Moonlight in Forks

Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.

Leah and Jacob

"Jacob, do you think this is going to take too much longer?" Leah demanded impatiently.

Jacob sighed, taking a deep breath to stem the tide of his frustration. It was hard to deal with the she-wolf when she was in this kind of pissy mood. He had been as patient as he could be, but her continual complaints were slowly driving him mad. He didn't show it, though.

Jacob was glad he was able to control his temper so easily now. In the past, during the early days when he first turned wolf, it had been much more difficult. Anything set him off-it was usually Lahote-Paul had a way of getting under even the most serene person's skin and ticking them off. Jacob didn't have that problem anymore, staying calm and focused just came naturally now. The red haze didn't wash over his eyes. The heat didn't shiver down his spine. His voice was calm when he answered.

"Not too much longer now, then we can go home."

"Really, kid?" Leah retorted. She stood on the edge of the cliff, staring down at the waves battering the rocks below. "Why are we even out here patrolling? We haven't seen any vampires for weeks."

"Just because we haven't come across any, doesn't mean we can slack on our duties." Jacob responded through clenched teeth.

"You sound just like Sam."

"Good."

Leah ignored him. She suddenly turned tail and disappeared under the cover of some nearby trees. A minute later she returned, now in her human form. She threw herself into a sprawl on the ground, staring moodily at the darkening horizon.

Jacob felt his irritation increasing. He was annoyed that Sam kept pairing him with Leah every time he was patrolling. When he had hinted to the Alpha wolf that it was becoming a strain, Sam had admitted he was the only one with enough patience to cope with her. Seth was the only other wolf able to tolerate Leah's company, and that was because she went easy on him because he was her little brother, but Seth was back at school full time now, so was not often available to accompany his sibling. So that left Jacob with the short end of the stick.

The cliffs were a tower of grey rock rising in salute to the waning sun. Jacob felt weariness overcome him as he moved away from the edge. HIs shift was nearly over, apart from Leah's constant whining, it had been uneventful. Jacob knew there was no persuading the she-wolf to change back into her wolf form, she resented being ordered to do anything, especially by those younger than her.

So, not bothering to even attempt to ask her, Jacob trotted off to the same covering trees and phased back. He was thinking of Bella, he had told her about his problems with Leah, and she had advised him to be patient, to try and be supportive. She had even suggested that he try talking to Leah instead of judging all the time. Jacob had balked at that idea. Leah's moods changed with the wind; she would either laugh in his face or get angry if he even tried.

Jacob jogged back out into the open. Leah was still in the same spot, glaring up at the rolling clouds as if they offended her. "I'm heading home." He told her. "Are you coming?"

Leah glared at him. "Better not let Sam catch you leaving early."

"Oh, give it a rest, Leah!" Jacob had finally run out of patience. "Stop ragging on Sam all the time. It's getting old!"

"You have no idea how hard this is for me." Leah argued.

"For you?" It took Jacob a minute to believe she was serious. "You have to be the most self-absorbed person alive, Leah. I'd hate to shatter the dream world you live in-the one where the sun is orbiting the place where you stand-so I won't tell you how little I care what your problem is anymore. So, get over yourself!"

Leah jumped gracefully to her feet; her fists clenched tightly by her sides. "I'm self-absorbed?" She yelled. "You're one to talk, Jacob. I'm sick and tired of your so called happy ever after on constant replay in my head."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just look at this from my perspective for a minute, okay."

Jacob couldn't stop the snort of laughter escaping from his mouth. "Is no one allowed to be happy? Are we all to be eternally as miserable as you?"

"Just listen and pay attention." Leah snapped.

"Oh, just get on with it." Jacob just wanted to go home now. He was fed up with seeing the permanent scowl on Leah's face. He remembered back to when he thought that she was pretty, maybe even beautiful, not a match for his Bella, but still, he thought she had something about her. That was a long time ago now. No one thought of her that way anymore. Except for Sam-but that was a whole other story. The Alpha wolf was never going to forgive himself. Like it was his fault that she wouldn't move on and instead wallowed in her unhappiness like some bitter harpy.

Leah's scowl heated up as if she guessed what he was thinking. "You are making me sick, Jacob. Can you imagine what it feels like to me? I don't even like Bella Swan. And you've got her image shoved in my head like I'm in love with her, too. Can you not see how confusing and upsetting it is for me? I dreamed about kissing her last night! What the hell am I supposed to do with that? It makes my suffering so much worse. Control yourself better!"

Jacob frowned at her confession. He hadn't realized he had been as bad as all that. He was so consumed by Bella on a daily basis, that ever since they had become a couple, his mental control had lapsed, which meant his thoughts were leaking all over the place, and as Leah was the one sharing his head space most of the time these days when they patrolled, she was bearing the brunt of it.

"I didn't realize I was as bad as all that. I'm sorry."

"I don't care about your stupid apology, Jacob, because you're the one who's going to be sorry."

"What do you mean?" Jacob said sharply.

"You are so naïve, Jacob. Doesn't it worry you that Bella might change her mind again? That she might start to think that the grass was greener on the other side?"

"Shut up!" Jacob growled.

"No!" Leah was too caught up in her own misery to give a thought to what she was saying. She was hurting, so she wanted Jacob to hurt too. "She'll probably go back and marry that thing. He's going to try and change her into one of them! And you'll be left all alone, boy."

Jacob glared at her, his emotions seesawing between anger, frustration, with an element of pity thrown in. He knew why Leah was saying all these nasty things, she was lashing out because she saw him as an easy target. He wanted to argue back with her, to tell her to keep the vile things she was saying about Bella to herself, but he bit his tongue, remembering Bella's warnings about keeping tabs on the way he reacted to the she-wolf's jibes.

"Or he'll probably just kill her anyway." Leah continued, sneering. "All the stories say that happens more often than not! He can't have her, so you can't have her! Have you thought about that, Jacob?"

This time Jacob really had to work to remain calm and focused. He closed his eyes and fought the hot taste in his mouth. He pushed and shoved against the slide of fire running down his back, wrestling to keep his shape together while his body tried to shake apart. Only Leah could provoke this reaction out of him and he resented her for it.

Eventually when he was in control again, he glowered at her. She was watching his hands as the tremors slowed. Smiling….

"This is what you wanted, right?" Jacob said. Slow, emphasizing each word. "Happy now?"

Leah snorted derisively.

"Well, how do you think the rest of us like looking at Sam through your eyes? It's bad enough that Emily has to deal with your fixation. Maybe you should learn some control yourself."

Angry as he was with Leah, he felt a stab of guilt consume him when he saw the spasm of pain shoot across her face. Jacob knew that Bella was going to be disappointed with him. That was worse than him being disappointed with himself for rising to the she-wolf's taunts. He should have known better.

Leah scrambled to her feet-pausing only to spit in his direction-and ran for the trees, vibrating like a tuning fork. Soon she was out of sight and Jacob was alone.

Jacob was full of regret as he ran home in his human form. He didn't phase, not wanting to share head space with Leah again any time soon. He was annoyed that he had let her get under his skin. Once Sam found out he would probably give him hell for it. He knew Bella would, too, once he told her. And he would tell her. They didn't keep secrets like that from each other.

Leah's words hadn't affected him in the way she intended. She wanted to put doubts in his mind about Bella's devotion, but her efforts were doomed to failure. Leah simply didn't understand the sort of relationship they had. He and Bella had always been truthful with each other, even during their lowest moments. They both had the uncanny ability to read each other's body language so well; it was simply impossible to conceal something important like that without the other picking up on it.

By the time he got home, Jacob was starving. Feeling guilty could do that to a person. As soon as he walked in the house and he encountered his father, he knew that Billy had something on his mind. It was easy to tell-he always overdid it. Acted all casual.

He also talked too much. Billy was rambling about his day even before Jacob could get to the table. He never jabbered like this unless there was something that he didn't want to say. Jacob ignored him as best he could, concentrating on the food. The faster he choked it down, the sooner he could get to Forks and Bella. He had a guilty confession to make, and he was desperate for her perspective on how to handle the Leah situation.

"Sue stopped by today." Billy's voice sounded loud in his ears as he choked his food down. "Amazing woman. She's tougher than grizzlies, that one. She told me she's worried that Leah is not coping too well at all. To be honest I don't know how she deals with that daughter of hers. Now, Sue, she would have made one hell of a wolf. Leah is more like a wolverine – "

"Is this a lecture?" Jacob interjected after gulping down his last mouthful of food.

"Lecture?"

"Yes." Jacob guessed Sue must have come over to have a private word with Billy on going easy on her daughter. "Leah isn't easy to deal with you know."

"I never –"

"I do my best…but she's so difficult. She would try the patience of a saint."

"Jake, can you let me get a word in edgeways."

Jacob sighed, long and deep, and stared out of the window.

"I know Leah can be difficult, son. You don't need to justify yourself to me. Seth's a lot easier. Of course, you were easier than your sisters, too, until…well, you have had a lot more to deal with than they did."

Jacob turned around to look at his father. Billy was building up to tell him something, but he was sure taking his time over it. He decided to save him the trouble. "Dad, please cut to the chase. If this isn't about Leah, then what is it? Just say what you need to say."

Billy was quiet for a second too long. "I got a letter a few days ago."

Jacob could tell this was the subject he had been avoiding. "A letter?"

"Yes…it was from your sister."

"Which one?"

"Rachel."

"And?" Jacob was getting impatient with the cryptic answers.

"She's coming home."

"Coming home?" Jacob was surprised. Rachel rarely paid them a visit, she always seemed to have something else planned during the holidays as an excuse not to come home. Things must be bad if she was doing so now. "Is she in trouble?" He asked suspiciously.

"Depends what you mean by trouble?" Billy's skin was shiny with perspiration- a symptom of his nervousness.

"Ugh, Dad!"

"Okay…okay." Billy held up his hands as if warding off Jacob's reaction before he had spilled the news. "She wrote to me to say she was dropping out of college. She's been struggling for some time with the workload, but was too ashamed to tell me. But things have come to a head. She needed picking up. I know you've been very busy lately, so I asked Sam if he didn't mind finding one of the others to go and pick Rachel up instead. I thought he would send Embry or maybe even Quil, you know. I never thought he would choose who he did."

Every muscle in Jacob's body locked into place. A feather of heat seemed to brush down his back. He held onto to the table to keep his hands steady. He thought he already knew what was coming.

Billy pretended not to notice, his speech getting faster and faster. "Sam sent Paul Lahote to pick up your sister. As soon as he saw her, he imprinted. There…I've said it…now you know."

A/N-thanks for reading!