Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Twilight. And the song credit goes to All Time Low.

And it heats up! Heh heh heh! Read and Review pretty please!

"Meet me on Thames Street,

I'll take you out though I'm hardly worth your time.

In the cold you look so fierce, but I'm warmin' up because the tensions like a fire.

We'll hit South Broadway in a matter of minutes and like a bad movie I'll drop a line

Fall in the grave I've been digging myself, but there's room for two.

Six feet under the stars."

Six Feet Under The Stars

The next few months went by fast. Jolie's belly expanded as my fear for the creepy white guy lessened. I hadn't seen any more of him since that night, but now I was more worried about the wolves that lurked around the woods. Every night right before I slipped into bed I would hear one lone howl that never failed to send goose bumps all over my body.

I couldn't get rid of Paul either. Believe it or not, he and Derek had become friends! Friends! I thought Paul hated the guy, but instead I found him playing Playstation with him when I got back from the grocery store. I had almost dropped the tub of ice cream I had just bought. I almost hated to admit it, but his presence didn't bug me so much anymore now that I had been forced to suffer through his presence.

But that didn't explain why Paul was at my house on my day off, when Derek was at work. Today was supposed to be my day of pure me-ness. Paul was having none of that as he barged into the house unannounced and propped himself up against the doorway to the kitchen.

"That smells delicious." He commented as I flipped my grilled cheese.

"It's mine."

"Can I have one please?"

"The stuff is on the counter, make one yourself." I replied as I put my sandwich on a plate and headed for the table.

"Are you sure you want me cooking?"

"Look-" I was cut off by the phone.

With a sigh I abandoned my grilled cheese and went to answer the phone. I shouldn't have even bothered; it was probably a telemarketer. I bet Paul was eating my grilled cheese right now; the bastard.

"Hallie?" It was Kevin.

"What happened?!" I practically shrieked into the phone.

"She had the baby."

"And?"

"It's a girl."

I couldn't contain my smile, "I'll be right there."

I practically skipped back into the kitchen and smiled up at Paul, who was eating my grilled cheese sandwich, a guilty little smile on his lips. I should have been pissed, but I didn't really care at the moment. I needed to go see my niece, and I didn't have a car.

"Jolie had the baby!" I exclaimed. "And I need you to give me a ride to the hospital."

He stuffed the last of my sandwich into his mouth and pulled his keys from his pocket. He swallowed and sent a satisfied grin at me. I knew what he was thinking and I didn't like it.

"Don't get too excited; it's just a ride."

He didn't say anything; instead he led me out of the house and into his truck. I spent the ride to the hospital in quiet excitement. What I really wanted to do was shriek like an idiot, but I didn't want Paul laughing at me or something.

"So, what is it?" He asked as he pulled into the parking lot of the hospital.

"It's a girl." I replied.

I wasted no time; I bounded out of his truck and towards the front doors. Paul caught up to me in a matter of seconds and followed behind me as I made my way to the maternity ward. I would have gone to the nurses' desk to ask for direction but a familiar figure met my eyes.

"Dad?!"

He turned around from the doorway to the room and smiled at me. There were times that I had wanted to hate him; like when Mom told me she wanted to kill herself. But I couldn't, because he was and always would be my Father; the guy that taught me how to ride a bike and took me to the library all the time in junior high without too much complaint. I didn't know he was flying in for this, but I was suddenly very happy that he had. I smiled at him and did something I hardly ever did; I hugged him.

"It's good to see you Hallie." He whispered.

"You too."

"I saw your Mom and Billy earlier; I am happy she found someone." He confessed. "There will always be a part of me that loves your Mother, Hallie."

"I know, but let's not get into that okay?" I stated, feeling the familiar tears prick at my eyes any time I thought about that stuff.

He smiled, "You're right, go in there and meet your niece; she's beautiful."

I left Paul out in the hallway with my Dad and entered the room where Jolie lay with Kevin next to her holding the tiny bundle in his arms. He looked so happy, and that made me happy beyond words.

"Hey guys." I smiled.

"Guess what?" Jolie grinned.

"What?"

"Well her name is Joanna, which we are fully aware is your middle name."

"But why?"

Kevin stood up carefully and walked over to me. I peered down into Joanna's face and gasped when I saw her dark brown eyes staring up at me; eyes that I saw everyday in the mirror when I put my makeup on. I looked at her closer; she looked like I did when I was born! What were the chances!? My brother and I were polar opposites in the looks department. I was dark where he was fair, so it was pretty odd that his daughter looked like me.

I couldn't help the idiotic smile that crossed my lips, "This is divine justice I think." I grinned.

"Jolie insisted she be named after you once Mom said she looked like you." Kevin replied as he held her out for me to hold.

I eagerly extended my arms and smiled down at my niece as she was placed into my loving arms. Wow. I heard someone come in behind me, but hardly paid any attention as our identical eyes met.

"She has the exact same eyes as you."

It was Paul. And it was in that moment his husky voice washed over me that a forbidden picture swam before my eyes. Me in a hospital bed holding a baby that looked like Paul. What was wrong with me? I had just learned to tolerate the guy for more than a few minutes! It had to be a side effect of all the emotions in the room; that had to be it.

***

It was like road kill; you want to look away but you can't. That's the way it had been for me ever since that day in the hospital. The image has burned itself into my retinas and every time I even heard his name mentioned I couldn't shake it.

"I can't help you babysit today." Derek stated as he walked into the living room where I was pulling out the baby toys I had bought for Joanna. Over the past two months of her life Kevin and Jolie had been working on their relationship on Saturdays, leaving me with Joanna. I loved it, and with Derek's help it was even better.

"What are you doing?" I asked curiously.

"Believe it or not, I've been seeing someone and her parents are having a lunch thing."

"Oh, who is this lucky lady?"

"She's from Forks, you wouldn't know her." Derek replied quickly. "Anyway, Paul is supposed to come over today so he can help you with Joanna."

My heart about jumped out of my chest and I inwardly cursed as that image swam before my eyes yet again. I had managed to avoid him the last two months and it hadn't been easy; he was persistent.

Derek saw my expression and laughed, "Why don't you give the guy a chance? He really likes you."

"Why would he like me, Derek?" I questioned. "I'm a cynical, jaded jerk…no wait I guess bitch would be more accurate."

"You two are more alike than you think." Derek explained. "And besides, you need to realize that not every relationship is a dead end like your parent's was."

The smart ass left the living room before I could add further comment; sometimes I worried he knew me too well. Jolie and Kevin arrived soon after his little statement and soon I had little Joanna cradled in my arms in my favorite rocking chair. She had just woken up from a small car nap and was staring up at me with those familiar brown eyes. It was funny how I never realized just how pretty my eyes were until now.

"Hey."

As usual shivers raced down my spine as Paul sat down on the couch and stared at me holding Joanna in my arms. And as usual he was only dressed in a wife beater, some shorts and no shoes. Our eyes met and there was some emotion in his that I couldn't identify.

"Can I hold her?" He questioned gently.

"Yeah, I have to put dinner in the oven." I replied as I stood up and walked over to where I was sitting.

He expertly took Joanna from me and held her as if he held babies all the time. Satisfied that she was safe, I went into the kitchen and started to throw together a dinner that could feed both Paul and I. I had already learned months ago that he was a pig; so that meant I had to cook for a six, instead of two people.

When I finally returned to the living room I caught my breath at the sight before my eyes. They were still on the couch, but they were both asleep. Joanna was lying on his stomach, her head over his heart, sleeping peacefully. His hand gently held her up by the butt as he snored away.

The thoughts that filled my head scared the shit out of me, so I distracted myself the only way I knew how. I raided Derek's book shelf and found a book to read. I read for an hour while they slept there on the couch, oblivious to the torment I was going through on the inside. Finally, the snoring ceased and I met Paul's eyes over the top of my book.

"Something smells delicious."

His deep voice caused Joanna to wake up. She stared up at him for a minute and then she started to cry. She had to be hungry, so I abandoned my book and lifted her away from Paul into the kitchen. I had the bottle in her mouth when he came into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"You're really good with her." He commented. "Do you ever think of having children?"

"That requires a relationship, at least in my books."

"And what's so wrong with a relationship?" He asked offended.

"I don't exactly have the best examples for relationships. Look, I believe some people get lucky and others…well they're destined to be alone."

"How can you say that?!"

"I used to be a hopeless romantic; I read Harlequin romances religiously all throughout high school. Then I went to college and had a harsh slap of reality. People get lucky."

"That's bull shit." He said passionately, his hands clenched into fists.

I chuckled cynically, "No guy has ever been interested in me unless it benefitted him. I was always a good prom date, never girlfriend material. And sure I know guys have checked me out, but none of them actually ever did anything about it. You know what that tells me? That tells me that I am one of those people that will not be lucky."

I had accepted that fact a long time ago, so no tears threatened to spill over onto my cheeks at my little speech. I had cried numerous times for that reason, and I was done. That was until I looked into Paul's eyes; they were burning with that emotion I couldn't place as well as anger.

"That's not the way it is, Hallie."

He sounded so sure of himself. I liked him. I wanted a relationship with him. But past experience told me no. I pulled the empty bottle away from Joanna and lifted her to my shoulder to burp her as tears welled in my eyes. It was better this way; to do nothing about my feelings. That way in the long run I wouldn't want to kill myself when I was forty five.

I tried to hold them back, I really did, but a sob escaped my mouth as my vision went blurry. I heard Paul move forward and didn't protest as he took Joanna from my arms and finished burping her. I hardly registered the fact that he had left the room until he returned without her and pulled me into his arms.

"I don't want to hate myself in twenty years." I whispered sure he wouldn't hear me.

He did though; he pulled back to stare me in the eyes and wiped away the tears from my cheeks with his thumb.

"Do you realize how strong you are, Hallie? You are not your mother." He assured me. "I wouldn't let you hate yourself anyway."

"What do you mean?"

He snorted, "Can't you tell? I'm in love with you, Hallie."

That shut me up.

"But there's things I have to tell you." He continued. "I can't keep it from you anymore; I need you to know."

"Maybe right now isn't the best time to spring any more things on me." I said nervously, very afraid of what he was going to tell me.

He nodded, but I could tell that was not what he wanted. He wanted to tell me so bad, but I was too selfish. I pulled out of his arms and headed into the living room to check on Joanna. She was asleep in the portable crib, her hand fisted around the red blanket my Mom had crocheted. I stroked her cheek with my finger gently and sighed. I had always wanted children, and a husband that loved me to go along with them.

"You don't believe me do you?" Paul questioned from behind me.

"I just realized that I like you, Paul. But I don't know what that means yet."

He pulled me around so I was facing him and smiled down at me before he placed a kiss on my forehead. He left after that, and I sunk down into my rocking chair wondering when my life had spun so out of control.