Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading the last chapter, and a special thank you to those who reviewed! Also, thanks to those who added the story as a favorite or put it on alert. It means a lot! Getting reviews make my day, and I am not going to be one of those authors who hold updating over your head if you don't review, but I'd really love to get as many as possible!

I apologize for the delay in updating—law is kicking my butt, but now that I have one semester of grad school under my belt, I feel it can only be downhill from here! Since I'm on break, I'm going to get as many updates out for you as possible!

If I don't get a chance to update before this weekend (last minute Christmas shopping for the win!) Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it, and Happy Holidays to those who don't!

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

Bella's POV

We arrived back at Sam's house, my truck nosily squeaking and crunching the gravel, signaling our arrival. Paul opened the door without knocking, holding it wide open for me as we walked him. He trailed close behind me, and we were surprised to see the pack already here.

"What's the verdict?" Emily asked sweetly, wiping her hands on a dish towel as she came out of the kitchen.

"Broken," Embry responded, before I could even get a word out. "She got a cast."

"How did you-?" I began to ask, before Embry cut me off.

"Wolf thing," He responded, pointing to his nose.

"Of course," I grumbled, pouting as Paul chuckled, his hand once again going to my lower back, sending a shiver down my spine. He directed me to an open couch, where plopped down.

"Why is it green?" Jake asked. "The hospital run out of purple?"

"Something like that," I mumbled, the same time Paul responded, "Because green is her favorite color."

"Paul!" I gasped, astonished. Jake didn't need to know that.

"No it's not," Jake corrected Paul. "It's purple."

"It's green," Paul retorted with mocking chuckle.

"Shut up Lahote. I'm her best friend. I know what the hell I'm talking about," Jake growled, standing up out of the recliner.

I looked around to see if anyone was going to intervene, but they were watching intently like it was a drama unfolding before their very eyes. I think they probably wished they had popped popcorn.

"Don't growl at me, Pup," Paul stood up as well, not intimidated in the slightest by Jake. "Ask her yourself."

"Bella, would you put this dumbass in his place?" Jake asked me, without tearing his intense gaze from Paul's.

"Jake-."

"Bella, tell him!" Paul left no room for argument.

"I-Wasn't I supposed to learn about all these wolf things?" I tried to change the subject, my voice faltering.

"Bella, just tell him what he needs to know," Paul all but ordered.

"I like green, and I like purple," I answered softly, casting my eyes to the ground. I don't know why I didn't want to hurt Paul, but I knew for sure I didn't want to hurt Jacob.

"Bella, why are you lying? It's not going to hurt his feelings any if you tell him your favorite fucking color, the real one," Paul seemed to be getting angry, his shape starting to blur.

"Paul, you heard her man. Lay off," Jake warned.

"I'm not going to lay off. Her favorite color is green, and you're an asshole not to know that!" Paul yelled.

Jacob had enough of, and lunged at Paul, but Sam was quick to step in. "Both of you! Take this outside! I'm not going to let you destroy Emily's living room." He spoke with the same timbre I had heard him earlier.

Paul and Jake turned and headed outside, not even sparing me a second glance.

"What!" I yelled, standing up too quickly, shutting my eyes tightly to let the dizzy feeling pass. "What are they doing? Are they going to fight again?"

"Yep," Jared said, popping the 'p'. "Embry, want to bet again?'"

I tuned out the rest of their conversation, as I headed to the window to look outside. Had it really just been a few hours earlier since the boys fought? This had to be the longest day ever.

I didn't see Jake or Paul, furry or man, so I assumed they went to the woods surrounding Sam's. I headed to the door, but Sam quickly blocked my path.

"Where do you think you're going, Bella?" He asked, peering down at me inquisitively.

"To stop them," I told him, craning my neck to meet his eyes.

"I don't think so," Sam chuckled.

"Sam, you're not my Alpha, let me leave."

"No," Sam told me. "I don't care who you are, I'm not about to let all five foot of you try to get between two volatile wolves."

"Sam-."

"Bella, go sit down," Sam crossed his arms. "Don't you have questions you want answered?"

I sighed stubbornly, glaring at him. I realized he wasn't going to move, and even if one of my hands wasn't in a cast, I still wouldn't be able to shove him out of my way.

Blowing out air in frustration, I stomped back to the couch to sit. Sam tilted his head to the side, and I thought he was going to comment on my temper tantrum, before he quickly bolted outside.

"Stay with the girls Embry! Jared, come with me!" Sam yelled in that timbre again. Jared was out of the seat before I could blink. I headed to the window, and didn't see anything but clothes littering the front lawn.

"What's going on?" I asked Embry. I had an anxious feeling, but it wasn't nerves. It was almost anticipation, and I felt like I needed to run ten miles and break something.

"It's probably best we wait for Sam to come back," Embry responded.

"Em-."

"Bella, I'm not sure what I can tell you, okay?" Embry explained. I didn't want to get him in trouble, but I wasn't happy with his response. I merely nodded, wondering when I'd finally get my answers.

"Hey Bella, I've heard about your cooking from Jake. Do you mind coming in and helping me with dinner?" Emily asked, poking her head out of the kitchen. She seemed completely calm and at ease, like her soon-to-be husband runs off like a bat out of hell every night.

"Sure," I nodded, unsure what else I could do at the moment but pout. "Not sure how good I'll be with one hand though."

"You can stir, right?" She grinned.

"Yeah, I think I can manage," I gave her a tiny smile, heading to the stove and stirring the enormous pot of sauce.

"Any idea what's going on?" I asked Emily, after a minute of silence as she flittered about preparing dinner, and I continued to stir.

"No," Emily responded. She seemed to be meticulous with her words and think things over before speaking, leading me to believe she wouldn't divulge any information either. "But the boys know what they're doing. They'll be back soon."

We continued to cook in silence for a half hour, or Emily did, as after I stirred I was rendered useless due to my injured hand. I sat on the kitchen table, not wanting to go back to the living room with Embry. I could hear him mumbling and pacing in there the past thirty minutes. It seems to have stopped now.

I had my head resting in my good hand, as my cast lay across the table. I looked down at it, bare, and was reminded Paul wanted to sign it. My feeling of anxiousness and anticipation had let up, so I was clear-headed enough for the memory to seep in.

"Hey Emily?" I broke our comfortable silence.

"Mmm?" She muttered, pulling out large pans of lasagna out of the oven.

"Do you have a marker or something that would allow people to sign my cast?" I asked.

"Oh!" Emily exclaimed. "Sure!" She reached into a nearby drawer, pulling one out.

"I want to sign!" Embry burst into the kitchen from the living room, his eager excitement bringing a smile to my face.

"Want to tell me what is going on?" I questioned, and his face fell.

"You play hardball, Bella," he commented.

I couldn't help but laugh. "It's okay Embry, you can sign it after Paul."

Embry and Emily exchanged a secretive look after I said that, and I couldn't help but add another question to my constantly-growing list.

Loud stomps were heard on the front porch, followed by the door opening and closing.

"Smells delicious honey," Sam went immediately to Emily, hugging her from behind and nuzzling her neck.

"Where's Jake?" I questioned, noticing the two big bodies following behind Sam were Jared and Paul, and not my best friend.

"Home," Sam answered, as Paul frowned.

"Why?" I asked.

"I thought it was best," Sam answered, not offering anything more.

"I should go-."

"No," Paul interrupted, his voice leaving no room for argument. "You want answers, you're getting answers."

I stayed seated, my curiosity for answers winning over my curiosity for Jake.

"And Jake shouldn't be here?" I asked, looking between Sam, Embry, Jared, and Paul.

"No," Sam responded. "It's best if he's not here right now."

"Why?" I asked again. I felt like a five-year-old, constantly questioning every answer given, until the person who answered got fed up and walked away. I really hope that doesn't happen now because I really want answers.

"Dammit, would you stop asked about Jake?" Paul roared, slamming his fist on the table.

I felt anger and rage boil throughout my body, although it felt foreign. However I couldn't help but give into it. "No! I won't stop asking about Jake. He's my best friend!"

"Paul! Enough," Sam spoke in that timbre again, and Paul immediately sat down in the kitchen chair, deflated.

I felt annoyance and submission trickle throughout my body.

"Paul," Embry spoke up from his seat next to him. He reached over to me and picked up the marker by my cast, and then handed it to Paul. "Bella wants you to sign her cast. She wouldn't let me do it until you did."

The way Embry spoke to him it was like he thought the words he was telling Paul would make him feel like a million dollars. Judging by the look on Paul's face, Embry wasn't completely off.

Paul grabbed the marker, then got up and walked over to my end of the kitchen table. Dragging the closest chair over to me, he situated himself right next to me. Our things were lightly touching, causing goose bumps to rise on my legs underneath my jeans. He uncapped the maker and took it to my cast, his hand moving rapidly, too fast for me to keep up with.

Contentment spread through me as I tried to keep up with what Paul was doing. Sensing the situation was diffused, Jared and Sam also took seats at the table, as Emily finished up the last bit of dinner.

"I think you're ready for some answers, Bella," Sam interrupted my daze.

I looked up and met his eyes, nodding once. I wasn't sure what I was about to learn, but I was ready for it.

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Also, shameless plug: If you haven't, please read my other story "Love Lockdown"! It's also a Paul/Bella, but the plot is much, much different!