I own nothing.
To others who like to dabble in writing, do you ever sit down to write only to realize that what you thought you would write and what you are writing are two different things? Because I think I have fallen into that, this was meant to be a Jacob future story with his imprint. It has changed and developed WAY more than that.
(SPOILER, maybe the imprint can be broken?)
I've made a change regarding the vampires. They don't sparkle in the sun, because that's just weird. Instead, the sun just drains them of their energy faster, meaning their thirst increases and the need to feed becomes stronger, because of this they do tend to avoid the sunlight.
In the book Leah's dad dies after she shifts in front of him. I am forgetting this fact from the book and using the movies adaption that he died of a heart attack during the hunting in the woods for the "wild" creature. I don't want Leah to have the guilt of her father's death on her heart.
ElenaEffe, I love getting all your reviews. I've always loved the idea of Leah from the books but HATE that she gets so much hate from Jacob and everyone. I've always felt that Leah would have been able to accept the imprint of Sam and Emily if she couldn't still feel that Sam loved her even after the imprint. The bit about imprinting kind of twists what Jacob tells Bella about it. He himself called it a servitude. He wasn't interested in an imprint as he watched his packmates in the books basically give up their lives for their imprint.
Edward POV:
By the next morning, I had compiled a list of places to take Elizabeth, outings we could do in order to help Jacob's wolf accept some amount of distance. He's decided to push his visits to every four days or so, to see if he could still concentrate on school, work, friends and the pack. He seemed sure that if we tried he would be able to stay away from Lizzy for a month without any type of issue. I was more than willing to try. If this works, maybe we wouldn't have to stay here for as many years as we'd first anticipated if Jacob's wolf could learn to live life knowing his imprint was out there being cared for. Anything to give Lizzy as normal as a childhood as I could, which included making sure the wolf who imprinted on her wasn't dying but also wasn't glued to her, giving her all his attention, giving her everything she asks for. A child shouldn't always get everything they want, even if we have all the funds and the time. She should still have some structure and be told no when she asks for things she wants but doesn't need.
"Daddy, can we go to the zoo day?" Elizabeth asks as she eats breakfast. The zoo was a great place to take her, she could learn all about different animals and work on her human acting. But today wasn't going to be a good day to go, it was raining buckets.
"Sweetheart, the weather channel says that this storm is supposed to last most of the day. All the animals will be hiding in their dens, trying to stay dry." She's not happy about my answer but she accepts it easy enough, I've worked hard to make sure that she would grow up as a well adjusted child. We had seen a few kids throw fits at the park and other places when they were told no. I had to explain to her that some kids didn't like to listen and choose instead to throw a fit, then I explain kids who throw fits like that normally get things taken away from them that they like or get put in timeout. She didn't like the idea of either and has been trying hard to behave.
"Since its storming can we have a PJ day and watch some of my Barbie movies?" Most days we do get out of PJ's but occasionally she asks to stay in them, claiming them to be cozy. I give her a nod of my head and I go to turn the requested movie on. I don't blame her for liking to be in cozy clothes, I normally change into comfy clothes when Elizabeth gets ready for bed.
I press play on Barbie in the nutcracker as I do a quick clean of the breakfast mess before joining Elizabeth on the couch. We've watched this movie a few times already, but it was ok for a kids show. Elizabeth really liked the music and the dancing, so I was willing to sit with her and watch it if that is what she wanted. As the movie ends she's already requesting the next Barbie movie and then running to her room to grab some of her dolls. "Daddy can you move the dream house out there please? I wanna play while I watch."
This wasn't an unusual request, she's had me move the dream house out to the living room a few times, sometimes even just so she could play dolls while I play the piano.
We're halfway thought Barbie as Rapunzel when I pick up on Leah's thoughts heading our way, soon after the sound of a car can be heard.
"Daddy, who is it?" Elizabeth askes, abandoning her dolls and taking a peak out the window.
"Leah is stopping by." I tell her just as the car parks, and she makes a dash from the car to the covered patio, I'm quick to open the door and usher her in.
"Wow this storm is getting pretty bad." She's not too wet, but her boots are a muddy mess as she pulls them off and tuck them by the front door.
"Leah, Daddy said the storm is too bad for the zoo, so we're having PJ day and watching Barbie movies." Elizabeth said, from her spot on the floor in front of her doll house.
"Oh looks like the two of you have a great day planned." Suddenly Leah seemed a bit unsure. I can read the thoughts of if she should have called first.
"You're always welcome around here Leah." I say to reassure her. Cheating mind reader, always knowing what people are thinking. There is a lightness in her words, so I know she doesn't mean anything by her thoughts.
"I wanted to come by and say thank you for the gifts, its really all so much and if I was a better person I would demand you take such an expensive gift back. But it will be nice to get back into pottery. I can't wait to dig my hands through the clay again, it really has been way too long. Though there were a few items I wasn't sure what to do with, the oils and wax?" I'm grabbing a note off the counter before she is even done with her question. It felt nice giving someone a gift and them actually accept it. Bella never wanted to accept anything from me. It was a fight we often had, her claiming that she didn't have anything to give me. It was refreshing that someone would just accept the gifts with a thanks.
"I wrote this down for you" I say as I hand her the note:
Wax hand bath – Melt together some paraffin wax with coconut or olive oil. Pour mixture into a dish and wait for it to slightly cool. Once it cools dip hands into the wax, you can do multiple layers of wax dip. Leave the mixture drying for about 30 minutes, then peal the wax off.
"Most comments online said potters' hands get dry and cracked. This was the most advised method of helping with that."
He really does think of everything. "Thank you." She replies out loud after reading the note. There is a slight tremble in her voice and I was almost sure I saw a slight glisten of tears in her eyes. I don't remember the last time anyone gave me such a wonderful gift. Instead of speaking, she chooses to speak to me through her mind.
She takes a few moments to compose herself as she watches the rain from the window.
"Would you mind sitting on the porch with me?" She's motioning to the seats on the covered porch, we could sit there without being out in the weather and its not like the cold air would bother either of us.
"That sounds great, Lizzy why don't you stay inside. We're just going to have some grownup talk." My daughter barely even gives me a nod as she's so wrapped up in playing, Leah and I step outside.
"So I was able to break the pack bond." Leah starts. Then pushes what happened to the front of her mind. Most of this I knew from Sam's visit. But I listen to Leah's side, smiling at the strength that she had to try and succeed.
"But you know all of this already don't you?" She finally asks. "It's faint but there is a slight smell of Jacob and Sam lingering, so I assume they have already come by."
"It is always nice to get the other side of the story, but yes Jacob and Sam came out last night after you broke the bond to chat." She scoffs at the use of my word chat. Yeah I'm SURE that is ALL Sam wanted. She gives me a look that says she doesn't believe me. "No really all we did was talk, in human form. There wasn't any fighting. Sam just wanted to know if I had told you anything, if I was the one who helped you figure out how to break the bond. In the end he sounded more relieved than anything. Left thinking something about it possibly being a good thing and that maybe this will help his imprint bond and for him to get over the love he still harbors for you. He believes you're fully over him and maybe that's why you were able to break the bond so clean."
The last part seems to have surprised her. "That's good, he seemed pretty mad when I left. But I did find out when I shift and concentrate, I can still connect to them. Or at least that worked with Seth when we tried, Seth's wolf wasn't too happy when I fist broke the bond. He had demand for me to shift, I think he wanted to check when I was in wolf form. When I shift I can feel the old tethers of the pack. If I concentrate and touch them I can communicate with them still."
We sit on the porch for a while longer as I fill Leah in on Jacob's plan to start pushing the imprint link more. By extending time between visits. His plan to go away for an entire month in the summer, his plans to eventually go away to collage, all his plans for his future.
"You don't understand how happy that makes me, how nice it is to know he has an actual future. Or at least more of a future than just waiting hand and foot on his imprint." We sit in a bit of silence for a moment as Leah's thoughts jump all over. "Um so yesterday after you dropped me off and I got home my mom had asked if we were on a date, I obviously told her no that we were um, you know just hanging out. But well she was home when all those boxes arrived. I doubt she will continue to believe me"
A slight blush creeps onto her cheeks as she replays the conversation with her mom.
"You're right yesterday wasn't a date." I could see a slight ping of hurt shoot through her thoughts. "I wouldn't bring my daughter on a date. Or at least not on a first date."
I sit there staring out at the trees and the rain. I so badly want to look at her, to analyze the thoughts that she keeps pushing down in an attempt to not let me see.
"I am going to start applying to Collages, I think I will do an art program. Even with the whole not aging I could have a decent career selling ceramics if that is what I want to do. Most artists are recluse and hardly get seen anyways. I will just have to learn how to make myself age for the few years I'm in school. Do you think Rosalie, Alice, or Esme would give me some tips? It is what you all do right? Even you, I have seen some of Jakes memories of when he first met you and you were in high school. You've shed that high school look now; you do your hair a bit differently. You have changed your clothing choices. If I didn't know any better I would say you were in your early 20's and not stuck at well 17." I hadn't realized how much she had actually paid attention to the little changes that are more automatic than anything for myself and the family. We play certain ages and with that have learned how to dress and present our self at ages.
"For most of us by now the changes are automatic. It helps humans around us if they see the changes happen slightly over the years. It's not enough to just make the change overnight. We do subtle changes each year. I'm sure the girls will be able to give you all the tips you need. I've seen them all do slight differences in their makeup to give themselves the younger to older looks they claim." We spend a bit more time discussing how to make those slight changes before the rumbling of Leah's stomach interrupts us.
"Um, I believe it may be lunch time." Leah says smiling and standing. She has good timing as I can hear Elizabeths stomach also rumble some.
The storm worsens as the two girls eat. It looks like some of the roads will be flooding. Leah thinks also noticing the weather worsening.
"Leah are you staying for school lessons?" Elizabeth asks as she finishes eating. "We have writing, math, and Italian lessons today."
"Sounds like you have a lot of learning. I'd love to stay and help." If that is ok with you? She adds the last bit through her thoughts.
"That would be wonderful." The three of us clean up the lunch mess and then go into one of the rooms in the cabin that I have converted into a school room for Elizabeth. The schooling goes well, Elizabeth loves learning and is quick to pick up on new material.
*Now I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation
You're living in the past, it's a new generation
And a girl can do what she wants to do
And that's what I'm gonna do
And I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation*
The ringing of Leah's phone interrupts our Italian lesson. Leah had decided maybe she also would like to learn Italian.
"Oops," She says as she pulls her phone out. "Hey mom"
"Leah, I have work in a few hours. Were you planning to bring the car back any time soon?" I can hear by her tone she isn't angry, more just checking.
"Well I was going to, but I think the road is flooded. I drove out to the cabin to see Lizzy and Edward." I can see Leah's mind race as she tries to figure out if she could drive the car home.
"OH I didn't realize you were still out there. That's ok then. I can get a ride to work from one of the boys or maybe Charlie. Oh and tell Edward that Charlie is a bit of a mess, he'd love to see Elizabeth. I guess Bella showed up at his house just long enough to tell him that she was leaving and wasn't planning to come back." I suddenly feel bad. Carlie lost his daughter and then we had let him have just enough contact with our daughter to form a bond to her just for me to practically disappear on him.
"I'll put you on speaker mom." Leah says thought its unnecessary. I could hear Sue just fine, I feel like she says it just so her mom knows I'm standing here.
"Sue, please give my apologies to Charlie. I should have reached out to him sooner. I'll make sure to call him soon so that I can bring Elizabeth out to see him."
Leah finishes up her conversation with her mom and hangs up.
"Daddy, is Grandpa Charlie still my Grandpa, even though Bella left?" Elizabeth asks as Leah puts her phone away.
"Yes Sweetheart he is still your Grandpa. We'll call him later and make plans to go visit him soon." I shouldn't have let so much time pass without checking on Charlie. I make a mental note to give him a call later and set up a time we can visit.
The rest of the afternoon goes by smoothly and soon enough dinner is cooked, eaten, and even cleaned up.
"I should get home, I may just run home and have to come get the car tomorrow or something." Leah finally says. The rain had stopped but the road with just a giant mud puddle at this point.
"Or you could run to the main house, you're welcome to borrow any car in the garage until this road dries out some." I offer as I pull out a spare key, holding it out to her.
"That would be great." Leah answers as she grabs the key. This is what I loved about Leah, she didn't refuse kindness just because of some pride. She was often quick to accept little things from friends. Though when she and Seth had first arrived, joining Jacobs pack she had tried to refuse even Esme's kindness. But now that she considered us friends she didn't reject my act of kindness.
Leah says goodbye to Elizabeth and myself before stepping outside and shifting. I make the decision to get Elizabeth tucked into bed before I call Carlie, just in case he doesn't want anything to do with her. I wanted to spare her feelings as much as possible.
Ring* One Ring
Ring* Two Rings
Ring* Three "Hello?" Charlie answers.
"Charlie, hello I'm sorry I should have visited you before now, but I was wondering if you'd be alright if we stopped by."
"Edward…" He drags out the sound of my name. I should have gone to see him in person. I disliked not knowing what all Bella told him.
"Um, I believe Bella stopped by and talked to you before she left?" I ask, unsure of myself.
He gives a soft Ahha. So I continue. "Renesmee is going by Elizabeth now and she's asked if we could visit you, if you were still her Grandpa?"
"Um, well yeah, um Bella…. She stopped by said it was time for her to go. I heard through Sue and Billy that you were, um still in the area. That you're raising Elizabeth alone now." There is a whisper of sadness in his tone.
We talk for a few more minutes discussing what's been going on and making plans for Elizabeth and I to come visit in the next few days when he is off work.
Leah POV:
The day spent with Edward and Lizzy felt nice. I think as I run in wolf form towards the Cullens abandoned home. I could feel the slight ropes of the pack members who were shifted, but I didn't connect to them. It doesn't take me long to get to the abandoned home. I wonder what cars are here. This thought makes me a bit giddy as I shift and dress before walking up to the house.
The garage is less crowded from the last time I had been here I notice as I look around. Inside there were only 4 cars left. A nice looking but would stick out too much Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, Edwards Volvo, A Mercedes S55 AMG, and lastly a Jeep Wrangler. It doesn't take me long to pick the Jeep, thankfully it had a nice cover so I could drive it even when it decides to rain again.
Mom must have gone to the grocery store. I think as I pull up to the house and notice most of the pack standing around.
"Hey Leah" Seth calls out in between bites of a hot dog. "Wow you're driving the Jeep, get moms car stuck in the mud?"
"Its not stuck in the mud, I just couldn't drive it or it would get stuck in the mud." I say in explanation.
"Your mom had us working half the day to clean out that garage of yours. She said we all owed it to you." Jared says nodding to the open garage door. I looked and gasped, it was completely cleared out and my new pottery items had been placed inside, ready for me.
"Seth told Sue everything that happened last night with you breaking the pack bond. But also about how rough we've all been on you. She gave us all a pretty stern talking to." Jacob explained and I could see it in their eyes, mom must have given them a pretty serious talk. "Leah we never meant to make you feel unwanted, or like the other woman. I think we were too into having a boys club and just wasn't sure how to handle you being in the pack. Especially with Sam."
Looks like Seth let go of all my feelings and secrets.
"What he's trying to say or what we all mean is sorry." I hadn't even noticed Sam's approach as he speaks. "I'm sorry. We've been unfair to you. I have been unfair to you."
It's as much of an apology I was going to get, I could either push and give them my snarky Leah attitude that I've adopted over the last few years. Or I could take a step forward with them and let the past be that, the past.
"We were all just children, we're still just children." I correct my words. We're all still so young. Why is the weight of the tribe on our shoulders?
"So now that that is all behind us, can we ask where did you get such a sweet ride?" Brandy asks, walking over to admire the Jeep. Collin joining him.
"Well I drove moms car out to the cabin to see Lizzy and Edward. We decided it was too muddy for me to try to drive it out so Edward offered the use of some of the cars left at the main house." I can feel their curious eyes on me as I grab some food.
"Sis, you mean to tell us you had the choice between EVERY car in the garage and you picked the Jeep?" My bother asked spitting food everywhere. During our time with the Cullen's, Seth and I had gotten a look inside the garage, and all the cars inside. Seth had showed great interest in Alice's Porsche 911 Turbo.
"Seth, don't talk with your mouth full. And they didn't leave ALL of their cars. There were only four left in the garage the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, Edwards Volvo he's gotten a new car now, and a Mercedes S55 AMG, lastly the Jeep which is what I picked." The conversation starts to flow easily and we all settle in nicely. Being around the pack felt better the energy felt lighter.
Eventually everyone heads off to their own homes and Seth heads to bed. I'm not tired so I decided to go into the garage and make use of my new pottery area, letting myself loose track of time as classical music plays off my laptop. I do have to admit there is something really comforting about classical piano.
It had been years since I've handled clay, but as soon as I started it was like an old friend, welcoming me back. I work for hours, letting the soft music relax me as I shape my newest creation. I let my mind wander as my hands work. The sound of my mom calling out surprises me as I look up from my worktable.
"Leah that looks amazing dear." Mom must have gotten off her shift and gotten a ride home. Her comment causes me to look down to see a small wolf figurine.
"Thanks mom, oh um I borrowed a Jeep from Edward. I was afraid to get the car stuck in the mud." I explain as she says something about being tired and long shift and heads off to bed.