Stephanie owns the characters, I play with them…. Will let you know, that this is was the hardest one yet. I hope I did it justice. Enjoy….

Paul POV

I didn't know that I was going to come out and tell Bella my story today. But after I did, I felt a huge weight lifted. And I thanked her for that.

When all the guys got here they were a little upset, but when Bella told them that we ordered pizza for everyone, she became all of there new best friend. We argued a little because she wanted to pay for the bill, but if one thing I know I am for sure, it is stubborn. So we ended up compromising and splitting it. I couldn't help but watch her while everyone was eating. She seemed in a way content. She watched what everyone was doing. Focused on what was going on around her. But I still saw what lay underneath.

There was still hurt there. Fear. When anyone brushed up against her, she flinched or cringed away. I don't even think she noticed that she was doing it. Charlie took me aside earlier and told me that she did open up a little last night. I told him that I didn't want to know what she said. That I wanted her to feel comfortable enough around me to tell me herself. But I did ask him if it was bad. And he told me that what she told him last night no one should endure. I just hope that one day, hopefully sooner than later, she'll trust me enough to tell me.

About 2 hours after everyone finished of the food, everyone started shoveling out.

"Hey dinner's going to be at my house tomorrow. Emily wants to give Bella a brake for a few days. Kim's going to come by and help out." Sam said walking past me.

"Alright, I'll see you then."

Just then Bella walked up to me and pulled me in for a hug.

"Do you want to go out to the cliffs tomorrow?" She whispered in my ear.

"Sure how about I come get you at around 3." I said.

"Sounds good. I'll make something for us for dinner, and we can just eat it up there."

"K. I'll see you tomorrow Bella."

"See you."

She closed the door, and I leaned against it and closed my eyes.

"Everything o.k Bells?" I heard coming from behind the door.

"Yeah dad, Everything o.k." I could here the smile in her voice.

I started walking home, slower than I usually did. When I got there I heard my stereo going. Opening the door, I saw Seth, and Jared sitting on the couch.

"Fuck don't you guys have homes?"

"Leigh's pms'ing, and I'm sure as hell not going to sit around my house. Shit, she's already a bitch, and adding the wolf temper and the pms'ing…..uh-uh…I'm staying here for a little while. I'm going to take one of the spare rooms upstairs." Seth said.

"Sure, Sure… no problem bro. What about you Jared?"

"I just didn't feel like going home. I think I'm going to crash on your couch."

"K. Hey J. would you tell Sam for me that I'm not going to make it over for dinner when you get there tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I can do that. Where you going though?" He asked. I walked over to the other end of the couch, pulled Seth up and sat down in his spot.

"Uh. Bella wanted to go out to the cliffs."

"That's cool. How's she doing anyways?" Jared said. Seth perked up when we started talking about Bella. I guess she's effecting more off us than I thought.

"She seems to be doing ok on the outside. But I don't know man. I can feel it there. She's hurting. I'm giving her, her space. I just don't want to push her. She's strong though." I said rubbing the back of my neck.

"How are you holding up?" He asked.

"We talked a quite a bit today. I told her about my past. She didn't judge me, didn't ask questions. She just kind of let me go. Just listened. It was real nice. I feel lighter sort of."

"I'm proud of you man. Its good she can get you to open up. No one else ever has. Are you going to tell her about the imprint? "

"No, not right now. There's too much going on in both of our heads to add too it. I cant handle her taking off if she hears that she's was meant for me. That she's supposed to stay with me."

"I hear you man. If you need help when it comes time or anything, I'm sure Kim can sit with her or whatever. She told me that she'd like to get to know her better."

"Yeah, thanks I'll think about it."

"Do you think you can ask Bella tomorrow if she wants to come over on Saturday for the twins birthday party? I don't think anyone's mentioned it. I know they want her to come. They haven't shut up about her since she came back." Seth said.

"Sure man, I'll ask. Hey, I'm going to head up to bed. I'll catch up to you guys some time tomorrow." I said standing up and heading towards the stairs.

"Nite Paul." I heard them both say behind me.

"Nite."

When I got to the top of the stairs I went into my room, grabbed a pair of jogging shorts. I made my way into the bathroom setting the shower on the hottest it will go. Climbing in, I laid my head against the back wall and closed my eyes. Images of Bella were flashing. Her smiling, her laughing.

"I hope tomorrow goes as good as it did today." I said to myself climbing out and drying off.

I slipped my shorts on. Walked out of the bathroom, into my room, and climbed into bed. Waiting for the dream. Waiting for my hell.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

"Bella? You almost ready?" I said walking through the door.

"Yeah, can you grab the backpack and basket by the door?" She said. The voice coming from upstairs.

I grabbed the bag and basket and waited for her to make an appearance. When she started down I couldn't help but take her in. Her long chestnut hair was combed out and fanned down her back to her waist. She was slim, but had curves in all the right areas, which were defined by the pair of skinny jeans, and yellow tank she was wearing. She was mezmorizing.

"You okay there?" She said waving her hand in front of my face.

Looking up I saw the corner of her mouth lift a little. Ah…playing me at my own game. She caught me.

"Yeah, I'm good. You ready to go?"

"Just let me get my sweater." She walked into the kitchen and returned a few seconds later.

"Our cliff right?" I asked before I got a chance to think about what I was saying. I'll slap myself later for that one.

"Yeah, our cliff." She said with a smile on her face. We turned and started walking.

"Don't you want to drive up?" I asked when I noticed her walking past the truck.

"I thought we'd walk. Its warm today." She said as we continued.

The walk really wasn't that long and she only almost fell twice. Thank you god that I'm quick.

Making it to the cliff, Bella grabbed her bag and pulled out a blanket, laying it close to the edge, and sat down. Standing behind her I got a glimpse of something under the strap of her tank top.

"Bella? Do you have a tattoo?" I asked.

"Yeah, Why do you ask?

"I see a little of it under one of the straps. What is it of?"

"A phoenix." She said.

"Why a phoenix?"

"The phoenix arises itself from its own ashes. It represents a new beginning. No mater how bad things may get, you will rise out of the ashes, you will pull through."

I had a feeling the tattoo she had , symbolizes everything there is about her. What she's been through. Who she is.

"Can I see it." I asked her.

"Maybe some other time. I'll make a deal with you. They day you show me you in wolf form, I'll show you my tattoo." She said with a smile.

I giggled a little when she said that. I guess she wasn't going to let me forget my promise to show her the dog side of me.

I walked up beside her and sat down next to her , looking out over the water. Sucking it in.

"Its so easy to be around you." She said looking out over the water. I smiled, but stayed quiet. I was hoping she would open up a little more. But hell, I'd take what I could get even if it was just silence.

"Its so peaceful here. The wind carries all your worries, all the pain, all the lies away. Even if it is only for a short while."

"I've always thought that too. When I sit up here I feel at ease. Nothing can touch me." I said and out of the corner of my eye I saw her flinch. It stayed quiet for a few more minutes.

Taking my chances and stealing another glance, I saw a tear roll down her face. I moved a little closer to her and wiped the tear away with my finger again, and she rested her head on my arm.

"How do you make the pain go away?" She said, her voice cracking.

"It helps to talk about it."

"I don't like remembering. I told Charlie some of it the other night, and while I was talking I saw myself there. I could feel it all over again."

I started rubbing my hand up and down her back, trying to ease a little of the pain.

"I don't want to feel."

"I know, It'll be ok." I didn't know what to say to her. I never dealt with anything like this. How could I help?……..

"I didn't want to go that night. Dinner yeah, I wouldn't have cared, but mom said it would be ok and he said that we were just going to hang out at the hotel, away from home, so that mom wouldn't be around."

"I knew something wasn't right. I had a feeling, but I went against it. I told myself that he loved me, and he wouldn't do anything I didn't want to do. What a fucking joke that was."

I started shaking.. Not enough to phase, but enough to know that I was starting to get upset. And it was upsetting. She's been through a lot. Someone hurt her. But I pushed away that anger for her. I had to be strong for her.

"He took me to the warehouse. I told him it wasn't a good idea, and that we should just go to dinner, but he said that everything would be ok. When I tried pulling back, he grabbed harder and pulled me in. He slapped me around a little, chained me to a bed and told me that there was a certain amount of pleasure that came from pain. That I would enjoy it. He said he was tired of me playing the innocent one. H…He ripped my shirt off of me and start slicing me with something he picked up off the floor. He said he was pl…play…playing a game with me. That he wasn't going to kill me. It would be to easy, he said."

Come on Paul pull yourself together man, calm down. I was chanting to myself. If I ever ran across this fuck I swear I'm going to do everything to him that he did to her. Looking down at her I noticed she was rubbing her hip. Still lost in thought.

"He smacked me around a little more, and I finally blacked out. When I woke up, my arms weren't chained anymore, and I didn't see him, but laying next to me was a note that said that if I ran he'd find me. I'd suffer more. I laid there for a few more minutes, but I knew I had to make a run for it. I had to try to get out of there. My mind was telling me either way I was going to suffer. The least I could do was try to get out of there."

"I climbed out of the bed and went over to the door. I saw that his car was still parked where he left it, but I still didn't see him anywhere. I didn't know if he took the keys, but it didn't matter anyways. Mom taught me to hotwire a car. She had to do it once when she lost her keys in the mall." She said with a small chuckle, probably lost in the memory of her moms many talents.

"I almost made it to the car. I was almost there. Arms reach. I felt a blow to my right leg, I could here the bone crunch. And I fell to the ground. He grabbed me by my hand so hard that I thought he was going to break that too. He kept saying, it was part of the game. He knew I'd try to get out. I made it to easy. He kicked me a few times in my stomach. The last thing I remember before I blacked out was him saying over and over, that it was too easy."

I hugged her to me as tight as I could while she cried. Be strong Paul.

"I woke up in the hospital later that night. The doctors said I had a broken leg, severe lacerations to my stomach and a few cracked ribs. He was there. Mom was there. He told her that we got in a fight at the hotel, I tried running away and tripped, fell down a flight of stairs, and went through a window. Mom, of course being mom, believed him. She left, shortly after that, and told me that I better stick with the story he came up with. He'll know if I didn't. He'd find me. Oh fuck, he's going to find me. What the fuck have I done? Paul I have to get out of here. He's going to find me here. I cant let him come here."

She started hyperventilating. The pain she was showing a few minutes ago, was replaced with fear. I was going to get that fucker. I started shaking her…

"Bella? Bella hunny you need to calm down… breathe….its ok…calm down?" I said to her.

"He cant come here Paul." She said again.

"He's not Bella. Your safe here. No ones going to hurt you. You hear me. I promise you. I wont let anything happen to you." I said pulling her tight to me again.

She cried for a while, and when her breathing evened out I realized she had fallen asleep. She seemed so relaxed. And simply looking at her began to calm me. But I knew It was getting kind of late.

"Bella…Bella come on wake up hun." I whispered into her ear.

She slowly started to wake, looking up at me she bolted straight up.

"I'm so sorry Paul…I shouldn't have unloaded all of that on you. You must hate me. I swear sometimes I cant learn to shut the fuck up."

"Bella….Bella….Bella shut up for a second." I said smiling, while she was still going off.

She looked up at me… stunned.

"Sorry." She said again. And it was starting to piss me off.

I gently grabbed her shoulders to turn her to look at me.

"Bella look at me." I tried. She didn't look up.

"Please Bella, just look at me." She slowly raised her eyes to meet mine.

"First of all, stop saying your sorry. None of this is your fault. None of it you hear me. Second, thank you for telling me. I'm not going anywhere, and I don't hate you."

"If anything, I have more respect for you. Your still here. Still trying to be strong."

"Thank you." She said to me, with a hint of a smile.

"Now did you want to go back to the house?" I asked her.

"No, I mean we can if you want to."

"Bella, what do you want to do?" I asked.

"I think I'd like to stay."

"You think?" I asked again. I wanted to make sure she knew she had the choice. It was up to her.

"I'd like to stay. Can you grab the basked. I'm getting kind of hungry." She said.

"That's better." I stood up, went and retrieved the basked, and then sat back down next to her.

As we ate conversation flowed smoothly again. Her earlier mood forgotten. She decided that she wanted to go to the birthday part on Saturday. And she was thinking about asking Leah, Emily and Kim to go shopping with her on Sunday in Port Angeles. I was happy she was starting to warm up to everyone.

In no time at all it seemed the stars were out, and Bella and I were laying on the blanket side by side gazing at them. A few minutes later we caught sight of a shooting star.

"Paul did you see that?" She said excitedly.

"Yeah I did."

"Did you make a wish?" She said. She was so carefree right now.

"Yeah…did you?"

"Of course." She replied.

"What did you wish for?" I asked.

"I cant tell you that. If I tell you it wont come true."

"Ahhh," I said.

"Alright I think its time to get this packed up and get home before we have a search party out for us." She said a few minutes later.

"Yeah I think your right."

So we packed everything up and headed back to Bella's place. The house was quiet when we got there. Everyone was probably still over at Sam's. I walked into the kitchen and put the bag and basket on the table and headed back out to the living room, in the direction she went.

"Paul?"

"Yeah?"

"You want to stay for a little while? We can watch a movie or something."

I wouldn't turn down any chance I got to hang out with her.

"Sure."

She walked over to the entertainment center, put a movie on and sat on the middle of the couch.

"Come on." She said patting the cushion beside her.

I walked over and sat next to her, and she put her head on my arm like she did earlier on the cliffs.

"Thank you." She said.

"Anytime hun."

A few minutes later her breathing because even, but I didn't want to wake her up again. She had a hard enough day. Shifting her and grabbing one of the throw pillows, that we deposited on the floor when we sat down, I laid it in my lap and brought her down to rest more comfortably.

I used a word once to describe what she looked to me. Angelic. It applied even more now looking down at her. She had a smile on her face, and she started mumbling words. Nothing obvious. Until I caught the one phrase that I've been saying to myself the last few nights. "Saving me."

I smiled, and let my head fall back against the couch, closing my eyes. She asked me tonight to make a wish on the shooting star.

It was already coming true.

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