So…this is this.

Rose POV

I loved my sister, but her giggling was grating my last nerves. Emmett would be in Seattle by now with Edward. I sent him because I just wanted someone watching Jacob in case he needed to be backed up in a fight. It was distressing enough to worry about them. I don't need a constant soundtrack of high-pitched bells peeling.

She and Bella were having a "girls night." Or Alice was having one, and Bella was politely going along with her. My dear sister had invited me, but I wasn't in the mood. And there was the fact that I didn't like Bella. We were allied tonight, but that didn't mean I was going to be embracing her into my heart and giggling like a maniac over hot cocoa.

"Alice?" I heard from down the hall. Bella sounded worried. It was the first time I had heard her speak all night. If Alice's babbling had stopped…

I was in Alice's closet in a minute. It was actually a guest bedroom that she had connected to her room with French doors. There was a pitifully small dresser in the corner for Jasper's clothes.

Alice was staring into space, lost in a vision. Bella looked very concerned. Alice was rarely so lost in what she saw.

"Alice!" I nearly yelled. I grabbed her arms and shook her a bit. She turned to me but didn't have any recognition in her eyes. Like she wasn't really seeing me.

Finally, she snapped back to reality and looked around, bewildered.

Bella and I sighed in relief.

Then she broke into a smile so wide I didn't know it could fit on her tiny face. She looked at me and giggled hysterically, overjoyed.

"Alice? What did you see?" I asked. She laughed and shook her head, miming locking her lips and throwing away the key.

"Alice!"

"Come on, tell us," Bella urged. My sister shook her spiked little head back and forth in mirth.

"Annoying little pixie," Bella grumbled. I almost laughed at the accuracy of her description.

My phone rang from my pocket. I forgot my sister's secret when I saw my husband's name in Caller ID. Dread filled my long stilled chest.

"Em?" I asked, fearing the absolute worst.

"Hey, Rose," he said casually.

"What's going on? Anything? Where's Jacob?"

"Uh," Emmett chuckled, "We're fine. Jacob's doing pretty well." More laughter. From voices I didn't know.

"Em?" I asked, impatient for answers.

"I know you've never been to vet school, babe, but have you ever heard of animal imprinting?"

Xxxxxx

Jacob POV

The dark beauty across the street had put my head in the clouds. Edward's gentle push brought me back to Earth. I turned to look at him.

He smirked. "You better talk to her before she gets away."

All the anger I felt towards him was gone. Everything I had cared about fell ranked beneath this girl. My love for my family, my parents, the pack, Gwen, Devon, my joy, my pride, my anger, my heartbreak.

Bella.

I was wrong. It wouldn't be the first time. Bella wasn't my true love. But why was I so engrossed with her?

She was still all the qualities that made me love her. And also, I wouldn't have suggested this trip if I didn't feel the need to protect her. I guess I loved Bella not just because she was a great girl but because she would lead me to something better.

My contemplation over this would have to wait. My imprint was moving farther and farther away from me.

In newborn-ridden Seattle.

A terror unlike any I'd ever known before gripped my heart. I let out a strangled noise and started moving across the street.

My imprint's heart sped up. She thought I was dangerous. Great job, Jake.

"Wait," I called in a moment of insanity. She started walking faster. I moved quickly up behind her. I can't believe how desperate I was to talk to her. Pride, tact, and all common sense evaporated when it came to this stranger.

She stopped walking and turned to look at me, terror in her eyes. There was instant guilt and even though I was the one scaring her, I wanted to eliminate anything that threatened her. The strength of it shocked me. The instinct took me over, and I hoped it didn't show on my face. I felt really bad for how much I must be scaring her, but what were my options? If I didn't act, I'd lose her.

"Please don't hurt me," was the first thing she ever said to me. Romantic. I saw her face for the first time. She had silky mocha skin and thick, luscious hair that was as dark as tonight's city sky, framing her face like a hood.

"I won't," I said, "It's just that a pretty girl shouldn't be walking home alone during these times. My inner Samaritan is very concerned." Look at me, Mr. Smooth as Silk. I heard Paul snicker behind me.

"I think I can take care of myself," she said. She gave me a look that frightened me a bit. I think my mom would like this girl.

"Please? Ease my worry?" I almost pleaded.

I guess my sincere concern showed through. She looked behind her and smirked. "Fine, but we're heading into sort of a rough neighborhood so be warned, pretty boy." She appraised my very Cullen jacket.

I grinned. "I think I can handle it." I extended my hand, "Jacob Cullen."

"Adrian," she said.

"I don't get a last name?"

"We'll see," she said.

I realized I must be coming off as a creep, but there was no procedure for this. No one in the pack had imprinted on a complete stranger except for Paul, but he had me to introduce him. I anticipated lots of ribbing for my first meeting with my imprint.

"Are you from Seattle?" she asked.

"No, I'm from Forks," I said, "You probably haven't heard of it."

"I think I drove through it once, but I may have blinked and missed it," she said. I laughed far longer than the joke called for. It was funnier to me than it would be another person, I guess.

"Yeah. I went surfing in La Push once," she said.

"My parents were from La Push," I said, grinning.

"You look like a rez kid," she said, "I met some of them while I was down there. Do you know…" She took a pause to remember, "Paul Lahote?"

I groaned and heard several people's guffaws from a rooftop where I guess Dad, Edward, and a few of the wolves were spying. I am so jubilant that my humiliation is uniting the two groups.

"What was that?" she asked, fear in her voice. The laughter sounded like howling now.

"I don't know," I lied, "Let's keep moving."

"Scared?" she teased.

"Shaking in my boots."

"When I go home, you're going to have walk alone. Now I feel bad."

"I'll be fine," I said with a shrug, "I came here with my brothers and some friends so I'll catch up with them."

"How many brothers do you have?" she asked.

"Three and two sisters, all older. They're my foster family."

"Oh," she said.

"Yeah. I've been with them forever though," I said, "So it's like they're my only family."

"I see. So you're the baby?"

I laughed, "Yeah. I guess I am."

"Let me make a profile: Jacob Cullen-how old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"No, you're not."

"You want to see my driver's license?"

"Hmm, yes, actually."

I took my wallet out of my back pocket and pulled out my driver's license. Adrian smirked at it and turned it around, tapping my picture. I grinned with embarrassment. Next time, I was going to talk to Jasper before he made my driver's license.

"Okay, you're verified. I'm glad you aren't as old as you look. And you're from New York too?"

"Born in La Push. Raised in New York. Been living in Forks for a while now."

"Good, good."

"And your life story?"

"Not over yet, I guess, seeing how if you were an attacker, we wouldn't be talking about our life stories," she said. I laughed.

"I'm glad you trust me," I said.

"I wouldn't go that far," she said, "I did just meet you. Just because you haven't killed me yet doesn't mean you won't."

"I'll spit-shake on it."

"Oh, well if there's saliva involved," she said. I chuckled, "My building is up this street."

I had forgotten we were in the real world. Talking to her felt like entering some type of separate reality where it was just the two of us, unbound by locations and addresses.

"Tell me something else. For until I see you again."

"You think you're seeing me again?"

"I hope so," I said softly.

"Well, you know where I live now so I guess you can find me if you want to," she said.

I grinned. "Is that a yes?"

"You'll have to meet my brother first."

"Done."

She smirked. "Alright then."

Adrian ran down the street and into an apartment building. I hesitated for a moment before following her. She was right. This wasn't a neighborhood like any I had walked in before. Not that I was scared of any human villains.

She went up the stairs. "Elevator's slower." After two flights, she took a key out of her back pocket, and opened up the door.

"Kyle!" she called down a short hallway. I understood the smug look on her face. When the behemoth walked out, I may have bugged my eyes a bit. He was huge, at least three inches taller than me. I thought I was so big and strong, but this Kyle was not just that but intimidating as well. He was staring me down into the cracks of the wooden floor.

"Adrian, who is this?" he said, not taking his brown-almost-black eyes off of me.

"This is Jacob Cullen. I met him on my walk home."

I extended my hand, some of Grandma's lessons kicking in. He gripped it tightly, but it wasn't painful. Remembering that I was the stronger one made some of my fear go away, but aside from his physical power, he could also be what stands between me and my imprint.

"Good grip," he said, sounding like a dog show's judge assessing me. Ha.

"Thank you, sir," I said. One corner of his mouth lifted a little. When I got home, I was going to kiss my grandmother on the forehead.

"Five minutes, and you're already bringing him home, Drew? You must really like him or really hate him," Kyle said to Adrian. Dread filled my chest. Please don't hate me.

Red rose under her dark skin. Her brother laughed. "I guess the former." Adrian stomped on his toe, but he didn't notice or it didn't bother him.

"He wants to see me again, and I know you like to meet people first."

Kyle smiled at his sister. "That's true. So what's your deal? You just walk up to girls on the street and ask them to hang out?"

"Not usually," I said.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen," I said, reaching for the driver's license.

"Put your wallet away. I believe you. You live in Seattle?"

"No, I live in Forks. It's south of here. Small town," I said.

"So you're just walking the streets? You know about the gangs, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, uh, I came with my brothers. They're a few blocks over."

"Okay. So you aren't a creep?"

"Kyle," Adrian hissed.

"I'm just trying to make sure his intentions are honorable."

"I have no creepy intentions," I said quickly, spewing out information like this was a resume, "My family's from the Quileute reservation. I played quarterback for my high-school. My dad's a doctor. Um, I like the Yankees."

"Slow down!" Kyle said, laughing, "Okay, you seem wholesome enough. Give her your number or whatever."

"Thank you, sir," I said. This was harder than any test I'd ever taken. Kyle went through a door, leaving me and Adrian.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think…Like…I didn't think it would go like that."

"You're worth it," I said.

"You don't know me," she said.

"I know your name, first at least. And I know you have a brother who scares me shitless."

She laughed, "I didn't bring you here to scare you. Kyle's just protective and I didn't know if I would get to see you again if he didn't meet you first."

"I get it," I said, "So you want to see me again?"

She glared at me. It was adorable. "You flagged me down on the street. Is it wrong to assume you want to see me?"

I chuckled. "Of course not. I want to see you very much. I miss you already."

"Alright. You give me your number. And I'll call you."

I wrote it down on a sheet of sketching paper she had in her bag.

"Alright, the balls in your court. Please don't keep me waiting," I said.

"I'll try not to abuse my power too much," she said, closing the door in my face.

I walked slowly down the stairs of that apartment building. How long had I known her? In reality, it was forty-five minutes tops. It felt like both five seconds and a lifetime.

When I entered into the cold night air, Dad, Edward, and the wolves were waiting.

"People are going to think we're the gang," I said dryly, trying to downplay my excitement over tonight's events. I was failing miserably, and the dopey grin on my face gave me away, as if anyone doubted it.

"Jake!" A few people yelled. My dad blurred to my side and pulled me in a one-armed hug.

"They told me what happened. I see congratulations are in order. She's cute."

"Thanks, Dad."

Paul and Jared tackled me. "Welcome to the Imprints Club."

"Congrats, Jake," Sam said, shaking my hand. The other guys optioned to punch my arms and shoulders.

"She sounds like a lovely girl," Edward said, "Although you scared her at first."

"Seriously, Jake. You looked like you were going to attack her," Paul said.

"What was I supposed to do? She was getting away!"

"That'll be a good story to tell the grandkids," Sam said with a deep chuckle.

"Woah, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Paul said, "Does Jacob have it in him?"

Everyone laughed, and blood rushed to my face. To change the subject, I asked, "Paul, how do you know her?"

Paul laughed, "She came to the beach, and I assumed she wanted to try the local cuisine. It serves you right for kissing Gwen!"

"She wasn't imprinted at the time. Did you kiss Adrian? I'll kill you."

"She wasn't imprinted at the time," Paul said in a high voice that sounded nothing like mine, "No, I did not. She came to First, and we talked. I put the moves on her, and she refused. Then she went on about fashion and stuff, and I sort of zoned out. Good thing there were hot dogs because it was boring as hell."

Dad snickered. "Your mom and Alice are going to love her."

"I can almost hear the whips now," Edward put in, making the motion with his hand.

"I don't care," I said, shrugging and smiling. I was happy to realize I meant it. At the moment, all I wanted to do was see her again whether she was insulting me mercilessly or talking on about clothes.

I didn't feel like a slave the way a few people saw imprinting. I knew that if I met Adrian any other way- unless I was being a complete idiot, which I am sometimes prone to do- I would love her. Walking down the street with her felt simply right. There's a reason we have science. If things like gravity depended on humanity, we would screw it up. Our ancestors must feel the same way about wolves and love. People, especially clueless guys like Paul and me, could easily screw everything up. To make sure the genes passed on, imprinting gave us certainty and a better chance of not screwing things up. I mean, I sure I will somewhere along but for now, and for the first time in what felt like infinity, I felt like I was a planet back in orbit.

A/N

I realize a lot of you are probably wondering about the reasoning for this. When I first outlined this story, I took into account not only the changes that are made in this AU, but the effects of those changes, especially since there are so many fatalistic events that take place in the saga. I think of this story as a very Canon AU if such a thing exists. The characters are true to nature, and no events take place without being reasonably set in motion. Several romantic paths were outlined for Jacob, but this one always felt right. I am just saying all this because I know there are a lot of readers out there who may be confused or angry, I know how you feel, and I've been there. But listen, the story is far from over. We have a long ways to go, and I do not want anyone to leave this series without understanding why this happened, which will be revealed in time.