has Emmett and Jasper guarding the house. He didn't seem very confident that Sam would take Embry and Brady to attack the Cullens alone.

Want me to run the line? Wouldn't take me very long, I offered.

Jacob shook his head. He didn't want us to split up. The Cullens knew that there was a chance that the others might attack. I felt sick to my stomach thinking of Sam trying something that suicidal. Three werewolves versus seven vampires was a gigantic risk, especially with Brady's lack of fighting experience. He wouldn't do something that stupid, would he? Had my abandonment pushed him over the edge? I cringed thinking of Embry being torn apart by Rosalie or Emmett. Sam would go after Edward himself and possibly send Brady after Alice or Esme. He wouldn't stand a chance. None of them would.

I saw Jacob shudder at my thought as well, but he reassured me, He wouldn't be that careless, Leah.

I hope you're right, Seth whined.

While we were having our conversation, I could tell that the other three wolves were having a conversation of their own. It was freaky not being in their heads anymore. I tried to guess what they were saying to each other.

Paul was probably calling me a bitch, while Collin just tried to stay calm about everything that was going on. Quil's expression was harder to read. I knew that he was sad. This was hard for him, seeing his best friend defending vampires.

"Okay, before anyone does anything too rash, I just want to wave the white flag here. We're just here to talk." Jared raised his arms passively.

Just to talk? Well, that was better than a battle I guess. But there was still something off about the situation. I didn't like it.

So, talk. Jacob just glared at him.

Jared requested for Jacob to phase so they could understand each other. Jacob resisted, still unsure of Jared's intentions. He still wasn't certain that this wasn't a trap of some kind.

Jared seemed to understand Jake's reluctance, "Okay, I get it. You don't trust us," he sighed. "That's the problem. This is not how the pack is meant to be. We want you to come back, Jacob." He glanced at Seth and then me. "All of you."

I glared at Jacob. If he went back to Sam now, I would kill him. I couldn't go back to that life. Not after being able to separate myself from him. Jacob assured me that I had nothing to worry about. Jared continued to scold us for abandoning the pack after a minor disagreement.

What the hell was minor about that? We didn't overreact! Sam did! He wanted to attack first, and ask questions later! Seth let out a growl. It was weird to see him so angry.

Jacob quickly cooled him down. Chill. You ever heard of a poker face?

Sorry. My brother's constant apologizing was going to get old fast.

Jared went on about how Sam was willing to sit down and talk with Jake about everything. Apparently he'd spoken with the Elders…

Crap, mom's going to freak, Seth gulped.

Jared said that the Elders were in agreement that it was possible to wait until after Bella gave birth before the attack was imminent.

"An attack now would be pointless," Jared shrugged.

I grinned smugly. They were just pissed that they didn't have the element of surprise on their side anymore. Seth, Jake, and I were the ones with the upper hand now. Jared eased the conversation into how proceeding to kill Bella would not be right. Hmph, I wouldn't go that far. I might be defending her, but I still thought she was an idiot.

"We're not going to do anything for the time being, Jake."

I growled. What a load of crap. Jacob looked at me, a little shocked that I wasn't listening to Jared.

I shook my head. Come on, we were part of their pack at one time. Don't you remember how they think? They've lost the element of surprise, so the next step is to wait for time to take its course. They figure that when Bella dies…

If. Jacob didn't want to accept that that's what was coming.

Fine, IF Bella dies, then they figure you'll have nothing left. They'll probably let you take point in the attack against the Cullens. He thought the last words along with me. Our thoughts were completely in sync.

Jacob pondered how much his views had changed. He was worried that if something happened to Bella, then he would lose sight of the emotional attachments he was forming with the vampires. Great, as if Seth loving the leeches wasn't enough. Now Jacob was warming up to them, too.

I'll remind you of how good they are, Seth said quietly when Jacob doubted that he would be able to think clearly if Bella died.

"Jacob, I need to know what's going through that head of yours…" Jared was tired of waiting.

Jacob glanced at Jared and started thinking about phasing. I could tell he was uncomfortable phasing in front of me. You still think you can run the circuit pretty quickly? I knew that he only wanted to get rid of me because he was afraid I would get a glimpse of "Jacob Jr."

Come on, there's nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, it's not like I haven't seen you naked before. It gave me nightmares for months, I joked.

Ah ha, so you do dream about me, Jacob didn't miss a beat. He rolled his eyes. This isn't about you seeing my ass, this is about keeping our asses protected.

I leaped forward into the forest, eager to beat my own record. As I raced off, I could hear Jacob thinking about the times that he had seen me naked after I'd lost my temper a few times. I think his exact words were Not too bad.

Ha ha, I'm in your head too, I laughed.

Jacob phased back before he had a chance to respond. I watched curiously through Seth's eyes as Jacob and Jared conversed. It wasn't anything new. "We want you back. Blah, blah, blah. You don't belong here. Yada, yada, yada." God, Jared was like a broken record.

I raced forward. At the rate I was going, I was about half-way done already. I felt like I was quicker than the speed of light when I was running as a wolf. As I ran the perimeters, I didn't find anything out of the ordinary. At first, I figured that Sam, Embry, and Collin must be watching from somewhere in the shadows. But I caught a glimpse of a wolf overlooking a cliff. It was Embry. He sighed and let his feet drop from underneath him. He didn't look ready for an attack. He looked more like he was taking a break from all this mess. He laid his head between his massive paws and let out a heavy breath. Nothing to worry about there.

I quickly finished the run and went flying back to Jacob and Seth. I flew through the brush just as Jared was trying to make Seth feel guilty for abandoning our mom. I scoffed right along with Jacob. My mom was probably doing just fine. If anything, she was more pissed than hurt.

Jared glanced at me as I stood protectively in front of my brother. "Leah?"

Get lost, you asshole, I bared my teeth at Jared. I saw Jacob chuckle from the corner of my eye. I tried not to look directly at him since he was being so sensitive about this whole nudity issue.

"Come on, what are you doing? You know you don't belong here." Jared didn't seem at all surprised by my anger. Well, I was apparently predictable.

Predict this, you overgrown idiot. I snapped at him.

Leah, chill, Seth whimpered and nudged me softly. He glanced at me and then at Jacob. Apparently Jacob had been trying to get me to shut up.

I frowned, You're the one who didn't want me looking at you. I shrugged at Jacob.

"So you got her to listen to you. That's impressive," I heard Jared mutter.

"Back off," Jacob threatened.

Cool, Jacob was defending me now. Although, I knew I shouldn't get too excited. Jacob would fight with him about anything. He and Jared hadn't always gotten along. Jared had a hard time accepting Jacob when he had become a member of the pack. There was a feeling of resentment between the two of them, though I'd never understood why. I thought maybe it had something to do with the fact that Jake hadn't struggled with all the issues that plagued new werewolves.

And now that I was looking in their direction, getting a full view of both of them, I could see another reason Jared didn't like him. Jake was so much bigger than Jared, in all respects.

I looked at Jacob to let him know that I wouldn't disobey him, and then averted my eyes to try and be polite. I think the last thing Jacob wanted to see when he phased back was me thinking about his attributes, noticeably his tallywacker.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." Jared apologized. "And we get that you want to keep an eye on Seth, but do you really think Jake will let him get hurt?"

Depends on whether or not Jacob can stop him from being an impulsive idiot. I glanced at Seth.

Thanks for the confidence. Seth rolled his eyes.

"Sooner or later you have to stop using Seth as an excuse," Jared frowned at me.

Both Jacob, as human, and Seth growled in my defense. But I didn't need their protection. If anything, he would need protecting from me. Who the hell did he think he was? He didn't know me. He didn't know the first thing about me. He did not get to judge me.

You miserable sack of shit, I snarled. I will rip your god damn dick off.

You know that he can't hear you, right? Seth questioned.

Oh, he knows exactly what I'm thinking. I glanced at Jared, who took an automatic step back and brought his hands protectively around his front.

Seth noticed the move and shook his head. He was glad that he hadn't had to phase along with Jacob. He cringed thinking about me seeing him naked.

Oh, like I haven't seen your naked butt before. I used to change your diapers, I laughed.

Yeah, well, I've grown a lot since then, Seth said defensively.

Not much, I mumbled.

Seth let out a low grumble, I hate you, Leah.

Jared quickly regained my attention. "Sam told me to beg, if that's what it takes to get you back. He wants you to come home Lee-lee." I cowered down at the nickname that Sam had given me when we were together. I had to remind myself that everything Jared was spouting was bullshit. If Sam really wanted me back, he would be the one begging, not Jared. "He's real hurt, Leah. He's disappointed at your betrayal."

I growled out a sarcastic laugh. My betrayal? It was his own fault for pushing me as hard as he had! He had to know that I was going to fight back eventually. Hadn't he heard that phrase about a woman scorned? Hell really didn't have fury like someone as burned as me.

I snapped at Jared, letting him know how I felt.

Tell Sam he can bite my traitorous furry ass. And as for you, if you so much as get within ten feet of me, my brother, or Jacob again, I will rip your fucking guts out of your ass and then tie them around your neck and strangle you with them, I snarled.

That's disgusting, Leah. Seth shook his head.

I will never belong to Sam Uley again. I have made my choice and if that means that I'm letting the vampires adopt me to be their little guard dog and run errands for them, then so be it. It still beats having to see your ugly ass every day.

As soon as I finished, I nodded at Jacob, letting him know that I'd said my piece. He quickly backed me up, telling Jared not to mess with me anymore. He went on to tell him that eventually things might go back to normal. After Bella had the kid, the Cullens would probably pick up and move. Then he would be free again. He mentioned something about Seth and I going home. I shook my head heatedly. No way I was going back. He didn't acknowledge my disagreement.

I'm not going back either, Seth agreed.

"Just howl if you need me, but stay away from the Cullens," Jacob warned Jared.

Jared turned to walk away, but Jacob stopped him. I had a feeling I knew what he was going to ask.

"Where's Embry? Is he okay?"

I saw Quil flinch when Jacob mentioned his name. He tried not to falter, but I could see that he had the answer that Jacob wanted to know.

"Embry's fine," Jared shrugged. I knew he wasn't lying. I had seen him a few minutes ago. But Jacob didn't seem to believe him.

"Why did Sam send Collin instead of him?"

"That's really none of your business anymore." Jared walked off. Jacob shrugged. I could tell it bothered him more than he let on.

Paul and Collin quickly skipped after Jared. Quil lagged behind. He let out a whimper. He missed Jake. Jacob admitted to missing him, too. I watched as they had a bro-moment. God, they were such girls sometimes. After Quil took off, Jacob stared after him sadly.

Well, at least it hadn't turned into a brawl. Though, that might have been more fun. I smirked to myself as I thought of Jared screaming like a girl while I was lunging for his unmentionables…