Author's Note: Hi. Welcome to the story that got me back into the writing game. It was originally written with original characters, but I wanted to post it to this fandom, after leaving some of you hanging for so long. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, please read my other story "Whatever Will Be, Will Be". It's also a Paul/Bella, and I think you'll love it. If you don't care what I'm talking about, please read that anyway.) So to make it part of this fandom, I analyzed the characters I had written, and thought they fit best for Paul/Bella. Then I re-did what I had written to fit with the Twilight novels. This will not be all-human or completely alternate-universe, but that's all I'm giving away for now ;).

Sorry to repeat pairings (both of my stories posted are now P/B), but I hope you'll find them different enough to enjoy them both.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it! Anything you recognize belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

I placed my cell phone, keys, spare change, and other metal objects into the small, plastic bin, before sliding it back over to the man who had yet to look up at me. My eyes bore into the top of his balding skull, challenging him to quit staring at that newspaper in front of me and meet my gaze. When he didn't, I let out a sigh of frustration. This would all change soon. All of it.

I made my way through the metal detector, hardly registering that it didn't go off. I knew it wouldn't. It's not like this is my first rodeo.

Reclaiming my belongings I made my way through the lobby to the door that read 'Authorized Personnel Only'. Stopping at the glass to the side of it, I saw another man watching a handheld TV set. I rolled my eyes—these guys have no clue what is headed their way.

Annoyed that he had yet to acknowledge my presence, I cleared my throat. The man lifted his head languidly, taking his sweet time to look into my eyes. When our eyes finally met, his flashed with recognition. Ah, so they have heard of me here.

"Oh. I'm so sorry M-."

"No worries," I replied, cutting him off. I'd deal with him later. For now, I had a couple thousand others I wanted to be introduced to first.

"I'd like to apologize again. I just—I'm not usually like this on the job," the man rambled nervously, hoping that he wouldn't be disciplined for his actions.

I just looked at him, lifting an eyebrow, and smirked when he looked down sheepishly. He had to know that I knew better than this. I wouldn't be in the position I am now if I didn't know how to read people.

"Uh," he stumbled, trying to get his thoughts together. "Identification please? I also need you to sign these papers."

I slipped him my license I had picked up, and signed the few pages he handed me. Then he handed me my badge, which I quickly clasped to the waistband of my slacks.

After quickly filing the pages, he looked back up at me. "Your office is-."

"I know where my office is. I've been here before, remember? This is my first day on the job, not my interview," I told him.

"Right," he smiled. "We're glad to have someone with your reputation here."

I nodded, knowing he was trying to kiss ass already. "Are you going to buzz me through today?"

"Oh, uh, of course!" He smiled uneasily, before turning a key and hitting a button.

The annoying buzzing sound that I had gotten used to hearing in the last few years filtered through my ears, and I watched as the 'Authorized Personnel Only' door opened.

I sent one last intimidating look at the man behind the glass, before making my way through the door. Most people would consider walking through this door hell, but I consider it home.

I headed down a numerous amount of hallways and more locked doors, which opened with a flash of my badge at a few more men behind glass, before finally making it to the reception area of my office.

"You're here!" My receptionist jumped up from her desk, way too quickly for someone at six o'clock in the morning.

"It is my first day," I responded snappily, before grimacing. I had to remember that I don't always have to be a hard ass here. "Sorry."

"It's okay," she waved it off quickly. "Rough start to the day?"

"Not really. I just never knew when taking this gig just how many people don't know how to do their jobs around here."

My receptionist—Kelly? Kim? Katie?—flinched, hoping I wasn't talking about her. I didn't make any move to reassure her. After all, I didn't know nearly enough about her or her work ethic to assess her performance yet. She shook herself out of her worry.

"So, what's first? Want to look over paperwork? Cases? Meetings? Meet the staff? Maybe you-."

"No," I interrupted her suggestions. "I think I'm going to have a talk with our residents."

"What?" She asked, her face showing nothing but surprise. "But Mr. Madison never did that. In fact, I think it's strongly advised against in most places-."

"There's a reason I got this job," I told her, cutting her off again. "I do things differently, but I do them effectively. It's time for me to meet them all. Let them know who is running this ship."

"But-."

"I believe arguing with what I say is against your job description," I told her, looking at her sternly.

She nodded, before sitting back down at her desk. "I'll call some people to go with you."

I nodded. I liked to believe I was scary on my own, but others didn't. Strength in numbers is always visually effective.

When my help arrived, we had brief introductions. They didn't seem to take me seriously, but they would soon. Either that or they'd be replaced. This wasn't a place where you could slack on the job, and I wasn't going to let it happen on my watch. People have to take me seriously, and the only way for them to do that is see me seriously through my actions. Words mean nothing, after all. I'd learned that from many life experiences.

We made our way through many more corridors and locked doors. When we got to the main security center, a couple of them seemed hesitant by what I wanted to do. I informed them that it wasn't their job to question me, but to do what I said. I think that introduction went well.

They buzzed me through a final door, and the cacophony of sounds hit my ears. It was loud, rowdy, and obviously smelled—but it wasn't anything I hadn't seen or dealt with before.

I walked through the doors with my chin up and head held high, exuding the power I know I had. Four men flanked me—two on each side. I walked right into the lion's den, and stopped in the middle of it. I waited until the door was locked shut behind me, and glanced to the security desk. I sent them an almost imperceptible nod, and didn't even flinch when a loud alarm sounded. The place immediately fell silent, and I felt a thousand pairs of eyes on me as I heard bars rattling with people leaning against them.

Clearing my throat, I used my full tone and heard my voice boom and echo against the concrete walls as I began my introduction and took the first step into my new life.

"My name is Bella Swan, and I'm your new warden."

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