It's easy for someone to lose themselves, but it's harder for them to find themselves again. Mavis's life was anything but ordinary, but that made her who she was. Someone who was kind but easy to manipulate. Someone who was caring but easy to hurt. Someone who was trusting but easy to take advantage of. Every positive trait also had a negative side. That was just how life was.
Mavis knew forgiving Paul was the right choice, but it would not be easy. She feared losing herself in the relationship again and vowed to start slow. They needed ground rules and good ones. "My family is really important to me," she said as they sat on the couch together. They were at Paul's home now. It felt weird to have such an intimate discussion at Jacob's house. "And I need you to make more of an effort this time."
Mavis's relationship with her family could be considered abnormal. As someone who was essentially adopted, it was easy to feel abandoned by simple things. In a way, Mavis needed constant validation from them. She was entirely dependant on everything they did, and sometimes it wasn't willingly. They often left her out of important discussions or unknowingly looked down on her because she was human.
"I can do that," Paul promised her.
"Probably best to start with an apology," Mavis offered him a gentle smile. "Preferably to Bella and Emmett." He nodded, a sign that he was paying attention to every word she spoke. "And we need to focus on ourselves just as much as we focus on each other."
"Okay." He agreed with all of her new boundaries, as she knew he would. Paul respected her choices and would never push her into something she didn't feel comfortable with.
"I'm making all of the rules. Do you have any?"
"They're not rules," he squeezed her hand. "They're boundaries, and they're to make you feel more comfortable."
She grinned at his words. Paul always made her feel comfortable. It was a feeling she had missed. "Do you have any?"
He thought for a moment. In his mind, Mavis was perfect. He was the only one who ever messed up. "Yes," he did. "You can't disappear like you do when you're having a prediction or a moment." He wasn't sure what to call it. "It scares me. I don't like not knowing where you are."
The smile on her face fell. Mavis had never realized that Paul was worried about her. She only ever thought about herself. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it worried you." Past insecurities began to creep up on her.
"It's okay," he could sense the change inside her. "I can always find you, but I want you to come to me instead."
"I can do that. Anything else?" Paul stared at her, an unreadable expression in his eyes. Mavis couldn't tell what he was thinking. "What is it?"
"Nothing," he shook his head. "That's it."
"Are you sure?" Paul gave her a faint nod. "Okay, we can add more if we need to as we go along."
"So, that's it? We're back together?"
Mavis chuckled, "I think we established that earlier, but yes, I guess we are."
"Good," Paul said happily.
"Good," she repeated. "I think-" Mavis was cut off by her phone ringing. She cursed to herself and pulled out the device. "Crap, I have to go." Paul tried to hide his disappointment. "Carlisle wants me to be there when the new vampires arrive. Helps them get used to my scent, I guess."
"I'll go with you." Paul wanted to accompany her for three reasons. One, he didn't want to be away from her. He had only just gotten her back. Two, her house was full of vampires, the type that killed humans. Three, he promised to be around her family more. This would be the perfect start.
"Really," Mavis raised an eyebrow. "You don't have to."
"I want to," he promised. "I do, really."
Mavis stared at him, "okay, yeah. Let's go."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Falling back into rhythm with Paul was surprisingly easy, but it was still new. The restart of their relationship had only just begun, but Paul was determined to keep his promises.
Amun, Kebi, Benjamin, and Tia were the first vampires she met. Their red eyes were strangely captivating. Senna and Zafrina joined soon after. Slowly, more and more vampires would join. It was overwhelming to see the amount of red-eyed people walking through her home. The Cullens would bring vampires to their home only to leave again and find more.
It was strange to be inside a house that didn't feel like home. Mavis missed her parents more than anything, and she hadn't been able to contact them. Alice said she would text from an unknown number, but that had yet to happen.
Mavis wanted them back but trusted that they were gone for a good reason. In the meantime, she spent her time doing as told by the others.
She had reconnected with Paul, but figuring things out would take time. They couldn't jump back into their relationship as if nothing had happened. A lot had happened, but they were going to make it work.
Her eyes searched the area for Paul. He wasn't hard to find. He stood on the back patio with Jacob. They were both smiling, which was a good sign. Mavis smiled to herself as she stood in the kitchen. Paul was working on keeping his promises, and she appreciated that. It meant a lot to her that he was here now. It showed that he was genuinely willing to do better.
"He's cute," Tanya whispered in her ear. "I can understand why you stare at him all the time."
Mavis blushed and turned away from her boyfriend. Thinking of him as her boyfriend again caused her heart to race. "Stop it."
Tanya grinned. "I thought you two broke up?"
"We did," Mavis sighed. "But we're back together now."
"Good," she said. "I thought I would have to beat him up while we were here."
The young girl let out an airy laugh. "Yeah, because that would go over well with everyone."
"Mavis, you know I love you." Tanya pinched her cheek. "We would do anything for you."
"I know, I know." The Denali's were her family, and she loved them just as much as they loved her. "I'm glad you guys are here. It's really good to see you."
Tanya nodded, "I wish it were under better circumstances."
"I'm sorry about Irina."
"Yeah, me too."
A silence followed, but it didn't last long. Renesmee ran inside happily, her feet pounding against the floor. "Mavis, Mavis, Mavis."
The blonde turned towards her, "hey, Renesmee. What is it?"
"What are you making to eat?" Tanya took that as her cue to leave and silently slipped out of the room.
"Well," Mavis picked Renesmee up and sat her on the counter. "I'm currently making pasta sauce, but I definitely need a sauce taster. Are you up for the job?"
Renesmee nodded eagerly, "yes!"
Mavis chuckled and grabbed a wooden spoon. Dipping it in the sauce, she slowly lifted it to Renesmee's lips. The younger tasted the sauce. "So, what do you think?"
The girl tapped her chin as she attempted to think. "What about pepper flakes?"
"Pepper flakes," Mavis repeated. "In pasta sauce?" Renesmee nodded, "I knew hiring you was a good idea." She walked towards the cabinet and pulled out the spice needed. Mavis turned around and saw Renesmee dipping her finger into the pot. "Hey, missy. Save some for the rest of us." The girl giggled. "You're bad at sneaking too. We'll have to work on that." Mavis felt a pair of eyes on her and looked past Renesmee. At some point, Paul and Jacob had walked inside. Paul was staring at her with a complex look on his face. "I think Jacob's waiting for you." Mavis helped Renesmee jump back onto the ground. She watched the girl run towards Jacob, who opened the back door for her. Bella and Edward were out there with a few new vampire arrivals. "You okay?" She spoke to Paul as he approached her.
"Yeah. Just a lot of red eyes around here."
Mavis smiled and placed a hand on his bicep. "Thank you for coming. It means a lot."
"Yeah," there were a few people who seemed on edge with his arrival, but nobody said anything. "I promised I would be around your family more."
"Well, most of the people here aren't family." Paul shrugged, his eyes scanning over the new faces. "What were you talking about with Jacob?"
"He wants to work together," he began. "With all the vampires coming to town, more and more are turning." Paul was referring to Quileutes shapeshifting. "And he said there are even more coming."
"I forgot about that," Mavis hadn't thought about how it would affect the shapeshifters. "I'm really sorry."
"It's okay," he promised her. "It's not your fault."
Mavis let go of his arm to focus on the sauce that was still cooking in front of her. "This will be done in a moment. Do you want to get out of here after?"
"Yeah," he muttered. "Yeah, I would like that."