Author's notes: I got lots of really uplifting reviews (thank you so much guys!), but I got one in particular that stood out. I had actually written and was preparing to post chapter five when I read this review and realized I was rushing something important stuff and there was no reason to. So here is the new/better chapter five.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, if I did that what you are reading would be the actual story and it probably would have never gotten published.

Chapter five:

Quil and Embry went by my house and got me some of my old clothes, I quickly realized that all my clothes were for the cold and that I would be way too hot in them when I am with the Pack. I took some scissors to my older shirts and jeans. I ended up with a black tank and a comfortable pair of knee length shorts. Washington may have "colder" weather all year long, but the Pack is like a heater.

I walk into the dining room and find most of the Pack crowded around the table eating plate sized pancakes, Emily has some skills in the kitchen. I make a mental note to wake up earlier and help her make breakfast so she doesn't have to do all the work.

"Bell you stink!" Jared cries.

"What?"

"Jared!" Emily reprimands.

"No, he's right" Embry says "Bell you smell like Vampire, it's in your clothes" he explains.

"Your whole house stinks like them" Quil adds.

I sniff my shirt, there is a very faint, extremely sweet smell. With the boys enhanced sense of smell this must be burning their noses.

"How do I make them quit stinking?" I ask.

Em shrugs, Quil has already moved on, and Jared stuffs another pancake in his mouth.

"Well thanks for all your suggestions" I grab a chair at the table.

"I have some really strong detergent" Emily says "I bet if we wash your clothes with that then they'll be fine"

"Thank you Emily"

"No Problem" she smiles.

Paul, Jacob, and Sam all come through the front door laughing and talking, Jake isn't doing much of the talking but at least he is moving on his own now. Jake grabs the open seat next to mine and Paul crosses his arms grumpily. I stick my tongue out at him and he laughs.

"Morning Jake, how are you?" I ask as I pass him a plate of pancakes.

"I've been better" he admits.

"Poor Jakey" I pat his arm "You'll be better tonight"

Quil and Embry try to pull Jake into the conversation over and over again, but he just isn't going to participate. I know this is painful and confusing for him, but I refuse to watch him mope around until the bonfire.

I jump out of my chair and storm out of the house determined to fix this. Apparently my sudden exit scared the boys because within moments the Pack is out on the porch waiting to see what I am gonna do. Paul is the last of the Pack to exit the house, he has two pancakes in hand and leans against the door frame.

I whip out my phone and call a number I have only to contact Charlie while he's fishing, Harry Clearwater.

"Hi Harry, this is Bella"

"Good morning Bella, what can I do for you this morning?"

"I need to speak to Leah, is she home?"

Jake perks up at the mention of Leah, but doesn't move from his spot on the porch.

"Yeah, just a second" I hear him stomp through his house and knock on a door "Bella Swan is on the phone for you"

"For me?" Leah's voice "why?"

"Don't know"

Leah takes the phone and Harry ambles off to finish whatever he was doing when I called.

"Hello?"

"Hey Leah, so I am really excited that you agreed to come to the bonfire tonight" I say happily "I was wondering, are you busy today?"

There is silence, like she is trying to think of an excuse.

"… No"

"Great! Would you like to join me and a few of the guys for a swim? It's gonna be way too cold to swim tonight and swimming sounds really fun right now"

I hear Seth in the background saying something quietly.

"Yeah I guess so… can Seth come?"

"Of course, Seth is always welcome" I think Seth is stinking adorable "Cool, I'll be by to pick you up in ten?"

"Um ok"

"See ya in a few"

"Bye?"

I hang up and see the boys have run to grab their swimming clothes, all except Jake and Paul. Jake runs across the small yard and lifts me into the signature Black bear hug.

"You are the best!"

"I know" I laugh.

Paul watches us from the porch with a half-smile. I smile at him and he winks back before heading inside to grab his stuff. I am glad the Paul doesn't get weird about my friendships with Jake, Quil, and Embry. They matter a lot to me and I don't know what I would do without my boys.

"I think I love you Ms. Swan" Jake cries as he spins me around.

"As long as you don't kiss me then we're good" I joke.

Jake sets me down and runs to grab his stuff.

We all load into my truck. Paul takes driver's seat, I take passenger, and the rest of the boys take the bed. Sam and Emily are staying back at the house, Emily said they need some alone time and I am happy to give it to them.

Paul is a relatively fast driver, so we reach the Clearwater's house about three minutes early. Jake jumps out and knocks on the door. Seth is the one who answers and he is thrilled to see Jake that I can see his face light up from here.

"Come on Leah!" Seth calls back into the house.

"Coming, calm yourself squirt" she stops when she spots Jake and I think that maybe she just didn't look at Jake last time, but she only smirks "Of course it's Jacob, that's why you're freaking out"

Seth glares at her and she swats at him playfully.

"Dude, you wanna ride in the bed with me?" Jake asks Seth.

"Duh!"

They race to the truck and Leah follows at her own pace.

"Hey Leah" I call as she approaches.

"Hey Swan, when you said some of the guys I didn't realize you meant a whole pack of them"

"You have no idea" I laugh.

We ride to the beach in a good mood. Leah even seems to be enjoying herself when I turn up the radio real loud and rock out to One Direction's "Everything About You", she dances along with me while Paul laughs at us.

I realize that the Pack has a very therapeutic effect on people. Leah is never this open, but the boys make it seem like it's safe to be yourself and that's effecting her.

At the beach, Jake jumps out of the bed and races around to help Leah out of the truck, he helps me too but I know who his target was. Leah lets him but rolls her eyes so that she doesn't lose her tough image.

"Race you to the-"

I am yanked off my feet and a startled scream erupts from my lips.

Jared has grabbed me and is running toward the ocean. I laugh and fight to escape, but Jared has a good hold on me and I can't get loose.

"Someone is in for it!" Embry calls.

I glance back and see Paul sprinting toward us with a gigantic grin on his face. Jared also notices Paul and picks up his speed. We splash into the freezing waves just before Paul catches us. Jared drops me into the chilling water and laughs at the squeals that I release.

"You asked for it Jared" I laugh and grab one of his legs, yanking him into the water with me.

"That's my girl" Paul cheers from the beach.

I throw my arm out and he runs out into the water to pull me to my feet. His hotter temperature instantly warms my freezing skin. He shivers when I wrap my arms around his torso.

"Dam Swan you're freezing" he chuckles.

"Yeah, I'm good" I assure him.

I hear anther female shouting.

"Black don't you dare!" it growls.

Jacob has thrown Leah over his shoulder and is racing toward the ocean. Leah is banging on his back but doesn't seem in any real distress, just playing around.

Paul chuckles and I cheer when Leah manages pulls Jake down into the water with her. She and Jake wrestle around a bit, Leah succeeding at dunk his head at least four times before he gets a hold of her again.

"I got you now Clearwater" he cries.

"In your dreams Black" she shouts defiantly "Seth!"

Seth flies down the beach and launches himself onto Jake's back, effectively knocking Jake off his feet and into the surf face first. Seth pops up seconds later with the grin of a champion.

Jake comes up sputtering.

"You play dirty Clearwater" he challenges.

"I play smart" Leah says with a smirk "You should try it sometime"

"BURN!" Embry calls.

"Traitor!" Jake calls back.

They break into loud laughter and Leah gives Jake's shoulder a good shove.

"Come on Swan" Paul says.

I follow him back up the beach where Quil and Embry are attempting to set up a volleyball net. Quil is staring very confused at the tangled net.

"You boys are helpless" I groan teasingly "Let me get it"

"Bell you're an angel" He smiles impishly "What would we do without you?"

"A lot less worrying" Paul says with a smile.

Jake and Leah are really hitting it off, but she hasn't imprinted back or whatever. She is still completely in the dark about everything, but I can see that she is going to fit in with the Pack. She and they just needed to be open to the idea.

"Hey Swan!" Leah calls "You need any help with that?"

"No I got it" I finish the last knot "But I do need someone to crush at volleyball"

"Bring it on" Leah rises to the challenge "Black you're with me"

"I got Paul" I announce.

Leah glances at the others a little unsure.

"Get Quil" Jake says "He is really good"

"Ateara" Leah nods "You're on my team"

By the end, I have Paul, Embry, and Jared on my team; while Leah has Jake, Quil, and Seth on hers.

"Swan against Clearwater" Quil says in a fake announcer voice "The biggest match this beach has seen since the Black v. Swan game of 2002"

"Now that was a rough game" Embry says playing along "Two bloody noses and one broken ankle"

I give Em a playful shove.

"My mom didn't let me visit after that" I remind them.

Paul looks up from where he is balancing the ball on his foot.

"I remember that summer" he says surprised "Well I remember carrying you on my back all the way to the Black's house when you broke your ankle"

"Oh yeah" Leah cries "You spent the rest of your visit playing board games with me and Emily"

I nod remembering being afraid that they wouldn't like me.

"Are we gonna play or what?" Seth asks.

Some say play, my boys say battle! I have seen muggings that were nicer. Leah and Jake made a really good team, he covered her back and she got a lot of digs that he couldn't have reached. It's nice to see them getting along. Paul and I did really well too, despite my earlier issues with volleyball at school, I found I am really good at sand volleyball. Paul did a good job covering my weak spots, so all in all we played a good game. Embry lost count when the score was somewhere around 39 to 40, so we called it a tie and broke for lunch.

The group chats about the bonfire, the last big Volleyball game between Forks High and the Rez, and whether or not I am gonna trip tonight. There is a fifty dollar betting pool that says I break something tonight. Jacob leans around Leah and studies my leg.

"I would have sworn that the bone stabbed through the skin… but wouldn't you have some kind of scare tissue or something?" he asks.

"It came through the skin" I remember the pain well "the doctors said that it healed really well, so maybe that's why there is no scar tissue"

Paul pulls the leg in question onto his lap and studies it up close. His critical eyes sweeping over the area of the past injury with laser like intensity. He gently rubs circles into my foot as he studies, maybe to keep me from moving or maybe he doesn't realize he is doing it.

"Not a mark" he says amazed "I remember the break it was bad"

I shrug before throwing my other foot onto his lap and lying back in the sand. It's nice spending time with the Pack in a nonofficial and very relaxed setting, we have had way too much drama recently. I decide to plan more of these fun days for the boys, make sure they aren't working too hard.

Our relaxation was soon brought to an end when the group decided it was time to head back, I made sure to get Leah to promise that she and Seth were coming tonight.

"Leah, Seth" I call "Thanks for coming with us, I had a lot of fun with you guys"

"It was awesome" Seth smiles.

"It wasn't too bad" Leah agrees.

…..

If I have learned one thing since becoming Paul's imprint and joining the Pack it's that bonfires equal big revelations and usually lots of panic. This bonfire was no different.

We picked Seth and Leah up again. Jake rode up front this time, cramming the four of us (Paul, myself, Leah, and Jake) in my barely three person truck cab. Leah and Jake argued a lot but it was the "I fight with you because I like you" kind of arguing and I found it adorable… Paul did not.

"Get a room" he grumbles.

"You got something to say Lahote?" Leah challenges.

Paul catches my warning glare and backs off.

"Nah"

"That's what I thought" she snorts.

Paul cares about me a lot, but he is still Paul. No one who has ever known Paul would think he would let that comment get by. He didn't.

"I said, get a room" He repeats louder "You got a problem with that?"

There is nothing I can do.

"I do actually" Leah snarls.

They circle, taking snaps at each other to see who will give first. Looking for a weak point to ambush. Leah catches how close Paul and I's legs are and smirks, she found her attack.

"What are you even doing here?" she asks.

Paul doesn't see her trap. I can only watch as he races right into the waiting noose.

"Bella wants me here" he growls.

"Does Bella want you… or do you want Bella?"

Jake and I sit in utter silence.

"That's none of your damn business" Paul says quickly.

Great come back. Why didn't you just tell her that we are imprinted while you're at it? Sometimes he is hopeless.

"Crushing on an older girl are we Lahote?" she asks.

I almost forgot that Paul is only seventeen. He looks, and usually acts, like a twenty-something. Paul is only a year and a half younger than me but still.

"Shut up Clearwater" Paul threatens.

"Paul" I snap.

Paul's hands tighten on the steering wheel. The wolf is always close to the surface with Paul, but I know he works very hard to keep the wolf inside.

Jake realizes what is going on and pulls Leah's attention back to him.

"Paul" I whisper "Breath"

It isn't a command, it isn't an order, but Paul relaxes immediately. His hands unclench and his face visibly relaxes. His eyes stay tight thought, he is angry with himself for endangering everyone.

We reach our location and Jake drags Leah from the cab, intent on getting her far from the danger. The wolves may love their brothers but their imprints come first.

"You are wonderful" I say aloud once they are gone.

"I almost shifted" Paul growls "It – I could have killed you"

I grab his hand and press it to my lips.

"But you didn't and that is all you can do" I remind him.

Paul parks the truck and helps me out his door, technicallymy door but whatever. We walk toward the roaring fire with our heads leaned close together.

"So Swan, once the Vampire thing is sorted out do you wanna go on a date or something?" Paul asks nonchalantly.

I don't know why his simple question strikes fear through my heart. I like Paul, he is kind, funny, and actually encourages me to hang out with my friends. Paul is great. Yet here I am, panicking because he wants to go on an actual date. Paul is my soul mate, according to them, I shouldn't be this afraid of committing.

"Hey you don't have to if you don't want to" he reminds me "Imprinting means that I can be whatever you want me to be whether that's your boyfriend or your best friend"

"No" I push past the bubble of fear "I would love to go out with you"

Paul grabs my hand for a moment and gives it a gentle squeeze before letting go. That is one of the things I really like about Paul, he doesn't push. I mean he is the pushiest, most stubborn, bull headed guy I know and he never forces me to have contact with him. If he has his arm around me and I pull away he immediately removes it.

"I really like you" I whisper as we get closer.

He smiles and leads me over to where Jake, Leah, Seth, Quil, and Embry have claimed seats. Leah and Jake are arguing about something, and while it sounds intense I know they are actually having fun.

"Swan" Leah groans "will you tell Black that there is no way in-" she glances at Seth "Heck… that a wolf could kill a bear"

"I have seen some pretty large wolves since I got here" I reply with a shrug.

Jake points to me and gives a loud "Ha!"

"One wolf vs. one bear? No way!" she pauses "Is the wolf a female or a male?"

"Male" Quil says without looking up from his burger.

"Then no way" Leah says confidently.

They begin the argument all over again, this time throwing genders into the mix, and I see Charlie pull up in Jake's rabbit. I jump up and run across the beach to meet him. I am so glad that we told Charlie, he is a strong guy and I know he can handle knowing.

Charlie opens his arms for a hug and I crash against his chest. He places a kiss on my forehead and squeezes me tight.

"Hey Bells"

"Hey Dad"

I know it makes him happy when I call him dad, he didn't get to raise me like he really wanted to and he blames that on why I was so distant from him in the beginning. Truth is, I am not sure how Renee got custody. She isn't really a responsible adult, I did a lot of the caring when I lived with her.

"How are you handling it?" I know the whole thing can be kinda overwhelming.

"I'll get used to it" he assures me "I think the hardest thing to accept will be the Impr…"

"Imprinting?" I offer.

"Yeah, that" he glares over at Paul, who is still by the fire "I just got ya back…"

"Dad, Paul isn't taking me away… if anything he is keeping me here" I think about how Edward was going to make me abandon him "Paul just wants what's best for me, he is on your side"

Charlie nods skeptically and returns to the car to help Billy. Jake takes Billy's wheel chair from Charlie and pushes it across the beach to where the group is situated. Billy and Charlie sit with the Tribe Elders, AKA Charlie's fishing buddies, at the head of the circle.

"There's Leah Clearwater" whispers Collin Littlesea, Jake's twelve year old cousin.

"The witch?" an older boy, probably fourteen, asks.

I see both Leah and Jake tense up, Leah out of embarrassment and Jacob out of anger.

Collin shakes his head and tries to stop his buddy from saying something else stupid.

"No, Leah is cool-"

"I heard that she is just a jealous witch that never got over Sam" the idiot continues.

Leah's face is red now and our group has fallen silent.

"But why wouldn't Sam break up with her-"

Jake stands up stiffly and marches over to where the two boys are sitting. Collin ducks his head and tries to find an escape, the punk just glances up at Jake in confusion. Jake towers over the punk and glares threateningly.

"If I hear you say one more negative thing about Leah Clearwater" he leans in close "I will beat you to a pulp"

Leah darts to Jake's side and pulls him away.

"It's fine Black" she whispers harshly.

"No its not"

Leah needs Jake, she doesn't see it yet but she does. Jake is loyal, extremely loyal and he would never let anyone talk about her like that. Jake is an encourager, a nurturer. I spent tons of time with him after Edward left because I knew he would stick by me, that is all Leah needs. Leah needs someone to have her back, to be in her corner, and to let her know that it isn't her fault Sam left.

"Jacob" she growls.

"Leah" Jake growls back undaunted.

"I can protect myself" she declares.

"You shouldn't have to" he shoots back.

Leah looks anxious and kind of frantic. I know when to perform a rescue for a friend in need and this is one of those times.

"Leah" I jog over to them and grab her arm "Wanna go for a walk, get away from the fire for a bit?"

"Yeah" she glances between Jake and I "that sounds good"

We walk down the beach, far out of the boy's hearing range, before she starts talking.

"I didn't need him to defend me" she insists.

"No you didn't, but he need to"

Leah looks at me like I'm crazy and considering the last couple weeks, she might be right.

"You are strong and independent, but you are also Jake's friend" I nod back toward the fire "He will never let anyone treat his friends like that, ever! You are one of his friends"

"Yeah right" Leah scoffs "Black can barely stand me"

"Jake has always considered you his friend… when you started dating Sam-" Leah freezes "-Jake called me. He was afraid that if you dated Sam then you wouldn't hang out with him anymore"

"We weren't friends, we just got thrown together when our parents hung out" she says quickly.

"Jake saw it differently. He knew you weren't best buddies but you mattered a lot to him" I pause "When Sam and you broke up Jake called me again. He was angry, said that Sam was an… well he said some mean things about Sam. I had never heard him that mad"

Leah stares intently at the ground.

"Jake knows that you are strong, but that won't stop him from trying protect you when he can"

Leah turns and studies Jake from a distance.

"Swan, I am gonna tell you something" she spins to face me "and if you ever tell anyone, then I'll kill you"

I nod.

"When we were like ten, I had a massive crush on him. That summer when you came down, he ignored me and spent all his time with you. He started liking you that summer, he still does-"

"Actually, I can assure you that he doesn't" I interrupt "I am kind of with Paul-"

"No" she stares in shock "how in the world did that happen?"

"I punched him in the face"

"Nice" Leah nods approvingly.

"Yeah, anyways, Jake knows and he is totally ok with it"

Leah grabs my arm to steady herself and she says the four words that will haunt me the rest of the week.

"Do you smell that?"

Suddenly the bonfire erupts in chaos.

End notes: Cliff Hanger! So I have a serious question. I have been thinking about having Bella shift, I'm kinda wrestling with the idea and I am still undecided. What do you think?"