I watched Paul as he walked into the diner, a baby in his arms and a 2-3 year old child gripping onto his hand. I hadn't been in La Push in some time but last time I was here I didn't know he had himself a lady. I was here… maybe four years ago, something like that but it was only for a few days. We had grown up together and I had known him all my life but this was unexpected, I had never thought he would be a father, and he was a good one at that judging by the grins on his older child's face. Not that I would expect anything less from Paul.

"Hey Paul, come over here man, someone's here to see you man" Sam called out beaming at me

I wish I could have been here for the birth of his children and his wedding judging by the ring on his finger but something happened and I had to go away to keep my La Push family safe. But now I was safe it was safe for them to be around me and I was elated to be back. I had missed the rain and thunderstorms no matter how wet it was.

"What is it?" Paul asked quietly bouncing his baby girl slightly, he hadn't seen me yet

"Guess whose back?" Sam asked turning his head so he was looking directly at me

"Bella?" he asked, eyes boring into mine. As soon as I looked up into his eyes it felt like the world stopped spinning, all strings I had connected to everyone else were cut and connected to Paul. I felt like I was glowing but I knew we were making a scene so I dragged my eyes away from his forcing myself to look elsewhere.

"Yeah, I'm here" I whispered. Not wanting to choose favourites but being away from Paul for those years hurt, it hurt to be away from everyone but I missed him the most.

Without knowing I was on my feet and in Paul's arms, Emily grabbed the toddlers hand and pulled him towards her, giving us some space. I wrapped my arms around his back and squeezed him gently, letting him know I was here. With his free arm he wrapped it around me, settling his hand in between my shoulder blades. My face rested in the crook of his neck and i unconsciously inhaled his scent, it hadn't changed. It was still the same old same old; it was like the forest just after it rained and freshly baked cookies or something. I drew back slightly and looked down at the bundle in his arms; she was beautiful, golden russet skin, black hair and a button nose. Since she was sleeping I didn't get to see her eyes but I guessed they would be the classic brown.

"She's beautiful" I whispered looking up at Paul

He didn't answer but his smile said it all, he was proud of his little girl. We both sat down with Paul sitting next to me and it was just like old times. The old group of goofy teenagers sitting around the diner were just now goofy adults.

"Do you want to hold her?" Paul whispered into my ear, his lips brushing my ear and it took all I had to hold back a shudder

I nodded and smiled, most people think from looking at me that I wouldn't be good with babies but surprisingly I was. Deep down I knew I wanted a family; I just wanted to live for a while before I settled down. But for now after all I had been through in the past four years I just wanted to rest, just for a little while.

Paul passed me his baby girl somewhat apprehensively and placed her in my arms, I couldn't help but grin goofily at her. I mean she was pretty cute. I heard the clicking of something and looked up and saw Emily clicking away with that camera of hers. I shook my head and looked back down at her and asked Paul;

"What's her name?"

He smiled and answered "Grace, Grace Madelyn Lahote"

I let out a faint breath and gave him a questioning look and he smiled back and said;

"Yeah, I couldn't help myself" he then looked at me in worry "I hope that was okay"

I giggled and looked at her and said "It suits her, I don't mind" Paul was talking about Grace's name, Grace was my middle name. My full name is Isabella Grace Swan.

"Tyler Carter Lahote is the little man over there, crazy kid" Paul smiled shaking his head, his hair was shaggy, it wasn't short but it wasn't long either. Just the way I liked it and how it suited him, he had also let his facial hair grow out a little so it wasn't like a beard but it wasn't like a day's stubble. It gave him the bad boy edge that was so classically Paul.

"I missed you guys so much" I whispered letting a few tears gather in my eyes but not let them fall

"We missed you too" Sam said for everyone who nodded in agreement

"What happened Bella" Paul asked looking at me with a heartbroken expression "It wasn't like you to just go running off and I know that something was up with you. I know you wouldn't leave us if you didn't have to, we are your family especially after well… you know"

"I can't tell you yet, I'm not ready and I sure as hell know that you guys aren't ready to hear it either" I whispered "But I promise I will tell you one day, just not yet"

I got hard looks from everyone but they didn't push my further. Conversation started up again and I just listened to the banter that I had missed so much. We caught up on what I had missed and I told them what I could and soon enough it was closing time and Sue came around telling us to close up when we are finished. She had always let us stay as long after hours as we wanted as long as we shut up for her and didn't eat all her food.

"Hey Sue" I said standing up, cradling Grace against me with one arm and hugging her with the other

"You back for good girl?" she said beaming at me

"Yeah, I am stuck on this place like glue" I smiled back watching her go

I passed Paul's baby girl back to him knowing that he was probably getting antsy to hold her again and got up and poured myself a glass of very strong coffee and milk. I hadn't slept in a little bit more than two weeks and I was feeling the effects of lack of sleep catching up with me but I forced myself to keep my eyes opened without the aid of energy drinks.

"You look like crap" Jacob said bluntly glancing over at me

"When was the last time you slept?" Emily asked gently but firmly

"A while ago" I mumbled not wanting them to get all worried about me

"Bella" Embry said raising his eyebrows and giving me the look that said it all

"Fine" I sighed and answered "A bit more than two weeks I guess"

"Why?" Paul demanded but in the process that he woke Grace up and started her crying

"Pass her here" I said gesturing to Grace

"She won't go back down for ages now," Paul said rubbing his face tiredly with one hand and Grace cradled in the other "If you wake her up like that she gets really jumpy and wide awake, trust me."

"Just let me hold her and give you a break" I mumbled grabbing her from Paul's grasp

"Hello sweetheart," I mumbled to a crying Grace bouncing her gently "It's okay, daddy's a scary man isn't he, don't worry he loves you. He didn't mean it, you're okay."

Her eyes opened and I was shocked to say they were blue but were gorgeous anyway. Her cries slowed as I continued talking to her, still bouncing her gently.

"Who's a good girl," I cooed to a now quiet Grace, she was just looking at me curiously

Paul looked at me in shock and said "No body's ever been able to do that, not even Emily, how did you do that?"

"I dunno" I said pretty shocked but smug with myself then went on lightly "I think she likes me"

"Of course she does" Paul grinned "Any child of mine that didn't like you I would begin to question who the father was"

We continued talking and Grace soon found a few stray bits of my hair to tug on gently but I didn't mind, she was really cute and it didn't hurt me at all. I looked down to her again to find her blue eyes looking at me with… awe or something like that.

"She's really taken with you" I heard Paul mumbled in my ear from behind me, I didn't jump but I was surprised I didn't hear him come up behind me. He was sitting in front of me after all…

Paul's Pov

"She's really taken with you" I mumbled in Bella's ear watching her hold my baby girl and let her play with her hair

I was grateful that Bella didn't ask who their mother was; I didn't want to go into that on her first day back. Since Leah died I have been pretty lost but the pack was there to hold me up, I knew I imprinted on Bella when I looked into her eyes but I wasn't mad, Leah would have wanted me to move on. Bella was the kindest person I knew and I wanted my kids to have a mother growing up, they needed one. And plus not wanting to admit it out aloud I have always kind of had a crush on Bella since I was little, even when I was married, not that I would have cheated on Leah if she was still alive for Bella.

At first I was confused why the spirits would have given me an imprint but then I understood, I needed my other half to help me with my kids… and myself. I never imprinted on Leah so we always had that hanging over our heads but she didn't let it bother her, she always said that if I found her then she would force me to be just friends with my imprint. I couldn't help but smile at the memory, she was one of a kind. I couldn't help but think that Leah would have had something to do with me getting an imprint. And plus Leah loved Bella like a sister, it really tore her up when Bella had to leave; it seemed right for her to take over for Leah somehow, if she wanted to and accepted the imprint.

Bella didn't answer me but she had a goofy smile on her face that only babies bring out in you, I knew that all too well. When Tyler was born I caught heaps of flick from the pack but then again everyone had the same goofy smile on their faces. It didn't get much better when Grace was born, Emily had the evidence.

As I watched them I couldn't help but rest my head on Bella's shoulder and wrap my hands around her waist. I knew that the pack knew that I imprinted but I didn't care, I knew they would all be happy for me.

"Paul" Bella whispered to me so no one else could hear

"Yes" I mumbled in her ear again

"Do you have a wife?" she asked gently

"She's not with us anymore" I whispered

"Sorry" Bella said but didn't make a move to get out of my arms

"Don't be" I whispered to her "We were blessed to have her with us while we did"

Bella smiled and didn't say anything more.

I looked over to see Tyler playing with Embry but he looked pretty tired so I took it as time to take my kids home. I looked down to see Grace starting to get fussy so I went and started warming a bottle up so she wouldn't start crying, I had a pretty good headache and her crying isn't exactly quiet. I passed it to Bella wordlessly and went over to Embry and picked up Tyler, he looked like he was about to fall over.

"Dada" Tyler mumbled as I rested him against my shoulder and watched as his eyes fell down and he went to sleep

"Well" I said to the rest of the pack who had stupid grins on their faces "I have to go home and get these two into bed, I will see you tomorrow"

There were mumbles of "Okay" and "See you later" so I turned to Bella who was feeding Grace and she looked at me and I couldn't help but think how beautiful she had gotten over the four years that she had been away. She looked like she had grown into her body finally… she looked like a woman.

"Come on" I mumbled walking towards the door with Bella following me