Not With Her

Beta/advisor/proof reader: Maria Vilson

Chapter 19

Paul watched from the edge of the woods as Jake and Bella had their talk, but he wasn't about to tell her that, even though he knew Jake knew he was there, and when their talk was finished he ran back to Sam's and paced his living room waiting for their return.

Paul was anxiously waiting for Bella when she finally did returned to Sam's. She could feel how jumpy Paul was as they entered the house so she walked directly into his arms. He quickly pulled Bella into his warm arms, and he immediately buried his nose into her hair and breathed in her scent calming him instantly.

Sam had already made up his mind that he was going to sit Jake down when he and Bella returned to have that talk he had been planning to do for what seemed like forever, and today was that day.

Jake needed to know what's involved in being an imprint, not only for the one who was imprinted on, but for the one who imprinted. Sam had waited too long to have this talk with Jake, and it was long overdue.

"Should we leave to see how Charlie is doing?" Jake asked both Paul and Bella.

"Not you Jake, we need to talk. I've put this off for long enough," Sam said.

"Can't it wait until after we check on Charlie?" Jake asked anxiously.

"No, it can't. There are things you need to know, and we're having this talk today!" Sam said in his strong alpha voice.

"It's okay, Jake stay and have your talk with Sam. Paul and I will go check on Charlie; we'll see you later," Bella replied as Paul led Bella out of the house and to his truck.

Once Paul and Bella were settled in the truck and on their way to the hospital Bella asked Paul if he was okay. She knew Paul was anxious about her leaving Sam's with Jake to have their talk and wanted to make sure he was okay.

"I'm fine now babe, I just hated being away from you, and my wolf was a little bit anxious about you leaving with another male. I don't think he understands that you and Jake are siblings after all he and I've been through with the baby alpha up till now. So I fought him back, but I have to say that he was more than a little relieved once we saw you enter the house in one piece," Paul said giving Bella a smirk. Bella looked over at Paul and shook her head.

"You followed us didn't you?" Bella said as a matter of fact instead of a question. Paul chuckled and nodded his head.

"Yeah, I did, but I had to know that you were okay. I knew you needed to talk to Jake about all that had happened. I wasn't as worried about you being with Jake as I was about how you were going to take all he had to tell you. I know you're good with weird, but you're my imprint and I had to make sure you were alright," Paul told her as he reached over and took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly.

"I understand Paul, really I do. I know that with me being your imprint that there will be times that you will do stupid things from time to time," Bella jested with a grin on her face. Paul looked over at her with a shocked expression.

"Stupid!? If making sure you're safe is stupid then yeah, I'm stupid," he said. Bella laughed and patted his hand to reassure him, that all was well.

Paul dropped her hand and wrapped his arm around Bella's back and pulled her to him so she was flush up against his side and kissed the top of her head lingering there for a few seconds as he took in her scent. "I love you, babe," Paul whispered.

Bella smiled, laying her head against his shoulder, "I love you too, Paul," she said as they drove the rest of the distance to the hospital sated comfortably in their relationship.

Once at the hospital, Paul and Bella walked hand in hand as they made their way to the I.C.U. section. After talking to the nurse at the desk they were happily calmed to find out that Charlie had made it through the night and had been moved to his own room.

After getting directions, Paul led Bella to his room. Bella was a bit nervous at what she would find. Although he had made it through the night she still didn't know if he would be conscious or not, and if he was conscious she was worried he would be upset when he saw her after all that had happened.

He probably will remember that she was in the room when all the drama with Billy went down, and would be afraid how she was going to take it. She didn't think it would be a good thing for him to be so upset so soon after he awoke from his injury?" she thought.

"Paul, I don't want to upset him if he's awake," Bella said as she pulled herself and Paul to a stop just outside his room.

"What are you talking about babe, why would he be upset in seeing you?" Paul asked worried for his imprint.

"Well, with all the lies, and me now knowing about how he isn't my biological father and all, he may be worried with how I'm taking all this," Bella told him. Paul shook his head.

"Bella, sweetheart, Charlie loves you whether you're his biological daughter or not, to him you're still his daughter. Don't worry about Charlie, he'll be just fine…you'll see babe," Paul encouraged. Bella nodded her head and let Paul pull her into Charlie's room.

When they entered they found Sue sitting on the side of Charlie's bed holding one of his hands whispering softly to him. When Charlie saw Bella he smiled and held out one of his arms for her to come to him. Bella smiled as happy tears streamed down her face relieved that Charlie was going to be alright.

"Dad," she cried running over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck as Charlie held her close to him. "Thank god you're going to be okay," Bella cried.

"I am okay, Bells," Charlie said as he rubbed her back trying to comfort her.

"I was so scared Dad," Bella said as she pulled away and wiped the tears from her face. Paul came up beside her and wrapped his arms around her to help comfort her. Charlie looked at Paul and smiled figuring that they were finally together.

"So you've accepted the imprint huh Bells?" Charlie asked in a rough voice from being out of it for the last twenty-four hours and recently awakened. Bella and Paul simultaneously nodded in answer to his question.

"Yes, I've talked to Emily, Sam's imprint and Paul and I have talked as well, and I see no reason not to accept him. We're good together," she said looking up at Paul and giving him a smile that he returned.

"You don't need to worry about her Charlie, I'll take good care of her for you," Paul said not looking away from Bella. Her smile widened as she hugged him and then turned so her back was to Paul's chest with his arms still wrapped around her.

"You better son, or I'll find you, shoot you and bury you were no one will ever find you," Charlie threatened. Even though he looked less threating lying in the hospital bed weak from being shot just the day before, and the fact that Paul was a wolf and would be hard to kill in any fashion, the threat carried weight.

"Charlie!" Sue exclaimed berating him for his childish comment. Charlie laughed, but groaned at the pain he felt in doing so.

"Easy there big guy," Paul said patting Charlie on his shoulder. "You don't want to tear out those stiches," he continued.

"I'm fine," he said looking at Bella with a sad expression as he thought back to the day before and realized that she knew he wasn't her real father. He wondered if anyone told her the truth of what he had kept secret from her for her whole life.

"Sue can you and Paul excuse Bella and myself for a few minutes? I need to have a private talk with Bella," he explained. Sue turned to look at Paul and Bella as she nodded her head and moved from the side of Charlie's bed. Paul kissed Bella on top of her head and followed Sue out of the room.

They both stayed close to Charlie's room just in case they were needed. Bella walked around the bed and took Sue's previous seat as she also took his hand in hers. Bella sighed knowing what was coming.

"So, I take it you heard what Billy said before…well…you know," Charlie said softly. Bella nodded her head before speaking.

"Yeah, I didn't know what to think at the time, and with the entire calamity going on afterwards, well, I don't know," Bella told him and then continued. "Jake and I had a talk this morning. He cleared up everything, you know…the why's and the truth's of the matter," Bella told him as she fiddled with his fingers. Charlie nodded his head.

"I'm sorry you had to find out that way, Bells. I've wanted to tell you for some time, but Billy always came up with a reliable reason as to why it wasn't the right time. I now realize that he was manipulating me, and to tell the truth I think I knew it even back then, but I was so afraid. I was so afraid of losing you Bells," he said as his voice broke, but still continued.

"I had already lost you once when your mother…well, Renée took you away. I couldn't fight to keep you without the whole story coming out, and she knew it, so I had to let her go…let her take you from me. That was the worst day of my life up until now," Charlie said looking down at his hand as Bella played with his fingers nervously.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. If I could change things I would," Charlie said softly. Bella looked up at Charlie and gave him a sad smile.

"I just wished you'd told me is all. Nothing has changed Dad. You raised me, and you're the only Father I've ever known. I did always wonder why Mom treated me so differently…well, differently than the other mothers did their own kids," Bella told him.

"Treated you differently, what are you talking about Bells?" Charlie asked, wondering what Renée had done now. He had always known his ex-wife was a little flighty, but if she had done something to upset or hurt Bella he was ready to get on a plane and go to her and settle his grievances with her.

"It's nothing really, it's just that she always made sure I stayed out of the sun and away from tanning beds, she made sure I had sunscreen on before going out of the house and made me carry a tube with me in case I needed to reapply," Bella explained. Charlie chuckled thinking that it sounded just like her.

"She would also make sure I kept my hair bleached out. I stayed a blonde until I moved back here with you. I've always known I was more tanned than the two of you, but I really didn't think much of it with living in Arizona with the sun and all, I just figured it was the sun that tanned me," Bella continued.

"But what really bothered me more than anything was how Mom would make me wear those damn colored contacts. Most of the time I ran around with lavender color eyes, which were freaky by the way. She used to tell me it was the style, but it made me feel as if she was embarrassed to be seen with me always trying to change me into someone I wasn't, someone she wanted me to be…not good on the ole ego Dad believe me, but it all makes sense now. She was trying to hide my true heritage all those years," Bella finally said.

"That was wrong of her Bells, I'm sorry, I wish I could have been there for you," Charlie said. Bella shook her head trying to let him know that it was in the past, but then she wondered if Charlie knew what happened after the incident last night. She wondered if Charlie knew that Billy was dead.

"Dad, did Sue tell you about what happened after you were taken to the hospital last night?" she asked. Charlie nodded.

"Yeah, honey she did. I'm sorry for Jake's loss, but…no one really knew how much Billy had changed after giving you up, Bells. He was okay while you were away with your mother, but after you returned he was so afraid that with you being here, that you could somehow change all he worked so hard for in bringing Jake to his statues as chief, and alpha of the pack that he just lost it. But I hope you know there was no way I was going to let him hurt you Bells," Charlie expressed meaningfully. Bella nodded.

"I know Dad, I guess I should feel grief for Billy's death, but to tell you the truth…I don't. He was going to kill me…what kind of father does that?" she said sadly. She knew she had thought and said this many times, but she couldn't comprehend a father trying to do something that heinous.

"He wasn't in his right mind Bells. He hasn't been for quite some time," Charlie explained.

"I feel sorry for Jake though, he was so upset this morning during our conversation," Bella told him. Charlie nodded his head with a sad expression as well.

"Jake will miss his father, but he'll get through this. He has you and the pack, and he has me and Sue as well. We'll all see that he gets through this," Charlie said as he slumped further into his pillow.

"You need your rest, Dad I'll come back later to see you, and I'll send Sue back to be with you," Bella told Charlie who only nodded his head slightly almost asleep again. Bella got up and kissed Charlie on his forehead, but before she could get away Charlie grabbed her hand.

"Are we good Bells?" he asked with a worried expression. Bella smiled.

"Yeah, Dad we'll talk more later when you're feeling better, but yeah, we're good. I love you, Dad," Bella told him.

"I love you too honey," Charlie softly said with a sigh and then dozed off to sleep. Bella softly stroked his hair from his forehead and smiled down at her dad after kissing him one last time on his head she then made her way from his room.

Paul gathered her into his arms and Bella buried her face into his chest and told Sue he's asleep, and that she told Charlie that Sue would be there when he woke up. Sue smiled and gave Paul and Bella a hug and went back into her husband's room as Paul walked his mate down the corridor and out of the hospital.

After climbing back into his truck he asked Bella if she was alright, and she answered that she was fine. He never asked her what was said, because he heard every word with his wolf hearing. He figured if she wanted to talk about it she would, but for now he would just be there for her if she needed him.

He drove them both back to his house and they sat on his sofa discussing their future plans, one being that Bella would move into his house and go to school in Forks and take some online courses to make up for what she would be missing in Seattle.

They discussed many things that day, and spent the rest of it in Paul's room making love. Paul was in his element and couldn't believe his luck. After all he had done this past year he felt so lucky that Bella accepted him. He had never been this happy in his life, and thanked the Gods for bring Bella into his life.

Sam finally talked to Jake about how imprinting worked and Jake felt like an ass for his part in keeping Paul and Bella apart. Charlie was released from the hospital a week later and he and Bella sat down and talked out everything, ending with Bella being upset that he kept all he had from her, but finally telling him she understood.

Renée and Phil got pregnant after all the years she had tried and had a son they called Ryan, and Renée being the selfish person she was stopped calling Bella. She knew that Bella had found out that she wasn't her biological mother and thought since Bella knew, that her responsibilities to her were finished.

Bella tried to call her from time to time, but she always found reasons to get off the phone and never asked Bella how she was doing…ever. After a while Bella stopped trying to contact Renée and thought of her as a lost cause.

Jake and Bella worked through their differences and became very close after a while. In fact they were so close that they often finished each other's sentences at times. Paul had a little trouble trying to understand their relationship.

He had never seen siblings who acted the way they did, but he knew they were just that, siblings and nothing romantic would ever come from it. He knew Bella needed Jake in her life, and with the imprint he as well as his wolf wanted her happy and Jake made her happy so that was the end of that.

Jake did indeed take up the role as chieftain of the tribe once he was past his grief for his dad. The pack along with most of the people from the tribe helped him with this sadness, and let him know he was loved.

Old Quil sat down with him and explained that what Billy had done was wrong, but he had faith that his dad taught him well, and he knew he was quite capable of running the tribe. Of course Jake told him that Bella was older than he was and it was her place to be chief, which Old Quil argued as his father did that no woman had ever sat on the seat as chief. Jake argued the point with the older council member and told him he needed to talk to his sister before he agreed to anything.

Jake talked to Bella about her taking her rightful place as chief, but she wanted no part in it. She said that too much had happened due to this very argument, and she wanted no part of it. So after arguing with her for some time, Jake decided someone had to take up the seat as chief so he agreed it would be him.

There was a great bonfire after the crowning of their new Chief Jacob Ephraim Black, and the whole tribe took enjoyment in it. It was the biggest and best bonfire ever held on La Push, it even got the presses attention. Jake made front page news in many papers across the state.

The pack grew closer, and after a year or so Jake also took up his role as alpha with Sam's blessings. And as Billy had hoped Jake did indeed become one of the best chieftains and alphas that ever lived.

Jake moved back into the home where he had lived his entire life. He remodeled it to his liking with the help of the pack and their imprints, and when he finally found his own imprint they lived there together.

Paul asked Bella to marry him two years later to which she said yes. They had a small wedding on the beach and they couldn't have been happier.

After Bella graduated she began teaching at the tribal school there on La Push and shortly after, Bella gave Paul a son who they named Charles Jacob Lahote. Paul was in his element and was the best father ever, he even surprised Charlie.

Within time the entire pack imprinted which was a miracle in itself. It was thought that imprinting was rare, but it seems that the Great Spirit had other ideas. Or the pack was doing something right, they didn't know which, and began to multiply.

Jared and Kim alone had five children of their own, with Embry and his mate Angela who was a good friend of Bella's from Forks running a close second with four. Even Leah and her mate Thomas spawned three of their own which Charlie and Sue reveled in.

They were the proud grandparents of five counting Seth and Sharon's son Harrison Avery Clearwater and they were on top of the world. Three of the five were boys which Charlie had already broken in by taking them all fishing with Paul and Seth's help that is.

Life was good on the Reservation, and with the Cullen's not living in Forks any longer the vampires that showed themselves around the Reservation became fewer and fewer, giving the protectors more time to spend with their families.

Paul and Bella were happy and lived their lives to the fullest. Yes, life was good on the Reservation and they hoped it would stay that way.

The End

Thank you so much for reading and for all the reviews as well as all the support you've all shown during the posting of this story...they've meant so much...a very special thank you to my Beta Maria Vilson for all her hard work for putting all she had into this story braving through sickness and injury, you totally rock and I would be lost without your help.

And after saying the previous I've learned last night that my beta has a lot going on in her real life right now and can't beta for me for a while, (sniff). I do understand, and wish her only the best. Although we will keep in touch I will miss talking and listening to her ideas.

So I am in dire need of a Beta now...so if anyone out there is interested in taking this poor writer on as Beta for a few months please let me know, it would be greatly appreciated...bigg huggs

I'm working on a couple more stories that are Jake and Bella stories and I'll start posting them when they are finished, I hope you will all give them a look see when I've posted them...

Let me know what you thought of this little story, it is much appreciated, bigg huggs. Peggy