Title: It's a Hard Knock Life

Rating: M for later chapters

Pairing: Leah Clearwater/Jasper Hale

Summary: The life of a street kid is not an easy one; Leah Clearwater knows that better than most. And if a street kid knows anything, it's that their lives were never meant to be fairytales. But Jasper Hale wants to give Leah all that and more; the question is whether she will let him.

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Twilight!

Food was a rarity that most people took for granted. They never really had to worry about when their next meal would be, and as a result they tended to waste the food they got and think nothing of the kids out on the street who would kill for just one bite. They dreamed of having a small bite of the foods that those rotten brats got to eat every day whenever the hell they wanted, to the point a lot of them found themselves curled in to small balls as they tried to endure the cramps of starvation. Sometimes, they were so intense the street kids thought they were going to die. Sadly, some of them did, their wills bending to the overwhelming hunger. It was a dog-eat-dog world out there, and if you weren't the top dog, then you weren't going to last very long out in the real word; the cruel, cold, demanding world.

Leah Clearwater hated those lucky bastards, the ones who never had to worry about food. Not only did she have to worry about feeding herself, but she had her younger brother to care for as well. In the summer, spring, and even most of autumn, she had no trouble digging up a meal. She would raid trash cans, rob convenience stores, or run one of her many scams in order to get enough money to buy some groceries, but in the winter it was a helluva lot harder, especially with the holidays nearing. There was always the option of going to the homeless shelter, but Leah wouldn't even consider it unless she had no other choice. The last time she'd tried, some worker at the shelter got in touch with Child Protective Services. The teen girl realized that they only wanted to help, but getting thrown in the system was not her idea of help. If they ever got hold of her and Seth they would be separated, and God help her, she would never let that happen.

"Hey, pretty girl, you want to keep me company tonight? It's pretty cold out here; I'm sure I could keep you warm." A short, old man with graying hair and a beer belly leered at her as she walked by without saying anything in return.

If it had been the daylight hours, Leah would have told him where he could stick it, but since it was night and the streets were pretty empty, she knew it was better to keep her mouth shut. Seth was probably worried sick, and Bree had her own brother and newborn baby to worry about. Bree had been nice enough to watch Seth while his sister went out looking for food for all of them, but she couldn't watch him all night. Leah needed to find something to eat and fast. It was getting colder with every passing second, and because it was the middle of winter and she was wearing only jeans riddled with holes and a tank top, it would be a miracle if she didn't freeze to death.

"Jackpot!" A smile lit up her face as she passed a McDonalds that was closing; fate seemed to be smiling down on her that day, because one of the workers was throwing out some leftover food.

She knew a lot of the regular workers, and some of the ones who knew her situation would put the leftover meals in a brown paper bag so she wouldn't have to dig through the trash. Some of the workers were asses, who threw the food in the trash just so she would have to fish for it – if they even threw the food in the trash at all – but tonight it seemed as if she was getting one of the nicer employees. As soon as the employee went back inside, Leah quickly hurried over to grab the bag. There were five sandwiches and a bunch of fries, along with twenty bucks. It must have been Angela who left the bag; she was the only one who ever gave Leah some money. The first time it happened, she tried to give it back, but Angela wouldn't hear it, so Leah didn't bother arguing again.

We'll have a real feast tonight! she cheered in her mind she started running home. Well, she mentally corrected, her mood souring just a bit, if that shithole counts as a home.

It only took about twenty minutes for Leah to make it back to the warehouse. It was dark except for a few candles which burned on the second floor where all of the street kids huddled together. Making her way up the stairs she found Seth, Bree, Bree's younger brother, Fred, and her son, Riley, all curled up together in the far left corner of the large room. It was a spot they had claimed as their own, and all the other street kids who lived there knew to stay away unless they wanted one hell of a beat down. Bree was reading a book to the boys as she rocked Riley gently, and when she noticed Leah, she smiled and nudged seven-year-old Seth with her foot, letting him know his big sister came back to him.

"Leah!" The ecstatic little boy leaped to his feet and ran to his sister, jumping into her arms. "You took long time, and I was scared. Are you okay? Did you get any food?"

"I sure did," she informed him with a smile before joining the others and setting the bag of food between them. She divided the food between them equally with a smile. They would finally have a good night's sleep with – more or less – full bellies, a nice change for them. "Eat up; tomorrow, I'm go get us some food that should last a few days. We won't have to worry for a few days, maybe even a week if we're careful."

"Raid!"

A scream ripped through the night air as every street kid who'd been sleeping shot up, started gathering whatever they could carry and then made a break for it.

Leah, always on the alert, even in sleep, was up right away. "Seth, get up!" She grabbed her brother by the arm and dragged him to his feet before heading to the main door. She'd already made sure that Bree and the other two boys had already made it out. "We need to leave right now, it's a Code Red R, Seth, Code Red R!"

Code Red R was the name they had come up with for a raid. If they were ever separated during one, they would meet in a park about half a mile from their current situation. It wasn't often they got separated, but the first time it happened, it had taken Leah three and half panic-filled hours to find her brother. He'd been only four at the time and she'd been lucky to find him. Who knew what the crazies would have done if they'd gotten to him first? Seth was the only person Leah was certain she loved, and she'd worked too hard to make sure he was safe and that they stayed together. She'd never stop fighting for Seth, no matter what.

Seth nodded solemnly, recognizing the seriousness of the situation immediately despite his youth.

Half a second later, he let out a scream as one of the officers raiding the place raid grabbed his arm and yanked him from his sister's protective hold. "Leah!"

She whirled around when she felt her brother being torn from her grasp, adrenaline and fury kicking in. Immediately, she tackled the cop who had her brother, only to be ripped off of him by another. She struggled, kicked, punched, scratched, and even tried to bite her way to freedom, but the cop was too strong and she didn't have a chance. Her eyes met those of her frightened brother as she silently tried to let him know with her eyes that everything would be alright. No matter what happened, she would take care of him. If they were separated, she would just kidnap him and run away; it wouldn't be the first time they'd do it, and, sadly, the odds told her that it wouldn't be the last. Street kids were always in and out of the system. Leah often wished that her crack-head mother and abusive step-father would have left them on the doorstep of some family that would have taken care of them and loved them. It had been so long since anyone had loved her, she wasn't sure she even knew what it felt like anymore. The last person to love her besides Seth had been her real father, but that love died the day he did; he was accidentally shot while on a hunting trip.

"The more you struggle, the worse you're making things on yourself," the cop warned as he pulled her down the stairs before stuffing her in the back of his squad car, none of which was accomplished without a huge fight. "You rotten street brats are all the same. I could be home with my wife right now, but no, I had to join in on a raid to catch ungrateful kids who don't know how to behave. It's a waste of my time and the tax payer's money."

"Good thing I don't pay fucking taxes, then," she hissed, looking out the window. She spotted Seth immediately, and saw that he was being put in the back of another squad car. Tears were pouring down his face and he was screaming for Leah. It tore her heart in two, which fueled her anger. "You're a fucking monster for putting my brother in a different car! He's just a kid! If you really cared about people at all, you'd realize that being with me is in his best interest, but do you care? Of course you don't! If you knew for one second the shit my brother and I have been through then you would know separating us and handing us over to CPS is notthe way to go!"

Instead of saying anything, the cop turned the radio up to block her out. She flipped him off before sighing and letting her head flop against the back seat. Leah knew what was going to happen next. She would be taken to holding for the rest of the night and in the morning she would see her case worker, Jane, who would no doubt lecture her for running away from the last foster home she had been put in. After the lecture, she would be placed somewhere until she could escape and find Seth. It would be so much easier for her they were placed together, but she did not hold out much hope for that happening – anyone would take Seth, he was so cute and lovable and young, but nobody wanted to take in a troubled teen. At least Seth still had a few good years left before he needed to worry about group homes.

Looking up, Leah closed her eyes in a silent prayer. Dad, if you're watching us right now, please keep Seth safe. I'm doing the best I can, but I still need your help until I turn eighteen and can legally get custody of him. My birthday's less than a year away, so I'm not asking too much. Ask the Big Man upstairs for a favor, if you don't mind. I love and miss you, Dad.

TBC...

AN: As you all know, sometimes I get an idea for a new story and I have to write it or I am blocked on all of my other stories. That is what happened with this story. The idea just sort of came to me and I had to write it. I know my updates are slow, but my beta has school and I understand that. Plus I am finishing up some stuff to start college and it is just busy, but I try my best. I would love to hear your thoughts on this story.

Please R&R like always!