Chapter Thirty Seven: In Law
Leah more than made up for our interruption before we went home to clean up and she left for the training with the leeches. In was odd waking to a quiet house. I was used to waking alone when she had patrol, but today her spot of the bed wasn't even warm. I hated what was happening I hated that my sister and her precious bloodsuckers were putting everyone I care for in danger. And more so the whole state of Washington! Why couldn't the Cullens have stayed away the first time they left or better yet hadn't moved here four years ago?
Instead of thinking about the things that I couldn't change I got up and got dressed. I hadn't been to the diner in a while and decided that I would go have breakfast before picking Alex up and heading to Emily's where everyone would be gathering for lunch. I grabbed my keys and headed out the door only to almost walk into Paul on the porch. I was surprised to see him and he seemed surprised that I almost walked straight into him.
"Hey, Paul. What's going on?" I asked when I realized who he was.
"Hey, Eli. Nothing thought you would want some company since Leah's on patrol and Alex is at Sue's. Thought the house would be a little lonely for you." He said and I smirked.
"Yeah, sure that's why you came. Actually I was going up to the diner. Wanna come?" I asked holding up my keys.
"Sure, sounds good." He said with a shrug and we both got in the truck.
"How was the 'training' last night?" I asked as we headed out to the highway toward Forks.
"Informative. The pixie fought her mate with her eyes closed and won." Paul said with a shake of his head. On the way to Forks we talked about the training with the Cullens the night before and what the pixie had revealed about the battle.
Aggie was so excited to see me when I walked through the door. She squealed as I came through the door and hurried to come hug me. I smiled and hugged her back. Paul smirked at me and walked around us to the bar to wait.
"Oh, Eli! You haven't been in for so long! How are you? How are Alex and Leah? Is she doing better?" I smiled as she rambled on. Most of the diner was staring at us and the regulars smiled and gave me a wave.
"We're all fine. Everything's been an adjustment, but its working. Alex is starting to sit up on his own." I said and she smiled.
"How old is he now? He's got to be getting so big?" Aggie questioned.
"Five and a half months and getting bigger every day." I said. She smiled and shooed my off to the bar with Paul before going to refill a customer's coffee.
"She's a little enthusiastic." Paul said with a smirk.
"She was friends with my grandmother when she was alive. She looks out for dad and I almost like an aunt for dad and grandmother for me since gram died a couple of years ago. You remember her don't you? She thought you were a cute kid and always brought over the lemon bars that you liked so much." I said.
"Yeah I remember. She always threatened to take me home with her and fatten me up because she thought that I was too skinny." He said with a smirk. I chuckled and shook my head. Aggie came and got me my coffee and took Paul's order before heading into the kitchen with Henry.
After breakfast and promising Aggie that I would bring Leah and Alex in soon to see her Paul and I drove back to La Push. Sam and Emily were finishing breakfast with Claire when we came in. Claire bounced out of her chair and came running toward me.
"Unca Ewie! Unca Ewie!" She squealed and I smiled before scooping her up into a hug.
"Hey, what about Paul? Am I chop liver?" Paul asked. He acted as if he was hurt. Claire giggled and kissed him cheek before wiggling to be let down. Once on the ground she grabbed my hand and tried dragging me.
"Come on, Unca Ewie! Qwilly got me a new dolly!" She said and I conceded and followed her into the living room. I waved to a snickering Sam and Emily as I walked by. She brought me to the couch and started talking a mile a minute about the doll. It was a small doll with long blonde hair and blue eyes. It had several outfits so that Claire could play dress up with her and even came with a brush so you could do here hair. She talked to me about the doll and showed me her make-up that Aunt Emily had gotten for her.
"Unca Ewie?" Claire asked looking up at me with an innocent smile.
"Yes, Claire?" I said suspicious.
"Would you let me do your make-up?" Claire asked and I could hear Sam and Paul burst out laughing in the kitchen. I cringed, but quickly thought a way out of it.
"Sorry, Claire. Only Aunt Leah gets to do my make-up." I said and she hung head and her lip began to tremble.
"But I know some people who would love for you to do their make-up." I said and she instantly brightened.
"Who, Unca Ewie?" She said with a little bounce on the couch as I smiled at her.
"Well Uncle Sam and Uncle Paul of course. Uncle Paul especially, he doesn't have anyone to do his make-up for him." I said seriously and Claire gasped with a giant grin on her face. The loud guffaws of laughter had stopped in the other room and were replaced by the giggling from Emily. I heard the scraping of the chairs as Sam and Paul tried leaving, but Claire was already rounding the corner into the kitchen.
After many protests, some tears and Emily stepping in, Claire got to play make up with Paul and Sam. I took pictures as she worked and made quick work of texting the pictures to myself in case either of them got a hold of my phone. As Claire was finishing doing Sam's make up everyone started coming in for breakfast. Leah and Jake were the first two to show and both almost fell over laughing when they spotted Sam and Paul painted up with Claire's make up.
"All done!" Claire declared as she took a step back to admire her work. Paul had bright pink eye shadow circling around his eyes, dark red lip stick smeared around his mouth to his nose and blush covering much of the rest of his face. Sam wasn't any better with blue eye shadow and orange lip stick. Both guys stood and moved toward the hall leading to the bathroom.
"No, no, no." Emily said in-between her giggles and stood in their way. The two looked at her pleadingly as she stood her ground in front of them.
"We wouldn't want Claire to think that you don't appreciate her hard work." Emily said with a bright smile. The guys groaned and moved back to the couch. When they looked toward the sound of the door opening I snapped a picture of the two of them. They both glared at me and made a move toward me. I quickly moved behind Emily who giggled and shook her head.
"Remember this Swan." Paul threatened, though the makeup counter acted the fear from the things Paul could do.
"Pay back's a bitch." Sam muttered and I smiled.
"Claire! Uncle Sam said a naughty word!" I called. She came skipping into the room.
"Swear jar! Swear jar! Unca Sam gotta put money in the swear jar!" She sang causing Sam to cringe and glare at me as I laughed before he collected the money from his wallet for the jar.
"Watch yourself Swan. I'll get ya." Sam growled the blue eye shadow really bringing out the irritation in his eyes.
"You will not. If either of you touch him and I'll kick your butts to James Island and back." Leah threatened as came into the room and removed me from behind Emily. I smiled victoriously putting my arm around her waist.
"Thank you, baby. I love you." I said and kissed her cheek. She smiled.
"But if you ever set that child on me, you're a dead man after I castrate you." She said and I gulped, moving away from her as I covered myself. Paul and Sam burst into laughter.
After lunch everyone lazed around the living room. The youngest wolves, Collin and Brady as well as Seth ad pulled out the game station. It was a battle of will as they played Mario Kart; I was starting it motion sick as I watched them lean with the carts on the screen. Collin ended up winning while everyone started to disperse.
"Babe?" I asked as we climbed into the truck.
"Yeah?" She asked as she closed the door.
"Who do you want to tell first? Your mom or my dad?" I asked starting the truck and backing out.
"You didn't tell your dad that you were going to propose?" Leah asked surprised and I smiled.
"He gossips like an old woman. It would have been all over town before I could buy the ring." I said and she smirked.
"True." She said and seemed to think. "How about we invite them over for dinner? Then we can tell them both at the same time. I don't have to go to the training tonight anyway." Leah said and I agreed.
"Yeah. That sounds good and it will give your mom some more time with Alex to spoil him rotten." I said and Leah smiled.
"It also gives another couple of hours of alone time to ourselves." Leah said as she set her hand on my upper thigh and started drawing little circles with her thumb. I swallowed hard, trying to concentrate on the road. I pushed my foot a little harder on the gas and we rocketed down the road toward the house.
Leah made the phone calls to our parents for dinner and made the best smelling spaghetti and meatballs I have ever smelled. Dad came first, straight from work. Seth and Sue came a little later with Alex. Sue left Seth and Alex with dad and I in the living room while she joined Leah in the kitchen. The Mariners were playing the Orioles. Dad, Seth and I got involved in the game while Alex played with a toy on the floor. During the third inning we were startled by a scream from the kitchen. The three of us ran into the kitchen to see what was wrong. Sue was crying hysterically as she hugged Leah to her. Leah smiled as she hugged her back.
"What's going on?" Dad asked as Seth and I shared a look. Sue had noticed the ring. Sue laughed as she pulled away from Leah and wiped at the tears.
"Nothing's wrong Charlie. In fact everything's perfect." She said and accepted the tissue I handed her before pulling me into a hug.
"Then why did you scream? Why are you crying?" Dad asked getting more confused. He hadn't dealt with random female emotions since gram's death, he was a little rusty.
"Because dad." I said pulling Leah into my side.
"I asked Leah to marry me and she said yes." I said and Leah held up her hand for dad to see.
It's why we invited you guys to dinner. It was to tell you." Leah said.
"Oh" Dad said.
"Congratulations, I guess dad said and awkwardly hugged Leah and slapped me on the back.
With the awkwardness out of the way we all went back to the living room and the girl finished dinner. I guess tonight couldn't have gone better.