I wasn't aware I was projecting Team Edward to anyone. That's just my take on how I interpreted the books and which actor I liked better. I always saw Bella and Edward together. I just didn't feel the relationship with Jake ever stood a chance.
That's fine. I only got that impression because you were talking about the relationship between Bella and Jacob all throughout the books, saying that you couldn't see them going any further. I couldn't either, and just wanted to make it known that I wasn't bringing up Jacob and Bella's past together as anything more than an example of how I don't think her actions changed in BD. I so don't want you to think that I was saying you were forcing Team Edward on anyone, because you weren't. At all
In BD I didn't see that change much. Only when she would "light up".
I didn't see it change either. I think she always lit up when she saw Jacob. I don't think that has any to do with anything romantic between them, just that she was happy to see him. For me, that's exactly the same in BD and therefore it can't be anything to do with the imprint. I didn't see Jacob as boyfriend material either (personally I think the whole love triangle thing was pretty forced). But he wasn't always the big brother type to her. If he was, she'd have never kissed him, for obvious reasons. And I seriously don't think Bella is an innocent party in all of it either. Far from. She knew Jacob was in love with her and yet she still kept seeing him when Edward returned. Yes, she felt bad and wanted to makes sure he was ok, but sometimes in life you just have to accept that you've lost a friend and put things in the past. What solidifies this, for me, is that Bella knows what this does to Edward. Edward's problems don't just stem from the fact that him and Jacob are mortal enemies and Bella knows this. Angela spells out to Bella that Edward is jealous and she just dismisses it. I'm not saying that women can't have male friends just because their partner might get jealous, but if that friend is in love with the woman and she knows it, then it changes things. Especially as it turned out that Bella was in love with him too. (Wow, we're getting way off topic! Lets bring it around):He was always a friend but almost like the big brother she always wanted. Not boyfriend material. If you saw an example somewhere, tell me. I honestly can't recall any.
Bella was always happy when Jacob was around, way before Nessie was conceived, so their actions towards one another had nothing to do with the imprint. Jacob wasn't subconsciously drawn to Bella because she was pregnant with his imprint, he was drawn to her because he thought she was dying. Similarly, Bella wasn't drawn to Jacob because of Nessie, she was drawn to him (happy to see him) because she never thought she'd see her 'friend' again after her wedding. She wanted Jacob in her life (which I personally think is more than a little selfish, but that's for another time!), and so when he turns up on the Cullen doorstep, she's overjoyed. it's even confirmed in the book when she assumes that Jacob has actually come to visit her! That's why I think that the theory given in the book (that Jacob and Bella are drawn to each because of Nessie) is wrong.