*I don't own Twilight.

(PPOV)

"I can bring you anywhere and you choose the playhouse at McDonald's?" I sighed. How was I supposed to tell her something that is going to affect her whole life by starting the night off at fast food restaurant? Knowing her, she's going to be too distracted by the indoor slide and the netting suspended in the air, to pay attention to anything I have to say.

"I like it there, you asked me where I wanted to go and I told you," Elita grumbled in exasperation.

"McDonald's isn't even good fast food," I grimaced. "I'm revoking you're rights to choose where we're eating." I started Sam's truck and pulled out of the driveway. I don't know how, but I'm going to have to repay Sam for letting me borrow his ride, which I've been doing a lot lately. And, I kind of owe him for letting me and Elita live in his house and being there all the time.

"Well then, what is your notion of good food," she said sarcastically, "because I'm sure you'd eat out of a dumpster if you had to. I'm surprised you even taste the food considering how fast you eat it," she continued on.

I groaned internally, I had absolutely no desire to go to McDonald's. "Do you want to go there that bad?" I asked. "I think you should trust me and let me bring you to a real restaurant, that was the whole point of you getting dressed nice," I motioned to her dark jeans and teal cardigan that Emily bought for her.

"Well…I guess we can go where you want, I've never been to a really nice food place before," Elita said, thoughtfully. "So where are we going?" She turned her head to look at me, he expression eager and expecting.

I smirked, knowing this was going to bother her, and I knew it would probably bite me in the ass later on, but I had to do it, "You'll see when we get there," I chuckled at her annoyed expression. God it is so much fun teasing her, even if she usually does something to get me back.

"Paul?" Elita asked, as she played with her gum.

"Can you keep your gum in your mouth? That's gross," I responded.

Rolling her eyes, she put the gum back into her mouth, "Can I get a kitten?" She asked, seriously.

I stared at her and started laughing, "I don't think so, Collin and Brady might want to chase it!" The idea of bringing a kitten into a pack full of wolves was pretty hilarious. Cats won't come to any of us easily. Quil had a cat before he phased and it took him a long time to get that thing to come to him again.

"Ha ha, no they won't, I don't care if the cat doesn't like any of you, it'd be mine anyway," she huffed.

"Well, you already have a pack of dogs, isn't that enough?" I asked, half kidding. How could she want a cat? I mean come on, she's destined to be with a dog for the rest of her life and she's a cat person? Oh, the irony.

"Yeah, and I want a cat too, I always wanted one," she mused.

"And next you'll want a bird to go with the cat," I grumbled. Before she could reply I asked, "Why do you want a cat?"

"Because, they curl up with you, purr when you pet them, and they're independent enough not to need attention all the time. They use a litter box, so I won't have to walk it or anything like that, and you're a werewolf, which is different than having a real pet, you can take care of yourself."

I may be able to take care of myself, but she seems oblivious to how much she affects me. I wouldn't be able to function without her around. Hopefully after tonight she'll understand a little better than she already does.

"I don't think that's a good idea, we live in Sam's house so it's not like I can just say yes. And, a cat still needs to be given food daily, have their bowl cleaned out, change their water, trained not to claw the crap out of everything, trained to use a litter box, and someone needs to clean said litter box," I sighed. "Pets are cute, but-"

"A lot of responsibility, blah, blah, are you really going to use that old speech? Just say no, I doubt Sam would say yes anyway," Elita sighed.

"Sorry," I murmured. If we lived in our own place then I'd get her a damn kitten, but according to paperwork she's Sam and Emily's adopted daughter, meaning she won't be able to live with me until she's eighteen. And, like she already said, I doubt very much that Sam would ever allow a cat into his house. Despite the fact Sam's a werewolf, he isn't a pet kind of guy, but that could be because he has a pack of wolves running through his house all the time.

I pulled up to the curb, shutting the truck off. She looked at the brick building, "What's this place?"

"A Chinese restaurant."

She made a face and looked away. I sighed, "Have you even had Chinese food before?" She shook her head no, "Exactly, so how do you know you won't like it? Just give it a chance."

I ended up ordering for Elita. I got something simple for her to try, Chicken with Broccoli. She likes chicken so why wouldn't she like that? For some reason she's extremely picky about what she eats, but I've noticed it's not that she doesn't like different foods; it's that she hasn't tried them before.

Afterwards, I brought her to the top of one of the highest cliffs in the area. Elita loves the stars, she loves learning their names, watching them track through the sky on a rare clear night, living in the city her entire night had kept her from being able to enjoy nights like this. I held her against me to keep her warm, but loosely enough so she could squirm around to see all the stars. "I like it here," she whispered to me.

"I come here when I'm upset sometimes, or just want to be alone. I can come here when I'm angry and just unwind for a little bit, it's very peaceful," I murmured back softly.

"You brought me here for a reason," Elita stated, telling me she knew something was up, yet allowing me to take my time. I thought for a minute, I had thought long and hard about how I should tell her about imprinting, but now none of those ideas seemed right.

"You know how you asked about Quil and Claire and I told you he watches her because their families are friends?" I started off slowly, hoping this was the right approach since I could very well ruin everything within a couple minutes of conversation.

"Yeah?" She tore her eyes from the sky to look at me.

"Well there's a little more to it," I hesitated. Her eyes immediately became speculative and suspicious, as if she had a few theories of her own, which I'm sure she does.

I continued on, "Well that's because there's this other part to being a werewolf called imprinting…it's kind of like, well it's hard to describe, but it's like a wolf attaches himself to a person," I said, wondering if that was a good explanation.

Her brow puckered, "How do you pick?"

"You don't, it's a predestined sort of thing."

"So you're forced into caring about this person?" She said, making a face, clearly not liking that idea.

"I suppose you can look at it that way, but it's the best feeling in the world when everything works out. It's like that is the only person who really matters, and everything else can just disappear. Claire is Quil's imprint and loves her more than anyone else, as a brother. Emily is Sam's imprint and they love each other as man and wife, so the imprint shows itself in different ways," I explained.

Realization hit her fast and hard, "I'm your imprint," she whispered, slightly bewildered.

"Yes," I confirmed. I waited, letting her think it through; I swear I saw just about every single emotion possible flitter across her face in just a few seconds. "Are you okay?" I whispered, concerned, maybe I should've waited until she was older. I could feel my heart take off in panic.

"No!" She wailed. "I love you, Paulie, you're like the best big brother I never had and my best friend, but this isn't fair!" Elita cried.

"I'm sorry," I grimaced, trying to comfort her by hugging her.

"You have to be stuck with me, that isn't fair, and not only that, I'm only nine," she started crying.

"Shhh," I hushed her, wiping the tears away. "I want to stay with you, Elita. I'll be whatever you want me to be, do what you want me to do, I'm yours," I said, confused about why she was upset, was it because she was stuck with me, or because she felt it wasn't fair I was stuck to her.

"You shouldn't have to do whatever for me, if you don't want to. You shouldn't unless you choose to, not some weird werewolf instinct," her bottom lip trembled and her eyes glittered from the tears.

"I do want to, I have no problems with imprinting, I've been waiting to imprint for a long time," I confessed.

"You're not mad that you're stuck with me?" Elita asked. God, I'd be lying to you if that question didn't break my heart.

"No, Elita, why would I be?"

"Just 'cause," she mumbled, looking at her feet dejectedly.

I sighed, "I don't have any problems with imprinting, do you?"

"I don't know if I like this whole imprinting thing," she muttered.

Damn those were the exact words that I was scared of.

This chapter was rediculously hard for me to write. I never had a problem writing a chapter like I did with this one. I'm still not sure about it. I didn't want to do the cliche bonfire scene, and I wanted it to be just Elita and Paul with no other character influence...so how do you think I did? Please review!!!