Chapter 8 retry

Laurel ducked her head into Paul's back as he drove them away from her brothers house. Her tears were soaking the spot on his back and clouded her vision. She didn't think about where he was taking her until the bike stopped in front of a small cabin. She looked and sniffled "where are we? Why didn't you take me back to my dads?"

They both got off the bike and Paul rubbed the back of his neck shyly. "This is my place. And I didn't think you'd want to have Luka see you upset."

"Thanks."

" you wanna come in?" He asked. She couldn't tell if he was nervous or embarrassed. Why he would be either she didn't know.

"Thanks." She said nodding her head. Paul unlocked the door and led her inside. She was pleasantly surprised at how the place was set up. The furniture looked nice and it was mostly clean except the dishes on the table.

"Got a bathroom?" She asked.

"Uh yeah. Down the hall." He pointed across the room. She nodded and walked away from him in search of a toilet.

As she approached the end of the hall there were three doors; one on her left, one on her right and one in front of her.

"Door number one" she smiled as she opened it.

Her eyes widened at what she saw: a small room with a window. It was painted blue and red and obviously was themed. Spider-Man was on the sheets and comforter and comics, she guessed from Paul's personal collection, were framed on the wall. The closet door was ajar and she couldn't help herself. Laurel went and opened it the rest of the way and gasped. All different kind of clothes were there. Shorts, jeans, T-shirt's, pajamas, everything.

"Hey Lor, where-?"

She spun around as Paul caught sight of her.

"What the hell is... when?... when did you do all this?.." laurel asked as she looked around the room again.

He was shy again "last night. After you left with Jake." He came into the room and sat on the little bed. "I.. uh... got the clothes and the bed this morning before I came over. But the painting was already done when I bought the house and so I just put together the bed hung up the clothes before I came over."

"Paul this is.." she was stunned "sweet but-"

"Look i don't expect you to let him come over any time soon but.. I had to make sure you knew I'm all in. I was a immature selfish prick when you told me you were pregnant Laurel. And when I saw you and Luka I knew I couldn't be like my dad in any way. I may not drink like he did, but I wasn't there for Luka, for all of his little life. And now I can be." Paul stood and walked over to laurel and cupped her face in his hands. "I made the mistake of letting you go once. I'm not gonna do it again. I don't care if it takes us until we are in our 90's but I'm never leaving you or our son again and I'm going to show you how much being a family would mean to me."

Laurels mind was racing. Not even 72 hours ago she was dreading seeing him and relishing in getting to be around her brother. And now it's done a complete turn around. She's dreading ever seeing Jake again and her eyes keep darting from Paul's sincere eyes and his lips. The lips she used to know so well. The lips she kissed last night and if she were honest with her self, the lips she hasn't stopped thinking about since the day she left.

"Tell me what's going on in your head?" He whispered

She smiled and instead of using her words she snaked her arms around Paul's neck and brought his lips down to hers. It took a second for him to register what she was doing but once he did, he didn't hesitate to reciprocate. He pushed her up against the wall of their sons room and began attacking her neck with his lips. She jumped into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. His hands found their way to her thighs and held her as he walked them to his room. He slowly laid her down on the bed and just looked at her longingly.

"Fuck, me" he whispered.

"I plan to." She whispered back as she reached for him. Her arms, again, went around his neck and brought his lips to hers. He was between her legs and his hands found their way to her chest.

An unspoken question of consent was asked in his eyes as they met hers. With a small nod from her, he removed her shirt and bra.

He let out a breathe he didn't realize he was holding.

~*~*~*

Paul looked at Laurel. Her head was on his chest and her hand was in his. He brought his free hand to her cheek and she snuggled closer to him in her soft dose. His eyes drifted to her tattoo; it was of a bonfire with the smoke billowing up to the starry sky but the sky was only visible in the outline of the smoke. The tattoo went from her waist to her neck. He smiled when he saw it earlier. He looked at her face and made a silent promise to her and their son. Nothing was going to take them away from him again. Not vampires, not Bella Swan and not even his own mistakes. From this moment on he would be a better man, lover, and father.

As if she heard him, her eyes began with to flitter open. They found his and suddenly they both gasped softly. They felt their worlds shifting. No longer was gravity holding him to the earth but her. Only their son was more important than the man she was looking at.

"What was that?" She whispered.

"Um..." Paul sat up and had to admit,was scared. Would she be mad? Would she try and fight the imprint that just solidified them to each other for the rest of their lives? What would happen if he told her? But one look back at her eyes and he knew his promise was being tested already.

"An imprint." He whispered.

"Imprint? Wait... like... my brother and Bella?.."

he nodded.

"Paul what -"

"Wait. They're imprinted!" Paul turned back to her.

"So?" She asked, not following his train of thought.

"We can't harm each other's imprint. It's impossible. Not only is it our most sacred law but if we tried it would hurt us too!" He jumped up and began throwing her clothes at her.

"Still not following, Paul!"

He was pulling on shorts and held out his hand for hers. "Do you trust me?" He asked, hopefully.

"Yes. " she said. She had never seen him so determined.

He pulled her gently from the bed. "Then get dressed. Because we are gonna prove to Jake that she's a liar." He began to run around getting himself dressed and muttering to himself.

"Paul, wait!" She yelled, finally getting his attention. "What about us? Explain what just happened, please?"

Paul could hear in her voice and words how much answers would mean to her. He walked over to her and cupped her face in his hands. "Okay." He sighed and sat on the bed. "An imprint is when a member of the pack finds their perfect person. Their other half. We would do anything for that person, be anything for them. I just imprinted on you. And no I don't know why it just happened. I mean I was a wolf when we were younger so why it happened now... I don't know. The only thing I can think of is I made a promise to you, just now, while you were asleep."

"What promise?" She whispered.

"That nothing was going to take you guys from me again, NOTHING. I would be a better man for you two, a better father, a better lover or what ever you wanted me to be."

"Taha Aki heard you. So he made us.. imprints?.."

"That's what I'm guessing" Paul said with a small nod.

"You may regret that" she said quietly.

"Baby.." Paul stood up to pull her into a hug but she backed away from him.

"Paul.. the procedure that gave me my powers... had some side effects." She wrapped her arms around herself and turned to window and away from him so he didn't see her cry.

"Laurel.. what kind of side effects?" He whispered.

She let the tears fall and shook her head. Not able to bring herself to confess it to him.

"Lor..." he turned her towards him and again brought his hand to her cheeks and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

"I don't think I can have any more kids.." she whispered. She spoke so softly that even with his enhanced hearing he still almost missed it. She was looking at the ground, not able or willing to look at his eyes.

Thinking she had just lost him, the only man she ever truly loved, she began to sob silently.

"Baby, please don't cry." He begged, wrapping his arms around her. He let her cry it out, he guessed from her reaction, that she hadn't let herself think of that side effect and had never faced it. When her sobs began to slow, he looked into her eyes. "Laurel, if we never have any more kids that's okay."

"But-" she began to protest

"Let me finish." He smiled at her "Laurel we can have sue look at you and get an actual doctors opinion. And if she says we can't have any more kids biologically than fine. We can always adopt. Or just have Luka. But if she says that we can have more kids then we will have so many kids you won't ever be able to drink alcohol again because you'll either be pregnant or breastfeeding." He smiled.

"Paul.." she smiled

"And until we see sue, we can just practice like hell." He kissed her.

"You really have changed" she whispered as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Only for you baby." He sighed. "Does that mean you'll accept the imprint?"

"What do you mean?" She looked at him

"If you decide you don't want it you can reject it. But if you accept it... it's us.. forever. But we don't have to be in a relationship right away or ever. I'll be anything you need." He said.

She stepped away from him and turned away. After a silent 10 minutes she spoke "Paul, you're the father of my son, my first love"

he smiled

"but you also broke my heart. You asked me to do something horrible because you weren't ready to grow up."

"Laure-"

She held up her hand. With a deep breathe, she walked up to him and this time it was her turn to put her hands on his cheeks. "Yet, my heart has been yours since I met you. I accepted the side effects of the procedure because I never wanted more kids if they weren't going to be with you. I have loved you with my whole heart since I was 15 and I saw you with Jake at the beach and I will continue to love you until I draw my last breathe." She gently pressed her lips to his. "Of course I accept."

He hugged her and spun her around. When he put her down she smiled. "Now let's go expose this bitch once and for all."