Going for a Walk (Jacob/Open)

[Leah Clearwater]

It had not been a very normal morning for the eldest Clearwater. It was a dismal day in the area between Forks and La Push. She had been feeling a little down in the dumps but ever since she joined Jacob's pack, she felt her moods lighten alot more than they had in a good ten years. She finally felt like her past was truly that, in her past and she was no longer being haunted by it. Still, changes had been made not only to her personality, but also in her life. She was single, and that was a hard thing sometimes to be reminded of. Some things however hadn't changed, and that was how she was around her pack brothers. She was the only female within the pack, aside from the few humans that were imprinted on. She still managed to be a little more mean toward Embry and Quil, especially when it came to still teasing Embry about his paternity, and Quil's lack of motivation at times. Of course, this also made her the least favorite in her new pack. Of course she respected them to a certain degree, but the quips had been a part of her life so long that it was hard to just stop them overnight. It would be a process, something of which only her Alpha, Jacob Black had been able to understand. The two bickered, of course, but there was a certain level of understanding between the two. Some would say there was a fondness too.

Today was no different. She hadn't been on patrol, so as a human she decided she'd kind of take the oppertunity and explore in the woods, as the second she felt danger she'd shift into her wolf form. She loved what she was, even if it cost her something she had loved even more, her father. She may not have shown it, but she did love her dad. She hadn't wanted to be alone, but too many thoughts were keeping her in a constant state of fighting herself. She wanted to be free from the nagging thoughts in her head, that she wasn't good enough, that she'd never be good enough for anyone. It was how she'd always felt after Sam and Emily's union, after they'd been together. Sam would always be in the back of her mind something she just couldn't help. She needed someone to talk to, but who?

Walking in the woods, it kind of reminded her of the old days, before she'd transformed, before she even knew what being a wolf was like. When she was a normal human, something she knew did not exist for her anymore. Her eyes, her ears were alert and ready for any and all threats that were headed her way. She was wearing her usual attire, a short sleeved shirt that revealed what was necessary without being stripper like, and a pair of jeans that hugged her curves in all the right places. She was conservative for the most part but did have a tendancy of having a flashy wardrobe, only when she was down in the dumps did she wear them, to try and elevate her sour mood. It wouldn't matter that the clothes would be destroyed if she had to shift, as she had ten other outfits just like this one.

The memory of Sam, when he had imprinted on Emily had been forever ingrained in her memory, and she had tried desperately to free herself from it. She wanted nothing more than to just go back in time and stop Sam from ever meeting Emily but she knew that destiny had it's own way and you couldn't stop it. No matter how much you may want to. It was just a part of life and she knew she had to accept it, no matter how hard it may be. She pulled out her mp3 player and began to listen to some music while she was out walking in the woods, although this would not stop her from being her usual alert self. Suddenly she heard a noise behind her, footsteps. "Whose there?" She commanded in an authoritive tone, showing she wasn't afraid.

[Jacob Black]

Jake had decided that a walk in the woods would be a good chance to escape the house and enjoy the, at least for now, clear weather. It wasn't raining and that meant that it would hopefully be a good day. Although that never guranteed anything. Just because the rain had held off didn't mean that something wasn't going to go wrong. But Jake had to let his optimistic side take over for the moment. Slipping into his shoes, he shoved his hands in his shorts pockets after walking out the door.

The air was fresh and the grass was green. The sun was shining weakly down on the usually sunless town and Jacob was just slowly walking wherever his feet took him, not too concerned about anything at the moment. Although he wasn't completely shutting off his natural instincts. He was still keeping his ears and eyes focused for signs that anyone was near by. He really wouldn't want to walk into a trap or something else just because he had been bored and it had been a nice day. Snorting, he thought lightly, That would be a good epitaph. He died because he was bored and it had been a nice day. That would just be the greatest thing ever except for the fact that I'd be dead.

Jake had just a muscle shirt and loose shorts, so the sun felt good on his bare skin. Suddenlyhe picked uo a noise, and then someones voice, which was also a little bit recognizbale. It had the usual sound of Leahs authoritive tone. Jake wasn't sure whether to grin or moan. Leah was usually a pain in the butt but lately she had been a little less so. Deciding it would be better if he answered rather then have her shift and come at him, he calmly said, a little bit of a light tone in his voice. "Calm down, Leah, it's just me. Which is Jake by the way since we can't exactly see anyone at the moment." Walking towards where he had last seen her voice, he came out from behind a couple trees to see Leah almost straight in front of him. "So, did you decide to take advantage of the nice weather that has finally shown it's face or did something else draw you to the lonely, secluded woods today?" Smiling happily, Jake stood still, only shifting his weight every few seconds because the sun just made him feel like he should be moving.

[Leah Clearwater]

She didn't know what to believe or rather not to believe. There was Jacob Ephriam Black right in front of her, her alpha, and also someone she trusted completely. "Oh it's just you, Alpha. Leader of the Pack." She teased as she looked at him. He was a good guy and she liked him. Liked how he led the pack as opposed to Sam. God why couldn't she get that irritable man out of her head? She had tried over and over again to block him out but somehow she always thought about him and it pissed her off. Why did she allow him to have such control? She couldn't even put herself in a normal situation anymore without thinking of him. This place had been the only place she could go to where she would stop thinking about him. But even now that had been an epic failure on her part.

Her tone was back to being the authoritive tone. "I guess you'd say that I was taking advantage of the day, but, that would be a lie. I guess I'm just trying to shut things out of my head. I swear! I know I haven't been the most...well likeable person over the years but surely you can understand all that I've been through. I've accepted the way things are and that they will never change. Which is why I tried very hard to bury it, and not let it rise, but I don't know that I can. All I do, when I go near....Emily is think about it all. Somehow I just I can't help but get angry at her, when it really wasn't her fault." She said as she threw her hands up in the air. She was getting irritated.

She was not exactly very happy about it all. Everyone seemed to have better luck in relationships than she did, and she wasn't exactly bitter about it but she kind of wished she'd have luck in relationships too. But she never did. "You're lucky you know, luckier than you might think." She explaiend, she only hoped he would understand what she was rambling about. Bella. Jake had been lucky that he found someone he loved, someone who would also love him back, no matter how much she had not exactly gotten along with Bella in the past. She had tried to remain civil only for Jacob's sake. She didn't hate Bella, but the little human annoyed her to no end, with her being so damned clumsy all the time.

[Jacob Black]

Bowing mockingly as Leah said "Oh it's just you, Alpha. Leader of the Pack." Jake grinned, "That's what some call me. And don't forget it." Jake was happy and even Leah looked to be in an okay mood. He knew that the whole thing with Sam and Emily still stung but he also was really happy and even Leah couldn't drag him down, although she did seem to have an issue with him marrying Bella. But like, I said, he couldn't be bothered.

Listening as Leah outlined the whole point of why she came out to the forest, in her usual authoritative tone, he listened intently. Although he could only make his grin shrink slightly, unable to fully tone down the grin. He snorted when she mentioned that she hasn't been the most likable guy, but kept his mouth shut until she finished, hoping she wouldn't take offense at the snort. But it had been just too fitting. She had downplayed her annoyingness, until it didn't seem like it was the best thing to describe how she acted. " I can't completely understand it because of well, me getting Bella but I can sympathize. Although you have been an annoying female the past few years. Although I say that in love." Knowing Leah, she might take that the wrong way but he hadn't been able to cut it out, figuring that it was the truth and the truth was better then lies.

" I know I'm lucky and way more lucky then I deserve. But I know you wish I wasn't with her or marrying her. Although you really should get to know her. But that's just me, I'm kind of biased." Biased wasn't a strong enough word. He was completely head over heels for her. Nothing and no one would or even could change his mind about that. He even loved her faults.

[Leah Clearwater]

Jacob, oh how annoying he could be at times, yes she loved him as being the kind of leader he was, but nothing short of that. "Believe me, Jacob you have no idea. Well I figured you might seeing as how one of the Cullens is trying to get near your bride, but eh, I guess not all can be that fortunate. The other morning, I ran into her, wasn't trying for anything. But she smelled of him, I mean not in the way you would if you were just sitting across the room kind of thing, and just being what we are, I can't help but worry, and not just about you but her too. Vampires are tricky creatures, they'll tear people...lives apart and I know you care too much about Bella to see that happen, that's why I'm telling you. But it's Edward. He's had his eyes fixated on her, I don't have to be in the same school to see that, but you can tell just by the way he looks at her. She's so blind to it, that she can't even see it herself. I tried to tell her but all she thought was that I was trying to separate you and her from being together." She said in all honesty, ignoring Jake's snorting.

"I'm not trying to make you give up on her, or give up on the pack because I know you won't do that. I'm only warning you ahead of time. I just don't want you to get hurt. That's all this is about. The last thing I want to do is challenge you on something like this, but I just thought you should be kept aware. Bella told me not to say anything to you that it was nothing when I asked her about why his scent was so strong on her. I don't know that there is anything between them, but I'm just letting you know what I've seen. I don't normally go off the reservation, but lately I feel like I'm being tied down here so I would go for a run and somehow I always end up in Forks, don't ask me why, 'cause I'm not too sure of that myself." The authoritive tone was back in her voice, more so than ever.

[Jacob Black]

Jacob just grinned. Apparently he had no idea how lucky he was but he didn't take any offense at it. He had learned long ago to just let it slide off his back. His grin started to turn into a slight frown of concentration as Leah continued. Bella hadn't said anything about being anywhere near one of the Cullens. He knew she probably would have a few secrets, because hey, everybody needed some of those but really, she had been so near to one of the Cullens and hadn't commented on it? He crossed his arms and his stance became one of annoyance and worry at the phrase "they tear people...lives apart."

He had been perfectly happy but now that Leah was telling him all this, the happiness just seemed to drain out of him. Worry and a little anger creeped into it's place. He relaxed when she basically mentioned that it seemed to be an unrequited crush or whatever that Edward had on her. And that Bella also thought that Leah had been trying to break them up. He knew Leah and sometimes she could be a little bit of an evil mastermind but he trusted her not to tell the truth.

His shoulders tensed when she mentioned that she had talked to Bella but relaxed again when Bella told her to say nothing to him. He thought that maybe it was because she had been sittin gbeside him or something. Something that meant they were close for long periods of time. He trusted Bella and so if she said it was nothing then he would trust her.

[colo=lightblue]" Thanks for that long speech, Leah."[/color] He said sincerly, happy that she had actually wanted to look out for him. It was a lot better then the stuff she had pulled when she was in Sam's pack and he was appreciative of the fact that it seemed like she had had a personality change. Although the authoritive tone let him know that underneath the concern she was still the good old Leah.

" I trust Bella, if she says it's nothing then it's nothing," Shrugging, he continued, "They probably sit next to each other in a class or something like that. That's the only explanation I could think of." Jake was a living example of Ignorance is Bliss. When he had been thinking that something had happened between a Cullen and Bella, he had thought that his world was turning unfamiliar but decieving himself and ignoring the fact that it might actually be something made him feel that much better.

[Leah Clearwater]

She took a deep breath. "It's not your fiancee that you should have a problem trusting. It's the vampires. You know as well as I do that they want Bella to be with them, especially Edward. I can sense it every time I'm near her. Don't ask me how. I'm a shifter, much like you are, but I know what it feels like to be in her situation. I know they sit next to eachother in class, but the smell I got off of her the other day, suggested that they were doing more than that. Like maybe he'd hugged her or something. Edward's scent was all over her. I'm surprised you haven't smelt it at all. I think maybe you should keep a closer eye on her. Maybe get someone to go into the school and try and make sure nothing happens to her. I don't trust the Cullens anymore than I know you do." She said in all honesty as she looked at Jacob. It wasn't hard to determine that Jacob loved Bella intensely.

"For your own sake, keep your guard up. I have smelt the vampires near the reservation the few times I've been out. I don't need to be on patrol to shift. So I do that quite often. Keeps my mind off things." She told Jacob in all honesty, the tone was still the same as it had always been, but it wasn't like she was challenging him for control. That wasn't what she wanted at all. But ignorance could get Jacob killed.

[Jacob Black]

Jake listened carefully to what Leah said. She always did know how to be honest after all. And she was right about not trusting the Cullens. Although he had no clue how he could get someone into the school without being kicked off at the first sign of the principal. Although he might be able to talk Bella's sister, Alice into it. She didn't seem to like Edward that much at all. It was a possibility. "You do have a point there. Maybe I could talk Alice into tailing her. I have a feeling she doesn't like Edward anymore then we do."

Jake was not happy when he heard that Leah had been out running and smelled the leeches nearby. That was just getting a little too close for comfort."Be careful Leah. We don't need anything going wrong with the treaty." He didn't use an authoritative tone per say but it did have a bit of that kind of tone subtly. It was true though. They didn't need war or death. That would just be begging for an attack.

[Leah Clearwater]

She couldn't have said it any better herself. Looking into her own mind she could see that. But she also didn't trust Bella, despite how she may have said differently. "Yes, I think you might have a point there. Alice would do it. I don't think she trusts him anymore than we do." She was definitely worried about what would happen. She tried to remain between her own little area but it didn't help the fact she hated being restricted. "Me, be careful? I'm always careful, but I didn't even do anything to the leeches. I know of the treaty. Alright?" She said as she didn't think this was getting them anywhere. She did not trust the Cullens as far as one could throw them, which in her case was not very far. She only hoped things would change and soon. She had always been honest to most people around her, except to Sam and Emily, although that would never change. She had to try and not think about them so often or so easily.

She knew better than to argue. "Yes, Alpha." She said though she knew that he was not trying to be authoritive so much with her, but it kind of had a hint of it in his tone. There was no reason to go begging for a war or death. They had bigger problems at this moment. Although she never thought Bella was good enough for Jacob, she'd kept her feelings and emotions hid when they were all in their shifter form, as it was safer that way. She'd tried to tune everything out of her mind during those times although it hadn't been easy. She wasn't a girly girl and liked to dress up but she wasn't one of those who was always a tomboy either.