Temper, Temper: Chapter Eighteen: Another Quilt Party

"Okay, so I know your all wondering why I'm here and not in Atlanta looking at colleges" Seth's voice wavered when he caught his mother's eye, so he made a special effort to avoid looking at the left side of the room. "…So, um…well that trip is next month….and only for two days"

Why would Seth lie to everyone about where he was? It was extremely out of character for the young wolf, more importantly why would he choose to admit the lies at Emily and Sam's wedding?

Before anyone could question Seth's actions he picked up his speech again,

"I wish Sam and Emily a lifetime of happiness and health, now I'd like to invite them to take to the floor for their first dance, as a special gift for them…and other people as well"

Everyone in the room was confused by Seth's garbling mix match of speeches, never the less though a small clap travelled around the room and the couple made their way to the floor.

Sam shot Seth a questioning look, but the young wolf wasn't paying any attention; he looked behind him anxiously before leaving the stage, straight into his mother and Leah's wrath.

"Just wait!" Seth demanded, as he looked around, annoyed at the two women's voices which had started to shout at him angrily.

The two women did as they were told and watched as Sam and Emily began to dance to the slow strum of a guitar emanating from the DJ booth.

Suddenly what Seth had been waiting for happened, the door that led to the back of the pub opened quickly and shut just as fast behind the new visitor to the party.

The new presence winced as Seth pointed to his watch angrily and motioned for her to quickly get on stage.

The woman walked up onto the stage confidently, and took the microphone delicately in her hands and whispered out "Sorry I'm late" before she began to sing alongside the music lightly.

"Another turning point the fork stuck in the road, time grabs you by the wrist directs you were to go. So make the best of this test and don't ask why. It's not a question but a lesson learned in time"

The singers eyes looked up at the crowd, the green orbs had filled up a little as she sung "It's something unpredictable but in the end that's right I hope you had the time of your life"

At the back of the room Paul's head had bolted up, he knew the woman's voice. He had played over every word it ever spoke to him countless times – How could he not recognise it?

Sam and Emily, as well as the other wolves knew the voice as well and began to cheer wildly, the other guests thought they were applauding her singing so they joined in as well.

Alex looked up at the crowd and smiled warmly, ducking her head with a breathy laugh at the cheer before taking up the soundtrack to the Uley's first dance as man and wife once more.

The man at the back of the room still could not believe her presence; he didn't move or speak. Paul just sat with his mouth agape, staring at his imprint in disbelief. Alex only had eyes for one person as she sung, but as her eyes filled up once again, she decided to point her attention around the room again.

Seth had a group of the Quileute wolves around him, questioning him on what had happened and embracing the youngster into tight hugs and warm words. Even his mother only gave him a small discipline, insisting that she could have kept the secret with a smile.

The warm reception shifted onto Alex as she left the stage, her song finishing with Emily and Sam clapping, happy their adopted tribe member could be here for their wedding.

Alex allowed them a few minutes to welcome her back, but there was one wolf she needed to see more importantly. Moving from his desolate seat at the back, Paul had managed to take back control over his induced mechanical movements and was slowly walking from his seat in her direction.

Under the hugs, Alex saw his figure and she pushed her way out of them and launched over to Paul as quickly as she could manage. She leapt at him then, throwing her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Paul caught her easily and embraced her tightly.

"I'm sor-" Alex had moved to tell him exactly how bad she felt about what she had done to him, but when she moved to look at him, his lips crashed onto her own greeting her back to La Push as though she had been gone three years instead of three months.

The usual reaction to people kissing came from the Quileute's; they hollered wildly, wolf whistling, cat calling, but mainly everyone cheered, clapping their hands together with such enthusiasm their hands started to get sore.

Cheering didn't throw the couple off though; they just simultaneously smiled into the kiss and carried on. Paul was sure this wasn't a reality, any minute now he would be pulled from this bliss and awake on his sofa without her in his arms but a half empty pack of crisps.

Alex knew it was a reality though, a dream like reality she was the cause of but she had waited for this for a long time, and wasn't giving it up that easily.

Paul finally put her back on the floor and took her cheeks in his hands, holding her at arm's length and inspecting every inch of her face. Smiling at Paul's confused face Alex held onto his forearms and made sure he was staring in her eyes,

"It is me" Alex worded out for him, still smiling at his bemused face.

"How are you here? When are you leaving? Are you sure I'm not dreaming? How did you get here? What about Josh? What about Wale-"Paul's lips were pinched together by Alex's delicate nails so as his waffling inquisition was put on hold.

Alex made a confused face before taking a deep breath, "Seth, I don't think I am, pretty sure, in a car, he's a douche bag, Wales can wait" she answered consecutively.

The two imprints had a lot to talk about, but it was still Sam and Emily's wedding, they weren't about to leave yet, not when celebrations had barely begun and this wedding had been in planning since God knows how long.

"Come on Paul, dance with me" Alex said, taking hold of Paul's hand and attempting to pull him from his seat where they had talked for a few minutes and lead him to the dance floor.

Even with the werewolf gene, Alex couldn't pull him, he was stronger than her.

"You know I don't dance" Paul laughed and he surprised himself at how naturally the sound came out considering it had been absent from his life for exactly three months.

Alex made a face at him and got to her feet, batted her eyelashes dramatically and put a hand over heart as she swaggered onto the dance floor anyways. Without her company Paul was not prepared to let her out of his sight, not just yet.

So in spite of himself, Paul took another swig of a newly purchased beer and followed her into the crowd with a noisy exhale.

The gang of wolves parted the circle for the two new recruits; Alex was taken in hand by Jacob quickly. He embraced her before twirling her dramatically around before Jared took over,

"I'm pleased your back Socks, and I know I'm not the only one" he said in her ear.

His statement made Alex look back at Paul who was comradely enjoying being part of the group banter once again. When he looked up at her, Alex smiled before smiling at the ground and then then back to Jared.

"Not just Paul, everyone…except Leah" he added before hugging Alex, twirling her around then passing her onto the next member of the pack in turn.

At the end of the night, everyone had gotton a bit too merry with the devil drink and was making their way home. Paul and Sam were the most sober of the bunch, Sam wasn't getting drunk, he was going home picking up his suitcases then going to the airport to leave for his honeymoon.

As for Paul, how could he get drunk? There was no way he was losing his memory of this night. Alex was the next most sober, but she never was able to handle alcohol so her words were slurring as Sam pulled her to one side.

"I know your living arrangements haven't been worked out yet, but its fine by me if you want to stay there and look after the place while me and Emily are gone" said Sam with a happy smile as he lay a fatherly hand on Alex's shoulder.

Alex leaned away from Paul and threw herself around Sam's neck with watery eyes; alcohol making her more emotional than she usually would be.

"Thank you so much Sam!"

They all waved off the couple before Alex took Paul's hand and they started to journey away from the pub coolly, she leaned into his warm side contented.

"Maybe you Quilts aren't so bad after all"