"As if Seth would talk to HIM" at the sound of the new voice in the room both Chloe and Paul turned towards it, Pauls back going straight and tense. "I see the guy arrived first then" Jacob almost spat as he walked to lean on the wall by the door.
"Good to see you too Black" Paul said back politely, not moving from where he stood. Jacob said nothing just looked at the man across the room from him.
"Not that's not how a man should greet another man into the house Jacob" Billy said as he wheeled into the room. "Well unless they are an unwelcomed guest" Billy added with some slight humour. "Evening Paul" Billy said as he wheeled over to give the other man a handshake.
"Evening Billy" Paul greeted back as he took the older man's hand.
"Right so where are the Swans at, if they don't get here soon the food will go to waste" he said as he wheeled himself over to the table to take his normal place.
"You and I both know that's the furthest thing from the truth Billy, if I let you three loose on portions there would be nothing left, not even for me" Chloe said with a happy smile, thanking Billy for coming to her rescue.
"You know that's not true" Paul said as he turned to give her a smile. "I'd share mine with you" he said trying to seem sweet. Chloe's eyes go wide in mock worry.
"Someone call the hospital, I think Paul hit his head on the way over here" she said as she moved to his side and put her hand on her forehead. "THE Paul Lahote offering to share his food? Something must be wrong" she continued not able to hold back from smiling.
"Oh shove off you, you know I'd share with you" Paul said as he gently knocked her hand away with a pout causing both Chloe and Billy to laugh.
"Yeah will let's hope its only food your thinking of sharing with my cousin and nothing else" Jacob cut in arms crossed over his chest. Once again the room when into awkwardness because of Jacobs comment.
The other three occupants knew that Paul would share anything with Chloe, he was his imprint and that meant he would be anything she needed him to be. Billy also knew that Chloe had fallen for and in love all the things that Paul was.
The young couple was so much like him and his late wife had when he had been a young shifter and they found each other. Billy had no doubts that Paul and Chloe would end up like him and his wife had been, happy and that they find their place in the tribe together. However at the same time Billy hoped that it wouldn't been for a few years and that she would still be his little Chloe-pup for a long while.
He was quite happy to share his special little niece but not quite ready to give her to any man, protector of the tribe or not. It was only a few moments later that another truck pulled up outside of the Black's family house. This time it had been Bella's orange truck that was pulling up and out of it came the three members of the Swan family. From the way they came out it had actually been Bella driving the truck and not Charlie.
"Looks like the rest of the guest have finally arrived" Billy said jokingly as if he's been waiting forever for them to turn up. Chloe turned her head to look at the wooden clock on the wall.
"And right on time, dead on 6" Chloe said with a smile as she walked to the door, Jacob right by it. "Paul can you put the bread rolls on the side on the table please?" she asked sweetly before looking at Jacob with hard eyes for a spilt second before opening the door with a bright smile.
"Hey, dead on time" Chloe called to the trio, she didn't react when she saw Bella flinch at the word dead. 'She's going to have to get used to it anyway' Chloe thought to herself. Next thing she knows Sabrina is wrapping her in a tight hug that almost makes her topple over back into the house if she hadn't been holding the door handle.
"Nice to see you too Sabrina" Chloe said jokingly. When the girl finally let her go Charlie took it as his turn for a hug.
"Is it me or do you grow every time I leave you" Charlie complained.
"Of course and by the end of every year I grow a full inch" Chloe replied smartly.
"Alright smart mouth, I get the point" Charlie says as he goes to ruffle her hair. Chloe dodges just in time and goes under his arm to greet the last of the guests.
"Hey Bella, you ok? It's been a while" Chloe said with a smile. The older girl just gave a small pathetic fake smile as she pulled at her sleeves so that they covered her hands as if she was cold. There were bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep Sabrina had told her that Bella was getting because of nightmares. Overall the girl just did not look well as all.
"Hey" was all the older girl said which made Chloe really want to her roll and grab the girl and shake some sense into the girl. It was a good thing the leeches left town. But Chloe knew that it was going to take this girl a long time to get over it. Chloe turned her attention from the older girl at a tap on her shoulder.
"Chloe, who is that" Sabrina asked as she nodded her head in the direction of Paul.
"That is Paul Lahote, My Boyfriend" Chloe said, realising that this would be the first official time that Paul and the Swans would have met each other since he and her had started dating. "Paul, this is my uncle Charlie and my distant cousins Sabrina and Bella" Chloe introduced.
"Though Chloe and I are more like best friends then distant Cousins, almost like sister but not as annoying" Sabrina explained with a bright smile. Paul looked at them all with a small smile in greeting.
"Hello it's nice to meet you, Chloe has said quite a bit about to all" he said calmly moving to shake Charlie's hand. Charlie looked at it for a moment before taking it. Chloe knew that Charlie was trying to hurt Pau's hand in the shake. When Paul didn't react and kept up his genuine smile there was a small bit of shock in her uncle's eyes.
"Yeah you too" Charlie said as he pulled his hand back slowly looking down at it before quickly looking back up at Paul.
"Ass kisser" Jacob said with a cough cover. Chloe turned to give him a hard look.
"Why don't you all settle in your seat, I just need a quick word with Jacob outside for a minute" She said with a sweet smile before grabbing her cousin by his ear and dragging him outside, him wincing and complaining as she did so. The trio of Swans watched her do so until the door was shut behind them.
"Should we be worried for Jake?" Charlie asked Billy a look of concern on his face but Billy gave it a wave of his hand.
"Nah, Boys had it coming to him for a while, I'm surprised she lasted so long" Billy said dismissively.
"Do you think I should leave now before it gets worse?" Paul asked watched the door where he stood looking a bit worried.
"Afraid of the sibling tension?" Charlie asked with a smirk, thinking he caught the boy out on maybe something feared.
"I'm not afraid of Jacob, he probably fears me more because of rumours of my past that go around school" Paul stated plainly, not taking his eyes off the door with a sad expression. "I just don't want to ruin your dinner" he explained.
"I think it would ruin Chloe's evening if you left now" Billy said as plainly as Paul had causing the boy to look at the older tribesman. "She has worked very hard on this meal for the reason that both you and her family are eating together" Billy explained.
Paul gave a nob of understanding before moving to take a seat at the table. He sat to Billy's right, leaving a space for Chloe to sit in-between them. The Swans took this as a sign to sit down as well. Bella sat to Pauls right, Charlie to hers and Sabrina to his. This left a space to Billy's left for Jacob.
"So are you the bad boy at School" Sabrina jumped in asking. Paul gave a small smirk.
"I was about a year ago, but I changed" Paul replied.
"What caused the change?" Charlie asked wearily.
"Sam Uley" Paul said simply. "He sort of took me in and put me on the right path, ever since I've stopped old habits and moved on from friends that were a bad influence" Paul explained, Billy giving an approving nob.
"And the tribe had noticed a great change in you that makes you better for it" Billy commented.
"So you're the classic story of bad boy-gone-good for a girl" Sabrina said playfully.
"You could say I became a better person for when I met Chloe I suppose, but she's defiantly my reason for staying with this new change for sure" Paul explained which caused Sabrina to give a dreamy sigh and Charlie seem to give a slight nod in approval of his answer but that was when Chloe came back into the room with Jacob trailing behind rubbing up and down his left arm.
"Ok so who's ready for dinner?" Chloe asked with a bright, welcoming smile as she made her way towards the oven where the food was keeping warm. And so the rest were in for a lovely dinner and civilised conversation.
Ok so that's it for today, let me know what you think of it in a reveiw. until till the next chapter.
-MSW-