Author's Note

I loved the reviews I got. Okay, quick things:

Yodes: I'm sorry to hear about that! I hope you get better soon!

Unforgettable . Love : You! I still can't believe you made me a [uber sexy] banner for the story! You are now deemed 'Freaking awesome! [Sorry I had to space your name; darn CPU won't let your name show up otherwise...]

OK, I don't think I missed anything, so read!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Twilight!

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Dinner at Emily's

Emily was throwing orders at Kim and I, and we scrambled around the kitchen to fulfill her orders. She barked them out rapid fire, and I immediately regretted agreeing to help.

"Kim! Look in the cupboards and see if you can find the pepper! Cassie! Go ask the guys where in the hell Sam is!" Emily barked. I all but ran out of the kitchen of hell to the outside where the guys were.

"Dude! Don't tell us that!" I heard Jared laugh. Quil nodded his head, smiling largely.

"So, Paul? How's your lady in that department?" he asked, a challenge in his tone. In the dark, I could make out Paul's fierce scowl.

"You know we haven't gone that far, Quil," he snarled. "Why do you even bother to ask such a stupid question?" Quil rolled his eyes at him.

"You're still not out of the doghouse?" Seth asked dubiously, and my eyes tightened. "Dude, how long until she's going to take you back?"

"I don't know," Paul grumbled, drumming his fingers on his thigh. Quil made a noise in the back of his throat, leaning back in his chair.

"I see," he said, and Paul snorted. "Paulie, I've had this problem before with my Claire-Bear—"

"Shocker," Paul mumbled sarcastically, but Quil ignored him.

"It all happened a few months ago when I accidentally ran over Claire's favorite stuffed animal-thingy with the lawn mower. One minute I was cutting grass, and then white fluff was falling from the sky—or so I thought. At first I thought it was snowing, even though it was sunny and hot outside, until I heard Claire screaming. Of course, being the lovable and awesome soul mate, I rushed to her aid and tried to comfort her. But, Claire wasn't too happy, and she kicked me in the…you know, family jewels." The guys grimaced in unison, and Quil nodded his head solemnly.

"Well, what did you do to make up for it?" Paul asked impatiently.

"At first, I tried to buy her an exact replica of it, but she didn't want it. She said that it couldn't replace her beloved toy—I know! I thought I was her beloved toy!

"So, the next thing I did was take her out on a romantic date, but she still didn't forgive me. A few weeks later, and thousands upon thousands of attempts later, I was like, screw this!, and I just quit trying."

"And that worked?" Paul asked incredulously.

"Hell no! It only made her madder, and you can be damned sure that she wouldn't come anywhere near me. So, I decided to use my mad motherly skills to the test, and I took her raggedy-ass toy and sewed him back together. Armed with that, and a heartfelt apology, I was unstoppable, and Claire finally forgave me," Quil said, smiling.

"So…you want Paul to sew Cassie back together?" Seth chortled. Paul smacked him on the back of his head, snarling quietly.

"No. What master guru-Quil is trying to say is that Paulie here should just suck it up and apologize to Cassie. Duh," Quil said, rolling his eyes.

Paul shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You know I'm not any good with that kind of stuff, Quil," he said quietly.

Jared snorted. "Dude, you tell us how you feel all the time, yet you can't tell Cassie how you feel?"

"Well, technically, Paul doesn't tell us how he feels; he just beats the crap out of us."

"Same thing." Seth argued.

"So, you're saying that instead of apologizing, Paul should just ravish Cassie to get his feelings across?" Quil asked disbelievingly. Seth nodded his head, and Paul groaned loudly.

"And how, exactly, is this helping me?" he asked, letting his head loll back.

"We're giving you invaluable advice here!" Seth protested. Paul lifted his head to glare menacingly at his friend.

"What advice? So far, you've told me to sew her together and then sex her up! Now, call me crazy, but that doesn't sound like advice worth shit."

"But we also said to tell her how you feel," Quil interjected. "Which is gold in itself. It's not our fault that you're too insecure to tell her how you feel about her."

"I. Am. Not. Insecure," Paul growled. Seth tutted, waggling a finger at him.

"That's what they all say," he accused. "What are you so scared of, anyway?"

"I'm not scared," Paul objected. The guys raised their eyebrows at him disbelievingly, and he sighed in defeat. "I'm just afraid of losing her." My heart twanged, and I unconsciously leaned forward to catch his soft words.

Seth put a hand on his shoulder. "Cassie wouldn't leave you, dude. She may not look it, but she's tough enough to deal with your shit." Paul chuckled, and Seth smiled. "Cassie will understand what you're trying to say; she's your soul mate, for food's sakes!"

"Paul, what we're trying to say is: just make up, dammit. We miss having you guys make goo-goo eyes at each other, as sick as it sounds."

"Who would turn down free porn?"

"My thoughts exactly. So, Paul, what are you going to do to make it up to her?" Quil asked, and Paul looked off into the woods thoughtfully.

"I…don't know." The guys groaned loudly, and Paul glared at them.

I smiled to myself, retreating back into the house. There was a busy hum coming from the kitchen as Emily and Kim cooked the meal.

"There you are, Cassie. You were gone an awfully long time. What took you so long?" Emily asked, not even looking at me. I just shrugged my shoulders. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Emily grin at Kim, who smirked back. I didn't bother to ask, and busied myself with slicing up some fruit.

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"Hey, Emily," Leah said, grinning as she sat down in a chair. Emily smiled at her mischievously.

"So, where's Tommy?" she asked, and Leah blushed.

"Outside with the guys and the girls," she said, a small smile on her lips. I grinned myself at how cute she acted when she talked about Tommy. I could tell he really made her happy.

"Well, how about you quit being lazy and get your ass over here to help with the food?" Kim said teasingly, and Leah laughed.

"Nah. I think I would be doing you guys a disservice if I even attempted to help," she said. Kim turned to me, smiling impishly.

"Leah can't cook for her life. One time, she nearly burnt the house down trying to make jell-o," she giggled, and I laughed. Leah mock-scowled at us.

"Hey, that jell-o was asking for it, what with it's back sassing and all," Leah chuckled, and we laughed.

Emily sighed. "I wonder what they're doing outside?"

"The guys will be acting like idiots, of course, and the girls will be watching on the sidelines laughing their asses off as the watch the guys pummel each other," Leah said matter-of-factly, crossing her legs. We made sounds of agreement as we bustled about.

I took out some plates and set them on the counter, and Leah appraised my hand. "What happened there?" she asked, taking my hand in hers to examine it.

"Your brother bumped into me while I was slicing up some onions and I cut myself," I said, and Leah laughed.

"What an idiot. I bet Paul threw a real bitch fit, huh?" she asked, and I flushed.

"Kind of, but not really," I grumbled, gently pulling my hand from hers. She didn't take offense, just smiling at me. Emily rolled her eyes playfully at Leah.

"She can be so nosey, right Cassie?" she asked, and Leah stuck her tongue out at her.

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"Food's ready!" Emily hollered. Pounding footsteps and yelling disrupted the moment of silence, and we braced ourselves for the inevitable war.

"Quil! Quit pushing me!" Jared growled.

"Well, if you weren't so slow!"

"Will the both of you shut the hell up? There's food waiting for us!" Seth reasoned, and I rolled my eyes. There was a chorus of agreement as the guys swarmed into the kitchen, grabbing everything edible off of the table.

Paul walked in with Tommy trailing behind him, looking just a little pale. Leah ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. "Paul, what did you do to him?" Leah scowled at him, and Paul just shrugged his shoulders, an innocent smile plastered to his face.

"We just had a talk," Tommy said, laughing shakily. I eyed Paul inquisitively, but he just smiled.

"Hey, Tommy," I greeted, running over to squeeze by Leah and hugged him. He chuckled, mussing my hair.

"Hey, midget," he said cheerfully, wrapping his arms around Leah and I. "My two favorite women in the whole wide world. How did I ever get so lucky?" Leah giggled, winking at me slyly.

"Keep touching Cassie, and we'll see how lucky you feel in a minute," Paul threatened, prying me off of Tommy. I scowled at Paul, and Tommy laughed.

"You sure have a keeper there, Cass," Tommy said, tightening his grip on Leah's waist. I looked up at Paul, who was scowling fiercely.

"Hurry up or the food'll be gone!" Emily warned, gesturing to the nearly empty table. If possible, Paul's scowl darkened even more. I patted his arm comfortingly, and he grumbled something incoherent.

As he went off to get food, I grabbed Tommy into a hug again, barely refraining from squealing. "You guys are so cute together!" I gushed, tightening my grip.

"Well, you better back off my man," Leah teased. "Or Paul will probably come over here and castrate poor Tommy." I looked over to see Paul glowering at the sallow looking Tommy, and I stuck my tongue out at him.

"He's so mean," I pouted, letting go of Tommy. Leah laughed, leaning her head onto Tommy's shoulder.

"He's not mean; he's just…possessive," she said, and Tommy made a noise in the back of his throat.

"What an understatement," Tommy grumbled.

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"Touchdown!" Quil hollered, jostling Claire on his lap as he did a little chair dance. "Pay up, my good man!" Embry grumbled complainingly, smacking a twenty-dollar bill in his hand. Al rubbed his back comfortingly, and I pursed my lips. Everyone in the room—with the exception of Paul and I—were acting all lovey-dovey with their significant other. Hell, even Seth was getting all romantic with his food.

"I'm going to go take a walk outside," I said to no one in particular, scooting past the preoccupied love birds.

"I'll come with you," Paul interjected, standing up to follow me out. I shrugged my shoulders noncommittally, walking out the front door with Paul on my heels.

"So, where are we going?" Paul asked, and again I shrugged my shoulders. I really didn't know where we were going. I could hear his quiet footsteps behind me as we walked. The moon was full and high, casting every thing in a silvery glow. The stars twinkled brightly on the dark sky, lighting our path to nowhere.

"Lets play twenty questions," I suggested, and Paul agreed. "Hmm…what is your favorite song?" I asked. Paul looked at the stars for a moment.

"I really don't have a favorite song; I don't listen to music much," he said truthfully, and I gasped.

"You don't listen to music?!" I yelled incredulously. "That makes you sound so dull!" Paul chuckled softly.

"You balance me out, Cass," he said quietly as my skin tinted pink. I cleared my throat and picked up the pace.

"Your turn."

"Okay, what's your favorite song?" he asked.

"I'm…not sure," I said. "I think I could narrow the songs down to either With legs like that by Zebrahead or Forever by Kamelot. So, what's your favorite childhood memory?"

"My favorite childhood memory would be when I was five and I first had to go to school. I begged my mom not to make me go, but she made me, and by the end of the day, I was in the principal's office."

"Oh my God. What did you do?" I gasped, and Paul chuckled.

"Well, first I threw a fit, then I put glue all over the teacher's chair, and lastly I punched one of my classmates in the face," he said, smiling. I gaped at him.

"You were a little demon," I accused, and he laughed loudly.

"Hey, the boy had it coming to him. He stole my graham crackers."

"Even back then you were crazy for food," I said, and he laughed.

"Well, if Jared hadn't had a terrible case of sticky fingers, then he wouldn't have gotten a bloody nose."

"You punched Jared in the face, and that's your favorite childhood memory?" I asked dubiously, and he mock glared at me.

"Hey, don't knock my memories. What's your favorite memory?" he asked, and I poked my tongue out at him.

"My favorite childhood memory is when I was ten, and I got my first kiss." Paul tensed, and I heard his jaw snap shut.

"Who was you first kiss?" he spat through his clenched teeth, voice strangled. I smirked at him.

"Mickey Mouse," I said, grinning widely. Paul relaxed slightly, but glared at me.

"That wasn't funny, Cassie," he grumbled, and I laughed.

"It was, and you know it," I said. "So, who was your first kiss?" To my surprise, Paul wrinkled his nose disgustedly.

"Quil," he gagged, looking nauseous. I snorted a laugh, and he glowered down at me. "It's not funny, Cassie. That was the most humiliating and disgusting day of my life. It happened when I was fifteen, and I guess the guys were playing truth or dare. But I do know that one minute I'm playing my video game and the next Quil pressed his lips against mine an—ugh, can we change the subject?"

"Your first kiss was Quil," I sniggered. "What did you do to him after that?"

"Nothing really. I just chased him down and broke his arm," Paul said off-handedly, and I chuckled. "My turn. So, do you have feelings for Tommy?"

"Wha?" I asked incredulously. Paul's face was carefully blank, but I could see that he was tensed up again. "Are you serious?" I questioned flatly. "Paul, shouldn't you know by now that Tommy and I are just friends?" We had come to a stop, and Paul was staring at the ground, kicking a pebble.

"Paul—and don't you repeat this to the guys," I warned. "Tommy can't hold a candle to you, and there is nothing between us. Nothing" I repeated it for emphasis. Paul looked up to me and beamed in the darkness. "Happy now?"

"Extremely."

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"It's getting late," I said, standing up to brush the dirt off my pants. Paul stood up, too, and waited for me. My feet were killing me from the long walk, and it didn't help that I chose to wear high heels.

"Hey, Paul?" I asked sweetly. "We're friends, right?" Paul looked at me suspiciously, but nodded his head.

"I guess so. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. Say, can you turn around for me and crouch down just a little?" I asked. Paul looked confused, but did what I asked him. I placed my hands on the back of his shoulders and hopped up, wrapping my arms and legs around him.

"Well, seeing as how we're friends," I said. "You can carry me back to the house."

"And what makes you think I'll do that?" Paul asked teasingly.

"Because friends carry their friends when their feet hurt. Plus, if I even attempted to walk back in these killer shoes, I'd probably break a leg. Now, you don't want that to happen, do you?"

"Actually, now that you mention it…"

"Shut it, Paul," I grumbled, and he chuckled. He started to walk, and I played with his hair. "Paul, have you ever worn heels?"

"Can't say that I have, Cass," Paul said.

"Good. Don't ever wear them. And don't let people pressure you to. You won't let them, will you?"

"No, Cassie. I won't let them pressure me wearing them."

"You better not," I lectured. "Promise me you won't, 'cause I won't be able to carry you when you hurt yourself wearing them."

"I do so solemnly swear that I will never get near a pair of high heels," Paul said, holding back a laugh. I rested my head between his shoulder blades, smiling.

"Good."

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END

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