Hey everyone! Thank you all so much for your reviews and adds. I'm really glad you guys are enjoying the story so far. I know I promised to have this up yesterday, but I didn't have time to finish it until tonight. I hope you guys like this chapter, and please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Twilight.

Chapter Four

The second Camilla pulled her mother's van up in front of the Uley's house and parked it, she thought about turning around and heading back home. The driveway was full of cars and even where she sat she could hear the laughter coming from the well-lit house. She knew less than a handful of the twenty people inside and she wasn't so sure that this was a good idea after all. The baby decided to send a swift kick near her liver and wincing Camilla turned off the engine and pulled out the keys. That was about as close to a kick in the backside that she was going to get just then.

"Okay, okay," she said as she looked down at her stomach. "I'm going." She opened the driver's side door only to let out a quiet scream as she looked outside and saw Paul standing outside wearing only a light t-shirt, his jeans, and a pair of tennis shoes. "Jeez, you scared me," she said and Paul made a face.

"Sorry," he said and she laughed quietly as she shook her head.

"It's okay," she said and he smiled at her. "Can you give me a hand?" she asked and he nodded quickly before he moved over to her and helped her out of the van. "I have some things I need to bring inside."

"What'd you bring?" Paul asked with a curious expression and Camilla laughed.

"My mom asked Sue how many people were going to be at this thing and we made some gift bags," she said and Paul's curious faced turned to surprise as his eyebrows raised and looked down at her. "I couldn't come empty handed. Oh, and I also brought cookies." She turned to walk around the van to go to the sliding side door, but Paul caught her arm. She looked up at him, gently tossing her bangs from her eyes as she did so. "What is it?" she asked softly when he didn't say anything.

"Nothing, I just . . . I wanted to say thanks," he said as he let go of her arm and she smiled as she shook her head.

"They're not much, Paul, just a few little trinkets and some homemade candy," she said, a blush finding its way across her cheeks as she looked up at him.

"It's the thought that counts, Camilla, and that was really thoughtful," he said as he smiled at her, which made her blush even more.

"Well, how about you be thoughtful and give me a hand?" she asked and he chuckled.

"Okay," he said before he helped her walk around the van and she opened the side door. The small gift bags were put into two plastic shopping bags so they would be easy to carry, but the rather large tray of cookies was the heaviest item she had to bring in.

"Would you mind carrying the cookies?" she asked as she looked up at him and he shook his head negatively before he reached in and picked up the tray. Through the plastic wrap covering the large tray he could see a variety of cookies that both looked and smelled absolutely amazing. She grabbed the two plastic bags and slid the door closed before the two of them started for the house. "Aren't you freezing?" she asked as they walked and Paul glanced at her.

"I've only been outside for a minute," he said. "It's not so bad out tonight." Camilla just hummed quietly in response before she chuckled, which made Paul smile as they walked up the porch steps and into the yellow house. Seth was the first to great them at the door and Camilla smiled up at the young man.

"Hey, ya made it," Seth said and Camilla nodded as she entered the much warmer house. Seth frowned slightly and chuckled quietly. "What's all this?" he asked when he saw the bags in her hands and the large tray Paul was carrying.

"I brought some stuff for everyone, and my mom and I made cookies this morning," Camilla said.

"Really?" Seth asked as he closed the door behind Paul and she nodded. "That's nice." Camilla just laughed lightly and shook her head negatively as she smiled up at him and blushed yet again. "Here, I'll take those while you take off your coat and stuff."

"Thanks," she said as she handed him the bags. He nodded his head and glanced at Paul who was watching Camilla with soft eyes and a small smile on his face. Seth grinned at his friend and shook his head slightly while Camilla slipped off her boots and hung up her coat with the others by the door. "Okay," she said as she held out her hands to Seth and the slightly younger man chuckled as he handed her bags back to her.

"Cute," Seth said when he saw her outfit and she laughed.

"Thanks," she said again before she looked up at Paul to see him shooting a glare at Seth. "Are you okay, Paul?" she asked him curiously and Paul's eyes moved back to her. He smiled at her and nodded his head.

"Perfect," he said through his smile and Camilla nodded though she didn't quite believe him. "Let's go and introduce you to everyone."

"Okay," she breathed and the trio went further into the house where Camilla was introduced to a wave of people she didn't know. Camilla was doing her best to remember the names of everyone Seth dragged her over to meet.

She knew Sam and Emily, of course, and Emily had quickly embraced her as she thanked her for the cookies. Camilla in turn congratulated the couple as she gestured to Emily's small bump on her lower abdomen. Emily beamed at her and did the same to Camilla. Sue was next to welcome Camilla to the Uley house along with Charlie while Emily took the bags in Camilla's hands and carried them over to the brightly decorated tree.

It was then that Camilla met Jacob Black and his father Billy, Embry Call, and Jared Cameron along with his girlfriend Kim Cornwell. She also met Quil Atera, and a little girl named Claire who was playing a game with Quil as she sat beside him. She met a few others and was welcomed warmly by all the seriously massive young men in the house. Given her nervous state she couldn't remember most of their names, and she just hope there was no quiz at the end of the night.

Dinner had gone by easily and Camilla had calmed down considerably as she seemed to easily fit in with everyone and although he hadn't expected anything else, he was both happy and relieved. He wanted Camilla to feel comfortable around the people that were basically his extended family. She had hit it off with Emily and Kim, and had spent a majority of the night in their company, except for during dinner. During dinner Camilla had sat beside him on the sofa, her side pressed against his because a few others had sat down on the sofa with them. Now, almost two hours later he could still smell the soft and faint scent of her floral perfume that had rubbed off onto his clothes from sitting so close together.

Paul stood off to the side of the room, his back resting against the wall behind him as he held a plastic cup of soda in his hand as he watched Camilla from across the room. She was sitting beside Sue, asking the older woman for all the details about her upcoming New Year's Day nuptials to Charlie. He smiled slightly as Camilla laughed and gently brushed her bangs back from her eyes before her hand came to rest on her stomach once more. He noticed that she often did that and he wondered if it was because the baby was always moving around.

"You know, you can go over and sit with her," a voice said and Paul looked away from Camilla and at Jared who had sauntered up to him with a grin on his face. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"How do you know?" Paul asked.

"Because on the rare moments you actually look away from her she glances your way," Jared said and Paul raised an eyebrow, which made Jared chuckle. "She's nice . . . and pretty," he added as he looked at Camilla briefly before he returned his eyes to his friend. "Are you okay with the baby?" Paul sighed quietly as he looked at Camilla once more, using the guise to take a drink of his soda as he did so.

"Honestly, at first I wasn't really happy about it, but now . . .," he shrugged as he trailed off and looked at Jared once more, "yeah. I'm great with it. He or she is part of Camilla and you know how I already feel about her."

"Yeah," Jared said with a chuckle. "You don't even try to keep your thoughts to yourself."

"Hey, you weren't any better when you first imprinted on Kim," Paul said and Jared rolled his eyes.

"That was because I didn't know how to keep things to myself," Jared said, "we learned how to do that a while ago, man." Paul grinned before he looked down at the cup in his hand. Camilla had a beautiful smile and just the sound of her laughter made his heart race, and even when he wasn't around her he couldn't escape the sound because his mind played it over again and again. He couldn't stop thinking about her, and he didn't hate it.

"Yeah, well, I like thinking about her," he said before he returned his eyes to Camilla. However, she was no longer sitting on the sofa beside Sue. He stiffened and pushed himself off of the wall, but Jared just chuckled.

"Man, relax," Jared said and Paul looked at him. "She didn't disappear," he added with a whisper and Paul frowned.

"Hey," came Camilla's voice and Paul practically jumped out of skin as he spilled what was left of his soda all down the front of his shirt. Jared broke out into a deep laugh while Camilla gasped as Paul looked at her with wide eyes. "Sorry," she said as she covered her mouth with her hand, but Paul easily saw the smile breaking through and the laugh was easy to hear in her voice; which only made him chuckle. "Looks like I got you back for scaring me," she said as she lowered her hand and revealed her dimpled smile to him.

"Yeah," he said lightly before he sighed and looked down at his soda covered shirt. "I should probably go clean up," he said as he lifted his head and looked at Camilla. "Did you need something before I go?"

"No, I was just coming over to talk to you," she said, her cheeks tinting pink as she looked up at him with her smile still in place. Paul's heart jumped slightly at that as he smiled back at her.

"Well, don't go far," Paul said as he handed his cup over to Jared who was still chuckling. "I'm just going to run up to the bathroom. I won't be long." Camilla nodded and he smiled at her, gently touching her sweater covered left arm before he slipped past her and went into the hallway before he jogged up the stairs, taking two at a time.

Camilla watched Paul walk away and bit her lower lip before she looked to the young man that had been standing with Paul. Jared was his name and she smiled at him, which he easily returned.

"Enjoying the party?" he asked her and she nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "First time I've actually had a great time in a long while." She smiled at him once again and Jared smiled at her in return.

"Good, and thank you, by the way, for the gift bag," he said.

"You're welcome," she said. "I hope you like caramel because the candy in the bag is homemade caramel twists. They're really chewy and tend to get stuck to your teeth but they're so good I think having to pick at your teeth after you eat them is worth it."

"Wait, you made the candy?" Jared asked. The bag had been full of candy along with a few little odds in ends. He'd already eaten half of the candy in his bag and had planned on asking her where she got it because it was awesome.

"My mom and I made it actually," she said with a small nod.

"It is really good," Jared said and she smiled at him. "I'll have to get you the stuff you need and have you make some more." She laughed at that and Jared grinned.

"I'd be happy to," she said.

"Good, and count on me to take you up on that," he said as he pointed a finger at her and Camilla smiled once more as she nodded yet again.

"I will," she said and Jared smiled.

"Hey guys," Kim said as she walked up to the pair and Jared was quick to put his arm around her as she settled at his side. Kim wrapped her arm around his waist and rested her head on the crook of Jared's shoulder.

"Hi," Camilla said with a warm smile as she observed the pair for a minute as Jared looked down at Kim and kissed the top of her head.

It was obvious how much Jared loved Kim by the way he looked at her. Camilla knew that Travis never, not even once, looked at her the way Jared looked at Kim or even the way Charlie had looked at Sue while she told Camilla all about their wedding. For some strange reason, tears lined her eyes as she looked at the couple in front of her and Camilla needed to take a minute for herself to get herself together.

"I'll be right back," Camilla said, her voice quivering just slightly and alerting the pair that something wasn't right because they both looked at her with concern on their faces.

"Everything okay?" Jared asked and Camilla nodded as she gave him a strained smile.

"Everything's fine," she said lightly. "I just need some air."

"You sure?" Kim asked and she nodded again with another strained smile. She quickly turned and went over to the door as an errant tear rolled down her cheek. She slipped on her boots and grabbed her jacket before she walked outside, tugging on her jacket as she stepped onto the porch. She took a deep breath of the cold night air and slowly let it out as she wiped at the tears on her cheeks before she rolled her eyes skyward. It was not the time for her emotions to rollercoaster, but she was having no success in holding her tears back. Sniffing quietly she walked over to the porch railing and rested her hands on the weathered wood as she looked out into the darkness.

Camilla didn't even know why she was letting her thoughts about Travis get the best of her. She was over him and didn't need him in her or their baby's life. However, the sting that he could so easily throw away the year and a half they spent together had yet to go away. She felt cheated and used, both feelings she thought she had overcome, and she hated Travis even more than she already did.

She'd been so naïve when it came to their relationship because she had loved him and put him up on a pedestal that he didn't deserve to be on. Obviously, seeing Sam and Emily and Jared and Kim gave her hope that there were men out there her age that weren't just looking for one thing and a 'good time.' However, she seriously doubted that she would ever be as lucky as Emily and Kim in that department; but she would have her child and in the end she would be happy.

"Camilla?" a deep voice asked and Camilla let go of the railing before she wiped her face quickly and turned around to see Paul wearing a dark shirt standing just behind her. "Are you all right?" he asked with a frown marring his face when he saw her tears in the glow of the light from the house.

"Fine," she said with a watery eyed smile. "I'm just . . .," she trailed off and sighed before she shook her head, "a little emotional at the moment. I'm a raging blob of hormones and I go from happy to sad in a second. I really am fine."

"For some reason I don't believe you," he said as he walked a little closer to her and she sighed as a few fresh tears filled her eyes. "What's going on?"

"I guess I'm . . . jealous," she admitted with a defeated sigh as she looked up at him, finally identifying the emotion she felt the longer she stood on the porch. She found it hard to lie to the man standing in front of her, and she really didn't want to lie to him. He'd been nothing but kind to her throughout their interactions after their first awkward meeting, and she liked him. She already considered him a friend, and she didn't want to lose his friendship.

"Of what?" he asked with a gentle shake of his head.

"You'll think I'm pathetic if I tell you," she said, her green eyes sad as she looked at him.

"Camilla, I won't think you're pathetic," he said as he shook his head and walked a little closer to her. They looked at each other for a beat before Camilla sighed and looked down at her stomach, her hands going to rest on her red and white polka dot blouse since her jacket was open. Slowly, she returned her eyes to his and he felt his chest constrict as he saw the tears fall from her eyes as she returned her hands to her sides.

"I'm jealous of Jared and Kim, Emily and Sam, and even Sue and Charlie," she admitted before she was quiet once again.

"I don't understand," he said as he took another step towards her.

"They're so in love," she said, "and I thought I had what they have when I was with Travis, but I was wrong. The way Jared looks at Kim . . ." she sighed and shook her head softly. "Travis never looked at me that way. I loved him but he really didn't love me. He never did. He just got what he wanted out of me before he threw me away."

"Maybe, in the end, he really didn't love you, Camilla, but he gave you something I know that will," Paul said and she smiled slightly before her hands went back to her stomach. He knew then that she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"My baby," she said quietly and he nodded as he too smiled.

"Yeah, and he or she is going to love you forever," he said, which made her laugh lightly as she lowered her hands.

"Until he or she becomes a teenager, right?" she asked and he chuckled before he nodded.

"Yeah, until then, but deep down he or she will still love you. Just not show it," he added and she laughed again as she wiped at her eyes. "Plus, long before then you will find a man that looks at you the way that Jared looks at Kim."

"You sound so sure," she said and Paul smiled at her before he raised his right hand to her left cheek and wiped at a wayward tear from her cheek before he lowered his hand.

"I may not know you that well yet, Camilla, but you're a great girl," he said, "and any guy will be one lucky bastard to land you." He could see her blush as she looked up at him and he worried that he might have exposed too much of himself with his words. However, he saw no sign that she thought his words were more than a compliment rather than an admission of his feelings for her.

"From your lips to God's ears, Paul," she said. "Let's hope He heard you."

"I'm pretty sure He heard me," Paul said and she laughed lightly before she fully smiled at him, easing the tightness in his chest.

After talking to Paul, Camilla felt completely at ease and as if a large weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She believed him, without a doubt, and he gave her a little more hope to cling to that someday she would be beyond happy like her new friends seemed to be.

"Come on, Camilla, let's get you inside. It's cold out," he said as he stepped to the side so she could pass and she shook her head.

"So says the man only wearing a t-shirt," she said and he grinned at her, happy that her mood was lifted. "I'm surprised you're not sick," she said as she started for the house with Paul right behind.

"I haven't gotten a cold or the flu in almost five years," he said as he stepped in front of her and opened the door. She stopped and looked up at him, the light from the open door basking her rosy nose and cheeks in a soft and warm glow that made his heart jump.

"Really?" she asked him and he nodded.

"Good genes," he said with a wink and she laughed as she rolled her eyes and stepped inside. Paul let out a soft breath and smiled before he followed Camilla inside. He was relieved that she seemed to take his words to heart. He didn't want her to be sad or depressed. He wanted her to be happy and he was determined that she would always be happy, no matter what.