Author's Note: Thank you to everyone. I really appreciated the wonderful reviews and PMs. I was happy to hear such positive and encouraging things.

DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer, along with Little, Brown and Company, owns all the rights to the Twilight Saga. I own nothing and profit nothing from this story.

When I got to Sam's, I was surprised to not see him waiting on the porch for me. I climbed out of the truck and with a couple of bags in hand I walked up to the door. There on the door was a note taped. My name was on the outside of it, so I put the bags down and took the note off the door. It read,

"Bella, sorry I'm not here. Paul caught a scent and we're all checking it out. I left the key on top of the door frame for you. Let yourself in and use whatever you need. Be back as soon as I can. –Sam"

I looked above me and stared. For Sam it wasn't even a reach, but for me it was impossible to get to. I looked around the porch for something to stand on. Nothing. Next I looked for something to try and knock the key down with. Nothing. Great! I stepped off the porch to try and find something, anything that could be of use. Around back of the house I found an old table. It didn't look like it was in the best of shape. I examined the white wicker table and decided it was my only option. I carried it up front and sat it down in front of the door. I carefully stepped up on it, putting my weight on the corners hoping that the legs would hold me. As I grabbed the key I heard a snap. Oh no. And with that the table collapsed and I fell on my butt. Ouch.

I stood up to discover I now had a very sore tail bone. I checked my arm. All the stitches were still securely in place. I sighed deeply. I couldn't go a day without some sort of accident. I found the key next to one of the detached legs. I slipped it in the door, unlocking it. I grabbed the bags and headed in side. I kind of had a waddle thing going on now. Great, this is a fantastic start to meeting the pack. They probably all think I'm stupid already. Now they'll know how incapable I am as well.

I went out the truck and brought in the feast of the bags. I first started by chopping all the veggies. I got every thing else ready before starting to cook the rice. I then browned the ground beef. I mixed all the ingredients, putting the enchiladas together before throwing the dish into the oven. I finished up the beans and rice while the enchiladas cooked. My tail bone was feeling a lot better. I could at least walk normal.

I tried to open the bag of cheese to add on top once the enchiladas were almost done but it wouldn't budge. I looked around for a pair of scissors only to find none. So I settled for the knife that I had used earlier. After puncturing through the plastic, I pulled the knife, tearing the bag open. As I started to pull the knife away, arms wrapped around me.

"Oh!" I screamed at both the unexpected touch, and also the slip of the knife along my finger. I looked down to see blood. "I'm so sorry. I'll clean it. Sorry." I grabbed a paper towel to clean up on the blood on my finger. The warm arms turned me around.

"Let me see."

"No, I'm sorry. I should have been more careful."

"Why are you apologizing, Bella?" Sam asked taking my fingers into his hand.

"The blood?"

"Bella, baby, you don't have apologize for bleeding in this house. You're human, it's allowed."

"I'm s-"

"Don't say you're sorry, Bella. Why is such a small cut such a big deal?" He moved around the kitchen, opening a drawer and pulling something out of it.

"The party. I got a paper cut opening one of my presents. It's what caused Jasper to snap, and why I got thrown into that table." Sam dabbed some cut cleaner on the cut and opened a band aid wrapper.

"Bella, you don't have to worry about that type of thing ever happening again. Not here, not with me, or with the pack," he said securing the band aid on my finger.

"I know." He kissed my finger.

"You can have a normal life now, Bella. Well, as normal as it can be with a werewolf as a soul mate." He leaned down and placed a small kiss on my lips.

"Sam, the Cullen's will still be in my life." He still thought they were leaving like the rumors said.

"What? I thought they were leaving."

"Um, well, they sort of left it up to me."

"And…"

"And Alice, Carlisle, and Esme are going to stay until graduation."

"What about the others?" he growled.

"They're in Alaska, where they plan to stay." He turned and looked out the kitchen window silently.

I was hoping that he wouldn't be upset they were staying. I just didn't want to give them all up at once. I needed to get used to the idea.

"Sam?"

"What, Bella?" he asked without turning from the window.

"Say something, please."

"What would you like me to say, Bella? I don't want them here. I'm sorry that you think of them as family, but I only see them as my enemies."

"But they don't hurt anyone! My birthday was a fluke."

"Bella, them just being here hurts people!" he yelled turning to look me in the eye.

"What are you talking about?"

"As long as they are here, the gene will be triggered. As long a threat looms in the air, more boys will phase."

"Like Jacob?"

"Like Jacob precisely."

"I talked to him and Billy earlier at the store. Billy says he thinks Jacob will phase."

"There's a very good chance, especially if the Cullen's stick around."

"Would he phase if they left?"

"Don't know, Bella. He could still if the gene had already been triggered. Even if they leave and he still phases, them leaving could save other kids from this life."

"So they should leave."

"Yes, Bella, I'm sorry but they should."

"Oh," I said quietly. I didn't want my family to go, but how could I be selfish and knowingly be the reason that more boys would have their lives torn away from them? I couldn't. I'd have to say good bye.

Sam helped me finish up lunch. We stayed pretty quiet, him only asking what else I needed help with. I was too busy thinking. Did Alice already know I changed my mind? Did she see me coming over to break the news to the family? Did they already leave? Would I ever see them again? They could still visit, right? Sam brought me out of my inner questions.

"Bella, they're here."

"Oh okay." I set the plates on the table and followed Sam to the living room. He waited at the door for me. I tucked myself under his arm and into his side. He leaned down and placed a kiss on my head.

"You'll fine, Bella. Don't worry so much."

I nodded and he opened the door. Two tanned, huge guys and one Native American girl stood before me. The slightly taller guy wore a scowl on his face, giving me the stink eye. My guess was that he was Paul. The other guy wore a small grin while attached to the timid looking girl.

"Guys, this is my Bella. Bella, this is Paul, Jared, and Kim."

"Nice to finally meet you, Bella," Kim said quietly.

"Yeah, welcome to the club. Is lunch ready?" Jared asked looking around Sam and me toward the kitchen.

"Yes, lunch is ready. Bella did a great job."

"Sure," Paul said rolling his eyes. "You gonna let us inside?"

"Paul…" Sam said warningly, looking from Paul to me, back to Paul.

"Right, sorry, it's a pleasure to meet you, leech lover," Paul said with false sincerity.

"Paul!" Sam snapped loudly, shaking slightly.

"It's all right, Sam," I said putting a hand on his chest.

"No, it's not. He won't talk to you that way. I've already warned him what would happen."

"Whatever, we all know that whoever it is that decides who the imprints are, they screwed up big time with her. She's a freak. She doesn't belong here. You know all of that, Sam," Paul said looking at me with disgust. Sam's shaking increased. I blinked furiously trying to keep the tears from falling. I heard Sam take a deep breath in.

"Get. Out. Now. Paul!" Paul snorted and left without word.

I could here Sam continuing to take deep breathes. I assumed he was trying to calm himself down. I stayed tucked into his side, burying my face into his chest. He pulled me closer to him. Everyone was quiet for a good five minutes.

"He's an idiot, Bella. Don't pay any attention to him. None of us do," Jared said genuinely. I nodded into Sam, before pulling away.

"We should eat, the food will be getting cold," I said walking toward the kitchen.

It was silent as we all took our seats. I wondered if anyone would share what exactly it was that Paul was talking about. He said I didn't belong here. That hurt more than anything he could have said. La Push felt like the first place that I did belong and for that to not be true, I didn't know where I did belong. I was thinking nowhere. And what if the powers to be did screw up? Would they take it back? Would they give Sam to someone else?

"Why did Paul say what he did?" Sam sucked in a breath.

"Don't worry about it, baby."

"I want to know. Do I not belong here?" Sam turned to me and took my hand in his.

"You are exactly where you belong, next to me. Paul's a moron. He doesn't know shit and he has anger problems. He doesn't like this life he's been handed and he blames the Cullen's for it. He can't touch them because of the treaty, so you get the end of his anger since you knowingly associated with them. Nothing he says matters."

"You still didn't answer my question, Sam."

"You know, we could go. Maybe we should try this another time," Jared suggested. I glanced at them. Both he and Kim looked very uncomfortable.

"No, don't go. I've been looking forward to meeting you guys. I just want to know what he meant. Why does he think I was a mistake? After I know, I'll drop it." Sam stayed quiet looking into my eyes.

"Sam, just tell her. It's not that big of a deal. Paul is the only one to have a real issue with it," Jared told him. I looked at Jared and he gave me an encouraging smile, as did Kim.

"Our ancestors have done a pretty good job of passing down stories, whether through the verbal or written. We don't know a lot about imprinting, but one thing we know is that the imprint has always been of Native ancestry, and more often than not they have been of Quileute blood. You're a first, Bella."

"He's mad because I'm white?" That seemed a little unfair. There wasn't anything I could do about that.

"Marrying within the tribe or surrounding tribes is pretty important, or at least it has been in the past. It's about preserving the future of the tribe, of our people. Marrying outside of the tribe weakens the blood lines. We think that imprinting is somewhat about strengthening the wolf blood lines, so you being white sort of messes with that."

"Okay, but I don't see why that would make him hate me so much. I didn't do anything."

"You're right, Bella, you haven't. Paul thinks I should find a way to break the imprint. He thinks I should find someone else. Being Alpha means that your leader of the tribe. If Jacob doesn't phase and take the role of Alpha as his blood line dictates, then that makes me the chief. A chief has never taken a bride outside the tribe."

"Well, there's a first for everything, right?" Surely just because it had never been done, didn't mean that Sam and I couldn't be together.

"There's a reason it's never been done before, Bella."

"And that would be?"

"It's against tribal law."

"What? Why?"

"It's an old law, Bella. A lot of our laws are old and outdated. Some of them are in some serious need of change. This is one of them. And it will, I'll make sure of it if the time comes when we need it to. If Jacob takes over, we won't have to worry about it."

"So say we wanted to get married tomorrow, we wouldn't be allowed to?" That just seemed ridiculous. How could others deny us that? I was his imprint, didn't that count for something?

"Bella baby, you need to finish high school first before we start talking about getting married. I don't want Charlie coming after me with his shotgun." He was trying to lighten the talk, and I wasn't suggesting that we really get married. I just needed to know.

"I'm just trying to understand. We couldn't now if we wanted to?"

"The tribe wouldn't allow the ceremony in La Push and if we got married off the res, they wouldn't acknowledge it as valid. Bella, you are my future, I'll do whatever it takes to be with you. The moment you express the desire to get married, I'll make it happen."

"I know. I just wanted to fully understand what was happening. I don't like being kept in the dark."

"I know you don't, baby." I took a deep breath in and pushed it all aside. I wanted to enjoy the rest of the day. We enjoyed the meal, though it was then room temperature, losing its warmth during our discussion. After lunch, the four of us headed into the living room. The boys turned some sports game and discussed the players. Kim and I sat on the couch on the far side of the room away from the television.

"So you're a senior, right?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, thank God. What about you?"

"I'm a junior as is Jared."

"What do you guys normally do?"

"As a group?"

"Yeah, as a pack."

"Well, the guys go cliff diving. I just watch. I like two feet on the ground personally. Um, we hang out here a lot. Typically we order pizza or take out. The guys can't cook, and I'm not too much better. Not like you, lunch was great."

"Oh thanks."

"Jared has actually been really looking forward to you joining the group."

"Why's that?"

"Well, for one Sam's been a lot happier sense he imprinted, not so much as a hard ass. He's in much better of mood after seeing or talking to you. But also because we know from Sam that you're a great cook. So Jared has been looking forward to you cooking for us all. We spend so much time here and take out gets a little old after awhile. Especially if you're a girl who actually has to watch what she eats and you're surrounded by three bottomless pits."

"You have a perfect body, babe," Jared said smiling at Kim. "I love every inch of it."

"Thanks, Jared," she said rolling her eyes. He winked at me before turning back to the game. I looked over to see Sam staring at me with a look I couldn't identify. He gave me a small smile before commenting on a play. That got me a little curious.

"How does that work?" I asked Kim wearily.

"What work?"

"The alone time…" Couldn't the other guys see it when they were all phased?

"You want to know how sex works?!" she exclaimed while blushing. Both of the guys snapped their heads in our direction.

"No! That wasn't what I meant." God, that was embarrassing. I knew how sex worked, I just wanted to know if the other guys could see Kim and Jared's intimate alone time.

"Oh, sorry, it's just that you said… You two can go back to your game now. Bella and I are going for a walk." Kim grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the house before either wolf had a chance to say a word.

"Bella, we need to have a wolf girl talk."

Author's Note: What could sweet, quiet Kim have to say? So I decided to reward all my great reviewers, especially after the output of support last chapter that I will send out a SNEAK PEEK to those who review this chapter. So if you want a peek at what a 'wolf girl talk' consists of, let me know what you thought of this chapter!