The Wonder of You

The town was hit with grief of the most acute time. They had all been excited to see Paula and Emmett come back from Hawaii, to hear stories about their travels but no stories would be told.

Frank had left that morning, telling everyone that he was off to get Paula and Emmett from the airport, but something just wasn’t right and they could tell. They waited all day for the arrival of the newlywed couple, but they never came.

At around eleven at night a police car showed up at Paula’s house informing them of the death of their daughter, their son in law, and Frankie. Mrs. Lombardi lost it right there, she fell to the floor clutching her womb and sobbed uncontrollably. Mr. Lombardi was at a loss for words and all he could do was cry.

The news got out the next day and everyone rushed to the hospital to try and steal a glimpse of the bodies but Carlisle wouldn’t allow it, he said they would see them at the mass and funeral not before then.

The sky was grey that morning, and rain pounded the people as they made their way into the church to pay their last respects to three wonderful people. Paula’s family and the Cullen’s sat on one side of the church and Frank’s family along with Rosalie sat on the other side.

Everyone stared at the three open caskets in the front, not a single eye was dry. Everyone was sobbing. The priest said a few words and then invited Edward to say a few words, after Edward’s speech it was Tony’s turn.

Tony was frozen to his seat, and didn’t move until his wife squeezed his hand gently giving him the strength necessary to go to the front and give the eulogy. He made his way to the alter slowly, and stopped when he saw Paula and Frank’s lifeless bodies lying there.

They were both white as snow, and a sad smile was on their faces. He lost it. It took him five minutes to regain his composure and walk up to the microphone.

He took his hankie out and wiped his eyes quickly and said, “They were gonna be kids godparents.” He pounded on the table and said, “They’re the finest people I have ever met in my life. I love them like my own brother and sister. I grew up with them. I ate mud pies with them when I was three. I just can’t believe that they’re gone. They were so young, barely starting off their lives. Frank had barely met Rosalie, and they were going steady. Steady! What kind of a sick joke is this? And Paula and Emmett, those two had been through so much crap this year, so much drama, and they’d just, they just got married, they were just coming back from their honeymoon! She didn’t even get to have their babies! We always said that her kids and my kids would get married one day, and make super greasers. Super greasers. I can’t do this I’m sorry.”

Tony ran past everyone that was calling after him, Betty walked slowly after him waddling because she was so big from the pregnancy.

Tony kicked his car over and over again. He was mad! He was mad that his two best friends in the whole world were dead and that he was still there! They were the three musketeers and they were supposed to go out together. Betty’s heart broke when she saw the state her husband was in.

She knew how much he loved Paula and Frank, those two had always been there for him and her, it was like losing an arm, even when it was gone you felt that it was still there and when you saw it wasn’t, it made you cry out in anger. She walked over to her husband, and stroked his hair as he cried into her chest.

“I just don’t get it betty! I don’t. Why? Why now? Why them?”

“Only God knows why he does these things my love, but know that we’re having twins girls and they’re gonna be named after their aunt and uncle. I pray to God that they are just like them. In every way.”

Paula’s mother and father stood in front of their daughters coffin sobbing. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. Children bury their parents, not the other way around. How could she be taken, she wasn’t even 19 years old. She had barely gotten married and was going to begin living her life, what sick joke is it to take a couple away when they’ve just returned from their honeymoon.

Mrs. Lombardi couldn’t take it anymore. She lifted the bottom of the casket and jumped in, holding her daughter to her chest and sobbing madly. She rocked back forth, trying to make the pain go away, trying to make Paula come back to life. She knew that there was no way that she would, but she was still trying too. She has to come back.

“Baby, you can’t leave your father and me. What will we do without you? I was a mess when you were on the road, I’m gonna die now that you’re dead. I NEED MY PRINCESS! I need my baby back. I need my baby.”

Esme and Carlisle watched on in sadness, their nonexistent heart tugged at the pain that Paula’s mother was feeling. Jasper was in extreme sadness, at this moment he hated being able to feel everyone’s emotions, especially that of her parents.

“Come on Martha. You have to get out.”

“I can’t. She’s my little girl, our little girl. I can’t, just bury me with her.”

“Martha.”

“She came from me. Her first word was Mommy I wuv you. I won’t let her go, I won’t.”

Charlie carried his hysterical wife out of the coffin, and onto her seat. The priest went and closed the bottom half of the coffin, and soon everyone was in line waiting to get a look at the three teenagers for the last time.

The funeral was quick, but no one left quickly. They all stood around just staring down at the tombstones wishing that in some strange way they would all come back to life. They even wished that they came back as zombies, because at least they’d be able to see them for a bit, but they knew there was no point in wishing because it wasn’t going to happen.

The Greasers stood in front of Paula and Frank’s graves. This was the first time that any of them had cried in public, and they were in hysterics. These two had been the leader and her right hand man in the gang. Paula was the one that killed a bunch of Scorpions so that they could still be alive, she was their hero; their mentor.

Mickey pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey and took a quick drink, passing it around to the other guys and then when the bottle came back to them he poured a little over their graves and said, “We’ll see you in heaven.”

It was ten at night before the cemetery was completely empty. The Cullen’s moved quickly in the night, and began digging up the three tombs. Emmett burst through his coffin and helped fill the hole again, and then started helping out with Paula. He took her body into his arms and carried her home. He gave them both a quick shower and put her down on the bed, growing restless as he stared at her unmoving body.

Paula thought that giving birth was the most painful experience that she had would ever go through but she was dead wrong, having to be in that coffin and listen to what her family and friends were saying was the most painful thing that she had ever been through.

Paula wanted to sit up in the coffin and console her mother, but she knew she couldn’t and even after she was turned into a vampire she wouldn’t be able to see her family because she would be very dangerous.

“Mama.”

Paula opened her eyes and found herself staring into two pairs of beautiful chocolate brown eyes; she was in love. She sat up and took a baby in each arm and stared at them. They had flawless porcelain skin, beautiful dimples, messy dark hair; perfection.

The Cullen’s stood in the doorway, ready to attack if Paula did anything to the babies, but when they saw the look in her eyes they realized that hurting her children was the last thing she would ever do.

Elijah stared at his mother, even though he was only three days old he felt as if he was looking at an angel. His small hand reached and touched her mother’s cheek, causing her to smile and for him to break out into a fit of happy giggles.

“You two are perfect.”

“Mama Elijah.”

“Aden.”

Paula put one son in each of her arms and smiled down at them, radiating happiness, that in turn caused Jasper to make everyone feel the happiest they had ever felt in their existence. Emmett walked through the doorway, he had just returned from the backyard and was shocked when he saw Paula holding the boys.

He walked in slowly and sat down next to his wife, “How are you love?”

“I’m perfect. Have you seen how perfect they are? I wish we’d had four!”

“Woman are you mad?!”

“Shut up Emmett!”

“One minute in and we’re fighting.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“SMILE!”

Paula and Emmett looked up and saw Alice click her camera. Alice smiled and said, “You guys look cute! This is perfect, like mommy just giving birth status. Of course she gave birth three days ago and died, but it’s all good!”

“Alice can you take the boys?”

“Of course!”

“Emmett?”

“Yeah?”

“Take me hunting.”

Five bears, three dears, and a rabbit later Paula and Emmett were officially full. Paula was leaning down to grab water from a stream to wipe her face when she saw blood red eyes staring at her, she screamed and threw a rock at the water.

Emmett sat up and said, “What’s wrong?!”

“I have red eyes! OMG! Emmett go get me some clear eyes! Shit you’re dead too. Hmm
Jasper will get me clear eyes! Fucking bear he had to go into a weed patch and eat up had to fuck up my eyes!”

Emmett roared in laughter, Paula thought her eyes were red because a bear had a love affair with marijuana. He controlled his laughter and said, “They’re gonna be red for awhile, like eight months then they’ll be my color.”

“Eight months! I look like a bitch.”

“You act like one too!”

“Emmett!”

“PAULA!”

“fuck you.”

“I love you too my baby mamma.”

“never say that again.”

“ok.”

When they walked in through the door, they saw the boys sitting on their auntie Rosalie’s lap while Frank sat next to them smiling.

“Frankie!”

“Pauly!”

“How the hell are ya?”

“good. You?”

“Amazing.”

“gonna go breaking some more houses?”

“Possibly. I know you’re gonna break a few.”

Emmett and Paula walked over to their children and each one hold one of their sons in their arms. Emmett smiled and danced with Aden in his arms, while Paula rocked back in forth with Elijah in hers.

“Mrs. McCarty I think we should put the boys to bed.”

“Of course Mr. McCarty.”

Sixteen years passed and Paula felt the need to return back to her hometown of Cherryville. She knew that she looked different enough to go unrecognized but she didn’t want to play the role of the high school kid.

Especially since Carlisle and Esme would not be joining them, they were going to take a decade off and live on Isle Esme. Edward and Bella were in La Push with Renesmee and Jacob.

Considering that there was no Esme or Carlisle they thought that they were not going to be able to pull off the whole high school thing again.

That’s when Alice had an idea, she’d been dabbling with new makeup techniques, like the ones they use in Hollywood to make actors look older and it was decided that Emmett and Paula would play the role of mother and father while the rest of them would be high school students all over again.

Of course they ran into another wall when they realized that the other greasers, who were now in their late thirties, would recognize them.

So Alice created some hair dye that would work on their hair and made everyone brunettes. She also stocked everyone up with stacks of colored contacts, they would of course have to change them every four hours but they would work.

Paula sat nervously on the chair as Alice put the finishing touched on her makeup. Paula gasped when she saw herself in the mirror. She was wearing a silver blouse with a purple cardigan on top of it that covered the tattoos on her arm, the stars on her face were covered up and she looked as if she was forty years old. The green contacts made her smile; she looked so different without her golden eyes.

Emmett walked into the room nervously; Alice had died his hair a sandy blonde color, gave him blue contacts, and gave him a spray tan that would have to be reapplied every four days.

He gasped when he saw Paula sitting there on the vanity, he always wanted to know what she would’ve looked like had she aged, and sure enough she looked marvelous.

They were about to jump on each other, and make fiercely when Alice stepped in and reminded them that they had to go register the kids for school.

Emmett smiled and put on his suit sweater and said, “She won’t save you later Paula.”

“Why Emile don’t you remember my names Mary in public.”

“I’m gonna fucking forget.”

“You better not.”

They walked out and made their way to the school. The high school students were in awe of the very attractive family that had pulled into the parking lot.

The McCarty’s were used to this so they paid them no mind and walked down the hall of the high school. Paula was walking not really paying attention to the surroundings, until a picture caught her eye.

She turned and stared at the glass case and walked towards it. There, in the case, was a large picture of her and the greasers football team, and underneath there were two pictures; one of her and one of Frankie it was a memorial to them.

They quickly finished enrolling the kids in the classes, and decided to go over to the local market to buy some food for Elijah and Oliver.

“mama can we please get some chips!”

“Put it in the basket.”

They soon finished shopping and stared making their way over to the register, when Paula heard a very familiar older couple arguing. She walked to the register where she heard them and there in all their glory were her sixty year old parents.

She wanted to run and hug them both, to attack them with kisses and catch up. But she knew she couldn’t tell them that she was alive, the shock alone would probably kill them. Instead she smiled politely at the both of them.

“Dear are you new in town?”

“Yes, my family and I just moved in a week ago.”

“Really? Where do you live?”

“In the forest, a little bit outside of town.”

“And how are you liking it so far?”

“I love the town, the people seem friendly. How rude of me let me introduce you to my family. This is my husband Emile, my sons Elijah, Aden, Frank, Jasper, and my daughters Alicia, and Rosario.”

“You have such beautiful children dear! Do you have plans for dinner?”

“No, I don’t.”

“You must all come over to dinner today. I won’t take no for an answer!”

“we’d be honored, Mrs. ?”

“Call me Martha.”

“Thank you Martha, just give us the address and we’ll be there.”

Dinner came and soon enough the McCarty’s found themselves in Paula’s old home. Paula was overcome with happiness when she stepped inside her home, it was exactly the same as it had been all those years ago. The dinner went by smoothly, Elijah and Aden ate an insane amount swearing that this was the greatest meal they had ever had.

The months went by and Paula and her family grew closer and closer to the Lombardi’s. Paula was very happy that she could be close to her parents, they had taken such a liking to her that they now insisted on her calling them mom and dad, if only they knew how true those words were.

A most extraordinary thing also happened to Elijah and Oliver, on their first day in school they had found their singers, and much to Paula and Frank’s joy it was Francesca and Paulina, the daughters of Tony and Betty.

Soon a relationship blossomed and Paula was once again in the company of her most beloved friend. They often sat together at the football games and wrestling matches since his daughters were on both teams. Soon after high school Francesca married Elijah and Aden married Paulina.

The girls had taken the news of the McCarty’s being vampires very well, and were happy with the fact that they would be able to come home and visit their parents once they were able to calm their thirst.

Paula and Emmett had been looking forward to being grandparents, but neither of their sons gave them any kids. They figured it was for the best, the Cullen’s couldn’t keep adding on.

Paula and Emmett stayed in Cherryville until her parents passed, it was a very emotional day but Paula was very happy that she was able to be a part of it. That she had been there for them till the very end, it made her feel as if she did something well.

Paula and Emmett were currently back at Forks, along with the entire Cullen family. They were lying on their backs staring up at the sun and laughing at Emmett’s very poor attempts at philosophy.

Finally Emmett shut up and said, “Let’s be newlyweds in Ireland.”

“Newlyweds, again?”

“Mhm, I want to be alone with you Paula.”

“Why Emmett, why would you want to be alone with me?”

“So I can make love to you, whenever I want.”

“You have all of eternity to make love to me.”

“Mmm, eternity seems too short right now.”

“Forevers not long enough for you?”

“Not when it’s with you. I could never get enough of you.”

“It’s you and me forever and ever and ever.”

“And ever?”

“And ever.”