I own nothing apart from Lorelai and the plot

Chapter Eighteen

Paul P.O.V

I glanced towards the maternity ward for what felt like the millionth time in less than an hour. I wanted nothing more than to be in Lorry's room looking down at our daughter and imprinting her to my memory. She was tiny and I knew that she would end up being the same height as her mother and I hoped desperately that she inherits Lorry's bright green eyes.

I snapped the folder in front of me shut and sighed, heading slowly towards the cancer department where my Dad had been checked in. I had been in a few times since we had arrived but I had been too worried about Lorry's health to bring her to meet him. I had taken several pictures of her and the baby for him to see but I knew it was only a matter of days before he passes.

I was almost at his room when Carlisle approached me, a sad look on his face and I knew it had happened. I stopped walking and sighed, "Was he in much pain?" I asked quietly.

"No, he passed in the night. His nurse only just found him." Carlisle said gently, "Why don't you go see Lorry?" He suggested, taking my patient list, "I'll cover you."

"Thanks." I said, smiling faintly and slowly made my way back towards Lorry's room.

I ignored the nurses looking at me as I passed, focused only on one thing and one thing only and that was getting to Lorry. As I got to her room I heard her practically shouting at someone inside and I wondered if Embry had pissed her off again.

"...your fault that he left; one of your so called brothers was miserable and you let it happen. So don't you dare come in here and act like Paul murdered someone because his leaving was your fault!"

Cautiously I entered her doorway and I discovered immediately who she was talking to; Sam and Emily were standing in front of her bed silently. I was gaping at my tiny wife, feeling so much love for her than normal.

Someone whistled lowly and then I realised it was Embry, "Damn, I'm never doing anything to piss you off." He muttered. "Don't ever ask me for things you're not allowed kid or your momma's going to kill me."

"And don't you forget it either." She said, sounding smug.

I couldn't help myself; I burst out laughing. Sam and Emily whirled around in shock but I was too busy laughing; I don't know whether I was laughing because of the situation or if the whole day had become one jumbled piece of crap. I ignored Sam and made my way to Lorry, the reality of my father's death hitting me and I all but collapsed on the other chair next to her bed, resting my head on the side of her bed.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit." I chanted over and over, the words becoming a jumbled mess.

"Paul, what's wrong? What happened?" She asked panicked, rubbing a hand gently through my hair.

I lifted my head up so I could rest it in my hands. "He's gone." I said softly.

"Oh shit." I heard Embry mutter but I ignored him, taking one of Lorry's pale white hands in my own.

"I should go tell Mom." I said, feeling dazed, "She needs to be told before she comes in for a visit. She'll freak if she sees the room empty. I need to...go...and tell her." I rambled, standing quickly and realizing for the first time that Jared and Kim were in the room as well. "What's going on? What are you all doing here?"

"Well they're all here waiting for you." Embry said gesturing to Jared and Sam, "I'm just here to babysit."

"We don't need a babysitter." I argued, and went around to the other side of the crib to pick Reyna up.

"How come he gets to pick her up?" Embry whined.

Lorry sighed exasperatedly, "He can pick her up because he's the father. You are just the werewolf who imprinted on her."

"That should earn me picking up rights." He argued and then realised who he was talking to. "I'll be quiet."

Lorry smirked and turned back to me, her features softening, "Maybe you should wait a while before you go home." She suggested calmly as if she hadn't been shouting at a werewolf moments before I entered the room.

I looked down at Lorry before settling down in the other sea beside her bed. Reyna let out a little whine as I shifted into a comfortable position and after lightly rocking her she settled back into a deep sleep. I tried to keep my attention on Reyna and Lorry but the presence of Sam and Jared was too hard to ignore. I let out another sigh and looked up at them tiredly.

"I don't have the energy to put up with whatever crap you've come to throw at me. Yes, I left the pack and no, I don't regret doing it either. If you hadn't been such a dick about it all I could have gone to a university closer and come back to help the pack out on weekends. Get over it." I said looking at Sam before turning my attention to Jared, "I didn't want to lie to you but I did; I'm sorry."

Both Sam and Jared looked at me with shock and unease having never dealt with me while I was this calm. It didn't take Sam long to recover, the air around him changing as he shifted into alpha mode but it didn't affect me like I thought it was. He hadn't done the right thing for one of his pack and even though I should feel the command of the alpha I didn't; I knew that the wolf in me had rejected him as my alpha.

Sam seemed to recognise that as well, "You're right." He said quietly, surprising the hell out of me. "I knew the moment we realised you had gone that we had lost you in our pack. And you're right, it is my fault. I knew well before we became werewolves that you wanted to study medicine but I didn't want to watch you or anyone else leave the pack while I couldn't. For what it is worth I'm sorry." He said and he and Emily left taking with them some of the tension in the room.

I turned my attention to Jared and waited for the verbal bashing that I was sure was coming my way. Instead he shrugged, "I get why you did it man. If I had your intelligence I'd probably do the same thing. Besides," He smirked, "I've already punched you."

I chuckled lightly and Embry scoffed, "This is worse than watching a chick flick." He muttered.

Jared promptly whacked Embry over the head before coming to stand next to me, looking down at Reyna, "Cute kid." He said and looked over at Lorry with hesitance, "Er...hi, I'm Jared."

Lorry, who had yet to say anything, blinked and shook her head, "It's nice to know that all werewolves have the weird thing going for them. I'm Lorelai." She looked over at Kim who was still standing somewhat awkwardly in the doorway, "Embry, move your ass and let Jared's wife sit down." She said in a scalding tone, already sounding like a mother.

Lorelai P.O.V

Embry grumbled but did as she said, knowing that she would decide how much time he could spend with our daughter. Kim blushed and thanked him, sitting in the seat that he had previously occupied. She was still watching Jared as he interacted with Paul, the two old friends talking to each other quietly, beginning to repair their friendship.

"So should we be expecting anyone else?" I asked Kim quietly.

She shrugged, "There's still a chance that Quil could come and then there's Seth." Kim said with a grin.

"They can't be worse than dealing with Leah and Lee." I muttered.

Kim leaned forward interested, "Lee's the imprint, right?"

"Yeah, he didn't handle it very well. And I think Leah's enthusiasm about it all scared the crap out of him." I laughed.

"We were so surprised when we found out she imprinted." Kim said softly, "She's been so bitter for years because of Sam and being the only female in the pack made things harder for her."

Paul had told me about Sam leaving Leah for Emily, her cousin, after he imprinted. I couldn't imagine what that would be like; loving someone for so many years and then watching them leave you for your cousin. What I thought was worse was that Leah could hear the thoughts of Sam when she phased and I couldn't imagine how hard it had been for her.

I glanced over at Paul and smiled at how relaxed Paul was, holding his daughter and laughing with his friend. Moving here had been hard and I couldn't help but wonder what Paul would be like if we hadn't returned to La Push and how long the pull for his hometown would haunt him before he caved and returned.

I shoved these thoughts from my mind knowing that, at last, Paul was freer than he had ever been. He no longer had the air about him that he was a stranger amongst his own friends and was no longer haunted by the guilt of leaving his family and lying to his friends. La Push was quickly becoming home for him again and it was for me as well.

A/N Next chapter will be an epilogue. Sorry for the long break; I've been going through the freedom of finishing high school. Read and Review!