Author's Note

All I have to say [for the top line] is 'bout fucking time. Needless to say, school is being a pain. Seriously. I pretty much collapse into bed about eight o'clock every night 'cause of it. But, I have all A's! :D

But, sinfully, they pushed my Literature class to next semester! Effin evil! And, I had an embarrassing moment in one of my classes where I accidentally cursed out loud when the teacher was asking me some tough questions I couldn't answer. I basically screamed, "Oh, shit!" Needless to say people were laughing at me and I flushed bright red. Luckily, he's cool and is loose with the policy.

OK, so I got a review that didn't quite agree with me. Not liking Momma Quil? Tch. He so totally does have character integrity. He wasn't exactly fully described throughout the series but as a funny man. So, that kind of left him as a blank canvas. No way in hell am I having him just deliver a silly pun or joke once every ten chapters. He's my comic relief, and I write him as I see him. So, sadly for you, I'm not going to stop with the 'gender bender' moments. This story is supposed to be weirdly funny. Zyeah.

But, I really did love the reviews. We actually hit a record. As for this chapter...nyeh. Don't really like. I'm under a lot of stuff write now, so I'll probably just go back and edit Paul's lame ass apology later. But, I couldn't write this chapter in just Cassie's POV, so...

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Twilight in any shape or form!

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Picking up the Pieces

[Surprise!] Paul Point of View

I peeked from beneath my eyelashes to watch Cassie as she explored my room, hands behind her back, inspecting my pictures with intense curiosity. I couldn't help but feel a rush of pride swell through me as I thought of how inquisitive my imprint was, especially compared to the rest of the others. Cassie turned around to glance at me, trying to see if I was still asleep, I guessed. So, I lay still and kept my breathing deep and slow. It was silent for a moment before Cassie returned to examining my bookshelf, and I smiled in victory.

"Paul, I know you're awake," Cassie said flatly, wiping my triumphant grin away.

"How'd you know?" I asked, opening my eyes all of the way. I heard Cassie chuckle before she walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge beside me.

"You snore," she said simply, smiling angelically. I scowled playfully at her, weaving my fingers with hers. Cassie looked down at our hands, a light blush settling over her cheeks.

"Real men snore," I insisted defensively, feeling a tug at my chest when she laughed and beamed brilliantly at me.

"Good, 'cause you snore really loud." I glared at her, prompting another round of laughs. I untangled my fingers from hers, and the laughs immediately stopped. She grimaced, at my mock-angry face. She opened her mouth to apologize, but I already had her flipped over onto her back with my fingers tickling her sensitive sides.

"S-Stop it, P-Paul!" she begged, laughing as my fingers danced across her skin. I smirked down at her, not giving her any mercy.

"Why should I?" I teased with a smirk, making my up to her neck. Cassie let out a little yelp, trying in vain to keep my wandering hands at bay.

"Pl-Please?" Cassie pleaded, and I found my fingers slowing down on their on accord. I looked up to see Cassie looking up at me curiously, almost calculatingly.

"Please?" she asked again, sweetly this time, and my hands stopped instantly. Cassie snickered, but still managed to smile kindly at me. "I have power!" she gloated, giggling again. I rolled my eyes at her, but smiled all the same.

"Alright, alright, you power hungry tyrant," I said. "Do you want to go ahead and get your car?" Cassie looked up to the ceiling, thinking.

"Later," she decided. "We still have things to discuss." With that, she looked at me meaningfully, and I grimaced. I was kind of hoping to hold off on it.

"Okay. Where do you want to start?" I asked, and once again her eyes rolled upward as she contemplated.

"Yesterday. I didn't know you used to date Melanie," Cassie said, almost accusingly. I frowned as her face darkened, and I could tell she was borderline furious.

"I don't think you could really call it 'dating'," I grumbled defensively. "But, we did for a while, but it was all before I found you." I rushed at the end, relieved when the scowl disappeared.

"When was the last time you two were together?" Cassie asked, gazing at me critically. Her eyes narrowed shrewdly as I looked away, tensing up slightly. This was something I really hadn't wanted her to know, either.

"The day I met you," I admitted quietly. I didn't look up to see her reaction, nor did I want to. It hurt to see what I was doing to my imprint, but it still burned that I knew.

"Before or after?" Her voice was tight, strangled sounding.

"Before."

There was a long silence after this that tore my heart into shreds and tied my stomach into infinite knots. Yet, I still didn't dare to look up to witness the hurt that was undoubtedly written all over my imprint's face. Then, oh God, I could hear a small sob, and I could feel my own face contorting in pain at the sound.

I looked up to see Cassie had covered her mouth with her hands, trying to muffle her crying as tears streamed unrelentingly down her face. Quickly, like reflex, I sat up and pulled her onto my lap, cradling her. I could feel her tears soaking my chest as I held her in my arms and rested my head on top of hers.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. My only reply was another sob and her arms tightening around my waist. This was part of why my life sucked so much: all through my life, my mother told me to keep it in my pants, but of course, as all teenagers do, I ignored what now I see now was wise advice.

So, I did the only thing I could do: I held on tight to my little angel, reassuring her that everything would be okay while secretly hoping that I was right.

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I sat on the couch in the living room, pinching the bridge of my nose. Cassie had fallen asleep a few hours before, and I had just come out of the room to think. I had screwed up royally, and I still hadn't a clue as to how to show Cassie that I was sorry. I knew that she felt I was, but it still wasn't enough.

I had everything planned out for last night. I was going to apologize, beg for forgiveness and for her to take me back, and when the time had come, I was too nervous and jittery to even carry on a conversation. Scowling at myself, I had walked off to the other side of the beach and paced. It wasn't long before I was interrupted by Melanie, and everything just fell apart. My thoughts drifted to the ring that was still in my pocket…

My groan echoed in the empty room, and I feared that I had wakened Cassie. After a moment, and no sign of her waking up, I let my head loll back and stared dejectedly up at the ceiling. I closed my eyes, and all I could think of was Cassie.

"Paul?"

I tilted my head up to see Cassie standing hesitantly in the doorway, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. I grinned and held out my arms, quite elated when she ran into them and then skillfully tucked herself into my chest.

"Why'd you leave me?" she asked, pouting slightly.

"I had to think," I said simply, kissing her lower lip.

"Oh, so you can't think when I'm around?" Cassie joked, wiggling her eyebrows. I chuckled.

"No," I said teasingly. "You snore really loud." I mimicked her tone from earlier, and she gave me a sour glare.

"Real men snore," she mocked, and I laughed.

"They sure do, angel." I kissed her forehead, eliciting a small sigh from her that had my heart pounding.

"Paul?" Cassie asked, breaking the silence.

"Hm?"

"We haven't finished our talk," she pointed out bluntly. I sighed, nodding my head.

"Go ahead," I prompted, slightly distracted when I felt her playing with a strand of my hair. She rested her head in the crook of my neck, never letting go of that one piece of hair. I had to focus hard when she spoke to fully understand what she was saying.

"Aside from the Melanie business," Cassie said in what sounded like a jealous tone, "I want you to clue me in on what you wanted to talk to me about last night." She twirled my hair around her finger, and I gulped.

"Well," I started shakily, tensing when I felt her place a light kiss on my neck. I cleared my throat nervously before trying again. "Last night, I just…I wanted to apologize—extensively." Good God, I was acting like a total fucking idiot.

Cassie looked up at me, eyebrows furrowing. "For what?" she asked innocently.

For being a dick, asshole, over-jealous, overly possessive prick, et cetera, et cetera…

"For a lot of things," I settled, and Cassie just cocked her head, making me think that she was all the more adorable. "Last night, I had decided that I was going to give you the apology that has been long overdue since…the 'accident,'" Cassie and I flinched in unison.

"Paul, you don't have to do this—"

"But I do, Cass," I cut in gently, encasing her small hand in mine. "I'm pretty sure that you know that I'm not exactly an expert in expressing my feelings, but I do want you to know that I am sorry for what I've done to you.

"I was going to give you that apology," I said, repeating my thoughts from earlier, "but I got…nervous, I suppose you could say, and that basically just screwed everything up. I really wish I could make things easier, Cass, but I can't. I've done some fucked up things to us and unintentional as they were, it was bad. Cassie, that night, I had overreacted—big time. It was stupid of me not to listen to you and just jump to conclusions like I did. I've done a lot of stupid things, but this is, by far, the worst, and I've thrown everything off course. I'm sorry that I've screwed everything up; I'm sorry that I've pissed you off countless times; I am extremely sorry that I've slept with almost every girl in La-fucking-Push, and I'm sorry I—"

"Paul!" Cassie covered my mouth with her hand. "I get it. You're sorry." I nodded my head, slightly eager to show her how sorry I was, and she chuckled.

"I was never mad at you," Cass said. I glared at her, and she backtracked. "Well, I was at first, but you know I can't stay angry with you for a long time."

"It was for a long time," I disagreed, and she sighed.

"Okay, maybe it was," Cassie allowed grudgingly, and I almost smiled. "But, my point is that I'm not mad anymore, and you shouldn't be beating yourself up over what happened; it's understandable why you lost your temper…kind of." I groaned, and Cassie patted my chest. "What I'm trying to say Paul is that everyone has bad days, and that was just one of them—"

"You're comparing what I did to a bad day?" I asked incredulously, and Cassie nodded her head.

"Could've been worse," she argued, "I mean, I could be dead, or still in a coma; I could've had something amputated, and the list goes on!" Cassie waved her limbs around for emphasis, and I could only stare blankly at her.

"You're crazy," I said, almost affectionately, and she grinned.

"All part of the Barker charm," Cassie smiled, and I couldn't help but smile back. "Now," she said, standing up, "can we go to Emily's? I'm starving."

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I drove up to Emily and Sam's place, taking a quick peek at Cassie from the corner of my eye for the millionth time. I would be lying if I said I didn't like her wearing one of my t-shirts, especially since she had it knotted in the front, showing just a bit of skin…

"Paul," Cassie interrupted my less than appropriate daydream, "You can cut the engine now."

"Oops," I said under my breath, turning the key in the ignition and sliding it out.

I stepped out of the truck, taking my place beside Cassie. She placed her hand inside of mine, and I squeezed it gently. She walked lithely up the porch steps, and I followed suit like a lovesick puppy. As Cassie placed her hand on the doorknob, the door was wrenched open. Cassie let out a shocked squeak, backing up into my chest. I growled at Quil.

"Watch it, dumbass," I snarled, but he ignored me. Instead, he turned to Cassie with a curious expression.

"So…" he started, "did you two make up?" I rolled my eyes at him and wrapped my arms around Cassie's waist. I didn't miss how Quil's eyes lit up and how he shook—something he did when he was excited about something. Quil stepped to the side, allowing us entry into the house. As we passed, he winked devilishly at me, and I grinned.

There was a buzzing excitement in the air, and I could see Cassie looking about in curiosity. Quickly, she pulled me towards the kitchen where conversations were flurried. When we entered, Emily and Kim were pointing emphatically at items in a catalog with both Sam and Jared behind them, eyeing the prices warily.

"Honey," Jared said soothingly, "That crib is over a thousand dollars. Why don't you pick out something else?" Kim paused in her conversation with Emily to turn around as far as her swollen belly would let her to glare at her husband.

"But I don't want another crib," she hissed. "This is the best one they have! Don't you want what is best for your unborn child?" Jared grimaced, nodding his head. Kim's scowl melted into a beam and she circled the crib in permanent marker.

"Emily? Which one did you want?" Kim asked, and Emily launched into a full description of a crib that she insisted was just a few pages away. As they flipped through, I sat down in one of the vacant sits, pulling Cassie down onto my lap and rested my chin on top of her head. I snickered at Sam and Jared as they grimaced and flinched at the obscene prices.

"Don't worry, Paul," Sam said darkly, "You'll be going through this, too, very soon." I rolled my eyes, still smirking at him. He and Jared scowled at me in unison before turning back to their hormonal wives and tried to convince them to pick something out something that wouldn't drain their banking accounts.

"Paul, dear?" Emily asked in a sweet voice. "Don't you think that this crib is so adorable?" She held up the thick catalog and pointed at one the choices.

"I'm happy to say that I wouldn't know, Emily," I said wryly, and she scowled at me.

"Oh, you're useless," she said harshly, and Sam chuckled.

"Hey, hey. What's going on in here?" Tommy asked, leading Leah into the kitchen with us. Emily snapped into action, holding up the catalog for his perusal.

"Isn't it the quality of an item—oh, say a crib, for instance—that matters the most, instead of the price?" Emily leaned towards him, a spark in her eyes. Tommy glanced at the magazine warily, and settled for shrugging his shoulders. Smart man.

"Men!" Emily griped to an equally pissed off looking Kim. "They have no common sense, whatsoever!"

"Um, honey," Sam said, "I'm a man, remember?" Emily tilted her head back to glare at him.

"Exactly," Emily snapped, and Kim glared back at Jared. They shrunk back from their wives shrewd expressions, and I could hear Cassie giggling quietly into my shoulder.

"Hey, Cass," Tommy said, grinning at her in a way that I didn't like, "What have you been up to lately, hm?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and she flushed a light pink. Leah, lucky for him, was the one that smacked him, albeit lightly.

"Leave her alone, Tommy," she said, grinning. "Paul probably has her all worn out." She winked at Cassie, making her skin flush darker.

"Shut it, Leah," I growled, tightening my grip on Cassie. But she just laughed me off, leaning her head onto Tommy's shoulder, her gaze never letting up.

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There's actually a second part to this chapter [next chapter], and it'll still be Paul's POV. Yup. And, yes, Paul WAS going to propose last chapter, rather hastily, but Melanie stopped him. Thank her. ;|

So, please review this shitty chapter. Maybe I'll come back and edit it into something slightly decent later. But, as for now, sorry! [Please excuse any errors you see!]