*DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to the Twilight Saga and it's characters. This is purely artistic fiction drawn in inspiration from Stephenie Meyer's words.

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to the Twilight Saga and it's characters. This is purely artistic fiction drawn in inspiration from Stephenie Meyer's words.

**Sorry for the long wait, folks! I've been busy plunking away with my next book. Anyway, here she issss! Hope you like this ch. I had a blast writing about Paul. I tried not to make it too vulgar though. : )


Paul finished the rep he was doing, setting the dumbbells in his hands down onto the ground. Afterward, he sat back up, resting his back against the bench. He bent down to change the angle of the bench, guiding it down so it was parallel with the ground. Once the bench was flat on the ground, he stood and began to put weight on the silver bar. Bench press was his favorite. As a warm up, he preferred 225 lbs, later pushing onto 325 for the main set of reps.

He liked to push himself, being one of the strongest of the pack. He was on par with Jacob for most weight bench pressed and squatted. Although, he could lift for longer because he worked out regularly. Jacob never went to the gym, and Paul worked out five times a week. That's all he did with his time, work out or work at the shop. If he wasn't lifting dumbbells, he was lifting tires.

Typically, Paul didn't think about anything while he was lifting, his mind being blank. But as of late, the only thing on his mind was Rachel. How she looked in her scrubs. The way they hugged her slender curves. He was in trouble...

Never had he thirsted for someone the way he thirsted for her. And Paul had many girls in his bed. Dozens over the years. None of them filled the void like Rachel, his imprint, and he hadn't even had her in bed yet. He hoped that would change soon.

Not simply because that's all he wanted, he wanted more than to bed her. That's what made her different from the others. Paul wanted to talk with her until the early hours in the morning, find out what made her tick. He wanted to listen to her until she fell asleep in his arms, and then listen to the sound her heart made while she drifted off. He would give anything in his power to see what she looked like when she smiled—truly smiled. One that stretched her face and crinkled her eyes.

Hell, Paul couldn't stand that he had spent so much time away from her. He'd only met her once, and she rejected him outright. Things would be different later on today. Emily's baby shower was at 3 p.m. He had an hour to finish his work out and get dressed.

Even though he wanted to dress to the nines to impress her, he knew he would be better off with something more casual. But not as casual as he had been last time. Last time he wore a pair of Bermuda shorts, a cut off sweatshirt and his skate sneakers. Paul had a better outfit in mind for today. Something that would scream sophisticated, yet sensitive. That's what girls liked, or at least that's what the magazine about getting chicks said.

He planned to wear a dress shirt with a vest and jeans, along with brown leather ankle boots. That sounded like something Quil would pick out. Ever since their trip to the mall, Paul had religiously followed the instructions given to him. He changed his view on skin care, hygiene, and overall life. Paul washed his face twice a day, moisturized when he was supposed to and even used an exfoliate. He fought Quil on using sunscreen daily, but when he remembered, he applied it when he knew he would be outside.

Then there was using a separate body wash from hair shampoo and cream rinse. Paul had to admit that he smelled an awful lot better than he used to. He cycled between colognes they picked out that day, too. There was a lot to keep track of, but he managed. He knew he needed to in order to show he had changed. Rachel wouldn't know what hit her.

Paul finished his reps and sat there on the bench for a minute, cooling down, before getting up and wiping his face with a clean towel. Another thing Quil taught him. Laundry. Laundry needed to be washed regularly, and to not skimp on soap either.

He headed to the shower to clean up, turning off the light in his spare bedroom turned gym. It took him a few minutes to get washed, but longer to make sure he completed his daily steps. One: shampoo and cream rinse. Two: body wash. Three: wash his face and exfoliate. Four: moisturize. Five: put on deodorant.

Paul wrapped the towel around his midsection, staring into the mirror. He scrubbed a hand down his face. What if she doesn't like me? Still? he thought.

He shook his head and slapped his cheeks lightly, enough to wake him up a little. Paul exhaled and gazed back at his reflection.

"She'd be crazy not to like all this," he said out loud, gesturing to his body. He flexed his biceps, smirking.

A gnawing feeling ate at the back of his mind. His wolf, tearing down his self esteem, trotted around his scattered thoughts. He turned away from the mirror after finishing his routine, heading back into his bedroom. Paul went straight to his mahogany dresser, grabbing out a pair of fresh boxer briefs. He slid them on and adjusted himself.

Paul walked to his closet and pulled out the white dress shirt he planned to wear, along with the gray vest. He slipped into his tight-fitting jeans—the ones that made his ass look good—and socks followed by shoes. Next, he spritzed some Diar cologne on his chest and wrists for good measure. When he had finished dressing, he went back into the bathroom and gelled his hair into submission. He winked at the mirror and then headed toward his lifted diesel truck in the driveway.

Paul climbed into his truck carefully, narrowly avoiding all the dried up mud on the outside. He roared the engine to life, waiting as it chugged for a few minutes. After he put it into gear, he backed down the drive and wheeled around the corner. The drive took a few minutes. Emily and Sam's house was close by.

There were several cars that littered the lawn, including Quil's Scubaru and Bella's truck. There, at the end, sat the only car he cared about. The silver SUV that belonged to Rachel. When he got out of the truck, he glimpsed himself in the reflection of the window. Paul smoothed some of his hair down and headed toward the front door with a card in his left hand. He didn't know the first thing about babies, but he did know they needed money so that's what he got Emily.

After opening the door, he glanced around the bustling room, listening to the multiple conversations that were going on. All the men gathered around the TV, watching a recent football game unfold. The women were all huddled around Emily in the kitchen, discussing how far along she was and that the baby would be here soon. His eyes locked onto Rachel, who was standing on the far right, leaning against the kitchen counter.

His heartbeat quickened, and he tight gripped the card, walking forward into the house as the screen slammed behind him. The room went deadly silent for a moment before resuming. Jake stood from the couch and threw an arm around him.

"Hey there, tall, dark, and handsome. Raid a business man's closet lately?"

"Yeah, yeah, Black. Funny." He shrugged him off and continued his stride. "I've got a card I need to deliver."

"You mean my sister to talk to, huh?"

"N-no." Paul's voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. "No, numbnuts. I'm gonna go say hi to Emily."

While he was on the way to the kitchen, he gave a handshake and hug to Sam.

"Wow. You really clean up nice, Paul," he said.

"Thanks, dude. Just taking Quil's advice. Turns out he might be onto something." Paul shifted his weight onto his other foot. "Well, gotta deliver this card and give a hug to Em."

"Thanks for coming." Sam slapped his back and went back to watching the game.

Paul's eyes searched for Rachel again, who hadn't moved from the spot she was in. He tried not to immediately make a B-line for her, and instead walked up to Emily and pulled her into a bear hug. He was gentle enough to make sure he didn't squish her growing stomach. He had a soft spot for Emily.

"Hi, Em," he said.

"Hi Paul," she said, leaning back to appraise him. She raised her eyebrows in question. "What's the getup for? It's just a baby shower."

"Just thought I'd look nice, is all." Paul rubbed her shoulders while she was still in his hug. "Here. I brought you somethin'." He handed her the card.

"Oh, thanks. That's sweet of you, Paul." Emily took the card and laid it with the pile on the kitchen counter. There was a bunch of presents, small to large, right beside it. Some on the counter while some were stacked on the floor.

"Anything for you, Em." Paul let her go, and let his eyes rake across the kitchen, meeting Rachel's. He felt electricity zap down his spine, and he shivered.

"Anyway, as I was saying..." Emily continued her conversation she was having about the baby while Paul shimmied closer to Rachel. She eyed him suspiciously, sporting a frown. He leaned onto the tabletop beside her.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," she said, reluctantly.

"What's up?"

"Nothing. Here for a baby shower."

"Yeah." The silence between words shared was palpable.

"Aren't you that guy that offered to help with my car?"

"Yeah, that's me." He puffed his chest a little.

"You look a lot better today. Like you're not some frat bro searching for your next lay."

"Oh. Yeah. I got some advice from a friend."

"What kind of advice?"

"Just some stuff about not being a dick, and that I should shower more often."

"Would that stuff include dressing like a male model?"

"Is that what I look like?" He folded his arms behind his head, the material on his shirt tightening.

"No. I just meant, the way you're dressed is nice."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." Rachel leaned further away from him, scooting over so he could stand more comfortably.

"So can I have a do-over?"

"A do-over?"

"Yeah," he said, smirking. "I'm Paul." He extended his hand for her to take.

"I'm Rachel." She took his hand and shook it, her jaw popping open in surprise. "Are you okay? You're burning up."

"Yeah, I just run hot."

"Are you sure?" She lifted her hand to his forehead, checking his temp.

"Yeah. I'm fine." He grabbed her hand and pushed it away, a pleasant sensation lingering when he held it. His wolf howled inside the back of his mind.

"If you say so."

"So, what do you do for work?"

"I'm a nurse. You?"

"I work with your brother."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I'm a mechanic."

She swiveled her head, turning back to listening to Emily for a minute before she replied. "Right. That's interesting."

"What is?"

"That you're a mechanic. Woulda thought you were a construction worker or something."

"Why's that?"

"Because of all the muscles."

"I work out a lot, y'know." He fake flexed in front of her, careful not to split his shirt.

"I have eyes. Thanks."

He stood there, silent for a moment. "I'm not good at this whole talking thing, but I wanted to say I'm sorry for last time."

"Don't worry. You're doing good." She gently shoved his shoulder. "To be honest, I'm just a little hesitant about meeting new people. Especially guys."

"Why's that?"

"Because I just got out of a bad relationship..." she trailed off.

"He didn't hurt you did he?" Paul stood taller, his eyes darkening.

"None of your business, but you're not far off. He was bad for me."

Paul reined himself in, swallowing a growl. "Glad you got away from him."

"So am I."

He shot a smile at her. "Do you think you'll ever date again?"

"Probably not." She grinned back.

"Aww, c'mon. It's not all bad."

"You say that, but you don't know guys."

"Of course I do. I am one."

"Then you know what I mean."

"I can't promise I'm not like other guys, but I can promise that I won't ever hurt you."

"We just met. How can you say that?" Rachel stood and backed away from the countertop, crossing her arms.

"I'm different."

"Yeah. I've heard that before."

"Would you give me a chance before deciding that?"

Rachel thought about his proposal, tapping her right foot. "Maybe."

"Maybe, huh? Does that mean I can ask you on a date?"

"I'm not ready for dating yet. Maybe we can keep doing what we're doing. Talking."

"Like I said, I'm not good at talking." He leaned back and scrubbed a hand down his face. "It's like pulling teeth."

"Well, I need time, and that's not changing."

"That's fine. I don't... want to rush you. That's the last thing I want."

"Then you're gonna have to compromise with me."

"Okay. What's your number?"

"Hand me your phone and I'll punch it in."

Paul dug into his pocket and pulled out his flip phone, handing it to Rachel. She typed in her number and closed it, handing it back to him. He smiled, threading his left hand through his hair.

"So, I work a lot. I won't always answer my phone."

"I work a lot, too. And I'm night shift, so expect texts at 3 a.m."

"Lucky for you, I don't go to bed early."

"Rachel," Emily called.

"Yeah?" She turned to face her, who was holding the present she brought.

"I'm opening your gift now."

"I hope you like it."

Emily ripped into the floral wrapping paper, shredding it to reveal a baby monitor. Her face lit up, and she set the box onto the counter, leaning over to hug Rachel. The two embraced for a brief second.

"I love it! Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Emily moved on to opening the next one, a blue gift bag from Jared. She pulled out some generic white onesies and a pack of bottles. Kim's present was a little more personal, some care products and wine for after the pregnancy. The next gift came from Bella and Jake. Emily couldn't bend down to open it, so she made Sam unwrap it for her.

Underneath the jade green wrapping paper lay a tan bassinet, complete with a black wolf stuffed animal. Emily tried and failed to hold back her tears, hugging onto both of them for a good long minute. Quil excitedly handed over the presents he and Embry brought: a personalized photo album and monogrammed diaper bag. More hugs were shared, along with another slew of tears from Emily. The next and final gift was from Leah and Seth.

It stood much taller than the couch and was pretty wide. Sam opened the plain white wrapping paper to reveal a top of the line stroller that converted into a car seat. When all was said and done, Emily opened cards next. She started with Paul's card, nearly dropping it when she opened it. Inside, three crisp hundred-dollar bills stuck out.

Emily's jaw dropped, and both she and Sam pulled him in for a big hug. The rest of the cards were heartfelt, expressing nothing but love and happiness for the couple. Emily received a lot of what she needed, so she and Sam wouldn't need to purchase much aside from clothes when the time came in a month or so. When things were winding down, Paul took another chance at talking with Rachel.

While everybody was leaving, she even gave him a hug. A success compared to last time. Bella and Jake stayed behind to help clean up. Jake took out the trash for them while Bella did dishes. Paul walked Rachel out to her car, and after a few minutes he headed back inside.

"So, how'd you luck out this time?" Jake asked.

"She didn't hit me, if that's what you're asking," Paul said.

"Didn't think she would. I knew she'd come around." Jake threw his arm around Paul and Paul shrugged him off.

"Hey, none of that touchy-feelie shit. Just because I'm dressed like a fag doesn't mean you can treat me like I am."

"There's the Paul we know." Jake patted his shoulder and went back to helping Sam with some odds and ends.

Emily came up to Paul, pulling on his shirt.

"So all of this was to impress Rachel, huh?"

"Yeah. Do you think it worked?"

"She didn't yell at you or turn you away, so I'd say yes."

"Sweet." Paul grinned. "You think she really likes me?"

"I wouldn't go as far as to say that, but she might be interested at least. Take it easy on her."

Paul left not long after that. Bella finished up the last plate in the sink, wiping her hands off on the yellow dish rag hanging from the oven. Before she could turn around, Jake caught her in a backwards bear hug.

"Hey, you," he said.

"Hey yourself," she said.

"Ready to head home?"

"Yeah. What do we have planned after this?"

"Nothing really. Thought I could get in some cuddle time while Quil and Embry are out of the house."

"Where are they going?"

"To see Tiff."

"How's she holding up?" Bella chewed her bottom lip in thought.

"She's doing really good. Kind of borderline for a little while because of the withdrawals, but she's doing a lot better now."

"That's good. I'm glad to hear that. How's Embry taking everything?"

"He's doing pretty good, too. This is the happiest I've seen him in a long while."

"It's about time. He deserves happiness."

"C'mon. Let's say goodbye. I'm missing out on my Bells time." Jake pressed a kiss to her cheek and let her go.

Bella and Jake said their goodbyes to Emily and Sam, making sure everything was in place before they left. The drive back to the house was calm. Full of a steady drizzle and overcast skies. For being February, it was unseasonably warm. Bella wasn't complaining, though. She'd take rain over snow any day.

By the time they made it to the door, Jake had his arms tangled around her, whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

"Cuddle time? Or do you have ulterior motives?" Bella giggled.

"What? Can't I love on my woman? Is that a crime?"

"It's not—" Bella started.

"—Good." Jake interrupted, lifting her into his arms. She squeaked, eyes going wide before his lips connected with hers.

The rest of the afternoon went by fast. Quil and Embry came home a few hours later and the four of them decided to have an impromptu date night.

Everything was as it should be.


*Not sure where to go after this, but I'll figure it out. For now, enjoy being fed once again! : )

*Leave me a review and heart while you're here! I love to read them! :D