Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

Thanks so much for the kind support! I really am glad that this fic is being received well. I hope that y'all enjoy this new chapter! I'm going to try my best to get this fic finished. It'll take a while, as I'm not sure how many chapters this fic will have, but I know in general what I want to happen at the end, so it's just a matter of the events in-between all that. Anyway, please enjoy!

Playing With Fire
Chapter Twelve: Fortuitous

The intensity of the previous conversation with Paul was quickly sidelined by the absolutely delicious stew Emily had prepared.

I admit, I was jealous.

The pot she cooked it in was big enough for me to comfortably sit in, and was positioned outside over an actual fire, none of the bells and whistles of a real kitchen anywhere. Composing the stew were potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, celery, tender chunks of meat, and a broth so aromatic and delicious that I fought the urge to lick my bowl clean.

Some of the La Push werewolves didn't fight that temptation at all.

Jacob still hadn't looked my way, hadn't even said two words to me. I should have felt insulted, but I couldn't find it in me to care. I loved him, I knew that much. But whether as a brother or as a prospective boyfriend, I wasn't sure. The latter would never happen, I knew, so I would just have to force myself to think of him as a brother. It would be a task, but I've accomplished harder things before and lived to tell the tail.

As if reminding me, the scar on my wrist seemed to burn brighter than the temperature of the fire in front of me.

I was glad that it was hidden by my sweater, glad that none of the people around the campfire could see it. No doubt it would be cast in a brilliant, shimmering, silver glow by the bright light in front of me. A telltale sign of a vampire in the eyes of all of the ones in the know.

I hadn't noticed I was stroking my arm just above where the scar would be when I saw Paul staring at me curiously, "You hurt?"

I scoffed, "How could I be hurt? I haven't even done anything here."

"Knowing you, I wouldn't be surprised."

I rolled my eyes and walked over to the still-simmering pot of stew. I asked Emily if I could have seconds and she smiled, "Sure. I've got plenty."

I took the large spoon and ladled some steaming hot soup in my bowl, almost groaning at how good it smelled. I saw Paul look up at me and start to laugh a bit - obviously his wolf hearing had picked up on my moment. I felt the edges of my lips quirk upward in a small smile before I walked back and sat down in my spot next to him.

Paul didn't say anything else to me, and I found that I didn't mind that. I just sighed as I continued to eat the rest of my stew, content in being around people from which I didn't have to hide. Though I felt like some of an outcast anyway, I didn't feel like I needed to be someone I wasn't. There was an easy feeling around Paul, almost easy as breathing, one that I couldn't deny no matter how hard I tried.

I didn't realize that Leah was sitting by me until I heard her ask, "So how's it going?"

I jolted a bit before turning to look at her. She had also moved to get an extra serving of the stew and was quickly wolfing it down.

"Fine," I said. "How's it with you?"

"Same." She looked across at her imprint, "Jake's still embarrassed to talk to you after we acted like the epitome of assholes at the diner."

"Hey!" he exclaimed before looking over at Leah. His eyes locked on mine for a moment and I could see the guilt that crossed his face. So maybe he had a reason for ignoring me…it still didn't make me feel any better.

He quickly looked back at his food, yet again resolving in ignoring me.

"Ah, come on, Jake," Paul said from beside me. "She's not as feeble as you think she is."

I felt a certain warmth at Paul's words, wondering what I could have done to make him think that. I was certain that he thought me a weak, useless human, which I most certainly felt like nowadays.

Jacob turned and looked from Paul to me, as if in disbelief. He raised an eyebrow before scoffing and saying, "I'm sorry, Bells. For being an ass."

I shrugged, "It's okay."

"No, it's not." He stared at me forcefully, "I won't do that again. It was uncalled for to be that…that…"

"Much of an asshole?" Paul provided. I found myself snickering.

Again, Jacob looked at us as if staring at a painting he found particularly confusing. The time we talked about Picasso in the shed came to mind.

Leah jabbed Jacob with her elbow, and I watched in awe as he winced. What was that all about? Weren't werewolves not supposed to feel anything like that? She couldn't have hit him that hard…

I shook my head, ridding myself of those ridiculous thoughts. Maybe I'd just imagined it. But when I looked at Paul, I saw him staring at the two of them with increasing interest - he must have seen it as well, and, like myself, he had no idea what to make of it.

Jacob seemed to recover quickly from that moment and nudged her lightly with his shoulder, causing her to move slightly in my direction. She never touched me though, as if he couldn't get her off balance.

I looked at Paul and he shrugged, as if guessing my thoughts.

We quickly went back to eating after Paul had nothing more to add, which was odd for him. I guessed he didn't know enough to actually say anything, but I was rather curious. Even if what I had seen wasn't normal, it was rather odd to see someone like Jacob reduced to saying, "Ow," at the hands of his model-like girlfriend.

I gulped spoonful after spoonful of my soup, desperately trying to rid the image from my mind, and what it meant. Could imprints actually harm the ones they were imprinted to? Is that what it was? No, I thought, shaking my head slightly. That was stupid. I had to keep my mind off of that. It didn't concern me, anyway.

"Hi," a voice called, jarring me out of my thoughts.

I looked up to see the kind face of Kim staring down at me. She smiled with her teeth, giving me a grin that I was sure Jared was falling over himself to be the recipient of. She smiled lightly and said, "I'm Kim, I don't think we were introduced."

"Bella," I said, taking the hand she offered. I glanced over at Paul, who was busy eating his soup. "Nice to meet you."

"You too," she said gently.

Quickly, her eyes darted from me to Paul, before she said - in what I supposed she thought was a whisper, "You two are cute together - are you his imprint?"

At her words, we both tensed. I actually heard Paul spit out some of his soup in a spit-take I wish I had seen. I started coughing in embarrassment. Leah started patting my back in shock; she had heard what Kim said, too. Frankly, I think everyone in the circle heard her innocent comment. Or what she thought was innocent at the time.

I knew how Paul felt about imprinting, and I figured that everyone in the pack knew that as well, seeing as their minds were linked when in wolf form. Kim had no prior knowledge to that, so she couldn't be blamed. But still, it was a rather jolting comment, one that I knew Paul would take offense too, especially if the object of his imprint was mistaken to be little ol' Bella Swan.

"No," we said in unison. My voice was shyer, while Paul's was curt and no-nonsense.

"Oh," Kim said, backing down a bit. She looked as embarrassed as we felt, "Sorry. You two just looked…wow, I'm so sorry."

"No problem," I said, laughing nervously. I felt the heat on my cheeks just then. No wonder, Bella Swan was a human torch.

Paul grunted something unintelligible. I wasn't sure what it was, but I was sure that it was rude, by the tone of it.

Kim smiled at us and departed, heading back to Jared's side. Jared took her back with open arms, allowing her to sit in his lap. He smiled at her, but I saw as she looked back at us with a curiosity that was unparalleled and then whisper in her ear.

I didn't know what he said, but apparently the sensitive wolf ears in the group.

"Hey!" Paul barked from beside me. I looked over to see that Sam looked rankled as well. Jacob was on edge. What the hell was going on?

"What?" Jared looked at Paul innocently before tucking a strand of hair behind Kim's ear.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about."

"No, not really."

"Prick," he spat, eyes as dangerous as I'd ever seen them.

"P-Paul…" I ventured, but he held up a hand to stop me.

"If you want to badmouth Bella because of her previous relationships, then might I add that you had a rather salacious affair with - "

"Paul!"

"No, not me, Bella," he looked at me, grinning wolfishly at my sudden exclamation.

"Okay, okay," Jared spoke, raising his hands as if to ward off the verbal assault. "Sorry, Bella."

I blinked, my eyes suddenly feeling as if they were wheeling in confusion. It was a rather dizzying feeling, one that I would not like to repeat, thank you very much. I tried to gather my words and found myself saying, "Um…okay."

Paul gave a bitter little chuckle at my lackluster acceptance of the apology, as thin as it was. I found myself not caring. I figured it had something to do with Edward, since I made my inferences from the previous conversation. I felt like I should defend Edward, say that he wasn't all bad, but I was suddenly bone-tired. Besides, he didn't love me anymore…why should I defend him?

I realized how bitter that made me sound, so I dropped it.

That still didn't mean I was going to defend Edward. Frankly, I don't know why I should defend him. He left me, lost, in the woods. I could have died…

But he didn't care, right?

Right.

I guessed that's what vampires did to you. Used you and then left you when you were positive that you couldn't live without them.

Damn them.

I fought a slight smile as my thoughts continued to whirl around my head. Humorous as my musings were, it felt wrong thinking of Edward in a negative light, even though he caused me so much pain. Shouldn't he allow me at least that? The ability to hate him? But no…I could never do that.

I only realized that Paul had been calling my name when he waved his large hand in front of my face. I jumped slightly and then exclaimed, "Oh!"

His face twisted into an amused grin, one that sent heat flashing down my spine for whatever reason. I knew it wasn't good, so I tried to displace that feeling by thinking it away.

It didn't work.

"Do you want any more?" he asked. "I'm about to go up for fourths."

A wry smile crept over my features, "Fourths? You're lucky you burn all that food off or you'd end up looking like - "

He waved me off, looking exasperated and amused at the same time. "Eh, shut up. Do you want more stew or not?"

I felt the wryness drain out of my smile. Suddenly I was genuinely smiling at the guy at his kind gesture, "Uh…no, thank you…I'm kind of full."

A kind Paul was a confusing Paul.

He nodded roughly at me before rising from his seat and heading over to the pot of stew. I watched him as he went, not aware that I was actually staring at him until he turned around and caught me. I blushed to the roots of my hair and finished off the remainder of my stew before toying with the lip of the bowl.

Paul sat down again beside me. He hadn't even touched the bench before he started eating. These wolves never ceased to amaze me with their desperate eating, as if they'd never again see food.

I turned to Paul, a sudden thought occurring to me, "Is Charlie here?"

He looked up at me, spoon between his lips. He took it out and placed it back in his bowl before saying, "Billy called a while ago, apparently. They're going to be around here in a few minutes, I think. Of course, that call was at least two hours ago."

I stiffened, feeling somehow that Victoria was right beside me, when I knew good and well that she wasn't. "Did Vic - "

Paul raised a hand to shut me up, "No, no. Vampires don't come on our land. A lone vampire on wolf territory? Either stupid or suicidal. And Victoria is neither."

I sighed, feeling relieved. At least while we were at La Push we wouldn't be bothered with Victoria and her vendetta. It was something that I was constantly worried about, the thing that always nudged the back of my mind.

"If only you knew what she had planned for you."

I shivered at Laurent's words.

"Cold?"

I turned in the direction of the voice for what seemed like the thousandth time that day. But this time it was different. Though I felt myself becoming closer to Paul, for reasons I had yet to identify, I had no idea that he would speak to me like this…regard me with such…care.

"I'm fine, Paul," I whispered. "Thanks."

He grunted an admission and went back to eating.

For a while, all I could do was stare.

End Chapter Twelve.