Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don’t own Twilight, but I do own Sophie and her family.

“You might want to stop ogling her, before she sees you. She’s extremely shy.” Kim whispered to Jared, who sat across from her. Jared nodded and turned away. It always surprised him that Kim helped him get out of trouble. She had had a huge crush on him, before Embry imprinted on her. Maybe it was the imprint that changed things. He was glad that she had Embry. Watching his brothers with their imprints made him wish that he had one. He chuckled softly. Jacob Black was the only one of the wolves who didn’t like the idea of imprinting, but that was because he was in love with his best friend, pale faced Bella Swan, who was in love with a vampire. Jared’s thoughts reverted back to the girl ahead of him. She had never really caught his interest till now. She was rather pretty with long brown hair and russet skin.

The bell rang interrupting his thoughts. There was a hustle as the students around him gathered up their belongings. He didn’t understand why he even had to go to school, as being a wolf and patrolling La Push took up most of his time. Sam was adamant about him finishing school. A book fell of the desk in front of him. He reached down and picked up the book. He took one look at the girl in front of him and was lost. She had soft black eyes, perfect kissable lips, and a small nose. Her russet skin looked like silk, probably felt like it too. The girl blushed as he stared at her, and hesitantly held out her hand. “May I please have my book?” She asked timidly.
Jared looked down at the book in his hand. “Oh yea, here.” He said as he handed it to her. She smiled timidly as she cradled it to her body.
“Thanks.” She said as she turned around and walked out the door.
“Hey,” Jared called out running after her. When he reached her, she had a shocked look on her face. “I’m Jared Cameron. What’s your name?”
The girl looked down at her beat up tennis shoes, and said. “Sophie. Sophie Mahan.”
Sophie. What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. Jared smiled at Sophie. “Would you like to eat lunch with me and my friends, Sophie?”
“I don’t want to intrude on them at all.” She said softly.
“They won’t mind. If it makes you feel better, you won’t be the only girl there.”
“Okay.” Sophie said softly again and followed Jared into the cafeteria. She didn’t know how long her luck would last. Jared was the first person, besides her brother Will, to talk to her in a long time.
“Hey Jared, who’s the girl?” a guy, probably a friend of Jared’s asked. The guy in question had a hard face with piercing brown eyes and short, slightly spikey black hair.
“Hey Paul, this is Sophie Mahan.”
“Oh she’s one of them.” Paul said dismissively. Sophie turned to walk away. This Paul knew of her family and knew that her family was no better than Sam Uley’s gang.
“Please stay.” Jared whispered. She looked at him, at the longing on his face and nodded tentatively.
“Soph” Another guy called out as he ran towards her and Jared. This voice Sophie knew, it was her favorite brother's voice; the voice of the only person who really cared about her.

William Mahan was like the male version of Sophie, just a whole lot taller that her 5’ 4”. He loved his little sis, and strived to give her the best life that he could. Their parents often left her to fend for herself, so he took it upon himself to take care of her. So her clothes were a little used, what mattered was that she was loved and properly feed.
He was scared when he saw her entering with Jared Cameron. He was part of Uley’s gang. Sophie didn’t know this; she was probably in a state of shock that someone was actually talking to her. No one talked to the Mahan kids. They like, Sam Uley’s gang, were talked about, but not talk to.
“If you know what’s good for you Cameron, you won’t talk to my little sister again.” He told him, whilst gently taking hold of Sophie’s free hand. Sophie gave Cameron a timid smile, but didn’t resist his tugging.
“What’s so wrong about Jared, Will?” She asked as soon as they were seated at an empty table.
“He’s part of Sam Uley’s gang, Soph. Who knows what they’re doing in that gang. I don’t you to get hurt.” He then slid a tray over to her.
Sophie smiled a genuine smile. “Thanks Will. You’re the best big brother in the world.”

Jared glared as Sophie’s older brother led her away. It hurt to see her smile, really smile at him.
“Tough break, bro. First girl to really catch your eye and she’s a Mahan. Not only that but she’s ‘The invisible girl.’” Paul said as he dug into his lunch. Jared glanced at him. They had been friends since they were little, but Jared couldn’t see anything that was bad about Sophie. Her brother maybe, but not Sophie.
“What’s wrong with the Mahan’s?” He asked biting into sandwich.
“Her parents are very much like Sam’s father, except they have four kids.” He nodded over at the table were Sophie and her brother sat. “She was a mistake, wasn’t supposed to be born There’s a reason she’s called ‘The invisible girl’.”
“What?” Kim asked. “That’s awful.”
“You bet it is. Her mother isn’t the same as her siblings’. Her mother’s from the Makah reservation. Mrs. Mahan pretends that pretty Sophie doesn’t exist, so does everyone else on the Res, except William.”
“And who’s William?” Kim asked again.
“William’s her older brother, the middle boy. Lucas, the eldest is long gone and Drew, the youngest, is in elementary school. Anyway Mr. Mahan is paying for her schooling so that she can leave the reservation and stop bothering them.”
“She’s pretty smart from what I’ve heard.” Embry said as he sat down by Kim and kissed her cheek.
Jared spent the rest of the school day thinking of Sophie and how to convince her brother that he only wanted to get to know Sophie and maybe take her out on a date.

'I know that face. You imprinted on the Mahan girl.' Sam said during patrols that night.
Jared growled. 'Her name is Sophie. Not ‘the Mahan girl’
Sam chuckled. Jared definitely had it bad for Sophie. 'You might have an easier time with the parents of your imprint. Her’s don’t care where she is or when she gets home. Out of sight, out of mind.'
'I’d like to get to know her a lot more before telling her about us. I might bring her to the next bonfire, if her brother’s okay with it.' Jared thought. Then Sophie’s brother came to mind. He would definitely be a problem. He didn’t have to worry about Sophie’s parents, but he did have a protective older brother to watch out for.

Chapter Text

William woke up to his alarm clock the next morning and made his way to the small kitchen. His parents were still asleep as usual, as they never woke up before 10 o' clock. He was always the first one up now-a-days. He got out the bowls, cereal and milk and set them on the table. After finishing his own bowl of cereal, Will went to wake up his siblings. Sophie slept in a room that was more like a glorified closet, while Drew slept in Lucas' old room. 'If that doesn't show who the favorite child, is, nothing will.' He thought.
"Wake up, Sophie. Breakfast's in the kitchen." He said while nudging her with his elbow. Sophie rolled over onto her back, and slowly opened her eyes, blinking a couple times to get the sleep out of them.
"Morning Will. Is Drew up yet?" She asked as she got out of bed. Will shook his head.
"Kay, I'll get him up and fed, while you go shower." Sophie told him. She walked out of her room and over to Drew's room before Will could object. Like himself, Drew loved Sophie. They spent hours together on the beach and in the woods. Sophie knew the woods behind their house like the back of her hand.

"Wake up Drew, its morning." She whispered softly. Drew sighed and rolled over to face the wall. Sophie wasn't fooled as she could see Drew’s impish little smile. They played this game every morning, and she loved every moment of it. She rolled him towards her and lightly tickled his tummy. He smiled lightly and curled up into a ball.
"Wake up, Drew, otherwise Mr. Spider will pay you a visit." Drew's body shook slightly with silent laughter as Sophie laughed silently as well. "Alright, don't say I didn't warn you." She said as she pushed her fingers into his curled up form and tickled him in earnest. Sophie was then rewarded with Drew's giggles.
When they first played this game, she was afraid that she would wake their parents, but soon found out that they could sleep through an earthquake and not know it.
"Come on, Drew, let's go eat. I think there might be some sugary cereal today." Drew smiled and took her hand. She was right. There was a box of sugary cereal on the table. Will had gotten it as a treat for Drew. Sophie poured him a bowl and then poured some for herself. After a couple mouthfuls, Drew turned to look at her.
"Can we go to the beach after school and see the tide pools, Sophie?" He asked.
Drew loved his home. It was pretty everywhere you looked. The tide pools were his favorite and his sister knew the names of all the animals. She also came up with the best games.
Sophie smiled at Drew. "Of course we can. Would you like to help me with dinner tonight?" Drew nodded enthusiastically.
"It’s time for school, guys." Will said as he walked into the kitchen.
Drew ran over to him. "Guess what, Will? Sophie and I are going to see the tide pools!"
His enthusiasm made Will smile brightly at him. "You make sure to tell me if you see any new creatures."
Drew nodded happily. They grabbed their backpacks and lunches that Will had made for them last night and headed out to his old truck.
Sophie and Will pulled up at La Push’s high school with minutes to spare.
“Stay away from Cameron as much as you can.” Will told her gently.
“Of course, see you at lunch.” She replied. He nodded and they left in a rush to get to their first hour on time.
Sophie was upset with herself; upset that she didn’t instantly know that Jared was part of Uley’s gang. She heard things because of her invisibility. Chief Black’s own son, Jacob, was part of the gang and yet the Chief and the elders did nothing to stop them. Instead, they encouraged Uley’s gang.

“Hi, I’m Kim.” Sophie looked up at Kim. Kim had a wide face that was mostly high cheekbones. Her brown eyes were a bit too small to balance them out. She had flat black hair.
Sophie smiled at her. “Hi, I’m Sophie Mahan.” She waited for Kim to walk away as everyone did when they heard her last name, but Kim surprised her and sat down in the seat next to Sophie.
“That’s a pretty name. I saw you with a guy yesterday. What’s his name?” Kim asked her eyes bright. Sophie smiled at her. “That’s my big brother, Will. Do you like La Push, Kim? ” She asked in return.
“I do. It’s so peaceful. I love going for walks on the beach.”
“Hi Sophie.” a voice said interrupting Kim. Sophie looked up to see Jared in front of her. She nodded politely to him, and then turned back to Kim. “I like going for walks on the beach, too. I’m going there today with my little brother, Drew.”
Kim and Sophie talked until the teacher came into the room. Jared took the seat behind Sophie. He would thank Kim and maybe get her a gift for helping him learn about Sophie.
“So, is she a senior?” Jared asked Kim later after class.
“No, she’s a sophomore, but she takes some senior classes. She’s more advanced than her classmates. She says that school work distracts her from the whispering and keeps her away from her parents at home.”
“Maybe after I tell her, Emily could teach her or something.” Jared said half to himself.
Kim smiled and nudged him with her elbow. “Or you could do patrol, when she’s in school. Embry and I’ll watch out for her and make sure she’s not by herself since her brother, Will, is out of school next year.”
Jared hugged Kim tightly. “Thanks, Kim, for everything.”

“We’ll walk home before it gets too dark. You need the truck to get to work. Drew and I will be fine.” Sophie said as Will hugged her.
“Okay, you be good for Sophie, Drew.” He said ruffling Drew’s hair.
Drew swatted at Will’s hand away and took Sophie’s. “Kay, Will. Come on, Sophie, the tidal pools are waiting.”
Sophie let Drew pull her to the tidal pools. Will laughed at Drew’s eagerness, and then headed for his truck. He worked for the Ateara’s grocery store. In fact, it was the only grocery store in La Push. People from the reservation hardly ever went to the one in Forks.
Joy Ateara knew full well that he was the one who really took care of Sophie and Drew and was more lenient than she might have been when he was late or didn’t show up. He always made sure that he called her if he wasn’t going to make that day. On occasion, she even gave him discounts on food.

“Flipping the crab is fun. He has lots of legs, don’t he, Soph?” Drew asked as they flipped the crab on his back and watched him right himself for the fifth time.
Sophie nodded smiling.
“They do have a lot of legs. Look at the color of this Sea anemone. It’s such a vibrant color.”
Unbeknownst to Sophie and Drew, Jared was watching them from the woods whilst in his wolf form. He was glad that Sophie got along with her brothers and that they didn’t seem to mind that she had a different mother than they did. Drew probably didn’t even know that Sophie had a different mom. He watched them the entire time they were at the beach and made sure that they got home safely. He was pleased that his girl knew her way around the woods.
'Wait when did that happen?'
'You so have it bad, bro.' Paul told him through the pack mind. 'Just ask Will if you can get to know Sophie. Tell him about the bonfire and how there’ll be food there. It wouldn’t hurt to mention that the elders will be there as well. She’ll even learn all about the legends. He can’t say no to it… well, he can, but why would he?'
Jared sighed. 'Because he thinks we’re part of a gang and Sophie’s his little sister.'
'Just ask him.'

Chapter Text

“Hey, Mahan.”
William turned around to see Cameron coming towards him.
“What do you want, Cameron?” He asked.
“I want to get to know your sister, Sophie.” Cameron replied. This reply made Will look at him curiously. No one wanted to get to know Sophie, even though she was a great person.
“Why?”
“She’s special. She’s not like the other girls in La Push, or anyone I have ever met.”
William stared at him for a long while, trying to see if there was any deceit in Cameron’s eyes. He was glad when he didn’t find any. He nodded at Cameron.
“She is special. You hurt her and I will personally end you. Understand, Cameron?” Jared nodded.
The boy was scared of him, which was good. He watched as Jared walked over to Sophie, who was talking to another girl. Will smiled. He was glad that Sophie finally found a friend. Sophie looked at him after Cameron talked to her. He nodded, telling her it was okay with him. She smiled back at him tentatively and said something back to Cameron. Will decided he would ask her what Cameron had said to her later. This might be good for her. It might even get her out of her shell. If not, Cameron was graduating this year, like he was. Sophie would graduate next year, and would never have to see him again.

Sophie was rather excited as she walked into the cafeteria. Did other girls feel this way when they were asked out for the first time? She was never one to blush, but she might start, at the way Jared stared at her. He made her feel like she was the only girl on the earth. She was a bit afraid about being around the rest of Uley’s gang, not to mention the Elders. She didn’t technically belong here, as her mom was from the Makah reservation. Her mom didn’t want her, so she was allowed to come to the Quileute reservation with her dad.
“It’s really nice seeing you smile, Soph. Normally, only Drew and I can get you to smile.”
Sophie smiled as she sat down next to Will. She got out her lunch and started in it, before he asked the question that she knew was coming.
“What did he ask you about?” ‘There it is.’ Sophie laughed internally.
“He asked if I wanted to go to a bonfire with him. He said that there would be food there, and that the elders were going to tell the legends of the tribe. It sounded like fun, so I accepted. Do you mind?”
“It does sound like fun, Soph. You should go. Make sure to tell me if anyone’s rude to you.”
“I will.”

After school was over, Jared walked Sophie to his car. He kept up a conversation to block out the whispers that fluttered all over the parking lot. They got to First Beach early, which was just how Jared liked it. He wanted to be alone with Sophie for a while longer. Jared asked her about her family, her favorite color, what she liked about La Push, and so on, until he got a feel for her likes and dislikes. As they neared the place where the bonfire would be, they ran into Kim and Embry, literally.
“Sorry, Sophie, I wasn’t watching were I was going.” Kim apologized as she helped Sophie off of the ground.
Sophie smiled at her. “That’s alright, Kim. You trying to get away from him?” She asked pointing at the boy next to Jared. He was about as tall as Jared, with the usual russet colored skin. He also had short black hair and Brown eyes.
Kim nodded. “He was chasing me. Oh, I forgot, Sophie, this is Embry Call. Embry, this Sophie Mahan.”
“Hi Sophie, I’ve heard a lot about you from Kim.” Embry said holding out his hand.
Sophie smiled tentatively, and took his hand. “Hi.”
“So, are you guys coming to the bonfire?” Embry asked them.
Jared turned to Sophie. “You still want to go?” he asked.
She nodded. “It sounds like fun.”
“It’s lots of fun, Sophie,” Kim chatted, taking her arm in hers. “There’s food, the guys play around a bit. Then the Elders tell the legends of the tribe.”
Embry let the two of them get a ways ahead, before turning to Jared. “She seems really nice. Not all like the rumors.”
Jared sighed. “You know there’re rumors because hardly anyone ever sees Mr. and Mrs. Mahan. Sophie’s a great girl and I hope that everything goes well tonight. I’d hate to have her hate it.”
Embry nodded. He had thought the same thing with Kim. “Yeah, the only one who’ll be a problem is Paul. Emily will love her and Kim already does.”
Up ahead, the rest of the pack was beginning to show up. Emily had them bring food from her car.
“Kim and I will save you guys seats.” Embry turned away, and then did a full 180. “Do the elders know that she’s your imprint?”
“Billy knows. I don’t know about Old Quil or Harry.” Jared shrugged.
Sophie walked back to him, as Kim went to help Emily. “So, that’s his gang? Oh, sorry,” She blushed and hid behind her hair. “I know that they’re your friends, but….” She left it hanging. Jared moved her hair from her face and nodded understandingly. “I know. It’s hard to forget the image. Do you want to meet them?”
Sophie merely shrugged. “Well, I’ll introduce you to Emily. I’ll introduce to the guys when you’re ready.” Jared compromised. She smiled shyly and nodded. She wasn’t used to this. It was different, but she found that she rather liked it. He seemed to really care about her feelings and didn’t push her in to doing stuff that she didn’t want to do.
Soon enough, they were at the table full of food. On the table were straightened wire hangers and two huge plates full of hotdogs, multiple bags of buns, a huge bowl of chips, and numerous liters of soda.
“That’s a lot of food.” She said shocked at the amount of food.
Jared chuckled. “Emily says that we almost have never ending stomachs.”
The woman at the table saw him and waved. “Hey Jared. Who’s your friend?”
“Hey Emily, this is Sophie.” Emily was a couple of feet taller than her with satiny russet skin, long glossy black hair and black eyes. The right side of her face was scarred from her hairline, down to her chin, by three thick, red lines; vivid in color, though they were long healed. One line pulled down the corner of her dark, almond-shaped right eye; another twisted the right side of her mouth into a permanent grimace.
“It’s nice to meet you, Sophie. You’re from the Makah Reservation, right?” Sophie nodded and Emily continued. “I’m from up there, myself, and so is Embry’s mom.”
Jared smiled at Emily for making Sophie feel more comfortable. Sophie was glad that she wasn’t the only one here from that reservation.

“You’re in for a treat, tonight. I’ve heard the legends multiple times, but it never gets old.” She nodded over at the table. “Let’s get some food, before the boys eat it all.” Sophie giggled as Emily rolled her eyes.
Sophie piled food onto her plate, and went to sit by Kim. They were sitting on the ground near the fire. Everyone was sitting like they were, on the ground, except for the elders; two of them had brought folding lawn chairs. The elders were at the natural head of the circle, with Chief Black in his wheelchair in the between the other two elders. Both seemed rather old, but one was positively ancient and brittle looking with his white hair. Sophie caught Emily smiling at her from a log near one of the elders and smiled back at her. Emily was sitting next to the tallest man that Sophie had ever seen. He even seemed taller than her brother, Will. This man had the same skin tone as everyone else at the bonfire, along with short black hair and brown eyes that were set into a mature face. Sophie had seen him around town, and his proximity to the elders, led her to believe that this was Sam Uley, himself. She finished roasting her hot dog over the fire, when a pair of eyes over by the food table caught her own. Hard, piercing black eyes. Then, the first day Jared talked to her, came to her mind. Paul was the owner of those piercing eyes. Jared’s friend, Paul. She felt uncomfortable under his gaze. It was like he thought she wasn’t worth Jared’s time or attention. Sophie already knew this, but it was still hard to see it in someone else’s eyes.
“Hey Sophie, you okay? Are you cold? You’re shaking.” A slight nudge to her shoulder brought her back in to the moment. It was Embry who spoke, but Kim who nudged her. She turned and smiled slightly. “I’m fine, just thinking. Thank you, though.” Embry smiled back at her.
“Who’s that talking with Jared, Embry?” She asked him. Embry and Kim looked over to where Jared was standing by the food table. Embry could see that Paul wasn’t happy, and with his advanced hearing, he knew that Paul didn’t like Sophie. He was telling Jared that he shouldn’t have brought her to this. Embry sighed as he turned back to Sophie. “That’s Paul Lahote. He doesn’t really like anyone. Well, anyone who isn’t Jared, at least.”
“Oh,” Sophie sighed softly. She was glad that Embry was trying to be nice, but it still hurt that this Paul judged her on who her parents were. She turned her focus back to her hotdog. She put it in one of the buns on her plate and starting eating.

“She doesn’t belong here, Jared. Bonfires are only held to tell new pack members or imprintees about the truth behind the legends.” Paul told Jared heatedly.
Jared looked over to Sophie, as he heard Embry asking if she was alright. That she was shaking and that made Jared almost starting shaking himself, but he managed to stay calm. He knew that it was nowhere near the right time to let Sophie know about the pack.
“She’s my imprint, Paul. Besides, I talked to Billy and he agreed that if would be better to get her acquainted with the legends before springing them on her as truths. I want to get to know her and I can’t do that if you keep glaring at her and making her feel unwelcome. Give her a chance.”
Paul sighed and turned back to Jared. He had seen the looks Jared gave her, along his thoughts about her. “I’ll try, okay?”
Jared smiled and patted his back. “That’s all I’m asking for. Thanks, Paul.”
Paul pushed Jared off. “Go on, be with your girl.”
Jared smiled at his friend, and went to join Sophie on the ground.
Soon, all the food was eaten and the atmosphere had changed abruptly around the low-burning fire. Sophie noticed that all of the guys sat up straighter, and she noticed that Emily had taken out pen and paper, and a nice spiral bound notebook. The fire crackled, sending another explosion of sparks glittering up against the night. Chief Black cleared his throat and began telling the story in his rich, deep voice. The words poured out with precision, as if he knew them by heart, but also with feeling and a subtle rhythm. He was a natural born storyteller.
"The Quileutes have been a small people from the beginning," Chief Black said. "And we are a small people, still, but we have never disappeared. In the beginning, the tribe settled in this harbor and became skilled ship builders and fishermen. But the tribe was small, and the harbor was rich in fish. There were others who coveted our land, and we were too small to hold it. A larger tribe moved against us, and we took to our ships to escape them.”
Sophie watched as Emily's pen sprinted across the sheets of paper as she tried to keep up with him. Sophie was entranced by the story of the spirit warriors that protected the tribe from invaders and kept the tribe safe. After the Chief finished the legend, the ancient white haired elder took up the legends with the legend of the third wife and the cold ones.
After the legends were told, everyone went back to how they were before, talking to one another, some causally and others teasingly.

“What did you think?” Jared asked her as he drove her back to her house.
“Chief Black is natural born storyteller. I wish I was able to tell stories like him. The legends themselves were really interesting and the whole idea of the spirit wolves is fascinating.” She told him and then blushed.
“Why are you blushing? I think there cool, too.” Jared said.
Sophie smiled softly. “I’m not used to telling people of my opinions. I usually just keep them to myself.”
Sophie smiled as they pulled up to her house. William was sitting in the living room, waiting for her. He was such a good big brother. The car stopped and she moved to get out of the car.
“Hey,”
Sophie turned around to look at him.
“I had a lot of fun with you today. Do you think we could hang out again soon?” He asked. Jared really hoped that she’d say yes.
Sophie smiled brightly, which instantly brought a smile to Jared’s own face. “I had a lot fun as well. I spend a lot of time at the beach with my little brother. You could come by and join us. Not all the time, as Drew would get jealous, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you came every once in a while.”
“I’ll see you in class tomorrow, Sophie.”
“See you tomorrow.” She said as she shut the car door and headed inside. Jared drove off a little way, but was still close enough to hear Sophie’s conversation with her brother.
“How was it? Anyone I need to set straight?” Her brother asked.
“It was fantastic and Jared’s a great guy. Paul Lahote was the only one who seemed to not like my presence there, but Embry said that he doesn’t really like anyone.” Sophie told him.
“Well, that’s good. I’m glad you had fun.”
“He said he had a fun with me, Will! He wants to do it again soon! No one’s ever said that to me.” Sophie said excitedly. Jared smiled brightly, knowing that he had made her so happy. Deciding that he had eavesdropped enough, he drove home.
William was extremely glad that Jared was making Sophie happy. He hadn’t seen her this happy since Drew was born. He smiled as Sophie went off to her room with a huge dreamy smile on her face. ‘Maybe letting her hang out with Cameron is just what she needs.’ He thought as he got into his own bed.