Chapter 11

Bella was aware of the sharp antiseptic smell and cold sensation of rubbing alcohol being swabbed on the back of her hand. She quickly snatched her hand away and sat up. Then regretted it.

"Owwwww," she groaned. When she opened her eyes, she saw that she was at Sam and Emily's place in the spare bedroom. Carlisle Cullen was the one who'd apparently been ministering to her.

"Good to see you awake, Bella," Carlisle said politely. Before she even had time to respond, all the wolves at once seemed to try to get in the room getting jammed in the doorway like some episode of the 3 Stooges.

Bella giggled until she realized she didn't see Paul or Jake. She could feel the blood drain from her face. "Paul?" she whispered in question at Carlisle.

"He's fine, Bella! A broken leg that's healing quickly. I had to reset it twice."

Bella felt relief wash over her. Then a chill again, "And Jake?"

"Get out of my way!" Jacob Black bellowed from the hallway to the rest of the pack still trying to all be in the room.

He looked murderous when they finally moved enough to let him through, but upon seeing her broke into his sunny grin and moved to hug her.

"Bells!" he sighed happily as he leaned down to hug her. Then suddenly they were both groaning in a duet of "Owwwww!"

Carlisle tried to smother his smile. "Jacob had several broken ribs, Bella. Jacob, Bella has massive contusions over much of her body and possibly a mild concussion."

"Guess there's no such thing as doctor/patient confidentiality in THIS family," Quil joked from the door.

"Jake, what happened?" Bella asked, running her hands over him to make sure he really was ok. "And where's Paul?"

"He's on the couch in the living room. C'mon, let's go up there so we can all tell the story at once. Also, I'm pretty sure if I don't take you up there immediately, we'd need Doc Fang here to reset his leg for a third time," Jake chuckled.

Before Bella could say anything, Embry was at her side. "Mind if I carry you up there, Bella? Paul will get pissy if you limp up there, and Jake shouldn't be carrying anything until his ribs are fully healed."

"Are you ok, Embry?" Bella asked, shifting her hands and eyes to his body. He didn't seem broken anywhere.

Embry smiled, "I'm fine, sweetie. Let's get you up to your wolf before he throws a fit."

"Yes, please," Bella said, eager to get to Paul and see him for herself. She slid her arms around Embry's neck. He didn't flinch when he lifted her, but stilled when she whimpered.

"You ok?" he asked.

She nodded, breathing shallowly. "I'm just really tender everywhere. What happened to me? I blacked out, I think."

"Always missing the best parts, Swan!" Leah crowed from the chair next to Paul.

"We can't all be gorgeous badass warriors like you, Leah," Bella sighed.

"Damn right," Leah winked back.

"You ok, Leah?" Bella asked from Embry's arms.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Swan, but come take care of this big baby, so I can head home to shower," Leah grumped.

Embry gently put Bella down and she was immediately at Paul's side. Hugging, kissing, touching, and finally crying.

"Shh, shhh, it's okay, B. I'm fine, I promise," he crooned.

Bella nodded with her head still pressed against his bare chest. Just then Sam walked in.

"Leah, let's debrief with Bella before you head out, please," he asked in a way that left no room for discussion.

"Fine. But make it snappy. I have a date tonight," Leah retorted.

Bella snapped her head up. "You what?"

"You heard me, Swan," Leah grumped.

"Good for you," Bella nodded. "Want any help getting ready?"

Leah tilted her head in consideration. "Not this time, thanks. But if there's a second date, I may take you up on that. Although, just to talk to. You never wear make-up, so I don't trust you to advise in that area."

"It's true," Bella agreed, "but I can tell you truthfully how incredibly hot you look. I'm good for the ego when friends are getting ready," she winked.

Seth leaned over to Quil again, "What's happening here?" he stage whispered. "Is Bella flirting with Leah? Didn't she just get together with Paul? I'm so confused."

"Shut up, Seth. Ladies support ladies," Leah barked.

Bella and Leah fist bumped and then Bella was back paying attention to the chuckling Paul who was hugging her (gently) again.

Sam shook his head as if to clear it from all thoughts that may have just passed through it. "I'm getting too old for this shit," he grumbled. "Ok, let's review. Bella, what's the last thing you remember?"

"Getting slammed into when Alice was running with me," Bella responded. "Oh, Alice! Is Alice ok? Are the rest of the Cullens?" Bella couldn't believe how selfish she'd been in not asking about them, too!

Carlisle spoke up as he entered the room with his medical bag. "They're all fine, Bella. They stayed to take care of the remnants of battle."

"I'm so glad to know you're all ok. I'm sorry I didn't ask right away!"

Paul rubbed her back. "You just woke up, B. Give yourself a minute before you start beating yourself up over manners, ok?" he teased.

Before she could respond, Bella turned to see Jared walk through the door leading the rest of the Cullens.

Sam nodded at them, then turned to Carlisle. "We are grateful for your medical treatment today. I have been asked by the leaders of our community to remind you that your presence on our land is conditional and limited to this day and this purpose. Any future visits will require further negotiation as per the treaty our ancestors signed with you."

The room was quiet. Sam sounded very much in charge in that moment. There was no doubt he was Alpha. Bella saw Emily in the kitchen gazing at Sam like she couldn't be any more proud of him. Bella smiled. She loved these people so much.

Paul tried to shift his position on the couch. His leg was to the itchy part of healing and having his mortal enemies in the room was not helping his irritation. Bella turned her gaze on him and he stilled. He saw how she was in pain but pushing it down to participate because this family was more important to her than herself. He saw that she was exhausted, but also anticipating hearing what she'd missed. He saw that she was concerned for all of them, and he felt her concern and love for him. He felt it like he'd never felt anything before in his life. She loved him. It was washing over him in waves, one after another knocking him over. He almost felt giddy. And Paul Lahote had never been described as giddy.

Jasper cleared his throat. "Uh, Bella. If you could distract yourself from your wolf just for a moment, I would appreciate it," he smiled.

Edward got a pinched, but resigned look on his face.

"What's the problem?" Jake asked.

Even Bella looked confused. Jasper looked like he'd rather not explain, but tried anyway. "I believe you know that I'm an empath. I can enhance the emotions of those around me. Not create new ones, just enhance ones that are already there. We are here to discuss the battle, so I need to be able to think like a general. Bella's love for her wolf, and I suspect all of us, is pouring out all over the place here and I'm having a difficult time focusing on military issues."

Quil broke the silence, "Awwwww! Bella likes us, guys!" Everyone chuckled. Except Paul. Who was still basking in the feeling.

"Yes, I do," Bella joked. "Sorry, Jasper. My head is hurting and I think I'm having a hard time regulating my emotions."

She turned back to Paul to joke, but when she caught his gaze, she heard him inhale sharply. "Did I hurt you?" she asked, trying to shift away from him, but he just held her closer and willed himself not to cry.

"Paul?" Sam asked.

"It really is you," he whispered to her.

"What's me?" Bella asked, perplexed.

"The imprint. It just...settled? Finished? Completed? I don't know how to describe it. I could feel your love, just like Jasper said, but then you looked at me and it all clicked into place. Everything from before and then some."

And suddenly everyone was talking over everyone else.

"What do you mean from before?" Emily asked in the din.

Edward said nothing, but was looking at Bella with some interest. He took a step closer to the couch where she was wrapped in Paul's arms. He stopped when he heard growls from the pack who noticed his movements.

"Bella," he said, quietly. "I can hear you. It's faint, but as if your thoughts are whispers, or like a bad connection."

Bella sat up and looked at him. "What am I thinking right now?"

Edward chuckled, "That you don't like me being able to hear your mind. And also that you're thirsty."

Bella scrunched up her face. "Dang it. I really liked you not being able to hear me." She put her head in her hands. "Carlisle, am I allowed to take any pain meds? My head is killing me!"

Carlisle chuckled, "This isn't your first concussion, Bella. You know the protocol."

"Ugh. Fine. Emily, do you have any acetaminophen I can take?"

"Sure. AFTER you tell me what Paul meant! Spill!" Emily insisted while moving through the small kitchen getting the glass to fill with cold water for her friend to take the pills.

"Oh. Well, Paul said he thought maybe he imprinted on me, but it didn't feel like the rest of the guys feel I guess because he's still an ass and doesn't listen to whatever I say or cater to my every whim like the other imprinted wolves do," Bella blurted out, then covered her mouth. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, guys. I can't be held responsible for my mouth currently. I have a head injury."

"TBI Bella is kinda fun, though!" teased Quil.

Sam winked at Emily who was giving Sam some kind of look Bella couldn't interpret, but it made her blush all the same.

"Hey, I don't cater to Kim's every whim," Jared said. And then the whole room burst out laughing, because that was possibly the most ridiculous statement anyone had made that day.

Bella looked over and noticed Edward and Carlisle whispering to each other in conversation.

"Care to share with the rest of the class?" she snarked, then immediately dialed it back. "Sorry, but we don't all have super hearing," she gestured around the room, "Just, um, most of us."

"Apologies, Bella. Edward and I were just discussing a possible theory for the fact that he can only now hear your thoughts faintly and that you've apparently completed an imprint with Paul," Carlisle explained.

"And what's the theory?" Bella asked. Even as she asked, she thought again about the fact that she was having her own conversation and that Paul wasn't speaking for her the way Edward definitely would have. Instead Paul was touching her all the while to lend his support and strength. She knew, or felt, that if she needed him, he'd know when and step in, but he also knew she was ok. The swapping of feelings with an imprint was a lot to wrap her mind around and it was going to take some getting used to.

"Bella, remember how I once mentioned that Charlie's thoughts aren't easy for me to read and that yours were entirely mute for me?" Edward asked.

"Sure," she said tentatively.

"We, that is Carlisle and I, think that you may have an ability. Like we do. And inherited ability apparently. It might have been enhanced if you'd been turned, too, like the rest of ours were," he continued.

Bella could feel the wolves in the room tense at the mention of her being turned, but was curious. "What ability do you think I have?"

Carlisle answered, "We think you have a mental shield. It's why you weren't affected in Italy, either. All of those powers were mental powers."

"Ok, but did I lose my shield? What's different now?" she asked.

"Well, I think it might be the concussion," Carlisle continued. "I think as you heal, your mind will be once more protected."

"So you think this shield was keeping Paul from being able to imprint on me normally, too?" she pieced together.

"That's the theory at present. We'd need to check as you heal to really tell."

"But does that mean the imprint might go away, too?" Bella asked.

"I don't really know enough about how that works to answer that question," Carlisle responded. "But it seems complete and also that you're open to it. Maybe that's enough? We'll know more in the next few weeks."

Bella felt Paul's warm hand on her back and the other one holding hers. He was so beautiful. And he was hers. "Best concussion ever," she whispered to him.

Paul's face which had been searching hers as she was taking in all the news, broke into the happiest grin Bella had ever seen on him. She couldn't help but lean in to kiss him.

Sam cleared his throat. "Can we get back to our original purpose here, please?"

Jasper nodded his agreement at the alpha.

"For the love of everything, PLEASE, YES! I just want to go home and take a shower! Bella if you make me late for tonight, I'll make you-"

"Enough, Leah!" Sam barked. "We're moving along."

"Alright. Jasper, would you like to lead this debriefing?"