A/N: I'm back! Sorry for the long absence, between travel, my business, the fires here in Montana and a distinct lack of muse I spent most of my time away from a computer screen. Not to mention since this story has taken on a mind of it's own it took me awhile to decide how to continue it. Hope you all enjoy, thank you for all the reviews since the last chapter!

The title song is 'No Place That Far' by Sara Evans

No Place That Far

Jacob watched Bella, her eyes staring unblinkingly at the ceiling. She'd been like this since they'd come back from Old Quil's early that morning, not saying a word since they left the elder's home. He knew hours had passed since then, tracking the shadows as they moved around his room. He was growing impatient waiting for her to speak, torn between wanting to give her the space to process everything they learned and wanting her to open up to him. She inhaled sharply all of a sudden, nearly making him jump, and turned her face towards him, her brown eyes meeting his. He waited, unsure what to say that would bridge the emotional distance he could feel between them, not to mention the physical distance. Except leading her from Old Quil's, he hadn't touched her, not wanting to crowd her and upset her even more. She rolled to her side to face him; still leaving a few inches between them he noticed dismally, her lips trying to form a smile.

"Hey."

Her voice was weak and scratchy, most likely from neither of them drinking since the night before, and he twitched the corners of his mouth up in his own attempt at a smile. It dropped away quickly, his brow furrowing as he watched her with concern, unsure what to say or do. The silence stretched between them, growing more uncomfortable as it went on, and she rolled to her back with a sigh, sending a sharp pain through Jacob's heart.

"Bells…" She turned to watch him again and he felt his hand twitch with the urge to touch her, clenching it in a fist on his thigh as he gave her a pleading look. "Honey, talk to me, please. I can't help if you don't tell me what you're thinking; I don't know what to do."

It was hard for him to admit that to her, he was so used to fixing her and having all the answers, even if she didn't like them, but now he was at a loss. She snorted, wincing the pain it no doubt caused her dry throat, and pushed herself off the bed and to her feet. He felt another pain shoot though his chest, her rejection stinging, and he followed slowly as she made her way to the kitchen. The house was quiet, Billy having gone fishing with Charlie for the day, and he watched from the doorway as Bella filled a glass at the sink, chugging it on autopilot. She refilled it, starting slightly when her stomach growled loudly, glancing at Jacob as his gave an answering growl.

He idly realized they hadn't eaten since the bonfire and most likely neither had she. He was pulled from his thoughts when she pressed the glass into his hand, turning away before he could catch her eye, and moving towards the fridge. He gripped the glass tightly, watching as she started to pull food out to make breakfast, his temper suddenly flashing high and he threw the glass into the sink, barely hearing it shatter. Bella jumped, turning to face him with a surprised look and he ran his shaking hands though his hair as he tried to keep himself in check. "Dammit Bella, talk to me!"

She turned away, setting the bacon and eggs in her hands gingerly on the counter before bracing herself against the edge. Silence reined for a moment, broken only by his harsh breathing, and he barely heard her soft reply. "What do you want me to say Jake? After everything Old Quil told us…"

She shook her head, her whole body seeming to sag all of a sudden. "I don't even know who I am anymore."

Her whispered confession seemed much louder in the room and Jacob was across the kitchen in an instant, his arms bracketing her body as he ducked his head down by her ear. "I do." His rumbling whisper sent a shiver down her spine and he swallowed as he resisted the urge to press against her, continuing, "You're Bella Swan. You're my best friend. You are sweet, kind, funny, loving, beautiful and stronger than anyone I know. Where anyone else would see monsters, you see people. You're not afraid of anything, even when you should be, especially when you should be."

She let out a watery chuckle, making him smile as he leaned his head against hers. "You're the only girl I have ever or will ever love. That's what matters, nothing else."

He felt her swallow, her body shaking slightly as she leaned against him and he automatically wrapped his arms around her, his own tension dropping from the physical contact. Tucking her against his body he couldn't help the purr in his chest as the wolf rumbled its own contentment. Bella snorted, leaning her head into the curve of his neck and he nudged her playfully with his nose. "Don't look at me like that, I can't help it."

Chuckling she shook her head and twisted in his arms to look at him. "I'm sorry Jake, just so much keeps happening and I feel like I can't keep up with it anymore."

He nodded, feeling an urge to protect her and steal her away from all their problems, even knowing it wasn't a possibility. Tracing his fingers down her spine he grinned when she shivered against him, his eyes drawn to her mark. It had healed over, no longer irritated from leech venom in her system, and he felt his eyes flash gold as he stroked the skin at her waist.

"Jacob…" Her voice was trying for stern but he caught the need in it and smirked as he used one hand to tuck the food back in the fridge and then swept her into his arms, making her squeal in surprise as she wrapped her legs around his waist, chuckling as he carried her back to his room and kicked the door shut.

Leah walked out of her house into the crisp morning air, stretching with a yawn as she tried to shake the last bit of sleep from her brain. She grumbled under her breath, wondering why she agreed to cover Paul's shift, and sighed as she jogged into the trees, hoping the exercise would wake her up. She was thankful at least that Embry was paired with her; his quiet presence would be bearable for the four hours she was scheduled. She approached the clearing they traded shifts in, nodding to Quil and Jared. "Anything happen last night?"

They shook their heads, Jared smothering a yawn behind his hand and she jerked her head in dismissal. "Go home; Embry should be here any minute."

Too tired to do much more than wave they disappeared into the brush, a rustling signaling their phase and their faint footsteps fading quickly, leaving Leah alone. She breathed in the silence, enjoying herself, when she heard someone approaching from behind her. "It's about time Call."

She turned to make a sarcastic comment but the words died on her lips as she came face to face with the figure, her voice barely above a whisper, "Sam…"

Jacob traced his hands idly over Bella's back, reveling not for the first time how smooth her skin was even beneath his callused fingertips. She was laying half draped over his chest, her heart still racing slightly as she sighed contentedly. Her hand lay over his heart, fingers rhythmically tapping along to his heart beat and she shifted her head to glare at him from under her bangs. "It's not fair, I'm still trying to catch my breath and you're totally fine like nothing happened."

Jacob laughed, earning himself another glare, and laced his fingers through hers to pull her hand up to his face, kissing her fingers gently. "Wolf stamina sweetheart, it makes for a good recovery time."

He couldn't help wagging his eyebrows at her suggestively and she smacked him with her other hand, rolling her eyes as he chuckled. Pulling her across him he slanted his mouth against hers and kissed her, holding back his mirth as she hummed above him. Pulling away he placed their joined hands over his chest again, arching an eyebrow at her. She stilled a moment, feeling his heart rate had quickened slightly in response to their kiss, and gave a satisfied smile. Shaking his head he rolled her beneath him, pressing gently kisses over her face. "Believe me honey; you affect me way more than I affect you."

She rolled her eyes, still smiling as he pressed his lips to hers again, and Jacob reluctantly pulled back before they got carried away again. Looking down at her he brushed some hair back, marveling at the silky texture, before meeting her eyes. "Bells, we need to tell the rest of the Pack what we know. I know you're still trying to absorb it all but they need to know what's going on too."

He watched her eyes darken slightly, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, and he reached up with his thumb to tug it free, pressing his lips to hers for a moment. "Bells, don't worry. You're not alone in this, I'm here with you and so is the rest of the Pack."

She nodded, her eyes brightening with that smile of hers he loved. Brushing some of his hair off his forehead she sighed and glanced at the clock. "Guess we should get out of bed then."

Jacob checked the time and grinned at her with a raised eyebrow. "Well, I think we can spare a little more time…"

Bella's laugh cut off into a squeal as he rolled her on top of him, pulling her down to kiss her and pick up where they'd left off.

Leah stared in shock as Sam walked slowly into the clearing, his eyes never leaving hers. She backed away when he came too close, trying to keep some distance between them as she growled, "What are you doing here? Embry is supposed to patrol with me, you're not even supposed to be phasing yet."

Sam stopped, leaving several feet between them, his brown eyes looking at hers pleadingly. "I needed to talk to you; I sent Embry on an errand and told him I'd get someone to cover. You've been avoiding me since the fight with Jacob."

Leah avoided his gaze, trying to ignore the twist in her heart at his soft tone. He sounded like her Sam, the one she fell in love with that was taken when he phased, and she had to remind herself that he wasn't hers anymore. "Don't act like this is new Sam. You've been recovering and haven't had to patrol, and ever since the im-" She cut herself off when a stab of pain shot through her and turned away. "It's the same as it's always been."

She heard him suck in a breath at her harsh tone and nearly jumped when she suddenly felt his heat behind her, his hands hovering over her upper arms. She could almost sense the inner turmoil, his want to touch her fighting against his wolf's pull to Emily. Her own body betrayed her, yearning for his touch even as her wolf snarled in fury at his boldness, and she sucked in a breath to try and clear her head. She could feel Sam's breath against her ear, the hitch in his breath when he inhaled making her bite her lip as she murmured, "We can't do this Sam. You're with Em-…with her. You made your choice."

He growled low in his chest, sending a shiver through her as he rasped, "The choice was made for me Lee-lee. If the decision was mine you know I would choose you in a heartbeat."

Leah growled in frustration, turning to face him and tried not to show how off balance his closeness made her. "Don't Sam! Why do you keep doing this? You're with Emily, you chose her! The spirits chose her for you, not me, her! And we know why, I'm a genetic dead end. I can't carry on the line, I shouldn't have phased to begin with, why do you have to keep rubbing that pain in my face?!"

Her tirade was cut off when Sam suddenly yanked her to him, pressing his lips against hers in a burning kiss that she felt all the way to her toes. Her eyelids fluttered closed of their own accord, her hands gripping his arms tightly before her wolf snapped angrily in her head and she jerked away as her eyes flew open. They stood, staring for a long moment as they panted harshly in the quiet, before Leah broke the silence by pulling her fist back and decking Sam as hard as she could. He stumbled back, choking and clutching his nose as blood poured from between his fingers and Leah glared at him as she stood, trembling in rage. "What the hell was that?!"

Sam glared at her over his bloodstained fingers, spatting out a mouthful of blood in reply. Before he could say anything a branch snapped in the woods and they both whipped their heads around to see Damon striding out from beneath the trees. "Oh, hey guys. You okay there buddy?"

Sam shot him a glare, Leah speaking before he had a chance, her tone icy as she crossed her arms. "We're fine. Sam was just leaving."

He shot her a look that she ignored, hard as it was, and turned to cock her head at Damon. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

He shrugged, his eyes darting from her to the still glaring Sam as the former Alpha turned and stalked away. "Bored, decided to do some more exploring. You heading to patrol?"

Leah nodded, frowning slightly at the flash of emotion in his eyes as Sam vanished into the treeline. "Yeah, looks like I'm soloing it today since Sa…anyways, I need to get going. Sure you can find your way back to the house? Don't want to have to track you down after patrol."

Damon snorted, yanking his t-shirt over his head as he kicked off his shoes, and Leah's eyes widened as she half-turned away, heat filling her face. "What are you doing?"

"Strip tease, you like?" Leah shot him a glare over her shoulder and he chuckled as he moved to duck behind a tree, his voice carrying back to her. "Obviously I'm going to patrol with you. It's not safe to go out on your own."

Her temper flared and she growled under her breath, making Damon pop his head back around the tree with a pointed look. "Hey, I didn't say that because you're a girl. You're the Beta so I'm quite sure you can take care of yourself. But you know as well as I do that it isn't safe for any wolf to be out on their own, and I'd like to learn how you guys patrol, maybe pick up a few tips."

Leah stared as he vanished behind the tree again, surprise and suspicion warring in her head. Before she could decide which to listen to, Damon's wolf stepped out from the treeline, making her breath catch for a moment. For a moment she thought it was Sam, but she noticed he was a softer shade of black, his eyes a soft hazel green instead of the black brown of the ex-Alpha. Exhaling softly she ducked behind a tree, trying to compose herself as she yanked the sundress over her head and tied it to her ankle.

Phasing came as easy as breathing, the feeling of the earth under four paws helping to ground her slightly and she huffed as she stepped back out into the clearing. Damon paused, his eyes sweeping over her in a way that had too many emotions spiraling through her, making her hesitate as she tried to sort through the chaotic waves. Deciding to shove them down and ignore the reaction she settled on an annoyed look, challenging while in wolf form but she pulled it off with a sharp bark at the other shifter. Damon's eyes met hers, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth and gave her the wolf equivalent of a grin before he suddenly shot out of the clearing. Leah blinked in surprise and then bolted after him, trying to ignore the little thrill that raced down her spine as she did.

Paul jogged up the Blacks' newly repaired steps, whistling under his breath as he strode inside. "Jake? Bella? You guys here?"

His ears picked up movement coming from Jake's room and he shook his head with a grin as he plopped down on the couch, hands behind his head as he stretched his legs in front of him. After several minutes he heard them come down the hall and he lifted his head, a typical joke on his lips that died as soon as he saw Bella's worried face. He was on his feet in an instant, striding towards her side as he looked at Jacob. "What's wrong with her?"

Jacob gestured to her, glancing at the clock on the wall. "She'll tell you. Bells, I have to go check on the patrols. Will you be okay with Paul for a little while?"

Paul watched as she nodded, giving Jake a weak smile before turning back to him. "Want to help me with dinner? Dad and Billy should be home soon and I'm sure they'll be hungry."

He nodded, knowing she was trying to distract him, and gave Jacob a subtle nod when she turned away. Jacob gave him a thankful smile, kissed the top of Bella's head and strode out the front door, leaving the two of them in the quiet. Bella headed for the kitchen and Paul trailed after her, watching as she dug in the fridge for the ground beef and fresh tomatoes. He cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow expectantly at her when she glanced at him, crossing his arms as he waited. "Bella…we need to talk about last night. Do you realize what you did at the bonfire?"

She gave him a puzzled look and he sighed as he leaned his hands on the table top. "Bella, you ordered me not to follow you. Not just ordered, you Alpha ordered me. Like Jacob can. Now, anything you want to share with the class?"

He watched her eyes widen in surprise and then she flushed as she turned away to put the food on the counter. "Paul, you must be mistaken…"

It was a weak lie and they both knew it and Paul breathed through his nose for a moment before crossing to her and gently but firmly turning her to face him. "Bella, that's a steaming pile of crap. Don't lie to me, that's not what we do. Now what is going on?"

She bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes, and Paul softened slightly as he pulled her in for a hug. "Easy now Princess. You know you can tell me anything. That's our thing right?"

She nodded against his chest and Paul scooped her into his arms, carrying her back to the living room to set her on the sofa, kneeling in front of her as he held her hands. "Alright, now spill. Is it Jake? Is he being an idiot again?"

She choked on a laugh, shaking her head and sighed as she patted the couch next to her. Paul indulged her, sitting beside her with his arm around her shoulders and chuckled when she leaned her head against his chest. "I went to see Old Quil last night."

He looked down at her, frowning when he saw the look on her face. "What is that old windbag up to now?"

She smacked him on the chest lightly, giving him a stern look. "Behave yourself."

Rolling his eyes he bit back a retort and waited for her to continue. "He…he told me some things…a lot of things actually…"

Paul nudged her when she trailed off, jolting her back to the present. "Apparently…according to him…somewhere in our family line we have Quileute."

Paul blew out a breath, Bella's words hanging heavily in the air, his mind turning over her words. "So…you're what? Worried you're from the Black line and you and Jacob are distant relatives or something?"

He watched the color drain from her face, realizing that hadn't crossed her mind, and quickly rushed to assure her, "I highly doubt that you and Jacob would have this connection if that was the case Bella. Forget I said that and go on."

She slowly regained her color, although her eyes were still wary, and she muttered, "Thanks, one more thing to worry about… What I was originally worried about, and what has Old Quil concerned, is the fact I apparently have a spirit wolf in my head and is the possibility of me phasing."

Paul's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "But wouldn't you have phased before? I mean you were practically living with the leeches and nothing. We had practically zero contact and became giant furballs within weeks."

She shrugged, rubbing her temples, her voice tired, "I don't know, he thinks it may have something to do with not living here for most of my life. He's not even sure how far back Charlie's line goes; we don't exactly look like we have any Quileute blood. It has to be back a couple generations at least; according to him I shouldn't have anything like this."

Paul thought a moment and mused, "Maybe your magic has something to do with it. Charlie doesn't have that and he would have more of a connection than you so he would have a greater chance of having some kind of spirit connection. But you have the witch line from your mom's side maybe that somehow activated the genes."

Bella stared at him for a moment and he smirked as he ruffled her hair. "What, you think you and Old Quil are the only ones who can come up with ideas? Now come on, I'm starving and I'm sure everyone else will want food too."

He tugged her off the couch, leading her into the kitchen as she raised her eyebrow. "Fine, but you better tell me what's happening between you and Jen. Don't think I haven't noticed the difference between the two of you."

He rolled his eyes in response, earning himself a smack from Bella as she started preparing the tomatoes for the spaghetti sauce. He slowly explained his plan to Bella, leaving out the part about Rachel Black being his supposed imprint, and she raised an eyebrow at him when he confessed he was using her and Jake's relationship as a model. "Really? I mean, we're good now sure but it's not like Jake and I have the healthiest start."

Paul shrugged, dumping the spaghetti into the boiling water. "Maybe not. But it's not like there's a lot of healthy examples around here. Who am I supposed to look up to, Sam and Emily? Besides, you and Jake are the epitome of overcoming everything to be together."

He saw her brow furrow as she thought it over, stirring the sauce as Paul leaned against the counter. "Look, you guys had a rough start sure. Not that there was anyone helping make that easier. With everything going against you guys, you never should've gotten together. But you did. And there may be a lot of things going against Jen and me, but I know she feels the same pull I do, and not just from the bond. So I'm going to try it your way and I know it will work because I've seen it. Besides, it might help us both think better if we aren't falling into bed every time we try to talk about it."

He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively and Bella rolled her eyes and smacked his arm, making him grin. She turned serious as she looked up at him, doing that whole 'look into his soul thing that she had, and he fought the urge to look away. "You really care about her, don't you?"

Her voice was soft and he nodded, feeling relieved that he had apparently passed her scrutiny, and she smiled as she laid a hand on his arm. "If there's anything I can do to help, let me know."

He grinned again, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to pull her into a hug, and then tilted his head towards the front door. "Your dad and Billy are home. Sounds like Jake is too."

Bella's eyes brightened, looking more like herself than when he'd first come in the house, and he let go of her to turn back to the stove. "I'll drain the spaghetti, you grab the plates."

She stuck her tongue out at his bossiness, her ringing phone cutting off any retort. Paul watched out of the corner of his eye as she pulled it out, frowning at the screen that he could see read 'unknown number', clicking the button and putting it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Bella?" Paul stiffened at the same time she did, hearing a voice neither of them expected to hear again, their eyes meeting as the both stood frozen in the kitchen. "Bella? Hello?"

Jacob pushed his dad up the ramp, shaking his head at the good natured teasing between him and Charlie, waiting for the police chief to open the door so they could get inside. As soon as it swung open he stiffened, his ears picking up the sound of Bella's racing heart, Paul's low growl and the sharp scents of fear and anger coming from inside. He rushed past the two older men, ignoring Charlie's protest as he barreled into the kitchen, feeling his eyes flash gold as he looked around quickly.

Paul was pacing in front of the sink, trembling so much Jake was briefly worried about how much damage his wolf would do to the kitchen. He growled low in his chest, warning but not threatening, and Paul shuddered slightly as his gaze darted to his Alpha, his wolf reluctantly calming and tipping his head in submission. Satisfied his Pack brother wasn't going to phase he turned his attention to Bella, who had collapsed on a chair with her cellphone in her hand. She met his gaze, the shock in her eyes drawing him closer and he tilted his head as he knelt before her. "Bells, what's wrong?"

Before she could answer Paul snarled behind them, causing Jacob to shoot him a warning glance over his shoulder. The agitated shifter gestured to the phone held limply in Bella's hand, his eyes flashing as he spat out a single word that made Jacob's wolf growl in his throat. "Cullen."

A/N: So, what did you think? I'm loving the bond with Paul and Bella, I originally planned her and Seth to be like that but Paul is fitting better with how the story is going. What about the Sam/Leah/Damon interaction? Anyone have a guess who called Bella? Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!