~ A/N Happy Monday! It's an update. Sorry for the delays, but I've just about completed this story. I should be faster getting the chapters out to you.

Chapter 20

Leah and Bella studied the plans over coffee. Despite the massive confusion from the imprints, Leah arrived first with a smile on her face. She told Bella Sam was struggling, but he swore his love for her and their family hadn't diminished. Leah had loved Sam since Jr. High. She said the love grew naturally and healthy. Now she also knew what it felt like imprinting and she was hurt deeply thinking that Sam felt these intense feelings about her cousin and not her. It was a double-edged sword.

"I want to strip him and fuck him with no end in sight, but what if he only wants that with Emily now? On the other hand, I'd like to kick his ass for not being strong enough to fight it off once and for all."

Bella spoke frankly with Leah, "Well, did you?"

"Yes. So far, only the fucking. The ass kicking might come later today. I thought the intimacy would help. He swears what's happening with Emily is not like my description of my current state. He just feels ultra protective of her, but also possessive and that scares him. He also said, no matter what pull the wolf has to Emily, scenting Embry on her deters him from wanting more. He has to channel the imprint into friendship/family only. He swears he's strong enough after communing with Levi. I trust him, but there are internal battles raging inside us. Sadie has to come first. Being around you, Bella. It helps. I'm speaking for all the guys. We feel you."

"Thanks. That means a lot. I feel you guys too and I want everyone to be safe and happy. Do you trust Emily? She seems weak and given her history, I can't say I'm sure. The funny thing is I like her. I truly care about her, but she needs to fight as hard as Sam. I made myself forgive her for Jacob's pain. In a way, I owe her for the indiscretion."

"I shouldn't trust her. She blew my damn mind with Jake and Embry. I knew her better than anyone, but I didn't know what was happening. Also, I did not know they were married or that she's been hiding a baby from everyone for weeks. That's concerning. I'm not blind and I'm not dumb, but I love her too. We all have developed a new normal."

"Yes, normal. It's so remote now."

Bella asked for Leah to back her up at the big pack meeting and she admitted Jacob's orders were going to be a problem, but she swore allegiance to the alpha queen.

"Okay, everybody gather round and look at our options."

"Whoa! Bella's so dominant. Lucky, Jake."

"Quil, shut up and rub your abs again. Bells, you're not going. You can put the reconnaissance away."

"Let her speak, Black." Leah was her only advocate at the moment.

"Stop cutting me off, Jacob. Listen to me for a second. You keep asking me to trust you. Well, I'm asking you to do the same." Bella spread her blown up maps out on the counter and the pack gathered round.

"What's all this?"

"This is the Cullen's house, but this structure roughly half mile away is empty. I wasn't talking about storming the Cullen's house with the pack. I'll go here. I believe my shield will work from this distance. Old Quil and I have done our own training this week. He has seen the future and we are all safe and sound, Sadie included."

"Bells, I'm not risking you over some old man's dreams. He is seeing what he wants. That's what we all want, but the future isn't guaranteed."

"I know, but you guys need every advantage possible after the past day. Sam and Embry can't even look at each other without growling. You keep rolling your eyes over Paul's smirk. Everyone is too emotional, Jake."

Brady spoke up. He was so kind and respectful after the shift. "No disrespect Bella, but you'll blow our covers. The leeches will smell you before us."

"Not if we cover her scent."

"How?"

"I stay with her, never leave Bella's side, Black. I'll be in the abandoned house which means I have to sit out the fight, but any sign of trouble, we bolt."

"Bella can't outrun a vampire."

Sam was also arguing and siding with Jacob. "No Leah. She'll be the intended target and they'll go after you first to eliminate her protection."

"Sam, stop trying to baby me. Trust me like Jacob is about to trust Bella."

"I didn't say that. Bella can't go."

"Why not? I have a good plan. Leah and I have worked this out. She's the fastest so I don't have to outrun anything. She does. I'm going to practice climbing on Leah's wolf." The entire room erupted in laughter from the males. Bella was pissed. She yelled. "Shut up, idiots!" That muted their amusement about Bella wolf back riding. "It will work. You all need me. I'm aware how much I need all of you as well. Sadie needs me to be there."

Jacob was not easily convinced. Bella was tired of the round and round argument. "I agree, you are experiencing new powers we haven't begun to understand, but there hasn't been enough time to perfect them. I will assure Sadie I'm your friend and get her to you as soon as possible. My decision stands. Seth stays here with you, everyone else is going and we wait one more day."

"No!" The room silenced again in response to Bella's defiance.

Jacob motioned for Bella to head outdoors. He wanted to speak to her in private. She thought about it, but when the inner conflicts of the pack started up again, she stood her ground.

Bella was pissed her voice wasn't being heard. Jacob insisted she was the stubborn one. Well, this alpha wolf thing had gone straight to his head. Sam was on Jake's side. Quil couldn't get over Bella's sleuth work; he was studying her diagrams. Embry popped off to Sam about not looking at Emily. Those two couldn't stand to be in the same room together. Of course, Emily was crying again and both Embry and Sam made a move to comfort her.

Leah snapped that time. "Uley, you are my everything, but don't. She has a man already, all legal and shit. I will hurt you in front of this entire room if you forget your place."

Jacob roared for everyone to shut up and go to their respective corners. He ordered all new imprints to stay away from each other. Bella grabbed Leah and Emily each by the hand and took them to the couch.

The room echoed silence and this time it lingered. Bella wasn't under that ordered so she asked again. "Why are you being so damn stubborn?"

"Because I have my reasons, too many to name."

Rachel asked her brother why Paul wasn't allowed next to her since they were not one of the complicated imprints. He grimaced like it was painful to hear that fact again. All imprints were complicated. Bella and Jacob felt the same way.

"Jake, let them speak. I want to know what their feeling. Perhaps, if each one of you talks about what you're experiencing, we can clear the air and then you can get your focus back."

Jacob said, "Okay. Bells has a good idea. No interruptions. Let's hash this out."

Paul raised his hand first. "Imagine that. I just volunteered for something, but I have to get this out. I have been a fuckup since I was a teen. I thought one woman could never satisfy me and that why I always had to move onto the next conquest. I could never be fulfilled. You guys all know, I'm a good friend if I want to be, but I didn't do relationships." He looked at Rachel, "and now a relationship sounds right. I swear to you, Black and everyone else in here. I will be true to Rachel. This is where I'm supposed to be and I'm glad the wolf showed me or I'd wasted my whole life and ended up alone and pathetic like my old man."

Rachel wiped the tears off her cheeks, "Awe, honey, that's beautiful. I love you."

Bella agreed. That part of imprinting sounded beautiful.

"Seth?"

"Well, at first it was so scary, but also a rush. I still had feelings for Jana, but concern for Bree overshadowed them. I stayed all night with her at the hospital. She woke up and she's talking now. Those dead people were friends from high school and she's shattered knowing they died. Her memory is fuzzy, but she said they were celebrating graduation and starting college soon. She keeps thanking me for saving her and says my voice held her to this earth. I can't say for sure it's like Paul and Rachel, that it's love, but I didn't experience this level of connection with any other girlfriend. I feel bad for Jana. I did my best to explain my absence from school and her life. She thinks we have a huge family drama thing going on. Kinda true. I don't know what will happen, but I feel like my mind can only focus on the pack and Bree."

Leah said she wanted to go next. "Sam is still my Sam, but I feel extra buzzed on him. We're different. We loved each other already. I won't let go of the life we built. I can't."

"Lee. I would never ask you to let go. I feel ripped. I hate it. I want to release it. Emily is like a sister, but there's other stuff there. I can't vocalize it."

"Can't or won't. You crave my wife like all these others and it's sick. You're a husband and a father. I always knew you were weak Sam Uley."

Sam growled. He took a step across the room and Jacob warned him. "Sam..."

"How dare you say that to me when everyone in this room knows you have no honor. You stole your brother's girlfriend. You disrespected Emily as well."

"Hold on a damn minute, Sam. Don't let the imprint blind you. We've discussed this and we were both disappointed in Emily. She's no innocent victim. Not then. Not now. And for the last time, stop crying! Tell Sam to fuck off. Speak up for yourself, cuz."

Emily's hand went limp in Bella's. Secretly, Bella wondered why the hell Emily had the magic touch to twist almost half the men in the room in knots at one time or another. She cut her eyes to Jacob. He looked distressed, but when he locked eyes with her, his demeanor relaxed.

It was time.

Bella concentrated. She blocked out all the voices and she concentrated. Jacob had to witness it firsthand to believe her. She heard distant screams and shouts, a few curse words, but the one phrase stuck out from more than one person, "It's gone. I can't feel the imprint!"

She did it and then the world went dark.

His familiar touch woke her. Jacob brushed her hair from her cheek. "Bells."

"Where am I?"

"In the examination room. You passed out."

"Oh yeah, it's draining to shield. Now I remember but I did it, didn't I. I projected."

"Yes. Way to go Bells. You showed me up."

"Was it permanent?"

"Not exactly. When you passed out, the imprints returned."

"I need more practice, but I can block the weirdo Edward. I'm sure of it and he's our biggest threat if he reads everyone's mind. Rose said Alice's has visions. So do I now, so I'm not afraid of her. I'm not sure about the rest, but I'll block everything. Do you trust me now?"

Bella tried to sit up, but felt woozy and fell back to the pillow, "Simmer down, mighty supernatural slayer. You're not scared of anything anymore. I get it. Confidence is important but you're wiped out from five minutes of mind-controlling the pack. I have no idea how long it's going to take to rip apart the Cullens. Those three in the woods took a good hour."

Jacob wasn't nearly as defiant as he'd been earlier. "You're thinking about it, aren't you?"

"I'll make you a deal. You stay in bed, rest up. Sue's going to bring you some food soon and Levi and I are going to strategize with the pack. I've got some contingency plans to sort out, but if we can all get to that abandoned house unnoticed, then I might agree it's a safe distance."

"It is."

"Whatever you say, know-it-all. You promise to listen and cooperate if I compromise?"

Bella struggled to get off the flat exam table until he helped her sit up. She wrapped her arms around Jake's neck. He gave her a sweet kiss. She missed their goodnight kisses from the night before because of their argument.

Jacob told her she was a stubborn ass, but amazing. Bella extended her hand. He smirked before shaking it. "Partners?"

"Yeah, Bells. We're partners."

~Thanks for reading.

I know, it's a bit short, but it's the right place to break. Opinions: Should Bella go or does she needs to keep her ass on the reservation? The imprints might bug some readers, but I like exploring complicated issues. It's been fun to think of alternative circumstances and unique solutions. Hang on. If you have read me before, I like HEA.