Story Title: Just One Look

Summary: Life is full of choices. And sometimes when you least expect it, it throws you a curveball. And if you make the right decision, you could change your life forever.

Pairing: Paul/Bella

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I just wish I did.

AN: I have had this on my computer for a year and half and a voice inside my head kept saying 'publish it'. It sounded like Gollum from the Lord of the Ring movies. I don't know about the rest of you, but I find him to be creepy and disturbing. So I am posting this just to get the voice out of my head.

Bella Swan did not like being strung along; she didn't like being lied to either. Her best friend was doing both of those things and it drove her insane with worry. She had been told to stay away from him until he came to her. She was tired of waiting. She sat outside his house until she saw him come out before getting out of the truck. She pulled her jacket closed to ward off the chill and to keep herself partially dry.

"Jacob!" she called after him.

He kept going but shook his head to let her know to leave him alone. She wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Jacob, wait!" she said as she ran through the yard.

He stopped but didn't turn around. She watched as he clenched his fist in aggravation, his shoulders tense as she walked up to him.

"You cut your hair, and got a tattoo?" she said as her hand encircled his arm.

"Let go Bella," he said quietly.

"I want some answers, because you are not sick," she said through clenched teeth.

"I can't," he said shaking his head.

"You won't tell me. Get it right," she said as she shoved her hair out of her face roughly.

"I can't tell you. I wish that I could," he said in a grief stricken voice.

"You know that I won't tell anyone else."

"Just like you've kept the Cullen's secret, right?" he asked bitterly.

"What do they have to do with this?"

"Everything!" he yelled.

"Jacob!" Someone yelled from the trees.

Bella stepped to the side to see four people standing on the border of his property line.

"Is that Sam?" she asked, squinting to see through the rain.

"I don't want you coming back here. Something bad could happen."

"I'll take my chances," she said defiantly.

"You are so stubborn," he mumbled.

"So are you," she countered.

"I have to go. Leave now if you know what's good for you," he said pulling his arm from her grasp.

She watched him run to his friends frozen where she was. The four turned to walk into the woods before he got to them. She waited until he was out of sight before turning to go back to her truck. She cranked the heat to warm herself and she took off her soaking wet jacket to realize that she was soaked through. Maybe she could borrow something of Jacob's. Billy's truck was in the yard. Even if he didn't want her there he wouldn't want her to catch pneumonia. She got back out of the truck and trudged through the mud to the front door.

Billy opened the door, taking in her disheveled appearance.

"I was wondering if I could borrow some of Jacob's clothes. I'll give them back to you when you come over again."

"Come on in," he said as he pushed himself out of the way.

He told her to wait in the bathroom and she dried herself off with the towel that hung on the rack. She reached her arm out when Billy knocked on the door. She found Billy reading the paper in the living room a few minutes later.

"Do you know when he'll be back?"

"Not until late tonight," he said not looking up from the paper.

"Thank you for letting me in."

"I'm not heartless Bells, neither is Jacob. He's going through a lot right now. You shouldn't put so much pressure on him."

"I wouldn't if he returned my calls every once in a while."

"He's busy," he said sitting down the newspaper.

"No, he's avoiding me. He asked me never to come over here again."

"Maybe you should listen to him."

"He needs a friend. Even I can see that."

"He has friends."

"Sam? Sam is not his friend. Jake couldn't even stand him the last time I saw him."

"They're friends now. That's what matters."

"So you're telling me that I am banned from seeing him?"

"For now," he said gently.

"No," she said firmly, shaking her head for emphasis.

She walked out the door before he could say anything else. She ran to her truck, holding up the sweatpants that Billy had loaned her. They were three sizes too big and they would fall off if she didn't hold them up. Once she got home she nearly collided with her dad. He took in her clothes and his met hers with raised eyebrows.

"Do you have a new boyfriend?"

"No, Dad, these are Jake's."

"You went over there? After Jake, Billy, and I asked you not to?"

"I'm sorry, but I had to see him."

"Where are your clothes?"

She held up a plastic bag and her soaking wet clothes could be seen through the bag.

"I'm setting traps on the reservation with Harry. I want you to stay here."

"Aww Dad!" she said with a sigh.

"I mean it Bella, I won't be gone long. If I come home and you aren't here you're grounded."

"Fine," she said with a nod.

She waited an extra ten minutes after they left before going to get everything she needed. She had gone over to Jacob's not only for answers but to ask him to help her find the meadow one last time. She knew for sure the way to go and she had wanted him with her when she found it. That was out of the question now.

She was pulling the truck off the side of the road, and pulling her rain jacket hood over her head half an hour later. She grabbed her backpack and made sure that the map was in it. She took the map out before getting out of the truck. She shouldered the pack before starting off up the incline into the woods.

After a few tries and nearly falling three times she stumbled into the meadow. It was nothing like what she remembered. The flowers were replaced with dead grass. If she hadn't burned the place into her memory she would think that it wasn't the meadow she was looking for. It was just as well; hardly anything that she shared with Edward was the same. She needed to face reality and admit that he was never coming back. He had chosen his family over her and there was nothing that she could do about it.

She heard a twig snap behind her and she looked over her shoulder to see someone who made her eyes widen in surprise.

"Hello," The person said with a kind smile.

Sam had everyone wait at the top of the incline just above Bella and the guy with dreads. It was obvious that Bella knew him. Even if he was a vampire, they wouldn't do anything unless he tried to hurt her. All five of them looked down at the two of them with scrutiny. Paul got a good look at Bella when she turned to face the guy. The wind was knocked out of him and his hair stood on end as everything around him tilted on its axis. He shook his head trying to clear it, but no amount of shaking could make the feeling go away.

Laurent moved closer to Bella as she tried to turn away from him.

Now! Sam thought before taking off down the incline.

Bella stood frozen where she was as she watched in terror as five gigantic wolves came towards her. Laurent stood a few feet away with the same expression that she had. Four of the wolves passed her to get to him. The russet colored wolf stopped in front of her. He was close enough to touch and Bella saw her reflection in his eyes.

The black wolf sailed past them once Laurent had shoved him out of the way.

Jacob, we need you! Embry's voice came through his thoughts.

The wolves took off after the other three leaving Bella alone. It took her a few minutes before she was able pull herself together and run back to the truck. She got lost a dozen times before she found her way back to the truck.

Her dad's truck was in the driveway when she pulled up. She sighed, knowing that he wouldn't think twice about grounding her. She just hoped that she would be able to tell him what she had just seen first. She came through the front door to see him standing in the foyer.

"Before you say anything I have to tell you something."

"What?" he questioned, giving her a pointed look.

"I saw something in the woods. It's not a bear Dad, its wolves. Five huge wolves, each of them stood as tall as a horse."

"What in God's name were you doing in the woods? I told you to stay out of them."

"I was looking for something."

"You're not grounded, you're on lock down."

"Fine," she agreed with a nod.

"Are you sure Bells?" Harry asked.

"I'm positive."

"Not that I doubt you, it's just that you seem hysterical. Maybe you just thought you saw them."

"One of them was close enough for me to touch it and another went sailing past me. I know what I saw."

"Harry, get some guys together. We need to go and see if we can find them."

"Sure," he said quietly.

XXXX

Paul wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew where to go to get answers. Sam wouldn't be in the mood to have company since Harry had given him a verbal lashing when he got back from helping Charlie but Paul was willing to take the risk. He stood on Sam's porch waiting for someone to let him in. Emily opened the door with a sigh.

"Now isn't a good time."

"I really need to talk to him. It's important."

She looked over her shoulder for a few seconds before letting him in.

"He's in our room."

"Thank you," he said before walking up the stairs.

"You're welcome," she said before going back to what she was doing.

Paul made his way up the stairs slowly, not knowing how Sam would react to his intruding on his space. He knocked on the door lightly when he saw that there wasn't any light coming from under the door.

"Emily, I asked you not to bother me."

"It's me."

"Go away," Sam said darkly.

"I need to talk to you."

"Not now," he said with a growl.

"Fine, I'll go to Harry and ask him what it feels like to imprint on someone."

The door opened before he could turn to walk away. Sam gave him an unsure look before coming into the hall.

"When did it happen?" Sam asked skeptically.

"This afternoon," Paul confirmed.

"Who is she?"

"I don't know her name," he said with a shake of his head.

"You did talk to her, didn't you?"

"How was I supposed to do that? Bark at her?" Paul asked in confusion.

"You think you've imprinted on Bella?" Sam asked, giving him a grave look.

"That's who she is?" Paul asked with wide eyes.

"Explain to me what you felt when you saw her."

"Everything else fell away, all I saw was her. It was like…"

"The world tilted on its axis," Sam said finishing his sentence.

"Yeah," he said breathlessly.

"You've imprinted on Bella, congratulations," Sam said with a kind smile.

"The kid isn't going to go for this."

"Let me handle Jake. Don't go and see her until I tell you to. Technically, she doesn't know who you are. How come you didn't imprint on her at Jake's?"

"I didn't see her then. I was looking somewhere else until Jared said, 'Hey man, check her out.' Jacob had pulled her in front of him again before I could look at her."

"She's been through a lot in the past several months. So I am only going to say this once, do not pressure her into anything," Sam warned.

"What could she have been through that was so bad?" Paul asked with a scoff.

"Her boyfriend broke up with her then left her in the woods."

"She's the girl you found? That's how you know her?" he asked once he found his voice.

"Yes," Sam confirmed solemnly.

"What else?"

"Billy says that Jake is the only person that has been able to get through to her. Today was the first time he has seen her since he changed. You saw how upset he was."

"They're friends, I can handle that."

"Here's what you won't be able to handle. Her ex is a vampire."

"What?" he asked with a cold stare.

"She dated one of the Cullen's."

"Does she know what they are?"

"Yeah, she's keeping their secret for them."

"Were they serious?"

"I don't know how serious they were. Billy said that she shut herself off from the world after he

left. Like I said, Jacob has been the only person other than her dad that she has let in."

Paul left a few minutes later. He had yet to talk to Bella and already he didn't understand her. Why would she choose to be with someone who could potentially hurt her? It wasn't like he couldn't either, but at least he would never thirst for her blood. He had only looked at her once, for less than a minute and already he wanted to see her again. He would follow Sam's order and stay away from her. He didn't know how long he could keep himself away from her without trying to find her again.