THE BEGINNING

I leaned back into the hard, plastic chair, trying desperately to find a comfortable position. My neck and back were extremely stiff and my eyes didn't dare open, for fear of being blinded by the rays of sunlight that filtered in through the large, room length windows.

'What am I doing here?' I thought, shifting once again, easing my back into the chair, trying to mould myself to fit its shape. No such luck. Trust me to spend my early, and we're talking 7 in the AM, Sunday morning in a stupid chair, in a ridiculously bright room, in a hustling, bustling airport. I can't help but pity the sad beings who happily skip along, dragging their luggage behind them, happy to be awake at this ungodly hour. I mean, any normal sixteen year old girl is safely snuggled up in the comfort of her four poster bed, dreaming good if not slightly sordid fantasies about a certain nineteenth century hottie who happens to be dead and share the same room, but nothing ever happens, despite the girl's protestations to the contrary….

Nope, not speaking from personal experiences or anything….

Anyway, I really didn't see why Father Dom insisted on booking a flight so early in the morning. What's wrong with a three pm flight? It would still get us there, if not a little later. But, no, Dommy had been pretty firm on this early morning issue, stating that we were to draw as little attention to ourselves as possible. Although I personally don't see what would draw people's attention to us, we're only a hot sixteen year old girl with a great body and a good looking big baby blue eyed sixty something dude, traveling together to Europe. We could simply be a granddaughter/father combo, visiting family.

Unfortunately, we just don't think alike, and him being all holy and stuff, he got his way.

Whatever. At least I could sleep on the plane to Italy. Fourteen hours is a long time, plenty of time for me to rejuvenate and awake perky and cute once again. Because at that moment in time, as I waited for Father Dom to return from getting us coffee and bagels, (I won on something for once), I was grumpy and sans make-up. Not at my best basically. Grrrrr…..

Mom and Andy had dropped me off here at 6am, bading me a tearful farewell and reminding me that if I ever needed anything, to just call them, and did I bring enough clean underwear (thanks Mom, not embarrassing or anything to mention that in front of my stepdad), and telling me to enjoy my trip and that three months really isn't that long a time, it would be good life experience for me.

Not to sound bad or anything, but I wasn't the one with letting go issues, you should have felt the iron grip my mom had on my wrist. Her fingernails were digging into me, and mom has loooonnnggg nails, having to have them nice and well manicured for her job.

However, after a forever of hugging and kissing, they finally left. After Father Dom had assured them he would watch me like a hawk of course. Poor saps, they fell for it. I can be quite crafty when I wanna escape the adult supervision radar.

But back to that seventh hour of the day. I moaned loudly as I wriggled in my seat again, getting totally frustrated and seriously thinking about complaining to someone, I'm not even sure who, but someone, when a voice I knew only all too well said in my right ear, 'I always knew I could make you moan, I've proved it, but I usually have to at least touch you first.' My eyes snapped open to stare at the totally hot, but totally deadly guy who stood before me. 'What the hell are you doing here?' I asked coldly, giving him the icy eyes, although they didn't even come close to his unnaturally beautiful icy blue ones.

'I could ask you the same thing,' he replied, flopping down beside me, a little too close for my liking. 'But really, if you bothered to think about it, Simon, it would only make sense that Dom would invite me too. Being a fellow shifter and all.'

Oh yeah. That. It's an easy thing to slip a girl's mind.

I simply glared at him, before closing my eyes again. Another reason to consider this trip a total crap bag adventure.

I mean, sure I had made out with this guy a week ago, but had managed to avoid him during finals and then thought I was free for the summer of him asking any awkward questions or assuming that I would wanna make out again.

Which I absolutely did. But that's beside the point. Totally not important.

'Ah, Paul, you've arrived,' I heard Father Dom's deep voice say a moment later. 'Bagel?' Determined to make a scene, which is generally my way, I stood up and dragged Father Dom (as harshly as you drag a sixty year old guy, and hissed, 'What the hell is he doing here! You never mentioned him. Not even once!' He frowned on my use of the word hell, but I thought the situation deserved it.

'Susannah, language,' he began, munching on a bagel. 'You didn't actually think I wouldn't invite Paul to this, being the only other shifter, apart from yourself that I know. Not to mention the fact that he has much more control over his powers than you do. And you couldn't possibly have expected me to actually tell you he was coming, as I knew you would have managed some excuse to avoid the trip. So, by forgetting to mention him, I solved that major problem.'

'This trip officially sucks!' I declared, grabbing a bagel from the bag, realizing that no way in heaven could I escape this. 'That may be so,' Paul commented, sidling up to me. 'But the question is….do you?'

I can happily assure you that his arrogant smirk disappeared very quickly once I happened to bump into him in the very area that he was talking about. Oooops. Ha, you gotta love being a girl, we can get guys back for breaking our hearts by damaging what means the most to them.

'Flight AA1239 to Rome, Italy is boarding now,' a pleasant female voice announced over the intercom. Remaining furiously silent (yes it is possible) I got up, slung my bag over my shoulder and walked quickly toward the gate. Paul easily matched my stride with his long one, not catching onto the idea of me wanting to get away from him. He's really slow sometimes….but his kisses sure make up for that….not that that matters.

I handed my ticket to the young, heavily made up might I add, woman at the desk, snatching it back off of her, as she eyed up Paul, who was totally loving the attention, wearing his trademark smirk, as his eyes took a leisurely stroll up and down her body.

Growling under my breath I hurriedly boarded the plane before I did something that would satisfy me unbelievably, but probably wouldn't make Father D too happy. And no, it's nothing sexual, you sick freaks!

I took the window seat, even though it was assigned to Dommy. I figured he couldn't really make a big song and dance out of it, as he really wasn't in a position to question me after his 'slip of memory.'

Taking my Discman out of my knapsack, I stuffed the headphones in my ears in an effort to block out both of my traveling companions. 'This is gonna be three months of fucking hell,' I fumed, glaring out of the window at the men throwing the luggage up the escalator thingy. 'And why didn't Jesse even say goodbye to me last night? He knew well what time I would be leaving at, my flight number and even if he did miss me, he could have shown up this morning.'

As I was thinking all of this, Paul settled into the seat next to me….joy. I refused to look at him, bastard. I don't even know why someone like Paul was 'blessed,' with the gift of shifting, he doesn't even like it or appreciate it! Sure, I whine and complain a lot about how hard and annoying it is, which it is, but deep down, I like making a difference, helping people to move on. There are good and bad ones, as with everything, but it makes me feel great that I can do something hardly anyone else can. Makes a girl feel special, even if no one else thinks so.

Suddenly, I felt the plane begin to move, and when I looked up I saw Barbie whore putting away her demonstration crap. She still couldn't take her eyes off of Paul, it's quite pathetic really. She must be at least twenty three, he's seventeen. Can't she get someone her own age, or is she into molesting innocent young guys? Strike that, Paul is the furthest thing from innocent, I'm sure he'd enjoy a good feeling up.

Funnily enough, he seems to be under the illusion that I would too, and it's true, of course I would, just not from him. Sigh, Jesse's never gonna let his hands take a trip upstairs. Still, I can hope….

I put my Discman away, having previously learned it's not the best idea to keep it on during a flight. Instead, I took out a stack o magazines and a bag of Starbursts. Mmmm, Starbursts, so juicy and yum…… What? I really like them, particularly lime. They remind me of Jesse cos this one time we were fooling around (sadly no feeling up involved) and he stuck one in his….actually, I think I'll keep that private.

Paul's POV

Man, she looked hot, even when she was sleeping. I still couldn't believe my luck. What other gorgeous, sexy, intelligent, powerful guy gets to spend three months in Europe with the object of his lust?

I'll tell you who: NO-ONE. I don't even think it was luck that brought this little opportunity my way, smart people make their own luck, along with some help from fate. Fate is exactly why we were both here. Whoever it was up there obviously agreed with me that Suze and I should be together. I just don't understand why she can't see it.

I looked across the aisle and saw that Dommy too had fallen asleep. Not surprising, he's no spring chicken any longer. We were ten hours into the flight and he had been conscious for one of those hours. Not that I was complaining, if this was how he was on the flight, imagine how exhausted he's gonna be after a day of intensive shifting? He'll be out like a light, leaving me to work on Suze.

See, I'd gotten an idea the minute I heard how we would be spending our summer. And that idea was that this summer I would convince Suze once and for all that we were meant to be together. I also planned on doing something Jesse had so far failed to achieve. I was gonna conquer Suze….and her purity.

Just watch and learn…..

With a snort, I jostled awake, and realized that I was leaning against Paul's chest. I remained where I was for a few seconds. 'Oh crap,' I thought, my eyes wide, and my heart playing a fast paced rhythm. 'Shit. Why can't I stay in my own corner when I sleep?'

I felt his hard chest rise and fall with each breath that he took. Yay, maybe he's asleep too, his breathing seems relaxed and deep. Slowly, I pushed myself up and found myself face to face with the smuggest guy in the world. 'Uh, hi,' I squeaked. 'Hey,' he smiled. 'Sorry about that….I was tired. I must've slid and fallen.' 'That makes two of us who have fallen,' he replied, tucking a strand of loose hair behind my ear.

My cheeks flushed at that comment, as I straightened myself out, brushing wrinkles out of my light pink tank and jeans. 'I need to pee,' I mumbled, unbuckling my seatbelt and standing up. Unfortunately, the idiot who designed planes forgot to put any space between one row of seats and the next.

My face resembling a tomato at this point, I awkwardly tried to edge past Paul's long legs, but stumbled and fell onto his lap. 'Shit,' I burst out. Paul's hands had caught my hips, preventing me from smacking my face against the armrest next to his. 'Thanks,' I said quietly, wriggling out of his grasp, but not before I got this weird sensation digging into my back. OH MY GOD, WAS PAUL HARD!

I quickly stumbled up the aisle, fumbling with the lock on the toilet door. It seemed to be stuck, so I pulled harder, as my bladder reached bursting point. 'Come on,' I grunted with exertion, as I tugged with all my might. Finally, it came undone, revealing an old couple, who must have been at least sixty five, going at it in there. She was all bent over the sink, her saggy breasts flopping up and down as he thrusted. I quickly slammed the door shut again. They didn't even stop when the door flew open! 'Just don't let me end up like that,' I prayed, as I waited for them to finish. 'Remind me to always wear a bra.'

Paul had obviously realized what was happening and was snorting with laughter, as I stood there, dying inside. Practically everyone else onboard was asleep, although I was hoping the pilot wasn't one of them. Even though Paul was the only one to witness my embarrassment, it hurt more than everyone else seeing it. I always tried to be calm and cool around him, showing indifference or severe dislike, depending on my mood and how much of an asshole he was being at the present time, but it never worked for me, I always ended up looking foolish and childish, as he watched on, enjoying every moment of it.

Just then, the couple exited, the old dude fiddling with his zipper, while the woman patted down her hair. Before passing me she winked and whispered, 'Isn't my Albert a dish? You look like you need some fun, give it a shot with your little gentleman friend.' I gazed in horror after her. She hadn't so much whispered as shouted it, and Paul high fived her as she walked by his seat.

Well, how do you even react to that?

My reaction was to slam the door shut and securely lock it. After relieving myself, I sat on the closed toilet seat for a few minutes, wondering if I would be subjected to such terrible embarrassment every day of this trip. Because, okay, it's nothing new to me, but a girl needs a break sometimes.

After washing my hands, I fixed my hair, as it had rumpled during my snooze. Feeling satisfied with my appearance and ready for round two with Paul, I opened the door, only to find said person blocking my exit. He walked me back into the small cubicle, and closed the door. My heart returned to it's unbelievable pace from earlier and I kept on backing in, until my back came into contact with the sink. 'Wh...what are you doing here?' I demanded, as he came closer, too close.

'You heard what the old lady said Suze,' he said, tracing his forefinger along the outline of my jaw. 'Why not try it? You're so tense, I think it's time you relaxed.'

And with that, he leaned in closer…..

Shit...