Landslide
Chapter Six

Leah's point of view

I left the Cullen's house and sat next to the small river at the edge of the woods for a few minutes. I thought of all the places in the world I wanted to visit; places I probably would never set foot in. Though, as my mind wandered, I came across a very valid escape; my mom's. I smiled thinking of her. I hadn't seen her since the fire on the beach and I decided it was time I pay her a visit at home. Sam didn't mind us crossing the boarder considering all of our families – and even some imprints – were on 'his side'.

I walked into the woods a little further before I phased into my large, gray-furred alternative shape and I felt my paws hitting the forest floor with strength and agility. I hadn't realized how much I needed to talk to my mom until I actually thought about it. She always knew what to say and I missed her wise words and comforting embrace.

It didn't take me long to get to the treaty line and I quickly surpassed it, making my way into La Push and closer to home. I couldn't deny that I missed the beach; the place held to many memories, good and bad. Painful, even. But I missed the way the waves would roll in to shore on nicer days. The salt water sang to my nostrils and I breathed in the diluted scent, mixed with the damp grass. Everything was heightened in wolf form, and I could even feel all the small rocks under my paws. La Push always had a way to soothe me. It was familiar and welcoming. Before Sam had broken up with me, I always wanted to stay there and raise a family. I scoffed mentally at the idea, now, but back then it seemed like a very plausible and attainable future.

Finally, I got to my mom's house, and phased at the edge of the woods, changing into the clothes I attached to my leg before leaving the cover of the tall, wet trees, making my way to the back patio before the large storm clouds above decided to change from mist to a full-blown water attack.

I knocked on the back door before entering and then wiped my bare feet on the mat in the laundry room, attached to the kitchen.

"Leah? Seth?" My mom called, meeting me in the kitchen.

She smiled when she saw me and came over immediately, engulfing me into one of those mother-daughter hugs that seemed to last forever. "Lee," she said happily as we parted. "Is Seth with you, too?"

"Nope," I said, leaning against the island in the middle of the room. "I came alone. I wanted to see you."

"Is anything wrong?" She asked.

I shrugged, "The usual, I guess. I did want to talk to you, though."

My mom gave me a smile and kissed my forehead. "Want some hot chocolate first? We can go downstairs in the den. I've been doing it up so I can have somewhere to sew and just sit and read. It's got a small TV on the wall, and a rocking chair, come on, I'll show you."

I smiled. "I'll just take a soda," I murmured before going over to the fridge and taking out a diet Pepsi. I followed my mom down to the basement that despite dad's claims to always finish it so I could have a basement bedroom, never fell through until now. I had only wanted privacy with the basement bedroom so Sam and I could have our own place, and after he broke up with me, I decided my room was just fine.

Mom had certainly changed it, though. There was now a dark red carpet on the floor, brown walls, and like she said – a rocking chair, TV, and a couch. She also had her sewing machine on one wall and the large bookcase that used to be in the living room on the other. "It's nice," I commented. "Very warm."

My mom smiled and took my hand, leading me over to the couch. "I thought so, too. I really like it down here." She turned to me, sitting beside me and took both my hands in her own once I put the Pepsi down on the small table in front of the couch. "What's going through your mind, Lee?"

I took a deep breath in, letting it out slowly as my smile fell. "I'm just really confused."

"I thought you were happier in Jacob's pack?" She asked earnestly.

"I am, I mean, I was, I guess. It's better than Sam's, that's true. I don't like the Cullen's much, still, but at least I don't have to deal with Sam as much anymore. I want him to be happy, I just didn't want to have to watch it, so I got my wish."

"So what's wrong?" She asked naively.

I wondered if she ever expected I would say I liked someone besides Samuel Uley. I suppose not, because once I opened my mouth, she seemed speechless. "I think, well, I know that I kind of have feelings for someone else."

My mom's face brightened up, a large smile entertaining her lips. "What's wrong with that? I mean, I know you've been so broken up since what happened with Sam and I always wished I could change that but this is great, Lea-"

"It's Jacob."

My mom's smile immediately fell. "Ah... That's the problem." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Jacob imprinted on Renesmee."

I nodded. "Mom... He just... He gets me. He knew what it was like to have the one you love chose someone else. Neither of us got along at first but eventually we got to know each other on a deeper level and I just... Then he imprinted."

"Does he know you feel this way?"

"Yeah, I told him earlier today. Though I'm pretty sure he already knew."

"Oh Leah," she breathed, reaching out and hugging me tightly. "You have a huge heart, dear, but it always seems to be misplaced."

"It's not," I said gently, returning the hug. "He hated imprinting before he did. He said their lives didn't belong to themselves anymore. It's true, and his imprint is even worse because it doesn't even make sense."

"Do any of the imprints make sense?" My mom asked.

Frustrated, I replied. "No, but at least everyone else imprinted on a human."

"Just think of Quil, Leah. He imprinted on a toddler. I know Jacob did, too, but she'll be full grown in what, a couple more weeks? None of the imprints are ideal. You think Sam wanted to leave you? His imprint wasn't ideal for him, either."

"If he didn't he wouldn't have," I grumbled.

My mom frowned. "He never wanted to, Leah. He loved you. None of them wanted to imprint, it just happened. Imprinting doesn't happen for a known reason. Some think to better the wolf, some to reproduce, but either way our line will be passed on. I think it may be for reproducing reasons, but even if it is, why do fate, - if you want to call it that, get to decide that Jacob and Renesmee are going to have, what, a third human, a third wolf, and a third vampire, baby? It wouldn't. Maybe the imprint... Well, maybe it's for a different reason. Something we may not know, yet, but maybe someday we will. What I'm trying to say is that the imprints happen for some, odd reason, but they're not definite. The elders and I have been talking and we can't see Jacob and Renesmee having a child. It would be an enemy to itself."

I laughed in spite of myself at my mothers words. It wasn't a bitter laugh, but a full, belly one at the thought of the child they would create. "Aside from the fact that I don't want to think about them having a baby," I said gently between laughing. "That is probably one of the funniest things, ever."

My mom laughed, too, softly. "Maybe the imprint isn't for romantic reasons, Lee. No one knows, but I want you to be careful with that heart of yours. It's too fragile to be misplaced, okay?"

If anyone besides my mother called me fragile I probable would have shown them how un-fragile I was by punching them or something. But your mother always knew you better than anyone else, no matter if you wanted to think differently or not.

"Did you start the classes, yet?"

"Hm?"

"The yoga or meditation classes you said you were going to start soon?"

"Oh, those. No, I haven't really had time. Alice saw two newborns coming to their house in a vision earlier today, and before that was the engagement party, etc."

My mom raised a brow. "Are you guys in danger?"

I shook my head. "No, there's only two. They're severely outnumbered if they do try something, and probably don't even know the shape shifters exist, so. I'm more worried about having to ditch sleep for patrolling," I said honestly.

My mom smiled softly. "Be careful though, Lee. Keep me updated, okay?"

I nodded.

"Don't be too down about Jake, too, okay?"

"I won't. I just wish that something would go right for me."

"At least you got out of Sam's head," my mom pointed out.

I actually smiled. "Yes, I'm glad. I mean, Jacob was understanding when I told him how I felt today, but I'm just... waiting to see how things play out, I guess. He probably doesn't like me anyways." I left the kiss out purposefully, still not understanding why he did it and not wanting my mom trying to give a false meaning to it.

"Jacob's a good kid," my mom said softly. "He cares about you, Leah. If he didn't you wouldn't be his Beta. He would have made you go back to Sam. He cares about all of you guys, so try to go easy on him. I'm sure he's as confused as we are all about his imprint, no matter how happy he may seem about it."

"I will," I promised her before deciding it was time to get back.

After a heartfelt goodbye and another phasing episode, I found myself back near the Cullen's house, to our own deeper in the forest. I phased back to normal and went inside, hearing the guys from the open window, even though it was finally starting to rain. I entered quickly and shut the door behind me.

"Hey Lee, where'd you go?" Seth asked softly, all the guys sat around the living room.

"I went to see mom," I said simply.

Jacob hesitated before speaking up. "Me and you have first patrol tonight."

I quirked a brow. "Wouldn't it make sense for you to have one tonight and me in the morning where you're alpha and I'm Beta?" I would think Jacob would have had a 'authority figure' patrolling with both the night and morning patrol, but he stuck us together, and I wasn't sure the logic behind that.

"I want to talk to you," he said simply.

I sighed and nodded. "Alright, what time are we going out?"

"You ready now?"

The sun was starting to go down. "I'm game."

He got up and nodded to the door, "Let's go then."

We walked back out of the house together and I turned to him. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Not now," he said, before we entered the woods and went behind two different sets of trees to phase into our wolf forms, tying our clothes to our leg.

I wanted privacy, Jacob thought as we started out running, me having his flank.

For what?

Edward spoke to me earlier,

he said, keeping the altercation of words to himself, though.

Oh yeah? What'd the bloodsucker have to say?

He read your thoughts.

Of course he did,

I scoffed. He doesn't even know what privacy means.

He said you were... Well, loud. He couldn't help it.

Bullshit.

Jacob sighed and kept running, trying to stay on the topic. For once, I realized, he wasn't thinking about Renesmee. Well, not until I thought about it at least.

Leah... The more I think about my imprint, the more I'm confused. I don't want it to control me and right now, I'm just her protector; big brother, but when the time comes to get serious... Well, you're right. I want a normal life; to age, to have kids.

I know it's hard,

I admitted. I never thought imprinting was easy, but you've all just taken the easier way out.

I'm your Alpha and I have to protect you, whether that be from physical pain, or mental.

What if it's not that easy?

It won't be easy. But, well, it will be worth it.

So where does this leave us?

I was thinking, well...

I saw it in his head before he said it, though. He let it slip and I saw an image of him holding my hand; what he thought it would be like. He knew the message was conveyed through his slip-up and I waited patiently for him to continue, although my heart was beating strongly against my breast. Phase back, k?

I did as I was told, Jacob having went a little further into the brush so we could change quickly. He emerged, dressed in only a pair of shorts, and I had my old, tattered dress pulled over my head for quick phasing. He came over, taking my hands in his. "I can't promise you right here, right now that I will never hurt you because we both know how much that is to promise. Whether hurt be accidentally stepping on your foot, or not being able to save you from getting hurt out here, as wolves. But I can promise you that I will try my hardest to make you happy. I don't know what will happen when Nessie gets older, honestly. I don't know if my feelings will amp up or not, but I think if we start right now, trying to make things work between us, maybe, just maybe things will stay like this when she gets older and although I have to protect her, too, maybe you're all right, maybe I don't have to love her intimately."

I was shocked. "What if this," I said, pulling my hand free and gesturing between us both. "Doesn't work out?"

Jacob frowned. "Then we have to know from the start that that's a very real possibility and if we get to that point, where it's not working, I still want you as my Beta; a best friend. But I'm stronger than Sam. I was supposed to be Alpha over him because I am stronger and I'm willing to hope that that means mentally, too; against the imprint. Just give me a chance to show you I'm not Sam, Leah. I'm not perfect, but I'm willing to try to have... Well, a normal relationship. With you."

Authors Note:
I just wanted to push you all over to the new tumblr independent rpg blog I started. If anyone reading wants to audition for one of the characters you're more than welcome! If you want the link, just ask for it in your PM's/reviews!

And don't forget to review!

-Dramaticfield