Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Rated: T.

Author: xPaige Turnerx

Summary: It's your classic girl finds love in a coffee shop... if you replace girl with tired old immortal and coffee shop with comic shop and love with aggravated endearment that eventually leads to soul-bound devotion and affection. AU. Rosalie/Bella.

'Happiness hit her like a train on a track

Coming towards her stuck still no turning back.'

It was a nice porch, as far as porches went, but it wasn't Bella's favourite – she had seen some nice porches during her time. So she didn't dwell and instead tapped her knuckles against the wood of the door, surprised it didn't open immediately. Surely the vampires on the other side heard Angela drop her off. How could they not?

Still, she waited patiently with Charlie's tail batting at her hip as he stood obediently next to her. The doorknob twisted and an easy grin slipped onto her face, sliding up an extra bright notch when she realized it was Rosalie who answered the door.

There was just enough time for her to lock eyes with a golden set, watch them flick up and down her form lightning fast, fade to a dark amber, and then the door was slammed shut in her face. Bella's mouth fell open in shock that was quickly overtaken by amusement, a chuckle shaking her shoulders and smile turning the tips of her open mouth up.

"Aphrodite, you're going to make me swoon if you keep treating me so nicely!" Bella shouted through the door as she banged on it.

It opened just before her fist could connect a third time, a much friendlier Cullen greeting her. Alice beamed up at her friend, gaze taking in the taller brunette, and a knowing smirk played at her lips. "I warned her," Alice sighed out but beckoned Bella in.

Charlie lingered by the door while Bella swung the pixie around the foyer, hugging her tightly. "Tiny Wall, what have I done to offend your sister now?"

"Oh, nothing," Alice waved her off, "she just went to change." Golden eyes narrowed in scrutiny as they wandered up and down Bella's form again, surprised and impressed. "She thought you were going to show up in -and these are her words, though I can't say I always disagree, Bella, I really must take you shopping- another hideously bright outfit designed specifically to offend her eyes."

A pout pulled at Bella's lips as she huffed but it was Rosalie who spoke next, her muffled voice floating down from the stairs to the second floor. "I wasn't aware I was dating a flower child!"

"I wasn't aware we were dating!" Bella countered back and smirked at the absence of a reply. She clicked her tongue and looked back from the stairs to a delighted Alice. "What?"

Again, Alice was waving her off while simultaneously ushering her towards the living room where the rest of the family lingered. "I've just been waiting a long time for this. She has a point though, you look as if you've just stepped out of a child's fairy tale book. Minus the combat boots, of course."

Bella twirled in place, fingers swooping down across the soft material of her white dress. Perhaps they had a point; the white ribbons wrapped around her hands, the flower crown sitting around the top of her head, it was all a bit much but she had spent the day in the woods and she liked feeling the wind against her skin. Feel it play with her hair, with her dress, with the ends of the ribbons.

Shrugging her shoulders, Bella glanced back up to her friend as she followed through the halls. Charlie trailed behind them, nails clacking against the hardwood floors. "Why is she changing?"

"Her jeans had oil stains on them."

Intrigue danced in Bella's eyes. "She works on cars," she asked though was fairly certain and it came out sounding like a statement.

One Alice agreed with anyway, her head bobbing in affirmation. "Yes, quite often. Too often. You're lucky you don't have a car, she pulls them apart just to put them back together again when she's bored."

"But I do have a car, Alice."

Something hit the floor above them with a dull thud while Alice eyed her with interest. "Secrets, secrets, are no fun," she sang softly while waggling a finger in her friend's direction.

"Secrets, secrets, spare someone," Bella countered seamlessly.

The others in the living room looked up when they arrived, eager faces greeting her. Esme swooped in to scoop Bella up into a warm embrace that she eagerly returned. "Bella, honey, it's so lovely to have you back here. You look beautiful."

"Thanks!" Bella chirped. She bounced forward, Charlie pressing against her as he regarded the rest of the room warily. "He'll warm up to you one day, I promise."

"It's fine," Carlisle replied from his seat across the room. He put his book down, getting to his feet at a slow pace to put Charlie at ease. "We're used to such reception from animals. You look wonderful this evening, Bella." He reached out his hand for Charlie to sniff, smiling softly when the mighty beast only whined and cowered behind Bella more, instead shaking hers affectionately.

"If you all don't stop complimenting me, I'm never going to fit back out the door with this big head," Bella warned playfully. She slid further into the room, sitting on the arm of the chair Jasper was in. "Jazz, Double Dee," she greeted warmly.

Her dark eyes fell to the little table between them and the game sitting atop. Her jaw clenched, Jasper noted with interest. He angled in his chair to better look at her, look at the intense rapture with which she stared down at the board. "Would you care to play a game of chess, Bella?"

Those dark eyes shifted up to his own, rage and pain and indignation swirling together in a dizzying vortex of brutality...

All until she blinked. A cheerful smile latched onto her face, hollow and off-putting. "No thank you, I don't care for the game's origins."

Both boys' brows furrowed in confusion, but Emmett popped up before either could voice their inquiries. He hopped the board, ignoring their annoyed barks at him as they kept the board from toppling over, and held open his arms. "Boo!" he exclaimed and Bella didn't hesitate in throwing herself at him.

"Em!" Bella sighed into his large, broad chest. She rested her chin against it, staring up at him happily. "How are things going with Seth?"

The room stilled with interest, as no one had broached the subject with the uncharacteristically silent mountain of a boy. He had remained tight-lipped with everyone but Rosalie and had seemed more forlorn as of late. Understandable, considering his situation, but Esme was happy that someone finally brought it up.

Emmett himself shrank back, scratching the back of his neck while he stared at the corner of the room. "Oh, you know..." he trailed off and huffed. He shook his head and looked up at Bella with pained eyes. "Haven't seen him since your party, and I don't know if that's a good thing or not."

"He's been asking about you."

The boy lit up eagerly. "He has? Like what? What did you say?"

Bella laughed, affectionately tapping the tip of his nose. Dark eyes danced with mischief. "He asked what kind of heart you have."

"And?" Emmett shook his head, face scrunched up in confusion. "Oh no. What kind of heart do I have?"

She hummed softly, gaze appraising. Her fingers slid along his chest, resting just over his heart, and tapped twice. "Strong," she murmured and watched him raise his arms to flex. "But gentle."

"And how would you know that?"

The hairs on Bella's arms raised at the sound of the velvety voice beckoning to her, caressing her skin with the softest affection. The small smile on Bella's face twitched up into a broad one, turning to look at her stone angel. Rosalie stood at the entrance to the living room, shoulder leaning against the wall with her arms lazily crossed over her chest. The deep red of her blouse drew attention to her brilliantly golden eyes, Bella's gaze bouncing between them and her lips painted a bold red as well.

She found her mouth forming words she hadn't time to consider or filter. "You think I don't know what kind of heart it takes to love you?"

Off to the side in the room, Esme and Alice grabbed each other's arms and squealed softly.

Rosalie rolled her eyes but even she could not fight the satisfied and delighted upturn of her lips. "Whatever," she scoffed and pushed off from the wall. Molten gold threatened to light Emmett's chest aflame, where Bella's hand still rested. "You can remove that, now."

Emmett all but collapsed to separate himself from Rosalie's mate.

"Such fear you command!" Bella laughed and turned fully to the object of her desires. A blonde eyebrow rose in challenge as regret flashed across Rosalie's face. "What brings you to these parts, hm?"

A single shoulder rose and fell in a graceful shrug, each step Rosalie took bringing her closer to Bella as the room faded out. "Hot date."

"Oh, do tell!" Bella tapped her chin, eyes lighting up. "Let me guess, a brunette? Charming, on the foolish side, great smile? You have a type, Miss Hale."

Emmett melted from his spot on the floor. "Aw, Boo-"

"Shhh!" Alice hissed, her hands around his mouth as she hopped onto his shoulders. "This is adorable, you large baboon."

The smile on Bella's face threatened to crack as her chest shook with a chuckle. She waved her hand towards the two without taking her eyes from Rosalie. "Our peanut gallery has a point, you know."

"I don't remember signing a waiver for an audience," Rosalie hissed, dark eyes glaring at her sister. "Must you make every moment of my life difficult?"

The pixie grinned, shoulders scrunched up. "It's a habit at this point, Rose, you can't expect me to break a seventy-plus year routine all at once."

"I can and I do," Rosalie snapped. Her hands slid down to her hips, a mere foot away from Bella, her attention turned to the family and, more prominently, Alice. "I booked the house from seven pm to three in the morning, and it is seven ten, Alice. Scram."

Bella couldn't stop the snort if she tried. "You booked the house?!"

"Privacy must be planned under this roof."

Esme hopped to, clapping her hands and broken from the endeared spell she was under. "Right, right. Okay, you heard her, everyone scoot. This is Rosalie's time. Let's move."

"But-!"

Jasper wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders, ushering her towards the french doors in the back of the room. "C'mon, darlin'. Have a wonderful night, ladies."

"Don't do anything I'd do!" Emmett boomed. His brows furrowed in thought before an obnoxiously large grin slid onto his face, a knowing glint in his eye. "Haha, but you are gonna do what I've-"

Rosalie stepped forward threateningly but Bella placed a hand on her forearm, soft and warm and pulling all of Rosalie's attention. She regarded the large bear across the room, her own dark eyes twinkling with a danger that wiped the smirk from Emmett's face. "I don't think you want to know the things I'm able and willing to do... Emmett."

"Right, yes. Have – have a good night," he muttered towards the floor and closed the doors behind him.

The room was plunged into silence after that, the kind of silence that hung heavy in the air, that you could feel in your ears. Rosalie blinked her eyes, if only to have something to do, not one to fidget like she's seen Edward and even Jasper do. Fidgeting was a sign of weakness and no matter how uncomfortable she felt, she was incapable of making a show of her shortcomings.

So she was stuck with blinking. Staring intently at the hardwood floor in front of the television, wondering why Bella was wearing boots and not slippers or glass heels or foot-wrappings – some other ridiculous article to go along with her enchanting outfit.

Instead of asking this, she turned to the brunette with a scowl on her face. "Are we not actually dating?"

"Aphrodite," Bella sighed out, the name a reverent whisper on her lips. She tossed her arms around the vampire, burying her face in the crook of Rosalie's neck, hugging her tightly. Warmly. An embrace that Rosalie could feel. Feel in her chest, her heart, her bones. Bella's warmth seeping through, settling in the centre of her being like a little glowing flame of... she didn't want to think about it. "Ten."

The vampire's mind latched onto the number like that of a drowning man latching onto a life-jacket. Her body was stiff and unresponsive, all of her concentration poured into staying very, very still while Bella showered her with affection. Other than this number. This odd, random number that was as odd and random as the girl who spoke it.

Warm breath trickled down the collar of Rosalie's shirt and she finally moved; a hand coming up to touch Bella's elbow until the girl stepped back. "Ten?" she questioned curiously.

Humming to the tune coming from her bag (Rosalie noticed that while she didn't actively have the headphones hanging around her neck, music still played from them within her bag that hung off her shoulder. Another ratty, old beaten up thing that looked like it came straight out of the second world war. God. It probably does. Why did Bella have to be so interesting?), Bella shrugged and made for one of the comfier couches. "You'll see soon enough," she replied ambiguously and plopped down into the corner of the couch.

Her behemoth of a companion hoisted himself up next to her, making her bounce once with his sheer weight, before flopping down the length of the majority of the couch, leaving only a small space at the other end. Rosalie sighed, knowing she would get no answer to her question and debated if it was worth ever asking another one again.

"So, now that we have the entirety of the house to ourselves," Bella gestured around the empty room with a wiggle of her fingers, dark eyes dragging back to Rosalie still standing in the middle, "just what do you plan to do with me?"

Gold faded to amber, Rosalie tilting her head to the side with a suggestive quirk of her lips.

And though Bella looked absolutely delighted, she lifted a finger. "Ah, ah. Nothing Emmett would do, remember?"

"Are you trying to tell me what to do in my own home, Bella?" Rosalie questioned haughtily. She made for the couch, trying to decide if she wanted the space at the other end that was free, or if she wanted to sit next to Bella. Ideally, she wanted the end space but knew that Bella didn't feel the Mate Pull, and thus she was forced to go to extra measures just to lure Bella in.

She assumed, at least. Bella was surprisingly cagey and getting a straight, blunt answer from her was seemingly impossible.

Rosalie stopped in front of Bella, the sides of their legs brushing, and raised an eyebrow at the furry ass next to her. Bella grinned and glanced down at Charlie. "Judėk žemyn," she commanded with a laugh. The two watched on with amused smiles as he huffed and tossed himself further down the couch, resting his large head on the arm of the couch. Bella looked back up at Rosalie. "Well?"

Despite her bravado, Rosalie hesitated. Amber eyes stared at the cushion next to Bella warily when Rosalie realized she was in the unique position of having to woo someone, having to court Bella. The only experience she had in courting was from her human years and the ghastly boys who tried for her favour, and Emmett. Who, bless his heart, was convenient and endearing more than he was romantic (though she suspected that having more to do with them not being mates than anything on either of their parts).

And now here she was, in an almost relationship with her actual mate, someone who did not feel the same immediate bonds that Rosalie did. And Rosalie didn't even know what those bonds were, she had spent the better part of knowing Bella trying to ignore them. Endearment, to be sure, against her will. Perhaps even some affection, if she thought about it. But the devotion of a mate? Hardly. How could one devote themselves to a stranger? How could anyone expect her to-

Warmth tickled her wrist, dragged her back out of her spiralling thoughts and to the present. Rosalie blinked and looked down into Bella's concerned face to the feather light grip on her hand. Her anchor.

My anchor.

"It's just as friends," Bella said gently.

Rosalie watched her use her free hand to push her glasses back up the bridge of her nose, something in the vampire's chest clicking into place. The gentle concern, the intense understanding, the eternal patience... all these things called to Rosalie as she saw her Mate take shape in front of her. Sometimes it was difficult putting the two together; Bella in all her... Bellaness, and a faceless Mate that Rosalie had wondered, dreaded, and longed for all her life. She was beginning to see pieces of one in the other, to notice that Bella, on her own and as herself... fit to what Rosalie wanted, what she needed. She only hoped she fit for Bella as well.

She forced her limbs to move and sat down next to Bella, never taking her eyes off of her. "That's not what I want."

"And what do you want, Aphrodite?" Bella asked easily. She leaned back into the corner of the couch to watch Rosalie closely.

The blonde looked back down to their hands that were still entwined before relaxing back into the couch. "I don't know," she answered truthfully.

"I'll be here when you decide," Bella promised. She breathed in deeply, letting out a happy sigh, and looked across the room to the television. "So, what's the plan for tonight? I see you've got a whole system set up over there."

Rosalie breathed easy, felt herself mould against Bella's side. "I've deduced you're a fan of film."

"You're so old!" Bella laughed and Rose was too distracted to be disgruntled by the potential insult. "I do! Do you? Do you have a favourite? Oh, look at all those black and whites. Do you have popcorn?!"

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Rosalie was waiting at her locker the next day, offering to carry her books and walk her to class. Bella laughed at the outdated view on just what dating was but accepted the offer nonetheless. She held tight to Rosalie's hand, letting the blonde drag her to her next class, and clicked her tongue every time Rosalie asked her to take off the roller skates.

By the time they got to Bella's first class, Rosalie had discovered the the girl's favourite colour was orange, that while Bella had an eclectic taste in music (and literally everything else) her favourite genre was alternative rock (so the tattoos and hippie/punk look were starting to make more sense), and she had lived in Forks for thirty years now. How she managed to stay put without the humans of the town noticing that she never aged, Rosalie could not get out of her, but was promised it was a discussion for another time.

Bella's dark eyes smouldered in the doorway as Rosalie turned to leave. "Nine," she heard Bella murmur under her breath before disappearing down the hall.

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"Have you called him yet?" Bella asked.

The four of them were laying in the Cullens' backyard. With the sun out and high up in the rarely clear Washington sky, Bella had dragged anyone who wanted to spend time with her, outside to enjoy it. So there she lounged back in the long lawn chair, a pair of sunglasses on her face in nothing but a bikini top and boardshorts, soaking up the rays.

Emmett personified a giant disco ball on the chair behind hers, decked out in his beach gear and sufficiently reflecting the rays while he spoke with Bella. Eric and Angela, also fighting off their own sunburns, tried not to gawk at him.

Bella turned her head to the side, felt the sun roll down her neck, and cracked open an eye to peer at Eric. "Tch!" she clicked her tongue at him and watched the boy jolt in his chair, looking at her in surprise. "Think of Ben, you worm!"

"I-I wasn't – I – Bella, I think he'd understand! Look at this man!" Eric stammered until Angela threw her towel at his face and he went toppling backwards into the grass. "Fair. Okay."

Oblivious, Emmett tossed his arm over his eyes and moaned petulantly. "No! Bella, what would I even say?!"

"And he's gay, Angie," Eric muttered from the other side of his chair. "The universe is testing my control."

The girl scoffed. She shielded her eyes and took a sip from her drink before turning narrowed eyes on Eric. "Boy, you need to fly out to see Ben and get laid. You're so wound up and one look at sparkly man-boobs here and you're ready to snap!"

"I know!" Eric whined and threw himself backwards in the grass again. "God, Bella, how do you stand it?"

"I get mine," Bella replied without missing a beat and turned her head back towards Emmett. "You say Hey, this is Emmett, I would very much like to get to know you. Would you like to go for coffee? Except don't use coffee, that's so overdone. Seth likes video games too! Invite him here!"

"Yes, I'll just invite a Shifter into the house full of Vampires, Bella..." Emmett huffed.

She winced. "Fair point. Okay, invite him to an arcade!"

"That's..." his eyebrows slowly inched up in forehead until Emmett turned onto his stomach to look over his chair at Bella. "That's actually a pretty good idea!"

"Yes, I have many of them, you should listen sometime."

From her other side, Angela snorted and muttered something that had Emmett barking out a laugh. Bella's brows lowered, her lip jutting out in a pout, but the human paid her no mind. "Emmett, the wolves are always talking about how vampires smell badly."

"Ouch," he replied with wide eyes.

"Oh!" she gasped, hand flying up to her mouth, the other reaching out towards him. "Not! Okay, no, that came out wrong. Sorry. Seth hasn't said anything, specifically, I was just. Don't wolves smell to you, as well?"

"Like garbage that's rotting under a heap of wet dog," Rosalie replied smoothly.

Bella also flipped onto her stomach to look over the back of her chair, past Emmett and to the woods her sparkling rose was stepping out of. Something in her chest lurched, fingers digging into the back of the chair painfully, and she swallowed roughly.

Seemingly noticing this, a smirk curled at Rosalie's lips and she sauntered towards the group of chairs. Her eyes never left Bella's, even through the sunglasses.

Emmett glanced between the two, and couldn't decide if he wanted to risk waggling his eyebrows. He sighed instead and turned back to Angela. "He didn't smell bad to me, which makes me think I don't smell bad to him. So that's pretty lucky. He just smelled like sand and smoke to me, like a bonfire."

"A different scent depending on your bond?" Angela mused to herself. She turned intrigued green eyes onto Bella, who was still enraptured with the blonde that reached her chair. "What does Rosalie smell like?"

"Roses!" Emmett chirped happily. "Super sweet roses."

Dark eyes traced her glittering goddess, Bella reached out her hand to lace her fingers with Rosalie. She'd noticed that her vampire was usually in a much more accommodating mood fresh after a hunt. "Sunshine," Bella purred and tugged the blonde down onto her lap. "Eight."

"And just what does sunshine smell like?" Rosalie challenged with a raised eyebrow.

Bella surged forward, following her as she lay back against the end of the chair. Delightfully toned arms braced themselves on either side of Rosalie, gripping the chair tightly. Rosalie appreciated the way the sun bounced off the green of Bella's tattoo, the way the bold, dark lines still stood out. She couldn't stop from tracing her fingertips along the ink, feeling Bella shiver beneath her touch. "You," she brunette declared with impossibly dark eyes. "Seven."

A blast of water caught Bella in the side of the face, knocking her glasses off and the girl to the ground beside the chair. While the others laughed and Rosalie scowled at the sky, Eric ducked under his own chair to meet Bella's disoriented gaze. "If I have to keep it in my pants, so do you!"

"You little-"

"Ouch!" Eric jolted up to his feet, hand on his rear and face pink. "Bella!" he shouted and waved a fist at her. "That's cheating!"

She shrugged her shoulders when he reached down to rip the prickly plant out of the ground from its stem, holding up the evidence of her bad form. Angela was laughing and trying to school her features into something serious. "Poor taste, Bella, poor taste," she tried to say without giggling.

She burst out laughing again as Eric rubbed at his prickled butt.

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The entire house shuddered, the very ground supporting its foundation trembling, and-

Bella jolted up on the couch with a gasp falling from her lips, bleary eyes shooting open. She swallowed roughly, hand in her hair. Charlie's massive head fell to her lap as he stood before the couch, concerned brown eyes staring up at her loyally. She scratched his ears, leaning down to press her face into the fur atop his head. "It was just a dream," she murmured into his fur.

He whined, deep and low in his chest, and she sighed deeply.

"I know, I know." Bella sat back up, staring out the window across the dingy living room as she ran her fingers through his fur. "I need to sleep soon. God. I just found her, I don't want to leave her, Charlie. I don't want to leave any of them. I will lose Angela and Eric, forever."

Charlie let out a deep, adorable "boof!" and sat in front of the couch.

She hummed thoughtfully and slid down onto the ground beside him, leaning into his warm, furry side. "I also don't have a bloodline to watch over me. All the Swans are gone." Bella scratched her cheek, her dark eyes far and distant as she watched the sun peek up over the trees in the side yard. "How did things get so messy?" She grinned, a chuckle bubbling up out of her chest. "Ah, yes, the sixties. No plans made it out of that decade intact."

God, she really needed to sleep.

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"I will find where you're hiding all the sparkles, Alice Cullen!"

Jasper threw himself sideways against the wall as Alice came torpedoing down the hallway. He blinked wide golden eyes at her blurred form tearing around the corner and down the staircase. "What's-"

"Howdy, Cowboy!" Bella chimed as she skirted around his side, patting the top of his head on her way.

He spun the other way to watch her launch herself down the stairs, sliding on the rail to try and catch up to his mad, little demon wife. "Be careful!" he barked out at her. "What the – jeez."

"A girl is entitled to her secrets, Bella!" Alice giggled as she dashed through the dining room and to the kitchen.

Esme was twirled towards the entrance way, caught in Bella's strong, warm grip. "Girls!" she reprimanded with a confused laugh. "What's the meaning of this?"

"The pursuit of knowledge, Miss Esme!" Bella declared. She eyed Alice intently, both girls slowly circling around the kitchen island. Bella poked her finger into the cookie batter, scooping out a glob to pop in her mouth.

The matriarch of the family clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Bella, that's for cookies."

"And darn good cookies they'll be."

Alice placed her palms on the marble top of the island. "You don't wanna do this, Bella. I'm fast. I'll make it out the door before you can even blink."

"Oh, I'm counting on it," Bella laughed. "Come on. Show me what you got, Tiny Wall."

"What do you have planned?"

"Nothing, nothing. Have you ever been hugged by a tree?"

Alice laughed, shaking her head, black spikes bouncing in a mesmerizing way that was entirely too distracting for Bella. "What are you? Can you do that?"

"I can do-"

"Many things, yes, yes, we know," Rosalie sighed into her magazine without looking up as she wandered into the room.

Alice grinned and Bella huffed, a pout on her face. They both moved simultaneously, Bella to lean up on her toes and place a lingering kiss against Rosalie's astonished face (her cheek, more accurately, Bella will later note), and Alice shooting off towards the front door. "Damn it, Aphrodite!" Bella cursed with a stomp of her foot. Her dark eyes briefly met surprised gold, cheeks scrunching up in a grin that crinkled her face. "Six."

Both vampires were left in the wake of Bella and Alice's game, Esme holding back her coo while Rosalie held her cheek.

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Whaaaat? Two postings in two days? Maybe three, I've got something else I wanted to post too, but haven't quite decided if I should or not. Anyway, it's for making you wait so long. Gosh. I don't deserve you guys.

Anywho, how'd you like it? Also, check out Cloud's project. A fanfiction of my fanfiction, boyos. Oh my god. Read it, enjoy it, tell him what you think, tell me what you think. I'm super psyched about it.

Peace!

paige