A/N: Come on guys, I am staaaaaaarving for reviews! Please let me know what you think! Kisses!
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"Well, Leah, if you want, you can come with Claire and I to the park tomorrow afternoon. He is always there, rain or shine, and I'm sure he would like to see you again." Emily asked hopefully. Leah rolled her eyes. "I'll think about it."
Everyone, including Leah, knew she would be at that park bright and early.
And that's how it began. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Leah Clearwater would head to the Deerhead Park playground. Every time, little Isaac Maxwell would be waiting on one of the swings, not swinging, but dragging his dirty adidas sneaker in the woodchips beneath his feet. It was getting cooler out as winter approached, but Isaac became easier to detect with his light yellow raincoat that was definitely not warm enough for the increasingly cold weather.
Isaac and Leah would speak rarely, and most of the time, it was Leah doing the talking. She would ask him about his day, or about school. Sometimes she would tell him funny stories about her childhood, like how she sat on chocolate pudding in the cafeteria in the 4th grade, and had to walk home with 'poopy pants', or when she tried to steal a turtle from the beach and a Rez park ranger had to call her parents for disrupting wildlife. It was stories like those that would tug that little half smile onto his face, as his eyes twinkled in silent laughter. It made Leah feel on top of the world, that she could evoke such a reaction from an otherwise quiet kid.
Emily and Claire would always go to the park with her, but would eventually venture off into other parts of the playground, while Isaac chose to sit on the swings. Emily would often try to talk to her, see how her new friendship with the little boy was going. Leah wouldn't offer more than a few words, but it was definitely an improvement after the years of silence between the cousins. Seth would also sometimes accompany her, but it was hard not to notice how Isaac would retreat back into himself with the young man's company. He tried not to take it to heart.
It was mid-November. Leah's park meets with Isaac had been going on for over a month, and she noticed that some days she would make great progress with him, even catching a quiet giggle from him, and there would be other days where he would blankly stare out into space, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. She realized Isaac would come out of his shell at his own pace, and if she was patient enough, the days where his baby blue eyes would light up would occur more often.
It was a colder day, even for the fall. To keep up appearances, Leah would dress appropriately for the weather despite her supernatural temperature of 108. She decided on a La Push High School hoodie, a pair of her brother's gloves, and a scarf.
As soon as she arrived at the park, she noticed that Isaac was not dressed warmly enough. He still had that light yellow raincoat, and a grey Eskimo hat. No gloves, no scarf, and no warm winter jacket. Emily and Claire had since stopped coming to the park since it was too cold out, and Quil would have a fit if the little girl caught a bug. Isaac was sitting on the swing, shivering, rubbing his hands together to keep warm.
"Hey bud, aren't you cold?" Leah asked worriedly as she took a seat in the swing beside him. He briefly glanced up at her, and shook his head. His body, of course, betrayed him, and a shiver ripped through him. Leah looked at him concernedly, unsure as to why he was lying. "It's really cold out, Isaac. That jacket isn't enough to keep you warm." She tried again. His eyes were downcast, as if he had heard it all before. Why wouldn't his mom dress him more warmly? Didn't she realize how cold it was outside?
Leah pulled her hoodie off, unraveling her scarf and removing her gloves. Isaac stared at her, obviously confused as to why his new friend was removing her clothes. "Here, take these. I don't ever get cold, and you look like you need it a little more than me." She assured, helping him out of his ratty raincoat. He shook his head furiously, pushing the clothes back into her arms. "Why not? Feel my hand, I promise I'm always warm. I don't need these clothes, I just wear them because I think it would look weird if I went outside in the cold in a t shirt." She chuckled. His blue orbs met hers, and past the obvious sadness and embarrassment, she could see a twinge of hope. He touched her hand softly, causing an excited buzz to run up Leah's arm. Comforted by her warmth, and unable to ignore the cold any longer, he slowly pulled on the scarf and gloves.
"See? That's better, right?" she asked, worried Isaac might still be cold. He nodded his head, a smile tugging at his lips.
Her one sided conversation continued as always, and she spoke about her times on the La Push girl's basketball team. She wasn't the best, but it had been a fun way to waste time. Isaac seemed very distracted throughout the story, constantly looking over his shoulder and fidgeting. "Hey bud?" Leah asked tentatively. His eyes met hers worriedly. "I think you should maybe wait for winter to end to come back to the park. It's getting a lot colder, and I don't want you to get sick." She explained. Although it would pain her not to see her imprint in their normal setting, knowing he wasn't ill because of her selfish imprinting needs was a comfort.
Isaac's eyes flashed to hers fearfully, searching her for something Leah didn't know. "N-No." he whispered so quietly, Leah had to lean in to hear. "Isaac, its not that I don't want to spend time with you, of course I do. But winter is coming, and you could get sick or freeze and I'm sure your mom wouldn't be happy about that." She tried. He furiously shook his head, and at the mention of his mother, his body tensed. "I-It's not t-too cold." He protested. A weak smile adorned Leah's face. "Bud, I'm not saying its forever. When spring comes, we can come to the park again."
Isaac's eyes became watery, and Leah's heart broke. "P-Please, Leah. Please d-don't go." He begged. She was torn. His safety was of the utmost importance, but she couldn't find it in her to say no to the boy. After a sigh, she finally nodded. "Okay, Isaac, but you have to promise me you will not come to the park if its snowing, raining, hailing, or its below 20 degrees. Promise me." She said sternly. The boy nodded his head, obviously relieved.
The boy significantly brightened at the idea that their park adventures would continue, but Leah couldn't stop worrying. Why was he so adamant about going to the park? Was something going on at home?
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Leah returned home from the park that day at 8 o'clock, crashing onto her bed. She had spent half of her attempt to go home comforting the boy, reassuring him that she would be back and she wasn't abandoning him. Her imprint was really worrying her, and she was finding it harder to ignore the instinct inside of her that notified her that something was wrong with the little boy. She didn't want the reservation rumors to be true. She wanted to think that Isaac was safe at home, and that he had two doting parents that would yell at him when he came home because it was passed his curfew.
But somehow, Leah knew that wasn't the case.
A few minutes later, a knock was heard at her door. Grabbing a pillow to throw over her head, she groaned. "What?!" she barked.
Sue Clearwater was a very loving mother, and considering her two children were shapeshifting wolves with inhuman tendencies, she let a lot of her children's behaviors slide. But she would never tolerate rudeness.
"I hope you're not talking to me that way." She warned. Leah sighed, looking up at her mother. "Sorry, I thought you were Seth."
"Mhmm."
"…I had a rough day."
Sue glanced up, surprised. Ever since Harry died, Leah was not very open, especially about her feelings. "It's Isaac, isn't it?" she asked cautiously.
Sue had found out only hours after Leah's initial imprinting about the little boy, and while she couldn't be more ecstatic for her daughter, she was also well acquainted with Isaac's stepfather.
Leah nodded her head. "Mom, he came to the park today dressed in a raincoat. I told him it was getting too cold to keep going to the park, and I almost made him cry. I don't know what to do." She whimpered. Sue rubbed her daughter's back comfortingly. "Honey, I know it's hard for you, but you have to weigh the possibility that Isaac may not be getting treated well at home."
Leah released a small growl, immediately cut off by her mother's glare. "Leah, I can't tell you what to do. In this situation, there may not be a right or wrong approach. But you have to try to get him to open up."
"Mom, he barely talks."
"I know. But if you want to help him, you have to start trying. I know it hurts to see him in pain, but if that boy needs help, you have to be the one to give it."