Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the things you don't recognize! Song credit Forever the Sickest Kids

I am so sorry that I haven't updated in a while! These last three weeks have been crazy busy, and I'm sure that things are pretty much going to stay the same until my finals are over. However, after attending my cousin's wedding this weekend, I was hit with a bit of inspiration that I plan to use to finish this story. I'm not sure how many chapters will follow this, but it definitely will not be over five. Thanks for the reviews despite the fact I haven't been the best updater : )

"She was one the only for me,

I made mistakes but she always forgave me

She was the one, my only obsession"

Tough Love

In the weeks that followed the trip to Seattle I definitely noticed a change in the relationship between myself and Hunter. We were both nervous around each other and there were moments when I was sure he was going to say something, but he ended up walking away. I didn't know what was going on, but I didn't like it. I missed the way things were.

However, after a few weeks back in La Push the reason for Paul's huge grin finally became clear. One day I had been working on some of Paul's receipts with Grace on the floor playing with her new sea otter, Oliver.

Abandoning the row of numbers I had been adding up I stood up from my chair and headed towards the front door, glancing in on Grace on my way. She was currently sitting on the floor gumming Oliver the Otter, so with a smile I proceeded to the front door.

I really had no idea who would show up at this time of day. I knew that Cady had a doctor's appointment today and Mom was supposed to be going with her, so whoever was behind that door was anyone's guess.

But when I opened the door I had definitely had not been expecting to see Roxy on the other side with an anxious smile on her face.

"Hey." She said nervously. "Is Paul here?"

I smiled, "He'll be home in a few hours. What brings you here?"

Roxy smiled and I finally noticed what was behind her, a huge suitcase.

"I left my practice, packed up my apartment and shipped my stuff here before I got on a plane."

If Hunter and I had thought Paul was happy before he was absolutely ecstatic now that Roxy moved in. For a week Roxy stayed around during the day while the boys were at work, which was a little odd for me, but after a week Hunter got her in at the hospital as his partner.

Although everyone was happy, the house was a little crowded, even with Roxy and Paul sharing his master suite. And since the house was crowded that meant that messes seemed to be spread throughout the house for me to clean up.

"What are you doing?"

I jumped and the clothes that I had gathered in my hands fell down on the carpeted floor of Hunter's room. I admit that I was probably in the wrong by being in his room, but he had left the door open which showed me the nice view of his huge pile of clothes in the corner. I was doing laundry anyway, and just knowing the pile was there was bugging the hell out of me.

With the clothes back on the floor, I turned to look at Hunter with a sheepish smile on my face. He didn't seem angry, in fact he looked amused. I started to open my mouth to let him know just what I had been doing when he stepped farther into his room and shut the door behind himself. My words froze on the tip of my tongue; what was he doing?

"Snooping around are you?" Hunter asked with a grin as he moved closer to me.

I rolled my eyes, "In a pile of dirty clothes?"

"Maybe I hide my porn in there." He chuckled.

"You better not; I eradicated that crap from the house months ago."

He was still moving closer to me slowly as I stood there frozen in place by the pile of dirty clothes.

"I haven't used porn since I was a teenager, so don't worry. However, you might find some unpleasant socks in that pile." Hunter smiled.

"Well, that's why I was gathering up your clothes, to wash them."

He finally halted in his advance, close enough that I had to tilt my head back to look up into his warm brown eyes. He was smiling down at me and he lifted his hand as my heart started to beat erratically out of my chest. Instead of touching me like I had thought he was going to, he pulled a stray sock off of my shoulder and threw it back into the pile.

"Paul's been working on my brother's old house." He stated.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, it's ready for me to move into. Paul needs his space with Roxy here. So, do you and Grace want to move in with me?"

My heart started up where it had left off when I thought he was going to touch my face and I swallowed nervously before I met his anxious gaze.

"Do you want me to move in with you?" I asked calmly despite the fact that it felt like my heart was about to beat out of my chest.

"Yes, I do."

"What does that mean for my job?"

Hunter smiled and I jumped slightly when I felt his hands settle on my hips. All of my attention was focused on the feeling of his warm hands gripping my hips so I didn't notice his face was moving closer to mine until his lips were hovering right over mine.

"You can still be Paul's finance lady." He whispered against my lips before he finally settled his lips over mine.

I was frozen for only a second before I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me. Why had I wanted just our friendship when there could be this too? I hated to admit it, but Paul was right and I was sure he would be more than happy to be able to gloat about it.

When our lips finally separated, Hunter placed a gentle kiss on my forehead before he moved back far enough so we could look into each other's eyes.

"I've wanted to do that for a while." He sighed.

"Sorry I made things awkward these past few weeks."

He smiled, "It's alright. So does this mean you'll move in with me as my girlfriend?"

My heart skipped a beat at that word and I felt myself smile wide, "Yes."

* * *

"I would just like to take this moment to say that I told you so."

I quickly set down my box full of books on my bed in my new room across town before I turned and hit Paul on the arm. Paul laughed as he set down my bookshelf in the corner of the room and then turned to me with a big smile.

"You've said that about ten times already, Paul."

"And it hasn't gotten old yet."

"That's because it's the one time you have been right about something." I laughed to which he scowled.

His scowl only lasted a minute before he pulled me into his arms for a big bear hug. He crushed me for about a second before he released me.

"So, I'm going to make another call which you will probably deny and then have me be right in the end." Paul began. "The way I see it, this is going to be permanent. Give it a few months and you will be Grace's legal mother."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that Hunter is going to wait to adopt her until you two are married, so the two of you can together."

"Married?! We just became an official couple!"

Paul smirked, "Go ahead, deny it. But you'll see I was right; it won't take long, you two were friends first so you pretty much know everything there is to know about each other."

"What are you two talking about?" Hunter asked as he walked into the room with Grace on his hip and Roxy behind him. I quickly shot Paul a warning look before I walked over with a sweet smile and took Grace from Hunter.

"Oh nothing." I lied sweetly. "I was telling Paul that he's an idiot."

"Funny, I thought I was the one calling you an idiot." Paul remarked as he moved across the room to slip his arm around Roxy's waist.

"So, are you two going to leave for your date now?" Roxy asked as she held out her arms for Grace.

Tonight was to be our first official date and Paul and Roxy were going to watch Grace here at the new house so Grace could adapt. Even though this had been the house she had been brought home from the hospital to, she had spent most of her short life in Paul's house.

"Yeah, now get out so I can get ready."

"No, you're fine in what you're in." Hunter insisted.

I looked down at what I was wearing; jeans and a hoodie, not exactly what I considered to be date wear. He was dressed the same as I was and judging by the look on his face I doubted he was about to go change either. So instead of saying anything else I shrugged, kissed Grace goodbye and followed Hunter out of the house.

I headed for his car, but stopped when I noticed he was walking the other way. He laughed as I ran to catch up with him, but stopped when I slipped my cold hand inside his warm one.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"The cliffs."

"Are you going to throw me off?" I teased.

"If you're not careful."

It only took us about five minutes to walk to the cliffs and when we arrived there was a little blanket spread out with a picnic basket to anchor it down. I smiled up at Hunter before I eagerly plopped down on the blanket and waited for him to join me. Once he was on the blanket too he opened the basket to reveal our dinner of salami sandwiches and sun chips.

"I figured anything else would get too cold out here." Hunter shrugged as he handed me my share of food.

"I love salami." I assured him before I took a bite out of my sandwich.

We spent the next two hours by the cliffs, laughing, snuggling close for warmth as the wind picked up and kissing every once and a while. I felt carefree and dare I say happy for once in my life. There were no secrets between the two of us; we had already shared the darkest stuff within ourselves as friends. It was easy, and it felt right.

* * *

It didn't take us long to settle into the house that once belonged to Grace's parents. It was easy and perhaps a bit dangerous, but instead of trying to deny it to myself anymore I openly acted like Grace's mother.

While Hunter was gone during the day I did what I normally did except I referred to myself as Mommy when I spoke to Grace. It was a dangerous thing to do, but I felt better about it once Hunter started to work on getting her to call him 'Daddy'.

As the months passed by lots of things were happening. Cady's belly was growing by the day, her son nestled safely inside, Hunter and Roxy were doing well at the hospital, and Paul and Roxy had announced their engagement as well as the due date for their baby.

"So when will we be hearing an announcement from you?" Cady asked with a sly smile as she absently stroked a hand over her large belly. She was due in three weeks and couldn't be more excited. In fact the only person that was more excited than her was Seth.

"If you're thinking I'm going to have a birth announcement you're wrong." I blushed.

"You mean you guys haven't?"

I shook my head as my face reddened, "We just started saying 'I love you' for goodness sakes."

It was true. It had taken a long time and even then I had not been the first one to say anything; I was too afraid. Obviously I had not grown up with the best example of love, and I wanted more than anything not to mess up what Hunter and I had. Of course he called me silly and professed his love for me.

"Well, what about a wedding? The sooner you guys get Grace's adoption in the works the better." Cady stated.

She was right about that although it would be a bit easier than normal given the fact that Hunter is biologically related to her.

"I think Hunter and I both have an unspoken agreement to take things slow, Cady. I haven't been in the best condition for the last sixteen years if you remember."

Cady nodded solemnly, "Oh I remember, that's why I'm so happy to see you happy."

"I am, Cady, I am."